Hong Kong: Co-care pilot scheme unveiled In an effort to encourage early prevention and the management of chronic diseases, the Government announced today that it will roll out the Chronic Disease Co-Care (CDCC) Pilot Scheme, which is set to be launched in mid-November. Around 17% of the population aged 45 to 84 have an underlying condition of diabetes mellitus (DM) or hypertension (HT), the Government explained. Apart from pointing out that eligible Hong Kong residents with no known medical history of DM or HT are eligible to join the scheme, it stated that those eligible will be subsidised by the Government to undergo DM and HT screening by a family doctor of their choice. Such individuals can also attend doctor consultations and receive laboratory investigations in the private healthcare sector, and, subject to their health conditions, be offered prescribed medication, follow-up care at nurse clinics and allied health services. Those who are diagnosed with prediabetes, DM or HT will be taken care of by their family doctor with long-term management including medical consultations and drug prescription as clinically indicated. The CDCC Pilot Scheme will operate on a co-payment model. Government subsidies will be offered during the screening and treatment phases, while participants will have to pay a certain amount of the co-payment fee. Citizens will pair with a family doctor after completion of registration as a member at any of the 18 District Health Centres (DHCs) and DHC Expresses (DHCEs) and given consent to enrol in the Electronic Health Record Sharing System. They will then be given a medical consultation by their family doctor who will also arrange laboratory investigations and advise them on the diagnosis afterwards. During this screening phase, the Government will offer subsidies to cover the laboratory investigation fees in full and the consultation fee at an amount of $196, whereas participants will need to pay a designated co-payment fee of $120. Participants who are diagnosed as not having any sign of DM or HT upon screening will be aided by the DHC/DHCEs to set health management goals. Arrangements will also be made on a need basis for them to participate in activities to help them adopt a healthier lifestyle for staying in good shape. As for those who are diagnosed with prediabetes, DM or HT, they will be supported with government subsidies for long-term follow-up by the family doctor they selected. Participants diagnosed with prediabetes are entitled to a maximum of four subsidised consultation visits per year, while those diagnosed with DM or HT are entitled to a maximum of six subsidised consultation visits per year. In the treatment phase, the Government will subsidise a consultation fee of $166 for each visit. The co-payment fee charged to the participants will be determined by the family doctors. The Government's recommended co-payment fee is $150 per consultation. Participants prescribed with drugs on the schemes list will not be required to pay for such medication. The Government has also made arrangements for participating family doctors to purchase drugs on the list from designated drug suppliers at discounted prices. On top of that, the Government will provide a quarterly drug subsidy to family doctors who have prescribed drugs for chronic diseases on the list at a rate of $105 per participant. For clinical needs assessed by family doctors during medical consultations, participants will be arranged to receive follow-up services from nurse clinics and allied health. Additionally, the Government will provide subsidies for such services while participants are required to pay a designated co-payment fee. Furthermore, family doctors can arrange for participants with clinical needs to undergo laboratory investigations as appropriate. The Government has engaged medical laboratories on the provision of investigation services through tendering, and will subsidise a variety of common laboratory investigation services related to DM or HT. Depending on clinical diagnosis, the designated co-payment fee to be charged to the participants ranges from $40 to $130 for each test package in general. People aged 65 or above may settle the co-payment fees with Elderly Health Care Vouchers. Moreover, the Government has established under the CDCC Pilot Scheme a two-way referral mechanism with the Hospital Authority (HA). Participants with clinical needs upon assessment by a family doctor will be referred to designated Medicine Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOPC) of the HA for a one-off medicine specialist medical consultation. After obtaining clinical advice on care plans from the Medicine SOPC, participants concerned will return to their own family doctor for continuous follow-up. Click here for more details or call 2157 5000. This story has been published on: 2023-09-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Profile: Western scholar's lifelong study, interpretation of classical Chinese philosophy Xinhua) 08:24, September 25, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- From its origins in the prehistoric past, an ever-evolving Chinese culture has been unique among the world's civilizations, Professor Roger T. Ames said at a recent forum on Chinese culture. He attributed this unbroken continuity to family reverence, one of the most basic and defining values of the Chinese people, in an interview with Xinhua after the morning session of the forum. It's each generation taking the responsibility for inheriting the culture, for understanding the culture, for expanding the culture, for using the culture to address the problems of the day, said Ames, who has delved into comparative studies of Chinese and Western philosophy for decades. "Dao (the Way) isn't something that is given. It's something that we have to participate in generation after generation," said Ames. Born in 1947 in Canada, Ames was interested in writing poetry and studied at Redlands University, California, the United States. Through an exchange program, he went to Hong Kong. Recalling his time in Hong Kong, Ames said the impact on him has proved lifelong. "I'm still trying to figure out the world that I encountered in Hong Kong. And I'm still trying to understand that world." Under the guidance of Confucian masters such as Lao Siguang, a completely new world of Chinese philosophy suddenly opened up right before his eyes. Ames decided on an academic focus of conducting comparative research into Chinese and Western philosophies. Following years of training at universities including University of London, Ames moved to the Hawaiian Islands in 1978 and took a post in the University of Hawaii's Department of Philosophy. Unlike in the Western world, the idea of life is really what generates growth in the Chinese world, said the philosophy professor emeritus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "(Be it) Chinese morality, education, (or) beauty, everything is about growth." The world is facing challenges including global warming, environmental degradation, food and water shortages, and proxy wars. For Ames, all these problems cannot be resolved by a single country or force. "We can only solve them if we work on them together." In an interdependent world, the most important contribution of Confucianism is perhaps the idea that to achieve success, one should let others succeed as well, said Ames, who is vice chairman of the International Confucian Association. Ames said that if in your mind there's some kind of absolute standard, and you think that you have it, then you are exclusive. The Chinese tradition, on the contrary, is inclusive. "The idea of He (Harmony) begins from difference, not from sameness." The 76-year-old said his interest in Chinese philosophy is not to celebrate China. Rather, it is to help the world survive. "For the next generation, for my grandchildren, I want a better world." Ames is humanities chair professor at Peking University. He had a three-hour seminar with graduates at the university later that afternoon. "I'm teaching the next generation of young professors a framework, a language, and a methodology for taking China's very own Confucianism to the world," he said, adding that foreign Confucianism is not Chinese Confucianism. Ames also called for greater people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, saying that unbalanced people-to-people exchanges before the pandemic had led to a huge gap in understanding. The philosopher said that his favorite Chinese saying is that the greatest capacity of the cosmos is life, an adage from a classical commentary to the millennia-old "I Ching," or the "Book of Change." This is profound, he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost a key ally in Tamil Nadu on Monday when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) snapped its ties with the ruling party at the Centre. This came as a jolt to the BJP, just months before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as well as key state assembly elections preceding that. Speaking about the development, AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan said that it is the saffron party which needs the AIADMK and not the other way round. It's the BJP which needs AIADMK and it's not AIADMK that needs BJP as far as Tamil Nadu is concerned," Sathyan said. For the sanctity of the alliance we maintained the status quo. But K Annamalai turned out to be a rabble-rouser. He started commenting on our leaders and founders. He started criticising our ideology, he added. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai, the most popular face of the BJP in the state, who was projected to be the focal point of this separation, shied away from speaking on this breakup. "Now Yatra is going on and I read the press statement given by them (AIADMK) and regarding this. Our national leadership will speak at the right time. I thank all the media persons. We have a protocol and our national leadership will speak at the right time," Annamalai said while he was participating in the En Mann En Makkal Yatra in the state. While the snapping of ties between the two parties in Tamil Nadu may be seen as a blow to the BJP, several political leaders from the state maintained that it is only a temporary separation. TKS Elangovan, former Rajya Sabha MP from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the party which rules Tamil Nadu in partnership with the Congress, took a swipe at the BJP saying that the Enforcement Directorate will have to expand their foothold in the state now. "The poor Enforcement Directorate will have to expand their activities now. Since AIADMK has now become an opposition party, they will target them," he said. Taking a cryptic view of AIADMKs separation from the BJP, Elangovan said, "They have taken this decision only because of Annamalai's speech. If Annamalai changes, lets wait and see what will happen..." Manithaneya Makkal Katchi MMK President MH Jawahirulla also took a similar view saying that it is only a ploy by the AIADMK to force the BJP to sack Annamalai. "I don't think this break-up will last for ever at least until the 2024 Parliament elections. This is a ploy by the AIADMK to force the BJP to sack its present state president Annamalai and place someone who would be amenable to them. Beyond that I don't think AIADMK has the guts to shed off its links with BJP forever. AIADMK has not criticised any of the BJP's policies, he said. Dravidar Kazhagam President K Veeramani shared the same view. ".whether the separation is permanent or temporary, whether it is a judicial separation or an official divorce (remains to be seen). For them (AIADMK) going back and coming out is a very ordinary thing. It creates news value for newspapers," he said. BJP leader CT Ravi backed Annamalai saying that the party is being strengthened in Tamil Nadu under the latters leadership. "Eight months are left and what will happen in these months, we can't say anything today. To make the party strong is the duty of every worker. Under the leadership of K Annamalai a great work of strengthening the party is being done," Ravi said. Congress leader Rashid Alvi said that it is a step in the right direction for the AIADMK if they have taken the decision after understanding the ideology of the BJP. "This is a good step. If they have understood the ideology of NDA and BJP and took this decision after careful consideration and not for any bargaining with BJP, then it is a good step..., Ravi said. Pointing out the number of exits by National Democratic Alliance partners in recent years, Ravi said, BJP doesn't respect its allies. You saw Shiv Sena leave, you saw Akali Dal leave, several parties left them in UP." Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav said that BJP lost a major ally in south India and it is a big loss to the party. If you look at South India, then you would see that a major ally of NDA has quit the alliance. I think this will be a big loss to BJP. Shiv Sena, JD(U) and Akali Dal have already quit the alliance, Yadav said. Taking a veiled dig at the BJP top brass and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yadav said, It shows that NDA is meaningless now. Only one dictator is sitting there and two people are running the country." AIADMK spokesperson Sasirekha said, "Based on the members' opinion we are taking this resolution. This is the happiest moment for AIADMK. We are happy to face the upcoming elections whether it be Parliament or Assembly elections..." Earlier this evening, AIADMK Deputy Coordinator K P Munusamy announced that his party is breaking all ties with the BJP and the NDA alliance with immediate effect. "AIADMK unanimously passed a resolution in the meeting. AIADMK is breaking all ties with BJP and NDA alliance from today. The state leadership of the BJP has been continuously making unnecessary remarks about our former leaders, our general secretary EPS and our cadres for the past one year," Munusamy said. The BJP which lost Karnataka (the only southern state it ruled) this year, managed to join hands with the Janata Dal (Secular) this week. However, with AIADMK exiting the NDA fold today, the political landscape in south India changes once again for the BJP. (ANI) Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Prahlad Singh Patel on Monday said that in the upcoming Madya Pradesh Assembly polls, Congress will not be able to open its account in Chhindwara district and that the grand old party's 'Lanka' of corruption will demolish here. The Damoh MP has been fielded by BJP from Narsingpur constituency for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, slated to be held later this year. Apart from him, two other Union Ministers have been fielded in the state Assembly polls. While speaking to ANI, the BJP MP said that he is delighted by the party's decision and that this would be his first Assembly election. "For the first time, I will contest assembly elections. I express my gratitude for this decision of the party. Secondly, it is delightful for me that I will contest from my 'Janmabhoomi and Karmabhoomi' for the first time," Patel said. The Union Minister said that like the 2003 Assembly polls, Congress will struggle for a single seat in Chhindwara. "I have watched the 2003 elections very closely. At that time Congress had not even opened its account in Chhindwara. I reiterate my resolve, that even in 2023 Congress will not open its account in Chhindwara. Their Lanka of corruption will demolish here," he added. The ruling BJP on Monday released its second list of 39 candidates for the forthcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. The new list, announced hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a massive gathering of BJP workers in Bhopal, includes four party MPs and three Union Ministers. Apart from Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to contest from Dimani, party MP Rakesh Singh to contest from Jabalpur West, Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste to contest from Niwas, and Kailash Vijayvargiya to contest from Indore-1. On September 13, the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) held a meeting to discuss Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh elections at the party's headquarters in the national capital. The meeting was attended by PM Modi includingBJPPresident JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, along with other members of the election committee and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. TheBJPreleased its first list of candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assemblyelectionson August 17, revealing the names of 39 candidates. The state is scheduled to go for the Assembly polls later this year. Through the polls, the state will elect legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies. (ANI) Union Minister and Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy backed the Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarrajans decision to reject two names recommended by the State Cabinet for nomination as Members of the State Legislative Council under the Governors quota. "It's the right of the Governor...Whatever she has done is good because it is wrong to nominate MLCs who will serve BRS and the KCR family from the Governor's quota. KCR gives tickets to those who serve his family. I want to thank the Governor for the decision," said Reddy. Soundararajan on Monday rejected the state governments proposal to nominate BRS leaders Dasoju Sravan Kumar and K Satyanarayana to the Legislative Council under the Governors quota. My earnest request to the cabinet and the Honble chief minister is to avoid such politically aligned persons from filling up nominated posts under Article 171(5) of the Constitution of India, defeating its objectives and enactment and consider only genuinely eminent persons in the respective field, she said, in two separate letters addressed to chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, after rejecting the proposal. The governor said in the letter that the two MLC candidates recommended by the government were unfit for MLC posts under the Governor's quota. She said that the profiles of nominees do not indicate their special knowledge in Literature, science, art, Cooperative movement, and social services which are mandatory to get elected MLC under the Governor quota. This is not the first time that the BRS governments Governor quota recommendations for the Legislative Council were rebuffed by Governor Soundararajan. She had rejected BRS leader P Kaushik Reddys name in 2021, stating that he doesnt fulfill the requirements under the Governors quota, according to the Constitution of India. She had also cited pending legal cases against him. The development after the recent tussle between the state government and the Governor over important Bills that included the TSRTC merger Bill in August. (ANI) French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that Paris will end its military presence in Niger by the end of 2023, CNN reported. He also announced that he has decided to bring back the country's Ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to France The development comes amid high tensions between the two nations since the military junta seized power in Niger in July. Macron said, "We are putting an end to our military cooperation with the de facto authorities of Niger because they dont want to fight terrorism anymore," CNN reported. The decision to end the "cooperation" has been taken "because we are not there to deal with internal politics and be hostages of putschists, the French President said while referring to the military group. He announced that the withdrawal would take place in the coming weeks. "They will come back in an orderly manner in the weeks and months to come, and for that, we will coordinate with the putschists because we want this to happen calmly," Macron said. Asked about the timeline of withdrawal, Macron said that there will not be any French soldiers in Niger by the end of 2023. Macron also announced that he has decided to bring back the country's Ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to France. He said, "France has decided to bring back its ambassador," CNN reported. He further said, "In the coming hours, our ambassador along with several diplomats will return to France." His decision comes over a week after Macron said the French Ambassador was literally being held hostage at the French embassy." He further said that the food was prevented from being delivered to the embassy in Niger's Niamey. French troops have been stationed in Niger, many of whom were there to assist with counterterrorism missions, on the basis that Niger was a relatively stable democracy in a region that faces problems like political upheaval and terrorism, CNN has reported. Some 1500 French troops have been stationed in Niger. Notably, France has not recognized Nigers military authorities and stressed that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum remains the countrys only legitimate authority. After the coup in July, Niger military junta has asked Sylvain Itte to leave the country. It later revoked his visa and ordered police to expel him. However, the diplomat continued to stay in Niger. (ANI) Canada's Leader of Opposition Pierre Poilievre criticised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for meeting and honouring a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). He demanded an apology from Trudeau over the matter. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Poilievre said Liberals arranged for Nazi veteran to be recognized on the floor of the House of Commons during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Canada this week. He called it an "appalling error" in judgement on the part of Trudeau, whose office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind. In a post shared on X, Pierre Poilievre stated, "It has come out today that Justin Trudeau personally met with and honoured a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). Liberals then arranged for this Nazi veteran to be recognized on the floor of the House of Commons during the visit of the Ukrainian President." He further added, "This is an appalling error in judgement on the part of Justin Trudeau, whose personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind. No parliamentarians (other than Justin Trudeau) had the opportunity to vet this individuals past before he was introduced and honoured on the floor of the House of Commons. Without warning or context, it was impossible for any parliamentarian in the room (other than Mr. Trudeau) to know of this dark past. Mr Trudeau must personally apologize and avoid passing the blame to others as he always does." He made the statement in response to a post shared by Canadian-based human rights group organisation Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center's (FSWC) post shared on X.In the post, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center stated, "FSWC is appalled that Canadas Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others." Meanwhile, Anthony Rota, Speaker of Canada's House of Commons, has extended apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. He spoke about introducing an individual in the gallery on September 22 during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address at the Canadian Parliament. In a statement, Rota said, "On Friday, September 22, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them." He further said, "This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions." On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Canadian Parliament and said that Russia's aggression must end with Ukraine's victory. He offered repeated thanks to Canada for its continued support of Kyiv. Zelenskyy was accompanied by Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska. They received a standing ovation upon arrival in the House of Commons. In his address at the Canadian Parliament, Zelenskyy said, "This Russian aggression must end with our victory so that Russia will never bring back genocide to Ukraine and will never ever try to do so, Moscow must lose once and for all and it will lose." (ANI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that he will visit North Korea in October as part of follow-up measures to the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong earlier this month, Yonhap News Agency reported. He made the remarks during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Lavrov said that his upcoming visit to North Korea follows the agreement between Putin and Kim Jong Un. On September 13, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un held a meeting at a Russian spaceport. According to observers, Putin's visit to Pyongyang will be discussed during Lavrov's visit to North Korea, according to Yonhap News Agency report. Notably, Putin earlier this month accepted Kim Jong Un's invitation to visit Russia. During his visit to Russia, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Russia will emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces, adding that he would "always be standing with Russia, CNN reported. He praised Russia for having stood up against the hegemonic forces to defend its sovereignty and security a veiled reference to the US and the West and said he has expressed the full and unconditional support to all that Russia does in response, CNN reported. During his visit, the North Korean leader also met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu at the Knevichi airfield in Russias Vladivostok, TASS reported. The Russian Defence Minister showed the Kinzhal missile system on the MiG-31I missile carrier to Kim Jong Un at the Knevichi airfield located in the Primorye region. The commander of long-range aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash, reported on the flight and technical capabilities of the hypersonic aircraft missile system. Kim Jong Un was also made familiar with modern operational-tactical aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces at the Knevichi airfield in Primorye, TASS reported. Kim Jong Un also inspected the engineering centre and production shops of the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant in Russia's Far East. During his visit to the aviation plant, he was accompanied by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. The Russian government in a statement said, "The Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un, was shown the engineering centre and production shops of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant named after YuA Gagarin (KnAAZ named after YuA Gagarin), a branch of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), and also the site of the production centre of the parent company of the civilian division of UAC Yakovlev." During the visit, Kim Jong-un and Denis Manturov inspected the assembly production of fighter aircraft and the final assembly shop for the Su-35 aircraft and the fifth-generation Su-57 aviation complex, according to the Russian government statement. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The two leaders affirmed a "strong bilateral relationship." After the meeting, Jaishankar in a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, "On the sidelines of #UNGA78, met with @AraratMirzoyan FM of Armenia. Appreciate his sharing assessment of the current situation in the Caucasus. Affirmed our strong bilateral relationship." Notably, India recognized Armenia in 1991 and India's Ambassador in Moscow was concurrently accredited to Armenia, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations was signed on 31 August 1992 in Moscow. Earlier, EAM Jaishankar also met Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konakovic. The two leaders discussed growing bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy. Sharing a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good meeting with FM Elmedin Konakovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed growing our bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy." He also met Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena and discussed taking forward the partnership between the two nations with a focus on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. After the meeting, Jaishankar in a post on X, stated, "A real pleasure to meet with Secretary of Foreign Affairs @aliciabarcena of Mexico this morning in New York. Discussed taking forward our Privileged Partnership focusing on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. Also exchanged views on the reforming multilateralism and our work together in G20." Notably, EAM Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC. On Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis and foreign ministers of other nations attended the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York. He called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. In his address at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Jaishankar began his speech by speaking about India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. "Your presence means a lot to us. It also expresses the sentiments that you feel for India and underlines the import of South-South cooperation. We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, a summit which took place on the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future," Jaishankar said. "Now, it was a challenging summit. It was actually a challenging presidency, and it was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarization as well as a very deep North-South divide. But we were very determined as the Presidency of the G20 to make sure that this organization on which the world really had put so much hope and was able to get back to its core agenda," he added. (ANI) As many as 85 new cases of conjunctivitis, commonly known as Pink Eye, have been reported in Pakistans Lahore within the past 24 hours, ARY News reported on Monday. Pink eye is an inflammation of the transparent membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball. This membrane is called the conjunctiva. ARY News is a Pakistani news channel. Those affected are finding it difficult to venture outdoors due to the adverse effects of sunlight and dust on their eyes. Eye Surgeon, Dr Intzar Hussain Butt, shared his recommendations, urging the affected individuals to use prescribed eye drops, cold water, and tissues for eye cleansing, as per ARY News. Dr Butt explained that conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane, known as the conjunctiva, which lines the eyelid and covers the eyeball. He emphasized the importance of avoiding physical contact with infected individuals and refraining from sharing personal items such as handkerchiefs, pillows, and makeup. The doctor also advised those affected to wear sunglasses and take a temporary leave from their official or private duties for a few days. Self-medication was discouraged, and joining gatherings was to be avoided. Frequent handwashing with soap was recommended. Patients were directed to use prescribed eye drops and tissues for eye cleansing, with the option of using cold water for temporary relief. The Punjab provincial government health department also directed people to use hand sanitizers and cautioned against touching ones eyes without washing hands thoroughly The health department also advised against sharing items with those suffering from eye infections, including pillows, clothes, medicine, and bedding, which should be kept separate. Additionally, patients were urged not to reuse facial items, ARY reported. Pink Eyes symptoms include redness, a gritty or scratchy sensation in the eye, and itching. Dr Butt further noted that many individuals with conjunctivitis experience eye discharge, leading to the formation of crusts on the eyelashes, particularly at night. These symptoms can be caused by various factors, including infections, allergies, or irritants. (ANI) The Indian Community in Canada is concerned over the recent strain in relations between the two countries following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allegations regarding the Indian governments involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Senior Canadian Journalist Harleem Sadia said that the Indian community has concerns which are very genuine. She said common people are now finding it difficult to travel to India and Canada. It is difficult for people who lead normal lives, have regular jobs. Canadian citizen of Indian origin Gurjant Singh said that being a Sikh, both India and Canada are extremely important to him and the recent tensions deeply concern him. Gurjant Singh feels the issue should be resolved through dialogue. I am very concerned about the matter and I think everything should be resolved through dialogue. Anything, any issue can be discussed, solved at the table. Both the Indian and Canadian governments should put up their point of views while remaining within their lines, boundaries. he said. Last week, Justin Trudeau claimed that his country's national security officials had reasons to believe that "agents of the Indian government were behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Nijjar. "Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," Trudeau had said. On Trudeaus claims, Gurjant said: Being a Prime Minister, you cannot claim anything that you cannot later prove. Whatever the Canadian PM said was wrong. Now that he has said it, he should be able to support his statement. Gurjant further said that his parents were supposed to come to Canada in January. But for now, for this reason, they wont be coming. But my problem is small when looked at from a larger scale, he said. He further said that any demands should be made within the line, by keeping control on "our language, emotions." Meanwhile, Canadian citizen Ajaib Singh has said relations between the two countries should get better for the sake of Indian students studying in Canada. Students come to Canada for a better future. They study here, get good jobs and also become residents here. Parents also want their children to have a better future in Canada. Some also go back to India after their studies. They also go back for a better future, Ajaib said. For the sake of these students, I pray that relations between India, Canada get better, he said. He added that India, Canada should resolve their issues at the table and that visa ban is not the solution, innocent people should not be punished. I urge the leaders of both countries to sit at the table, resolve the issue amicably, he said. India on Thursday said thatsecuritythreats being faced by the countrys High Commission and Consulates inCanadahave disrupted their normal functioning and they are temporarily unable to process visa applications. Answering queries during the weekly press conference, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokespersonArindam Bagchisaid the issue is the incitement of violence, inaction by Canadian authorities and the creation of an environment that disrupts the functioning of our consulates. The remarks came hours after visa services provider BLS International said that it has with immediate effect suspendedIndian visa services inCanada. Ajaib said "The future in unclear right now, we dont know which statement will come which day. The faster the issues get resolved, the better." Senior Canadian journalist Tahir Gora said he wants the Indian communitys opinion to be brought forward on the India-Canada diplomatic standoff. Right now, there is a strain in India, Canada relations. We want that the Indian communitys opinion should be brought forward. The people understand that this issue will stretch for a long time We want to know what the current situation is and if it will deteriorate in the coming days, he said. Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair has urged India, Canada to start talking to find a common ground in view of the recent strain in relations, CBC News reported. "I really want [the two countries I love] to start talking. I know once they start talking, once they really want to help their citizens, I'm pretty sure they'll find common ground to make friends," Blair said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live on CBC News which aired on Sunday. (ANI) Photo: Black Vancouver/Submitted Group reportedly seeks like-minded parents for 'whites only,' moms and tots play group. Port Coquitlam's mayor says there is no place for racism in his city in response to a social media post about a sign advertising a "white's only" playgroup for kids. "This vile garbage isn't welcome in our community, or anywhere else," wrote Brad West on X, the social media outlet formerly known as Twitter. West said city bylaw officers went out immediately to remove the sign advertising the playgroup after hearing about it but couldn't find any signs. "As soon as it was brought to our attention, Bylaw officers immediately searched the area & all bus stops, but no signs were present. Perhaps being removed by someone else." According to a social media post by Black Vancouver on Sunday, Sept. 24, a sign advertising a "white's only" playgroup was spotted at a bus stop at 2627 Shaughnessy St., which is close to city hall. The post on Instagram has generated multiple comments and news stories in other media. The sign asks people interested in the group to contact them via an email and a Telegram account. Screenshots of the WhitesTri-CitiesParentsandTots Telegram chat, posted by Black Vancouver, show that those interested in the group are asked to make their profile anonymous and to not reveal their phone number. "Hello everybody, we are encouraged by the response already and hope you can hang in there until we are all comfortable going in person," the screenshot states. The Tri-City News has reached out to the group but has yet to receive a response. Under B.C.'s Human Rights Code, a person can't be discriminated against for race, ancestry, colour, and place of origin. 1/Regarding a racist sign in our city: As soon as it was brought to our attention, Bylaw officers immediately searched the area & all bus stops, but no signs were present. Perhaps being removed by someone else. This vile garbage isnt welcome in our community, or anywhere else. Brad West (@BradWestPoCo) September 25, 2023 Anti-racism initiatives in the Tri-Cities The furor caused by the sign comes as the school district responsible for schools in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody has hired a district orincipal of diversity and anti racism and multiple schools have taken part in anti-racism events in the last school year, with more to come. In an update, School District 43 (SD43) noted in its most recent agenda that the new principle's job will be to support SD43's anti-racism action plan, including raising awareness, collaborative change, capacity building and school support. In 2020, Port Coquitlam established a Roundtable on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to promote awareness and help the city establish an anti-racism policy. The City of Coquitlam also has an Equity Diversity and Inclusion policy and program which "aims to break down barriers to ensure that everyone regardless of race, age, ability, culture, gender, sexual orientation and other diversity characteristics is able to live, work and thrive in a safe and welcoming environment." ARY News is a Pakistani news channel. As per the police, the accident occurred on Sunday at Nazimabad No 7 near the matric board office when a water tanker ran over a motorcycle, killing a father and daughter on the spot. A minor boy also got injured in the accident. The incident took place due to overspeeding, said police, adding that the water hydrant's driver fled the scene after the accident. The bodies have been moved to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The deceased were residents of Karachis Orangi Town area. Following the incident, a violent mob set the water tanker on fire, as per ARY News. In another incident, a man and his two-year-old daughter were killed in firing at Chamrha Chowrangi near Karachis Korangi, ARY News reported. As per details, police officials said that 2-year-old Anum was on the motorcycle with her father Tahir when they sustained injuries in the firing. Later, it was reported that both succumbed to their injuries and were declared dead. Police officials are conducting an investigation to identify if it was a snatching incident or a planned murder. So far, more than 30 bullet shells have been recovered from the spot of the incident. (ANI) The Art of Living organisation will host the 4th World Culture Festival at the National Mall in Washington DC in the United States from September 29 to October 1 this year which will see the participation of many global leaders, said the Art of Living Reception committee in a press release. As per the press release, the reception committee of Art of Living includes the former Vice-President of India, Venkaiah Naidu Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, South Korea Chair, Reception Committee, Ban Ki-Moon, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, United States of America, Nancy Pelosi, Fiji President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, President of Suriname, Chan Santokhi, Minority Whip of the United States House of Representatives (D-MA), United States of America, Katherine Clark and many other world leaders. The release said that the event will see the participation of 2 lakh people and multiple heads of State, thought leaders and renowned artists. The Founder of Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said about the event, "The purpose of the World Culture Festival is to send a message that the whole world is one family and we can all coexist with our differences. It is an opportunity for leaders from all segments of society business, politics, religion, academia to come together and renew their vision to work for the common welfare. Moreover, in the programme many global leaders, religious heads and dignitaries will give inspiring speeches including Minister of External Affairs of India, S Jaishankar. The release informed that the 8th Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon will give the opening remarks at the event which will be followed by the speeches from Dr Abdul Karim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Ram Nath Kovind, Former President of India, Sumitra Mahajan, former speaker, Lok Sabha will also address the gathering, said the release. According to the official press release, the event will see performances by over 17,000 artists from 180 countries. This includes 10,000 Garba dancers, 500 Bhangra dancers, Native American and Pakistani dances, Ukrainian performances, and Kashmiri Rhapsody. Additionally, the event will see Bob Marley's grandson's 'One Love' recreation, Live Yoga with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, World's First and Largest Global Peace Meditation at the Lincoln Memorial with participation from above 100 countries and 2,50,000 people. (ANI) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in Pakistan has ordered to transfer Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to Rawalpindis Adiala Jail from the Attock district Jail in Punjab Province, Dawn News reported on Monday. According to Dawn News, the Islamabad High Court had asked the Adiala Jail Superintendent to receive Imran but he was taken to Attock Jail. Subsequently, the former Pakistan PM filed a petition seeking transfer from Attock Jail to a better-class facility in Adiala Jail. The Dawn news reported that IHC Justice Farooq had reserved the verdict on Imran Khas transfer application, claiming he would issue an appropriate order on it. A written verdict of the court is yet to be issued in the case but during the hearing, the IHC Judge said, Shift the PTI chairman to Adiala jail. He also sought a response from AAG Dogal on the matter. Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside the IHC, Marwat said they had finally been granted justice from the IHC to the extent of transfer of Khan sahib from the Attock jail to Adiala jail, adding that it was a little bit of justice but he was glad about it. He expressed his gratitude to Justice Farooq but also expressed his dissatisfaction at the court adjourning the hearing on a plea seeking an open hearing of Imrans bail plea in the cipher case. He said the reasons for which the hearing had been adjourned were not acknowledged in the law. Marwat expressed hope that the hearing would be held within a few days. The special court formed under the Official Secrets Act had rejected the post-arrest bail pleas of Khan and his party's Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case of the missing cypher, Pakistan-based The News International reported. Both Khan and Qureshi are on judicial remand till September 26, in connection with the cypher case. In August, the FIA booked the PTI chief and his partys vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing the classified document for vested political interests. Subsequently, both leaders were arrested in connection with the probe into the case and a special court was formed under the Official Secrets Act to try the accused. The cypher controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan just days before his ouster in April 2022 brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cypher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be ousted from power, according to The News International report. He did not reveal the contents of the letter and the name of the nation that had sent it. However, a few days later Imran Khan named the United States and said that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal. PTI chairman had claimed that he was reading contents from the cypher and said that "all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power" The cypher case against Imran Khan became serious after his principal secretary Azam Khan in a statement before a magistrate and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said that the former PM had used the US cypher for his "political gains" and to avoid a vote of no-confidence against him, according to The News International report. According to Azam Khan, Pakistan's then-PM said that the cable could be used for "creating a narrative against establishment and opposition." He said the US cypher was used in political gatherings by the PTI chairman, despite his advice to avoid such acts. (ANI) The Muttahida Quami Movement's (MQM) founder and leader Altaf Hussain said that he's never been an enemy of any community. He only opposed the corrupt big feudal lords and their patron-in-chief corrupt generals in the military establishment. He said that he is not against Pakistan, Pakistan is his motherland and he is a patriotic citizen. He expressed these views at the gathering held under the auspices of MQM UK on his 70th birthday. In his speech, Hussain expressed his reservations about the country's corrupt system, as well as about the military interventions in the country's political and economic systems, MQM philosophy and the current political situation of Pakistan. On Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan, he said that if the issues arising there from his return were not settled lawfully, then the Punjabi diaspora won't accept it. He said that Pakistan's true owners are the 240 million people, but since the creation of Pakistan, the privileged class has been controlling the country through a dynasty.MQM helped the downtrodden to evolve and reach the policy-making and legislative houses. Unfortunately, the military establishment feared MQM and placed it under lethal military guns and MQM was fragmented. He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was a celebrity and was not a feudal lord. Only the middle-class people stand with him amid these testing hours while the opportunistic elites have deserted him ruthlessly and shamefully. He said that what the military establishment did to MQM can't be compared with what the PTI is facing today. Their hardship only amounts to just 5 per cent of the injuries of MQM. He said that Khan should now encourage middle-class citizens instead of landowners in the next elections. He said that the people of Punjab should raise their voice for the release of Imran Khan and the PTI's women who have been detained unlawfully and they should read the history of MQM. Thousands of MQM workers have been killed extra-judicially, hundreds of workers have been missing since 1992, and thousands are still in jail. The people of Punjab were deceived by the military establishment and they treated Mohajirs and other communities as traitors. They should feel the pain of the oppressed Mohajirs and raise their voices against tyranny.He gladly appreciated the people all over the country for realising that the corrupt and dirty system of the country is operated by the corrupt generals who have falsely acquired to perform as the guardians of the system which they have occupied and ruined. "I've never opposed the military service except the generals who are always money-and-power-hungry. Addressing the top military brass, He said that they should not cater to the needs of big powers, but about their own country. As long as they work for the interests of world powers, they will continue to receive money. The day when the big powers would stop feeding these generals, the country's survival will become a big question. The people of Pakistan are suffering from the wrong policies of the state, so it is time to talk to Mohajirs, Baloch, Sindhis, and Pashtuns.While addressing the Pakistan military Chief, General Muhammed Asim Munir questioned and said that during a meeting with traders and industrialists in Karachi, you had said that you would end corruption in the country, but can you tell the people how many big corrupt people from the army who looted the country and fled are taken to task? He told him that the army's job is to defend the borders, not to do business. He said that unfortunately, an independent judiciary doesn't exist in Pakistan. The judiciary is also under the thumb of the army. The entire system of the state is under the control of powerful corrupt generals. They told the people of the country to take out his speeches and find out what he's been saying for decades to change the country's fate. (ANI) The International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, on Monday issued a Red Corner Notice against Karanvir Singh, a member of the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International. Interpol updated its website by putting out a Red Corner Notice for the Khalistani leader. According to intelligence sources, Singh is believed to be hiding in Pakistan and was a member of the pro-Khalistan terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International. As per the Interpol portal, 38-year-old Karanvir Singh has roots in Punjabs Kapurthala district. Further, according to Interpol, Singh is wanted by India for criminal conspiracy, murder, offences related to the Arms Act, and Explosive Substances Act, raising funds for terrorist acts, conspiracy, and being a member of a terrorist gang or organisation. A Red Corner Notice is a request to the law enforcement authorities of Interpol's member countries to find and temporarily detain a person until extradition, surrender, or a similar legal process can take place. Earlier, Interpol issued a Red Notice to all member countries against gangster Himanshu alias Bhau, who is believed to be living abroad. Giving details, a spokesman of Haryana Police said Rohtak Police succeeded in getting a Red Corner Notice issued against a most wanted accused, who is believed to have fled abroad. The Red Corner Notice against the wanted pro-Khalistani leader comes amid a diplomatic spat between New Delhi and Ottawa in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claim of an India hand in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi dismissed the allegations, calling them absurd and motivated. At a news conference in New York, the Canadian PM, however, failed to present any evidence to back his claim of Indian involvement in Nijjar's killing. Trudeau was repeatedly quizzed on the nature of the allegations but stuck to reiterating that there were "credible reasons" to believe that India was linked to Nijjar's death. "There are credible reasons to believe that agents of the Government of India were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil. That is ...there is something of utmost foundational importance in a country's rule of law in a world where international rules-based order matters," Trudeau said. "We call upon the Government of India to take seriously this matter and to work with us to shed full transparency and ensure accountability and justice in this matter," the Canadian PM added. According to CBC News, the Canadian government invested both human and signal intelligence in a months-long investigation into Nijjars death. That intelligence includes communications involving Indian diplomats present in Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, however, said no information has been shared by Canada with regard to the killing of Nijjar. "We are willing to look at any specific information that is provided to us, but so far we have received no specific information from Canada," Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said during a briefing. A designated terrorist in India, Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. (ANI) The Vancouver Police Department has closed the road around the Indian Consulate in Vancouver ahead of a protest planned by Khalistan supporters over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting. Barriers have been placed blocking the entrance to the Indian Consulate in Vancouver's building on Howe Street, Canada-based CTV News reported. The rally is scheduled for Monday at 11 am (local time). The World Sikh Organization in advance has issued a warning of the possibility of "incitement and interference" and called for vigilance, CTV News reported. In a statement, the organization's president Tejinder Singh Sidhu called for finding the killers of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He further said, "If members of the community feel unsafe or see attempts to incite violence, we encourage them to immediately contact law enforcement," CTV News reported. In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Vancouver Police stated, "#VanTraffic: Howe Street is closed to vehicle traffic between W Cordova and W Hastings Street. Please plan an alternate route until further notice." Tensions between India and Canada have been strained after Justin Trudeau on September 18 alleged Indias involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was killed outside a Gurdwara in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on June 18. India, however, rejected the allegations, terming them "absurd" and "motivated". We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "Allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated," the MEA added in its statement. "Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister and were completely rejected. We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to the rule of law," it added. India also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a reciprocal move to Canada expelling a senior Indian diplomat in light of the claim of New Delhi's involvement in the killing of Nijjar. Meanwhile, Indian nationals, students in Canada and those planning on travelling to the country have been advised to exercise caution amid the recent strain in relations between the two countries. Indian nationals and Indian students in Canada are advised to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen growing anti-India activities, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday. Indian students in Canada have been particularly advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant. Indian nationals and students in Canada must also register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or the Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver through their respective websites or the MADAD portal madad.gov.in. Registration would enable the High Commission and the Consulates General to better connect with Indian citizens in Canada in the event of any emergency or untoward incident, according to MEA. (ANI) Re. Claudette Kellys letter What is debate really about? (Castanet, Sept. 22), The Covid MRNA vaccines are indeed classified as vaccines by The World Health Organization, Health Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the U.S Food and Drug Administration and the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, amongst other recognized public health organizations. Perhaps your confusion arises from the fact the MRNA vaccines are relatively novel.Those approved vaccines were never intended to eradicate Covid from the human population but to slow the spread of the disease and decrease the severity of the symptoms to reduce hospital admissions and death rates. Were they effective? Without a doubt, as that has been studied to death. The Canadian Institute of Health Research, the CDC, the World Health Organization, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency, along with countless other recognized and reputable public health organizations all have countless studies supporting Covid MRNA vaccine effectiveness. (The writer) asks, "what will it take to end societal division on this topic? Personally, I believe this will persist as long as a vocal few insist on doubting the experts and doing their own research when they obviously lack the knowledge and expertise to do anything of the sort. Adam Lyle An infant who suffered serious burn injuries in Lancaster on Sunday was airlifted to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, authorities announced. Tactical medics with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Air Rescue team assisted medical personnel with the Los Angeles County Fire Department by flying the 1-year-old child to the hospital, authorities said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter. Infant airlifted to L.A. hospital for burn injuries No information was provided on how the child was injured, nor the extent of the burns. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WKRN) One teenager was hospitalized and another was detained following a Friday night shooting in front of a school in Manchester. District Attorney General Craig Northcott told News 2 the Manchester Police Department responded to a report of a shooting outside Westwood Elementary School on Friday, Sept. 22. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts According to Northcott, a 13-year-old boy was shot during the incident. Due to the nature of his injuries, he was reportedly flown to Vanderbilt for treatment. As of this writing, the 13-year-old is in critical but stable condition, Northcott said. Metro police investigating deadly shooting along Keeley Drive Meanwhile, a 14-year-old has been detained in connection with the shooting, the district attorney general reported. There is no word on the teens identity or potential charges. No additional details have been released about the circumstances surrounding the shooting. 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. A $120 million megayacht linked to a Russian billionaire has been docked in Antigua and Barbuda for 19 months. The Caribbean nation tried to auction it off, before a legal action was filed against it. Now taxpayers in the small country are paying $28,000-a-week to maintain the idle vessel, per the WSJ. A 270-foot megayacht seized by the Antigua and Barbuda government has landed taxpayers in the small Caribbean nation with a $28,000 weekly bill to maintain it, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Alfa Nero is a $120 million vessel that was raided by armed police and the FBI in August 2022, having been left in Antigua's Falmouth Harbor since Russia invaded Ukraine six months earlier. The US Treasury Department has linked the Alfa Nero to Andrey Guryev , a Russian oligarch who the department says is a "close associate" of Vladimir Putin. He founded a fertilizer company and has a net worth of $9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Back in March, an Antigua and Barbuda government minister said the Alfa Nero was set to be auctioned because it risked becoming a "hazard" as it wasn't being maintained properly, The Guardian reported. Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, won the yacht auction in June for $67.6 million. But the Journal reports that he got cold feet after a company linked to Guryev's daughter filed a last-minute legal action to block the sale. So the megayacht, which is outfitted with an infinity pool that can transform into a dancefloor, has remained in Falmouth Harbor for the last 19 months. And it's become a white elephant for the Caribbean nation with a population of 93,000. The Journal reports that the country's residents are paying $28,000-a-week in taxes to maintain the Alfa Nero, including the salary of an Italian captain and $2,000-a-day in diesel to keep its air conditioning running. That's because if the AC is turned off, it could let mold spread throughout the vessel and ruin the hardwood interior or a Joan Miro painting onboard, per the WSJ. Tom Paterson, the dock master of the marina, told the Journal: "You take thousand dollar bills, tear them up, and just keep going." The Antigua and Barbuda government could not immediately be reached for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider A 14-year-old is facing charges in Kenton County for allegedly making multiple bomb threats against the Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati, our media partner in Cincinnati, WCPO-9 reported. >>RELATED: Fourth bomb threat closes Cincinnati suspension bridge overnight A joint investigation with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Covington Police Department, and the Boone County Sheriffs Department determined that the child was responsible for all the threats made against the bridge in the span of a week. The child has been charged with four counts of terroristic threatening, the station said. Covington police say on Sept. 22 the child was taken into custody in Michigan for an unrelated matter. >>RELATED: Roebling Bridge reopens after reported bomb threat The Roebling Bridge was closed five separate times for possible threats. Four of the closures came from threats allegedly made by the 14-year-old. The other closure was tied to a suspicious bag spotted on the bridge that turned out to be harmless, the station said. The New York Times published its annual Americas Best Restaurants 2023 guide and two Georgia restaurants made the list. The newspapers food reporters, editors and critics named Bomb Biscuits in Atlanta and Brochus Family Tradition in Savannah as restaurants that they are most excited about in 2023. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] At this little brick storefront in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, the thing to get is the Glori-Fried Chicken Biscuit. Its built with a thigh that has been marinated in spiced buttermilk, then fried until its crunchy. A dip in a thin, hot honey sauce is good, but the lemon-pepper version is her love letter to Atlanta, reporter Kim Severson wrote about Bomb Biscuits. Bomb Biscuits opened just last year and chef and owner Erika Council is already making a name for herself. Council spoke with Channel 2 Action News earlier this year about what inspired her to open the restaurant. Everyone in the neighborhood who made the best biscuits were like goddesses. I wanted to be the same way, Council told Channel 2s Berndt Petersen. Baking runs in her family, too. Her grandma Mildred Mama Dip Council ran a restaurant and her other grandma Geraldine Dortch ran bake sales to raise money during the early days of the Civil Rights movement. Based on her grandmothers work, Council published a cookbook Still We Rise, a tribute to the African American community and the Southern biscuit. TRENDING STORIES: Brochus Family Tradition also opened last year in Savannah, in the city where the owner Andrew Brochus wife Sophie grew up. Mr. Brochu, a former star in the Alinea Group constellation, has the goods. His fried thighs, brined in chamomile tea, are the highlight of a deconstructed Sunday supper platter packed with biscuits, chicken salad, sunchoke hot sauce and a ramekin of gravy for dipping. Hes got a lot of oysters, too, served raw, over charred bread with scallion butter or dressed in sauces like French curry. If youre lucky, theyll still have a slice of pie left for dessert, Severson wrote. You can browse the restaurants menu here. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Y soy Rebelde! Christian Chavez Instagram As a band, RBD originated from the Mexican soap opera Rebelde, which is to this day of the most popular TV series of all time. Not only was Rebelde massively popular in Mexico, but it also became a huge franchise around the world and yielded several international versions of the show. After the Tour del Adios (The Goodbye Tour) in 2008, RBD went on an indefinite hiatus that lasted up until 2023. Thankfully, five of the six original members Anahi, Maite Perroni, Dulce Maria, Christopher von Uckermann , and Christian Chavez have gotten together for a reunion tour that is already a huge success. It is also exciting to now see Chavez being his authentic self within the band given that hes come out as gay in the years that followed the end of RBD. Altogether, the Soy Rebelde Tour (Im a Rebel Tour) has 54 scheduled concerts across North and South America. The tour was kicked off in El Paso, Texas on August 25 and will run through Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico on December 21 as the final scheduled date. To celebrate how successful this tour has been, lets take a deep dive into Chavezs steamy social media posts! Scroll through to see sexy pictures of Christian Chavez and make sure to follow him on Instagram at @christianchavezreal. www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com www.instagram.com At the Iowa State Fair, pork chops have been ceremonially flipped. At a presidential primary debate, establishment candidates have lashed out at a smooth-talking newcomer. In email inboxes, candidates are bringing the drama with increasingly histrionic subject lines. All signs point to a presidential election season proceeding as usual. Its almost enough to lull us into a sense of normalcy. Almostbut not quite. The early months of the GOP primary have shown that there is no moving on from Donald Trump, no chance of salvaging the warped political party in his thrall. The 2020 presidential election drove the U.S. to the brink of disaster; a change in presidential leadership did nothing to maneuver us away from the precipice. Now, it feels like were once again teetering on the edge of something incredibly dangerous, in ways that seem almost certain to hasten democratic collapse, with little choice but to go through the motions. To put it bluntly, absolutely nothing about the upcoming year will be normal. In the 2024 election cycle, we will have a twice-impeached former presidentwho was recently found liable for sexual assaultmounting a reelection campaign in the midst of multiple state and federal criminal trials for, among other things, trying to overturn the results of the last election. The Republican base seems almost certain to consolidate around him, despite the fact that he is unrepentant about fomenting a deadly coup attempt. It has become a cliche of the post-pandemic zeitgeist to observe that any pre- or mid-pandemic event feels like it happened just yesterday, and also a lifetime ago. But reallyisnt that the case with the 2020 election and its immediate aftermath? Even though its been nearly three years since an alliance of militias, fascist organizations, and white supremacists staged a violent invasion at the seat of U.S. government in order to nullify the results of a democratic election, the wound still feels fresh. Thats in part because many prison sentences are just now being handed down to the rioters, and it was only this summer that Trump incurred federal charges for his part in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Since Trumps loss, concerted efforts to sow disinformation and demolish democratic levers of power at the state level have become the Republican Partys foremost strategies to regain or retain a hold on power. The GOP remains completely in thrall to the alliance of conspiracy theorists, antisocial bigots, and autocrat-thirsty fascists that it successfully nurtured. That coalitions appetite for destructionof truth, of norms, of pluralism, of specific demographics of variously vulnerable people, of essential mechanisms of the U.S. governmentwill be a major driving force of the 2024 election, whichever way it goes. Journalists are often told to avoid the term unprecedented. Things are almost always precedented; recency bias and the narrative need for drama can lead us to inaccurately label an event as exceptional when its really just unusual. But I feel comfortable positing that the particular circumstances of this election cycle are definitively unique: The likely candidate for the Republican nomination may be a convicted felon when he wins the presidency. About two-thirds of Americans are convinced that Trump did illegal and/or unethical things as president, and even still, his Democratic opponent is barely keeping up with him in the polls. Both front-runner candidates are an age at which the actuarial likelihood of death while in officeor during the campaign!is disconcertingly high. We are now so accustomed to the GOPs casual incitement of political violence, and so sure that there will be no intra-party scrutiny or consequence, that when Trump suggests the nations top general should be executed, as he did Friday night, we can barely muster a scowl. And the national mood? Well, for one indicator, look no further than Sen. Mitt Romney, who was the Republican Partys pick for president a mere decade ago. These days, he is a full-on pariah, and he seems convinced that there is no saving the GOP. He has lately become obsessed with a chart that tracks the rise and fall of major civilizations throughout history, and according to the Atlantic, more than once, he found himself staring at it alone in his office at night. This is not normal stuff! Even the parts of this election cycle that are running exactly as expected offer new opportunities for hand-wringing. An incumbent president running for a second term with his vice president sticking by his side? Sounds about right. But a deeply unpopular president whose approval rating has been underwater for almost his entire run? Showing visible signs of decline? Who reportedly promised in his first campaign that he wouldnt run for reelection, yet is doing exactly that? Already the oldest president in history, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, running with a vice president who is less popular than every one of her four most recent predecessors and clearly unprepared to take the baton as Bidens successor? It doesnt exactly engender a sense of calm. And what of the courts, our ultimate arbiter of what is possible and impossible in this here country? Embroiled in bribery scandals, the Supreme Court is overflowing with right-wing ideologues. Far-right plaintiffs, sensing their golden opportunity, are flooding the lower courts with lawsuits designed to erase every speck of progressive legislative and social advancement of the past 50 years. Republicans are also testing the courts (and their constituents) at the state level by attempting to push through ballot initiatives that are so deeply unpopular, especially on abortion, that the right wing has actually resorted to trying to trick people into voting for them. It has all added up to an election cycle that feels dangerous, but also surreal. We have no analogous examples for what happens in an election following an attempted coup, especially as mainstream Republicans, who brushed it off as a peaceful protest, visit the rioters in jail and fundraise for their defense. Unlike in any election cycle in the past, generative A.I. is now capable of creating astonishingly realistic deepfake videos with the capacity to supercharge disinformation campaigns. We have never had a wildly popular candidate be actively on trial for federal conspiracy charges in the heat of his campaignhow the hell will all of this even work? And what happens in the end? Could Trump go to prison? If he does, can we count on the right-wing militia community to be normal about it and take it in stride? What if Trump winshow long will our institutions hold? What further damage will he do to norms, to trust, to the people whose demonization he has ridden to glory? Which domestic terrorists will he pardon and send off to do his bidding? What if another Supreme Court justice dies? What if Biden or Trump dies right before the election? If Biden wins, will there be another coup attempt? Or maybe something for which were wholly unprepared, something far more destructive, something aimed at civilians? Theres no way to tell, but whatever transpires, it will be like nothing weve ever seen before. One of the particular agonies of this moment is the realization that the past two presidential election cycles may be our new norm, at least for as long as U.S. presidential election cycles continue to occur. There may not be another pandemic or outpouring of sexual assault allegations against one of the candidates any time soon, but there will be threats and outbreaks of violence. There will be Trump, or another wannabe authoritarian who has fashioned themself as a C-grade version of The Donald. The right will carry out actual attacks on voting rights while making fabricated claims of left-wing election interference. There will be populations terrorized and lives lost to political violence. Even if there were a Democratic candidate to be excited about in 2024and, to be clear, its not the guy who can still barely say the word abortion when abortion may be the biggest winning issue his party hasthe pall of terror that has come to accompany every presidential election season would suck any of the fun out of it. The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol should have shown the limits of the GOPs flirtation with authoritarianism. Instead, a few hours after the deadly insurrection sent Republican lawmakers running for their lives, they returned to the Senate floor to take a more respectable stab at overturning the election themselves. In the aftermath, instead of banding together with Democrats to seek answers and accountability for the assault that threatened their own physical safety and the structural integrity of our democracy, Republicans doubled down and defended the mob. The rioters were free-speech patriots; the election was rigged. The insurrectionists and their sympathizers were not a dismissible fringe faction. They were, and are, the base. This is the backdrop against which the 2024 election will play out. One party is desperately trying to hold on to long-standing democratic institutions and essential recently won rights while taking baby steps toward forestalling a climate catastrophe that could displace 1.2 billion people in the next 30 years. The other is populated by people more or less willing to die for a despotic former (and possibly future) president. As of today, the front-runner candidates are neck and neck. 25 photos that show how different traveling was 100 years ago In the 1920s, plane windows were just open holes, and airports were more like garages. During the Prohibition era, cargo trains were searched for alcohol. Traveling by cruise ship was a black-tie affair. Life 100 years ago was different in many ways, especially when it came to traveling. Driving cross-country, boarding a train, or hopping on a cruise ship looked much different in the 1920s than it does today. Here's a look back at what traveling was like 100 years ago. Commercial flights have been taking to the skies for more than a century. In the early 1920s, aviator Alfred W. Lawson built a series of passenger aircrafts with mixed success. Alfred W. Lawson with one of his planes in 1920. AP Lawson's C-2 biplane airliner completed flights from Milwaukee to New York City and Washington, DC, in 1919. Its introduction led to commercial air travel becoming more common, Airways magazine reported. But when he tried to build a larger passenger aircraft designed to carry 34 people in 1921, it crashed in a field, bringing an end to his company, according to the National Air and Space Museum. Passengers boarded planes through small doors at ground level, not enormous terminals and insulated walkways. A group of passengers boarding a Lufthansa Dornier Komet III plane in 1926. Str/AP Lufthansa began its official flight service in 1926, according to the airline's website. Plane windows were just open holes. Aviator Charles Lindbergh in the Spirit of St. Louis monoplane in 1927. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images You can't stick your arm out of a plane window anymore. It wasn't until the 1930s that the first plane with a pressurized cabin was built, Smithsonian magazine reported. Airports weren't the glorified shopping malls they are today. Northwest Orient Airlines' airport in 1926. AP These Stinson "Detroiter" planes were the first closed-cabin planes used by a commercial airline, DBusiness magazine reported. In the 1920s, airports were more like garages. Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis sits at the Concord, New Hampshire, Airport in July 1927. AP Charles Lindbergh flew the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in his single-engine plane, Spirit of St. Louis (pictured), according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Airplane passengers used to fly in bow ties and fashionable hats. Honolulu aviator Martin Jensen and his wife Marguerita Jensen, who was also a pilot, pose for a photo in 1927. AP People don't really dress up to go on planes anymore, but there can be surprising benefits if you do. Railroads were a popular mode of transportation in the 1920s. The Camelback #592 locomotive, originally built in 1901. AP In addition to carrying people, trains transported mail and manufactured goods. As with flying, passengers traveled in style. P.G. Wodehouse, with his wife Ethel (right) and daughter Leonora in 1929. AP British author P.G. Wodehouse was photographed leaving for a family vacation from Waterloo Station in London in 1929 wearing a three-piece pinstripe suit. In transit, movies were projected onto the carriage wall in cozy theaters lined with curtains and rows of chairs. Passengers watch a film starring Gary Cooper aboard a US railway train in 1925. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Watching movies on your phone wouldn't become an option until much later. Blizzards slowed down travel in the 1920s, too. The Empire State Express in Syracuse during a blizzard in 1924. AP The Empire State Express (pictured) operated between New York City and Buffalo, New York, from 1891 to 1967, according to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. During the Prohibition era, cargo trains were searched for alcohol. Authorities confiscate whiskey in 1929. AP In 1929, authorities caught crates of whiskey disguised as green tomatoes in the refrigerator car of a cargo train traveling from Holandale, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey. By the 1920s, automobiles had been around for a few decades. Flappers piled into a car in 1929. Puttnam /Topical Press Agency/Getty Images Karl Benz is widely credited as inventing the first automobile between 1885 and 1886, according to the Library of Congress. Gas stations used to look like main street-style buildings with curbside gas pumps. Lawrence's Garage in Brixton, London, in 1924. National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images In the 1920s, they began to be replaced with drive-in pumps to decrease traffic, according to the University of Michigan. Birthday road trips looked a little different back then. Mayor Charles F. Sullivan of Worcester, Massachusetts, drives a one-cylinder Cadillac on his birthday in 1923. AP Mayor Charles F. Sullivan of Worcester, Massachusetts, held up a sign that said, "Clear the road! This is my 20th birthday" while taking a drive in 1923. Traffic cops' uniforms in the 1920s featured double-breasted jackets and white gloves. A traffic cop in New York City in 1929. Irving Browning/The New York Historical Society/Getty Images There were around 82,000 police in the US in 1920, according to US Census data. By 1930, that number reached 130,000. There was no GPS or internet to search for driving directions. A map of New York in 1927. Historic Map Work/Getty Images Plus You were on your own. There were no built-in navigation systems or touchscreen on the dashboard, either. A close-up view of the interior of a Ford car in 1927. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Cars were simply equipped with an instrument panel, steering wheel, lighting switch, and gear shift hand lever. Bus tickets were dispensed on little paper tags. A man taking a ticket at a bus stop in Paris in 1929. Fox Photos/Getty Images The 1920s were known as the "golden age" of road building, according to the US Department of Transportation. Buses and trucks grew in popularity thanks to the Federal Highway Act of 1921, which funded the construction of a national highway system. Tourists dressed up to ride sightseeing buses, which were then small electric vehicles. An electric sightseeing bus in New York City in 1920. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images These days, people turn tourist buses into tiny homes. The New York City subway used to cost a nickel. The New York City subway in the early 1920s. FPG/Getty Images Before the nickel-operated turnstiles, a ticket-chopper manually cut tickets at the gate. Today, a subway ride costs $2.90. Cruising in the 1920s was the height of luxury. The Canadian Pacific liner Duchess of Bedford in 1928. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plus Cruise ships today have Go Kart race tracks and zip lines. Cruise-ship passengers dressed in tailored suits and spiffy hats. A glamorous cruise ship back in the day. Topical Press Agency/Getty Images English theatrical producer Charles B. Cochran, composer Sir Noel Coward, and their entourage boarded the Berengaria in 1928 dressed to impress. Dances were a popular social activity on cruise ships. Guests dancing in the ballroom aboard Cunard liner Berengaria. Puttnam/Getty Images Guests wore gowns and tuxedos on the dance floor. On modern cruise ships, dress codes aren't enforced. To relax, passengers wore one-piece jumpsuit-style bathing suits to swim in cruise-ship pools. Passengers sitting on the side of the swimming pool aboard the liner Berengaria in 1922. Topical Press Agency/Getty Images Swimsuit styles have changed over the years. Cruise ships remain a glamorous way to travel today. Two women enjoying the sea breeze from the deck of the Golden Eagle liner in 1923. Topical Press Agency/Getty Images Even though the formal dinners and ball gowns of the old days have turned into buffets and flip flops, cruise ships continue to offer a host of amenities and travel routes that keep people coming back. Read the original article on Insider Three Delaware schools are 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The elementary institutions in Appoquinimink, Christina and Indian River districts were honored last week among hundreds of schools for exemplary student performance. Also in Indian River, the Howard T. Ennis School will finally see its ribbon-cutting, as educators continue to serve students with significant disabilities. In this roundup, we'll catch you up on some education updates you may have missed. [Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com.] 3 Delaware schools honored for student achievement A member of the public waits in a long line in the cold to cast their vote on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Bear. Three elementary schools in the First State were named 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools. Just over 350 schools landed the same recognition, announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona last week, rooted in overall performance and achievement in closing gaps among diverse student groups. Joining the program's 40th cohort, these Delaware schools were: Olive B. Loss Elementary School , Appoquinimink School District. Thurgood Marshall Elementary School , Christina School District. Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Indian River School District. DOE recognizes such schools in one of two performance categories, based on student scores, scores among subgroups and graduation rates: Exemplary High-Performing Schools fall among the states highest-performing schools, as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. All three of Delaware's honorees were nominated in this category. Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among the states highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a schools student groups and all students. Nominated schools also complete an extensive narrative application describing their school culture and philosophy, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional development, leadership structures and parent and community involvement. Cardona said this year's honorees "set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education." "The leaders, educators and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially and emotionally," he said in a press release from the U.S. Department of Education. Only up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. Students at Lord Baltimore Elementary School learn about the dangers of drug use Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. The program put on by the DEA featured multiple activities to help kids learn the dangers of drugs. The program occurred just weeks after an 11-year-old child unknowingly overdosed on heroin in Millsboro. Blue Ribbon schools, according to the program, represent the "full diversity of American schools" and serve students of every background. Olive B. Loss, Thurgood Marshall and Lord Baltimore elementary schools join more than 9,700 earning the same recognition since 1982. Thurgood Marshall Elementary's award page reads: "The instructors at Marshall Elementary are deeply committed to facilitating students' academic accomplishments, firmly believing in the potential for excellence in every learner, irrespective of background or ability." The Christina school has 18% white students on its enrollment rolls, alongside 39% Black, 23% Asian and 13% Hispanic, among additional student groups. The community has spoken: New Wilmington school takes the name of beloved local educator Leaders at Olive B. Loss, planted in Appoquinimink School District, said their "school culture is rooted in kindness, inclusivity and courage. Teachers appreciate the potential for greatness that lies within each student, and families partner as trusted advocates for their childs success and well-being." The school hosts 42% white, 30% Asian, 16% Black and 5% Hispanic learners, according to program metrics. Both elementary schools also had roughly 1% American Indian students enrolled. For Lord Baltimore, this is the second National Blue Ribbon Award, according to the district, with the first coming in 2001. Overall, it's Indian Rivers 12th in the past 22 years. Enrollment at the Ocean View facility looked a bit less diverse than its counterparts, per program figures, with 84% white students in its rolls, alongside 2% Black, 9% Hispanic, 5% two or more races and about 1% Asian learners. Indian River School District's overall enrollment is 10% Black, 37% Latino, 47% white and similarly just about 1% Asian. Regardless, all three schools were recognized for high performance among all students. Receiving this prestigious award affirms the dedication and hard work of each and every educator at LB," Principal Pam Webb said. "The relationships we have established with our families, students and community foster a positive learning environment to meet the needs of our students academically, behaviorally and socially. We look forward to celebrating this school year! New school will serve students with moderate to severe disabilities in Sussex County Still down in Indian River School District, a new school will be formally celebrated next month after opening earlier this year. The new Howard T. Ennis School, already serving students with moderate to severe disabilities since opening its doors in January, will get its ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony by early October. Construction of the 94,000-square-foot facility began in fall 2020 and was "substantially completed" in time for students and staff to move in, according to the district. But delays in construction and hopes for a completed therapy pool saw the final touches postponed. The new outfit replaces a previous facility under the same name, anchored in Georgetown since 1972. The finished building will serve Sussex County children from ages 2 to 22 navigating significant disabilities. These students demonstrate a need for highly specialized educational support, according to the district, and will continue to learn alongside an experienced team of teachers, therapists, nurses and more. A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 3 at 26021 Patriots Way, in Georgetown. Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 'A national example': Delaware honored with 3 Blue Ribbon Schools Photo: Rob Kruyt, BIV. Cannabis products sit on a shelf at a Muse Cannabis store in Vancouver The B.C. government today changed regulations to allow federally licensed cannabis producers to provide product samples to licensed retailers for nominal fees. This is great news for conference organizers, such as those behind the Grow Up Conference & Expo that is set to be held in Victoria, Oct. 1 through 3. "Were excited to be the first industry expo in B.C. to benefit from allowing licensed producers to provide cannabis samples to licensed retailers," said the expo's Randy Rowe, president of the expo's organizing company. "The ability to provide samples for marketing purposes to retailers is an essential tool for brands to showcase their products and connect with retailers." Rowe's conference is set to have what he calls a "brand and buyer's zone." That zone is where licensed producers, micro-producers and craft growers will be able to show their products and brands to large retailers. Retailers can then arrange to meet brand representatives to give them immediate feedback on their products. The legal changes require that producers supply cannabis samples in "reasonable" quantities, which have little retail value. There is no prescribed maximum amount for cannabis samples. Samples, however, should not be used to induce partnerships or other benefits. Retailers have to keep records of the samples that they receive. It remains against the law for cannabis producers to give product samples to the general public. Evergreen Cannabis owner Mike Babins told BIV that he is looking into the new regulation but is not yet sure how much it could alter the products that he sells. "It probably won't change what I sell but it could be more paperwork," he said. A 3-year-old girl missing from Mecklenburg County for more than three months was returned to her father, and her mother has been arrested, Virginia Beach Police announced Monday. The girls father and legal guardian thought her mother, Tianna Daniels, took her from Mecklenburg County to Virginia Beach when he reported her missing on June 20. Virginia police issued a missing person alert for the girl on July 14, the same day a Virginia Beach Judge issued an Ex Parte Order to take physical custody of her and return her to her father, Jalen Davis. The two were never found in Virginia Beach, but officers found Daniels car near the area in late July. Police took Daniels into custody at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse for an outstanding warrant Wednesday, and the girl was returned to her father. It is unclear where the girl and her mother were since June. Editor's note: The story below mentions mental health issues or suicide. If you need help or know someone who does, please call 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available for 24/7, free and confidential support. After four days of running across South Dakota, The 437 Project runners arrived Sunday afternoon in Sioux Falls with the announcement they had raised more than $250,000 for the Helpline Center through sponsorships and donations. The runners of The 437 Project pose with the check of their $250,000 donation to the Helpline Center The 437 Project, now in its second year, has 12 runners cross the state in a relay run as they raise money and bring awareness to the issue of suicide prevention. CEO Janet Kittams said in a release she was "speechless" upon hearing the total, and said the $251,007.93 donation was the largest financial gift the center has received. More: Runners preparing to once again cross South Dakota for The 437 Project "This gift ensures that the Helpline Center can continue to provide hope and help across the state for our work in suicide prevention, crisis support and grief after care," Kittams said. "Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude. The 437 Project has now raised $371,942 over the last two years. Several runners returned from the event's original run last year, including Mayor Paul TenHaken. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: The 437 Project raises $250K for Helpline Center Floridas Division of Hotels and Restaurants routinely inspects restaurants, food trucks and other food service establishments for public health and cleanliness issues. The reports are public information. Here are restaurants that failed to meet requirements during recent inspections: Fifty Three Fifty, The Pour House, 5350 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach Inspected Sept. 22 High priority: Quiche, cream cheese, sausage, cut greens, cut tomato, cooked onion and mushrooms and marinara were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken. Basic: Duct tape had been used to repair a reach-in cooler. Fusion Sushi & Pho, 3118 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton Inspected Sept. 18 High priority: An inspector observed two live roaches in a back kitchen area. High priority: Cream cheese, tofu, krab and raw shell egg were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees. A stop sale was issued due to temperature abuse. The items were discarded. Basic: An inspector observed dead roaches in various areas of the restaurant. Basic: Four other basic violations, including soda and juice stored on the floor. During a follow-up visit on Sept. 19, an inspector again observed food items held at unsafe temperatures. A stop sale was issued. Another follow-up inspection was required. The restaurant met inspection standards during a follow-up visit on Sept. 20. Gangi Cuisine, 14 St. W., Bradenton Inspected Sept. 20 High priority: Raw pork was stored over condiment containers and washed produce in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken. High priority: An employee failed to change gloves/wash hands after eating and then handled a clean plate. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: A slicer was soiled with dried food particles. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: There was no proof of required food safety training for any employees. Intermediate: No soap was provided at an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken. Basic: An employee was eating while preparing food. Basic: Hood filters were soiled with grease, and reach-in cooler and freezer gaskets were soiled with mold-like substance. Hibachi Express Bradenton, 4533 14th St. W., Bradenton Inspected Sept. 21 High priority: An employee touched their hair and hat and then failed to wash hands/change gloves before handling a single-service food lid. Corrective action was taken. High priority: An employee washed hands with no soap. Corrective action was taken. High priority: Raw beef steak was stored over a pot of miso soup. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: An employee washed hands in a non-handwash sink. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: The establishment advertised crab on its menu and/or menu board but served imitation crab. Intermediate: A meat cutter was soiled with dried food debris. Intermediate: A food cart was blocking access to an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: Items were stored in an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: Required food safety training was expired for some employees. Intermediate: A Spray bottle containing toxic substance (bleach and water) was not labeled. Corrective action was taken. Basic: Seven violations, including hood filters soiled with grease, a soiled microwave and a container of pickled ginger stored on the floor. Super 8, 5218 17th St. E., Ellenton Inspected Sept. 19 Intermediate: Required food safety training was expired for two employees. Intermediate: No proof was provided that food employees were informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses. Intermediate: No probe thermometer was at hand to measure the temperature of food products. Basic: A case of single-use plates was stored on the floor. Corrective action was taken. WingHouse Bar & Grill, 5105 14th St. W., Bradenton Inspected Sept. 21 High priority: An employee was cleaning the floor and then failed to wash hands/change gloves before handling a to-go container. Corrective action was taken. High priority: Cooked chicken wings were hot held at a temperature less than 135 degrees. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: A can opener was soiled with mold-like substance. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: Cleaning utensils and a sanitizer bucket were stored in an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: A manager or person in charge lacked food manager certification. Intermediate: No paper towels were provided at an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken. Intermediate: There was no proof of required food safety training for any employees. Basic: Six violations, including hood filters soiled with grease and an accumulation of mold-like substance in an ice machine/bin. Editors Note: According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, these reports are a snapshot of the conditions present at the time of the inspection and are public record. The agency is required to inspect every licensed restaurant at least once per year, but new and high-risk establishments tend to be inspected more frequently. When an emergency shutdown order is given by an inspector, it must first be reviewed and approved by agency supervisors. In order for a business to reopen, an inspector will continue visiting the establishment daily until compliance is met. Some citations may include a financial penalty. Inspectors may also respond to complaints, which can be filed at www.myfloridalicense.com. When celebrating Libra women, every detail counts. Born between September 23 and October 22, she shines with innate charm, grace, and a profound appreciation for harmony. This air sign values beauty, balance, and the nuances of every type of relationship. Therefore, choosing a gift for her demands thoughtfulness and an understanding of her unique characteristics. Yet, Libra women often need help pinpointing their desired gifts. So, what do you do with an indecisive Libra? Their natural inclination for weighing options can make settling on a single item challenging. They sincerely appreciate aesthetics and harmony, making them meticulous in their choices. Therefore, when asking a Libra woman about her gift preference, its common to encounter a range of options or a gentle, Surprise me! Her indecisiveness isnt a mark of indifference; its a testament to her careful consideration of every possibility. Tapping into her preferences and affinities will help you find a present that delights and mirrors her essence. 21Ninety has rounded up six tailored suggestions for the special Libra lady in your life. BAIMEI Jade Roller and Gua Sha Facial Set BAIMEI Jade Roller and Gua Sha Facial Set $9.99 Buy Now Experience ultimate self-care with the BAIMEI Jade Roller and Gua Sha set. Prioritize muscle tension relief and combat facial puffiness with this sturdy, squeak-free Jade Roller, which cools and revitalizes skin. The Gua Sha enhances skin by reducing fine lines and sculpting the jawline. Store both tools in the fridge for a refreshing effect, ensuring a bright morning complexion. Rose Gold Office Supplies and Accessories Rose Gold Office Supplies and Accessories $26.99 Buy Now The rose gold office supplies set is a comprehensive collection designed for work and daily life, ensuring your workspace remains organized. This kit includes essentials like a stapler, staple remover, tape holder, pen and pen holder, scissors, binder clips, phone holder, a 6-inch ruler, transparent glue, and non-sticky notes. These items are functional and boast precise dimensions, such as the 6.2 x 1.3 x 2.3-inch stapler and the 4.7 x 2.5 x 1.3-inch tape dispenser. Made from premium acrylic, the tools are durable and transparent and have a smooth, tactile appeal. This lightweight set is perfect for diverse settings like schools, offices, or meeting rooms. It is versatile and easy to transport. Beyond functionality, this collections desk organizers blend elegance and modern design, instantly elevating the aesthetics of any workspace. Experience a workspace transformation that combines utility with a luxurious, clean, and serene ambiance. Fenty Skin Startr Set Fenty Skin Start'r Set $53.22 Buy Now This travel-sized set, curated by Rihanna, presents a holistic three-step routine: a makeup remover-cleanser, the Fat Water toner-serum, and a sunscreen-moisturizer combo. The Total Cleanser, a part of this kit, guarantees a deep, rejuvenating cleanse, effortlessly removing grime, oil, and stubborn makeup. Its formula, enriched with Barbados cherry and coconut-derived cleansers, pampers and nourishes the skin, ensuring a cleansed face that feels treated and cherished. Juvias Place Zulu Eyeshadow Palette Juvia's Place Zulu Eyeshadow Palette $14.59 Buy Now Embrace fearless and bold eye makeup with Juvias Place Eyeshadow Palettes. The Zulu palette was crafted to celebrate diversity. These palettes deliver rich, intensely pigmented shades suitable for all skin tones. Whether youre looking for soft neutrals or vibrant hues, the collection offers a spectrum of colors, from mattes and shimmers to metallics and glitters. The high-intensity formula ensures each shade stands out, making it easy to create both day and night looks. PAVOI 14K Gold Plated Crystal Birthstone Bar Necklace PAVOI 14K Gold Plated Crystal Birthstone Bar Necklace $13.95 Buy Now The PAVOI 14K Gold Plated Crystal Birthstone Bar Necklace is a sparkling tribute to those born in September, adorned with a radiant Crystal September Birthstone. With precision and craftsmanship, the necklace, extending to 18 inches with an additional 2-inch extender, boasts a lustrous finish achieved through 14K Yellow Gold Plating. Pencros Opal Layered Necklace Pencros Opal Layered Necklace $12.99 Buy Now Flaunt your elegance with the Pencros Opal Layered Necklace. Its adjustable to 16 inches with an added 2-inch extender, ensuring a perfect fit for most. Its design makes it a versatile piece, perfect to wear solo for a subtle touch or layered with other necklaces. The post 6 Gift Ideas Perfect For A Libra appeared first on 21Ninety. Nine California small businesses have been recognized by the United States Chamber of Commerce as the best in 2023. Among those nine businesses, seven are in the Greater Los Angeles area, one is in the Central Valley and another is in San Francisco. The businesses range from security technologies to restaurants and family-owned automotive repair companies. The Chamber releases its Americas Top Small Business Awards each year to celebrate pioneers of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. Seventy businesses were chosen for 2023 and will be honored during a ceremony on Oct. 19 in Washington D.C. The businesses were chosen from a wide-ranging field that included companies from all of the nations 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and D.C. The Chamber evaluated each business based on its business growth, innovation, community engagement and ability to overcome challenges. Seven small businesses will ultimately be chosen as finalists, officials said. U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Suzanne P. Clark called small businesses the backbone of the nations business ecosystem and said they represent the values of Americas free enterprise system. They are the drivers of economic growth and embody the innovation, entrepreneurship, and determination that makes America strong. We see that in all of this years Americas Top Small Business Awards participants, Clark said. All 15,000 inspiring small business applicants are a testament to the courage, creativity, and unwavering commitment required to create jobs, strengthen communities and keep America running. The California businesses honored among the best small businesses in America are below: BenjiLock, LLC, Pasadena: BenjiLock is a security technology company that has been recognized for its approach to blending traditional lock systems with cutting-edge fingerprint technology. Franks Automotive Repair, Inc., Tulare: Franks Automotive Repair, a family-owned business since 1960, offers personalized and high-quality auto services with a commitment to excellent customer care. Leaf Energy Inc., Los Angeles: Leaf Energy provides sustainable and cost-effective mobility solutions for commercial fleets and individuals. It caters to businesses in e-commerce, food delivery, courier, and parcel delivery sectors. Mirate, Los Angeles: Mirate offers a diverse and inventive culinary experience, blending traditional Mexican flavors with California cuisine and sourcing its cocktails, distillates, wine, and beer exclusively from Mexico. P.L.A.Y. Pet Lifestyle And You, San Francisco: P.L.A.Y. is a company dedicated to creating high-quality dog beds designed with the well-being of pets, people, and the environment in mind. This business offers ergonomic, stylish, and easy-to-maintain products made from sustainable materials, catering to the needs of modern pet owners. Postal Petals, Los Angeles: Postal Petals is a unique flower subscription service that connects customers with farm-fresh, top-quality blooms, allowing them to enjoy the therapeutic joy of arranging these flowers themselves. The Studio (MDR), Manhattan Beach: The Studio (MDR) offers a high-intensity fitness experience that combines elements of Pilates, cardio training, and weight-bearing exercises on state-of-the-art Megaformers. The program provides a unique total-body workout designed to sculpt strong, powerful, and lean bodies. Torrance Bakery, Torrance: Torrance Bakery offers fresh and delicious cakes, pastries, and baked goods. It is known for its award-winning bakery and wedding cake showroom, full-service coffee and tea bar, and sandwich and salad cafe with catering services. Twelve AM Co., Studio City: Twelve AM Co. serves as an online store specializing in affordable footwear options in a variety of styles for women. For the complete list of all 70 businesses to receive the honor, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A man was shot and killed Sunday following a neighbor dispute at an RV park in Apache Junction, according to police. A man was shot and killed Sunday following a neighbor dispute at an RV park in Apache Junction, according to police. The incident happened around 1:15 p.m. at an RV park near Ironwood Drive and West Apache Trail. According to Apache Junction police, while officers were searching the area, they found one victim who had been fatally shot. Their name was not released by police. Officers then evacuated other neighbors and kept the suspect, only identified as a 73-year-old man, within his home, police said. The suspect fired two rounds before exiting the home and being taken into custody. Police said the shooting was brought about by a neighbor dispute, but did not provide further details about what happened. The investigation was ongoing, police said Monday morning. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man arrested in deadly Apache Junction RV park shooting FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WFLA) Eight people were hospitalized Monday after being injured during rough skies on a flight to Florida. Passengers and crew aboard the JetBlue flight experienced sudden severe turbulence as the plane approached Florida from Guayaquil, Ecuador, according to a statement from the airline. Medical crews responded to the plane after it landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Seven passengers and one flight crew member were taken to the hospital. In a statement, a JetBlue spokesperson said the airline is working to support their customers and crew members. The plane involved in the incident is out of service pending an inspection. Flying soon? Airplane turbulence may be worse than usual. Heres why The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating, the agency told ABC. Last month, 11 people were hospitalized after their Delta Air Lines flight encountered turbulence. The flight from Milan, Italy was traveling to Atlanta when the crew reported severe turbulence, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The flight was able to land safely. Eleven passengers and crew members were taken to the hospital, Delta said, but details on injuries or conditions werent available. No shoes, no service? What can happen if you fly barefoot Another Florida-bound hit turbulence in July, injuring four passengers and flight attendants. The flight dropped from about 18,000 feet to 13,000 feet in less than two minutes, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. There was a sudden burst of turbulence and then major, major turbulence, Paul Harris, a passenger on the Allegiant flight told Nexstars WFLA. The plane felt like it dropped pretty considerably. Several people, including a lady in my row, hit the ceiling. WFLAs Kevin Accettulla and The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Finnley McCullum was born in 2014 with a congenital heart defect that he struggled with for the rest of his life As The Courier Journal often writes, claims made in filing a lawsuit only present one side of the case. But the claims made in a suit filed in July against Norton Healthcare by Chris and Sally McCullum on behalf of their son Finnley may make you cry. What a terribly sad story, said Steve Joffe, chairman of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Finnley was born in 2014 with a congenital heart defect that he struggled with the rest of his life, undergoing five open-heart surgeries and numerous hospital stays, including one that consumed the final year of his life. But in an obituary, his parents say he loved life and exuded pure joy and happiness. He adored spicy food the hotter, the better. He loved creepy and scary stuff, like a typical 8-year-old, and cranking up everything from the Beatles to BTS to rapper Tay-K on his music system. Most of all, Finnley enjoyed spending time with his parents, whether it was a trip to the zoo, Walt Disney World or simply a walk in a stream exploring the world around him. His last best hope for a healthy life was a heart transplant last year, but his body rejected it after just a few hours. At the recommendation of his treatment team at Norton Childrens Hospital, he was kept alive for 8 months with a ventilator, dialysis and a bridge heart," until he could undergo another transplant, his parents say. But the McCullums say in their suit filed in Jefferson Circuit Court that Norton told them in April that Finnley had been removed from the transplant list. And they allege that a few days later, the hospital unilaterally decided to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment, meaning Finnley would die. The McCullums also allege Norton promised Finnley would experience no pain or fright as his care was withdrawn. But they say their child spent his last hour on Earth in fear and agony, desperately calling out for his parents to help him. They say they could only assure him falsely that everything would be all right. He died April 19. Responding to the suit in court papers, the hospital company acknowledges the McCullums "will live with the sadness anyone feels when they have lost a child to untreatable illness. But in court papers, Norton says the couple has its facts wrong. It says Finnley never was on the list for another transplant, once the first one failed. Norton also denies it made a unilateral decision to end Finnleys life, saying the hospital's ethics committee helped make that call. And Norton says it acted legally and ethically when it withdrew care for Finnley once his treatment team determined his case was hopeless and prolonging care would not benefit him. The hospital says it also gave his parents the chance to seek a court order blocking its decision, but they elected not to seek one. The McCullums' lawyer, Ann Oldfather, said in an interview they wanted to spend Finnleys remaining time with him rather than in a courtroom. Medical authorities who reviewed the case for The Courier Journal said Norton acted appropriately and that it might been unethical to continue care that was futile. I dont think there was any more anyone could have done, said Arthur Caplan, director of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University. It was pretty hopeless. You cant restore a heart without a transplant. Bruce Jennings, director of bioethics at the Center for Humans and Nature and adjunct associate professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University, said Norton should have given Finnley parents the option to move him to a hospital that would continue his care. Citing privacy laws, Norton has declined to comment on the case. But Nortons care of Finnley seems to have been consistent with its own policy and the American Academy of Pediatrics standards that call for promoting the comfort and dignity of children at the end of life. While the latter organization, which has 67,000 members, says the treatment of pediatric patients is generally rendered under a presumption of sustaining life, it says sometimes the balance of benefits and burdens to the child leads to an assessment that forgoing life-sustaining medical treatment is ethically supportable or advisable. Nortons policy, which it provided to the newspaper, says a patients attending physician may withhold life-sustaining treatment if it is non-beneficial that it serves to prolong life without reversing the underlying medical condition. But the policy says the patient or his parent must be given the chance to transfer care to another hospital or to go to court to challenge the decision. Children will sometimes die despite our best efforts, and we run the risk of compounding that tragedy when we lack the courage and wisdom to recognize the limits of our technology, say a dozen pediatric experts in Guidance for Forgoing Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment, published in Pediatrics, a professional journal. A misguided effort to 'save' a child can easily rob her of the opportunity to be touched and cared for by those she loves, to say goodbye, and to be held by those who love her without the distraction of overly burdensome interventions. We can too easily forget that the patient and not the disease is the object of our care. Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment for children is not unusual. As many as 60% of children who die in pediatric intensive care units do so after a decision to withdraw or limit treatment, according to a study published by the National Institutes of Health. No date has been set yet for the trial of the McCullums' lawsuit, which asks for damages for trauma it says were inflicted on Finnley and his parents. The case may turn on whether Norton properly sedated Finnley before his treatment was withdrawn. In its written response to the suit, Nortons lawyer, Beth McMasters, says sedating medications were given and effective. But her response also suggests Finnleys parents interfered with the sedation. Had plaintiffs allowed administration of the ordered sedating medications ... their decedent would not have had any awareness of any of the process. McMasters declined to elaborate on the discrepancy, saying Norton executives decided not to comment on the suit unless the McCullums waived Finnleys privacy rights. Oldfather said they would not do that because it was legally unnecessary. The McCullums did everything they could to protect Finnley" from knowing what was happening, Oldfather said. Asked what they miss most about him, she said, Everything. She said the McCullums didn't want to be interviewed about this story because they were still too upset about Finnley's death. More: Anxiety after the pandemic? Thousands of JCPS students 'chronically absent' from school Finnley lived in Louisville and New Albany, Indiana, where he attended Grant Line Elementary School. He is buried at Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery in New Albany, Indiana. In their obit for their son, the McCullums said Finnley will be deeply missed, and his memory will be cherished by many, He was a brilliant and pure light," they said, "shining innocence and love. He made our world a better place. Finnley McCullum Reporter Andrew Wolfson can be reached at (502) 396-5853 or awolfson@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Norton Children's Hospital sued over withdrawal of boy's life support Eight people were sent to the hospital after a JetBlue flight suffered turbulence before landing in Florida, officials said. On Monday, Sept. 25, JetBlue flight 1256, flying in from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale, experienced "sudden severe turbulence" as it neared Florida, a JetBlue official told CBS News. After landing safely at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, medical personnel took seven passengers and one crew member to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation, officials said. The severity of the injuries is unknown. "JetBlue will work to support our customers and crew members," according to officials. The aircraft involved in the turbulence has been taken out of service for inspection, officials said. On Monday afternoon the National Transportation Safety Board announced they opened an investigation into the incident. "NTSB has opened an investigation into today's turbulence incident that occurred on JetBlue #1256, an Airbus A320, during cruise flight near Jamaica while en route from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale, Florida," the agency said in a tweet. "Numerous injuries reported." NTSB has opened an investigation into today's turbulence incident that occurred on JetBlue #1256, an Airbus A320, during cruise flight near Jamaica while en route from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Numerous injuries reported. NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 25, 2023 It was the latest in a series of incidents this year in which people have been hurt when their flights hit severe turbulence. Nearly a month ago, 11 people were sent to the hospital after a Delta flight hit severe turbulence as it was approaching Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Both customers and crew members of Delta Flight 175 were among those who were injured. One person was killed in March when a Bombardier CL30 jet flying from Dillant-Hopkins Airport in New Hampshire to Leesburg Executive Airport in Virginia encountered severe turbulence. That flight was forced to divert to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Multiple people were hospitalized in another March incident after a Lufthansa flight from Austin to Frankfurt, Germany, hit turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. One day later, around 20 passengers and crew members on a Condor flight from Frankfurt to Mauritius were injured because of turbulence. Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game with Travis Kelce's family Newest car theft threat: carhackers New York Rep. Marc Molinaro on looming government shutdown Editors note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. A property along West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park has sold to an entity registered to the owners of Orlando-based ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. A property along West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park has sold to an entity registered to the owners of Orlando-based ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Orange County records show Jess and Betsey Bailes Family Partnership LLLP paid $2.05 million for the 0.33-acre property at 1936 W. Fairbanks Ave. Read: Neighborhood battles squatters in Winter Park The Bailes family owns the national chain of liquor stores, which was founded locally, and Jess Bailes is the companys executive vice president. The entity also shares an address with ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Orlando headquarters, per Florida records. Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journals website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Karen Philips, the mother of Kierra Coles, holds a painting of her daughter during a press conference to celebrate her birthday in the Lower West Side neighborhood Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Karen Phillips had hoped she wouldnt have to attend another news conference for her daughters birthday. Phillips daughter, Kierra Coles, has been missing for five years. On Sunday, her daughters 31st birthday, Phillips, 52, gathered with family and others whose loved ones have disappeared to ask again for the publics support as well as that of police and law enforcement in finding her child. Advertisement As the years go on, it gets harder and harder, Phillips said. [ As due dates pass, families ask for help finding missing Chicago women who are pregnant ] Coles, a U.S. postal worker, went missing Oct. 2, 2018, near her apartment at 81st Street and Vernon Avenue in Chatham. Her mother reported her missing after she went two days without hearing from her daughter, with whom she ordinarily talked every day. Advertisement U.S. Postal Service employee Kierra Coles has been missing from Chicago since October 2018. (U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly ) At the time of her disappearance, Coles was three months pregnant with her first child. The Chicago Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and FBI are searching for Coles, but her parents were skeptical about whether authorities were doing everything possible to find their daughter. Phillips is still dissatisfied with how authorities have managed the search for her daughter and said she last spoke to police about Coles case last year. Asked Sunday what she would say to Coles, Phillips said: We love you and we miss you, and we always pray for your safe return. LaShann Walker, 52, has spent almost a decade wondering if her daughter Diamond Bynum, 29, and her grandson, King Walker, 10, will come home. They went missing from Gary, Indiana, eight years ago. She said she feels there needs to be a state of emergency or something for people who go missing. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Were not getting the justice or the help that they deserve, Walker said. She contrasted the attention to her missing relatives with recent high-profile cases in which white women have disappeared. Gabby Petito got all that coverage when she went missing and were not getting nearly as much coverage as we need (to find our family members), Walker said, referring to a young woman who went missing on a road trip with her fiancee and was later found strangled in Wyoming. We wonder whether theyre still alive, whether theyre still here with us, whether theyre being tortured. Advertisement [ FBI: Brian Laundrie admitted killing Gabby Petito in notebook ] For Walker, the worst part is having birthday after birthday come and go. We sing happy birthday, and theyre not singing back, she said. Kierra Coles is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. She is Black, with brown eyes, black hair and a medium brown complexion. She also has a tattoo of a heart on her right hand and a tattoo that says Lucky Libra on her back. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to contact the family, call 911 or call Area South detectives at 312-747-8274. EXETER The national Coalition on Adult Basic Education recognized state Sen. Debra Altschiller Thursday for exceptional support of adult education. Altschiller, a Democrat from Stratham, received the organizations Legislative Champion Award during National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week Sept. 18-22. She represents District 24, which comprises Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Rye and Stratham. I applaud Sen. Debra Altschiller, recipient of the Legislative Champion Award, for her outstanding contributions and support of adult education, said Sharon Bonney, chief executive officer of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education. NH state Sen. Debra Altschiller received the Legislative Champion Award from the national Coalition on Adult Basic Education during National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week Sept. 18-22. The coalition noted that Altschiller, along with other state senators, were instrumental in increasing the state budget for adult education programs. Adult education received a one-time increase of $500,000, exceeding the goal of $400,000. Altschiller said she is a strong advocate of offering K-adult education through public programing. "It's really important to have educational offering for anybody who's excited to learn and it's really courageous," she said. "As an adult, it is an act of courage to walk into a classroom and say, 'Teach me, I want to learn.'" In addition, Altschiller visited Exeter Adult Education classes in May 2023 and later sent individual thank-you notes to all the students she met when she visited. Sen. Debra Altschiller New Hampshire is facing funding cuts, so multiple organizations in New Hampshire worked together to implement a student letter-writing campaign in April as well as a statewide campaign, said Tammy Gluck of Exeter Adult Education. As a result of the student letter-writing campaign, Sen. Debra Altschiller has visited the Exeter Adult Education program to meet the students who wrote letters. Altschiller was elected to the state Senate in 2022. She represented Stratham as a state representative from 2016 to 2022. The Coalition on Adult Basic Educations mission is to inspire educators, so adults succeed, and communities thrive. It provides leadership, communication, professional development, and advocacy for adult education and literacy practitioners to advance quality services for all adult learners. Editors note: Sen. Debra Altschiller is the wife of Seacoast Media Group general manager and executive editor Howard Altschiller. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH Sen. Debra Altschiller honored for support of adult education Alameda Research staff tried to order takeout whilst waiting for news about FTX on November 9, 2022. When the transaction was declined employees realized: "Holy shit, the company is probably broke." That's according to Aditya Baradwaj, who was a software engineer at Alameda when FTX collapsed. Alameda Research staff ordered takeout for dinner on the company card as they waited for news about FTX's survival in November 2022 but the transaction was declined a sign of the company's impending collapse, The New York Post reported Sunday. Aditya Baradwaj, a former software engineer at FTX's sister company Alameda Research, told The Post about how staffers at Alameda's Hong Kong office found out about the company's troubles on November 9, 2022. "We ordered our lunch in the afternoon, same as usual," Baradwaj told The Post about what happened on the day. "When we went to order our food in the evening, the app says 'credit card declined.' That's the moment where we realized 'holy shit, the company is probably broke.'" Caroline Ellison, CEO of Alameda at the time, held an all-hands meeting a few hours later with the staffers sitting around her, some on beanbags, others listening in via video call. According to Baradwaj's account, Ellison apologized to staff, told them of plans to wind the company down, and told them "this really sucks." FTX, Alameda Research, and 130 other affiliated companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy two days later on November 11. The companies' collapse revealed that its cofounder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried had secretly funneled FTX's customer funds to prop up Alameda Research. Baradwaj told The Post that after the November 9 meeting employees didn't want to speak to Ellison at all despite the fact that she had been a "good boss," and a "kind person," prior to that. "Caroline even tried to make conversation with someone and she was ignored. No one even wanted to talk to her." Baradwaj explained that employees were "afraid" because it was international news: "My friends and family were calling me, I'm getting all these calls. I'm sitting in a hotel in Hong Kong and I don't want to get thrown in Chinese jail." He and his colleagues started booking flights to "escape the country." Baradwaj also resigned from his role the next day, per the Post. Bankman-Fried has now pleaded not guilty to eight criminal charges including fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering and is currently being held in a Brooklyn jail . Ellison has pleaded guilty to seven criminal charges including wire and securities fraud and has agreed to pay restitution. Read the original article on Business Insider Editors note: This story contains descriptions of events which some readers may find disturbing. PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) A woman is dead and an alligator killed after a possible gator attack in Florida late last week. Shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, authorities were called to a canal in Largo for a person reported deceased in the area. A representative with the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office confirmed to News 2s sister station, WFLA, that the incident involved an alligator. The gator, which measured 13 feet, 8.5 inches long, was humanely killed by deputies and removed from the waterway. A humans body was also pulled from the water. This is the day I die: Massive alligator charges at Girl Scout troop during swim The victim has been identified as Sabrina Peckham, 41, by Pinellas County deputies. Peckhams cause of death is pending, per the medical examiners office. According to an arrest document, Peckham was arrested in July for trespassing on a county wetland. The address included in the report is just blocks from where her remains were found by authorities. Details about the apparent attack are unclear. Alligator with no upper jaw gets new home in Florida Jamarcus Bullard told WFLA he spotted the alligator in the Largo canal, as well as the human remains, Friday afternoon. I threw a rock at the gator just to see if it was really a gator and like it pulled the body, like it was holding on to the lower part of the torso, and pulled it under the water, Bullard recounted. From there, Bullard said the gator showed off its might as deputies and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tried to capture it. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com They put a rope around its neck and put it on a pully of a truck, he said. They were reeling it in, but it started to pull the truck in the water, so the guy was like, We just got to get it out a different way. Floridas Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is assisting the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office in the investigation. WFLAs Nathaniel Rodriguez, Kevin Accettulla, and Justin Schecker contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. ORLANDO, Fla. Unless Park Maitland School successfully appeals its suspension from Floridas school voucher programs, nearly 320 of its students will not be able to use state scholarships to help pay tuition at the Orange County private school. On Friday, Florida announced that Park Maitland and the former Parke House Academy now run by Park Maitland and two private school campuses in Broward County had been yanked from state voucher programs because of what Gov. Ron DeSantis called direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Those programs, expanded this year to make all students eligible, provide private school scholarships worth on average about $8,000 a year. The unusual Friday evening announcement blindsided Park Maitland parents and administrators, who denied the states claims and said their well-regarded school was being wrongly portrayed. The schools current enrollment was not available, but last year it had about 540 students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, according to data from the Florida Department of Education. A similar enrollment this year would mean more than half of Park Maitlands students would be impacted by the states decision. Parents received emails Friday from the Florida Department of Education telling them no further scholarship payments will be issued for their children to attend Park Maitland, according to Step Up For Students, which administers most of Floridas voucher programs. DeSantis, who has called the Chinese Communist Party the greatest geopolitical threat to the United States, did not provide any evidence of ties between China and the schools when he announced their suspension from voucher programs but said such connections were prohibited by a law he signed in May. The governors announcement said those ties to China posed an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of these schools students and the public. Verified their connections On Monday, the education department said it had investigated the four campuses and verified their connections to China. As proof, the department pointed to statements on the schools websites. They said the schools were part of Spring Education Group, which is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, an investment firm (together with its affiliates) principally based in Hong Kong with operations in China, Singapore, and the United States, that is itself owned by Chinese persons residing in Hong Kong. Cailey Myers, a spokeswoman for the education department, said the schools had 15 days to appeal the states decision. She did not respond to additional questions about the departments investigation or if other evidence had turned up. The schools in a statement Saturday pushed back against the states accusations. Our schools are locally run, abide by local, state, and federal laws, and do not have ties to any government or political party, either foreign or domestic, the statement said. Michael Anna, Park Maitlands head of school, did not respond to questions on Monday, nor did Spring Education, which is based in Pennsylvania and runs about 230 schools in 19 states. In 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that some parents in New York City worried about the sale of their childrens private school to Spring Education, citing concerns about the groups Chinese backers and whether that posed issues for the privacy of student data. In May, the paper reported that Primavera, Spring Educations major investor, had in 2022 quietly purchased the Princeton Review and Tutor.com, raising some concerns at a time of increased scrutiny of Chinese investment in the U.S., and noted it is also invested in TikToks parent company. The Chinese Communist Party has been a focus of DeSantis for the past two years, and he has kept up those criticisms on the presidential campaign trail. This year, he also signed a law that banned TikTok from state-owned phones and aimed to end what he viewed as Chinas influence in state universities. The Chinese Communist Party is not welcome in the state of Florida, DeSantis said in a statement announcing the schools suspensions. We will not put up with any attempt to influence students with a communist ideology or allow Floridians tax dollars to go to schools that are connected to our foreign adversaries. Reviving his campaign? But people shouldnt accept DeSantis allegations against the schools at face value, said Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University. DeSantis hasnt been concerned about the law and about facts, Jarvis said, adding that he sees threats where there are no threats and sees problems where there are no problems. The governor is likely using the issue to revitalize his presidential campaign that is obviously going very badly, he said. DeSantis has simply found an easy target. It sounds good, Jarvis said. I am denying American dollars to Chinese schools. [In doing so] he stirs up the worst fears in the American public. Park Maitland did not get an advance notice about the states decision and was working to help affected families so that their children did not have to change schools, Anna said in an emailed statement Saturday. In addition to the 319 scholarship students at Park Maitland, another 229 are enrolled at Sagemont Preparatory Schools upper and lower campuses in Weston, according to Step Up. If the schools suspensions remain in place, the students will not lose their scholarships but would have to enroll in other schools to use the state money. If they stayed at Park Maitland, where tuition is more than $20,000 a year, their families would have to pay the full bill tuition bill. Park Maitland, founded in 1968, touts that on its campuses learning begins in wonder. Its Facebook pages recent posts tout a new greenhouse, a lesson celebrating Johnny Appleseed and a visit by the local fire department. Stunned parents react Parents, some of whom did not want to be named, said the school did not impose an ideology or offer anything but quality academics, and they were stunned to learn about the states actions. Theres nothing going on at the school, said Winter Springs parent David Bear, who has two children at Park Maitland. Its just out of complete left field. The states decision to remove four school campuses from its voucher programs is unusual. Republican leaders who crafted Floridas voucher laws gave the state only limited power to oversee participating private schools, which now top more than 2,000. As the Orlando Sentinel reported in its 2017 Schools Without Rules series, some of the schools have hired teachers with criminal backgrounds, been evicted, set up in rundown facilities and falsified fire and health reports but still remained in the voucher programs. In 2021, the Sentinel reported on Providence Christian Preparatory School, formerly Winners Primary School, a west Orange school that faced four state investigations but remained in the voucher programs. The investigations came after a parent complained that children of all ages are running out of the classroom screaming and hitting each other, the Florida Department of Children and Families reported a staff member might have hurt a child and a science teacher who had only a high school degree was arrested for soliciting sexually explicit videos from a student. Despite those problems, the school last school year enrolled nearly 180 scholarship students, who used more than $1 million in vouchers to cover their tuition bills, data from Step Up shows. Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun Sentinel contributed to this report. Amazon said on Tuesday that it will hire 250,000 full- and part-time workers for the holiday season, a 67% jump compared to last year. Target announced separately it will add nearly 100,000 seasonal roles during the holidays, the same number as it did last year. The announcement from the two companies follows news from Macys Inc. on Monday that it will add more than 38,000 full- and part-time seasonal employees at its Macys, Bloomingdales and Bluemercury stores across the country. Thats a slight decline from the 41,000 the company planned to onboard in 2022. Amazon noted more jobs are available because the company has opened over 50 new fulfillment centers, delivery stations and same-day delivery sites in the U.S. this year. The e-commerce giant also wrote in a blog post that it will invest $1.3 billion this year toward pay hikes for warehouse and transportation employees, raising the average pay for those roles from $19 to over $20.50 per hour. The holiday season is always a special time at Amazon and were excited to hire 250,000 additional people this year to help serve customers across the country, John Felton, Amazons senior vice president of Worldwide Operations, said in the blog post. To capture the eyes of consumers, retailers like Amazon and Target have been offering holiday deals as early as October in the past few years and are doing the same this year. Consumer spending has been volatile this year after surging nearly 3% in January. Sales tumbled in February and March before recovering in the spring and summer. The Commerce Department said last week retail sales rose 0.6% in August, driven in part by a big rise in gas prices. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks spending across all payment forms including cash, said in a report on Tuesday that it expects U.S. retail sales, excluding automotives, to increase by 3.7% from November to late December, a decline from the 7.6% sales growth experienced last year. The accounting firm Deloitte said in its own report last week that it expects holiday sales to jump between 3.5% to 4.6%. FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) This weekend, thousands gathered at the Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin for the annual Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival. Now in its seventh year, the two-day festival brings a blend of country, Americana, folk and indie music to the suburb of Nashville. This years festival was headlined by The Lumineers and Zach Bryan and featured performances from Ashley McBryde, Hailey Whitters, Margo Price and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Plenty of fans took the opportunity to dress to impress as they saw their favorite artists, with Americana and Western chic shining through as the most popular look for attendees. Plenty of boots, cutoff shorts and sundresses, as well as bolo ties and cowboy hats for men and women alike, could be found on the grounds. Ashely Beverly, left, and Brittany Potter, from Bristol, Tenn., opted for longer pants and black tops at the annual Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tenn. (WKRN Photo) Meg Hawkins, left, said she found the flower crowns she and her friend, Jennifer Berbari, wore at Pilgrimage in her daughters play clothes. (WKRN Photo) Most dressed both for the shows they were seeing but also the weather. Temperatures in Franklin hovered in the mid-to-high-80s during the two-day event, dipping down into the 60s after sunset. The cutoffs and boots combination was a classic look, according to Clara Easterlin, of Nashville. It also allowed people to stay cool and dance along to their favorite artists, she added. | READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County While most of her outfit was put together with pieces she already had in her closet, Easterlin said she had to purchase the hat in order to have something to keep the sun out of her face. I like that the wide brim offers a lot of sun coverage, and its good festival attire, she said of her tan-colored hat. The color you can wear year-round. This year was her first time attending, she told News 2, and she found the whole atmosphere amazing. Dresses also offered attendees plenty of breathing room while the sun was at its most powerful, like the ones worn by Jessie Adeleman and Kellie Lanigan. I always wear dresses to festivals, I feel like, Adeleman said. I went for more of a little bit of a country vibe, I think. I thought this was the vibe. One of my favorite artists here is Hailey Whitters, so this is kind of inspired by her. (L-R) Russell Peele and Jeremy Thomas, of Greensboro, North Carolina, brought their own cowboy hats from home for their first trip to Pilgrimage Festival. They also opted for shorts due to the temperature, which was in the mid- to high-80s for most of the weekend. (WKRN Photo) For her first Pilgrimage Festival, Sophia Posey, of Ardmore, Tenn., donned the boots she has worn to multiple music festivals with denim shorts and a cropped top meant to keep her cool in the sun, as well as a bolo tie to match the Americana atmosphere of the festival. (WKRN Photo) Clara Easterlin, left, and Tess Davies, both of Nashville, chose their Pilgrimage Festival outfits based on the weather and their comfort level, they said. (WKRN Photo) She opted for a short, black gauze dress with embellished cowboy boots and a red neckerchief. I feel like the boots make it more western and country, she added. Lanigan also drew inspiration from her favorite artist at the festival The Lumineers. Whenever Im seeing an artist, I try to take their vibe, and I felt like The Lumineers had a folk-y, little more light-hearted vibe, so I decided to go with this dress over a T-shirt, she said. Its nice and cool; its perfect for today, with it being super hot out, and I needed the boots on because it is a country concert. We are in Franklin, Tennessee, after all. Another Lumineers fan was Sophia Posey, who opted for a cropped peasant-style shirt with denim shorts, calling them a festival staple that she paired with a thrifted bolo tie and her trusty festival boots. Theyve survived two Bonnaroos, and Bourbon and Beyond, and now this is my first Pilgrimage, she said of the footwear. Posey said the bolo tie was necessary to add a little Western kick to go with the vibe of Franklin and the country music found at the festival. (L-R) Amber William, Joy Smith, Brittainy Jones and Ashley Borman show off their Pilgrimage outfits during the annual music and cultural festival in Franklin, Tenn. (WKRN Photo) Amber Williams said her look was more of a general atmosphere-inspired one. Im a lover of music, she said. I just love the idea of a little bit Western and little bit naturally put together look with a little rock-and-roll, like from the 70s. It is just me to a T. She paired a worn and altered Allman Brothers Band T-Shirt with some shorts and boots, completing the look with a flannel shirt tied around her waist and a Brixton hat. She also wore her late grandfathers vintage bandana tied around her neck, adding a more personal piece to her look. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. n an unusual move, Donald Trump spoke to workers in Detroit Wednesday night, evidently seeking some political benefit from the auto workers strike, saying he's always had workers' backs. "Just get your union guys, your leaders, to endorse me and Ill take care of the rest," Trump told the crowd at Drake Enterprises, a nonunion manufacturer in Clinton Twp. The former president was unarguably seeking to woo Michigan workers. But Michigans workers indeed, all workers should remember that in his four years as president, Trump and his administration did far more to stab workers in the back than to have their backs. Trump rolled back Obama-era protections that would have extended time-and-half overtime pay to millions more workers. He didnt lift a finger to raise the federal minimum wage, which has remained at a low $7.25 an hour since 2009. His administration pushed to ease safety requirements for oil rig workers and relax rules for safety inspections in coal mines. Trump also eliminated the ban on a toxic pesticide, chlorpyrifos, that causes acute reactions in farmworkers and does nerve damage to children. Former President Donald Trump greets supporters after speaking at Drake Enterprise in Clinton Twp. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. Trump boasted repeatedly of his huge infrastructure plans, trumpeting one infrastructure week after another. But that became a running joke as he, unlike Joe Biden , utterly failed to enact an infrastructure plan and create the jobs that many construction workers were eager for. Trump got one important piece of legislation through Congress: $1.5 trillion in tax cuts that went overwhelmingly to the rich and corporations, while giving peanuts to typical workers like the UAW members on strike. UAW to GM: Show me a Big 3 executive who'd work for union pay | Letter to the Editor As for unions, Trump doesnt really support unions what he supports is having union members support him. Whether it was his recent attack on UAW president Shawn Fain or his broadside against Richard Trumka, the late, highly respected AFL-CIO president, Trump has often sought to turn union members against their union leaders a move that weakens unions and their ability to stand up to corporations and demand better pay and conditions. In recent weeks, Trump has all but declared war on UAW leaders, saying that union members "are being sold down the river by their leadership." Trump even called on union members to stop paying union dues, a statement that would only come from someone who wants to cripple unions rather than strengthen them. In a statement that UAW President Fain saw as a betrayal of workers, unions, and the State of Michigan, Trump once recommended that auto plants in Michigan move to lower-wage states to remain competitive. Strikers walk out at noon from 38 GM, Stellantis parts including Center Line Packaging as UAW President Shawn Fain called for more shops to go out on strike Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. When nominating U.S. Supreme Court justices, Trump chose people who were far friendlier to corporations than to workers. One of his appointees provided the deciding vote in Janus v. AFSCME the most important anti-union decision in decades. That decision substantially hurt labor unions and their treasuries by ruling that teachers, police officers and other government employees could opt out of paying any dues whatsoever to the unions that fight for them and win raises for them. That 5-4 decision overturned a unanimous 1977 decision that was a victory for the Detroit teachers union, and made sure workers paid their fair share to their union. Trumps nominees to the National Labor Relations Board repeatedly favored corporations over unions, often acting in ways that made it harder for workers to unionize. GM president fires back on strike: 'Flow of misinformation' could prolong UAW strike | Opinion Trump deserves credit for making good on one promise he made to workers: that hed fight hard on trade. He improved NAFTA, although, until Nancy Pelosi and labor unions stepped up the pressure, the changes he won had failed to ensure the agreement would have an effective enforcement mechanism to protect Mexican workers rights. As for China, Trump laudably stood up to Chinas stealing our trade secrets and its improper subsidies to industry. But Trumps go-it-alone, America First strategy was less successful in pressuring China to mend its ways than it could have been if he had lined up powerful allies like Europe, Japan and Canada to join us in pressuring China. Steven Greenhouse, former New York Times labor reporter and author of the book "Beaten Down, Worked Up" Trump likes to boast that under him we had the best economy ever something many other presidents, not to mention economists, would quarrel with. Job growth, for instance, has been far slower under Trump than Biden. In Bidens first 31 months in office, through this past August, the nation added 403,000 jobs a month on average; in Trumps first 31 months, it added 181,000 a month (that was before the pandemic hit). Workers shouldnt be fooled. When Trump tells workers he has your backs, its like a fox telling the hens, "I have your backs." Steven Greenhouse is a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, a think tank, and former labor reporter for the New York Times, where he worked for 31 years. He is the author of the book, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump's Detroit speech will claim he champions workers. He doesn't People visiting the Andy Warhol Museum were forced to evacuate after a bomb threat on Sunday. Pittsburgh Police say they were called to the museum on Sandusky Street at around 1:50 p.m. The threat was made over email. Police say the email came from a third party in Harrisburg. Explosive K9s searched the building after officers and museum security got everyone out safely. No explosives were found. The FBI is working with Pittsburgh Police to investigate similar threats happening in the area. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Man dies after being shot in chest in Pittsburgh neighborhood Man dies after overnight shooting in Pittsburgh neighborhood Usher will headline Super Bowl LVIII halftime show VIDEO:2 armed robbery suspects flee Pittsburgh; arrested after police chase in Penn Hills DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts AccuWeather hurricane experts say that tropical development could once again take shape in waters near the United States close behind the "homebrew" development of Tropical Storm Ophelia. A zone from the northwestern Caribbean to the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic waters just east of Florida warrants a close watch for tropical development from the end of September to early October. Even if a named storm does not form, tropical moisture from the region could continue to fuel downpours and thunderstorms in part of the Southeast in the coming days. The weather setup will also lead to coastal hazards all along the Eastern Seaboard, regardless of whether an organized system develops. Forecasters refer to tropical systems that tend to form near the U.S. coast, such as Tropical Storm Ophelia, as "homebrew" systems. "The area where a tropical system may slowly take shape this week is located just south of a stalled front left behind in the wake of Ophelia," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "Stalled fronts near the southeastern U.S. are potential formation areas for homebrew tropical systems." Satellite data was already showing a broad zone of slowly rotating clouds, showers and thunderstorms in the northwestern Caribbean Sea as of Monday morning. This image of the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean Sea shows showers and thunderstorms gathering near Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Central America and western Cuba on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue Satellite) The combination of the stalled front and tropical moisture, including a tropical disturbance known as a tropical wave, will lead to clusters of showers and thunderstorms from Central America, Cuba and Jamaica to southeastern Mexico, Florida and much of the northern Gulf coast of the U.S. this week. This part of the Atlantic basin has not been churned up by a tropical system in many weeks. Upwelling created by storms, such as hurricanes, tends to bring cool water up from the depths. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Waters in this region of the Atlantic basin are sufficiently warm enough to support tropical development this week and into next week, said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. Water temperatures generally must be near 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for a tropical system to form given there are ideal weather conditions for development. Sea-surface temperatures in this zone were generally in the 80s as of midweek. Despite the warm water, rapid organization in this zone is unlikely, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty explained. "There are some factors working against development in this zone, including wind shear, pockets of dry air and a storm in the middle level of the atmosphere that will interact with the existing areas of moisture," Douty said. Wind shear is a zone of stiff breezes that can change direction and hinder tropical systems if strong enough. Any system that emerges may remain weak or may not be fully tropical in nature and could become more of a tropical and non-tropical hybrid. Either way, any organization is likely to be slow, Douty added. Steering breezes may cause the disturbance to wander west or northwest initially this week before possibly being turned back to the northeast and toward Florida later on. "Because of the proximity to land, these homebrew systems may offer little time to prepare, should one catch on, as Ophelia did," Buckingham said. AccuWeather dubbed Ophelia as a tropical rainstorm and provided accurate track and impact information days ahead of any major weather source, including the National Hurricane Center. Regardless of whether a tropical storm forms or not, Florida and other locations in the southeastern U.S. will endure drenching showers and gusty thunderstorms much of this week to this weekend. A general 2-4 inches of rain will pour down this week over much of the Florida Peninsula, the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle and southeastern Georgia. However, locally, double that amount of rain may fall in parts of the peninsula, which can lead to flooding in urban and low-lying areas. The rain will hinder outdoor plans and visits to Florida's theme parks. But, the rain is not all bad news. "The rain will be beneficial to some extent and will help to fight expanding drought conditions along Florida's Gulf coast," Buckingham said. The zone from the western Caribbean to the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico and the southern Atlantic coast is a perennial trouble spot for tropical storm formation in October. This happens as the main development zone, located over the central and eastern Atlantic due to tropical waves emerging off the coast of Africa, tends to shut down in terms of tropical activity. Regardless of tropical development, the combination of high pressure settling along the Appalachians and the front along the coast will set up stiff northeast winds along the Atlantic coast for much of this week. The winds will stir Atlantic waters and lead to rough surf, dangerous rip currents, beach erosion and moderate coastal flooding at times of high tide from New York to northeastern Florida. The conditions may hinder storm cleanup and cause further damage in the wake of Ophelia's direct impacts, Buckingham said. Since Philippe has weakened, it has likely missed an avenue to escape to the north over the central Atlantic and may skirt the islands of the northern Caribbean later this week with drenching showers and locally gusty thunderstorms on its southern fringe. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. Davis authorities cleared another bomb threat Monday morning targeting a county library as well as schools in the Davis Joint Unified School District, which delayed school start times for about an hour. The school district said in a Facebook post its offices, Martin Luther King Jr. High School, North Davis Elementary, Birch Lane Elementary and the Davis School for Independent Study were targeted by the threat. The Mary L. Stephens branch of the Yolo County Library system was also targeted again, according to district officials. Just before 8:30 a.m., district officials reported police and sheriffs deputies cleared the bomb threats. The reported email is at least the fifth bomb threat reported in recent weeks targeting the library, the Davis Police Department said in a statement Monday, with some of them also threatening local schools. The messages contained anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, according to the statement. The Davis Police Department does not take these criminal threats and acts of terrorism lightly, the statement said, in part. We understand the harm, anxiety and unneeded stress that these threats have been causing our community. While bomb threats are rarely credible, the officers will continue to respond and take each incident seriously. Local TV news station KTXL-TV, known as Fox 40, was one of several recipients of the emailed bomb threat, and the media outlet alerted authorities, said Yolo County Sheriffs Detective Matt Wirick. Sheriffs deputies cleared the library. Wirick said no suspects have been arrested, but their investigation is ongoing. They have executed several search warrants seeking electronic data, but any suspects used technology to conceal their identity, he added, and the person who issued the threat could be from outside of the U.S. It gets more complicated as technology evolves and it gets easier to do as technology evolves, Wirick said. But there isnt a safety risk from Mondays threat, Wirick said. The tactic appears to be a disruption measure, he added. Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said in a statement that the IP addresses of the emails sent so far show they came from other countries, including Nigeria, but that basic technology can be used to disguise the true location of the sender. The internet isnt controlled by any government entity, which means it can be used anonymously, he added. The FBI is helping the Police Department investigate the threats and assisting Davis Joint Unified in developing response protocols, the statement said. The school district did not respond to multiple requests for comment. From a broader perspective, these types of incidents are part of a national trend affecting numerous cities across the country, Pytel added. School officials said that King High and the independent study programs would start classes Monday at 9:15 a.m., while other schools checked out and cleared by authorities were expected to welcome students at 9:45 a.m. Mondays incidents were the third such bomb threat against schools since students returned from summer recess. On Wednesday, police searched multiple Davis campuses as well as two homes of district employees after bomb threats were made by email early in the morning. The language and content of the threats have some similarity to the previous bomb threat incidents at the Yolo County Library in Davis, officials said. No arrests have been made in either of the latest incidents, Beckwith said. An emailed threat makes it harder to narrow down a suspect, he added. To ensure safety, police must go to the schools when reported, he said. Its a strain on department resources and doesnt allow officers to respond to other pressing concerns, he added. In August, a bomb threat containing anti-LGBTQ hate speech prompted authorities to evacuate the library and forced a shelter-in-place for the nearby schools. It was the third threat against the library that week, authorities said at the time. In February, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. High was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat sent through social media. A few months later, the school was evacuated again when officials found a written bomb threat on campus. Students were taken to a nearby park for early pickup. Davis Joint Unified operates 17 campuses in all nine elementary schools, four junior highs and a high school, as well as independent studies and the Da Vinci Charter Academy and a related junior high program. In all, the district educates roughly 8,300 students and has 800 people on staff. The library itself has been a focal point for conservative activists after it asked a speaker to leave in August for repeatedly misgendering trans women competing in sports. Anti-trans and anti-gender non-conforming hate crime acts rose by about 55% from 2021 to 2022 in California, according to data from the states Department of Justice. Chicago police are investigating at least four armed robberies that occurred within 40 minutes of each other on the North Side Sunday night. Police said detectives havent yet established a pattern or connection between the robberies, all of which involved three to four men and a white SUV. No suspects are in custody, and police said they are investigating. Advertisement The first robbery happened at about 11 p.m. in Lincoln Park. Four men got out of a white SUV and took a 42-year-old womans purse at gunpoint when she was walking on the sidewalk in the 900 block of West Armitage Avenue, according to police, who added that the woman wasnt injured. About 15 minutes later, three men got out of a white SUV and stole a 31-year-old mans cellphone and wallet at gunpoint, authorities said. The victim, who police said wasnt injured, was walking on the sidewalk in the 1700 block of West Hubbard Street in West Town. Advertisement Four men then got out of a white SUV and took phones and wallets from a 56-year-old man and 60-year-old woman at gunpoint at about 11:20 p.m. in Lincoln Park, authorities said. Police said the victims were walking on the sidewalk in the 600 block of West Armitage Avenue, and that they werent injured. At 11:40 p.m., police said four men got out of a white SUV and took a 27-year-old womans purse at gunpoint while she was walking on the sidewalk in the 1400 block of North Halsted Street in River North. Police said she wasnt injured. rjohnson@chicagotribune.com ASHEVILLE - A reader asks for an update on the opening of a fish fry-style restaurant led by an award-winning Asheville chef. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Executive Editor Karen Chavez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column. Question: When is Chef Ashleigh Shanti opening her Good Hot Fish brick-and-mortar restaurant? Is she still doing pop-up events? Answer: Ashleigh Shanti, a Virginia Beach, Virginia, native and long-time Asheville resident, has a lot on her plate including flipping her modern-day fish camp from a pop-up model to a restaurant with a permanent address. For a while, the James Beard-nominated chef has promised Asheville diners that Good Hot Fishs brick-and-mortar would open in Asheville. Finally, its about to happen. Chef Ashleigh Shanti, an Asheville resident, travels across the U.S. and around the world on culinary adventures. Shanti shared the latest on the restaurant's opening and her culinary adventures, upcoming cookbook, spice blends and local appearances. Good Hot Fish Good Hot Fish is weeks away from opening if all goes to Shantis plan. I appreciate everyones patience surrounding this pop-up, Shanti said. Good Hot Fish is still coming. We will be opening in South Slope in late fall. The address is undisclosed but will be 100% owned by Shanti. Meanwhile, Shanti will be hosting late-night Good Hot Fish pop-ups every Wednesday through October, beginning Oct. 4, at Burial Beer Co.s South Slope taproom and kitchen at 40 Collier Ave. Times and menu to be announced. An order of catfish and fries from Ashleigh Shanti's, Good Hot Fish, served at a pop-up event at Burial Beer Co. in 2022. Guest chef pop-ups Last week, Shanti was traveling back to Asheville after an unofficial honeymoon with her wife in Maine. The newlyweds tied the knot this summer. Yet, the chef didnt stay away from the kitchen for long. On Sept. 18, Shanti collaborated with Jordan Rubin, chef/owner of Bar Futo in Portland to host a special dining event. In August, Shanti participated in a multi-chef dinner, presented by the James Beard Foundation, at Platform in New York City celebrating the 2022 Best Chef: Southeast winner Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham. Chef Ashleigh Shanti's signature kitchen pepper is an all-purpose spice blend that's recommended for chicken wings, baked goods, rubs and much more. Hotel Genevieve In May, in time for the Kentucky Derby, Hotel Genevieve opened in Louisville with Shanti serving as director of culinary operations for its restaurant concept, Rosettes. The chef completed a yearlong contract to develop a culinary program that incorporates Black Appalachian cuisine, which is Shantis specialty. More culinary travels In March, Shanti joined a truly enlightening two-week food pilgrimage with fellow U.S. chefs to Cameroon in Africa, led by culinary historian and writer Michael Twitty. Its something that he recommends Black chefs do at least once throughout their career to connect to our roots and learn about a lot of the foodways that we all know and love learning exactly where they came from, learning about the history, Shanti said. Chef Ashleigh Shanti has released a signature spice blend called kitchen pepper that she recommends for savory and sweet dishes . One of the regions, Baloun, felt particularly familiar. It reminded me of Asheville where up in the mountains their land was so biodiverse and they could grow almost anything, Shanti said. They tap into their waterways a lot like we do. It was a part of Cameroon where everyone and everything was so hyper-local, and they have such a connection to the land. During a layover in Paris, she previewed the 2022 James Beard Award Outstanding Chef winner Mashama Baileys new location of the Savannah, Georgia, restaurant, The Grey. That was my first time even though it was for less than 24 hours. It was cool to see what Mashama Bailey is doing as a Southern chef overseas in a totally different market, Shanti said. Shes a mentor of mine, and Im always encouraged by everything shes doing. Shantis travels are on pause as she settles back into home life. Im going to be in Asheville tending to Good Hot Fish, she said. Im excited to have this structure that I have been lacking and missing so much in my life since I left Benne on Eagle in 2020. Kitchen pepper In February, Shanti released the first batch of her kitchen pepper spice blend for retail sale through Burlap & Barrel, a U.S.-based international spice company. The all-purpose seasoning, made with black peppercorns and warm spices like sumac, has since sold out. Chef Ashleigh Shanti has released a signature spice blend called kitchen pepper. We are hoping for batch number two very soon and also maybe another Good Hot Fish spice blend, she said. The rerelease date isnt confirmed. The spice(s) will be available at Good Hot Fish restaurant. Cookbook Recently, Shanti submitted the manuscript for her first cookbook, an extensive project that has kept the chef busy for the past two years. The cookbook (name undisclosed) will include more than 125 recipes and is scheduled for release in October 2024 by Union Publishing. It is a cookbook highlighting the microregions of the South that have been incredibly special to me, Shanti said. My paternal side hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, my maternal side from Southwest Virginia and then my upbringing in Coastal Virginia being raised in Virginia Beach, it highlights all of those different places. Television and upcoming appearances In 2022, Shanti competed on Season 19 of Bravos reality cooking competition, Top Chef. In May, the second season of Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi was released on Hulu starring the former Top Chef host. In an episode, Lakshmi visits Western North Carolina and Virginia to delve into Appalachian cuisine, and she meets with Shanti for a fish fry at a historic Black Mountain church. Ashleigh Shanti, of Asheville, prepares a dish on the 10th week of Bravo's "Top Chef" in an episode titled "Dinner In Zero Gravity" Shanti doesnt have any other filming projects on the horizon. However, for the second year, she will be a judge for the National Gingerbread House Competition at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville in November. Im really excited. I learned so much last year, Shanti said. What these people do is truly incredible. Im excited to go to Grove Park and open those doors and get hit in the face with the aroma of ginger. For more, follow Ashleigh Shanti on Instagram at @foodordeath_. Food news you may have missed: Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Good Hot Fish restaurant coming, chef Ashleigh Shanti confirms Demonstrators hold placards during a protest against what they say is hate speech against Muslims by Hindu leaders, in New Delhi By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Anti-Muslim hate speech incidents in India averaged more than one a day in the first half of 2023 and were seen most in states with upcoming elections, according to a report by Hindutva Watch, a Washington-based group monitoring attacks on minorities. There were 255 documented incidents of hate speech gatherings targeting Muslims in the first half of 2023, the report found. There was no comparative data for prior years. It used the United Nations' definition of hate speech as "any form of communication... that employs prejudiced or discriminatory language towards an individual or group based on attributes such as religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender, or other identity factors." About 70% of the incidents took place in states scheduled to hold elections in 2023 and 2024, according to the report. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat witnessed the highest number of hate speech gatherings, with Maharashtra accounting for 29% of such incidents, the report found. The majority of the hate speech events mentioned conspiracy theories and calls for violence and socio-economic boycotts against Muslims. About 80% of those events took place in areas governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is widely expected to win the general elections in 2024. Hindutva Watch said it tracked online activity of Hindu nationalist groups, verified videos of hate speeches posted on social media and compiled data of isolated incidents reported by media. Modi's government denies the presence of minority abuse. The Indian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Rights groups allege mistreatment of Muslims under Modi, who became prime minister in 2014. They point to a 2019 citizenship law described as "fundamentally discriminatory" by the United Nations human rights office for excluding Muslim migrants; an anti-conversion legislation challenging the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief, and the 2019 revoking of Muslim-majority Kashmir's special status. There has also been demolition of Muslim properties in the name of removing illegal construction and a ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms in Karnataka when the BJP was in power in that state. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Bill Berkrot) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is looking to trade in her Tesla for a union-made electric vehicle (EV). The New York Democrat was asked why she does not own an electric vehicle made by union workers on CBSs Face the Nation. We are actually looking into trading in our car now, responded Ms Ocasio-Cortez, known informally as AOC. So we are looking into it and hopefully we will soon. Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla and Ms Ocasio-Cortez has sparred several times with him on social media platform X/Twitter, also owned by Mr Musk. She said she bought her Tesla during the pandemic to commute between her New York City district and Washington DC. However, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said there are now vehicles manufactured by unions that have the required range for the journey. Our car was purchased during the pandemic when travel before a vaccine had come out. So, travel between New York and Washington, the safest way that we had determined was an EV. But that was prior to some of the new models coming out on the market that had the range available. But were actually looking into trading in our car now. So were looking into it and hopefully we will soon, she told CBS. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union is currently on a historic strike against three major carmakers and on Friday walked out of all 38 parts-distribution centres operated by General Motors and Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis in 20 states. UAW boss Shawn Fain said they spared Ford as they were making more progress in talks. We are focused on moving the companies at the bargaining table. Right now we think we can get there. Stellantis [the conglomerate that manufactures cars of several brands like Citroen, Fiat and Chrysler] and GM in particular are going to need some serious pushing, he said. JUST IN: Alexandria Ocasio Cortez says part of the reason she has a Tesla and not a different electric car is because a vaccine had not come out yet when she purchased the Tesla. Socialists just aren't the brightest people. The comment came after AOC was called out for owning a pic.twitter.com/f4esb7FF25 Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 24, 2023 Ms Ocasio-Cortez previously warned Mr Musk was testing the waters to possibly interfere in the 2024 election. The Tesla chief is also a vocal opponent of unions. The Democrat also hit out at the Tesla boss after X began removing blue ticks and said the move could pave the way for major potential harm. The congresswoman has also previously claimed Mr Musk had meddled with her account. Ms Ocasio-Cortez complained that following a public argument, her Twitter account had seemingly stopped working properly. The Kyiv Court of Appeal ruled on 25 September that the pre-trial restriction for oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi would remain unchanged. Source: the court hearing Kolomoiskyi, who has been served with three notices of suspicion with respect to the withdrawal of billions of hryvnias from the Ukrainian bank PrivatBank, has been in custody since 3 September. The appeal left the pre-trial restriction unchanged: remand in custody and UAH 3.89 billion (US$108.3 million) bail. Background: On 2 September, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), the Bureau of Economic Security and the Prosecutor General's Office served oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi with a notice of suspicion under Articles 190 and 209 of the Criminal Code: fraud and legalisation (laundering) of the proceeds of crime. Subsequently, Kolomoiskyi received two more notices of suspicion concerning the withdrawal of a total of UAH 15 billion (approx. US$406 million) from PrivatBank. Kyivs Shevchenkivskyi District Court remanded Kolomoiskyi in custody for 60 days with the option of bail of nearly UAH 510 million (US$13.3 million). The bail was subsequently increased to UAH 3.89 billion (US$101.5 million). On 8 September, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialist Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office seized Kolomoiskyi's assets and property for two days. On 21 September, High Anti-Corruption Court judge Oleh Tkachenko refused to allow prosecutors from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to seize Kolomoiskyis assets. Kolomoiskyi faces up to 12 years in prison. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Gaylyn Morris used an Apple AirTag to track down her boyfriend Andre Smith (Marion County Jail and Yrl Dre/Facebook) A woman who repeatedly ran over her boyfriend after tracking him down using an Apple AirTag was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Thursday. Gaylyn Morris, 27, had used an Apple AirTag to track her boyfriend Andre Smith, 26, down to Tillys Bar in Indianapolis on the evening of 3 June 2022, after she suspected him of cheating on her. There, witnesses said they saw Morris march into the bar and get into an altercation with another woman, before picking up a beer bottle and swinging it at the woman, according to the criminal affidavit. Smith blocked Morris from hitting the woman and the bar staff kicked all three individuals out. After this, Morris then got in her blue 2010 Chevrolet Impala and drove up onto the sidewalk where Smith was standing. She initially backed off but then hit Smith on the left hip with the mirror of her car. She then hit him with the car again, dragging him under the vehicle before repeatedly running over him with his whole upper body under the car. Smith died of traumatic asphyxia. A witness at the trial testified that she saw Morris hit the gas in the parking lot then heard what felt like a speed bump and some crunching and saw Morris driving her car repeatedly back and forth over Smiths body. She was arrested at the scene just after 12.32am local time, where officers also found Smith under the front end of her car. Gaylyn Morris has been served a lesser sentence after the court deemed she acted under sudden heat' (WTHR) Morris was initially tried for murder at the Marion County Court in Indiana in August, but was only convicted of voluntary manslaughter after it was determined that she had acted under sudden heat, according to the sentencing order. Jurors took less than four hours before delivering a guilty verdict. A sudden heat sentence can be given out if prosecutors feel the defendant has committed the crime in rage, anger or sudden resentment. This mitigating factor meant Morris was ultimately convicted with voluntary manslaughter rather than murder. Prosecutors said Morris was living with Smith at the time and had noticed he had recently been staying out all night, possibly with another woman. Earlier in the day before Smiths death, the couple had a conversation about a woman she thought he was seeing. After the confrontation, she said he needed to pack his things and leave. The mother of Smiths child also told Morris that she should just put Andre out of their home and be finished with the relationship, prosecutors said. Morris had worked herself up into a tizzy and tracked Smith by hiding an AirTag in the back seat of his car, prosecutors said. Following her arrest, she admitted to police that she tried to hit her boyfriend with the car, but said she did not mean for him to be dragged under it. When she goes to the bar, its to confront her boyfriend and the other woman she thinks is cheating on her with her boyfriend, whose bills shes paying, whose rent shes paying, whos treating her like a dog, At her trial, her attorney Max Wiley said: And shes going there to confront him, not to kill anybody. If she was going to kill, why didnt she bring a gun? However, not everyone is convinced about the sudden heat mitigating circumstances with Smiths mother Laprecia Sanders branding Morris a murderer. Andre Smith was repeatedly ran over by Gaylyn Morris in the early hours of the morning at Tillys Bar in Indianapolis (WishTV) My son did not deserve to be murdered because of her seeing him with another woman because shes been seeing him with other women, she told the court, according to WTHR. This has been going on. He was not married to her. He didnt owe her nothing. He dont share a kid with her or anything. Morris told the court that she was remorseful for the hurt and pain that she has caused. I understand that this is a tragic situation for everyone that sits in this courtroom, and Im so sorry that I caused it. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would and it would be handled much differently, so differently, she said. Im praying for their strength, healing and recovery. Once again, Im so sorry to his family. Im very sorry. I apologise. If Morris had been charged with murder, she would have faced up to 65 years in prison. A maximum sentence for sudden heat manslaughter is 30 years. Morris was sentenced to 18 years in prison. FILE - The blur of car lights zip past the Arizona Capitol as the dome is illuminated on April 15, 2020, in Phoenix. Social media users are falsely suggesting Arizona lawmakers have brought criminal charges against the states sitting governor. But no such indictment has been issued, and the state legislature isnt authorized to issue such formal accusations of criminal wrongdoing in the first place. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Social media users are falsely claiming that Arizonas governor has been indicted by local lawmakers. Here are the facts: CLAIM: Gov. Katie Hobbs has been indicted on racketeering conspiracy charges by the state senate. APS ASSESSMENT: False. The Republican leadership in Arizonas state Senate say no such indictment has been issued, and the state legislature isnt authorized to issue such formal accusations of criminal wrongdoing. THE FACTS: Social media users are suggesting Arizona lawmakers have brought criminal charges against the states sitting governor. The posts claim without evidence that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has been indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act for a whole host of major felonies. The federal RICO Act, as its commonly referred, has been famously used to prosecute the Mafia and other organized crime syndicates since its passage in 1970. BREAKING: Arizona Senate has laid out RICO indictments against Katie Hobbs and others in violation of RICO ACT-13-2301, including bribery, racketeering, money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking, aiding and abetting the Sinaloa Cartel, and election fraud, read many of the posts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Many of the posts include a video clip from an Arizona legislative hearing on elections from earlier this year, in which a Scottsdale insurance agent baselessly accused Hobbs of these crimes. A Republican state lawmaker, Rep. Liz Harris, was expelled from the Legislature in a bipartisan vote for organizing the presentation. The indictment claim was then shared widely on Sunday in a post by Leading Report, a website that has previously shared misinformation around U.S. politics. The post has since been deleted, and spokespersons for the site didnt respond to messages seeking comment Monday. But leaders in the Republican-controlled chamber say theres simply no truth to the notion that the governor faces any charges from lawmakers. Kim Quintero, a spokesperson for the state Senate GOP, said the Arizona Legislature is not authorized to issue indictments. Im not sure where this bogus information is coming from, she wrote in an email Monday. State Sen. Wendy Rogers, a far right Republican and outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, also took to X over the weekend to pour cold water on the rumors. The following is FAKE NEWS, she wrote in a message that included the now-deleted post. The legislature doesnt issue indictments! Indeed, indictments are generally the first significant decision made before a criminal case can head to trial. Theyre handed up by grand juries, not legislative bodies, after prosecutors have presented some of their evidence and witness testimony in a closed door court hearing. ___ This is part of APs effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP. A former police chief has warned armed officers are relying on wild west tactics to catch the countrys most dangerous criminals and questioned whether a review by Suella Braverman would be effective. Sir Peter Fahy, the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police between 2008 and 2015, said police forces must be handed new powers to tackle armed criminals, describing the current methods as old fashioned. He added a review ordered by Suella Braverman into armed policing would not be wide enough and suggested the Home Office should instead concentrate on low morale within the rank and file. Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Sir Peter said it was crucial to reduce the number of interventions made by armed officers, but said in order for that to happen police must be given other ways and powers to deal with armed criminality. I feel we are dealing with it in a very old fashioned way using tactics which are reminiscent of the wild west, he said. The crucial aspect of this is we ask armed officers to intervene in fast moving incidents and make split second decisions which they are going to be responsible for for the rest of their lives. The police know who these people are. They are often people with long criminal histories and we really should in this day and age have different ways of dealing with that rather than putting so much emphasis on these officers. Sir Peter did not specifically mention which powers should be made available for police officers but appeared to suggest one area could be targeting cars used by known criminals. Review into armed policing On Sunday, Ms Braverman, the Home Secretary, ordered a review into armed policing amid reports more than 100 officers handed in accreditation permitting them to carry firearms on the job. The revolt was triggered after one officer was charged with murder over the shooting of unarmed Chris Kaba, 24, who was killed in September last year in Streatham Hill, south London. Ms Braverman said armed officers mustnt fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties. Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, welcomed the review and called for increased legal protections for officers. But Sir Peter questioned whether the review would take into account the bigger picture of low morale felt inside the nations police forces. There is a huge gulf between policing and the Home Office, he told the BBC. Officers understand the impact of some of the serious cases particularly involving the Metropolitan Police but feel a lot of the criticism is unbalanced, that they are unappreciated and that really the media and politicians just dont understand the reality of day-to-day police work. I think the review is not going to be wide enough. At the end of the day this is a matter of criminal law and police officers are subject to the criminal law in the same way as everybody else. I think there is a much wider issue about morale in policing. 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. Ukraines Air Force has warned that Oniks and Kalibr cruise missiles and Shahed drones have been launched in the direction of Odesa. Source: Air Force Quote: "Odesa - Shaheds, Onikses and Kalibrs are heading in your direction!!!" Details: The Air Force had previously reported that the Russians had launched Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles in the direction of Odesa Oblast. An air-raid warning has been issued across Ukraine right now. Citizens are asked to stay in shelters. 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 wife of a Chicago drug trafficker who cooperated against Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was sentenced to 3 years in prison Monday for conspiring to hide and spend millions of dollars of her husbands drug proceeds. Valerie Gaytan, 48, who is married to Margarito Flores Jr., pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, admitting in a plea agreement with prosecutors that she laundered and spent at least $2.3 million over a 12-year period. Advertisement Her sister-in-law, Vivianna Lopez, 43, who is married to Margaritos twin brother Pedro Flores, was given an identical 42-month term in July for spending about $800,000 in ill-gotten gains. In handing down the sentence for Gaytan on Monday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said that while the wives admitted to laundering a total of about $3.1 million, God only knows how much other drug money was spent over the years. Advertisement People were maintaining a lifestyle that they had gotten used to, at least to a certain extent, Kennelly said. They stayed in it and benefited from it. Before she was sentenced, Gaytan stood at a lectern dressed in a black suit and apologized to the court, the government and her family for her actions. Im extremely sorry and I take full accountability, she said. Kennelly ordered her to report to prison by Jan. 10. The facility shes assigned to is being kept secret due to security reasons. Gaytans sentencing comes a week after her husband granted an exclusive interview to the Tribune, his first ever with a Chicago news outlet, detailing the twins rise from Little Village to the mountains of Mexico, where they were among the Sinaloa cartels most successful narcotics traffickers responsible for hundreds of tons of drugs pouring into Chicago and other U.S. cities. Known for their street smarts and cool business acumen, the tightknit twins were living in Mexico with their wives and children in 2008 when they were caught in an escalating war between cartel factions and made the stunning decision to help the U.S. government take El Chapo down. On Friday, Margarito Flores, who goes by Jay, spoke to law enforcement in the west suburbs at a one-day seminar titled From Kingpin to Educator, giving officers a rare insider account on how cartels use hubs such as Chicago to move massive shipments of drugs and money. Flores told the Tribune that its a coincidence his wifes sentencing, which was moved twice, fell within days of his seminar. With her facing a significant stretch behind bars, they were grappling with the idea of being separated yet again, but ready to move forward, he said. What are we supposed to do, just sit here and cry and just give up? he said. We are not those people. Advertisement The Flores twins were each sentenced to 14 years in prison and had already been released by the time Gaytan and Lopez were indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2021. The charges alleged that after their husbands turned themselves over, the wives conspired to hide millions in cash, much of it still in small denominations, that had been secretly recouped from the twins associates in the U.S., hidden in trap compartments in vehicles and stash houses, and buried under twins older brothers home near Austin, Texas. According to the indictment, Gaytan and Lopez spent much of the money on private school tuition for their children, international and domestic travel, rent and child support. On July 18, 2018, Gaytan and Lopez were returning from a trip to the exotic Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos when customs agents stopped them at JFK International Airport in New York, according to federal court records. Gaytan was carrying five cellphones, including two with Chicago area codes, even though she was supposedly living in hiding out of state. But what really caught the attention of investigators was a seemingly innocuous sheet of notebook paper found in Lopezs belongings that prosecutors alleged was a straightforward drug-money ledger laying out a schedule for the disbursement of the hidden funds. Advertisement The wives originally contended that they had been assured by prosecutors that their husbands unprecedented cooperation against Guzman meant they would not face charges themselves for their own actions, but Kennelly ruled last year that the women did not have immunity from prosecution. The twins older brother Armando Flores, who helped them break into the drug business three decades ago, has also pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 11. Two other relatives also pleaded guilty to helping mail packages of money. Lopezs sister Bianca Finnigan was sentenced to probation while their aunt, Laura Lopez, was given a one-year prison term. The daughter of a Chicago police officer, Gaytan started running drugs as a teenager, spent time in prison, opened a successful beauty salon and was romantically linked to some of the citys top gang kingpins, including Rudy Kato Rangel, the feared then-leader of the Latin Kings street gang. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Gaytan was indicted in 2000 on money laundering charges related to the narcotics operation of a previous boyfriend, Valentino Reveles. She pleaded guilty in 2001 and was sentenced to five months in prison after refusing to cooperate against Rangel, court records show. Five months later, Rangel was murdered at a West Side barbershop in what authorities have said was a contract killing by a rival gang. It was at Rangels funeral that Margarito Flores, whom she knew from mutual acquaintances as Junior, approached her with sympathy and a romance began to kindle, Gaytan wrote in her 2017 tell-all book, Cartel Wives. Advertisement In asking for leniency, Gaytans attorney, Michael Clancy, said Monday she spent most of the laundered money on living expenses while her husband was in protective custody, not to maintain any lavish lifestyle. He was in jail, Clancy said. He was around armed guards. She was out on the street bouncing around, looking over her shoulder. No one would want to be in her shoes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika Csicsila, however, asked for a five-year prison term, saying that being forced to make it on your own is not an excuse, no matter how difficult the circumstances. There is a right way to do that and a wrong way to do that, and the defendant chose to do it the wrong way for a long, long time, Csicsila said. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com In a hugely positive move for sustainable energy production, the Texas attorney general has ruled that county governments cannot ban the development of solar farms. Angela Colmenero, who is serving as the states interim attorney general while Ken Paxton awaits his impeachment trial, told residents of Franklin County that Texas law does not give county governments the authority to ban solar projects, the Texas Tribune reported. The conflict arose when members of the community began fighting proposals for solar farms, arguing that such projects would lead to the destruction of trees and the scraping of grasslands. While this can pose environmental issues, solar power has been proven to play a significant part in reducing pollution that contributes to our planets overheating, which protects our communities and the environment in the long term. Furthermore, clean energy helps to provide employment opportunities. According to the U.S. government, over three million Americans are employed in this sector. Texas counties dont have the power to ban solar farms, attorney general finds https://t.co/PMQOf8FZ38 via @TexasTribune T.L. Langford (@tlangford) August 17, 2023 With the United States aiming to reach 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, solar farms are vital to achieve this goal. According to the Texas Tribune, the state produces more wind power than any other, while it is second in solar power. Solar power also proved extremely useful during heat waves that scorched the state in June. With air conditioning units being used more frequently as residents remained inside to avoid the extreme heat, more pressure was put on the energy grid. Thankfully, the states focus on renewable energy over the last few years helped to avoid blackouts, which would have put residents in danger of heat-related illnesses. The same sun that heats up buildings [and] triggers people to turn on their air conditioners, is the sun that can make electricity from solar panels, University of Texas research scientist Joshua Rhodes told the Guardian. So during this high amount of heat, were also seeing a lot of electricity being produced by solar panels. According to the Guardian, Texas has doubled its solar supply since 2022, and banning blocks on future solar developments will allow the state to further increase its capabilities. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg announced on Monday an additional 1 million to fund the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) work in Ukraine "to prevent nuclear incidents". Source: European Pravda with reference to ARA; an announcement by Schallenberg at the IAEA General Conference in Vienna Details: In his speech, Schallenberg pointed out that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been going on for 19 months, and during this time Moscow has shown "unacceptable and irresponsible" behaviour, including in the issue of nuclear safety. "We are meeting at a time when war is raging in Europe," he stressed. Schallenberg said that the occupation of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, by Russian troops continues and noted the IAEA's work to prevent nuclear incidents. In this regard, he announced the allocation of an additional 1 million for the organisation's activities in Ukraine. Background: Cooperation between Ukraine and the IAEA on nuclear safety began in March 2022. Since February this year, the organisation has established a permanent presence at all Ukrainian NPPs. In June, the Austrian government announced that it would provide 1 million to the IAEA to support nuclear safety activities in Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Authorities have announced the arrest of a 14-year-old who allegedly made multiple fake bomb threats, alleging explosives were on the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge between Kentucky and Ohio. The juvenile was charged with four counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, according to Covington Police Lt. Justin Bradbury. The minor was taken into custody in Michigan Friday. The first threat happened Sept. 13. Kenton County dispatchers received a bomb threat from an unknown person, police previously said. The suspect threatened to shoot police and put pipe bombs on the bridge. The suspect reportedly demanded $400,000. The second threat happened a few days later. The threat prompted a closure on both sides of the river for nearly two hours while officers investigated. The third threat happened around midnight on Sept. 19, according to WKRC in Cincinnati. The bridge reopened about two hours later. The fourth threat happened early in the morning one day after the third threat, according to WCPO in Cincinnati. The threat was once again unfounded and the bridge opened roughly one hour later. On Sept. 18 the bridge was shut down for a fifth time after a suspicious package was found unattended, according to WCPO. The package contained bedding and the bridge was reopened shortly afterwards. The Covington Police Department worked with FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force partners and the Boone County Sheriffs Department in the investigation. The partnership we share with this organization continues to prove itself an asset to the city and the region, Covington police said in a news release. Thank you for everyones patience as we worked to ensure the publics safety following each threat. An arrest has been made related to the four bomb threats made against the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. As a reminder, hoax threats are not a joke. They put innocent people at risk and drain law enforcement resources.https://t.co/7YTn3fIEm2 FBI Louisville (@FBILouisville) September 25, 2023 By Andrew Osborn and Nailia Bagirova (Reuters) -Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hosted talks on Monday with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan at which he hinted at the prospect of creating a land corridor between their two countries via Armenia, which opposes the idea. Erdogan pointedly flew into Azerbaijan's autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, a strip of territory nestled between Armenia, Iran and Turkey that Ankara and Baku want to link up with rump Azerbaijan by carving out a land corridor that would run through southern Armenia. Aliyev in 2021 threatened to create such a corridor - that would create a contiguous land bridge between close allies Turkey and Azerbaijan and deprive Armenia of a land border with Iran - "whether Armenia likes it or not." The symbolic choice of location for Monday's talks, less than a week after Azerbaijani forces swept into Nagorno-Karabakh to retake control of the breakaway region, is likely to worry the authorities in Armenia, who have in the past rejected such a land corridor while being theoretically open to restoring severed road and rail links. At a joint news conference at which neither man took any questions, President Aliyev lamented that Soviet-era authorities had deemed part of what he said should have been territory belonging to the Azerbaijani Soviet republic as land belonging to the Armenian Soviet republic. "The land link between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan (the exclave) was thus cut off," complained Aliyev. An influential telegram channel linked to Karabakh Armenians called "Re:public of Artsakh" said Aliyev's words looked ominous. "The new target of Azerbaijan and Turkey is Syunik (a province in southern Armenia through which such a corridor would pass). They are already openly declaring it. Active preparations for war are underway," it said. Erdogan and Aliyev were due to inspect a newly-modernised military facility in Nakhchivan and to attend a ground-breaking ceremony for a new gas pipeline from Turkey. Russia, which has military facilities in Armenia and a defence pact with Yerevan, is busy prosecuting its own war in Ukraine. It is at odds with Armenia's current prime minister who it deems to be too pro-Western and is keen to further cultivate ties with Baku and Ankara. Erdogan told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday last week, the day that Azerbaijan began its military operation to retake control of Karabakh, that there was what he called "an historic opportunity to build peace" in the South Caucasus region. "(But) Armenia is not making the most of this historical chance," Erdogan complained. "We expect a comprehensive peace agreement between the two countries (Azerbaijan and Armenia) as soon as possible and for promises to be quickly fulfilled, especially on the opening of the Zangezur (land) corridor." That was a reference to the terms of a 2020 Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a 44-day war between Azerbaijan and Armenia that spoke of unblocking economic and transport connections between western Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, a clause which Baku and Yerevan have since interpreted differently. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Nailia BagirovaWriting by Andrew Osborn Editing by Guy Faulconbridge) An Aztec man remains in custody in an Albuquerque jail on Sept. 25 after being shot by San Juan County sheriffs deputies three days earlier when he allegedly charged at them with a knife. Abel Soto, 43, was shot at approximately 3 p.m. on Sept. 22 in Aztec by deputies from the San Juan County Sheriffs Office who had been trying to serve a warrant at a residence in the 1200 block of N.E. Aztec Boulevard for felon in possession of a firearm. According to a news release, deputies approached the residence at approximately 2 p.m. and attempted to call the suspect out, but he refused. An hour later, Soto allegedly exited the residence while brandishing a knife and was shot several times by deputies with nonlethal bean bags, but he refused to drop the weapon, the release states. At that point, two deputies fired at him, striking the suspect. Soto was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where he was treated and released, the release states. He was booked into the Albuquerque Metropolitan Detention Center on two felony warrants, including a warrant out of Colorado. He was charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer in connection with the Sept. 22 incident. The shooting is being investigated by the San Juan County Regional Officer Involved Task Force. The two deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Farmington Police Department, the primary investigating agency, at 505-599-1068. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e. This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Abel Soto shot twice by deputies at residence in Aztec on Sept. 22 Wells Adams and Jesse Palmer | Stewart Cook/ABC via Getty Images The beloved Bachelor Nation franchise, Bachelor in Paradise, is back for Season 9, and it will be steamy. While a slew of new singles are looking for love on the beach, fans can delight in the return of franchise host Jesse Palmer and resident bartender Wells Adams. In addition to these familiar faces and a few others, several men from the recent Charity Lawson-led season of The Bachelorette will be looking for love on the beaches of Mexico. Ahead of this seasons debut, Shadow and Act headed down to the beaches of Mexico to catch up with Palmer and Wells for any advice or insight they may have to offer the singles and fans on their own quests to find love. Palmer knows all too well what it means to put your heart on your sleeve in front of the world. Before becoming the Bachelor Nation host in 2021, he was The Bachelor in 2004 on the series 5th season. A lot has changed with the franchise and the fandom since then. Bachelor Nations grown by leaps and bounds, he reflected. That to me has been the biggest thing is this show just has an army and a legion of fans, unlike, I think, any other show. That, to me, is really what makes this franchise so unique and special our fans. And just over [the] years, with the advent of social media and the extension shows like Bachelor in Paradise and some other things that theyve done as well, its just grown so, so much from when I did it a long, long time ago. For his part, Adams has settled into his role as the heart and soul of Bachelor in Paradise. Ive been doing this for a long time, he explained. This is my seventh season, so I think people are kind of used to me being around, Im part of the furniture at this point, but I do love doing the show. Its so much fun, and its been really successful. Weve had some amazing relationships come out of it, which Im weirdly very proud of. I get to be a part of some really fun, beautiful marriages with kids and all that kind of stuff. Bachelor Nation fans know there is a much more relaxed, carefree approach with Bachelor in Paradise than on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. Therefore, Palmers approach as a host is also very different. For me, its always exciting on this show because I really dont have any idea whats going to happen, he says. Whats fun is that because Ive developed a relationship with a lot of the cast from The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, its interesting always for me to see them all come together here at the beach and then to see who hopefully finds love with one another and ends up with one another. I think one of the biggest hats I wear on all the shows is sort of like a cheerleader. Its someone that really wants the best for them. But here, theres just so much up in the air, and you really never know what to expect. And so, for me, its always interesting to sit back and watch, and you cant just hone in on one person going on a date repetitively over and over and over again. Here, there are multiple dates happening at the same time. Theres love triangles forming everywhere, and theres drama, but theres love, and its developing, and its really interesting to sort of watch it all from a birds eye view on this show. Palmer may have already built a particular trust with cast members. However, bartender and pseudo-therapist Adams is often doling out much-needed advice. Im unique in the fact that I was in their shoes, he says. At one point, I was on BIP as just a regular cast member and person on the beach. And I did not find love. So I know how they feel. I know the trepidation that theyre feeling, the nerves, the being just freaked out by the whole scenario. And so I can relate to that. And Ive also been here for so long that I know what all the pitfalls are. And its funny every season, therell be three or four people who will listen to what I have to say, and itll work out for them. And then therell be like three or four people that do not listen, and then it doesnt work out for them. And I wish everyone would listen to me because Ive seen it all at this point. Though Palmer had his own experiences on The Bachelor, he thinks its most important to be a listening ear to the cast, especially during their most vulnerable moments. What I try to do is never make it about me. If the cast ever asked for advice based on my own experiences having been on the show, Im there to help. I try to be as empathetic and sympathetic as I can. I hope Im a good listener because the thing I do know about this experience is that everybodys experience is unique and is their own. Just because this show has happened several times before and situations can be similar, and dates can be similar, everybody is their own person, and they have their own feelings. Those feelings are all valid, so I just try to help them be as true and authentic to themselves, to make the best decision for themselves and try to be a great listener. Of course, as Bachelor Nation staples, Adams and Palmer have also built their own rapport. Ive known about Wells for years, having watched him on the show. Hes such a fan favorite for a great reason, such a great dude, and is legitimately like that in real life as well. I think a lot of people are like, Is he really that cool? Is he that fun? He really is, Palmer says. And coming here and getting a chance to be here with him where hes like the mayor of this place. Hes been doing this so, so long hes part of the fabric of Bachelor in Paradise. For me, its really, really cool and unique to sort of watch him and get to hang out with him and be around the greatness, the aura that is Wells Adams. Speaking of their bromance, Adams also couldnt help but gush over Palmer. Jesse Palmer. Hes beautiful. Look at him. Have you seen that smile? he laughed. Hes very tall. Hes very handsome. Weirdly enough, this is not the answer that you want, but this is the answer. This is the truth. I love the crew. I have now made this show with all these people for a very long time, and I have really strong bonds with the people who are behind the camera and the people who are mic-ing us up and people who are lighting it and who are doing all the decorations and the art. A lot goes into making this show what it looks like on TV. And so I love just coming and seeing my friends every summer. And also, the sunsets dont suck. Bachelor in Paradise Season 9 debuts Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. on ABC This is a locator map for the Gulf Cooperation Council member states: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) A drone attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels killed a Bahraini officer and soldier who were patrolling Saudi Arabia's southern border early Monday, Bahrain's military command said. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge carrying out the attack as efforts to strike a peace deal between Riyadh and the rebels continue. The military statement, carried by the state-run Bahrain News Agency, says a number of Bahraini soldiers were also wounded in the strike, without elaborating. This terrorist attack was carried out by the Houthis, who sent aircraft targeting the position of the Bahraini guards on the southern border of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia despite the halt of military operations between the warring sides in Yemen, the statement said. It did not identify the site of the attack. Bahrain later repatriated the bodies to the island kingdom, where they were met by an honor guard and top military officials. The tiny island nation of Bahrain is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, which has led the war against the Houthis. The deadliest attack to strike Bahrain in the conflict so far had been a September 2015 missile strike by the Houthis in Marib that killed five of its troops, along with 52 Emirati and 10 Saudi troops. A cease-fire had largely stopped the violence, and the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis have appeared close to a peace agreement in recent months. It was unclear if the attack would derail those efforts by Saudi Arabia and its allies. In a statement from Riyadh, the Saudi-led military coalition mourned those killed and claimed there had been attacks targeting an electrical distribution site and a police station on its southern border by some Houthi elements. In line with the positive efforts being made to seek to end the crisis and reach a comprehensive political solution, the leadership of the joint forces of the coalition affirms its rejection of repeated provocations and reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place, Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said in a statement. Yemens war began in 2014 when the Houthis swept down from their northern stronghold and seized the capital, Sanaa, along with much of the countrys north. In response, a Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The fighting soon devolved into a stalemated proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, causing widespread hunger and misery in Yemen, which even before the conflict had been the Arab world's poorest country. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations earlier this year in a deal brokered by China, further raising hopes for an end to Yemen's conflict. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia welcomed a Houthi delegation for peace talks, saying the negotiations had positive results. A U.N.-brokered cease-fire had already largely halted the violence, and Yemen has seen only sporadic clashes since the truce expired nearly a year ago. But diplomats have warned that the situation remains volatile. Yemens internationally recognized government condemned the attack. Foreign Minister Ahmed Bin Mubarak said he spoke by phone with Bahrain's chief diplomat, Abdullatif al-Zayani, offering his condolences and solidarity with Bahrain. Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia, was rocked by an uprising in 2011 inspired by the Arab Spring protests elsewhere in the region. Many from the country's Shiite majority called for the overthrow of Bahrain's Sunni monarchy. Bahrain quashed the revolt with aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and blamed much of the unrest on Shiite-majority Iran. The two individuals killed in a New York charter bus crash on the way to a band camp have been identified. The victims were band director Gina Pellettiere, 43, and 77-year-old retired history teacher Beatrice Ferrari, authorities said. The bus was transporting students from Farmingdale High School in Long Island when it veered off Interstate 84. The vehicle rolled down a 50-foot ravine in the town of Wawayanda, about 45 miles northwest of New York City. Ferrari, who had volunteered as a chaperone, was a pillar of the community, her son-in-law Daniel Aldieri told NBC News. She spent more than three decades teaching in the Farmingdale School District. She was a mom, a grandmother, my mother-in-law, Mr Aldieri said. She loved band camp. She must have gone for 30 years. This was a trip she looked forward to every year. To have her go this way, its so sad. Were all devastated, the whole family. Pellettiere was remembered by friends as a devoted mother to her two-year-old-son and a talented musician who was always there for her students She made school fun. She made life entertaining, and she brought a lot of joy to a lot of people whether they were in the band or not, former Farmingdale High School band member Christian Kalinowski also told NBC. Anybody who wanted to play music, Gina was there. She was a resource and she was a mentor. She was a friend. Gina Pellettiere, 43, (left) and 77-year-old retired history teacher Beatrice Ferrari (77) were killed in a charter bus crash on Thursday (Facebook/Greg Warno) The bus that crashed was carrying 40 students and four adults to a band camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania, about a 30-minute drive from the accident site. A total of 16 students and two adults were hospitalized on Friday. State police said on Saturday that five passengers remained in critical condition. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, seeking to prevent similar accidents, officials said. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that tire failure may have been to blame, but the NTSB said it was premature to speculate. BBC Breakfasts hosts were seen cracking up during a recent broadcast, as they laughed at the striking resemblance between presenter Jon Kay and a butler at a state banquet. On Monday (25 September), co-anchors Sally Nugent and Kay discussed footage of King Charles speaking at a state banquet, held in his and Queen Camillas honour, in Versailles last week. The King and Queen met with the French president, Emmanuel Macron , during their state visit in an attempt to rebuild bridges between the two nations after Brexit. In a clip showing the King addressing the audience in French, a member of the wait staff is seen taking drinks and attending to the crowd. The butler looks very similar to Kay, leading to the hosts friends as well as viewers getting in touch to point out the similarity. Jon Kay! At the [Versailles] Palace! With the King! Nugent said in between laughs, as a video played of the butler at work. Ive had the weirdest weekend since this went out, Kay admitted, before adding: I mean, it really does look like me doesnt it... Its freaky! As Nugent attempted to explain the scenario to the viewers, she and Kay broke out into giggles as footage of the lookalike waiter played on screen. Doesnt just look like me, nicks other peoples drinks like me! said Kay, to which Nugent added: He even moves like you! Jon Kay and his lookalike royal butler (BBC) Kay had apparently received loads of messages from people over the weekend, asking whether hed seen the video. When Nugent asked whether he was sure he didnt take a secret trip to the French capital, Kay confirmed that it was not him on screen. I promise it wasnt me, although some people thought it was some kind of green screen special effect. It wasnt me, I promise. Jon Kay and Sally Nugent (BBC) During the speech on Wednesday 20 September, the King honoured his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, and recalled her close ties to France. Charles also mentioned the importance of Britain working with France to tackle climate change, and pointed out the similarities between the countries. As neighbours, we have long been fascinated by one another, and our cultural heritage derives more from one another than we might realise, he explained. The first restaurants in Paris, for instance, were modelled on British taverns, and as it happens one of the most famous was called La Grande Taverne de Londres which would be a greater source of pride if it were not that their success was based on French food, French wine and French chefs! The King ended his speech by telling Macron: Mr President, in all of this we can rely on our firm friendship. Whatever lies ahead, may it endure, faithful and constant, for centuries to come. Deodorant is locked up to prevent shoplifting at a drugstore on Aug. 24, 2023, in New York City. (Angela Weiss/Getty-AFP) Its no secret that retail theft has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Weve all seen the alarming videos of criminal gangs attacking stores, cleaning out shelves and walking off with no apparent consequences. This year, U.S. merchants expect to report a stunning $100 billion in losses a big increase over pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, arrests and prosecutions for retail theft in Chicago are down sharply since 2019. Advertisement At this months convention for Oak Brook-based Ace Hardware, exhibitor Laura Freeman of Watcher Total Protection had talked herself hoarse by the end of the opening day. Aggrieved store owners crowded her booth to quiz her about her companys security systems, which are augmented with artificial intelligence. AI is coming to the rescue of merchants, for better or worse. We will see a lot more AI for shoplifter protection, said Freeman, whose company is based in Kane Countys Pingree Grove. Youll see more and more where the system does the work. Advertisement The old days of dumb cameras recording thieves in action for review after the fact have given way to smart systems that can detect illegal activity as it happens and send instant text alerts. The surveillance cameras constantly scan for a shopper taking something off a shelf and shoving it into a bag, for instance, which immediately triggers a warning so merchants can decide whether to question the suspect, call for help or otherwise intervene. In the meantime, tags attached to high-value items not only trigger sensors on the way out of a store but also can be coded to the exact item and linked to video of the exact moment that item was removed from its spot in the store. As a result, merchants can spend much less time reviewing footage to zero in on the part they need. Unfortunately, theft by retail employees is way up too. Store cashiers increasingly are being watched with smart systems that analyze their actions in real time and coordinate with data from cash registers to flag instances when mistakes are being made or theft is occurring. AI is being used to spot employees who ring up one-penny sales to open their cash drawers, or customers at those now-ubiquitous self-checkouts who try the old banana trick, scanning cheap items like the fruit while putting expensive items in their bags. Some retailers with stores in high-crime locations have tried equipping their clerks with the same body cameras worn by police, mostly to deter violent confrontations that, sadly, also have become more common since the pandemic. And facial recognition makes it possible for camera systems to flag likely suspects as they enter a store so they can be tracked, based on their prior criminal records, or previous incidents of theft. Its amazing stuff, for sure, and three cheers for companies like Freemans that are helping retailers fight back against thieves. Still, this emerging technology is starting to make a visit to the friendly neighborhood store sound like submitting to Big Brother on steroids. We realize that retailers need new tools to combat the epidemic of lawlessness costing them huge losses. And, similarly, we know police and prosecutors have a backlog of violent crimes to pursue. While we support stronger laws and enforcement to protect businesses under siege, we recognize that no one is going to rush over with lights and sirens if a shopper takes a steak while ringing up a banana at checkout. As retailers adopt these potentially game-changing but also intrusive systems, there must be checks and balances. Indeed, the rise in retail theft has led to much faster adoption of emerging technologies than might otherwise have occurred, according to Matt Harper, loss prevention manager at Ace. This is going to be a necessity, he said, especially as big-box stores install technology that makes mom-and-pop operators look like relatively soft targets for thieves. Its no exaggeration to say an AI-enhanced arms race is underway in the retail biz. Advertisement 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 > Heres a pleasant surprise: Illinois is ahead of the curve in dealing with the concerns these anti-theft systems raise about privacy. The 2008 Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act regulates scans of peoples faces, eyes and fingerprints, which might have sounded like sci-fi when the law was first considered, but certainly no longer. This page supported the law, and the pace of technological advances makes it even more important today to set clear guidelines for the ways that businesses use data. The Illinois statute came after incidents in which Big Tech companies were failing to self-police. And while we prefer for businesses to regulate themselves, government enforcement is needed because of the high stakes involved: Consumers can always get a new credit card after a privacy breach, but fingerprints, eyes and faces cant be reissued. We dont get to say this very often, but we wish more states would wake up and follow Illinois example. As of now, for national retailers like Ace, the landscape is messy and complex, with some states having no regulations in place and others having rules that differ from one to another. Illinois law may need updating, given the rapid advances afoot, but it is a worthy starting point for states doing nothing while technology runs rings around them. Retail theft is now at epidemic levels, and AI can help. Lets make sure we safeguard our privacy at the same time we embrace technology that helps us get a step ahead of the crooks. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Advertisement Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. As Ukraine remains the world's most heavily mined nation, the U.K. Army has stepped up training Ukrainian engineers at a military base in Poland, helping them clear large anti-tank mines, smaller anti-personnel mines, and other deadly devices planted by Russian forces. This training started last November with each course lasting a few weeks. It typically includes "just a few dozen experienced Ukrainian sappers," according to BBC. Russia has been producing and laying mines on an industrial scale with the mines now scattered over an area the size of Florida. The minefields can be up to 10 kilometers deep, according to BBC, and one square meter can contain as many as five explosives. The concentration of mines in Russian-occupied regions has slowed Ukraine's counteroffensive, limiting territorial gains in the east and south. Ukraine hopes that with enhanced mine clearance training, it becomes easier to liberate occupied territories. Staff Sgt Kevin Engstrom told BBC that the British are teaching the Ukrainian troops the gold standard of mine clearance, which involves time and patience. He adds, however, that "...if your immediate threat is gunfire, you can't always be slow and methodical." The British trainers also comment on the speed of the Ukrainian soldiers: "They're very quick. The first time I deployed to Afghanistan I was slow. They don't miss much," Staff Sgt Engstrom said. "Their work is impressive with the kit they've been given," he added. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky praises new American aid package as historic Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. "Being a Black veterinarian, there is a constant challenge of always having to prove yourself," the author writes. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a veterinarian. My love for animals began at age 5, when my parents gave me and my sisters a miniature poodle that we named Silver. I did my very best to go to every vet visit with Silver because I adored him, and I was curious to see what veterinarians do for animals. But I noticed something: I never once saw a veterinarian that looked like me at Silvers veterinary clinic, or any other veterinary clinics or veterinary emergency hospitals. Each time after these visits, I started to question: Why have I not seen any Black veterinarians? Why do none of the doctors look like me? It made me realize that my dream would likely be harder to achieve or possibly not achievable at all, just because I am Black. Veterinary medicine is one of the least diverse occupations in America. As of 2023, Black veterinarians make up about 2% of the veterinary profession. Minorities may not have exposure to opportunities in veterinary medicine; U.S. colleges and universities of veterinary medicine are not actively seeking minorities, and the lack of minorities in this field also minimizes the opportunities for mentorship for this demographic. It was not until I was accepted into Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine that I saw and met my first Black veterinarian. My experience at Tuskegee was life-changing. Being around successful Black veterinarians was truly inspiring and motivational. While at Tuskegee, I was no longer a minority. I was part of a diverse community of colleagues who all shared the same goal to become great veterinarians. As I approached my final year, it was time to start preparing for externships. For my externships, I visited other veterinary schools and met students from other universities. At two of the three universities I visited, I was the only Black extern. I also had a few externships at small animal hospitals, and again, I was the only minority. I have had clients who did not want me to see their animals because I am Black. I have also been told by a client that I should be cautious, because her dog may not like me because I am dark-skinned. I dont want to use the word discouraging to describe how I felt about the lack of diversity during my externships, but I was disappointed. When I graduated, unfortunately, my glorious time at Tuskegee quickly faded into a distant memory. I was reintroduced to the reality of being a minority, but this time, I was a doctor. From my personal experience as a Black veterinarian, I have encountered instances in which clients have judged me based on my skin color. I have had clients who did not want me to see their animals because I am Black. I have also been told by a client that I should be cautious, because her dog may not like me because I am dark-skinned. The first time I was judged for my skin color, I was shocked and very hurt because I had passed my boards and am very knowledgeable, just like every other practicing veterinarian. But that did not matter; all the clients knew was the color of my skin, and they immediately felt I was not good enough. I have since learned not to let someones judgment of me affect my work because I know my value and capability. There have also been instances in which I havebeen questioned about treatments and diagnostics by both clients and supporting staff. I have reached the point in my career that when incidents like these occur, I am not surprised, but when they do occur, I question, Would I have these experiences if I wasnt Black? Being a Black veterinarian, there is a constant challenge of always having to prove yourself. Because we are so rare in this profession, when I put on my white coat as a Black veterinarian, I not only represent myself, but an entire demographic. Proving yourself comes with the territory. Although there have been some negative experiences, there have been plenty of positive, uplifting moments. For example, an elderly Black client became emotional when she first met me, telling me she had never seen a Black veterinarian before, and she thanked me for being in my position. I had a Black mom ask me if she could bring her son and daughter to meet me so she could show her children that Black veterinarians do exist. I have also had Black elementary and secondary education teachers ask me if I can speak at their career day to inspire the next generation. The author poses with a patient. The author poses with a patient. Diversity and inclusion are not just words. As practices, they are ways to bridge the gap of unfamiliarity and give qualified individuals opportunities to thrive in positions that previously have not been accessible to them. Since its founding, Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, the only veterinary school at a historically Black college or university, has educated over 70% of Americas Black veterinarians. But Tuskegee should not be the only veterinary school sending Black doctors into the world of animal care. As a profession, we must acknowledge the lack of diversity and truly be open to becoming more inclusive. A huge step in the right direction will be universities opening their doors to accept more minority students and giving them the educational tools and support (whether academic or mental) they need to succeed and thrive on their educational journey. I love being a veterinarian. The positive impact I have not only on my patients but also on my clients is truly rewarding. I am inspired to continue to do what I do because of my love for animals, but I understand that I am a rarity in this field, and this also keeps me motivated. As a Black veterinarian, I want young boys and girls who look like me to be able to pursue their dreams without having to question if its possible, like I once did. I remain hopeful that diversity and inclusion in this profession will grow, and the future of veterinary medicine will include a diverse group of practitioners who have come together for one common goal: to treat animals and protect their well-being. Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch. Related... WASHINGTON (NewsNation) The Pentagon is failing to provide sufficient oversight over complaints of bedbugs, mold and sewage at U.S. military base barracks, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report accuses to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) of not providing reliable assessments of barrack conditions, especially in instances where the conditions are substandard. In its report, the GAO found conditions that could pose serious health and safety risks. Servicemembers in one discussion group with the GAO said tap water in their barracks is often brown and fear it is not safe to drink. Servicemembers in six of the twelve discussion groups told the GAO of pest issues including bedbugs, rodents, cockroaches and wasps. Save Americas Treasures: Oklahoma gets grant to preserve Ft. Gibson barracks In one of the more shocking claims by servicemembers, the GAOs report found that, at one installation, servicemembers are responsible for cleaning biological waste that may remain in a barracks room after a suicide. At another installation that was visited by the GAO in October 2022, legionella bacteria was found in the building plumbing systems, something that officials described as challenging to remediate. In every one of the 12 installations visited by the GAO, servicemembers said that their living conditions affected their mental health. Among the complaints were anxiety and panic attacks because of the conditions and one servicemember likened the conditions to that of a dark box. In three of 12 discussion groups, servicemembers said the conditions were contributing to substance abuse, with one group noting that a barracks resident was recently hospitalized due to a drug overdose. Servicemembers or first sergeants at three installations mentioned thoughts of suicide. Thousands of veterans disability claims delayed, some for years The 100-page report also commonly observed filthy conditions. We observed or heard about challenges related to cleanliness in barracks at multiple installations, including issues with sewage, water quality, and pests, among others, according to the report. In one installation, GAO noticed a foul odor throughout the barracks. Installation officials said the smell was due to methane gas leaking out of aging plumbing with sewage. The officials acknowledged that exposure to methane gas is a health risk. Amid a national recruitment shortage, the GAOs report found that no military service has complied with the DODs requirements to evaluate the effects of barracks conditions on service members reenlistment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. In her decade-and-a-half in cable news, Dana Perino has seemingly done it all. She co-anchors Fox News morning show Americas Newsroom and prime-time show The Five. She launched a new podcast, Perino on Politics, this year. Ahead of the first GOP presidential debate, she sat as co-anchor for the preshow. This week, Perino will do something shes never done before: moderate a presidential debate. Perino will be one of three co-moderators for the second Republican presidential debate in Simi Valley, California, on Wednesday. Shell have the gargantuan task of preparing and asking candidates questions about the economy, foreign policy and other topics, while also trying to maintain control of the back-and-forth. But, in a way, shes already been on the other side, having worked as President George W. Bushs press secretary before she was a Fox News host. Her dogged preparation in all her roles stems back to her upbringing. She was born in Evanston, Wyoming, and grew up in a small town south of Denver, where her dad had her read two newspaper articles each day and discussed them at dinner. It was brilliant training, Perino said. Perino talked to the Deseret News about her preparation for Wednesdays debate and what viewers should expect. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Perino has prepared dozens of questions Deseret News: We talk a lot about what candidates are doing to get ready for the debates. But could you tell me what debate prep is like for moderators? Dana Perino: This is brand new for me. In a way, I feel like theres a lot of things that I do in my life and in my career my current job, and also my past job that have helped me figure out what I might want to do as a moderator. For example, when I would brief President Bush for a press conference, I would anticipate the questions and help think about the best answer that would explain his decision making and the policy decisions that he made. So what I did in this case was I probably, frankly, went way too broad, initially I had white canvas, and I just wrote every possible topic and every possible question that I could think of. And then from there, Ive been narrowing it down. Sometimes its really hard to delete a question, but when I do the math how much time the moderator actually has compared to the candidates theres not enough time for all of those questions. So right now Im paring down and keeping a file of all the questions that I would have liked to have answered if I had more time, and maybe I can use those over the next several months as the primary rolls along. Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence , Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand at their podiums during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by Fox News Channel on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. | Morry Gash, Associated Press Related Perino: No candidate has offered clear leadership yet DN: Could you give us a preview of a question or a theme that might come up during the debate? DP: One of the things Ive been paying a lot of attention to on Americas Newsroom and The Five, and just in talking to people and observing their reactions to things, theres a collective anxiety and worry that Americans have right now about the direction of the country, as well as our own personal finances and well-being. And I always describe it as a leader should relieve people of that anxiety. And Im not sure if weve heard from the candidates yet on how they will do that. And I mean, all the candidates, from the president and vice president to former president Trump and the rest of them. Now, they might disagree with me and say, Well, I have policies. But nobody has really had time to focus on all of those. That first debate was a great opportunity for all of the candidates to introduce themselves to the GOP primary voters. You and I pay a lot of attention to all of these issues day in and day out. Most people do not. And they have their lives that theyre leading. And out of that debate, you didnt really have anyone with a big breakout moment. So the second debate is super important for them, because they need to show that they can be the front-runners main rival the front-runner being Donald Trump who could emerge from this group as the main rival to him, who has a very commanding and enduring lead. So they need a breakout moment. And their supporters and donors will be looking for that as well. Perino prepping questions in case Trump decides to attend DN: As far as we know, former President Trump wont be participating in the debate. What would change if he were on that stage? DP: Now, one of the things I have done is prepared questions in case he does decide, at the last minute, to come. That would mean he would need to sign the (Republican National Committee) pledge. Anyway, he said hes not. He said hes going to be at the UAW (United Auto Workers) strike (in Detroit). I wish that he would come, but I also practice the serenity prayer and appreciate the wisdom to know the difference between the things I can and cant control or change. And so we move on without him. Whats interesting for me is that again, how does one of these candidates say that they are his main rival, so that they can try to get this into a two-person race? Gov. (Ron) DeSantis has tried to position himself as that person and actually, Donald Trump took him up on that offer. And his PAC has been pummeling the DeSantis team for months, with millions of dollars of attack ads. And DeSantis numbers have not gone up since that last debate. So there is room for somebody else to emerge. Make them fly in formation DN: Im curious what the moderators responsibility is when it comes to calling out falsehoods. If a candidate says something thats inaccurate or blatantly false. do you view it as the moderators job to kind of fact-check on the fly, or should that come afterward? DP: Yes, we do a lot of research on that. I would hope that we could catch it. But also, the other candidates have a responsibility to know their opponents and their weaknesses and to be able to jump on that as well. So we have a ton of research, a great team, and I feel so supported by all the people at Fox. And let me mention also, my co-moderators are two people one I know very well, Stuart Varney, he and I used to do a Hannity hit every Tuesday for five years. And so we got to know each other very well. And now I have a new friend, Ilia Calderon at Univision. And so we share these responsibilities. I think all of us feel nervousness, but as my speech coach from Colorado State University-Pueblo taught me: its OK to have butterflies in your stomach, as long as you make them fly in formation. Alexander Lukashenko , self-proclaimed President of Belarus, has signed a decree prohibiting Belarusian citizens from importing, storing, selling, manufacturing and using drones. Source: Decree on the State Registration and Operation of Civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, posted on Lukashenkos website Details: The decree states that any use of civilian drones is only permitted for organisations and legal entities for their "business and professional activities". To do so, they need to obtain a permit from the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Belarus. The decree also envisages the creation of an automated state register of civilian UAVs. Residents of Belarus have six months to sell their drones to organisations or transfer them to an "authorised organisation designated by the government" for storage. 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! Beyonce Attends Kickoff Event For Housing Development In Houston Named After Her And Kelly Rowland | Kevin Mazur via Getty Images Beyonce joined community leaders in Houston on Friday to show support for The Knowles-Rowland House, a housing development that is being built for the citys unhoused population. The Houston native, who is in her hometown for the latest stop in her Renaissance World Tour, was also joined by her mother Tina Knowles-Lawson as she attended the kickoff event for the project, Fox 26 Houston reported. The Knowles-Rowland House, named after Beyonce and her former bandmate Kelly Rowland , is expected to provide housing for 31 unhoused people in Houston. The 21,000-square foot facility, which includes three stories, will be built on the campus of St. Johns Downtown Church, Houston Public Media reported. Bread of Life, a local nonprofit organization which provides food, other essential items and health-related services, is leading the $10.5 million construction project. Monique Williams, director of partnerships and development for Bread of Life, praised Beyonce for taking time to stop at the kickoff event. That was exciting for all of us, Williams told Houston Public Media. Shes a busy lady. Shes doing a couple of other things this weekend. For her to pause and just kind of return home and to be in this space with us and to hear again what more will be done and to see her legacy, I think it was wonderful for everyone to be in that space and share that with her. The facility, formerly known as the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, opened in 1999, but it sustained damage when it was struck by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Four years later, a fire broke out and caused more damage to the center. Since then, the facility has been used as storage. Rowland and Beyonce previously funded the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, but its not clear if theyre doing the same for the latest project. In July, Harris County Commissioners Court authorized a $7.2 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant for the project. Bread of Life is also providing part of the funding. In addition to serving as a shelter, the facility will now be a center for job skills training, as well as support for physical, mental and behavioral health. The Knowles-Rowland House is expected to open in 2024. FILE - A passenger disembarks from Amtrak's Sunset Limited at its final stop in New Orleans, Nov. 2, 2008. The Biden administration announced Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, that it has awarded more than $1.4 billion to projects that improve railway safety and boost capacity, with much of the money coming from the 2021 infrastructure law. (AP Photo/Pat Semansky, File) WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration announced Monday that it has awarded more than $1.4 billion to projects that improve railway safety and boost capacity, with roughly $1 billion of the money coming from the 2021 infrastructure law. These projects will make American rail safer, more reliable, and more resilient, delivering tangible benefits to dozens of communities where railroads are located, and strengthening supply chains for the entire country," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. The money is funding 70 projects in 35 states and Washington, D.C. Railroad safety has become a key concern nationwide ever since a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio, in February. President Joe Biden has ordered federal agencies to hold the train's operator Norfolk Southern accountable for the crash, but a package of proposed rail safety reforms has stalled in the Senate where the bill is still awaiting a vote. The White House is also saying that a possible government shutdown because of House Republicans would undermine railway safety. The projects include track upgrades and bridge repairs, in addition to improving the connectivity among railways and making routes less vulnerable to extreme weather. Among the projects is $178.4 million to restore passenger service in parts of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi along the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. This is a significant milestone, representing years of dedicated efforts to reconnect our communities after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a statement. Restoring passenger rail service will create jobs, improve quality of life, and offer a convenient travel option for tourists, contributing to our regions economic growth and vitality. The grant should make it possible to restore passenger service to the Gulf Coast after Amtrak reached an agreement with CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads last year to clear the way for passenger trains to resume operating on the tracks the freight railroads own. Weve been fighting to return passenger trains to the Gulf Coast since it was knocked offline by Hurricane Katrina. That 17-year journey has been filled with obstacles and frustration but also moments of joy, where local champions and national advocates were able to come together around the vision of a more connected Gulf Coast region, Rail Passengers Association President & CEO Jim Mathews said. The single biggest grant nearly $202 million will help eliminate seven rail crossings in California as part of the larger project to build a high-speed rail line in that state. That will reduce traffic delays and help ensure that first responders can get where they need to go. In one of the biggest other grants, the Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad in Washington state will get $72.8 million to upgrade the track and related infrastructure to allow that rail line to handle modern 286,000-pound railcars. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, who championed the additional funding in the infrastructure law as chair of the Commerce Committee, said the grant will let grain trains safely travel twice as fast along the 297-mile route. A project in Kentucky will receive $29.5 million to make improvements to 280 miles of track and other infrastructure along the Paducah and Louisville Railway. And in Tennessee, $23.7 million will go to helping upgrade about 42 bridges on 10 different short-line railroads. Enacting new regulations can be a lengthy process. Administration officials said Thursday that the new rules would be developed next year. The Biden administration announced a major initiative to protect Americans from medical debt on Thursday, outlining plans to develop federal rules barring unpaid medical bills from affecting patients credit scores. The regulations, if enacted, would potentially help tens of millions of people who have medical debt on their credit reports, eliminating information that can depress consumers scores and make it harder for many to get a job, rent an apartment, or secure a car loan. New rules would also represent one of the most significant federal actions to tackle medical debt, a problem that burdens about 100 million people and forces legions to take on extra work, give up their homes, and ration food and other essentials, a KFF Health News-NPR investigation found. No one in this country should have to go into debt to get the quality health care they need, said Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced the new moves along with Rohit Chopra, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB. The agency will be charged with developing the new rules. These measures will improve the credit scores of millions of Americans so that they will better be able to invest in their future, Harris said. Medical debt has sunk Penny Wingards credit score so low that she has struggled to qualify for loans, and applying for jobs and apartments has become a harrowing experience. On Sept. 21, the Biden administration announced plans to develop federal rules barring unpaid medical bills from affecting patients credit scores. (Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News) Enacting new regulations can be a lengthy process. Administration officials said Thursday that the new rules would be developed next year. Such an aggressive step to restrict credit reporting and debt collection by hospitals and other medical providers will also almost certainly stir industry opposition. At the same time, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was formed in response to the 2008 financial crisis, is under fire from Republicans, and its future may be jeopardized by a case before the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority has been chipping away at federal regulatory powers. But the move by the Biden administration drew strong praise from patients and consumer groups, many of whom have been pushing for years for the federal government to strengthen protections against medical debt. This is an important milestone in our collective efforts and will provide immediate relief to people that have unfairly had their credit impacted simply because they got sick, said Emily Stewart, executive director of Community Catalyst, a Boston nonprofit that has helped lead national medical debt efforts. Credit reporting, a threat designed to induce patients to pay their bills, is the most common collection tactic used by hospitals, a KFF Health News analysis has shown. Negative credit reporting is one of the biggest pain points for patients with medical debt, said Chi Chi Wu, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. When we hear from consumers about medical debt, they often talk about the devastating consequences that bad credit from medical debts has had on their financial lives. Although a single black mark on a credit score may not have a huge effect for some people, the impact can be devastating for those with large unpaid medical bills. There is growing evidence, for example, that credit scores depressed by medical debt can threaten peoples access to housing and fuel homelessness in many communities. At the same time, CFPB researchers have found that medical debt unlike other kinds of debt does not accurately predict a consumers creditworthiness, calling into question how useful it is on a credit report. The three largest credit agencies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion said they would stop including some medical debt on credit reports as of last year. The excluded debts included paid-off bills and those less than $500. But the agencies voluntary actions left out millions of patients with bigger medical bills on their credit reports. And many consumer and patient advocates called for more action. The National Consumer Law Center, Community Catalyst, and some 50 other groups in March sent letters to the CFPB and IRS urging stronger federal action to rein in hospital debt collection. State leaders also have taken steps to expand consumer protections. In June, Colorado enacted a trailblazing bill that prohibits medical debt from being included on residents credit reports or factored into their credit scores. Many groups have urged the federal government to bar tax-exempt hospitals from selling patient debt or denying medical care to people with past-due bills, practices that remain widespread across the U.S., KFF Health News found. Hospital leaders and representatives of the debt collection industry have warned that such restrictions on the ability of medical providers to get their bills paid may have unintended consequences, such as prompting more hospitals and physicians to require upfront payment before delivering care. Looser credit requirements could also make it easier for consumers who cant handle more debt to get loans they might not be able to pay off, others have warned. It is unfortunate that the CFPB and the White House are not considering the host of consequences that will result if medical providers are singled out in their billing, compared to other professions or industries, said Scott Purcell, chief executive of ACA International, the collection industrys leading trade association. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to Dear Culture with Panama Jackson. The post Biden administration to ban medical debt from Americans credit scores appeared first on TheGrio. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Biden administration announced Monday that it will invest more than $31 million in funds to improve two railroad projects in Tennessee. According to the administration, a big chunk of the money comes from the 2021 infrastructure law. In fact, more than 1.4 billion of the funding that was awarded to states nationwide will go toward 70 rail improvement projects in the 35 states and Washington D.C. RELATED | Biden administration announces $1.4 billion to improve rail safety and boost capacity in 35 states In a release, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the projects help get people and goods where they need to be safely and quickly. These projects will make American rail safer, more reliable, and more resilient, delivering tangible benefits to dozens of communities where railroads are located, and strengthening supply chains for the entire country, said USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg. In Tennessee, $31.11 million in federal funds will be used for the improvement of two railroad projects. 6 dead after train crashes into familys SUV in Florida The first project aims to upgrade the states short line rail network as part of the Tennessee Short Line Bridge Bundle Project. Funding will go toward upgrading or replacing 42 bridges along ten different short-line railroads that need immediate repair or replacement. More than $23 million will be provided for this project, according to the administration. Around $7.3 million will help fund the Tennken Revitalization and Safety Improvement Project. The project involves final design and construction for various track improvements on TKENs mail rail line, which is in parts of Tennessee and Kentucky. Earlier this year, the Biden administration awarded $27 million to the state of Tennessee in hopes to reduce train-vehicle collisions and improve safety of railroad crossings. The administration stated that majority of the funding provided nationwide will improve projects that support freight rail safety and supply chains. However, some investments aim to expand world-class passenger rail to more communities across the country. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. President Biden on Monday bashed House Republicans for heading towards a government shutdown, saying that they shouldnt be elected if they cant do their job to fund the government. Funding the government is one of the most basic, fundamental responsibilities of the Congress and if Republicans in the House dont start doing their job, we should stop electing them, Biden said in remarks at the White House. Biden noted that he made a deal with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in May that led to an increase in the debt ceiling. Under that deal, lawmakers voted for legislation that set ceilings on spending for the next year. Now conservatives in the House are seeking to make deeper cuts than that deal. Biden accused the GOP of not abiding by the debt-ceiling agreement. Now, a small group of extreme House Republicans, they dont want to live up to that deal and everyone in America could be faced with paying a price for that, he said. We made a deal. We shook hands. We said this is what were going to do and now theyre reneging on the deal, which is not much of a surprise these days. When asked if he has spoken to McCarthy, Biden shook his head. I havent, he said. He shook his head again when asked if he will speak to to the Speaker. Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to pass legislation to fund the government and prevent a shutdown. So far, House Republicans have not agreed to a deal amongst themselves, let along with the Senate and White House. The presidents comments came during a meeting with his board of advisers on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He outlined what a government shutdown would mean for the Black community. The Black community in particular is going to suffer if that occurs, he said of a shutdown. He said that under a shutdown, which put would non-essential government workers on furlough, the Department of Housing and Urban Development would stop all of its enforcement work fighting housing discrimination, and that the Environmental Protection Agenda would have to stop environmental justice work because inspections would come to a halt. He also said funding for small businesses would be impacted. Bidens reelection campaign earlier on Monday hit House Republicans for heeding former President Trumps calls to dig in on a shutdown. Last week, the Biden campaign called out Trump for rooting for a shutdown, saying that the former president doesnt care about the ramifications it would have for Americans families. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is flanked by Senate President Don Harmon, left, and House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch at a press conference at the Illinois State Capitol on April 7, 2022. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) The beginning of the school year is typically a celebration of new opportunities and hope. Unfortunately for some Illinois families, as they dropped their kids off this year, they worried that it might be the last first day at the schools they love. Thats because 9,000 working families receiving Invest in Kids scholarships may have to switch schools next year when the life-changing program expires. Advertisement The $50 billion state budget signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker failed to include the scholarship program that has uplifted more than 40,000 families and has more than 20,000 families on the waiting list. Pritzker has flip-flopped on the program, leaving many families frustrated and confused. On the campaign trail in 2018, he said he wanted to get rid of the program as quickly as possible, and then later, as its popularity continued to rise, he claimed to support the program. Parents desperate for more opportunities for their children are tired of the hypocrisy from Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. Each of them chose to send their children to private schools while opposing school choice for families less advantaged than them. The hypocrisy hit a fever pitch this month after it was discovered that Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates sends her child to a private Catholic school. Advertisement Whether Davis Gates, Pritzker, Welch and Harmon prefer their children to have a faith-based education or a more intimate learning environment is beside the point. The point is that all Illinois parents should have the power to do what is best for their kids. This isnt a right that should be reserved for the political elites and the wealthy. And lets not sugarcoat it. Illinois public education system is failing families. In Chicago Public Schools, where students had nearly two years of virtual instruction, only 14.9% of students were meeting or exceeding expectations in mathematics in 2022, according to the Illinois Report Card. Only 20% of CPS students were reading at grade level in 2022. The fall veto session begins Oct. 24. Urge your legislators make the Invest in Kids scholarship program permanent. If they fail to do this, they should continue to be ashamed for the hypocrites that they are. Katie Clancy, communications manager, Illinois Opportunity Project, Chicago Dont undermine public schools The Invest in Kids program sends up to $75 million in public dollars to private schools, while more than 70% of Illinois public schools are underfunded. The states hundreds of thousands of low-income students are harmed by the funding shortfall. Children deserve access to a good public education. Taxpayer money should be used to support public schools, which are open to all kids, regardless of religion, disability status, sexual orientation or gender identity. The Invest in Kids Act is scheduled to sunset in January 2025. The fall veto session is the last opportunity for the Illinois legislature to preserve it. Our legislators need to hear that the program should end. Tell your state senator and state representative to vote no on any legislation that revives or funds the Invest in Kids program. Advertisement Bob Chimis, Elmwood Park Nonprofits tackle food insecurity The editorial about Mayor Brandon Johnsons city-owned grocery store idea hits the nail on the head with this line (Should the city of Chicago run its own grocery store? Sept. 17): The Johnson administrations exploration should focus on new partnerships with people who know what they are doing and do it well. But by framing a discussion about food insecurity largely in terms of the public sector versus the private sector, the editorial board misses a chance to consider innovation by experienced and homegrown nonprofits. From community-based farmers markets to the food-security nonprofit I lead, Dions Chicago Dream, Chicagoans are developing solutions to food insecurity that emphasize fresh approaches and consistent access to healthy food. In my neighborhood of Englewood, for example, weve seen Whole Foods come and go, and we understand the community that endures because were part of it. Thats one reason our organization scaled up so rapidly from a midpandemic startup to a nonprofit delivering more than 51,000 pounds of fresh produce each month to people in need throughout Chicagoland. Whatever becomes of the city-owned grocery store idea, we applaud the mayors stated commitment to ending food insecurity in Chicago, and we and other community-based groups across the city stand ready to help. Dion Dawson, founder, Dions Chicago Dream, Chicago Follow Jane Byrnes example Mayor Jane Byrne moved into an apartment in Cabrini-Green. Does Mayor Brandon Johnson plan to spend the winter in a tent with the migrants? Advertisement S.M. Schneider, Chicago Balloon releases cause harm 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 > Every time the local television news shows a balloon release to commemorate a person who has been killed, I feel saddened. I can understand the purpose of the balloons is to honor the deceased, but I do wish that another way could be found to show respect for the person. I am sure that the people who do this have no idea of the harm that they are potentially doing to sea mammals such as whales and porpoises. Nature documentary programs have shown these poor creatures washed up on the shore and dead due to ingesting detritus such as balloon pieces and other junk that ends up in the seas. I would hope that better education might make people think twice before having balloon releases. I would also like to see legislation prohibiting this practice with fines imposed. It surely might increase public awareness. I would also like to see public school administrators educate teachers and students about this practice and how risky it is to sea creatures. We have a responsibility to protect all species, and everyone can do their part. Helen E. Baker, Chicago Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group. Advertisement Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. President Joe Biden s decision to join the picket line with UAW workers has nothing to do with Donald Trump , the White House said Monday. Absolutely not. This is a decision to visit the picket line and it was based off his own desire. This is what the president wanted to do, to stand with auto workers, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing when asked if Bidens decision to go to Michigan was influenced by Trumps own plans to visit. Biden announced last week that he will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to join the picket line of auto workers on strike nationwide, just as some Democrats began to question his response to the strike. On late Friday and on Monday morning, Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social that Biden was only visiting Michigan because Trump had already announced his intention to visit on Wednesday the same day as the second Republican primary debate. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the rounds on several Sunday shows this week to defend Bidens decision to go to Michigan. President Biden is doing what he has always done, which is to stand with American workers, Buttigieg said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. He is proud of being the most pro-union, pro-worker president, not only compared to the Trump administration, with its anti-union policies, but really compared to any modern president. Doctor of Nursing Practice Michelle Chester administers COVID-19 vaccine to doctor Yves Duroseau of Lenox Hill Hospital at Northwell Health. Doctor of Nursing Practice Michelle Chester administers COVID-19 vaccine to doctor Yves Duroseau of Lenox Hill Hospital at Northwell Health. Updated as of 9/27/2023 at 9:30 a.m. ET Over a dozen plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the petty white neighbor who blasted Dr. Yves Duroseau and his party guests with a water hose over a noise complaint. One of those plaintiffs recalled the moment she met face-to-face with the man. Read more Read What Happened: A renowned physician and his wife were enjoying their weekend celebrating a birthday when the function got interrupted after being hosed down by their white neighbor. All he had to do was ask them to turn the music down. Instead, he transported them back to the 1960s. Dr. Yves Duroseau, the first physician in the US to take the COVID-19 vaccine and his wife, Claude, were partying in Queens on Sept. 17 celebrating the birthday of Duroseaus sister, according to The Daily Mail. Among the 15 Black and brown guests was prominent music executive Rigo Morales, various lawyers and banking executives. They dined over a nine-course dinner cooked by Roccos Dinner Party winner Vanessa Cantave. I mean, they went all out. However, close to 10 p.m., a woman entered Duroseaus residence with her German Shepherd demanding he turn his music down, the report says. The doctor informed the woman the party had just begun winding down but 48-year-old Marcus Rosebrock showed up taking matters into his own hands. Read more from The Daily Mail: But soon after, Rosebrock, whose yard neighbors Duroseaus, took his water hose and began water hosing [the guests] in the Duroseaus backyard to get them to disperse, according to the suit. The suit alleges Rosebrock increased the pressure of the hose during the alleged attack so that it was extremely powerful and stinging in nature. Rosebrock allegedly subjected the group to a prolonged attack until they were completely drenched. Police were called and two NYPD officers responded to take a report, but there has been no follow-up since then, even though this incident should be investigated as a hate crime, according to Derek Sells, a lawyer representing the group. Its unconfirmed, of course, if the random woman and Rosebrock had racist intentions behind the taunts. However, this whole scene sounds like the Childrens Crusade of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. Demonstrators marching for civil rights were attacked by police dogs (which are more often than not German Shepherds) and blasted against the brick of buildings with water hoses. The worst part is that Dr. Duroseau and his guests were allegedly attacked on his own property. Hes since filed a lawsuit against the Jane Doe and Mr. Rosebrock. At the moment, the incident isnt being investigated as a hate crime. 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. Since 2013, fall in Raleigh means its time for bluegrass specifically the International Bluegrass Music Associations annual conference and music festival. Its one of the biggest events in the region, bringing thousands of people to North Carolina and generating millions of dollars for the local economy. And the music! Theres music all over downtown, on stages, sidewalks, in hotel rooms and convention center lobbies. This years World of Bluegrass is Sept. 26 to 30 and includes the IBMA Business Conference, the Bluegrass Ramble showcase and the 34th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. It culminates with two days of concerts, known as IBMA Bluegrass Live! both free and ticketed in and around Fayetteville Street. The family-friendly event is a time to explore old favorites and find some new ones as some of the biggest names in bluegrass, folk and Americana gather in one spot to celebrate their love of the genre. With such a large footprint, it helps to have a game plan of how to navigate the music, food trucks, market, expo and more. Heres info to guide your visit. Bluegrass music fans and spectators pack Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021 for the IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival. When and where is IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC? IBMA will be in Raleigh Sept. 26 to 30. The IBMA Business Conference is Sept. 26-28 at the Raleigh Convention Center, with keynote addresses and sessions on the music industry. Registration is required. This is a ticketed event that includes admission to the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble. IBMA Bluegrass Ramble is Sept. 26-28 with concerts from over 30 emerging artists. Shows are held in the Raleigh Convention Center, Jimmy Vs in the Sheraton Hotel, The Lincoln Theatre, The Pour House and The Vintage Church. Beer & Banjos IBMA Bluegrass Edition is Sept. 28 at venues around downtown. This is a ticketed event. The 34th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards are Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to awards, the ceremony includes performances and a spotlight on artists who will be inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Actor/musician Steve Martin is scheduled to perform with Alison Brown as a nominee. This is a ticketed event. IBMA Bluegrass Live! is Sept. 29 and 30. It includes free concerts on six stages and a street festival in and around Fayetteville Street with vendors, art market, food trucks and more. Concerts with several headliners is at Red Hat Amphitheater. Reserved seats at Red Hat are ticketed while general admission seating is free. The IBMA Exhibit Hall is Sept. 27 to 30 in the Raleigh Convention Center. It features music vendors selling gear, services and products for music professionals and fans. It is open for IBMA conference attendees only Wednesday and Thursday. Its open to the public Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. No ticket is required on Friday and Saturday. A musicians boot keeps time among microphone cables during the Bluegrass Ramble in downtown Raleigh, N.C. Tuesday evening, Sept. 28, 2021. How much is admission to IBMA? For some events, prices vary depending on whether youre an IBMA member. Bluegrass Ramble tickets are $25 to $30 for one-day passes or $50 to $60 for all three days. IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards tickets start at $50 through Ticketmaster. Tickets for reserved seats at Red Hat Amphitheater concerts are $50 to $70 for single-day passes and $100 to $140 for two-day passes. General Admission seats are free. Attendees will receive a wristband that allows them to come and go during the day. General admission seating is not guaranteed if you leave the venue. Bass player Todd Kirchner and members of Full Cord Bluegrass from Grand Haven, Michigan perform on Thursday, September 29, 2021 at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, N World of Bluegrass concert schedule Music starts on street stages at 12 noon, 12:15 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and goes until 11 p.m. Free concerts are at: Capitol Stage , at the north end of Fayetteville Street, just south of Hargett Street Martin Street J.A.M. (Junior Applachian Musicians) stage , on East Martin Street, one block off Fayetteville Street Davie Street Stage , on East Davie Street, one block off Fayetteville Street City Plaza Youth Stage on Fayetteville Street in front of One City Plaza in the 400 block of Fayetteville Street Come Hear NC Stage , at the south end of Fayetteville Street across from the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts Open Jam tents are throughout downtown on various plazas. The Red Hat Amphitheater schedule is: FRIDAY SATURDAY Molly Tuttle and Peter Rowan run through a song in a dressing room backstage at the 2022 IBMA Awards show in Raleigh, N.C., Sept. 29, 2022. Tuttle won Female Vocalist of the Year while Rowan was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. IBMA Awards The awards will be hosted by Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle. Performers are Del McCoury Band, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Appalachian Road Show, The Po Ramblin Boys, Alison Brown and Steve Martin, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band and Sister Sadie. Sam Bush, Wilma Lee Cooper and David Grisman will be inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The five nominees for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award are Appalachian Road Show, Billy Strings (who won last year), Del McCoury Band (nine-time Entertainer of the Year), Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway and The Po Ramblin Boys. Steve Martin performs with Steep Canyon Rangers during Wide Open Bluegrass Saturday night, Sept. 30, 2017 at Raleigh, N.C.s Red Hat Amphitheater. How long will World of Bluegrass stay in Raleigh? IBMA moved its event from Nashville to Raleigh in 2013, and its been a comfortable home since then. In 2021, IBMA extended its contract by three years with the City of Raleigh through 2024. World of Bluegrass continued to set attendance records every year with a peak of 218,301 people in 2019, the seventh year of the event. That year generated $18.65 million in direct economic impact in Wake County, according to the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. The festival has encountered a few hiccups in the past, thanks to weather and the COVID pandemic. It has twice moved inside the Raleigh Convention Center first in 2015 during Hurricane Joaquin and in 2022, when Hurricane Ian churned up the coast. In 2020, the event was virtual. In 2021, as in-person events slowly returned, the festival attracted 101,368 people with $5.7 million in direct economic impact, the tourism bureau reported. Information For more details, go to worldofbluegrass.org. Bluegrass fans watch as the Chatham Rabbits perform outside the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts during the IBMA World of Bluegrass festival in downtown Raleigh Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) announced at a press conference Monday that he is staying in office, days after being charged with briberythough he did not explicitly commit to running for re-election next year. The Democrat arrived for a press conference in his old stomping grounds in Union City, New Jersey in a Lincoln, not the Mercedes that one of his co-defendants allegedly underwrote for his wife. His brief remarks did not address either the luxury convertible or the gold bars that federal agents discovered at his house during a raid last summer. He did, however, try to account for the envelopes containing nearly half a million dollars the FBI found stashed in jacket pockets and other parts of the residencealluding, as he did in his first statement after his indictment Friday, to his Cuban-American heritage. For 30 years I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, Menendez asserted. These were monies drawn from my personal savings account, based on the income I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. The senator did not take questions, even those shouted at him as he exited, and did not explain why or how the feds could have found the fingerprints and DNA of developer and co-defendant Fred Daibes and his chauffeur on those envelopes. One, according the Department of Justice, even bore Daibes' return address. The senator was adamant that he would not resign his seat, but did not signal clearly that he would seek a fourth six-year term. I firmly believe when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator, Menendez said. The senator also noted that he had on numerous occasions criticized the government of Egypt, which U.S. Attorney Damian Williams alleges he and his wife received bribes from in exchange for information and official actions. Much of the purported criminal conspiracy revolves around a shadowy firm called IS EG Halal, which The Daily Beast first reported was linked to Daibes last December. The senator also recalled how he escaped the Department of Justice's clutches in 2017, when a separate bribery case ended in a mistrial. He appeared to condemn Democrats such as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, multiple members of Congress, and fellow Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who have all urged him to resign. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the strength and severity of the evidence. To those who have rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts, framed by the prosecution to be as salacious as possible, he said. I recognize that this will be the biggest fight yet. This story is developing and will be updated. 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. Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey remained defiant on Monday after being indicted on bribery charges at the end of last week, saying he believes he will be exonerated as he responded to some of the specific charges and evidence outlined by prosecutors. Menendezs comments come amid a flurry of calls for his resignation including from his own party and from his Senate colleagues. On Monday, Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Peter Welch of Vermont became the latest Democrats in the chamber call on Menendez to step down, joining Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman . In a statement delivered to reporters, Menendez offered some of his first public defense against some of the evidence discovered by investigators during their search of his home, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, which he argued he had on hand for emergencies and described as an old-fashioned habit derived from his familys experience in Cuba. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, said Menendez. Now this may seem old fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. According to the indictment, searches of Menendezs home and safe deposit box that federal agents conducted in 2022 turned up nearly $500,000 in cash, including in envelopes inside jackets emblazoned with Menendezs name. Prosecutors say some of the envelopes had the fingerprints or DNA of one of the business contacts from whom the senator is accused of taking bribes. Menendez has been charged with three alleged crimes, including being on the receiving end of a bribery conspiracy. The conspiracy counts also charge his wife and three people described as New Jersey associates and businessmen. The group is accused of coordinating to use Menendezs power as a US senator to benefit them personally and to benefit Egypt. On Monday, Menendez defended his record as it relates to Egypt, saying, If you look at my actions related to Egypt during the period described in this indictment, and throughout my whole career, my record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable for its unjust detention of American citizens and others, its human rights abuses, its deepening relationship with Russia, and efforts that have eroded the independence of the nations judiciary, among a myriad of concerns. Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jeresey speaks in Union City on September 25, 2023. - Mike Segar/Reuters Menendez has been called upon to resign by a growing list of prominent Democrats including the New Jersey governor and six members of the states congressional delegation. Rep. Andy Kim announced Saturday plans to challenge Menendez in the Democratic primary next year should Menendez run again for his US Senate seat. And on Monday, Brown and Welch joined Fetterman to become the second and third Senate Democrats to call for Menendez to step down. Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate, said Brown, who is running for reelection next year. Welch said in a statement later in the day that the shocking and specific allegations against Senator Menendez have wholly compromised his capacity to be that effective Senator, adding: I encourage Senator Menendez to resign. Fetterman, who first called for Menendezs resignation over the weekend, will return $5,000 in donations his campaign received from Menendezs political action committee, according to the Pennsylvania Democrats office. The New Jersey senator has denied wrongdoing and pushed back on calls to resign. On Monday, Menendez accused those who rushed to judgment of doing so for political expediency. I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, Menendez said, referencing the legal battle ahead. But as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Manu Raju contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A body was recovered from the Mississippi River two weeks after a 21-year-old woman went missing during a riverboat cruise, Tennessee police say. The Memphis Police Department said in a Sept. 23 news release the body was found on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River. Memphis officials said the department is assisting Arkansas Crittenden County Sheriffs Office in the investigation, with an autopsy pending to identify the deceased. Taylor took a riverboat cruise down the Mississippi River with friends to celebrate her 21st birthday, ABC24 reported. Taylor got on the boat the evening of Sept. 9, but after the boat docked at the end of the cruise, her friends couldnt find her, Memphis police. She was reported missing and a city watch was issued. Memphis Riverboats issued a statement saying it had no reason to believe Taylor had gone overboard. Now, Taylors family awaits the results of the autopsy. Memphis police declined to share further information about the identity of the person. Taylors whereabouts are still unknown. Dock Ellis Foundation, an organization that says its mission is empowering and bringing home missing, murdered and marginalized minority persons, shared a statement on behalf of Taylors family. Tamia Taylors mother ask that the community please, dont give up as the individual retrieved today has not been identified, but continue to pray either way, the organization said. We may not know if its Tamia, but its someones family member. The search must continue. The organization said it was aware a body had been found, asking anyone with information to come forward. 21-year-old got on riverboat with friends, then vanished, Tennessee cops say Body found burning on side of the road identified as missing 27-year-old, TN cops say Beloved bar owner drowns in Idaho lake, friends say. Kind man with a great smile Wanted man found dead after being pulled up river by barge in West Virginia, cops say A judge Monday granted Biloxi councilman Robert Deming III a $25,000 unsecured bond and set other conditions that will allow him to remain free pending trial on charges accusing him of a drug conspiracy and destruction, alteration or falsifying of records. Federal prosecutors had requested that Deming remain in custody without bond at his first court appearance Friday, but then changed their minds Monday after a meeting between Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose and Demings lawyer, W. F. Fred Dub Hornsby. The defense and prosecutors met in chambers with the judge prior to the hearing. We are pleased with the agreed upon release of Mr. Deming, and the Courts acceptance of the same, Hornsby said. We feel after lengthy discussion with the Assistant United States Attorneys office that todays result is just and fair. The case in in the very early stages so we have nothing further to say at this time and look forward to reviewing discovery upon production by the Government. Howard Avenue, once a vibrant part of downtown Biloxi, has struggled to attract business and visitors over the decades. Councilman Robert Deming III believes 2-way traffic will help bring people to the area and envisions restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues in the future. A federal grand jury indicted the Biloxi councilman, attorney and business owner on two counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of destroying, falsifying or alerting record. Deming is accused of conspiring with others to possess and distribute products sold at his CBD and kratom stores that contained a form of synthetic cannibinoids, a Schedule 1 controlled substance.. In addition, hes accused of destroying or falsifying records after learning he had become the subject of a criminal investigation following a raid at his home and business in January. Conditions of Biloxi councilmans jail release When granting Deming bond Monday, Judge Robert Myers issued the following conditions: GPS monitoring $25,000 unsecured bond No contact with any potential co-defendants or employees of his his kratom and candy shops, known as The Candy Shop, LLC. No activity in his law firms trust account Surrender his passport No travel outside of the southern district Mississippi without the permission of probation and parole. Deming has been in custody since sheriffs deputies picked him up Thursday afternoon on a warrant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Robert Deming DEA investigates Demings CBD stores in MS & NC The DEA said an investigation began nearly two years ago after authorities received complaints about people getting sick after consuming products from the Candy Shop stores. Some of the complaints came from children who got sick after using the products. Feds want to seize Biloxi councilmans home and millions found in DEA raids of his CBD stores Demings attorney had requested a preliminary hearing Friday for Deming during his first appearance following his arrest, but federal prosecutors said they needed more time to prepare for the hearing. Deming, dressed in a black and white jail jumpsuit Monday, smiled at a group of family members who came to court to support him. Since the raids at Demings stores in Mississippi and North Carolina, federal authorities filed paperwork to seize nearly $1.8 million in cash seized at Demings home during a Jan. 26 search of the attorneys home. In the forfeiture case, the federal government outlines how estimated $1.8 million in cash and other items that DEA agents seized from Deming and his businesses are subject to forfeiture because they are derived from an alleged drug trafficking network involved in money laundering and racketeering through his businesses. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and other law enforcement officers search two cars as a part of raids conducted on the home of Biloxi Councilman Robert Deming III on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. Agents would not say specifically what they were looking for or what they found, but agents also conducted raids on several locations of The Candy Shop & Kratom, a kratom store chain owned by Deming. In addition, authorities want to seize Demings home and money from his various bank accounts and a cryptocurrency account. Federal authorities outlined the alleged crimes in a move to seize items subject to forfeiture because of alleged violations of drug trafficking and racketeering. Racketeering is a federal crime, typically categorized as a white-collar scheme involving an illegal enterprise set up to commit fraud, money laundering and other crimes, such as narcotics trafficking. Who is Robert Deming? Federal authorities simultaneously raided the CBD and kratom stores Deming owns in both Mississippi and North Carolina in January, seizing bulk cash and other items. One of the Candy Shop kratom stores owned by Biloxi Councilman Robert Deming III on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. The shop was raided by the DEA due to an ongoing investigation. At the time of the January raids, Chris Bell, special agent in charge for the DEA in Gulfport, told the Sun Herald there had been complaints about people getting sick after consuming products from the Candy Shop stores. The stores have remained open since then. Deming is currently in his third term as Ward 4 councilman, after first being elected in 2013, then re-elected in 2017 and again in 2021. He is serving as vice president of the council this year. In his law practice, Deming specializes in bankruptcy, breach of contract, estate, trusts, and probate, personal injury litigation and workers compensation law. BUZZARDS BAY The Bourne Board of Health voted 5-0 on last week to prod the Gov. Maura Healey administration and state officials for clarity when dealing with migrants living in two local motels as well as other towns on the Cape and Martha's Vineyard. Town of Bourne hotel and motel regulations call for guests to depart after three-week stays, and board members said this would include the 50 migrant and displaced families lodged in facilities in Bourne. Members said the regulation cannot be sidestepped or otherwise ignored. The board, in addition to the message to the state drafted by Town Counsel Bryan Bertram, opted for a letter to motel owners about the local motel occupancy regulation, saying it will be enforced. Select Board members, in the joint session with the elected health board and its agent Terri Guarino, agreed the department must enforce the motel-stay regulations as they have been applied in the past. This is a state problem, Select Board member Jared MacDonald said. Were left to deal with it. This is an ongoing restriction that weve enforced in the town on a regular basis. For a long time. And its not something new. So, I think its important we stick to it. Were a summer community, and thats why we have those restrictions. In August, the Healey administration declared a state of emergency, citing an influx of migrants seeking shelter and services as the state already faces an affordable housing crunch. The state has tapped at least 120 shelter units on Cape Cod to house migrants and displaced people as demand for the Massachusetts emergency assistance system grows. What to do? Four options discussed in Bourne Health Board Chair William Doherty said the state has options. He said it could declare an extension of the Bourne regulation, designate the two motels as emergency shelters or allow the board to not enforce motel occupancy. Or do nothing. Housing crisis: Cape Cod motels are part of an emergency shelter system for migrants, others. Here's why. On a motel-stay extension: My opinion is, the longer we allow, the longer it will take," Doherty said. "Because my experience dealing with state agencies is if you say its 14 days, theyll ask for an extension. So, Im sure if we do this with seven days, theyll ask for an extension that well probably grant. He said that in the meantime if his board opted to suspend the regulation, that would require direction from the Select Board not to enforce it. Select Board Chair Mary Jane Mastrangelo, however, said members did not have any authority to suspend public health regulations. Health Board member William Dusty Meier said members should not change any regulations, and he hopes the Bourne message to the state will force authorities to step in and write something to deal with this situation if they get some push-back from other people. Doherty accented the point that migrants assigned to housing units on Joint Base Cape Cod would not be affected because those facilities are designated as an emergency shelter. Getting rid of people you dont want Inn at Buttermilk Bay owner Tabitha Vasconcelos spoke to the boards. "I find this issue to very concerning. And I'll speak freely, she said. I think this is a race matter. I don't think if this was a bunch of white people, who were well-behaved, we would not have a problem with it. I feel someone does have to speak up. Vasconcelos said occupancy enforcement would adversely impact families, single mothers and military veterans in need of housing. "We don't have enough places for a family to live, she said. You'll get rid of the people that you don't want here. But there are so many decent people that have no place to live. Because during the pandemic, the rich people came down and kicked the poor people out. And now those people have no place to go." Her sentiment did not prompt comments from the two boards. Members of both boards did not publicly name the two motels sheltering migrants. Town Administrator Marlene McCollem earlier this month was charged by the Select Board with compiling a report about the Bourne experience to date with migrants and displaced families in the community and any impacts on the delivery of municipal services. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Bourne asks state for help with migrants staying beyond 3-week limit Following a public outcry, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has asked the Peel school district to stop removing books from school libraries. Earlier this year, Lecce sent all school boards in the province a memo directing them to "evaluate books, media and all other resources currently in use for teaching and learning English, History and Social Sciences for the purpose of utilizing resources that are inclusive and culturally responsive, relevant and reflective of students, and the Board's broader school communities." According to several parents and students, Peel officials reacted by removing all books published before 2008 as well as numerous other books they believed were not inclusive. The post Brickbat: That's Not What I Meant appeared first on Reason.com. Buckingham Palace has addressed claims that King Charles might be forced to lease one of the royal residences to Prince Harry. Last week, it was reported Harry had been asked to give notice if he wished to stay on the royal estate, as Buckingham Palace allegedly denied his request for accommodation at Windsor Castle during a recent trip to the UK. The palace did not immediately reply to The Independents request for comment at the time. The issue of Harrys residence in the UK cropped up again just a few days later, with The Sunday Times reporting Charles might need to make room on the estate for the duke. This is due to Harrys status as one of the kings counsellors of state, including Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Andrew , Princess Beatrice. Royal sources allegedly said the palace was considering leasing one of the royal residences to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, because counsellors of state must be domiciled in the UK. Kensington Palace, where the Prince and Princess of Wales have a home and private office, was reportedly among the options that were evaluated. However, Buckingham Palace said these claims are not true in a statement to the newspaper. Royal aides added that short-term accommodation would be made available for Harry during any visits to the UK depending on availability. The Kings counsellors of state can represent the monarch during official engagements, if he is unwell or travelling. They are required by law to have a permanent residence in the UK. However, Harry is currently homeless in the UK, after Charles asked him and Meghan to evict Frogmore Cottage in June. Last November, Charles decided to include Prince Edward and Princess Anne as his counsellors of state, without removing Harry and Andrew in an effort to maintain peace within the family. A source close to Charles reportedly told the newspaper: The King can see that to remove Harry as a counsellor of state would be seen as an act of antagonism and he does not want to do that. If, as a consequence of that, somewhere on the royal estate needs to be earmarked as a pied-a-terre for his son, that seems a reasonable thing to do. The claims have since been rejected by Buckingham Palace. The Sussexes moved into Frogmore Cottage, a two-bedroom home on the grounds of Kensington Palace, in 2019. In June, Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, confirmed Harry and Meghan vacated the cottage, shipping the remainder of their belongings to their home in the US. They resigned as senior members of the royal family in March 2020, relocating to Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie, four, and Lilibet, two. Jason Pesola raises a beer at a previous Yorktoberfest in Yorkville. Pesola, who helps organize the fest, said this year's event will run Friday and Saturday and offer a German Oktoberfest experience with a Yorkville twist. (David Sharos / The Beacon-News) Organizers in Yorkville are getting ready to throw an end-of-the-month party that is entirely aimed at helping youth and families in the community. On Friday and Saturday, the sixth annual Yorktoberfest will be held at Riverfront Park East in Yorkville, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Yorkville in partnership with the Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department. Advertisement The event will run from 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday. Food, music, a 5K run and more will be offered, as well as a full complement of beers to try including those from Euclid beverage as well as from new sponsor Samuel Adams, organizers said. Advertisement Sausage of all types will again be grilled by Auroras Wurst Kitchen, along with offerings from Savory Crust, Freaky Fries, Frannies Funnel Cakes, Rosatis Pizza and Juicehead Smoothies. Local resident Jason Persola, who is helping organize the event, said it offers a German Oktoberfest experience with a Yorkville twist. We have run this event each year since 2018 and each year, we take all funds raised we allocate all profits which go directly to our scholarship programs, Persola said. Last year we raised over $65,000 and the majority of that money, minus expenses for the event, went directly to our scholarship programs. Because of its goal of raising money, Persola said organizers are hoping to get Yorktoberfest in front of as many people as possible. Since 2018, all the money is for the kids and this year we have actually expanded our scholarship programs to trade schools, junior colleges and four-year universities and so Yorktoberfest has become a great mainstay, especially in the Kendall County area, and we want to let as many people as possible know about it, he said. Regarding changes this year, Pesola said there has been a craft fair every year but this year it will be much bigger. We have 50 confirmed vendors for our craft fair which is basically going to help bring families into our event, he said. A year ago, we had approximately 10, so this is a huge leap. Activities will include a scarecrow walk, along with bands that include an authentic German band opening the show as well as rock-n-roll and country bands playing both Friday and Saturday night, he said. Advertisement Over the two days last year, the event drew 5,000 people and officials are hoping for at least that many and, of course, an increase with the bigger craft fair and expanded musical lineup. Were shooting for over 5,000 people this time around, Pesola said. For more information on Yorktoberfest, go to www.kiwanisyorktoberfest.org/ David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. WARSAW, Poland Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev has announced the countrys government has approved the planned purchase of Stryker combat vehicles from the United States for about $1.37 billion. The move suggests Sofias declared plan to negotiate a lower price tag could be considered successful. When we make the first payments, the contract will go into force. From there, we are talking about deliveries starting in two years, and the contract being completed within three years, Tagarev said during a Bulgarian military event on Sept. 22., as quoted in a ministry statement. Earlier this month, the top official announced the countrys authorities were making efforts to negotiate a lower price in the potential deal to buy 183 combat vehicles than the $1.5 billion estimate published by the U.S. government. However, on Sept. 22, Tagarev did not disclose the proposed scope of the contract or the number of Strykers to be delivered to the Bulgarian Armed Forces. Following the Cabinets decision to approve the planned procurement, a legislative proposal concerning the acquisition and its cost will be submitted to the National Assembly, Bulgarias unicameral parliament. The minister said he is expecting the countrys lawmakers to approve legislation, after which the contract will be signed and subsequently ratified by the National Assembly. The vehicles are manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems. This project is important not only so that we can merge three mechanized battalion battlegroups into one brigade, but also to have interoperable equipment allowing us to join all the alliance initiatives intended for our defense, Tagarev said. Bulgarias coalition government holds 132 out of the 240 seats in the countrys parliament, which means the spending measure is likely to be approved by the required majority of lawmakers. By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) - California is on the verge of recording a second straight year of relatively mild wildfire damage, after historic rains put the state on track to avoid the calamities of recent fire seasons. The state of nearly 40 million people has received 141% of average precipitation over the past 12 months, according to the state Department of Water Resources, ending a two-decade drought. The year included a long spring and a cool summer that in August produced California's first major hurricane in 84 years, increasing moisture in the trees, brush, grasses and soil and helping prevent the typical outbreak of multiple major fires around Labor Day in early September. "This is my 47th fire season and this is the first year in a really long time that we haven't had tons of fires on either side of Labor Day," said Tim Chavez, assistant chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The fire season unofficially runs from June to October. Cal Fire also says the state benefited from a program that nearly doubled the acreage deprived of fuel by prescribed burns from a year ago and the addition of 24 aircraft leased during fire season that improved response times. "Our biggest compliment is when people never hear about all the fires that we respond to," Cal Fire spokesman Nick Schuler said. But the grasses and brush that flourished from the rain will build up and dry out when drought conditions inevitably return, said Michele Steinberg, wildfire division director for the National Fire Prevention Association. After disastrous years in 2020 and 2021, wildfire damage this season has been largely limited to the sparsely populated northwest corner of the state. Cal Fire has reported 5,474 wildfires burning 257,407 acres (104,169 hectares) in 2023, similar to the same period of 2022. The five-year average over the same interval is 6,142 fires and 1.2 million acres burned. In 2020, more than 8,600 wildfires killed 33 people and consumed 4.3 million acres. Western Canada and other parts of the United States were less fortunate this year, notably Hawaii, where the Lahaina fire last month killed 97 people, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years. Experts warn California's favorable conditions could change quickly, especially in more arid Southern California, where a shift in wind patterns could dry up excess moisture with warm desert air. "We're really only a prolonged heatwave followed by a windstorm away from having major fires," Chavez said. UCLA meteorologist Daniel Swain said climate change is going to result in more extreme dry years periodically interspersed with more extreme wet years. He said 2024 could be above average due to the weather pattern El Nino. "We will see those extreme fire seasons return. But we'll also get these breaks," Swain said on his regular YouTube program last week. "So, a reprieve. I'll take it." (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) Data from an annual UC Davis report shows that wildlife is being hit less frequently on California highways, which could suggest an overall decline in certain animal populations. Mule deer and coyote populations may be decreasing throughout the state, roadkill data from the Sept. 25 Road Ecology Center report indicates. From 2016 to 2022, more than 30,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions that involved large mammals were reported to the California Highway Patrol or through the California Roadkill Observation System, according to the research. New funding is being used in the state to prevent roadkill incidents and create roadside wildlife fencing. UC Davis Road Ecology Center is collecting data that will help locate and strategically design fencing crossings. Coyote and deer population decline in California Fewer collisions with mule deer indicate a roughly 10% population decline annually for seven years, according to a news release. Over the same time period, it states, the population decline was 5% per year for coyotes. Although wildlife-traffic collisions can be an indicator of declining wildlife populations, there are other factors that come into play. Below are external factors to consider, according to the study: Drought Habitat degradation Changes in reporting rates Fencing installation for crossing Researchers suggest declines in mule deer and elk populations are greatest in areas that are undergoing rapid development and traffic increases, like the Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada foothills. However, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife doesnt recognize wildlife-vehicle conflict (as) a primary cause of deer population decline. State Farm Insurance reported an estimate of around 22,000 claims a year due to deer collisions in California. Mountain lions and bears are also vulnerable populations. The animals have large home ranges which require them to move frequently across roadways for food and water. According to the study, both animals have seen a 10% increase in collisions between 2016 and 2022. California highway collision hotspots The Road Ecology Center at UC Davis mapped out stretches of 15,000 miles of California state highways that are considered wildlife-vehicle conflict zones. There are 615 statistically significant collision hot spots in the state, according to the study. Below are some reported hot spots for roadkill: Bay Area: Interstate 680, I-280, Highway 17 Sacramento region: Highway 49, I-80, Highway 50 Central Sierra: Highway 108, Highway 88, Highway 4 Central Coast and Southern California: I-405, Highway 101, Highway 154 What is California doing about it? California, in comparison to other states in the country, is behind when it comes to wildlife fencing, according to the report. But its taking action to catch up. The Legislature approved nearly $1 billion in funding through AB 2344 for the conservation, management and protection of wildlife. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. The speaker of Canadas House of Commons has apologized after celebrating a Ukrainian veteran who fought for a Nazi military unit in World War II. In a speech Friday during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys visit to the Canadian parliament, Speaker Anthony Rota recognized and lauded 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a Ukrainian and Canadian veteran who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russian aggressors then, and continues to support the troops today. Several human rights and Jewish organizations have since condemned the recognition, saying Hunka served in a Nazi military unit known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to recognize this individual, Rota said in the House of Commons Monday, echoing a statement released by his office a day earlier. I wish to apologize to the House. I am deeply sorry that I have offended many with my gesture and remarks, Rota added. In his earlier statement, Rota also said he extended his deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division was part of the Nazi SS organization declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1946, which determined the Nazi group had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The parliaments recognition of Hunka was beyond outrageous, Michael Mostyn, the CEO of the Jewish human rights organization Bnai Brith Canada, said in a statement. Hunka, who immigrated to Canada after serving in the 14th Waffen SS a Nazi unit whose members swore allegiance to Adolf Hitler during WWII received a standing ovation from members of Parliament and senators in attendance, Bnai Brith Canada said in the statement. Yaroslav Hunka, right, sits in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Onatario on Friday, September 22, 2023. - Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP We cannot allow the whitewashing of history. Canadian soldiers fought and died to free the world from the evils of Nazi brutality, Mostyn said. Bnai Brith in its statement condemned the Ukrainian volunteers who served in the military unit as ultra-nationalist ideologues who dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing. The human rights organization says it expects an apology from parliament. Rota took full responsibility for the acknowledgment of Hunka, who he said is from his electoral district, saying Monday this initiative was entirely my own. No one not even anyone among you, fellow parliamentarians, or from the Ukrainian delegation was privy to my intention or my remarks prior to their delivery, Rota said. CNNs Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FILE PHOTO: Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Rota speaks after being re-elected as Speaker of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa By Pete Schroeder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The speaker of Canada's House of Commons on Sunday apologized for praising an individual at a parliamentary meeting who served in a Nazi unit during World War Two. Two days earlier, Speaker Anthony Rota had recognized 98-year old Yaroslav Hunka as a "Ukrainian hero" before the Canadian Parliament. Hunka served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group that demanded an apology. Rota in a statement took responsibility for what was characterized as an oversight, calling the initiative "entirely my own." "I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision," he said, adding his "deepest apologies" to Jewish communities. The recognition came following a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who thanked Canada for its assistance in his country's war against Russia. Following Zelenskiy's remarks, Rota acknowledged Hunka, who was seated in the gallery, praising him for fighting for Ukrainian independence against the Russians. Hunka received two standing ovations from those gathered. "At a time of rising antisemitism and Holocaust distortion, it is incredibly disturbing to see Canada's Parliament rise to applaud an individual who was a member of a unit in the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military branch responsible for the murder of Jews and others," the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement while demanding an apology earlier Sunday. "An explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation," the group added. Russia's RIA state news agency cited Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, as saying that the embassy will sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a note to the Canadian foreign ministry on Monday. "We will, of course, demand clarification from the Canadian government," RIA cited Stepanov as saying. Russia launched a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, saying the goal of the "special military operation" was to de-nazify and demilitarize its neighbour. Kyiv and its Western allies, say the aggression, which has since seen thousands killed and millions displaced, has been an unprovoked land grab. Washington has said that Moscow's false justification for the war has been nothing but the Kremlin's attempt to "manipulate international public opinion." Rota added in his statement that no one, including fellow parliamentarians or the Ukrainian delegation, was aware of his plans or remarks beforehand. Hunka could not be reached for comment. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Mark Porter and Michael Perry) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka (before the revelation about his past) in Canadas House of Commons on Friday. Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP Canada! The United States northern neighbor has long been perceived as a relative haven of civility, tolerance, and not forcing citizens into bankruptcy because they have cancer. But also, as of last week, its the only North American country in 2023 whose legislature and prime minister have given a standing ovation to an aging Nazi. Per Reuters: The speaker of Canadas House of Commons on Sunday apologized for praising an individual at a parliamentary meeting who served in a Nazi unit during World War Two. Two days earlier, Speaker Anthony Rota had recognized 98-year old Yaroslav Hunka as a Ukrainian hero before the Canadian Parliament. Hunka served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group that demanded an apology. Haha, whoops! The incident was especially embarrassing because it took place during a session attended by both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish. (Rotas apparent intention had been to highlight Hunka as a fellow fighter for Ukrainian freedom who had taken up arms against Russia. But Russia, at the time, was the Soviet Union, and was engaged in a war against Nazi Germany, whose forces included Ukrainians after Germany seized Ukrainian territory from the USSR.) Zelensky does not appear to have commented on the incident, which Trudeau called deeply embarrassing. In the United States, the ongoing embrace of Nazi iconography by some members of the Ukrainian military has complicated Democrats support for the countrys cause, while Republicans who meet with white supremacists usually do so on purpose. (Canada has had its own controversies involving conservative legislators meeting with far-right figures; a number of conservative MPs also supported the anti-vaccine Freedom Convoy demonstrations in 2022, despite the involvement of known white supremacists in organizing the protests and the presence of Confederate flags and swastikas at its gatherings.) In any case, 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka is canceled. Canada's Speaker of the House Anthony Rota apologized on Sept. 24 for honoring a man who fought for a Nazi unit in World War II during a Ukrainian delegation's visit . Rota praised 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian-Canadian from Ontario, during President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Ottawa, calling him a war hero "who fought (for) the Ukrainian independence against the Russians, and continues to support the troops today." Hunka, who attended the event, had been part of the First Ukrainian Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis. He received two standing ovations in both Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's presence. Rota's statement was criticized by Jewish groups, who said Hunka had been a member of a Waffen-SS unit. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization dedicated to studying the Holocaust and combatting anti-semitism, said Hunka's "crimes against humanity (as part of the unit) during the Holocaust are well-documented." In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so, Rota said in a statement. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions. "This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding (district) and having been brought to my attention," he added, clarifying that neither other parliamentarians nor the Ukrainian delegation were informed of Rota's plan to honor Hunka. The Canadian Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Rota's decision to honor Hunka was entirely his own, and that neither the Office nor the Ukrainian delegation were informed. The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS was formed in 1943. It was composed largely of Western Ukrainian and Slovak volunteers and was renamed the First Ukrainian Division before surrendering to the Western Allies in 1945. The unit has been accused of murdering Polish and Jewish civilians but has never been found guilty of war crimes by a tribunal. While some ethnic Ukrainians fought under the Nazi command, millions more served under the Soviet Red Army against Nazi Germany. Others were members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a faction that fought the Axis, the Soviets, and the Polish resistance on various occasions during their existence. Read also: Zelensky addresses Canadas parliament as Trudeau pledges more aid Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Advancing new industrialization seen as key to high-quality growth 08:37, September 25, 2023 By FAN FEIFEI ( China Daily Experts call for boosting deep integration of cutting-edge tech and real economy China's emphasis on advancing new industrialization is expected to provide a solid foundation for high-quality economic growth, improve the resilience and safety of its industrial and supply chains, and boost the country's core competitiveness globally, experts and company executives said. They called for heightened efforts to enhance independent innovation capabilities and bolster the in-depth integration of cutting-edge digital technologies with the real economy, given that upgrading traditional industries has been high on China's development agenda. Their comments came as President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of high-quality development in promoting new industrialization to lay a strong material and technological foundation for Chinese modernization. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on pushing forward new industrialization. Luo Zhongwei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Industrial Economics, said, "The key to advancing new industrialization is to accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries through the adoption of new-generation information technologies, including artificial intelligence, 5G, big data and the internet of things." More efforts should be made to cultivate strategic emerging industries, such as biotechnology, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment manufacturing and green industry, and foster new growth drivers amid downward economic pressure, Luo said. He highlighted that China's latest push to promote new industrialization and speed up the construction of a modern industrial system underpinned by the real economy will help make the country's economy more resilient, strengthen its capacity to withstand external risks and shocks, and build the country into a manufacturing powerhouse. Pan Helin, co-director of the Digital Economy and Financial Innovation Research Center at Zhejiang University's International Business School, said, "The purpose of pushing forward new industrialization is to ensure the long-term and sustained growth of the Chinese economy." He emphasized the significance of developing the advanced manufacturing sector, which is playing an increasingly key role in bolstering technological innovation, safeguarding the stability of industrial and supply chains, and helping the country gain competitive advantages on the global stage. "It is very crucial to push the manufacturing sector toward higher-end, smarter and greener production," he said. Pan called for efforts to beef up research and development investments and tackle bottleneck issues in core technologies in fields such as basic materials and software, precision components and integrated circuits, in order to reinforce the country's indigenous innovation capabilities. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's industrial output a gauge of activities in the manufacturing, mining and utilities sectors grew by 4.5 percent in August from a year earlier after a 3.7 percent rise in July. The high-end manufacturing sector continued to grow at a good clip, as the industrial output last month in integrated circuits and optoelectronic devices jumped 21.1 percent and 29.9 percent year-on-year, respectively. Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of Chinese consumer electronics company TCL Technology Group Corp, said that China's resolve to advance new industrialization sets the direction for the country's high-tech manufacturing industry, which has become an important driver of its high-quality development. "The manufacturing sector serves as the foundation of the real economy. As key players for propelling technological innovation, enterprises should continue to unswervingly invest in high-tech manufacturing and expand their presence in the upstream industrial chains," Li said. China has maintained its position as the world's largest manufacturing nation for 13 straight years, accounting for nearly 30 percent of global manufacturing output in 2022, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Xin Yongfei, head of the Policy and Economic Research Institute at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said that China's manufacturing industry has maintained recovery momentum, but it is facing some challenges under a complicated international environment. "A breakthrough method is to bolster the digital transformation of traditional industries by introducing new production factors, new productivity and new models, so as to change the original development path of manufacturing," Xin said, adding that China should further enhance the proportion of manufacturing output in the country's GDP. Zhou Yunjie, chairman and CEO of Chinese home appliance manufacturer Haier Group, said that as the country makes efforts to build itself into a manufacturing powerhouse, more push is needed to promote innovative applications of the industrial internet and fully unleash the value of massive data resources, which is the key to advancing new industrialization. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The shuttered St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church in Matteson is on the market for $2.7 million. (Landmarks Illinois/HANDOUT) The former St. Lawrence OToole Catholic Church and adjacent school are on the market for $2.7 million, according to the Chicago real estate firm listing the Matteson property. The church closed last year as part of a consolidation by the Chicago Archdiocese of three south suburban churches. Advertisement The property, 4101 St. Lawrence Drive, is nearly 15 acres on the west side of Governors Highway south of U.S. 30. Immediately south of the St. Lawrence property is Mattesons 21-acre Governors Trail Park. Advertisement The Chicago Archdiocese announced in January 2022 that as part of its Renew My Church initiative, St. Lawrence OToole would, along with St. Irenaeus in Park Forest, consolidate with Flossmoors Infant Jesus of Prague Parish and School. Launched in 2015, the Renew My Church program has resulted in several church closings and mergers in the south and southwest suburbs. Real estate firm Root Realty is representing the archdiocese in the sale. The church was built in 1961 and is 9,400 square feet, according to the listing by Root Realty. The school, built in 1964, is 29,000 square feet and the Sullivan Center, which includes an auditorium, gymnasium and additional classrooms, was built in 1993 and is 18,000 square feet. The church, school and Sullivan Center are connected, according to the property information. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > There is also a rectory, church offices and a maintenance building on the property. The buildings together comprise 62,000 square feet, according to the offering information. The property is zoned for residential use, and new uses for the site could include residential, commercial or educational, according to the property information. Advertisement The churchs school closed at the end of the 2014-2015 school year after the archdiocese announced in the fall of 2014 that St. Lawrence OToole would be among several Catholic schools slated to close. The archdiocese cited low enrollment and growing debt as reasons for the decision to close the Matteson parochial school. Parents rallied in an effort to convince the archdiocese to change its mind, with school officials noting at St. Lawrence had a strong academic reputation and had been an Illinois Blue Ribbon school. School officials, in appealing to the archdiocese, said enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year had risen to about 170 students, and that debt had been trimmed to $300,000 from $500,000 in the preceding 18 months, with expectations it would be further cut during the school year. mnolan@tribpub.com Canadas House of Commons gave a rousing standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who fought in the Second World War unaware he had served in a Nazi SS unit. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, was sitting in the gallery when he was described as a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero to applause from prime minister Justin Trudeau and president Volodymyr Zelensky. However, leaders were left red-faced when House speaker Anthony Rota subsequently apologised after it emerged that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, a voluntary unit made up mostly of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command. Volodymyr Zelensky and Justin Trudeau join a standing ovation for the Nazi veteran (AP) In a statement, Mr Rota said that on 22 September in my remarks following the address of the president of Ukraine, I recognised an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. Mr Rota said that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them. This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding [district] and having been brought to my attention. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions, the speaker added. Yaroslav Hunka was praised as a Ukrainian hero and received a standing ovation (AP) The Canadian Jewish group CIJA said it was deeply troubled that a Nazi veteran had been celebrated, and said proper vetting is imperative to ensure such an unacceptable incident does not occur again. The remarks came shortly after Mr Zelensky delivered a passionate speech to the Canadian parliament to bolster support from his Western allies. Mr Rota then hailed Hunka as a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero. Following the address, Mr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost family members during the Holocaust, raised his fist in acknowledgement as the veteran saluted. Hunkas Nazi unit are accused of killing Polish and Jewish civilians, and were visited by SS leader Heinrich Himmler in 1944 who said his men would be eager to liquidate the Poles. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre said Mr Rota's remarks ignore the horrific fact that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented. Since his invasion in February 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine harbours neo-Nazis. Shallotte Summerfest concert series The Brunswick Parks & Recreation Department presents the Shallotte Summerfest concert series. The Carolina Soul Band performing from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 at the Mulberry Park Amphitheater, 123 Mulberry St., Shallotte. Bring a chair or blanket. Canning, jams, jellies and preserves Do you like to preserve for the winter? Don't know how? The Family and Consumer Science staff at the Brunswick County Center of NC Cooperative Extension will be holding classes in which you can learn how to make your own preserves. There will be two opportunities to learn. Classes will be held from 1-3 p.m. or 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 at the NC Cooperative Extension Training Center, 25 Referendum Drive, Bolivia. The hands-on class will focus on the principles of making all types of preserves including jams and jellies. The registration is $15 per person and can be made in person. Payment is due by Tuesday, Sept. 26. Details: Avery Ashley at arashley@ncsu.edu, 910-253-2610 or 910 253-2594. Blood drive The Ocean Isle Museum Foundation, in collaboration with The Blood Connection, will host a blood drive from 10 a.m-1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at the Museum of Coastal Carolina, 21 E. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach. Donors can schedule an appointment by visiting The Blood Connection. Nowcat fall dance Nowcat, a five-piece band, will be performing songs from the upcoming album, "The Dunes Have Ears," 7-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at The Oak Island Moose Lodge, 4239 Long Beach Road, SE, Southport. Gene Faller from Island Fever on drums, Scott Dilley from The Lockwood River Band on bass, and Adrian Spencer Hayden from Charlene and The Bluegrass Charlatans on keys will be joining. Food will be available from the kitchen. Details: 910-457-5947. Dedication/open house for new fire station The community is invited to the dedication and open house of the town of Leland's new Fire/Rescue Station 51. The event will be from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30. The public can tour the station, which is located at 1984 Popular St. The new station replaces the fire station on Village Road. Matinee: 'Lyle, Lyle Crocodile' The town of Leland Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources will present a showing of "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile" on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way, Leland. A sensitive sensory showing will be held 10 a.m.-noon. Registration is required. The show is intended for individuals with sensory issues. Register at Sensory Sensitive Movie. The non-sensitive showing is free and open to the public and will be from 12:30-2:30 p.m. STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Brunswick County, NC events Sept. 26-Oct. 1 CHICAGO The wife of a Chicago drug trafficker who cooperated against Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison Monday for conspiring to hide and spend millions of dollars of her husbands drug proceeds. Valerie Gaytan, 48, who is married to Margarito Flores Jr., pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, admitting in a plea agreement with prosecutors that she laundered and spent at least $2.3 million over a 12-year period. Her sister-in-law, Vivianna Lopez, 43, who is married to Margaritos twin brother Pedro Flores, was given an identical 46-month term in July for spending about $800,000 in ill-gotten gains. In handing down the sentence for Gaytan on Monday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said while the wives admitted to laundering a total of about $3.1 million, god only knows how much other drug money was spent over the years. People were maintaining a lifestyle that they had gotten used to, at least to a certain extent, Kennelly said. They stayed in it and benefited from it. Before she was sentenced, Gaytan stood at a lectern dressed in a black suit and apologized to the court, the government, and her family for her actions. Im extremely sorry and I take full accountability, she said. Kennelly ordered her to report to prison by Jan. 10. The facility shes assigned to is being kept secret due to security reasons. Gaytans sentencing comes a week after her husband granted an exclusive interview to the Tribune, his first ever with a Chicago news outlet, where he detailed the twins rise from Little Village to the mountains of Mexico, where they were among the Sinaloa cartels most successful narcotics traffickers responsible for hundreds of tons of drugs pouring into Chicago and other U.S. cities. Known for their street smarts and cool business acumen, the tight-knit twins were living in Mexico with their wives and children in 2008 when they were caught in an escalating war between cartel factions and made the stunning decision to help the U.S. government take El Chapo down. On Friday, Margarito Flores, who goes by Jay, spoke to law enforcement in the west suburbs at a one-day seminar titled From Kingpin to Educator, giving officers a rare insider account on how cartels use hubs such as Chicago to move massive shipments of drugs and money. Flores told the Tribune that its a coincidence his wifes sentencing, which was moved twice, fell within days of his seminar. With her facing a significant stretch behind bars, they were grappling with the idea of being separated yet again, but ready to move forward, he said. What are we supposed to do, just sit here and cry and just give up? he said. We are not those people. The Flores twins were each sentenced to 14 years in prison and had already been released by the time Gaytan and Lopez were indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2021. The charges alleged that after their husbands turned themselves over, the wives conspired to hide millions in cash, much of it still in small denominations, that had been secretly recouped from the twins associates in the U.S., hidden in trap compartments in vehicles and stash houses, and buried under twins older brothers home near Austin, Texas. According to the indictment, Gaytan and Lopez spent much of the money on private school tuition for their children, international and domestic travel, rent and child support. On July 18, 2018, Gaytan and Lopez were returning from a trip to the exotic Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos when customs agents stopped them at JFK International Airport in New York, according to federal court records. Gaytan was carrying five cellphones, including two with Chicago area codes even though she was supposedly living in hiding out of state. But what really caught the attention of investigators was a seemingly innocuous sheet of notebook paper found in Lopezs belongings that prosecutors alleged was a straightforward drug-money ledger laying out a schedule for the disbursement of the hidden funds. The wives originally contended that they had been assured by prosecutors that their husbands unprecedented cooperation against Guzman meant they would not face charges themselves for their own actions, but Kennelly ruled last year that the women did not have immunity from prosecution. The twins older brother Armando Flores, who helped them break into the drug business three decades ago, has also pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 11. Two other relatives also pleaded guilty to helping mail packages of money. Lopezs sister, Bianca Finnigan, was sentenced to probation while their aunt, Laura Lopez, was given a one-year prison term. The daughter of a Chicago police officer, Gaytan started running drugs as a teenager, spent time in prison, opened a successful beauty salon and was romantically linked to some of the citys top gang kingpins, including Rudy Kato Rangel, the feared then-leader of the Latin Kings street gang. Gaytan was indicted in 2000 on money laundering charges related to the narcotics operation of a previous boyfriend, Valentino Reveles. She pleaded guilty in 2001 and was sentenced to five months in prison after refusing to cooperate against Rangel, court records show. Five months later, Rangel was murdered at a West Side barbershop in what authorities have said was a contract killing by a rival gang. It was at Rangels funeral that Margarito Flores, whom she knew from mutual acquaintances as Junior, approached her with sympathy and a romance began to kindle, Gaytan wrote in her 2017 tell-all book, Cartel Wives. In asking for leniency, Gaytans attorney, Michael Clancy, said Monday she spent most of the laundered money on living expenses while her husband was in protective custody, not to maintain any lavish lifestyle. He was in jail, Clancy said. He was around armed guards. She was out on the street... bouncing around, looking over her shoulder. No one would want to be in her shoes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika Csicsila, however, asked for a five-year prison term, saying being forced to make it on your own is not an excuse, no matter how difficult the circumstances. There is a right way to do that and a wrong way to do that, and the defendant chose to do it the wrong way for a long, long time, Csicsila said. ____ The Fox & Falcon by David Burke is set to debut in SouthPark soon. Chef David Burke says the restaurant will soft open on Sept. 28 to work out the kinks. It will open fully on Oct. 3. The 4,100-square-foot restaurant formerly Dogwood Southern Table is at 4905 Ashley Park Lane. Its part of Sharon Square in SouthPark. ALSO READ: Celebrity chef David Burke talks about plans for Charlotte-area restaurants We feel its a great neighborhood for us, Burke says. This is our anchor restaurant in the city. The celebrity chef says his David Burke Hospitality Management Group spent between $400,000 and $500,000 to transform the space. The hospitality group worked with investors Matt McCusker, a partner in The Fox & Falcon in South Orange, New Jersey, and Robert Maynard, the restaurateur behind the Famous Toastery brand, on the project. The Fox & Falcon will blend fine dining, creativity and expertise in the kitchen as it looks to deliver a modern steakhouse experience. Executive chef Mathew Turney and chef de cuisine Seth Turner will lead the kitchen. Its a steakhouse, but with a little more finesse and creativity, Burke says. Take a peek inside the new space here. VIDEO: Team behind Leah & Louise to open new concept in Midtown Central Florida leaders gathered Monday morning to denounce gun violence. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Rep. Maxwell Frost and Rep. Darren Soto spoke about the White Houses newly announced Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Watch: 3 killed, including child, in shooting during dog sale in Florida, police say Its an effort Frost pushed for after a 9-year-old girl in Pine Hills was shot and killed in February. Channel 9 has a crew at the event and will provide updates on Eyewitness News at Noon. Read: Man killed after shooting at Orange County deputies, sheriff says Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. El Malo plans to bring Tijuana-style tacos to Plaza Midwood. That fast-casual taco counter will be joined by sister concept Hermanita. Each will occupy roughly 1,400 square feet at Midwood Corners, at Central Avenue and The Plaza. Theyll be next to Daves Hot Chicken. READ MORE: Veteran restaurateur Jon Dresslers Chapter 6 set for South End debut Together, those ventures by the Mal Pan Group look to capture the vibes of Mexico, says Andre Lomeli, owner. The restaurant group also operates taqueria Mal Pan in SouthPark. Lomeli is working with his sister, Bianna Lomeli-Sanchez, to grow its footprint. Plaza, with all the restaurants and bars around there, could use a more traditional Mexican taco shop, he says. Keep reading here. (WATCH: Enjoy a taste of Mexico at this east Charlotte spot) [Source] A Taiwanese-born chef who left his position as Din Tai Fung's assistant head chef in Singapore over half a decade ago to start his own business revealed he is now earning more than his salary at the restaurant chain. For context: Ben Yu, a 46-year-old, Taiwanese-born chef, told 8Days he first went to Singapore after Din Tai Fungs headquarters in Taipei opened its first branch at Paragon Shopping Center in 2003. He recalled visiting the city-state every year to manage operations and assist with training kitchen staff. Yu brought his family to Singapore after he was offered a full-time position as an assistant head chef of Din Tai Fung with a monthly salary of 8,000 Singaporean dollars (approximately $5,857) in 2011. More from NextShark: Washington state girl, 4, dies from choking on hotdog at Costco His venture: Yu left Din Tai Fung in 2017 to open his eatery Feng Food at Northpoint City in Yishun, which offers Taiwanese food. Six years later, he opened another restaurant, Ah Zhong Mian Xian, at South Bridge Road in Singapores Chinatown in late August 2023. Yu revealed to 8Days that he is now earning around three times more than his salary at Din Tai Fung six years into his Feng Food business, which now has two branches, with the latest one in Woodlands Square that held its grand opening on Sept. 11. More from NextShark: Virginia to celebrate its first Kimchi Day Why he did it: Yu told 8Days he wanted to challenge himself and put his skills to practice after spending many years learning how to run his business. The differences: While Yu operates two businesses, he explained that they are run independently as they both have different partnerships. More from NextShark: Nail spa bans staff from speaking Vietnamese in front of customers, docks up to $100 from pay Besides the partners, Yu said Ah Zhong Mian Xian offers more affordable meals as the location has cheaper rent than Feng Foods, which is located in a shopping mall with high foot traffic. The ones handling the cooking: Since Yu now focuses more on running the business side of things, his eight partners, most of whom were former Din Tai Fung chefs, are now in charge of kitchen matters. By Joe Cash BEIJING (Reuters) -The European Union agreed to resume dialogue and set up dispute settlement mechanisms to remain a part of China's "success story" despite unresolved economic concerns, but it stopped short of halting trade remedies even as Beijing urged restraint. "EU companies want to be part of China's success story, which is why it's important we devoted time to discuss the business environment," EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told China's economy tsar, following an afternoon of talks covering market access issues and other trade barriers. The 27-member bloc has long complained about the lack of a level playing field in China and the politicisation of the business environment. The world's second-largest economy remains central to European firms' supply chains, but executives are growing uneasy as the economy falters and geopolitical tensions rise. The EU's trade deficit with China widened to $276.6 billion in 2022 from $208.4 billion a year earlier, Chinese customs data show. China said after the talks that it would be willing to take more European exports. "China hopes the EU will exercise restraint in the use of trade remedy measures and stabilise the expectations of China-EU trade development," Vice Premier He Lifeng, told the joint news conference at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where foreign dignitaries are often received. The European Commission recently declared that it would investigate whether to impose tariffs to shield European producers from a "flood" of cheaper Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports it says benefit from state subsidies. The EU said it was open for competition, including in the EV sector, but that competition had to be fair. China has blasted the probe as protectionist. "The European side should act with caution and continue to keep its market free and open," He said in relation to the probe. RISK MANAGEMENT China also unveiled new laws this year including a foreign relations law warning against "acts" detrimental to China's national interests and an anti-espionage law barring the transfer of information linked to national security that it does not specify, raising compliance risks for foreign companies. "The question of legal uncertainty related to data ... is causing real anxiety among European companies here in China," Dombrovskis said. "We need to find a way to facilitate compliance of EU businesses with Chinese data laws." Dombrovskis announced both sides had agreed to set up two working groups to discuss the transfer of data in the financial services sector and market access issues in the cosmetics industry, as well as a mechanism to resolve supply chain disputes over raw materials. Beijing's move to strengthen ties with Russia despite the war in Ukraine has only added to the wariness of EU firms operating within the Chinese market, many of which are now shifting fresh investment to other developing economies as geopolitical concerns weigh heavy on the minds of investors. "On this visit, I have been able to convey directly to the Chinese leadership some key messages that are vital for our relations," Dombrovskis said, calling Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "massive menace, endangering not only lives, but also global food supplies." In a speech at Beijing's Tsinghua University earlier on Monday, the EU trade chief put the ball in China's court, telling students that China "could do a lot to help reduce our perception of risk." (Reporting by Joe Cash, Ryan Woo, Bernard Orr and Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Jacqueline Wong and Paul Simao) Thai PM Srettha welcomes the arrival of Chinese tourists as the visa exemption scheme kicks off Thai PM Srettha welcomes the arrival of Chinese tourists as the visa exemption scheme kicks off By Thomas Suen and Chayut Setboonsarng BANGKOK (Reuters) -Chinese tourists landing in Bangkok got a VIP welcome on Monday, as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin personally greeted the first batch of visitors to arrive in Thailand after it waived visas for Chinese nationals to boost the key tourism industry. Dancers in traditional costumes and puppeteers put on performances for the bemused visitors, who came in on a flight from Shanghai. Many stopped to take selfies with Srettha. Tourism is a crucial driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, known for its picturesque beaches and vibrant nightlife, and reviving an industry that was hard hit by the pandemic is one of the priorities of newly elected Srettha, who inherited an underperforming economy. China's own post-pandemic economic woes, however, have meant fewer tourists from what was once Thailand's biggest market are flying in, a situation Srettha hopes the visa waiver can help fix. "We are confident this policy will stimulate the economy," the prime minister told reporters at Suvarnabhumi airport, adding that tourist safety will be prioritised. The visa waiver programme runs from Sept. 25 until February next year. The government expects 2.88 million Chinese visitors during that 5-month period, slightly higher than the 2.34 million Chinese who have visited this year. The visa waiver was helping draw in new visitors by making it simpler to enter, said tourist Gu Siyi, 25, who was travelling to Thailand for the first time with friends. "More Chinese tourists come to Thailand for holiday, because it is indeed very convenient," he said. Before the pandemic, China was the largest source of tourists for Thailand, accounting for 11 million arrivals out of a record 39.9 million tourists in 2019, and spending 1.91 trillion baht ($53.11 billion). Chinese tourists say they are drawn to Thailand for its beaches and food. "The fruits here are great, especially the durian, said Ye Weihe, 53, who said he also owns property in the tourist beach town of Pattaya. So far this year, Thailand has welcomed 19 million visitors. ($1 = 35.9600 baht) (Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat. Edited by Miral Fahmy and Gerry Doyle) Andrew Hoffman will answer visitors' questions about the solar panels on his rooftop Saturday during the Illinois Solar Tour. Homeowners from over 35 suburbs will be participating in giving tours and fielding questions on why they installed solar and the benefits it offers. Courtesy of Illinois Solar Education Association. Andrew Hoffman considers himself an environmentalist. His Morton Grove yard is covered in native plants, he composts food scraps and drives an electric car, a Chevrolet Bolt to be precise. Now, hes looking to replace his furnace with a heat pump, an electric alternative that will be more efficient and have a smaller carbon footprint. Hoffman is happy to talk about the 17 solar panels he has on his roof, and he will be allowing anyone interested to ask him questions during Saturdays Illinois Solar Tour. Its a free event in which anyone interested can visit solar-powered homes in more than 35 suburbs and cities, view the solar installations and chat with homeowners. Advertisement The solar tour, taking place Sept. 30 this year, is hosted annually by the nonprofit Illinois Solar Education Association. The group is based in La Grange Park, but homeowners, businesses and nonprofit groups from all over the state are inviting viewers to see their solar panels. The tours will be either in-person, online, or hybrid, depending on the location. Kenneth Doody installed 13 solar panels on his Park Ridge garage roof last spring, adding to the 13 solar panels he's had over the roof of his home since 2009. Doody's home is one of many around the state where visitors can view the solar installations Sept. 30 on the Illinois Solar Tour and ask questions. Courtesy of Illinois Solar Education Association. Hoffman said that when he put up the solar panels in 2013, solar panels were more expensive. He estimates that the full cost of the panels was around $18,000 back then. Now he says, more interest in solar energy and support from the government have made them more affordable. Advertisement My nephew just called me yesterday and hes getting a big system put on his [home], said Hoffman. For his system, I think it was 26 panels, was for $40,000. With all the [tax] credits and everything back, what he would out of pocket pay would be like $9,000. Hoffman said it took 10 years for his panels to pay for themselves, meaning that the savings on his utility bill was greater than the price of the panels and the installation. With a 25-year warranty and no maintenance needed for them, Hoffman said the decision to go solar is a no-brainer. Even in cases where a homeowner might sell their home before the panels start paying for themselves, Hoffman said going solar is still worth it. A lot of times, if you sold the house that next year, you can get that money back just in the value of that house just because people want solar more and more. In the summer months, Hoffman said his panels overproduces so much electricity that hes able to sell the surplus back to ComEd for a credit. When the cold, cloudy winter months roll around, the panels dont provide as much electricity, but his credits are what cover his utility bills for that time frame, allowing him to get by without paying for electricity. Over in Park Ridge, Kenneth Doody is also getting prepared for his in-person tour this weekend. Doody says he grew concerned about nonrenewable energy because its not sustainable for the long haul. Doody started out with 13 panels on the roof of his home in 2009 , and he said they havent paid for themselves quite yet. They might not even do so until their life expectancy ends after 20 years. Its not a great investment for me, but I figured, [Im] trying to contribute to the environment, he said. Doody said he paid $28,000 for the panels, but got $14,000 from the state and federal government. In the past six months, Doody had 12 more panels installed on his garage roof, and he said he paid $14,000 for those, getting $7,000 back from the state and federal government. He expects the newer, cheaper, more efficient panels on his garage to pay for themselves in about 10 years. Tours will be available in Evanston, Glenview, Naperville, Elgin, Arlington Heights, Deerfield, Elmhurst, Gurnee, Grayslake, Highland Park, La Grange Park, Libertyville, Northbrook, Wheaton, Woodridge and Oak Park -- more than 35 suburbs around Chicagoland. Chloe Bailey supports her sister Halles relationship with rapper DDG. The In Pieces performer expressed how much she loves them as a couple on Instagram Live on Thursday. Let me tell you something. I am just so happy, Bailey said. Halle and Darryl are so happy. Hes been so sweet and everything. I f**k with Darryl, I dont care what nobody says. Yall dont see behind the scenes. Like I love them, I really do. This isnt her first time using her public platform to support Halle and DDG. She recently shared her thoughts on their relationship during a recent appearance on the radio show Capital XTRA Breakfast with Robert Bruce & Shayna Marie. I have given all my sisters boyfriends the talk. I mean, Im a big sis, shes my little baby. Im always protective, she said. He makes her happy. And shes happy. So thats all that matters to me. when the big sis duties are calling @chloebailey talked about giving halle's bae DDG 'the talk' lock in on @globalplayer now pic.twitter.com/YIYdVCFNmS Capital XTRA (@CapitalXTRA) September 21, 2023 The sisters have been publicly supportive over each of their respective careers. Chloe has been performing on tour and Halle attended her show in London. They shared videos of themselves hugging and in tears backstage after the performance. @ChloeBailey & @HalleBailey relationship is everything, they will always support one another and be each others biggest fan totally not crying after seeing this video pic.twitter.com/oVY7uETajZ alex (@wtfalxxz) September 21, 2023 Halle and DDG were first seen in public together in January 2022, when they attended Ushers Las Vegas residency. They have since shared snippets of their life on social media, such as the rapper singing the lyrics to Part of Your World and birthday posts. Halle also appeared in the music video to DDGs If I Want You. The couple have attended several public events, including fashion shows for this seasons Milan Fashion Week. Casey Olivera, a prominent Christian influencer best known by her alias Dana Chanel, has been found guilty of fraud. Authorities believe Olivera has been scamming clients, and shes been ordered to pay them nearly $87,000. According to Entrepreneur, Oliver has over a million followers on Instagram. She uses her platform to promote two companies she co-owns: credit repair company Credit Exterminators and app developer Alakazam Apps. Customers of both ventures claim theyve paid thousands of dollars for services they never received, and when they asked for a refund, they never got one. A lawsuit was filed in November 2021, in which a Credit Exterminators customer claimed she was told its services would help her remove delinquent credit accounts, but it didnt hold up its end of the bargain. She said she paid the company thousands and never received a refund. A nonprofit owner claimed that she paid Olivera and Alakazam Apps over $2,000 to facilitate the creation of a custom app for her company. She tried to follow up with them multiple times, to no success. She also claimed that she didnt receive a refund. A judge found that Olivera violated state consumer protection laws by misleading consumers and failing to deliver purchased goods and services. Shes now banned from promoting or selling any credit repair or mobile app service for the foreseeable future. Advertising in todays world has changed, and people trust personalities they follow online to promote desirable goods, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a release. In these cases, consumers were misled by the influencer and businesses that did not deliver on purchases. My office has taken a hard stance against potential harm inflicted on Pennsylvanians online. Olivera also founded the Christian mobile apps Sprinkle of Jesus and Curl Bible, the latter of which is a hair and skincare brand. Credit Exterminators and Alakazam Apps are noted as defendants in the lawsuit. Theyve been ordered to pay $87,269.91 in consumer restitution, $31,000 in legal costs, and $6,000 in civil penalties. A Clay County man is charged with murder for allegedly killing his wife in Kansas Citys Northland and fleeing to Nebraska Friday after police found a string of chilling messages that seemed to reference the killing. John Wonder was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for allegedly killing his wife, 29-year-old Ashli Ehrhardt, who was found dead in their home in the 7900 block of Forest Avenue on Friday with unknown bodily injuries. He is being held on a $1 million cash bond. Wonder allegedly cut and strangled Ehrhardt in the home where they lived with their two children, according to a probable cause statement obtained from the Clay County Prosecutors Office. The two also worked at the same company, and their employer was aware the couple was going through a divorce. Officers responded to the home around 10:30 a.m. Friday, after their employer called police for a welfare check when the two hadnt shown up for work. Family of Wonder and Ehrhardt met police outside the home and helped them get inside the home. Ehrhardts family found her body with a belt wrapped around her neck lying on the lower-level laundry room floor. Police talk with each other at the scene of a potential homicide on the 7900 block of N. Forest Avenue on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Kansas City. The investigating is being handled as a homicide after investigators found a deceased adult female inside of a home with bodily trauma, police said. Ehrhardt was nude from the waist down, and Wonder was written in blood on her leg, according to the court documents. Her left side was bleeding and appeared to have been punctured several times, according to the probable cause statement. Police found a large butcher knife and meat cleaver near her body. No one else was in the residence. Earlier that morning, Wonder dropped the couples two and four-year-old children off at Ehrhardts parents home, one of her parents told law enforcement officials. He usually would bring them inside the home, but this time instead left them at the porch and drove away in his red sedan. When they learned about the welfare check call from the employer, Ehrhardts parents went to the home and found Wonders sedan in the garage, but not her daughters rented Toyota RAV4. They tried to enter through an interior door, but it seemed to be chained shut from the inside. Eventually, they were able to enter through a sliding glass door on the deck. Another witness, a parent of Wonder, said Ehrhardt was planning to move out of the home on Oct. 1 amid their divorce proceedings. Still feel nothing Police also interviewed Wonders sister, who texted him the morning of the killing. According to a screenshot of the conversation she showed police, she asked where Wonder was around 10:42 a.m., and he responded with Hey kiddo. Sorry about the mess. For the record: its way easier and much more satisfying than you can imagine. See you around. Another witness told police Wonder left him several Facebook messages while he was at work, saying he was getting rid of his phone and going north toward Fargo because he felt like driving far, far away. He later messaged the person at 7:39 a.m. saying he hadnt cried and still feel nothing and said he placed Ehrhardts gemstones next to her body, according to court documents. At 8:50 a.m. Wonder continued, Im in the car. I have no doubt I will be caught today. I keep thinking about how she never screamed. Just took it like a champ. What a gal. To honor her, I will not go out by a gunshot (suicide by cop), but hopefully a similar fate. At 10:33 a.m. he sent the last message: Im guessing they will be finding her body right about now. I started getting calls at 9:30 a.m. Wonder was later arrested Friday in Valentine, Nebraska, a town near the South Dakota border about 8 hours from Kansas City. If convicted of murder, Wonder could be sentenced to death or face life in prison. Heres a list of domestic violence resources in the Kansas City area if you or someone you love is facing a domestic violence situation. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was too weak to stand up to far-right Republicans calling for the impeachment of President Joe Biden. Clinton spoke with MSNBCs Jen Psaki, telling the host some in the GOP were using impeachment as a political weapon to keep their base all riled up while they make up stuff that has no basis in fact. Theres no there there, Clinton said. They know theres no there there, and sadly the speaker of the House is too weak to stand up to the most rabid block of his members who dont care what the truth or the facts are. They just want to be able to grandstand and try to cause President Biden problems, she added. "Sadly, the Speaker of the House is too weak to stand up against the most rabid block of his members who dont care what the truth or the facts are They want a political problem that they can try to use for their own benefit. @HillaryClinton on GOP's impeachment inquiry. pic.twitter.com/vQCwbE8ICG Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) September 24, 2023 McCarthy unilaterally directed House committees to open the impeachment inquiry earlier this month, succumbing to the hard-right faction in his party. The speaker claimed Republicans had discovered serious and credible allegations centered on millions of dollars in payments made by foreign nationals to the presidents son, Hunter Biden , during the years when the elder Biden was vice president. But those claims rely on exaggerations pushed by ultraconservatives in the GOP, and Democrats have blasted the effort as absurd and a joke. Despite his call to move forward, McCarthy has struggled to rein in a faction of his party amid a looming government shutdown that has put his leadership in peril. Clinton told Psaki on Sunday the impeachment proceedings are not a real threat to the president, but rather reflect negatively on Republicans. Its a real confession by the Republican Party, they have no agenda, they have no interest in trying to bring people together to solve problems, she said. They dont want a solution to whats happening on the border, they want a political problem that they can try to use for their own benefit. Thats what this is. Related... A Clovis man pleaded guilty Monday to trying get sexual pictures from someone he thought was a 15-year-old and made attempts to meet her, federal prosecutors said. Paul Joseph Espinosa, 55, pleaded guilty to attempted online coercion of a child on Monday, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Espinosa sent messages to an Instagram profile in May 2021 run by an undercover agent, who told the man they were 15, prosecutors said. He also called her using Instagram audio. He asked her for pictures and attempted to meet her saying he wanted to cuddle to enjoy each others company at least for a night and lay there naked, the release said. Espinosa sent three explicit photos and asked her for naughty pictures, the release said. Espinosa traveled from Clovis to Fresno in June 2021 to meet up with the minor because he wanted to engage in sexual activity with her, prosecutors said. When Espinosa arrived, he was placed under arrest. Espinosa is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22. by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Collinsville Area Vocational Center is getting some major upgrades with the help of a $25 million state grant that will allow it to expand its programming and serve more students. The longtime cooperative program is housed on the western side of Collinsville High School and provides vocational training in a wide variety of trades to juniors and seniors from nine area high schools. Most classes are dual-credit with Southwestern Illinois College. Director Joe McGinnis said the centers student enrollment has grown in recent years due to increasing student and industry demand as well as the addition of new programming like cyber security and dental assisting. The center is now out of space to add more programming, he said, and having to turn away interested students. The center currently has 540 students, according to McGinnis. Last year, over 100 interested students had to be turned away. This year, that number rose to about 170 students. Whats more, the changing technologies and equipment have made some of the spaces in the facility cramped, he said, especially for the industrial trades. SkillsUSA awards lining a wall of the Collinsville Area Vocational Center in Collinsville, Ill. on Sept. 21, 2023. The CAVC provides vocational training ranging from auto repair and precision machining to certified nursing and dental assisting. We kind of recognized that if were going to be that regional resource to help students find that initial first step into the workforce, we needed to expand and update the facility, McGinnis said. The construction of the CAVC was completed in 1971, he said, making it one of the 32 original career and vocational centers in the state of Illinois. Since that time, some of the centers have fallen to the wayside due to funding issues. There are 25 today, with the new South Central Illinois Training & Innovation Center in Litchfield being the first center to be established since the 1970s. The forthcoming efforts will involve both the construction of a new building and the renovation of the current one. Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 is receiving a $25 million grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for the centers expansion and renovation. McGinnis said this grant will cover a large portion of the expenses, but not all of it. An exterior rendering of the entrance to the forthcoming expansion of the Collinsville Area Vocational Center in Collinsville, IL. He said the Collinsville Area Community Foundation has also created an endowment for the centers expansion and continued improvement. This will allow the center to create private partnerships for classroom and equipment sponsorships, essentially becoming another funding source. The district is currently in the design process for the new facility and renovations of the existing facility, working with the districts architect and construction manager, Superintendent Brad Skertich said. McGinnis said the district is hoping to complete the land acquisition for the new facility the current floor plan for which is about 49,000 square feet in the next month and for the state to release the grant money in December or January. As long as the money is released around then, the district is far enough along in the design process to break ground on the new facility in March or April, he said. Construction would continue through the 2024-25 school year with the aim of having students in the building for the 2025-26 school year. McGinnis said the project will happen in three phases. First, the district will build the expansion and move the industrial programs over to the new building. Then, it will renovate the rooms those programs previously occupied at the existing facility and move programs into those new rooms. Finally, the last rooms will be renovated and programs will move in. More programming, more students McGinnis said the CAVC currently offers training in: Auto body and automotive repair Building trades (through which students have built numerous houses in the community) Clinical health occupations (including certified nursing assisting) Cosmetology (which occurs off-site) Criminal justice Cyber security Dental assisting Early childhood education (which includes a center-run pre-school) Electronics Food service K-12 teacher preparation (to address the states teacher shortage) Precision machining Welding Welding equipment inside the Collinsville Area Vocational Center in Collinsville, Ill. on Sept. 21, 2023. The CAVC provides vocational training ranging from auto repair and precision machining to certified nursing and dental assisting. With the expansion and renovation, he said the center is looking to add programming for urban agriculture and landscape management; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (which the center provided about 20 years ago and is now bringing back); aviation mechanics and avionics; veterinary assisting; and renewable energy installation. The center will also be looking to increase its student enrollment to 800 students per year, McGinnis said, which would be an increase of 260 students from the current enrollment. He said the center is also open to working with more high schools. It currently serves nine high schools in Madison and St. Clair Counties: Collinsville High School, Civic Memorial High School, Dupo High School, East Alton-Wood River High School, Edwardsville High School, Highland High School, Lebanon High School, Mascoutah High School and Triad High School. The center is a resource for these schools, McGinnis said, working in conjunction with existing career and technical education programs they may already have. Impact on students For students that are looking for a job right out of high school, McGinnis said the center is generally able to set them up with an employer before they leave. The demand is that great, he said. We also see students that find out what they dont want to do ... Thats a huge value as well. He said this is often the case with certified nursing assisting. Some students want to get into the medical field, but after getting some experience in a hospital setting and doing some of the unsavory portions of the job, they realize its not for them. McGinnis said this is good, too, because the students find out that a certain career isnt what they want to do without having to spend a significant amount of time or money. He said its great when he hears back from students and employers whenever they visit that things are working out. Thats always a very refreshing thing to hear, to know that we are having that impact and setting students up with great careers, hopefully in a way where they dont have to take on a lot of college debt and make a good life, McGinnis said. Why did the sudden closing of Chinatowns Seven Treasures, home of the cult favorite 554, leave long lines and such grief? After all, the iconic dishes live on at Wonton Gourmet in Des Plaines. Their story was our story. And its an untold story of love, loss and noodles. Chung and Kai Au owned a wonton noodle shop in Hong Kong before they moved to Chicago. Chung, the family patriarch, immigrated first. Kai, the matriarch, closed the shop and then followed soon after with four of their five children, three daughters and the youngest son. Benjamin, their oldest, who was over 21, would be separated from his family for years due to U.S. immigration policy quotas. In 1981, Chung and Kai opened their new wonton noodle shop on Cermak Road in Chinatown and called it Seven Treasures. I had long wondered about the name. While the number seven is considered lucky in Western culture, the number eight is considered luckiest in Chinese culture. Even the new temporary Ballys Chicago Casino in River North named its Asian noodle restaurant Kitchen 888. The parents chose the restaurants name not to honor their new culture but for the seven members of their immediate family, including the son they had to leave behind. They ran the small storefront with help from their three daughters Annie, Grace and Jessie. Four years later, Kai saw a lot for sale on Wentworth Avenue. The couple bought the property, built a new building and moved their restaurant over in 1986. In 1987, Benjamin finally immigrated from Hong Kong to Chicago with his wife, and immediately began working at the family restaurant. Seven Treasures eventually branched out with a second location, run by their youngest son, Rocky, in the then-new Chinatown Square mall, which opened in 1993. That location would close after just a few years. The space is now occupied by the excellent Sichuanese and Cantonese restaurant MCCB. But another legacy would rise. Sometime in the mid-90s, a customer became obsessed with dish No. 554 on the menu. As a white man who did not speak Chinese, he simply called the plate with hot steamed rice, thick char siu, runny fried eggs and drizzled soy sauce the 554. He brought fellow students from the University of Illinois at Chicago and they would all order the dish. It became so popular that everyone began calling it the 554, notably in English, not Chinese. Benjamin said the customer became a regular over the years, but he doesnt know his name. The 554 further transcended language and cultural barriers with a surprisingly endearing entry in Urban Dictionary. Twenty-one years after founding Seven Treasures, which became a home away from home for a generation in Chinatown, the family lost their matriarch when Kai Au died in 2002. They would carry on her legacy uninterrupted for another generation, until the first pandemic shutdown in March 2020. Chinatown was hit first and hardest, more by racism than COVID-19. Seven Treasures closed for 11 days. Benjamin said somewhat wistfully that they rested. The restaurant reopened with takeout only. They would fully reopen serving the 554, wonton noodles and more until 2 a.m. as one of the few late-night restaurants to survive the pandemic. That is until Benjamin, who had long taken over the business from his father, said it was time to retire. My brother-in-law has been working since first he arrived in America, said Frank Ting, owner of Wonton Gourmet in Des Plaines. And he hasnt taken any vacation in the last 20 years. Seven Treasures was open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year. And I say, Do you want to retire? He said, Yes, of course. I want to have some regular life now, Ting said. Thats why he decided to close and to rent it out. Family patriarch Chung Au, 97, born in 1926, visited the restaurant in its last days. As did Ting, despite his own retirement, to help out with the crush of customers. We knew the end was coming. But when Seven Treasures suddenly closed permanently on Aug. 12, days earlier than planned, due to staff shortages, they said, we were still collectively left with a sense of ambiguous loss. I think weve come to expect the life span of a lot of things people, pets and even personal or professional relationships. But whats the life span of restaurants? The life span of restaurants remains tied to generations. Especially when it comes to family-owned immigrant restaurants, which are becoming rare in the neighborhood where big global brands are taking over spaces. For example, Happy Lamb Hot Pot, the restaurant leasing the Seven Treasures space, will move from its current location in Chinatown after renovations. Two other locations, in Lincoln Park and in Naperville, are also part of the Little Sheep Group with hundreds of restaurants worldwide. Chinatown in Chicago has been touted as booming, as others fade. But thats only part of the story. The neighborhood still struggles with gentrification and displacement, especially with The 78 megadevelopment looming next to Ping Tom Park. Wonton Gourmet is such a rarity, as another Chinese American immigrant family that owns the property and built a building for their business. Ting married into the Seven Treasures family. He met his wife, Grace, when she worked at the original location on Cermak Road. He would go on to open his first restaurant, House of Fortune, also in Chinatown, before selling that business and three others in the city. He eventually opened Wonton Gourmet in 1993. I learned from my father-in-law so I dont want to open in Chinatown, Ting said, laughing. Wonton Gourmet is like a duplicate Seven Treasures restaurant in the suburbs. Its not quite the same, with a modern dining room and branded dishware. But when Mom Chu first tasted the suburban wonton noodle soup years ago, she suspected they were related, long before I confirmed the lineage. I grew up working in my extended familys restaurants. They depended on cheap, if not free, labor to provide a better life for the next generation. That has always been the conflict. Tings own adult children dont want to take over the family business. But hes found a successor and partner in his godson, Bin Liu, who is also a partner at MingHin and Jess Cafe. The latter happens to be my neighborhood Chinese staple on the Northwest Side. Liu is overseeing the addition of the 554 to the menu at Wonton Gourmet, as well as the Seven Treasures chile oil by popular demand, and even merch with T-shirts so far. Its not the same as a grungy late night in Chinatown, yet the legacy lives on. Because it was always more than just the food, but was also all about the food especially when untold stories can finally be heard. Wonton Gourmet 1405 Elmhurst Road, Des Plaines 847-427-1183 wontongourmet.com Open: Open: Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Prices: Seven Treasures chile oil, $6; wonton noodles, $9.35; the 554, $12.50 Noise: Conversation-friendly Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with restrooms on single level lchu@chicagotribune.com Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. Victoria Prentis warned media organisations that material they publish on allegations against Russell Brand could be held in contempt of court - Jeffrey Ufberg A contempt of court warning issued by the attorney general over Russell Brand coverage has been described as worrying and unnecessary by the Society of Editors. Under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, it is illegal for newspapers to publish anything that could prejudice a criminal trial once a suspect has been arrested or a warrant issued. But Victoria Prentis KC, the attorney general, has sparked a press freedom row after warning editors that coverage about Brand may amount to contempt, even though no arrests have taken place. Speaking to The Telegraph, Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, said: At the moment there are no active proceedings when there have been no arrests so it is a very unusual warning. Id say it is worrying and also unnecessary. Ms Alford also said any attempt to curtail the work of newspapers was misguided. She said journalists were well versed in contempt of court laws. She added: There are many convictions which would not have been achieved had it not been for news organisations breaking stories on alleged wrongdoing. Coverage being monitored Earlier this month, a joint investigation by Channel 4s Dispatches and The Sunday Times disclosed that four women accused Brand of sexual assault between 2006 and 2013. The comedian has denied all wrongdoing and insists that all of his sexual encounters have been consensual. On Monday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it was investigating a number of allegations of sexual offences following the documentarys broadcast. The force also confirmed that no arrests had been made. A media advisory notice issued by the office of Ms Prentis on Friday, said it was monitoring the coverage of allegations made against Brand. It read: The attorney general, the Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP, wishes to amplify the importance of not publishing any material where there is a risk that it could prejudice any potential criminal investigation or prosecutions. Publishing this material could amount to contempt of court. Russell Brand CV David Banks, a media law consultant, compared the warning to an older version of the law, before the Contempt of Court Act was updated in 1981. Mr Banks said: It is worrying that this attorney general warning appears to go back to a definition of contempt which would be far more of an imposition on our freedom of speech. I expect that newspapers and their lawyers will be treating this advice with a pinch of salt. The attorney general has previously issued warnings when it has deemed press coverage or social media comments to be potentially prejudicial. In 2020, the office monitored coverage of a terror attack in a Reading park and warned against the publication of anything that asserts or assumes the guilt of arrested suspects. A spokesman for the attorney generals office said: We are committed to the principles of open justice and press freedom. However, given the extended period and nature of the coverage of these allegations, the media advisory was issued to remind journalists to exercise caution as common law contempt considerations apply, despite proceedings not currently being active. 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. EAST LANSING Robert Belleman officially began his tenure as city manager on Monday under a two-year contract that will pay him a starting salary of $180,000. Under the contract approved by the City Council last week, Belleman also will get an automobile allowance of $3,600 a year, and he'll get yearly pay raises equal to the percentage provided to non-union city employees. East Lansing City Hall Belleman would receive at least six months of compensation, with a maximum of a full year of pay and benefits, if he leaves for any reason other than his own gross malfeasance. If he takes another job within 12 months of his departure, the city's payout would be reduced by any amount he receives in his new job. In order to get the severance, he would have to release any claim he might have against the city. Belleman's starting salary is the same as Interim City Manager Randy Talifarro was earning after taking over the city's top administrative post in February following the firing of George Lahanas. The Council in mid-August voted 3-2 to hire Belleman, the former Saginaw County controller, for the city manager position. The Council approved the contract on a 4-1 vote on Sept. 19. The "no" vote came from Councilman George Brookover, who said he was uncomfortable with a potentially large severance payout. The severance clause would apply even if the contract expires naturally on Sept. 26, 2025, effectively making the agreement a three-year contract, he said. Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Contract in hand, Belleman takes over as East Lansing's city manager The Kyiv Court of Appeals refused to change oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky's detention measure to house arrest and upheld the bail of Hr 3.8 billion ($105 million), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Sept. 25. Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine's most well-known business tycoons and billionaires, was arrested on Sept. 2 for fraud and money laundering related to his oil and gas holdings. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) handed Kolomoisky additional criminal charges on Sept. 7, accusing him of embezzling $250 million from PrivatBank in 2015. Following the new charge, Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district court increased the oligarch's bail from Hr 509 million ($14 million) to $105 million. Interfax-Ukraine reported that Kolomoisky's lawyers said they are not satisfied with the court's "unexpected" decision and will discuss how to proceed further. Kolomoisky used to control Ukrtatnafta, Ukraine's largest refining company until it was seized by the government in November, citing it as a critical national resource during martial law. The company reportedly refused to pay Hr 3.2 billion ($90 million) in taxes last year. Kolomoisky also owned over 40% of Ukrnafta, an oil and gas extractor, through multiple smaller companies in his orbit. The Ukrainian state seized this company as well last year. In 2016, the government also nationalized PrivatBank, the country's largest bank - when Kolomoisky co-owned it, the bank's fraudulent activities left a $5.5 billion hole in its balance sheet. The oligarch's business dealings through these companies careened from scandal to scandal over the previous decade. Kolomoisky also faces various lawsuits and charges in the U.K., U.S., Israel, and Ukraine. Read also: This Week in Ukraine: Ukraine puts first oligarch behind bars on Apple Podcasts Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An Ohio man is facing charges after allegedly stealing a hotel workers minivan, then hitting him with it as he tried to escape. Roland Chambers, 44, of Eastlake, Ohio, was charged Sept. 22 with robbery resulting in bodily injury, battery by means of a deadly weapon, auto theft, resisting law enforcement and a misdemeanor. Advertisement He is in custody at the Lake County Jail, held for now without bond. His bail is scheduled to be reset to $6,000 cash surety on Oct. 10. His next court appearance is Oct. 3. Advertisement Merrillville Police responded around 7:27 p.m. Sept. 21 to the Economy Inn, 8275 Louisiana St. for a reported auto theft. The victim told police he accidentally left his keys inside his blue 2003 Honda minivan to go talk to a coworker. A woman told him a white man with curly hair stole the vehicle. The co-worker gave him a ride and they found it empty on the south side of a nearby Motel 6. Suddenly, the other man, Chambers, ran up to the van. The victim said it was his. Chambers told him he needed it. Chambers jumped into the drivers seat. The drivers door was open when he backed up. The door hit the victim and knocked him to the ground and ran over his arm with the drivers side tire, before taking off. The victim later told police he was trying to make it through and didnt want to go to the hospital, because he didnt have health insurance. The victim showed officers injuries like his bleeding fingers and road rash on his right abdomen. A Merrillville patrolman spotted the van near 91st Avenue and Mississippi Street. Chambers turned on 101st Avenue and stopped to ditch the van on 4400 block of E. 101st Ave. He ran out, got stuck in thick brush and was arrested at gunpoint. At the jail, he fell down when the officer tried to put him in a cell, admitting he was going through heroin withdrawal. Chambers has several active arrest warrants for failing to appear in court in Ohio, records show. Three Black crew members at the center of the viral riverfront brawl in Montgomery, Alabama, have recounted their experience in a new interview with ABCs Good Morning America on Monday. Dameion Pickett, the lead deckhand of The Harriott II riverboat, told Good Morning America that he was just doing his job and was in shock when he was attacked while trying to dock the city-owned boat on Aug. 5. Before the attack, the riverboat, which had more than 200 passengers aboard, was held up by an illegally docked boat that was blocking the riverboat from its spot. Pickett asked the white boaters to move their vessel multiple times so that passengers could get off the boat. Instead of moving the boat, a white man attacked Pickett and a brawl broke out moments later as more white people joined the fight and Picketts colleagues rushed to defend him. The brawl quickly became an internet conversation piece after multiple videos of the confrontation surfaced on social media. Many people were quick to point out the racial tensions in the video or joke about the fight. Pickett, who is seen in the viral video throwing his hat in the air, told GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts that he went to move the smaller boat himself since the white boaters, who he claims had been drinking, refused to move it. This man just put his hand on me. I was, like its my job, but Im still defending myself at the same time. So when he touched me, I was, like, Its on, Pickett said. As the fight continued, Roshein RahRah Carlton, a steward on the ship, and 16-year-old employee Aaren Hamilton-Rudolph, who was seen swimming to the dock in a video, went to help Pickett. Its our duty as as our co-worker, as a team, to go and aid and assist him, Carlton said in the interview, recalling that the white boaters were using racial slurs. Hamilton-Rudolph shared a similar sentiment about wanting to have Picketts back. Everybody was just recording. No one helped, Hamilton-Rudolph added. So I couldnt just watch and sit around and just let him get beat on while everybody else is just recording and watching. In a written statement to police at the time, Pickett said that he was hanging on for dear life as several white boaters attacked him. Initially, 13 people were detained and released. However, just four white people and one Black person face misdemeanor charges in connection with the brawl, and each of them has pleaded not guilty, The Associated Press reported earlier this month. Related... When the Yale Peabody Museum reopens as a free museum next year, there will be much more than dinosaurs to wow visitors. Theres a clay page from a Mesopotamian cookbook, dating from 1700 B.C.E., which Peabody staffers have used to make a dish. There are the tiny, cute mommy and her seven piglets. Theres a section of the first book known, the Epic of Gilgamesh. And there are three pages of the first book with a known author, and its a woman, known as Enheduana. The Peabodys renewed display of ancient civilizations will demonstrate how so much of what we know, and even what we eat, stretches back as much as 5,000 years. This tablet here is one of three tablets from this period that have food recipes on them and theyre the only ones in the world, said Agnete Lassen, associate curator of the Yale Babylonian Collection. Yale owns all three. This one is better preserved. But the recipes are just like a few lines, Lassen said. This is a collection of different types of stews. Some of them are vegetarian, they call them green, but most of them have animal fat in them, even if theyre not vegetarian in the modern sense. Ive tried cooking several of them. The recipes are written in Akkadian, a Semitic language related to Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic. The cookbooks, because theyre so unique, and because they really speak to something that has very broad interest, weve been doing a lot of work on them, Lassen said. I was part of a team collaborating with Harvard. We had a food chemist. We had a philologist, a person to translate, me, a cultural heritage specialist, a culinary historian and a chef. And were working together on re-creating the recipes to see how can our different perspectives improve our understanding of the recipes, our understanding of the translation of the texts and also our understanding of ancient cooking. The result was a series of academic dinner parties. The recipes arent quite as detailed as todays cookbooks. They might say prepare the meat, Lassen said. And so we experimented with the same recipes over and over again, slightly modifying cooking times and even ingredients, Lassen said. Theres a range of options for how these can taste. We cant know exactly how they tasted in ancient Mesopotamia. What we can do is just play around and for us get a better sense of what they could have tasted like. So many of the ingredients, many of the animals and plants that we are familiar with today, were originally domesticated in whats called the Fertile Crescent, Lassen said. More than 50% of all of the calories that are consumed on Earth today come from a tiny little geographical area: sheep and cow and barley and wheat, pigs, other things that really are staples in a lot of peoples cooking. They were domesticated a long time ago, but they still make up a substantial part of what you would eat in the area today or even most of the world. The animals displayed in the case are meant to appeal to young people, an idea advocated by Kailen Rogers, associate director of exhibitions. I may have advocated for including a few more animals. We had an abundance here, Rogers said. It is an opportunity including things that might capture small childrens attention in a gallery where we have a lot of text that maybe isnt as immediately accessible to them. Thats why the little piggies are down at eye level, she said. The rest of the case is divided into grain, livestock and dairy. New Haven links There is also a modern, local component. Were also bringing in community voices to expand our range of storytellers across the museum, Rogers said. So in this gallery, for example, for the cooking case, were working with the local nonprofit Sanctuary Kitchen to develop stories around cooks who are now in New Haven who came from this area. A chef from Syria will tell about her experience cooking in this area, Rogers said. There are a lot of ties across the millennia. Also, local artist and owner of the Pistachios cafes Mohamad Hafez is creating a large sculpture that will include replicas of many of the exhibits. The cases also have drawers, which may be used by students from the New Haven Public Schools to store drawings or other projects, according to Chris Renton, Peabodys spokesman. It helps with critical thinking and creativity, he said. If we give them a pool of objects and storylines, then they can choose how to do it. Theyll maybe see its harder than they thought it was to make some choices and pare things down, which is always helpful for future characters to learn that lesson. Gilgamesh and Enheduana The Mesopotamian literature case contains the two classics of Babylonian writing: a tablet from the Epic of Gilgamesh, considered the first piece of written literature, and the poems by the woman known as Enheduana, the first named author, according to Lassen. This is an Old Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh and we are showing tablet number two, she said. The cool thing about Iraqi archaeology is that were discovering new fragments of the Epic of Gilgamesh, still, to this day. The archaeological wealth of Iraq is so vast that weve hardly even scratched the surface. Its not easy to study Babylonian literature from Iraq, however. I have been studying ancient Iraq for my entire career, and I still havent even been in the country, Lassen said. Every time I want to go, theres some issue that makes it unsafe or other practical things, she said. Ive worked in Syria. Ive worked in Jordan. Ive worked in Turkey. Ive worked in Greece. But not still not Iraq. Hopes run high, however. And there is a lot of cultural continuity between Iraq and Turkey, another of her specialties, she said. Lassen then pointed to three 2-by-4-inch tablets. They are much less well known than the Epic of Gilgamesh, but they shouldnt be, in my opinion, she said. This is a long poem that was written by a woman named Enheduana and she is the first named author in human literature. While the Epic of Gilgamesh is about a Mesopotamian mythological hero, stories were originally passed down orally and authorship wasnt that important, Lassent said. But Enheduana writes explicitly that this is her story, and she did something that nobody had ever done before. And so she wrote her story down. The tablets date from 500 years after Enheduanas death. She lived about 2350 B.C.E. They come from an Old Babylonian school where somebody was writing out her full epic, or her full poem, Lassen said. And that just speaks to her significance in ancient times. Lassen wishes Enheduana was better known, even by scholars. Its decades since the poem here was first published and known to the academic world, at least. But I feel its only very recently that the story is gaining more traction in a broader audience, she said. The poem is about Enheduana, a high priestess, being driven out of her city during a war and turning to the goddess Ishtar for help. She is an incredibly fierce goddess, Lassen said. And a lot of the poem is about praising her fierceness. For instance, one sentence that I really like, which is your teeth can crush flint. Like a badass. A tablet of Ishtar shows her holding both a bow and a scimitar and standing on two lions. Shes the goddess of war and physical sex, Lassen said. Its often said love, but shes not a loving person. Shes sex and war and violence and badassery. Ed Stannard can be reached at estannard@courant.com. The Cuban embassy in Washington was attacked on Sunday evening, just hours after Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel, who attended several events at the United Nations in New York last week, returned to the island, Cubas foreign minister said. The Cuban embassy in the U.S. was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who launched 2 Molotov cocktails, minister Bruno Rodriguez said on X. The staff suffered no harm. Details are being worked out. Rodriguez said this was the second violent attack against #Cubas diplomatic mission since April 2020. On April 30, Alexander Alazo, a man born in Cuba who was struggling with mental health problems, opened fire at the embassy with an AK-47 assault rifle. At the time, Rodriguez called on U.S. authorities to investigate the case as a terrorist act, saying Alazo attended a church in Doral that he accused of being a gathering spot for people known to promote aggression, hostility, violence, and extremism against Cuba, though he did not provide evidence of his allegations. Rodriguez did not provide any details about Sunday nigfhs attack but said it was politically motivated and blamed those opposing his government. The anti-Cuban groups resort to terrorism when feeling they enjoy impunity, something that #Cuba has repeatedly warned the US authorities about, he wrote. The U.S. State Departments Bureau of Diplomatic Securitys Office of Foreign Missions is responsible for the protection of foreign embassies and consulates in the United States. The attack happened just hours after Diaz-Canel arrived in Havana around noon, after attending the United Nations General Assembly and several other events on the sidelines in New York City. His presence sparked peaceful protests by Cuban exiles, who said authoritarian leaders should not be welcomed by the international community. He condemned the attack, saying it was a hate crime and that he expected action from U.S. authorities. Cubas ambassador to the U.S. Lianys Torres. Source: Prensa Latina, Havana On Monday, the Cuban foreign minister said U.S. authorities were immediately contacted after the attack and that the U.S. Secret Service was allowed into the Cuban embassy to take samples of the remains of the Molotov cocktails. Cubas ambassador in the U.S., Lianys Torres, posted some photos on social media showing what appeared to be debris from the Molotov cocktails. The pictures did not show apparent damage to the building. The Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C., was attacked Sunday evening with Molotov cocktails, according to a statement from the countrys chief diplomat. Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said two makeshift weapons were tossed at the embassy building by a currently unknown assailant. In the evening of today, Sep 24, the Cuban embassy in the US was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who launched 2 Molotov cocktails, Rodriguez Parrilla wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The staff suffered no harm. Details are being worked out. In a statement to The Hill, The United States Secret Service said that Cuban Embassy officials contacted its Uniformed Division shortly after 8 p.m. to report an individual who had thrown a possible incendiary device (molotov cocktail) at the building. Officers responded swiftly to begin an investigation, Secret Service spokesperson Steven Kopek said. There was no fire or significant damage to the building. No one is in custody at this time and we are working closely with embassy officials and our partners at DC Police and the United States Department of State on this investigation. Rodriguez Parrilla suggested the attack may have been politically motivated. Anti-Cuban groups turn to terrorism when they feel impunity, something Cuba has repeatedly warned US authorities about, he wrote in a post on X. The minister noted this was the second attack to have occurred at the embassy in recent years. In April 2020, Alexander Alazo, a Cuban-born man, fired nearly three dozen rounds at the embassy with an AK-47 assault rifle. The embassy itself has only been open since 2015 after formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba were reestablished under former President Obamas administration. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Cuban man was lured into Russia's military after being promised a job as a driver, per Politico. He told the outlet that he had considered fleeing but wouldn't know where to go if he did. Pedro told the outlet that he and other Cubans had signed a contract with the "devil". A Cuban man was recruited into the Russian military after being promised a job as a driver for workers and construction materials in Russia, Politico Europe reported. The man, named only as Pedro, said that after arriving in Russia for his new job he was instead prepared for combat. "We signed a contract with the devil. And the devil does not hand out sweets," Pedro told the outlet. Pedro wasn't alone. Politico reported that other Cubans were recruited alongside Pedro. After landing in Russia, they underwent a cursory medical check and were given a contract with the Russian defense ministry to sign, some of the men told Politico. Pedro said he regretted his decision, adding he had taken the driver job in Russia to give his children "a better life, not to kill." He burst into tears, the outlet reported, adding: "I won't fire a single bullet." He also told Politico that he had considered fleeing but wouldn't know where to go if he did. The exact number of Cubans recruited to fight in Russia's army is unclear. The Miami-based Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) told Time magazine earlier this month that more than 1,000 Cubans may have been recruited. The magazine said recruits were offered 204,000 rubles, or $2,120 US dollars, to sign up. A legal advisor in Russia's Cuban community told Politico that he had received a number of pleas for help from Cubans. But he told the outlet that leaving the Russian military after signing a contract is considered treason. Treason can now be punished by up to 20 years in prison after Russian lawmakers increased the maximum term from 15 years in April. Politico said it changed the names of the recruits quoted because they could face charges of treason and espionage in Russia, and of joining a mercenary group back in Cuba. In a statement published earlier this month, Cuban authorities said anyone involved in the recruitment of Cubans to fight with Russia against Ukraine would be considered mercenaries. Another of the recruits interviewed by Politico said that after failing to reach Miami in a rickety boat last year he signed up to fight for Russia in Ukraine. "If this is the sacrifice I have to make for my family to get ahead, I'll do it," he said. He told the outlet that he hoped he would be allowed to work as a paramedic. But Pavel Luzin, a senior scholar at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, told Politico that Russia "needs the cannon fodder" after its army suffered significant casualties in Ukraine. Read the original article on Business Insider A rare opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind house has landed on the real estate market in Nevada City, California, for $3.3 million. Its referred to as the Mountain House and this overwhelmingly original home is tucked away in the picturesque Sierra Nevadas and is special for a couple reasons. Designed by the internationally renowned Japanese firm Atelier Bow-Wow, the property unfolds over 60 private, forested acres with the centerpiece the meticulously designed and thoughtfully crafted residential structure settled into this lush land, bordered by the U.S. Forest Service on three sides, the listing on Sothebys International Realty says. The architects, celebrated for their intelligent and compact designs created a livable work of art as their first and only home built in the United States. The firm carefully worked to build the home over nine years and was careful not to disturb the nature surrounding it, which includes a 19th century gold mine Sailor Flat, the listing says. Atelier Bow-Wows vision encompasses a design philosophy that honors the environment, manifesting in a structure that treads lightly on the land and resources while maximizing its connection to a breathtaking landscape, the listing explains. Features include: Open roof Forest views The essence of Japanese design permeating every corner Oversized glass doors Concrete floor Porcelain tubs Privacy Mountain House is not just a dwelling; it is a living testament to the boundless possibilities of architectural innovation, honest materials and a celebration of life in harmony with the natural world, the listing says. The listing is held by Eric Lavey. Nevada City is about 60 miles northeast of Sacramento. Humble on the outside, party on the inside. See unassuming Wisconsin home for sale Unbelievable transformation: Former school now a stunning Iowa home for sale. See it At least 12 CVS pharmacies in the Kansas City area closed late last week as pharmacists walked off the job to protest recent corporate decisions. Now, many of them appear to have reopened. Pharmacists have said they were protesting corporate decisions that reduced pharmacy technician hours, attempts to move pharmacists from pharmacies inside other retailers like Target to standalone stores and the recent firing of a district leader for opposing these changes in the Kansas City area. We are a healthcare facility and we need to be able to provide healthcare, but we absolutely cant under these conditions, one anonymous local pharmacist told The Stars David Hudnall on Friday. The Star contacted 19 CVS locations in the Kansas City area Monday including 16 located within Target stores, where most of the closures occurred. So far, we havent found any that are still shut down. Which Kansas City CVS locations are closed or short-staffed? As of Monday afternoon, The Star hasnt found any closed CVS locations in the metro. We contacted all 16 local Target stores and 13 of them said their CVS pharmacies are open today including the Lees Summit and Overland Park locations that were closed on Friday. The three other Target stores did not answer their phones. The Star also contacted a handful of standalone CVS locations around the metro. The Mission Road CVS in Overland Park, which was closed on Friday, was open when The Star called. And the Midtown location at 3902 Main Street, which operated through the drive-through only with limited pharmacy staff on Saturday, is back to normal operation. An employee at the CVS on Rainbow Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, said the location was operating with reduced staff but he would not elaborate on whether the shortage was impacting the pharmacy specifically. Do you know of another CVS location whose pharmacy is currently closed due to the ongoing strike? Let us know at kcq@kcstar.com. What should I do if my local CVS pharmacy is closed? In some cases, pharmacists can transfer your prescription from another pharmacy location to be filled. That means if you go to an open CVS, they may be able to fill a prescription that was originally sent to a different CVS. However, controlled substances cannot be transferred from one location to another, even at the patients request. If you need your medication right away, or if its a controlled substance, you may need to call your doctor and have them send your prescription to an open pharmacy. The Stars David Hudnall contributed. Do you have more questions about labor or healthcare access in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com. FALL RIVER A cold drizzle fell on a handful of families as they gathered in the rain at Veterans Memorial Bicentennial Park for Gold Star Mothers and Families Day what City Councilor Laura Jean Washington said reminded her of tears shed by families whove lost loved ones in the military. The day they dedicated this memorial, it was pouring rain, so it seems only fitting that were here again in the rain," said Fall River Veterans Services Officer Michelle Hamilton, who hosted the event. Several Gold Star family members laid a wreath before a monument a black engraved wall from which the life-size silhouette of a saluting soldier has been removed, symbolizing the hole left in the lives of those on the home front. Larry Beirola plays Taps on the bugle at an event for Gold Star mothers and family members, held at Veterans Memorial Bicentennial Park in Fall River on Sunday, Sept. 24. Missing from the ceremony, but supported by their grieving families, were men like Navy Fireman Charles A. Tavares, who died Feb. 27, 1969, in Vietnam; Marine Cpl. Paul Fagundes, who died July 4, 2010, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Marine Lance Cpl. John J. Van Gyzen IV, who was killed in Anbar Province, Iraq, on July 5, 2004; and Army Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, who died Jan. 24, 2009, in Iraq. Van Gyzens stepmother Jane read from a poem shed written after Van Gyzens death titled Remember Me. Tonight, when you go home, she said, wrap that blanket of freedom around you and remember the brave men and women that fought and died so that you can sleep free. Honoring a WWI veteran: Fall River's Route 79 bridge was named for a man killed in action in WWI. Who was he? Happy in life, 'and yet I don't have a dad' Joshua Harrington was a boy when his father, Kyle, died thousands of miles away in the Middle East. Kyle Harrington was 24, repairing Humvees and other light vehicles at Joint Base Balad as part of the Iraq War, and killed in an accident. He left behind his children Joshua, then 5, and Kaylee, then 2, and his wife, Faith, now a writer at The Standard-Times in New Bedford. Gold Star son Joshua Harrington, speaks to a crowd about his father, who died in combat, at Veterans Memorial Bicentennial Park in Fall River on Sunday, Sept. 24. "My father was a good man, Harrington said. Reading from a college essay hed written about his father, titled A Metaphysical Dilemma, Harrington said he often wished he could experience life with his father and found that it isn't an easy wish to have granted. Im surrounded by a strong support group of loving friends and family," Harrington said, adding that he enjoys the privileges of safety, comfort, stability and even material success as the owner of his own landscaping business. And yet I dont have a dad, he said. Southcoast Wonders: The Battleship joined the Navy 80 years ago. Why is it in Fall River? Gold Star son Joshua Harrington, speaks to a crowd about his father, who died in combat, at Veterans Memorial Bicentennial Park in Fall River on Sunday, Sept. 24. Gold Star son imagining a different life with his father Huddled from the rain under an umbrella, Harrington told the crowd that hes long strived to live up to his fathers image, and has imagined what his life would have been had his father lived. He said he mightve spent his childhood on an Army base in Germany, traveling as a teen and becoming immersed in different cultures. More importantly, I would have had my dad back, and the void left in my family after his death would be whole again, Harrington said. The more I envision it, the more I crave it. But to embrace that reality means to lose everything that Ive come to love about this one. Harrington said even if it meant giving up everything important about his life, I would, without hesitation, throw it all away everything Ive ever accomplished and every relationship Ive ever made for just a glimpse at what my life would have been like with my dad around. The story behind the name: You know the bridge. But how much do you know about Charles Braga and Pearl Harbor? Paul Ezequiel, whose uncle, Marine Cpl. Paul Fagundes, was killed in 2010, holds a dove to be released at Veterans Memorial Bicentennial Park in Fall River on Sunday, Sept. 24. As bugler Larry Beirola played a slow rendition of Taps, Gold Star family members released a quartet of doves into the blank, cold sky. Harrington said after his speech that he was nervous about opening himself up emotionally to the crowd. But even as strangers across multiple generations, the people gathered by the waterfront were still family, related by a common bond of grief that can never fully heal. I realized that theres a lot of people who could benefit from hearing it," Harrington said. At the end of the day, it wasnt so much about what I had to say as much it was the people I was speaking to. Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Gold Star mothers, families speak at ceremony for fallen troops Charges were filed Monday against the daughter of a Provo newspaper reporter accused of slapping and spitting on Orems mayor after he publicly disparaged her mother. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News The daughter of newspaper reporter accused of slapping Orem's mayor following a City Council meeting during which the mayor disparaged the reporter is now facing a felony charge. Linnea Geraldine Pugmire, 31, of Orem, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with threatening an elected official and causing injury, a third-degree felony; spitting in a person's face, a class A misdemeanor; assault and propelling a bodily substance, class B misdemeanors; and disorderly conduct, an infraction. On Sept. 19, Orem Mayor David Young was standing with others outside City Hall following a council meeting when Pugmire "approached the group in a confrontational manner, punched or slapped the mayor and a woman in the group, spit on the mayor's face, and spit on the woman's arm," according to charging documents. Police say Pugmire also told the mayor he "would get everything that was coming to him," and that she believes Young and the City Council are "destroying the city." "How dare you? ... Do you know what you just did tonight?" she can be heard saying to the mayor in witness video provided to KSL.com. Pugmire was visibly upset and claimed the mayor knew who she was, to which, he said, "I'm sick of being pushed around by your mother." "You're disgusting," Young said. Pugmire's mother is a reporter at the Daily Herald. Prior to the confrontation outside City Hall, Young spent 20 minutes at the end of the council meeting criticizing what he believed was unfair coverage of himself and the city in articles mainly written by Genelle Pugmire. He complained about headlines, the placement of stories, as well as questioning the news value and reporting in "off the rails articles." Young took particular issue about a recent story regarding a $1 million fraud lawsuit in Alabama the mayor was named in last year. Young, his real estate company Torch13 LLC and his son were ordered by an Alabama judge to pay more than $1 million for fraudulent business loans in 2022. The judge called the Orem mayor "a lynchpin to this fraud" and said both Young and his son were "extremely lacking in credibility." Young later sued his former daughter-in-law and an Alabama man for what he claims was an illegal scheme designed to defraud him and his real estate company. During Tuesday's City Council meeting, the mayor again said he did nothing wrong, was not involved in the Alabama fraud case and called it a dispute between his son and his son's friend. The mayor said he has appealed the $1 million judgment to the Alabama Supreme Court, calling it a "desperate money grab that I will continue to defend myself against." In a statement released the day after the confrontation, Young said, "My intention in bringing to light the long-standing issues with the Daily Herald's reporting was to encourage people to rise above the divisiveness and misinformation that is overshadowing the amazing work of the City Council. As a community, we are better than this and I hope this incident will further serve as a wake-up call for the need for more responsible journalism and for each of us to work together with greater civility and unity." Reports of David Limp's retirement have been greatly exaggerated. The former SVP of Devices and Services announced last week at Amazon's 2023 Devices Event that he would be stepping down from the role he had held for more than a decade. By Monday, however, Limp had reportedly been tapped by Jeff Bezos to take over for current Blue Origin CEO, Bob Smith, who is retiring at the start of December. MSNBC reports that Smith will stick around until January 2, 2024 to assist with the transition. Bezos sent the following announcement to the Blue Origin's workforce on Monday: Im excited to share that Dave Limp will join Blue starting December 4th as CEO, replacing Bob, who has elected to step aside on January 2. The overlap is purposeful to ensure a smooth transition. Before I provide some background on Dave, Id like to take the time to recognize Bob and the significant growth and transformation weve experienced during his tenure. Under Bobs leadership, Blue has grown to several billion dollars in sales orders, with a substantial backlog for our vehicles and engines. Our team has increased from 850 people when Bob joined to more than 10,000 today. Weve expanded from one office in Kent to building a launch pad at LC-36 and five million square feet of facilities across seven states. Our mission has grown too weve flown 31 people above the Karman Line, almost five percent of all the people who have been to space. Flight-qualified BE-4 engines are ready to boost Vulcan into orbit. New Glenn is nearing launch next year, and, with our recent NASA contract, we will land Americans back on the Moon, this time to stay. We have also engaged and inspired millions of children and educators through our Club for the Future efforts. Weve made tremendous progress in building a road to space for the benefit of Earth, thanks to each of you and Bobs leadership. Ive worked closely with Dave for many years. He is the right leader at the right time for Blue. Dave joins us after almost 14 years at Amazon, where he most recently served as senior vice president of Amazon Devices and Services, leading Kuiper, Kindle, Alexa, Zoox, and many other businesses. Before Amazon, Dave had roles at other high-tech companies, including Palm and Apple. Dave is a proven innovator with a customer-first mindset and extensive experience leading and scaling large, complex organizations. Dave has an outstanding sense of urgency, brings energy to everything, and helps teams move very fast. Please join me in welcoming Dave and thanking Bob. Through this transition, I know well remain focused on our customer commitments, production schedules, and executing with speed and operational excellence. I look forward to the many exciting and historic milestones ahead of us! Jeff MSNBC obtained Limp's welcome as well: Team Blue, Its been about six years since I joined Blue Origin. During that time, our team, facilities, and sales orders have grown dramatically, and weve made significant contributions to the history of spaceflight. With pride and satisfaction in all that weve accomplished, Im announcing that effective December 4, I will be stepping aside as Chief Executive Officer of Blue Origin. I will remain with Blue until January 2 to ensure a smooth transition with the new CEO. It has been my privilege to be part of this great team, and I am confident that Blue Origins greatest achievements are still ahead of us. Weve rapidly scaled this company from its prototyping and research roots to a large, prominent space business. We have the right strategy. a supremely talented team, a robust customer base, and some of the most technically ambitious and exciting projects in the entire industry. We also have a team that cares deeply about its mission, legacy, and how we contribute to the next generation and bring everyone into a brighter future. Jeff and I have been discussing my plan for months, and Jeff will announce Blues new CEO in a separate note shortly. Im very excited about the operational excellence and culture of innovation this new leader will bring to Blue. building on the foundation weve created over the past few years. Im committed to ensuring this transition is flawless, and everyone should know that Ill always be on Team Blue. Gradatim Ferociter. Bob Smith Amazon has not officially named its successor for Limp, though Microsoft's product chief, Panos Panay who also just so happened to leave the role he held for two decades last week has been rumored as a leading choice for that position. The crowd of family and friends of Deborah Leslie release balloons to mark a year since police found Leslie's body, who was dead from a drug overdose, in an abandoned house in Gary. The gathering took place at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith on Saturday, August 23, 2023. (John Smierciak / Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) As the sun set on Oak Ridge Prairie Park Saturday evening, the field came alive with the flickering light of dozens of balloons glowing in the darkening twilight sky. They each carried a handwritten message: Advertisement We love you. We will always think of you. Advertisement I miss you. A photo of Deborah Leslie, with a butterfly on her nose, rests on a table during a balloon release to mark a year since police found Leslie's body, who was dead from a drug overdose, in an abandoned house in Gary. The gathering took place at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith on Saturday, August 23, 2023. (John Smierciak / Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) Friends, family members and the community gathered to celebrate the fact that they knew Deborah Leslie. Deborah was such a social, outgoing person she didnt live under a rock, as you can see, David Leslie, her father, said as individuals made their way to the gathering. Everyone who knew her; she touched their lives, and she touched so many peoples lives. I am hoping this brings Deborah back in mind for people. Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of 30-year-old Deborah Leslies body being found in the 5300 block of W. 8th Ave. in Gary on Sept. 23, 2022, three days after she was reported missing. The abandoned building she was found inside had burned down, causing the discovery. Her cause of death was a fentanyl and cocaine overdose, according to a coroners report. Carole Feist (left) and Chrissy Sokol (right), sisters of Deborah Leslie, listen to their father David Leslie address the crowd during a balloon release to mark a year since police found Leslie's body, who was dead from a drug overdose, in an abandoned house in Gary. The gathering took place at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith on Saturday, August 23, 2023.(John Smierciak / Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) David Leslie and others said that her faith in God was something she held onto throughout her life. I hope He opens up the heavens today and lets Deborah watch this, and see all of the people who came out to remember her, David Leslie, of Griffith, said. As the group let go of the balloons after sunset, they called out, We love you Deborah, in unison. The crowd of family and friends of Deborah Leslie release balloons to mark a year since police found Leslie's body, who was dead from a drug overdose, in an abandoned house in Gary. The gathering took place at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith on Saturday, August 23, 2023. (John Smierciak / Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) Her twin, Chrissy Sokol, of Griffith said the park has been a place they loved coming to since childhood, filled with memories of playing in the park, fishing in the pond and sledding. Advertisement She was a lover of nature, Sokol said. And she liked to connect with people, especially outcasts. If she saw you sitting by yourself, she would come talk to you. And she loved God a lot. Everyone who knew her knew that, and she spread it to as many people as possible. Her family said the Griffith woman struggled with addiction and continually pursued recovery, graduating from substance abuse programs but later relapsing. Her family said she had committed herself to rehab multiple times in her steps toward recovery from alcohol and later opioid abuse. David Leslie talks about his daughter Deborah Leslie during a balloon release to mark a year since since police found Leslie's body, who was dead from a drug overdose, in an abandoned house in Gary. The gathering took place at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith on Saturday, August 23, 2023.(John Smierciak / Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) In 2022, there were a reported 107,081 drug overdose deaths nationwide. Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that 68% of the deaths were mainly caused by fentanyl. Two of Deborah Leslies friends, Gabbi Garcia and Crystal Russo, organized the event and collaborated with family members to make it happen. The balloons and string were all biodegradable and environmentally safe. We just wanted to give everyone a chance to remember her and celebrate knowing her, Russo said. She said their group of friends still keep her memory close and celebrated her birthday by going out for dinner together, one of their favorite friendship traditions. Garcia said another tradition was their Halloween parties, in which one year Deborah Leslie dressed up as a Taco Bell sauce packet to celebrate their shared love of Taco Bell. They described her as fun-loving and goofy, but also as a caring shoulder to lean on. Advertisement Chrissy Sokol, twin sister of Deborah Leslie (right) talks with neighbor Frieda Fleming (left) who wipes away tears. Fleming, who knew the family for over 25 years came to the balloon release to mark a year since police found Leslie's body, who was dead from a drug overdose, in an abandoned house in Gary. The gathering took place at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith on Saturday, August 23, 2023. (John Smierciak / Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) One of the things we talked about since Debs passing a lot is our disappointment with how people suffering from addiction are treated, Garcia said. We feel like their cases arent taken as seriously because of this stigma that surrounds it. We hope that people can change that perspective. We need to treat everyone with dignity and respect. Two people have been charged in Deborah Leslies death: Emmit L. Yarbrough, Jr., 56, and Heather Richardson, 34, both of Gary. They were charged with Level 6 felony altering the scene of death and three misdemeanors, which included two counts of failure to notify authorities of discovery of a dead body, and one count of failure to report human remains. Camera footage from last year showed Yarbrough and Richardson appearing to take her body out from a Hammond hotel in a wheelchair, according to court records. She was found not long after in the abandoned building in Gary. The cases are both ongoing and the two individuals remain in jail. Penelope Price 7, plays in a field of tethered balloons during a balloon release to mark a year since police found Leslie's body, who was dead from a drug overdose, in an abandoned house in Gary. The gathering took place at Oak Ridge Prairie County Park in Griffith on Saturday, August 23, 2023. (John Smierciak / Post Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) David Leslie said he hopes for justice. She had a strong relationship with God and thats what gives me peace, David Leslie said. I know where she is, with no doubt in my mind. My daughters challenges with alcohol and then getting involved in opiates in the last year of her life Somehow she met up with these people and we still dont know what happened behind closed doors. Advertisement Her older sister, Carole Feist, of Hobart, said just driving down the winding park road brought back memories of their times together since childhood. To me, the biggest thing from her death theres a lot I am taking forward with me: How I see things, how I live life, my actions, Feist said. People have talked to me, not knowing she is my sister, telling me how much they have been impacted by her and her story. There is healing and growth and power through her life. And it shows how important connection is. Connection is the healing factor in addiction. According to Next Level Recovery Indiana, one in 12 Indiana residents meet the criteria for substance abuse disorder. Individuals can dial 211 to connect with local treatment and recovery resources. Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Staff writers Meredith Colias-Pete and Carrie Napoleon contributed. David Jungerman, the Jackson County millionaire who was found guilty in the 2017 shooting death of a Brookside attorney, died Monday morning, according to his defense attorney. Jungerman, 85, was convicted last year of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Oct. 25, 2017, shooting death of Tom Pickert, who had just returned home after walking his sons to school. Dan Ross, who represented Jungerman in the murder trial in Jackson County Circuit Court, said his client had been hospitalized at University Health for some time after becoming ill. David Jungerman always insisted on his innocence, Ross told The Star. Unfortunately, the appeal of his guilty verdict will never be heard. The defense was confident of prevailing on his appeal, because of his death by operation of law, we believe the case will be dismissed. In March, a Jackson County judge ruled that Jungerman was not competent to be sentenced and ordered that he be committed to the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Jungerman, a self-made millionaire, was a native of Blackburn, Missouri. He worked his way through college as a psychology major and later became a salesman for a baby crib company. By the time Jungerman was in his mid-30s, he was president of Baby-Tenda Corp., a manufacturer of cribs and toddler tables in Kansas City. David Jungerman appeared with his daughter and granddaughter on the back cover of this 2010 catalog for his baby furniture business, Baby-Tenda. The Star blurred the photo to protect the relatives privacy. In 2018, Jungermans family had assets of about $33 million, with more than 7,000 acres of property. Over the years, Jungerman has faced a plethora of legal and criminal challenges. In 1990, Raytown police arrested Jungerman after he tried to detain four juveniles for trespassing behind his Raytown house. Jungerman lost lawsuit over shooting of homeless man During a murder trial that lasted nearly two weeks, prosecutors said Jungerman shot Pickert because of a $5.75 million judgment Pickert won against Jungerman in a civil lawsuit. Pickert was representing a homeless man Jungerman shot in 2012 because he thought the man was stealing copper from Jungermans baby furniture business in Kansas City. Kansas City attorney Tom Pickert was shot to death on the front porch of his Brookside home about 8 a.m. Oct. 25, 2017. The victim, Jeffrey Harris, had to have his leg amputated above the knee. Harris was one of four people Jungerman shot within a month in 2012, all of them men he encountered at night in a building associated with his baby furniture business in Kansas Citys Northeast neighborhood. Jungerman, who said the men were stealing copper and that he acted in self-defense, was not charged in those shootings. Moments after the jurys verdict in the Harris case was announced, Jungerman confronted Pickert in the courtroom and in a threatening manner told him: None of this matters. I have 186 guns. I did it once before. I will do it again. You cant touch me, according to prosecutors. The day before shooting Pickert, Jackson County authorities served Jungerman with property liens to satisfy the civil judgment Pickert had won against him. In interviews with The Star, Jungerman denied being at the scene of the Pickert shooting. Pickerts wife, Emily Riegel filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2018 against Jungerman, his daughter, Angelia Buesing, and several family-owned businesses and trusts. That lawsuit was resolved with a Jackson County judge approved a confidential settlement. A key element to the prosecutors closing argument was an audio recording of Jungerman allegedly admitting that he killed Pickert. Jungerman had joked with Leo Wynne, a man who worked for him about the shooting. In the recording, Jungerman told Wynne: When I think about it, I grin. That (expletive) has caused me a lot of problems Leo. Prosecutors showed jurors a photo from the crime scene that showed Pickert sprawled on the sidewalk in front of his home, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Defense accused police of falsifying evidence During his closing argument, Ross said that prosecutors and police settled on Jungerman as a suspect based on an alleged motive and failed to seriously look at other suspects. Ross also said Kansas City police detectives falsified evidence, including surveillance video that did not fit the timeline of the theory presented to investigators. Investigators captured on video a van that belonged to Jungerman traveling from Raytown to Pickerts neighborhood on the day of the killing. Police released the license plate of a white van shortly after lawyer Tom Pickert was fatally shot on the porch of his Brookside home Oct. 25. The owner of the 1997 Chevrolet van, David Jungerman, showed the van to a reporter Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. License plate readers would have shown that Jungerman was elsewhere at the time of the killing, Ross said. It also would have proved that Jungermans van was never detected in the victims neighborhood prior to the shooting, he said. Prosecutors said Jungerman shot Pickert with a .17-caliber firearm, a weapon often used by farmers and ranchers to kill pests. Investigators also found that Jungerman had transferred money and property to his daughter. Jungermans assets totaled about $33 million. Jungerman had withdrawn $5 million from his bank account. Jungerman emerged as a suspect within hours of the shooting because of his connection to Pickert. Yet, the killing went unsolved for months. Kansas City police said at one point that Jungerman, who was the focus of intense media coverage, was not a suspect. This is a developing story and will be updated. David McCallum, one of the original NCIS cast members and star of the hit Sixties spy drama The Man From UNCLE, has died aged 90. His son, Peter, announced on Monday (25 September) that McCallum had died of natural causes in New York City. He was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father. He always put family before self, Peter said in a statement issued on behalf of his family. He looked forward to any chance to connect with his grandchildren, and had a unique bond with each of them. He and his youngest grandson, Whit, 9, could often be found in the corner of a room at family parties having deep philosophical conversations. He was a true renaissance man he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on NCIS. After returning from the hospital to their apartment, I asked my mother if she was OK before she went to sleep. Her answer was simply, Yes. But I do wish we had had a chance to grow old together. She is 79, and dad just turned 90. The honesty in that emotion shows how vibrant their beautiful relationship and daily lives were, and that somehow, even at 90, Daddy never grew old. NCIS executive producers Steven D Binder and David North added: For over 20 years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr Donald Ducky Mallard. But as much as his fans may have loved him, those who worked side by side with David loved him that much more. He was a scholar and a gentleman, always gracious, a consummate professional, and never one to pass up a joke. From day one, it was an honour to work with him and he never let us down. He was, quite simply, a legend. He was also family and will be deeply missed. David McCallum in 1975 (AP1975) McCallum was the last remaining original cast member on CBSs NCIS, in which he played Chief Medical Examiner Donald Ducky Mallard for two decades. We are deeply saddened by the passing of David McCallum and privileged that CBS was his home for so many years, the network and NCIS studio CBS Studios said in a joint statement. David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world. He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away. We will miss his warmth and endearing sense of humor that lit up any room or soundstage he stepped onto, as well as the brilliant stories he often shared from a life well-lived. Our hearts go out to his wife Katherine and his entire family, and all those who knew and loved David. McCallum was born in Glasgow in 1933. After leaving school, he was conscripted for National Service and served in west Africa where he was eventually promoted to the rank of lieutenant. After leaving the army he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London where Joan Collins was a classmate. David McCallum in 2010 (Getty Images) His breakout role in the US came in 1963 when he was cast as Lieutenant-Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt (aka Dispersal) in The Great Escape starring Steve McQueen. He went on to appear in the movies The Greatest Story Ever Told, Mosquito Squadron, Billy Budd, Freud and A Night to Remember. McCallum joined the cast of NCIS in 2003, devoting himself to the study of forensics to play Mallard. Producer Donald P Bellisario said in a 2006 interview that McCallum's knowledge had become so vast that he was considering making him a technical adviser on the show. In addition to acting, McCallum recorded four albums for Capitol Records comprised of instrumental versions of hits at the time. In 2016 McCallum published his first novel, Once a Crooked Man. McCallum is survived by his wife of 56 years, Katherine McCallum, his sons Paul McCallum, Valentine McCallum and Peter McCallum , his daughter Sophie McCallum and his eight grandchildren: Julia McCallum, Luca de Sanctis, Iain de Sanctis, Stella McCallum, Gavin McCallum, George McCallum, Alessandro de Sanctis and Whit McCallum. In lieu of flowers, McCallums family asks that donations be made to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation at http://www.mcsf.org. In this Sept. 25, 1957, file photo, nine African American students enter Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., escorted by troops of the 101st Airborne Division. | Associated Press On the morning of Sept. 25, 1957, nine Black students, now famously called the Little Rock Nine, arrived at Central High School to attend their first day of school under the protection and escort from the U.S. Armys 101st Airborne Division. The group consisting of Melba Pattillo, Ernest Green , Elizabeth Eckford , Minnijean Brown , Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Jefferson Thomas, Gloria Ray, and Thelma Mothershed became the centre of the struggle to desegregate public schools in the United States, especially in the South, according to Britannica. Heres the story of how these nine students brought about an important yet deep national debate about civil rights and racial segregation. Related Little Rock Nines first attempt The nine students first enrolled in Central High School during the summer of 1957 as permitted by the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 that declared segregation in public schools being unconstitutional. Until the courts decision, many states across the nation had mandatory segregation laws, or Jim Crow laws, requiring African American and white children to attend separate schools. Resistance to the ruling was so widespread that the court issued a second decision in 1955, known as Brown II, ordering school districts to integrate with all deliberate speed, according to History. In response to Brown II, Daisy Bates, the local leader of the NAACP in Little Rock, Arkansas, went out and recruited the nine students to enroll and attend Central High in the fall of 1957. The National Park Service reported that on Sept. 3, 1957, the Little Rock Nine arrived to enter Central High School, but they were turned away by the Arkansas National Guard. All nine students were met with angry mobs of about 400 white civilians shouting, throwing stones and threatening to kill them along with 100 armed National Guard troops who refused to admit the students into the school. The National Guard troops were reportedly ordered by Arkansas Gov. Orval Eugene Faubus as a follow-through on his declared opposition to integration and his intention to defy a federal court order requiring desegregation. To make a terrifying situation even more intense, 15-year-old Elizabeth Eckford, one of the nine students attending school, arrived separately from the other eight students and had to face the angry mob along with the National Guard troops alone, according to Upworthy. Eckford and the other eight students eventually left the school as their safety was threatened and their entrance was being blocked on all sides. The nine waited two weeks before making their second attempt. Related Second attempt for the Little Rock Nine On Sept. 23, 1957, the Little Rock Nine regrouped and attempted to enter Central High School for a second time. CGTN America reported that the nine students all coordinated to enter the school at the same place and time with a police escort to help them get through without being attacked by the angry mob. As the students were being escorted into the school, the rioting outside got so intense that the police ultimately decided to remove the nine in order to keep them safe, according to the National Park Service. The Eisenhower Presidential Library reported that the news coverage of this riot made its way to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who decided to order the U.S. Armys 101st Airborne Division to go to Arkansas and ensure the safety of the students on their third attempt. Eisenhower reportedly said in a televised address to the nation, Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of the courts. Related The Little Rock Nines first official day of school On Sept. 25, 1957, with the presidents protection through the U.S. Armys 101st Airborne Division, the nine students were able to make it into school and officially have their first day of classes, according to History. Though the students were finally permitted to enter the school, harassment for the nine students continued for the rest of the school year, both inside the schools walls and within the community, according to the Eastern Illinois University Library. Britannica reported that one of the students, Minnijean Brown, fought back and was expelled. The remaining eight students, however, attended the school for the rest of the academic year. The first of the Little Rock Nine to graduate was Ernest Green, who made history on May 27, 1958, when he became the first African American to graduate from Little Rock Central High School. When Faubus was reelected in 1958, he made the decision to close all of Little Rocks schools rather than allow desegregation, which set the precedent for many Southern school districts up until 1960, when the school opened with a desgregated student body. In a Friday night post to Truth Social, former president Donald Trump seemed to suggest that Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley should be put to death for a phone call following the Jan 6 Capitol insurrection. Milley, a top U.S. military general, stated in September 2021 that the phone call had been intended to reassure the Chinese that Trump was not planning an attack on China. "I know, I am certain, that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese and it was my directed responsibility to convey presidential orders and intent," Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "My task at that time was to de-escalate. My message again was consistent: Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you." Milley's phone call stoked considerable ire amongst some lawmakers now, Trump has condemned the call as "an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH." "Mark Milley, who led perhaps the most embarrassing moment in American history with his grossly incompetent implementation of the withdrawal of Afghanistan, costing many lives, leaving behind hundreds of American citizens, and handing over BILLIONS of dollars of the finest military equipment ever made, will be leaving the military next week," Trump wrote. "This will be a time for all citizens of the USA to celebrate! This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States. This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH! A war between China and the United States could have been the result of this treasonous act. To be continued!!!" I take a light day or two and come back to Trump wanting to execute Mark Milley. But tell me more about how both sides are just the same. pic.twitter.com/PC4Lr9Tld6 Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) September 24, 2023 Far-right legislator Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., on Sunday also took aim at Milley in his weekly email newsletter, funded by U.S. taxpayers, in a stream of homophobic and violent invective. Gosar, in his newsletter, claimed that Milley, "the homosexual-promoting-BLM-activist Chairman of the military joint chiefs," was to blame for the delayed deployment of the National Guard on Jan 6. "After the riot was in full swing, the Chief's request for National Guard was finally approved," Gosar wrote. "But even after approval was given, General Milley, the homosexual-promoting-BLM-activist Chairman of the military joint chiefs, delayed. Of course, we now know that the deviant Milley was coordinating with Nancy Pelosi to hurt President Trump, and treasonously working behind Trump's back." He continued: "In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung." The alt-right lawmaker said of Milley, "He had one boss: President Trump, and instead he was secretly meeting with Pelosi and coordinating with her to hurt Trump. That is, when he also wasn't secretly coordinating and sharing intelligence with the Chinese military. How this traitor remains in office is a question we need answered." In which Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar advocates for the execution of Mark Milley in his weekly taxpayer funded newsletter pic.twitter.com/AScaI6AmP5 Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) September 24, 2023 A Monday CNN report detailed how, every day, Milley staff pulls transcripts from Fox News primetime shows to see if he is being talked about. While the article cited the practice as a "pragmatic" one, owing to consistent slander from top Fox personalities, it also demonstrates how "intensely attuned" Milley is to "politics surrounding the military." Milley's political dexterity behooved him throughout his career, as CNN notes, as did his ability to cope with Trump's "mercurial demands" with "a judicious silence." A former senior aid to Milley told CNN that "the chairman understood that Washington is an inherently political environment and that even as he sought to keep the military apolitical, he had to work with members of both parties to do his job." By the end of Trump's tenure in the White House, Milley faced a barrage of flagrant criticism from GOP lawmakers and Trump allies, accusing him of cultivating a "woke" military and subverting civilian control over the military. Milley has rejected culture-war claims, telling CNN earlier this month, "This military is a lot of things, but woke, it's not. So I take exception to that. I think that people say those things for reasons that are their own reasons, but it's not true." Donald Trump s dominance over the Republican primary field is on the precipice of no return. Fox News is approaching this week's debate as if it's now or never for everyone else. It's crunch time for them, Fox News host Dana Perino told POLITICO ahead of Wednesdays debate. They have supporters and donors who want to see a breakout moment. During the first debate in August, candidates spent more time attacking Democratic President Joe Biden than they did the GOP front-runner. Perino says if they want to succeed on the stage in California, they may have to go after Trump. They all agree about Joe Biden. The way to have a breakout moment is not about what you're going to say about the current president. It's about how you think that you would be a better president than the one we have now, or the one that we've had before that is running again, Perino said. Trump wont be there to parry any attacks, should his rivals decide to deliver them. The former president is bypassing the second debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California for his own rally in Detroit, where hes expected to speak to over 500 union workers representing different trades, including autoworkers, amid the ongoing UAW strike. Trumps decision to skip the debate after he opted out of the first in favor of a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is unsurprising, given the venue. Just days before the event, board members and advisers at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute described Trump as a spoiled brat in a sandbox and compared him to Voldemort. Fox News was able to draw 12.8 million viewers during the first debate in Milwaukee. While those numbers reflected an interest in GOP candidates other than Trump, they didnt outpace the first GOP debate in August 2015 during his first run at the White House. Whether that interest will pull in high ratings for Fox the second time around remains to be seen, Perino said. But many voters are still hoping to avoid a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024. You have a significant number of Republicans who are saying they want a different choice than the two frontrunners right now meaning Trump or Biden, Perino said. And so we provide the opportunity and venue in a debate so that these candidates who want to be commander in chief and who think they would be a better president than President Trump to make their case in front of millions. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has levied criticism at Foxs first debate moderators, Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier, over some of their questions particularly a question he was asked about UFOs and their role in controlling the stage. The stage was completely out of control, Christie said during an appearance on CNN following the first debate. And Im disappointed that the moderators didnt play a stronger hand in controlling what was going on. But keeping things civil is ultimately up to the candidates, Perino said. It is on my mind, thinking about the control of the debate. A lot of that does rest with the candidates though, Perino said. It's up to the candidates to understand that if you're talking over somebody that means that the microphones cancel each other out, and no one hears what you're saying so it's not productive. And I don't know if there's anything I can do about that, she added later. As for questions, she and co-hosts Stuart Varney of Fox and Ilia Calderon of Univision will work together to find a way to make this the most informative debate for the people that are watching, Perino said. Univision is also set to air a Spanish version of Wednesdays debate, a further sign of the Republican Partys desire to attract Hispanic and Latino voters who have soured on Biden. That voting bloc is now central to the Biden campaigns counterprograming, which on Friday announced a $25 million buy to air an ad titled La Diferencia. The 30-second ad will air in Spanish and English on a Univision simulcast of Wednesdays debate, according to the campaign. Latino voters are more and more willing to consider the Republicans, Perino said. Now can [the candidates] bring that home? That remains to be seen, but they have an opportunity to do so. CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to reflect that Coast Guard officials identified the whales spotted in the Gulf of Mexico as sperm whales after previously identifying them as critically endangered Rices whales. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also told McClatchy News in a statement that they are sperm whales. The story continues below. Coast Guard officers were conducting a routine patrol in the Gulf of Mexico when they spotted something strange. The officers from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Venice were on a Living Marine Resource patrol which seeks to protect fish and marine resources near the Mississippi Canyon, a spokesperson told McClatchy News. Thats when they saw what appeared to be a pile of debris floating in the water. As the officers got closer though, they realized they had discovered something much more special: It was three 25-foot sperm whales. Officials shared a video of one of the creatures swimming through the water in a Sept. 24 Facebook post. The video shows a sperm whale, a spokesperson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote in an email to McClatchy News. Sperm whales are endangered and are typically found in Alaska and the northern Atlantic, according to Whale Sense. The deep-diving creatures are known to prey on squid, sharks and other fish. Females can grow to 40 feet and 15 tons, while males can be up to 52 feet and 45 tons. The whales were spotted roughly 30 miles south of the SouthWest Pass, which is south of New Orleans. Sea creature and mom put on majestic show for boaters in CA. In awe of the beauty Boaters get glimpse of rare creature known for eating sharks in Maine. See it Massive sea creatures give researcher a triple surprise. See the magic moment The UK's armed police refused to carry weapons over the weekend in protest against one of their peers being charged with murder - Jeremy Selwyn The decision to charge a firearms officer with the murder of Chris Kaba should be reviewed, a former minister has said, as the outcry over the case escalated. A former Home Office minister said the case had undermined the polices confidence in the institutions that judge their actions. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also came in for criticism because of a perceived lack of scrutiny of its work. A large number of the Metropolitan Polices armed response officers refused to carry weapons over the weekend in response to the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) decision to charge their unnamed colleague with murdering Kaba in September last year. Its difficult for police officers On Monday, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, said that police need clarity about their legal powers to use lethal force. Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, has ordered a review of armed policing, but some of her colleagues have suggested any review should include decisions made by the CPS and IOPC. One former Home Office minister said: I do think there is a problem with the CPS, adding: The Home Secretary needs to make sure the police are being backed and supported by the CPS. We have to have confidence in those institutions that are looking at the police and if there are any grey areas, its difficult for police officers. Im not completely sold on the IOPC as it currently stands either. Such bodies should always be under scrutiny. The former minister suggested that a former high-ranking officer, such as Andy Cooke, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and a former chief constable of Merseyside Police, should be asked to review the Kaba case. The ex-minister said: I think a potential option is to bring in someone like Andy Cooke, who is a former police chief, to review what has happened and to ask some serious questions about how we have ended up in this situation and what measures can we take to protect the police, because this is about empowering police to do their job. What happens when an armed officer shoots someone? Other former ministers in departments dealing with law and order were more cautious. Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, said: The police are civilians in uniform and we have rules in place to ensure they police by consent. The idea that you can have one law for the police and one law for the rest of us is not the basis of policing in the UK. Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, the former director of public prosecutions, said: Its been referred to the CPS, the evidence has been considered and the CPS has made their decision. I have no doubt an extremely careful process has been followed through. Kaba, 24, a rapper known as Madix or Mad Itch, was shot in the head through the windscreen of an Audi in Streatham Hill, south London, a year ago. Armed officers in an unmarked car had been following the vehicle, which was said to have been linked to a firearms incident the day before. Chris Kaba The officer who is alleged to have murdered him, named only as NX121, was bailed after appearing in court last week. A further hearing will determine whether his name will be released to the public. A Home Office spokesman said: Firearms officers do an extremely challenging job, making split-second decisions to keep the British public safe each and every day. They have our full support. It is crucial that they are able to use their powers with legal certainty and clarity. Thats why we are reviewing the framework and processes in place. We are mindful of ongoing cases and we will not be commenting further. 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. UNION CITY, N.J. A defiant Sen. Bob Menendez on Monday doubled down that he will not resign under the cloud of a damning federal bribery indictment and a state party apparatus that has largely abandoned him. The remarks were made in Union City, Menendezs hometown where he started his political career as a school board member in the 1970s and eventually became mayor. Menendez said this will be the biggest fight yet for him, although he doubled down on his innocence. He did not take questions. The allegations leveled against me are just that allegations, he said from Hudson County College. He added, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator. Menendez is accused of using his office to benefit New Jersey businesspeople and the Egyptian government in exchange for gold bars, cash and a new luxury vehicle, among other things. The charges made by federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, he said, were made to be as salacious as possible. The senator addressed some of the allegations put forth by federal prosecutors, who searched his home in Bergen County in June 2022. Prosecutors found $550,000 in cash as well as gold bars in the house and a safe deposit box, which they say Menendez received as bribes. For 30 years I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, Menendez said. This may seem old fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. He did not address, however, why he allegedly had bars of gold as well as a new luxury vehicle the latter of which prosecutors say he obtained in exchange for interfering in a state criminal prosecution for an associate. He also did not address allegations from prosecutors that cash found in his home had DNA or fingerprints from co-defendants in the indictment and people linked to them. Menendez, who until recently was the chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is also accused by prosecutors for using his office to influence weapons deals to Egypt in exchange for bribes. Menendez said it was indisputable that he was on the side of civil society and human rights defenders in Egypt and has challenged [Egyptian] President [Abdel Fattah El] Sisi directly. I have always worked to hold accountable those countries including Egypt for human rights abuses and repression of its citizenry those who now are attempting to malign my actions as it relates to Egypt simply don't know the facts, he said. Menendez had roughly more than a dozen supporters and staffers lined up behind him. It is unclear who they all were the lineup did not include any prominent elected officials and a spokesperson did not immediately identify them although Menendez called them everyday people and constituents. It was a notable shift from his 2015 indictment when he quickly had top Democrats lined up to support him. Its Menendezs third time being in the crosshairs of federal investigators since he entered the Senate and the second indictment on corruption charges over the past decade. He was indicted in 2015 on bribery allegations, although that ended in a mistrial. He was, however, admonished by the Senate Ethics Committee for the matter. Prosecutors get it wrong sometimes, he said during the press conference Sadly, I know that. This time, however, Menendez faces seemingly insurmountable political headwinds on top of his legal troubles. A tranche of influential state Democrats including Gov. Phil Murphy, state Democratic Chair LeRoy Jones and the state legislatures Senate President and Assembly Speaker have publicly called for Menendezs resignation after the indictment was unsealed on Friday (should Menendez resign, Murphy would have the power to appoint a replacement to the Senate). Menendez while not directly mentioning anyone said that others have rushed to judgment because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them. Menendezs defiance is characteristic, though he was forced to resign his powerful leadership position on the Foreign Relations Committee due to Senate rules Friday. But his unwillingness to step down also plays a practical purpose: To raise money for his legal defense. Menendez did not announce he plans to seek reelection to the Senate in 2024, as was expected. Still, the race to challenge Menndez for his Senate seat in 2024 is quickly taking shape. U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and progressive activist Larry Hamm have announced they will run for the seat. Other ambitious New Jersey Democrats including Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill are also mentioned as possible successors amongst the states chattering class. There is some electoral history to suggest Menendez is in trouble if he does seek reelection. In 2018 after Menendez survived his first corruption indictment, a virtually unknown candidate with non-existent resources nearly got 40 percent of the vote against Menendez in the Democratic primary and that was when he had the backing of state Democrats. An open Senate seat in New Jersey is a golden opportunity for an ambitious New Jersey Democrat; the state has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since Clifford Case won reelection in 1972. With the states overwhelming Democratic preference in statewide federal elections, that is unlikely to change. However, the prospect of Menendez being the Democratic nominee in 2024 could make the seat much more competitive. Menendez as well as his wife, who is also charged in the case, and three New York businessmen are expected to appear in federal court Wednesday in Manhattan to address the charges. From left, Edgar Rodriguez, Director of Lake County's new High-Tech Crime Unit, and Bernard Johnsen, Supervisor of the Lake County High-Tech Crime Unit, listen to State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, (center), speak, along with Thomas L. Keon, Purdue Northwest Chancellor, and Bernie Carter, Lake County Prosecutor, inside the newly established High-Tech Crime Unit (HTCU) on PNW's Hammond campus on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (John Smierciak/ Post-Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) A new collaboration between the Lake County Prosecutors Office and Purdue University Northwest aims to help law enforcement tackle crimes involving technology quicker and more efficiently. State, local and federal dignitaries joined PNW Chancellor Thomas Keon at PNWs Hammond campus Tuesday as he and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter announced the High-Tech Crime Unit to be housed there. Born out of House Bill 1082 in 2021, the Indiana General Assembly authorized the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council to administer $6 million in funds for 10 such units across the state, Carter said. Advertisement After the bill was passed in 2021, Carters office reached out to PNW because it wanted its unit to be affiliated with a university, he said, and Hammond was the perfect place for Lake County, the second largest county in the state with 24 law enforcement agencies. Purdue Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon (left) and Lake County Prosecutor Bernie Carter talk during a ribbon-cutting event for the newly established High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU) on PNWs Hammond campus on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (John Smierciak/ Post-Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) Purdue Northwest has an outstanding cybercrime and forensics lab, so we explained (to Keon) what we wanted to do one day, and the next day, we had an email: We are excited about the potential to partner with your office on the creation of a new High Technology Crime Unit to serve the residents of Lake County and surrounding communities, Carter said. We believe that in addition to being a valuable tool in assisting with cyber-related criminal investigations, the new unit would offer PNW students beneficial, real world security experience to complement their academic studies. Advertisement Please accept this letter as official commitment from PNW to be a partner of the Lake County High Technology Crime Unit. The unit, Carter said, will be run by Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Edgar Rodriguez and be composed of PNW students whore in the Forensics school. The scope of their work will include scraping digital evidence and other information from devices used in the commission of a crime. Lake County Prosecutor Bernie Carter address the crowd as U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, listens, left, during a ribbon-cutting event for the newly established High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU) on PNW's Hammond campus on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) Today, everyone is using an electronic device of some sort: cell phones, tablets, social media, cameras and especially GPS in terms of tracking, Carter said. The students whore expected to start in the spring semester according to Rodriguez, will be deputized, which will in turn give them the authority to handle investigations as well as testify before juries, Carter said. Its an excellent experience, and Ill tell you: Juries love to see experts come in because they then think, That can be my daughter or son, he said. Lake County police officers and officials walk to the Gyte Building during a ribbon-cutting event for the newly established High-Tech Crime Unit (HTCU) on PNW's Hammond campus on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) Rodriguez, whos been working the Prosecutors Cybercrime unit for more than a year, said hes set up a relay system for the police departments in Lake County to be able to put in case numbers and other information for the students to gather, and a calendar for police to log when they need their evidence. Serious crimes, such as murder and rape, will naturally get priority, he said. But when using the system, officers must bear in mind that the longer they sit on the devices, the more likely the evidence they need will disappear. Its always said you can never delete something from the Internet, but once you put something in the recycle bin, you have 30 days or less for it to be there before it gets written over, he said. Advertisement As Kenneth C. Holford, Purdue Northwest Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs holds the ribbon on the left and U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, holds it on the right, State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, Purdue Northwest Chancellor Thomas L. Keon, and Lake County Prosecutor Bernie Carter cut the ribbon opening the newly established High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU) on PNW's Hammond campus on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune) Also, students accepted into the program will be sworn in, and anyone transmitting information with which theyre working outside of the lab will be dealt with. That penalty is prosecution, Rodriguez said. Well have someone keeping a close eye on that because students are students. The grant will fund Lake Countys High Technology Crime Unit to the tune of $600,000 over two years, the Post-Tribune reported previously. Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said Monday that he has no plans to step down and maintained that he will be exonerated on federal bribery charges. Menendez remained defiant in his first public remarks since his federal indictment Friday. He told supporters and media that Democrats in New Jersey are making a mistake by calling on him to resign and that he fully expects to remain in the upper chamber for years to come. The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations, Menendez told the crowd in Union City, N.J. I recognized that this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated through this whole process, I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator. Menendez said those calling for him to step down are doing so for purposes of political expediency and that those people have done so on a limited set of facts that were framed to be as salacious as possible. For now, I remain focused on continuing to do the important work I do every day on behalf of the 9 million people who call New Jersey home, Menendez said, pointing to the push to fund the government and pass aid for disaster relief and Ukraine. Ill return to Washington this week to do exactly that. The U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York unveiled charges last week against Menendez and his wife, Nadine, accusing them of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using the senators power and influence to enrich a trio of New Jersey businessmen. Federal agents seized more than $480,000 in cash stuffed in envelopes and hidden in clothing and closets, as well as two 1-kilogram gold bars and nine 1-ounce gold bars when they raided his home in June 2022. Menendez has since faced calls to resign from Democrats, including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), multiple members of Congress from New Jersey and Democratic leadership in Trenton. Senate Democratic leadership, however, hasnt joined those calls. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Friday that Menendez rightly stepped down from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until the charges are resolved, but declined to go any further. However, they acknowledge that Menendez faces a situation of peril. This is a very serious charge. Theres no question about it, Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat, told CNN on Sunday. These are, in fact, indictments that have to be proven. Under the rule of law, a person who is accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence. And its the responsibility of the government to prove that case. Menendez on Monday did not address is whether he will seek a fourth term next year. He did not take questions after his remarks. I can tell you that its a significant event, clearly it is. And whether or not he will run for reelection remains to be seen, Durbin said about a potential Menendez reelection bid during the interview. This is the second time federal prosecutors have charged Menendez. He faced corruption charges in 2015 that were ultimately dropped in 2018. Menendez subsequently reassumed his role as chairman of the Foreign Relations panel and won reelection that fall. Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly, I know that. Instead of waiting for all the facts to be presented, others have rushed to judgment, because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them, Menendez said. All I humbly ask for in this moment is to pause and to allow all the facts to be presented. Updated at 12:25 p.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The sample return capsule after touching down at the Department of Defenses Utah Test and Training Range on September 24, 2023. The sample return capsule after touching down at the Department of Defenses Utah Test and Training Range on September 24, 2023. Earth just got a special delivery: Pieces of an ancient asteroid that were snagged straight from the source and dropped off in the western Utah desert. After traveling through space for nearly three years, the journey is just beginning for the precious rock samples, which could help scientists figure out the story of life. Read more Bennu is a small, near-Earth asteroid that makes a close pass to Earth every six years or so. Scientists believe Bennu might have broken off from a much larger carbon-rich asteroid about 700 million to 2 billion years ago, and drifted much closer to Earth since then. Successfully delivering samples from Bennu to Earth is a triumph of collaborative ingenuity and a testament to what we can accomplish when we unite with a common purpose. But lets not forgetwhile this may feel like the end of an incredible chapter, its truly just the beginning of another, Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, Tucson, said in a statement. We now have the unprecedented opportunity to analyze these samples and delve deeper into the secrets of our solar system. The OSIRIS-REx mission launched in September 2016 and reached asteroid Bennu in December 2018. After nearly two years of observations, the spacecraft landed on Bennu and snagged a sample from its surface in October 2020. On May 10, 2021, OSIRIS-REx said goodbye to Bennu and began its journey back home to drop off its precious cargo. The spacecraft was 63,000 miles (102,000 kilometers) away from Earths surface when it released its sample capsule toward Earths atmosphere at 6:42 a.m. ET, according to NASA. After dropping off its sample, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft began making its way towards its next mission of exploring asteroid Apophis. Accordingly, the mission will be renamed to OSIRIS-APEX (OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer). The sample capsule made its way down at speeds of 27,650 miles per hour (44,500 kilometer per hour), and it pierced the atmosphere at 10:42 a.m. ET off the coast of California at an altitude of about 83 miles (133 kilometers). Around 10 minutes later, the capsule landed in the Utah desert with the help of two parachutes to slow it down. The whole team had butterflies today, but thats the focused anticipation of a critical event by a well-prepared team, Rich Burns, project manager for OSIRIS-REx at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement. For us, this was the World Series, ninth inning, bases-loaded moment, and this team knocked it out of the park. This marks the first time that NASA has returned surface samples from an asteroid. Japan achieved the same feat in December 2020, returning samples of asteroid Ryugu as part of the Hayabusa2 mission. For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on Twitter and bookmark Gizmodos dedicated Spaceflight page. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Dean Phillips said he is thinking about running against Mr Biden to provide the Democrats with an alternative candidate - Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images A Democratic congressman has said he is considering running against Joe Biden for the partys nomination because the US president is suffering from something he cant change. In a coded reference to concerns about Mr Bidens age, Dean Phillips said something could happen between now and next November that could make the next election an unmitigated disaster for the Democrats. The Minnesota representative said he is thinking about running against Mr Biden, 80, to provide the party with an alternative candidate. The latest polls show three quarters of Americans have concerns about the presidents age, following a series of gaffes including telling a press conference: Im gonna go to bed. Mr Phillips suggested in July he would consider a presidential run, but appeared to have decided to instead support another candidate to run against Mr Biden. On Monday he said he was once again thinking of challenging the president in the Democratic primary. The thing that Biden is suffering from unfortunately right now is something he cant change, he told The Warning with Steve Schmidt podcast. Theres some wisdom in him that is quite remarkable, and that I honour, but I also know what the country is asking for, and how can you ignore the numbers you see in a country that prides itself on representational democracy? He added that he was concerned that there is no alternative and that something could happen between now and next November that would make the Democratic Convention in Chicago an unmitigated disaster. Asked directly whether he would run, Mr Phillips said: I am thinking about it. And I havent ruled it out. Polls show three quarters of Americans have concerns about Joe Biden's age, following a series of gaffes - Leah Millis/Reuters Despite widespread concerns about Mr Bidens age and health, Democrats have largely avoided commenting on the issue in an attempt to avoid further attacks from Republicans. Mr Biden was the oldest person to be elected president when he began his first term in 2020, and will be 86 if he finishes a second term. In a rare interview in May, he addressed his age directly and said he know[s] more than the vast majority of people. Aides insist that in private, the president is hardworking and outperforms younger staff in late-night meetings. But he has also committed a series of public gaffes in recent months that have fuelled concerns he is too old to continue in the White House at the end of next year. At a UN summit last week, he appeared to forget to shake hands with the president of Brazil at a press conference, and repeated the same anecdote just minutes apart. Two days later, he falsely claimed he had been to the site of every mass shooting. He has also referred to the Grand Canyon as one of the nine wonders of the world, and ended a speech about gun crime by telling the audience: God save the Queen. 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. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) declared Monday that he would neither resign nor cease running for reelection after he was indicted on corruption charges on Friday. Stating that those calling for his resignation have rushed to judgment ... on a limited set of facts, Menendez declared in a press conference, I will be exonerated and continue to be the senior senator from New Jersey. The district attorney for the Southern District of New York indicted Menendez and his wife, Nadine, for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, checks and gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for aiding the Egyptian government obtain military aid that was being withheld due to accusations of human rights violations. Menendez and his wife are also alleged to have used his position to help three New Jersey businessmen in their business dealings in Egypt and to evade state and federal prosecution. Menendez defended the hundreds of thousands in cash allegedly found stashed in his home in clothes and envelopes, and said it came from his personal savings account. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, Menendez said. The indictment, however, notes that cash-filled envelopes found by federal agents in Menendezs home bore the fingerprints and DNA of one of the New Jersey businessmen who allegedly provided the money as a bribe. Menendez did not address the gold bars that were originally purchased by another of the businessmen, nor did he address the Mercedez-Benz purchased for his wife by the third businessman. This is Menendezs second corruption indictment in the past eight years. He was previously indicted in 2015 for allegedly pressuring the Department of Health and Human Services to drop a Medicare fraud investigation into Dr. Salomon Melgen in exchange for campaign donations and gifts, like luxury travel and hotel accommodations. The case ended in a hung jury in 2017. The Senate Ethics Committee admonished Menendez in 2018 for actions [that] reflected discredit upon the Senate. Menendezs defiant declaration that he would not step aside comes after most of the New Jersey Democratic Party establishment called for his resignation. Seven of the states nine-member Democratic Party House delegation called for Menendez to resign. (The only member to defend Menendez is his son, Rep. Rob Menendez.) They are joined by Gov. Phil Murphy, State Assembly Leader Craig Coughlin, State Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Democratic State Chair LeRoy Jones and numerous county party leaders. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who represents a hotly contested swing seat in southern New Jersey, announced Saturday that he would launch a primary campaign against Menendez. Menendez claimed that these elected lawmakers have rushed to judgment ... because they see a political benefit for themselves or someone around them. So far, Menendezs Senate colleagues have remained mum. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would let the prosecution play out. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is the only senator who joined calls for Menendez to resign. After Menendezs press conference, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the chief campaign arm for Senate Republicans, attacked Schumer and other Democrats for remaining totally silent on the stunning accusations. TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Tulare County Sheriffs Deputies announced they are actively searching for a 75-year-old hunter who got lost Sunday morning near Johnsondale. Around 6:30 a.m., deputies say Juan Velasquez became separated from his hunting group near Park Meadow. He was last seen wearing camouflaged clothing and an orange beanie. Sheriffs personnel are on the ground at the scene with the Sheriffs Aviation Support Unit airplane and the Fresno-based California Highway Patrol helicopter flying in the area to search for Velasquez. Anyone with any information regarding Velasquezs whereabouts is asked to contact deputies at (559) 733-6218. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. By Gram Slattery, James Oliphant, Nathan Layne WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had a chance in April to address Donald Trump 's growing momentum toward the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Like several such opportunities, he let it pass him by. DeSantis was in Japan at the time on an international tour a step often taken by presidential hopefuls to burnish their foreign policy credentials. Trump had launched his own candidacy five months earlier and had spent much of that time attacking the governor, who was considered his most formidable potential challenger but had yet to declare. Asked on camera about falling behind Trump in the polls, DeSantis awkwardly played coy. His eyes opened wide and his head wobbled from side to side as he tried to avoid answering the question, in what became a viral video clip. "I'm not I'm not a candidate, so we'll see if and when that changes," the governor said. Allies, advisers, and people close to the campaign now concede that DeSantis' reluctance in the weeks before announcing his candidacy to engage with Trump - on the Japan trip and elsewhere - was one of several costly strategic errors. Reuters spoke to 16 political operatives and donors close to DeSantis to reconstruct the roughly 10-week period from mid-March - before Trump's first criminal indictment in New York - to DeSantis' campaign launch on May 24. Several of the people said those weeks are crucial to understanding why DeSantis, once seen as the party's best hope of moving on from the tumult surrounding Trump, is now almost 40 points behind the former president, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. The unforced errors in that early stage had a lasting impact on DeSantis' campaign, they acknowledged. After Trump jumped into the race late last year, DeSantis waited for months to get in, dodging the subject of a presidential run with the media and refusing to respond to Trump's attacks. DeSantis hoped a productive Florida state legislative session would boost his candidacy, according to the operatives and people close to the governor. Instead, it has saddled him with a restrictive abortion measure that has turned off some key donors. During those weeks, the gap between Trump and DeSantis mushroomed from roughly 8 percentage points to 34 points, according to data analysis website FiveThirtyEight. With DeSantis now more than halfway from his official launch to the first primary contest in Iowa this January, many allies are asking what - if anything - the campaign should have done differently. Eight advisers, allies, donors, individuals involved in his fundraising efforts or people close to DeSantis told Reuters the governor placed too much emphasis on finishing Florida's legislative session without appearing to be running for president. In hindsight, such a distinction likely did not matter to voters, those people said, and left DeSantis vulnerable to attacks from Trump, as he refused to personally defend himself from the former president's broadsides. "What happened was we created this vacuum of vulnerability," said one person involved in the governor's strategy, who said he "100%" wished the governor had declared a presidential bid earlier. The DeSantis campaign told Reuters it did not want to discuss any past strategic decisions and was focused on preparing for the first nominating contests, which kick off with the Iowa caucus on Jan. 15. DeSantis' aides say they have made some course corrections in the wake of the rocky stretch around the campaign's launch. TRUMP FILLED THE VACUUM Three advisers involved in formulating DeSantis' strategy or close to top campaign staff, as well as some Florida-based donors, said that in hindsight they would have pushed DeSantis to more forcefully respond to Trump's attacks early on - including by moving up his formal launch. When DeSantis did jump in, it was via a glitchy launch on X, formerly known on Twitter, that even campaign staff privately concede was a disaster. Trump and his aides wasted no time in trying to fill the vacuum that DeSantis had created. They embarked on a strategy to weaken DeSantis in the eyes of Republican voters, particularly by portraying him as a threat to Social Security and Medicare - the healthcare program for seniors - because he supported restructuring the programs when he was a member of Congress. "The president was dead set on attacking Ron DeSantis as early as possible," Chris LaCivita, Trump's co-campaign manager, told Reuters. "DeSantis has his dirty fingers all over senior entitlements. Like cutting Medicare, slashing Social Security. Even raising our retirement age," one TV ad released by MAGA, Inc., a fund-raising super PAC supporting Trump, intoned. According to a Reuters analysis, Trump himself hit DeSantis over Social Security and Medicare in speeches, interviews and on social media more than 40 times between November, when Trump launched his campaign, and DeSantis' announcement in late May. LaCivita said the Trump campaign tried to take advantage of the fact that DeSantis was at that point still largely unknown by a large swath of the Republican electorate. "When you have so little name ID in that position, you are essentially a blank canvas, and you can sit around and wait for your opponent to paint their picture, or you can paint it for him," LaCivita said. As DeSantis continued to delay his entry, his donors were getting restless. One prominent donor complained to Reuters in March that DeSantis was not "cranked up" enough. "They really haven't started hammering Trump," the donor said. "At least 50 pecent of the problems that the DeSantis campaign has faced has come because of Trump's messaging," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist in Florida. "If DeSantis tripped and fell on the campaign trail, Trump's people made you know it happened." NOT A CANDIDATE DeSantis had his own timetable for launching his candidacy and he would not be stampeded by Trump into moving earlier, according to interviews with two people close to the governor. DeSantis, who painted himself as a man who could get things done without Trump's drama, wanted to wait until the Republican-controlled legislature in Florida passed bills that he could sell on the campaign trail. Some of those bills were connected to DeSantis' "anti-woke" crusade, such as expanding the state's ban on teaching gender-identity concepts. Others were cherished conservative policy goals, such as loosing restrictions on concealed weapons. But the legislative session has become best known for an abortion bill that proved repellant to some major donors who worried that the measure was so restrictive that it would turn off moderate voters and make DeSantis unelectable. Conservatives in the Republican-dominated legislature passed a ban in April that would outlaw the practice at six weeks, among the most restrictive in the nation. While DeSantis did not lobby for the bill, he had vowed during his re-election campaign to sign whatever measure was presented to him. He ended up signing the bill at night with little fanfare. In August, hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, the biggest individual donor to the main pro-DeSantis super PAC, told Reuters he was cutting the governor off in part due to his abortion stance. People close to DeSantis told Reuters that it has been difficult at times to square donors' unhappiness over the ban with the campaign's desire to appeal to religious conservatives. The campaign is staking much of its future on Iowa, where conservative evangelicals, Catholics and Lutherans make up much of the voting base. DeSantis' reluctance to enter the race earlier in the spring caused other headaches. He avoided personally seeking endorsements from any of the 20 Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Congress representing Florida, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, in part because he thought doing so might seem impolitic since he had not officially declared his candidacy. Instead, he had a Tallahassee-based ally named Ryan Tyson reach out, those people said. Meanwhile, Trump was working the phones and hosting lawmakers at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, seeking their support. DeSantis' failure to talk to those lawmakers directly, those people argued, likely contributed to much of the delegation coming out in support of Trump in mid-April. The endorsements helped drive a narrative that Trump's nomination was inevitable, they said. LESSONS LEARNED Aides say DeSantis' campaign has sought to make some strategic adjustments. After initially eschewing appearances in mainstream media, the governor has regularly sat for interviews to raise his profile and push back at Trump, according to two people close to the governor. DeSantis has also leaned into small-scale retail politics, hoping to give voters a better sense of him at a personal level. He is laser-focused on trying to stop Trump's momentum by winning the first Republican nominating contest in Iowa. The midwestern state uses a caucus system, during which Republicans show up to local meetings to express their candidate preference. DeSantis' allies say that could help them as the system tends favor campaigns with sophisticated operations promoting turnout. "The reality is: Just be steady. Be disciplined. Outwork the competition and organize. That's how you win in Iowa, and that's exactly what we're doing," David Polyansky, a top DeSantis adviser, told Reuters. Evan Power, vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party who is remaining neutral in the race, said he doesn't think it would have made much of a difference if DeSantis had entered the race earlier. "No matter what he was going to do, these guys were going to attack him out of the gate," Power said. Even so, Power conceded that DeSantis did not need to wait for the legislative session to wrap up in May. "I don't think it was vital, but that was the strategy he wanted. It wasn't necessary." (Reporting by Gram Slattery, Jim Oliphant and Nathan LayneAdditional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in San Francisco Editing by Ross Colvin and Daniel Flynn) Sen. Bob Menendez addressed the public for the first time since being charged with bribery in a federal indictment unsealed in New York on Friday. In a 20-minute press speech delivered in both English and in Spanish, Menendez said that although the allegations made in the indictment are "deeply concerning," they are just allegations. Second indictment Menendez was indicted for the second time in 10 years on corruption charges. He is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for helping them enrich themselves and get out of trouble, according to an indictment unsealed in New York. Days after being indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office on bribery charges, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, of New Jersey, announces his reelection bid at a press conference at Hudson County Community College in Union City, N.J., on Monday Sept. 25, 2023. Menendez's wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, was also indicted in the alleged scheme. The three businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes have been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. Menendez broke his statement into four parts. Here's what he said: Innocent until proven guilty: 'Biggest fight yet' Menendez said that despite the naysayers, this will be his "biggest fight yet" and he believes he will be exonerated. "But I firmly believe when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator," he said. He said the cornerstone of American democracy is that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. "I ask for nothing more and deserve nothing less," he said. Menendez said people rushed to judgment on a "limited set of facts" because "they see a political opportunity for themselves or for those around them." "Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly, I know that," Menendez said, referring to his first indictment 10 years ago. A 2017 investigation probed ties between Menendez and his longtime friend and donor Salomon Melgen. They stood trial in federal court in connection with alleged favors given to Melgen after he paid for trips and expenses for Menendez. In that case, Menendez was accused of taking campaign donations and lavish trips from Melgen, a south Florida ophthalmologist. Menendez denied that the benefits from Melgen were bribes, and said the gifts came from a longtime personal friend. The senator's trial ended in a mistrial after that jury voted 10-2 for acquittal. Prosecutors eventually chose not to retry the case. Addressing the public: Bob Menendez asserts his innocence after federal indictment What does the indictment say?: Read the full text of the Menendez indictment here Egypt: 'Steadfast' supporter Menendez dedicated nearly three minutes of his statement to addressing the indictment's examination of his dealings with Egypt in his capacity as chairman and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The indictment alleges that Menendez and his wife agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendezs power and influence as a senator to protect and enrich Hana, Uribe and Daibes and to benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt. After they began dating, Menendez started doing favors for the Egyptian government on behalf of Nadine Menendez and Hana, according to the indictment. Menendez never mentioned the allegations in the indictment, instead focusing on his history and record, saying he has been "steadfast" on the side of civil society in Egypt and a defender of human rights there. "If you look at my actions during the period in the indictment and my whole career, my record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable," Menendez said. No mention of gold bars Though Menendez did mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash found during the investigation, he chalked it up to being "old-fashioned." Menendez said that for the last 30 years, he has withdrawn thousands of dollars from his own personal savings accounts for emergencies and because of the history of his family facing confiscation in Cuba. Gold bars bearing marks indicating they were previously owned by alleged Fred Daibes were found in Sen. Robert Menendez's residence, according to an indictment announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan on Sept. 22, 2023. Daibes and two other New Jersey businessmen are also named in the indictment, along with Menendez's wife. He did not mention the gold bars found during the investigation. Investigators discovered more than $100,000 worth of gold bars in the Menendez home in Englewood Cliffs, provided by Hana or Daibes, according to the indictment. More Menendez: This cast of characters has been linked to the Sen. Menendez investigation In March, Nadine Menendez met with a jeweler and showed him two 1-kilogram gold bars that were worth more than $120,000, according to the indictment. Serial numbers showed that the gold bars had been owned by Daibes, the indictment reads. For New Jersey Menendez then addressed the people of New Jersey. He said he doesn't believe he has lost their trust because of his record. Instead he brought up all the times he "fought for the working people." Menendez said he is heading back to Washington to continue his work for the state. "For now, I remain focused on the important work I do every day for the 9 million people who call New Jersey home, including doing everything this week to avoid a government shutdown." This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Sen. Bob Menendez gives statement: What to know DIGHTON Dighton's embattled chief of police is resigning at the end of the month, Selectmen Chair Peter Caron said Monday afternoon. "The Dighton Board of Selectmen has been made aware of Police Chief Shawn P. Cronin's intention to resign from his position as chief of the Dighton Police Department effective Saturday, Sept. 30," Caron said in a written statement Monday afternoon. "On behalf of the community, the Board would like to thank Chief Cronin for his dedicated service to the Police Department, the Town and its residents." Less than a year after Cronin was named Dighton's chief of police, Selectmen placed him on administrative leave indefinitely in June amid allegations Cronin had engaged in insider trader and hours after he had turned himself in to federal authorities to face the charges. 'A ticket to prison' Dighton Police Chief Shawn Cronin charged with insider trading Shawn P. Cronin was promoted from Dighton police sergeant to lieutenant on Sept. 15, 2021. Who is serving as police chief now? During the same emergency meeting last June, Selectmen appointed Sgt. George Nichols to serve as acting chief of police. Who else is accused of crimes in the case? Nichols' first official act as chief was to suspend Dighton Reserve Police Officer Joseph Dupont a childhood friend of Cronin's who was also charged in the insider trading case. 2nd officer also charged Dighton police chief put on leave amid insider trading scandal What charges does Cronin face? Cronin has been charged with three counts of securities fraud under Title 15 and three counts of tender offer fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to a written statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office. He self-surrendered at the FBIs office in Massachusetts in June, according to a spokesperson for the U.S Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. He had his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts that same day and was released on an unsecured bond in the amount of $250,000. What are Cronin and Dupont accused of doing? Dupont was a vice president at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and, on Jan. 31, 2020, was informed of Alexions upcoming acquisition of Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc., according to a written statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York Thursday. But before that acquisition was publicly announced, in April 2020, Dupont told his childhood friend, Cronin, about the acquisition. Not only were Cronin and Dupont childhood friends, but Cronin supervised Dupont in Duponts capacity as a reserve officer, the statement said. Based on the information Dupont gave Cronin, Cronin bought shares of Portola stock as well as out-of-the-money call options for Portola stock, the statement said. What charges does Dupont face? Dupont, who also surrendered to authorities in June, has been charged with one count of Title 15 securities fraud and one count of tender offer fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Three other people were also charged in connection with the case, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Insider trading scandal: Dighton Police Chief Shawn Cronin to resign Donald Trump argued in a Monday post to his TruthSocial platform that Pennsylvania's recent move toward automatic voter registration would come as a "disaster" to Republican candidates in the state, as well as his own prospects in the 2024 presidential election. "Pennsylvania is at it again! The Radical Left Governor, Josh Shapiro, has just announced a switch to Automatic Voter Registration, a disaster for the Election of Republicans, including your favorite President, ME!" Trump wrote. "This is a totally Unconstitutional Act, and must be met harshly by Republican Leadership in Washington and Pennsylvania. Likewise, the RNC, and Ronna McDaniel, must spend their time working on this, instead of meaningless Debates where I am up by more than 50 points." The Keystone State's Democratic governor announced last week that Pennsylvania would be moving toward automatic voter registration before the 2024 election takes place, also noting that both red and blue states have adopted the process. 23 other states already have automatic voter registration. As the Skokie Village Board discussed whether to reappoint two members of the villages three-member Ethics Commission Monday, tension arose between one longtime trustee, Ralph Klein, and an independent trustee, James Johnson, who had previously brought complaints to the Ethics Commission alleging political conflicts of interest. Johnson offered two opinions during Mondays discussion, saying first that he thought trustees should not be able to appoint ethics commissioners, as is their practice, and second, that he thought neither Jonathan Minkus nor Rabbi Leonard Matanky should be reappointed to the Ethics Commission. The third ethics commissioner, Rev. Richard Lanford, was not up for reappointment. Advertisement Johnson is the sole member of the village board not affiliated with the Skokie Caucus Party, the political party that has controlled village politics for decades. Johnson has made several ethics complaints to the Ethics Commission since his 2021 election and the Ethics Commission has dismissed at least three of them. At least one complaint accused certain village staff members of using their positions to gain political advantage for the Caucus Party. Advertisement Trustee James Johnson at a meeting of the Skokie Ethics Commission, March 2, 2023. (Caroline Kubzansky / Pioneer Press) Mayor George Van Dusen said that even if he and other trustees are accused of ethics violations, they still need to carry out their duty to make appointments. Johnson then said his bigger concern was whether Matanky and Minkus deserve reappointment. The Ethics Commission, like the village board, has been found by the Illinois Attorney General, in a non-binding opinion, of violating the Open Meetings Act. Johnson continued, theres an argument to be made that they should not have been allowed to even finish their term after repeatedly breaking the law during their duties. Van Dusen backed up his recommendation, saying that Matanky and Minkus had extraordinary character and integrity. Once it was pointed out that the course of action that they were taking needed to be corrected, it was corrected. And it would be unfair to hold them to some kind of special standard. Neither of them were aware, said Van Dusen. And its loaded to say they broke the law. They were not aware. Johnson said it has cost the village $20,000 to hire James Ferolo, an outside attorney, to manage the ethics board. Ferolo is being paid by the village to attend commission meetings, to prepare agendas, to prepare public notices, to answer emails for the chair, to write determinations, Johnson said. Van Dusen countered by saying that all of the villages commissions and boards have staff liaisons. He said that while commission chairs give direction, its the staff that does the day-to-day kind of work. Trustee Edie Sue Sutker said that because the ethics commissioners are volunteers, they look to the village board for guidance. Advertisement I really kind of resent putting them in a position where they have to defend themselves where youre saying they broke the law, she said. I would just ask that you please, everybody be respectful to the commissioners that are volunteers, that are doing their best. Johnson said he didnt mean to question anyones personhood. Im simply speaking about the performance reviews, he said. As Van Dusen was about to ask for a motion, Trustee Klein addressed Johnson. Citing his involvement with commissions and saying members learn from each other, Klein said Johnson has never been able to exchange ideas and learn from [someone else.] Youve never had any discussions with any of us, said Klein. Johnson called for a point of order. Ah, shut up, Klein told Johnson. Klein then said, I lost it. Van Dusen then tried to get back on track to a motion, but Klein spoke. Im sorry George, This is [Johnsons] modus operandi. When he doesnt agree, he goes after people, when he doesnt get his way. And then he impugns the honor of two people who are unimpeachable theyre of the highest character, theyre of the highest ethics. Advertisement Johnson tried to get another point of order while Klein continued. Im wondering if you [Johnson] should be censored, sir. Listen to the words you call people, finished Klein. Just stop, said Van Dusen. Stop. Stop it. I apologize, mayor, said Klein. Board members and the mayor cast six votes in favor of reappointing Matanky and Minkus; Johnson abstained. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is refusing so far to heed the calls of others to step down from the Senate as he faces serious bribery and extortion charges, including allegations he provided highly sensitive information to the government of Egypt. During a morning press conference Monday, he denied the accusations laid out in a federal indictment unsealed Friday. As Democratic leaders across the state call for his resignation, others are stepping up to challenge him in the 2024 primary, including Rep. Andy Kim and progressive activist Larry Hamm. But with the primary election nine months away and a trial likely to drag on longer than that are there alternative or quicker options available for fellow Democrats to remove Menendez from his seat? "Most of the time when you have this situation, its not the mechanics that pressure members out, its the internal political pressure that forces members out," said Joshua Huder, senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. "They lose sway within their political support back at home, they lose the support of the party, any sort of mechanisms or power that would give them the ability to get reelected sort of pushes them out." Impeachment is not an option The first federal official to be impeached in the United States was William Blount, a senator from Tennessee, for his role in a conspiracy with frontiersmen to seize land in Louisiana and the Floridas from Spain, then a U.S. ally, to transfer the territory to the British. His impeachment trial was dismissed on Jan. 14, 1799; the chamber said it lacked jurisdiction because the Senate had already voted to expel him a year and a half earlier. Story continues below photo gallery. Its dismissal of the Blount case set a precedent that still holds today a U.S. senator cannot be impeached, the U.S. Senate website says. Impeachment has generally been held for civil officers and members of the judiciary and the executive branch, said Stephen Spaulding, vice president at Common Cause, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group. More: Live updates: What Bob Menendez said in his speech to the public after indictment More: Rep. Andy Kim will fight fellow Democrat Menendez for Senate seat after indictment Expulsion While the process from impeaching Blount to the actual trial took a year and a half, the Senate managed to remove him by expulsion which requires a two-thirds supermajority vote much more quickly. A Senate committee recommended expelling him on July 6, 1797, and he was expelled just two days later with a 25-to-1 vote. Anything can move quickly in the Senate if senators want to, Spaulding said. The punishment granted in Article I, Section 5, of the Constitution has been rare: The Senate has expelled 15 members since 1789, and the 14 cases other than Blount's occurred during the Civil War for support of the Confederacy. Its a high bar, Spaulding said. U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., speaks to reporters outside the Capitol, in Washington, May 17, 2023. "Even members who are hugely unpopular, like George Santos from Long Island, are still in Congress," Huder said. The Constitution doesnt outline specific grounds needed for expulsion, but it has generally concerned cases of perceived disloyalty to the United States, or the conviction of a criminal statutory offense which involved abuse of ones official position, according to a 2012 Congressional Research Service report on removing members of Congress from office. The most recent Senate expulsion case, in 1995, involved Sen. Robert Packwood, an Oregon Republican, who resigned after the ethics committee recommended expulsion for abuse of power. In addition to the 15 senators actually expelled, the Senate considered expulsion in 15 other cases over the years. In five cases, senators resigned before expulsion could occur. In one case, the senators term expired. In seven cases ranging from embezzlement to Mormonism, the senators were not expelled. And in two election fraud allegation cases, the Senate did not take any action after concluding that it did not have sufficient evidence. The most recent case, in 1995, involved Sen. Robert Packwood, an Oregon Republican, who resigned after the ethics committee recommended expulsion for abuse of power. The only New Jersey senator recommended for expulsion was Harrison Williams in 1982, though he resigned before a Senate vote. He was convicted of nine counts of conspiracy and bribery in the Abscam FBI sting, which brought down seven members of Congress. The only New Jersey senator recommended for expulsion was Harrison Williams, in 1982, though he resigned before a Senate vote. He was convicted of nine counts of conspiracy and bribery in the Abscam FBI sting, which brought down seven members of Congress. Its unclear whether the Senate would consider this move with Menendez. New Jersey's other senator, fellow Democrat Cory Booker, has been noticeably silent since the indictment was unsealed. As of Monday, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Sherrod Brown of Ohio were the only Democratic senators calling for Menendezs resignation. More: In exchange for illicit payoffs, Bob Menendez gave sensitive info to Egypt, indictment says More: NJ business owner with stark change in fortune is at center of Menendez investigation Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and has a right to due process and a fair trial. If Menendez did choose to resign or was expelled, Gov. Phil Murphy would choose his successor to serve through the end of his term, Jan. 3, 2025. No power for recall Voters cannot have a direct say the Constitution does not include the power for constituents to recall a member of the U.S. Congress. Drafters had considered including a provision for recall in the Constitution, but language wasnt included in the final version sent to states for ratification, according to the Congressional Research Service. Senate Select Committee on Ethics Each chamber of Congress has a committee evenly split with Republican and Democratic members to investigate charges of misconduct and make recommendations. For example, in the case of former Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey, the committee severely admonished him in July 2002 and wrote in a letter that he had to pay back a former donor, David Chang, the cost and interest for a television, a CD player and earrings that the businessman gave to the senator. Torricelli denied wrongdoing, but he later dropped out of his 2002 reelection bid. Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., announces he is dropping out of the Senate race during a news conference at the Statehouse in Trenton, N.J. Monday, Sept. 30, 2002. (AP Photo/Brian Branch-Price) In May 2002, Chang was sentenced to 18 months in prison for obstructing justice and making more than $50,000 worth of illegal campaign contributions to Torricellis 1996 account. Typically, if the committee has an inquiry open and a senator is indicted, the committee will pause its investigation and allow the criminal process to play out, said Donald Sherman, senior vice president and general counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group. They don't want to take action that might potentially undermine the investigation, but also, the criminal prosecutors have more compelling tools, Sherman said. Senators dont like to sit in judgment of their colleagues. In April 2018, the committee sent a letter of admonition to Menendez, finding he knowingly and repeatedly accepted gifts of significant value from [friend and donor Salomon] Melgen and used your position as a member of the Senate to advance Dr. Melgens personal and business interests. Menendez was indicted in 2015, and acquitted of all charges in January 2018 after a 2017 trial ended with the jury deadlocked. Story continues below photo gallery. The admonition letter said Menendez violated Senate rules and reflected discredit upon the Senate and ordered him to repay the fair market value of gifts he hadnt already repaid and to amend his financial disclosure reports to include the gifts. After his second indictment unsealed Friday, Menendez is so far staying put. The allegations leveled against me are just that allegations," he said Monday. I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bob Menendez refuses to resign. Could he be expelled from the Senate? FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A 28-year-old Orosi man was sentenced Monday to seven years and three months in prison for selling firearms without a license and conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act by selling gamecocks and participating in cockfighting events, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, from February 2017 to October 2018, Pedro Gavino negotiated for the sale of 28 firearms and actually sold 24 unregistered firearms, including AR-15-type pistols and AR-15-type short-barreled rifles that had been privately made using unfinished receivers. Privately made firearms using unfinished receivers are known as ghost guns because they do not have a serial number and are untraceable, officials say. The gun sales occurred at Gavinos ranch in Orosi and at different gas stations in Selma after the buyer advised Gavino that the firearms were destined for buyers in Chicago and Juarez, Mexico. Prosecutors say during one of the illegal gun transactions, Gavino also sold two American Game Fowl type of birds commonly used for cockfighting and six Mexican slashers, or short knives, that are attached to the leg of a rooster for the purpose of fighting. In April 2018, Talbert says Gavino brought five gamecocks to a large cockfighting event in an orchard in Orosi where 200 to 300 spectators gathered. After two of Gavinos gamecocks fought and won, there was a dispute, gunshots were fired, and the crowd dispersed. In October 2018, during the execution of a federal search warrant at Gavinos ranch, agents found 128 gamecocks, 30 hens used for breeding gamecocks, 278 Mexican slashers, and 10 additional firearms, including two AR-15-type pistols. Gavino agreed to surrender the animals involved in the case both gamecocks and hens used to breed gamecocks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Former President Donald Trump visited a gun store in South Carolina on Monday where he admired a Glock handgun and said, I want to buy one. But because hes under felony indictment, Trump would actually not be allowed to purchase or possess a firearm, according to federal law. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said Monday on social media that the former president bought a Glock, but then another Trump spokesperson clarified that the purchase did not actually happen. Cheung deleted his tweet and did not respond to a query from HuffPost. A representative from Palmetto State Armory in Summerville, South Carolina, told HuffPost that Trump visited the store on Monday but didnt buy anything. Federal law prohibits several categories of people from buying or owning guns, including people who use marijuana or any other federally criminalized drug, people who have been convicted of a felony, and people who have merely been charged with a felony. Trump has been charged with 91 felonies in the two federal and two state indictments against him this year. When someone buys a gun from a federally licensed dealer, the buyer has to fill out a standard form from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with a series of questions, including whether the purchaser is addicted to drugs or whether the person has been charged with felony or crime for which a judge could levy a prison sentence longer than a year. The form asks the buyer to sign their name under a warning that a yes response to any of the questions means the buyer is prohibited from receiving, possessing, or purchasing a firearm. Its unclear whether Trump has been entered into the FBI NICS database, which allows gun stores to conduct instant background checks. If he had been able to complete the purchase, however, he likely would have broken multiple federal laws. Lying on ATF form 4473 is a felony. Many of the laws restricting gun purchases by prohibited users, however, are now in flux following the Supreme Courts bombshell ruling in New York State Rifle Assn. v. Bruen. In that case, the court held that the state of New York could not require people to cite a specific threat when applying for a concealed handgun permit. The ruling, penned by Justice Clarence Thomas, laid out a sweeping new interpretation of the Second Amendment that cast aside public safety concerns when weighing the constitutionality of gun restrictions. Instead, courts must now assess whether a gun regulation has a historic tradition dating back to sometime between 1791, when the Bill of Rights was ratified, and the end of the Civil War. Trumps three Supreme Court justice appointments made the ruling possible by tilting the court heavily in favor of conservatives. Lower courts have cited the Bruen ruling when overturning age restrictions for handgun purchases, a ban on ghost guns, and a federal law barring domestic abusers from possessing firearms. A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas ruled last year that its unconstitutional to block people under felony indictment from buying guns. President Joe Biden s son Hunter Biden was charged with a felony last month for answering no to the drug question on ATF Form 4473 when he bought a Colt revolver in October 2018 while he was heavily using crack cocaine, as he wrote in his 2021 memoir. Per the indictment, Biden certified on the Form 4473 that he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious. As a standalone charge, the gun case against Hunter Biden is unusual; he may also face charges for failing to pay income taxes. In addition to the court challenges, several Republicans in Congress have taken aim at the drug restrictions on gun owners. You should be able to toke and still tote, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told HuffPost earlier this month in response to Bidens indictment. For years, Massie has backed long-shot legislation that would allow marijuana users to own firearms without lying on the federal form. (The proposal would loosen the prohibition on pot users but not on crack users.) Despite Trumps open embrace of the firearms industry, his comments in South Carolina suggested he has little knowledge about guns. Wow, he said, looking at a Glock brand pistol in the since-deleted video. And they sell well? he asked. Glock is an Austrian brand that popularized polymer-framed, semi-automatic pistols in the 1980s. The companys firearms are among the most commonly sold guns in the United States and are widely used as sidearms by law enforcement. Isnt Glock a great gun? Trump later asked, furrowing his eyebrows and seemingly looking for an answer. A very good gun, someone off-camera responded. CORRECTION: A prior version of this story misstated Thomas title. Related... OCEANSIDE, Calif. A driver was killed in a rollover crash Sunday in Oceanside, authorities said. The collision occurred around 5:27 p.m. on Oceanside Blvd. just west of Vine St, the Oceanside Police Department said in a news release. Police say the driver was traveling westbound on Oceanside Blvd past Vine St, when he lost control of his Ford F-150 and rolled over. When first responders arrived at the location, they worked to remove the driver from his vehicle that was rested upside down, according to law enforcement. The driver, a 21-year-old resident of Camp Pendleton, was pronounced dead at the scene, per OPD. His identity is being withheld until the family is notified. 3-year-old boy ejected in I-8 crash; driver arrested on suspicion of DUI As of 6:59 p.m., there is a road closure at westbound Oceanside Blvd at Vine St and eastbound Oceanside Blvd at South Ditmar St, according to law enforcement. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to call Traffic Collision Investigator Ibrahim Serdah at (760) 435-4769. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. Polish President Andrzej Duda sees no problem in providing Ukraine with older weapons from Poland's arsenal after they are replaced by modern arms, he said in an interview with Super Express on Sept. 25. The president emphasized that donating new equipment that Poland is currently purchasing, such as South Korean K9 howitzers or K2 tanks, is off the table. "This equipment must be used to strengthen the Polish military. We aren't spending billions to just hand it over," Duda said in the interview. He added that this does not mean that Poland would not provide Kyiv with any arms at all: "When the old equipment is replaced with modern hardware, I see no problem in sending it to Ukraine." Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki sparked a controversy when he told Polsat News on Sept. 20 that Warsaw is not sending more weapons to Ukraine as it is shifting focus on restocking its own military arsenal. Polish officials later clarified his statements by saying that Poland continues to supply arms and ammunition that are part of previously agreed deliveries and that the Rzeszow hub for Western supplies flowing to Ukraine will remain operational. Duda warned against drawing "too far-reaching" conclusions from the prime minister's statements, adding that any division between the two countries can have "tragic" consequences. Morawiecki's statement came amid escalating tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw, sparked by Poland's decision to extend the import ban on Ukrainian grain products past its expiration date set by the EU on Sept. 15. In response, Kyiv sued Poland at the World Trade Organization and threatened its own trade embargos. President Volodymyr Zelensky also indirectly criticized Poland at the U.N. General Assembly by saying that countries prolonging the grain import ban are inadvertently aiding Russia. Warsaw responded by summoning Ukraine's ambassador in protest and Morawiecki called on Zelensky "never to insult Poles again." Duda has previously urged de-escalation of the dispute, saying the disagreements should not overshadow cooperation between the two nations. Read also: Polish Defense Minister: Polish army will be strongest land force in Europe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. As the Skokie Village Board discussed whether to reappoint two members of the villages three-member Ethics Commission Monday, tension arose between one longtime trustee, Ralph Klein, and an independent trustee, James Johnson, who had previously brought complaints to the Ethics Commission alleging political conflicts of interest. Johnson offered two opinions during Mondays discussion, saying first that he thought trustees should not be able to appoint ethics commissioners, as is their practice, and second, that he thought neither Jonathan Minkus nor Rabbi Leonard Matanky should be reappointed to the Ethics Commission. The third ethics commissioner, Rev. Richard Lanford, was not up for reappointment. Johnson is the sole member of the village board not affiliated with the Skokie Caucus Party, the political party that has controlled village politics for decades. Johnson has made several ethics complaints to the Ethics Commission since his 2021 election and the Ethics Commission has dismissed at least three of them. At least one complaint accused certain village staff members of using their positions to gain political advantage for the Caucus Party. Mayor George Van Dusen said that even if he and other trustees are accused of ethics violations, they still need to carry out their duty to make appointments. Johnson then said his bigger concern was whether Matanky and Minkus deserve reappointment. The Ethics Commission, like the village board, has been found by the Illinois Attorney General, in a non-binding opinion, of violating the Open Meetings Act. Johnson continued, theres an argument to be made that they should not have been allowed to even finish their term after repeatedly breaking the law during their duties. Van Dusen backed up his recommendation, saying that Matanky and Minkus had extraordinary character and integrity. Once it was pointed out that the course of action that they were taking needed to be corrected, it was corrected. And it would be unfair to hold them to some kind of special standard. Neither of them were aware, said Van Dusen. And its loaded to say they broke the law. They were not aware. Johnson said it has cost the village $20,000 to hire James Ferolo, an outside attorney, to manage the ethics board. Ferolo is being paid by the village to attend commission meetings, to prepare agendas, to prepare public notices, to answer emails for the chair, to write determinations, Johnson said. Van Dusen countered by saying that all of the villages commissions and boards have staff liaisons. He said that while commission chairs give direction, its the staff that does the day-to-day kind of work. Trustee Edie Sue Sutker said that because the ethics commissioners are volunteers, they look to the village board for guidance. I really kind of resent putting them in a position where they have to defend themselves where youre saying they broke the law, she said. I would just ask that you please, everybody be respectful to the commissioners that are volunteers, that are doing their best. Johnson said he didnt mean to question anyones personhood. Im simply speaking about the performance reviews, he said. As Van Dusen was about to ask for a motion, Trustee Klein addressed Johnson. Citing his involvement with commissions and saying members learn from each other, Klein said Johnson has never been able to exchange ideas and learn from [someone else.] Youve never had any discussions with any of us, said Klein. Johnson called for a point of order. Ah, shut up, Klein told Johnson. Klein then said, I lost it. Van Dusen then tried to get back on track to a motion, but Klein spoke. Im sorry George, This is [Johnsons] modus operandi. When he doesnt agree, he goes after people, when he doesnt get his way. And then he impugns the honor of two people who are unimpeachable theyre of the highest character, theyre of the highest ethics. Johnson tried to get another point of order while Klein continued. Im wondering if you [Johnson] should be censored, sir. Listen to the words you call people, finished Klein. Just stop, said Van Dusen. Stop. Stop it. I apologize, mayor, said Klein. Board members and the mayor cast six votes in favor of reappointing Matanky and Minkus; Johnson abstained. Officials in El Paso, Texas, have announced plans to open a new shelter to house migrants as the city struggles to accommodate the massive surge of migrants entering its border. During a news conference Saturday, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser (D) said that the city is opening an additional shelter that can hold roughly 400 people, as officials said that around 6,500 migrants are currently seeking shelter in the city. The city of El Paso only has so many resources, and we have come to a breaking point right now, and so we have to look at different resources, Leeser said. So, this is something that weve been prepared for, but these numbers have really escalated a lot quicker than we ever anticipated, Leeser added. El Paso officials said that each day, more than 2,000 migrants enter the U.S. border seeking asylum, as the city chartered five buses to send migrants to numerous northern U.S. cities including New York City, Denver, and Chicago, according to Axios. The Biden administration last week said it will deploy an additional 800 troops to the border in an effort to help out with the latest migration surge, which increased in the last two months following the end of Title 42. The latest group of troop personnel will focus on logistics and other functions at the border to allow more Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers to return to their core mission and responsibilities. The administration also announced the extension of the Temporary Protective Status to nearly half a million Venezuelans who currently live in the U.S. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Any hopes of setting a trial date were put on hold again after a state district court judge learned that prosecutors are still working to turn over evidence to the Walmart mass shooting gunman's legal team. District Judge Sam Medrano announced Monday afternoon that he's going to be forced to wait to set a trial date until prosecutors turn over all discovery, which is the legal term for evidence. Another scheduling hearing could be set for January 2024. The three-attorney defense team expressed frustration over the discovery process and warned the delay could push the capital murder trial to 2025. "We don't have control of discovery. The narrative is DA's always blaming the defense for not wanting to go to trial, not being ready. We have an obligation to be ready, but they (state) have an obligation to produce discovery and do it timely," defense attorney Joe Spencer said after the hearing. "Why it is taking over four years? We still don't have anywhere near the discovery we should have. Nothing has kept the state of Texas from producing that discovery for the last four years. We have been waiting for it." Medrano, of the 409th District Court, seemed surprised that the El Paso District Attorney's Office was still collecting police reports and combing through other evidence. District Judge Sam Medrano presides a court hearing for the Walmart shooter at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse on Sept. 25, 2023. "Four years later, you are still receiving (evidence)?" Medrano asked El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks. Hicks said yes, and told the judge he is turning over evidence as he receives it so the defense team could review immediately. He said he is confident all evidence will be turned over to the defense by at least December. "Very confident," Hicks said after the hearing. "I think we will do it before December. I have a goal of doing this in October. December is an outside date." He added, "We are still on track. It's just a matter of the judge, very reasonably so, wants to make sure that when he sets that trial date it is going to be a good solid date. He really can't do that until he is comfortable that the hard discovery is done. So that is on us (DA's Office). We got to get that discovery done. I am very confident we will get that done." Defendant Patrick Crusius is facing the death penalty in the Aug. 3, 2019 mass shooting. The gunman, a white supremacist, told investigators he drove to El Paso to target Hispanics and Mexican immigrants. He's been convicted of hate crimes in federal court stemming from the massacre. The scheduling conference Monday afternoon came more than four years since the gunman was indicted Sept. 12, 2019, in state court for the mass shooting at an East El Paso Walmart, which resulted in the death of 23 people and injured dozens more. While the state case remains pending with no trial date in sight, the federal case reached its conclusion with Crusius being sentenced earlier this year to 90 consecutive life sentences and ordered Monday, Sept. 25, to pay more than $5 million of restitution to the victims and their families. The U.S. Attorney's Office turned over all evidence to Spencer and his defense team within about two years of the shooting, Spencer said. He questioned the motives as to why it has taken more than four years for the state to even turn over half of the evidence. "The state of Texas is more entitled to what is politically correct than what is judicially correct," Spencer said. "The federal government doesn't deal with politics. I will not allow the state of Texas to further victimize the victims or use the victims as political pawns because of reelection next year." Hicks is the third district attorney to handle the case. Long-time District Attorney Jaime Esparza, who did not seek reelection in 2020, and Yvonne Rosales, who resigned from the position amid controversy over her administration's handling of cases, including the Walmart case, oversaw the case before Hicks was appointed to the seat. Hicks was appointed to the seat by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Hicks denied any political motives were behind the delays in the case. "The death penalty was filed in 2019 under Mr. Esparza and it was upheld in Ms. Rosales' term," Hicks said. "I haven't done anything different. There is nothing political about this. This is not about politics. This isn't about being Republican or Democrat. This is about seeking justice for the people of El Paso. There is nothing political about that." Hicks has not officially announced his bid for the district attorney seat in the 2024 elections. While no trial date was set at the hearing, several key issues were brought up by defense lawyers, including a possible violation by the DA's Office over a jailhouse phone call recording between the gunman and his defense attorneys. The recording was wrongfully given to state prosecutors as part of jailhouse phones being turned over in the case, Hicks said. Anyone in the DA's Office who listened to the recording violated attorney-client privilege, Spencer said. "I have a huge concern," Spencer said. "There was a direct order explicitly given to the sheriff's office that these are confidential attorney-client communications, do not give them to anybody and they did. When the DA got it they should have known, 'This is attorney-client privilege; we can't listen to this.'" Hicks said only one person in his office heard the recording. He said defense attorneys were notified immediately and his office turned over the recording. The person who listened to it is "isolated from the case." "I don't even know who was on that call," Hicks said. "I haven't listened to it. I don't know anything about it. I just know it was his (gunman) attorney's office. It was uploaded to our system as one of the many jail phone calls that we get. As we were going through our discovery process, we discovered that phone call. We immediately stopped, did not listen to the contents of the call, alerted the defense, 'Hey, we have this call. We'll isolate it. We won't listen to it and we'll give you a copy of it.' They asked that we destroy it. We've destroyed our copy; we've removed it from our system." Spencer also allegedly said the DA's Office turned over evidence on discs which had a virus or were corrupted. Hicks said defense attorneys never notified his team of the virus or corrupted files. In the end, the nearly hourlong scheduling conference ended with no trial date or future hearings scheduled only a possible hearing being planned in January. Patrick Crusius appears in court The defense says negligence in turning over evidence could prolong legal proceedings for 3 years Spencer expressed frustration over the improper labeling and naming of evidence provided by the District Attorney's office. Spencer added that negligence in turning over evidence can result in mistrials and retrials, leading to prolonged legal proceedings that can extend for three or more years. - Aaron Martinez Patrick Crusius does not appear in person at hearing The admitted white supremacist did not appear in person at the hearing. - Omar Ornelas Defense accuses state prosecutors of slow evidence process Spencer raised serious concerns about the state's process in turning over the evidence, comparing it unfavorably to federal prosecutors. Spencer alleges the District Attorney's office has been lagging in turning over crucial evidence, citing issues with the format, potential viruses and corrupted files. "They knew it was corrupted and they still gave it to us," Spencer stated. - Aaron Martinez El Paso DA: Evidence expected to be turned over to defense by end of December El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks said during the hearing most of the discovery, also known as evidence, will be turned over to the defense team by the end of December. - Aaron Martinez Patrick Crusius ordered to pay $5M in restitution to victims The federal case against the gunman came to a close Monday, Sept. 25, after a judge ordered him to pay more than $5.5 million in restitution to the victims and their families, court documents state. Court documents do not state how many people filed requesting to be paid restitution. The restitution is being paid for the financial losses the victims and their families suffered due to the gunman's actions. The restitution amount was agreed on by both defense lawyers and federal prosecutors, a joint motion filed by both sides states. U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama approved the motion. More: Walmart mass shooting survivor suffers, waits for help to restart life in El Paso The restitution comes months after the gunman pleaded guilty Feb. 9 to 90 federal charges. He was sentenced on July 7 to 90 consecutive life sentences. Guaderrama, who presided over the federal trial, ordered the gunman to serve his federal sentence at the ADX Florence supermax federal prison near Florence, Colorado. However, the gunman remains in the Downtown El Paso County Jail in state custody as he awaits trial in the state's case. - Aaron Martinez Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Walmart shooting update: gunman does not appear at hearing The El Paso Walmart mass shooting gunman was ordered to pay more than $5.5 million to the victims and their families, according to federal court documents filed Monday, Sept. 25. Court documents do not state how many people filed requesting to be paid restitution. The restitution is being paid for the financial losses suffered by the victims and their families because of the gunman's actions. The official restitution amount is $5,557,005.55. The restitution amount was agreed on by both defense attorneys and federal prosecutors, a joint motion filed by both sides states. U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama approved the motion. The order, signed today, does not say when and, more importantly, if the victims and their families will be paid. The gunman unlikely has the money or assets equaling $5 million. Patrick Crusius appears in court The gunman is relying on publicly-funded attorneys in federal and state cases stemming from the massacre on shoppers at Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019. The white supremacist traveled to El Paso to target Hispanics and Mexican immigrants. The restitution ends the federal case against the gunman. The gunman pleaded guilty Feb. 9 to 90 federal charges. He was sentenced on July 7 to 90 consecutive life sentences. Guaderrama, who presided over the federal trial, ordered the gunman to serve his federal sentence at the ADX Florence supermax federal prison near Florence, Colorado. More: Major hearing delayed again in death penalty case against El Paso Walmart shooter However, the gunman remains in the Downtown El Paso County Jail in state custody as he awaits trial in the state's case. The gunman is also being charged in Texas state court. He is facing one count of capital murder of multiple persons and 22 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in state court. Flowers are left by the Grand Candela Memorial at the Walmart in El Paso after Patrick Crusius, the white supremacist who killed 23 people inside the Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019, was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences on Friday, July 7, 2023. A trial date could be set Monday, Sept. 25, during a scheduling conference in state court. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Walmart mass shooter ordered to pay $5 million to victims The El Paso, Texas, Walmart shooter who killed 23 people in a racist rampage against Hispanics in 2019 has agreed to pay over $5 million in restitution to the victims families. The 25-year-old shooter was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences in prison in July after having pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges in connection with the Aug. 3, 2019, attack. Authorities have said he was fueled by white nationalist ideas and had posted a diatribe against immigrants before he targeted Hispanics, armed with a rifle. A court document filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas titled "joint motion on agreed restitution" says the shooter agrees to pay restitution in the amount of $5,557,005.55 to the claimants." U.S. District Judge David C. Guaderrama granted and signed the motion. Joe Spencer, an attorney for the shooter, said Monday that the shooter "has accepted the amount of restitution that was determined by the United States probation department that is due to the victims. Patrick Wood Crusius traveled almost 600 miles from North Texas to El Paso before he opened fire on shoppers. Twenty-two people were injured in addition to the staggering death toll. Minutes before the attack, he posted a hate-filled racist screed online in which he referred to an invasion of immigrants to the U.S., the Justice Department said. The shooter still faces a separate state trial in Texas, where he is charged with 23 counts of capital murder and could be eligible for the death penalty. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Made from intricate metal wire mesh and embellished with emerald pieces and jeweled tassels, The Phoenix Coronet is an exquisite toy inspired by traditional Chinese culture. Historically reserved for noblewomen during ceremonies and official occasions in ancient China, phoenix coronets have made a contemporary resurgence in the form of art toys. Art toys, or designer toys, are toys and collectibles created by artists and designers and typically sold in limited editions. Piececool, an art toy maker based in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, is the manufacturer of The Phoenix Coronet. The company boasts a global reach, selling its products to over 100 countries and regions. The Phoenix Coronet is its hit product, generating monthly sales exceeding 200,000 units. "Combining traditional Chinese culture with modern aesthetics, many art toys have become a global sensation," said Xiong Mao, who heads the operation of the Piececool brand. The brand's other top-selling products include a series based on the alleyways of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), depicting the splendor of the dynasty. Originally a manufacturer of metal buttons for mobile phones, Piececool later shifted its focus to metal toys. However, this change did not initially yield the desired market response. The company's turnaround finally materialized when it embraced Chinese traditional culture. Today, Piececool's products are translated into seven languages, accumulating over a billion users worldwide. According to industry data, the global art toy market is experiencing rapid growth, with market size increasing from 8.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 34 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Dongguan is a toy manufacturing hub, boasting over 4,000 toy makers. As of 2022, Dongguan had 87 large-scale enterprises involved in art toy production, with a total industrial output value of 16.66 billion yuan (about 2.32 billion U.S. dollars), marking a 29.8 percent increase year on year. Wu Yifu, deputy general manager of the online platform Chaowanzu, specializing in art toy trading, noted that previously Chinese manufacturers had often focused on producing outsourced foreign products, mainly featuring foreign IPs or designs. "Now, Chinese brands are rising and infusing more Chinese elements into their designs. The market prefers art toys with a Chinese flair," Wu said. Many art toys have enjoyed robust sales in Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, thanks to geographical and cultural proximity, Wu noted, adding that customers in these regions are also very interested in Chinese mythology and museum culture. Artists often draw inspiration from the rich trove of traditional Chinese culture in designing these toys, presenting figures from well-known traditional Chinese stories such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" or "Classic of Mountains and Seas," said Wang Dongdong, the founder of Dongguan Dongxiu Culture Communication Co., Ltd., a local toy design company. The rise in the popularity of this genre coincides with the broader trend of growing Chinese toy exports. Some prominent Chinese art toy brands are making significant strides in overseas markets. Pop Mart, a major trendy toy company, reported a 19.3 percent year-on-year revenue increase in the first half of 2023. Its overseas business revenue surged almost 140 percent from the same period last year, totaling 376 million yuan, recent company data showed. Luo Xiaoxing, general manager of startup company Guangzhou MANYC Network Technology Co., Ltd., has a positive outlook on the art toy market. "Culture empowers a transformative shift in traditional toy manufacturing, and in this new race of art toys, there are more opportunities and a larger global market," Luo said. President Biden is promoting his administrations new income-driven repayment SAVE program just as millions of Americans are scheduled to restart federal loan repayments. But some lawmakers in Congress argue the program, which caps interest accrual and lowers the monthly payment amount for many borrowers, is another loan forgiveness program subsidized by taxpayers. They point out the Supreme Court already struck down the administrations forgiveness plan. POLITICO wants to cut through the political debate to understand how the program is impacting borrowers and how much its lowering federal loan payments. If youre enrolled in SAVE, we want to hear from you and see your monthly bill. Please fill out our brief survey below or at this link . We appreciate your help in reporting on this important topic. Your privacy is important to us and we will not share or publish your name or identifying information you share with us without first contacting you and getting your permission. We may use anonymous data collected from this survey for our reporting. Jens Eskelund, center, president of the European Chamber, speaks to journalists after publishing its European Business in China Position Paper 2023/2024, in Beijing on Sept. 20, 2023. The European Union's trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis called for a more balanced economic relationship with China on Monday, Sept. 25, noting a trade imbalance of nearly 400 billion euros ($425 billion), while also warning that China's position on the war in Ukraine could endanger its relationship with Europe. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) BEIJING (AP) The European Union's trade commissioner called for a more balanced economic relationship with China on Monday, noting an EU trade deficit of nearly 400 billion euros ($425 billion), while also warning that China's position on the war in Ukraine could endanger its relationship with Europe. Valdis Dombrovskis, in a speech at China's prestigious Tsinghua University, said that the EU and China face significant political and economic headwinds that could cause them to drift apart. The strongest, yet not the only, headwind is Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, and how China positions itself on this issue, he said. Dombrovskis spoke before high-level economic and trade talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. EU leaders have expressed concern about the bloc's growing trade deficit with China, which reached 396 billion euros last year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently announced an investigation into Chinese subsidies to electric vehicle makers, saying a flood of cheaper Chinese cars is distorting the European market. The Chinese government has called the investigation a protectionist act aimed at distorting the supply chain. Dombrovskis, in his Tsinghua address, said the probe would follow well-established rules and be done in consultation with Chinese authorities and stakeholders. The EU trade commissioner urged China to address the lack of reciprocity in the economic relationship, saying the figures speak for themselves. He said that China has created a more politicized business environment to protect its national security and development interests, resulting in less transparency, unequal access to procurement, and discriminatory standards and security requirements. Dombrovskis cited as examples a new foreign relations law and an updated anti-espionage law that has European companies struggling to understand their compliance obligations. Their ambiguity allows too much room for interpretation, he said about the laws, adding they deter new investment in China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China provides a market-oriented, law-based business environment for foreign companies. As long as the companies are operating in accordance with the law, they dont have to worry, he said. Chinese officials have been trying to lure back foreign investment to help the economy emerge from a sluggishness that has persisted despite the lifting of pandemic restrictions last December. The Chinese government has tried to remain neutral in the war in Ukraine rather than joining the United States and much of Europe in condemning the Russian invasion. Dombrovskis, who is Latvian, noted that territorial integrity has always been a key principle for China in international diplomacy. Russias war is a blatant breach of this principle, he said. So its very difficult for us to understand Chinas stance on Russias war against Ukraine, as it breaches Chinas own fundamental principles. (Bloomberg) -- The European Unions chief trade negotiator warned China on Monday during his trip to the nation that the bloc will be more forceful in upholding fair competition and defending its interests. Most Read from Bloomberg The lack of reciprocity and level playing field from China, coupled with wider geopolitical shifts, has forced Europe to become more assertive, said Valdis Dombrovskis, an executive vice president at the European Commission, during a keynote address at Tsinghua University. The EU welcomes competition. It makes our companies stronger and more innovative. However, competition must be fair, and we will be more assertive in tackling unfairness. Dombrovskis trip coincides with efforts by the EU to strengthen the defensive trade measures at its disposal. The bloc earlier this month launched an anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles, which it said was needed to protect jobs and supply chains at home as it claims China is unfairly flooding the market with cheap vehicles. Chinas Commerce Ministry has criticized that investigation as a naked act of protectionism. The EV issue is expected to feature on Dombrovskis agenda during his China trip. Asked later Monday about claims the country had created a non-level playing field, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called China a law-based country. China is not a source of risk, but a staunch force for preventing and diffusing risks, Wang told reporters at a regular press briefing. China is an important cooperation partner for the EU. To shut out China in the name of de-risking is to throw away opportunities for cooperation, stability and development. In addition to a Monday event with Premier He Lifeng, the EU trade chief is also holding bilateral meetings with counterparts, and meeting European business representatives both in Shanghai and Beijing. Dombrovskis is expected to tell Beijing that concrete agreements are needed in an effort to reset the relationship, according to people familiar with the EUs plans. During his speech, Dombrovskis argued that the EUs de-risking strategy is not protectionist. He added that the EUs plans are country-agnostic. Our approach to economic security is proportionate and precise, and our action will be purely risk-based, he said. De-risking is therefore a strategy to maintain our openness, but not undermine it. The current talks may also be a stepping stone for a summit between President Xi Jinping and the EUs Ursula von der Leyen later this year. We can choose a path toward mutually beneficial relations. One which is based on open, fair trade and investment, and working hand in hand on the great challenges of our time, Dombrovskis said Monday. Or, we can choose a path that slowly moves us apart. Where the shared benefits we enjoyed in recent decades weaken, and fade. And as a result, where our people and economies face reduced opportunities. Ukraine Rift Dombrovskis also cited challenges related to Russias war in Ukraine, saying that differences over the conflict could cause a rift between Brussels and Beijing. Its very difficult for us to understand Chinas stance on Russias war against Ukraine, as it breaches Chinas own fundamental principles, he said Monday, citing territorial integrity as a key principle for China in international diplomacy. Russias war is a blatant breach of this principle, Dombrovskis added. The EU has pressed Beijing to use its leverage to convince Moscow to end its aggression in Ukraine. European Council President Charles Michel called on China at this months United Nations Security Council gathering in New York to join forces to persuade Russia to end this criminal war that is hurting so many. Dombrovskis on Monday noted other concerns for China because of the war, including those related to food safety and reputational risks. By increasing energy prices and driving inflation, the war is weakening the global economy, he said, adding that it directly effects China because of its role as a manufacturing powerhouse. Beijings position on the war is also affecting the countrys image, not only with European consumers, but also businesses, Dombrovskis said. --With assistance from James Mayger and Richard Bravo. (Updates to include MOFA response.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. To my great relief, and Im equally sure to his, I dont find myself agreeing with National Review editor Rich Lowry terribly often. But in his Politico magazine piece from last week, he hit the bulls-eye. Any other Republican politician who signaled that he was open to something more liberal than a 15-week abortion ban could never get away with that stance. But Donald Trump , Lowry wrote, can and will. Trump, he wrote, can rely on his supporters to deploy contradictory justifications for whatever he says or does. This is clearly true, and we need to think about why. Which was pretty well answered, in fact, by whoever it is who edits Lowry, who put a subhed on the column that pithily summed up the appalling situation: The only cause that really matters to most Republicans now is Trump himself. This is true. Its different from anything weve ever seen in American politics, and its terrifying. Its fascism plain and simpleutter and blind faith in the strongman. A belief that he can do no wrong. If he takes an expected position, he is a tiger on behalf of principle. If he takes an unexpected position, he is not an apostate or a sellouthes a clever fox, two steps ahead of everyone else, and trolling the libs harder than anyone else could even begin to conceive of doing. Excuses, as Lowry noted, can be conjured to defend any inconsistency. Indeed the inconsistencies are only greater and more concrete proof of his genius and infallibility. Which brings us to the question: Is there anything that Trump could do that would alienate his base? Anything? The answer is probably no (although theres a but there, which Ill get to). With respect to positions on political issues, I sense he can do just about anything, and his admirers will find some way to justify it. If he came out tomorrow and said global warming was real, Fox News and the rest would construct an elaborate architecture of defense, parsing his exact words to prove that his critique is totally at odds with the tired bromides of the woke left and that he, Trump, uniquely and brilliantly identified the actual problem with a sagacity that Sleepy Joe couldnt begin to apprehend. With respect to revelations about his past or something awful he may have done, I guess its possible that there could arise certain revelations that would alienate chunks of the base, but even there, its hard to imagine what those revelations would be. The only thing I can think of would be if some Jerry Sanduskystyle allegations emerged (and obviously, Im not suggesting that he did anything like that, Im just hypothesizing). Because thats the very worst thing a human being can do. But even theneven then!some excuse might be found. That little boy came on to him! Morality as we once knew it is completely inverted now in the GOP. Throughout American history, political parties have nominated the man who seemed to best represent their beliefs and principles. But todays Republican Party has reversed this. It has twice nominated a manand is about to nominate him a third time, even as he faces four indictments and a reasonably serious threat of jail timewhom it has completely allowed to define what it stands for. This is without precedent. So lets circle back to abortion. We all know, despite their protestations to the contrary, that most Republicans want to pass a national six-week ban. Or maybe a national total ban. In other words, the six-week banand remember, most women dont even know theyre pregnant at six weeksis the liberal position. But here comes Trump saying that Ron DeSantiss six-week ban in Florida is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake. And then he says hell pull Republicans and Democrats together and negotiate a middle ground, playing the role of neutral arbiter, not pro-life warrior. And from the religious right? Hardly a peep. Sure, it tells us that these religious leaders are nothing but power-obsessed moral ninnies. And sure, it tells us that Trump knows hes in deep trouble with suburban women, who vote in such numbers in the key swing states that they can determine who wins and who loses. Those two points are obvious. But heres the more interesting thing it tells us. It tells us that there is no Republican Party outside of Donald Trump. There is no desire on the part of any prominent Republican for there to be a Republican Party outside of Donald Trump. Sure, Mitch McConnell may privately loathe him, and Republican senators may laugh at him behind his back. But when and where it mattersin public, in front of the voters who hold the fate of our democracy in their handsthey are almost all, to a person, Trumpists. They are destroying the country, and they are destroying the party they claim to love. Nowheres the but. All the above applies to the red-hot MAGAs, but it does not apply to the rest of America, which includes a chunk of Republicans. What percentage of Americans are red-hot MAGAs? We think we knowgenerally it seems to be around 35 percent. But we also know that the vast majority of party members vote for their partys nomineeusually, that number is above 90 percent. According to CNNs 2020 exit polling, both Biden and Trump got 94 percent of their party rank and files vote. (Biden won independents 5441, which is why he won.) But next year? Believe methe non-MAGA Republicans will be aand maybe thecrucial voting bloc. This is a severely under-examined species. We at The New Republic just studied them, with a terrific feature article by Ben Jacobs. But not many outlets have. They were polled not long ago, and 45 percent said that they would not vote for Trumpthis is Republicansif he were convicted of a felony by a jury. Just 35 percent said they would. In other words: There is a MAGA base, and there is a broader Republican Party, and despite what the media often say in shorthand, they are not the same thing. MAGA-heads will believe any idiotic, fascistic thing that the idiot fascist says. But that is not true of all Republicans. In fact, I suspect there are many Republicans who believe Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and Mitt Romney and are desperate for leadership along their lines. But because the media wants to make this a horse race, even if one of the two horses was sired by Adolf Hitler, it isnt telling you that. So, whew. In the end, to my relief and no doubt his, I kind of disagree with Rich Lowry. FORT KENT, Maine NASCAR driver-turned-politician Austin Theriault announced Monday he's entering the Republican primary, seeking an opportunity to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in whats expected to be one of the country's most competitive 2024 House races. Theriault, who made his announcement on radio shows, said he'll come in with fire" to confront issues like inflation, illegal border crossings and dying small towns. Regular hardworking folks are getting held down by out-of-touch, out-of-state elites who are clueless about how hard it is to make a living in Maine, he said. Austin Theriault greets fans during driver introductions for the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup series auto race at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, Sept. 21, 2019. The NASCAR driver-turned-politician wants the opportunity to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in Maine. The 29-year-old freshman state lawmaker from Fort Kent formally filed his paperwork Monday, joining mortgage broker Robert Cross, of Dedham and another first-term lawmaker, Michael Soboleski, of Phillips, in the primary contest. Theriault would be a strong candidate to challenge Golden in what is expected to be one of the most competitive House races nationally, said Savannah Viar of National Republican Congressional Committee. Theriault has had conversations with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the chair of NRCC, but the committee doesnt get involved in primaries. Golden said he's not worrying himself about the primary field. That primary is more than eight months away so Im not very focused on the individual horse race other than to say Ill face one of them eventually in the fall of 2024. Until then my focus remains on my family and on the work the people of Maines Second District elected me to do," Golden said in a statement. The rural, sprawling 2nd Congressional District has become a hotly contested seat as the region has become a conservative bastion in liberal New England. Former President Donald Trump won the district in 2020, giving him an electoral vote. Golden has won three times, twice defeating former GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin thanks to ranked voting. The voting system is designed to ensure the winner collects a majority of the vote by allowing additional voting rounds in which lower-ranked candidates are eliminated and votes are reallocated. It was upheld in federal court after Poliquin sued after his 2018 defeat. Theriault isn't the only race car driver to try his hand at politics in New England. Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott has for decades been a regular at the Thunder Road track, but his racing career didn't reach the same heights as Theriault. Theriault launched his career at the local speedway and worked his way to NASCARs top level before being injured in a crash at 2019 race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. He has since stepped back from driving and consults and mentors other drivers. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ex-NASCAR driver Austin Theriault running to unseat Rep. Jared Golden in Maine Ukraines former president chuckled and derided a former prosecutor general who claimed that he was fired at the behest of Joe Biden during an interview on Monday morning. Petro Poroshenko called Viktor Shokin a completely crazy person as he denied both the allegation that he had fired Mr Shokin at the behest of the US and the assertion that Ukraine had meddled in any way in US elections, a frequent claim raised by the far right. The moment played out on Fox News in front of Brian Kilmeade, whose only response was to respond quizzically, I dont get it, hes not your friend? after the eye-opening tirade by the former president against one of the Biden investigations supposed star witnesses. Republicans in the House, led by the Oversight committee, have launched a formal investigation (and now, an impeachment inquiry) into the president and his son, alleging that Mr Biden was raking in millions as a result of his sons supposedly illegal business interests abroad. That has yet to be proven, and on numerous occasions the GOPs assertions have been thrown into doubt by their own witnesses or others who rejected their credibility. No conclusive proof has emerged yet to show that Mr Biden knew the specifics or had any financial interest in his sons business dealings. Another Republican claim, that Hunter Biden promised foreign interests and others access to his father in exchange for money, gifts or anything else, has also not been proven conclusively. Still, the House GOP caucus has expanded their Oversight probe into a full-fledged impeachment inquiry. Mr McCarthy, bowing to a far-right contingent in his party, made the decision to do so without a House floor vote after Republicans apparently realised they did not have the votes to do so; he had previously vowed not to do that. amazing - during a Fox News interview w/ Brian Kilmeade, former president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko denounces Victor Shokin, who plays as a leading role in Kilmeade's conspiracy theories, as a "completely crazy person" & says "there's something wrong with him" as Kilmeade melts pic.twitter.com/MXedG1FmrB Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 25, 2023 Mr Shokin was fired in 2016 when Mr Biden was still vice-president and had responsibility for Americas Ukraine policy. Mr Biden said publicly that he had conditioned $1bn of US aid on Shokin being fired, a policy backed by European allies on the grounds that the prosecutor was failing to carry out investigations into corrupt companies. Figures on the right in the US seized on the remarks to claim that Mr Shokin was investigating Burisma, an energy company that Hunter Biden had served on the board of, and that the US vice-president was secretly seeking to protect his son. However, it seems there was no current investigation into Burisma and that Mr Shokins sacking was consistent with Western policy on fighting corruption in the former Soviet state. Any impeachment of Joe Biden is largely a fruitless endeavour, unless something significantly changes in the course of the GOPs investigation. As it stands, its unclear (perhaps unlikely) that an article or articles of impeachment would even pass the Republican-controlled House, let alone a Democrat-controlled Senate where it would need the vote of 2/3 of the chambers members for Mr Bidens removal. While Republicans close to Donald Trump insist otherwise, a growing number of members in their own party including Ken Buck of the Freedom Caucus have cast doubt on the strength of the evidence against Mr Biden and his son. Hunter Biden remains charged separately with criminal counts stemming from unpaid taxes and an allegation that he lied during the process of purchasing a firearm. U.S. Chief of Space Operations Chance Saltzman during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo By Sakura Murakami and Nobuhiro Kubo TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States Space Force has had internal discussions about setting up a hotline with China to prevent crises in space, U.S. commander General Chance Saltzman told Reuters on Monday. The chief of space operations said a direct line of communication between the Space Force and its Chinese counterpart would be valuable in de-escalating tensions but that the U.S. had not yet engaged with China to establish one. "What we have talked about on the U.S. side at least is opening up a line of communication to make sure that if there is a crisis, we know who we can contact," Saltzman said, adding that it would be up to President Joe Biden and the State Department to take the lead on such discussions. The comments come as the U.S. Space Force looks into establishing a branch in Japan, as China's military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific unnverve its neighbours and the war in Ukraine spotlights the importance of space capabilities in warfare. Japan has been especially concerned about Taiwan and any lessons China may have drawn from Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has not renounced the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control. Saltzman, who held talks with top Japanese defence officials in Tokyo on Monday, confirmed that the space force was exploring the potential establishment of a local headquarters in Japan. He did not elaborate on the location or the purpose it would serve, but did say it could look similar to a branch established in South Korea in November last year. Saltzman added that deeper cooperation with like-minded countries including Japan would be crucial in being able to monitor and understand activity in the space domain to deter China and counter 'grey zone activities' such as jamming satellite signals. "We have to be able to have those indications and warnings and see what they're doing and call them on the intent. Just being hypersensitive so we don't fall prey to grey zone activities," Saltzman said. The U.S. Space Force, founded in 2019, also does not have a direct line of communication with its Russian counterpart. (Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Nobuhiro Kubo; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Toby Chopra) This photo taken on Sept. 21, 2023 shows the signing ceremony of the Multinationals' Economic and Trade Cooperation Meeting in Ningxia of the sixth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua] Economic and trade cooperation has been highlighted at the four-day 6th China-Arab States Expo, held in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, with over 400 cooperation projects signed. Planned investment and trade for these projects will amount to 170.97 billion yuan (about 23.43 billion U.S. dollars). The total number of attendees and exhibitors at the expo this year exceeded 11,200, which is a new record for this event. Attendees and exhibitors included scholars and institution and enterprise representatives. As the Guest Country of Honor at this expo, Saudi Arabia sent a delegation of over 150 economic and trade representatives to attend and exhibit. They concluded 15 cooperation projects, worth a total of 12.4 billion yuan. This year's expo featured trade fairs and forums on trade and investment, modern agriculture, cross-border trade, cultural tourism, health, water resources utilization, and meteorological cooperation. The offline exhibition area at the expo was nearly 40,000 square meters, and nearly 1,000 domestic and foreign enterprises participated in the exhibition. First held in 2013, the China-Arab States Expo has become an important platform for China and Arab states to promote pragmatic cooperation and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. China is now the Arab states' largest trading partner. China-Arab trade volume almost doubled from the 2012 level to 431.4 billion U.S. dollars last year. In the first half of this year, trade between China and the Arab states reached 199.9 billion dollars. Several explosions were heard in Russian-occupied Crimea on the evening of Sept. 25, according to videos shared on social media and reports from the occupation authorities. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the head of Sevastopol's illegitimate Russian occupation government, claimed that the city was under attack and that a missile had been downed at the nearby Belbek military airfield. Public transport, including sea transport, was suspended in Sevastopol as the air alert sounded, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza. The Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait was also closed to car traffic, Meduza added. The Kyiv Independent could not independently confirm the reports. There have been several large-scale attacks on Crimea in recent weeks. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of these. On Sept. 22, an attack on the building of Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol killed 34 Russian officers, including the fleet's commander, and injured 105 more soldiers, the Ukrainian military said on Sept. 25. According to Sky News, Ukraine carried out the attack using long-range Storm Shadow missiles. On Sept. 23, Reintegration Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged Ukrainians to leave Russian-occupied Crimea until it is liberated from Russian occupation. It is unclear how many Ukrainians live under Russian occupation in Crimea. Read also: Uncertain Triumph: Ukraine picks apart Russias best air defenses in Crimea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence at home, help is available in the Kansas City area. Here are some local resources for abuse survivors. If you need to talk to someone right away, you can call the National Domestic Violence hotline any time at 800-799-7233. Domestic violence resources in Kansas City Hope House is a nonprofit that operates six domestic violence shelters in the Kansas City area. You can reach it directly at 816-461-4673 or call the metro domestic violence hotline at 816-468-5463 to reach any of its shelters. The Mattie Rhodes Center provides crisis counseling services primarily in Spanish to Kansas City families. Its services include domestic violence intervention and mental health counseling. You can contact the center at 816-241-3780. MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault) is Kansas Citys largest resource organization for survivors of sexual assault. You can contact the groups crisis hotline at 816-531-0233 in Missouri or 913-642-0233 in Kansas. Newhouse is a domestic violence shelter in Kansas City that also provides therapy services, court advocacy and transitional housing. You can call the shelter at 816-471-5800. Rose Brooks is a domestic violence shelter that also accommodates pets. You can call its 24-hour crisis hotline at 816-861-6100. Safehome is a domestic violence shelter and nonprofit located in Overland Park. You can call its 24-hour hotline at 913-262-2868. Synergy Services is a domestic violence and youth crisis resource center based in Parkville. Teens and young adults can call its youth crisis hotline at 816-741-8700 or 888-233-1639 to learn about its services, which include a shelter for runaway and homeless youth. The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence also has a statewide public directory for those searching for help outside the Kansas City metro. How to get a protective order in Missouri or Kansas Civil courts in both Missouri and Kansas can issue orders that prevent someone from contacting you or coming near you. Visit your county courthouse to file one. In Missouri, civil courts can issue an Order of Protection to prevent someone from contacting you. These orders last anywhere from 180 days to one year. If you are in immediate danger, a judge can issue a temporary order right away to keep the assaulter away from you until a court hearing date is scheduled. In Kansas, civil courts can issue a Protection from Abuse order to keep an intimate partner away from you, or a Protection from Stalking order to keep someone else away from you. You will need to fill out paperwork requesting that a sheriff deliver the ruling to your assaulter and to keep your contact information confidential. If youre younger than 17 in Missouri or 18 in Kansas, an adult parent or guardian will need to file these documents on your behalf. Do you have more questions about resources for survivors in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com. Claim: A picture that went viral in August and September 2023 was an authentic aerial view of Barcelona, Spain. Rating: Rating: Fake Context: The image is a digitally created composite. The trees that grow along Diagonal Avenue do not turn purple as shown in the picture. In August and September 2023, an image went viral on social media, allegedly showing an aerial view of Barcelona. "Does any city look as good from above as Barcelona?" one X user captioned the image in question. (X user @Culture_Crit) TinEye, a reverse image search tool, indicated that the image has circulated online at least since June 2019. We tracked down the source of the image and it turned out, as some social media users suggested in the comments, that it had been digitally edited. The photo was originally posted in March 2019 by the Instagram account @jacob, owned by a photographer Jacob Riglin. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvorstJFxuJ/ The image's original caption indicated that it was a composite, although the author did not specify which part(s) had been edited: Blossoms in Barcelona Excited to be heading to Japan next week to experience this magical change in seasons! (P.s - this is a composite) #LookAtThoseColours We located the exact place visible in the picture and discovered it was a view of Sagrada Familia (on the left), an unfinished Catholic church and one of Barcelona's most famous landmarks, and the Diagonal Avenue (on the right). However, the trees along Diagonal Avenue do not actually turn purple, as various Spanish-language sources and Google search results confirmed. (X user @Culture_Crit, Google Maps) In June 2023, we fact-checked a similar picture that also turned out to be a composite image. Its creator combined a photograph of a real California Street in San Francisco with an aerial drone shot and titled it "San Franception." (Instagram user @trystane) Sources: Colau quiere acabar con el arbol mas emblematico de Barcelona. 2 June 2022, https://www.larazon.es/cataluna/20220530/hnmqec7hdnbijcfzy4syjduiii.html. "Los arboles condicionan la reforma de la Avenida Diagonal." La Vanguardia, 6 Mar. 2010, https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20100306/53897273394/los-arboles-condicionan-la-reforma-de-la-avenida-diagonal.html. Sagrada Familia | Description, History, Design, Church, & Facts | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sagrada-Familia. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023. Wrona, Aleksandra. "Is This a Real Pic of a Steep San Francisco Hill?" Snopes, 20 June 2023, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/photo-san-francisco-hill/. Seven Republican candidates are due to take part in the second 2024 Republican presidential debate this week in California, according to the Republican National Committee. Donald Trump said he plans to skip the event and give a speech in Detroit to autoworkers. Here are the candidates set to be on stage for the debate, which begins at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday (0100 GMT Thursday) at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute in Simi Valley, California: RON DESANTIS After a glitch-filled campaign launch in May on Twitter, now called X, DeSantis has positioned himself to the right of Trump on several key social issues such as abortion. But his well-funded campaign has struggled to gain traction, and his top donor has said he won't give the Florida governor more money unless DeSantis adopts a more moderate approach. DeSantis, 45, is Trump's top rival, but remains nearly 40 percentage points behind the former president in opinion polls. He has fired staff and rebooted his campaign several times since May, but those steps have done little to boost his candidacy. DeSantis' campaign says it is focused on stopping Trump in Iowa, where the party will hold its first nominating contest in January. MIKE PENCE Trump's vice president has broken with his former boss over Trump supporters' Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as Pence was inside presiding over Congress's certification of Democrat Joe Biden 's 2020 victory. Pence, 64, says, "history will hold Trump accountable" for his role in the attack. A staunch conservative, the former Indiana governor is appealing directly to the evangelical Christian community, but his campaign has struggled to raise money, and he is stuck in the low single digits in polls. VIVEK RAMASWAMY A former biotechnology investor and executive, Ramaswamy, 38, has pressured companies to abandon environmental, social and corporate governance, or ESG, initiatives. The political outsider has stoked grassroots chatter as a potential alternative to Trump, and had a strong performance at the first debate in Milwaukee in August. Ramaswamy is a fervent supporter of the former president, and says that if he won the White House, he would pardon Trump. NIKKI HALEY A former South Carolina governor and Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Haley, 51, has emphasized her relative youth compared with President Biden, 80, and Trump, 77, as well as her background as the daughter of Indian immigrants. Haley has gained a reputation in the Republican Party as a solid conservative who has the ability to address issues of gender and race in a more credible fashion than many of her peers. She has also pitched herself as a stalwart defender of American interests abroad. She has single-digit support among Republicans, according to opinion polls, although she saw a slight uptick in support after a strong first debate performance in August. TIM SCOTT The only Black Republican U.S. senator has low name recognition outside his home state of South Carolina, but his optimism and focus on unifying his divided party have helped him draw a contrast with a more aggressive approach from Trump and DeSantis. Scott's supporters, however, acknowledge that although his sunny demeanor is a selling point, it may not be enough to win. Scott, 58, attracted 2% support among Republicans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from Sept. 8-14. CHRIS CHRISTIE Christie, 61, advised Trump's White House campaign, but became a vocal critic of the former president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. The former New Jersey governor and federal prosecutor stepped up his verbal attacks as Trump faced a growing number of criminal charges. Christie received 2% support among Republicans in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. DOUG BURGUM Burgum, 67, is serving his second four-year term as North Dakota's governor after selling his software business to Microsoft in 2001. A proponent of low taxes and fewer regulations, he has sought to portray himself as a traditional conservative with a focus on the economy and national security. One of the least-known contenders, he gets close to no support in polls. (Reporting by Tim Reid and Costas Pitas; Editing by Ross Colvin, Susan Heavey and Jonathan Oatis) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Apple supplier Pegatron on Monday temporarily halted iPhone assembly at its Chennai facility in India's Tamil Nadu state after a fire at the factory. Apple has been eyeing a large manufacturing base in India since it began iPhone assembly in the country in 2017. Apple products in India are currently manufactured through contracts with firms including Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp. It has a total of 14 suppliers with facilities in India. Here's a look at other incidents when operations were disrupted at Apple facilities in India: February 2023: Foxlink, which manufactures iPhone chargers, suspended production at its assembly facility in Chittoor in the state of Andhra Pradesh after a fire caused part of the building to collapse. December 2021: Operations at a plant belonging Foxconn in Tamil Nadu's Chennai city were halted for more than three weeks after 250 workers fell sick, sparking protests. Apple later found facilities did not meet required standards. December 2020: Workers at a Wistron plant in Karnataka state's Narsapura destroyed property during protests over non-payment of wages, causing millions of dollars in losses and forcing the Taiwanese contract manufacturer to shut the plant for three months. (Compiled by Blassy Boben; Editing by Mark Potter) A retired Air Force veteran has launched a new project whose aim he says is to guard the Constitution, educate public officials and inspire activism across the country. But theres a wrinkle: The veteran is among those accused of trying to derail the 2020 election, who are now under scrutiny by federal prosecutors. Shawn Meehan, 57, was a "fake elector" in Nevada, who in 2020, along with five other Republicans in the state, signed documents that authorities say aimed to interfere with Joe Bidens rightful electoral victory. At least two fellow pro-Trump electors in Nevada have testified before a special grand jury in Washington, D.C. Meehan, who has retained an attorney, would not say whether he has been subpoenaed to testify. Now Meehan who serves on the Nevada Republican Central Committee and a Douglas County GOP committee, told NBC News he has launched a venture whose objective is to educate the public on the Constitution and motivate citizens to engage with local officials. The end goal, said Meehan, is to prod elected officials to vote in a constitutionally sound manner by reaching out to them and making constitutional arguments before they take action. Meehan said the thrust is to educate the public to approach its representatives not in an abusive format but in a calm, informed, very strong and assertive format to engage with their elected officials, using a proven model. That model, Meehan said, leans on his own success in explaining constitutional issues to public officials and seeing results. The website will have an originalist perspective, mixing constitutional lessons with discussions of current events related to constitutional questions, he said. The venture, GuardtheConstitution.com, which goes online this week, will have a function to pay those who refer others to the site, a feature Meehan said had a patent pending. Asked how he squared the allegations around fake electors with the constitutional nature of his venture, Meehan said, I cant address those accusations. Ive been speaking with counsel, and I just simply am not going to address that part of it any further. To some, the fact that someone would set up a site aimed at protecting the Constitution when accused of attempting to upend the nations storied history of a peaceful transition of power is rich with irony. The irony runs deep because it is these folks who claim the most stringent adherence to the framers and the ideas that they had who are advancing these implausible, atextual and completely ahistorical readings of the Constitution, to try to reach their political goal all while draping themselves in the Constitution, said Jeff Mandell, a Wisconsin attorney who led a lawsuit against fraudulent electors in his state. Some of the Trump electors who took part in the alleged scheme said their actions were a contingency in the event that lawsuits challenging the validity of the vote for Biden succeeded. Many Republicans insisted that voter fraud ran rampant in the election, despite a mountain of evidence and legal rulings to the contrary. In December 2020, Meehan told The Wall Street Journal: Trump won, and we have a duty to cast our votes. Were preserving our right while theres ongoing litigation. Text messages published by the Jan. 6 committee during exchanges with Nevada state partys vice chair Jim Degraffenreid offer more insight into Meehan's thinking. Makes me wonder if a Patriot out there aware of the theft might take a Second Amendment approach to solving the problem. I certainly dont want violence, but the Battle of Athens in 1946 shows this is why the Second Amendment exists, Meehan wrote in one of the texts. Im just baffled at the flippant attitude of the courts. To be clear for the NSA technicians reading this text, I do not want, nor am I advocating for violence. Im simply calling out that there likely are others out there with far less impulse control in light of this tyranny. Today, Meehans reticence to discuss the allegations demonstrates the limbo in which many electors have lingered amid state and federal investigations into election interference. Hanging over Meehan is the label fake elector, applied by the Jan. 6 Select Committee, and the criminal charges awaiting in the balance. Meehans attorney could not be reached for comment. Of the 84 Trump fake electors across seven states, most have neither been charged nor cleared. Fake electors in Michigan and Georgia face state charges. Others, including in Arizona, await local decisions. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, who won a second term last year, recently left open the possibility that state charges could still come. Ive never said that were not going to prosecute, Ford told KLAS-TV last week. After the six Nevada fake electors cast their votes, the state GOP posted a photo of them on X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote: Our brave electors standing up for what is right and casting their electoral votes for @realDonaldTrump. We believe in fair elections and will continue the fight against voter fraud in the Silver State! The alleged fraudulent elector scheme was integral to a federal indictment against Trump, who has been charged in a conspiracy to defraud the United States by using dishonesty, fraud and deceit to obstruct the electoral vote process. The way the Trump elector scenario was to work: Slates of Trump supporters purported to be the states duly elected representatives to the Electoral College, even though there were rightful Biden electors attesting to his victory. Those false electors, in most cases, signed certifications that Trump had won in their states even though he had lost. The idea was to then pressure Mike Pence, who was vice president at the time, to accept the votes of the false slates of electors instead of those of the rightful electoral voters. Pence rejected the attempt. Meehan tiptoed around the frustration of trying to move forward while awaiting resolution of his alleged actions in 2020. A lot of people in America know whats going on theyve expressed their frustrations, Meehan said. Not to be coy but to be coy I wouldnt be surprised if I shared similar frustrations. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com It's officially fall, which means Mother Nature's annual fall colors show is right around the corner. Whether you're gassing up the car for an afternoon drive or planning a long weekend in your favorite small town with tons of maple trees, here's a guide to when and where colors are expected to be most vibrant. Every year, smokymountains.com releases an interactive fall foliage prediction map for the entire country. The map allows visitors see how leaves are expected to change from green to yellow to orange and red across the United States as the weeks progress. According to the prediction map, colors already have started to change slightly in the very northern part of Illinois. Colors change from north to south with areas of Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming already seeing pops of yellow and orange. Here's how the next several weeks are expected to play out in Illinois. Leaves are changing color as fall arrives on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021, at Brown Park in Rockford. Fall forecast: What's in store for Illinois? Here's what one forecast says When will fall colors first arrive? According to the predication map, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin saw the first signs of fall the week of Sept. 18. "Minimal" is expected to turn to "patchy" the week of Sept. 25. But the real noticeable changes won't be until later in October. Because Illinois is such a long state roughly 400 miles from top to bottom fall colors take several weeks to pass through the state with peaks spanning from Oct. 23 to Oct 30. When will colors be best in northern Illinois? For folks in the Rockford and Freeport areas, the prediction map says colors will go from near peak to peak the weeks of Oct. 16 and 23. What if I'm in central Illinois? Central Illinois residents in places like Galesburg, Peoria, Springfield and near the ever popular Starved Rock State Park should expect to see near peak and peak colors the weeks of Oct. 23 and 30, according to the prediction map. What about southern Illinois? Unfortunately, residents in southern Illinois, home to the Shawnee National Forest, have to wait the longest to see peak colors. According to the prediction map, colors there will be at their peak the week of Nov. 6. By this time, the rest of the state is expected to be past peak. What is the ideal weather to bring out the brightest fall colors? Sunny days and cool nights are the perfect combination to enhance fall colors. Why do leaves change colors? Declining daylight and falling temperatures is a trigger to stop producing chlorophyll, which keeps leaves green. Without chlorophyll, leaves turn other colors from yellow and orange to red and purple. Why do leaves fall? In order to survive the winter, trees shed their leaves close off their stems to protect their limbs and trunk. Nutrients from fallen leaves can be recycled into the ground and used to help new foliage grow in the spring. Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Fall foliage map 2023. When will Illinois residents see colors change? In a tragic incident that unfolded at an apartment complex on A C Skinner Parkway on Saturday night, Action News Jax has learned of a devastating loss involving a three-year-old child, Kaelynn Marie Matthews, who was one of the three victims fatally shot. According to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, this incident arose from a dispute over the possible sale of a dog and the suspects(s) are still on the run. Family members identified the young victim, and her grandmother, too grief-stricken to provide an interview today, described Kaelynn Marie Matthews as a loving three-year-old who always shared hugs with her family members. This devastating loss has left the family shattered. On Saturday night, at the JTB Apartment Complex on A C Skinner Parkway, tragedy struck, resulting in the deaths of three people. According to JSO, five people had gathered at the complex for the purpose of selling a dog. However, a dispute erupted, resulting in four out of the five people being shot, with three of them losing their lives. The youngest victim was the three-year-old girl, Kaelynn Marie Matthews. Today, her grandmother identified her and shared that Kaelynn loved going to school and spending time with her friends. Her favorite game was hide and seek, and she had an immense love for her family, always offering hugs whenever she saw them. The grandmother added that the three-year-old was visiting someone at the apartment complex with a family member and did not reside there. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The community is in shock over this tragic shooting incident. Joe Morris, a resident, expressed his disbelief. People in this community always have... the cars are nice... so its a reflection of the community, Morris told Action News Jax. One neighbor reported hearing at least 30 gunshots last night, and bullet holes were visible on the side of an apartment building at the scene. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Ola Segngal, another resident in the area, emphasized that such incidents were unusual for the neighborhood. We need to do better, we all need to do better. No matter where you live, it can happen right next to you, Seggnal stated. In the aftermath of the shooting, JSO reported that two men were seen leaving the area in a black sedan. Authorities are now urging anyone with information about this incident to call the JSO non-emergency number (904) 630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. Photos: Family identifies 3-year-old girl killed in shooting at JTB Apartments in Jacksonville Kaelynn Marie Matthews, 3, was one of three people killed in a shooting at the JTB Apartments on AC Skinner Parkway on Saturday night. Her family identified her to Action News Jax; we are working to learn the identities of the other two victims. Kaelynn Marie Matthews, 3, was one of three people killed in a shooting at the JTB Apartments on AC Skinner Parkway on Saturday night. Her family identified her to Action News Jax; we are working to learn the identities of the other two victims. Kaelynn Marie Matthews, 3, was one of three people killed in a shooting at the JTB Apartments on AC Skinner Parkway on Saturday night. Her family identified her to Action News Jax; we are working to learn the identities of the other two victims. Kaelynn Marie Matthews, 3, was one of three people killed in a shooting at the JTB Apartments on AC Skinner Parkway on Saturday night. Her family identified her to Action News Jax; we are working to learn the identities of the other two victims. Kaelynn Marie Matthews, 3, was one of three people killed in a shooting at the JTB Apartments on AC Skinner Parkway on Saturday night. Her family identified her to Action News Jax; we are working to learn the identities of the other two victims. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Far-right Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has drawn ridicule for using an image of a Hanukah menorah in an attempt to commemorate the unrelated Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The derision the Georgia representative brought upon herself comes after she was previously criticized for perpetuating antisemitic conspiracy theories. Green on Sunday posted a message on X previously known as Twitter on Sunday wishing observers a meaningful fast for Mondays observation of Yom Kippur. She tried to add a traditional Yom Kippur greeting but misspelled it: Gamar Chasima Tova! The backlash soon ensued. Critics noted that Greenes use of a menorah in her message recognized a completely unrelated Jewish holiday observed in December. Past comments of hers which alluded to antisemitic tropes also undermined her message to Jewish observers. Florida congressman Jared Moskowitz , a Democrat, corrected his Republican counterpart by noting that the solemn Yom Kippur and celebratory Hanukah were completely different occasions. Mentioning that Yom Kippur focused on the atonement of sins, Moskowitz added: Lord knows you will be very busy. Thats a picture for Chanukah. Different Jewish Holiday. Yom Kippur is where you atone for your sins. Lord knows you will be very busy. https://t.co/gFJHO0MD07 Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) September 24, 2023 Greene subsequently deleted the original post without an apology and reposted the original text without the menorah image. MeidasTouch, a self-described pro-democracy media network, criticized Greene for the wildly offensive gaffe. The group also called her Ms Jewish Space Lasers a reference to her false conspiracy claim that Californias devastating wildfires in 2018 were started for profit by a space laser funded by corporate interests, including the Rothschild banking firm. State investigations concluded that the 2018 wildfires were caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electricity, the states largest utility. Ms. Jewish Space Lasers got her Jewish holidays mixed up (that is a Chanukah menorah). Wildly offensive especially on the holiest day of the year in Judaism. pic.twitter.com/Wa0WcXitKI MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) September 24, 2023 In a separate tweet, MeidasTouchs co-founder Brett Meiselas added: Frankly, Jews dont need an antisemitic maniac who gives speeches at Nazi events sending out holiday messages in the first place. Greene had previously downplayed speaking at the America First Political Action Conference, which was founded by the white nationalist Nick Fuentes in 2020. Even as she deleted the menorah image, Bill Prady the co-creator of the TV series The Big Bang Theory knocked Greene for preserving the bad Hebrew in the post. Everyones making fun of Marjorie Taylor Greene for putting a menorah on her Yom Kippur message, but in her defense she thought it was an eight-pronged Jewish space laser pic.twitter.com/4VawE2wRFR Frank Lesser (@sadmonsters) September 24, 2023 MeidasTouch pointed out on its website that the accepted Yom Kippur greeting is gmar chatima tovah, which translates to a good final sealing. The greeting refers to the belief that ones fate is written on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah and then sealed on Yom Kippur. This article was amended on 26 September 2023 to alter a description of MeidasTouch, which originated as a liberal Super Pac in 2020 but is now a pro-democracy media network, per its website. A county commissioners board in western Michigan that was taken over by a far-right slate of candidates will vote Tuesday on whether to drastically cut the health departments budget, in the face of pleas by public health officials and community protests. A group of ultraconservative candidates, motivated by resentment over COVID restrictions and mask mandates, swept to power in a election held in Ottawa County in Aug. 2022. Since taking office in January, the new commissioners affiliated with Ottawa Impact have used their majority to fire top county officials, install a former Trump administration official and MAGA loyalist as county administrator, shutter the countys Diversity Equity and Inclusion Office, and change the county motto from Where You Belong to Where Freedom Rings. But their particular target has been the public health department, apparently in retaliation for COVID mandates. The embattled public health officer, Adeline Hambley, who the Ottawa Impact commissioners have been attempting to remove since they took office in January, said the proposed new budget would gut the department. Our most vulnerable and our most marginalized in the community are the ones to pay the cost, Hambley told The Daily Beast, citing programs for low-income people, children and migrants that she says the department will be forced to shutter. The last few weeks, were just fighting and battling to try and grasp these funds back for these mandated services, or services specifically for marginalized people, like getting food and health care, Hambley said. John Gibbs, the county administrator, initially proposed an annual budget of $2.5 million, cutting 63 percent of funding from the department, including discontinuing all COVID-related grants. Gibbs said the cuts were returning to pre-COVID budget levels. The health department pushed back, saying the budget did not account for chronic underfunding, and estimated they would be forced to close down within weeks. The significant and retaliatory cuts requested on behalf of Commissioner Moss are an attempt to achieve political victory over COVID-19 at the expense of Ottawa County citizens, Hambley wrote in a revised budget document, according to MLive. These cuts do not save taxpayers money but serve to reduce services that the county is required to provide to protect the health and safety of the community. From left, Ottawa County commissioners Kyle Terpstra, Jacob Bonnema, Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, and Rebekah Curran. Evan Cobb Following a public hearing on Sept. 12, the board revised the budget up to $4.3 million, still lower than the $6.4 million Hambley proposed in May. The final vote on the budget will be held on Tuesday. Kathleen OBrien, a local activist mobilizing against the proposed cuts with the group Progressive Lakeshore, told The Daily Beast the boards actions amount to bad governance and petty retribution. They are exacting political revenge against our public health director by cutting millions in funding to core services that support our most vulnerable citizens, OBrien said. Ottawa Impact is tearing at the fiber of our community over their trifling grudges. Revenge politics is no way to govern. A new brand of conservatives Ottawa County, home to 300,000 people and a beloved annual tulip festival, is the fastest growing county in the state. Settled by mostly Dutch immigrants, it has historically leaned conservative. (The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county was 1864.) Its county commissioners board has traditionally been governed by a stable of long-serving traditional Republican candidates. But since the COVID-19 pandemic, the politics of the county have been transformed, first by local anti-mask and anti-lockdown activists, and then by a slate of ultra-conservative candidates for the board of commissioners, who took the majority of seats in an Aug. 2022 election. Six of the new commissioners were all backed by a group called Ottawa Impact (OI). They ran on an almost identical platform, advocating medical freedom, parental rights, and childhood innocence. (A boy is a boy and a girl is a girl, their websites read. Children are not racist or sexual.) Ottawa Impact emerged from the fractious local politics of the pandemic, founded by two local activists Joe Moss and Sylvia Rhodea. Moss, who did not respond to requests for comment for this story, seems to have been motivated to organize the group by his anger over COVID restrictions at the local school. Libertas Christian School, a private religious school where Moss is a director and treasurer, was shut down by the local health authority in Oct. 2020 for allegedly failing to follow coronavirus guidelines or cooperate with contact tracing. The school sued Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan attorney general, and the then director of the Department of Health and Human Services, saying the unreasonable mask mandates were violating the constitutional rights of Libertas, its students, their families, and their teachers through a pattern of threats and intimidation. A federal judge ultimately ruled against the school. Moss founded Ottawa Impact the following year with local parent and anti-vaccine activist Rhodea. They launched an unsuccessful lawsuit against the countys Department of Public Health, and the previous board commissioners, over mask mandates in schools. As president of Ottawa Impact, Moss vetted potential candidates for their political views, requiring them to sign a contract to uphold conservative and religious values, and funding their campaigns through two political PACs, according to reporting from Wood TV8. Collectively, the PACs raised $150,000, an unprecedented amount for board of commissioner campaigns in the county. Eight Ottawa Impact-backed candidates won the election, removing seven Republican incumbents from their positions, including Matt Fenske, the previous board chair. Fenske told Wood TV8 he was taken by surprise by the groups resounding success. He is their leader, Fenske said of Moss. I call him God. Because what he says, people follow. At their first meeting on Jan. 3, the new Ottawa Impact commissioners used their majority to make a series of sweeping and unannounced changes that shocked many in the local community. They fired the county administrator John Shay and replaced him with John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official who worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Known for his far-right views, Gibbs has boosted unfounded claims that the 2022 election was stolen, and once tweeted a conspiracy theory that John Podesta took part in a satanic ritual.) Gibbs ran a failed congressional campaign in Michigans 3rd district, losing to Democratic nominee Hillary Scholten in 2022. Ottawa County Commissioner Joe Moss speaks with reporters. Evan Cobb They also dissolved the countys DEI office, and changed the county motto from Where You Belong to Where Freedom Rings. The Ottawa Impact-authored resolution to change the motto claimed the words where you belong have been used to promote the divisive, Marxist ideology of the Race Equity movement. Finally, they fired the countys previous legal counsel and replaced them with Kallman Legal Group, where two of the main attorneys are relatives of Moss business partner, Joel Kallman. (Moss insisted there was no conflict of interest.) The moves were met with effusive praise by some supporters in the audience. Jeff King, a Jamestown resident, thanked the commissioners for returning parental rights to the parents and not the health department. We will not be demonized for our faith in God and his word. Jesus is lord of Ottawa County! King said. Gutting the Health Department It quickly became clear that the commissioners sights were set on upending leadership of the health department. In the same meeting, they attempted to fire Hambley and replace her with Nathaniel Kelly, a safety manager at a local HVAC company. Kelly is the husband of Kristen Meghan Kelly, a health freedom advocate whose campaigns against mask mandates were covered by The Daily Beast in 2021. (Kelly sued The Daily Beast for defamation following the publication of the article. The Daily Beast won a motion to dismiss the case.) In her office at the health department, Marcia Mansaray, the Deputy Health Officer, watched the meeting in shock and horror. It felt violent. And I was just weeping by the end of it, Mansaray told The Daily Beast. The people that were in that building were all walking around either weeping, or like they were just in shock. I couldnt believe that had happened. Wed never had a public meeting of elected officials that didnt have agenda items on the agenda, that was so dramatic. No person, no resident was able to give a voice to what happened. And people who were loved just had to walk away. It was terrible. Doug Zylstra, the only Democrat on the board of commissioners, says he knew immediately the board did not have the power to remove Hambley. You cant just fire a health officer. Its not a political position. Its a statutory position, Zylstra told The Daily Beast. A coffee cup with the tagline Where You Belong is pictured in front of Ottawa County Commissioner Doug Zylstra. Evan Cobb In February, Hambley filed a lawsuit against the Ottawa Impact board members, claiming she had been illegally demoted to interim health officer and that the board planned to fire her without just cause. In April, a Muskegon County judge granted Hambley an injunction against the board, stating, the public is harmed when the law is not followed in terminating a health director." Sarah Riley Howard, Hambleys attorney, said the trial court had ruled that Hambley is the appointed officer. There will be another hearing in the court of appeals on Oct. 11. Zylstra, who has been a commissioner since 2019, said that before Ottawa Impact candidates swept to power the atmosphere had always been collegial, even as the only Democrat. You shook everyones hand when you came to the meeting, he said. Now he says, the politics have become adversarial. They see politics as a confrontation between one world and another world. Which to me doesnt make sense. Were living in the same world. It has not been easy to work with the new commissioners, Zylstra says, as they shut out anyone who isnt part of their group from the political process. They have all the leadership positions. Theyre all occupied by basically those six and nobody else. None of the communication, none of the leadership, none of the information gets shared beyond those six commissioners, he says. A lack of transparency The board has also proved challenging for reporters attempting to cover its actions. Moss did not respond to a request for comment for this story and neither did John Gibbs, the county administrator. Not one of the Ottawa-Impact affiliated candidates responded. Sarah Leach, the executive editor of the Holland Sentinel told The Daily Beast its been a constant struggle to report on the board. The Ottawa Impact officials and their appointees refuse to engage in historically accepted practices of engaging with the public and the media, Leach said. This leads to a complete lack of transparency at the county level, forcing journalists and citizens to file an unprecedented number of Freedom of Information Act requests that have now forced up legal costs, according to Ottawa Impact's own leadership. Leachs reporting revealed that commissioner Jacob Bonnema, who originally ran with Ottawa Impact but split with the group in March over concerns about transparency, filed a HR complaint detailing an alleged threatening outburst from Gibbs at a board meeting in March. Leach filed a FOIA request for a copy of the complaint. The boards corporate counsel told Leach it would cost $5,071.10 and take 36 weeks to complete her request, fees almost 31 times higher than those allowed under state law. The Sentinel appealed and finally obtained a copy of the complaint. John Gibbs at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump. Scott Olson In his complaint, Bonnema said the threatening incident stemmed from Gibbs refusal to answer his questions about the appointment of Nathaniel Kelly as public health officer. Bonnema said Gibbs had refused to provide information or updates, and so he approached Gibbs prior to a meeting on March 14 and asked him again but was told by Gibbs to get out of my face. If Gibbs is willing to speak to commissioners in this way, then he is very likely to treat the employees and citizens of Ottawa County in similar fashion," Bonnema wrote in his complaint to HR. Marcie Ver Beek, Director of HR for Ottawa County, determined that Bonnemas complaint was unfounded and the evidence gathered during the investigation did not substantiate the claim of harassment. The Ottawa County Republican Party was quick to censure Bonnema when news of his complaint became public. In a Jun. 20 resolution, the OCRP described his complaint as defamatory and frivolous. They accused Bonnema of eroding the public trust in the Republican-led Board of Commissioners and the Republican Party, through his frequent negative statements about fellow Republicans to local and national media. He was banned from voting in the next six OCRP committee meetings. Ottawa Impacts aversion to transparency is also costing the board a lot of money. In July, the finance committee revealed it was paying Kallman Legal Group $11,600 a month. They voted to reallocate $110,000 from the general fund to the corporate council budget to continue paying the firm, Fox 17 reported. These high expenses come as the board will vote on cutting the health departments budgetan irony not lost on some local residents. Melanie Scholten, a local resident who opposes the cuts, told The Daily Beast, I see people tossing lots of percentages and numbers around but what gets me... is that there is no financial crisis that warrants cuts. Scholten gave public comment at a board meeting on Sept. 19, where she voiced her frustrations. We are tired of the smoke and mirrors. We are tired of the dangerous rhetoric meant to divide us and make us enemies, she told the Ottawa Impact commissioners. Everything you say is now tainted with a high degree of suspicion. It's not a good feeling. Local organizers are planning to rally in support of the health department on Tuesday, Kim Nagy, a founder member of the Ottawa Integrity PAC, told The Daily Beast. That PAC was founded to resist the efforts of Ottawa Impact, and mobilize to run candidates against them at the next election. Nagy says one unintended consequence of Ottawa Impacts actions has been to mobilize an active opposition where once there was none, something she believes has lessons for other communities in the country. Ottawa County is an absolute microcosm of the country. Ottawa Impact has brought all of the national level culture wars, Nagy says. Were gobsmacked. I think you have this wide swathe of the country that is just going, Whats happening? And it takes a while to understand that you have to stand up. You cant say, I hate politics. Its too important right now. We are literally talking about our democracy. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. This photo taken with a mobile phone on Sept. 19, 2023 shows the booth of Schneider Electric at the 23rd China International Industry Fair (CIIF) in east China's Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua] The 23rd China International Industry Fair (CIIF), held from Sept. 19 to 23 in Shanghai, featured a noticeable European presence, with companies showcasing cutting-edge technologies and displaying strong confidence in the Chinese market. German conglomerate Siemens, which occupied an exhibition space of over 1,000 square meters, displayed its Industrial Operations X, an open and interoperable portfolio for automating and operating industrial production, signaling its official entry into the Chinese market. Siemens has partnered with China's Machinery Industry Information Research Institute to establish a digital transformation capability assessment platform for SMEs. Through the platform, companies can evaluate their foundational digital transformation capabilities and current status. "Technological innovation is emerging as the core driving force behind China's industrial growth in the face of the dual challenges of economic recovery and climate change," said Wang Haibin, executive vice president of Siemens Ltd., China, and general manager of Digital Industries, Siemens Greater China. Another German enterprise, Bosch Rexroth, brought the ctrlX AUTOMATION platform to the event. This platform offers a comprehensive solution aimed at serving manufacturing facilities of the future. The company also looks forward to supporting the globalization process of Chinese customers through its global service network, said Xia Weizhong, senior vice president of Factory Automation, Bosch Rexroth China. The CIIF saw intensified collaborations between European companies and their Chinese counterparts. On the opening day, French company Schneider Electric signed a strategic cooperation agreement with SunShine Pumps (Tianjin), focusing on the production and operation of high-end intelligent devices and aiming to explore collaborative opportunities in digitalization and software development. Several national pavilions were set up to showcase the latest achievements in industrial tech from different countries. The German Pavilion featured over 20 products and services, and the Italian Pavilion hosted over 60 Italian companies and industry associations, compared to 50 at the previous edition of the CIIF. "All the participating enterprises and institutions have absolute confidence in this exhibition," said Augusto Di Giacinto, trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Agency in Shanghai. As a crucial platform linking domestic and international industrial enterprises and converging the entire industrial supply chain, the CIIF is committed to facilitating international exchange and practical cooperation among industrial enterprises and advancing the implementation of industrial achievements, said Wang Hong, an official of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. After three years of disruption due to the pandemic, the CIIF returned offline this year with an exhibition area of 300,000 square meters, featuring over 2,800 participating companies from 30 countries and regions. Nearly a thousand pioneering new technologies and products made their public debut during the event. The 23rd edition of the CIIF this year set record highs for this event in terms of the number of exhibitors, the size of the exhibition space, and the volume of attendees, according to the organizers. Phoenix police car A central Phoenix intersection was closed after a man was found fatally shot on Sunday evening. Just before 5 p.m., Phoenix police said officers responded to 27th Avenue and Indian School Road for reports of a shooting. When they arrived, officers found a man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead. Police did not release the man's identity. Police said detectives responded to assume the investigation and were determining what led up to the shooting. The area was shut down and remained so as of Monday morning, police said. They did not specify when it would reopen. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man fatally shot in central Phoenix Recent publicity around negative police encounters has led to dramatically increased scrutiny of police departments in the U.S. That scrutiny has forced a change in the way policing is conducted. We need change, but not always. Since this increased scrutiny has occurred, the Fayetteville Police Department garners little to no respect from the community while trying to improve with an officer population that is often young, inexperienced and inundated with paperwork. More: I spent a night with Fayetteville's homeless. Here is what I learned. Fayetteville needs non-biased law enforcement, and in order to accomplish this, the city needs officers on the streets veteran officers, not just rookies straight out of the police academy. Justin Herbe, candidate for City Council District 5 I volunteered for a police ride-along, so I could experience firsthand the situations that officers and the community deal with on a daily basis. Before I signed up, I had in my mind some preconceived notions of racial profiling, targeting homeless and big, gruff, bullying and intimidating officers. I wanted to see if those ideas held weight or if our Police Department was non-biased and racially blind like they say they are. An alarm, rain, traffic stop and missed opportunities The night started out with foreboding thunder clouds moving towards the sector that we would be patrolling. The Central District encompasses a large area in the middle of the city, known for drugs, guns and prostitution. It runs from Bonnie Doone in the north abutting Fort Liberty, west to Skibo Road, heading east and south into Murray Hill, Haymount and farther south into Douglas Byrd and Lakedale. The first stop was a triggered building alarm. By the time we arrived, the rain clouds were directly above us and it began to pour. We were drenched within seconds and began searching the perimeter of the building and determined it had probably been a weather-related issue that caused the alarm to get triggered. We searched high and low for any points of entry or broken windows and none were found. We jumped back into the squad car, turned off the A/C because, with us being wet, it quickly got cold. I was really hoping the entire night would not be like this. Throughout the storm we continued the street patrol where we scanned license plates, checked registrations and validated current drivers licenses, all from the comfort of the vehicle using the hood-mounted cameras. While driving on Raeford Road, we noticed a car driving with its lights out. The officer turned his car around, began following the car into Haymount, scanned the license plates, noticed they were expired, and flashed the lights. He stopped the car, approached the driver, politely asked for her license, returned to his vehicle and ran the license through the computer systems. She already had a ticket for the registration and a court date, so he decided not to give her another one, which would have compounded the bad situation, and he also decided just to give a warning for the headlights being off. The officer told me he usually gives warnings for nearly all minor infractions. But this warning began what I will call a paper trail of documents throughout the night that will engulf the quiet moments in-between calls. The officer will quite possibly miss opportunities where positive engagements could have been conducted. The traffic stop report was the easiest report of all to fill out but still took 10 to 15 minutes. An encounter with unsheltered people. What help did they need? We drove around a little more and found some unsheltered individuals hanging around an abandoned Circle K convenience store. We pulled up, exited our vehicle, and began talking to the individuals. The three individuals who were standing there looked like they were living outside, and carrying everything that belonged to them. More: Pitts: Fayetteville day center for homeless opens. Two stories show promise and challenges The police officer told them about the Day Resource Center that was now open at 128 King St., they were excited to hear this because they had not known about it. They even asked if there were any counseling services available at the center. The conversation was amicable, I got to hear more about the homeless situation and they learned about the resources at the day center. It lasted about 15 minutes, but the paperwork took nearly twice that. One field contact sheet for each individual that he spoke with took 10 minutes to write out and link the individuals names together in the system. The Day Resource Center off U.S. 301 downtown, on Monday morning Aug. 21, 2023. We reviewed their rap sheets and saw a long history of arrests, some more serious than others. It was concerning because I sympathized with them and could tell they needed help, but I did not know what kind of help they really needed. Drug counseling, maybe mental health counseling, just somewhere to go to get out of the rain would have easily helped them. But ... the police are not a taxi service, nor do I want them to be. A man flees armed pursuers We began the patrol again by driving through the back side of Walmart, maybe trying to make another positive engagement where we could let more homeless know about the Day Resource Center and what it offers. But the situation changed quickly: As we came from behind Walmart, city dispatch alerted us that there was a 9-1-1 call coming from the Walmart parking lot. She said that a man called asking for help, that he was being chased by five individuals wearing hooded sweatshirts and armed with guns. The officer, knowing I had previous military experience, had told me early this night that if there was ever a reason I might need to assist and get involved to do so. I acted like it was no big deal and said I could help out, but this wasnt what I had in mind!!! As we were searching for the store that the man was being chased from, the man actually saw us first and ran up to our car. He looked petrified, literally fearing for his life. I was wishing I had chosen to conduct a ride with somebody else that had backup or maybe another way to interdict like a K-9 unit before it came down to a potential shootout at the O.K. Corral. The officer stepped out and asked the man if he was OK. He replied he was not he was scared, and needed help. Obviously, he needed help! He wanted protection because people were after him. The officer spoke with him, let him know he was safe now. Nobody was chasing him, and he would be protected. The man put himself on his cellphone microphone, speaking with his daughters who were crying for their father. The situation gets tenser: Serve and protect? A minute had passed and we had not found the people chasing him. Another officer arrived and began towering over the individual. I was in shock and thought to myself: Why are we not searching for the men who were chasing him? These officers are clearly misidentifying the issue at hand! Another minute goes by, the man is still on the phone with his kids while trying to talk to the officers. He is scared, I am scared. He thinks his life is in danger, and I do too. More: Fayetteville Police propose teen curfew to curb violence. But they don't work. He keeps pointing out the individuals who were chasing him. I look over there and see the men, yet the officers refuse to chase down these people. The police motto is "Serve and Protect;" why in this moment are we not doing that? Trying to regain control of the situation, the officer who I was riding along with asks the man for his I.D. I do not know what he is trying to do. What on Gods green earth do you need someones I.D. for at this moment in time? He must really want to run his drivers license and do more paperwork. Come on now, we have bad guys to catch! The guy refuses to comply, says he has no I.D. and he is not from around here. Sounds legitimate to me. I believe the best course of action is to at least take him somewhere safe, drive him someplace away from the danger. The situation is getting tenser, I hear the girls on the phone screaming, the man is being questioned all the while quite literally he was the one that called 9-1-1! The man has a black bag sitting beside himself on the curb. The officer asks whats inside the black bag and demands to see some I.D. The man pauses, looks at the bag, and reaches in. Within that moment, I consider my surroundings: There are two officers within 3 feet of this man and myself, and another officer 2 feet away. I am sure if the man pulls a gun out, he is going down no question. But he will get one of us as well. Looks like this is going to be my first and last public ride along with the cops. When instincts fail He reached in ... and out came his brown wallet along with an alleged bag of cocaine. We all saw it together at the same instance the wallet flopped on the ground, dropping loose change, dollar bills and the possible drugs. He was handcuffed within an instant and placed under arrest. The officers grabbed his black bag, placed it on the trunk of the car and pulled out alleged illegal drugs that included 16 grams of marijuana, 2 grams of cocaine, 1 crack rock and a broken homemade zip gun that had already been used. My instincts had failed me. The officers instincts had saved them. More paperwork We drove the individual to the county jail and arrived at 8:08 p.m., where we spent the majority of the rest of the night. It took three grueling hours to process the arrest in total. Much needed to be completed: The incident report and arrest report; probable cause affidavit; magistrates order; two intake forms; and two sets of pictures one for the warrants server and the other a mugshot for the jail. We left the sheriffs office at 10:16 at night but we were not finished yet; we still had to drive to the Police Department in order to weigh and submit the evidence. Of course, each piece of evidence needs to be tagged and marked. The forms to fill out are just as exhausting evidence voucher and tags, drug test request and a felony investigation report for the District Attorney. The pain ended at 11 p.m., nearly three hours to the minute after the arrival at the sherriffs. Lets not forget to mention the other officer involved, who most likely had to fill out his own incident report and collect the individuals property and take it to the police station for safekeeping until his release. How much money would you take to do the job? Our current Police Department is understaffed by 52 Officers. The officer I rode along with had a graduating class of 12 from the police academy back in January of 2022. Only six remain. They have gone to other towns, where the workload is easier, pay is greater and their life is not in danger every single day. Daily, when running my City Council campaign, Ive been telling people we must increase the police officers' pay at least 30%, otherwise our force will quickly look like those in Goodhue, Minnesota, or Enfield, North Carolina, where the police chief resigns because of poor pay and the entire PD follows after leaving the city with no protection. The Fayetteville Police Department released a photo of 14 firearms they say were seized from a home in the 100 block of Homeplace Court on Sept. 12. At the beginning of this shift during their shift change, I gave that same pitch to the entire squad. After I finished what I was saying, they smirked and laughed and said to me: Its already happening. At the end of the night my officer asked me how much money would it take for me to perform his job? I thought about it for a moment ... how much would it take? I thought about it for a second longer and I replied back, I would never do it. God bless our police and first responders. Justin Herbe is a candidate for City Council District 5. He lives in Fayetteville. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville police officers and the public: What my ride-along taught me People charged with noncapital offenses and probation violations in North Carolina have the right to pretrial release and not remain in jail awaiting trial or during the court proceedings. In North Carolina there are five types of pretrial release conditions, and judges or magistrates can only use one per instance. Cash bail is the most serious kind in the North Carolina system. Some criminal justice advocates say that under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, cash bail systems are unconstitutional because they discriminate against the poor. More: 'It's a matter of learning, not being blind:' Why Cumberland's pretrial release policy was updated Retired Cumberland County Resident Superior Court Judge Greg Weeks says he has a problem with the way cash bail is implemented in various jurisdictions. He believes there are two factors which should determine whether defendants should be jailed awaiting trial: if they pose harm to the community and whether they are a flight risk. He also said: Cash bail disproportionately affects African Americans and other people of color. Some recent research backs up Weeks claim. According to the American Bar Association, when comparing Black and white individuals in one study, Black defendants were 3.6% more likely to be assigned bail, and they received bail amounts that are, on average, $7,280 higher. Troy Williams More: Troy Williams: Cumberland County is spending lots of money to house low-level offenders. We dont have to. Illinois is the first state to fully abolish cash bail. In a 5-2 ruling in July, the states highest court overturned a ruling by a Kankakee County judge that ending cash bail was unconstitutional. The nation is watching Illinois bold move to remove money from the equation that determines who should and shouldnt sit in jail awaiting trial. In Robinson v. California, the U.S. Supreme Court held that it is unconstitutional under the Eight Amendment to punish an individual for a status or condition, and arguably, poverty is a status. More: Like something just insurmountable:' Two Fayetteville groups seek cash bail reform Ending cash bail would benefit poor communities, especially people of color. Cash bail too often has nothing to do with the crime youre accused of, but rather how much you can afford to pay. All she needed was $100 Several years ago, I was working with a local attorney on a case with a drug-addicted Black female defendant who shoplifted $16 worth of merchandise from a drug store. She exited the store and crossed the street when a male store employee chased her down and fought her until the police arrived. This Aug. 27, 2014, file photo shows a statue outside of the Illinois Supreme Court building in Springfield. The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a state law ending cash bail, ordering implementation in on Sept. 18. Instead of charging her with misdemeanor shoplifting they charged her with common law robbery. I dont know for sure, but I guess she was charged with felony common law robbery instead of misdemeanor shoplifting because she fought the store employee. She was overcharged in my opinion, but the point is she wound up in jail. All she needed was $100 to get out but she didnt have it and she stayed in jail for one year awaiting trial. At the time the estimated daily cost to jail a Cumberland County inmate was a minimum of $62.50 a day. In the end, taxpayers paid $22,812.50 for someone who couldnt afford a $100 cash bail. None of us want criminals to roam free, but there needs to be a better way to employ pretrial release without cash bail. Troy Williams is a member of The Fayetteville Observer Community Advisory Board. He is a legal analyst and criminal defense investigator. He can be reached at talk2troywilliams@yahoo.com. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville writer: NC should follow Illinois lead, stop cash bail With temporary pay hikes for federal wildland firefighters set to expire in the coming weeks, union officials are warning that the 15,000-member workforce could face a mass exodus if Congress fails to make the increases permanent. Max Alonzo, national business representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees, said recently that many firefighters were likely to depart for higher paying jobs at state and municipal agencies, or power companies, once they reached the "pay cliff" the point at which temporary raises end. If that were to happen, the consequences would be dire, he said. If we lose our wildland firefighters, we're going to lose our natural resources, were going to lose cities and towns and were going to lose lives, Alonzo said. This is not just about wildland firefighters this is about the safety of our country. Read more: Hellish fires, low pay, trauma: California's Forest Service firefighters face a morale crisis The warning comes at a time when worsening wildfires have added to the mental and physical strains of a demanding job, while low wages and lackluster benefits have made it increasingly difficult for the federal government to recruit new firefighters, and retain those with valuable experience. A bipartisan infrastructure package passed in 2021 sought to address the pay issue by setting aside $600 million to temporarily increase salaries by $20,000 or 50% whichever was less. But that money is set to run out Sept. 30 for firefighters employed by the Department of the Interior, and Nov. 4 for firefighters employed by the Forest Service, said Riva Duncan, former wildland firefighter and vice president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, an advocacy group made up of retired and current federal firefighters. The legislation Congress is now weighing would permanently increase federal firefighters base pay, which can start at as little as $15 an hour. Although some firefighters would still make less than they did with the temporary bonus, the raises would count toward calculating overtime, hazard pay and other benefits. Its a little bit of a trade-off, Duncan said. Were not super happy about it and wish it was more, but its a good first step. The bill, however, has become hung up in the House, where its been referred to multiple committees, including the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The committee chair, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), did not respond to a message seeking comment. I would think this should be the top priority the committee should be pursuing, said Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), who introduced the bill in the House last month with bipartisan support. Its a crisis we need to address and warrants immediate action by the Congress. While I dont want to comment directly to the legislation or speculate as to what the holdup is we know avoiding this pay cliff is imperative for retaining and recruiting the federal wildland firefighting workforce, Shayne L. Martin, assistant director of media relations for the Forest Service, said in a statement. As global warming and a legacy of past land management decisions fuel more explosive and destructive wildfires, federal crews are suffering increased rates of suicide, burnout and certain cancers. Larger fires are also adding to the job's traditional dangers and difficulties, such as exposure to smoke and other toxins, long stretches away from home and physical privation. Living out of your truck on government compounds while youre fighting fire is not an uncommon thing, said Ben Strahan, superintendent of the El Dorado Hotshots, an elite team of highly trained Forest Service firefighters based in Northern California. Read more: Wildfire crews forced to pause after gasoline and diesel fuel mix-up Alonzo said he had been told that the chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), is unwilling to push the legislation forward, citing a rule adopted by House Republicans that prohibits consideration of measures that would result in a spending increase without identifying ways to offset the increase. Representatives for Westerman declined to comment. I keep telling them we dont call you and ask you where to put fires out, Alonzo said. Dont ask us where to find money in Congress. We need these representatives to do their jobs. Theyre not doing their jobs at this point. Janelle Valentine, 29, whose husband is a fuels technician on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, traveled to Washington last week to lobby for the legislation. When she got the call requesting her presence, she was waiting in line at a food bank. Absent intervention, Valentines husband will take a pay cut of $1,504 per month essentially their entire mortgage. The couple share two children, ages 1 and 3. They live paycheck to paycheck, surviving on credit cards in the offseason. The raise from the infrastructure package enabled them to start paying down some of that debt, Valentine said. If this goes away, we will have no option but to seek employment elsewhere, she said. We literally will not be able to afford to survive at all. The legislation falls short of the comprehensive reforms firefighters and advocates have long been pushing for, including housing stipends, expanded mental health programs and a national registry to track chronic diseases caused by on-the-job exposure to environmental hazards. A bill that would accomplish these measures, named for the late Forest Service smokejumper Tim Hart, appears unlikely to pass this legislative session. Read more: A climate scientist wanted to start a debate in academia. He set off a bigger firestorm Strahan, the hotshot superintendent, worries that a mass exodus would reduce the institutional knowledge needed to fight increasingly complex fires. Youre asking people with a lot less experience, a lot less perspective, a lot less education and knowledge to pick up the torch and try and achieve the same things were doing right now, Strahan said. Hes tried to remain optimistic, but at the same time, the cost of gas, utilities, health insurance and medications for his daughter, who has cystic fibrosis, has risen precipitously, he said. The fire insurance on his home has quadrupled. My entire livelihood is reliant on overtime and hazard pay, he said. If I dont make 1,000 hours, I make peanuts. Strahan reached a low point three years ago and thought about killing himself. He credits his recovery to therapy, which he paid for out of his own pocket, and he tries to impart lessons he learned to others. Firefighters have been asking for better pay and benefits for Strahans entire career and have been repeatedly told that reforms take time, he said. But hes no longer confident that the change will be sufficient, or that it will happen quickly enough. Hes looking for another job. The trust is being fractured at every level, he said. The work environment is becoming more difficult. I cant lie to my folks that work under me anymore and tell them things are going to get better because I dont know if thats true or not. Read more: Wildfires knocked out power to an entire California county. The unprecedented fight to bring it back The departure of federal firefighters would also compromise the governments ability to implement sorely needed fuels treatments, such as forest thinning and prescribed burning projects. A recent report by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment found that lack of personnel was a barrier to doing more of this work. An estimated 20% of Forest Service permanent firefighter positions are vacant, and data suggest that even if all the positions were filled, there still would not be enough firefighters available to meet the demands posed by longer, busier and more severe fire seasons let alone to do the needed fuels treatments, the report found. We dont have the personnel or the support like we used to have, said a Forest Service assistant fire engine operator based in California, who asked that his name be withheld out of fear of retaliation. I know that on my forest alone, there were three engines shut down for lack of staffing, and captains were taking jobs in the middle of the fire season to go to structure [firefighting] or PG&E or any company that will hire them. If the temporary raises expire, the firefighter expects hell be evicted. Already, he lives out of state, where rent is cheaper, and drives his moms truck because he can't afford his own vehicle. Hes taken to bedding down in a sleeping bag on top of a cot at his station several nights a week to save on gas. He was recently injured on a fire, but chose to continue working because he didnt feel comfortable being pulled off the line because of staffing shortages, and because being put on light duty would prevent him from earning overtime. The fact that Im 36 going on 37, in a career fire job and I have to borrow a truck from my mom it kills me because I feel like I should be self-sufficient, he said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Opinion. Fueled by the demands of hard-right House Republicans, the federal government appears to be heading towards a shutdown at the end of the month, which marks the end of the federal governments fiscal year. Every year, Congress is supposed to pass 12 different spending bills that fund the government once signed by the president. When there is a lack of progress and the deadline is near, sometimes Congress will pass a temporary extension called a continuing resolution that allows the federal government to keep operating until a specified time. This year, right-wing Republican House members dont want to cooperate with even members of their own party, so a continuing resolution seems impossible. A shutdown is looming. While essential services will continue including social security payments and medicare/medicaid payments other payments deemed nonessential will stop during the shutdown. With the threat of a shutdown looming, the U.S. Department of the Interior - Indian Affairs on Friday postponed an Oct. 1 Road to Healing listening session in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The implications of a federal government shutdown were analyzed by the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) two weeks ago. Heres what NAFOA said happens at the tribal level when there is a shutdown: Federally funded programs will not receive FY2024 funding until Congress approves it. If the tribe does not have any other funds available from prior years, the program would not have funds to operate unless the tribe used other funding sources to run the program. If the tribe has funds remaining from prior fiscal years they may be able to use those funds to pay employees until funds are exhausted. If their programs run out of previous year money, tribes may consider funding (partially or fully) these programs until funding is restored. On Friday, several national Native organizations, collectively serving the interests of Indian Country, joined in unison in a joint statement to oppose a federal government shutdown, spending cuts for tribal programs, and to remind Congress that Native lives are not a political bargaining chip. The national Native organizations are: American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), Native American Rights Fund (NARF), National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), National Indian Health Board (NIHB), Native American Rights Fund (NARF), National Indian Education Association (NIEA), and Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium. Tribal Nations paid, in full, for the duties owed and enforced by the United States. We paid with our lives, with our lands, with our resources, and with our ways of life. We paid long before political factions sought to divide this nation, and your debt is due. We continue to serve this nations military in the highest numbers of any U.S. demographic, and we put program dollars to better use for our people than the United States ever has. Congress must uphold its end of the deal. Native lives are not a political bargaining chip, NCAI President Fawn Sharp said in the joint statement. The organizations said the United States has created a system where millions of Americans are uniquely reliant on federal appropriations. Tribal law enforcement and courts will switch to emergency operating plans. Primary, secondary, and higher education will switch to emergency operating plans. Tribal housing programs will switch to emergency operating plans. Life-saving programs for at-risk community members will switch to emergency operating plans. The unique history and political status of tribal nations and the government-to-government relationship with the United States means that no aspect of a shutdown happens in a vacuum for Indian Country and all tribal nations are affected. Past government shutdowns have taken the lives of Native citizens, harmed their well-being, and forced tribal governments, tribal organizations, and individual citizens to go into debt to cover the United States broken promises. Without the historic enactment of advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service, all tribal programs would be facing, yet another, threat of government shutdown. Even still, critical and lifesaving programs will be disrupted throughout Indian Country, and tribal nations will pay to maintain operations in either borrowing costs or lives lost. Earlier this week, Republican Senate Leader Mitch OConnell said no one ever wins when the federal government shutdown. A recent Peterson Foundation poll says 90 percent of Americans do not want a federal government shutdown. Government shutdowns are bad for Indian Country and the whole country. Thayek gde nwendemen - We are all related. About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net." Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net Meta is hoping to gain more Gen Z customers with new AI chatbots. The bots are based on outdated characters that aren't as resonant with a Gen Z audience. Gen Z's reaction to chatbots varies widely, from anxiety to trying to "break" the chatbots' rules. Meta is aiming to reel in younger customers this week with witty AI chatbots across its apps but the company's idea of Gen Z humor might be a little off. As Meta calls them, Gen AI Personas are being tested by employees and will likely be announced Wednesday at the Meta Connect conference, The Wall Street Journal reported. The age of the employees evaluating the bots is unclear, but Meta announced the development of the bots in February. One persona targeted toward Gen Z is "Bob the Robot," a chatbot based on the character Bender from "Futurama." Bob is meant to be sarcastic, sassy, and slightly sardonic although one employee noted that he can be rude and "unhelpful." "Him being a sassy robot taps into the type of farcical humor that is resonating with young people," one employee said in a written internal conversation reviewed by the Journal. Because we all know that analyzing humor down to its basest qualities is the best way to reach a different generation. Aside from the awkward summation of Gen Z humor, Bender might be a touch behind what kids are watching today. Gen Z is between 11 and 26 years old, and "Futurama" though it's been rebooted multiple times originally aired between 1999 and 2003, around the time the generation's oldest members were toddlers. Meta's attempt at being Gen Z's 'North Star' Meta also misses the mark on what Gen Z humor is often absurdist, incredibly fast-moving, "anti-humor." It's supposed to be kind of dumb; a far cry from the "superior intellect, sharp wit, and biting sarcasm" Bob the Robot exemplifies. Which means the company is at risk of falling prey to young people's other favorite source of comedy: millennials who think they're funny. Instead, Meta might want to take note of the moderate success of Snapchat's AI chatbot, My AI. The generative AI rolled out in February, and since then, young users have made it a trend to purposely torture the bot by giving it stressful prompts and posting them to TikTok. This may be due to the internet's fascination with "breaking" chatbots to get them to sidestep the guardrails they are programmed with. And while My AI has the dry personality of ChatGPT, the humor lies in what you can do with it rather than what it is users try to shape the bot's new character with their own prompts instead. So far, the #snapchatAI hashtag on TikTok has half a billion views. This doesn't mean, however, that Gen Z is fully onboard with AI bots. Dozens of videos calling AI bots "creepy" or invasive have gone viral on the platform. Young users also wonder whether or not the bots are collecting sensitive information, mirroring a growing concern from Gen Z that their privacy isn't being protected online. Meta also noted this when testing one of their other Personas, Alvin the Alien, the Journal reported. One employee wondered if the inquisitive extraterrestrial would prompt concerns that information was being collected since Alvin asked users many questions about their experiences on Earth. The focus on younger users comes as the social media behemoth looks to leave behind its older Boomer brand and cultivate an audience of young adults. In October 2021, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he wanted Meta's brands to become the "North Star" for young people online. Only 3.4% of Facebook users are between 13-17, according to Statista, and most are above 25. Meanwhile, only 8% of Instagram users fall under the 13-17 age category. Instead, the bulk of the app's user base is Zillennials, per Statista. Meta and Snapchat did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Sen. John Fetterman marveled at people who seem more concern about a dress code than alleged corruption. Fetterman told Semafor that aspects of Sen. Bob Menendez 's alleged corruption would "make the Goodfellas blush." Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, is thus far the only Senate Democrat to call on Menendez to resign. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman on Monday marveled at how people will freak out over the sanctity of the Senate dress code but demur at calling out Sen. Bob Menendez's alleged corruption as laid out by federal prosecutors. "It is a strange world that I work in when someone will run into a burning building to save the virtue of the Senate over hoodies and shorts, but will simultaneously embrace gold bars in a mattress or envelopes stuffed with so much cash that would make the Goodfellas blush," Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, wrote in a text message to Semafor's Dave Weigel. Fetterman is thus far the only Democratic senator to call for Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, to resign in the wake of shocking corruption charges. A freshman Democrat, Fetterman's move came after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and other top officials in the state called on Menendez to step down after federal prosecutors accused the long-time politician and his wife of accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in bribes in exchange for Menendez secretly helping the Egyptian government. Fetterman has made light over the uproar in the nation's capital over Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's decision to relax the dress code for the Senate, a move that favors Fetterman's tendency to wear hoodies and shorts. Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, has told reporters that he is writing a resolution to return sartorial sanity to the chamber. Menendez on Monday afternoon repeated his vow to not resign in the face of the indictment, pointing out that he beat previous corruption charges in 2017 after a jury deadlocked. He responded to one of the indictment's claims that envelopes full of cash stuffed into monogrammed jackets were part of the evidence of the bribery scheme. "For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba," Menendez said in a public statement he delivered in Union City, New Jersey, where he started his political career. "Now this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account, based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years." Read the original article on Business Insider At long last, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will get a showdown on a public stage. Fox News announced on Monday that Sean Hannity will moderate a 90-minute debate between the two bitter rivals on Nov. 30. The debate will take place in Georgia and air on Hannity's show. "We've agreed to the debate provided there is no cheering section, no hype videos or any other crutches DeSantis requested," said Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Newsom. "We want a real debate not a circus." The spectacle will come in the midst of a contentious Republican presidential contest, offering America an odd sideshow in an already unusual political season dominated by former President Trump's campaign to return to the White House while fighting criminal charges in Florida, New York, Washington, D.C., and Georgia. DeSantis and other Republican presidential contenders, minus Trump, will face off in their own debate Wednesday in Simi Valley, with Newsom deployed as a surrogate for Joe Biden as the president seeks a second term. For DeSantis, the two debates provide an opportunity to boost his floundering effort to overtake Trump. The contest with Newsom comes after years of sniping between the two coastal governors, a feud DeSantis said epitomized a "great experiment in governing philosophy" in blue versus red America. DeSantis posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, criticizing California and promoting Florida on Monday. "Decline is a choice and success is attainable," DeSantis said in a tweet accompanying the video. "As President, I will lead America's revival. I look forward to the opportunity to debate Gavin Newsom over our very different visions for the future of our country." Newsom has tried to lure DeSantis into a public spat for more than a year, trolling him at nearly every opportunity. Newsom has repeatedly accused DeSantis of being a right-wing "bully" intent on erasing civil rights victories, abortion laws, immigrant protections and hard-won LGTBQ+ rights. DeSantis blames Newsom for "leftist policies" that turned California into what he paints as a lawless, high-tax wasteland with rampant homelessness, crime and drugs. For Newsom, wading onto the debate stage against DeSantis on conservative Fox News adds to his effort to bolster his national image as a warrior for Democratic values, unafraid of going to battle against the right for the future of America. Newsom has launched his own campaign to rally support for Democratic candidates and lash out at what he castigates as a fundamentalist, draconian Republican agenda. Newsom has continually doused speculation that he could be eyeing a 2024 White House run. Biden has elevated the governor's role in his own campaign, tapping Newsom as an official surrogate to push back on the GOP candidates before and after the Republican debate on Wednesday. Newsom joined a press call with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) on Monday, where he described the difference between the two parties as "daylight and darkness." He said the GOP candidates stand "in stark contrast to the progress that we've all enjoyed over the last half century." DeSantis' communications director, Andrew Romeo, took a shot at the Florida governor's Democratic rivals in a statement on Monday. "Whether Newsom or Biden is the Democrat nominee in '24, they both offer the same failed and dangerous ideology for America that helped get us in this mess," Romeo said. Read more: Newsom's pestering of 'sixth grade bully' DeSantis seeps into presidential race DeSantis' decision to debate another governor could make him look less like a serious contender in the presidential race, said Mike Madrid, a former political director for the California GOP and one of the partys most vocal critics of Trump. "It's pure desperation," Madrid said. "He's admitting that his campaign is in deep, deep trouble." A Republican National Committee spokesperson said the debate would not run afoul of the party's rules prohibiting unsanctioned presidential primary debates because Newsom is neither a presidential candidate nor a Republican. Though DeSantis has been deft at raising money, his support from voters has eroded, recent polls show. Trump is primed to trounce DeSantis and the rest of the Republican field if his lead holds through the presidential primaries next year. Stooping to a debate with Newsom does give DeSantis an opportunity to pump life into his national profile and burnish his image as an anti-"woke" GOP warrior but it's a high-risk move, Madrid said. "When you start punching down in politics, if you don't throw a knockout punch, then you basically lose the match," Madrid said. "Because otherwise not only have you elevated somebody else, but you brought yourself down a few notches, and he doesn't have any notches to go down." The debate will mark the second time Newsom has been able to secure an audience of Fox News viewers and attack DeSantis this year. In an interview with Hannity in June, Newsom needled the Florida governor by declaring that Trump will clean his clock in the GOP presidential primary. On that show, Newsom immediately accepted Hannitys challenge to go toe to toe with DeSantis. Read more: It's on. DeSantis accepts Newsom request for debate: 'Put up or shut up.' 'Let's get it done' Newsom has made it his mission to draw attention to and combat far-right policies over the last year, and pushing back on DeSantis has been central to his effort. He began pestering the Florida governor to agree to debate him a year ago. The California governor drew national headlines when he ran a reelection ad in Florida last summer comparing laws in red states and his own state on abortion, banned books and other topics. In April, DeSantis signed a bill into law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The California Constitution guarantees the right to an abortion, and Newsom has beckoned women from other states to come for services that are outlawed elsewhere. He's also criticized DeSantis for banning instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida schools, legislation critics refer to as Dont Say Gay. After DeSantis went to battle against Disney and took control of government services in the Disney World theme park district because the company publicly opposed the law, Newsom posted a video of himself at Disneyland in Anaheim at the first LGBTQ+ Pride Night. Newsom called DeSantis a small, pathetic man and threatened kidnapping charges after DeSantis' administration helped transport migrants from Texas to California. Newsom's political team sent a proposal for a "Red v. Blue" debate to Hannity on July 28, saying the governor welcomed a discussion on how "Democratic policies are delivering real results for the American people." DeSantis accepted the debate challenge in an interview with Hannity, but the two sides have disagreed over whether to allow an audience in the live studio and whether to include prerecorded or in-person opening statements. The debate announcement on Monday was short on logistical details. Im looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American," Hannity said in a statement. Times staff writer Noah Bierman contributed to this report. 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. Films fans in the UK are lamenting the lack of cinema release for an acclaimed new comedy. The high-school film, titled Bottoms, first premiered at South by Southwest festival in March. Following its US cinema release in August, the movie has gained word-of-mouth traction. Bottoms is the second film from writer-directir Emma Seligman , whose debut film, Shiva Baby, was released in 2021. For the film, she reunited with lead star Rachel Sennott , with whom she also co-wrote the project. Sennott was most recently seen in divisive HBO show The Idol, as the assistant and best friend of Lily-Rose Depps pop star character, Jocelyn. Her co-star in Bottoms is Ayo Edebiri , who plays Sydney in The Bear, and also had a role in new comedy Theatre Camp. Edebiris other credits include a guest spot in sitcom Abbott Elementary and a voice in Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Bottoms follows two high school senior girls (Sennott and Edebiri) who set up a fight club as a way to hook up with cheerleaders. Since its release in the US, many people in other countries have been patiently waiting to see the film however, following its digital release last week, its become abundantly clear that there is no cinema release set for the film in the UK. Critic Katie Smith-Wong, who reviewed the film for Movie Marker, said it is a crime that it is not getting a UK cinematic release. Others, including @clareellenhope, complained that spoilers were being given away on social media despite the film not yet being released outside of the US. Meanwhile, @Tranarchic compared the stuation to the release of Pearl, which arrived in the UK an entire year five months after it was made available to watch digitally in the US. See more of the complaints below: The Bottoms spoilers/full clips have hit the timeline, and I don't think it even has a UK release date yet? pic.twitter.com/ltiwQJM0wR this Barbie is called Clare (@clareellenhope) September 23, 2023 So bottoms isnt gonna get released in the UK Wannies Wife (@Bomji16) September 22, 2023 Movies need to stop going digital in America before even getting a UK release cos it just makes people go mad and post every plot detail. Feel like I dont even need to watch Bottoms now the twitter algorithm just decided to tell me everything that happens Sam (@TrueZero_) September 24, 2023 Bottoms also stars Nicholas Galitzine, Kaia Gerber, Havan Rose, Ruby Cruz and Marshawn Lynch. By Praveen Paramasivam, Ben Blanchard and Munsif Vengattil CHENNAI (Reuters) -Apple supplier Pegatron has told its factory workers not to report for work on Tuesday, halting the assembly of iPhones for a second straight day at its south India factory where a fire broke out on Sunday, three sources told Reuters. The workers were not given a reason for the directive, said the sources who have direct knowledge of the matter. The Taiwanese firm had called off all shifts on Monday at the factory near the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state after the fire incident, two source said. Pegatron previously told Reuters in a statement on Monday "there was a spark incident" at the facility and is currently under control. The incident "does not have significant financial or operational impact" for the company, it added. While the facility has a production capacity of about 26,000 iPhones per day, it has been assembling about 8,000-12,000 iPhones per day in recent months, an industry source said. Pegatron declined to comment on the production estimate. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. A local official with the emergency responses department said multiple fire engines from various stations had to be brought in to douse the fire, taking nearly five hours. "There are no injuries, no casualties, nor damage to other assets. The cause of (the) accident is currently under investigations by (the) relevant authority," Pegatron said. A police official told Reuters an inquiry was underway along with the fire department, describing it as a minor incident. Local media reported late Monday the fire led to black smoke covering the nearby area, with footage showing security guards trying to clear a crowd that had gathered near the entrance of the facility. Pegatron accounts for 10% of Apple's iPhone production in India, according to research firm Counterpoint. It estimates Apple will sell more than nine million iPhones in India this year. Apple has bet big on India since it began iPhone assembly in the country in 2017 via Wistron and later Foxconn, as the Indian government pushed for local manufacturing. Pegatron, which started iPhone assembly in India in September last year, is also in talks to open a second Indian contract facility for Apple near the existing one in Tamil Nadu. The incident is the latest problem to hit one of Apple's 14 suppliers in India. Production was hit at a Foxconn facility in 2021 by food poisoning among workers, while a Wistron plant in India was affected by worker unrest in 2020 over non-payment of wages. In February, a fire at a south Indian facility of Foxlink for iPhone charging cables forced it to halt production. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Praveen Paramasivam, Munsif Vengattil, Aditi Shah and Sarah Wu; Editing by Toby Chopra, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter and Aurora Ellis) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to the Global Sustainable Transport Forum. Building a sustainable transport system that is safe, convenient, efficient, green, economical, inclusive, and resilient is a major move to support high-quality economic and social development and realize the vision of enjoyable travel for passengers and smooth transport of goods, Xi said. China is accelerating building up its strength in transport and will continue to promote global transport cooperation, providing new opportunities for the world with its own development, Xi said. Following the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, China is ready to work with other countries to make the benefits of sustainable transport better delivered to people all over the world, Xi said. Xi vowed contribution to the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the realization of the U.N. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. Themed "Sustainable Transport: Working Together to Promote Global Development," the forum, held by the Ministry of Transport, opened in Beijing on Monday. First lady Jill Biden will travel to Kansas City on Wednesday to tour the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. She will also participate in an event in support of President Joe Biden s 2024 reelection. The first lady, who is a community college professor, will get a tour of Trumans presidential library and learn about their efforts to support civic literacy in the community. Shell also meet with high school students and teachers at the museum. Alex Burden, the executive director of the Truman Library Institute, said he was looking forward to the first ladys visit because it will allow him to show off some of the librarys programs, like the White House Decision Center, which allows groups to confront some of the difficult decisions Truman made like whether to drop the nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in a replica of the Oval Office. We are thrilled that she wants to visit the Truman Library and meet with local teachers and students, Burden said. Earlier this year, the organization hosted a symposium in Washington celebrating Trumans decision to desegregate the military and the federal workforce and the impact his decision had on Civil Rights. President Biden was the keynote speaker at the opening night of the symposium and used his speech to talk about the importance of diversity initiatives in the military, which are currently being challenged by conservatives in Congress. Sens. Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley, Republicans who represent Missouri, voted against Bidens pick for chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Air Force General C.Q. Brown because of Browns support for the militarys diversity and inclusion efforts. Brown was the first Black man to be named chief of staff for the Air Force when he was confirmed by the Senate in 2020. The White House did not say who is hosting the fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund, the joint fundraising committee between Bidens campaign and the Democratic National Committee, or where it will be located. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver , a Democrat who represents Kansas City, said he was pleased the visit is focused on civic literacy and public education. He introduced a bill earlier this year that would push for more resources so public schools could teach about civics and government. While Im disappointed that I will not have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Biden as I work to avoid a senseless government shutdown in Washington, I have no doubt that the people of Kansas City, Independence, and the Truman Library will welcome her with open arms, Cleaver said. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The First Lady of the United States will be traveling to Kansas City this week to visit local high schoolers. Jill Biden will arrive in Kansas City at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport on Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. Pittsburgh Steelers make emergency plane landing at Kansas City airport At 3:30 p.m. she will visit the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence to showcase their program that supports civic literacy and education in the Kansas City community. She plans to tour the museum and meet with local high school students and teachers. At 5:30 p.m. she will give her remarks at a political event for the Biden Victory Fund. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The first U.S. Abrams tanks pledged to Ukraine have arrived in the country and are being prepared to send into battle, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Monday. Good news from Defense Minister [Rustem] Umerov. Abrams are already in Ukraine and are preparing to reinforce our brigades. I am grateful to our allies for fulfilling the agreements! Zelensky wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Zelensky added that Ukraine is looking for new contracts and expanding the geography of supply. The Pentagon confirmed the tanks arrived in Ukraine, with a spokesperson saying the mere presence of Abrams tanks serves as a potent deterrent. By having these tanks in their arsenal, the Ukrainian army can more effectively discourage aggressive actions, the Defense Department spokesperson told The Hill. We will continue to focus on what we can do to help Ukraine succeed on the battlefield and protect its people. Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter President Biden in January agreed to send 31 Abrams tanks to Kyiv to help Ukrainian troops push back against a Russian invasion. The decision was a major turnaround the Biden administration initially argued the tanks would not greatly help Ukraine because they were difficult to maintain and operate and would take months to procure. The U.S. military has since trained Ukrainian forces to use and maintain Abrams. The military is also set to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, which the Netherlands and Denmark plan to send to Ukraine. Washington has provided billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv amid the war, with the administration last week sending Congress a supplemental funding request that includes another $24 billion in military, humanitarian and financial assistance for Ukraine. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. TIPTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WREG) Five people were shot overnight after a fight broke out at a party in Covington, according to the Tipton County Sheriffs Office. Covington police officers and Tipton County deputies responded to the scene at approximately 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Event Center on Highway 51, just north of Covington. Officials said that deputies began administering aid to a woman with a gunshot wound. The woman was reportedly in extremely critical condition. 1 teen injured, 1 teen detained after shooting outside Manchester elementary school Authorities said other gunshot victims were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton in private vehicles. According to the sheriffs office, at least one of the victims was shot inside the club and other victims were shot outside. Evidence on scene suggests there were multiple shooters in various areas in and around the event center. Several residents said the party was geared towards a younger crowd. However, the exact ages of the victims have not been released. Man arrested for aggravated assault, other charges following Nashville bar stabbing Sheriff Shannon Beasley said detectives are processing the scene and interviewing victims and witnesses. Beasley released a statement about the shooting on Sunday, Sept. 24: At this time, we have a young female currently at The Med fighting for her life. Our prayers are with her and her family and all the victims in this incident. This is absolutely uncalled for and behavior thats not acceptable. Its sad when people cant get together and enjoy themselves without people acting with such sickening and violent behavior. Our office will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice and we will not leave one stone unturned in the process. I urge anyone with information to please reach out to us. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com There are no suspects in custody at this time and motive has not been revealed. If you have information regarding the incident, contact dispatch at 901-475-4300 or the Tipton County Sheriffs Office at 901-475-3307. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Firefighters in Palm Harbor, Florida, issued a warning to Tesla owners, as well as owners of other electric vehicles in the area, that the EVs were in danger of catching on fire in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. Two Teslas reportedly caught on fire as the saltwater from the intense flooding that resulted from the hurricane caused a reaction with the EVs lithium-ion batteries. If you own a hybrid or electric vehicle that has come into contact with saltwater due to recent flooding within the last 24 hours, it is crucial to relocate the vehicle from your garage without delay, Palm Harbor Fire Rescue wrote in a Facebook post. Saltwater exposure can trigger combustion in lithium-ion batteries. If possible, transfer your vehicle to higher ground. Car blog Jalopnik explained the science a bit further, writing, When saltwater evaporates, the residual salt left in the battery can create bridges between the cells in the lithium-ion battery pack and spark an inferno It is important to note that the electric car can seem fine but burst into flames weeks after being exposed to saltwater. It is a common misconception that EVs catch on fire more frequently than traditional gas-powered vehicles, according to a recent study out of Sweden. While fires involving gasoline-powered cars may not get as much news coverage, they were still found to be more common than EV fires, even when accounting for the higher number of gasoline cars in the country. But the main issue with EV fires is that they burn much hotter than gas-car fires and are more difficult to put out. It often takes tens of thousands of gallons of water for firefighters to put out EV fires and most firefighters have not been adequately trained to deal with these incidents. The Fire Service has had 100 years to train and to understand how to deal with internal combustion engine fires, a spokesperson for the National Fire Protection Association, which offers EV classes for firefighters, told Vox. With electric vehicles, they dont have as much training and knowledge. They really need to be trained. All of this equates to some unfortunate bad press for the EV industry. Still, with time and new technological developments like this firetruck specifically designed to put out EV fires using around the same amount of water used to fill up a bathtub firefighters will become more equipped to put out these blazes faster. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. Churches and community groups across Florida are throwing themselves into efforts to teach Black history after the states controversial move to reject AP African American Studies. While Florida has pulled the College Boards course, with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) calling it indoctrination, state residents are uniting in their churches, parks and homes to learn about the history of Black Americans, including drawing on material from books that have been removed from school shelves. Im seeing it even with my own daughter whos 17, a high school senior. She and some of her friends have talked about maybe just reading on their own and just meeting here at her house or maybe her going to her friends house and just reading different books and talking about different books, said Sharon D. Wright Austin, a professor of political science at the University of Florida. The efforts began at the beginning of the year, when DeSantis, a 2024 White House hopeful, said he would not allow AP African American history in state schools. His administration took issue with topics in the curriculum such as intersectionality, Black queer studies, the Black Lives Matter movement, Black feminist literary thought, the reparations movement and the Black Study and Black Struggle in the 21st Century. Whats one of the lessons about? Queer theory, DeSantis said. Now, who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids. And so when you look to see they have stuff about intersectionality, abolishing prisons, thats a political agenda. And so were on thats the wrong side of the line for Florida standards. The decision led to a tsunami of criticism from individuals including Pastor Rhonda Thomas, executive director of the nonprofit Faith in Florida (FIF), who says that Republican officials such as DeSantis are attempting to share an inaccurate and diluted version of Black history. House Bill 7 passed where the teaching of African American History from our public school systems or universities was being jeopardized and threatened in a way of it not being taught in a truthful manner, but this watered-down version that was just crazy, Thomas said. The state drew further criticism over the summer after it came to light that new education standards include recommendations to teach children about how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit. Determined to fight back, FIF launched a toolkit made up of guides, videos and reading material, all designed to support faith leaders, community groups and anyone the group says is committed to the teaching of Black history and Black culture through the lens of truth. Books used as part of the package range from Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates to White Fragility: Why Its So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo to the seminal Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Since it launched in late July, 290 congregations in Florida have registered to access the toolkit, with Thomas aiming to have 500 churches in the state eventually sign up. Other states have also taken interest in the resources, with groups from Pennsylvania to California contacting FIF, including organizations that are not Black churches or part of the Christian community. Once this toolkit went out, we also had churches that are led by white faith leaders and Muslims register to teach Black History, Thomas said. What stands out is that these states are just as concerned, because many times they know that whatever takes place in Florida, eventually its going to hit our states as well. And the effort isnt just coming from houses of worship but also from individuals who want to work outside of the public school system to teach Black history uninhibited. Austin said organizing at the local level in Gainesville has come from educators and people of color who take it upon themselves to arrange the different book readings, the banned book readings on their own. She pointed to a second-grade teacher she knows who is planning to have a banned book reading session and says it has become common for spontaneous groups to form in response to attacks on what is taught in schools. People just take it upon themselves to try to help educate kids about classic books that they now are either having removed from their schools, or there is a chance in the future or in the very near future that they will be removed from their schools, Austin said. Despite their best efforts, of course, interested organizations will not have nearly the reach of Florida public schools, which teach almost 3 million students. But that isnt stopping groups from coming to the Sunshine State to shed light on their cause. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History held its conference in Jacksonville this month, with a seminar called Banned Book Readout. A Workshop/Gathering in the park to learn about Black History and Black Resistance through the reading, acting, and artistry of ASALH and other banned book authors, a description read. Recent data released by the American Library Association (ALA) found that book challenges in school and public libraries across the U.S. reached a record high this year. Between January and September, 695 attempts to challenge library material, affecting 1,915 unique titles, have been made. Katie Blankenship, who serves as the deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida, says these newfound connections across neighbors, generations and religions are pivotal to amplifying and building statewide resistance to educational censorship, something that the ACLU is intent on supporting through what it calls integrated advocacy. That just means bringing in experts from all of our departments and fields of expertise to really look at this issue holistically, Blankenship said. How do we not only fight it in the courts, but how do we really support the groundswell of local action? How do we help support statewide strategy and advocacy? Part of this strategy includes its statewide coalition, Free to Be Florida, which currently encompasses more than 25 counties represented by grassroots organizations and individuals pushing back on what Blankenship sees as a gross overstatement overstep by this extremist Florida legislature. Our goal is that we will have every county in Florida before the end of the year involved in the initiative sharing information and uplifting information and collecting data, Blankenship says. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Florida Department of Education is gearing up for a comprehensive review of academic standards pertaining to Asian-American and Pacific-Islander history, in accordance with recent legislative approvals. Lawmakers have given their nod to new educational requirements, prompting the Department of Education to take action. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The states education department has set the stage for a series of three meetings to be held in October, constituting a civics workgroup. This assembly is tasked with the crucial mission of reviewing and potentially crafting new standards in alignment with House Bill 1537 (HB 1537), which received the green light from both the Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis . READ: Push to require Asian American studies in schools is growing around the U.S. The scope of the new education law is wide-ranging, and it mandates that the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders must encompass several key elements. These include delving into the history of Japanese internment camps and the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Additionally, the curriculum must address topics such as immigration, citizenship, civil rights, identity, and culture as they relate to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Furthermore, the law requires an exploration of the significant contributions made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to American society. Notably, the law also emphasizes that instructional materials used in Florida schools shall include the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to American society. To promote this substantial undertaking, the Department of Education has scheduled three pivotal workgroup meetings on October 2nd, October 5th, and October 9th. The bills come after state officials rejected an Advanced Placement African American studies course in January, leading the College Board to water down its framework for the curriculum. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are set to face off in November in a televised debate moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity , the network announced on Monday. The 90-minute debate will air during Hannitys 9 p.m. prime-time show on Nov. 30, Fox News said in a press release. The forum is set to take place in Georgia, though an exact location hasnt been determined yet. Newsom first expressed interest in debating DeSantis during an interview with Hannity in June. Just a few weeks later, in July, DeSantis agreed to participate in a debate. Initial disagreements arose between Newsom and DeSantis over ground rules, including a proposal by DeSantis team to replace a traditional opening statement with a pre-recorded video message. DeSantis, a staunchly conservative Republican whos running for his partys presidential nomination, has long feuded with Newsom, a Democrat, over their radically different governing styles and political beliefs. On the campaign trail, the Florida governor frequently jabs at California, describing it as a state in decline after years of Democratic leadership. For his part, Newsom has accused DeSantis of clamping down on Floridians basic freedoms by signing off on policies like a six-week ban on abortions or a law that bars classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in Florida schools. The Nov. 30 showdown is being billed by Fox News as a red vs. blue state debate that will provide voters with a clear-cut view of how two of the countrys most prominent governors do business. Im looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American, Hannity said in a statement issued by Fox News. While DeSantis isnt competing with Newsom in the 2024 presidential race, the debate could have some clear ramifications for the Florida governors White House ambitions, giving him a high-profile opportunity to face off on national television against the Democratic governor of the largest state in the U.S. DeSantis has struggled for months to catch up to former President Donald Trump, the GOP primarys frontrunner, and some recent polls suggest that his once-solid, second-place standing may be slipping away. Meanwhile, some top Republican donors have raised questions about DeSantis presidential prospects and campaign strategy. That includes billionaire hedge fund executive Ken Griffin, who last year said he was ready to support DeSantis presidential bid-in-waiting but told CNBC just last week that he is remaining on the sidelines of the contest for the time being. The Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County is letting the rubber ducks fly, or in this case swim, again at its 3rd Annual Rubber Duck Derby fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 30 at noon. The derby is being held along the Quittie Creek between 7th and 8th Streets in Lebanon, next to the Lebanon Library and YMCA. Free parking is available in the YMCA lot at 201 N. 7th Street. Rain date for the event is Oct. 7. The Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County gearing up to dump more than 1,000 rubber ducks into Quittie Creek at it's 3rd Annual Rubber Duck Derby fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 30. Last year DVI made more than $3,300 as 600 ducks made their trip down Quittie Creek, according to officials. The event was such a success last year, we are excited to be doing it again and thank the City of Lebanon for letting us make it an even bigger event this year, DVI executive director LeAnne Burchik said in a news release. More than 1,000 rubber ducks will be up for adoption this year. There are four adoption options: Lone Duck (1) for $5; Quack Pack (5) for $20; Ducks in a Row (10) for $35; and Duckload (15) for $50. Officials said the top three Lucky Ducks walk away with a cash prize. First place finisher: $300; second place: $200; third place $100. Community members may support DVIs critical services by adopting ducks online at https://www.dviolc.org/duck-derby/. Officials said that In-person cash sales will be available at the event beginning at 11 a.m. Lebanon City Mayor Sherry Capello and State Senator Chris Gebhard kicked off the 2022 duck derby by tossing nearly 1,000 rubber ducks into Quittie Creek. More than 10 million people are abused each year in the United States, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In Pennsylvania, 101 victims died from domestic violence incidents last year. "Domestic violence impacts millions of people each year, but it can be prevented," DVI officials said in the release. "It requires the collective voice and power of individuals, families, institutions, and systems each whose one thing adds a valuable and powerful component to transforming our communities." Lebanon County businesses: Meet Lebanon County's most influential business leaders for 2023 Grayson Leedy: Lasting impact made by Eagle Scout with new bridge at Middle Creek The Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County provides free and confidential help 24/7 for individuals experiencing domestic violence. Those seeking help may contact DVIs hotline at (717) 273-7190. To learn more about The Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County, residents can visit their website at dviolc.org. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Domestic Violence intervention's Rubber Duck Derby returns Sept. 30 Apartment owners cash in on upcoming holiday trips 08:38, September 25, 2023 By ZOU SHUO in Changsha ( Chinadaily.com.cn Holiday: Concern expressed over renting out apartments The National Day holiday is around the corner, and those making last-minute plans to travel at that time are busy booking fast-disappearing hotel rooms in popular tourist destinations. In a bid to cash in on this rush for rooms, social media users are flooding platforms with offers of apartments for rent just for the holiday week, at prices that are a fraction of what is being charged by hotels, many of which are sold out. The hashtag, "Living in my home during the National Day holiday" is trending big time on social media platforms, with people living in popular tourist destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen in Fu-jian province and Changsha in Hunan province offering their extra rooms to travelers. The eight-day holiday starts on Friday, which marks Mid-Autumn Festival. Experts said this novel way of sharing one's home not only means extra earnings for the homeowners, but also improves the reputation of the cities. However, they also warned that there are risks involved. According to China State Railway Group, the country's railway operator, about 190 million passenger trips are expected to be made on the railway network from Wednesday through Oct 8, compared with 72 million trips during the same period in 2022 and 138 million in 2019. On Xiaohongshu, a popular life-style-sharing platform, there are many posts by netizens offering to rent out their apartments during the holiday week. A post typically includes pictures and videos of the apartment, the time slot it is available for and its location. Unlike hotels, those renting out their homes are not charging anything extra for cleaning the apartment while it is occupied, no contract or deal needs to be signed and the ID information of the renters is not necessarily required. A 25-year-old man surnamed Cai in Xiamen has rented out his apartment to two women traveling to the city from Xi'an, Shaanxi province. They will rent the 30-square-meter apartment at 200 yuan ($27) per night for seven days, while a hotel room can easily cost more than 500 yuan a night during that time, Cai said. "It is the first time I am letting out my apartment during a holiday. I wanted to give it out to someone who will keep it clean," he said. Cai and his would-be guests exchanged pictures of their ID cards and the women paid him 200 yuan as a deposit. He has given them the passkey to enter his apartment and will spend the holidays at his parents' house, also in Xiamen. "There are no valuable items in my apartment, and after thorough examination of the guests' profiles, which suggest they are decent individuals, I made up my mind to give it a shot," he said. A woman from Changsha advertised two spare rooms in her apartment only for female guests, as she will be using the main bedroom. She is charging 188 yuan for the two rooms per day, and the rooms have been booked for all the available days. Meanwhile, some netizens have expressed concern over this trend of renting out personal apartments. "It is so unsafe. What if the people install a camera in your home or make it a complete mess," one asked while commenting on a post seeking tenants. Another said, "Won't you be afraid of people opening your computer and checking what's inside?" Fu Jian, a lawyer at Henan Zejin Law Firm, said that as there is no written agreement being signed between homeowners and renters, and the ID information is not registered, it would be very difficult for the owner to safeguard his or her rights should a dispute occur. Moreover, if there is a theft or an accident involving the guests during their stay in the apartment, the owner will more or less be held accountable, he said. He advised owners to be aware of the rules and regulations before renting out their apartments, and added that renters should also choose carefully to avoid unnecessary risks. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Ford Motor Co. is "pausing work" on a multibillion dollar electric vehicle battery plant that garnered substantial praise from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and others but prompted outcries from local residents. Were pausing work and limiting spending on construction on the Marshall site, effective today, until were confident about our ability to competitively operate the plant," Ford spokesman T.R. Reid told the Detroit Free Press on Monday. "We havent made any final decision about the planned investment there." A small section of land near Michigan Avenue and 13 Mile Road is worked on during Wednesday, July 12, 2023, for the eventual construction of a planned Ford electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall. Earlier this year, Whitmer and Ford CEO Jim Farley announced a plan to invest $3.5 billion and create 2,500 jobs at the site, located just outside Marshall, a town a few miles east of Battle Creek. As part of the deal, Whitmer, state lawmakers and local officials agreed to provide the automaker a combined $1.7 billion in public subsidies. Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy said the governor remains focused on maintaining Michigan's edge in the auto sector and defended spending on large economic development deals like the one with Ford as a way to secure auto jobs in the state. "Ford has been clear that this is a pause, and we hope negotiations between the Big Three and UAW will be successful so that Michiganders can get back to work doing what they do best," he said. This latest development from Ford, involving the Marshall project, comes during the second week of a UAW strike on the Detroit Three automakers. Ford was the only company that did not get hit with expanded strike targets Friday because, UAW President Shawn Fain said, the Dearborn automaker was making significant progress during negotiations. Ford may be closer than General Motors or Stellantis to getting a tentative agreement with the UAW. The timing of the shift on the Marshall project may be related to battery plant and joint venture deal points being debated among negotiators behind closed doors. Ford declined to discuss details related to the Marshall project decision, including why the decision was made this week. Several hours after Ford publicly shared its decision to pause construction, Fain bashed the automaker Monday evening. "This is a shameful, barely-veiled threat by Ford to cut jobs," he said in a statement. "Closing 65 plants over the last 20 years wasnt enough for the Big Three, now they want to threaten us with closing plants that arent even open yet. We are simply asking for a just transition to electric vehicles and Ford is instead doubling down on their race to the bottom." Fain has been vocal about the importance of including the UAW in battery plant conversations with the expectation of not preventing the union from organizing and seeking competitive wages. Whitmer has touted large electric vehicle projects like the battery plant Ford announced as a key component of her administration's approach to revitalizing the states economy. After Ford passed over Michigan to build plants in Kentucky and Tennessee two years ago, Whitmer secured bipartisan support to create a new economic development fund that has since committed hundreds of millions to companies promising to create new jobs in the state. But she has encountered a growing bipartisan chorus casting doubt on her economic development approach. House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, blasted Whitmer for Ford's construction pause at its Marshall site. "After failing to land other high-profile Ford deals, Gov. Whitmer gave away the store to bring Ford to Marshall. But with Democrats pushing policies that make Michigan less competitive, the $1.7 billion in subsidies and tax incentives still fell short," he said in a statement Monday. He predicted Michigan would lose out on jobs in the future and laid blame on Democratic policies. Whitmer has celebrated Ford's planned investment. Earlier this month, Whitmer said Michigan was on the cusp of securing a dominant place in the transition to electric vehicles and said she was proud of her administration's work to secure battery investments like the one Ford planned near Marshall. "We're poised to be one of the leaders in the world when it comes to batteries," she told reporters at the Detroit auto show before walking around the floor to check out the latest electric vehicle models, including Ford's. Economic development officials at the state and local level echoed Whitmer's optimism the project might restart after the end of the strike. "We hope current negotiations between Ford and the UAW conclude in a mutually beneficial manner and we remain confident this project will continue as planned once these negotiations are complete," said Jim Durian, CEO of Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance, in a statement. Otie McKinley, a spokesman for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, said the agency is "staying the course" at the Marshall site. "We continue working closely with our partners in the community as Team Michigan moves forward on developing a world-class site that creates good paying jobs, brings supply chains home to Michigan and enables us to compete to make more in Michigan," McKinley said in a statement. The project in Marshall prompted pushback from many in the community. Some offered unfounded fears about Chinese influence Ford planned to partner with a Chinese battery company at the site but others questioned the transparency of the process and substantial change it would bring to the community. Diane and Glenn Kowalske at their home in Marshall on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The Kowalskes are two of many in the small town not happy with Ford Motor Co. moving forward on their EV battery plant. A small section of land bought by Ford Motor Co. has the ground worked on during Wednesday, July 12, 2023, for the eventual location of footers to be used in the construction of the Ford EV plant in Marshall. Glenn Kowalske and his wife are helping the Committee for Marshall Not the Megasite, which is working to prevent the Ford factory from locating in the Marshall area. Reached Monday afternoon, Glenn said his wife was en route to the site and if work had actually stopped, it'd be fantastic news. "I think, naive or not, I think we thought that if we worked hard enough and convinced people of the concerns that it could happen. We wouldn't have been going through this since December if we didn't believe there was a chance," Glenn Kowalske said. Regis Klingler, a retired engineer who lives in Marshall and helps lead the committee, told the Free Press on Monday, Any pause in the construction is good news to us. We hope its going to be permanent but time will tell what the real reason is. I suspect it might be the UAW strike, but Im not sure. Chris Bowman, his wife and three children live in a house that backs up to the Kalamazoo River, directly across from the planned Ford site. For months, they say construction dust blew incessantly through their windows and the work woke them early in the morning. Everybody living next to it is going to see it as a huge positive, no doubt, Bowman said Monday afternoon, reacting to Ford's decision to pause at the site. Even if Ford ultimately abandons the project still far from a certainty he said hes concerned a different large industrial project will swoop in instead. If there is a pause for any amount of time, Bowman said he hopes local leaders do more to actively engage their neighbors about the usage for the site. The people should deserve a voice in this process no one considered whether its right, ethically. Maybe theyll look at the situation, listen to the community and rethink the whole thing," Bowman said. Janet Kreger, of Ann Arbor, co-founder and president of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, told the Free Press that concerned members of the Marshall community reached out for support in January. Preservationists concerned about the Ford project in Marshall see issues of land use, zoning and potential environmental damage to a nearby river. Industrial development, when carefully planned, can have a positive impact on a community. This was an infusion of size, scope, people and infrastructure that was going to overwhelm a highly historic community in Michigan. Marshall is a small town," Kreger said. Marshall Mayor Jim Schwartz, City Manager Derek Perry and City Clerk Michelle Eubank couldnt be immediately reached for comment. This is a developing story. Check freep.com for updates as they become available. Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com and on X, previously called Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford pausing work on massive Marshall project, spokesman says A former Executive Director of the Constitutional Officers Association of Georgia has pleaded guilty to felony theft charges. Melissa Branyon Tolbert, who worked with the Constitutional Officers Association of Georgia from May 2018 to June 2022, made several unauthorized transactions with the associations bank account. It is unclear exactly how much she stole. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation began looking into this on July 29, 2022. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The 42-year-old, Tolbert, has pleaded guilty to nine counts of felony theft charges. She was sentenced to three years in prison and another 12 years of probation along with a $5,000 fine. Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI Athens Field Office at (706) 552-2309. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: On a chilly spring morning way back in the 1980s, I was on the hunt for a man dubbed Scotlands Most Wanted. Two years earlier, James Alexander Baigrie had committed murder with a shotgun, been convicted, only to then escape from Saughton prison in Edinburgh. When detectives originally arrested Baigrie, they had found him in possession of 64 sticks of dynamite which he had stolen from a quarry. Baigrie was, in short, a very dangerous man. As a young detective, I had increasingly encountered criminals with firearms, and decided that if they were going to carry guns, I had better have one. This was not a decision Id come to lightly. I spent a lot of time contemplating whether I was willing to take the life of another, eventually concluding that I could best protect the public by being armed, as and when the occasion demanded it. So, at the crack of dawn, and with a Smith and Wesson revolver in my hand, we searched a bedsit in Earls Court, London, where we thought Baigrie may have been hiding. We hadnt found him, and as my colleagues contemplated where to go for breakfast, I noticed a tatty, old builders van parked across the road. Someone, somewhere, had mentioned that Baigrie might have been working as a builder while on the run, so this inquisitive cop decided to take a look around this van. I found the back door unlocked, and began to clamber in. To my surprise, a head popped up from beneath a pile of buckets, cloths, and general junk, and as I fumbled inside my jacket, in an effort to remove my gun from its shoulder holster, I suddenly found myself staring down the barrel of a sawn-off shotgun. It was inches from my face. I blurted out Good morning, made Baigrie fully aware I was armed and then, in the finest traditions of the Metropolitan Police, I legged it. I dived between some parked cars, pointed my gun towards the van, and shouted out to Baigrie. I told him that he was surrounded by armed police. He wasnt, my other armed colleague had already left to get his bacon and eggs, so I had to sound convincing. A very tense stand-off followed, before the specialist firearms branch arrived to take over. In those days the officers with sniper rifles and telescopic sights wore berets, and sported moustaches, but they were good, very good, and I was very happy to climb out of the gutter and get a cup of tea. A 36-hour-siege followed, before Baigire turned his shotgun on himself. In the ensuing forty years, police firearms officers have continued to be world leaders in terms of equipment, training and discipline. Thanks to their dedicated work, we have relatively low levels of gun crime, and weapons are regularly taken out of the hands of reckless, ruthless and indiscriminate criminals. On the very rare occasions that police officers actually fire their weapons, they are subjected to investigations that are often seen as imbalanced, indiscriminately and unnecessarily long, and politically motivated, in order to assuage the concerns of vocal mobs. It is little wonder that firearms officers are becoming increasingly unhappy with their lot. This past weekend we have seen Metropolitan firearms officers being as industrially rebellious as they possibly could be. Many have laid down their arms, and announced that they are having a period of reflection. The result of this, of course, has been fewer armed officers on the streets of London. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has acted swiftly, and announced a review into the work of armed police officers. This is welcome, and not before time. An officer who makes a split-second decision in good faith and in the honest belief that squeezing that trigger is absolutely necessary, should not have their lives turned upside down for what is, on some occasions, many years. Nor should the impact of this disruption on these officers families be overlooked. Armed officers fully understand and expect their actions to be scrutinised. It is not unreasonable to ask that this be done in a fair, balanced, and timely way. The Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has written an open letter to the Home Secretary, which was published some hours after she had announced her review. This perceived delay on Rowleys behalf has attracted some criticism, but careful scrutiny of his letter reveals that he understands the issues. The discontent of Met Police firearms officers has been heard. A governmental review will happen. Now is the time for those officers to return to their duties or, should they rule out carrying a firearm for good, return to the rough and tumble of frontline response policing. These officers took an oath to protect life and property. They work for an organisation in special measures where morale is low. Police deserve our respect; if they dont get back to policing they may lose it for good. Peter Bleksley is a former Scotland Yard detective Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. (Bloomberg) -- Members of Greeces leftist Syriza party elected Stefanos Kasselakis to head the countrys second-largest political party after the resignation of former leader Alexis Tsipras in June following a free fall in support for his party in two general elections earlier this year. Most Read from Bloomberg With 75% of the votes counted, Kasselakis won 56.7% in a run-off with former Labor Minister Effie Achtsioglou, a party official said Sunday. Neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote in a first round on Sept. 17. The result means Kasselakis, a former associate with Goldman Sachs Group Inc., will lead the opposition even if he hasnt served in parliament. Tsipras, a former prime minister, and his Syriza-led government came to power in 2015 and during the first months of his administration Greece came close to exiting the euro-area. He eventually agreed on new bailout terms imposing further austerity measures that caused him to lose part of his popularity at home. Tsipras remained in power until 2019, when the current premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis took over and Syriza became the countrys main opposition. Kasselakiss announcement in August that hed seek the party leadership took the political world by surprise, especially as three of the other four candidates were former cabinet ministers in the Tsipras administration. Kasselakis has never held public office and failed to enter parliament after Tsipras nominated him as a so-called state lawmaker. These representatives arent elected, but appointed to parliament according to each partys share of the national vote. Owing to Syrizas poor showing, only three of the partys candidates made the cut as state lawmakers. Syrizas new president also becomes the first openly-gay person to lead a Greek political party and has campaigned with his partner, Tyler McBeth, a 32-year-old American nurse. I dont have a gay agenda. I have a human agenda, Kasselakis said in a statement in August to announce his candidacy, asking people to vote for him because he has the ability to defeat Mitsotakis. Kasselakis has positioned himself as a self-made man who wants social equality, the separation of church and state and the abolition of compulsory military service. While acknowledging he has little experience within a political party, he says his life experience will help him take the party on a new path. The 35-year-old was born in the affluent northern Athens suburb of Maroussi, and went to the US when he was 14 after getting a full scholarship to the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, an exclusive boarding school that was founded shortly after the American Revolution. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a Batchelor of Science degree in finance and a Batchelor of Arts in international studies. While still a student, he worked as a volunteer on the staff of then-Senator Joe Biden during the 2008 presidential campaign. In 2009, at age 21, he began working at Goldman Sachs. Far from developing a passion for finance, Kasselakis said he saw first hand how much arrogance money brings. Three years later, after securing a loan with a personal guarantee, he began investing in the shipping industry. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Kentucky never had a governor quite like Brereton Jones, who died last Monday, and it may never again. His legacy is one of reform, with lessons for reformers. Jones wasnt the first high-minded millionaire to use wealth to gain high office, but he did it with a most unusual pedigree. His political career began in West Virginia, where he was Republican leader of the state House, but he left politics for Kentucky and horses, his great love. He married into a prestigious Kentucky family and became a Democrat, cut a wide swath in the Thoroughbred industry, and started a foundation to provide health care to the needy. That fed his wish to be governor, an audacious ambition for a recent transplant to Kentucky, so he ran for lieutenant governor, freely acknowledging that if elected he would run for governor. At the time, statewide constitutional officeholders couldnt succeed themselves, and Kentuckians were in the habit of looking for fresh faces in politics. That, and Jones self-financing of a campaign with top-notch advertising, helped him win a primary against three statewide elected officials and Paul Patton, then the Pike County judge-executive and another self-financing millionaire. Al Cross: Has Joe Wrights example been forgotten? Another one, Wallace Wilkinson , won the governorship. He wanted a constitutional amendment to let him seek re-election, and he and Jones clashed repeatedly. Wilkinson was an old-fashioned reward your friends and punish your enemies governor, and Jones cast himself as the antidote to a style of politics that had worn thin with many voters. As governor, he instituted a code of ethics for the executive branch, took much of the politics out of state contracting and appointment of higher-education boards, and pushed health-care reform. But he never quite adapted to politics. The 1992 General Assembly was already in a reform mood, passing a law that match-funded campaigns of gubernatorial candidates who limited spending, and a succession amendment that was adopted in large measure because Jones excluded himself, perhaps his greatest political legacy. But when an FBI sting of legislators was revealed, Jones said the probe is going to be a good thing. From time to time I think you have to clean out the system. The remark angered many legislators, and Jones had more conflicts with them. He vetoed the budget they passed in 1994 after going on statewide TV in an effort to pass his version of it and a plan for universal health coverage. Jones left the state with a big surplus, a reduced payroll and commitment to environmental protection He was too straightforward, too honest, to be a really great politician, but he was a good governor, said Tracy Farmer, a former state Democratic chair who is also in the Thoroughbred business in Woodford County. Farmer noted that Jones left the state with a big surplus, a reduced payroll, and a renewed commitment to environmental protection, which was driven partly by first lady Libby Jones. The limited health-reform plan Jones did get passed fell apart when most insurance companies left the state, and health-care advocates said Jones follow-through was lacking, but he deserves credit for tackling the issue, said Phillip Shepherd, who ran the environment cabinet for Jones and is now a circuit judge in Frankfort. While it lasted, it was a lifesaver for thousands and thousands of Kentuckians who were uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions, Shepherd said. Everything he spent political capital on was to level the playing field, to give people an opportunity to have a voice where they didnt have a voice before. Figuratively, Jones often rode a white horse, but on such a steed, every speck of dirt stands out. He seemed unable to understand the criticism he received for being a major beneficiary of a program he started to reward Kentucky breeders of stakes races, and the role of the news media in holding public officials accountable. He was overly sensitive to any suggestion of moral shortcoming, often part of the give and take of politics. Jones never became a professional politician, and did some things that pros found amateurish, such as asking three men who wanted to be state fire marshal to go in a room and talk it out. But politics also needs citizens who offer themselves for public service and are willing to leave it, forsaking future glory. Jones came very close to running for governor in 2007, when scandal-plagued Republican Ernie Fletcher had little chance to win a second term, but got cold feet. He had much encouragement, but really didnt want to do it again, said Farmer. I dont think he wanted to go through that running again; he wanted to do what he enjoyed. . . . The thing he really loved was the Thoroughbred industry and the horses and his farms. Thats where Jones had his greatest success, but as governor he left his adopted state better than he found it. For that and more, he deserves our thanks. Al Cross (Twitter @ruralj) is a professor in the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media and director of its Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. His opinions are his own, not UKs. He was the longest-serving political writer for the Louisville Courier Journal (1989-2004) and national president of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2001-02. He joined the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2010. The NKyTribune is the anchor home for his column. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Former Gov. Brereton Jones dies. Lessons in rejecting career politics. Jeh Johnson said that a failure to effectively tackle the migrant crisis would boost Trump in 2024. Johnson made the remarks on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," where he spoke of the severity of the issue. "The federal government needs to be all hands on deck, and that includes the State Department," he said. Former Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson on Monday said that the Biden administration needed to treat the ongoing migrant crisis as an "all hands on deck" situation, warning that a failure to do so could strengthen former President Donald Trump's electoral chances as he looks to retake the White House in 2024. During a conversation on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Johnson praised the administration's decision to afford temporary protected status to Venezuelans who had already entered the United States. But he also said that the immigration surge was creating a whole host of issues for the federal government. "It was a good thing that the Department of Homeland Security, my old department, decided to grant TPS to about 9,500 Venezuelans ... that will expedite their ability to get jobs sooner and faster. But that's really just a drop in the bucket," he said. "This problem has no end in sight. And the two most alarming statistics I heard over the weekend, 8,900 apprehensions on our southern border in one day, last week, and that on the Mexican border with Central America, South Americans are now exceeding Central Americans in terms of the migration north." "This is a hemispheric problem, and you have a hemispheric shift moving northward right now," he continued. "The federal government needs to be all hands on deck, and that includes the State Department." Johnson, who led the Department of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017, then said that Trump should he win the GOP presidential nomination next year would benefit politically if the migrant surge wasn't treated with the sort of intensity needed to tackle the issue. "In purely political terms, you want to maximize Donald Trump's chance of re-election? Fail to deal with this problem," he told the MSNBC panel. "This will turn our politics upside down." President Biden has faced bipartisan criticism from lawmakers over his handling of immigration at the US-Mexico border, an issue that he used as a political cudgel against Trump during the 2020 election pointing to the Republican administration's divisive family separation policy. But since taking office, the administration has had to grapple with an ever-growing number of apprehensions at the southern border. And the president continues to struggle with voters on the issue ahead of the 2024 election. In a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Sunday, only 23% of registered voters approved of Biden's handling of immigration at the southern border, compared to 62% of respondents who disapproved. Read the original article on Business Insider A former Sedgwick County District Court judge who was disciplined for sexually harassing female lawyers is now running for a seat on the Goddard school board. Timothy Henderson, 61, who served as head judge of the countys juvenile court system, is one of 12 candidates running for four at-large seats in November. The Kansas Supreme Court in 2015 found that Henderson subjected multiple female attorneys and staff members to repeated inappropriate and offensive comments for literally years and that he improperly pressured a former Wichita school board member to get his wife a teaching position with the district. The high court suspended Henderson without pay for 90 days and he lost the next years Republican primary election in Division 24. He resigned ahead of a second disciplinary hearing where he was accused of lying during the previous investigation into obscene jokes and other misconduct. Contacted by The Eagle, Henderson, who has lived in Goddard since 2010, said that past controversy doesnt define him. First of all, thats 10, 20 years ago now. Second of all, I really dont have a lot to add to my previous statements, said Henderson, who apologized for his behavior during the disciplinary proceedings. I obviously didnt agree with the conclusions of the judicial qualification committee. But that was many years ago, and I think its really now a time to look forward. The former judge said he hadnt planned to run for office again but decided to do so after becoming concerned about students academic performance. I was enjoying my retirement, Henderson said. And what caused me to run for the Goddard school board is that I was going through a drive-thru here in Goddard, and the high school-aged young man real pleasant, real nice young man but his cash register was giving him problems and he, for the life of him, could not give me correct change and had to call his manager to be able to give me the right change for my order. According to state data, 38% of Goddard students are performing at or above grade level in math and 46% have achieved proficiency in reading both above the state average but too low, Henderson said, noting that the district graduates roughly 95% of its students. What that means is the Goddard school system is graduating students that are not proficient in basic reading and basic math, and I feel strongly that we can do better than that, Henderson said. And I firmly believe that parents and their children need a conservative voice on the school board. Henderson said his experience working with troubled teens in court has given him a unique perspective. What I really noticed as a district court judge in the juvenile department was that we underestimate the ability of our children, he said. They will perform like theyre expected to perform. In other words, if you dont expect a lot from them, youre not going to get a lot from them. But if you have high expectations and you have firm consequences for failure to meet those expectations, then youre going to succeed. Other candidates in the nonpartisan school board race include Titus R. Crockett, Edward Cropper, Ginnie Ely, Amanda Gish, Noah Guinn, Liz Hamor, Nicole Hawkins, Nathan L. Johnson, Jerry Longabaugh, Rachel Murphy and Jenny Simmons. The former manager of a defence plant in Lviv is suspected of appropriating gold, silver and other metals from air defence systems that had been sent to the plant for repair. Source: press service of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine; press service of the Security Service of Ukraine; press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General Details: The Security Service of Ukraine reported that the suspect is the former head of a strategic enterprise in Ukraine's defence industry. The special services have information that until the beginning of 2022, he would give unjustified instructions to his subordinates to dismantle air defence systems that had been brought to the plant for repairs and upgrades. He then appropriated "decommissioned" parts containing precious metals. The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine clarified that his scheme involved test stations, unfinished production units, and components. The alloy contained about 2 kg gold, 23 kg silver, 102 g platinum, 65 g palladium, and 15 g rhodium. The Office of the Prosecutor General added that these materials are used to manufacture special-purpose radio equipment for controlling air defence systems. The state suffered losses amounting to UAH 2.4 million (US$65,000). The former manager was served with a notice of suspicion of committing a crime under Art. 191.5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation of property by abusing ones official position). The article provides for 7-12 years imprisonment and confiscation of assets. The pre-trial investigation continues. The identities of all the individuals involved in the embezzlement are being established. The Security Service of Ukraine is also verifying information that the former manager was working with the Russian secret services. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! This undated photo issued by Cheshire Constabulary, shows nurse Lucy Letby. Letby, a former neonatal nurse who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of seven babies in her care and trying to kill six others at a U.K. hospital will face a retrial on a charge of attempting to murder a newborn baby girl, prosecutors said Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Cheshire Constabulary via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LONDON (AP) A former neonatal nurse who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of seven babies in her care and trying to kill six others at a U.K. hospital will face a retrial on a charge of attempting to murder a newborn baby girl, prosecutors said Monday. Lucy Letby, 33, was sentenced last month to life behind bars with no chance of release after a jury convicted her of murdering seven babies in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between 2015 and 2016. She was also convicted of trying to murder six other infants. However, the jury of seven women and four men in her 10-month trial was not able to reach verdicts on six counts of attempted murder in relation to five other newborns. Letby had faced two counts of attempted murder against one of the newborns. The Crown Prosecution Service said Monday it wanted to pursue a retrial on one of those outstanding charges, which involved a baby girl known only as Child K in February 2016. Letby attended Monday's hearing by video from prison, and spoke only to confirm her name. A provisional trial date was set for June 10, 2024. Letby was handed the most severe punishment possible under British law, which does not allow the death penalty. A judge said she acted with malevolence bordering sadism. Only three other women have received such a harsh sentence in the U.K. The former nurse was accused of deliberately harming the babies in various ways, including by injecting air into their bloodstreams and administering air or milk into their stomachs via nasogastric tubes. She was also accused of poisoning infants by adding insulin to intravenous feeds and interfering with breathing tubes. The victims were given anonymity and listed only by letters. Britain's government launched an independent inquiry soon after the verdicts that will look into the wider circumstances around what happened at the hospital, including the handling of complaints raised by staff who had tried to sound the alarm on Letby. Prosecutors confirmed they wished to pursue the single count involving Child K but not the other five counts of attempted murder. These decisions on whether to seek retrials on the remaining counts of attempted murder were extremely complex and difficult," Jonathan Storer, a senior prosecutor in northern England, said in a statement. Lawyers representing the other families described the decision not to seek further retrials as disappointing. We believe that the families of the further alleged victims still have questions that are unanswered and they deserve to know what happened to their children," said lawyer Tamlin Bolton from the law firm Switalskis. A former church youth leader in South Carolina who was arrested last year for multiple sex crimes against children has been arrested again after another victim spoke out to investigators. William Pinckney Carpenter III was arrested on Monday for criminal sexual conduct with a minor, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. It came just a year after his initial arrest on previous child sex crime charges. ALSO READ: Former youth pastor charged with third round of sex crimes Warrants obtained by Channel 9 say a victim reported that Carpenter inappropriately touched her during a bus ride to a church event. The victim said she was 8 or 9 years old at the time. The warrant didnt say which church the two were attending, but it said it happened in York between fall 2017 and spring 2018. According to court documents, the victim said the suspect was missing one of his fingers. Investigators found that Carpenter was missing the thumb of his left hand, and the victim was able to identify him in January from a photo lineup. Jail records show Carpenter was booked into custody in York County and was released on $60,000 bond hours later Monday. Earlier arrests Last year, Carpenter was arrested for multiple counts of assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct and sexual conduct with a minor. He had been released on bonds totaling more than $150,000 while those charges were pending trial. SEE MORE >> Youth leader charged with sex crimes involving kids he met at churches, CMPD says Those allegations happened from 2016 to 2021, search warrants show. Some of the victims in those cases were as young as 7 years old. At that time, Eastview Baptist Church pastor Rev. Chris Mitchell sent a statement to the Rock Hill Herald saying that Carpenter was no longer affiliated with the church. Before that arrest, police first charged Carpenter last year after he was accused of molesting children he met at Grace Chapel Baptist Church. Its less than 20 minutes away from Eastview Baptist Church. Thats a horrible thing to even think about -- what the parents must be going through -- what the child must be going through, said Jessica Hatfield, who lives in York, not far from Grace Chapel. According to arrest warrants, those allegations stem from 2017 to 2020 and involve kids as young as 8 years old. Carpenter was a youth leader at both churches. I cant imagine like my kids go to church and something like that happened, Hatfield said. I cant imagine. (WATCH: Former youth pastor, kindergarten teacher charged with more child sex crimes) Pete Hegseth joined the right-wing meltdown over Sen. John Fettermans (D-Pa.) dress habits with an ugly take on Sundays Fox & Friends broadcast. Hes a slob who got elected as a zombie in Pennsylvania, and now hes a senator and everyone knows its a joke, the Fox News host ranted. He even knows its a joke. His family knows its a joke. Democrat Party looks like a joke for putting them on the dais in that outfit. We look like a joke as a country, he continued. Fetterman, who suffered a life-threatening stroke during last years Senate race, has been at the center of a Republican firestorm after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) relaxed the upper chambers dress code earlier this month, allowing senators to dress as they please on the floor. The change was widely viewed as an accommodation for Fetterman, who often wears a hoodie and shorts around the Capitol. The new policy will allow him to enter the Senate chamber to vote in casual attire. He usually casts his votes by ducking his head in the doorway. Fox & Friends weekend co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy chimed in after Hegseth with a swipe at Fettermans acuity. Shame on his wife for ... not telling him to spiff it up if he doesnt have the judgment, in many cases, maybe not even the mental state, to know whats appropriate or not, she said. Fetterman has been unconcerned by the right-wing tantrum over his clothing, telling Republican lawmakers in a series of viral zingers to rein in their hypocrisy and get their priorities straight. Pete Hegseth on John Fetterman's dress code: " He's a slob who got elected as a zombie in Pennsylvania and now he's a senator. Everyone knows it's a joke, he even knows it's a joke. His family knows it's a joke. Democrat Party looks like a joke for putting him on the dias in that pic.twitter.com/qBgSsUqPYm Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) September 24, 2023 Conservatives have repeatedly targeted Fetterman over his health since the stroke, which left him with an auditory processing disorder a common condition among stroke survivors that affects the brains ability to recognize and interpret sounds. Last week, he grew emotional at a disability access hearing while recalling the ridicule he faced during his recovery. Many Republicans have made cruel taunts about the senator, who was hospitalized for depression in February. His Republican opponent in the Senate race, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, suggested last year that Fetterman might not have had a stroke if he had ever eaten a vegetable in his life. Donald Trump Jr. in November suggested Fetterman has mush for brains and in March drew backlash when he described him as a vegetable. Related... (Bloomberg) -- Frances conservative Republicains and its allies were poised to retain a majority in Senate elections, indicating the political balance between President Emmanuel Macron and parliament wont shift. Most Read from Bloomberg Almost half of the chamber, or 170 seats, were up for grab. The Republicains said they expected to hold 143 or 144 seats, compared with 145 previously, Agence France-Presse reported. French senators arent elected by voters but by thousands of local officials, including mayors, legislators and city council members, though the upper house can introduce or amend legislation. The constitution also entrusts it to represent local bodies, including municipalities and regions. The lower house, or National Assembly, has the final say on bills and determines which party gets to form a government. The election showed Les Republicains maintaining solid support at the local level even as it struggles to remain relevant at the national level, said Melody Mock-Gruet, a Paris-based constitutional expert who specializes in parliamentary affairs. The party of former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac has slipped in recent election and is now the fourth-largest group in the National Assembly. The election has also brought the far-right National Rally back into the Senate. The party won at least three seats, Interior Ministry data showed, further consolidating its presence in French politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Jury box in the historic courtroom at the Franklin County Courthouse in Pasco. Franklin County leaders could be considering joining a lawsuit against the state to win better funding for defense attorneys. Three Washington counties Yakima, Pacific and Lincoln joined the Washington State Association of Counties in filing suit against the state for what they believe is an unconstitutional indigent defense system that leaves counties footing a bill they cant afford, and defendants without the legal help they have a constitutional right to. Theyre asking the court to force the state to either provide better funding or begin providing services directly. In a news release earlier this month, Franklin County Administrator Mike Gonzalez said the county strongly supports a lawsuit. Franklin County stands with WSAC on this issue, Gonzalez said. The system is broken and we need a clear funding mechanism to support our Office of Public Defense. American Rescue Plan dollars are what is sustaining this department. We have used $300,000 just this year to support their efforts. This temporary approach needs to be fixed. We are asking the state to help. Since then county leaders have been urged to join the lawsuit as a party or file a brief as a friend of the court. Gonzalez told the Herald that they are looking at options to determine what would be best for the county, and he is looking into the process. The Franklin County commissioners are expected to discuss the lawsuit at this weeks meeting. Currently indigent defense comes largely from a countys own revenue, leaving funding inconsistent from county to county. Combined with a lack of new attorneys because student debt related to the rising costs of law school, counties that cant afford to pay higher wages are being left in crisis. Franklin County regularly loses both defense attorneys and prosecutors to neighboring Benton County or other areas that can afford to pay more. Benton County also finds itself in the same boat competing with Yakima County and larger counties. The differences are stark. For example, Franklin county lost a defense attorney earlier this year who took a position with Benton County making about $50,000 more annually. The crisis has become so bad that serious felony cases have been in danger of being dropped. The counties are arguing that a defendants constitutional right to representation should not be contingent on what county theyre charged in. They liken the states obligation to fund these services to the McCleary decision, which forced the state to pay for billions in education costs that school districts were struggling to manage. Gonzalez said Franklin County is also working with local legislators to explore bills that could help shore up funding. Franklin County is currently working with Senator Nikki Torres who is proposing legislation to help create a funding mechanism for public defense across the state, Gonzalez said. Senator Torres helped me create a state wide bipartisan working group that is trying to come up with reasonable solutions. Im grateful for everyones efforts in this regard. The Biden administration announced last week that the public would once again be able to request free at-home COVID-19 tests beginning Monday, Sept. 25. The return of the program comes as COVID-19 infections have been on the rise since July, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. While hospitalizations and deaths have risen, totals remain far below previous peaks. How do I get free COVID-19 tests? Like when the program was available last, requesting free tests is available through the www.covid.gov/tests webpage. Through the program, Americans can request that four free tests be mailed to them through the United States Postal Service. All orders within the continental United States will be sent through first-class package service. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and overseas military and diplomatic addresses will be sent through Priority Mail. There is an option for you to provide an email address to receive email notifications with shipping updates. Why did they stop sending COVD-19 tests? The Biden administration launched the program in January 2022, and the federal government initially purchased 500 million home tests to be mailed to households so people could test themselves at home without a lab. However, orders were suspended in June to rebuild test stocks. The COVIDtests.gov program has distributed over 755 million tests directly to more than two-thirds of American households, 310 million of which went to households in underserved communities, according to information provided by the program. The return of the free test program comes as the Department of Health and Human Services announced it will award $600 million to a dozen domestic COVID-19 test manufacturers to shore up the government's supply of home tests. The investment will deliver about 200 million new over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, officials told USA Today. Did my old COVD-19 tests expire? While your test may appear expired, most COVID-19 home test kits have received expiration extensions from the United States Food and Drug Administration. To see if your test has an expiration extension, see the FDA's list of authorized at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests. When should I use my tests? The CDC recommends that you take an at-home test: If you begin having COVID-19 symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell, or At least 5 days after you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, or When youre going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. Where can I get tested for COVID in Delaware? Green Clinics Laboratory 1633 Sorghum Mill RoadDover, DE 19901Phone: 302-734-5050Email: fgerges@greenclinics.net Swabbing is provided in the parking lot while the patient remains in their vehicle. No appointments required. Patient must call the office upon arrival. Trained staff available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Results available between 24 to 48 hours. 253 College Park DriveDover, DE 19904Phone: 302-677-0000 Open seven days a week with testing and specimen collection. Call to schedule a drive-up to be swabbed at the parking lot or visit firstcovid19test.com where individuals can book appointments to get swabbed. Patient walk-ins will not be accepted. Onsite collection services for assisted living, nursing home, and homebound patients are offered. 253 College Park DriveDover, DE 19904Phone: 302-677-0000 No contact, no cost drive-through COVID-19 viral testing offered in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties. Patients can self-schedule appointments. Physicians referral is required. How many in Delaware are vaccinated? As of Monday, Sept. 25, there have been more than 2.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the First State. To date, 76.7% of Delaware residents have received at least on dose of the vaccine. Of these, 648, 348 are fully vaccinated and 96,588 are partially vaccinated, according to state data. A full breakdown can be found at myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/home. Anthony DiMattia contributed to this story. COVID tests: Expiration dates for tests from government may be months later than anticipated COVID in Delaware: The new COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 is in Delaware. Here's what you need to know COVID funding: Christina schools spent millions on air sterionizers. Nationally, the tech has been questioned This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Free COVID-19 at-home tests are in the mail. Here's how to order Gavin Newsom didn't rule out running for president when he was asked about it on "60 Minutes." "Is that a yes or a no?" correspondent Cecilia Vega pressed Newsom. "That was a that was a never-ending response to your question," Newsom replied. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been asked many times if he plans to run for president. For months, that answer has been an emphatic "no." But this weekend, Newsom sounded a little less certain of his stance on the matter. "You may be termed out here but does cleaning up the streets of California factor into a potential presidential run?" "60 Minutes" correspondent Cecilia Vega asked Newsom, in an interview that aired on Sunday. Vega was referring to the new policies that Newsom is implementing in a bid to reduce California's homelessness rate. Newsom was elected governor of California in 2018. He was re-elected for his second and final term in 2022. He is set to leave office in January 2027. "I'm never going to overpromise that in the short run. I mean, we are struggling in this state. Housing, and homelessness," Newsom replied. "Is that a yes or a no?" Vega pressed Newsom again, later in the interview. "That was a that was a never-ending response to your question," Newsom said. This isn't the first time Newsom has been asked about his presidential ambitions. His answer has changed over time. In September 2022, Newsom insisted, when asked at the Texas Tribune Festival, that he doesn't plan to run for president in 2024. "No, no, not happening, no, no, no, not at all," Newsom said, later citing the recall election he survived in 2021. "I've said it in French, Italian. I don't know German. I mean, I cannot say it enough," Newsom added. "But thank you. It's humbling. It is sweet. It's a nice thing to be asked. I mean it, and I never trust politicians, so I get why you keep asking." Newsom won his 2021 recall election in California with over 60% of the vote. Rumblings about a possible Newsom run are coming at an interesting moment in the Democratic Party. President Joe Biden is now facing off against the current GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, but Biden's win might not be a slam-dunk, per a slate of recent polls. That said, Newsom has been supportive of Biden. Newsom told Politico, in a story published last November, that he'd informed the White House that he would be supporting Biden's reelection bid. "He not only beat Trump once, I think he can beat him again," Newsom told Politico then, whilst referencing Biden's chances. Representatives for Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider California Gov. Gavin Newsom is officially set to take on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a long-awaited debate this fall on Fox News. The political rivals will meet on Nov. 30 at a location in Georgia with Fox News host Sean Hannity as moderator. Fox News on Monday announced the 90-minute event, which it is marketing as the Red State vs. Blue State Debate. Im looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American, Hannity said in a statement. Newsom has been clamoring for a confrontation since September 2022, when he first began pushing the idea of a debate on Twitter. Hey @GovRonDeSantis, clearly youre struggling, distracted, and busy playing politics with peoples lives, Newsom tweeted at the time. Since you have only one overriding need attention lets take this up & debate. Ill bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day. The debate equation likely changed for DeSantis in light of his struggling Republican presidential campaign. A national television appearance against a Democratic governor whom GOP voters hate could give him a needed boost. Nearly all polls show him trailing former President Donald Trump by large margins. After DeSantis expressed interest in the debate, both governors camps began floating memos suggesting different debate setups. Newsom preferred a format without a live audience, with four-minute opening statements from each governor. He suggested presidential battleground states Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina as potential locations. DeSantiss team pushed for an audience and two-minute opening statement videos allowing each governor to make the case for their governing philosophy. They suggested Georgia and Iowa as possible debate sites. The Fox News release was unclear about specific event details, including whether an audience will be present. Newsom in early September refuted reports that President Joe Biden opposes the debate. The governor said at a West Sacramento event he received a call from the White House after an NBC News story suggested advisers to the president and Vice President Kamala Harris are irked by the event. When asked whether he still planned to debate the Florida governor, Newsom was noncommital. Well see if it lands, he said at the time. If it doesnt, it doesnt. If it does, it does. A political spectacle A Newsom-DeSantis debate will be a highly unusual event, virtually unprecedented in modern American politics. Unlike most debates, there are no firm rules of engagement set by political parties or, in the case of general election presidential debates, by a nonpartisan commission. The participants arent running against one another. Theres unlikely to be a live audience. All that is likely to make it difficult to gauge the impact. For instance, will Democrats tend not to watch, since the debate is to be moderated by Hannity, a conservative commentator who has been sympathetic to Trump and appeared at a 2018 rally for him? Would a traditional Democratic voter watch the debate? asked Gordon Stables, director of the School of Journalism at the University of Southern California. Or will they see it through social media? If so, which 15 seconds will come across to them? Will Republicans focus largely on DeSantis and virtually ignore Newsom, who many already loathe? Turn on Fox News and theres often a story about Crazy California, said Dante Scala, a political science professor at the University of New Hampshire. About the only modern parallel is the November 1993 prime time debate between Vice President Al Gore and 1992 presidential candidate Ross Perot over trade policy. The Clinton administration was trying to win approval for the North American Free Trade Agreement, which would make ease commerce between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. A lot of Democrats, and the labor unions that supported them, were opposed, so Clinton needed to woo Republicans as well as some Democrats. An estimated 16 million people watched as Gore calmly outlined the Clinton plan while Perot came off as angry and frustrated. Polls after the debate showed dramatically increased support for the trade agreement. Eleven days after the debate, the Senate approved the plan on a bipartisan vote.. Fox News opinion host Sean Hannity is set to moderate a debate between California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) later this year. Fox News framed the event as a debate between red states and blue states in a Monday press release. Hannity, who advised former President Donald Trump before, during and after the January 6 insurrection and attempt to overturn the 2020 election, sat down with Newsom in June where the idea was first floated. DeSantis agreed to the event in July. Here's what to know about the upcoming debate between Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis. Rivals spar: Governors Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom set date for Fox News debate When will Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis debate take place? The debate will take place on November 30 during the Hannity program at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News. What to know about Gavin Newsom: Newsom is the 40th governor of California, having been elected to the position in 2018. Newsom was re-elected to the position in 2022. Prior to taking the governor's mansion in Sacramento, Newsom served as lieutenant governor under Jerry Brown and prior to that as mayor of San Fransisco. Newsom has been a frequent target of conservative criticism and survived a 2021 recall effort spurred by his flaunting of COVID restrictions by attending a gathering at the French Laundry restaurant in Napa, California in 2020. The Newsom administration's priorities are, "(the) states affordability crisis, creating inclusive economic growth and opportunity for every child, and standing up for California values," according to the governor's official website. What to know about Ron DeSantis: Ron DeSantis is the 46th governor of Florida having been elected to the position in 2018. DeSantis is running for the Republican presidential nomination and currently trails Trump in most polls. An August poll of likely caucus goers in Iowa ran in part by the Des Moines Register, a part of the USA Today Network, saw 42% of respondents say that Trump was their first choice for the nomination as compared to 19% for DeSantis. Prior to taking the reins in Tallahassee, DeSantis served as a member of the House of Representatives from Florida's 6th Congressional District, on the state's eastern coast, south of Jacksonville. He was a member of the right-wing Freedom Caucus in the lower chamber. DeSantis has frequently made California a target of his governmental agenda and campaign rhetoric, releasing a video criticizing the California governor after the idea of the debate came to light saying, "We have witnessed a great American exodus from states governed by leftist politicians." DeSantis has also taken aim at the Los Angeles area-based Walt Disney Company whose then then-CEO Bob Chapek publicly denounced DeSantis's Parental Rights in Education Act, which opponents called the "Don't Say Gay" bill, at a company shareholders meeting. DeSantis then signed a bill that ended the special tax district for the company's Orlando Walt Disney World theme park. In a lawsuit Disney called the bill, "patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional." The Disney World theme park has seen Neo-Nazi demonstrations supporting DeSantis outside its gates. DeSantis' claimed achievements in office include, "saving livelihoods from job-killing lockdowns and vaccine mandates," "banning sanctuary cities," "waging war on woke power-grabs," and "protecting the unborn," according to his campaign website. What to know about Sean Hannity: Sean Hannity is a Fox News opinion host of the Hannity program that airs at 9 p.m. ET and has been on the air since 2009. A hardline conservative, Hannity's program has served as a friendly venue for the GOP and Trump. In 2019 Hannity told his audience, "I dont claim to be a journalist." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron DeSantis, Gavin Newsom agree to debate on Hannity: What to know: Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! NEWSOM VETOES TRANSGENDER CUSTODY BILL, THEN SIGNS LGBTQ LEGISLATION Via Lindsey Holden... California Gov. Gavin Newsom during the weekend seemed to strategically sign a package of pro-LGBTQ legislation a day after outraging advocates and lawmakers from that community. Newsom on Friday vetoed Assembly Bill 957 from Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, which would have directed judges to consider parents acceptance of childrens gender identities in custody disputes. The governor explained his decision with concern about lawmakers creating legal standards in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic. Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities, Newsom wrote. But LGBTQ lawmakers were upset by the decision, with Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, calling it a tragedy for trans kids here and around the country. The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus said in a statement the veto was a missed opportunity to remind the nation that California is a safe haven for transgender and nonbinary children. Newsom on Saturday night then signed a package of bills focused on supporting the LGTBQ community. The governor said in a statement he is committed to the ongoing work to create safer, more inclusive spaces for all Californians. These measures will help protect vulnerable youth, promote acceptance, and create more supportive environments in our schools and communities, Newsom said. The following bills were part of the package the governor signed on Saturday: Assembly Bill 5 , which sets deadlines for school teachers and staff to undergo LGBTQ cultural competency training. Assembly Bill 223 , which makes minors court petitions to change their sex and gender identifiers confidential. Senate Bill 760 , which requires public schools to have at least one all-gender restroom. Senate Bill 857, which requires the state to convene a task force to identify the needs of LGBTQ students and implement supportive policies. NEWSOM RIPS FEDERAL JUDGE OVER LATEST GUN DECISION Newsom isnt shy in sharing what he thinks of federal Judge Roger Benitez, the Southern California-based President George W. Bush appointee known for his fiery legal opinions in favor of the Second Amendment. The governor has called Benitez a stone cold ideologue who is a wholly owned subsidiary of the gun lobby and the National Rifle Association. So when Benitez ruled Friday for the second time that Californias ban on ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds is unconstitutional, Newsom was quick to issue a statement noting the timing of the decision. Unsurprisingly, Judge Benitez chose to issue this radical decision on the same day President Biden announced his new Office of Gun Violence Prevention. As a reminder, this is the same judge who used Gun Violence Awareness Day to strike down Californias assault weapons ban comparing the AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife, Newsom said in the statement. Judge Benitez is not even pretending anymore. This is politics, pure and simple. Newsom then pivoted toward advocating for his proposed amendment to enshrine gun control measures in the U.S. Constitution. It doesnt matter what laws we pass. It doesnt matter what the voters decide. Concealed carry. Banning weapons of war. Reasonable waiting periods. Background checks. The ideologues are coming for all of them, Newsom said. QUOTE OF THE DAY Clarence Thomas should have resigned the moment Anita Hill testified. That was true then, and its true now. He has proven over and over again that he is unfit to serve on our highest court. Thomas must step down. And Congress must institute a code of ethics for SCOTUS. Now. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, discussing ProPublicas revelation that Justice Clarence Thomas secretly participated in Koch network donor events, via Threads. Best of The Bee: A federal judge with a penchant for fiery rulings and strong leanings toward the Second Amendment issued an injunction Friday on Californias ban on ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds, the latest ruling in the now 6-year-old legal challenge, via Andrew Sheeler . Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho this week filed a high-profile civil lawsuit against the city of Sacramento regarding homeless camps, but its unclear when a judge will actually make a ruling, via Theresa Clift . California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced that his office is suing a national anti-abortion group and a chain of five Bay Area crisis pregnancy centers, alleging false advertising and unfair business practices, via Andrew Sheeler. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 25 that Russia had lost 276,270 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 last year. This number includes 420 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,667 tanks, 8,927 armored fighting vehicles, 8,746 vehicles and fuel tanks, 6,260 artillery systems, 791 multiple launch rocket systems, 533 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 316 helicopters, 4,895 drones, and 20 boats. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky praises new American aid package as historic Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A family fighting for justice for Gershun Freeman, a man who died in custody at the Shelby County Jail last year, is now joined by national Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump. Aside from mourning Freeman, his family says they are shocked and hurt at Shelby Countys own Sheriff Floyd Bonner. Attorneys and family members stood on stage, pointing fingers at Sheriff Floyd Bonner. There is nothing political about a homicide, says attorney Brice Timmons. Shelby County jailers indicted in Gershun Freeman death The entity responsible for this young mans death has decided instead to try to make this story about Sheriff Bonners reelection, said attorney Jake Brown. This comes after Sheriff Bonner released a statement saying, I want this community to know that I stand with these officers, Bonner said. I believe that if I were not running for another office these indictments wouldnt have happened and I find this despicable. A video showed 33-year-old Freeman running naked through the 201 Poplar, where he was being held on charges of kidnapping and threatening his ex-girlfriend. Corrections officers tried to subdue Freeman, in a way Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump says was excessive and inhumane. Video shows moments before inmates death at 201 Poplar I mean, they had handcuffs they were beating him with. They had the heavy metal keys they were beating him with. They were beating him with pepper spray canisters. I mean, it was repeated. Regardless of what anybody says, the video tells us what we need to know, Crump said. Nine corrections officers are now facing charges. Two of them are charged with second-degree murder. In a press conference last week, Sheriff Bonner said he believes the officers, who fall under the sheriffs jurisdiction, were indicted to tarnish his campaign to be the next mayor of Memphis. Mulroy, Bonner spar over indictments in Gershun Freeman death Freemans family says that is shameful. Nine people involved, and I say Sheriff Bonner is just as accountable as the nine people that were there physically, said Freemans wife Nicole. As they call for the conviction of the nine officers facing charges, they are also calling for reform within the jail system. Ultimately, it was Shelby County citizens, the Shelby County grand jury that returned the indictments after watching the video. Nothing about that is political except the fact that Sheriff Bonner, an elected official, has failed in his responsibility to maintain a safe and secure jail, Timmons said. In a statement, Sheriff Bonner said the jailers took the necessary steps to restrain Freeman and called the indictments an orchestrated political stunt. Anyone who has seen the video or followed this case knows that the jailers took necessary steps to restrain an inmate that was violent and dangerous and posed a threat to themselves and other inmates. As noted by the coroner, it is unfortunate that he had serous underlying heart disease and its unfortunate he died of a heart attack, Bonner said in the statement. I stand by these officers and am honestly ashamed of anyone who is looking to capitalize off of an unfortunate and tragic death. The indictment is clearly an orchestrated political stunt just two weeks before Election Day and the people of Memphis can see through this blatant disregard for justice and the gross attack on public safety officers. The attorneys also made a statement in regard to their position on the Department of Justice investigation of Shelby County Sheriffs Office saying, We dont ask the DOJ to expand its current MPD investigation per se. If DOJ leadership were to independently so choose, we would welcome a separate investigation of systemic, conscious-shocking civil-rights violations at the Shelby County Mens Jail at 201 Poplar Avenue. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. The family of Gershun Freeman and their attorneys are "thanking God that justice is working for this unarmed naked Black man like it should work for any citizen in the United States of America," attorney Ben Crump said days after an independent prosecutor indicted multiple Shelby County Sheriffs deputies in connection with Freeman's death last October. This is about a young man being killed and taken from this earth far too soon. This isnt political. This is about getting justice for Ms. Kims baby boy, getting justice for Georges son," Crump said Monday. "If this was your child, whether its the sheriff or anybody and they did this to your child, you would want some measure of justice. Thats what this is about. Its inappropriate to talk about this as saying this is political. It isnt political. Its about getting justice, holding people accountable so this wont keep happening to unarmed Black men in Memphis, Tennessee. Crump's remarks were a condemnation of Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner's characterization of the indictments as "political." Bonner, who is running for Memphis mayor, announced the indictments obtained by Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk via a Shelby County Grand Jury on Friday. Two of those deputies were charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault, while several others were charged with aggravated assault resulting in the death of another. Nicole Freeman, wife, can be seen holding her daughter during a press conference discussing the death of her husband Gershun Freeman in Shelby County Jail after a violent altercation with officers during a mental health crisis at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, September, 25, 2023. Bonner blasted the indictments as political, a statement Memphis District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who recused himself from the case, refuted. Funk was chosen to handle the case by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, following standard procedure when a district attorney recuses from a case. Crump, who is working with Freeman's family, said Monday that the Grand Jury indictments are "the first step on the journey to justice." "But by God, it's a big step," Crump said. Nicole Freeman, Freeman's wife, stood alongside their 10-year-old daughter Taylor. Nicole Freeman, wife, can be seen holding her daughter during a press conference discussing the death of her husband Gershun Freeman in Shelby County Jail after a violent altercation with officers during a mental health crisis at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, September, 25, 2023. Our family is hurt. No one should have to be going through what were going through right now, she said. Gershun meant a lot to everybody on this stage. He was loved. He was an amazing son, he was a great father, he was an amazing husband and we were robbed of all that, why? Because why we still dont know why. Nine people involved and I say Sheriff Bonner is just as accountable as the nine people that were there physically. We want justice. Were one step closer and we wont stop fighting. On stage at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church (The BLVD) with the attorneys and Freeman family stood a printout of Freeman's autopsy. Crump pointed at it, arguing that both the video and the autopsy show a murder. More: 52 deaths since 2016: Why Shelby County Jail's mortality rates have been rising in recent years Attorney Jake Brown also emphasized the autopsy results. Evidently (Bonner is) watching a different video than the rest of the country and evidently he is not reading the medical examiners report from the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center which says the manner of death is a homicide, Brown said. "...It is shameful the way the Shelby County Sheriff's Department has stood behind these killers." Video released by the Nashville District Attorney's Office in March showed the corrections officers punching, kicking, pepper spraying and eventually kneeling on Freeman's upper back. In total, 10 officers can be seen in the cell block attempting to restrain Freeman. One officer can be seen hitting Freeman with what appeared to be a canister of pepper spray. The video shows Freeman being pushed against a wall and held to the ground, with an officer appearing to keep his knee on Freemans upper back for almost six minutes. Attorney Jake Brown speaks with Gershun Freemans family surrounding him at a press conference discussing a court case involving the death of Mr. Freeman in Shelby County Jail after a violent altercation with officers during a mental health crisis at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, September, 25, 2023. An autopsy said Freeman collapsed after a "physical altercation with corrections officers." According to that report, he was restrained, had a cardiac arrest and was given CPR before being pronounced dead. The autopsy report listed his cause of death as an exacerbation of a heart disease due to the physical altercation and being subdued by the officers, with the manner of death classified as a homicide, which does not necessarily indicate criminal intent. Monday, Brown also described how some of the officers involved in Freemans death have histories, documented history of abuse of the worst kind imaginable. Civil lawsuits against two of the deputies were first reported by The Daily Memphian. They had no business looking out for the young men in that jail who, regardless of what they may have done or someone may have said theyd done, are the sons and husbands of Shelby County citizens, Brown said. At the end of the news conference, Freeman's parents directed their remarks at the officers indicted in their son's death. "I want y'all to get everything you've got coming," said George Burks, Freeman's father. Kimberly Freeman, his mother, added, "To each and every last one of you people who murdered my son, God gets the last say so." Katherine Burgess covers government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ben Crump: Gershun Freeman family 'thanking God' for indictments WASHINGTON One of the biggest surprises in the new book from Cassidy Hutchinson, the former White House aide whose testimony electrified congressional hearings into the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, is that she still planned to work for Donald Trump in Florida after the riot. Except Trump didnt want her. Hutchinson was a top aide to Mark Meadows, then Trump's chief of staff. She planned to continue working for Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his term ended, she wrote in her book Enough. But despite her loyalty, Meadows told Hutchinson two days before leaving the White House that Trump suspected her of leaking to the press the names of people joining him in Florida, which she denied. My frustration turned to rage. Mark, you can go to hell if you think that, Hutchinson wrote. That night I went home and unpacked, trying to let the news sink in that I wasnt moving to Florida. Instead, Hutchinson became the most revelatory witness during the House's investigation of Jan. 6 hearings and her book provides an explanation for the actions behind Trump's criminal charges. Anecdotes include how Meadows wife complained to her about the campfire smell of his burning papers. Rudy Giuliani allegedly groped her at Trumps Jan. 6 rally. And her observations foreshadowed criminal charges Trump would face over the handling of classified documents and trying to overturn the 2020 election. Here are five takeaways from the book: Cassidy Hutchinson, top former aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, appears before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Giuliani approached 'like a wolf closing in on its prey," Hutchinson wrote The book largely tracks the testimony Hutchinson delivered before the House committee that investigated Jan. 6. But one revelation was her accusation that Giuliani, Trumps chief campaign lawyer, groped her at the president's Jan. 6 rally near the White House. Giuliani has denied the allegation. Hutchinson wrote that she was in a tent with Giuliani and another campaign lawyer who spoke at the rally, John Eastman, who had a "Cheshire cat smile." Giuliani approached her "like a wolf closing in on its prey," Hutchinson wrote. Giuliani complimented her leather jacket, which she told him was faux leather, and he wrapped his arm around her body, Hutchinson wrote. His hand slips under my blazer, then my skirt, Hutchinson wrote. I feel his frozen fingertips trail up my thigh. He tilts his chin up. The whites of his eyes looked jaundiced. My eyes dart to John Eastman, who flashes a leering grin. Hutchinson wrote that she recoiled and stormed away in a rage. Giuliani denied the allegations during an interview with Newsmax. He estimated the tent was filled with 100 people and that he was surrounded by staffers or supporters the entire time. The claims are absolutely false, totally absurd, Giuliani said. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani speaks on Jan. 6, 2021, during a speech at the Trump rally near the White House before the Capitol riot. Meadows' wife said his suits 'smell like a bonfire' from burning documents, Hutchinson wrote Meadows was burning so much paperwork in his office fireplace during the final weeks of the administration that Hutchinson wrote she was worried he would set off the smoke detectors. Hutchinson propped open the door to a patio despite the chill on Dec. 19, 2020, she wrote. The Presidential Records Act requires White House staffers to preserve their documents and send them to the National Archives. Copies and personal documents were supposed to be destroyed in burn bags, she wrote. I do not know precisely what papers Mark was burning, but his actions raised alarms, she wrote. Even if he was burning copies, he was still toeing a fine line of what should be preserved, under the law. Meadows wife Debbie, who helped pack his belongings when leaving the White House, asked Hutchinson and another staffer not to light the fireplace any more. All of his suits smell like a bonfire and I cant keep up with his dry cleaning, Hutchinson quoted Debbie Meadows as saying. A photo showing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson, is displayed on a monitor as Hutchinson testified during the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol hearing to present previously unseen material and hear witness testimony in Cannon Building, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Hutchinson compares White House on Jan. 6 to Titanic Hutchinson breaks little new ground in the book from her testimony before the committee. But her eye for detail is often amusing, such as when she notices when arriving at the rally Jan. 6 the loudspeakers are playing My Heart Will Go On, from the movie Titanic. The ship is the White House, Hutchinson tells a friend, who replies: And were in steerage. The book echoed her testimony from her House testimony: Hutchinson helped clean up the ketchup smeared on a fireplace mantel and shattered plate on the floor of his private dining room off the Oval Office. Trump had thrown his lunch in anger at then-Attorney General Bill Barr telling the Associated Press on Dec. 1, 2020, that Trump had lost the election. Hutchinson couldnt hear what the fight was about Dec. 18, 2020, but the raised voices erupting from the Oval Office were highly unusual. According to the House Committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, and lawyer Sidney Powell, among others, were urging Trump to seize voting machines, which White House lawyers opposed. The screaming was much louder than I anticipated, Hutchinson wrote. Hutchinson also recited an exchange Jan. 6, 2021, with Tony Ornato, then-deputy of staff and a Secret Service official. Ornato described an irate Trump demanding to be taken to the Capitol in his vehicle nicknamed the Beast, before Secret Service agent Bobby Engel rebuffed him, Hutchinson wrote. Ornato described Trump grabbing for the steering wheel, and then for Bobbys neck, Hutchinson wrote. Hutchinson's observations about classified documents, Jan. 6 foreshadow criminal charges against Trump Hutchinson foreshadows the criminal charges against Trump. At one point, Meadows scolds her for storing classified binders about Crossfire Hurricane, an FBI investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, in a safe rather than in her desk drawer as he instructed, Hutchinson wrote. Meadows asked her to coordinate declassification of documents during the final month of the administration, she wrote. She described carrying armloads of classified documents around White House offices, despite not holding a security clearance to deal with them. When I got to Florida, I reminded myself, I would have a fresh opportunity to restore order so the president would be better served, Hutchinson wrote. Trump has been charged in federal court in Florida with mishandling hundreds of classified documents he brought to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House. Trump pleaded not guilty. When Meadows traveled to Georgia on vacation, he visited the Cobb County Civic Center, where state election officials were auditing ballot signatures. A Fulton County grand jury cited the visit in the racketeering indictment of Trump, Meadows and 17 others. Meadows arranged the call Jan. 2, 2021, when Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes for him to the win the state. After the call, White House counsel Pat Cipollone appeared at Meadows office and said: That call was not good, Hutchinson wrote. Meadows has pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and to asking Raffensperger to violate his oath of office. His lawyers contend the kerfuffle about his trip to Georgia was based on discharging his official duties. A video deposition with Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, is played as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. Hutchinson dedicates book to lawyers who represented her for free The book is dedicated to Hutchinsons pro bono lawyers rather than to her parents or others. She was initially represented in the congressional investigation of Jan. 6 by a lawyer arranged by former White House aides: Stefan Passantino. But she worried about misleading the committee with incomplete answers about what she saw, as she eventually testified to the committee. Passantino never told her to lie, as she testified and writes in the book. He sought to keep her testimony brief and uneventful. But Hutchinson feared what would happen if she left out important information as the committee called her back for a third deposition, such as about Trump wanting to visit the Capitol. Liz Cheney zeroed in on how I knew what had been said in the Beast: So who relayed to you the conversation that happened in the Beast? Hutchinson wrote. I froze. I thought for certain she had heard that something eventful had happened, and she suspected I knew what it was. Hutchinson worried she had lied to the committee by not explaining more fully. As she cast about for a new lawyer, Bill Jordan and Jody Hunt of Alston & Bird volunteered to represent her for free. Well, Cassidy, it looks like youve had quite the adventure the last few years, Jordan told her, according to her book. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cassidy Hutchinson book details Giuliani allegations, bonfire of paper Tropical Storm Ophelia weakened to a tropical depression Saturday as the center of what's left of it churns across southeastern Virginia right now and all Tropical storm warnings and storm surge warnings have been canceled. Winds will continue to diminish with any remaining heavy rain becoming more scattered in nature. Minor coastal flood impacts will persist Saturday night along the coast, from Virginia to southern New Jersey, where Coastal Flood Alerts remain in effect. Persistent heavy rain and a flash flood threat do remain in place across portions of southeastern Virginia where the center of what's left of Ophelia continues to move through. Flash Flood Warnings are in effect for Richmond and surrounding areas right now. Ophelia continues to bring widespread heavy rain and gusty winds to a large swath of the East Coast on Saturday afternoon. Its weakening trend persists as it slowly moves north up the coast with maximum sustained winds now down to 35 mph. Ophelia is expected to continue to weaken overnight and will become a post-tropical system on Sunday as it falls apart over the Northeast. Its remnants will be slow to clear out tomorrow meaning lingering clouds and rainy weather for much of the region. PHOTO: Ophelia alerts (ABC News) The storm earlier made landfall in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, with winds of 70 mph triggering a flash flood warning for the surrounding area. Tropical storm warnings remain in effect in four states from North Carolina to Maryland. Flood watches have been issued for portions of eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, including Richmond. Coastal flood warnings are in effect along the coast too, stretching into Delaware and southern New Jersey, including Atlantic City Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency on Friday ahead of the storm to mobilize resources, with impacts to the commonwealth "likely," he said. PHOTO: Ophelia timing the storm graphic (ABC News) MORE: Hurricane preparedness tips, resources to help keep your family safe The tropical storm warning covers cities including Nags Head, North Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; and Ocean City, Maryland. Storm surge warnings were issued for parts of the North Carolina and southeastern Virginia coasts. PHOTO: Ophelia rainfall forecast (ABC News) The highest storm surge will be in North Carolina where water could rise up to 5 feet. Storm surge of 1 to 3 feet is possible all the way to the Jersey Shore. Ophelia is forecast to bring areas of heavy rain and possible flash flooding from North Carolina into the Northeast over the next 24 hours. Through Sunday, additional rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches are forecast along a large swath of the East Coast with locally up to 4 inches possible. This heavy rain could cause flash flooding for urban areas along the Interstate 95 corridor, from Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and into southern New England. Tropical Storm Ophelia weakens to a depression originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A Republican congressman who has previously posted a doctored animation of himself killing Democratic lawmakers joined former president Donald Trump in suggesting that Gen Mark Milley, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be executed. Rep Paul Gosar (R-AZ), a right-wing member of Congress, sent out his newsletter where he said that Gen Milley, whom he called a homosexual-promoting-BLM-activist, delayed sending the US National Guard to the Capitol during the January 6 riot. Of course, we now know that the deviant Milley was coordinating with Nancy Pelosi to hurt President Trump, and treasonously working behind Trumps back, Mr Gosar wrote. In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung, Mr Gosar said in his newsletter. He had one boss: President Trump, and instead he was secretly meeting with Pelosi and coordinating with her to hurt Trump. That is, when he wasnt also secretly coordinating and sharing intelligence with the Chinese military. How this traitor remains in office is a question we need answered. Mr Gosars words echo those of Mr Trump, who raged over the weekend about the chairman and called for his execution. This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States. This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!, he said on Truth Social. This is not the first time Mr Gosar has hinted at a desire to kill his political opponents. In 2021, he posted a video of the anime show Attack on Titan that ended with a character with his head photoshopped on killing a character with Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs head photoshopped on. In response, every House Democrats and two Republicans now former congressmen Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming voted to censure Mr Gosar and strip him of his committee assignments. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reinstated Mr Gosar to his committees. Mr Gosar for his part initially opposed Mr McCarthys bid for speaker before switching his vote earlier this year. During the fight over the speakership, Mr Gosar was seen chatting with Ms Ocasio-Cortez. NEW YORK New York state will add 150 members of the National Guard to a flock of personnel responding to the asylum-seeker crisis in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday. The addition will bring the total number of National Guard service members assisting the migrants to 2,050, and will position the state to task 250 troops with case management as New York rushes to help the migrants file work permit applications, according to Hochuls office. That coveted work authorization thats their ticket to the American Dream, Hochul said at a news conference at the 369th Regiment Armory in Harlem. At Hochuls urging, the Biden administration said last Wednesday that it would offer Venezuelan migrants in the United States an expedited pathway to work papers called temporary protected status. Through the end of July, about 40% of the asylum-seekers in the citys care were Venezuelans, according to city data though there has been some question about exactly how many migrants in the city would benefit from the federal governments new rules. Hochul has cast the White Houses move as an important step to help get migrants out of the citys overwhelmed shelter system and into jobs. But the success of the effort hinges, in part, on the ability of migrants to submit their work papers. In addition to the increased National Guard deployment, the state has committed more than $50 million in funding to help with case management processing, Hochuls office said. The city, which has opened more than 200 shelters in response to the migrant crisis, had about 60,000 asylum-seekers in its care last week, according to a government tally. Since spring 2022, the city has welcomed waves of asylum-seekers flowing from Americas southwestern border. The shelter systems population doubled in a year, and the administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams projects the surge will cost the city more than $12 billion over the next two budget cycles. A spokeswoman for Adams, Amaris Cockfield, said the city appreciated the additional National Guard reinforcements. _____ (New York Daily News staff writer Chris Sommerfeldt contributed to this story.) _____ Theyre not running against each other in any election, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will participate in a red state vs. blue state debate on Fox News, the network announced Monday. The showdown between DeSantis and Newsom, each one of the biggest stars of their respective parties, is scheduled for Nov. 30 and will mark the first time the two prominent governors will face off in a debate, the network said. The debate will air on Sean Hannity s show and will take place somewhere in Georgia. Im looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American, said Hannity, who will moderate the debate on the conservative network. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will face off on Fox News in November. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will face off on Fox News in November. Hannity first proposed the debate when Newsom appeared on his show in June after the two sparred over DeSantis deceiving migrants into traveling to various blue states with the false promise of work papers and immigration assistance. Why do you use people as pawns? Newsom asked Hannity. What faith tradition teaches you to treat human beings like this to belittle them, to demean them? DeSantis, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, agreed to the debate idea in August. Im game. Lets get it done. Just tell me when and where, he told Hannity during an interview. The two governors frequently take jabs at each other on social media, with DeSantis attacking Californias economic policies and Newsom slamming DeSantis far-right social policies, especially those that concern lessons on race and LGBTQ+ history in schools. Newsom has admitted to watching so much Fox News in an effort to track conservative talking points that his staff tried to intervene. My staff has quite literally tried to have interventions with me about it. They say Im too obsessed with it, but I need to understand it, Newsom said in July. I dont want to know what they think I want to see the patterns, and what you see are patterns that emerge. Related... Graydon N. Feichter hangs his head while seated between his attorneys William Mason, left, and Brian Radigan, as the family of victim Jeffrey T. Stoll speaks Monday at Feichter's sentencing hearing in Stark County Common Pleas Court. CANTON A 32-year-old Massillon man will spend 25 to 30.5 years in prison for the Jan. 27 shooting death of Jeffrey T. Stoll, 30, of Jackson Township. The sentence was part a plea agreement by Graydon N. Feichter and his defense attorneys, Brian Radigan and William D. Mason of Cleveland, reached with county prosecutors. As part of the plea deal, the Stark County Prosecutor's Office Criminal Division Chief Dennis Barr asked the judge to reduce the murder charge against Feichter to voluntary manslaughter. The manslaughter charge carries a specification that a gun was used in the crime. Jeffrey A. Stoll (right) speaks at Monday's sentencing hearing for Graydon N. Feichter for the death of Stoll's son, Jeffrey T. Stoll. Also shown is Dennis Barr, criminal division chief of the Stark County Prosecutor's Office. The prosecutor's office dropped charges of felonious assault, cocaine possession and two counts of aggravated drug possession, with related gun specifications, and gun specifications attached to five other charges. Stark County Common Pleas Judge Taryn Health sentenced Feichter on Monday after he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other offenses. In addition to voluntary manslaughter, the total sentence imposed on Feichter covers the crimes of trafficking in cocaine, improperly discharging a firearm into a habitation or a school safety zone, discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises, evidence tampering and two counts of drug trafficking. The sentence for given for involuntary manslaughter is 11 years. Graydon N. Feichter, left, listens while seated with his attorney Brian Radigan as Stark County Common Pleas Judge Taryn Heath sentences him Monday. Heath gave Feichter credit against his sentence for 241 days already spent in jail. She suspended his driver's license for five years. He will serve time on parole following his release from prison. Fatal confrontation in Massillon Feichter shot Stoll three times just after 3 a.m. in front of a home in the 300 block of Shaw Avenue NE, Massillon Police Lt. Nick Antonides previously said. According to a statement issued by the department, police found Stoll unresponsive. Massillon Fire Department first responders took him to Aultman Hospital. Stoll received treatment and was in stable condition in intensive care but succumbed to his injuries the following weekend, Antonides said. Barr said the shooting followed an altercation that occurred in the kitchen and living room of the home, where Stoll's longtime girlfriend Maggie Davis lived. He said there was no witness to the beginning of the fight or to the shooting, although Davis had seen Feichter and Stoll tussling on the couch. He said the fight followed a night when Davis and Stoll had gone out with two friends. After they returned to her house, Feichter called. Davis invited him to visit, according to Barr. Feichter and Stoll had previously lived together in Feichter's house, according to Barr. He said Feichter believed Stoll owed him $300 in rent. "I can't say what the motive was for the shooting," Barr said. Megan Stoll speaks at Monday's sentencing hearing for Graydon N. Feichter, who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of her brother, Jeffrey T. Stoll. Dennis Barr, criminal division chief of the Stark County Prosecutor's Office, is also pictured. Speaking at Feichter's plea and sentencing hearing were the victim's parents Jeffrey A. and Paula Stoll, and his sister Megan Stoll. Barr read a written statement from Davis. Jeffrey Stoll said his family was forever changed by his sons death. He said he was in Belize when he learned he had been shot. I cried most of the 20 hours on the trip to get home to my son, who was on a ventilator keeping his heart beating so that his organs could be donated. This is an image that I will never forget. Ive cried every single day since, he said. He said he cries for his wife Paula, who struggled with severe anxiety and despair. I cried for Maggie who was holding him at the bottom of her driveway waiting for the ambulance as he was dying and trying to speak to her. But the words made no sense because half his brain was gone. Nobody should have to live with that experience, Stoll said. I cry for his sister Megan who was just getting to know him as a man instead of the irritating little brother she fought with growing up. Paula Stoll said, I wake up every morning hoping that this is just a bad dream but I know that it is not. I struggle every day with constant grief, anxiety, depression and a heartache." Remembering Jeffrey Stoll She said she was close to her only son. "I understand him like no one else did. And he understood me and all the struggles that I had been going through. "Jeffrey was a good person and would do anything for his friends and his family," she said. I will miss everything about him: his silly sense of humor, his drive to always work hard, his love of animals, his love of country music, four-wheeling, hunting and fishing." She said she watched his love for Davis, whom she expected him to marry. His story ended so fast," Paula Stoll said. "I didnt truly have the chance to say goodbye. If I would have known the last time I saw him would be the last time, I would have held on a little tighter. I can never experience one of his amazing bear hugs, which always seemed to make everything better. My life will never be the same. I think of Jeffrey every minute of the day and miss him horribly bad. The hole in my heart is almost more than I can bear. What I dont understand is how could anything be that important to kill someone that you once called a friend. There cant be anything, Paula said. In a statement read by Barr, Davis wrote that the night of her boyfriend's death "will forever haunt me, and the image of my best friend fighting for his life in my arms. She wrote that Feichter robbed Jeffrey of living the rest of life with her, getting married, having children and growing old together. We all loved Jeffrey so much. His kind heart will be remembered by many. Ill miss him for the rest of my life, Davis wrote. Megan said that she will never understand why Feichter killed her brother. The fact that somebody can play God and take a life, it just seems heinous and unfair," she said. Even though I am incredibly sad to know that Jeffrey isnt here to enjoy this life with us as we know it, he is arguably more free than all of us. I am able to find peace in that. Jeffrey was a good man. He didnt deserve this. May he rest in peace. A death: Jackson Township man dies after Massillon shooting; suspect's bond set at $1 million Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR This article originally appeared on The Repository: Graydon Feichter, 32, sentenced to prison for voluntary manslaughter More than 4 million miles of roads crisscross the US. So its little surprise that roadkill makes up a big chunk of the countrys animal deaths: By 1998 it had surpassed hunting as the leading direct human cause of vertebrate mortality on land. Today, wildlife officials in California are concerned that vehicle collisions are killing mountain lions faster than they can reproduce. Moose keep getting struck on roads in Alaska and even Connecticut . But while hit-and-runs with big mammals are gruesome and significant, theyre just one way roads are detrimental to nature. Grizzly deaths In a paper published on September 20 in the journal Wildlife Monographs , scientists used GPS tracking and DNA data from fur samples collected between 1998 and 2005 to monitor the grizzly bear population in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and study which variables affect their distributionand their mortality. They found that the grizzly population density was 2.6 times higher in areas with less than .37 miles of roads per mile of land. The reason? Roads drive bears away from areas that are filled with perfectly good food sources like huckleberry bushes, and increase the risks of deaths just by putting the creatures closer to people. [Related: Watch bobcats, bears, and even birds use fallen logs as bridges ] Southeastern British Columbia largely has dirt roads with low speed limits, says Michael Proctor , an independent research ecologist and lead author of the new paper, but you can still see that bears get killed around forestry roads in the backcountry for a variety of reasons. For one, the routes give people access to more wildernessto the detriment of bears. The vast majority of grizzlies that are killed in the wild (both legally and non-legally) are shot within 1,600 feet of an open backcountry road. Roadkill patterns When we move from backcountry roads to more paved roads and highways, thats when we see more vehicles hitting animals. The resulting collision rates are affected by a whole slew of variables. In a 2022 study in the journal Current Biology that included more than 1 million deer killed on roads in the US, researchers found that collisions are most likely to happen within an hour or two after it gets dark. It's kind of the coincidence of a period of the day when humans are driving a lot, and a time when animals are moving around a lot, says co-author Calum Cunningham , a wildlife ecologist and postdoctoral research fellow at The University of Tasmania who studies animal-vehicle collisions in various countries. Ungulates like deer and elk are crepuscular, so they tend to be most active around dawn and dusk. That's kind of the perfect storm for creating very high periods of collisions, Cunningham explains. In their study, Cunningham and his team also noted that collisions were more common in places located on the eastern side of a time zone, where the sun sets earlier. A strategy like implementing pushing the clock back an hour all year, he says, would not only reduce these accidents, but save about $1.2 billion associated with injury costs, vehicle damage, and insurance. (Researchers say wildlife-vehicle collisions cause more than 9,000 injuries and 440 fatalities among Americans each year.) [Related: All the ways daylight saving time screws with you ] In another paper , Cunningham and colleagues found that moose collisions in Alaska, the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, and Alberta ramp up during the winter likely due to low visibility, increased moose activity on roads (which are easier to walk on than snow-laden wilderness), and the difficulties of driving and controlling a car in the winter. More recently, researchers from the University of California, Davis calculated that cars kill about 70 mountain lions a year on California highways alone. That estimate is likely an undercount because it didn't include incidences on city or county roads, and because many hit-and-runs with mountain lions go unreported. A prevention plan Fortunately, some interventions can bring down the number of large mammals dying on or near roads. Underpasses and overpasses have successfully slashed roadkill rates around the US, especially when fenced . And while overpasses can be quite expensive to build, Cunningham says, they are one-off costs that pay for themselves by saving collision costs over time. Another strategy includes reduced speed limits, even on a seasonal basis , Cunningham explains. But that only works if drivers adhere to those limits , which often isnt the case. More public awareness of the benefits of speed limit for wildlife and people could help increase animal survival, Cunningham says. Proctor, the grizzly bear researcher, wants to see more drastic change. The solution is to close a portion of the roads, especially in the backcountry where valuable food supplies are, he says. But thats a very unpopular idea and is challenging to do. At the least, in places of especially high conservation concern, we need to be thinking about all the ways roads disturb elements of wildlife behavior, he notes. Though roadkill is a sobering sight, sometimes, the damage is far less visible. Rosenberry A man whose bomb threat near the U.S. Capitol forced evacuations and sparked an hour-long standoff with police in 2021 recently was sentenced to five years of probation. Floyd Ray Roseberry was experiencing a mental-health crisis at the time of the threat, and during the year that he served in jail after his arrest he stopped a violent assault on a guard, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras said. Im very optimistic that this was the worst day of your life and nothing like this will ever happen again, Contreras said. In August 2021, Roseberry, of Grover, North Carolina, drove a black pickup truck onto a sidewalk near the Library of Congress and began shouting to people in the street that he had a bomb, authorities said. It came as Washington was still on edge months after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and his threat forced many of the same workers to again flee from their offices. Roseberry, 52, professed a litany of antigovernment grievances and demanded that President Joe Biden step down as part of a bizarre episode he livestreamed for a Facebook audience, authorities said. He surrendered after about four hours. Police said they did not find a bomb but did collect possible bomb-making materials. Defense attorney Mary Petras said Roseberry briefly glommed onto political events in the news but was primarily affected by his mental-health crisis. With few treatment options in his hometown, he had been put on improper medication that likely contributed to his episode, she said. Prosecutors did not dispute that finding. He got court-ordered treatment for his bipolar disorder after his arrest that was found to be effective before he was declared mentally competent to proceed with the case. Ive watched all the videos, and I take full responsibility for what happened, Roseberry said. If I had been on the correct medication, it would not have happened. After his arrest, Roseberry was held in jail in Washington for about a year, and at one point he stepped in to help a guard who had been attacked from behind and beaten, Contreras said. Roseberry grabbed the man and stopped the attack as he was about to hit the guard again, though his actions later made him a target for fellow inmates, he said. Contreras cited Roseberrys selfless act as he handed down the sentence. Prosecutor Christopher Tortorice had argued for a 2 1/2-year prison sentence, saying it would send a message that this is unacceptable. The defense had asked for the year in jail he had already served as well as three years of probation. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Grover man who made bomb threat outside the Capitol is sentenced Human rights lawyers and Ukrainian prosecutors are preparing a war crimes dossier to submit to the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing Russia of intentionally causing starvation during the full-scale war in Ukraine, the Guardian reported on Sept. 24. The goal is to document cases of Russian forces using hunger as a weapon of war, collecting evidence for the ICC to launch this first-of-its-kind prosecution that could indict Russian President Vladimir Putin . The Guardian cited Yousuf Khan, a senior lawyer with law firm Global Rights Compliance, saying that "the weaponization of food has taken place in three phases," starting with Ukrainian cities besieged and food supplies cut off. Read also: Voices of besieged Mariupol: Its not even comparable to hell The second stage involves destroying food and water supplies and energy sources across Ukraine during the hostilities, which the lawyer described as "objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population." Such attacks were "not crimes of result but crimes of intent," Khan told the Guardian, because "if you are taking out objects that civilians need, like energy infrastructure in the dead of winter, there is a foreseeability to your actions." According to the lawyer, the third phase is Russian attempts to prevent or limit the export of Ukrainian food products, including regular attacks on Ukraine's port infrastructure and grain facilities following Moscow's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Global Rights Compliance will work with Kyiv to compile a dossier by the end of the year. A Hague-based prosecutor will then decide whether to proceed with the case, the Guardian wrote. The Guardian noted that the UN Security Council approved a resolution condemning the use of hunger as a weapon war in 2018, and the year after that, amendments were made to the ICC's Rome Statute to expand the list of cases that can be launched over such actions. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin announced on Sept. 14 the opening of the ICC's field office in Kyiv the largest outside of The Hague. The aim is to "increase the effectiveness and efficiency of responding to the crimes that Russia continues to commit against Ukraine and Ukrainians every day," according to Kostin. In March, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Read also: Stolen generation. Russia systematically abducts children from Ukraine, gives them to Russian families Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A group of Haitian-American elected officials is calling on President Biden to withdraw support for a Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti, which they say will bolster acting President Ariel Henry s grip on power. The National Haitian-American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON) and Family Action Network Movement (FANM) on Friday wrote Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken with the request. Any military intervention supporting Haitis corrupt, repressive, unelected regime will likely exacerbate its current political crisis to a catastrophic one, they wrote. It will further entrench the regime, deepening Haitis political crisis while generating significant civilian casualties and migration pressure. Yet the plan to intervene in Haiti under the auspices of the U.N. is barreling ahead. On Monday, the United States and Kenya signed a five-year defense agreement in Nairobi, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Kenyan Defense Minister Aden Duale the Biden administration is working to secure $100 million for the Haiti intervention plan. Conditions in Haiti have been worsening progressively since the 2021 assassination of former President Jovenel Moise, which led Henry to take power as acting president and acting prime minister. Many Haitian and Haitian-American civil society organizations have clamored for the Biden administration to withdraw recognition and support for Henry, which they say is the main factor keeping him and his Haitian Tet Kale Party (PHTK) in power. If your Administration were to withdraw its support for Dr. Henry, he would have been forced to negotiate with Haitian civil society and other groups toward a peaceful solution to Haitis current political crisis, wrote the groups. Advocacy groups such as NHAEON and FANM have claimed for years that Henrys government is complicit in gang violence, and is fostering violent conditions to remain in control. This regime has dismantled Haitis democratic structures while facilitating and conceding control of the country to many gang leaders. The PHTK governments did not run a fair or timely election, wrote the groups. They have created a prevalent culture of corruption that deprives the government of the necessary funds to support the Haiti National Police and provide basic governmental services to the Haitian population. But the Biden administration has been mostly unwilling to risk destabilizing Haiti. PM Henry is a transitional figure and the head of Haitis government. We work with him and his administration on a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, as does the rest of the international community, a State Department spokesperson told The Hill. Despite conditions in the country, U.S. officials have continued to deport Haitians back there. That deportation policy bit back at the administration early on, as Bidens special envoy, Ambassador Dan Foote, resigned in 2021 with a scathing letter calling the decision to deport Haitians inhumane and counterproductive. In late 2022, the Biden administration redesignated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a measure that allowed more than 100,000 Haitians to live and work in the United States, a measure advocates had called for. TPS status is assigned to countries where conditions are too dangerous to humanely repatriate its nationals. But in designating Haiti, the Biden administration was careful not to criticize the Henry government, and suggested the opposition had been unwilling to negotiate a peaceful path forward. The State Department insists that Dr. Henry must be part of any transitional government. Dr. Henry has used the U.S.s indifference to clinch power and continues to veto any proposed consensus to create an inclusive transitional government without him, wrote the groups. The appeal for the United States to take its thumb off the political scale in Haiti is at the center of advocates concerns about U.S. policy toward the Caribbean nation. The United States has a long history of intervention in the country, including an occupation from 1915 to 1934 and three troop deployments over the past 30 years. Civil society organizations and some Haitian elites are at odds over the need for foreign intervention in Haiti, an exercise that at times has come with disastrous results. In 2016, former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon admitted that United Nations peacekeepers played a role in starting a cholera outbreak in Haiti that led to the deaths of 10,000 people, though Ban did not say the U.N. directly caused the epidemic. Episodes like that intervention have led civil society and opposition groups to greater distrust of outside measures to pacify the country. The recurrence of foreign intervention has also led many in Haitis civil society to accuse the United States of condescension and paternalism. The official position of the United States is that conditions on the ground would currently not allow for a free election. The State Department believes certain security conditions in Haiti must be met before a free and fair election can take place, said the department spokesperson. A Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission would support the Haitian National Police (HNP) to achieve improved security. We continue to support a Haitian-led, consensus-driven political solution to restore democratic order in Haiti. But talks between former rivals in civil society and the opposition have been rendered moot by Bidens support of Henry, say advocates. Over the past three years, groups across the spectrum have gathered, often putting long-running political disagreements aside, to agree on practical, promising plans for a transitional government. But each time, the de facto authorities defeat the promising effort by refusing any compromise, they wrote. The groups also called for U.S. authorities to enhance their efforts to avoid weapons trafficking to Haiti. Haiti does not manufacture guns and ammunition, but they originate from the U.S. and continue to destroy many lives, including U.S. Citizens. We strongly urge your Administration to effectively investigate armed trafficking to Haiti and provide more resources to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrols to inspect cargo leaving the United States to Haiti, they wrote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sisters of Mercy established Iowa Citys first hospital in 1873 in this University of Iowa building called the Mechanics Academy, which was once located on Linn Street near downtown. Most of the following anecdotes about Mercy Iowa City hospital history are mentioned in Mercy Hospital: From Obscurity to Distinction, a thoroughly researched book by Sister Mary Brigid Condon. Copies of its second edition published in 2008 can be secured by contacting the Community Relations office at the hospital. Nuns hopped trains on fund-raising trek In the early days, it took hard-working nuns with grit to handle all the daily hospital chores, keep the convent solvent and medical services growing. In 1897, one of Mercys early prominent administrators, Mother Isidore, was desperate to complete funding to build a small sanitarium for the feeble-minded and mildly insane on the Mercy grounds. She dispatched two sisters to trek across Iowa and through Nebraska and South Dakota to beg for donations. The determined pair were said to have traveled by rickety carts, in the ill-kept cabooses or freight cars of slow-moving trains when they were lucky, slept on hard wooden floors, existed mostly on bread, butter and coffee, survived extreme weather but came home with enough funds to complete the sanitarium. This photo shows a private patient room at the Dostal House in 1885 which served as Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Note the couch provided for a 24-hour caregiver. Founders missed Jesse James train robbery Mercy was founded in rough times. Two months before Sisters from Davenport traveled to Iowa City to open the communitys first hospital, Jesse James had robbed their same train. The report was his gang loosened a rail, derailed the train on July 21 and fleeced all of the frightened passengers of their money. According to the book by Sister Mary Brigid Condon, Since the Sisters did not read newspapers, they were unaware of this event, so they felt quite secure booking passage. Mercy Hospitals state-of-the-art operating room in 1908 looks much different that the one greeting surgery patients today. Four nuns came from a single Irish family Among the many Irish nuns who served Mercy Hospital in the early days were four sisters from the village of Boorisleigh, Ireland, children of Ann and Samuel Fanning who had a total of six boys and six girls. Mother Dolores Fitzsimmons of Iowa City recruited the oldest girl, Mary, on her travels to Ireland, with the others to follow over the next decade or so. The idea of becoming a missionary in America was said to be magnetic to Irish Catholic girls of the era, along with the promise of a professional education in nursing and boat passage paid by the hosting convent. This 1917 photo shows Victoria Pazour, a member of the first graduating class of Mercy School of Nursing to include lay women, plus it was the first class to receive a Registered Nurse degree. Nurses were trained here from 1880 to 1972. 1935 fire destroyed nurses annex Blamed on a cigarette, a raging fire turned an annex to Mercy Hospital, which housed nurses, into a charred ruin in November 1935. Some 36 student nurses and staff fled for their lives and hospital patients were relocated, but there were no injuries. Fire damage was estimated to be $50,000. Among the community fundraisers held later was a bridge and euchre tournament at the American Legion, which contributed $328 toward the rebuild. Mercy founders locally painted portrait went global Enter any hospital or other facility with the Mercy name anywhere in the world and you might see a reproduction of an oil portrait of Mother Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, painted by Iowa City artist Cloy Kent in 1981. Mother Catherine died in 1841, leaving no photograph or any other formal image of her likeness. For the 150th anniversary of the founding of the order, Kent was commissioned for the portrait by the Mercy Hospital board here, relying only on what existing written descriptions and drawings of her she could find. It became the definitive image of the founder requested hundreds of times ever since and provided by Mercy Hospital at no charge. 53 years with Mercy.... and counting! Dr. Craig Champion joined Mercy Hospital here in 1970, his first job after medical school and Navy service, and has yet to retire 53 years later. At 86, he still sees up to ten patients a day from the Mercy outpatient office across from Regina High School. Ive been lucky, he said. I joined up with a good group of doctors and a good hospital. What stands out for me is how good the service has been for both the patients and the doctors over the years, and the speed with which you can get things done. Mercy board member Sister Helen Marie Burns called Dr. Champion a prime example of the kind of dedicated long-term employee Mercy has enjoyed over its 150-year history. Richard Hakes is a longtime columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Hakes: A 1935 fire threatened to destroy longstanding Mercy Hospital Haley moves into second place behind Trump in New Hampshire: poll Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has surged into second place behind former President Trump in New Hampshire, according to a new poll, moving ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP field. Trump is the clear frontrunner of the Republican race, with 45 percent of likely Republican presidential primary voters, but Haley is now his closest challenger, with 15 percent according to the survey from the Saint Anselm College Survey Center at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP). Haley is now slotted in second, ahead of DeSantiss 11 percent. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie scored 10 percent, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy got 6 percent. Seven other GOP White House hopefuls tested got just 3 percent or less, and 6 percent were unsure. DeSantis has long been Trumps closest challenger in most polls, but his support has been slipping in recent weeks. The NHIOP poll notes DeSantiss support has fallen 18 points since March. Haley, on the other hand, saw a boost after the first GOP debate in Milwaukee last month. Her campaign has touted its momentum after the event, and the super PAC backing her bid has boasted of Haleys rise as DeSantis declines. In 2024 general election hypotheticals, likely Republican primary voters in the Granite State said theyd vote 73-13 for DeSantis over President Biden, with 12 percent backing someone else. If the contest was with Haley, Biden gets just 8 percent and Haley gets 74 percent. The New Hampshire results come after a top pollster warned Haley has surged in Iowa, and after a CNN poll found her besting Biden in a 2024 hypothetical head-to-head. Haley and other candidates are headed toward the second GOP debate in Simi Valley, Calif., later this week with the exception of Trump, who has said hell skip the event and give remarks in Michigan. Conducted Sept. 19-20, the poll surveyed 931 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Embattled Democratic senator Bob Menendez has rejected calls for him to resign, and insisted almost $500,000 discovered in cash at his home was money he kept to hand because his parents had grown up in Cuba and feared having their assets taken. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, he said in his first comments since charges were made public last Friday. Now this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. The powerful 69 year-old has been obliged to give up his role as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a regulation imposed on anyone facing a criminal charge. He would be able to return to that role if he is found not guilty. Mr Menendez, the senior senator from New Jersey, whose parents moved to the US in the early 1950s, has rejected calls for him to stand down as member of the upper chamber. Among Democrats making such a call were Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman and New Jersey governor Phil Murphy . So far, most of his colleagues in the Senate have said the criminal process should play out. Mr Menendez, his wife and three business associates are accused of three crimes, including being on the receiving end of a bribery conspiracy. Egypt benefit The group is accused of working together to use Mr Menendezs power as a senator to benefit them personally and to also benefit Egypt. Prosecutors allege the bribes included gold, cash, home mortgage payments, and a luxury vehicle. When the indictment was unseated last week it contained images of gold bars said to have been found at his home. On Monday, Mr Menendez insisted his record showed he had always taken a tough stance towards Egypt. If you look at my actions related to Egypt during the period described in this indictment and throughout my whole career, my record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable, he said. This is the second time he has been charged with federal offences. In 2015, a jury was unable to reach a verdict. In his statement, he added: I recognise this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator. 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 viral post on X has led to a debate about how declining work invitations can affect your career. One person said they have been reprimanded for choosing not to attend work events. In recent years, post-work drinking culture has faced criticism for excluding some employees. A post on X (formerly Twitter) asking users whether they go out and party with their coworkers has led to a debate about how refusing to socialize with colleagues outside of work can negatively affect your career. On September 21, an X user who goes by the handle @p_blade_2 asked users, "Y'all go out/party with your coworkers?" Dana White, a senior program officer at True Colors United, an organization that addresses youth homelessness, quoted the post, and wrote: "Can we talk about what happens to your career if that's company culture and you don't?" The post received 6.2 million views, and almost 50,000 likes. Across hundreds of comments and quotes, people are sharing their experiences feeling pressured to socialize with coworkers, with many saying they felt it was important to not decline such invitations, even if a worker didn't necessarily want to join in. One X user suggested that not attending can make others think that you are "not a team player," or that you are "standoffish." Another wrote that they don't ever want to party with coworkers unless they are friends, but that they have been reprimanded for not attending events. Another user wrote that "you have to go" because these events open up networking opportunities and build rapport. "When coworkers drink they let their guard down and you build relationships. When you isolate yourself you become excluded in conversations because you're only someone's coworker," they wrote, receiving over 100 likes. However, in recent years, more people have called out a culture of happy hours and post-work drinking, saying it can exclude people who don't drink for religious or health reasons, and those who can't stick around after hours due to other responsibilities. In White's thread, many spoke of instances in which they felt as though they'd been denied opportunities because they didn't want to socialize outside of work. "My coworkers get mad when I don't wanna eat lunch with them on Thursday. Sometimes I just need a minute to myself, or wanna take a phone call. Them trying to force me to be a part of this fake culture they have is the reason why I'm trying to leave now," wrote one user. Adam Waytz, a faculty member at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, suggested that companies can do more to promote positive morale by giving employees back their free time. "Let people go home, let them spend time with their families, let them head to the bar and check out Tinder, let them play in a band and record an album," he wrote in the Harvard Business Review. "Rather than mandating "fun," give them a day off, and watch their social lives flourish and their loneliness fade away." Over the years, there have been many posts from people on online forums asking how to politely decline work invitations and questioning whether it will negatively affect their career. Diane Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in business etiquette training, told the Medium publication Forge in 2019 that people should "really consider attending" structured work events that have been planned in advance and hosted by their employers, even if they just stay for long enough for their coworkers to remember they were there. "Really, any kind of formal office event, whether it's a summer picnic or a holiday party, should be considered what I call 'mandatory fun,'" she said. She added that while it's fine to decline invitations to things that aren't your scene, you should make an effort to say yes to invitations every once in a while especially if it's the kind of workplace where people regularly socialize after hours. Read the original article on Insider Aides for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly asked a New York school to sign a gagging clause ahead of their visit two years ago. The clause allegedly prohibited anyone at Public School 123, the Mahalia Jackson school, in Harlem from making negative comments about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex now or in the future, according to a report by The Sun. Harry and Meghans Archewell Foundation said standard practice was followed in a statement to the newspaper. The Independent has contacted representatives for Archewell Foundation, the Department of Education, and Public School 123 for comment. During a New York tour in September 2021, Harry and Meghan visited a public school in Harlem to promote early literacy among young children and encourage the habit of reading. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent an hour at the school, with Meghan reading her childrens book The Bench to a group of second-grade students. Footage from the filmed visit was included in their 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, in which the couple made several shock revelations about the Firm and their decision to resign as senior members of the royal family. On Saturday 23 September, the newspaper reported that PR executives for Harry and Meghans Archewell Foundation sent the Department of Education an appearance release with a gagging clause prohibiting any negative comments about the Sussexes, including on social media now or in the future. NYC schools press officer Danielle Filson allegedly responded, asking for the best way to get it agreed, and also asked to remove the mention of Meghans childrens book from the release to make it a bit less promotion-ey. Harry and Meghan were recently spotted at a fundraising event for first responders, hosted by Kevin Costner at his polo field in Santa Barbara, California. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, reads from her book The Bench during her visit with Prince Harry, to PS 123, the Mahalia Jackson School, in New Yorks Harlem neighbourhood (Richard Drew/AP) (AP) They were seen spending time with senior members of local police and firefighting services, as the couple also presented the Yellowstone actor with an award. Earlier this week, it was reported Prince Harry has been told to give notice if hed like to stay at any of the royal residences, after it was claimed he was denied permission to stay at Windsor Castle during a recent visit to the UK. The duke travelled to London for the WellChild charity awards on 7 September, which was also the eve of Queen Elizabeths death anniversary. He reportedly contacted Buckingham Palace, expressing his desire to stay with his father, King Charles for the duration of his visit. After it was established Harry and Charles, who was in Balmoral at the time, would not be able to arrange a meeting, the duke asked if he could stay at Windsor Castle. He also sought permission to visit the late Queens grave in St Georges chapel. Howver, the palace reportedly denied his accommodation request, claiming there wasnt enough time to make the necessary arrangements. Buckingham Palace did not respond to The Independents request for comment. Courtney B. Vance is ready to put America to the test in this exclusive clip from the upcoming Showtime movie Heist 88. In the clip below, called The System Needs to be Tested, Jeremy Horne (Vance) is convincing one of his bank employee recruits, Rich Windom (Nican Robinson), to let go of his stockbroker dreams and get what is rightfully his. As Jeremy tells him, the system will keep him waiting until he takes whats his. Heist 88 director Menhaj Huda has given Shadow and Act an exclusive statement about the upcoming film and the exclusive scene, saying how he has always loved the thrill of a good crime film. Crime thrillers have always been my favorite genre since I can remember, and Ive been looking for a project like HEIST 88 since I moved to the US from London, he said. So to get the opportunity to direct this movie was like a dream come true. It had so many elements that attracted me to the project: its inspired by true events from 1988, it has an anti-hero as the lead (played by the incredible Courtney B. Vance), its a thriller set in the visually stunning city of Chicago and it has a subtle social message framing the story. The script was in very good shape when I first read it, and found that the material really connected with me, so it was a joy to bring it to life with such a terrific cast and crew, he continued. This scene between Rick and Jeremy Horne, is one of my favorites both Courtney and Nican give incredible performances which nail the power dynamics between these two and we start to see Ricks realization (and discomfort at) that there may not be a way out for him Heist 88 also stars Keith David, Xavier Clyde, Precious Way and Keesha Sharp. The film is written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran and executive produced by Johnson Cochran, Vance and Angela Bassett (via Vance-Bassett Productions), Floris Bauer and Lynnette Ramirez. Gunpowder & Sky also produces with MTV Entertainment Studios. Heist 88 will stream on Paramount+ with Showtime Sept. 29 with a network premiere on Oct. 1 on Showtime. Flash China's cargo plane carrying urgent relief supplies arrives at the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Sept. 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Carrying 90 tons of emergency humanitarian aid to floods-hit Libya, a Chinese cargo plane arrived Sunday at the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. First aid kits, water purifiers, tents, blankets, ultrasound diagnostic systems, life jackets, and other relief materials were unloaded at the Benina International Airport, in the presence of Omar Abu-Dabous, the secretary-general of the Libyan Red Crescent, as well as senior Libyan and Chinese diplomats. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel triggered Libya's worst floods in decades, resulting in the death of thousands and widespread damage to the region's infrastructure, especially water supply and sewage infrastructure. Water contamination has led to the poisoning of dozens of people, mainly children, in floods-hit areas where access to clean water was limited, according to Libyan authorities. Witnessing the handover at the airport, Chinese Charge d'Affaires to Libya Liu Jian said it is hoped that Chinese aid would assist Libya in overcoming the effects of the disaster and getting the affected areas back to normal. China remains ready to keep communicating and coordinating with the Libyan authorities to provide more support for Libya in its rescue and relief operation and reconstruction work, he noted. Also at the airport, Libyan Charge d'Affaires to China Khaled Al-Sayah said that the timely support from China reflects the deep friendship between the two countries. Earlier, the Red Cross Society of China delivered 200,000 U.S. dollars in cash to the Libyan Red Crescent as emergency humanitarian assistance for the country's disaster response efforts following the floods. With the State Fair of Texas kicking off on Friday, the North Texas Food Bank will collect food donations to benefit those in need across North Texas. The State Fair of Texas team has proudly partnered with the North Texas Food Bank since 2010 to help collect more than 3.3 million pounds of canned food items through the Feed the Need food drive, said Jennifer Schuder, senior vice president of marketing for the State Fair of Texas, in a press release Monday. Together last year we collected approximately 280,000 pounds of canned items, which equates to more than 230,000 meals. It continues to be an honor to provide the community an opportunity to help our neighbors in need while also providing a cost-effective entrance to all the fun you will find at the State Fair of Texas. There are several ways for Texans to get involved while visiting Big Tex, with discounted State Fair admission via a food donation drive and volunteer opportunities: On Friday, State Fair attendees can each bring two 16-ounce plastic jars of peanut butter to donate to the North Texas Food Bank, receiving a $10 admission voucher at the gate. These are part of NTFBs annual Peanut Butter Drive. Every Wednesday during the fair, attendees can each bring five full-size canned food items to donate to the North Texas Food Bank as part of the Feed the Need Drive, receiving a $5 admission voucher at the gate. Signing up to be a volunteer for NTFB at the State Fair will also get you a Big Tex shirt and a State Fair voucher you can use to attend the fair at a later date. The Feed the Need effort is the North Texas Food Banks largest canned food drive event, bringing in food at a critical time, and we are grateful to the partners at the State Fair of Texas and Kroger for helping us in our mission to close the hunger gap in North Texas, said Trisha Cunningham, president and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank, in the news release. In our service area, 1 in 6 children face hunger and do not always know where they will find their next healthy meal. Thanks to the State Fair team and the support of Kroger and our community, this annual event has helped to provide more than 3 million meals over the years. This week thousands of sixth-formers will receive their A-level results and, inevitably, many will be disappointed as they miss out on their university of choice. Though going through clearing is always an option, in todays job market having a degree is increasingly seen as superfluous. Josh Graff, managing director at LinkedIn, said: A degree is not the only indicator of talent and businesses are increasingly recognising that. Degrees will always be critical for certain jobs, but there are a number of exciting opportunities and alternative routes out there for people who didnt go to university. In June, cereal giant Kelloggs announced it would be dropping the requirement for a degree for most jobs at the company and last year PwC said it would no longer require candidates to have a 2:1 degree in a bid to boost diversity. Here, Telegraph Money reveals the lucrative careers open to those that dont have a degree some pay up to 70,000. High salary jobs that dont require a degree Wage growth has remained at a strong 6.9pc, according to the latest official figures. Meanwhile, low unemployment and high vacancies have caused a talent war which has forced companies to be flexible when jostling for workers they desperately want. Expectations that candidates will have gone to university have therefore fallen, according to figures compiled by job search engine Adzuna. The number of vacancies requiring a degree of any kind on the site fell from 44,181 in July 2022 to 32,073 in July this year a drop of 27pc. The careers outlined in the table below show how much someone at the start of their career could earn, having achieved A-levels but without any university education. The jobs are for junior and entry level positions, excluding managerial roles. The highest paying jobs that don't require a degree School leavers who opt not to go to university can still have ambitions of earning lucrative salaries early on in their careers, Adzuna found. There were more than 500 vacancies listed for estate agent roles in July, with an average salary of 58,199. Blue-collar jobs also offered high pay for entry-level positions, with average pay for several manual labour jobs exceeding 45,000. These included door installers (54,000), tile fitters (51,000), and scaffolders (48,000). Other high-paying roles, such as those in accountancy, would require specific qualifications, but not necessarily a degree. Adzuna said there were 4,677 vacancies on the site in July, with an average salary of 45,000. Though not listed on most job sites, the Metropolitan police pay non-degree holding recruits 31,500 a year as a starting salary, rising to between 33,000 and 34,000 after probation. Andrew Hunter, of Adzuna, noted that there isnt much differentiation between different types of A-level and the different salary pathways a choice can lead to. He added: School leavers not choosing to go to university should take heart, the subjects chosen will likely have little impact on entry-level earnings, and instead it will be the skills you hone on the job that can bump you up the pay charts. Whats more, those who eschew the university route will also avoid years of student loan payments with this years A-Level leavers becoming the first generation who could be paying off their debts into retirement. Higher education to become increasingly less important A survey of businesses last month by apprenticeships startup Multiverse found that a third believed a graduates degree grade was one of the top three indicators of their potential. More than half of the business leaders surveyed currently have degree requirements in place, but four in 10 of those predicted that higher education will matter less for applications in the next five to 10 years Tom Cornell, of hiring platform HireVue, urged employers not to let a piece of paper from a university stand in the way of hiring the capable, bright and young talent available. He added: With the latest university marking strikes in the UK, job offers and grad schemes are in limbo. This is a great opportunity for employers to shift their mindset about how much value to place on a degree when it comes to assessing and hiring the 800,000 students leaving university every year. Employers are also less picky about the degree classification obtained by graduates, Adzunas data showed. In July last year, 11,560 vacancies required a 2:1 degree in 2023 that figure fell to 7,622. Even the type of institution no longer matters to companies as much as it might have once done: the number of job vacancies requiring a supposedly prestigious degree from a Russell Group university fell from 710 to 315 in a year. This article is kept updated with the latest information. Recommended The graduate jobs that pay six-figure salaries Read more Have you built a career without a university degree? Share your experiences in the comments section below 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. Hillary Clinton thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin will be eager to interfere with U.S. presidential elections again in 2024. During an appearance on Inside With Jen Psaki on Sunday, the former secretary of state said she was positive that Putin meddled in past elections and that shes sure he is ready to sow discord during next years voting cycle. Asked if people should be concerned about potential political interference from the Kremlin, Clinton told Psaki, The Russians have proved themselves to be quite adept at interfering and if [Putin] has a chance, hell do it again. In 2020, a Senate investigation found that Russia led an aggressive effort to elect Donald Trump during his 2016 race against Clinton. Hillary Clinton speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting on Sept. 18 in New York City. Hillary Clinton speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting on Sept. 18 in New York City. The next year, U.S. intelligence officials determined Putin interfered in the 2020 election by denigrating President Bidens candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting Trump, undermining public confidence in the electoral process and exacerbating socio-political divisions in the U.S. Clinton said she was confident Moscow would use the same tactics during Trumps 2024 rematch against Biden. His modus operandi [is] that he hates democracy, she explained. He particularly hates the West, and he especially hates us. Clinton said shes been worried about Putins influence for years and accused the Russian leader of a strategy to damage and divide the U.S. from the inside. The former senator from New York also criticized Putin for his barbaric invasion of Ukraine and accused the Russian ruler of plotting to expand his reach and restore the Russian empire. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the State Council's Presidium on Sept. 21 in Veliky Novgorod, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the State Council's Presidium on Sept. 21 in Veliky Novgorod, Russia. Calling on Americans to take a stand against the authoritarian dictator and his apologists and enablers, Clinton told Psaki, We have to reject a kind of creeping fascism of people who are really ready to turn over their thinking, their votes to wannabe dictators. Putin weighed in on U.S. affairs earlier this month at an economic forum in Eastern Europe, where he described Trumps current legal problems as political persecution. The front-runner for the 2024 Republican Presidential candidacy is currently facing 91 charges in four separate cases. Accusing the Biden administration of corruption, Putin said investigations into Trump revealed the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy. Related... It was one of those Tuesdays when speakers line up to express to the Hillsborough County School Board their disapproval of racy reading material in the school libraries. Dalton Gregory Williford, a candidate for a board seat in District 3, suggested parental permission slips to protect school employees from being prosecuted if a student checked out a book deemed pornographic under state law. Julie Magill, a real estate professional, said school-based indoctrination might be the reason for a doubling in the number of students identifying as transgender or nonbinary. The two struck up a conversation and, three months later, Magill is running for school board too. With the qualifying deadline eight months away for the 2024 races, culture war issues such as sex in school library books have already emerged as recurrent themes among this new crop of candidates. Some have not yet posted campaign websites, and not all are taking calls from news reporters. But their digital footprints show at least half are taking cues from conservative organizations like Moms for Liberty, which have put the nations school districts on defense. Magill, for one, is open in expressing cultural messages that extend beyond books. We will fight to keep your kids from being taught anything other than academics, she says on her campaign website, referring to gender manipulation suggestions, the U.S. Department of Educations liberal agendas and teachers values or ideologies. While most incumbents said they wish voters were more concerned with issues such as low student reading levels, bus driver shortages and childrens easy access to guns, culture war issues are impossible to ignore. Since Moms For Liberty burst on the scene about two years ago, its message about reading materials that are too coarse for children has begun to resonate with a broader audience, including school board members and hopefuls who now agree with the need for some discretion. Some lament what they say are missteps such as placing This Book Is Gay, a nonfiction book that is recommended for high school readers, in the library at Pierce Middle School. The school board removed the book from middle schools in late March, and incidents such as this one have some candidates searching for a middle ground. I do not believe that teachers go into education to indoctrinate children, said Bonnie Lambert, a former teacher and administrator who is challenging Jessica Vaughn of New Tampa for her seat in District 3. However, I definitely believe there are books that need to be taken out and not taught in our schools. School board member Henry Shake Washington, who does not yet have a challenger in District 5, said at a board workshop: I feel like if a book has any type of sexual connotation, take it off. But thats me. When a constituent countered that I want my kid to understand life, Washington said, I couldnt debate that. Board member Lynn Gray, who has five challengers for her countywide seat, said that as a grandmother who opposes childrens access to pornography, I definitely think its desensitizing our youth. But she acknowledged some books are being challenged even though they do not fit any reasonable definition of pornography for example, childrens books that showcase same-sex couples. In an election year, its safe to assume the issue will continue to command attention, she said. I think that it will be because its a great fundraising item. Vaughn sees the book issue as a paradox. I think a majority of things that are more culture war issues than actual parent concerns are always going to motivate a certain percentage of the voters because this is just how, as a country, we are divided, she said. Parents and district employees are more concerned about teacher shortages and courses that are being cut, she said. But its hard to anticipate what voters are going to care about. Board chairperson Nadia Combs, who is being challenged in District 1 by Magill and Layla Collins, grows frustrated at the attention the book issue is getting. In her visits to schools, she said she sees media specialists working with students with a high degree of professionalism. She has maintained consistently that children face far greater threats on their smartphones. To the critics, she asks: Why dont they go to the schools and see what I see? Librarians are the center of their communities. Why dont they spend a day in a library and talk to a high school librarian and find out whats happening? But even candidates who do not fully support the book challenge movement typically agree with the need for some controls. Gray said the system in place for selecting and reevaluating books in Hillsborough is good, but not excellent. Ashley Hartfield-Viewins, who teaches middle school in Hillsborough through a contracting agency, is running for Grays seat but has taken a similar position. I understand the importance of literacy and how a whole universe can open to you by just a single book, Hartfield-Viewins said. But for me, mind does have to be paid to the exposure and grade level. I dont want my 5-year-old daughter exposed to a middle school book or one with sexuality and profanity. Some of the challengers are drawn by issues that extend beyond books. First-time candidate Karen Bendorf, another challenger for Grays seat, said she has long felt the school board and district are too prone to promoting liberal policies and practice. A social studies teacher at Plant Citys Tomlin Middle, she would like to see a more balanced board and has found herself in some uncomfortable situations at work. She applauded the work of state lawmakers, who recently approved additional parental rights legislation. Starting this year, I can just be in a classroom and teach, Bendorf said. I dont have to worry, as a parent first of all, about a teacher asking my own child what their preferred pronoun is. As a teacher, I dont have to worry about a student wanting me to call them something thats different. On the issue of books, she said, I wouldnt say Im running because of that, just because I think we are on the right path. But I do think that is an important issue. I think its important that our kids should have access to good, healthy reading material that is safe and that is academic and that is not pornographic and isnt inappropriate. And I would make sure I always vote in favor of something that would do that. The First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FCHCC) is set to host an evening of accomplishment and achievement. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Set to take place on Fri., Oct. 13, the Hispanic Heritage Starlight Gala is inviting the community to celebrate a night of achievements paving the way for a brighter future for our Hispanic Students. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Several local students will be awarded college scholarships at the gala. Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan will be a guest speaker and Action News Jax traffic anchor Marithza Ross will emcee the event. The FCHCC explains on its website that along with donors, the ATD Scholarship Program awards promising Hispanic students scholarships to continue their education. Each year, FCHCC awards between 10-12 scholarships to deserving Hispanic students and recognizes them at our Annual Hispanic Heritage Gala & ATD Awards. READ: Florida Department of Education celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with recommended readings The FCHCC states that in order to qualify for the scholarship program, students must be of Hispanic/Latino descent, live in one of the First Coast five Counties (Duval, Baker, St. Johns, Clay or Nassau), have a 3.0 GPA, complete an application which includes two short essays, and send official transcripts for our selection committee to review and select the recipients. The event is planned to take place at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront at 225 E. Coastline Dr. The gala will begin at 6 p.m. and will run until 10 p.m. To purchase tickets for the special evening click here. Applications for the 2024 ATD Scholarship Program will open Nov. 1, 2023. To read more about the scholarship or to become a possible donor, click here. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Washington Congress appears to be barreling toward another government shutdown, with Republicans in the House struggling to coalesce around a plan to fund federal agencies beyond a fast-approaching Oct. 1 deadline. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is insisting that billions of dollars to tighten border security be included in any stopgap measure to keep the government operating past Saturday night. The House voted on Tuesday to advance four full-year appropriations bills, which are unlikely to go anywhere in the Senate. In the upper chamber, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking his own steps to advance a short-term funding measure, which attracted strong bipartisan support in a test vote on Tuesday. McCarthy said Wednesday that there is little support in the House GOP conference for the Senate's bill, and he plans to move forward with his own version of a short-term extension later this week. A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to approve funding for federal agencies. Before 1980, agencies largely continued operating during a lapse in funding with the assumption that Congress would act quickly. But in 1980 and 1981, then-Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti authored a series of legal opinions that found government agencies didn't have the authority to continue running during a gap in funding. President Ronald Reagan oversaw eight shutdowns during his time in office, the longest of which lasted three days. There were three funding gaps between 1990 and 1995, then none until 2013. The threat of a government shutdown has become more frequent over the past decade, as Congress has found itself engaged in funding fights that are ultimately resolved with massive, year-long spending packages. The most recent lapse in government funding, in late 2018, caused $3 billion in permanent losses, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are expected to feel the impacts of a shutdown if a deal isn't reached this time around. Here is a look at the lapses in government funding that have taken place over the past four decades: Nov. 20, 1981 A Duration: Two full days White House: President Ronald Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: On Nov. 20, 1981, the Senate approved legislation that fell short of spending cuts Reagan had sought. The bill differed from a version passed in the House and funding technically lapsed at midnight, but since Nov. 21 fell on a Saturday, the effects weren't felt immediately. House and Senate negotiators worked over the weekend to reconcile their differences and passed identical bills on Sunday. On Monday, Reagan vetoed the plan and ordered the government to shut down, placing 250,000 federal employees on furlough. Later in the day, lawmakers passed a stopgap bill to keep the government funded and allow more time for talks on a deal. Workers returned the next day. Sept. 30, 1982 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: The one-day shutdown was not the result of a bitter stalemate, but happened because members of Congress were busy with social commitments. The New York Times reported at the time that "congressional leaders barred a late-night session because of major social events tonight by both Republicans and Democrats." Reagan had invited members of Congress to a barbecue at the White House, while Democrats had a $1,000-per-plate fundraising dinner. Singer Tammy Wynette coaxes President Ronald Reagan to his feet during a barbecue for members of Congress on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 30, 1982. / Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images The president eventually signed spending bills approved by Congress. Dec. 17, 1982 Duration: Three days White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: The shutdown arose in part from Reagan's opposition to a measure that included billions in funding for a jobs creation program and Democrats' opposition to money for the MX missile program. Congress walked away from the jobs provision but included money for legal support for low-income Americans. Lawmakers also declined to fund the missile program, but Reagan still signed the legislation to end the shutdown. Members of Congress opposed to the MX missile hold a rally on the Capitol steps on June 14, 1983. From left to right: Rep. Edward Markey; Sen. Ernest Hollings; Sen. Alan Cranston; Sen. Gary Hart; Rep. Jim Leach; and Sen. Edward Kennedy. / Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images Nov. 10, 1983 Duration: Three days White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: The shutdown stemmed from Democrats adding roughly $1 billion in education spending, and cutting foreign aid. House Democrats ended up decreasing their request for education spending to $100 million and provided money for the MX missile, which Reagan wanted. Democrats kept their cuts to foreign aid and defense. Sept. 30, 1984 Duration: Two days White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: Reagan and congressional Democrats were at odds over several provisions included in a funding bill that cleared the House, namely a crime bill favored by the president, and a water projects measure he opposed. Democrats also wanted legislation reversing a Supreme Court decision that found entire colleges that did not accept federal or state funding were not subject to Title IX's requirements even though their students did receive federal assistance. Lawmakers approved and Reagan signed a bill that kept the government open for several more days to allow negotiations to continue. Oct. 3, 1984 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: The stopgap funding measure passed days earlier didn't do enough to stave off another shutdown. Democrats ultimately gave in and removed the water projects and civil rights provisions, and Congress passed the crime bill. President Ronald Reagan having lunch with Vice President George Bush at the White House on Oct. 4, 1984. / Credit: Jean-Louis Atlan/Sygma via Getty Images Oct. 16, 1986 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Republicans House control: Democrats What happened: Congressional Democrats wanted welfare expansion, then known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children, as well as other measures the White House opposed. Democrats ultimately walked away from several of their favored provisions and were promised a vote on welfare expansion in order to end the funding stalemate. Dec. 18, 1987 Duration: One day White House: Reagan Senate control: Democrats House control: Democrats What happened: The lapse in government funding was the result of disagreement over providing aid to the Contras in Nicaragua and Democrats' push to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, a policy from the Federal Communications Commission that required broadcast licensees to cover different sides of controversial issues. The rule was repealed in 1987. In the end, Congress approved nonlethal aid for the Nicaraguan rebels, but Democrats were unsuccessful in their efforts to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. Oct. 5, 1990 Duration: Three days White House: President George H.W. Bush Senate control: Democrats House control: Democrats What happened: Bush said he would veto a short-term funding measure that did not include a plan to reduce the deficit, forcing a shutdown. Congress ultimately passed a joint budget resolution that outlined a plan for reducing the deficit, and the president signed a continuing resolution that reopened the government. Nov. 13, 1995 Duration: Five days White House: President Bill Clinton Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans What happened: The shutdowns that occurred during Clinton's presidency centered around his dispute with congressional Republicans of their pledge to balance the budget and repeal the president's 1993 tax increases. The GOP, led by Speaker Newt Gingrich, took control of the House for the first time in 40 years in 1995 in what would be remembered as the "Republican Revolution." The GOP-led Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution that sought to boost Medicare premiums and required the president to balance the budget within seven years, among other measures. But Clinton vetoed the legislation, which led to a shutdown. Clinton and Republican congressional leaders ultimately reached a deal to fund the government for several weeks and allow negotiations to continue. Dec. 15, 1995 Duration: 21 days White House: Clinton Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans What happened: The additional time given to Congress and the White House in November to continue talks wasn't enough, and funding lapsed again in mid-December. Unlike the November 1985 shutdown, this one lasted much longer, into early January 1996. President Bill Clinton speaks to House Speaker Newt Gingrich during a budget meeting at the White House on Dec. 19, 1995. / Credit: RICHARD ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images The issue was which agency's budget projections, the Congressional Budget Office or the Office of Management and Budget, the White House should use to show that the budget was balanced within seven years. In the end, Republicans backed down: then-Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole indicated in a floor speech on New Year's Eve that "we ought to end this. I mean, it's gotten to the point where it's a little ridiculous, as far as this senator is concerned." Sept. 30, 2013 A Park Police officer walks passes a sign announcing the closure of the Lincoln Memorial due to a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. / Credit: Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images Duration: 16 days White House: President Barack Obama Senate control: Democrats House control: Republicans What happened: The fight began over the Affordable Care Act and a push by Republicans to dismantle key parts of Obama's signature health care law. The GOP-led House passed two spending bills, one of which would've delayed implementation of Obamacare, which were both rejected by the Democratic-led Senate. Obama called for a spending bill with no conditions attached, but Republicans ultimately opted to shut down the government over their opposition to the landmark health care law. House Republicans led by Speaker John Boehner in the end ceded to Democrats and approved a short-term spending bill that didn't include changes to Obamacare. Jan. 19, 2018 Duration: Two days White House: President Donald Trump Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans What happened: The shutdown, which officially began on the one-year anniversary of Trump's inauguration, stemmed from a fight over immigration, and specifically Democrats' demands for protections for "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The White House, however, said it would not engage in negotiations over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which extended legal protections for Dreamers, while the government was shut down. In the end, Democrats relented after Republicans pledged to work toward a deal addressing DACA, and Trump signed a short-term funding bill that reopened the government. Dec. 21, 2018 President Donald Trump holds up a photo of a Duration: 34 days White House: Trump Senate control: Republicans House control: Republicans/Democrats What happened: Months later, immigration was again at the center of the government funding fight, though this shutdown involved Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. As the shutdown stretched to become the longest in history and Democrats took control of the House, the former president ended up signing a bill to reopen agencies for three weeks and did not include money for the border wall. Weeks later, Congress averted another shutdown by passing a measure that included $1.375 billion for the border wall, far less than the $5.7 billion Trump requested. Arrest warrent issued for suspect in killing of 26-year-old Baltimore tech CEO Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game with Travis Kelce's family Newest car theft threat: carhackers Chronic delays at the tax office are so bad they are hurting the economy, accountants have warned. Tax trade bodies representing accountants have said customer service at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has reached a new low and said the tax authority is failing to do its jobs effectively, with phone waiting times and postal backlogs having a significant impact on businesses and individuals. Gary Ashford, president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, said the impact of the delays was a strain on the economy. Poor HMRC performance, such as delays in processing registration for taxes and the inability to quickly resolve matters doesnt just harm the tax system, but has an impact on the wider economic climate too, he said. Businesses are left unable to trade properly, individuals are left without much needed repayments, and costs spiral as they repeatedly chase HMRC for progress updates. It comes after the tax office said that it would scrap the ten-minute waiting time target on its dedicated agent helpline, despite the fact that call waiting times now exceed 20 minutes on average. Michael Izza, chief executive of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), said that the delays had stopped tax agents from being able to complete their work. Removing the 10-minute service level on the Agent Dedicated Line represents a new low in HMRCs declining performance, he said. Agents play a key role in the tax system and if they cant work effectively there is a significant knock-on effect on the UK economy. The ICAEW added that HMRCs poor online services have left its members reliant on phone lines and written correspondence despite waiting times. It seems clear that HMRC does not have the tools to manage the tax system effectively and efficiently, so to restore confidence we want to see a thorough review with a plan to improve services and develop digital capabilities for the future, Mr Izza added. The claims come after a survey by the Chartered Institute of Taxation found that 94pc of its members asked were somewhat or extremely dissatisfied with HMRCs service levels, with 95pc also claiming that the tax offices poor service had at least moderately impacted their ability to do business. Recommended Tax calculator: how much you will pay on savings (and easy ways to cut it) Read more More than half of the tax agents surveyed said that they have waited for more than thirty minutes for a response from HMRCs specialist agent helpline, a figure that increased to 85pc for other HMRC helplines. The tax office closed its self-assessment helpline over the summer in an attempt to deal with its backlog of postal enquiries, and created a special taskforce to deal with more than 37,000 pieces of correspondence that were at least 10 months old. HMRC has also been criticised for keeping its staff at home, with as many as two in five workers at regional centres having stayed away from the office completely in the year leading to March. The tax office has repeatedly said that remote working has had no impact on the number of phone calls its staff respond to. It has also said its online services have been improved, adding customers should attempt to use these before contacting the office online or by phone. An HMRC spokesman said: Last year, we received more than three million calls on just three things that can easily be done digitally resetting an online password, getting your tax code, and getting your National Insurance number. Thats almost 500 people working full-time to answer just those calls. To free up our advisors to help those who need one-to-one support, its important callers are encouraged to use our online services wherever possible. The ICAEW and CIOT know this and, through the agents they represent, can play a valuable role in helping drive change. 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. One Nebraska homeowner had to walk back her choice to install solar panels on her home - but a proposed state law would protect her right to have them, the Nebraska Examiner reports. Rosalind Carr isnt the first homeowner to disagree with her HOA about solar panels. The panels provide free energy for owners and save money, as well as reduce air pollution by cutting down on the need for electricity generated from oil and coal. However, HOAs are usually more concerned with the appearance of the panels and often ask for them to be placed out of sight on the back of the house, if theyre allowed at all. Homeowners who break the rules risk fines, and in some cases, the removal of their solar panels by the HOA. Thats what Carr told the Nebraska Examiner she was facing with her HOA. Carr wanted to install solar panels to do something good after hearing the Popes message about the environment earlier this year. Carr said she intended to get the associations permission for the installation, which is usually allowed on the back of the house. However, Carrs contractor asked to move up the installation date on very short notice. Because Carr didnt go through the proper process, the Nebraska Examiner reports that she was asked to remove the panels at a cost of $3,500. The HOAs lawyer rejected a proposal for Carr to simply move them. According to the Nebraska Examiner, the state is considering a law that would allow Carr and others like her to install solar panels. Legislative Bill 49 would not only prevent HOAs from blocking solar installation; it would also allow municipalities to issue a solar access permit to grant the holder the right to sunlight. Supporters of the bill say it protects personal property rights, the Nebraska Examiner says. Its a small change for a big gain, said Sen. George Dungan, who created the bill. However, opponents argue that a right to sunlight could mean cutting down trees, which are vital for providing clean air. It will be a while before the Nebraska legislature reaches a decision on Legislative Bill 49, the Nebraska Examiner reports. Until then, Carr said she would take her solar panels down and donate them to Habitat for Humanity. However, if the bill passes, she said, I will tell you, I may just put them up again. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. Hollywood writers have reached a tentative deal to end the strike after 146 days, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has announced. On Sunday (24 September), the WGA announced that they had reached a major development and struck a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, nearly five months after the writers union began their historic strike. The AMPTP is the group that represents studios, streaming services and producers in negotiations. In a statement shared with union members via email, the union wrote: [The] WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days. The three-year contract agreement was settled on after five marathon days of renewed talks by negotiators WGA and the AMPTP. The terms of the deal were not immediately announced, but the WGA, which represents 11,500 film and television writers, described it as exceptional with meaningful gains and protections for writers. The deal must now be approved by the guilds board and members for the strike to officially end. During the last writers strike in 2008, the tentative deal was approved by more than 90 per cent of WGA members. Were the current strike to last another five days, it would become the longest in the guilds history, and the longest Hollywood strike in decades. While a milestone, the WGA settlement will not return Hollywood to work, however. The SAG-AFTRA actors union remains on strike. Writers put down their pens on 2 May after negotiations reached an impasse over a range of labour issues. These include compensation, minimum staffing of writers rooms, the use of artificial intelligence and residuals that reward writers for popular streaming shows, among other issues. Hollywoods dual strikes had shut down production of movies and TV series and sent late-night talk shows into re-runs. Efforts to restart daytime talk shows without writers including The Drew Barrymore Show collapsed this month following significant criticism from striking writers and actors. Striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) members picket with striking SAG-AFTRA members outside Paramount Studios on 18 September 2023 in Los Angeles (Getty Images) While writers protested at the picket lines, executives at times fanned tensions. Disney CEO Bob Iger, fresh off a contract extension that offered an annual bonus of five times his base salary, criticised striking writers and actors as just not realistic in their demands. Iger subsequently struck a conciliatory note, citing his deep respect for creative professionals. The work stoppages took a toll on camera operators, carpenters, production assistants and other crew members, as well as the caterers, florists, costume suppliers and other small businesses that support film and television production. The economic cost is expected to total at least $5bn (4bn) in California and the other US production hubs of New Mexico, Georgia and New York, according to an estimate from Milken Institute economist Kevin Klowden. Four top industry executives Iger, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and NBCUniversal Studio Group Chair Donna Langley joined negotiations this week, helping to break the months-long impasse. The AMPTP, the trade group representing Walt Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery and other major studios, did not immediately respond to Reuterss request for comment Additional reporting from Reuters The California Department of Public Health found that Adventist Health Simi Valley, seen here on Sept. 22, "failed to ensure that patients had been protected from medication errors." (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) State regulators faulted two hospitals in Southern California for medication errors that put patients at risk, including an elderly patient who suffered a brain bleed after receiving repeated doses of blood thinner. At Adventist Health Simi Valley, medical staff erroneously gave an 81-year-old patient two doses of the blood thinner Lovenox within two hours, which "probably caused" a brain bleed that preceded the patient's death in March, investigators with the California Department of Public Health found. State investigators determined that the medication error represented a "system wide failure" and may have led to the death, which occurred 18 hours after the brain bleed. The hospital "failed to ensure that patients had been protected from medication errors," they found, declaring its faulty practices an "immediate jeopardy" situation that put patients at risk of serious harm. Adventist Health Simi Valley said in a statement that the state agency had undertaken the review after the hospital reported the medication error to regulators, and that concerns identified by the state team were "immediately addressed." "First and most importantly, we send our sympathies to the family," the hospital said in its statement. "Patient safety is always our No. 1 priority." Read more: Failures at L.A. hospital led to patient's death after C-section, state finds State health officials found that physician orders for medications were not properly followed at the hospital, not only for the 81-year-old who died but also for another patient receiving intravenous medication, which may have "adversely affected" their blood pressure. In the first case, the two doses of blood thinner were verified by two pharmacies a corporate pharmacy for the hospital system in Roseville, Calif., accessed via telehealth and a pharmacy in Simi Valley but the two "never talked with each other after verifying each of these two doses." Although nurses said they typically communicate with one another about medication, one appeared to be unaware that the patient had gotten an earlier dose, telling state investigators: "If I knew about the previous 60 mg dose of Lovenox then I would not have given another 40 mg dose of Lovenox ... It would have been too soon." And neither of the doses was correct. Both of them should have been reduced based on the patient's kidney function "rather than rounding these doses up, as was done," the investigators found. The hospital also failed to make sure that oral doses of medications had correct expiration dates and were checked by a pharmacist before being given to patients. Such lapses could put patients at risk of receiving "ineffective, incorrectly prepared, or outdated medications," according to the state findings. Medications used for sedation and asthma relief, among others, were not properly administered or documented for several patients at the facility, the state found. In addition, the hospital had left "very old" medications such as "cocaine solution" on its list of drugs covered for patients, despite the existence of better and safer substitutes. State officials removed the "immediate jeopardy" label in May, shortly after Adventist Health Simi Valley presented a plan that included pharmacy alerts for certain medications and random observations in each unit to verify that medications are being given in the right doses at the right times. Read more: Inglewood hospital fined $75,000 for failures that led to maternal death California investigators also found "deficient practices" at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where a patient had to be resuscitated after being given the wrong medication during a hospitalization in February. The state Department of Public Health found that the patient, who was recovering from anesthesia after an operation, was given a blood pressure medication instead of naloxone, which is used to reverse the effects of opioids. The hospital also failed to assess the patient every five minutes while anesthesia was being administered, as required by its own policies, the state investigation found. Investigators also found that nursing staff failed to regularly check the "crash cart" a movable, locking unit that stores emergency drugs and supplies to make sure that needed items were readily available for patients, according to a report on their findings. Like the Simi Valley hospital, Northridge Hospital Medical Center was also found to be in an "immediate jeopardy" situation, a designation that was lifted in May after it submitted a plan to address the issues. Northridge Hospital Medical Center, which is part of the Dignity Health system, said in a statement that it had reported the incident itself, "conducted a thorough review and worked closely with the medical staff, patient care staff, as well as with the Department of Public Health, to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again." "At Northridge Hospital Medical Center, there is no higher priority than the safety and well-being of our patients and staff," the hospital said. Both of the state reviews were authorized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency, to determine whether the hospitals were following specific rules for participating in federal programs such as Medicare. The agency did not immediately provide comment on whether the hospitals faced any fines connected to the findings. 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. Flash Vancouver police officers are seen outside the building where the office of the Consulate General of India is located in Vancouver, Canada, on Sept. 21, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Recent leaks indicate that the United States has contributed to Canada's allegation that India is responsible for the assassination of a Canadian citizen, playing a crucial role in the simmering diplomatic tiff between New Delhi and Ottawa. Canada-India ties recently sank to a deep freeze after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly accused Indian agents of being behind the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, which was strongly rejected by the Indian side. Both countries have started to expel each other's diplomats and issued travel advisories urging their citizens to exercise "utmost caution" while traveling in the other country. Canadian CTV News network on Sunday released an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, during which he explicitly stated, "There was shared intelligence among 'Five Eyes' partners that helped lead Canada to making the statements that the prime minister made." Citing "Western allied officials," The New York Times, in its Saturday report, went one step further in specifying that "U.S. intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that he hopes India will work with the Canadians on this investigation and expects accountability from the Indian side. Previously, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also issued a stern warning, saying that the United States would not grant India any "special exemption" in this matter. "There's not some special exemption you get for actions like this. Regardless of the country ... we will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process," he said. Indians have started to voice their dissatisfaction with the U.S. stance in the diplomatic spat. In a recent editorial, The Tribune, an Indian daily newspaper, inveighed against the United States, stating that "the U.S., that inveterate global policeman ... has laid bare its bias and double standards by targeting India." "Does the U.S. have the moral authority to grant such an exemption, even if unsolicited, considering its own unenviable history of adventurism in foreign lands?" the editorial asked. "The answer is again an emphatic no." Analysts believe that the row will take a toll on the relationship between India and the United States. The U.S. government "is in a no-win situation with this latest bombshell of India-Canada news," Derek J. Grossman, a political analyst at the RAND Corporation, said on social media X, formerly known as Twitter. "Canada's bombshell accusation ... against India could be (the) most significant test of strength of U.S.-India partnership since early 2000s," he opined. OLD TAMPA BAY Sheila Scolaro took a long, deep breath. The salty air whistled first into her snorkel, and then her lungs, before she leaned forward and plunged into the murky depths of Tampa Bay. Cloudy green water hid the seafloor below. Looking through a diving mask, she could see a foot, maybe 2, in front of her. Scolaro, a seagrass scientist, dove down with a question: How much seagrass is here? After floating on the bottom for a few seconds, she surfaced with an answer. Theres no grass here, she said. Nothing. The observation didnt come as a surprise to Scolaro, the community programs scientist for the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. After all, she was diving in Old Tampa Bay, the northwestern section of Floridas largest open-water estuary, where more than 4,000 acres of seagrass, or 38%, disappeared between 2018 and 2020. Thats why theres another, broader question on Scolaros mind. Its one of the main reasons shes out here on a sizzling late-summer afternoon: Are hot water temperatures hurting seagrasses chance to recover? To answer that question, the estuary program has launched a five-year study to track water temperature in the shallow seagrass beds of Old Tampa Bay. On this particular day at the end of August, Scolaro was placing underwater temperature monitors in six pre-selected parts of the bay. In three areas, seagrass has bounced back. In the other three, seagrass continues to struggle. The process is repetitive but necessary: Scolaro uses zip ties to attach temperature monitors, which run about $100 each, to a metal anchor. On each dive to the seafloor, she screws them into the sand and muck on the seafloor. The coin-sized devices are programmed to record water temperatures for three seconds, every 10 minutes, for up to four days at a time. Each year, researchers will monitor water temperatures from July through October historically the hottest time of year. Data collected from this study will offer scientists a clue about how temperature might be thwarting restoration of one of Floridas finest ecological jewels. Tampa Bay faces a number of threats to its health, with human-caused pollution chief among them. But at a time when climate change is exacerbating warmer summers and hotter waters, sparking more seagrass-harming algae to thrive for longer, every piece of data counts in the fight to save the bay. Old Tampa Bay needs help, Scolaro said from the stern of a turquoise boat owned by the nonprofit Tampa Bay Waterkeeper. It was just days before Hurricane Idalia skirted the Pinellas coastline, and the air was sticky and tropical. Theres a lot of questions that we still dont understand, Scolaro said. Things are changing in Tampa Bay and weve seen a lot of seagrass loss over the past couple of years. Were trying to figure out what might be contributing to not only the loss but the lack of recovery. Old Tampa Bay at historic low seagrass coverage In February, the long-anticipated results of a seagrass survey revealed the entire estuary lost 12% of its seagrass in just two years. By far, the losses in Old Tampa Bay were the worst. Here, an algae species known as Pyrodinium blooms and smothers the blades of aquatic vegetation on the bottom. The unique hydrology of this part of the bay the way water moves doesnt help: It can take weeks for water to flush out of the system, bringing newer, cleaner gulf water along with it. For these reasons and more, seagrass coverage in Old Tampa Bay is now at a historic low, according to the survey results from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. That can have serious implications: Not only is seagrass a crucial habitat for fish and other marine life, it stabilizes the sand and sediment on the seafloor, reduces shoreline erosion and produces oxygen. Seagrass, in short, is a necessity for a healthy bay. The story of Old Tampa Bay is a really complicated one, said Maya Burke, the Tampa Bay Estuary Programs assistant director. We know that this bay segment sees more harmful algae blooms than any other. And theres a couple of ways that temperature might matter. For instance, temperature can determine how phytoplankton, a tiny marine algae, can grow or stay dormant in the water, Burke said. Or it can cause seagrass to conserve energy, causing the plant to shut down its reproductive system. Is there a temperature difference in the areas where were continuing to see seagrass and the areas where weve lost seagrass but we know have supported seagrass in the past? Burke said. Thats what were trying to find out. Burkes job on this late-August trip was to jump into the waist-high bay water and log Scolaros observations as she read them aloud, moving her snorkel to communicate each new data point. This was the teams fifth research deployment into Old Tampa Bay this year, and its clear the duo has their tasks memorized and streamlined. After the pair records the exact coordinates where the temperature monitors are left behind, the team motors away to the next spot in the bay. In the face of ecological decline, the team tries to keep their spirits up: Famed ska groups like Toots and the Maytals blast on the portable speaker between each destination. Once the monitors have successfully logged data for four days, the research team heads back into the bay to retrieve them from the silty waters. An adult Easter egg hunt, Burke calls it. Troubling signs of stress Old Tampa Bay continues to puzzle scientists. In many areas, nutrient pollution has been slashed and water quality targets are met. So why is the seagrass still dying? Were facing a new frontier in terms of understanding whats going on in Old Tampa Bay, Burke said. Weve seen troubling signs of stress where weve done all the right things. Were not seeing the results wed expect. This new temperature study should get researchers one step closer to determining what percentage of seagrass loss can be tied to temperature changes. Across the entire estuary between 2007 and 2021, average water temperatures have increased by about 1 degree Celsius, Burke said. The study is beginning just as hot water temperatures have spurred national headlines, especially in Florida. This summer, an unprecedented marine heat wave, fueled by an El Nino weather pattern and supercharged by effects of climate change, has caused widespread coral bleaching off the Florida Keys. Shallow-water temperatures in South Florida have reached over triple digits. Justin Tramble, executive director of Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, joined the research team as the research boats captain. He also took water quality measurements such as salinity while Scolaro and Burke were in the water collecting seagrass coverage data. For Tramble, protecting Tampa Bay is protecting a lifestyle that includes recreating, angling and immersing in the natural wonder of the estuary. Many members of Trambles organization are fishing captains and speak regularly about the bays declining health they witness while out on the water. Something that we lean heavy into is the economic impact of having clean water, Tramble said. It supports our economy here. A new report led by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, released this month, shows just how important a healthy Tampa Bay is for the regions economy: The bay supports more than $32 billion in output each year. Restoring seagrass means keeping jobs alive in Tampa Bay, Tramble said. Tampa Bay supports our way of life, and having a better understanding of the bay will allow us, as a community, to protect it. Gabrielle Jumah, a 12th grader at William Amos Hough High School, has perfect attendance since she was in first grade. My mom, she has always emphasized having perfect attendance, says Jumah. I stayed away from getting sick, and I am going to school everyday. Its easier to get extra help after being here everyday than having to catch up and get extra help. (Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez/mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com) Gabrielle Jumah will let the public in on a few of her secrets: take a multivitamin to stay healthy and iron supplements for an extra boost of energy. Then, for the days when youre still waking up and not wanting to go to work or school, stop at Starbucks for a frappuccino. Jumah is 16 years old, and from the time she was a first-grader in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to now as a senior at William Amos Hough High, she hasnt missed a single day of school. Thats roughly 2,100 days. I have a pretty strong immune system, Jumah said. My mom has always emphasized having perfect attendance, too. Its just one of the values in my family. You go to school Monday through Friday. Jumah is the districts poster child for its Attendance Awareness Month, and officials hope her dedication to the school day inspires her peers across CMS. The district has identified chronic absences as a culprit behind low test scores and other academic issues. Of course I have those days when I dont want to go, especially when its cold outside, and I just want to stay in the warm house, said Jumah, who also is dual-enrolled in Central Piedmont Community College. But going to school every day makes it so much easier to retain information because Im there, Im taking in the material. To-do list for perfect attendance Jumah, whose college aspirations include attending a four-year school and majoring in medicine or law, skipped kindergarten. Her perfect attendance streak began in first grade and the motivation came from her dad and mom, a pharmacist and clinical social worker, respectively. Shes gone to school with minor colds. But for the most part, shes stayed healthy. During the pandemic, when in-person learning began again, she wore a mask. Ive avoided catching things like the flu and COVID, she said. Ive been lucky. Her morning routine includes a to-do list: shirt, pants, shoes, face, hair, teeth. I repeat it every morning, Jumah said, laughing. When I do those things - put my shirt on, my pants, my shoes, wash my faceeverything is possible. I can get ready for school and be there. Carrie Bushell, Hough Highs social worker, says Jumah is an inspiration for other students. Kids see her and her perfect attendance, Bushell said, and they think, thats something achievable for them. Parents can be prosecuted in NC In North Carolina, a student must attend school for at least half of the day to be counted present. If a student under the age of 17 has 10 or more unexcused absences, and the parent or guardian is not making a good faith effort to address attendance challenges, the parent or guardian could be prosecuted. Its something Jumahs parents dont have to worry about. And theyre also not worried about her younger sister, who is in the fifth grade. Yes, she has perfect attendance, too, Jumah said. Sometimes I do think it. Its definitely a shock. Ive been to school every day for 12 years. Bushell, a social worker for more than 20 years, says its difficult to motivate teenagers to go to school. And as a result of COVID, mental health is really impacting our young people, Bushell said. Ive never seen mental health impact kids the way it has now. Bushell said Jumah may have found the secret. She just reminded me that she has a 4.3 GPA, Bushell said. Its amazing shes figured out a way to handle her physical and mental health. And shes not just showing up, but shes showing up and achieving things. Jumah spends her weekends doing the things she loves, including reading and doing her hair. She paints, draws, writes essays and articles, and practices the viola and piano. Shes a part of the schools orchestra. School is fun if you make it fun, she said. Keep up with your work, build friendships and get to know your teachers. Be at school. Be present. But its also important to take care of yourself and on the weekends, take breaks. President Bidens reelection campaign hit House Republicans Monday for heeding former President Trumps calls to dig in on a government shutdown if they dont get everything, saying that they are letting him be their lead political strategist on the matter. House Republicans are gleefully letting Donald Trump function as their chief political strategist at the expense of American families. Trumps behavior is shameful, but unsurprising from someone who has demonstrated he couldnt care less about the American people, Biden-Harris spokesman Kevin Munoz said. Trump insisted Monday that Biden will be blamed for a shutdown and urged Republicans to dig in to their demands, arguing that unless they get everything, lawmakers should shut it down. Biden and his administration have maintained that they are not in favor of a shutdown and will spend this week emphasizing that hard-line Republican holdouts will be to blame if government funding runs out. Munoz also argued that Trump, Bidens top political rival and the front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, thinks a shutdown would help him politically. Lets be clear what is happening here: Trump is directing MAGA House Republicans to either slash funding for food safety, education, law enforcement, housing, and more, or completely shut down the government which could delay cancer research, force federal law enforcement and troops to work without pay, and kneecap essential services hardworking Americans rely on every day, Munoz said. All because the former president believes this helps him politically, he added. Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline for passing a government funding bill, and House Republicans have not been able to agree among themselves over a strategy to do so. And, any partisan bill that can get passed in the House is unlikely to get support from the Democratic-controlled Senate. The Biden campaign last week called out Trump for rooting for a shutdown, saying that the former president doesnt care about the ramifications it would have for Americans families. The White House has outlined the potential ramifications of a shutdown, accusing House Republicans of putting the nation at risk and creating needless uncertainty for families and businesses. The White House has called on Republicans in Congress to pass funding bills under terms agreed to during negotiations in May that led to an increase in the debt ceiling. And, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said last month that Americans should blame Republicans if a shutdown happens. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Hamilton Southeastern School Board is seeking to hire a financial consulting firm to perform some duties alongside the districts chief financial officer, although in-house finance staff are expressing concerns about the move. Carmel-based Bondry Management Consultants is on the short list to take on that role but Hamilton Southeastern CFO Katy Dowling said she wants a better explanation for why they, or any consultant group, would be brought on when Dowling already does financial work for the district. At a meeting of the board's finance committee earlier this week, Dowling shared additional concerns about Bondrys work with the district, noting one of the companys employees did paid election work for board member Suzanne Thomas. Thomas said she was unaware that a current Bondry employee had helped with marketing for her campaign two years ago before he worked for the financial company. There is a piece of this where their employees have done work politically for people on the board, Dowling said at the boards finance committee meeting on Sept. 19. That makes me really uncomfortable. More on HSE: Indiana public access expert: HSE's use of Google Doc has 'no place' in public work HSE school board members say they need outside financial advice to further explain the inside operations of the districts financials. Who is Bondry? Board member Ben Orr said the move to hire a consultant is to help the board understand more complex financial topics, not to replace the current CFO. I am an insurance agent by the day, Orr said. I don't know public finances at all. I wanted somebody to help educate me. At that same finance meeting, Orr double-downed on his support for Dowling although shes among a few top administrators whose contracts were not extended by the board in June. She could still be extended as her contract expires next June. According to the proposed contract, Bondry would receive $4,000 monthly for up to six months on retainer. Dowling is paid about $153,000 annually. Bondry's fee would be in addition to Dowling's salary. Bondry, who has done some financial work for traditional public schools, seeks out all opportunities to share their services because they are a business, said Bondrys founder and principal Oscar Gutierrez. Bondry would be brought in to provide financial consulting services, including advice on financial goals and recommendations on the districts financial management strategy among other things, according to Bondry's proposal. A conflict? According to Thomas campaign finance reports, Bondry Consultings Cris Dorman, director of communications, created some of Thomas' marketing materials during her 2020 school board election campaign. Brandrenew, Dormans public relations agency, helped with Thomas website and other marketing materials. The company, an Indianapolis-based PR and marketing team, is declared as Brand New on the campaign finance form. Thomas said she had no prior knowledge of this and learned of it from questions IndyStar asked about the relationship. Two and a half years ago, someone in my campaign recommended for him to do advertising work, Thomas said. I personally did not work with him. Lang, who said she was unaware of the connection between Thomas and Dorman, called it irrelevant. Last month, Thomas and Gutierrez sat next to each other at an HSE finance committee meeting. It happened by chance, Thomas said, although she went on to recommend Bondry as the boards financial advisors. She did so because of their reputation, she added. It was also a coincidence that Dorman performed this work before joining Bondry, Gutierrez wrote in a statement to IndyStar. The implications that Bondry was chosen as a finalist due to political contributions instead of professional expertise is factually incorrect, Gutierrez said. Gutierrez called it disappointing that Dowling would "discredit our qualifications" by implying that a staff member's "non-relevant work" before joining the firm posed a conflict. Dowling also raised Bondrys experience, or lack thereof, with traditional public schools beyond advising on bonds. Manchester Community Schools hired Bondry to issue bonds but they did some work beyond that, Gutierrez said. No other traditional public school financing work was listed in Bondrys recent transactions, according to their proposal. Gutierrez previously served as the city of Fishers first controller and senior director of facility strategy and financing for The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education group that has developed a number of charter schools. The school board did not seek out proposals from various financial groups through a formal process. Rather, they are pursuing possible consultants, like Bondry, directly. Indiana law allows them to contract services how they choose. With the monetary expense being so small, Lang said an RFP was not needed because they could move to a month-to-month scenario at any point. Orr said although he does not see $4,000 as a small amount of money, theres a timeline to keep. If somebody is going to help us with this project before November 1, Orr said, They needed to start yesterday. What comes next? The board has fast-approaching deadlines for HSEs budget in addition to a referendum renewal on the Nov. 7 ballot that is needed to sustain more than $26 million of annual funding. Board members have yet to vote on this matter. In fact, the finance committee has yet to send the question of hiring a consultant to the full board. Bondry is still interested in the districts business and wont walk away from the chance to assist people who asked for their expertise, Gutierrez told IndyStar. The board members' handling of the process, Dowling said, caught her by surprise. She first learned of the contract proposal when she saw it on a agenda and then Gutierrez attended a finance meeting. Whether its happenstance or not, the optics are not great, Dowling said at the finance meeting. (S)o I think the reaction would be normal to say, Hold on a second. Rachel Fradette is a suburban education reporter at IndyStar. Contact her at rfradette@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Rachel_Fradette. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: HSE is seeking outside financial consulting; their CFO has questions Huawei is moving deeper into the electric vehicle business with the help of Chery Autos and now we know when the first production model from their joint venture will arrive. Luxeed is slated to debut its coupe-style S7 in China in late November, according to the South China Morning Post . Luxeed's blend of Huawei's tech and Cherys manufacturing know-how could help the S7 to make a splash in an increasingly crowded EV market. There's clearly some confidence in the car too. It will be superior to Teslas Model S in various aspects, Richard Yu Chengdong, head of Huaweis car unit, said at an event. The EV's range, price and tech features weren't disclosed at the event, the South China Morning Post noted. However, it emerged in August that the S7 will be based on state-owned Cherys E0X platform, which is designed for two-motor, all-wheel-drive EVs. This isn't exactly Huawei's first foray into EVs. The company collaborated with automaker Seres to create the Aito brand (which Huawei now fully owns) in 2021. Aito's first all-electric model, the M5, arrived last year. Aito will start deliveries of its M9, a luxury electric SUV, in China in December. Huawei has also been supplying other automakers with its Huawei HI intelligent automotive solution that includes a 4D imaging radar and an autonomous driving platform. Don't expect to see Luxeed's S7 make its way over to the US anytime soon, if ever, though. Huawei is still subject to sanctions in the country. Hurricane Ians Category 4 winds were strong. But Southwest Floridas resolve has proved stronger with the help of local relief funds that have distributed $13 million in grants and $35 million in donated goods since the storm made landfall one year ago. Those funds were administered by Charlotte Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of Collier County and Lee Countys Collaboratory in partnership with the United Way. In our wildest dreams we could have never imagined a hurricane like Hurricane Ian, said United Way Of Lee, Hendry, & Glades Counties President Jeannine Joy. I dont think anyone here thought we would witness what we witnessed. Ian, one of the most devastating storms to ever hit Southwest Florida, killed 149 people including 72 in Lee County, 10 in Collier and nine in Charlotte. Its 150 mph winds and 15-foot storm surge devastated coastal areas, with the worst impacts on Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, Lee Countys barrier islands. Collaboratory raises money; United Way focuses on distribution Collaboratory, the nonprofit previously known as the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, focused on raising money to support Lee County, while the local United Way chapter tackled the challenge of distributing aid in the midst of a disaster. The Lee County relief fund received more than $33 million in donated goods and has distributed nearly $25 million of those items, including bathtubs, flooring, drywall, furniture, solar lights and clothing for school kids, Joy said. Many of those donations came from national companies, but local businesses chipped in as well. Matter Brothers Furniture and Mattress, based in Fort Myers, worked with their corporate partners to contribute $3 million in goods, Joy said. They were able to get a semi-truck full of mattresses for us, she said. The fund also collected $7 million in monetary donations in total, a massive expansion for a program that Joy said usually took in $2 million to $5 million per year. About $3 million in relief funds went directly to local nonprofits, including the Community Cooperative soup kitchen and the Lee County Legal Aid Society to help residents deal with insurance companies and landlord disputes. Another $1 million was spent on gift cards for food and clothing, Joy said. And about $1.2 million has been paid directly to cover rent, repair and temporary shelter costs for hurricane victims. The rest will be used for ongoing and future relief projects, Joy said. Charlotte Community Foundation leaps into action In Charlotte County, the Charlotte Community Foundation raised $1.7 million for hurricane relief in the weeks after the storm, including $500,000 of its existing reserves given to match donations. Most of the nonprofits staff lived in flood zone A, which was subject to a mandatory evacuation and was hit hardest by Ian, said Amy Huddleston, the Charlotte Community Foundations Director of Strategic Partnerships. That did not stop them from leaping into action to get relief out as quickly as possible, she said. We werent thinking about ourselves, Huddleston said. In the days after the storm, the foundation focused on getting emergency supplies out to as many people as possible. The relief fund paid for two 18-wheelers of food, water, clothing and other necessities, and the foundation partnered with local organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce to unload, store and distribute the supplies, Huddleston said. The fund has distributed $1.36 million of the total raised so far. Community Foundation of Collier raised more than $10 million The Community Foundation of Collier County raised more than $10 million and used its relationships with local nonprofits to get relief out as quickly as possible, said Cindi Withorn, the foundations marketing director. Within two days of Ians landfall, the foundation had made grants to Meals of Hope for food relief and St. Matthews House for emergency clothing. By the time a week had passed, the fund had paid for tents and sleeping bags at the Collier County Hunger and Homeless Coalition, gift cards through the Salvation Army and pet carriers at Collier County Domestic Animal Services, among others We have a great relationship with the nonprofits and they know they can reach out to us when theres a need, Withorn said. Our disaster funds are done with no administration fee. Every dollar that goes in comes out to a nonprofit service or program. The foundation also helped the Collier County NAACP provide relief for 72 households in the historically black neighborhood of River Park in Naples, which was washed out in the storm. And the fund gave $1 million to the Baker Senior Center to replace mobile homes damaged in the Moorhead Manor senior housing cooperative. The fund also gave $1 million to Collaboratory, to help out Lee County where the need was greatest, according to Joy. She and eight other United Way staffers rode out the storm in the Lee County Emergency Operations Center, fielding calls to the county's storm hotline from desperate and stranded residents. We took a call from a 70 year old, water up to her neck, cant swim, panicking, then we lost the call," Joy said. We learned a lot about how to talk to people who were experiencing fear. Ultimate fear. It was emotionally draining, and a stark reminder of what's at stake when natural disasters strike, she said. I think as Floridians we think its a hurricane, we got this, its no problem," Joy said. "I think Ian showed us thats not correct. We dont have this when it comes to a catastrophic storm." This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: SW FL relief funds have distributed $48 million after Hurricane Ian The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supported the appointment of Rafael Mariano Grossi as Director General of the agency for the next four years on 25 September, with his tenure starting December 2023. Source: IAEA Board decision at the 67th session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna Details: The conference, in particular, noted Grossi's efforts to ensure nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. Quote: "Im deeply honoured by the Boards unanimous decision to appoint me for another term in office, and very grateful for the confidence and trust Member States continue to place in me as head of this truly remarkable organisation. It comes at a time when we face many major challenges and Im fully committed to continue to do everything in my power to implement the IAEAs crucial mission in support of global peace and development." For reference: Grossi entered his first term in office on 2 December 2019 after approval. His second term will begin on 3 December this year and run until 2 December 2027. He is the sixth Director General since the IAEA was founded in 1957. 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 Kane County Health Department is recommending residents get the new COVID-19 vaccine to fight against mutations of the virus as the area enters the cold and flu season. Health Department Executive Director Michael Isaacson stressed the importance of getting vaccines for COVID-19, the flu and RSV to avoid a seasonal tripledemic of respiratory viruses. The health department is offering the new COVID-19 vaccine to children 18 years old and younger with Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Childrens Health Insurance Plans (CHIP). Isaacson said people 19 years old and older should seek the vaccine and a flu shot through their primary care doctor or local pharmacy. I talked with peers in health departments and most are not going to vaccinate adults because they are not set up to bill private insurances and its expensive to purchase the vaccine, Isaacson told the Kane County Board Public Health Committee. The county is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and are monitoring the situation, but have yet to see a dramatic spike, he said. Isaacson said it looks like the nation is heading in the direction of offering COVID-19 vaccines each fall, similar to a flu shot, rather than as a booster. Only one new COVID-19 shot is needed and can be done at least two months after the last vaccination, health officials said. The new vaccine touts protection against new variants like the Kraken strain and other mutations such as BA.2.86. The federal government will no longer be paying for vaccinations, but most Americans will still receive the vaccine for free through their health insurance plans, officials said. To schedule an appointment with the Kane County Health Department for a child, residents can call 630-208-3801. COVID is still around, Isaacson said. It is crucial to reemphasize the importance of getting vaccinated not only to protect yourself but to control the spread of the virus in our community. ____ Sheriff Kim Stewart holds a news conference to discuss the former Dona Ana County deputy accused of kidnapping and sexual assault on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at the Dona Ana County building. This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know experiences sexual violence, you can find local support via La Pinon's 24-Hour Crisis Hotline at 575-526-3437 or go to www.lapinon.org. A deputy's alleged sexual assault of a woman he arrested was most likely an isolated incident, according to Dona Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart. Still, Stewart acknowledged that the alleged kidnapping and assault had diminished the public's trust in Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office. "There's not a lot specifically we can do (regarding loss of public trust) other than continue to do a good job, continue to meet the requirements of the law, and adhere to our policy," Stewart said. "Sometimes public trust is an hour-by-hour scenario." On Friday, Stewart addressed the media and outlined steps taken after one of her deputies was charged with federal crimes this week. She also apologized directly to the woman who was allegedly assaulted. "I want to say to Jane Doe that, personally, as a woman, as the mother of two daughters, I'm very sorry," Stewart said. The FBI accused former deputy Michael Andrew Martinez, 33, of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman after arresting her on April 30. The FBI said in an affidavit that Martinez responded to a crash, suspected the woman was intoxicated, handcuffed her, and then sexually assaulted her in his car before taking her to a police station. The FBI also accused Martinez of trying to cover up the assault. The affidavit said Martinez damaged his police car, hid his body camera, and falsely reported his car had been burglarized. But video recovered from Martinez's in-unit camera showed him assaulting the woman, according to the FBI. Sheriff Kim Stewart holds a news conference to discuss the former Dona Ana County deputy accused of kidnapping and sexual assault on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at the Dona Ana County building. Martinez is now charged with deprivation of rights under the color of law and obstruction of justice and remains jailed as of this article's publication. According to Stewart, her office has contacted everyone that Martinez arrested, cited, or engaged with during his 10-month stint as a deputy. Stewart said that amounts to reviewing 300 hours of body camera, 88 police reports, and 250 incidents. Stewart also said DASO and the 3rd Judicial District Attorney Gerald Byres have been reviewing Martinez' cases. "We've gotten no negative reports," Stewart said, adding that no additional victims have come forward. At the behest of a question from the media, Stewart also acknowledged the possibility that potential victims of Martinez might not feel comfortable reporting abuse to another man in a badge. "We have done our due diligence in this process. But I really advise people to trust their gut," Stewart said. Martinez's employment with department was brief. According to Stewart, Martinez worked for New Mexico State Police but was unaware of what compacity and where in the state. A NMSP spokesperson told the Sun-News that Martinez worked for the state police from March 24, 2018, to May 15, 2020. The spokesperson did not say what part of the state Martinez worked in or what triggered his employment's end despite the Sun-News asking such questions. Martinez started with sheriff's office on Nov. 14, 2022, Stewart said, as a lateral transfer from the Hatch Police Department. She said there were no red flags in the hiring process. His first three months were spent training with other deputies before he was allowed to go on patrol alone. Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: DASO sheriff speaks to media, apologizes for deputy's sexual assault Sikhs in North America are watching warily as tensions unfold between Canada and India after the countrys prime minister, Justin Trudeau, accused the Indian government of assassination on its soil. Last week, Trudeau told lawmakers that his government had credible evidence that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh-Canadian activist who was shot dead last June. India has denied those charges. For many Sikhs, Nijjar was a human rights activist, advocating for an independent homeland for a community long persecuted by the Indian government. The Indian government said Nijjar was a militant and a terrorist a claim denied by Nijjar himself before his assassination. The accusations set off a diplomatic crisis for Canada, India, and even the U.S. as President Joe Biden now finds himself caught between the two allies. Last week, India has warned its citizens against visiting parts of Canada. Canada responded by saying its country was safe. But for Sikhs in the U.S. and Canada, many are concerned about their safety, questioning if precautions will be taken by the government and if their activism will continue to be a threat to their lives. There are human rights violations that happen in India, but we never thought that we would see something like this happening in Canada, said Sandeep Singh, an immigration consultant based in Ontario. Refugees and other people leave their countries because they trust Canada and that Canada will defend their rights, he added. When something like that happens, that leaves an impact on the community. Canada hosts the largest Sikh population outside of India, accounting for over 2% of the population. The first wave of Sikhs migrated to Canada in the 1900s, mostly as laborers. Throughout the years, those numbers steadily increased after the 1947 partition of India. The numbers spiked during the 1970s and 1980s insurgency where the Indian government cracked down on Sikhs and supporters of the Khalistan movement a separatist movement that wants to create its own state. The Indian government violently suppressed the nationalist insurgency, setting off decades of violence. In 1984, heavily armed Indian troops attacked Sikh separatists in Amritsars Golden Temple, the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. The following year, a Sikh extremist was convicted after a bomb went off on an Air India flight from Canada to India via Britain, killing 329 people on board. The Khalistan movement, currently considered a security threat by the Indian government, has little support inside the country but has grown with the diaspora in countries like Canada and the U.S. Not all Sikhs support the separatist movement, and not all supporters of the Khalistan movement believe in the use of extremist tactics to press for a Sikh state. Singh, who is a father of three, said his 13-year-old daughter has been asking more questions about Nijjars death and what it means for Sikh Canadians like their family. There is a safety concern. We have been raising this. Minorities are not safe in India, said Singh. If Sikhs who raise their voice are not safe in Canada, just imagine the situation of minorities in India. Its not just Canada. Sikh Americans have called on the Biden administration to do more to protect their community numbers. After the death of Nijjar, FBI agents warned several Sikh activists in California about threats against their own lives. But some are worried the American government is not doing enough to protect prominent Sikh voices. Karam Singh, the co-founder of the California Sikh Youth Alliance, a youth-led Sikh community and advocacy group, told HuffPost that he worried that the White House may be prioritizing its trade deal with India over the safety concerns of Sikh Americans. Just because the United States has a strategy against China, doesnt mean that Indian minorities are cannon fodder, said Singh. Biden has been courting India for a renewed partnership in hopes to counterbalance Chinas influence in Asia. U.S. officials have been reluctant to publicly discuss the murder of the Sikh Canadian activist for fear of ruining the White Houses Indo-Pacific goals. Its a question of our justice system, said Singh. As an American, we should stand on our values and say, Look, were not going to pursue an India-U.S. relationship that doesnt talk about human rights. Many Sikh Americans are afraid for their families back home, afraid that the Indian government might target them if they return, and afraid their visas might be canceled in retaliation. Akashdeep Singh, a Sikh activist born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, hopes this limelight can invite more people to understand their plights as minorities. When we fought and died to free ourselves from the British, no one complained. When we fought and died, to free ourselves from Mogul oppression during the 15th and 16th centuries, no one complained, said Singh. But now its suddenly a problem when we just simply ask for not only basic rights but the rights of the community as a whole. Kunarveer Singh, a 26-year-old Sikh American who works in tech in San Jose, California, told HuffPost that Sikhs have long been misrepresented, and often associated with violence. There are more than 25 million Sikhs around the world and nearly 500,000 Sikh Americans, according to the Sikh Coalition, a national advocacy organization based in New York. Some Sikhs do not shave or cut their hair, and some Sikh men wrap their hair in a turban as a sign of their faith. In the U.S., however, Sikhs have faced an onslaught of xenophobia due to their appearance. Our fight isnt with anyone here or with any sort of individual, religion or sect, he said. Its with a tyrannical government. But violence against Sikhs doesnt only occur in India. In the U.S., the first documented hate crime after 9/11 was a Sikh man, Balbir Sing Sodhi, who was killed in Arizona. In 2012, a white supremacist group gunned down worshippers in a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, killing seven people and wounding others. In Connecticut, Swaranjit Khalsa, the states first Sikh city councilor, has been working to seek more representation and recognition of Sikh Americans in legislation. With the help of Khalsa, Connecticut became the first state in the nation to officially observe Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day in 2018, honoring the lives lost during anti-Sikh riots in India in the 1980s. In 2019, he donated a memorial dedicated to those who died (weeks later, it was quietly removed from the library). That same year, June was declared Sikh Memorial Month. I highly request all the elected officials at the federal level to raise the voices of Sikhs just like Canada, he said. Even in the U.S., we are struggling every day, to keep our history alive and to keep our language alive. We want our kids to understand why we are in America. Khalsa said he hopes more states will follow suit, honoring their Sikh neighbors in a formal capacity, in hopes of pushing back against stereotypes and misconceptions about his community. Why does someone have to die in order for us to get attention? he said. CORRECTION: This article initially stated a fatal shooting at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin took place in 2021; it was in 2012. Related... In a PR stunt gone terribly wrong, former President Donald Trump went gun shopping on Monday with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and asked to buy a Glock pistol on camerawhich would have brazenly violated the very same law that recently landed Hunter Biden criminal charges. Federal law prohibits anyone under indictment from attempting to buy a firearm. Trump has been criminally indicted four times in as many jurisdictionsAtlanta, Miami, New York, and Washingtonfacing dozens of felony charges that could land him in prison for decades. I wanna buy one, Trump said while taking a tour of Palmetto State Armory, a federally licensed gun dealer in South Carolina that's widely revered by firearm enthusiasts. Sir, if you want one, this ones yours, a person on the tour said, seeming to divert the president away from making an actual purchase. No, I wanna buy one, Trump insisted. It only added to the fiasco when those present pulled South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson into the photo opas well as his brother, Julian Wilson, an executive at the private equity company that owns the gun dealer. They are both Republican Congressman Joe Wilsons sons. The disaster started when Trump's campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, tweeted that his boss actually went through with the sale. "President Trump purchases a @GLOCKInc in South Carolina!" he posted Monday afternoon. But the campaign went into damage control mode as soon as firearms journalist Stephen Gutowski and others pointed out that the entire transaction would be blatantly illegal. Did he actually go through with the purchase? Gutowski asked openly in tweet. Cheung later claimed to CNN that Trump never actually went through with the purchaseand deleted his original statement. The Daily Beast could not immediately independently confirm whether Trump finalized the deal. President Trump doing a little shopping in South Carolina! He will protect our great Second Amendment!! pic.twitter.com/Qs6Imc8LEb Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) September 25, 2023 The irony is that the federal law Trump appeared to almost violate is the very same one that the feds used to indict President Joe Bidens son, Hunter. The federal law that restricts how someone may buy or sell firearms is 18 U.S. Code 922, the go-to statute for prosecutors seeking to imprison felons who manage to acquire guns after serving time in prison, straw purchasers who buy a gun with the specific intent to sell it to another person, and other people who arent allowed to acquire them. That law is why anyone buying a gun from a licensed dealer must fill out what's called an ATF Form 4473, which asks: Are you under indictment or information in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year, or are you a current member of the military who has been charged with violation(s) of the Uniform Code of Military? Answer yes, and no gun shop can legally sell you a gun. Trump, who is facing criminal charges across the eastern seaboard, would have to answer in the affirmative. Republicansand Trump in particularhave been calling on the Department of Justice to hold Hunter Biden accountable for violating the same statute, in his case, for lying about drug use on that form. 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. Putin has reportedly given his defense minister until early next month to stop Ukraine's counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War cited an "insider" Kremlin source as saying that Putin also wants his forces to launch a serious offensive against a larger Ukrainian city. These demands could explain why Russia is launching relentless counterattacks even if they come at a steep cost to the Russian military. Russian President Vladimir Putin may have given his defense minister until early next month to stop Ukraine's counteroffensive, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Citing an "insider" Telegram channel called Kremlin Secrets, the ISW said that Putin reportedly gave Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu "a deadline" of early October "to improve the situation on the frontlines, stop Ukrainian counteroffensives, and have Russian forces regain the initiative to launch an offensive operation against a larger city," like Kherson, Odessa, Kharkiv, or Dnepropetrovsk. The message posted to the Telegram channel said that Shoigu agreed to both of those demands and promised to make them happen. ISW noted that if Putin's demand to dramatically improve Russia's standing on the frontlines is true, it could explain why Russian forces are launching frequent counterattacks even if they come at a steep cost to the Russian military. "ISW has previously observed instances in which" Russia's ministry of defense, "fearing the imminent loss of Putin's favor, intensified its efforts to purge commanders who offered honest but negative views and advice and pursued unachievable military objectives at the expense of Russian forces," the institute's assessment said. In July, one former senior Russian general accused Shoigu of treason. The general also claimed he was removed from his post after raising concerns about issues Russian forces were facing on the frontlines in Ukraine. The ex-general, Ivan Popov, said in a Telegram message that he flagged issues about "the lack of counter-battery combat, the absence of artillery reconnaissance stations, and the mass deaths and injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery." Ukraine's counteroffensive has had slow progress as Kyiv's forces try to take back Russian-occupied land in the country's east. But recently, Ukrainian forces have pushed through some Russian defenses. Read the original article on Business Insider Instacart founder's empty fridge was the "lightbulb moment" for coming up with the idea for the delivery startup, he said. Apoorva Mehta walked away with over $1.1 billion in net worth after the delivery startup's IPO on Wednesday. However, Instacart shares slumped 11% a day after the IPO. Apoorva Mehta, the founder and former CEO of Instacart, credited his constantly empty fridge as the "lightbulb moment" behind his delivery startup. "More than a decade ago, I was sitting in my apartment in San Francisco bemoaning the fact that the only thing I had in my refrigerator was hot sauce," Mehta wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. "Don't get me wrong, I love hot sauce, but you can't exactly make it a meal," he added in the post that's been viewed over 500,000 times since being posted. The realization that he could shop for everything online except for groceries inspired him to code the first version of Instacart, he added. Mehta walked away with a fortune of over $1.1 billion after his delivery startup's IPO on Tuesday. He stepped down as the CEO in 2021 and left the company's board on Tuesday. In the lead-up to his handing over the reins as CEO to former Meta executive Fidji Simo, Mehta was involved in a dispute with key investors who were pushing for the company to go public at a time when the company's valuation peaked at $39 billion. For context, Instacart's IPO valued the company at $9.9 billion on Tuesday. And Mehta's net worth now represents a stark contrast from a peak of $3.5 billion in 2021, per Bloomberg. Before going public, the company's SEC filings stated that the company had delivered over 900 million orders since it began in 2012. Shares of Instacart which went public on Tuesday at $30 a share slumped 11% a day after the IPO. The company's shares were at $30.00 apiece at Friday's close. One expert Aswath Damodaran, a professor of finance at NYU's Stern School of Business had a dim view of the company's prospects. In an analysis published Tuesday, Damodaran wrote, "This IPO represents vastly downgraded expectations for the company's future." Before starting the company, Mehta quit his job at Amazon in 2010 and moved to San Francisco to become an entrepreneur. During this time, he said he founded twenty failed startups. He told CNBC Squawk Box in an interview on Tuesday that these failed ideas included a social network for lawyers and an advertising company aimed at gaming companies. During the early stages of Instacart, Mehta also said he missed the application deadline for the startup accelerator YCombinator by over two months. He used his app to order a six-pack of beers for YCombinator's headquarters, a stunt which earned him an interview with the company and eventually led to them becoming the startup's first investors. Mehta and Instacart did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Middletown announced Georgia Fortunato will serve as its new interim superintendent of schools, following news of current Superintendent Rosemarie Kraegers absence on family medical leave. Fortunato will be taking over for Kraeger while she is out on family medical leave, but it is unclear whether she will be the interim superintendent through the school year and beyond, as Kraeger recently announced plans to retire after the 2023-24 school year. My message to all constituents is to continue the good work of the very talented leadership team, dedicated teachers/staff, amazing students and supportive parents, Fortunato said in a statement on the press release announcing her appointment. Middletown is a special community and I am honored to serve in this role. Georgia Fortunado has been named interim superintendent of Middletown schools. Middletown Public Affairs Officer Matthew Sheley declined to comment on whether Kraeger is expected to return during the 2023-24 school year, deferring questions about her extended leave to Kraeger herself. Fortunato is moving into the temporary position from her previous role as a consultant with the new Student Services Department at Middletown Public Schools. This department oversees special education and related services. She also served as the superintendent in Lincoln for 11 years before retiring in 2018. Here's the plan: Middletown settles on new joint middle-high school design Kraeger has been superintendent of Middletown schools for over 26 years and is the longest-tenured school superintendent in Rhode Island, according to the press release about her retirement. She has also served on several regional and national education boards, including the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, where she sits as the chair for Rhode Island. This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Middletown Superintendent Rosemarie Kraeger on medical leave An intoxicated 63-year-old man opened fire on imaginary burglars in his home, California police say. Simi Valley officers responded to a report that someone rang a doorbell and hid in the bushes outside a home at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, KTLA reported. An officer discovered an armed 63-year-old man emerging from the shrubs and detained him, police said in a news release. An investigation showed the man was drunk when he opened fire on supposed intruders in his home, police said. Officers found evidence of gunfire inside his house and garage. They also found a bullet hole in the drivers side door of a neighbors parked vehicle and one in a neighbors garage, police said. There were no intruders, police said. The man faces a charge of gross negligence discharge of a firearm. Simi Valley is about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Accused drunk driver tries to buy alcohol from business he crashed into, CA cops say Masked man is shot dead after deputies show up to bogus home invasion call, CA cops say Fight about divorce ends in woman shooting estranged husband in bed, Arizona cops say ROME (Reuters) -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has written to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz telling him she learned with "astonishment" of a German government initiative to finance migrant charity groups operating in the Mediterranean. The right-wing Meloni is pursuing a hard line against illegal immigration but Italy has seen a surge in migrant arrivals this year with some 133,000 coming ashore so far against around 69,800 in the same period in 2022. Meloni's letter is dated Sept. 23 and was made public after Defence Minister Guido Crosetto , a senior figure in Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, also took aim at the German government for supporting the charities in an interview on Sunday. Meloni's letter to Scholz, seen by Reuters, said: "I have learned with astonishment that your administration - without coordinating with the Italian government - has allegedly decided to support with substantial funds non-governmental organisations engaged in the reception of irregular migrants on Italian territory and in rescues in the Mediterranean Sea." A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said on Friday Berlin was implementing a parliamentary financial support programme for both civilian sea rescue and projects on land, and had completed the review of two applications. The ministry also said rescuing people at sea is a "legal, humanitarian and moral duty". Meloni last week signed off on new measures to lengthen the time migrants can be detained and increase the number of detention centres in an effort to deter them from embarking on sea crossings from North Africa. Her government also ruled migrants would have to pay to avoid detention while their request for protection is being processed. "I believe that the efforts, including financial, of EU nations interested in providing concrete support to Italy should rather focus on building structural solutions to the migration phenomenon," Meloni said in her letter to Scholz. She said Germany, governed by a centre-left coalition, should rather concentrate on assisting migrants on its own soil, adding that the presence of charity boats at sea can incentivise migrant trips that often result in shipwrecks and casualties. Charity groups have denied that their rescue boats act as a "pull factor" for migrants to set sail for Europe. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones and Mark Heinrich) Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG Pennsylvania correctional institutions have been the subject of public scrutiny after two high-profile escapes this summer. But how frequent are these kinds of incidents? Not very. Of the thousands of people incarcerated in Pennsylvania jails every month, there have been only 14 actual escapes from confinement in the past eight years, according to a Spotlight PA analysis of data the jails self-report to the state Department of Corrections. While the county jails mostly hold people who are awaiting a trial or a transfer to another facility, the state-run prisons hold people after they are sentenced. There have been two escapes from these prisons in the past 25 years: one in 2007 and one in 1997, according to the department. The high-profile escape of Danelo Cavalcante from jail in Chester County would be classified as an actual escape, where a person successfully broke out of confinement. Cavalcante escaped while awaiting transfer to a more secure state prison where he would serve his life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend. So would the recent breakout of nine teenagers from Abraxas Academy in Philadelphia. Spotlight PA did not analyze data related to escapes from youth detention centers because consistent data were not available. The jail data show an additional 71 attempted escapes from 2015 through 2022. But the vast majority of escapes are considered walk-aways, where someone leaves the jail for an approved reason, such as work release, and never returns. There were 557 walk-aways between 2015 and 2022, about 87% of all escapes. Altogether, escapes from adult jails in Pennsylvania are down significantly from pre-pandemic years. The number of escapes dropped from 106 in 2019 to 27 in 2020. It increased to 43 last year. Even a more expansive view of escapes reveals their infrequency. The Pennsylvania State Police not only respond to calls for escapes, when adults flee county jails or walk away from approved release, but also when incarcerated youth break out of detention centers or when a person held on a warrant escapes from a constable at a district judges office, said State Police spokesman Adam Reed. State police have responded to 45 such calls this year, Reed said, compared to 56 last year and 88 in 2021. But a scale the prison wall style escape, such as Cavalcantes, is still quite rare, he said. Though escapes from secure settings like prisons and jails are serious, escapes themselves are rarely violent when in progress, nor are the fugitives likely to commit violence when in the community, said Jeff Mellow, a professor at the City University of New York who studies flights from correctional institutions. Even though everybody assumed that there would be violence during during (Cavalcantes) time in the community and recapture, he did not engage in any violence during that time, Mellow said, which once again, supports our research that less than 10% of escapes are violent at the time of escape, and then it even goes further down from there post-escape and at the time of recapture. Escapes happen far less frequently now than in the past, Mellow added, because most facilities use cameras, facial recognition technology and infrared sensors to stop people from leaving. Successful breakouts usually stem from human error, he said, and the people who manage them are almost always caught. We found that approximately 92% to 95% were recaptured, Mellow said. I think we can honestly say thats even higher for ones that escape from medium or maximum security facilities. In the small number of cases where people are not found, authorities may have felt the person posed a lower risk and decided not to raise a widespread alert, Mellow said. They walked away and they just had a few more weeks on their sentence or something like that, he said. Theyre still an escapee, but it doesnt have that national attention. BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) -Italian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was convicted of multiple murders and was arrested in January after spending 30 years on the run, has died of cancer, officials said on Monday. Messina Denaro, 61, was suffering from cancer of the colon at the time of his arrest. As his condition worsened in recent weeks, he was transferred to a hospital from the maximum-security jail in central Italy where he was initially held. He fell into a coma on Friday and never regained consciousness. "You shouldn't deny prayers to anyone, but I can't say I am sorry," Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Instagram. Messina Denaro was found guilty of numerous crimes, including helping plan the 1992 murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino -- crimes that shocked Italy and sparked a crackdown on the Sicilian mob. He was also held responsible for bombings in Rome, Florence and Milan in 1993 that killed 10 people, as well as helping organise the kidnapping of Giuseppe Di Matteo, 12, to dissuade the boy's father from giving evidence against the mafia. The boy was held for two years, then murdered. Dubbed by the Italian press as "the last Godfather", Messina Denaro is not believed to have given any information to the police after he was seized outside a private clinic in the Sicilian capital, Palermo, on Jan. 16. According to medical records leaked to the Italian media, he underwent surgery for colon cancer in 2020 and 2022 under a false name. A doctor at the Palermo clinic told La Repubblica newspaper that Messina Denaro's health had worsened significantly in the months leading up to his capture. RUTHLESS The son of a mafioso, Messina Denaro was born in the southwestern Sicilian town of Castelvetrano in 1962. He followed his father into the mob and at 15, was already carrying a gun. Police say he carried out his first killing when he was 18. The Castelvetrano clan was allied to the Corleonesi, led by Salvatore "the Beast" Riina, who became the undisputed "boss of bosses" of the Sicilian mob, known as Cosa Nostra (Our Thing), thanks to his ruthless pursuit of power. Nicknamed "U Siccu" (The Skinny One), Messina Denaro became his protege and showed he could be just as pitiless as his master, picking up 20 life-prison terms in trials held in absentia for his role in an array of mob murders. He himself once claimed to have murdered enough people to fill a cemetery. "You always need to respect death, because unlike mafiosi, we respect life until death. But we cannot forget who Messina Denaro was, a murderer, a mass murderer who hurt his land," the mayor of Castelvetrano Enzo Alfano told Adnkronos news agency. Messina Denaro went into hiding in 1993 as a growing number of turncoats started providing details of his role in the mob, but investigators believe he rarely wandered far from Sicily. Police say he spent much of 2022 hiding in Campobello di Mazara, a town of about 11,000, a short drive from his mother's house in western Sicily. He communicated with other mafiosi via "pizzini", small pieces of paper sometimes written in code distributed by messengers, some of which were intercepted by police. He never married, but was known to have had a number of lovers. Denaro wrote that he had a daughter, but had never met her. Italian media said the two saw each other after he was captured and that she had agreed to take his surname. Despite his notoriety, prosecutors have always doubted that Messina Denaro became the Mafia "boss of bosses", saying it was more likely that he was simply the head of Cosa Nostra in western Sicily. His body is expected to be returned to Sicily in the coming days for a strictly private funeral, a government official said. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Bernadette Baum) TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Eisai said on Monday its Alzheimer's treatment developed with Biogen, Leqembi, was approved by the country's health ministry, making it the second nation after the United States to clear its use. It can now be used in Japan as a treatment for slowing progression of mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Leqembi is an antibody designed to remove sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid beta from the brains of Alzheimer's patients. The drug is the first treatment shown to slow progression of the disease for people in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's. A health ministry panel in Japan had in August given its nod for the drug, a move that followed a standard approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July. The first FDA-approved disease-modifying Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, was also developed by partners Eisai and Biogen, but Medicare coverage restrictions have severely limited its use. Eisai said it will conduct a post-marketing special use results survey in all patients administered with Leqembi until it collects enough data from an undisclosed number of patients. Such a move is in accordance with an approval condition by Japan's health ministry. In the US, health regulators have placed warning on the drug's label, flagging the risk of potentially dangerous brain swelling for Alzheimer's drugs in the same class. An Eisai executive said in August the company expected to begin marketing Leqembi in Japan in about 60 days after receiving insurance reimbursement approval from the national health system. In Japan, Eisai and Biogen Japan will co-promote the drug, with Eisai distributing the product as the marketing authorization holder. (Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama and Pratik Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Arun Koyyur) Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey rejected calls for his resignation following his indictment on federal bribery charges, striking a defiant tone Monday in his first public comments on the allegations. "I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet," Menendez said Monday in Union City, where he started his political career. "But as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey's senior senator." Menendez and his wife, Nadine, have been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Federal prosecutors in New York alleged the couple received hundreds of thousands of dollars and lavish luxury gifts in exchange for the senator wielding his influence to benefit three New Jersey business associates and the government of Egypt. The businessmen also face charges. Menendez insisted on Monday that he has "always worked to hold accountable those countries, including Egypt, for human rights abuses," and "those who are trying to malign my actions as it relates to Egypt simply do not know the facts." The indictment said federal agents found stacks of cash hidden throughout Menendez's home during a search last year. On Monday, the senator said he has withdrawn "thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings" over the last 30 years, "which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba." "This may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal saving account, based on the income that I had lawfully derived over those 30 years," he added. Menendez said he would address the other allegations at trial. Sen. Bob Menendez speaks during a news conference in Union City, New Jersey, on Sept. 25, 2023. / Credit: KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images Menendez last week denied the allegations and resisted calls to resign, saying "I'm not going anywhere." He and his co-defendants are due in court on Wednesday. The senator did step down temporarily as the chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as required under Senate Democratic Caucus rules. On Monday, Menendez insisted he had not lost the trust of his constituents in New Jersey, despite the comments from some of the lawmakers from the state who had called for his resignation, including the state's Democratic governor, Phil Murphy. "For now, I remain focused on doing the important work I do every day on behalf of the 9 million people who call New Jersey home, including doing everything we can this week to avoid a government shutdown," Menendez said. New Jersey's other Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has not yet weighed in. Before Monday, only one Democratic senator had called for him to step down: John Fetterman of neighboring Pennsylvania. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio became the second to do so in a brief statement later in the day: "Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate." Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont was the third to call for him to resign. "The shocking and specific allegations against Senator Menendez have wholly compromised his capacity to be that effective senator," Welch said in a statement. The senator from New Jersey has served since 2006 and is up for reelection in 2024. Democratic Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey announced over the weekend that he is mounting a primary challenge against Menendez. New Jersey's former Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who is currently running for president, said on Sunday that he has "no interest" in running for the Senate seat in 2024. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on Sunday joined the chorus of prominent Democratic lawmakers calling for Menendez's resignation. Calling the situation "quite unfortunate," Ocasio-Cortez said on "Face the Nation" that "it is in the best interest for Sen. Menendez to resign in this moment." In Monday's statement, Menendez said some of those calling for his resignation "because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them." "All I humbly ask for in this moment, in my colleagues in Congress, the elected leaders and the advocates of New Jersey that I have worked with for years, as well as each person who calls New Jersey home, is to pause and allow for all the facts to be presented." Menendez was indicted in 2015 on roughly a dozen charges, including bribery and conspiracy, following accusations he accepted gifts from a wealthy Democratic donor in exchange for political favors. That case ended in a mistrial. Melissa Quinn contributed to this report. Talking Heads on the return of "Stop Making Sense" Gisele Bundchen on modeling, divorce, and her true self Consumer Reports: Put to the test A Florida-bound Jetblue flight was hit by such extreme turbulence Monday that people were sent to the hospital. Flight 1256 "experienced sudden severe turbulence as it neared Florida," JetBlue told Insider. The airline said seven passengers and one crew member were taken to the hospital. A Florida-bound JetBlue flight experienced such extreme turbulence as the plane approached the Sunshine State on Monday that multiple people on board were left injured and had to be taken to the hospital, the airline said. JetBlue Flight 1256 from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, "experienced sudden severe turbulence as it neared Florida," a spokesperson for the airline told Insider in a statement. The flight "landed safely" at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport just after 5 a.m., according to the JetBlue rep. The airline spokesperson said medical personnel took seven of the passengers and one crew member to the hospital "for evaluation and treatment." The Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, which responded to the incident, told Insider that it transported five people from the flight to the hospital. It's not clear how badly the passengers and crew member were hurt. "JetBlue will work to support our customers and crew members," the airline spokesperson said in the statement. The airline said that the plane that was hit by the turbulence was taken out of service for inspection, which is standard practice. Meanwhile, a recent study showed that turbulence is, in fact, getting worse. According to the study by the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, UK, the occurrence of severe clear-air turbulence has increased by 55% in the past 40 years, while moderate turbulence has increased by 37%, and light by 17%. One atmospheric science professor previously told Insider that climate change could be to blame for the bumpier rides. Read the original article on Insider WASHINGTON Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter made a surprise trip to the Plains Peanut Festival in Plains, Georgia, on Saturday despite their health challenges. The Carters, both born in Plains, rode in a black SUV through the festival while attendees took photos and waved at them, as seen in a video shot by a spectator. Beautiful day for President & Mrs. Carter to enjoy a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival! And just a week before he turns 99, the Carter Center wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Were betting peanut butter ice cream is on the menu for lunch! #JimmyCarter99 Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at age 98 in February after a series of short hospital stays, and his grandson, Jason Carter, told USA TODAY this month that his grandparents were nearing an end. Rosalynn Carter, 96, was diagnosed with dementia in March. He's been in hospice now for several months, but they are happy, Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Centers Board of Trustees and an attorney, told USA TODAY. They are together. They are at home. They're in love, and I don't think anyone gets more than that. I mean, it's a perfect situation for this time in their lives. He also told USA TODAY that their ability to stay grounded in who they are, despite all of the things that they've done in their life, is remarkable. Ahead of the former presidents birthday on Oct. 1, the Carter Center is calling on the public to upload birthday wishes with a photo or video to be featured in a digital mosaic of Jimmy Carter. Contributing: Marina Pitofsky This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Carter makes surprise trip ahead of 99th birthday Its been 20 years since President George W. Bush gave the order for the American Armed Forces to invade Iraq. FOX News journalist Griff Jenkins remembers it like it was yesterday because he was on the ground with them. The Tennessee native grew up with a reverence and deep, patriotic respect for those who served. His father was a proud Marine who fought in the Korean War, though he never talked about his time in service. My mom used to always get mad at me when I would go into dads closet and play soldier with his USMC sword from his service days, but I always found that to be the coolest thing ever, Jenkins shared. Years after my father passed away, my mom gave me some old Kodak slides she found in a box that dad had taken as a young Marine traveling the world. They are among my favorite images of him to this day. Jenkins fell in love with the art of storytelling at a young age. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1993. Compelling stories met with the duty and diligence of getting the facts right and the context for people to understand is what I enjoy pursuing above all else, he explained. He built a career in radio and, from 2001 through 2003, produced Oliver Norths War Stories. Jenkins was also associate producer for Common Sense Radio with Oliver North. In 2003, he left for FOX News. Only months later, he was in Iraq . On the Ground at War It wasnt until I found myself embedded with Marine Medium Helicopter Unit HMM 268 "Red Dragons" as a cameraman during the invasion of Iraq/OIF 1 that I fully understood and appreciated the dedication and sacrifice of our heroic service members, Jenkins told WATM. Nothing changes you more than reporting in combat zones and nothing prepares you for the real thing until you are in it. There is a romanticized perception of a tough guy like you see in the movies but the reality is very different. You learn that very quickly when the bullets start to fly and you see things that are very hard to witness and process. griff jenkins reporter On March 20, 2003, the world watched as American fighting forces went after Saddam Hussein and the reports of his weapons of mass destruction. In the opening hours of the war, Jenkins and the unit he was assigned to found themselves in the southern Al-Faw Peninsula, where intelligence suggested Saddam Hussein would torch the oil fields and mount a fierce fight. Ollie and I agreed that we would ride on separate helicopters in the event that one of us did not make it so the other could tell the story. In the last moments before we lifted to head into battle the commanding officer moved me to a different helicopter than the one I was originally assigned to. That helicopter went down and everyone aboard lost their lives, including some of the first Marine casualties of the war, Jenkins said. For the next several weeks, I got to bear witness to the most courageous, compassionate and dedicated heroes America has to offer. griff jenkins iraq When Jenkins reflects on his time in Iraq, many memories stick out. Being saved by crew chief Amanda Hoenes was one of them, though during an interview, Hoenes laughingly joked that she saved herself from being the person who let the FOX News cameraman fall out of her helicopter. He also witnessed the battle for Saddams palace in Baghdad firsthand. We flew into the palace and landed in the backyard and took heavy fire from every direction to get wounded Marines out, Jenkins shared. It was the most terrifying experience of my life and it was the first flight that morning of a total of 13 trips in and out. Every time we did it, the fight got more and more intense. Though going through the experience of the invasion was terrifying and brutally horrifying, there were some lighter moments he said he cherishes to this day. After the combat operations of the invasion had subsided, we were somewhere north of Tikrit, and we learned that we would be wrapping up things and soon heading back to Kuwait. This is when North and the Marines decided it would be a good idea to indoctrinate me as an honorary Red Dragon, he laughed. This entailed them duct-taping me to a litter and taking turns shaving my head. While that might sound like an unpleasant hair-cutting experience, I can tell you it was among the greatest honors of my life. Here I had lived, breathed, sweated, bled, laughed and cried with these heroes for our short time together, yet they felt a connection to me. After four months of filming and reporting, he returned home only to go back to Iraq before the end of the year. Jenkins was embedded in combat again in 2004, 2006 and 2016. During Labor Day Weekend 2023, Jenkins was reunited with his Red Dragons for a reunion sponsored by Semper FI & Americas Fund. griff jenkins at event veterans It was great to see so many faces I havent seen since those days and catching up on life. Learning what everyone is doing and also hearing about the good and bad that has happened in the two decades since. I had never been to a military reunion before but now understand why they are so important, Jenkins said. I was a speaker and thought a long time about what I would say to them but in the end, it just came to me that I should just tell them how amazing, brave and heroic they truly are and let them hear from my perspective how important they are to me and the country. When asked what he would want people to take away from his story and experience on the ground for the Iraq War, he was direct. marine heroes Regardless of politics or opinions, there are many heroes across every branch of the military who volunteered to put their lives on the line to fight for the freedoms we share in this great nation. We must never forget their courage, dedication, sacrifice and service, Jenkins implored. My call to action is simply live your life worthy of their sacrifice. We note it every Memorial Day , but for Gold Star families, every day is Memorial Day. For me, I try every day to remember and honor the four marine heroes we lost on that first night. Maj. Jay Aubin, Captain Ryan Beaupre, Staff Sgt. Kendall Waters-Bey and Cpl. Brian Kennedy. An Indian national in Erie on a student visa was indicted a year ago on a federal charge that he solicited a 13-year-old girl for sex online. He was charged in an undercover sting. The defendant, Upendra Aduru, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison if convicted, and a new ruling from a judge has undercut his attempt to weaken the prosecution's case and argue that he was entrapped. U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter has rejected a defense request that she throw out the statements Aduru made to investigators following his arrest on Oct. 6. Aduru, who was studying in Erie as a graduate student, was taken into custody after authorities allege he drove to a park in Millcreek Township the night of Oct. 6 to have sex with a 13-year-old girl who lived in Pittsburgh. In reality, according to court records, the girl, named "Emmy," was an FBI agent who had posed as a minor in chats with Aduru over 16 days on Telegram, an instant messaging app. The case is unusual because Aduru is a citizen of another country. As a foreign national, he presents a "a substantial risk of flight," Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard A. Lanzillo, who initially handled the case, said at Aduru's detention hearing at the federal courthouse in Erie on Oct. 13. Lanzillo ordered Aduru held in prison pending prosecution. The most recent action in the case pertained to Aduru's statements to investigators. In seeking to get the statements suppressed, the defense claimed that the investigators wrongfully obtained them from Aduru by coercing him, mainly be pressing him with questions about whether he knew the age of the fictitious girl, according to court records. The records show the investigators read Aduru his rights, and he elected not to have a lawyer present. The investigators focused on a Telegram exchange in which "Emmy" told Aduru that she was "almost fourteen" and Aduru responded, "oh wow that's young," according to court records. Aduru is also accused of sending pornographic images to "Emmy" that showed adults having sex. An Indian national is being prosecuted in U.S. District Court in Erie on a charge that he solicited a minor online for sex. During the interview with investigators, which was recorded, Aduru denied that he knew the actual age of "Emmy," but he also stated that he thought she was "doing school," which he said would put her in "10th grade" and make her "17 years old," according to court records. Aduru was 30 years old when he was indicted on a felony charge of inducing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. The charge defines a minor as someone younger than 18. A conviction carries a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life. Foreign nationals convicted of certain crimes while in the United States can also face deportation under federal law. In another exchange during the interview, Aduru told the investigators that he talked in sexual terms with "Emmy," but that at one point he "decided it's a fake" and that he drove to the park that night "to confirm whether she's a girl or not." In another exchange, an investigator said to Aduru, "You came to meet 'Emmy' to take her back to your flat and have sex with 'Emmy,' right?" Aduru responded, "Yes, sir," according to court records. Judge says statements not coerced in online sex case Baxter ruled against Aduru and his court-appointed lawyer, Joseph Otte, of Pittsburgh, on Thursday. She agreed with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Trabold and found that the investigators' interviewing techniques were not unconstitutionally coercive. The investigators were Detective Sgt. Joseph Spusta of the Erie County District Attorney's Office and Detective Steve Dish of the Allegheny County police, which was involved because "Emmy" said she lived in Pittsburgh, according to court records. "Under the totality of the circumstances, the Court is satisfied that Detectives Dish and Spusta conducted the interview of Aduru in a conversational, professional and respectful manner," Baxter said in an 11-page opinion. "Aduru was advised of his Miranda rights, agreed to answer the detectives' questions and by his own admission was treated well during the interview. As the questioning was free of coercion or manipulation, any statement made by Aduru was clearly voluntarily made." Again referring to how the detectives treated Aduru, Baxter said in her ruling that Aduru cried on occasion, but that "the detectives repeatedly assured him that he would be alright and that he would get through this. At the end of the interview, when a distraught Aduru indicated that he would rather be dead than go to jail, Detective Spusta counseled him not to think that way and to take each day at a time." Defendant in online sex case was in Erie as a graduate student Aduru was charged as part of a multi-agency online sting operation that targeted the solicitation of sex from minors. Court records show he was in the United States on an F-1 student visa as a graduate student taking classes online and in person. Where he was enrolled when he was indicted is unclear, however. Court records state that Aduru at one point was a graduate student at Gannon University in Erie. Gannon records show that Aduru withdrew from the university after taking classes for a master's degree in business administration only in the fall of 2021 a year before the indictment. U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter ruled against an Indian national's request that she toss statements he made to investigators in an online sting over the solicitation of a minor for sex. The case is in U.S. District Court in Erie. Wherever Aduru was attending school when he was indicted, he asked to stay out of prison following his arrest, partly so he could finish his classes and get his degree, according to a transcript of the detention hearing on Oct. 13. Trabold, the prosecutor, asked that Aduru be detained, arguing that if he was released, he would be "a ticking time bomb somewhere in the United States at some point in time." In denying the request to be released, Magistrate Judge Lanzillo cited Aduru's risk of flight as well as the evidence. Lanzillo said he based his decision "in part on the nature of the alleged communications, electronic communications and what I would characterize as an utter disregard for the humanity of the person perceived to be a 13-year-old." Charges filed: Erie, New York men charged federally in multi-agency undercover child sex sting in region Another federal case: Feds: 16-year-old girl was repeatedly prostituted via website in Erie sex-trafficking case Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Indicted Indian national loses key ruling in online sex sting in Erie A court has declined the motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by a Black couple who said they were racially profiled by West Virginia law enforcement who accused them of growing marijuana. Were moving forward on all charges, civil rights attorney John H. Bryan said in a video update on Friday, Sept. 22. The couple, Donnie and Ventriss Hairston, as well as their landlord, Jason Tartt, filed a lawsuit against McDowell County Sheriff deputies Dalton Martin and Jordan Horn last year, stating that their civil rights were violated. The McDowell County Commission and supervisor James Boomer Muncy were also listed as defendants for allegedly implementing an unconstitutional policy or custom that caused constitutional injuries. Deputies accused Donnie and Ventriss Hairston of growing marijuana. (Photo: The Civil Rights Lawyer/Youtube screenshot) In August 2020, the deputies approached the Hairstons, both in their 60s and retired, at a home they were renting. They questioned if they were growing the drug, to which they replied no, according to court documents shared by Bryan. The two deputies, who are white, also searched the exterior of the property. Related: Cant Get Them Years Back Ever: Maryland Man Who Spent Five Years In Prison Receives $350,000 Settlement After State Admits They Prosecuted Wrong Man for Murder and Assault As the situation progressed, the officers grew more agitated and demanding, and plaintiffs, none of whom had any criminal history, quickly realized that the officers had no legitimate reason to suspect them of any wrongdoing or to be angry with them, the suit says. Plaintiffs suspected that the officers were racially profiling them and violating their civil rights. Because plaintiffs were in a rural area with a history of police misconduct and official corruption, they felt that the officers endangered them. The incident happened at the height of protests against police brutality and racism in the country following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Body camera footage shows Ventriss expressing that she was scared during the interaction. As Atlanta Black Star reported, Ventriss and her husband were accused of growing four marijuana plants located in overgrown brush at a nearby property. WATCH THE BODY CAMERA VIDEO HERE During the incident, the deputies threatened to arrest Tartt, who refused to give them his personal information. The trio was standing on the porch when officers arrived. I have reason to believe that these two homes here that you own is related to that marijuana growth, so you have to give me your name and date of birth by law, one officer could be heard saying in the footage. My property has nothing to do with what you found, Tartt later responded. Tartt was instructed to step off the porch, handcuffed, and placed in the back seat of the police vehicle. He was charged with obstruction, which was ultimately dropped after the officers didnt attend court. The judge denied the defendants partial motion to dismiss last Thursday. The defendants challenged the sufficiency of plaintiffs allegations only as to their [1983] claim against the County Commission, [1985] conspiracy claim against officers Martin and Horn, and supervisory liability claim against Officer Muncy, per court records. The plaintiffs have filed two kinds of claims against these deputies and other defendants. The Section 1983 claim allows people to sue the state government or its officials for violating ones civil rights. The 1985 one alleges two or more people attempted to prevent, intimidate, or threaten a person in a fashion that also violates their civil rights. Bryan explained that his clients claims against both the county and the deputies have been allowed to go forward. The litigation has now advanced to the deposition phase. Sixty years ago on Sept. 26 a helicopter landed in a remote part of the Hanford nuclear reservation and the 37,000 gathered in the scorching desert watched as President John F. Kennedy stepped out in a cloud of dust. Eight weeks later he would be assassinated as he and the First Lady rode in a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas. But on Sept. 26, 1963, he stood young, tanned and hatless on a speakers stand by the N Reactor. He was at the Hanford site near Richland in Eastern Washington to lead the ceremonial groundbreaking for a project that would turn a reactor that produced weapons plutonium into the largest nuclear power plant in the world. For 12 minutes Kennedy talked about natural resources and nuclear energy, bringing the 1,500 dignitaries who had reserved seats at the front of the crowd to their feet. Then, in a bit of showmanship choreographed by the Washington Public Power Supply System, now called Energy Northwest, he waved an atomic wand over a Geiger counter. The sound of the counters rapid clicking was broadcast over the crowd as the wands uranium tip set in motion a clamshell crane. The crane lifted the first shovelful of dirt to build the steam-power facility. It was a triumph for Tri-City leaders and Washingtons U.S. senators, who had fought since 1957 to get N Reactor approved for dual use commercial power generation and the production of plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program. It also was a day that many in the crowd would remember for the rest of their lives. President John F. Kennedy visited Hanford 60 years ago for the ceremonial groundbreaking on a steam plant that would allow N Reactor to produce electricity in addition to plutonium for nuclear weapons. JFK visit a Hanford family day Kennedys visit was the first time the general public had been allowed on the nuclear reservation and they made history just by attending. The now 580-square-mile Hanford site was used from World War II through the Cold War to produce nearly two-thirds of the plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program. School let out early to allow children to see the nations president. While some people went to see the president, spouses and children also piled into family cars for their first look behind the barricades where their relatives went to work each day. Officials offered tours of N Reactor. Maynard Plahuta, who had just started work as an intern for the Atomic Energy Commission in 1963, told the Tri-City Herald at the 50th anniversary of JFKs visit the security forces at Hanford were as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. President John F. Kennedy visited Hanford 60 years ago on Sept. 26, 1963, for the ceremonial groundbreaking on a steam plant that would allow N Reactor to produce electricity in addition to plutonium for nuclear weapons. The public was allowed on Hanford for the visit and about 37,000 people attended. The traffic jam was massive as buses and cars drove to the northern end of the sprawling reservation on two-lane roads. They were lined up bumper to bumper for almost 15 miles, according to news reports. It took nearly four hours for all cars to clear the parking area after Kennedy left, the Herald reported. Some families listened on their car radios to another speech the president gave later that day in Salt Lake City before their cars had reached Richland. Organizers had been given just three weeks to prepare. They bulldozed and burned 125 acres for the event, then put in 3,000 feet of water line to run sprinklers over the last week. It didnt do much good, people remembered decades later. An area had been paved for the presidents helicopter, which had flown down from a military base at Moses Lake. But the helicopter still sent up a swirling cloud of dust. People who had seats on the speakers platform had to wipe the grit off their foreheads. President John F. Kennedy visited Hanford 60 years ago on Sept. 26, 1963, for the ceremonial groundbreaking on a steam plant that would allow N Reactor to produce electricity in addition to plutonium for nuclear weapons. The public was allowed on Hanford for the visit and about 37,000 people attended. The blast of air sent the American flag crashing down with a loud crack. A 17-year-old Boy Scout, Det Wegener, picked up the flag and broken pole and held the Stars and Stripes in place until the president left. About 70 people needed first aid, most because of the heat, and 25 were stretcher cases, the Herald reported. The temperature reached 90 that day. People in the crowd turned their commemorative programs into hats to provide some protection from the blazing sun. Priest remembers meeting JFK Father William Sweeney was chosen to give the invocation, standing in front of Kennedy on the platform. He was a natural choice as a native of Massachusetts and the priest who had traveled into the desert at Hanford to celebrate Mass in a leaky tent each week before as many as 1,000 workers and their families during World War II. When Kennedys helicopter landed, the politicians on the platform ignored a request to stay put and rushed down to meet the president, Sweeney remembered in 1988. But Sweeney hung back, afraid the president, a fellow Catholic, would ignore him in the crush of politicians. He need not have worried. President John F. Kennedy visited Hanford 60 years ago on Sept. 26, 1963, for the ceremonial groundbreaking on a steam plant that would allow N Reactor to produce electricity in addition to plutonium for nuclear weapons. The public was allowed on Hanford for the visit and about 37,000 people attended. The president spotted his collar, walked across the stage and simply said, Hello, Father. Others on the speakers stand included Washington Gov. Albert Rosellini, Washington Sen. Henry Scoop Jackson, other senators from western states, the Washington state grange master, Tri-City Herald Publisher Glenn Lee and officials from the Bonneville Power Administration, the Atomic Energy Commission, General Electric and WPPSS. So many people had asked, cajoled and issued ultimatums to be allowed to sit with the president on the speakers stand that organizers joked they should have the speakers and the audience switch places, the Herald reported. Kennedy discusses nuclear future The presidents 12-minute speech was a hit with the Eastern Washington crowd, according to news reports. The president called Hanford a great asset and said, I can assure you it will be maintained. President John F. Kennedy visited Hanford on Sept. 26, 1963, for the ceremonial groundbreaking of a steam plant that would allow N Reactor to produce electricity in addition to plutonium for nuclear weapons. The public was allowed past Hanford security gates for the visit and about 37,000 people attended. There was no telling what the atomic age, a dreadful age, would bring, he said. It may well be that man recognizes now that war is so destructive, so annihilating, so incendiary, that it may be possible ... to so adjust our relations, to so develop a rule of reason and a rule of law, that we may, out of this scientific change, it may be possible for us to find a more peaceful world, he said. The atomic work done at Hanford in the last 20 years had changed the world, but bigger changes were yet to come, he said. The nation should lead the world in producing low-cost nuclear power, he said. His stop was part of a five-day, 11-state tour to promote conservation, and he called for setting aside land, water and wilderness for the future. N Reactor operated from 1963 to 1987 when it was shut down for routine maintenance and refueling and never restarted. But nuclear power continues to be produced on leased land at Hanford, where Energy Northwest operates the Northwests only commercial nuclear power reactor. The podium where Kennedy spoke at Hanford remains in the possession of Energy Northwest. It brought the podium out to use again in 2021 when it announced a partnership with X-energy Reactor Co. to bring the next generation of nuclear power production to Eastern Washington. Energy Northwest has signed an agreement with X-energy with the goal of also having an advanced small nuclear reactor producing power on Hanford land by the end of 2030. Most of the Hanford nuclear reservation remains closed to the public. However, some of Hanford is now included in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and the public can take tour those areas. President John F. Kennedy visited Hanford 60 years ago on Sept. 26, 1963, for the ceremonial groundbreaking on a steam plant that would allow N Reactor to produce electricity in addition to plutonium for nuclear weapons. The public was allowed on Hanford for the visit and about 37,000 people attended. On April 25, all nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court signed a Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices, which they submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee. In regard to recusal, the justices unanimously declared that they follow the same general principles and statutory standards as other federal judges. It took Justice Samuel Alito less than five months to renege on his written commitment to his colleagues and the public. In a four-page statement issued on Sept. 8, Alito declined to recuse himself from a major tax case, without a single citation, reference, or acknowledgement of either the federal recusal statute or the general principles that he had so recently agreed to follow. How an Enslaved Blacksmith Had to Enslave His Own Family to Win Their Freedom Instead of applying statutory law or Supreme Court precedents, Alito invented an entirely new rule, never before invoked by any justice. Claiming that recusal is simply the personal decision of each justice, Alito announced that he would recuse himself only on the basis of a so-called sound reasonan undefined, and previously unknown, rationale that has no inherent meaning. Both the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist and the late Justice Antonin Scalia published opinions explaining their non-recusals. Each justice premised his decision on the federal recusal statute, quoting the provision that a justice shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned. Far from calling it a personal decision, Rehnquist explained that the inquiry is an objective one, made from the perspective of a reasonable observer who is informed of all the surrounding facts and circumstances. Nor did Scalia believe that recusal was just a matter of personal choice. Recusal is the course I must takeand will takewhen, on the basis of established principles and practices, I have said or done something which requires that course, he said. In contrast, Alitos law- and precedent-free statement was directly related to his earlier declaration in a Wall Street Journal interview, published on July 28, that No provision in the Constitution gives [Congress] the authority to regulate the Supreme Courtperiod. The interview had been conducted, in part, by attorney David Rivkin, who was then, and still is, counsel of record in a pending Supreme Court case called Moore v. United States, which may determine the governments power to tax unrealized gains and wealth. Given the unique relationship between Alito and Rivkin (no other justice is known to have given an interview to a lawyer with a case then before the court) Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts on Aug. 3, asking him to take appropriate steps to ensure that Justice Alito will recuse himself in Moore v. United States. Alito could easily have denied Durbins request under the terms of the federal statute, but he had a more performative point to make. Death Penalty Opponents Shouldnt Downplay Mass Shooters Antisemitism Thus, as we have seen, Alitos recusal ruling relied solely on his personal beliefs, without reference to the law and principles that he had committed himself to follow only a few months earlier. He oddly claimed that Rivkin had conducted the interview as a journalist, not as an advocate, as though a lawyer could somehow suspend his obligations to his client in high-stakes litigation when deciding whether to confront or coddle an interview subject who just happened to be one of the judges in his case. With no hint of irony, or self-awareness, Rivkin subsequently co-authored an essay in The Wall Street Journal arguing that Alito had gotten the recusal issueand everything elseexactly right. Whether Rivkin was acting as a journalist or an advocate, Alito had every reason to be gratified by the highly visible praise. There is nothing that Roberts can do individually about a justice who disdains congressional authority and has all but announced that he has no intention of accepting statutory law. There are steps, however, that the other eight justices, acting in concert, can take in response to Alitos idiosyncratic stance. First and foremost, the court should finally adopt a written ethics code, just like every other court in the U.S. The Code of Conduct for United States Judges, applicable to the lower federal courts since 1973, includes specific provisions for disqualification, including the familiar requirement for recusal when the judges impartiality might reasonably be questioned. Roberts once said that the Supreme Court has had no reason to adopt the Code of Conduct as its definitive source of ethical guidance. Alito has resoundingly proved him wrong. Congress Needs to Show Samuel Alito and the Supreme Court Whos Boss In addition, the court should end its historic practice of assigning recusal decisions exclusively to the justice in question. That approach may work tolerably well when every justice agrees to follow the same general principles and statutory standards as other federal judges. But it fails utterly when a justice proclaims that Congress is not the boss of him, and petulantly refuses even to mention the provisions and precedents that other justices have respected. As I have pointed out before, the Constitution vests the judicial power of the United States in one Supreme Court, not nine supreme justices. No single justice should be able to decide that his personal decisions are above the law. Steven Lubet is the Williams Memorial Professor Emeritus at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He is coauthor of Judicial Conduct and Ethics (Fifth Edition), and has written many other books. 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. Vyacheslav Gladkov , Governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, has reported a drone attack on a communications facility. Source: Gladkov on Telegram Quote from Gladkov: "An attack drone hit a communications infrastructure facility in the village of Murom, Shebekinsky urban district". Details: As usual, the Russian official claimed there were no casualties, noting that emergency services had arrived at the scene. Background: Moscow airports suspended arrivals and departures on Sunday evening, 24 September, likely because the Russians were expecting Ukrainian drone strikes. Later, Russian governors claimed an attack by Ukrainian drones on Russias Kursk and Bryansk oblasts, bordering Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A Kansas City, North, man has been charged in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Staley High School student during domestic violence over the weekend, according to court documents. Clay County prosecutors have charged Steven Lester Woods with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Police identified the teen killed in the shooting as Joseph Michael Bonacorso. His mother, who has not been identified, was also injured in the shooting. The shooting was the second of two shootings over the weekend that injured Staley students. Two students were injured, one seriously, in a shooting late Friday at a QuickTrip near the school, Staley Principal Larry Smith said in an email sent home to parents. In the statement, Smith informed parents of the fatal shooting of Bonacorso, which he stated was connected to domestic violence. This is a terrible loss, and these were awful tragedies that no family should ever have to navigate, Smith said. The school planned to have staff available for students who might need help processing the shootings. The school, which has been in contact with local law enforcement throughout the weekend, also planned to have increased security presence at the school. Deadly shooting Police responded to reports of the sound of gunfire shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday at a home in the 1300 block of Northeast 119th Terrace in Kansas City, North. While officers were en route, the call was updated to a shooting. According to court documents, arriving officers found a woman, who was identified as Victim No. 2, outside the home who was yelling that she needed help for her son who was inside. As officers approached the opened garage door to enter, a man, later identified as Woods, came out of the house with his hands up. He allegedly told officers that Bonacorso had come at him with a knife, according to court documents. Woods was taken into custody. The female victim was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. Officers found Bonacorso, who was identified in court documents as Victim No. 1, in a hallway and medical personnel pronounced him deceased. Next to him, police found a folding knife, according to court documents. When questioned by police, the female said she and Woods are married and their marriage has had a history of verbal abuse. Prior to the shooting, she said they had been at a pool party for most of the day. While she drove them home, she noticed Woods texting another woman. When they arrived home, she confronted him and Woods told her get out of the house. The victim told police that as she was gathering her belongings, she saw his phone was unlocked. She picked it up and locked herself in a hallway bathroom. Woods allegedly broke the bathroom door in half and grabbed the victim. Then he allegedly repeatedly threw her into the bathtub, yelling for her to get out of the house, according to court documents. Meanwhile, another person in the house, who was identified in the court documents as a Victim No. 3, said she tried to intervene, but said Woods came at her. She said she barricaded herself in her room, but Woods broke through her door and punched her TV. She told police that she called Bonacorso because she was in fear for her life and she needed him to come to protect her and his mom, according to court documents. When Bonacorso arrived with some friends, Woods ran into his room and shut the door. Bonacorso yelled for his mom and the other female victim to leave with him, according to the female victim. Woods allegedly opened the bedroom door and then began firing at Bonacorso, the victim told police. Bonacorsos mom told police that at the time of the shooting, he was not in a physical alteration with Woods. She also said she didnt see her son with a weapon. She said her son had pounded on the master bedroom door and she was standing alongside him outside the other female victims bedroom when Woods allegedly opened the door and began shooting her son, according to court documents. Bonacorsos mom was also hit by gunfire, and she laid on top of her son after he was shot to protect him. She said she fled the house after Woods kept trying to push her off her son. When she tried to enter the home to check on her son, she heard a loud blast, but told police she was was unaware that she had been hit by a shotgun round. Woods was taken to police headquarters where he was questioned by a detective. He allegedly admitted to be being involved with another woman and said that he had been texting her on the way home from the pool party. When he got home, he told the detective he went to bed and fell asleep. He told the detective that he woke as his wife took his phone from him and followed her as she retreated to a hallway bathroom, according to court documents. Woods allegedly said he kicked in the door and may have shoved her to get his phone back, but said he didnt harm her. Then, the other female victim began shouting at him and told him she was going to call police. Woods said he told her to leave the house with his wife. Woods allegedly told detectives that he locked himself in his bedroom and waited for police. A few minutes later, Bonacorso arrived and began yelling, Woods told police. Woods grabbed a firearm and exited the room. He told detectives that he shot Bonacorso after he raised a knife. After his wife fled from the house, he said he grabbed a shotgun from his bedroom, positioned himself at the top of the front stairs and aimed the weapon at the front door. He said he was afraid Bonacorsos family would arrive before police, so he claimed he wanted to defend himself. According to court documents, Woods had shot Bonacorsos father in 2016 in what was then determined to be self-defense. As he waited for police, Woods told detectives the shotgun had an accidental discharge as he fumbled with the safety. He surrendered when police arrived. The fatal shooting was caught on a recording of a phone call to another person Victim No. 3 had made at the time the altercation began. Bonacorso can be heard on the recording asking Woods, Are you going to shoot me like you did my dad? A muffled and inaudible voice is heard followed by Bonacorso saying several times, Shoot me. The recording captured six gunshots following immediately after. Woods appeared in Clay County court Monday afternoon, according to court records. He was being held in Clay County jail on a $1 million bond. Heres a list of domestic violence resources in the Kansas City area if you or someone you love is facing a domestic violence situation. From left, Ryan Vassar, Mark Penley and Blake Brickman, former senior-level employees in the office of the attorney general, talk about their whistleblower lawsuit during a news conference at the Capitol on Monday. The former aides to Attorney General Ken Paxton whose allegations of abuse of office spiraled into a dramatic impeachment trial in the Texas Senate that ended in acquittal said Monday that they have asked the state Supreme Court to allow their whistleblower lawsuit to be revived and placed in line for trial. "The political trial is over," Blake Brickman, a former deputy attorney general who was among eight top Paxton aides who in September 2020 reported their boss to the FBI, said at a news conference in the Capitol. "It's time for the case to return to a real court." Brickman was joined by two of his three former colleagues who filed the lawsuit accusing Paxton of using his elective office to help a friend and political benefactor with his legal difficulties. Four other deputies also went to the FBI but are not part of the lawsuit. The matter came to a head in February when the attorney general's office and the whistleblowers agreed on a tentative $3.3 million settlement, which included a provision that Paxton publicly apologize for calling Brickman, Mark Penley, Ryan Vassar and David Maxwell "rogue employees." And the money for the settlement was to be paid from funds allocated by the Legislature. The impeachment effort began behind the scenes early this year after Paxton, a Republican who in November won a third four-year term, declined to answer questions from the House Appropriations Committee about the events associated with the original lawsuit. House lawmakers refused to include funding for the settlement in the two-year budget that took effect Sept. 1. At Monday's news conference, Brickman and Penley did not mask their disappointment that 17 of the 19 Republican senators voted to acquit Paxton on all 16 articles of impeachment, ensuring that the attorney general would resume the duties he was sidelined from performing once the House formally filed the charges May 27. Vasser also attended the news conference but did not speak. Maxwell was unable to attend. "Anyone who watched the impeachment trial knows the House managers presented ample evidence of Ken Paxton's criminal conduct," Brickman said. Paxton, who only attended part of two days of the 10-day trial, has insisted he was wrongfully accused. And in interviews since then with conservative media outlets he has said he plans to campaign against Republican lawmakers behind his impeachment in next year's primaries. Blake Brickman points to a notice highlighting the Texas Whistleblower Act as he speaks to members of the press during Monday's news conference. More: 'Everything's on the table': 3 takeaways from Ken Paxton's interview with Tucker Carlson His office, in a statement, said any response to the statements by his former aides at the news conference would be made to the court and not to news outlets. "The Office of the Attorney General will respond to the so-called whistleblower plaintiffs comments in a written response to be filed with the Texas Supreme Court consistent with that Courts procedures as opposed to staging a press event in the state Capitol," the office said. Brickman and Penley predicted that a civil trial would be far different from the proceedings in the Senate, in that a judge and not the lieutenant governor would preside over the case and the jury would not comprise elected state senators. In their filing to the state Supreme Court, the whistleblowers said their case has been paused since the tentative settlement was announced and it should return to active status because there has been no movement on a state-funded settlement. Blake Brickman predicted that a civil trial would be far different from the impeachment proceedings. More: Trump wants credit for Paxton acquittal as Texas Republicans feud after impeachment trial "The (settlement agreement) not merely the payment obligation, but the entire (agreement) is expressly 'contingent upon all necessary approvals for funding the petition states. "This contingency has failed. The Legislature has adjourned without funding approval, and, for reasons unrelated to the merits of Respondents case, some key members have expressed hostility toward funding approval." The lawsuit is not against Paxton personally, but rather against the attorney general's office. Therefore the state would pay any settlement or any judgment awarded by the court. Asked directly if the whistleblowers would prefer trying once more to reach a settlement that the Legislature would sign off on or taking their chances in court, Penley replied: "If they funded then that would be great. If they choose not to, what I'm saying today is I'm ready and I believe my colleagues are ready to go back to state district court here in Travis County and continue with our litigation." From left, Ryan Vassar, Blake Brickman and Mark Penley talk about plans to move forward with their whistleblower lawsuit. Penley and Brickman, both of whom testified in the impeachment trial, used the the 30-minute news conference to hammer home the points they made during the impeachment trial, which in the end didn't persuade a two-thirds majority in the Senate to remove Paxton from office. "We saw personally with our own personal knowledge that Ken Paxton would not obey the limits of the law," Penley said. "He did not stay within the guardrails, the boundaries, of the law. And that's why we went to the FBI and made personal eyewitness reports." John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly called Twitter, @JohnnieMo. This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Paxton whistleblowers ask Texas Supreme Court to jump-start lawsuit A Kennewick police detective was arrested and jailed this weekend after allegedly pointing a gun at his wife and teen son late Saturday. Joshua Riley, 42, appeared briefly Monday by video link from the Franklin County jail. He is being held without bail on suspicion of two counts of second-degree domestic violence assault. The crime is a felony but he is not yet charged. Since an attorney wasnt able to meet with him before the Benton County Superior Court hearing, he was rescheduled for Tuesday. The incident happened at his home in Kennewick in Benton County, but because he is a law enforcement officer he is being held in the Franklin County facility in Pasco. Court Commissioner Megan Whitmire ordered Riley to have no contact with his wife, a 15-year-old son and other children in the home. No one was injured in the incident. Benton County Prosecutor Eric Eisinger said hes seeking to appoint a special prosecutor from another county to handle the case to avoid any potential conflicts of interest since his office handles cases Riley investigates. Kennewick Police Chief Chris Guerrero issued a news release about Rileys arrest, saying the investigation is being handled by the Benton County Sheriffs Office, also to avoid any conflicts. Riley, an Air Force veteran who served three tours in Iraq, joined the Kennewick police department in 2012. Rileys wife is a Kennewick native who wanted to return to the Tri-Cities, the city posted in the past. Joshua Riley, left, was Detective of the Year in 2020 when Ken Hohenberg was the police chief. Riley spent several years working as a patrol officer before he was selected to serve as a detective with the Criminal Apprehension Team and then with the Property Crimes division, according to the department. He was named Detective of the Year in 2020 and was one of the lead instructors in the Kennewick department on the use of force by officers during arrests, the agency said at the time. Kentucky alcohol regulators are moving to shut down popular vintage bourbon seller Justins House of Bourbon. Following January raids at Justins House of Bourbon stores in Lexington and Louisville, as well as at a shipping facility in Washington D.C., the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is seeking to revoke or suspend liquor licenses for multiple alleged violations, according to a notice of violations issued Aug. 7, 2023. Its the first indication of state action following the January raids, when numerous bottles of bourbon were seized in Kentucky. Some of the bottles seized in Kentucky may have been damaged in a water leak at an evidence facility, according to the state files obtained by the Herald-Leader. Its unclear when the Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will rule on the case or what action, if any, they will take. Kentucky ABC declined to comment due to the pending administrative action. No criminal charges have been filed. Tom Bullock, Lexington attorney for Justins House of Bourbon owners Justin Thompson and Justin Sloan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alcohol a llegations against Justins House of Bourbon The alleged state alcohol violations include that Justins House of Bourbon: Failed to report vintage distilled spirits purchases to the state; Illegally transported bottles between its two Kentucky stores; Illegally shipped bottles in and out of the state; Unlawfully bought and sold alcoholic beverages; And failed to place a sticker on vintage distilled spirits purchases on bottles to indicate they were from the secondary market. According to the state, Justins also bought and sold rare bourbons that did not qualify as vintage. Losing Kentucky licenses would close the stores here in the state; their BourbonOutfitter.com online sales are licensed out of Washington, D.C., and it remains open with an active license. According to Kentucky ABC case files, undercover investigators went into both the Lexington and the Louisville stores after receiving complaints about illegal shipping. In October 2022, a Justins employee told two undercover ABC investigators in Lexington that a bottle of Weller 107 for sale for $189 could not be shipped from Kentucky but that they often drive it to their shipping facility in Washington. Justin Thompson, left and Justin Sloan, right, in the vintage bourbon room at their Justins House of Bourbon at the corner of Jefferson and West Main streets in Lexington. Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control has moved to revoke or suspend their licenses to sell bottles and drinks, alleging multiple state violations. All vintage bottles for sale are required to display stickers, like this one on a bottle of Blantons in Revival Spirits in Covington, Ky. According to the file, an investigator had visited the store in June 2021 and informed the general manager and an employee that Justins was not following Kentucky ABC requirements for labeling bottles as Vintage Distilled Spirits purchases from the secondary market and had not properly notified ABC of vintage alcohol purchases. A separate undercover investigator visited the Louisville store in December 2022 and found a wall of Weller, Blantons, Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle and other premium bourbons for sale without VDS stickers. Bottles seized in Kentucky, Washington D.C. Kentucky alcohol investigators then contacted investigators in Washington D.C. who visited the Justins facility there, resulting in a multistate investigation into improper bourbon shipping, including imports from the Netherlands. On Jan. 17, Kentucky and DC alcohol authorities simultaneously raided the three Justins locations and seized multiple of bottles of bourbon. In D.C., hundreds of bottles of Blantons and Weller were placed under voluntary detention by federal alcohol authorities. When investigators raided the Justins House of Bourbon warehouse in Washington, D.C., they voluntarily detained hundreds of bottles of Blantons and other bourbon pending further investigation. In May, Justins admitted to two violations on alcohol regulations in D.C. and agreed to pay $3,000 in fines in a settlement. Its unclear what became of the detained bottles there. Kentucky problems with vintage sales Justins House of Bourbon, which opened in 2018 in the wake of the passage of Kentuckys Vintage Distilled Spirits law that allows private citizens to sell bottles to retailers, has a store in Lexington at 601 W. Main St. and another in Louisville at at 101 West Market St. Both stores specialize in vintage and hard-to-find whiskeys. According to the case file, Justins House of Bourbon bought and sold spirits that are not vintage. Rather in their words rare, which Kentucky ABC investigators allege violates state regulations. One investigator reported that receipts provided at the Louisville store showed that there were purchases from private sellers and wholesaler on the same day for the same products (Blantons, Weller & Eagle Rare.) The investigator said Justins purchased forty-eight bottles of Weller 107 from one person on one date. ... Another receipt shows a seller by the name of (redacted) sold Justins House of Bourbon seventy-two bottles of Blantons from 7/7/22-8/12/22. Another seller by the name of (redacted) had sold Buffalo Trace to Justins House of Bourbon. None of the purchases had been reported to the state under the Vintage Distilled Spirits law as required, according to the case file. Herald-Leader investigation into vintage bourbon sales According to a Herald-Leader analysis of Kentucky alcohol records, Justins House of Bourbon and other retailers have bought and sold thousands of bottles of Weller, Blantons, Pappy Van Winkle and other rare bourbons since the Vintage Distilled Spirits law created a loophole for private sales. In the last few years, private sellers have sold dozens of bottles at a time of new highly-sought-after brands of bourbon to a handful of Kentucky stores. (Bloomberg) -- Kosovo said a local ethnic Serb leader with ties to Belgrade was involved in a shootout with police on Sunday, escalating tensions after the bloodiest clash in the nation in almost two decades. Most Read from Bloomberg Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic meanwhile demanded that NATO troops take security control in northern Kosovo, an unlikely prospect for a peacekeeping force that has no mandate for policing. Two days after a standoff involving some 30 armed Serb assailants left four people dead, including an ethnic Albanian policeman, officials in Serbia and Kosovo were casting blame and asking how the group secured armored vehicles and a stash of weapons that included grenade launchers, assault rifles and shells. The violence, which began early Sunday in a shootout in the northern Kosovar village of Banjska and lasted for hours after the assailants barricaded themselves in a Serbian Orthodox monastery, is the worst since Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008. It throws a wrench into US and European Union efforts to dial back tensions on the EUs periphery. Kosovos interior minister, Xhelal Svecla, said investigators identified Milan Radoicic the vice president of Srpska List, the main Serb political party in Kosovo in video footage of the day-long attack. The government in Pristina demanded that Serbia return attackers who fled over the border after the shootout, potentially including Radoicic. Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo have been loyal to the government in Belgrade and dependent on financial support. Radoicic, under US sanctions related to organized crime accusations, has met with senior officials in Serbia, including the presidents son, Danilo Vucic. Eight people have been arrested since the attack, as US and EU officials urgently called on both sides to return to dialog. NATO didnt immediately respond to a request for comment at its headquarters in Kosovo. This was a trained, organized group, and that means that there are some structures behind them, giving them the training and equipment, Jeffrey Hovenier, the US ambassador to Kosovo, told reporters after meeting the nations president, Vjosa Osmani. Read more: EUs Borrell Raps Kosovo and Serbia for Failing to Ease Tensions Kosovos prime minister, Albin Kurti, denounced the attack as an act of terror. Serbias Vucic initially called for restraint, while seeking to blame Kurti for terrorizing ethnic Serbs, who predominantly live in Kosovos north. --With assistance from Misha Savic. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The Grammy-winning rapper checked himself into a Los Angeles hospital on Friday after coughing up blood. Krayzie Bone , founding member of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, is hospitalized over lung issues. The two-time Grammy Award winner checked himself into a Los Angeles hospital on Friday after coughing up blood, according to KTLA 5. Krayzie Bone, real name Anthony Henderson, received a CAT scan, which discovered the issues coming from a leaky artery. On Sunday, the Days of Our Livez rapper was placed on a ventilator and sedated after bleeding continued following surgery. Henderson has long suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that causes granulomas, inflamed tissue, in organs of the body. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony attends the premiere of USA Networks Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. on Feb. 22, 2018, at Avalon in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) Since news of Hendersons hospitalization, several peers have expressed concern over his condition on social media. Bizzy Bone , his Bone Thugs-N-Harmony groupmate posted well-wishes on his Instagram Stories. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James asked Twitter followers to pray for Henderson. James, like Henderson, is an Ohio native. Fellow hip-hop star and Three 6 Mafia co-founder Juicy J posted Prayers up for Krayzie Bone on Twitter. In December 2021, Three 6 Mafia performed with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony for a contentious installment of the online music series, Verzuz. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are among the most influential rap groups of the 1990s. Their brand of melodic rapping heard on songs like Tha Crossroads, Look Into My Eyes, 1st of Tha Month, and If I Could Teach the World, paved the way for the current wave of artists like Drake, Travis Scott and Anderson .Paak. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony hospitalized for internal bleeding appeared first on TheGrio. This is part of an occasional Herald-Leader series, Trail to 23, to catch readers up on all the latest from this years Kentucky elections, most notably the governors race. There are fewer than 50 days until the Nov. 7 general election in which Kentuckians will decide the commonwealths next governor: incumbent Democrat Andy Beshear or Republican challenger Daniel Cameron. Past installments can be read online. Lets start this campaign recap in a way we never have and may never get to do again: with the candidates for Kentucky governor saying something nice about one another. Yes, that really happened and their answers even matched. Both Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron participated in the Kentucky Chambers Gubernatorial Forum in Louisville Wednesday evening, and moderator Jacqueline Pitts made each man say one nice thing about the other in a room full of onlookers. The event was the same day the Beshear campaign released a scathing new ad attacking Cameron on his record of not supporting exceptions for rape and incest in Kentuckys current abortion ban, prompting Cameron to respond in a video of his own. I would have had a lot of nice things to say about him until he ran that ad against me today, Cameron quipped before giving his answer. Cameron told the story of how early in his career, he worked at the law firm Stites & Harbison, where Beshear also practiced. He was the first lawyer to give me work there, and I always have appreciated that, Cameron said. In fact, when he signed my papers, when I became the attorney general, I said I got that strange sensation that he was marking up my papers again. Cameron also added that Beshear is a a good family man and that he could certainly appreciate his heart as it relates to his family. Beshear, too, recounted their days together at Stites & Harbison. I was the lawyer that gave him his very first private sector legal assignment, Beshear said, adding, it helped the case. Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics Newsletter A must-read newsletter for political junkies across the Bluegrass State with reporting and analysis from the Lexington Herald-Leader. Never miss a story! Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics newsletter to connect with our reporting team and get behind-the-scenes insights, plus previews of the biggest stories. American Principles Project PAC to oppose Beshear Yet another political action committee has entered the governors race with an announced multimillion dollar ad buy. Also on Wednesday, the American Principles Project PAC announced a $2 million ad campaign for digital ads and texting to expose Beshears extreme record on gender issues. The PAC plans to reach more than 1 million Kentucky voters. The ads returned to a familiar theme in the gubernatorial campaign: transgender kids and athletes. While Beshear still deceitfully claims to be a moderate governor, voters deserve to know the truth: he is completely beholden to the radical transgender industry and has as extreme a record as almost any other governor in America, PAC President Terry Schilling said in a news release. One ad, called Protect Women, features former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines calling Beshear a trans rights activist while saying Cameron would protect women. The second ad, called Common Sense, attacked Beshear for vetoing Senate Bill 150 during the 2023 legislative session, an omnibus anti-trans bill that included a ban on gender-affirming surgeries for minors among other provisions. Beshear and LGBTQ groups in Kentucky maintain they have no problem with banning such surgeries, but took issue with other parts of the sweeping bill. Protect Freedom PAC, a group affiliated with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, also released an ad on the topic of trans issues, with the commonwealths junior senator saying Beshear has more in common with California liberals than Kentucky families. Keep Kentucky kids safe; kick Gov. Beshear out of office. Other new ads released in the last week include: Three digital ads from Planned Parenthood Action Kentucky Wrong, Control and Bans go after Camerons record of supporting Kentuckys abortion ban without exceptions for rape and incest. This is a pivotal moment for abortion rights in our state, State Director Tamarra Wieder said in a statement. Extremist, anti-abortion candidates should take these first ads as a warning when you come for Kentuckians rights, they will come for you at the polls. Camerons campaign released an education-centered ad Monday, which focused on Beshears school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cameron Catch-Up Plan is about supporting our teachers and getting kids caught up, he says in the ad. I wont just campaign on education, Ill get it fixed. Because our teachers and students deserve it. Until Freedom returns to Louisville for Stop Cameron events New York-based social justice group Until Freedom, which played a large role in organizing demonstrations for Breonna Taylor in 2020, returned to Louisville last week to start up its Stop Cameron effort. Under Camerons administration, the office of the attorney general acted as the special prosecutor in the fatal police shooting of Taylor, 26, more than three years ago. Cameron did not bring charges for the young Black womans death, which had become one of the defining cases of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Until Freedom organizers and Taylors mother Tamika Palmer announced the effort on what would have been Taylors 30th birthday in June, and the group frequently promoted its fundraising effort on social media. Linda Sarsour, one of the organizers of Until Freedom, said the group will be focusing on voter registration and turnout among low-propensity voters in Louisville, Lexington and potentially Hopkinsville. Whats the next step for Breonna Taylor and those that stood outside in 2020? Sarsour said. Its time to flex your political muscle, and what better way to do that than against Attorney General David Cameron, who has a despicable track record when it comes to Breonna Taylor. So we feel like that issue is something that is still sensitive for people and could potentially win the people. If you go to the polls and defeat this man, thats actually sending a message to the rest of the country. While the inevitable outcome of a successful Stop Cameron campaign would mean Beshears re-election, the effort is not being run as a pro-Beshear initiative. Sarsour told a crowd Monday night that, were not going outside saying hes the best thing that ever happened to us. But you know, damn well sure that Andy Beshear needs to be the governor of the state. At the same event, Shameka Parrish-Wright, an organizer and candidate for Louisville Metro Council, said shes voting for Beshear out of strategy not because hes perfect. See, I can do whats right and do whats right for the people and have my personal feelings, Parrish-Wright said. Not electing Daniel Cameron is for the people. No matter how you feel, it is the right thing to do, to get in that poll and to vote. Willamette Falls, a horseshoe-shaped waterfall and the second largest by volume in the United States, holds ancestral and cultural significance to tribes. This story originally appeared on Underscore.news. On a cloudy September morning, dozens piled into kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and a canoe near the base of Willamette Falls. As they took to the water, Gerard Rodriguez, Yaqui and Nahua, spoke about the river and the importance of the falls to local tribes. This is a very important place that connects all of Indigenous country here in Oregon, said Rodriguez, associate director and director of tribal affairs at the Willamette Falls Trust, a megaphone projecting his voice across the water. This is an intertribal area that connects many different tribes the Yakama Nation, the Warm Springs people, Umatilla, Siletz, Grand Ronde and Nez Perce. So welcome here, to Indigenous land. The trip was part of the four-day Land Trust Alliance Rally, an annual conference where hundreds of representatives from land trusts from across the country gathered. It came the day after an unofficial part of the rally: a summit where nearly 100 Indigenous leaders discussed the historic problems with land trusts, most notably the lack of Indigenous values and leadership, and how organizations should be doing it better. At the Indigenous Land Conservation Summit, participants envisioned a future where Indigenous voices and values are central to conversations about land protection, and how they overlap with Land Back efforts. Todays purpose is really making a space for Indigenous land practitioners who belong in this community of land trusts but are excluded from it, said Anna-Liza Victory, Cherokee, summit organizer and Oregon Land Justice Project manager. Land trusts: Acquisition and preservation Like many spheres in the climate activist world, land trusts have typically been dominated by white-led organizations. And as some Indigenous people at the event earlier this month expressed, for that reason these spaces have not always felt welcoming. The Land Trust Alliance, the group that holds the rally, stewards about 90 land trusts who own a good chunk of whats now known as the United States, said Gabe Sheoships, Cayuse/Walla Walla tribal citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, executive director at Friends of Tryon Creek. A large majority arent [Indigenous led] and dont have relationships with tribes, dont know about tribes in general. Land trusts are conservation organizations that focus on land acquisition and preservation, traditionally using a model of conservation easements. A conservation easement is an agreement between a private land owner and a land trust or government agency that limits the use of the land and allows the property owner to retain many private property rights. So a land owner might make an agreement with a land trust to hold their land, in order to protect and preserve it in perpetuity. But baked in are ideas that originate in colonial culture some of the same ideas that created the need land trusts seek to fill. Many land trust projects dont include public access to land. When they do, there is often an idea that human access should be limited in order to preserve the land, according to Victory. Land trusts usually prioritize activities like hiking, while limiting the ability to hunt, fish and gather food and medicine. This excludes Indigenous people and their inherent right to the land, as well as their knowledge as stewards of the land since time immemorial. Limiting those activities erases their value as stewardship activities, Rodriguez said. The word conservation is extremely problematic because were not conserving the land for non-human interaction. Thats a very Western idea, Rodriguez said. As Indigenous people, we think about how humans and our populations have always been, to use one of their terms, a keystone species, just like every other part of the circle. In that sense, conservation easements are contrary to the efforts of the Land Back movement, perpetuating colonial ideas of land ownership and of an inherent separation between humans and the land that makes restricting their interactions a good thing. [Land trusts] need to get away from conservation easements and that feeling that there is always going to be a need to control how Indigenous people are on the land, Victory said. Indigenizing land trusts Oregon is home to over 25 land trusts, according to the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts website. Collectively, land trusts in Oregon own around 2 percent of the state while the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon own only around 1 percent, according to Sheoships. With a goal to counter this and expand Indigenous access, ownership and land stewardship, the Oregon Land Justice Project formed in 2020. Before the project launched into land justice work, land trusts from around the state spent nine months hearing from Indigenous speakers and educating themselves about the history of Native land loss. The group focused on learning how land trusts run by non-Native people can move toward Indigenous-centered efforts. Now, the project is involved in a variety of land justice efforts, most recently through a newly established fund called the Indigenous Land Relationship Fund. The goal of the fund is to support Indigenous-led projects to reconnect with land, culture and first foods. Our idea was an inter-tribal, statewide collective that would be able to work with folks in different geographic areas, cultural areas, navigating tribal histories and different tribal relationships, said Sheoships, facilitator at the Oregon Land Justice Project. Our teachings to the land trusts encompassed all of that, kind of modeled after other projects in the country. Oregon Land Justice Project works with land trusts across Oregon to educate, build relationships and create organizational change, shifting the model of land trusts and creating space for Indigenous leadership to be front and center. The project is inspired by First Light New Learning Community, based in Maine. First Light is made up of the land trust community in Maine and the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac communities of the Wabanaki Confederacy, working to return land to Wabanaki people. Representatives from First Light were at the Tribal Summit, where they shared some of the organizations work serving as a bridge between conservation organizations and the Wabanaki Confederacy. Its the most amazing opportunity to have this idea of land returning to us and working with land trusts who, up until this point, I think a lot of Indigenous people, we saw them as on the taker side of this equation, said Darren Ranco, Penobscot, a member of the planning team for the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship. For them to recognize a role in that and then a responsibility to Native people, its been really amazing. In Maine, 90 percent of the land is privately owned and 23 percent is stewarded by conservation organizations, while the Wabanaki people only legally steward 1.2 percent of their ancestral lands, according to First Light. This year, First Light has helped facilitate the return of 40,000 acres to the Wabanaki people. The organization also made a $1 million deposit into a new fund, the Land Recognition Fund, which will be held by the Wabanaki commission to make grants that help deepen connection with the land. Returning land is only the first step, said Peter Forbes, founder of First Light. A beacon for tribal communities Though Willamette Falls Trust hosted a field trip during the Land Trust Alliance Rally, its not actually a land trust. In working to create public access for the first time in nearly two centuries at the second-largest waterfall by volume in North America, the Willamette Falls Trust is guided by Indigenous leaders and the human relationships intertwined with the culturally and historically important site. The land where the project will be developed an island on the west side of Willamette Falls is still owned by Portland General Electric. PGE runs a power plant at the falls. The project at Willamette Falls began as a conversation between four local municipalities about creating access to the falls for their constituents it has since evolved to being tribal-led, with a recognition of the deep significance of this site for local Indigenous tribes. First and foremost, the goal of the project at Willamette Falls is to expand access for Indigenous people, which will in turn expand access to the falls for everyone. Participants in the kayak trip to the falls discussed whether Willamette Falls Trust may be an example of a different, and perhaps better, model. I think of this project here, with Willamette Falls Trust and the tribes and jurisdictions, as a paradigm for how land trusts could be involved, Owen Wozniak, land transactions program manager at the Land Trust Alliance, said during the trip. Despite the work of groups like Oregon Land Justice Project, many land trusts across the country, and most who attended the Land Trust Alliance Rally, are not Indigenous-led. In that context, Willamette Falls Trust could serve as an example of how to transition any public access project to a model based on collaboration and shared leadership with local tribes. We want this to be a beacon for tribal communities, a success for all Indigenous people on this land, to be able to recognize that we always can change the way that we interact with others, lean into our sovereignty and lead from a place of Indigeneity, Rodriguez said. Underscore is a nonprofit collaborative reporting team in Portland focused on investigative reporting and Indian Country coverage. We are supported by foundations, corporate sponsors and donor contributions. Follow Underscore on Facebook and Twitter. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Are land trusts part of the Indigenous-led Land Back movement? For decades, the terms pro-life and pro-choice have defined the struggle over abortion rights. Although simplistic, they are common shorthand for the values of the movements to restrict or expand access to abortion. But the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade last year catalyzed a shift in how politicians and advocates talk about abortion rights, with many no longer considering those terms sufficient to capture their principles. Highlighting this trend, the organization formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice America announced that it would rename itself Reproductive Freedom for All on Wednesday. We discovered that people intrinsically think of abortion as an issue of personal freedom, said Angela Vasquez-Giroux, the organizations vice president of communications and research, about the decision to change its name. Meanwhile, Republican politicians are also struggling with the language of the movement that has long identified as pro-life. Polling by One Nation, a nonprofit aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, found that voters broadly support restrictions on abortion after 12 to 15 weeks but associate the phrase pro-life with a flat ban on all abortion. Earlier this month, the head of One Nation presented this research at a meeting of GOP senators. Former President Donald Trumpwho appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court during his time in office, ensuring the fall of Roehas also attempted to tack to a more moderate abortion position, criticizing Floridas six-week abortion ban and openly worrying about how emphasizing restricting abortion access could hurt Republican electoral prospects. As both sides reckon with their missions future, the language that they use to identify their purpose is instructive and could provide a blueprint for politicians struggling to define their own positions. Choice, freedom, and justice The term pro-choice has not fallen out of favor with voters; rather, many abortion rights advocates believe it insufficiently expansive to describe the movements evolved goals. Vasquez-Giroux explained how her organization sees the distinction between freedom and choice: Its impossible to make a choice about obtaining an abortion when one lives in a state where access to the procedure is severely restricted. For decades, even under Roe, people may have had the right to access abortion care on paper, but they didnt have it in reality, Vasquez-Giroux said in an interview. For us, its understanding that you dont have a choice if you cant exercise it. By centering the most impacted people, Reproductive Freedom for All hopes to give them a political home where they can make the impact and make the change that they want, Vasquez-Giroux said. She described the name change not as a shift in priorities but as a way to more accurately explain their mission. Reproductive freedom is not the only term advocates promote: Many prefer to emphasize reproductive justice, which Black women supporting expanding abortion access created in 1994, and which includes the right to end a pregnancy; the right to carry out a wanted pregnancy; and the right to raise a child in a safe, healthy, and just society. In the blog post announcing NARAL Pro-Choice Americas language change, the organization acknowledged our partners in the reproductive justice movement for pointing out the choice-based languages flaws. The term reproductive freedom has been used for decades, said Mary Ziegler, a University of California, Davis law professor who has written multiple books on the history of abortion access. The phrase could be a useful framework for red state politicians who support abortion rights and for campaigns to approve ballot initiatives protecting abortion access, she said. Gallup polling shows that 34 percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal under any circumstances, compared to 51 percent who believe it should be legal only under certain circumstancesand abortion rights supporters see that slim majority as persuadable voters. You can make reproductive freedom compatible with the idea of reproductive justice, said Ziegler. It can sound a whole lot like choice to the uninitiated but it can also sound like its part of the reproductive justice agenda for those who need to hear that. The definitional gaps between terms like pro-choice, reproductive freedom, and reproductive justice illustrate how audiences can perceive different messages depending on their perspectivethe language around abortion can obscure as much as it illuminates. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren told me that she believes the words are less important than clarity of position among abortion rights supporters, which is that abortion is necessary health care. Im open minded about people using whatever terms they want, so long as were clear that ultimately, were talking about a full range of health care services that are available to every person that wants it, Warren said. Concerns about pro-life Although the terms pro-life and pro-choice are static, their meanings have evolved for average Americans. With few exceptions, more Americans have identified as pro-choice than pro-life since 1995, according to annual polling by Gallup. Ziegler noted that the number of Americans identifying as pro-life surged during the early and mid-2010s, when Republican politicians frequently raised concerns about so-called partial-birth abortions. However, while pro-life became more popular, the number of people supporting abortion rights did not actually change significantly, she said. In recent years, the affiliation with the term pro-life has declined. In May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court overturned Roe, 55 percent of Americans identified as pro-choicea near-record high. Although that number slipped to 52 percent in May 2023, the change still shows that voters see pro-life and pro-choice differently than they did just a few years ago. Ironically, the term pro-life was long viewed by supporters as one of those ultimate P.R. coups, said Zieglerafter all, no politician wants to say theyre against life. The fact that Republicans are moving away from that is not because theres anything inherently wrong, from a rhetorical strategy standpoint, in saying youre pro-life, Ziegler explained. But its become so seemingly politically costly that Republicans dont want anything to do with [it]. Republican Senator Kevin Cramer told me that it was important for abortion-restriction supporters to have clarity of communication. Pro-life has come to mean something extreme to a lot of people, he said. Just like pro-choice has come to mean pro-abortion, pro-life has come to mean no exceptions. ... I probably come from a place where being pro-life is probably the easiest way to say it, but not everybody does, and I understand that. We certainly dont want to confuse people and appear uncompassionate. Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican who has criticized her party on abortion, told me that it was important to both use language and implement policy that was pro-woman and pro-life. We cant be assholes to women, and thats what we have been, Mace said. Many of the positions and statements weve made are hurting us across the country. And I know that our message of compassion and caring can resonate with people, with women and with voters, if we just have the will to do it. Although the abortion rights movement is often conflated with the Democratic Party, and abortion opponents are considered synonymous with Republicans, the reality is not so neat. For decades, it has been enough for Republican candidates to simply say they support conservative justices and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. With the federal right to an abortion in place, any other stance was moot: It didnt matter as much if a politician supported, say, a six-week ban instead of a 12-week ban on the procedure, because neither would stand up in federal court. But in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, Republican candidates must stake out a more specific stance on abortion accessand carefully choose language that will mollify their conservative base without repelling moderate Republicans and independents. The Dobbs decision created a new political situation for the Republican Party, in which Republican politicians had to think more seriously about their positions on abortionand how they want to market those positionsthan they did before, said Daniel K. Williams, a historian who has written books about the Christian right and the anti-abortion movement pre-Roe. The pro-life mission However, members of the anti-abortion movement may not be so eager to discard pro-life. It is not simply a party platform but a philosophy. Indeed, one of the most powerful political organizations supporting abortion-restriction candidates, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, has been increasingly tetchy about Republicans shying away from a federal abortion ban. In April, the group condemned Trump for saying that the Supreme Court had returned the issue of abortion to states, and said that it would oppose any candidate who did not support a 15-week ban on the procedure. (Trump has still not endorsed such a federal law.) In another indication of its commitment to the pro-life terminology, the organization roasted NARAL Pro-Choice Americas decision to rebrand. NARALs decision to abandon their pro-choice label is just another example of the radical abortion lobby lifting the curtain to show Americans their true agenda, said E.V. Osment, SBA Pro-Life Americas vice president of communications, in a statement on Thursday. In a statement to The New Republic, another spokesperson for SBA Pro-Life America added: The pro-life movement embraces the label of pro-life, unlike the pro-abortion side that runs from its former label of pro-choice, turning from safe, legal, rare abortions to an abortion on demand for any reason platform. Some GOP lawmakers believe that pro-life need not be framed as an extreme position. Public opinion on abortion is indeed nuanced: An April NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that 66 percent of Americans believe that abortion should, at most, be legal in the first three months of a pregnancy, and a July AP/NORC poll found that 51 percent of Americans think abortion should be legal through the first 15 weeks of pregnancyin both polls, support for abortion decreased as pregnancy progresses. Republican Senator Thom Tillis identifies as a pro-life conservative but noted to me that he supports reasonable exceptions for rape, incest, and the health of the mother. I feel like we should feel comfortable with it, we should communicate it this way, and we should go in with the confidence of knowing 60 to 70 percent support that policy when they understand what the alternative is, Tillis said. He also argued that it was a winning issue, noting that he defeated a Democratic incumbent in the 2014 Senate race after shepherding a pro-life bill through the legislature as state House speaker. Policy still rules Politicians may begin throwing alternative terms at the wall and seeing what sticks. At the conference meeting where One Nation shared polling with senators, GOP Senator Todd Young suggested using the phrase pro-baby to describe the Republican position. Williams, the historian, was skeptical of such efforts, however. Any perceived change in terminology on the pro-life side is not likely to have the staying power of changes in terminology on the abortion rights side, he predicted. The terms pro-life and right to life have been embedded in the very structure of the movement for more than 50 years and speak to its supporters fundamental values. Reproductive justice and reproductive freedom may end up having some real appeal and real staying power, but a term like pro-baby is unlikely to be something that were talking about in a few years, Williams continued. For her part, Vasquez-Giroux was just as critical of the idea that Republicans could shift away from pro-life as SBA Pro-Life America was about NARALS rebrand. Although some Republican politicians do not believe the term should necessarily signify support for banning all abortion, she believes that is still their core missionand what most Americans will continue to identify as the definition of pro-life. I hope they spend all their money doing this, right? But its not going to be effective so long as the truth remains, and the policy remains, that their goal is to ban abortion, Vasquez-Giroux said. Thats what people dont want, and thats what theyre hell-bent on, and when those two things come into conflict, voters will win every time. While most of the grand hotels of the early 1900s are no longer around, the White House Hotel in Biloxi is still standing strong and has quite a family history. Its story begins back in the 1890s when Walter A. White purchased a beach-front plot of land in Biloxi that once housed the Gorenflo Oyster Co. Walter would use thousands of oyster shells to fill in the swamps covering the land and would build a small hill on the property that would house his new dwelling. He also planted seven oak trees, which still shade the White House Hotels exterior to this day. Walter finished construction of his victorian-era home around 1895, then began devoting most of his time to establishing his own law office. His wife, Cora White, would ultimately play a pivotal role in the hotels origin. Cora was left to take care of the home, especially as it became a refuge for relatives and friends visiting the Mississippi Coast over the summers. After several years of this, Cora grew increasingly annoyed by the constant cooking, cleaning and entertainment she was expected to provide for their familial guests. One spring, she decided to type up a price sheet for services and mailed it to their relatives living out of state, also asking that they make future reservations well in advance. According to Walter and Coras great-granddaughter, Bettie Allen Fore, half of the relatives who usually stayed during the summer did not bother to reply or visit that year. With such a relief, Cora decided to establish her own boarding home for guests to stay throughout the entire year. While Walter focused on his law practice and later became a Circuit Court judge, Cora began housing and caring for visitors to their home, which constituted mostly schoolteachers initially. By 1904, the allure of Mississippis pristine beaches was drawing more visitors to the Coast and provided Coras Boarding House with steady clientele. By 1910, its reputation had grown rapidly and it was marked as the leading hotel of Biloxi. Some famous individuals also stayed at the hotel during this time, including Theodore Roosevelt and, allegedly, Al Capone. The property itself expanded as well, with the Whites acquiring several neighboring plots and homes. Two of these new additions were joined together and became the grand front lobby and dining room, complete with a generous front porch adorned with classical pillars and a second-floor balcony. The Daily Herald newspaper reported in July 1915 that an orchestra of talented musicians from New Orleans has been secured for the White House. Going forward, Cora ensured that at least three musical performances were scheduled each night. By the 1920s, Coras Boarding House was no longer a modest Victorian home, but had evolved into an elegant establishment attracting visitors from across the country. This earned it the reputation as the Gulf Coasts crown jewel. The commitment to quality was evident in every aspect of its operation, from fresh-cut flowers in the dining room, fresh poultry and eggs gathered from home-raised chickens, to the milk sourced from Jersey cows, all gathered from the backyard. Their sons, Walter and John, also would help with the family business, eventually overseeing the construction of the white stucco structure that stands today. Although many assume that its name is inspired by the exterior color, or as an homage to the presidential residence in DC, the hotel came to be known as White House Hotel in honor of its original founders. Columns and balconies stand out on the four-story White House Hotel and Events Center that will be built on the corner of U.S. 90 and White Avenue in Biloxi. During this time, Walter also visited the General Electric plant in Lynn, Massachusetts, which inspired him to create his own color fountain in front of their Biloxi business. This fountain, which is now owned by the city of Biloxi, features cascading sprays of water illuminated by colored lights, captivating guests and passersby alike. According to Tessy Lambert, the chief marketing officer for Lodging and Leisure Investments, there are plans in the works for the hotel to reacquire the fountain. Famed architect George B. Rogers oversaw the addition of two Spanish colonial annexes in the late 1920s, which today form the Center and East Wings of the property. Love ownership Cora White passed away in 1934, and the hotel changed ownership to Jimmy Love, Jr. soon after. Under his lead, the hotel underwent several renovations and gained a swimming pool. However, as the decades passed, the hotel continuously changed hands, losing its charm with each sale. At one point in the early 80s, a small, yet vulgar bar called Amelias became the center of frustration for the local community until the entire building was finally boarded up in 1988. James S. Love III, the heir to Jimmy Love, purchased the hotel in 1989 with the intention of restoring it to its former glory, but several issues, including 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, halted the funding. Over the years, the hotel suffered wear from the elements and plans were formulated to have the historic structure demolished. Fortunately, the property was sold to Lodging and Leisure Investments in 2013 and extensive renovations culminated in the hotel being reopened in August 2014. The worn and damaged structure was repaired and its furniture was replaced, while the hotel gained another addition, Coras Restaurant and Bar, which is named in honor of the hotels original founder. Everybody that has touched that building has loved it as much as Cora and Walter White did, said Lambert. I think it is evident with how long it has stood the test of time. Today, the White House Hotel stands as a unique and fascinating blend between Coastal Mississippi history and charming modernization and restoration inspired by Walter and Coras original vision. Legislative leaders appointed a 10-member panel on Monday to determine whether Tennessee can reject $1.8 billion in federal funding for education, and recommend a strategy for how to do so before the legislature reconvenes in January. Tennessee receives $1.8 billion in Title I, IDEA, and other federal program funding each year, which support low-income students, students with disabilities, and school lunch programs. Tennessee would be the first state to undertake a rejection of federal education funds, if lawmakers move on the panels recommendations in January. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, repeatedly expressed interest in rejecting federal education funding during the legislative session earlier this year, citing federal mandates attached to the funding such as standardized testing like the TCAP. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, during a House session at the Capitol on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Appointing a working group is a first step toward the possible move. The Joint Working Group on Federal Education Funding appointed Monday by Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, will review what funding state and local governments in Tennessee receive from the federal government, how the funding is used, whether the state could provide the same services, and whether it would be feasible to reject the funds. The education of our youth is one of the essential responsibilities of our government, McNally said. Federal dollars and the various mandates and restrictions that come with those dollars affect the way Tennessees children are educated. Due to our states excellent financial position, this is a worthy subject of examination and study. Working group members are tasked with recommending a strategy for how to reject the federal funds by Jan. 9 the day the legislature is scheduled to return to session next year. "It would allow us to create an education system that fits the Tennessee model and allow teachers to teach without the federal government trying to tell us what to do," Sexton said in February, adding that the state would cover the $1.8 billion in programs funded federally, if it chose to reject the funding. "The state will pick up the cost and still fund those things, but we will be free of the federal regulations." This working group will help provide a clearer picture of how much autonomy Tennessee truly has in educating our students," Sexton said in a statement Monday. Announcement of the working group comes after the state reported a modest dip in revenue amid tax holidays last month. Democrats roundly criticized Sextons proposal to reject the federal funds when he first floated the idea. House Minority Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, said the move would be a fiscally irresponsible decision that would directly jeopardize the integrity of our public school system. When you cut all federal funding, and lose that money, not only do you jeopardize those Title I, IDEA, SNAP programs you're then putting the state in a position where you have to fill in that void, Clemmons told reporters in February. You're really making Tennessee taxpayers pay twice for the same underfunded public school system in the state of Tennessee. Education Commissioner Lizette Gonzalez Reynolds did not respond to a request for comment. Elizabeth Johnson, a spokesperson for Gov. Bill Lee indicated that the governor is not opposed to rejecting federal education funds. "Gov. Lee looks forward to reviewing the legislative working group's findings and remains committed to working with the General Assembly to ensure all Tennessee students have access to a high-quality education, while pushing back on federal overreach," Johnson wrote in an email to The Tennessean. House and Senate Education Chairs Debra Moody, R-Covington, and John Lundberg, R-Bristol, will co-chair the committee. Other members include: Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald Sen. Bill Powers, R-Clarksville Sen. Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge Rep. Timothy Hill, R-Blountville Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville In a statement Monday, Akbari emphasized federal education funding as key to schools in economically disadvantaged areas, and reducing disparities in education quality, and supporting students with "specialized services and interventions that might otherwise be unaffordable." "The harsh consequences of rejecting this $1.8 billion in funding cannot be overstated," Akbari said. "Through this committee, I will advocate that Tennessee keep accepting these necessary funds. After all, our tax dollars should be used to support Tennessee students, not students in other states." A date and time for the working groups meetings has not yet been announced. Vivian Jones covers state government for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X and Threads at @Vivian_E_Jones. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Legislative panel to explore rejecting Tennessee's share of federal education money Lego is abandoning an attempt to make its colorful, iconic building pieces from recycled plastic bottles just two years after first announcing one of the central facets of its ongoing sustainability push. Despite the setback, the Denmark-based company reiterated its commitment to reduce its overall environmental impact, and per the Associated Press , still aims to make Legos from sustainable materials by 2032. Speaking with CNN on Monday, a Lego spokesperson claimed the companys extensive testing had revealed that replacement requires additional production steps and investment into new equipment would actually produce more pollution than Legos current operations. The PET alternative also reportedly proved not as durable or safe as existing acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) blocks, and didn't properly match Lego blocks' trademark "clutch power." [Related: Super Glue could make it easier to recycle plastic .] The popular toymaker first announced a new block prototype based on a recycled plastic bottle compound called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in 2021part of a project to transition away from oil-based plastics which began in 2018. Even in the prototypes reveal, however, the company cautioned it would be some time before builders could expect a more eco-friendly recycled brick to appear on store shelves. The formula reportedly required further testing and development before moving into a pilot production phase expected to take at least a year. Unfortunately, this pilot phase appears to not only take longer than expected, but ultimately fail to produce a viable replacement for the oil-based bricks. According to AP News , Lego states it is currently testing and developing Lego bricks made from a range of alternative sustainable materials, including other recycled plastics and plastics made from alternative sources such as e-methanol. Made from hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide, e-methanol (aka green methanol) employs renewable energy to split water molecules during its energy production. We believe that in the long-term this will encourage increased production of more sustainable raw materials, such as recycled oils, and help support our transition to sustainable materials, the company said via AP . The backtracking comes barely a week after Lego CEO Niels B. Christiansen issued a statement ahead of the UN General Assembly reaffirming their companys commitment to climate sustainability. The pledge included an aim to make the company carbon neutral by 2050 alongside a $1.4 billion investment in sustainability-related activities. The funding is reportedly earmarked for projects such as carbon neutral buildings, increasing renewable energy production and capacity across Lego stores, offices, and factories, as well as partnering with suppliers to collectively reduce environmental impact. But while Legos PET project appears to have hit a significant hurdle, the company confirmed that a sustainable, sugarcane-derived version of polyethylene called bio-polypropylene made from sugarcane will still be used for certain parts of Lego sets, mainly accessory items such as trees and leaves. Michigan State University has no basis to fire head football coach Mel Tucker for cause, he and his attorney wrote Monday in a 25-page letter excoriating the university for what they called an unfair and biased investigation into sexual harassment allegations. The letter comes a week after athletic director Alan Haller gave Tucker notice that he would fire him for cause. That notice came in response to a USA TODAY investigation that revealed the allegations by prominent rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy, who filed a complaint against Tucker in December that remains under investigation. "This is nothing more than the schools (sic) knee-jerk reaction to negative publicity brought on by Ms. Tracys release of the 1200-page investigation file to the national media," Jennifer Belveal, Tucker's attorney, wrote in the letter. Investigation: Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker accused of sexually harassing rape survivor Belveal reiterated arguments that Tucker has made throughout the case, including that the university lacked jurisdiction to investigate his "private life." He contends he and Tracy, whom he had hired to speak to his team about sexual violence, had developed a romantic relationship, which led to them having consensual "phone sex." Tracy denies ever expressing any interest in Tucker romantically and alleges that Tucker masturbated and made sexual comments about her without her consent during an April 2022 phone call. "By that logic, no one can ever start a relationship with anyone they met through work, even if it was just at a one-time work assignment or function!" Belveal wrote. Michigan State spokesperson Dan Olsen said the university has received the letter and is in the process of reviewing it to determine next steps. The school had given him seven days to respond to Haller's Sept. 18 notice and outline his reasons as to why he should keep his job. Michigan State's head coach Mel Tucker walks the field before the football game against Central Michigan on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Michigan State suspended Tucker without pay on Sept. 10, hours after Tracy went public for the first time with her story in USA TODAY. Eight days later, Haller told Tucker he was firing him based on the conduct Tucker already had admitted to the university's outside investigator, including masturbating on the phone, even though Tucker claimed it was consensual. "It is decidedly unprofessional and unethical to flirt, make sexual comments, and masturbate while on the phone with a University vendor," Haller's letter said. "The unprofessional and unethical behavior is particularly egregious given that the Vendor at issue was contracted by the University for the sole purpose of educating student-athletes on, and preventing instances of, inappropriate sexual misconduct." Haller had also cited the public statements Tucker had made after the USA TODAY investigation, which accused the university of "ulterior motives" and conducting a "sham" process designed to fire him. Tucker's contract requires him to keep his comments about the university "positive" and "constructive." "Nothing in the Agreement requires Tucker to stand by and watch as his reputation and career are maligned based on allegations that should not trigger coverage under" school policies, Belveal wrote. In the letter, Belveal attached a copy of an "expert witness" report she and Tucker had previously commissioned from Brett Sokolow, who argued that the university must drop Tracy's complaint. Sokolow co-founded and serves as board chair of the Association of Title IX Administrators, a professional organization for school officials. "Can an employee never have phone sex?" Sokolow said in his report, written in May. "Only with another non-employee or non-vendor? Can they view pornography? Have an extra-marital affair? How far does MSU intend to go in policing the private conduct of its employees, and how does it expect its 20,000+ employees to react when they find out that they no longer have private lives outside the reach of their employer?" Tucker did not breach the agreement or engage in any unprofessional or unethical conduct "by any stretch of the imagination," Belveal wrote. The university merely accepted Tracy's allegations as fact before a hearing on the sexual harassment claims scheduled for Oct. 5 and 6, she said. Tucker, she added, is "just the fall guy for the University's negligence and malfeasance." Last week, a USA TODAY analysis of more than 1,200 pages of case documents found Tucker repeatedly changed his story and made false and misleading statements to the investigator. Belveal, however, repeated in the letter Monday her assertion that the school's investigation is tilted in Tracy's favor, calling it "truncated and inept." "If the University investigated your private life or that of any other employee," Belveal wrote, "it would certainly find something 'embarrassing' to presumably justify your or their termination." Kenny Jacoby is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY covering sexual harassment and violence and Title IX. Contact him by email at kjacoby@usatoday.com or follow him on X @kennyjacoby. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mel Tucker, Michigan State football coach, claims no basis for firing A new apartment complex is under construction in L.A.'s Palms neighborhood in 2020. (Andrew Khouri / Los Angeles Times) To the editor: It is a myth that building more expensive market-rate housing will result in lower housing prices. ("The California conundrum: Fewer people, more homes, but an acute housing shortage," Sept. 18) Supply-side economists insist that the rule of supply and demand works in the housing market, but housing prices keep going up no matter how many homes are built, even with a population decline. This is because housing is considered an investment, not a necessity. Homelessness is a result of a dearth of affordable housing, as explained in detail in a UC San Francisco report from June. We have to provide housing at all income levels for sure, but we have to provide housing particularly for lower-income tenants. Housing and homeownership are out of reach for a number of reasons, including: Developers outbid first-time home buyers, pay cash for homes and flip them for exorbitant prices; corporate landlord investors are pushing the upper limits of rent, harassing tenants and filing evictions; the increase in short-term rentals removes long-term housing from the rental market; the loss of rent-stabilized housing is occurring more rapidly than ever; and many more reasons. Jane Demian, Los Angeles .. To the editor: The ill-advised and shortsighted decision by the L.A. City Council and then-Mayor Eric Garcetti to include single-family homes in Los Angeles' eviction moratorium has only served to worsen L.A.'s housing crisis. Many single-family homes are rented out by mom-and-pop landlords who, during the moratorium, were forced into foreclosure because they received no rent for months or even years. And when the small landlords gave up, who swooped in and bought many of the houses? Large corporations with deep pockets that jacked up rents and made it harder to qualify for a lease. Jocelyn Weisdorf, Santa Barbara .. To the editor: Thank you for the excellent article on the persistent housing shortage amid a population decline. After reading this piece, I think I understand why demand (and therefore prices) for homes is rising here despite lower growth and an increase in the number of units built in recent years. I am curious, however, about why it makes sense to build more housing faster when our state faces challenges such as a dramatic (and likely continuing) decline in water supplies, stubborn air pollution and more. Wouldn't it make sense to conserve our environmental resources by not rushing to build more housing? Michael Hertel, Claremont This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. STAR checks, which gives homeowners a break on school property taxes, are headed to New Yorkers this fall. Our property taxes can't handle the wave caused by school vouchers If you think your property taxes are going sky high now, just wait until universal private school voucher expansion hits exponential growth as predicted by Senate President Matt Huffman in the Dispatch article "1,000 applications a day: Ohio's new universal voucher program exceeds cost estimates" (Sept.13, 2023). One billion in public tax dollars paying for private and religious school tuition will turn into 2 billion... 2 billion to 4 billion...4 billion to 16 billion and so on. Opinion: Letters: Yost, DeWine and Gonidakis have no right to play daddy More: 1,000 applications a day: Ohio's new universal voucher program exceeds cost estimates Our precious property taxes cannot fully fund public, private, religious and charter schools; four separate systems of education in Ohio. Our country was founded on the principle of separation of church and state. Ohio's constitution states that public tax dollars are for one system of common public schools only. Local public-school districts, including Worthington, Columbus, Bexley, Westerville, Reynoldsburg, Gahanna Jefferson and South-Western City Schools are joining 250 public school districts in the Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit against the state of Ohio. Hundreds of Ohio public school districts are seeing the writing on the wall; the state paying billions of dollars a year for private school tuition will bankrupt local property taxpayers and bleed Ohio's public-school districts dry. Barry Alcock, Groveport Believing everybody cheats? Sep 19, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, United States; Ohio Governor Mike DeWine listens during a press conference addressing the new initiatives being taken to identify guns that are being used in violent crimes to trace them back to their owners. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro approved automatic voter registration in his state. Why doesn't Ohio have automatic voter registration? I urge all Ohio citizens to call their state elected officials and ask that question. Keep in mind, when you call, that many of these representatives are in office because of gerrymandering, which Ohio voted overwhelmingly to eliminate in 2015, and again in 2018. More: LaRose: Radical teachers' unions wrong. Kids should not be forced to attend failing schools Again, the question to ask is why doesn't Ohio have automatic voter registration? If and when you get an answer, keep in mind why an Ohio government representative might be opposed to automatic voter registration. Could the lack of trust in the public be related to the old saying that "cheaters believe that everybody cheats?" Mike Halaiko, Pickerington Don't worry Jack Re "Former zoo execs face 90-count felony indictment," Sept. 20: Tom Stalf, former president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo, Gregory Bell, ex-chief financial officer of the Zoo and Peter Fingerhut, former marketing Director of the Zoo were indicted on 89 felony counts of fraud. For more that 10 years these three "extorted, conspired, bribed and stole over $2 million in public funds for their own benefits - money that belonged to a charitable organization," stated Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Thus, Jack Hanna's life's work to establish the Columbus Zoo as a world-class facility recognized internationally GONE. Columbus Zoo director Jack Hanna holds 1-year-old twin gorillas Macombo II, also known as Mac, and Mosuba in 1984. Mac II and Mosuba were the first twin gorillas to be born at a U.S. zoo. At least for now. Unbelievably, these thoughtless individuals had the audacity to not only violate the public trust but also smear the legacy that Jack Hanna created for his beloved Zoo and the Columbus community. Letters: Jack Hanna's heartbreaking journey will shed light on disease that wreaks lives Thankfully Jack will not know of the deception and the greed-driven and criminal behavior of these men. Worry not, Jack, for we will restore the Columbus Zoo's good name. Count on it. Ruth W. Johnson, Columbus Letters to the Editor More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch I do not want to go to a nursing home The Sept. 18 article, "Nursing homes struggling with staff shortages," was an informative piece of journalism. I will be turning 84 next month and am very concerned and scared, as to what my very near future might be. I do realize that I have options and have started informing my family, friends, etc. what I do not want; and I do not want to be admitted into a nursing home. My major decision/choice is to commit suicide. When the time comes, I plan to sit out in the snow on a very cold bitter night in the nude. I had three major careers in my life and the last one was managing a 383-bed nursing home. I do not want to have tubes placed inside my body. I could go on, but your article carried the day. Doug MacKechnie, Pataskala The bedroom is for sleeping Screens are keeping our kids from sleeping, so parents need to remove them from the bedroom. This issue runs far deeper than kids staying up past bedtime to watch just one more episode or beat just one more level. Our bodies are trained to sleep when it is dark and be awake when it is light. Studies have shown that bright lights from electronic screens, even from screens as small as a cell phone, literally affect the chemicals in the brain, causing a decrease in the naturally produced sleep hormone melatonin. Eight out of ten Ohio high school students are not getting sufficient sleep, and unsurprisingly nearly all U.S. adolescents report having at least one electronic device in their bedroom. Setting up our children for success includes ensuring they sleep. The bedroom is for sleeping, not for gaming, watching or texting. Screens do not belong in the bedroom. Dr. Mara Cohen, Columbus Vote no to protect our innocent babies This letter is in response to Emily Savors column on August 31. As a registered nurse for 31 years, I can tell you that you did not have an abortion. You had a miscarriage followed by a D and C. You even say in your column remove the dead fetus." An abortion is done when the fetus is alive. About 50% of women who have a fetus that dies in the uterus do not need to have a Dilation and curettage (D&C). Unfortunately, you needed to have a D&C because your provider believed that you would not expel the fetus on your own. Worthington mother: An abortion saved my life and made the family I have now possible I think it says a lot about a society that worships abortions so readily. According to the CDC, in 2020 there were 620,327 abortions reported. This is absolutely heartbreaking and unnecessary. This is not normal behavior. The answer to the increased mortality rates that you referenced in pregnant women is not to just have more abortions. This does not solve the problem. Why do you feel it necessary to say that you had an abortion when it is simply not true. I will be voting no in November to protect our innocent babies and I urge you to vote no, too. Judie Thompson, Delaware People don't deserve handouts My local cleaner is closing early for lack of workers. My cute Grandview clothing shop Cub Shrub where I shop for my grandchild, is doing sporadic closing because they dont have enough staff. I think we dont work because we suffer from post COVID laziness, and think the government is going to give us free money. Donald Trump sent us all a check and Joe Biden says we dont have to pay our student loans. That is the wrong message to send. I prefer President Bill Clintons approach of workfare that the government is here to give you a helping hand not a handout. Michael Oser, Columbus This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: EdChoice Ohio school voucher program is too expensive | letters Lii, the Pacific white-sided dolphin who was Lolitas companion at Miami Seaquarium, was moved Sunday night to SeaWorld of San Antonio, where he will be reunited with two offspring, former companion Piquet and three other members of his species. The 200-pound Lii, considered an elderly dolphin at his estimated age of 40, was transported in a container filled with cold water on a chartered Boeing 767 and accompanied by two veterinarians and a trainer. Liis trip was a success, said Dr. Christopher Dold, SeaWorlds chief zoological officer. Hes an older dolphin who has never moved before but he was very calm throughout the flight. We placed him in the water here early this morning and he is alert and interactive. He can see the other animals he will soon be living with. Once Lii is oriented to his new home in Texas, he will be moved into one of SeaWorlds largest habitats, a 2.5-million gallon pool, which he will share with Beluga whales and the other six Pacific white-sided dolphins. Lii, captured off the coast of California in 1983, had been living in the Whale Bowl tank with Lolita, the orca whale. Lolita, also known by her Native American name of Tokitae and nickname of Toki, died Aug. 18 at age 57 after spending 53 years as the star attraction at Seaquarium, which cited kidney failure as the cause of death. READ MORE: Lolita, the Miami Seaquarium orca, died Friday as hopes grew she would leave for the sea Former Seaquarium chief trainer Marni Wood with Tokitae, also known as Lolita, at the Whale Bowl at the Miami Seaquarium. Lolita died on Aug. 18, 2023, at the Seaquarium. Our main aim was to provide the best welfare for Lii at a place where he could live with other dolphins of his species, said Dr. Guillermo Sanchez, chief veterinary officer for The Dolphin Company, which owns Seaquarium and 29 other facilities throughout the world. As soon as Toki died, we started immediately to plan Liis future. San Antonio has a lot of experience with geriatric animals. After undergoing several mock moves at Seaquarium in the cold-water container, Liis flight departed Miami at 10 p.m. Sunday. READ MORE: Future uncertain for Lolitas dolphin companion The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries division approved the transfer. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) endorsed it. Once again, the compassionate professionals at SeaWorld have stepped up to provide a home and sanctuary for an animal in need, accepting the call to help the last remaining Pacific white-sided dolphin at Miami Seaquarium, said AZA President and CEO Dan Ashe. Safely translocating animals, between zoological facilities or for reintroductions into the wild, is standard practice among zoos, and SeaWorld is a leader among leaders. The Dolphin Company, which currently manages four AZA-accredited facilities, is committed to improving the facilities and standards of care at Miami Seaquarium. AZA hopes to continue working with them toward that goal. PETA criticizes move; Seaquarium says its best for dolphin The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) criticized the dolphins move to SeaWorld, saying a sea sanctuary would have been a better destination. Before Lolita died, Seaquarium was considering moving Lii with Lolita to a sea pen in Lolitas Pacific Northwest native waters. But Seaquarium determined, in collaboration with the San Antonio marine park, that SeaWorld was a safer place for Lii, who is nearing the end of his lifespan and has been in captivity and dependent on humans for nearly 40 years. By violating its promise to send Lii to a seaside sanctuary and condemning him to spend the rest of his life in yet another concrete cell, the Miami Seaquarium has failed this long-suffering dolphin, just as it failed Lolita, said PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman. Lii deserves the chance to return to his ocean home, to explore, dive, and finally feel some sense of freedom after years spent in a chlorinated concrete tank. PETA urges the Seaquarium to give him the peaceful oceanic retirement he is owed and send him to a seaside sanctuary. Read more: Lolita, the captive Miami Seaquarium orca, dies at 57 Seaquarium moved its other Pacific white-sided dolphins, Elelo and Loke a mother-and-son pair to Chicagos Shedd Aquarium on Aug. 3. Shedd and SeaWorld San Antonio are the only marine parks in the United States caring for the species. Im confident this is the best decision for Lii, said Sanchez, who added that a SeaWorld trainer came to Seaquarium before the move and one of Liis Seaquarium trainers went to San Antonio to help with the transition. Lii is an amazing animal and patient. He is super friendly and active. Ice is his favorite treat. He has a dynamic vocal repertoire and he was vocalizing during the flight. Lolita, or Tokitae, was being prepared for a possible cross country transfer to a sea pen off the coast of Washington when she died. For decades, activists and members of the Lummi Nation had protested Lolitas living conditions and called for the orca to be moved out of her Seaquarium tank. An elaborate plan, expected to cost $15-20 million, was taking shape with the nonprofit Friends of Toki leading the fundraising effort. A group of former trainers and vets said such a radical relocation would be too stressful for the elderly killer whale and advocated that Toki be moved to a larger tank at SeaWorld Orlando, which has orca experts on staff. Read more: Before Lolita died at Seaquarium, former vets had concerns Seaquarium is awaiting the results of Lolitas necropsy, which was performed at the University of Georgia. Samples were sent from the university to labs and we expect to receive the results soon, Sanchez said. Seaquarium to renew accreditation Sanchez also confirmed that Seaquarium will renew its accreditation with the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA), which expired last month when Seaquarium trainers needed to focus on Toki and Lii and we decided to pause the application process, he said. To reinstate its certificate, Seaquarium must undergo a comprehensive on-site audit with IMATA inspectors, IMATA said. Miami Seaquarium earned accreditation from IMATA in 2018 for its program to ensure the professional development of its zoological staff, said IMATA spokesman Michael Hunter. This accreditation, valid for a five-year term, signified Miami Seaquariums commitment to upholding the highest standards of positive reinforcement training, safety, and professional excellence. Seaquarium is accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) and the American Humane Society. Russell Brand has dismissed a recent report by multiple news outlets into sexual assault allegations against him. Russell Brand has dismissed a recent report by multiple news outlets into sexual assault allegations against him. London police are investigating allegations of non-recent sexual offenses in the U.K. after several women accused actor Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault. Following an investigation by Channel 4s Dispatches and The Sunday Times, the Met has received a number of allegations of sexual offences in London, Londons Metropolitan Police said in a statement Monday. While the police statement did not mention Brand by name, The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches recently published a joint investigation into alleged assaults by the actor. We have also received a number of allegations of sexual offences committed elsewhere in the country and will investigate these, the police statement continued. The offences are all non-recent. The investigation by the U.K. outlets featured multiple women who accused Brand of sexual assault and rape. One said Brand forcibly shoved his penis down her throat when she was 16 years old. Brand denied the allegations before they were released, saying on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was promiscuous but the relationships he had were always consensual. In a video posted Friday on X, Brand briefly acknowledged the allegations but mostly spoke about the British government and tech platforms censoring his content. Obviously, it has been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you have been presented with, Brand said in the video. The BBC removed some of Brands shows from its streaming service and YouTube blocked the comedian from earning money from its platform. Tavistock Wood Management dropped Brand as a client. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy is leading the investigation into sexual crimes in the U.K. We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us, Furphy said in a statement. We understand it can feel like a difficult step to take and I want to reassure that we have a team of specialist officers available to advise and support. Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website. Horn of Africa nations urge action on climate change, global system overhaul Xinhua) 08:54, September 25, 2023 Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (at the podium and on the screens), Djibouti's foreign affairs minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Rui) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework. Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. Hamza Abdi Barre, prime minister of Somalia, highlighted the "power of solidarity and cooperation" in an interconnected world and urged leaders to accelerate action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For his part, Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen asked world leaders: "Do we have the necessary political will to choose global partnership over geopolitical competition (and) are we prepared to work together towards a promising age of shared prosperity?" Hassen pointed out the unsettling reality that current policy decisions are heightening tensions, with poverty and hunger rising and the SDGs being undermined. He showcased Ethiopia's efforts for sustainable development and climate action, noting that its 10-year development plan aligned with the SDGs and the national Green Legacy Initiative to ensure development through rural and urban green programs. Regarding global security, the leader from Ethiopia underscored the importance of a system that honors the sovereignty of UN member states and prevents conflicts. "Reforming the Security Council is not a choice but an absolute necessity," he stressed, calling for permanent seats for Africa. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti's foreign affairs minister, highlighted the importance of bolstering multilateralism and global collaboration. There is a tendency to "group together into clubs," Youssouf said, adding that this "minilateralism" results in resistance to change in international institutions, thus worsening inequality and compounding geopolitical competition. Although this trend isn't irreversible, he noted that it demands significant investment to establish a system that reflects present geopolitical dynamics and strengthens close collaboration. Foreign Minister Youssouf also mentioned that Djibouti has achieved significant strides in diminishing malnutrition, managing the pandemic and synchronizing national strategies with the SDGs despite an uncertain global economic environment. The government also emphasized reducing poverty, fostering sustainable economic development, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, and investing in renewable energy and climate adaptation measures. Youssouf underscored the recent launch of Djibouti's inaugural 'wind park,' set to produce 60 megawatts of renewable energy. Osman Saleh Mohammed, Eritrea's Foreign Affairs Minister, emphasized that the United Nations needs to upgrade its structure and mandate to effectively fulfill its historic purpose. He emphasized that reforming the Security Council should not be limited to expanding membership. Hamza Abdi Barre (at the podium and on the screens), prime minister of Somalia, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling) Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen (at the podium and on the screens) delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling) Osman Saleh Mohammed (at the podium and on the screens), Eritrea's Foreign Affairs Minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Rui) Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti's foreign affairs minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Rui) Osman Saleh Mohammed, Eritrea's Foreign Affairs Minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Rui) Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling) Hamza Abdi Barre, prime minister of Somalia, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Three Marines have died at Parris Island in the last two-and-a-half months including two in last week but the Marine Corps is not releasing the causes. On Friday, Sgt. Yliana Hernandez, a 25-year-old water survival instructor from Volusia, Fla., was found dead at her residence. During her Marine Corps service, Hernandez, who was married, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and two Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals. In 2020, Hernandez was featured on a video on Marine TV called promoting resiliency. In it she talked about growing up in a small town where there was not much to do and being rebellious. She climbed towers around the baseball field and once filled the high school cafeteria with balloons full of crickets. But while others saw rebelliousness, the Marines saw Hernandezs fearlessness and said, this is good, we can work with this. They said, we can make you more. But I tell you this Im not afraid of being myself, Hernandez says in the video. I strive to show the world what I am and not what it wants me to be. On Wednesday, Cpl. Angel Acosta III, was found dead at his residence on Ladys Island by the Beaufort Count Sheriffs Office, Marines said. Acosta was a training clerk assigned to Headquarters and Service Battalion. The 25-year-old McAllen, Texas native leaves behind a one-month-old child. A screen capture of a gofundme.com campaign page for MCRD Parris Island drill instructor Angel Acosta who was found dead in an apartment on Wed., Sept. 20, 2023 on Ladys Island. gofundme.com Acosta was known for his smile and charisma and compassion, effort and passion and perseverance and sense of humor. During his time in the Marines, Acosta earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. On July 5, Staff. Sgt Courtland Bateswind, 27, a drill instructor assigned to Echo Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, was found deceased at his residence aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Bateswind was from Riverside, Calif. He was married with no children. He won the National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Bateswind was among 600 drill instructors who are charged with shaping about 20,000 recruits who come to Parris Island into Marines. The Marines would not release the cause of the deaths, saying it needed to protect the integrity of the investigations, said Major Phillip Kulczewski, a Marine spokesman at Parris Island. The Beaufort County Coroners Office would not release information on the death of Acosta, whose death occurred off the base. The loss of any Marine is tragic and felt deeply within our ranks, Kulczewski said. The latest deaths at Parris Island bring the total since 2021 to at least eight. Previous causes have been death by suicide and training related but in some cases the Marines did not release specific causes. The number of suicide deaths across all military branches during the first quarter of 2023 was 94, up from 75 during the same time frame in 2022, according to the Department of Defense Quarterly Suicide Report. In the case of these three recent deaths, no cause has yet been released. Previous deaths at the base included: On June 12, Marshall Hartman of Michigan died just a few days after arriving at the Recruit Depot in what the Marines described as a non-training incident. Noah Evans, a 21-year-old from Decatur, Georgia, died April 18 during a physical fitness test. In September 2021, 21-year-old Pvt. Anthony Munoz, of Lawrence, Mass., died after falling from a balcony in an apparent suicide, MCRD Parris Island officials previously told the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. Pfc. Brandon Barnish, 26, was found dead at the training depot, on Sept. 29, 2021. Barnish, from Evans, Georgia, had graduated from Parris Island with the Delta Company on May 14 and was recovering from an injury before continuing with the next step of training, a Parris Island spokesperson said. A cause of death was not identified. In June 2021, Pfc. Dalton Beals, 19, of Pennsville, New Jersey, died during the Crucible, the final training event before recruits become Marines. Staff Sgt. Steven Smiley was charged with negligent homicide in Beals death but was found not guilty following a July trial. Louise Redknapp has showed support for the LGBT+ community after reportedly quitting a forthcoming Eternal reunion because her bandmates refused to play Pride events. Redknapp performed with the girl group in the Nineties, with the band due to reunite next year for a number of summer events including Pride and London festival Mighty Hoopla. But on 24 September, The Sunday Mirror reported that group members Easther and Vernie Bennett, who are sisters, had refused to play the festivals due to the events allegiance with the trans community. As a result, the report claims, Redknapp and Loose Women star Kelle Bryan quit the reunion in June, leaving the siblings to tour as Eternal together. On Sunday night, Redknapp responded to the reports on social media. The 48-year-old posted the image of the Progress Pride flag a rainbow flag with additional stripes representing the trans community and marginalised people of colour in the LGBT+ community. Always and forever, Redknapp wrote on Twitter/X, sharing the post with a red heart emoji. The Independent has contacted the Bennett sisters representatives for comment. Eternal formed in 1992 and released their debut album together in 1994. One year later, Rednapp left to pursue a solo career; had the 2024 reunion taken place, it would have been the first time the original line-up had performed together since Redknapps departure. Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, a source claimed: Louise, Kelle, Easther and Vernie had all signed up to perform a huge nationwide tour next year, culminating with a huge show at pop festival Mighty Hoopla, which is loved by the gay community. Then in June the girls received an email from Easther and Vernie who refused to play any gay festivals or Pride. They said they cant support the LGBTQ community now it has an alliance with the trans community, a stance Vernie in particular has been public about on socials. The source claimed that Redknapp and Bryan had been left stunned and pulled out of the tour immediately. Louises fan base is 98 per cent gay men, they said. She and Kelle believe everyone is welcome to their shows. Its a real shame for their fans who have been waiting such a long time for this moment. Earlier this week, Redknapp showed support for her bandmates on social media. Marking three decades since the release of their first single Stay, Redknapp posted a throwback photo of the band to Instagram. She tagged all three Eternal members in the post. Where it all began 30 years ago today Stay was released! she wrote. I remember it like it was yesterday. The first radio play sat round my mums kitchen table, missing the cue to hit record when it played, to going to America to shoot the video and so many more incredible memories. Praising Easthers vocals on the track, Redknapp continued: Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls Kelle, Easther and Vernie and most importantly THANK YOU to each and every one of you that has been there with us from day one buying every record, coming to every show and being so supportive over the last 30 years. Love Lou. The first of Ukraines long-awaited American-supplied M1 Abrams main battle tanks have arrived in the country, the U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed to The War Zone. While we dont know how many of the tanks have been delivered to Ukraine at this point, Washington has committed to sending 31 of the M1A1 versions and these will surely be committed soon to Kyivs ongoing counteroffensive. The Pentagon provided The War Zone with the following statement: As President Zelensky said earlier today, the first batch of the 31 Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine. The mere presence of Abrams tanks serves as a potent deterrent. By having these tanks in their arsenal, the Ukrainian Army can more effectively discourage aggressive actions. Providing the Abrams tanks signifies a tangible commitment to Ukraines defense and stability, underscoring U.S. support for its partners facing external pressures. We will continue to focus on what we can do to help Ukraine succeed on the battlefield and protect its people. A U.S. M1A1 Abrams tank assigned for training Ukrainian Armed Forces troops awaits offloading at Grafenwoehr, Germany, on May 14, 2023. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Christian Carrillo Earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to post the following statement as part of his daily update: Good news from Defense Minister Umerov. Abrams are already in Ukraine and are preparing to reinforce our brigades. I am grateful to our allies for fulfilling the agreements! We are looking for new contracts and expanding the geography of supply. https://www.twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1706277260070719921?s=20 Meanwhile, a report in todays New York Times cited two unnamed U.S. defense officials, who say the tanks arrived in Ukraine yesterday, with more to be sent in the coming months. In regards to the likely number of Abrams now in Ukraine, Politico had previously reported that the first 10 of these tanks would arrive in Ukraine in mid-September, with the remaining 21 also due to arrive in-country during the fall. Only last week , President Joe Biden and the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III had said the Abrams tanks would be sent to Ukraine within days. https://www.twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1704091708907024697?s=20 At the beginning of this month, we reported that a cadre of Ukrainian crews had completed their training on the M1 at different U.S. Army facilities in Germany. That training, with an initial course that lasted 12 weeks, included what was described as a combined-arms, battalion force-on-force exercise undertaken at the Hohenfels Training Area in Bavaria. Due to a slight holdup in the delivery of the tanks, Kyiv also requested a block of proficiency training , keeping the crews up to speed on their new mounts until they arrived in Ukraine. U.S. Army soldiers on an M1 Abrams tank during a multinational exercise at Hohenfels Training Area last year. Photo by Nicolas Armer/Picture Alliance via Getty Images At that point, the first batch of tanks was still undergoing refurbishment and preparation for delivery. Back in August, U.S. Army Acquisition Chief Doug Bush told reporters that the consignment of Abrams tanks was slated to arrive in Ukraine by early fall. In July, meanwhile, there had been reports that the tanks could arrive on the battlefield sometime in September. The United States has made efforts to expedite the delivery of Abrams to Ukraine. At an early stage, for example, it was decided that Kyiv would receive refurbished M1A1 variants, rather than newer M1A2 types, as you can read more about here . A mine roller on a U.S. Army M1A1 Abrams tank as supplied to Ukraine, seen in Grafenwoehr, Germany, prior to delivery, in July 2023. Photo by Matthias Merz/picture alliance via Getty Images While Ukraine long coveted the Abrams, as well as other modern Western tanks, it was only in January this year that President Biden initially approved the delivery of M1s to Ukraine. Previously, this had been ruled out as being too provocative and risking further escalation that would likely see NATO become more embroiled in the conflict. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdsloOWMUcQ There is no doubt that Ukraine has high hopes about what the Abrams will be able to contribute to counteroffensive and we have previously looked in detail at what exactly the M1 can bring to the battlefield in Ukraine. Simply put, the Abrams is superior to the mainly Soviet-era tanks that constitute the larger part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fleet, with much better night-fighting potential, and superior levels of crew protection, to name just two advantages. A Ukrainian Armed Forces T-64 tank is prepared by soldiers of the 72nd Brigade, in the direction of Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on July 19, 2023. Photo by Jose Colon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The Abrams is also being supplied with armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition. These rounds fire dart-like penetrators, which are made of depleted uranium (DU) or other dense metals, rather than packing an explosive warhead of some kind. These high-speed darts literally smash their way into enemy armor, with such force that the penetrator becomes a semi-molten projectile that burns its way through, shedding fragments on its way, and causing extreme damage to the interior and its occupants. https://www.twitter.com/clashreport/status/1697816197608161283?s=20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coWJDfcdR60 At the same time, its clear that the Abrams alone wont be a silver bullet in Ukraines slow-moving counteroffensive . After all, examples of the M1 have been lost in various conflicts in the Middle East through the years. The task at hand is immense, with Russian troops deeply dug into extensive defensive positions along a front line that measures 600 miles or so. These soldiers are protected by extensive minefields, anti-tank obstacles, and trenchworks. Meanwhile, cover is provided by plentiful artillery, loitering munitions, anti-tank guided missiles, as well as helicopter gunships . Russian rotorcraft appear to have inflicted a hefty toll on Ukrainian armor and the first loss of a Ukrainian Abrams which is almost inevitable will be played as for its propaganda value by Moscow. https://www.twitter.com/RALee85/status/1574787713227804672?s=20 In an exclusive interview with The War Zone last week, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, commander of Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), said that the Ukrainian Abrams should be used in a very tailored way for very specific, well-crafted operations. Budanov warned: If they are used at the front line and just in a combined-arms fight, they will not live very long on the battlefield. They need to be used in those breakthrough operations, but very well-prepared. Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, commander of the Defense Intelligence Directorate, during an exclusive interview with The War Zone. Howard Altman With just 31 Abrams committed by the United States so far, Ukraines expectations have to be realistic. While its certainly possible that more M1s could be pledged to Ukraine at a later stage, in the meantime, the capabilities of these tanks have to be weighed up against the considerable logistics burden that they also bring. There have been concerns from some quarters about Ukraines ability to maintain these complex tanks and their complex engines , with some officials citing this as a reason not to provide them to Kyiv. To help address that logistics challenge, for the Abrams and other complex weapons, the United States has set up the Tele-Maintenance Distribution Cell-Ukraine in Poland. Using encrypted phone calls or messages, the Ukrainian military can request rapid maintenance assistance, including calling up for spare parts and getting expert help while running repairs. Tele-maintenance as a concept has been used, formally and informally, for other weapon systems for some time now. Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Volodymyr Havrylov (right) receives a briefing at the 405th Army Field Support Brigades Tele-Maintenance and Distribution Cell-Ukraine in Jasionka, Poland, July 17, 2023. U.S. Army There will be the issue of sustaining [Abrams] parts, but its also the expertise, you know, to really understand the equipment and how to debug it, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Bill LaPlante told reporters recently. At the same time, the M1s are not the only advanced Western tanks delivered to Ukraine, with British-supplied Challenger 2s and German-made Leopard 2s both already involved in the fighting. Soldiers of the Ukrainian 47th Brigade with a Leopard 2 at the Tokmak front in Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine, on September 16, 2023. Photo by Vincenzo Circosta/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images While progress in the counteroffensive may be slow, there has been a steady flow of positive results. Most recently, Ukrainian mechanized forces have, for the first time, breached Russias main line of anti-tank ditches and dragons teeth obstacles near the village of Verbove in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. You can read more about this development here . Its breakthroughs like these in which the Abrams could make a real difference, their superior firepower, protection, and mobility helping the Ukrainians to penetrate wider and further into these breaches in the Russian lines. On the other hand, the M1 is a notably large and heavy tank and there are questions about its general mobility, especially when it comes to crossing bridges, etc. https://www.twitter.com/Arslon_Xudosi/status/1530626746353172482?s=20 The Ukrainian T-84 weighs in at 46-51 tons; the M1A1 at 63 tons, veteran U.S. Army tanker Erik Albertson told The War Zone . The weight can be problematic when crossing bridges not designed to sustain that much weight. Regardless, we surely now wont have to wait long before the M1 Abrams designed initially for fighting superior numbers of Soviet tanks on the Central Front goes into battle for the first time in Europe. Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com [Source] A Chinese man who could never move his hands or feet and could never stand due to a neurological disorder dedicated one of the poems he wrote using his chin and nose to his father. Key details: Zhang Jiubin, a 34-year-old man from Shandong province, China, who was born with cerebral palsy and diagnosed with the brain condition at 3 months old, started showing interest in writing poems about 10 years ago, his father, Zhang Yonggui, told local media. Starting out: Using a Chinese pinyin wall chart in their home, Zhangs father taught him how to read and write when he was 13. At first, he needed the older Zhangs assistance when turning the pages of his books, such as a dictionary, but the man eventually learned to do it himself using his nose and chin. More from NextShark: CEO Dong Mingzhu, one of the richest women in China, may be replaced by her 22-year-old secretary When it came to writing, Zhang first used chopsticks to tap on his phone, but he later found that method troublesome, so he decided to use his nose instead, Zhangs father said. Zhang now has a custom-made wheelchair with a built-in table for his writing, donated by the local Disabled Persons Federation. Career in writing: Zhangs poem-writing career started after his family received 100 yuan (approximately $14) from a news portal in 2014. Since then, he has written over a thousand poems, some of which have already earned a total of 5,000 yuan (approximately $684). Literature lets me know disability is not an obstacle to dreaming freely. Literature is the morning sun and spring breeze, Zhang reportedly wrote on his phone. More from NextShark: Second influencer dies of 'drinking challenge' in China A touching message: Since Zhang lost his ability to use his hands, feet or even speak, the only way he could show his appreciation to his father is through his poems, one of which was dedicated to him. One of the poem's lines reads, The most prolonged utterance in my life is to tell you: I love you, my father. Not just poems: Besides writing poems, Zhang also wrote a 17,000-word play titled Candle Heart, which follows a wealthy woman who gave up her riches and comfortable life to teach in a village in the hills. More from NextShark: COVID cases skyrocket in China following easing of zero-COVID policy Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! K-pop boy group Epex's new song under fire for reference to Nazi pogrom Kristallnacht KANSAS CITY, Mo. David Jungerman, a Raytown man convicted of shooting and killing Kansas City lawyer Tom Pickert in his front yard in 2017, died on Monday at age 85 according to his attorney. While a jury found Jungerman guilty of murder in the Brookside shooting, he was never sentenced because a judge found him incompetent, and he was committed to a state mental health facility for six months in March. Stolen truck flees from Independence police, ends in deadly crash He was due for a second mental health examination within 30 days of September 18, but passed away before it could take place. His attorney said he died at University Health in the custody of the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Jungerman shot and killed Pickert after he represented someone who won a $5 million judgement against Jungerman. This occurred after Jungerman shot two homeless men who he said had broken into his business. Court documents say the bullet that killed Pickert was a .17 caliber round, a relatively rare caliber. When officials searched Jungermans white Toyota Sequoia on March 8, 2018, they located an unspent .17 caliber bullet under the passenger seat. A witness told investigators he spoke with Jungerman that same month, and during that conversation, Jungerman stated he had killed a lawyer with a gun and gotten away with it. According to court documents, Jungerman said he did it because the lawyer stole his money. Garmin KC Air Show says there wont be a 2024 event On March 9, 2018, the day after searching Jungermans SUV, investigators executed a search warrant at his home where they located a recording of the conversation the witness described. Court documents say it contained audio recording of a court hearing in Vernon County, Missouri, where Jungerman was charged for a crime. After the hearing, the recording continued to run. Jungerman left the hearing and met up with an unnamed individual. The two drove to Jungermans property to investigate some deer poachers thought to be hunting there. While there Jungerman stated, Its a shame I dont have a 17 (inaudible), from a distance, we could take em out. The conversation between the two continued and Jungerman eventually confessed to murdering Pickert. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The GBI has been called in to investigate a shooting involving Muscogee County Sheriffs deputies Friday night at the Baymont Inn & Suites on Whitesville Road. The GBI identified the victim as Oscar Alfonso Maxwell, 22. Maxwell was pronounced dead on the scene around 11 p.m., according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan. Sheriffs deputies were preparing to arrest Maxwell on a warrant when Maxwell left his hotel room. Maxwell saw the deputies and returned to his room, firing several times, according to the GBI. Deputies returned fire, killing Maxwell. The GBI Medical Examiners Office will conduct an autopsy on Maxwell. Anyone with information regarding this incident can submit tips by contacting the GBI Region 2/Columbus Regional Investigative Office at 706-565-7888. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online. VERONA A man convicted of attempted capital murder in 2015 and given seven years in prison after hitting Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith with a vehicle when he was still a deputy is back behind bars after reportedly being caught with methamphetamine, psychedelic mushrooms, thousands of dollars in cash, and ammunition earlier this month, according to an affidavit to a search warrant. Curtis A. Wimer, 34, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I or II drug, distribution of 100 grams or more of methamphetamine or 200 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, felony eluding, driving on a restricted license, and obstruction of justice, court records show. The sheriff's office said he also has four pending probation violations. Wimer came under scrutiny about three weeks ago when it was believed he was driving on a restricted license. After an Augusta County deputy spotted him operating a vehicle, a traffic stop was initiated in the 100 block of Bald Rock Road in the county, an affidavit said. When Wimer was informed he was driving outside of his restriction, he allegedly sped away. After a short vehicle pursuit, he was apprehended. However, the deputy noted a backpack that was inside the vehicle with Wimer during the initial stop was no longer there, the affidavit said. The backpack was discovered along a fence. Inside, authorities reportedly found a 1/2-pound of methamphetamine, more than $10,000 in cash, 50 THC cartridges, and mushrooms. Gun ammunition was allegedly found in Wimer's trunk, court documents said. A search warrant was obtained for an address located on Meade Park Circle in Verona, where Wimer was known to stay. Authorities did not state what, if anything, was found in the residence. Arrested Sept. 5, Wimer is being held at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona without bond. Attempted capital murder In the summer of 2014, Wimer rammed his car into Donald Smith, a deputy at the time and now Augusta County's sheriff, during a drug investigation on North Point Road outside of Waynesboro. At the time, Wimer said he was looking to get high and borrow some tools from a friend as he and two others drove onto the property. However, he was met by a slew of Augusta County SWAT Team members who were already at the home serving a search warrant on a man suspected of dealing drugs. After Wimer pulled in, deputies converged on his car. Wimer gunned the engine and lurched forward, according to previous testimony, striking Smith, who was the thrown across the hood, injuring his back, legs and feet. Deputies were able to stop the car, with one busting a back window with his rifle butt. In 2015, a judge sentenced Wimer to 30 years in prison with 23 years suspended for attempted capital murder and drug charges, giving him seven years to serve. It's not clear when Wimer was released from prison. On Monday morning, The News Leader contacted Kyle Gibson, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Corrections in an effort to obtain Wimer's release date. A day later, Gibson still did not have an answer. Correction: An earlier version of this article should have stated that the VDOC was contacted Monday morning. Christmas parade? already? Plus, new historical landmarks, and zipping through fall: THE DIGEST Virginia Cannabis Control Authority creates new parent toolkit Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Drug bust in Augusta County yields meth, thousands in cash A man was sentenced to seven years in prison for attempted sex trafficking, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. In January, Phoenix police began an undercover investigation involving 36-year-old Adan Ivan Munoz Espinoza. A detective posed as a 16-year-old girl online, and Munoz invited the "girl" to engage in sex with him, according to an attorney's office news release. Munoz offered $80 for the act and made arrangements to meet the teenager at a nearby store, the news release stated. Police arrested Munoz. At the time of the arrest, Munoz had the cell phone he used to contact the undercover detective posing as the girl, according to the news release. in August, a jury found Munoz guilty of one count of child sex trafficking and he was sentenced to seven years in prison on Thursday. When released, Munoz will be required to register as a sex offender. "We are grateful for the hard work and collaboration with law enforcement on this case," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. "By holding Munoz accountable for his actions, our prosecutors have made Maricopa County a safer place for all, especially for our children." Phoenix crime: These areas of Phoenix have the highest number of reported thefts This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Adan Ivan Munoz Espinoza sentenced for attempted sex trafficking Heres how many times the federal government has shut down EDITORS NOTE: This story has been corrected to make it clear that social security payments will go out during a shutdown. There have been 21 federal government shutdowns in the last five decades, and Congress has until Sept. 30 to avert the 22nd. A government shutdown would lead to the suspension of nonessential federal functions and result in millions of federal employees not receiving pay. Social Security and other mandatory government payments would still go out, though functions for various parts of the government could be affected. With the deadline looming, divisions among House Republicans have left Congress without a clear path forward. Here are the 21 times the federal government has experienced a shutdown. Year: 2019 President: Donald Trump The most recent federal government shutdown lasted for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, the longest in U.S. history. The shutdown happened due to Trumps demands for funding a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, which Democratic lawmakers strongly opposed. The shutdown came to an end after Trump agreed to sign a short-term funding bill to reopen the government. Year: 2018 President: Donald Trump The second of the three shutdowns to happen during Trumps presidency only lasted several hours. It happened due to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) repeatedly blocking the Senate from voting on a two-year budget agreement, which includes an extension of federal funding. The Senate was able to pass the bill the next day. Year: 2018 President: Donald Trump This government shutdown lasted for three days. It stemmed from Democrats refusal to vote on a spending measure unless Congress had an agreement to ensure protections for young children under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, which protects unauthorized migrants who came to the U.S. as kids. Year: 2013 President: Barack Obama The only shutdown to happen during Obamas term at the White House lasted for 17 days. The almost three-week government shutdown stemmed from House Republicans trying to push for a spending resolution that would have defunded the Affordable Care Act. Year: 1996 President Bill Clinton The second and final government shutdown of the Clinton administration lasted for 21 days, the previous record-holder for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown stemmed from differences between Clinton and House Republicans on whether to use data from the Congressional Budget Office or from the Office of Management and Budget to figure out if the White House budget plan would balance, according to Vox. Year: 1995 President: Bill Clinton The first government shutdown to happen under Clinton lasted for five days, as Clinton vetoed a continuing resolution from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) that included increases to Medicare premiums, rollbacks of environmental regulations and a requirement to balance the budget within seven years. Year: 1990 President: George H.W. Bush The only shutdown to happen under the elder Bushs administration lasted for four days, as the then president vetoed a stopgap spending bill, according to The New York Times. Year: 1987 President: Ronald Reagan This government shutdown only lasted a day, when Reagan and Democrats couldnt see eye-to-eye on potential funding for the Contra militants in Nicaragua. Democrats also pushed for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, a Federal Communications Commission rule which requires broadcasters to give people equal time to share their perspectives on political issues. Year: 1986 President: Ronald Reagan The penultimate of four one-day shutdowns and eight overall under Reagan came when House Democrats tried to push for an expansion for the then Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, which the president and a Republican-controlled Senate pushed back on. Year: 1984 President: Ronald Reagan A one-day shutdown ended once Democrats and Reagan evened out differences on the crime bill, civil rights bill and the water projects proposal. Democrats also agreed to temporary funding to Nicaraguas anti-communist Contra guerrillas. Year: 1984 President: Ronald Reagan This shutdown, which lasted for two days, coincided with the one that happened a few days later. House Democrats at the time pushed for water projects and legislation that wouldve reversed a Supreme Court ruling allowing exemptions from Title IX of the Civil Rights Act for colleges and universities that didnt receive federal funding directly but whose students did. A three-day spending extension was passed to give more time for both sides to negotiate a deal. Year: 1983 President: Ronald Reagan This shutdown lasted for three days as Reagan and House Democrats butted heads over issues such as education funding, more aid to Israel and Egypt, less aid to Syria and El Salvador and less defense spending. Year: 1982 President: Ronald Reagan This shutdown lasted for three days as Reagan threatened to veto the House and Senates push for a public works jobs program, in an effort to create more jobs in the country. The House also opposed funding for the MX and Pershing II missile programs, programs that were major defense priorities for Reagan. Year: 1982 President: Ronald Reagan This shutdown only lasted for a day, as Congress failed to pass a spending bill on time due to prior social engagements, including when Reagan invited all Congress members to a barbecue at the White House. Year: 1981 President: Ronald Reagan The first of eight government shutdowns to happen during the Reagan administration lasted for two days, as Reagan vetoed a spending bill because it didnt have enough spending cuts. Year: 1979 President: Jimmy Carter This government shutdown lasted for 11 days, when the House and Senate chambers debated on higher wages for congressional and civil service staff and funding for abortion in the case of rape and incest. Year: 1978 President: Jimmy Carter This 17-day shutdown, the longest of the Carter administrations five, began when Carter vetoed a defense spending bill because it funded a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which he thought was wasteful, as well as other proposed projects he was opposed to. Year: 1977 President: Jimmy Carter This shutdown lasted for eight days as Democrats and Republicans debated over abortion funding. Year: 1977 President: Jimmy Carter This shutdown lasted for eight days as Carter had to sign a short-term extension as Congress was still debating over abortion funding. Year: 1977 President: Jimmy Carter The first of five shutdowns to happen during the Carter administration lasted for 12 days, as the Senate and House chambers disagreed over abortion funding, with the Senate wanting to use Medicaid pay to help fund abortions in cases of rape and cases of rape, incest, and when the health of the mother is in danger. In contrast, the House insisted on keeping the stricter ban. This was the first of the three shutdowns to occur during the Carter administration that were referred to as the abortion shutdowns. Year: 1976 President: Gerald Ford The first ever government shutdown, which lasted for 11 days, occurred after Ford vetoed a funding bill for the Departments of Labor and Health, Education, and Welfare, later divided and known as the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. This story was updated at 12:22 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A mariachi band kicked-off the annual Latin Heritage Month Celebration at City Hall on Thursday. This is the third year that Mayor Nicholson has hired the Boston-based Mariachi band Los Vergas to play in front of the city hall entrance for a performance that was open to the public. According to the United States 2020 Census, 9.1% of Gardner residents identify as Latino or Hispanic. Latin Heritage Month began Friday, Sept. 15 and it ends Sunday Oct. 15. The celebration stars mid-September because Sept. 15 is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rice, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. The follow day, Sept. 16 marks Mexico's Independence Day and Sept. 18 marks Chile's Independence Day. A Mariachi band is a traditional Mexican music group that performs folklore and pop music. The band consists of a lead singer, violins, guitars, trumpets, harps, vihuela and guitarron. A Mariachi is typically hired for big celebrations, Quinceanera, festivals and weddings. Nicholson said this year the event was over shadowed by the Centennial Parade but even the smallest recognition of the Gardner Latino population is important to do. "It's important to recognize the Latino population in Gardner," he said. "I hope in the next few years we are able to expand and highlight other Latin culture music but not all Latino cultures have Mariachis." Here are three Latino-owned businesses in or near Gardner to support this month. To kick off Latin Heritage Month, Gardner city officials hired a Boston-based Mariachi band, Los Vergas, to perform in front of the city hall entrance on Thursday, Sept. 21. Tata's Fonda Ruth Perez enjoys cooking for everyone and anyone. So, about year ago, she had a wild idea that having her own food truck would be a dream come true. Perez said the community has been very accepting of Tatas Fonda Criolla food truck. The most popular dish is yellow rice, mixed with pigeon peas with a serving of marinated pork shoulder and a side of pasta salad. The food truck can be usually found from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday at 55 Vernon St. Tata's Fonda now caters and to learn more about catering call 978-340-1612 or email tatasfonda@gmail.com. The menu listed at Tata's Fonda food truck is in the style of "make your own plate" for $13. To make your own plate you have to pick a choice of meat then pick two sides and a drink. The items to make a plate are different every day. Taco Rey Coliman Taco Rey Coliman owner Artemio Escareno opened his restaurant eight years ago in an effort to give residents the chance to taste authentic Mexican food. Escareno has been in the restaurant business for over 20 years, and he has been serving Gardner since 2015. He said what pushed him to open Taco Rey is the fact that there aren't any Mexican restaurants in the area. "I wanted to introduce Mexican food in this area because there weren't any Mexican restaurants, the only one was Taco Bell," he said. "[People in this area] had the wrong idea of what was authentic Mexican food." Taco Rey Coliman in downtown Gardner is a great place to get authentic Mexican food. Los Agaves Grill Only a 20-minute drive from Gardner is Los Agaves Grill in Athol. The small cozy Mexican restaurant and cantina serves all kinds of traditional Mexican dishes and alcoholic beverages. The restaurant also does take out. Los Agaves Grill is open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Then again Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner celebrates Latin Heritage Month with mariachi band An explosion at a crowded fuel depot in Nagorno-Karabakh may have resulted in mass casualties, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Armenian service reported on Sept. 25. According to local reports, there are 200 victims, many of whom have serious burn injuries, RFE/RL's Armenia service said. The wounded have been taken to hospitals for treatment. A confirmed number of casualties has not yet been made public. The explosion reportedly took place while fuel was being distributed to people who were driving to Armenia, Russian independent outlet Meduza said, citing the local authorities. Thousands of people from Nagorno-Karabakh have fled to Armenia in recent days, following the Sept. 20 surrender of the territory to the Azerbaijani military after 24 hours of attacks by Azerbaijani forces. Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as Azerbaijani territory under international law. Its population of 120,000 is predominantly Armenian. The territory declared independence in 1991 with Yerevan's military support. Until 2020, Armenia de facto controlled Nagorno-Karabakh together with the surrounding regions. In 2021 Azerbaijan also invaded several internationally recognized Armenian territories in the east of the country and continues to occupy them. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia's 14th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was inside a building of the Khalino air field near Kursk at the time it was hit by a drone strike on Sept. 24, Ukrainian media outlet Babel reported, citing a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR). The regiment's commander, one of his deputies, an intelligence officer, as well as a group of aviator officers and air base employees, were killed or wounded in the strike, Babel wrote. The HUR source said complete information on casualties was still being determined. Kursk is a city in western Russia located around 100 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. In another drone drone attack on the morning of Sept. 25, Roman Starovoit, governor of Russia's Kursk region, claimed that several houses and an administrative building had been damaged. Babel's source in HUR said, however, that the Sept. 25 attack had in fact hit a facility of Russia's Interior Ministry. Read also: From Moscow to Novorossiysk: The list of attacks on Russian soil The previous evening, a drone struck a building of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in Kursk, according to Ukrainian media outlets citing their intelligence sources. Kyiv has not publicly commented on any of the recent Kursk drone attacks. Claims of Ukrainian drone strikes within Russian territory have increased in recent weeks, though Kyiv rarely takes responsibility for such attacks. Read also: Zaluzhnyi on Ukrainian strikes inside Russia: It is up to us to decide how to kill this enemy Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. MARSHALL - Melissa Upchurch made history when she moved to Madison County, becoming the first woman pastor in Marshall. But Upchurch will be moving on from Marshall, as she participated in her last church service at Marshall Presbyterian Church on Sept. 17. Upchurch will be returning to her hometown, Fayetteville, Arkansas, to be nearer to family, she told The News-Record. Upchurch moved to Marshall in August 2011. Her path to Madison County was an interesting one, as she started her professional career in the newspaper industry after receiving her undergraduate degree in journalism from University of Arkansas. Then, Upchurch moved to technical writing and worked many years as a technical writer, editor, and documentation manager at a company owned by H. Ross Perot called Electronic Data Systems Corp. in Dallas and Plano, Texas. Upchurch worked for EDS for 14 years before deciding to pursue a seminary education at Southern Methodist Universitys Perkins School of Theology, where she studied for six years and earned a Master of Divinity. Upchurch told the Community Housing Coalition she received an email from the Presbyterian Church saying that the domination was looking for pastors to place in hard-to-place locations. "I was warned in my interview with Marshall Presbyterian Church that I was the first female pastor in Marshall," Upchurch told The News-Record. "So, I had to kind of work a little harder at certain things to be noticed that men didn't necessarily have to do." The Arkansas native made her presence known, becoming a fixture at downtown Marshall events, including the annual Veterans Day and Memorial Day celebrations on the courthouse grounds. Mayor Nancy Allen told The News-Record that Upchurch "was an inspiration for all of us." "She volunteered countless hours to the town and served on our Downtown Strong Initiative," Allen said. "She will be truly missed." Pastor Melissa Upchurch of Marshall Presbyterian Church leads the opening prayer Nov. 11 at the Town of Marshall's Veterans Day memorial at the Madison County Courthouse. According to Upchurch, it was at times difficult to shake the "woman pastor" title. "When I came I started meeting people and introducing myself, and sometimes I'd get introduced, 'This is Melissa, our female pastor,' and I would say, 'Well, would you introduce a man as 'This is so-and-so, our male pastor?'" Upchurch said. "So people kind of had to learn. But it's way beyond that now. You have Lisa Hannah at the Methodist church in Mars Hill. You have Paula Dempsey with the Baptist Association." Dempsey is a retired reverend and director of partnership relations with Alliance of Baptists. Upchurch credited Dempsey, who was the first woman pastor in Madison County, with serving as a mentor to her, which Dempsey said made her "proud" to hear. "Women don't have many mentors," Dempsey said. "It's just the truth of the matter. At least the generation that I came through, we didn't have many women mentors. Mostly, my mentors are all male." Dempsey said she first heard about Upchurch from a colleague who worked with her prior to Upchurch's move to Texas. "I just reached out to Melissa as soon as she came to town to let her know that she wasn't alone," Dempsey said. "I was glad to welcome her to the community." Reflections on her experience Following the death of an anti-racism activist in Charlottesville, Va., ROAR organized a rally honoring the victims of racial violence outside the Madison County Courthouse in August 2017. Rev. Melissa Upchurch of Marshall Presbyterian Church joined the peaceful demonstration. Viewed by many residents as a progressive pastor, since she first became a member of the Marshall community Upchurch said she has witnessed a lot of change in the county. "I've seen a ton of change, and I haven't even lived here that long," Upchurch said. "I'm not a native by any means. But I remember being here when the sheriff's office moved from where the hotel is now." But a lot of that change is immaterial, according to Upchurch, as Marshall has become a more tolerant community in the 12 years she lived here. "I think overall things have changed for the better with the society, because LGBTQ orientation was just not heard of in Marshall; you didn't speak of it in 2011," Upchurch said. "But now, you see people walking down the street and it's much more open. I'm glad to see that. There are some churches around that that are still not welcoming of people of, what I would say, are a different orientation than I am. "My job isn't to judge them. My job is to help them have a relationship with the Christ and with the people in the congregation. I don't care what their 'sins' are. We all have 'sins.' It's how people define sin. I don't define an orientation as a sin. We're born like we are. We're very welcoming of anyone who wants to come in the door." Looking back on her time in Marshall, Upchurch said she's mostly filled with gratitude and appreciation. "I appreciate the hospitality that I've been shown," Upchurch said. "I appreciate that the congregation has been willing to try new ideas, and they have. When I got here, Marshall looked a little tired. But it's the people. I met the people, and I thought, 'Gee, I could thrive here.' And I did thrive." Johnny Casey is the Madison County communities reporter for The News-Record & Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jcasey@newsrecordandsentinel.com. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Melissa Upchurch, Marshall's 1st woman pastor, says goodbye to Madison Three days after federal prosecutors alleged that he and his wife accepted money, gold bars, and a luxury convertible in exchange for political favors, a defiant Sen. Bob Menendez declared that he would be exonerated and rejected calls from a growing number of fellow Democrats that he resign. To those who have rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts framed by the prosecution as salacious as possible, the New Jersey Democrat said at a news conference. Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly, I know that. The indictment, unsealed on Friday, accused Menendez of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his political influence in support of several businessmen and the Egyptian government. It quickly drew attention for its eye-popping details, including images of cash-stuffed envelopes in the pockets of jackets with Menendezs on them. Investigators say they discovered at least $100,000 in gold bars in his home and that his internet history showed he had searched the value of a kilo of gold on Google. The list of Democrats who have called on Menendez to step down since Friday include Gov. Phil Murphy, Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Bill Pascrell, Frank Pallone, Donald Norcross, and Josh Gottheimer, as well as Rep. Andy Kim, who has already announced he will challenge Menendez. According to the New Jersey Globe, several of the other members and the states first lady, Tammy Murphy, are considered possible successors as well. But as the calls for Menendez to leave the Senate seat hes held for 17 years grow louder, those who have yet to do so are becoming more notable. They include his fellow New Jersey Democrat, Senator Cory Booker, as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin. Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey, Schumer wrote in a statement Friday. He has a right to due process and a fair trial. Schumer added that Menendez had rightly opted to step down from his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. On Saturday, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania became the first Democratic senator to call for Menendezs resignation. Hes entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations, Fetterman said in a statement. The next day, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York echoed that sentiment. The situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Senator Menendez to resign in this moment," she said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. Other Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Adam Schiff of California, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, and former Senator Doug Jones of Alabama have called for Menendezs resignation as well. On Monday, Menendez suggested that the push for him to step down wasnt really about the charges against him. Some of the people calling for my resignation for political reasons say I have lost the trust of the people of New Jersey, Menendez said. They couldnt be more wrong. Nonetheless, the group of supporters that stood behind Menendez on Monday did not include any prominent Democrats. After defending his record and integrity in both English and Spanish, Menendez left the room without taking questions. Write to Mini Racker at mini.racker@time.com. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is fighting for his political life amid rising calls to resign from Democratic colleagues in the wake of a federal indictment on bribery charges. Menendez on Monday said hes not going anywhere during a defiant appearance before the press, insisting hed be exonerated. But by 5 p.m., a second Senate Democratic colleague Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) said he should step down, underscoring how the charges he faces have shaken the political earth beneath him. The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations, Menendez told the crowd in Union City, N.J. I recognized that this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated through this whole process, I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator. Menendez is up for reelection next year and may need to keep his Senate seat to raise money for his political defense. His reputational survival, if not his financial survival, depends on his ability to beat these charges, said Jim McQueeny, who served as chief of staff to the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). And to beat these charges, you need the best lawyers. To get the best lawyers, you need the most money. To get the most money, you cant give up your seat. Bob cant afford to give up his seat, literally, McQueeny added. But in running as a wounded politician, he is giving an opportunity for Republicans to pick up another Democratic seat in what should be a safe Democratic state, all while putting his colleagues on a defensive footing. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the first Democratic senator to call for Menendez to step down, joining a number of lawmakers in the House. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has also called on him to resign, along with at least six Democratic members of New Jerseys congressional delegation and several top Democrats at the Statehouse in Trenton. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) has already announced a primary challenge against the sitting senator, with others potentially set to follow suit. Those drumbeats are likely to get louder when lawmakers return to Washington on Tuesday and reporters ask Senate Democrats whether Menendez, who is up for reelection in 2024, should continue in office. This is about to get uncomfortable for the rest of his colleagues, and real quick, said one former Senate Democratic leadership aide. The gold bar question is going to prove irresistible. Prosecutors accuse Menendez and his wife, Nadine, of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his power and influence to enrich a trio of New Jersey businessmen. Making headlines were the gold bars and $480,000 in cash stuffed into envelopes and clothing that authorities said they seized from the New Jersey Democrat. Menendez has proclaimed his innocence and attempted to explain some of the questions during the press conference. He said the reason investigators found so much cash is because he keeps it on hand for emergencies. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, Menendez said. One group that has continued to keep its powder dry on Menendezs future is Senate Democratic leadership. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Friday that he backed Menendezs decision to once again step down from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but he declined to go any further. Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat, also declined to say whether he should resign during a Sunday interview. This is a very serious charge. Theres no question about it, Durbin told CNN on Sunday. These are, in fact, indictments that have to be proven. Under the rule of law, a person who is accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence. And its the responsibility of the government to prove that case. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), the states junior senator, has stayed mum since news of the indictments arrived. Compounding Menendezs issue is the timing. Unlike his first indictment in 2015, he does not have years to go before he faces the voters, and it is unlikely this legal battle will be resolved by election day next year. The 2015 charges were ultimately dropped nearly three years later, only months before the states primary. If Menendez escapes a primary, Republicans are already smelling blood at a rare opportunity to nab a seat in deep blue territory. You can appeal to a jury in a court of law, but when you appeal to voters in the court of public opinion, the most damning evidence is The Gold Bars,' McQueeny said. I dont know where you go from here. Menendez did not address whether he will seek a fourth term during his Monday appearance in Union City, N.J. However, all signs are pointing to him moving in that direction. He appears well aware of the heavy rains he will have to weather in the storm ahead. Everything Ive accomplished, I worked for despite the naysayers and everybody who has underestimated me, Menendez said Monday. I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) postponed his annual Hispanic Heritage Month event, which was slated to take place just two days after the New Jersey lawmaker was indicted on federal bribery, fraud and extortion charges. An announcement posted to the website of Union High School in New Jersey said the 13th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration was postponed without providing a reason for the change. The school, which was expected to host the event, said it will announce a new date once it is confirmed. Just days before charges against him were filed last Friday, Menendez announced actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda would serve as the keynote speaker at the event, which the senators office said celebrates the diverse Hispanic cultures and diaspora communities that call America and New Jersey home. The postponed event comes amid the political fallout from Menendezs federal indictment. The U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York has accused Menendez and his wife Nadine of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three businessmen in New Jersey in exchange for using the senators power and influence to benefit the businessmen and Egypt. The FBI discovered nearly $500,000 in cash stuffed in envelopes and hidden in clothing and closets, as well as more than $100,000 in gold at Menendezs home in a raid last year. This is the second time the embattled lawmaker has faced a federal indictment. The first ended in a mistrial in 2015. Menendez has pushed back against the charges, telling reporters Monday he has no plans to step down despite repeated calls from several New Jersey congressmen. Menendez said New Jersey Democrats are making a mistake by calling on him to resign and that he fully expects to remain in the Senate in the coming years. He also said the cash found at his home is from his personal savings account and that he takes out money to keep at home. The New Jersey Democrat dismissed the charges as just allegations and maintained he will be exonerated once the facts are presented. Menendez was serving as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a role he has stepped down from while fighting his legal battle. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Bob Menendez spoke publicly about his bribery indictment for the first time on Monday. He says the cash that feds found stuffed into envelopes actually came from his own bank account. He cited the "history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba." In his first public comments since his indictment on bribery charges, Sen. Bob Menendez offered up an unusual explanation for why there was so much cash in his home: his family's history of facing confiscation in Cuba. As part of the alleged bribery scheme, federal prosecutors provided photographic evidence of more than $480,000 in cash that they say they found "stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe" in the New Jersey Democrat's home. The indictment also alleges that the fingerprints of one of the businessmen alleged to have bribed Menendez were found on some of those envelopes. Menendez did not specifically address the allegations made by federal prosecutors that he accepted bribes, including in the form of gold bars, in exchange for helping a New Jersey company secure a monopoly on halal certification for US imports to Egypt. But he insisted that the money was his own. "For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba," Menendez said at a press conference in Union City. "Now this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account, based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years." Menendez was born in the United States to Cuban immigrants who fled the island country in 1953, during the reign of US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. He did not address the origin of the gold bars during the press conference. In the wake of the indictment, Democrats in New Jersey including Gov. Phil Murphy and most of the state's House delegation have called for Menendez to resign. Democratic Rep. Andy Kim announced that he would launch a primary bid against Menendez, saying that his state "deserves better." Menendez made clear at the press conference that he would continue to seek re-election in 2024. "I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey's senior senator," said Menendez. Menendez's Democratic colleagues in the Senate aside from Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania have largely resisted calling for his resignation, at least for now. The New Jersey Democrat has since stepped down from his position as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The indictment alleges that he used that position to benefit the government of Egypt, including ghost-writing a letter from the Egyptian government to fellow senators asking them to release a hold on $300 million in aid to the country. On Monday, Menendez portrayed himself as a stalwart defender of civil society and human rights in Egypt, pointing to letters he sent to former President Donald Trump and other officials as well as closed-door conversations he's had with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez vowed to fight corruption charges and keep his US Senate seat, leaving open the question of his political future amid mounting calls on him to resign. Most Read from Bloomberg I firmly believe when all the facts are presented I will not only be exonerated, I will still be New Jerseys senior senator, the senator told reporters. Prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Unfortunately, I know that. Menendezs defiance comes as the third-term senator faces increasing pressure from within his own party to resign his seat after his indictment was unsealed Friday. The Justice Department alleges Menendez and his wife, Nadine, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three businessmen, including $550,000 in cash, gold bullion and a Mercedes Benz. In June 2022, US agents raided a safe deposit box and the Menendez home, finding cash stuffed in envelopes, closets and a safe. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, US Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and New Jersey Representatives Bill Pascrell, Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer are among Democrats who have called on Menendez to resign. Before the federal investigation into Menendez came to light, he was seen as on a glide path to reelection in a heavily Democratic state, but the charges complicate his partys fight to maintain control of the narrowly divided Senate. Authorities also allege that Menendez helped the government of Egypt and the businessmen in their legal disputes with US and New Jersey governments. The senator is accused of giving sensitive information to Egypt about people working at the US embassy in Cairo. Prosecutors say he also pushed the financing and sale of military equipment to Egypt, and pressured US agriculture officials to support a monopoly that one of the businessmen, Wael Hana, had on halal meat exports to Egypt. Menendez addressed the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash seized by authorities, saying he regularly withdrew cash from his personal accounts during his Senate and House tenure for emergencies. He cited his familys history in Cuba of fearing their money would be confiscated by the government as the reason he liked to keep cash. This may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years, Menendez said. Menendez didnt say anything about the gold bars and Mercedes Benz as he read statements in English and Spanish. The indictment alleges that some of the cash envelopes contained fingerprints or DNA from one of the businessmen or his driver. The senator left the packed news conference without taking questions. Last weeks indictment isnt the first time Menendez has faced allegations of corruption. He was indicted in 2015 and went to trial two years later on charges that he took bribes in the form of private jet travel, a Paris vacation and campaign contributions in exchange for pushing a Florida doctors business interests at the highest levels of the US government. A judge declared a mistrial after jurors deadlocked on the charges. The Justice Department then dropped the case. If the senator decides to run for reelection, he would likely face a bruising primary. Representative Andy Kim, a fellow New Jersey Democrat, said hell challenge Menendez, saying in a Saturday statement that New Jersey deserves better. Other possible candidates include Sherrill and Gottheimer. Shortly after he was indicted, Menendez temporarily stepped aside as Foreign Relations Committee Chairman. In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that decision and called Menendez a dedicated public servant and that he has a right to due process and a fair trial. --With assistance from Patricia Hurtado. (Updates, adds details throughout) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The Merced County Sheriffs Office continues to search for a Fresno man who went missing while on a fishing trip at a reservoir west of Los Banos. According to Authorities, 57-year-old Chang Cheng was last seen at about 7 p.m. Thursday, after fishing with family at the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation area near Highway 152 and Vista Point. According to Merced County Sheriffs Deputy Michael Domingue, the Sheriffs Office continues to search for Cheng. Although authorities have not received any information indicating the man is in the water, the Merced County Search Rescue and Recovery dive team is concentrating efforts in the area where the man was last seen. We searched the land and now were searching the water thoroughly, said Domingue . Authorities continue to search for missing 57-year-old Chang Cheng of Fresno. According to the Merced County Sheriffs Office, Cheng went missing while on a fishing trip at the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area in Merced County on Thursday. Image courtesy of Merced County Sheriffs Office. Andrew Kuhn/akuhn@mercedsun-star.com According to Domingue, at one time roughly 70 personnel were involved in the search for Cheng, including from outside agencies such as the Coast Guard, Bay Area Mountain Rescue, Fresno County Sheriffs Office, Madera County Sheriffs Office, San Mateo County Sheriffs Office, Tulare County Sheriffs Office and the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office. Authorities have utilized multiple resources in their efforts to locate Cheng, including horse teams, K-9 teams and four aircraft. Domingue said it remains a search and rescue effort at this time. Authorities said the man was reportedly fishing with family members Thursday and told them he was leaving. When his family members returned to where they had parked, they found Chengs car but were unable to locate him. Family members reported Cheng missing Friday morning, and authorities began searching the area. Authorities said Cheng wears glasses, is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 165 pounds. He was last seen wearing dark clothing and a red/burgundy backpack. The Merced County Sheriffs Office asks anyone who has seen Cheng or has any information to call 209-385-7445. Authorities continue to search for missing 57-year-old Chang Cheng of Fresno. According to the Merced County Sheriffs Office, Cheng went missing while on a fishing trip at the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area in Merced County on Thursday. Image courtesy of Merced County Sheriffs Office. akuhn@mercedsun-star.com Authorities continue to search for missing 57-year-old Chang Cheng of Fresno. According to the Merced County Sheriffs Office, Cheng went missing while on a fishing trip at the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area in Merced County on Thursday. Image courtesy of Merced County Sheriffs Office. akuhn@mercedsun-star.com Migrants, mostly from Venezuela, gather near the border wall after crossing the Rio Grande with the intention of surrendering to U.S. Border Patrol agents and requesting asylum on Friday. Credit: REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez Mexico will deport certain migrants from some of its northern border cities as part of an agreement with U.S. immigration officials who have reported a sharp increase of migrants attempting to cross the border in recent weeks, according to Mexicos immigration enforcement authority. Mexicos National Migration Institute said that it wants to depressurize the border cities of Ciudad Juarez, Piedras Negras, Tijuana and the northern state of Tamaulipas, where large numbers of migrants have recently crossed the border and where U.S. Border Patrol agents have arrested thousands of them. The institute didnt say when the deportations will begin or how long they will last, adding that it will first negotiate with Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Cuba to make sure those countries will receive its citizens. It should be noted that CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) representatives offered the Mexican authorities all technical assistance to address the immigration issue at airports or other inspection points such as trains to reduce the numbers of people who use these mobility routes, the institute said in a statement. The statement also said Mexican immigration officials will take into custody migrants who have been expelled by the United States at an international bridge connecting El Paso and Juarez. The agreement was announced after Mexican and American officials met in Juarez on Friday. Officials with Ferromex, Mexicos largest rail operator, were part of the meeting; hundreds of migrants have arrived at the border after hopping aboard freight cars. We are continuing to work closely with our partners in Mexico to increase security and address irregular migration along our shared border, said CBP Acting Commissioner Troy A. Miller, who attended the meeting. The United States and Mexico remain committed to stemming the flow of irregular migration driven by unscrupulous smugglers, while maintaining access to lawful pathways. The move comes as Eagle Pass and El Paso have scrambled to find shelter for recently arrived migrants, or help them get transportation out of the border cities, after they have been processed and released by immigration officials. On Saturday, CBP said that it reopened a port of entry to rail and vehicular traffic in Eagle Pass; agents had closed it on Wednesday to help process the hundreds of migrants who were waiting to be processed under the bridge. CBP said in a statement last week that it swiftly vetted and processed approximately 2,500 individuals into custody and cleared the area under one of the Eagle Pass international bridges on Thursday. Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. told CNN that on Friday, immigration agents apprehended between 800 and 1,000 migrants in Eagle Pass. In August, federal agents encountered an average of 957 migrants each day in the Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, according to government data. In El Paso, more than 2,000 migrants have arrived each day, Mayor Oscar Leeser said in a news conference on Saturday afternoon. Thats nearly double the 1,073 daily encounters that the El Paso sector, which includes New Mexico, recorded in August, according to government data. As of Monday, immigration agents were releasing 1,200 migrants per day into the city, according to the citys website. Thats up from between 300 to 400 migrants per day just six weeks ago, the mayor said. The city has come to a breaking point, Leeser said. Were preparing for the unknown. On Saturday, the city opened an overflow shelter at the Nations Tobin Recreation Center which can hold 400 individuals, Deputy City Manager Mario DAgostino said at the news conference. Last week, the El Paso Independent School Districts board agreed to sell a vacant middle school building to the city for $3.8 million for use as an overflow shelter. The city council will vote on the purchase on Monday. Officials for three shelters in downtown El Paso said the facilities are at capacity and have had to turn away single men in order to shelter women and children first. The shelters can house up to 450 people. Were now at numbers that none of us have ever seen, said Blake Barrow, CEO of the Rescue Mission El Paso, during a news conference on Friday. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said the large number of migrants who arrived in Eagle Pass last week was a tactic by organized crime to draw immigration agents focus to that region to make it easier to smuggle drugs elsewhere on the border. I believe its a money-making opportunity for those smugglers, he said during an interview with ABC News, on Good Morning America. In the months after the emergency health order known as Title 42, which immigration officials used to turn away many migrants at the border, expired on May 11, the number of migrant apprehensions dropped significantly. But in the past few weeks, the number has skyrocketed. According to CBS News, which cited unpublished federal government data, immigration officials on average made 6,900 apprehensions per day along the southern border in the first 20 days of September a 60% increase from the daily average in July. Many of the migrants are from Venezuela who are fleeing the country to escape an authoritarian government, death threats from organized crime and a collapsed economy. Last week, the Biden administration announced it will allow Venezuelans who entered the U.S. on or before July 31 to receive temporary protected status, a program Congress approved in 1990 that allows undocumented people to get a work permit and defer deportation for 18 months. As The Texas Tribune's signature event of the year, The Texas Tribune Festival brings Texans closer to politics, policy and the days news from Texas and beyond. On Sept. 23, we wrapped our 2023 Festival three lively days packed with 125+ sessions and events. Browse on-demand recordings and catch up on the biggest headlines from Festival events at the Tribunes Festival news page. In the messy fight that shifted power over Miami-Dades toll roads from Miami to Tallahassee, a new skirmish is emerging: severance deals approved by the old toll board for top executives ousted by the current board. The Greater Miami Expressway Agency (GMX) is a state-backed board that last month took over the Dolphin Expressway and four other busy commuting routes generating more than $200 million in toll revenue each year. Since the 1990s, those roads have been under the control of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, a toll board governed by a majority of members appointed by the County Commission. The Florida Legislature passed legislation in 2019 dissolving MDX and replacing it with GMX, a board governed by a majority of appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis. READ MORE: Clash of Miami-Dade toll boards: GMX ready to take over 836 and more, defying county Last month, Miami-Dade lost its extended court fight against the state law, and GMX took over the Dolphin and the four other MDX expressways: Airport, Don Shula, Gratigny and Snapper Creek. The new board voted to suspend with pay MDXs top two executives: Director Darlene Fernandez and General Counsel Carlos Zaldivar. Late last week, GMX issued a press release declaring parts of the suspended employees MDX contracts alarming. The release notes the two administrators were given severance packages worth a years salary while Florida law allows government agencies to only pay severance packages of up to 20 weeks of compensation. GMX will continue to demonstrate financial stability and effective governance to regain the trust lost by MDX, Mariana Marili Cancio, a Miami lawyer and GMX board chair, said in the release. Fernandez and Zaldivar signed contracts in 2022 as MDX lawyers and county attorneys fought state efforts to dissolve the agency at a time when GMX had already signed its own executive director: Torey Alston, a DeSantis appointee on the Broward County School Board and a former chief of staff in the Florida Department of Transportation. READ MORE: State board taking control of Miami-Dade toll expressways after MDX loses court fight Fernandez, an engineer, left her senior post at Miami-Dades Transportation department for the MDX job. The MDX contract paid her $368,000 a year plus cash benefits that included $12,000 for an auto allowance and $10,000 to cover business expenses, including meals. The contract for Zaldivar, MDXs top lawyer since 2015, paid him $325,000 a year, plus $5,200 a year for an auto allowance. Fernandez and Zaldivar were not available for comment Monday. In a statement, Dennis Moss, the former Miami-Dade commissioner who was an MDX board member, did not defend the legality of a 12-month severance package but said all MDX contracts have a provision canceling clauses deemed illegal or not enforceable by law. The contracts for both the Executive Director and General Counsel were entered into in good faith by all parties, he said. If 12 months is not allowable under the law in this case, then the maximum [that] is allowable should apply. Alston, GMXs current director, has not been paid for his work, he said last week. The GMX board is set to approve his first employment contact with the agency at its Wednesday meeting, according to the published agenda. Alston said the agency would release the proposed contract Monday, but it was not available at press time. While GMX criticizes decisions of the prior board, the power struggle over the existing one continues. Last week, Miami-Dade commissioners advanced legislation seeking to dissolve GMX a power county lawyers contend Miami-Dade retains under its home rule authority granted in the Florida Constitution. That provision prevents the Florida Legislature from passing laws only affecting Miami-Dade. The latest version of the GMX legislation that led to the August takeover circumvented the home-rule defense by adding a portion of Monroe County to the toll boards authority. That portion of land falls in the Big Cypress federal preserve, where the only transportation option is a gravel road. What is going on with MDX is a crime, Moss said in his statement. The State is trying to steal our toll money, our jobs, and our Home Rule. LANSING Lottery players took their winning tickets to collect their prizes, only to find their cash had already been paid to someone else. Others shelled out big bucks on instant games, only to find their tickets had already been partially scratched, surreptitiously, and determined to be losers. And retailers told players that if they wanted to cash their winning tickets at their store, they would have to kick back a share of the proceeds. Malik Johnson, 36, of Detroit, holds up his purchased Mega Millions lottery ticket on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. The Mega Millions estimated jackpot is up to $1.58 billion and continues to rise as the drawing comes closer. Johnson said he was feeling lucky. Those were among the complaints Michigan Lottery officials investigated this year and last, as revealed in records the Free Press obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Some complaints resulted in fines and suspensions for retailers. In at least two cases, prosecutors pressed criminal charges. Jake Harris, the Michigan Lottery's player relations manager, said annual complaints impact only a tiny percentage of the agency's 10,500 retailers, but all are taken seriously and investigated to help ensure game integrity so that both players and retailers "feel comfortable buying and selling lottery tickets." A growing problem has been lottery players posting their winning tickets on Facebook pages or other social media platforms, with bar codes showing, and then finding someone else has already collected their prizes when they turn in their tickets to collect their winnings. A Mega Millions lottery ticket is purchased and printed in the BP on Woodward Avenue in Detroit on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Between Jan. 25 of last year and May 1 of this year, the Lottery investigated 13 such instances involving cashed prizes mostly from Daily 4 tickets that were collectively worth more than $6,300, records show. In each case, a retailer cashed the tickets after they were shown an image of the winning ticket on a smartphone, records show. That's despite the fact it's against the rules for retailers to award prizes without having the actual winning ticket in hand. In most cases, the retailers told Michigan Lottery officials they weren't aware of that prohibition. The Michigan Lottery has stepped up its outreach to both retailers and players, as a result of the Free Press raising the issue, though such instances remain relatively rare, at 10 to 15 cases per year, Harris said. "We always encourage players, don't post pictures of your winning tickets on social media," Harris said. Michigan Lottery spokesman Jake Harris speaks during an interview at the official offices of the Michigan Lottery in Lansing, on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. "We rely on our retailers and our communications with retailers to make sure they are not cashing these types of prizes." Generally, the retailers absorbed the loss by paying off the actual ticketholder after already paying the impostor who swiped the winning ticket image off social media. But in at least two cases, it was retailer employees who were pocketing the money. In late January of this year, a 20-year-old Michigan man scratched an instant game ticket and found it was a $500 winner. He took it to a Clay Township pizza shop to collect his prize but was told the ticket had already been redeemed. He then tried again at an Algonac liquor store but received the same bad news. When he contacted Michigan Lottery, the man said the ticket had never been out of his possession. But he later learned that his girlfriend had taken a photo of the ticket and used SnapChat to send it to two of her friends, along with a joke about going on vacation. One friend who the girlfriend said was sent the image, Lucas Matti, was the son of the owners of a Shell station on 26 Mile Road in Lenox Township where the ticket was cashed, according to Michigan Lottery records. In May, Matti, 22, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor larceny and completed three months of probation, resulting in dismissal of the charge, records show. The Michigan Lottery also placed the family's Shell station on probation, until next May. Matti told the Free Press he felt there was no proof he did anything wrong but it was less expensive to plead no contest than to fight the case in court. In another case, in April and May of last year, a manager at Buffalo Wild Wings in Troy was suspected of swiping images of six winning tickets worth a total of $2,508 from postings on Facebook groups devoted to lottery play, and using the restaurant's lottery license to validate and cash the tickets before the rightful owners had a chance to do so. The employee suspected of stealing the images, who played Daily 4 at the restaurant, "ran off" when Michigan Lottery first called about the issues and was immediately terminated, records show. The restaurant agreed to pay off the actual winners, and no further action was taken by Michigan Lottery, and it's not clear that any criminal charges were brought. It's a good idea to sign the back of a lottery ticket after purchase and keep it in a safe place, Harris said. He wouldn't say whether Michigan Lottery would ever make an exception to its rule that photo images of winning tickets are not redeemable. What would happen, for example, if a $1 million Powerball ticket got burned up in a house fire, the time to redeem the ticket was expiring with no claims for it brought forward, and the purchaser had taken a photo of the winner prior to the fire? The offices of the Michigan Lottery in Lansing, on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. "I can't really speak in hypotheticals," Harris said. "Generally speaking, you do have to have that ticket." Though the social media postings of winning tickets are a more recent phenomenon, the complaints obtained by the Free Press show that a long-standing issue continues with a minority of retailers selling instant game tickets that have already been scratched and found to be losers. Between January of last year and May of this year, Michigan Lottery investigated 15 complaints related to more than 360 suspected pre-scratched tickets that would have cost more than $2,000 to purchase. Investigations found wrongdoing at the retailer in just over half of those cases. "Any time a player feels that they have purchased a ticket that is tampered with or damaged, they should give us a call," Harris said. More: What happens when Michigan lottery retailers try to game the system "In the very rare instances where it was determined that a retailer scratched a ticket or pre-scratched a ticket, these were investigated and action was taken accordingly." Typically, players got their money back and store employees suspected of pre-scratching tickets and offering them for sale got fired. But in at least one instance, criminal charges resulted. In late May, a customer complained after he bought a $50 instant game ticket at Sukh 21 Liquor Store in Gladwin and noticed scratches on the ticket that he believed were enough to determine, prior to sale, that the ticket was a loser. Rolls of printed $10 scratch-off lottery tickets wait to be loaded into a folding machine at Pollard Banknote in Ypsilanti on Thursday, July 5, 2018. The organization prints the instant lottery tickets for several states and other countries around the world. That complaint, along with a similar complaint related to the same store, prompted an investigation that led to the discovery of more irregularities and the June 10 resignation of a store manager, Jennifer Ann Wallace, 41, of Gladwin. Lottery investigators and sheriff deputies obtained video of Wallace cashing winning instant game tickets at two other nearby retailers, according to a report obtained through FOIA. Sukhwinder Singh, the owner of the store, said Wallace disappeared when he started asking questions, along with a $750 book of $50 instant game tickets. Wallace was arraigned Tuesday in Gladwin County Circuit Court on felony charges of embezzlement over $1,000, which is a five-year felony, and larceny, a four-year felony, records show. Andrew Santini, a Clare lawyer representing Wallace, did not respond to an email requesting comment. In January 2022, in the small Newaygo County community of Brohman, a customer complained about spending $120 on nine instant game tickets, only to find that each had already been partially scratched. Then, a week later, another customer complained about a similar experience after spending $60 on six tickets. Investigators visited the Brohman EZ Mart and found 20 more pre-scratched tickets, with total face values of $345, available for sale. Like the ones purchased by the customers of the convenience store, all had been previously scanned and determined to be losers. Surveillance video pointed to a store employee, who admitted to secretly scratching the tickets "due to financial hardship in her life." She said her cheating resulted in her finding and cashing winning tickets worth between $100 and $150 and offered to pay all the money back, records show. The store fired her but did not call the police, according to the lottery reports. And in another case, only a change of ownership pre-empted serious ramifications for a service station in Livonia. Around the beginning of October, a customer complained she purchased at least six $50 instant game tickets that had small scratch marks within the bonus areas, at what was then a Sunoco station on West Eight Mile near the border of Livonia and Farmington Hills. When Michigan Lottery investigators visited the outlet Oct. 12, they found, and seized, 143 additional tickets offered for sale that had scratch marks in the bonus areas. The next day, they found and seized 158 more tickets that had been tampered with in the service station's back inventory. None of the employees admitted any involvement and a review of surveillance video was inconclusive. More: Gaming the system: Michigan Lottery cracks down on retailers who cheat customers Then, in April of this year, Michigan Lottery was advised a new owner had taken over and only one person who worked for the former owner had been kept on. A new inspection found no suspicious scratch marks on any instant game tickets offered for sale, and the case was closed in June after the initial complainant was refunded $300 for the tickets she had purchased, records show. Michigan Lottery also investigated complaints about customers getting shortchanged, getting charged extra to buy lottery tickets with a debit or credit card, and, in a couple of instances, getting asked to "kick back" some or all of their lottery winnings to the retailer. But the kickback allegations were never substantiated and likely arose from misunderstandings or lame attempts at humor. In late May of this year, a customer complained that when she went to cash two winning tickets worth a combined $12 at Crown Liquor in Canton, she was told she could only redeem the tickets there by purchasing $12 worth of items at the store. The customer told Michigan Lottery officials she was annoyed enough to complain because it was the third time something similar had happened at the same store. She told the clerk, who happened to be the store's owner, she would take her winning tickets elsewhere and said the owner replied that was fine with her. The owner told the Michigan Lottery investigator she recalled the incident. She said it had been a slow day at the store and she did not have enough cash in the till to pay the winnings. The investigator told the owner it was understandable the store did not keep large amounts of cash on hand, but "it would appear $12 would not be considered a large amount." However, the store owner said they keep less cash on hand since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The investigator noted Michigan Lottery rules do not prescribe any minimum amount of cash that retailers must keep on hand and told the owner "she did not do anything that would be considered a violation of her lottery license." Last year in Owosso, northeast of Lansing, a customer who went to Ricks Quik Stop to cash a winning lottery ticket complained that the cashier told her she had to give him one-third of her winnings in return for cashing it, records show. When Michigan Lottery investigators visited, the manager told them her assistant manager "sometimes jokes with the customers when they are cashing a ticket, but it is only a joke and he is not serious." One of the investigators told the manager "it was not construed as a joke for this particular customer, and the joking about keeping a portion of the prize or receiving a tip when cashing a ticket should stop immediately." The assistant manager was spoken to and no further action was taken, records show. A week later, in June 2022, lottery officials in Lansing received a similar complaint after a customer went to cash a winning ticket at Prince Liquor and Wine Shop in Southfield. The cashier, an older gentleman, "told her that he will only cash her tickets if he gets some of the winnings," the record of the complaint shows. The store's owner expressed surprise and doubt that any of his employees would say such a thing, but he said he would ask around. The owner was advised "it could be a good time for a reminder again on how to handle lottery transactions and not asking customers for a share of their winnings." Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @paulegan4. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery investigates customer complaints: What it found The Biden administrations decision to float Atlantic City International Airport as one of 11 potential sites to house migrants living in New York City put New Jersey Democrats in a tough spot. It was merely a suggestion. But with state lawmakers up for reelection in November, Gov. Phil Murphy and other state Democrats many whod previously pledged to make New Jersey a sanctuary state immediately pushed back. I don't see any scenario where we're going to be able to take in a program in Atlantic City or, frankly, elsewhere in the state, Murphy said in a TV interview. A disruptive incursion of this type would negatively impact our region and residents, three insurgent Democratic candidates said in a statement. Atlantic City has been a perennial dumping ground, Mayor Marty Small Sr. said at a press conference, calling it an example of so-called Greyhound Therapy. The proposal from the Department of Homeland Security never appeared to be anything approaching a plan, as opponents were quick to characterize it. But it came at the unofficial start of a campaign season in which all 120 seats in the state Legislature are on the ballot, and as Democrats have already struggled to unify around a campaign message as Republicans hit them on the culture war issue of trans rights and harness the quickly-decreasing popularity of the Murphys wind power plans. Just the specter of housing large numbers of migrants from New York City threatens to nationalize an election in a deep blue state where Bidens approval rating is underwater and its senior U.S. senator, Democrat Bob Menendez, is under pressure to resign after federal authorities indicted him Friday on bribery charges. The issue of migrants, an out-of-control border and the problems that are now emanating from sanctuary city policies are now inexorably tied to Democrats, said Chris Russell, a Republican consultant in several South Jersey legislative races. He said GOP campaign ads will feature the migrant issue. This is a Democrat problem that they have, and they own it lock stock and barrel. The response from New Jersey Democrats was effectively the same position taken by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and many of their fellow Democrats as migrants have traveled far beyond the southern border, some by the political motivations of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. They find themselves in the unlikely company of conservatives, like Abbott, after theyve spent months condemning their immigration stances. New Jersey is one of the richest states in the nation, but Atlantic County has not shared in that prosperity in recent years, especially with a spate of casino closures that occurred as the citys decades-long legal gambling monopoly gave way to competition in other states. Local officials hope to position the airport, which is actually located in nearby Egg Harbor Township, as one of the regions top economic engines. (The airport is home to F-16s from the New Jersey Air National Guard and an FAA research and test base.) Some Republicans couched their opposition to the proposal in terms of fear. "I guarantee you I will put my name upon it that there will be individuals who are criminals, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) said at the press conference attended by Small. But Democrats stuck to economic terms. Republican state Sen. Vince Polistina issued a press release saying hell no to the idea. His Democratic opponent, Caren Fitzpatrick, an Atlantic County commissioner who in 2019 voted against a resolution that opposed making Atlantic a sanctuary county, quickly followed just in less strident language. She said she opposed the proposal on the grounds of the delicate balance we are currently striking in Atlantic County as we work to reinvent our economic path forward after years of lost jobs and shuttered businesses. Democratic officials are hoping the partys full-court press of opposition takes it off the table as a campaign issue in a long-competitive area that has been trending Republican in recent years. In the last legislative election, in 2021, Republicans gained seven seats in the Legislature, including two in Atlantic Countys 2nd district. Democrats still hold a sizable advantage 25-15 in the Senate and 46-34 in the Assembly but Murphy and party leaders have worried a low-turnout election like the one in November could favor the GOP. Both parties are blaming the federal government for decades without a comprehensive immigration plan and path to citizenship for undocumented residents. Atlantic County Democratic Chair Michael Suleiman said he believes Democrats quick response on the Biden administration immediately deflated the issue, insulating the party from GOP attacks. I dont know what the Republicans were expecting, but I think they were caught flat-footed when the Democrats took a similar position they have. I dont accept the premise that its going to be an issue, quite frankly, Suleiman said in a phone interview. But, Suleiman said, Democrats are free of the xenophobia expressed by Van Drew, a former Democrat who turned supporter of former President Donald Trump. My father was an immigrant, came here not speaking a word of English when he was in high school. Immigration is a very important issue to me. We dont want to embrace the rhetoric of the other side, he said. I think folks are maybe lumping us in with the xenophobic rhetoric and we want to make clear as a statewide party we have the same position, I just dont believe its the same rhetoric. Advocates for migrants arent buying it. Sara Cullinane, director of the immigrant advocacy group Make the Road Action NJ, said Democrats risk alienating their base with their knee-jerk reaction. This is a really disappointing move from Democrats who should know better, she said. Many New Jerseyans have an immigrant parent. Were a state of immigrants, and alienating those voters, and coming out against refugees fleeing for their safety. These are people fleeing violence, unsafe conditions. We need to be a welcoming state. We need to uphold those values. Murphy, meanwhile, has pushed back against backlash to his comments against housing the migrants, noting New Jersey took in many Afghan immigrants at a military base following the U.S.s 2021 withdrawal from the country. The Afghan situation is a good example of this. Federal government was right there with resources as a partner, we knew it was within us that it was manageable. We do not see any of that right now, Murphy said at a Sept. 6 press conference. In the end, even the proposals most outspoken opponents now say the idea, to the extent it was ever alive, is dead. Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, a Republican, said he doesnt think its going to happen because it was so preposterous from the get-go. But he still thinks Democrats should answer for it in the legislative elections. Those smug, pompous individuals that wanted to show they were so much better, so much more compassionate than [Trump] when they wanted to make their states a sanctuary state and their cities sanctuary cities be careful what you wish for, Levinson said. Businessman and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell talks with reporters outside the club house at the Trump National Golf Club on 13 June 2023 (Getty Images) Pillow salesman and election denier Mike Lindell was roaming the halls of the White House asserting that then-President Donald Trump would be able to remain in office just days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Former aide to Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Cassidy Hutchinson, who later became a top witness for the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot, writes in her new memoir Enough that she encountered the MyPillow CEO at the White House on 15 January 2021 nine days after the insurrection. We can still win, Mr Lindell said as he walked around the building unescorted. Worried about the deep state, the Trump White House was obsessed with secrecy, but still was relatively uncontrolled, allowing Mr Lindell to explore the compound. Loyalty to Mr Trump was so important in his White House that staffers set up leak traps to find out who was giving information to the press, the book states. The administration was overwhelmed with paranoia, with Mr Meadows refusing to use the burn bags to dispose of trash, worrying that a deep state operative might get ahold of documents. He instead would burn files in his fireplace to such an extent that his wife would complain about the expense of dry cleaning his suits to get rid of the bonfire smell, Ms Huthcinson writes. Mr Meadows once asked Ms Hutchinson if she would take a bullet for Mr Trump. She nervously quipped that she maybe could take one in the thigh, according to The New York Times. Ms Hutchinson also spotted Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who was being investigated by federal authorities for sex trafficking at the time, appear at the White House to speak to Mr Meadows about a pardon. The Department of Justice chose not to proceed with their investigation into Mr Gaetz, ending it earlier this year, as they concluded they would be unable to make a strong case in court, according to the newspaper. Mr Meadows asked Ms Hutchinson to join him in the White House when he took over as chief of staff in March 2020. Youre going to be my eyes and ears. I want you with me all the time, he said, according to Ms Hutchinson. Last week's strike against the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol killed 34 Russian officers, including the fleet's commander, and injured 105 more soldiers, the Special Operations Forces Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Sept. 25. Although reports of the death of the Black Sea Fleet's commander Admiral Viktor Sokolov emerged earlier, they had not been confirmed by official Ukrainian sources until now. The Sevastopol headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was hit in a Ukrainian missile strike on Sept. 22. Satellite imagery by Planet.com revealed extensive damage the strike caused to the building. According to Sky News, the attack was carried out using long-range Storm Shadow missiles. Both Kyiv and Moscow confirmed that the headquarters was hit in the attack. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, later said in an interview with the Voice of America that at least nine people were killed and 16 were injured in the strike. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us Budanov noted that the list of wounded included senior officers such as commander of Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia Oblast General Alexander Romanchuk and General Oleg Tsekov. The Special Operations Forces Command also reported that an earlier strike against the Minsk landing craft docked in the Sevastopol shipyard on Sept. 13 caused 62 Russian casualties. According to the U.K. Defense Ministry, the attack against Sevastopol's Sevmorzavod repair facility led to the destruction of the Ropucha-class Minsk landing ship and seriously damaged the Kilo-class Rostov-on-Don submarine, both of which were undergoing repairs at the time of the strike. Read also: From Moscow to Novorossiysk: The list of attacks on Russian soil Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Tommorow Brumfields family walked into a Milwaukee County courtroom Friday certain the man responsible for the death of their 14-year-old girl wouldnt receive a sentence that satisfied them. In a deal with the prosecution, Damon L. Douglas, 28, of Milwaukee pleaded guilty to a lesser felony charge of homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, instead of the original charge of second-degree reckless homicide. The lesser charge comes with a maximum of five years in the Wisconsin prison system and five years of extended supervision. Tommorows family knew that wasn't enough for a man who negligently handled his own firearm, leading to the death of a girl who was getting ready to graduate the eighth grade the next day. Youre going to get out to see your daughter and your grandkids, said Monica Blake, Tommorows grandmother. Youre going to get out to see the rest of your family live and we got to grieve. Judge Jean Marie Kies repeatedly stated her sentence was meant in part to send a message to the community to lock up those firearms, keep them away from children, but she stopped short of maximizing Douglas sentence. Douglas, who has no prior criminal history, will spend three years in prison and three more on extended supervision. Children are our greatest resource, Kies said to Douglas. We want to make sure they have opportunity. You took that opportunity away from poor Tommorow Brumfield. Tommorow, the oldest of four girls, was set to graduate from the eighth grade the day after she was killed on June 13, 2022, in a home on the 8100 block of West Villard Avenue. The kids had been staying with an unofficial guardian at the time of the incident, court records said. The day of the shooting, Douglas had driven Tommorow to get her nails done in preparation for the graduation ceremony, according to the criminal complaint. They returned to the home and were joined by a number of friends and family members as Tommorow picked out her clothes. Witnesses told police there was a fun and playful atmosphere in the home that night, the complaint said The criminal complaint filed in the case described how at one point while Tommorow was picking out clothes in a bedroom, she picked up a BB gun she was known to play with. She pointed it at Douglas, who then pointed a real gun at her, which accidentally discharged. But court officials acknowledged several times Friday the details were murkier than that, referencing unreliable witness statements. Kies said she understood that Douglas had set a gun down inside the bedroom closet, and Tommorow found it and began playing with it. When Douglas tried to wrest it from her, the gun fired. Kies said findings from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office supported that version of events. Regardless, everyone was in agreement the gunshot shocked everyone in the home, including Douglas, who reportedly fell to the floor screaming that it was an accident, the complaint said. Douglas apologized to Tommorows family in a brief courtroom statement Friday. He had known Tommorow a long time and referred to her and her sisters as his kids, according to court records. In letters to the court, family of Douglas described him as an accountable and trustworthy pillar of their family. Even one of Tommorows sisters referred to him as like another uncle. But Friday, family of Tommorow also expressed deep feelings of betrayal toward Douglas. Another sister asked the court to sentence Douglas to life in prison. Centrice Weston, Tommorows mother, called him the devil. I dont want his family to hurt but I want him to know were hurting, Blake said. How to safely store guns According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, roughly a third of U.S. homes with children have guns, and even young toddlers are capable of finding unlocked guns and are strong enough to pull the trigger. In homes with guns, the likelihood of an accidental death by a gun is four times higher. The most effective way to prevent unintentional shootings is the absence of guns in homes. But for those that do have them, the academy recommends guns be locked away and ammunition locked and stored separately. Children and teens should not be able to unlock the boxes that store firearms, and guns that are loaded and unlocked should not be stored in a car or anywhere else on your property. The academy recommends guns be unloaded any time they are set down. Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee man gets 3 years in prison in shooting death of 14-year-old MEMPHIS, Tenn. A 64-year-old endangered man has been missing from the Raleigh area since Saturday, Memphis Police say. Lewis Christion was last seen in the 4300 block of Royal Palace Cove. Christions family says he walked away from his home, and they have not seen him since. Police say he is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and has other health issues. Christion is also reportedly off his medication. He is described as a 5-foot-11-inch, 150-pound male with grey hair and grey eyes. He was last seen wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans, and grey shoes, police say. If you locate Christion, please call MPD at 901-545-2677. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. In 2002, during the 83-day special session, the longest in state history, members of the Mississippi Medical Association were out in full force in favor of legislation to provide health care providers more protection from lawsuits. The Medical Association, the largest organization of physicians in the state, had members in their white coats at the Mississippi Capitol aggressively lobbying lawmakers. They won. A few years later, the white-coated members were nowhere to be seen at the Capitol as various groups ranging from the American Cancer Society to the American Heart Association and many more were lobbying lawmakers for an increase in the 18-cent per pack tax on cigarettes, which was the third lowest in the nation and significantly below the national average. The groups argued that multiple studies had found it was good for the states public health to increase the tax on cigarettes. And various studies had confirmed that higher taxes on cigarettes were a deterrent to smoking, especially among teenagers. Then-Gov. Haley Barbour , a former tobacco lobbyist, blocked all efforts to increase the cigarette tax and even the bipartisan effort led by Republican Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck to reduce the grocery tax to offset that lost revenue by increasing the cigarette tax. The Medical Association, which was quiet on the issue, had long supported Barbour. In Barbours second term, he finally acquiesced to an increase in the cigarette tax, but not a reduction in the grocery tax. But at a meeting of legislative leaders where the cigarette tax increase was announced, the head of the Mississippi Medical Association was sitting front and center. When asked what he was doing at the meeting, he replied his group had been working for years to increase the cigarette tax. As the old saying goes, nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors, but members of the Medical Association were far from front and center on the issue like they had been on efforts to garner themselves more protection from lawsuits. This year the Medical Association or at least its political action committee has endorsed Tate Reeves for governor. Reeves, like Barbour in the early 2000s, is blocking a proposal that many other health care groups argue would help improve health care in the state. Reeves has adamantly rejected pleas from numerous groups to expand Medicaid with the federal government paying at least 90% of the costs to provide health care to primarily the working poor. Heck, while not uttering the words Medicaid expansion, even the aforementioned Mississippi Medical Association has voiced support for expanding Medicaid. In January 2002, the Medical Association wrote: The fact is, there is a sizable gap that exists for working Mississippians who cannot afford private health insurance, yet whose income is too much to qualify for Mississippi Medicaid. When these individuals need healthcare, hospitals are required to treat them regardless of their ability to pay. And because these individuals are uninsured, the hospital is not compensated for this necessary care. Such an economical strain on hospitals is one that even the most successful private business could not endure. In the same opinion piece, the Medical Association offered some considerations it said should be enacted. They include a raise the income eligibility for Medicaid. Raising the income level is the very definition of expanding Medicaid. And if that is not enough, the Medical Association also proposed considering the Arkansas model to provide access to care for working Mississippians through the purchase of private insurance for qualified recipients. The Arkansas model has been approved by the federal government, which pays the bulk of the costs as a form of Medicaid expansion. When asked if the endorsement of Reeves meant the Medical Association was giving up on Medicaid expansion, Dr. James Rish, chair of the Medical Associations political action committee, replied via email: We look forward to further discussion and engagement with Gov. Reeves to address the many healthcare challenges in our state, including improving accessibility, affordability, and the overall statewide healthcare delivery system for all Mississippians. If history is an indicator, one thing is for sure: members of the Medical Association will be sitting front and center when and if Medicaid is ever expanded, just as they were when the cigarette tax was finally increased. This analysis was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is Mississippi Todays senior Capitol reporter. A Cole County judge on Monday struck down Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft s language for a series of proposed ballot measures that seek to restore abortion access in the state. The Republican secretary of state, who is running for governor in 2024, had crafted summaries for the proposed initiatives that would have asked voters to allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions. Judge Jon Beetems ruling tosses that language and includes new summaries for six of the proposed ballot measures. The Court finds that certain phrases included in the Secretarys summary statement are problematic in that they are either argumentative or do not fairly describe the purposes or probably effect of the initiative, Beetem said in his ruling. Mondays order comes after the ACLU of Missouri challenged Ashcrofts language for the proposed ballot measures, which abortion rights supporters are looking to place on the 2024 ballot. The ruling allows supporters to move forward with the petitions with new language drafted by the courts. Beetem, in a separate ruling, upheld the fiscal estimates of the ballot proposals, rejecting claims from two Republican state lawmakers and an anti-abortion activist that the ballot measures would cost the state billions. All of the new ballot summaries would ask voters, in part, to establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care including abortion and contraceptives with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid. Beetem, in his ruling, rewrote all six of the petitions with each question based on the contents of the proposal. Some would allow Missouri to ban abortion after fetal viability while others would allow a 24-week ban. Anthony Rothert, the director of integrated advocacy at the ACLU of Missouri, celebrated the ruling in a statement Monday, saying that Ashcrofts summaries were the language of a biased politician seeking the support of special interest groups. The new summaries go a long way toward fairly describing the right to make reproductive health care decisions without government interference, Rothert said. Missourians believe in limited government and should have the chance to vote for reproductive rights. Ashcrofts office indicated plans to appeal the decision. We will not stand idly by while the courts hide the effects of this amendment and mislead the people as to what they may very well be voting on next year, Ashcroft said in a statement. Ashcroft, in his statement, specifically took issue with summaries of two of the petitions, which would ask voters to amend the constitution to declare government funding of abortion is not required. The Republican said that this is categorically false, indicating that he believes legalizing abortion would require costs to government entities. In Beetems ruling on the challenge to the petitions fiscal note summaries, he found that the estimates crafted by Republican Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, which estimates that the petitions would have no cost to the state, were fair. The ruling denies a challenge from state Rep. Hannah Kelly, a Mountain Grove Republican, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, an Arnold Republican, and Kathy Forck, an anti-abortion activist from New Bloomfield, who argued that the petitions would cost the state billions. Yamelsie Rodriguez, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said in a statement Monday that Missouri politicians have held hostage the right to reproductive freedom for decades. The states most marginalized communities, including young people, those financially insecure, Black and brown people and transgender and gender-expansive communities have felt the brunt of harmful policies and face the most barriers to quality care, the statement said. Now, as a path to building abortion access becomes clearer, Planned Parenthood recommits to centering those communities and not just rebuilding the same system that left so many behind, the statement said. Planned Parenthood stands ready to work with partners to build meaningful, lasting, and equitable abortion access for all Missourians. The ongoing legal challenges have delayed abortion rights supporters from collecting signatures on the different versions of the state constitutional amendment that would restore abortion rights in Missouri. The procedure is almost entirely banned after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal right to an abortion last year. Anna Fitz-James, a retired St. Louis doctor, submitted the proposals in March. Tom Bastian, a spokesperson for the ACLU of Missouri, said in a text to The Star that abortion rights supporters likely would not begin collecting signatures on the petitions until the appeals window closes and the campaign has chosen which version of the petition to move forward with. Traffic streaks by the Cuban Embassy in Washington early Saturday morning, Nov. 26, 2016. The embassy was attacked on September 24, 2023, when Molotov cocktails were thrown at the building. | J. David Ake, Associated Press The Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C., was attacked Sunday night when two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the building in a terrorist attack, Cubas foreign minister said. Cubas Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla stated Sunday that no one was harmed and that details are being worked out. In the evening of today, Sep 24, the Cuban embassy in the US was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who launched 2 Molotov cocktails, Parrilla wrote on social media. The staff suffered no harm. Details are being worked out. In the evening of today, Sep 24, the Cuban embassy in the US was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who launched 2 Molotov cocktails. The staff suffered no harm. Details are being worked out. This is the second violent attack against #Cuba's diplomatic mission Bruno Rodriguez P (@BrunoRguezP) September 25, 2023 This is the second attack against the Cuban Embassy since it reopened in 2015, according to ABC News. In April 2020, a man armed with an AK-47 assault rifle opened fire on the embassy. The man, Alexander Alazo, was Cuban and sought asylum in the U.S., The Associated Press reported. Related U.S. law enforcement officials are investigating the attack, and no arrests have been made so far. However, Parilla appeared to place blame on anti-Cuban groups. The anti-Cuban groups resort to terrorism when feeling they enjoy impunity, something that Cuba has repeatedly warned the US authorities about, he stated on social media. The attack occurred just hours after Cuban politician Miguel Diaz-Canel left the embassy to return to Cuba, the Miami Herald reported. Welcome to the first of Questors new Monday columns, in which our share selections are inspired by where the worlds best-performing fund managers are investing their clients cash. Regular readers may well be thinking: whats new? After all, Questor has for the past seven years examined the buys and sells of prominent professional investors under its Follow the Money format. Indeed, this new column is inspired by the same simple idea, of tracking the investment decisions of those with a record of getting more of them right than wrong. Armed with unique data on the performance of thousands of fund managers around the world, the financial publisher Citywire has taken that idea a few steps further. Mondays Questor will showcase the shares from across the world (though still accessible to readers) that are most popular with a select few fund managers who have demonstrated a consistent ability to significantly outperform the markets they invest in. We will be drawing on ratings produced by Citywire that highlight exactly this. The Citywire Elite Companies website, which I edit, rates companies on the basis of their backing by the worlds best-performing fund managers. Heres how it works. Citywire trawls through the performance of more than 10,000 equity fund managers it tracks around the world. Using stringent criteria that take account of how much they outperform their market, how consistently they do so and how much risk they take, the very best are selected. Fewer than 3pc of the fund managers tracked or, more precisely, 290 individuals currently pass this test. Only the companies owned by these top-performing fund managers qualify for a Citywire Elite Companies rating. That equates to around 10pc of the more than 56,000 listed companies across the world: 5,480 shares at the last count, spread across 72 countries and operating in 55 industries. Recommended A comprehensive guide on how to invest and where to put your money Read more Those companies, all backed by the worlds best-performing investors, are rated, from the highest AAA rating to AA, A and +, on the basis of the size of these investors bets on their shares. Companies move up and down and into and out of the ratings each month as these top fund managers buy and sell shares. The idea behind the ratings, which have been approved by independent analysts AKG, is simple: to highlight top-performing fund managers biggest stock market bets. Theres weighty academic evidence that following these bets can be profitable for investors. Harvard Business School lecturer Randy Cohen, who has studied the performance of fund managers best ideas for more than 15 years, has argued that when professional investors beat the market, it tends to be down to just three to five of their highest conviction positions. That is where this column will focus: on companies with the highest Citywire Elite Companies rating, which top-performing fund managers are betting biggest on. Each stock highlighted by the ratings will be subjected to the normal Questor scrutiny. How much of its profits can it deliver in hard cash? How much debt does it carry on its balance sheet? And how expensive are its shares? Ultimately, the aim is the same as with every Questor column: to highlight great investment opportunities. By giving you the inside track on where the worlds best fund managers are putting their clients money, we hope to deliver just that. Daniel Grote is editor of Citywire Elite Companies Questor on Twitter Readers who used to follow us @DTquestor may be wondering what has happened to the account. It still exists but its name has changed to @TeleQuestor. If you go there instead, you should find that you are already following us and we will aim to tweet each column from there. Apologies for any confusion. Read the latest Questor column on telegraph.co.uk every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6am Read Questors rules of investment before you follow our tips Get in touch | How to contact Questor 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. During the Vietnam War, American Special Forces sought out the help of the Indigenous Montagnard peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam and their traditional homelands in Laos and Cambodia. Montagnard is a French term for mountain dwellers and an umbrella name for the Hmong, Rhade, and Nung peoples, among others. Approximately 30 tribes reside among six distinct ethnic groups in the area of Frances former Indochina colony. These hill people have no collective name for themselves except for the French Montagnard moniker. The Montagnard were ill-treated by France during the long colonial period and also distrustful of the South Vietnamese, who later basically carried on with the same policies the French had toward them. At the same time, many Montagnards had converted to Christianity and thus openly opposed the communist regime of North Vietnam. Coming from a deep warrior culture, the Montagnard soon accepted the U.S. Special Forces soldiers as warrior brothers. They valiantly fought to keep the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces out of their homelands and worked with the Special Forces as scouts and advisors. Both Cambodia and Laos were technically neutral in the Vietnam conflict, but North Vietnam openly operated in the remote jungles along the border with South Vietnam, especially in the Central Highlands. Clandestine raids and area denial by U.S.-led and equipped Montagnard helped keep a check on the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong activity in these regions. It was support for the Montagnard that led to the formation of the Central Intelligence Agencys clandestine airline, Air America. In the shadowy circumstances that came to represent the Vietnam War, the U.S. also set up air navigation aids and radars in Montagnard areas in neutral Laos and Cambodia in support of the air war against North Vietnam. One such location was Lima Site 85 in northern Laos , very close to the border with North Vietnam and able to cover the capital, Hanoi, critical to U.S. bombing of that strategic area. The site was located on top of Phou Pha Thi mountain in a Hmong tribal area and staffed by a team of U.S. Air Force technicians and operators, along with CIA agents. During several attacks, including one of the very few ground attack missions of the war by the (North) Vietnam People's Air Force, 12 Air Force technicians died or were listed as missing, along with numerous Hmong casualties. The site was abandoned. Unfortunately, the Montagnard peoples ultimately paid a heavy price for their alliance with the U.S. and resistance to communism in their Southeast Asia homeland. In the French Indochina War, which immediately followed World War II, and the Vietnam War, more than a million Montagnards were killed, and almost 90% of their villages were destroyed or had to be abandoned. In an eerie prelude to the fall of Afghanistan in 2021, after the U.S. withdrawal in 1973 and the subsequent fall of South Vietnam in 1975, the Montagnard faced brutal reprisals from the communist Vietnamese government, as well as the savage Khmer Rouge regime that took control of Cambodia. In 1989, U.S. legislation was enacted that allowed the Montagnard, as well as other persecuted peoples, to relocate to the United States. Many have settled in North Carolina, the location of Ft. Liberty (formerly Bragg), the home of the U.S. Special Forces, as well as California and the upper Midwest. In July 2022, North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis drew up a resolution recognizing the heroic actions of the Montagnard, who fought loyally and bravely alongside United States Special Forces in the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, some Montagnard people who have tried to remain in their traditional Central Highlands homeland have become victims of ethnic cleansing and forced assimilation. At one point, a Vietnamese response to a United Nations inquiry on the status of the Montagnard minority stated the group simply did not exist. International agencies continue to press Vietnam to cease their cruel treatment and cultural eradication of the Montagnard people; however, there is very little leverage or incentive for the Vietnamese to change how they view the former allies of the U.S. and their former enemy. With the growing importance of Vietnam as a key member of the forming loose Southeast Asian alliance against an increasingly aggressive communist China, the cause of the Montagnard remaining in Southeast Asia is all but lost. A group of Indigenous people that existed in that area for thousands of years has essentially lost their homeland. As of June 2022, the U.S. State Departments statement of Integrated Country Strategy for Vietnam vaguely addressed aspirational improvements for humanitarian rights inside Vietnam but made no mention of the plight of Montagnard still residing in Vietnam. Moscow airports suspended arrivals and departures on Sunday evening, 24 September, likely because the Russians were expecting Ukrainian drone strikes. Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Details: Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were reportedly out of action, and flights at Sheremetyevo were also delayed. The Russians failed to give an official reason, but Radio Liberty points out that such restrictions are usually imposed when Ukrainian kamikaze drones are approaching the Russian capital. Meanwhile, there were no reports of air defence operations in Russia's Moscow Oblast this time. Background: Earlier, the authorities of Tula Oblast in Russia reported shooting down a drone. Before that, the airspace in the oblast was closed. The Russian Defence Ministry also reported that a drone had been shot down in the country's Bryansk Oblast. And reports of air defence operations in Russian-occupied Crimea near the city of Sevastopol once again emerged on social media. 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 a lengthy statement, Sergei Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, has criticised recent remarks made by Nikol Pashinyan , Prime Minister of Armenia, who described the defence structures his country has been relying on lately as "ineffective". Source: European Pravda "The message about independence from Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, dated 24 September 2023, contains unacceptable accusations against Russia, and the only possible response can be to reject it. There is an obvious attempt to absolve itself of responsibility for domestic and foreign policy failures by shifting blame onto Russia," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. The ministry added that anti-Russian tendencies are systemic in Armenia. "The head of the government has essentially admitted that the republic has been preparing to turn its back on Russia all this time. Armenia is unconvincing in its attempts to justify its steps towards the new Western vector of its development by mistakes that were supposedly made by the Russian Federation and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)," the ministry stated. It stressed that it was mainly due to the "inconsistent position of the Armenian leadership, which has chosen to shy away and cling to the West instead of working in rhythm with Russia and Azerbaijan", that the implementation of trilateral agreements concerning Nagorno-Karabakh had stalled. "This irresponsible approach from Mr Pashinyans team has caused understandable discontent in part of Armenian society, which has been expressed through protests. Claims that these were instigated by Russia are, of course, completely false," the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed, adding that prompted by the government, the Armenian media has gone on a "real anti-Russia spree". "We are convinced that the Yerevan leadership is making a huge mistake in deliberately trying to destroy the multifaceted and centuries-old relationship between Armenia and Russia and turning their country into a hostage of the geopolitical games of the West," the statement reads. Background: Pashinyan said on 24 September that the security system and allies on which his country has relied for years has "demonstrated our vulnerability". Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), which is de facto controlled by Russia. Lately relations between Armenia and the CSTO have cooled considerably. After the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020, the CSTO did not provide Yerevan with any practical assistance. Pashinyan had previously spoken out about the "failures" of Russian peacemakers in unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh, which is what led to the latest escalation. Last week he also said that Armenia would no longer rely on Russia as a guarantor of its safety. 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! HOLLAND TWP. A woman accused of crashing her car into a retention pond while driving under the influence, resulting in the death of three of her children, was sentenced to prison Monday in Ottawa County's 20th Circuit Court. Leticia Marie Gonzales was sentenced to a minimum of 24 months and a maximum of 60 months in prison for operating under the influence causing serious injury, according to a live stream posted by WZZM. She also received 365 days in jail for each charge of moving violation causing death, to be served concurrently with credit for 71 days served. Before hearing her sentence, Gonzales read a statement to the court in which she expressed remorse and asked the judge for mercy. Im living in pain and remorse every day and I just want my boys to know that Im sorry for everything. And if I could give my life and change places, I swear I would. Life without them will never be the same ... I Iost everything I ever needed and I hate myself so much. Ive been sentenced to life without them for the rest of my life so Im asking for forgiveness. I will always love my boys with all of me. More: Mother in triple fatal rollover pleads no contest a second time On Feb. 7, 2022, Gonzales was driving an SUV with her sons Josiah, Jerome III and Jeremiah, all under the age of five when she hit the curb and flipped into a nearby pond. Gonzales managed to escape the crash, but all three boys were trapped in the water for 10 to 17 minutes. Jerome and Jeremiah were pronounced dead at the scene. Josiah died several hours later at an area hospital. Leticia Gonzales during a hearing June 8, 2023. Gonzales was initially charged with three counts of operating while intoxicated causing death. On the day of the crash, Gonzales took a prescribed dose of methadone, a drug sometimes prescribed to treat an opioid use disorder. Gonzales later took another, unprescribed dose of methadone a few hours before the crash. Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage In April, Gonzales pleaded no contest to one count of operating while intoxicated causing death. The plea agreement dropped two counts of the same charge and prosecutors recommended one year in jail. Gonzales withdrew the plea after Judge Jon Hulsing said he would not honor the agreement, and instead would impose a sentence of four to 15 years in prison with credit for 41 days served. On Aug. 28, Gonzales once again pleaded no contest, this time to one count of operating while intoxicated causing injury and three counts of moving violation causing death. Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @tess_journalist. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Mother in triple-fatal rollover sentenced to 2-5 years Theres no better place than Ocean Springs to purchase your forever home. According to a Southern Living list released last week, the Mississippi Coast city is one of the best places in the South to retire and home affordability played a large part in that ranking. The 12 best retirement cities were chosen based on the magazines lists of the Souths best, a set of lists that rank everything from best small town to best vacation spot. Data from Investopedia was also involved. The locations were compared to cities across the country. Criteria included housing affordability, average age of residents and access to amenities like restaurants, hospitals and airports. Each of the top cities ranked high in at least one of the categories. Ocean Springs was named the best for home buying and was the only Mississippi city to make the list. Theres a large population of retirees here and home listings pop up constantly to meet the demand with a better-than-average income-to-home-value ratio (34% compared to the overall national percentage of 28%), said Carolanne Griffith Roberts of Southern Living Magazine. Mississippi sweetens the pot with low taxes. Best places to retire Best all-around: Chattanooga, Tennessee Best for healthy living: Beaufort, North Carolina Best for outdoor enthusiasts: Abingdon, Virginia Best for home buying: Ocean Springs Best mountain town: Blowing Rock, North Carolina Best for food lovers: Greenville, South Carolina Best beach town: St. Augustine, Florida Best access to nature: Eureka Springs, Arkansas Best for lifelong learning: Lexington, Kentucky Best for arts and culture: Savannah, Georgia Best for affordability: Huntsville, Alabama Best for city lovers: Fort Worth, Texas Muslims join a July protest in Montgomery County, Md., where parents rallied unsuccessfully to opt their children out of lessons with LGBTQ+-themed books. (Anadolu Agency / Getty Images) For months, hundreds of religious parents have regularly rallied outside a Maryland school board building, aghast at curriculum featuring books that portray LGBTQ+ families to elementary school kids. Waving American flags, they have chanted against indoctrination of children. Theyve sued to pull their kids from lessons and argued their case on Fox News. In battles against LGBTQ+ acceptance, it is often white evangelicals pushing for book bans or boycotts over beer brands or bathing suits. In this case, Muslims are leading the fight. The controversy in an overwhelmingly blue Washington, D.C., suburb highlights a shift. For decades, Muslims have been focused on fighting back against accusations of terrorism. But now, in clashes in left-leaning, diverse areas from the coasts to the heartland, they're speaking out about what they see as intolerance of their faith. "The school system believes it is being inclusive toward LGBTQ parents and students," said Zainab Chaudry, the Maryland director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national civil rights group that put out calls for rallies over the Maryland books controversy. But in doing that, it is not being inclusive toward another set of parents and students." Chaudry said the conflict is just the tip of a movement "growing among Muslims in many parts of America." In the blue city of Hamtramck, Mich., an all-Muslim city council recently sided with Muslim activists and banned the LGBTQ+ Pride flag on city property. Muslim residents are pushing for the same in nearby Dearborn, where close to half of residents are Arab Americans and protesters derailed a school board meeting last fall over an LGBTQ+-related curriculum. Hamtramck, Mich., residents Emelyn Rutowski and Alessandro Uribe-Rheinbolt listen to a June city council meeting that focused on the debate over the Pride flag. (Robin Buckson / Associated Press) And at dozens of American mosques in other cities, congregational prayer leaders have instructed followers to confront gender ideology." It all bewilders some who say they supported Muslims when they were under attack from the far-right and now feel betrayed. "When they wanted to broadcast their call to prayer from mosques, we defended them. When they were being hit with hate crimes, we stood by them, and we opened our arms when they were refugees," said Russ Gordon, who was kicked off the Hamtramck Human Relations Commission this year after he defied the flag ban. "We live in America, but this feels like a theocracy." Muslims were once reliable allies in a coalition of racial, religious and sexual minorities courted by the left. The umbrella grew after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and hit a stride during the Trump presidency as policies and pronouncements from the White House targeted each group with regularity. Now, some of the 3.5-million followers of Islam in the U.S. are speaking out on topics where their conservative take on the faith more closely aligns with Republican politics. Muslims have long stayed out of these controversies," said Youssef Chouhoud, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University in Virginia who studies the role of Muslims in politics. But now, they are jumping in. It's seen as less risky than it was before." Nationally, U.S. Muslims still have little political sway. Aside from a few areas where theyre concentrated, such as California, Michigan, Texas and New York, Muslims also have scant influence on state or local politics. The community generally voted Republican through the 1990s, until 9/11 and what they saw as the partys false conflation of Islam with extremist ideology spurred a move to the Democratic Party. Muslims are quick to remember that Donald Trump vowed in his first campaign to temporarily block Muslim arrivals to the U.S. and as president targeted Muslim-majority countries with travel bans. A 2017 Pew Research Center survey found that 66% of Muslims favored the Democratic Party, compared with just 13% who leaned toward Republicans; 78% said they voted for Hillary Clinton for president. But in 2020, Associated Press exit polls found 35% of Muslims chose Trump and 64% President Biden. Read more: A pride flag, an argument and gunfire: The senseless killing of Laura Ann Carleton Such divides mean little to parents in Montgomery County, Md., where many opposed to LGBTQ+ books are Democrats. The fight centers on what the school district calls "inclusive texts" for elementary school language arts. They include "My Rainbow, a story about a mom who makes a wig for her transgender daughter; Uncle Bobbys Wedding, in which a girl learns her uncle will marry his boyfriend, and Pride Puppy, about a dog that gets lost in a colorful Pride parade. Parents especially objected to the puppy book because of a word-search list that includes underwear, "intersex" and leather." Montgomery County, Md., parents protest outside of the county's school board building in July. (Anadolu Agency / Getty Images) Some schools let parents opt out of the books earlier this year before administrators clarified the rules in the spring. They said state law allows parents to pull children from sex education, but these lessons fall outside that. The school board expected conservative Christians to be unhappy; it was caught off guard when hundreds of Muslim parents protested. Saying that a kindergartner cant be present when you read a book about a rainbow unicorn because it offends your religious rights or your family values or your core beliefs is just telling that kid there is another reason to hate another person, board member Lynne Harris said at one meeting. "If you took any of these books and replaced the characters with straight characters, nobody would be accusing anyone of sexualizing their kids or teaching them bad morality," Harris later said in an interview. "What it comes down to, plainly, is homophobia." In another meeting, a member of the county council, Kristin Mink, accused Muslim parents of being on the side of white supremacists. She later apologized. Mink did not reply to interview requests. Read more: How 'Gender Queer: A Memoir' became America's most banned book Edward Mitchell, the national deputy director of CAIR, called the statements "inaccurate and offensive." His group is supporting parents Christian and Muslim who are suing to pull their kids out of lessons using books that include LGBTQ+ characters or themes. CAIR is not party to the lawsuit, which was filed by Becket Law, a prominent Washington, D.C.-based firm that's argued numerous "religious liberty" cases in front of the Supreme Court. If it so happens that there are people who we dislike that happen to be concerned about the same issues as us, so be it, Mitchell said. Moms for Liberty, a conservative organization that has successfully pushed for book bans at libraries and schools elsewhere in the U.S., is among the groups promoting the Maryland rallies. An emerging Islamic chapter of the Washington, D.C.-based Religious Freedom Institute has also filed court briefs in support of the parents. The organization has teamed with conservative Christians to promote state laws that allow medical professionals to deny abortion and gender-affirming care because they violate their religious beliefs. It has also pushed back on schools that ban teachers from outing transgender students to parents. Read more: In the war over transgender rights, Florida is ground zero. One womans battle to survive For Asma Uddin, a mother of two elementary school-age kids who attend Montgomery County schools, the issue has little to do with political party or anti-LGBTQ+ views. She just wants to decide when and what her kids learn about sexuality or gender identity. Ive voted for Democrats my whole life, said Uddin, a visiting assistant law professor at Catholic University who wrote The Politics of Vulnerability: How to Heal Muslim-Christian Relations in a Post-Christian America. I voted for same-sex marriage," she said in reference to a 2012 state referendum that included protections for conservative religious ministers. "I am left of center. Uddin, who spoke out at a recent rally in support of the lawsuit, formerly worked for Becket Law. "In my career, I've promoted working with people who agree with you on issues that you share regardless of political lines or stereotypes. It is unusual for me, though, to now be confronted with these questions with my family." Chaudry, the Maryland CAIR director, said she expected similar conflicts nationwide. "We have heard from Muslims in Vermont, Florida, Washington and Oregon where they are concerned about the same issues," she said. In heavily Democratic Dearborn, Mich., protests last year over LGBTQ+-themed books nearly shut down school board meetings. More recently, Muslim activists have tried unsuccessfully to get the Pride flag banned from city property. Read more: How GOP efforts to restrict trans rights take a page from the antiabortion playbook Pride is not a religion, it is not something everyone has to celebrate or respect, said Hassan Aoun, a Muslim Uber driver in Dearborn. I respect people who are gay. They can do what they want. Its a free country. ... But that doesnt mean we have to put up a flag or shove it down peoples throats. It is clearly against Islam and we make up a lot of this community. Aoun, 42, said he usually voted for Democrats until gradually switching sides over the last decade over LGBTQ+ issues. About 10 miles from Dearborn, liberals celebrated when Hamtramck elected the nation's first majority-Muslim council in 2015. But in the three months since the council now all-Muslim and all male banned the Pride flag on public property, there have been protests and scathing online critiques. The ban, set forth during LGBTQ+ Pride Month, also made it illegal to fly other "religious, ethnic, racial, political or sexual orientation group flags." Mayor Amer Ghalib said the council was trying to keep the city neutral. "It's the only Muslim-majority city in the Western Hemisphere and people here care so much about their faith and family structure. We don't discriminate against any group, but we don't give special or preferential treatment to any group either, he said. He vowed to enforce the rule and complained about "aggressive people who act as a militia," saying he fired two government employees who "disrespected law and order after the vote. They were members of the city's Human Relations Commission who raised the flag in July on a city-owned flagpole, where it flew for two hours before workers removed it. "Many religious people view homosexuality as a sin but that doesn't make that a reality," said Gordon, the former local Human Rights Commission chair who was one of those fired. "Many religious folks also accept gay people. It is a part of life, but these people who lead our city can't face that." The controversy reignited this month during a local Labor Day parade when the mayor said he was offended that "pro-LGBT volunteers" placed him next to the Hamtramck Queer Alliance. He refused to walk in front of the group and instead rode in an SUV. The mayor accused event organizers of staging "optics to show us marching with the LGBT flags behind us." Tim Price, a member of the Hamtramck Queer Alliance, lamented the ongoing tensions. Read more: Crowd protests LGBTQ+ education in Los Angeles; two arrested at LAUSD offices "It is a bit crazy that all of this is coming back around again," said Price, 59, who works in freelance marketing. "We accomplished marriage equality not long ago. And now we are having these conflicts all over. I am not surprised it's because of religion. I was raised Catholic. A lot of people hide their dislike behind religion." However, while many traditional schools of Islam see LGBTQ+ identities as incompatible with the faith's instructions, the views of American Muslims are more diverse. An overflow crowd stands in Hamtramck, Mich., City Hall during a meeting on the municipality's flag ordinance proposal. (Robin Buckson / Associated Press) A 2017 Pew Research Center survey found that more than half of American Muslims believed homosexuality should be accepted by society, close to double the support found a decade before. Acceptance was 60% among Muslim millennials. Pew found that Muslims were more likely to accept homosexuality than white evangelicals and Black Protestants, but less likely than mainline Protestants, Catholics and people with no religious affiliation. The survey was the last time the group asked Muslims about LGBTQ+ issues. "What you also find is that they are also influenced by the same political trends and controversies affecting everyone else," said Chouhoud, the professor. A Muslim who lives outside Richmond, Va., Chouhoud said he's noticed that LGBTQ issues have become a prominent subject at his mosque. "This summer was the first that, for weeks on end, our Friday khutbah [sermon] was focused on LGBTQ+ questions," said Chouhoud. "I have never seen that before." That was in part spurred by an open letter that hundreds of American imams signed, titled "Navigating Differences," a rare coming together of the biggest names in American Islam in an attempt to course-correct followers. "We refuse the false choice between succumbing to social pressures to adopt views contrary to our beliefs or facing unfounded charges of bigotry," the 1,289-word essay said. Yasir Qadhi, a widely followed Islamic scholar who serves at the East Plano Islamic Center in Texas, was a lead writer of the notice. "We have as Muslims been relatively quiet on LGBTQ topics because we thought there were bigger fish to fry, so to speak," said Qadhi. "But then the issue was coming directly to our communities and involving schools and children." Read more: What makes for a transgender safe haven? California, other blue states are figuring it out Qadhi was also involved in another letter released by the same group in 2016, after a Muslim man who supported the Islamic State shot and killed 49 people at the Pulse gay club in Orlando, Fla. That statement praised LGBTQ+ Americans for standing by Muslims who faced discrimination and encouraged Muslims to defend the humanity of LGBTQ+ people. Now, some Islamic leaders express regret about supporting communities they see as being at odds with Islam. Sheikh Mustafa Umar, the senior religious director of the Islamic Center of Irvine, put it bluntly in recent remarks at the Chino Valley Islamic Center on the "LGBT lobby." A person holds an LGBTQ+ pride flag outside Hamtramck, Mich., City Hall as police stand near the door. (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images) "The Muslim leadership post-9/11 got so afraid, everyone got so scared, [saying:] 'Our visas are going to be revoked, we're going to get kicked out of the country, we're going to have to move somewhere else...," he said. "So people are like, 'Let's just team up just with anybody who is willing to talk to us.' Not thinking about the long-term consequences. And when we look at that in retrospect, that was a huge mistake, and now it's coming back to bite us." Read more: Opinion: How LGBTQ+ Muslims like me create and find community during Ramadan LGBTQ+ Muslims and progressive Muslim groups have responded forcefully to such perspectives. "The Prophet Muhammad asked Muslims to stand up against oppression of the vulnerable," said Ani Zonneveld, the Los Angeles-based founder of Muslims for Progressive Values, which organizes LGBTQ+-friendly worship groups across the U.S. "The prophet never punished a person for being gay, even though there were absolutely gay people existing during his life." Muslim scholars "keep on saying that being LGBTQ is morally wrong but then say they are not to blame for any hate or harm against LGBTQ people," she said. "Nobody explicitly said to attack Muslim Americans after Sept. 11, but the political rhetoric around Islam led many people to commit hate crimes." In Maryland, the Muslim parents fighting against the book assignments say their goal is for both sides to get what they want. In late August, a federal judge denied their request for a temporary injunction to allow parents to opt kids out from readings, saying parents failed to show that the books would "result in the indoctrination of their children or otherwise coerce their children to violate or change their religious beliefs. With or without an opt-out right, the parents remain free to pursue their sacred obligations to instruct their children in their faiths, the judge said. Even if their childrens exposure to religiously offensive ideas makes the parents efforts less likely to succeed, that does not amount to a government-imposed burden on their religious exercise. Sign up for Essential California for the L.A. Times biggest news, features and recommendations in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. NEW SMYRNA BEACH A long-planned development project that would add 701 homes along the south side of Pioneer Trail, just west of Interstate 95, is finally set to become a reality. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Taylor Morrison Homes, one of the nation's largest homebuilders, recently paid $26.5 million to acquire 493 acres of a former sod farm directly east of New Smyrna Beach's sprawling Venetian Bay community, Volusia County property records show. The new community will be called Shell Pointe Colony. Here's what we know about the project: They've already started clearing land Vehicles pass by the site of the planned 701-home Shell Pointe Colony community along the south side of Pioneer Trail in New Smyrna Beach, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. The future residential subdivision will be just west of Interstate 95, directly south of the already established Woodhaven community. The City Commission at its June 27 meeting approved the developers' plans to create 319 house lots in the first two of the project's four planned residential phases. Permits have already been issued for site work, however, "no permits have been issued by the city for any homes at this time," said Shane Corbin, the city's development services director. A construction crew could be seen on Tuesday getting ready to clear land on the site's northwest corner. Taylor Morrison officials did not respond to a request for comment. Land-use attorney Glenn Storch and his Daytona Beach law firm is representing Taylor Morrison in efforts to develop Shell Pointe's residential component. "I would imagine if you spent $26.5 million, you'd start pretty quickly, too," he said. This site map shows the future Shell Pointe Colony residential subdivision where national homebuilder Taylor Morrison Homes plans to build 701 homes along the south side of Pioneer Trail, west of Interstate 95, in New Smyrna Beach. Phase 5 has been set aside for a future shopping village. The map also shows the future southward extension of Williamson Boulevard. Sellers have ties locally and in Illinois Storch Law Firm also represented the sellers of the land Taylor Morrison purchased: Gary Melvin and his cousin Bruce Speer. The two men owned the former sod farm property under their respective businesses Melvin Real Estate Holdings LLC and Speer Real Estate Holdings LLC. The address for both limited liability corporations, according to public records, is 4216 Dewitt Ave., Mattoon, Illinois. That's the headquarters for Rural King, a chain of over 100 farm supply and home goods stores in the Midwest and Southeast. Speer and Melvin are former co-owners of Rural King. The company was co-founded in 1960 by their uncle Kermit Speer. Melvin is one of the company's past presidents. Rural King has several stores in Florida, but none in Volusia County. Property records show Speer and his wife own a vacant oceanfront lot in Ponce Inlet, while Melvin owns a house and several airplane hangars at Spruce Creek Fly-In. Melvin's son, Alex, Rural King's current owner and chairman, owns a vacant lot at the Fly-In. Public records show Speer is also a trustee of a charitable nonprofit called the Speer Family Foundation in Port Orange. Plans include a future 'shopping village' Speer and Melvin retained a 27-acre parcel at Shell Pointe that has approvals from the city to be developed into a 400,000-square-foot "shopping village." It would be the project's fifth and final phase. No date has been set for when it would be built. The vacant land is on the southeast corner of Pioneer Trail and Cypress Springs Parkway. "Phase Five would be developed by someone else (other than Taylor Morrison)," said Storch. The homes will be built in phases A construction crew gets set to clear more land on the site of the planned 701-home Shell Pointe Colony community along the south side of Pioneer Trail in New Smyrna Beach, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. The future residential subdivision will be just west of Interstate 95. Representatives for the developers at the June 27 commission meeting said plans call for the first two phases of the project's four residential phases to be developed simultaneously on 210 acres on Shell Pointe's west side. Phases three and four will also be developed together at a yet-to-be decided future date which would add 382 house lots on 286 acres. The project will include new roads Plans for Shell Pointe include two new roads that will connect to existing roads at Venetian Bay, as well as a future south extension of Williamson Boulevard, which currently ends at Pioneer Trail. Land for the Williamson extension will be donated to Volusia County. In addition, Speer, Melvin and Taylor Morrison is selling 15 acres on Shell Pointe's northeast corner to the Florida Department of Transportation for $1.275 million. The land is for FDOT's planned I-95/Pioneer Trail interchange. The new community will be built around existing wetlands Joey Posey Jr., an attorney with Storch Law Firm, told commissioners at the June 27 meeting that Shell Pointe will be developed around the property's existing wetlands, which cover more than 140 acres. Plans include new storm water retention ponds to reduce the potential for flooding. "We'll actually have a 55% after-development drop (in flooding potential)," he said. Several Venetian Bay residents testified at the commission meeting to express concerns regarding the Shell Pointe project. Flooding and traffic were two major issues. "My main concern is the rains that we just had (in late June)," said Venetian Bay resident Paula Rossiter. "You drive down Pioneer Trail and look at the (former) sod farm where Shell Pointe is going to be developed. It's all pooling. There's tons of water there." Michelle Widick, a senior project manager with Ormond Beach engineering firm Zev Cohen & Associates, told the commission Shell Pointe is designed to store up to 410,000 cubic feet of storm-water on site during heavy rains. Project has been years in the making Efforts to develop Shell Pointe date back to at least 2016, according to city filings. "This probably takes the cake for the most submittals and re-submittals I've ever seen for a project," Posey told the City Commission. "This is above and beyond when it comes to design. You have a developer who's put a substantial amount of money into this project. Those (many) years of review were not cheap. The administrative process applications alone were over $100,000." Posey rattled off a list of "advantages" the project would create for the city, including "infrastructure paid solely by the developer," "the donation of the Williamson right-of-way" and the storm water retention system. Don't let that sway you, Venetian Bay resident Mike Bouma urged City Commissioners. "I understand that the owners and the new buyers have put a lot of money and time into this, but that's part of being a developer. That shouldn't matter to you," he said. "I'm not against Shell Pointe. I know it's coming. I just want to make sure that Shell Pointe is not the next Venetian Bay." This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Builder plans 700 homes in New Smyrna. Here's where they're going. COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a report released Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. Sometimes a full-blown crisis flies under the radar. I am glad that is changing when it comes to the infant death rate for Black mothers. A light has been shone on the crisis at least. But that light also reveals the situation is still very bad. And we can do better. In the end, we must. More: Meet the Fayetteville doula fighting to improve Black maternal health, infant mortality rates Seventy percent of these infant deaths are preventable, said Michaela Penix, who lives in Fayetteville and recently served as North Carolina director for Maternal and Infant Health for the March of Dimes. That is part of the problem, folks have resigned themselves to believe that infant mortality is something that just happens, she said. Michaela Penix September is National Infant Mortality Awareness Month. On Sept. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the infant mortality rate overall in 2021 remained relatively steady from the previous report. The mortality rate is the number of deaths of babies in the first year of life per 1,000 births. A bleak trend for Black mothers continued: Their mortality rate was 10.6 per 1,000 births, more than twice that of white mothers. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a spike in both the percentage of Black women who died during pregnancy or childbirth, as well as infant mortality, according to CDC reports released in the spring. I asked Penix if society was going in the right direction in term of its awareness and response to the problem. Yes and no, she said. She said passage of Medicaid expansion by the N.C. General Assembly would improve care options for mothers after the birth of their child. Better prenatal care and a sharper focus on addressing underlying conditions that could lead to pregnancy complications are still needed, she said. Pregnant woman. Penix recently started a new job as national director of Community Mobilization for March of Dimes. In that role, she works with fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha and sorority Zeta Phi Beta, both historically Black and longtime partners, on education programs on healthy living, including teen pregnancy prevention; awareness of premature births and healthcare access. But better policies would help, she said. There are other pieces of play, too, like paid medical leave, paid maternity leave, she said. There are some people in our state who have to return back to work within two weeks of giving birth but because they cannot afford to take the time off. Cumberland County and the state similar distressing trends I don't think it is difficult for anyone to see the crisis in infant mortality for Black women is directly tied to the crisis of Black maternal health. Figures show Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than their white counterparts, according to CDC data. Taken together, the twin crises seem to be a healthcare version of the old adage about economic woes in the U.S.: When the rest of the country catches a cold, African Americans get pneumonia. A look at state and local number reveals the infant mortality crisis is close to home, affecting our friends and neighbors. Cumberland County Health Director Jennifer Green. In 2021, black babies in North Carolina were two times more likely to die in their first year than white babies, Dr. Jennifer Green, the county Health Director, and Tamra Morris, deputy director, said in a joint statement in response to questions. They said they see similar trends in Cumberland County. The health officials attribute the crisis to poorer prenatal care options. Green and Morris said that this year, 17% of North Carolinians seeking prenatal care reported the care was inadequate. Citing the most recent North Carolina Mortality Report, they said the deficit in prenatal care for Black women leads to more premature or preterm births, complications with chronic conditions and an increase in other health disparities. Social and economic factors continue to contribute to poor maternal and infant health outcomes particularly among Black women, and racial disparities reflect increased barriers to care for people of color, the joint email said. Unacceptable treatment during pregnancy care The U.S. leads all other high-income nations in infant mortalities, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund, which researches healthcare worldwide or in the U.S. and provides grants to promote better access. After non-Hispanic Black women, the infant mortality rates by race and ethnicity are: Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 7.8 Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: 7.5 Hispanic: 4.8 Non-Hispanic white: 4.4 Non-Hispanic Asian: 3.7 So what accounts for the different outcomes? The CDC has found that it matters how expectant mothers are treated while receiving maternal care. One in five women reported being scolded, threatened or mistreated by healthcare providers, with women of color reporting more cases of mistreatment, the agency said in findings released last month. Dr. Debra Houry, chief medical officer for the CDC, called it unacceptable, according to a press briefing Aug. 22 that described a call Houry had with reporters. Dr. Debra Houry, chief medical officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention She said: We know mistreatment and discrimination can have a negative impact on the quality of maternity care. We have to encourage a culture of respectful maternity care. This should be part of greater efforts to improve quality by standardizing care to reduce complications and deaths related to pregnancy and delivery. We are not in a great place. We dont have to stay there. More than 20,000 infant deaths were reported nationwide in 2020; in North Carolina, that number was 803, placing the state eighth in the country in infant deaths. The infant mortality rate statewide is 6.9; in Cumberland County, the figure was 9.8. In 2020, Cumberland had 50 infant deaths, third in the state behind Mecklenburg (Charlotte) with 75 and Wake County (Raleigh) with 69. Durham County, which is similar in population size to Cumberland, had 25 deaths and the rate was 6.2. So we are not in a great place right now as far as infant mortality goes. But we do not have to stay there, either. County health officials have a target of reducing the infant mortality rate to 6 by 2030, according to a 2021 Community Health Assessment report. Green and Morris said in their joint statement, Reducing infant mortality begins with prenatal care and maternal health. The officials said the county health department offers a variety of services and programs, including: A Maternity Clinic that is a part of Womens Health Services which offers low-risk prenatal care and delivery services for any pregnant Cumberland County resident. Prenatal education through group classes in the Maternity and Health Education Division. The next series is scheduled to begin in November. A Newborn Home Visit Program for moms and babies where a nurse visits at no cost to ensure mom and baby are doing well after they leave the hospital. A new service, the Connected Care Program, which is a collaborative effort between the Health Department and the Department of Social Services. It sends teams of social workers, health educators and community social services assistants to help individuals and families by identifying addressing social determinants of health that contribute to health disparities. Doulas to the rescue? Nonprofits and other agencies are stepping up. So is academia. That is what we need: Partnerships. The partnerships include Mommas Village, owned by Angela Tatum Malloy, which is participating in a $10 million statewide study that will show how doulas like Malloy can reduce health care racial inequities that negatively impact Black mothers. Forty doula practices across the state will eventually be involved in the study, which got underway in 2021. A major goal of the effort is to reduce instances of low birth weight, according to study co-authors Drs. Jennifer Tang and Rachel Urrutia of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC-Chapel Hills medical school. Jennifer H. Tang, Associate Professor, Global Womens Health, UNC-Chapel Hill Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology We know that one of the leading causes of infant mortality is low birth weight, Tang said. It is highly associated with preterm birth. The UNC researchers are studying how doula care impacts low birth weight as well as how detailed dashboard tracking of each patient's condition by clinic staff can make a difference. Tang said discrimination and microaggressions that Black women may face during treatment or in their regular lives can negatively affect their pregnancy. We know that some of the chronic stress that people face is elevated during pregnancy, she said. There can be a lot of social or mental health changes. This is where the doulas can really play a part doulas who are trained to support patients, who know were they are coming from, who can help reduce some of their anxiety, who can answer some of the basic questions and make sure they are getting connected to the best resources. She said a study in Greensboro showed that patients who had community-based doulas were four times less likely to have a low birth weight infant, than those who did not have a doula, "which is huge. Because it is very, very actually hard to reduce low birth weight. She said a different study showed that a clinic's data practices and use of dashboards and an alert system were found to be effective, too. What's important to emphasize is all patients benefitted, Tang said. The white patients benefitted, they improved, as well as the Black patients. Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3559. Myron B. Pitts This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Black moms in Fayetteville and NC are losing babies. These are solutions Medicaid expansion will launch on Dec. 1, granting health insurance to hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, Gov. Roy Cooper says. Medicaid expansion is historic for North Carolina, which previously was one of just 11 states that had not yet implemented the federally authorized expansion. Since my very first day as governor, getting help to people who need it by expanding Medicaid has been a top priority, Cooper, a Democrat, said during a news conference Monday at the Executive Mansion. I hear countless stories from everyday people, many who earn a living, working two or more jobs to make ends meet. But it isnt enough to afford health care. Finally, help is on the way. With much work being done to prepare even as we speak, beginning December the first of this year, North Carolina will expand Medicaid, said Cooper, who added that he had spoken with federal health leaders on Friday to discuss the implementation of Medicaid expansion. According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, expansion will allow about 600,000 North Carolinians to qualify for this insurance program, which will now cover all adults in the state who make below about $20,120 a year. It will also allow many people who lost coverage under a federally required Medicaid eligibility renewal process to regain it. DHHS is a cabinet agency under Cooper. Previously the income limit for eligibility under Medicaid for a parent or caretaker in North Carolina was 41% of the federal poverty level, or just over $8,000 yearly for a family of three. Adults without children, save for those with disabilities or other qualifying exceptions, had no coverage. People who did not qualify for Medicaid under the prior tighter parameters could apply for federal subsidies, but these were limited and many were not eligible. This meant many people fell into a coverage gap in which they earned too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too little to receive subsidies. 300,000 eligible immediately DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley, who said he grew up without insurance in North Carolina, on Monday said that about 300,000 North Carolinians will be moved into full coverage on Dec. 1. For the remainder of those that are eligible, our county partners had been hard at work to ready their systems and their staff and their processes to enroll members as they come forward, he said. DHHS had also been working to update technology and other systems to make the move into coverage smooth, said Kinsley. We have 1.2 million people in North Carolina without health insurance. Medicaid expansion is going to do a major effort in getting that gap closed, he said. Asked how long it may take for those not immediately deemed eligible to gain coverage, Kinsley said this will depend a bit on how they come forward. He said DHHS is working with stakeholder groups, churches, faith organizations and civic organizations to inform people. Laura Gerald, president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and Susan Shumaker from the Cone Health Foundation said in a joint statement that their foundations and others have pledged more than $3 million in private funding to support Medicaid outreach and enrollment efforts to ensure eligible residents have the information they need to enroll in Medicaid and access affordable, quality health care. This is a long-term effort that will require additional public and private dollars to reach diverse communities across the state. We are calling on policymakers to make Medicaid expansion a priority and to invest in robust outreach and enrollment efforts in the coming months and years, they said. Gov. Roy Cooper announces a Medicaid expansion launch date of Dec. 1 as Secretary of Health and Human Services Kody Kinsley looks on during a press conference Monday, Sept 25, 2023 at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh. Reticence to expand Medicaid expansion in North Carolina has been in limbo for years. North Carolina Republicans previously were reticent to expand Medicaid, initially citing financial concerns. Cooper, who has been governor since 2017, has pushed for expansion throughout his time in office, including in 2019, when there was a budget impasse with Republicans partially due to Coopers push for Medicaid expansion. But, by 2022, Republicans appetite had shifted. Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, who both hold veto-proof supermajorities in their respective legislative chambers, announced in March that they had reached a Medicaid deal. This deal included cuts to regulations on hospital competition and created a new mechanism for hospitals to get higher reimbursements. By the end of March, the expansion bill had passed both legislative chambers with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Cooper. The expansion deal also includes a two-year, $1.6 billion federal payout. These funds, used as a federal incentive for non-expansion states, will be used to bolster mental health resources in the state and more, according to the budget deal. Kinsley said Monday the legislature had approved about $700 million of this funding for use on behavioral health, including several hundred million in recurring money. He said $200 million would be used to support child and family well-being so that children dont have to sleep in DSS offices and we can serve people in hospitals better. Medicaid delays Under the Medicaid deal drafted by the GOP, the state needed to pass a budget to trigger Medicaid. The state failed to pass a budget by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year, largely due to disagreements with the House and Senate on the legalization of casinos. Last week, Republican leaders announced they had reached a deal on the state budget that did not include casinos but that would trigger Medicaid. By Friday, the 625-page spending plan had been passed by both legislative chambers. Shortly after the passage of the budget on Friday, Cooper announced he would let the bill become law without his signature, citing Medicaid expansion as the main reason, while also calling it a bad budget, as previously reported by The News & Observer. Cooper could instead have signed the budget or vetoed it. If he had vetoed it, this would have required override votes by the legislature, further delaying passage of expansion. On Monday, Cooper said after months of waiting, the budget has passed and Medicaid expansion will happen. I know theres a lot of bad in the budget that theyve passed. And I expect lawsuits to challenge the constitutionality of a number of parts and I cannot in good conscience, sign my name on to it. And even though a veto of this budget would have been well deserved, that would take this bill out of my hands and send it back to this legislature where even more mischief could have put Medicaid expansion at risk. In this legislative circus, we cant take any more chances on delay or defeat with the lives of so many people at stake, he said. The budget passed by the General Assembly includes a 7% raise for state employees and non-certified school employees and teachers over the next two years and an average raise of 7% for teachers over that same period, The News & Observer previously reported. It cuts taxes, including by reducing the personal income tax rate to 3.99% by 2025. The rate could drop to 2.49% if revenue collection goals are met. It also has a major expansion of private school vouchers and has many policy provisions tucked into it, including a provision that expands lawmakers exemptions from public records law. Kinsley had previously said that if the budget passed by Sept. 1, implementation could launch by Oct. 1. But in late August, he said that due to continued delays, it would need to launch by December or later. On Monday, he confirmed it would launch by Dec. 1 and said North Carolina has a significant amount of work to do at the state and county levels before that date, including notices to newly eligible North Carolinians. Netflix has released the first full-length trailer for Steven Spielbergs forthcoming nature documentary series, Life on Our Planet. Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman narrates the eight-episode series, which chronicles lifes epic battle to conquer and survive on Planet Earth. Today there are 20 million species on our planet, yet what we see is just a snapshot in time 99 per cent of earths inhabitants are lost to our deep past, reads the series synopsis. The story of what happened to these dynasties their rise and their fall is truly remarkable. Using state-of-the-art visual effects, Life on Our Planet will bring long extinct creatures such as dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, and sabre-toothed predators back to life on screen. The trailer begins with generated footage of a Tyrannosaurus Rex preying on a Triceratops. This is the story of the great battles of survival and the dynasties that would take over the world, says Freeman, who previously narrated the hit 2005 nature documentary March of the Penguins, says in a voiceover. The footage goes on to show animals including sharks, cheetahs, komodo dragons, and squids. From the beginning of life to today, continues Freeman. This is the story of life on our planet. The trailer poses the question: Who will rise? Who will fall? Who will rule the world? Together with the Emmy award-winning team behind David Attenboroughs Our Planet, Spielberg serves as an executive producer on the series. According to Vanity Fair, Life on Our Planet will dramatise five global extinction events. Life on Our Planet uses state-of-the-art visual effects to bring to life extint animals on screen (Netflix) In an interview with the publication last week, producer Alastair Fothergill, a veteran nature documentarian best known for the 2001 series The Blue Planet, said of the forthcoming series: Its really important to say that extinction events shouldnt necessarily be considered as disasters. They are clearly disasters for those animals who go extinct in the process, but in the history of evolution of life, there are winners and losers. Life on Our Planet comprises eight 60-minute episodes and will be available to stream on Netflix on 25 October. EVANSVILLE A Newburgh woman who admitted to shooting and killing her husband will see a murder charge dismissed in exchange for her pleading guilty to aggravated battery, court records show. The Indiana State Police arrested Lisa Harris, 60, in August 2020 on a preliminary charge of murder after she shot and killed her husband, 56-year-old Michael Harris, in Crawford County. According to Crawford County court records, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony, in July. Harris went to trial in April, but the proceedings ended in a hung jury. She was scheduled to go before a second jury in July, but she abruptly changed her plea of not guilty to guilty. Harris' plea agreement states that she will undergo DNA testing, pay $150 in court costs and pay a $100 public defender fee. While a judge was scheduled to sentence Harris on Monday, online court records do not yet outline the exact term of her imprisonment. According to public records, Harris could face a maximum sentence of six years, which includes credit for time served in jail while she awaited trial. State troopers responded to the 2400 block of North Dillard Road near Birdseye around 8:50 p.m. on Aug. 28, 2020, for a report of a shooting. Medics attempted to treat Michael Harris, but he later died at Jasper Memorial Hospital. Lisa Harris was arrested in Crawford County and charged with murder shortly thereafter, according to court records. According to court records, Lisa Harris signed a plea agreement in which she admitted to committing the crime of aggravated battery and accepted any just sentence under Indiana law. This is a developing story and will be updated. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Newburgh woman pleads guilty to aggravated battery for killing husband A Georgia judge on Tuesday gave the lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell , pictured, who were indicted with former President Donald Trump for their attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, permission to interview members of the grand jury that indicted them. File Photo via Fulton County Sheriff's Office/UPI Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A Georgia judge on Tuesday gave lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, who were indicted with former President Donald Trump for their attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, permission to interview members of the grand jury that indicted them. Chesebro and Powell had made the longshot plea to Judge Scott McAfee of the Fulton County Superior Court in the hopes of determining whether the indictment was "properly returned," court documents obtained by UPI show. District Attorney Fani Willis' office objected and characterized the motion as a bid to "perform an illegal investigation" and "improperly pierce the secrecy of deliberations." McAfee ruled that Willis' team "rightly" pointed out that the preservation of grand jury secrecy "is a well-settled principle in Georgia." However, he wrote that the court has not found any legal authority that states defense counsel are forbidden from contacting grand jurors. "Defense counsel here are entitled, and would be expected, to conduct a thorough investigation in the zealous representation of their clients," McAfee wrote. "Setting aside scenarios involving harassment of some kind, the desire to simply talk to the grand jurors is not 'illegal.'" Daysha Young, an assistant district attorney in Fulton County, had expressed concern for the safety of the jurors, The Messenger reported. "We've had to contact law enforcement agencies all over Fulton County to make sure these grand jurors are safe," Young said in court at the time. McAfee did outline some conditions in his seven-page order including that the interviews must be voluntary and cannot be allowed to lead jurors to disclose their deliberations. The judge said questions will be submitted to the court ahead of any possible interviews and that he will decide which questions are to be asked and oversee the interviews if any grand juror agrees to be questioned. McAfee did deny requests from Chesebro and Powell to access copies of all recordings, transcripts and reports produced by the separate special purpose grand jury that investigated the case for eight months. Following months of taunting challenges between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over a head-to-head debate, a date has officially been set. The two governors will debate in-person on Nov. 30 in Georgia, the network said Monday. Fox News anchor Sean Hannity will moderate, as the 90-minute-long show will air during the 9 p.m. ET time slot of his show, Hannity. Weve agreed to the debate provided there is no cheering section, no hype videos or any of the other crutches DeSantis requested. We want a real debate not a circus, Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told POLITICO. A Fox News spokesperson on Monday declined to say whether Hannity agreed to Newsoms terms of no live audience and said that more details on the debate will be available later on. The debate comes a month after the Florida Republican and California Democrat agreed to participate in a debate hosted by Fox News after repeated, pointed sparring over policies in each others states. Hannity first raised the idea of a debate with Newsom during an interview in June, following which DeSantis signed on to participate. Im looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American, Hannity said in a statement. DeSantis has mocked Newsoms handling of homelessness and quality-of-life crimes and ridiculed California for overdoing its stricter approach to the pandemic, while Newsom has taunted DeSantis over his ability to beat former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary. The debate could raise the national profile of Newsom and DeSantis, who is currently a GOP presidential candidate. Newsom has opted out of a 2024 run for president. Christopher Cadelago contributed to this report. In this image from video provided by NASA, technicians in a clean room examine the sample return capsule from NASAs Osiris-Rex mission after it landed at the Department of Defenses Utah Test and Training Range on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020. | NASA via Associated Press A small but precious sample of material captured from the ancient Bennu asteroid was transported to one of the worlds most specialized labs on Monday after NASAs Osiris-Rex mission successfully landed a capsule carrying the extraterrestrial dust and rubble in Utahs west desert on Sunday. The sample, believed to be about a cup or so of material harvested in deep space by a vacuum-enabled robotic arm deployed by the Osiris-Rex spacecraft that plunged into the surface of Bennu back in 2020, will allow scientists to look back some 4.5 billion years and could reveal new insight into the formation of the solar system and even the origins of water and life on Earth. And the team tasked with the initial processing of the 9 ounces or so of asteroid material is part of a NASA division thats been assessing extraterrestrial material going back to the early Apollo moon missions over five decades ago. NASAs Astromaterials Research & Science Exploration division has been in operation since 1969, the year the Apollo 11 mission, the first to land humans on the moon, brought back the first geologic samples from Earths sole satellite. The material included nearly 50 pounds of rocks, regolith (essentially, lunar soil) and core samples gathered by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin while on the surface of the moon. Related On Monday, an Air Force C-17 airplane transported the Bennu sample, which remained inside a high-tech container extracted from the Osiris-Rex return capsule by gowned technicians Sunday working in a temporary clean room set up at Dugway Proving Ground, to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The sample was headed for a new laboratory designed by ARES scientists that is among more than 20 research labs used for the handling and research of ultra-rare materials samples gathered from the cosmos. In its September news letter, ARES noted its scientists were prepared and ready to begin the work of analyzing and cataloging the Bennu sample. The (Osiris-Rex) curation lab is ready to receive the samples, and we look forward to working closely with the Osiris-Rex Science team and our international partners (Canadian Space Agency and Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency) during preliminary examination of the samples, the ARES newsletter read. Welcome to Houston, OSIRIS-REx! The asteroid sample arrived today in Texas where it will be curated and preserved by our team here at Johnson. The information collected could help scientists around the world investigate planetary formation, the origins of life, and how asteroids pic.twitter.com/8m0Yp3wqap NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) September 25, 2023 NASA reports plans to store about 70% of the Bennu material for study by scientists not yet born, using technologies not yet invented, to answer fundamental questions about the solar system with the remainder to be shared among over 200 researchers at 35 institutions around the world. The ARES scientists will complete a cataloging of the Bennu material and publish results of those efforts in about six months, according to NASA. At that time, investigators outside the Osiris-Rex science team will be able to request samples for research. The ARES team could be very busy in the coming years thanks to other NASA sample return plans currently under way. Those include additional lunar samples, thanks to the Artemis program which is aiming to land astronauts on the moon in this decade and an effort to bring samples gathered by the Mars Perseverance rover back to Terra Prime in or around 2033. The Osiris-Rex mission launched from Earth in 2016 on a journey that brought it to an orbit around Bennu in 2018. Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid, meaning it is on a path that orbits the sun. Bennus trek around the sun takes 435 days, but every six years the asteroid passes relatively close within about 186,000 miles to Earth. For reference, thats closer to Earth than the moon. Ahead of the opportunity to evaluate material from Bennu, scientists have a wealth of information gathered by Osiris-Rex over the two years it circled and observed the asteroid. One of the huge advantages of the Bennu sample, from a research perspective, is that the material is pristine when compared to samples gathered from meteorites that have crashed to Earth and been contaminated by exposure to the planets atmosphere. Beside its value to scientists as an accessible asteroid that contains material from the earliest days of the solar system, Bennu is also notable as one of the biggest known potential threats for a future collision with Earth. Research from the Osiris-Rex scientific team estimates there is a 1 in 2,700 chance that Bennu could be on a course to impact earth exactly 159 years from this weekends expected landing of Osiris-Rexs sample return capsule landing, on Sept. 24, 2182. At the Dugway command center on Sunday, Anjani Polit, mission implementation systems engineer for the Osiris-Rex mission, said that Bennus status as a potential Earth-impactor elevates the importance of the information thats already been gathered about the asteroid as well as what new insights the material sample will reveal. The planetary defense aspect is a really important aspect of this mission, Polit said. Its really important to study Bennu ... to evaluate those risks. And also learning about its material properties. What its made of ... is information we could use to deflect an asteroid whether its Bennu or another asteroid in the future, if we need to. Athens-Clarke police are investigating a drive-by shooting where a house along Winterville Road was shot more than two dozen times. The shooting occurred about midnight Saturday and the sound of gunfire prompted numerous 911 calls to police, according to police. There were three or four people in the house and a 16-year-old female received a bullet wound to her hand, according to police Lt. Jody Thompson. The wound did not require transport to a hospital, Thompson said. Responding police officers found 31 spent shell casings from two different caliber guns, police said. Two bullets also hit a neighboring house, but no one was inside the residence. Thompson said a motive has not been determined, but a gang-related shooting has not been ruled out. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Shaun Barnett at 762-400-7318 or shaun.barnett@accgov.com Courts: South Carolina man receives probation in fatal bike crash in Athens This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Shooting of house, wounding of teen in Athens may be gang related The Ukrainian Defence Forces shot down 11 Kalibr missiles and 19 Shahed drones launched by the Russians on the night of 24-25 September, the Odesa marine terminal building was damaged by a strike, and a fire was extinguished in the terminal hotel building. Source: Natalia Humeniuk, Head of the Joint Press Centre for Operational Command Pivden (South), during the national joint 24/7 newscast; Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Defence Forces of Ukraines South on Telegram Quote from Humeniuk: "Both a massive and combined attack (of the Russians ed.) took place last night. 19 Shahed attack drones were launched, and all of them were destroyed by the air defence forces." Details: Humeniuk said the Russians also launched 12 Kalibr cruise missiles, two of which were shot down over Mykolaiv Oblast and Kirovohrad Oblast. "It was very powerful and difficult combat work. Unfortunately, as a result of this work, private residential buildings were damaged by wreckage, grass caught fire, and, unfortunately, there was a strike," Humeniuk said. Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, reported that the port infrastructure was under attack. "A fire broke out in a non-residential high-rise building in the city of Odesa. It was promptly extinguished," he said. Kiper reported that damage to a warehouse and a private residential building in the Odesa district had been recorded. One civilian was also injured in Odesa as a result of the blast wave. The woman was injured by shrapnel and is currently receiving all the necessary assistance in a local hospital. Update: Later, the Defence Forces of Ukraines South reported that during the night, the Russians targeted 19 Shahed-136/131 attack drones and 2 Oniks supersonic missiles at Odesa Oblast. Quote: "Unfortunately, the enemy insidiously hit the port infrastructure. The marine terminal in Odesa was significantly damaged, a fire broke out in the building of the terminal hotel, which has not been functioning for several years. Firefighters quickly extinguished it. Oniks missiles destroyed grain storage facilities. But people were not injured," the report says. Also, as a result of falling debris during combat operations, the warehouse buildings belonging to a business and a private residential building in the suburbs of Odesa were damaged and caught fire. Grass in open areas caught fire. The fires were extinguished. There were no casualties. The blast waves broke the glass in several houses, one civilian woman was injured and received medical assistance. Background: On the night of 24-25 September, the Air Force reported the possible launch of Kalibr cruise missiles and Shahed drones from the Black Sea, as well as Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles towards Odesa Oblast. Large-scale air-raid warnings were issued, and later the all-clear was given. In addition, the Air Force warned about launches of Oniks and Kalibr missiles, as well as Shahed-type drones, over Odesa and the 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! Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offers online services so you can skip the line at the BMV. It's everyone's least favorite errand: Going to your local Bureau of Motor Vehicles, grabbing a number to get in line, and praying you'll be seen before the end of your lunch break. In Ohio, however, you have options to skip that line. In fact, you may not even have to leave the house to do things like get a new ID, change a car title or replace your plates. Here's what BMV services are available online, what can be done through designated kiosks, and what you'll need to hit the bureau's waiting room for. Ohio BMV online services: get a new ID, vehicle registration and more Here's what you can get done through the Ohio BMV website: Driver's license and ID card: renewal, reprint, reinstatement requirements and fees post-license suspension, schedule driving test, temporary permit quiz. Vehicle registration: renew registration, get license plates, replace registration cards and stickers, purchase temporary tags, search vehicle recalls. Title services: title transfer, vehicle or watercraft title search, ordering titles or vehicle registration records. Other services: organ donor registry, address change, emergency contact, car dealer search. Ohio BMV Express kiosk offers quick vehicle registration You could order a registration online and wait for it to be mailed to you, or you can do an approximately two-minute transaction at one of the 28 Ohio BMV Express kiosks throughout the state. There are a few things you should take with you to access the kiosk, and you have options. In addition to a credit or debit card, bring either: Your plate number and the last four digits of your social security number to type into the kiosk. Your driver's license number, first initial of your last name and the last four digits of your social security number. You can also scan barcodes on the renewal notification notice mailed to you from Ohio, or on your current vehicle registration. Scanning your driver's license also works. A service fee of $4.95 will apply for up to four vehicles renewed at the kiosk. There is also a 1.95% or $1.75 credit card processing fee (whichever of these is greater). Find a kiosk near you with this interactive map. In-person transactions Anything else you need help with will likely have to be done at the bureau. However, you can still evade the line by checking in through the Ohio BMV website. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Skip the line: Ohio BMV offers license renewals and more online Former employees who filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton are asking the Texas Supreme Court to renew the case. After former employees brought their concerns of misconduct and possible illegal activity to the FBI in late 2020, four of the whistleblowers sued the attorney generals office for retaliation. A tentative settlement agreement was reached for $3.3 million in taxpayer dollars, subject to legislative approval, but it has not been paid. In a filing Monday, the whistleblowers said they dont expect the settlement to move forward, and asked the court to reactivate the case, which is pending in the states highest appellate court. Theyre asking the case return to a lower court for trial. Its possible they could still fund the settlement, but weve been given zero indication that thats likely to happen, and were ready to go back to our trial court and get a judgment that holds Ken Paxton to justice, said Blake Brickman, one of the whistleblowers who sued the office. The lawsuit was central to Paxtons impeachment and subsequent acquittal. Paxton was accused of misusing his office to benefit Austin real estate developer and political donor Nate Paul. Impeachment managers and their attorneys argued Paxton gave Paul special legal attention and help while accepting home renovations and a job for a woman with whom he was having an affair. Paxton denied wrongdoing. The House Committee on General Investigating began its probe into the embattled attorney general after the multi-million settlement was reached. If the Supreme Court sends our case back to district court, we expect several things to be different from the political trial we just witnessed, said Brickman. He continued that the judge would not have gotten a multi-million donation from Paxton supporters ahead of the trial and the jurors wouldnt have their careers overtly threatened. Theyd also get to see evidence the impeachment managers were barred from presenting in the trial, Brickman said. Brickman confirmed the FBI investigation into Paxton is ongoing, but declined to comment further. Paxton is separately indicted in a state securities fraud case and has not gone to trial. Paxton has cast the impeachment proceedings as politically motivated. Brickman pushed back Monday. These allegations come from the top eight people in Ken Paxtons office, Brickman said. So for him to claim this is some political witch hunt, when the investigation started when Donald Trump was president and was made by the three of us and five of our other colleagues is absolutely ludicrous. The office declined an interview request and said theyd respond in court filings. The Office of the Attorney General will respond to the so-called whistleblower plaintiffs comments in a written response to be filed with the Texas Supreme Courtconsistent with that Courts proceduresas opposed to staging a press event in the state Capitol, Communications Director Paige Willey said in an email. In a Friday statement, Paxton celebrated being reinstated as attorney general. The offices work was disrupted by four months of wasteful and destructive political theater, Paxton said. It is my great honor to be back to work this week, he said in the statement. The Office of the Attorney General has redoubled our focus on countless issues facing the state, including opposing illegal immigration, defending election integrity, holding predatory corporations to account, and fighting for the rule of law against the Biden Administrations executive overreach. JetBlue Airways aircrafts are pictured at departure gates at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Transportation Safety Board said it has opened an investigation into a JetBlue flight that experienced sudden severe turbulence and led to eight apparent injuries. The incident occurred on Monday on JetBlue Flight 1256, an Airbus A320, near Jamaica while en route from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the board said. JetBlue said the seven customers and one inflight crew member were met by medical personnel and transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment and the flight landed safely. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was also investigating the flight. Serious injuries as a result of turbulence remain rare, according to FAA data. A total of four passengers and 13 crew were seriously injured in 2022 in U.S. passenger flights. "JetBlue will work to support our customers and crewmembers," a company spokesperson said. "The aircraft for this flight has been taken out of service for inspection." (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Sonali Paul) An upstate judge accused of pointing a loaded gun at a Black defendant in his courtroom eight years ago is now facing removal from the bench by New York's highest court. Justice Robert Putorti has presided over the town and village courts in Whitehall, near the New York/Vermont border, since 2014. A year or so into his tenure, Putorti said he was hearing a case involving a Black defendant, Brandon Wood, when Wood "rushed" the bench. Putorti, who argues that he feared for his safety, pulled out a pistol. Years later, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct became aware of his conduct and launched an investigation. The commission didn't clarify what led to this discovery, but ultimately, it recommended Putorti's removal from judicial office in 2022. "There was no justification for [Putorti's] conduct," the commission ruled in the decision. "A courtroom is no place for a judge to brandish or point a gun at a litigant." An upstate judge who is accused of pointing a loaded gun at a Black defendant in his courtroom is facing removal from the bench by New York's highest court. But Putorti took the extraordinary step of challenging this recommendation before the Court of Appeals, New York's top court. Sanctions imposed on sitting judges by the commission are rarely escalated to this level. For the past 11 months, Putorti has been suspended from office, with pay. The Court of Appeals heard arguments earlier this month in Putorti's case, which could result in his removal, or a lesser punishment. Meanwhile, Wood alleges that Putorti has misrepresented what happened that day in court. Wood told the USA Today Network that he was not in a courtroom but chained to a bench in a hallway, and therefore posed no threat, when Putorti flashed a gun under his robe. Aid pouring in for hurt musician Gloria Estefan, others coming to aid of local musician paralyzed in crash Commission, Putorti spar in court over claims about courtroom safety The Court of Appeals' decision may hinge on whether Putorti was justified, from a self-defense standpoint, in pulling a weapon in the courtroom. Putorti's attorney, Nate Riley, argued in court papers that his client was only "brandishing" the gun "to regain control and security of the courtroom." "There was what he [Putorti] relays as a large black man approaching the bench and he subjectively feared," Riley argued at the hearing. "It would still be appropriate for him to brandish a gun...to dispel [a] potential threat." Furthermore, no one was hurt, Riley noted. School official files suit over removal Former Port Chester schools official files lawsuit after racist Facebook post scandal "The justification analysis involving deadly force has no bearing where, as here, neither party suffered any injury, because Justice Putorti... brandished the pistol at him [Wood] with no further altercation occurring," Riley said. Putorti, like many of his upstate judicial colleagues, is a so-called lay justice, a judge who is not an attorney. In their arguments for why Putorti should be removed, the commission pushed back on Putorti's defenses, opining that no interpretation of the 2015 incident could have justified the invocation of deadly force. "In the courtroom, he did something that no judge should do," Robert Tembeckjian, who helms the commission, said at the mid-September hearing at the Court of Appeals. "Without justification, he brandished a loaded weapon at an unarmed defendant for coming up, supposedly, too fast, something that I would imagine that any trial judge with experience in New York at some point or another has had." NY bus crash Bus company in NY crash 'properly licensed,' but inspections raise questions Did defendant's race play a role in gun-pulling incident? The commission underscored Putorti's references to Wood's race as he recounted the incident, where the judge described Wood alternately as a "big Black man" or a "large Black man," according to the commission. By making these references, he signaled "that his actions were racially motivated," the commission said in a filing. Riley sought to distinguish the finer points of the commission's allegations from what Putorti actually admitted to. When Putorti acknowledged that his conduct may have "created the appearance of racial bias," he was not admitting to bias, but merely observing "the possibility of that interpretation." Judge's story of incident changing over time The commission further highlighted how Putorti's retelling of the 2015 encounter repeatedly changed, depending on to whom he was recounting the series of events. To a supervising judge in Putorti's district, he reportedly admitted pulling out a firearm and pointing it at Wood. He also reportedly acknowledged the presence of a security officer in the courtroom, whom he partially blamed for allowing Wood to approach the bench. But during disciplinary proceedings, Putorti apparently modified his story, according to the commission, claiming that he only made a "fanning motion" with the gun. He also later acknowledged that there were "no witnesses" to the 2015 incident; the commission said the security officer, had one been present, would not have corroborated Putorti's earlier recollection. Defendant: Judge flashed gun in courthouse hallway However, even beyond these discrepancies, Putorti's version of events remains in dispute. Wood, the defendant in the case, completely rejects Putorti's recollection. In a brief interview, Wood said he was handcuffed to a bench in a hallway outside the courtroom when the incident occurred, not inside the courtroom. Wood acknowledged he was "making a lot of noise" out of anger, which is when he says the judge came into the hallway "telling me to hush up." Wood said that the judge "opened his robe up, showed me his gun and told me I'd better simmer down." "He [Putorti] didn't describe it like it was. He made it sound more dramatic than it actually was," Wood said. "I was tied to a bench. I couldn't even run from him. I feared for my life." Wood's recollection, if true, casts doubt on a key defense raised as part of Putorti's legal strategy that he was reasonable in fearing for his safety. If Wood had indeed been handcuffed to a bench, he would not have been able to approach Putorti in the way described. Riley, Putorti's attorney, declined to comment on Wood's story, noting only Wood's criminal record. Wood had initially been charged with felonies in connection with the underlying criminal case preceding the incident: attempted assault and criminal mischief. Those charges were later dropped as Wood pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts. What's next for judge? Although not as serious as the incident with the gun, the commission also faulted Putorti for using his personal Facebook account to fundraise for medical expenses and a social club, despite "decades" of guidance restricting fundraising. A decision on his removal from the bench could come at any point. Asher Stockler is a reporter for The Journal News and the USA Today Network New York. You can find him on Twitter at @quasiasher or send him an email at astockler@lohud.com. Reach him securely: asher.stockler@protonmail.com. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Whitehall NY judge who pulled gun in court may lose job. What happened Doctor Adams Watch out, New Yorkers the NYPD's new surveillance bot has officially arrived at a subway platform near you. On Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams finally deployed "K5," the NYPD's latest foray into robot-assisted surveillance technology, at the highly-trafficked 42nd Street subway station in Times Square, The New York Times reported last week. Described by its maker, a Silicon Valley-based venture called Knightscope, as a "fully autonomous outdoor security robot," the bot which bears an eerie resemblance to the nefarious Daleks of the "Doctor Who" franchise is being hailed by officials as a cost-effective crime deterrent. At a relatively diminutive height of 5'3 and a top rolling speed of 3 miles per hour, this armless egg-on-wheels isn't exactly going to chase any suspects down. But as the pro-K5 logic goes, maybe it could dissuade any would-be criminals from committing crimes in the first place. "Public safety and justice are the prerequisites to more prosperity, particularly in our subway system," Adams declared at a Friday press conference, according to the NYT. "When people feel unsafe to use our trains and buses, it impacts our economic stability as well." https://twitter.com/katie_honan/status/1705208259357839622 Exterminate! While Adams' outlook on surveillance technology is as rose-colored as ever, privacy activists are once again sounding alarm bells. After all, the camera-strapped K5's bot's entire job is to record the comings and goings of one of New York's busiest subway stations, and Mayor Adams' particular fondness for Clearview AI the secretive, AI-powered facial recognition app that was created by scraping Facebook for billions of photos without user consent and has since been used to wrongfully arrest innocent people for crimes they didn't commit is certainly something to keep in mind when considering the potential impacts of a machine like this. Sure, it would be nice, in theory, if all this bot did was stop petty criminals on the subway tracks, but surveillance technology in context is much more complicated not to mention dystopian than that idealistic vision. And as Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the anti-surveillance nonprofit Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, told the NYT, there are already a lot of cameras in and around K5's new stomping grounds. "If the mayor thinks there arent enough cameras in Times Square," said Cahn, "then he's more out of touch than I realized." In any case, if you catch the K5 yelling "exterminate," we might suggest you run, and don't walk, away. More on the NYPD's toys: NYC Mayor Defends Robodog Deployed in Garage Collapse The Oconee County Sheriffs Office reported the following incidents: DUI CHARGED: On Sept. 12, Deputy Boris Argueta was traveling east on Experiment Station Road about 4:20 p.m. when he observed a Toyota Corolla failing to maintain its lane. The car also moved into the opposite lane. The deputy turned on his blue lights as they passed the sheriffs office. The car pulled over and became stuck in a ditch. The deputy could see the tires spinning as the driver attempted to leave. He walked up to the door and the woman, with her arm resting on the door window, held her drivers license out. The 34-year-old Oconee woman explained she had brought her husband, who was in jail, some whites. Although she smelled of alcohol, she said her drinking was done the previous night. She became argumentative during the encounter and refused a sobriety test. She was charged with DUI. GATOR RIDER: On Sept. 13, Deputy Lex Ogan was working a traffic stop on Epps Bridge Parkway about 1:30 a.m. when a Jiangsu Gator moped passed. He observed the taillights and brake lights were not working. The deputy stopped the moped and determined the 30-year-old Athens man, who also was not wearing a helmet, had a suspended learners permit. The man said he was on break from his restaurant job and forgot to wear his helmet. He was charged with the traffic violations. HIT AND RUN: On Sept. 19, Deputies Dustin Mines and Dylan Pulliam were parked off Highway 316 at Jimmy Daniel Road, when a woman drove up and said she had been rear-ended by a hit and run driver. The deputies spotted the Ram 1500 and saw it run a red light in a heavily congested area. Pulliam attempted a PIT maneuver, but the driver hit his brakes, which caused a collision between the two vehicles. The deputy and suspect stopped near Meriweather Drive. The 39-year-old Athens man blamed the earlier wreck on the woman saying she had brake checked him. The man, who smelled of alcohol, had blood shot eyes, and slurred speech, admitted he had consumed five or six Miller beers. A Georgia State Patrol trooper was called to work the wrecks. Oconee deputies charged him with attempting to flee and running a red light. SHOPLIFTER CAUGHT: On Sept. 13, Deputy Robert Perrin was at Walmart when he was notified by an employee that a shoplifting was currently in progress. The suspect had collected numerous items from donuts, waffles, a candle, salad bowl, tea and orange juice before he attempted to leave. After he was confronted by the deputy, the 33-year-old Taylor County man responded, You got me man. Im dead broke. CAROLINIAN NABBED: On Sept. 16, Deputy Chris Haag was dispatched to Walmart, where a 20-year-old student from Columbia, S.C., attempted to leave with merchandise. The man, listed as a student, took a box of condoms and some hair clippers to the self-checkout station. He paid for the condoms, but he attempted to steal the clippers. He was taken to jail. MAN ARRESTED: On Sept. 15, Deputy Lex Ogan was traveling on North Macon Highway about 8:45 p.m. when he saw a Nissan Versa with a damaged headlight. He conducted a traffic stop and the 24-year-old driver from Eatonton explained he had hit a deer. A license check showed the man was wanted on a warrant from the U.S. Marshals Office, so he was arrested. SLEEPING MAN: On Sept. 16, Cpl. Kenji Dorsey was dispatched to Wilson Road in Watkinsville where he observed a Ford Mustang parked near Third Street. He found a man sleeping in the back seat with a vape pen near him. The 18-year-old man from Homer, said he arrived at the location with a friend, who went to see a girl, so he stayed in the car and fell asleep. An investigation showed the man was underage and had a vape that contained THC oil. The teen was placed in custody. More: Danielsville woman pleads guilty to stealing from Officer's Association Oconee: Oconee Blotter: Man in pink bra uses rope for personal satisfaction MAN ARRESTED: On Sept. 17, Deputy Lex Ogan made a traffic stop on a Cadillac Escalade that he later determined had been involved in a dispute in Athens. In that case, Athens-Clarke police had responded to a call at a gas station about a man, who appeared passed out. When police arrived, they found a 23-year-old man named Anthony with bloody wounds. The man's brother, Roberto, had put his intoxicated brother out of the vehicle during an argument. Police didnt want to arrest Anthony, as they wanted his brother to take him home. It was after they left that Ogan made his traffic stop for a suspended registration and he observed Anthony passed out in a rear seat. However, when the man awoke he began screaming and said he urgently needed to use the bathroom. Roberto escorted him into the nearby woods, but after he finished, Anthony began screaming at his brother. Then Anthony turned his attention to Ogan and began cussing the deputy. Anthony was arrested and charged with public intoxication. Before he was taken to jail, Anthony had a fit and began kicking the patrol units interior. DUMPING SUSPECT: On Sept. 20, Deputy Dustin Mines was patrolling along Highway 316 when he ran the tag on a 2017 Dodge Charger traveling in front of him. The information he received showed the driver was wanted in Oconee County for illegal dumping. The car was stopped, and the 20-year-old Alpharetta man was taken to jail. The car was turned over to his passenger, a 23-year-old man from West Deptford, N.J. SPEEDER JAILED: On Sept. 20, Sgt. Samuel Masters was patrolling along Monroe Highway, Bogart, when the units radar picked up a Nissan Pathfinder traveling 69 mph in a 55-mph zone. The 42-year-old Good Hope man driving the vehicle was taken to jail because his license had already been suspended for DUI. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Cop attempts PIT maneuver on hit and run driver A Russian overnight missile and drone strike against Odesa wounded one person and significantly damaged the citys Black Sea port, the Ukrainian military reported on Sept. 25. Russia launched at Ukraine 12 Kalibr cruise missiles, two anti-ship Onyx missiles, and 19 kamikaze drones, according to the Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down all the drones and 11 Kalibr missiles, mostly over Odesa Oblast. The attack also damaged a hotel on the Odesa Sea Ports territory, which has been abandoned for several years, and destroyed several granaries, Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces said on Telegram. Debris of drones and missiles fell in Odesa suburbs, damaging warehouses and a private household. According to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper, a woman sustained injuries as a result of the blast wave. Read also: Oleg Sukhov: The West lacks political will to ensure Ukraines victory Russia targeted a total of 10 Ukrainian oblasts overnight and on Sept. 24 Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Donetsk, and Odesa. Casualties were reported in three regions. Russian troops launched 87 attacks against southern Kherson Oblast on Sept. 24, killing two people and wounding another 11, according to the regional governor. Almost 500 projectiles hit the oblast's settlements, damaging a medical facility, a church, factories, a critical infrastructure facility, and an educational institution, Oleksandr Prokudin wrote. Russian attacks over the past day killed two civilians in Donetsk Oblasts Zarichne, some 30 kilometers northeast of Sloviansk, acting Governor Ihor Moroz reported. Russia hit multiple settlements in the region, damaging 17 houses, two apartment buildings, and an infrastructure facility, the official said. Read also: US will reportedly give ATACMS to Ukraine. Will it change the war? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Is the state of Ohio holding your money possibly thousands of dollars and you don't know about it? Here's how you check if you have any of the billions in missing money, and if you do, how to claim them. What are unclaimed funds? Unclaimed funds are lost or forgotten money that businesses and banks report to the Ohio Department of Commerces Division of Unclaimed Funds after accounts become inactive, typically 3-5 years. The money comes from inactive checking and savings accounts, refund/credit balances, uncashed cashiers checks, stocks and bonds, forgotten utility deposits or last paychecks. The state of Ohio tries to return funds to their rightful owners through a variety of means. The division currently safeguards more than $3.9 billion in unclaimed funds, and the average claim is $4,000, according to the division. How do I check to see if the state has missing money belonging to me? A page on the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Unclaimed Funds website explains how you can search to see if you have unclaimed funds, claim them and submit a formal claim form to obtain the funds. Residents can go to missingmoney.com to search if they have any unclaimed funds. The division also posts legal ads annually in newspapers across the state listing the names of people, businesses and entities in those publications' circulation areas who have unclaimed funds. In addition, the division also sets up kiosks at various events across the state, such as the Ohio State Fair, where people can stop by and receive help to see if they have unclaimed funds. I have unclaimed funds. How do I get them? First, you will need to fill out a claim form. Depending on the type of funds that the state is holding, you may be required to provide proof of address, proof of identification, a social security number or a W9 tax form. You may also need the claim notarized if it is over $1,000. People claiming funds can upload their forms on a division webpage to submit the claim form and supporting documents on the division website, or people can also choose to mail them to its Columbus office. Claims can take up to 120 days for review, and if claims and do not provide the necessary forms, it could delay or potentially stop the process. You can also check the status of your claim on the division webpage. @Colebehr_report Cbehrens@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio unclaimed funds: How to check, claim your missing money This article was originally published in Oklahoma Voice. Gregory Hardin is always in demand. Hes a full-time substitute teacher in a state with a shortage of adults to fill in for absent educators. Hardin, of Shawnee, said hes had no trouble finding openings four to five days a week since he started substitute teaching in November 2019. What initially was a way for Hardin, 25, to get classroom experience while studying education in college has become a full-time job. Im always getting a call, he said. I would say theres not really much of a difference that I would notice whether it would be this year or last year or two or three years ago when I first started subbing. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter While some schools have increased wages, 73% of districts in the state say they still anticipate a shortage of substitutes this school year, according to a survey by the Oklahoma State School Boards Association. COVID-19 heightened demand for substitutes to a critical level, but school leaders say there was a shortage even before the pandemic. As long as theres a teacher shortage, theres going to be a substitute shortage, as well, said Aaron Espolt, superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools. Daily pay rates for substitutes have grown in Shawnee, Moore, Edmond, Putnam City, Norman and Oklahoma City schools since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. The largest Oklahoma City-area districts now offer between $85-$125 a day to substitutes with a teaching license and $70-$110 for those who are uncertified. School leaders say they choose a daily wage their district can afford thats competitive with what their neighbors offer. Hardin said daily rates should increase even more to $125-$175 to ensure a livable wage for eight hours of work. He said workers wont consider substitute positions if other hourly jobs offer higher pay. Why would they take a break from those jobs to go sub if theyre not making the same amount of money as eight hours at Starbucks?, Hardin said. The cost-benefit analysis isnt there. But rather than paying more, some school districts face the possibility of cutting their substitute pay. Putnam City and Oklahoma City schools both increased their daily rates for substitutes with federal COVID-19 relief money funding that will expire next year. Currently, all of Oklahoma City Public Schools substitute pay comes from pandemic relief dollars. District administrators said they havent decided what rate their schools will pay next year. Putnam Citys rates already fell. When COVID-19 cases were at their peak, the district offered $70 daily stipends from federal relief funds on top of the usual substitute wages. Stipends are down to $45 this semester, and next semesters rates are yet to be determined, district spokesperson AJ Graffeo said. Other districts, like Shawnee and Moore Public Schools, said none of their pandemic stimulus funds were tied to substitute pay, so next years expiration date should have no bearing on how much they offer. Moore raised its wages this year to $100 a day for certified substitutes and $85 for non-certified. Superintendent Robert Romines said thats helped improve the rate of substitutes covering teacher absences. We have to have great people leading the charge when your certified staff or support staff are gone, Romines said. Theyre instrumental in making sure the doors stay open and making sure we can function as a school district. Schools had no shortage of substitute teachers 15 to 20 years ago, despite offering close to the minimum wage, said Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association. Back then, Oklahoma wasnt mired in a teacher shortage, either, he said, and there were more people working as substitutes to get their foot in the door of education like Hardin. Today, teachers have to merge an absent colleagues classes into their own and give up their plan hours to cover other classrooms when substitutes arent available. Thats why its so important to have a caring adult whos willing to go in and help the students learn each and every day, Hime said. Every day you lose instruction is a significant amount of learning that you may never get back. Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter. This nations economic security will be won or lost based on the ability of elementary schools to energize science education. That is because the country is at the start of a massive effort intended to bring semiconductor manufacturing to the Southwest, battery research and development to rural upstate New York and more. Its an effort that promises to spread good-paying jobs to parts of the country that havent benefited from them in recent decades. More semiconductor manufacturing, more engineering jobs, more tech jobs over the next 10 years, these and other jobs in STEM fields are projected to grow faster than all others combined, with twice the median salary. More STEM jobs means the country needs more STEM-ready students, and that means helping elementary schools engage children with a rich and energetic brand of science before sixth grade, when children often start forming career aspirations. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter This is particularly critical in rural areas, because if children in these communities dont have a science-rich education, they will be less likely to be interested in or qualified for the STEM jobs coming to their regions. And if thats the case, the purpose of locating these jobs there will be undermined, as employers will have to recruit qualified workers from other parts of the nation or world. Getting young Americans involved in science now in a way that captivates them early in their education will prepare them to fill the STEM jobs of the near future and build the foundation for a strong and prosperous economy. When children from all backgrounds see themselves as scientists, society reaps the benefits. But researchers estimate this country has missed out on generations of lost Einsteins because many lack a relevant and relatable science education starting in elementary school, and kids cannot be what they cannot see. The 2018 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education found that students in kindergarten to third grade learned science for an average of just 18 minutes a day less time than many of them spend on the school bus. The results of that are clear: Only 36% of fourth graders tested as proficient on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress science exam. If the new approach to industrial policy and STEM jobs is going to succeed, that has to change. Science education must start early, because children develop their interests and passions early. And it must attract all kids, no matter their backgrounds, resources or experiences. The way to do that is to move students from learning about science from behind a classroom desk to exploring the world outside and around them whether thats studying drainage and flooding in an urban area or finding the angle of the sun to determine the best placement of solar panels in a rural community. Childrens minds come alive to science when they see it in every part of their world. They respond to active learning environments that offer the opportunity to collect data, test and solve problems in real time. The organization I lead, Out Teach, transforms school grounds into real-world labs. Last year, we brought science to life for 53,000 students and 188 schools in 77 communities, starting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and now extended to historically underserved areas of Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. These learning stations take teachers and students out of the classroom and into the outdoors, where they can study the growth of plants or crops, build landforms to gauge erosion by pouring water on it or use plastic bags to find hidden water through leaf transpiration. Related The Future is STEM But Without Enough Students, the U.S. Will Be Left Behind Children make the connection between the science they see in their schoolyards and the relevance of it to their own communities. As a Mississippi native who now lives, works and parents in Washington, D.C., I know that kids in rural areas grow up, get educated, work and live differently than those in cities or suburbs. High-speed internet, for example, is not a given. Technology and office work are not the norm. Some schools dont have the funding, facilities, teaching staff, labs, even textbooks that are taken for granted in many parts of the country. Almost 1 in 5 public school students attend a rural school, yet policymakers rarely address rural needs. Nonprofits and social service agencies often fill gaps in urban and suburban areas, but less so for rural schools. Indeed, the most robust voice for rural schools, the Rural School and Community Trust, no longer has an active website a metaphor for the isolating lack of broadband internet or reliable cell service that confronts many rural schools. For generations, those differences did not affect the nation economically. But now, they matter a lot. Modern society and the modern economy rely more on strong scientific readiness in places like the Southwest and rural upstate New York than ever. The $80 billion in investments that Congress and President Joe Biden have made are designed to share the wealth of economic growth in every part of the country, not just Silicon Valley, Wall Street and the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Mining that wealth cant happen, however, unless every school rural, suburban and urban has the facilities and a plan to get young children involved in science. If this new industrial policy is to succeed in making this country economically sound and secure in the wake of the pandemic, engaging all citizens is critical. Making science real and relevant is, in that sense, a national economic security initiative. This opportunity is too crucial to miss. Editors note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radios daily program The Dean Obeidallah Show. Follow him on Threads at www.threads.net/@deanobeidallah. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN. Democratic US Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey faces corruption-related charges for the second time in a decade. Fridays three-count federal indictment accuses Menendez, who was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for the senators influence. The alleged bribes included gold bars, cash and a luxury car. Dean Obeidallah - CNN Menendez has denied any wrongdoing while criticizing prosecutors for, in his words, making false claims against me. (A mistrial was declared in an earlier corruption case, and prosecutors dropped the charges.) The reaction from some of Menendezs fellow Democrats to the new indictment might surprise those accustomed to how some Republicans have responded to criminal charges against former President Donald Trump . Some GOP officeholders accused the Justice Department of the weaponization of the government, engaged in dangerous and violent rhetoric and even used the apparatus of government in blind defense of Trump. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, agreed the charges against Menendez were very serious but told CNNs Dana Bash on State of the Union that the decision to step down was up to the senator and his constituents. However, New Jerseys leading Democratic officials have called on the senior senator from their state to resign, given the detailed and damning allegations in the indictment. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy set the tone within hours of the charges being announced with a statement that the alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state. The second-term Democratic governor added, Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation. (Murphy would appoint Menendezs replacement should he resign.) Numerous New Jersey Democratic members of Congress echoed that sentiment, including US Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Josh Gottheimer, Bill Pascrell and Donald Norcross. New Jersey General Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin also joined the voices calling for Menendez to resign, noting in a statement, The charges laid out against Senator Menendez today go against everything we should believe as public servants. And it wasnt just New Jersey Democrats. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on Saturday became the first fellow senator to publicly call for Menendez to step down. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Fetterman explained: Hes entitled to the presumption of innocence, but he cannot continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. And Democratic Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey went one step further once Menendez had rejected calls to resign. On Saturday, the third-term member of Congress announced that he would run against the senator in the 2024 Democratic primary. Its (n)ot something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity, Kim wrote on X. While Menendez is not the leader of the Democratic Party on a national level, he is still one of the Democrats most senior and powerful senators, given his role as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which he has stepped down from as the legal case plays out. Yet not one Democratic official has responded the way Trumps GOP allies did to the former presidents criminal cases. (Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing.) Even before Trump was charged with 91 felonies in four jurisdictions, some House Republicans expressed outrage when the FBI executed a court-approved search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022 in pursuit of classified documents. At the time, people such as current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the search part of the Justice Departments intolerable state of weaponized politicization. And after Trump was charged in early April with 34 felonies in New York over falsifying business records related to a hush-money payment to an adult film star, GOP House Committee Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan a Trump stalwart held a taxpayer-funded field hearing in New York in an effort to discredit Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who had brought the charges. Worse, after Trump was charged with 37 felonies over mishandling of classified documents, including with violations of the Espionage Act, some Trump allies went beyond calling the matter a grave injustice and a brazen weaponization of power like McCarthy did. Other Trump GOP supporters used violent rhetoric. In response to the Trump indictment in the classified documents case, US Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona wrote, We have now reached a war phase, adding, Eye for an eye. (Biggs office later said his comment was a call for Republicans to step up and use their procedural tools to counter the Lefts weaponization of our federal law enforcement apparatus.) Another one of Trumps best-known allies, Kari Lake, who lost her race for Arizonas governor in 2022, told a crowd at a GOP event in Georgia shortly after the charges were made known: If you want to get to President Trump, youre going to have to go through me and 75 million Americans just like me. Lake continued, And Im going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA, she said to applause, adding, Thats not a threat, thats a public service announcement. And after Trump was indicted last month in Georgia on 13 charges over efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state, some Georgia Republican legislators called for defunding the district attorney who spearheaded that investigation. One GOP state senator went as far as suggesting a civil war was possible if the prosecution continues, saying he did not want to have to draw (his) rifle. When it comes to their beloved Trump, some Republicans clearly reject the idea that no one is above the law. Thankfully, though, some Democrats are showing us with their actions that this concept is not an empty cliche but a principle they champion. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, has announced that Budapest will not support Ukraines NATO membership until the rights of the Hungarians of Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia) in Ukraine are restored. Source: Orban during a speech in Parliament, as reported by European Pravda, citing Magyar Nemzet Details: During his speech, Orban claimed that Ukrainians "have been oppressing Hungarian schools" in Zakarpattia for years. "Hungary will not support Ukraines NATO membership until the previous laws have been restored," he added. Elsewhere in his speech, Orban also claimed that Ukraines accession to NATO will start a new war in Europe. "We have seen that if Ukraine does not give up its intention to join NATO, then it will only be a matter of time before we have to deal with a new conflict which will endanger the supply of energy from Russia. That is why we have taken our relationship with Central Asia to a friendly level, so that the Russo-Ukrainian war and the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline would not become an insurmountable obstacle for energy supplies to our country," Orban claimed. He also recalled the crisis surrounding the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU, calling upon Brussels not to let Hungary down and to reinstate the restrictions that were in place until 15 September. Background: On 15 September, representatives of Ukraine and Hungary in Budapest held the fourth meeting of the Hungarian-Ukrainian intergovernmental working group on education, during which the rights of Hungarians in Zakarpattia and refugees in Ukraine were discussed. Earlier this year, the Office of the Hungarian Prime Minister made it clear that it would not accept Ukraines future accession to the EU without new concessions concerning the law on education, which has become the main source of problems in the two countries bilateral relations. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! New Orleans is facing a drinking water crisis amid a saltwater intrusion on the quickly shrinking Mississippi River. Local water resources in south Louisiana are being strained as saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico intrudes into the historically low water levels of the lower Mississippi River, posing a potential health risk for the public water systems that rely on this water. The National Weather Service Mississippi River expects the river volume to fall to new lows over the next several weeks, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said in a statement. Unfortunately, without any relief from the dry weather we are starting to see the saltwater intrusion creep further up the river despite efforts to mitigate the problems by the Army Corps of Engineers, Edwards said in a Friday statement. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) signed an emergency declaration over the saltwater intrusion last week, writing that the city is closely monitoring the situation. During a Friday press conference, Edwards said the state was days away from requesting an emergency declaration from the federal government to assist with the impacts of the saltwater intrusion. Edwards urged residents not to panic or rush to buy bottled water, adding residents will be notified in advance if salt water is impacting their area, according to The Associated Press. Around 15 million gallons of fresh water is being brought in for residents in impacted areas, the AP reported. Plaquemines Parish in southeastern Louisiana has dealt with the impacts of the saltwater intrusion since June. Residents there are under a drinking water advisory, and bottled water is being distributed in the area. Edwards noted Friday that worsening drought conditions in recent weeks could pose a risk for other communities. No parishes upriver from Plaquemines Parish are likely to see the impact in drinking water until mid to late October, Edwardss office said. Areas that could see effects include the parishes of St. Bernard, Orleans and Jefferson. The Louisiana Department of Health said it is conducting water quality testing and analysis while warning against trying to remove sodium through boiling or filters. Those who are affected will be told to use bottled water or another freshwater source until told otherwise, the Health Department said. Officials are trying to find ways to fight the intrusion of saltwater, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) construction of an underwater barrier sill last July to help delay the flow of saltwater. Edwards said the intrusion overtopped the sill last week as crews prepared for additional work. The Corps of Engineers will pursue every effort within our authority to support the state and local response to the extreme low-water conditions, said Col. Cullen Jones, USACE New Orleans District commander. Jones said crews will augment the existing underwater sill to delay the intrusion by around 10 to 15 days. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CLINTON, Okla. (KFOR) The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Clinton Police Department with a homicide investigation. According to the OSBI, officers with Clinton PD responded to a home near West Modelle Avenue and South Fourth St. around 11 p.m. on Friday, September 22. Upon arrival, investigators learned that an altercation led to the death of 48-year-old Lyman Weasel Bear Jr. LOCAL NEWS: Oklahoma City Police seize fentanyl, heroin in traffic stop Officials say the cause of death is yet to be determined by the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or the Clinton Police Department at 580-323-2323. We would like to thank the Clinton Police Department and Custer County Sheriffs Office for assisting us with this case. said the OSBI. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. BOSTON Health equity advocates are urging lawmakers to advance a comprehensive health equity bill to overcome racial disparities in the health care system. The omnibus bill, co-sponsored by 31 legislators in the House and Senate, aims to improve access and quality of health care. Among other provisions, the bill includes creating an executive office of equity; reducing the cost of certain medications for chronic conditions that disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income communities; and expanding MassHealth coverage for people regardless of immigration status. This legislation is an essential step toward addressing the failings of our health care system and the root causes of health inequities across the commonwealth, said state Sen. Pavel Payano, D-Lawrence, lead sponsor of the bill, during a Joint Committee on Health Care Financing hearing on Wednesday. Members of the Health Equity Compact an organization representing more than 80 leaders of color representing hospitals, health centers and other community health organizations held a rally Wednesday urging health equity legislation Wednesday at the State House. 'Horrible tragedy': Mass. reproductive justice advocates call for comprehensive maternal care Requiring the governor's cabinet to include a secretary of equity would elevate equity with the Legislature and raise appropriate awareness of health care gaps, said Assaad Sayah, president and chief executive of the Cambridge Health Alliance. Bureaucracy worries me, said state Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, Senate Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. We can spend a lot of time on the bureaucracy and then we have not a lot to show. Having diverse representation in policy conversations is an essential first step versus remaining an afterthought in governance, Sayah said. The gap is huge and the conversation is large, he said. It needs to be a voice that's coming from inside at every lesson in every conversation. Uninsured residents use emergency rooms for primary care More than 80% of Massachusetts residents believe some racial groups face more health care obstacles, with 23% citing health care and insurance affordability and cost as top barriers to health equity in open-ended responses, according to a new MassINC Polling Group survey. Many uninsured Massachusetts residents overuse emergency rooms for primary care due to a lack of access to primary care physicians, said Amie Shei, president and CEO of the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, in an interview before Wednesday's hearing. This is very costly and they (uninsured residents) end up delaying treatment and many times their health conditions worsen as a result, she said. Members of the Health Equity Compact held a rally Wednesday at the Statev House urging legislation to address racial inequities in health care. Dr. Jeff Hersh: Women often get the short end of the stick in the health care system Though Massachusetts has broader insurance coverage, many still dont guarantee to receive understanding, compassionate and culturally competent providers within practices that offer people respectful care, said Nancy Norman, medical director of integration for the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership. Shari Nethersole, vice president of community jhealth at Boston Childrens Hospital, said during Wednesday's testimony that language barriers and limited culturally relevant care make it difficult for immigrant families to navigate and access care. The current system of offering medical limited coverage to children and adults for undocumented immigrants creates a tiered system where even members of the same family may have access to the same level of care, Nethersole said, adding that equal coverage would ensure patients get appropriate preventive care on time. Bill would require state agencies to report health data One proposal in the package is to require state agencies to report data related to health disparities using standardized health equity data metrics. Analyzing and sharing data such as life expectancy differences between Boston neighborhoods is difficult, said Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission. Standardizing data that have already been shared allows us to clearly target interventions and measure progress over time, Ojikutu said during the hearing. We need solutions that are comprehensive and encompass the entire state, even if they need increased bureaucracy. Health equity activists rally on State House steps Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, members of the Health Equity Compact an organization representing more than 80 leaders of color representing hospitals, health centers and other community health organizations held a rally to support the legislation on the State House steps. According to the MassInc poll, 96% of Massachusetts residents agree that everyone deserves an opportunity to live a long, healthy life, regardless of income, education or race. Michael Curry, co-founder of the Compact and president of Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, said the Health Equity Compact will continue to advocate to get the legislation moved favorably out of the committee by the Joint Rule 10 deadline, which is next April. It's only equitable that it passes, Sayah said. The bill is not the answer to everything, but it is an important step in that journey. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Mass. health care activists push for more equity in bill [Source] A constituent college at Oxford University has scrapped plans to rename itself after a Vietnamese billionaire after her donation failed to see the light of day, according to a report. Background: Linacre College, an interdisciplinary graduate college, was poised to receive 155 million pounds ($189.3 million) from Vietnamese investment group SOVICO under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2021. The college, which was named after 15th-century English scholar Thomas Linacre , was to be renamed into Thao College after SOVICOs chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao. About Thao: Thao is reportedly Southeast Asias first self-made woman billionaire. In 2011, she launched Vietnams first budget airline, VietJet, which has since been known for featuring flight attendants in bikinis. Donation controversy: Since its announcement, the plan had reportedly received backlash from some alumni. Doubts over the colleges renaming first surfaced last June after Thao failed to deliver a first payment 50 million pounds ($61.07 million) on deadline. More from NextShark: 'Strong indications' Putin involved in downing of Malaysia Airlines jet that killed 298, probe finds On Saturday, The Telegraph reported that the plan was dropped altogether after the donation failed to materialize. The cause, according to the outlet, were restrictions on outward donations imposed by the communist Vietnamese government, whom Thao has close ties to, as per the Daily Mail. Whats next: Linacre, Oxford and SOVICO have yet to publicly comment on the matter. Thao, for her part, is reportedly considering donating to the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam, where scientists research infectious diseases, The Telegraph noted. More from NextShark: Man arrested for pistol-whipping, robbing Asian couple of $60K Rolex at 99 Ranch in Rowland Heights Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Asian American Futures and Gold House to award 10 AAPI organizations total of $500K in grants Bua Noi, the 'worlds loneliest gorilla,' has been caged in a Thailand shopping mall for 33 years The Israeli government, motivated by the plum prize of joining a coveted U.S. visa waiver program and desperate for a public relations win in light of mass protests, launched a pilot program in July. The program makes it easier for Palestinians holding U.S. citizenship to travel in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, thus giving a tiny number of Palestinians a small fraction of their right to freedom of movement. As an Israeli and American Jew married to a Palestinian refugee and living in the occupied West Bank, I responded to this strange development with a mix of joy and outrage. First, the joy. Three weeks ago, we loaded our car with towels and toys for a day at the beach in Jaffa. To get there, we had to pass a checkpoint two miles inside the West Bank, at a gate in the barrier that keeps Palestinians out of Israel and the parts of the West Bank restricted to Israelis. I dropped my husband off near a break in the dusty roadside fence that leads to the Palestinian crossing point and drove through the Israeli side of the checkpoint with our two children. The security guard racially profiled me with a smiley good morning, designed to check my Hebrew accent, and waved us through. Amazingly, they let my husband cross on foot thanks to his newly acquired U.S. passport. For most of the last 11 years, we have lived together in the occupied West Bank. In that time, my husband has been allowed to enter Israel on only a few occasions, even though his parents were born on Israels southern coast and fled as children in 1948 as the Israeli army neared their village. His parents have not been allowed to return home, as part of an Israeli policy to maintain Jewish demographic superiority. My husband grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza, where his family still lives. He managed to move to the West Bank, but has not been allowed to join me in Israel not even when our newborn daughter was hospitalized for a month in Tel Aviv. Nor has he been allowed to travel between Gaza and the West Bank, due to severe restrictions. Our children have never met their grandmother, who lives 60 miles away. As part of the visa waiver deal, the Israeli government has said it will allow US citizens to visit first-degree relatives in Gaza once a year. As a result, my husband might be allowed to see his elderly mother for the first time in 11 years. Now, the outrage I feel. Despite concessions to the relatively few Palestinians who hold U.S. citizenship, another 5 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are still denied their right to freedom of movement throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. And 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees and their descendants, who live outside the areas where they or their families lived until 1948, are still denied their right to return to what is now Israel. Giving visas to a tiny number of Palestinian refugees is outrageous, because they should not be treated as tourists in their own land. Successive Israeli governments have pursued the U.S. visa waiver, but it was out of reach until now for two main reasons. First, U.S. law requires nationals of countries in the program to have a visa rejection rate of no more than 3 percent, but the U.S. has on average denied 6 percent of Israeli applications. The denial rate dropped because of reduced travel during the pandemic, creating a unique eligibility window. Second, the visa waiver program requires member countries to admit U.S. nationals without discrimination. But the Israeli authorities impose severe movement restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, including Palestinian Americans, while permitting visitor travel there for other U.S. nationals. They have also routinely discriminated against U.S. citizens of Arab or Muslim origin seeking entry to Israel or Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza and those who are outspoken about Palestinian human rights. Anticipating U.S. approval for the visa waiver as soon as next week, the Israeli government is rolling back a small part of those restrictions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly thanked President Joe Biden for the coveted gesture in their meeting Wednesday in New York, as opponents of Netanyahus policies demonstrated outside their hotel. That Israels current far-right government is willing to bend on heretofore intransigent policies in return for visa-free travel for Israeli citizens shows the power of U.S. leverage over the conduct of Israeli authorities. So I feel hope, too. Imagine what positive changes could be possible if the U.S. government were to heed calls to suspend its $3.8 billion annual military support to Israel, so long as the Israeli authorities continue discriminatory policies and practices that human rights organizations, legal experts and even some mainstream Israeli scholars have concluded amount to apartheid. The U.S. has all this leverage. It should use that leverage to pressure Israeli authorities to respect the right of Palestinians like my childrens grandmother to travel freely between Gaza and the West Bank, and to enter Israel not as tourists, but as refugees returning home. Sari Bashi is program director at Human Rights Watch. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The resurrected Fiestas Patrias, which resumed last year after being mothballed since 1999, had its usual highlights on Sunday. From the young mariachi musicians with the Leavenworth Elementary School strutting down Fulton Street in the opening parade to 84-year-old norteno legend Lorenzo de Monteclaro closing the entertainment in Mariposa Mall. But it was Lupe Delgado and two of her friends who stood out. The 57-year-old paralegal from Madera drew attention not as an official part of the celebration that was resurrected last year after being mothballed since 1999. Members of the Leavensworth Elementary School mariachi perform during the Fiestas Patrias celebration in downtown Fresno on Sept. 24, 2023. Delgado was joined by Maria Andrade and Leonor Rubio dressed in Dia de los Muertos attire including face painting resembling skulls and capped by headdresses that Delgado began making in 2017 with her mother. My mom had cancer and passed away in March of 2018, and I still wanted to carry on the tradition, said Delgado, who invests up to a dozen hours for each crown. So, every year since then Ive made the crowns. The celebration at downtown Mariposa Mall is important to pass on the significance of Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month, said Delgado, just like Day of the Dead. Norteno legend Lorenzo de Monteclaro, 84, closed out the entertainment at the Fiestas Patrias celebration in downtown Fresno on Sept. 24, 2023. Our younger generation needs to still embrace our heritage, said Delgado in between posing for photos with celebrants. I made all these crowns to remember not only my culture and Dia de los Muertos, but also my mom and my dad and my sister who passed away. Delgado said the growing popularity of Day of the Dead can be bad if it becomes overly commercialized and people forget what it truly means. Death is not something to be somber about. Its something to celebrate, said Delgado. I dont want it to become so commercialized that people forget what it actually is. Its nice to see big stores sell sugar skulls and other Day of the Dead paraphernalia, she said, but youve got to remember the true meaning of it. Music, dance, food, speeches part of celebration The independence days of Mexico and neighboring countries along with Hispanic Heritage Month was cause for a fiesta. I want to start off by saying how proud I am to be a mayor of a city with mover half the population of Hispanic heritage, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said in opening remarks following the parade. No matter what country youre from, no matter what your nationality, no matter what your skin color, the neighborhood you live in, everyone belongs to one Fresno. A Teocalli Cultural Academy dancer waves the Mexican flag during the Fiestas Patrias celebration in downtown Fresno on Sept. 24, 2023. Dyer said undocumented residents are also part of the citys fabric. It means that our city is celebrating diversity, he said. Diversity doesnt divide us, it brings us together. Other speakers echoed the mayors remarks. Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula: So many of us have pride in where we come from and who we are. We come here today to celebrate our mutual origins and to appreciate that so many of us are still fighting for the recognition and dignity and respect that we all deserve. Assenblymember Esmeralda Soria praised the contributions of Latino workers during the Fiestas Patrias celebration in downtown Fresno on Sept. 24, 2023. Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria: This country is such and diverse and strong country, where the people of Mexico, of El Salvador, of Guatemala, of Nicaragua, of Costa Rica come here to give their best so that future generations have an opportunity. Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias: Were trying to continuously improve the Fiestas Patrias to focus on families and children, and the culture and the diversity we have in the Central Valley. Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza: My Spanish is not the best (but) I have never hesitated to celebrate my Mexican heritage. Im proudly an Afro-Latino who holds near and near the Mexican culture that my family has instilled in me. Madera Mayor Santos Garcia holds the flag of Nicaragua during the Fiestas Patrias celebration in downtown Fresno on Sept. 24, 2023. Madera Mayor Santos Garcia: I want to honor my wife, who is from Nicaragua, and she tells me to say Viva Nicaragua Libre! Long live Mexico. Long live all the Central American countries that today celebrate their independence. Livingston Mayor Jose Moran: Remember that wherever there is a Latin American, we are all there. Wherever there is a Latin American, we are all united to support each other in one way or another. Jason Castro Olivares, head consul of El Salvadors Consulate in Fresno: Independence Day, or Fiestas Patrias, is a day that fills us with pride and reminds us of the resilience, the courage, the unbreakable spirit of the people who fought for the freedom that we appreciate today. Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo, head consul at the Mexican Consulate in Fresno, ellos out the traditional Grito de la Independencia during the Fiestas Patrias celebration in downtown Fresno on Sept. 24, 2023. Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo, head consul of Mexicos Consulate in Fresno: We here from Fresno tell the entire Mexican nation that we are working hard to make it much bigger than it is, to inherit more and better opportunities for our families. Fresno State President Saul Jimenez-Sandoval: Education is the key to our future here, in this Central Valley that is ours, that belongs to all of us because we work for it. That is why it belongs to us. We are the future and we are the leaders of the future of this country. Longtime Fiestas Patrias supporter honored The Fiestas Patrias celebration started in Fresno in 1941, and Rafael Flores was the biggest supporter of the event. Flores, who died last year, became president of the Comite Civico Mexicano in the 1970s and nurtured it into a three-day celebration that included a pageant. He retired from that work in 1999, and the event was dormant until Arias revived it last year. He wanted Fiestas Patrias to become a staple in our community by making each one better than the last, said his daughter HannaLiza Calles. Fiestas Patrias was something to look forward to every year in the mid-1980s. Calles said her father began working as a banquet helper and later banquet manager at the La Hacienda Motel and Convention Center before becoming a union representative. My fathers purpose of organizing the Fiestas Patrias and the Cinco de Mayo events was to share the Mexican culture with the mexicanos and Latinos so that they would have a weekend to celebrate their culture with their loved ones, friends and family members, said Calles. A building demolition in the heart of Brickell took a turn for the worse after a piece of the structure fell onto the street over the weekend. Now, the City of Miami is deciding whats next for the demolition. On Monday, City of Miami officials met with the contractor, property owner, project engineer and Florida Department of Transportation over the collapse at the 700 SE 7th St. building Saturday afternoon. They granted limited access to the site to evaluate the remaining structure and repair scaffolding protection near the south sidewalk of 7 Street, according a statement from the City of Miami. READ MORE: Demolition Gone Wrong: Part of Brickell building collapses into street After thats completed, FDOT will open Seventh Street, though the south sidewalk will remain closed, according to the statement. Social media videos on Saturday showed Alpha Wrecking Group on-site tearing down the existing structure to make way for the proposed 80-story skyscraper, One Brickell Centre. Just before the collapse, a car drove past the spot where a chunk of building crashed into the street. No one was injured. The contractor, according to the city, will have to provide a detailed report into what transpired, what contributed to the incident and what policies, procedures and conditions will change to prevent this from happening again. The demolition will resume once the contrator notifies the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the plan is reviewed and approved by the citys building department. Future demolition work, however, will only occur at night with full lane closures, the presence of police and a threshold inspector. Miami Herald staff writer Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A man is being investigated for fraud after he allegedly withdrew hundreds of dollars from a stolen card Sunday morning, according to the Visalia Police Department. Around 10:30 a.m., police say they responded to an OReilly Auto Parts for a report of fraud where upon arrival, they were told 41-year-old Richard Garcia attempted to use a stolen debit card. Throughout the investigation, detectives say Garcia used the card stolen in Visalia to withdraw $600. Officers say Garcia is a CDC Parole and is being investigated for additional fraud incidents that have occurred in Visalia. As a result, Visalia Police say Garcia has been booked in the Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial Facility. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. DE PERE As other Wisconsin school districts grapple with declining enrollment, the De Pere School District is no longer accepting students from outside the district. Why? It physically doesn't enough space for grades five through 12. Foxview Intermediate is over capacity, De Pere Middle School is at its recommended capacity, and De Pere High School is almost full. Over the last decade, the district's open enrollment has increased, growing the district's overall size even as resident student enrollment has leveled out. Open enrollment allows students who don't live within a district's attendance boundaries to opt into a school. De Pere denied over 70 open enrollment applications in the 2021-22 school year, largely due to a lack of space, according to the most recent data available from the Department of Public Instruction. This year, it shut down open enrollment with the exception of 20 seats in 4K, Superintendent Christopher Thompson said. In the 2022-23 school year, the district had about 4,500 students enrolled, according to the DPI. This year's enrollment data is not available yet. More in De Pere: De Pere School Board doesn't ban pride flags, for now "If we allow (students) to come in in elementary, by the time they get to fifth grade, we're now in a situation where we don't have physical space," he said. The district's growth is in stark contrast to its neighboring district in Green Bay, which is looking to close and consolidate schools amid years of declining enrollment. The South Bridge Connector and growth in Ledgeview are expected to increase student population The De Pere district is in the midst of strategic planning for the next decade; part of that process is analyzing the district's schools and enrollment projections. Enrollment projections show De Pere will have more students soon. But in the next five years, it could experience about a 6% decrease in its kindergarten population because of declining birth rates. Fewer kids entering the school system in kindergarten usually indicates a lower student population overall. However, the enrollment projections don't fully account for the number of students opting into the district or how the South Bridge Connector will affect enrollment, Thompson said. "We are looking at a growth mindset, and we are also very mindful that Ledgeview continues to grow," Thompson said. From 2010 to 2020, the district's population grew by 11%. While other municipalities in the district's boundaries had modest growth, the town of Ledgeview saw a 35% population increase in that same time period. Thompson said about half of the district's student population comes from Ledgeview. The district is also keeping in mind the 500 acres of space open for development in the city of De Pere, including the vacant Shopko property downtown. Thompson said the district will continue to grow by about 50-100 kids each year, but when schools are at capacity, that growth isn't manageable with its current facilities. The district will likely build another high school, make additions To deal with the district's growing population, it's looking to build another high school, Thompson told the Press-Gazette. A review of the district's schools by Somerville Architects and Engineers said it should consider additions or new buildings to alleviate crowding and prepare for the future. The district enlisted a community task force to help make recommendations on what the district should do given its growing pains. The group will announce its recommendations, including one to build a new high school, at Monday's board meeting. The new high school would fit 1,800 students and be between the current De Pere High School and Dickinson Elementary. De Pere High School would become a middle school for grades seven and eight and house all 4K and early childhood learning services. The district plans to go to referendum to secure both operational and capital funding to sustain its operations and build the new school, Thompson said. Operational referendums allow districts to generate more revenue through property taxes to supplement the district's operating budget. Capital referendums allows a district to borrow money, usually in the form of bonds, for a specified purpose, typically large construction projects. The task force is recommending a $206 million capital referendum for a new high school and to transform the current high school into a middle school. Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: As De Pere School District grows, it looks to build a new high school. What an ideal week for the president of the United States to visit a border state such as Arizona. A mass of humanity is moving across the U.S.-Mexico border, and the U.S. federal government has lost control. Thats not an opinion. Migrants are crossing en masse near the major ports of entry in Texas and Arizona, too many to be fully processed. The federal government in turn is dropping them off in small Arizona and Texas towns ill-equipped and ill-informed to deal with the onslaught. We have come to ... a breaking point, the Democratic mayor of El Paso, Oscar Leeser , said. Cartels use the border surge as a distraction September 22, 2023: Migrants walk after wading the Rio Grande at the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas. Street releases now happen sunrise to sunset in Bisbee, Douglas, Naco, Nogales and Casa Grande, with little or no notice to public officials there, reports Arizona Republic reporters Jose Ignacio Castaneda Perez and Daniel Gonzalez. ABC News reported on Sunday that the criminal syndicates in Mexico are pushing the waves of humanity that now overrun the border. I believe its a money-making opportunity for those smugglers, Joe Biden s U.S. Border Patrol chief, Jason Owens, told ABC News. Its a distraction for them to cross other things into the country narcotics, fentanyl, bulk cash, weapons, people of interest, whether it be hardened criminals, gang members, convicted sexual predators. As fentanyl continues to flow across the border, it's worth noting that more than five Arizonans a day are dying from opioid overdoses, the Arizona Department of Health Services reports. Border crossings near record numbers That may get worse. In terms of flow and the threat that were seeing with fentanyl and with criminal organizations that are our adversary, its about as bad as Ive ever seen it, Owens told ABC News. This isnt sustainable. Up and down the system everybody is overwhelmed. Even the government of Mexico, which has been great partners for us, the U.S. Border Patrol, a lot of times, our facilities are already over capacity. Get opinions in your inbox: Sign up for our free newsletter The numbers are sobering. CBS News reported on Thursday that it had obtained unpublished federal figures that show that some 140,000 migrants crossed the border in September, an average of 6,900 per day 60% higher than the daily average of 4,300 in July. In one 24-hour period last week, migrant crossings surpassed 8,600 people, reported CNN. Biden's efforts to slow the flow have failed The data show that White House policies designed to stem the flow of illegal immigration have failed. That failure is now revealed in opinion polls, as dissatisfaction rises for Bidens immigration policies. Sixty-two percent of Americans now disapprove of Bidens handling of immigration, while only 23% approve, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Sunday. One of the significant changes in this years surge of migrants has been the distribution of pain. Big urban centers are overrun the same way small border towns historically have been. Much of the debate over incoming migrants is happening not in swing states or battleground suburban counties, but in some of the most diverse and deeply blue corners of the country, The New York Times reports. Some Democratic politicians have responded by adopting talking points that sound almost like they were lifted from their Republican rivals, a sign that they fear a political backlash. New York Citys Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, is complaining loudly about the more than 113,300 migrants who have flowed into his city since the spring of 2022. Let me tell you something, New Yorkers, never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to I dont see an ending to this, the mayor said on Sept. 6 at a town hall in Manhattan. This issue will destroy New York City. Suddenly, Manhattan sounds: A lot like Phoenix on immigration Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C., are also dealing with high migrant traffic while struggling to find resources to accommodate them. Finally, the White House gets the alarm The alarms seem to be finally going off in the White House. On Sunday, CNN reported that the United States has entered an agreement with Mexico to depressurize Mexicos northern cities, where immigrants from across Latin America have been massing before crossing into the U.S. Mexico has agreed to deport migrants from its border cities to their home countries and to put in place other measures to deter migrants, CNN reported. For instance, one plan will work to stop migrants from riding the roofs of trains on their journey to the north. Ive always argued and always will that immigration is good for America, and that Latin American immigration has especially benefitted the United States. My own family, through intermarriage and adoption, has been greatly blessed. But immigration cannot be a free-for-all. How much did this chaos help Trump? Overrun your country too fast with newcomers and youll damage national cohesion and create cultural divides you may not be able to control. Today in Europe, out-of-control immigration from North Africa is provoking the rise of right-wing governments. If youre a Democrat, ask yourself this: How much did border chaos contribute to the rise of Donald Trump? Last week, the White House announced Joe Biden is coming to the border state of Arizona on Sept. 27-28 to honor the legacy and service of John McCain. That may have been the plan. But Joe Biden had better use this visit to depressurize his foolish polices that are creating anxiety not only on Fox News but in the urban centers of America. If he fails here, Biden will soon be hearing Democrats, not just Republicans, reprise John McCain famous words ... Complete the danged fence. Phil Boas is an editorial columnist for The Arizona Republic. Email him at phil.boas@arizonarepublic.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The border is overrun. Biden can't ignore that when he visits Arizona Austin police and EMS meet at the Great Hills Baptist Church for a media briefing on Thursday Aug. 31, 2023, in Austin, Texas, after a shooting in the city. | Aaron E. Martinez, Austin American-Statesman via Associated Press Some people are still arguing that America doesnt have a crime crisis. The statistics say otherwise. Crime is not only upending the quality of life in Democrat-run cities, but its spreading far and wide, showing no sign of subsiding. In our nations capital, all crime categories were up this month, with a 67% increase in robberies, 29% increase in homicides and 112% increase in motor vehicle theft. On the other side of the country, with 58 homicides as of Sept. 20, Seattle is on pace to see the citys highest recorded homicides in its history the existing record is 69 in 1994. Crime in Austin, Texas, is so bad, with crippling police staff shortages, officials are asking people who have been robbed to dial the nonemergency number 311, instead of 911. This crime wave started after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in 2020. Floyds death spurred a criminal justice reform movement that resulted in police defunding, cashless bail, bans on vehicular pursuits and promises by prosecutors not to charge certain violent crimes as felonies. Rather than walk back clearly unwise decisions, lawmakers and activists have chosen to gaslight the American people. Despite violent crime up 39%, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson declared there is not a crime crisis in Washington, D.C. In San Francisco, businesses and residents are fleeing, though the ones who remain now lean on private security to do what police officers cannot: patrol their neighborhoods. Yet when pressed to defend left-wing criminal justice reforms, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that there is a crime crisis but in red states. This is a common and problematic talking point that pretends Republicans are the problem. As one report said, The murder rate in the 25 states that voted for Donald Trump has exceeded the murder rate in the 25 states that voted for Joe Biden in every year from 2000 to 2020. But the data objectively tell the story of a diminishing quality of life in Democrat-run cities as do the number of people fleeing California. This is why I devoted a section of my new book, Whats Killing America: Inside the Radical Lefts Tragic Destruction of Our Cities, to dismantling this particular talking point. What has happened in New York helps to illustrate whats playing out in many other cities across the country. Crime crisis? What crime crisis? When Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took office, he promised significant reforms in how his office would treat criminals, actually vowing to undercharge and under-incarcerate. This isnt merely an analysis of what his policies led to; this is explicitly what he promised. In his first memo to staff, Bragg ordered his DAs to not seek a carceral sentence for a number of offenses, including certain robberies, assaults and even gun possession. Additionally, they were instructed to downgrade many felony charges to misdemeanors, including for drug dealing and armed robberies, and never seek sentences over 20 years unless there were exceptional circumstances that warrant harsher penalties. Career criminal William Rolon benefited from Braggs new policies. Armed with a knife, he robbed a Duane Reade drugstore of about $2,000 worth of products, such as cold medicine. While brandishing a knife, he told an employee, (Expletive) you, Im taking everything. That same day, he was accused of returning to the store to steal even more. In line with Braggs directives, instead of facing charges for a serious felony for the armed robbery, Rolon was only hit with low-level misdemeanors, including second-degree menacing and petit larceny, as if all he stole was a candy bar. During arraignment, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Jay Weiner told Rolon that he was lucky because this was a case that two weeks ago would have been charged as a robbery. He specifically cited the newly elected district attorney for being charged with a misdemeanor instead of robbery, a charge he should have earned. I dont know if anyone would ever feel lucky standing in front of me in a courtroom, but you might reasonably feel lucky today, the judge told him. The New York Post reported that at the time of his arrest, Rolon was wanted in Brooklyn after he failed to appear in court on felony assault with a weapon charge. In that original case, he was released to community supervision without bail. The leaked memo ignited a firestorm of community criticism. The pushback was so significant that after initially defending the memo, Bragg revised some policies, including a promise to prosecute armed robberies. But that was just to quiet the critics. His office mostly stuck to the original directives. By November 2022, Braggs office downgraded an astonishing 52% of felony cases to misdemeanor charges. To put this into context: Between 2013 and 2020, that number never exceeded 40%. Prosecutors downgrade charges for a number of legitimate reasons, including a lack of evidence to warrant felony charges or, depending on the case, an agreement that a felony charge for a first-time, nonviolent offender seems too harsh. But to downgrade over half of the cases shows intent. As telling, Braggs office only asked for bail 49% of the time. Its not shocking that the city was rife with serious concerns, thanks to Braggs permissive policies. New York City experienced a rash of subway crimes, in particular, largely due to the reform push. But we werent supposed to notice a connection. In fact, we werent even supposed to admit there was a problem. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former cop, was elected on the heels of voter disapproval with the escalating crime crisis gripping the city. He promised to bring a much-needed law enforcement perspective to an office that, under the former mayor, Bill de Blasio, seemed to loathe cops and the rule of law. But Adams tenure was shaky from the start. On the topic of law and order, he initially fell far short of expectations. New Yorkers are safe on the subway system, the mayor said in January 2022. I think its about 1.7% of the crimes in New York City that occur on the subway system. Think about that for a moment. What we must do is remove the perception of fear. By the end of October 2022, subway-related crime was up over 40%, driven in large part by larceny, robbery and assault. And it saw a shockingly high 23 murders since the defund and reform movement took shape in 2020. Thats a 25year high, exceeding the 2018 and 2019 homicides combined. Yet, to Adams and other Democrats, the crime crisis was merely about the perception of crime. We have an average of less than six crimes a day on a subway system with 3.5 million riders, Adams explained at the time. But if you write your story based on a narrative, then youre going to look at the worst of those six crimes and put it on the front pages of your paper every day. Similarly, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul downplayed the crisis. Her reelection was unusually close because her conservative opponent, Republican congressman Lee Zeldin, made crime his central campaign theme. Hochul claimed he was hyperventilating about crime, hoping to scare people into voting for him. And New Yorkers are onto it. All the legitimate media organizations have called him out for what he is doing. Fear-mongering. And thats not just here in New York. Thats been the Republican playbook all across this country, Hochul told a reporter. All you need to know is that Democratic states are safer than Republican states. Check out the facts. Sleight of hand Through intentional sleight of hand, Hochul and other Democrats changed the debate from the safety of Democrat-controlled cities to Republican-controlled states. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, argued the country had a red state murder problem. Soros-funded Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, in office as his city hit historic homicides, claimed the actual violent crime is happening in MAGA states. Republicans lie! Krasner said about Republican criticism of Democrat policies on crime. I mean, lets just get down to it. Republicans lie. That is what they do. Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, journalist Ben Adler cited a study from the left-wing think-tank Third Way that claims despite the right-wing obsession over homicides in Democratic cities: Murder rates are far higher in Trump-voting red states than Biden-voting blue states. The study looked at data from 2020. Of the 10 states with the highest murder rates, eight voted for Trump. The argument is disingenuous, of course. The most murderous state from the study is Missouri, a Trump-loving red state. But its murder rate is driven by Democrat-run St. Louis and Kansas City. In 2019, St. Louis was the deadliest city in the country and, according to progressive website ProPublica, 2020 would have been its deadliest on record, but the city is classifying more than three dozen killings as what are termed justifiable homicides, sometimes in apparent violation of FBI guidelines for reporting crimes. Also on the list are Louisiana and Tennessee. Likewise, Democrat-run New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Memphis and Chattanooga ran up the numbers for their respective states. The conservative Manhattan Institute did what Third Way chose not to. It looked at the data behind the Republican claim that Democrat-run cities are rife with crime. Researchers found that, The homicide rate in the blue cities was 15.8 per 100,000, compared to 9.4 per 100,000 in the red cities and 10.9 per 100,000 in the two cities with Independent mayors. Moreover, they found, Counties with a higher share of GOP voters not only have lower homicide rates but also a lower growth in homicide rates between 2019 and 2020. No one argued that crime didnt or doesnt happen in red America, be it states, counties, cities or towns. But the very crime argument hinges on a simple fact: Many of the crimes the country experienced can be directly tied to specific policies, reforms and initiatives from the radical Left. That makes them almost entirely avoidable crimes. Though for some Democrats married to their ideology, no matter the data you provide, they will never budge from their belief that their reforms are working. And if youre New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, you simply reject reality. By September 2022, New Orleans earned the title of U.S. murder capital. By then, the city experienced 52 homicides per 100,000 residents, far higher than St. Louis (45 per 100,000), Chicago (18 per 100,000), and New York (3.5 per 100,000). It didnt help that the police department had under 1,000 officers in a city that, just a few years earlier, had over 1,300. It was no coincidence the city was making steady progress at the time, hitting a historic low number of homicides in 2019, until radical Left reforms were adopted and police fled the department. But Cantrell rejected these new stats and new reality, making the case at a press conference that the homicides werent happening. Her answer was as meandering as it was, frankly, deranged. I dont embrace that at all, she told local media. I dont embrace it because, one, that is ... the data even used for that is more of a governmental term for that. Its not based on what is actually happening on the ground, in our community, and even as you look at comparisons to other cities throughout this country. She then complained about media coverage for unfairly comparing New Orleans to cities like Chicago because they had more murders over Memorial Day weekend 2022. Chicago had nine homicides, only two more than New Orleans. And 2022 started off worse than anyone imagined. In just the first 10 days of the year, the city averaged over one murder a day. But Cantrell doesnt embrace those numbers, so I guess no one was dying. Meanwhile, left-wing media outlets like CNN took the same approach. Before his humiliating termination, CNNs Brian Stelter called Fox News coverage of the crime crisis an imagined drama. His sycophantic colleague, media analyst Oliver Darcy, called the coverage distorted. They said this even as the national murder rate surged 30% between 2019 and 2020, which came after steady and significant declines since the early 1990s. In fact, 12 large American cities set record-high homicide rates, and all of them were run by Democrats. Philadelphia experienced 561 homicides in 2021, the citys highest number ever recorded. Rochester, New York, broke its 30year-old homicide record with a rate higher than New York City at 38.4 homicides per 100,000 people. Fueled by gang and drug violence, Portland, Oregon, exceeded its previous record 66 homicides in 1987 with 90 in 2021 (and 101 in 2022). Rounding up the list are Toledo, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Austin, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; St. Paul, Minnesota; Tucson, Arizona; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Costly consequences What is so tragic about the current crime crisis is that its the result of policy choices. These homicides, rapes, assaults, robberies did not have to happen. And if not for the criminal justice reforms pushed through by the radical Left, most of them would not likely have occurred. While Democrats may think its smart politics to shift the blame to Republicans by reframing the argument and leaving out the Democrats role in our problems, its going to have even more costly consequences if people believe it. Americas greatest cities are being destroyed by the radical left and their actions are spreading far outside city limits. Its not just about crime, but homelessness, drug use, burdensome taxes, ideologically driven school curriculum, and policies trying to dictate how we go about our everyday lives. I wrote Whats Killing America so that we can learn what the radical left is up to, why they believe what they believe, and how we can take our cities back. And if we dont act fast, well go from exploring whats killing America to what killed America. Jason Rantz is a Seattle-based talk radio host with KTTH Radio and a frequent Fox News analyst. Parts of this essay are adapted from his book Whats Killing America: Inside the Radical Lefts Tragic Destruction of Our Cities, released this week by Center Street. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 On Sunday, on CNNs State of the Union, Dana Bash extensively spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, covering various topics. Amid discussions on the looming government shutdown, the conversation veered toward former President Donald Trump s reported derogatory remarks about disabled veterans, as highlighted in a recent profile. According to The Atlantics report, during a Pentagon event, Trump complained to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Mark Milley, about the appearance of an army veteran who had lost a leg in combat. Former Army Capt. Luis Avila, sang at the welcome ceremony for Milley in 2019. Avila had lost one leg when an explosive device went off in Afghanistan, and he also had suffered heart attacks, strokes, and brain damage due to his service. Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, Trump reportedly said to Milley. He told Milley not to invite Avila to any other events. Milley invited Avila to sing at his retirement party recently. Reacting to this report, Buttigieg, a veteran, was quick to condemn the reported comments. It is just the latest in a pattern of outrageous attacks on the people who keep this country safe, he told Bash Recalling his military service, Buttigieg shared, September puts me in a reflective mood because its actually tomorrow, nine years ago now that I got back to South Bend. After my one tour in Afghanistan, I served with people who did five, six, seven tours, some of them after being injured. Buttigieg went on to share stories of resilience among his fellow service members. I served with a guy who had the fin of a rocket go through his tricep while he was standing. He was standing in Gosney province, and miraculously, the rocket didnt blow up and kill him, but he was eager to get back onto his next tour, the transportation secretary said. On the topic of the looming government shutdown, Buttigieg laid out the potential ramifications, especially concerning air travel. He stressed, A shutdown would include just in the transportation side alone, shutting down air traffic control training at the exact moment when the country recognizes the need for more, not less, ATC staffing. And when we finally got cancellations back at or below normal rates, thats just one example. The air traffic controllers who would be working in the towers, they wouldnt get paid. Theyre under enough stress as it is doing that job without having to come into work with the added stress of not receiving a paycheck, Buttigieg continued, highlighting the strain on air traffic controllers. Asked by Bash about how passengers would be affected, Buttigieg noted, One thing that we have been through a lot of is disruptions, right? Those disruptions are largely caused by the weather, but sometimes, it can be because of staffing issues. Thats exactly what were trying to grow the workforce. This would stop us in our tracks. Buttigieg also touched upon how a government shutdown would halt the modernization efforts necessary for smoother travel. In January, there was an outage of a critical IT system that the FAA has been working to modernize, he said. A shutdown would slow down our progress, modernizing technology at the exact moment when we need to do it. The Philippines said China has installed a roughly 1,000-foot-long barrier in the disputed South China Sea. Photo courtesy of Philippines Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela/X Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The Philippines said Monday it would take "all appropriate actions" to remove a floating barrier it accuses China of erecting in a disputed area of the South China Sea, a move that threatens to further fray fraught relations between the Asian neighbors. National security adviser Eduardo Ano assured the Philippine public in a statement carried by the state-run Philippine News Agency that the floating barrier would be removed. "We condemn the installation of floating barriers by the Chinese Coast Guard," he said. The nearly 1,000-foot barrier was discovered Friday blocking Filipino fishing boats from entering the Scarborough Shoal, a triangle-shaped chain of reefs about 120 nautical miles west of the Philippines' Zambales Province in Luzon. The Coast Guard made the discovery public Sunday, posting pictures and video of the barrier on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said three Chinese Coast Guard boats along with Chinese maritime militia service vessels installed the floating barrier in the southeast portion of the shoal, affecting the livelihoods of Filipino fishermen. PCG and BFAR Condemn CCG's Installation of Floating Barrier in the Southeast of BDM Shoal The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) strongly condemn the China Coast Guard's (CCG's) installation of floating barrier in the Southeast... pic.twitter.com/ed4cFtXcQs Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) September 24, 2023 Some 50 Filipino fishing boats were in the area and Chinese Coast Guard vessels initiated 15 radio challenges, accusing them of violating international and Chinese laws. However, the Chinese vessels left the area "upon realizing the presence of media personnel" aboard Filipino government boats that had responded to the situation, Tarriela said. China lays claim to 90% of the South China Sea through its Nine-Dash-Line maps that were rejected in 2016 by The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration on the grounds that Beijing had no historic rights to the region. Though both countries claim sovereignty over the shoal, as well as Taiwan, China has controlled the sandbar it calls Huangyan Island since 2012 and it has been a focal point of confrontation between the countries since. In his statement Monday, Ano reminded China of the 2016 decision and that Filipinos have been fishing in the area for centuries. "Any State that prevents them from doing artisanal fishing there violates UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and international law, in general," he said. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been informed and the National Security Council said it was awaiting his response. Officials have suggested that they are within their legal rights to remove the barriers as they are located inside the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. This undated photo provided on Sept. 26, 2023, by Philippine Coast Guard shows a diver cutting rope tied to a floating barrier in the Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine coast guard said Monday, Sept. 25, it has complied with a presidential order to remove a floating barrier placed by Chinas coast guard to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering a lagoon in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.(Philippine Coast Guard via AP) MANILA, Philippines (AP) The Philippine coast guard said it has complied with a presidential order to remove a floating barrier placed by Chinas coast guard to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering a lagoon in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Philippine officials condemned the installation of the 300-meter (980-foot) -long barrier at the entrance to the lagoon at Scarborough Shoal as a violation of international law and the Southeast Asian nations sovereignty. The coast guards report Monday that it had removed the barrier underscores intensifying Philippine efforts to fight Chinas increasingly aggressive actions, against many odds, in one of the worlds most hotly contested waters. Chinese coast guard vessels laid the rope and net barrier, held up by buoys, last week as a Philippine government fisheries vessel approached and more than 50 Philippine fishing boats swarmed outside the shoal, the Philippine coast guard said. It said in a statement Monday night that it successfully removed the floating barrier in a special operation in compliance with the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It did not provide other details, such as whether the entire barrier was removed, when the operation occurred and how Chinese coast guard ships, which have closely guarded the shoal for years, reacted. The decisive action of the Philippine coast guard to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines sovereignty over the shoal, the coast guard said. It said it remains committed to upholding international law, safeguarding the welfare of Filipino fisherfolk and protecting the rights of the Philippines in its territorial waters. Video issued by the Philippine coast guard in Manila shows a diver cutting part of what appears to be the barrier rope. In another video, a man on a motorboat tries to lift what appears to be part of the barrier. Earlier Monday, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said that the placement by the Peoples Republic of China of a barrier violates the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen." In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the shoal and its adjacent waters are Chinas inherent territory, where Beijing has indisputable sovereignty. A Philippine government fisheries vessel trespassed into the waters without China's permission last Friday, Wang said, and attempted to intrude into the lagoon of the shoal. "Chinas coast guard took the necessary measures to stop and warn off the ship in accordance with the law, which was professional and with restraint, he added. It's the latest flare-up in long-simmering territorial disputes in the busy and resource-rich waterway, most of which is claimed by China. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are involved with China in the conflicts, which have long been regarded as a potential Asian flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the U.S.-China rivalry in the region. Washington lays no claim to the sea passageway, a major global trade route, but U.S. Navy ships and fighter jets have carried out patrols for decades to challenge Chinas expansive claims and promote freedom of navigation and overflight. China has told the U.S. to stop meddling in what it says is a purely Asian dispute. The Chinese barrier denied Filipinos access to the rich fishing lagoon surrounded by underwater coral outcrops, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said. He said China's coast guard installs the removable barrier when Philippine fishing boats show up in large numbers near the shoal. Its an illegal and illegitimate action coming from the Peoples Republic of China, Tarriela told reporters. Definitely it affects our food security. A Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship which anchored off Scarborough on Friday and at least 54 Filipino fishing boats were ordered by four Chinese coast guard ships by radio to leave the territory, saying the Filipinos were breaching Chinese and international law. The Philippine fisheries ship insisted in its radio response that it was on a routine patrol in Philippine waters, Tarriela said. The Philippines says Scarborough Shoal lies within its exclusive economic zone, a 200-nautical mile (370-kilometer) stretch of water where coastal states have exclusive rights to fish and other resources. Those rights were upheld by a 2016 arbitration decision set up under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, Ano said. China refused to participate in the arbitration sought by the Philippines in 2013, a year after a tense standoff between Chinese and Philippine ships at Scarborough. Beijing refused to recognize the 2016 arbitration ruling and continues to defy it. The 2012 standoff ended with Chinese ships seizing and surrounding the atoll. Chinese coast guard ships have also blocked Philippine government vessels delivering supplies and personnel to Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, resulting in near-collisions that the Philippine government has condemned and protested. Washington has said its obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under attack, including in the South China Sea. Tech investor Peter Thiel had a heated phone call in recent months with Donald Trump, Puck reported. Thiel was a vocal Trump supporter and rallied voters at the Republican National Convention in 2016. Thiel's public support for Trump wavered in recent years, and apparently, Trump noticed. Billionaire Peter Thiel has reportedly pulled back from the political spotlight as a Republican mega-donor, and apparently, former President Donald Trump had a few choice words for him about it. Thiel, a conservative tech investor and billionaire best known for co-founding PayPal and investing early in Facebook, had a heated phone conversation earlier this year with former President Donald Trump, Puck's Theodore Schleifer recently reported. The conversation started out fine but became "pretty contentious," Puck reported. Apparently, Trump was "fuming" because the former president had supported Thiel-backed candidates like J.D. Vance and Blake Masters in the 2022 midterm election and felt that Thiel had "screwed" him by not doing anything to thank him in the time since, according to the report. In the past, Thiel a libertarian who has said he doesn't view democracy and freedom as compatible was a public Trump supporter and used his voice and his wallet to back Trump's 2016 presidential run. He spoke on Trump's behalf at the 2016 Republican National Convention, telling the audience he was "proud to be gay," and donated $1.25 million to Trump's campaign. Thiel's public support of Trump reportedly wavered in 2020 when Thiel declined the opportunity to speak at the RNC and didn't donate to Trump's campaign. Thiel thought that Trump's political reign wouldn't survive re-election due to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Wall Street Journal. But he continued to play the part of mega-donor, supporting "hard-right" candidates who espoused conspiracy theories. Thiel even left Facebook's board of directors to give his full attention to supporting Republican candidates, including mentees J.D. Vance and Blake Masters. A year later, however, Peter Thiel took a step back from politics and no longer planned to support candidates in 2024. Apparently, the phone call between Trump and Thiel, which took place "a few months ago," according to Puck, was the first interaction the two had had in a while. Neither Trump nor Thiel immediately responded to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication. Now, Trump is apparently backing away from supporting Thiel's ally Blake Masters, who ran to represent Arizona in the US Senate during the 2022 midterm election. Masters is considering a run for Kyrsten Sinema's seat in 2024. However, Trump said he would rather endorse Kari Lake, who ran for Arizona governor in 2022 and is also considering a 2024 senate run, according to The New York Times. Read the original article on Business Insider OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Theres a sweet new job for young Oklahomans who face obstacles when entering the workforce. Pivot, A Turning Point for Youth is launching a new program: Pivot Preserves, a trauma-informed job training program for youth facing workforce barriers like homelessness or lack of familial support. Whether young people are aging out of foster care or are not in a stable place to find and keep a steady job, Pivot is here to support them during this time of transition and to help them gain the experience they need to become self-reliant adults, said Lydia Shelton, creator of Pivot Preserves. From making jam, to jarring, to shipping and marketing, we are giving our young people tools for success through our small business. Through Pivot Preserves, young workers will have an opportunity to work on the Pivot campus making jams and jellies for six months, gaining essential job training in a safe environment. Homeless Alliance, Curbside Chronicle open screen printing shop Pivot staff say they have seen youth struggle to stay on their feet with their first job and wanted to find a way to help them make the transition. We are always looking for ways to break down barriers for the young people we serve, said Jennifer Goodrich, President & CEO of Pivot. When we saw the need, our partners stepped in to help make our dream a reality, especially United Way of Central Oklahomas Wayfinder grant, Bank of America, MetaFund and Oklahoma Development Finance Agency. Pivot Preserves officially launches Sept. 28. A launch party will be held that day from 4-8 p.m. at Roughtail Brewing Company, 320 West Memorial Road in Oklahoma City. Learn more about the program and the products on the Pivot Preserves website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. By Boldizsar Gyori and Krisztina Than BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary will not support Ukraine in any issue in international affairs until the language rights of ethnic Hungarians there are restored, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament on Monday. Orban also said Hungary was in no rush to ratify Sweden's NATO accession, flagging a further delay in a process that has been stranded in parliament since last year. Sweden's membership bid is on hold pending approval from Hungary and Turkey. Hungary clashed with Ukraine over what it says are curbs on the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue, especially in education, after Kyiv passed a law in 2017 restricting the use of minority languages in schools. "They want to transform (Hungarian schools) into Ukrainian schools and if that does not work they want to close them," nationalist premier Orban said in his speech, adding that his government would fight for the rights of ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. "We do not support Ukraine in any issue in the international scene until it restores the laws that guarantee the rights of Hungarians." Orban's remarks come after EU chief Ursula von der Leyen set out a vision of an enlarged European Union that would include Ukraine earlier this month. EU countries are due to decide in December whether to allow Ukraine to begin accession negotiations - a move that would require unanimous backing of all the 27 countries in the bloc. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after his election in 2019 that he believes it is necessary to prepare a draft law to protect the rights of minorities, particularly in the religious and linguistic spheres. Getting the go-ahead for EU membership talks would be widely seen as a victory for Kyiv in its conflict with Moscow as it seeks not only to repel Russian forces but also to free itself from Russian geopolitical influence and strengthen ties with the West. DELAY IN SWEDEN NATO BID Hungary is a member of NATO and opposes Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Orban, in power since 2010, has cultivated close relations with Russia and held back from criticising President Vladimir Putin. Hungary has refused to ship weapons to Ukraine. Orban said Hungary was not in a rush to approve Sweden's bid to join NATO and that there was no threat to Sweden's security. Budapest has cited what it called undue allegations by Swedish politicians that it had eroded democratic rights. "I wonder if there is something urgent that would force us to ratify Sweden's NATO bid. I cannot see any such circumstance," Orban said. Orban told parliament on Monday that a plan by Brussels to wean Europe off Russian energy went against the interests of Europe and Hungary. Hungary is heavily exposed to Russian oil and gas supplies, but Orban said it had taken steps to diversify its supplies, citing recent talks with Qatar, Turkey and Azerbaijan on future gas shipments. (Reporting by Boldizsar Gyori and Krisztina Than in BUDAPEST and Pavel Polityuk in KYIV; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Accusing them of having ties to the Chinese Communist Party, Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended two schools in Weston and at least one in the Orlando area from participating in the school choice scholarship program, which allows virtually any family to apply for public funds to attend private school. After a thorough investigation, the Florida Department of Education determined that Lower and Upper Sagemont Preparatory Schools in Weston, Parke House Academy in Winter Park, and Park Maitland School in Winter Park have direct ties to the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] and their connections constitute an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of these schools students and the public. The decision was announced by the governors press office in a press release emailed at about 5:30 p.m. Friday. On that same day, Friday, Sept. 22, the state sent letters to the schools notifying them of their immediate suspension from the school choice scholarship program. The schools have 15 calendar days to appeal the decision, said Cailey Myers, a spokesperson at the Florida Department of Education. In March, Gov. DeSantis signed a law expanding the voucher program that made private school vouchers of about $8,000 a year available to all K-12 students regardless of family income. READ MORE: What to know about Floridas new private school voucher program that has no income limits The state agency has not said how many students were using vouchers at the schools, but in the press release, state officials said they would be assisting those impacted. Meyers did not immediately respond when asked if those students have been contacted as of Monday. Myers, however, said the states investigation found the same company owns all of the schools and pointed to the following statement on all of their websites: Spring Education Group is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, an investment firm (together with its affiliates) principally based in Hong Kong with operations in China, Singapore, and the United States, that is itself owned by Chinese persons residing in Hong Kong. Mellesia Nelson, the head of school at Sagemont Preparatory School, which has a lower school located at 1570 Sagemont Way and an upper school located at 2585 Glades Circle both in Weston said in an emailed statement Monday that the school is seeking more information regarding the basis for this decision and working directly with our families to ensure they can remain enrolled at Sagemont. Our schools are locally run, abide by local, state and federal laws, and do not have ties to any government or political party, either foreign or domestic, she wrote. Our curriculum is accredited, standards-based and academically rigorous. She didnt say if Sagemont planned to appeal the suspension. READ MORE: The number of new school-voucher recipients in Florida shows expansion, not explosion Danelle Evans, the principal at Park Maitland School, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. The school, located at 1776 Minnesota Ave. in Winter Park, appears to be the same as Park House Academy online. Myers didnt immediately respond to follow-up questions about how long the investigation lasted or if the state is investigating any other schools. In the Friday release, the governors office said the state department of education is working with the non-profit organizations that distribute the vouchers to students to assist impacted students in finding and enrolling in nearby eligible schools. In the release, DeSantis, a presidential candidate for the Republican primary, also touted his record for enacting major educational reforms targeting the Chinese Communist Party, including blocking access to TikTok on educational institution servers and devices. The Chinese Communist Party is not welcome in the state of Florida, the governor said in the release. READ MORE: From backbench congressman to debate limelight: The rise of Ron DeSantis, soundbite by soundbite WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland will introduce checks on vehicles crossing the border from Slovakia, the prime minister said on Monday, in measures to stem the flow of immigrants. The ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has made migration a central issue in its campaign to win a third term in office in an Oct. 15 election, and it has included questions on the topic in a referendum which will run alongside the vote. Meanwhile, Slovakia has been struggling with a surge in illegal migrants. The number of illegal migrants detained in Slovakia has increased nine-fold from a year ago to more than 27,000 so far this year, according to the country's interior ministry. "I instructed the interior minister to introduce controls there ... on minibuses, vans, cars, buses where there is a suspicion that there are illegal immigrants there," Mateusz Morawiecki told an election rally. A spokesperson for the Slovak foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Morawiecki was speaking shortly after government spokesperson Piotr Muller said Warsaw was considering tightening controls on the border but that no decision had been taken as it wanted to consult with its partners. "We do not want to surprise them with this decision, but we do not make this decision dependent on the consent of another country," Muller said. Morawiecki also hit back at German Chancellor Olaf Scholz , who on Saturday called on the Polish government to clarify allegations about a cash-for-visas scheme for migrants that has roiled Polish politics. Morawiecki said that Scholz's words could be a preparation for closing the border with Poland. "You'd be better informing yourself about the actual situation and not interfering in Polish affairs," he said, adressing Scholz. Muller had said that the government does not rule out also strengthening controls on the border with Germany. (Reporting by Alan Charlish and Anna Koper; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Hugh Lawson and Alison Williams) 'Every armed officer will be considering their future': There is concern a mass resignation could follow the case of NX121 - Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph The walkout by Metropolitan Police firearms officers could spread to other forces unless they are offered greater legal protections, it has been claimed. Armed officers across the country are said to be reflecting on their positions following the announcement that one of their peers is to go on trial for murder. A number have already refused to fill in for their Met colleagues as part of mutual aid arrangements. Others are considering following suit by handing in their firearm authorisations, sources have told The Telegraph. Officers asking: Is it worth it? Last week a Met officer, identified only as NX121, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with murdering Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old black man who was shot dead in south London in September 2022 during a police operation. On Friday, a judge will decide whether an anonymity order that was put in place last week can be lifted to allow the officer to be publicly named. Sources have told The Telegraph that the outcome of that hearing will make many officers minds up as to what to do next. The source said: Armed officers across the country are looking at this case and are asking themselves whether they want to continue in the role. It is not just in London, but everywhere. Nobody is suggesting that the police should be above the law. But officers are going out everyday and facing armed and dangerous criminals. They are asked to make split second, life and death decisions, and yet in doing so they could face the prospect of being jailed for life for murder. They accept the risks that go with the job, such as facing down armed criminals and terrorists, but they are not willing to face the risk of going to jail for murder for doing their job. Every armed officer will be considering their future tonight. The truth is, if the courts decide to put NX121 and family at risk by naming him, then that will be it for many of them. They will say its just not worth it and we will have a major crisis on our hands. Chris Kaba Up to 300 authorised firearms officers in the Met have stepped back from armed duties following the decision to charge NX121 with Mr Kabas murder. The situation became so acute over the weekend that the Met asked the Ministry of Defence to provide cover for counter-terrorism officers should it be needed. On Monday, the Met said some firearms officers had returned to work and they no longer required military assistance. But the crisis has brought into sharp focus the concern that firearms officers have over their protection under the law. Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, has ordered a review of armed policing and Sir Mark Rowley has also called for an overhaul of the way officers are treated within the justice system. Sir Mark said many armed officers were more worried about facing protracted legal proceedings than dealing with dangerous criminals. What happens when an armed officer shoots someone? The Prime Minister has praised armed police for their role they do and has said they need clarity about the legal powers they have. Rishi Sunak said: Our firearms officers do an incredibly difficult job. They are making life or death decisions in a split second to keep us safe and they deserve our gratitude for their bravery. Now it is important when they are using these legal powers that they do so with clarity and they have certainty about what they are doing, especially given the lethality they are using. 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. TEHRAN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Finance Minister Ehsan Khandouzi said Monday that he has met and held constructive talks with his Egyptian counterpart during his visit to Cairo a day earlier. In a post on social media platform X, Khandouzi said during his meeting with Egyptian Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, the two agreed to form a committee for the implementation of joint projects. Khandouzi, who is in Egypt to take part in the two-day annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), voiced Iran's readiness to expand bilateral cooperation with Egypt, especially within the frameworks of the AIIB, Islamic Development Bank, and other joint banks and companies. The Egyptian minister, for his part, expressed his country's readiness to implement the proposals put forward by his Iranian counterpart, stressing that Egypt attaches importance to developing ties with Iran and hopes to soon see an improvement in their bilateral relations. The meeting was the first one in a decade between the two countries' finance ministers, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA. In recent months, both Egypt and Iran have announced their willingness to mend their frayed ties over the past four decades by settling differences on certain issues. Operating since 2016, the Beijing-headquartered AIIB is a multilateral development bank and international financial institution that aims to collectively improve economic and social outcomes in Asia. Iran is a shareholder and founding member of the bank. Police have now named the 20-year-old man from Georgetown who was killed in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Gumboro. Delaware State Police identified Dereck Wong as the driver of the white 2022 Chevrolet Silverado that drove off Careys Camp Road. Police said Wong was driving around 1:18 a.m. Sunday when he approached a sharp curve just north of Little Hill Road and lost control. His Silverado left the roadway. Authorities investigating the event found the pickup veered off the road, traveled a short distance through a wet grassy area, struck a tree and ultimately came to rest after striking another tree. Wong was pronounced dead at the scene. This case remains an active investigation with the Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit. Troopers are urging witnesses to contact them with any details that could aid in their inquiry by contacting Senior Cpl. J. Smith at (302) 703-3267. Contact reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com. Join her on the Facebook group Delaware Voices Uplifted. Support her work and become a subscriber. INITIAL STORY: 20-year-old Georgetown man killed in crash after vehicle goes off road in Gumboro: Police This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 20-year-old Georgetown man killed in Gumboro crash Sunday identified A suspect believed to have shot two victims Sunday in East Hollywood evaded authorities after SWAT entered an apartment where the person was believed to be holed up and he was gone. Officers responded to the scene, located in the 1500 block of Serrano Avenue, near Sunset Boulevard, just before 2 p.m., LAPD confirmed to KTLA. Police searching for suspect after two people shot in East Hollywood A neighbor, EZ Montana Edwards, said the incident began as a dispute between neighbors, one armed with a knife and another with a gun. The dispute was reportedly over a dog. Actually, I was laying down on the couch and I just heard gunshots as if they were in my living room, she told KTLAs Omar Lewis. I got up immediately. I put my clothes on, my shoes on and I ran outside because I know the manager lives over there and I wanted to make sure she was all right. On her way, Edwards said she heard someone screaming for help, yelling that they had been shot. When she found the man, he told her that hed been shot four times. She then helped police locate that man and another male victim. Medical personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department also responded to the scene. Both victims were taken to the hospital where they are now listed in critical but stable condition. Video from the scene posted to the Citizen app showed the two victims, both bleeding after allegedly being shot by the suspect. Authorities set up a containment perimeter in the area of the apartment building where a suspect was believed to be holed up. Police searching for suspect after two people shot in East Hollywood Some four hours after the search for the suspect started, LAPD brought in SWAT in an effort to to take the suspect into custody. However, when SWAT entered the apartment, the suspect was gone. Police did say they recovered the gun believed to have been used in the shooting. Residents within the police perimeter were asked to evacuate and were not able to return to their homes during the hours-long search and eventual barricade situation. Hopefully this is over soon because I want to get back to my house, neighbor Hector Pena said at the time. Theres an ongoing search for the Suspect, multiple city resources are involved in the search, LAPD said just after 8 p.m. The area of Sunset and Serrano is being opened to residents that were evacuated, will be open to traffic shortly. Authorities described the suspect only as a male adult, but said they will release his name once his identity has been confirmed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. The U.S. Marshals on Monday arrested a suspect accused of fatally shooting his sister and another woman during a fight outside a Merion Village bar earlier this month. Joseph Howard, 19, was arrested in Largo, Florida, the Marshals Service said in a statement. Howard is facing a charge of murder in connection with the Sept. 13 shooting. According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 13, Howard, who lives on the Far South Side, was outside Double D's Pub at 1501 S. High St. in Merion Village when a fight broke out between Tavia Copley and Taya Mollette, both of whom were 24. Howard, who is Mollette's brother, began shooting a handgun. The shots, according to court records, struck Copley, Mollette and a third person. Court records said Howard then shot Copley while she was lying on the ground. She died at the scene. Mollette and the third person were taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center but Mollette was not able to survive her injuries. Howard was charged with murder the next day but was unable to be located by police. The U.S. Marshals Service obtained information Howard had fled to Florida and was arrested Monday without further incident. He is currently being held in the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office jail and will be extradited back to Ohio at a later date. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Police: Suspect in Double D's double fatal shooting arrested in Florida WARSAW (Reuters) - A call by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for Warsaw to clarify allegations surrounding migrant visas is an attempt to interfere in the Polish election campaign, Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said. Migration has emerged as a main campaign theme ahead of the closely-contested Oct. 15 elections The government has faced accusations by opposition parties this month that it was complicit in a system in which migrants received Polish visas at an accelerated pace without proper checks after paying intermediaries. On Saturday, German Chancellor Scholz said the issue required clarification and suggested that Germany may take steps related to checks on the border with Poland. "The competence of the German Chancellor clearly does not concern the ongoing proceedings in Poland," foreign minister Rau wrote on X social media platform late on Sunday. "Statements in this regard indicate an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Polish State and the ongoing electoral campaign in Poland," he said. Rau appealed to the German Chancellor to "respect Poland's sovereignty and refrain from statements that damage our mutual relations." Earlier, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson demanded clarification on the matter and called on Poland to respond to allegations that as many as 350,000 migrants purchased EU Schengen visas in Polish consulates through intermediaries. Schengen visas often allow holders to travel elsewhere in the EU. In a letter to the EU's security commissioner, Poland's government said the affair was an exaggerated "media fact" timed to discredit it ahead of the election. (Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Toby Chopra) A new survey from The Washington Post and ABC News depicts a dire scenario for Democrats Donald Trump up over Joe Biden by a solid 10-point margin. But both Democrats and polling experts in the media are decrying the survey as an outlier. So what does that mean, and should the Biden campaign still be worried? An outlier is any survey result that varies significantly from the statistical mean to the extent that it can sometimes skew the average. The answer to the second question is a little less clear-cut than some of Mr Bidens cheerleaders would admit. Yes, the Post/ABC poll is an outlier, by almost any definition of the word: Most national polling shows the race between the two politicians in a dead heat, with neither having a clear advantage once the margin of error is factored in. A 10-point advantage for the former president is not currently reflected in any other polls from respected polling outfits, and the RealClearPolitics average of polls currently gives Mr Trump a 1.6-point advantage even with this newest survey included. Theres also the issue of the Post/ABC poll itself. The surveys produced by the collaboration of those two outfits appear to have produced survey results that could be considered outliers before, an issue pointed out by the New York Timess polling expert Nate Cohn, who noted that he had previously eviscerated the Post/ABC polls credibility after noticing peculiarities with Mr Bidens numbers among nonwhite and young voters in the results. It's really really hard to release outlying poll results, so you've got to give credit to ABC/Post here, but I do have a fairly major quibble with ABC/Post here: if you release consecutive 'outlying' poll results -- R+7 in May, R+10 today -- you don't get to dismiss your results Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) September 24, 2023 To my mind, this 'you don't get to claim outlier anymore' warning was already in effect in May, as I wrote at the time: pic.twitter.com/DSUcKfWCYK Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) September 24, 2023 Larry Sabato, elections guru with the University of Virginias Center for Politics, offered a more direct criticism: How could you even publish a poll so absurd on its face? Will be a lingering embarrassment for you. Ignore the Washington Post - ABC poll. Its a ridiculous outlier (Trump up 10 over Bidenlaughable). My question: How could you even publish a poll so absurd on its face? Will be a lingering embarrassment for you. Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) September 24, 2023 But that doesnt mean the general finding of the poll namely, that Mr Biden is currently behind his opponent is wrong. The incumbent president remains encumbered by concerns about his age that Donald Trump, fairly or unfairly, has not faced to the same extent. And the GOP remains fixated on an effort to tarnish his sons image and accuse both President Biden and Hunter Biden of shady, backroom deals involving foreign interests (which have not been proven). Mr Trump, meanwhile, retains loyalty among Republicans and GOP-leaning independents, whom some pollsters noted appeared to be oversampled in the Post/ABC poll. He continues to face strong opposition from Democrats and other independents in other polling, however. The polls finding of Mr Bidens approval rating among independents (36 per cent) is also in line with other polls, including a Reuters/Ipsos poll from August which found it only a few points higher. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are tied in most polls (Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images) Its clear, then, that the president cannot simply brush away any concerns about the strength of his candidacy as statistical anomalies. There are real concerns reflected not just in this poll but others that are far more in line with the statistical norm. To get a clearer picture, Democrats and journalists should stick to analysing polls of the key swing states that the president will need if he hopes to win reelection like Wisconsin, where an Emerson College poll last week found him up by 1 percentage point, or Arizona, where he trails his 2020 rival by the same margin, according to the most recent Emerson poll in August. As ABCs Gary Langer wrote in an analysis of his outlets new survey result: Since many results are negative toward Biden, it follows that hes lagging in 2024 support...those sentiments are real, have been consistently negative in recent surveys and clearly mark Bidens challenges ahead. A U.S. Postal Service employee stole nearly 100 checks worth over $1 million from residents in Washington, D.C., according to federal court documents. After Hachikosela Muchimba, 43, of D.C., learned the government had strong evidence against him, he tried fleeing the U.S. on a plane bound for southern Africa, court documents say. Muchimba was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, with $2,000 cash in his luggage before he could board a flight to Zambia on Sept. 20, according to a memorandum filed Sept. 22 in support of his pretrial detention. The former USPS mail carrier was charged with mail theft and bank fraud in a criminal complaint, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia announced in a Sept. 22 news release. According to the criminal complaint, Muchimba stole $1,697,909.52 from mailed checks, most of which were U.S. Treasury checks. McClatchy News contacted Muchimbas defense attorney for comment on Sept. 25 and didnt receive an immediate response. How nearly $1.7 million was stolen Several months after Muchimba began working as a mail carrier at the Friendship Post Office in D.C., he stole checks between October 2021 and March 2023, the criminal complaint says. He added his name to these checks after erasing the names of the checks true payees allowing him to deposit the money in his bank accounts, prosecutors said. Muchimba was caught on surveillance footage withdrawing the stolen money from ATM machines, according to prosecutors. Three surveillance photos included in the criminal complaint show Muchimba wearing USPS clothing while withdrawing cash. During the execution of a search warrant at Muchimbas D.C. home, authorities found an ATM receipt showing he had deposited a U.S. Treasury check worth $415,173, prosecutors said. Ultimately, federal prosecutors met with Muchimba and his counsel and presented him the option of a pre-indictment plea offer after showing the evidence they had against him, according to the memo in support of pretrial detention. However, Muchimba rejected this offer and instead made plans to flee to Zambia, the memo says. Due to this attempt to leave the country, the government argued he poses a serious flight risk, the memo says. The charge of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, while the charge of mail theft carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, prosecutors said. Postal carrier stole hundreds of checks from her mail route in Illinois, feds say Man steals $64,000 from Walmart stores across the US using sleight-of-hand, feds say Woman stole credit cards across the US by cutting locks off gym lockers, cops say A new study published Monday links COVID-19 antiviral created by Merck with new mutations of the virus that have been sequenced around the world. Molnupiravir, known commercially as Lagevrio, is one of two COVID-19 antivirals authorized for treating coronavirus infections along with Paxlovid from Pfizer. The drug works by inducing mutations in the viruss cells as it replicates, resulting in random mutations that are harmful to the virus and cuts down on its viral load. Researchers from the U.K. and South African delved into the question of where some mutated variants may have occurred, given that some have been found with seemingly random mutations, and whether molnupiravir may have contributed to the rise of some strains. In the study published in the Nature science journal, researchers looked at available data from patients who were treated with molnupiravir and those who were not. Their findings confirmed the drugs ability to cause high rates of mutations in the virus, and they noted that a high proportion of these mutations are likely to be hazardous to the virus. They also looked at sequenced COVID-19 genomes from global databases and narrowed down mutations that were only sequenced in 2022, after molnupiravir became available, and found that many of the sequences were consistent with mutations that were found in patients treated with the antiviral. They cited a specific type of mutation that rarely occurs in natural SARS-CoV-2 evolution but which they note is induced through the use of molnupiravir. High rates of the specific mutation which researchers associated with molnupiravir use were found in populations of countries where use of the treatment was higher, such as in seniors in Australia where retirement homes were stocked with the drug. The study put forward that molnupiravir may increase genomic diversity in the viral cells that survive the hazardous mutations brought on by the drug, expanding the variety from which SARS-CoV-2 can select from for future changes. Importantly, the divergence of the molnupiravir mutation spectrum from standard SARS-CoV-2 mutational dynamics might allow the virus to explore the fitness of distinctive parts of the possible genomic landscape to those it is already widely exploring in the general population, the study stated. Molnupiravir-induced mutation could also potentially allow infections to persist for longer by creating a more varied target for the immune system. When reached for comment, Merck questioned the strength of the evidence presented by the researchers. The authors assume these mutations were associated with viral spread from molnupiravir-treated patients without documented evidence of that transmission. Instead, the authors rely on circumstantial associations between the region from which the sequence was identified and timeframe of sequence collection in countries where molnupiravir is available to draw their conclusions, said the company. Furthermore, these sequences were uncommon and were associated with sporadic cases. As noted by the authors, there are limitations to the analyses conducted in this study, which are described in more detail in the manuscript, Merck added. These data must be considered in the context of all available clinical and non-clinical molnupiravir data. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Destroyers leave for training China Military Online) 09:04, September 25, 2023 Two vessels attached to a destroyer flotilla with the navy under the PLA Eastern Theater Command steam in alongside formation in an undisclosed sea area during a maritime training exercise on August 16,2023. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wen Zidong) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) KABUL, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Freedom Party of Austria have visited Afghanistan and called on Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, state-run news agency Bakhtar reported Monday. "A delegation of leading members of the Freedom Party of Austria, in a meeting in Kabul with the country's Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir khan Muttaqi, said that Afghanistan's situation is better than what media broadcasts," the report said. Identifying the delegation head as Mr. Yohannes, Bakhtar quoted the official as saying, "I regret to say that the current government of Afghanistan, having ensured overall security and putting an end to four decades of conflict of Afghanistan, has not been recognized yet." During the meeting, matters pertaining to mutual interests came under discussion, and Muttaqi stressed the need to establish consular services in Vienna, the report said. The News All signs are still pointing to a government shutdown heading into this week but Republican moderates might team up with Democrats to keep it brief. Thats because House lawmakers may be able to bring a government funding bill to the floor using a discharge petition that Democrats originally set up as an insurance policy during this years debt ceiling showdown. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. has already warned hed join Democrats on such a move if necessary to keep the government open, while Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y. recently said it was absolutely an option. Other members of the New York delegation have privately suggested they are open to it, along with GOP lawmakers from Pennsylvania and California, Semafor has learned. Using a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation in the House is ordinarily a lengthy exercise ill-suited for emergencies. But the process could go more quickly in this case because Democrats filed a petition during the debt ceiling showdown earlier this year. The move was meant to provide an emergency, break-glass option to prevent a U.S. default. But the underlying bill was written broadly enough that it could be used to avert a run-of-the-mill government funding lapse as well. The legislation has already ripened, meaning it wont have to sit in committee for 30 days before legislators can use it. The petition currently has 213 signatures. Once there are 218, the legislation should only need to wait nine legislative days to get a vote. (It would have to spend seven days sitting on the discharge calendar. After then, House rules would require a vote on it within two days). Government funding is set to lapse on Sunday. Kadias view New York Republicans have a small window to make a big splash on a national and local level. Halting a shutdown would put them at odds with the right flank of their party, but could win them points back home since five GOP New Yorkers represent Biden-won districts. Im sure theyre not doing this solely out of the goodness of their hearts, and it will have some political benefit, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, told Semafor. But keeping the government open is so important keeping it operating that we need to take their signatures, whatever their motivation. The mere threat of a discharge petition could also give McCarthy unspoken leverage over hard-right conservatives. Room for Disagreement Signing a discharge petition could conceivably backfire for the New Yorkers if it attracts enough criticism from within the party. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., McCarthys most ardent critic, threatened to blame New York Republican lawmakers for the recent migrant crisis, for instance. A new gas station could be coming to Huber Heights soon. City officials are expected to discuss plans for getting a new Wawa Monday night at a city council meeting. Wawa is a convenience store and gas station originating in Pennsylvania. >>Police investigating shooting in Dayton The gas station would be built on the corner of Old Troy Pike and Chambersburg Road. News Center 7s Taylor Robertson spent the day talking to the community about the possibility of another gas station in the city. Robertson said residents told her they arent necessarily opposed to a Wawa coming to Huber Heights however, they want to know why on Old Troy considering how busy the area is. I was literally thinking why is everything going on Troy right now, resident, Davion Houston said. He continued, I think we would do great with having one of those but at the same time, its more congestion. Houston works at Texas Roadhouse on Merily Way. Houston said the amount of traffic on Old Troy Pike makes it very difficult for him to get to and from work. Ive sat there for three lights just waiting to turn, Houston said. Another resident, Linda Jordan, voiced the same concerns. She lives off Old Troy Pike and said the traffic makes leaving her home a hassle. Sometimes it will take us 15-20 minutes before we can even pull out, she said. Jordan said sometimes shell just want to run a quick errand or go see her kids. Adding a new gas station is not what we need. No, what we really need is a pharmacy, Jordan said. According to the citys website, they are currently working to widen parts of Old Troy Pike from Taylorsville. Houston said he thinks the construction is whats causing the chaos. There are too many people in one place. You know I mean, whether its just people, civilians or workers actually doing things its too congested right now, Houston said. Huber Heights Police said if you are driving down Old Troy Pike, be extra cautious for pedestrians considering some sidewalks are closed. Do not block intersections and know what lane you want to be in before you pull up to the light. A reimbursement of $11.91 for glue. Paying $19.42 for harm reduction supplies. Having camping gear in your truck. Handing out flyers. These extremely normal actions might not seem like grounds for charging dozens of people with racketeering and criminal conspiracy. But that hasnt deterred prosecutors in Georgia from charging 61 members of the #StopCopCity movement this month under the states Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, Act, a state-level version of the federal statute wielded with dramatic effect against the Mob in the 1980s. The indictment throws into sharp relief the sweeping discretion prosecutors have to determine not only who to bring criminal charges against but also the severity of those charges and the consequences prosecutorial discretion can have for entire movements. The #StopCopCity movement is a community-led effort to oppose the construction of a sprawling police training facility in the heart of one of Atlantas largest remaining green spaces. Since the Atlanta City Council approved the project in 2021, the movement to stop Cop City has made national headlinesespecially after local, county, and state law enforcement began escalating their efforts to suppress resistance to the project, beginning in late 2022. Before this months RICO charges, the states aggressive policing of the movement included the fatal police shooting of 26-year-old activist Manuel Tortuguita Teran in January; charging nearly two dozen protesters with domestic terrorism in March, most for nothing more than trespassing; and deploying a SWAT team to raid the nonprofit Atlanta Solidarity Fund and arrest three community organizers in May. To an ordinary observer, the states response to the movement seems so extreme as to be cartoonish. But officials in Atlanta are drawing from a playbook that relies on dramatically increasing the consequences for civil disobedience and, in the process, criminalizing otherwise lawful, First Amendmentprotected activities. Police play a leading role by carrying out surveillance, harassment, raids and mass arrests. State and local officials do their part by narrowing avenues for state-sanctioned protest, closing off some routes entirely. Then, when protesters do manage to find avenues to demonstrate, its prosecutors who take the baton. Prosecutors have always had an outsize degree of discretion in our criminal legal system, and have always been an integral part of repressing progressive protest movements. But whats unique about this moment, and the way environmental protest is getting criminalized, is the increased amount of anti-protest legislation that gives prosecutors more leverageboth directly in terms of new charges they can bring but also by setting the tone around the idea that protest movements deserve these kinds of draconian legal penalties. These new laws are the direct result of corporate and energy interests trying to squash resistance to their projectsand represent a chilling new chapter in how the law will handle disobedience. Over the past decade, environmental and racial justice protests across the country have become the proving grounds for aggressive prosecutorial strategies. State prosecutors in North Dakota charged more than 800 people who were arrested at Standing Rock protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline between late 2016 and early 2017. While police turned water cannons on demonstrators in below-freezing temperatures, federal prosecutors were busy preparing felony charges against Indigenous water protectors for starting a wood fire in the middle of a road. When Democracy Now! journalist Amy Goodman was charged with rioting for reporting from the protest site, North Dakotas states attorney publicly defended the decision on the basis that Goodmans reporting was justifying the protest actions. As Standing Rock cases made their way to state court, prosecutors began calling for protesters to reimburse the state for the costs of their court-appointed lawyers while also dropping and later refiling charges in a pattern one defense attorney referred to as financial warfare. In Minnesota, just a few years later, nearly a thousand people faced charges for protesting the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline through the projects completion in late 2021. Prosecutors charged dozens of people with felonies under increasingly bizarre legal theories: One man was charged with felony theft for locking himself to construction equipment. Two people were charged with felony aiding attempted suicide for climbing together into nonoperational segments of pipe. Another was charged with felony obstruction for sitting in a bamboo tower placed in an access road. In January 2022, the Center for Protest Law and Litigation released documents showing that Minnesota prosecutors even sought reimbursement from the states Enbridge-funded public safety escrow account for the cost of prosecuting Line 3 protesters. Enbridge paid over $8.6 million to police and other state agencies involved in the project, including reimbursements for riot gear and zip ties, according to reporting by Grist and the Center for Media and Democracy. These prosecutors have been helped by a wave of new anti-protest legislation in states across the country. Aided by conservative interestsmany of them funded by the oil and gas industrystate legislators have been hard at work expanding the reach and severity of the criminal laws at prosecutors disposal, targeting protests against police violence and new fossil fuel infrastructure. Energy companies and law enforcement groups have invested heavily in these efforts. In the wake of Standing Rock, 19 states have passed critical infrastructure trespass bills taking aim at protests against pipeline projects. Many of these bills were based on legislation drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a right-wing network financed partially by Koch Industries and other major energy and business interests. These laws not only heighten the penalties for simple trespass if the property in question is owned by a pipeline company; some also criminalize organizations and individuals that provide protesters with any form of material supporta strategy used by the Georgia prosecutors. Legislators in Oklahoma and Iowa passed laws to protect drivers who hit demonstrators in the street; the bill sponsor in Oklahoma spoke in defense of a truck driver who hit multiple people protesting the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. In Tennessee, a weeks-long demonstration against police brutality outside the state Capitol inspired lawmakers to heighten the penalties for a range of protest tactics, including camping on state propertynow a potential felony. Legal repression of progressive movements is not new, and felony charges for protesters have some precedent. Some organizing tactics carry greater risks than others: Every major social movement in the history of the United States has relied on both legally protected First Amendment activities and acts of civil disobedience that demonstrators know might result in arrest for a range of offensestypically misdemeanors. Civil rights activists planned sit-ins knowing they would be arrested for trespass or disorderly conduct. During the AIDS crisis, activists staged die-ins, where they were arrested and charged with trespass or blocking traffic. Many participants in these movements never engaged in civil disobedience and instead focused on strategies like mutual aid and community education. But by Atlanta prosecutors new logic, any single unlawful act can transform a whole range of free speech and organizing into potentially serious crimes: donating food, operating a bail fund, writing and distributing leaflets and flyers. Sometimes protesters break the lawbut the definition of illegal activity has become much broader now that state legislators are actively expanding the scope of what counts as breaking the law. These strategies are mutually reinforcing: Draconian prosecutions fuel narratives around the alleged extremism of protest movements that can, in turn, justify more aggressive policing and surveillance of activists as well as increasingly severe anti-protest laws. Just three days after the Cop City RICO indictment became public, protesters obstructing construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia told The Guardian that police were threatening them with felonies and domestic terrorism charges. Civil disobedience is rarely the first path movements take. Weeks before protests began, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sued over permits for the Dakota Access Pipelinethe pipeline company, Energy Transfer Partners, kept digging while the lawsuit was still pending in court. Government agencies subsequently issued a joint statement calling on Energy Transfer Partners to voluntarily pause all construction near the project site, which the company ignored. Before any protesters occupied the Weelaunee Forest to oppose Cop City construction in late 2021, Atlanta residents spent 17 hours expressing opposition to the project during public comments before the City Council that September. The City Council voted to move forward anyway. This summer, organizers collected over 100,000 signatures in favor of letting Atlanta residents vote on the construction of Cop City in November, but Atlanta city officials have repeatedly challenged the referendum drivein court, in the press, by instituting draconian signature verification requirements, and finally by refusing to verify the signatures when delivered in person. Against this backdrop, the broad discretion prosecutors have regarding what types of charges to file and whom to target for prosecution presents an increasing risk to our fundamental rights to speak out and organize. Prosecutions can drag on for months, even years. In the meantime, those facing charges also face significant restrictions on their ability to continue organizing, as well as ongoing risks to their employment and housing. Despite the often meandering and obscure bureaucracy of the U.S. criminal legal system, it is critical to keep public attention on these prosecutions. Injustice thrives in empty courtrooms. But other futures are possible. Just last week a judge dismissed nearly three-year-old charges against Line 3 protesters Winona LaDuke, Tania Aubid, and Dawn Goodwin, ultimately finding that to criminalize their behavior would be the crime. In the wake of mass arrests following the murder of George Floyd, prosecutors across the country dropped the vast majority of cases against protesters in their cities and counties, some explicitly citing protesters constitutional and civil rights. Movements continue to mobilize community-led jail and court support for those facing prosecution to demand transparency and accountability at every step of the legal process. For their part, activists in Atlanta have responded to prosecutors much-anticipated RICO indictment with more public outreach, more protest, and more solidarity. The message from the Stop Cop City movement, like so many movements before it, is clear: There is a cost greater than the costs of repression, and thats the cost of doing nothing. Pueblo County Commissioner Epimenio Eppie Griego is facing more blowback after allegedly calling a Pueblo city councilor an anti-gay slur. A coalition of local groups led by the Southern Colorado Equality Alliance, a local LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, penned a letter Thursday calling for Griegos apology and for other commissioners to censure him. The executive committee of the Pueblo County Democratic Party was one of the groups that signed onto the letter, but Griegos political future in Pueblo at least as a Democrat is unclear. Local party chair Bri Buentello told the Chieftain that Griego should expect a primary challenge when hes up for re-election next year and that other action could be taken to bar him from participating in the party. Eppie Griego gives an address on the steps of the Pueblo County Courthouse after swearing-in for his first term as a Pueblo County commissioner on Tuesday January 12, 2021. Griego is up for re-election in 2024 Griego ran as the District 1 representative for the Pueblo Board of County Commissioners in 2020. He raised less money than his primary opponent Tisha Mauro, who is now a representative at the state House. He received the vast majority of votes in November 2020 as Pueblo Republicans did not run a candidate on the ballot. As a Democrat and a Latina, I was happy to see another Latino raise their hand and serve our community. But in the years since then, this man has betrayed our trust as Democrats and demonstrated that he does not share our values, whether that's investing in public health measures to treat the opioid addiction crisis (or) his conduct at a dinner on a Saturday night in a friendly crowd, Buentello said. Griego will have to run for re-election next year to serve an additional term. Buentello said that another Democrat from District 1 will be running in the 2024 primary. It is my goal that we find a Democrat who believes in our values, who will put words into action, and fight for our community, every single day, every single time, even when the cameras are off, Buentello said. I don't know who that person is, but we'll find him or her. Griego did not respond to multiple requests for comment. He said that as reported I did not utter the word in a statement sent to the Chieftain after initially declining comment when the story was first reported Thursday. Buentello said she directly witnessed Griego call councilor Vicente Martinez Ortega a "j---", a Spanish-language word that can translate to "f-----" in English, at the Southern Colorado Labor Council dinner on Sept. 16. Griego has been censured by the local party since summer 2022 after he and former commissioner Garrison Ortiz endorsed Zach Swearingen, the Republican candidate, in the race for an open commissioner seat. Griego and Ortizs actions were condemned and they were removed from their positions on the Pueblo County Democrats central committee. Could Griego face additional consequences? The state partys definition of unacceptable behavior, according to its code of conduct, includes sexist, racist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes or escalating language. Violations of the code of conduct, if submitted in a formal complaint, can result in the formation of a controversy committee. Buentello said that she has submitted a complaint about Griegos behavior to the state party. This is the latest in a very long list of bad behavior, and, frankly, bad faith to our Democratic values, Buentello said that includes Griego opposing Democratic legislative priorities. Controversy committees are quasi-judicial proceedings defined by state party bylaws. Oral and written evidence can be submitted and complainants and respondents can make arguments for their case. The process of a controversy committee could result in consequences such as Griego losing access to voter databases, being banned from Democratic events and losing party credentials, according to Colorado Democratic Party bylaws. My role is to make sure the process is as fair as possible to the folks filing the complaint and also to the folks receiving the complaint and that's regardless of the issue, Shad Murib, the chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, told the Chieftain. It is important to me that everyone walks away from the process when it's completed feeling like they've been treated fairly and that justice has been served in the appropriate way. More: Do you have questions for Pueblo's 2023 political candidates? Send them to us through this questionnaire Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftian.com. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo Dems seek more consequences for Griego over alleged anti-gay remark Himmat Singh Nijjar, 79, uncle of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, sits inside his house after an interview with Reuters at village Bharsingpura Himmat Singh Nijjar, 79, uncle of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, sits inside his house after an interview with Reuters at village Bharsingpura By Manoj Kumar BHARSINGHPURA, India (Reuters) - A bitter row between India and Canada over the murder of a Sikh separatist is being felt in Punjab, where some Sikhs fear both a backlash from India's Hindu-nationalist government and a threat to their prospects for a better life in North America. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a plumber who left the north Indian state a quarter-century ago and became a Canadian citizen, was shot dead in June outside a temple in a Vancouver suburb where he was a separatist leader among the many Sikhs living there. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week Ottawa had "credible allegations" that Indian government agents may be linked to the killing. India, which labelled Nijjar a "terrorist" in 2020, angrily rejected the allegation as "absurd", expelled the chief of Canadian intelligence in India, issued travel warnings, stopped visa issuance to Canadians and downsized Canada's diplomatic presence in India. Sikhs make up just 2% of India's 1.4 billion people but they are a majority in Punjab, a state of 30 million where their religion was born 500 years ago. Outside of Punjab, the greatest number of Sikhs live in Canada, the site of many protests that have irked India. DREAM OF CANADA An insurgency seeking a Sikh homeland of Khalistan, which killed tens of thousands in the 1980s and '90s, was crushed by India, but embers from the flame of the independence drive still glow. In the village of Bharsinghpura, there are few memories of Nijjar, but his uncle, Himmat Singh Nijjar, 79, said locals "think it was very brave of Trudeau" to accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's government of potential involvement in the killing. "For the sake of one ordinary person, he did not need to take such a huge risk on his government," the uncle told Reuters, sitting on a wooden bench by a tractor in his farmhouse, surrounded by lush paddy fields and banana trees. Still, though, the elder Nijjar said he is worried about deteriorating diplomatic relations with Canada and declining economic prospects in Punjab. The once-prosperous breadbasket of India, Punjab has been overtaken by states that focussed on manufacturing, services and technology in the last two decades. "Now every family wants to send its sons and daughters to Canada as farming here is not lucrative, said the elder Nijjar. India is the largest source for international students in Canada, their numbers jumping 47% last year to 320,000. 'ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR' "We now fear whether Canada will give student visas or if the Indian government will create some hurdles," said undergraduate Gursimran Singh, 19, who wants to go to Canada. He was speaking at the holiest of Sikh shrines, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where many students go to pray for, or give thanks for, for student visas. The temple became a flashpoint for Hindu-Sikh tension when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi allowed it to be stormed in 1984 to flush out Sikh separatists, angering Sikhs around the world. Her Sikh bodyguards assassinated her soon afterward. Ties between Sikh groups in Punjab and Prime Minister Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government have been strained since Sikh farmers led year-long protests against farm deregulation in 2020 and blocked the capital, forcing Modi to withdraw the measure in a rare political defeat for the strongman. Modi's government has created "an atmosphere of fear", especially for young people, said Sandeep Singh, 31, from Nijjar's village. "If we are doing a protest, parents wouldnt like their child to participate because they are afraid their children can meet the same fate" as Nijjar in Canada, he said. Kanwar Pal, political affairs secretary for the radical separatist Dal Khalsa group, said, "Whosoever fights for Khalistan fights for right to self-determination, rights for plebiscite in Punjab. India perceived those Sikhs as their enemies and they target them." A BJP spokesperson declined to comment on the accusations. Senior BJP leaders have said there was no wave of support in Punjab for independence and that any such demands were a threat to India. At the same time, the party says no one has done as much for the Sikhs as Modi. Listen to the Reuters World News podcast episode, "How the killing of a Sikh plumber in Canada led to a diplomatic war with India." (Reporting by Manoj Kumar in Bharsinghpura; Editing by YP Rajesh and William Mallard) Ukraine claims that the commander of Russia's Black Sea Feet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, was killed in the Ukrainian attack in Sevastopol on Friday (Reuters) Vladimir Putin s commander of the Black Sea Fleet has been killed in a missile strike in annexed Crimea, claims Ukraine as panic grips Russian military over battlefield advances on the southern frontline. Admiral Viktor Sokolov was among 34 officers who died when British-made Storm Shadow missiles hit the Russian Navy headquarters in Sevastopol during the devastating attack by Kyiv on Friday. The loss of Sokolov said to have been handpicked by Mr Putin for the job last year was announced by the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces in a social media update on Monday. Moscow has not yet responded to the claim, which came as the Ukraine counteroffensive in the southern frontline in Zaporizhzhia triggered panic according to a Russian source quoted by a US-based war monitoring think tank. However, on Sunday night Russia replied with a heavy round of airstrikes on the Black Sea port of Odesa in a likely attempt to stop its export of grain and other commodities including steel. Two people were killed in the bombing, according to local officials. The series of events started on Friday when Ukraine launched the attack on Russias navy headquarters to coincide with a naval commanders meeting at the base. Pictures and video from the scene showed smoke coming from a large building at the hub. The Russian defence ministry initially said that the strike had killed one service member but later issued a statement that he was missing. Then, on Monday, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said Sokolov was among the 34 killed during the missile strike. They also claimed that 105 other occupiers were injured. Russia appointed Sokolov its new commander for its Crimea-based Black Sea fleet in August 2022, according to a state media outlet at the time. He had been serving as the Naval Academy chief since 2020. The apparent death of the commander comes as fierce fighting continues on the southern front line known as the Surovikin line which Ukrainian forces reportedly broke through for the first time with armoured vehicles last week. A satellite image shows smoke billowing from a Russian Black Sea Navy HQ after a missile strike on Friday (Reuters) According to a report published by the Institute for the Study of War, the tanks managed to break the 81-mile line heavily fortified with defensive weapons, including tank traps, minefields and huge concrete blocks designed to stop armoured vehicles. And on Monday, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that its forces captured new unspecified locations near Verbove, with a source affiliated to Putins elite military unit VDV reportedly saying Ukrainian forces occupied half of the settlement. For how long can [Minister of Defence of Russia Sergei] Shoigus MoD hide the breakthrough in Verbove? the source said, accusing the Russian Ministry of Defence of trying to conceal Ukraines tactical progress in Verbove, according to think tank the Institute for the Study of War Verbove is a few miles east of Robotyne, which was retaken by Ukraine earlier this month. Its capture would be key in the advancement by Ukrainian troops toward the Sea of Azov, which if reached could effectively cut Russian forces in half. Fire rips through an Odesa hotel after a Russian missile strike (State Emergency Service Ukraine/Telegram) However, Russia hit back on Sunday night with a large-scale attack on the port of Odesa, with two people working in a warehouse in the city killed, according to the regional head Oleh Kiper. Fire also ripped through the empty Hotel Odesa after the drone and missile attack from Moscow. The events came as there was a bizarre situation in the Canadian House of Commons, where there was a standing ovation for a Ukrainian veteran who had served in a Nazi SS unit during the Second World War. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, was sitting in the gallery when he was described as a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero to applause from prime minister Justin Trudeau and president Volodymyr Zelensky. The applause led to an apology from house speaker Anthony Rota after it emerged that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, a voluntary unit made up mostly of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command. Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu until October to stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Institute for the Study of War reports, citing an insider source. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing an insider source Quote: "A Kremlin insider source claimed that Putin reportedly gave Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu a deadline of one month until early October 2023 to improve the situation on the frontlines, stop Ukrainian counteroffensives, and have Russian forces regain the initiative." Details: The insider's claim reportedly suggests that the Russian military command may be ordering continuous counterattacks in the hope of bringing the Ukrainian counteroffensive to a climax, even if it comes at a cost to Russian military capabilities. The ISWs analysis mentions that Putin first acknowledged the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive on 9 June, emphasising two key and persistent narratives: that Ukrainian forces would not make significant gains due to well-prepared Russian defences and that Ukrainian troops would suffer heavy losses of personnel and Western military equipment. "Putin and the Kremlin have been framing Russian defensive operations as a major battlefield victory, and persistent Russian counterattacks allow the Kremlin to claim these operations as individual victories amidst the general lack of Russian battlefield advances elsewhere," the report reads. Analysts suggest that these efforts are likely seeking to undermine support for and confidence in Ukrainian forces both in Ukraine and in the West. "Putin may have ordered the Russian military command to hold all Russias initial defensive positions to create the illusion that Ukrainian counteroffensives have not achieved any tactical or operational effects despite substantial Western support. This informational undertaking can only succeed in the long run if Russian forces can actually prevent Ukrainian forces from breaking through and liberating large areas, however," ISW pointed out. 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! MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Great Lakes frigid fresh water used to keep shipwrecks so well preserved that divers could see dishes in the cupboards. Downed planes that spent decades underwater were left so pristine they could practically fly again when archaeologists finally discovered them. Now, an invasive mussel is destroying shipwrecks deep in the depths of the lakes, forcing archeologists and amateur historians into a race against time to find as many sites as they can before the region touching eight U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario loses any physical trace of its centuries-long maritime history. What you need to understand is every shipwreck is covered with quagga mussels in the lower Great Lakes, Wisconsin state maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen said. Everything. If you drain the lakes, youll get a bowl of quagga mussels. Spotted lanternfly: Should you be worried about them? Quagga mussels, finger-sized mollusks with voracious appetites, have become the dominant invasive species in the lower Great Lakes over the past 30 years, according to biologists. The creatures have covered virtually every shipwreck and downed plane in all of the lakes except Lake Superior, archaeologists say. The mussels burrow into wooden vessels, building upon themselves in layers so thick they will eventually crush walls and decks. They also produce acid that can corrode steel and iron ships. No one has found a viable way to stop them. Quagga mussels carpet the bell of the wreck of the schooner Trinidad on the bottom of Lake Michigan in July 2023. Archaeologists are racing to locate Great Lakes shipwrecks before quagga mussels disintegrate them. ( Tamara Thomsen via AP) Wayne Lusardi, Michigans state maritime archaeologist, is pushing to raise more pieces of a World War II plane flown by a Tuskegee airman that crashed in Lake Huron in 1944. Divers started discovering (planes) in the 1960s and 1970s, he said. Some were so preserved they could fly again. (Now) when theyre removed the planes look like Swiss cheese. (Quaggas are) literally burning holes in them. Quagga mussels, native to Russia and Ukraine, were discovered in the Great Lakes in 1989, around the same time as their infamous cousin species, zebra mussels. Scientists believe the creatures arrived via ballast dumps from transoceanic freighters making their way to Great Lakes ports. Smelly, invasive stink bugs could get worse in some areas, study suggests Unlike zebra mussels, quaggas are hungrier, hardier and more tolerant of colder temperatures. They devour plankton and other suspended nutrients, eliminating the base level of food chains. They consume so many nutrients at such high rates they can render portions of the murky Great Lakes as clear as tropical seas. And while zebra mussels prefer hard surfaces, quaggas can attach to soft surfaces at greater depths, enabling them to colonize even the lakes sandy bottoms. After 30 years of colonization, quaggas have displaced zebra mussels as the dominant mussel in the Great Lakes. Zebras made up more than 98% of mussels in Lake Michigan in 2000, according to the University of California, Riversides Center for Invasive Species Research. Five years later, quaggas represented 97.7%. For wooden and metal ships, the quaggas success has translated into overwhelming destruction. The mussels can burrow into sunken wooden ships, stacking upon themselves until details such as name plates and carvings are completely obscured. Divers who try to brush them off inevitably peel away some wood. Quaggas also can create clouds of carbon dioxide, as well as feces that corrode iron and steel, accelerating metal shipwrecks decay. Quaggas have yet to establish a foothold in Lake Superior. Biologists believe the water there contains less calcium, which quaggas need to make their shells, said Dr. Harvey Bootsma, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukees School of Freshwater Sciences. That means the remains of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that went down in that lake during a storm in 1975 and was immortalized in the Gordon Lightfoot song, The Ballad of the Edmund Fitzgerald, are safe, at least for now. Lusardi, Michigans state maritime archaeologist, ticked off a long list of shipwreck sites in the lower Great Lakes consumed by quaggas. His list included the Daniel J. Morrel, a freighter that sank during a storm on Lake Huron in 1966, killing all but one of the 29 crew members, and the Cedarville, a freighter that sank in the Straits of Mackinac in 1965, killing eight crew members. He also listed the Carl D. Bradley, another freighter that went down during a storm in northern Lake Michigan in 1958, killing 33 sailors. The plane Lusardi is trying to recover is a Bell P-39 that went down in Lake Huron during a training exercise in 1944, killing Frank H. Moody, a Tuskegee airman. The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of Black military pilots who received training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama during World War II. Brendon Baillod, a Great Lakes historian based in Madison, has spent the last five years searching for the Trinidad, a grain schooner that went down in Lake Michigan in 1881. He and fellow historian Bob Jaeck finally found the wreck in July off Algoma, Wisconsin. The first photos of the site, taken by a robot vehicle, showed the ship was in unusually good shape, with intact rigging and dishes still in cabins. But the site was fully carpeted with quagga mussels, Baillod said. It has been completely colonized, he said. Twenty years ago, even 15 years ago, that site would have been clean. Now you cant even recognize the bell. You cant see the nameboard. If you brush those mussels off, it tears the wood off with it. Quagga management options could include treating them with toxic chemicals; covering them with tarps that restrict water flow and starve them of oxygen and food; introducing predator species; or suffocating them by adding carbon dioxide to the water. So far nothing looks promising on a large scale, UW-Milwaukees Bootsma said. The only way they will disappear from a lake as large as Lake Michigan is through some disease, or possibly an introduced predator, he said. That leaves archaeologists and historians like Baillod scrambling to locate as many wrecks as possible to map and document before they disintegrate under the quaggas assaults. At stake are the physical remnants of a maritime industry that helped settle the Great Lakes region and establish port cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Toledo, Ohio. When we lose those tangible, preserved time capsules of our history, we lose our tangible connection to the past, Baillod said. Once theyre gone, its all just a memory. Its all just stuff in books. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. The first class from Pascos new regional law enforcement training center have graduated. The 30 recruits enrolled in May. Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, was one of many in attendance to watch the new recruits graduate earlier this month. He told McClatchy about a graduate named Claudia Fuentes, a single mom of two children, who was able to become a police officer as a result of the new training facility in Pasco. The Pasco Police Department had previously attempted to recruit Fuentes, but her only options for training at the time would have been to go to the law enforcement training facility in Burien, and leave her daughters at home. With the new training facility in Pasco, Lovick said it was the perfect opportunity for her. Having family close by and not having to leave to attend training in another city far from home will be beneficial for many recruits, he said. I think its going to change the tone and the tenor of what law enforcement is doing, Lovick said. Lovick, who served as a Washington State Patrol trooper for 31 years, said he believes satellite facilities will help address understaffing in law enforcement throughout the state, which has many causes. For one, many officers are retiring. The pandemic also prompted departures, he said. But the state also is trying to reimagine the culture around policing, he said, largely after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020. Everybody you talk to is talking about changing the culture of policing, Lovick said. Culture eats strategy for breakfast. This is going to change the culture of policing in our state because were going to recruit men and women that live in the community, theyre going to train in their community and theyre going to go back and work in that community. In July 2022, Gov. Jay Inslee first proposed the idea of introducing four new regional training centers around the state. Pasco was the first facility to open after the Legislature allocated a little over $10 million to the program during the 2023 legislative session. Other facilities are slated to open in Vancouver, Everett and Bellingham. Sen. Nikki Torres, the Republican Senator from Pasco, told McClatchy that a centralized training facility has always been a burden for those wanting to become a police officer in other parts of the state because the training is five months and participants can lose out on an income during that time. She also noted that police departments will be able to recruit a more diverse group of individuals with the satellite training facilities. Torres said that while law enforcement in the Tri-Cities area isnt severely understaffed, the area could always use more officers, particularly ones who actually come from the area. This is a great tool to have for us to keep continuing on that mission of having community policing and having people that represent the community that look like the community as well, Torres added. It is a very much needed community-friendly training center that we definitely need to keep our communities safe and also our police officers safe. The next class in Pasco will begin in October, and those recruits are set to graduate next Valentines Day. At least eight recruits from Kennewick have already signed up for that class. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in Beijing on Monday. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, called on the two sides to consolidate strategic mutual trust, carry forward traditional friendship, jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality, and continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns. Introducing the concept and practice of whole-process people's democracy to Prachanda, Zhao said the NPC is willing to work with the Nepalese parliament to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the legislative bodies. Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and is willing to deepen bilateral practical cooperation in various fields and promote the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity to achieve fruitful results, Prachanda said. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called for Sen. Robert Menendezs (D-N.J.) resignation after federal prosecutors in New York filed a massive corruption indictment against him. The 39-page indictment accuses Menendez and his wife of accepting bribes in the forms of cash, gold bars, a luxury vehicle and more from three New Jersey businessmen to further the interest of the Egyptian government. The New Jersey congressman denied the allegations in a statement on Friday, adding that he believes he is the target of a conspiracy. Ocasio-Cortez addressed Menendezs indictment on a Sunday episode of CBS News Face the Nation. The situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Senator Menendez to resign in this moment, the New York congresswoman said. While Ocasio-Cortez said its necessary for Menendez to be assumed innocent until proven guilty, she maintained that the indictment is extremely serious. She continued: And while, you know, as a Latina, there are absolutely ways in which there is systemic bias, but I think what is here in this indictment is quite clear. And I believe [it] is in the best interest to maintain the integrity of the seat. Ocasio-Cortez joined the ranks of other Democrats, including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), in calling for Menendez to resign. So far, Menendez has refused and is expected to continue resisting the pleas. Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first-generation Latino-American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator and serve with honor and distinction, said Menendez, who was also indicted on bribery charges in 2015. Menendez was accused of taking bribes from a Florida doctor to push forward his interests, but the case concluded with a hung jury and the case was dismissed by a judge in 2017. Related... Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey introduced the Brittany Clardy Act in the House of Representatives. The proposed law would establish a new Justice Department office focused on missing and murdered Black girls and women, who often receive less attention from law enforcement and the media when compared to their white counterparts. Omar and Watson Coleman introduced the new legislation at the 52nd Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Omar told Vice that my message with this bill is to provide hope to survivors of violence and victims families. The proposal would create a new office within the Department of Justice, led by a director reporting to the U.S. Attorney General. The new office would collect data and information on missing and murdered Black women and girls, including data on law enforcement responses to such cases. The Clardy Act would also facilitate cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement on such issues and create a grant program to give community organizers funds for training public officials. Omar and Watson Coleman introduced the new legislation in honor of Brittany Clardy, who, at 18, went missing in 2013. Law enforcement officials dismissed the concerns of Clardys family until the Minnesota teenagers body was found two weeks later. Omar told Teen Vogue, This bill is dedicated to the memory of Minnesotans like Brittany Clardy, and the countless other Black women who have been the victims of crimes but whose cases were initially brushed off by law enforcement. Rep. Watson Coleman echoed these sentiments in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. She cited statistics, In 2020, 34% of missing females were Black, though they make up only 15% of the female population. She added, Their lives matter. Today, I'm joining @Ilhan to address the epidemic of missing and murdered Black women and girls with the #BrittanyClardyAct. In 2020, 34% of missing females were Black, though they make up only 15% of the female population. Their lives matter. https://t.co/VUUBGJ8qM6 Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) September 20, 2023 As referenced in Watson Colemans message, Black women and girls are significantly more likely to become missing or subjected to violence, yet they often receive much less attention when compared to missing white women. Cases such as Clardys murder inspired Minnesota to attempt to tackle this disparity. The state launched the nations first task force for missing and Black girls in 2021; Minnesota had previously initiated a similar task force for Indigenous women, who also face disproportionate rates of violence against them. The 2021 task force, in turn, led to Minnesota establishing the nations first Office for Missing and Murdered African American Women earlier this year. The Minnesota model is an inspiration for a new national approach to protecting and bringing justice to Black women and girls. With the continued challenges and relative media silence that Black women and girls face regarding threats to their safety, this move is a significant step in the right direction regarding treating all women and girls equally. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday completelyand hilariouslydestroyed one of Republicans main arguments to prove that Joe Biden is corrupt. Republicans launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden, after months of insisting that the president is guilty of criminal wrongdoing. The GOP has yet to produce any actual evidence of their claims. But one of their main talking points is that Poroshenko fired former Ukrainian prosecutor general Viktor Shokin after Biden pressured him to do so. Fox News host Brian Kilmeade played Poroshenko a clip of Shokin saying Biden wanted him fired because he had been investigating the oil company Burisma Holdings while Hunter Biden served on the board. First of all, this is [a] completely crazy person, Poroshenko replied without hesitation, referring to Shokin. This is something wrong with him. Second, there is not one single word of truth. Please do not use such a person like Shokin to undermine the trust we feel from both U.S. parties, he continued. Poroshenko added that Shokin was fired because he played very dirty games. amazing - during a Fox News interview w/ Brian Kilmeade, former president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko denounces Victor Shokin, who plays as a leading role in Kilmeade's conspiracy theories, as a "completely crazy person" & says "there's something wrong with him" as Kilmeade melts pic.twitter.com/MXedG1FmrB Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 25, 2023 Shokin was fired in 2016 for corruption. Three years later, Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani started a conspiracy theory that the Biden family accepted a $10 million bribe to remove Shokin to stop a probe into Hunter Bidens role at Burisma. This claim has been repeatedly debunked by the owner of Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky, as well as Giulianis associate Lev Parnas. And now, the former Ukrainian president himself. SAN DIEGO Florida Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis visited Coronado Sunday for a veterans appreciation event. DeSantis made remarks to a packed Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, which is just steps away from where DeSantis was stationed and where he returned home from war. Ill never forget flying back from Iraq landing at Naval Air Station North Island, right on the corner there, DeSantis said. The Florida governor discussed the need to control the fentanyl crisis and his concern for a decline in military strength, something that hits close to Coronado residents. We are not in a position to be able to defend this country from threats posed by China, he said. DeSantis visit comes ahead of the second Republican presidential debate on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. First Lady Jill Biden visits San Diego for fundraiser; Mayor Gloria welcomes Several campaigns have said theyve satisfied the marks to participate in Wednesdays debate, including DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Vice President Mike Pence. Former President Donald Trump missed the first debate and plans to meet with current and former union workers in Michigan instead of attending the second debate. The attendance of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, both of whom participated in the first debate, is uncertain for the second. The GOP, however, has yet to confirm the qualified participants for the second debate. This week, a CNN/University of New Hampshire poll showed the Florida governor dropped 13 points in the critical early state, trailing candidates Ramaswamy, Haley and Christie. A stellar performance from DeSantis in Wednesdays debate could give him the boost he needs in the polls. The Associated Press and FOX 5s Zara Barker contributed to this story. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. The Northern Kentucky Port Authority has six board members and two non-voting attendees. An earlier version of this article misstated the total number of people in those roles. A hundred million dollars. That's how much it could cost a company to make raw land more developable in Northern Kentucky, depending on the size of the property. Hills, trees, corn, wetlands that all needs to be cleared before anything can be built. If no utilities already run to the site, companies could have to add about three years of waiting to get water and electricity to the land. That's a major hurdle to bringing companies, jobs and investment into the area, according to Lee Crume, President and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership. "When you have a piece of raw land, the time frames and the risk associated with getting that prepared are so great. It's just unsellable," Crume said. That's the problem the newly revived Northern Kentucky Port Authority aims to solve. What is the Northern Kentucky Port Authority? The port authority's main purpose is threefold. It finds land a company could be interested in buying for private commercial and industrial construction purposes. Then it makes the property site ready. It also promotes the sites to companies looking to invest in Boone, Kenton, or Campbell counties. It's not a new entity, though. The port authority has existed in Northern Kentucky since 1968. Who controls the port authority? Boone, Kenton, and Campbell county judge executives appoint two board members to serve four-year terms on the organization's board. Those six board members ultimately determine which projects would make the most sense for the port authority to take on. Why is it becoming more active now? The short answer is that the property market has changed over the past 15 years, so the organization had to become more active. For instance, in the last 13 years, the port has done two projects. It worked as a pass-through on matching grant funds for a Riverfront Commons feasibility study and sold one piece of land to the city of Newport. "The Port Authority had not done a project in some time ... they weren't actively out looking for projects. They weren't actively out, trying to create this kind of momentum that we were talking about," Crume said. Has it done any projects yet? It's working on the OneNKY Center at the foot of the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, a $26 million project that broke ground in late August. But that project is a little bit different than other projects the organization will likely be investing in later. The 45,000-square-foot building is being built on what's currently a parking lot rather than a plot of land that did not have to be cleared for the project, like future ones may have to be. The port authority is the developer and owner of the soon to be built building, which officials say is already 96% leased. "Over time, we expect it to be a revenue generator for the port," Crume said. How is all this funded? It depends on the project. According to BE NKY, the OneNKY Center was funded through bonds, and the land was purchased by St. Elizabeth Healthcare. The Catalytic Fund helped raise other money through the Covington Life Sciences Partner for Covington Life Sciences Lab, the Haile Foundation, Horizon Community Funds, Durr Foundation and Drees Foundation. Funding for other projects could be garnered through statewide or federal grants, along with contributions from other organizations. What role does BE NKY Growth Partnership play? The organization, which was previously Tri-ED, is a separate entity that works to increase economic growth in the area. It works in collaboration with the port to do that. BE NKY Growth Partnership pays two full-time employees to work on behalf of finding money for the port. It also has a signed memorandum of understanding to work collaboratively with the port and provides the organization with an executive director. Christine Russell, vice president of strategy at BE NKY, currently has the job. The port's board also selected Russell as the secretary-treasurer for the board, though, she is not a board member and does not vote. Ben Brandstetter, president of Brandstetter Carroll, is the board liaison and another non-voting attendee. He was selected by the BE NKY and port boards. Crume is a voting board member who was appointed by the Kenton County judge executive. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY's revived port authority made the OneNKY Center happen Rick Ross wants first dibs at small business owners who are looking for funding to grow their operations. The Miami-born rapper is so confident in his business acumen that he is ready to blow Shark Tank out of the water. The serial entrepreneur has an estimated net worth of between $40 million and $150 million from his successful music career, his diversified portfolio of stocks, and his various enterprises. In a recent video from his Instagram Story, Ross told his followers that he now has his sights set on helping other entrepreneurs reach new levels of success. Rick Ross invites Shark Tank prospects to come see the boss months after Daymond John secures restraining order from former contestants. (Photos: @Richforever/Instagram; @Thesharkdaymond/Instagram.) For anybody thinking of going to Shark Tank, stop. You come see the boss first. You come see the boss first. Ill buy your ideas. Ill buy your LLCs. You from the hood? Ill buy your food stamp card. Big business, boss business, he said in the since-deleted post. Thats what rappers entertainers need a shark tank where they can invest the money they make, read one fans comment. A second said, Man we heard you aint even pay yo wing stop workers. In 2022, Ross paid $114,427 in labor violations when five of his Mississippi WingStop franchise locations made employees pay for their uniforms, safety training, background checks, and cash shortages at the register. Dj envious need to see you then, read another comment. Breakfast Club hosts DJ Envy, whom Ross nicknamed Dj Envious during a recent spat, was named in a $1.3 million fraud lawsuit this summer. The suit accuses Envy and his real estate partners of not making good on an apartment development deal. Envy has since claimed that he too was a victim and that he had nothing to do with the ill-fated project. The hit shows sharks are also familiar with sour business relationships. The ABC reality series, which is in its 15th season, pairs up-and-coming business owners with seasoned moguls Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec in deals that are supposed to yield both parties millions of dollars. The dream opportunity has launched several businesses to national prominence, but for others, their deal was a nightmare. John, who co-founded the urban streetwear clothing brand FUBU, was slammed on social media by former contestants Al Bubba Baker, his wife Sabrina, and their daughter Brittani. The family runs Bubba Qs Boneless Baby Back Ribs, which was featured in season 5. In 2013, the Bakers accepted Johns $300,000 deal on the condition that the mogul retain a 30 percent stake in the company. This year, Brittani accused John and their manufacturer of withholding millions in revenue. She also claimed that he attempted to take over their business, leaving them in financial ruin. The veteran entrepreneur hit back at the accusations and, in July, secured a permanent restraining order prohibiting his former business partners from disparaging him to the public. More than two months after a 150 mph tornado ripped through the Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, raising nationwide concerns of medicine supply shortages, the pharmaceutical giant says it has restarted most of its manufacturing lines. This expedited restart is a proud achievement for the Rocky Mount team; however, it is only the first step toward full recovery for the plant, the company stated Monday. Pfizer is producing around 13 medicines on the restarted lines, prioritizing drugs based on their inventory and patient needs. Yet, the company acknowledged the effects of the tornado will likely impact drug supplies until at least the middle of next year. The 1.4 million-square-foot facility in Nash County produced nearly 8% of all sterile injectables used in U.S. hospitals, including neuromuscular blockers, anti-infectives and anesthesia. Drone video from The News & Observer showed significant damage to the facility. The campuss warehouse, which stores raw materials and finished medicines awaiting quality checks, was most impacted, the company said, but manufacturing lines were also compromised. There are several medicines that are made here exclusively, that are not made otherwise in the Pfizer network, company CEO Albert Bourla told reporters two days after the tornado. On Monday, the New York-based firm said full production should be reached at the Rocky Mount sites three manufacturing areas by the end of 2023, but that some medicines might not be in full supply until next year. Pfizer defines full supply as enough inventory to serve past demand projections plus multiple weeks of reserves. A tornado caused major damage to the Pfizer pharmaceutical plant near Rocky Mount, N.C. Wednesday afternoon, July 19, 2023. Triangle hospitals see little impact so far Rocky Mount straddles Nash and Edgecombe counties, about 50 miles northeast of Raleigh. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado hit on July 19 as an EF3, meaning it reached speeds of 150 mph. None of the roughly 2,250 employees who were working at the plant when the tornado touched down suffered injuries, company officials say. Opened in 1968, the Pfizer site runs 24 hours a day and employs 3,200 people, making it among the regions largest private employers. After the natural disaster, the company planned to shift drug production to its nine other U.S. manufacturing sites, which includes a 230-acre facility in Sanford. Triangle-area hospital systems say the fallout from the tornado has, so far, been minimum to nonexistent. The only impact weve had so far is having to use Pfizers emergency ordering process for certain products, said Alan Wolf, a spokesperson for UNC Health. Wolf added this process has allowed UNC Health to avoid any impact on patient care. Similarly, WakeMed spokesperson Kristin Kelly said there has been no operational impact on patients. Vizient, a Texas-based health care consulting firm that communicated with Pfizer in the days after the tornado, said its hard to assess what impact the events in Rocky Mount have had on the medicine supply. While its difficult to measure the impact of the tornado on drug shortages, we are hopeful that the re-start of production will help minimize any impact to Vizient providers and patients, said Mittal Sutaria, Vizient senior vice president of Contract and Program Services, Pharmacy. Open Source Do you enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly technology newsletter and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here. British police are unusual in not being routinely armed, but every force has a specialist firearms unit ready to assist their colleagues when required. They are essential for the protection of the public and to back up operations against terrorists and armed gangs. These experienced officers undergo rigorous training and are often required to make life and death decisions in trying circumstances. If they discharge a weapon there is invariably an inquiry while the officer is suspended from firearms duties. These rules are understood by the units. It is alarming, therefore, to learn that more than 100 members of the Met Police firearms unit have handed in their weapons permits after one of their number was charged with murder. Unusually for such a serious offence, the alleged offender is on bail and is identified only as NX121, afforded the anonymity that is becoming a worrying feature of the judicial process. The charge stems from an incident in which Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old black man, was shot dead last year. Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, has ordered a review, saying armed officers should not fear ending up in the dock, a view echoed by Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner. But they clearly do. Rightly, politicians cannot interfere in that process; but the Crown Prosecution Service will be under close scrutiny to demonstrate that the evidence and eventual verdict supports their decision. The Met firearms officers are reflecting on whether to return to duties, with the Army reportedly ready to fill in, but many feel the risk of prosecution is too great and may decline to do so. Recruiting replacements will also be difficult. Morale is low enough as it is in the Met and the public will pay the price for the increased lawlessness that will ensue. 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. Gucci thefts put at more than $80,000 An organized theft crew that struck the Gucci store in Camarillo over the weekend took more than $80,000 worth of merchandise, county sheriff's officials said in an update Wednesday. Gucci staff found that 46 items had been stolen with a total value of $82,240, sheriff's Capt. Dean Worthy said. He said no arrests have been made to date in the thefts of purses and wallets from the Italian luxury goods store. Six people removed the merchandise from security features and fled in a white Mercedes Benz and a black Tesla Y, authorities said. The store is located in the 900 block of Camarillo Center Drive on the east side of the Camarillo Premium Outlets. The perpetrators are described as a woman and four men ages 20 to 30 along with a slightly older man age 30 to 40. Anyone with information regarding the crime, the identity of the perpetrators or information about the vehicles is encouraged to contact the Camarillo Detective Bureau at 805-388-5100. 2 women hospitalized after being intentionally struck by car Two women were taken to a local hospital early Saturday after being assaulted and intentionally struck by a vehicle outside a Ventura bar, city police reported. The incident unfolded around 1:30 a.m. by O'Leary's Sidebar, located at 6555 Telephone Road in an office park east of the County Government Center. A 21-year-old Ventura woman assaulted the two victims outside the bar before getting into her vehicle and intentionally hitting them, according to an investigation by the Ventura Police Department. The suspect was booked into county jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and causing injury plus assault with a deadly weapon based on use of the car. Police said they found one woman lying on the hood of the car and another with an injured arm. Both were transported to Ventura County Medical Center for treatment of serious but not life-threatening injuries. The suspect was being held Sunday in lieu of $80,000 bail at the Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula, jail records show. Simi man arrested in gunfire incident A Simi Valley man was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly firing bullets from a handgun into his home and a neighbor's home and car. Police said they located evidence of multiple rounds fired within the man's residence and garage. A bullet hole was found in the neighbor's parked vehicle and another bullet strike in the neighbor's garage in the incident that occurred around 3 a.m., according to the Simi Valley Police Department. The police investigation revealed the individual was under the influence of alcohol and thought intruders were in his residence. But police determined there were no intruders and that the subject negligently fired multiple rounds from the handgun. No one was hurt, Sgt. Ryan Brennan said. The 63-year-old man was booked into county jail in Ventura on suspicion of discharge of a firearm with gross negligence. He remained there Sunday in lieu of $50,000 bail. These items may be updated. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Theft crew hits Gucci store, driver targets women, more news BAGHDAD, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi military helicopter crashed on Monday in the eastern province of Wasit due to a technical problem, wounding two crew members, the defense ministry said. A statement by the ministry said that a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter crashed at al-Kut Air Base while conducting a training mission, resulting in minor injuries to the helicopter crew. The ministry dispatched a technical team to the scene to investigate the incident, the statement said without providing further details. MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Monday it was closely monitoring what it called a "potentially dangerous" situation in Kosovo, where ethnic Serb gunmen stormed a village at the weekend, battling police and barricading themselves into a monastery. Russia does not recognise Kosovo, which has a majority ethnic Albanian population, as an independent country and traditionally supports Serbia, with which it has close religious and cultural ties. "The situation is extremely difficult. On Kosovo, we see a traditionally biased attitude towards the Serbs... The situation is very, very tense and potentially dangerous, we are monitoring it very closely," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a regular news briefing. Kosovar police units retook the monastery late on Sunday after three attackers and one police officer were killed. They were securing the village in northern Kosovo on Monday. Ethnic Albanians form the vast majority of the 1.8 million population of Kosovo, a former province of Serbia. But some 50,000 Serbs in the north have never accepted Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence and still see Belgrade as their capital, more than two decades after a Kosovo Albanian guerrilla uprising against repressive Serbian rule. Russia's Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying that Sunday's bloodshed was "a direct and immediate consequence of the course" of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, which it said was aimed at "fuelling conflict and cleansing the territory of the province of Serbs". The ministry said Kurti was trying to escalate the situation in order to increase pressure on Serbs to recognise Kosovo's independence. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Gareth Jones and Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea is becoming increasingly dangerous. Source: European Pravda and CNN, with reference to a speech by Blinken at the ROK-US Strategic Forum Details: Blinken remarked that the recent visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Russia was a demonstration of "threats to broader security" from North Korea. He stated that Russia is "desperate to find equipment, supplies, technology for its ongoing aggression against Ukraine", while North Korea is "looking for help to strengthen and advance its own missile programs". Blinken said that the US considers the cooperation between Russia and North Korea "a two-way street that is increasingly dangerous". "Were working hand-in-hand with other partners and allies to highlight the dangerous ways Russia and North Korea's military cooperation threaten global peace and security," Blinken added. G7 countries fear that Russia is negotiating with North Korea about arms supplies in exchange for ballistic missiles production technology. Meanwhile, a top US general has said he believes potential aid from North Korea to Russia is unlikely to be significant. The US has threatened to actively apply current sanctions against Pyongyang and impose new ones if North Korea supplies Moscow with weapons for its war in Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russian forces shelled six communities in Sumy Oblast on Sept. 24, firing almost 80 rounds from various types of weapons, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Telegram. According to the post, Russia shelled the Bilopillia, Khotin, Krasnopillia, Seredyna-Buda, Nova Sloboda, and Myropillia communities. Russian forces used unguided rockets to target the Khotin and Bilopillia communities, while the Krasnopillia communities was attacked with mortars and grenades. According to the administration, the Myropillia community was attacked with drones. 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: Russia claims drones shot down over Kursk, Bryansk oblasts Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -Russian occupiers tortured Ukrainians so brutally that some of their victims died, and forced families to listen as they raped women next door, members of a U.N.-mandated investigative body said on Monday, in their latest findings from the field. Erik Mse, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva his team had "collected further evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic". "In some cases, torture was inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of the victim," he said. "Russian soldiers raped and committed sexual violence against women of ages ranging from 19 to 83 years" in occupied parts of Kherson province, he said. Frequently, family were kept next door and forced to hear the violations, he added. Russia denies committing atrocities or targeting civilians in Ukraine. Mse said the commissions attempts to communicate with Russia had gone unanswered. Moscow was given an opportunity to respond to the allegations at the council hearing but no Russian representative attended. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked at a later press briefing about the number of torture cases resulting in death, commission member Pablo de Greiff said it was impossible to know due to restricted access, but that it was a "fairly large number and...it comes from very different regions across the country, close and far from the lines of battle". In August and September, Mse's commission visited parts of Ukraine formerly held by Russian forces such as in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. It found that torture was committed mainly in detention centres operated by the Russian authorities and chiefly against people accused of being Ukrainian informants. The commission has previously said that violations committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, including the use of torture, may constitute crimes against humanity. The U.N. body also found a "few cases" of violations committed by Ukrainian forces, Mse said, saying they related to instances of indiscriminate attacks and ill treatment of Russian detainees. Kyiv has previously said it checks all information regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and will investigate any violations and take appropriate legal action. The commission was mandated by the council in March 2022 to investigate abuses in Ukraine since the war began and has visited multiple times and conducted hundreds of interviews. Sometimes evidence gathered by U.N.-mandated probes is used for national and international trials, including war crimes cases. (Reporting by Emma FargeEditing by Peter Graff) The Russian authorities are planning to expand the list of airline booking data that airlines will be required to hand over to the state. Source: Russian media outlet Izvestia, referring to sources in the aviation market and government agencies Details: Currently, the automated centralised database of personal data on passengers, operated by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise ZashchitaInfoTrans, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, mainly contains personal data on passengers: passenger's full name date of birth, details of the document used to make the booking, points of departure and destination of the passenger, date of travel, gender and citizenship, phone number and email address. [Federal State Unitary Enterprise ZashchitaInfoTrans is a leading system integrator of the Russian transport industry in the field of transport and information security, as well as the implementation of information technologies - ed.] In the future, new information may be added to these categories. For example: information about the method of payment for the ticket (name of the bank, last four digits of the account number or card used to make the payment), passenger's account details on the airline's website and the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer from which the information was transmitted during the booking, baggage data, the date when the passenger booked the ticket, with whom they booked it and whether any changes were made to the booking. The sources clarify that there are no exact new categories of information that will be transferred to the authorities. An official with whom the media outlet spoke said that such plans are indeed being discussed. The official said that this can be taken in different ways, but such actions are allegedly "related to the desire to increase the level of security, in particular in the transport sector, in this difficult time". The press service for Rostec [a state-owned defence conglomerate], as well as other operators of Russian ticketing systems, said they operate in accordance with the rules set by the state, and therefore, if the authorities ask for additional data, they will comply with these requirements. 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 Russian air strike against Beryslav in Kherson Oblast in the morning of Sept. 25 killed three people and injured one other, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. According to the governor, the Russian Air Force dropped four bombs on the town. One reportedly hit a building of a communal services company, killing two people and injuring two more. A 73-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman died in the bombing of the company building, Prokudin said. A 55-year-old man suffered injuries to his shoulder, chest, and abdomen, and died in hospital, Prokudin later reported. A 59-year-old woman had also been injured and hospitalized. According to the Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office, houses, farm buildings, and cars have also been damaged or destroyed in the air strike. Partially occupied Kherson Oblast is a regular target of Russian attacks. On Sept. 24, Russian forces launched 87 attacks against the oblast, killing two people and wounding 11, the governor said. Read also: Odesa port infrastructure damaged in Russian overnight missile attack, 1 injured Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Russian attack on Kherson has killed three civilians and injured three others, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Sept. 25. Two men and one woman were killed when a Russian artillery strike targeted a residential area of the city. Homes, shops, and vehicles were damaged in the attack, according to the authorities. The Kherson District Prosecutor's Office said that an investigation has been opened into the crime of violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder. Earlier in the day, a Russian airstrike against Beryslav in Kherson Oblast killed three people and one other, Prokudin said. A 73-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman died in the bombing, and a 55-year-old man died in hospital. Partially occupied Kherson Oblast is a regular target of Russian attacks. On Sept. 24, Russian forces launched 87 attacks against the oblast, killing two people and wounding 11, the governor said. Read also: Russian strike hits kindergarten, residential buildings in Donetsk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Two people have been killed in a Russian attack on Odesa Oblast overnight. Their bodies were found under the ruins of a destroyed grain storage facility. The search and rescue operation is ongoing. Source: Oleh Kiper, Head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration; Ukrainian Defence Forces on Telegram Quote from Kiper: "We have a deceased person due to the Russian attack overnight. A Russian missile hit a warehouse where grain was stored. Two people working at the facility had not been in touch since the night before. The body of one of the missing workers was found under the rubble at 12:15." Details: Kiper added that the search and rescue operation was ongoing. Update: At 13:06, Kiper reported that the body of the second person killed in the Russian attack had been found under the rubble. Previously: Russian forces attacked the port infrastructure in Odesa on the night of 24-25 September, causing significant damage to the Odesa marine terminal building and a hotel, destroying grain storage facilities and damaging warehouse buildings. Background: On the night of 24-25 September, the Ukrainian Air Force reported a probable launch of Kalibr cruise missiles and Shahed drones from the Black Sea, as well as Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles, in the direction of Odesa Oblast. Extensive air-raid warnings were issued, and later the all-clear was sounded. In addition, the Ukrainian Air Force issued a warning about launches of Oniks and Kalibr missiles and Shahed drones over the city of Odesa and Odesa Oblast. During the Russian missile attack on Ukraine's southern oblasts on the night of 24-25 September, Ukrainian forces shot down 11 Russian Kalibr missiles and 19 Shahed loitering munitions. One hit damaged Odesas maritime terminal, and a fire was put out in a hotel building within the terminal. 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 one of the most devastating blows of the war so far, Ukraine says it took out a whole chunk of Russias naval leadership in a single missile attack, which killed the commander of the notorious Black Sea Fleet. Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov was allegedly killed in Fridays missile strike on the Black Sea Fleets HQ in Crimea, which was illegally occupied by Russia in 2014. Sokolov, who was drafted in to beef up the faltering navy last year, was attending a meeting of top naval and military figures when the missile crashed into the building in Sevastopol, according to the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine. The Spetsnaz unit claims that 34 officers in total were killed in the explosion. A huge plume of black smoke was seen billowing from the building last Friday in one of Ukraines most stunning missile assaults of the war. The direct hit on the naval command center was a symbolic blow for Russia as the Black Sea Fleet has been a source of national pride since it was established by Catherine the Great in 1783. President Vladimir Putin fired the commander of the fleet last year after it suffered a series of embarrassing setbacks including the sinking of its lead warship, the Moskva, and an attack on its air base in Crimea that saw eight warplanes destroyed. American Long-Range Missiles Threaten to Blast Through Putins Red Line Sokolov, who previously held a prestigious role as the head of a military academy, was brought back into active service to reinstate pride in the Black Sea Fleet. His deathcompounded by those of so many of his colleaguesin the heart of the fleets operation would represent a severe blow to that pride. Over the weekend, rumors on social media began to suggest that Sokolov had been caught up in the explosion. The Special Operations Forces posted its confirmation on Telegram on Monday. After the attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters, 34 officers, including the Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, lost their lives, with an additional 105 occupants sustaining injuries. The headquarters building is beyond repair, the Telegram statement read. The special forces unit did not name any of the other victims of the attack by one of the Storm Shadow air-launched missiles donated by Britain and France earlier this year. Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines military intelligence, previously said Col. Gen. Alexander Romanchuk, the commander of Russian forces on the southern front, and Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsekov were seriously wounded in the attack. Ukraine has been desperate to prove that it can make serious gains in the remainder of the fighting season before winter sets in and, in particular, Kyiv wants to show the skeptical West that it is capable of retaking Crimea. 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. Russian officers leaked sensitive intel on the Black Sea Fleet to Ukrainian partisans, per Ukrainian media. A resistance group told the Kyiv Post the officers hadn't received salary payments from Moscow. Ukraine later targeted the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters in a huge missile strike last week. After missing their anticipated salary payments, Russian officers leaked sensitive information about Moscow's Black Sea Fleet to a Ukrainian partisan movement, Ukrainian media reported, revealing the intelligence later paved the way for a devastating missile strike on the fleet's headquarters in the occupied Crimean Peninsula. Ukrainian resistance fighters told the Kyiv Post in a recent interview that they managed to gather information about high-ranking Russian commanders from officers who were frustrated by Moscow's failure to pay their salaries on time. They said the officers were financially compensated in exchange for the information, which was then passed along to state agencies and reportedly used to plan last week's attack on the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters. "Delays in payments alone do not force the military armed forces of the Russian Federation to go against the Russian authorities," a spokesperson for the partisan movement of Ukrainians and Tatars in Crimea, known as ATESH, told the Kyiv Post, which disclosed details of the arrangement in a Monday report. "But the financial reward only helps them to decide on cooperation with the ATESH movement, it serves as an additional incentive," the spokesperson added. Kyiv's forces on Friday bombarded the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol, on the southwestern edge of Crimea, with several Western-made cruise missiles, with visual evidence indicating they were Storm Shadow missiles. Videos and photographs of the attack showed the moment one of the missiles slammed into the building, as well as the major structural damage that the facility suffered as a result. The Ukrainian military later said it timed the strike to coincide with a meeting of Russia's naval leadership. On Monday, Kyiv's Special Operations Forces said 34 people were killed including Adm. Viktor Sokolov, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet and another 105 were injured. Insider was unable to immediately and independently confirm the claims. It's not clear how much money was offered to the Russian officers, nor are the identities of these officers known. ATESH said it had access to activities of the Black Sea Fleet's leadership, though. The group said information was passed to state agencies such as the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, and the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as the HUR the latter of which told the Kyiv Post it had worked with partisans to help target Russian positions around Crimea. "The Russian military is well aware of the existence of the partisan movement and throw all their forces and means to suppress it and identify our agents," the ATESH spokesperson said. "The growing resistance among the Crimeans confuses them very much." A satellite image of smoke billowing from a Russian Black Sea Navy HQ after a missile strike in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Friday. PLANET LABS PBC/Handout via REUTERS The strike on the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters marked the latest in a string of Ukrainian attacks during the past few weeks targeting high-value Russian positions and assets around Crimea, which Kyiv has vowed to liberate from nearly a decade under Russian occupation. These incursions include the destruction of multiple S-400 air-defense systems, attacks on an air base and a command post belonging to the Black Sea Fleet, and a massive missile strike on a shipyard in Sevastopol. Western intelligence said the assault damaged two ships while also delivering a long-term blow to Moscow's maritime logistics and operations, and Ukraine's military said dozens of Russian sailors were killed. "Crimea will definitely be demilitarized and liberated," Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on social media after the Friday strikes on the headquarters. "Merchant ships will return to the Black Sea. And the Russian warships will eventually take their rightful place, turning into an iconic underwater museum for divers that will attract tourists from all over the world. To a free Ukrainian Crimea." Read the original article on Business Insider ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated during a Yemeni military patrol in the turbulent southern province of Abyan, killing at least five soldiers, a security official told Xinhua on Monday. The local security official said on condition of anonymity that the attack took place on Sunday night in the Mudiyah district of Abyan, when an IED planted on the side of a road was triggered by a passing military vehicle. He confirmed that the powerful blast destroyed the vehicle and killed all five soldiers inside. "It was a huge explosion, the vehicle was completely destroyed," said the security official. "This area is known to have a terrorist presence. They likely planted the IED previously to target our forces." No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, but authorities suspect the involvement of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), an active militant group in war-ravaged Yemen. The attack comes amid an uptick in violence between Yemeni government forces and AQAP-linked militants across southern Yemen. In response to the deadly bombing, Yemeni government forces have deployed reinforcements to Mudiyah to conduct security sweeps and search operations, vowing to root out militant safe havens. Additional military checkpoints have been set up on roads leading in and out of the district. The years-long conflict in Yemen has created instability that allows militant groups like AQAP to flourish, especially in remote parts of the south. Even as international peace efforts continue, deadly attacks on local Yemeni forces are likely to persist. Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebel militia attacked several northern cities and forced the internationally-recognized Yemeni government to leave the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. Rescuers have found the bodies of two people under the rubble of a grain warehouse in Odesa hit in Russias overnight attack, the regional governor Oleh Kiper reported on Sept. 25. Earlier the same day, Kiper said a woman sustained injuries in Odesa as a result of the blast wave when Russia launched dozens of drones and missiles at the region. The attack significantly damaged the Odesa Sea Port and an abandoned hotel on the ports territory, Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces said on Telegram. Debris of drones and missiles fell in the Odesa suburbs, damaging warehouses and a private household, the military added. Overnight on Sept. 25, Russia launched at Ukraine 12 Kalibr cruise missiles, two anti-ship Onyx missiles, and 19 kamikaze drones, according to the Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down all the drones and 11 Kalibr missiles, mostly over Odesa Oblast. Since the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, ports, and grain stockpiles. Read also: Minister: Russias attacks on Ukrainian ports damage 105 port infrastructure facilities in 2 months Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian artillery hit a kindergarten, an industrial building, and multiple homes in the center of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, the regional administration reported on Sept. 25. The attack took place in the afternoon and information about casualties has not yet been clarified, the authorities said. The administration declared that "Chasiv Yar is now one of the most dangerous places" in Donetsk Oblast and encouraged civilians to evacuate as "a matter of survival." Located near Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar was once home to over 13,000 people. Local officials have long urged any civilians left in the town to leave. On Sept. 9, two foreign volunteers were killed and two more were hospitalized when their car was struck by Russian shelling while driving through Chasiv Yar. On May 9, Arman Soldin, a video journalist for Agence France-Presse, was killed in a Russian rocket strike on the edge of the town. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian border guards from the Offensive Guard [also known as Hvardiia Nastupu, a project of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine that aims to form new assault brigades to support the Armed Forces ed.], together with Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, have pushed the Russians out of Ukraine in one area of the border with Russia in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) Details: Ground and aerial reconnaissance of the Steel Frontier brigade revealed Russian attempts to consolidate in Kupiansk district, Kharkiv Oblast. The Russians infiltrated the territory of Ukraine and began to build fortifications near the border while building a line of defences on the Russian side. SBGS intelligence officers established the moment when about fifteen Russian infiltrators were present at the observation point and near it on Ukrainian territory. Border guards, jointly with soldiers of one of the tank brigades, planned joint measures to push the Russians beyond the state border. Border guard snipers reportedly killed several of the infiltrators, and as the Russians fled the territory of Ukraine, the Ukrainian forces opened fire with tanks and mortars. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russian military forces over the past day have unsuccessfully tried to regain their lost position near Klishchiivka and drive Ukrainian units out of their positions near Mariinka in Donetsk Oblast, while fighting also continued near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Source: Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of the morning of the 579th day of the full-scale war, 25 September 2023 Details: The General Staff reported that more than 32 combat engagements had taken place over the past day. The Russian invaders launched 1 missile strike and 56 air strikes, and fired 85 times from multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and on civilian targets. Russian terrorist attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries among the civilian population. Private homes and other civilian infrastructure facilities were destroyed and damaged. Air strikes were carried out in: Stepne (Sumy Oblast); Cherneshchyna (Kharkiv Oblast); Novoyehorivka and Nevske (Luhansk Oblast); Spirne, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, New York, Avdiivka, Novomykhailivka, Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva, Urozhayne, Staromayorske and Zelene Pole (Donetsk Oblast); Verbove, Mala Tokmachka, Robotyne and Novodanylivka (Zaporizhzhya Oblast); Beryslav, Odradokamianka, Mykolaivka, Burhunka, Olhivka (Kherson Oblast) and the city of Kherson. More than 70 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts came under artillery fire. The situation is as follows on each front: In the area of responsibility of the Pivnich (North) Operational Strategic Group on the Volyn and Polissia fronts , the operational situation remains without significant changes. On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts , the occupants maintain military presence in the border areas, conduct active subversive activities to prevent the deployment of our troops to threatened areas, and increase the density of minefields along the state border in the Belgorod Oblast [Russia]. In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group on the Kupiansk and Lyman fronts , the Russian did not conduct any offensive (assault) actions. On the Bakhmut front , Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled attacks in the areas east of Bohdanivka and southeast of Bila Hora in Donetsk Oblast. The Russians tried to regain lost ground in the area of Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, but failed. In the area of responsibility of the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group on the Avdiivka front , the Ukrainian Defence Forces successfully held the line and repelled enemy attacks near Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast. On the Mariinka front , the Russian troops conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the vicinity of Mariinka in Donetsk Oblast, where they made 14 unsuccessful attempts to force Ukrainian units out of their positions over the past day. At the same time, on the Shakhtar front , Ukraine's defenders continue to hold the line and defend Ukrainian land from the invaders. On the Melitopol front , the Defence Forces continue their offensive. Ukrainian defenders have successfully repelled enemy attacks near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and continue to consolidate their positions. In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational Strategic Group on the Kherson front, the defence forces continue to conduct counter-battery combat, destroying warehouses and successfully striking at the Russians rear. Over the past day, Ukrainian aircraft conducted 8 strikes on areas where Russian troops, weapons and military equipment were concentrated. Ukraines Rocket Forces and Artillery destroyed 2 anti-aircraft missile systems, 4 artillery pieces and 1 ammunition storage point. 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 flight from France to Scotland left behind a passenger with a wheelchair on September 19. Ryanair passed the blame onto Bordeaux Airport in a statement sent to Insider Saturday. The airport blasted the airline in a Friday statement shared with Insider on Monday. Ryanair and a French airport traded pointed remarks after a flight from France to Scotland left behind a passenger with a wheelchair. A representative for Ryanair told Insider Saturday that the incident occurred on September 19 when a flight was scheduled to leave Bordeaux Airport for Edinburgh. At the time of writing, Insider was unable to ascertain the passenger's identity. In their statement, the budget airline called the mishap "unacceptable" and pointed to Bordeaux Airport. "It is unacceptable that Bordeaux Airport failed to provide this passenger with the special assistance required to board this flight from Bordeaux to Edinburgh (19 Sept) despite Ryanair paying for this service," the statement read. Ryanair and Bordeaux Airport traded pointed words in statements. NurPhoto/Getty Images The statement says Bordeaux Airport staffers told Ryanair crew members that all passengers were on board when that wasn't the case. "Ground staff at Bordeaux Airport realised their error and notified the crew who returned to stand in order to board the passenger. It is abysmal that Ryanair customers requiring special assistance are being let down by Bordeaux Airport and we are working with them to ensure that this does not recur," the statement concluded. Meanwhile, a representative for Bordeaux Airport didn't mince words in a statement shared with Insider Monday. A Ryanair plane at Bordeaux Airport in July 2022. THIBAUD MORITZ/Getty Images Bordeaux Airport's rep said Ryanair's claims are "false and defamatory." The statement says the passenger requested wheelchair assistance from Ryanair and received an assigned agent through a company contracted by the airport. "When boarding for the flight to Edinburgh began, all passengers were directed towards the aircraft by Ryanair's service provider," the statement continued. "The passenger in the wheelchair and her companion were present in the boarding lounge at this time, visible to Ryanair staff and under their responsibility." The statement acknowledged that the agent in charge of escorting the passenger from the boarding gate to the aircraft "should have arrived sooner," but remained firm they were not liable. "It is highly regrettable that the airline has taken the liberty of describing a situation without speaking to us beforehand, placing the blame for a fault of its own on the airport," the statement concluded. Travel chaos and mishaps accumulated over the summer months as vacation travel ramped up. Travelers who use wheelchairs also vocalized their frustration with the lack of accessibility. In July, Insider's Jyoti Mann spoke to a Delta passenger who said he waited on the plane for over an hour after the airline couldn't locate his wheelchair. Read the original article on Insider A Sacramento City Unified School District employee has been placed on leave after a video of him pushing a student surfaced online. The Sacramento City Unified School District is investigating an incident at Umoja International Academy in which a staff member is alleged to have made inappropriate contact with a student, said Al Goldberg, a spokesman for the district. The staff member was immediately placed on leave, which is standard procedure for an investigation of this nature. Umoja was formerly known as Kit Carson Academy before district officials renamed the midtown campus earlier this year. KCRA reported that the video shows a male employee walking up to a group of students and pushing one of them to the ground. District student support staff have reached out to the student involved and their family to provide any assistance that is needed, Goldberg said. Officials said the staffer was not a teacher, but it was not clear what the employees role was on campus. Local firefighters protesting the city's decision to challenge giving line-of-duty benefits to a Salem firefighter's widow break out in applause after city leaders announce their decision to drop their challenge to the courts. After first challenging line-of-duty death benefits for the widow of a longtime Salem firefighter who died of tonsillar cancer, city leaders have opted to withdraw their appeal to Oregon's highest court. The decision came Monday night after immense public pressure to give benefits to the family of Maurice "Mo" Stadeli. Firefighters protesting the city's earlier decision picketed outside City Hall and filled the Salem City Council chambers. A roar of applause broke out when City Manager Keith Stahley announced the decision to not pursue an appeal. "We will accept that ruling," Stahley said. "The right thing to do is bring this process to an end." Tina Stadeli at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in honor of her husband, Maurice "Mo" Stadeli, a Salem firefighter who died of cancer in 2019. Mayor Chris Hoy said the city realized their previous decision was a mistake. "I am very sorry for the harm we caused," Hoy said. Stadeli worked 28 years with Salem Fire Stadeli worked as a firefighter paramedic for Salem for 28 years. He was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in 2018, underwent treatment and died six months later. The city fought in court to deny workers' compensation claims and line-of-duty benefits to his widow, Tina Stadeli. Attorneys representing the city argued that the cancer most likely was not caused by Stadeli's work as a firefighter. After medical opinions stated a pre-existing condition was the most significant probable cause of his illness and his work as a firefighter did not materially contribute to the cancer, the city denied Stadeli's workers' compensation claim. Maurice "Mo" Stadeli, a Salem firefighter for 28 years, died of cancer in 2019. Attorneys arguing on behalf of Stadeli argued that the medical experts couldn't prove with clear and convincing evidence that firefighting didn't cause his cancer. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled in Stadeli's favor. But on Sept. 12, the city appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court. Tina Stadeli got the news as she was preparing to leave to see her husband's name placed on the International Association of Fire Fighters' memorial wall in Colorado Springs. Local firefighers march outside Salem City Hall to protest the city's denial of line-of-duty death benefits for the widow of Maurice Mo Stadeli, who died in 2019 from tonsillar cancer. Oregon law protecting firefighters The Oregon State Fire Fighters Council protested Salem's decision to challenge the line-of-duty death benefits. Leadership said about 250 people attended in support of Stadeli outside City Hall and inside the council chambers. In a statement, OSFFC leadership said Stadelis death was considered a line-of-duty death under Oregons Cancer Presumption Laws. The law states that if firefighters contract one of a list of occupation-related cancers, including mouth and throat cancer, it should be reasonably presumed the cancer is related to their work as a firefighter. OSFFC officials said firefighters contract cancer at rates higher than the general population, and cancer rates among firefighters are skyrocketing. Cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in career firefighters. Similar battles over cancer-related line-of-duty deaths have been occurring across the nation for years. City leaders previously said they believed the Court of Appeals misinterpreted the Oregon Workers Compensation law by "requiring medical experts to have a level of certainty regarding the cause of some diseases that simply is not possible." They said if the Court of Appeals decision stood, the City of Salem and other Oregon employers would pay higher workers compensation insurance premiums and pay more in claims for some illnesses or injuries that are unrelated to working conditions. "Anyone who serves their community for 30 years deserves our respect," Stahley said. "Mo has my respect. Im sorry if the Citys actions have conveyed a different message that was not our intention." A memorial in honor of Maurice "Mo" Stadeli, a Salem firefighter who died of cancer in 2019. Firefighters fight for widow Prior to the change in decision, Matt Brozovich, Salem Professional Fire Firefighters Association president, said the group was prepared to let the city know they had no confidence in its ability to support firefighters and their families. This is all or nothing for his widow, Tina," Brozovich said before the council meeting on Monday. "His estate was rightfully awarded a line-of-duty death benefit from the Oregon Appellate Court. If she loses that, she loses everything for a job that he loved and worked so hard for." He said Stadeli was a stand-up man, father, husband, brother and firefighter. Denying his wife benefits wasn't just wrong, it was criminal, he added. He thanked the city for its reversal Monday night and apologized for what Tina Stadeli had to endure since her husband's death. Many of the firefighters who spoke during the meeting recounted their own and their loved ones' experiences with cancer and the stress of worrying whether their families would be supported if they died. Stahley said workers compensation law and the facts of this case are complicated and dynamic, and city leaders relied on expert outside counsel to inform its decisions. Reading the appeals court decision and learning the circumstances of Stadeli's case led him to seek the reversal, Stahley said. "The Stadeli family will be compensated, our firefighters, and frankly firefighters throughout the state, can feel more confident that they and their families are protected from the ravages of cancer that disproportionately affect firefighters," he said. "With this decision, I hope we can start the hard work of repairing relationships that were damaged in this process." For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem drops fight to deny line-of-duty benefits to firefighter widow Kassandra Lizzte Gonzalez was last seen on Aug. 11 in the 900 block of West Silver Sands Drive The San Antonio Police Department is urgently seeking the public's help in locating a woman who's been missing since Aug. 11th. Kassandra Lizzete Gonzalez, 30, is described as a Hispanic female in her mid-30s, about 5'5" tall, and weighing approximately 120 pounds. She has long brown hair, brown eyes, and a tattoo of a rose on her left shoulder. Gonzalez was last seen leaving her brother's apartment on West Silver Sands Dr. wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and brown boots. According to KENS 5, it took a week for the Gonzalez family to notice any red flags. "She wouldn't answer," Alyssa Ballard, Kassandra's sister, told KENS 5. "It just goes to voicemail. No text, no Facebook activity, so little things like that. She didn't show up for work and has not seen her kids." Gonzalez is a mother of four whose absence has been hard on her children and has made them growingly curious about her disappearance. Ballard says Gonzalez's family and friends have been searching for her everywhere. A 3-year-old girl disappeared in 2021. Can new images help police solve the case? "We've asked her friends, the places where she would hang out, and it's not like her to just up and leave and not say anything, especially with her kids," Ballard shared with KENS 5. According to Ballard, Gonzalez dealt with depression after her husband was killed in a car accident six years ago. Ballard suspects a person of interest was with Gonzalez the day she went missing. "I believe they know more than what they are saying, so they need to speak up and say something, especially for her kids. We need some answers, we need closure," Ballard shared. The family is offering a $3,000 reward for finding Ballard. They remain optimistic about her safety. If you believe you've spotted Gonzalez, please contact the San Antonio Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police need help finding missing San Antonio woman. Here's the story. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) should not resign from his position amid the longtime senators recent indictment on federal charges, saying, hes innocent until proven guilty. When asked by NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Julie Tsirkin about the matter, Santos replied that he believes due process is important, adding that the senator has the right to defend himself. Hes innocent until proven guilty, Santos told Tsirkin on Sunday. This the media has to stop acting like everybody is guilty before theyre even judged by a jury. So no, I think everybody is innocent until proven guilty, Santos added. When did we walk away from the fabric of our Constitution, that everybody has a presumption of innocence before anything else? So I dont think he should resign. Everyone is innocent until the government executes its burden of proving otherwise, Santos wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. I dont care if you are a Rep or Dem we are all afforded the same constitutional rights! Santos, who was elected to Congress last November, has been at the center of controversy since allegations surfaced of him falsifying his background during his campaign. The embattled lawmaker currently faces 13 federal criminal charges related to alleged financial crimes. Democrat lawmakers including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) and Rep. Dean Phillips (Minn.) have all called for Menendez to resign from his position after he was indicted on bribery charges Friday. Prosecutors allege that Menendez, along with his wife, Nadine, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to assist three New Jersey businessmen and interests in Egypt. Federal authorities found nearly $500,000 in cash and $100,000 in gold at the couples residence during a raid last year, the alleged payment for the bribes. Menendez, who had to step down from his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee due to the indictment, denied the allegations against him, referring to them as a smear campaign. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. ISLAMABAD, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the cylinder explosion that took place in Pakistan's southern Sukkur district on Saturday rose to eight after five injured died on Monday, hospital officials said. A spokesperson of the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences hospital of Sukkur in southern Sindh province said that five critically injured people died during the treatment at the intensive care unit of the hospital. According to the official, a total of eight people sustained injuries, including a child, in the cylinder blast at a shop of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas in Sukkur. The injured were shifted to the hospital, where three of the wounded died during the treatment on Saturday, while others succumbed to their injuries on Monday. Police told local media that the blast took place when the shop owner was transferring gas from a commercial cylinder to a domestic cylinder for a customer. In a debate Beaufort County will see occur frequently in the coming months and years, developers and affordable housing advocates again find themselves at odds with parents of school-age children and others interested in slowing the countys aggressive growth. This chapter of the saga involves a proposed development alongside an already over-crowded section of S.C Highway 170 in Okatie where builders have requested a zoning variance to clear the way for the construction of higher-density dwellings. On the other side, school district leaders are telling parents and county representatives that there are no empty desks available for new pupils. In this installment of the rock meets the hard place in local growth management, the focus is a place called Cherry Point. According to Chief Operations Officer Robert Oetting, Beaufort Countys elementary, middle and high schools in Okatie dont have the capacity or the funding to support any more students. And the section of Highway 170 near the school is already a mess without additional traffic. But, with expected new development, more students and cars are a given. Now, the question is: How many more? Location for proposed new development along S.C. 170 and Cherry Point Road in Okatie. The County Council is deciding whether or not to change the parcel of lands zoning to allow 18 times more homes per acre. Right now the 71.5 acre parcel off of Highway 170 sits undeveloped, but the new zoning and proposed development would mean around 400 new homes. The proposed development would be on Cherry Point Road and adjoin Okatie Elementary School and the River Oaks community. It would connect to the Malind Bluff community. Based on current mapping, students would be zoned for Okatie Elementary, at 91% capacity; Bluffton Middle School, at 84% capacity; and May River High School, at 91% capacity, even after a 22-classroom addition from the 2019 referendum. Pictured at top left is Malind Bluff, a residential development that had cleared its land in 2020 and Okatie Elementary, bottom right, along S.C. 170 in Okatie. A developer has asked Beaufort County to change zoning for nearly 72 acres south of the elementary school, not pictured, from rural to neighborhood to allow for residential construction as well as some commercial, such as hotels and general retail. Staff recommended the change because it would make a walkable community between the new development, Malind Bluff and Okatie Elementary School. The current zoning, called T2 Rural, limits non-residential uses, like apartment buildings, and only allows one home per three acres. The proposed new zoning, an alphabet soup mix of T4NC and T3N called Village Place Type, would allow six homes per acre or 18 homes per three acres. If the full 71.5 acres were to be utilized for homes, the total number of single family homes would approximately 400 homes versus 23 if the T2 Rural zoning is upheld. The permits being sought by developers would allow a community of single-family homes, duplexes and apartment buildings, according to Beaufort County codes. The land hasnt been sold to the developer who wants to build the proposed community yet, and the land rezoning is a condition of sale. In August the County Planning Commission recommended denial of the up-zoning. However, county staff still recommended approval of the up-zoning. Now its up to the county council. County staff is recommending approval because guidance for the Countys development for the next 10 to 20 years, called the Comprehensive Plan, recommends the up-zoning, according to County Planning and Zoning Department Deputy Director Mark Davis. This embedded content is not available in your region. In regards to school overcrowding, Davis said neighboring schools could shoulder the extra students. Council Member Joseph Passiment mentioned that there are plans for a new Bluffton elementary school in the proposed $439 million referendum, which is up for vote in November. Okatie Elementary has a very large attendance area so, Davis said. Its our understanding this would have an impact of making their attendance areas smaller and it would be shouldered by the neighboring school. Blufftons population increased by over 150% from 2010 until the last U.S. Census report in 2021. It boomed from 12,530 to 31,191, and the district is reacting to the population growth. In the Bluffton area, Pritchardville Elementary opened in 2010 and River Ridge Academy opened in 2015. When Beaufort County Schools were asked for comment on the proposed community in April, Oetting, the chief operations officer, said that Bluffton schools total enrollment already exceeds the total needed capacity. Theyve already seen issues with overcrowding, including one instance where it will likely prevent children in a new Bluffton community from attending the elementary school less than a mile away. Some council members also worry about traffic implications for an already chaotic section of Highway 170. While this sign advertises four deep water lots along S.C. 170 in Okatie, a zoning request before Beaufort County is seeking to change nearly 72 acres of this forested land from rural to neighborhood for a residential community with some commercial space along the highway. Staff recommended the change because it would make a walkable community between itself, Malind Bluff and Okatie Elementary School. Its still 400-and-some homes there with at least 600 cars there, County Council member Logan Cunningham said at the meeting. 2:1 ratio. Kevin Dukes, the lawyer representing the developer, said that they have worked with the planning commission and the public to create solution-oriented development. We made changes all along the way to try to be a solution to the problems that are in this area, Dukes said. Not to, you know, be seen as contributing to the problem. Thats the way it seems to be portrayed. Dukes said the developers will build a back entrance to the neighborhood, turn lanes at Cherry Point Road and an intersection at Riverwalk Boulevard, and they will commit to including workforce housing in the community. The County Council will discuss the development at its 5 p.m. meeting Monday. The Council could either approve the agreement being presented, deny the agreement from being presented or return it back to the committee for further investigation, Council Member Tab Tabernik said. Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is targeting some of his 2024 rivals on the issue of abortion in a new ad shared exclusively with The Hill. If the radical Left wins, abortions will be performed on minors without their parents consent. Babies old enough to feel pain will be aborted. And poor single mothers like mine, will be told aborting their children would help the economy, Scott says in a 30-second ad that will air on Newsmax starting Monday. Yet, these people say Im the extremist. Im Tim Scott, and I approve this message because some Republicans want to retreat on life. I know life is a gift from God, and this is a fight we must win, he continues in the ad, a subtle jab at several of his fellow 2024 GOP contenders. The GOP senators remarks allude to comments Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made during a Senate hearing last year in which she said that eliminating the right of women to make decisions about when and whether to have children would have very damaging effects on the economy and would set women back decades. The new ad is part of an $8 million-backed campaign that Scotts team launched last month, and it comes as Scott has been trailing contenders, including former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, in national polls. However, Scott has performed better in Iowa-based polling. Though Scott doesnt call out any competitors directly in the ad, it appears to be a part of a larger shift in the senators approach ahead of the second debate in which hes taken more of an assertive position against his rivals a contrast from the first GOP debate in which he largely avoided interjecting into the back-and-forths among candidates like Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Scott last week, for instance, called out Trump, DeSantis and Haley by name during an interview with Fox News, saying they have all run away from protecting life. He also took a jab at Ramaswamy over his foreign policy views on Taiwan and Israel last week. The ad is also noteworthy given that Republican presidential candidates campaigns have largely avoided wading into the issue of abortion through ad campaigns, though some candidates have spoken about the issue during campaign stops and events. The issue of abortion is one thats split the Republican presidential field. Scott and Pence have backed a national 15-week abortion ban, though Pence has said he would back a six-week ban, too. Meanwhile, Trump and DeSantis have dodged whether they would support restrictions at the federal level. DeSantis, however, has signed a six-week abortion ban in Florida. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), Ramaswamy and Haley have either said they dont support federal restrictions or believe its not politically feasible in the current moment. The ad represents recent efforts by Republicans to go on offense on the issue of abortion an issue that galvanized Democrats and swing voting blocs during the November midterms. Virginia Republicans last week launched an ad ahead of the November state legislative elections hitting Democrats over their abortion stance, whom they argue favor no limits to the medical procedure. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WORCESTER Tuesday's City Council session has the makings of another jam-packed meeting with an agenda filled with orders and reports from individual councilors and standing committees. Several of the most hotly discussed topics in city politics in recent months are scheduled to be heard before the City Council Tuesday. However, a definitive vote on any of these topics is not guaranteed as any councilor can exercise their privilege to delay any item to the next meeting. Agenda items range from the selection of the next permanent police chief, a resolution adding stipulations on a proposed accessory dwelling unit policy, and the city's recommendation for a specialized stretch code. Search for permanent police chief On Sept. 1 Police Chief Steven Sargent retired after 37 years with the department and the day after the Telegram & Gazette reported that the city was reporting a 2021 investigation of Sargent to the state's police oversight agency. Eric Batista, who became city manager last year, said he had not been aware of the investigation until the city received a public records request in the spring. Paul Saucier was named interim chief on the same day as Sargent's retirement announcement. In the following weeks, a separate investigation from 2020 was reported by the Telegram & Gazette where the investigator ruled Sargent was untruthful about a 2019 driving dispute in which a city resident claimed Sargent had been drinking. The conclusions were disregarded by then-City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. Batista went on "Talk of the Commonwealth" Sept. 14 and told host Hank Stolz both he and Saucier had pledged transparency from the department. He said reporting from the Telegram & Gazette had hastened Sargent's retirement. On Sept. 19, Mayor Joseph M. Petty sent out a news release calling for Batista to review how police chiefs are chosen in Massachusetts, including the possibility of creating a separate public safety commissioner. We have had countless dedicated public servants in the chiefs position, including our current acting chief, but that does not preclude us from a review of the process, Petty said in the statement. One of Petty's rivals in this year's mayoral race, Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King, has submitted an order requesting Batista provide draft language that would remove the civil service requirement for the chief of police position. King is requesting the draft language in order to "consider the expansion of the applicant pool" for police chief. The civil service exam has been subject to criticism over studies finding it hurt hiring and advancement of qualified minority candidates and that it could not predict success in public safety positions, particularly for supervisors. In-law apartments coming to Worcester? At the Sept. 12 City Council meeting, the city administration put forward an amendment to the city's zoning ordinance that would allow homeowners to to construct accessory dwelling units, often known as in-law suites, in all zoning districts except the manufacturing and airport districts. The City Council advanced the amendment to the Planning Board for review and it must also go to the Standing Committee on Economic Development before a full City Council vote. However, Councilor-at-Large Morris Bergman said he had reservations on how the amendment as written could impact the character of neighborhoods, particularly single-family neighborhoods, and suggested the amendment should focus more on households who wish to have a family member living with them or other special circumstances. Bergman has submitted a resolution to Tuesday's agenda asking the City Council to consider amending the report "in order to balance the public good of creating ADUs and to preserve the character of the neighborhoods in which ADUs are sought to be created in." The following amendments are requested by Bergman: an amendment to when the lot owner's dwelling unit can be rented during a temporary absence; a requirement that occupants of the lot have a family relationship of up to three degrees of kinship; a requirement that an accessory dwelling unit have one additional off-street parking space (for a nonfamily relationship) in most kinds of zoning districts except for two districts: RS-10 and RS-7; and that prior to the adoption of the zoning changes, the city consider any suggested restrictions on accessory dwelling units provided by state legislation. Specialized stretch code returns On Aug. 22, Batista amended a recommendation that Worcester adopt a new state building code that calls for electrification of new construction to include a faster deadline preferred by environmental activists in the city. The recommended implementation date for the specialized stretch code is July 1, 2024. The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce had come out in support of the new code with the original Jan. 1, 2025, implementation date in order for the many involved parties including the city, real estate developers and National Grid Worcesters electricity supplier to fully understand the code. On Sept. 19, the specialized stretch code recommendation was unanimously approved in the Standing Committee of Economic Development and is set to return to the City Council Tuesday. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Search for Worcester police chief tops City Council agenda [Source] A Seattle police officer was put on paid administrative leave after an audio recording allegedly revealed his use of racist and sexist language against a Chinese American neighbor. Background: Officer Burton Hill and his wife, Agnes Miggins, are accused of trying to drive their neighbor, Zhen Jin, out of their Kenmore condominium complex. In August 2022, an argument broke out after the couple accused Jin of trying to kill their dog by leaving chicken bones in the condos courtyard. Jin recorded the confrontation. In the audio published by The Stranger on Friday, Burton was allegedly heard calling Jin a dumb f*cking ch*nk and a stupid f*cking c*nt, as well as threatening to put her in jail. The longstanding dispute has resulted in the court granting the parties reciprocal protection orders. Recently, a Chinese social services organization filed a complaint against Hill with the Office of Police Accountability (OPA), a Seattle police oversight agency. More from NextShark: Woman Filmed Coughing on Uber Driver Arrested, Facing Robbery and Battery Charges Leave enforced: Shortly after the audio was published, Police Chief Adrian Diaz placed Hill on paid administrative leave. He also ordered staff to review Hills arrest and investigation history. Although I will ultimately defer, as I am required, to the outcome of OPAs investigation, racist language is completely unacceptable and is inconsistent with the high standards the department sets for its employees, Diaz wrote in a statement. While Im grateful the complaint was filed with OPA, not knowing about this for one year causes me concern. More from NextShark: Chinese man accused of exploiting children for racist videos extradited to Malawi The big picture: This is the second time this month that Seattle police came under fire over controversial remarks caught on audio. Officer Daniel Auderer, who serves as vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), is also under investigation by the OPA after laughing and making insensitive comments about the death of an Indian graduate student. More from NextShark: Japanese coach offers hour-long lessons on how to smile to Gen Z students for $55 Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Japans population shrinks to under 125 million in 12th straight year of decline Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on Monday became the second Senate Democrat to call on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign after he was indicted on federal bribery charges late last week. Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate, Brown said in a statement. Menendez, along with his wife, Nadine, are accused of accepting bribes from three New Jersey businessmen in order to further interests in Egypt. Menendez, who is up for reelection in 2024, has denied the allegations and insists they are part of a smear campaign and are salacious in nature. The Ohio Democrats call follows that of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who said Saturday that he hopes Menendez chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial. Hes entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations, Fetterman said in a statement. Democrats in New Jersey including House lawmakers, state leaders and Gov. Phil Murphy (D) have called on Menendez to resign, but Senate Democrats have been slow to join the chorus. Senate Democratic leaders have also declined to do so. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said only that Menedez made the right call in standing aside as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Menendez reiterated Monday that he has no plans of going anywhere. The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations, Menendez told a crowd in Union City, N.J. I recognized that this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated through this whole process, I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A second teen has died after a Saturday night car crash in Tuscaloosa County that left two other teens injured, according to state troopers. One of the occupants of a 2005 Nissan Maxima, a 17-year-old from Vance, was pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle crash on Alabama Highway 69, troopers said Sunday. On Monday, troopers said that a passenger in the car, a 17-year-old from Tuscaloosa, died of injuries sustained in the crash after being taken to an area hospital. Two other passengers, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old who are both from Tuscaloosa, are being treated at area hospitals for their injuries. According to troopers, the Nissan Maxima left the road and struck a ditch. The crash occurred at around 10:25 p.m., about 5 miles south of the city of Tuscaloosa. Troopers said none of the teens wore seat belts at the time of the crash. An investigation into the crash is being handled by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Highway Patrol Division. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Second teen dies after Saturday night crash in Tuscaloosa County With the help of volunteers and emergency personnel, three people were pulled out of South Carolina waters midday after their watercraft flipped over, photos show. Firefighters from the Awendaw-McClellanville Consolidated Fire District were called to help three people who fell out of a capsized boat in Bulls Bay, a body of water almost 20 miles northeast from Charleston, according to the fire departments Sunday, Sept. 24 Facebook post. Responders arrived to Garris Landing, a public boat ramp and fishing pier in the area, where they began their search mission for the three people in the bay. Several boats were launched to find the group, the post says. The group of three were eventually located near Venning Creek, which is around the south end of Bulls Bay along South Carolinas coast. After being pulled aboard the rescue boat, they were taken back to Garris Landing for a medical check from Charleston County EMS, the Facebook post says. Details about their medical condition were not provided. Photos shared on the fire departments Facebook post were taken by one of the people rescued. In addition to the responding firefighters, volunteers from U.S. Fish and Game, Charleston County EMS, Charleston County Volunteer Rescue Squad and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources all took part in the rescue, according to the post. Great teamwork by local, state and federal responders! the post says. Some on Facebook were amazed by the rescue and thanked the responders for saving the three people. Amazing response and execution to get those folks back to a safe place! Thank you! a commentor wrote. Boaters get glimpse of rare creature known for eating sharks in Maine. See it Rescuers rush to exhausted young whale dragging ropes, buoys. Then their tool broke Divers spot blue shadow in Kenya. Then amazing sea creature appears among sharks Facing calls to resign from his Democratic colleagues in New Jersey, US Senator Robert Menendez defended his record and shot down allegations of wrongdoing in a press conference days after a sweeping federal indictment accused the chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee of engaging in a years-long bribery scheme. A grand jury indictment unsealed in US District Court on 22 September includes photographs of thousands of dollars in cash in wrapped bills on top of jackets bearing the senators name. Investigators allegedly discovered more than $480,000 in cash and $100,000 at his home. On 25 September, in his first public remarks since being accused of taking bribes and unlawfully wielding his influence in office, Mr Menendez said that for over 30 years he has withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account. Mr Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, said he stored cash at his home for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba. Now this may seem old fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. I look forward to other issues at trial, he added. The indictment charges Mr Menendez and his wife along with three New Jersey businessmen and associates in an alleged bribery scheme trading political favours for cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible and other gifts. Mr Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez are charged with three counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Fred Daibes, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe are charged with the first two of those counts. The indictment outlines the senators role in several alleged criminal schemes, including sharing sensitive US government information among other steps to covertly benefit the Egyptian government, pushing US officials to secure an exclusive business deal with one of the co-defendants, and pressuring state and federal prosecutors to drop investigations. He did not address the gold or other allegations, and accused prosecutors of framing the case to be as salacious as possible. The senator, surrounded by people he addressed as everyday people and constituents but no prominent political leaders, delivered his remarks in English and then in Spanish before leaving without taking any questions from reporters. The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations. For anyone who has known me throughout my 50 years of public service they know I have always fought for what is right, he said in remarks from New Jersey on Monday. Everything Ive accomplished Ive worked for despite the naysayers and everyone who has underestimated me. I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator, he added. In his remarks and in statements following the indictment, Mr Menendez has cast the allegations against him as a form of political persecution and framed calls for his resignation as anti-Latino. Mr Menendez, per the rules of the Democratic conference, has agreed to step down from his role as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he chaired from 2013 to 2015 and again since 2021. New Jerseys Governor Phil Murphy has called for the senators immediate resignation. If he were to step down, the governor would appoint a successor to fill in the remainder of his term. New Jersey Democratic US Rep Andy Kim, who has joined calls for the senators resignation, announced his intentions to challenge Mr Menendez in a Democratic primary election next year. The indictment comes six years after a nine-week trial on separate corruption charges facing Mr Menendez that ended in a hung jury, with the US Department of Justice dismissing the remaining charges against him in a case involving the alleged trade of political favours for luxury trips and campaign donations. Mr Menendez would go on to easily defeat his Republican opponent in his re-election bid in November 2018. PHNOM PENH, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has produced more than 8.28 tonnes of dore bars with 90 percent pure gold solution since commercial mining started in June 2021, a senior official said on Monday. Ung Dipola, director general of the General Department of Mineral Resources under the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said that currently, the country has six gold mining companies. "As of Sept. 22, 2023, the six companies had produced 919 gold bars, totally weighing 8,288 kilograms," he said in a news release, adding that the government earned more than 13 million U.S. dollars in royalties from those mining firms. The Southeast Asian country commenced extracting gold at a gold mining site in Keo Seima district in Mondulkiri province in June 2021. Two Democratic senators called for Sen. Bob Menendez , D-N.J., to resign Monday, joining a growing chorus of lawmakers urging him to step down amid federal corruption charges. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio chairman of the Banking Committee, where Menendez chairs a subcommittee and Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont called on Menendez to leave Congress. Over the weekend, Sen. John Fetterman of neighboring Pennsylvania became the first Senate Democrat to say he should resign. Rep. Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., also said Monday night that Menendez should step aside. "It'd probably be a good idea if he did resign," Pelosi, the former House speaker, said on MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki," calling the charges "formidable." The new calls for Menendez to resign followed his first public remarks after an indictment against him and his wife, Nadine, was unsealed Friday. Speaking to reporters at a news conference Monday in Union City, New Jersey, where he once was mayor, Menendez said, "I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator. Menendez, who indicated he would not resign, also offered an explanation for the $480,000 in cash prosecutors said was found in his New Jersey home, much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe. Menendez maintained that the money was his and that it had been earned legitimately. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, he said. These were moneys drawn from my personal savings account based on the income I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. The indictment said some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints and/or DNA of one of the people charged with bribing Menendez or that persons driver. Menendez did not address that claim in his remarks and did not take questions from reporters, but he said he should be presumed innocent. "The allegations against me are just that allegations," he said. He asked his congressional colleagues to pause and allow for all the facts to be presented. The court of public opinion is no substitute for our revered justice system. We cannot set aside the presumption of innocence for political expediency when the harm is irrevocable," he said. Prosecutors get it wrong sometimes, he said. It is unclear which family members Menendez was referring to in his comments about the cash or whether their property had been confiscated. While the Cuban government began confiscating some property in 1959 after the revolution, Menendezs parents came to the U.S. years earlier, and he was born here in 1954. His office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification of his remarks. Menendez's remarks did not sway Brown and Welch against calling for him to step down. Senator Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence. But the people of New Jersey and the United States Senate are entitled to an effective Senator, Welch wrote Monday night on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that the allegations wholly compromised his capacity to serve effectively. I encourage Senator Menendez to resign, he added. A few hours earlier, Brown said in a statement that "Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate." Fetterman also appeared unmoved by Menendezs defense, particularly his emergencies explanation for the large amount of cash in his house. Referring to his comments in a post on X, Fetterman wrote, We have an extra flashlight for our home emergencies. Fettermans team also confirmed a report in The Messenger that it is returning $5,000 in donations Menendez gave to his 2022 campaign. We are in the process of returning the money, Fetterman spokesman Joe Calvello told NBC News, in envelopes stuffed with $100 bills. Many House Democrats and Democratic officials in New Jersey, including Gov. Phil Murphy, have called on Menendez to resign. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., announced Saturday that he would challenge Menendez for his seat. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better, Kim wrote on X. Menendez and his wife were indicted Friday on charges that include conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion. The indictment alleges they received bribes, included cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value. Federal investigators who search their home with a warrant found the more than $480,000 in cash and other allegedly ill-gotten gains that they claim were used to bribe Menendez, including a Mercedes-Benz, exercise equipment, home furnishings and "over one hundred thousand dollars' worth of gold bars," the indictment said. Senators, aside from top leaders, make $174,000 a year. Menendez has denied any wrongdoing, and he suggested in a statement Friday night that he is being targeted because of his heritage. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere, he said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Kyrsten Sinema is drawing attention to herself again. Maybe this time, itll be good for American democracy? Sinema, the senior U.S. senator from Arizona, has ruffled feathers with her jewelry, her outfits and her hair. Shes caused trouble with her stance on the filibuster and voting rights, plus her switch from liberal to independent politics. And shes stressed pundits with a delayed decision on whether shell run for Senate next year. Now, according to NBC News, shes answering that last question by chart(ing) out a path to victory as an independent candidate in Arizona, with a unique cross-party coalition she would seek to build in the competitive state. We need candidates who play to the center If Kyrsten Sinema is playing games aimed at drawing attention to Kyrsten Sinema, then its working. It always works. Shes good at that. But this time, it might be good for the nation. Greatest sign yet: That Sinema will run for Senate in 2024 Extremism in any form is a problem. In politics, its led to a do-nothing Congress that flirts with government shutdown seemingly every year and an activist Supreme Court that appears to draw conservative conclusions first, then seek out facts later. We need people brave enough to woo voters at the center. Sinema wants at least a quarter of the GOP Sen. Mitt Romney, R-UT, and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., listen to President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington on Feb 7, 2023. The risk for voters is that Sinema could just be a Republican-in-independent clothing, and a document uncovered by NBC News reveals plans for her to go after 25% to 35% of Republicans in the state. If this sounds crazy, consider that Kari Lake and Blake Masters have already turned off a slew of conservatives and lost recent statewide elections. The risk for Sinema is that people vote their passions, and a centrist stance is an appeal to reason and logic. Sinemas strategy predicts a three-way race, in which independents typically play spoiler roles to major-party candidates. Opinions in your inbox: Sign up for our free newsletter If the parties nominate extremists, as expected, according to Sinemas document, Kyrsten will win a majority of (independents), and at least a third of (Republicans) and a percentage of (Democratic) voters making her the first Independent to win a three-way statewide race in American history. It's risky, but is that what Arizona needs? Its a risky strategy that, at a minimum, has drawn attention to Sinema, keeping her name out there without the benefit of a primary. But it could signal a desire for swing-state voters to come away from the political fringes and toward the center especially if she wins. Maybe whats good for Sinema could be good for the nation? Maybe. Maybe shes taking a risk thats worth taking. Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kyrsten Sinema is counting on Republicans to win. That's risky Defiantly presenting himself as a champion of his constituents and the target of unfair prosecution, Sen. Robert Menendez, who was charged with bribery and corruption in a federal indictment unsealed last Friday, said he would remain in his seat while waging what he called his biggest fight yet. Menendez, a N.J. Democrat, had not publicly addressed the accusation until the press conference on Monday. After delivering remarks in English, he also spoke in Spanish. 1. I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey's senior senator. Sen. Robert Menendez used the Monday press conference to suggest how he may defend himself against the federal charges. (Mike Segar/Reuters) Menendez spoke on Monday from Union City, N.J., where he was mayor from 1986 until 1992. The son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez rose through the ranks of New Jerseys Democratic machine, earning an appointment to the U.S. Senate in 2006 (Menendez defended his seat in an election later that same year). He is now the states senior senator and was, until last week, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Democratic N.J. Rep. Andy Kim has already said he challenge Menendez in the next primary, while Pennsylvania's Democratic Sen. John Fetterman became the first senator to call on him to step down over the weekend. But as Menendez made clear in Mondays remarks, he will not make it easy to dislodge him. Read more on Yahoo News: Legal experts weigh in on Menendez indictment, suggest 'monster' charges point to likely conviction, from Fox News 2. Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sen. Robert Menendez was the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before he stepped down last week. (Mike Segar/Reuters) Menendez has been here before, to put it mildly. During his 2006 race to hold the Senate seat to which he had just been appointed, Menendez was investigated by New Jerseys top federal prosecutor at the time Chris Christie, the future governor of improperly profiting from a lease. Menendez was charged with bribery in 2015 for allegedly accepting gifts from a Florida ophthalmologist. He fought the charges, despite the seemingly solid evidence federal prosecutors arrayed against him. It was a strategy that bore fruit in 2017, when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. With his arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, Menendez used the press conference to suggest how he may defend himself against charges that he fell victim to influence from Egyptian officials and New Jersey businessmen, who lavished him and his wife with cash, gold bars and a new Mercedes. Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez speaks in Union City, N.J., on Monday after he and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were indicted. (Mike Segar/Reuters) Attempting to explain the envelopes of cash investigators found stuffed into suit jackets and elsewhere during a 2022 raid, Menendez said that he had routinely withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash, which he said he kept for emergencies. Now, this may seem old-fashioned, he said, but argued that the income was lawfully derived and that the practice stemmed from a fear of confiscation his family had experienced in Cuba and brought to the United States. Read more on Yahoo News: Sen. Bob Menendez faces growing calls from Democrats to resign after being federally indicted in bribery scheme, from CBS News 3. My record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable. Sen. Bob Menendez presented himself as a champion of his constituents and the target of unfair prosecution at a press conference on Monday in Union City, N.J. (Andres Kudacki/AP) As the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, Menendez has had enormous influence in debates over funding the war in Ukraine and the long conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He argued that his focus on Egypt was no different. Prosecutors allege that Menendez was introduced to Egyptian officials through Wael Hana, a New Jersey- based businessman who was also charged on Friday. That indictment alleges that Menendez provided sensitive, non-public U.S. government information to Egyptian officials and otherwise took steps to secretly aid the Government of Egypt. Menendez said he had confronted Egypt on unjust detentions of American citizens and others, its human rights abuses, its deepening relationship with Russia and efforts that have eroded the nations judiciary. But text messages between Hana and Nadine Menendez obtained by investigators offer a different story, suggesting a prolonged and successful influence campaign. Read more on Yahoo News: Menendez indictment looks bad, but there are defenses he can make, from the Conversation Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is ramping up the pressure on Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to avoid a government shutdown by moving first on a stopgap funding bill that will pass the Senate this week, a few days before the Sept. 30 deadline. The Senates plan is to send the bill to the House and put pressure on McCarthy to bring it to the floor for a vote it would pass with bipartisan support if given the chance, said senators who are calculating how the endgame will play out. But Republican and Democratic senators admit they dont know what McCarthy will do, and some GOP senators are worried about sticking our necks out if the stopgap is doomed to fail in the House. McCarthys made the decision to shut the government down. Period. Stop, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said, previewing the rhetorical offensive Senate Democrats will launch against McCarthy this week. Sign up for the latest from The Hill here The Senate is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to take the first in a series of procedural votes that will tee up the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, which Schumer will use as the legislative vehicle to pass the continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open. McCarthy showed growing frustration with conservative rebels Saturday, when he told reporters that hard-liners in his conference like to stop everything, and then they turn around and say its your fault youre not getting anything done. He complained Thursday that some individuals just want to burn the whole place down. McCarthys exasperation with the obstructionists in his conference has given senators hope that he may be willing to steamroll those conservative critics by bringing a Senate-passed bill straight to the House floor. Some Democrats expressed cautious optimism Sunday that a government shutdown can be avoided. Assistant House Democratic Leader James Clyburn (S.C.) told NBCs Meet the Press that a shutdown is not a foregone conclusion. And I dont think well get to that point. I certainly hope not, he said. The Senate stopgap funding legislation may not include Ukraine money or disaster assistance because Senate leaders dont want to give McCarthy an excuse for not putting the Senate bill up for a vote before Saturday, when government funding expires, Senate aides caution. We must work in a bipartisan fashion to keep our government open, avoid a shutdown and avoid unnecessary pain on the American people. This action will give the Senate the option to do just that, Schumer said when he announced the vote. The Senate is not in session Monday in observance of Yom Kippur. Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Morning Report newsletter Senate Republicans have urged their leaders behind the scenes to support the Senate moving first on a stopgap spending bill in order to pressure McCarthy to vote later in the week on what they expect to be a clean continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown. As Republicans, we want to offer solutions. Stalemates and government shutdowns arent solutions, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said. I do worry about the political backlash. Weve got huge problems with the border, weve got huge problems with the border. Weve got economic issues, weve got all kinds of other issues to talk about, and yet were basically focusing on a malfunctioning appropriations process. Im hoping we can get our bills through here on the Senate side to prove we can do it, at least, she said. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) sent a blunt message to House conservatives Tuesday when he declared that government shutdowns are a loser for Republicans, politically. Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist and former Senate leadership aide, said a bipartisan vote on a bill to keep the government open will send a strong message to House Republicans. Theres a reason why Schumer did this. I think part of this was to just show the world that its not the United States Senate thats shutting down the government, that theyve done their job, he said. Its showing the American people that a strong bipartisan majority of Democrats and Republicans passed legislation not to shut down the government, and should that occur, this is squarely on the backs of House Republicans. Other Republican senators have echoed McConnells warning that a shutdown will boomerang on and hurt House Republicans. I just dont know what the House is going to get out of this. I think the term box canyon applies, said one Republican senator who requested anonymity to warn that House conservatives are forcing McCarthy down a dead-end path, politically. GOP senators warn that President Biden and Democrats wont accept spending bills with steep cuts, even if they manage to pass the lower chamber. And if the government shuts down, like it did in 2013 and 2019, Democrats will blame Republicans and wait for the GOP to cave. McCarthy has been repeatedly stymied by conservative rebels in his efforts to pass a stopgap funding measure or a defense appropriations bill this month. House GOP leaders canceled votes that were expected Friday and Saturday because of the stalemate in their conference. Two Republican congressmen from New York Reps. Mike Lawler and Marc Molinaro even floated the idea of voting with Democrats on a stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown if Republicans cant unite behind a spending bill soon. A few Republican senators have proposed adding the broader stopgap funding measure to the appropriations legislation funding military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which the House passed in July. Ive suggested that, one Republican senator said. I think our greatest crisis at the moment is the CR and the supplemental. Why not use the military construction bill? the lawmaker said. The House-passed military construction and veterans affairs funding measure would need to be revised, however, to overcome Democratic objections. The bill passed the lower chamber with a mostly party-line vote, 219-211, in July. Democrats criticized the House bill for cutting $1.5 billion from military construction compared to the current level and limiting womens access to abortion. Senate aides say that Ukraine funding will likely not be attached to any continuing resolution that moves through the Senate this week, because Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has vowed to hold up any money for Ukraine and the controversial issue would make it tougher for McCarthy to bring a Senate-passed bill to the floor. Paul potentially could drag out consideration of the stopgap funding measure perilously close to or past the Sept. 30 deadline by refusing to waive procedural hurdles on the floor. McCarthy on Friday vowed to strip out $300 million in funding for Ukraine in the defense appropriations bill after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) joined conservative colleagues in blocking the legislation. The Speaker then reversed course Saturday, announcing that he would keep the relatively small amount of Ukraine funding in the defense bill after recognizing that the State Department and foreign operations appropriations bill, which is slated for the floor this week, also includes money for Ukraine. Schumer told CNN on Friday that hes still exploring options with McConnell to pass another installment of funding for the war in Ukraine. Leader McConnell and I are both strongly for aid for Ukraine, and I believe a majority of the members of both parties in the Senate agree with that, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. People cross Montgomery Street as they walk towards the entrance of the J. Tom Coleman Courthouse on Tuesday. This column is part of a weekly round-up of notable grand jury indictments and court decisions, following through on cases reported by Savannah Morning News public safety and courts reporter Drew Favakeh. If there are cases you're curious about, email Drew at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. Three defendants indicted for murder of Jamie Bernard Burton Jr. On Sept. 20, a Chatham County grand jury indicted three defendants Montrez Hopson, Dwayne Singleton, Shaddrick Lacount with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in connection with the shooting death of 25-year-old Jamie Bernard Burton Jr. According to a Chatham County Police Department press release, around 6:10 a.m. on June 10, officers were dispatched to a shots fired call at Westlake Apartments, 1900 Westlake Ave., in Liberty City. When officers arrived, they found Burton in the breezeway of one of the buildings, dead from a gunshot wound. At the time, investigators did not believe the shooting was random. On July 7, Chatham County Police arrested and charged the three suspects in connection with the murder. CCPD already had issued an unrelated warrant for theft by taking for Lacount at the time of his arrest. A plea hearing for Lacount is scheduled for Nov. 8. Last week's column: Three men indicted for felony murder after attempted robbery In Session: Leilani Simon's attorney files 13 motions to suppress her statements to police Charges: Woman indicted for first-degree vehicular homicide in death of motorcyclist Man indicted for Alexis Devoe's 2020 murder On Sept. 20, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Rashaun Padgett for the Feb. 8, 2020 murder of Alexis Devoe, aged 17. Padgett faces charges of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. At around 8:15 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2020, officers responded to Memorial Health University Medical Center after Devoe was transported to the hospital by private vehicle with gunshot wounds. Upon arrival, it was discovered that Devoe had died from injuries sustained from the shooting. The U.S. Marshalls Service Southeastern Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Padgett on May 6, 2020, and charged him with murder. At the time of the arrest, according to previous reporting, Padgett was also wanted for his suspected involvement in a separate armed robbery charge that was not connected to this case. According to Superior Court Judge Lisa Colberts March 9, 2023, bond order denial, The armed robbery charge stems from an incident alleged to have occurred on Savannah State Universitys campus on May 5, 2019 during which [the] defendant is alleged to have used a firearm to steal another firearm from occupant of the dwelling. About eight years ago, Padgett was convicted of a federal crime and served prison time as a result, according to federal court records. On Dec. 9, 2015, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Padgett for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a firearm during commission a felony, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of tools for the commission of a crime and carrying a weapon without a license. Those charges stemmed from two separate 2015 incidents. In March the following year, a Federal Grand Jury indicted Padgett for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and drug user in possession of firearm, among other charges, according to a copy of the federal indictment. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on Nov. 18, 2015, according to the federal indictment. On Oct. 27, 2016, Chatham County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Breedon chose to not prosecute those charges, citing the fact that Padgett had been indicted by a federal grand jury. Federal Court Judge Lisa Wood sentenced Padgett to 21 months in prison and three years supervised release, according to a copy of the sentencing order. A jury trial for Padgett is scheduled for Oct. 9. John Bailey and Taj Gayle sentenced to life without parole for December 2020 murder After closing arguments were heard on Sept. 20, a Chatham County jury found two defendants John Bailey and Taj Gayle guilty of murder for the December 2020 death of Melanie Steele. On Sept. 14, 2019, Steele was reported missing from the 2100 block of California Avenue. In November 2020, a DNA analysis determined that human remains discovered off New Hampstead Parkway on March 18, 2020, were those of Steele. The jury found Bailey guilty of two counts of felony murder, conspiracy to commit the sale/purchase of controlled substances, and kidnapping. The jury also found Gayle guilty of felony murder and kidnapping. The jury did not prosecute Bailey or Gayle on other related charges, including armed robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Chatham County Superior Court Judge John E. Morse Jr. sentenced both Bailey and Gayle to life without parole. Justin Lewis Path and Marcus Wilson also were indicted for Steele's murder. The state ultimately reached a negotiated guilty plea with Path. Wilson's case has not been deliberated yet, but he did serve as a key witness for the prosecution. Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: chatham county courts updates for week of September 25 2023 Most of the general public have never heard the term SANE before. For those who have, the vast majority were, at some point, undeserving victims of sexual violence. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, also known as SANEs, are registered nurses (RNs) or advanced practice nurses (APNs) that specialize in providing comprehensive and compassionate care to survivors of sexual assault. When treating a victim of violence or abuse, it is imperative that the associated trauma be treated just as much as the physical injuries. SANE nurses conduct the forensic examination, collect evidence for law enforcement investigations, provide expert testimony for state prosecution when needed, as well as advocate for victims everywhere. But what happens when the rate of violence far outweighs the number of SANEs available? In 2021, Penn State University performed a study to measure the rural availability of SANEs within Pennsylvania. Throughout our 67 counties, 48 are considered rural and 19 nonrural. Of those rural counties, only 8 reported having any SANE availability. This equates to less than 20% of all certified SANEs in the state. The results proved an all too common yet disheartening reality. The country as a whole is undergoing a national nursing shortage and Pennsylvania is within the top 10 states suffering the most. To date, the organization responsible for overseeing and certifying eligible SANEs, the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), reports an increase in the amount of certified SANEs within Pennsylvania. Yet, only 1 is located within NEPA, in Scranton. More than 75% are located at least two hours away from our local communities. Ericka Thaxton, medical advocate at Victims' Intervention Program. Over the years, studies have shown time and time again that how a victim is met upon telling their story is directly related to the likelihood of them ever speaking of it again. This is the same for any type of intimate partner, domestic, and/or sexual violence. With the additional training and education SANEs receive, they can provide the specific care that victims require. Unfortunately, when you live in a county without a SANE available, you may get turned away at the door even though this is not allowed under Pennsylvania law. You may get directed to another facility that may or may not be hours away. You may be sitting in the waiting room or exam room for hours on end. You may feel revictimized when blame is placed back on you or when your forensic exam is handled no differently than someone with a generic rash or broken bone. You may have to have parts of or all of the forensic exam repeated due to the technique of collection. There may be errors within your paperwork causing you to receive the bill for services related to your assault. Important evidence may be left behind, forgotten, or totally missed that will prevent you from ever seeing your attacker brought to justice. Ultimately, this may be your one and only attempt to seek justice after the ordeal you have just gone through. You may be left with severe, unresolved trauma and no supports. You may suffer for the rest of your life with significant complications to your mental and physical health. The full value of having a SANE within your county, within your hospital, or within your staff, is immeasurable for any emergency room and victim alike. Beyond SANE, there are a lot of things that any community can do to support victims of sexual violence. This all starts with education and awareness. Sexual assault can affect anyone, anywhere, and no one is immune. Violent crimes cross all racial, ethnic, and cultural lines. If someone chose to confide in you, to trust you, to talk to you, believe them. Validate them. Listen to them. No one deserves to be abused. The victim is never to blame. Neither are the clothes they wore or the drink they had. Businesses, especially within the medical field, should keep their personnel policies and protocols updated to help survivors, not hinder. Contact your local domestic violence and sexual assault program to find out more. VIP is here to help anyone who is or has been a victim of crime or abuse. Call 570-253-4401 to speak with an advocate today. Ericka Thaxton is the medical advocate at Victims' Intervention Program. This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: NEPA needs more sexual assault nurse examiners A Florida woman was arrested after allegedly moving into a multimillion-dollar home in Bonita Springs while the owners were away. According to a police report from the Lee County Sheriffs Office, deputies first responded to the home in the upscale Bonita Beach area around noon last Monday after a maintenance worker encountered some suspicious activity there. The worker said he went to check up on things at the Gulf Coast home, but could not open the front door with the key. He then used the digital keypad to gain access and noticed a suitcase by the front door and heard a dog barking. The man immediately contacted the owners, who said there should not have been anyone or any animals inside, so he called 911. Deputies met with the witness and walked inside the house, where they saw the 54-year-old suspect in the kitchen eating a sandwich and wearing an $180 Athleta dress that had been hanging in the master bedroom closet, the police report says. The woman insisted that she lived there and produced paperwork to show that she had recently purchased the residence, but the papers were found to be falsified. There were three different pieces of paper With Certlficate of Ownership, all of which had the same notary stamp, said the report. None of the documents presented were an official deed or biII of sale. Nor did any documents have the proper state seal on them. The Fort Myers woman was arrested on larceny, fraud and burglary charges and held on $21,500 bond; its unclear how she got in in the first place, as deputies found no sign of forced entry. Deputies note she did later admit to taking the Athleta dress and offered to pay the owner back. Neighbors were shocked by the brazen incident. I dont know where she thought she was going to stay or how long she thought she was going to stay because all these houses have people that check in them all the time, Bruce Broskie told NBC 2. Back in early August, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood got upset with a veteran reporter at The News-Journal. Rather than call his editor to vent, Chitwood opted to air his grievance on social media. Frank Fernandez ticked him off not because of something he wrote, but for a question he'd asked before anything was published. It was regarding the case of the 11-year-old girl who was cuffed and charged with a felony for texting false reports to 911. She wrote that her friend had been kidnapped. It caused a huge ruckus, a full-on response from the sheriff's office, and made national news. An 11-year-old Port Orange girl who texted 911 operators to falsely report that her friend had been kidnapped by an armed man was arrested. Frank wrote that a defense attorney questioned whether the arrest, which was caught on video, might cause trauma in her life. Chitwood posted Frank's question on his Facebook page with the following note to his many followers: "My office got this email from a reporter this morning. The 11-year-old is the one who called 911 with an elaborate report of a fake kidnapping because she thought it would be funny. I think I know how I want to answer this question but how would YOU respond?" He also said Frank was "working as the mouthpiece of some defense attorney who thinks he should run the Sheriffs Office," and cited two other examples of Frank's reporting that he didn't appreciate. First, I can assure everyone, Frank is not working as a mouthpiece for any defense attorneys. Second, good journalists ask lots of questions. This is a requirement for the job, not to mention a First Amendment right. Second, the defense attorney raised a valid point. Was this overkill? (The felony charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor.) More social media drama Regardless, I called his spokesman Andrew Gant and said I thought the sheriff's comment was basically defamatory, and figured it would be useful to meet him in person. We had a pleasant visit. He and I briefly discussed it and moved on to other topics and that was that. Or so I thought. Othal Wallace stands with his defense team, Saturday September 16, 2023, as the verdict is read, convicted of manslaughter in the killing of Daytona Beach Police officer Jason Raynor. Flash forward to the trial of cop-killer Othal Wallace. The sheriff had been critical of the jury in that case for handing down a verdict of manslaughter rather than first-degree murder saying: "My faith in the American jury has been shaken before. I have seen juries ignore video evidence and disregard victims. I have never been more disgusted by a verdict than I am today." He also took exception to a post by Suzerain, a nonprofit with lawyers who defend indigent defendants facing possible death sentences. The post read: "Two weeks ago @allisonferbermiller picked a jury for a trial in which the defendant, Othal Wallace, was charged with the first degree murder of a police officer in Clay County, Florida. The prosecution was seeking the death penalty. Today the jury convicted Mr. Wallace of the lesser offense of manslaughter, which prevents the prosecution from even trying to give him the death penalty." Chitwood posted on his Facebook page: Theyre really bragging on Facebook about picking a jury that let a cop killer off on a lesser charge. Frank seeing that post, decided to contact Miller to get her reaction. Miller, who sits on the board of directors of Suzerain, said she did not have anything to do with the post. Unamerican? "I did not know Suzerain was posting anything about the case. Suzerain also did not represent anything in a positive or negative light to be accused of bragging again, only an accurate recounting of what transpired in the case," Miller wrote. Sheriff Chitwood is certainly free to disagree with the jurys verdict, but to disparage the work of the jurors and the jurors themselves, frankly, to me, is un-American. We ran a story. The sheriff was upset and opted again to air his ire on social media with this post: "Now its 'un-American' to criticize a jury and the slimeball defense attorney who picked it. I guess were supposed to sit back, shut up, and just accept the murder of a police officer. Or in the words of the defense team, his 'passing.'" Further down he wrote: "I really dont care what Allison Ferber Miller has to say in the latest BS report by the Daytona Beach News-Journal defense attorney mouthpiece Frank Fernandez." He closed by saying: "I don't take Frank Fernandez's calls or give him quotes for his BS stories anymore, but feel free to let him know what you think." Thrown under the social media bus, again Once again, his fury was directed not at the lawyer who said what offended him, but at the reporter who quoted her. The sheriff's reaction is disturbing for a number of reasons. First, he's falsely accusing an enormously dedicated and hard-working reporter of being one-sided and unprofessional. Nothing could be further from the truth. Second, his bullying behavior can lead to a chilling effect on anyone who dares to write something he doesn't like. And third, he's creating a scapegoat and invoking his followers to tell him "what they think." What happens if they respond with more than words? Not surprisingly, the commenters on his post were overwhelmingly supportive. But even a few of his backers seem to be getting a bit put off by eruptions. "Nothing wrong with being critical of a jury," wrote Kevin Scannell in the comments to his post. "This one definitely got it wrong. Once again though, I am disappointed that you feel you must lash out at anyone who is critical of you. You're better than this." I couldn't have said it better myself. John Dunbar is the executive editor of the Daytona Beach News-Journal This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Chitwood feeds reporter to the social media wolves for doing his job COLOMBO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government will propose special tax breaks and concessions in the 2024 budget to attract large-scale foreign direct investors in information technology and vehicle assembly, state media reported on Monday. Investment Promotion State Minister Dilum Amunugama was quoted as saying that the government will introduce a strategic tax policy, including tax breaks for up to a period of two to five years for investors in the IT sector. Amunugama said the proposals are being prepared by the finance ministry. He said with these schemes, Sri Lanka plans to encourage investors to invest more than 50 million U.S. dollars. Despite the economic crisis, the Board of Investment has been able to attract foreign direct investments of 1.75 billion dollars exceeding the targeted amount of 1 billion dollars for 2022, and the target for this year is 1.5 billion dollars, Amunugama told a press conference in July. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A females body discovered in the Mississippi River over the weekend has not been identified, but with the ongoing search for Tamia Taylor, many are waiting for answers. Body recovered from Mississippi River The Crittenden County Sheriffs Office says the body has not been identified and there may be a long wait until we get answers. We are at the mercy of the crime lab right now, and it sometimes takes a while, said Todd Grooms with the sheriffs office. As of right now no official identification has been made. That would just be speculation. Mother holds on to hope as search for missing woman continues The body was recovered on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River Saturday afternoon and originally discovered south of West Memphis across from Presidents Island. The Dock Ellis Foundation told WREG this is very traumatic to Tamia Taylors family but says they are still standing on faith. This is very traumatic to Tamia Taylors family, they are still standing on faith and ask that the community do the same. Please allow Crittenden County and MPD the time needed to identify the body. We are asking that you rely on reliable sources for any information pertaining to Tamia Taylor, the group said. We couldnt get an answer as to how long that process would take. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. It takes me weeks to trudge through each episode of The Bear not because I dislike the subject matter, but because its unbearably familiar. The acclaimed Hulu show has plenty of fans, but for those of us with firsthand experience of suicide loss, it is particularly poignant. The story follows main character Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), a young chef who begins managing his familys Chicago restaurant after the suicide of his brother. I can easily see myself in Carmy; his stoic workaholism is uncomfortably relatable. The retreating into the daily grind and the rehashing of toxic family dynamics all reads like a road map to survivors grief. Its deeply triggering, and its also a necessary watch. There are few series that accurately depict the nuances of life after suicide loss. Yet, The Bear translates character development and plot into a much larger message: Service to others, and to our art, transforms us. Escaping into the chaos of his brothers restaurant, Carmy becomes driven and obsessed with redemption. Its a theme that many survivors can speak to. We want to undo what is done, to travel back in time and save our person, to find meaning among ghosts. Jon Bernthal as Mikey (left) and Jeremy Allen White as Carmy in Jon Bernthal as Mikey (left) and Jeremy Allen White as Carmy in "The Bear" Season 2. I understand this all too well. Submerging myself in my studies kept me alive in my 20s during the first few years after my own brothers suicide in 2005. I fell in love with perfection staying up late into the night, working to get every college paper meticulously right, downing coffee and Red Bulls to keep my energy up throughout the day. Like in The Bear, working nonstop toward my dreams helped me survive. But I also grappled clumsily with my grief, rotating bouts of numbness with uncontrollable crying throughout the day. I didnt think anyone could come back from those feelings. And society didnt sway me from this belief. Till this day, losing a loved one to suicide is a taboo subject. Survivors arent afforded their humanness. We are often portrayed in mainstream media as emotionally damaged beyond recovery, with a scarlet letter forever branded on our foreheads. We are shown, time and time again, that society has no place for us. And despite many online conversations that have emerged in recent years, few TV series fully explore the intricacies of suicides aftermath. Or how survivors might navigate devastating pain with a dose of grace. Overcoming any kind of loss is not linear, and even less so when we speak of suicide. But The Bear offers a representation that often goes unnoticed. Beyond some dramatic catalyst to move the story forward, it shows how losing ourselves in our art, finding a community and working hard toward a shared goal can help us carry our grief. In the years after my brother died, I had well-intentioned friends and strangers tell me to put his death out of my mind, and that everything happens for a reason. These are harmful and outdated messages for survivors. Without being told, we are taught that our losses are too uncomfortable for others to bear, too violent and messy and sad. There are no heartwarming conclusions to be had. This kind of unexpressed grief leads to a persistent domino effect of further stigma and shame. The Bear makes us question that shame, suggesting we dont need to shoulder our loss alone. We see Carmy as an imperfect character. Hes plagued by his guilt at not being able to save his brother, and he wrestles with feelings of resentment at being abandoned. His outbursts and avoidance strain his relationships. Despite all of his flaws, his people still show up for him. He is allowed to shift in and out of his bottomless grief and find relief among the living. More than that, we see him as fully human. The series also challenges our concept of who is deserving of sympathy. Carmys brother, Mikey (Jon Bernthal), is shown with all of his imperfections, as well as his grit, his charisma, his unwavering love for his family. He is more than the legacy of pain he creates another necessary message The Bear clearly portrays. From left to right: White as Carmy, Abby Elliott as Natalie From left to right: White as Carmy, Abby Elliott as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto and Bernthal as Mikey in "The Bear." The first year after my brothers death, I was paralyzed by how to explain my loss to others, afraid that their pitying glances and callous words would only confirm that I was broken beyond repair and worse, that my brother was to blame. Watching both seasons of The Bear was a painful reminder of that time, but one that offered compassion along with its discomfort. About 132 Americans die by suicide each day. For those of us left behind, we are often forced to suffer these losses in silence, depriving ourselves of the kindness and solace found in community. Any conversation about grief is already in short supply, but suicide loss is particularly dark and depressing, something society would have us lock away without sharing. Series like The Bear force us all to look. When we can stare long enough into that abyss, we can also start to see glimmers of light emerge. In showing us our humanity, were given something just as powerful as our grief: the hope of a tomorrow we dont have to carry alone. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Related... (Bloomberg) -- The costly truth about US government shutdowns: They dont save taxpayers a dime. Most Read from Bloomberg Government services may grind to a halt as federal workers get sent home. But, thanks to uncollected entrance fees at national parks, lack of sales from government gift shops and back pay provided to government employees, shutdowns can end up costing billions of dollars. The main thing government shutdowns do is leave the government to waste money, said Marc Goldwein, a senior policy director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a Washington-based watchdog group. We pay federal workers their regular salary in many cases not to deliver government services. With less than a week left before a lapse in federal funding that would shutter a host of government services, Congress is struggling to pass a short-term spending bill needed to keep the government open past the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. While federal workers are not paid during a shutdown, legislation signed into law providing back pay for some 800,000 workers after the shutdown in fiscal year 2019 also required employees affected by future government funding lapses to receive missed payments. The last three government shutdowns combined cost taxpayers nearly $4 billion, including at least $3.7 billion in back pay to furloughed workers and about $338 million in other fees including extra administrative work, lost revenue and late fees on interest payments, according to a 2019 report by a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The report, which looked at shutdowns that occurred in fiscal years 2014, 2018 and 2019, found that the cumulative number of furlough days represented an estimated 56,938 years of lost federal worker productivity. Related: Your Questions Answered on US Government Shutdown: QuickTake The National Park Service alone lost $7 million in revenue during the 16-day shutdown in fiscal year 2014 because it didnt have staff to collect fees and issue permits, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. Reopening the government after a shutdown costs money, too. Time spent by Treasury Department employees on restarting operations after shutdowns cost between $11 million to $12 million each, according to the Senate report, which was written by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Its not just the federal government that loses money during a shutdown. The shutdown in fiscal year 2019 reduced gross domestic product by a total of $11 billion in the following two quarters including $3 billion of which will never be recovered, according to the Congressional Budget Office. A shutdown could have other economic impacts, too. The 35-day shutdown that began in December 2018 and ended in January 2019 delayed over $2 billion in Small Business Administration loans, while mortgage applications dropped 7% during the second week of the shutdown in fiscal year 2014, according to a brief published earlier this month by the Senate Joint Economic Committee. Also at risk, some $13 billion per week in federal contracts that could be halted or delayed during a closure, according to the document, which was published by committee Democrats. I dont think people who are arguing we should shut down the federal government have thought through all of the unintended consequences, said Bill Hoagland, a former Republican budget director in the Senate now with the Bipartisan Policy Center. It does affect people definitely. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Six people, including two teens and a 9-year-old, died over the weekend when a freight train plowed into their SUV as they crossed the tracks in Plant City, Fla. One person survived the horrific crash, which sent the SUV catapulting end over end, ejecting victims as it went, police said. The accident occurred just before 7 p.m. Saturday, as Jose Guadalupe Hernandez drove his white 2020 Cadillac Escalade over the crossing, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said Sunday. For unknown and undetermined reasons, the driver slowly crossed the tracks directly in the trains path, the sheriffs office said. The crossing had no lights or bells indicating a train was bearing down, just a stop sign and a railroad-crossing sign, according to authorities. The trains engineer and a nearby motorist flashed warnings and honked, and the engineer tried to stop the 55 mph train. Hernandez, the 52-year-old driver, died overnight. His wife, 50-year-old Enedelia Hernandez, died at the scene, along with the couples children, Alyssa Hernandez, 17; Anaelia Hernandez, 22; and Julian Hernandez, 9. Also killed was Jakub Lopez, 17, a friend of one of the children. Guillermo Gama III, 23, was the only survivor, and he was in critical condition Sunday, the sheriffs office said. The word devastating doesnt even begin to describe the tragedy, Chronister said in a statement. Hillsborough County lost a family today, and our hearts are shattered. The group was en route to a quinceanera, a 15th-birthday party, at a home just across the tracks in the agricultural town about 25 miles east of Tampa. The carnage left first responders visibly shaken, Chronister said at a news conference Saturday, describing the SUV as looking like a soft drink can thats been smashed, reported CNN. We are rattled at our core after witnessing what happened here tonight. The freight company, CSX, said its train was involved in the collision and that no crew had been injured. CSX extends its deepest sympathies to everyone impacted by this tragic incident, the railroad company said in a statement, according to WFTS-TV. CSX is working to support local law enforcement as they conduct the ongoing investigation. With News Wire Services A tight-knit Staten Island neighborhood was still reeling Sunday after an outburst of violence left a beloved 81-year-old man dead, two others injured and a longtime resident in handcuffs. We are all devastated, a family friend of the victim said Sunday near the scene of the murder. Seriously, the whole familys shocked by this. Everybody knows each other. We were all friends here, so its really devastating. Frank Pompilii died after he tried to break up a fight between three of his neighbors on tree-lined Sunnyside Terrace near Grand Ave. in Sunnyside about 4:40 p.m. on Friday, according to police. Responding officers found Redzep (Richie) Cobaj, 78, with numerous stab wounds and his son Skender (Alex) Cobaj, 51, with cuts to his hand. When neighbor Kelly Doyle came back to the idyllic block after work, she spotted the younger Cobaj covered in blood as he sat on the ground and wept. He was covered in blood, Doyle told the Daily News. His hand was bleeding. He had blood on his arms, his legs, his pants. The woman comforted her traumatized teenage daughter as the elder Cobaj was wheeled into an ambulance on a stretcher. I held her head and I wouldnt let her look until the doors were closed on the ambulance, Doyle said. As Redzep Cobaj was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in critical condition, the woman watched while his wounded son screamed in the direction of suspected killer Ramazan Ramusevics house, where Pompiliis lifeless body lay. Two police officers had Frank, Doyle recalled. They were bringing him from the suspects house down the suspects steps. They had him by his wrists and ankles and they put him in the street and they started pounding him on the chest. Despite the officers efforts, Pompilii could not be saved. Inside the house, officers found Ramusevic, 57, holding a bloodied knife, police sources said Saturday. They brought him down the stairs, Doyle said of Ramusevics arrest. As they brought him out, it took six police officers to hold [Skender Cobaj] back. His face was contorted and twisted, she said of Ramusevic. He looked deranged. As he was led to a nearby police car, Pompiliis wife of 56 years screamed, I hope you die! according to neighbor Maryann Nelson, 72. Public records show Ramusevic has a history of mental health issues and was hospitalized at Richmond University Medical Center in March for psychiatric reasons. He sued the hospital in June for medical records after he injured himself during an unsuccessful escape from the center, according to court documents. Neighbors told The News on Sunday that ambulances have been called to Ramusevics home several times this year for what they believed were mental health episodes. He was quiet, said Shban Sukalic, 74. I saw him in the park sometimes. He not talk to nobody. Just walked fast. I heard his brother says he didnt take the medication or he took too many medication, he added. The man got along with few people in the neighborhood, but seemed to be closest with the two men he would later stab Pompilii and Redzep Cobaj. My dad, you can ask anyone on the block, my dad literally was one of the kindest people, Pompiliis son said in a brief interview Sunday. He connected with every one of these neighbors in a way like it was family. Pompilii raised two children on the block and had six grandchildren. Frank talked to everyone, everyone, Maryann Nelson remembered. He was so friendly. He was a great neighbor. On Sunday, Redzep Cobajs condition improved to stable. This is such a quiet neighborhood, Doyle said as heavy rain poured down on the sleepy block. It doesnt happen. Ramusevic remained in police custody but was yet to be charged as of Sunday afternoon. The cause of small fire last week at Options High School in Bellingham is being investigated as arson. There were no injuries. The fire started around 11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 18, and was contained to a mens restroom on the second floor of the school. Students and staff smelled the smoke, and the building was evacuated. The fire department was called and cleared the fire before classes were allowed to resume. The bathroom is cordoned off and damage is estimated at around $10,000. Due to the location of the fire, and other undisclosed evidence, the fire was determined to have been set intentionally, and is still being investigated. Had it not been for the decisive action by school staff and students, the fire could easily have spread, putting many staff and students in danger, Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Muprhy told The Bellingham Herald in an email. With election season ramping up and Republican presidential debates underway, one aspect of the race for the White House has been missing: Saturday Night Live and its topical parodies of recent goings on. However, with news of a tentative deal between the Writers Guild of America and studios, the decades-old sketch show could resume broadcasting only a week or two behind the traditional beginning of each season, Deadline reports. Deadline hears the show, which traditionally restarts at the very end of September or the beginning of October, is now likely to return on either October 7 or 14, pending a vote by the WGA, the report said. Tentative deal reached to end Hollywood writers strike SNL director Liz Patrick told The Wrap last month that production is not difficult to resume for a show that is produced on a week-to-week basis. I dont want to speak as as the voice of SNL, but I will say, from my perspective of it all, as soon as the strikes are resolved, I think we are the type of show that literally, if we know by Monday or Tuesday or, hopefully Monday, just to give to the writers Tuesday we just turn the lights on and we go, she said. However, the actors strike is still ongoing, so some personnel changes may be required. For one, SAG-AFTRA members may decline to host, meaning SNL would have to lean into musicians, athletes and other non-actor entertainers. After WGA deal, whats next for Hollywood? Also, some cast members may have to decide if they want to participate or not, as they are covered under under the SAG-AFTRA Network Code contract, which is not a part of the guilds current strike, Variety reports. While their striking would not be required, they could refuse to participate out of solidarity with those who are on strike, similar to Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik. Casting decisions have yet to be finalized by creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels, Deadline reports. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. In the crests of Elysian Park overlooking Dodger Stadium and downtown L.A., a group has formed a makeshift dance floor on an asphalt plateau tucked away from the parks dusty trails and grassy hills. Funky soul music flows from two standing speakers as a DJ mixes on digital turntables between them. Everyone dances with abandon, jumping from side to side, twirling and stretching their arms overhead to salute the high afternoon sun. At one point, they link elbows and dance-skip in a joined circle. Flanking the dance floor are guests grazing on free cheese pizza from Pizzanista and swigging from slim cans of Roxie, a zero-proof mocktail. Others glug from reusable jugs theyve brought from home, but unlike your typical club or concert, nobodys bottle is secretly stashed with booze. The air, too, remains noticeably clear of the cannabis smoke that regularly perfumes L.A. gatherings. Though many of the participants embody the brazen confidence that alcohol can induce, everyone here remains completely sober. Participants engage in breathing exercises during the Natural High alcohol-free party at Elysian Park. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) This is Natural High, a renegade alcohol- and substance-free dance party that pops up in outdoor spaces around the city. Hosted by Adam Weiss , the DJ bobbing between the speakers, Natural High grew organically from a weekly meditation and gratitude group that Weiss started during the pandemic, and belongs to a larger, growing trend of substance-free events. In L.A., a lot of people are doing things where it's about getting high or getting really drunk and those things are good for some people, but that's not my personal choice, said Alice Moon, an Echo Park resident who has been attending Weiss wellness events for more than a year. It's nice to be in an environment where sobriety is welcomed. Read more: 7 hip L.A. spots to get nonalcoholic drinks Alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic, but in its aftermath fewer adults are drinking, with many being more mindful when they do. A 2021 Gallup poll revealed that 60% of American adults drink alcohol, down from 65% in 2019. The same poll revealed that even among those who consume alcohol, overindulgence is less common, with surveyors recording an average of 3.6 alcoholic drinks consumed per week, representing the lowest recorded average number of weekly drinks since 2001. Leading the charge is Gen Z, which is drinking an average of 20% less than millennials, according to a report by Berenberg Research, and more likely to prioritize taste over getting a buzz. With Gen Zers reaching legal drinking age and entering nightlife spaces for the first time, event organizers and the nonalcoholic beverage industry are adjusting to accommodate those habits. Thus far, the shift has proved fruitful: In 2022, the non- and low-alcoholic beverage industry surpassed $11 billion in market value . A participant engages in breathing exercises during the Natural High alcohol-free party at Elysian Park. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Organizer Adam Weiss plays the music at the Natural High alcohol-free party at Elysian Park. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) "Besides bars, there's no other place for us to socialize. We had to create something," said Courtney Miller, who along with Brandon Darnell co-founded Superbloom Collective, which hosts donation-based, substance-free dance parties in Santa Monica, along with yoga and movement workshops. Weiss thinks the recent changes in drinking habits reflect a deeper trend. Its been a gradual thing, he said. People are more into self-care and aware of mental health and part of that is being intentional and mindful. Even going to parties, people go because they want to connect. I think the permission to connect without being inebriated is attractive to people. When Radha Agrawal founded the early-morning dance party Daybreaker , the goal was to rebrand sobriety while bringing in elements of nightlife culture, such as community and self-expression. So many of these sober events can feel like a sober event, you know? Agrawal said. We really wanted to reinvent the word and concept as being present, mindful and connected, here and now. But we still wanted it to taste, smell and feel like nightlife. So its a dance party. Its colorful, people dress up. Its held in these wild, playful, beautiful spaces. Read more: A sound bath in a neo-Gothic church? 'It's like a massage for the brain' The first Daybreaker was held in a basement coffee shop in New York's Union Square on the first December snowfall in 2013. The next year, parties popped up in San Francisco. The year after that, the project was invited to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and across the pond to London. To date, Daybreaker has partied with over 500,000 people of all ages across 33 cities in all seven continents. This year, the booze-free dance party is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Together Tour, which includes a stop in Los Angeles on Oct. 7. "So much of nightlife is escapist culture," Agrawal said. "It's 'I want to get out of my stressful day, my stressful relationship.' Daybreaker is this idea of returning to yourself rather than escaping yourself." For first-time attendees, education is paramount. Instead of using substances, Agrawal encourages participants to "dose" themselves a Daybreaker acronym that stands for dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins on the hormones and neurotransmitters that are released naturally when we do things like wake up with the sun, dance to music we love and connect with a larger community. Participants dance at sunset during the Natural High alcohol-free party at Elysian Park. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) "It's like, how can I help each community member release their 'dose'?" Agrawal said. "And if I do, they'll come back and tell 10 of their friends. That's how we grew the movement across the world." Not every sober dance party takes such a scientific approach to sharing the benefits of booze-free socializing, but Natural High, Superbloom Collective and other alcohol-free pop-ups like Ecstatic Dance in Venice help newcomers get comfortable by beginning their events with centering activities like meditation, stretching, breathwork or somatic movement. "When we really started asking ourselves what the reason was to go out, it was like: I like dancing. I like meeting people authentically. I like having deep conversations. I like having fun and letting my guard down a little bit," Darnell explained. Over time, he discovered that doing breathwork or a fitness class could get him in the mind-set to do exactly that, to feel good, hear the music and simply let go. 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) A babys first year of life is expected to be full of milestones. But the experiences Baby Sevi shares with her mom lifestyle content creator Kryz Uy may stand out among other one-year-olds. On top of bonding moments one diaper change at a time, Sevi (also known as Tobi on social media) and Kryz have signed their first endorsement deal with baby product company, MAKUKU Philippines. MAKUKU, established in the Philippines in 2022, makes high-quality and premium baby products, mainly baby diapers. MAKUKU diapers are best known for their unique 0.2cm thin, leak-proof Super Absorbent Polymer or SAP Core. Their diapers also have a 3D Cloud Surface Layer, 360-degree elastic waist band and smart urine display for both babies and mommies comfort! In the Philippines, MAKUKU's current lineup of diapers include: Comfort Fit, a budget friendly option for all-day comfort; Slim Care, a Vitamin C infused diaper that's slim yet powerfully absorbent; Ultra Care, its most premium line of diapers for worry-free overnight protection; and Balance Care, with a 360 bubble waist for the best non-restrictive fit. Photo from MAKUKU MAKUKU has already established its presence in the Asian regions of the Philippines, Indonesia and China, and also in the Middle East. Notably, it has swiftly risen to prominence as one of the most trusted brands in Indonesia. Photo from MAKUKU The company is committed to constantly improving their products and their features to help make babies comfy and mommies happy and worry-free. That is the brands slogan, after all: Comfy baby, happy mommy! The MAKUKU name was derived from cool mom, describing how mommies should feel when using their products. Photo from MAKUKU Kryz is a prominent content creator in the country. She began her vlogging journey in 2012, focusing on styling and makeup. In 2019, she expanded her content to include her married life with her husband, Slater Young. Now, as a mom to three-year-old Scottie and one-year-old Sevi, Kryz has been sharing honest, raw, and real content, with the hopes of helping her fellow moms through her platform. One of the ways she does this is through recommendations of quality products for her kids. She shares how excited she is about this partnership with MAKUKU and Sevis first ever endorsement, especially for a brand that she loves and trusts. Photo from MAKUKU With MAKUKU diapers, Sevi has been really active, very playful hes always comfortable! Hes really acting like a child and being his best self. Aside from sharing her experiences as a working mom, she also candidly talks about the hardships of motherhood, and helps other moms navigate better themselves. Kryz is hardworking, relatable, and the epitome of a digital Filipino mom, which makes her the perfect ambassador for MAKUKU Philippines. Follow MAKUKU online @makukuph on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. MAKUKU baby diapers are available on all e-commerce platforms and leading supermarkets nationwide. This article was originally published in South Dakota Searchlight. Child care is a workforce issue. Providers, business professionals and experts have been saying that for years. On Thursday, the Governors Office of Economic Development and the Department of Social Services announced a $3 million grant program to expand child care in the state. The Community Based Child Care Grant, which uses federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, will be awarded to communities that bring several entities together providers, economic development organizations and governments to present innovative solutions to child care problems, said Joe Fiala, partner relations director for GOED. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Child care impacts business, so it makes sense that we would at least be involved to some extent, Fiala told child care providers and experts at the Early Learner Summit in Brookings on Thursday. States have to obligate or commit ARPA dollars to specific projects by the end of 2024, or the money will be returned to the federal government. The deadline for communities to apply for the new grant program is Oct. 27. Awardees will be notified the first week of November. Related Starting School Before Age 2 Helps Children Avoid Achievement Gaps, Study Finds Unaffordable and inaccessible child care has been widely covered by state and national media in the past couple of years. The issue gained attention during Gov. Kristi Noems reelection campaign and was a topic of discussion during the 2023 legislative session. The city of Sioux Falls released a child care report this summer highlighting the issue at a local level. Planning grants will be awarded up to $50,000, which can cover consultant costs, survey and data costs or providing stipends to volunteers, Fiala said. Implementation grants will be awarded up to $500,000. Three million dollars is a nice pool of money and were excited for that, Fiala said, but I think it will go relatively quickly once we start approving grants. When you think about the whole state, thats probably a drop in the bucket compared to whats needed. Examples of ideas across the state include the development of an early childhood and youth development office in Sioux Falls, which was one of several recommendations from the Sioux Falls Child Care Collaborative report, and Madisons new tax increment financing (TIF) district that will help fund a child care center in that city. It has a population of over 6,000 but only has in-home child care operations. TIF districts provide upfront financing for public improvements and then capture the new and higher property taxes generated by a development project to pay off the financing. If we view child care as basic infrastructure, said Brooke Rollag, executive director of the Lake Area Improvement Corporation, just like roads and streets or any other tool we use to get to work, then we can utilize a TIF for this project as well. There should be several entities engaged in applying for each grant, Fiala said, such as local economic development organizations, community coalitions, local governments, businesses, school districts, nonprofit organizations and existing child care providers. I do not want 25 applications from Sioux Falls, Fiala said. Thats not going to work. I need Sioux Falls to come together tightly and maybe come up with only three or four. South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seth Tupper for questions: info@southdakotasearchlight.com. Follow South Dakota Searchlight on Facebook and Twitter. South Korea's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, Chung Byung-won, Japan's Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, and China's Assistant Foreign Minister, Nong Rong, pose for photographs during their meeting in Seoul South Korea's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, Chung Byung-won, Japan's Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, and China's Assistant Foreign Minister, Nong Rong, pose for photographs during their meeting in Seoul By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) -Senior diplomats from South Korea, China and Japan agreed on Tuesday that their countries' leaders would meet at the "earliest convenient time", Seoul's foreign ministry said after a rare meeting aimed at kickstarting trilateral exchanges. The three countries had agreed to hold a summit every year starting in 2008 to foster regional cooperation, but that initiative has been frayed by bilateral feuds and the COVID-19 pandemic. The last summit was in 2019. Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement that specific dates remained under discussion and that the countries' foreign ministers would meet "in a couple of months". South Korea is this year's host for three-way meetings and has proposed a summit in late December, Japanese broadcaster TBS reported. Japan's foreign minister, Yoko Kamikawa, said the three countries share the need to restart high-level talks, including summits, "as soon as possible". "I believe it is very valuable to discuss the various challenges the region faces," she told a briefing in Tokyo. The latest meeting was seen partly intended to assuage Beijing's concerns over the two U.S. allies' tightening cooperation after Seoul and Tokyo agreed this year to end legal, diplomatic and trade disputes over issues dating to Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea. "We unanimously believe that carrying out cooperation is in the common interests of the three parties," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday. "We should work together to strengthen practical cooperation ... and make new contributions to regional peace, stability, and prosperity." South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have taken steps to mend ties and in August held a historic trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, where the three vowed to boost cooperation, including on defence and economic security. A senior South Korean official said China has been proactive in seeking trilateral cooperation and arranging meetings since bilateral ties soured over the deployment in 2017 of a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. "I'm sure there should be some discomfort on their side regarding our increasingly close trilateral security partnerships with the United States and Japan," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. "There seems to be a view there that they need to properly manage bilateral ties with us, as they saw how their THAAD responses backfired and fuelled anti-China sentiment to serious levels." Beijing will most likely look to leverage trilateral trade ties to counterbalance the U.S. friend-shoring strategy, promote people-to-people exchanges, and enhance communication and dialogue with Seoul and Tokyo on security and defence matters, said Tong Zhao, senior fellow at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Japan and South Korea have an interest in avoiding conflicts and maintaining a stable security relationship with China, and Beijing's assistance in slowing down, if not halting, North Korea's extensive nuclear development program, he added. "These shared interests open up new avenues for strategic communication, confidence-building, and measures to prevent crises," Zhao said. China's premier has traditionally attended the trilateral summits, and South Korea is also pushing for a separate visit by President Xi Jinping. The latest meeting involved South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won, Japanese Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi, and Nong Rong, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs. (Reporting by Josh Smith and Hyonhee Shin in Seoul; Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing, Soo-hyang Choi in Seoul and Sakura Murakami and Satoshi Sugiyama in Tokyo; Editing by Gerry Doyle) (Bloomberg) -- South Korea is seeking to have Chinese President Xi Jinping visit for the first time in about a decade, seeing a trip as turning a page in relations between the two that have shifted as Seoul more closely aligns itself with the US. Most Read from Bloomberg The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol is working to arrange a visit, a senior government official said over the weekend. The comments came after Xi met South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on the sidelines of the Asian Games on Saturday and said he will seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap News agency reported. Yoons national security adviser Cho Tae-yong said in an interview with MBN cable TV Sunday that Xis visit would be difficult this year but possible next year. It is expected that this will be a turning point in Korea-China relations, Cho said. This is the goal we must achieve. The movement for a possible visit comes as the US for months has been pressuring security partners including South Korea, the Netherlands, Taiwan and Japan to comply with sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced chips a move seen as targeting Chinas tech sector. Xi last visited South Korea in July 2014, becoming the first Chinese leader to visit Seoul ahead of Pyongyang since China established diplomatic ties with South Korea in 1992. During his trip, he discussed ways on curbing North Koreas atomic ambitions with then President Park Geun-hye and setting up direct won-yuan trading. South Korean cosmetics stocks rallied Monday amid expectations of improved ties with China. Kolmar Korea Co. rose as much as 7.5%, the most since Aug. 11. Cosmax Inc. soared as much as 5.4% and Amorepacific Corp. climbed as much as 3.1%. South Korean travel-related stocks including Hana Tour Service Inc. jumped as much as 4.6% on the back of the news. On Saturday, Xi said China and South Korea are close neighbors and inseparable partners, and the advancement of bilateral ties serves the common interests of both countries and bodes well for regional peace and development, state-owned Xinhua News reported. South Korea is also working to revive a three-way summit with Japan and China those talks last happened in 2019 and then stalled, initially due to the Covid-19 pandemic and then amid political tensions. South Koreas ambassador to Tokyo said in an interview last week that high-level talks are underway for the summit to happen this year, noting that this wouldnt affect Seouls ties with Washington. The foreign ministers from South Korea and Japan met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to help advance a three-way summit and senior officials from the three nations are set to meet in Seoul on Tuesday. Yoon, a conservative, has worked with US President Joe Biden to bolster security cooperation to take on threats such as North Koreas nuclear program and Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Yoon has sought a delicate balancing between China, his countrys biggest trade partner, and the US, his countrys main security ally. Hes also shown support for Biden administration calls to restructure global supply chains to reduce dependence on China, drawing criticism from Beijing. Beijing has found itself under pressure in the wake of revived cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the US that has bolstered joint military drills, including missile-defense exercises and information sharing. Their improving relations also led to a historic summit of Biden, Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in August. --With assistance from Akshay Chinchalkar. (Updates with stock moves in seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have reported that 34 Russian officers were killed in the attack on the headquarters of Russias Black Sea Fleet in occupied Sevastopol. Source: press office of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Quote: "Updated information on enemy losses as a result of the SOFs special operation to destroy the Minsk landing ship and the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. Because the Minsk landing ship was due to go on combat duty the next day, personnel were on board. Irretrievable losses amounted to 62 occupiers. Following the destruction of the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, 34 officers died, including the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Another 105 occupiers were wounded. The headquarters building is beyond repair. We are moving forward!" Previously: The attacks on the Russian submarine Rostov-on-Don and the Minsk landing ship on the night of 13 September were carried out by the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The successful operation by the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine resulted in a missile strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol on 22 September. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! A Springfield man who was set to stand a jury trial Monday for a 2019 murder in the 2000 block of South First Street entered a plea of guilty in Sangamon County court late Friday afternoon. Cody Weller, 43, faces 20 to 60 in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The state's attorney's office recommended to cap the sentence at 30 years, but that will be at the discretion of Presiding Judge Ryan Cadagin when Weller is sentenced on Dec. 15.. Weller was accused of stabbing Max S. Oglesby, 31, of Springfield on June 23, 2019. He was arrested by Springfield Police the next day. More: Illinois Supreme Court opens new interactive learning center One of Weller's attorneys, Mark Wykoff, called the plea "an unanticipated development." Immediately after his Sept. 19 final pre-trial hearing, Wykoff said Weller "expressed a desire to accept responsibility, and that's exactly what he then did." That led to a motion being filed and Friday's court hearing. Police reports indicated that Weller confronted the victim over a theft of $100. A disturbance ensued and Weller stabbed Oglesby multiple times before fleeing the residence, police said. Weller was arrested based on witness statements, evidence collected at the scene and private security video surveillance footage recovered in the area, police said. There was no apparent past history between Weller and Oglesby. Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: A Springfield man pleads guilty in 2019 murder case Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh sit in a truck on their way to Kornidzor in Armenia's Syunik region on Monday. (Stepan Poghosyan / Photolure via Associated Press) The exodus began late Sunday, a trickle of vehicles that soon turned into an unceasing stream flowing along the mountain highway above Nagorno-Karabakh toward the Armenian border. By Monday, almost a week after the Azerbaijani military took back Nagorno-Karabakh in a 24-hour blitz, more than 6,650 ethnic Armenians had left the enclave and crossed into Armenia, the Armenian government said. Many more are expected to follow, in a mass migration that is almost certain to transform the character of a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but long inhabited mostly by people pledging allegiance to Armenia. In the city of Stepanakert, the region's capital (Azerbaijan calls it Khankendi), there were tear-filled farewells as people took leave of their homes and engaged in the somber calculus of what to salvage and what to leave behind. "Staying, for us, is impossible. Living under Azerbaijani and Turkish authority, we can't do it. We can't live with them, can't live under their rule," said Hovik Asmaryan, referring to the prospect of Azerbaijani control with the backing of ally Turkey of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenians call Artsakh. Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh chat upon arrival in Goris, Armenia, on Monday. (Vasily Krestyaninov / Associated Press) A Syrian Armenian who left Syria in 2012 because of the war there, Asmaryan had settled in Stepanakert, set up a farm and opened up a restaurant. Now he was waiting for a break in the congestion on the highway to Armenia before he, too, made his exit. "The restaurant and its equipment, the farm we've left them as they are. My car is too small to take things with me. I can barely fit my wife and children in it," Asmaryan said. Read more: Two years after a bloody war, Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions are running high again. Why? "Everything we built over the years, everything we saved, all of it is going to stay," he added, before sighing and repeating: "All of it is going to stay." Pro-Armenia secessionists had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts, which together cover an area 1 times the size of Delaware, since the end of a yearslong war in 1994 that saw some 30,000 people killed and more than 1 million people the majority of them Azeri displaced. Though the territory remained legally under Azerbaijan, separatists set up an Armenia-backed breakaway government and standing army. A 44-day flare-up of hostilities in 2020 saw Azerbaijan claw back those districts and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the strategic Lachin Corridor, the enclave's only road link to Armenia. In December, Azerbaijan blocked Lachin, essentially besieging Nagorno-Karabakh and causing food and fuel shortages, despite the presence of Russian peacekeeping troops. An ethnic Armenian boy from Nagorno-Karabakh looks out from a car upon arrival in Goris, Armenia, on Monday. (Vasily Krestyaninov / Associated Press) Last week, after Azerbaijan announced that six people had been killed because of mines planted by pro-Armenian forces, the Azerbaijani military launched an offensive to consolidate its control over the region, shrugging off the Russian peacekeepers. The lightning operation soon forced a capitulation from the breakaway government, but not before some 200 people were killed and 400 wounded. The campaign also touched off fears of a pogrom among the territory's roughly 120,000 ethnic Armenians (Azerbaijani observers claim the real number is closer to a quarter of that), despite assurances from President Ilham Aliyev that "the Armenian population of Karabakh are our citizens" and that his government's reintegration efforts would turn the enclave into a "paradise" for all its residents. On Monday, at a news conference alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Aliyev said: "It is crystal clear that, independent of their ethnicity, the people living in the Karabakh region are Azerbaijani people, so their safety and security is ensured by the Azerbaijani state. Azerbaijani officials have discussed an amnesty for those who lay down arms and accept the authority of Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, though it's unclear whether that would cover those alleged to have committed atrocities during the 2020 fighting or the earlier war. Read more: They lay competing claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. The war over it defines them both Since its quick victory, Azerbaijan has reopened the Lachin Corridor for those who want to leave Nagorno-Karabakh and allowed aid convoys to enter. On Sunday, it linked Stepanakert to Azerbaijan's national power grid and restored electricity. "It demonstrates that our intentions of reintegrating these people and meeting their basic demands are serious," said Esmira Jafarova, a former Azerbaijani diplomat and board member of the Baku-based Center of Analysis of International Relations. Those moves, however, don't really change the situation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a televised address Sunday. "If real conditions for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to live in their homes and effective mechanisms of protection from ethnic cleansing are not created, the chances that the Nagorno-Karabakh will see leaving their homeland as the only way to save their lives and identity is greatly increased," he said, adding that Armenia was prepared to welcome Armenians who flee. Pashinyan's address came as protesters gathered for their daily protests in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, against his government and what many see as his appeasement before Azerbaijani threats. Demonstrations continued Monday. For many, the demise of what separatists called the Artsakh Republic, one of a constellation of self-proclaimed republics created after the Soviet Union's collapse, has geopolitical significance far beyond Nagorno-Karabakh. That Moscow did not come to the aid of Armenia, a longtime ally, they say, is a measure of how little a Ukraine-obsessed Russia is able now to steer affairs in what was once its sphere of influence. For Armenia, aligning with Russia has proved to be the wrong choice, Pashinyan said in his Sunday address. A woman cries as she and other refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh gather in a temporary camp after arriving in Armenia. (Associated Press) The attacks on Armenia carried out by Azerbaijan in recent years allow us to draw an obvious conclusion that the external security structures in which we participate are ineffective from the point of view of the state interests and security of Armenia, Pashinyan said. He added that events in Nagorno-Karabakh raised "serious questions" about the goals and motives of Russia's peacekeepers. Pashinyan's broadside was the latest in a series of moves signaling Armenia's shift away from Moscow and toward Washington. Earlier this month, U.S. and Armenian troops conducted a joint military exercise, and Pashinyan's wife visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Those overtures did not go unnoticed by Moscow. In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh as the work of a powerful lobby of Western-linked nongovernmental organizations seeking to undermine Russian influence. Read more: Around Nagorno-Karabakh, an all-out media war unfolds "We know who is interested in this and who is leading it," Lavrov said. "We are strongly convinced that the Armenian people remember our common history and connect their history with Russia and other friendly countries first and foremost, the countries in this region, rather than those overseas." At the same time, however, the defeat of the breakaway forces in Nagorno-Karabakh neutralizes a long-running problem that could have given Western powers an opening to encroach on Moscow's backyard, Russian politician Maxim Shevchenko told the newspaper Pravda on Saturday. "The Karabakh problem ... brought the United States and the European Union to the Caucasus," Shevchenko said. "Now they have no reason to get into it. They are now sitting gnashing their teeth." Shevchenko also suggested that Armenia's small population, relative lack of natural resources and few transnational links make it a less attractive ally when compared with Azerbaijan's riches and potential markets. Read more: A new weapon complicates an old war in Nagorno-Karabakh For all its crowing over last week's military triumph, Azerbaijan faces challenges reintegrating Nagorno-Karabakh. Hundreds of thousands of Azeris, many of them descended from those displaced decades ago, hope to move to the region. Some 5,000 Azeris have already returned to some of the areas recaptured in the 2020 war, including the town of Shusha (which Armenians call Shushi) and surrounding areas, with plans to resettle more than 100,000 people by 2026, said Zaur Shiriyev, a Baku-based Caucasus analyst with the International Crisis Group. Although Azerbaijan has embarked on a reconstruction drive, said Jafarova of the Center of Analysis of International Relations, it will take some time before the area can handle resettlement. "People do want to go back, but there's landmine clearance, which is a huge security threat," she said, adding that government estimates expect de-mining operations to cost $25 billion and take three decades. On Monday, Azerbaijani negotiators met with separatists in the town of Khojaly to hash out a political settlement. Read more: Bass, Krekorian call on Biden to act on Nagorno-Karabakh blockade The pro-Armenia government in Nagorno-Karabakh released a statement assuring residents that it would continue to work until all those who wanted to move to Armenia could do so. It also asked public officials, healthcare professionals and law enforcement agencies to continue their professional duties. It called on residents to postpone immediate travel plans to allow the transportation of wounded and displaced people, and said it would provide free fuel to those leaving starting Monday afternoon. On Monday night, an explosion rocked a gas station near Stepanakert as residents waited to fill up their cars to leave. The blast killed 20 people and wounded nearly 300, scores of them in grave condition, authorities said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. Earlier, Gev Iskajyan, a member of the Armenian National Committee of America and director of the Armenian National Committee of Artsakh, which operates in Stepanakert, predicted that the majority of Nagorno-Karabakh's residents would be unwilling to take their chances under rule from Baku and would "be gone by the end of the week." "Looking back to Azerbaijan's history, I don't know how in any way authorities can guarantee the safety and the rights of the ethnic Armenian populace," he said, taking a break from coordinating departures out of Stepanakert. "The problem isnt electricity or aid; its living under a regime that wants to subjugate you, a regime that cannot show a single Armenian community that exists within its territory. You're asking people to play Russian roulette with their lives." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for the L.A. Times biggest news, features and recommendations in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Steelers plane from Las Vegas made an emergency landing in Kansas City early Monday. The Steelers were flying back from their win in Las Vegas Sunday night. The aviation department at Kansas City International Airport told Channel 11 the plane landed safely after experiencing engine trouble. Our team charter plane was unexpectedly diverted to Kansas City early this morning on our way back to Pittsburgh following our game in Las Vegas. Everyone on the plane is safe, and we are making necessary plans to arrive back in Pittsburgh later today. Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) September 25, 2023 A Steelers spokesman said everyone on board was safe. The team finally landed at Pittsburgh International Airport a little after 1:10 p.m. Plane carrying Steelers finally lands in Pgh after original plane was diverted to KC bc of engine issue @WPXI pic.twitter.com/yrReWGxHL2 Gabriella DeLuca (@GabriellaDeLuca) September 25, 2023 Earlier in the day, Cam Heyward joked on X with Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce that the team needed a ride to Pittsburgh. Swift was spotted at Kansas Citys victory over Chicago as a guest of Kelce. Dang emergency landing in KC.I think its due to @minkfitz_21 roughing the passer call but seriously landing KC. Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) September 25, 2023 Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 3 dead after crash in Fayette County State Police looking for endangered man believed to be in Allegheny County Pittsburgh Police looking for 2 missing teen girls VIDEO:2 armed robbery suspects flee Pittsburgh; arrested after police chase in Penn Hills DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Strictly Come Dancing fans expressed concern for dancer Nancy Xu when she was spotted bleeding from her head after her inaugural dance of the new series. Xu is partnered with celebrity contestant Les Dennis for the 21st series of the popular BBC dance competition. During the week one episode on Saturday (23 September), Dennis and Xu danced a tango to Dont You Want Me by The Human League. While the duo ultimately ended up with the lowest point total of the evening, their dance drew positive words from judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse , Anton DuBeke and Shirley Ballas . As they were stood listening to the judges verdicts, Xu could be seen bleeding from her left ear. After a while, she is seen addressing the wound, dabbing it with what appeared to be cotton wool. After the broadcast, viewers expressed concern for Xu on social media. What happened to Nancy? Looks like her neck is bleeding, one viewer wrote on X/Twitter. Nancy is bleeding! Poor Nancy! another fan wrote. Is Nancy ok, she seemed to be holding cotton wool to her neck off camera in Claudias area and she moved it quick when she was on screen and she seemed to have blood on her neck? someone else remarked. Les Dennis and an injured Nancy Xu on Strictly' (BBC) Dennis and Xus dance wasnt the only incident of note during the series premiere. Angela Rippon, the veteran newsreader who is now the oldest contestant to ever compete on Strictly, stunned viewers and the judging panel with an age-defying performance, culminating with an acrobatic high kick. The former BBC News presenter danced the Cha Cha to Get the Party Started by Shirley Bassey, alongside pro partner Kai Widdrington. Her performance drew a standing ovations from the judges, with Horwood branding it jaw-dropping. Rippon ultimately finished the evening in joint second place, behind actor Nigel Harman, whose paso doble to Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana saw him emerge as the series early frontrunner. You can find the full leaderboard as it stands here. The episode also featured an emotional dance from soap actor Bobby Brazier, whose father, presenter Jeff Brazier, was in attendance. Partnered with Dianne Buswell, Brazier, who is also the son of the late reality star Jade Goody, danced a foxtrot to All About You by McFly, reducing his father to tears in the crowd. Strictly Come Dancings live shows air on Saturday nights on BBC One. A while back, Katrina Mosler set up a barrier around the trash cans outside her rural northern California home. Bears had been invading the bins and tearing through bungee cords meant to keep them shut. But at about 3 a.m. on a Tuesday in August, she heard a commotion. The motion detector lights outside lit up. A persistent bear wanted to get at the trash despite the enclosure. Wide awake, Mosler decided to check something before returning to bed. She logged on to her student loan servicer website. What she saw was a smiley face and a balance of zero. Mosler, 47, is one of about 804,000 people who found themselves in the same enviable situation this summer. Her outstanding student loan balance, which she had been paying down for roughly 20 years, was gone. When Katrina Mosler of McKinleyville, California, checked her student loan balance early one Tuesday morning in August, this is what she saw. This group of borrowers signed up for what, decades ago, was a new option from the federal government: Making regular payments aligned to their income for 20 or 25 years. When they hit that threshold, the rest of their balance was supposed to be forgiven. A review, however, found that for some of them, years of payments hadnt added up to an erased balance. The federal Education Department is correcting a miscalculation in the number of payments a legion of borrowers made. Mosler, of an area called McKinleyville, California, said the $27,000 she owed hung over her life. Now, as one of the 804,000 whose debts have been erased, theres room to think about saving for a down payment on a house, instead of the rental surrounded by redwoods, and bears, where she lives with her husband. Others with student loan debt whose balances were cleared report paying what they originally borrowed, or twice that, and still staring down thousands of dollars to repay. Mosler started college in 1995 at what was then Humboldt State University, taking out student loans to finance a physical therapy degree. But she dropped out two years later and put her loans into forbearance, meaning she didn't make payments but interest accrued. The size of what she thought was a manageable amount of debt ballooned. When you drop out, theres no guidance, she said. I was 20 and struggling and just pretty aimless. Student loan interest crisis? New bill could eliminate rates for many borrowers Student loan interest: Never making a dent in the debt Mosler returned to school a decade after her first go, only to graduate with a degree she realized wouldnt lead to her dream career as a physical therapist. And while the income-based repayment option allowed her to stay afloat as she worked a low-wage retail job, the interest combined with confusion over whether her payments counted made it feel like a balance of zero was moving further and further out of reach. Even when she eventually found success in massage therapy, the debt continued to haunt her. That relief happened overnight feels surreal for Mosler and many others who got that smiley face. These golden emails, as student loan expert and advocate Betsy Mayotte describes them, came after decades of sacrifices made to keep up with the payments. Borrowers including Mosler shared some of their tales of forgiveness on Reddit, on what Mayotte labeled the "Mega-thread for the golden emails." Their experiences leading up to the erasure of their balances, and the basic expenses they can now afford as a result, show the extent to which the student loan system has affected hundreds of thousands of older low- and middle-income borrowers. Amid debate over who should pay and be accountable for the countrys spiraling student loan crisis are borrowers who lived up to what they signed up for and did as told but still haven't shed their debt. Student loan borrowers protest the GOP outside the Republican National Committee for denying student loan relief to 40 million borrowers in Washington, D.C., last November. Theyre promising that youre going to have it retired in 20 or 25 years, said Christopher Gaunya, who, at 61, thought he would never be able to buy a home or save enough to retire comfortably. Then a few weeks ago, Gaunya eagerly refreshed his inbox and there it was an email notifying him, essentially, that he was off the hook. Off the hook for the nearly $150,000 he owed on $63,000 student loans dating back to the 1980s, an amount that snowballed thanks to interest locked in at more than 8%. Off the hook for debt that at one point had Gaunya contemplating suicide. It feels like I can breathe again, said the acupuncturist, who is based in Massachusetts. He is one of more than a million people who signed onto a Change.org petition calling on the president to cancel loans and restore borrowers bankruptcy rights. Gaunya completed much of his higher education, including a bachelor's in geography, without borrowing a lot to finance it. A job working for the state helped him keep up with the payments. But in the mid-1990s, he decided to switch careers and study acupuncture. That meant tens of thousands in additional student loans, all for training that he said ultimately failed to teach him what he needed to know to make a living in the field. Falling through the cracks of a broken system Gaunya persevered, getting an acupuncture contract job at a hospital and eventually a full-time gig with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Signing up for income-driven repayment years after completing acupuncture school and only after he did lots of his own research allowed him to get his payments under control. Christopher Gaunya, an acupuncturist in Massachusetts, felt trapped in his student loan debt. The target of 20 years kept moving farther and farther out, he said of his income-driven repayment plan. Now, It feels like I can breathe again." Under income-driven repayment, however, many borrowers monthly bills are so low they dont touch or barely graze the principal. Their debts can mushroom. That was the case for Mosler, whose loan payments never seemed to reduce her debt. You look at your bill. Your payment is for $113, and $8 of that goes to the principal. The rest goes to interest. It just feels really defeating. The Biden administration had for more than a year been working on an adjustment to recalculate the number of payments some borrowers made, which Education Secretary Miguel Cardona framed as a fix to past administrative failures. The outstanding debt of affected borrowers was what remained on their loans after the equivalent of 20 to 25 years worth of payments. For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress toward forgiveness, Cardona said in a July statement announcing the news. The 804,000 borrowers whose loans were discharged through the adjustment mark one of the largest groups of former students whove seen relief under the Biden administration this year. An additional 1.1 million borrowers have had their debt forgiven through defense to repayment, in which students who were defrauded by their colleges are eligible for relief. An additional 175,000 borrowers who worked for more than a decade in public service finally got the relief they were promised back when they chose to go into these modestly paying careers. The wait until 'everything says zero, zero, zero' When he got the first email notifying him of his prospective relief, Gaunya nearly cried. I got shaky and welled up and was like, Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Vibrating with excitement, he forced himself to not act like this is real. He wanted to wait until he got the official email, until everything says zero, zero, zero. Like pretty much all of Bidens efforts to relieve student debt, this one-time adjustment was almost immediately met with a lawsuit. A couple weeks after the adjustments announcement, two right-leaning think tanks the Cato Institute and Mackinac Center for Public Policy sued the administration, arguing it lacked the authority to forgive the outstanding debt. But a federal judge quickly dismissed the lawsuit. Now that its reality, Gaunya is allowing himself to celebrate. Even if more lawsuits challenge the adjustment, hes convinced any relief already doled out will be impossible to recuperate. The pause is over. As student loan payments resume, how to make sure you're prepared Student loan debt forgiveness, once an idea limited to progressive circles, moved into the mainstream. Biden, once seen as a centrist Democrat, made it a campaign promise. Some members of Congress, particularly those on the right, have argued student debt relief is a Band-Aid and that pressure instead ought to be on colleges for reducing tuition costs. Many Americans believe relief for borrowers is a handout at the expense of taxpayer dollars. It makes me mad when people are like, Im a taxpayer. I dont see why I have to pay for your mistakes,' said Lisa Frisby, 52. Im telling you, Ive been paying on that student loan. A package of bills called the Lowering Education Costs and Debt Act, is made up of five proposals meant to target issues that are driving "skyrocketing" higher education costs, according to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R.-La., who introduced the legislation this year alongside four other Republicans. When Frisby started college in 1993, she was on her own to finance a degree. She borrowed money to pay for housing, tuition and books, and got a job so she would have health insurance. A pair of degrees in computer science and management information sciences from her New Jersey university, at first, seemed to pay off. The salary from her first job was enough to cover her rent and make student loan payments. But 25 years after graduation, the debt wasnt gone even though Frisby signed up for an income-driven repayment option and paid consistently for all that time. Somewhere along the way, she said, a record of some of her payments was lost. There was no proof of nearly a decades worth of them. Fast forward to this year: After about $70,000 worth of payments on a $40,000 loan, the golden email means shes now finally free. Lisa Frisby, a nurse in New Jersey, had been paying down her student loans since the late 90s, and kept paying during the pause on payments during the pandemic. Over the years, she paid about $70,000 including interest, though she borrowed $40,000 to pay for her education. The balance on her loans was recently forgiven because of a one-time federal Education Department adjustment correcting past errors. I cant tell you how relieved I am, said Frisby, who bought the first new car shes ever owned since her balance was erased. Frisby returned to school to become a nurse, avoiding additional loans by getting help from family to pay tuition and shopping for the cheapest program she could find. Shes actually due a refund because of all the payments she made, and if that money materializes, she said she will pay off all her credit card debt. Ill just have my car and my mortgage, she said. I don't need to be rich. I just want to be at zero." Free to focus on the things that matter Emmy Yoder, 62, and her husband spent their careers in public service, he in social work, and she in public school teaching. But they never managed to qualify for public service loan forgiveness (PSLF), apparently the result of bureaucratic lapses. Her husband, who has an autoimmune disease, ended up having his student loan debt forgiven because of his illness. Yoder, unable to secure PSLF, had to sign up for income-driven repayment. Yet relief always felt fleeting, especially with the $40,000 in interest that accrued since she took out her loan in 1997 not to mention the costs of raising their twins, now 29. Yoder made payments for more than two decades, though at times had to go into forbearance. Life isnt cheap, said Yoder, who before retiring last year worked at a high-poverty school in Missouri. Trying to balance it all was so difficult. It was a little embarrassing to admit that I wasnt able to pay them off, but it wasnt for lack of trying, she said, noting she was told twice that she couldnt get PSLF because her school district wasnt low-income enough. (PSLF does not have such rules.) I never did understand how I didnt qualify for that. Its such an impossible situation, trying to understand. Emmy Yoder, 62, holds her granddaughter, whom she can now watch full-time thanks to the relief she received through the one-time adjustment. The now-retired teacher in Missouri was denied forgiveness despite being eligible for it through various programs. Hefty interest made it difficult to shrink the debt. A little over a month ago, she got the initial email explaining she might be eligible for relief through the one-time adjustment. Ive never played the lottery; Ive never won anything in my life, said Yoder, one of the other signatories on the Change.org petition. This was amazing. While theyre already retired, now Yoder and her husband finally have a lot of breathing room. One of her daughters, also a teacher, asked if Yoder can help with child care and now, Yoder feels comfortable saying yes. She doesnt have to get a part-time job to keep up with her student loan payments. Now I can be fully retired and help my daughter, help the next generation. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Student loan debt erased for 804K people. Then came tears, disbelief. Our experts answer readers' student loan questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess student loans). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Student loan borrowers gathered at the Supreme Court today to tell the court that student loan relief is legal on January 2, 2023. Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for We, The 45 Million Democratic lawmakers want to give sexual assault survivors the opportunity to defer their payments. The bill, introduced on Wednesday, would give the option to defer payments for three years. A similar bill was introduced last year, but did not pass. Survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and stalking may one day have the ability to defer their student loan payments for up to three years if their ability to come to school was affected as a result. Rep. Madeleine Dean, Sen. John Fetterman , Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and eight other Democrats introduced HR 5588 on Wednesday days before student loan payments are set to resume on October 1. In his endorsement of the Student Loan Deferment for Sex-Based Harassment Survivors Act, Fetterman brought up his time away from the Senate earlier this year when he received treatment for his clinical depression . "Getting help allowed me to be the father and husband I want to be, and the Senator that Pennsylvania deserves," Fetterman said in a press release . "I strongly encourage anyone who is struggling or in crisis to get help and extending that opportunity to our students is absolutely the right thing to do. This bill will make it possible for students to focus on their mental health without the burden of student loan payments." The bill would also change the definition of sexual violence to include "sex-based harassment" and allow more survivors to access the program. Nine national groups, including the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and the YWCA, have endorsed the bill so far. A previous version of the bill was introduced last summer but did not move past the House. As the October deadline for federal student loan payments looms, Democratic lawmakers are looking for ways to soften the blow for borrowers. Last week, six Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren called out student loan servicer MOHELA for its slow processing of documents that could force certain borrowers to pay back loans they don't need to. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been taking steps to correct student loans for various borrowers being charged too much. Additionally, President Joe Biden is still attempting to implement widespread student debt forgiveness after the Supreme Court struck down his first plan to wipe out up to $20,000 of debt per borrower. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 23) The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has already seized a record high 31.5 billion worth of smuggled goods this year. Ito po iyong highest ever record po ng Bureau of Customs, considering na hindi pa po tapos ang taon, said BOC director Verne Enciso in a media forum on Saturday, as cited by the Presidential Communications Office. [Translation: This is highest ever record by the Bureau of Customs, considering that the year is not yet done.] The BOC said that commodities infringing on intellectual property rights are on the top list of seized items. The bureau also confiscated large amounts of cigarettes and drugs, it added. Meanwhile, 3.3 billion worth of agricultural products were also seized this year. Aside from setting a price ceiling on rice, Executive Order No. 39 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also warrants inspection of warehouses suspected of hoarding and storing smuggled rice. Enciso said that 236,571 sacks of rice imported from Vietnam, Thailand, and Pakistan were seized earlier in four warehouses in Bulacan. The BOC added that it has also uncovered 36,000 sacks of rice in Tondo, Manila and 20,000 sacks in Las Pinas City and Bacoor, Cavite. The bureau said claimants have 15 days to provide proof of payment of taxes and other regulatory duties for the imported rice stored in these facilities. Tens of millions of Americans are gearing up to make student loan payments in the coming weeks for the first time in years as a pandemic-era reprieve finally comes to an end. Payments have already begun pouring into the Education Department as some borrowers begin to repay. But the major test for the federal student loan system and the Biden administration lies ahead when official due dates arrive in October. Individual borrowers face a series of decisions about how to repay: whether they should enroll in the Biden administrations income-driven repayment program or avail themselves of a new, temporary forbearance option that postpones payments but drives up interest costs. At the same time, a prolonged government shutdown could complicate the Education Departments ability to manage the student loan program just as payments are resuming. And millions of Americans are still waiting to see how Bidens do-over on mass student debt cancellation shakes out. Heres our quick guide to some of the moving pieces: When will student loan debt payments resume? After more than three years of a pandemic pause, tens of millions of Americans will be required to make a payment on their federal student loans at some point in October but there will be fewer repercussions than usual if they dont. The exact date depends on when during the month a borrowers individual due date falls. But interest accrual on the loans which had been kept at 0 percent since March 2020 began on Sept. 1. The Biden administration has initiated a safety net program for borrowers who have trouble paying. The Education Department wont report borrowers who fail to make their monthly payments as delinquent to credit bureaus. But interest will continue accruing on their loans during that forbearance period. The department says that flexibility will extend until October 2024. What happens with student loan bills if the federal government shuts down? Federal student loan borrowers will still owe payments and theyll continue to be charged interest even if the federal government shuts down. Even if the government isnt fully funded, borrowers payment obligations remain the same. Thats been the case during previous shutdowns. But the amount or quality of customer service that borrowers receive from the government could be in jeopardy during a government shutdown. The Education Department relies on Congress to appropriate money each year to pay loan servicing companies such as Nelnet, MOHELA and Aidvantage to manage borrowers payments. Some of that funding is spread across multiple years, giving the agency some leeway to continue normal loan servicing operations for some amount of time. Whether borrowers experience any disruptions would likely depend on the length of the shutdown. But its worth noting that the Education Department has less runway now than it did during previous shutdowns. The department is already dealing with a tight budget on loan servicing that earlier this year forced it to curtail call center hours and allow for higher hold times. The Biden administration is promoting an optional income-driven repayment program called SAVE. How can people qualify? The SAVE Plan, which allows most borrowers to have lower monthly payments and caps the interest they have to pay in some cases, rolled out earlier this summer. Any borrower with a direct federal student loan except parent borrowers or those who are in default on their debt qualify for the program. Borrowers can sign up directly at StudentAid.gov or with their loan servicer. The Education Department says that more than four million borrowers are already enrolled in the program. That consists mostly of borrowers who were converted from a previous iteration of the income-driven repayment plan. The department has said that about 1 million of the borrowers were new sign-ups to the program in recent weeks. What are the odds Republicans in Congress will succeed in blocking Bidens newest repayment program? While the Biden administration has promoted the program as the most generous repayment option in history, Republican lawmakers have blasted the cost to taxpayers of reducing borrowers monthly payments and providing new interest subsidies. Republicans have seized on the programs $156 billion price tag over a decade, which the Congressional Budget Office and outside experts have said is likely to be significantly higher than that. GOP lawmakers have also argued that the program will provide unnecessary benefits to borrowers at taxpayer expense and potentially incentivize some colleges to raise prices further. House Republicans have advanced legislation to nullify Bidens SAVE plan thats expected to come up for a floor vote in the coming weeks. And theres a similar effort underway in the Senate. Republicans are seeking to nullify the repayment plan under the Congressional Review Act, a tool that allows lawmakers to swiftly overturn recently enacted executive branch policies. It will allow Republicans to force a vote on the measure in the Democratic-controlled Senate. A similar GOP-led effort to repeal Bidens student debt relief program earlier this year, before the Supreme Court struck it down, passed Congress with a handful of Democratic votes. But Biden swiftly vetoed the measure and there wasnt enough support to override the veto. Even if some moderate Democrats again side with Republicans to block the SAVE plan, Biden is sure to once again issue a veto to protect a key student loan priority of his administration. What is Biden doing to wipe away large swaths of student debt? The Biden administration has launched a regulatory process to create a new mass debt cancellation program after the Supreme Court struck down its first attempt earlier this year. The Education Department plans to convene public rulemaking sessions this fall where a federal advisory committee will debate potential policy options. Those rulemaking sessions could be delayed in a protracted government shutdown. At the same time, the Biden administration is also continuing to announce different batches of loan forgiveness thats targeted at populations of borrowers. Just this last week, the Education Department announced $37 million of loan forgiveness for former students who it determined were misled by the University of Phoenix, one of the nations largest for-profit schools. Thats on top of tens of billions of dollars worth of debt relief that its previously announced for students who attended other for-profit schools, public service workers and borrowers who have severe disabilities. The News A large-scale new study of political advertising will challenge some popular Democratic Party theories about how to win elections, and argue that advertising for everything from presidential candidates to English muffins should be based more in experimentation than in theory. The peer-reviewed study, set to be released soon in the American Political Science Review, examined 146 experiments on 617 advertisements Democratic campaigns produced in 2018 and 2020. The ads were tested with 500,000 survey respondents on a research platform called Swayable. The studys authors then asked independent political scientists to tag the advertisements by elements of their style and substance in what appears to be the largest randomly-controlled test of American political ads ever conducted. The puzzling finding: Some ads were markedly more successful than others, but there was no persistent pattern to what worked best, according to a presentation on the data by Swayable co-founder and CEO James Slezak, who is one of the studys authors. In particular, the study offers challenges to the various corners of a Democratic Party stuck in a long-running argument between populists and popularists, identity politicians and class warriors all of them seeking to direct the vast torrents of money that flow through various committees. A couple of the surprising non-findings: Popularism the obvious-seeming notion that campaigns should focus on positions that poll well and avoid ones that poll badly didnt clearly win out in the data. Issue choice was not a reliable predictor of what ads persuade voters, the study found according to Slezaks presentation, which said spots focused on racism didnt turn off viewers as some had predicted. Catering to identity politics didnt consistently work, either. The identity of narrators didnt generally impact persuasion much. The study also found that voters of all backgrounds were comparably persuadable and responded similarly to the same messages. The papers findings are unlikely to settle the question of how much politicians should shape their campaigns around the results of public opinion surveys. But at the very least, it suggests that keeping an eye on polling isnt always a reliable shortcut to producing a compelling ad. This is a much more rigorous spotlight on the questions that get debated in campaign advertising, said Michael Podhorzer, a central figure in Democratic politics who has seen the papers results. Ive spent a gazillion dollars on politics and made this kind of decision, said Podhorzer, who recently retired as political director of the AFL-CEO, a longtime major political advertiser. The truth is that nothing gets a big reaction in any predictable way. Bens view The Swayable data is both a shot across the bow of current center-left political wisdom and a pitch for a more tightly-optimized version of big money politics. And its underlying point is both obvious and annoying to people who talk professionally about politics: That public opinion is a complex moving target, and that what worked last week might not work next. American presidential campaigns are among the worlds biggest advertisers, quadrennially dumping billions of dollars into television, digital, radio, and mailings, which dominate campaign expenditures. David Ogilvys much-quoted line that half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, and the trouble is I dont know which half, is now 60 years old. Bottom-of-funnel click-to-buy ads on Google or email fundraising are disturbingly optimized. And yet when it comes to real-world actions, like voting and shopping, the business of data is rife with questionable statistics and, worse, outright charlatans, like the figures who turned Cambridge Analytica into a household name with false claims about its role in Donald Trumps 2016 victory. Slezak co-founded Swayable 2017 with Valerie Coffman, now the companys CTO, whom hed met when they were both getting their PhDs in experimental physics from Cornell University. Slezak chose persuasion after science, was a founding partner of the agency Purpose and then worked for 3 years in senior digital strategy roles at The New York Times. The pairs company, which went through the startup accelerator Y Combinator in 2018, offers to add speed and statistical rigor to the process of testing alternate versions of advertisements with voters or consumers, an age-old exercise that often centers on focus groups and consultants instincts. Slezak said the field reminds him of his time at Cornell, when theorists lined up outside experimentalists laboratories to test their conjectures. And while he is the latest in a long line of entrants in pitching more rigorous and scientific market research than predecessors, hes particularly disdainful of some of the big voices in Democratic politics right now, which he describes as the lab coat hustle. They are presenting themselves as empiricists but they arent behaving that way, he says of proponents of popularism. Its a cargo cult Im doing the things they say empirical people do. Swayable has won converts in the Democratic party: The firm worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2020 and 2022, and will lead that committees message testing efforts in 2024. It also lists commercial clients including Amazon and Meta. A senior brand manager for Thomas English muffins, Mike Jensen, told me last week that hed been dropping rough ads into Swayable because in food, grocery, its hard for us to sometimes link our marketing back to sales. (The APSR study is not yet public. I reviewed it on the condition I only quote from Slezaks presentation, whose claims track its peer-reviewed statements. The studys lead authors are Luke Hewitt, whose MIT PhD was based on data science he did for Swayable; University of California, Berkeley professor David Broockman, Yales Alexander Coppock and Ben Tappin, a postgraduate at MIT. The other authors are Slezak, Coffman, former Obama aide Nathaniel Lubin, and Mohammad Hamidian.) Room for Disagreement The studys details arent public, putting critics at a disadvantage. But I asked the writer Matthew Yglesias, a leading proponent of popularism, for his reaction to its argument. He responded with skepticism rooted in the obvious point that I have a miracle solution to make your groups ideas win in politics is a much better sales pitch for a company than sorry the best thing is for candidates to say/do whats popular. Notable Democrats should do a lot of polling to figure out which of their views are popular and which are not popular, and then they should talk about the popular stuff and shut up about the unpopular stuff, Ezra Klein paraphrased in his profile of popularist anaylst David Shor in 2021. Popularism was important across the 2020 cycle because so many influential leaders in the progressive community took actions that were foolish and counterproductive, Yglesias wrote last year. The Democratic analysts divisions are social as well as political, Politico noted last year in a review of dueling cocktail parties. Many seniors were shown to be vulnerable to scams, including via phone calls, according to research conducted by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Photo by Sabine van Erp/Pixabay NEW YORK, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Amid the rise in financial fraud and scams that target older adults, a new study found that many more individuals are vulnerable to them than presently recognized, posing serious public health and economic threats to society. In a behavioral experiment mimicking a real-world government imposter, a considerable number of older adults engaged without skepticism. The results indicated that many, including those without cognitive impairment, are susceptible to fraud and scams. The findings were published Friday in JAMA Network Open. "It is critical that we as a society address the significant challenges associated with elder fraud, and this requires a better understanding of the scope of the problem and why some older adults are vulnerable," said neuropsychologist Patricia Boyle, the study's senior author. Such awareness "is absolutely essential for developing strategies to protect older adults from bad actors," Boyle, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, told UPI via email. It is critical that we as a society address the significant challenges associated with elder fraud," said Patricia Boyle, the senior author on the vulnerability of seniors. Photo courtesy of Rush University Medical Center "Ultimately, our goal is to inform prevention efforts so that we can protect and support the well-being of older adults and individuals of all ages," she said, noting that "in addition to financial losses, victimization also can lead to serious health consequences, including hospitalization and depression." In the study, the authors pointed out that "research on the vulnerability of older adults to fraud and scams relies almost exclusively on self-reported data, which have several intrinsic limitations. Thus, how older adults truly respond to fraud attempts remains unclear." Im glad more attention is being paid to [to the issue of] scammers who are preying on vulnerable adults," said Dr. Meera Sheffrin, a clinical associate professor of geriatrics at Stanford School of Medicine. Photo courtesy of Stanford Medicine To gain a better understanding of the problem a fictitious government agency reached out to older adult communities in the greater Chicago metropolitan area from October to December 2021 about "a potential compromise of personal information relevant to their Social Security and Medicare benefits." Those contacted were among older adults participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing cohort study of chronic conditions of aging. This is an important and understudied problem that may disproportionately affect underrepresented groups, as older adults are a high-risk group for such scams, said Dr. John A. Batsis, an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine. Photo courtesy of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine The experiment included a total of 644 older adults -- 501 female and 143 male -- with an average age of 85.6 years. "Participants were exposed to deceptive materials through mailers, emails and phone calls by a live agent," according to the study. "Based on the phone call data, participants were classified into three groups: no engagement (participants who did not answer the phone or call in); engagement (those who answered or called in but were skeptical about the legitimacy of the outreach and did not give away personal information); and conversion (participants who answered or called in without skepticism, or confirmed that they did not change their personal information, or provided the last four digits of their Social Security number)." The data analysis, performed from February to August, found that a total of 441 (68.5%) participants did not engage, 97 (15.1%) engaged but raised skepticism, and 106 (16.4%) converted. "Older adults who engaged but with skepticism had the highest cognition and financial literacy, while those in the conversion group had the lowest scam awareness," the study noted. "No differences were observed in psychological and other behavioral measures by the levels of engagement." The study cast a spotlight on financial fraud aimed at older adults, Dr. Meera Sheffrin, who was not involved in the research, told UPI in a telephone interview. Sheffrin is a clinical associate professor of geriatrics at Stanford School of Medicine and medical director of the Senior Care clinic in Palo Alto, Calif. These scams are a form of elder abuse, particularly when they affect elderly individuals with cognitive issues or dementia, she said, adding, "I'm glad more attention is being paid to [to the issue of] scammers who are preying on vulnerable adults." Sheffrin noted that "our estimation of how often this occurs only relies on people or families making formal complaints. However, many times people are either too embarrassed to admit that they were the victim of a scam, or a near-victim of a scam, or they're too busy trying to undo all the damage that making a formal report is the last thing on their minds." Despite the study's raising awareness of a significant societal issue, she questioned the ethics of investigators' approach of impersonating a fake government agency in an attempt to trick people into revealing personal information. Participants were not told that they might be contacted or that this study was occurring. They were only told afterward during an educational session about financial scams that target older adults. Another expert, however, emphasized the important data the study generated. "This is an important and understudied problem that may disproportionately affect underrepresented groups, as older adults are a high-risk group for such scams," Dr. John A. Batsis, who was not involved in the study, told UPI via email. Batsis is an associate professor of medicine in the geriatrics division at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine. "It is really scary to see this type of data presented, as I think this is the tip of the iceberg," he said. "We need to be mindful of the challenges our vulnerable populations are facing, particularly when they are contending with reduced social support and medical comorbidities." These results still have to confirmed in other populations that may be at higher risk and particularly in people outside of this Rush Memory and Aging Project, Batsis said. "As the authors note, further investigation in groups with low financial literacy and in persons with dementia are needed." The study was well-designed with clear outcomes, revealing that 16% of participants engaged in the scam without skepticism, Dr. R. Osvaldo Navia told UPI via email. Navia is the division chief of geriatrics, palliative medicine and hospice at West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W. Va. "The study is reflecting a painful realty for older people who are still trusting in a phone call to get contact with the outside world, making them ideal victims for unscrupulous people," he said. A weakness of the study, Navia said, was the limited inclusion of minority groups. As a result, he said, it most likely doesn't accurately capture the full extent of financial scams' impact on society. Another downside to the study it lasted only three months. Nonetheless, Navia said, "this study is telling us the older adults are prone to scams and financial abuse, and probably, these issues are under-reported. In addition to cognitive deficits, limited social network, social isolation and loneliness are real factors making older people ideal targets for scams." Stepping to the microphone in an Elk Grove Village conference hall recently, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi a burgeoning voice in Illinois congressional delegation made an impassioned argument for fighting back against the extremism he sees in the Republicans running Congress. While elected as a moderate, the four-term Democratic congressman from the northwest suburbs was headlining an event filled with progressive Democrats and party activists helping get signatures on nominating petitions to launch campaigns for upcoming elections. But Krishnamoorthi quickly sought to bridge any perceived internal political party divide. We are united as Team Normal. Theres something called Team Normal, and we happen to be on Team Normal, he told the crowd before turning his attention to the GOP. But theres also something called Team Extreme. And Team Extreme is on the rise. His appearance was just one of many hes made at events across his district since being reelected in November. But it comes at a unique time in the states political evolution and, in particular, Krishnamoorthis career. Krishnamoorthi, 50, of Schaumburg, took office in 2017 as a common-sense Democrat who was friendly with business. He has largely followed that track in the House while amassing the largest campaign piggy bank of any member of Congress in Illinois and, along the way, has generated chatter he might look to represent the state in the U.S. Senate. But his advancement also comes as the political winds in Illinois have increasingly pushed the Democratic Party leftward, raising questions about whether he can balance that with his record and rhetoric and whether progressives some of whom have run against Krishnamoorthi in primaries or criticized him for how hes built-up his campaign war chest will follow. Krishnamoorthi said theres nothing difficult or contradictory for him about working within the Democratic Partys new reality. I think a lot of (progressives) are in the same place I am, Krishnamoorthi said before rattling off a string of GOP-lead initiatives in Congress he said Democrats of all stripes would oppose. What do I mean by that? I think that, for instance, when the GOP added these riders to the National Defense Authorization Act and then the (Veterans Affairs) appropriation bill basically defunding programs to assist our service members who require travel for their reproductive health care, or banning Pride flags from the military, or banning Pride flags from being displayed anywhere at military installations, or banning books that might have something to do with teaching tolerance of LGBTQ people, I think those types of positions are so extreme that these Democrats will fight like hell against those types of restrictions, and so will I, he said. Krishnamoorthi also touts his progressive bona fides by noting hes one of 24 vice chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus. The House caucus works to promote equality for all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison of Schaumburg, one of the more progressive voices on the county board, applauded the congressmans involvement in the recent Democratic rally and described Krishnamoorthi as an ally. I gotta give him a lot of accolades for being a leader and a member of the Equality Caucus, Morrison said. As an ally, I was really happy to see him take on that role. Im the first openly LGBT person ever elected to the Cook County Board, and Im proud to have an ally of the community representing my congressional district. Still, the Democratic political shift is expansive and even being seen in the west and northwest suburbs, historically conservative bulwarks. Just last year, unabashed progressive Delia Ramirez enjoyed a strong showing in DuPage County as she won her first term in Congress. Krishnamoorthi knows he faces pressure from progressives. In 2022, he drew a young progressive activist as a Democratic primary opponent. Junaid Ahmed had backed Krishnamoorthis first successful U.S. House campaign in 2016 after finding inspiration in the insurgent progressive movement of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. But Krishnamoorthi fell short of living up to his campaign ideals, Ahmed said. I ran because (Krishnamoorthi) wasnt doing the things he talked about championing when he was a candidate, he said. During the 2022 race, Ahmed hammered Krishnamoorthi for taking millions of dollars from pharmaceutical companies and corporate political action committees, charging that the incumbent had lost his way. In discussing Ahmeds primary challenge, the congressman used much of the same language he used at the Elk Grove Village event to sound the warning about congressional Republicans. I like to say I was on Team Normal, and Team Extreme was unhappy, Krishnamoorthi said. And (Ahmed) in part based his line of attack on me being too pro-free enterprise. And I said, I plead guilty to the charges. Bring it on. I believe this country will only succeed if its small businesses succeed. And so, hes in any case, that particular approach did not play well in this district. Krishnamoorthi won the primary easily, receiving about 70% of the vote against Ahmed. But Sheila Rawat, who cofounded the group Schaumburg Area Progressives and supported Ahmeds candidacy, said its galling to hear Krishnamoorthi describe energized progressives within the congressional district the same way he describes extremist Republicans. One (movement) is for the people. One is not, Rawat said. And hes also part of the people who are not for the people. And its also extreme to pit people of your own party against each other. Were running as Democrats, but hes calling us extreme. After beating Ahmed, Krishnamoorthi dispatched Republican Chris Dargis 56%-44% in the November general election to earn his fourth term representing the district, which now includes a sliver of Chicago on the Far Northwest Side near OHare International Airport and then twists from Rosemont through parts of Des Plaines and Mount Prospect before taking in Schaumburg and portions of Carol Stream and South Elgin and stretching as far northwest as Starks. He was already a veteran of Illinois politics when he won the seat for the first time. After volunteering on Barack Obamas 2004 Senate campaign, working for state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and running unsuccessfully at age 36 for state comptroller, Krishnamoorthi lost to Tammy Duckworth in the 8th Congressional District 2012 Democratic primary. Duckworth served for four years but gave up the seat to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk. Krishnamoorthi then beat two rivals in the 2016 primary and has held the seat since. In Congress, Krishnamoorthi points to his work to reauthorize funding for federal vocational and technical education programming. Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined the congressman at a City Colleges event in 2018 to applaud his success in co-authoring a bill they said would help Chicago students get training for 21st century jobs. He also said hes proud of an investigation he helped lead into youth vaping that forced Juul to reach a $439 million settlement with dozens of states for targeting young people with its advertising and prompted stronger federal regulation of the products. While Krishnamoorthi has worked the levers of Congress, hes also ratcheted up his campaign fundraising machine. He now has $13.5 million in his congressional campaign committee, according to the Federal Election Commission. Thats a massive amount for an Illinois House member, even one in a potentially purplish district whos constantly gearing up for a costly general election fight or trying to scare away primary opponents. The next-closest Illinois representative in terms of campaign fundraising is Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of the Peoria area who had about $4.6 million in his coffers at the end of June, according to the FEC. The top Democrats after Krishnamoorthi were veteran U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who had about $1.5 million on hand and Mike Quigley, who had about $1.2 million. Krishnamoorthis election fund even dwarfs those of Illinois Democratic senators, with Duckworth at around $1.7 million and Richard Durbin at $1.5 million, according to the FEC. Durbin is now 78 years old, and has not said whether he will run again in 2026. If theres a Senate vacancy, Krishnamoorthi and his enormous stockpile are well-positioned to jump in. First of all, I hope Sen. Durbin continues. I havent heard any indication hes not, Krishnamoorthi said when asked about a run for Senate. Theres no vacancies. Im not looking at it right now, he said, adding Im not ruling anything in or out. If he did run for Senate, Krishnamoorthi wouldnt just draw heat from progressives. He would also likely face more scrutiny for his ties to supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose movement promoting Hindu nationalism in India has drawn widespread international criticism thanks to ongoing violent attacks against Muslims in that country. Raju Rajagopal, co-founder of the nonprofit group Hindus for Human Rights, said he has spoken repeatedly to Krishnamoorthi about the congressmans outsized influence on U.S. policy toward India as one of a handful of Indian American members of Congress. Other members of Congress are taking their cues from him on how to proceed, and he says he needs the campaign funding structure he has established among backers of Modi, Rajagopal said. If hes not willing to speak out against these human rights abuses against Muslims, it makes it much more difficult to build any kind of consensus to hold Modi and his followers accountable. Krishnamoorthi said he has raised his concerns with the Indian government. And they point the finger right back at me and say, What are you doing to tackle discrimination thats practiced in the United States toward the very people that youre concerned about, and also, even Hindus and minorities of all kinds? he said. And they also point to the fragility of democracy here, and Jan. 6. And so, I believe secular democracies are under tremendous pressure in many different corners. But I absolutely am concerned about any erosion in India or here as well. Back in Elk Grove Village, Krishnamoorthi homed in on the actions of Republicans as part of that erosion, framing them as a direct attack on democratic norms in an address that was red meat for the room full of Democratic activists. They are trying to control your bodies. Theyre trying to control your speech. Theyre trying to control who you are, he said. Theyre trying to control your health care. Theyre trying to control who you want to be. The antidote to control is liberty. We are going to pursue an agenda of liberty in this country! jebyrne@chicagotribune.com When Fatimah Robinson went looking for Gary Randle, she would often clamber over tree roots and up small hills, yelling out his nickname loud enough so he could hear her. Twin! Twiii-in! she would call. Robinson, an outreach worker with DRC Solutions, visited with Randle at least once a month. Randle was homeless, and camped outdoors in a wooded area off of U.S. 287, near the Historic Southside neighborhood of Fort Worth. Sometimes, he would wander from his campsite, or be talking with one of his neighbors, and Robinson would have to belt his nickname a few times before they found each other. Robinson and Randle referred to the other as twin because of their similar personalities. On a Tuesday in August, Robinson got a voicemail from someone she didnt know. It was a cousin of Randles. She told Robinson that her twin had died. They said I want you to know, Gary passed away, Robinson said. I dont want you going out there and yelling Twin! Fatimah Robertson, member of the DRC Outreach team, talks about Gary Randle on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. Randle is believed to have died of heat exposure in August. Randle is one of multiple people living unsheltered who have died this summer, part of a worrying trend for the doctors, social workers, and other service providers who work primarily with Fort Worths homeless. Joel Hunt, the director of the street medicine team at JPS Health Network, said at least 40 people who were unsheltered have died since July 1, according to his teams data. About 80 or 90 homeless people die in Tarrant County in a typical year, Hunt said. Ive never experienced this much death repeatedly, and not knowing the reasons why, Hunt said. Whats causing the unusual surge in deaths is unclear, and even the exact number of homeless people who have died is still unknown. Hunt and his team have relied on data from the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office, but some death reports are delayed as the office attempts to notify family members of the deceased. For people living unsheltered, who might be out of touch with their family, those notifications can take weeks. Lauren King, the executive director of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, has also noticed the rise in deaths. Both are waiting for more information about what might be driving this increase, to learn how they and other organizations can better respond to the homeless communitys needs. It is alarming, Hunt said. If our future is these kinds of summers, is this going to be the norm? How are we doing to respond? Summer outreach during extreme heat The Star-Telegram wrote about Robinson and Randle and their bond in a July 14 article that detailed how DRC Solutions was working to reach out to hundreds of unhoused people during the extreme summer heat. Randle died about three weeks after the article was published. The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office has not determined Randles cause of death, but Randles neighbors and those who worked with him at DRC Solutions have speculated that he died from extreme heat. Fatimah Robertson hugs Gary Randle, 61, while working to bring water and other supplies to those living outside in the heat on Friday, June 30, 2023. Robertson says she had a special relationship with Randle, who died from suspected heat exposure in August. On Aug. 5, the day Randle died, he had been out looking for one of his dogs, Robinson said. He and a neighbor had spent the morning searching for the dog, who had wandered away from Randles campsite. After hours of searching, Robinson had gone into his tent to rest. He died later that day, Robinson said. The high on Aug. 5 was 107. Normally, Randle would cope with the heat by sitting in a creek next to his tent, he told the Star-Telegram in July. He said he had probably passed out from the heat multiple times over his years living outside. In July, he said the constant heat of Texas summers was often exhausting. Some days it felt hard to breathe, he said. Randle and Robinson had known each other for almost a decade. They first met when Robinson worked security at Union Gospel Mission, a nonprofit that works with people experiencing homelessness. Over time, they developed a bond, and recognized in each other a similar willfulness. Gary Randle, 61, lives in a campsite in a wooded area ?off of Highway? U.S. 287 with his four dogs. The Tarrant County Homeless Coalitions most recent tally estimates that there are more than 1,000 people living on the streets, in the woods, or in other outdoor communities in Tarrant and Parker counties. Randle moved to Texas as a refugee from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. He told Robinson that most of his relatives had perished in the storm or its aftermath. Randle had lived on the streets for years. He had trouble staying in shelters, Robinson said, likely because of post-traumatic stress disorder. At one point, he had built a small shack by the railroad tracks. After the shack was destroyed, he moved to a nearby wooded area, where he built a small campsite. He lived there for at least a year before he died, Robinson said. Randle did what he could to make the campsite a home: He hung a clothesline, where he and his neighbors could hang their clean laundry. He created a makeshift bathroom stall, so neighbors could have a little privacy. He checked on his neighbors and doted on the dogs that lived in his tent with him. Fatality review committee Joel Hunt, the leader of the street medicine team, treated Randle along with hundreds of other people living outdoors this summer. Hunt leads a four-person team that focuses on treating unsheltered people throughout Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Unsurprisingly, people living outside typically grapple with a range of diseases and conditions. On average, someone experiencing homelessness has a life expectancy of about 20 years less than someone with stable housing. Facing such odds, Hunt said he and his colleagues focus on building relationships with their patients and trying to find ways to reduce their suffering, even as they face the constant crisis of living without shelter. Understanding exactly how living outdoors or in unstable housing can affect someones health can be difficult to determine, but some municipalities have tried. In Los Angeles County, local researchers found that the mortality rate among the homeless population was 2.3 times greater than the rate in the general population. The average age of death among homeless LA County residents was 51, compared to 73 in the general population, according to the report. Put simply, being homeless in LA County is becoming increasingly deadly, the report concluded. Tarrant County providers will restart a fatality review committee that had paused during the COVID pandemic, King said. The committee, which will resume meeting this year, will likely be made of representatives from the homeless coalition, JPS Health Network, Tarrant County Public Health. The committee previously found that the average age of death in the homeless community was 52, she added. Past reviews from the committee have found that the leading cause of death among the homeless is heart disease, King said, similar to the general population. But chronic diseases typically kill people living outside much sooner than their general population. The homeless also experience high rates of homicide, suicide, accidents, and drug overdoses. Once the committee resumes its work, both King and Hunt said they hope to have clearer answers about why more people living outside have died this summer. Part of the point of fatality review is to really look and see: Were there gaps in services somewhere where this person could have been caught before? King said. A few weeks after he died, Robinson was ready to make the first trip back to Randles campsite without him there. Randles neighbors are still living there, and have kept all his things in order. They gave Robinson a Dallas Cowboys jersey that had belonged to Randle. She hated the Cowboys, and every game day Randle would tease her about the team in his adopted hometown. Every time he wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey, I told him, I cant serve you today, Robinson joked. But of course, she always did. After less than a year open, Keenes Kafe in west Macon-Bibb County is moving to a new location. Keenes Kafe, at 6369 Thomaston Road, announced on Facebook that they are limiting their hours in order to prepare for the move into their very own location. The restaurant did not release any information about the location other than another post later on Tuesday that they are not leaving Macon. Please be patient with us as staff and certain menu items will be limited during this process, and it is quite the task for me and Stephanie, read the post. Thank you #Macon for making our dream of providing you the best biscuits and burgers a reality. The restaurant also didnt announce a time frame for the move, but they are no longer serving dinner and will be closed on Saturdays until the move is complete. Keenes Kafe originally opened in February and serves unique steakburgers and loaded biscuits. The Middle Georgia community rallied behind the restaurant when the owner, Jonathan Keene, announced in an emotional video on Facebook in July that his restaurant was robbed. In the process, they stole everything I had as far as money and opened my freezer and my fridge and wasted all my food, Keene said, in a previous Telegraph article. Then they took the surveillance DVRs, so theres no footage, nothing. At the time, it was only five months after the restaurant opened, and Keene said he was living day to day with no savings. The community rallied around Keene, a GoFundMe was created, and other restaurants donated food and paper goods in order for Keene to get back on his feet. I really thought that my dream was over, but because of the community and local business owners and all of you guys... as of right now, we will be open tomorrow, Keene said in a Facebook video. That means that the criminals that tried to do something evil didnt win. Two months later, the restaurant announced its ready to move to another location. The restaurant needs breakfast and lunch sales in order to help them successfully move, according to the Facebook post. So if your hungry, stop by and see Neshia, she will be there to feed you some good food! read the post. After a gunman shot two people near an East Hollywood apartment complex on Sunday, police surrounded the suspect's home. An hours-long standoff ended when SWAT team members stormed the residence only to find it empty, authorities said. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded at 1:49 p.m. to a shooting in the 1500 block of Serrano Avenue, which is between Sunset and Hollywood boulevards, said Officer Rosario Cervantes, a police spokesperson. Two men were taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds. Both were in stable condition as of Sunday evening. In a post on X, the social media site formerly called Twitter, LAPD officials wrote that the shooting erupted during a dispute between neighbors. Believing the gunman had retreated inside his home, officers surrounded it, evacuated nearby residents and closed Serrano Avenue to motorists. Read more: Federal judge again overturns California ban on high-capacity gun magazines SWAT negotiators and officers from the LAPD's Mental Health Unit tried to contact the suspect without success. When SWAT team members forced their way into his home, they found he wasn't there, according to the LAPD. Officers seized a gun inside the home that was suspected of being used in the shooting. Police were still searching Sunday night for the suspect, who hasn't been identified. Around 8 p.m., police began allowing residents to return to their homes on Serrano Avenue and reopened the street to car traffic. 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. TAMPA Almost daily, City Council member Gwen Henderson drives through the neighborhood once called The Scrub, paying homage to the community that thrived before the bulldozers and the promises of urban renewal. It was founded by freed enslaved people after the Civil War, who built homes in a palmetto thicket nestled north of Tampas downtown. There were dozens of Black-owned businesses. There were schools and churches. There was music and dancing. The Harlem of the South, some called it. Just two of the more than 600 homes that once formed The Scrub stand today. On Thursday, 70 years after the city declared the area a slum, Tampa City Council members took preliminary action to designate the pair as local historic landmarks. It is not only the right thing to do, said Henderson, whose district includes the single-story structures and whose father once lived in The Scrub before enlisting during the Korean War. It is actually long overdue. The homes, wood-framed with crimped metal roofs, currently sit vacant at 1248 and 1250 E Scott St. and join an existing city historic area that includes five nearby brick churches. The pair are collectively known as the Johnson Brother Houses for the generations of family they once hosted. Today, the Tampa Housing Authority owns them. The Scrub began as a small settlement supplying housing for workers at nearby lumber mills. The community bloomed, becoming home to the citys first Black-owned dental practice, drug store and theater. At its beating heart stood Central Avenue, where the sidewalks and storefronts were jammed with people. Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald performed. B.B. King, too. The city declared The Scrub a slum in the 1950s. The Tampa Tribune called it Tampas greatest eyesore. The community was razed to make way for a housing project and, later, the interstate. It happened because of racism, Henderson said. City government racism and national government racism wiped out a significant part of our community. The Housing Authority submitted an application for local historic landmark designation this February, about a year after prolific real estate investor Darryl Shaw helped the agency secure the pair of homes with the goal of restoration. Shaw convinced the previous owner, Paul Johnson, to sell, worried theyd fall into such disrepair that they would not be restorable, the Times previously reported. The sale was finalized last February for $310,000. Historic designation provides protection for landmarks and additional reviews of proposed changes to the designated properties. It safeguards the heritage of the city and provides certain economic benefits, city preservation specialist Elaine Lund told the council Thursday morning. Council members voted unanimously that the homes meet the local landmark criteria, following the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission. Final action will be taken at a public meeting Oct. 19. This was a huge mistake by the city, and we need to correct it, said council member Bill Carlson, who would like to see the recreation of Central Avenue institutions. We have to, in earnest, look at not just preserving the older buildings but rebuilding some of them that were torn down. We can create a hub, echoed chairperson Guido Maniscalco. After council members reflected on the citys rich and violent history, and the racism baked into its design, Henderson read the motion in support of landmark status with great joy. About a mile northeast of Old City Hall, the pair of homes stood vacant and peeling behind a chain-link fence. GREEN BAY - Taylor Schabusiness is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday for the brutal murder of Shad Thyrion in February 2022. Thyrion, 24, of Green Bay, was killed and decapitated in the basement of his mother's home. Schabusiness was arrested and charged in his death and dismemberment. Schabusiness, of Green Bay, pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. A Brown County jury found Schabusiness, 25, guilty of killing Thyrion, third-degree sexual abuse, and mutilating his corpse in July. In the second part of her trial, the jury found that she did not suffer from mental disease or defect when she killed Thyrion. The case has attracted international attention. Over one and a half years later, Schabusiness will get sentenced Tuesday. Here's what you need to know before the sentencing. Schabusiness arrested in Thyrion's killing, decapitation Schabusiness was charged for Thyrion's death and dismemberment after Thyrion's mother found her son's head in a bucket in the basement. Thyrion had been strangled and decapitated on Feb. 23, 2022, in the west-side house he lived in with his mother. Schabusiness was arrested in February 2022. She was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, third-degree sexual assault, and mutilating Thyrion's corpse. She and Thyrion had been friends. Taylor Schabusiness, who is charged with killing and dismembering her friend, is pictured during her trial in Brown County Circuit Court on July 25, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. Schabusiness' competency is questioned Schabusiness' mental state was questioned in several hearings during the case. Mental health evaluations were ordered for Schabusiness to determine if she was fit to stand trial. She was ultimately found mentally competent to assist in her own defense and a trial was scheduled for July 2023, though questions about her mental health continued. She had entered a plea of not guilty by mental disease or defect in September 2022. Schabusiness is convicted of Thyrion's killing, dismemberment Following a three-day trial, a Brown County jury deliberated for 50 minutes and found Schabusiness was guilty on all counts July 26. Because Schabusiness entered the mental order defense, the trial then moved to the second phase to determine if Schabusiness was not guilty due to mental disease or defect. "This is bizarre. This is strange. This is unnatural, but in no way is it unclear," Brown County District Attorney David Lasee said during closing arguments. Schabusiness "did cause Shad Thyrion's death." Schabusiness could spend life in prison In the second part of the trial, jurors listened to psychologists who testified about Schabusiness' mental state at the time of the Thyrion's murder. She waived her right to testify during both parts of the trial. They were to determine if Schabusiness would spend the rest of her life in prison or at a mental health facility. On July 27, the jury found that she did not suffer from mental disease or defect when she killed Thyrion. She faces a mandatory life sentence but the judge could determine if there is a possibility of parole. She will be sentenced Tuesday morning. Timeline of events in Schabusiness case Feb. 23, 2022: One person in custody in 'suspicious death' of 24-year-old Green Bay man on west side March 1, 2022: Green Bay police report says woman shared meth and had sex with man, then strangled and decapitated him March 3, 2022: Green Bay woman accused of strangling, decapitating man told police she was on meth. How does that drug make people so violent? March 4, 2022: What we know and what we don't know about the Green Bay dismemberment of Shad Thyrion, 'a kind and compassionate person' March 17, 2022: Judge explains why he ordered competency exam of Taylor Schabusiness in Green Bay dismemberment case April 13, 2022: Judge allows second exam after Schabusiness found competent for trial in Green Bay decapitation, dismemberment case May 10, 2022: Green Bay woman accused in beheading, dismemberment case gets new competency hearing, set for May 19 in Brown County Circuit Court May 19, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness of Green Bay found competent to stand trial in the decapitation, dismemberment case June 2, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness to stand trial in the February killing, decapitation of a Green Bay man inside a basement July 5, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness pleads not guilty in February killing, decapitation of Shad Thyrion of Green Bay Sept. 1, 2022: Defense lawyer in Green Bay beheading case asks judge to find Schabusiness not guilty by reason of insanity Nov. 1, 2022: Taylor Schabusiness hearing on competency evaluation in beheading case postponed until Nov. 18 Nov. 22, 2022: Trial set for Taylor Schabusiness in case where Green Bay man was decapitated Jan. 6, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness 'capable of proceeding' in beheading case, court-appointed expert says Feb. 14, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness attacks lawyer in Brown County courtroom; she is charged with killing, decapitating friend Feb. 17, 2023: After Schabusiness attacks lawyer, sheriff plans for more security in next court appearance March 3, 2023: Judge Walsh rejects request to remove himself from Schabusiness case after she attacked her attorney in court March 24, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness to go on trial July 24 in homicide, beheading of Green Bay man March 31, 2023: Schabusiness seeks a change of venue, insists media coverage poisons her chances of not-guilty verdict in beheading case April 19, 2023: Judge in Green Bay decapitation case will not move Schabusiness homicide trial out of Brown County May 5, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness lawyer asks Brown County judge to allow new mental-health evaluation in beheading case May 9, 2023: Judge will not reduce $2 million bail for Taylor Schabusiness in beheading case May 31, 2023: Brown County judge rules photos in Schabusiness case must remain under seal, at least until June 13 hearing June 13, 2023: Judge denies Taylor Schabusiness attorneys attempt to suppress statements made to police July 5, 2023: Schabusiness will get new competency exam; judges denies request to delay her trial in beheading case July 13, 2023: Schabusiness unfit to stand trial for killing, corpse mutilation, forensic psychologist tells judge July 21, 2023: Judge rules Taylor Schabusiness is fit to stand trial in 2022 slaying of Green Bay man July 24, 2023: Schabusiness trial: Victim's mother talks about finding her son's severed head in bucket July 25, 2023: Schabusiness trial: Thyrion's death ruled homicide; expert says body mutilated for hours after death July 26, 2023: Schabusiness police interview describes Thyrion's death; prosecution, defense wrap up their case July 26, 2023: Taylor Schabusiness convicted of homicide, mutiliating a corpse, sexual abuse in Shad Thyrion death July 27, 2023: Jury finds Schabusiness did not suffer from mental disease or defect when she killed Thyrion Doug Schneider contributed to this report. Benita Mathew is a health and science reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her at bmathew@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @benita_mathew. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Schabusiness to be sentenced Tuesday; here's what you need to know. They were seen driving off into the proverbial sunset together in his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle convertible Sunday after the Chiefs game. So just where did pop star Taylor Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce enjoy their first outing together in Kansas City? They went to Prime Social Rooftop on the Country Club Plaza, according to several social media accounts and anonymous sources who spoke to ET entertainment news outlet. And apparently they had company. Travis bought out the restaurant for his family and team, a source told ET. Taylor arrived, wearing a denim dress, and was seen snacking, having some cocktails and dancing alongside Travis. The two were very affectionate with one another but kept things fun and light-hearted. Travis teammates also showed up to the after-party, as well as his mom, Donna Kelce. The party lasted until 2 a.m. The Star tried calling the restaurant Monday morning, but it doesnt open until 4 p.m. Around 2 a.m. Monday, Brittany Mahomes, co-owner of the KC Current and wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, shared a post on her Instagram Stories that suggested she and other Chiefs wives were at the party, too. It showed three people toasting with frothy pink cocktails. One tag belonged to Lindsay Bell, wife of Kelces fellow Chiefs tight end Blake Bell. Early Monday morning Brittany Mahomes shared a post that suggested she and other Kansas City Chiefs wives were at an after-party with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. A prime location Some restaurant patrons reported on social media that Swift had paid for their drinks. She has done it before. Earlier this month, The Eras Tour account on X, formerly Twitter, reported that Swift had visited a restaurant in Mexico where she covered the bill for all the customers during her visit! | Taylor Swift reportedly visited the restaurant Cuerno in Mexico where she covered the bill for all the customers during her visit! pic.twitter.com/PiR0aAHmsE The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) September 4, 2023 Thanks @Taylorswift for picking up the tab, Instagram user Ethan Lestrud posted Sunday evening with a photo of himself and two women holding cocktails. He did not identify his location, but eagle-eyed Swifties hunting for Swifts whereabouts recognized it as Prime Social, a rooftop cocktail lounge at 4622 Pennsylvania Ave. The establishment, where Chiefs fans have seen Kelce before, has upscale attire guidelines: polished clothing requested, anything emitting excessive marijuana odor discouraged. TikTok user @1989vinyls account of the night had earned more than 166,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments by the first hours of Monday morning, but has since been removed. She excitedly reported Sunday night that she had just gotten a call from a friend and Taylor is going to a place and she just paid for everybody in the restaurant so that they would leave. They were eating and the waitress came up to them and said, Heres the deal, everythings paid for but you have to leave like right now. How frickin insane is this? Oh and of course shes with Travis Kelce. On X, Brittni Kingston posted a similar account. Im here to report that I have an acquaintance who was kicked out of prime social just before 8 pm for a private party and they needed to secure the perimeter before the partys arrival, she wrote. Then the parking lot attendant confirmed Taylor came in the building. ETs anonymous source, who was reportedly at the restaurant Sunday for a friends birthday party, said the restaurant had informed them of a hard close at 8 p.m. The source said restaurant staff brought to-go boxes around to diners as 8 p.m. drew near, telling them they had to go. The staff offered free drinks at Prime Socials sister restaurant in the same building, but wouldnt confirm or deny that the place was being cleared to make way for the Swift-Kelce entourage. Not a first date? That actually might not have been the first time Swift and Kelce enjoyed a fancy night out together. Paparrazi photos from July 19 showed Kelce outside the members-only club Zero Bond in New York City, one of Swifts go-to places there. Its unclear if she was in the city that day. But her presence at the Chiefs game Sunday connected a lot of dots for Swifties who are trying to guess whether a relationship is blooming. (So maybe Kelce recently taking his John Mayer T-shirt out of the closet and wearing it on his podcast was a clue after all. Mayer is a Swift ex.) People magazine published one of the photos of Kelce in NYC with this caption: Travis Kelce strikes a pose and smiles big for the camera while at the private New York City club, Zero Bond, on July 19. The Daily Mail highlighted the A-lister hotspot with a $5,000 annual fee, $10 million of art and even a library. Our March Member Social is this Thursday! Come socialize, loosen up, and network at Prime Social, located at 4622 Pennsylvania Ave, #1600, Kansas City, MO. See you soon! pic.twitter.com/dmOGhSmyNk KCMBA (@KCMBA) March 21, 2023 Prime Social has become a Kansas City hotspot, too, known for a romantic rooftop view of the city and sophisticated cocktails such as the Smoked Old Fashioned with Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Whiskey, mesquite smoke and a bourbon maple infusion. The restaurant also serves specialty Chiefs cocktails, decorated with the words Go Chiefs! and images of Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Screen grab of the Chiefs-themed cocktail at Prime Social Sunday happened to be the 12th anniversary of Swifts concert at Arrowhead on her Speak Now world tour in 2011. Was it prophetic? The first song she sang that night: Sparks Fly. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) Taguig City "unreasonably" rejected Makati City's proposal for a "smooth transfer" of health facilities and services in barangays affected by the Supreme Court decision on their territorial dispute, according to the latter's city administrator. In a statement Sunday, Makati City administrator Claro Certeza said Taguig denied their proposed memorandums of agreement (MOA), impeding the transfer of Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) and eight barangay health centers and the health data of their patients. "We have initiated a series of correspondence and MOA proposals to the City of Taguig aimed to facilitate the smooth transfer of Makati-owned health facilities to its jurisdiction," Certeza said. "However, these have been rejected outright, without valid reason." The Makati official argued that Taguig is "adamant" about taking control of OsMak and the barangay health centers without respecting Makati's ownership rights. Certeza cited Makati Mayor Abby Binay's letter to Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano as evidence that the former suggested an MOA for OsMak and offered to grant a credit line to Taguig in order to ensure that impacted residents could continue to access basic medical services at these institutions. "Makati is even willing to allocate millions in funding for this credit line to Taguig to avoid any disruption in health care services. Yet, Mayor Cayetano refused to even consider the proposal, opting to put off any discussions regarding OsMak, purportedly in deference to the wishes of the Health Secretary," Certeza said. According to Certeza, Cayetano in a letter justified her rejection of the OsMak proposal, citing Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa as having stated that he would "take the lead in any discussions regarding Ospital ng Makati, and that both cities must defer to his wishes." He further said Taguig also refused Makati's proposed data sharing agreement which aims to safeguard the information of patients of the health centers in Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Rizal, South Cembo, and West Rembo. Certeza claimed that Cayetano also rejected another proposal that would have given Taguig the option to lease or buy the land for eight health centers, subject to Commission of Audit appraisal, citing Herbosa's instruction to "exclude the issue of ownership in the transition process." "Makati is going out of its way to work out a smooth transition with Taguig, but it is apparently hell-bent on taking over and gaining control of city-owned public facilities without due process. It persists in unduly invoking the Supreme Court decision while refusing to obtain a writ of execution from the court of origin," Certeza said. Taguig has yet to issue a statement on the matter. Sydney Garcia-Tovar One of the men charged in the death of the 2018 killing of 16-year-old Sydney Garcia-Tovar has pleaded guilty, according to Butler County court documents. Jordan Spain, now 19, was just 14 when Sydney was fatally shot in her car on Wildbranch Road. Initially, Spain was charged with murder and felonious assault. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter as part of an agreement with prosecutors. Prosecutors said the shooting occurred as part of a drug deal and robbery. Sydney's family said she was giving a friend a ride home that night. 21-year-old Joseph Goolsby was also found shot near the vehicle that night, officials said. He survived. A memorial to Sydney Garcia-Tovar Spain was the second person to be charged in Sydney's death. In 2021, Markeylnd Townsend, 22, was arrested. Townsend is currently serving a prison sentence for a separate robbery. His murder case is still pending in Butler County Common Pleas Court. The next hearing is scheduled in October. Sydney was fatally shot in a vehicle in the 7500 block of Wildbranch Road in the Tyler's Creek Townhomes development on July 23, 2018, police said. 21-year-old Joseph Goolsby was also found shot near the vehicle that night, officials said. He was hospitalized and, at the time, was expected to survive. Sydney's family said she was giving a friend a ride home the night she was killed. Her sister, Haley Garcia-Tovar, told The Enquirer she is feeling a little relief, but the arrests don't change what happened. "Weve been waiting over four years for some answers to have justice for my sister and my family," Sydney's sister, Haley Garcia-Tovar said at the time of the arrests. "Its a never-ending emotional roller coaster. Even though were finally moving forward, we cant bring Sydney back." Despite her age, at 16, Sydney had already graduated high school early. She was planning to work for a few years and then enlist in the Marine Corps. After her death, her heart was successfully transplanted, saving the life of a young woman in Kentucky. Spain is being held at the Butler County Jail on a $1.5 million bond. He is scheduled to be sentenced before Butler County Common Pleas Judge Gregory Howard on Nov. 1. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Teen pleads guilty in the 2018 death of 16-year-old Sydney Garcia-Tovar Two Johnston County school board members nearly came to blows during a Monday special meeting where one of their colleagues was accused by investigators of violating board policy. The school board received a report from its attorneys on a grievance that a district employee filed against school board member Michelle Antoine. The report, which Antoine had tried to block by filing a lawsuit to seal the documents, accused her of not upholding the integrity of her office during an investigation of an employee. The often contentious meeting saw Antoines microphone being turned off as she accused the board of holding a kangaroo court. The meeting was briefly paused when board vice chair Terry Tippett and board member Ronald Johnson nearly gotten into a physical altercation. You are the most uninformed person, the most disrespected person, the most unprofessional person Ive ever seen sit on the Board of Education or any board, Tippett said to Antoine before turning to Johnson to tell him dont interrupt me right now. After a further exchange, Tippett got out of his seat and accused Johnson of threatening him, which Johnson denied. Board chair Lyn Andrews put her hand on Tippett on try to calm him down. Johnston County school board vice Terry Tippett (right) argues with board member Ronald Johnson (off screen) during Sept. 25, 2023 meeting to hear report on an employee grievance filed against board member Michelle Antoine. Beside Tippett is school board chair Lyn Andrews. Antoine tried to keep grievance details secret According to the investigative report, an employee filed a grievance on May 9 accusing Antoine and a teacher of inappropriate and unprofessional collaboration in the filing of several allegedly false grievances during the 2022-23 school year. Because the complaint involved district employees, the details of the allegations have not been publicly released. The report refers to the person who complained about Antoine as the grievant and the teacher who filed grievances against the grievant as Employee 1. The grievant accused Antoine of slandering her. The board was scheduled to receive the report on Sept. 12, the same day that Antoine filed a lawsuit in Johnston County Superior Court. Antoine got a temporary restraining order to block the report from being released, as well as a motion to have the details of the complaint sealed. The school board had the case moved to federal court. On Sunday, one of Antoines attorneys filed to have the lawsuit voluntarily dismissed. Johnston County school board member Michelle Antoine The timing of Mondays special meeting was questioned by Antoine and Johnson. Weve got 500 vacancies in this county, and were chasing Michelle Antoine over what?An email? Johnson said. We got 500 vacancies in this county. We can find other things to meet about. Katie Cornetto, the boards attorney, said the restraining order expired Friday. Andrews said she scheduled the report to be presented on Monday morning because the board retreat was already planned for that day. Antoine accused of violating board policy The boards attorneys interviewed the grievant and put her complaint into three allegations. All the details about the first allegation were blacked out because attorneys said it involved confidential personnel information. On the second allegation, the investigators said there was no evidence that Antoine had worked together with Employee 1 to draft or file the three grievances against the grievant. But investigators said Antoine violated board policy on the third allegation because she was not completely honest with investigators when asked if she had ever accessed or viewed Employee 1s grievances. The report says Antoine accessed and downloaded two of the teachers grievances. The report says Antoine should have simply referred the teachers grievance to the proper administrative employee instead of writing a highly detailed response to Superintendent Eric Bracy. While Ms. Antoine told investigators that she only referred to Board policy and school system personnel to address grievance, the unsupported and disparaging comments made in Ms. Antoines March 9, 2023 email about (grievant) amount to individual action prohibited by Board Policy 2122, according to the report. The report says Antoine failed to uphold the integrity and the independence of her office and failed to avoid impropriety in the exercise of her duties when she shared inflammatory, confidential personnel information about the grievant with three district employees on March 9. Antoine called the allegations false. Antoine calls it a kangaroo court The board voted 5-2 to accept the report and to allow Antoine to file an affidavit responding to the allegations. Antoine and Johnson were the dissenting votes. Tippett noted that the affidavit would be made under oath with the possibility of committing perjury. Antoine charged that the board was denying her due process rights by not allowing her to ask questions during the board meeting. She also said the meeting should have been done behind closed doors. We are in a kangaroo court, a quasi-judicial board that cant answer a simple question, Antoine said. Andrews said the purpose for the meeting was only to receive the report. Youre going to have the opportunity to share your story, but youre going to do it in the form of an affidavit, Andrews said. Ongoing school board strife Mondays meeting is the latest chapter in the ongoing school board strife in North Carolinas seventh-largest school district. In June, Johnson filed a federal lawsuit against multiple parties, including the school board and the Town of Smithfield, over his dismissal from the Smithfield Police Department and indictment on criminal charges. The board has previously censured Johnson and has tried to remove him from office. Antoine was the only board member not named as a defendant by Johnson in his lawsuit. Both his lawsuit and the criminal case against him are ongoing. Antoine, a member of the conservative group Citizen Advocates For Accountable Government, was elected to the board in November. Shes one of the Republican members of the officially non-partisan school board. Antoine had campaigned on issues such as opposing Critical Race Theory, with statements such as schools must stop being centers of social justice. Johnson had supported her election bid. Antoine a political target? After winning election, Antoine unsuccessfully backed Johnsons bid to become school board chair. Antoine accused the board of making her a political target. This is exactly what you did to Ron Johnson, Antoine said Monday. Later in Mondays meeting, Johnson brought up the confrontation with Tippett. accusing the vice chair of challenging him to a fight. Tippett said he only did so when Johnson threatened him. Were not going there where you two are going at it again, Andrews said to prevent a second confrontation. The meeting ended with Antoine interrupting Andrews as she thanked the districts employees for their hard work. You hold kangaroo courts, Antoine said to Andrews. But you do. I asked you to stop the circus when I got on this board in December. I asked that you stop going after people politically and focus on students and you refused to do it. The first trans person to be elected to office in Tennessee is being treated as a second-class citizen and may be forced to use the male bathroom at work despite identifying as female. Five women, including openly transgender member Olivia Hill, were handed a sweeping victory on Sept. 14 by winning all the seats at large during Nashville Metro Councils election and making the body majority-female. However, the historic election victory is being overshadowed by an anti-LGBTQ law quietly passed in May that will make it harder for Hill to do her job and simply live her life in the state. Senate Bill 1440/House Bill 239, which went into effect on July 1, establishes sex in all state codes as a persons immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth and evidence of a persons biological sex. What is most disturbing is the ambiguity of the lawa one page document that simply states that sex is now defined by anatomy at birth. The law seems designed to be slippery, so that it can be nefariously enforced depending on any given interpretation. Many trans individuals in the state have proudly changed their government documents to reflect their gender identity. (Tennessee is however the only state to not allow birth certificates to be changed.) The law does not say that trans Tennesseans must change their drivers licenses, or any other legal documents, back to their assigned gender at birthbut it creates a gray area that leaves sinister wiggle room for discrimination. The law prioritizes discrimination at the expense of federal funding. Because the law is not in accordance with federal non-discrimination laws, according to the states fiscal review, Tennessee runs the risk of losing up to $2 billion in federal funds for passing the law. Bill sponsor Kerry Roberts said it was a risk worth taking. I mean, if defining sex, as it has traditionally meant for years in the dictionary, costs us federal funds. Theres something wrong with Washington DC, she said. State Senator Jeff Yarbro, however, has been outspoken in defiance of the discriminatory laws, saying I dont know why on earth we would take the risk of losing $2 billion of annual federal funding in order to provide a definition that nobody really thinks needs fixing. Hill told The Daily Beast shed been fastidiously following the legislation since it was introduced in the Senate. They slid it right through, she said. Olivia Hill attends the Nashville Pride 2023. Jason Kempin She said she has no plans to change her drivers license back to male but admits she knows the risk she faces. If I get pulled over for rolling through a stop sign, or something simple, and I provide my drivers license to a police officer, and he asks if everything on that document is correct if I say, yes, Ive just provided a false IDwhich is a felony, she said. The law also opens up Hill, and all trans individuals in the state, to continued stress around the long belabored issue of bathroom usage. With sex legally defined now by anatomy at birth, the Tennessee law essentially removes non-discrimination laws from being able to protect LGBTQ Tennesseans. Much like the law does not explicitly say that a trans person must change their identifying documents, it also does not say that they must use the restroom in accordance with how they have now defined sex. But the law creates another insidious loophole with which bad actors could weaponize and discriminate. Hill worries about using the womens room in council buildings while shes simply trying to do the job that she was elected to do. Within council chambers there are single occupancy restrooms, but just outside in the hall in the state building where they are located, are gendered restrooms. And while it would be absurd for Hill to be made to use the mens room, that doesnt mean that someone wanting to discriminate against her for using the womens bathroom couldnt try to use this new law to put her in jailanother place, Hill points out, where she would be forced to be misgendered due to this law. Despite the anxieties that this new law has inspired, Hill spoke of the warm reception shes received among council members. Its been wonderful, she said. She did not wish to name names, but said that many had expressed to her that they would look the other way if the restroom issue came up. But operating on good faith can be dangerous. On the same city council are other politicians whose values do not align with those who expressed support for Hill. Jeff Eslick for example, who won District 11 by 49 votes against open LGBTQ candidate Eric Patton, put out attack ads calling Patton gay and tired along with other transphobic rhetoric. The Human Rights Campaigns legal director Sarah Warbelow said in a statement that extremist Tennessee Senators are continuing their assault on LGBTQ+ Tennesseans ability to live their lives openly and honestly. This is their latest cruel attempt to stigmatize, marginalize and erase the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender Tennesseans. Lets be clear: the goal of this bill is to exclude the LGBTQ+ community from nondiscrimination protections in the state of Tennessee and to perpetuate a false narrative of who transgender people are, she said. ACLU Tennessee Transgender Justice Advocate Henry Seaton said it was unclear what effect that law would have. I know this is going to have a real implication. But its hard to predict where that real implication is going to be. A whole can of worms that are unexpected and can have really horrifying and just confusing and not understandable consequences, he said. As conservative state legislatures have been unabashedly waging war against LGBTQ rights, Tennessee has grimly ranked number one in anti-LGBTQ legislation proposed and passed. Since 2015 the state has passed 19 anti-LGBTQ bills into law. This year alone Gov. Bill Lee signed the nations first drag ban and also banned gender affirming healthcare for trans youth. For Hill, a Navy veteran who was deployed during Operation Desert Storm, the whole issue frustratingly takes away from her hard-won win. She has fought to overcome homelessness and also won a discrimination lawsuit against her former employer, Vanderbilt University. She said she isnt going to let the fear of discrimination derail her from addressing the issues that she cares about, including improving utilities, infrastructure and public transit. Im a plumber, pipe fitter, welder, mechanic, engineering specialist. Im kind of a nerd when it comes to this stuff, and those are the things that excite me. I ran as a qualified human to sit at the table. It just so happened that I am the first trans person, she said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A Texas man was sentenced to 36 years in prison for the 2019 murder of a transgender woman, the Harris County District Attorneys Office announced on Wednesday. Joshua Dominic Bourgeois, 29, pleaded guilty to stabbing Tracy Williams, 22, to death along a Houston freeway on July 30, 2019, and dumping her body in a gas station parking lot. Bourgeois and Williams were in a relationship that Williams wanted to end. According to local Fox affiliate KRIV, surveillance video showed Bourgeois repeatedly stabbing Williams as they walked along the Katy Freeway. After dumping her body, a bloody Bourgeois ordered a soft drink from the drive-thru window of a nearby McDonalds and begged other patrons for a ride away from the scene. He left the parking lot and was arrested weeks later. The case was not prosecuted as a hate crime, but instead classified as a case of deadly domestic violence. They were in an on-and-off dating relationship, and it was a situation in which she was ready to leave an abusive relationship and was tragically murdered, Assistant District Attorney Stephany Abner of the Domestic Violence Division said in a statement. He was part of the homeless community, and she was part of the transgender community, and this shows that no one is exempt from the dangers of intimate partner violence. Investigators had initially not released the identity of Williams, who was also known in the transgender community as Tracy Single, for two weeks when a photo of Williams was released to seek help from the local community. Bourgeois was arrested without incident on Friday, August 23, 2019, and later pled guilty to the charges. In exchange for a guilty plea, additional charges of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, assault on a family member, and assault on a public servant were dropped. Williams was the oldest of six siblings, and her murder left her mother devastated. My child is no longer with me, and I have to deal with this every day, Joyce Williams earlier told the Houston Chronicle. I wouldnt wish this on anybodys child. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, there is help available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233. Other resources can be found here. Hey, big spender. Tinder Select, the dating apps most exclusive tier, is rolling out now. It will cost love seekers $500 per month (or $6,000 annually no bulk discounts) for features like exclusive search and matching. The company has only offered Tinder Select to the less than one percent of users it considers extremely active does anyone want that label? Tinder told Bloomberg itll open applications for Tinder Select on a rolling basis, but it didnt say exactly when. Tinders exclusive membership was originally hinted at all the way back in 2019. The owners of Tinder, Match Group, have dabbled in exclusive dating apps before, like The League, which it bought in 2022, so its not too much of a shock to see Tinder also get reframed for the lonely rich. Is this worse than paying for verification when you have less than 1,000 followers on other social media networks? Yes. Yes, it is. Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed What the Elon Musk biography revealed about his tumultuous Twitter takeover Drop BMR1 PC speaker review: Not bad, but not amazing The best October Amazon Prime Day early access deals for 2023 Hitting the Books: Beware the Tech Bro who comes bearing gifts Last weeks biggest news meets Engadgets lens. Our short-but-sweet YouTube edition of this weeks news covers includes Microsofts rough, rough week, a sassier Alexa from Amazon and whether the iPhone 15 Pro is worth the extra bucks. Also: viewers take umbrage at my fake glasses. Which are not fake. Watch here. The best vlogging camera, by a big margin. TMA Ive been waiting for this. Sony fully embraced amateur / semi-pro content creators back in 2020, with the launch of the ZV1 camera. It has since added no less than four models to its ZV lineup, and this is the latest: the 12-megapixel full-frame ZV-E1. It uses the same sensor as the $3,500 A7S III, a video-focused camera and a low-light marvel. However, the ZV-E1 costs $1,300 less. While Sony has cut some minor corners, it combines outstanding video features and AI tricks, and I might have to start saving for one. Check out the full review. Dont get too excited. Its the Fan Edition ones. TMA Eagle-eyed visitors to Samsungs Argentinian website I visit it weekly have spotted something a little unexpected: a product page for new Galaxy Buds FE earbuds, along with images of a Galaxy S23 FE smartphone and Galaxy Tab S9 FE tablet. Samsungs Fan Edition devices have proven popular, packing in solid features for a more reasonable price than Samsungs flagship models. The company hasnt let slip any specs for the phone and tablet yet. However, there are some details on the Galaxy Buds FE, Samsungs first Fan Edition earbuds. Theyre slated to have a single 12mm driver, three microphones in each earbud to bolster active noise cancellation and a three-way speaker. Continue reading. Are flip phones back? Foldables have come a long way since the original Galaxy Fold went on sale back in 2019. Theyre smaller, theyre tougher and, while they still arent a great option for people on a budget, theyre now more affordable too. (Kind of?) We walk through the crucial specs, durability concerns and our favorite picks. Continue reading. iPhone 15 Pro reviews, and Microsoft picks AI over Surface. This week, Cherlynn chats about her experience reviewing the iPhone 15 Pro and Apple Watch Series 9. Does a 5X camera zoom make much of a difference? Meanwhile, Microsoft is basically consolidating all of the Copilot products its already announced for Edge, MS 365 and Windows, but maybe this will be less confusing in the long run? Continue reading. Correction, 9/25/23 11:45AM ET: As Tinder Select is invite-only, we've updated the headline to reflect that. A report by PEN America disclosed a 33 percent hike in book bans across U.S. public schools during the 2022-23 school year compared to the previous year. Titled Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor, the report identified Florida as the leading state in book bans, surpassing Texas, with over 40 percent of all bans happening in the state during this period. PEN America began tracking book bans in July 2021, uncovering nearly 6,000 instances since then. The recent school year saw 3,362 bans impacting 1,557 unique titles and affecting the works of 1,480 authors, illustrators, and translators, according to a PEN America press release. Across the country, these bans have specifically targeted books about LGBTQ+ themes and by queer authors. The factors fueling the censorship trend include vaguely worded state legislations and rigorous pressure from local and national advocacy groups, thus elevating fears among school districts over potential legal liabilities and criminal penalties. Suzanne Nossel , Chief Executive Officer of PEN America, expressed her displeasure in the release. The toll of the book banning movement is getting worse. More kids are losing access to books, more libraries are taking authors off the shelves, and opponents of free expression are pushing harder than ever to exert their power over students as a whole, said Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN America. Those who are bent on the suppression of stories and ideas are turning our schools into battlegrounds, compounding post-pandemic learning loss, driving teachers out of the classroom and denying the joy of reading to our kids. By depriving a rising generation of the freedom to read, these bans are eating away at the foundations of our democracy." PEN Americas Freedom to Read program director, Kasey Meehan, pinpointed Floridas significant role and it's "don't say gay" law, mentioning that the state is providing a playbook for other states to follow suit, including states like Iowa. Meehan explained, "Hyperbolic and misleading rhetoric continues to ignite fear over the types of books in schools. And yet, 75 percent of all banned books are specifically written and selected for young audiences." The report highlighted that over 75 percent of the banned books are designated for young adult or childrens audiences. PEN America also found an almost 400 percent increase in books being banned from classrooms and school libraries compared to the last school year. In contrast to the burgeoning censorship, PEN America underscored a growing nationwide student-led resistance against book bans. It encouraged individuals to join the cause to challenge book bans and uphold the freedom to read, rallying under the banner of #FreeTheBooks. "Students have been using their voices for months in resisting coordinated efforts to suppress teaching and learning about certain stories, identities, and histories; its time we follow their lead, Meehan said. By Felix Light GORIS, Armenia (Reuters) - For the second time in his life, Samvel Alaverdyan is fleeing Azerbaijan. Born to an ethnic Armenian family in the capital Baku, Alaverdyan first left as a child in 1989 when violence broke out between Azeris and Armenians over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Now he has escaped from Karabakh itself, where Azerbaijan mounted a lightning offensive last week to end three decades of de facto independence for the 120,000 ethnic Armenians who lived there. Many of the population are now fleeing in fear, gathering their belongings in plastic bags and boarding cars and buses that are jamming the only road from Karabakh into Armenia. "Its a nightmare,", Alaverdyan said, sitting with his wife Monika, his 21-year-old son Hayk and his in-laws outside a theatre in the Armenian border town of Goris that is serving as the main processing point for those displaced. The 45-year-old ex-policeman, who said he had been working as a civilian on a Karabakh Armenian military base, is one of the first Armenians to escape the Karabakh capital of Stepanakert, which the Azeris call Khankendi. This time around, fleeing is harder. In 1989, Alaverdyan and his family fled to the Armenian capital Yerevan from Baku, then a multinational Soviet city with a large Armenian minority, after an anti-Armenian pogrom in the nearby city of Sumgait. Azeri neighbours drove the family to the border in order to protect them. "They were good people," Samvel said. The neighbours also sent on their possessions, and Samvel and his family moved to Karabakh. 'A REFUGEE AGAIN' This time, they have lost everything. In Stepanakert, the Alaverdyans lived in a four-room private house with an allotment. That helped them survive harsh food shortages that gripped Karabakh during a nine-month Azerbaijani blockade that started last December. "I went to Stepanakert, I stayed there, got married, started to build a house. Now I'm a refugee again," Samvel said. "All we took with us are our coats," said Monika, an accountant, sitting on the pavement next to bags of blankets handed out by volunteers. The family left Stepanakert overnight on Sunday in their Nissan people carrier, having heard that a column was leaving the city. Now they plan to move to the town of Charentsavan, close to Yerevan, where they have relatives. Passing the Azerbaijani border guards on the way out was a risk, they said. Samvel has previous military experience with Karabakh forces and his son Hayk was serving in the Karabakh Armenian army until last week. "We took a big gamble," Samvel said. Monika said the Azerbaijani border guards identified Hayk as a soldier at the checkpoint, but let them through after checking the car for weapons. Asked whom they believe to be responsible for the disaster, the family was clear. "I dont have much to say about the Azeris," said Monika. I have a lot to say about the Russians." Both Samvel and Monika faulted the actions of the 2,000-strong Russian peacekeeping contingent who deployed to Karabakh after a 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. They said that before the conflict they had had warm feelings for Russia, and had studied in Russian-language schools. Both said the Russians had demanded bribes to take civilians out of Karabakh during the blockade, something Reuters was unable to verify. "Of course, it's their fault", said Monika. "When they came in 2020, we thought they'd protect us." Christian Armenians have historically looked to Moscow to protect them from their mainly Muslim Azeri and Turkish neighbours. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia still considers Armenia its ally but he rejected Armenian attempts to blame Moscow for the situation in Karabakh. Russia will work on ensuring that the rights of ethnic Armenians in Karabakh are respected, Peskov added. (Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth Jones) PLA ground forces exercise deters Taiwan secessionists as long-range rockets, missiles, amphibious troops join 'unusual' drills around island 09:08, September 25, 2023 By Liu Xuanzun ( Global Times A PHL-03 long-range multiple launch rocket system (LRMLRS) attached to an artillery brigade under the PLA 74th Group Army fires rockets at simulate target during a night raid exercise in an undisclosed desert area of northwest China on July 28, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Huang Hai) The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly conducted a ground exercise on the mainland side of the Taiwan Straits on Sunday, as the defense authority on the island of Taiwan became aware of the participation of long-range rockets, conventional missiles and amphibious troops in the PLA drills around the island in addition to previously detected aircraft and vessels. The intense PLA exercises over the past two weeks, which featured a record-breaking numbers of vessels and aircraft as well as new training methods that featured an aircraft carrier group, sends a stern warning to "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces, experts said. On Sunday morning, armed forces on the island of Taiwan detected PLA military drills at Dacheng Bay located in Dongshan Island in East China's Fujian Province featuring undisclosed numbers of aircraft, vessels and ground troops, the defense authority on the island said in a press release on the day. Dacheng Bay is a PLA amphibious landing training site that faces the island of Taiwan from the mainland side, according to media reports on the island. The defense authority on the island of Taiwan has been reporting daily PLA aircraft and vessel activities over the past few years, but only started reporting PLA ground activities on Thursday, when it said for the first time that it had spotted the PLA Army's long-range rocket artilleries, Rocket Force missiles and ground activities around Dacheng Bay. Analysts on the island speculated that the exercise could feature amphibious landing training and follow-up tactical maneuvers. Chiu Kuo-cheng, the leader of defense authority on the island, said on Friday that the recent movements by the PLA are "highly unusual," media reported. September saw the PLA break the record for the number of daily aircraft sorties and vessel activitiesaround the island of Taiwan, as the island spotted 103 PLA warplanes on September 17 and 20 PLA warships on September 11. Also in mid-September, the Shandongaircraft carrier groupheld a five-day exercise in West Pacific waters to the east of the island, joined by another group of eight PLA warships. China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong. (Xinhua/Li Gang) During the exercises, the aircraft carrier Shandong formed a group with vessels from the PLA Southern Theater Command and played as a blue team, while other warships and Air Force units from the PLA Eastern Theater Command played as a defensive red team, Chiu said. Previous far-sea exercises by PLA aircraft carriers often lasted for about a month and did not feature as many warships, so the latest drill likely featured new tactics or a new form of training, observers noted. The PLA has not announced the exercises or their details as of press time, but Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on August 31 that there is no need for the PLA to pre-announce countermeasures against collusions between the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external forces. The new developments in the PLA drills around the island of Taiwan display the increasing level of the PLA's combat readiness and its capability in controlling the situation in the Taiwan Straits, a Chinese mainland military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday. They also serve as warnings and deterrence against the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces, the expert said. Experts also warned of US involvement in the recent information releases on PLA activities. The US likely provided intelligence to the armed forces on the island of Taiwan, so the latter learned more about PLA ground deployments and activities, Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday. While such intelligence sharing does not pose an immediate threat to the PLA, it serves to hype the "China military threat" theory and incite the island of Taiwan to purchase more long-range guided weapons that turn the island to a powder keg, Song said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) An official of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has blamed China and its vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) for the pollution in the contested waters, after Beijing claimed that a Philippine military outpost on Ayungin Shoal was responsible for environmental damage in the area. The destruction of corals goes far beyond drama. It is a violent act and a serious crime against humanity. Stop making allegation that BRP Sierra Madre is polluting the water, but blame it to your numerous Chinese Maritime Militia swarming the Philippines' EEZ, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela said Saturday. This is in response to Chinas statement denying involvement in the destruction of corals in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, describing the Philippines statement as political drama from fiction. The Philippines has accused the eastern superpower after it spotted Beijings militia vessels in WPS where environmental damage was observed. China likewise accused the Philippines of causing ecological damage in the WPS because of the BRP Sierra Madre a World-War II era ship deliberately grounded on the Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a military outpost over the hotly contested waters. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Saturday slammed the denial, saying Chinas statement exemplified its insincerity and hypocrisy. READ: 'Insincere, hypocritical': Teodoro on China's denial of WPS reef destruction Only art could bring two people together from across the world, one living in Taiwan and the other in Paradise Valley.We are the most unlikeliest of creative couples, now surrounded by an incredible cast, director, writer and composer to bring to life, and music, one of the globes most important moments in the past 50 years: the stirring protests of 1989 and subsequent tragedy in Beijings Tiananmen Square. While China attempts to erase from its history any memory of the brave students that almost changed their country and the world, it will be this community more specifically the century-old Phoenix Theatre Company that will powerfully and beautifully project what happened then, and what the stakes are now. Theater is best when it can educate Theater is an escape. And Tiananmen: A New Musical will be no different. But its also at its best when it educates and entertains. Like Rent, Hamilton, Les Miserables or many other musicals that are not just momentary candy. Tiananmen will make you think, reflect and contemplate the world we now find ourselves in. It will do so through powerful song, a different kind of love story and a courageous cast that has come from all over the country to tell this profound story. Is China: Really trying to shut down a musical in Phoenix? It is a testament to Phoenix that one of its leading arts organizations has the audacity to share this saga in such a sweeping and memorable way. A powerful monologue after the carnage Student leader Wang Dan stands in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on May 27, 1989, calling for a citywide march. Near the end of the show there is a powerful monologue from the Chinese premier at the time, Deng Xiaoping. In the musical, reality is suspended as he walks through the carnage of Tiananmen Square and challenges the audience with language that democracies in the western world are not used to hearing: At the edge of memory, who defines the truth? We cant use force, the thinking goes, because foreign powers will punish us. America. Europe. Fickle democracies, governed by comedians, led by mobs, weakened, divided, and sold to the highest bidders. We cant use force, the thinking goes, because our own people will punish us. History, they say, will condemn us. But history is over. Five months from this moment, a wall in Germany will collapse. Western elites, giddy with triumph, will pronounce its time of death. They will call it the end of history. Celebrate it. Grow fat in it! And we will crush them. Because people will forget. 'People will forget' Tiananmen Square People will forget what happened here. People will forget what we did here. Westerners will. China will. Because you will want smartphones. Because Beijing will want skyscrapers. Twenty thousand dying will bring 20 years of stability. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. And at the edge of memory, who defines the truth? Me. Don't forget: The fight for freedom matters We often dont hear such confrontational language. But in the current clash of systems, we can often forget that dictators rule much of the world, not the emancipation and nobility of democracy.This is the great debate and challenge of our time. And from October 4-29 in Phoenix, we will take this issue head on. Because Ukraine matters. Taiwan matters. Tiananmen matters. And so does the relentless fight for freedom, wherever it may be, wherever it may be necessary. Freedoms flame may flicker, but it never dies. Thats the lesson of Tiananmen. Phoenixs brave new musical is art at its best. Wu'er Kaixi helped lead the student protests in Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1989 and currently serves as a political commentator and democracy activist in Taiwan. He is the conceiver and creative consultant for Tiananmen: A New Musical. Jason Rose is founder and CEO of Rose & Allyn Public Relations, as well as lead producer of the musical. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Tiananmen: A New Musical' is confrontational, art at its best Is the tiny Franklin County town of Mesa on the path to disincorporation? Probably not, but that hasnt stopped rumors from swirling as the city deals with the fallout from years of financial stumbles, a 20-year lawsuit, hiring struggles and suspected embezzlement. Mesa is a small agriculturally-driven community of about 490, half an hour north of Pasco. It began as a stop between Eltopia and Palouse Junction in 1883, and was first homesteaded by the Poe family in 1887, two years before Washington became a state. Mesa was incorporated in 1955, just a few years after the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project brought water and the post-World War II G.I Bill Reclamation Settlement program brought veterans and their families eager to start a new life farming the basin. It was a chance to turn difficult land into a legacy through hard work and many veterans were eager for the opportunity. In the Columbia Basin, an average of more than 300 veterans applied for each farm available in 1952. Mesa is a small agriculturally driven community of about 490 people about half an hour north of Pasco in Franklin County. Mesa began as a stop between Eltopia and Palouse Junction in 1883, and was first homesteaded by the Poe family in 1887, two years before Washington became a state. Ray Bailie was one of the veterans who chose to call Mesa home, but he had connections to the area even before the war. He spent some time in Mesa before the war working for the Poes, who were family friends, according to his 2008 obituary. He left to serve in the Navy, and married Lucille Poe, then they decided to return after the war to make Mesa their home. Bailie became a prominent cattleman and farmer in his own right. He would go on to become one of the towns first mayors and staunchest advocates. Today, Mesa still holds strong to its agricultural roots, but years of financial turmoil led to frequent turnover for both elected officials and employees, and rumors that the town may need to take drastic measures. The claim the city could be on the verge of disincorporating came up at a recent Port of Pasco meeting during a discussion on regional economic development. Mesa is a small agriculturally driven community of about 490 people about half an hour north of Pasco. Mesa began as a stop between Eltopia and Palouse Junction in 1883, and was first homesteaded by the Poe family in 1887, two years before Washington became a state. While the comment by a Connell chamber of commerce official was not the first time the possibility has been mentioned, it was the most public discussion to date. The official later declined to talk about the issue with the Herald. Mesas mayor flatly refutes the rumors, but didnt want to be interviewed about the challenges and future of the community. Mayor Jim Cronenwett has been in the role for about a year, after the previous mayor resigned. Hes also got a new city clerk/treasurer who is working to fix issues found in Washington state audit. A plaque celebrating Mesas history and the Poe and Bailie families sits in front of the towns welcome sign. It was placed during Washingtons centennial in 1989, and declares, The dedication of this Centennial project affirms our faith that Mesa will continue for another 100 years. Mesa is a small agriculturally driven community of about 490 people about half an hour north of Pasco in Franklin County. The town was incorporated in 1955, just a few years after the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project brought water to the area for farming. A marker installed during the states centennial in 1989 gives a brief historical look into the town. Whats happening? The past few years have been rough for Mesas elected officials and employees. The current city clerk/treasurer is at least the fourth person in that role in the past five years. The city lost a long-running public records lawsuit in 2018, leading to a ruling to pay former Mayor Donna Zink $175,000, but that was later largely reversed by an appeals court. Its unclear how much the city had to spend in attorneys fees over the nearly 20 years of the lawsuit, which was first filed in 2003. In 2022, former Mayor Merlin Giesbrecht told the CrossCut news outlet that their former treasurer had left potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-related funds on the table. They were funds he said they didnt know they were even eligible for, but the city could have used. Instead Mesa joined a short list of small towns that didnt apply for them at all. Not long after, the citys then-clerk/treasurer, Danni Speelman, was arrested for using her position to commit theft. She is accused of stealing money from the city through a series of fake transactions over the course of the six and a half months she worked for Mesa. Her trial is set to begin in October. Court documents show that the scheme was caught when a Housing Specialist for Goodwill of the Columbia noticed she had used Giesbrechts address, without his knowledge, for the accounts she was fraudulently collecting money for, according to court documents. By September a new clerk/treasurer, James Gimenez, was in the role, but dealing with the theft and was also immediately wrapped up in an audit from the state auditors office because the city had not submitted annual reports since 2020. Mesa is a small agriculturally driven community of about 490 people about half an hour north of Pasco in Franklin County. The town was incorporated in 1955, just a few years after the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project brought water to the area for farming. Today Mesa still holds strong to its agricultural roots, but years of financial turmoil has led to frequent turnover for both elected roles and employees, and rumors that the town may need to take drastic measures. Included in an October 2022 letter of findings, the city told the auditors office they had little information on what had happened and how to proceed. In 2021 our City Clerk/Treasurer resigned on June 1st. She left not telling anyone about the annual report that was due or what it was about. By 2022 we were on our 3rd new clerk with little experience who loved to overlook emails she didnt understand. Shortly after Speelman left, Giesbrecht appears to have also resigned, leading to Cronenwett stepping into the position. By the time the city responded to the auditors office, Gimenez also had left. Our books are not up to date and we dont know where to start. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. As far as when the 2021 and 2022 reports will be done, maybe six months. The audit found that the city lacked adequate internal controls over financial reporting to ensure compliance with timely annual report submissions. The current clerk-treasurer told the Herald that she had been able to get the citys books up to date over the past year. Mesa is a small agriculturally driven community of about 490 people about half an hour north of Pasco. Mesa began as a stop between Eltopia and Palouse Junction in 1883, and was first homesteaded by the Poe family in 1887, two years before Washington became a state. Disincorporation rumors Is all that enough to lead to a small town dissolve? Not likely, according to Washington law. In Washington, state law lays out three ways a city can be disincorporated, and they are all exceedingly rare and legally difficult to navigate. To voluntarily disincorporate a city must either start the process via a citizen-led petition or through a city council resolution. Both methods then require the proposal to go before the county boundary review board before going on the ballot for a full vote of city residents. The involuntary method is only used if a city fails to place its regular elections on the ballot for two years or if those elected officials fail to qualify and the function of the government ceases, according to state law. The most common belief seems to be that financial troubles or difficulty keeping elected officials could prompt the city of Mesa to make such a move, but only the latter could push the town toward disincorporation. There is nothing in the law that would force the city to disincorporate over financial obstacles. In 1955 Mesa was incorporated, just a few years after the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project brought water to the area for farming. And while Mesa has seen turnover in elected officials, they have not failed to hold regular council elections. That rules out involuntary disincorporation. In the past 50 years, an attempt to disincorporate has only been attempted twice in Washington, and the more recent attempt failed. In 1972, Westlake in Grant County disincorporated. More recently, in 2009 an effort was made to disincorporate Spokane Valley, but the community members pushing for the vote failed to get enough signatures to place it on the ballot. There has never been an involuntary discorporation in Washington, according to a 2009 memo from the Spokane Valley City Attorneys Office. On top of that, its also not a way the city could potentially bypass financial obligations or offer a big tax break to property owners. State law makes it clear the citys taxes will continue to be collected by the county until debts are paid, and then levies are limited to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Solo travel can cause me to get stuck in my own head when I feel lonely and make mistakes. But when I remember the perks of being alone, like total autonomy, I feel happier on my solo trips. Celebrating small wins and not dwelling on mistakes helps me maintain a positive mindset. Traveling by train through the US, Canada, and Europe, sailing through the Caribbean Sea on the largest cruise ship in the world, and taking long-haul flights from the Pacific to the Atlantic I've done it all by myself. But I didn't always travel solo. Growing up, I took trips with family and friends. Back then, the idea of traveling alone was daunting to me. Nowadays as an adult, I have to take most of my trips solo. Living in New York City, I often travel by myself to visit loved ones in different parts of the world, from Texas to Guam. I also find myself often adventuring alone because of my job as a reporter. Two years into travel reporting, I've explored my home country, Germany, Austria, Mexico, Honduras, the Bahamas, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, all alone. Getting used to navigating and exploring on my own took some time without having someone else to share the process with. And even after all these trips, I still find myself struggling to get out of my head when I'm all alone especially in other countries. But I've also figured out how to improve my headspace during these tough moments. Combat loneliness with gratitude The author feels more relaxed in a spacious train bedroom that she does in shared cabins. Joey Hadden/Insider When I'm traveling solo, one of the biggest obstacles in my head is loneliness. But remembering why I am on the trip and the perks of being alone like total freedom to do what I want helps me feel better. In these moments of overwhelming isolation, I focus on feeling grateful for a job that allows me to travel and remember that being alone helps me grow and learn more about myself. When I travel alone, I get to select every mode of transportation, accommodation, and activity. This gives me the chance to try new things and figure out what I like and what I don't like. For example, my train trips taught me that I love riding the rails even through the night. But booking bunks in shared cabins made me realize that I need to book private rooms for a good night's sleep. Celebrate small wins, and don't dwell on mistakes My trips are never perfect. There are times when I arrive at the wrong train station, get caught in the rain, and struggle to sleep. But when I dwell on these mishaps, I feel really negative and incapable of enjoying the experience. So early in my travels, I make a conscious choice to push through and focus on what I can control, like arriving at stations early, buying an umbrella, and taking extra time to sleep. These small wins boost my spirits. One time, I arrived in Vienna on an overnight train from Berlin in a shared cabin. I hadn't slept at all and was exhausted. I knew I couldn't check into my hotel until 3 p.m. and that I needed rest. So I focused on what I could control and began looking for hotels to crash in. Once I left the station, I started going into random hotels to book a room. By the third hotel, I got one. I had to pay for the whole night even though I was only taking a nap, but I thought it was a small price to pay for a safe, comfortable place to doze. I framed this as a small win to celebrate. I got out of my head by focusing on positive problem-solving and found exactly what I needed. The author crosses the Rainbow Bridge connecting New York to Ontario, Canada, (L) and eats a kebab sandwich on a park bench in Vienna, Austria (R). Joey Hadden/Insider My trips are full of small wins like this, like finally walking across the bridge from New York to Canada after a 10-hour train ride from NYC, or finding a delicious kebab cart next to a park while exploring Vienna. These small wins help me stay positive and I'd highly recommend other solo travelers do the same if they're struggling. Staying out of my head is challenging when I'm traveling solo, but when I focus on the positives, I find that by the end of every trip, I'm a better problem solver and a more confident person. Read the original article on Insider A federal agency that takes an active role in shaping international ocean, fisheries, climate, space and weather policies reported last week one of its teams is evaluating data collected on 10 killer whales incidentally caught in Alaska by Bering Sea and Aleutian Island groundfish trawl fisheries in 2023. In a statement, NOAA Fisheries, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said just one whale ended up being released alive. For the other nine, the agency is in the process of determining the cause of injury or death and which stocks these whales belong to through a review of genetic information. In addition, NOAA Fisheries is reviewing information regarding a killer whale incidentally caught during the Alaska Fisheries Science Centers longline survey for sablefish and groundfish this summer. The agency added that on June 7, a dead killer whale was observed entangled in gear on the Central Bering Sea slope. The incident was reported and is under review in accordance with required reporting procedures. The center has an incidental take authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and biological opinion under the Endangered Species Act, the statement reads. Killer whales, also known as Orcas, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which requires vessel owners or operators to report to NOAA Fisheries all incidental mortalities and injuries of marine mammals that occur during commercial fishing and survey operations. In a written statement obtained by the Anchorage Daily News in Alaska, the Groundfish Forum, a Seattle-based trawl fishery group, confirmed member vessels were involved in at least some of the whale deaths as well as the one released alive. Our fleet is committed to finding solutions to this unprecedented challenge. We have invested in research activities to better understand the change in killer whale behavior and how to avoid them, a portion of the statement said. Vessels are experimenting with gear modifications that may prevent whales from entering the net. Killer whales interactions with vessels The Anchorage Daily News has done further reporting on this issue and notes killer whales have been drawn to fishing boats off Alaska for decades. Longliners, which drop lines of baited hooks, have generated many encounter reports. The whales strip black cod off hooks and eat the fish as those hooks are brought to the surface. The vessels have tried multiple tactics to fend off the whales, including blasting heavy metal music from the decks, the media outlet reported. From 2014 to 2020, seven killer whales died or suffered serious injury due to encounters with all types of fishing gear, according to two versions of a federal study cited by the Groundfish Forum in their written statement. Groundfish Forum trawler crews have come upon killer whales more frequently and those contacts appear to have intensified this year. In 2023, our captains have reported an increase in the number of killer whales present near our vessels, where they appear to be feeding in front of the nets while fishing, the statement from the Groundfish Forum seen in the Anchorage outlet reads. The Seattle organization called this new behavior. Megan Williams, a fishery scientist with the Ocean Conservancy who has studied killer whale interactions with Bering Sea fisheries for years, told the Anchorage Daily News killer whales are incredibly intelligent animals, and conflicts arising with trawl fisheries need to be addressed, along with larger concerns. This may represent a conservation concern for killer whales, Williams said. FILE - A French police officer lays flowers while paying tribute to his colleagues killed in a knife attack near their home in Magnanville, west of Paris, France, on June 14, 2016. A trial is opening in French counterterrorism court Monday Sept. 25, 2023 over the killing of two police officers in their home in 2016, in front of their 3-year-old son. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) LYON, France (AP) It wasnt the deadliest attack in Europe linked to the Islamic State group, but it was among the most disturbing: One evening in 2016, an assailant killed two police officers in their family home, in front of their 3-year-old son. On Monday, a trial opened in a French counterterrorism court over the attack in the Paris suburb of Magnanville. The attacker, Larossi Abballa, was shot to death by police. According to court documents, he told police negotiators that he was responding to an IS leaders call to kill miscreants at home with their families. A childhood friend of Abballas, Mohamed Aberouz, is on trial for complicity to terrorism-related murder, complicity to kidnapping and terrorist conspiracy. Aberouz, who says he is innocent, faces up to life in prison if convicted. The killings came amid a wave of attacks in France linked to the Islamic State group and had a lasting effect on police officers around France. Some moved, changed services or resigned to protect their loved ones after the Magnanville killings. All of us are watching this trial, Denis Jacob, general secretary of the police union Alternative Police Nationale, said on BFM television as the trial began. According to court documents, Abballa broke into the home of police officers Jessica Schneider and Jean-Baptiste Salvaing before they returned from work. When Schneider came home, Abballa slit her throat in the living room, with the child present. The father texted her from the office to say Im leaving, the documents say. There was no response. He was stabbed upon arriving home. Neighbors called police, and the attacker said he was holding the couples 3-year-old hostage, according to the documents. He told a negotiator from a special police unit that he acted because the French government was preventing the faithful from joining the caliphate, and stressed that he had not targeted civilians but representatives of the French state. Police stormed the home and killed Abballa, and rescued the child. The boy, now 10, has been raised by family members since, and is not expected to appear at the trial. After more than five years of investigation and multiple arrests, only Aberouz is facing trial. Charges were initially brought against two others but later dropped. Aberouz, now 30, was arrested a year after the events, when his DNA was found on the victims computer. Taking the stand at the start of Monday's trial, he told the court, I want to express all my compassion for the families of victims,'' according to public broadcaster France-Info. He condemned Abballa's actions and insisted on his own innocence. I hope to be listened to'' during the trial, he said. Aberouz initially disputed connections to IS, before acknowledging that the group corresponded to his convictions while denouncing its extremist methods, according to the court documents. He maintains that he never went to the police couples home or helped in preparing the attack. He said the DNA found in the victims home could have been the result of his shaking hands with Abballa or riding in his car in the days before the attack. Aberouz lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, said he would plead for acquittal. There is no message in which he talks about an attack,'' he told The Associated Press. Aberouz was already sentenced to prison in another terrorism case, for his role in a failed gas canister attack near Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Police are hoping that the Magnanville attack trial sheds light on the preparations for the attack and the methods used by those who plot to attack police officers. A verdict is expected Oct. 10. Former President Trump is coming under intense criticism for a social media post late Sunday in which he threatened to investigate Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, NBC News and MSNBC, over the outlets coverage of him should he be elected president again. They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its Country Threatening Treason, Trump wrote on his Truth Social website. NBC has not commented on Trumps threat, but his remarks have sparked a wave of backlash in media and political circles. Lets just think about the last three days where were at here. Donald Trump mocked a disabled veteran, called for the execution of Gen. Mark Milley, has called for the complete shutdown of the government unless they defund the prosecutions against him. Hes asked for all Senate Democrats to resign over the [N.J. Sen. Bob Menendez] case. And, you know, hes talking about using government power to retaliate and shut down NBC for criticizing him, said Charlie Sykes, a political commentator who makes regular appearances on MSNBC. The progressive political organization Occupy Democrats also blasted the former presidents social media post, which it called a deranged rant. There you have it, folks. While Trump and his Republican enablers love to falsely accuse Democrats of weaponizing the government against Trump, Trump himself is now openly threaten to weaponize the presidency to completely remove entire news channels from the airwaves simply because they expose his rampant criminality, the organization said. President Bidens White House, which has itself not shied away from publicly criticizing media coverage it does not agree with, issued a statement of its own Monday, blasting Trumps rhetoric toward NBC and the press more generally. President Biden swore an oath to uphold our Constitution and protect American Democracy. Freedom of the press is a fundamental Constitutional right, a White House spokesperson said. To abuse presidential power and violate the Constitutional rights of reporters would be an outrageous attack on our democracy and the rule of law. Presidents must always defend Americans freedoms never trample on them for selfish, small, and dangerous political purposes. Other observers noted Monday what they say is a lack of outrage on the political right in response to Trumps threat to scrutinize coverage of an independent media organization. Of course, Glenn Greenwald and all the [right-wingers] who complain about Democrats lack of respect for free speech said nothing yesterday about Trump calling for investigations of TV networks and threatening to pull NBCs broadcast license because of their speech, the journalist and author James Surowiecki wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Greenwald is an independent journalist who is frequently critical of corporate media outlets and Democrats. On Monday, Greenwald in a social media post wrote of Trumps comments on Comcast: Yeah, thats wrong. Its also like the 2016 Lock her up chant that never happened, versus the lock them up! chants of 2023 that are. To defend Dems, media often relies on almost-happened (Trump almost went to war with Iran, Trump said hed do this but didnt, etc.), Greenwald wrote. It is always concerning when politicians seek to politicize reporting, rather than addressing policy issues, said Katherine Jacobsen of the The Committee to Protect Journalists, an outfit that tracks threats against media members and advocates for press freedoms around the world. Casting journalists as the enemy creates a dangerous permission structure for attacks against the press. The Hill has reached out to Trumps spokesperson. Trump has long attacked media and press organizations that are not, in his view, supportive enough of him. As part of his threat against Comcast and NBC, he again referred to the media as the enemy of the people. Trump has spent the last several months ridiculing conservative media juggernaut Fox News, which he has repeatedly accused of boosting his primary opponents and trying to stymie his bid for the White House in 2024. Trumps most recent attack on NBC came just days after the former president participated in a wide-ranging interview with journalist Kristen Welker that aired as part of her first broadcast moderating Meet The Press, the networks longtime Sunday morning show. Trumps relationship with NBC goes back years. The network helped him become a household name in the early 2000s with its hit show The Apprentice. Today, a number of MSNBCs leading stars are sharply critical of the former president, including prime-time pundits Rachel Maddow and Joy Reid and morning talk show host Joe Scarborough. NBC is also reportedly in the running to host an upcoming GOP primary debate. Trump did not participate in last months first GOP debate, which aired on Fox News, and has said he does not plan to attend this weeks second GOP debate on Fox Business Network, citing his large lead in most primary polls and what he says is a hostile relationship with the network airing it. Updated at 10:24 a.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Trump campaign claimed that he bought a Glock handgun from a South Carolina gun store. In a video posted on X, a Trump spokesman wrote: "President Trump purchases a @GLOCKInc in South Carolina!" But his campaign later backtracked and said that the former president didn't make the purchase. Former President Donald Trump on Monday wanted to purchase a Glock handgun during a campaign swing through South Carolina, with his campaign writing that the ex-president went through wth the purchase before backtracking on the claim. A video posted on X by Trump spokesman Steven Cheung which was later deleted showed that the gun in question featured a print of the former president's face. Trump stopped at the Palmetto State Armory in Summerville, S.C., to look at guns after meeting with campaign volunteers in the critical early-voting state. In the video, Trump pointed to the Glock and said "Wow," before adding: "I've got to buy one. I want to buy one." In the now-deleted X post, Cheung wrote: "President Trump purchases a @GLOCKInc in South Carolina!" While Trump remains the frontrunner in the GOP race for the White House, he has also been indicted in four criminal cases this year, and therefore cannot purchase a gun under the law. Amid the speculation, Caitlyn Byrd, a politics reporter at the The Post and Courier, wrote on X that Trump did not purchase a gun on Monday. "Trump *DID NOT* buy a gun today. He looked at them. There is a difference," she wrote. In a later post, Byrd wrote: "To be clear: I did not see Trump actually purchase this gun or any other during his stop at Palmetto State Armory, but he did ask questions and looked at three different firearms." Soon after, CNN politics reporter Alayna Treene posted on X that Cheung informed the network that Trump did not actually purchase the Glock while at the Palmetto State Armory. Insider reached out to the Trump campaign for further comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump has demanded that all Senate Democrats resign over the bribery scandal facing Senator Bob Menendez despite pushing ahead with his own 2024 ambitions while facing the prospect of the rest of his life behind bars. In a Truth Social rant on Sunday, the indicted former president weighed in on the federal criminal case against the New Jersey lawmaker and called on the entire Democratic party to stand down from the Senate over the scandal. Senate Democrats should all resign based on Senator Bob Menendez! They all knew what was going on, and the way he lived, he ranted. Mr Trump also went on to falsely suggest that he had been treated unfairly compared to Mr Menendez, questioning why the FBI didnt raid the senators home like they illegally raided Mar-a-Lago. Mr Trump appears to be unaware that the FBI executed a search warrant at the home Mr Menendez shares with his wife Nadine Menendez in June 2022 a search that uncovered bars of gold, over $480,000 in cash and a luxury convertible now used as evidence in the case against him. Why doesnt the FBI raid Senate Democrats homes like they illegally raided Mar-a-Lago, where nothing was done wrong based on the Presidential Records Act, Mr Trump fumed. Menendez is a piker compared to some of those Election Stealing THUGS. Can you imagine how much Crooked Joe Biden has stolen, and whats in some of his many homes? The FBI and Justice notified him that they would be going in to look, in a few weeks. In other words, get rid of the cash, gold, & documents, ASAP, before we get there. They didnt give me any warning, they just showed up. Hunter lived with Crooked Joe in Delaware. It would be a Treasure Hunt! Crookeds coffers must be loaded up with cash. I wonder how much they got paid for Rigging the Election? He rounded off his unhinged rant in which he peddled his ongoing false claims of election fraud and unfounded accusations against his successor President Joe Biden with an all-caps demand for all Democrats to stand down from the Senate. Menendez is one of many, a small timer at that. EVERY DEMOCRAT SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE SENATE! Our Borders are Broken, our Elections are Rigged. MAGA! he wrote. Former US president Donald Trump has weighed in on Bob Menendez case (PA Wire) Mr Trumps seeming assumption of Mr Menendezs guilt and call to remove all Democrats from the Senate is a marked difference from his response to his own slew of criminal charges. Mr Trump has been hit with a string of charges in four separate criminal cases and, unlike his demands for Democrats, is remaining defiant in his 2024 White House run. Several Republicans have said that he should bow out of the presidential race due to the criminal cases something that Mr Trump is refusing to do as he claims that the same federal authorities now charging Mr Menendez are biased against him. The former president was charged for the first time back in April with New York state charges following an investigation into hush money payments prior to the 2016 election. Then came his first federal indictment, following a two-year investigation by special counsel Jack Smith, over his alleged mishandling of classified documents on leaving office. In August, he was hit with a second federal indictment charging him with four counts over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the events leading up to the January 6 Capitol riot. Later that month, Mr Trump and 18 close allies were charged in a sprawling RICO case in Georgia, over their efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result in the crucial swing state. The indictment accuses them of orchestrating and running a criminal enterprise in Fulton County, Georgia, and elsewhere, to accomplish the illegal goal of allowing Donald J. Trump to seize the presidential term of office, beginning on January 20, 2021. Among his co-defendants are former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Kraken lawyer Sidney Powell, and attorneys John Eastman and Kenneth Cheseboro. Senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine Arslanian (REUTERS) In total, the former president is now facing 91 charges from four separate criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and claims that he is the victim of political persecution and a witch hunt. Mr Menendez, meanwhile, was indicted on Friday on corruption and bribery-related charges. The senator, who has represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2006 and was the Democratic leader of the Senates Foreign Relations Committee, is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars and a Mercedez-Benz in bribes by three New Jersey businessmen. In exchange, the senator allegedly passed sensitive government information to Egyptian officials, used his position to aid the Egyptian government and tried to push federal prosecutors to drop criminal investigations linked to the businessmen. A search of Mr Menendezs home found over $480,000 in cash stuffed into envelopes and hidden inside clothing. He is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. As well as Mr Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes, and associates Wael Hana and Jose Uribe are also charged in the case. Since the news broke, several Democrats have urged Mr Menendez to resign while New Jersey congressman Andy Kim has announced that he will challenge him for his Senate seat. Mr Menendez is refusing to stand down and has hit back at the indictment claiming that those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a US senator. He will hold a press conference on Monday where he is expected to announce plans to seek reelection in the 2024 election. Former President Trump is enmeshed in a tangled web of legal troubles set to play out in courtrooms across the country next year in the midst of his campaign to return to the White House. Trump is defending himself against a total of 91 criminal charges spread among four state and federal criminal indictments. Separately, he is also a party in more than a half-dozen civil lawsuits. His trials and other court proceedings are set to overlap with key primary elections, adding an unprecedented element to the 2024 campaign. His status as the GOP primary front-runner, as evidenced by an array of national polls, remains unshakeable. Here is the status of each criminal case and what comes next. Georgia election interference case What it is: Trump, along with 18 other defendants, are charged with attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. Each defendant is charged under Georgias racketeering law and faces additional charges, including an array of conspiracy allegations. All defendants but one have pleaded not guilty. Whats next: An Oct. 23 trial has been set for two defendants Trump-aligned attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell after they invoked their right to a speedy trial. The remaining 17, including Trump, will go to trial at a later date that has not yet been set. Five of the defendants, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, are appealing decisions that they cant move their charges to federal court. 5 key milestones: Top Stories from The Hill Federal 2020 election interference case What it is: Trump is accused of engaging in multiple criminal conspiracies to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election. He has pleaded not guilty to four felony counts that allege he pressured state legislators, developed false slates of electors, leveraged the Justice Department, pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence and exploited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Trump pleaded not guilty. Whats next: Trump has appealed a limited gag order imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan which limits the former presidents ability to lodge personal attacks against prosecutors and court staff. Chutkan is also expected to rule on a motion to dismiss the case based on presidential immunity. And, the Oct. 23 deadline for pre-trial motions is rapidly nearing, with any filings opposing those motions due by Nov. 6. 5 key milestones: Federal classified documents case What it is: Trump faces 40 charges that he mishandled classified records and attempted to obstruct the governments retrieval of those records after he left the White House at the end of his first term in 2021. The files allegedly contained national defense and weapons information, including some that had top secret markings. The governments retrieval of the records included an unprecedented FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Whats next: Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys for the former president must file any motions related to Section 4 of the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA). The motions were originally due by Oct. 10, but U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon stayed that deadline after Trumps attorneys requested a revised schedule. CIPA Section 4 allows prosecutors to ask the court to delete classified information in discovery that is not relevant or helpful to the defense. It also allows prosecutors to request the removal or redaction of some classified information that may be helpful to defense attorneys but requires additional protections. 5 key milestones: New York hush money case What it is: Trump made his first court appearance this year in a case involving 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments he made during the 2016 campaign he sent to his then-fixer, Michael Cohen. Prosecutors maintain that the reimbursements were for payments Cohen made to porn actress Stormy Daniels to stay silent over an alleged affair with Trump. Prosecutors say Trump improperly deemed the payments a legal retainer in an effort to hide damaging information from the public ahead of that years presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty. Whats next: Trump is scheduled to appear in court next Feb. 15 in a virtual appearance, when the judge will rule on pre-trial motions. A trial has been set for March 25 but may be pushed back. 5 key milestones: Updated Oct. 17 at 3:08 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday warned government agencies that they will be slapped with complaints if they will not cooperate in the agricultural smuggling probe. Pagka hindi nag-cooperate ang kahit anong party, dadalhin namin sa Ombudsman 'pag ito po ay nasa gobyernoWala hong puwedeng tumanggi na tumulong sa DOJ, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told CNN Philippines The Source on Monday. [Translation: If they do not cooperate, we will bring them to the Ombudsman if they are from the government. No one can refuse to help the DOJ.] Remulla earlier said agricultural smuggling cases were usually dismissed due to lack of evidence needed to pursue these. To address the problem, he said the DOJ has adopted a case buildup system where prosecutors are supposed to elicit from the complainants the evidence that have to be adduced to pursue a case. Remulla also noted that substantial basis must be established before prosecutors dismiss smuggling cases. Last week, Remulla said complaints against six former and current government officials were filed over their alleged link to onion smuggling in the country. The DOJ is also coordinating with the Bureau of Customs regarding rice smuggling cases, he added. Former President Trump pledged to investigate Comcast, the parent company for NBC and MSNBC, if he is elected in 2024, saying it will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events. They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its Country Threatening Treason, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday. I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events, the former President wrote. Trump also rehashed a phrase he has often used for news media in the past, calling it the enemy of the people. The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country! Trump added. Its unclear whether a particular story or report drew Trumps ire. He sat down with new Meet The Press host Kristen Welker on NBC earlier this month. During the interview, Trump repeated false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and rigged. His subsequent efforts to overturn the results and remain in power are at the center of federal charges against him in Washington, D.C., and state charges in Georgia. MSNBC hosted a panel discussion Thursday on federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy saying she left the Durham investigation into Trump-Russia ties because of political meddling in the probe. The former president will regularly deride coverage he dislikes as fake news, as well as singling out particular outlets and reporters. The Hill has reached out to Comcast, NBC and MSNBC for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Donald Trump Monday urged right-wing congressional Republicans to shut down the government UNLESS YOU GET EVERYTHING in crunch talks. As a weekend deadline looms large, Trump called on his followers to refuse to compromise with moderates who want to pass a spending bill that could avert a shutdown. Unless you get everything, shut it down! Trump wrote on his social media site early Monday morning. Its time Republicans learned how to fight! Trump suggested Democrats close the border with Mexico and stop the investigations into his effort to overturn the 2020 election in exchange for keeping the government open. He claimed that the public would blame President Joe Biden if Republicans fail to pass a stopgap spending bill to keep the government running. Whoever is President will be blamed, in this case, Joe Biden, he asserted. In fact, history says its likely voters will blame the Republican-led House because they are trying to use the potential shutdown as leverage to impose other priorities, like unpopular cuts to domestic spending. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the firebrand leader of a faction of far right-wing lawmakers, reposted Trumps message. He cited it as evidence that the former president is siding with him and against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is trying to cobble together a deal that can win approval from the deeply divided GOP caucus. Trump agrees with me not [McCarthy], Gaetz tweeted. Break the fever. Hold the line. Some right-wing Republicans believe a government shutdown might eventually force the GOP-controlled House to enact deep spending cuts along with a grab bag of unrelated MAGA priorities like amping up the impeachment of Biden and rushing troops to the southern border with Mexico. In a sign of further disarray in the Republican ranks, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) late Sunday came out swinging against any additional military aid to Ukraine. Greene, an occasional ally of McCarthy, broke with the leader over his willingness to add aid to the embattled nation that is fighting to repel a Russian invasion. The rule is the first step of advancing this blood money in Congress, Greene tweeted, referring to a procedural step Republicans may vote on later Monday. Im a HARD NO on the rules package and a blank check for Ukraine. Republicans failed last week to advance a short-term funding bill that would start the process of keeping the government open. McCarthy is now twisting arms to pass individual spending bills to fund defense and foreign operations, in the hopes of laying the groundwork for another shot at a stopgap spending bill. Meanwhile, the Democratic-led Senate may pass a spending package of its own sometime this week with the goal of forcing McCarthy to bring it to the floor where enough moderate Republicans may cross the aisle to pass it with Democrats. Former President Donald Trump on Monday urged right-wing congressional Republicans to shut down the government unless you get everything in crunch talks. As a weekend deadline looms large, Trump called on his followers to refuse to compromise with moderates who want to pass a spending bill that could avert a shutdown. Unless you get everything, shut it down! Trump wrote on his social media site early Monday morning. Its time Republicans learned how to fight! Trump suggested Democrats close the border with Mexico and stop the investigations into his effort to overturn the 2020 election in exchange for keeping the government open. He claimed that the public would blame President Joe Biden if Republicans fail to pass a stopgap spending bill to keep the government running. Whoever is president will be blamed, in this case, Joe Biden, he asserted. In fact, history says its likely voters will blame the Republican-led House because they are trying to use the potential shutdown as leverage to impose other priorities, like unpopular cuts to domestic spending. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the firebrand leader of a faction of far right-wing lawmakers, reposted Trumps message. He cited it as evidence that the former president is siding with him and against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is trying to cobble together a deal that can win approval from the deeply divided GOP caucus. Trump agrees with me not (McCarthy), Gaetz tweeted. Break the fever. Hold the line. Some right-wing Republicans believe a government shutdown might eventually force the GOP-controlled House to enact deep spending cuts along with a grab bag of unrelated MAGA priorities like amping up the impeachment of Biden and rushing troops to the southern border with Mexico. In a sign of further disarray in the Republican ranks, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., late Sunday came out swinging against any additional military aid to Ukraine. Greene, an occasional ally of McCarthy, broke with the leader over his willingness to add aid for the embattled nation that is fighting to repel a Russian invasion. The rule is the first step of advancing this blood money in Congress, Greene tweeted, referring to a procedural step Republicans may vote on later Monday. Im a hard no on the rules package and a blank check for Ukraine. Republicans failed last week to advance a short-term funding bill that would start the process of keeping the government open. McCarthy is now twisting arms to pass individual spending bills to fund defense and foreign operations, in the hopes of laying the groundwork for another shot at a stopgap spending bill. Meanwhile, the Democratic-led Senate may pass a spending package of its own sometime this week with the goal of forcing McCarthy to bring it to the floor where enough moderate Republicans may cross the aisle to pass it with Democrats. Last Sunday was the Jewish New Year and High Holy Day of Rosh Hashanah. As a public figure, in his role as ex-president and now Republican 2024 frontrunner, Donald Trump could have chosen many ways to honor Rosh Hashanah. He could have issued an obligatory statement acknowledging Rosh Hashanah and its significance for the Jewish people. Of course, Trump could have simply decided to be quiet instead of being a gum beater. Instead, Trump celebrated Rosh Hashanah by threatening Jewish Americans who do not support him in a post he shared via his Truth Social disinformation platform last Sunday night: "Just a quick reminder for liberal Jews who voted to destroy America & Israel because you believed in false narratives! Let's hope you learned from your mistake & make better choices moving forward! Happy New Year!" Trump's threats and the distinction he makes between "good Jews" and "bad Jews", the supporters of him and his neofascist MAGA movement and those who dare to oppose him and it, are centuries-old antisemitic tropes. Trump's threats against Jewish people on Rosh Hashanah are but one example of many where throughout his decades of public life and especially during his time as president and after where the ex-president has proven himself to be a white supremacist and an antisemite. MSNBC offers these examples: During his 2016 campaign, for example, Trump spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition and said, "You're not gonna support me because I don't want your money. You want to control your politicians." He added, "I'm a negotiator like you folks." Several months later, in the runup to Election Day, the Republican promoted antisemitic imagery through social media. In the closing days of the 2016 campaign, Trump again faced accusations of antisemitism, claiming Hillary Clinton met "in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty in order to enrich these global financial powers." While in office, the then-president used some highly provocative rhetoric about Jews and what he expected about their "loyalties." Soon after, Trump spoke at the Israeli American Council's national summit, where he suggested Jewish people are primarily focused on wealth, which is why he expected them to support his re-election campaign. NBC News adds: In an interview in 2021, Trump also said, "The Jewish people in the United States either don't like Israel or don't care about Israel." "I'll tell you, the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country," said Trump, who won strong support from white evangelical voters in 2016 and 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. Trump also came under fire for his remarks in response to the 2017 violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the Unite the Right rally in August 2017, white nationalists and neo-Nazis carried tiki torches and chanted "Jews will not replace us," among other slogans. CNN offers this additional context: Trump has a long history of criticizing Jewish American voters who do not support him and of playing into antisemitic tropes. More recently, ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, he criticized American Jews for what he argued was their insufficient praise of his policies toward Israel, including moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In 2021, Trump claimed Jewish Americans "either don't like Israel or don't care about Israel," while also suggesting that evangelical Christians "love Israel more than the Jews in this country." In 2019, he accused Democrats of being part of an "anti-Israel" and "anti-Jewish party." And during his first campaign for president, Trump delivered a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition in which he repeatedly referred to the audience of Jewish donors as "negotiators." He is scheduled to address the group's annual leadership summit next month in Las Vegas. America's democracy crisis and ascendant neofascism are a state of malignant normality where antisocial and other antihuman and antidemocratic behavior becomes increasingly common as elites and the general public grow numb to it. To that point, Trump's latest example of antisemitic behavior and the evil it represents should have been the focus of much media coverage, condemnation by the country's political leaders, and public outrage. Instead, with few exceptions, Trump's vile behavior was largely ignored, except as the latest controversy of the day in a political environment driven by the 24/7 news cycle, hyper politics, and the culture of distraction. Such is how democracy dies. Via email, I asked antiracism activist and author Tim Wise for his thoughts about Trump's threats against Jewish people on Rosh Hashanah and how it fits into a larger context of racial authoritarianism: This is just more of the same: "othering" distinct numerical minorities for the problems of the country. Whether brown-skinned immigrants, Black folks in cities, trans persons in schools, or Jews at the ballot box, Trumpism and MAGA ideology is all about scapegoating those deemed as somehow deviant from the white, Christian, straight norm. And by dividing Jews between the "good" conservative ones and the "bad" liberal ones, Trump is engaging a trope that has always been utilized by anti-Semites. From the "good" Jews who were willing to convert, or at least hide their Jewishness during the Inquisition to the "good" Jews who served as Kapos to the Nazis, anti-Jewish bigots have always found examples of Jews they like. But only as a cudgel to use against the rest. If this kind of signaling isn't confronted, immediately, and forcefully by all Jews, and the Christians who constantly tell us how much they love us, anti-Jewish bigotry will likely grow even stronger. And with it, all the other bigotries that are part of Trumpism. I also asked philosopher and Holocaust scholar John Roth for his thoughts about Trump's threats against Jewish people who he is targeting because of their "disloyalty." Roth connects Trump's antisemitic threats to the ex-president's recent interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": His reflection deficient, his repentance nonexistent, Donald Trump demonstrated how little he knows and appreciates about Judaism and Jews when his insulting New Year's jibe to Jewish Americans desecrated Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe by thoughtlessly accusing "liberal Jews" of voting to "destroy America & Israel." Earlier that same day, September 17, Kristen Welker's inaugural "Meet the Press" program featured her fraught interview with the indicted former president. She questioned Trump about his often-repeated vow to take retribution against his political enemies. "When you launched your campaign in March," she said to him, " you told the crowd, quote, 'I am your retribution.' What does that mean? What does that look like?" With more candor than usual, Trump replied that "I have to protect people," making clear that he meant his staunch, anti-democratic, and often violence-prone allies. "When I talk about retribution," he insisted, "I'm talking about fairness." That comment was cunning and deceitful at once. Trump divides the world into those who support him and those who don't. In his calculations, fairness for his supporters meansit requirespayback and revenge against his opposition. That's how his protection scheme works. In his words and calculations, in his retribution racket, Trump's transactional antisemitism is writ large. In an email to Salon, Ethan Katz, who is Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies at UC-Berkeley, and co-founder of the Antisemitism Education Initiative at Berkeley, historicized Trump's most recent antisemitic screed in the following way: The idea that many Jews are "unpatriotic" and working against the interests of the nation, unless they pass a certain purity test, goes back to longstanding antisemitic notions about Jewish dual loyalty, Jewish conspiracy, and Jewish power and control behind the scenes. Speaking here of "liberal Jews" sounds to many like it is code for the likes of George Soros, which for the extreme right is very clearly code for Jewish bankers, for Jews who allegedly control the world financial system, have enormous power, and exploit the masses. And the notion is present here also that Jews should be grateful for all that the government is doing for them as if they are a monolith separate from everyone else, defined solely by their ethnicity or religion in how they vote, and see the world, and identify. In reality, of course, for most American Jews, Israel is only one of a number of important issues shaping their voting behavior, and views of Israel for a majority of American Jews are far more nuanced than the views President Trump represents here. Moreover, deciding to target Jews on one of their holiest days in this way also comes uncomfortably close to medieval images of Jews as religiously impure due to their alleged opposition to Christianity, and the persistent (if clearly false and discredited claim) that they had murdered Jesus Christ. Trump's antisemitic and white supremacist threats are both contributing to and reflect a larger societal environment where hate crimes and right-wing terrorism have been escalating during his time in office and now almost 3 years since he was defeated by President Biden. Law enforcement and other experts are continuing to warn that white supremacists and other right-wing extremists and malign actors represent the greatest threat to the country's domestic safety and security. Neo-Nazis and other white supremacists and neofascists have engaged in mass shootings and other such lethal violence targeting Jewish people, Muslims, African-Americans, the LGBTQI community, and other marginalized groups and "enemies" throughout the Trumpocene. Hate crimes against Jewish people in America are at historic levels. This includes bomb threats against synagogues on Rosh Hashanah. In Florida, neo-Nazis have become increasingly emboldened by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a man who they correctly see as their leader. Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, and other leading Republican fascists and their forces are enacting an Orwellian Thought Crime regime in Florida and other parts of the country, where "un-American" and "un-patriotic" books and other materials deemed too "woke" or otherwise contaminated with the "Critical Race Theory Mind Virus", i.e. they are not right-wing indoctrination and propaganda mind killers, are being banned. These banned books (and courses) include those that focus on the Holocaust. "Disloyal" and "dangerous" teachers and other educators are also being threatened with violence, harassed, and even fired from their jobs.19th-century German poet Heinrich Heine's warning that "those who burn books will in the end burn people" most certainly applies to the Age of Trump. In his email to Salon, Katz also emphasized how America's rising tide of antisemitism, white supremacy, neofascism, and other attacks on multiracial pluralistic democracy and society in the Age of Trump and beyond are part of a much larger revolutionary project by the global right: In some respects, Trump's relationship to Jews echoes that of a leader like Viktor Orban in Hungary, who is openly autocratic, and has embraced Far Right conspiracy theories about George Soros that seem unmistakably antisemitic, but also has built alliances with more conservative elements in the Hungarian Jewish community. Like the supporters of Orban and a growing number of autocrats in Europe and beyond, many in the MAGA movement appear skeptical of the importance of democratic institutions, and a significant number of these voters are openly hostile to the achievements of the Civil Rights movement and ongoing efforts to make America a more fulsome multiracial democracy. Here I'm speaking of those who really embrace white nationalism, which fixates obsessively on Jews in well-documented and terribly dangerous ways. The American Jewish community, as I mentioned, is diverse in its politics, even as more than 70% of Jewish voters supported Joe Biden, as they have every Democratic nominee for president for decades. But the role that conspiratorial thinking about Jews plays for many of Trump's most right-wing supporters is very worrisome. And Trump's willingness to single out Jews for critique about their voting behavior, on one of their holiest days, will surely be read by many of those voters as a symbol of a shared preoccupation with Jews and alleged Jewish power and influence. Whatever your politics, this should be a cause of grave concern. Trump's antisemitic threats are not part of a separate and distinct "culture war" by the right-wing as too many among the mainstream news media and political class (especially "centrists" and "liberals" and "progressives") have reflexively and lazily suggested in their attempts to create some false distinction between "real politics" such as voting, elections, and "the economy" vs. "silly" and "dumb" and "distracting" "culture war" issues. There is no "culture war": in reality, the so-called culture war is a fascist war where the neofascists, white right, and other illiberal and antidemocracy forces know that culture and "real politics" are closely linked as spaces where power (and the future) are contested and won (or lost). Ultimately, those people who mock and dismiss Trump and the Republican fascist's antisemitism and larger "culture war" behavior are speaking from a lofty perch of imagined security and false safety. For those who are being targeted, this is all very deadly serious business. I conclude this essay with a warning from John Roth: Attacks on some Jews don't stop there. The contagion spreads. Trumpism imperils all Jewish Americans, especially to the extent that they defend the highest traditions of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which resist the corruption and venality that characterize the American fascism of Trump and his MAGA stalwarts. Trump's hatred of Jewish opposition to him is rooted in his disrespectand perhaps in some fearof commitments to justice and truth embedded in the Days of Awe and resolved to hold him accountable. You have been warned again. We, who are the miner's canary, keep telling you to wake up. Unfortunately, too many people in America insist on not listening. Fox News anchor Dana Perino is one of the moderators of the Republican presidential debate Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. The moderators of the Republican primary debate expect some sparks to fly at the Reagan Library when candidates try to prove theyre the best one to take on former President Donald Trump. All of them will be looking for a breakout moment or multiple moments, Fox Business anchor Stuart Varney said. This is a very good chance for them to stand out and establish momentum ahead of the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. Fox News anchor Dana Perino , who will join Varney and Univision anchor Ilia Calderon at the moderators table, stressed the importance of Wednesdays event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. The debate will be televised live at 6 p.m. Pacific on Fox Business Network and Univision. It will also stream on Rumble, the right-leaning, video-sharing platform. This debate is where the rubber meets the road," Perino said. "One of them has to show they can be the main rival to Trump. The six candidates who have qualified so far for the debate are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Two other candidates Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have until Monday to meet the GOP requirements to participate. Trump announced last week that he did not plan to join the debate stage. Nikki Haley benefitted the most from the first debate, Perino said, referring to the Milwaukee GOP event in August. But she added that it remains to be seen who will be the main rival for Trump, the frontrunner who wasnt in Milwaukee and wont be in Simi Valley. Varney said he will encourage a robust debate among the candidates at the Reagan Library. I will look for questions directed to a specific candidate, knowing that another candidate has an opposing point of view," he said. Each candidate gets 60 seconds to answer a moderators question, Varney said. If a candidate criticizes an opponent, the other candidate gets 30 seconds to respond, which is when Varney expects some sparks to fly. When asked about the likelihood of candidates talking over each other, Varney said, We have a very loud buzzer. Its up to us to retain control. The audience does not want a free-for-all. Varney said the Fox Business Network research department will watch for any factual mistakes by the candidates and report them to the moderators through their earpieces. But he added he expects the candidates will correct each other. Although the debate will air on Fox Business Network, Varney said the questions wont be limited to the economy. Far from it, Varney said. People who watch this debate want to know where the candidates stand on other issues: immigration, crime, China and Ukraine. And well throw in a few surprise questions, he said. Perino said the economy will influence various issues. An example would be that many candidates believe, as Ronald Reagan, did in a strong national defense. You need a strong economy for a strong national defense or to fight crime or for a good education, she said. Varney, who along with Perino isnt revealing any questions in advance, said he wouldnt be surprised if Trump and his four indictments or the indictment of President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, is discussed. And the symbolism of the debate site the Reagan Library isnt lost on either moderator. Fox anchor Stuart Varney is one of the moderators at the Republican presidential debate Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. The candidates want to have the Reagan reputation placed on themselves. I wonder if they can do it, said Varney, a 75-year-old native of Derby, England and graduate of the London School of Economics. He pointed to the difference between Reagan and candidates such as Trump. Reagan was not a populist. He was a classic conservative low-tax, low-regulation, said Varney, who hosted programs on CNN and CNBC before joining the Fox News business team in 2004. I remember watching Reagan debating Jimmy Carter in 1980, Varney said. He asked (of viewers), Are you better off than you were four years ago? That was a winning moment. Perino said she has done a couple book signings at the Reagan Library and has participated in the librarys annual Reagan National Defense Forum. I love it there. Wednesday will mark the first time Perino has been a moderator of a presidential debate, and she said she has picked up some tips from Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, who moderated the debate in Milwaukee. I have to remind myself theres a team to help me, from excellent researchers to the folks in wardrobe, Perino said. Im not doing it alone. The 51-year-old Evanston, Wyoming native, grew up in Denver, where her father encouraged her to read the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. He had me choose two articles each day to discuss with him. After various reporting jobs in broadcasting, Perino worked her way up from spokesperson at the U.S. Department of Justice Department to press secretary for President George W. Bush. Perino said Bush praised her for briefing him so well before press conferences that he was never surprised by any of the reporters questions. It was the honor of a lifetime, Perino said about her White House job. Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0323. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Fox News moderators discuss GOP debate at Reagan Library STEPANAKERT-KHANKENDI, Azerbaijan (Reuters) - Thousands of ethnic Armenians fled the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh on Monday, queuing up for fuel and jamming the mountain road to Armenia after their fighters were defeated by Azerbaijan in a lightning military operation. The leadership of the 120,000 Armenians who call Karabakh home told Reuters on Sunday that they did not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and that they would leave for Armenia because they feared persecution and ethnic cleansing. In the Karabakh capital, known as Stepanakert by Armenia and Khankendi by Azerbaijan, crowds of people were loading belongings into buses and trucks as they left for Armenia. The mass departures were marked by confusion. An explosion at a gas storage depot on a road outside the capital injured more than 200 people, local news reports said, quoting Nagorno-Karabakh's ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan. Most of the injured were in serious or very serious condition and needed to be taken out of the region urgently for treatment, Stepanyan said. Refugees who reached Armenia told Reuters they believed the history of their breakaway state was finished. "No one is going back - that's it," Anna Agopyan, who reached Goris, a border town in Armenia, told Reuters. "The topic of Karabakh is over now for good, I think." U.S. President Joe Biden said in a letter delivered to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power that the United States would help address the humanitarian needs. "You are aware that, unfortunately, the process of ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh continues, it is happening right now, and it is a very tragic fact," Pashinyan told Power, according to an Armenian government transcript. Azerbaijan, which has repeatedly denied any claims of ethnic cleansing, said that the rights of Armenians in Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, would be guaranteed. But thousands of ethnic Armenians have already left. The Armenian government said at least 6,650 people from Nagorno-Karabakh had crossed into Armenia, up from about 4,850 people five hours earlier. The ethnic Armenian leadership said it would remain in place until all those who wanted to leave what they call Artsakh were able to go. They urged residents to hold back from crowding the roads out but promised free fuel to all those who were leaving. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev hosted his ally Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in the autonomous Nakhchivan exclave - a strip of Azerbaijani territory separated from the rest of the country by Armenia. Aliyev hinted at the prospect of creating a land corridor from the strip to the rest of Azerbaijan through Armenia, which opposes the idea. KARABAKH The Azerbaijani victory alters the delicate balance of power in the South Caucasus region, a patchwork of ethnicities crisscrossed with oil and gas pipelines where Russia, the United States, Turkey and Iran are jostling for influence. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Armenia had relied on a security partnership with Russia, while Azerbaijan grew close to Turkey, with which it shares linguistic and cultural ties. Russia warned Armenia's Pashinyan that he only had himself to blame for Azerbaijan's victory over Karabakh because he had insisted on flirting with the West rather than working with Moscow and Baku for peace. Russia said Pashinyan had "shied away from working in rhythm with Russia and Azerbaijan and instead ran to the West" to resolve the Karabakh crisis. Pashinyan said on Sunday that Russia had not helped Yerevan over Karabakh. Washington expressed its alarm at the Karabakh crisis. "Im here to reiterate the U.S.s strong support and partnership with Armenia and to speak directly with those impacted by the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh," said (USAID) chief Power. The Armenians of Karabakh said Russia, the West and Armenia itself had abandoned them, and some spoke through tears of the end of an era for the Karabakh Armenians. Srbuhi, a mother-of-three who reached Armenia, shed tears as she held her young daughter. "I left everything there," she said. AZERBAIJAN'S VICTORY Azerbaijan's victory reverses a humiliating defeat the country suffered as the Soviet Union broke up, which left around a seventh of its population homeless and Armenians in control of swathes of territory around Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh has over the centuries come under the sway of Persians, Turks, Russians, Ottomans and Soviets. It was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917 and in Soviet times it was designated an autonomous region within Azerbaijan. From 1988-1994 about 30,000 people were killed and more than a million people, mostly ethnic Azeris, displaced as the Armenians threw off nominal Azerbaijani control in what is now known as the First Karabakh War. Azerbaijan gained back territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in a second war in 2020, which ended with a Moscow-brokered peace deal and the deployment of a contingent of Russian peacekeepers. Turkey's Erdogan, who backed Azerbaijan with weaponry in the 2020 conflict, said last week he supported the aims of the Azerbaijan's latest military operation but played no part in it. Armenia says more than 200 people were killed and 400 wounded in last week's Azeri operation. (Reporting by Reuters in Karabakh and Felix Light in Goris, Armenia; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge, Peter Graff and Ron Popeski; editing by Philippa Fletcher, Alex Richardson and Grant McCool) Two tickets that once cost 75 cents apiece for top-tier seats at the theater where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated reportedly sold at an auction for $262,500 on Saturday. The green tickets gained entry to a performance of the comedic play, Our American Cousin, at the historic Fords Theatre in Washington on April 14, 1865 the night Lincoln was shot in the head by actor John Wilkes Booth. The two tickets auctioned off at more than twice the expected price, the Washington Post reported. The tickets labeled 41 and 42 D granted complimentary front-row seats in the dress circle of the theater to the original owners, who are currently unknown but believed to have been present for the assassination of the former commander in chief. The seller of the two tickets reportedly bought them for $83,650 in 2002. In addition to the tickets, the RR auction in Boston also sold a first edition book for $593,750, which included the famous 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates from when Lincoln ran for Senate against Stephen Douglas, and a signed check for $5 Lincoln gave to his African American valet. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukrainian armor has broken through Russias main defensive line in the southeast for the first time and is making major advances toward the town of Verbove, a sign the counteroffensive is continuing to pick up the pace and could soon reach a breakthrough. Ukraines infantry made it past the main layer of defenses in the front line weeks ago, but armored vehicles have now rolled past dragons teeth obstacles and are advancing near the town of Verbove in a critical step for Kyivs operation. Armored vehicles, including American-made Strykers, breached the main layer of the infamous Surovikin line of defenses, named for the Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin, which is made up of trenches, mines and antitank obstacles. The Institute for the Study of War first assessed last week that armored vehicles likely penetrated the main layer, though it wasnt immediately clear if the positions would hold. Ukrainian commanders have also confirmed to media outlets that the armored vehicles blasted through the main line after troops cleared the way. Videos and images online are also showing the breach, which indicates Ukraine is securing its position behind Russias defensive layers. If Ukraine can secure its advance around the towns of Verbove and Novoprokopivka next, it can then advance toward Tokmak, a key waypoint toward the ultimate objective of taking the city of Melitopol. Ukraine still has a long way to go, at least 15 miles or so, to reach Tokmak, and the path is scattered with more Russian defenses. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continue to advance near Verbove, according to Ukrainian military blogger Konstantin Mashovets, who described troops as attempting to break through to the west of the village and bypass it from the north. Other Ukrainian forces are fighting fiercely against Russian forces in Novoprokopivka, where progress appears to be more limited. Russian forces are counterattacking against Ukraines advance viciously but are expending high rates of troops and supplies to do so. Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in June and has struggled to make any headway. But in August, troops breached the first main defense layer and seized the town of Robotyne. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Two government officials on Monday rejected the call of Socorro Bayanihan Service, Inc. (SBSI) to hold the investigation on alleged crimes committed by some of its leaders in their community in the mountains of Socorro, Surigao del Norte. On Sunday, local police met with SBSI head Jey Rence Quilario to deliver the Senate notice asking some of the organizations leaders and members to attend the upper chambers hearings on alleged child abuses committed by the group. This was not welcomed by the SBSI, which said the investigations by the Senate and the Department of Justice (DOJ) should be held in their area. Speaking to CNN Philippines The Source, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that request is a Big no, it will not happen. He noted the department can only send people there to check the scene but investigation itself will not be conducted. The reason why we are stepping into the picture is because the people there are unable to function properly due to several threats, intimidation, and other things that are happening there, Remulla explained. He said lack of funds should not be a reason for them to not attend the hearings and cooperate with authorities. The DOJ will be willing to shoulder the expenses just to bring the respondents to Metro Manila for the proceedings, he added. Senator Risa Hontiveros said in a recorded statement that the main issues in this case are child sexual abuse and disregard of womens and families rights. The important voice here is of the survivors, she added. Si Jey Rence ay pinatawag kaya sya ang dapat pumunta sa Senado gaya ng iba din na pinatawag namin sa Senado para harapin ang mga lehitimong isyu, the senator said. [Translation: Jey Rence was summoned to go to the Senate just like the others who were summoned by the Senate to face legitimate issues.] Remulla said preliminary investigation will begin once the DOJ receives the transmittal documents from the provincial prosecutor. A panel of prosecutors will be formed after for the evaluation of complaints, he added. This has been going on for a long time kaya kung pwedeng maawat natin lahat ng pangyayaring 'yan in the fastest possible time dapat awatin na natin kasi June finile na 'yung kaso at walang nangyayari so far, talagang delayed na delayed na 'yan, the justice secretary said. [Translation: This has been going on for a long time so if all these can be stopped in the fastest possible time we should stop it because the case was filed in June and so far there are no developments, this is really delayed.] On Sept. 19, Remulla said complaints were filed in June against members of the alleged cult for abuse of over a thousand children, which the organization denied. A Ukrainian drone pilot reaches for a reconnaissance drone in the Luhansk Region, Ukraine, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. The drone unit's task is to destroy Russia's heavy machinery, armored vehicles and infantry. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen) LUHANSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) Flying above enemy lines, a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone sends a clear image back to soldiers hiding in a basement a few kilometers away: A Russian armored vehicle is idling along a key logistics route, looking like easy prey in the artillery-scarred green landscape. Then, in a flash, the image disappears, and the drone operators screen is replaced by a jumble of black and white pixels. Snow, says a calm commander known by the battlefield name Giocondo, who allowed The Associated Press to follow him and his unit of drone pilots on condition of anonymity to protect their identities. High-tech warfare cuts two ways, and the Russians use electronic beams to disable the drone's signals. Seconds later, the drone pilot switches to a frequency the Russians cannot easily exploit. The birds-eye image of the armored vehicle reappears, and a second drone this one laden with explosives is quickly launched. It zips toward the target. Nineteen months into the Russian invasion, and as a grueling counteroffensive grinds on, the Ukrainian government wants to spend more than $1 billion to upgrade its drone-fighting capabilities. Whether used for reconnaissance, dropping bombs or self-exploding on impact, drones save money, and soldiers' lives. They are also more precise than traditional artillery which is in short supply and can deliver outsized impacts, such as real-time mapping of the battlefield, destroying tanks and ships, and bringing Russian advances to a halt. The advantages of drones can be fleeting, however. The Russian army, which relies on Iranian expertise for its own horde of deadly drones, quickly catches up each time Giocondo's unit gains an edge. Success, he says, lies in constant battlefield iteration and innovation. Ukraines minister for digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov , says the government is committed to building a state-of-the-art "army of drones and that its value to the war effort will be evident by the end of this year. The country has already trained more than 10,000 new drone pilots this year. A new stage of the war will soon begin, Fedorov promises. PERFECT TARGET Giocondos unit operates near the occupied town of Svatove, in northeastern Ukraine. It has spent months modifying drones to enable them to fly deeper behind enemy lines and to better evade Russian detection and sabotage. His drone pilots are all volunteers, and many of them had no military experience prior to Russias invasion. Hiding in a barn house haloed in morning light, a pilot who goes by the battlefield name Bakeneko pops on a head-mounted display and is instantly transported, soaring above verdant fields bustling with Russian combat vehicles and infantrymen. He is flying a drone loaded with explosives toward a Soviet-made tank spotted moments earlier by a reconnaissance drone. Bakeneko listens in one ear to the German heavy metal band Powerful, explaining that he cant fly in silence. A few feet away, another soldier a sales manager before the war prepares exploding bombs. Using plastic flex cuffs and duct tape, he secures artillery shells and bulky batteries, turning an inexpensive commercial drone into a killing machine. As the sun rises, Russian troops to the east have the advantage of good light, peering into Ukrainian positions with their own drones. But that advantage flips in the afternoon, when Ukrainian drone pilots can sometimes spot the moving shadows of Russian infantrymen. Combing through the vast landscape to find a target takes hours. Russian troops have gotten better at hiding and camouflaging themselves in the foliage. When Bakenekos target is within view, he gives the remote control a jolt, and the drone plunges. His headset shows the bucolic countryside rushing at him, and then it goes blank. Super, we got it, says Giocondo, who is watching on a separate screen, which shows a plume of smoke coming from the tank. TRIAL AND ERROR The growing reliance on short-range exploding drones on the front line has prompted the Russians to deploy more handheld jamming devices, Ukrainian officials say. That has forced Giocondo's unit, and others, to devise creative countermeasures. After three months of trial and error, Ukrainian soldiers operating in the eastern village of Andriivka, south of Bakhmut, figured out how to evade Russian jamming devices that had long stymied their drones. The fix led to the village being recaptured in early September. A spokesman for the battalion that retook the village said exploding drones were key because they forced the Russians to pull back heavy weaponry by roughly 15 kilometers to stay out of range. But Ukrainian drone pilots say the Russians will learn from what happened, and adapt again. This is an interactive, two-sided competition, said Stephen Biddle, a senior fellow for defense policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. Since the war's early days, Russia has used long-range, military-grade drones to inflict devastating damage and psychological terror in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and in other cities. Over time, the Ukrainian military has responded by launching its own military-grade drones deep behind enemy lines, targeting warships in the Black Sea, an airport in Western Russia and even buildings in Moscow, according to Russian officials and media. The acceleration of short-range drone warfare by units like Giocondo's is in direct response to the trouble Ukrainian forces experienced this summer using conventional weapons to try to punch through Russia's fortified defenses. The counteroffensive that began in June has depleted money, artillery and soldiers and hasn't yielded as much momentum as Ukraine had hoped for. Faced with these challenges, the leader of an elite drone squad called the Asgard Group, which oversees Giocondo's unit, sensed an opportunity. The leader, a wealthy former businessman who goes by the name Pharmacist on the battlefield, directed his soldiers to begin targeting Russia's large and expensive weaponry with small and inexpensive drones. The logic was simple, Pharmacist says: Exploding drones cost roughly $400 to make, while a conventional projectile can cost nearly 10 times as much. Even if it requires multiple drones to take out a tank and sometimes it does it is still worth it. The strategy had the additional benefit of putting fewer soldiers' lives at risk. But first they had to modify commercial drones with hardware and software to suit the battlefield, enabling them to penetrate deeper behind enemy lines without being detected or jammed. A breakthrough came through the clever use of several drones in unison. With his entrepreneurial spirit, Pharmacist helped turn a ragtag group of engineers, corporate managers and filmmakers into an elite fighting force. He estimates that his 12-man team, assembled with just $700,000, has destroyed $80 million worth of enemy equipment. The Russian army which faces its own economic and military challenges as the war in Ukraine drags on is also looking to accelerate the use of drones. Russia had stepped up production before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine early in 2021, but officials have acknowledged that they didn't do enough. Now, as Ukraine catches up, Russian shopping centers are being repurposed into research labs and factories dedicated to drones, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank. The enemy learns very quickly, said Pharmacist. SCALING UP The Ukrainian government has taken notice of the grassroots innovation carried out by people like Giocondo and the Pharmacist; now it wants to replicate those efforts with an infusion of cash. The draft budget for 2024 includes an extra 48 billion hryvnias in defense spending earmarked for drone purchases. One reason to prioritize enhancing Ukraine's domestic drone-making capabilities, experts say, is the increasing difficulty in sourcing parts from China, the world's leading drone maker. We are doing everything for businesses to invest in the production of various drones, said Fedorov, Ukraine's minister of digital transformation. He estimates that domestic production will grow one hundred times above last year's level. Since March, at least eight new Ukrainian companies building explosive drones have been formed as part of the initiative. Looking out over the horizon, Fedorov said advances in artificial intelligence being employed by some brigades are only likely to sharpen the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of drones. Still, some drone operators take all of the enthusiasm with a grain of salt. They are skeptical that Ukraine's military culture, which has vestiges of rigidity from the Soviet era, can change quickly enough. A successful drone operation doesnt hinge on just training and procuring drones, they say. The more critical piece of the puzzle is scaling up the ingenuity and real-time adaptability of units like Giocondo's. Its a complex interaction within the unit itself, said Pharmacist. ___ This story was first published on September 25, 2023. It was updated on September 26, 2023, to correct the spelling of the last name of Ukraine's minister for digital transformation. ___ Associated Press journalist Susie Blann contributed from Druzhkivka. A major Ukrainian strike last week in the Black Sea killed the commander of the Russian naval fleet there, according to Ukraine. Adm. Viktor Sokolov, commander of the Russian Black Sea fleet, was among 34 officers killed in the strike that destroyed the headquarters for the fleet, Ukraines Special Operation Forces said in a Monday Telegram post. Ukrainian officials also claimed the headquarters was destroyed so badly that it cannot be restored. The headquarters strike injured another 105 Russian soldiers, Ukrainian officials claimed. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian naval operations in the Black Sea and around the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea, which has served as the main base of operations for Russias Black Sea Fleet since the 19th century. But the Friday strike on the Black Sea headquarters was among the most significant blows yet on Russias navy, according to Ukraines account. Ukraines intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, also told Voice of America that a Russian officer, Alexander Romanchuk, who commands a group of Russian soldiers in the Zaporizhzhia region, was seriously wounded in the Friday strike. Russias Defense Ministry has not reported on the casualty rates. Russian defense officials said last week that five missiles were shot down near Sevastopol and one service member was missing. Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the headquarters was destroyed. Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk also promised there would be more attacks. Kyiv also targeted Sevastopol and other parts of Crimea on Saturday but did not cause any serious damage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The first US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine, bolstering its military with advanced gear. The tanks could be an important weapon in Ukraine's counteroffensive. Russia propaganda made a comical claim in early 2023 to have destroyed an Abrams before any arrived. The first US M1 Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, in time to take part in Ukraine's intensifying counteroffensive. The tanks have long been among the most effective pieces of US military equipment and are significantly more advanced than some of the Soviet-era models deployed by the Russian and Ukrainian militaries. They're fitted with tough armor, 120mm armour-piercing depleted-uranium rounds, and sophisticated communications and targeting equipment. Their powerful jet engines enable them to operate in the toughest terrain and conditions. Such is their reputation that Russia appeared intent on undermining them before they even arrived. On pro-Kremlin Telegram channels earlier this year, jubilant posts said the Russian military had blown up Abrams tanks in battle and boasted that they "burn like matches." Disinfo Detector, a Ukrainian site that monitors Russian propaganda, said at the time that "the US Army M1 Abrams battle tank has not yet been delivered to Ukraine and therefore cannot 'burn like a match' during military operations against the Russian occupiers." The Ukrainian outlet Nexta also joined in the mockery with a post in January, eight months before the tanks arrived: US President Joe Biden in January pledged the delivery of the tanks to Ukraine, but it took time to both physically get them there and train Ukrainians to use them. The training was projected to take a year, but many of the soldiers mastered the equipment quicker than expected, CBS News reported. The tanks' use of depleted-uranium ammo, which can pierce tank armor, is controversial because of links to cancers and birth defects in the zones where it's been deployed. The UN website says the health effects depend on factors such as route and magnitude of exposure. This was another feature of the weapons that Russian propagandists seized on in a bid to undermine them, Reuters reported. The tanks have arrived in time to be used in Ukraine's intensifying counteroffensive, with the Ukrainian military seeking to exploit a recent breach in Russia's defensive lines in Zaporizhzhia. But Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, told a US defense website last week the tanks would have to be deployed "in a very tailored way, for very specific, well-crafted operations," or risk being destroyed. Russia has used Ka-52 helicopters, fitted with tank-busting missiles, to destroy Ukrainian armored vehicles and prevent them from breaching its defenses during the counteroffensive. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine and Poland will create a large military medical hub for the exchange of experience and practical assistance. Source: General Grzegorz Gielerak, director of the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw, in a comment to Ukrinform, as reported by European Pravda Details: The general said the decision to create a large-scale hub between both countries had been made during a meeting of representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Poland, in particular the heads of medical units in both armies, in May 2023 in Kyiv. This cooperation will be based on obtaining and analysing information on the nature, type, and extent of temporary casualties during the war in Ukraine. Quote: "On the other hand, we will provide access to our knowledge and capabilities that we have through the implementation of a number of research projects relating, for example, to autonomous platforms for the evacuation of the wounded and methods and ways of treating various kinds of injuries on the battlefield, in particular burns," Gielerak added. He noted that Poland is ready to cooperate with Ukraine in order to create a large military medical service hub together based on the common experience of both countries and opportunities over the next 3-5 years. The general said that the implementation of this project from the Polish side is at the consideration stage at the countrys Ministry of National Defence, and Warsaw expects to move on to the implementation phase of this plan in the next few weeks. "First, we want to treat wounded Ukrainian soldiers, especially in the fields of medicine which are difficult for Ukraine now. For example, maxillofacial surgery for you today is a significant challenge. In parallel with the treatment of Ukrainian soldiers, we want to train your personnel so that you become autonomous in this area," the general explained. "For us, knowledge of the war in Ukraine is like a Copernican Revolution. We are radically changing our approach to what medical care should look like during hostilities," Gielerak added. Background: Earlier, it was reported that NATO is planning to build a repair and logistics centre in the city of Rzeszow, Poland, which has become an important transport hub for aid to Ukraine due to its strategic location. Last year, the city also launched a hub for the evacuation of Ukrainians being taken to other European countries for treatment. 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 said it timed its strike on Russia's Black Sea Fleet to a meeting of the fleet's leadership. The strike killed 34 officers, including the fleet's admiral, Special Operations Forces of Ukraine said. Ukraine has been ramping up its attacks on the fleet in occupied Crimea, damaging Russian ships. Ukraine said it planned its strike on Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters to coincide with a meeting of Russia's naval leadership. A Ukrainian missile hit the fleet's headquarters in the city of Sevastopol, on the Russia-occupied Crimean peninsula, on Friday. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Saturday that, due to work by its Special Operations Forces, it was able to hit the headquarters during a meeting of the fleet's command. It said dozens of Russians were injured and killed, including senior personnel. Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, told Voice Of America on Saturday that the attack killed at least nine people, and that 16 people, including Russian generals, were injured. Budanov said one of the injured was Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk, the general in charge of Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia. However, he refused to confirm the rumored death of Admiral Viktor Sokolov, commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. But on Monday, the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine said in a post on Telegram that 34 officers were killed in the strike, including Sokolov, according to Ukrainian media. Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, wrote on social media platform X on Friday that "Romanchuk is in charge of Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia where the main thrust of Ukraine's counteroffensive is occurring. This suggests that it wasn't just a strike on the Black Sea Fleet HQ, but timed to target key senior leaders during a meeting." Ukraine has seemingly now confirmed this. Russia acknowledged the attack but said that only one serviceman was missing. In its statement, Ukraine's general staff said that more details about the operation would be made public in the future, when it's possible to do so. The attack on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters is the latest in a series of attacks on Crimea and Russia's naval presence there. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, in a move not recognized by most of the world. Ukraine has vowed to take back the peninsula as part of its efforts to end Russia's full-scale invasion of the country, which was launched in February 2022. In recent months Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russia's military and its fleet in the region, including using maritime attack drones against warships and targeting a naval shipyard. Read the original article on Business Insider Key developments on Sept. 25: Ukrainian military says Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, 33 other officers killed in Sevastopol strike Zelensky confirms first Abrams tanks arrive in Ukraine Russian air regiment command reportedly hit in drone attack near Kursk Russian launches overnight drone, missile attack against Ukraine's south The Russian Black Sea Fleet commander was killed along with 33 other officers in a Sept. 22 strike on the fleet's headquarters in occupied Sevastopol, southwest Crimea, Ukraine's military said. Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, was among those killed in the missile strike that also injured 105 Russian soldiers and left the headquarters building in ruins, according to Ukraine's Special Operation Forces. The Special Operation Forces claimed responsibility for the attack on the headquarters, which reportedly was struck with at least two U.K.-provided Storm Shadow long-range missiles. Satellite imagery by Planet Labs revealed extensive damage the strike caused to the building. Both Ukraine and Russia confirmed that the headquarters was struck following the attack. The next day after the attack, Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with the Voice of America that at least nine people were killed and 16 were injured in the strike. Budanov said several senior Russian officers were wounded in the attack, including generals Alexander Romanchuk and Oleg Tsekov, leading Russian troops in occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. This embedded content is not available in your region. In recent months, there were several high-profile strikes on Russian forces in the area, including one on Sept. 13 targeting a Russian shipyard using marine drones and missiles that damaged landing craft and a submarine, both of which were undergoing repairs at the time of the strike. Meanwhile, the Special Operations Forces Command reported that Russian forces suffered 62 casualties in the Sept. 13 strike against the Minsk landing craft docked in the Sevastopol shipyard. The Minsk's crew was on board when the attack occurred as the ship was scheduled to leave the dock the next day, according to Ukraine's military. Read also: Uncertain Triumph: Ukraine picks apart Russias best air defenses in Crimea Abrams tanks arrive in Ukraine The U.S. delivered the first batch of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in a Telegram post on Sept. 25 following the New York Times report. Zelensky didn't mention how many tanks were delivered. The U.S. pledged to provide Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sept. 21 during a bilateral meeting with Zelensky that the initial tranche of U.S. tanks would arrive in Ukraine the following week as a part of a larger package that includes ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and artillery. Zelensky called the new American $325-million package "historic," saying the new package will include "artillery, missiles for HIMARS, missiles for air defense, additional air defense systems, tactical vehicles," and more. In January, Biden announced the decision to send 31 Abrams tanks, a force equivalent to one Ukrainian tank battalion, just as other countries pledged Leopard 2 and Challenger 2 tanks. Abrams tanks, which offer greater mobility and firepower than Soviet and Russian battle tanks Russia deployed to Ukraine, are expected to support Ukrainian defensive and offensive efforts. The shipments may add momentum to the counteroffensive, which has begun to break through Russian defense lines. Read also: What will it take for Ukraine to maintain and operate the M1 Abrams? Russian attacks Russian forces launched 19 drones, 12 Kalibr cruise missiles, and two anti-ship Onyx missiles against Ukraine's south early on Sept. 25, killing and injuring civilians and damaging port infrastructure. The Air Force said air defense downed all the drones and 11 Kalibr missiles, mostly over Odesa Oblast. First responders have found the bodies of two people under the rubble of a grain warehouse in Odesa hit in Russia's overnight attack, Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Sept. 25. Earlier the same day, Kiper said a woman sustained injuries in Odesa due to the blastwave. The attack significantly damaged the Odesa Sea Port and an abandoned hotel on the port's territory, Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces reported. Debris from drones and missiles fell in the Odesa suburbs, damaging warehouses and a private household, the military added. Since the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, ports, and grain stockpiles. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported on Sept. 25 that some Shahed drones were shot down over Kryvyi Rih. The governor said debris caused a fire at an industrial facility without specifying how many loitering munitions were downed over the city. The remaining Kalibr missile was downed over Mykolaiv Oblast, according to Vitalii Kim, the regional governor. No damages were reported in the region. Russian forces also dropped four aerial bombs on Beryslav in Kherson Oblast on the morning of Sept. 25, killing three people and injuring another, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. According to the Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office, houses, farms, and cars have been damaged or destroyed in the airstrike. Partially occupied Kherson Oblast is a regular target of Russian attacks. Meanwhile in Russia Russia's 14th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment commander, his deputy, and an intelligence officer were killed or wounded in a Sept. 24 loitering munition attack on the Khalino airfield near Kursk, Ukrainian media outlet Babel reported on Sept. 25, citing a military intelligence source. Kursk is located around 100 kilometers north of Ukraine's border. Russian authorities report almost daily attacks on the region. Roman Starovoit, Kursk region governor, claimed a drone attack in the morning of Sept. 25, saying several houses and an administrative building have been damaged. Babel reported, citing intelligence sources, that the Sept. 25 attack hit a facility of Russia's Interior Ministry. Claims of Ukrainian drone strikes within Russian territory have increased in recent weeks, though Kyiv rarely takes responsibility for such attacks. Ukrainian authorities have not publicly commented on any of the recent Kursk drone attacks. Read also: George Monastiriakos: The best reason why Russia must be defeated in Ukraine? Because it is weak Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's "army of drones" is bombarding Russia on the battlefield, a Ukrainian official says. He said Ukrainian drones hit a record 205 pieces of Russian military equipment last week. "Russians keep losing their equipment," said Ukraine's minister for digital transformation. Ukraine's "army of drones" is pummeling Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces on the battlefield, a Ukrainian government official says. From September 18 to Monday, Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles hit a record 205 pieces of Russian military equipment as the war against Russia's invasion rages on, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov , said. "Our soldiers keep moving forward & Russians keep losing their equipment," Fedorov said in a tweet on Monday. Data shared by Fedorov indicated Ukraine's drone fleet destroyed 64 Russian cannons, 27 tanks, 55 trucks, and 38 armored combat vehicles last week alone. Ukrainian drones also struck 68 Russian troops, the data suggests. "Powerful results. More to come," Fedorov added. As Russia's 19-month-long full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds on, Kyiv is hoping its counteroffensive will reclaim Russian-occupied territory in the east and south of the Eastern European country. Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in June, though progress has been slow. Fedorov said Ukraine was dedicated to building a cutting-edge "army of drones," the Associated Press reported Monday, the outlet adding that Ukraine had already trained more than 10,000 new drone pilots this year. Fedorov said in the report: "A new stage of the war will soon begin." Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraines gross domestic product grew by 19.5% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2023, signaling the economys successful adaptation to wartime conditions following last years collapse. The result is higher than the Economy Ministry's forecasted results and "indicates that the economy is adapting to the war," Economy Minister Yuliya Svyridenko said in a statement published online. "Importantly, the vast majority of economic activities demonstrated positive trends," she said. Actual GDP growth compared to the previous quarter of this year equates to 0.8%, adjusted for seasonal factors. Russia's war against Ukraine has significantly impacted Ukraines economy, with peak GDP contraction of 37.2% year-on-year recorded in the second quarter of last year. In total, Ukraines GDP declined by an alarming 29.6% last year. The boost in GDP in the second quarter of this year is due to an increase in domestic demand, as well as the adaptability of Ukraine's businesses and the government's response, international trade, and outside assistance. Subscribe to the Newsletter Ukraine Business Roundup Subscribe The restoration of domestic demand was facilitated by the continuation of production adjustment, including thanks to business support programs from the budget, and work on the restoration of production facilities and infrastructure facilities financed from the budget and funds provided by international partners, the Economy Ministry stated. International aid this year bolstered the state budget by $31 billion, the ministry said. Overall, the ministry is more positive about Ukraines economic development and earlier this month increased its forecast of GDP growth to 4% by the end of 2023, 3.5% in 2024 and 6.8% in 2025. Other predictions are more conservative but are still an improvement compared to the start of the year. The NBU revised its forecast in July to 2.9% GDP growth this year, up from 2% previously, although it downgraded next years estimate by 0.8% to 3.5%. Meanwhile, the ratings agency Fitch Ratings predicts GDP growth will amount to 3.5% in 2023 and 4% next year. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky praises new American aid package as historic Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Olena Zelenska and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky look at each other while speaking at the National Archives in Washington, DC, on September 21, 2023. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images The Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, isn't sure her husband will run for reelection in 2024. The Ukrainian election is complicated by the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. Some Western officials are pushing for the elections to happen despite Ukraine's concerns. While Ukraine debates whether or not to hold its next presidential election as Russia's invasion drags on, Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska told CBS she isn't sure if her husband will run for a second term in 2024. While being interviewed on "Face the Nation," Zelenska said the political aspirations of her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have not consistently garnered her personal support. But, she said, if he ran for a second term, she wouldn't feel as reluctant as she did during his first presidential bid. "Even when he ran for the first time, I didn't fully endorse it," Zelenska told CBS correspondent Margaret Brennan. "But if he runs again, if he runs for the second time, if he decided it is necessary well, we have some experience, we've been there." She added that she wasn't sure he would run at all, especially given the uncertain state of elections in the country. "It will also depend whether our society would need him as a president, if he will feel that Ukrainian society will no longer wish him to be the president, he will probably not run," Zelenksa said. "But I will support him whatever decision he takes." With nearly one-fifth of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, millions displaced by the war, and tens of thousands of citizens serving as soldiers, holding a free and fair election would be "virtually impossible" and "ill-advised," according to Ukrainian officials and election experts who spoke to the Washington Post. "The Russians are pushing for this through their secret channels," a Ukrainian official told the Post, adding that holding a 2024 presidential election would be risky and harmful for the country. "There is no situation in which it is possible to have a democratic election during the war." The push for democratic Ukrainian elections Russia has been holding "sham elections" to install members of the Russian ruling party in occupied Ukrainian territories. Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, has called the Russian elections in Ukraine "illegitimate," and the Council of Europe called them "a flagrant violation of international law," Insider previously reported. Still, some US officials, including Senator Lindsey Graham, have been publicly pushing for Ukraine to hold its presidential election as scheduled in March of 2024, following the same timeline as it would typically occur if the war wasn't ongoing. "I realize the Ukrainian Parliament must approve this and the security environment to conduct an election would be challenging," Graham said in a statement made in late August. "However, I cannot think of a better investment for the stability of Europe than helping Ukraine survive as an independent, self-governing, Rule of Law-based democracy. I would encourage all of Ukraine's allies to help provide the financial and technical assistance to support this effort." A senior Biden administration official told the Post that the White House is "not pushing them to have an election." While the Ukrainian first lady's statement seems to indicate Zelenskyy has not yet decided whether he will run for a second term, the Ukrainian president said late last month that he would be open to announcing and holding elections in 2024 if the country's allies provided security and logistical support, Reuters reported. Representatives for Ukraine's Central Election Commission and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider. Kremlin predicts Putin 's continued political success Russia's next presidential election is also set for 2024, though it remains unclear whether the country will hold formal voting proceedings. Earlier this month, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that President Vladimir Putin has not yet decided whether he will run, Insider previously reported. Peskov, in early August, said Russia "theoretically" doesn't need to hold presidential elections because it's "obvious" that Vladimir Putin will win "with more than 90 percent of the vote." Despite Peskov's apparent certainty in Putin's continued political success, Kremlin officials want to exclude politicians under age 50 from campaigning against him to prevent the 70-year-old from looking weak. Read the original article on Business Insider On Monday 25 September, Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied the comments of a correspondent of the Polish TVP TV channel about an alleged promise of Germany and France to ensure Kyivs imminent accession to the EU in exchange for "overthrowing" the Polish government. Source: Nikolenko on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda Details: The comments in question are that of Dominika Cosic, the Brussels correspondent of the Polish TVP public channel, which she tweeted on Monday. According to Cosic, sources in Brussels "unofficially reported" about a promise by Berlin and Paris of Ukraines quick ascension to the EU on the condition of Kyiv "helping to overthrow the current Polish government," because "without changing the treaties, the EU cannot be expanded, and it is Poland that blocks these changes". The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the information was untrue and Kyiv "categorically rejects such insinuations". Quote: "Ukraine has not received any such proposals and has never had any intentions of interfering in the internal affairs of Poland. Moreover, Ukraine highly appreciates Poland's support in repelling Russian aggression, supporting our path to EU and NATO membership," Nikolenko added. He also stressed that only the day before, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to Poles in gratitude for solidarity with Ukrainians. "We are convinced that the efforts to undermine the high level of respect and cooperations of our peoples have failed. We urge our Polish friends not to succumb to attempts of provocation, to work together to effectively counter common challenges," the speaker of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry concluded. The grain crisis has recently put relations between Ukraine and Poland under enormous strain. Poland reacted angrily to Zelenskyy's speech at the UN, and Ukraine has responded similarly to the Polish presidents recent remarks comparing Ukraine to a drowning man and the prime ministers statement on arms supplies. 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! Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Lawmakers decried Chinas installation of a floating barrier in the southern portion of Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, that prevents Filipino boats from entering the choice fishing area. Chinas cruelty knows no bounds. Napaka-walanghiya na agresibo nilang hinaharangan ang ating mangingisda sa sarili nating karagatan [It is so brazen that they aggressively block our fishermen in our own waters], Sen. Risa Hontiveros said. Filipino fisherfolk are among the poorest in our country. They only rely on our seas for their food and their livelihood I trust that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) can escort our fisherfolk and ensure that they pass through the floating barriers, she added. Hontiveros said the national government must no longer accept acts like this going unpunished. If we allow Chinas bullying to continue, it will cost the lives of our own people, she said. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said China has no right to put any structures within our Exclusive Economic Zone. And secondly, these structures pose a danger on passing fishing boats that can get entangled on the lines and cause considerable damage to the propellers and engines of our fisherfolk. He called on the PCG to immediately cut and remove all the structures. Sen. Francis Tolentino, meanwhile, said he supports calls to remove the floating barrier as he stressed that China is violating international law. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also said that this latest action of China only shows it does not respect Philippine sovereignty. Personnel of the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on board BRP Datu Bankaw discovered the 300-meter-long barrier during a maritime patrol last Sept. 22. During the routine patrol, the PCG said the BFAR team observed more than 50 Philippine fishing boats in the vicinity of the shoal. They provided the fishermen with grocery items and fuel subsidies to sustain their operations. It was then that a China Coast Guard vessel (CCG-3105) initiated 15 radio challenges to drive away the BFAR vessel and fishing boats. The CCG crew alleged that the presence of the BFAR vessel and Filipino fishermen violated international law and the domestic laws of the People's Republic of China, the PCG said in a statement. Three CCG Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats and Chinese Maritime Militias service boat installed the floating barrier upon arrival of the BFAR vessel in the vicinity of the shoal, it added. The PCG said, according to the fishermen, CCG vessels usually install floating barriers whenever they monitor a large number of Filipino fishermen in the area. "The Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources strongly condemn the China Coast Guards installation of floating barrier in the southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc," the PCG said. In a press briefing, spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela stressed that the floating barrier is a navigational hazard. Ang tendency, if you're going to insist on going to the shoal, maaaring kainin ng propeller yung mga net na nasa ilalim, he said. [Translation: The tendency is, if you're going to insist on going to the shoal, the propeller might catch the net underneath.] Officers of the State Bureau of Investigation conducted searches at the house of Artur Yemelianov, former Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Commercial Court of Ukraine, on 25 September. Source: Ukrainska Pravdas source in law enforcement agencies Details: Ukrainska Pravda reports that over 10 searches are underway as part of an investigation into possible aiding and abetting of the aggressor state by a former judge who is a lawyer at present. Ukrainska Pravda reached out to the SBI for comment. Background: On 3 March 2021, the High Council of Justice dismissed Judge Artur Yemelianov from his position as a judge of the High Commercial Court for committing a "significant disciplinary offence". At the time, Yemelianov and his wife were involved in a case of "legalisation of the proceeds of crime". In October 2018, the then-MP Serhii Leshchenko reported that the Austrian Prosecutor Generals Office suspected scandalous Ukrainian judge Artur Yemelianov and his wife Svitlana of committing a number of criminal offences. At the same time, the Security Service claimed that it had exposed the judge for financing terrorist organisations in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk 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 drone attacked the Khalino airfield in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Sunday, 24 September, killing and wounding superior officers of a Russian air regiment. Source: Ukrainska Pravda with reference to a source in Ukraines Defence Intelligence Details: The Defence Intelligence stated that a drone attacked the building where leaders of the 14th Zhdanov Guards Fighter Regiment were located at the Khalino airfield. As a result of the attack, the following people were injured or killed: commander of the 14th Air Regiment; his deputy; a group of pilot officers; airfield workers; a representative of FSB military counterintelligence. screenshot: google maps Background: Russian authorities claimed on the morning of 24 September, when Kursk was celebrating its city day, that a drone had attacked the city centre, hitting an administrative building. In the evening, the Russians claimed to have shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle in the skies over Kursk Oblast. The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that at around 20:30, a drone attempted to attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! Russian forces launched 19 Shahed-136/131 attack drones overnight on Sept. 25 targeted against Odesa Oblast, as well as two Onyx supersonic missiles, according to Ukrainian military. There were also at least 12 Kalibr missiles launched against other Ukrainian regions. At least 19 Shahed drones and 11 Kalibr cruise missiles were downed by Ukraine's air defense mostly over Odesa Oblast. Odesa seaport building sustained significant damage, according to the Ukrainian military, and a fire broke out in the building of a nearby hotel, which has not been functioning for several years. Onyx missiles also destroyed grain storage facilities. No further details were provided at the time of the publication. One civilian was wounded by shrapnel in Odesa, regional Governor Oleh Kiper reported on his official Telegram channel. The woman is being treated at a local hospital. One private residence in Odesa city suburbs was damaged after debris caused a fire in the early hours of Sept. 25. Firefighters have put out the fire, according to Kiper. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast governor reported that some Shahed drones launched at Ukraine overnight were shot down over Kryvyi Rih. Falling debris caused a fire at an industrial facility, Serhii Lysak said, without specifying how many drones were downed over the city. The remaining Kalibr missile was downed over Mykolaiv Oblast, according to Vitalii Kim, the oblast governor, who didn't report any damages or casualties. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky praises new American aid package as historic Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Presenters from the TV channel 1+1 have asked the Kyiv Court of Appeal, where businessman Ihor Kolomoiskyi's pre-trial restriction is being challenged on 25 September, to release the oligarch on bail. [1+1 is part of the 1+1 Media Group, one of the largest media conglomerates in Ukraine and one of Kolomoiskyis most significant assets ed.] Source: Suspilne; Anti-Corruption Action Center Details: The defence called on the court to revoke Kolomoiskyis arrest with an alternative bail of UAH 509 million (about US$13,000). The prosecutor requested that the hearing be held behind closed doors. However, the lawyers did not object to it being held publicly. 1+1 TV presenters Nataliia Moseichuk, Alla Mazur and Yurii Horbunov, as well as former Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko, said that they are prepared to bail Kolomoiskyi out. Shmuel Kaminetsky, the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro, also announced his readiness to do this. Kolomoiskyi told journalists he felt well and noted that he had not communicated with the authorities because his phone had been taken away. Moseichuk described the decision to bail out Kolomoiskyi as "a story about humanity", adding that it was made collectively. The Anti-Corruption Action Center has posted quotes from several of the speeches made in court. Background: Kolomoiskyi was served with a third notice of suspicion on 15 September. The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), the Economic Security Bureau and the Prosecutor General's Office served Kolomoiskyi with a notice of suspicion under several articles of the Criminal Code: fraud and legalisation (laundering) of the proceeds of crime. Kyivs Shevchenkivskyi District Court remanded Kolomoiskyi in custody for 60 days with the option to pay bail of UAH 510 million (about US$13.7 million). On 7 September, detectives from Ukraines National Anti-Corruption Bureau, with the approval of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, served Kolomoiskyi and five members of a group he had set up with a notice of suspicion for misappropriating UAH 9.2 billion (roughly US$247 million) from PrivatBank [a large Ukrainian bank co-founded by Kolomoiskyi ed.]. On 8 September, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office froze Kolomoiskyi's assets and property for two days. 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 an ideal world, college rankings wouldnt matter very much. The United States is blessed with thousands of great universities that serve their students well, and it makes little sense to compare schools with different missions and very different histories as though were in a zero-sum competition. But people do pay attention to rankings, and they especially notice when those rankings shift. Recently, U.S. News & World Report released its much-anticipated, if controversial, college rankings. There were some shifts with new criteria and a substantial overhaul of how it measures success. They reward and place more of an emphasis on what should be the mission of all of higher education: to produce excellent scholarship that solves the worlds biggest problems and provides access to education not just for the elite, but to people from different backgrounds and lived experiences, regardless of their financial situations. Kevin Guskiewicz UNC-Chapel Hill has been among the top 5 public universities for more than 22 years, and this year we moved up one position from last year to No. 4. The University tied for 22nd overall among public and private institutions up seven places from just a year ago. We believe these gains are fueled by a commitment made long ago: we make the dream of an excellent college education possible. This principle is shared by N.C. leaders across the political spectrum. The state budget approved by the N.C. General Assembly last week demonstrates yet again that funding for higher education is a bipartisan priority. Despite political fights and differences, our legislature votes with its feet in support of higher education and has for generations. In everything from faculty recruitment and retention to cancer research to raises for world-class faculty and staff, this years budget shows how deeply our state values the work we do and wants to see it grow. There are things people agree with or dont agree with in the budget, but the size and power of the investment speaks volumes. Its a fine balance, becoming a globally competitive university while staying true to our roots as a proudly and passionately public institution. But its the same balance that North Carolina, both Republicans and Democrats, is trying to strike, emerging as one of the fastest-growing states in the country and attracting talent from all over the world while trying to preserve the quality of life that made us attractive in the first place. We maintain that balance through the excellence of our faculty and by being committed to the people of our state, regardless of their financial circumstances. About 82% of our students are from North Carolina. We remain need-blind in our admissions process. For seven years, we have not increased tuition for in-state students. Our Carolina Covenant provides an opportunity for students who qualify to attend and graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill debt-free. Few other top public schools can claim this kind of commitment to the people of their state. These characteristics helped move us up in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. They assess how well schools graduate economically disadvantaged students, including Pell Grant recipients and first-generation students. They also consider a schools typical average accumulated federal loan debt among borrowers, giving transparency about the financial burden on students. They measure areas that weve prioritized in Carolina Next, our strategic plan which places an emphasis on our commitment to the public good. As we follow those priorities, we are continuing to build on our unparalleled affordability. Just this summer, we announced our commitment to cover tuition for N.C. students whose families make under $80,000 per year beginning in Fall 2024. We want students and their families to feel confident that they can afford a Carolina education. Our mission would not be possible without the incredible work of our world-class faculty (which also factors considerably into the rankings), our dedicated staff and our inspiring students. It is their commitment, day in and day out, to our mission that makes a difference. We went up this year in the rankings, and we may go down next year. But what remains constant is this universitys commitment to serving the people of our state, regardless of what outside arbiters determine. No ranking can capture the complexity of any one university, but its heartening to see more recognition for the broad opportunity and student success weve always valued. Kevin Guskiewicz is a neuroscientist, the Kenan Distinguished Professor of exercise and sport science, and the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Our country includes 62 million people of Hispanic heritage, the largest numerical minority in our country. Felicidades Hermanos y Hermanas! It is also the 78th United Nations General Assembly, Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity. Presidents Biden and Zelensky addressed the global body on the need to support Ukraines ongoing struggle for liberation from the Russian invasion of their country. President Zelensky also met with Congressional leadership in Washington. In 1977 I attended 32nd UNGA. During my last year in law school, I was a legal research assistant in the Centre for Transnational Corporations, developing a code of conduct for companies doing business in apartheid South Africa. Jimmy Carter was president and Andrew Young was the U.S. Ambassador to the UN. They transformed U.S. policy toward apartheid from complacent to active resistance. In 1978 I spent a month as a special observer in South Africa. It was another 15 years before Nelson Mandela was elected president in the first democratically held elections. We stayed the course. Then as now the United States was on the right side of history. Tip ONeil said, All politics is local. We have been busy in Happy Valley. The Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literature held a fundraiser for Ukraine, a screening of the documentary Rising Fury to a packed State Theatre. Their insightful film showed the personal story of Ukrainian people struggling to maintain democracy from years before the invasion until last year. The filmmakers spoke and answered questions. Also at The State Theatre, the Schreyer Honors College hosted a lecture and book signing by world renowned scholar/philosopher Timothy Snyder. He discussed observations from his recent trip to Ukraine and his book, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century. Penn States senior faculty mentors, Keith Gilyard, Jennifer Hamer and Jeanine Staples-Dixon, held their annual welcome back lunch. A scrumptious buffet was enjoyed by nearly 100 DEI staff and faculty and included visitors from various campuses, Deans Lawless (education), Esters (graduate studies) Lang (liberal arts) and members of the University Equity Leadership Council. George Kelly, Barbara Martino Kelly and PSUs Department of English presented the 23rd Annual Emily Dickinson Lectureship in American Poetry to several hundred people at the HUB-Robeson Freeman auditorium. Pulitzer Prize winner and former United States Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey read from her collection and answered questions. We are in the middle of the election campaign season. There are fundraisers and forums everywhere. Climate change, global warming, voting rights, a womans right to choose, gun control, immigration are all on the ballot in some form or person. Our state representative Paul Takac brought along his fellow Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta to support the candidacy of Centre County Commissioners Amber Concepcion and Mark Higgins. The Constitution Day Centre Inc. held their annual birthday celebration at the VFW Hall. The audience broke into four workshops to discuss: primary procedures, alternatives to the two party system, the Electoral College, gerrymandering, voting rights and potential improvements to our election process. Rev. Harold and his wife Sherren McKenzie were honored with the Madison Award for Civility in The Community for their almost 50 years of dedicated community service. The McKenzies are co-pastors of Unity Church of Jesus Christ. Harold is co-founder of Community and Campus in Unity (CCU). On a sad note, my colleague from law school, Prof. Joanne Epps, joined the ancestors. She collapsed on stage while hosting a tribute for Charles Blockson, who passed in June. The Blockson Collection, maintained by Penn State and Temple, is one of the most important assemblages of African American art, artifacts and literature in academia. Joanne was the second African American president of Temple University. She is sorely missed already. Gmar chatima tovah. Todas somos ; somos uno. Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Partys nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College. Amanda Zurawski, middle, addresses the press following the first day of testimony in a lawsuit in which she and other Texans are suing the state over its strict abortion ban. Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune Minutes before the close of business on a Friday in August, a state district judge temporarily ordered that women with complicated pregnancies could receive abortions in response to a lawsuit filed by Texans who had been denied care due to the states strict ban on the procedure. For the first time in a long time, I cried for joy when I heard the news, lead plaintiff Amanda Zurawski said in a statement Aug. 4. I have a sense of relief, a sense of hope, and a weight has been lifted. Now people dont have to be pregnant and scared in Texas anymore. But within five hours of the judges decision, the Office of the Attorney General appealed State District Court Judge Jessica Mangrum of Austins temporary injunction. The simple act of filing the appeal immediately blocked the order and reinstated the abortion ban in full, without a single person testifying or any argument being considered. Thats because an uncommon provision in state law allows the attorney general to supersede a state judges order. Unofficially called the supersedeas rule, the provision is intended to prevent legal challenges from upending the status quo before a full legal case plays out. But lawyers whose victories have been quickly overturned by the provision argue it weakens the separation of powers between the branches of government and has created chaos for Texans subject to new laws. Its absolutely appalling that the state would appeal this ruling a ruling meant to save womens lives, Molly Duane, senior staff attorney at the legal group Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement about last months abortion ruling. What our plaintiffs went through was pure torture, and the state is hell bent on making sure that kind of suffering continues. The Office of the Attorney General, which did not respond to requests for comment, exercised the supersedeas rule at least three times in rapid succession in the past several weeks to ensure new Texas laws take effect. Lawsuits have targeted legislative priorities that have become increasingly far-reaching and vital for conservative causes abortion, election security and transgender health care access. Just over a week after the abortion law was briefly impacted and rapidly reinstated, another Travis County district judge ruled that a new law abolishing Harris Countys elections chief position was unconstitutional and would disrupt this falls elections. Immediately, the attorney generals office appealed the temporary injunction also in the Texas Supreme Court allowing Senate Bill 1750 to go into effect on Sept. 1. The following week another Austin-based district court blocked Senate Bill 14 from banning transition-related care for trangender youth. Hours after the judge issued a temporary injunction citing the harm that would come to trans children and their families if access to this medical care was taken away an appeal by the state superseded the order and allowed the law to go into effect. The bar for obtaining a temporary injunction is high, said Karen Loewy, senior counsel and director of constitutional law practice at Lambda Legal, one of the legal groups suing Texas over SB 14. To have that swept away by the filing of a document that overrides an injunction, its unjust and odd. The little-known supersedeas rule of Texas courts is applicable only under specific circumstances. In temporary injunctions levied against the state, the attorney general can appeal a judges order. Similar appeals typically require defendants to post a bond but state agencies are exempt from putting up cash. The exemption allows the states appeal to supersede the judges order, preventing the court from enforcing the injunction while the case proceeds in court. The supersedeas rule isnt new, though its unfamiliar to attorneys who primarily work in federal courts, said South Texas College of Law professor Charles Rocky Rhodes. The federal governments appeals process doesnt offer the same ability to so quickly and automatically block a judge's orders, he said. What is new, Rhodes said, is the numerous challenges to the constitutionality of Texas laws that are going to state courtrooms, rather than federal ones. Rhodes said it was also rare for the attorney generals office to appeal cases from district-level courts directly to the Texas Supreme Court instead of a court of appeals. In the three August cases, the state bypassed the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals to go to the states Supreme Court. Only in cases that present a constitutional challenge can the attorney general directly appeal to the highest civil court. This is definitely a strategic decision by the attorney general's office to take more of these cases right to the Texas Supreme Court whenever they can where they think that they have a much more favorable tribunal than the Austin Court of Appeals, Rhodes told The Texas Tribune. Loewy attributed the frequency of cases going to the Supreme Court to the substance of the Republican-controlled Legislatures recent slate of new laws. I think the real reason we are seeing more of these is about the nature of the laws coming out of the Texas Legislature. They are increasingly beyond the pale in the ways they infringe peoples rights and call for constitutional challenges, Loewy told the Tribune. In 2017, Texas legislators made a change to courts that give the state more authority to prevent judges orders from blocking the enforcement of laws. Previously, plaintiffs could counter-supersede the states appeal, which would reinstate a judges injunction. Lawmakers passed a bill that prevented plaintiffs from taking this action, ensuring only the states supersedeas appeal remains in effect. An appellate court or the Supreme Court can issue another temporary injunction, known as a Rule 29.3, but that requires these judges to weigh the evidence that was already heard in trial courts and issue a separate order to reinstate a temporary injunction. Lawyers say the supersedeas provision is rare in other states, though its not clear how many share the same legal process. At least one other state also extends this rule to its attorney general where a number of similar legal battles are unfolding. A Florida state court judge ruled the states 15-week abortion ban was unconstitutional in July 2022, blocking the law. In response, Floridas attorney general appealed the judges decision, suspending the order and reinstating the law less than 24 hours later. In a 2020 ruling in a lawsuit between the Houston Independent School District and the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Supreme Court confirmed a court of appeals right to issue a temporary injunction, through Rule 29.3, instead of counter-superseding, which was previously outlawed by the 2017 legislation. The purpose of supersedeas is to preserve the status quo by staying the execution or enforcement of the judgment, the Texas Supreme Court opinion reads. Brian Klosterboer, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which is representing plaintiffs in the suit over health care for trans youth, argued the state is twisting the purpose of this provision. In the transition-related care and the elections administrator lawsuits, the AGs appeal upended the status quo which the district judges sought to maintain through an injunction by enacting new laws upending Texans lives, Klosterboer said. Klosterboer, who is representing plaintiffs in the suit over health care for trans youth, said the rule is a separation-of-powers issue. By allowing the executive branch to stop district court orders, he said, the state is getting a free pass to violate the law. It essentially neutralizes the district court's ability to provide relief against the government, Klosterboer said. That puts the appellate courts and the Supreme Court in a tough spot, too, because by the time they have a chance to make a ruling, something catastrophic already could have happened. As The Texas Tribune's signature event of the year, The Texas Tribune Festival brings Texans closer to politics, policy and the days news from Texas and beyond. Browse on-demand recordings and catch up on the biggest headlines from Festival events at the Tribunes Festival news page. On Saturday's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Detroit Free Press Automotive Reporter Phoebe Wall Howard has the latest, after United Auto Workers announced an expanded strike. Pharmacists at Kansas City-area CVS locations stage a walkout over working conditions. USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen breaks down the indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez . The NCAA and conferences could be forced into a major NIL change as a lawsuit has been granted class-action status. Tropical Storm Ophelia nears hurricane status as it approaches North Carolina. Watch 5 Things on YouTube. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Taylor Wilson: Good morning, I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know, Saturday the 23rd of September 2023. Today, the latest from an expanded auto worker strike. Plus, some CBS pharmacists stage a walkout over unsafe conditions, and we look at the indictment of Senator Bob Menendez. The United Auto Workers have announced an expanded strike. I spoke with Detroit Free Press Automotive Reporter, Phoebe Wall Howard, for the latest from the picket line. Phoebe, welcome to 5 Things. Phoebe Wall Howard: Thank you. Taylor Wilson: What will this next phase of the strike look like, and why are workers expanding it at this point? Phoebe Wall Howard: It's expected to turn a little bit ugly, based on what we're hearing on the strike lines. By ugly I mean that people all over the country outside the UAW will be feeling pain immediately. What's happened is, after one week, the UAW has decided to expand the strike because the union has said Stellantis and General Motors have failed to put forth proposed contracts that are acceptable. What this means is they called a strike on parts locations. While your average person may not think that's a big deal, it's 13,000 workers initially, adding more than 5,000. These are the people in 20 different states who package up parts to send to auto dealers to repair your vehicle. So if you go in to get your car fixed or your truck or your Jeep, this is where the parts come from. All those locations have now been shut down as of noon Friday. 38 sites in 20 states. So this is pulling a pin on a crucial service for both auto dealers and General Motors and Stellantis customers. I like to remind people, Stellantis is Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler. Taylor Wilson: You mentioned GM and Stellantis. For now, the union is not expanding strike targets at Ford. What kind of progress has been made in talks with them? Phoebe Wall Howard: Well, here's what we don't know. The UAW has said that Ford has made great progress. We don't know if Ford has made great progress, because this is a highly strategic political campaign effectively run by the UAW. And what our sources tell us is the question is, is Ford making progress or is the UAW weaponizing one automaker to show good faith in order to strangle the other two? That's what we haven't determined yet. Ford has been more assertive about offering pay increases, benefit increases, paternity, getting rid of the tier pay, different pay for the same workers. So Ford has made significant strides, but we don't know if it's greater than originally. Taylor Wilson: This is just a week in and the UAW has already expanded this strike. What can we expect over the next few days and going forward? Phoebe Wall Howard: From the strike line, I was in different parts of Michigan, and the workers said they love the fact that President Shawn Fain is giving constant updates via Facebook Live. So what they're telling us, the UAW, is that I assume at the end of this next week we'll hear what happens if they are going to continue pulling pins or hold if they feel they're making progress. But here, after the first week, they've made a determination. I assume they'll keep the same timeline, and in one week we'll know more. This current situation is a major step and very devastating to automakers targeted. Taylor Wilson: Phoebe Wall Howard covers the automotive industry for the Detroit Free Press. Thank you, Phoebe. Phoebe Wall Howard: Thank you so much. Taylor Wilson: Meanwhile, President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to join workers in a show of support. His trip comes after UAW President Shawn Fain invited him to join the picket line in his remarks yesterday. You can follow along over the next few days with usatoday.com and the Detroit Free Press at freep.com. Nearly two dozen pharmacists at CVS locations in the Kansas City area stage a walkout this week over working conditions they say put CVS pharmacists and patients at risk. The walkout, which began Thursday, has forced at least 22 locations in the area to close. Organizers specific complaints center on staffing shortages and quotas. They say their work requirements leave them unable to safely fill and verify prescriptions, putting patients at risk of serious harm or even death. Speaking on the condition that they not be named, out of fear of retaliation, pharmacists said they initiated the walkout after a Kansas City-based manager was fired. They claim his firing came because he refused to force pharmacists to close their own stores on the weekends so they could pitch in at other short-staffed locations. A CVS Communications Director did not acknowledge the walkout when contacted by USA Today. Meanwhile, pharmacists around the country have voiced similar concerns. In California, 91% of chain pharmacists surveyed by the State Board of Pharmacy in 2021 said they lacked the staff needed to ensure adequate patient care. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez has been indicted, along with his wife and three others. I caught up with USA Today Justice Department Correspondent, Bart Jansen, to put the indictment in context. Bart, thanks for hopping on. Bart Jansen: Thanks for having me. Taylor Wilson: What are they being charged with here, Bart? Bart Jansen: There are three federal charges in the indictment. Basically, one is conspiracy to commit bribery. One is conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which is basically asking for money to do what he should have been doing as a public official anyway. And then the third is conspiracy to commit extortion. So basically trying to force people to give him the money. Those are the allegations. He has denied wrongdoing and said that the prosecutors don't understand the nature of a Senate office and the nature of constituent service. So he thinks they're wrong and he's going to be fighting the charges. Taylor Wilson: And what role does Egypt allegedly play in all this? Bart Jansen: Well, Menendez is the Chairman of the Senate of Foreign Relations Committee. And it's possible for Senators, when grants are being considered by the US government, to hold up those grants because of concerns about how the money may be used, or any concerns that a Senator may have. There are accusations in the indictment, both that he released sensitive information about the US government, about staffers in the US Embassy's Cairo Embassy, and also that he perhaps was dabbling in holds on military aid to Egypt, that he then released when payments were made to him. Taylor Wilson: And Bart, Senator Menendez was indicted before. What was he indicted for previously, and how might this case be different? Bart Jansen: The previous case alleging incidents about a decade ago also involved bribery allegations. In that case, he had a friend who was an eye doctor and the eye doctor provided luxury travel and campaign contributions to him. And he also advocated on behalf of things such as Medicare payments that benefited the doctor. So in that case, it was also essentially a matter of bribe. The allegation was bribery, but he was arguing that the things that he was receiving were a result of the friendship rather than his public policy advocacy. And in that case, he got a hung jury and the charges were eventually dropped so he was not convicted. So the question this time around would be to see, are the money and gifts also defensible? What legal experts are telling me, in reading the details of this latest indictment, are that perhaps prosecutors put so much detail into it, about $480,000 found in envelopes stuffed into the pockets of his embroidered jackets and bars of gold at his home, that the details of payments made and the timing would suggest that prosecutors think they have a better case this time around. Again, he has denied wrongdoing, and so we'll have to see eventually what a jury makes of those arguments. Taylor Wilson: And as of now, Bart, what's this indictment mean for Menendez's future in the Senate? Bart Jansen: Well, he can continue to be a Senator, if he chooses, while he defends the case. But under Senate rules, he was expected, when charged with a felony, to step down from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And I believe late Friday afternoon that word came down, he has agreed to step down from the committee. Taylor Wilson: All right. Bart Jansen covers the Justice Department for USA Today. Thank you, Bart. Bart Jansen: Thanks for having me. Taylor Wilson: A Federal District Judge yesterday granted class action status to part of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA and the nation's top college conferences. The part of the suit challenges the association's remaining rules about athletes ability to make money from their names, images, and likenesses, also referred to as NIL. Based on the suit's allegations and injunction against the NCAA's remaining rules about how athletes make money from NIL could create the possibility of athletes being able to get NIL money from their schools for any reason. The plaintiff's complaint alleges that even in the NCAA's current NIL environment, which has become less regulated since 2021, the NCAA has not suspended enforcement of critical aspects of its restrictions on athletes ability to make money off their likeness. You can read more with a link in today's show notes. Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened to near hurricane status yesterday afternoon, swirling just off the Southeast Coast. The storm is expected to bring winds, rains, storm surge, and even possibly tornadoes to parts of the East Coast this weekend. And a hurricane watch was issued for parts of Eastern North Carolina as the storm's winds increased to 70 miles an hour. Governors of North Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency yesterday and some schools closed early as communities braced for Ophelia's arrival. The National Hurricane Center says the storm is expected to make landfall in North Carolina this morning. And before we go, a reminder that 5 Things is now on YouTube. A limited number of our specials and Sunday episodes are available now as vodcasts. We have a link in today's show notes. And thanks for listening to 5 Things. Dana Taylor is in for the Sunday episode tomorrow. And I'll see you Monday with more of 5 Things from USA Today. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UAW strike, CVS walkout, Menendez indictment: 5 Things podcast Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will travel to Saudi Arabia in October to attend the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council summit, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday. "His visit will further strengthen the strong, friendly and vibrant ties between the two countries," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Antonio Morales said. No details about the president's trip have been released yet. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -The U.S. made another appeal to Mexico to review alleged labor violations under a regional trade pact on Monday, with the latest investigation centered on a Teklas Automotive facility in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. The latest review marks the U.S. Trade Representative office's 14th labor rights complaint against facilities in Mexico since the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade took effect in 2020, including nine this year. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the request was intended to "address a serious violation of workers' rights" at the automotive parts factory, involving an employer possibly terminating workers for engaging in union activity. "Today's action underscores the United States' unceasing commitment to using the tools established in the USMCA to protect workers' rights to organize for and join the union of their choice," Tai said in a statement. Teklas, which was founded in the 1970s in Turkey and later expanded to Europe, North America, and China, calls itself a "leading" global supplier of automotive fluid systems with 12 plants in six countries, according to its website. Washington wants the Mexican government to review the matter under the USMCA's Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. The Mexican government has ten days to review the U.S. request, and if it accepts, another 45 days to investigate the case. Mexico has recently denied two requests for probes into labor rights concerns, rejecting a U.S. call to review Grupo Yazaki's auto components factory in the state of Guanajuato and also a Grupo Mexico mine labor probe. Teklas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Isabel Woodford and Sonali Paul) U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters sit on their armored vehicles, at al-Sabha town in the eastern countryside of Deir el-Zour, Syria, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. Weeklong clashes between rival U.S.-backed militias in eastern Syria, where hundreds of American troops are deployed, point to dangerous seams in a coalition that has kept on a lid on the defeated Islamic State group for years. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BEIRUT (AP) U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces imposed a curfew after clashes erupted again on Monday in eastern Syria, where their fighters had battled for weeks with rival Arab militiamen, Syrian media and activists reported. The fighting in a region where hundreds of American troops are deployed has pointed to dangerous seams in a coalition that has kept a lid on the defeated Islamic State group for years. The reports say the Syrian Democratic Forces imposed the open-ended measure in several towns in Deir el-Zour province, including the town of Ziban, close to the Iraqi border where the Americans are based. Hundreds of U.S. troops have been there since 2015 to help in the fight against the militant Islamic State group. The oil-rich province is home to Syrias largest oil fields. Al Mayadeen, a pan-Arab TV station, said several fighters from the Kurdish-led forces were killed after Arab gunmen took over several parts of Ziban on Monday. The SDF in a statement Monday said the gunmen entered Ziban under cover of random artillery shelling from the government-held town of Mayadeen in the province. (SDF fighters) have facilitated the movement of civilians to safe zones in neighboring villages, ensuring their safety and preventing the mercenary groups from using them in their terrorist acts ... the statement added. Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some of the Arab fighters had crossed from government-held areas. Local media in the province reported that some Kurdish fighters had fled the area as the clashes intensified. There were no further details. The Kurdish-led forces have accused the Syrian government of inciting the violence by allowing the rival Arab militiamen to crossing the Euphrates River. The clashes first erupted in late August when two weeks of fighting killed 25 Kurdish fighters, 29 members of Arab tribal groups and gunmen, as well as nine civilians, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces . The Syrian government of President Bashar Assad in Damascus sees the Kurdish-led forces as secessionist fighters and has denounced their alliance with the United States in the war against IS and their self-ruled enclave in eastern Syria. Meanwhile, Turkey, which has troops inside Syria, and Turkish-backed oppositions groups in Syrias northwest, routinely clash with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Senior U.S. officials arrived in Armenia on Monday after neighboring Azerbaijan launched a full-scale military assault last week in the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region and forced the evacuation of thousands of ethnic Armenians. Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is in Armenia along with State Department acting assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim. The Biden administration officials are there to affirm U.S. support for Armenias sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to help address humanitarian needs stemming from the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to a USAID statement. Azerbaijans military campaign in the Nagorno-Karabakh region lasted just 24 hours, with forces quickly ousting separatist opposition in a lightning blitz. The battle resulted in a ceasefire that gave full control of the region to Azerbaijans forces after the de facto independent government, called the Republic of Artsakh, appears to have completely surrendered to Baku. The Karbakh region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but was operated for years under the Republic of Artsakh. Last weeks offensive means Baku reclaimed the region from roughly three decades of separatist control and has now begun what it calls a re-integration of the region, which has led thousands of ethnic Armenians to begin fleeing the country. Azerbaijan authorities say they will respect the rights of Armenians, but Armenia has warned of an ethnic cleansing after decades of tensions and violent conflict between the two countries. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over the weekend and expressed deep concern about potential violations of Armenian human rights, according to a readout of the call. Blinken also spoke with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev and urged him to deescalate the situation through dialogue and to halt any remaining military action. President Biden sent a letter to Armenias Pashinyan over the weekend, expressing his condolences for the loss of life and underscoring his commitment to stand by Armenia and address human rights and uphold the sovereignty of Yerevan. The Armenian National Committee of America, however, called that letter an absolutely heartless condolence card to Armenians still burying their dead in a post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. The committee has blamed the U.S. for arming Azerbaijan and said Washington is complicit in the ethnic-cleansing. Nagorno-Karabakh is a region in the South Caucasus, located in east Europe and West Asia, that has been disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the early 20th Century. When the Soviet Union began to break up toward the end of the 1980s, the nations fought a war that ended with a 1994 agreement giving control of most of the region to Armenia. Azerbaijan took back swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and with last weeks assault, has now assumed full control. Russia, which has deployed peacekeepers to the region since 2020 to protect Armenians, particularly in a corridor that connects to Armenia, mediated the ceasefire last week and is urging the normalization of relations in Karabkh. Yerevan has accused Moscow of failing to keep the peace and has said Russia has been too consumed by the war in Ukraine. The United Nations has expressed concern about the recent clash and human rights violations, but not all countries are showing alarm. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Azerbaijan, met with Bakus President Aliyev on Monday in an apparent show of support. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The US is formally establishing diplomatic relations with a pair of Pacific Island nations Monday, recognizing the Cook Islands and Niue for the first time. The recognition comes as President Joe Biden seeks to strengthen relationships in the Indo-Pacific region as a counter to Chinas rising influence, something thats been a major priority since he took office. The administration has worked to deepen its engagement with Pacific Island nations, and hosted the Pacific Island Forum leaders Monday at the White House. Biden said in a pair of statements that he was proud to recognize Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign, independent states. Niue, Biden said, plays a critical and constructive role in the Pacific, including supporting the regions sustainable development, security, and marine protection and ocean conservation. He continued, Todays announcement will enable us to deepen our cooperation with Niue on these challenges and more from tackling the climate crisis, to protecting maritime borders and marine resources, to building sustainable economic growth, to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. And the announcement with the Cook Islands, Biden said, will enable us to expand the scope of this enduring partnership as we seek to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples lives from countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to combating climate change, to building inclusive economic growth, to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and beyond. Biden unveiled new infrastructure funding for Pacific Island partner nations, and announce $10 million through the Quad partnership to improve maritime domain awareness in the Pacific. The PIF is made up of leaders from Nauru, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Samoa, and Tonga. Biden hosted the leaders for a summit meeting and subsequent working lunch. They will also attend a roundtable with special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry before an evening dinner hosted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. We know a great deal of the history of the world will be written across the Pacific over the coming years. We owe it to the next generation to help write that story together, to do the hard work, the historic work. Today, lets recommit to that goal and lets recommit to each other, Biden said as the leaders gathered in the East Room. Our objective is to build a better world, through stronger partnerships with each other, he said, citing the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands and Niue, as well as new economic agreements, new US Embassies in Tonga and the Solomon Islands, the return of the Peace Corps to some countries, and the doubling of academic exchanges for Pacific Island students. US officials will take the opportunity during the Monday reception to formally celebrate the news that the US is officially opening diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands and Niue. In addition to the new diplomatic relationships, the official said that the summit will see the United States announce steps to provide secure undersea cable connectivity for Pacific Island nations something that many of these nations need where internet speed and connectivity is not as reliable as it should be, and where we all benefit. And the Quad partnership an informal collaboration between Australia, India, Japan and the United States will announce it is expanding 2022s Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative to the Pacific Island region with a $10 million investment to improve maritime domain awareness, amidst an increasingly bellicose China. During the meeting, Biden also touted US investment in the region, including $40 billion for infrastructure and connectivity, as well as a new microfinance facility and a $600 million agreement for sustainable development on the Pacific Island fisheries. And he announced a new military partnership: This we shall send the first US Coast Guard vessel solely dedicated to collaborate and train with Pacific Island nations, he said, adding that the US will invest $11 million in maritime domain awareness technology to the region. Biden also offered assurances to the leaders on climate change: I want you to know I hear you. The people in United States and around the world hear you. We hear your warnings of a rising sea that they pose an existential threat to your nations. We hear your calls for reassurance that you never, never, never will lose your statehood, or membership of the UN as result. climate crisis. Today, the United States is making it clear that this is our position as well. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken addresses the press on sidelines of UN General Assembly WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Niue established diplomatic relations on Monday as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi signed a joint statement to that effect, the U.S. State Department said. The United States said earlier it will recognize the independence of Niue, a small Pacific nation, part of a U.S. charm offensive to block further Chinese inroads into a strategic region Washington has long considered its own backyard. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington) The United States established official ties with a pair of Pacific Island nations on Monday ahead of the start of President Bidens summit with the region, marking the White Houses latest attempt to secure a greater American presence in the region. In a statement Monday, Biden said he is proud to announce that the U.S. officially recognizes the Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent states, setting Washington up for diplomatic relations between the two nations. The recognition of the Cook Islands will allow the U.S. to expand its partnership with the nation, which dates back to World War II when U.S. military airport runways were built in parts of the island, Biden said. He said he hopes this extended partnership will allow the nations to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples livesfrom countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to combatting climate change, to building inclusive economic growth, to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and beyond. With regards to Niue, the president said he hopes the U.S. can deepen its cooperation with the nation over tackling sustainable development, security, marine protection and ocean conservation in the region. The move comes amid the White Houses continued efforts to push back on Chinas growing military and economic influence in the region. Biden said the U.S. expects to work closely with the Cook Islands, Niue and other Pacific Island nations to bolster Pacific regionalism. Biden welcomed Pacific Island leaders on Monday for the start of a two-day U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Summit, where leaders will lay out the objectives of the United States first-ever Pacific Partnership Strategy, which was unveiled last year. The summit is slated to involve several nations including Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands and Niue. Official meetings are expected to involve Biden, senior members of the administration and members of Congress. The summit involves the president following up on his pledge to take our commitment and our engagement in the Pacific region to the next level, officials said. Pressed over if the United States competition with China is behind the renewal of this engagement, officials said it is a factor. At the United Nations last week, Biden said he is not seeking conflict with China but warned the U.S. will push back on aggression and intimidation. Leaders of the group were set to ride a special Amtrak train from New York to Baltimore on Sunday, where they attended a Ravens game and appeared on the field to be recognized for their roles as American friends in the Indo-Pacific. They were expected to go on a Coast Guard ship in Baltimore later Sunday to receive a briefing on maritime issues and U.S. efforts to combat illegal fishing before attending the summit on Monday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Zelenskiy meets with U.S. President Biden at the White House in Washington By David Shepardson and Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden 's administration on Monday imposed new trade restrictions on 11 Chinese and five Russian companies, accusing some of supplying components to make drones for Russia's war effort in Ukraine. The Commerce Department, which oversees export policy, added a total of 28 firms, including some Finnish and German companies, to a trade blacklist, making it harder for U.S. suppliers to ship them technology. Nine of the companies, including China's Asia Pacific Links Ltd. and Russia's SMT-iLogic, allegedly took part in a scheme to supply the previously blacklisted Special Technology Center with drone parts for Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU). An investigation by Reuters and iStories, a Russian media outlet, in collaboration with the Royal United Services Institute, a defense think tank in London, last year uncovered a logistical trail that spans the globe and ends at the Orlan drone's production line, the Special Technology Centre in St. Petersburg, Russia. The investigation found that Hong Kong-based exporter Asia Pacific Links Ltd. has been among the most important suppliers to Russia's drone program. The firm, along with import company SMT iLogic, were the target of an earlier round of U.S. sanctions in May. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "We will not hesitate to take swift and meaningful action against those who continue seeking to supply and support Putins illegal and immoral war in Ukraine," the Commerce Department's export controls chief Alan Estevez said in a statement. Another six Chinese entities were added for allegedly procuring aerospace parts for the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Company that are used to make drones used by Iran to attack oil tankers in the Middle East and by Russia in Ukraine, according to the Commerce Department. The Special Technology Center in St. Petersburg, Russia, which once made a variety of surveillance gadgets for the Russian government and now focuses on drones for the military, was first targeted by U.S. sanctions after former President Barack Obama said it had worked with Russian military intelligence to try to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The United States has aggressively used a trade blacklist known as the entity list to target China's tech sector and attempt to stymie Russia's war in Ukraine. (Reporting by David Shepardson and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Rami Ayyub) By Andy Sullivan and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is due to try to advance steep spending cuts this week that stand no chance of becoming law and could force a partial shutdown of the U.S. government by next Sunday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sought to avoid that scenario when he hammered out a spending agreement with Democratic President Joe Biden this spring. But some members of his own party have threatened to depose him if he does not support steeper cuts that are sure to be rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed and a wide range of services, from financial oversight to medical research, will be suspended if Congress does not provide funding for the new fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. Congress typically misses that deadline and passes stopgap spending bills to avoid disruption while they finish their work. But McCarthy has been unable so far to muster support for a temporary spending extension as a group of hardline Republicans have refused to go along. Republicans control the House by a narrow 221-212 majority and have few votes to spare. McCarthy has put the stopgap bill on hold and instead will advance legislation that reflects conservative priorities. When the House returns on Tuesday, lawmakers will take up four spending bills for the coming fiscal year that would impose new restrictions on abortion access, undo an $11 billion Biden administration climate initiative, and resume construction of the Mexico-U.S. border wall, a signature initiative of former President Donald Trump. McCarthy said lawmakers who had blocked spending bills last week were now more willing to cooperate. "Apparently they're willing to work now. So we could have an opportunity," he told reporters on Monday. Those bills are certain to get rejected by the Senate, and the White House has said Biden would veto two of them. McCarthy has said he hopes the effort would buy goodwill and allow him to pass a stopgap that would avoid a shutdown. But Representative Matt Gaetz, a prominent McCarthy antagonist, said on Sunday he would not back a stopgap, even if it results in a shutdown. "If the departments of Labor and Education have to shut down for a few days as we get their appropriations in line, that's certainly not something that is optimal. But I think it's better than continuing on the current path," he said on Fox News. Another hardliner, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, said in a statement she would not even support bringing the spending bills up for debate on the House floor, because Ukraine aid is included with them. Greene and other members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus have pushed to cut agency spending to $1.47 trillion, which is $120 billion less than Biden and McCarthy agreed to in their May compromise. That only accounts for a fraction of the total U.S. budget, which will come to $6.4 trillion for this fiscal year. Lawmakers are not considering cuts to popular benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare, which are projected to grow dramatically as the population ages. The Senate, meanwhile, is scheduled to advance a stopgap spending measure on Tuesday. If it passes, that could force McCarthy to rely on Democratic votes to pass it as well and avoid a shutdown before Oct. 1, which would incur the anger of his right flank and potentially put his job at risk. Bloomberg reported late on Monday that Senate Republicans and Democrats were nearing an agreement on a short-term spending measure, citing a person familiar with the talks. Trump has urged Republicans to force a shutdown to interfere with his two federal criminal cases. The Justice Department says criminal prosecutions would continue in the event of a shutdown. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Alistair Bell and Himani Sarkar) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said the Philippines would take "all appropriate actions" to remove the floating barriers installed by the Chinese Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc. "The placement by the People's Republic of China of a barrier violates the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen whose rights to have been affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral ruling," Ano said in a statement, adding they condemned the act. "It ruled categorically that such action by the PRC (People's Republic of China) violated the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen in the shoal who have been fishing there for centuries. Any State that prevents them from doing artisanal fishing there violates UNCLOS and international law, in general," he added. CNN Philippines has reached out to Ano to ask what specific actions the country would take, but he has not replied as of publishing. Ano also said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is always kept informed on all developments in the West Philippine Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs also stressed the country has sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc according to UNCLOS. "The 2016 Arbitral Award affirms it as a traditional fishing ground of Filipino fisherfolk," the DFA said in a separate statement. The agency said the installation of the floating barrier negatively impacts the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk and such is a violation of international law, particularly UNCLOS and the Arbitral Award. On Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said a 300-meter long floating barrier was installed in the southeast portion of the shoal, preventing Philippine fishing boats from entering the area. In a press briefing, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela stressed that the floating barrier is a navigational hazard. At the briefing, Tarriela said they would leave it to concerned government agencies to determine what legal or diplomatic action would be necessary. "On the part of the PCG, we are here to patrol and produce evidence and report it to the NTF-WPS (National Task Force-West Philippine Sea). It's for concerned agencies to do their own respective responsibilities," he said. RELATED: EU envoy says Chinas installation of floating barrier deeply concerning Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Philippines could remove the floating barriers in Bajo de Masinloc. It is within our exclusive economic zone that we will just declare it to be such then its a violation to our right to exclusive economic zone and we can remove the same, Remulla pointed out at a briefing on Monday. RELATED: Lawmakers denounce Chinas floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal He explained that what China did was interfering with something that was granted to us in accordance to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," adding the removal of the barriers will be a civilian undertaking under the Philippine Coast Guard. We will not make it a military undertaking but a civilian undertaking, he says. Remulla also clarified it was his personal legal view and they have to agree within the Executive branch on how to treat the incident. He noted he would meet this week with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Office of the Solicitor General to talk about the possible filing of cases against China. RELATED: OSG to look into WPS incidents after 2016 arbitral award to establish solid case vs. China This stems from Chinas alleged massive coral harvesting in the West Philippine Sea. CNN Philippines Anjo Alimario and Pia Garcia contributed to this report. Each time Matt Wos passes his local police station near downtown Chicago, he can't believe seeing the dozens of migrants surrounding it seeking shelter. Wos takes in the rows of people sleeping on the floors inside, a young mother placing her infant inside a crib outside, the migrants lining up the street in the nation's third-largest city, and he wonders: How long can this go on, especially as the weather starts to get colder? "I'm all about us being a welcoming city and such. ... This makes me think how bad it can be for them in Venezuela or wherever they come from to come here," said Wos, a longtime accountant. "But it also looks like what we're currently doing to help them doesn't seem to be working." A row of asylum-seeking migrants camp outside the Chicago Police Department's District 1 headquarters. Chicago officials are looking to relocate migrants to base camps with heated tents or unused large facilities as they wait for spots in city-run shelters. Halfway across the country in San Diego, County Supervisor Jim Desmond said about 4,800 migrants have been dropped off there in the past week. The migrant surge has led to the Border Patrol suspending pedestrian crossing at a facility in San Ysidro, California, so local authorities can assist, he said. "It's inhumane it's not fair to those arriving here and to those who live in neighborhoods nearby," said Desmond, a Republican. "This is a broken and failed system by the federal government." Meanwhile, anti-migrant activists in Chicago, New York and Massachusetts have gathered in recent weeks to protest against more migrants arriving and needing help in their communities. From Staten Island to Chicago to San Diego and other points in between, some Americans are getting frustrated with migrants arriving in their neighborhoods with few shelter and assistance options for them. Many said they want the federal government and local officials to do more to provide help to those who need it and find a better solution for migrants hoping to enter the U.S. The concern has been building, with the U.S. seeing high levels of illegal crossings in recent years after the COVID-19 pandemic kept many migrants from entering the country in 2020. The latest wave of migrants means more people arriving in cities across the U.S., looking for a place to sleep at bus stops, outside airports and in city halls. "It's wildly frustrating," said Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, noting that Chicago has received more than 13,000 asylum-seekers, and counting, since August 2022. "There seems to be no end in sight." Some local officials want Biden administration to do more In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has said the influx of migrants since 2022, more than 110,000 and counting arriving from the U.S.-Mexico border, will "destroy" his city. With more than 60,000 migrants still in the city's care, according to the Department of Social Services, Adams blames a lack of federal aid and Republican Govs. Greg Abbott in Texas and Ron DeSantis in Florida, who's also a GOP presidential candidate, for sending asylum-seekers to Northern states in recent months and causing a crisis. "We're getting no support on this national crisis," said Adams, a Democrat, during a town hall. Other city officials have said shelters and other resources are at capacity, and many new arrivals are forced to sleep on the streets. Many blame the Biden administration for not taking a stronger approach to U.S. immigration policy. "It's not just New York going through this," Desmond said. "It's chaos the way the federal government is just dropping off thousands of people in this county that is getting no coordinated help or aid. "This is not just a Democrat issue, not just a Republican issue," Desmond said. "This is a national issue." Lopez, the Chicago alderman, a Democrat, also wants to see fewer migrants arriving in his community. "Every week, the city of Chicago sees new arrivals by bus or by plane. It's a slow and steady march with no real action from Washington," Lopez said. Biden administration sends hundreds of troops to border The Biden administration said on Sept. 19 that it would send 800 active-duty military personnel to help the 2,500 National Guard members deployed to assist Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. The following day, the Department of Homeland Security said it would grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. as of July 31 to help ease a path to work authorization. That move is in addition to nearly 243,000 Venezuelans already qualified for the temporary status. In an emailed statement, a White House spokesperson said Biden has called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. "Without Congressional action, this Administration has been working to build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system and weve led the largest expansion of lawful pathways for immigration in decades," the statement said. "The federal government is working to provide information and services to ensure that those who are eligible submit their work permit applications immediately." But that may provide little help immediately for Eagle Pass, Texas, where Mayor Rolando Salinas said about 2,000 migrants had crossed the border on Sept. 21 after officials shut down one of the city's two international bridges to reroute agents elsewhere. About 9,000 asylum-seekers have crossed from Mexico in the past week. The bridge shutdown in Eagle Pass came after the city declared an emergency declaration on Sept. 19 because of a "severe undocumented immigrant surge." The mayor said the order was issued to give the town "the ability to request financial resources to provide the additional services caused by the influx of the undocumented immigrants," Salinas said in a news release. A family of five claiming to be from Guatemala and a man stating he was from Peru, in pink shirt, walk through the desert after crossing the border wall in the Tucson Sector of the U.S.-Mexico border, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Lukeville, Ariz. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that the Tucson Sector is the busiest area of the border since 2008 due to smugglers abruptly steering migrants from Africa, Asia and other places through some of the Arizona borderlands' most desolate and dangerous areas. (AP Photo/Matt York) ORG XMIT: AZMY101 The next day, Abbott, the Texas governor, declared an "invasion" at the states border with Mexico. Salinas said he fears more large migrant groups were going to arrive over the weekend. On Sept. 21, the Eagle Pass mayor told CNN that Biden should take some blame for the surge of migrants into his town. "I will be honest with you. I believe 100% he does bear some responsibility for this crisis," Salinas said. "I havent heard from anybody in the administration. The president hasnt put out a statement, the vice president, I havent heard from anybody." Migrants are fleeing poverty and violence Meanwhile in El Paso, Texas, about seven hours to the east of Eagle Pass, the city is entering its "fourth wave" of migrant surges since 2018, according to Laura Cruz-Acosta, an El Paso city spokeswoman. The city has received more than 1,800 migrants a day crossing the border in the past week, the first major surge since the expiration in May of Title 42, a COVID-19 pandemic policy that allowed the U.S. to cite fears of spreading the virus as a reason to expel migrants. "It's putting a strain on our city," Acosta-Cruz said. "It is concerning that we're seeing this ramp up very quickly." El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser told reporters Saturday that "we have come to what we look at (as) a breaking point right now." Acosta-Cruz said what's occurring in El Paso mirrors a surge in other border cities. Arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border increased in July and August after an initial sharp decline in May and June after the Biden administration launched a new policy requiring migrants heading to the U.S. border to first seek protection in Mexico. Biden adopted the rule after Title 42's expiration. Migrants sleep outside the Roosevelt Hotel as they wait for placement at the hotel in New York on August 1, 2023. Many newly arrived migrants have been waiting outside the Roosevelt Hotel, which has been turned into a migrant reception center, to try to secure temporary housing. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: AFP_33QG8TJ.jpg But many migrants, many arriving from Venezuela, aren't waiting for various reasons. "The type of migrant we see now are those who are leaving their communities they call home for humanitarian reasons, because of violence, poverty, political reasons economic and to try escaping human trafficking," Acosta-Cruz said. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens told ABC News in an interview that aired Sunday the Mexican drug cartels are flooding the U.S. border with illegal immigrants in part as a distraction so they can smuggle drugs, criminals and weapons into the country. "In terms of flow and the threats that were seeing with fentanyl and with the criminal organizations that are our adversary, its about as bad as Ive ever seen it," Owens said. "This isnt sustainable. This is up-and-down the system, everybody is overwhelmed. Even the government of Mexico, which have been great partners for us, the U.S. Border Patrol, a lot of times our facilities are already over capacity." On Sept. 21, Mexican officials pledged to set up checkpoints to "depressurize" migrants from hopping freight trains from its northern cities which border El Paso, San Diego and Eagle Pass. Acosta-Cruz, the El Paso city official, adds from what she has seen, a lot of migrants are being "misled by the cartels so really it's a lot of misinformation being shared with the migrants. They have this understanding they can just come in and flow through, but that's not the case." About 1,000 migrants are housed in nine hotels around town, and there is a recreation center ready to use, Acosta-Cruz said. Because El Paso handles its fair share of migrants, some of whom stay anywhere from 24- to 72 hours before moving on, the city and El Paso County receive Federal Emergency Management Agency funding and work collaboratively with nonprofits, churches and other local businesses to handle matters. "The discussion that's happening nationally does not really paint a comprehensive picture of our city and how we are addressing it," Acosta-Cruz said. "Our approach is very humane we are working as best as we can to address a terrible national crisis and meeting the needs of our community." 'They have allowed the border crisis to become our backyard crisis' The migrant crisis in Chicago, however, continues to be a hotly contested matter, as evidenced during a tense City Council meeting Sept. 14. While a majority of the council overwhelmingly approved accepting a $33 million grant from FEMA to be used for migrant spending, Lopez and three other aldermen voted against it, citing homeless and low-income residents in their wards cannot find affordable housing. "We're hearing more and more, 'What are we doing for our Chicago residents as we are doing for our new arrivals?'" Lopez said. "'What about us?'" In June, Lopez wrote an open letter to President Joe Biden, encouraging him to tour overrun migrant camps in the city. Lopez wrote that tens of thousands of migrants "have flooded our borders and been shipped like livestock across the country," and spread beyond the border towns and villages to cities like Chicago. September 22, 2023: Migrants walk after wading the Rio Grande at the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas. The alderman said it's simply unreasonable to expect cities and states to either directly or indirectly provide for migrants' welfare. Lopez urged Biden to visit a field house in a city park where summer camps were suspended to accommodate about 300 migrants for about three months. "They have allowed the border crisis to become our backyard crisis," Lopez said. "I might not be towing the party line, but I'm towing the truth, those who believe in values truly believe what I am saying." Kate Marengo, a fellow Chicagoan and small business owner, also wants the federal government to help find a solution to the many migrants arriving in Chicago. "If they secured the border properly, none of this would be happening," Marengo said. "There are Americans who are really struggling. We have to secure our oxygen masks first before we help others and America is bleeding right now." Wos, the Chicago resident, is hopeful things will get better. Recently elected Mayor Brandon Johnson has promised to place migrants sheltering at police stations in heated camps as they wait for spots in city-run shelters. "I take them at their word that there will be heated tents, but all of my friends think 'Is that going to be enough when it gets cold and with more migrants coming?'" Wos said. "I don't think there is an easy answer to dealing with this issue. We need to do more at the border." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Migrants coming to US need housing, food. Cities worry about strain U.S. forces captured an Islamic State official during a helicopter raid in northern Syria over the weekend, U.S. Central Command announced Monday. American troops successfully conducted a helicopter raid on Saturday, capturing Abu Halil al-Fadani, an ISIS Syria operational and facilitation official assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region, according to a CENTCOM statement. The capture of ISIS officials like al-Fadani increases our ability to locate, target, and remove terrorist from the battlefield, CENTCOM spokesperson Lt. Col. Troy Garlock said in the release. The U.S. military claims that no civilians were killed or injured during this operation. Washington keeps roughly 900 troops in northeastern Syria to keep ISIS from reemerging and to help the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in that effort. U.S. forces in the past year have held a string of helicopter raids in the region to capture ISIS officials, including several in April. CENTCOM officials say these missions disrupt the militant groups ability to plot and carry out operations. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The U.S. military said Monday it had captured an operator for the Islamic State extremist group during a helicopter raid in northern Syria. The operator, Abu Halil al-Fadani, was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. His capture on Saturday increases the chance that U.S. counterterrorism operations there will be able to target additional members of the group, command spokesman Lt. Col. Troy Garlock said. The U.S. has approximately 900 troops in Syria focused on countering the remnants of the Islamic State group, which had held a wide swath of Syria until 2019. News of the capture came as U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces imposed a curfew after continued skirmishes with rival Arab militiamen. According to reports from Syrian media and activists, the Syrian Democratic Forces imposed the curfew Monday in several towns in Deir el-Zour province, including in Ziban, close to the Iraqi border where the Americans are based. Hundreds of U.S. troops have been there since 2015. The oil-rich province has Syrias largest oil fields. Syria remains in a bloody 12-year civil war that has killed a half-million people. The Syrian government of President Bashar Assad in Damascus sees the Kurdish-led forces as secessionist fighters and has denounced their alliance with the United States in the war against the Islamic State militants and their self-ruled enclave in eastern Syria. Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, speaks during an event at the SDG Summit at United Nations headquarters, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration announced Monday that it is offering a $2 billion loan to Poland, which has been a hub for weapons going into Ukraine, to support the ally's defense modernization. The State Department said in a statement that Poland is a stalwart ally of the U.S. whose security is vital to the collective defense of NATO s eastern flank, and that such funding is reserved for Washingtons most important security partners. The U.S. government is also providing Warsaw up to $60 million for the cost of the loan in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) which would support urgent procurements of defense articles and services from the United States, the State Department said. The $60 million is a loan subsidy meant to ensure that Warsaw can secure favorable terms for the loan. Poland has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion of the country, handing over large numbers of its own tanks, fighter jets and other equipment. It has also been a hub for most of the Western weapons going to Ukraine. It has been undergoing a process of modernization to replace what it gave away, much of which was based on old Soviet technology, putting in orders with U.S. and South Korean defense companies. Recently the Polish-Ukrainian relationship has seen strains due to a trade dispute centered on Ukrainian grain entering the Polish market and driving down the prices Polish farmers can get. Amid the spat Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country was no longer sending any more weapons to Ukraine. The comment created some confusion. Analysts noted that Poland has already in fact given Ukraine most of what it has to give, and the statement was made ahead of a Polish election and did not mean much. But it also raised concerns that Western support for Ukraine could be weakening. U.S. officials have sought to play down the spat, praising Polands role in helping Ukraine and noting that it is in Polands strategic interest for Ukraine to prevail against Russia. (Reuters) - The United States has signed a $2 billion direct loan agreement to support Poland's defense modernization program, the State Department said on Monday. THE TAKE The foreign military financing deal advances the two countries' defense cooperation as Poland seeks to boost its armed forces following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. KEY QUOTE "In addition to its central support role in facilitating international assistance to neighboring Ukraine, Poland has demonstrated its ironclad commitment to strengthening regional security through its robust investments in defense spending," the State Department said in a statement on Monday. CONTEXT Poland is a top U.S. ally and has topped NATO's spending charts this year. The military alliance has forecast Poland pouring 3.9% of gross domestic product into military goals, almost twice NATO's current 2% target. BY THE NUMBERS The U.S. will provide $60 million for the cost of the $2 billion loan, which will be used to help pay for Poland's defense modernization program with weapons purchases from the U.S., the State Department said. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Rami Ayyub) The U.S. sanctioned several Chinese and Russian companies on Monday for allegedly supplying a blacklisted Russian firm with parts to make drones for Moscows war effort in Ukraine. The Commerce Department announced sanctions against 28 entities in total, nine of which were implicated in the effort to sell parts to the blacklisted Special Technology Center to make drones for Russias Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff. Our actions send a clear message to those trying to evade our export controls that there will be consequences for behavior that seeks to undermine U.S. national security interests, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez said in a statement. We will not hesitate to take swift and meaningful action against those who continue seeking to supply and support Putins illegal and immoral war in Ukraine, Estevez added. The China-based company Asia Pacific Links Ltd. and four Russian companies Device Consulting, Grant Instrument, SMT-iLogic, and Streloy were sanctioned on Monday for the alleged efforts to evade U.S. export controls. Three Finnish companies Evolog Oy, Luminor Oy, and Siberica Oy and ICW-Industrial Components Weirich from Germany were similarly added to the U.S. trade blacklist over the scheme. Another 10 additional companies from China, one other from Russia, five from Pakistan, two from Oman and one from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were also sanctioned on Monday for their involvement in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy of the United States. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- The US and South Korea started three days of naval exercises to counter submarines and missiles after Kim Jong Uns regime this month deployed what it said was a tactical nuclear attack sub. Most Read from Bloomberg Nine vessels from the two countries took part in the drills off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula that began Monday with anti-submarine warfare and live-fire training, South Koreas Navy said in a statement. This exercise is an opportunity for the South Korean and US navies to effectively deter and respond to North Koreas escalating nuclear and missile threats and further solidify our joint defense posture, the South Korean Navy said. The vessels taking part also including destroyers equipped with the Aegis missile interceptor system. North Korea has bristled at joint drills for decades, calling them a prelude to an invasion and nuclear war. In recent years, it has stepped up it provocations to coincide with the exercises, often test-firing ballistic missiles in protest. Read: North Korea Displays New Tactical Nuclear Attack Submarine Kim was on hand at a ceremony this month to launch North Koreas new submarine that appears designed to fire missiles, as he pushes forward with plans to increase his navys ability to use nuclear weapons. South Koreas military expressed doubts about the capabilities of the vessel. --With assistance from Shinhye Kang. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The U.S. and Ukraine have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving Ukraine's energy resilience, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine reported on Sept. 24. Subject to the availability of funds, the U.S. plans to supply Ukraine with $522 million in energy-related assistance, including $100 million provided on the condition Kyiv makes progress in some energy sector reforms. The agreement entails the countries cooperation in restoring critical infrastructure, introducing distributed energy generation, transforming the energy sector, and facilitating Ukraine's post-war transition to a low-carbon, competitive, and EU-integrated energy economy. Washington and Kyiv also pledged to collaborate on protecting Ukraines most critical energy infrastructure, including anti-drone and anti-missile defense, among other measures, the U.S. Embassy wrote. Read also: UK Defense Ministry: Ukraines turn to Western nuclear fuel major step against Russia dependency To implement the memorandum, the participants intend to set up a Steering Committee made up of Ukrainian and U.S. officials, which will hold quarterly meetings to assess progress. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine emphasized that the memorandum is not an obligation of funds as its not intended to give rise to rights or obligations under international or domestic law. On Sept. 21, Russia launched the first mass strike on Ukraines energy infrastructure in six months, according to the state energy operator Ukrenergo. During the fall of 2022 and winter of 2023, Russian forces attempted to cripple Ukraine's energy network with massive strikes, leading to frequent blackouts and a lack of heating across the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is likely to attempt this strategy again next winter. Read also: Ukrainian energy company on Russias attacks on infrastructure: No system in the world has faced the same Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The National Security Council (NSC) is investigating reports concerning piles of dead, crushed corals sighted in Sandy Cay 2, a sandbar close to Pag-asa island in the West Philippine Sea after environmental damage was observed in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. Media reports and social media posts surfaced on Saturday showing massive piles of crushed corals atop the West Philippine Sea sandbar. A senator earlier said the destruction of reefs was a prelude to reclamation. Dito naman sa Sandy Cay, aalamin po natin kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari. Unang-una, yung mga crushed corals na naitambak diyan, sino nga ba talaga ang nagtambak diyan? Pangalawa, ano yung mga circumstances na nangyari? NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said during a public televised briefing on Monday. [Translation: Here in Sandy Cay, were gonna find out what really happened. First, who dumped those piles of crushed corals there? Second, what were the circumstances behind it?] The Philippines earlier this month accused China of harvesting and dumping crushed corals in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal after its militia vessels were spotted over the affected waters. In the meantime, dahil ito pong balitang ito ay kapuputok lamang, uunahin po muna natin yung pag-verify [Because this news just broke, we need to verify first]. We must verify the circumstances and facts behind what happened here kasi nga baka sabihin na naman ay gumagawa na naman tayo ng [because we might be accused again of creating] political drama out of fiction, he continued. Malaya is referring to Chinas statement denying involvement in the environmental damage, wherein the eastern superpower notorious for harassing Filipino vessels accused the Philippines of creating political drama from fiction. READ: 'Political drama from fiction': China denies damaging coral reefs in West PH Sea The Department of Justice, the Office of the Solicitor General, and the Philippine Coast Guard are set to meet this week to discuss possible legal actions against China over the alleged environmental destruction in the countrys exclusive economic zone. Among these options is once again filing a complaint before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). READ: DOJ, OSG to discuss filing of cases against China for alleged destruction of WPS reefs Manila first filed a complaint in 2013 before an international tribunal constituted under UNCLOS to contest Beijings sweeping claims over the South China Sea, one that overlapped with the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In 2016, the PCA ruled in favor of the Philippines, upholding its sovereign rights within its EEZ, and nullified Chinas claim, saying its nine-dash line map had no legal basis. It is anything but hyperbole to say that American higher education is home to some of the most important and impactful institutions ever created. And yet, public opinion about higher education tells a different story. Current polling indicates that American confidence in higher education is at its lowest in recent memory. Rather than dismissing the findings or picking them apart with highly sophisticated methodological critiques, we choose to accept the reality that public confidence in our industry is suffering despite the impressive accomplishments of its institutions and their promise for even greater impact. This mismatch between how a public-serving industry is appreciated and how it actually performs is characteristic of public value failure. While its roots are academic, the concept of public value failure is far from esoteric scholarly jargon. Described by our colleague, Barry Bozeman, as instances where neither the market nor the public sector provide the goods and services society agrees should be available, public value failures are the tragic everyday experiences of nearly everyone. We believe that accepting the reality of this moment as a public value failure may accelerate our ability to identify solutions and chart paths for improvement. Weve seen this happen in our own work, especially at Arizona State University, where one of us, Crow, is president, and both of us are professors. Related Anyone who believes in the uniqueness and power of the American experiment with democracy is compelled to acknowledge the significance of American higher education. Not only did its early graduates and faculty contribute to the design and establishment of this great system, but its institutions have been deeply involved in the systems continued refinement, improvement and implementation. From the Declaration of Independence to the development of Covid-19 vaccines, American colleges and universities have played outsized roles in fostering social and economic progress in this country and beyond. Data on the benefits of higher education show that completion of a college degree is a reliable and consistent predictor of upward socioeconomic mobility. Completion of a college degree is associated with improvements in mental and physical health. Cities with colleges tend to be more economically competitive. Nearly every member of Congress and almost all CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have college degrees. And its not just degrees from elite private institutions that predict success. CEOs at 14 of the top 20 companies have degrees from public universities. Current polling indicates that American confidence in higher education is at its lowest in recent memory. Rather than dismissing the findings, we choose to accept the reality. Despite compelling arguments and an abundance of evidence in support of colleges and universities, public confidence in the sector is weak and seems to be weakening. A June 2023 Gallup poll found that only 36 percent of Americans had either a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education. Less than a year earlier, in July 2022, progressive think tank New America found that the number of Americans who believed that higher education was having a positive effect on the country had dropped to 55 percent, down from 69 percent in 2020. Experts rightfully observe that public confidence is also declining in many other institutions, including small business, big business, the military, police, banks, courts and health care. And we should appreciate all these findings in the context of historically unprecedented efforts by a small but influential number of elected officials who have worked openly and effectively to erode public trust in these institutions. Despite these caveats, the data is consistent American confidence in higher education does not match its impact. This means that despite the obvious general and individual benefits, many people feel that higher education hasnt worked for them, or it will not work for them. This conclusion is not altogether unreasonable. Consider that less than half of Americans have attended college or are on track, through the current way of doing things, to do so (the 2021 enrollment rate of 18- to 24-year-olds is less than 40 percent). And of those who attend, many will not graduate (the most recent overall six-year graduation rate at bachelors degree granting institutions in the U.S. was 64 percent). If we assume that the portion of Americans who are optimistic about the sector is concentrated only in the subset of the population who participated in college and completed a degree, we might prepare for disappointment. The challenges then become to engage more learners, help those who start to finish, and help everyone believe in the general benefit of the sector. Related How do we improve a public-serving sector that seems to be neglecting so much of the public? When economists examine large-scale private sector industries and observe inefficiency in the delivery of value to consumers, they often describe the situation as a market failure. Due to years of accumulated insights, we understand a lot about market failures and how to fix them. This concept can be applied to public-serving industries such as higher education, where free market reckoning doesnt fully apply but failures still occur. In the case of American higher education, we can see several interrelated public value failures at play, such as benefit hoarding, provider scarcities and poor timing. Benefit hoarding in higher education is seen in systematically unequal outcomes. Access to and success in higher education remains highly correlated with factors such as race, where a person lives and how much money their family has. Benefit hoarding is not the fault of learners but the fault of institutions that prioritize the engagement with only the most prepared students, as well as the culture of higher education that has longstanding and deep tendencies toward exclusivity. Many institutions and individual leaders are committed to addressing these issues, but resistance is strong. Provider scarcity in higher education is not so much about a shortage of colleges and universities as much as it is about a shortage of necessary experiences and services offered at colleges and universities. Our country is home to about 4,000 regionally accredited degree-granting institutions. With innovations in online learning, access to these institutions is becoming more and more universal. But access is only part of the public value proposition. Public value is also tied to the affordability and relevance of learning experiences. Weve understood for a long time that not every learner needs a bachelors degree in the liberal arts, but much of higher education still struggles with creating new offerings that not only allow learners the opportunity to keep up with changes in the world, but to thrive by getting ahead of those changes. Poor timing is not just about when colleges show up (or want to show up) in learners lives; its also about the role that matters of time play throughout learners journeys. The organization of credentials into how long it takes the ideal learner to complete them (two-year degrees or four-year degrees) is just an example. Many who need higher education cannot reasonably finish a two-year credential in two years, resulting in a feeling that immediately upon starting a degree, learners are already behind and therefore failing. Also troubling is the idea that colleges and universities organize their activities into semesters and their courses into credit hours, as if knowledge exists in well-defined units that can only be transferred from professors to students at certain moments in the calendar year. Related Every university serves a community that constitutes its public. For state and community colleges, publics are geographically defined. For private and religious colleges and universities, publics can be globally distributed communities of people with shared identities or beliefs. In any case, a universitys public has shared goals and aspirations that can be used as inspiration for the creation of designs and strategies. This is more than merely being responsive to consumer demands; this involves sincere efforts to understand the aggregate hopes that individuals have for themselves, their families and their peers for today and for generations to come. Anyone who believes in the uniqueness and power of the American experiment with democracy is compelled to acknowledge the significance of American higher education. The creation of public value then comes as universities work to magnify those shared goals and aspirations. The ASU Charter includes the discovery of public value as a priority: ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. Through its charter and culture, the university is working to minimize the disastrous consequences of public value failure. To address failures of benefit hoarding, ASU accepts all qualified applicants and works to have a student body that is representative of the demographics of the state. To address failures of provider scarcity, the university offers a range of educational opportunities including primary, secondary and nondegree credentials. To address failures of poor timing, it offers six start dates throughout the year in addition to many courses that are self-paced, meaning a learner can start anytime and take as long as they need to complete. ASU is not alone in its focus on creating public value. There are many universities working to address the failures of benefit hoarding, provider scarcity and poor timing. There are many universities whose unique missions compel them to think carefully about the specific needs of their universities. Michael M. Crow is president of Arizona State University and former executive vice provost of Columbia University. Derrick M. Anderson is senior vice president of Education Futures at the American Council on Education and an associate professor at Arizona State University. This story appears in the September issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe. Ana Navarro , a co-host of ABCs The View, was visibly upset Monday while reacting to the federal indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), whom she has known for decades. I can tell you I have worked with him time and time again, brought many wealthy clients to him, brought many issues in front of him. Never has there been any hint of improprieties. Never has he hinted about a payback or anything like that, Navarro said, her voice cracking at one point. So, Im having a very hard time reconciling the evidence I saw shown on TV with the Bob Menendez I have known for almost 30 years. This is personally hard for me, but, you know, when I saw all the evidence Im shaken. Im hoping against hope that there is some sort of logical explanation. Menendez was indicted Friday on federal bribery charges, with prosecutors alleging he and his wife took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his power and influence to enrich a trio of New Jersey businessmen. During a press conference Monday morning, Menendez said he has no plans to resign despite growing calls for him to do so. I recognized that this will be the biggest fight yet, the senator said. But as I have stated through this whole process, I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator. Before launching a career as a pundit and television news personality, Navarro was a political operative in national Republican politics, including working as a close adviser to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. She said she does not expect Menendez to resign. Hes thinking I can fight this, she said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan to support striking auto workers. Likely not coincidentally, the visit will also come the day before former president Donald Trump will hold a rally in Detroit as the two try and tout their working-class bona fides. In the past, both men have tried to show their support for working-class voters. When Barack Obama picked Mr Biden, a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, pundits noted that he would have an appeal with lunch pail voters with whom Mr Obama struggled in his cage match against Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary. After their election, the Obama administration took action to bail out the auto industry after the 2008 financial crisis brought the industry that powers Detroit and much of the rest of the state to its knees. During much of the 2012 campaign, Mr Biden in his role as the attack dog, often repeated the line Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive, to contrast his boss with Republican nominee Mitt Romney, a native of Michigan and son of a beloved governor, who called for Detroit to go bankrupt. But during that same time, Michigan shifted rightward, electing a Republican governor who turned the state long associated with unions into a right-to-work state. Similarly, in 2016, Mr Trump largely campaigned on jobs being shipped overseas and criticised the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Mr Biden supported as a Senator and passed during the Clinton administration. That message partly propelled Mr Trump when he shocked everyone and became the first Republican presidential candidate to win Michigan since George H W Bush in 1988, alongside heavily working-class states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Since then though, Michigan has shifted decidedly leftward, electing Democratic Gov Gretchen Whitmer in 2018 and overwhelmingly re-electing her in 2022 and flipping the Michigan state legislature. Despite her rising star, Ms Whitmer has passed on challenging Mr Biden for the Democratic nomination for president. But Mr Trumps visit to Michigan contrasts with that of his would-be Republican challengers. The twice-impeached, four-times-indicted former president opted to not attend the second Republican presidential debate. Mr Biden has sought to draw a contrast between himself and two of Mr Trumps Republican opponents, highlighting in a recent ad how Sen Tim Scott (R-SC) said that if workers strike, they should be fired and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who has chided Mr Biden for constantly saying go union, and ultimately leading to the strikes. Mr Biden cannot necessarily do that with Mr Trump given how - despite union leaders support for Democrats - many of the rank and file support Mr Trump. The former Republican president has often spoken about the forgotten man, a nod to Franklin D Roosevelts rhetoric, though it has mostly been his way to wink and nod to say that white working class people have been forgotten about at the expense of marginalised groups like immigrants and people of colour. Similarly, Mr Trump and other more populist Republicans like Sens Josh Hawley (R-MO) and JD Vance (R-OH) have sought to try and hammer the Biden administration for pushing electric vehicles, which they say causes the plight of workers. Conversely, Democrats from heavily union states like Sen Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen John Fetterman (D-PA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) have picketed with workers. At the same time, research has shown that only about 30 per cent of Mr Trumps electoral coalition was white working class, though a majority of white working-class voters who did vote backed Mr Trump. Rather, the biggest indicator for support for Mr Trump and the GOP in recent years has been education. Furthermore, the image of union membership as mostly white men is largely outdated, as Black workers are the racial group most likely to be part of a union. Ultimately, while the common refrain of labour has long been which side are you on, the fate of the country might fall to whose side the unions are on. Top Republican donors shopping for a candidate not named Donald Trump had high hopes that Ron DeSantis would be their savior. Then it was Tim Scott who caught their eye. More recently, Nikki Haley has left them optimistic they could avert their nightmare outcome. But increasingly, its become evident to a large segment of the donor class that salvation isnt coming. And in a lopsided primary, their money matters less than ever. And so, many of these uber-wealthy donors are keeping their wallets closed. Trumps like 50 points ahead, said one New York-based GOP fundraiser, granted anonymity to speak freely about the state of play. Who wants to get involved and waste money? The hesitation to give is already having an impact on Republican super PACs, which are not bound by the limits of regulated political campaigns. Across all such groups focused on the GOP presidential primary, only 66 individual donors made contributions of $250,000 or more through the end of June the latest period covered by federal filing deadlines, according to a POLITICO analysis of committee filings from the Federal Election Commission. That marks a 24 percent drop from this time in 2016, when the party last had a competitive primary. At this point in that cycle, 87 donors had given at least $250,000 to one of the candidates super PACs, the analysis found. The sidelining of big donors, meanwhile, is doing nothing to hurt Trump, who has become the alpha by running a small-dollar fundraising campaign. The super PAC supporting the former president has received relatively few major donations this year. But through the end of June, Trumps joint fundraising committee reported raising $23.7 million from donors giving less than $200 more than twice the grassroots donations of all other GOP candidates combined. Despite the former president sitting seemingly immovably atop the polls, some big donors are still shopping. Ronald Lauder a billionaire cosmetics heir who met with DeSantis and Scott as he surveyed the field after splitting from Trump grew intrigued by Haley after the former South Carolina governors strong debate performance last month, according to a person close to him who was granted anonymity to freely discuss private conversations. He really likes Haley. He knows her, the person said, noting he has no plans to meet with her yet. Its too soon to say who hes supporting but [he thinks] shes terrific on Israel and very impressive. But like much of the Republican establishment, many donors are becoming increasingly resigned to Trumps dominance in a field they initially hoped to shape. They arent jazzed enough about any of his opponents to send them cash. They worry Trump will seek revenge if elected. And with DeSantis backsliding and no other candidate making significant movement in the polls, it is unclear who, if anyone, they would even back. Confusion. Is there a better word? John Catsimatidis, the billionaire CEO of Gristedes supermarket chain, said when asked to sum up the mood of the high-end donor class. Republican donors want a pro-business, no nonsense person and they want a person thats capable of having the sex appeal to be able to win 51 percent. A lot of them are worried that President Trump, even though hes a superstar, wont be able to achieve the 51 percent, so they're looking toward the next person, Catsimatidis added. It looks like Nikki Haley seems to be high on that totem pole right now, and [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis is there someplace, but DeSantis has been losing because of the sex appeal. Catsimatidis has contributed to Trump and said he would give to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.s longshot Democratic bid. Some other major donors and bundlers are committed to other candidates: New York lawyer Eric Levine, for instance, is bullish on Scott, while investment firm CEO Hal Lambert is raising for DeSantis. But billionaire CEO Ken Griffin, who donated $5 million to DeSantis gubernatorial race in Florida, and mega donor Thomas Peterffy, have continued to stay on the sidelines as they have expressed frustration at the rest of the field. Twelve years ago and eight years ago, at this time of year, there were events going on every week in New York [during] September, said the New York-based fundraiser. And the only person Im aware of having an event this whole month is Nikki Haley. Its beyond unusual. The reluctance of many wealthy donors to give is compounding the difficulties of lower-polling candidates in the primary desperate to gain traction but with limited resources. Without deep pockets to rely on for advertising, it is also increasing the stakes of Republican primary debates, including this weeks in California. Bill Strong, an international investment banker and longtime Republican fundraiser, is among those looking optimistically at Haley. He pointed to numbers from a recent CNN/University of New Hampshire poll that he said shows theres room for her to grow. The poll had Trump with 39 percent of the vote of likely GOP primary voters and Haley at 12 percent, nearly even with DeSantis, who months ago was seen as a front-runner in the contest. Strong is confident that even a modest improvement like Haleys in New Hampshire can impact potential donors, and a few of them have put money on her. They include billionaire WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, who has donated $5 million to a super PAC supporting her campaign, venture capitalist Tim Draper, who gave $1.1 million, and million-dollar donor Steven Stull, another venture capitalist, according to Federal Election Commission filings. But they are lone wolves among uber donors who are, for the most part, not yet spending money. This is a group thats extremely conservative. Not politically conservative but conservative in actions. They want to research and know things before they flip a switch, said Stu Loeser, a New York-based consultant who works with wealthy donors. Theres no real argument that anyone can beat Trump yet. Theyre sitting on their hands this cycle so far until someone proves viability. Republican candidates are set take the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, Calif. on Wednesday as they continue vying for their partys nomination in the 2024 presidential race. So far only six candidates appear to have qualified for the second the second GOP primary debate despite eight appearing speaking at last month's two hour showdown in Milwaukee. Some candidates have seen a bump in polling since the first debate in late August including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy . No Trump, more problems: What are the stakes for Republicans at the second GOP debate? The requirements to qualify for this week's debate are slightly higher than the first: Candidates must have at least 50,000 unique donors and poll at least 3% in two national polls. Alternatively, candidates need at least 3% in one national poll and 3% in one early state poll from two carve out states recognized by the Republican National Committee. The candidates must also have signed the Beat Biden pledge promising to support which ever Republican nominee is eventually selected. Republican presidential candidates (from left) former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence Florida governor Ron DeSantis, and Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy joke with one another during a commercial break at Fiserv Forum during the first 2023 Republican presidential debate. Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's debate. What time is the next Republican presidential debate? The second GOP presidential primary debate will take place Wednesday, Sept. 27, will air at 9 p.m. Eastern. How to watch the next Republican debate Wednesday? Fox Business Network and Univision will broadcast the second Republican presidential primary debate. The RNC will also stream the event on video-sharing platform Rumble. Who is participating in the next GOP presidential primary debate? So far, six candidates appear to have qualified for the second debate before the Wednesday deadline. North Dakotas governor Doug Burgum and former two-term Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson will not be on the debate stage Wednesday, despite attending the first. These are the six candidates set to debate again on Wednesday: Second GOP debate: From attacks to breakout moments, here's what to watch for in California Will Donald Trump be at the next GOP debate? Former president Donald Trump will once again not appear the next GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday after missing the first one last month. The GOP frontrunner has already said his strong lead in the polls is reason enough for him to not participate in the debates. Trump leads with 58 percent support in the latest polling by Morning Consult. DeSantis follows with 13 percent, Ramaswamy with 10 percent and then Haley and Pence, who each have 5 percent. Rather than debating in California, Trump will be in Michigan addressing striking autoworkers in the Detroit area Wednesday night. Who is moderating the next Republican presidential primary debate? Fox News Media's Stuart Varney and Dana Perino and UNIVISION's Ilia Calderon will co-moderate the second Republican presidential primary debate. Calderon will be the first Afro-Latina to moderate a Republican Primary Debate, according to the network. Contributing: Sudiksha Kochi This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The next Republican debate is Wednesday: Time, channel and candidates Republican presidential candidates will take to the debate stage this week in hopes of drawing support away from former President Trump, who maintains a dominant lead in polls. The Republican National Committee (RNC) raised the fundraising and polling requirements for candidates to qualify for this second debate, meaning fewer candidates will be on stage compared to the first GOP debate in August. Trump again plans to skip Wednesdays debate. He will instead try to steal attention away from his GOP rivals by delivering prime-time remarks in Detroit amid a major strike from the United Auto Workers (UAW). The former president argued last month that he did not need to join the first debate, citing his large lead in polls, and instead released an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. When is the next debate? The second GOP presidential debate will take place Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. It will air at 9 p.m. Eastern. Who is hosting the debate? Fox Business and Univision will host the debate, with Fox hosts Stuart Varney and Dana Perino, as well as Univisions Ilia Calderon, moderating the event. Where can I watch it? The debate will be broadcast on Fox Business Network and Univision, and the RNC said it will also be streamed on video-sharing platform Rumble. Who will be on the stage? Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence , former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all appeared to have qualified for the second debate. An NBC analysis also reported over the weekend that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum qualified for the debate stage. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has not yet qualified, despite qualifying for the first debate last month. The RNC has not yet released the official list of candidates slated to take to the stage, but fewer candidates are expected to qualify for the second debate. The party raised the fundraising and polling criteria, requiring candidates to attain at least 50,000 unique donors, including at least 200 from 20 states or territories, up from 40,000 required last time. The candidates also must receive at least 3 percent support in two national polls or in one national poll and in two polls of the four early voting states Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. This is up from last months requirement of 1 percent polling. All candidates must also sign an RNC loyalty pledge, promising to support the GOP nominee. Trump has notably refused to sign such a pledge. Why isnt Trump participating? Trump has reiterated that he should not need to participate in a debate when he holds such a strong lead in the polls. The latest Morning Consult poll shows Trump in the lead with 59 percent support, followed by DeSantis with 13 percent, Ramaswamy with 10 percent and Pence and Haley with 5 percent each. The former president is instead opting to deliver an address to striking autoworkers in the swing state of Michigan to keep the spotlight on himself Wednesday. This suggests Trump has turned to focus on the general election with President Biden who carried Michigan in the 2020 election, flipping a state Trump won in 2016. Updated: 12:50 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Residents filled the Ferguson Township municipal building meeting room Wednesday night to hear from Wawa representatives about a proposed location that some worry will negatively affect the Overlook Heights neighborhood. Mike Spiegel, real estate project manager at Wawa, gave an overview of the popular convenience store and explained why the location along North Atherton appealed to the company. He also fielded questions from would-be neighbors of the project, many of whom raised concerns at a township meeting last month. The proposed location, 169 W. Aaron Drive, State College, is ideal because its at a major intersection with a traffic signal, Spiegel said. The traffic signals are beneficial to allow customers, employees and delivery vendors to move safely in and out of the site, he said. When we found this location and decided this was going to be a great location for us as one of our two first sites that we signed here in Centre County, the other one being in Benner Township outside of Bellefonte. We know that this is where we want to be. Im not saying that these are the only two, there are more to come, Spiegel said. He acknowledged there are some challenges to the site and it is not the typical site for Wawa. The store would be 5,330 square feet, which would make it one of Wawas smaller stores due to the site layout. The building itself will be 22 feet high, with the top point of the tower 33 feet high. The top of the canopy slope over the gasoline pumps will be 21 feet. The current building on the lot is 19 feet high. The site of a proposed Wawa at 169 W. Aaron Drive in State College. Neighbor concerns More than 40 Ferguson Township residents went to the meeting to share concerns and ask questions, most of which were similar to comments shared during a recent township meeting. Traffic, noise and environmental impacts were among the most discussed topics. Because the location is planned to be open 24/7, one resident asked about the potential of drunk and rowdy college students coming to the Wawa and the neighborhood after a night out. Were not within the borough itself so I think the mass of students, especially the ones visiting the bars, are probably not going to be driving hopefully theyre not driving all the way out here to go to just Wawa, Spiegel said. Wawa has locations in college towns such as Gainesville, Florida, he said, and have experienced what the college atmosphere provides. A manager is on every shift and associates are trained to know when someone should be asked to leave. And though this proposed Wawa intends to sell beer and wine, the doors to that area are locked after a certain time so people cant even buy it. Tony Fruchtl, the PennTerra engineer on the project, said traffic studies and counts have been done, and Ferguson Township and PennDOT are reviewing the traffic study. No traffic counts were done in the neighborhood. I believe the consideration from both PennDOT and the township is this is not going to generate traffic through your neighborhood, Fruchtl said. Several residents pushed back on that, saying people already cut through the neighborhood to get to Atherton Street or Aaron Drive. The representatives said they would bring those concerns back for further consideration. Mike Spiegel, real estate project manager at Wawa, and Tony Fruchtl, PennTerra engineer, listen to questions and concerns about the proposed Wawa at 169 W. Aaron Drive, State College during a meeting Sept. 20. Whats next? Wawa has not yet submitted a formal land development plan, but a variance request was submitted. The townships zoning hearing board will hear the request at its next meeting and potentially make a decision. The developer requested a variance from the townships zoning ordinance that prohibits all structures from being located in the setback. According to the request, a 110 square foot variance is needed for a gasoline canopy. The current building, which was formerly a car dealership, encroaches in the setback, the request states, and removal of that building will result in reducing the setback encroachment from 1,625 square feet to 110 square feet. The Ferguson Township Zoning Hearing board is set to meet 7 p.m. Sept. 26 in the meeting room of the municipal building. Township manager Centrice Martin encouraged residents who want to stay involved with this project and approval process to sign up to receive emailed meeting agendas via the townships website. A young public relations specialist who recently served as chief of staff to a Manhattan state senator is in a coma after he collided with an SUV while riding a Citi Bike the same day he sent out invitations for an upcoming birthday party. Jacob Priley, 29, was riding north on Fifth Ave. in Park Slope, Brooklyn, around 5:20 p.m. Friday when he got into a crash with a 2017 Nissan Rogue, leaving him clinging to life, cops said. Jake and I have been friends ever since he moved into an apartment one floor below me, a neighbor wrote in a heart-felt Facebook post. He is the sweetest young guy and has met a number of my friends at birthday dinners we have had in the last year. City Councilman Erik Bottcher noted that Priley got into politics because he cares, adding: You could just tell, you know? The politico made what police described as an abrupt left turn onto Union St. and was struck by the front drivers side of the SUV going in the opposite direction. Both Priley and the Nissans 58-year-old driver had the green light, according to police. Priley, who police sources said wasnt wearing a helmet, was launched from his bike. Medics took him to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in critical condition. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and has been in a coma since the crash, according to social media posts. His vitals remain stable and we continue to hope for good signs, tweeted John M. Blasco, who works for Manhattan and Brooklyn Rep. Dan Goldman. Priley, an account supervisor for the public relations firm Berlin Rosen, previously worked as state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigals chief of staff and did work on Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, according to his LinkedIn bio. Jacob is a beloved colleague and friend, and more than that, an amazing soul, said Jeremy Soffin, a managing director at Berlin Rosen. We are all praying for a full recovery. The Nissan driver remained at the scene and faces no charges, though police are still investigating. Family members rushed to New York from California to be at Prileys side after the Friday crash. Back in May, his mom Kim Gadberry Priley recounted on Facbook how she visited him in New York on Mothers Day after seven years of being unable to celebrate the day with him in person. We were able to make it happen this year and he made it very special. Beautiful roses, beautiful card and an amazing brunch in NYC, she wrote. We also did a nice walk on the High Line, met up with some of his college friends, walk through Central Park. Bottcher told the Daily News on Sunday that he befriended the victim when Priley was working for Hoylman-Sigal and Bottcher was working for former Council Speaker Corey Johnson. Hes someone who youd see at political events all the time and always there with a big smile, Bottcher said. The thing about Jacob is that he never grabs the spotlight. Hes there doing the work but hes not the person who runs up to the center of the room and calls attention to himself. I dont know anyone who doesnt like Jacob, he added. Priley is active in LGBTQ rights advocacy and serves as an at-large board member for the Stonewall Democrats of New York City, Bottcher said. Several elected officials took to social media Saturday to promote a GoFundMe page launched to cover Prileys medical expenses. Please join me in praying for Jacob & his family in this painful time & if you are able, donating to help cover his medical bills, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes posted on Instagram. We are overwhelmed with love and support, the victims sister Mackensie Priley wrote on Facebook. Please keep our boy in your prayers. The White House on Monday attacked House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for focusing on an impeachment inquiry into President Biden instead of on averting a government shutdown. The House Oversight Committee will hold its first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into Biden on Thursday and Comer said while it is not expected to cover new ground, it will be a refresher course to help educate the Washington, D.C., press corps. Meanwhile, Congress faces a Saturday deadline to pass legislation to fund the government and prevent a shutdown. So far, House Republicans have not agreed to a deal among themselves, let alone with the Senate and White House. Instead of working to avoid the pain they and their extreme House Republican colleagues could inflict on Kentuckians and Ohioans with their shutdown plan, Comer and Jordan are posing for the cameras to attack President Biden with debunked smears its D.C. politics at its worst, said Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations. The White House said Comer and Jordans focus on impeachment is a distraction to take attention away from extreme House Republicans disastrous shutdown plan. It also called out that about 300,000 Kentucky and Ohio women, children and infants are at risk of losing good assistance if the government shuts down. While Comer and Jordan are focused on baseless political stunts to get themselves attention on Fox News, 300,000 of people at risk in Kentucky and Ohio including vulnerable infants could lose access to the food assistance they need because of extreme House Republicans shutdown plan. If they get their way, women and children who count on this food assistance could soon start being turned away at grocery store counters, Sams said. While Comer has said he believes President Biden accepted a bribe as part of his dealings in Ukraine as vice president, the GOP has yet to find a smoking gun to back those claims. The White House had previously bashed Republicans for staging a political student days before a government shutdown. Biden on Monday criticized House Republicans for heading toward a government shutdown, saying that they shouldnt be elected if they cant do their job to fund the government. He noted that he made a deal with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in May that led to an increase in the debt ceiling. Under that deal, lawmakers voted for legislation that set ceilings on spending for the next year. Now conservatives in the House are seeking to make deeper cuts than that deal. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The former U.S. president said windmills were causing whales to die in numbers never seen before (Getty Images) The White House responded to Donald Trumps outburst about launching an investigation into NBC, saying that Presidents must always defend Americans freedoms. Mr Trump argued that the parent company of NBC should be investigated for treason in a Truth Social rant voicing his increasing frustrations with the news media. They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its Country Threatening Treason, Mr Trump wrote on Sunday night, referencing his own nickname for the cable news network. President Biden swore an oath to uphold our Constitution and protect American Democracy. Freedom of the press is a fundamental Constitutional right. To abuse presidential power and violate the Constitutional rights of reporters would be an outrageous attack on our democracy and the rule of law, the White House said in a statement. Presidents must always defend Americans' freedoms never trample on them for selfish, small, and dangerous political purposes. Mr Trump went on to lambast their endless coverage of the now fully debunked SCAM known as Russia, Russia, Russia, and much else, is one big Campaign Contribution to the Radical Left Democrat Party. The former president has long been irked by the investigations into his 2016 campaign links to Russia. I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events, Mr Trump suggested. Why should NBC, or any other of the corrupt & dishonest media companies, be entitled to use the very valuable Airwaves of the USA, FREE? They are a true threat to Democracy and are, in fact, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country! The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment. Historian Kevin Kruse wrote on X: Dont lose sight of the fact that Trump thinks the press writing critically about him is Country Threatening Treason. This is insane. Imagine, just imagine, if Joe Biden or Kamala Harris said even 1% of this about Fox News. Imagine the coverage not just from Fox and the right but from our liberal mainstream media, too, MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan said. Im sure every Trump voter would react calmly if Biden said this about a network... media reporter Brian Stelter wrote. Mr Trump called journalists and outlets fake news about 2,000 times during his single White House term. Hes threatened to imprison reporters as well as branding the press the enemy of the people hundreds of times. Mr Trump has also filed lawsuits targeting the First Amendment in a legal fight with The New York Times and CNN. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on Monday said it will review all incidents in the West Philippine Sea since the 2016 arbitral award to collect evidence to support a possible case against China amid its continuing aggression in the contested waters. "The OSG will gather information on all incidents at the WPS since the first arbitral award in 2016, including the most recent ones involving reef destruction and floating barriers," Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said in a statement. "We need solid evidence that will stand up in any tribunal." He was referring to the 2016 arbitral tribunal award that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, ruling largely in favor of the Philippines in areas of its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf that are being claimed by Beijing. The East Asian giant continues to reject the ruling. Guevarra also said that authorities will evaluate all possible legal options before making a recommendation to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Sept. 22 that he will meet with the OSG this week to discuss possible actions the Philippines can take following China's alleged destruction of coral reefs at Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. Remulla told CNN Philippines' The Source that the Permanent Court of Arbitration will be the best venue to bring the case since "they already have an institutional memory of all of these that China is doing." Meanwhile, the Department of Affairs (DFA) condemned the action of China, saying that the reported installation of barriers is a violation of international law. The department also stressed that China's actions have negative effects on the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk. "Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippines over which we have sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction according to UNCLOS. The 2016 Arbitral Award affirms it as a traditional fishing ground of Filipino fisherfolk," The DFA said in a statement on Monday. "We will take all appropriate measures to protect our country's sovereignty and the livelihood of our fisherfolk," It added. Senator Jinggoy Estrada, the chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, said on Monday that they are scheduling a visit to inspect the area. He said he hopes the DND and AFP will agree, but did not elaborate on who else plan to join the trip. "Kailangan talagang matanggal immediately, dahil alam mo nakakainis paulit ulit na lang tong ginagawa ng incursions ng Chinese. Yung sa Bajo De Masinloc, ay talaga namang atin 'yon, pagmamay-ari ng Pilipinas 'yon. They have no right to go there, they have no right to put barriers there," he said in a telephone interview. [Translation: It needs to be removed immediately because as we all know, China is irritating us with its repeated incursions. Bajo De Masinloc is really ours; the Philippines owns it.] Deputy Speaker and Batangas Representative Ralph Recto also expressed his dismay in a separate statement. "China is playing a different kind of hunger games, making fish scarce for us, while satiating its people's large appetite for seafood," Recto said. "China must be called out for what it is really doing in the WPS: a food blockade that is a crime against humanity," he added. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. Why are falls so dangerous to seniors? Here's what you need to know. (Canva) Italian actress Sophia Loren is recovering from emergency surgery after a fall, Reuters reported. The 89-year-old Oscar winner fell in her home in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday and suffered a broken hip. Her spokesperson told Reuters the surgery "went well and now she needs to rest and everything will be resolved." The BBC also added she "sustained several 'serious fractures' to different parts of her hip and femur," and that "both Loren's sons, Carlo and Edoardo Ponti, were at her bedside." Italian actress Sophia Loren is recovering from an emergency surgery after a fall, Reuters reported. (Photo by Mairo Cinquetti/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) After Loren made headlines, safety for seniors and injury prevention is top-of-mind, especially in Canada where falls are the top cause of injury-related deaths among older adults. How often to Canadian seniors fall and who is at risk? According to Public Health, about 20 to 30 per cent of seniors fall at least once each year in Canada. Furthermore, falls account for 85 per cent of seniors' injury-related hospitalizations, and 95 per cent of all hip fractures in the country. Public Health also notes the average senior is hospitalized for about 10 days longer for falls than any other cause, and even one-third of seniors are admitted to long-term care following that hospitalization. "Falls can result in chronic pain, reduced mobility, loss of independence and even death," the federal agency warned. People who are at high risk of falling, as measured by the American and British Geriatrics Societies, are those who have: Had two or more falls within the last 12 months Sought medical attention within 48 hours of an injury following a fall Had difficulty with walking or balance Finding Balance, a program with the University of Alberta, also has an online quiz assessment available to determine whether a person is at risk of falling. Why are falls so dangerous for seniors? According to Public Health, about 20 to 30 per cent of seniors fall at least once each year in Canada. (Getty) The U.S. Centre for Disease Control estimates one out of five falls does cause a serious injury in seniors. "These injuries can make it hard for a person to get around, do everyday activities, or live on their own," it said. Common injuries include: Broken bones, especially wrist, arm, ankle, and hip fractures Head injuries, which "can be very serious," especially to those taking blood thinners Developing a fear of falling, leading to less activity is also a harmful impact. What causes seniors to fall? Falls are the number one cause of injury-related deaths, hospitalizations and ER visits in Canadian seniors, according to injury prevention agency Parachute. In 2018, falls among older adults cost the healthcare system $5.6 billion "nearly 20 per cent of the total cost of injury in Canada." But what causes falling? The U.S. National Institute on Aging says many things, including: Eyesight, hearing, and reflex problems Diabetes, heart disease, or problems with thyroid, nerves, feet, or blood vessels that impact balance Conditions that cause rushed movement to the bathroom, such as incontinence Mild cognitive impairment or certain types of dementia Age-related loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia), problems with balance and gait, or postural hypotension Foot problems that cause pain, and unsafe footwear such as backless shoes or high heels Medications with side effects such as dizziness or confusion Safety hazards in the home or community environment How can the elderly prevent falling? There are steps seniors and caregivers can take to prevent falling and injury. (Getty) According to Parachute, a fall can have "a devastating and lasting impact on a person," as it can lead to a reduced quality of life even without injury. "A fall can cause an older adult to lose confidence and reduce their activities," the research agency explained. There are steps Canadians can take to prevent falling, outside and inside of the home. Parachute said these strategies, assessed by Public Health and Finding Balance, are key in prevention generally: Exercise: challenging your balance and building strength Getting enough sleep Taking your time don't rush Good nutrition and hydration Getting your sight and hearing checked regularly Managing medications and reviewing them regularly with your pharmacist or doctor Wearing well-fitting, sturdy shoes Considering using a cane or other mobility device if needed Maintaining proper use of eyeglasses and hearing aids Inside the home, there are certain environmental factors that can be changed to help prevent a fall. Those include, according to Parachute: Proper lighting in hallways, stairs and walkways, the bedroom and bathrooms Keeping stairs free of clutter, and exterior stairs and walkways free of clutter, ice or snow Installing handrails along stairs and safety grab bars in the bathroom Checking your home for slipping and tripping hazards, and using non-slip mats Having regularly used items within reach Finding Balance also has resources available to caregivers of seniors who might be at risk, on how to help prevent falling and injury. Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is trying to walk a fine line with his decision to vote on a trio of military nominations and overcome Sen. Tommy Tuberville s (R-Ala.) hold on promotions. Schumer is trying to uphold the chambers minority protections while not setting a new precedent on military promotions. Hes trying to fill some of the militarys highest-level postings while making the case he cant call for votes on every nominee. And he like most senators in the chamber is still looking for a resolution to the months-long stalemate. Theres no good solutions when youre managing a crisis like this, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told The Hill of Schumers decision. Sen. Tuberville is weakening our national security every single day. Trying to figure out how to keep the security of the country afloat its not easy. Democrats had been adamant that Tubervilles hold on 300 military nominations was not theirs to solve. Theyve said for most of the year that it is the responsibility of Senate Republicans to convince Tuberville to stand down and have expressed hesitation to hold individual votes on top military figures for fear of setting the precedent that theyll do so for all 300. But some within the Senate Democratic caucus told The Hill that Schumers surprise announcement Wednesday was the only sensible decision, and the best of the bad options available. In the end, the chamber overwhelmingly confirmed Gen. Charles CQ Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Randy George to be the chief of staff for the Army and Gen. Eric Smith to be the next commandant of the Marine Corps. The Army and Marine Corps along with the Navy had been operating without Senate-confirmed heads, while Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milleys term is set to expire Oct. 1. Senate Democrats pointed to a number of reasons for Schumers change of heart, which came after Tuberville said he would try to use a rare maneuver to force a vote on Smith. While announcing the impending votes, the New York Democrat indicated that he did not want to set a precedent where the minority party forces votes and controls the floor, effectively siding with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on the topic. McConnell helped derail a push for a similar vote on the Marine Corps commandant prior to the August recess for the same reason. The decision by the senior senator from Alabama will have long-lasting repercussions that may not be apparent right away, but we may come to regret, Schumer said Wednesday. I believe we will come to regret them. Additionally, senators questioned the wisdom of promoting some officials while leaving hundreds of others in limbo. We cannot allow Sen. Tuberville to set the Senate on a path that no senator wants to travel, Schumer said Wednesday. We cannot allow Sen. Tuberville to decide which of our dedicated and brave service members get promoted and which get to languish. Some also believe that Schumers move is bolstered by votes held for previous nominees to the Joint Chiefs. For example, Browns 2020 nomination to become chief of staff for the Air Force was voted on by the chamber. He was unanimously confirmed 98-0 at the time. Weve never minded the notion of individual votes on some key folks, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill. Its just that vote on them and punish everybody else? Thats not the ethic. Timing also played a key role, one Senate source added. Milleys term expiring is to happen simultaneously with a looming government shutdown that Congress is racing to avoid but has made little progress on. Some Senate Democrats were also pushing Schumer to act. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told The Hill that she and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) met with the Democratic leader Tuesday to talk about the urgency of getting all of our senior military officers confirmed. Were here because Sen. Tuberville is undermining national security and he is starting to feel the heat, Warren said. [Schumer] has taken an important step. What remains to be seen is whether the three votes will lead to any momentum toward an offramp from Tubervilles hold. The Alabama senator reiterated that his blockade will remain in place as long as the Pentagons policy covering travel expenses for service members seeking abortion care stands and that he reserves the right to seek another cloture [petition] on the nominees in the future. Democrats expressed hope that the increasing pressure on Tuberville will cause the dam to break for good. Kaine said that situation and the drumbeat is going to get so painful for the party that is blocking the military from being effective that its going to work. The question is: How much pain does the Republican minority want to absorb? Kaine continued. The level of pressure in the GOP conference has yet to reach a fever pitch, according to one Senate Republican, who noted that the Alabama senator is starting to feel the heat. However, what remains elusive for members is a resolution to mollify Tuberville. Most people are just scratching their heads saying, How does this end? the lawmaker said. The Senate GOP member also indicated that the votes last week are essentially a Band-Aid and that the back-and-forth will likely escalate again in a few weeks, with Schumer and Democrats ratcheting up the pressure. Why would you give [Tuberville] a pass? the Senate Republican said of the Democratic playbook. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Nashville attorney Ryan Davis stood before Judge Robert Bateman inside the Robertson County Courthouse earlier this month to make an unusual argument. Davis hadn't necessarily chosen to be there. Earlier this summer, Bateman appointed Davis to represent an indigent defendant, someone who couldn't afford to hire an attorney. Davis did not volunteer for the appointment, and he wanted Bateman to remove him from the case. His argument? Tennessees indigent defense reimbursement rate, the lowest in the nation, is so paltry it amounts to a theft of services from attorneys, who are at regular risk of losing money when appointed to the cases. The rate, $50 an hour for non-capital cases, has only been raised $20 in the last 42 years, despite widespread calls to increase the rate and a 2017 task force recommendation for the state to pay out between $75 and $125 per hour. Dawn Deaner, former Nashville Davidson County Public defender and now Executive Director of The Choosing Justice Initiative, at her office Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. The Tennessee indigent defense system has the lowest pay rates in the country for lawyers who take clients that cant afford to pay them. Deaner is pushing for higher rates. For Davis, the hourly rate and a low case cap would mean he couldn't cover the overhead costs of his office, where he employs three associate attorneys and a paralegal. Attorneys and judges in Tennessee say the low rate is squeezing the states judicial system to a breaking point, with judges scrambling to find attorneys for the cases that lawyers are hesitant to take on. Mark Fishburn, a retired Davidson County Criminal Court judge and Nashville School of Law professor, said the problem has festered for a decade and continues to worsen. The obvious problem with low compensation is the increasing difficulty in finding experienced attorneys to accept appointments, particularly complex cases where their experience is invaluable, Fishburn said. Judges increasingly rely on less experienced attorneys who take on large caseloads, Fishburn said, but even that pool of of willing attorneys appears to be shrinking. Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway has a team regularly working the phones to find attorneys able to take appointments, but she still spends time in external meetings begging attorneys to take just one case. Calloway sees complicated abuse and neglect cases in her courtroom, which often require multiple attorneys to represent individual parental and child interests. I cant remember the last time the attorney rate got higher, but can you imagine living in Nashville making the same thing you were making 30 years ago? Calloway said. I think theres a lack of understanding on the part of our legislature on how important this is. Calloway feels the system is nearing a "breaking point." Its unfortunate because we are struggling to keep up with federally mandated time frames because we are lacking attorneys who are able to step up and take the cases," Calloway said. Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway has a team working the phones to try and find attorneys to take cases. The judge is seen here in a 2019 file photo. Every state in the country has an indigent defense system set up to fulfill the constitutional right of legal representation in criminal court. Tennessee, like many other states, funds a public defender system and has steadily raised annual salaries in these offices, with a current payscale ranging from $63,000 to $167,000. But public defenders cant take some cases, particularly in conflicts such as when two people are charged in the same criminal case, and an appointed lawyer must step in. David Carroll, executive director of the Sixth Amendment Center, said an underfunded indigent appointee system sets up two different systems of justice that are often assigned at random. Earlier this year, another Nashville attorney Jodie Bell made a similar argument in an ongoing homicide case, arguing the indigency system violates her clients constitutional right due to a substantial disparity and unfair allocation of resources. Why should the level of justice you receive depend on which arbitrary system youre sent to? Carroll said. Dawn Deaner, former Nashville public defender and current executive director at the Choosing Justice Initiative, feels the system is in the worse shape "it's ever been." Lawyers are becoming part of the disaffected class here, Deaner said. I think judges, too, are frustrated. They look around their court rooms, they want people to have good lawyers, and they cant find lawyers to appoint. How Tennessee fell behind the rest of the nation In 2015, the Tennessee Supreme Court appointed an Indigent Representation Task Force to study the issue. The high court oversees the Administrative Office of Courts, which administers the indigent defense system. The task force in 2017 recommended, among other items, raising the hourly rate to at least $75 but up to $125 and eliminating case caps. The Administrative Office of Courts increased an out-of-court reimbursement rate from $40 to $50, but the task forces recommendations never materialized. The office submitted a $20 million budget request for fiscal year 2019 and received $9.7 million from the General Assembly. In subsequent years, both the Administrative Office of Courts budget ask and the General Assemblys appropriations have fallen under the 2019 request. In fiscal 2022, the the office requested $8.9 million and received $5 million. In fiscal 2023, it requested $5.7 million and received $3 million. The AOC is appreciative of the impact and significance of the work appointed attorneys provide to those who have a legal right to counsel, including children in need of a guardian ad litem, said Barbara Peck, the office's communications director. These attorneys serve a critical role in our judicial system. Over the past several months, the AOC has actively engaged in efforts to analyze available data and collect anecdotal details that will inform discussions about any future budget requests to increase appointed attorney compensation. For Deaner, the buck stops with the Tennessee Supreme Court. Deaner points to a rule stating appointed attorneys should receive reasonable compensation for their services. The Tennessee Supreme Court is the author of the rule, they set the rate, theyre the ones who decide the rate is reasonable, and theyre the ones charged with getting more money to support the system, Deaner said. Carroll called the Tennessee Supreme Court's oversight of the indigent system a huge conflict of interest. The states that have been able to increase their rates tend to be the ones organized under a statewide commission, generally under the executive branch, Carroll said. Judges are typically not good legislators or good advocates to advocate for pay raises for the system. 'Insufficient rate' In Robertson County court, where requests for indigent status forms lay scattered across a desk in front of Batemans courtroom, the judge acknowledged that he was in a dilemma" after Davis argued his involuntary appointment created an "unreasonable financial burden." The court agrees that the reimbursement rate is insufficient, Bateman said. Bateman ultimately removed Davis from the case, as the attorney requested. But Bateman said he was removing Davis not for the reason he argued in his filing, but because he believes all attorneys have an obligation to accept appointed cases. Dawn Deaner former Nashville Davidson County Public defender and now Executive Director of The Choosing Justice Initiative at her office Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee indigent defense system has the lowest pay rates in the country for lawyers who take clients that cant afford to pay them. Deaner is pushing for higher rates. Though Bateman said he didnt take any pleasure in it, the judge planned to refer Davis to the Board of Professional Responsibility, the Tennessee Supreme Court's disciplinary arm, suggesting Davis reticence to take the case amounted to an ethical violation. Davis argued that unspoken obligation to accept indigent cases is an unfair burden on a certain class of lawyers. Davis was unknowingly appointed to the case in question after representing a different client in Batemans court, and he argued all members of the Tennessee bar are not being saddled with the same responsibility. For Deaner, the situation strikes her as a concrete example of a two-tiered system of justice the state is creating. Deaner points to the Tennessee Attorney Generals office, which has continually grown its budget for staff attorneys while also retaining external attorneys on contracts paying out hourly fees as high as $400 What I care most about is not how much money lawyers are making, Deaner said. What I care about is if people who are poor who are charged with a crime can get effective representation. The reality today is they cant. They cant because there are very few lawyers taking these cases any more, because they lose money. Reach Melissa Brown at mabrown@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee court-appointed lawyers: System at 'breaking point' Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders has been using his position to criticize certain bail decisions by Superior Court judges over the past few months. Sanders, who came into office this year, believes some judges have failed to set reasonable bail for certain people accused of felony crimes. He has voiced his disagreement on social media, at least one news release and interviews with regional television stations. His rhetoric has called attention to recent cases and sparked public discourse on how judges decide bail. Sanders latest salvo came on Sept. 18 in the form of a two-page letter to the community posted on his Facebook page. In the letter, he elaborated on his views while acknowledging that judges must weigh constitutional rights and public safety concerns. I would like to make it entirely clear that I completely support the difficult job our Judges are doing at both Superior Court and District Court level, Sanders said in the letter. On a case-by-case basis however, I adamantly oppose the pre-release without a requirement of monetary bail for violent felony incidents such as those described within this letter. Under Washington state and federal law, people accused of a crime are legally innocent until a jury decides they are guilty or they plead guilty, said Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson. They can also expect to be released from custody without bail while they await their trial, but she said there are some exceptions that allow for bail and prolonged detention. A judge may only impose bail if they see no less restrictive conditions that can protect against specific concerns, Wilson said. Those concerns include whether a person is likely to commit a violent crime, interfere with witnesses or the administration of justice or fail to appear at scheduled court hearings. When reached for comment, Sanders told The Olympian he feels judges have not been receptive to his comments, but he still feels the need to raise his concerns. The message has been very clear, Sanders said. Judges are elected officials, and they can do what they want. I dont disagree with that. But none of us are free from scrutiny. What decisions does Sanders disagree with? In his letter, Sanders referenced the case of Geoffrey Ian Gilley, a 35-year-old man whos accused of assaulting two officers on July 4. One of the deputies shot Gilley at his familys home near Lacey after Gilley pointed what was later found to be a fake gun at them. Court records indicate the man was going through a mental health crisis and threatening to kill someone. The Sheriffs Office later released body camera footage of the incident. On July 5, Judge Carol Murphy ordered Gilley to be released on his personal recognizance with conditions, including that he be evaluated by Washington State Designated Crisis Responders, The Olympian previously reported. Gilley was released on July 6 after the crisis responders determined he was not an immediate risk to himself or others and there was no legal reason to detain him, according to the Grays Harbor Sheriffs Office which took the lead on investigating the incident. Sanders said he believes Murphy should have set a reasonable amount of bail for Gilley based on his criminal history and previous failures to appear at court. If youre a judge whos going to release that person without any monetary bail, not even a protection order for the people involved in the house, you can basically consider me an adversary, Sanders said. Im going to work to get you unelected. In August, Sanders weighed in on Judge Allyson Zipps decision. Jeremyah Lewis Murphy was an 18-year-old accused of attempting to elude police in a stolen vehicle on Aug. 16. Sanders told King 5 news that Zipps decision affected his deputies morale. He echoed that sentiment when speaking to The Olympian about Gilleys case. To PR (release on personal recognizance) someone and just have them out the next day, it creates a lot of animosity and stress and anxiety on our deputies knowing that the next call can be them, Sanders said. Sanders also said he worries deputies, himself and the Sheriffs Office may be held liable for what may happen if they must respond to another incident involving a released suspect. Law enforcement has a vested interest in this issue because unlike our judicial partners, we are subject to personal liability for the decisions we make in the course of our duties, Sanders said in his letter. What is the purpose of bail? In an August news release, Washington State Representatives Dan Griffey and Travis Couture, who are both Republicans, both criticized Zipps decision in Murphys case. These decisions are a growing problem that sends a clear message to criminals that their actions have no consequences and Washington will not hold them accountable, Couture said in the release. Notably, Sanders called this perceived trend unsustainable in the same news release. When asked if he agreed with Coutures statement, Sanders said, it depends on the arrestee. However, Sanders clarified that he believes bail should be used as a pretrial compliance tool rather than as punishment. He added he would like to see bail imposed on people who are likely to commit another a felony crime rather than just those who are likely to commit a violent offense. Judge Wilson told The Olympian it would be wrong to conflate bail with a punishment because the guilt of a person is not decided in the pretrial phase. Its a security to make sure they comply with the courts orders and come back to court, Wilson said. Patrick OConnor, Director of Public Defense for Thurston County, said its unconstitutional to intentionally detain someone by setting a bail amount they cannot reasonably afford. A $2,500 bail to a lot of our clients is a high bail because they do not have any income, OConnor said. One of the challenges is whats high for one individual may not be high for another individual. It varies. Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim said his office must consider the risk to public safety and any alleged victims as well as the law when recommending conditions of release to a judge. Ultimately, he said theres a tension that exists when the matter of bail comes up. Theyre not legally convicted of anything, but yet theyre arrested so that means theres at least sufficient evidence to believe that theyve committed a crime that justifies that arrest, Tunheim said. How does a judge decide bail? When a person is arrested and booked into the county jail, their case must be reviewed by a judge at a preliminary hearing within 48 hours, said Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson. At that hearing, Wilson said a judge may find probable cause for the alleged crimes and set conditions of release. Thats when they may decide whether a person is likely to commit a violent crime, interfere with witnesses or the administration of justice or fail to appear at scheduled court hearings. Wilson said theres also exceptions to a presumption of release in cases where a defendant is accused of a capital offense, or the alleged crime could lead to a life sentence. To continue detaining someone under those exceptions, she said a judge must determine that theres clear and convincing evidence they have a propensity for violence. A judge also reviews a summary of the allegations from law enforcement and a report from Pretrial Services that details the defendants criminal history and any failures to appear at previous court hearings, she said. Additionally, Wilson said a judge considers input from the prosecutor, the defense counsel and any alleged victims who may decide to provide a statement. Other factors that may affect a judges decision include the defendants employment, community ties, length of residency, mental condition and whether they have supportive people in their life, she said. Wilson said court rules and judicial ethics prohibit judges from speaking about pending cases. However, she encouraged the public to view court hearings and review court records to see how this process unfolds. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan earlier this summer calling for up to $10,000 in federal relief for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year. That means that roughly 741,500 Wisconsin borrowers will need to start making payments on their student loans in October. Earlier this month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin asked readers about their upcoming student loan payment via Google form. We asked them to share how their student loan payments will impact their life and if they'll need a second or third job to pay bills. More than a dozen readers responded, and even more via our Instagram. Most of the respondents live in the Milwaukee suburbs. Here's what they said: From left to right, Clara McElfresh, 18, Elsa McElfresh, 15, and Ginny Mitchell, 18, protest to raise awareness of the cost of college tuition and student loan debt Thursday, April 14, 2022, at Shorewood High School located at 1701 E. Capital Dr., Shorewood, Wis. Several readers said they won't be able to save for emergencies or retirement "Student loans stop me from continuing my education and doing things that positively impact me. It's also been terrible for my mental health," wrote Dana Ganesh. One reader said she has fallen behind on retirement savings thanks to substantial monthly loan payments. Others said they'll have to work several jobs or move in with family to afford payments One reader commenter said they worked two jobs for several years just to make ends meet. "I worked full time and had to move back in with my parents because I couldn't afford rent and my student loan payments as well as other monthly dues," said Jami Morschauser. Some think college was worth the investment. Others, not so much. "I don't regret going to college but I regret how naive I was about paying for school," wrote Jami Morschauser. One reader said they would have tried trade school or went for an associates degree, but their mother "forced" them to go to a four-year college program immediately after high school and take out loans to pay for it. Some commenters urged others to work hard to pay off loans and only take out loans for tuition "Take out only what you need for tuition," wrote Scott Mittelsteadt. "Don't go into debt from school. Your future salary won't support it," wrote Dana Ganesh. Tyrone Brown said that students should pay back the loans they agreed to. "My advice would be don't be afraid of the numbers and avoid them like I did. Take the time to look into all your options and don't be afraid to ask questions," wrote Jami Morschauser. RELATED: When will you need to make a student loan payment, who is your loan servicer, and answers to other questions Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin readers weigh in on how student loan payments impact them Kansas authorities are investigating after a womans body was found in a southeast Kansas field on Sunday. At about 2:30 p.m., a man called 911 after discovering the body in rural Labette County. The woman was identified as 28-year-old Kylie Caldwell of Parsons, according to a news release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. KBI agents and a crime scene response team found evidence at the scene that Caldwell had been murdered, the release said. It is unknown how Caldwell was murdered. She had last been seen early Sunday morning, the KBI said. The Labette County Sheriffs Office, Parsons Police Department and the KBI are investigating the homicide. Anyone with information about the case or who has knowledge about Caldwells whereabouts over the weekend is encouraged to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or the Labette County Sheriffs Office at 620-795-2565. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at www.kbi.ks.gov. Parsons is roughly 127 miles southeast of Wichita. A woman was arrested Monday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence after she hit a pole and it fell across an Arden Arcade intersection, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officers responded to the intersection of Fulton and Marconi avenues just before 7:30 a.m. and closed both eastbound and westbound lanes, CHP Valley Division spokesman Sgt. Jeremy Wayland said. No injuries were reported. Traffic flowed through about an hour later, he said. Employees from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District also went to the scene, Wayland said. No major power outages were reported as of Monday afternoon in Arden Arcade, according to the SMUD website. A south Phoenix shooting left a woman dead and a man injured on Monday morning, according to Phoenix police. Just after 2:15 a.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting near First Avenue and Lynne Lane, south of Southern Avenue. Police said while officers were in the area, patrol and air units saw a vehicle speeding nearby. Officers followed the vehicle and pulled it over near Second Avenue and Broadway Road. According to police, officers found three people in the car, two of them with gunshot wounds. The two injured passengers were taken to a hospital one man with an injury that was not life-threatening and a woman with a life-threatening injury. The woman later died at the hospital, police said. Her identity was not released by police. Officers later learned that a shooting took place near Seventh Street and Carter Road, north of Baseline, as the speeding vehicle was leaving the area. Police said one man was detained but did not release further information. An investigation into the incident remained ongoing. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 1 woman dead, 1 injured after south Phoenix shooting Drone Striking Out An Australian woman has pleaded guilty after being caught flying and crashing a drone filled with drugs and porn into a prison yard, with the intent to sell it inside. As The Guardian reports, 27-year-old Cheyenne Anniki Petryszyn pleaded guilty to two counts related to bringing drugs into a correctional facility $119,000 worth of drugs, Brisbane prosecutors said. She has not, it seems, faced or pleaded guilty to any charges related to the USB drive full of porn that was also aboard the drone she crashed into a Queensland prison yard. The drone purportedly contained 79 strips of Buprenorphine, an opioid painkiller, as well as nearly one gram of meth and, of course, the porn thumb drive. This wasn't Petryszyn's first rodeo attempting to sell drugs in prison, either back in 2018, she was caught selling strips of Subutex, another opioid, while serving a sentence related to drug trafficking. She was, as The Guardian notes, on parole for drug charges when she was caught in the drone scheme. Global Issue As Wired reported last year, using drones to sneak contraband into prisons is on the rise around the world, with the US Department of Justice and Europe's Interpol attempting to crack down on the use of "unmanned aircraft" to sneak everything from drugs and cell phones to wire cutters and guns into correctional facilities around the world. This brave new world of contraband smuggling is, as one expert told Wired, exposing the existential threats of prison guardianship itself. "Since the time of castles and moats," Mary-Lou Smulders, the chief marketing officer of the counterdrone company Dedrone, told the magazine, "weve had to deal with two-dimensional perimeter protection. We built fences, we built moats, we put guards around the outside." Drones, Smulders said, are a "new threat vector" for prisons "that a 10-year-old can pull out of the box and fly." While the woes of prison guards don't compel much sympathy, it's still pretty horrendous to imagine people using drones to fly drugs and weapons into such places that are already full enough of violence, danger, and desolation More on drones: Man Arrested for Dropping Chemical Into Swimming Pools Using Drone Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) removed the floating barrier installed by China from the southeast entrance of Bajo De Masinloc (BDM), also known as Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, it announced Monday night. The shoal is part of the municipality of Masinloc in Zambales. It is located 124 nautical miles (NM) west of the province and falls within the Philippines' 200 NM exclusive economic zone (EEZ). On Sept. 20, the PCG discovered that the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) installed the 300-meter-long barrier in the southeast portion of Scarborough Shoal. Authorities said the CCG usually placed these when it monitored a large number of Filipino fishermen in a particular area. READ: China installs floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal PCG The removal of the barrier was done in compliance with instructions from Malacanang and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, the agency said. The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk in BDM, which is an integral part of the Philippine national territory, the PCG said. The 2016 Arbitral Award has affirmed that BDM is the traditional fishing ground of Filipino fishermen. Thus, any obstruction hindering the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk in the shoal violates the international law. It also infringes on the Philippines' sovereignty over BDM, the coast guard added. The 2016 ruling, awarded by an international tribunal constituted under the UNCLOS, nullified Chinas sweeping claim over the South China Sea, which overlapped with the Philippines EEZ. Beijing has continued to defy the ruling, describing it as illegal and invalid. Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress denounced China for its bullying and urged the national government to hold the eastern superpower accountable. This floating barrier incident comes just a week after the Philippines accused China of destroying and harvesting corals in the Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal maritime features also located in the hotly contested West Philippine Sea after Beijings militia vessels were seen over the waters in question. READ: PCG to tap marine experts to inspect WPS reefs supposedly damaged by China The Department of Justice, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), and the PCG this week will discuss possible legal actions it can take against China for inflicting environmental damage, including the possibility of suing Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration again. Furthermore, the OSG said it would review all of the incidents in the West Philippine Sea since the 2016 Arbitral Award to establish another solid case against China. These include the alleged reef destruction and the floating barrier incidents. China has been escalating its aggression towards Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea since 2021 according to a maritime law expert, as shown by its use of a military-grade laser at the PCG in February this year, blasting Filipino ships with a water cannon last month, and its vessels dangerous maneuvers that put Filipino lives at risk. 'Treated like thieves' The president of New Masinloc Fishermen's Association said he's thankful that the PCG was able to remove the floating barrier from Bajo De Masinloc, saying it was a huge threat to local fishers in the area. "Parang magnanakaw ang ating mga mangingisda. [They treat our fishermen like thieves]," Leonardo Cuaresma told CNN Philippines' The Final Word on Monday. "'Yung mga huling palaot ng ating mga mangingisda ay totally talaga na hinaharang sila at hindi sila pinapayagan makapasok doon sa loob ng [Scarborough] Shoal," he added. [Translation: During the last sail of our fishermen, they are totally blocking them and not allowing them to go inside Scarborough Shoal.] He also said the fishers are being pushed back by the Chinese Coast Guard for about three nautical miles from their perimeter. Citing a report from Japan's public media organization Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), Chinese diplomat Wang Wenbin asserted that Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) has always been China's territory. The envoy added that a Philippine vessel "intruded" into their waters and the China Coast Guard only "did what is necessary," which is to block the drive away the vessel. FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Detectives are on scene after a man was shot near Pine Flat Lake and flown to a local hospital Sunday evening, according to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office. Deputies say around 5 p.m. they responded to the area of Sunnyslope and Trimmer Spring Roads near Pine Flat Lake for a call regarding a victim of a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, responding units say they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was flown to a local hospital to undergo treatment for his injuries. Detectives are actively investigating the scene to determine what circumstances lead up to the shooting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. A Floyd County woman was arrested on Thursday after police say she threatened a woman and attempted to stab her in the face, but only ended up cutting herself. On September 21 at around 9 a.m., Rome police officers responded to the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority building on N. 5th Avenue in reference to a stabbing. When officers arrived they learned that the only person who was injured in the stabbing was the woman accused of trying to stab the victim. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to police, Bridgette Burgin suffered from a cut on the middle finger of her left hand. The victim told officers that she was sitting in her car waiting for someone to come back to her car. While she was waiting, she said Burgin approached her car and said, Please dont be offended. I just make a habit of writing down peoples tags. The victim told Burgin that didnt bother her. She told police that Burgin then went to the passenger side of her car and began telling her about someone hacking into her cell phone and that she is getting the FBI involved. The victim said she didnt know Burgin and didnt know what she was talking about. Once Burgin walked away, the victim told police she attempted to walk into the building but the doorway was blocked by Burgins cart. The victim said when she tried to walk around the cart, Burgin started yelling at her, pulled a knife out, and attempted to stab her in the face. The housing director of the building told police she intervened and kept Burgin away from the victim until officers arrived. Burgin told officers that someone was hacking her cell phone, downloading apps that she did not have before, and doing other things on her phone. TRENDING STORIES: She also claimed a lady is putting chemicals in her shampoo which is causing her to lose all of her hair. She told officers she had previously called 911 to report that she felt her life was being threatened and was in need of the FBIs assistance to catch these people. Burgin says because of these situations she is in the habit of writing down license plates of vehicles that she does not recognize when they are around the building. She told police that the victim left her car and charged her, but surveillance video viewed by officers did not show anything to support her claim. Burgin was booked into the Floyd County Jail and charged with aggravated assault. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Days after a 30-year-old Oklahoma woman went missing, authorities have found her dead, her body wrapped in carpet and left in a drain under a rural road, news outlets report. Makayla Fay Meave-Byers was last seen alive leaving her home in the town of Macomb at about 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. A white Chevrolet pickup truck was waiting outside, a balding and bearded man sitting behind the wheel, the sheriffs office said. Meave-Byers got into the truck and vanished. She was reported missing the next day, and a search was launched, KFOR reported. Meave-Byers worked as a teachers aide for Macomb Public Schools, The Oklahoman reported. She was also a mother to two adopted children and four stepchildren, according to a Gofundme. But the search for Meave-Byers ended on Sept. 20, five days after she went missing. Investigators found her body, wrapped in carpet and hidden inside a drain beneath a road between Macomb and the neighboring town of Etowah, the sheriffs office told KOCO. McClatchy News has reached out to the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office for an update on the investigation. Macomb Public Schools thanked the community, in a Sept. 22 Facebook post, for its help in searching for Meave-Byers. Unfortunately, the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office announced Friday that Makaylas body has been recovered, as officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and death, the district said. Our hearts are heavy as we grieve this tragic loss of a beloved Macomb Public Schools educator and parent. Makayla cared deeply for our students and families and she will be greatly missed. Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office at 405-273-1727. Macomb is roughly 50 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Realtor showing home stumbles onto human remains, missing womans car, Indiana cops say Two women missing for over a week found dead in rural Colorado, Kansas police say Woman hides in ex-boyfriends car with knife then tries to kill him, PA officials say Man gave brother motorcycle in exchange for killing ex-wife mom of 4 kids, feds say Update 9/25: SAG-AFTRA released a statement on WGA reaching a deal. "SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency, and solidarity on the picket lines. While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTPs tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members. "Since the day the WGA strike began, SAG-AFTRA members have stood alongside the writers on the picket lines. We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand." After 146 days, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached an agreement on ending the writers strike. The WGA went on strike on May 2, wanting a new contract that would guarantee a way for writers to make a living off of the craft. Some of the biggest areas of contention included regulating the use of artificial intelligence in writing, earning a living wage, requiring studios to have writing staff, honoring strikes from other unions, and earning residuals from streaming services. Negotiations had been on-and-off during the strike, but the WGA and AMPTP resumed negotiations on September 20 for the first time in nearly a month. Many were optimistic about the new meetings as the CEOs of major corporations were present, including Bob Iger (Disney), Ted Sarandos (Netflix), Donna Langley (NBCUniversal), and David Zaslav (Warner Bros. Discovery). Throughout the strikes, which have delayed a huge amount of shows and movies, the CEOs have typically been reluctant to budge, with Iger going as far as to call the strike disturbing and saying the writers expectations were not realistic. Now, after months of striking, and five consecutive days of talks, the two sides have reached an agreement. The SAG-AFTRA strike, which began on July 14, is still ongoing. This story is developing. This rendering shows the look and layout of a proposed Ethos-Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center emergency pet hospital at Pewaukee Road south of Interstate 94 and north of Bluemound Road in the city of Pewaukee. The 25,700-square-foot facility would replace the existing WVRC location on Bluemound in the city of Waukesha. PEWAUKEE - Four years after an earlier plan for a new pet hospital fell through, the Ethos Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center has renewed an effort to build a facility in the city of Pewaukee near its existing Waukesha site. Ethos-Veterinary Health, which also operates pet facilities in Grafton and the Racine/Kenosha area, wants to replace its current facility at 360 Bluemound Road with a 25,700-square-foot pet medical building in a new location about a half-mile to the north. The new facility, on Pewaukee Road just south of Interstate 94, would have the potential for a 25,000-square-foot later addition. Pewaukee, which approved the earlier 33,000-square-foot proposal in 2019, wanted to see a detailed plan before it signs off again on a conditional-use permit and related issues. (The Plan Commission on Thursday approved the site plan and recommended that the Common Council approve the CUP as well as rezoning the 20-acre site from B-3 to B-4, an office building designation which does not place limits on the square footage of business buildings.) The e-WVRC plan still calls for a 24-hour animal hospital open 365 days a year, with 75 staff members (including 20 administrative staffers on duty from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays). The center offers emergency and specialty pet care, specializing in cardiology, surgery, internal medicine, radiology, neurology, dentistry, ophthalmology, oncology, diagnostic imaging, and pain management, according to their application with the city. Pet hospital officials say they focused the $13 million undertaking for a larger facility "to meet the growing demand for services," according to planning documents submitted by their architectural firm, Keller. But that pursuit has faced some challenges. According to officials at Basatada LLC, which owns Ethos Veterinary Health, and Keller, the original plan faced difficulties in securing sewer and water utilities for the site. Under the current plan, e-WVRC would connect to Pewaukee's municipal water system and build its own sanitary sewer system, though city officials are considering designing a sewer line that could serve the property by 2025. "Although, it is certainly staffs preference that developments extend and connect to both public sewer and water facilities, the required connection in this case is difficult and may garner opposition from the adjacent single-familyresidential subdivision," City Planning Director Nick Fuchs acknowledged in his report to the Plan Commission, noting the sewer line would extend through the Sherwood Forest subdivision. Company officials also still have to work with Waukesha County officials and gain approvals for access to Pewaukee Road (Highway J), which would likely need added turn lanes. The Pewaukee Common Council will consider approval of the conditional-use permit and rezoning request when it meets on Oct. 2. The existing facility on Bluemound Road, about a half-mile to the south, would close once the new facility is complete. Contact Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jariccioli. More: Waukesha's new city administrator comes in with Milwaukee suburban experience Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: WVRC emergency pet hospital again plans for new Pewaukee facility The Auburn-based youth clothing brand Fox & Pheasant will open a location in the Columbus development Highside Market, which is preparing for its upcoming soft opening this fall. Fox & Pheasant was founded by Kathy Crowley and currently sells products online through the brands Instagram channel. The 512-square-foot space in Highside Market will be the brands first storefront location. The Cotton Companies, the company developing Highside Market, reached out to Fox & Pheasant after the brands online presence caught their attention, Chris Woodruff , CEO and founder of the Cotton Companies, told the Ledger-Enquirer. They had a very strong following of shoppers who were looking for great clothes for youths and tweens, Woodruff said. A major priority for Highside Market was curating a mix of tenants that speak to different groups of the population, he said, and Fox & Pheasant ensures theres a store for children and parents. While Fox & Pheasant is Auburn-based, Crowley has ties to Columbus. She grew up in Alabama, he said, but went to high school in Columbus and Auburn for college. Crowley ended up living in Auburn, he said, and thats where she began her youth and tweens brand. She is a creative individual, strong leader and has an entrepreneurial spirit that people would associate with a small business owner operating from her home, Woodruff said. Ive always been impressed with Kathys excitement, tenacity and her willingness to step outside of her comfort zone to do cool things that may not be in a marketplace setting, but are very much needed, he said. This fall, Highside Market will have a rolling opening, Woodruff said. There will be soft openings as businesses in the development open in October and November with a grand opening in December. Fox & Pheasant is expected to open with one of the earlier soft openings, he said. About 80% of the available tenant space in the development is full, Woodruff said. Although Highside Markets opening is imminent, he said, theres still a lot of work to do on this project that hes been on since 2018. Were never going to stop fine tuning and working on this project, Woodruff said. But weve come a long way, and Im very proud of my team. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Sept. 25 that the first U.S.-made Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine, thanking Washington for fulfilling the agreement. Zelensky didn't mention how many vehicles of the 31 tanks promised by Washington were delivered in the first batch. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sept. 21 during a bilateral meeting with Zelensky that the initial tranche of U.S. Abrams tanks would arrive in Ukraine the following week. Read also: What will it take for Ukraine to maintain and operate the M1 Abrams? The shipment is part of a larger package that includes ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and artillery. Biden announced the decision to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, a force equivalent to one Ukrainian battalion, to Ukraine in January, just as other Western partners pledged their own advanced armor, such as Leopard 2 or Challenger 2 tanks. The tanks, which offer greater mobility and firepower than Soviet battle tanks, are expected to support Ukraine's defensive and offensive efforts. The shipments may add momentum to the counteroffensive, which has begun to break through Russian lines of defense. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting with government officials and the President's Office on grain exports, and reported about the main areas of work. Source: Zelenskyys evening address on 25 September Quote: "First: The European Commission endorsed the roadmap for mutual monitoring of grain exports. This is completely rational. Second, we are gradually removing emotions from this topic on most issues. Work with our neighbours can and should become fully constructive, and Ukraine is doing everything for this. Third, I am grateful to those of our partners who have prevented violations of EU trade rules and the Association Agreement. We expect the same constructive cooperation as with Bulgaria and Romania from other neighbouring countries." Details: Zelenskyy also said that more than 160 companies will take part in the forum of defence industries, which will be held in Ukraine this autumn. Quote: "Today, Minister for Strategic Industries Kamyshin reported on the preparation of the first Defense Industries Forum: there are already more than 160 companies that will participate. 26 countries. Different parts of the world: America, Asia, Europe, Australia. Manufacturers of a full range of weapons. We will bend every effort to unite the world to create a new and powerful arsenal for Ukraine and all defenders of international law." Zelenskyy also stated that he held a meeting on the results of his trip to the United States and Canada. Each of the main areas in Ukraine will be appointed a separate official responsible for the implementation of the agreements: in defence, political interaction, strengthening and cleansing institutions, energy, and restoration. 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! Oleksii Reznikov , Ukraine's former Minister of Defence, is unlikely to be appointed its ambassador in the UK. Source: journalists of Ukrainska Pravda Roman Kravets and Roman Romaniuk with reference to their sources in the UP-2 podcast Details: The journalists report that the UK embassy did not receive any official request from Ukraine concerning appointing Reznikov as an ambassador. Several Ukrainian officials revealed that there will be no such appointment. One of the top representatives of the Ukrainian government explained that now is a wrong time to appoint Reznikov as the elections are underway in the UK, and the current ruling party and the opposition may use it for discussion for their political goals. Even though there is no information that Reznikov himself was involved in corruption schemes, and he was not accused of anything, the very context of his dismissal is corrupt, so in the UK media, Reznikovs name as an ambassador would be tied to corruption scandals. So there are doubts whether he would be appointed. Reznikov himself, while still in the office of the Defence Minister, said he was not going to take any other offices but he could consider such propositions. Now he is allegedly expecting to stay in Ukraine, as people from his inner circle state. Ukrainska Pravda writes that the government so far has no candidates for the office of Ukrainian ambassador in the UK, even though this country is a very important ally and a "driver" of the aid for Ukraine. Background: On 5 September, the Verkhovna Rada accepted Oleksii Reznikovs resignation as Defence Minister, and on 6 September, it appointed Rustem Umierov, the former head of the State Property Fund, to replace him. Ukrainska Pravda reported that after his dismissal and amid the scandals concerning state procurement for the Ukrainian army, Oleksii Reznikov may be appointed as the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK. On 21 July, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Vadym Prystaiko from the office of the Ukrainian Ambassador in the UK who called the words of Zelenskyy, that he could thank Ben Wallace, Minister of Defence of the UK, every morning, "unhealthy sarcasm". Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron! (CNN) The Venezuelan government invited journalists to tour the Tocoron Penitentiary Center in Aragua state on Saturday days after security forces reclaimed control of a prison that has spent many years under the control of gangs. The Tocoron prison, one of the largest in the country, had previously been under the direct control of inmates, many of them members of the powerful transnational criminal gang Tren de Aragua, (Train of Aragua), named after the state in which Tocoron is located, according to the Venezuelan Information Ministry. On Wednesday, Venezuelan security forces including the Army and National Guard conducted a special operation with more than 11,000 personnel to regain control of the prison grounds. Venezuelas Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos said the operation was a complete success. During the media tour on Saturday, Ceballos announced 80 high-ranking members of the Tren de Aragua gang had been detained by security forces following the takeover of the prison. Ceballos denied media reports that the government negotiated with gang leaders before the operation. We have completely dismantled the leadership group of the so-called Tren de Aragua. They are gone, he told CNN en Espanol. Journalists, including a CNNe team, were shown where inmates had built a swimming pool and several restaurants inside the prison walls in recent years. Officials released images after the raid of weapons seized from inmates, including automatic rifles, machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Thousands of inmates were transferred to other prisons after the operation, according to the Venezuelan Information Ministry. However, relatives of inmates dispute these claims, saying they havent spoken to their relatives since the morning of the operation. I havent heard anything since this whole thing started on Wednesday, Claribel Rojas, the sister of an inmate from the Tocoron prison, told CNNe on Saturday. I came yesterday and today, and nobody says anything. While it is not uncommon for gangs to run prisons in Venezuela, the Tocoron Penitentiary was notorious inside the country, and in recent years had become a symbol of the Venezuelan governments inability to regain control. The Tren de Aragua is Venezuelas most powerful criminal group. In recent years it has expanded its operations to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina, according to the US State Department. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Venezuela regains control of prison where inmates built swimming pool, restaurants." Centra Healths emPATH Unit, which stands for Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing, opened on Sept. 12. This approach to care aims to address the challenges faced by emergency department patients with behavioral health issues by providing a more compassionate and effective environment compared to traditional care models. The unit is designed to eliminate the sense of isolation that patients often experience in traditional care settings. Patients have access to a communal, open space where they can engage with a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals, behavioral health experts and fellow patients for mutual support. Ismael Gama, vice president of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Centra, said the emPATH Unit is a statement to the community that Centra is committed to mental health. This is a space dedicated to behavioral health patients, an environment that was created for them. This is not an afterthought but a focus in delivering great care for our patients in a space that is conducive to healing. The emPATH Unit is another piece of the puzzle in addressing the needs of our behavioral health patients, he said. Patients in the emPATH Unit are likely to experience reduced wait times, which is a common problem in emergency departments. The unit acknowledges the importance of community health needs by providing a calming and comfortable space for behavioral health patients. The primary goal is to assess and treat patients and then safely return them to their homes with support from outpatient services, family and community resources, Lauren Byrum, communications and PR specialist at Centra, said. One of the significant benefits of emPATH units is the ability to reduce the need for extended emergency department stays or inpatient psychiatric care. The success of this model has been demonstrated by other health care systems, resulting in a 60% reduction in inpatient admissions for mental health patients in the inaugural year of operation at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Minnesota, Byrum said. Dr. Scott Zeller, the developer of the emPATH model, has visited Centra and provided guidance and education on the benefits of this approach. The construction of the emPATH Unit was made possible by an anonymous donation of $1 million from a Centra patient. This donation is one of the largest ever received by the Centra Foundation, which has committed to funding the construction and initial operating expenses of the unit, Bryum said. The emPATH Unit represents a promising approach to addressing mental health concerns in the Central Virginia community, providing a more patient-centered and effective way to care for individuals with behavioral health issues. Over the past several years, we have seen a rise in the number of people who need mental health care, James Bryant, vice president of Emergency Services at Centra, said. At times, our community resources and state facilities are overwhelmed, leaving the emergency department as their best option. EmPATH, at [Lynchburg General Hospital] provides a non-traditional space with rapid access to professionals and caregivers to help. We always hope to transition them back home with resources and reduce time spent in the ED leading to a better experience. We are excited to be opening this unit for our community. If space is the final frontier, for Chase Shugart, it will be his final resting place. In December, the Richmond mans remains alongside the ashes of cast and crew members of the original television series Star Trek will be launched into space and toward the heavens, free of the bonds of Earths gravity. Chases father, Jeff Shugart, said a burial in the space is a fitting way to say farewell to his 25-year-old son, a diehard Trekkie, who died in 2020 from complications of leukemia. With him on that spacecraft will be the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Nichelle Nichols (who played the communications officer Uhura), James Doohan (engineer Scotty), Majel Barrett Roddenberry (nurse Chapel plus various other characters) and DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy, a.k.a. Bones). The cortege to the cosmos will be launched on the maiden flight of United Launch Alliances (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket, which will take off later this year from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as part of ULAs deep space Voyager Mission. He would be ecstatic ... he is ecstatic, Shugart, 65, who has lived in Richmond for almost 30 years, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch during an interview. He would think its so cool. I know he would. ULA has partnered with Celestis, a memorial flight services company based in Houston, Texas, to make Chases final flight possible. Celestis contracts with private commercial space companies to memorialize family members and loved ones by sending their ashes to space. The mission that will carry Chase costs $13,000 per passenger about the average price of a funeral in the U.S., said Celestis President Colby Youngblood. We put more people in space than all the governments of the world combined, Youngblood remarked. Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Star Trek For the Shugart family, there is no better way to honor the memory of Chase, whose fascination with Star Trek was inherited from his dad. As a father, I liked to make sure my kids knew a few basic things in life, Jeff explained. You need to know about the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Star Trek. Jeffs own love of Star Trek began decades ago, when he was in elementary school in 1967. At the time, the show aired at 8:30 p.m. and Jeff had to go to bed at 9 p.m. So he would watch the first half of an episode, and his father would stay up and watch the whole show so he could tell Jeff about how it had ended. Thus began a family affair. Through watching the show and listening to his fathers morning briefings, Jeff became hooked on the program, eventually passing that enthusiasm on to his own children. Chase, in particular, became obsessed with all things Star Trek. He just took off on it at a very young age, Jeff said. I think he probably saw I was interested in it ... and he just far surpassed me. Over the years, Chases collection of Star Trek-themed odds and ends would come to include model ships, Star Trek Legos and a life-size cutout of science officer Spock. There were so many Star Trek Christmas ornaments that the family eventually had two Christmas trees every year: one for the standard balls and bulbs, and one reserved specifically for Star Trek decorations. It was amazing, how many Star Trek things in the house that you didnt think were there, Jeff said. Chases passion never waned, Jeff said. In 2019, Chase graduated from Montana State University with a degree in landscape design and moved back to Richmond to work in the landscaping industry. He was busy and a hard worker, Jeff said, but it did not prevent him from staying up to date with the latest and greatest in Star Trek trivia and lore. Things were going well. But in late 2019, he started to feel tired and run down, Jeff said. The Shugarts took Chase to the doctor and, in November 2019, they received news that no parent is ever prepared for: Chase had leukemia. It was (a) shock, he recalled. Thats something that happens to other people. Despite the news, Jeff said Chases optimism and zest for life never wavered once: not through multiple rounds of chemotherapy, or the many setbacks in the treatment process. He wasnt worried about himself, Jeff said. He never got down ... it was never woe is me. Never. Chases first thought was always of other people, his family said. When he learned of his diagnosis, his first call was to his boss to apologize for having to leave work early and take time off. When he struggled to take the large prescription pills, he apologized to doctors and nurses for wasting medicine that could have gone to others. His family said Chase simply refused to concede that his life was over. He fought cancer, and he nearly beat it. Chases second round of chemotherapy was successful and, by December 2020, he was set for a bone marrow transplant. But a week before the operation, there was a secondary infection. It just raced through his body, Jeff said. Within a day and a half, he was gone. If we could have had just a little more time ... it never occurred to us that this could be the end. Chase will be up there forever Jeff grieved, but wrapped that grief in gratitude, cherishing the hours he was able to spend with Chase during his treatment. Much of that gratitude centered on Star Trek. Jeff recounted the many hours he spent watching the show with Chase during the final months of his life. He took out pictures of Chase in his hospital room, fully decked out with Star Trek memorabilia. Chase is gone, Jeff said, but it was a gift to have that time. Because Chase died during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a proper celebration of life and funeral was out of the question, Jeff said. And ever since, he has wondered what might be the proper send off for Chase. When he learned about Celestis Enterprise memorial flight headed out into heliocentric orbit, never to return Jeff knew it was right for Chase and for the family. Knowing theres a number of Star Trek cast members on the flight and ... just really cool, interesting people ... hell be chatting with these guys forever and loving it, Jeff said. And I get to look up every night now, and see him. Youngblood said the Enterprise Flight will be renamed the Enterprise Station when it reaches its destination in deep space, 330 million kilometers from Earth. It will orbit the sun forever humankinds most distant outpost. The symbolism is not lost on Jeff, who will travel to Florida with family members in December to watch the ULAs rocket take off. Chase will be up there forever, he said. On Sunday, the clocks are turned back and we gain an hour in our life thanks to the end of Daylight Saving Time. Its tough in March when we spring ahead and lose an hour; but when we fall back an hour in November, its also a bear because its now dark at 5 p.m. We cant win. Wasnt thi LEWISTON, Maine (AP) Five months before the deadliest mass shooting in Maines history, the gunmans family alerted the local sheriff that they were becoming concerned about his deteriorating mental health while he had access to firearms, authorities said Monday. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Egypts national carrier is set to resume cargo flights to the U.S.A. after eight years of suspension, Civil Aviation Commander Mohamed Abbas Helmy said Sunday September 24. Helmys remarks came at the end of a 7-day visit by a delegation from the US Transportation SecurityAdministration (TSA) to Cairo International Airport in which they inspected the security procedures used to secure passengers, bags, and goods at the airport, especially EgyptAir flights heading to the US, Ahram Online reports. William Grinolds, the TSA attache for government representation, praised the Egyptian sides commitment to implementing all security and insurance measures at Cairo International Airport and EgyptAir flights in accordance with the highest levels of international security and safety. Grinolds-headed delegation asserted that they were satisfied with the continuous efforts by the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) to increase the efficiency of security performance. Washington, in November 2015, suspended the shipment of goods on passenger planes after a Russian airliner en route from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh to St. Petersburg was brought down in Sinai on 31 October, killing all 224 passengers on board. The Islamic state group claimed responsibility for the tragedy. It also claimed it planted a bomb device in the jet. President Emmanuel Macron has said that France would soon withdraw its ambassador from Niger Republic, followed by its military contingent. France finally bowed to Nigers demands and announced it would soon withdraw its ambassador from Niger, and its military contingent later on. Ties between Niger and former colonial power have turned sour since the July coup. The Nigerien National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) cancelled security and defense agreements between the two sides. The colonial power had kicked against the military leaders that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger and insisted on the reinstatement of the elected President. In August, Nigers military leaders gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, to leave the country. However, the ultimatum passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognize the military regime as legitimate. In the wake of the coup, France had also said its troops, about 1,500 soldiers, would remain in the West African nation despite hostilities by the junta. However, on Sunday evening, the French President said that France has decided to withdraw its ambassador and several diplomats, that military cooperation was over and that French troops would withdraw in the months and weeks to come with a full pull out by the end of the year. In the weeks and months to come, we will consult with the putschists, because we want this to be done peacefully, he added. The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) announced on Monday a 34.5 million loan to Dislog Group, a leading manufacturer and distributor of hygiene & pharmaceutical products. The funding consists of two tranches. 24.5 million will be used by Dislog to acquire Steripharma, a local pharmaceuticals manufacturer that provides affordable specialty generics medicines to replace expensive original products in the treatment of life-threatening diseases. The remaining 10 million loan will finance the construction of a new green-certified industrial building and logistics platform as well as the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The new PV panels are expected to generate energy to power the building and will help reduce CO2 emissions. This tranche is supported by a guarantee from European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) in line with EU-Morocco Green Partnership. The investment will enable Dislog to expand into the pharmaceuticals industry and capture higher added value in the supply chains in Morocco. The acquisition of Steripharma will complement Dislogs established competence in reaching a wide network of small distribution outlets and help increase profit from its existing distribution channels and logistics chains. Dislog will also receive a grant from the FINTECC Program, which helps companies in participating EBRD economies to implement innovative climate technologies. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Four days after federal prosecutors accused Senator Robert Menendez of accepting close to $500,000 in bribes, his allies in the Capitol and at home in New Jersey are few and far between. On Tuesday, his closest working partner in the Senate, Cory Booker, issued a statement encouraging Menendez to resign. I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving, he said. The following day, Dick Durbin and Patty Murray, who are second and third in the Senate leadership, echoed Bookers call and urged Menendez to step down. Thirty Democrat senators have so far urged the allegedly corrupt Menendez to step down, beginning with John Fetterman who was his lone colleague to do so until the dam began to break in the following days. On Monday, Senator Menendez gave his first public comments after being indicted on federal corruption charges, telling reporters he wouldnt step down and would eventually be exonerated. The New Jersey Democrat sounded defiant Monday as he spoke in Union City, saying the allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations. "The court of public opinion is no substitute for our criminal justice system," Senator Bob Menendez says during a news conference days after he and his wife were indicted on federal bribery charges. "Prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly, I know that." pic.twitter.com/N7bDMMf8Ge CBS News (@CBSNews) September 25, 2023 I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be the New Jerseys senior senator, he continued. On Wednesday, Menendez surrendered to authorities and appeared in Manhattan federal court. He entered a not guilty plea, was released on a $100,000 bond and ordered to surrender his personal passport, per the New York Daily News. In the indictment, prosecutors allege that Menendez used his prominent position to provide favors for three local businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes who were friends with him and his wife, Nadine. The favors reportedly ranged from Menendez interfering in an insurance-fraud case against an associate of Uribe and in a federal criminal prosecution against Daibes; using his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to provide sensitive governmental information to the men; and advocating for positions more favorable to the Egyptian government. In exchange, Menendez and his wife received envelopes of cash, several gold bars, and payments toward a Mercedes-Benz convertible for their actions. Hana, who is Egyptian American, is alleged to have used his halal company to facilitate payments to the couple. Menendez is also accused of using his role to help Hana secure a monopoly on the certification of U.S. exports of halal meats to Egypt. Menendezs wife and the three businessmen were also indicted. Menendez said the $480,000 in cash found by federal investigators in his home, which was stashed in jackets monogrammed with his name among other locations, was rightfully his withdrawn from his own personal savings account and kept around the house for emergencies. The senator, however, did not address the gold bars discovered in his house that were linked back to the businessmen who are his co-defendants. During his comments, Menendez notably did not mention seeking reelection even as he resisted calls to resign. Many of his Democratic colleagues are calling on him to leave office immediately in light of the charges against him. New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, who would appoint any potential replacement, called the facts of the case deeply disturbing and called for Menendezs immediate resignation in a statement. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Congresswomen Madeleine Dean and Summer Lee of neighboring Pennsylvania all have said Menendez should step down. And New Jersey Democrat congressman Andy Kim went one step further, announcing his intention to challenge Menendez for his seat next year. Menendez does have the backing of one New Jersey congressman: his son Rob, who said he has unwavering confidence in his father. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed that Menendez will be stepping down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while the case is ongoing, but personally stopped short of asking for his resignation, saying that the senator has a right to due process and a fair trial. On Monday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration sees the case against Menendez as a serious matter, but did not relay a call from President Joe Biden asking him to resign. As Menendez plans to fight the charges, Senator Tom Cotton said that he has a right to test the governments evidence in court, just like any other citizen. And one congressman with his own history of legal troubles believes the senator shouldnt resign. I think due process is important and I think he has a right to defend himself. Hes innocent until proven guilty, said George Santos when asked by a U.S. Capitol reporter. Golden Week stress test for popular destinations 09:13, September 25, 2023 By ZHANG ZHOUXIANG ( China Daily Passengers wait to board trains at Xuzhou East Railway Station in Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, Aug 1, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] The upcoming "Double Festival" holiday, combining the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and the National Day holiday, is expected to unleash large-scale tourism consumption. Statistics show that the upcoming Golden Week will see a boom in travel. Facing the surge in tourists and changes in their travel preferences and modes, ensuring safety, market order and a positive tourist experience will require thorough preparation. For instance, in terms of safety and market regulation, tailored and fine-tuned approaches based on specific situations and technological conditions should be emphasized, so as to provide tourists with timely, easy-to-follow and operationally feasible guidance and technical recommendations. Besides, considering the relatively vulnerable position of the elderly when traveling, there should be a focus on making travel more friendly to senior tourists. This includes improving the elderly population's access to information channels and their ability to protect their rights, fully utilizing the internet, big data, artificial intelligence and other technologies to prepare for early warning, assessment and rapid response in case of emergencies. For places where past tourism market issues have appeared, it may be worthwhile to deploy law enforcement resources in advance, and strengthen inspection and regulatory efforts so as to effectively safeguard the legal rights and interests of tourists. Of course, the fundamental solution lies in increasing the supply of high-quality tourism products and services. More high-quality tourism products and services should be offered to give tourists more choices. Given the reality of a short-term and concentrated increase in demand coupled with a relatively inadequate supply of tourism resources, the upcoming Golden Week is more like a stress test for the entire society. To address this test, there should be better coordination and cooperation among the public, businesses and local governments. The relevant government departments should be well prepared in advance to ensure the safety and enjoyment of every traveler. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) (CNN) France will end its military presence in Niger by the end of 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday, marking the latest major development amid high tensions between the two countries since a military junta seized control of Niger in July. We are putting an end to our military cooperation with the de facto authorities of Niger because they dont want to fight terrorism anymore, Macron said regarding the military leaders who took over rule of the northwest African country. France has not recognized Nigers military authorities and insists that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who was toppled in the coup, remains the countrys only legitimate authority. The decision to end the cooperation is because we are not there to deal with internal politics and be hostages of putschists, Macron said, referring to the military group. The withdrawal will be organized in the coming weeks, he said. They will come back in an orderly manner in the weeks and months to come, and for that, we will coordinate with the putschists because we want this to happen calmly, Macron said. Nigers ruling military power said it welcomes Frances decision to pull its troops from the country, according to a statement posted to Nigers state television, Tele Sahel. This Sunday, we celebrate another step towards Nigers sovereignty. French troops and the French ambassador will be leaving Niger by the end of the year, the statement said. Imperialist and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. Any person, institution or structure whose presence threatens the interests and outlook of our country will have to leave the land of our ancestors, whether they like it or not, it added. Our resistance will be unwavering, and will deal with any institution or structure attempting to challenge the higher interests of our nation. France had stationed military troops in the country, many of whom were there to assist with counterterrorism missions, on the basis that Niger was a relatively stable democracy in a region fraught with political upheaval, terrorism and Islamist insurgencies, CNN has reported. Some 1,500 troops remain. Responding to a question on the withdrawals timeline, Macron said there will not be any French soldiers in Niger by the end of 2023. Earlier this month, two US officials also said the United States could begin withdrawing troops from Niger in the coming weeks, CNN has previously reported. As many as half of the roughly 1,100 US troops stationed in Niger could be pulled from the country, the two officials said. French ambassador will also return The French president also said he has decided to bring back the countrys ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to France. France has decided to bring back its ambassador, Macron said. In the coming hours, our ambassador along with several diplomats will return to France. That announcement comes just over a week after Macron said the ambassador was literally being held hostage at the French embassy, and that food was prevented from being delivered to the embassy in Niamey, the capital. After their July coup, the military junta ordered Itte to leave the country, and it later revoked his visa and instructed police to expel him. But the diplomat remained in place, according to the French presidency, and French authorities reiterated they did not recognize the juntas authority. Itte was still working, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said earlier this month, adding he will stay as long as we want him to stay and that the officials return was Macrons decision. This story was first published on CNN.com, France will end its military presence in Niger by the end of 2023, Macron says" Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Donald Trump will not stop talking about his multiple criminal indictments. He talks about them in interviews. He posts about them so much that the Justice Department recently requested a gag order in his prosecution in Washington, D.C., because his incessant public commentary threatens to undermine the integrity of these proceedings and prejudice the jury pool. He vows retribution if he is reelected. Meanwhile, Joe Biden remains silent about the fact that the Justice Department under his administration is, for the first time in American history, prosecuting a former president, that this person has been charged with trying to steal the last election, and that he also happens to be Bidens leading political rival for reelection next year. The day that Trump was indicted in Washington, for instance, Biden was largely out of sight, on vacation in Delaware where he went out for dinner with his wife and saw Oppenheimer. This odd juxtaposition was no accident. The White House has adopted a hands-off, no-comment strategy concerning the criminal cases against Trump. At this point, they are exercising so much caution and restraint that they have managed to adopt a different extreme and risky position one of total silence at a crucial moment in American history and life. In the process, they are inadvertently diminishing the seriousness of the cases, particularly the 2020 election case, by publicly acting as if they dont exist, and they are failing to meet the moment for the American people and for the history books. As a matter of basic presidential leadership and constitutional responsibility, Biden should be trying to help the public understand how and why the cases were brought by his Justice Department and trying to put them in some broader political, legal, and historical context. Instead, he and his handlers are inadvertently feeding into the right-wing trope that Biden is an absentee president who is incapable of leading the country on even the most basic level, including by speaking publicly on matters of significant national and historic concern. There is precedent for a more direct and assertive approach than the one that Biden and his team have adopted while still respecting Trumps legal presumption of innocence. In 1995, mere weeks after Timothy McVeigh was arrested for carrying out the Oklahoma City bombing, President Bill Clinton gave a commencement speech at Michigan State University in which he lamented the smoke, the horror, and the heartbreak of the attack on the federal government while also framing the legal and political response in broad but accessible terms. He did not mention McVeigh, by then a defendant, or anyone else by name, but he spoke directly to the American people and to right-wing extremists, telling them that there is no right to resort to violence when you dont get your way. He also sought to reconcile some of the political values at stake at the time: If you want to preserve your own freedom, Clinton said, you must stand up for the freedom of others with whom you disagree, but you also must stand up for the rule of law. You cannot have one without the other. McVeigh, of course, was eventually convicted and sentenced to death. (The parallels to our current moment are more than just thematic. The Justice Department official who oversaw the Oklahoma City bombing investigation was Merrick Garland.) Bidens silence is also odd given that last year, while it was known Trump was under criminal investigation, the president himself gave a speech in which he argued that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, which he called a threat to this country. He argued that they do not believe in the rule of law, do not recognize the will of the people, and refuse to accept the results of a free election, and he denounced politicians like Trump who seek to overturn the will of the American people using baseless evidence-free claims of fraud. Now that Trump has been charged over the conduct Biden assailed in that speech, he seems to believe that he can no longer broach the subject. Needless to say, given the literally unprecedented quality of the criminal cases against Trump, there are differences between those earlier situations and the one that now confronts Biden and the nation. Oklahoma City was far deadlier than the Capitol riot (168 people died in the bombing, including nearly 20 children), and Biden was making a political argument in the run-up to the midterms. Still, together they provide plenty of useful guidance and material for Biden and the White House to work with if they are up to the task of engaging with the public on the Trump cases. What might that look like? Now that Trump has been indicted, Biden cannot directly endorse the veracity of the underlying factual allegations in the governments cases or publicly suggest that Trump should be found guilty doing so could legally taint the proceedings but he can say much more than nothing. He can, for instance, publicly lay out and make the case for the broad principles that undergird our criminal-justice system and that are at stake in the Trump cases, even without mentioning the former president by name. He can explain that he tasked Attorney General Garland with overseeing discrete criminal prosecutions of all types without specific White House input or involvement and that nothing about that dynamic has changed even though, ultimately, it is the president who is politically accountable to the American people for the operation of the Justice Department. He can explain that it is essential as a nation that we strive for both accountability and equal treatment under the law; that the promise of equal citizenship and true democracy demands that the government and our legal system hold even the most powerful people to account; and that everyone deserves their day in court but no one is entitled to legal impunity no matter who they are, how much money they have, what job they once held, or who they know. He can explain that we have in fact had a two-tiered justice system in this country for far too long, but it is not one that distinguishes between Republicans and Democrats; it is one that favors wealthy, well-connected, and politically powerful people at the expense of equal justice under the law, political stability, and social cohesion. At the same time, it is critical that we ensure that there are fair trials both for the benefit of criminal defendants and the public, and there is, at all times, a broad social imperative to guard the integrity of our legal system. That means letting evidence and the law dictate the outcome of criminal investigations and cases. That also means doing everything we can to prevent political biases, political partisans, or the defendants themselves from improperly influencing the process. More powerfully still, he might allude to the fact that he has a particularly deep personal stake in the matter. The Justice Department recently filed charges against Bidens son, Hunter, and there is a high likelihood of another case to come focused on tax charges. The pending cases against Trump and Hunter Biden reside in entirely different universes of jurisprudential and practical significance, and there is no question that Biden did not welcome the prosecution of his son. But there is a modest silver lining for the president: The charges now afford him more rhetorical latitude, political insulation, and credibility to publicly address the charges against Trump than he might otherwise have had. That is because the president is, like many people in this country already have and will in the future, now experiencing the pain and uncertainty of having a close family member ensnared by the Justice Department and our criminal-justice system with no guarantee of how the proceedings will end and, at least in Hunters case, no clear precedent for the charges. The outcome will be decided by judges and juries, subject to the same processes, rules, and protections that apply to every other criminal defendant Trump included. That is what it means to be sincerely committed both to the rule of law and to equality under the law: Even the president and his family must submit. Of course, the form and content of any comments from Biden on the Trump cases would need to be carefully considered and lawyered, but these are manageable problems, and they are the sorts of challenges that good speechwriters and lawyers are paid to confront. Biden could, for instance, give a prominent speech on The Rule of Law in America to a well-respected legal organization or advocacy group, much as Barack Obama did in 2015 when he addressed the NAACP about criminal-justice reform. Biden does not need to mention either Trump or his son by name, but an effective and well-constructed set of comments would let the media and open-minded Americans fill in any blanks. This does not necessarily need to happen imminently, but time is not meaningless either, particularly with both of Trumps federal criminal trials currently on the calendar for the spring. Biden could wait until after the filing of more charges against his son, or he could do it in connection with the anniversary of the attack on the Capitol on January 6 in a few months a particularly fitting opportunity, perhaps, given the Justice Departments extensive work prosecuting people in connection with the days events, and one in which the subtext of any speech would be even clearer given the fact that Trump is now among those people charged. For months, the unified front of silence coming from the Biden White House has been showing signs of stress. After Trumps first federal indictment, Politico reported that Biden and his top aides had taken a vow of silence on the topic and had explicitly ordered the national Democratic Party and his reelection campaign to do the same. They have followed that directive, but in the time since, polls have consistently shown Biden and Trump in a dead heat in a general election contest. Meanwhile, Trump has been explicitly campaigning on a platform of legal nullification and prosecutorial retribution threatening to pardon violent January 6 defendants if elected and to pursue Biden, his family, and the federal law enforcement officials who are doing their jobs in the cases against him. Even setting Trumps personal fortunes aside, this is a grave threat to the stability and integrity of our legal system, and it is directly antithetical to Bidens stated political vision something that he should be able to say. All of this has prompted some people to ask pointedly whether Biden is blowing the chance to capitalize on one of Trumps biggest political liabilities, but thus far, the debate has been anchored around some unhelpful extremes and burdened by a variety of misapprehensions. For one thing, winning next years election is not the only reason for Biden to speak publicly on this topic. An equally good (if not better) reason is to minimize public disruption to the process including Trumps own efforts to inflame tensions and tank the cases and to maximize public confidence in the legal process and outcome. However these cases end, they are undeniably historic proceedings whose consequences will extend well into the countrys future, but at the moment, there is no nationally unifying figure or voice working to help the public understand what is at stake or to counteract Trumps incessant attacks on the legal system. Biden may no longer be a nationally unifying figure, but he is the president, and some basic notion of political responsibility and accountability is sufficient to warrant his public engagement. No doubt, there are people who will continue to worry that it is too risky for Biden to speak even obliquely about the Trump cases, but there are significant legal and political risks attached to the rigid no-comment stance that the White House has taken. Trump could actually succeed in tainting the jury pools with his inflammatory comments and attacks on the government (a single person can hang a jury, resulting in a mistrial). He could also retake the White House by neutralizing or substantially mitigating the effects of the cases, even after convictions, by persuading a critical mass of voters (and potential voters who opt to stay home) that the Justice Departments prosecutions are substantively meaningless and politically motivated. At this point, no one should expect the Trump prosecutions to prevent Trump from being reelected or to carry Biden to victory. There are plenty of reasons for that, and they are not worth litigating here, but there is clearly more work to be done at this point to try to shore up public interest and confidence in the proceedings, while also reminding the American people that we can and should let criminal cases of all types run their natural courses whatever the ultimate outcomes may be, and however personally we may feel the impact as bystanders. Biden is uniquely positioned to do this as the sitting president, as a broadly trusted national political figure, and now, as the father of a criminal defendant himself. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images Late on Sunday evening, the Writers Guild of America announced that it had reached a tentative agreement with the Hollywood studios. Members still have to ratify the deal, which would end their strike after almost five months. ( SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, has not reached such a deal and is still on the picket line.) Though the details are yet to be announced, onlookers can draw one conclusion: Strikes work, and so did the story the union told about its struggle. David Goodman, the former president of WGA-West, told Deadline that one June rally speaks to the fact that the fight that were in is not just our fight and that writers are being crushed under the heel of corporate greed. All we want is a good wage and fair pay for work and that connects with all these other people, all these other workers. Americans liked that story. One August poll from Data for Progress showed that 67 percent of likely voters supported striking Hollywood workers, which coincides with high rates of public support for unions overall. Americans say they want more worker power, and the labor movement is showing them what it can look like. That story echoes across America as the United Auto Workers strike the Big Three. Their new president, Shawn Fain, rallies members with a compelling economic vision that builds on the unions history while imagining a better future for all. As the union prepares for a historic visit from President Joe Biden and fends off former president Donald Trump, that vision may be poised to spread. Fain knows who his enemies are, and he understands the stakes. Thats evident in the unions strategy and in his own rhetoric. Todays Stand Up Strike recalls the sit-down strikes of the 1930s, which formed the UAW and helped launch a national strike wave. We are once again returning to our roots and reclaiming our tradition of holding the line for working people against unchecked corporate power, he said in one video message. He quotes Malcolm X and at times he even waxes scriptural. In the kingdom of God, no one hoards all the wealth while everyone else suffers and starves, he said. In the kingdom of God, no one forces others to perform endless backbreaking work just to feed their families or put a roof over their heads. That world is not the kingdom of God; that world is hell. We are not in the kingdom of God. Nor are we in hell yet. We have further to fall, and we will, if not for unions. But that is not the message that Trump is bringing to Michigan on Wednesday. Though his campaign originally said hell speak to union members, thats not true: the UAW has not invited him, and Fain has been deeply critical of him. On Tuesday, the Michigan Advance reported that Trump would speak at a non-union automotive parts manufacturer and supplier. Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers, Fain said in a statement. We cant keep electing billionaires and millionaires that dont have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class. Trump, like most Republicans, has framed the strike as a referendum on electric vehicles. A Trump ad claimed that Biden turned his back on the autoworkers by cutting a deal that uses American tax dollars to help fund Chinas electric car business. The UAW does have concerns about the Biden administrations EV push, but Trump is trying to get the union off message and Fain has not accommodated him. Instead, he stays admirably on script. The UAW, like the WGA, is fighting a class war, and Trump is on the wrong side. The former president has already discussed another round of individual and corporate tax cuts, the Washington Post reported. Trump would only enrich the wealthy, just as Fain said. When Biden walks a UAW picket line on Tuesday, it will be at the unions invitation. Bidens public display of support might help him shore up key union votes and will polish the image hes so keen to project. Nevertheless, his appearance in Detroit says more about labor than it does about the almighty horse-race. Labor invited Biden to Detroit and applied enough pressure that the president felt it necessary to go. This is a remarkable time for the labor movement. The odds still favor unchecked corporate might, to play on Fains phrase. Yet labor survives in the shadows of power. Workers have leverage, and they are willing to use it. The WGA says theyve gotten an exceptional deal out of Hollywood. The credible threat of a strike from the Teamsters brought UPS to heel. Over 75,000 health-care workers are prepared to strike for three days next month if they cant reach a deal with Kaiser Permanente to resolve a staffing crisis. The UAW has expanded its Stand Up Strike at GM and Stellantis facilities after making progress in talks with Ford. Labor is telling America a story it has long needed to hear. Biden, too, could listen and learn. Trump will spew his usual poison and call himself pro-worker. The labor movement knows the score. No economic vision can be pro-worker as long as it leaves corporate power in place. Instead, the moment demands militancy, alternative scripts and tactics that center worker power. It is possible to challenge the greed, the exploitation, and the abuse that mars so many lives. Solidarity is not a mere slogan but a living practice, visible in picket line after picket line. Labor now offers a vision of economic justice that has been largely absent from the Democratic Party. There is life after neoliberalism, and its worth a good fight. This piece has been updated to reflect the location of Trumps speech. Photo: Clara Mokri This article was featured in One Great Story, New Yorks reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly. This past spring, Sam Altman, the 38-year-old CEO of OpenAI, sat down with Silicon Valleys favorite Buddhist monk, Jack Kornfield. This was at Wisdom 2.0, a low-stakes event at San Franciscos Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, a forum dedicated to merging wisdom and the great technologies of our age. The two men occupied huge white upholstered chairs on a dark mandala-backed stage. Even the moderator seemed confused by Altmans presence. What brought you here? he asked. Yeah, um, look, Altman said. Im definitely interested in this topic officially, mindfulness and AI. But, ah, meeting Jack has been one of the great joys of my life. Id be delighted to come hang out with Jack for literally any topic. It was only when Kornfield who is 78 and whose books, including The Wise Heart, have sold more than a million copies made his introductory remarks that the agenda became clear. My experience is that Sam the language Id like to use is that hes very much a servant leader. Kornfield was here to testify to the excellence of Altmans character. He would answer the question thats been plaguing a lot of us: How safe should we feel with Altman, given that this relatively young man in charcoal Chelsea boots and a gray waffle henley appears to be controlling how AI will enter our world? Kornfield said he had known Altman for several years. They meditated together. They explored the question: How could Altman build in values the bodhisattva vows, to care for all beings? How could compassion and care be programmed in in some way, in the deepest way? Throughout Kornfields remarks, Altman sat with his legs uncrossed, his hands folded in his lap, his posture impressive, his face arranged in a manner determined to convey patience (though his face also made it clear patience is not his natural state). I am going to embarrass you, Kornfield warned him. Then the monk once again addressed the crowd: He has a pure heart. For much of the rest of the panel, Altman meandered through his talking points. He knows people are scared of AI, and he thinks we should be scared. So he feels a moral responsibility to show up and answer questions. It would be super-unreasonable not to, he said. He believes we need to work together, as a species, to decide what AI should and should not do. By Altmans own assessment discernible in his many blog posts, podcasts, and video events we should feel good but not great about him as our AI leader. As he understands himself, hes a plenty-smart-but-not-genius technology brother with an Icarus streak and a few outlier traits. First, he possesses, he has said, an absolutely delusional level of self-confidence. Second, he commands a prophetic grasp of the arc of technology and societal change on a long time horizon. Third, as a Jew, he is both optimistic and expecting the worst. Fourth, hes superb at assessing risk because his brain doesnt get caught up in what other people think. On the downside: Hes neither emotionally nor demographically suited for the role into which hes been thrust. There could be someone who enjoyed it more, he admitted on the Lex Fridman Podcast in March. There could be someone whos much more charismatic. Hes aware that hes pretty disconnected from the reality of life for most people. He is also, on occasion, tone-deaf. For instance, like many in the tech bubble, Altman uses the phrase median human, as in, For me, AGI artificial general intelligence is the equivalent of a median human that you could hire as a co-worker. At Yerba Buena, the moderator pressed Altman: How did he plan to assign values to his AI? One idea, Altman said, would be to gather up as much of humanity as we can and come to a global consensus. You know: Decide together that these are the value systems to put in, these are the limits of what the system should never do. The audience grew quiet. Another thing I would take is for Jack Kornfield to just write down ten pages of Heres what the collective value should be, and heres how well have the system do that. Thatd be pretty good. The audience got quieter still. Altman wasnt sure if the revolution he was leading would, in the fullness of history, be considered a technological or societal one. He believed it would be bigger than a standard technological revolution. Yet he also knew, having spent his entire adult life around tech founders, that its always annoying to say This time its different or You know, my thing is supercool. The revolution was inevitable; he felt sure about that. At a minimum, AI will upend politics (deep fakes are already a major concern in the 2024 presidential election), labor (AI has been at the heart of the Hollywood writers strike), civil rights, surveillance, economic inequality, the military, and education. Altmans power, and how hell use it, is all of our problem now. Yet it can be hard to parse who Altman is, really; how much we should trust him; and the extent to which hes integrating others concerns, even when hes on a stage with the intention of quelling them. Altman said he would try to slow the revolution down as much as he could. Still, he told the assembled, he believed that it would be okay. Or likely be okay. We a tiny word with royal overtones that was doing a lot of work in his rhetoric should just decide what we want, decide were going to enforce it, and accept the fact that the future is going to be very different and probably wonderfully better. This line did not go over well either. A lot of nervous laughter, Altman noted. Then he waved his hands and shrugged. I can lie to you and say, Oh, we can totally stop it. But I think this is Altman did not complete this thought, so we picked the conversation back up in late August at the OpenAI office on Bryant Street in San Francisco. Outside, on the street, is a neocapitalist yard sale: driverless cars, dogs lying in the sun beside sidewalk tents, a bus depot for a failing public-transportation system, stores serving $6 lattes. Inside, OpenAI is low-key kinda-bland tech corporate: Please help yourself to a Pellegrino from the mini-fridge or a sticker of our logo. In person, Altman is more charming, more earnest, calmer, and goofier more in his body than one would expect. Hes likable. His hair is flecked with gray. He wore the same waffle henley, a garment quickly becoming his trademark. I was the 10-billionth journalist he spoke to this summer. As we sat down in a soundproof room, I apologized for making him do yet one more interview. He smiled and said, Its really nice to meet you. On Kornfield: Someone said to me after that talk, You know, I came in really nervous about the fact that OpenAI was gonna make all of these decisions about the values in the AI, and you convinced me that youre not going to make those decisions, and I was like, Great. And theyre like, Nope, now Im more nervous. Youre gonna let the world make these decisions, and I dont want that. Even Altman can feel its perverse that hes on that stage answering questions about global values. If I werent in on this, Id be, like, Why do these fuckers get to decide what happens to me? he said in 2016 to The New Yorkers Tad Friend. Seven years and much media training later, he has softened his game. I have so much sympathy for the fact that something like OpenAI is supposed to be a government project. The new nice-guy vibe can be hard to square with Altmans will to power, which is among his most-well-established traits. A friend in his inner circle described him to me as the most ambitious person I know who is still sane, and I know 20,000 people in Silicon Valley. Still, Altman took an aw-shucks approach to explaining his rise. I mean, I am a midwestern Jew from an awkward childhood at best, to say it very politely. And Im running one of a handful He caught himself. You know, top few dozen of the most important technology projects. I cant imagine that this would have happened to me. Altman grew up the oldest of four siblings in suburban St. Louis: three boys, Sam, Max, and Jack, each two years apart, then a girl, Annie, nine years younger than Sam. If you werent raised in a midwestern middle-class Jewish family and I say this from experience its hard to imagine the latent self-confidence such a family can instill in a son. One of the very best things my parents did for me was constant (multiple times a day, I think?) affirmations of their love and belief that I could do anything, Jack Altman has said. The stores of confidence that result are fantastical, narcotic, weapons grade. Theyre like an extra valve in your heart. The story thats typically told about Sam is that he was a boy genius a rising star in the techno whiz-kid world, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He started fixing the family VCR at age 3. In 1993, for his 8th birthday, Altmans parents Connie Gibstine, a dermatologist, and Jerry Altman, a real-estate broker bought him a Mac LC II. Altman describes that gift as this dividing line in my life: before I had a computer and after. The Altman family ate dinner together every night. Around the table, theyd play games like square root: Someone would call out a large number. The boys would guess. Annie would hold the calculator and check who was closest. They played 20 Questions to figure out each nights surprise dessert. The family also played Ping-Pong, pool, board games, video games, and charades, and everybody always knew who won. Sam preferred this to be him. Jack recalled his brothers attitude: I have to win, and Im in charge of everything. The boys also played water polo. He would disagree, but I would say I was better, Jack told me. I mean, like, undoubtedly better. Sam, who is gay, came out in high school. This surprised even his mother, who had thought of Sam as just sort of unisexual and techy. As Altman said on a 2020 podcast, his private high school was not the kind of place where you would really stand up and talk about being gay and that was okay. When he was 17, the school invited a speaker for National Coming Out Day. A group of students objected, mostly on a religious basis but also just, like, gay-people-are-bad basis. Altman decided to give a speech to the student body. He barely slept the night before. The last lines, he said on the podcast, were Either you have tolerance to open community or you dont, and you dont get to pick and choose. In 2003, just as Silicon Valley began roaring back from the dot-com bust, Altman enrolled at Stanford. That same year, Reid Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn. In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook. At that moment, the eldest son of a suburban Jewish family did not become an investment banker or a doctor. He became a start-up guy. His sophomore year, Altman and his boyfriend, Nick Sivo, began working on Loopt, an early geo-tracking program for locating your friends. Paul Graham and his wife, Jessica Livingston, among others, had just created Summer Founders Program as part of their venture firm, Y Combinator. Altman applied. He won a $6,000 investment and the chance to spend a few months in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the company of like-minded nerds. Altman worked so hard that summer that he got scurvy. Still, with Loopt, he did not particularly distinguish himself. Oh, another smart young person! said Hoffman, who until January sat on the OpenAI board, remembering his impressions of the young Altman. This was enough to raise $5 million from Sequoia Capital. But Loopt never caught on with users. In 2012, Altman sold the company to Green Dot for $43.4 million. Not even Altman considered this a success. The Evolution of Sam Altman: From left: At 14 or 15 with his siblings in the 2000s. At 23, promoting Loopt at Apple WWDC in 2008. Photo: Courtesy of Annie Altman; CNET/YouTube. The Evolution of Sam Altman: From left: At 14 or 15 with his siblings in the 2000s. At 23, promoting Loopt at Apple WWDC in 2008. Photo: Courtesy of A... more The Evolution of Sam Altman: From left: At 14 or 15 with his siblings in the 2000s. At 23, promoting Loopt at Apple WWDC in 2008. Photo: Courtesy of Annie Altman; CNET/YouTube. Failure always sucks, but failure when youre trying to prove something really, really sucks, Altman told me. He walked away pretty unhappy but with $5 million, which he used, along with money from Peter Thiel, to launch his own venture fund, Hydrazine Capital. He also took a year off, read a stack of books, traveled, played video games, and, like a total tech-bro meme, he said, was like, Im gonna go to an ashram for a while, and it changed my life. Im sure Im still anxious and stressed in a lot of ways, but my perception of it is that I feel very relaxed and happy and calm. In 2014, Graham tapped Altman to take over as president of Y Combinator, which by that point had helped launch Airbnb and Stripe. Graham had described Altman in 2009 as among the five most interesting start-up founders of the last 30 years and, later, as what Bill Gates must have been like when he started Microsoft a naturally sort of formidable, confident person. While Altman was president of YC, the incubator fielded about 40,000 applications from new start-ups each year. It heard in-person pitches from 1,000 of those. A couple hundred got YC funding: usually around $125,000, along with mentoring and networking (which itself included weekly dinners and group office hours), in exchange for giving YC 7 percent of the company. Running YC could be viewed as either the greatest job in Silicon Valley or among the worst. From the perspective of VCs (some of whom, as one put it, spend a lot of time not working and instead calling in rich from their yachts), running YC is spending half the year essentially like a camp counselor. Through much of his tenure, Altman lived with his brothers in either of his two houses in San Francisco, one in SoMa, the other in the Mission. He preached a gospel of ambition, insularity, and scale. He believed in the value of hiring from the network of people you already know. He believed in not caring too much what others think. A big secret is that you can bend the world to your will a surprising percentage of the time most people dont even try, he wrote on his blog. The most successful founders do not set out to create companies. They are on a mission to create something closer to a religion, and at some point it turns out that forming a company is the easiest way to do so. He believed the greater downside is cornering yourself with a small idea, not thinking big enough. Altmans life was pretty great. He grew extremely rich. He invested in boy-dream products, like developing a supersonic airplane. He bought a prepper house in Big Sur and stocked it with guns and gold. He raced in his McLarens. He also embraced the techy-catnip utilitarian philosophy of effective altruism. EA justified making piles of money by almost any means necessary on the theory that its adherents knew best how to spend it. The ideology prioritized the future over the present and imagined a Rapture-esque singularity when humans and machines would merge. In 2015, from deep within this framework, Altman co-founded OpenAI, as a nonprofit, with Elon Musk and four others Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, John Schulman, and Wojciech Zaremba. The 501(c)(3)s mission: to create a computer that can think like a human in every way and use that for the maximal benefit of humanity. The idea was to build good AI and dominate the field before bad people built the bad kind. OpenAI promised to open-source its research in line with EA values. If anybody or anybody they deemed value aligned and safety conscious was poised to achieve AGI before OpenAI, they would assist that project instead of competing against it. For several years, Altman kept his day job as YC president. He sent myriad texts and emails to founders each day, and he tracked how quickly people responded because, as he wrote on his blog, he believed response time was one of the most striking differences between great and mediocre founders. In 2017, he considered running for California governor. He had been at a dinner party complaining about politics and the state, and someone was like, You should stop complaining and do something about it, he told me. And I was like, Okay. He published a platform, the United Slate, outlining three core principles: prosperity from technology, economic fairness, and personal liberty. Altman abandoned his bid after a few weeks. Early in 2018, Musk tried to take control of OpenAI, claiming that the organization was falling behind Google. By February, Musk walked away, leaving Altman in charge. Several months later, in late May, Altmans father had a heart attack, at age 67, while rowing on Creve Coeur Lake outside St. Louis. He died at the hospital soon after. At the funeral, Annie told me, Sam allotted each of the four Altman children five minutes to speak. She used hers to rank her family members in terms of emotional expressivity. She put Sam, along with her mother, at the bottom. Altman published an essay called Moores Law for Everything in March 2021. The piece begins, My work at OpenAI reminds me every day about the magnitude of the socioeconomic change that is coming sooner than most people believe If public policy doesnt adapt accordingly, most people will end up worse off than they are today. Moores Law, as it applies to microchips, states that the number of transistors on a chip doubles roughly every two years while the price falls by half. Moores Law for Everything, as proposed by Altman, postulates a world where, for decades, everything housing, education, food, clothing, etc. became half as expensive every two years. By the time Altman wrote this, he had left YC to focus on OpenAI full time. One of the first things the company did under his leadership, in the spring of 2019, was create a for-profit subsidiary. Building AI proved to be wildly expensive; Altman needed money. By summer, hed raised a billion dollars from Microsoft. Some employees quit, upset at the mission creep away from the maximal benefit of humanity. Yet the switch ruffled surprisingly few. What, Elon, who is like a hundred-billionaire, is gonna be like, Naughty Sam? a friend in Altmans inner circle said. Altman declined to take equity in the company, and OpenAI initially capped profits of its investors at 100x. But many viewed this as an optics move. A billion times a hundred is a lot of money. If Elizabeth Warren comes and says, like, Oh, you turned this into a for-profit, you evil tech person, Altmans friend said, everybody in tech is going to just be like, Go home. Altman continued racing his cars (among his favorites: the Lexus LFA, which was discontinued by 2013 and, according to HotCars, set you back by at least $950,000). In the early days of the pandemic, he wore his Israeli Defense Forces gas mask. He bought a ranch in Napa. (Altman is a vegetarian, but his partner, Oliver Mulherin, a computer programmer from Melbourne, likes cows, Altman says.) He purchased a $27 million house on San Franciscos Russian Hill. He racked up fancy friends. Diane von Furstenberg described him, in 2021, as one of my most recent, very, very intimate friends. Meeting Sam is a little bit like meeting Einstein. Meanwhile, as OpenAI started selling access to its GPT software to businesses, Altman gestated a clutch of side projects, preparing for an AI-transformed world. He invested $375 million in Helion Energy, a speculative nuclear-fusion company. If Helion works a long shot Altman hopes to control one of the worlds cheapest energy sources. He invested $180 million in Retro Biosciences. The goal is to add ten years to the human life span. Altman also conceived and raised $115 million for Worldcoin, a project that is scanning peoples irises across the globe by having them look into a sphere called an Orb. Each iris print is then linked to a crypto wallet into which Worldcoin deposits currency. This would solve two AI-created problems: distinguishing humans from nonhumans, necessary once AI has further blurred the line between them, and doling back out some capital once companies like OpenAI have sucked most of it up. This is not the portfolio of a man with ambitions like Zuckerberg, who appears, somewhat quaintly compared with Altman, to be content with building a city-state to rule over, as the tech writer and podcaster Jathan Sadowski put it. This is the portfolio of a man with ambitions like Musks, a man taking the imperialist approach. He really sees himself as this world-bestriding Ubermensch, as a superhuman in a really Nietzschean kind of way, Sadowski said. He will at once create the thing that destroys us and save us from it. Then, on November 30, 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT. The software drew 100 million users in two months, becoming the greatest product launch in tech history. Two weeks earlier, Meta had released Galactica, but the company took it down after three days because the bot couldnt distinguish truth from falsehood. ChatGPT also lied and hallucinated. But Altman released it anyway and argued this was a virtue. The world needs to get used to this. We need to make decisions together. Sometimes amorality is what distinguishes a winning CEO or product over the rest, a former colleague who worked alongside Altman during OpenAIs first years told me. Facebook wasnt technically that interesting, so why did Zuck win? He could scale faster and build products without getting caught up in the messiness. In May 2023, Altman embarked on a 22-country, 25-city world tour. This started, supposedly, as a chance to meet ChatGPT users but turned into a kind of debutante party. Often in a suit but sometimes in his gray henley, Altman presented himself to diplomats as the inevitable new tech superpower. He met with British prime minister Rishi Sunak, French president Emmanuel Macron, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, and Israeli president Isaac Herzog. He stood for a photo with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. In it, she looks elegant and unimpressed, he looks like Wheres Waldo? his phone visible in his front pant pocket, his green eyes bugging on exhaustion and cortisol. Then Altman returned home and appeared to unpack not just his wardrobe but his psyche. From late June through mid-August, he tweeted a lot. If you were hoping to understand him, this was gold. is the move tonight barbie or oppenheimer? Altman posted a poll. Barbie lost 17 percent to 83 percent. ok going with OPpENhAImer. The next morning, Altman returned to express his disappointment. i was hoping that the oppenheimer movie would inspire a generation of kids to be physicists but it really missed the mark on that. lets get that movie made! (i think the social network managed to do this for startup founders.) A careful reader of the Altman oeuvre would be confused. For many years, Altman had been drawing parallels between himself and the bomb-maker. He had noted for reporters that he and Oppenheimer shared a birthday. He had paraphrased Oppenheimer to Cade Metz at the New York Times: Technology happens because its possible. Altman could not have been surprised, then, that Christopher Nolan, in his biopic, did not create a work of boosterism. Oppenheimer battled shame and regret in the back half of his life for his role in creating the atomic bomb. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds this is both the most famous line in the Bhagavad Gita and what Oppenheimer told NBC News was in his mind during the Trinity test. (Its also in the film, twice.) Altman had been linking himself with Oppenheimer throughout his world tour as he discussed (in nonspecific terms) the existential risk posed by AI and argued (very specifically) for a regulatory agency modeled after the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United Nations ratified the IAEA in 1957, four years after it was conceived. The agencys mandate to work toward international peace and prosperity sounded like a great analog to a casual listener. It annoyed experts to no end. One critique was about its political cynicism. You say, Regulate me, and you say, This is a really complex and specialized topic, so we need a complex and specialized agency to do it, knowing damn well that that agency will never get created, Sadowski said. Or if something does get created, hey, thats fine, too, because you built the DNA of it. Another problem is the vagueness. As Heidy Khlaaf, an engineer who specializes in evaluating and verifying the safety protocols for drones and large nuclear-power plants, explained to me, to mitigate risks from a technology, you need to define, with precision, what that technology is capable of doing, how it can help and hurt society and Altman sticks to generalities when he says AI might annihilate the world. (Maybe someone will use AI to invent a superbug; maybe someone will use AI to launch nukes; maybe AI itself will turn against humans the solutions for each case are not clear.) Furthermore, Khlaaf argues, we dont need a new agency. AI should be regulated within its use cases, just like other technologies. AI built using copyrighted material should be regulated under copyright law. AI used in aviation should be regulated in that context. Finally, if Altman were serious about stringent safety protocols, he would be taking what he considers to be the smaller harms far more seriously. If you cant even keep your system from discriminating against Black people a phenomenon known as algorithmic bias that impacts everything from how job candidates are sorted to which faces are labeled as most attractive how are you going to stop it from destroying humanity? Khlaaf asked. Harm compounds in engineering systems. A small software bug can wipe out the electric grid in New York. Trained engineers know that. Every single one of those companies, every single top contender in AI, has the resourcing and the fundamental engineering understanding to figure out how to reduce harms in these systems. Electing not to do it is a choice. The same day as Altmans Oppenheimer-Barbie poll, he also posted: everything creative is a remix of things that happened in the past, plus epsilon and times the quality of the feedback loop and the number of iterations. people think they should maximize epsilon but the trick is to maximize the other two. OpenAI had come under increasing pressure throughout the summer and fall for allegedly training its models and making money on datasets filled with stolen, copyrighted work. Michael Chabon organized a class-action suit after learning his books were used without permission to teach ChatGPT. The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into the companys alleged extensive violation of consumer-protection laws. Now Altman was arguing that creativity doesnt really exist. Whatever the striking writers or pissed-off illustrators might think about their individuality or their worth, theyre just remixing old ideas. Much like OpenAIs products. In terms of diction, the math lingo lent a veneer of surety. Mathiness, a term coined in 2015 by Nobel Prizewinning economist Paul Romer, describes mathematical language used not to clarify but to mislead. The beauty of mathematical language is its capacity to convey truths about the world in glaringly simple terms E = MC2, Noah Giansiracusa, a math and data-science professor at Bentley University, told me. I read his tweet over and over and still dont really know how to parse it or what exactly hes trying to say. Giansiracusa converted Altmans words into symbols. Using C for things creative, R for remix of past things, Q for quality of the feedback loop, N for number of iterations, is he saying C = R + epsilon*Q*N or C = (R + epsilon)*Q*N? Altmans phrasing does not make the order of operations clear, Giansiracusa said. Does the and N and the number of iterations mean something other than multiplication? Or THE ALTMAN WORLD TOUR Photo: Pool Moncloa/Jorge Villar Photo: Jacques Witt/SIPA Photo: Simon Walker/No. 10 Downing Street Photo: Twitter/@sama Photo: Twitter/@sama / 5 Altman attracts haters. Its like a 90s movie about a kid whos been transported into the body of an adult and then has to pretend and hope nobody notices, you know? Malcolm Harris, author of Palo Alto, told me. Like hes like the kid who can throw a fastball a million miles an hour because his arm was broken and came back together wrong, and now hes Rookie of the Year and a major-league pitcher, but hes also 12 years old and doesnt know how to do anything. Hes smart, like for a flyover-state community college, said a Bay Area VC. Do you watch Succession? You could make a Tom analogy. Some of the shade is, undoubtedly, jealousy. Some is a reaction to Altmans midwestern nice. But mostly it is grounded in deep anger that tech culture has re-entrenched in its white-male clubbiness. You know, we women got in the room for a second and then as soon as we started actually speaking, they were like, GTFO, Meredith Whittaker, Signal president and a former Google whistleblower, told me. The only choice now is to exert pressure from the outside. I want him pressed. Like, stand there and look someone in the eyes and say this shit, Whittaker continued. What were talking about is laying claim to the creative output of millions, billions of people and then using that to create systems that are directly undermining their livelihoods. Do we really want to take something as meaningful as artistic expression and spit it back out as derivative content paste from some Microsoft product that has been calibrated by precarious Kenyan workers who themselves are still suffering PTSD from the work they do to make sure it fits within the parameters of polite liberal dialogue? Many, of course, are happy to return to conservative values under the rationale that its good business and feels like winning. I definitely think theres this tone of, like, I told you so, another person close to Altmans inner circle told me about the state of the industry. Like, You worried about all of this bullshit this bullshit being diversity, equity, and inclusion and like, Look where that got you. Tech layoffs, companies dying. This is not the result of DEI, but its a convenient excuse. The current attitude is: Woke culture peaked. You dont really need to pretend to care anymore. A Black entrepreneur who, like almost everybody in tech I spoke to for this article, didnt want to use their name for fear of Altmans power told me they spent 15 years trying to break into the white male tech club. They attended all the right schools, affiliated with all the right institutions. They made themselves shiny, successful, and rich. I wouldnt wish this on anybody, they told me. Elon and Peter and all of their pals in their little circle of drinking young mens blood or whatever it is they do who is going to force them to cut a tiny slice, any slice of the pie, and share when theres really no need, no pressure? The system works fine for the people for whom it was intended to work. The rest of us will be treated how were being treated now: with, as the entrepreneur said, clear and lasting disregard. Families replicate social dynamics. Power differentials hurt and often explode. This is true of the Altmans. Jerry Altmans 2018 death notice describes him as: Husband of Connie Gibstine; dear father and father-in-law of Sam Altman, Max Altman, Jack (Julia) Altman Julia is Jacks wife and Annie Altman Annie Altman? Readers of Altmans blog; his tweets; his manifesto, Startup Playbook; along with the hundreds of articles about him will be familiar with Jack and Max. They pop up all over the place, most notably in a dashing photo in Forbes, atop the profile that accompanied the announcement of their joint fund, Apollo. Theyre also featured in Tad Friends 2016 Altman profile in The New Yorker and in much chummy public banter. @jaltma: I find it really upsetting when I see articles calling Sam a tech bro. Hes a technology brother. @maxaltman: He *is* technology, brother. @sama: love you, (tech) bros Annie does not exist in Sams public life. She was never going to be in the club. She was never going to be an Ubermensch. Shes always been someone who felt the pain of the world. At age 5, she began waking up in the middle of the night, needing to take a bath to calm her anxiety. By 6, she thought about suicide, though she didnt know the word. She often introduced herself to people in elevators and grocery stores: Im Annie Francis Altman. Whats your name? (Of Sam, she told me, Hes probably autistic also, but more of the computer-math way. Im more of the humanity, humanitarian, justice-y way.) Like her eldest brother, she is extremely intelligent, and like her eldest brother, she left college early though not because her start-up was funded by Sequoia. She had completed all of her Tufts credits, and she was severely depressed. She wanted to live in a place that felt better to her. She wanted to make art. She felt her survival depended on it. She graduated after seven semesters. When I visited Annie on Maui this summer, she told me stories that will resonate with anyone who has been the emo-artsy person in a businessy family, or who has felt profoundly hurt by experiences family members seem not to understand. Annie her long dark hair braided, her voice low, measured, and intense told me about visiting Sam in San Francisco in 2018. He had some friends over. One of them asked Annie to sing a song shed written. She found her ukulele. She began. Midway through, Sam gets up wordlessly and walks upstairs to his room, she told me over a smoothie in Paia, a hippie town on Mauis North Shore. Im like, Do I keep playing? Is he okay? What just happened? The next day, she told him she was upset and asked him why he left. And he was kind of like, My stomach hurt, or I was too drunk, or too stoned, I needed to take a moment. And I was like, Really? That moment? You couldnt wait another 90 seconds? That same year, Jerry Altman died. Hed had his heart issues, along with a lot of stress, partly, Annie told me, from driving to Kansas City to nurse along his real-estate business. The Altmans parents had separated. Jerry kept working because he needed the money. After his death, Annie cracked. Her body fell apart. Her mental health fell apart. Shed always been the familys pain sponge. She absorbed more than she could take now. Sam offered to help her with money for a while, then he stopped. In their email and text exchanges, his love and leverage is clear. He wants to encourage Annie to get on her feet. He wants to encourage her to get back on Zoloft, which shed quit under the care of a psychiatrist because she hated how it made her feel. Among her various art projects, Annie makes a podcast called All Humans Are Human. The first Thanksgiving after their fathers death, all the brothers agreed to record an episode with her. Annie wanted to talk on air about the psychological phenomenon of projection: what we put on other people. The brothers steered the conversation into the idea of feedback specifically, how to give feedback at work. After she posted the show online, Annie hoped her siblings, particularly Sam, would share it. Hed contributed to their brothers careers. Jacks company, Lattice, had been through YC. I was like, You could just tweet the link. That would help. You dont want to share your sisters podcast that you came on? He did not. Jack and Sam said it didnt align with their businesses. On the first anniversary of Jerry Altmans death, Annie had the word schma listen in Hebrew tattooed on her neck. She quit her job at a dispensary because she had an injured Achilles tendon that wouldnt heal and she was in a walking boot for the third time in seven years. She asked Sam and their mother for financial help. They refused. That was right when I got on the sugar-dating website for the first time, Annie told me. I was just at such a loss, in such a state of desperation, such a state of confusion and grief. Sam had been her favorite brother. Hed read her books at bedtime. Hed taken portraits of her on the monkey bars for a high-school project. Shed felt so understood, loved, and proud. I was like, Why? Why are these people not helping me when they could at no real cost to themselves? In May 2020, she relocated to the Big Island of Hawaii. One day, shortly after shed moved to a farm to do a live-work trade, she got an email from Sam asking for her address. He wanted to send her a memorial diamond hed made out of some of their fathers ashes. Picturing him sending a diamond of my dads ashes to the mailbox where its one of those rural places where there are all these open boxes for all these farms It was so heavy and sad and angering, but it was also so hilarious and so ridiculous. So disconnected-feeling. Just the lack of fucks given. Their father never asked to be a diamond. Annies mental health was fragile. She worried about money for groceries. It was hard to interact with somebody for whom money meant everything but also so little. Like, either you arent realizing or you are not caring about this whole situation here, she said. By whole situation, she meant her life. Youre willing to spend $5,000 for each one to make this thing that was your idea, not Dads, and youre wanting to send that to me instead of sending me $300 so I can have food security. What? The two are now estranged. Sam offered to buy Annie a house. She doesnt want to be controlled. For the past three years, she has supported herself doing sex work, both in person and virtual, she told me. She posts porn on OnlyFans. She posts on Instagram Stories about mutual aid, trying to connect people who have money to share with those who need financial help. She and Altman are black-mirror opposites. Altman jokes about becoming the worlds first trillionaire, someone he knows socially told me. (Altman disputes this and asked me include this statement: I do not want to be the worlds first trillionaire.) He has dedicated himself to building software to replicate and surpass human intelligence through stolen data and daisy chains of GPUs. Annie has moved more than 20 times in the past year. When she called me in mid-September, her housing was unstable yet again. She had $1,000 in her bank account. Since 2020, she has been having flashbacks. She knows everybody takes the bits of their life and arranges them into narratives to make sense of their world. As Annie tells her life story, Sam, their brothers, and her mother kept money her father left her from her. As Annie tells her life story, she felt special and loved when, as a child, Sam read her bedtime stories. Now those memories feel like abuse. The Altman family would like the world to know: We love Annie and will continue our best efforts to support and protect her, as any family would. Annie is working on a one-woman show called the HumAnnie about how nobody really knows how to be a human. Were all winging it. On June 22, 2023, Altman put on a tux and went with his partner, Oliver Mulherin, to a White House dinner. He did seem like a character caught in a 90s time-travel movie, a body too small and too young for all the power it was supposed to hold. But he was mostly pulling it off. His tux looked sharp, a positive distinction from Silicon Valleys other notable Sam, Sam Bankman-Fried, whose slovenly aesthetic now seems like evidence of moral slobbery. Since Altman had taken over as OpenAIs CEO, the company had not only diluted its nonprofit status. It had quit being very open, quit releasing its training data and source code, quit making much of its technology possible for others to analyze and build upon. Quit working for the maximal benefit of humanity. But what could anybody do? In Munich, on his world tour, Altman asked an auditorium full of people if they wanted OpenAI to open-source its next-generation LLM, GPT-5, upon its release. The crowd responded with a resounding yes. Altman said, Whoa, were definitely not going to do that, but thats interesting to know. In his office in August, Altman was still hitting his talking points. I asked him what hed done in the past 24 hours. So one of the things I was working on yesterday is: Were trying to figure out if we can align an AI to a set of human values. Weve made good progress there technically. Theres now a harder question: Okay, whose values? Hed also lunched with the mayor of San Francisco, tried to whittle down his 98-page to-do list, and lifted weights (though, he said with some resignation, Ive given up on trying to get really jacked). He welcomed new employees. He ate dinner with his brothers and Ollie. He went to bed at 8:45 p.m. Its disorienting, the imperialist cloaked in nice. One of Altmans most treasured possessions, he told me, is the mezuzah his grandfather carried in his pocket his whole life. He and Ollie want to have kids soon; he likes big families. He laughs so hard, on occasion, he has to lie down on the floor to breathe. Hes going to try to find ways to get the will of the people into what we built. He knows AI is not a clean story of only benefit, Stuff is going to be lost here, and Its super-relatable and natural to have loss aversion. People dont want to hear a story in which theyre the casualty. His public persona, he said, is only a tangential match to me. 1 item in this article 1 item on sale! Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Erin Schwartz I bought Z-Coils in the midst of an existential crisis. A month after increasing my testosterone dose, I felt acutely uncomfortable in my skin. My clothes felt wrong, like bad disguisesfemme clothes that felt too femme, masc clothes that were featureless and ill-fitting. And then it was my shoes. I like being taller, so Id worn heels; when I started transitioning, I switched to sneakers. Now, I felt stuck between two bad options: I resented the flat-shoes-only thing, which I was forcing myself to do out of a sense of obligation to dress masc, but the idea of bringing out my sexy Camper heels sounded worse. While researching an amorphous category I started to call masc heelsclogs, cowboy boots, Nike Shox, Rick Owens knockoffsI made an offer on eBay of $62 for a pair of black orthopedic sandals with a spring-loaded heel, which the seller accepted. Day 1 Photo: Erin Schwartz The Z-Coils arrive. To call Z-Coils ugly is already to make an ontological error; the shoes exist somewhere outside our prosaic spectrum of aesthetic pleasure. The upper has two sectionsa rigid orthotic for the heel and a foam-soled frontwith thick leather straps that Velcro your foot in place. The coil is a chubby black spring that terminates in a flat, squarish pad with the proportions of an elephants foot. The cushy footbed cradles my foot into a gently angled posture, more like a running shoe than a heel. On its website, I find Z-Coils was invented by New Mexico department-store owner Alvaro Z. Gallegos in 1991. As he tells it, hed begun running four or five times a day to manage his stress after his wife, Marcella, died, and the idea came to him on one of those runs through divine inspiration: I will never forget that moment, he writes. The problem was that they (Marcella and God) did not send me an instruction manual describing how to put the shoe together. His son Andres joined the company in 1995, and over time, its focus shifted from running to pain relief. Z-Coils claims to help with back pain, hip pain, plantar fasciitis, and more. Research studies on the website illustrate in colorful 3-D heat-map charts a reduction in pressure on the heels and midfoot from a day wearing Z-Coils. There are hundreds of reviews on the site, most overwhelmingly positive; when I was evaluating whether they would skew masc, I was comforted by a customer image of a guy in Z-Coil boots and a Carhartt tee, smoking a cigar at what appears to be a worksite. Day 2 Photo: Erin Schwartz I wear the Z-Coils to a radio DJ set and bookstore pop-up at the Dunkunsthalle, an art gallery in the skeleton of a former Dunkin Donuts. Walking to the subway there, Im surprised by how comfortable and conspicuously bouncy the shoes are. At the Dunkunsthalle, I talk to my friend Kayla about industrial design-hubris shoesshoes with ambitions so lavish the final product feels like a Frankenstein mash-up of components with different, sometimes contradictory functions. I buy a pack of weed gummies, then take the train to Nowadays for Body Hack, a monthlyish party organized by and for trans and nonbinary people. There, I have two realizations: (1) Z-Coils are a perfect party shoeI am baffled, then euphoric, at the absence of the foot pain I expect after a night of dancingand (2) the flat-shoes-only thing was a delusion. I could and should be doing way more. I felt obligated to make an effort to dress like a man, but no one is asking for that or even knows what that means. Day 5 I take the Z-Coils out for a day of Manhattan errands with my friend Melvin. Wed planned to go to the Vaquera sample saleI heard theres chain mailbut according to a flyer in the stairwell, everything sold out so the sale ended a day early. We walk crosstown to another sale, but Ive gotten the time wrong; no ones there, either. I end up walking 12,278 steps. Illustration: Seymour Chwast Day 7 I take a shorter trip in the Z-Coilsfrom home in Astoria to the SculptureCenter, where the fashion brand CFGNY is having a pop-up, then to the Court Square diner. I dont suffer from any of the foot complaints Z-Coils claim to relieve, but I do notice they make my posture betterthe angled footbed engages the muscles in my back, stopping me from tilting over into a Grinch slouch. My body feels better after a day in Z-Coils than it does after one in my running shoes. Photo: Erin Schwartz When I get home, I start searching for chain mail on Etsy, still salty about striking out at Vaquera. Im bored by everything until I find BrooksBot75, maker of incredibly detailed metal bras, pauldrons, and Queen of the Damned headdresses for hot girls and cosplayers. He has a tiny top for $38, a Renaissance Faire version of the Chanel micro bra. Its modeled on a woman, but I think it would look just as good on a flat chest. A week ago, the cop in my head would have told me not to buy it. I buy it. get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. OSHA Cites Concrete Pipe Manufacturer Following Young Worker's Death The company was hit with $245,546 in proposed penalties. Newnan, Georgia-based Foley Products Company LLCwhich specializes in concrete pipe manufacturingnow faces severe scrutiny over OSHA safety violations. In a release dated Sept. 20, OSHA revealed findings from its investigation into the tragic death of a 19-year-old worker at the companys worksite in Cantonment, Florida. In March 2023, two workers entered the concrete mixer to use a hammer and chisel to chip away hardened concrete. When one worker left, the machine restarted while the other worker was still. Foley Products Company has been cited for one willful violation and six serious violations, amounting to $245,546 in proposed penalties. OSHA determined the company willfully neglected to ensure workers followed energy-control procedures and training. Additionally, Foley Products Company exposed its employees to dangers in confined spaces and failed to confirm a safe environment within the mixer before workers enter as well as a process to safely retrieve workers if necessary. Foley Products Companys failure to implement well-known safeguards cost the life of a worker just beginning their adulthood, OSHA Area Office Director Jose A. Gonzalez in Mobile, Alabama, said in a statement. This preventable tragedy should serve as a reminder of the importance of complying with safety and health standards, as required by law. Foley Products Company now has 15 business days to either comply, initiate an informal dialogue with OSHA, or challenge the agencys findings. At the time of the incident, 30 employees worked under at the Florida location. Overall, Foley Products Company employs around 500 workers across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Since 25 March, hundreds of thousands of barrels per day of oil flows crucial to the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI) and important to the oil sector as a whole have been prevented from being exported to Turkey on the basis that they are regarded as illegal by the Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) in Baghdad. The outcome of the current impasse between the two sides will determine the future of Iraqs oil and gas sector and of its geopolitical positioning for decades to come. According to highly reputable local news sources, the movement has been detected in the long-running standoff between the KRI and FGI. However, according to high-level sources connected to both sides spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com last week, all may not be as it seems. The local Iraq sources highlight a series of meetings held recently between officials from Iraqs State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and Turkeys state-owned Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS) in which detailed discussions took place concerning the technical and commercial issues involved in resuming oil exports from the KRI to Turkey. For many years, these oil flows used to average around 500,000-600,000 barrels per day (bpd) running through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (ITP), with plans having been made to increase this to 1 million bpd. At the point when the suspension was enforced, around 400,000 bpd were flowing through the pipeline, and these formed one key part of a two-part deal originally agreed between the KRI and the FGI in 2014, as analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. In brief, the deal was that the KRI would export up to 550,000 bpd of oil from Iraqi Kurdistans oilfields and Kirkuk via the FGIs Baghdad-based SOMO. In return, Baghdad would send the KRI each month 17 percent of the federal budget (after sovereign expenses) - around US$500 million at that time. The agreement rarely functioned as it should. The KRI frequently and accurately was cited by the FGI in Baghdad for selling oil independently of SOMO, and the FGI in Baghdad was frequently and accurately cited by the KRI for not disbursing the requisite funds from the budget on time or in the correct amounts. The Iraqi Constitution was no help in shedding a definitive legal light on the issue. According to the KRI, it has authority under Articles 112 and 115 of the Iraq Constitution to manage oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region extracted from fields that were not in production in 2005 the year that the Constitution was adopted by referendum. The KRI also maintains that Article 115 states: All powers not stipulated in the exclusive powers of the federal government belong to the authorities of the regions and governorates that are not organised in a region. As such, the KRI posits that as the relevant powers are not otherwise stipulated in the Constitution, it has the authority to sell and receive revenue from its oil and gas exports. The KRI also highlights that the Constitution provides that, should a dispute arise, priority shall be given to the law of the regions and governorates. However, the FGI in Baghdad and Iraqs SOMO argue that under Article 111 of the Constitution, oil and gas are under the ownership of all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates. Consequently, it believes that all oil and gas developed across all of Iraq should be sold through the official channels of the FGI in Baghdad. Periodically, after the budget disbursements-for-oil deal was agreed, the FGI showed a no-nonsense approach to enforcing its view on the Constitutional standing of independent oil sales by the KRI, with Iraqs Ministry of Oil, represented by SOMO, threatening to sue any buyer taking Kurdish crude oil except through SOMO. In the few months of 2014 that led up to the 2014 deal being agreed, more than 11 million barrels of Kurdish crude had been exported through the ITP and delivered to destinations such as Israel, China and Croatia, according to international legal sources close to the parties, exclusively spoken to by OilPrice.com at the time. Shortly after this, SOMO had initiated proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas against the United Kalavyvata, which had allegedly been carrying one such cargo of oil from Kurdistan. This said, from around 2014 to the end of the third quarter of 2017, the FGI often turned a blind eye to a degree of independent oil sales by the KRI. However, one of the four key turning points in the recent geopolitical life of Baghdad, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order, occurred in September 2017. This was the failure of the U.S. to support the outcome of the overwhelming vote in Iraqi Kurdistan for an independent Kurdish state. Washington had tacitly assured the Kurds that in exchange for their providing the boots on the ground (in the shape of the fearsome Peshmerga army) in the fight against Daesh, they would be granted independence. After the vote, the U.S. did nothing, instead allowing the Kurdish protests at the vote being ignored to be quashed by Iranian and Federal Government of Iraq forces focused on the Kurdish oil fields in the north. The second of these key turning points was that Russia was then allowed to effectively take over the KRIs oil sector through a three-pronged deal, analysed in full in the book. The third turning point came with the U.S.s end of combat mission in Iraq in December 2021, which removed any obstacle to Baghdad moving even closer into the Russian-Chinese sphere of influence. Following these developments, 2022 saw the FGI move hard and fast on any independent moves from the KRI and even on Western oil firms that operated there. A letter sent on 2 June 2022 by Hassan Muhammad Hassan, the deputy director general of the state-run Basra Oil Company (BOC) called on all lead contractors and sub-contractors of Western oil firms working in Iraqi Kurdistan to pledge that they would no longer work there and that any current contracts should be terminated within three months. This was followed by an order from the BOC director general, Khalid Abbas, to all lead contractors that ordered them to suspend dealing with the following subcontractors and never invite them to any future works or projects in BOC oil fields as per the licensing contracts signed with your companies. Any misunderstanding of what all this meant was cleared up just after the 10 March Saudi Arabia-Iran deal had been done the fourth key turning point for Iraq. As exclusively relayed to OilPrice.com by a senior source working with the European Unions energy security apparatus, a very high-ranking official from the Kremlin said: By keeping the West out of energy deals in Iraq and closer to the new Iran-Saudi axis - the end of Western hegemony in the Middle East will become the decisive chapter in the Wests final demise. This said, there are two reasons why Baghdad may well allow the ITP to reopen soon albeit for perhaps only a brief period - as the local news reports suggest, particularly as Turkey said just over a week ago that it will soon be technically ready for operation. The first is that Baghdad needs money as ever, given the endemic level of corruption in its oil sector, and Turkey owes it at least US$1.47 billion as compensation for buying oil illegally from the KRI, according to a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in March. Baghdad believes it is more and may have angled for a higher sum during the months of negotiations since the ruling was made. More money will come to Baghdad from its take of the oil it allows to be sold through the ITP by the KRI. The second reason is that it needs time to complete the draconian re-writing of the laws in the Constitution that related to the sale of oil from Iraq. This process is currently underway and, as a senior source who works closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com last week: When the new laws have been finalised, the KRI will not be able to sell a drop [of oil] without special permission from Baghdad. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Last month, Reuters market analyst John Kemp warned that Indias slowing oil demand growth could act as a drag on oil prices despite consumption recently hitting record highs. Indias oil sector recorded robust growth as consumption increased by ~255,000 barrels per day (bpd) during the first seven months of the current year, and was expected to slow down for the rest of the year. Commodity analysts have also started sounding alarm bells over demand destruction as oil prices continue their forward march. "I think you need to see crude oil prices at $100 to $110 per barrel with gasoline prices rising to $4.00 to $4.25 per gallon to have the consumer change their driving habits resulting in demand destruction. We do believe that there will be substantial demand destruction at WTI prices above $95 per barrel, which will drive the commodity back into our fair value range, "Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, has told Yahoo Finance. But it turns out these bearish concerns could be overdone, at least on Indias part. The latest S&P Global data shows that oil demand growth in India actually accelerated to 270,000 bpd Y/Y in August, a 6% increase thanks to a stronger-than-expected economy. Indias oil demand is expected to pick up again in the October-December quarter due to the onset of the festive season after falling in the monsoon season in India. Indias oil demand growth is expected to average 239,000 bpd for 2023, 7% above 2019 levels, with demand growth in 2024 expected to be 11% above 2019 levels. Growth Runways Over the past couple of decades, China has carried the lions share of global oil demand growth thanks to the countrys remarkable economic boom. But signs are legion that Chinas growth machine has finally hit the skids and may never return to its glory days. The factors that helped sustain Chinas rapid growth since the global financial crisis are unlikely to be replicated in the next decade, particularly in sectors of property construction and local government investment. Indeed, Chinas economic slowdown has mainly manifested in the property sectors decline, hardly surprising considering that the industry represented 20 to 25 percent of GDP at its peak. Unfortunately, new annual housing starts are now down 57 percent, with the sector expected to remain below half of its previous size over the next decade. Related: Global Appetite For Canadian Crude Grows Amidst Supply Cuts And, China is also poised to lose its prominence in global oil markets. Chinas role as a global oil demand growth engine is fading fast, Emma Richards, senior analyst at London-based Fitch Solutions Ltd, has told The Times of India. According to the analyst, over the next decade, Chinas share of emerging market oil demand growth will decline from nearly 50% to just 15% while Indias share will double to 24%. But its not just a dramatic slowdown in its economy that will make China a less important player in global oil markets. The countrys booming EV sector will rapidly lower oil demand much faster than Indias: China sold 6.1 million EVs in 2022 compared with just 48,000 sold in India. A couple of weeks ago, Sinopec revised its oil demand forecasts downwards, saying peak domestic gasoline demand has already passed and its going to be downhill from here thanks to Chinas EV revolution. If accurate, the repercussions will be global considering China has for long been the biggest growth market for refined oil products. According to CNEV Post, Chinese new car buyers are now choosing "new energy vehicles" (battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars) at a rate of 37.8%, up from just 5.4% in 2020. Whereas Scandinavian countries like Norway (87.8%), Iceland (56.1%) and Sweden (56.1%) lead in terms of EV adoption, China still sells ~10x more EVs than all those three combined. Further, China has a lot more room for growth given its huge population and the fact that currently, less than 5% of cars on Chinese roads are NEVs. Sinopec now forecasts that 2024 and beyond will see declining gasoline demand. In contrast, India is nowhere near as aggressive with its clean energy push. Last year, Indias coal minister declared that the country has no intention of ditching coal from its energy mix any time soon. Minister Pralhad Joshi said that coal will continue to play an important role in India until at least 2040, referring to the fuel as an affordable source of energy for which demand has yet to peak in India. "Thus, no transition away from coal is happening in the foreseeable future in India," Joshi said, adding the fuel will continue to play a big role until 2040 and beyond. ADVERTISEMENT By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Earlier this week, Morgan Stanley said in a note that all signals for crude all were "flashing tightness". The investment bank joined a growing number of forecasters expecting Brent crude to top $100 per barrel before the year's end, again. What all these forecasters have in common is that all of them point out a discrepancy between demand for oil, which has remained strong, and supply, which has become increasingly constrained. At a time when governments in the West are making a huge effort to reduce that demand. And supply, too. For now, they can only claim success in the supply area. And a major contribution to higher prices with that. When President Biden came into office, his first order of business was to effectively ban oil and gas drilling on federal lands. He later revoked his ban as retail fuel prices began climbing and the White House reconsidered its attitude to local supply of hydrocarbons. Not that it helped. Not when the whole energy policy of the administration has been oriented against the oil industry. We see the same situation in Europe, where the push against oil and gas is even stronger, and in other parts of the world, as well. Reuters reported this week, citing Rystad Energy data, that investment in oil and gas on a global scale would only grow moderately this year to $579 billion. That compared to an average annual investment rate of $521 billion for the period between 2015 and 2022, after the 2014 peak, which stood at $887 billion. Also this week, the Energy Information Administration reported that oil production from the U.S. shale patch was set to decline in October from September after the September average was also forecast to be lower than the average for August. In fairness, the EIA has been proven too pessimistic in its forecast by the actual production data, with its forecast production decline for August actually turning out to be a modest monthly increase in production. Yet production did indeed decline this month, albeit still quite modestly. The bigger problem is it did not increase in any meaningful way, contributing to global tightness. Related: Hedge Funds Are Sold On $100 Oil Production is not increasing in any meaningful way elsewhere, either, even if we set aside for a moment the Saudi and Russian cut of a combined 1.3 million barrels daily. But demand is still strong, which has led to suggestions from transition campaigners that governments should switch targets and, instead of supply, focus on curbing demand by taxing the use of hydrocarbons. This state of affairs does not bode well for the future energy security of a world that will consume close to 103 million barrels of crude oil every day this year, according to the latest to forecast peak oil demand, the International Energy Agency. The chief executive of Aramco, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the transition push as it is being conducted, recently leveled a new dose of criticism at its planners: "The current transition shortcomings are already causing mass confusion across industries that produce and/or rely on energy. Long-term planners and investors do not know which way to turn," Nasser said at the World Petroleum Congress in Canada. Exxon's CEO was more succinct: "If we don't maintain some level of investment in the industry, you end up running short of supply, which leads to high prices" a scenario that is currently unfolding in Europe and the United States. The reason there is no sufficient investment, according to the industry, is the uncertainty caused by the transition agenda of the governments where they operate. Indeed, when you have no clarity of the regulations that your government would direct your way as part of its efforts to fight climate change, investment decisions become even harder than usual to make. As the executive chair of Canada'a Cenovus told Reuters, "If you want to add 100,000 barrels a day of production, you're going to spend billions and billions of dollars. In terms of any real meaningful investment in large projects, that's probably going to have to wait for some more clarity on the government front." The situation is even worse for African countries that want to pursue their energy independence by developing their own hydrocarbon resources. Banks and international lenders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have made it quite clear they would not be lending for oil and gas development. ADVERTISEMENT "We are being intimidated into running away from fossil fuel investment," the secretary general of the African Petroleum Producers' Organization, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, said as quoted by Reuters. Yet Big Oil is still big enough to be able to put some money into new production without too much worry about the future. TotalEnergies recently said it could commit $9 billion to exploration in Suriname. Shell is drilling in Namibia and making discoveries that will require fresh investments to develop. Whether these new exploration ventures would be enough to make up for lower production in legacy regions is hard to say. Perhaps, if governments really get down to curbing demand, balance could return to oil markets. For a short while. Because people really don't like to be told how little energy to use. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Russia is set to generate higher revenues from oil exports this year despite the price cap imposed on the country by the G7 and EU in response to the countrys invasion of Ukraine. Analysis of shipping data cited by the Financial Times shows that Russia is now shipping three-quarters of its oil overseas without Western insuranceone of the tools the G7 and the EU used to enforce the cap of $60 per barrel. Meanwhile, prices are on the rise and Russian crude is no exception. Urals crude is trading at close to $79 per barrel and ESPO, the Far Eastern blend, is trading at over $88 per barrel. This spring, the FT noted, citing Kpler data, Russia was moving half of its export oil without Western insurance, which suggests Moscow is becoming more adept at circumventing the cap. The revelations come amid repeated assurances from the U.S. Treasury Department that the price cap was working as intended. In just six months, the price cap has contributed to a significant decline in Russian revenue at a key juncture in the war, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in June. In August, Acting Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy Eric Van Nostrand said that he was confident that the price cap is achieving its twin goals of restricting Russian revenues while helping stabilise energy markets. Yet the FT cited the Kyiv School of Economics as estimating that Russia is going to see its revenues from oil exports rise by $15 billion this year thanks to circumvention of the G7 and EU price cap. Critics of the price cap said from the start that enforcing it would be a challenge while circumventing it would be relatively easy. Indeed, Russian, Chinese, and Indian insurers have stepped in to replace Western majors and what media call a dark fleet of tankers was built to ship Russian crude around the world without the participation of Western companies. In spite of all that, the price cap and sanctions regime have had a significant effect since Russias invasion of Ukraine, costing Russia an estimated $100 billion in oil exports since February 2022. The problems for Russias oil industry go further than just its export challenges, however, with a domestic diesel shortage forcing the Kremlin to restrict the export of fuels from the country. ADVERTISEMENT By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: (CNN) A Mafia boss who spent nearly three decades evading law enforcement before he was arrested in January has died while receiving medical treatment, according to Italian media reports. Matteo Messina Denaro, who is thought to have ordered dozens of Mafia-related murders for the Cosa Nostra crime group, died at the San Salvatore hospital in LAquila, central Italy, where he had been treated for colon cancer, public broadcaster Rai reported Monday. Before his arrest at a private health clinic in Palermo in January, the former boss of the Sicilian Mafia had been a fugitive since 1993 and was considered by Europol one of the most wanted men in Europe, prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia told CNN at the time. Messina Denaro was given several life sentences in absentia for his many crimes, most notably in 1992 for his involvement in the murders of anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. He received his most recent life sentence in 2020 for fatal bombings in Milan, Florence and Rome in the late 1990s, and for the murder and torture of the 11-year-old son of an enemy who gave evidence against the Cosa Nostra. Before he died, cases for the murders of Falcone and Borsellino, and for the murder of 11-year-old Giuseppe Di Matteo were in the process of being brought before higher courts. Having been a wanted man for nearly 30 years, he was the Cosa Nostras longest-hiding fugitive. The January police raid at the Maddalena clinic that ended in his capture involved more than 100 agents with the anti-Mafia Carabinieri. Anti-Mafia security forces had been closing in on Messina Denaros circle, seizing around 3 billion ($3.25 billion) in assets belonging to companions, relatives and associates thought to be supporting his life in hiding, and making arrests in a crackdown between 2009 and 2010. Messina Denaro known as Diabolik is regarded as one of the successors of Bernardo Provenzano, who was famously arrested while in hiding in a farmhouse outside Corleone, Sicily, in April 2006. Crime was a family affair for Messina Denaro, born to a known Mafia boss in Sicily on April 26, 1962. Among those arrested in the 2009-2010 crackdown was his brother, Salvatore Messina Denaro, who refused to testify about his whereabouts. In 2013, his sister, Patrizia Messina Denaro, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, a term she is still serving, for being a member of the Mafia. Felia Allum, professor of comparative organized crime and corruption at the UKs University of Bath, said in January that Messina Denaro was the last of an old generation of Mafia bosses. He represents the final link between the belligerent and overt Cosa Nostra of the early 1990s and the silent, business-like Mafia of the 21st century, she said at the time. This story was first published on CNN.com. "Mafia boss Diabolik dies in custody after nearly 30 years on the run, Italian reports say" These days Armenia's relationship with Russia is looking more like a hostage situation than a strategic partnership. On September 19, as Azerbaijan was waging its massive assault on Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia's first reaction was to call on both sides to stop fighting and suggest that Armenia had brought about the situation itself. A short time later, former Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev chided the Armenian prime minister for blaming Moscow for Yerevan's problems, "flirting with NATO," and engaging in a modest outreach to Ukraine. "One can guess what fate awaits him" Medvedev concluded ominously (his ellipsis). Medvedev's aide, Oleg Osipov, asked to elaborate on his boss's comment the following day, put it even more starkly: "In case someone didn't understand, Russia has been and will be the guarantor of the very existence of Armenia as a state and of the Armenian nation. God has willed it thus." Armenia has been overwhelmingly reliant on Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It is a member of the Russia-led regional military and economic blocs - the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). It hosts a large Russian military base in Gyumri and several other smaller Russian military installations. And its economic dependence on Russia has only grown since the latter launched its war on Ukraine. Nonetheless, Russia's interests appear increasingly more aligned with Azerbaijan's than Armenia's. For one, Russia shares a border with Azerbaijan and needs it for a north-south trade corridor to the Persian Gulf necessitated by Western sanctions over the Ukraine invasion. Perhaps more significantly, both are repressive authoritarian states whose leaders are at liberty to engage in transactional politics with nothing but the faintest pretensions to democracy and human rights. And now Russia is the sole outside mediator in a Baku-Stepanakert talks process that appears set to end three decades of ethnic Armenian de facto control of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian-Russian relations began to sour in earnest in spring 2018 when the so-called "velvet revolution" swept away the Russia-aligned kleptocratic old guard and brought the young reformer Nikol Pashinyan to power. Pashinyan was at pains to assure Moscow that his agenda was not geopolitical, vowing that Armenia would stay in the EAEU and CSTO and keep the Russian base. Russia accepted Pashinyan but never trusted him, seeing his rise to power in the context of other "color revolutions" in what it considers its backyard that brought pro-Western regimes to power. In 2020, when Azerbaijan launched its offensive to take back the lands it lost in the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s, Russia did not intervene on Armenia's behalf. (Indeed, though it has obligations to protect Armenia through the CSTO and a bilateral defense agreement, Nagorno-Karabakh was recognized as Azerbaijani territory.) Moscow stepped in only to broker a ceasefire that saw Baku regain most of the territories previously held by Armenian forces and the deployment of a 2,000-strong Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh for a term of five years. A fragile status quo held on the ground for roughly the next two years. Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in periodic peace talks on two separate tracks that were not coordinated with each other; one mediated by Russia and the other by the United States and the European Union. They never advanced very far, though, due to fundamental differences on the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population. But during that time in fact, just two days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Baku and Moscow formalized an "alliance" that one observer said aimed to "ensure that Azerbaijan did not get involved in any Western anti-Russian campaign." Azerbaijan then began a series of deft maneuvers in the new reality created by the Russia-Ukraine war. It has supported Ukraine's territorial integrity and sent humanitarian aid there. And it has simultaneously helped Western countries cut themselves off from Russia, including through the provision of natural gas, and helped Russia break out of the resulting isolation. Baku also took advantage of Russia's preoccupation with Ukraine, launching a series of cross-border attacks on the territory of Armenia in September 2022. Pashinyan appealed to Russia and the CSTO for help but none was forthcoming. Anti-Russian sentiment grew in Armenia, pushing Yerevan to seek whatever help it could in the West. Russian media narratives accordingly turned sharply against Armenia. Over the ensuing months, Armenia refused to host a CSTO exercise and later formally downgraded its participation in the alliance. In May, during the course of the peace talks, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan explicitly announced that Yerevan was ready to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan provided that international security guarantees were provided to the region's Armenian population. Then in July, Russia for the first time declared that the Armenians of Karabakh must accept Azerbaijani rule (while making no reference to international mechanisms ensuring their security). By early September Armenian leaders began questioning out loud the efficacy of the partnership with Russia. Pashinyan said that betting on Russia for its security was a "strategic mistake." This was followed by a visit by Anna Hakobyan, Pashinyan's wife, to a summit in Kyiv and the first delivery of the first Armenian humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the war began. And then two weeks later came Azerbaijan's all-out offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian society was plunged in despair, with protesters in Yerevan directing their outrage at both Russia and Pashinyan's government. Yerevan-based commentator Eric Hacopian voiced what many Armenians were thinking when he told the local outlet CivilNet that the attack was "obviously coordinated between Baku and Moscow. The objective of Baku is to get an ethnically cleansed Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] back under its complete control, and the object of the Russians is to overthrow the Armenian government." ADVERTISEMENT Now, the likely end of ethnic Armenian rule over Nagorno-Karabakh would seem to free up Armenia to break away from Russia and seek friendships in the West. But Moscow still has its levers. Whether or not there actually is coordination between Russia and Azerbaijan, Moscow can use the threat of further Azerbaijani incursions against Yerevan. After all, it has already shown its willingness to shirk its treaty obligations to Armenia. And then there's Baku's long-standing demand for the establishment of a "Zangezur corridor" through Armenia connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan. The notion was born out of the Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the 2020 war, the ninth point of which stipulated that Armenia would "guarantee the security of transport connections" to Nakhchivan "in order to arrange unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions." Russian border guards would be responsible for "overseeing" the route. Azerbaijan has interpreted that provision to mean a road that cuts through Armenian territory with movement unhindered by any Armenian supervision, e.g. customs controls. (Armenia disagrees.) In recent months, Baku stepped back on its demands for the establishment of the corridor and chose instead to focus on retaking Karabakh. But early this month the Azerbaijani foreign minister spoke of a "plan B" for making it happen. It is easy to see a scenario where Russia comes to share Azerbaijan's interpretation of the ceasefire provision and presses Armenia to accept a corridor running through its territory over which it has no sovereignty. By Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Egypt launched on Monday an international bidding round for oil and gas exploration in 23 onshore and offshore blocks, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said. Egypt will be offering in this bidding round 10 blocks in the Western Desert region, two blocks in the Eastern Desert, seven areas in the Gulf of Suez, and four blocks in the Red Sea, according to an announcement by the ministry carried by Reuters. The deadline for the filing of the bids is February 25, 2024. Egypt, which has seen some large gas discoveries in recent years and which aims to become a regional energy hub, has been looking to boost its oil and gas production and attract more investments. Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean have become hot spots for gas exploration after several significant discoveries, including the giant Zohr field in Egypt, which was discovered and is operated by Italys Eni. Over the last eight years, Egypts gas production has grown by 66 percent, with export revenues surging 13-fold. Last year, the countrys liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports topped 8 million tons, the bulk of which was sent to gas-starved Europe. Egypt now looks to boost oil and gas output via an expansion at the huge Zohr field and new exploration projects. Egypt also plans to have $1.8 billion invested by majors to drill new offshore gas wells in the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile Delta, Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla told the Emirates News Agency in July. The plan which involves companies including Eni, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP aims to drill 35 exploratory gas wells until July 2025, according to the minister. In addition, Apache Corporation plans to invest next year $1.4 billion in Egypts energy industry. The U.S. firm is one of the biggest investors and the largest oil producer in the North African country. ADVERTISEMENT As of the end of 2022, Apache held 5.3 million gross acres in six separate concessions. Some 68% of the companys gross acreage in Egypt is undeveloped, providing considerable exploration and development opportunities for the future, the U.S. company says. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The French government will ask the fuel industry to sell fuels at cost in a bid to cushion the blow of higher oil prices on end consumers, President Emmanuel Macron said this weekend. "The Prime Minister will bring together all the players in the sector this week and we will ask them to sell at cost price, that is to say that no one makes a margin," Macron told French media, as quoted by Reuters. To limit the impact on the poorest workers who drive to work, Macron said the government would grant them compensation of up to 100 euros per car per year. The French president went on to argue that freezing prices at current levels was not as effective as selling at cost. Reuters notes in its report that there had also been ideas to force fuel marketers to sell below cost, which the industry rejected categorically. Be that as it may, Bloomberg notes that Macron left the option of forcing them to sell at a loss on the table while Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne discussed the other idea with fuel sellers. The sell-at-a-loss proposal was going to be temporary, lasting for 60 days, and would require the repeal of a 60-year-old law. It was quickly abandoned, however, when small fuel retailers railed against it, arguing they would be unable to compete with bigger fuel marketers, even though Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire promised help from public coffers. Besides, commentators noted, if fuel retailers and supermarkets were forced to sell at a loss, they would make up for that by raising the prices of other products. Last year, during the last oil price surge, the French government tackled the sensitive issue of fuel prices by subsidizing them heavily. This year, Macron admitted there is no money for that. He also said the government could not afford the cut fuel taxes to cushion the price surge blow because it needed the money to finance the energy transition and the welfare state. ADVERTISEMENT Frances latest budget involves a substantial increase in planned transition spending, from 33 billion euros, or about $35 billion, to 40 billion euros, which is equal to about $42.6 billion. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Shale pioneer Harold Hamm, the founder of Continental Resources, has called for the uncertainty in U.S. oil and gas regulations to end so that the industry can have clearer advance plans on drilling and production operations. The current U.S. Administrations policies regarding oil and gas are like riding a roller coaster, Hamm told oil industry executives and politicians in Oklahoma City, as carried by Bloomberg. Its so important that we have an energy policy thats lasting and somebody cant tinker with it from one administration to the next, according to the shale tycoon who has been criticizing the Biden Administration for its failed policies on energy. Last year, when gasoline prices were soaring in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hamm said, referring to the U.S. Administration, They are not giving us any break out here in the field to produce more hydrocarbons,, adding that leasing was not happening and access to federal permits was not enough. Reduced access to drilling on federal lands is only raising energy costs, the shale mogul said at this weekends event in Oklahoma City. When the federal leases were pulled off the table with this latest administration, it took a full year just to modify everybodys drilling plans, Bloomberg quoted Hamm as saying. The U.S. oil and gas industry, represented by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and 13 other energy trade associations, urged last week the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to revise a proposed rule on federal leasing and called on the Biden Administration to prioritize the energy needs of the American people by developing fair and consistent federal leasing regulations. The associations expressed concern over the damaging impact the rule could have on American energy security. It imposes unreasonable new financial burdens on lessees and operators, the associations said in comments to the proposed rule. ADVERTISEMENT Because of the vital importance of energy production on public lands, overreaching land management regulations place our domestic energy supply at risk, Holly Hopkins, API Vice President of Upstream Policy, said in a statement. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Occidental Petroleum Corp. will not be increasing oil output, with its CEO saying that the recent surge in oil to above $90 per barrel is happening without balance in the market. Speaking on Bloomberg Television, Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said, Only in a market where we see balance would we increase our oil production and even then it would be at a moderate pace. Even if oil prices topped $100 per barrel, Hollub told Bloomberg, they would not likely be sustainable long enough to lead to demand destruction. Hollub cited the shale industrys new-found discipline to hold off on production increases that at the height of the sale boom led to drillers taking advantage of high per-barrel prices in the short-term by raising output significantly, leading to a market oversupply problem. Shale investors are more interested in increased dividends than they are in production growth, this time around, and Ninepoint Energy Fund manager Eric Nuttall sees todays soaring oil prices as an indication of higher dividends and more buybacks to come from oil companies, as high crude prices create more free cash flow. You need not be bullish on higher oil prices for these companies to do phenomenally well, Nuttall said. You can buy into a sector with their strongest balance sheets in history, highest free cash flow in history, and an imminent pivot towards more meaningful buybacks and dividends. Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR), a subsidiary of Enverus, said in an August report that U.S. shale production decline curves had steepened significantly since 2010, and are set to steepen further. The U.S. shale industry has been massively successful, roughly doubling the production out of the average oil well over the last decade, but that trend has slowed in recent years, the reports authors noted. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: South Koreas biggest energy major, SK Innovation Co. has started oil production from an offshore field in the South China Sea, the Korea Economic Daily reports. SK Innovation, which is operating in the field via a former subsidiary, SK Earthon Co., has partnered with Chinas CNOOC on the project. CNOOC is the majority partner, with a 60.8% interest, and SK Earthon holds the rest. The company was spun off from SK Innovation two years ago. The field is seen producing 29,500 barrels daily at peak production, which would be enough to cover more than 1% of South Koreas consumption, the news outlet said, noting that peak production rate is expected next year. The South China Sea is a hot issue for the countries surrounding it because of Chinas claims for territorial rights to most of it. Oil and gas resources in the basin are one of the reasons the issue is so hot. Back in 2013, the EIA estimated oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea at 11 billion barrels of crude and 190 trillion cubic feet of gas in both proved and probable reserves. Most of the oil and gas that is being extracted from the sea lies close to the countries that surround it in areas that China does not dispute. However, there may be another 12 billion barrels of oil and 160 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in untapped depositsabout a fifth of them in disputed areas. The EIA notes that these were not commercial reserves at the time, but technology has moved on quickly and they may well be commercially viable now. South Korea and China have been at odds over the South China Sea but it appears this has not prevented the state-owned CNOOC from working with private SK Earthon. The latter has stakes in ten oil fields whose combined output is 52,000 barrels daily. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Tajikistana nation heavily dependent on crude oil importsis looking to develop its green hydrogen industry, with a goal of producing 1 million tons of hydrogen by 2040, the countrys Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma told Reuters on Monday. Tajikistan plans to have 10 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Tajikistan currently generates almost all of its electricity with hydropower and imports almost all of its crude oil from Russia. Its interim goal is to have 500,000 tons of green hydrogen capacity by 2030, before its doubled by 2040, thanks to affordable competitive electric power, Juma said. And 75% of that green hydrogen is set to be exported to other Central Asian countries that are currently using fossil fuels. Tajikistan is looking to diversify its power sources away from hydropower, hoping to have at least 10% of its electricity come from other sourceslike solar and windby 2030. Hydrogen, an abundant element found in water, natural gas, and other organic compounds, can be used as a fuel source or as an energy carrier in applications such as transportation, heating, and electricity generation. Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, which involves splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity from renewable sources such as solar or wind power. The resulting hydrogen gas is then compressed and stored for use as a clean energy source. Unlike traditional hydrogen production methods, which rely on fossil fuels like coal or natural gas, green hydrogen production emits no greenhouse gases and has zero carbon footprintit also hopes to solve the intermittency issues with renewables like solar and wind. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: The cost of transporting U.S. crude from the Gulf Coast to Europe has been increasingly determining the discount at which the U.S. benchmark WTI trades relative to the North Sea crude benchmark Brent, according to estimates by Argus. So far in September, the cost of shipping a U.S. crude cargo from the Gulf Coast to Europe has been nearly the same as the Brent-WTI spread. This month, a cargo of 700,000 barrels of WTI crude has cost $2.33 per barrel on average to transport from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Europe. This has been only a penny away from the average premium at which the second-month Brent futures contract on the ICE has traded over the NYMEX front-month WTI futures contract, Argus has estimated. The Brent benchmark has seen downward pressure since WTI crude was included on June 1 in the Brent crude basket that underlies the world's most traded benchmark contract. WTI Midland became the first non-European grade included in the basket, highlighting the change that the U.S. shale revolution brought about for the global oil market. After WTI Midland joined the Brent benchmark, Brent has seen downward pressure because WTI shipments to Europe are much higher than the combined loadings of the other crudes underpinning the North Sea benchmark, according to Argus. Before WTI Midland was included in the Brent assessment, the underlying crudes in the benchmark were the local North Sea grades Brent, Forties, Oseberg, Ekofisk, and Troll. Since WTI Midland was included in the Dated Brent assessment, analysts at Vortexa have observed a new trading pattern in U.S. crude exports to Europe. Vortexa has observed a significant increase in crude exports, especially to Europe, in the second half of the month compared to the first half of the month, Rohit Rathod, Senior Oil Market Analyst at Vortexa, wrote in a note earlier this month. A potential reason is that the WTI trading window rolls into the next trading window around the 20th of each month, while the expiry of the Brent contract happens towards the end of the month, Rathod added. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Omaha Community Playhouse is once again looking for a new artistic director. Stephen Santa, who joined the theater staff in November 2021, resigned Monday, effective immediately. Santa came to the Playhouse from Pittsburghs Jumping Jack Theater, where he was the co-founder. The theater produces new works for young audiences with developmental disabilities and sensory sensitivities. He directed the current Playhouse show, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which has received enthusiastic reviews from local critics and audiences, and Rent, which had a sold-out and extended run last season. Playhouse officials will name new directors for two shows he was slated to direct this season: The Play That Goes Wrong and Hello, Dolly! All casting for current and future productions will not change. With other staffers, Santa created the VROOM! Mobile Sensory Theatre, a traveling company designed for children with autism and other sensory challenges. He also established and bolstered collaborations and partnerships with other Omaha organizations, including the Nebraska AIDS Project, Film Streams, Fermented Felon and the Circle Theater, among others. On behalf of the OCP Board of Directors, we are appreciative of the artistic direction that Stephen brought over the last two years, Camille Metoyer Moten, board president, said in an email announcement to theater supporters. We are grateful for his artistic passion, creativity and contributions that will live on for years to come. We wish him the very best in his next endeavors. Santa is one of a series of Playhouse administrators to resign in recent months. Executive Director Katie Broman resigned several months ago to take a marketing job. Rebecca Noble, a former Omaha South High School educator and executive director of the Dundee Dinner Theater, replaced her. Kathy Tyree, who was hired as part of the theaters ongoing push to improve its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, resigned earlier this year, and the Playhouse is seeking her successor. The theater canceled its final musical last season, "In the Heights" by Lin-Manuel Miranda, citing casting problems. The cancellation prompted complaints from people in the Omaha theater community. In the announcement to Playhouse supporters, Santa praised his former colleagues and others at the Playhouse. I wish to express my profound gratitude for the exceptional artists and dedicated staff members with whom I had the privilege of collaborating, he said. OCP is a unique gem, and I cannot wait to witness the promising future that lies ahead. He didnt give a reason for his resignation or talk about his plans. Phone calls to Playhouse administrators Monday afternoon were not answered. The Playhouse will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. The board of directors plans to appoint an interim artistic director in the coming weeks. Omaha Community Playhouse through the years Legendary rock band Journey will trek to Omaha for an April 15 show at the CHI Health Center. The concert will be part of the band's 50th anniversary Freedom Tour 2024 and feature special guest Toto. Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, who will visit 30 cities across North America, are known for chart-topping hits including "Any Way You Want It," "Faithfully" and "Don't Stop Believin'." The band will be joined by Toto, best known for hits "Rosanna," "Africa" and "Hold the Line." Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 (CNN) Intelligence gained by the Five Eyes network led to Canadas public accusation that the Indian government may have played a role in the assassination of a Sikh separatist activist on Canadian soil, the US Ambassador to Canada said Sunday. Im confirming that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped lead Canada to making the statements that the prime minister made, US Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, told CTVs Question Period with Vassy Kapelos in a Sunday interview. Five Eyes is an intelligence sharing pact between the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, though the ambassador would not confirm if that shared intelligence came from the US. Im not. I wouldnt in any circumstance, Cohen said. Relations between India and Canada plummeted last week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said authorities had been investigating credible allegations that New Delhi was potentially behind the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist activist, who was gunned down by two masked men in Surrey, British Columbia. India has vehemently denied the claims, calling them absurd and motivated. Indias foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Canada has provided no specific information to support the allegations. Both nations have expelled senior diplomats in reciprocal moves, raising the prospect of an awkward rift between key partners of the US. The spat then escalated further last week when India suspended visa services for Canadian citizens over what it said were security threats against diplomats in Canada. Speaking to CTV, Cohen said the US did express its concern to India over the allegations and asked New Delhi to cooperate with Canada in its investigation. If they prove to be true, it is a potentially a very serious breach of the rules based international order, the ambassador said. On Sunday, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair sought to shift the focus from questions over its intelligence to the criminal investigation of Nijjars killing. In an interview with CBC, Blair said the Five Eyes partnership is critically important and that Canada has very credible intelligence that causes us to be deeply concerned, but declined to identify the sources of that information. Its another reason why I place such emphasis on the investigation thats taking place, that wed be able to move beyond credible intelligence to evidence, strong evidence, of exactly what happened, so that we and the Indian government can know the truth, have the facts and then work together to resolve it in an appropriate way, he said. Trudeau on Thursday urged India to shed full transparency, ensure accountability and justice in this manner. We call upon the government of India to work with us. To take seriously these allegations and to allow justice to follow its course, the prime minister said at the Canada Mission in the United Nations. Trudeau said Canada is not looking to provoke or cause problems but said its justice system, and robust processes will follow its course, in regard to investigating the allegation. In a strongly worded statement to reporters Thursday, Bagchi called Canada a safe haven for terrorists and that Canada needed to worry about its international reputation in the wake of its explosive allegations. Bagchi, said the suspension of visa services to Canadian nationals was because of Canadian authorities incitement of violence and inaction. The creation of an environment that disrupts the functioning our high commission and consulates, thats whats making us stop temporarily the issuance of visas or providing visa services, Bagchi, said. Militancy or campaigning? The Indian government has long accused Canada of inaction in dealing with what it said is Sikh separatist extremism aimed at creating a separate Sikh homeland that would be known as Khalistan and include parts of Indias Punjab state. Nijjar was an outspoken supporter of the creation of Khalistan. India considers calls for Khalistan a grave national security threat. A number of groups associated with the idea of Khalistan are listed as terrorist organizations under Indias Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Nijjars name appears on the list of UAPA terrorists and in 2020, the Indian National Investigation Agency accused him of trying to radicalize the Sikh community across the world in favor of the creation of Khalistan. Several Sikh organizations overseas say the movement is being falsely equated with terrorism by the Indian government, and say they will continue to peacefully advocate for the creation of Khalistan, while bringing to light what they say is years of human rights abuses faced by the community in India. According to local police, Nijjar was gunned down in his truck in June by two masked killers outside a Sikh temple in western Canada. His death both shocked and outraged the Sikh community in Canada, one of the largest outside India and home to more than 770,000 members of the religious minority. Canadian police have not arrested anyone in connection with Nijjars murder. But in an August update, police released a statement saying they were investigating three suspects and issued a description of a possible getaway vehicle, asking for the publics help. This story was first published on CNN.com. "Western intelligence led to Canada accusing India of Sikh activists assassination, US Ambassador says" The Nebraska Community Blood Bank introduced a new donor screening policy Monday that is no longer based on sexual or gender identity. For years, blood donors were screened based on sexual identity, under a policy specifically targeting gay and bisexual men, but that has now changed. A new system is being implemented across the country to make it so eligible blood donors will be identified through an Individual Donor Assessment questionnaire instead of based on their sexual preferences. On the questionnaire, all potential donors will be asked whether they have had new sexual partners or multiple sexual partners in the past three months. If they answer yes to either question, they will then be asked whether they have participated in anal sex within the last three months. If the answer is yes again, the individual will not be able to donate blood for three months. With this process, blood banks are able to asses each potential donor individually and be as inclusive as possible, all while still working to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HIV. Even though every blood donation is tested for infectious diseases before being used, faulty tests can happen. The questionnaire system is just one additional step to ensure safe blood transfusions. Other requirements to give blood include having a pulse and blood pressure within acceptable limits, a regular temperature and normal levels of blood hemoglobin. Donors also must meet the minimum age requirement, which is 17 years old in Nebraska, and be free of infections. The FDA finalized plans for the new policy in May of this year, and the Nebraska Community Blood Bank has been working to complete the adoption of the questionnaire, update computer systems and train staff. In the past, regulations for male gay and bisexual donors were much more strict. Amid the worldwide HIV epidemic, the FDA placed a lifetime deferral on blood donations for gay and bisexual men in 1983. It was later lifted in 2015 and changed to a 12-month deferral, then changed again in 2020 to become the current three-month deferral. For decades, we have strongly advocated for scientifically based changes to the FDA policies regarding gay and bisexual men, and this recent decision by the FDA is a huge step toward making blood donation more inclusive, Kathy Geist, vice president of the Nebraska Community Blood Bank, said in a press release. We look forward to welcoming these new donors to our centers and blood drives, especially following a tough summer with low donor turnout. Last week, the blood bank declared a blood emergency, saying at the time that it had only a one- to three-day supply. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 Whether in the military, teaching music or working as a principal in the Omaha Public Schools, Edward Ed Klima produced a lifetime of service to the community. He was very, very proud of his time in the (military) service, but his great love was education, son Dan Klima of Omaha said. He loved being involved in the education of youth and helping them prepare for their lifetimes to come. Klima, 94, died last Tuesday of natural causes. A funeral service will be held Tuesday at Braman Mortuary, 1702 N. 72nd St. Visitation starts at 10 a.m., with services at 11:30 a.m. A reception will be held afterward at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Benson. Born on a farm near Ord, Nebraska, Klima and his family later moved to Omaha, where he graduated from North High in 1947. He went on to graduate with a fine arts degree from the University of Omaha, now the University of Nebraska at Omaha, supporting himself by playing trumpet with big bands. Klima played trumpet throughout college, riding all night after gigs all over the Midwest to return in time for 8 a.m. class, his son said. It was during this time that Klima met his future wife, Diane Purdy, when he asked whether she would arrange a date for him with one of her sorority sisters but ended up taking her out instead. Klima, who had been in the Marine Corps reserves, reported for active duty after graduation with the Air Force Reserve at Offutt Air Force Base. There, he played in the 702nd SAC Band, now known as the Heartland of America Band. In 1958, Klima received a call from the Omaha Public Schools to be a traveling instrumental music teacher. Over a period of three years, he served in numerous elementary schools, including many in inner-city Omaha. Encouraged by educators, he returned to Omaha University and received a masters degree in school administration in 1960. Klima worked as an intermediate curriculum specialist for OPS before he accepted the job as principal at Ashland Park Elementary School in 1964. In 1968, Klima moved to Lewis and Clark Junior High as principal, a post he left after six years to become the districts director of staff development. He returned to work as a principal in 1976, accepting an assignment to Martin Luther King Junior High School. A year later, he moved to Burke High School, where he ended his career in 1991. More than 100 people paid tribute to the longtime principal at a reception celebrating his 33-year teaching career. Ellen Johnson told a World-Herald reporter at the reception that she remembered Klima both as a teacher and a boss. Klima taught Johnson flute and clarinet when she was in the fourth grade. Fourteen years later, Klima was the principal at Lewis and Clark when Johnson joined the faculty as a physical education teacher. He can name all the kids he ever taught, Johnson said at the time. What I would give for his memory. At home, Dan and older brother Kent both took up the trumpet. The boys also learned early that their father was widely known in the community. We would go out to eat at restaurants, and then when we were ready to leave, Mom, my brother and myself would always be standing at the door, Dan said. That was because Dad would be stopping at tables talking to people he had taught or the parents of his students. He knew everyone. Klima is preceded in death by his wife. In addition to his sons, he is survived by two grandchildren. Memorials in his name are suggested to St. Paul United Methodist Church at 5410 Corby St. and the Omaha Public Schools Foundation. A 68-year-old man was injured Friday in a two-vehicle collision with a deputy from the Washington County Sheriffs Office. James Winter of rural Washington County was taken to Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha by Fort Calhoun medics, according to a statement from the Sheriffs Office. The 27-year-old deputy, Morgan Ransiear, was not injured. A preliminary investigation found that Ransiear was eastbound on County Road 40 just west of County Road 45 in a 2022 Ford Interceptor about 7:30 a.m. Ransiear, who was en route to investigate a personal-injury crash, lost control of his vehicle on the rain-slickened road, crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2022 Hyundai Tucson driven by Winter. The lights and siren of the Interceptor were operating at the time of the collision. The incident is under investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol. GRAND ISLAND, Neb. On a visit to Grand Island Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talked about the impact a $15.2 million federal grant will have on two companies that operate in Grand Island, Cathcart Rail and GMCO Corp. Buttigieg appeared at the Cathcart Rail facility west of Grand Island. Before delivering an address, Buttigieg toured the plant, which is in Cornhusker Industrial Park. The grant was awarded to Cathcart Rail to fund the Cornhusker Railroad Regional Connectivity Project. GMCO Corp. will not receive any of the grant, but the improvements from the project will benefit its business. The grant was one of 70 rail improvement projects announced Monday to improve rail safety and boost capacity. Funded by the 2021 infrastructure law, the $1.4 billion in projects are in 35 states and Washington, D.C. Maintenance of Americas tracks has been long-deferred, Buttigieg said. America has tolerated more than 1,000 derailments a year, year after year for decades, he said. Cathcart Rail is a freight rail service and transportation company that operates repair facilities, railroad mechanical field services and short-line railroads. The company, which has been in business seven years, owns Cornhusker Railroad. Cathcart currently has close to 100 employees in Grand Island. With the $15.2 million grant, Cathcart will rebuild the full 5 miles between the BNSF and Union Pacific tracks, said Casey Cathcart, co-founder, chairman and CEO of the company. The company will also upgrade the yard, add two 2-mile long sidings to help facilitate better interchange between BNSF and Union Pacific and fund the construction of a new rail repair facility. GMCO operates a company called GMCO Growth Technologies, which will manufacture fertilizer near the Cathcart facility. Buttigieg expressed thanks to Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., who was not present. Fischers vote for President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is directly responsible for the funding that we are able to celebrate around the country and pieces of good news like the good news were celebrating today, Buttigieg said. Not a lot of things happen on a bipartisan basis in Washington these days, but this did, Buttigieg said. A number of Republicans crossed the aisle to work with Democrats and President Biden to get that funding in place. And now were bringing that funding out to get things done. The Biden administration is making passenger and freight rail safer, Buttigieg said. Recently, in North Platte, he said, there was a railcar chemical fire that reminded us once again of the stakes of railroad safety. Residents, before the all-clear was sounded, had the frightening experience of having to evacuate their homes. We need to make sure that we speak to every community that wonders whether they might be the next to be affected by something like that. Investment is needed partly because laws and practices have been so weak that many of the largest and most profitable players werent being held accountable. Were working with Congress to fix that. Over about half a century, he said, America did not invest enough in rail. In 2018, federal, state and local governments collectively spent on rail about 1% of what they spent on roads. Rails importance is worth a lot more than that, Buttigieg said. The bipartisan infrastructure law is helping to make freight rail and passenger rail safer more reliable, more efficient and more resilient, he said. In addition to improved rail service, the funding will lead to more jobs, Buttigieg said. Leaders here project that these improvements will directly add 12 good jobs right at the repair facility and then at least another 40 or so in the region, thanks to new economic development thats flowing from the increased rail capacity, Buttigieg said. I know that 50 jobs might not sound like a lot to some of the representatives I encounter on Capitol Hill, who seem to think that unless youre talking about thousands at a time in terms of jobs, or billions in terms of dollars, things dont count as much, he said. But as those of us who come from the middle of the country know, those jobs add up. They add up hugely, especially when theyre good-paying jobs that people can educate their kids and own a home with. Buttigieg, a former presidential candidate, was once the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Cathcart Rail employs close to 1,000 people in 100 locations across 33 states. Cathcart will provide a 20% match for the $15.2 million grant. Were going to be adding a lot more jobs, Cathcart said. Were going to be growing. Were going to be building in this area, and its very exciting. Cathcart also has Nebraska facilities in Hastings and Alliance. Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele told Cathcart leaders: Your vision for the growth and modernization of rail in central Nebraska is a significant driver of the economic growth we are experiencing and an important source of well-paying jobs for our residents. Steele talked about the role the railroads played in the growth of Grand Island. That cornerstone of prosperity remains firmly in place, Steele said. Rail continues to drive economic growth. It provides well-paying and stable jobs and it generates prosperity in central Nebraska. Steele also said he appreciated the significant investments that Biden and Congress are making in rural infrastructure and transportation projects, particularly in Grand Island. And he hailed the strong work ethic of our residents who provide these employers with a workforce that is second to none. I am extremely proud to stand with Secretary Buttigieg right here in the Cornhusker Industrial Park, in recognition of the dynamic vision we share for continued economic growth of the city of Grand Island and the great state of Nebraska. Buttigieg told Steele that his enthusiasm for this community is contagious. It speaks to me as a former mayor. Buttigieg added that Steele made him feel at home. And I do feel very at home, because if you get on Interstate 80 and you go east about 800 miles and make two right turns, you come to the house I grew up in. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 Do you Ookla? Nebraskans who think the internet offered in their area is slow might want to get familiar with it. The Ookla website, another from M-Lab and others provide a free and easy way to check your internet speeds. With one click, the websites display your download and upload speeds, important for streaming movies, browsing, gaming and emailing and for knowing what your provider is delivering to your door. As the Nebraska Broadband Office draws up plans to extend broadband across the state, speed tests will become a particularly useful tool to some Nebraskans. Under newly released state plans, residents could use speed tests to verify whether the internet at their house or business lags behind federal speed thresholds. Test results will help the state ensure the accuracy of the map on which deployment plans will be based and grants awarded to companies that will build out the systems. Specifics of the states plans can be found in two new reports prepared by the Nebraska Broadband Office as required by the federal government. The Broadband Office has posted a draft of its Initial Proposal Volume I and a Nebraska Internet for All Five-Year Action Plan that together describe how it intends to extend high-speed internet using $405 million in federal funds available through the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment Program. The money comes from the $42.45 billion Congress authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. I believe the money that is coming in through this program for broadband is a once-in-a-generation amount, said Patrick Haggerty, director of the Nebraska Broadband Office. Preliminary Nebraska counts have identified 67,000 locations that are unserved and 37,000 underserved, but those could change as people make use of a challenge process. Residents have until Oct. 14 to comment on the states initial proposal, which basically lays out the rules for challenging the states designation of your location as served or unserved. Haggerty is scheduled to hold an informational meeting on the proposal from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Monday at the Nebraska Department of Transportation District 2 Headquarters, 4425 S. 108th St. in Omaha. The five-year plan lists so-called community anchor institutions such as libraries, senior centers and medical clinics statewide that lack high-speed access. Those vital institutions have been identified as not yet served by very fast 1 gigabit download and upload speeds. The institutions could be aided through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, but first priorities for the program are unserved and then underserved locations. Public comment will be incorporated into the states proposal, which will be submitted to the federal government. Once it is approved, the state can move on to the challenge process early next year. Under the law, the state must allow businesses and residents to challenge a determination as to whether a particular location is sufficiently served. The state has created an interactive map which is located on the Broadband Office website. Residents can type their street address into the Nebraska Broadband Availability map and see how their property has been designated. As one might expect, the map shows the Omaha metro and Lancaster County areas generally served, while rural areas not so much. Haggerty said he hopes to receive comment on how the map could be improved to be more useful. Challenges will be allowed through a local or tribal government, nonprofit organization or service provider. For instance, some organizations like AARP have already expressed interest in aiding residents with challenges, Haggerty said. The states initial proposal says the state will use rigorous speed test methodologies to check if served locations actually receive service that is materially below 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload for unserved and 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload for underserved. Download speeds involve retrieving information from the internet, including streaming movies and TV. Upload speeds determine how fast information travels from a computer to the internet, like sending emails or publishing photos online. The challenge process will be an opportunity to let the state know of any dead zones or pockets that arent served, he said. Thats exactly what were looking for the public and these local governments to do when we open up this challenge process, Haggerty said. Hopefully, next January, they go in and say This address is showing its served on your map, but it is not served. And heres the evidence to prove that. The challenge phase is tentatively planned for Jan. 3 to Feb. 2, 2024. People will be able to challenge for a variety of reasons, and providers will have a chance to rebut a challenge. One reason for a challenge is availability, by showing the speeds are not offered at a location. To back their case, a person could provide a screenshot of the providers web page, email or letter from the provider refusing service, evidence theres no fiber to the home or that the provider was charging excessive fees to install it. Another reason would be speed, if the actual speed of the service tier falls below the unserved or underserved thresholds. This could be proved with a speed test, as long as the test met the reliability requirements for the test. The state has indicated that tests from Ookla and another website, M-Lab, would be accepted. The proposal outlines some specific protocols a person must follow to assure reliability of the test results. The internet company, in turn, could present evidence to prove it actually delivered satisfactory speeds to the customer, and the slowdown was caused by a slow router or computer, or some other situation in the home like a thick wall or fish tank blocking a signal. Providers will have a maximum of 30 business days from notification of a challenge to provide rebuttal information to the broadband office. The rebuttal phase is tentatively planned for Feb. 3 to March 16, 2024. The final determination phase is tentatively planned for March 17 to April 16, 2024. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023 BLOOMINGTON A week into the rollout of the Pretrial Fairness Act that eliminated cash bail in Illinois, law enforcement and prosecutors in Central Illinois say its going as expected. All things considered, I think it went fine. Were still in the very infancy phase of everything, and well see how this plays out, said McLean County States Attorney Erika Reynolds. After months of preparations, stakeholders in the criminal justice arena are still working out some unforeseen challenges, but Reynolds said those were small in the first week. Just little things that you dont necessarily think of until you get down in the details, and thats the thing about this law: the devils in the details, she said. Just trying to work through that and anticipate problems that have come up in other jurisdictions and how to deal with those. The first hiccup in McLean County came on the first day, Sept. 18, when the prosecutor and defense attorney disagreed about whether a defendant taken into custody before Sept. 18 should be treated under the Pretrial Fairness Act or given bond. An interesting question that, even though Ive been dealing with this for a year, I hadnt thought of before, Chief Judge Casey Costigan said after last Mondays hearing. The second day, Sept. 19, saw no cases brought before the PFA judge in McLean County, as defendants had either been released by law enforcement or held for additional time before their first court appearance. On Friday, a public defender flagged a potential issue with the temporary appointment of the public defender's office, noting if the appointment is terminated at the end of the defendant's initial appearance in court, they might not have an attorney available to file an appeal, as is their right within 14 days of the hearing. The attorney asked that the public defender's office remain appointed to represent the defendant. Amid the overhaul of the criminal justice system, attorneys and judges now are holding hearings for people who were already in custody before the new law went into effect and want to be released. Reynolds said she expects that process to take weeks as defense attorneys work through whether their clients want to be treated under the old system or the new, and prosecutors in turn decide whether they will seek to keep individuals detained under the dangerousness or willful flight standards. For individuals expected to be released, attorneys on each side will work to negotiate conditions of their release in order to streamline the process, asking that a court order be entered rather than scheduling a hearing, Reynolds said. Reynolds said her prosecutors are rolling with the punches as they come, noting First Assistant States Attorney Brad Rigdon has spent at least 1,000 hours studying and teaching her team about the Pretrial Fairness Act. Coming up with scenarios, talking to different stakeholders, so its been constant communication with him all week, Reynolds said. They have been answering questions as they come up, working to have a consistent approach from the states attorneys office, she said. McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane said that, having kept a close eye on how the new law has affected his department, All reports are that things are going smoothly. In Livingston County, Sheriff Ryan Bohm also said his office has not faced significant issues so far under the Pretrial Fairness Act. The law in itself was a solution to a problem that we simply don't have in Central Illinois," Bohm said. "In some of the larger cities, they have a lot of issues, and that's what the SAFE-T Act was designed for." The SAFE-T Act was the sweeping criminal justice legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly in January 2021 that also included mandates for law enforcement, including body cameras and use-of-force regulations. The Pretrial Fairness Act is the pretrial release provision of the larger legislation. Bohm said he anticipates problems for law enforcement patrols because those accused of low-level misdemeanors will no longer be taken to jail. As defendants who opt to be treated under the Pretrial Fairness Act begin to file motions for release, Bohm said he expects to see a decrease in the Livingston County Jail population within the next six months, but detainments may increase as a result of people not showing up for their court dates. The Pantagraph could not reach Livingston County State's Attorney Mike Regnier by press time. Bohm added he believes judges were very fair in how they set bond before this law. "If you don't have that, what is the initiative for them to come back to Livingston County other than go to court?" Bohm asked. "I think that we're going to see a tremendous number of people that just don't show up for their court hearings, and they just don't have a reason to, (so) they're going to avoid it." Who was there? Photos from ZooDo 2023: Magic in the Wild Honorary ZooDo co-chairs Kim and Rick Percy Miller Park Zoo Director Jay Pratte discusses the many improvements made to the Zoo and the great things still to come at the annual ZooDo Volunteers Cheryl Magnuson and Tracy Patkunas help check in guests. Honorary ZooDo co-chair Rick Percy speaks to Kourtney and Cody Erbes. Brandon Shaffer, Garrett Vonderheide, Jackie Young Lucy and Dick Meads Debi and Jim Grossman Jonell Kehias, Debi and Jim Grossman John and Vickie Robertson Kevin and Shelleigh Birlingmair Peggy Hundley, Jim Grossman at the silent auction tables Suzi Nafziger, Sam Hazleton Shelleigh Birlingmair checks out some jewelry at the ZooDo silent auction. Janet Cox, Sandi McBurney, Vicki Tilton Michael and Laura OConnor Laura Kowalczyk, Peggy Hundley Sandi McBurney, Vicki and Tim Tilton, Janet Cox Dee Frautschi and Joe Painter enjoy conversation the ZooDo Zoo Education Manager Julia Benzel holds Henry, a charismatic salmon-crested cockatoo. Henry is a favorite at events like ZooDo where his verbalizing makes him hard to ignore. Joni and Joe Painter Jonell Kehias, Christina Rogers MIller Park Zoological Society Development Driector Paula Pratt, Mike and Cheryl Philippi Charles Vanden Eynden, Fran Brandeau, Debi Grossman, Elaine Cousins, Joan Vanden Eynden, Ruth Ann Friedberg Elaine Cousins rides the carousel Diane Finney and Cathy Wentworth on the iconic carousel. Jon Voegele and wife Ed document their ride on the carousel, a favorite at the Miller Park Zoo Jon Voegele shows off his rodeo prowess on the carousel with wife Ed (pink) at the annual ZooDo. Monica and Kirk Noraian ride the carousel Mark and Melissa Tremper Miller Park Zoo board president Tom Carroll, Erica Epperson Tom and Sandy Mercier Ed Neaves, Amanda Wycoff Neaves Suzanne Rich, Mary Ann Armstrong Sandy Mercier Buys raffle tickets for the beautiful Diamond Feather Pendant from Bremer as Larum Dean looks on. Diamond Feather Pendant Cat Woods, Ronda and Brad Glenn Watching the otter feeding, one of the unique live animal exhibits that ZooDo guests enjoyed Shane Starkey, Becky Jacobs , Katelynn Tarrant Jeff and Joy Stempora Whitney Cyrulik, Sarah Novotny, Courtney Zell-Armstrong Zookeeper Julia Eley holds a dumbo rat, so named for its oversized ears. Angie and Frank Hoffman Shelleigh Birlingmair spreads her wings at the butterfly sculpture at the zoo Sonya Mau Kaye Andrews Karen and Bob Altman Parading from the zoo to the pavilion to enjoy dinner Joy Stempora takes a photo of Amata, the three banded armadillo held by zookeeper Erik Heinonen Zookeeper Erik Heinonen holds Amata, the three banded armadillo for Christina Rogers to pet as part of the animal encounters at the annual Miller Park ZooDo gala/fundraiser. Kaitlyn Klepec, Jonathon Homan Justin May, David Haynes, Julie Dobski, Julie May Sonya Mau, Kaye Andrews, Mary Ann Armstrong How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region. 100 years ago Sept. 25, 1923: Mrs. Jesse Ausmus, probation officer of Bloomington, is the chairman selected for the award committee in the selection of the design for a regimental flag to be used by the honor regiment of the state training school for girls at Geneva. This award will be made at the 10th annual conference of the Illinois Probation Officers Association, to be held in Bloomington on Oct. 25-28. 75 years ago Sept. 25, 1948: Retail butter prices in Bloomington-Normal dropped an average of 4 cents a pound this week, following the lead of reductions of as much as 7 cents a pound in the Chicago area. They now range from 70 to 76 cents a pound. A Bloomington butter manufacturer said the sharp drop came partially because northern Illinois creameries began churning rather than selling cream, thereby increasing butter offered for sale. 50 years agoSept. 25, 1973: The Normal Liquor Control Commission was briefed on official action ordered in response to a Sept. 15 beer party on Flora Way. It drew an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people. Sponsors said they collected $1,600 in $1 donations for 12-ounce cups from which 693 gallons of beer were consumed. Sponsors of the party reportedly made $650 almost enough to pay a months rent for each of the sponsors. 25 years ago Sept. 25, 1998: Betsy, a 1949 Ford pumper truck used by the Danvers Fire Department as a backup until the mid-1980s, is headed to E. Howard Brandons Car Collectors Hall of Fame along Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. Its owner, firefighter Denis Miller, sold it to Ron Sweeney, who is helping his father-in-law collect vintage trucks for a new display in the museum. BOSTON A pair of front-row balcony tickets to Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 the night President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth sold at auction for $262,500, according to a Boston-based auction house. The tickets are stamped with the date, "Ford's Theatre, APR 14, 1865, This Night Only." They bear the left-side imprint "Ford's Theatre, Friday, Dress Circle!" and are filled out in pencil with section ("D") and seat numbers "41" and "42", according to RR Auction. The handwritten seating assignments and the circular April 14-dated stamp match those found on other known authentic tickets, including a used ticket stub in the collection of Harvard University's Houghton Library, auction officials said. The Harvard stub, which consists of just the left half of the ticket, is the only other used April 14 Ford's Theatre ticket known to still exist, with similar seat assignments filled out in pencil and a stamp placed identically to the ones on the tickets auctioned off Saturday. Just after 10 p.m., during the third act of the play "Our American Cousin," Booth entered the presidential box at the theater in Washington, D.C., and fatally shot Lincoln. As Lincoln slumped forward in his seat, Booth jumped onto the stage and fled out a back door. The stricken president was examined by a doctor in the audience and carried across the street to the Petersen House, where he died early the next morning. Booth evaded capture for 12 days but was eventually tracked down at a Virginia farm and shot. Also sold at Saturday's auction was a Lincoln-signed first edition of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, which fetched nearly $594,000. 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 Only five banks scored above the threshold of 98% in the 2022 Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana Customer Satisfaction Index. This marks a significant improvement over the 2021 edition where only two banks met the threshold. The survey, organized by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana indicated that Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) topped the list followed by Stanbic Bank and Republic Bank, scoring 99.7% and 99.5% respectively. ABSA Bank and First Atlantic bank followed with 97.5% and 96.2% respectively. CBG Bank, Zenith Bank, GCB Bank Plc, Bank of Africa and SG Bank recorded the least score. Lead Researcher and Chief Executive of the Consumer Insights Consults Limited, Dr. Ireneus Gundona, said banks should improve customer service to enhance the financial sector. Banks have been doing well and it shows in this report, but we need to work more looking at the current problems the sector is facing, he said. President of CIMG, Dr. Daniel Kasser-Tee, urged the 23 universal banks to subscribe to this report as the findings will be very useful in shaping their decisions and actions on the three important study variables of Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty, and their individual and combined effects on bank performance. He again advised consumers of the report, particularly the banks, to learn how to put the results to be announced tonight[LS1] to good and prudent use, adding they should first look beyond their positions on the various tables to identify how they fared, for each of the 5 dimensions of service quality, overall customer satisfaction and either dimension of customer loyalty. Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Association of Banks, John Awuah, urged its members to be heavy on improving customer service. We have seen the report and this will help us in shaping customer service going forward. We will look at the good and improve on it as well as correct the bad, he opined. A statement from UMB on the achievement noted, UMB is very proud about this achievement which underscores our 50-year heritage and pedigree in this market. We have prioritized Customer Service and this objective feedback from our customers is gratifying. This validates our strategy of Knowing2Serve, Digital 1st and Transparency as our pillars to drive customer centricity. We dedicate our leadership in service to our customers. They are the reason we are, and we commit to continue to serve mother Ghana with S.P.E.E.D., as we have done since 1972. We must also commend the CIMG and GAB for the world-class effort they have put into providing an empirical basis for measuring service in the industry. Ghana is considered to have one of the most advanced financial services and banking sectors in Africa, regulated by the Bank of Ghana. The overall customer satisfaction for remote banking was 88%, while that of total customer loyalty was 81%. Customer service is defined by saleforce.com as the support a company offers its customers both before and after they buy and use their products or services that helps them have an easy, enjoyable experience with the brand. Customer service is so important that it is now considered a strategic function for organizations across industries. The Banking industry has particularly focused on customer service in contemporary research, learning and practice as it is considered the key variable to customer acquisition and retention in the industry. With respect to the announcement of the results, if it has not yet been published the underlined statement will be correct. However if it has then it should reflect in our communication as such. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Princess Fathia Nkrumah, daughter of Ghanas first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has lambasted excessive use and show of force by police on #OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters. She was a part of protesters who showed up for the mass action over the three-day period specifically lamenting cost of living crisis which she said was worsening. She told JoyNews in an interview: and if thats not enough reason to be here in the streets, then I dont know what is. She also lamented the run down and precarious nature of the healthcare system stressing that living in this country for many is impossible. On the subject of police force deployed on the day, she stated: I think that there is a disparity between the protesters and the amount of force that is being use to deter us. Because none of us here is armed. The only thing I brought to this protest is water and myself. And if you have entire SWAT teams and water cannons and police that is being reinforced by the hour that is armed, against peaceful demonstrators, then something is wrong, Princess Fathia surmised. She is not the only one to have condemned the specific illegal arrest of 49 protesters on Day 1 of the protest (September 21), which incidentally was the birthday of her grandfather. On September 23, the final day of the three-day protests, protesters attempted to force their way through a police barricade deep into the night and march to the presidency. This is despite the illegal arrests and police highhandedness that marred Day 1 when police arrested 49 protesters, who were detained for hours on allegations of unlawful assembly. All of them were later released on bail. Day 2 and 3 passed without any major incident as police barricaded the main road leading to the presidency, Jubilee House, even before the protesters began their march towards the place. While Day 2 saw the blocking of one part of the 37-Accra Road, the final day saw the blocking of both sides which meant vehicular traffic was greatly constrained for the better part of the day. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Deputy Ranking Member of the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, has disclosed that he has personally received several complaints of extortion at the scholarship secretariat. The Member of Parliament for Builsa South says the scholarship secretariat seems to have become one of the most corrupt agencies in Ghana today. He has therefore encouraged individuals with information about their experiences of extortion to reach out so he can follow up on the matter. He promised to keep their identities protected should they share with him any information or their experiences. According to him, some have alleged that they had to pay between Ghc80,000 and Ghc100,000 before their application for scholarships was approved. He said I am getting lots of complaints and information to the effect that the scholarships are sold, in most cases, to persons who dont qualify for any academic work. Those who truly merit scholarships must pay between 80 100k to get their scholarship applications processed. The MP added Though Ive filed a question on complaints about scholarships, I urge anyone who has information on the dubious activities going on at the scholarship secretariat to contact me. I guarantee that I will keep the identities of those willing to share information to help dismantle the cabal profiting from the despicable deals at the secretariat. His comments on the matter follow several posts on Facebook on the matter. Several individuals have shared their experiences, with some of them calling on the Office of Special Prosecutor to deal with the matter. Source: rainbow radio Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Peace Council has expressed worry over Ghanas continuous drop on the global peace index. According to the Council, Ghana has dropped from its enviable positions globally and in the sub-region. Ghana was ranked first most peaceful country in West Africa, second in Africa and 40th in the world in the 2022 global peace index. However, according to the National Peace Council, the 2023 index saw a deep fall of Ghana from 40th position in the world in 2022 to 51st, and from 2nd position in Africa to the 4th position, and second in West Africa. According to the National Peace Council, this is a cause for worry therefore called on all Ghanaians to join efforts to improve and sustain the peace of the country. According to the 2023 global peace index, Ghana has lost its enviable position as most peaceful country in West Africa to Senegal. In 2022 Ghana was second most peaceful country in Africa and first in West Africa and 40th in the world. However, the 2023 report ranking saw a deep fall from 40th position in 2022 to 51st position in 2023 as the most peaceful country in the world as well as from 2nd position in Africa to the 4th position in 2023. This is a cause for worry and we must all work hard to bring back the glory Eastern Regional Chairman of National Peace Council, Dr. Mark Boadu said this during celebration of International Peace Day observed globally on September 21st. He stressed that achieving targets of the sustainable development goals particularly eliminating hunger and poverty is critical to securing peace in the country. Speaking about the Eastern region, Dr. Mark Boadu stated that although the region is peaceful, chieftaincy disputes and related conflicts continue to threaten the peace of the region. On his part, the Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong encouraged all in the region to commit and demonstrate peace building in all endeavors. He said lets reject intolerance and discrimination, ethnicity and tribalism, and recognized that diversity enriches society and promotes mutual coexistent. Nkosuohene of Kwahu Nkwatia, Nana Owiredu Wadie I, and some individuals and organizations were honoured by the National Peace Council for their contribution to promoting peace and culture of love. Nana Owiredu Wadie I, who doubles as chairman of Kabaka Foundation, a non for profit charity organization received the overall prestigious award, Eastern Regional Peace Ambassador Award having used his foundation to accelerate development in line with the sustainable development goals. The citation by the National Peace Council acknowledged Nana Owiredu Wadie I for his outstanding support in mobilizing people and resources for peace building, gender equality, equal participation, empowerment of women among others, the council could not, but select him as the winner of the award. He satisfied five of the Sustainable Development Goals in the area of no poverty, Zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education and peace, justice and strong institutions. Source: starrfm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Emmanuel Macron has said France will withdraw its ambassador and end all military co-operation with Niger following a coup. "France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France," Mr Macron said. He added that military co-operation was "over" and French troops would leave in "the months to come". The military junta which seized power in Niger in July welcomed the move. "This Sunday we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger," the junta said, in a statement quoted by AFP news agency. There are about 1,500 French soldiers in the landlocked West African country. The decision by Paris follows months of animosity and protests against the French presence in the country, with regular demonstrations in the capital Niamey. The move deals a hammer blow to France's operations against Islamist militants in the wider Sahel region and Paris' influence there. But Mr Macron said France would "not be held hostage by the putschists," speaking to France's TF1 and France 2 television stations. Mr Macron said he still regarded ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as the country's "sole legitimate authority" and had informed him of his decision. He described the deposed president as a "hostage". "He was targeted by this coup d'etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice," he said. Niger is one of several former French colonies in West Africa where the military has recently seized control - it follows Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Chad. The latest coup was in Gabon in August. Anti-French vitriol has flourished in the region in recent years, with many local politicians accusing Paris of carrying out neocolonialist policies - a charge denied by France. There have also been concerns in the West over the growing role in the Sahel of Russia's Wagner mercenary group. It is accused of human rights abuses and has been helping some new military regimes. The regional Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), supported by France, has threatened military intervention in Niger to reinstate Mr Bazoum. But so far it has not acted. Niger's military leaders told French ambassador Sylvain Itte he had to leave the country after they overthrew Mr Bazoum on 26 July. However, a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognise the military regime as legitimate. Mr Macron's statement also comes hours after Niger's coup leaders banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country. The regional air safety organisation, ASECNA, said that Niger's airspace was "open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France including those of the airline Air France". The airspace would remain closed for "all military, operational and other special flights", unless receiving prior authorisation, the message said. Air France told AFP simply that it was "not flying over Niger airspace". Source: bbc Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Professor Joseph Osafo has urged Ghanaians to be responsible citizens and ensure they do the right thing. The Senior Psychologist at the University of Ghana expressed worry over the indiscipline of some Ghanaians towards national development. He bemoaned the culture where some Ghanaians erect buildings and other structures at unauthorized places as well as engaging in activities that threaten lives and properties. Speaking on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Professor Joseph Osafo admonished the citizenry to "stop our irresponsible behaviors". He stated that "sometimes, the demons we think are around us are actually in us. Our attitudes, there is the need for us to be disciplined" and stressed that "what we are doing to ourselves in this country has nothing to do with prayer". He further advised every individual to exhibit the spirit of nationalism, hence reminding the population that nation building is a deliberate act, "not magic". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Nkosuohene of Kwahu-Nkwatia, Nana Owiredu Wadie I has been honoured by the National Peace Council for his contribution to promoting peace and culture of love in the Eastern Region. The Chief, who doubles as the Chairman of the Kabaka Foundation - a benevolent organization, received the overall prestigious award the "Eastern Regional Peace Ambassador Award". Presenting a citation to acknowledge him for his outstanding support to mobilizing people and resources for peace building, gender equality, equal participation, empowerment of women among others, the Council, could not, but select him as the winner of the award. To come out victorious, he satisfied five of the Sustainable Development Goals in the area of "no poverty, Zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education and peace, justice and strong institutions". Perhaps motivated by ex-American president, John F. Kennedy's maxim that says "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country", Nana Wadie's love for peace and security spurs him on to do more for society. To mention but a few, Nana Owiredu Wadie through his Kabaka Foundation has built and handed over an ultra-modern Circuit Court to the Ghana Judiciary, constructed a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for the Eastern Regional Hospital, donated a brand new 44 pick-up to the newly established Nkwatia Divisional Police Command He has also constructed a smart lab for the St. Peter's SHS, provided free school uniforms, school bags to basic school children, fed and donated cash to over five hundred street hawkers in Okponglo, Shiashi and under-bridge to lesson their burden. The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong who presented the award, commended the Chief for his continuous support to peace building in the Region. Nana Owiredu Wadie, on his part, appreciated the National Peace Council for the honour done him and urged all and sundry to embrace peace and justice. Source: Michael Akrofi/Peace FM News Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A police officer was captured sitting on the ground, pleading with #OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters to clear the roadblock that had brought traffic to a standstill around the 37 Military Hospital. The incident unfolded when protesters clad in black and red attire took to the streets to voice their frustrations and demands for change in a three-day demonstration. The #OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters had taken over major entry points to the capital, causing massive traffic disruptions. Giffard Road, Liberation Road, and Olusegun Obasanjo Highway had all ground to a halt as the demonstrators demanded improvements in the cost of living, an end to corruption, and enhanced governance, among other issues. The scene unfolded when the said police officer, faced with the impassioned protesters and the growing traffic, sought to reason with protesters as he personally appealed for their cooperation, the officer implored the demonstrators to move aside and allow the free flow of traffic. I beg of you to, if it would be possible, move aside for us, he beseeched them. However, the protesters remained steadfast in their resolve and defied the officer's pleas. One protester was overheard shouting, "Aban (government most often refers to police officers), you said if it will be possible, but it won't be possible," amidst cheers and noise from fellow demonstrators. On the last day of the three-day #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests, protesters attempted to force their way through a police barricade deep into the night and march to the presidency. This is despite the illegal arrests and police highhandedness that marred Day 1 when police arrested 49 protesters, who were detained for hours on allegations of unlawful assembly. All of them were later released on bail. Day 2 and 3 passed without any major incident as police barricaded the main road leading to the presidency, Jubilee House, even before the protesters began their march towards the place. While Day 2 saw the blocking of one part of the 37-Accra road, the final day saw the blocking of both sides which meant vehicular traffic was greatly constrained for the better part of the day. A policeman sitting on the ground of the street and pleading with the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters to allow motorists to pass through. What a time to be alive! pic.twitter.com/Do1OYdY2U4 SIKAOFFICIAL (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) September 24, 2023 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Certified Global Economist, Investment Banker and Business Strategist, Dr. Sam Ankrah, has officially launched his bid to contest for the Presidency on December 7, 2023, in what he termed a Second Independence for Ghana. With more than 20 years of experience in providing fiscal, strategic, and operational leadership to business organisations in Europe, the United Kingdom, and across Africa, Dr. Ankrah seeks to become the next President of Ghana to fill in the gaps he says has been created by successive governments in the country since the beginning of the Fourth Republic over 31 years ago. According to him, political parties in Ghana are increasingly becoming obstacles to nation-building. He said loyalty and dedication are to the party and not to the country. Party members now believe they have the right to plunder and grab state assets and resources as their share of the spoils of war when their party wins power. Political party membership in Ghana has replaced regular employment in the Private and Public Sectors as the pathway to career progression and financial self-sufficiency. In an official statement, Dr. Ankrah called on all well-meaning Ghanaians to get registered and join his Alternative Force for Action Movement to redeem the country from the mismanagement it has been plagued with for over three decades. He emphasised the alternatives his movement will offer Ghanaians ahead of the dominant NPP and NDC. He projected ten policies that his Alternative Force for Action will prioritise when Ghanaians support and vote him into office as President. Affordable Housing, Healthcare, Education, Fuel, Affordable Business environment through a vigorous fight against corruption, Affordable sound and economic policies, Affordable and sustainable job creation, and Affordable and efficient government machinery are the ten projects Dr. Sam Ankrah presents to Ghanaians to share in his vision of giving Ghana its second independence. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Notice To Occupy Mahama's Office In 14 Days on the Mahama Airbus Corruption Fixing the Country Movement is appalled at the nonchalant attitude being deployed on the Airbus Corruption investigations. It has been over three years when Airbus SE, a global provider of civilian and military aircraft based in France, agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $3.9 billion to resolve foreign bribery charges with authorities in the United States, France and the United Kingdom arising out of the Companys scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials, as well as non-governmental airline executives, around the world. As part of this coordinated global resolution, the Company also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United Kingdoms Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over bribes paid in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia and Ghana, and the Company agreed to pay approximately 990 million Euros equivalent (approximately $1.09 billion) pursuant to the SFO agreement. The PNF and SFO had investigated the Company as part of a Joint Investigative Team. According to admissions and court documents, beginning in at least 2008 and continuing until at least 2015, Airbus engaged in and facilitated a scheme to offer and pay bribes to decision makers and other influencers, including to foreign officials, in order to obtain improper business advantages and to win business from both privately owned enterprises and entities that were state-owned and state-controlled. As a matter of fact, judicial records made public on 31 January 2020 by the British and American authorities, which Airbus acknowledges to be true, shows that between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus subsidiary specialising in the defence sector hired the brother of a high-ranking Ghanaian elected official(GovernmentOfficial 1), as well as a friend of the said brother and a third person to serve as commercial partners in the sale of three military transport aircraft, model C295, to Ghana. It turned out that Philip Middlemiss, a renowned British actor, Leanne Davis and John Mahamas brother, Samuel Adam Mahama were the intermediaries between Airbus and the former President. In fact, per the court records, "Government Official 1" had such a reputation as a prolific bribe-collector that within three weeks of the election of the incoming Government, AND BEFORE IT WAS SWORN IN, Airbus reached agreement with brother of "Government Official 1," described in the US version of Court documents as "Individual 1." Intriguingly, the British judge in charge of the case found that Airbus had sought, through these kickbacks, to obtain an undue favour from a member of the Ghanaian government. As a result, Ghana indeed bought three Airbus C295 military transport aircraft two in 2011 and another in 2015, all under the presidency of Mills/Mahama. Again, the UK court documents revealed that the intermediaries established a company in Ghana on 7 December 2009 and that a company with the same name was established in the United Kingdom in February of the following year. The Ghanaian company they looked into was owned by the brother of Mr Mahama, and a British television actor who had publicly claimed to be the best friend of John Mahama. Indeed, the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, who had found the corruption suspicions credible enough to open an investigation in February 2020, announced that he had summoned four suspects, Philip Middlemiss and his collaborator Sarah Furneaux, as well as Leanne Davis and Samuel Adam Mahama. The current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng has in a public statement indicated that he is investigating the matter. It has been over a year since the Special Prosecutor announced the new phase of investigations into the matter. Just last week, I personally petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to help the public with the status of the Airbus/Mahama case. And we're yet to receive any response from the office of the Special Prosecutor. In the light of the above, we are issuing 14 days ultimatum to whoever it may concern to see to it that action is taken on the Mahama Airbus Corruption affair. As trusting citizens, we want the Ghanaian justice system to open a thorough enquiry on the Airbus Corruption because we strongly believe that former President Mahama has a lot of questions to answer. And if after the 14days, there's no action in that regards, Fixing the Country Movement will lead a citizens coalition to congregate and picket in front of the office of former President, John Mahama. The nonchalant attitude being deployed on this Airbus matter ought to give way to real action. Signed: Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu (Convener - Fixing the Country Movement) Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Kennedy Agyapong, New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful, has called on Ghanaians living in the diaspora to rally behind his presidential bid, emphasizing his commitment to transforming the nation and addressing its challenges. In an appeal to the Ghanaian diaspora during a church service in the US (September 24), he expressed his concern over the increasing number of young Ghanaians leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad due to a lack of jobs and economic hardships back home. He described the sight of Ghanaian youth excitedly departing for foreign shores as a source of deep personal anguish. "We need a man with foresight, a man who has a dream to change the fortunes of the country and who is your servant before you. He urged Ghanaians both at home and abroad to unite behind a leader who could bring about meaningful change. The Assin Central lawmaker called for unity and collaboration among Ghanaians, emphasizing that collective effort could lead to a better Ghana. He also encouraged Ghanaians to embrace a positive mindset and to believe in their own capabilities. So I am asking again that when you go on your knees, pray for a leader who will change Ghana, the way things are going when you wake up in the morning, you see young Ghanaian men and women excited just to leave the country because there are no jobs. "I bleed in my heart and ask myself where is the future, because we are losing the human resource, so let us come together and I hope with unity, collaboration, we can move for a better Ghana. I want everyone in this room to challenge himself that what every white man has done on earth the black man can do it and therefore we have to challenge ourselves, we should not depend solely on Americans for assistance because God has given us brains so let us use our brains and develop Ghana . Kennedy Agyapong will contest for the flagbearership slot along with three other contenders including Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and Addai-Nimoh. The NPP has slated November 4, 2023, to elect a successor to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as leader of the party. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Salam Mustapha has sent a message to the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstrators and every Ghanaian who is unhappy with President Akufo-Addo's administration to note that the current economic problems are not deliberate but rather occasioned by global crises. According to him, what Ghanaians are going through is not peculiar to this country but also happening in other parts of the world. "It is not deliberate that we are facing serious economic challenges," he said on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo" while tackling the 3-day #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration. "It is not the supposed incompetence in managing the situation that has occasioned the difficulties," he added. Salam Mustapha however called on Ghanaians to be firm in their confidence in President Nana Addo and his government, stressing their economic woes shall not last. "I have absolute confidence and trust in how our leaders are working for us to recover," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Presidential hopeful and former Minister of Trade, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen who shockingly withdrawn from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) upcoming presidential election weeks ago has, today, dropped another bombshell as he announces his resignation from the party. "...under the circumstances, and given the context provided I wish to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning with immediate effect from the NPP to contest for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana as an independent presidential candidate," Alan said during a press conference on Monday, 25th September, 2024. He cited various reasons for his decision, key among them is that "it is abundantly clear" to him that his "services and contributions to the Party are not appreciated, and that my continuous stay in the Party will create further tension and division, which is an exact replay of circumstances that led to my decision to resign from the Party in 2008". Alan Kyerematen, affectionately called 'Alan Cash', addressing the press established his objectives for joining the NPP stating "I joined the New Patriotic Party at the very beginning of its establishment as a Founding Member, believing in its core values and the long-standing traditions of its antecedents, predicated on fairness, equity, probity, accountability, and transparency". "I have devoted the best part of my professional career to serving the Party, and I still believe in the vision of the founding fathers of the Party," he emphasized. But being a founding member of the party and playing a paramount role in the NPP government, Alan is convinced that the New Patriotic Party has abandoned its principles and for that, he no longer wants to associate himself with the party. " . . the NPP as it exists now has very little resemblance to the Party that I joined in 1992 and helped to nurture. The Party has been hijacked by a selected group of Party leaders and elders, government appointees, 'behind the curtain power brokers and some unscrupulous Party apparatchiks," he bellowed. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A Sandia National Laboratories solar-powered hot air balloon taking flight bears sensors including a GPS tracker and reusable infrasound sensor. This flight supported past infrasound research at Sandia. Credit: Sandia National Laboratories In the high desert of Nevada, Elizabeth Silber watched NASA's Sample Return Capsule from OSIRIS-REx descend into Earth's atmosphere on Sunday, but unlike most scientists, she wasn't there for the asteroid rocks. Silber, a physicist at Sandia National Laboratories, is working with researchers from Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, TDA Research Inc., the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Hawaii and the Oklahoma State University in a campaign to record and characterize the infrasound and seismic waves generated by the capsule as it moved through Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speed, about 26,000 miles per hour. This was the largest observational campaign of any hypersonic event in history, and Silber hopes the data will improve scientists' ability to use infrasound to detect meteoroids and other objects moving at hypersonic speeds. Scientists currently use infrasound, a low-frequency sound wave that is generally inaudible to humans, to detect and observe volcanic activity, earthquakes and explosions. Silber said infrasound can also be observed when meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere, but atmospheric conditions like wind can distort the signal, and there's usually relatively little information available about the incoming meteoroid to help with data analysis. "The OSIRIS-REx capsule is the perfect candidate for studying a hypersonic event because we know everything about itthe entry angle, velocity, spin rate, size and massand we can use that information to calibrate our models and test our sensors' abilities," Silber said. "Because the capsule was traveling faster than the speed of sound, it generated a shockwave. As the shockwave propagated away from the capsule, it turned into infrasound waves that could be detected." The multi-agency team launched four solar balloons and two weather balloons equipped with microbarometers in Nevada and had ground-based sensors in multiple locations. "These are tiny little sensors that measure minute changes in air pressure," Silber said. "Infrasound is a pressure wave, and when we group sensors together in an array, we can determine the direction the infrasound is traveling from." Silber said the group had an unprecedented number of sensors recording data, including 45 single sensors, one large rectangular array with 200 sensors, and three arrays composed of four sensors in a triangle formation. At first, the team checked to see how many sensors detected the signal. Back home in the lab, Silber and her colleagues will conduct a more extensive study. "We want to determine where along the trajectory of the capsule the shockwave came from," Silber said. "The wave will be a continuous thing along the trajectory, so the question will be where exactly did that signal originate from? From a certain altitude? From different parts of the trail?" The team plans to compare signals recorded from different locations in Nevada and Utah to see if they point to the same origination spot along the capsule's trail. Because the capsule's speed will change as it plunges toward the surface, moving from hypersonic to supersonic to transonic, the team will also be able to study all stages of flight. "Moreover, we will study how strong acoustic waves propagate, test how well our instruments can capture signals and study the effects of the atmosphere on infrasound waves," Silber said. "All this will enhance our knowledge and ability to use infrasound to detect meteoroids and artificial objects with infrasound." In preparation for this campaign, Silber, Daniel Bowman and Sarah Albert published a paper in Atmosphere reviewing past infrasound and seismic observation studies from the four other sample return missions that have occurred since the end of NASA's Apollo missions and summarizes their utility in characterizing the flight of meteoroids through Earth's atmosphere. Silber is also leading a separate but similar Laboratory Directed Research and Development project to investigate if infrasound can be used to determine the altitude and speed of bolidesbright, exploding meteoroidsin situations when other types of sensors don't provide adequate data. More information: Elizabeth A. Silber et al, A Review of Infrasound and Seismic Observations of Sample Return Capsules Since the End of the Apollo Era in Anticipation of the OSIRIS-REx Arrival, Atmosphere (2023). DOI: 10.3390/atmos14101473 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Cell (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.029 Research led by multiple institutions in China has examined how small, furry, viral vectors affect the spread and evolution of viruses. They report the identification of 669 viruses, including 534 novel viruses, greatly expanding our knowledge of the mammalian virome, including previously unknown coronaviruses and orthorubulaviruses. In their paper, "Host traits shape virome composition and virus transmission in wild small mammals," published in Cell, the team used meta-transcriptomic sequencing of internal organ and fecal samples from 2,443 wild bats, rodents, and shrews from four Chinese habitats. Viruses were identified in nearly all animals studied. Researchers identified viruses related to known human or domestic animal pathogens (e.g., Rotavirus A, Seoul virus, Wenzhou mammarenavirus), including coronaviruses, which have caused diseases like SARS and COVID-19. There were also newly identified viruses from the orthorubulaviruses, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronaviruses (SADS-CoVs), and SARS-related coronaviruses. The study provided robust evidence of cross-species virus transmission. For instance, viruses were found in multiple species of wild small mammals, indicating that these viruses can move between different animal species, potentially including humans. The identification of a bat arenavirus suggests that arenaviruses have made host jumps from rodents to bats. This finding provides phylogenetic insights into the evolution of these viruses. In some virus families, Astroviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Picornaviridae, the study found versions that were relatively distinct from known sequences. Bats, rodents, and shrews were compared in terms of virus richness. Shrews were found to harbor the most viruses in total and the most found in a single species, with up to 150 viruses from 29 viral clades identified in Smith's shrews. Some of these shrew viruses were related to those previously identified in invertebrates, while others were distinct. The team observed cross-species virus transmission at taxonomic levels across species, genus, family, and order, where the same virus was found in three or more mammalian species. Viruses with multi-organ distributions within hosts were more likely to be found in other host species. This suggests that if a virus is present in multiple internal organs, it has a higher chance of spreading to other species. Bats are often considered to harbor more viruses than rodents. Of the animals sampled in the study, bats did have the highest richness, followed by rodents and shrews. While the total number of viruses identified in bats was more than that in rodents, the average number of viruses identified per species of bats and rodents was similar. More information: Yan-Mei Chen et al, Host traits shape virome composition and virus transmission in wild small mammals, Cell (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.029 Journal information: Cell 2023 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Ageeba beach on Egypt's Mediterranean coast. Credit: Aya Gallab, Wikimedia Commons. Egyptian fisheries must be better managed to secure the overall health of the Mediterranean Sea's marine living resources, new research has found. In a new paper in the journal Ocean and Coastal Management, researchers with the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport reconstructed Egypt's marine fisheries' catches from the Mediterranean in the last 100 years and found strong evidence of resource overexploitation. Such overexploitation has pushed fishers to go farther and deeper, increasingly resorting to species lower in the food chain. "The Egyptian Mediterranean marine fisheries consist of a century-old, predominantly trawl fishery as well as other fisheries, such as longlining, purse-seining and multi-gear traditional fisheries," said Dr. Myriam Khalfallah, who led the study as a post-doctoral fellow with the Sea Around Us. "From 1920 to 2019, 3.8 million tons of fish and invertebrates were removed from Egypt's Mediterranean waters. We identified major peaks in catches followed by drastic declines caused by various external events and increased fishing pressure." Decreased landings and fishing of juvenile fish in shallow waters were identified as early as the mid-1920s, as the trawl fleet and the duration and number of its fishing trips grew. "This was a sign that something was amiss," Khalfallah said. "There was a bit of a recovery during World War II and a rapid expansion right after, only to experience another drop starting in the mid-1960s caused by the new Aswan High Dam, which blocked the flow of nutrients from the Nile into the sea." The sardine fishery was the most affected one, declining from 30% of the commercial catch from 1950 to 1965 to less than 4% in 1968. Fisheries' catches eventually returned to pre-dam levels in the late 1980s, likely because of fertilizers applied in farms of the Nile Delta, which ended up enriching the surrounding waters and fueling the growth of sardines and other fish populations. But in the 2000s, catches again began to fluctuate, demonstrating that the resurgence from two decades prior was transient. "There has been a catch decline of nearly 50% between 2011 and 2019, despite increasing fishing pressure," Khalfallah noted. "Stock assessments of commercially important species along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast confirm our evaluation and attribute the decline to overexploitation. Even some of the newly established invasive species appear to be overfished." Fishing down the food web The overexploitation of fish populations was further corroborated when the researchers computed an indicator, the Marine Trophic Index, which indicates the average position most landed fish occupy in the food chain. "The Marine Trophic Index shows that there was fishing up the food chain up to the mid-1950, due mainly to geographic expansion of fisheries," said Dr. Daniel Pauly, co-author of the study and the Sea Around Us principal investigator. "But since the 1970s, without new areas to expand into, excessive fishing induced a 'fishing down' effect that is reflected in lower values of the Marine Trophic Index." Fishing down the food web is the process whereby fisheries in a given ecosystem, having depleted the larger predatory fish on top of the food web, turn to increasingly smaller species, finally ending up with previously spurned small fish and invertebrates. Fishing down, combined with the changes in species composition caused by the warming of the Mediterranean, is expected to increasingly impact Egypt's fisheries. In addition to this, the paper also determined that the mean temperature of catch has been steadily increasing by 0.07 C per year since 1987, underscoring the profound effects of climate change on the region's marine ecosystems and fisheries. "There is a serious need for the Egyptian authorities to take the management of the fisheries seriously, as the alternative implies the loss of an important source of food and livelihoods," Pauly said. The paper "Once upon a century, the Egyptian Mediterranean fisheries (19202019), as affected by 'fishing down' and climate change" is published in Ocean and Coastal Management. More information: Myriam Khalfallah et al, Once upon a century, the Egyptian Mediterranean fisheries (19202019), as affected by 'fishing down' and climate change, Ocean & Coastal Management (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106831 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: Oliverio and Rappaport conducted field research over the summer at Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, which contains many hydrothermal features. Credit: Syracuse University There are an estimated 8.7 million eukaryotic species on the planet. These are organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. Although eukaryotes include the familiar animals and plants, these only represent two of the more than six major groups of eukaryotes. The bulk of eukaryotic diversity comprises single-cell eukaryotic microorganisms, known as protists. By studying protists, scientists can gain insight to the evolutionary processes that shaped the diversity and complexity of eukaryotic life and led to innovations such as multicellularity that made animal life on the planet possible. As researchers work toward a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the evolution of species on Earth, questions remain about how microbial eukaryotes adapted to the planet's extreme environments. To dive further into this topic, scientists in the Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences' (A&S's) Department of Biology are currently investigating protists that inhabit some of the harshest environments on Earth: extremely hot and acidic geothermal lakes. A team led by Angela Oliverio, assistant professor of biology, recently returned from Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, home to the largest geothermal lake in the U.S. "This lake is an acid-sulfate steam-heated geothermal feature, meaning it is both quite hot (~52 C/124 F) and acidic (pH ~2)," says Oliverio, who started at Syracuse University in 2022. "This makes it a very unique environment to study polyextremophiles, which are organisms that have adapted to two or more extreme conditionsin this case high temperature and low pH." So how did they know to travel to a hot lake in California to find microbial eukaryotic life? In a recent study published in Nature Communications co-authored by Oliverio and Hannah Rappaport, a researcher in Oliverio's lab, the team built a database of previous studies that searched for microbial eukaryotic life across extreme environments. Specifically, they analyzed which eukaryotic lineages were detected multiple times from different studies under similar environmental conditions. Amoebae (circular gray spots in the background) and red algae (four white ovals in the foreground), photographed by Hannah Rappaport using light microscopy. These were sampled from a geothermal lake at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Credit: Syracuse University "We discovered that several lineages of amoebae were often recovered from extremely high temperature environments," says Oliverio. "This suggests that studying those lineages may yield great insight into how eukaryotic cells can adapt to life in extremely hot environments." According to Oliverio, one particular study conducted by Gordon Wolfe's lab at Cal State Chico revealed an amoeba, T. thermoacidophilus, was quite abundant in Lassen National Park's geothermal lake. However, no genomic data on this organism exists. Determining how this species adapted to this extreme environment could expand the understanding of what types of environments in the universe may be considered suitable for life. This past summer, Oliverio and Rappaport traveled to Lassen National Park to find out more about this particular protist and to search for other novel extremophilic eukaryotes. At the lake, the team used a long painter's pole affixed with a 1-liter bottle to obtain samplesno easy task considering the water is well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Afterward, the bottles were transported back to Oliverio's lab at Syracuse. The team is currently isolating single cells for genome sequencing and characterizing the amoebae by microscopy. A&S biologists Angela Oliverio, left, and Hannah Rappaport at the United States' largest geothermal lake at Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. Credit: Syracuse University Syracuse University researcher Hannah Rappaport dipping a bottle into a hot lake to obtain a sample. Due to the high temperature of the water and unstable ground, researchers must remain at a safe distance away when collecting samples. Credit: Syracuse University While many unknowns remain about how eukaryotes adapt to exist in extreme environments, Oliverio is hopeful that this research will help close some of the current knowledge gaps. "We suspect that there is something special about the amoeboid form that enables persistence in these eukaryotic lineages, but the mechanism remains unknown," she says. "Based on our research, we hypothesize that horizontal gene transfer (movement of genetic information between organisms) from bacteria and genome reduction (when a genome deletes genes it does not need), along with expansion of particularly useful gene families, may be a few of the ways in which protists have acquired the toolkit to survive in extreme environments." Oliverio notes that the team's genome-scale findings will contribute important missing data into reconstructions of the tree of life. "This will further our understanding of the distribution and evolution of life on Earth." More information: Hannah B. Rappaport et al, Extreme environments offer an unprecedented opportunity to understand microbial eukaryotic ecology, evolution, and genome biology, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40657-4 Journal information: Nature Communications 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: Interaction between ideology and perceived-Unbiased (Left), Beneficial (Center), and Prudent (Right) on support for Basic Research funding. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213838120 A study titled "Factors Assessing Science's Self-Presentation model and their effect on conservatives' and liberals' support for funding science" published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) identifies five factors that Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) researchers say reflect public assessments of science and are associated with public support for increasing funding of science and support for federal funding of basic research. These factors are whether science and scientists are perceived to be credible and prudent, and whether their work is perceived to be untainted by bias, self-correcting, and beneficial. Drawing on 13 questions in APPC's 2022 nationally representative Annenberg Science Knowledge survey (ASK) survey of 1,154 U.S. adults, researchers identified five factors that form a Factors Assessing Science's Self-Preservation (FASS) model. The model can be used to assess the extent to which public perceptions align with the self-presentation of science and scientists live up to the ways in which they define themselves and their work to the public. The research teamAPPC scholars Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Patrick E. Jamieson; Yotam Ophir of the University at Buffalo, State University of New York; and Dror Walter of Georgia State Universityexamined public perceptions of the extent to which scientists are credible and prudent, science or scientists adhere to their professed norms, and they produce societal benefit and benefits for people like the survey respondents. The study finds that among conservatives, increased perceptions that scientists are unbiased and prudent were positively associated with increased support for federal funding of basic scientific research. Among liberals, increased support for federal funding of basic scientific research was positively associated with heightened perception that science produces beneficial research. Factors that predict support for science funding "Science has gone through a rapid and intense politicization, with more Americans now deciding whether to get vaccinated or support climate action based not only on evidence and facts but also on their political ideology and identity," says lead author Ophir, an APPC distinguished research fellow and Annenberg School for Communication Ph.D. "The FASS model allows us to identify the specific perceptions underlying beliefs and behaviors, and to highlight key differences in what matters to liberals and conservatives." The PNAS paper, he added, "Shows how conservatives' reluctance to fund scientific research is driven by perceptions that scientists are biased and lack prudence. Identifying these vulnerabilities can help science communicators craft more effective messages to communicate the importance and value of science." The researchers say the study helps to track "gaps" between science and scientists' "professed and perceived identity, spot areas that may require corrective action or better communication, and monitor fears about or attacks on science." Isolating factors on which conservatives and liberals differ helps advance understanding of the partisan responses to increased federal funding of science and support for basic researchers, the study says. "Because they reliably reduce to five factors with significant predictive power, the ASK survey's core questions make it possible to isolate both stability and changes in public perception of science and scientists across time," says senior author Kathleen Hall Jamieson, APPC director and founder of the ASK survey. "APPC plans to field the survey yearly as a means of tracking public assessments of the well-being of science." "Not only is federal funding a major source of science support," the researchers write, "but Congress is more likely than the private sector to agree to underwrite generating knowledge in service of public goods." The study takes note of a 2016 initiative emerging from an Annenberg Public Policy Center-Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands retreat convened by Robert Bradway, CEO of Amgen, and Subra Suresh, then president of Carnegie Mellon University and a former director of the National Science Foundation. Following the retreat, a group of nearly 40 business leaders argued in an ad in the Wall Street Journal that federal funding of basic research was an investment in the nation's prosperity, security and well-being. In support of that claim, they noted that basic research was behind such innovations as the internet, smartphones, the Global Positioning System (GPS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cancer proton therapy, and solar panels. More information: Yotam Ophir et al, Factors Assessing Science's Self-Presentation model and their effect on conservatives' and liberals' support for funding science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213838120 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 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: An African white rhino cow and calf. Credit: Brent Stirton/African Parks With all the terrible news on climate change, it's easy to lose track of what's happening with particular species. So, in case you missed it, a new report has bad news for Earth's five surviving species of rhino. Poaching for rhino horn continues to threaten populations of rhino in Africa, and the two smallest and most endangered species of rhinothe Sumatran rhino and the Javan rhinotread ever closer to being unable to sustain themselves in the wild, due to habitat loss and low population sizes. While we should never become desensitized to wildlife crime, environmental destruction and species extinctions, there is also some remarkable news. Conservation charity African Parks recently bought the largest private collection of rhino in the world: the Platinum Rhino farm at Klerksdorp, near Johannesburg in South Africa, previously owned by South African businessman John Hume. African Parks plans to release the total Platinum Rhino ranch population, currently 2,000 rhino (amounting to roughly 15% of the global white rhino population), into the wild across Africa over the next ten years. That is good news. As an ecologist, I don't see the point in conserving a wild species to keep in captivity. Wildlife belongs in the wild. Hume's plan to buy up and breed farmed rhino might have allowed him to sell horns for a profit once legal international trade was permitted. But that didn't happen. The international ban on trading rhino horn, enacted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), has held firm, despite lobbying by Hume and others. These critics were joined by some conservationists who believe that the best or only way to save rhino is by legalizing the trade in their horns. The logic here is that legalization would flood the market with legal rhino horn, devaluing illegal horns and slashing the profits of poachers and wildlife traffickers. With that, the incentive to kill rhino would shrink. Hume continued to expand his private rhino farm and used his increasing rhino population as leverage in his calls for legalization. But with the ban on international trade intact, Hume seems to have ran out of patience. The Platinum Rhino collection was put up for online auction in April 2023 at a starting price of US$10 million (8.1 million). It failed to attract bids. That may reflect the problem that rhino face: if people can't make money out of rhino, nobody is going to want to pay to look after them. But it also highlights a problem driven by farming wildlife for profit, otherwise known as game ranching: if the profits fall, what happens to the animals? Into the wild After its failure to sell at auction, the largest private collection of rhino in the world was bought by African Parks. But the charity's plan to rewild these rhino will not be easy. A number of years ago I was involved in what was, at the time, the largest private translocation of rhino. The team I worked with moved tens of rhino; the African Parks mission is a lot bigger. African Parks manages an area of 20 million hectares spread across 22 national parks and protected areas over 12 countries. They will contain suitable savanna grassland for releasing the rhino and the charity has already reintroduced rhino to parks in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi. Conservation scientists recently said there is "a clear need to scale up rewilding initiatives". It doesn't get much bigger than reintroducing thousands of rhino across Africa. Rhino can play a key role in restoring the ecosystems into which they are placed, greatly influencing a network of species around them and healing ecological wounds incurred via people. This is the nature of rewilding: restoring the linkages that make up ecosystems. Restored megafauna (large herbivorous mammals, in this case) can also help address climate change by enhancing how much habitats naturally store carbon, through dispersing seeds and enriching the soil. Restoring megafauna is tricky, and in a recent scientific paper conservationists argued for changes in policy to support it. They suggest "a transition from farming to wildlife ranching, combined with ambitious breeding programs for keystone megafauna". The Platinum Rhino population may well turn out to be a flagship in showing that such an approach is achievable. Where will the rhino go? Will they be released into areas where rhino are locally extinct, or supplement existing populations? Can they be used to fulfill the role vacated by the functionally extinct northern white rhino (subspecies)? Time will tell. In the meantime, the farmed rhino need to be prepared to cope with the stress of translocation and release, and for a wild life. They need to be toughened, to find and process food from the natural environments in which they will be placed. They will need to tolerate the challenges of their new environments, such as disease, parasites and predators. The most dangerous predator of rhino remains the human species. The conundrum of how to stop or even simply reduce the loss of free-living rhino to poachers remains. The soon-to-be-released rhino will have to deal with thiswith traditional anti-poaching conservation support. Alongside that, demand reduction efforts must continue in order to bring down the desire for rhino horn. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pushyami Kaveti Equipped with snow jackets, gloves and luggage containing a host of cameras and sensors, professor Hanumant Singh and a team of Northeastern robotics researchers recently traveled to the Arctic with a noble goal to help address the climate crisis. Using a robot boat, known as an autonomous surface vehicle, Singh's team created 3D models of two glaciers to determine if they could track them melting in the span of hours and days. That timeframe will help shed new light on how fast they are dissolving, Singh notes. Additionally, the robot provided the researchers with the opportunity to map the front of the glaciers as opposed to the top, which is a view that is easily captured by satellites. Singh's team traveled to the northernmost Arctic field station in the worldthe Ny-Alesund (79 deg N) in Svalbard, Norway. There, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology provided the team with the robot boat, while Northeastern researchers supplied their own sensors and cameras. This is far from Singh's first trip to the Arctic. He's been there at least a dozen times and has done similar missions involving underwater robots and drones. While many roboticists focus on developing self-driving vehicles and other cutting-edge systems, Singh says he is focused on using robots to help solve environmental challenges. "Yes, autonomous cars driving in Arizona and California are cool, but on a global scale, looking at climate change and how it's affecting our planet is to me personally a more important problem," he says. "The things we are doing in the Arctic are really trying to understand what is happening to our planet." This latest expedition included Singh, professor Michael Everett, professor David Rosen and postdoctoral student Pushyami Kaveti, a researcher in Singh's field robotics lab. The goal is to provide the findings to climate scientists for them to understand the changes that are occurring in that part of the world. Singh says he and his team are still sifting through the data and a paper on the group's findings will likely be published within the next six months. "People usually see change using satellites over the course of a few months. We can definitely see over the course of a few years how these glaciers are receding," Singh says. "What we were really interested in is can we measure change in the order of hours and days?" The team created 3D maps of two glaciersKongsbreen and Blomstrandbreen. The team only had four days to complete the mapping. An expedition of this scale typically takes at least 10, Singh says. Credit: Pushyami Kaveti Since the team was only there for a short time, they had to act fast and split viewing each glacier by day. At around 8:30 a.m every day, the team would head out to the water by boat, send the robot out and spend the next few hours collecting data. Then they would head back to the station, eat lunch and come back to collect more data. "I am very, very happy and pleasantly surprised that we actually collected all this data," Singh says. "Usually if somebody told me that you only had four days on the station, I'd say, 'You're an idiot.'" Kaveti helped develop the sensor suite that was placed on the robot while working in Northeastern's field robotics lab. The suite consisted of two 12 megapixel RGB cameras, a lidar sensor, a GPS system and an inertial measurement unit device. All those components working in tandem allowed the team to get a clear picture of the glaciers, she says. The Kongsbreen glacier was not actively breaking apart or "calving" while the team collected data, but Blomstrandbreen was. During one of the visits to the glacier, Kaveti saw it calving seven or eight times. "It's hard to imagine the impact of something like this without actually being there," Kaveti says. "Sitting in the university and going over articles or seeing a video of someone talking about it is very different than actually being there." Kaveti said the robots have several benefits for this type of mission. For one, they allowed the researchers to get a closer look at the glaciers. Since chunks of ice are actively falling from the glaciers, it's not safe for researchers to be near them. Rosen joined the university in fall 2021 and leads the robust autonomy lab, which uses math and algorithms to make autonomous systems more safe, reliable and intelligent. Everret joined the university in January and is helping lead a new lab focused on deploying machine learning systems that work reliably in real-world settings. The trip served as an opportunity for the researchers to see firsthand how these robotic systems fared in some of the toughest environments where utilities, such as Wi-Fi, are unavailable. "You really have to make sure that your equipment is ready to go, it's well tested, and it's robust to these different environmental conditions," Everett says. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain In a novel conservation strategy, the small South Pacific island state of Niue is offering individuals and institutions the opportunity to sponsor its marine sanctuary, home to pristine coral reefs, sharks, whales and hundreds of fish species. For a one-time fee of $148, you can sponsor a square kilometer of the Niue Moana Mahu Marine Protected Area, a 127,000-square-kilometer (49,000-square-mile) preserve that comprises 40% of Niue's territorial waters. Niue occupies a coral atoll that's about a third the area of New York City, but its 1,700 people control a swath of the ocean bigger than New Mexico. Niue, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, aims to raise $18 million from these "Ocean Conservation Commitments" to help finance the management of Moana Mahu. The island state bans commercial fishing and other resource extraction in the marine sanctuary, which it established in 2020. Funds raised from the commitments will be administered by the Niue and Ocean Wide Trust, a public-private nonprofit organization based in New Zealand. "We think it should enable us to manage the marine protected area over a 20-year period and enhance enforcement and monitoring," Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi told Bloomberg Green. Tagelagi said the initiative grew out of frustration with the lack of funding to support big marine protected areas, despite a United Nations target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. "We're sick and tired of waiting on bilateral donors and partners who make promises at the UN conferences and big forums that we go to," Tagelagi said. "We think with the help of private business organizations and philanthropies and like-minded people, Ocean Conservation Commitments can maintain the sustainability of our ocean resources." The National Geographic Society's Pristine Seas program helped Niue establish the Moana Mahu marine sanctuary. "Niue is a small country and it's surrounded by a lot of water, yet they decided to protect 40% of that water because they knew in the long term having that reserve would be of more benefit to them than exploiting it," said Enric Sala, a marine scientist who is executive director of Pristine Seas. "We went back to Niue this year, several years after the creation of the reserve, and we saw an increase in the number of sharks and fish." Some other Pacific island nations are abandoning or considering shrinking their marine sanctuaries. Kiribati, for instance, said in 2021 that it would dismantle its massive marine protected area due to a decline in fishing revenue and a lack of promised international funding to replace those earnings. "We have noted that other countries have gone back on commitments to their marine protected areas for economic reasons, but I don't see us doing that," Tagelagi said. "If [Ocean Conservation Commitments] work out well, I think it can help all the other small developing island states." The Niue government is kicking things off by sponsoring nearly 1,700 of its own Ocean Conservation Commitments, one for each of the island's residents. Tagelagi said that US-based environmental groups Conservation International and the Blue Nature Alliance and San Francisco crypto billionaire Chris Larsen and his wife Lyna Lam are also among those buying commitments. Conservation International spokesperson Emmeline Johansen declined to disclose how many commitments her organization is sponsoring. "I can share that more than 15,000 Ocean Conservation Commitments have been sponsored by" Conservation International, Blue Nature, Larsen and Lam and others, "including many Niueans," Johansen said in an email. 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: NASA/Mike Guinto On Sept. 20, 2023, the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) spacecraft bus arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, after its journey from a Maxar facility in California. Following this critical milestone, engineers at Goddard can begin to integrate the mission's servicing payload onto the bus and begin to test the integrated spacecraft in simulated space environments. When integration and testing are complete, OSAM-1 will be ready to demonstrate robotic satellite servicing technologies in space. The OSAM-1 mission is planned to be the first to robotically refuel a spacecraft not designed for on-orbit servicing. The servicer will rendezvous with, grapple, and berth the government-owned Landsat 7 spacecraft, and then use a suite of tools to replenish its hydrazine fuel tank. In addition to the mission's servicing objectives, OSAM-1 will also include an assembly demonstration provided by commercial partner Maxar, the same company that provided the spacecraft bus. That demonstration will use a robotic arm from the Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER) payload to assemble a functional Ka-band antenna on orbit from stowed hexagonal pieces. Previously, the mission included a manufacturing demonstration called MakerSat, which planned to use the SPIDER arm to manufacture a beam. However, that component of the mission has been descoped as mission managers refocus resources on the servicing and assembly components of the mission. Provided by NASA 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: Upper North Falls, Silver Falls State Park. Credit: Steve Dundas, OSU College of Agricultural Sciences Except for modest visitor increases at a small percentage of iconic places, Instagram content is not resulting in more tourist traffic on public lands, according to a study by researchers at Oregon State University. The findings, published in Land Economics, counter a common news media refrain that geotagged posts on social media are "ruining the great outdoors," said Steve Dundas and Ashley Lowe Mackenzie of OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. The research also adds to the ongoing quest to understand the role social media plays in society, as well as to policy discussions around social media regulation, the scientists note. "This has a number of interesting policy implications for public land managers," said Dundas, associate professor of applied economics. "Access to information on the online activity for publicly managed areas could help administrators better understand visitor trends and behaviors to help steward these locations for current and future generations." Dundas and Lowe Mackenzie paired 18 years of visitation data to Oregon state parks with data on park-specific geotagged Instagram posts and their engagement, or the volume of likes and comments that those posts generated. Geotagging means attaching geographic information to images, video or other content captured by smartphones or other GPS-enabled electronic devices. The information includes latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude and other data, making a potentially hard-to-find spot much easier for new visitors to locate. The researchers found that the cumulative effect of "viral" content was associated with monthly visitor increases of about 4% at four of Oregon's 50 state parks: Silver Falls in the Cascade foothills, Smith Rock in central Oregon, and Oswald West and Ecola on the coast. Beyond that quartet of locations, the researchers saw no evidence that Instagram was having an effect on visitor traffic. "During the 2010s, public lands across the United States experienced large visitation increases, which led to overcrowding of some parks," said lead author Lowe Mackenzie, who completed her doctorate in applied economics this spring. "Some journalists accused social media, and in particular Instagram, of causing this increased visitation. The reason Instagram received the blame was that content was often geotagged. Journalists created headlines about the public loving our parks to death with Instagram clearly labeled as the responsible party." But that rather simplistic storyline is largely inaccurate, Dundas said. "Our paper finds that content on Instagram is not associated with increased visitation in most parks," he said. "To the extent Instagram content and engagement do impact visitation to public lands, they don't do so uniformly. Our results suggest locations with picturesque or iconic landscapes may be susceptible to impacts from social media because the content generated at those sites may become popular online and has the opportunity to spread to many new people." That is to say, it's not just sharing photos with specific geographic info that makes a difference in how many visitors a spot receivesthe photos have to receive high engagement. "We found viral content uploaded and geotagged to Smith Rock, Silver Falls, Oswald West and Ecola state parks had a prolonged effect on increasing visitation at these parksnot just an effect right after the contest was posted," Lowe Mackenzie said. "Our research concentrated on the impacts of Instagram; however, other online sites that use engagement as a way to promote content could have had impacts as wellTwitter, Tiktok, AllTrails, YouTube, etc." Public land managers have a responsibility to protect habitats and ecosystem health while also facilitating the visitation and enjoyment of the lands they're responsible for, Dundas notes. But management agencies are often underfunded and understaffed, meaning that big increases in visitation can lead to the degradation of both sensitive ecosystems and the visitor experience. "Our results provide some insight into how land managers may be able to use social media to understand visitation trends and to be better prepared," he said. "Social media represents a relatively new way for people to gather information and learn about new places. This research represents a first step in trying to understand how this online information translates to offline behavior changes." More information: Ashley Lowe Mackenzie et al, The Instagram Effect: Is Social Media Influencing Visitation to Public Land?, Land Economics (2023). DOI: 10.3368/le.100.2.122920-0192R1 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: TESS 2 min cadence PDCSAP light curves for TOI-1420. Transit events are visible roughly every 7 days. Credit: Yoshida et al., 2023. Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has detected a new exoplanet orbiting a distant star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-1420 b, has an exceptionally low density. The finding is reported in a paper published September 18 on the pre-print server arXiv. TESS is conducting a survey of about 200,000 of the brightest stars near the sun with the aim of searching for transiting exoplanets. So far, it has identified nearly 6,800 candidate exoplanets (TESS Objects of Interest, or TOI), of which 385 have been confirmed so far. Now, a group of astronomers led by Stephanie Yoshida of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reports the confirmation of another planet monitored by TESS. The team has identified a transit signal in the light curve of TOI-1420a late G-dwarf star about 658 light years away. The planetary nature of this signal was validated by follow-up observations using various telescopes. "We have confirmed TOI-1420b as an exceptionally low-density planet in a 6.96 day orbit around a late G dwarf," the researchers wrote in the paper. TOI-1420 b has a radius of about 11.89 Earth radii and a mass of around 25.1 Earth masses, what yields an ultra-low density of only 0.082 g/cm3. The planet orbits its host at a distance of 0.07 AU from it and has an equilibrium temperature of about 957 K. The astronomers underlined that TOI-1420 b is the largest-known planet with a mass less than 50 Earth masses. The planet's low density suggests that it contains a sizable envelope of hydrogen and helium. Using planetary structure models, the researchers estimate that TOI-1420 b has a large envelope mass fraction of approximately 0.82, what implies a core mass of 4.0 Earth masses. When it comes to the parent star TOI-1420, it is comparable in size and mass to the sun. The star has an effective temperature of about 5,510 K and a metallicity at a level of 0.28. The age of TOI-1420 is not well constrained, however, the authors of the paper estimate that the star is not older than 10.7 billion years. Summing up the results, the scientists noted that low-density planets like TOI-1420 b are an excellent target for future atmospheric characterization and dynamical studies, given that they are more susceptible to outflows than higher-gravity planets. "In all, TOI-1420 b presents a number of exciting future prospects for atmospheric and dynamical characterization. Comparative planetology of TOI-1420 b, WASP-107 b, and other similarly low-density worlds will ultimately help unveil their formation and evolution histories," the researchers concluded. More information: Stephanie Yoshida et al, TESS Spots a Super-Puff: The Remarkably Low Density of TOI-1420b, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2309.09945 Journal information: arXiv 2023 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Osiris-Rex mission's capsule is seen shortly after touching down in the desert on September 24, 2023 at the Utah Test and Training Range. A seven-year space voyage came to its climactic end Sunday when a NASA capsule landed in the desert in the US state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. When they learned that the capsule's main parachute had deployed, "I literally broke into tears," the Osiris-Rex mission's principal investigator Dante Lauretta told a press conference. "That was the moment I knew we made it home... For me the real science is just beginning." The 3.86-billion-mile (6.21-billion-kilometer) journey marked the United States' first sample return mission of its kind, the US space agency said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. NASA chief Bill Nelson hailed the mission and said the asteroid dust "will give scientists an extraordinary glimpse into the beginnings of our solar system." The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere was perilous, but NASA managed to engineer a soft landing at 8:52 am local time (1452 GMT), in the military's Utah Test and Training Range. Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe had landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected what NASA estimated is roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. This graphic details key steps in the mission of NASA's Osiris-Rex probe, which returned a sizable sample of asteroid dust to Earth. Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth." The sample return "is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth. Osiris-Rex released its capsule early Sunday from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles. The fiery passage through the atmosphere came only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtled downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). NASA images showed the tire-sized capsule on the ground in a desert wash, with scientists approaching the device and taking readings. Eventually they concluded the capsule was not breached, meaning its all-important air-tight seal remained intact, avoiding any contamination of the sample with desert sands. Scientists collect data shortly after the sample return capsule from NASA's Osiris-Rex mission landed in Dugway, Utah. The team then lifted the capsule by helicopter to a nearby "clean room." Meanwhile, the probe that made the space journey fired its engines and shifted course away from Earth, NASA said, "on its way" for a date with another asteroid. Japanese samples On Monday, the sample heads to Johnson Space Center in Houston for additional study, and NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference October 11. Roughly one-fourth of the sample will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada. But most of it will be saved for future generationsa "treasure for scientific analysis for years and years and years to come, to our kids and grandkids and people that haven't even been born yet," Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Sciences division, said. This image, taken by NASA's Osiris-Rex probe in December 2018, shows the asteroid Bennu. Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounces of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid. But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said. Earth's origin story Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating back some 4.5 billion years, and have remained relatively intact. They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris. "It's our own origin story." By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said. Scientists believe Bennu, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) in diameter, is rich in carbona building block of life on Earthand contains water molecules locked in minerals. This image from a NASA video shows the robot arm of the Osiris-Rex probe collecting samples from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020. Bennu surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during its brief contact with the asteroid's surface, sank into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, like a children's pool filled with plastic balls. Understanding its composition could come in handy, for there is a slightbut non-zerochance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182. NASA last year successfully deviated the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercisebut with much higher stakes. 2023 AFP An Atlantic City man who, along with his father, joined a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is expected to plead guilty next month to charges related to the riot. Both the defense and prosecution appealed to U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper to vacate a trial set for Oct. 10 in the case against James D. Rahm III. Both parties in late August asked to present a plea agreement on that date, according to court records. Rahm, 29, was arrested in Northfield in March 2021, according to court records, two months after the riot that disrupted Congress certification process for President Joe Bidens win in the 2020 election. H. Heather Shaner, Rahms attorney, did not immediately return a request for comment Monday. Rahm was indicted on charges of obstruction of justice/Congress; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He initially pleaded not guilty to those charges. Rahm and his father, James Rahm Jr., both were seen in photographs standing among the rioters on Jan. 6. Rahm Jr. is a former Atlantic City resident who now lives in Philadelphia. Ex-Atlantic City man sentenced for role in Jan. 6 riot WASHINGTON A former Atlantic City man who filmed himself being a part of the mob that brea Cases against the father and son started from a tip received by federal agents in Philadelphia alerting them to Rahm Jr.s presence at the Capitol. Agents subsequently learned that Rahm III accompanied his father, according to a criminal complaint. An unidentified person interviewed by agents linked Rahm III to Snapchat posts he made at the riot, the criminal complaint states. The father and son were at a rally held by President Donald Trump on the National Mall before following the crowd to the U.S. Capitol, joining in the riot, the complaint states. Rahm III, who still lived in Atlantic City with Rahm Jr.s ex-wife, Kelly Rahm, previously said he was out of town when the FBI first raided the Atlantic City home. Kelly Rahm asked investigators at the home, Is this because of that trip they took? When an agent asked her to clarify her question, she declined to comment further, according to a criminal complaint. Photographs gathered by investigators show Rahm III roaming the Capitol building and its grounds holding a GoPro camera, appearing to document the riot. Rahm Jr. was sentenced in January to one year in prison for his participation in the riot. He also was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and to undergo three years of parole supervision upon release. But he was able to not stay incarcerated after a judge in February granted a motion for emergency release pending appeal, court records show. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, is considering a run for U.S. Senate next year as Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., fights another round of criminal charges. While it would be overwhelmingly difficult for a Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2.5 million to 1.5 million, it wouldnt be impossible, Van Drew said Monday. Its been a long time since weve had a (Republican) candidate who would fight as hard as I will if I decide to go forward, he said. I will do what Ive always done speak with family, friends and my closest advisers. He called it a unique opportunity for a conservative Republican to win statewide. I think people have finally had enough, Van Drew said. Its not just Sen. Menendezs woes. Its the taxes we pay, whats going on with the border ... and the education of children in the younger grades that are relevant issues. Menendez, his wife and three New Jersey businessmen were indicted Friday on bribery charges involving benefits to the Egyptian government, and immediately Gov. Phil Murphy and other state Democratic leaders asked for his resignation. U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd, has said he will seek the Democratic nomination for Menendezs seat. Menendez held a news conference Monday to say he will run for reelection regardless of party support. Also Monday, Atlantic County Democratic Chair Michael Suleiman said he will seek to change rules to keep Menendez off the Democratic line in 2024. Senator Menendezs insistence on running for reelection is disappointing, Suleiman said. After this election, I will be asking our members to amend our convention rules so that anyone currently under federal indictment will not be eligible to seek our partys endorsement. I am confident this amendment will pass. If Menendez does not get his partys nod and chooses to run as an independent, that would split the vote three ways and give a GOP candidate a better chance in deep-blue New Jersey. But right now, Van Drew said his main attention is on helping avoid a government shutdown. I stayed (in D.C.) this weekend talking to members, the speaker and others to try to get through the impasse with a congressional resolution or appropriations bill, Van Drew said. I would not like to see us shut down, yet we have to hold onto our principles. Van Drew said any deal to keep the government open would have to include ending business as usual at the southern border. No more money is to be expended settling thousands upon thousands of illegals in the U.S., he said, adding he is still concerned the federal government may try to place thousands of immigrants on federal land at Atlantic City International Airport. The federal government also has to make spending cuts, Van Drew said, as it is facing a $32 trillion deficit. He said he is particularly concerned about workers at the Federal Aviation Administration in Egg Harbor Township and members of the Coast Guard, who would go without pay for a time in the event of a shutdown, but would later receive back pay once a spending plan is final, as happened with the last shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019. That would be a particular burden for the majority of workers, he said, who live paycheck to paycheck. Van Drew said he has co-sponsored legislation to reclassify the Coast Guard under the military so its members would continue to receive pay during shutdowns. It currently falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Both Menendezs Senate seat and Van Drews House seat are up for reelection next year, and under New Jersey law, candidates cannot run for both the Senate and House at the same time. So a run for Senate would mean, in effect, giving up his House seat. I would have to give up my congressional seat, Van Drew said. I have to think it through, and I will. Don Purdy, the Atlantic County GOP chair, said Monday he welcomes any decision Van Drew makes. If the congressman wants to run for the U.S. Senate, we will stand behind him 100%, Purdy said in an email response to questions. Jeff being a US senator will just expand what he can deliver, not just for South Jersey but for the state as well as our country. The country needs a conservative who will bring family values to the office from New Jersey, Purdy said. When U.S. Sen. Cory Booker ran for president in 2020, the Legislature passed a special law to allow him to run for president and Senate at the same time. I have a feeling they wouldnt do that for me, Van Drew joked. A shocking incident has come to light where the mandal workers brutally beat up a retail businessman and threatened to shut down his business for giving less money to the Ganesh Mandal during Ganeshotsav. The incident took place on Saturday (23rd) in the camp area. In this case, tea seller Ganesh Santosh Patne (37) has filed a complaint at Lashkar Police Station. Based on that, the police have registered a case against two board workers who committed hooliganism. According to the police, the Srinath Tea stall is in front of Poona Motors on Mahatma Gandhi Road in the camp area. Ganesh Santosh Patne runs this stall. Some activists of Ganapati Mandal in 15th August Chowk went to a shop to ask for money at around 7 pm on Saturday. At that time, Ganesh voluntarily gave 151 rupees to the workers. However, the activists were not satisfied with this. They asked Ganesh for one thousand rupees. The plaintiff said I could not afford to pay such a huge amount and requested to accept rupees 151. But the board workers got angry. He rushed to the plaintiff Ganesh's body and struck him on the ear. While severely beating the plaintiff, Ganesh, the accused, threatened to close down the business, saying, "Let's see how your business runs in this area." After that, the plaintiff filed a complaint at the Lashkar police station, and the police registered a case under various sections against Nilesh Dashrath Kanse (39) and Avinash Rajendra Pandit (32). Shailesh Bhokare, the officer in charge of the Lashkar police station, is investigating the case further. Moline and Rock Island received thousands in state funds to address vacant and blighted properties. State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, announced that the funding can be used to suport community revitalization efforts. Moline is receiving $417,000 and Rock Island is receiving $268,000. "Community blight and vacant properties are a detriment to growth and economic development," Halpin said. "Getting some of the blight cleaned up is good for property values and gives families and businesses alike all the more reason to move in." Recently, the Illinois Housing Development Authority approved $19 million to support affordable housing and community revitalization. Awarded from the IDHA'S Strong Communities Program, it is an initiative that will provide funding to 68 units of local governments and land bank authorities for the acquisition, maintenance, rehabilitation and demolition of abandoned residential properties. It also is designed to support local revitalization efforts and attract further investment in communities that may lack the resources to address vacant and blighted properties. Other awardees in western Illinois include: Galesburg, $562,000 Macomb, $487,000 Monmouth, $212,000 The five towns are set to received a combined total of about $1.9 million. Two Quad-Cities cultural organizations the German American Heritage Center and the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts have been selected for the Iowa Culture Leadership cohort. The two-year, state-provided program aims to help provide guidance and resources to cultural groups in the state. We created the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort a year ago to identify and support Iowas next generation of cultural arts and history leaders, said Susan Kloewer, State Historical Society of Iowa administrator, in a press release. The program gives participants opportunities to sharpen their skills as their organizations look to the future. The cohort is co-sponsored by the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. Applications opened this summer, and 11 organizations in total were selected from a pool of 16 applicants. Each nonprofit chosen sends two leaders from their organization to a leadership workshop, which starts in November in Des Moines. In the second year of the program, which will last until 2025, organizations will be given mentorship opportunities with peers across the state. The Azubuike African American Council for the Arts offers a variety of events for Quad-Cities youth, including plays about Black history, weekly art classes and the nationally-visited Pulling Focus African American film festival. Their goal is to use art to advance conversations around racial divides in the community and provide an outlet for local underserved youth to express themselves. The organization recently received a grant from the Adler Foundation to put on a theater production, but executive director Gaye Shannon-Burnett said that financial backing doesnt typically come easily. Being a smaller African-American or Black-led organization, especially by a Black female, we dont get funding the way we should, she said. Azubuike also offers a 10-week film course that gives aspiring teenage filmmakers a chance to create their own films and premiere them at the Figge Art Museum. Shannon-Burnett emphasized how vital the programs Azubuike offers are. If those kids are with us for those 10 weeks, theyre not out doing nothing, or being on the streets, she said. But currently, Azubuike does not have a permanent staff, and more hands are needed to stay afloat. Brian Allen, the executive director for the German American Heritage Center, said finding volunteers has been a struggle at many nonprofits. Hes hoping thats where the leadership cohort can help out. Whether were looking at financial needs, how were going to maintain volunteers moving forward, or how were gonna cultivate new audiences, these are things that we are going to be able to learn through this series of workshops, Allen said. The German American Heritage Center seeks to tell the story of both German immigrants and immigrants from around the world that built and settled the Quad Cities. This summer, it hosted the Migrant Quilt Project, an artist collective that documented the stories of American immigrants, with a series of quilts that each represented the life of a migrant who died en route to the United States. Both Allen and Shannon-Burnett are focused on longevity, and finding ways to expand their organizations platform. Their selection to the leadership cohort certainly helps. Our fight is for sustainability, Shannon-Burnett said. Im hoping that being a cultural leader, it will shine the light on what weve been doing. Photos: Azubuike African American Council for the Arts 071720-qc-nws-azubuike-001 071720-qc-nws-azubuike-002 071720-qc-nws-azubuike-003 071720-qc-nws-azubuike-004 071720-qc-nws-azubuike-005 071720-qc-nws-azubuike-006 A former East Moline firefighter has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a charge of distribution and receipt of child pornography. Kyle Daniel DuPrey, 36, was sentenced Wednesday during a hearing in U.S. District Court, Davenport, before Chief U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose. In addition to the 10-year prison sentence, Rose ordered DuPrey to serve five years on supervised release once he completes his prison sentence. DuPrey also was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. Initially, DuPrey was charged in Scott County District Court with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a five-year prison sentence. According to arrest the affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriffs Investigator Ethan Roling, at 2:59 p.m. Aug. 22, 2021, DuPrey disseminated a video depicting an underage female engaged in a sexual act. At 10:53 a.m. and at 1:54 p.m. on May 4, 2022, DuPrey disseminated two videos showing underage females engaged in sexual acts. The videos were sent through Kik Messenger. DuPrey was arrested Nov. 16, 2022, by Scott County Sheriffs investigators. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 11, 2023, on two counts of distribution and receipt of child pornography and the Scott County charges were dismissed. On May 25, 2023, DuPrey pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography. The other charge was dropped in the plea agreement. According to the agreement, on Nov. 4, 2022, the Scott County Sheriffs Department received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, referencing the dissemination of child pornography. The initial cybertip showed DuPrey was using a social media platform and had shared two videos containing child pornography with another user on May 4, 2022. The IP address shows that this was while DuPrey was at his residence. The second cybertip showed that DuPrey distributed one image containing child pornography on Dec. 12, 2021. A third cybertip received on Sept. 25, 2021, shows that DuPrey received and distributed two videos and one image from his work address in East Moline and one video from his residence. A fourth cybertip received on Jan. 21, 202I, shows that DuPrey received and distributed 11 videos and four images containing child pornography while at two places of employment in Illinois and at his former residence in Illinois. On Nov. 16, 2022, a search warrant was served at DuPreys home. An iPhone XR and an iPhone 13 were seized. The phones were used to send and receive child pornography. The case was investigated by the Scott County Sherriffs Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justices Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. As colleges and universities nationwide grapple with enrollment declines, the two community colleges in the Quad-Cities are working to sustain their student populations while exploring new ways to eliminate barriers to graduation. Lower birth rates since the Great Recession have led to fewer high-school-aged students who will be entering college in coming years. The number of 18 year olds is projected to decrease by 15% over the four years beginning in 2025. This looming phenomenon is referred to as the demographic cliff, though its not the only factor at play in shrinking higher education enrollment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, undergraduate enrollment dropped by 7%. Meanwhile, job markets are becoming more competitive companies are willing to pay higher wages, and many industries are seeing a surge in high school apprenticeship programs. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) which has main campuses in Bettendorf, Muscatine and Clinton enrolled 7,128 total students this fall, down just .2% from fall 2022 numbers. Across the river, Black Hawk College brought in 3,438 students across both Moline and Galva campuses roughly a 2.2% increase from last fall. While Black Hawk leaders monitor the nationwide demographic cliff and view it as an important issue, another key long-term focus is on non-traditional students. Typically, these are older adults with no prior college experience or those hoping to finish a degree after years in the workforce. When you look at the demographic cliff, youre looking at a very narrow population of students, which are high school students, said Dr. Amy Maxeiner, vice president of instruction and student services, in a spring interview. From a community college perspective, were here to serve a broad range of students within our community. At Black Hawks QC campus, approximately 553 students enrolled this fall were between ages 25 and 55, while 19 students were over 56 years old, with the rest in the 18-24 range. Were really looking at those students, Maxeiner said. How do we help them understand that wages and earnings are significantly greater to have some college, no degree. Theyre even better if you have an associates degree. Then, depending on the job, a bachelors degree is even greater. Of EICCs total enrollment this fall, 3,548 are high school students earning dual credits via one of the colleges. The median age of EICCs non-high school students was 21 for fiscal year 2023. In 2022-23, EICCs dual credit enrollment landed at 5,098 making up 41.9% of the total 12,167 students enrolled (including fall, spring and summer-term enrollment). If you dont count EICCs final summer-term headcounts, dual-credit students make up closer to 50% of enrollment. Iowa has a huge amount of concurrent enrollment, our legislature funds it very well. They kind of incentivize our high schools to do it, said Erin Snyder, EICCs chief communications and marketing officer, in a spring interview. Its a big deal to our community (students) are more likely to go on to college, and theyre more likely to graduate, with concurrent enrollment. Black Hawk enrolls 1,107 dual-credit students, a 50-student increase from last September. At EICC, more than 15% of their concurrently enrolled students continue there after graduating high school and the college system aims for this to grow. We have college readiness counselors out in our high schools, Snyder said. Weve had students that might have taken a dual credit class and not know how to apply it to where they were going, or what they were doing moving forward. Those (counselors) are helping them see that value. Similarly, Maxeiner said Black Hawk has started hosting career exploration events within their partner schools. So, just helping the younger students understand what the options are, Maxeiner said. Understanding that theres a difference between a job and a career. The college also has articulation agreements with Western Illinois UniversityQuad Cities for the Grow Your Own teacher licensure programs at Geneseo and Moline-Coal Valley School Districts, plus one for Black Hawk students who complete an associates in early childhood education Thanks to a $40-million bond referendum in March 2021, EICC is building three new Career Advancement Centers in Muscatine, DeWitt and Clinton, along with renovations to Scott Community College. These new facilities will house career academies for about 350 (high school) students total, said Snyder. Expanding some of our career and technical (CTE) options, I think, is one of the ways were going to address expanding our enrollment and growing back to those opportunities. In EICCs career academies, students complete either a certificate or diploma while still in high school. Additionally, EICCs Connections Scholarship covers tuition for all high school students who earned dual credits with EICC. North Scott schools is also partnering with EICC for the upcoming Regional Innovation Center expanding in-demand career pathways for area high schoolers in construction, electronics, diesel, HVAC, plumbing and agriculture. A lot of our CTE programs have 100% placement, Snyder said. We cant graduate them fast enough right now, which is a great problem to have because theyre out in the workforce immediately. The Saving the College Dream project reported that only a small fraction of community college students obtain a bachelors degree, even when they intend to. But not all students start at a community college planning to transfer, local leaders noted. Last school year, 392 students earned an associates degree or an EICC diploma. Of the total full-time students enrolled, 37.8% were in a CTE program. 43% of our students come here (Black Hawk) for career and technical education, which is not an intent-to-transfer degree, Maxeiner said. In fact, hundreds of students enrolled at Black Hawk are not even earning college credits. Among non-credit-earning students this fall, most are enrolled in Black Hawks ESL and community education programs or a vocational skills course. the college is exploring how to incorporate these offerings into its associates degree and credit certificate programs. This gives students credit for prior learning, so they wont have to take additional college classes, Maxiener said. Industry partnerships are a key focus for both community colleges. We meet with our industry partners on an annual, if not biannual, basis for all of our different career programs. That really helps us keep up with what the needs of our employers are, Maxiener said. Snyder said EICC works with their industry partners to streamline curriculum. For example, they piloted an eight-week welding certificate this summer, deferring from its former semester-long program. We had great success rates in that program, Snyder said. Were trying to provide those opportunities because we know our area employers are desperate for work making sure those programs not only address those needs but in kind of a quick manner. Keeping students enrolled As schools nationwide cope with the ever-changing landscape of higher education, local community colleges are turning to data and offering flexible learning options. In the 2022-23 school year, EICC retained 76.4% of its non-high school students from fall to spring. Especially in community college, (enrollment) tends to be a little more fluid in nature, Snyder said, noting guest students from other colleges and universities who take summer EICC classes. We also have certificates (students) can complete in one semester, so theyre only here for one semester. Prior to the pandemic, Maxeiener said Black Hawk was more polarized in its online versus on-campus course offerings. Now, were looking at online (courses), with scheduled meeting times, she said, adding this allows students to still meet and interact with their class and instructors without having to drive to campus. ...They can do it (class) on their lunch hour, Maxiener said. I think thats one of the things, as well as our physical space, that has been really impactful in helping our students and attracting more adult students. Students using flexible options for online or hybrid learning has grown, Snyder said, even as the pandemic has lessened part-time enrollment. So, the students that are coming back are using the flexible options of online learning to make degree completion possible for them, she said. For the 2019-20 school year, Black Hawks cumulative success rate students who complete degrees at the college and/or transfer to a four-year was 51%. Weve been progressively getting better, Maxeiner said. As far as retention goes, weve been really trying to explore what the barriers are to our students completing and being successful. A few products of this, she said, include Black Hawks laptop loan program and on-campus food pantry, in partnership with River Bend Food Bank. Our counselors really working with (housing insecure) students, helping them find housing, Maxeiner said. Really, our focus has been How can we build in support? This past summer, Black Hawk also campaigned to reach back out to former students who no longer attend the college. The first step for community college leaders, Maxeiner said, is to look at disaggregated (by ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status) student data, and then make decisions based on what they find. Snyder said EICC is also working to identify and address these equity gaps. They also have on-campus food pantries, lending closets and partner with local social service agencies. Sometimes, the barriers are not academic. We know this for a lot of our students, she said, adding that mental health is another area EICC hopes to expand upon. Scott just added a full-time mental health counselor, and we have remote mental health services. Both EICC and Black Hawk employ TRIO student support services, a federal program that assists low-income students, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities in college. This summer, EICC also created and hired a new administrative position: an Equal Opportunity and Diversity Manager. We are really excited about having that, so we can really look at our services, processes and our curriculum, Snyder said. Making sure all of our students have equal opportunity to be successful. Like most community colleges, Black Hawk aims to admit all applicants the reason Maxeiener says it is so important to, meet students where theyre at. That is the single biggest issue community colleges are looking at nationwide, she said. UnityPoint Health and Gildas Club Quad Cities are teaming up to offer free at-home colon cancer screening kits to identify cancer early and increase peoples treatment options and survival rates. Colon cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States, but screening for colon cancer can help reduce those numbers. In addition to screening kits, the Iowa Cancer Consortium, UnityPoint Health and Gildas Club Quad Cities will offer free educational workshops for residents in Louisa, Muscatine and Scott County. The workshop schedule includes the following dates: Tuesday, Sept. 26, noon to 1 p.m., LULAC Club, 4224 Ricker Hill Rd., Davenport Wednesday, Sept. 27, noon to 1 p.m., Musser Public Library, 408 E. 2nd St., Muscatine Thursday, Nov. 2, 5-5:30 p.m., Azubuike Council for Arts, 318 E. 7th St., Davenport Tuesday, Nov. 7, noon to 1 p.m., Davenport Public Library, 321 N. Main St., Davenport Monday, Mar. 11, 6-7 p.m., Davenport Public Library, 321 N. Main St., Davenport Wednesday, Mar. 13, 6-7 p.m., Musser Public Library, 408 E. 2nd St., Muscatine Registration is not required for the workshops. Attendees are encouraged to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the start to get checked in. Learn more at gildasclubqc.org/colon or call 309-779-5796 to request a free at-home screening kit. Counties with the highest cancer rates in Iowa Counties with the highest cancer rates in Iowa #50. Guthrie County #49. Benton County #48. Boone County #47. Fayette County #46. Osceola County #45. Iowa County #44. Clinton County #43. Tama County #42. Grundy County #41. Clayton County #40. O'Brien County #39. Hancock County #38. Chickasaw County #37. Wayne County #36. Howard County #35. Des Moines County #34. Humboldt County #33. Keokuk County #32. Shelby County #31. Harrison County #30. Delaware County #29. Floyd County #28. Worth County #27. Hardin County #26. Kossuth County #25. Jackson County #24. Clay County #23. Sac County #22. Lee County #21. Ida County #20. Monroe County #19. Audubon County #18. Butler County #17. Fremont County #16. Emmet County #15. Page County #14. Calhoun County #13. Adams County #12. Franklin County #11. Montgomery County #10. Cerro Gordo County #9. Monona County #8. Appanoose County #7. Greene County #6. Ringgold County #5. Pocahontas County #4. Dickinson County #3. Cass County #2. Cherokee County #1. Palo Alto County Recommendations by a state panel to cut or consolidate more than 100 administrative boards and commissions in Iowa could put more than $14 million in federal funding at risk to local nonprofits and public entities. And it may hinder efforts across the state to identify issues, raise awareness and secure resources to provide safe and affordable housing at a time when homelessness in the state and across the country is on the rise, according to federal, state and local nonprofit leaders. A state panel released recommendations at the end of August to cut or consolidate Iowas 256 existing boards and commissions. The action is part of Gov. Kim Reynolds state government reorganization plan, signed into law earlier this year. Among the boards and commissions proposed to be eliminated is Iowas Commission on Volunteer Service, also known as Volunteer Iowa. The 19-member commission appointed by the governor is in charge of overseeing federal funding through the AmeriCorps program in Iowa. Federal statute requires states to have a state commission to remain eligible for these funds, which are distributed to address critical community needs, from construction of low-income housing to after-school programming to local disaster response to local food pantries. In May, the commission announced it was awarding 21 grants to AmeriCorps state programs in Iowa totaling $9.45 million in federal grants, including Habitat for Humanity of Iowa, Green Iowa AmeriCorps at the University of Northern Iowa, Disaster PrepWise at the University of Iowa and Iowa Afterschool STEM AmeriCorps. The commission also announced $4.85 million in Segal Education Awards, which are given to former AmeriCorps members to pay back student loans or to pay for current education expenses. Those federal funds totaling $14.3 million could be at risk if the commission is eliminated, said Rachel Bruns, chief engagement officer of Americas Service Commissions. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization represents and promotes state service commissions across the United States and its territories which oversee AmeriCorps. The result would create an unintentional and devastating impact on the nonprofit community across the state of Iowa, Bruns wrote in a letter to Iowas Boards and Commissions Review Committee. Bruns said members of the review committee have not responded to her requests to speak with them about the recommendation. She said she has spoken with Volunteer Iowa board members and grant recipients who were caught off-guard by the recommendation to eliminate the commission, which has historically benefited from strong bipartisan support. There has never been any indication that there would be any reason to see a recommendation like this, Bruns said. Former longtime Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, established the commission in 1994. And Gov. Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg have been long-standing champions of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and regularly participate in their programs, including the Governors Volunteer Awards. South Dakota only state without a service commission David Faith, deputy attorney general and subcommittee member of the review of Iowas human services boards and commissions, said during last months meeting the subcommittees recommendation came because members found that AmeriCorps grants could be distributed to Iowa organizations through other means, according to reporting from Iowa Capital Dispatch. Faith said the recommendation was proposed after subcommittee members discovered that this can be handled at the agency level, and that an alternate structure for applying for these grants can be created. Faith did not responded to a request for comment on the recommendation. The Committee has looked into this and believes there is a solution that will not impede future federal funding, Iowa Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen, chair of state Boards and Commissions Review Committee, said in an emailed statement. More will be discussed at the Boards and Commission Review Committee meeting on Monday. Bruns said it is possible for Iowa to apply for an alternative administrative entity. However, that entity would need federal approval and would still require a board. While individual organizations in Iowa could still apply for AmeriCorps funds if the commission were eliminated, she said, the state would automatically lose roughly $3 million to $4 million in formula funding. It would also mean the Iowa organizations currently receiving AmeriCorps state funds would have to apply directly, which means competing with large national nonprofits and other state service commissions across the country through the federal funding process. Generally speaking, a smaller community-based nonprofit in Iowa would probably not be able to compete, Bruns said. It would also disqualify the agency overseeing the administrative entity from receiving AmeriCorps funding, Bruns said. So, for example, should the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services become responsible for distributing AmeriCorps funds, HHS programs currently receiving grants could no longer receive funding or participate in those programs under federal statute. An HHS spokesperson said the agency is watching the recommendations closely, but could not speculate on impacts to programs and services. The committees final recommendations will require legislative action to implement. Only one state, South Dakota, does not have a state commission to distribute AmeriCorps funding, Bruns said. As such South Dakota only receives one AmeriCorps grant through the federal program because there is no state commission. Twenty Iowa organizations are currently receiving AmeriCorps funding. Currently 90% of all AmeriCorps State programs are administered through a state service commission board of commissioners, Bruns said. And of those 90% of programs, theyre receiving about 75% to 80% of the total cost of funding. So state service commissions play a really important role in helping to provide training and technical assistance to these organizations to receive these funds. Bruns said she hopes the recommendation is a misunderstanding of federal requirements, and that the state panel will change its final recommendation to continue the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Services. Proposal devastating for cities, schools and nonprofits Last year, more than 7,800 people volunteered throughout the state through AmeriCorps, serving at more than 800 locations across Iowa, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans facilities and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. Ashley Coffin is director of Green Iowa AmeriCorps based at the University of Northern Iowa. The statewide program focuses on environmental stewardship through conservation efforts, energy efficiency, environmental education and outreach, and disaster response efforts. The group partners with roughly 25 host organizations including schools, city governments and nonprofits each year to place more than 100 AmeriCorps members who serve for 11-month or three-month service positions. Its funding funnels through Volunteer Iowa. And without it, Green Iowa wouldnt exist, realistically, Coffin said. The reality is our AmeriCorps grant, which funds over 50 percent of our total funding as a program, all has to funnel through Iowas state commission. They are just a key step in the process for organizations like ours to access federal funds that are serving Iowans. It would be really, really devastating for us to see something like the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service be eliminated. Like Bruns, Coffin said she hopes the recommendation to eliminate the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service is a misunderstanding and that the state panel will reverse its recommendation. Jeff Capps is executive director of the Iowa Childrens Museum in Coralville. It serves as the fiscal sponsor for an after-school science, technology, engineering and math program that relies on AmeriCorps volunteers and funding. After-school programs are only becoming more and more needed, he said. Engaging those children in programs that are effective and having somewhere safer for them to go thats just critically important. Programs like the one we support with AmeriCorps are doing that work day in and day out, and are ensuring these kids have great opportunities and parents and families have the peace of mind that their kids are not just being cared for, but that theyre having a wonderful, nurturing experience. Capps fears the tremendous negative impact if Volunteer Iowa were to dry up or be diminished in any way. Volunteer Iowa is a central part of making that (STEM after-school program) go. In fact, they are the drivers of that program, he said. Its a federal program, but there has to be strong oversight and there has to be strong support at the state level to be a unified program and program thats going to be successful. As homeless counts rise, proposal would cut Council on Homelessness The Boards and Commissions Review Committee also recommended eliminating the Iowa Council on Homelessness. State and local housing advocates warn eliminating the statewide planning and coordinating body could leave Iowa open to missing federal resources to combat homelessness at a time when shelters across the state are full and needs for safe, affordable housing are rapidly increasing. Homelessness in cities and states across the country, including in Linn and Johnson counties, is on the rise following the end of federal pandemic aid. Organizations that count homeless people have seen increases in the number of unsheltered individuals in Linn and Johnson counties. Homelessness rates nationally and locally have been climbing since 2017. The number of people living outdoors in Cedar Rapids has more than quadrupled during that time. More than 2,400 people were homeless on a given night in Iowa, according to National Alliance to End Homelessness data. As the states only official body charged with providing counsel to the governor and legislature on policies to address homelessness in Iowa, the recommendation seems like its probably not the right move, said Dan Garrett, chair of the Iowa Housing Partnership. The group advocates for policy and legislation to increase accessible, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households in Iowa. What I can tell you from a national viewpoint and a statewide standpoint is homelessness is reaching critical levels, and it seems premature to remove something that serves as a conduit to have serious discussions about how we address homelessness in the state of Iowa. Tim Wilson, chair of the Iowa Council on Homelessness, said state staffing to address homelessness is limited and spread across multiple agencies. Without it, there would be no forum for coordinating communication and resources, leaving Iowa open to missing opportunities for much-needed federal resources. Governance and funding streams for federal Housing and Urban Development programs in Iowa are currently divided among four different units. The council provides a venue for statewide planning and coordination leading to more efficient and effective use of limited resources, Wilson said. Additionally, the council has undergone extensive revision of its structure in the past three years to streamline, expand and coordinate services and resources. Eliminating the Council before it has a real chance to demonstrate added value under the new structure does not make sense, the council wrote in a statement to the Boards and Commissions Review Committee. The 20-member council holds bimonthly meetings attended by homeless service providers in Iowa and individuals who have experienced homelessness. The ICH is unique in its purpose ensuring a regular convening of statewide stakeholders to collaboratively problem solve, the council said in its letter to the state panel of its recommendation. In summary, the Iowa Council on Homelessness is neither redundant nor obsolete. The issues we address and the Iowans we serve have no other discussion forum at a time when needs for safe, affordable housing are increasing rapidly. Alicia Faust, a Cedar Rapids resident that has worked within homeless services since 2010, echoed the council. Faust, too, worried elimination of the council would put at risk funding the state receives to support the costs of operations of shelters for people without housing and domestic violence victims, and evaluation and reporting of services for those experiencing homelessness. Without an advocating body it leaves Iowa open to missing opportunities for those new and much-needed federal resources to combat homelessness, Faust said. The worst case scenario is it puts more pressure on homeless service agencies that are doing the boots on the ground work to also have to engage in advocacy on a higher level to receive more funding to create and sustain affordable housing across Iowa. Review Committee to hold final meeting Monday A state panel tasked with reviewing Iowa's boards and commissions and recommending some for elimination or consolidation will hold its final meeting at 10 a.m. Monday. The meeting will be held in the Old Supreme Court Chamber at the Iowa State Capitol. Members of public interested in attending virtually should email kollin.crompton@governor.iowa.gov to receive additional information. The committee will discuss the draft report of its final recommendations to the governor and the state Legislature. The committee is required to submit its final report to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature by Sept. 30. In the committee's preliminary recommendations, it proposed cutting or consolidating more than 100 state boards and commissions. Dozens of affected members and stakeholders showed up at a public hearing this month and argued against eliminating some boards. Photos: AmeriCorps NCCC at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site AmeriCorps at Black Hawk State Historic Site South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks employees have been out surveying and sampling lakes across the state to monitor fish populations and for the presence of zebra mussels. "We have also implemented a Zebra Mussel Rapid Response Team of employees to better respond to zebra mussels and to keep on top of lake situations," said Jake Davis, fisheries program manager. "We are working with the public and GF&P staff to quickly notify anglers, boaters, and other recreational users of a zebra mussel presence in a waterbody and to help educate water users." The team recently responded to a property owner on Roy Lake, in Marshall County, who had found mussels when removing their dock. "We were contacted by a cabin owner about the possible presence of mussels on Wednesday. We traveled to Roy Lake and confirmed those were zebra mussels," Davis said. "We then conducted a follow-up survey and found additional mussels. Going forward we will consider Roy Lake to have zebra mussels." The response team will place high-profile signs on access areas, actively engage boaters using the infested water, reiterate information on decontamination requirements, and identify groups of people and entities that will be potentially affected by the infestation. "We have updated the AIS signs at Roy Lake access points and have notified DOT so they can place the larger signs as well," Davis said. "Boaters and anglers in this area can expect to see additional reminders to 'clean, drain, dry' on physical signs, in their email inboxes, and on social media," said Nick Harrington, GF&P communications manager. GFP has significantly enhanced efforts to slow the spread of aquatic invasive species in recent years, both educating anglers and boaters to clean, drain, dry every time they are on the water as well as physically inspecting boats prior to and/or after loading. "GFP also conducted watercraft inspection stations throughout the summer months, even with fall upon us, boaters and anglers are reminded to always remember to clean, drain, and dry every time, Harrington said. Learn more about AIS by visiting SDLeastWanted.sd.gov. Editors note: This story discusses the issue of sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please reach out to either the Compass Center (605)339-0116, the Children's Inn (605)338-4880 or the Sioux Falls Police Department (605)367-7212. Sexual assault exams are available at hospitals in Sioux Falls as well as The Link downtown. Four sexual assaults have been reported at the University of South Dakota so far this semester, an average of one every seven days since classes began on Aug. 21. Details of each incident, perpetrated by acquaintances of the victims and each reported to the University Police Department, include the following: The first occurred Aug. 25 at a fraternity in Vermillion, of which there are seven. The incident was reported to the campus community in a warning on Aug. 29. The second occurred Sept. 3 in a USD residence hall on the north side of campus and was reported to the campus community in a warning Sept. 8. The third occurred Sept. 9 in a USD residence hall on the north side of campus and was reported to the campus community in a warning Sept. 10. The fourth occurred Sept. 17 in a USD residence hall on the north side of campus and was reported to the campus community in a warning Sept. 18. The Vermillion Police Department has active investigations for all of the September incidents, Chief Crystal Brady said in an email Wednesday to the Argus Leader. No arrests have been made in those three cases, she said. In each case except the second, the warnings from USD to the campus community indicated law enforcement didnt believe there was an ongoing threat to campus safety at the time. UPD Chief Bryant Jackson said Tuesday he doesnt have reason to believe the assaults may be connected. The reasons for a delay in an arrest could be that no probable cause was determined to make an arrest, the investigation is still being conducted or the suspect may be charged in a grand jury process, Brady said. These warnings were sent by USD as part of its compliance with the federal Jeanne Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to disclose information about reported crimes on and around campus. The warnings are different from criminal reports made to law enforcement, Brady explained. Universities must issue warnings like these or they could be fined, and victims have the right to report or not report their assaults to law enforcement, which is likely why the first wasnt reported to VPD or isnt being investigated by VPD at this time. USDs residence halls, listed from the northernmost end of campus to the southernmost, include Coyote Village, McFadden, Richardson, Olson, Mickelson, Beede, Burgess and Norton. The warnings dont specify which residence hall or halls the sexual assaults occurred at. Brady did not share case numbers or names of suspects or persons of interests in any of the cases with the Argus Leader. Campus response and resources Each warning states the only person responsible for a crime is the perpetrator, not the victim. If you start to feel concerns about a person or situation, trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat, the warnings state. If you think someone is at risk of assault or abuse, you should consider it an emergency and act to support that person. You can call the police or ask for help from other people, intervene directly if safe, or create a distraction to help remove the potential victim from the situation. When students move or return to campus each fall semester, they receive information and online training about consent and bystander intervention, Jackson said. UPD also offers free self-defense classes at the USD Wellness Center, partners with student organizations on sexual assault prevention trainings, and hosted a training called Zero Shades of Gray Monday night that Jackson said had more than 1,200 students in attendance. The program sets the tone that sexual assault is black and white and that there is no gray area. USDs Student Government Association will also host a forum on sexual assault 6-8 p.m. in the Muenster University Center Pit Lounge Sept. 28. Jackson said officials from UPD, VPD, the Clay County States Attorneys Office and the Yankton River City Domestic Violence Center will speak during this forum. Jackson said the aforementioned trainings were planned before each of the incidents occurred and are funded in part by I Care, a sexual assault prevention program at USD that began after USD was awarded a $300,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant in 2016 to prevent sexual assault. Weve really just been continually addressing that topic of sexual violence prevention and how we work to create a safe space where victims can come forward, breaking down some of those barriers to reporting," Jackson said, like starting by believing and having zero tolerance. Were not trying to sweep things under the rug, he added. Since 2016, I Care has created a team of community partners to enhance victim services, strengthened prevention and education programs, responded to sexual assault with a victim-centered and culturally competent approach, educated students about what constitutes sexual assault and violence, and mobilized students and other community members to take a stand against sexual assault. Confidential on-campus resources partnered with I Care include the student counseling center, psychological services center, victim advocacy services and student legal aid. Non-confidential resources USD points to on its I Care page include the Title IX office, UPD and VPD. I Care also includes information about confidential local, state and national resources to help survivors. If you are a survivor of one of the aforementioned cases and you would like to speak out to give your story a voice as we continue to raise awareness about such incidents on college campuses, contact education reporter Morgan Matzen at MMatzen@argusleader.com. This story originally appeared in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Indulge in the epitome of Montana living with this 28-acre property situated in the highly desirable Stevensville area. This home is conveniently close to town amenities, offering a balance of seclusion and convenience and with 18 gravity-fed irrigated acres in productive hay ground, the possibilities are endless. Crafted with precision this custom, 3201 sq. ft. log home features 3 beds and 2 baths and exemplifies the timeless appeal of log construction. Imposing timbers, intricate detailing, and a welcoming ambiance define the interior spaces. 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NEW DELHI (AP) The Group of 20 Summit, hosted by India earlier this month, couldnt have gone better for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His pledge to make the African Union a permanent member became reality. And under his leadership, the fractured grouping signed off on a final statement. It was seen as a foreign policy triumph for Modi and set the tone for India as a great emerging power. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was expected to seize on Indias geopolitical high in his speech at the United Nations on Tuesday. But circumstances have changed quite abruptly and India comes to the General Assembly podium with a diplomatic mess on its hands. On Monday, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau made a shocking claim: India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh Canadian citizen in a Vancouver suburb in June. Trudeau said there were credible allegations of links to New Delhi, which India angrily rejected as absurd. It has been a free fall since: Each expelled a diplomat, India suspended visas for Canadians, and Ottawa said it may reduce consulate staff over safety concerns. Ties between the two once-close countries have sunk to their lowest point in years. In the immediate term, this will bring New Delhi back down to Earth. It has a crisis that it needs to work through, quickly but carefully, said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Centers South Asia Institute. TENSIONS WERE ALREADY SIMMERING On the last day of the G20 summit, Trudeau posed and smiled with Modi as world leaders paid respects at Mahatma Gandhis memorial. Behind the scenes though, tensions were high. Trudeau skipped an official dinner hosted by the Indian president, and local media reported he was snubbed by Modi when he got a quick pull aside instead of a bilateral meeting. To make things worse, a flight snag saw him stranded in New Delhi for 36 hours. Finally back in Canada, Trudeau said he had raised the allegations with Modi at the G20. As India heads to the United Nations, the allegations have thrown cold water on India's G20 achievements," said Happymon Jacob, founder of the New Delhi-based Council for Strategic and Defense Research. India has long sought greater recognition at the United Nations. For decades, it has eyed a permanent seat at the Security Council, one of the worlds most prestigious high tables. But it has also been critical of the global forum, partly because it wants more representation thats in line with its rising soft power. The U.N. Security Council, which is the core of the United Nations system, is a family photo of the victors of the Second World War plus China, Jacob said. India believes it simply does not reflect the demographic, economic and geopolitical realities of today, he added. Others in the elite group include France, Russia, Britain and the United States. In April, Jaishankar said India, the worlds most populous country with the fastest growing economy among major nations, couldnt be ignored for too long. The U.N. Security Council, he said, will be compelled to provide permanent membership." The United States, Britain and Indias Cold War-era ally Russia have voiced support for its permanent membership over the years. But U.N. bureaucracy has stopped the council from expanding. And even if that changes, China India's neighbor and regional rival would likely block a request. INSTEAD OF THE UN, INDIA MAKES SOME END RUNS Kept out of the U.N.s most important body, Modi has made sure that his country is smack at the center of a tangled web of global politics. On one hand, New Delhi is part of the Quad and the G20, seen as mostly Western groups. On the other, it wants to expand its influence in the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where Russia and China dominate. The deft juggling of the West and the rest has come to define Indias multipolar foreign policy. Its diplomatic sway has only grown over its reluctance to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine, a stance that resonated among many developing countries that have also been neutral. And the West, which sees an ascendant India as crucial to countering China, has stepped up ties with Modi. By doing so, it looks past concerns of democratic backsliding under his government. In the immediate aftermath, the first reaction from Canadas Western allies including its biggest one, the United States was tepid. But as the row deepens, the question likely worrying Indian officials is this: Will the recent international fiasco jeopardize its surging ties with the West? After an initial muted response, the White House has intensified its concerns. Theres not some special exemption you get for actions like this, regardless of the country, security adviser Jake Sullivan said. On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was deeply concerned about the allegations and that it would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation. While there's been no public evidence, a Canadian official told The Associated Press that the allegation of Indias involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist, is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada including intelligence provided by a major ally. On Friday, the U.S. ambassador to Canada confirmed this, saying information shared by the intelligence-sharing Five Eyes alliance helped link India to the assassination. At the United Nations, where he held a news conference and meetings but will not be speaking for his nation on Tuesday, Trudeau told reporters that he doesnt want to cause problems but said his decision was not made lightly. Canada, he said, had to stand up for the rule of law and protect its citizens. For New Delhi, the U.N. meeting may present a possible opportunity. Indian and Canadian diplomats could meet on the sidelines to try to lower temperatures with a potential assist from Washington, Kugelman said. Canada's delegation chair, Robert Rae, is delivering the country's remarks 10 spots after India. Jaishankar could also hold face-to-face meetings with other key partners to minimize the damage. Since arriving, hes held chats with ministers from Australia, Japan and Britain. Lets be clear: Were not going to see foreign leaders avoid or isolate Jaishankar at the U.N. General Assembly, Kugelman said. Kathmandu, Nepal, September 21, 2023: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is currently on an official visit to northern neighbor China, met with his counterpart in Beijing this morning. In this meeting, the duo discussed on ranges of issues related to the bilateral relationship including the issues related to the revision of trade agreement between Nepal and China, implementation of the BRI agreement and others were discussed. Prime Minister Dahal, who left the United States for an official visit to China after participating in the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations, had met with Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday in Hangzhou. Two new Amazon operations facilities are coming to Virginia Beach, expected to eventually employ over 1,000 people, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. The retailer will establish a robotics fulfillment center expected to launch in 2025 and a delivery station expected to be running in time for the 2024 holiday season, the Republican governors office said in a news release. The new facilities will be Amazons 14th fulfillment and sorting center in Virginia and the 17th delivery station. The company, which has a headquarters in Arlington, has invested more than $109 billion in Virginia since 2010, including infrastructure and employee compensation, Youngkins office said. Amazons cutting-edge fulfillment centers generate major capital investment and thousands of jobs and strengthen Virginias position as a logistics industry leader on the East Coast, Youngkin said in a statement. We see Amazons expanding footprint impacting economic growth and innovation across the Commonwealth, and we will continue to compete for additional investment in Virginia. The announcement did not specify the expected wages, but said Amazon offers industry-leading pay and benefits. The city of Virginia Beach will fund stormwater and road improvements for the projects, according to the news release, which did not specify whether the state had awarded any other incentives. For more than 200 years, San-J International has been a leading provider of soy sauce worldwide, raking in $50 million of annual revenue. For Richmonders who purchase San-J products at their preferred supermarkets, many do not realize that the sauces are being produced in their own backyard in Henrico County. Most of the people who live in Richmond do not know they have this soy sauce factory nearby, San-J President Takashi Sato said. Sato, 51, is the eighth generation of his family to head San-J since the company was founded as San-Jirushi in 1804. He is a hands-on president who will do anything from traveling across the world to collaborate with stores and restaurants to fixing a box stuck in the assembly line while giving a tour. Being president of the soy sauce company is exciting, Sato said. Working in this industry, which is expanding, is exciting. The companys lone United States facility produces around 50 kiloliters of soy sauce daily, resulting in more than 160,000 10-ounce bottles. The factory produces other varieties, such as teriyaki, Mongolian, sweet and tangy, Szechuan and Thai peanut sauces. The sauces are spotted on shelves at stores such as Kroger and Food Lion. The products can also be found in restaurants, such as California Pizza Kitchen, which infuses San-J organic and reduced-sodium sauces in some of its menu offerings. San-J operated exclusively in Japan until a U.S. branch was established 45 years ago. Satos father was a sales representative for Toyota in the 1970s, working in the U.S. to sell cars to American clients. He knew the owner of sushi and Japanese steakhouse Benihana and often entertained his clients there. At Benihana, Satos father typically ate beef with soy sauce. After noticing that some Americans took to enjoying the soy sauce, he decided to quit his job at Toyota and create the first San-J office in the U.S. in 1978. Satos father, who eventually became president of the company, worked in Tokyo, with a company vice president assigned to work stateside. The American operation began as a sales office in Richmond, importing the soy sauce from Japan. Eventually, sales became high enough that the company built a factory in 1987. The eastern Henrico location at 2880 Sprouse Drive was chosen for a variety of reasons. Its proximity to Interstate 95, as well as the Port of Virginia, made for good logistics. The high humidity of Virginia compared well to Japans climate, and the Virginia mountains provided good water to add to the soy sauce production. Virginias status as one of the countrys biggest wine producers also made for an appealing location, with wine going through a fermentation process just as soy sauce does. If your land is good for wine, it must be good for soy sauce, Sato said. The commonwealths lack of a robust Japanese community at the time actually worked to San-Js advantage, as the company could focus on marketing to American consumers instead of residing in places such as New York and California that already had a built-in Japanese customer base. Sato, who was born and raised in Tokyo, took over as San-J president in 2001 after his father retired, and moved to Richmond to oversee the business. Living here is a great experience, Sato said. I thought I wanted to go back to Tokyo in a couple years, but after living here, I learned that I liked my life in Richmond. According to Sato, the soy sauce industry in Japan has been shrinking as the countrys eating habits become more Westernized. Meanwhile, the soy sauce market continues to grow in the U.S. While soy sauce competitor Kikkoman holds more than half the market share, San-J offers a unique product that distinguishes itself. San-J produces a tamari soy sauce, made with 100% soybeans, while Kikkomans sauces are half soy and half wheat. It is a six-month process from soybean to bottle. Its not a matter of good or bad; its just different, Sato said. Like red wine and white wine, its just a matter of preference. The higher levels of protein in tamari give San-Js sauces an umami (savory) taste. The lack of wheat also allows for people with gluten allergies to consume the sauces. In addition to the U.S., the Henrico factory serves Canada as part of the North American market, and is beginning distribution in Mexico. San-Js products are also exported to Europe and Australia. Product demands became greater for San-J, after decades operating in the U.S., and the facilitys original capacity could not fill all the orders. In 2015, Virginias then- Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that San-J would invest $38 million to expand its factory. McAuliffe met with San-J officials in Tokyo and approved a $300,000 performance-based grant for the project. The expansion was completed in 2019, and the facility employs close to 100 workers today. Sato anticipates that the company will have to expand again by 2030, either adding to the existing facility or establishing a second U.S. facility. For now, Sato is continuing to lead San-J as the company introduces new products, such as a citrus ponzu sauce and a soy-free sauce made with peas. Between running the company and tending to two young children, Sato does not find much time to partake in hobbies. Ive got two babies, so Im kind of busy taking care of them, Sato said. Including changing diapers, I have a lot of tasks. Recognize these places? 26 photos from The Times-Dispatch archives The chief of Richmond police on Monday morning described last weeks sentencing hearing of an officer convicted for his role in a 2022 car crash that killed two teenagers as emotionally wrenching. I continue to ask our community to keep these families in their thoughts and prayers, Chief Rick Edwards said in a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richard Daniel Johnson was found guilty in April on two counts of felony manslaughter and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving after he sped through a red light and struck a Buick at the intersection of Bells and Castlewood roads in South Side on April 7, 2022, while responding to report of a burglary in the 1500 block of Clarkson Road. The driver of the Buick, Jeremiah Ruffin, 18, and his passenger, Tracey Williams, 19, were ejected from the vehicle as a result of the collision. Neither was wearing a seat belt, police said. Williams died of her injuries that night. Ruffin died almost two weeks later. Johnson was sentenced Friday to six months of incarceration under home electronic surveillance, according to Virginia court records. In total, Johnson received a sentence of 20 years 10 for each felony manslaughter count. But nine years and nine months of the sentence were suspended for each count, meaning Johnson will spend only six months under home detention, said Richmond Commonwealths Attorney Colette McEachin. It was a very emotional sentencing, McEachin told The Times-Dispatch. All three of the families involved have been devastated. Edwards called the the incident a tragedy for the Williams and Ruffin families and said the event had forever changed (Johnsons) life. During his trial, Johnsons attorneys argued that Johnson, who was hospitalized with serious head injuries after the crash, was acting within the scope of his duty as a law enforcement officer and that the crash was unavoidable. The defense also argued the Buick should have yielded to Johnsons police cruiser, which police said had its lights and sirens engaged at the time of the crash. But prosecutors said Johnsons actions displayed reckless disregard for human life. Attorneys for the commonwealth said Johnson was driving 25 mph over the speed limit and did not press the brake or slow the vehicle as he approached the red light. The commonwealth also said Johnson was not the primary responder to the reported burglary and that his role as backup in the incident eliminated the need for him to disregard speed limits and traffic signals. The jury on April 25 deliberated for two hours before reaching the unanimous verdict. Johnsons attorneys at the time expressed disappointment in the decision, but did not offer further comment. Tracey Williams mother, Tiara Williams, could not immediately be reached for comment on the sentencing. Tiara Williams previously filed a wrongful death suit against Johnson and the city and agreed to a $3.1 million settlement in the case. Remember Safety Town? A look back through the Times-Dispatch archives Safety Town safety town Safety Town Safety Town Safety Town Safety Town Safety Town The cost of dealing with a hazardous chemical that contaminated the Roanoke River and Spring Hollow reservoir could be covered by a nearly $1.2 billion settlement of actual and potential litigation nationwide. In late August, a federal judge granted preliminary approval of a settlement in which The Chemours Company and other defendants will compensate public water systems that have been exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals. The Western Virginia Water Authority received a notice last week that it is eligible to collect from the settlement, Executive Director Michael McEvoy said. A forever chemical called GenX, used in the manufacture of many consumer products, made its way into the Roanoke Valleys drinking water from a Chemours plant in West Virginia. McEvoy said the authority which will spend millions to treat GenX-tainted water in the Spring Hollow reservoir is evaluating the details of the settlement and has yet to take formal action. Claims related to PFAS contamination of public drinking water across the country have been consolidated into a single case in South Carolinas federal court. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel will decide at a Dec. 14 hearing whether to give final approval to the settlement. The water authority, which serves about 69,000 customers in the Roanoke Valley, will have until 60 days after the effective date of the settlement to file a claim. Although the total amount of damages is still being calculated, the authoritys board voted last year to approve about $13.5 million in improvements to a carbon filtering system that reduces the GenX concentration to acceptable levels before water is distributed to customers. Chemours, Dupont de Nemours Inc. and Corteva Inc. deny allegations that a variety of chemicals used in their manufacturing processes contaminated public drinking water sources, according to court documents. But the companies have agreed to pay $1.185 billion to resolve all litigation. It was not clear how many water systems have potential claims. Calls to the Angeion Group, an independent settlement administration company involved in the class action case, and an attorney representing the potential claimants, were not returned Friday. GenX lingers in Spring Hollow GenX was first detected in Spring Hollow in early 2020, at levels of about 60 parts per trillion. Later tests found that it was also in the nearby Roanoke River, from which water is pumped to fill the western Roanoke County reservoir, at even higher concentrations. A health advisory issued last summer by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends no more than 10 parts per trillion over a lifetime of consumption. Last November, an investigation by the water authority and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality traced the source of contamination to ProChem Inc. of Elliston, a company about five miles upstream of Spring Hollow. ProChem had been hired to conduct chemical washing of equipment from Chemours, which uses GenX at a West Virginia plant. In a statement issued last year, ProChem said it had no knowledge that it was servicing GenX-tainted equipment. Wastewater from the process was dumped into a sanitary sewer that routed it to a public treatment plant, where it was then released into the South Fork of the Roanoke River. ProChem cancelled its contract with Chemours, and since then contamination levels in the river have slowly decreased. However, the level in Spring Hollow which has served as a collection basin of sorts for the chemical has remained in the range of 40 to 50 parts per trillion since last year, when pumping from the Roanoke River was temporarily stopped. The filtering system at the reservoir has brought the level down to below the EPAs health advisory, although the water authority has had to regularly replace the carbon units used in the process. Pumping water from the river resumed in late July. ProChem is not part of the settlement agreement with Chemours. A spokeswoman for the company said Friday that it has been testing its wastewater regularly, and the latest sample did not show a presence of GenX. GenX is one of more than 6,000 forever chemicals that can repel heat, oil and water. PFAS are widely used in the manufacture of a variety of consumer products that include non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, carpet, upholstery, cosmetics, fast-food wrappings and other items. They are called forever chemicals because they break down very slowly once released into the environment. Concerns about the chemicals have grown in recent years with the advancement of testing that can detect amounts that, while tiny, can pose health risks. Studies have found that exposure PFAS can increase the risk of kidney, prostrate and testicular cancers, cause harm to fetal and infant development, and lead to reduced immune system functions. No excuse for waiting Last Wednesday, environmental group Wild Virginia launched a campaign against PFAS pollution. The good thing is that we already have strong tools to identify and eliminate many sources of PFAS pollution to our waters and land, through the Clean Water Act and state law, the groups conservation director, David Sligh, said in an announcement of an effort aimed at regulators. The problem is that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is refusing to do its duty and fully use the regulatory tools that exist, Sligh said. There is no excuse for waiting to take action the time to anticipate and prevent contamination is now, not after more months or years of delay. But according to DEQ spokeswoman Irina Calos, the agency is not actively pursuing enforcement because there are currently no water quality standards for forever chemicals like GenX. The health advisory does not have any regulatory weight. Earlier this year, EPA proposed a national drinking water standard that would require public utilities to test for PFAS and take steps to reduce concentrations that exceed its limits. The new rules have not taken effect yet. Wild Virginia said other states, including North Carolina and Michigan, have already taken steps to limit discharges. While it has not begun any formal enforcement action, DEQ is actively involved in three cases of PFAS contamination in the Roanoke River, the Upper Occoquan watershed in Northern Virginia and the Middle Chickahominy watershed in Eastern Virginia, Calos said. Those efforts include investigation of sources, ambient surface monitoring, and sampling of fish tissue. If fish are determined to be carrying PFAS, it could lead to warnings about consumption similar to those already in effect for PCBs, a long-lasting carcinogenic chemical which for years was used in a variety of industrial and consumer products. Testing of fish in the Roanoke River was done earlier this year, Calos said, but results are not expected until early 2024. More testing underway Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Health continues to conduct testing for PFAS in public drinking water supplies. A sample study of treated water conducted in 2020 found PFAS in quantities above the practical quantification limit the lowest level that can be reliably measured at 15 of 63 locations across the state. The highest concentration was in Spring Hollow, according to a report from a VDH work group. A second round of statewide sampling began last year. Results are expected to be released by Nov. 1, according to Dwayne Roadcap, director of VDHs office of drinking water. Only a small portion of public water sources have been tested, the report noted, and sampling of private wells is usually the responsibility of their owners. Earlier this year, funding to test those wells was secured from the Virginia Environmental Emergency Response Fund. VDH offered voluntary sampling of about 80 private wells at Montgomery and Roanoke county homes and businesses in the immediate areas of ProChem and Spring Hollow. About 20 property owners indicated an interest. The first round of samples, taken from six wells, were collected in late August and sent to laboratories, which have been flooded with requests for PFAS testing. The health department was still waiting last week for word back from the labs. At the University of Virginia Board of Visitors first meeting of the academic year earlier this month, members got an education on how a high-functioning board operates. But not everyone agreed with the lesson. Clayton S. Rose, who previously served as president of Bowdoin College from 2015 to 2023 and is now a professor at Harvard Business School, led the conversation. He was clear on one point: Board members should serve the universitys interests that is, not personal interests. Boards are a single unit, not a collection of free agents with a particular agenda in mind. They focus on the universitys interest, he told the board. Board members should be cheerleaders, he said, protecting the reputation of the institution they serve. His point elicited some strong criticism from two board members, both appointed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Doug Wetmore, appointed last year, and Paul Harris, who just took his seat on the board this summer, argued that, while it might be true that trustees of private colleges which Rose is familiar with serve the university, UVa is different. UVa is a state institution. In the schools own Statement of Visitor Responsibilities it makes it clear: Visitors support the Universitys broader public mission and promote the values of a public university, including serving as conduits for conveying the interests of citizens and political leaders of the Commonwealth to the University. Were a public body, said Wetmore. Our responsibilities are laid out in the Virginia Code. We take public oath of office to uphold the state constitution. Our meetings are open to the public. We have FOIA. The money we spend is public money. While the boards members should naturally serve the school itself, they also owe an obligation to Virginia taxpayers and residents, Harris and Wetmore said. The discussion of leadership also included the relationship between the board and the president. Among the boards most primary and important duties are appointing and evaluating the universitys president, according to the boards statement of responsibilities. Vice Rector Carlos Brown, general counsel for Dominion Energy and an appointee of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, offered an analogy. The president of the university is like a horse, he said. The board builds fences, establishing the parameters of the presidents work, and then allows the president to roam within the pasture. Theres a partnership in that analogy, said President Jim Ryan. I place great value on the guidance and leadership our Board of Visitors provides in setting a direction for the University and working with my team and me as we work to execute that vision, Ryan told The Daily Progress in an email after the meeting, clarifying his remarks. That partnership has worked very well in my time as President, and I am proud of what weve been able to achieve together over the past 5 years. It shouldnt be taken for granted though, according to James Murray. Murray, an investment banker who was appointed to the board by Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and then reappointed by Northam, made a point during the boards meeting to say that a presumption of trust between the board and Ryan could lead to dysfunction. The remark was followed by a long silence. As most early meetings go, especially one with recently appointed members, the first meeting the academic year included a great deal of questions regarding the powers of individual members, the ins and outs of the office and what to expect in the months to come. For instance, at one point, members asked who the university counsel, Clifton Iler, represents in disagreements and challenges the university faces. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Iler said his obligation is owed to the institution and not specific individuals at the institution echoing Roses remarks. My title is university counsel, and I think its university counsel for a reason, Iler said. For Youngkins newest appointees, their first meeting was a learning experience, they told The Daily Progress. Thats true even for visitors who previously served on the board. Im just learning, said John Nau, the chair and CEO of Silver Eagle Beverages who was appointed this past summer but previously served from 2011 to 2015. Every board is different. Its like a corporate board made up of members and what theyre interests are. Ive seen every report is focused on finances and student life, but every one of them is different, so Im listening. Other visitors are true newcomers, such as Harris. In my first year on the board, I anticipate spending a lot of time trying to understand this complex operating environment that is the university and understanding what its strategic priorities are and how theyre being executed, said Harris, who took his seat at the same time as Nau. I found the last few days to be very engaging and informative. Its certainly made me think about the university in a different way. Harris was the first Black Republican elected to the House of Delegates since Reconstruction in 1997, but he does have some experience in higher education. Once upon a time, he was on the other side of the table, he said. He served as a member of the administration at Hampton University for four years and gave presentations to board members. Though still finding his footing in his new position, he said he knows one thing already: Hes not there to meddle in administrative work.I completely relate to administrators at the university and how they carry out their functions with expected oversight from the board but not too much meddling and getting into managing the institution on a day-to-day basis, thats not our role, Harris said. I am very sensitive not to do that. I understand what my role is as a board member is not to get into the day-to-day stuff. That said, I do expect the administrators to not just bring good news all the time, but to be very frank and transparent about problems and challenges that exist so that we can help in our role as board members. To that point, Rector Robert Hardie pointed out to board members at the meeting that they should try not to overwhelm staff with information requests. UVa Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis has previously told the board, especially Youngkin appointees, that her staff has struggled to answer all of their requests for information. Board membres, the school staff have said, need to be sure to follow the proper processes and go through committees to get information.Hardie asked Rose how he dealt with information requests during his time at Bowdoin. The staff has a day job, Hardie said, and they shouldnt have to undergo a fire drill every time a board member asks a question. MENTAL HEALTH OF VIRGINIA STUDENTS When he heard about two preschoolers 4-year-olds who had been talking about suicide, Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel knew he was on the right track with a pilot program for school-based mental health programs. It's not, he said, that schools aren't trying. But mental health issues in schools are rising, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. "We're seeing issues earlier and earlier," Littel said. "We've got to be involved before there's a crisis." The aim is to explore how to deliver a range of inschool services aimed at all students, to stepped-up efforts for more targeted services aimed at families or other small groups, to the most intensive kind of psychotherapy. In 26 Hanover County schools, that has included calming rooms, where upset or anxious students can step away from class for a bit, to brief therapy sessions aimed at solving an immediate situation, to referral services and assessment for cognitive behavioral therapy, an approach that focuses on tackling habits of thought and action that reinforce psychological problems. A total of 91 students have participated so far. In Hopewell, 71 students in one elementary, one middle and one high school have been helped with individual, family and group psychotherapy, as well as group therapy sessions. Bristol has offered mental health awareness and suicide prevention, as well as crisis support efforts to 600 pupils in two elementary schools, while Lunenburg County's mentoring and suicide prevention programs have helped 80 students in two elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools. That's all come in less than a year the $1.3 million in grants for them came only in November 2022 and January 2023, but Littel said he is already seeing areas where a new state effort could pay important dividends. Basically, that comes down to thinking about how two different groups educators and behavioral health clinicians, who often take different approaches to mental health issues can work together better. "Think about substance abuse," Littel said. "A teacher is going to think about education; in behavioral health, the focus is on treatment." Another key thing Littel has learned from the pilot is the importance of technical assistance basically, getting pragmatic, evidence-based information to schools, and he hopes, to parents, about ways to help children before they spin off too deeply into illness and crisis. A Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services review of the pilot said Virginia needs to build out a program of school-based mental health services. "Development of services and supports that are designed to meet the needs of youth and families is needed, rather than attempting to serve youth in a system designed for adults," the review said. It also called for schools and behavioral health workers to develop shared goals for education and mental health outcomes. There's a big need for more licensed behavioral health staff who specialize in working with young people. Richmond and Mecklenburg County received grants this year, while Amelia and Amherst counties have tapped into the technical assistance programs available through the pilot to start planning their own inschool efforts. "It's hugely important," Littel said. "We need to think about prevention, so that our children have a chance to grow up to be happy, well-balanced adults." Mexico inaugurates new consular office in New Brunswick New Jersey to serve 50,000 a year Mexico City, Mexico Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena has inaugurated a new Mexican consulate in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The new Mexican consulate office was made official Saturday in the presence of numerous dignitaries. With this new representation of Mexico in the United States, we want to be present in their lives and support them in everything they need. We will provide them with a Foreign Ministry that is close to the people because you are our best ambassadors abroad, she said during her Saturday inauguration speech. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena formally inaugurated the Mexican consulate in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is Mexicos 53rd consular office in the United States. This new representation of the Government of Mexico is designed to serve up to 50,000 people annually and will offer more than 40 procedures and services for a population of more than 230,000 Mexican people who live in the 13 counties of central and northern New Jersey. Before leaders of the Mexican community in New Jersey, SRE officials and local and state U.S. authorities, the head of Mexican diplomacy thanked those present for all the effort, dedication and work carried out in recent months for the creation of the consulate. This is their house. This place belongs to Mexicans. The consulate will be a meeting place to touch base with their country where they will not only have documentation services, but also services in health, sports, culture, financial education and more, said Barcena Ibarra. Numerous New Jersey dignitaries were part of the 53rd Mexican Consulate inauguration in New Brunswick Saturday. Photo: Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores September 23, 2023. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs highlighted the presence at the event of Ana Lilia Rivera, President of the Senate board of Directors as well as several legislators from the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico, who assured they will carry the voice of the Mexican community of New Jersey before the Legislative Branch. She recognized the support of the Mayor of New Brunswick, Jim Cahill, who was fundamental for the inauguration of the consular representation. Secretary Barcena endorsed President Lopez Obradors commitment that the attention of the Mexican community in the world is a priority of our foreign policy and concluded her intervention with the phrase: A dream that we dream alone is just a dream. A dream we dream together becomes a reality. Consul Mariana Diaz, who will be in charge of the new headquarters of the Government of Mexico, celebrated the deep significance that a woman, Chancellor of Mexico, has inaugurated a consulate headed by another woman. This is the face of my countrys Feminist Foreign Policy, she said. The Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma, added that the office will be a lever that will allow increased commercial exchange between New Brunswick, New Jersey and Mexico. He assured that in addition to increasing economies, the consulate will be an example that both countries can do more to create the most competitive but also the most humane region in the world. Several consulate procedures were made on inauguration day. Photo: Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores September 23, 2023. Head of the North American Unit, Roberto Velasco, mentioned that after a long time, Mexico settled a debt with the growing Mexican community in New Jersey. This is a space that we open by and for you, in addition to your hand () We widely recognize everything you do every day and your great contributions for Mexico and the United States, we will be defending you closely at all times. Concluding the event, Chancellor Barcena delivered the first consular documents issued in this representation to the Mexican community. He delivered a power of attorney, a birth certificate and a passport to a four-year-old minor with a Mexican father and an American mother as well as a consular registration to a non-binary person and a consular registration to an elderly woman originally from Oaxaca. One dead and one injured in targeted Puerto Morelos drug house shooting Puerto Morelos, Q.R. One dead and one injured was the result of a weekend armed attack in Puerto Morelos. The shooting happened Friday night in an area known as Le Fe. Police responded to 9:30 p.m. reports of the shooting, arriving on Timon and Calamar Streets after residents reported hearing shots fired inside a house. Responding officers found one dead person inside and one injured. The house is reported to be a known point for drug sales and the shooting, targeted. Residents reported seeing two subjects arrive on a motorcycle from where they began shooting at the house. The deceased male was found shot in the head. A second male was transferred to hospital of his own means after being shot in the abdomen. However, his injuries were severe and he was later transferred to a Cancun hospital by ambulance. From the scene, authorities removed the deceased mans body and collected 10 shell casings. An investigation is underway. Police respond to toppled ice truck accident in Jose Maria Morelos Jose Maria Morelos, Q.R. Highway motorists lead police to the scene of a toppled ice truck in Jose Maria Morelos over the weekend. However, when they arrived, they found the company unit abandoned. The refridgerator truck was found by police heavily damaged laying on its side Friday afternoon. Highway 184 drivers made the police report of the accident. By the time police, the driver was long gone. The accident was reported at 4:50 p.m. which triggered emergency bodies to the scene. On site, police and paramedics found only a company truck filled with melting bags of ice. They were tasked with up-righting the unit and having it towed. The company refrigerator truck was traveling from the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto to several mini supermarkets in the municipality of Jose Maria Morelos at the time of the accident. There was no indication how the driver managed to topple the truck. The company truck owner will have to make claim from the corral. Quintana Roo plants 5,500 new trees around state Riviera Maya, Q. R. More than 5,000 trees were planted simultaneously around the state over the weekend. Various organizations around the state of Quintana Roo participated in the planting of 5,500 native trees in the 11 municipalities. Those involved in the tree planting program included citizens, students, civil associations as well as municipal, state and federal government volunteers. Huguette Hernandez Gomez, head of the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment, reported on the weekend program. In a joint effort between society, civil associations and the government, they joined the call to take action for the planet, for the ecosystem in which we live, for the protection of the environment and for the most important problem of our era, climate change, she said. Huguette Hernandez stressed with this, we are also demonstrating that when there is will, significant changes are achieved. We are generating an awareness movement, bringing together at this moment more than 1,000 people with a single purpose, which is a healthy environment. The SICT dug the holes while citizens planted the trees. Photo: CGC September 23, 2023. The 5,500 various trees planted were provided with help from the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT), who dug the holes, and the Quintana Roo Youth Institute and CAPA who helped to water them. Huguette Hernandez also thanked the Civil Associations and Mayors of Jose Maria Morelos, Lazaro Cardenas, Benito Juarez and Puerto Morelos, who joined the project, and to the Deputies Alicia Tapia, Cristina Alcerreca and Andrea Gonzalez for contributing to a healthy state environment. Two accomplices detained in weekend mugging that left Cancun man dead in street Cancun, Q.R. Two additional suspects have been detained in the stabbing death of a Cancun man. The man died over the weekend after being stabbed while resisting a mugging. The stabbing happened on a public street in SM 101 Friday night. Since then, Cancun police have arrested two additional subjects identified as Jose Angel N, 23 years old originally from Cancun, and Edgar C, 36 from Yucatan. Both are accused of being involved in the Friday night stabbing death. The first arrest, that of 22-year-old Filiberto N, was made shortly before the latest two were detained for their involvement. Both Jose Angel N and Edgar N were arrested in SM 72 near Chichen Itza Avenue after residential reports of a scandal on public roads. After their arrests, both were identified as accomplices of Filiberto N in the stabbing death the night before. On Friday night, a resident of SM 101 was stabbed and seriously injured when he resisted an assault. Relatives made the 911 report saying three men had approached him in the street in an attempted mugging. When he refused to hand over his valuables, he was stabbed. The man died on the street after being stabbed resisting a mugging. Photo: September 22, 2023. Emergency medical personnel arrived and began to treat the stabbed man at the scene, but he died on the street. Two restaurant branches in Cancun and Playa del Carmen shot at simultaneously Riviera Maya, Q.R. Two seafood restaurants of the same chain were shot at at the same time Sunday. One was located in Cancun and the other in Playa del Carmen. One person was injured in the Cancun shooting. Two men were arrested. There were no injuries or arrests reported in the shooting at the Playa del Carmen location. Both shootings took place simultaneously around 4:00 p.m. It is the third time this year the same restaurant has been fired upon. On Sunday, armed men entered the Cancun seafood restaurant where they opened fire. One woman, a patron, was injured. She was taken to an IMSS hospital in Cancun where she continues to be treated for a bullet wound to her right leg. Cancun Police were successful in arresting two male suspects from the area after the shooting even though they fled. Neither of the men have been identified by name. Four shell casings were lifted from the scene. Two male suspects were arrested in relation to the Cancun location shooting. Photos: SSC September 24, 2024. While the Cancun location was under fire, the restaurants Playa del Carmen location was also shot at. Reports say two armed men fired shots into the air outside the Playa del Carmen location before escaping. Shell casings were also lifted from the 10th Avenue and 5 Street Sur location. The two gunmen are reported to have fled on a motorcycle. A search operation did not locate the male suspects. Playa del Carmen police lift shell casings found at the scene of the restaurant shooting. Photo: September 24, 2023. In a news briefing regarding the two shootings, Cancun Police reported In relation to the events that occurred in two branches of an establishment: one located in the municipality of Benito Juarez and the other in Solidaridad, the State Attorney Generals Office reports the following: After the events, two investigations were initiated, one in the municipality of Benito Juarez and another in Solidaridad. In Benito Juarez, one person was reported injured by a firearm projectile, not seriously, and two detainees were detained by the Municipal Police. In Solidaridad, the report is without injuries. The FGE reiterates its commitment to combat organized crime with the different security corporations of the State and the Federal Forces, to guarantee peace and justice in Quintana Roo. It is the third time that same restaurant has been shot at this year. The last event happened in August when a nighttime security guard was shot. The ongoing targeted attacks are believed extortion related. NEW ORLEANS Louisiana folklorist Nick Spitzer and Mississippi blues musician R.L. Boyce are among nine 2023 National Heritage Fellows set to be celebrated later this month by the National Endowment for the Arts, one of the nations highest honors in the folk and traditional arts. Spitzer and Boyce are scheduled to accept the NEAs Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship, which includes a $25,000 award, at a Sept. 29 ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The Hawes award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage. Spitzer, an anthropology professor at Tulane Universitys School of Liberal Arts, has hosted the popular radio show American Routes for the past 25 years, most recently from a studio at Tulane in New Orleans. The show has featured interviews with Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Fats Domino and 1,200 other figures in American music and culture. Each two-hour program reaches about three quarters of a million listeners on 380 public radio stations nationwide. American Routes is my way of being inclusive and celebratory of cultural complexity and diversity through words and music in these tough times, Spitzer said. Spitzers work with roots music in Louisianas Acadiana region has tied him to the state indefinitely. He founded the Louisiana Folklife Program, produced the five-LP Louisiana Folklife Recording Series, created the Louisiana Folklife Pavilion at the 1984 Worlds Fair in New Orleans and helped launch the Baton Rouge Blues Festival. He also is a senior folklife specialist at the Smithsonians Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington. Spitzer said he was surprised when told he was a recipient of the Hawes award. I was stunned, Spitzer recalled. Its nice to be recognized. I do it because I like making a contribution to the world. Boyce is a blues musician from the Mississippi hill country. His northern Mississippi approach to playing and song structures are rooted in the past, including traditions centered around drums and handmade cane fifes. Yet his music is uniquely contemporary, according to Boyces bio on the NEA website. When I come up in Mississippi, there wasnt much. See, if you saw any opportunity to survive, you grabbed it. Been playing Blues 50 years. Playing Blues is all I know, Boyce said in a statement. There are a lot of good blues players out there, he added. But see, I play the old way, and nobody today can play my style, just me. Boyce has played northern Mississippi blues for more than half a century. He has shared stages with blues greats John Lee Hooker, a 1983 NEA National Heritage Fellow, and Howlin Wolf. He also was the drummer for and recorded with Jessie Mae Hemphill. The other 2023 heritage fellows are: Ed Eugene Carriere, a Suquamish basket maker from Indianola, Washington; Michael A. Cummings, an African American quilter from New York; Joe DeLeon Little Joe Hernandez, a Tejano music performer from Temple, Texas; Roen Hufford, a kapa (bark cloth) maker from Waimea, Hawaii; Elizabeth James-Perry, a wampum and fiber artist from Dartmouth, Massachusetts; Luis Tapia, a sculptor and Hispano woodcarver from Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Wu Man, a pipa player from Carlsbad, California. Sophie Turner sues Joe Jonas for the return of children Sophie Turner is suing Joe Jonas. The 'Game of Thrones' actress is taking legal action against her estranged husband, just a few weeks after he filed for divorce, as she claims their daughters, Willa, three, and a 14-month-old girl whose name hasn't been publicly disclosed, are being wrongfully retained in New York City. Documents filed in Manhattan on Thursday (21.09.23) and obtained by TMZ revealed Sophie wants the girls to return to her "forever home" in England. According to the paperwork, the family made the UK their "permanent home" in April 2023 and Sophie and Joe regularly discussed their desire to raise the children and have them attend school there because they felt England was a safe place to raise their children. Read more here: Hulk Hogan marries Sky Daily in Florida Hulk Hogan has married Sky Daily. The 70-year-old wrestling legend - whose real name is Terry Bollea - and Sky tied the knot in Clearwater, Florida, on Friday night (09.22.23). A friend told DailyMail.com: "Sky changed his life. He is the happiest he's ever been - literally over the moon. If a guy like Hulk could glow, then he'd be glowing." The retired wrestler and Sky were joined by their friends and family on their big day. However, Hogan's daughter, Brooke, wasn't among the guests. The insider shared: "It was a low-key wedding. Neither of them wanted over the top, just a small affair with their nearest and dearest to declare their deep love and commitment to each other. Sadly, Brooke did not show up." Read more here: Russell Brand breaks silence over latest sex abuse allegations Russell Brand ranted about a global media conspiracy as he broke his silence over the latest raft of sexual abuse allegations he's facing. The comic, 48, has been accused by an ever-growing list of women of offences ranging from rape to sexual and emotional abuse since 16 September, and has now taken to Instagram to speak out about how he believes the world is in the grip of a "collaboration" between international corporations and news outlets. He said in a three-minute video to his 3.8 million followers he needed fans to "support" him after a "extraordinary and distressing" week by signing up to his shows on the $60 subscription site Rumble. Dressed in a simple white shirt without his normal jewellery, Brand said: "Hello there you awakening wonders. Obviously, it's been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you've been presented with. Read more here: Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox and News Corp Rupert Murdoch is stepping back from his media empire at the age of 92. The Australian business mogul is stepping down as chairman of the board at both News Corp and Fox at their annual general meetings next month, and will instead take on the role of chairman emeritus at the companies. His son Lachlan will become News Corp's sole chair, and continue as executive chairman and chief executive of Fox. In a message to employees, Rupert told them the companies were "in robost health, as am I", and he is looking forward to the future. He wrote: "Our companies are in robust health, as am I. Our opportunities far exceed our commercial challenges. "We have every reason to be optimistic about the coming years - I certainly am, and plan to be here to participate in them." Read more here: *** Get more recent celeb news here: A section of rural Montgomery County is anticipated to have access to high-speed fiber optic broadband internet over the next few months. The arrival of fiber internet is part of a much-anticipated project that involves a county partnership with regional internet services provider GigaBeam Networks and utilities company Appalachian Power. The county a few years ago identified areas outside of its two towns that were deemed to either be unserved or underserved. The need for the project grew even more when remote work and school work that required online connectivity became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of county officials, along with executives from GigaBeam and Appalachian Power, attended an event in Shawsville earlier this month where they spoke about the projects status and importance. Some at the Shawsville event spoke about how the project is finally in its construction phase. County Supervisor Steve Fijalkowski, whose district covers the Shawsville area, said among the questions he has been asked most by constituents is when the broadband will arrive. He said it will be a reality soon. I look forward to being connected to high-speed internet, he said. No more losing the signal when the storm hits or waiting and waiting or for connections to be made. Fijalkowski called the connectivity expected from the project to be the gold standard. He further talked about other advantages, such as finally providing much more reliable online connectivity to local students doing their work on Chromebooks. Eastern Montgomery County is the area that is expected to be completed first under the project, with several hookups anticipated by the end of the year, said county spokeswoman Jennifer Harris. The project is slated to connect a total of just under 1,500 homes and businesses to GigaBeams services, Harris said. The project, when complete, will connect nearly 9,000 homes and businesses in the countys other unserved and underserved areas, she said. The project in the county has received $58 million in grants from the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative, Harris said. Appalachian Power, GigaBeam and the county have also provided matching funds, with the locality allocating $6 million from its share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (pandemic relief) package. Brad Hall, the vice president of external affairs for Appalachian Power, said the work in Montgomery County is part of an even bigger initiative that will also cover Bland County. Michele White, GigaBeams marketing director, said last week that the plans that will be available to rural Montgomery County residents will be the same as whats offered to the providers current customers. One of GigaBeams three basic plans is a $135 per month package that includes connection speeds of up to one gigabit per second, a top tier bandwidth. Appalachian Power is providing the middle mile fiber for this project in our power space meaning on the pole in the space reserved for our utility lines and equipment, company spokeswoman Teresa Hall wrote in an email. A last mile internet service provider then connects to our fiber to offer broadband to people and families in unserved areas. Montgomery County Administrator Craig Meadows, who will retire later this fall, said the project is one of the highlights of his career. I look forward to seeing the fiber light up in just a few months, he said. Feature: Expo offers opportunity to expand business cooperation between China, Arab states Xinhua) 09:25, September 25, 2023 YINCHUAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- "China has a huge consumer market and offers great opportunities (for the expansion of our business). I hope I can find partners and establish sales channels here," said Abdullah A Alrebdi, a participant in the ongoing sixth China-Arab States Expo. It is the first time for Alrebdi, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi firm Palma Dates, to attend the four-day event that opened on Thursday in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. His company owns 23 date palm farms, which produce 80,000 tons of date palms annually. Alrebdi is among the more than 400,000 participants in the expo over the past 10 years. The expo, a biennial event first held in 2013, has since developed into a vital platform for China and the Arab states to promote pragmatic cooperation. The past decade has witnessed substantial economic and trade cooperation growth between China and Arab states at the expo. China is now the largest trading partner of the Arab states, with last year's trade volume almost doubling from the 2012 level to 431.4 billion U.S. dollars. The expo has attracted more than 6,000 enterprises from 112 countries and regions since 2013, and more than 1,200 deals in modern agriculture, high technology and biomedicine have been clinched. In recent years, China and the Arab world have expanded cooperation from more traditional sectors to include aviation, aerospace and the digital economy. They have fostered new growth resources involving green and low-carbon development, health and medical services, and investment and finance. This year's expo features a forum on meteorological cooperation for the first time, attracting meteorological officials from 12 Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Mauritania, Syria and Egypt. Cross-border e-commerce is one of the burgeoning new frontiers for China-Arab states cooperation. Yang Wanlong, a Chinese businessman, outlined his plan for cooperating with Arab customers in the e-commerce sector at a booth he rented at this year's expo. After observing the potential of the market of Arab states at the fifth China-Arab States Expo, the young businessman decided to attend the expo again this year to promote his company's e-commerce platform in Arab countries. Yang expressed his hope that Arab consumers will soon be able to buy low-cost, high-quality Chinese goods simply by placing online orders as cross-border e-commerce between China and the Arab states develops. The investment promotion by the China-Arab States Expo catalyzed Malaysian company DXN Holdings BHD's decision to establish its Chinese subsidiary DXN Corporation (Ningxia) Co. in Ningxia. Today, the company that produces healthy food supplements has a booth at the expo where various goods are on display, including instant noodles, milk tea and coffee. "The expo offers us a rare opportunity to fully display our products and cooperate with Arab countries," said Du Weijun, an employee of the company. This year's event drew representatives from 14 governments, 13 international and regional organizations, foreign institutions in China, and over 60 foreign business associations and enterprises. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) An introduction to the thought of George Parkin Grant, thirty-five years since his passing (Part One) By Mark Wegierski web posted September 25, 2023 George Grant is a conceptually complex Canadian critic of technology and America who may appeal to different parts of the political spectrum. George Parkin Grant (1918-1988) is one of the rarest of birds -- a conservative Canadian nationalist philosopher. George Parkin Grant (who usually called himself George Grant) is virtually unknown outside Canada, and should not be confused with the American conservative writer of the same first and last name. The exploration of the combination of the four words used to describe George Grant conservative, Canadian, nationalist, philosopher -- will be the backbone of this series. George Grant is not a narrowly partisan politician confined to the day-to-day mud-slinging and hurly-burly of "practical politics" -- rather, he is a political philosopher who looks at society from a high and abstruse standard which may fairly be termed as "world-historical" in its perspective. Although Grant did endeavour to write to be widely understood, his writing is far more abstract and abstruse, and far less crudely biased, than that found in "practical political" discourse. George Grant is also not an analytic philosopher (i.e., Grant loves broad vistas rather than minutiae); nor is he a political scientist (in the narrow sense of the kind of person in political studies who aspires to put on a lab coat to lend themselves prestige); nor is he a student of international relations; and certainly not an administrative or management theorist. By his preference for political philosophy, Grant has set himself against the rising tide of these disciplines today, which are proceeding despite some exotic postmodern fraying at the edges -- in the direction of analytics, the scientific model, a mathematical modelling of international relations, and administrative and managerial approaches. Grant does not care about the "micro" of politics and society (such as that expressed in interminable statistical analysis), but about the "macro", the really big picture. Specific historical instances are used by Grant to illustrate his "macro" thesis, rather than analyzed in themselves. Grant does not care about quantitative analysis of picayune events, but rather looks at why, rather than how, certain things happen. George Grant, like all political philosophers, derives his views of all human societies from a carefully defined set of first principles. These most noticeably include a conception of human nature which differs from that of most modern thinkers. To Grant, there are deep and fundamental distinctions between premodern and modern societies, which transcend the particular features of individual societies. This assertion of a distinction between the premodern and modern (and an explanation of what these terms mean in a philosophical sense) could be seen as the core of Grant's political philosophy. The premodern and modern viewpoints or "world-views", make different assumptions about human nature, the purposes of human existence, and the place of humankind in the world, and therefore determine the type of society in which we live. In particular, Grant pays an enormous amount of attention to what technology, and the interaction of humanity and technology, means. Because of the negative conclusions which he reaches about technology and the "ideology of technology", which he identifies with the modern world-view, Grant is generally critical of modernity and modern societies. The second crucial point to be made is that the term "conservatism", as used by George Grant, has almost nothing in common with its various current, conventional meanings and definitions. He uses the term in a special sense, which emerges from his "holistic" view of human history and social development. Today, most people associate "conservatism" as a political term mostly with "neoconservatism", the advocacy and espousal of the so-called free market (i.e., of capitalism), with tax-cuts, budget-reductions, big corporate profits, etc., as well as with a certain harshness, rigidity, and anti-idealism. In Canada, neoconservatism is often seen as an American import. To George Grant conservatism, properly defined, is almost the exact opposite of these -- he is, in fact, vociferously anti-capitalist, because capitalism is seen by him as identical with that dominance of technology to which he is opposed. His own definition of "conservatism" is a highly eclectic one, which portrays it as a highly positive, life-affirming viewpoint, rooted in traditional philosophy and religion, especially Platonism and Christianity, as he sees them. It should also be noted that meaning of the word "Tory", as which George Grant could in some sense be described, has undergone an incredible evolution throughout history. Like the word "conservatism", this word has an extraordinarily large number of different meanings, virtually all of which have nothing to do with the way the word was being employed to describe the "Tory" government and party of Brian Mulroney in Canada in 1984-1993 -- roughly meaning "political fat-cats and friends of big business". A better term to describe Grant would be "Red Tory" or "radical Tory". However, one must be careful to include the reflective component in it, as many unreflective Progressive Conservative party hacks in Canada, who simply wanted to adopt a left-liberal program to gain votes, have also been called "Red Tories". Another term which could be applied to Grant is "high Tory", the word "high" connoting both the sense of the philosophical and the religious. The third point to be made is that George Grant calls himself a Canadian nationalist. This is clearly at odds with the conventional contemporary definition of conservatism in Canada as pro-American, pro-capitalist, and pro-Free Trade, but is, of course, entirely consistent with the definition of "conservatism" which George Grant adopts for himself. George Grant's view of himself as both a conservative and a Canadian nationalist is rooted in a certain view of modernity, modern history, and the development of Canada and the United States on the North American continent, which will be explained further below. The fourth point to be made is that, in the same way that there are many definitions of "conservatism" and "Toryism", so too there are many definitions of nationalism. Nationalism is often a principle which virtually all persons in the national community, regardless of other political beliefs, can agree to. For example, in the Polish Second Republic, virtually all Poles believed in the necessity of a strong Poland, an effective military, and the strengthening of Poland's place and position in the international order, regardless of party affiliation. Many of the minorities of the Second Republic, however, were against the Polish national consensus although they were also citizens of the Polish state. There can be various types of nationalism, which usually fall somewhere along a continuum based on "ethnicity", to an identity based purely on "state". All the Anglo-American societies (including Britain and the United States) have heavily tended in the direction of "state" nationalism which should have theoretically made them more tolerant and less exclusivist although this in practice has not always been the case. And, as is discussed below, the prevalent form of Canadian nationalism today actually attacks the traditions of the British-inspired state, and of "the two nations" (English and French), in Canada. Grant's version of Canadian nationalism, however, is as a truly conservative, traditionalist tendency. According to Grant in contrast to some political theories that usually see nationalism as something distinctly modern -- some types of nationalism can indeed be the expression of a premodern ethos or its residues in modern times. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home An overturned logging tractor trailer was causing serious delays along U.S. 220 in Franklin County Monday afternoon. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said in a press release at about 3:30 p.m. that no one was injured, but that both southbound lanes of the interstate were closed from Cassell Drive (Virginia 619) to the Craig Jamison Auction house. The incident occurred in the vicinity of Willow Creek Road (Virginia 1036), according to 511virginia.org, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The sheriff's office encourages motorists to seek alternate routes. As of about 4:20 p.m., only one lane had reopened. " " Climate is the average weather conditions for an area over a long period of time. Photo courtesy U.S. Global Change Research Program When the sun's rays hit the Earth's atmosphere and the surface of the Earth, approximately 70 percent of the energy stays on the planet, absorbed by land, oceans, plants and other things. The other 30 percent is reflected into space by clouds, snow fields and other reflective surfaces [source: NASA]. But even the 70 percent that gets through doesn't stay on Earth forever (otherwise, the Earth would become a blazing fireball). The things around the planet that absorb the sun's heat eventually radiate a portion of that heat (radiation) back out at a different wavelength, like your car seats and dashboard do. Advertisement This absorption-radiation process keeps the Earth in radiative equilibrium: The sun's radiation continually strikes the Earth, warming it; the warm Earth emits some of that radiation back into space, cooling itself. The more solar radiation the Earth absorbs, the more radiation it releases. Some of that released radiation makes it into space, and the rest of it ends up getting reflected back down to Earth when it hits certain things in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane gas and water vapor the car windows. The heat that doesn't make it out through Earth's atmosphere keeps the planet warmer than it is in outer space, because more energy is coming in through the atmosphere than is going out. This is the greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth warm. If there were no greenhouse effect on Earth, our planet would probably look a lot like Mars. Mars doesn't have a thick enough atmosphere to reflect much heat back to the planet, so it gets very cold there. So the greenhouse effect is actually a good thing and as with most good things, moderation is key. The reason we often associate the greenhouse effect with environmental damage is that since the Industrial Revolution, the greenhouse effect has fallen out of balance: Earth's atmosphere is trapping too much heat. Greenhousing Mars Some scientists have suggested that we could terraform the surface of Mars by sending "factories" that would spew water vapor, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air. If enough greenhouse gas emissions could be generated, the atmosphere might start to thicken enough to retain more heat and allow plants to live on the surface. Once plants spread across Mars, they would start producing oxygen. After a few hundred or thousand years, Mars might actually have an environment that humans could simply walk around in all thanks to the greenhouse effect. If contagious yawning is the result of empathy, then contagious yawning wouldn't exist until the ability to empathize was learned. But what if empathy is never developed? Another study, lead by cognitive researcher Atsushi Senju, sought to answer that question. People with autism spectrum disorder are considered to be developmentally impaired emotionally. Autistic people may have trouble connecting with others and find it difficult to feel empathy. If autistic people have difficulty feeling empathy, then, researchers hypothesized, they shouldn't be susceptible to contagious yawning. Advertisement Yawning Behavior in Autistic Children To find out, Senju and his colleagues placed 48 kids ages 7 to 15 in a room with a television. Twenty-four of the test subjects had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the other half were not. Like the Kyoto chimp study, the test subjects were shown short clips of people yawning as well as clips of people opening their mouths but not yawning. While the kids with autism had the same lack of reaction to both kinds of clips, the kids without autism yawned more after the clips of people yawning [source: BPS]. But there could be another interpretation to Senju's findings. Autistic people tend to focus on the mouths of people with whom they interact. But contagious yawning is thought to be cued not by movements in the mouth area but by changes to the area around the yawning person's eyes. This could explain why autistic people are less susceptible to contagious yawning perhaps they're just missing the cues. Yawning Behavior in Autistic Adults However, that notion is undermined by another study. Conducted by researchers at Yale University, this study examined the reactions of autistic adults while they watched emotionally charged scenes from the movie, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Researchers found that those autistic people who watched the eyes of the characters didn't register any more emotional reaction than those who focused on the mouth. This indicates that contagious yawning amounts to more than just cues; the autistic people who watched the eyes received little information from the cues they found there [source: Yale]. Despite these studies, scientists have yet to find a definitive link between empathy and contagious yawning. In a 2017 systematic review, researchers found "a pattern of inconsistent and inconclusive evidence regarding the connection between contagious yawning and empathy" [source: Massen]. A Primal Theory Perhaps the best explanation for why we yawn, as well as why yawning is contagious, can be found around the watering hole on the savannah tens of thousands of years ago. Some scientists believe that yawning is an involuntary response to a stressful situation: When we yawn, we increase the blood flow to the brain, thus making us more alert. Contagious yawning may be a method of quiet communication by which our ancestors spread the word that a hungry lion was nearby. Fear is an emotion with which we can empathize, and yawning may serve as a cue by which we spread that fear. So, how many times have you yawned? " " People who claim to have seen "lightning balls" say they appear to hover over the ground, leaving smoky trails in their wake. Pobytov / Getty Images When you shuffle around in your fuzzy socks and zap yourself on a doorknob, you've just experienced static electricity. Now, picture this electric sensation on steroids and you get lightning. Yes, the kind that can power a 100-watt bulb for over three months and is three times hotter than the sun's surface [source: National Lightning Safety Institute]. We're all familiar with the ordinary lightning bolt but what about ball lightning? It's estimated that between one in 30 and one in 150 people around the world believe they have seen balls of lightning hovering over the ground, floating through walls and even killing people [source: National Geographic]. Stories of these glowing spheres go as far back as the Middle Ages maybe even as far back as the Ancient Greeks. One of the most obvious risks is wildfire. We saw a series of horrific and devastating fires along the West Coast in 2020, particularly in California. This year, some areas of the Golden State have received as little as 11 percent of their typical rainfall to date, which could spark even worse burns than last year as the summer progresses. "We're already starting to see that crop up in some areas in June," Riganti says. Another concern is food production. Agriculture is incredibly important to the economies of many Western states, including California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona. Common crops in these states like almonds, wheat, avocados and apples require lots of water to grow well, which can lead to shortages of those crop in times of drought. That's devastating to those states' economies. Advertisement And then there's ranching. With less rainfall in states like New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona, ordinarily lush grazing lands have suffered. "Ranchers have to bring water and food into specific areas for their cattle," says Erinanne Saffell, the assistant state climatologist of Arizona. It's contributed to a worldwide deficit in livestock feed. But it's important to remember that drought isn't just a West Coast thing, says Riganti. Other areas are in the midst of their own drought. "I've been getting reports of crops struggling in parts of the upper Midwest," he says, "Northern Iowa, Minnesota, parts of Michigan, and then even up into parts of New England are all experiencing various levels of drought right now." And that means everyone across the U.S. can expect to feel the effects of Western drought as it continues to ripple across rest of the country. For example, last year California wildfire smoke made it as far east as New York City and Boston, and potentially even impacted air quality in the Netherlands. On the economic side, smaller crop yields out West would likely drive up produce prices nationwide. " " The colors in the U.S. Drought Monitor map show experts' assessments of conditions related to dryness and drought as of June 22, 2021. The map focuses on broad-scale conditions, so local conditions may vary. U.S. Drought Monitor MARION, S.C. Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace said he was honored to host Federal Bureau of Investigation Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Joaquin Balaguer as he presented certificates of appreciation to three members of his staff for their work resulting in the arrest and conviction of Dominique Devonah Brand for the kidnapping and murder of 80 year old, retired school teacher Mary Ann Elvington. Marion County Sheriffs Capt. Aurelius Cribb, Detective Dewayne Rogers, and Victim Advocate Tammy Erwin received certificates in recognition of outstanding assistance to the FBI in connection with its investigative efforts. Marion County Sheriffs Office honored by FBI recognizing staff Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace hosts Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Joaquin Balaguer of the Federal Bureau of Investigation as he is p Wallace said he hopes that the relationships built through the investigation and trial will serve other victims in the future. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Horry County Police Department, Marion County Sheriffs Office, Marion Police Department, Lake View Police Department, and Nichols Police Department. During that process there were many agencies involved and folks that worked on that case, Wallace said. Its an example of partnership for one common goal. Wallace said the staff stepped-up during the federal trial. Our thoughts and prayers are still with that family today, Wallace said. That family and officers are still affected emotionally. You look at Mrs. Mary Elvington and she reminds me of my grandmother. Its just a tragic situation. Wallace said he has been in law enforcement for 24 years and some cases affect him in different ways. Marion County Sheriffs Office honored by FBI recognizing staff Federal Bureau of Investigation Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Joaquin Balaguer recognizes Marion County Sheriffs Office Detective Dewayne I remember it like it was yesterday and during that time we were out 24 hours a day, he said. We still grieve with so many families in the last few years that have experienced loss but what weve done in law enforcement and the vision going forward is partnerships. Brand was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences plus 1 years in federal prison, stemming from the March 28, 2021 incident at Elvingtons home in Nichols. Marion County Sheriffs Office honored by FBI recognizing staff Marion County Sheriffs Office Victim Advocate Tammy Erwin earns recognition from Federal Bureau of Investigation Senior Supervisory Resident This sentence brings a measure of accountability to a violent criminal who showed no regard for the sanctity of life, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office Steve Jensen said. No sentence can fully heal the wounds of the victims loved ones, but it is our hope that those affected by this senseless act can begin healing knowing that justice prevailed. Wallace has been making the effort to recognize his staff and share with the public the latest information regarding the Marion County Sheriffs Office. He was awarded the Crime Victim Services Award by the National Sheriffs Association a few years ago for efforts supporting victims and they continue to play an active role. Marion County Sheriffs Office honored by FBI recognizing staff The Marion County Sheriffs Office participates in the First Responder Parade and reception at Creek Bridge STEM Academy on September 11, 2023. The Victim Advocate Program is led by Erwin along with Wanda Legette. Its very important to have victims advocates, Wallace said. We want those victim advocates out there and I think we have the best in the state of South Carolina. Theyre always working and they wear many hats. Erwin is also the MSCO Public Information Officer. She is credited with implementing policies and procedures that ensure every victim in the county receives the same level of care and access throughout the legal process bridging the gap with the community. She often works with schools, community events and local officials. Erwins visits include Caj, a therapy and comfort dog for crime victims along with school visits with children. Wallace showcases an officer weekly with Thankful Thursday announcements. Capt. Aurelius Cribb supervises the patrol division. The U.S. Army and South Carolina National Guard veteran brings more than 23 years of experience to the job. Detective Dewayne Rogers is U.S. Navy veteran that has been rising the ranks during his 12 years of service. FLORENCE, S.C. The Masonic Service Association of North America on Wednesday donated $3,000 and a portrait of George Washington, himself a Mason, to the Florence Veterans Village to go to support the residents with outside activities. Veterans Donation In no order, Shonda Young stands with Gary James, Ebbie Hodge, Brnjie Byers, Bobby Fisher and Sid Crouch Wednesday as the Masonic Service Asss R. W. Ebbie Hodges, Masonic Services Association of North American chairman for South Carolina, and Gary T. James, Masonic Service Association committeeman for the Florence Area, presented the check during a brief ceremony in the villages chapel. The Masonic Service Association of North America was formed in 1919 to provide services to member Grand Lodges that they would find difficult to provide for themselves, according to a media advisory on the donation. The organization exists to provide support to local lodges when it comes to disaster relief, educational and informational publications, VA Hospital visitation programs and service through administration of the program. Seguin, TX (78155) Today A mainly sunny sky. High 62F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Scattered frost possible. Low around 35F. Winds light and variable. Can Israel and the Palestinian Authority continue to cooperate? By Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch web posted September 25, 2023 Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is 87 years old. When he leaves the political scene, will Israel be able to continue supporting the Palestinian Authority (PA) and even influence who stands at its head? Speaking in a closed session of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in Israel's Knesset, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to answer the question affirmatively, saying, "We are preparing for the day after Abu Mazen. We need the Palestinian Authority. We can't let it collapse. We don't want it to collapse, either. We are ready to help it financially. We have an interest in the PA continuing to work. Where it manages to operate, it does the work for us, and we have no interest in it falling." The ability to maintain the PA depends significantly on the identity of Abbas' successor and Israel's ability to influence who the next Palestinian leader will be. To assess Israel's ability to influence the next head of the PA, it is necessary to provide critical background information. Absence of PA Democracy Created pursuant to the Oslo Accords a generic name given to a series of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1993 through 1995 the PA was meant to be the political vehicle for the realization of democratic, autonomous Palestinian rule. In reality, the PA was rarely genuinely democratic. The Oslo Accords, and thereafter Palestinian law, prescribed that general elections for the two central positions the PA Chairman and the PA Legislative Council (the PA parliament) would be held regularly. In practice, however, elections for each of these positions have only been held twice in 30 years. The first elections for Chairman and Parliament were held simultaneously in 1996 as part of the inaugural process of the PA. The second elections for the position of PA Chairman were held in 2005, following the death of Yasser Arafat. The second elections for the PA parliament were held in January 2006. Since then, no elections have been held. In late 2020, when the United States and the EU finally recognized the lack of Palestinian democracy and demanded that the Palestinian leadership "renew its legitimacy," Abbas temporarily acquiesced. Following the international community's call, Abbas set elections for the PA parliament in May 2021, which were meant to be followed by elections for PA Chairman in July 2021. However, when Abbas realized that his Fatah party had, in fact, splintered into several different branches each claiming to be the authentic Fatah party and that the elections would result in a landslide victory for Hamas, he decided to postpone the elections indefinitely. While Abbas' decision flouted the desire of the international community and the Palestinian people, since then, neither the United States nor the EU have taken any actual steps to ensure the renewal of the democratic process. Throughout his reign as PA Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas steered the Fatah-controlled PA, enjoying the benefits of having once won an election, on the one hand, and the willful blindness of the rest of the world, including the United States, the EU, and Israel, that he had turned the PA into a totalitarian regime, on the other. He also enjoyed the international prestige of being considered the sole, or at least foremost, Palestinian representative. While the absence of Palestinian democracy is not ideal for the Palestinians, it would undoubtedly give Israel more flexibility and potential influence on the next PA leader. However, the absence of any democratic process is just one piece of the puzzle. The Chasm between Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in Judea and Samaria Despite being geographically separated, the Oslo Accords invented the fiction that the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria are "one territorial unit" meant to be governed by one unified Palestinian Authority. Initially, the PA did function as one unit that simultaneously governed the areas transferred to it both in the Gaza Strip and in Judea and Samaria. However, this has not been the case for almost 17 years, since 2007 i.e., most of the time the PA has existed. As noted above, in 2006, the PA held general elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), which is the PA parliament for all intents and purposes. In anticipation of the elections, Abbas, who had replaced Yasir Arafat as PA Chairman, did all he could to stack the cards in his favor. He changed the voting system and enlarged the PLC from 88 to 132 members in breach of the Oslo Accords. He also managed to secure a $50 million donation from the United States to the PA and an additional $2.3 million in support for the elections, which many observers allege was designed to bolster the image of Abbas and his Fatah party. Going into the elections, favorable polls also bolstered Fatah, which predicted a secure Fatah majority. Alongside the preparations for the PA elections, in the summer of 2005, just months prior to the elections, Israel had fully implemented its "Disengagement Plan" from the Gaza Strip, pulling out all its troops and forcibly expelling the Israeli civilians who had lived there since the 1970s. To Abbas' dismay, Israel's disengagement and the scenes of destruction of what used to be Israeli communities were quickly claimed as a success for Hamas. In an act of regrettable folly, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon bowed to Palestinian and international pressure and allowed Hamas, an internationally-designated terror organization, to participate in the elections. The result for the PA, Abbas, and his Fatah party was catastrophic. Running under the "Change and Reform" banner, Hamas broke the decade-long Fatah hegemony. After beating Fatah in almost every electoral district, at the end of the day, Hamas won the elections by a landslide, winning 74 of the 132 PLC seats. The Hamas win caused Abbas a huge dilemma. On the one hand, the Palestinian people had spoken and chosen their democratically-elected leaders. Conversely, the chosen leaders were members of an internationally-designated terror organization. Israel, the United States, the European Union, and others refused to cooperate with, and more importantly, refused to continue funding, the elected PA government. Despite initially tolerating the Hamas-formed government, in early 2007, following a succession of events, Abbas deposed the government and replaced it with a non-affiliated, so-called technocrat government. Rejecting Abbas' illegal coup, Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007. While senior, privileged Fatah representatives, such as Mohammad Dahlan, managed to save themselves, other less fortunate Fatah representatives in Gaza were killed by Hamas, some being thrown from the top of buildings. Following the Hamas takeover, the technocrat government established by Abbas in Ramallah was quickly replaced with a government filled with Abbas' Fatah party members. This situation has continued to this day. Effectively, since 2007, the PA, at least as envisaged by the Oslo Accords, has ceased to exist, replaced with a despotic Hamastan in the Gaza Strip and a despotic Fatahland in the areas of Judea and Samaria transferred to the control of the PA in 1994-1997. In Fatahland, Abbas has controlled all the executive and legislative functions of what all the different actors continued to erroneously call "the Palestinian Authority." Abbas craftily used the U.S.-supported PA security coordination with Israel to fortify his rule to ensure that Hamas never gained a stronghold. When he feared the existing PA courts would not do his bidding, he simply created new ones. In Hamastan, Hamas holds similar powers, passing "legislation" and performing all the governance functions, including controlling the border crossings and collecting taxes. Abbas' Multiple Hats In parallel to his position as Chairman of the PA and head of Fatah, Abbas is also head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Israel's co-signatory on the Oslo Accords. While the PLO is theoretically an umbrella organization for many different Palestinian factions, including internationally designated terror organizations such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in practice, it is dominated by Fatah. After the creation of the PA, for many observers, the continued role of the PLO was unclear. For Arafat and Abbas, however, the PLO remained the sole source of Palestinian leadership, while the PA was merely a form of internal governance. Over the last few years, this reality has become even more pronounced. Since mid-2018, notwithstanding the intentionally deceitful move of calling and then indefinitely postponing the 2021 elections, Abbas has adopted a series of decisions to ensure that Fatah hegemony over the PA continues even after his death. These decisions included, inter alia, dissolving the PA parliament and merging the PA governmental institutions with those of the PLO. Which Palestinian Leaders See Themselves as Successors to Abbas? Abbas' party, Fatah, has dominated the PA since it was created. While this reality was initially a function of elections, as noted above, for more than a decade, Fatah has despotically ruled the PA. Accordingly, the senior leaders of Fatah all see themselves as the potential successors of Abbas at the head of Fatah and, consequently, at the head of the PA. In the last internal elections held by Fatah in 2016, the pecking order set Marwan Barghouti in first place, followed by 2) Jibril Rajoub, 3) Muhammad Shtayyeh, 4) Hussein Al-Sheikh, 5) Mahmoud Al-Aloul, and 6) Tawfiq Tirawi. Having come in second and hoping that Israel will not be willing to grant a special presidential pardon to terrorist murderer Barghouti, Jibril Rajoub (70) sees himself as Abbas' natural successor. Despite only coming in third, Mohammad Shtayyeh (65) would most likely want to capitalize on the fact that he has now filled the position of PA prime minister for over four years and would undoubtedly see himself as a potential replacement for Abbas. While he placed only 5th in the internal elections, Mahmoud Al-Aloul (73) would point to the fact that in early 2017, Abbas appointed him as the deputy chairman of Fatah, a position he has filled since then. Hussein Al-Sheikh (63) would stake his claim to succeed Abbas based on the fact that in May 2022, Abbas appointed him to be the Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the PLO, in addition to his ministerial position as the head of PA Civil Affairs. Moreover, as Jerusalem Center Middle East specialist Yoni Ben Menachem recently noted, the Fatah movement's Revolutionary Council has set December 17, 2023, as the date for the movement's 8th conference in Ramallah. In that conference, Al-Sheikh, backed by the powerful head of Palestinian Intelligence, Majed Faraj, intends to pave his way to Fatah's leadership, removing some of his rivals from leadership positions within the movement. Mohammed Dahlan (61) also sees himself as a potential successor for Abbas. Dahlan, who once headed the Preventive Security Forces in Gaza and served as the PA National Security Advisor, fled the PA after a conflict with Abbas. Dahlan was later indicted, convicted, and sentenced to three years in prison and a $16 million fine, all in absentia. Since fleeing, Dahlan has resided in the United Arab Emirates. For his candidacy to be successful, it would require the interim PA leadership, one of his direct rivals, to grant him clemency. Who Would Palestinians Like to See Replace Abbas? If the Palestinian people are asked who they want to succeed Abbas, the answer is clear. According to a survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR): If Palestinians were asked to choose between Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas or Marwan Barghouti from Fatah, a convicted murderer who is currently serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison, Barghouti would win 60% of the votes, and Haniyeh would win 37%. If the race were between Ismail Haniyeh and current PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, Haniyeh would receive 62% while Shtayyeh would receive only 33%. When given a list of candidates to choose from, 34% expressed support for Marwan Barghouti, 17% support Ismail Haniyeh, 6% support Mohammed Dahlan, 5% support Khaled Mashaal, 3% support Yahya al-Sinwar, 3% support Mohammad Shtayyeh, and 3% support Hussein Al-Sheikh. Who Would the Palestinians Elect to the PA Parliament? If elections for the PA parliament were held today, according to the PCPSR survey, Hamas would repeat its 2006 electoral victory. While Fatah would have a slight majority of the votes (36%) compared to Hamas (34%), the result assumes that only one united Fatah list would run. Since, as seen in 2021, this is not necessarily the case, Hamas would most likely receive the most significant number of seats, while Fatah's share would be divided between the different groups claiming to be the "original Fatah." Why Is Prime Minister Netanyahu Confident He Can Influence the Palestinians' Choice? Given the absence of any Palestinian democratic process, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu apparently believes he can influence the choice of the next PA leader for several reasons. The central reasoning behind any of the following moves would be that the Oslo Accords, from which the PA and its leader draw their basic legitimacy, prescribed clear guidance as to the manner in which the PA Chairman is elected. For the last decade, Israel has ignored the absence of Palestinian democracy and the breach of the Accords, but it need not continue on that path of folly. To influence the identity of the next PA leader, Israel could declare that it expects strict adherence to the provisions of the Accords. Several measures could support this demand. Israel Holds the Financial Future of the PA in Its Hands As part of the Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to waive billions of shekels of tax income in favor of the PA. As part of the agreement, Israel collects four main categories of taxes and transfers them to the PA. Palestinians pay two of the taxes import taxes and excise duties for goods and fuel imported from abroad. The two other taxes VAT and income tax are paid by Palestinians for goods and services purchased from Israel or for working in Israel or in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Over the years, the tax income has grown substantially. According to budget performance reports published by the PA, for 2017 through 2022, the taxes accounted for between 65.9% and 68.8% of all PA revenues. Total net PA revenue PA Income from Israeli-collected taxes Percentage of total revenue 2017 NIS 12,880,200,000 8,722,200,000 67.7% 2018 12,256,200,000 8,050,400,000 65.9% 2019 11,555,100,000 7,949,100,000 68.8% 2020 11,832,300,000 8,090,800,000 68.4% 2021 13,714,300,000 9,328,800,000 68% 2022 16,216,600,000 11,156,100,000 68.8% In 2022, according to budget performance reports released by the PA, the taxes collected by Israel and transferred to the PA accounted for 68% of the total expenditure by PA institutions. In other words, Israel's government holds the financial future of the PA in its hands. If the Israeli government does not recognize the leader who claims to stand at the head of the PA, it could simply refuse to transfer the tax income, and the PA would not be able to survive. Netanyahu is well aware of the power he holds over the PA. Even though he knows that the money Israel transfers is used by the PA to incite terror and the murder of Jews, to fund the PLO/PA's terror-rewarding "Pay-for-Slay" policy, to fund the PA's international lawfare against Israel in the UN, the International Criminal Court, and in the International Court of Justice, and a host of other PA malfeasances, he has consistently balked at implementing decisions, policies, and legislation that might potentially negatively affect the PA. While considering Israel's reluctance to use its financial leverage, any potential candidate to replace Abbas, who is not chosen in the manner prescribed by the Oslo Accords, would need to gain Israel's consent to continue receiving the critical tax income. It should be noted that the collection by Israel and transfer of taxes to the PA is not done in a vacuum. Instead, it is governed by Israeli law that periodically implemented the Oslo Accords. The term "Palestinian Authority" has a specified meaning in those laws. If it were found that the established body no longer exists, Israel would have to change its laws to cater to the new reality and continue transferring the tax income. The Mobility and Privileges Granted to the PA Chairman Alongside the financial considerations, Israel and the potential replacement for Abbas would also have to weigh mobility factors. A person who claims to head the PA is naturally required to travel between the different parts of Fatahland and certainly internationally outside of Judea and Samaria. While the PA is relatively autonomous, the Palestinian leader needs Israel's cooperation to travel around. Within Judea and Samaria, travel between the areas that the PA theoretically governs requires passage through Area C, which, according to the Oslo Accords, is under the sole jurisdiction of Israel. While Palestinians can enter and travel around this area in regular circumstances without any obstacles, the PA leader must be accompanied by armed guards. Similarly, since Israel controls the external borders and the airspace of Judea and Samaria, for the PA leader to travel abroad and maintain the facade and privileges of being the PA leader, Israel would have to recognize that person's legitimacy. The unique travel privileges granted to the Chairman, his family, and his bodyguards are stipulated in Annex I of the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which is the most dominant of the Oslo Accords. If the person claiming to head the PA does not receive Israel's recognition, Israel could prevent that person from enjoying the privilege the Oslo Accords granted to the PA Chairman. While there are certainly other considerations, without money and without the status and privileges Israel grants to the PA leader, Abbas' potential replacement would find it impossible, in the long term, to function on both an institutional and personal level. Can Israel Successfully Maintain the Palestinian Authority? Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that Israel is preparing for the "day after Abu Mazen" and that Israel aims to maintain the PA. Since it is evident to any objective observer that no single, unified Palestinian Authority, as envisaged by the Oslo Accords, actually exists today, after Abbas leaves the political scene, Israel, according to the Prime Minister, will strive to maintain the pretense of the existence of that body. It is unclear, however, whether Israel will strive to preserve the despotic rule of Fatah over Fatahland while simultaneously maintaining the internal Palestinian rift with Hamastan. The advantage of maintaining the pretense is that, irrespective of the identity of the despotic leader chosen, the Fatahland leadership will continue to govern and provide for the needs of the Palestinian population, however poorly, thereby relieving Israel of that burden. While the task of the new Fatahland leader would not be simple, it comes with a potentially multi-billion-dollar dowry, the perks of traveling the globe as a national leader, and the ability to enrich those close to him. The disadvantage of maintaining the pretense is that to survive internally, the new Fatahland leader must prove his fighting credentials and that he is not just another Israeli stooge. Will that mean the new leadership of Fatahland will continue the pugnacious practices and policies of Abbas, incite terror and the murder of Jews, squander billions to reward terrorists, attack Israel in international forums, and continue undermining Israel's legitimacy? When 87-year-old Mahmoud Abbas leaves the political scene, the "Palestinian Authority" will enter a new phase. Abbas' legacy to the Palestinians is the destruction of the PA as one unified entity. Instead of fighting terror, Abbas embraced the internationally-designated terror organization Hamas and insisted that the terrorists be allowed to participate in the PA elections. Abbas similarly squandered billions of shekels/dollars inciting terror and murder and incentivizing and rewarding terror and terrorists. Abbas also spearheaded the use of lawfare to attack and delegitimize Israel. The PA under Abbas was little more than a glorified terror organization. Nonetheless, the Israeli security establishment, which has sunk deep into the Oslo paradigm, has managed to convince Israel's government that maintaining the semblance and pretense of the existence of the "Palestinian Authority" i.e., the presence of Fatahland is in Israel's best strategic interest. Will Israel's government continue its willful blindness to the wrongdoings of the Palestinians to maintain this pretense? Will Israel continue funding all the disastrous policies of the Fatahland leader and grant him all the privileges and perks of being the Palestinian leader, even if the Palestinians had no say in his selection? Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch served as Director of the Military Prosecution for Judea and Samaria. Since retiring from the IDF, Hirsch worked as the Head of Legal Strategies form Palestinian Media Watch, as a Senior Military Consultant for NGO Monitor, an advisor to the Ministry of Defence, and head of an advisory committee in the Ministry of the Interior. Hirsch was the architect of the Israeli law that strips citizenship from Israeli terrorists who have been convicted for terror offences, sentenced to a custodial sentence, and receive a payment from the Palestinian Authority as a reward for their acts of terror. Home Travellers wait at check-in counters of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday, in Shanghai, China, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song By Bloomberg News (Bloomberg) After a strong summer, Chinas travel market is about to get another boost as the Golden Week holiday arrives. More than 21 million people are expected to take flights in the space of eight days the equivalent of almost everyone in Australia getting on a plane in a little over a week. The Sept. 29-Oct. 6 holiday encompasses both Mid-Autumn festival and the National Day break, which doesnt always happen as the date of the former depends on the lunar calendar. The extra day is a bonus after the population was essentially denied the opportunity to travel during the years of Covid-19. More than 21 million passengers will travel by air during the holiday period, Jin Junhao, a deputy director at the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said at a briefing in Beijing on Sept. 15. Just domestically, there will be some 14,000 domestic flights a day, according to the regulator. Travelers in the arrival hall at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. The summer holiday season started with a bang for China's aviation sector, with passenger traffic at the country's airports reaching almost 9 million -- about the population of Switzerland -- in the first five days of July. With Chinese tourists racing to book flights, airfares are climbing by more than double on some of the more popular routes. Air China Ltd. economy-class tickets from Beijing to Chengdu on Sept. 29 are listed at 1,800 yuan ($250), compared with 680 yuan for Sept. 22. Long-haul international flights such as Shanghai-Sydney are also double or more than fares later in October. Higher fares to some degree reflect the growing popularity of some of Chinas more far-flung destinations, made more appealing by the longer holiday, online travel agency Tongcheng said in a report. Places such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Ningxia and Heilongjiang in the far northeast are among the most popular. There are more than 10 times the number of searches for Xinjiang-related travel packages than a year ago, according to the report. The eight-day holiday also allows for longer travel. A study by data and analytics firm ForwardKeys found that 37% of travelers plan to stay in their destinations for six to eight nights, a 3 percentage point increase from 2019, before the pandemic. Story continues Air ticketing data also show that there has been an increase in bookings made by solo travelers and couples, something for tour operators, hoteliers, and retailers to keep in mind this Golden Week, Nancy Dai, an analyst with ForwardKeys, wrote in the report. For young travelers, personalized options that meet their needs are becoming even more popular, Outbound travel is also finally picking up, with momentum gathering after Chinese authorities lifted a ban on group tours in August. Favorable entry policies in countries like Thailand have also helped. Data from flight-tracker Umetrip show bookings for international routes are approaching 1 million for the holiday period. Trip.com said outbound travel bookings on its platform are nearly 20 times higher than the holiday last year, when China still had rigid Covid policies such as mandatory quarantine and testing. Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the UK are among the most popular overseas destinations. According to data from Flight Master, bookings between Tokyo and Chinas two largest cities Shanghai and Beijing are among the top 10 international routes for the holiday period. Chinas regulator has called on airlines to add shifts and use widebody aircraft on busy routes. Jin said carriers should also explore opportunities to serve smaller Chinese cities. The CAAC encourages domestic and foreign operators to increase capacity investment in the international air transport market and actively resume international flights, Jin added. The boom in demand leading up to the Golden Week holiday lifted Chinas air passenger traffic to record highs for two consecutive months in July and August. Thats some long overdue relief for the likes of Chinas three leading airlines, which were hit hard by the pandemics impact on travel Air China, China Southern Airlines Co. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. posted combined losses of about 200 billion yuan from 2020 to midway through this year. 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Christian Bonnier has invited people to debate the issue with him. Thanasis / Getty Images An entrepreneur told his TikTok audience that he hires workers in Pakistan and pays them $4 per hour. He faced outrage across social media as some people labeled the practice exploitative. Following criticism, he has doubled down, saying people are asking to work for him. An online business creator has caused controversy after telling people he pays some employees $4 an hour. Christian Bonnier is a 23-year-old entrepreneur who posts content on YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter) sharing his takes on business and work and promoting a $497 masterclass about starting a cold-emailing agency. In a TikTok video, which was posted on July 23, Bonnier told viewers that he pays some employees $4 per hour, and that they are "extremely grateful" to be working for him. It's unclear how many employees he was talking about, but he gave just one example: a virtual assistant based in Pakistan to complete administrative tasks such as formatting spreadsheets and setting up email accounts. "With the four bucks per hour they're getting from me, they get 160 bucks per week, or 640 bucks per month, which is almost three times the average income over there. A really great living for them, they live very, very well," he said. "If they do really great work for me, I can raise their pay to $5, $6, or even $7 per hour, which is four, five, or six times the average monthly income of a typical person in Pakistan." It is unclear what Bonnier is basing this calculation on, but in June 2021, the average monthly earnings in Pakistan were estimated to be $150 according to reports by CEIC, an organization that curates economic, industry, and financial data. Bonnier also said he has US employees who make more the federal minimum hourly wage in the US is $7.25, although in many states it's higher. This embedded content is not available in your region. The video has received over 380,000 views on TikTok, and has sparked controversy about whether the practice is fair. While some agreed with his point of view, many people accused the TikToker of taking advantage of the workers. Story continues The debate blew up further when it hit X a few weeks later. Joshua P. Hill, who writes a political newsletter, posted the TikTok video to his 277,000 followers on September 16, captioning it, "Capitalism is evil." Stop Cop City (@JoshuaPHilll) September 16, 2023 His post was viewed over 3 million times and received over 30,000 likes. In hundreds of replies, many people criticized the entrepreneur. One person wrote that the video made them "nauseous," while another questioned whether it was satire. Bonnier responded to the post, doubling down on his stance and inviting people to debate the topic with him. He also replied with a screenshot that appeared to show one person asking if they could work for him for $4 per hour, and another telling him that they lived in Kenya and that earning $3 per hour would allow them to pay their school fees for the semester in two weeks. In a TikTok video posted two days later, Bonnier said that being anti-capitalist is a way to "cope with not being satisfied in life," although he didn't specify what this was in reference to. In another follow-up TikTok posted on September 19, he said he had increased a Pakistani employee's salary to $5 an hour. While many online marketers recommend that people hire virtual assistants based in other countries as a way to save time and money and grow their businesses, the practice is controversial. Many people have mixed feelings when it comes to the ethics of hiring virtual assistants and paying them low wages, and believe that the practice is exploitative, Insider previously reported. This isn't the first time Bonnier has shared controversial opinions online. In one TikTok video posted on September 16, he said that women are not meant to work more than 20 hours per week and that they should be "frolicking around at a farmer's market," going to pilates classes, doing yoga, and taking care of the house and the kids. In another video posted on September 19, Bonnier was very critical of American food, and he told viewers that he thinks it is "literally poison." Bonnier has said that he runs two "seven-figure marketing agencies." His YouTube channel featuring business tips has 2,700 subscribers, and his TikTok account has just under 9,000 followers. On X, he has over 22,000 followers. Read the original article on Insider 100kg World War II aerial bomb found at a construction site along Upper Bukit Timah Road. (PHOTO: SPF) SINGAPORE Residents in certain parts of the Bukit Panjang and Upper Bukit Timah estates will be required to evacuate their homes on Tuesday (26 September) due to a controlled detonation of a 100kg World War II aerial bomb. Residents of The Linear, Hazel Park and Bukit 828 condominiums, the Hazel Park Terrace houses, HDB homes in Block 154 Gangsa Road, as well as workers in shophouses 778 to 822 on Upper Bukit Timah Road, will need to temporarily vacate their premises during the disposal operation. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team will conduct this detonation between 8am and 7pm. Nearby Greenridge Secondary School students and teachers will switch to home-based learning during this period, said the police in a statement on Sunday. The bomb was discovered last Wednesday at around noon, during excavation works at a construction site for The Myst condominium along Upper Bukit Timah Road. The authorities were notified, and the SAF EOD team has determined that it is "unsafe to move" the war relic, so it will be disposed of on-site. Security measures and road closures for safe disposal of WWII aerial bomb A 200-metre safety cordon will be established around the bomb, and roads in the vicinity will be closed starting at 11am on Tuesday. The police said, "The public will be alerted when roads are re-opened and it is safe to resume normal activities in the area." The Bukit Panjang Flyover between Woodlands Road and Petir Road, as well as the stretch of Upper Bukit Timah Road between Petir Road and Cashew Road, will also be closed to traffic from 11am to 7pm to facilitate the bomb disposal. Only authorised vehicles from the police and SAF will have access to the closed roads. Traffic police officers will be stationed along affected routes to assist and redirect motorists. Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced, and vehicles causing obstruction may be towed away. In addition, drone activities will not be permitted in the area during the operation. Story continues The authorities also anticipate loud noises during the controlled disposal of the war relic and advise the public not to be alarmed and to avoid the area. Road Closures: Bukit Panjang Flyover and Upper Bukit Timah road shut down for bomb disposal. (PHOTO: SPF) Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Vivian Balakrishnan addresses residents' concerns Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, expressed his gratitude to residents for attending briefings on the detonation exercise. He mentioned in a Facebook post on Sunday that a temporary holding area for affected residents would be set up at Senja-Cashew Community Club in Bukit Panjang. Dr Balakrishnan assured the public that they would be informed about the operation's progress and when residents could return home. He also urged residents not to be alarmed and to cooperate with instructions provided by the police. In a similar incident in April 2021, a construction worker discovered a suspected war relic outside a temple construction site in Geylang, leading to the evacuation of over 100 people from nearby shophouses. In 2019, an unexploded World War II aerial bomb was discovered near the former site of the Zouk nightclub and had been successfully disposed of on-site. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. A model with a Nalgene bottle; the writer with her narrow-mouth Nalgene water bottle. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore; Reta Lee/Yahoo Life Singapore) With so many water bottles flooding the market (pun intended), let's take a look at this popular brand, Nalgene and find out why it's loved by users around the world. Nalgene first started out as a manufacturer of plastic bottles and containers for laboratory use. A chemist by the name of Emanuel Goldberg created the first plastic pipette jars in 1949, in New York, and the rest is history. The American brand now has a vast catalog of plastic and even glass items like petri dish, test tubes and bottles. With different test conditions, Nalgene created high-quality plastic that's impact-resistant and light for every day use. What is Nalgene water bottle made of? Nalgene water bottles are made of a type of plastic called Tritan or Eastman Tritan copolyester and are BPA-free. Most one-time-use plastic drinking water bottles in the market are made of number 1 plastics (PET or PETE) which likely pose toxicity risks and can trap bacteria. The company has now expanded their Sustain line, which is made from material derived from 50 per cent waste plastic (using ISCC certified mass balance), to help further offset the use of fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, if you're not an Amazon Prime member, you can take advantage of its deals with a 30-day free trial at amazon.sg/prime. READ: Here's your chance to win a hotel stay in the inaugural Yahoo Choice Awards Coffee machine, makers, beans and more: Up to 30% off on Amazon Singapore Hydro Flask keeps beverages warm and theyre 25% off at Amazon Singapore now On Shoes are not just made for running The best walking shoes for travel: Review Indulge in a family retreat or romantic getaway at these beach resorts Solo female travel: Top tips and insights from Scott Dunn travel specialist Can I pour hot water into Nalgene water bottles? Yes you can. The bottles can stand high temperatures, even boiling water, without distorting their shape or function. But no one is asking you to heat the bottle over a bonfire, that will simply be a waste. Which Nalgene water bottle is for me? There are a few popular Nalgene water bottles in the market, namely the wide-mouth bottles and leak-proof, narrow-mouth ones. If you like iced water, the wide-mouth bottles allow you to drop a few ice cubes and your water will be chilled in no time. However, I find the wide-mouth bottles tend to be a bit messy for me when I drink as I am slightly clumsy and tend to spill water over myself. I recently bought the narrow-mouth water bottle and found that it's much easier to drink from. I also happened to have a bottle with a straw and filtration system that's great for outdoors or camping but I wouldn't use it for everyday use as it is mildly annoying with the noise. You could also buy add-ons that allow you different drinking functions without buying a whole new bottle. All Nalgene bottles are said to be leakproof, and I can attest to this. Even with every shake and bumps in my backpack, no spillage occurred. The bottles also come in different sizes: 16 oz (473ml), 20 oz (591ml) and 32 oz (roughly 946ml). I try to drink 2 litres of water every day, so having a Nalgene water bottle on my table is a great and consistent reminder to do so. A photo of a Nalgene water bottle at workplace. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore) Are Nalgene water bottles worth it? Here's what consumers say A satisfied customer shared, "These things have seen it all and they don't crack or chip or anything. The one I bought brand new doesn't have any scratches at all." Another shopper even carries it with her all the time: "The size is also perfect it holds a lot of water but I can hold it in one hand without it being unwieldy and it fits in my purse." One customer said there was no 'plastic' taste of water: "I had some hesitation going into the purchase as some water bottles have a distinct "plastic-ish" smell that affects the taste of the water in it. However, this bottle had none of that - the water tastes exactly as if I were drinking from a glass cup." Meanwhile, if you're not an Amazon Prime member, you can take advantage of its deals with a 30-day free trial at amazon.sg/prime. Nalgene water bottle deals on Amazon Singapore 1. Nalgene Narrow Mouth bottle in Trout, 32oz S$19.05 S$26.90 at Amazon Singapore A photo of Nalgene Narrow Mouth bottle in Trout, 32oz. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore) 2. Nalgene Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle, 32oz, in Aubergine S$22.59 S$27.90 at Amazon Singapore A photo of Nalgene Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle, 32oz, Aubergine. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore) 3. Nalgene Sustain Tritan BPA-Free Multi Drink Water Bottle Made with Material Derived from 50% Plastic Waste, 20 oz, in Clear S$23.78 S$24.93 at Amazon Singapore A photo of Nalgene Sustain Tritan BPA-Free MultiDrink Water Bottle Made with Material Derived from 50% Plastic Waste, 20 OZ, Clear. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore) 4. Nalgene Sustain Tritan BPA-Free Water Bottle Made with Material Derived from 50% Plastic Waste, 32 OZ, Narrow Mouth, Mocha S$28.80 at Amazon Singapore A photo of Nalgene Sustain Tritan BPA-Free Water Bottle Made with Material Derived from 50% Plastic Waste, 32 OZ, Narrow Mouth, Mocha. (PHOTO: Amazon Singapore) Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) is a retiring horror-star bidding farewell to the limelight. Bobby Thompson (Tim OKelly) is an unassuming but disturbed Vietnam veteran who suddenly embarks on a murderous shooting rampage. As Byron makes one final public appearance, the twos worlds collide as Bobby brings carnage to a suburban Los Angeles drive-in cinema. Both a comment on the terrors of contemporary America and homage to the horror films of Roger Corman, this thrilling crime drama launched the career of its director Peter Bogdanovich. Hailed as one of the most powerful films of the late 1960s, Targets is presented here as a brand-new High Definition remaster and on Blu-ray for the very first time. "One of the greatest directorial debuts of all time" Quentin Tarantino DES MOINES Roughly 7,500 low-income students in 13 Iowa school districts will receive extra support to prepare them for post-high school education as the result of a $25.8 million federal grant announced Monday. The Iowa Department of Education announced the competitive grant award from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant comes from the federal agencys Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP program. The funding will be deployed to 13 Iowa school districts in which more than half of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch: Burlington, Cardinal, Centerville, Clinton, Columbus, Davenport, Davis County, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Saydel, South Tama and Storm Lake. Half of the GEAR UP funding, along with another $8 million in contributions, will go toward scholarships toward college education and post-high school training for students in the program. The other half of the funding will go to the 13 districts to fund services that will follow a cohort of current seventh-grade students through their high school graduation in 2029 and their first year of post-high school education. We are grateful for this federal investment in our work to provide 7,500 students most in-need of support with critical wraparound services as they meet high expectations in middle school and beyond, Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said in a news release. Alongside schools, postsecondary institutions and community partners, we will continue to provide students what they need to realize their incredible potential. Districts will be able to use the federal grant funding to increase school counselors and other staff to provide college and career counseling, to develop an individualized career and academic plan for students, and to provide targeted, wraparound services to meet the academic, behavioral and emotional needs of students and their families, according to the news release. In 2020, 88 percent of GEAR UP graduates in Iowa had plans to complete a two- or four-year degree or other post-high school training and education, the state education department said. The department also said GEAR UP students in Iowa demonstrated higher rates of attendance, proficiency in reading and math, and higher standardized entrance exam scores. Iowa was not chosen for GEAR UP funding in the 2021 federal budget year. The states congressional delegation sent letters to the federal education department in January 2022 and January 2023, in which Iowas representatives questioned the federal agencys process for reviewing states applications to the program. The federal education department responded in March of this year, asserting that all eligible applications were carefully reviewed and given full consideration within the requirements of the law and regulations governing the GEAR UP Program. Smartphones are a prime target for identity thieves and criminals due to their high resale value and the personal information contained on the devices. If your device is lost or stolen, you can protect yourself, the data it contains, and your device by following these guidelines. SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Council, by voting in favor of its consent agenda Monday, approved another agreement between the city and a North Carolina limited liability company for the management and operation of the climbing wall at Long Lines Family Rec Center. In July, the council green-lighted a three-month agreement between the city and Charlotte-based Whitewater, which runs through Sept. 30. Whitewater has been managing the climbing wall since June 1, 2022. Under the terms of the most recent agreement, Whitewater will manage and operate the climbing wall, party room, office, reception counter and small lobby located in Long Lines Family Recreation Center from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024 and receive a monthly management fee of $8,333. "What did we gain by waiting?" Mayor Bob Scott asked before the vote. Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore responded, "The contract itself is the same, but it's being offset by that $50,000 donation." The council also voted Monday to accept $50,000 donated from the Sioux City Parks and Recreation Foundation. The donation will to be applied to the Long Lines Family Recreation Center's operating budget revenue. A total budget of $100,000 was approved in FY24 for the management fee. "Matt (Salvatore) informed me that actually the climbing crew and their families, or people that frequent there went out and raised the money to offset that," Councilman Alex Watters said. Long Lines Climbing Gym expands Jason DeLarosa, right, uses a belay -- a mechanical piece of climbing equipment -- to assist David Salem as he climbs a 42-foot rock wall at L In May 2022, the council first approved an agreement between the city and Whitewater for the management and operation of the climbing wall, which had become one of the "most underused and underpromoted recreational assets" under the Sioux City Parks and Recreation Department. The city agreed to compensate Whitewater an annual payment of $100,000, plus all revenue for management of the climbing wall beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023. In June, Salvatore indicated in a statement that Whitewater would no longer be managing the climbing wall after the expiration of the initial agreement. At that time, Salvatore said he thought Whitewater revitalized local interest in climbing, but noted that the financial structure associated with the wall's operations didn't improve as the city had hoped. Then, a few days later on June 5, Salvatore recommended a contract extension with Whitewater to the council, in order for discussions between the city, Whitewater and the climbing community to continue. The climbing wall, which was first unveiled to the public in March 2006, was produced and installed by Entre Prises USA Inc. of Bend, Oregon. It offers 5,900 square feet of climbing space. The main wall is 52 feet, 6 inches tall at its highest point. The competitive section is 42 feet tall and features a 12-foot overhang. The climbing wall is made of imprint and crystal plywood and includes a 13-foot tall free-standing boulder. The wall took about two years from the initial planning stages to complete and ended up costing around $400,000. The city, private donations and a grant from Vision Iowa covered the cost of it. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rec center and climbing wall were closed to the public from March 13 to June 22, 2020. When the facility reopened, belaying services at the climbing wall could not be offered due to social distancing guidelines and limited staffing availability. Most of the part-time staff did not return after the long layoff. Parks and Recreation staff began researching for and contacting private operators that could manage the climbing wall. Whitewater emerged as the lone interested party. Whitewater's owner and upper management visited Sioux City in June 2021 and came to the conclusion that Siouxland was a promising market. Google is finally extending the lifespan of older Chromebooks the low-cost laptops used by school districts across the country after years of limited software support sent thousands of those devices to the trash after just a few years of service. With expiration dates baked into each model, older versions of these inexpensive computers were set to lapse three to six years after their release. Despite having fully functioning hardware, an expired Chromebook would no longer receive the software updates needed to operate, blocking basic websites and applications from use. But starting next year, Google will begin providing 10 years of automatic software updates for all Chromebooks released in 2021 and beyond. For older laptop models, users will have the option to extend their updates for up to a decade after the models original release date meaning no existing device would expire for at least two years. Without the extension, 51 Chromebook models would have been headed for the e-waste bin next year, rendering them useless for thousands of students nationwide. Schools are telling us that now, theyll be able to use their fleets of computers longer and that obviously saves schools money, said Lucas Gutterman, a director at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a national advocacy organization that first raised the issue earlier this year. Having laptops last longer means budgets will be stretched further, and money can be spent on other things. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when students were learning online, school districts bought Chromebooks in droves. They hoped that the inexpensive laptops could connect students to their classes without breaking the bank and by the end of 2020, CALPIRG, the California arm of the organization, reported that global Chromebook sales were nearly 300% higher than a year earlier. At 39%, Chromebooks are the most widely used devices in kindergarten through 12th-grade education globally, according to market analytics firm Futuresource Consulting. But some school districts were forced to replace thousands of those laptops every summer. Beginning next year, Google said it will make Chromebooks easier to fix. The tech giant says that soon, Chromebooks will allow school technicians and third-party repair sites to fix software issues without a physical USB key, a change that will reduce repair time by 50%. Google has extended the software lives of Chromebook models in the past. Those manufactured in 2020 or later, for example, are guaranteed to last until eight years after their models release date. But that lifespan wasnt extended to all devices and earlier models were still on a time clock. Now, every Chromebook will be guaranteed to work for a decade making the laptops software commitments longer-lasting than any other operating system available today, according to Google. How computing technology has evolved in the classroom How computing technology has evolved in the classroom 1970s: Floppy disks enter the scene 1980s: Personal computers establish themselves in schools 1990s: The World Wide Web is born 2000s: Web 2.0 changes the information landscape 2010s: Digital learning becomes more enmeshed in the classroom 2020s: The pandemic makes virtual learning a necessity Trump 2024 ledger of assets and liabilities By Mark Alexander web posted September 25, 2023 I get it. I get the residual Donald Trump appeal after 2020. It is all about unfinished business and reconciling injustice. In 2016, after eight long years of Barack Obama and his corrupt sidekick, Joe Biden, grassroots Americans wanted someone to represent them again. I am enormously grateful that Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. But what he did not defeat was the Left's deep state corruption cadres that plagued Trump's administration. Today, we have almost eight years of analysis documenting the conspiracy between Clinton and her collaborators, former FBI Director James Comey (and his lieutenants Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok), in concert with former CIA Director John Brennan. And the fingerprints of Obama and Biden are all over the crime scene. It was high-level corruption in plain sight, and yet not one of Clinton's "Russia collusion" collaborators has been arrested. The message to Americans: There is no accountability or justice inside the Beltway. Then, just before the 2020 election, came the massive cover-up of Biden's corrupt ChiCom connections. A cabal of high-level former intel officials and the Demos' Leftmedia publicists arranged to black out all the evidence and reports about that corruption. But not one of those politicos or media outlets has issued an apology. The message to Americans: There is no accountability or justice inside the Beltway. After all the political charades and deep state collusion, to finally defeat Trump required massive systemic election corruption the Democrats' bulk-mail ballot fraud strategy, which they justified with government mandates and manipulation of the ChiCom virus pandemic. Most of those fraudulent ballot measures are still in place for 2024, ensuring that your authentic vote no longer matters. The message to Americans: There is no accountability or justice inside the Beltway. And today, despite the bulk mail balloting schemes, a substantial majority of American voters believe Trump would have won reelection if not for the Leftmedia's Pulitzer Prize-winning fake news disinformation campaign to cover up evidence from Hunter Biden's computer implicating Joe Biden's corruption. For the record, despite only serving one term, and the fact that no president has ever been more relentlessly assailed by the enemies of Liberty than Trump, his administration's record of achievement was substantial. That notwithstanding, his biggest presidential blunder was making Anthony Fauci the de facto commander-in-chief of the economy and society, resulting in his draconian pandemic decrees and mandates, which ironically empowered Demos to justify their bulk-mail balloting fraud. As a result of the lack of accountability and justice inside the Beltway, contributing to Trump's 2020 loss, of course grassroots Americans want a reckoning they want Trump to go back to the Beltway and kick butt. But can Trump win in 2024? There is trouble for Trump on the horizon. About 60% of Republicans indicate they support Trump, and his support in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada is in the mid-40s. Republicans can't win a national election without 100% of Republican votes combined with substantial support from moderates and even Demo crossover voters. Does Trump have the integrity and character to unify Republicans and attract enough moderates and Democrats voters to win? There was an era not too long ago when strength, moral clarity, humility, and faith prevailed, when those traits defined the character of a great president. Some reading this were not yet born when Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, but his character and leadership were inspired by the greatest president in American history, George Washington. On his integrity and character, Reagan won two elections with support that extended far beyond his grassroots base. I had just graduated college prior to Reagan's first election in 1980, all four years prior under the catastrophically failed domestic and foreign policies of Jimmy Carter. From the ashes if those failures, Reagan rose, defeating Carter in the general election by carrying 44 states. Unlike any other president in the preceding decades, Reagan was, in fact, a uniter so much so that he was reelected in 1984 by historic margins, winning 49 of 50 states. He lost only Minnesota, the home state of his opponent Walter Mondale, Carter's former vice president, and by only 3,800 votes at that. Oh, and, of course, he lost the bureaucratic stronghold District of Columbia vote. No other presidential candidate in American history has matched Reagan's 525 electoral votes. Strength, moral clarity, humility and faith were the key elements resulting in both of his election victories combined with a dose of good humor. Character matters. Fact is, run a Republican with Reagan's character against Joe Biden or one of his likely 2024 replacements, Gavin Newsom, Michelle Obama, Robert Kennedy Jr., or maybe even Demo moderate West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and in the inimitable words of Yogi Berra, "It's deja vu all over again." The results of the 2020 election and the abysmal 2022 midterm Republican gains are both clear indicators of what is likely to happen in 2024. There are good GOP primary candidates, but one in particular fully rises to the Reagan executive experience, character, and broad electability tests and his candidacy terrifies the socialist Democrat Party. What scares the Demos most is, in that candidates' 2022 gubernatorial reelection, he won, much as Reagan did nationally, with broad appeal deep across party lines into Democrat voting blocs. I am referring of course, to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who defeated his Democrat challenger by nearly 20 points, including substantial Hispanic crossover votes. But can he gain enough traction to win next year's primary when Democrats and their Leftmedia lemmings are doing everything they can to ensure Trump is the nominee? What, you say? They are trying to indict him and are even resorting to using the 14th Amendment to keep him off of ballots. Despite appearances to the contrary, the Demos' Trump indictment strategy is to anger Trump's base and invoke them to keep him high in the primary polling. Four indictments include more than 90 felony counts that may result in convictions on some federal, state, and local charges which is to say who Trump choses as his vice presidential candidate may have immediate consequences if he is elected. The Demos' 14th Amendment charade is also to keep Trump supporters fired up, and it is working! But Trump has a lot of hurdles to overcome. In 1980, President Reagan ran on his promise to "Make America Great Again," a slogan borrowed by Trump in 2016, but Reagan was reelected because he was a uniter, and he won massive votes across party lines. Trump got the slogan right from a policy standpoint but was as effective at disuniting Americans as Reagan was in bringing the nation together. Reagan and Trump advocated for similar domestic and foreign policies but were men of vastly different character. Unlike in 2016, by the 2020 election Trump had generated a surplus of fear and hatred among the soft Democrat and independent voter blocs President Reagan won over in his landslide 1984 reelection. Consequently, Trump was defeated in 2020 by the weakest Democrat ticket in five decades, becoming the first incumbent president since 1932 to lose both the presidency and control of both the House and Senate, the latter losses being indicative of a broader dislike for Trump by 2018 and 2020. This despite the fact he received 13 million more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016. To be clear, Biden's narrow 51.3% majority of the popular vote (81,283,501), giving him 306 electoral votes, was the result, as I noted previously, of the Democrats' corrupt bulk-mail ballot fraud strategy, which they will fully implement again in 2024. Trump received 46.9% of the popular vote (74,223,975) and 232 electoral votes. Moreover, the election was closer than appearances would imply. Biden's seven million vote margin was mostly in California and New York, but he actually won the presidency by fewer than 45,000 votes in the key swing states of Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin. Demos' also want to face Trump in 2024 because they know he has a long record of hurting his own brand by unforced errors. Soon after his inauguration in 2017, given Trump's endless cycle of inane insults that were obstacles to his agenda, I wrote, "Memo to POTUS: Stop Swapping Stupid With Jackasses." Unfortunately, Trump is too often his own worst enemy, especially when he shoots from the hip and thinks he can't miss. He demonstrated that unfortunate predisposition last week in two televised interviews when he badly fumbled questions on issues that are important to his grassroots base. In an interview with Megyn Kelly regarding the Left's gender confusion orthodoxy, one of the most important and contentious cultural questions of our time, she asked a simple question: "Can a man become a woman?" Trump's answer was typical of his cultural equivocation: "Ummmmmm, in my opinion, you have a man, you have a woman. I, I, I think part of it is birth. Can the man give birth? No, although they'll come up with some answer to that also someday. I heard just the other day they have a way that now the man can give birth. No, I would say I'll continue my stance on that." The simple answer is, "No." Then in an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, who herself lied repeatedly about the Democrats' extreme position on abortion, Trump assailed Republicans. Ironically, he accused them of speaking "very inarticulately" about abortion. As for his position, he declared: "Both sides are going to like me. ... We're going to agree to a number of weeks or months or however you want to define it, and both sides are going to come together and both sides both sides, and this is a big statement both sides will come together. And for the first time in 52 years, you'll have an issue that we can put behind us." Asked whether that agreement would be a state or federal policy, Trump replied: "It could be state or it could be federal. I don't, frankly, care." He added: "Democrats ... don't want to be radical on the issue. They don't want to kill a baby in the seventh month or the ninth month or after birth. And they're allowed to do that, and you can't do that." As astute political analyst Ben Domenech notes, "[Trump] has now placed himself as the furthest left candidate on the abortion issue." Brit Hume added, "[Trump] is now clearly pro-abortion rights." Seeing the error of his ways, Trump is now backpedaling, rightly noting that it was his Supreme Court nominees who overturned Roe v. Wade. Far more than Trump's propensity to shoot himself in the foot, Demos are counting on his barrage of endless fratricidal attacks against any and all upcoming 2024 primary opponents because he is not capable of abiding by Reagan's 11th Commandment: Do not attack fellow Republicans in a primary as such fratricidal attacks are detrimental to party unity and victory. That is precisely why Trump will not pledge to commit his support for any other candidate winning the primary, just as he did in 2016. Indicative of Trump's dearth of loyalty is the fact that he turned on those who served him with dignity and honor. Most notably, that included his former chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, who he demeaned as he had previously done with Gens. Mattis and Dunsford. He also turned on the three people who gave his administration gravitas: Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Attorney General William Barr. Most recently, he attacked his exceptional former White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, calling her "Milktoast McEnany," a petulant and sophomoric label almost as lame as his "Ron DeSanctimonious" tag. The fratricidal attacks and disloyalty factor, combined with the colossal "fear and hate Trump" factor (a.k.a. "Trump Derangement Syndrome"), particularly among women voters, has proven to be Trump's "Achilles Heel." If the fratricidal attacks continue, the GOP's 2024 platform can be aptly summed up in the words of Walt Kelly's iconic comic strip character Pogo Possum: "We have met the enemy and he is us." All that said, however, Demos may have overplayed their hand in assuming Trump is the candidate they can most easily defeat based on the 2020 election results. If Biden remains their nominee, the chances of Trump actually defeating him continue to climb, with the latest polling indicating that Trump would defeat Biden if the election were held today. The news regarding Trump's swing state support is equally good. And I note as well that, much to the surprise of Demo strategists, Trump's Hispanic and black voter support is rising. Trump can count on his grassroots and pragmatic voters. Despite the fact that I think DeSantis is the better candidate for the future of the Republican Party, I am both a principled and pragmatic voter. I have voted for Trump twice, and I will do so again in 2024 if he is the nominee. Fact is, the 2024 election may be Trump's to win despite his character deficits because Biden's deficits are even more of a liability. One caveat, however: If Trump wins the presidency, he will enter office older than Ronald Reagan was when he left office. Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. Artificial intelligence tools that can conjure whimsical artwork or realistic-looking images from written commands started wowing the public last year. But most people don't actually use them at work or home. That could change as leading tech companies are competing to take text-to-image generators mainstream by integrating them into Adobe Photoshop, YouTube and other familiar tools. But first, they're trying to convince users and regulators that they've tamed some of the Wild West nature of early AI image-generators with stronger safeguards against copyright theft and troubling content. A year ago, a relatively small group of early adopters and hobbyists began playing with cutting-edge image generators such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney and OpenAI's DALL-E. The previous ones were an interesting curiosity, but businesses were wary, said David Truog, an analyst at market research group Forrester. A backlash followed, including copyright lawsuits from artists and photo stock company Getty, and calls for new laws to rein in generative AI technology's misuse to create deceptive political ads or abusive sexual imagery. Those problems aren't yet solved. But a proliferation of new image generators say they're business-ready this time. Alexa, create an image of cherry blossoms in the snow, is the kind of prompt that Amazon says U.S. customers will be able to speak later this year to generate a personalized display on their Fire TV screen. Adobe, known for the Photoshop graphics editor it introduced more than three decades ago, was the first this year to release an AI generator designed to avoid legal and ethical problems created by competitors who trained their AI models on huge troves of images pulled off the internet. When we talk to customers about generative technology, mostly what we hear is a lot of the technology is really cool, but they dont feel like they can use it because of these questions, said Adobes chief technology officer for its digital media business, Ely Greenfield. That's why Adobe's product, called Firefly, was built on its own Adobe Stock image collection, as well as content it has licensed. Stock contributors also are getting some compensation out of the arrangement, Greenfield said. Adobe Firefly is clean legally, whereas the others are not," said Forrester's Truog. You dont really care about that if youre just some dude having fun with generative AI. But if youre a business or a creative professional thinking about using images on your website, apps, or in print layouts, advertising or email marketing campaigns, its kind of a big deal, Truog said. You dont want to be getting into trouble. Some competitors are taking note. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI unveiled its third-generation image generator DALL-E 3 on Wednesday, emphasizing its impressive capabilities and future integration with ChatGPT along with new safeguards to decline requests that ask for an image in the style of a living artist. Creators can also opt to exclude their images from training future models, though Truog notes that OpenAI hasn't said anything about compensating authors whose work they use for training, even with permission. In separate New York City showcase events Thursday, both Microsoft and Google-owned YouTube also unveiled new products infused with AI image generation. Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, showed how it is already starting to bake DALL-E 3 into its graphics design tools, mostly for background editing, as well as its Bing search engine and chatbot. YouTube revealed a new Dream Screen for short YouTube videos that enables creators to compose a new background of their choosing. Earlier this month, both Adobe and Stability AI, maker of Stable Diffusion, joined a larger group of major AI providers including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI that agreed to voluntary safeguards set by President Joe Bidens administration. One safeguard requires companies to develop methods such as digital watermarking to help people know if images and other content were AI-generated. Microsoft executives said the company has built filters to determine what kinds of imagery can be generated from text prompts in Bing, citing those made with top political figures as content to monitor. The goal is to make sure its not producing types of content we would never want to produce, like hateful content, said Sarah Bird, Microsofts global head for responsible AI. In a demonstration, a prompt that asked Microsoft's new tool for an image of Hillary Clinton rock climbing was met with rejection Thursday. Oops! Try another prompt, was the response. Looks like there are some words that may be automatically blocked at this time. LONDON British police have opened a sex crimes investigation triggered by news reports about comedian Russell Brand. London's Metropolitan Police force said Monday that it had received a number of allegations of sexual offences after a television documentary and newspaper investigations. It said there have been no arrests. Brand, 48, denies allegations of sexual assault made by four women in a Channel 4 television documentary and The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. The accusers, who have not been named, include one who said she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16. Another woman says Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012. The police force did not name Brand in its statement, but referred to the recent articles and documentary. It said detectives were investigating allegations of non-recent sexual offenses, both in London and elsewhere. We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us," said Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Met's Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation. Known for his unbridled and risque standup routines, Brand was a major U.K. star in the early 2000s. He hosted shows on radio and television, wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012. Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. Last week YouTube said it would stop Brand from making money from the streaming site, where he has 6.6 million subscribers, due to the serious allegations" against him. Promoters also canceled several scheduled live shows by Brand, and he has been dropped by his talent agency and a publisher since the allegations became public. Brand still has a presence on Rumble, a video site popular with some conservatives and far-right groups, where his channel has 1.6 million followers. The site has been criticized for allowing and at times promoting disinformation and conspiracy theories. Brand hosted a new broadcast on Rumble on Monday, saying the platform had made a clear commitment to free speech." Photos: Russell Brand through the years UNION CITY, N.J. Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey pushed back against federal corruption charges on Monday, saying nearly half a million dollars in cash authorities found in his home was from his personal savings, not from bribes, and was on hand for emergencies. Rejecting calls for him to resign, the influential former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he believed he'd be cleared of charges that he took cash and gold in illegal exchange for helping Egypt and New Jersey business associates. "I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey's senior senator," Menendez said at Hudson County Community College's campus in Union City, where he grew up. He did not respond to questions and did not say whether he would seek reelection next year. Addressing allegations in the indictment unsealed Friday that authorities found cash stuffed in envelopes and clothing at his home, Menendez claimed that stemmed from his parents' fear of confiscation of funds from their time in Cuba. Authorities recovered about 10 envelopes with tens of thousands of dollars in cash that had the fingerprints of one of the other defendants in the case on them, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say he met with Egyptian military and intelligence officials, passed along non-public information about employees at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwrote a letter on behalf of Egypt asking his Senate colleagues to release a hold on $300 million worth of aid. He did not directly address those allegations Monday. The state's Democratic leadership, including Gov. Phil Murphy, the state party chairmen and leaders of the Legislature, along with some of Menendez's congressional colleagues, called on him to resign. In Washington, however, where his party holds a bare Senate majority, some of Menendez's Democratic colleagues stopped short of urging him to give up his seat, notably Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, and Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois. Even though Schumer has not called for Menendez to step down, other members of his caucus have. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Vermont Sen. Peter Welch called for his resignation on Monday, following Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman on Saturday. Menendez did, however, step down as required as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Schumer said Friday, when the indictment was unsealed. If he seeks reelection, Menendez will face at least one challenger in a primary next year after Democratic Rep. Andy Kim announced over the weekend that he will run for the Senate because of the charges against the state's senior senator. Menendez's reelection campaign could face significant hurdles besides the criminal indictment, the second one he has faced in eight years, in light of opposition from state party leaders. If the Democratic Party abandons Menendez, he could lose a potent benefit of party support: the so-called party line, or preferred ballot placement in the primary, widely regarded as a significant boost to incumbents and those with establishment backing. Menendez denied any wrongdoing in the federal case against him, his wife and three of their business associates. In an emailed statement last week, he accused prosecutors of misrepresenting "the normal work of a congressional office" and said he will not allow his work in the Senate to be distracted by "baseless allegations." A lawyer for his wife said she "denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously contest these charges in court." He and Nadine Menendez are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold and a luxury car from a trio of New Jersey businessmen for a variety of corrupt acts. The indictment said Menendez used his clout to interfere in three criminal cases, pressured U.S. agriculture regulators to protect an associate's business interests, and used his position as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to influence U.S. policy on Egypt. Federal agents who searched his home in 2022 found more than $480,000 in cash stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe, and gold bars worth more than $100,000, prosecutors said. Another $70,000 was discovered inside his wife's safety deposit box, they said. Some Menendez supporters attended the news conference. Among them was Manny Contreras, a resident of nearby Passaic County, who said he came to show his support for Menendez and had been voting for him for years. "It's a big problem for the Latino community, we don't want to see him go, we have to give him the benefit of the doubt," Contreras said. He said if Menendez were found guilty, he would have to reconsider his support, but because of the good things in the Menendez's long career, he was willing to let the process play out. A Navy veteran who says he has PTSD is the man responsible for triggering proposed new restrictions on Iowans access to government documents. The individual, Michael J. Merritt of Newton, calls himself Cipher Hunter and describes himself as a creative writer/musician and information warfare specialist. In the lengthy, stream-of-consciousness missives he has sent to public officials over the past year, he has incorporated jokes, anecdotes, details of his marital troubles and brief works of fiction into his public-records requests. He wrote to one state official earlier this year and explained that he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder related to multiple false allegations of criminal conduct going back to January 2017. Last month, he filed almost three dozen complaints with the Iowa Public Information Board, each alleging violations of Iowas Open Records Law. Merritts actions prompted IPIBs executive director to urge the board to take action, calling it a potential immediate crisis that could quickly consume all of IPIBs resources by forcing the board to investigate each of Merritts complaints. Within days, IPIB quickly rejected all of Merritts complaints, but then began considering proposed legislation that would enable state agencies, as well as Iowas cities, counties and school districts, to ignore for up to one year any public-records requests generated by individuals deemed by the board to be the work of a vexatious requester. IPIB Executive Director Erika Eckley has said that while the proposed bill was prompted by the actions of one individual, she believes its not a one-person issue in Iowa. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Merritt for comment. Some board members have already expressed reservations with the proposal, noting that government agencies can pursue harassment charges or seek injunctive relief through the civil courts. If the board considers taking this up, I anticipate being vehemently opposed, said former board chairwoman Julie Pottorff, a former assistant attorney general at Thursdays IPIB meeting. I think (agencies) already have a remedy I dont see any reason why a lawful custodian of records couldnt get an injunction from the district court if they think theyre being overly pelted by requests. Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, said he appreciates the concerns raised by Eckley and others, but added that it seems very unwise to make such a significant change in the public records law based, it appears, on one individuals requests. There are legal options already available to officials options that do not involve creating a loophole in Iowas public records law that some in government might try to use to silence people who request records government is not eager to share, he said. A man with wild hair and in pajamas Records obtained by the Iowa Capital Dispatch from IPIB suggest Merritt has long been a thorn in the side of public officials, particularly in Jasper County and the city of Newton. In October 2019, for example, the Jasper County attorneys victim-witness coordinator, Erika Sheeder, wrote to others in the prosecutors office to let them know Merritt had been in the office insisting that charges be filed in a case involving another persons alleged violation of a no-contact order. Hes a little unhinged, Sheeder wrote. This guy is pissed, and he gives us a weird vibe. In April of this year, Jasper Countys information-technology director, Ryan Eaton, wrote to Merritt in response to a visit Merritt had made to his office. Eaton wrote: I did not respond to your rambling on Monday because I do not begin to understand where you were going with your thought process I have no idea who the Baptist standing in dirty water refers to so I am unable to share your words with them I did go to my office and ignore you. I was not really sure how to handle a man with wild hair and in pajamas following me through the courthouse with a camera asking why I am being mean to him. At the time, Merritt was reportedly upset that the county had blocked him from posting comments to the Jasper County Facebook page. The day you started stalking county employees and mapping their locations and times, I received several phone calls complaining and asking me to stop it, Eaton wrote. By the time of that exchange, Merritt had already spent the better part of a year filing public-records requests with various Iowa agencies in an effort, he wrote, to boldly serve the Son of Man while I pursue deceit and tyranny in the darkness of the caves of Afghanistan an apparent reference to his past military service. In June 2022, Merritt sent a record request to the City of Camanche, but as an attachment to an email. The request was denied with the city saying asking Merritt to simply copy the text of his request into the body of an email to reduce the citys risk of a virus or malware attack. Merritt responded with a lengthy email instructing the city to have the police chief scan his attachment for security issues and to then file criminal charges against him once the malicious code you allege exists was found. I was not groomed in a law office, he wrote. I was built at sea during 20 years of service by the United States Navy Chiefs Mess. Panic attacks in a veteran diagnosed with PTSD In October 2022, Merritt asked the city of Newton to send him the official portraits of 10 city officials, which were already available online, as well as city council multimedia files that the city couldnt provide as it wasnt clear what was being requested. In June of this year, he sent an email to dozens of public officials in Iowa referencing false allegations of sexual abuse made by others who were attempting to destroy my life. He complained of unnamed public officials causing panic attacks in a veteran diagnosed with PTSD. In July, Merritt sent Eckley an email with the subject header The Form of the Flying Dutchman, announcing his plans to donate to the state a database he had created showing where all state and local government agencies electronically store and preserve public documents. In the email, which was copied to dozens of other public officials, Merritt said he had compiled the database while being treated for PTSD. Eckley forwarded the message to Pottorff, in her final weeks as IPIB chairwoman, seeking advice and expressing concern that it could create some security risks if he collects information about where and how records are stored online. Pottorff responded by indicating Merritts actions were probably related to his mental health issues and suggested Eckley consult with the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Then, last month, Merritt sent a 17-page letter to Jasper County indicating he planned to submit quarterly requests for information to all Iowa state, county, public school districts, public universities and the top 100 municipal government bodies. His letter also included a work he labeled, A United States Navy True Sea Story that detailed a practical joke he claimed to have played on an officer in 2007. Around that time, Assistant Black Hawk County Attorney Michael OTreinan pushed back on one of Merritts records requests, writing, You have asked for literally every email sent or received by the county recorders office. OTreinan warned that each email would have to be gathered and then reviewed for confidentiality. We anticipate this would take a massive amount of time by our staff. Days later, Eckley wrote to the states Office of Chief Information Officer to express ongoing concerns regarding the activity from Mr. Merritt. Eckley wrote that Merritt is making 1000s of records requests to government entities. He has a right to do that. The concern I have is that he has stated he wants to develop a database of the government email systems, etc. She wrote that she was concerned about the potential harm that could be done if there is a database that shares information that could be useful to others to harm these government systems if bad actors were able to use the information to insert malware of ransomware. There is a potential immediate crisis Shortly before 4 a.m. on Aug. 11, Merritt filed 35 complaints with IPIB over alleged Open Records Law violations. Six hours later, Eckley wrote to three IPIB board members warning them Merritt had ramped up both his requests for information and his complaints to the board. At one point he told me he was going to develop a database of information to make request to government entities easier particularly how they store emails, Eckley told the board members. I am not sure his actions are meant to be a cybersecurity threat, but he could be creating information that others could use for attacks. She warned of a potential immediate crisis that would have a direct impact on her own office, which works to resolve disputes over public-records requests. This has ballooned into something that could consume all of the IPIB resources if we have to open a complaint for every allegation he makes in regards to his voluminous and indecipherable requests. One board member responded, His requests do seem to be bordering on harassment. And this greatly concerns me. On Sept. 13, Eckley circulated to others draft legislation that would allow government agencies in Iowa to ignore, for up to one year, any public-records requests made by individuals that IPIB deemed a vexatious requester. Associations representing those government agencies were supportive. Emily Shields, executive director of Community Colleges for Iowa, wrote back: Vexatious requester might be the greatest term I have ever heard. Siobhan Schneider of the Iowa Association of School Boards suggested adding a provision that would allow IPIB to stay all pending records requests from a potential vexatious requester while the board considered the issue. That is a good suggestion, Eckley responded. Eaton, the Jasper County information-technology specialist who had been dealing with Merritt, told Eckley: The vexatious requester legislation looks great. It gives us the ability to present you with our case and actionable steps. Eckley said Friday that IPIB intends to gather more information on the issue of vexatious requesters and the proposed legislation and will possibly hold a public hearing on the matter. Altoona police faced with multiple requests from one man Altoona Police Chief Greg Stallman, who serves as the legislative chair for the Iowa Police Chiefs Association, said he thinks the proposed vexatious requester bill may have promise. He said his department is dealing with a miliary veteran, Benjamin Ward, 38, of Altoona, who has filed hundreds of information requests with the city. We cant get into court because theres nothing in law that allows us to say hes a vexatious requester, Stallman told the Iowa Public Information Board this week. He has sued us over open records, and he has lost, but nothing prevents him from filing or making open records requests We are spending tens of thousands of dollars and man hours of taxpayers money for this and theres no end in sight. Ward says the actual number of requests is 50 or so, and adds that many of his requests are reiterations of requests that the city has previously ignored or denied. Court records show Ward has sued the citys police department twice this year for alleged Open Records Law violations involving his inability to access police body-camera footage. In recent months, Ward has also filed small claims cases against his neighbors and then filed complaints against judges or magistrates who have dismissed those claims. A complaint against one magistrate was for lack of impartiality and disability discrimination. Ward complained that during one court hearing he was asked to remove his privacy hat which he describes as a wide-brimmed hat with a mask that has breathing holes in it and said the magistrate forced him to describe my disability in detail to the court. In a separate case, Ward asked that an opposing party be sanctioned for making disparaging comments about my behavior which is due to my disability. Stallman said until recently he never considered charging Ward for the cost of compliance with his requests as he didnt want to go down the path of charging citizens for access to public information. He said hes a believer in providing information free of charge to the public. Metros in Iowa where jobs are growing fastest Metros in Iowa where jobs are growing fastest #7. Sioux City #6. Des Moines #5. Waterloo #4. Iowa City #3. Cedar Rapids #2. Dubuque #1. Ames Al Franken was an above-average senator from Minnesota who was driven from office in 2018 by his Democratic colleagues after several women accused him of touching them inappropriately or making them feel physically uncomfortable. Democrats opposing Donald Trump then a confessed groper, later found liable for rape did not want to have to defend the unseemly behavior of one of their own. Collectively, they applied sufficient pressure on Franken that he felt compelled to quit the Senate. Bob Menendez is a below-average senator from New Jersey who is now facing his second round of charges of public corruption. Democrats opposing Trump whose corrupt practices in business and politics are fodder for Democratic campaigns should not have to defend Menendezs conduct. So his Democratic colleagues need to make him understand that the Senate would be better off without him. Menendez was indicted Friday in a 39-page howitzer from Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. If 10% of the allegations in the indictment are true, Menendez is both a crook and a dunce. Law enforcement officials found over $480,000 in cash much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe in Menendezs home, and some $70,000 more in a safe deposit box belonging to the senators wife. Oh, and some gold bars and a Mercedes, too. Some of the envelopes were marked by the fingerprints of one of three businessmen who prosecutors say bribed Menendez in return for his efforts to assist them, which also included secretly assisting the government of Egypt. (Menendez is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.) Since any allegations of political crime take place in the context of Trumps multiple criminal indictments, comments by Williams that might have been routine in the pre-Trump era seemed instead pointed and meaningful. In a news conference Friday, Williams thanked FBI agents, Justice Department officials and his own team of career prosecutors for their help in building the case against Menendez. Since Trump attacks those pillars of law enforcement on a near-daily basis, and tries to smear them as political partisans, the indictment of a Democratic senator reads as a reproach to the indicted Republican former president as well. Menendez denied the allegations and complained that prosecutors were criminalizing his robust constituent service. He will have the opportunity to defend himself at trial. His last corruption trial, which also included allegations of bribery, ended in 2017 in a hung jury. Who knows? Maybe Menendez will get lucky again. Meantime, Democrats should make every effort to drive him from the party. (If Menendez leaves office early, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, would name a replacement.) Contrary to some fantasies, no grand council of poobahs makes decisions for the Democratic Party and instructs an army of operatives to execute. The party relies on elected officials, donors, consultants, hangers-on and a loose network of people with varying degrees of commitment to the partys success. Reaching a party consensus about Frankens fate wasnt easy. Franken was popular, an excellent communicator and a potential presidential nominee. Even today, a grudging though not terribly active debate continues among some Democrats about whether Franken got a raw deal when his colleagues pushed for his prompt resignation. But those who felt the party couldnt tolerate Frankens alleged transgressions were more vociferous and committed than those who thought they could. The Franken supporters caved, and Franken followed suit. None of that internal combustion is really necessary in the case of Menendez. A product of notoriously corrupt Hudson County, Menendez has never enjoyed the popularity, or possessed the rhetorical skills, that Franken brought to the party. Franken was replaced by another Democrat, Tina Smith, who votes with her Democratic colleagues and Democratic president. New Jersey can provide a Democratic replacement for Menendez who will do likewise. Democrats have no reason to tolerate a tainted senator from New Jersey. After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted Posted on 25 September 2023 by Guest Author This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. Their presence made the citys 20th-century status as a coal-fired, steel-making powerhouse possible. It also threw so much toxic smoke in the air that the town was once described as hell with the lid off. Though air quality laws strengthened over the decades, pollution in Pittsburgh and surrounding Allegheny County has remained high, ranking among the 25 worst metro areas in the United States for fine, easy-to-inhale particles known as PM2.5. Carbon pollution can often feel so big borne on the air, causing ice caps to go black and melt. But it also causes problems much closer to home. Allegheny Countys inhabitants are among the top 1% in the nation for cancer risk, and the area is notorious for its high rates of asthma and heart issues, both of which, like the biggest emitters, are concentrated in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. These kinds of health problems can often seem both mysterious in origin and inescapable for the people who live with them. However, the January 2016 closure of the Shenango Coke Works coal-processing plant provided an astonishing example of how quickly those same communities can recover from the most dire impacts of pollution. Shenango was a coke oven a facility that heats coal to around 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to produce coke, which is in turn used to make steel. Such operations are famously nasty particle polluters, emitting not only carbon dioxide but also contaminants like benzene, arsenic, lead, and mercury. The research, led by the New York University-Langone School of Medicine, used medical records from area hospitals to determine emergency room visits and hospitalizations for heart ailments in the three years preceding and following the closure of the plant. They found an astonishing 42% drop in weekly emergency cardiovascular admissions after 2016. That immediate drop was followed by a downward trend that continued for three years. The study also found corresponding steep drops in sulfur dioxide as high as 90% near the facility and 50% at a monitoring station six miles away. Arsenic levels plummeted by two-thirds. Study co-author George Thurston compared the sudden improvement to the benefits of quitting smoking. Over time the body recovers, he said. Instead of at an individual level, youre really looking at a community healing after the removal of that exposure. To Thurston, and study lead author Wuyue Yu, this research shows that cutting carbon emissions offers more than an abstract, long-term, far-ranging result. It can actually save lives, almost immediately. The study was prompted by years of local agitation about the plant. Shenango closed under intense community scrutiny and had paid the county millions of dollars in fines for multiple air quality violations. For years, an organization called Allegheny County Clean Air Now, or ACCAN, fought to rein in ongoing emissions at the plant, bringing in the Environmental Protection Agency, the Allegheny County health department, and Carnegie Mellon University to monitor the plants pattern of violations and the health consequences for its neighbors. ACCAN members served as community scientists, collecting data and taking the results to local officials, company shareholder meetings, and U.S. Steel. Even steelworkers from the plant occasionally attended meetings, expressing concern about the situation. Now, says ACCAN member Thaddeus Popovich (who was told that theres a 40 to 50% likelihood that his own triple-bypass heart surgery was prompted by living half a mile from Shenango), he and his peers feel vindicated. After plants closure, members of ACCAN gathered and set to paper their memories of life before Shenango shut down. In the resulting collection, called Living Downwind, people describe living with fiery and sulfurous smells and mysterious ailments. Angelo Taranto, an active ACCAN member, lost his wife to a host of respiratory problems hes sure were caused by Shenangos billowing smoke. These personal situations really energize people to want to do something, he said. After the closure, Taranto said, ACCAN encouraged the Allegheny County health department to pull together some retrospective health studies. In 2018, Dr. Deborah Gentile documented a 41.6% drop in uncontrolled pediatric asthma two years following Shenangos shuttering. What we were hearing from county officials was that they didnt think the closure would be a boon to county health, Taranto said. We heard similar things from the company itself and we knew that wasnt true, and we knew that we couldnt let those types of statements remain unchallenged. Theres still a long way to go for the greater Pittsburgh area, though. Matt Mehalik, the director of the Breathe Project which used its resources to support ACCAN and connect them to researchers points to similar facilities, such as the Clairton coke oven and the Mon Valley steel works, as contributors to major public health problems. Clairton, 10 times as large as Shenango ever was, sits near a low-income, majority-Black neighborhood, and community organizations have worked for years to hold the facility accountable to the harm it has caused. Environmental advocates are currently urging the EPA to revoke Clairtons permit. The EPA has also proposed a stricter standard for toxic coke oven emissions, which could increase pressure on plants like Clairton. Mehalik is excited about a potential transition to less coal-reliant forms of steelmaking as a long-term solution for Allegheny County. We know that an investment in the right type of green steelmaking is needed if there is a future of steelmaking in the Mon Valley, he said. Perpetuation of a polluting facility that comes at the expense of our county is highly problematic. At the Iowa State Fair, pork chops have been ceremonially flipped. At a presidential primary debate, establishment candidates have lashed out at a smooth-talking newcomer. In email inboxes, candidates are bringing the drama with increasingly histrionic subject lines. All signs point to a presidential election season proceeding as usual. Its almost enough to lull us into a sense of normalcy. Almostbut not quite. The early months of the GOP primary have shown that there is no moving on from Donald Trump, no chance of salvaging the warped political party in his thrall. The 2020 presidential election drove the U.S. to the brink of disaster; a change in presidential leadership did nothing to maneuver us away from the precipice. Now, it feels like were once again teetering on the edge of something incredibly dangerous, in ways that seem almost certain to hasten democratic collapse, with little choice but to go through the motions. To put it bluntly, absolutely nothing about the upcoming year will be normal. In the 2024 election cycle, we will have a twice-impeached former presidentwho was recently found liable for sexual assaultmounting a reelection campaign in the midst of multiple state and federal criminal trials for, among other things, trying to overturn the results of the last election. The Republican base seems almost certain to consolidate around him, despite the fact that he is unrepentant about fomenting a deadly coup attempt. Related From Slate What It Will Look Like for Donald Trump to Campaign While On TrialFour Times Over Read More It has become a cliche of the post-pandemic zeitgeist to observe that any pre- or mid-pandemic event feels like it happened just yesterday, and also a lifetime ago. But reallyisnt that the case with the 2020 election and its immediate aftermath? Even though its been nearly three years since an alliance of militias, fascist organizations, and white supremacists staged a violent invasion at the seat of U.S. government in order to nullify the results of a democratic election, the wound still feels fresh. Thats in part because many prison sentences are just now being handed down to the rioters, and it was only this summer that Trump incurred federal charges for his part in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Advertisement Advertisement Since Trumps loss, concerted efforts to sow disinformation and demolish democratic levers of power at the state level have become the Republican Partys foremost strategies to regain or retain a hold on power. The GOP remains completely in thrall to the alliance of conspiracy theorists, antisocial bigots, and autocrat-thirsty fascists that it successfully nurtured. That coalitions appetite for destructionof truth, of norms, of pluralism, of specific demographics of variously vulnerable people, of essential mechanisms of the U.S. governmentwill be a major driving force of the 2024 election, whichever way it goes. Advertisement Advertisement Journalists are often told to avoid the term unprecedented. Things are almost always precedented; recency bias and the narrative need for drama can lead us to inaccurately label an event as exceptional when its really just unusual. But I feel comfortable positing that the particular circumstances of this election cycle are definitively unique: The likely candidate for the Republican nomination may be a convicted felon when he wins the presidency. About two-thirds of Americans are convinced that Trump did illegal and/or unethical things as president, and even still, his Democratic opponent is barely keeping up with him in the polls. Both front-runner candidates are an age at which the actuarial likelihood of death while in officeor during the campaign!is disconcertingly high. We are now so accustomed to the GOPs casual incitement of political violence, and so sure that there will be no intra-party scrutiny or consequence, that when Trump suggests the nations top general should be executed, as he did Friday night, we can barely muster a scowl. Advertisement And the national mood? Well, for one indicator, look no further than Sen. Mitt Romney, who was the Republican Partys pick for president a mere decade ago. These days, he is a full-on pariah, and he seems convinced that there is no saving the GOP. He has lately become obsessed with a chart that tracks the rise and fall of major civilizations throughout history, and according to the Atlantic, more than once, he found himself staring at it alone in his office at night. This is not normal stuff! Advertisement Advertisement Even the parts of this election cycle that are running exactly as expected offer new opportunities for hand-wringing. An incumbent president running for a second term with his vice president sticking by his side? Sounds about right. But a deeply unpopular president whose approval rating has been underwater for almost his entire run? Showing visible signs of decline? Who reportedly promised in his first campaign that he wouldnt run for reelection, yet is doing exactly that? Already the oldest president in history, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, running with a vice president who is less popular than every one of her four most recent predecessors and clearly unprepared to take the baton as Bidens successor? It doesnt exactly engender a sense of calm. Advertisement And what of the courts, our ultimate arbiter of what is possible and impossible in this here country? Embroiled in bribery scandals, the Supreme Court is overflowing with right-wing ideologues. Far-right plaintiffs, sensing their golden opportunity, are flooding the lower courts with lawsuits designed to erase every speck of progressive legislative and social advancement of the past 50 years. Republicans are also testing the courts (and their constituents) at the state level by attempting to push through ballot initiatives that are so deeply unpopular, especially on abortion, that the right wing has actually resorted to trying to trick people into voting for them. Advertisement Advertisement It has all added up to an election cycle that feels dangerous, but also surreal. We have no analogous examples for what happens in an election following an attempted coup, especially as mainstream Republicans, who brushed it off as a peaceful protest, visit the rioters in jail and fundraise for their defense. Unlike in any election cycle in the past, generative A.I. is now capable of creating astonishingly realistic deepfake videos with the capacity to supercharge disinformation campaigns. We have never had a wildly popular candidate be actively on trial for federal conspiracy charges in the heat of his campaignhow the hell will all of this even work? Advertisement Advertisement And what happens in the end? Could Trump go to prison? If he does, can we count on the right-wing militia community to be normal about it and take it in stride? What if Trump winshow long will our institutions hold? What further damage will he do to norms, to trust, to the people whose demonization he has ridden to glory? Which domestic terrorists will he pardon and send off to do his bidding? What if another Supreme Court justice dies? What if Biden or Trump dies right before the election? If Biden wins, will there be another coup attempt? Or maybe something for which were wholly unprepared, something far more destructive, something aimed at civilians? Theres no way to tell, but whatever transpires, it will be like nothing weve ever seen before. Advertisement Advertisement One of the particular agonies of this moment is the realization that the past two presidential election cycles may be our new norm, at least for as long as U.S. presidential election cycles continue to occur. There may not be another pandemic or outpouring of sexual assault allegations against one of the candidates any time soon, but there will be threats and outbreaks of violence. There will be Trump, or another wannabe authoritarian who has fashioned themself as a C-grade version of The Donald. The right will carry out actual attacks on voting rights while making fabricated claims of left-wing election interference. There will be populations terrorized and lives lost to political violence. Even if there were a Democratic candidate to be excited about in 2024and, to be clear, its not the guy who can still barely say the word abortion when abortion may be the biggest winning issue his party hasthe pall of terror that has come to accompany every presidential election season would suck any of the fun out of it. Advertisement Advertisement The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol should have shown the limits of the GOPs flirtation with authoritarianism. Instead, a few hours after the deadly insurrection sent Republican lawmakers running for their lives, they returned to the Senate floor to take a more respectable stab at overturning the election themselves. In the aftermath, instead of banding together with Democrats to seek answers and accountability for the assault that threatened their own physical safety and the structural integrity of our democracy, Republicans doubled down and defended the mob. The rioters were free-speech patriots; the election was rigged. The insurrectionists and their sympathizers were not a dismissible fringe faction. They were, and are, the base. This is the backdrop against which the 2024 election will play out. One party is desperately trying to hold on to long-standing democratic institutions and essential recently won rights while taking baby steps toward forestalling a climate catastrophe that could displace 1.2 billion people in the next 30 years. The other is populated by people more or less willing to die for a despotic former (and possibly future) president. As of today, the front-runner candidates are neck and neck. Canada! The United States northern neighbor has long been perceived as a relative haven of civility, tolerance, and not forcing citizens into bankruptcy because they have cancer. But also, as of last week, its the only North American country in 2023 whose legislature and prime minister have given a standing ovation to an aging Nazi. Per Reuters: The speaker of Canadas House of Commons on Sunday apologized for praising an individual at a parliamentary meeting who served in a Nazi unit during World War Two. Two days earlier, Speaker Anthony Rota had recognized 98-year old Yaroslav Hunka as a Ukrainian hero before the Canadian Parliament. Hunka served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group that demanded an apology. Haha, whoops! The incident was especially embarrassing because it took place during a session attended by both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish. (Rotas apparent intention had been to highlight Hunka as a fellow fighter for Ukrainian freedom who had taken up arms against Russia. But Russia, at the time, was the Soviet Union, and was engaged in a war against Nazi Germany, whose forces included Ukrainians after Germany seized Ukrainian territory from the USSR.) Zelensky does not appear to have commented on the incident, which Trudeau called deeply embarrassing. In the United States, the ongoing embrace of Nazi iconography by some members of the Ukrainian military has complicated Democrats support for the countrys cause, while Republicans who meet with white supremacists usually do so on purpose. (Canada has had its own controversies involving conservative legislators meeting with far-right figures; a number of conservative MPs also supported the anti-vaccine Freedom Convoy demonstrations in 2022, despite the involvement of known white supremacists in organizing the protests and the presence of Confederate flags and swastikas at its gatherings.) In any case, 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka is canceled. Had Ray Epps been charged with a crime earlier, it could have saved him a lot of anguish. One of the more than 1,100 people to face criminal charges over their actions at the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Epps waited more than two and a half years before finally being charged, pleading guilty last week to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds. For most people, this kind of criminal charge would have come as a blow. But in a statement, Epps lawyer described the charges as something of a badge of honor: From the very moment that Ray Epps learned the FBI sought to identify him, Ray cooperated and has taken responsibility for his actions. Todays hearing and the plea agreement reached with the Department of Justice is further proof of that. It is also powerful evidence of the absurdity of Fox Newss and Tucker Carlsons lies that sought to turn Ray into a scapegoat for January 6. The reason for that tone of defianceor even muted triumph?is that Epps really has been turned into a scapegoat. Within days of the insurrection, many right-wing supporters of Donald Trump and conspiracy theorists had shifted from blaming antifa to blaming the feds for the violence at the Capitol, alleging, in essence, that the riot had been some kind of entrapment setup orchestrated by the government to ensnare Trump supporters. And quickly, Epps emerged as a central villain of that conspiracy theory. Advertisement There was never any real reason for him to be singled out: Epps is a die-hard Trump supporter, former Oath Keeper, and election denier who traveled from Arizona to D.C. to show his support for the former president. But all it took was a few internet sleuths looking for signs of something suspicious to instigate a pile-on that ruined Epps life. Advertisement Related From Slate The Conspiracy Theories at the Heart of the Impeachment Inquiry Into Joe Biden Read More As pieced together from witness testimony, video evidence, body camera footage, and his statements, given to both reporters and authorities, Epps actions in D.C. verged onbut did not tip intodestruction. The night before the riot, he and his son attended a pro-Trump rally at Black Lives Matter Plaza, a short distance from the White House. There, he was seen on video telling people: Tomorrow we need to go into the Capitol. As a man in the crowd suspicious of Epps motivations chanted, Fed, fed, fed, at him; Epps clarified: peacefully. (This was, it would seem in retrospect, the conspiracy theorys germination point.) The next day, videos capture him telling people, as soon as President Trump is finished speaking, we are going to the Capitol. Advertisement Despite advocating an advance on the Capitol, however, Epps appeared to back off once he got there. Body camera footage showed that he asked police how he could help them, offering to encourage protesters to back off. A witness confirmed Epps assertion that he tried to calm other protesters, urging them not to get angry with police. He crossed into restricted grounds but never actually entered the Capitol building itself. He left before the crowd broke into the building. A couple days later, when Epps learned the FBI was looking for him, he called the bureau immediately to speak to agents. Advertisement Advertisement But Epps real troubles started almost a year later, in October 2021. That month, a right-wing site called Revolver News published an article claiming, baselessly, that Epps had led a team of undercover federal agents that aimed to instigate the riot. The conspiracy theory blew up. Steve Bannon and then Tucker Carlson latched on to it. Reps. Thomas Massie, Matt Gaetz, and Marjorie Taylor Greene talked about it. Donald Trump mentioned the theory at one of his rallies ahead of the midterms. Advertisement Advertisement The conspiracy theory relied on intentional misunderstandings and misleadingly edited videos. It was first built on the claims that Epps should have been arrestedand because he hadnt, the FBI was clearly protecting him. Conspiracy theorists also found it suspicious that a photo of Epps was added and removed from the FBIs website. And to be sure, there were known FBI informants at the insurrection. But they were there for their own personal interest and not acting on behalf of the government. And those we know of were mostly recruited to help the agency understand antifa, not right-wing groups. There were a few informants among the Proud Boys, we would learn in later trials; they have dismissed the accusation that they were paid to start the riot as ridiculous. Advertisement Advertisement According to the New York Times, which interviewed Epps under the condition that the paper not reveal where he lived, the abuse Epps received was crushing. People showed up at his house and his business; once, he told the Jan. 6 committee, a whole bus load of people pulled up to harass him. He and his wife had to sell their business. Family members disowned them. Death threats drove Epps and his wife from their home. In July of this year, Epps filed a defamation suit against Fox News. It was his attorney for this defamation suit that put out a statement last week related to the new charges. Its clear that Epps and his attorney see some vindication in them: Advertisement Had Ray been charged earlier, Fox News would have called him a hero and political prisoner. Instead, Fox News spread falsehoods about Ray that have cost him his livelihood and safety. And to this day, Fox News has not retracted the lies or even reported on Rays prosecution. Fox News should take a lesson from Ray and accept responsibility for its conduct. If it wont, we are confident that a civil jury will impose that accountability itself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Epps likely doesnt expect immediate relief: He told the New York Times in July 2022 that he knew people would never be convinced of his innocence. Its been more than two and a half years since the Capitol riots, and the wound still feels fresh. Trump has obviously, characteristically, never apologized for his roleand perhaps understandably so, as he was indicted for his part in instigating the violence that day, among other charges. Trumps supporters maintain the election was stolen from him; for many, the Jan. 6 riots are still seen as an appropriate reaction to a deep state coup. Advertisement But it has taken years for all of the charges to come down, and this extended time frame has created ample room for the conspiracy theories that welled up immediately after the attack to metastasize and grow, and for cynical pundits like Tucker Carlson to feed them. This month alone saw the arrests of the first man to enter the Capitols tunnel entrance, the baton-swinging Georgia man known as Commander Camo, a D.C.-area man who wore a gas mask while attacking police, and many more. The Proud Boys former leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced this month to 22 years for orchestrating attacks on the Capitol on Jan. 6. (He was not in D.C. during the riot, but he organized the far-right groups involvement.) Advertisement Advertisement The sheer scope of the story has turned it into political background noise and has made it too large to grasp at the macro level. Theres not one satisfying answer to how it all unfolded and why. Those who believe that Epps was involved in a conspiracy to ensnare Trump supporters will probably not change their mind now that the Justice Department has charged him with a misdemeanor. In online forums, many angry people just found more fuel for their suspicions, questioning why Epps had such light chargesproof, in their minds, that he worked with the feds. Advertisement Online, many have pointed out that Epps, in a text to his nephew the afternoon of the insurrection, boasted that he had helped orchestrate the events. He was clearly filmed on the grounds as an active participant. Why wasnt he subjected to a fraction of the punishment handed down to Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys leader who was sentenced to 22 years in prison despite the fact that he hadnt been in D.C. on Jan. 6? Or Pam Hemphill, a 69-year-old womanoften described as a grandmother and cancer patientwho was sentenced to two months for entering the Capitol? (Hemphill has asked Trump to stop using her story and said that she is not a victim.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But these talking points miss out on certain important distinctions between these cases. Epps may have urged people to go into the Capitol, but he did so the night beforemeaning it does not meet the legal definition of incitement. (He also told the Jan. 6 committee that he was under the impression that the building would be open to the public.) On Jan. 6, he was only seen telling people to go from Trumps speech to the Capitolfor, as far as anyone could reasonably assume, politically protected protest on public land. When he said he orchestrated things, its this movement he seems to be referring to, not the violent events that followed. There is no evidence he incited violence once the crowd arrived at the Capitol. (Other claims that assert he was breaking windows or caught on camera in the Capitol building are based either on misinformation or edited photos and videos.) Advertisement And as for the sentencing: Very few people who didnt go into the Capitol itself were arrested. Those who were charged were more violent. And as for the delay: The Jan. 6 investigation has been enormous and time-consuming. More than 100 people identified as breaking the law that day have still yet to be arrested. Advertisement And yet, cynical right-wing Congress members are still pushing the conspiracy theory version of events. In a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week, when Attorney General Merrick Garland was grilled by Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie accused the DOJ of indicting Epps to protect Garland: Yesterday you indicted him. Isnt that a wonderful coincidence? And on a misdemeanor. Meanwhile youre sending grandmas to prison. Youre putting people away for 20 years for merely filming. Some people werent even there. And yet youve got the guy on video, hes saying, Go into the Capitol. Hes directing people to the Capitol before [Trumps] speech ends. Hes at the site of the first breach. Youve got all the goods on him. Ten videos. And its an indictment for a misdemeanor? The American public isnt buying it. Advertisement In some conspiracy theories circulating online about Jan. 6, the DOJ wanted to incite the riot in order to be able to jail Trump supporters, or at least make them look bad. In others, they wanted to cause enough chaos to prevent people from presenting evidence of election fraud. In almost all of them, Epps is working for a federal agency. And Epps behavior since thencomplaining about the threats to mainstream media and to officials, and suing a conservative news networkhas only made him more suspect. Tucker Carlson, speaking on his show on Twitter (now known as X), casually mentioned that Epps was a hero on the left and funded by the Democratic Party. He wondered aloud why Epps was not in jail, as his guest, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sundwho has speculated that multiple federal agents were in the crowd during the insurrectionimplied that Epps was a plant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Epps may be the most famous such scapegoat, but he isnt the only one. A rabid St. Louis Cardinals fan known as Rally Runnerknown prior to Jan. 6 for his sports-related anticswas arrested last month by the FBI, but not before another Carlson guest labeled Rally Runner a police officer and agent provocateur. That guest was Joseph McBride, the attorney of other Jan. 6 defendants. He told Carlson that Rally Runner was planted to make Trump supporters look bad. As HuffPost noted, McBride has been open about not caring about the repercussions of his words or the arguments he has made in order to help shape the narrative to help his own clients. I dont give a shit about being wrong, he told HuffPost. McBride, like Carlson, understands the power of conspiracy theory. And that power, Epps learned, was much worse than anything the DOJ could hit him with. (Photo : Pius Utomi EKPEI / AFP) (PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images) Nigerian residents take to the streets, with hundreds of protesters calling for an investigation into the mysterious death of Afrobeats star Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad. Nigerians took to the streets in protest following the mysterious death of Afrobeats star Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad, on Sept. 12. Hundreds of young residents wore white shirts when they converged for a candlelight procession in honor of the Nigerian musician. Many of the people who attended were still dazed by the loss of Mohbad, which sparked a debate about the country's music industry. Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad Death The tragic news of the 27-year-old Afrobeats star revealed on Tuesday that he died in a clinic after treatment for an ear infection. Only a few hours after Mohbad's death, the six-foot artist was buried by members of his family, with videos being posted on social media showing his neck bent unnaturally to fit into the coffin. The situation over the funeral and footage of attacks reportedly sponsored by fellow musician Naira Marley, whose record label Marlian Records the late artist was signed to until last year, triggered nationwide outrage, as per Aljazeera. There have also been several protests and a procession of youths on Thursday that sang Mohbad's name and called on the government for an investigation. The people marched to a tribute concert with many musicians taking part. Some people who attended the protests carried Mohbad's portrait above their heads, while others had his face on their shirts. In a statement, 25-year-old Temitope Keji, who braved the Lagos traffic to join the concert, said that while he did not personally know Mohbad, the musician's death made him sad and heartbroken. The resident added that if the case came out more clearly, the people of Nigeria would have fought for him the way they support him now. He argued that there may have been a chance that the young musician would still be alive today. Nigerian police have been slow to act but exhumed Mohnbad's body for an autopsy on Thursday. Meanwhile, the governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwoolu, joined the fray and called for a thorough investigation and revealed that he previously invited the nation's secret police to help in the case. Read Also: Canada's Visas Suspended by India as Tensions Rise Over Murder of Sikh Activist Hundreds Protest the Mysterious Case While the exact cause of death in Mohbad's case is still unknown, there are allegations that the musician was harassed, which he allegedly reported suffering from politically connected figures at his former music label, according to NPR. The people of Nigeria beloved Mohbad for his street-smart, aspirational, and relatable lyrics. The young musician was best known for hits such as "Peace," and "Feel Good." He left his former label last year, and last October, he posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that showed blood flowing out from a wound on his shoulder. Sanwoolu issued a statement where he appealed to all friends and fans of the deceased Mohbad to stay calm and refrain from making inflammatory utterances and reaching prejudicial conclusions regarding the musician's death. The Lagos governor added that staying calm and following the legal process can be considered the most solemn tribute to the memory of the young musician, said WION News. Related Article: UK Plans To Charge 5 Bulgarian Nationals for Allegedly Spying for Russia Over 3 Years @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. You probably know by now that the 2024 presidential election is not going to be normal. All signs point to Trump still being the Republican nominee, despite 91 (yes, really!) felony counts being leveled against him. But just what exactly are we in for? Christina Cauterucci thinks through the particular agonies of this moment, and what actually lies ahead. Plus, ICYMI: So how is that whole thing where Trump is facing four different criminal trials in an election year actually going to play out, in practice? Ben Mathis-Lilley breaks down the possible scenarios. Ohios wondrous mounds Advertisement Ohio has a heritage site that may be as vital to human history as the pyramids. So why has it been ignored for so long? The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks dont reveal themselves to you right away, Dan Kois writes. When they do, the human history they chroniclewhy theyre here, and what they were forcan be overwhelming. Come along with Kois as he travels to Ohio to check out some ancient mounds. A huge opening for Biden The United Auto Workers strike presents a big opportunity for Biden, Alexander Sammon writesand it isnt just a chance for Democrats to court organized labor. He explains why Bidens appearance on the picket line in Detroit tomorrow has the chance to be particularly momentous. Suspicious minds All it took was a few internet sleuths digging around to instigate a pile-on that ruined Ray Epps life. Now hes been officially charged for his actions on Jan. 6, but the conspiracy theories about him arent going anywhere. Molly Olmstead explains how theyre morphing. The real A.I. revolution Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ChatGPT was just the previewthe real A.I. revolution is coming at work. Alex Kantrowitz explains why your boss is about to inflict A.I. on you, and what thats going to look like. School of destruction Against the odds, a tight-knit group of Black families created the community of Shoe Lane in Newport News, Virginia, in the early 20th century. Then Christopher Newport University systematically took the land over, pushing out all but a handful of now-elderly residents. On our A Word podcast, Jason Johnson digs into this history that serves as a bitter lesson in race and power. A confusing avalanche of small-boob bra ads seems to lurk around every corner of the internet these days. What gives? Heather Schwedel investigates. Today, Slate is * EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE much like TikTok, which Shannon Keating suggests you get onto, even if you feel like too much of an Old to be there. She explains why its not just for Gen Z. Thanks so much for reading! Well see you tomorrow. Can you imagine business without the barcode? Ten billion or more times each day, electronic scanners read data encoded in black-and-white codesbarcodesprinted on or affixed to physical goods in a store or a warehouse. Where did the ubiquitous barcode come from? On The Small Business Radio Show this week, I talked with the creator of the barcode, Paul V. McEnroe, who is an award-winning engineer who developed multiple state-of-the-art technologies during his long career, including more than two decades in leadership roles at IBM. Sell Your Business Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Drive Traffic to Your Website Advertise Your Business Here He is best known for his primary role in developing the Universal Product Code (UPC), the barcode used on every product in supermarkets and the retail industry, and the scanners that read them. He has a new book out called The Barcode. This is what I asked Paul: How does it feel to have created something that literally changed the world? Winning the barcode revolution: how the barcode team was able to move from no position in the supermarket and retail industry to become its sole leader Correcting misinformation: how the development of the barcode technology was a team effort What the development of the barcode has taught us about the power of technological innovation How to effectively manage a team to accomplish seemingly impossible goals The barcodes transformative effect on the retail industry, specifically in terms of automation and efficiency The future of the QR code Why younger generations should focus their work on solving issues that will improve conditions for their fellow men, women, and society, as opposed to just making money Navigating the long-term impacts of a life-changing invention The Future of Retail Systems: the familiar point of sale is only the tip of the iceberg Listen to the entire interview about the creation of the barcode. Image: Amazon Martin Patrick Joyce Jr. of Prince Frederick, Maryland peacefully departed this world on September 18, 2023. Born on March 11, 1937, in Washington, D.C., Martin was the son of Martin Patrick and Marguerite Landers Joyce. He is preceded in death by his parents, his dear sister Carole Anne Finnin, and his beloved wife Lois, the love of his life with whom he shared a special bond for 54 years. Affectionately known as Marty, his life was marked by a commitment to duty and a passion for public service. He served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1961 as a radio operator with the 8th Cavalry in a Korean-American company stationed along the rear of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). He was honorably discharged as a medical specialist from Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia. Following his military service, Marty embarked on a career with the United States Post Office in Silver Spring, Maryland. During this period, he and his father ventured into entrepreneurship by owning a small business called the Small Arms Range in Annandale, Virginia. In 1973, Marty was transferred to the Management Sectional Center in Prince Georges, where he assumed the role of Administrative Officer, Stations and Branches, Customer Services. In this capacity, he oversaw the operations of numerous post offices across Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince Georges, and St. Mary's Counties. In 1975, Marty was assigned to Hyattsville, Maryland, where he served as Postmaster until his retirement in 1992. During his tenure, he played an instrumental role in the career growth of many supervisors and employees, facilitating their promotions to higher-level positions both within and beyond the state of Maryland. He often expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside such dedicated personnel. Among his many achievements with the Postal Service, he played a pivotal role in establishing the automation of the Delivery Distribution Center (Calvert DDC) and taking operational responsibility for the Riverdale Post Office's carrier delivery unit. Marty also spearheaded the implementation of the Stamp Consignment Program, which enabled customers to purchase postage stamps at local grocery stores. After retiring as Postmaster, Marty continued to serve his community as a volunteer with the Calvert County Commission on Aging. He also provided invaluable assistance to the former Pastor at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church, contributing to various parish and church tasks. His unwavering commitment to his faith and community was recognized when he was awarded the Archdiocese of Washington's Medal of Merit. Marty leaves behind a lasting legacy. He is survived by his son, Andrew Martin Joyce, and his daughter-in-law Alana, of Kensington, Maryland. He is also survived by seven cherished grandchildren: Trevor, Kelsey, Audrey, Ethan, Aidan, Joseph, and Theo. As a grandfather, he took immense pride in his grandchildren's achievements and celebrated their every triumph with great joy. He treasured the time he shared with them. Marty's memory lives on in the promise and potential he saw in each of them. Marty Joyce's life was marked by service to his country, dedication to his community, and unwavering love for his family. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. The family will receive friends for visitation on Friday, September 29, 2023, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 7185 Benedict Avenue, Benedict, MD 20612. Interment will follow at Queen of Peace Cemetery, 38833 Chaptico Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. Memorial contributions may be made to either the Carmelite Community of the Word, 394 Bem Road, Gallitzin, PA 16641-8600 or the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, PO Box 250, Clarksburg, OH 43115. Tech used to keep residents informed praised by New York mayor. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share An app developed by a firm founded by two Slovaks and used by mayors and officials to communicate with citizens in 150 cities across America has been launched in Pezinok, western Slovakia. The app, which is used in cities including New York and Chicago, was developed by Juraj Gago and Andrej Krupas firm Simplicity as a means to keep residents updated with important news. It has won praise from senior public officials, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams who said after Simplicity announced a partnership with the city last October: New York City is the capital of innovation, and, in partnership with Simplicity, we are bringing our city together like never before and delivering information directly to our citys residents. This app provides everything New Yorkers and visitors need to receive city updates, emergency information, and more. The app has also proved a success in Slovakia since its launch in Pezinok in May. Mayors of American cities have been impressed, for example, by the fact that they can conduct quick polls in the app, get direct feedback from residents, and call out misinformation and hoaxes, Gago told TV Pezinok at the time. Roman Macs, mayor of Pezinok, said the app had been particularly successful in helping to counter hoaxes. More and more often we encounter unverified information on social networks, so it is important to have a communication tool giving people information directly from its source, said Macs. Simplicity offers a platform that allows cities to communicate with their residents in an efficient, timely and direct way. Pezinok town council, various institutions, private companies, and third sector organisations connected to the app can send users news, event details, and updates. Simplicity Tech Inc. is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and has offices in Chicago and Bratislava. Foreigners living in Slovakia share their views on the upcoming parliamentary election. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share The thing about Robert Fico is that he is the most sophisticated political operative this country has ever seen, says David Rubin, the American who has been living in Slovakia for more than 15 years. He has since gotten married here and established a business in the capital. Even though he is not thrilled about the opposition party Smer and its chair returning to the top posts in the opinion polls, he is not surprised. Hes an opportunist and can read the mood of the people in the villages and, as a result, he is always going to land on his feet in this way, Rubin added. Briton Robbie Stanford, who has been living in Slovakia for about two decades and has a family here, also claims that Fico is set on making a return to top politics and will likely achieve it via support from pro-Slovak nationalist parties in the form of a coalition. Stefan Galvanek captures the beauty of the Horehronie region. Stefan Galvanek with his pictures in the unique Coburg Park in the village of Pohorela. The park belonged to the aristocratic family of Coburgs. (Source: Marcela Ballova) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Playing violin and admiring the paintings in the Piarist Church in Prievidza, western Slovakia, when he was six, he could not have imagined where fate would take him one day. After all, who would have thought that at the age of 12, when his teacher introduced him to oil painting, that one day he would end up captivating one of the Canadian provinces with his works and become a member of the oldest professional art society in the country, the Ontario Society Of Artist? In this distant land, he left behind a unique mark, giving valuable advice to young artists, but after more than half a century he settled down in a picturesque village under Kralova Hola peak in the Low Tatras. A big decision Just as he showed Toronto to Canadians as he saw the city, he now brings Slovaks closer to one beautiful region of their country. Stefan Galvanek, a native of Bratislava and an artist of international reputation, cannot complain about a boring life. He has made decisions that required a lot of courage. The gun had been on the sea floor for 600 years before its discovery. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share In the 14th century, an unknown ship foundered off the south-western coast of Sweden, probably because it hit a skerry - a small rocky islet or reef. It carried a cannon, loaded and ready to use in battle as the sea was dangerous and there was always a possibility of a pirate raid. The ship and this cannon sank to the sea floor, waiting hundreds of years to be discovered. Although it was in 2001 that the gun was found by a recreational diver, only now an international team of scientists have studied what, according to them, "might be Europes oldest shipboard cannon". A chemical analysis of the metal showed that part of the material used to produce the cannon was mined in Slovakia. Brittle cannon Having been exposed to maritime environment for approximately 600 years, the exterior of the 47.5-centimetre long and roughly funnel-shaped gun is severely corroded and pitted. However, the inside is a different story. A piece of cloth was discovered within, most likely the remains of a cartouche-a casing with the powder charge needed for its firing. This is what leads the team to believe that the cannon was used on the ship rather than transported to land. Using radiocarbon dating, it was determined that the cloth dated to the 14th century, making it one of the earliest of its kind, possibly the oldest ship cannon on record in Europe. A chemical analysis showed that the gun was cast using a copper alloy with a small amount of lead. Scientists say that it is far from optimal and it is likely that the cannon would have cracked if used for a prolonged time. "Clearly, the person who cast the cannon did not have the necessary knowledge and understanding of the properties of various copper alloys," says lead scientist Staffan von Arbin, according to the University of Gothenburg website. Anti-personnel weapon The team says that based on the trace element composition, the copper used to cast the gun was mined near Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, while the lead most likely came from England or the area along the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic. Speaking to the Live Science website, von Arbin says that rather than shooting cannonballs, this early cannon most likely fired stone shot. It was not designed to sink vessels, but to clear decks: an anti-personnel gun. According to the scientist, guns of this design were the first type used in Europe after the introduction of the technology in the 13th century. The former prime ministers approach to the media offers an answer to a question we often hear from abroad. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Welcome to your weekly commentary and overview of news from Slovakia. The final week of the election campaign is upon us. Military intelligence officials face charges, with a 26,000 bottle of whisky in the mix. The Ukraine grain ban thriller. What does the new Covid wave look like? You can expect to receive the next edition of Last Week in Slovakia, updating you with the new election results, next Sunday morning (October 1). Election debates are not what they used to be One week from now, Slovakias citizens will have done their part in answering the question of where the country should be headed from this autumn. But first, the politicians will talk. Despite the fact that much of the election campaign now takes place outside the realm of traditional media in Slovakias case, its mostly on Facebook the upcoming televised debates are seen as the last chance for parties to capture the attention of undecided voters, or even tilt the opinion of those who are leaning towards other candidates. In Slovakia, the final round of debates takes place just before the legal moratorium on reporting kicks in at midnight on Wednesday. Until recently, politicians tended to view participation in the debates as an opportunity. But this, too, has changed. The Smer party, which has led opinion polls for most of this year, declared early on in the campaign that it would not communicate with certain media. Smer was not, however, ruling out Slovakias numerous disinformation channels quite the contrary. Prominent Smer candidates, including the leader of the party Robert Fico, have willingly appeared in such dark corners of the internet as the YouTube channel of a prominent Slovak anti-Semite, thought to be based in London, who is currently being sought by police on criminal charges. Two free trains covered by four NGOs. "Underground trains ride every four minutes, but the election is held only once in four years." (Source: Facebook) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share On Friday, September 29, two election trains will leave the Czech Republic for Bratislava. Trains will cost passengers nothing on the way to Slovakia. When returning to the Czech Republic, passengers will have to buy a ticket. One train will leave Prague at 12:00 and the other from Brno at 19:00. Each of the trains has a capacity of around 700 seats. The trains are intended for all Slovaks in the Czech Republic who want to vote in the Slovak parliamentary election scheduled for September 30, but primarily for Slovak students. People have to register through a website. According to the information from mid-September, more than a thousand people have registered. Posters in Prague underground The trains are organised by the non-governmental organisations Globsec, Zemy, Sebavedome Slovensko (Confident Slovakia) and Mladi Proti Fasizmu (Youth Against Fascism) in cooperation with the national railway carrier ZSSK. It is not clear how much NGOs paid for this initiative. They say that it will cost taxpayers nothing. The organisation Mladi Proti Fasizmu also appeared in the media during the summer, when it put up dozens of posters in Slovak in the Prague underground, telling Slovaks in the Czech Republic that they can vote in elections by mail. Many people have lost their lives, and many more have been displaced as a result of the devastating wildfires that climate change has recently ignited. Amid all of these, the era of artificial intelligence (AI) is here. Fire departments and new businesses are using cameras equipped with AI to look for smoke. In order to monitor fires from space, a German firm is developing a constellation of satellites. In addition, Microsoft is making use of AI algorithms to foresee potential ignition points for future fires. There is no denying that firefighters, utilities, and governments are using the newest AI tech to stay ahead of the growing and more severe wildfires caused by global warming. AI That Detects Smoke From 1,000+ Mountaintop Cameras This summer, California's primary firefighting agency began pilot-testing an AI system that monitors smoke from over 1,000 mountaintop video feeds. They are now rolling out the software statewide, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The device is programmed to detect "abnormalities" and send an alarm to emergency command centers, where trained personnel may determine if the smell in the air is indeed smoke. The cameras, part of a network that employees had to monitor before, feed billions of bytes of data into the AI system. Humans must still verify any smoke detections, but this method will reportedly help minimize worker exhaustion by notifying them to check only when fire or smoke is possible. It has been useful thus far. According to ABC News, a battalion chief received a smoke alarm at night, verified it on his smartphone, and phoned a San Diego command center to send first responders to the isolated region. If dispatchers had not been warned, the fire would have been considerably bigger since it would not have been spotted until the following morning. Also Read: Tech Companies Using AI To Support Cancer Detection, Research, and Treatment AI Usage via Computer Vision Machine Learning Pano AI, based in San Francisco, takes a similar tack by installing cameras on cell towers to detect smoke and notify its clients, such as fire agencies, power providers, and ski resorts. Cameras employ AI in the form of computer vision and machine learning. CEO Sonia Kastner told ABC News, "They're trained very specifically to detect smoke or not, and we train them with images of smoke and images of not smoke." Images are coupled with data from other sources, such as social media postings and government weather satellites, to locate and analyze hotspots. Pano AI's technologies still need human validation; for example, managers may play a time-lapse of the camera feed to make sure the haze they see is indeed smoke. PGE, which serves 51 communities throughout Oregon with electricity, has installed 26 Pano AI cameras. The response time and cooperation with emergency services have both been improved thanks to these devices. In the past, fire crews wasted time and energy searching in the wrong places. The cameras may reduce response times by up to two hours by helping to spot fires earlier and sending crews to the scene sooner. Also Read: Adobe Firefly Generative AI Models Now Available; Price Plans Yet to Be Determined @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A secret service reform demanded by people, Slovakia-based foreigners on the 2023 early elections, and traffic restrictions in Bratislava. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Good evening. Here is the Monday, September 25 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. Saturday, September 30, is Election Day in Slovakia. Follow the latest updates on our website after the polls close. Last test for Mochovce plant Cooling towers in the Mochovce Nuclear power plant. (Source: TASR) Slovenske Elektrarne (SE), the largest producer of electricity in the country, has increased its power output in the third block of the Mochovce nuclear power plant during the power escalation stage to 100 percent. "This is a historic moment for Slovenske Elektrarne and the entire country," SE CEO Branislav Strycek said. At the 100-percent power level, the SE will perform final power escalation tests, followed by a 144-hour trial run, in the coming weeks. At full capacity, Mochovce 3 can cover the consumption of up to 1.3 million households per year. The new nuclear unit will cover almost 13 percent of the total electricity consumption in Slovakia. As for electricity production, Slovakia is becoming energy self-sufficient this year. More stories from The Slovak Spectator website Politics: Foreigners living in Slovakia share their views on the upcoming parliamentary election. Foreigners living in Slovakia share their views on the upcoming parliamentary election. Business: An app developed by a firm founded by two Slovaks and used by mayors and officials to communicate with citizens in 150 cities across America has been launched in Pezinok. An app developed by a firm founded by two Slovaks and used by mayors and officials to communicate with citizens in 150 cities across America has been launched in Pezinok. Opinion: Would a Robert Fico election win really be so bad? The former prime minister's approach to the media offers an answer to a question we often hear from abroad. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you. FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY Slovak returns after 50 years in Canada Stefan Galvanek with his pictures in the unique Coburg Park in the village of Pohorela. The park belonged to the aristocratic family of Coburgs. (Source: Marcela Ballova) Stefan Galvanek, a native of Bratislava and an artist of international reputation, cannot complain about a boring life. He has made decisions that required a lot of courage. EVENT FOR TUESDAY Performance by Michael's Tower Michael's Tower in Bratislava. (Source: Peter Zakovic) On September 26, come and listen to the contemporary interpretation of the sounds associated with the Michael's Tower directly below it thanks to a music performance by sound designer Boris Vitazek. The tower itself will reopen on Wednesday, September 27. In other news In connection with the construction of the D1 Bratislava Triblavina motorway, a section of the motorway, including a slip road in the direction from Bratislava to Zlate Piesky, will be closed from September 25 . In practice, drivers must prepare for a closed exit road from Pri Mlyne Street in Bratislava's Vajnory borough. Traffic on Pri Mlyne Street itself will not be restricted, it will continue to operate in both directions, only without the possibility of connecting to the D1 motorway. . In practice, drivers must prepare for a closed exit road from Pri Mlyne Street in Bratislava's Vajnory borough. Traffic on Pri Mlyne Street itself will not be restricted, it will continue to operate in both directions, only without the possibility of connecting to the D1 motorway. As many as 80.2 percent of Slovaks think that the next government should reform the Slovak Information Service (SIS), an AKO poll for TV JOJ24 has shown. In the past decades, the secret service has been involved in a number of scandals. In the summer, the police charged several former SIS members over the alleged sabotage of the investigation of corruption cases. (SIS), an AKO poll for TV JOJ24 has shown. In the past decades, the secret service has been involved in a number of scandals. In the summer, the police charged several former SIS members over the alleged sabotage of the investigation of corruption cases. Relations between the Czech Republic and Slovakia would worsen in the case of Robert Fico's government , Czech President Petr Pavel thinks. Many of Fico's views correspond more to Russian propaganda than to the Western worldview, he said. , Czech President Petr Pavel thinks. Many of Fico's views correspond more to Russian propaganda than to the Western worldview, he said. The Bratislava police charged a 50-year-old man from Bratislava with making dangerous threats and rioting . He was supposed to threaten a group of six people with Japanese swords - katanas on Saturday, September 23, in the Bratislava borough of Dubravka. . He was supposed to threaten a group of six people with Japanese swords - katanas on Saturday, September 23, in the Bratislava borough of Dubravka. Slovakia is submitting its third request for payment from the Recovery and Resilience Plan , this time in the amount of 815 million. , this time in the amount of 815 million. President Zuzana Caputova has long been the most popular Slovak politician on Instagram, but her numbers dropped significantly in the summer. Robert Fico is the 'king of Facebook'. Since the beginning of the year, Fico has received almost 4.3 million interactions, i.e. likes, comments and shares, on his posts, writes Dennik N. WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Clear skies. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 27C. Light breeze. (SHMU) Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us. P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, Instagram (@slovakspectator) and Twitter (@slovakspectator). When you think of Hawaiian coffee, Kona is the first thing to come to mind. But thats only the beginning. Big Island Coffee Roasters is telling the rest the story. The Hawaiian coffee roaster sells exclusively coffees grown within state limits, including Puna, Kau, Maui, Waialua, and yes, Kona. With their new cafe in Hilo, Big Island Coffee Roasters is celebrating the entirety of their island bounty. They worked with industry vets John Letoto and Bethany Hargrove to create an exciting menu befitting their stunning cafe. And more than just coffee, Big Island has a commitment to building community and uplifting those around them. We spoke with Big Islands Daniella Totaro to learn more. The 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by DONA. The 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee is sponsored by La Marzocco, Pacific Barista Series, Acaia, and Marco Beverage Systems. As told to Sprudge by Daniella Totaro. For those who arent familiar, will you tell us about your company? Big Island Coffee Roasters started out in 2010, with two young coffee lovers who found a disheveled coffee farm in a jungled region of Hawaii posted for sale on Craigslist. Up to this point, we assumed Hawaiian coffees were categorically awful because we only knew of them as artificially flavored, stale, souvenir 10% blends. As we integrated with the community of farmers and sampled coffees from around Hawaii, we were incredibly delighted by the unique varieties and the promising quality that went unnoticed. Fast forward to 2013 and Big Island Coffee Roasters came to life, built on a mission to foster Hawaiis intergenerational coffee economy for the people and land. Today, Big Island offers authentic, quality Hawaiian coffees that are ripe harvested, milled in small batches, roasted-to-order, and shipped worldwide from our farm and roastery thats powered by renewable energy. Our coffees are served at Four Seasons Hualalai, Mauna Lani Auberge, Hideout at Laylow Hotel, Pronghorn Resort in Bend, Oregon, and more. We source from 27 local farmers and over the past few years, our purchases of specialty Kona and Hawaiian coffees has put over $7M directly into the hands of local farmers. This year, we were named one of Hawaiis Fastest Growing Companies by Pacific Business News. Can you tell us a bit about the new space? Our first-ever public facility is a 4,000-square-foot cafe and roastery is located on the scenic coastline in the historic town of Hilo, HI, across the street from a hotspot simply known as pondsa salt water pool infamous with locals. The cafe is also conveniently situated close to nearby hotels and cruise ships ports in the Keaukaha community. Born of a desire to showcase specialty Hawaiian coffees served by expert baristas, visitors can also enjoy Hawaiian coffees served on nitro, iced Mamaki tea, and merchandise designed by Hawaiian artists, while viewing coffee roasting on a custom-designed, renewable energy-powered roaster. Outside of serving quality coffees and other specialty drinks, our goal with the space is to create a place for community gatherings, as well as to serve as a centralized point for education around Hawaiian coffee and cultivation. The opening of our cafe marks a major milestone for our team and we are eager to engage directly with customers for the first time. One feature were really excited about sharing is our viewing window, which connects our cafe to the roastery, inviting visitors to watch the roasting process while sipping on their favorite drink. The grand opening will be held from August 12 at August 18 at 76 Kalanianaole Street in Hilo, Hawaii. Whats your approach to coffee? Quality, sustainability, and community are at the core of everything we do. These principles are carried through in our approach to coffee; using sustainable processes for coffee production and working directly with local producers, constantly learning together to feature the highest quality coffees Hawaii offers. We believe in knowing our farmer partners on an intimate level and building trust with them around the shared knowledge that coffee is a living, breathing thing. Together, through partnership, we work hard to offer seasonal coffees throughout the year. Some of our favorites include Kau Yellow Bourbon and Kau Giant Maragogipe. Our coffee menu also includes traditional and heritage coffees like Kona Peaberry and Maui Mokka, as well as unique and rare varieties like Gesha and SL34. Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up? Our team has been crafting a menu of specialty drinks made with local ingredients, including Hawaii-grown chocolate and vanilla, house made syrups, and our freshly roasted 100% Hawaiian-grown coffee. Well offer a variety of signature drinks like the Honu, which features espresso, chocolate, caramel, and milk, with a touch of Hawaiian sea salt. We will also be featuring a rotating specialty micro-lot on drip each month; for opening month (August) well have Kau Maragogipe available. The pride and joy of our new roastery is our custom designed brass and teal San Franciscan roaster. This beauty outputs 300lb of roasted coffee per hour. We have an Aurelia Wave espresso machine from Simonelli that our baristas will be pulling shots on. Additionally, weve added two Ground Control coffee brewers that well be using for cold brew and specialty drip, and lastly, well have two Victoria Arduino Mythos grinders. How is your project considering sustainability? With sustainability as one of our core pillars, we consider not only environmental impacts, but also agriculture, Hawaiian tradition and cultural sustainability. Coffee is not a traditional crop in Hawaii, and has commonly been viewed as something that foreigners farm and drink. Yet, the likeness of Native Hawaiians have long been misappropriated by coffee companies and the tourism industry in Hawaii. Its further seeded distrust that many Hawaii coffee companiesand the Hawaii coffee industryhad operated using legacy corporate models and excluded Hawaiians, females, and minorities from holding influential roles. Ironically, both the specialty coffee culture and Hawaiian culture are deeply rooted in community, yet specialty coffee culture is relatively unknown by Hawaiians. Were not only committed share the community values of the specialty coffee industry with locals, but to ensure the sustainability of Hawaiian teachings and traditions by incorporating Hawaiian principals into our HR practices, staff education, and community partnerships. Doing this further aligns with our mission to protect land from development and enable farm sustainability. To this end we: Maintain top-down team and leadership diversity: Founders & Leadership Team is comprised of: 60% Female, 20% Hawaiian Total Staff: 70% Female, 15% Hawaiian, 20% Other Minority Advisorship diversity: Our lead advisors and investors are (1) Kamehameha Schools Sustainability Fund, whose mission is to champion Native Hawaiian learners and advancement (2) Mana Up Fund, whose mission is to grow female and Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs. Employ a Cultural Community Manager We maintain a Hawaiian internship program 50% of the year and are aiming for 100% year-round intern program by 2024 Whats your hopeful target opening date/month? Saturday, August 12 (Opening week: August 12 August 18) Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that youd like to mention? Yes! We teamed up with Honolulu based District Architecture & Design to bring our vision to life. To say owner Rachel Pfister was fantastic would be an understatement; she was a joy to work with and was meticulous at every step. We also partnered with local Big Island company, Stans Contracting, for the buildout. They were a dream team and worked to the bitter end to get every detail right. Lastly, we worked with Hawaiian artists Malie Mizuguchi and Keanu Wilson to design a lineup of limited edition NotNeutral mugs decorated with Hawaiian flora and fauna. Lastly, our employee John Letoto, who is a former WBC technical judge, crafted our drink menu and is training the barista staff to serve specialty coffee at a high level. Thank you! https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/canadian-opposition-leader-urges-trudeau-to-apologize-for-honoring-ukrainian-nazi-veteran-1113639260.html Opposition Leader, Jewish Groups, Urge Trudeau to Apologize for Honoring Ukrainian Nazi Veteran Opposition Leader, Jewish Groups, Urge Trudeau to Apologize for Honoring Ukrainian Nazi Veteran The leader of the opposition party in Canada, Pierre Poilievre demanded that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologize for honoring Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka. 2023-09-24T22:31+0000 2023-09-24T22:31+0000 2023-09-25T04:38+0000 americas justin trudeau pierre poilievre house of commons ukraine canada nazi volodymyr zelensky /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/17/1112820034_0:0:3074:1730_1920x0_80_0_0_bb74404bc41ed27ce55301bbc441f013.jpg On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the House of Commons. Hunka was also invited to the Canadian parliament and presented to the lawmakers as a veteran of the "struggle for Ukrainian independence against the Russians during the Second World War." Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who fought in the ranks of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS during the Second World War, was given a standing ovation by the entire Canadian legislature. Hunkas recognition happened as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, was giving introductory remarks prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys address to the Canadian parliament.Earlier on Sunday, Rota apologized for inviting Hunka to speak in front of the Canadian parliament and recognizing him during his speech.Rota extended his apologies to the Jewish communities in Canada and abroad further adding that he took full responsibility for the decision.The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) a group dedicated to Holocaust education and antisemitism programs, also demanded an apology and an explanation on Sunday over the Canadian parliament decision to invite and honor Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka."FSWC is appalled that Canadas Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others," the organization said on X, adding that "an apology and explanation is owed."The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) of Canada said it was troubled and disturbed by the standing ovation to Hunka whose involvement with the 14th SS meant he actively participated in the genocide of Jews.Later on Sunday, Trudeau's office responded, saying that the Prime Minister was not notified in advance by Rota that Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka had been invited to a parliamentary meeting.The statement emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was also unaware of Hunka's presence. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230922/canada-commits-482mln-in-military-assistance-to-ukraine-to-send-f-16-pilot-trainers-1113592099.html americas ukraine canada Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International yaroslav hunka, canada honors nazi, ss member speaks to canadian parliament https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/bundeswehr-bungles-billion-euros-on-radios-that-cant-be-installed-in-army-vehicles-1113665507.html Bundeswehr Bungles Billion Euros on Radios That Cant Be Installed in Army Vehicles Bundeswehr Bungles Billion Euros on Radios That Cant Be Installed in Army Vehicles The German government began a massive 100 billion rearmament campaign last year, pledging tens of billions of euros in additional money for the military as social spending retreats and the country faces the threat of deindustrialization and economic stagnation. 2023-09-25T19:07+0000 2023-09-25T19:07+0000 2023-09-25T19:07+0000 military boris pistorius europe ukraine germany bundeswehr nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113665347_0:170:3036:1878_1920x0_80_0_0_4c32614f31ab1dde73b353d9f4e9548a.jpg German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has some explaining to do amid reports that a 1.3 billion batch of new digital radio communications systems for the Bundeswehrs fleet of tracked and wheeled vehicles will be forced to sit in storage for years due to compatibility and installation difficulties.The digital radios, produced by German technology manufacturer Rohde & Schwarz, are supposed to replace the Bundeswehrs older analogue sets. But the new equipment is reportedly proving difficult to mount on the militarys many different types of vehicles, requiring the purchase additional adapter kits, and showing other problems, like low-capacity batteries. Adjustments are reportedly necessary for the more than one hundred different vehicle types in service with the Bundeswehr.These issues have prompted the defense ministry, wary of voiding the manufacturers warranty by installing the equipment themselves, to wait for official support from the defense industry, thus leaving already delivered equipment on warehouse shelves.The Bundeswehrs Digitization of Land-based Operations radio procurement campaign is ultimately expected to cost Germany up to 5 billion.Berlin announced an ambitious 100 billion defense spending boost last year amid the dramatic escalation of tensions between NATO and Russia over Ukraine. To date, the German government has doled out (but not yet spent) about 30 billion of that money, holding onto funds until contractors deliver the promised weapons and gear.The Bundeswehr plans to field the first of three planned new combat-ready divisions by 2025, but has reported problems scraping forces together amid the massive flow of billions of euros-worth of military equipment and ammunition to Ukraine for the proxy war with Russia.Germany has been among the heaviest spenders among NATO countries on Ukraine, committing over 17.1 billion in military equipment and support to date, more than any other country besides the United States. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230910/germany-to-spend-over-64bln-on-major-defense-contracts-by-end-of-2023--1113264000.html ukraine germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov germany, military, bundeswehr, army, vehicles, tanks, radio, digital, analogue, compatibility https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/denmark-fears-conducting-investigation-with-russia-into-nord-stream-blasts---ambassador-1113641245.html Denmark Fears Conducting Investigation With Russia Into Nord Stream Blasts - Ambassador Denmark Fears Conducting Investigation With Russia Into Nord Stream Blasts - Ambassador Russia's ambassador to Denmark told Sputnik that Denmark fears allowing Russia join an investigation into the Nord Stream gas pipeline because of what it may reveal. 2023-09-25T03:15+0000 2023-09-25T03:15+0000 2023-09-26T13:18+0000 denmark russia ukraine nord stream cia seymour hersh nord stream sabotage /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/1d/1101335785_0:0:2467:1388_1920x0_80_0_0_93211f62c0016691dccfd08aab44e2e8.png The ambassador noted that there is still no cooperation in the investigation of explosions on gas pipelines between Denmark and Russia. Barbin added that the Danish prosecutor's office explains the reluctance to interact with the Russian side by the fact that fulfilling Russia's requests for legal assistance "could jeopardize the national security of Denmark." The Nord Stream pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions in September 2022. The pipeline's operator, Nord Stream AG, said that the damage was unprecedented and it was impossible to estimate the time repairs might take. Denmark, Germany and Norway have left Russia out of their investigations into the attack, prompting Moscow to launch its own investigation with charges of international terrorism. No official results of the investigations have yet been announced, but Pulitzer Prize-winning US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a report in February 2023 alleging that the explosions had been organized by the United States with the support of Norway. Washington has denied any involvement in the incident. In mid-July, media reported that Dutch military intelligence had informed the CIA of Ukraine's plans to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines months before it happened. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230830/ukraine-back-in-the-frame-for-nord-stream-pipeline-bombing-1112994813.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230926/nord-stream-pipeline-bombing-plot-1113682985.html denmark russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International who blew up the nord stream pipeline, denmark russian relations, nord stream investigation, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/direct-threat-of-resumption-of-ethnic-cleansing-in-kosovo-exists---russian-foreign-ministry-1113661030.html Direct Threat of Resumption of Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo Exists - Russian Foreign Ministry Direct Threat of Resumption of Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo Exists - Russian Foreign Ministry There is a direct threat of resumption of ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo, which was practiced by Kosovo Albanian radicals in past, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday. 2023-09-25T16:15+0000 2023-09-25T16:15+0000 2023-09-25T16:16+0000 world maria zakharova russia europe albin kurti aleksandar vucic kosovo pristina belgrade serbia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113659335_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_7041c28e7b20316e81c649dd13d05216.jpg Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that on Sunday night unidentified people opened fire on Kosovo police officers in the northern municipality of Zvecan, killing one and wounding another. The shooting occurred around 03:00 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) near the village of Banjska, some 30 miles from Pristina. Later, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that several Serbs were killed and injured in the clashes with police in northern Kosovo and Metohija. The spokeswoman also said that the Kosovo police "have discredited themselves" due to systemic violence against local Serbs. "There is a direct threat of a resumption of ethnic cleansing, previously practiced by Kosovo Albanian radicals. We are convinced that the path to stabilization and a long-term settlement in Kosovo runs exclusively through the comprehensive implementation of the cornerstone UN Security Council resolution 1244 and the Brussels agreements of Belgrade and Pristina of 2013 and 2015, primarily in terms of the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities in the region, which should receive broad executive powers and become an effective instrument for protecting the interests of the Serbian population," the statement read. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230530/explosion-in-the-heart-of-europe-whats-going-on-in-kosovo-1110799134.html russia kosovo pristina belgrade serbia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International kosovo, kosovo serbs, ethnic cleansing, zvecan, russian foreign ministry https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/eu-flexes-muscles-on-fair-trade-with-china-1113646731.html EU Flexes Muscles On Fair Trade With China EU Flexes Muscles On Fair Trade With China Against a backdrop of mounting tensions, the EU remains steadfast in its resolve to foster equitable trade relations with China. This determination has driven the bloc to initiate an anti-subsidy probe into Chinese e-cars. However, the bloc's trade chief's trip to China aligns with its protectionist thrust. 2023-09-25T13:42+0000 2023-09-25T13:42+0000 2023-09-25T13:42+0000 economy valdis dombrovskis annalena baerbock emmanuel macron china france jinping european union (eu) european commission tsinghua university /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101869/04/1018690413_0:276:4235:2658_1920x0_80_0_0_71b5480be4b4a4dbfe8e3a69289f2e64.jpg On Monday, in a diplomatic overture to China, the European Union's principal trade negotiator conveyed a clear message, asserting the bloc's unwavering stance in upholding balanced competition and protecting its interests.The lack of reciprocity and level playing field from China, coupled with wider geopolitical shifts, has forced the EU to become more assertive, said Valdis Dombrovskis, an executive vice-president at the European Commission, as stated in the scripted remarks scheduled for delivery during a keynote address at Tsinghua University.Dombrovskis stressed that competition stands as a cornerstone of the European Union's economic landscape, serving to invigorate and advance the prowess of our corporate entities.Nevertheless, a stringent emphasis on fairness is paramount. Hence, the EU is moving to redress the issue.The visit by the Latvian bureaucrat is consistent with the European Unions attempts to fortify its defensive trade mechanisms. The bloc recently commenced an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), arguing that this is imperative to shield domestic employment and supply chains. The EU maintains that China's alleged market inundation with cost-effective EVs is inequitable.The Chinese Ministry of Commerce also noted that its EV sector has experienced rapid evolution, driven by sustained advances in scientific and technological innovation, alongside robust industrial and supply chains, which have won it a global clientele, including consumers in the European Union.Collaboration between the two parties is essential in shaping a market landscape that is equitable, non-discriminatory, and characterized by predictability, thereby fostering mutual advances in the China-EU EV industry, firmly opposing any forms of trade protectionism.Dombrovskis' visit to China is likely to turn the spotlight on the EV question as it takes precedence in discussions. Well-informed sources intimate that the vice-president's mission is to elucidate the European Union's stance to Chinese counterparts, underlining the need for specific agreements to reset the bilateral relationship.In his statement, Dombrovskis said that the European Union's de-risking strategy is definitely non-protectionist. He clarified that the EU intends to implement impartial measures concerning individual countries.In conjunction with the Monday engagement alongside vice-premier He Lifeng, the European Union's trade chief will take part in meetings with counterparts and interfacing with European business representatives in Shanghai and Beijing. The present talks indicate a summit between President Xi Jinping and the EU's Ursula von der Leyen later this year.Between 5 and 7 April 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Von der Leyen, and a delegation of high-ranking officials conferred with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Macron stirred controversy by stating it as imperative for Europe to steer clear of being drawn into issues related to China and Taiwan and to maintain a measured distance from any foreign policy led by the United States to prevent Europe from assuming a role as one of "America's followers". His position centered on advocating Europe's "strategic autonomy".Subsequently, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during her official visit to China on 13 to 17 April 2023, strove to project a united front. Baerbock emphasized the relevance of President Macron's response to criticism, highlighting its weight in diplomatic discussions, stating that this "once again showed that France's China policies and EU-China policies "are one and the same".Though refraining from a definitive stance on Berlin's position concerning the EU's autonomy from the US, Baerbock alluded to the need for EU member states to "pursue common strategic approaches" as she homed in on the economic risks entailed by a potential conflict erupting in the Taiwan Strait.Sources familiar with the EUs view on China feel that ongoing deliberations within the European Union and its member states focus on reevaluating their approach towards China. Bolstered by augmented geo-economic capabilities in recent times, the EU is emphasizing a strategic "de-risking" agenda. This agenda encompasses the implementation of outbound investment scrutiny and protecting the export of sensitive technologies, which range from advanced microelectronics to quantum technology, robotics, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. china france jinping Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Chimauchem Nwosu https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/01/1113046371_0:99:1536:1635_100x100_80_0_0_9c5c627283eca931c39fe4852bbb301c.jpg Chimauchem Nwosu https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/01/1113046371_0:99:1536:1635_100x100_80_0_0_9c5c627283eca931c39fe4852bbb301c.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Chimauchem Nwosu https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/01/1113046371_0:99:1536:1635_100x100_80_0_0_9c5c627283eca931c39fe4852bbb301c.jpg european union, eu, china-eu relations, trade negotiation, valdis dombrovskis, tsinghua university, balanced competition, level playing field, economic landscape, defensive trade mechanisms, anti-subsidy investigation, chinese electric vehicles, protectionist measures, commerce ministry, electric vehicle industry, de-risking strategy, ursula von der leyen, xi jinping, emmanuel macron, strategic autonomy, annalena baerbock, berlin's position, taiwan strait, geoeconomic capabilities, outbound investment scrutiny, sensitive technologies, advanced microelectronics, quantum technology, robotics, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, central and eastern european member states, washington ties. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/first-batch-of-us-made-abrams-tanks-arrive-in-ukraine---reports-1113650206.html First Batch of US-Made Abrams Tanks Arrive in Ukraine - Reports First Batch of US-Made Abrams Tanks Arrive in Ukraine - Reports According to media reports citing US defense officials, the first US-made Abrams tanks have been delivered to Ukraine, months ahead of initial estimates. 2023-09-25T11:58+0000 2023-09-25T11:58+0000 2023-09-25T13:38+0000 military joe biden volodymyr zelensky ukraine kiev tank m1 abrams tank /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104933/67/1049336727_0:105:4204:2470_1920x0_80_0_0_2be90e965509f5e7a18ee7470c27fd32.jpg According to media reports citing US defense officials, the first US-made Abrams tanks have been delivered to Ukraine, months ahead of initial estimates.Additional M1 Abrams tanks will be sent in the next few months, the officials added, noting that the ones which have already been sent to Ukraine represent the first batch of 31 that have been promised by the Biden administration.The Ukrainian counteroffensive began on 4 June. Kiev has deployed brigades trained by NATO instructors and armed with Western equipment, including Leopard and Challenger tanks. Three months on, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had failed, with Ukraine suffering an estimated 71,000 casualties. According to President Putin, Russian forces have destroyed 543 tanks and about 18,000 armored vehicles belonging to the Ukrainian military during the 'counteroffensive'.Several Western officials have also admitted that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has not been successful so far. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/head-of-ukraines-military-intelligence-doubts-abrams-tanks-will-last-long-on-battlefield-1113604875.html ukraine kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International abrams tanks, us-made abrams tanks, arrive to ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/hungary-refuses-to-support-ukraine-until-transcarpathian-hungarians-rights-ensured-1113651268.html Hungary Refuses to Support Ukraine Until Transcarpathian Hungarians' Rights Ensured Hungary Refuses to Support Ukraine Until Transcarpathian Hungarians' Rights Ensured Hungary will not support Ukraine's position at any international forum until Kiev returns the laws that ensures rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarians, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated on Monday. 2023-09-25T12:22+0000 2023-09-25T12:22+0000 2023-09-25T12:22+0000 world hungary viktor orban ukraine discrimination racial discrimination children hungarian government /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/01/1111602604_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_e1e4a658d55e9b19ee38cb694fbf183b.jpg "Ukraine has been oppressing Hungarian schools for several years, they [Ukrainians] want to convert them into Ukrainian schools or, if that does not work out, close them. The Hungarian government fights at every international forum for the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians, especially children. We will not support Ukraine in any issue in international life until the previous laws that guaranteed the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians are returned," Orban told Hungarian lawmakers. The prime minister added that the new Ukrainian leadership of the school in the city of Mukachevo banned singing the Hungarian anthem and wearing clothes in the Hungarian national colors in the educational institution. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230824/does-hungarian-president-novaks-trip-to-ukraine-mean-break-with-orban-1112866170.html hungary ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International transcarpathian hungarians, hungarians in ukraine, ukraine discriminates against hungarians, ukraine-hungary relations, ukraine-hungary, ukraine-hungary ties, discrimination in ukraine, racial discrimination, racial discrimination in ukraine, hungarian anthem, discrimination at school, ukrainian schools, hungarian schools, hungarian children, children, children suffer https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/israel-antifascist-movement-condemns-honoring-of-nazi-veteran-in-canadian-parliament-1113647087.html Israel AntiFascist Movement Condemns Honoring of Nazi Veteran in Canadian Parliament Israel AntiFascist Movement Condemns Honoring of Nazi Veteran in Canadian Parliament The Israeli anti-fascist movement strongly condemns the honoring of a Ukrainian Nazi Veteran in the Canadian Parliament and expects that the authorities of the country will respond accordingly, the chairman of the Israeli anti-fascist Dmitry Trapirov told Sputnik. 2023-09-25T09:19+0000 2023-09-25T09:19+0000 2023-09-25T09:39+0000 world israel ukraine nazi canadian parliament nazism /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/04/0f/1082640356_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_5fa2db153f1093b4b2e9aca22518e33d.jpg "First of all, we condemn this invitation. The West has forgotten what fascism and Nazism are... We hope that, just like us, our authorities will condemn this action, since the Jewish people have not forgotten these crimes," Trapirov said.The anti-fascist movement will send a letter to the Israeli Ambassador to Canada with a request to speak out about the unacceptability of such actions, Trapirov said. On Friday, Yaroslav Hunka, a 98 years-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who fought in the ranks of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS during the Second World War, was given a standing ovation by the entire Canadian parliament. Hunkas recognition happened as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, was giving introductory remarks prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys address to the Canadian parliament. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230921/us-may-be-supporting-neo-nazis-by-aiding-ukraine-congressmans-letter-to-blinken-and-austin-1113566796.html israel ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International israel antifascist movement, ukrainian nazi veteran, canadian parliament The UK's Home Office has ordered a review into armed policing after Metropolitan Police (Met) officers in London returned their weapons in fear of being charged with murder. The review was ordered after an officer was charged for shooting unarmed 24-year-old Chris Kaba dead in Streatham Hill last year, the BBC reported. The Met stated that many of its officers were worried about how the charges would impact their jobs. An unnamed source also told the BBC that over 100 officers have handed in what was known in the service as a ticket permitting them to carry guns. Read Also: UK Plans To Charge 5 Bulgarian Nationals for Allegedly Spying for Russia Over 3 Years Braverman Backs the Met However, British Home Secretary Suella Braverman assured officers they should not fear ending up in prison for carrying out their duties. She added in a statement Sunday (September 24) that officers are forced to make decisions that have repercussions either way to keep communities safe. Braverman added that officers have her full backing in the performance of their duties. An inquest into the shooting was told that Kaba was reportedly shot during a police operation and died in hospital the following day. The deceased construction worker was supposed to be a father in a few months' time. His death prompted a number of protests, specifically from London's Black communities. Related Article: American XL Bully Dog Ban in UK Looms as PM Rishi Sunak Vows To Restrict 'Dangerous' Breed by End of Year @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/kremlin-says-outraged-by-honoring-of-nazi-ss-veteran-in-canadian-parliament-1113649076.html Honoring Nazi SS Veteran in Canadian Parliament 'Outrageous', Says Kremlin Honoring Nazi SS Veteran in Canadian Parliament 'Outrageous', Says Kremlin Moscow is outraged by the honoring of a Ukrainian Nazi Veteran in the Canadian Parliament, the crimes of Nazism have no statute of limitations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. 2023-09-25T10:34+0000 2023-09-25T10:34+0000 2023-09-25T10:46+0000 world dmitry peskov volodymyr zelensky nikol pashinyan nagorno-karabakh armenia canadian parliament nazi nazism /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/0b/1111061972_0:217:3253:2047_1920x0_80_0_0_a932e887bd1249d3f5206ca52fb73ea7.jpg "Such a sloppy attitude towards memory, and memory should be preserved in relation to the Nazis, no matter how old they were, there is no statute of limitations for these crimes ... such sloppiness, of course, is outrageous. It is outrageous," Peskov told reporters.On Friday, Yaroslav Hunka, a 98 years-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who fought in the ranks of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS during the Second World War, was given a standing ovation by the entire Canadian parliament. Hunkas recognition happened as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, was giving introductory remarks prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys address to the Canadian parliament. On Sunday, Rota apologized for his decision to invite Hunka. On Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis SettlementThe main thing in the settlement of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is to prevent attempts of third parties that do not have a peacekeeping potential to become present in the Caucasus, Dmitry Peskov said.Russia will continue its dialogue with Armenia, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, but strongly disagrees with attempts to blame Russian peacekeepers for something, Peskov added on Monday."Firstly, dialogue continues, dialogue continues at various levels with Armenia, especially in these difficult days. You know, quite recently Putin had a telephone conversation with Pashinyan. We understand the emotional intensity of this moment, but we categorically disagree with the attempt to place responsibility on the Russian side, or ... on the Russian peacekeepers, who are showing true heroism in carrying out their functions in accordance with the mandate that they have. And no one can blame the peacekeepers for doing something wrong. We will never agree with such reproaches," Peskov told reporters.Armenia remains an ally of Russia, the official said, adding that Moscow will continue ensuring that rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh are respected.Commenting on the prospects for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, the official said that so far, nothing can be said on the matter, adding that Moscow continues contacts with Baku.Russian peacekeepers are providing assistance and are also present at the negotiations that have already begun between the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities, he added.There are no clear hints about the prospect of a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan yet, Dmitry Peskov said.The meeting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev should contribute to the normalization of life in Nagorno-Karabakh, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday."We hope every time that all the meetings held by the President of Azerbaijan, including with the President of Turkey, will contribute to security in the region, will contribute to the normalization of life in Karabakh after the incident," Peskov said, commenting on the scheduled meeting between Erdogan and Aliyev.Turkey and Azerbaijan are sovereign countries and they exercise their sovereign right to develop cooperation, the spokesman added.Last week, Erdogan's press service said that the president will meet with Aliyev on September 25, where the heads of state, among other things, will exchange views on current issues on the regional and global agenda, primarily on the events in Nagorno-Karabakh.On Putins Possible Interview: US Society Still Filled With Russophobic PropagandaSociety in the United States today is brainwashed with Russophobic propaganda, but someday the situation will change and the moment will come when an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin will be required for a Western audience, Peskov said.Carlson said in an interview with the Swiss daily Die Weltwochethe that the US government has obstructed his attempt to interview the Russian president."Every day we receive dozens of requests from international media, including American ones, asking president Putin to give an interview. We believe that there will definitely come a time when such an interview will be required. But at the moment, firstly, when in one way or another the public is seriously brainwashed by such Russophobic propaganda, it is unlikely that anyone is now able to soberly perceive Putins analysis of the situation, his vision of the future, and so on," Peskov told reporters.Situation Around Kosovo Very Difficult, Sees Biased Attitude Towards SerbsThe situation around Kosovo is extremely difficult, tense and potentially dangerous, Moscow witnesses a biased attitude towards the Serbs and is closely monitoring what is happening, Dmitry Peskov said.Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that on Sunday night unidentified people opened fire on Kosovo police officers in the northern municipality of Zvecan, killing one and wounding another. The shooting occurred around 03:00 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) near the village of Banjska, some 30 miles from Pristina. Later, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that three Serbs were killed and two others injured in the clashes with police in northern Kosovo and Metohija. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/poland-demands-apology-from-canada-for-honoring-ukrainian-nazi-veteran---ambassador-1113648948.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/nearly-3000-people-entered-armenia-from-nagorno-karabakh-since-september-19-1113644859.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230904/kfor-mission-to-hold-3-day-military-drills-in-kosovo-this-week---reports-1113114808.html nagorno-karabakh armenia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nazi ss veteran, canadian parliament, dmitry peskov, honoring of nazi ss veteran https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/nearly-3000-people-entered-armenia-from-nagorno-karabakh-since-september-19-1113644859.html Nearly 3,000 People Entered Armenia From Nagorno-Karabakh Since September 19 Nearly 3,000 People Entered Armenia From Nagorno-Karabakh Since September 19 Nearly 3,000 people have entered Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan launched "counterterrorism activities" in the breakaway region on September 19, the Armenian government said on Monday. 2023-09-25T07:27+0000 2023-09-25T07:27+0000 2023-09-25T07:27+0000 world nikol pashinyan ilham aliyev nagorno-karabakh azerbaijan armenia nagorno-karabakh conflict /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113644693_1:0:1850:1040_1920x0_80_0_0_15567d0eea585740fff618d599ffb1db.jpg "As of September 25, 6:00 am [02:00 GMT], 2906 forcibly displaced persons entered Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh. Of these, registration information for 2100 have been summarized, and the need assessment of 794 is still in process," the Armenian government said in a statement. The statement added that nearly 1,000 out of the 2,100 registered individuals arriving in Armenia "wanted to go to places of residence decided by themselves" and 1,100 others were accommodated in government-provided housing. On September 19, Azerbaijan launched what it called "local-level anti-terrorist activities" in Nagorno-Karabakh aimed at "restoring the constitutional order." Armenian state media reported multiple civilian casualties as a result of the Azerbaijani strikes. Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijan and representatives of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh had agreed on a complete cessation of hostilities through the mediation of Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region wedged in between the two nations that is seeking independence from Baku. The decades-long conflict reignited in the fall of 2020, marking the worst escalation since the 1990s. Hostilities ended in a Russia-brokered ceasefire and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers to the region. Yerevan and Baku began discussing a future peace treaty in 2022 with mediation from Russia, the European Union and the United States. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in May that Yerevan was ready to recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity within boundaries that include Nagorno-Karabakh. Both Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said a peace treaty could be signed by the end of the year. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230921/russian-peacekeepers-evacuate-5000-civilians-in-nagorno-karabakh---defense-ministry-1113547960.html nagorno-karabakh azerbaijan armenia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nagorno-karabakh, counterterrorism activities, nearly 3,000 people entered armenia https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/poland-demands-apology-from-canada-for-honoring-ukrainian-nazi-veteran---ambassador-1113648948.html Poland Demands Apology From Canada for Honoring Ukrainian Nazi Veteran - Ambassador Poland Demands Apology From Canada for Honoring Ukrainian Nazi Veteran - Ambassador Warsaw expects an apology from Canada after Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka was invited and honored in the Canadian parliament, Polish Ambassador to Canada Witold Dzielski said on Monday, adding that Poland will never agree to "whitewash" Nazis. 2023-09-25T10:26+0000 2023-09-25T10:26+0000 2023-09-25T10:39+0000 world justin trudeau poland canada ukraine nazi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103254/68/1032546840_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_2eeb81be21f889f4f872a9c70bf5b363.jpg Poland "will never agree on whitewashing such villains! As [Polish] Amb. to [Canada] I expect an apology," Dzielski said on X, formerly known as Twitter. On Friday, Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who fought in the ranks of the Nazi SS's 14th Waffen Grenadier Division during World War II, received a standing ovation from the entire Canadian legislature. Hunka's recognition came as House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota delivered introductory remarks prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the Canadian parliament. On Sunday, Rota apologized for his decision to invite Hunka. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office said that neither the Canadian prime minister nor Zelensky's delegation had been notified in advance of Hunka's invitation. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/canadian-opposition-leader-urges-trudeau-to-apologize-for-honoring-ukrainian-nazi-veteran-1113639260.html poland canada ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International apology from canada, ukrainian nazi veteran yaroslav hunka, honoring ukrainian nazi veteran https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/poland-may-strengthen-border-with-slovakia-due-to-influx-of-migrants---reports-1113664649.html Poland May Strengthen Border With Slovakia Due to Influx of Migrants - Reports Poland May Strengthen Border With Slovakia Due to Influx of Migrants - Reports Poland may strengthen control of its border with Slovakia due to an increase in the number of undocumented migrants coming from the country, which is currently dealing with border-transparency problems, Polish media reported on Monday. 2023-09-25T18:02+0000 2023-09-25T18:02+0000 2023-09-25T18:02+0000 world poland slovakia europe polish border service illegal migrants illegal migration border control /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/15/1112042035_0:0:2355:1324_1920x0_80_0_0_731a8772e170e1a08f9d435e43619ec9.jpg The decision is to be announced in the near future, a Polish TV channel reported. Polish border guards have been witnessing increased numbers of undocumented migrants coming from Slovakia in more than a month, Polish Border Guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska stated earlier in September. As the Polish-Slovakian border is an inner border of the Schengen Area, border guards cannot carry out border controls, she added. The only thing which can be done is to control the legality of the migrants' stay on the driveways to the border, Michalska said. In the event of a further deteriorating migration situation, which poses a real threat to the country's security, Poland may return to border control as the last measure, the spokeswoman stressed. The official also highlighted that 544 undocumented migrants had been detained on the Czech-Slovakian border in 2023 so far, compared to 122 people detained in 2022. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230806/how-many-ukrainian-refugees-are-in-poland-1112425052.html poland slovakia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International poland-slovakia, poland-slovakia ties, poland-slovakia relations, poland-slovakia border, border control, polish-slovakian border, migrants, migrants from slovakia, poland refuses to take migrants, polish border guard, illegal migrants, illegal migration, influx of migrants, deteriorating migration situation, migration situation https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/russia-strikes-locations-of-mercenaries-in-ukraine-with-long-range-precision-arms---mod-1113650465.html Russia Strikes Mercenaries in Ukraine With Long-Range Precision Arms - MoD Russia Strikes Mercenaries in Ukraine With Long-Range Precision Arms - MoD Russian armed forces launched a group strike using cruise missiles and drones at the locations of foreign mercenaries and training sites for Ukrainian saboteurs, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. 2023-09-25T11:18+0000 2023-09-25T11:18+0000 2023-09-29T06:50+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine russia russian defense ministry mercenaries uav air defense drone war drone warfare donetsk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105657/28/1056572834_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_c4ad74419615197954b1e198db115014.jpg "The past night, the Russian armed forces carried out a group strike using high-precision long-range weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehicles at the points of temporary deployment of foreign mercenaries and training of sabotage groups of the Ukraine military," the ministry reported. All targets have been hit, and the objective of the strike has been achieved, the ministry added.In addition, Russia has repelled seven attacks near the settlements of Spornoye, Berestovoye, and Mayorsk in the Donetsk direction in the past 24 hours, the ministry said. At the same time, Ukraine has lost up to 445 soldiers in this direction over the day, the ministry noted.Moreover, Russia repelled two attacks by Ukraine in the Zaporozhye direction, where Kiev lost up to 100 servicemen, as well as two attacks by the Ukrainian forces in the Krasny Liman direction, with Ukraine losing up to 55 troops.At the same time, Russian air defenses took down two Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod Region and one over the Black Sea, the ministry reported.Earlier in the day, Russian air defensea intercepted three Ukrainian drones over the Kursk and Bryansk Regions, the ministry reported."On September 25, 2023, at about 10 a.m. [local time, 7:00 GMT], another attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using an aircraft-type UAV on objects on the territory of Russia was prevented. On-duty air defense intercepted two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territories of the Kursk and Bryansk Regions," the ministry stated.Ukraine launched its latest counteroffensive effort in early June. Three months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Ukrainian counteroffensive had failed, with Ukraine suffering over 71,000 casualties. Several Western officials have also admitted that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has not been successful. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230818/ukraine-recruiting-asocial-mercenaries-worldwide-as-western-ones-dwindle---un-envoy-1112694520.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/russian-air-defense-shoots-down-4-ukrainian-drones-over-black-sea-crimea-1113642566.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/russian-strikes-on-ukraines-ammo-depots-to-further-deplete-kievs-combat-capability-1112764531.html ukraine russia donetsk zaporozhye region belgorod region black sea bryansk region kursk region Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia special military operation, ukrainian crisis, failed counteroffensive, ukrainian counteroffensive, foiled counteroffensive, counteroffensive attempt, thwarted counteroffensive, counteroffensive effort, missile strikes, cruise missile strikes, russian navy, russian fleet, navy strike, dronw warfare, drones, drone war, uav attack, foreign mercenaries, mercenaries, ukrainian saboteurs https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/russian-ambassador-canadian-govt-honoring-nazi-veteran-personifies-neoliberal-fascism-1113639760.html Russia Will Ask Canada to Explain Decision to Honor Nazi Veteran Russia Will Ask Canada to Explain Decision to Honor Nazi Veteran Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov said that he will request explanations from the Canadian Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office about an invitation and honoring of a Ukrainian Nazi WWII veteran. 2023-09-25T00:42+0000 2023-09-25T00:42+0000 2023-09-25T04:27+0000 americas russia ukraine justin trudeau oleg stepanov nazi house of commons canada /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113639601_332:0:2561:1254_1920x0_80_0_0_7a8362813d6dfd7deafff8e304563032.png On Friday, Hunka, a 98 years-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran who fought in the ranks of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS during the Second World War, was given a standing ovation by the entire Canadian legislature. Hunkas recognition happened as the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, was giving introductory remarks prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys address to the Canadian parliament. At the same time, Stepanov noted that he has no illusions about the response of the Canadian government as it has become "a nest for Nazi criminals." But Stepanov does not believe the invitation was the merely the result of negligence, but rather stems from Canada's policy towards former Nazi party members."I believe that this is not a mistake. This is simply a consequence of the impunity of former Nazi criminals, the impunity of the activities of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress, which consists of children and grandchildren, who are mainly descendants of these Nazi henchmen, punishers, SS men," Stepanov said.He also recalled the process of the extradition of Helmut Oberlander, which was dragged out until the death of this Nazi collaborator "in the comfort and care of Western medicine," about the monuments to the punishers of the 14th SS-Volunteer Division "Galicia" and the Nachtigall Battalion in Canadian cemeteries, etc.On Sunday, Rota apologized for his decision to invite Hunka. Trudeaus office said, in turn, that neither the Canadian prime minister nor Zelenskys delegation were notified in advance of the invitation of Hunka. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/canadian-opposition-leader-urges-trudeau-to-apologize-for-honoring-ukrainian-nazi-veteran-1113639260.html americas russia ukraine canada Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 in the Canadian parliament, a 98-year-old ex-SS soldier who fought on the side of Hitler during the Second World War is greeted with standing ovation apparently for his Nazi past in the Canadian parliament, a 98-year-old ex-SS soldier who fought on the side of Hitler during the Second World War is greeted with standing ovation apparently for his Nazi past 2023-09-25T00:42+0000 true PT0M16S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nazi in canada, canada honors nazi, yaroslav hunka https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/shes-doing-it-again-clinton-claims-russia-seeks-to-meddle-in-2024-election-1113647329.html Back at it: Clinton Claims Russia Seeks to Meddle in 2024 Election Back at it: Clinton Claims Russia Seeks to Meddle in 2024 Election The FBI's Operation Crossfire Hurricane was found by a Congressional inquiry to be based on falsehoods. But Democrats and their sympathetic media continue to repeat the claims of 'Russian interference'. 2023-09-25T12:04+0000 2023-09-25T12:04+0000 2023-09-29T06:55+0000 hillary clinton americas russia donald trump vladimir putin durham federal bureau of investigation (fbi) fbi democrats white house /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/11/1092307790_0:0:2939:1654_1920x0_80_0_0_51398c469c90b944a545708f733310ee.jpg Failed presidential runner Hillary Clinton has repeated her discredited claims of Russian interference in US elections.Clinton dusted off the 2016 'Russiagate' conspiracy theory she used to explain her defeat by Donald Trump in an interview with MSNBC's Jen Psaki the former White House press secretary renowned for her inability to answer journalist's questions.Psaki claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "interfered in our elections in the past" directly contradicting the findings of special counsel John Durham's inquiry that the claim was "uncorroborated" and asked Clinton if she feared it would happen in 2024.Her tone became increasingly paranoid as she went on."He hates democracy. He particularly hates the West and he especially hates us," Clinton ranted. "And he has determined that he can do two things simultaneously. He can try to continue to damage and divide us internally, and he's quite good at it."The former secretary of state and senator, the wife of disgraced ex-president Bill Clinton, even believed that Putin had a personal grudge against her. She then reeled off a series of unproven allegations against the Russian president, including that he was responsible for the deaths of opposition figures and journalists and interfered in the 2016 US elections to ensure she lost to Trump.Durham's report, finally released in June 2023, found that former Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director James Comey's operation Crossfire Hurricane probe oddly named after a Rolling Stones lyric was founded on "raw, un-analyzed and uncorroborated" intelligence and should never have been launched.It said the FBI was guilty of misconduct and was in need of reform, but did not lay individual blame on any of the numerous officials involved from Comey to Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, two agents entwined in an extra-marital affair at the federal agency. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230918/after-plundering-one-of-worlds-poorest-countries-clintons-look-to-cash-in-on-aid-for-ukraine-1113468325.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230620/us-house-panel-chair-durham-probe-revealed-need-for-reforms-misconduct-by-fbi-1111348385.html americas russia durham Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png us elections 2024, us elections 2016, hillary clinton claims of russian election interference, special counsel john durham report, fbi crossfire hurricane probe https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/shoigu-gives-hero-of-russia-award-to-deputy-commander-for-repelling-attack-of-superior-enemy-forces-1113647159.html Shoigu Gives Hero of Russia Award to Deputy Commander for Repelling Attack of Superior Enemy Forces Shoigu Gives Hero of Russia Award to Deputy Commander for Repelling Attack of Superior Enemy Forces Deputy platoon commander Ivan Kalashnikov was awarded the title of Hero of Russia by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Ministry said. 2023-09-25T10:11+0000 2023-09-25T10:11+0000 2023-09-25T10:11+0000 russia ukraine sergei shoigu russia russian defense ministry hero of russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113647680_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_4151279532b48fcbbe1247a82e54ada2.png "For courage and heroism displayed in repelling an attack of superior enemy forces on the positions of the 37th motorized rifle brigade near the village of Urozhaynoye in the direction of south Donetsk, the deputy platoon commander Ivan Kalashnikov with the call sign 'Bolshoi' has been awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation by the Defense Minister," the statement said. The ministry cited drone footage showing five Russian servicemen, two of whom were wounded in the fight, confronting 12 Ukrainian servicemen. The Defense Ministry noted that the commander of the unit skillfully led his troop, attracted the main heat of the battle, was in full view of the enemy, and conducted constant targeted fire on the advancing troops. 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. ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Shoigu presents deputy platoon commander Kalashnikov with Hero of Russian Federation title Shoigu presents deputy platoon commander Kalashnikov with Hero of Russian Federation title 2023-09-25T10:11+0000 true PT2M49S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International hero of russia, superior enemy forces, russian defense minister sergei shoigu https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/taiwan-may-deploy-indigenous-subs-by-2027-1113643856.html Taiwan May Deploy Locally-Produced Subs by 2027 Taiwan May Deploy Locally-Produced Subs by 2027 Taiwan hopes to deploying at least four domestically-made submarines by 2027, Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, security adviser to the islands leader, told a briefing, according to the Central News Agency. 2023-09-25T09:22+0000 2023-09-25T09:22+0000 2023-09-29T06:42+0000 taiwan china tsai ing-wen nancy pelosi drills submarines military /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113643675_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_2b5ab6b92442557f5284a38ff9e4383d.jpg Taiwan has its eyes set on deploying at least four domestically made submarines by 2027, Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, security adviser to the islands leader, told a briefing, according to the Central News Agency.The naming and launching ceremony for the first of these is set for 28 September at Taiwan Shipbuilding's Kaohsiung factory.The ambitious project - part of an overall drive to modernize the island's armed forces amid an alleged "threat from China" which is being hyped up by Washington, presupposes potentially equipping later models with missiles, the program's leader was cited by media reports as saying.Boasting a price tag of T$49.4Bln ($1.54Bln), the prototype of the first Taiwan-made submarine will be launched on 28 September, followed by a port-berth test (HAT) on 1 October, and sea trials (SAT) later in October. The sub is expected to be delivered to Taiwans navy by the end of 2024. The diesel-electric submarine will employ a combat system made by Lockheed Martin Corp and US-made MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes, according to Huang, chief of the general staff and convener of the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program.The domestic sub program was first conceived by President Tsai Ing-wen after she took office in 2016. Taiwans leader is expected to launch the first of eight new submarines on Thursday. After seven more subs are built the island will have a fleet of 10, including the existing two Dutch-made submarines commissioned in the Eighties.Regarding the technology and components for the domestically built submarines, Huang declined to reveal which countries had approved export permits to Taiwan, which is officially recognized by only 13 countries. However, he was cited as giving credit to generals from countries such as the United States, India, South Korea, and Japan, saying:Furthermore, according to Huang, "great help" had come from an expert team led by a retired Rear Admiral of the UK's Royal Navy. The person, whose identity was not revealed, ostensibly aided Taiwan in securing export permits from Britain through a company based in Gibraltar, according to media reports."If we can build up this combat capacity, I don't think we will lose a war," Huang was cited as telling an internal briefing in September. According to him, the country's domestically built submarines are crucial as a "strategic deterrent" to Chinese warships crossing the Miyako Strait near south-western Japan or the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines.China's defense ministry has not yet commented on the subject of Taiwan making its own submarines.This comes as tensions over Taiwan between Beijing and Washington have worsened in recent years. In early August 2022, then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which was decried by China as a gesture of support for separatism. At the time, Beijing, in a retaliatory move, held large-scale military exercises near the island. This April, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with China launching massive three-day military drills near the island in what it called a "warning" to Taipei and foreign powers. The US also often sends its warships and surveillance planes to the Taiwan Strait, with Beijing slamming such missions as provocations and dubbing Washington "a creator of security risks in the region." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230831/arming-taiwan-diverts-from-bidens-flaws-and-benefits-us-military-industry-1113024685.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230822/taiwan-to-ramp-up-military-spending-next-year-1112776167.html taiwan china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko taiwan indigenous submarines, taiwan indigenous submarines program, taibei's domestically-made submarines by 2027 https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/un-says-condemns-honoring-nazis-but-takes-note-of-canadian-parliament-speakers-apology-1113663472.html UN Says Condemns Honoring Nazis But Takes Note of Canadian Parliament Speakers Apology UN Says Condemns Honoring Nazis But Takes Note of Canadian Parliament Speakers Apology The United Nations stands against honoring individuals who took part in Nazi activities but acknowledges the apology of Canada's parliament speaker for recently featuring a Nazi soldier, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday. 2023-09-25T17:48+0000 2023-09-25T17:48+0000 2023-09-25T17:48+0000 world nazi nazism canada ukraine the united nations (un) canadian parliament volodymyr zelensky justin trudeau /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113639601_332:0:2561:1254_1920x0_80_0_0_7a8362813d6dfd7deafff8e304563032.png "From what I've seen in the reports, the speaker... of the House in Ottawa apologized for inviting this individual, giving the reasons that he gave. We, of course, stand against any honoring of people who actively took part in Nazi activities during the Second World War," Dujarric said during a press briefing. On Friday, 98-year-old Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka, who fought in the ranks of the Schutzstaffels (SS) 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, received a standing ovation from the entire Canadian legislature. Hunka's recognition came as House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota delivered introductory remarks prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the Canadian parliament. In the face of an international criticism for featuring an SS Nazi soldier to a standing ovation by all Canadian legislators.On Sunday, Speaker of the House of Commons (HoC) Anthony Rota, apologized to Parliamentarians.The Speaker's statement was followed by remarks from the Government House Leader Karina Gould who thanked Rota for his apology, nonetheless noting that his decision hurt Parliamentarians who trusted him as they rose to applaud Hunka. The NDP House Leader Peter Julian said Rota's mistake was unforgivable and called for him to present his resignation. "Ultimately, this was an unforgivable error which puts the entire House in disrepute," he said.Conservative lawmaker Michelle Rempel Garner said that neither her nor the party would take collective responsibility for the decision's fallout, remarks that were echoed by several other of her colleagues such as Chris Warkentin, who advised Rota not to take responsibility for what he said for the decision's fallout.According to historical data, the Great Patriotic War took the lives of nearly 27 million soldiers and civilians of the Soviet Union. Around 6.75 million Russians, 1.65 million Ukrainians, and 650,000 Belarussian among others, died in the fight against Nazi Germany. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/kremlin-says-outraged-by-honoring-of-nazi-ss-veteran-in-canadian-parliament-1113649076.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230607/neo-nazi-symbols-on-ukrainian-troops-cannot-be-divorced-from-their-origin-1110985378.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/israel-antifascist-movement-condemns-honoring-of-nazi-veteran-in-canadian-parliament-1113647087.html canada ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukrainian nazi veteran, canadian parliament, anti-nazi movement, nazis in canada, nazism, west for nazis, nazi west, waffen ss, ukrainian nazis, west supports nazism, west supports ukrainian nazis, canada supports ukrainian nazis, canada for ukrainian nazis The Philippines voiced its disapproval of a "floating barrier" installed by the Chinese coast guard in a contested region of the South China Sea on Sunday, September 24. The local government said the barricade stopped Filipino vessels from accessing the area and fishing there. The Floating Barrier The partition was spotted by Philippine naval vessels on Friday, September 22, during a normal marine patrol. It was estimated to be roughly 300 meters (984 feet) in length, according to a statement posted on X (previously known as Twitter) by coastguard spokesman Jay Tarriela. "The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) strongly condemn the China Coast Guard's (CCG's) installation of floating barrier in the Southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc (BDM), which prevents Filipino Fishing Boats (FFBs) from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities." After a Philippine government vessel arrived in the vicinity, Tarriela said the floating barrier had been built by three Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat. He published images of the supposed barrier. PCG and BFAR Condemn CCGs Installation of Floating Barrier in the Southeast of BDM Shoal The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) strongly condemn the China Coast Guards (CCGs) installation of floating barrier in the Southeast pic.twitter.com/ed4cFtXcQs Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) September 24, 2023 See Also: Philippines Seeks Legal Options Against Beijing Over Coral Reefs Destruction Within EEZ in South China Sea Damaged Corals Images showing large areas of shattered and bleached coral were posted by the Philippine coastguard last week, leading authorities to accuse China of extensive devastation in the region. Tarriela said in a statement that the degradation and destruction of the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea features may have been directly caused by the ongoing swarming for the indiscriminate illegal and destructive fishing activities of the Chinese maritime forces in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. Crushed corals are a significant indicator of a possible act of dumping, Tarriela said, and they may come from the same dead corals that were cleaned and processed before being reintroduced to the seafloor. During a routine briefing last week, the Chinese foreign ministry was questioned about destroying coral reefs and responded by calling the charges false and groundless. "We advise the Philippine authorities not to utilize fabricated information to stage a political farce," Spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters. When monitoring a high number of Filipino fishermen in the region, Chinese warships reportedly always set up floating obstacles. A tiny but significant reef and productive fishing field, Bajo de Masinloc (or Scarborough Shoal) is located about 130 miles (200 kilometers) west of the Philippine island of Luzon. China claims Huangyandao as its own, although it is only one of several contested islands and reefs in the South China Sea. See Also: AFP to Increase Presence in West Philippine Sea-Alleging China of Massive Illegal Coral Harvesting @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/untold-story-of-how-canada-became-a-safe-haven-for-ukrainian-wwii-era-nazis-1113656627.html Untold Story of How Canada Became a Safe Haven for Ukrainian WWII-era Nazis Untold Story of How Canada Became a Safe Haven for Ukrainian WWII-era Nazis Before World War II, Ukrainian Canadians were among the most tightly knit, pro-labor, pro-Moscow, and anti-fascist migrant communities living in the True North Strong and Free. That began to change after the war and the arrival of thousands of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators wanted for war crimes across Eastern Europe. This is their story. 2023-09-25T17:57+0000 2023-09-25T17:57+0000 2023-09-25T18:20+0000 justin trudeau chrystia freeland adolf hitler canada galicia ukraine nazi waffen ss ss jews /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113656234_0:84:1024:660_1920x0_80_0_0_70d420b7a07ce839284223a346935a4f.jpg The scandal over the Canadian parliaments move to honor Ukrainian Waffen SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka continues to swirl, with Canada's opposition leader, Poland, Jewish groups, Russia and the United Nations demanding accountability.Hunka, 98, was in attendance during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys address to the House of Commons last Friday, and was introduced to lawmakers as a veteran of the struggle for Ukrainian independence against the Russians during the Second World War. He received a standing ovation from the legislature.It soon emerged that the former soldier carried out his struggle for Ukrainian independence as a member of the infamous 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS, also known as 14th SS-Volunteer Division Galicia.SS Galicia Division's Bloody PastBetween 1943 and its surrender to the Western allies in May 1945, 14th SS-Volunteer Division Galicia rampaged through Eastern Europe. It was used for police actions against Polish and Soviet partisans in western Ukraine and eastern Poland, deployed to wipe out up to hundreds of civilians at a time in the Polish settlements like Huta Pieniacka, Podkamien, Chodaczkowo Wielkie, Prehoryle, Smogligow, and Borow, and thrown into meat grinders against the Red Army (where it took heavy losses approaching 75 percent during brutal fighting at Brody, Lvov region in July 1944).The remnants of the division were evacuated and deployed in Slovakia in the late summer of 1944 to put down the Slovak National Uprising, and then sent to suppress partisan operations in Yugoslavia in January 1945. In March 1945, the formation retreated to Austria, taking heavy losses while trying to hold back Soviet forces in and around Graz during the desperate closing months of the war. Ukrainian fascist forces later incorporated into the division also took part in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising between August and September of 1944, although the division itself did not take part.Nest for Nazi CriminalsRussian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov told Sputnik Monday that he would ask for explanations from Canadas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Ministers Office over the Hunka incident, but said that he has no illusions about the possibility of working with the current Trudeau cabinet, which is the personification of neoliberal fascism. Stepanov pointed out that former Nazi criminals and their descendants have enjoyed impunity in Canada, with the country itself unfortunately becoming a nest for Nazi criminals after WWII, despite its status as a prominent member of the wartime Anti-Hitler Coalition.The scandal surrounding Hunka is not the first of its kind. In 2017, independent media outlet Consortium News was attacked by Canadian authorities after revealing that Chrystia Freeland, the senior Trudeau cabinet member then serving as Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs, had attempted to cover up her grandfather Mykhailo Khomiaks past as an editor of a Nazi newspaper in occupied Poland during WWII.Canadian media later followed up on the allegations, confirming the information, and revealing that Freeland not only knew of her grandfathers dark past, but helped edit an academic article in the Journal of Ukrainian Studies by her uncle, John-Paul Kimka, professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, in the 1990s a bid to whitewash the Nazi propagandists activities. When the news of her relatives true past leaked out, Ottawa immediately characterized it as a Russian disinformation campaign aimed at destabiliz[ing] Western democracies, with Freeland claiming her grandparents fled the war in 1939 as political exiles with a responsibility to keep alive the idea of an independent Ukraine.After the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis in early 2022, Freeland, now deputy prime minister, got into more trouble after tweeting (and after public outrage deleting) a photo of herself holding a banner sporting the colors of the notorious fascist militant formation known as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainian acronym UPA), along with the UPAs slogan Slava Ukraini (lit. Glory to Ukraine).Created in the 1930s as the paramilitary wing of the fascist Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), the (UPA) was responsible for the killings of hundreds of thousands civilians in Nazi-occupied western Ukraine during World War II, among them ethnic Poles, Jews, Russians, anti-fascist Ukrainians, and later, as the Red Army advanced, Soviet soldiers.The formations, some of whose volunteers ultimately ended up joining Waffen SS Galicia, remained active until well after the wars end. With the help of the US Office of Strategic Services, precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), militants waged a campaign of terror across western Ukraine until the early 1950s, killing some 25,000 Soviet troops, intelligence personnel and policemen, plus over 32,000 civilians, including many government administrators. Like SS Galicia vets, some UPA collaborators ended up in Canada and other Western countries after the war.Two Very Different Ukrainian-Canadian CommunitiesCanadas Ukrainian community is a powerful political and voting bloc, with the 1.3 million ethnic Ukrainians recorded in the 2016 census, making up over 8 percent the population of the provinces of Western Canada, and up to 4 percent of Canadas population as a whole.Things werent always this way, however. In the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Canadas 225,000-300,000 person-strong ethnic Ukrainian community was at the forefront of efforts to maintain close ties with their homeland, which was part of the USSR at the time, swelling the ranks of Canadas Communist Party, creating the Soviet-friendly Ukrainian Labour Farmer Temple Association, and playing a major role in the formation of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) the precursor to Canadas modern-day social democratic party the New Democratic Party.During the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939, hundreds of Ukrainian-Canadians volunteered to join the 1,200 troop-strong Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion to fight Francisco Francos Nazi-backed fascist forces. After World War II broke out, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress was formed to encourage Ukrainian Canadians to enlist in the Armed Forces to fight Hitler, with over 35,000 joining, constituting the second-largest group of non-British, non-French origin Canadian citizens to do so.The Ukrainian nationalists entry to Canada became possible largely thanks to the Western Allies, with Britain interning thousands of SS Galicia fighters, first in Italy and then in United Kingdom proper, and preventing their deportation back to the Soviet Union to face war crimes trials.After surrendering to US and British forces in May 1945, SS Galicia troops were placed in a concentration camp near Rimini, northeastern Italy, where, thanks to intervention from the Vatican, which dubbed them good Catholics and devoted anti-communists, London changed their status from prisoners of war to surrendered enemy personnel.Wladyslaw Anders, a prominent Polish general and member of the Polish government-in-exile, also lobbied on the Ukrainian Waffen SS mens behalf, calling them citizens of the Polish Second Republic, and not Soviets, because the volunteers came largely from territories which belonged to Poland during the interwar period. British authorities ignored a complaint filed by the Polish government filed to the United Nations against SS-Galicia in 1947 over the murder of 800 civilians at Huta Pieniacka, and overlooked the Nuremberg Trials classification of all SS formations as criminal organizations.A late 1940s report from Britains under-secretary of state declassified in 2015 privately admitted that Galicia was an SS division and technically all of its officers and senior NCOs are liable for trial as war criminals. Beryl Hughes, a Home Office official working to ship some of the 8,000 Ukrainian Nazi recruits held in Britain to Canada, admitted in correspondence in the mid-to-late 1940s that what little we know of their war record is bad, and that the UK was nevertheless hoping to get rid of the less desirable Ukrainian PoWs either to Germany or Canada instead of prosecuting them or sending them home.The Liberal government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King ignored these warnings, trusting assurances from the British Foreign Office that background checks were done to assure that these particular Waffen SS men did not engage in crimes against humanity, and that there was no evidence to show in any way that they are infected with any trace of Nazi ideology.In the mid-1980s, the government of Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney formed a Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada to conduct amid a spate of media allegations that the country had unwittingly become a safe harbor for WWII-era war criminals.The commission concluded that the SS Galicia Division as a whole could not be held collectively responsible for the war crimes perpetrated by individual members, and controversially refused to accept evidence of said crimes from Eastern European countries and the USSR. The Galicia Divisionshould not be indicted as a group, and charges of war crimes against members of the Galicia Division have never been substantiated, either in 1950 when they were first preferred, or in 1984 when they were renewed, or before this Commission, the commissions final report read.SS Galicia veterans, UPA fighters, other collaborators and their descendants eagerly welcomed the collapse of the USSR in 1991, working both independently and alongside powerful Western institutions of soft power to start rebuilding their influence in post-Soviet Ukraine, penning and donating textbooks, creating new civil society initiatives to transform societal consciousness and reimagine history, and lobbying to build monuments and memorial cemeteries dedicated to SS Galicia troops and other collaborators. Over the decades, their influence in Ukrainian political life and society steadily grew, with the 2005 color revolution and the 2014 coup cementing ultra-right nationalists grip on the country, leading to parades dedicated to SS Galicias creation, streets renamed and monuments erected to Nazi fighters and UPA militants, and WWII-era fascist forces and collaborators rebranded as 'fighters for Ukraines freedom.'Across the Atlantic, in Canada, efforts have also been made to whitewash wartime Ukrainian Nazis crimes. On Remembrance Day in November 2010, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress praised SS Galicia veterans as fighters for freedom of their ancestral Ukrainian homeland. The same year, commemorating the late president of the Canadian society of SS Galicia vets, the UCC assured that he would be remembered as a hero of Ukraine who fought for her independence.In 2020, Ukrainian groups in Canada honored Bohdan Panchuk, an activist behind the Ukrainian Canadian Servicemens Association, who helped bring upwards of 30,000 Ukrainian refugees to Canada after World War II, among them some 2,000 Galicia SS division fighters. According to Ukrainian historian Olesya Khromeychuk, Panchuk was able to do this by pushing a positive narrative portraying the former Galicians as an anti-Soviet German Army unit, and as victims who were forced into the fighting formation against their will, rather than fanatical nationalists eager to fight for Hitler.The [Galicia] volunteers committed themselves to German victory, the New European Order, and to Adolf Hitler personally, Anders Rudling, a professor specializing in Eastern European history from Swedens Lund University, told a Canadian military magazine in 2020.But dont take a historian's word for it. Heinrich Himmler, Hitlers right-hand man and the chief architect of the Final Solution, once gave the SS Galicias fighters the 'highest praise' he could muster.World Reacts to Trudeau's Embarassing StuntIn Canada and around the world, the outcry over Yaroslav Hunka's appearance in parliament was swift and unexpectedly massive.Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canadas Conservative opposition, demanded a personal apology from Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.House Speaker Anthony Rota expressed regret and remorse over the decision to recognize Hunka, and offered his deepest apologies to Jews in Canada and around the world for hosting the Ukrainian Waffen SS vet, who expressed outrage over the display.NDP House Leader Peter Julian said Rota made an "unforgivable error which puts the entire House in disrepute" and called on the speaker to resign on Monday.Poland also demanded an apology from its Canadian ally Monday, with Polish Ambassador to Canada Witold Dzielski stressing that Warsaw would "never agree on whitewashing such villains."Finally, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric took note of Rota's apology, but reiterated that the UN "stands against any honoring of people who actively took part in Nazi activities during the Second World War."Even the mainstream Western media, which normally remains silent about NATO's support for and whitewashing of Ukrainian neo-Nazi groups amid the conflict with Russia, has published article after article on the scandal, recognizing it as a "PR disaster" for Trudeau and Zelensky. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220411/zombification-nation-how-textbooks-for-young-ukrainians-teach-children-to-hate-russians-1094645369.html canada galicia ukraine ussr soviet union americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, world war ii, second world war, waffen ss, galicia, division, fighters, troops, forces, red army, wwii, war crimes, civilians, nazi, adolf hitler, heinrich himmler, canada, immigration, canadian-ukrainians, ukrainian canadians, legacy, war record https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/us-made-atacms-sent-to-ukraine-risk-ending-up-on-black-market-1113652933.html US-Made ATACMS Sent to Ukraine 'Risk Ending Up on Black Market' US-Made ATACMS Sent to Ukraine 'Risk Ending Up on Black Market' Whenever you send weapons to Ukraine, there is always a risk that some of them end up on the black market, UK military analyst Sean Bell warned on British media. 2023-09-25T14:44+0000 2023-09-25T14:44+0000 2023-09-25T14:44+0000 military russia ukraine joe biden volodymyr zelensky army tactical missile system (atacms) black market lockheed martin seymour hersh /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101664/22/1016642244_0:845:1500:1689_1920x0_80_0_0_853e37694c5435a9bcedb48f1265e25e.jpg Whenever you send weapons to Ukraine, there is always a risk that some of them end up on the black market, a UK military analyst has warned on British media.The words of caution came from retired UK Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell as long-range cluster bomb-carrying Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) have been promised to the Kiev regime by the Biden administration. Currently, there is no clarity as to how many of them will be delivered to Ukraine, nor when they will arrive, the military analyst underscored. Bell added that there were several reasons that gave Washington pause when it came to signing off on the weapons that Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky had been clamoring for. One of these was that the ballistic missiles can be used at long distances, and if they target Russian territory there is a grave risk the situation could escalate.Sean Bell added that there are no big war stocks of these ATACMs, as they are very expensive, high-tech weapons.The White House reportedly gave a nod to the delivery of a limited batch of the surface-to-surface, inertially guided tactical ballistic missile manufactured by the US defense company Lockheed Martin to Ukraine earlier. The missiles boast a strike range of 190 miles (300 kilometers). ATACMS were widely used in both Operation Desert Storm (1991) and during the US invasion of Iraq.Black Market FearsAmid its botched counteroffensive, the Kiev regime has been waiting for the possible supply of ATACMS missiles in the hopes it could change the situation on the battlefield. However, Moscow has warned that it would result in further escalation. Delivery of the ATACMS was slammed as a "road to nowhere" by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. Furthermore, the warning from British military expert Sean Bell in UK media has echoed concerns that have been reiterated since early 2022, when Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine.Moscow warned that military aid being funneled to Kiev could somehow end up in the hands of European criminal groups. Authorities in Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands eventually began reporting in the fall of 2022 and onward that huge quantities of weapons shipped from Ukraine were making their way into the EU. At the time, fears were voiced that, essentially, "virtually any type of weapon" sent to Ukraine might end up on the black market. Even as far as in the Sahel region of Africa, officials including now former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said in late 2022 that Western arms destined to Ukraine were beginning to filter through to the Lake Chad basin, reaching local militant groups.While American officials have publicly dismissed the proliferation threat, US media has reported that as little as 30 percent of the Wests military aid to Ukraine to fuel NATO's proxy war with Russia was actually reaching the front.The West knows full well that the weapons they deliver to Ukraine are being sold on the black market, US investigative journalist Seymour Sy Hersh told Russian media earlier in the year. Hersh added that very early, Poland, Romania, [and] other countries on the border were being flooded with weapons we'd been shipping for the war to Ukraine." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/cluster-atacms-for-ukraine-whats-their-real-purpose--1113634065.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230707/where-do-western-weapons-sent-to-kiev-actually-end-up-1111728757.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko us-made atacms, atacms to ukraine, weapons black market, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/watch-russian-kamikaze-drone-blow-up-ukrainian-mortar-unit-1113642695.html Watch: Russian Kamikaze Drone Blow Up Ukrainian Mortar Unit Watch: Russian Kamikaze Drone Blow Up Ukrainian Mortar Unit The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage showing a Russian Viking kamikaze UAV destroying a Ukrainian mortar unit in the Soledar direction. 2023-09-25T05:57+0000 2023-09-25T05:57+0000 2023-09-25T05:57+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine russia russian armed forces russian ministry of defense kamikaze drone video /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/19/1113643433_8:0:628:349_1920x0_80_0_0_a8df803635cac09519da30a6a18484cb.jpg The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage showing a Russian Viking kamikaze UAV destroying a Ukrainian mortar unit near Soledar in the Donetsk People's Republic.The footage shows how the reconnaissance drone first identified the position of the Ukrainian mortar unit, and then a kamikaze drone struck the mortar position.Ukraine launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces in early June after several postponements. Citing the counteroffensive's needs, Kiev pushed its Western donors to step up military and financial aid. Three months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had failed, with Ukraine suffering an estimated 71,000 casualties. Several Western officials have also admitted that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had not been successful so far. ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian kamikaze drone obliterates Ukrainian mortar crew in Soledar direction Russian kamikaze drone obliterates Ukrainian mortar crew in Soledar direction 2023-09-25T05:57+0000 true PT0M31S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian kamikaze drone, ukrainian mortar unit, russian ministry of defense https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/west-uses-ukraine-as-settling-tank-for-outdated-and-dangerous-equipment-1113651953.html West Uses Ukraine as Settling Tank for Outdated and Dangerous Equipment West Uses Ukraine as Settling Tank for Outdated and Dangerous Equipment The British Ministry of Defense has admitted that hundreds of UK Army tanks and armored vehicles could contain asbestos, a potentially hazardous material banned in the UK. Some of those tanks have likely been sent to Ukraine. 2023-09-25T13:44+0000 2023-09-25T13:44+0000 2023-09-25T13:44+0000 ukraine british armed forces defense ministry kiev us united kingdom (uk) europe asbestos depleted uranium challenger 2 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104532/85/1045328509_25:0:916:501_1920x0_80_0_0_3d9bcb1753bea74755f7c490a10c1e09.jpg Over 2,000 pieces of equipment, including Challenger 2 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and Bulldog personnel carriers, belonging to the British Armed Forces may have asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), according to the nation's Defense Ministry.Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals that are resistant to fire and corrosion. It is also an excellent thermal and electrical insulator. However, when asbestos materials become damaged, tiny fibers could get stuck in the lungs, leading to asbestosis a scarring of the lung tissue and mesothelioma, a type of cancer.UK lawmakers first introduced asbestos prohibiting laws in the mid-1980s. Since 1999, the import, supply, and use of all asbestos have been effectively barred in the country. An EU-wide ban on asbestos was issued in 2005. Since then, the bloc has issued a plethora of directives on environmental pollution, chemical safety, workers' protection, and consumer products concerning the use of dangerous asbestos.The MoD announced that "plans are underway to eliminate" any asbestos containing materials (ACMs). Still, the UK provided the Kiev regime with at least 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks - potentially riddled with banned ACMs. Was this a way to "eliminate" ACM-containing weapons in the UK's stockpiles? Sputnik's interlocutor does not rule out such a probability."For many sponsors and supposed benefactors of Ukraine, this kind of transfer of equipment, which contains dangerous chemical components, is generally an option to get rid of problems that they have simply had for decades, rusting somewhere in their backyard," the military analyst added.Why is Asbestos Dangerous?"The main underlying problem with asbestos is its tiny fibers, which when the asbestos sheet breaks down are released and damage cell membranes. Mainly in the respiratory organs. Because in this case, a person can inhale fine asbestos in the form of dust. And this is very traumatic for cells," explained Anpilogov.Asbestos has long been widely used in various industries, including construction. Currently, some types and forms of asbestos are still in use worldwide. Nonetheless, there is a consensus that amphibole asbestos is one of the most dangerous types of asbestos, since amphiboles remain in the lungs for a longer period of time.Why Do UK Armored Vehicles Contain Asbestos?Cumulative shells literally burn through armor due to the energy of a directed explosion a narrow, concentrated stream of explosion products. The speed of the cumulative jet is about 10 kilometers per second.To mitigate the risk of cumulative shell attacks, tank armor is typically made of several layers of ceramics or steel with a low-density fire-proof interlayer material between them. The cumulative jet penetrates through the first layer of armor and gets stuck in the fillers.Thus, the UK decided to use asbestos as "fillers" in their tanks and armored vehicles. According to international observers, asbestos is used in the form of a fabric that is laid between layers of armor and absorbs a fairly large amount of heat that the cumulative jet creates when the armor is broken.However, the problem is that Western arms-makers are eager to use toxic hazardous materials in order to create armor resistance to a cumulative jet, highlighted Anpilogov. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230922/uk-military-assistance-to-ukraine-could-have-contained-tanks-tainted-by-deadly-asbestos-1113580538.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/why-zelenskys-vow-to-continue-counteroffensive-through-winter-is-wishful-thinking-1113630751.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/uk-made-challenger-2-tank-got-first-taste-of-combat-in-ukraine---and-failed-1113138090.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230907/how-us-media-learned-to-love-depleted-uranium-shells-amid-ukraine-counteroffensive-1113179148.html ukraine kiev united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova uk ministry of defense, asbestos, challenger 2, uk tanks contain asbestos, deadly asbestos, asbestosis, lung cancer, what is mesothelioma, did uk ban asbestos, when was asbestos banned, is asbastos dangerous, uk military aid to ukraine, uk equipment sent to ukraine potentially dangerous https://sputnikglobe.com/20230925/zelenskys-failed-visit-to-us-shows-end-is-coming-for-ukraine-1113666534.html Zelensky's Failed Visit to US Shows 'End is Coming' for Ukraine Zelensky's Failed Visit to US Shows 'End is Coming' for Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's lackluster receptions in Washington and at the UN in his trip to the US last week, and inability to achieve major objectives, shows that his moment has passed and the end is near for Kiev. 2023-09-25T20:51+0000 2023-09-25T20:51+0000 2023-09-25T20:48+0000 analysis russia volodymyr zelensky earl rasmussen joe biden ukraine army tactical missile system (atacms) the united nations (un) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/09/13/1113503794_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_97fae81494869c8ad8f14b2b6bb49eb2.jpg Zelensky visited Washington on Thursday for the second time since Russia launched its special military operation. Unlike his Democratic predecessor Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy declined Zelenskys request to address a joint session of Congress. It also came as the lower congressional chamber is struggling to pass a short-term spending plan to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month, with continued financial support for Kiev being one of the sticking points among Republicans. Biden did announce a new security package for Kiev, although it did not include the ATACMS long-range missiles Zelensky sought. However, according to media reports, Biden during the visit informed Zelensky that the US will send a small number of ATACMS to Ukraine for the first time. A White House National Security Council spokesperson declined a Sputnik request to confirm and comment. Retired US Army Lt. Col. and international consultant Earl Rasmussen, former Vice President of the Eurasia Institute, said Ukraine's leader failed to achieve many objectives during his trip to the US, including isolating Russia at the Security Council and securing greater international support. Nor did he receive a strong reception from US Congress, Rasmussen observed. One would assess the US adventure as one absent of excitement and a definite disappointment, Rasmussen continued. "There were no mass pro-Ukrainian or anti-Russian demonstrations in New York or Washington. The UN Assembly Hall was at best half full for his presentation, which seemed more based on an alternative universe," Rasmussen told Sputnik. "Essentially this visit was a non-event with even The New York Times publishing a critical article the day before his appearance in the UN. Coincidence? Likely not."This all comes to mean one thing - a reality that Ukraine should grasp by now, Rasmussen said. Former Pentagon analyst Chuck Spinney speculated that Zelensky might even be realizing his chance to rally the West behind his cause once again has come and gone. "I think Zelensky's phony 'Churchillian Moment' has passed," Spinney told Sputnik. "His body language suggests that he knows he is losing touch with his audience." Nicolai Petro, who serves as a professor of political studies at the University of Rhode Island, said Zelenskys trip to the United States revived public interest in the issue of Ukraine, but that he had to endure complaints from some of his sponsors about Ukraines lack of military success and corruption. The widespread corruption that guaranteed the waste and misuse of US and NATO-supplied weapons systems would likely continue unabated, Petro predicted. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230918/kiev-fails-to-attract-neutral-countries-to-implement-its-peace-formula---russias-un-envoy-1113443519.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230728/ukraine-corruption-poses-risks-to-us-aid---state-department-1112209797.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky, zelensky visits united nations and white house, us military packages to ukraine, ukraine conflict Local and regional Republicans gathered in Culpeper County last week for an Early Voting Eve Party at Death Ridge Brewery in Jeffersonton. Members of the Virginia Republican Sisterhood hosted the pre-voting bash Thursday, the day before early voting started Sept. 22. Candidates and elected officials, including State Sen. Bryce Reeves, Del. Nick Freitas, Republican Party of VA Chairman Rich Anderson, and others, enjoyed an evening outside with voters from across Virginia, according to a release from event organizer Dr. Kara von Dresner de Rothschild. Republicans learned from the last election cycle that early voting is of upmost importance to win the Senate and maintain the House she said in a release to the Star-Exponent. Our girls group wanted to host a fun, free, family-friendly event to bring awareness and also allow voters to meet our candidates in person. An estimated 120 friends of the Virginia Republican Sisterhood came out to hear live music, enjoy free food, play trivia games, and learn more about local Republican candidates, including two Nashville recoding stars, she said. Will the event have any impact on this election cycle? Reeves woke up early Friday to be the 28th voter in the 28th district and reports seeing many old and new friends, according to Rothschild. The Virginia Republican Sisterhood is a social organization for women dedicated to preserving Republican values and creating economic impact through fellowship and empowerment, she said. The group plans on make the Early Voting Eve party and annual event. For membership info, see vasisterhood.com. Rothschild said the group is not a Political Action Committee and there are no dues. Ive worked on many campaigns in many cities, and I can tell you when women want something done we get it done! she said. Our group is drama-free and we keep things 100% positive. We all have families and careers, but we get together at least once per month for dinner and drinks. The rest of the month we are supporting conservative candidates by helping with fundraisers, convincing our other girlfriends to volunteer and working on direct voter contact. One group member is in her 20s, but they are interested in attracting more young women, Rothschild said. The women of VARS are all amazing mentorsyou can think of us as a Republican Junior League, she said. Rothschild is a psychologist, philanthropist and political strategist, she said in an email to the Star-Exponent. I started my career working with sex offenders and mass murderers, but was recruited by the military from the faculty of the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry, she said. Since, I have been treating first responders with PTSD and working on pro-military and pro-veteran legislation. Rothschild said she is launching a startup, RepublicanShare, a resource for Republican campaigns to find top-notch staffers and candidates nationwide. She works in Washington, D.C .and New York City, but lives in Virginia Beach and Boston, Mass. RepublicanShare will be based out of Fredericksburg, she said. Governor Jim Pillen and first lady Suzanne Pillen made several stops in the Panhandle on Monday, placing emphasis on the significance of agriculture and the role it plays in the states past, present and future. Early that morning, the governor toured the Western Sugar factory before joining the first lady for a news conference at Roosevelt Elementary School. There, in conjunction with the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, the governor issued a proclamation naming Sept. 25-29, Agriculture Literacy Week. Courtney Shreve, Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation director of outreach education, said that agricultural literacy means having an understanding of and connection to agriculture as part of ones day-to-day life. She opined that many Americans, and even many young Nebraskans, have lost some of that literacy over time. Today, our students are at least three to four generations removed from the family farm, Shreve said. With 1 in 4 jobs being connected to agriculture, its the economic driver of our state. So connecting kids to agriculture diffuses that information to their families and also into our communities. Governor Pillen shared some revelations from a recent trade mission he took to Tokyo and Seoul concerning the impact of Nebraska agricultural products, like beef and sugar beets, on the world at-large. We are absolutely the best in the world at it, he said. Theres nobody that can raise more sugar beets per acre than right here in Scottsbluff, in the Panhandle. Guess what they (Japan and South Korea) love the most? Nebraska beef. Nebraska beef carries the day everywhere. Sharing those great success stories, nurturing understanding and promoting careers in agriculture were given as important reasons for teaching agriculture literacy at a young age. Our future is our kids, and we can compete with anybody in the world. We need to brag about it, Pillen said. We feed the world and, because of our sustainability practices, we save the planet. It is the greatest opportunity for our young people, and we need to make sure they start understanding that at as young of an age as possible. The governor also provided a humorous example to test both the language and agricultural literacy of students. Whats the difference between the chicken, the cow and the pig at breakfast? he asked. The cow and the chicken are participants, the pig is committed. If you dont get that, you know we need to do some work. Suzanne Pillen expressed her excitement to visit schools across the state and share the importance of agriculture through the power of reading. I encourage everyone to join me in reading agriculture books to classrooms across Nebraska as we strive to make sure every Nebraskan knows where their food, fiber and energy comes from, she said. Immediately following the news conference, she stepped into the Roosevelt library and spoke about agriculture with around 40 fourth grade students. Pillen asked the students what they knew about where food comes from, the crops grown in their state and the animals they raised before reading Right This Very Minute by Lisl H. Detlefsen, a signed copy of which was left in the library. The first lady also made stops at Minatare Elementary School and Longfellow Elementary School before moving eastward. The governor visited Western Nebraska Community College and Clean Harbors before rounding out his time in the Panhandle with a townhall event in Kimball. More UAW strikes are expected to happen. A top analyst of Wedbush Securities said that if the United Auto Workers union wanted to, it could still conduct more protests because it has lots of leverage. The top analyst warned that the next step that UAW will take could be the "more nuclear option." Here are other details about the analyst's predictions. More UAW Strikes Could Happen, Claims a Top Analyst According to Fortune, UAW strikes began on Sept. 15. But, only 12% of its members joined the protests, which means that the union can still conduct more strikes to pressure companies to agree to their demands. The UAW leaders can order their remaining members to strike more car parts facilities and assembly plants of Stellantis, General Motors, and Ford. "We believe the next step for UAW is the more nuclear option - going for a much more widespread strike on the core plants in and around Detroit," said Daniel Ives, a top analyst working for Wedbush Securities. He added that if his prediction really happens, it "would be a torpedo." Aside from Ives, another top analyst, Sam Abuelsamid of Guidehouse Insights shared his opinion. Abuelsamid explained that the UAW leadership could add more assembly plants to their list, allowing them to squeeze automakers harder. "They could target more of the plants that are building the most profitable vehicles," explained Sam. Read Also: Republicans Take Advantage of UAW Walkout To Gain Traction in Michigan UAW's Picket Line To Be Joined by Joe Biden Politico reported that U.S. President Joe Biden will join the picket line of UAW strikes. This was confirmed by the American leader on Friday, Sept. 22. He said that he will go to Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 26, to stand in solidarity with the women and men of UAW while they are striking to achieve their fair shares in the auto industry. Many union workers and leaders see Joe Biden's upcoming visit as a seismic moment in the labor community. A union adviser said that the decision of POTUS is "pretty hard-core." The U.S. president is currently making efforts to help UAW members achieve their goals. Recently, he tried sending acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and senior adviser Gene Sperling to assist the negotiations in Detroit. Unfortunately, this effort was canceled by the Biden Administration after having conversations with the UAW leadership. Related Article: Joe Biden Supports UAW Members-Says Automakers Should Provide Better for Workers @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Mooresville Christian Mission has been serving the southern end of the county in one form or another since 1939. From humble beginnings as a partner to the Salvation Army in Statesville, the mission has grown both in scope of services and the various locations it has called home in those 80-plus years. Scotty Moore, assistant director of The Christian Mission, said the agency started out when the Salvation Army in Statesville, realized there was a gap in services to the southern end of the county. They realized there were needs in Mooresville that werent being met, he said. That led to a satellite branch of the Salvation Army being started in Mooresville. Over the years, the services offered by that earlier version of the Mooresville Christian Mission changed, and its physical location also grew with the organization, from a singlewide manufactured home to a brick building that was once the home to the VFW to where it calls home now the former Mooresville Ford dealership building on South Broad Street. Now, more than eight decades later, The Christian Mission is getting ready to make its biggest move yet, to a new home on Main Street. The Betty and Randy Marion Center, at 919 N. Main St., will mean 27,000 square feet of space for The Christian Mission. For Moore, who has worked with The Christian Mission for 18 years, and Craig Chamberlain, whose late wife Valerie, was director of the organization, seeing the mission make a difference in the community has been inspiring. From the early days of meeting basic needs food and clothing to now providing services such as counseling and resources, The Christian Mission is evolving to better serve its community. We are helping people who are truly in need, Chamberlain said. Like many organizations that deal with issues relating to poverty, The Christian Mission has focused on addressing not just immediate needs but making changes that will help people long-term. Chamberlain said a misconception about the clients of The Christian Mission and other organizations is that they just need to get a job. Many, he said, are working but are in lower-paying jobs and are unable to meet their basic needs on those salaries. Job training, substance abuse education are all a part of the mission today. It also has a clothing and food pantry for clients to shop, and those rely on a variety of sources, such as donations. The move to the new facility, once it is completed, will not just offer more room but will give staff members privacy to discuss whatever issues the client is facing. Thats something that is an obstacle now as staff members conduct interviews in cubicles due to space issues. It will also allow for greater collaboration with other agencies in the community. Exactly when the mission will be moving into the Betty and Randy Marion Center is unknown as fundraising efforts are still ongoing, but no matter where it calls home, The Christian Mission plans to continue to serve the people in need. Thats what it has been doing for more than 80 years. A Marion man who federal prosecutors say trafficked in up to 10 pounds of meth twice a month is facing between 25 and 30 years in prison. An arrest warrant for 34-year-old Brian Cory Hoover was issued in March 2022. According to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia, once law enforcement learned of Hoovers involvement in the multi-member drug trafficking ring, Hoover fled the state and then country before being taken into custody in Mexico in June. According to court documents, Hoover regularly made trips to Atlanta, GA, where he picked up the large quantities of meth, and brought it back to Southwest Virginia for redistribution by coconspirators Amanda Wain, Travis Farmer, Larry Whittaker, Borve Fisher and others. Hoovers coconspirators each pleaded guilty to federal drug charges last year. Whittaker was sentence to serve 14 years in prison, Farmer to 10, Wain to 6 and Fisher to 5. Earlier this month, Hoover, who prosecutors say was the leader of the ring, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distributing methamphetamine. He is scheduled for sentencing in December. Russia's intervention in 2015 turned the Syrian conflict into a well-defined international struggle, Jamal al-Shoufi writes. The Syrian situation has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from a national project seeking political change and the establishment of a democratic state with rights and freedoms for its citizens. Over time, international and regional interests have become entangled in Syria, resulting in devastating consequences for its people, especially its youth and children. Its crucial to examine the factors that fueled the Syrian national projects initial momentum and contrast them with the weaknesses and external interference that have eroded its progress. In 2011, peaceful demonstrations erupted across Syria, yielding positive local outcomes for the Syrian national project. These demonstrations were instrumental in prompting the Arab League to take action, including relocating its seat from the Syrian regime and advocating for substantial changes in Syrias power structure. This culminated in the 2012 UN Resolution Geneva 1, which called for the establishment of a governing body with full authority to oversee the countrys affairs. These developments marked a radical departure from the existing system. However, as Syria shifted toward militarization and violence escalated, with Iranian sectarian militias becoming increasingly involved, the national project faced challenges. The rise of extremist and terrorist forces further complicated matters, sidelining the political and civil aspects of the Syrian revolution and opposition. Multiple external actors, including Iran, Arab nations, Turkey, and the United States, supported various Syrian political parties and factions, leading to political and military competition and conflicts. In 2015, Russias intervention turned the Syrian conflict into a well-defined international struggle, led by Russia and supported by Iranian militias and the Syrian regimes army. Meanwhile, NATO took on the role of combating ISIS while supporting Kurdish SDF militias. This complex web of foreign involvement led to the formulation of Security Council Resolution 2254 in 2015, which shifted the focus from establishing a governing body with full authority to a national government guiding a transitional phase. The national project gradually lost its strength and effectiveness, and by 2018, most Syrian cities had been evacuated. Russia and its allies were isolated militarily, with Turkey exerting control over Idleb and northern Aleppo, and the east of the Euphrates under the semi-autonomous SDF administration with American and NATO backing. While this reduced the intensity of the conflict, it also hindered the activation of international resolutions due to the loss of a military counterbalance to the Russian alliance. Russia could now dictate negotiation terms from a position of military strength without fully adhering to Resolution 2254. Attempts to give a political veneer to its military victory through processes like Astana and Sochi have been largely unsuccessful. In summary, the strengths of the Syrian national project are evident in peaceful civil demonstrations, Arab and international support for a political solution, and a reference to internal Syrian consensus. Weaknesses manifest in militarization, competing regional and international interests, and a lack of unity among Syrian political and military factions. Today, the ongoing uprising in Suweida and southern Syria presents an opportunity to revitalize the national project. Peaceful demonstrations, international political engagement, and Arab initiatives indicate a critical juncture in resolving the Syrian crisis. As the Syrian issue has become highly internationalized, its essential to consider the evolving situation in Europe, particularly the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Russias desire to reduce its military commitment in Syria may create opportunities for political negotiations. The peaceful Suweida movement, distinct from terrorism and separatism, can rally support for the implementation of UN resolutions and the Arab League initiative. In conclusion, despite the complexity of foreign interests in Syria, there is a chance for the Syrian national project to regain momentum. By uniting Syrian nationalists, setting aside political and ideological tensions, and collaborating with the Suweida movement, Syria can exert pressure on the international stage and work towards a political transformation that brings peace not only to Syria but also to neighbouring Arab nations and the broader Middle East, averting the risk of regional conflict initiated by Iran. The current authority of the regime and its allies is at its weakest in the face of the Suweida demonstrations. * Jamal al-Shoufi is a medical doctor and one of the community leaders in Suweida. 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. Throughout the ongoing battles, control over the village and the Hamran crossing changed hands multiple times, according to Athr Press. The escalation between groups allied with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (specifically Jabhat al-Nusra and its allies) (HTS) and Ankaras factions has intensified, as both sides vie for control over the al-Hamran crossing. This crossing demarcates the territories controlled by Ankara and its affiliated factions in the Jarablus region from those held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Manbij countryside. The conflict in this area has raged on for five consecutive days, marked by sustained heavy shelling exchanges between the factions. The Ahrar Olan Movement, formerly known as the Eastern Section of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, which is aligned with HTS, has been leading the charge. They launched a series of violent attacks last Thursday evening against the positions of Ahrar al-Sham Second Corps in the vicinity of the villages of Thultana, Abla, and Tal Batal in the al-Bab countryside. These attacks were directed towards the critical Hamran crossing. In the past twenty-four hours, tensions escalated significantly when HTS dispatched a group of foreign combatants to the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, including individuals such as Abu al-Faraj al-Masri and Abu Odai Saraya. This move prompted Ahrar Olan to launch further violent offensives, taking advantage of the support it had received. The most recent attack by Ahrar Olan centred around the village of Jubb Kousa. In response, the leadership of the National Army from Ankara declared a general alert and deployed substantial military reinforcements to the village. Violent clashes between the conflicting parties continued until dawn on Monday. Turkish intervention in the conflict unfolded in stages. Initially, infantry soldiers, tanks, and military vehicles were sent to secure key routes connecting the northwestern countryside of Aleppo to the east. This intervention was directed towards the Deir Ballout and Qatma crossings, which separate the territories controlled by HTS in Idleb and the western countryside of Aleppo from areas held by Ankara-affiliated factions in the north. Turkish reinforcements effectively disrupted the flow of supplies to Ahrar Olan, with a notable development being the direct aerial targeting by a Turkish drone during the ongoing clashes in the village of Jubb Kousa. The drone struck a gathering of foreign militants from the Idleb countryside, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including a prominent HTS leader. Turkish intervention in the Jubb Kousa battles played a pivotal role in enabling the Second Corps factions to repel the attacks by Ahrar Alwan and the al-Shahba Gathering factions. The attackers suffered significant casualties and were forced to retreat towards their bases near the village of Soufan in the Bab countryside. Throughout the ongoing battles, control over the village and the Hamran crossing changed hands multiple times, with Ahrar Olan groups briefly besieging and taking control of them before the Second Corps factions mounted counteroffensives to reclaim these positions. However, it appears that as of Sunday evening, the Corps militants managed to maintain control over both the village and the crossing. 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. Sources told al-Souria Net that the Syrian regime fell short in providing the security and political framework to halt the illicit export of contraband. The recent developments surrounding the Assad regimes approach to the step for step initiative have cast a shadow over the fate of the Arab Committee meetings, with media reports suggesting their suspension. The committee convened its inaugural meeting in Cairo on August 15th of the previous year, but since then, there have been no positive signals from President Assad concerning the three key issues that underpin Arab overtures. Just a week ago, Asharq al-Awsat disclosed that the Arab ministerial committee, formed following Syrias readmission to the Arab League, had opted to halt its engagements with the Syrian regime. This decision was prompted by the regimes failure to respond to the road map designed to normalize Arab-Syrian relations. According to Arab diplomatic sources cited by the newspaper, the Assad regime failed to present any substantial proposals pertaining to the three critical subjects at the core of the recent Arab opening. These subjects encompass the repatriation of refugees, the advancement of a political resolution, and the implementation of tangible measures to curtail the trafficking of narcotics, specifically Captagon pills. The diplomatic sources clarified that the Syrian regime fell short in providing the necessary security and political framework to halt the illicit export of contraband, particularly Captagon, to neighbouring nations. Furthermore, the regime refrained from meeting the prerequisites essential for a gradual transition in Damascus toward initiating a political resolution to terminate the ongoing conflict in Syria. These same sources highlighted the regimes consistent effort to shift the blame for the non-repatriation of displaced individuals onto the international community, using the pretext of a lack of response to its appeals for assistance in Syrias reconstruction efforts. Is it really suspended? There has been no official confirmation regarding the status of the suspension of meetings of the Arab Committee. Over the past three months, Arab officials have been notably reticent when it comes to commenting on their interactions with the Assad regime, a marked departure from their earlier engagement. In a separate development, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that the meetings of the Arab Liaison Committee on Syria have come to a halt, purportedly due to pressure from the United States, following reports of unsatisfactory outcomes from recent meetings. According to the agencys report, the economic measures imposed by the United States on the Syrian regime have impeded its reintegration into the Arab sphere. This, in turn, has led to the suspension of diplomatic contacts between the League of Arab States Special Committee and Damascus. The agency cited a source stating that plans for providing financial support to Syria and facilitating its post-war reconstruction have encountered substantial obstacles as a result of US sanctions. Notably, the Caesar Act, which was enacted in 2020, and the anticipated Anti-Normalization Act against the Assad Regime bill, submitted to the US Congress in May, have played pivotal roles in generating frustration. The source elucidated that the root causes of this frustration encompass a complex web of technical, diplomatic, and political challenges stemming from the US Caesar Act and other sanctions levied against Syria. 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. Both leaders recognized the potential for further cooperation through China's economic and cultural initiatives and joint investment projects, al-Watan writes. President Bashar al-Assad had significant meetings during his visit to Beijing. In his meeting with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress of China, Zhao Leji, President al-Assad commended Chinas ethical policy and initiatives, viewing them as a transition from a world based on force to one based on morality. He highlighted Chinas support for Syria politically, economically, and in humanitarian efforts, emphasizing the importance of Chinas role in achieving common benefits for people. Additionally, during his meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, President al-Assad reiterated Syrias commitment to strengthening ties with the East, emphasizing its importance as a political, cultural, and economic guarantee. He praised the successful establishment of strategic partnership relations between Syria and China and thanked China for its support in Syrias fight against terrorism and recovery from natural disasters. The leaders discussed the significance of Chinas global role in achieving international balance and their shared history and principles, which form the foundation of their strong relationship. Both leaders recognized the potential for further cooperation through Chinas economic and cultural initiatives and joint investment projects. They also discussed the global currency landscape, highlighting Chinas growing influence, and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual development and stability in a world lacking security. China expressed its support for Syria in the face of sanctions and sieges, emphasizing its willingness to help Syria utilize its geographical advantages for development within the Belt and Road Initiative. Assad, First Lady meet Syrian community President Bashar al-Assad and Mrs. Asmaa hosted a warm gathering with members of the Syrian community at their Beijing residence. The atmosphere was intimate, with both the President and his wife personally greeting and getting to know each attendee. During the meeting, President al-Assad emphasized the significance of the Syrian community members, each contributing with their skills and expertise, as a bridge connecting their homeland and their adopted country. He stressed the importance of this bridge, particularly in fostering closer ties between China and Syria. President al-Assad acknowledged Chinas leading role in the worlds ongoing transformation through technological and economic development. Originally scheduled for an hour, the meeting was extended to nearly two hours, allowing for an extensive exchange of ideas on strengthening relations between the two countries and their people. President Assad actively listened to various proposals from Syrian expatriates and directed follow-up actions through the Syrian embassy. President Assad addressed the community members, encouraging them to share their ideas, proposals, and insights, especially regarding interactions with the Chinese people, particularly in economic and cultural aspects. He emphasized Chinas role in the worlds current transformation, characterized by technological and economic advancements while maintaining respect for traditions, customs, and the cultures of others. The meeting featured participation from accomplished professionals in the Syrian community, including those specializing in rare medical and biological fields, and pursuing advanced studies in China, as well as economists from various sectors. Syrian students studying in Chinese universities, doctors, and other attendees, some travelling long distances to attend, were also present. President al-Assad and Mrs. Asmaa actively engaged with all attendees, facilitating dialogues and idea-sharing, and allowing for memorable photo opportunities with members of the Syrian community. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. Chinas highest-ranking legislator, Zhao Leji, held a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Beijing on Monday during President al-Assads ongoing visit. Concurrently, Kurdish-led forces supported by the United States implemented a curfew following renewed clashes on Monday in eastern Syria. These clashes had persisted for several weeks as Kurdish fighters faced off against rival Arab militiamen. In a separate development, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday that the International Coalition forces carried out an airdrop operation in northern Hassakeh, arresting two ISIS commanders in a village near the city of Ras Al-Ain. Chinas top legislator meets Syrian president Chinas top legislator Zhao Leji met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Beijing on Monday, Xinhua reported. China is ready to work with Syria to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen friendly cooperation, safeguard common interests and push for new and greater development of China-Syria strategic partnership, Zhao, chairman of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said. Zhao discussed Chinas concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, saying that the NPC is willing to work with the Syrian Peoples Assembly to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between legislative bodies at all levels and contribute to consolidating the traditional friendship and promoting practical cooperation between the two countries. Assad said Chinas development is the growth of the force for justice in the world, and that he expects China to play a greater role in promoting world peace, justice and progress. Syria is willing to strengthen bilateral cooperation and push bilateral relations to a new level, he said. US-backed Kurdish forces impose curfew in eastern Syria after new clashes with rival Arab militia U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces imposed a curfew after clashes erupted again on Monday in eastern Syria, where their fighters had battled for weeks with rival Arab militiamen, AP reported. The fighting in a region where hundreds of American troops are deployed has pointed to dangerous seams in a coalition that has kept a lid on the defeated Islamic State group for years. The reports say the Syrian Democratic Forces imposed the open-ended measure in several towns in Deir el-Zour province, including the town of Ziban, close to the Iraqi border where the Americans are based. Hundreds of U.S. troops have been there since 2015 to help in the fight against the militant Islamic State group. The oil-rich province is home to Syrias largest oil fields. Al Mayadeen, a pan-Arab TV station, said several fighters from the Kurdish-led forces were killed after Arab gunmen took over several parts of Ziban on Monday. Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some of the Arab fighters had crossed from government-held areas. Local media in the province reported that some Kurdish fighters had fled the area as the clashes intensified. There were no further details. The Kurdish-led forces have accused the Syrian government of inciting the violence by allowing the rival Arab militiamen to cross the Euphrates River. The clashes first erupted in late August when two weeks of fighting killed 25 Kurdish fighters, 29 members of Arab tribal groups and gunmen, as well as nine civilians, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Syrian government of President Bashar Assad in Damascus sees the Kurdish-led forces as secessionist fighters and has denounced their alliance with the United States in the war against IS and their self-ruled enclave in eastern Syria. Meanwhile, Turkey, which has troops inside Syria, and Turkish-backed opposition groups in Syrias northwest, routinely clash with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Syrian regime attempts to co-opt protests in Suweida by pressuring notables A Suweida notable and pro-regime figure, Hassan Abdullah al-Atrash, called for a meeting of the provinces leading families and religious figures on Saturday, 23 September, to demand the end of the more than month-long anti-regime protests in the Druze-majority enclave. While a pro-regime figure himself, the Atrash family commands respect, and its members have historically been chosen to lead the city of Suweida as its titular Pasha. Al-Atrash, the head of the ruling Baath partys economic office in Suweida, said that while the protesters economic demands are legitimate, their demands that the regime fall are unacceptable, local outlet Suweida 24 reported. Thousands of protesters have occupied the southern provinces main square for over a month, tearing down flags of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and storming regime buildings. Protests were sparked by an over 150 per cent price hike in fuel, but demands quickly turned political, with protesters calling for the downfall of the Syrian regime. The regime has not confronted protesters in Suweida directly, a contrast to its brutal and violent treatment of activists since the Syrian revolution started in 2011. Instead, activists say it has attempted to foment internal division within the protest movement. This is not the first time, and this will not be the last time. There are attempts to divide the street but until now, these attempts have failed. The movement is intensifying, its leadership is strong, Rayan Maarouf, the editor of Suweida 24, told The New Arab. Previously, activists accused the regime of funding armed gangs to degrade security conditions and foment chaos in Suweida. Druze militias, notably the Men of Dignity and the Anti-Terrorism Force, expelled the most prominent of these gangs from the province in September 2022. The current round of protests has been the longest-lasting since 2011, despite the regimes back-channel attempts to quell the movement. The people the regime is choosing have no credibility. Every day, they present a new person that is supposedly defending the demands of the people but the street in Suweida today is the first and the loudest to speak, Maarouf said. Syrian Observatory: Intl Coalition Arrests Two ISIS Commanders in Hassakeh The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Sunday that the International Coalition forces arrested two ISIS commanders in an airdrop operation on a village near the city of Ras Al-Ain, northern Hassakeh, Asharq Al Awsat reported. According to SOHR sources, one of the arrested commanders is Iraqi, while the other is Syrian. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue has again become a global concern discussed at the UN General Assembly, as Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia launched a new round of negotiations. The issue was highlighted in speeches by the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Ethiopia amid doubts about progress in the current round, aiming to reach an agreement by the end of November. Egypts Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, focused on the GERD crisis, addressing Egypts severe water scarcity and 98 percent dependency on the Nile River. Shoukry highlighted Egypts annual water deficit, which is more than 50 percent of its water needs, forcing the country to reuse its limited available water multiple times. The top diplomat reiterated Egypts rejection of Ethiopias unilateral practices on filling the GERD and its attempts to use the dam to impose a fait accompli when it comes to the lives of over 100 million Egyptians. The country needs to reuse water and import virtual water, estimated at $15 billion annually, in the form of food. He recalled that Ethiopia has unilaterally, and without previous impact studies, built a Grand Renaissance Dam, noting that Cairo is trying to reach a binding agreement on the rules of its operation while also considering the interests of the neighbouring countries. For his part, Ethiopias Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen Hassen emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, welcoming the resumption of trilateral talks with Egypt and Sudan regarding the dam. He affirmed Ethiopias commitment to collaborate with its neighbours in trade, investment, and regional integration. Negotiations between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia regarding the dam have been ongoing since 2011, but extensive negotiation rounds have yet to produce an agreement. The talks halted in 2021 but resumed upon mutual agreement between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last July. They aim to agree on the dams filling and operation within four months. Despite these efforts, the issue remains contentious. Ethiopia announced this month the completion of the dams fourth and final filling stage, a move criticized by Egypt. Experts such as the former Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Nasereddine Allam, believe the negotiations may not yield any new outcomes. Allam told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypts focus on reintroducing the GERD issue at international forums reflects the challenges of the water situation in the country. He highlighted that Egypts share of Nile waters provides about 500 cubic meters per person annually, half of the minimum water poverty level defined by the World Bank. The former official pointed out that the circumstances in Sudan and Egypt need to offer more leverage to resolve this regional crisis, noting that resorting to the Security Council will not provide a decisive solution. Negotiations between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia have been suspended since January 2021. Syrian IDPs in Idleb recount deadly shelling by Assad forces At least two civilians have been killed and two others wounded in a rocket attack by Syrian regime forces on a displacement camp on the outskirts of Sarmin city in the rebel-held Idleb province, according to a Syrian volunteer emergency rescue group, Al-Jazeera reported. The Syria Civil Defence group, also known as the White Helmets said on Sunday that an elderly man and a woman were killed in the northwestern province on Saturday, and two others were wounded, including a child who is in serious condition. The White Helmets said that the camp, which accommodates approximately 25 displaced families from Idleb and the Hama countryside, was shelled by the Syrian regime forces based in the city of Saraqib east of Idleb. After our teams rescued the victims, provided medical assistance to the injured, and extinguished the fire that broke out in the camp, Syrian regime forces resumed shelling the vicinity of the camp, said Munir Mustafa, the deputy director of the Syria Civil Defence. Mustafa told Al Jazeera that this is the fourth attack targeting a camp in northwest Syria and the second shelling on a camp on the outskirts of Sarmin city, which has been targeted by regime forces for months. On September 2nd, the shelling of residential neighbourhoods in Sarmin resulted in the death of a baby and the injury of four other civilians. Our teams have responded to 711 attacks by the regime, Russia, and their affiliated militias since the beginning of this year until September 12, Mustafa said, adding that 61 people have been killed, including 11 children and 5 women, and 261 others wounded. RAINIER The City of Rainier is moving forward on a project to help fix its wastewater treatment plan, which has become a thorn in the side of the city due to repeated environmental fines and a slow-moving repair process. City councilmembers have approved the bid from West Yost to offer engineering services at the Rainier wastewater treatment plant, a $213,148 project officials hope will be covered by a pending Oregon Department of Environmental quality grant/loan. The approval comes as the city has faced an uphill battle trying to repair its current facility, which was built around 2010 and has had issues with discharging clean water into the Columbia River, at least according to engineers and Oregons state environmental agency. I realize its expensive, said West Yosts engineering manager Preston Van Meter last week during the City Council meeting. But its a huge step for you to make a commitment like (the one) were submitting on this. West Yosts engineering manager Preston Van Meter told the City Council last week the main issue stems from the downstream end of the plant. A wastewater treatment facility works like this: sewage water flows in, air is added to it, and bugs eat all the stuff you flushed down the toilet, Van Meter said. Then a centrifuge separates the solids from the water, the water travels back to the end of the plant where a disinfecting filtration system cleans it until its discharged into the Columbia River system. In Rainiers current facility, that filtration system is the one that the state regulates and the system does not work as well as it should. Its definitely a bottleneck at the downstream end of the plant, Van Meter said. The City has been fined tens of thousands of dollars in prior years for going over the legal limit of sewage that is considered safe to be dumped into the Columbia River. Most recently, they were handed a $7,000 penalty in 2021 for releasing 2,000 gallons of raw sewage into the river and $23,700 in 2020 for allegedly overflowing the river with raw sewage, according to reports in The Daily News. In 2021, the Oregon Health Authority and Department of Environmental Quality also decided to test Rainiers drinking-water system for forever chemicals known as PFAs because of the Citys proximity to two wastewater treatment plants. The tests were paid for through a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant and did not detect any PFAs in those chosen water tests, according to the sample data results from the Oregon Health Authority. The city also signed a mutual agreement and order with the Oregon DEQ in order to use the money they would pay in fines for repair projects at the facility. Mayor Jerry Cole told The Daily News in an interview earlier this year that this mutual agreement has helped lower the costs of analyzing the plant and trying to meet state standards. The water is completely safe, Cole said. But we just need to make sure were in compliance. Under this agreement, the state has required specifics in how to fix the plant. West Yosts proposal to the city would give them the OK to conduct background data collection on basically every aspect of the plant, including septage receiving, tertiary filters, UV disinfection and biosolids management. From there, Van Meter said, they would be able to put together a facility project plan and then put it into action. (During) the initial evaluation, which we did, (we were) hoping to find kind of a smoking gun, he said, something that was really easy we can just go fix. We didnt really find that. What we found was a pretty complex problem that we got to spend some more time figuring out. A man is facing felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court after members of the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), Thurston County Narcotics Task Force (TNT) and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) found between 4,700 and 5,000 suspected fentanyl pills in his car outside a hotel in Chehalis on Wednesday. In total, 28 grams of suspected meth, 26 grams of suspected heroin, 27 grams of suspected fentanyl powder, dozens of Xanax pills, $2,800 in cash, hundreds of baggies and other drug paraphernalia items were recovered during a search of the suspects vehicle. The drugs are worth approximately $20,000 in street value, if not more, Deputy Prosecutor Joe Bassetti said during a preliminary hearing for the suspect, identified as Waylan R. Graves, 52, in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday, where bail was set at $1 million. Lewis County Superior Court documents identify Graves as an Olympia resident while a JNET news release stated he is from Oakville. JNET, TNT and the DEA developed probable cause to arrest Graves after conducting surveillance on him between July 1 and Sept. 20, according to court documents. The surveillance began after Graves posted $30,000 bail on June 5 and was released from the Thurston County Jail, where he was in custody for drug trafficking charges. In that case, filed in Thurston County Superior Court on June 2, Graves is accused of having thousands of suspected fentanyl pills, a quarter pound of methamphetamine and three firearms in his vehicle, according to court documents. After he was released, multiple drug task forces, including JNET, learned Mr. Graves was continuing to sell large amounts of fentanyl-laced pills in multiple counties in Washington, according to court documents. Between July 1 and Sept. 20, Graves allegedly conducted what appeared to be drug transactions in Thurston and Lewis counties and sold hundreds of fentanyl-laced pills to a credible and reliable source, according to court documents. JNET noted some of those apparent drug deals occurred in Centralia and Chehalis. Members of JNET, TNT and the DEA reportedly saw Graves arrive at a hotel in Chehalis on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and arrested him as he exited his vehicle and walked toward the front of the hotel. The detectives were aware that Graves had previously met with a known drug trafficker to replenish his supply and sought to arrest him on probable cause for a previous delivery of controlled substances, according to court documents. A search of Graves during the arrest reportedly yielded a few hundred dollars in cash and a calibration weight used to check scale accuracy. When questioned, Graves allegedly admitted to having a lot of personal use drugs in the car, according to court documents. JNETs patrol service dog, Pip, reportedly alerted to the presence of controlled substances inside Gravess vehicle, a 2005 Honda Accord. Detectives soon obtained a search warrant for Graves vehicle and found large quantities of drugs and drug paraphernalia within. Graves was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 11:40 p.m. on Sept. 20 and has since been charged with three counts of violation of the uniform controlled substances act with intent to deliver. The charge is a class C felony carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The state has multiple concerns in this case, Bassetti said during Graves preliminary hearing on Thursday, citing several active warrants and drug-related convictions on Graves record, as well as the active Thurston County Superior Court case. I think all of those (are) community safety risks, Bassetti said Thursday, Sept. 21. While defense attorney Rachael Tiller asked Judge James Lawler to set bail no higher than $250,000 due to Graves financial status, Lawler ruled Graves is a community safety risk and granted Bassettis bail request. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28. This investigation has revealed many local co-conspirators and accomplices, JNET said in a news release on Friday, adding, JNET anticipates more arrests in the near future. The investigation is ongoing and no other information is being released at this time, JNET said. JNET encourages anyone with information pertaining to the investigation to call the Centralia Police Department at 360-330-7680 or Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105. The poisonous effects of fentanyl continue to have deadly impact on our communities. (JNET) is committed to identifying and arresting those who facilitate the sale and distribution of poisonous drugs in our community, JNET said in a news release. On a typical rainy winter evening in Northwest Portland, most locals are content to stay inside. But for hundreds of froggy residents, its the perfect weather for an annual migration. Under cover of darkness, hordes of red-legged frogs hop downhill from Forest Park, bound for wetlands along the Willamette River. There, they will lay eggs to produce the next generation of frogs. But the journey does not come without hardship. To reach their destination, the frogs must descend a steep slope where Harborton Drive meets U.S. 30, then traverse four lanes of high-speed traffic and two railroad tracks. Some perish along the way, a few by natural predators like birds and snakes but many under passing cars. In an effort to save the dwindling frog population, local wildlife officials have proposed to build a highway underpass to grant the amphibians safe passage. The project calls for a concrete culvert beneath Northwest St. Helens Road and Marina Way to help the frogs reach their preferred breeding grounds. Tim Greseth, executive director of the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, said the underpass project has been long coming but remains in the early stages of planning. Were dealing with a lot of rock underneath Highway 30, he said. Well have to close a lane of traffic and do the work to install the culvert and then open that lane and close the next one to get it across. Greseth added that the projects design should meet the biological needs of the frogs, who travel under specific environmental conditions. For now, he said, the Wildlife Foundation has been working closely with city bureaus to determine next steps. If it moves forward, the culvert could replace an annual operation undertaken by volunteers who have helped the frogs find their way. The frog taxi As dusk falls each night in late November, a crew of about 12 to 14 don rain gear and trek out to Harborton Drive. Equipped with headlamps and flashlights, they unroll a fabric weed barrier below the guardrail and wait patiently for signs of movement. When the first frogs emerge from the forest and hop along the roadside, volunteers gently scoop up the animals, while others stand by with clipboards and data sheets to keep count. Then, they place the frogs in buckets and drive to the wetland, owned by Portland General Electric. More than 100 volunteers, from youth to elders, participate in the Harborton Frog Shuttle, also known as the frog taxi. In the winter months, they work in weekly shifts, for hours at a time. When the frogs finish breeding in early March, volunteers come to the rescue once more to return them to Forest Park. Jane Hartline, the Frog Shuttles co-founder and Monday night team leader, said the shuttle effort began in 2013 when a local resident stepped outside one warm, rainy evening to find Harborton Drive covered in frogs. Many had been squished by passing cars. You couldnt even drive, there were so many, she recalled. The discovery led to meetings with several wildlife agencies, including the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Portlands Bureau of Environmental Services, Forest Park Conservancy and West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. The unfortunate frogs, it turned out, were northern red-legged frogs, an Oregon Conservation Strategy species that receive federal protection in the state. About three inches long, they sport black spots on their back and red on their underbellies. While their dark coloring helps them camouflage into the forest well, a light stripe along their jawline sets them apart. Biologists suggested that volunteers collect the frogs by hand to prevent further mortalities. Its a huge effort, and weve been doing it for a lot of years, Hartline said. People have to commit to making themselves available for the whole season. Its a big commitment to have a night a week where you cant plan anything. Hartline added that the frogs only move at night in temperatures 45 degrees or higher. A little Portland rain creates the ideal climate, but the changing weather, she said, makes it difficult to determine nights on the job. You have to be OK with a lot of uncertainty, she said. Some nights the temperature is 42, but it looks like it might warm up. Or its 46, but it looks like itll get colder. Save the trip, save the frog Wildlife groups have been studying how to improve the frogs quality of life in Forest Park, perhaps by creating a pond so the frogs can breed right where they live. We want it to be reasonably permeable so it will persist till the month of July, said Rob Lee, co-founder of the Frog Shuttle. Were hoping to have a pond in by next winter. The floodplain along the Willamette River and Multnomah Channel once contained a series of ponds, marshes and lakes where frogs and other amphibians roamed freely. Today, much of the wetland habitat has been paved over with roads and industrial sites, leaving few sites for the frogs to carry out their natural behavior. Greseth said that while the underpass will help preserve the species, the plan needs more fine-tuning before builders can even start to break ground. The design and engineering stage alone will cost half a million, with construction costs still unclear, he said. Really, the Harborton and Palensky location up the road are the only two that are suitable and frankly, left, Greseth said. The wildlife is just trying to live their lives, and its us that has changed their lives drastically. Backers are only just beginning to explore what might be needed to obtain city and state permits. Were probably a fair number of years away at this point, Greseth said. But to me, the nice thing is that were in the process of trying to do something to address this persistent issue. Even after the underpass is complete, Hartline said she suspects that the Frog Shuttle will still play a role in protecting the frogs as they migrate. I think there will still be some monitoring involved, she said. If nothing else, just being out with a clipboard, and making sure they make it. A new fitness trend is going viral because it encourages people to embrace their inner "gorilla." If you want to achieve your dream body, then the new Tarzan Movement might just be your thing. Here's everything you need to know about it. Tarzan Movement: Will You Embrace Your Inner Gorilla? According to Fox News' latest report, the Tarzan Movement is a fitness trend based in Spain. Victor Manuel Fleites, a professional fitness expert, founded it. He and his small group of instructors established the Tarzan Movement to encourage their followers to embrace their inner gorillas. The fitness lifestyle they offer is a functional type. This means that all the exercises they teach can be used in daily activities. Of course, their teachings also copy the physical movements of gorillas, gibbons, and other primates. These include squatting, vine swinging, and even making ape noises. "It is important to not forget that you are an animal. We are animals. We come from the ape family, and I think it is time to recognize the animal side," said the Tarzan Movement founder. Read Also: Will Fidget Tools Help Your Child? Here's What Teachers Say Can Do To Improve Kids' Learning! About Tarzan Movement The official Tarzan Movement website explained that their main goal is to help people "incorporate the way we observe life with fresh eyes and accompany us with daily practice without feeling forced." The fitness group stated that the cultural movement they are creating doesn't depend on a specific place or individual. Fleites explained that although the world is becoming more modernized and people experience evolving societal pressures, it is still important to connect with the animal roots of humans. Right now, numerous people already joined the Tarzan Movement. The group's followers come from different parts of the globe, such as the United States and Finland. The Tarzan Movement offers four kinds of online fitness courses: gorilla, orangutan, gibbon, and lemur. But it can't be accessed by non-members. However, it can be concluded that each of these online courses offers fitness guides that are similar to the movements/lifestyle of the mentioned primates above. If you want to join this new fitness trend, you can contact them via their official Instagram account (@tarzan_movement) or call +34663686511. Related Article: RIP Joe Linder: Did Overtraining Cause Joesthetics' Death? @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When the California Interagency Incident Management Team 13 arrived in Randle early this month, taking over for another team, there were 43 active fires scattered across the Gifford Pinchot National Forests northwestern Cowlitz Valley Ranger District. Today, there are just three. Clint Green, operations section chief on the group of fires collectively dubbed the Cowlitz Complex Fire, considers that a win. At least, with the qualifier, in this circumstance. In total, the 723 acres of the fires are 39% contained, and a crew of 265 people were staffing the complex on Friday. Weve made quite a bit of progress, Green said on Wednesday, standing in the firefighting teams briefing tent in Randle. It does feel good, at the end of the day, to know that you made a difference and youre setting the next team up to be successful. There are four sections of the district where fires started after lightning on Aug. 25. Greens job is to run a risk assessment and assign section chiefs tasks each day. So far, thats been successful, too. Safety reports (are) out every day, if we have any injury or illnesses. And I think there was one spider bite or bug bite, Green said. Thats the only knock on wood the only incident that weve had. Out of 43 fires, 28 are out. For firefighters to declare a forest fire out, everything in the vicinity, including the dirt and underground layers of leaves and organic material, must be cool to the touch. Of the remaining blazes, 11 are controlled, meaning they are mostly or completely extinguished. One, the Mission Fire southeast of Packwood, is contained, which means the fire is unlikely to leave natural or firefighter-established boundaries. Upon the firefighting teams arrival, the Grassy Mountain Fire was the most worrisome. As the crow flies, its less than 3 miles north of Randle in extremely hard-to-reach terrain. Thats a blessing and a curse. It makes firefighting without air operations extremely challenging, but also means the blaze would take a week of hot, dry weather and growth to climb up and down the ridges between it and Randle. Its proximity to the community makes the fire a priority. As of Wednesday, the complexs about 300-person staff had established containment boundaries on the southern, northern and eastern side of Grassy Mountain. The perimeter would allow for growth until a season-ending weather event fully extinguishes the fire, but would make containment easy, if that growth does occur. As fall begins, with cooler temperatures and high humidity, the Grassy Mountain Fire doesnt pose as many concerns, Green said. On the southern half of the Cowlitz Complex, the Spencer Quartz and Snagtooth fires had grown to 206 and 118 acres, respectively, by Friday morning. Though, neither are likely to threaten significantly valuable resources (human or natural), before a season-ending weather event. And, pointing to a map of the fire on Wednesday, Green is proud to say the same about the Grassy Mountain Fire. Its likely to burn until very heavy rains can penetrate the duff layer, of decomposing, unburnt organic debris, ash from Mount St. Helens and a second duff layer underneath. The duff makes for delicious fuel, if youre a fire. And thick tree canopies make it difficult for rain to reach the forest floor. Thats Mother Natures way of cleaning up the forest floor. In my opinion, its really doing nothing but good, Green said. Were not seeing a lot of tree torching. Its really not doing any damage to the land. The Cowlitz Indian Tribe has a history of controlled burning in what is now the Gifford Pinchot, according to a U.S. Forest Service archeological report that cites various court cases and oral histories. It can be found at http://npshistory.com/publications/usfs/fmt-v53n2-2003.pdf. However, that practice ceased when the Cowlitz River Valley was occupied by settlers, according to a statement by Mary Kiona, an Upper Cowlitz elder, in a 1955 land claim case. Over the weekend and early next week, the complexs meteorologist is forecasting a rainy front will carry in about 2 inches of precipitation, which is expected to make a significant impact on the fires. We do take all the values at risk into consideration when we come up with the plans were doing, Green said. And, even though were not directly fighting the fire on the fires edge, we are coming up with plans to keep the fire out of the communities. Some customers seeking to receive updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccination have experienced challenges, such as bureaucratic roadblocks, missed appointments, and delayed private insurance coverage. Due to a structural change, the federal government is no longer liable for the distribution or funding of COVID-19 vaccines, creating a serious bottleneck. Health insurance companies, both public and private, must cover the entire price of the injection plus a small administrative charge. Patients without health insurance are still eligible for a federal program that provides free immunizations. There has been an increase in reported instances, so last week, the Biden administration announced plans to revive a government program enabling anyone to get up to four free tests. Challenge for Consumers Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized new versions of the vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have distributed millions of doses to pharmacies and clinics. Everyone above the age of 6 months is encouraged to acquire the latest vaccinations, which protect against the most current strains of the COVID-19 virus. In a report by USA Today, many individuals have found the process of getting vaccinated stressful even though chain pharmacies are busy administering the shots. Insurers' bottlenecks, appointment delays, and out-of-network rejections have prompted several people to go to social media to vent their frustrations. The transition of such a massive vaccination distribution from the government to private-sector insurers is expected to cause disruptions in the market, according to experts. Virginia resident Patrick Dye, for instance, discovered his doctor did not stock the new vaccination. He called his insurance provider only to be told that he was only insured if he obtained a shot from his health provider or doctor. Dye eventually got the latest shot but pointed out that customers should not work hard to be vaccinated and protected from the virus. See Also: Biden-Harris Admin Provides $600 Million To Restart Manufacture, Offer of Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests Struggle Even for Health Experts Cynthia Cox, vice president and director of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at the health policy nonprofit KFF, has extensive knowledge of the health insurance market and the American healthcare system. But even she had trouble getting the updated shot. According to USA Today, Cox wanted to be vaccinated before leaving for a business trip next week, but her health insurance network pharmacies were out. She tried her luck at the Walgreens. The staff called her insurer, who told her she needed prior clearance to be vaccinated out of network. The insurance even asked Cox to get her doctor's fax number. Cox was eager to pay for the injection out of her own money, but in the end, she was denied. No CVS in her area would give her an appointment, and the pharmacist at a little drugstore said she would have to wait until next week. See Also: COVID Booster: CDC Recommends New Vaccine for Nearly All Americans Over 6 Months as Cases, Hospitalizations Rise @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a strategic move that underscores their determination to thrive amidst regulatory challenges, Ripple, the blockchain company, has announced ambitious plans for global expansion. Despite the ongoing legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ripple is gearing up to increase its workforce significantly by the end of the year. This expansion will focus on countries that offer a supportive regulatory environment for the cryptocurrency industry. Ripples Growth Spree and Hiring Drive Ripples official website reveals their intention to hire a substantial number of professionals across various fields, including Corporate Development, Engineering, Business Development, Finance, Global Operations, Information Technology, Legal, and Marketing. In total, they aim to fill 55 positions, with specific emphasis on key global locations. Canada Takes Center Stage At the forefront of Ripples hiring efforts is Canada, where they plan to fill 19 positions. The United Kingdom, with its capital, London, follows closely with 16 open positions. Despite the regulatory challenges within the United States, Ripple is not abandoning its homeland entirely. They intend to increase their headcount in select U.S. cities, including New York City, San Francisco, and Miami. CEO Brad Garlinghouses Vision Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, has been vocal about the companys expansion strategy. He stated that more than 80% of their hiring for the year will occur in nations where governments are partnering with the industry, and youre seeing leadership, theyre providing clear rules, and youre seeing growth. Notably, Garlinghouse highlighted regions such as Hong Kong, Dubai, the United Kingdom, and Singapore as prime examples of this crypto-friendly approach. The Ripple vs. SEC Legal Battle It is evident that one significant factor influencing Ripples decision to expand globally, rather than domestically, is the ongoing legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The legal saga has cast a shadow over the companys operations and future plans. Ripple achieved a significant but partial victory in mid-July when the court ruled that its sale of XRP did not constitute an offer of investment contracts. This decision acted as a catalyst for XRPs price and, indeed, the entire cryptocurrency market. However, the battle is far from over, as the SEC has formally appealed the decision. Financial Toll on Ripple The protracted legal battle has inflicted severe financial damage on Ripple. To date, the company has incurred expenses of approximately $200 million in its efforts to defend itself in court. These legal costs have undoubtedly influenced Ripples decision to expand strategically in regions with regulatory clarity. Ripples Global Expansion Strategy Ripples global expansion strategy is built on the foundation of regulatory certainty. They aim to establish a strong presence in countries where government support and regulatory frameworks are conducive to blockchain and cryptocurrency innovation. This approach not only mitigates the risk associated with the SEC lawsuit but also positions Ripple for long-term success in the rapidly evolving crypto landscape. Canada: A Focal Point for Ripple Canada, in particular, has emerged as a pivotal destination in Ripples global expansion plan. The countrys progressive stance on cryptocurrency regulation has made it an attractive hub for blockchain companies. Ripples decision to hire extensively in Canada reflects their confidence in the countrys regulatory environment. The United Kingdom: A Strategic Hub The United Kingdom, with London as its financial epicenter, is another strategic location for Ripples expansion efforts. The UK has been proactive in creating a regulatory framework that fosters blockchain and cryptocurrency innovation. Ripples presence in London aligns with their goal of operating in regions with clear rules and supportive governments. U.S. Expansion Amid Challenges While Ripple is expanding internationally, they have not abandoned the United States entirely. The decision to increase their headcount in select U.S. cities, despite ongoing regulatory challenges, underscores their commitment to their homeland. Ripple continues to engage with U.S. regulators and advocates for clear and crypto-friendly regulations that can benefit the entire industry. Ripples Global Impact Ripples expansion strategy is not just about securing their own future; it also has broader implications for the cryptocurrency industry. As they establish a presence in regions with favorable regulations, they pave the way for increased adoption and innovation in the blockchain and crypto space. Looking Ahead Despite the hurdles posed by the SEC lawsuit, Ripple remains resilient and forward-thinking. Their global expansion plans signify their determination to thrive in an evolving regulatory landscape. As they continue to navigate the legal challenges, Ripples strategic moves could shape the future of the cryptocurrency industry, providing clarity and opportunity for others in the space. AUSTIN Texas A&M University alum Will Hurd is not expected to meet Monday nights qualifications deadline for the second Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday. Hurd, a former U.S. representative from Texas and a CIA officer, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination June 22 but did not qualify in the first debate and has yet to poll over 1% in national polls. In order to attend the second debate, candidates must reach 4% in two national polls or one national poll and one early voting state poll Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina. Candidates also must have a minimum of 50,000 unique donors, with at least 200 donors per state or territory in more than 20 states or territories. According to fivethirtyeight.com, an ABC-owned website that aggregates poll numbers, Hurd is only polling at 1% in a handful of surveys taken within the past few weeks. His highest poll number of 3% comes from an Echelon Insights New Hampshire poll from August and a September Texas poll where he earned 2%. When it comes to donors, Hurd is close to meeting the 50,000 threshold with a total of 49,978 unique donors, according to his campaign website at the time of publication. During a one-on-one with NBC Chief Political Analyst Chuck Todd on Saturday at The Texas Tribune Festival, Hurd said his goal was to reach the required number of donors. Weve got to be able to raise some resources to get our message out, Hurd said. Ive been in the race the least amount of time. Only 90 days, but I have the opposite problem of Ron DeSantis. When people meet Ron DeSantis, they like him less. When people meet me, they really like me. Hurd said the reason he decided to run for president now is because America is running out of time. We have a number of generation-defining challenges, he said. If we dont deal with technologies like AI, AI is going to upend everything. Not in 10 years, but in two years. If we dont start putting the policies and regulations in place in order to take advantage of that, its going to hurt all of us. So for me, this was, can I do everything in my power to prevent the United States and America from becoming the United Kingdom of the 21st century? And that could potentially happen. Supports war in Ukraine Throughout his campaign so far, Hurd has presented himself as a more moderate alternative to the Donald Trump-dominated Republican Party and said that one example is his stance on the war in Ukraine. The Republican Party is kind of moving away from its support to Ukraine, he said. But when you explain it the right way, people are like, Oh, shucks. Ive never heard it that way. We should be giving them the weapons that weve promised them. The issue is not the size of the support, its about 5% of the entire DOD [Department of Defense] budget. So for 5% of the DOD budget, were dismantling the Russian military. In order for the Ukrainians to succeed, Hurd said that the U.S. should send them more support. We would never fight a war without having air superiority, he said. Give them the F-16s. Help make sure NATO gives them that. We would never fight a war by restricting the use of middle and medium-long-range equipment. Russia invaded, so there are going to be some legitimate military targets inside Russia. If Ukraine loses, Eastern Europe is gone. America should never kiss the butt of a dictator and it starts with the fact that there are some in my party that are propagating Russian disinformation. Its not even disinformation. Theyre propagating what the Kremlin is putting out. Trumps Republican supremacy When it comes to whether or not the Republican Party would even consider electing someone other than Trump, Hurd said he believes its possible. A significant chunk of that group are open to the idea of somebody else, Hurd said. They like Trump. They voted for Trump twice. So I would say, despite how you want to articulate his numbers, they arent insurmountable. If any candidate beats Trump in one of the early primaries, Hurd said it could spark the beginning of the end for Trump as the frontrunner. After somebody beating Donald Trump and piercing that veil of invincibility you start building momentum, he said. There is momentum that can be taken and then the conversation is no longer, Trump is the fait accompli and hes gonna be the nominee. Its Man, Donald Trump [expletive] the bed and where is everybody else? Despite his disagreements with Trump, however, Hurd still voted against Trumps first impeachment in late 2019 for allegedly withholding aid to Ukraine in order to influence the country into investigating Joe Biden. Hurd said that he voted against the first impeachment during his time as the U.S. representative for Texass 23rd congressional district because he did not believe that Trump committed any crime in that instance. My definition for what was an impeachment is someone violating the law, Hurd said. Impeachment is a political decision. My interpretation, how I was making a decision on impeachment was seeing a president violate the law. Was the call idiotic? One hundred percent. Was it, I think I said at the time, a bungling of foreign policy? Absolutely. Would I have done it? Hell, no. Abortion When asked about hotly debated domestic topics like abortion, Hurd said that as president he would support a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but that codifying the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade would be difficult. If the Senate put a 15-week ban on my desk, I would sign it, Hurd said. Twenty-four weeks would be harder, but again, if 60 votes in the Senate would pass something like that, that would signal that the American people wanted it. Abortion is just one of the many aspects of what Hurd said is a healthcare crisis for minority women in America. A Black woman in the United States today having a child has a greater chance of dying during childhood than in many parts of the developing world, he said. To me, thats absolutely unacceptable and one of the issues that we should be focusing on and addressing when it comes to this issue. The future of America At the end of the one-on-one, Hurd related a story about his time with the CIA in Pakistan after an earthquake killed 80,000 people and how he led 21 Chinook helicopters into a small, isolated village to rescue as many people as possible. We land in the village, open the bay doors and about 200 villagers start piling on this Chinook. This one elder had this little girl who was about 6 or 7 years old and had just lost her mom and dad in the earthquake. Shes crying, shes screaming and this village elder hands her to me and I hold the girl as tightly as I possibly can. Hurd said that moment has stuck with him as an example of how America can be an exceptional nation on the world stage. That little girls face is still seared into my brain because, on that day, the United States of America was the only country that had the resources and the willingness to help someone even if they were 6,000 miles away, he said. And when I remember that, Im afraid that that opportunity is not going to exist any longer in the United States, that were going to forget that we became an exceptional nation like that. And this experiment that has lasted for 247 years is not going to last for another 247 years. Thats why my wife and I decided to take this difficult decision to run for president. Thats why were in this race because were lucky to live where we live and have the opportunities that we have and I want to make sure that we ensure that our kids and grandkids have this. Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP) pays an annual dividend of $1.64 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.88%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 2 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 1,025.00%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, TAP will have a dividend payout ratio of 31.91% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for TAP. The following companies are subsidiares of Crane: "CPI-Kiev" LLC, ARDAC Inc., AeroHose, AeroHose, Alfa Laval - The Industrial Flow Group, Alfa Laval - The Industrial Flow Group, Armature d.o.o., Automatic Products (UK) Ltd., Automatic Products international - Assets, Barksdale GmbH, Barksdale Inc., CA-MC Acquisition UK Ltd., CR Holdings C.V., CashCode Co, CashCode Co - Assets, Coin Controls International Ltd., Coin Holdings Ltd., Coin Industries Ltd., Coin Overseas Holdings Ltd., Coin Pension Trustees Ltd., Consolidated Lumber Co, Consolidated Lumber Co, Corva Corp, Corva Corp, Crane & Co. Inc., Crane (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Crane AB, Crane Aerospace Inc., Crane Australia Pty. Ltd., Crane Canada Co., Crane Composites Inc., Crane Composites Ltd., Crane Controls Inc., Crane Currency, Crane Currency Malta Holding Ltd., Crane Currency Malta Ltd., Crane Currency Malta Property Ltd., Crane Currency Netherlands Holdings B.V., Crane Currency US LLC, Crane Dutch Holdings B.V., Crane Electronics Corporation, Crane Electronics Inc., Crane Environmental Inc., Crane European Financing LLC, Crane Fluid & Gas Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Crane Global Holdings S.L., Crane Holding AB, Crane Holdings (Germany) GmbH, Crane Instrumentation & Sampling Inc., Crane International Capital S.a.r.l., Crane International Holdings Inc., Crane International Trading (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Crane Ltd., Crane Merchandising Systems Inc., Crane Merchandising Systems Ltd., Crane Merger Co. LLC, Crane Middle East & Africa FZE, Crane Netherlands Holdings B.V., Crane Ningjin Valve Co. Ltd., Crane Nuclear Inc., Crane Overseas LLC, Crane Payment Innovations AG, Crane Payment Innovations GmbH, Crane Payment Innovations Inc., Crane Payment Innovations International Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations Pty Ltd., Crane Payment Innovations S.a.r.l., Crane Payment Innovations S.r.l., Crane Pension Trustee Company (UK) Limited, Crane Process Flow Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies GmbH, Crane Process Flow Technologies Ltd., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.P.R.L., Crane Process Flow Technologies S.r.l., Crane Pumps and Systems Inc., Crane Resistoflex GmbH, Crane SC Holdings Ltd., Crane Saudi Limited Liability Company, Crane Security Technologies Inc., Crane Stockham Valve Ltd., Crane Supply Co., Croning Livarna d.o.o., Cummins Illinois Inc., Cummins-Allison Corp., Cummins-Allison GmbH, Cummins-Allison Investment Co., Cummins-Allison Ireland Ltd., Cummins-Allison Limited, Cummins-Allison Pty Ltd., Cummins-Allison SAS, Cummins-Allison ULC, Cummis-Allison Corp, Cummis-Allison Corp, Delta Fluid Products, Delta Fluid Products Ltd., Dixie Narco, Dixie Narco, Dopak Inc., Dovianus B.V., ELDEC Corporation, ELDEC France S.A.R.L, Edlon - PSI division, Edlon - PSI division, Environmental Products USA, Environmental Products USA, Etex Group - Business, Etex Group - Business, Exbrownall Ltd., Exrhodes Ltd., Flow Technology Inc., Friedrich Krombach GmbH Armaturenwerke, General Technology Corp., General Technology Corp., Hattersley Newman Hender - Assets, Hattersley Newman Hender - Assets, Hattersly Newman Hender Ltd., Hydro-Aire Inc., Inta-Lok Ltd., Interpoint U.K. Limited, Kontron America - Mobile Rugged Business, Kontron America - Mobile Rugged Business, Laminated Profiles - Assets, Laminated Profiles - Assets, Lasco Composites, Lasco Composites, Liberty Technologies, Liberty Technologies, MCC Holdings Inc., MEI Australia LLC, MEI Conlux, MEI Conlux Holdings (Japan) Inc., MEI Conlux Holdings (US) Inc., MEI Queretaro S. de R.L. de CV, MEI de Mexico LLC, MOVATS - Nuclear Valve Division, MOVATS - Nuclear Valve Division, Merrimac Industries, Merrimac Industries Inc., Micro-Optic Films LLP, Money Controls, Money Controls Argentina SA, Money Controls Holdings Ltd., Multi-Mix Microtechnology SRL, NABIC Valve Safety Products Ltd., Nippon Conlux Co. Ltd., Noble Composites, Noble Composites Inc., Number One Supply, Number One Supply, Owens Corning - FRP Panel Business, Owens Corning - FRP Panel Business, P.L. Porter, P.L. Porter, P.T. Crane Indonesia, Pegler Hattersly Ltd., Resistoflex, Resistoflex, Sequentia Holdings, Sequentia Holdings, Signal Technology, Signal Technology, Sperryn & Company Ltd., Stentorfield, Stentorfield, Streamware, Streamware, Telequip, Telequip, Terminal Manufacturing Co., The Dow Chemical - Plastic-Lined Piping Products division, The Krombach Group, The Krombach Group, Unidynamics / Phoenix Inc., Ventech Controls, Ventech Controls, Viking Johnson Ltd., Visual Physics LLC, W.T. Armatur GmbH, W.T. Armatur GmbH, Wade Couplings Ltd., Wask Ltd., Westlock Controls, Westlock Controls Corporation, Xomox, Xomox Chihuahua S.A. de C.V., Xomox Corporation, Xomox Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Xomox France S.A.S., Xomox Hungary Manufacturing Limited Liability Company, Xomox International GmbH & Co. OHG, Xomox Japan Ltd., and Xomox Korea Ltd.. Read More Energy Transfer LP is a limited partnership operating midstream energy assets in the US. The company is an integrated and diversified play on energy that deals in natural gas and crude oil and their derivatives. The companys operating territory spans the North American energy infrastructure system with operations in 41 states and Canada and is systemically important. The company was founded n 1995 by Kelcy Warren and Ray Davis. The company was private until 2004 when it IPOd. It operated as a stand-alone business until 2011 when it joined forces with Regency Energy Partners to purchase assets from Castleton Commodities International and begin a growth phase. As of 2022, Mr. Warren remains as Chairperson. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas but maintains an international office in Beijing. Among other notable acquisitions are the purchase of Sunoco and Sunoco logistics partners and the eventual absorption of Regency Energy Partners. The company was formerly known as Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. and changed its name to Energy Transfer LP in October 2018 along with some internal structural changes. Today the company operates a vast network of natural gas and crude oil collection, processing and storage facilities along with the pipelines to move it. The companys subsidiaries include but are not limited to Sunoco LP, Sunoco Logistics Partners, USA Compression Partners and it owns 100% or a controlling interest in pipelines that include the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Bayou Bridge Pipeline and the Florida Gas Transmission Pipeline. Energy Transfer Partner LP owns or controls more than 120,000 miles of pipeline infrastructure, including natural gas, crude oil and derivative vehicles. The company controls or owns five natural gas storage facilities and over a dozen natural gas or LNG processing plants. The company can compress and deliver LNG to transport vessels as well as process, store and deliver propane. Its downstream operations include wholesaling natural gas and derivative crude oil products to utility companies, industrial users, and consumers. As of 2022, the company employed more than 11,000 people and brought in more than $39 billion in net revenue. Roughly 30% of the nation's natural gas is moved by Energy Transfer Partners LP infrastructure and growing. Projects in the works include newer, more efficient processing plants and the interstate Gulf Run pipeline. Natural gas is a crucial factor in the switch to green energy. Not only is it the cleanest of all petroleum-based energy sources, but it is easy to store and use, making it ideal as a backup source for intermittent energy like solar and wind. Natural gas is also important as a feedstock for plastics and other products critical to the health industry. Natural gas is also important for making ammonia, a necessary fertilizer for todays food chain. As an MLP, Energy Transfers Partners pays a large share of its earnings as dividends. Investors of record can enroll in the Dividend Reinvestment Plan or DRIP and have their distributions paid in shares. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth. The index represents approximately 50% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 1000 Index. The Index is a subset of the Russell 1000 Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to one goal and one goal only: finding a reliable edge in the markets. If you can do that, grab hold of it and never let go. Because once you have that edge, and you can count on it, you never need to do anything else. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) is a multinational food processing and commodities trading company with a mission to unlock the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, ADM operates across six continents and offers a diverse range of products and services in the agricultural industry. The company's primary operations include oilseed processing, corn processing, agricultural services, and wheat milling. ADM's products are essential ingredients used in various consumer goods, including food, beverages, animal feed, and industrial products. ADM serves many customers, including food manufacturers, livestock producers, energy companies, and traders. With a global network of over 450 crop procurement locations, ADM has established strong relationships with farmers and suppliers worldwide. The company's commitment to sustainability is evident through its efforts to promote responsible sourcing, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the efficiency of its operations. ADM's leadership team comprises seasoned professionals with extensive industry experience. Juan R. Luciano serves as ADM's Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Luciano has been with the company since 2011 and has been pivotal in driving ADM's growth and diversification. His background in agricultural commodities and his strategic vision has been instrumental in shaping the company's success. ADM has consistently demonstrated strong financial performance over the past few years. The company reported revenues growing yearly, and net earnings for the same period also increased, indicating a stable net profit margin of approximately 3%. ADM's ability to generate solid revenues has been supported by its efficient operations, diversified product portfolio, and strong market presence. ADM's valuation metrics indicate a reasonable valuation compared to industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings is below the industry average. This suggests that the market is pricing ADM's shares at a relatively attractive level based on its earnings. Factors driving the company's valuation include its diversified revenue streams, global footprint, and focus on sustainable practices. Recent investor sentiment has been positive, driven by ADM's solid financial performance and growth prospects. In addition to positive market performance, ADM has experienced notable price movements and changes in trading volume due to various news and events. For instance, announcing strategic acquisitions or partnerships often generates investor enthusiasm and can lead to significant stock price increases. Conversely, adverse weather conditions affecting crop yields or changes in government policies related to trade and agriculture can impact ADM's stock negatively. ADM operates in the global agricultural industry, which is crucial in feeding the world's population and meeting the growing demand for food, feed, and biofuels. Weather patterns, commodity prices, and global trade policies influence the industry. ADM enjoys a competitive advantage through its integrated supply chain, an extensive network of processing facilities, and strong relationships with farmers and suppliers. The company's global reach enables it to access diverse sources of raw materials, manage risk effectively and provide customers with a reliable supply of high-quality products. Additionally, ADM's focus on sustainability and commitment to responsible sourcing aligns with changing consumer preferences and regulatory trends, positioning the company well for future growth. ADM has identified several growth opportunities to drive future success. One such opportunity lies in expanding its specialty ingredients and nutrition business. The increasing consumer demand for healthy and sustainable food products presents an avenue for ADM to leverage its expertise in plant-based proteins, natural flavors, and functional ingredients. The company's recent investments in research and development have resulted in innovative product offerings that cater to evolving consumer preferences. ADM aims to capitalize on the growing demand for renewable energy by expanding its biofuels and bio-based products portfolio. As governments worldwide implement policies to reduce carbon emissions, ADM's expertise in biofuel production positions it favorably to benefit from this transition. Acquisitions and partnerships also represent growth avenues for ADM. By strategically acquiring complementary businesses or forming alliances with technology-driven startups, ADM can enhance its capabilities, expand its product offerings and access new markets. Despite ADM's strong market position, several risks and challenges must be considered. One significant risk is the volatility of commodity prices, which can impact the company's profitability and earnings. Fluctuations in crop yields due to weather conditions, changes in global trade policies, and geopolitical tensions can influence agricultural commodities' supply-demand dynamics and pricing. Regulatory and political factors also pose risks to ADM's operations. Changes in trade, food safety, and environmental standards and regulations can impact the company's ability to conduct business in certain regions. ADM must navigate these complexities while maintaining compliance and managing associated costs. ADM faces competition from traditional agricultural players and emerging technologies in the plant-based protein and alternative ingredients space. The rapid pace of technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences require ADM to remain innovative and agile to stay ahead of the competition. The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (NULG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI TIAA ESG USA Large Cap Growth index. The fund tracks an index composed of large-cap US companies with growth characteristics that also meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. NULG was launched on Dec 13, 2016 and is managed by Nuveen. Ishares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Taiwan IndexSM (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index. The Fund's investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisors. New Zealanders mark Chinese Immersion Day Xinhua) 09:51, September 25, 2023 WELLINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Immersion Day was marked in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Sunday, with the local library receiving donations of Chinese books. The Chinese Consulate General in Christchurch gave children's books in Chinese and books about traditional Chinese culture to the central city library, as part of the nationwide celebration of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week which ended on Sunday. Consul General He Ying told the donation ceremony that the annual book donation started more than four years ago, and these books are widely welcomed by the Chinese community and Kiwis. The donated books have been wonderful gifts for the community to enjoy, and the city libraries need diverse language books as part of a wide range of books offered, said a statement from the library. On Chinese Immersion Day, an extravaganza of traditional Chinese music and Lion Dance was staged, followed by various Chinese language and culture activities, such as calligraphy, paper cutting, Chinese knots making, Chinese painting, tea art, fun language workshops and games. He Ying said after the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese language education has been in full swing across New Zealand, and that the Chinese Language Week attracted numerous participants from the city and all across the country. Chinese Language Week is a Kiwi-driven initiative launched in 2014 after the Maori Language Week and the Pacific Language Week. Its annual celebrations boast language learning and cultural events, which are held nationwide to bridge the cultural and linguistic knowledge gap between China and New Zealand, delivering fun and practical initiatives that assist Kiwis in learning Chinese. "In an increasingly diverse society like New Zealand, learning a language shows respect for culture and a commitment to inclusion," said New Zealand China Council Chair John McKinnon earlier this week. New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society, and "a wide range of languages are taught formally or informally, in local communities and at home," McKinnon said, adding that this includes many families with Chinese-speaking backgrounds. New Zealand has more than 260,000 people of Chinese origin. The number of primary and secondary school students in New Zealand learning Chinese was nearly 70,000 before the pandemic, with more than 400 primary and secondary schools offering Chinese courses, according to New Zealand's Ministry of Education. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) As part of a global movement for greater gender parity via language, the Danish Language's governing body is working to include more neutral terms for each gender in the upcoming edition of its official dictionary. Revision of 'Retskrivningsordbogen' Danish media sites report that in 2024, the official Danish spelling dictionary, the Retskrivningsordbogen, will be updated to make its language more gender-neutral and combat gender stereotypes. Researchers at the Danish Language Council, an organization under the Danish Ministry of Culture, have sifted through its over a thousand pages to find male terms with no feminine counterpart or work to revise outdated meanings. According to the Danish news outlet DR, they have recommended adding the phrase "career man" to the Danish language to complement the current term "career woman." For instance, the term "finansmand" (financier) is one of several Danish nouns ending in -mand, or "man," however, it may be rendered as "finanskvinde" (female financier). The plan calls for more gender-neutral word definitions, including eliminating the usage of male pronouns like the mentioned example. Senior researcher at the council and dictionary editor Margrethe Heidemann Andersen said the initiative has garnered more attention in Denmark than the council's usual rule revisions in that control items like commas. She pointed out that the issues involving identity and gender evoked the strongest reactions. One of the three editors for the new edition is Heidemann Andersen. She told DR that they went through the whole Retskrivningsordbogen, looking up every instance of the terms "woman," "person," and "man" that ended in those Danish letters. They tallied up the frequency with which each term appears in conversation. Sometimes, they even suggested using the female forms of the terms. They also suggested using gender-neutral terms and revising definitions that rely too much on stereotypically female or male pronouns. In DR's interview with Heidemann Andersen, this meticulous procedure was carried out to consider linguistic change. However, "there are some people who have grown up with a language who think we are changing too much, and do not think we need a word like female financier," she explained. See Also: California Court Halts School District Law Requiring Parental Notification If Student Changes Gender Identity Cultural Disagreements According to The Washington Post, the question of whether and how languages with grammatical genders may be adapted to societal developments has been a source of contention for many cultures in recent years. The gender-neutral pronoun 'hen' was officially introduced to the Swedish vocabulary in 2015. In recent years, certain German towns and government entities have required gender-neutral wording in official papers. However, equality plans have been met with resistance in certain other locations. In 2021, the Academie Francaise, the French organization in charge of linguistic standards, said that the gender-neutral variety of French known as "inclusive writing" was detrimental to the use and comprehension of French. Meanwhile, some Hispanics in the US have fought back against initiatives to use "x" after nouns in place of the masculine "o" or feminine "a." See Also: WSJ Editorial Details How Parents in Blue States Fight Back Against Gender Ideology @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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. Steelcase Inc. provides a portfolio of furniture and architectural products in the United States and internationally. It operates through Americas, EMEA, and Other segments. The company's furniture portfolio includes furniture systems, seating, storage, fixed and height-adjustable desks, benches, and tables, as well as complementary products, such as work accessories, lighting, and mobile power and screens. Its seating products comprise task chairs; seating for collaborative environments and casual settings; and specialty seating for specific vertical markets, including education and healthcare. The company's interior architectural products comprise full and partial height walls and architectural pods. It also provides textiles, wall coverings, and surface imaging solutions for architects and designers; and workplace strategy consulting, lease origination, and furniture and asset management services. The company markets and sells its products to corporate, government, healthcare, education, and retail customers under the Steelcase, AMQ, Coalesse, HALCON, Orangebox, Smith System, Designtex, and Viccarbe brands. It distributes its products and services through a network of independent and company-owned dealers, as well as directly to end-use customers. The company was incorporated in 1912 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Theratechnologies Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of various therapies to address the unmet medical needs in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company offers EGRIFTA and EGRIFTA SV for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with lipodystrophy; and Trogarzo, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, which is an injection for the treatment of multidrug resistant HIV-1 infected patients. Its pipeline products include F8 Formulation for the treatment of lipodystrophy in people living with HIV; and TH1902, which is in Phase 1 clinical trials for the treatment of various solid tumors, including HR+ breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, melanoma, thyroid cancer, small cell lung cancer, and prostate cancer. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay featured in Hollywood movie By Hoang Minh Mon, September 25, 2023 | 8:43 am GTM+7 Limestone karst mountains in world heritage site Ha Long Bay has appeared in a trailer for the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster The Creator, affirming the prestige of Vietnams tourism on global map. A view of Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Vietnam News Agency. During the official trailer for the American science-fiction action thriller film directed by Gareth Edwards, Vietnamese fans were surprised to see the thrilling scenes of Ha Long Bay with its towering karst mountains and crystal blue water. Gareth Edwards said the crew came to Vietnam to film limestone cliffs in Ha Long Bay. The film crew traveled 16,000 km to visit 80 different destinations, including Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Japan, and Indonesia. Gareth said he used to visit Ha Long Bay and was impressed by its majestic beauty and thats why he chose it as the setting for The Creator. The Creator stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, and Vietnamese actress Ngo Thanh Van, with the film being set in a dystopian world in which the human race is at war against artificial intelligence. The movie is scheduled to premiere on September 26 and be released in cinemas on September 29. Ha Long also appeared in many international films such as French-Indochina film (Indochine) directed by Resgis Wargnier in 1992; Pan and Neverland directed by Joe Wright in 2015 and Hollywood blockbuster "Kong: Skull Island" directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts in 2017. Around two hours to the east of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is famous for its cruise tours through the thousands of vegetation-covered islets and towering limestone karst mountains. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, Ha Long includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Ha Long Bay was named by UNESCO as a world heritage site twice in 1994 and 2000. Since its recognition as a natural world heritage, it has received heap praise from international media. Last February, American magazine Travel+Leisure named Ha Long Bay one of Asia's most stunning places to watch sunrise and sunset. The editors of American magazine Conde Nast Traveler then selected Ha Long Bay among world's 40 most colorful places "to brighten up winter days." The ideal time to visit Ha Long Bay is March-April and September-November. In addition to cruise tours, seaplane tours that enable tourists to admire the world heritage site at the height of over 300 meters are also available. Each tour lasts 25 minutes and costs VND1.6 million ($68) for Vietnamese and VND2 million ($85) for foreigners. Vietnam seeks semiconductor materials from Brazil By Tri Duc Mon, September 25, 2023 | 4:25 pm GTM+7 Vietnam expects large investments following the double upgrade of its partnership with the U.S. and would welcome Brazilian businesses providing materials for new industries including the semiconductor industry. Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said this at a meeting between a Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Brazilian businesses in Sao Paulo on Sunday (local time), as part of the PMs visit to the South American nation. The event focused on prioritized sectors, especially agriculture, trade-investment promotions programs, and business facilitation. The negotiation and signing for a trade agreement between Vietnam and the Mercosur (Southern Common Market), with Brazil as a member, is progressing, Minister Dien added. The ministry will send more staff to the Vietnamese trade mission in Brazil, he noted. From right: Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and two other senior government officials at a meeting with Brazilian businesses in Sao Paulo, September 24, 2023. Photo courtesy of Vietnam's government news portal. Dien called for bilateral trade to be stepped up, noting that while Vietnam-Brazil trade increased from $16 million in 1989 to $6.8 billion in 2022, it was just 1% of Vietnams total trade turnover. Vietnam was a gateway to the ASEAN market of 600 million people, while Brazil was the South American market of 400 million people, he elaborated, stressing there was huge potential for increased bilateral trade. PM Chinh said Vietnam was focusing on updating its market economy mechanism, streamlining administrative procedures, and building up a strong workforce as also its traffic-telecom infrastructure. He said he would welcome relevant suggestions from Brazilian firms. The PM also called on Brazil to open a chamber of commerce in Vietnam and urged businesses of both countries to push up technology transfer and cooperation in diverse areas including culture, tourism and sports. Vietnam was committed to collaborating with Brazil in negotiating agreements related to free trade, investment protection, double taxation avoidance and others, in a bid to facilitate businesses, Chinh said. "The target is to raise the bilateral trade to $10 billion in 2025 and $15-20 billion in 2030." Brazils foreign direct investment in Vietnam is currently modest with six projects with a total registered capital of $3.83 million as of August 20, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. DENMARK -- Dr. Daniel Black, author and professor of African American Studies and English at Clark Atlanta University will speak during Voorhees University's 2023-24 Lyceum Series and Voorhees Read Program. He will share with insights from his latest work, "Black on Black," at 11 a.m. Sept. 28 in Mass Hall on the campus. A limited number of copies will be made available. Dr. Black Dr. Daniel Black, author and professor of African American Studies and English at Clark Atlanta University, will speak during Voorhees Univers This marks Black's second appearance at Voorhees, where he previously visited in October 2022 to discuss his then-new book, "Don't Cry for Me." His works include "They Tell Me of a Home," "The Sacred Place," "Perfect Peace," "Twelve Gates to the City," "Listen to the Lambs" and "The Coming." Upcoming events in the 2023-2024 Lyceum Series include the Black Broadway Exhibit and Lecture, "They Say the Neon Lights Shine Bright on Broadway: Black Broadway Exhibit," by Broadway veteran and dancer John Parks; Through Her Eyes: One Familys Story from Enslavement to the Great Migration by Dr. Arthur Vaughn; and a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop in America with an exhibition of hip hop posters and a panel discussion featuring prominent members of the hip hop community. Voorhees University invites students, faculty, staff and the community at large to join us in welcoming Black as he inaugurates the 2023-2024 Lyceum Series and Voorhees Read Program. DENMARK -- Voorhees University announces the appointment of the Rev. Marie-Carmel Chery as the new Dean of the Chapel & Spiritual Engagement, as well as the Vicar of St. Phillips Chapel. In addition to these roles, she will hold the position of assistant professor of theological studies at the university. A graduate of the Episcopal University of Haiti, Chery holds a Bachelor of Religious Science and possesses a diploma from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Port-au-Prince. She has spent her life within the Episcopal community. Growing up in Haiti, Dean Chery's journey has seen her serving as a priest in various parishes across Jeremie, Cap-Haitian, and Leogane. Her ministry has extended to roles such as chaplain and a faculty member of the Episcopal Nursing School in Leogane. In her capacity as Dean of the Chapel & Spiritual Engagement, Reverend Chery fully embraces the core mission of Voorhees University. The university's mission is centered on the cultivation of highly qualified graduates who coalesce intellect and faith, fostering a pursuit of lifelong learning, promoting healthy living, contributing to societal betterment, and nurturing an abiding faith in God. We are excited to welcome Dean Chery to Voorhees University, Dr. Ronnie Hopkins, president, said. Her leadership is set to provide invaluable guidance, inspiration, and spiritual direction to the university's diverse student body, faculty, and staff. With her strong academic foundation and deep-rooted faith, Rev. Chery is poised to foster an environment where intellectual growth and spiritual development harmoniously converge, he added. Voorhees University looks forward to the positive impact that Reverend Chery will undoubtedly bring to the institution and the broader community. Her appointment reinforces Voorhees' commitment to providing a holistic education that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit. COLUMBIA South Carolina farmers and food processors who want to pursue organic certification may qualify for reimbursement through a grant administered by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. For some producers, organic certification can help reach new customers and align with existing ones. This funding enabled our farm to enhance our commitment to delivering premium, eco-friendly vegetables and chicken to our community while furthering our mission to promote environmental stewardship in agriculture, said Tim Rowe, who manages the Walterboro-area Blue Sky Sunny Day Farm, which received a cost share grant last year. The Organic Certification Cost Share Program will reimburse producers and handlers of agricultural products up to 75% of the operations total allowable certification costs, up to a maximum of $750 per certification scope: crops, livestock, wild crops, and handling (i.e., processing). The deadline to apply for reimbursement is Dec. 8. To apply for reimbursement programs through SCDA, visit agriculture.sc.gov/grants. (Photo : Brandon Bell/Getty Images) A Florida train crash resulted in the death of at least six people while leaving one critically injured following a locomotive smashing into a family SUV. At least six people are dead, including three children, after a freight train in Plant City, Florida, crashed into a family's SUV while on track on Sunday. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the tragic incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. It involved a Cadillac Escalade carrying a family and was struck at US-92 and Jim Lefler Circle by a train traveling at roughly 55 miles per hour. Authorities said the victims were traveling to a quinceanera at the time of the accident. Florida Train Crash In a statement, Sheriff Chad Chronister said that the tragic incident was seen catapulting and flipping violently several times after it was hit by the train. Officials noted that the people inside the SUV were "violently" ejected upon impact, resulting in the death of six while leaving one critically injured. Authorities identified the deceased victims as 52-year-old Jose G. Hernandez, the driver, 51-year-old Enedelia Hernandez, 17-year-old Jakub A. Lopez, 17-year-old Alyssa Hernandez, 22-year-old Anaelia Hernandez, and 9-year-old Julian Hernandez, as per WFLA. The remaining survivor was 23-year-old Guillermo E. Gama III, sitting at the front of the SUV. The sheriff's office said the individual was in critical condition at Lakeland Regional Health. In a statement on Sunday, Chronister said that he was asking the community to keep the family and their loved ones, as well as first responders, in their thoughts. He noted that the tragic loss was immense and that they were all praying for peace and comfort for the people impacted by the incident. The sheriff said their goal amid the desperation and senseless tragedy that the accident has brought is to provide every available resource to people in need and lighten their unimaginable burden. Video footage from a camera installed on the front of the freight train involved in the accident showed the driver approaching the crossing in Highway 92 and Jim Lefler Circle in Plant City, which was reportedly not signalized, according to CBS News. Read Also: Family Sues Google Over Outdated Maps After Man Dies Driving Off Collapsed Bridge At Least 6 Dead But instead of yielding at the posted stop sign, Chronister said that the SUV driver slowly crawled across the train tracks. He added that the train conductor did everything he could to slow the massive locomotive down, honked the loud train horns, and blared the flashing lights. The sheriff said that the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office was notified of the crash at around 6:48 p.m. by an iPhone that detected the collision. Chronister added that when officers arrived at the scene, they immediately went to work to investigate. A witness parked by the tracks also honked their horns to get the SUV driver's attention shortly before the tragic incident. The incident comes as the railroad crossing area is not well-traveled, and many drivers are not familiar with the area. While five passengers were flung into the air after the crash, two victims, the driver, and front passenger, were removed by officials who used the jaws of life. Authorities have not yet identified the exact relationship between the victims, said NBC News. Related Article: Georgia Police Investigating Murder-Suicide at Walmart That Left 2 Dead @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (TBTCO) - Cac quan chuc Cuc Du tru Lien bang My (FED) uoc cho la se giu nguyen lai suat on inh o muc cao nhat trong 22 nam khi ket thuc cuoc hop keo dai hai ngay vao thu tu, 1/11. Tuy nhien, cac nha au tu va nha kinh te se theo doi cac dau hieu e thay lieu lai suat co giu nguyen nhu vay hay khong - hoac lieu ngan hang trung uong co con nghi rang ho co the can phai tang lai suat tro lai trong nhung thang toi hay khong? You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Wyoming is a step closer to new rules that would reign in how health insurance companies in the state approve and deny medical care. Lawmakers on the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee agreed unanimously Friday in Saratoga to sponsor legislation that would regulate prior authorization in Wyoming for the first time. They did so despite objections from health insurance companies and industry groups, once again siding with doctors and hospitals as they have done throughout the interim session. Prior authorization is the process by which health insurance companies determine which treatments and medications they will cover and pay for under a patients plan. The Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act would have broad implications for how doctors and health insurance companies manage treatment and prescription approvals for patients. The new regulations would impose time limits, create an automatic approval process for doctors and eliminate the need for approvals for opioid use disorder medications. Health insurance companies would have to respond to prior authorization requests within 24 hours for urgent care and five business days for all other services. Doctors who have their requests approved 80% of the time over a year would be eligible for a gold card that would allow them to skip the prior authorization process for certain treatments. Health insurance companies would also have to give doctors the chance to explain their treatment plans before their requests are denied. While many of the changes would rework the relationship between medical providers and health insurance companies, they would also directly reshape patient care in Wyoming. The rules would guarantee patients access to previously approved treatments and medications for at least 90 days after they switch health insurance plans. Patients would be shielded for a year if their health insurance plan changes their coverage or the approval criteria for their treatment. They could also access physical therapy and other rehabilitative services without needing prior approval. Health insurance companies in Wyoming would also have report their prior authorization data publicly for the first time under the regulations, including when and why they deny care. Doctors, hospital administrators and medical groups applauded the new rules Friday during testimony, presenting prior authorization as one of the most pressing challenges health care providers and patients face. It will improve the amount of time that my staff have to actually do what we want to be doing and thats taking care of people, said Jeffrey Mincy, the CEO of North Platte Valley Medical Center. This is not a challenging decision to decide: Are prior authorizations overly burdensome? Mincy said. They indeed are. While medical providers backed the regulations, health insurance companies and groups like Americas Health Insurance Plans, the industrys advocacy and trade organization, raised a series of objections, offering lawmakers a numbers of amendments to address their concerns. They asked lawmakers to strike the gold card program for doctors and the exemption for opioid medications, as well as the requirement that doctors have the chance to talk with health insurance companies before their treatment requests are denied. Representatives for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming and Mountain Health CO-OP also appealed for longer response times for urgent care requests and shorter timeframes for authorization reviews, among other asks. They gave a myriad of reasons why they wanted to overhaul the bill, arguing that various provisions would create more bureaucratic hurdles, impacting response times and affecting care for patients while raising costs and premiums. In what has at times been a heated debate, the health insurance companies also pointed to malpractice and the need for oversight of doctors in highlighting the necessity of prior authorization. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming wants to pay for appropriate care and we do not use prior authorizations just to avoid paying claims, said Heather Roe Day, a lobbyist for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming. Prior authorizations are important for ensuring members receive safe and effective health care while protecting their health care dollar. Lawmakers were unconvinced by the arguments. They voted to advance the bill to the 2024 legislative session without weighing or including any of the amendments the health insurance groups had called for. The decision brings an end, at least for now, to months of wrangling. Prior authorization was one of the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committees interim priorities. Over the panels three meetings it received significant attention, including a dedicated working group led by Sen. Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, and Rep. Sarah Penn, R-Lander, meant to bridge the differences between doctors and health insurance companies. While all of those involved suggested prior authorization in Wyoming needs reform, lawmakers have continually sided with the doctors and medical providers advocating for greater regulation of the practice. During Fridays meeting, health care groups again testified that prior authorization was a system run amok. Insurance creates and places a ton of burden on providers to jump through hoops to deliver the care that they think is best for patients, said Josh Hannes, the vice president of the Wyoming Hospital Association. We think that that power dynamic needs to change. What is the role of insurance? he said. What we would say is that the role of insurance is to simply pay health care bills, full stop. Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in Wyoming, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Star-Tribune app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. A State of Mind, a Wyoming PBS series that discusses Wyomings mental health crisis and patient journeys, won an award at the National Educational Telecommunications Associations 55th Annual Public Media Awards. A State of Mind examines the state from the point of view of both experts and patients as they try to navigate Wyomings high rates of addiction, suicide and other mental health issues. Episodes include discussions of veterans mental health, first responders mental health and how The Cowboy Code can create a stigma around seeking help. A State of Mind: Confronting Wyomings Mental Health CrisisThe Lone Wolf, which features the stories of several who overcame substance abuse, won in the ContentTopic Feature category, according to a press release from Wyoming PBS. The series has also won a few Heartland Emmys. Wyoming PBS has experienced a record breaking year for awards. The series, A State of Mind received three Heartland Emmys earlier this year, said Joanna Kail, Wyoming PBS chief executive officer and executive producer for A State of Mind. Its an honor to accept this years Public Media Award for an incredibly important and meaningful series. Wyoming audiences can look forward to a second season of A State of Mind premiering in 2024. The series is produced for Wyoming PBS by Mat Hames with Alpheus Media. Wyoming PBS is available on various channels throughout the state as well as online as wyomingpbs.org and through the PBS app. Various business chambers have welcomed the call-out of members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force volunteers to support the crime fight. However, they have some concerns. This follows a proclamation from President Christine Kangaloo on Monday calling out to duty 100 Trinidad and Tobago Volunteer Defence Force to strengthen the TTDF capabilities to support the police The proclamation went into effect on Monday and will end February 29, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron announced they will pull out France's military presence from Niger. He confirmed this decision on Sunday, Sept. 24, claiming that the West African country no longer wants to fight terrorism. French President To Pull Out France's Military in Niger As of writing, Niger is still under the control of a military junta. Although this is the case, Macron still wants to pull out his French military troops and ambassadors. CNN World reported that the French leader's decision is the latest major development during the high tensions between France and Niger. "We are putting an end to our military cooperation with the de facto authorities of Niger because they don't want to fight terrorism anymore," explained the French leader. Right now, the French government doesn't consider military authorities as the main authority of the African country. Officials said that Niger's only legitimate authority is ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. Macron explained that they decided to end the France-Niger cooperation because they were not there to deal with internal politics and "be hostages of putschists." He said they will continue to consult the military junta leaders to ensure the French military pull-out can be done peacefully. "They will come back in an orderly manner in the weeks and months to come, and for that, we will coordinate with the putschists because we want this to happen calmly," said Macron. The French president wants their troops and ambassadors safely pulled out of the West African nation before 2023 ends. Read Also: Philippines Slams China's Floating Barrier in Contested South China Sea, Claiming It Prevents Filipinos From Fishing Will Niger's French Aircraft Ban Be an Issue? On Saturday, Sept. 23, Niger's military leaders decided to ban France's aircraft and airplanes chartered by the French airlines, such as Air France. They said the African country's airspace is open to all international and national commercial flights except French airplanes. But, The Guardian reported that it is still unclear if this French aircraft restriction will prevent France's soldiers and ambassadors from leaving the country. This will depend on the upcoming conversations between Macron and Niger's military leaders. Numerous factors, such as possible demands from Niger junta leaders, can play a major role in France's military presence withdrawal. If you want to learn more details about the ongoing issue in Niger, you can click here. Related Article: Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad Death: Nigerians Protest Over Mysterious Case of Afrobeats Star @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For saying absolutely nothing in 126 words, yesterdays media release from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on the crime crisis would be hard to beat. Following the fatal shooting of eight men between Sunday night and Monday afternoon, Dr Rowley issued a statement describing crime in Trinidad and Tobago as now gone beyond concerning to the ridiculous. Creepy crawlies are taking over Tucson this weekend when the Tucson Reptile and Amphibian Show opens its doors, along with the Arizona Insect Festival. The popular Reptile and Amphibian Show will be held at a new venue Old Pueblo Hall at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road on Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1 After seeing its largest turnout ever last year, with more than 11,000 attendees, the organizer is ready to welcome visitors with alligators, crocodiles, cobras, mambas, gabon vipers, poison dart frogs, monitor lizards, giant tortoises, pythons and tree vipers, amongst other exotic creatures. For those looking for a hands-on experience, there will be a reptile petting zoo for kids and adults. Food trucks will be on site, along with more than 100 vendors from across the country who will be displaying and selling hundreds of species, along with supplies and other merch. All the reptiles and amphibians for sale will be captive bred or vetted imports, non-native to Arizona, and non-venomous, said Mark Wolfson, the shows director. Non-captive bred animals are for advanced keepers only. Captive bred reptiles make better pets. The show will be open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 for those 12 years old and up; $5 for ages 6 to 12; and free for children 5 and under. Admission is cash only, but it grants you access for the entire weekend. Learn more at tucson reptileshow.com . Also on Sunday, the University of Arizonas Department of Entomology is hosting its free, day-long Insect Festival, which draws thousands of visitors each year. This years theme insect is the tarantula hawk which is technically a large wasp known for its sting. It paralyzes and lays its eggs on tarantulas, providing a large meal for its developing offspring. According to the Insect Fest, the tarantula hawk is easily recognized by its jet-black body, bright orange wings, and often curled antennae. Theyre often seen sipping nectar from flowers all over Tucson. Chat with an insect scientist at the festival, take in the interactive exhibits and grab a bite at a food truck. Its happening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the ENR2 building on the UA campus, 1064 E. Lowell St. Parking is free. Learn more at arizona insectfestival.com. One man was killed and another was seriously wounded Saturday night in a shooting at a convenience store on Tucson's east side, police said. The shooting occurred about 10:15 p.m. at the QuikTrip at 1250 S. Pantano Rd., police said. One man died at the seen. A second man who went to a nearby hospital with life-threatening gunshot injuries was later determined to have been involved in the shooting at the store, police said. No details about the shooting had been released by police Sunday afternoon. Robison Elementary librarys name is about to change, but some things will stay the same. Margaret Gallego will be the school librarys new namesake. She has taught elementary school for a total of 47 years, is working on her 42nd year at Robison and is not yet uttering the word retirement. Friday was library time for Gallegos second-grade class at Robison, 2745 E. 18th St. Some of those students are the second generation of children Gallego has taught. Boy, its just beautiful to see, she said with pride in her students. One of Gallegos greatest influences was her mother, who taught in Mexico. Recent generations of Gallegos family teach, too. She has a niece who teaches and a granddaughter who applied for Teach Across America. The granddaughter died at 18, before she could even begin her teaching career. Now Gallegos family teaching tradition will continue not just in spirit, but in brick-and-mortar form. The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board voted Sept. 12 to approve renaming Robison Elementarys library as the Margaret H. Gallego Library. Board members were presented letters supporting the change. In her reserved and unassuming manner, Ms. Gallego has been a visionary spanning cultural divides, the torchbearer of tradition and the mainstay of education for multiple generations of Robison families, one letter read. Strong sense of community Another, written by a former teaching colleague, said they watched Margarets soft teaching style with her students and how her older students flocked to her throughout the day with hugs and kind words. Years later, that former teacher had a student in Gallegos class. The teacher was a classroom volunteer in Gallegos classroom. Her classroom was a safe haven and had a strong sense of community. She was able to take students from non-readers to readers. She inspired my daughter to work on her math skills until she was more confident in her abilities. She took non-writers to writers. Another letter writer said Gallego inspired them to go into education and to eventually become a school administrator. The library is a place of learning and discovery, and Mrs. Gallegos commitment to education makes her an ideal candidate for this honor, the writer added. Many, many of Gallegos family members attended the board meeting. She seemed overwhelmed. At the library, among her students, she was more at ease. Physically, the school has changed, Gallego said of Robison. Programs come and go. You see the pendulum swinging back and forth in curriculum. Dedication makes both the teacher and the student, Gallego said her mother taught her. A lot of it is focus and dedication. We are all born intelligent, Gallego said. They can all succeed. Were all the same. This is where ideas flourish Gallego said she wants her students to expand their knowledge. This is where ideas flourish. Theyre able to voice their opinions, she said as her second-graders combed the librarys shelves for books. They hit the jackpot. If you want book recommendations, a school library is the place to be. Ask one of Gallegos students what theyre reading and the rest chime in, too. One boy had a book about farming. A bright green tractor took up the front cover. A little girl was going to read one of the Frances the Badger series books by Russell Hoban. They were first published in the 1960s. Both children appeared thrilled with their selections. By all indications, this installment of library time was a good one. Enthusiastic second-graders, clutching books, started to line up near the door. It was almost time to move on to the next class. Gallego looked at her group, her eyes shining. Shes seen a lot over the course of 47 years, but one thing sticks out to her the most. I see the kindness. I see the future. Theres a lot of hope. PHOENIX Accusing GOP senators of partisan obstructionism, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Monday she wont seek confirmation of any of her nominees to head state agencies who havent already been through the process. But she is doing it in a way to ensure that those she chooses continue to serve: She is naming each of them as executive deputy directors of their respective agencies, positions that do not require Senate confirmation. In a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, the Democratic governor accused Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman, who chairs the Committee on Director Nominations, of being not just disrespectful to her choices but trying to leverage the confirmation of qualified nominees for the implementation of his policy preferences within the executive branch. He has contacted nominees to imply that their confirmation hinged on the rescission of long-standing agency policies over which he has no authority, Hobbs told Petersen. He has held up the confirmation of a nomination simply for identifying as pro-choice. Withdrawing the nominees from consideration, Hobbs said, will ensure that state government can continue to function for Arizona. The net effect is that each agency will function without a director, said the governors press aide, Christian Slater. That is not unusual on a short-term basis, as deputy directors often fill in when someone quits or is fired. But this would mark the first time, on a wholesale basis, that 13 agencies will be functioning that way. This isnt a dictatorship The move will get a legal fight. There is no getting around the process, Petersen, a Gilbert Republican, told Capitol Media Services. We have a system of checks and balances, he said. This isnt a dictatorship. Petersen said the rejections of several appointees was justified, saying that list included several people who were either incompetent or overly partisan. He did not spell out which ones hes claiming fell into either category. He said Hobbs maneuver is little more than a political charade. It doesnt matter what she calls someone, he said. If they are the actual director, they must be confirmed. Petersen said anyone who is running the agency, regardless of title, has to be confirmed by the Senate. There is a provision that allows director nominees to serve up to a year if they have not been confirmed. Petersen said as far as he is concerned, if a person running a department has not been through the process and been approved by the Senate, they lose their jobs. There appears to be no authority for the Legislature to fire an employee of the executive department. Even if there were, any legislative action would be subject to veto by the governor. But Petersen said he is relying on a section of law that says for certain offices, the governor shall nominate and with the consent of the Senate appoint such officer as prescribed. He also said the laws establishing each agency require they be headed by a director appointed by the governor. Those laws say it is the director who administers the department and determines compensation. Petersen particularly cited a law dealing with the Arizona Department of Housing. On Sept. 14, Hoffmans panel rejected Hobbs choice of Joan Serviss to head the agency amid claims she had plagiarized, which Serviss disputed. That statute spells it is the job of the director to appoint a deputy director. Hobbs may have outmaneuvered foes It appears, though, that Hobbs may have anticipated that and outmaneuvered the Senate. The key is timing. Slater said that once she withdrew each nomination, each agency had no director. That allowed her to appoint an interim director who, in turn, was empowered to name a deputy. Then, after completing that chore, he said, each agencys interim director promptly quit, often having served no more than five minutes. And Hobbs has her own list of legal provisions Slater said back her actions. Theres no statute that limits the time a deputy director can serve, he said. Another law says each agency deputy director possesses the powers and may perform the duties prescribed by law for the office of the principal. Hoffman accused Hobbs of throwing petulant temper tantrums when she doesnt get her way. He defended the panels decisions to reject the nominees it did, saying its part of the Senates role under the constitutional system of checks and balances. It hasnt always been that way. For example, under the old system, the choice by Hobbs of Jennifer Toth to head the Arizona Department of Transportation would have gone to the Senate Transportation and Technology Committee instead of to Hoffmans panel, which rejected her. Sen. Lela Alston, D-Phoenix, said the Transportation committee members might have background in transit issues. What changed is this is the first time in 15 yeas the Republican-controlled Legislature has had to deal with a Democratic governor and her nominees. So Petersen this year created the Committee on Director Nominations to handle all appointments and appoint Hoffman, a Queen Creek Republican and head of the conservative Arizona Freedom Caucus, as its chair. Others rejected by the new committee included nominees for health director and for registrar of contractors. Nominees grilled on personal feelings Hoffman has grilled nominees on their personal feelings about issues. In Toths case, he asked what she thought whether racism plays a role in road construction decisions and whether toxic masculinity is a factor in accidents. Toth, who was director of the Maricopa County Transportation Department, responded it is her job to adopt the policies set out by the governor and the Legislature. Her feelings arent relevant, she said. This committee is here to evaluate you, Hoffman shot back. And I feel that its relevant, which is why Im asking the questions. Others havent even gotten a hearing, including Karen Peters, a deputy Phoenix city manager nominated by Hobbs to head the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Hoffman said at the time there was concerning information about her but did not specify. For the moment, Peters is getting the last word. In a memo Monday to ADEQ staff, she announced her new position as executive deputy director not subject to Senate confirmation. In that role, Peters said she will serve in Hobbs cabinet, just as if she were actually the director. With the governors action, the next move is up to Petersen, as Slater said Hobbs has no intention of seeking a court order over her powers. The Senate president said he has no such hesitation, though. This ones black and white, he said of his reading of the governors powers. No question on the legal outcome. Hoffman agreed. The law is on our side, he said. It could end without a court fight, however. In her letter to Petersen, Hobbs said she will resume sending nominations to the Senate if it resumes confirming nominees as contemplated by law. Whether youre buying your first home or thinking about moving to a different state, there are a number of different insurance policies you need to be aware of. The insurance landscape and what is mandatory or optional can get a little confusing. This is because insurance types will differ depending on the state. For the purpose of this article, if an insurance type is mandatory in the vast majority of states, its safe to say that that you should get it. For starters, theres a reason theyre overwhelmingly mandatory. For example, there are over 2 million car accidents a year, which is why car insurance is considered mandatory. Secondly, if you are living in a different state for a prolonged period, getting the right insurance will help you avoid a tax penalty for inconsistent coverage. Insurance that is not mandatory but you should consider it Even non-mandatory insurance should be readily considered. Across the U.S., there are a number of insurance types that are growing in popularity due to the stability and safety they offer in areas that can be financially damaging. These are as follows: Pet insurance In most jurisdictions, theres no legal mandate that says you have to have insurance coverage for your pets. Despite this, more than 70% of U.S. households own a pet an increase from 50% just 10 years ago and veterinary visits average $50 to $300, with some bills even reaching the thousands. This is why pet insurance coverage has increased 22% since 2021 and is expected to increase even further over the next few years. Travel insurance U.S. citizens do not need travel insurance, and yet, 38% of Americans choose to buy travel insurance before travelling. Of this 38%, 29% are younger citizens, and 25% are citizens earning more than $50,000 per year. In most cases, travelers are advised to get travel insurance, especially when it comes to health coverage, protecting you if your flight is cancelled and compensating you if your trip is cut short. Life insurance With the exception of the Civil Rights Act, no life insurance companies in the U.S. are legally required to provide coverage. That said, around 172 million Americans own life insurance, which is a 6% increase over the last ten years. Protecting a partner and family from financial losses is the main reason you would get this insurance, as it can help pay off debts, living expenses, as well as medical or final expenses after a devastating loss. Mandatory insurance Those are three insurance types that are certainly important to look into, but its worth noting that insurance coverage will depend on the person. In any case, its important to look at all the areas where financial protection would be worth it and make sure to enquire where applicable. As for the insurance types that are mandatory, you can find them all below. Car insurance 49 out of 50 states require American citizens to carry an active car insurance policy New Hampshire being the one state that only asks for proof of financial responsibility. Workers insurance 49 out of 50 states require worker's compensation insurance, which provides medical and wage benefits for injured or ill workers. Of course, each wage and medical benefit will vary, but the coverage is mandatory for every state except Texas. Professional liability insurance While this type of insurance is not widely mandatory, most professional bodies in the U.S. will request a minimum level of coverage before entering into business with you. States where it is mandatory are Idaho and Oregon. Homeowners insurance Again, while this type of insurance is not required by law, banks will require it as a condition of your mortgage. This means that, if you are going to be paying off a mortgage, you will need home insurance to do so. Health insurance Lastly: health insurance. This is another tricky one because, so far in the U.S., only six states require mandatory health insurance. These include California, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont. While it is no longer required in 44 other states, you will face a tax penalty if you dont have adequate coverage when living in a state that requires it. For more information, visit ocere.com. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this paid post belong solely to the advertiser and do not represent the views of Brand Ave. Studios or its parent company. This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com. 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 The $18.8 billion purchase of Magellan Midstream Partners by ONEOK Inc. became official on Monday. This is a significant day for Tulsa and the industry as we bring together the talented ONEOK and Magellan teams and look to the future as one company, Pierce H. Norton II, ONEOK president and chief executive officer, said in a news release. Our expanded products platform will present additional opportunities in ONEOKs core businesses and further enhance the resiliency of our company. We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition aimed at delivering on the many benefits of this combination for our customers, employees and shareholders. The boards of directors of both companies unanimously approved the transaction earlier this year. Last week, it was announced during separate conference calls that investors for both companies had also approved it. Officials said last week that the transaction would become official with satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, which occurred Monday, ONEOK said in the release. The combined Tulsa-based companies will have an estimated value of $60 billion. It will represent a full sweep in oil and gas infrastructure in the U.S., with potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in added revenue, Magellans President and CEO Aaron Milford said earlier this year. ONEOK is a leading midstream (storing and transporting) energy services provider with an approximately 40,000-mile network of natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines. Magellan primarily transports, stores and distributes refined petroleum products and crude oil. It owns the longest refined petroleum products pipeline system in the country, with access to nearly 50% of the nations refining capacity, and can store more than 100 million barrels of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and crude oil. Magellan will be a wholly owned subsidiary of ONEOK, meaning ONEOK will not change its name. Norton will continue to serve as CEO of the combined company. ONEOK intends to appoint one or two people from Magellans board to ONEOKs board of directors. Magellan has about 1,700 employees, with roughly 800 of them in Tulsa; ONEOK has about 2,840 employees. A spokeswoman at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce said researchers at the agency believe that the buyout is the largest private transaction in state history slightly more than the $18.355 billion purchase of Kerr-McGee by Anadarko Petroleum in 2006. However, that transaction would be valued at more than $27.53 billion in todays dollars. ONEOKs stock (New York Stock Exchange OKE) was up slightly in Monday trading. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. (Photo : Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required judges to take into consideration a parent's affirmation for a child's gender identity when making decisions in custody cases. California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a new bill on Friday that would have provided parental support during custody cases for children regarding their gender identity. The measure would have instructed judges responsible for presiding over such cases to consider a parent's support for the child's gender identity before making decisions. California's Child Gender Identity Bill Newsom also wrote a letter saying that while he shares a "deep commitment" to advancing transgender rights, he urged caution about making legal standards in "prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic." The Democratic lawmaker added that similar-minded elected officials in California and other states across the country could use such a strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities. The California governor noted that under existing state law, the court must consider a child's health, safety, and welfare in these proceedings. This is something that Newsom said already includes the parent's affirmation of the child's gender identity, as per the New York Times. While Newsom did not elaborate further on his stance on the matter, Scott Altman, a law professor at the University of Southern California, said that the veto decision could have stemmed from a concern that courts could overemphasize that particular fact of parental love. He also warned that it could lead to courts discriminating against parents whose religions adhere to traditional gender roles. The bill's sponsor, Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, said following the veto that she was "extremely disappointed." She added that she had already been "disheartened" by what she called the "rising hate and vitriol" toward transgender people." Newsom's veto decision is a break from the governor's usual stance on transgender rights, and Wilson called him a "champion" for LGBTQ people. The bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Scott Wiener, said the California governor was a "staunch ally." Read Also: UAW Strike: Biden To Joint the Picket Line as Workers Move Expands Gavin Newsom Vetoes Bill The vetoed bill, AB 957, was passed earlier this month by the state assembly and was quickly sent to Newsom's desk for his signature. While issuing his disagreement with the measure, the governor said that he appreciates the "passion and values" that led Wilson to introduce the bill in the first place, according to Fox News. Under the proposed bill, gender affirmation would have become one of the several factors judges should consider when deciding custody cases. Wilson noted that her bill would not have required parents to move forward with gender transition medical treatment. The situation comes after Newsom signed several bills on Saturday to bolster California's protections for LGBTQ+ people. These include legislation that focuses on support for youth within the community. One law provided timelines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff. Another creates an advisory task force that would determine the needs of LGBTQ+ students and help advance supportive initiatives. At the time, the governor said that the state is proud to have some of the most robust laws in the nation regarding the protection and support of the LGBTQ+ community. He added that they are committed to the ongoing work to create safer and more inclusive spaces for all California residents, said Yahoo News. Related Article: US Government Shutdown Could Lead to Pay Halts, Affecting Millions of Federal Workers @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A man apparently was stabbed to death at a south Tulsa apartment complex on Sunday afternoon. Authorities responded shortly before 1 p.m. to the Lewiston Apartments, 5226 S. Lewis Ave., where the man was found dead, Tulsa police said in a news release. The victim, Keith Stayer, 61, was found with a puncture wound to his back, Lt. Brandon Watkins said. A suspect and a witness were taken to the Detective Division and questioned, he said. The suspect was released pending further investigation and the witness was arrested on a warrant from another county. The investigation is continuing, Watkins said in a news release. Police did not say whether Stayers body was found inside an apartment or outside. The apartment complex is just southwest of Lewis Avenue and Interstate 44. The incident is the citys 38th homicide so far this year, police said. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Election deadline: Monday is the deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot for Catoosa Public Schools Oct. 10 bond election. The district has a $9 million proposal that would pay for classroom additions at the new Catoosa Elementary School that is currently under construction. Life after high school: Tulsa Public Schools will host its annual College and Career Fair from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the University of Tulsas Reynolds Center. College Board kudos: Bartlesville Public Schools announced Tuesday that eight of its students have earned academic honors through the College Board National Recognition Programs. To be considered for the award, students must have at least a 3.5 GPA and have either excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or earned a score of 3 or higher on at least two Advanced Placement exams. Additionally, students must be Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and/or attend school in a rural area or a small town to be considered. Annabelle Droege, Josephine McIver, Lauren Lee and Luke Huck each received the National Rural and Small Town Award. Cade Winter received the National Indigenous Recognition Award; Faith Foote received the National African American Recognition Award; and John Ortiz and Jacob Robledo received the National Hispanic Recognition Award. Stay home days: Monday is a distance-learning day for Liberty Public Schools. Friday is a distance-learning day for Jenks. Classes are not in session Friday for Lone Star, Pretty Water or Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences. School board calendar: The Board of Education for Tulsa Tech is scheduled to meet Monday. The State Board of Education is scheduled to meet Thursday in Oklahoma City. Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today An agreement between Tulsa Public Schools and a Texas charter school network to provide additional resources for Booker T. Washington High Schools Chinese language program was terminated a month ago, documents show. Obtained by the Tulsa World on Monday, a letter dated Aug. 25 was sent from Booker T. Washington Principal Melissa Woolridge to International Leadership of Texas Global, a nonprofit charter school network headquartered in Richardson, Texas, withdrawing from a partnership that allowed the Chinese language teacher at Washington to participate in supplemental professional development sessions provided through the networks Confucius Classroom Coordination Office. The two-sentence letter, addressed to International Leadership of Texas founder Edward Conger, does not provide an explanation for the decision. The termination date also was referenced in a Sept. 15 email from TPS Executive Director of Accreditation and Accountability Kris Serna to the Oklahoma State Department of Educations Accreditation Department in response to questions sent to more than 30 school districts about foreign contributions. The partnership has drawn the ire of State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who has maintained that it has provided the Chinese Communist Party a foothold in the district a charge repeatedly denied by TPS. The Confucius Classroom program primarily involves Mandarin Chinese language instruction. According to a report compiled in May by the Congressional Research Office, both it and its collegiate counterpart, Confucius Institutes, are now managed by the Chinese International Education Foundation, a nongovernmental organization sponsored by the Chinese governments Ministry of Education. Prior to 2020, both programs were directly overseen by a government office with ties to the Chinese Communist Partys external propaganda arm. Before working with International Leadership of Texas, Tulsa Public Schools had a similar arrangement with the East Asia Institute at the University of Oklahoma for more than a decade. OU hosted a Confucius Institute from 2006 through 2020. Its East Asia Institute closed in July due to staffing issues. International Leadership of Texas Global did not respond to calls Friday or Monday seeking comment. In a written statement publicly posted by an Oklahoma City television station, Conger acknowledged International Leadership of Texas Globals partnerships both with the Chinese International Education Foundation and TPS and said no teaching materials or money were exchanged with TPS. In a written statement issued Monday afternoon acknowledging the severed partnership, TPS officials also said they had not received any funds from the charter school network. The expired agreement provided for professional development for one world language teacher at a nationally recognized, Blue Ribbon award-winning high school, and did not involve the transfer of any funds to Tulsa Public Schools. The district has not received funding from International Leadership Texas Global, the statement says. When reached for comment Monday afternoon, Oklahoma State Department of Education spokesman Dan Isett pointed to a memo released by the agency on Friday, calling on the state Legislature to consider measures that would bar school districts from receiving funds from hostile foreign governments and require districts to collect and publish information about the funding sources of any organizations with which they partner. Due to a vote at the Oklahoma State Board of Educations August meeting, districts are already required to disclose whether they have received any funds or in-kind transactions from foreign governments, including through third-party vendors. Aside from Booker T. Washington, only a handful of publicly funded schools across Oklahoma currently offer Chinese language courses. Representatives from Jenks, Norman, the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics and Holland Hall a private school that receives public funds through the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program have each previously said their Chinese language programs currently do not have any affiliation with Confucius Classroom or the Confucius Institute. On this day in 1964, the giant Eufaula dam was dedicated by President Lyndon Johnson. He threw a few partisan references into his speech that had been billed as nonpolitical and promised to keep the Arkansas River basin development on schedule. "I'm here to assure you it will go on schedule," Johnson told the estimated 50,000 people who attended the dedication on Sept. 25, 1964. "I just had to break my budget one time this year," he said. "When this bunch of Oklahomans came down and pounded that cabinet desk, it cost me $14 million but it got the Arkansas back on schedule." Click here to read more, and take a look back at when presidents and presidential candidates visited Oklahoma: State senators were told this week that Oklahoma needs to take full measure, spend more money and educate the public to reverse its losing battle against what one expert called the green Dust Bowl. Eastern red cedar is out of control on state lands. An interim study, held by the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee at the request of Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, had experts with Oklahoma State University Natural Resource and Ecology Management and the states Department of Wildlife Conservation, Conservation Commission and Commissioners of the Land Office present their agency standings with control efforts of eastern red cedar. In its last session, the Legislature passed the Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act and focused $3.2 million on research and control efforts across a seven-county area in northwestern Oklahoma. Its been my archenemy for 30 years, OSU Extension specialist John Weir said of eastern red cedar and what he has come to call Oklahomas green Dust Bowl. Weir drew direct comparisons between the past several decades of uncontrolled red cedar expansion and the Dirty Thirties, with a natural element eliminating productive agriculture and wildlife lands, exacerbating drought conditions, impacting human health with expanded seasonal allergy and asthma, and giving rise to devastating wildfires. Weir used 19th-century photos of the state from crucial areas now covered in dense red cedar to show the treeless landscapes before modern agriculture, urban development and fire suppression became the norm. The majority of the prairie state used to burn every two years, he said. Native red cedars were rare and sacred, growing only in the steepest, harshest rocky terrains where fire could not reach them. Weir painted a costly picture of the problem with examples that showed how hundreds of acres quickly multiply to thousands and the costs to control the spread of the non-native eastern red cedar at hundreds of dollars per acre, with regular prescribed fires, grows to thousands per acre to recover whats lost. He recommended that the state first identify lands ripe for encroachment by the invasive species and use consistent and effective prevention and then work toward lands already inundated as a second priority. Seed dispersal from one red cedar tree can affect 26 acres, he said, and while most land managers have known its an issue, they have watched it happen. Management of the land is up to us, and it embarrasses me weve let it go this far, Weir said. None of the agencies has what could be called an inventory of red cedar issues on state lands. Wildlife Department Assistant Chief Russ Horton described an agency that tackles the problem to the best of its ability, area by area, at the request of biologists and with whatever funding might be available and its still not enough. Pressed for an idea of what it would take to eradicate red cedars from Wildlife Department-managed lands, Horton turned to an ideal world scenario and ballparked the number as tens of millions. Mike Sharp, geographic information coordinator for the Conservation Commission, said the commission has new technology to use aerial photography to inventory the issue on state lands. He said his agency could develop red cedar concentration maps and specific geographic information system map data. Current mapping information varies from county to county and needs more specificity, and the last round of aerial photos from 1995 lacked the resolution to pick out individual trees. Sharp said the state Geographic Information Office would request $750,000 in 2024 for higher-resolution aerial photos of half of the state during the leaf-off season. Commissioners of the Land Office Secretary Dan Whitmarsh described a suffering land ecology management scenario for his agency with a budget that boils down to less than $1 per acre annually for its 750,000 acres. He said drought mitigation had demanded most of that attention in recent years. Incentivizing CLO land lessees to make land improvements is also an issue because those improvements can increase the value of the grounds and price the lessee out of the next round of bids on the same land they worked to improve, he said. Murdock floated an idea to offer credit points to land lessees and quipped that he would love to be able to manage his own ranch lands at such a small cost. Whitmarsh said his agency recognizes the issues and that costs to recover will increase exponentially if we dont get a handle on it now. Qualifying his stance that he is no fan of state ownership of the land, Murdock said that in this case the state can do meaningful work and will need to spend money up front to show that the cost of action now saves money in the long run. What we can do is lead by example, he said. One thing I have picked up on is we need to get buy-in from the private sector. How can we ask them to get in on this if we cant clean up our own act? About Oklahoma Ecology Project The Oklahoma Ecology Project is a nonprofit dedicated to in-depth reporting on Oklahomas conservation and environmental issues. Learn more at okecology.org. <&rule> The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today.(tncms-asset)0c1de648-52fb-11ee-aa88-87df419c3c87[0](/tncms-asset) Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on Brazilian enterprises to beef up trade and investment activities in Vietnam to fully tap the great cooperation potential between the two countries, with the aim of boosting two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2025. PM Chinh was speaking at a powwow with representatives of Brazilian businesses in Sao Paulo on Sunday morning (local time) after he and his entourage arrived a day earlier for a four-day official visit at the invitation of President Lula da Silva. The political relationship between our two countries is very good, but trade and investment relations are still not comparable, as there is still a lot of room for cooperation that has yet to be tapped, the PM said at the event. Last year, the trade turnover between the two countries reached $6.78 billion, with Vietnam mainly importing from Brazil. Such bilateral trade remained modest as Brazil is the largest South American country with a population of 214 million people, Chinh commented. The Vietnamese government leader affirmed that Vietnam is actively negotiating free trade agreements, investment protection, and avoidance of double taxation to facilitate bilateral cooperation with Brazil. He called on businesses from both sides to build cooperation mechanisms into specific programs and projects, trying their best to bring two-way trade to $10 billion by 2025 and $15-20 billion by 2030 in a more balanced direction. The PM urged Brazilian businesses and their Vietnamese counterparts to foster understanding and fill gaps in information to promote both trade and investment relations commensurate with the potential and aspirations of the two countries. Both countries have products that can complement each other, with Vietnam exporting footwear, leather, textiles, farm produce, and more to Brazil, while Brazil's main exports to Vietnam include ores and minerals, cotton, animal feed, and raw materials and accessories for the textile, garment, and footwear industries, Chinh said. The powwow between Brazilian businesses and a visiting Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in San Paulo, Brazil, September 24, 2023. Photo: Nhat Bac / Tuoi Tre Regarding the fact that the two nations are far away, the PM said geographical distance is no longer a major obstacle nowadays, for aviation and maritime services are developing rapidly and Vietnam has many international transshipment ports. Affirming that Vietnam fully supports the opening of an office of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam, Chinh asked Brazilian and Vietnamese businesses to further promote the transfer of science and technology. With the current atmosphere of good bilateral political relations, the PM hoped that more and more Brazilian enterprises would invest and do business in Vietnam in the win-win spirit based on the principle of harmonious benefits, shared risks.' A free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR for its Spanish initials, including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) has not yet been signed, but trade between both sides has increased sharply in recent years, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, who also attended the powwow, commented. Dien therefore hoped that the FTA would be inked soon to make Vietnam a gateway for Brazil to enter Southeast Asias market of 600 million people, while turning Brazil into an entrance for Vietnamese businesses to move deeper into Latin America. The minister also suggested Brazilian businesses increase the supply of raw materials to Vietnam, especially new industries such as semiconductor technology. PM Chinh left Sao Paulo at noon on Sunday for the Brazilian capital Brasilia to meet leaders of the Brazilian Communist Party and the Vietnam - Brazil Friendship Association. The official welcoming ceremony by Brazilian President Lula da Silva for Chinh and the talks between the two leaders have been scheduled for Monday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Old artifacts are not only valuable, but also a keepsake for many families. Many people would be extremely sad if an artifact was damaged for some reason. In such cases, they may eventually find their way to an expert like Nguyen Khac Duy. Ten years ago, the man, now 34, who lives in Sa Dec City in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, returned to his hometown after completing his military service and assisted his family business in trading artifacts. Noticing that the supply of artifacts was dwindling over time, Duy thought of finding solutions to repair damaged items, which would allow his family to sustain their business for a long time to come. Giving old things a second life In the early days of trying to repair damaged artifacts, Duy's lack of confidence meant he only fixed his own artifacts for fear of further harming customers precious items. However, after some time, as the artifacts he repaired became more common, more and more collectors came to ask him to help them mend their damaged pieces. To repair broken artifacts requires many phases. The first is mixing the glue to stick on the lost part of the piece," Duy explained. "Only when the glue has dried can I begin to restore the shape of the lost or broken parts. "In the next stage, I use a sander and sandpaper to remove the preserved glue and make the glued parts look like the original state. In the next step, I cover the attached part with paint and trace the patterns of the lost section. "In the final stage, a layer of paint is applied to protect the pasted part and make it match the rest of the artifact." While some people think Duys work is easy when they see the artifacts that can be restored to normalcy after a few steps, the man said it is a time-consuming process that requires a lot of attention and patience. According to him, every single step in repairing a valuable broken artifact is equally important. Mixing the glue, for instance, entails an appropriate amount so that the broken parts stick well to one another and do not fall out easily when physical forces act on them. It is also necessary to be gentle when brushing with the sandpaper so that the solid parts can be polished smooth and in the best condition. According to Duy, the step of mixing colors is the most time-consuming, as he has to try to find the color that is most similar to the original. The only way is to mix the colors little by little until he has the one that suits his needs. His experience has been that when the paint goes from wet to dry, it can change into a different color and then he has to start all over again. Depending on the damage to the artifact, Duy would need a day or more to fix it. Each of the old or antique objects has its own interesting story, which always reminds Duy of fond memories. There was a customer who brought me a vase dating back to the 19th century that was completely broken. The artifact did not seem to have its original spirit when you looked at it at the time. When I was able to restore it to its original state, I could give it a second life. When they received the repaired artifact later, they thanked me and presented me with many gifts, Duy recalled. Duy said he regrets seeing the broken or damaged artifacts, so he often thinks of finding ways to restore them. He is happy that he can make a small contribution to protecting the ever-shrinking world of artifacts by returning them to their original state. I am so happy to be able to return the damaged artifact to its initial values, both emotionally and physically. An intact artifact shows its own spirit, which also benefits the owner when it is exchanged or sold, said Duy. The artifacts that were repaired by Duy. Photo: Chung Thanh Huy / Tuoi Tre Promotion of timeless values Looking at the artifacts repaired by Duy, it is hard to imagine that they were damaged in the past. The way Duy takes care of the ancient artifacts shows a great passion that drives him to do this extremely specialized work. I take the damaged objects from the customers and do my job. Then, when I look at them after they have been perfectly mended, I feel like I have overcome another challenge, he said. As you know, no two things are identical. For example, today I have to repair a bowl that is broken in two, and tomorrow a kettle with a shattered spout. It is the customers that make me train myself to cope with the different requirements, so I do not feel bored." In fact, few people know how many skills an expert like Duy must have to give an antique a second life. As a case in point, chemical knowledge is needed to mix the chemical ingredients in the reshaping and color design phase. Moreover, such experts must be artistically talented to redraw the lost patterns or details, and they must have archeological understanding to create the 'color of time' which resembles that of the past. All these requirements make the number of experts in this field shrink over time. To do this job, you have to be patient, skilled, and esthetic, Duy said. If you do not have any of those, it will be difficult for you to do it. For instance, you have to be patient when waiting for the glue to dry, which I often have to give up because of failure. I suffered many failures before I was successful. For example, in the color mixing phase, I never succeeded in combining the color the first time. Instead, I tried many times, adjusting a little each time until I had the color I wanted. Often, I tried almost ten times and failed until I had a color that was most similar to the original." Duy recounted that local authorities had offered him the opportunity to hold events at his home for visitors, hoping to promote the local tourism industry. But the expert admitted that he easily loses concentration when working in front of crowds. Besides, cleaning the artifacts raises so much dust that it may not be good for health. Therefore, Duy has temporarily declined this offer. However, he still spends time greeting people and explaining what his special job entails to anyone interested. In fact, the pundit also wants to pass on the ancient value that lies in the old items. I am always honest in my work. When I took the damaged artifacts from the customers, I told them that I could restore the objects to their original condition, not perfectly, but about 80-90 percent, Duy said. Fortunately, the customers eventually accepted the artifacts I repaired, although the fixed objects may not look like the originals. Besides, I suppose I work in the culture sector, hoping to preserve the old values and convey them to the people of today." According to him, todays market for artifacts is quite complicated, so many people refuse to accept the process of mending or repairing. Also, sometimes repairing is used to cheat others and turn a damaged antiquity into a valuable one. I always remember to keep my soul pure, light, and enthusiastic in my daily work, he said. Refusal to help cheaters Q.T., a collector of ancient artifacts who lives in Sa Dec City, speaks highly of Duy. Duy is an admirable person because he is so honest and says only what he knows," T. said. "When he repairs a damaged artifact, he only takes the amount of money that corresponds to his work instead of paying attention to the owner and the value of the object." He has frankly refused to take orders from people who wanted to make fake items to earn illegal profits." Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! PARIS -- France will pull its soldiers out of Niger following a July coup in the West African country, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, dealing a huge blow to French influence and counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel region. Macron said 1,500 troops would withdraw by the end of the year and that France, the former colonial power in Niger, refused to "be held hostage by the putchists". France's exit, which comes after weeks of pressure from the junta and popular demonstrations, is likely to exacerbate Western concerns over Russia's expanding influence in Africa. The Russian mercenary force Wagner already present in Niger's neighbour Mali. The French president has refused to recognise the junta as Niger's legitimate authority but said Paris would coordinate troop withdraw with the coup leaders. "We will consult with the putschists because we want things to be orderly," Macron said in an interview with France's TF1 and France 2 television stations. France's ambassador was also being pulled out and would return to the country in the next few hours, Macron added. French President Emmanuel Macron waits to welcome Pope Francis, ahead of a meeting at Palais du Pharo, on the occasion of the Mediterranean Meetings (MED 2023), in Marseille, France, September 23, 2023. Photo: Reuters French influence over its former colonies has waned in West Africa in recent years, just as popular vitriol has grown. Its forces have been kicked out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso since coups in those countries, reducing its role in a region-wide fight against deadly Islamist insurgencies. Until the coup, Niger had remained a key security partner of France and the United States, which have used it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa's wider Sahel region. Russia's expanding presence France's military base in Niger's capital, Niamey, had become the epicentre of anti-French protests since the July 26 coup. Groups have regularly gathered on the street outside to call for the exit of troops stationed in the capital. On one Saturday this month, tens of thousands rallied against France, slitting the throat of a goat dressed in French colours and carrying coffins draped in French flags. Pro-coup demonstrators in Niamey have waved Russian flags, adding to Western countries' fears that Niger could follow Mali's lead and replace their troops with Wagner fighters. Before his death in a plane crash last month, Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke in a social media clip of making Russia greater on all continents and Africa more free. Wagner's future has been unclear since his demise. Wagner is also active in Central African Republic and Libya. Western nations say it is also present in Sudan, though it denies this. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a return to constitutional order in Niger. French nuclear power plants source a small amount - less than 10 percent - of their uranium from Niger, with France's state-owned Orano operating a mine in Niger's north. Macron said he still regarded democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as Niger's legitimate leader and had informed him of his decision. MADRID -- A man died from his injuries after he was gored by a bull at a festival in eastern Spain, authorities said. The Spanish man, who was not named, was gored in his side by a bull called Cocinero during the bull running festival in the town of Pobla de Farnals in Valencia region on Saturday. He was taken to hospital but died later, officials there said on Sunday. A second Spanish man was gored in the leg by the same bull and was in a stable condition in hospital, they added. Bulls are released into the streets and runners dash ahead of them in a tradition played out in more than 1,820 Spanish municipalities every year, according to a recent survey by animal rights groups AnimaNaturalis and CAS International. Such events remain popular. But many activists say they are dangerous and cruel, and debates over whether they should be abolished have become more heated in recent years. Esteban Lazo Hernandez, president of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba, arrived in Hanoi on Sunday, beginning his five-day Vietnam visit at the invitation of the Vietnamese Party and state leaders. During his stay in Vietnam, the top Cuban legislator will meet with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Vo Van Thuong, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. He will attend some events in central Vietnam, including offering flowers at the Fidel Castro Monument and visiting the Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Hospital in Quang Binh Province; visiting the Hien Luong Bridge, the Museum of Hien Luong - Ben Hai special national relic site, the relic site of the Provisional Revolutionary and Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, offering flowers and planting trees at Fidel Park in Quang Tri Province, according to the Vietnam News Agency. The top Cuban legislator will also join Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat and head of the committees Organization Commission to attend a meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castro's visit to the liberated zone in South Vietnam (September 1973-2023). This meeting, scheduled for Tuesday this week, will be co-hosted by the provincial administration of Quang Tri, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! (Photo : Paula RAMON / AFP) (PAULA RAMON/AFP via Getty Images) Authorities from El Paso, Texas, announced that they would create another shelter to house migrants amid the surge of asylum seekers crossing the border. Authorities from El Paso, Texas, ordered the creation of new shelters in a frantic attempt to address the rapid influx of migrants crossing the border from Mexico. The situation comes as officials reported more than 2,000 migrants entering the United States daily seeking asylum. The high number of migrants crossing into El Paso mirrors the historic numbers of asylum seekers coming into the region last month, based on new government data. El Paso To Create New Migrant Shelter In a statement, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said during a press conference on Saturday that the city only has so many resources. He noted that the region has hit a breaking point and is forced to look at different resources. Leeser added that the city, which does not have the facilities to hold the rapidly growing number of migrants, is opening up an additional shelter that is estimated to be able to hold roughly 400 individuals, as per Axios. While the city mayor said that the situation was something that they had prepared for, the sheer number of migrants grew faster than they anticipated. Officials from the city said that roughly 6,500 migrants were seeking shelter and that more are expected to come in the coming days as US Customs and Border Protection processes more people. Additionally, authorities said five buses were chartered on Saturday to bring migrants to other cities, including Chicago, Denver, and New York. They added that the people boarding the buses did so voluntarily and were traveling to destinations they chose. Furthermore, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to "deploy more buses to Eagle Pass and El Paso" amid the rapid influx of migrants. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Republican said that Texas border towns should not have to shoulder the burden of United States President Joe Biden's open border policies. Read Also: Protestors in Staten Island Block Bus Carrying Migrants, Asylum Seekers; 10 Arrested Surge of Asylum Seekers Last week, The Biden administration said it plans to deploy an additional 800 troops to the border to help with the latest migration surge. The rapid influx of asylum seekers grew higher in the last two months following the end of Title 42, according to The Hill. The planned personnel will focus on "logistics and other functions at the border" that would allow more Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers to return to their core mission and responsibilities. Additionally, the administration said it would extend the Temporary Protective Status to nearly half a million Venezuelans living in the country. Leeser said that while the Democratic president has been a good partner regarding the situation, the overall U.S. immigration system is broken. He noted that many migrants from Venezuela lacked transportation to their desired destinations. The El Paso mayor noted that roughly two-thirds of the asylum seekers crossing into the city are single men, adding that 32% were families while 2% were unaccompanied children. Leeser noted that the same thing was happening repeatedly, said Reuters. Related Article: Biden Admin To Expand TPS To Nearly Half-a-Million Venezuelan Migrants @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Police in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday detained two employees of a forwarding company for their alleged appropriation of assets worth over VND2.3 billion (US$94,709) in total from their company. The two suspects are Nguyen Van Henh, 27, residing in the citys District 8, and Lai Chi Thanh, 28, a native of Vinh Long Province, located in southern Vietnam. A police report shows that Henh was appointed a team leader in charge of the companys business facility in the outlying district of Binh Chanh, where he was responsible for the import-export of mobile phones and electronic products. Serving as a delivery consultant, Thanh was tasked with arranging the delivery of mobile phones to customers. The duo were found to have abused their authority to appropriate a number of mobile phones stored at the Binh Chanh facility. Henh scanned the barcodes of the phones in order to resell them or ask Thanh to do so. Thanh also resold or pawned the phones that should have been delivered to customers so as to appropriate the phone sales. Their malpractices had not been detected by their employer for a long time. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man sustained numerous injuries and another person suffered fractured legs after a four-story house collapsed due to an unstable foundation in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday. At about 12:30 pm on Sunday, the house in Alley 133 of Binh Quoi Street in Binh Thanh District tumbled down. The house was under renovation at the time of the incident, the administration of Binh Thanh District informed on Monday. At the time, six workers, Ha Huu Thong -- the owner of the house -- his wife and daughter were inside the house. Two of the people escaped from the house collapse, while the seven others were trapped inside. Firefighters and rescuers in Binh Thanh District immediately rushed to the scene to save the seven victims. A screenshot from a video shows rescuers seeking victims of the house collapse incident in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Two seriously injured patients are in treatment at Gia Dinh People's Hospital in Binh Thanh District. A 23-year-old man residing in southern Soc Trang Province suffered many injuries, including a broken left femur, lung contusions, and wounds to his head, chest, and neck, the hospital informed on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, a 31-year-old man endured fractured legs. Four others with minor injuries were rushed to the Binh Thanh Hospital. Doctor Dung Thi Kim Hanh, head of the emergency department at the hospital, said one of them had been discharged from the hospital, while three others are now in stable condition. Their mental health is stable and their X-ray and CT-scan results showed no abnormalities. The three will be released from the hospital on Monday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Moderate to heavy rains triggered by a tropical depression in the East Vietnam Sea are dampening the central, Central Highlands, and southern regions until Wednesday, according to the national weather center. The national steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control on Sunday night issued a telegram asking the relevant ministries and provincial departments in these regions to proactively respond to downpours and the tropical depression. The tropical depression was spotted around 170 kilometers south of Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago at 7:00 pm on Sunday, packing strong winds at 39-49 kilometers per hour. The tropical depression is forecast to move westward at 10-15 kilometers per hour in the next 24 hours. It will be about 140 kilometers from Quang Ngai Province and 210 kilometers from Da Nang City in central Vietnam at 7:00 pm on Monday, with winds blowing at levels six and seven, gusting at level nine. The tropical depression might make landfall in the two localities in the next 24-48 hours. Due to the impact of the tropical depression, the central, Central Highlands, and southern regions are experiencing torrential rains, coupled with thunderstorms. Rainfall of up to 350 millimeters is forecast to batter the central region, while the Central Highlands and southern regions are facing a rain volume of up to 200 millimeters. The national steering committee urged the localities from Quang Binh to Phu Yen to control fishing boats and cruise ships to minimize damage caused by the tropical depression and downpours. These localities were also asked to inform the owners and captains of boats and vessels operating at sea of the movements of the tropical depression to avoid its danger and impact. The provincial and municipal administrations in the region were told to ban residents and tourists from swimming at sea during the period, and mobilize task forces to enhance rescue efforts. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A new movie adapted from a famous Vietnamese novel has drawn public attention to its storyline and, particularly, cinematography that showcases the beauty of the Mekong Delta. 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam,' or 'Song of the South' in English, is based on the 1957 namesake book by Vietnamese author Doan Gioi which centers on the adventures of a 12-year-old boy named An during the French colonial period post-1945 in the south. In the story, Ans mother dies during an attack, forcing the young boy to wander the Mekong Delta and depend on the kindness of locals as he searches for his estranged father. Official trailer of 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam' The 2023 film adaptation by director Nguyen Quang Dung comes 26 years after the premier of Dat Phuong Nam, a hit television adaptation of the novel. Nguyen Vinh Son, director of the 1997 TV series, was invited as the new movie advisor. A floating market in Mekong Delta region featured in 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam' At an event for local media on Wednesday last week, the film crew shared their hopes that the movies engaging storyline and stunning depiction of the Mekong Delta landscape, people, and culture would enamor audiences. According to Dung, who said his movie was inspired by the novel," the film adaptation takes some creative liberties; however, the main characters and plot mimic the original novel. This movie is extremely appropriate for families because it contains both funny and emotional scenes, said Tran Thanh, an actor and co-producer, adding that after watching it, you will love Vietnam and its people even more. A scene from the 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam' movie released by the filmmaking crew According to Thanh, Dat Rung Phuong Nam would also fit in well with Vietnams tourism promotion campaigns thanks to its depiction of the countrys beautiful scenery. Filming for Dat Rung Phuong Nam began in December 2022 and took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, and Tra Vinh Provinces. The most challenging takes were a floating market scene shot at Tra Su Cajuput Forest in An Giang which took about 60 days to prepare and features over 400 extras. A floating market in the Mekong Delta region featured in 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam' In a promo video for the film, producer Nguyen Tri Vien said that settings were the biggest challenge for making the movie and the hardest among them was the floating market scene. Now Mekong Delta people mainly use composite boats, so we had to build 50 wooden boats in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province and transported them to the Tra Su forest using an even bigger vessel, Vien said. A scene from the 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam' movie released by the filmmaking crew According to Tran Minh Tri, former general director of An Giang Tourism JSC, the entity charged with managing Tra Su cajuput forest eco-tourism resort, the venue will try to retain valuable filming settings in order to help promote the movie as well as Tra Su tourism to international tourists. Dat Rung Phuong Nam has captured attention from the public, with many excited to see one of their favorite childhood stories on the big screen. Some, however, worry that the new movie will be overshadowed by the previous successful TV series. Dat Rung Phuong Nam is expected to hit local cinemas with English subtitles on October 20. A scene from the 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam' movie released by the filmmaking crew Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The National Archive Center 4, a division of the State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam, situated at 2 Yet Kieu Street in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, has recently opened a digital exhibition center for woodblocks from the Nguyen Dynasty, recognized as World Documentary Heritage. On September 22, the digital exhibition center, displaying digitized documents and records related to the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks, was inaugurated at the National Archive Center 4, thanks to funding provided by the Vingroup Innovation Foundation. Following the opening ceremony, visitors to the National Archive Center had the unique opportunity to experience hologram technology which allowed them to delve into the stories surrounding the woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty (18021945). The hologram technology provides a three-dimensional projection that can be viewed without the need for any special equipment, such as cameras or glasses. Moreover, attendees can gain further insights into the process of compiling and engraving the woodblocks during the feudal period through the use of 3D mapping technology and sand art. This virtual exhibition section highlights a brief history of resistance against foreign invaders during various reigns of the Vietnamese feudal system. Visitors can immerse themselves in this virtual exhibition using VR glasses, created using original documents and records. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre Inside the new digital showcase room, visitors can engage with virtual reality technology, VR 360, to access information about the woodblocks and learn about the creation of this invaluable collection of records. According to Deputy Minister of Interior Nguyen Duy Thang, the launch of the digital exhibition center at National Archive Center 4 represents a pivotal step in promoting, safeguarding, and disseminating the significance of the woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty to a broader audience. This process will be expedited through a combination of traditional and modern methods. "These activities will transform National Archive Center 4 into a more appealing tourist destination, not only for tourists but also for domestic and international experts, particularly young people visiting Da Lat City," Thang commented. He believed that the new digital exhibition center in Da Lat can also pave the way for digital transformation in preserving and unlocking the value of records and archives in other cities and provinces throughout Vietnam. "With the assistance of this virtual exhibition space, we aim to provide those interested in Vietnamese history with easier access to the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks, recognized as World Documentary Heritage," said Nguyen Xuan Hung, director of the National Archive Center 4. "Consequently, we can connect researchers, educators, artists, and others who share a common interest in our nation's history, in the hope of promoting the values of Vietnamese history across various sectors." Visitors experience the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks in the digital exhibition center for the first time through hologram technology. Photo: M. V. / Tuoi Tre Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty -- World Documentary Heritage The Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks consist of an extraordinarily unique collection of 34,555 wooden plates engraved with Chinese characters. These blocks cover a wide range of subjects, offering insights into various aspects of Vietnamese society during the feudal period. Originally, the content on these woodblocks was used for printing books in Vietnam during the 19th-early 20th centuries. However, as printing techniques advanced globally in the early 20th century, the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks ceased to be used for book printing. Instead, they became valuable original documents preserved for reference and comparison with other historical records as needed. On July 30, 2009, the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks received recognition as World Documentary Heritage at the meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of UNESCO in Bridgetown, Barbados. This achievement marked Vietnam's first entry into UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme. The Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks are exceptionally rare documents, not only in Vietnam but also on the global scale. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Paramount will hold a series of intimate 2024 Upfront presentations during October. Similar to events conducted by CBS / Paramount in the USA, these will be multiple events in several cities, taking place over 2-3 weeks and tailored to smaller groups. In Sydney an event will be held at 10s Pyrmont headquarters on Tuesday October 24 (2024 slate is expected to be unveiled first here). Another event is set for Melbourne on Friday October 27 at Beverly Rooftop in South Yarra. These are expected to span content across 10 channels, Paramount+ and 10Play. Other upcoming industry events include Seven (Oct 18), Foxtel (Oct 26) and SBS (Oct 31). Screen Australia has announced $10m funding for six feature films, two television dramas and one childrens project. They include a third season of The Newsreader from Werner Productions, a six part ABC drama series Ladies in Black based on the novel of the same name by Madeleine St John, and a third season for Ginger and the Vegesaurs. Screen Australias CEO Graeme Mason said, This latest slate announcement presents an exceptional line-up of feature films and television series that have the ingredients to surprise, entertain and translate on a global scale. These high calibre projects speak to the remarkable talent within the Australian film industry, and the international appeal that Australian stories hold. This funding underscores Screen Australias commitment to nurturing local talent, showcasing their creativity with audiences worldwide, and supporting innovative stories that resonate. Whether you love crime drama, comedy or period dramas there really is something for everyone in this unique mix of projects. Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke said, These projects speak to the incredible breadth, quality and relatability of Australian stories. Australias screen sector is something we should all be proud of. Australian stories allow us to learn more about ourselves, come to understand each other and let the world get to know us. The Australian Government is proud to support an empowered and innovative Australian screen industry. Ladies in Black: A six-part drama for the ABC about a group of women who fling open their shop doors to the fabulous 60s. Directing all six episodes is Gracie Otto, whose credits include The Clearing, Heartbreak High and Artful Dodger. The writing team includes script producer Greg Waters (Riot, The Twelve), Joan Sauers (The Principal, Rake), Sarah Bassiuoni (The Heights) and Randa Sayed (Halal Girls). The series is produced by Sophia Zachariou (The Office Australia, The Moth Effect), Angela Littlejohn (Cleverman, In Limbo), Greer Simpkin and David Jowsey, whose credits also include Mystery Road: Origin, True Colours. Sue Milliken and Allanah Zitserman, who produced the Ladies in Black feature film, are attached as executive producers with Louise Smith executive producing for the ABC. It has received major production investment from the ABC and is financed with support from the South Australian Film Corporation and Screen NSW. ABC Commercial manages worldwide distribution. The Newsreader season 3: A six-part third instalment of the ABC series that digs behind the indelible images of the 1980s for a compelling, intimate, vital look at an era of great change. From The Newsreader season 2 is returning team, director/executive producer Emma Freeman, writer/producer Michael Lucas, writers Niki Aken and Adrian Russell Wills, producer/executive producer Joanna Werner and executive producer Stuart Menzies. Season 3 is also written by Christine Bartlett (Five Bedrooms). It has received major production investment from the ABC in association with VicScreen. International sales are managed by eOne. Ginger and the Vegesaurs season 3: Following on from the popular first two series, Ginger and the Vegesaurs season 3 continues the adventures of young Tricarrotops, Ginger in this 20-part adventure comedy series for the ABC. Season 3 sees Ginger and her trio of baby Pea-Rexes meet the giant but timid Pumpkinsaurus during the Spooky Forests honeysuckle harvest, and revisit familiar friends they have met in their travels. They will also witness natural phenomenons like thermal-air geysers and even a crazy snowstorm, which all the Vegesaurs must brave together. Ginger and the Vegesaurs season 3 is created by Gary Eck and Nick OSullivan. Eck, Sylvie van Dijk, Rebekka Schafferius, Bruce Griffiths and Angus Woodiwiss are writing, with Celine Goetz and Amanda Spagnolo attached as producers and Patrick Egerton and David Webster as executive producers. It is funded in association with and developed with the assistance of the ABC. It is financed with the support from Studio100 who are also managing international sales. Post, digital and visual effects are supported by Screen NSW. Funding is also approved for a feature film which is supported by the Australian Childrens Television Foundation: Runt: Set in the country town of Upson Downs, this family feature film tells the story of ten-year-old Annie Shearer and her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The film follows Annie and Runt as they try to save their familys farm from drought and hardship by winning the Agility Course Championship at the Krumpets Dog Show in London. Runt is directed by John Sheedy (H is For Happiness), written by Craig Silvey (Jasper Jones) and produced by Jamie Hilton (Sting) and Jessy Rolleston Palmer. It is financed in association with Screenwest, Lotterywest and the WA Regional Screen Fund, with support from the Australian Childrens Television Foundation (ACTF) and Screen NSW. Studiocanal are distributing locally and handling international sales. (Bloomberg) -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a televised address to the nation that his country is no longer being protected by its regional allies and security blocs in its decades-long conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan. Most Read from Bloomberg The analysis of the situation shows that the security blocks and allies, on whom we have long relied, have set a goal to show our vulnerability and make it impossible for the people of Armenia to have an independent state, Pashinyan added without directly naming Russia, Yerevans biggest ally in the region. The remarks come days after Russia decided not to intervene when Azerbaijan began a short military operation to take control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. About 2,000 Russian troops have been based in the territory, which is largely populated by Armenians but which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, since a war in 2020. Russia has historically supported Armenia in its repeated clashes with Azerbaijan over the territory, but President Vladimir Putins preoccupation with the war on Ukraine has left Armenia feeling vulnerable. Armenia has a defense pact with Russia, though it doesnt cover Nagorno-Karabakh and both countries are members of the Russian-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization. Armenia skipped planned CSTO drills in Belarus earlier this month after expressing anger at Moscows lack of support in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Days later, the Defense Ministry in Yerevan infuriated Russia by announcing joint military exercises with US forces to increase Armenian readiness for cooperation with NATO. In a call with Pashinyan on Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed US support for Armenia sovereignty and independence. Story continues --With assistance from Sara Khojoyan. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) made another promise to replace her Tesla EV during an interview. Aside from this, the American politician also explained why she still owns a Tesla Model 3 despite her recent claims of getting another EV. AOC Makes Another Promise to Replace Her Tesla EV According to Business Insider's latest report, AOC was asked on the Face the Nation if she still plans to switch her Tesla. The US representative said she wanted to trade her Tesla for a union-made electric car. "We're actually looking into trading in our car now," said Alexandria. This is not the first time she shared her interest in buying a union-made EV to replace her Tesla Model 3. In May, she also said that she wanted to own an EV made by an automaker that allows employees to unionize. In the same month, she also had an issue with Tesla's CEO Elon Musk after accusing Twitter (X) of allowing her impersonator on the platform. However, it is unclear if she made her statement about Tesla concerning her issue with the social media platform. "He's a billionaire. I could care less what he thinks," said AOC in May. As of writing, Tesla hasn't commented regarding the latest statement shared by the US representative. Read Also: Mitch McConnell Freezes During Interview, Raising Concerns of Senate Minority Leader's Health Netizens Confused by AOC's Explanation Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan asked AOC why she still owns a Tesla. "Is it a problem with the quality, is it a problem with the style, is the market just not there?" said the reporter via The Daily Mail UK. AOC explained that she purchased the Tesla Model 3 since it was the safest way to travel in 2020, the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that when the COVID-19 vaccine wasn't available, she had to travel between New York and Washington. The politician said she saw the Tesla Model 3 as their safest travel option. Many netizens were confused by her explanation. Meanwhile, other people just made fun of her latest interview. One of them said that if AOC's explanations make sense to others, they should quit the day and lie down. Another netizen said AOC makes word salad for breakfast, pointing out the representative's statement regarding the COVID-19 jab being unavailable and the Tesla Model 3 being the safest travel method. An X user also explained AOC's explanation, saying that the American official only got Tesla because COVID-19 vaccines weren't released yet during that period. These are just some of the comments made by netizens about AOC's latest Face the Nation interview. You can click here to see more. Related Article: US Sen. Bob Menendez Charged With Bribery; Gold Bars, $500K Cash Confiscated @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A pedestrians walks past the Aviva logo outside the company head office in the city of London By Iain Withers LONDON (Reuters) - Aviva said on Monday it had agreed to buy the UK life insurance business of AIG for 460 million pounds ($563 million), in the largest acquisition to date by the British insurer's CEO Amanda Blanc. Aviva said it would buy the unit - known as AIG Life UK - from Corebridge Financial, Inc, a New York-listed company majority-owned by AIG. Over the past three years, Blanc has prioritised hiking Aviva's investor returns and refocused the company on its core markets by raising billions selling business units around the world. Analysts at RBC said they viewed the deal as a sensible use of cash raised on a recent stake sale in Singapore Life, adding that their forecast for a 300 million pound share buyback at full-year results was unchanged. Aviva shares dipped 0.4% in early trading. Blanc said the deal would strengthen the FTSE 100 company's position in an attractive market and help position it for "capital-light growth". The transaction will add 1.3 million individual protection customers and 1.4 million group protection members, Aviva said, with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. The deal would represent around a 5 percentage point cut to Aviva's group solvency II cover ratio, the company said. Peter Zaffino, chairman and CEO of AIG and chairman of Corebridge, said the deal would help focus the business on life and retirement products in the United States. Corebridge was formed in 2021 when AIG spun off its life and retirement business and sold a portion of the company to Blackstone for $2.2 billion. AIG took Corebridge public in September last year, in a share offering that raised $1.7 billion. ($1 = 0.8173 pounds) (Reporting by Iain Withers, Editing by Louise Heavens) Vikki Sutherns was on holiday in the Manavgat area of Turkey when she died (Image: Getty Images) A tourist from Cornwall was killed when her electric Tuk Tuk scooter was struck by a vehicle from behind on the last full day of their holiday in Turkey, an inquest has heard. Vikki Sutherns was a passenger on the back of the hired three wheeler trike when the crash happened on a dual carriageway near Manavgat. An inquest in Truro heard that Vikki's partner Tom Tripp was driving the Tuk Tuk but was injured in the crash and has no recollection of what happened. The coroner was told that Vikki and farmer Tom had asked the hire company for helmets but were not supplied with any as they were told helmets were not required in Turkey. Vikki, a 51-year-old mum of two from St Allen, near Penzance, died from multiple injuries in hospital later the same day in November last year. The inquest heard the road was in good condition and the weather was bright and sunny. The artist-illustrator of childrens' books had been on a two-week holiday in Turkey and was due to fly home the day after the fatal crash. The assistant coroner for Cornwall Emma Hillson recorded a road traffic collision conclusion. Eerie photos unveil abandoned airport with planes rotting on runway. (Photo: AFP via Getty Images) A desolate, abandoned airport in Cyprus has been pictured with planes left rotting on the runway. The airport, just shy of 10km west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia, has been untouched for 50 years and eerie photos show what it looks like now. Nicosia International Airport is barren, but remnants of its past still remain with dusty chairs and old plans left on the tarmac. TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SONIA WOLF Bird droppings cover seats in the departure lounge inside the old Nicosia airport terminal building, now located within the UN-controlled buffer zone that separates the Turkish-occupied north from the south of Cyprus, on September 14, 2010. To mark the International Day of Peace, UNFICYP is organising a Cyprus Peace Concert at the decaying terminal that has been closed since the 1974 Turkish invasion of North Cyprus. AFP PHOTO/MONA BOSHNAQ (Photo credit should read MONA BOSHNAQ/AFP via Getty Images) It was constructed in the 1930s, used as the countrys main Royal Air Force station, but stopped commercial flights following the Turkish invasion in 1974. The airport now looks like something you would see in a zombie apocalypse film. When it was open the airports facilities were limited, comprising of three huts to form the main terminal with Customs, Immigration, Civil Aviation, Signals, Traffic and Operational Services. The site and runway were extended during the Second World War. NICOSIA, CYPRUS - MARCH 07: The former main terminal at Nicosia International Airport stands decaying inside the buffer zone on the southern, Greek side of the divided city on March 7, 2017 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The airport was abandoned following the ceasefire of the 1974 war and today stands derelict. Nicosia, the Cypriotic capital, has been divided into a Greek south and Turkish north ever since the brief but devastating war of 1974. Since then United Nations peacekeepers have maintained a buffer zone that runs through the city and across the entire island to keep the factions apart. In the south the Greek-dominated Republic of Cyprus is internationally-recognized and a member of the European Union, while in the north the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) is recognized only by Turkey, which also has tens of thousands of troops stationed there. Negotiations over possible reunification have made strident progress over the last few years, though they have stalled in recent months. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Between 1943 and 1944, American bombers used the runway as they returned from the Allied bombings of the Romanian oil fields. By 1948, Misrair, BOAC, Cyprus Airways and MEA all operated from Nicosia. The last commercial flights took off from the runway in 1977 under United Nations (UN) Special Authorisation amid the Turkish War. The airport had become a site of intense fighting between Cypriot and Turkish forces. A ceasefire was signed in August 1974, allowing the airport to integrate as part of the UN-controlled Buffer Zone which served to separate the two communities. NICOSIA, CYPRUS - MARCH 07: Family members of United Nations peacekeepers jog past a decaying and abandoned passenger plane of Cyprus Airways at Nicosia International Airport inside the buffer zone on the southern, Greek side of the divided city on March 7, 2017 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The airport was abandoned following the ceasefire of the 1974 war and today stands derelict. Nicosia, the Cypriotic capital, has been divided into a Greek south and Turkish north ever since the brief but devastating war of 1974. Since then United Nations peacekeepers have maintained a buffer zone that runs through the city and across the entire island to keep the factions apart. In the south the Greek-dominated Republic of Cyprus is internationally-recognized and a member of the European Union, while in the north the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) is recognized only by Turkey, which also has tens of thousands of troops stationed there. Negotiations over possible reunification have made strident progress over the last few years, though they have stalled in recent months. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Nowadays there are UN helicopters based at the site and there are recreational facilities for UN personnel. Shrapnel now lines the floors where holidaymakers once queued. Visitors to the island at the time would have included the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot. According to UN Law, Cyprus is recognised as the territory of the Republic of Cyprus under Turkish occupation. However, under international law, Turkeys occupation of Cyprus is considered illegal, with no country other than the Republic of Turkey currently recognising Northern Cyprus as a sovereign state. The island has been occupied by an array of different powers across history, including the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians and Romans. J.A. Bayona was given a homecoming heros welcome at the San Sebastian Film Festival over the weekend as he touched down for the Spanish premiere of air crash survival drama Society Of The Snow. The drama recounting the experiences of the Uruguay rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains in Argentina in 1972 was the closing film of Venice but in many ways its San Sebastian outing was a more momentous affair. More from Deadline The screening came just three days after the film was announced as Spains entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy awards. The picture is Bayonas first Spanish-language film since the 2007 title The Orphanage, which also represented Spain. The director was given a rapturous reception on Friday night as he took to the stage in the company of one of the survivors Gustavo Zerbino. He was then feted over the weekend by local industry at a cocktail at the swanky Maria Cristina hotel organized by Netflix, which is also celebrating its first Spanish Oscar submission with Society of the Snow. It was the first time that we were showing the film in Spain. It was very emotional to be back home shooting in your language again, after 16 years. We had the warmest welcome you could imagine. You could feel the love for the movie at the end. There was a very long applause, Bayona told Deadline on the fringes of the cocktail. The director said the response was welcome after the complex shoot in Spain, Uruguay and then in freezing conditions at altitudes of 13,000 feet (3,900 metres) in the Andes Mountains of Chile and Argentina, including the actual crash site. Story continues We shot in very similar conditions to what they went through. The whole film has been like a journey where I went with my actors, hand in hand, through all the experiences, and very, very in touch with the families of the people who didnt make it and the survivors, said Bayona. We nurtured them [the actors] with as much information as possible and then we went through the experience chronologically. It was a very intense journey, where every head of department had to give their best in in very difficult conditions. Once you see the film with the audience, it pays off. I had the impression that they went through the same journey we did when we were doing the film. Bayona revealed the production team raced to finish the film in order to show it to the Spanish Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences (AACCE) in time for consideration. Its been a very tough journey very, very hard to get here on time. We were finishing the film as we were showing it for the first time to the Academy members ahead of Venice. We were almost mixing the sound while we were showing the film to them, he said. Then, right after that we got to Venice. We didnt have time to process where we were at that moment. But here in San Sebastian, were more relaxed, more confident and it was a perfect night. Bayona has been put forward for consideration at the Academy Awards for his English-language films such The Impossible and A Monster Calls but has never been nominated before. For me, its like the best opportunity to make the film be seen by as many people as possible. Its a film to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible. Lets see if we have the time to show it to all the Academy members on the big screen. That would be fantastic, he said. Bayonas long-time producer Belen Atienza, who was also enjoying the San Sebastian vibe, agreed. Awards in themselves are great because theyre an acknowledgement for everyone involved, from the director to crew, but they also help the movie get seen everywhere. It gives a lot of visibility to the movie and when you do a movie, you want as much as people as possible to see it. The film is heading next to the Sitges Film Festival in early October and then on to Thierry Fremauxs Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon in mid-October. Further Best International Feature Film candidates playing in San Sebastian this year including The Taste Of Things (France), Fallen Leaves (Finland), and Io Capitano (Italy). The San Sebastian Film Festival runs September 22 to 30. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. As attorney general of Cape Colony from 1839 to 1865 William Porter drafted a constitution that enabled men of colour to participate in parliamentary elections (Photo: dfsds) On the contrary, William Porter was attorney general of Cape Colony from 1839 to 1865 and was credited by J L McCracken as being the father of Cape Liberalism in a book almost 30 years ago. William Porter was born in Limavady into a family which was both politically and religiously liberal on September 15 1805. The Rev William Porter, his father, was a Limavady Presbyterian minister, a prominent advocate of New Light Presbyterianism and the first moderator of the break-away Remonstrant Synod of Ulster in 1831. Both his father and Mary Scott, his mother, were the offspring of Tyrone tenant farmers whose radicalism stopped short of membership of the United Irishmen or participation in the 1798 rebellion. Presbyterians of all hues in west Ulster were less likely to be United Irishmen than their co-religionists in Antrim and Down. (However, the Rev James Porter of Greyabbey, who was hanged in front of his manse in 1798, was a distant relative.) William Porter Jnr embarked on an apprenticeship with John Classon, a successful Dublin-based iron and timber merchant, the brother of the Rev William Porter's second wife, Eliza. (Mary Porter had died in 1809.) The Classons were also New Light Presbyterians and politically liberal. The Porters formed part of an extended liberal network. Frank Dalzell Finlay, the proprietor and editor of the politically liberal Northern Whig, was the husband of William Porter's sister, Mary Ann. His elder brother, John Scott Porter, who like their father and two half-brothers was a unitarian minister, was a lifelong friend of Joseph Chamberlain's father. An eloquent public speaker, Porters interests were literary and historical. When it became painfully obvious that Porter had no aptitude for business, Frances Classon, John Classons unmarried sister, shrewdly suggested a legal career and John Classon generously supported him in his legal studies financially. As a result, he was called to the Irish bar in 1831. Story continues During the eight years he practised on the north-east circuit he took no active part in Irish politics, though his close associates at the bar were leading liberals whose views were broadly similar to his own. As a good Presbyterian liberal, he deplored sectarian strife and party spirit as the bane and curse of Ireland, had little if any love for landlords and admired Daniel OConnells consistent opposition to slavery. His only regret about Catholic emancipation was that it had not come sooner. Granted in 1825, it would have almost certainly created a better atmosphere in Ireland than it did in 1829 when it was wrung from a reluctant ministry. He regarded the Act of Union as a good measure but disapproved of how it was passed. Although he did not share OConnells ambition to repeal the Union, this did not prevent him from greatly admiring the man and his achievements. A tacit understanding arrived at in February and March 1835 between OConnell and Lord Melbournes Whig administration (the Lichfield House compact) made the second half of the 1830s a period favourable to the advancement of Roman Catholics and liberal Protestants. Somewhere in the region of 30 to 40% of government appointments in this era went to the former and many others went to the latter. Porter was a beneficiary of the pact because on March 19 1839 the London Gazette announced the appointment of Porter as attorney general of the Cape Colony. The post carried an extremely lucrative salary of 1,200 per annum and permission to practise at the Cape bar in cases in which the Crown was not involved. Porters arrival in the colony in September 1839 more or less coincided with his 34th birthday and he was to spend his next 34 years in the Cape. In his own words, he brought with him an unspeakable hatred of oppression of every kind and this remained his guiding principle throughout his career in the Cape. The role of attorney general was a hybrid one in which the line between what was legal and what was political was often blurred but he used the role to promote, and win acceptance for, his liberal convictions and insistence on equal justice for all, blacks and whites, masters and servants. His professional ability, personal magnetism and the high regard in which he was held by the colonial office in London enabled him to become the most influential public figure of his day in the Cape. Strictly speaking, he may not have been a brilliant lawyer but he was certainly a learned one and had an immense capacity for hard work. His linguistic skills and gift for lucid exposition, his melodious voice and physical presence he was tall and handsome also helped. So too did his courtesy and consideration for others irrespective of racial, religious, or linguistic background. He even won the respect of those who did not share his convictions. Remarkably, in 1854 he drafted a constitution for the colony which enabled men of colour to participate in parliamentary elections and vigorously defended his colour-blind franchise against all quarters. After retiring as attorney general in 1865, he was elected to the Cape parliament where in 1870 he introduced a bill to abolish capital punishment to which he was resolutely opposed. In 1872 he was offered the newly created position of prime minister of the Cape but declined, pleading ill-health. He also declined a knighthood and the role of chief justice. The following year he returned home to live with his brother the Rev John Scott Porter in Belfast. In his absence he was elected first chancellor of the University of the Cape of Good Hope, of which he was a generous benefactor, in 1876. He died, aged 75, on July 13 1880 after a short illness and a week after his brother. His will reflected his affection for the Cape in the large donations he made to a wide variety of causes and institutions there. As I already previously reviewed KLSC's last Blu-ray release of The Train so I'll defer to those words here: The war's end is near. The Allies are mere days away from liberating Paris. Before American, French, and English troops march into the city, Colonel Von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) has ordered the theft of the most priceless paintings, the cultural heritage and glory of France to be shipped off to Germany for his own personal collection. Under pressure from the French resistance leaders and the allies, railroad man Labiche and his team of saboteurs must find a way to safely stop the train without destroying the irreplaceable works of art. Our resident Classics Guru David Krauss already reviewed The Train on Blu-ray - twice. Since he covered those two Twilight Time releases, he was ready to pass the torch to someone else for the Kino Lorber Studio Classics re-re-release. Those two releases from Twilight Time are virtually identical - you can read reviews for them HERE and HERE. While I do agree with David that The Train can be very uneven, I think it's a better movie than it's often given credit. It really is the product of two directors, Arthur Penn developed the film, cast the film, oversaw the screenplay - apparently lending his hands there as well. By all accounts, it was turning into an Arthur Penn film starring Burt Lancaster. But - Lancaster was the producer and star, he called the shots. After one day of filming Penn was fired, John Frankenheimer was hired, and the production shut down so they could retool the script to speed up the action. The final product admittedly feels like a pie with a lot of hands in its making. Elements of Penn's more meditative intentions about the relationship between humanity and dignity with art remain. If you took a shot every time someone contemplatively uttered "the glory of France" you'd have a hell of a drinking game. Then you have the intense kinetic energy Frankenheimer brought to the production staging impressive and thrilling action sequences with Lancaster often front and center doing his own stunt work. Despite the tinkering, the stuttering pace, and some of Lancaster's more "theatrical" monologues, I dearly love this movie. And not for nostalgia's sake that it was one of the films my wife introduced me to early in our relationship. I've always admired Frankenheimer and what he brought to films - especially troubled productions where he'd be unceremoniously brought in to save a film. His use of deep focus long takes for me always brought an intimate edge to any scene. Watch the scene where Labche pleads for Papa Boule's (Michel Simon) life. Lancaster's face takes up the left side, Simon and a Nazi Goon in the middle, with the extensive trainyard in the background all teeming with activity. It's beautiful photography and scene direction and there are numerous moments like that throughout the film. The human element is never lost even against several thrilling action set pieces. If there's a knock I will give the film is that it plays to Burt Lancaster's best and worst tendencies. As a former circus trapeze performer, he brings intense physicality to every movie ready and willing to do all his own stunts. As a genuine dramatic actor, he can bring emotional weight to any role with simple mannerisms and line utterances. A simple "no" or "yes" carries more weight with Lancaster than a monologue. With The Train, the film seems to almost go out of its way to showcase Lancaster's natural physicality while also indulging some over-long monologues complete with some very stage-like gesturing that plays better for the back of the house than a major motion picture. But with a lot on the line and the need for a hit, I can forgive these indulgences. Where The Train works best is the cat-and-mouse game between Colonel Von Waldheim and Labiche. While this story is based on historical efforts from French Resistance and railroad men to keep trains like the one featured in the film diverted long enough for the Allies to rescue them, it's the dynamic between the two leads that sells this show. At first, you're deceived that Von Waldheim may actually not be so bad - for a Nazi. He appreciates the art but is greedy and wants it for himself. However, we soon realize he's willing to risk any amount of human life to ensure the safe delivery of his prize. On the other hand, Labiche doesn't really give a damn about the art. It's important sure, but human lives are more important to him. He goes out of his way to make sure as few lives as possible are lost. When the death toll mounts he questions whether or not the mission is worth it. But then it's pointed out that all of the lives lost would be for nothing if Von Waldheim wins and so the game becomes personal - right to the bitter end. Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray The Train pulls into the home video station one more time, only this time it's carrying a new two-disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Pressed on a BD-100 disc with a Region A BD-50 for the 1080p and bonus features, the discs are housed in a two-disc case with reversible insert art and slipcover. The discs load to static image main menus with traditional navigation options. Also included is a booklet featuring a great essay from Julie Kirgo. (Photo : STRINGER / AFP) (STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images) At least four people died, including one police and three ethnic Serbs, after gunmen sieged a Kosovo monastery, raising tensions in the region. At least four people are dead following a gunfight between ethnic Serb gunmen in armored vehicles and local police in Kosovo during a monastery siege on Sunday. The gunmen allegedly stormed a village in north Kosovo and barricaded themselves inside a monastery in a resurgence of violence in the restive north. The incident centered on a Serbian Orthodox monastery near the village of Banjska in the Serb-majority region. Kosovo Monastery Siege Authorities from Kosovo and Serbia said that one police officer and three gunmen died in the firefight. Ethnic Albanians comprise the vast majority of the roughly 1.8 million population of Kosovo, a former province of Serbia. However, roughly 50,000 Serbs in the north have never accepted Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2018. They still see Belgrade as their capital after more than two decades following a Kosovo Albanian guerilla uprising against repressive Serbian rule, as per Reuters. The incident occurred after a group of Kosovo Serbs positioned trucks on a bridge into the village and shot at police who tried to approach them. The Kosovo police and Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic said the battle moved to the nearby monster. The Serb gunmen allegedly left the monastery when evening came, but it was still unclear where their next destination was. Vucic noted that the gunmen's actions were considered a rebellion against Kurti, who had refused to form an association with Serb municipalities in north Kosovo. Officials noted that two Serbs were seriously injured while a fourth among the gunmen may have died, said Vucic. The president also condemned the killing of the police officer and urged restraint from Kosovo Serbs. In a statement, Kosovo's minister of internal affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said that they could put the territory under control after several consecutive battles. Following the incident, Belgrade and Pristina were quick to throw blame at each other, according to BBC. Read Also: 2 Dead in Mortar Attack as Timbuktu Is Besieged by Militants At Least 4 Dead Svecla also noted that police officers made several arrests during the operation and were able to seize a large amount of weapons and equipment. The incident marks one of the gravest escalations in Kosovo in the last few years and follows months of rising tension between Pristina and Belgrade. Kosovo's prime minister, Albin Kurti, said that Serbia-sponsored criminals were responsible for the incursion. He said they were "professionals, with military and police background," who he claims were financed and motivated by Belgrade. In response, Vucic blamed Kurti for several months of "provocations." The Kosovo prime minister then described the death of the Kosovo police officer as "absolutely reprehensible" and bore responsibility for the incident. The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) said the monastery was calm and the police controlled the situation. It added that the Raska Prizren Diocese (SOC) was informing the public that the situation at the Banjska monastery was already stable. On Sunday, the foreign policy chief of the European Union, Josep Borrell, issued a statement condemning the attack. The official also called for a de-escalation of the situation in the region, said CNN. Related Article: Ukraine Launches Two Missile Attacks on Sevastopol In A Row @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The University of North Georgia's (UNG) Oconee Campus is preparing to hold its 10th annual Oconeefest scholarship fundraiser. Set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 on the front lawn, the event will raise money for a pair of scholarships: Oconee County Resident Scholarship: $1,000 renewable annual scholarship awarded to Oconee County residents who are incoming freshmen on the Oconee Campus. UNG awarded four this year. Oconee Annual Scholarship: $1,000 renewable scholarship awarded to students from Oconee, Walton, Oglethorpe, Barrow, Clarke, Greene, Oconee, Morgan, and Madison counties who enroll on any UNG campus. UNG awarded two this year. This year's theme is "Lights, Camera, Action," with a Hollywood Walk of Fame feel. A silent auction will be part of the Oconeefest festivities. Peach State Federal Credit Union, Oconee State Bank, Haynes Enterprises Inc., Athens Piedmont Regional Hospital, BankSouth, and Jarvis Estate Winery are sponsors for Oconeefest. "What I get excited about is sitting down and reading the scholarship applications of students. I get a better understanding of the needs of the students, some of the circumstances from which they come, where they want to be, what their hopes and dreams are, and how we as an institution are meeting and supporting their needs. It's impressive," Russell Willis, Oconee Campus executive director, said. "It's really important that we have that community support for the students that comes through this event." HA NOI Viet Nam's support industry has grown steadily over the past decade to around 5,000 companies, producing components for domestic demand and exports. That remark was made by Pham Tuan Anh, Deputy Director General of Industry Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade, at the workshop "Easing hurdles and boosting the resilience of the support industry" on Friday. He said the companies spared no effort in capacity-building to move up the supply chain. Around 100 had become tier-1 vendors for multinational heavyweights, and 700 had established themselves as tier-2 and tier-3. "Of the companies, Samsung has chosen about 50 as its tier-1 and 170 as tier-2," said Anh. Their growing roles in the supply chain led to higher ratios of made-by-Vietnam components being used in assembly lines. For instance, the ratios have reached between 15 to 20 per cent in the mechanical engineering industry. The deputy director also underlined several factors holding back companies. One centres around the fact that they remain trapped in low-value-added segments. Another involves the loosely-knit ties between the companies and foreign-invested ones. He called for measures, such as capability-building programmes, to help them move up to high-value-added segments and cement ties with FDI companies. Nguyen Quoc Cuong, Director of Hanel Plastics JSC, underlined four factors that are top of minds for global heavyweights when they pick their vendors: quality, price, delivery, and environmentally-friendliness. "A company wouldn't be chosen as a vendor unless its products have an up-to-global-standards quality, competitive prices, efficient delivery, and no environmental impact," said Cuong. As consumers in the EU and the US have become more eco-conscious, his company is wasting no time in shifting to recyclable and environmentally friendly plastics to keep up with the times. The director urged Vietnamese companies to invest more in technology to boost productivity and stay away from cheap labour. He said many countries out there also offer cheap labour, but only technology makes the difference. Nguyen Van, Deputy Director of Ha Noi Supporting Industry Association, said his association had gone to great lengths to improve the capability of companies in the support industry. It cooperated with Japanese and Korean counterparts in establishing consultant agencies, whose jobs involved helping the companies with consultation and training on obtaining globally-recognised certifications. He also said Ha Noi had around 900 companies operating in the support industry currently and aimed to have 1,000 by 2025. ang Tran Thuy, Director General of Kyoyo Vietnam Founding JSC, said his company was facing two difficulties amid the economic downturn. The first involved input costs, which had climbed by about 30 per cent for some materials. The second centred around labour shortage, which had put it on tight spot since the COVID-19. "We have to take on workers from distant provinces to take up the slack," said Thuy. VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese stock market logged the second straight weekly fall last week, with the VN-Index breaking below the key psychological level of 1,200 points. The bearish trend is expected to extend this week, said experts. On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index only gained on September 20 and lost for the rest of last week. The index closed the week at 1,193.05 points. Similarly, the HNX-Index on the northern bourse, the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), experienced the same trend and was last traded at 243.15 points. For the week, both benchmark indices posted a weekly loss, with the former down 2.8 per cent and the latter down 3.8 per cent. Liquidity on the two main exchanges also declined over the previous session. In particular, on HoSE, liquidity slid 11.1 per cent in value to VN118.5 trillion (US$4.86 billion), while it decreased 5.5 per cent to VN11.66 trillion on the northern exchange. Meanwhile, foreign investors net sold strongly for the fourth consecutive week, focusing on stocks in steel, banking, financial services, and securities industries. They net sold a total of nearly VN1.7 trillion on both main exchanges. inh Quang Hinh, Head of the Macro and Market Strategy Department of VNDirect Securities Company, said that the market would be able to stabilise and recover soon, so investors should consider increasing the proportion of stocks ahead of the third quarter business results reporting season. The countrys stock market was under selling pressure in the last trading sessions, following less positive developments in the global stock markets, as well as exchange rate issues in the domestic market. The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has issued treasury bills to absorb excess liquidity from the banking system to stabilise the exchange rate, limiting foreign exchange speculation. However, many investors took negative views and were concerned that this was a tightening move by the central bank. "In fact, I think that this step by the SBV is not a step to tighten or reverse the current loosening policy, but is only a temporary, short-term solution to absorb the surplus liquidity to help limit exchange rate speculation, Hinh said. The move also aims to neutralise the State Treasury's previous purchase of foreign currency and injection of ong into the market. The central bank itself said that it would continue to carry out solutions to maintain liquidity for the banking system to support the economy. Therefore, I think the market can soon reconsider the recent move of issuing T-bills by the SBV. Moreover, the market sentiment may stabilise again after rumours related to HoSEs leadership and the adjustment of the margin portfolio of a top securities company are clarified, Hinh said, adding that the third quarter business results reporting season is approaching with expectations of more improvements. The positive performance is expected to support the market in the next few weeks. According to Hinh, investors can take advantage of the corrections to restructure their investment portfolio and increase the proportion of stocks when the VN-Index reaches the support zone of 1,170 - 1,180 points. However, he suggested prioritising businesses whose business results will change positively in the last two quarters of the year such as exports (seafood, wooden furniture, chemicals), retail and public investment (construction and construction materials). Meanwhile, Vietcap Securities JSC said that the VN-Index was likely to continue rebounding to retest the resistance area around 1,200 points. If the demand force is strong enough to help the index close above this level, the market will have opportunities to return to upward momentum soon, according to the company. On the contrary, if the buying force is weak and is overweighed by the selling force at the 1,200 point-level, the index will continue to decline to test the support zone of around 1,170 points again. If this support is broken, the benchmark will retreat to the lower support area of 1,120-1,140 points. VNS SAO PAOLO Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday (local time) asked Vietnamese and Brazilian businesses to concretise cooperation mechanisms with specific programmes and projects, with an aim to bring two-way trade turnover to US$10 billion by 2025, and $15-20 billion by 2030 in a more balanced direction. PM Chinh, who is on an official visit to the South American country, stressed that after nearly 35 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties, the bilateral relations have developed positively in all fields. Viet Nam and Brazil are currently each other's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and South America, with their trade turnover reaching a record level of about $6.78 billion in 2022, up 6.6 per cent year-on-year, and by threefold in the past decade. However, investment cooperation remains very modest, as Brazil currently has six valid projects totalling $3.83 million in Viet Nam, and the Southeast Asian nation has only one worth $300,000 in the South American nation. The PM said Brazil can become a bridge to help Viet Nam access the markets of Latin American countries, as well as the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), and at the same time, Viet Nam can help Brazil access the large ASEAN market with more than 650 million people and a larger market of 800 million people under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) of which Viet Nam is a member. He suggested the two sides promote extensive information exchange on their respective investment-related policies and priority areas of cooperation, coordinate in implementing programmes in investment and trade promotion activities to create conditions for businesses from both sides to better understand each others investment environment and opportunities. The two governments need to encourage and promote two-way trade and investment flows on the basis of mutual benefit, increase the exchange of business delegations to survey investment opportunities and business connections to enhance trade investment relations commensurate with the potential and advantages of the two countries. Viet Nam hopes Brazilian businesses will invest in Viet Nam in manufacturing, high technology, infrastructure development, agriculture forestry fishery, renewable energy, information technology, pharmaceuticals, biology, construction and services, stated Chinh. The PM also shared that Viet Nam prioritises attracting investment projects of enterprises operating in high technology, innovation, and research and development which commit to promoting the digital economy and actively contributing to the countrys sustainable socio-economic development. At the meeting, local groups and major businesses showed their interest in cooperating with Viet Nam in various fields, especially agriculture, food processing, renewable energy, and aerospace; and expressed their desire to learn more about Viet Nam's legal regulations in the above fields, particularly food safety standards and import and export procedures. Embraer S.A. said it hopes to receive support from the Vietnamese Government to build an aviation equipment maintenance centre and provide aircraft components and maintenance services in Viet Nam, while the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants to establish an office in the Southeast Asian nation to promote trade and industrial cooperation between the two countries. Affirming that Viet Nam fully supports the opening of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Viet Nam, PM Chinh requested Brazilian and Vietnamese businesses to further promote the transfer of science and technology, strengthen connections to develop together. VNS An Arizona woman was arrested after authorities found dead dogs in her freezer. The police began investigating her residence after a veterinarian complained about her dogs not being in healthy conditions. Arizona: Woman Arrested After Dead Dogs Were Found in Freezer According to Fox News, April Mclaughlin's house was visited by the police on Friday, Sept. 22, in Chandler, Arizona, and found dozens of dogs living in squalor with no water. Tragically, some of these dogs were found dead in a freezer. But, thanks to authorities' efforts, around 55 furries were rescued. Mclaughlin owns a shelter for special needs dogs. At first, people thought that the woman was taking care of them. But, it turns out that April did not care for the dogs and just allowed them to live in filthy conditions. Firefighters who responded to her residence even wore special equipment so they could breathe properly inside her house. Police officials said an investigation began on Sept. 8 after a vet complained about the unhealthy living conditions of Mclaughlin's dogs. "We wanted to ensure there weren't hazardous fumes occurring at the residence with first responders inside a very small home, so that's why they were requested to ensure that everybody was safe inside the home," said the police department. When the Chandler Police Department discovered dead dogs inside her freezer, April argued there was nothing wrong with storing dead canines next to frozen food. April Mclaughlin currently faces 100 misdemeanors, one count of vulnerable adult abuse, and other charges, such as animal abuse. Read Also: Romeoville Family Murder: Suspects Found Shot in Oklahoma Days After Killings Other Animal Abuse Cases in the US An Ohio woman was also arrested in August after authorities found 30 dead dogs in her freezer. 60-year-old Ronda Murphy's case is similar to April Mclaughlin's latest arrest. The Butler County Sheriff's Office said 90 dogs were rescued from Murphy's place. However, 30 canines were found dead on two of her properties. Some of these dead dogs, including puppies, were found inside her refrigerators and freezers. Officials said that the dead bodies have varying states of decomposition, as reported by FOX 59. The Butler County Sheriff's Office moved all the living dogs to the Animal Friends Humane Society of Butler County so they could be treated properly. Meanwhile, the animal abuser faces three charges. These include two counts of misdemeanor and one felony count of cruelty to a companion animal. Related Article: UK to Ban American XL Bulldogs; PM Rishi Sunak Describes Them as 'Danger to Communities' @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. HA NOI The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) recently organised a roadshow in the central province of Khanh Hoa to unlock cooperation opportunities between Viet Nam and Australia in the fields of education and trade. The roadshow was part of the activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam-Australia diplomatic relations. The event attracted over 100 representatives from Australian universities, education establishments, food enterprises, as well as local branches, sectors, restaurants, hotels, retailers, importers, universities, and colleges. The aim of the roadshow was to boost Viet Nam-Australia trade by exploring new cooperation opportunities in education and agrifood. Rebecca Ball, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner of Australia, said that the event is expected to serve as a booster for the Vietnam Australia trade through new cooperation opportunities in education and agrifood. Similar roadshows were previously held in Ha Noi, Hue, and a Nang in March, which saw the participation of more than 400 businesses, associations, and education establishments, and yielded positive outcomes. Austrade has high expectations that the September roadshow will have a noticeable impact on bilateral trade, said Ball. During the roadshow, Australian institutions showcased their expertise and excellence in education and training, as well as student support programs from different states and regions. In the agrifood session, Vietnamese and Australian businesses explored trade opportunities and sought partnerships. High-quality Australian food products such as milk, seafood, meat, and wine were showcased. Viet Nam and Australia have maintained a strong and enduring partnership in agriculture and education for many years. Both countries are strengthening their ties in agricultural investment, education partnerships, education technology, and research. Australia is Viet Nam's seventh largest trading partner, and Viet Nam is Australia's tenth largest trading partner. The bilateral trade in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry products exceeded AUD 6 billion (US$4 billion) for the first time last year. In the education sector, Viet Nam is the fifth largest source market of international students for Australia, with 27,000 student enrolments and over 8,000 Vietnamese students pursuing Australian qualifications in Viet Nam. There are 300 training programmes, including articulation and joint-training programs, between Australian and Vietnamese institutions. Furthermore, more than 80,000 Vietnamese alumni who graduated from Australian education institutions are currently working in Viet Nam. VNS Compiled by Hoang Ha HA NOI Viet Nam should have a mechanism to increase foreign investment capital (FDI) into the renewable energy industry, experts said. Viet Nam has great potential for renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind power, solar power and biomass power. With favourable natural conditions amid the global trend of greenifying the production process, the south of Viet Nam, including HCM City, has many advantages in renewable energy development, experts said. However, Viet Nam and HCM City have not yet broken through with development for renewable energy. They need to make policies and amend laws to attract new investors to the renewable energy sector, according to the experts. Nguyen Anh Son, director of the Legal Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, said in recent years, the State has issued policies to attract investors to develop renewable energy sources. Specifically, in 2020, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 55-NQ/TW on the orientation of Viet Nam's national energy development strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045. The Government promulgated Resolution No 140/NQ-CP on its action plan, which assigns the Ministry of Industry and Trade to coordinate with other ministries and relevant agencies to study and develop the Law on Renewable Energy. These documents, along with many other relevant legal documents, are a good foundation for the expansion and completion of the legal framework related to the energy sector in general and renewable energy. With the rapid development of renewable energy, according to Son, the legal framework governing these projects should be completed quickly to facilitate enterprises in the deployment of projects and also limit their risks and losses incurred. For HCM City, Son also suggested the city's leaders to review the progress and problems when implementing renewable energy projects, thereby contributing to complete the policy framework on national renewable energy development. The completion of laws related to the energy industry will also contribute to effective control of the electricity trading market as well as power from renewable energy projects, contributing to sustainable socio-economic development. Viet Nam is recognised for its potential in renewable energy development, especially the production of solar photovoltaic (PV) batteries and electric two-wheelers, according to research conducted by the Asian Development Bank, Bloomberg Philanthropies, ClimateWorks Foundation and Sustainable Energy for All. Strengthening the region's renewable energy production capacity will help Southeast Asian countries, including Viet Nam, to create new jobs and meet the needs of energy growth while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In Southeast Asia, low-carbon mobility and clean power have the potential to contribute $90 billion to $100 billion in revenue by 2030, while 6 million renewable energy jobs are expected to be created by 2050. The Renewable Energy Production: New Opportunities for Southeast Asia Report pointed out that Viet Nam has a labour cost advantage in the solar PV manufacturing industry. According to a leading Cambodian manufacturer, wages in Cambodia are comparable to Viet Nam, but due to educational differences, more workers are required to produce the same output, leading to higher labor costs. Viet Nams land border with China is perceived as a significant benefit as delivery time for input materials can be reduced from weeks to days. For electric two-wheeler (E2W) manufacturing, Thailand and Viet Nam appear well-positioned to be exporters of E2Ws due to extensive free trade agreement coverage with key demand markets. Rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles is also driving demand in the battery sector in countries such as Viet Nam, Thailand, and Indonesia. Manufacturers in Viet Nam perform relatively better in the low-end product segment, mainly due to the use of cheaper parts and outdated technology (e.g., lead acid batteries). However, manufacturers in Viet Nam targeting the middle and premium segments price their products at or below cost. Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam each have well developed industrial and supplier parks that help to keep logistics and transportation costs low. ao Xuan uc, chairman of HCM City Industrial Zones Businesses Association (HBA), said that now, many foreign investors are interested in renewable energy development when investing in industrial zones in HCM City. Businesses save at least 30 per cent of electricity costs each month when they install solar power panels in factories. However, Viet Nam only allows solar power in homes and offices. One of the criteria of many foreign investors coming in industrial parks based HCM City is to have green development with a focus on clean and renewable energy. Many large corporations target to not use electricity from EVN from 2030, instead using renewable energy. That is a global commitment, uc told nhadautu.vn. Meanwhile, an FDI enterprise investing in the renewable energy industry said that its biggest challenges are to have to apply for a lot of permits and that there is no mechanism connecting it to the national power grid. Son said there is no specific legal framework on the issue of connecting to the power grid. Nguyen Van Yen, head of the Office of the Vietnam Energy Association, agreed that there is no clear legal framework for solar power investment in industrial zones, mainly related to electricity purchasing prices. The preferential purchasing price of solar power is about 9.35 cents/kWh (about VN2,000). Many enterprises produce solar power to sell to EVN, while EVN's commercial price of solar power is only 7.2 cents/kWh. This causes damage to the State, Yen said. The State needs to have more open and adequate guidelines and policies to create a stable investment environment for renewable energy projects, he said. It also is necessary to have more appropriate solutions and mechanisms for developing renewable energy projects. VNS HCM CITY A new book for teenagers by best-selling writer Nguyen Nhat Anh has been printed by the HCM City-based Tre (Youth) Publishing House. The novel, Mua He Khong Ten (Nameless Summer), features boys and girls living in a village in the South. Childhood, friendship, teen love, hopes and dreams are highlighted. Rural life and family are also included. The 292-page book includes pictures by Hoang Tuong. Anh told his fans at a book-signing ceremony in HCM City on September 19 that he wrote books aimed at children and teenagers because he wanted to talk, share and understand youngsters, who have the most pure love in the world. I love reading teen books by Nguyen Nhat Anh. I think his writing style is a mix of reality and romanticism, said Pham Quang ai, a first-year student at the HCM City University of Economics. Anh began writing in 1984 and is known for his simple style and accurate depiction of childrens minds. In 2007, Anh's Cho Xin Mot Ve i Ve Tuoi Tho was a hit and sold more than 20,000 copies in the first weeks of its release. The book tells the story of an urban boy named Mui and his magic journey returning to childhood. It won the Southeast Asian Writers Award presented by the Thai royal family in 2010. It has been translated into Thai and published by Thailand-based publisher Nanmee Books. One of his highlighted books, Co Gai en Tu Hom Qua (The Girl Comes from Yesterday), released in 1995, remains one of the countrys best-selling kids books and Moscow University included it in the curriculum for Vietnamese-language students in 2014. Some of his novels have been adapted into films. Anh has released more than 100 books, including short stories, non-fiction books and poems. More than 80,000 copies of Anhs new book Mua He Khong Ten have been printed and distributed in bookstores and online shopping websites. Books for teenagers have become popular in big cities. Leading printers have encouraged talented writers, such as Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, am Huy ong, Nguyen Thi Chau Giang, Nguyen Thu Thuy and oan Phuong Huyen, to develop their careers. Last year, five teen books by famous writers from the early 2000s, including Thuan and Giang, have been reprinted by the Kim ong Publishing House. The publication celebrates the 20th anniversary of Books for Teenagers - a long-term project aimed to support books for young readers by the children's publishing house. VNS HCM CITY A series of activities to highlight the performing arts of the south Viet Nam is being held at the HCM City Pedestrian Book Street from September 23 to October 10. The event is co-organised by the city Department of Information and Communications and the city's Book Street Company to celebrate the 78th anniversary of Southern Uprising [against the French] Day (September 23, 1945 - 2023). The programme includes a discussion on the theme of "Performing Arts of Southern Region" featuring the history of various performing arts, including ho-ly (folk chanty and singing), cai luong (reformed opera), hat boi (classical drama), and tai tu music during the two resistance wars against the French and the Americans. Performances of southern folk music will also be featured A book showcase titled Lich Su, Con Nguoi, Vung at Nam Bo (History, People and Land of the South) features 50 books on the establishment and development of southern Viet Nam by prestigious Vietnamese historians and researchers such as Nguyen inh Tu. The 103-year-old researcher won the history prize named after the revolutionary and philosopher Prof Tran Van Giau with his book Gia inh Sai Gon Thanh pho Ho Chi Minh: Dam Dai Lich Su about the three-century history of the city 1698-2020. Discussions with the authors will be organised as well. The organisers also host a painting exhibition titled Sac Mau Thoi Gian (Colours of Time) to raise funds for the project of building Nguyen An Ninh Library, a digital library focusing on the history and development of the South in all fields of politics, administrative activities, economics, society, culture, education, medicine, religion, and sports. The library is expected to be officially launched on October 10. In the framework of the event, the organisers have worked with the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities to host a series of discussions about southern history, folk culture, literature, and performing arts for students at the school. VNS Hazards of fires and explosions are ever-present when working with rechargeable battery-powered devices. Dr. Le Viet Thong of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Phenikaa University discusses the issue with the Vietnam News Agency. What type of battery is commonly used in electrical and electronic devices today? Lithium-ion batteries, commonly referred to as lithium batteries, have gained widespread use, replacing lead batteries. They're not only prevalent in portable electronic devices such as phones and laptops but also in electric cars and motorbikes due to their high energy storage density, rapid charging capabilities, and increasingly affordable prices. However, there seem to be concerns about fire and explosion risks when combining these batteries into larger battery blocks. Could you elaborate on this issue and what users should be aware of? Certainly. Unlike individual batteries found in phones, when lithium-ion batteries are aggregated into larger battery blocks, the risk of fire and explosion significantly increases. This is primarily due to poor heat dissipation capabilities and the complexity of necessary battery protection circuits, known as Battery Management Systems (BMS). Users need to be mindful of these factors to mitigate the potential risks associated with fire and explosions. To minimise battery explosions in electric vehicles, what precautions should users take? The most significant risk of a battery explosion arises from charging beyond the voltage limit specified on the battery. Overcharging can lead to an immediate battery explosion. Manufacturers typically provide a standard charger with their products, ensuring that the current and voltage match the batteries they sell. Over time, these chargers may become damaged or misplaced, prompting users to purchase or borrow chargers from the market without knowledge of their current parameters or voltage compatibility with their vehicle's battery. This poses a potential fire and explosion risk if the new charger lacks quality or fails to meet the required parameters. The second significant risk involves overheating during charging or discharging while the vehicle is in operation. Lithium batteries function optimally at temperatures between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius. In extreme temperatures, such as the scorching summer heat in our country, the battery temperature can exceed 60 degrees Celsius, causing deformation of the battery casing, loss of protection, and potentially leading to a fire or explosion. High-speed charging and rapid discharging modes exacerbate this risk. The third risk relates to low-quality batteries that are poorly packaged and unstable. Inadequate sealing of the packaging allows moisture and air to infiltrate the battery, leading to reactions with lithium and potential fire or explosion. Additionally, as the battery ages, gases accumulate inside it, causing it to swell. If the battery casing is not robust enough, it may rupture, allowing gas to escape and potentially triggering a fire or explosion. What steps can people take to ensure the safe use of electric vehicle batteries? Users should refrain from using non-genuine chargers unless they are confident about their compatibility with the battery. When charging the battery, it's advisable to position the vehicle in a cool environment, away from direct sunlight and other heat sources, ensuring the battery doesn't overheat. It's essential not to use fast chargers designed for high-capacity batteries on low-capacity ones, as this can lead to rapid heating and a heightened risk of issues. Also, avoid leaving chargers plugged in for extended periods or charging batteries overnight without monitoring. While it might be convenient, it can be hazardous if the charger malfunctions, causing an overcharge to the battery. Equally, users should be wary of replacing branded batteries with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) sold in the market. These products may not meet the same safety and quality standards and could pose a risk. Manufacturers often recommend replacing the battery when its full charge capacity drops to around 80 per cent of its original capacity. This decrease is due to increased internal resistance, leading to excess heat during charging and discharging. Using batteries beyond this threshold can pose significant risks, so these batteries should be either replaced or used for less demanding applications. In summary, it's paramount for users to understand the specific risks associated with electric vehicle batteries and adopt measures to mitigate them. Given the growing prevalence of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and their potential risks after extended use, regular maintenance and battery health checks become even more crucial. Users should prioritise routine maintenance checks, allowing manufacturers to detect issues early on and carry out necessary replacements or adjustments. VNS NEW YORK HCM City and New York City have officially signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish sister city relations. The MOU, signed by chairman of HCM City Phan Van Mai and Mayor of New York City Eric Adams, aims to strengthen cooperation between the two cities and assist HCM City in its goal of becoming a regional and international financial hub. The signing took place on Thursday night (September 21) in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who hailed the MOU as evidence of the growing relationship between Viet Nam and the US. The partnership between HCM City and New York City will facilitate comprehensive cooperation in various fields such as economy, finance, culture, science and technology, innovation, education, and the environment. Mayor Eric Adams shared his memories of Viet Nam from a previous visit and emphasised New York Citys commitment to supporting HCM Citys development as a strong financial centre in the region and internationally. During the meeting, PM Chinh assured that Viet Nam would protect the rights and interests of American investors, particularly those from New York, who wish to invest in the country. There are currently over 1,500 Vietnamese students studying and conducting research at universities in New York City, highlighting the potential for educational and cultural exchange between the two cities. PM Chinhs visit to the US (September 17-23) included attending the high-level week of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly and participating in discussions on global issues such as climate change and pandemic response. With the signing of the MOU, the two cities are expected to deepen their relationship and explore opportunities for cooperation and mutual growth in various sectors, said the PM. VNS HA NOI It is very rare to find such special relations as the ties between the Parties, States, and people of Viet Nam and Cuba, set up by Cuban national hero Jose Marti, President Ho Chi Minh, and President Fidel Castro and nurtured by generations of leaders of both countries. At the invitation of Vietnamese Party and State leaders, Politburo member and President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez is paying a visit to Viet Nam from September 24-28, during which he will represent Cuban Party and State leaders to attend a ceremony marking 50 years since Cuban leader Fidel Castro visited the liberated zone in South Viet Nam in September 1973. This visit holds great significance and is expected to help further intensify the special friendship and solidarity between the two countries. 63-year heartfelt bonds between Viet Nam, Cuba Fifty years ago, in mid-September 1973, when the Vietnamese peoples fight for national reunification was still ongoing, Cuban Commander-in-chief Fidel Castro came to Viet Nam and the frontline zone in Quang Tri with the wish of witnessing by himself the fierce battlefield and the brave struggle by the Vietnamese people, and meeting with the people and soldiers in South Viet Nam. He was the first and only foreign head of state to visit the liberated zone in South Viet Nam when the war was still taking place. Given this, his historic visit became a symbol of the faithful fraternal solidarity between the two nations and their aspirations for peace, national independence, democracy, and progress in the world. The faithful and pure solidarity and the noble spirit of internationalism of Cuba could be seen in Fidel Castros immortal sayings: For Viet Nam, Cuba is willing to devote its blood, and In peace, Cuba is willing to sweat to contribute to rebuilding Viet Nam ten times bigger and more beautiful as wished by President Ho Chi Minh. For his part, President Ho Chi Minh also used to affirm: Viet Nam and Cuba are tens of thousands of miles apart, but the hearts of the two countries people are as close as brothers in a family. Following the late Presidents teachings, generations of Vietnamese leaders and people have consistently affirmed that solidarity with and support for Cuba form the conscience and responsibility of the communists and the entire people of iet Nam. Cuba was the first Latin American country to set up diplomatic ties with the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (December 2, 1960), and also the first in the world to recognise the National Front for the Liberation of South Viet Nam and accept the Fronts permanent mission (July 1962), establish a Committee for Solidarity with South Viet Nam (September 25, 1963), diplomatically recognise the National Front for the Liberation of South Viet Nam (December 20, 1965), and send an ambassador to the National Liberation Front Central Committee (March 1969). During the most trying times of Viet Nams fight for national liberation, the Cuban Party, State, and people always provided extremely valuable spiritual and material support and assistance for the Southeast Asian country. For the last more than 60 years, despite ups and downs in the global situation, the solidarity and fraternity between the two countries have been increasingly reinforced and developed in multiple areas. Leaders of the two Parties, States, and Governments have frequently held mutual visits to help effectively bolster the bilateral relations and expand ties among their ministries, sectors, and in different fields. The sound political - diplomatic relations have also created an impetus for economic and trade ties. Annual bilateral trade has reached US$250 - 300 million in recent years. A bilateral trade agreement was signed in 2018 and took effect on April 1, 2020, helping foster trade ties. The two countries expect bilateral trade will hit $500 million by 2025. Viet Nam is currently the biggest Asian-Pacific investor in Cuba. Many major enterprises of Viet Nam have paid attention to the Cuban market and come to explore cooperation and investment opportunities there. Regarding international and regional issues of common concern, the two sides agreed to continue consulting, coordinating closely, and supporting each other at international organisations and multilateral forums. They also share the stance on peacefully settling disputes on the basis of international law and the UN Charter. Further deepening the Viet Nam-Cuba special friendship In 2023, the two countries have been organising various activities in celebration of their big anniversaries, including the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Viet Nam (September 25, 1963) the predecessor of the Cuba - Viet Nam Friendship Association, and 50 years since Fidel Castro first visited Viet Nam and the liberated zone in South Viet Nam (September 1973). In Viet Nam, those activities include the upcoming ceremony marking 50 years since Fidel Castros visit, and a photo exhibition on bilateral relations opened on September 12 by the Cuban Embassy. In Cuba, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel also chaired a ceremony on September 12 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castros visit. Most recently, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel on September 20, on the sidelines of a high-level general debate of the UN General Assembly in New York. They affirmed efforts to successfully organise celebratory activities, especially during the Viet Nam visit by President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez. It could be said that over the last more than six decades, despite complex and unpredictable developments in the international and regional situation, the two countries Parties, States, and people have stayed persistent and determined to bring their cooperation to a new height on the basis of their traditional ties that have become a special and model relationship international relations. VNS Brasilia Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception for President of the Communist Party of Brazil Luciana Santos and its leadership in Brasilia on September 24 as part of his official visit to the South American country. Hailing the Communist Party of Brazils achievements and positive role in the countrys politics, PM Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, Government and people always bear in mind and respect the Brazilian people, the Communist Party of Brazil, left-wing forces, and peace lovers' sentiments and valuable support for and assistance to the Vietnamese people during their past struggle for national liberation as well as the current cause of national construction and protection. Amidst complicated and unpredictable developments in the world, Viet Nam advocates promoting global solidarity as well as heightening multilateralism, including boosting collaboration with the Communist Party of Brazil, he said, expressing his hope that Luciana Santos, in her roles as the President of the Communist Party of Brazil and Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, will continue to support and promote cooperation with Viet Nam. At the event, PM Chinh also informed the guests of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV)s policies and guidelines adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, as well as measures to develop Viet Nam into a developing country with upper middle-income by 2030, and a developed and high-income nation by 2045. Viet Nam persistently pursues its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation, and active and proactive international integration in a comprehensive, practical and effective fashion, he affirmed, adding Viet Nam is a reliable partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community, and implements a Four Nos defence policy. Luciana Santos, for her part, spoke highly of PM Chinhs official visit, which is the first by a senior leader of the two countries after 15 years, and takes place at a time when the two nations are looking towards the 35th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations (May 8, 1989 - 2024). She affirmed that the revolutionary struggle of the CPV and the Vietnamese people, which was flexible and resilient like Vietnamese bamboos, inspired the Communist Party of Brazil as well as progressive and peace-loving forces in Brazil and Latin America. Luciana Santos hailed Viet Nams comprehensive achievements in socio-economic development, defence, security and international integration under the leadership of the CPV headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. PM Chinh and Luciana Santos also discussed measures to enhance the sound friendship and cooperative relations between the two countries across various fields, promote people-to-people exchanges, maintain and elevate collaboration between the two Parties, including their coordination at forums of major political parties such as the Sao Paolo Forum. Receiving General Secretary of the Brazil Viet Nam Friendship Association Pedro de Olivera and its members on the same day, PM Chinh emphasised the continuous development of Viet Nam Brazil relations over the past 34 years based on the concerted efforts of both nations and their people, in which the Brazil Viet Nam Friendship Association has played an important role. As there is ample room for both nations to promote collaboration, PM Chinh said he and Brazilian President Lula da Silva will discuss measures to promote cooperation across spheres in their upcoming talks, while asking the friendship association to continue promoting delegation exchanges, people-to-people exchanges and cultural and sport exchanges, and devise more initiatives to bolster the cooperative ties between the two nations. He also expressed his wish that the association will back Viet Nam and Brazil in the negotiations and signing of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, an investment protection agreement, and a double taxation avoidance agreement, among others, to bolster economic cooperation, which, he said, helps elevate the bilateral relations to a new height for peace, cooperation friendship, and development in the region and the world. Pedro de Olivera and members of the Brazil Viet Nam Friendship Association said the association and the Viet Nam Brazil Friendship Association have worked together to make practical contributions to the Viet Nam - Brazil ties, and affirmed they will continue efforts to promote the relations into a more practical and effective fashion, including cooperation in the fields of trade-investment, agriculture and food processing. On the occasion, PM Chinh presented a painting of Vietnamese bamboos, which is a symbol of Viet Nam, and its foreign policy as stated by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to Pedro de Olivera. Meanwhile, the latter presented the book President Ho Chi Minh life and career of the national liberation leader to the Vietnamese PM. As part of his official visit, PM Chinh also visited and met with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil. With the embassys great contributions, Brazilian friends have a good understanding of Viet Nam as well as the countrys development process and bamboo diplomacy, he said, asking the embassy to make greater efforts to enhance Vietnams economic, trade and investment ties with the South American country a power in Latin America. Both nations hold huge potential for further cooperation, he said, requesting the embassy to work to accelerate the negotiations and signing of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, an investment protection agreement, and a double taxation avoidance agreement, among others, to bolster economic cooperation as the deals will create legal frameworks to carry out bilateral collaboration. The embassy was also ordered to channel focus on people-to-people exchanges and cultural, sport and education exchanges, while coordinating with the Brazilian side at the multilateral forums to support each other, especially supporting ASEANs central role in the East Sea issues. Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Thi Kim Hoa committed to make efforts to develop bilateral ties, and boost two-way trade revenue to US$10 billion by 2025, and $15-20 billion by 2030. VNS WASHINGTON Public opinion in the US is generally positive about Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs trip to the US from September 17-23 to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The visit took place immediately after the upgrading of the Viet Nam US relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of US President Joe Bidens official visit to Viet Nam. Speaking at a ceremony on September 19 to mark the 78th National Day of Viet Nam and celebrate the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development between Viet Nam and the US at the US Institute of Peace (USIP), Todd Frantz, former assistant of US Defence Attache to Viet Nam in 2007-10, said the relationship between the two countries has come a long way and continues to evolve and the US looks forward to a cooperative and peaceful relationship in the future. Frantz said the two sides have achieved significant progresses, he said, noting that leaders of both countries have done their job well and the two nations are truly cooperating effectively with each other. Overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs are delighted about the upgrade of the relations between Viet Nam and the US, which they believe will bring opportunities for connections and cooperation between businesses of the two countries. Trung Trinh, CEO of the US-Viet Nam Business Council in Washington DC, expressed great excitement about PM Chinhs visit to the US, saying that this demonstrates the high determination of the Vietnamese Party and State in building connectivity with the US. It is a concrete step to turn the cooperation potential into reality, he stressed, adding that the US-Viet Nam Business Council has outlined a specific plan, which includes organising a forum on high-tech agriculture and agricultural exports on October 16, aiming to connect US companies specialising hi-tech agriculture and Vietnamese partners. During the visit, PM Chinh delivered a policy speech at Georgetown University in Washington DC on September 19, which received praises from local political figures, scholars, and students. David Shear, former US Ambassador to Viet Nam, said PM Chinhs speech was very comprehensive and strategic, noting that the PMs visit to the US is the first high-level visit after the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership, and this is an important step forward in the US-Viet Nam relationship. He expressed a hope that the two governments and people will strive to complete PM Chinhs plan. Vietnamese students studying at Georgetown University said they are impressed by the upgrading of the relations between the two nations. They expressed their belief that Viet Nam and the US will continue to make new strides and bring benefits to both sides. VNS GENEVA Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, attended a quarterly meeting of the ASEAN Committee in Geneva on September 23. Permanent Representative of Indonesia Ambassador Febrian A. Ruddyard briefed participants of the outcomes of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summit which were organised from September 4-7 in Jakarta by Indonesia as ASEAN Chair in 2023. The summits saw the participation of about 2,500 delegates from 10 ASEAN member states, 12 partner countries, and nine international organisations. As many as 90 documents were passed, including several important ones such as the Chairmans Statement of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and ASEAN Leaders Declaration on the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue. Indonesia handed the ASEAN chairmanship in 2024 to Laos. At the meeting, Mai and the representatives of the missions of ASEAN countries discussed and agreed on the common activities and initiatives of the bloc and shared ideas of Viet Nam and other ASEAN member states at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other multilateral forums in Geneva. Mai also informed the participants about Viet Nam's decision to run for seats at a number of forums and proposed ASEAN member states and Timor Leste support Viet Nam's candidacy. The participants agreed to increase coordination as well as culture, sport and culinary exchanges to enhance understanding and solidarity of the ASEAN community in Geneva, thereby helping to popularise ASEANs identity on the international arena. VNS (Photo : Thomas COEX / AFP) (THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images) Tens of thousands of Spanish protesters take to the streets of Madrid in opposition to the potential provision of amnesty to Catalan separatists. Spanish demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid to protest the government's potential decision to provide amnesty to people who took part in a failed push for Catalan independence six years ago. Roughly 40,000 residents gathered on Sunday to protest the possible decision, throwing the country into its worst political crisis in the past few decades. The divisive issue of amnesty started after the inconclusive general election held in July. Spanish Protests Against Catalan Separatists' Amnesty The conservative People's Party (PP) finished first by defeating the governing Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) but failed well short of an overall majority. Despite the PP's victory, the party, led by Alberto Nunez Feijoo, is seen as having little chance of securing the necessary parliamentary support to form a new government during a congressional vote this week. Instead, the numbers favor the PSOE, led by the acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez. However, to have any chance of forming a new administration, Sanchez must secure the support of the hardline Catalan independence party led by former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, as per The Guardian. Six years ago, Puigdemont fled Spain to avoid arrest over his role in masterminding the unilateral and unlawful push for independence. He has since insisted that his support will be conditional on granting amnesty to him and hundreds of other Catalans whom the Spanish court wants for their involvement in the attempt at secession. Two years ago, Sanchez pardoned nine Catalan independence leaders who were convicted over the secessionist push, and he has now refused to rule anything out. However, the PP has seized on the possibility of an amnesty to rally its supporters and portray the PSOE leader as cowardly, beholden to Catalan separatists, and hellbent on remaining in office. The PP was also responsible for organizing the rally held on Sunday and putting attendance at around 60,000. On the other hand, the central government's delegation to Madrid said that its estimates put the number at around 40,000 people. Read Also: Azerbaijan, Artsakh Officials Begin Talks on Fate of Armenian Enclave Ruling Spanish Government Feijoo told his supporters at the Madrid rally that withdrawing criminal cases against the Catalan separatists would amount to granting amnesty to "coup plotters." a 72-year-old pensioner, Gregorio Casteneda, traveled from Santander on Spain's north coast to show his opposition to any form of amnesty for the separatists, according to Reuters. The resident said he did not favor the Spanish government that the people currently have ruling over them. He added that the situation is a disaster because it will divide the country. Many PP figures participated on stage in the Madrid rally, including Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida and regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso. Two of Spain's former leaders, Mariano Rajoy and Jose Maria Aznar, were also part of the protests. On Tuesday, the lower house of the Spanish parliament is scheduled to vote on Feijoo's candidacy for prime minister. DW News said that the official's bide is widely expected to fall short and would pave the way for Sanchez to put forward his own candidacy. Related Article: UK Plans To Charge 5 Bulgarian Nationals for Allegedly Spying for Russia Over 3 Years @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. HA NOI Bulgarian National Assembly President Rosen Zhelyazkov welcomed his Vietnamese counterpart Vuong inh Hue in Sofia on Monday, highlighting the bilateral relations that have been built for over 70 years between the two countries. NA Chairman Hue said that Vietnamese people have always treasured Bulgarias support in war time and today. The European country was one of the first to establish diplomatic ties with Viet Nam, and has provided training to over 30,000 Vietnamese nationals, including many senior officials such as former NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and former Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan. Believing that the Vietnamese NA Chairmans visit will be a milestone for bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed to strengthen delegation exchanges, especially in high-level leadership as well as the ministerial, sectoral and local levels. Their NA agencies will also further cooperate and work together to implement agreements between the two countries. Viet Nam and Bulgaria will coordinate and provide assistance to each other in regional and international forums such as the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), ASEAN, as well as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament. Acknowledging the positive growth in trade cooperation and aiming to improve trade balance, the two legislators agreed on implementing agreements within the framework of bilateral ties and the EU. The two countries are also expected to facilitate market access for each others exports and expand cooperation to new areas that fit their development demands, such as processing and manufacturing, advanced technology, innovation, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, maritime logistics, education and training, and tourism. NA Chairman Hue also expressed his gratitude towards the Bulgarian NA for ratifying the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), which will create a legal foundation for businesses from the two countries to further cooperate in the future. Bulgarian NA President Zhelyazkov added that Viet Nam and Bulgaria need to take advantage of the benefits that EVIPA brings, with possible joint ventures for exports to both countries or a third market. Discussing the cooperation between the two legislative bodies, the two leaders said that more knowledge and experience exchanges should be conducted between specialised committees and the parliamentary friendship groups, in addition to better coordination at multilateral forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP). The two NA leaders also agreed that disputes and conflicts should be addressed through peaceful means and based on international laws and the UN Charter. NA Chairman Hue asked that Bulgaria continue to support ASEANs stance and central role regarding the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issues. The Bulgarian top legislator said that the European country gives high regard to Viet Nams position in the region and foreign policy of dialogue instead of disputes, treasuring relations with neighbouring countries while also promote cooperation with major partners, contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world. Following the talks, the two NA leaders signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the Vietnamese and Bulgarian legislative bodies, which took effect immediately and replaced the former document signed on April 16, 2012. A signing ceremony was also held for the agreements on parliamentary, cultural and local cooperation with their attendance. VNS SOFIA Viet Nam is a trustworthy partner and loyal friend of Bulgaria, affirmed President Rumen Radev while hosting visiting National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong inh Hue in Sofia on Monday. In response, the top Vietnamese legislator stated Viet Nam treasures its traditional friendship with countries in Central and Eastern Europe, with Bulgaria being a priority partner. The two sides agreed that the nations close and loyal friendship is a valuable asset that should be preserved and promoted by their leaders and people, including more than 30,000 Vietnamese who have been trained, educated, and worked in Bulgaria and around 1,000 Vietnamese expatriates living in the European country. The Bulgarian President wished to continue strengthening the exchange of information and experience between the two countries in general and their legislative bodies in particular. The NA Chairman informed his host about the results of his talks with his Bulgarian counterpart Rosen Zhelyazkov and the signing of five important documents in the fields of parliament, culture, tourism and locality-to-locality cooperation. Hue underscored that the Vietnamese NA consistently supports the nations comprehensive cooperation across various fields, including politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, investment, culture-tourism, education-training, labour, and locality-to-locality cooperation. Both sides agreed to soon organise the 24th meeting of the Viet Nam-Bulgaria intergovernmental committee this year to review and agree on measures to enhance the effectiveness of the bilateral economic cooperation. Hue said he supports the Bulgarian President's proposal to establish joint ventures in areas where countries have strengths and needs, especially logistics, innovation, and new technologies. He thanked Bulgaria for actively supporting the signing and ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the recent approval of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). These legal frameworks are essential for Vietnamese and Bulgarian businesses to strengthen their trade and investment cooperation. The leaders said they back the sides enhancement of student exchanges, promotion of their respective university and postgraduate programmes, and teaching of Vietnamese and Bulgarian languages at universities in each country. Hue expressed his hope that Bulgaria will continue to pay attention to and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese expatriate community. Given current complex challenges and traditional and non-traditional security threats, the two leaders emphasised the need for closer coordination at multilateral and regional forums, particularly the UN. Radev affirmed his support for Viet Nam's and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)s stance on regional security issues, including conflict resolution through peaceful means based on respect for international law and the UN Charter. On the occasion, Hue conveyed official invitations by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong for the Bulgarian President to visit Viet Nam. Radev accepted the invitation with pleasure. VNS QUANG BINH A Cuban high-level delegation headed by President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez on Monday visited the Viet Nam-Cuba friendship hospital in the central province of Quang Binh's ong Hoi City, which was built in 1973 following then President Fidel Castro's visit to the region. Welcoming the delegation, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and head of the provincial delegation of NA deputies Vu ai Thang highlighted Quang Binh's appreciation of Cubas affection and assistance for the province and the liberated zone in South Viet Nam during the fiercest days of the struggle. Recently, as part of a visit by Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong inh Hue to Cuba in late April, the provincial People's Committee signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Cuban Ministry of Public Health and an intent letter with Santiago de Cuba province to establish cooperative relations. Thang affirmed that in the near future, Quang Binh will continue to educate the young generation about the tradition of sound cooperation and friendship between the two countries Parties, States, and people. The province hopes that Cuba will continue sending medical experts to work at the hospital and that Cuban construction experts will further participate in supervising important projects in Viet Nam. Highlighting the hospital as a permanent symbol of the bilateral friendship and solidarity, Esteban Lazo Hernandez expressed his happiness in witnessing positive economic changes and improving social standards and quality of life in Viet Nam, particularly Quang Binh. He noted that the Southeast Asian nations increasing political stature on the international stage, which has been recognised by international friends worldwide. On the same day, the Cuban delegation laid a wreath to pay respects to Fidel Castro at his monument in the premises of the hospital. They also visited young patients under treatment at the pediatric ward, and engaged in conversations with the hospital's medical staff and doctors. In September 1973, Fidel Castro visited the newly liberated areas of Quang Binh and Quang Tri despite numerous dangers. The leader decided to help Viet Nam build a general hospital equipped with the latest equipment in ong Hoi, offering treatment for not only local residents but also to neighbouring localities. The construction began in May 1974 and the 462-bed medical facility was put into operation in September 1981. Now, the hospital accommodates more than 1,000 beds and creates close to 850 jobs. VNS HA NOI Tran Van Khai lost his job four months ago and he still has not found a new one. Khai, from Soc Son District in Ha Noi, came to the Ha Noi Employment Service Centre (HESC) to search for an opportunity. "I want to find a job related to welding and although I've had interviews with several companies, I haven't found anything suitable, said Khai. Some companies insist staff work overtime, which isn't suitable for people of a certain age. Im nearly 50 years old, my working endurance is not as good as before, so it is difficult to meet their needs, he said. Other companies have better working conditions but they are far from Khais house. If I consider travel costs and rent, it will be very expensive, he said, adding that it was too difficult for him to change occupation, because he did not have any other professional knowledge and experience. Nguyen Thi Suong, from Thach That District, also went to the HESC to look for a seasonal job because she could not find anything stable. Suong is over 40 years old and has difficulty finding work because she cannot compete with younger workers when enterprises requirements are often very high. When Suong went to the HESC to complete procedures for unemployment benefits, it was suggested she learn a new skill, but she was quite apprehensive. She worries that if she learns a new major, it will take a certain time period. During that time, she cannot work part-time to have income, which puts much financial pressure on her family. "That's why I chose to find a temporary seasonal job before finding one more permanent," Suong said. Vu Quang Thanh, deputy director of the HESC, told the VOV e-newspaper that losing a job was one of the biggest risks for workers. "As a unit directly involved in resolving unemployment insurance and job referrals, we have listened to a lot of opinions," said Thanh. "Losing a job changes the lives of families, causing them to constantly face crises. It is also related to social order and social insurance withdrawal. Job loss entails many consequences that no worker wants." Many workers who came to apply for the unemployment insurance revealed that the reason for quitting their jobs was mainly due to low wages. Thanh added: "For low-skilled workers, we have advised them so they can access further vocational training, equip them with appropriate professional skills. "We do not let the unemployment period last long, making workers feel self-conscious. The HESC always tries to help workers quickly return to the labour market." However, Thanh said, feedback from a number of companies showed that lots of workers do not focus on training themselves in soft skills, qualifications and improving their working attitude. Meanwhile, in the context of international integration and the fourth industrial revolution, these things become even more important. Many workers have weak foreign language skills, so even though they have good professional skills, they still cannot connect with new jobs. During the connection process at trading sessions, due to the short time, workers knowledge and skills may not be fully evaluated. But during the probationary period, the employees will reveal it clearly. Therefore, workers need to train themselves in soft skills, working style, awareness, attitude, foreign languages and information technology to be ready to access jobs. Regarding training for workers, Thanh emphasised that it was necessary to improve qualifications and expand further training, not just at the elementary level. Training requires support from businesses. Le inh Quang, deputy head of the Legal Policy Department under the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, said that the labour market required workers to have certain skills and expertise. When the market requires, employers and employees must change and improve their defects. Employers also need to have general criteria for employees when entering the enterprises. Businesses should define specific skills so that workers can clearly understand them. Currently, Viet Nams laws clearly stipulate the training responsibilities of employers. Specially, workers themselves must be more aware of the market mechanism and the risks of losing their jobs, thereby becoming flexible and adaptive in the new working environment. To do so, said Quang, workers must be equipped with enough professional skills. When they lose job, they must pay attention to new vocational training suitable to their conditions to find a new, sustainable job, not just focus on unemployment benefits. According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in the first half of this year, the labour market continued to face many difficulties, affecting more than half a million workers, including job loss, reduced working hours, and labour contract suspension. Notably, those job losses and reductions mainly fall in textiles and garments, footwear, electronic component production and wood processing with old workers. VNS MEKONG DELTA Officers of Coast Guard Intelligence Division No 2 seized more than 260,000 litres of smuggled diesel oil from two offshore wooden fishing boats in the southwest coastal region of Viet Nam. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Phan Nhan Hau, head of the ong Nai Province-based Coast Guard Intelligence Division No 2 under the Viet Nam Coast Guard Command, said the units working team discovered the two boats when conducting field reconnaissance. The working team on September 22 stopped fishing boat TG 91139 TS registered in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tien Giang and found 120,000 litres of diesel of unknown origin. The boats captain, Nguyen Van Cuong, 52, of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, and six crew members were on board. On the same day, another boat, KG 96097 TS registered in Kien Giang Province, was caught with 140,000 litres of diesel of unknown origin. The boats captain, Nguyen Tien Luc, 55, of Kien Giang Province, and four crew members were on board. The two captains failed to furnish documents proving the origin of the fuel. On September 24, the working team brought the boats ashore and handed over the cases to the Coast Guard Region No 4 Command based on Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang Province for further investigation. Coast Guard Intelligence Division No 2 is tasked with monitoring the sea from Cu Lao Xanh in the central coastal province of Binh inh to Ha Tien City in the Cuu Long (Mekong) province of Kien Giang, including the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago. The division is also assigned to directly detect and combat violations of law, such as national security crimes, smuggling, and trade fraud at sea. VNS HA NOI A tropical low-pressure system, which formed in the East Sea on Sunday afternoon, is predicted to bring torrential rains to the northern and central regions between Monday and Wednesday. The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting warned on Monday that heavy rains, with a rainfall of 100-300mm, will hit the northern region until Wednesday. At the same time, central localities stretching from Nghe An Province to Quang Ngai Province will experience showers with higher rainfall of up to 350mm. The centre also said by 10am on Monday, the eye of the tropical low-pressure system, was 250km east-southeast of a Nang City. The strongest wind speed near its eye reached 39-49km per hour. The tropical low-pressure system was moving west at 10-15km per hour. It was forecast to make landfall on the mainland of Quang Tri Province and Quang Nam Province at 10am on Tuesday and weaken into a low-pressure system over the Viet NamLaos border area at 10pm on Tuesday. Due to the influence of the tropical low-pressure system, the northern part of the East Sea, including Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago, and the middle part of the East Sea will face high waves of 2-4m while the southern part of the East Sea will get high waves of 2-3.5m. Showers hit a Nang Between Sunday night and Monday morning, due to the influence of a tropical low-pressure system, showers with a rainfall of 30-120mm hit a Nang City. Inundation reportedly occurred on many roads in the citys downtown streets of Trung Nu Vuong, Nui Thanh, Tran Hung ao, Ngo Quyen and Nguyen Huu Tho, causing many vehicles stalled. According to a report at 5am on Monday by the citys Border Guard Command, the total number of vessels moored at wharves was 848 ships. The number of offshore vessels was 107, including one ship with the plate number DNNA 90709 operating in the dangerous area, triggered by the tropical low-pressure system. The ship was informed to move to Quang Ngai Provinces territorial water to avoid. The command also told relevant units to be ready for emergencies. In Quang Nam Province, local administration had ordered a sea ban from 7am on Monday until a new notice to ensure the safety of local vessels and people. In Thua Thien Hue Province, the provincial Border Guard Command said the province scheduled to fire signal flares at five areas to remind offshore vessels to find out safe shelters. The command has told relevant units to use search and rescue information channels to notify owners of offshore vessels about the developments of the tropical low-pressure system so that fishermen can proactively avoid it and not enter dangerous areas. VNS HA NOI General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Vu Viet Trang held talks with President of Cuban news agency Prensa Latina (PL) Luis Enrique Gonzalez Acosta in Ha Noi on Monday. Welcoming the PL leader and his entourage, Trang briefed the guests on the VNAs role as a key multimedia news agency in Viet Nam as well as its bold steps to accelerate digital transformation. She expressed her delight at the practical and effective cooperation between the two news agencies over the past years, which has accompanied the development history of the Viet Nam-Cuba special friendship. She said she wishes that the two sides will maintain their collaboration, while affirming the VNA will work closely with the PL to preserve and develop cooperative ties, which have been treasured by generations of leaders of both sides in the past six decades. For his part, Gonzalez Acosta said that the cooperation with the VNA is strategic, developed on the basis of the time-tested relations between the two countries. He said with effective coordination, both agencies completed the book Fidel Castro Nuestra Sangre Por Viet Nam (Fidel Castro: Our Blood for Viet Nam) on time to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cuban leaders first visit to the Southeast Asian country; and jointly organised a photo exhibition on the bilateral ties. At the talks, Gonzalez Acosta and Editor-in-Chief of the VNAs Vietnam Pictorial Nguyen Thang signed a cooperation agreement on printing and issuing the Spanish-version of the Vietnam Pictorial. Under a cooperation deal signed on April 18, 2023, both agencies have exchanged news in English, French, and Spanish. The VNA has provided the PL with video news in Spanish and photos with captions in English. The PL has sent its experts to the VNA every year to support the latter to produce Spanish news and train VNA sub-editors as well as printing and circulating the Spanish-version of the Vietnam Pictorial. Besides, they have supported each others correspondents, with the VNA providing parts of operation costs for the PL office in Hanoi, while the PL always stands ready to support the VNA correspondents in Havana. VNS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh wants Vietnam and Brazil to strive to bring two-way trade turnover to 10 billion USD by 2025 and 15-20 billion USD by 2030. On the morning of September 24 (same time and date as Vietnam), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a discussion with representatives of Brazilian businesses on the occasion of his official visit to this country. Government leaders said that after nearly 35 years of establishing diplomatic relations, especially since the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership in 2007, the Vietnam - Brazil cooperative relationship has continued to develop positively. In all fields, political relations are increasingly close and trusting. Vietnam and Brazil are currently each other's largest trading partners in Southeast Asia and South America, with trade turnover in 2022 reaching a record level of about 6.78 billion USD, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2021, which has tripled in the past decade. However, according to the Prime Minister, more is needed. The room is still large because Brazil is a populous country with a large market, suitable for the goods of Vietnam - a developing country. The head of the Vietnamese Government said that businesses of the two countries may need more information, do not fully understand each other's markets and are afraid of geographical distance. However, nowadays, aviation and shipping are developed and can quickly transport people and goods. Therefore, the two countries can find common ground on products that complement each other, such as Vietnam, which can import cotton, soybeans, and corn from Brazil and export leather, footwear, textile and garment products, agricultural products, and electronic goods. Tomorrow, he will talk with the President of Brazil to discuss major solutions to promote relations between the two countries. "When you come to Vietnam to invest and cooperate in trade, you can rest assured, as Vietnamese people often say, when the weather is favourable, the situation is favourable. The problem is that we find ways to come together and strengthen the connection between businesses of the two countries. ", said the Government leader. He said that Vietnam is currently focusing on three strategic breakthroughs: Perfecting market economic institutions with a socialist orientation Administrative reform, training high-quality human resources, meeting the labour needs of the new era Developing infrastructure, especially transportation and telecommunications infrastructure. It helps businesses reduce input costs and increase competitiveness. Vietnam fully supports Brazil opening an Office of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam, suggesting that the two sides further promote science and technology transfer and strengthen connections to understand, share, cooperate, and develop. Appreciating the willingness of Brazilian businesses to cooperate, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam actively negotiates with Brazil free trade agreements, investment protection, avoidance of double taxation... to create favourable conditions for businesses to cooperate and develop. He suggested that businesses from both sides actively participate and concretize cooperation mechanisms into specific programs and projects. From there, we strive to bring two-way trade turnover to 10 billion USD by 2025, reaching 15-20 billion USD by 2030 in a more balanced direction. For more information about the economic and trade situation between the two countries, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said that in 1989, when the two countries established relations, two-way trade turnover reached 16 million USD, but by 2022, This number had reached 6.8 billion USD, an increase of more than 400 times. Mr. Dien also emphasized that the potential for development cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil is still very large. Brazilian businesses investing in Vietnam exploit Vietnam's market of 100 million people and ASEAN's market of 600 million people. On the contrary, if Brazil opens up, Vietnam will also have the opportunity to export to the Brazilian market of more than 200 million people and the South American market of more than 400 million people. Also read: Vietnam-US trade turnover declines Vietnam News - Latest Updates and World Insights | Vietreader.com According to the Minister of Industry and Trade, Vietnam is promoting negotiations and signing the Vietnam - MERCOSUR trade agreement, including Brazil. Vietnam has become one of the world's factories. In the last 3 years, Vietnam has been one of the 20 countries with the largest trade scale in the world. He said that Vietnam's upgrading of relations with the US to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership would help the wave of investment shifting from US multinational companies and developed countries into Vietnam. Raw material resources will increase. Therefore, he suggested that Brazilian businesses increase the supply of raw materials to Vietnam, especially new industries, such as semiconductor technology. Also read: Not Samsung, this is the first semiconductor factory in the North Vietnam News - Latest Updates and World Insights | Vietreader.com At the seminar, Brazilian businesses said they were eager to cooperate with Vietnam in agriculture and some emerging industries such as wind energy and renewable industry. Some companies proposed cooperating with Vietnam to participate in the global supply chain, opening the door for them to export some products to Vietnam, such as chicken meat and chicken wings, in addition to traditional products, such as cotton and corn. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh officially visited Brazil from September 23 to 26, at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, after ending his trip to the US. Vietnam benefits from being viewed as a "market economy" by significant importers like the US and EU in anti-dumping and subsidy investigations. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, 72 nations, including powerful economies like Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea, have recognized Vietnam as a market economy. The UK recently issued an official letter recognizing Vietnam's market status. A representative of the Trade Remedies Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that since the first anti-dumping investigation case with Vietnam in 2002, the US has considered Vietnam a non-market economy. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh mentioned the proposal for the US to recognize Vietnam's market economy status soon when meeting US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on September 19 in Washington. The joint statement between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden on upgrading Vietnam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership mentioned this issue. In addition to the US, the EU maintains that Vietnam is a non-market economy. When the FTA was being negotiated in 2015, the representative of the European Union delegation told the press that the signing did not imply that Vietnam was recognized as having a market economy. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on September 19 in Washington. Photo: Nhat Bac Non-market economy refers to economies where the government has a monopoly or near monopoly on trade and the state sets domestic prices. Normal price calculation principles will not be used if an exporting country is considered a non-market. The importing nation is free to employ any other techniques it deems appropriate. This significantly negatively affects producers and exporters from nations regarded as non-market economies. Each country and economy will have its regulations on criteria for determining a non-market economy. According to US regulations, there are 6 criteria to consider whether an economy has a market or not, including Currency conversion level, Negotiate salaries and wages between employees and employers, Level of foreign investment in economic activities, Issues of state ownership and private ownership, Extent of Government control over certain resources and prices; Other factors. There are 5 criteria for the EU, such as government influence in allocating resources and business decisions (Vietnam has done it, according to the EU's assessment in 2015). No state intervention distorts the daily operations of businesses; corporate governance, accounting and auditing; the existence and enforcement of certain legal regimes, respecting intellectual property rights, bankruptcy and competition, and judicial systems; financial sector. According to Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, Director of the Center for WTO and Integration, Vietnam was forced to acknowledge in the 2007 WTO accession documents that other import countries would classify it as a non-market economy due to the negotiation backdrop. "Being considered a non-market economy has a big impact on Vietnamese businesses, especially in anti-dumping investigations," said a representative of the Trade Defense Agency. For example, because it considers Vietnam a non-market when calculating the dumping margin, the US will use the value of a third country with a market economy to calculate the production costs of businesses. in Vietnam instead of using data provided by these units. Due to this, the dumping margin is greatly inflated and does not accurately reflect the production environment of Vietnamese businesses. Additionally, since manufacturers in the replacement nation are frequently Vietnamese exporters' rivals, they may submit unfavorable information in these inquiries, according to Ms Trang. In addition, considering Vietnam as a non-market economy allows the US to apply nationwide tax rates for businesses that do not cooperate or cannot prove that they are not under Government control. The US often calculates the national tax rate based on available data, so it is often pushed up very high and maintained during all reviews, hindering the consideration of lifting the tax imposition. The US is an important export market of Vietnam, with a total turnover 2022 of nearly 109.4 USD (accounting for 29.5% - according to data from the General Department of Customs). The US also initiated the most trade defence investigations with Vietnam, mainly anti-dumping investigations, with 25 out of 56 cases as of August 2023. Read more: Vietnam's economy expected to surge 6.5% in 2023: OECD report From 2020, the EU will rank as the third-largest overseas market for Vietnamese exports. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has exported items worth 128 billion USD to this market since the EVFTA went into effect. According to customs data, Vietnamese exports to the EU in 2022 will be 46.8 billion USD or 12.6% of all export revenue. For Vietnam's manufacturing and export sectors, being recognized as a market economy by two significant import markets is extremely important. "If recognized, Vietnamese enterprises will not be subject to unfavourable calculations while facing anti-subsidy and anti-dumping cases. Thus, to drastically lower it compared to the present, the US will adopt the amplitude and associated tax rate toward higher standards and fairness, Ms. Trang stated. In fact, since 2008, after officially joining the WTO, Vietnam and the US have established a bilateral Working Group on the market economy. According to information from the Vietnamese side's focal point, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the two sides have met 10 times to update the US on Vietnam's market economic status. Vietnam's senior leaders also mentioned this issue during working trips to the US. Also read: Vietnam-U.S. ties poised to grow to new height The Vietnamese-American economy has many achievements On September 8, Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade officially requested the US Department of Commerce to consider Vietnam's market economy issue. "The time to apply is special in the context of the relationship between the two countries being raised to a new level," the Trade Remedies Department assessed. According to regulations, the US Department of Commerce will decide whether to initiate a review within 45 days and reach a conclusion within 270 days from when Vietnam submitted the dossier. In the two countries' Joint Statement, the US said it would urgently consider the request to recognize market regulations. In a recent meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh, Trade Minister Gina Raimondo said she would find ways to promote the US's early approval of Vietnam's request. Workers sort lychees for export at the Global Food Joint Stock Company in Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province. (Photo: VNA) HCM City Farmers and businesses must improve product quality, and strictly follow the rules of origin and ensure food safety to boost fruit exports, experts said. They made the affirmation at a recent conference jointly held by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-harvest Technology and the National Authority for Agro-Forestry-Fishery Quality, Processing and Market Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Ho Chi Minh City. Describing fruit as a key agricultural export product, Deputy Director of the MARDs Plant Protection Department Le Van Thiet said that fruit shipments in recent five years grow 10-15% annually, most of which are destined for China, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the EU. Negotiations to diversify export markets have made Vietnam one of the largest fruit exporters in Southeast Asia, while encouraging farmers and exporters to make more investment in their processing, packaging and transport facilities to ensure that Vietnamese fruit products meet foreign market standards, he said. Pointing out several challenges that hamper fruit exports, including technical barriers, strict sanitary and phytosanitary measures and fierce competition, Thiet said farmers and businesses must comply with quality standards of importers, while promoting sustainable value chains for their products. Additionally, as digital transformation still lags behind the industrys development, he suggested competent sides complete and upgrade their database, e-training platforms and websites, making them more friendly with users. Besides, the completion of guidelines to set up and manage packaging facilities and planting areas of key fruit, as well as sound plant quarantine measures in accordance with importer requirements will help boost fruit exports, Thiet added. Manager of UNIDOs project on quality and standard Bahramalian Nima said that total fruit export batches rejected to enter Australia, China, the EU, Japan and the US increased 42% in ten years, from 24 in 2010 to 34 in 2020. The rejections were due to disease infection, poor hygienic control, and veterinary drug and pesticide residues, he said, stressing that Vietnam should improve its technical assessment capacity, improve food safety surveillance system, and work to better farmer and company capacity to control quality. Regarding origin tracing, experts said Vietnam should focus on improving transparency through food supply chains to detect unsafe food, and find ways to identify whether farmers are planting their trees under good practice standards or not. Most recently, the Plant Protection Department sent a document to several localities, asking them to temporarily halt planting areas and packaging facilities with codes that fail to meet requirements from the Chinese market. The suspension was also applied for the batches related to violating growing areas and packaging facilities. According to Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, the move aims to reduce risks for Vietnamese exporters as it could take them a long time to recover from the consequences when the codes are revoked by the Chinese authorities. Quality improvement to help fruit exporters take on rivals With the historic EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement now in effect, the doors are open for Vietnamese farmers to push fruit exports to the EU. However, the strong focus on semi-processed fruit, low value products, technical barriers, and the ongoing health crisis are presenting significant hurdles before they can cash in on the agreement. Revamping preservation technologies for Vietnamese fruit exports to EU market On March 17, the inauguration of the smart cold cabin demo was held in Tra Vinh province, extending the prospects for Vietnam's agricultural exports to the EU market. (Photo : Olivier MORIN / AFP) (OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images) Jamaican health officials confirmed a dengue fever outbreak after the country recorded hundreds of confirmed and suspected cases. Jamaican health officials confirmed a dengue outbreak in the Caribbean on Saturday after at least 565 suspected, presumed, and confirmed cases. In a statement, the country's Ministry of Health and Wellness said that the latest outbreak comes as its National Surveillance Unit "advised that Jamaica has surpassed the dengue epidemic threshold for July and August." It added that the nation is on track to do the same for September. Jamaica's Dengue Fever Outbreak Officials added that the current dominant strain is Dengue Type 2, which last predominated in 2010. The statement said that there are currently no dengue-related deaths that officials have recorded. However, there are six deaths that they are currently investigating for any relation to the deadly disease. Jamaican health officials noted that there are currently at least 78 confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne disease across the country. The Ministry of Health and Wellness added that roughly 500 temporary vector control workers have been engaged and deployed across the island in high-risk communities and 213 permanent workers, as per the New York Post. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said dengue viruses are "spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito." The health agency warned that roughly one in four infected people will get sick, developing mild symptoms including nausea, vomiting, rash, aches, and pains. The CDC also warned that about one in 20 people infected by the disease will develop severe dengue, which officials said can result in shock, internal bleeding, and sometimes death. The Minister of Health in Jamaica, Christopher Tufton, said that the Ministry and Regional Health Authorities have prepared for a potential outbreak. The Ministry also warned the Jamaican public that the Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in any containerized environment that can hold water. This includes drums, tires, buckets, and animal feeding containers. Read Also: Experts Warn That Zika Virus is Getting More Contagious-Here's Why Addressing the Spread of the Disease Additionally, it urged the people of Jamaica to play their part in ensuring that the cases are minimized by monitoring water storage containers for mosquito breeding and keeping surroundings free of debris. According to Fox News, they can also destroy or treat potential mosquito breeding sites and wear protective clothing, use mosquito repellent, and stay indoors as much as possible to minimize contact with the insects. While there are cases of severe dengue that can lead to death, treatment for the disease is rest and adequate hydration. These are usually sufficient to help a patient get through the illness, while health professionals recommend treating fever with acetaminophen or paracetamol. The Ministry also recommended the public not to use aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, or any of the medications or pain relievers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Officials said that when used to treat dengue fever, these drugs have been known to increase the severity of the disease. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie also cautioned that severe dengue can cause organ failure and result in severe fluid depletion, said Outbreak News Today. Related Article: CDC Recommends Pfizer's Maternal Vaccine for RSV @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. That is why InterContinental made a splash in the hospitality industry on September 15 when it announced its first valley resort project in Vietnam. InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort, which is set to become operational in 2027, is located at the heart of the Thanh Xuan Valley tourist urban area, north of Hanoi. The resort will be situated near Dai Lai Lake, less than a 60-minute drive from the downtown of Hanoi. It boasts easy access to the capital region, which is an important strategic position in industrial and commercial tourism development. The resort is nestled inside a 170-hectare complex that includes a high-end residential area, a park, a 10-kilometre trekking route, a zipline among the pine forest, a bustling downtown, and healthcare and education amenities. With convenient access to on-site amenities, InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort is qualified as a truly rare destination resort in the northern region. The unique rooms on trees at InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort. Photo: Thanh Xuan Valley However, InterContinental chose the Thanh Xuan Valley tourist urban area for its rare natural landscape. As seen on satellite images, this entire area is located on semi-mountainous terrain, deep in the valley, and surrounded by mountains. Surrounding the resort are 80 hectares of pine forest more than 50 years old, 8 freshwater lakes, natural streams, and valley terrain, which are kept intact. It is known that this unique terrain has inspired InterContinental experts and WATG design consultancy to come up with the idea of the tree-top villa model. In addition, this area possesses rich vegetation with many types of flower plants, such as azalea, begonia, banyan, and orchid. The construction density of the resort and the entire Thanh Xuan Valley urban area will be maintained at 15 per cent, which is below the average level of 5-star resorts. Once put into operation, InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort is expected to not only bring a breath of fresh air but also change the concept of living and experience for customers who cherish the value of nature, lifestyle, and community. This venture is just the latest in a long line of fascinating concepts for the company. The InterContinental brand, from IHG Hotels & Resorts, has reinforced its position and reputation with its high-class accommodation facilities and services, which are modern but still imbued with local culture. What makes InterContinental different is this brand's choice of destination, according to Paul Cunningham, senior director of operations in Southeast Asia and Korea at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Each InterContinental location is a unique destination with its own space and unique styles, from historical to contemporary symbols in cities. The locations that catch the eye of InterContinental's not only possess prime locations but also have many other unique values such as rare terrain, long history, and inspiring cultural stories." InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is the world's first underground hotel. Photo: IHG Hotels & Resorts For example, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is situated on the southernmost tip of Raa Atoll, near Baa Atoll, one of the Maldives' five most beautiful beaches. The resort is one of the iconic luxury projects of InterContinental, and is home to one of the largest groups of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, famous for its diverse marine life. Pushing the creative boundaries, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is the world's first underground hotel. It is built into the cliffs of an abandoned quarry exploited during World War II. The hotel has 16 underground floors and two underwater floors. InterContinental brings unprecedented adventure travel experiences such as bungee jumping from the 88-metre cliff or a journey to discover nature at Sheshan National Forest Park. InterContinental Khao Yai is inspired by the history of the Thai railway industry, with special suites converted from the railway carriages themselves. Photo: IHG Hotels & Resorts nterContinental not only favours coastal cities and paradise islands but also shows special attention to green destinations, where urban tourists can freely connect with the natural ecosystem. In Thailand, after its presence in Phuket, Pattaya, and Koh Samui, InterContinental has added InterContinental Khao Yai Resort to its portfolio. The resort is nestled in an ancient mountain range next to Khao Yai National Park, which has a long history and is home to a wide range of wild animals. Alongside the tailored natural exploration activities, InterContinental also offers famous local specialities harvested from the on-site farm, such as grapes, golden dragon fruit, and wild honey. IHG and BIM Group unveil first valley resort in Vietnam under the InterContinental brand IHG Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel management company, and BIM Real Estate JSC, a member of the BIM Group, have signed a cooperation agreement to develop InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort, which is part of the Thanh Xuan Valley project. This marks the first valley resort for the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand in Vietnam. BIM Group to launch Vietnams largest salt & renewable energy economic zone BIM Wind Farm started commercial operation in Ninh Thuan province on September 30. Developed by BIM Wind, a joint venture between BIM Group and AC Energy from Philippines, it is a final phase of the project that transformed the region into the largest salt production and renewable energy complex in Vietnam covering an area of 2,500 hectares with a total investment of VND12 trillion ($521.74 million). At the forum, held also thanks to the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, speakers emphasised the substantial challenges faced by the climate finance sector in Vietnam in aligning significant investment opportunities with environmental objectives. This sentiment was shared by Allen Forlemu, the IFC's regional industry director for Financial Institutions Group, Asia-Pacific, when he said, It is evident that climate change is an increasingly disruptive factor for Vietnam's economy, and the costs are already starting to undermine growth. In 2020, Vietnam lost $10 billion, or 3.2 per cent of its GDP, to climate change impacts. If nothing is done, costs will only rise. In a business-as-usual scenario with limited global mitigation efforts, climate change could cost Vietnam up to 14.5 per cent of GDP annually in roughly 30 years, with the potential to push a million people into extreme poverty in less than a decade, he added. Addressing climate change is a strategic cornerstone for the World Bank Group, and Forlemu emphasised the IFCs collaboration with financial institutions and development partners worldwide to provide millions of individuals and businesses with opportunities to access critical financial services. Pham Thanh Ha, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Pham Thanh Ha, Deputy Governor of the SBV, also stressed the urgent need to meet environmental commitments. The banking sector has been actively aligned with the goals set by the government in the National Green Growth Strategy for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision towards 2050. All businesses must view this as an opportunity but also an imperative. The banking sector recognises this as a critical area that needs to be pursued, he said. Specific achievements worth noting include the approval of the Green Banking Development Project in Vietnam, the establishment of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Steering Committee, and the creation of the Sustainable Finance Project Management regulations. Ha expressed hope that foreign credit institutions and foreign bank branches would gain a better understanding of Vietnam's legal environment as the country moves towards net-zero emissions and the financial sector transitions towards green finance. This understanding will enable them to leverage investment opportunities in climate-related projects through the domestic capital markets. In the same vein, Pham Thi Thanh Tung, deputy director general of the the SBVs Department of Credit for Economic Sectors, said, The SBV has implemented various solutions to encourage credit institutions to contribute positively to the national green growth strategy, and the banking industry is committed to fulfilling the government's objectives. Phan Thanh Hai, deputy CEO of BIDV, revealed that the bank has established an ESG Steering Committee and a Sustainable Finance Project Management team as part of its institutional development. BIDV's business strategy for the period up to 2025 and vision until 2030 includes a focus on green credit development, green banking, and activities that promote the growth of green credit and risk management, environmental protection, and social responsibility. BIDV has invested in modern IT to minimise paper and plastic use and promote digital transformation internally. Furthermore, we are actively involved in community activities that raise environmental awareness and support disadvantaged communities, he said. The bank is also focusing on projects related to climate adaptation, energy transition, and clean transportation, prioritising green projects that have access to preferential funding from financial institutions. As an intermediary bank receiving international funding from sponsors, BIDV introduces domestic clients to these funds, manages disbursements and collateral assets, and ensures compliance. Opportunities and challenges for Vietnam in financial sector reform Carolyn Turk, country director for the World Bank in Vietnam, delves into the opportunities and challenges Vietnam faces as it builds a resilient and modern financial sector legal and regulatory framework. Boosting green finance for a low-carbon economy in Vietnam As Vietnam aims for a low-carbon growth model and carbon neutrality by 2050, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in partnership with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), is scaling up its support to the government to promote sustainable finance and spur private sector investment. The pair entered into a strategic partnership on September 22 to foster business growth in this promising area. The signing event was graced by Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his visit to the US. According to the MoU, the two parties are committed to human resource development for semiconductor companies in the US. The two companies along with FPT University have pledged collaboration in nurturing talents for the US semiconductor sector. Additionally, they will cooperate to establish the Vietnam Semiconductor Training Centre, bolstering talent development in line with governmental programmes. Furthermore, FPT will provide intellectual property on Silvaco's platform, which Silvaco will then offer to its clients. The partnership also encompasses the development of business ventures in StandardCell, IO, and Memory design fields. FPT Corporation chairman Truong Gia Binh said, "Vietnam has the potential to establish a strong foothold in AI. Additionally, both Vietnam and FPT stand to accelerate their growth in the digital technology realm." Established in 1984, Silvaco is a technology, automation, and semiconductor software enterprise headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company has a presence across North America, Europe, and Asia. It offers technology computer-aided design software, electronic design automation software, and world-class support to engineers and researchers across the globe. On September 11, during US President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam, Binh of FPT revealed investment strategies in the US, emphasising high-quality human resource development in AI and propelling the semiconductor industry in Vietnam. FPT Corporation also announced an all-encompassing strategic alliance with LandingAI, a front-runner in machine vision and AI based in Silicon Valley. This is part of its ambitious drive to expedite the incorporation of AI into FPT Education's curriculum. PT is the first company in Vietnam to produce commercial chips, focusing on customised chip designs based on client orders. The corporation is currently prioritising the expansion of its semiconductor and AI segments. Hana Micron Vina launches pioneering semiconductor factory in northern Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang launched the Hana Micron Vina semiconductor plant in Bac Giang, a pioneering project with future plans to invest over $1 billion and create 4,000 jobs by 2025. Synopsys to bolster semiconductor development in Vietnam US semiconductor-maker Synopsys has inked deals with Vietnamese partners to advance semiconductor development in Vietnam. PM calls on US semiconductor firms to invest more in Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a working lunch with chief executive officers of leading US enterprises in the semiconductor industry in Washington DC on September 19 morning (local time). A view of Dong Van II industrial park in Ha Nam (Photo: VNA) Ha Nam - Industrial parks in the northern province of Ha Nam have attracted 24 new projects so far this year, including 15 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth 176 million USD, according to Head of the Ha Nam Industrial Parks Management Board Tran Van Kien. Besides, the IPs have also drawn 9 domestic investment projects with combined registered capital of over 1 trillion VND. Kien said that the total amount of capital poured into the new FDI projects and injected in operating ones has reached 259 million USD so far. The official said that in order to lure more projects to local industrial parks, Ha Nam will continue to increase the introduction of its images and investment environment in local industrial parks to investors, while joining investment promotion activities inside and outside the country. Since the beginning of 2023, the locality has sent its trade promotion delegations to Japan, Europe, the US and Singapore. It plans to send a team to the Republic of Korea in October, Kien said. He said that the management board has proposed the establishment of a number of new industrial parks, including Dong Van V and VI industrial parks and Kim Bang 1 industrial park, while expanding Dong Van 3 industrial park to nearly 1,000 hectares. Ha Nam has also worked hard to develop social infrastructure systems to serve workers and support businesses in human resources, he added. Ha Nam promotes investment in Netherlands Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ha Nam province Truong Quoc Huy has called on Dutch enterprises to invest in hi-tech agriculture, supporting industry, logistics and tourism at a recent investment promotion conference in Amersfoort. A fire and explosion at a factory in Pingtung county of Taiwan (China) on September 22 injures 19 Vietnamese citizens. (Photo: Focus Taiwan) Hanoi A fire and explosion at a factory in Pingtung county of Taiwan (China) on September 22 injured 19 Vietnamese citizens, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. According to the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, three Vietnamese were critically injured but their lives were not in danger, while 16 others suffered light injuries. All the victims were hospitalised and some of them were discharged from hospital. Under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the office will continue to keep a close watch on the incident, visit the injured, and carry out citizen protection measures if necessary. For guidance and support, citizens should contact the office via +886 933262836, or call the Citizen Protection Hotline of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Department +84 981 84 84 84. On September 23, the Department of Overseas Labour Management under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs also sent a document to the management board of Vietnamese workers in Taiwan, asking for the verification and regular update on the situation of the Vietnamese workers affected by the incident. Recently, leading US businesses and corporations in the field of semiconductors assessed that Vietnam has potential and opportunities to develop the semiconductor industry ecosystem. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - To maintain a high growth rate of exports, it was necessary to target new trends, including semiconductors, said experts. The scale of this market hit more than 600 billion USD last year, and is forecast to reach 1.4 trillion USD by 2029. Vietnam is a very open economy, with total import-export turnover reaching 200 per cent of GDP, making the economy vulnerable to external fluctuations, said experts. Economic expert Nguyen Dinh Cung, former director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) told Doanh Nhan Viet Nam (Vietnamese Businessman) online magazine that Vietnams economy was very open and was becoming more and more open. Therefore, the economy was susceptible to even external factors. Finding a solution to this problem, experts say that to avoid external injuries, Vietnam needs to change soon. Pointing out the weakness of the Vietnamese economy, Cung said there were three important components including the FDI enterprise sector, the private sector and the State-owned enterprise sector. However, these sectors had not been closely linked and unified with each other, said Cung. To enhance the economy's resilience to external factors, these components needed to be more closely linked, he said. When exports tended to weaken, they need support from the domestic market and vice versa, he added. Cung predicted that the economy would continue to have an important driving force from the FDI and export sectors in the future, but for sustainable development, fundamental changes were needed. To attract FDI and improve export growth, we must not continue to rely on the advantage of low prices, he said, adding major countries are currently tending to change their thinking and strengthen their foundations. These countries are increasing their self-reliance in controlling the supply chain by moving factories to their home country or closer countries, which has caused a significant impact on the supply chain. The good news is that Vietnams position is increasingly growing as it had become an important partner of many large countries, said experts. The country has also just upgraded its relationship with the US to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership. This event has opened up many opportunities for Vietnam, especially in attracting investment in fields with high technology content and high added value such as the semiconductor industry. Recently, leading US businesses and corporations in the field of semiconductors also assessed that Vietnam has many potentials and opportunities to develop the semiconductor industry ecosystem. These businesses also said they were studying the possibility of locating chip factories in Vietnam. At the recent visit of US President Joe Biden, many large US semiconductor businesses such as Intel, Amkor, Marvell, and GlobalFoundries signed a commitment to invest in Vietnam. They assess that high-quality human resources and the improving capacity of businesses and training facilities in Vietnam are the necessary factors, not cheap human resources. It can be seen that the trend of competing with cheap human resources has passed. Previously, Vietnams initial investment and export activities were mostly in low value-added sectors such as textiles, garments and footwear. After that, the country has quickly moved up the value chain, developing into an important electronics assembly centre thanks to the investment participation of a number of technology "giants". Typically, Samsung, up to now, its investment has reached 18 billion USD, accounting for about one-quarter of Vietnams export value. This has also encouraged other tech giants, especially Apple, to expand their operations. However, experts assessed that to maintain export momentum, it was necessary to attract and develop fields with high technology content such as the semiconductor industry because this was the leading trend in the future. The scale of the global chip market was about more than 600 billion USD last year, and it was forecasted that it would reach 1,400 billion by 2029, an opportunity for Vietnam in this huge giant cake, said Nguyen Mai, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE). Semiconductor technology is a 'story of the whole world', developed countries were giving incentives to expand research and production for this industry, said Mai. Vietnam did not have much money to invest, so it had to rely on FDI capital attraction for development, he added. Samsung and Intel are two electronics giants and also leading enterprises in the semiconductor industry. Intel has increased the investment capital of this project to nearly 1.5 billion USD in 2021, and is planning to invest more to expand the factory in Vietnam. Samsung also announced plans to produce semiconductor components in Vietnam. Mass production of semiconductor chip grid products at Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam factory in Thai Nguyen province is expected to be carried out at the end of this year, after trial production is completed. Two prominent semiconductor projects this year are the Hana Micron Vina factory in Bac Giang province, which has just been inaugurated, and Amkor Technology in Bac Ninh province, which is expected to be completed in October. Choi Chang Ho, Chairman of Hana Micron Vina, said that the company planned to increase its total investment to over 1 billion USD by 2025, annual revenue is expected to reach 800 million USD and create 4,000 jobs for Vietnamese. Samsung to invest $206 billion in semiconductors, displays, and biopharmaceuticals South Korean conglomerate Samsung Group targets to invest around $206 billion over the next three years in sectors like semiconductors, displays, and biopharmaceutical products. US, EU pledge joint action on tech issues, semiconductors, China US and EU officials on Wednesday pledged to join forces to deal with a host of technology and trade issues to secure semiconductor supplies and counter China's dominance. Vietnam to train up to 50,000 semiconductor engineers At the monthly government meeting on August 5, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh tasked the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Science and Technology to develop a plan to train between 30,000 and 50,000 engineers and 100 experts in digital transformation and manufacturing semiconductors. Vehicles that Singaporean police seize in raids against a suspected international money laundering ring last month. (Photo source: SDF) Hanoi Singaporean media on September 20 reported local police have seized or frozen more than 1.76 billion USD worth of assets in one of the biggest money laundering cases ever uncovered in the city-state. In sweeping raids against a suspected international money laundering ring last month, Singaporean authorities seized assets worth nearly 750 million USD including bank accounts, cash, real estate, vehicles, and luxury goods. Police also arrested 10 foreign nationals who are members of a group suspected to be laundering proceeds from overseas criminal activity including scams and online gambling. Police on September 20 confirmed that they conducted additional operations and seized additional assets, bringing the total amount involved to more than 2.4 billion Singaporean dollars (1.76 billion USD). The seized assets now includes bank accounts containing an estimated value of over 828 million USD, more than 55.8 million USD in cash, 68 gold bars, 294 luxury bags, and 164 luxury watches, jewelry, and electronic devices. More than 110 properties and 62 vehicles with a total estimated value of over 900 million USD are frozen. Singapore - a global financial hub - has strict laws against laundering illicit funds, with the highest punishment of up to 10 years in jail. Singapore and Vietnam enter new phase of relations Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, will pay an official visit to Vietnam this week. Tan See Leng, Singapores Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, writes about how both economies can bring their economic ties to greater heights. Singaporean PM strolling Hanoi streets, trying local food Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tried Hanois cuisine and took a stroll on the pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake at the heart of the capital city on August 27 evening right upon his arrival. Becoming a stellar regional gateway is the goal for Tran De Seaport In August, the master plan was approved for Soc Trang provinces development direction for the rest of the decade and with a vision to 2050. Soc Trang is becoming one of the more well-developed provinces of the Mekong Delta. It develops industry, commerce, services, and modern and sustainable agriculture. It also wants to completely transform Tran De Seaport with a comprehensive and modern infrastructure system. Under the master plan, Soc Trang is oriented to develop its seaport system, with priority on attracting investment and building and developing Tran De into a regional gateway. The orientation is in line with a 2022 resolution on socioeconomic advancement to ensure national defence and security in the Mekong Delta, and accompanying documents. In July, a national plan was also approved on policies, solutions, and resources for implementation of Vietnams seaport system development towards 2030 and beyond. To develop maritime infrastructure, it identified the importance of calling for investment for Tran De, with an expected investment capital of around $2 billion. After the transformation, aimed to take place by the end of the decade, the port will have capacity to receive general ships and container ships of 100,000DWT or more, and bulk cargo ships of 160,000DWT. In addition to the port, there will also be a port logistics service area of around 4,000 hectares. Tran Van Lau, Chairman of Soc Trang Peoples Committee, said, These orientations and policies have laid important political and legal foundations to form Tran De as a gateway seaport for the Mekong Delta region. It is a perfect piece of the puzzle to synchronise transport infrastructure, directly promoting the socioeconomic development of the region. He added that Soc Trang is actively working with the Ministry of Transport to complete and submit the plan on attracting investment into Tran De Seaport. The province also plans other functional areas, including industrial, commercial, service, and logistics, to connect with key traffic projects, especially Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang Expressway and the seaport, Lau said. Creating a breakthrough The Mekong Delta is a key agricultural region of Vietnam with many key products, especially rice, shrimp, basa fish, and fruit. The total annual import and export volume of the Mekong Delta is about 21-22 million tonnes, counting for 95 per cent of the total rice export and 65 per cent of basa exports. However, less than 10 per cent of goods goes directly through the regions seaports, and there is no gateway port for the region to accommodate large tonnage ships. More than 70 per cent of the regions import and export goods have to be transshipped to the port cluster in the Southeast region. As a result, transportation costs increase by about $10 for each tonne of imported and exported goods. It not only takes a lot of time and affects the quality of goods, but also places pressure on road traffic. Therefore, it is vital to plan and call for investment for the gateway port of the Mekong Delta at Tran De, which will facilitate the export and import activities of the entire region. Ho Quoc Luc, chairman of Sao Ta Foods JSC, expressed his delight when hearing about the master plan for Tran De project. The planned seaport will support our business activities. Over the past 27 years, the company has transported its goods to seaports in Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau and suffered higher logistics costs. The company exports 1,500-2,000 refrigerated containers per year. With the planned Tran De overhaul, the company can save over $822,000 for its logistics expenses. Compared with road transport, it helps ease the risks of traffic congestion and other transport issues, which delay the shipment, cause damage to business activities, and affect partners trust, according to Luc. The development of Tran De Seaport not only removes the bottlenecks in import and export activities but also creates a premise to lure more investment into the industry, thereby creating a breakthrough for the entire region. Nguyen Van The, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Agencies Bloc, said, The Mekong Delta relies on agriculture but has yet to develop efficient industry due to the incomplete expressway system, especially the gateway seaport. It is hard to woo investment to form industrial zones (IZs) and clusters. Once Tran De is fully developed, IZs and clusters will be formed in the surrounding areas within the distance of 50-70km of the seaport. Therefore, the implementation of Tran De will have a tremendous socioeconomic impact, Van The explained. It is vital to accelerate the development of Tran De Seaport with drastic measures. The government must make large investments to make this seaport viable. Without it, it is impossible to create breakthroughs for the Mekong Delta, he said. At first, the throughput via Tran De will be agricultural and aquacultural products. In the next decades, industrial products will be the main throughput for the seaport, which comes from future IZs and clusters in the region, he said. With such economic efficiency, the government is willing to fund half, or even 70 per cent, of the project to invest in wharves, breakwaters, and some other infrastructure for investors to do business effectively. Tran De Seaport will be completely overhauled, meaning new services and a much wider scope Encouraging relocation Luc of Sao Ta Foods cited statistics showing that Vietnam exports 6-7 tonnes of rice per year and nearly one million tonnes of seafood from processing factories in the Mekong Delta. With the development of Tran De, more IZs will be developed in the western provinces to reduce costs for sourcing raw materials. It also boasts proximity to the labour area. There is huge potential to increase throughput for the seaport. It means the investment effectiveness will increase gradually over time, Luc said. About one million tonnes of shrimp are produced in Vietnam each year. It requires 1.5 million tonnes of shrimp feed, most of which is imported. To produce 1.5 million tonnes of basa fish, it needs two million tonnes of feed. If there is a seaport in the region, it is possible to source feed from the western provinces. This will encourage food producers to relocate their factories to the region to reduce logistics costs for feed transportation and lower prices for finished products. Even labour-intensive outsourcing suppliers with the demand to import materials will relocate to the region if the seaport is in place, he shared. Pham Thai Binh, general director of Trung An JSC explained, About 40 per cent of transhipment costs can be saved when transporting goods from the Mekong Delta provinces to Tran De rather than ports in Ho Chi Minh City greater area. The rate would be even more for fisheries and fruits, saving millions of dollars for both consumers and businesses. The scale of Tran De is carefully calculated in the master plan to realise its role as a gateway seaport for the Mekong Delta. The seaport will also act as a transhipment destination for the import and export of goods from Cambodia and other Mekong Sub-Region countries along inland waterways. It also facilitates the transshipment of imported coal to power centres in the delta. The project will handle 30-35 million tonnes of cargo annually by 2030, with a capacity to increase to 80-100 million tonnes of cargo. At a conference on the development of Tran De Seaport in August, Nguyen Xuan Sang, Deputy Minister of Transport said, Investment in the Tran De project is the optimal choice to unlock the development of the Mekong Delta region. Like other ports, Tran De will be funded mainly with corporate funding. However, the government will also invest in public infrastructure network. Soc Trang to host major investment promotion conference The Soc Trang investment promotion conference focused on cooperation and development is scheduled to take place at the provinces Culture and Conference Centre on April 29. Soc Trang to accompany all investors The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang will be hosting a major investment promotion conference on April 28. To mark the occasion, Lam Hoang Nghiep, Deputy Chairman of Soc Trang Peoples Committee, talked with VIRs Huu Phuc about the local potential in its strategy for investment attraction and development. Soc Trang province looks to prosper by leaps and bounds A raft of forthcoming infrastructure projects will lay concerted groundwork for Soc Trang province to break through and become one of the most vibrant commercial and industrial hubs in the Mekong Delta region. Soc Trang lures over $8.7 billion in committed investment capital Soc Trang has recently granted investment certificates for four projects and signed 18 MoUs on investment study and surveys with the total registered capital of more than $8.7 billion. Soc Trang seeks feasibility report on Tran De Seaport Soc Trang Peoples Committee is proposing developing Tran De Seaport under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and, to promote the venture as an investment opportunity, is seeking the Ministry of Transports approval to use local budgetary funds to draft a feasibility report for its construction. SKC Co. Ltd. (SKC), a subsidiary of the SK Group, has received an investment certificate to develop a high-tech biodegradable materials factory in the northern port city of Hai Phong. With the total investment capital of $500 million, the factory specialises in producing biodegradable materials such as polybutylene adipate terephthalate and polybutylene succinate. The project spreads across an area of 32,089 square metres in the Haiphong I DEEP C Industrial Zone in the Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Economic Zone. In the first phase, the project will start construction in mid-December 2023, slated to be completed within nine months. The project is expected to reach an output of 35,000 tonnes by year-end. In the second phase, the company will increase the total output to 70,000 tonnes per year. Woncheo Park, CEO of SKC under SK Group said, "SK Group has invested about $3 billion in Vietnam over the past five years. Currently, Hai Phong is one of the countries with the most modern infrastructure and good investment attraction. That's why we decided to invest in the locality." "SKC will bring modern technology here to produce biodegradable materials here and lay the foundation for our first investment in Hai Phong. We will continue to call for more South Korean businesses to invest in Hai Phong." In June, SKC announced that it had signed a MoU with leaders of Haiphong Peoples Committee to explore potential investments in advanced materials for secondary batteries, semiconductors, and other green sectors. SKC's project is the first direct investment by SK Group in Vietnam, which has been one of the most active buyers in Vietnam's merger and acquisition market. The group invests across various fields, including retail, consumer goods, pharmacy retail, pharmaceuticals, and others. In 2018, SK spent approximately $470 million buying 110 million Masan treasury shares. In April 2021, it paid $410 million for a 16.26 per cent stake in Masan Groups VinCommerce (currently renamed WinCommerce). In the same year, SK also spent $340 million to scoop up a 4.9 per cent stake in Crown X, a consumer retail platform of Masan Group. SK also invests $100 million in Vietnam's pharmacy retail chain Pharmacity. As of the first quarter of 2023, the group had acquired 64.79 per cent of pharmaceutical firm Imexpharm. In addition, SK Energy, another subsidiary of SK Group, holds more than a 5 per cent stake in PV Oil, worth about $30 million. The expansion of SK and its subsidiaries reflects the importance of the Vietnamese market. In 2018, SK invested $500 million to establish SK Southeast Asia Investment with the aim of being a potential growth engine in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam. Stable figures for M&A as groups rebuild Dealmaking in Vietnam is showing signs of recovery after a subdued year, and domestic figures are even surpassing pre-pandemic levels. SK Group contributing to Vietnam's development policies Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien attended and delivered speeches at the SK Group online meeting on Vietnam's development policies hosted by Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group. In recent times, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) havent been contributing as much as they once did, said Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, at last weeks national conference to address SOE production, business, and investment improvements. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, there are almost 50 SOEs. As of July, these enterprises boasted total assets of $4.43 billion with an equity capital of $3.16 billion. Their collective revenues for the first six months stood at $1.33 billion, with a profit of $205 million. Harnessing the vast resources of these SOEs is imperative for Ho Chi Minh Citys economic growth, Mai stressed, adding that the private sector, inclusive of both private domestic groups and foreign direct investment, have also been expected, and even tasked, to stimulate economic growth. Such a predicament is not solely Ho Chi Minh Citys cross to bear. The decline has echoes globally, influenced by international economic instability, political turbulence, and domestic operational challenges. Aggregate revenue forecasts for the nations near-850 SOEs anticipate a sum of $59.78 billion this year, marking 4 per cent more than projections. Similarly, pre-tax profits are expected to rise 9 per cent, with a 7 per cent uptick in contributions to state coffers compared to the annual plan. Yet, as Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc said, compared to 2022, this years revenue for SOEs represents just half of the previous years figure, with a 47.3 per cent decrease in pre-tax profit and a 32.9 per cent reduction in fiscal contributions. To provide context, 2022s figures reflected a 29 per cent surge in revenue and a 24 per cent uptick in pre-tax profit over 2021. The diminishing contribution is not merely a product of tougher business climates. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong hinted at a less than optimistic outlook for the next five years. The sluggish pace of new projects for SOEs has not provided the anticipated boost in capacity. Presently, they contribute about 29 per cent to the nations GDP, Dong added. Voicing his concerns to the prime minister, chairman of Vietnam Electricity (EVN) Dang Hoang An noted that even though EVNs investment this year ranked among the top of all SOEs, totalling $2.32 billion in pure investments and $4 billion inclusive of debt repayments and interest, it still pales in comparison to previous years. Furthermore, he highlighted the slow pace of fund disbursement so far this year, putting pressure on the rest of 2023. The prime ministers emphasis has been on leveraging the resources within SOEs, bringing these resources swiftly into the economy, An said. The only way forward is increased investment. However, the current regulatory framework stands as a significant barrier. In the energy sector, An noted that the existing investment procedures are overburdened with bureaucratic red tape, leading to sluggish decision-making. Every economic group has its decree from the government, coupled with another decree for financial management. With these regulations and more, its challenging to function, he said. And even if these bureaucratic knots are untangled, the progression of many tasks hampers efforts. The Ministry of Planning and Investment reports that approvals are going slowly for restructuring projects, strategies, and business operation plans for 2021-2025. To date, a plethora of Vietnamese premier SOEs remain in anticipation, as their strategic and operational roadmaps have yet to receive the nod from the Prime Ministers Office. The State Capital Management Committee, the body tasked with supervising enterprise operations, has green-lit the restructuring blueprints for a mere four enterprises: Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, the Vietnam Forestry Corporation, Vietnam Airports Corporation, and Vietnam Maritime Corporation. Telecoms behemoth Viettel stands out as an exception in this quagmire. Despite being the lone player with an endorsed business strategy, its chairman and CEO, Tao Duc Thang, has voiced his concern. The delays cast a long shadow over our entire operational framework and our investment prospects for the foreseeable future. In the absence of a strategic compass, were essentially navigating blind, Thang said. Thang believes that SOEs total assets, which amount to over $160.34 billion operating across various sectors, could be put to better use. If we can synergise these resources, the enterprises can contribute more significantly to the economy. For instance, Viettel and EVN recently collaborated to expedite the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plants operations, he said. Seminar State - Capital Management in Enterprises: Looking Back and Moving Forward On September 26, in collaboration with the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC), VIR will organise a seminar titled State Capital Management in Enterprises: Looking Back and Moving Forward to commemorate the commissionss fifth anniversary. Over those five years, the CMSC has reaffirmed the Party and states model and direction in enhancing transparent and efficient state capital management to meet the socioeconomic development needs of the country. This milestone has left a clear mark on the state-owned enterprise reform process. The seminar provides an opportunity for experts, managers, and business leaders to reflect on the committees 5-year journey and underscore the role of SOEs. It aims to propose directions and solutions to promote this vital economic arena. The seminar will be attended by various enterprises including Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, Vietnam National Chemical Group, VNPT, MobiFone, and more. Vietnam needs drastic SOE restructuring: experts Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has signed a decision to deepen the restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in 2021-25. Government to divest 141 state-owned enterprises by 2025 The government plans to divest 141 state-owned enterprises in the 2022-2025 period to speed up the pace of equitisation and divestment post-COVID. China-Nepal commerce to grow further as PM kicks off visit Global Times) 09:57, September 25, 2023 Pokhara International Airport is inaugurated on January 1, 2023. Photo: Embassy of China in Nepal Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda attended the Nepal-China Business Summit held on Sunday in Beijing, where he witnessed enhanced China-Nepal economic and trade relations as a number of companies from the two countries expressed confidence in bilateral cooperation. On the sidelines of the summit, business participants from the two countries told the Global Times that China and Nepal have many common interests and large scope for cooperation, especially in the fields of hydropower, tourism and infrastructure construction. Prachanda told the summit that it is his third visit to China as prime minister of Nepal. "Every time I come to this great country, I am in awe of the tremendous changes that have taken place in China, from infrastructure to manpower development, from poverty alleviation and reduction, from education to medical services, and the development of science and technology, it is amazing that China has made tremendous progress," he said. China is Nepal's second-largest trading partner and one of the most important sources of investment. Nepal needs China's help, and it will keep promoting bilateral trade and strengthening its exports to China, such as coffee and other agricultural products, according to Prachanda. "We have high-quality water resources, agriculture, tourism and the transportation sector We would like to see more investment from China, and we can eye more cooperation in terms of technology and finance," the prime minister noted. Prachanda is carrying out an official visit to China from Saturday to September 30. He attended the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday. He will meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and China's top legislator Zhao Leji later. Nepal is also a beneficiary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), through which Nepal has become a land-linked country from a landlocked one, experts noted. The Pokhara International Airport, which the Chinese company China CAMC Engineering Co (CAMCE) helped build in Nepal, is a typical example. The project started in July 2017, and China provided a soft loan to Nepal for this project, which not only created a new model of development cooperation but also effectively guaranteed the smooth implementation of the project. Yan Hailu, vice president of the CAMCE, told the Global Times during the summit that business and cultural exchanges between China and Nepal have been increasing since the beginning of 2023. Aside from building the Nepalese Pokhara International Airport, CAMCE also commenced in-depth development in Nepal's highway sector as well as power plants, water treatment plants and tourism, said Yan. "China-Nepal cooperation has great potential, and bilateral cooperation will be expanded to more areas as the local business situation is being improved," he noted. Rajesh Kumar Agrawal, chairman of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, told the Global Times that Nepal is still a developing country and it is really impressed by the development of China in the past two decades. "We have a lot of scope for investment in infrastructure and manufacturing industry as well as hydropower," Agrawal said, noting that the Nepalese government has sent proposals for nine or 10 projects to the Chinese government under the BRI, which will help Nepal a lot. Chandra Prasad Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce &Industry, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the summit that China and Nepal have very good potential for cooperation in hydropower, tourism, agriculture and minerals. During the event, enterprises from both countries exchanged MOUs, including IME Group Nepal and CAMCE, Nepal's CG Motors and China's GAC Motors and Hozon Auto. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) (Photo : Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol seeks Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to discuss peace and security within the region. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol looks forward to meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to address the international relationship between Beijing and Seoul. The potential trip would mark a turning page in relations between the two Asian nations as the South Korean government has continued to align itself more closely with the United States. The office of President Yoon is believed to be arranging a visit, said a senior government official over the weekend. China-South Korea Relations The remarks came after the Chinese president met with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on the sidelines of the Asian Games held on Saturday. As per Bloomberg, the former said that he would "seriously consider" visiting South Korea in the future. Separately, China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the Chinese president told Han that China would work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership between the two nations. The situation comes as Xi has not visited South Korea since 2014 and after he held talks with Han in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. The commitment to cooperation also came shortly before the scheduled trilateral talks in Seoul on Sept. 26. Those discussions will involve senior officials from China, Japan, and South Korea. They are intended to pave the way for the first summit between the three Asian nations in four years. The situation comes as China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation. Xi also asked South Korea to meet him halfway to maintain friendly cooperation. The Chinese president also said that China supports dialogue between the two Koreas and will continue efforts to achieve peace and security on the Korean peninsula. On the other hand, Han asked Beijing to play a constructive role in relations with North Korea, according to Reuters. Tensions between China and South Korea have been increasing after North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un made a week-long visit to Russia earlier this month. The development angered the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Read Also: US Aims to Access More Philippine Bases to Strengthen Alliance, Deter Beijing Addressing International Relationships South Korea then imposed sanctions on ten individuals and two entities in relation to North Korea's nuclear program and weapons trade with three countries. These nations include Russia, said the foreign ministry on Thursday. Xi noted that China and South Korea have close economic ties and deep integration in industrial and supply chains. He added that the two nations can deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and continue to achieve mutual success. Beijing has also become increasingly frustrated with the growing U.S.-Japan-South Korea alliance within the region. The Chinese government strongly protested against a joint statement at the Camp David summit held last month that condemned the Asian superpower's actions in the South China Sea. Additionally, tensions between China and South Korea have risen after the US lobbied its allies to join its tech war against China. Yoon also angered Beijing in April when he called Taiwan a "global issue" comparable to North Korea, said the South China Morning Post. Related Article: AFP to Increase Presence in West Philippine Sea-Alleging China of Massive Illegal Coral Harvesting @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Technology the answer for wastewater treatment, illustration photo Nearly 20 Dutch businesses will visit Ho Chi Minh City on October 11-13 to participate in the 14th VietWater summit. The event, which covers international water supply, sanitation, water resources, and purification, is deemed an ideal platform for exhibitors to showcase the most advanced products in water resource management, irrigation, urban water supply and drainage, and other water-related areas. Kees van Baar, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Vietnam, said that the reason Dutch environmental technology and wastewater treatment businesses choose to come to Vietnam is because the two countries speak the same language of water. Our companies have a lot to offer. With state-of-the-art technology and expertise, we have the tools to tackle some of the toughest challenges while lowering the water and carbon footprint at the same time. This is important to meet our goals, but it is also important for those companies exporting to the EU, directly or as part of a supply chain, said Baar. Products that could be introduced by Dutch businesses include new technologies that help generate renewable energy from waste treatment, contributing to reducing production costs and input water consumption. In addition, some businesses also provide nano-filtration membrane solutions that affect the water filtration process, remove microplastics and pesticides, and decolorise wastewater. The Netherlands is currently the biggest EU investor in Vietnam, with 60 per cent of all Vietnamese exports for the European market entering via the port of Rotterdam. This is also reflected in the fact that a significant number of companies from the water sector as well as waste treatment and environmental technology are already in Vietnam, Ambassador Baar said. Overseas players interested Stable economic growth, even through some globally tumultuous years, has made Vietnam an attractive destination for foreign businesses, according to the HSBC Global Connections report, unveiled in September. Our research indicates that the countrys economic resilience and competitive wages (both 28 per cent) rank foremost in attracting international firms. The same percentage is attracted by Vietnams growing consumer market, highlighting the appeal of increasing consumer prosperity. The countrys growing digital economy (23 per cent) is also a key selling point for international business expansion, the report highlights. At the Ho Chi Minh City Socioeconomic Forum 2023 held last week, Han Sang Deog, deputy general director of Samsung Engineering Vietnam, said he has long been interested in considering investing in water treatment and waste to generate electricity in Vietnam. The company has proposed an integrated environmental complex strategy, which is a circular economy environmental complex including water, waste, and biogas treatment, using self-produced energy without using external energy sources, he said. According to Boon Teong Tee, general manager of Informa Markets Vietnam, 70 per cent of businesses participating in the VietWater exhibition next month will be foreign businesses, and this rate has doubled compared to a few years ago. Challenges in the water and environment industry after the pandemic have attracted foreign investors and businesses to Vietnam to transfer technology, said Tee, whose company is the organiser of VietWater. Vietnam does not yet possess many self-invented technologies related to wastewater treatment, and Vietnamese businesses also have a need to continuously update new technology from the rest of the world, especially from countries such as the Netherlands, Australia, and France. Buyers need to update new technologies increases by 10 per cent every year, Tee added. That is also a mandatory trend because businesses must ensure waste treatment before discharging into the environment according to the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020; otherwise they will be fined. Vietnam currently has about 50 centralised wastewater treatment plants with a capacity of one million cu.m per day and night, accounting for about 15 per cent of the rate of treated wastewater. By 2025, the country is expected to need $8.3 billion to provide drainage and wastewater treatment services for the needs of about 36 million urban residents, per information provided by the Ministry of Construction. Limited system funding Specialised seminars on water security have ramped up after global concerns were made about Japans discharge of some 7,800 tonnes of nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean in August. Discussions are centred around the development of new technology. Minds also look back to the role of companies that have, in the past, been punished for illegally discharging waste. They include the Formosa Ha Tinh incident in 2016, after which Formosa had to spend billions of US dollars to resolve marine environmental pollution problems across four central provinces. As recently as a fortnight ago, one agri-food company in the Mekong Delta province of Long An was fined for discharging wastewater into the environment in excess of regulations. However, in this case, the fine was a meagre VND30 million ($1,200). Associate Prof. Dr. Hoang Thai Dai, senior expert from the Vietnam Irrigation Association, said Vietnam is facing water security, especially the problem of dealing with urgent issues related to water pollution, saltwater intrusion, and waste treatment policies. Vietnam has a rapid urbanisation rate, but economic conditions are still difficult, so investment in urban infrastructure systems, water supply and drainage systems, and wastewater treatment is still limited, especially in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Dai assessed. According to the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association, the rate of wastewater treated before being discharged into the environment is very low, of about 12 million cu.m of water discharged into the environment every day and night, only about 1.5 million cu.m is treated, the remainder is discharged directly into the environment. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, the amount of wastewater generated from urban activities is estimated to be nearly 1.6 million cu.m per day, while in Hanoi, it is about 350,000-400,000cu.m. Currently, water sources used for agricultural purposes account for more than 80 per cent of total water production in Vietnam. Besides agriculture, industrial activities are also one of the reasons causing serious water pollution. The impact of polluted water on people could reduce Vietnams GDP by about 3.5 per cent by 2035, according to the World Bank. Vietnam is expected to achieve five out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the country has set out a roadmap to improve the quality of water, industrial, agricultural and urban wastewater, and set treatment targets for all hazardous wastewater, increase the rate of urban wastewater treated to meet standards to half by 2030. According to Ambassador Baar, it is critical for governments to offer the right incentives and regulations, and provide effective enforcement. The private sector contains the innovators with the technologies, knowledge, and expertise to address these challenges to achieve a sustainable and green transition. We can only solve these problems if government authorities, businesses, knowledge institutes, and civil society work together towards the same goal. An integrated approach is needed as the challenges of today are interconnected and intertwined, he added. French agency helps Hue in wastewater treatment project The Service public de lassainissement francilien (SIAAP) of France will support Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien Hue, in a project to improve hydraulic system in river and research on sludge treatment. Can Tho to double capacity of German-funded wastewater treatment plant The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is planning to double the capacity of its wastewater collection and treatment plant, which was partly funded by the German Development Bank (KfW), and considers this one of the investment priorities in the coming time. Thailand to borrow over 66 billion USD for fiscal year 2024, Illustrative image (source:investing.com) Hanoi - The Thai government plans to borrow about 2.4 trillion THB (nearly 66.65 billion USD) for the 2024 fiscal year starting October 1, up about 9 per cent from the current year, according to market sources briefed by the Ministry of Finance. More than 700 billion THB of the total will be fresh borrowing to finance the budget deficit, and about 1.7 trillion THB will be earmarked for refinancing and restructuring existing debts. About half of the funding sought will be raised through government bond sales, while the rest will be financed via treasury bills, savings bonds, bond switches and promissory notes. The government plans to sell up to 272 billion THB of government bonds in the last quarter of this year. The new cabinet of Thailand approved higher budget spending of 3.48 trillion THB for fiscal year 2024, along with a larger budget deficit of 693 billion THB, to revive the economy. According to Thai government spokesman Chai Wacharonke, the budget increase is to match the medium-term financial plan for the 2024-2027 period proposed by the Financial Institutions Policy Committee under the Bank of Thailand. Thailand to restart FTA negotiation with EU Thailand is preparing to embark on talks on a free-trade agreement with the EU with the aim of concluding the deal within two years. In July, Thien Long joined hands with Galaxy Education, a leader in online education based in Ho Chi Minh Citys Thu Duc city, in a deal which is set to aid Vietnamese people across the country to easily access educational products and services. Cooperating with Galaxy Education is a stepping stone in the Thien Long ecosystem expansion plan as well as the companys aim for a happy learning life for the Vietnamese people, said Tran Phuong Nga, CEO of Thien Long Group. Building a complete stationery ecosystem is deemed a perfect formula to help Thien Long maintain high growth in revenue and profits. Along with this, early this month the group inaugurated two new Clever Box stores in Ho Chi Minh Citys Thu Duc and in Tien Giang, making five stores in total nationwide. The Clever Box store system, under Thien Long Group, was launched at the end of 2022 with a view to elevating the shopping experiences for consumers. In addition, Flexoffice Pte. Ltd. - a Singaporean-based trading company founded by Thien Long Group in 2020, saw its charter capital reaching $1.3 million from over $814,400 in the first half of the year in a bid to take advantage of the regions potential markets such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. A pipeline of ventures is expected to help Thien Long boost production capacity, optimise management expertise and slash operating costs. For instance, last October the company contributed $1.05 million to form Pega Holdings JSC for the trade of print items such as books, newspapers, and magazines. Earlier, in August, Thien Long announced an additional $2.1 million for South Thien Long Co., Ltd. for production expansion and creating new products. Once the deal is completed, South Thien Longs charter capital would reach $27.4 million, entirely owned by Thien Long. Last year, Thien Long succeeded in raising its automation rate to 81.4 per cent compared to 78.8 per cent in 2021, along with putting into operation Thien Long Long Thanh Plant, as well as a vast distribution centre in Le Minh Xuan Industrial Park in Ho Chi Minh Citys Binh Chanh district, spanning over14,000 sq.m. Thien Long efforts were duly rewarded. When numerous businesses could not reboot after challenging times and unfavourable market conditions, Thien Long Group secured stellar business results in 2022. The company posted $148.5 million in revenue and nearly $17 million in post-tax profits, up 32 per cent and 45 per cent on-year, setting a record since 2005. According to UK-based data analysis firm Plimsoll, Thien Long is the top performer in revenue growth in Southeast Asia and ranks 13th out of 40 stationary companies worldwide. In 2024, Thien Long aims to launch new products with higher average pricing, simultaneously maintaining the average price of existing items. Compared to other rivals like Japans Lihit Lab Inc, Denmarks FE Bording A/S or Taiwans Koan Hao Enterprise Co., Ltd. Thien Longs products are deemed to have a bigger competitive advantages with lower production costs and an expansive distribution network. Ambitious action plan needed to lure international tourists Vietnam already has an ambitious tourism development strategy in place, but the country needs a concrete action plan to attract more international tourists. Doan Van Binh, vice president of the Vietnam Real Estate Association, told VIR about solutions to boost international tourist arrivals. MB reveals ambitious roadmap at Business Forum 2023 At the Forbes Vietnam's Business Forum 2023, MB's chairman Luu Trung Thai unveiled the bank's strategic pivot towards digital dominance, forecasting that digital platforms will contribute half of the bank's revenue over the coming four years. The event included four main activities: an AI Summit, AI Workshop, AI Expo and CTO Summit 4, attracting government leaders, ministries, large corporations, scientists, and people interested in technology development and AI applications. AI4VN 2023 Addressing the event, Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat said that AI had become one of the key technologies of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution and was increasingly receiving attention, and investment and contributing to socioeconomic development. Recently, AI has shown remarkable development. Many products and applications based on AI technology have been introduced and attracted the attention of the community, especially generative AI products, he said. Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat made a speech at the event He also highlighted Decision No. 127/QD-TTg from January 2021 on the national strategy on research, development and application of AI. The strategy sets the goal of promoting research, development and application of AI, making AI an important technology field for Vietnam in the 4.0 Industrial Revolution, contributing to socioeconomic development and gradually making Vietnam a bright spot in research, development and application of AI. During the event, a series of seminars and sideline discussions were held to feature the future of AI in business, the responsible use of AI, AI trends in the financial sector, and AI and big data application in healthcare. Speakers and experts also discussed solutions to current challenges, maximising the benefits of AI, and how to develop an AI ecosystem in Vietnam. The event provided a panorama of Vietnams application development and businesses responses in the AI ecosystem. It created opportunities to promote and commercialise AI products and solutions. AI Expo had 30 booths displaying products of businesses and AI applications in economics, science, agriculture, and education. The exhibit area was divided into AI for family, AI for businesses, and AI for healthcare, banks, and schools. AI4VN Festival is directed by the Ministry of Science and Technology. After five years of organisation, AI4VN has become the leading science and technology event in Vietnam, attracting many management agencies, technology corporations, research agencies, and technology enthusiasts. Through this year's activities, AI4VN 2023 continues to prove to be a prestigious scientific event, contributing to the development of the AI ecosystem in Vietnam. The brightest tech trends of 2023 As technology continues to advance at breakneck speed, it is essential for businesses to adapt to towards trends to get a competitive edge and help them stay relevant in todays digital world. Vietnam tech arena strives to circumvent global lay-off woes Despite massive lay-offs and the emergence of AI software, the Vietnamese tech job market will still require more than 150,000 programmers a year for the foreseeable future. Manufacturers hope for AI boost in factories Manufacturers are hoping for the artificial intelligence revolution to reach their factories, envisaging robots being used to repair complex machinery. AI risk mitigation on minds of global business leaders Business leaders are increasingly captivated by AI and its capacity to boost productivity and streamline operations. However, ethical data input, regulatory compliance, and cautious implementation are pivotal to fully harness AIs advantages. EU, UNESCO to help developing countries shape AI rules The European Union will help fund a UNESCO scheme supporting developing countries as they create laws regulating artificial intelligence, the UN cultural body said Tuesday. Within the framework of the conference held from September 20-23, a pivotal symposium titled "ASEAN Digital Media Transformation: Crafting the Digital Knowledge" took centre stage. Hosted by Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) in the coastal city of Danang, the gathering emphasised the theme "Communication: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Adaptive ASEAN." Subsequently, on September 23, the 7th AMRI+3 conference was held, bringing together delegates from China, Japan, and South Korea. Luu Dinh Phuc, director of the Authority of Press under the MIC said, "Half the advertising value is flowing into pockets of cross-border platforms." He said that Vietnam currently housed over 800 press agencies, producing close to one million articles daily. This vast trove of data, if correctly harnessed using digital applications, offers profound insights into user behaviours. "Transforming this massive information cache into a digital data platform can help extract the latent knowledge," Phuc said. The communication sector, generating revenues nearing $4 billion, stands as a goldmine for Vietnam. However, the alarming diversion of half of its advertising value to international digital platforms and social networks is causing local press agencies to lose potential income. The solution, many believe, lies in digital transformation and technological advancements to ensure a level playing field. This would cultivate a robust media ecosystem that can competently support local media against cross-border platforms. As the global momentum shifts towards digital transformation, local press agencies and media must evolve or risk obsolescence. This change, necessitating collective efforts from institutions, leaders, and media entities, requires robust government policies promoting domestic digital platforms. Vietnam's proactive response to the digital media transition has been apparent. The prime minister, in April 2023, approved the Digital Media Transformation Strategy until 2025, with a vision towards 2030, marking a significant roadmap for the nation's digital media transition. The MIC has also set action plans in motion to realise this strategy. Addressing the gathering, Indonesias Ministry of Communication and IT representative remarked, "Digital transformation is inevitable. It's about amplifying the media's capacity to garner audience shares from social platforms and preserving traditional values alongside modernising the media." This sentiment was echoed across the board. Vietnam has further unveiled tools to assess the development of its press sector. These will help media agencies to plot their digital transformation, devising tailored strategies for the future. Highlighting the importance of a collective ASEAN endeavour, the Authority of Press proposed the creation of an ASEAN Digital Media Maturity Index. Such an index would provide a shared set of criteria for media agencies across the region. These proposed metrics would assist in gauging and monitoring the maturity of digital media transformation within ASEAN. Highlighting the urgency of the digital transformation, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam said, "The communication sector cannot remain an observer. The digital transition for media entities is not just about survival but revitalising the whole sector." A representative from Brunei shed light on their ambitions to become a "smart nation," concentrating on three core missions: digital governance, digital economy, and digital society. This approach would culminate in a responsible and innovative digital media ecosystem. Brunei's representative also voiced the collective ASEAN aspiration, "We hope for strengthened collaboration with the digital industry, especially in sharing information on new digital platforms for the media and communication agencies." Additionally, the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Information saw the organisation of an ASEAN forum centred on addressing and managing misinformation in cyberspace, facilitating open exchanges among various management bodies. Since its founding in 2018, the CMSC has asserted the principles of the Party and state, spearheading initiatives for transparent and efficient management of state capital to fulfil the nation's economic and social developmental objectives. This period has seen the institution achieve significant milestones and make impactful contributions to the transformation of state-owned enterprises, setting the stage for a reinvigorated economic landscape. The event promises to be a confluence of ideas, providing a distinctive platform for experts, industry insiders, and corporate leaders to reflect on the CMSC's endeavours over the past five years, and consolidate the significance of the states role in the economic sector. The discourse is anticipated to yield innovative ideas and robust solutions to stimulate the pivotal state capital segment of the economy. The discussions within the seminar are expected to traverse a range of topics surrounding state capital management. These will include insight into the strategies of the CMSC and the ambitious proposals aimed at energising the private sector. The seminar will be held on September 26, from 08:30 to 11:30, at VIR headquarters, 47 Quan Thanh, Ba Dinh, Hanoi to mark the fifth anniversary of the CMSC. Speakers at the seminar include: Pham Van Son, head of the General Department of the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises Nguyen Duc Trung, deputy director of the Enterprise Development Agency of the Ministry of Planning and Investment Nguyen Huu Tu, deputy director-general of Vinachem Vo Tri Thanh, economic expert Additionally, the seminar will see participation from representatives from the Ministry of Finance, and leaders of various state corporations such as Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, Vietnam National Petroleum Group, MobiFone, State Capital Investment Corporation, and Vietnam Maritime Corporation. How to get ahead with SOE equitisation in Vietnam In recent years, the Vietnamese government has made great efforts to promote state-owned enterprise (SOE) equitisation as the obvious solution for the development of the economy, but the process has not been completed as scheduled. Nevertheless, the circumstances create opportunities on both legal and practical aspects. Government to divest 141 state-owned enterprises by 2025 The government plans to divest 141 state-owned enterprises in the 2022-2025 period to speed up the pace of equitisation and divestment post-COVID. After seeing generally mixed performances by a trio of newly public companies this month, VNG was advised to hold off until market demand improves, an inside source disclosed to Bloomberg. While VNG remained reticent on the matter, the strategic pause mirrors a broader caution in the tech IPO space. Notably, both Arm Holdings Plc, the SoftBank Corporation affiliate, and delivery service Instacart experienced their stocks trading beneath their IPO valuations. VNG, which debuted as Vinagame in 2004, has transitioned from its initial gaming focus to become a diversified digital powerhouse in Vietnam, offering an array of services from video streaming and news portals to mobile payments. The company has contemplated a US listing since 2017. Before this revision in plans, the gaming and communications conglomerate had intimated an intention to offload approximately 22 million shares in its proposed IPO, though pricing details remained under wraps. In 2021, VNG was contemplating a US stock market debut via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company . Should the transaction materialise, VNG's valuation could oscillate between $2 billion and $3 billion. VNG also owns Zalo, Vietnams most widely used messaging application, boasting over 75 million active monthly users, among other digital ventures. In early 2023, VNG shares commenced trading on the Unlisted Public Company Market in Vietnam. Debuting at VND240,000 (around $10.13) per share in January, they quickly ascended, marking VNG as the highest valued stock on the exchange. VinFast sets sights on Indonesia with $1.2 billion expansion VinFast has pinpointed Indonesia as a focal point in its strategic expansion, with the country's abundant nickel resources - a crucial component for electric vehicle (EV) batteries - presenting a considerable attraction for EV manufacturers globally. After closing arguments in the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the lawyers who led the prosecution were riding high and feeling positive about the prospects of a conviction. We mistakenly believed that, when we went to bed that night, we thought we had won, Rusty Hardin said Saturday morning during a panel discussion at The Texas Tribune Festival in downtown Austin. Any hopes were dashed the next morning when the first article of impeachment received support from only 14 senators, well short of the 21 needed to permanently remove Paxton from office, said Dick DeGuerin, Hardins co-counsel. I think a lot of us were naive enough to think that principle would win out over politics, but at the first vote I knew that it was over, he said. Defeat was a bitter pill, DeGuerin said, because prosecutors believed they had made the case that Paxton misused the power of his agency to help a friend and political donor, Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. What caught the prosecutors off guard, however, was when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stepped away from his role as the impeachment judge to close the trial with a speech blasting the Houses handling of the matter as rushed and unfair to Paxton. I was not prepared for a diatribe, impeachment prosecutor Erin Epley said. I think that was the most classless political moment that, in my life, Ive ever experienced, Hardin added. The impeachment prosecutors on the panel, including former Texas Supreme Court Justice Harriet ONeill, said Patrick was courteous when he privately met with lawyers for both sides to hear arguments about motions. That speech, however, raised serious questions about Patricks impartiality and perhaps explained why Patrick, as judge, tended to uphold defense arguments to exclude testimony based on hearsay while overruling prosecutors hearsay objections, DeGuerin said. Hardin agreed. You cannot match impartiality with that speech at the end, he said. On some rulings, looking back, you realize what was going on. Epley, who rose to prominence during the trial with crisp and energetic questioning, also discussed the behind-the-scenes ruling that blocked testimony from prosecution witness Laura Olson, the woman identified by several witnesses as the married Paxtons girlfriend. Patrick, responding to criticism that he had stopped Olson from appearing at the trial, said Friday that he never ruled on Olsons request to quash the subpoena ordering her to testify. Instead, he asked lawyers for both sides if they could come to an agreement, adding that Epley came up with the language eventually used in court that Olson was present in the Capitol but unavailable to testify. That account, Epley said, was true to a point. Olson indicated that she planned to take advantage of her Fifth Amendment right to avoid testifying on matters that could incriminate her, and much of the 20-minute private conversation centered on that scenario, Epley said. The situation changed, however, when Patrick announced that he was going to grant Olsons motion to quash the subpoena, she said. The present but unavailable language was suggested as a way to inform senators and the public that Olson wasnt voluntarily freed from testifying when it became clear a ruling was not going in our favor, Epley said. In the days since his Sept. 16 acquittal, Paxton has gone on a media tour of right-wing outlets to criticize the impeachment process, calling it fraudulent and four months of wasteful and destructive political theater. In a written statement marking his return to office, Paxton equated impeachment proponents with those working to destroy our beloved nation. Future generations will have nothing if we cannot save our country from corrupt, tyrannical, power-hungry politicians, he said Friday. The four impeachment prosecutors said they believed Paxton was deserving of removal from office, adding that they hoped prosecution exhibits which were not shown to viewers of the trials webcast will be released so members of the public can reach their own conclusions. In the end, however, the lawyers agreed that the decision on Olson, the hearsay objections and tight time limits did nothing to change the outcome as 16 of 18 Republican senators voted to acquit Paxton. The acquittal was a triumph of politics over facts, DeGuerin said, calling it an unfair result that was based on politics and not on principle. Hardin pointed to reports that several Republican senators were leaning toward a conviction, only to vote to acquit when it became apparent during private deliberations that they were short of the 21 votes needed to remove Paxton from office. I think it came much closer than, obviously, than the final vote, Hardin said. So I think in reality we got closer than we thought, but as Dick said, its very hard to get political people to make a nonpolitical decision. In a separate but related TribFest panel Saturday, state Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat and vice chair of the House General Investigating Committee that drafted the articles of impeachment, criticized Paxton defenders for blaming the attorney generals troubles on a conspiracy theory of [Texans for Lawsuit Reform], Joe Biden and the Bush dynasty, which apparently now is dead. We spent a lot of time looking at facts, she said. The General Investigating Committee followed House rules and conducted its two-month review of Paxton in secret, revealing its focus in May during the closing days of the regular legislative session, Johnson said. Asked when Paxton became aware he was under investigation, Johnson said: I think he became aware of it the morning that we announced it because he showed up in two Republican GI members offices at that point and flat out asked. Am I under investigation? Later that day, but before the investigation was revealed publicly, Paxton accused Speaker Dade Phelan of presiding over the House while drunk and demanded that the Beaumont Republican step down. In another panel Saturday, Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, one of the Texas House impeachment managers, defended the choice to prosecute Paxton, a friend and neighbor who attends the same church in Collin County. It was my responsibility to do what was asked of me, Leach said. Problems with Paxtons involvement with Paul came to light when the Legislature was asked to pay $3.3 million to settle a lawsuit from four senior Paxton staffers who claim they were improperly fired from the attorney generals office for reporting Paxton to the FBI, he said. Make no mistake, its hush money to pay off whistleblowers, Leach said. NYC Mayor Eric Adams tried to make a heart sign with a new armless patrol robot. Of course, netizens didn't let this opportunity just pass. They made fun of the official's interaction with the machine. Meanwhile, others criticized the release of the new patrol robot, saying that the mayor could have done other things more important. NYC Mayor Eric Adams Tries to Make Heart Sign With 'Armless' Patrol Robot According to Business Insider, Eric Adams attended the launch of the new K5 patrol robot; a 5 feet, 3 inches tall machine weighing 400 lbs (181 kg). This new patrol bot is set to patrol the New York Times Square subway station. Officials will use it from midnight until 6:00 a.m. every day for two months. During the robot's launch event, Adams was captured trying to make a heart sign with the machine. This was quickly spotted by netizens. Many X users made fun of Eric's action, saying that no one could have predicted that the NYC mayor would try to make a heart sign with the handless cop robot. "Who could predict him making heart hands with a handless cop bot. His strangeness has no precedent," said an X user. Meanwhile, other netizens criticized Adams for allowing the robot's release. They said that the NYC leader could have done more important things to do. "We need affordable housing and the trains to run on time but instead, we get a robocop that can't even make a heart," said another netizen on X. But, some Americans explained the reason why Eric Adams acted this way. They said that the odd behavior of the mayor has become a near-daily habit for him since he always makes a heart sign with other people. Read Also: 'You're Not Welcome!' Protestors in NYC's Staten Island Block Bus Carrying Migrants, Asylum Seekers; 10 Arrested Eric Adams Explain The Main Goal of New Armless Patrol Robot The New York Post reported that the egg-shaped patrol machine is specifically designed to monitor the Midtown subway station. But, since it is still in its pilot program, NYC officials said that the robot will be accompanied by NYPD officers. Eric Adams explained that K5 is one of New York City's efforts to explore innovative tools that can keep the city safe. He added that this new armless machine has the potential to serve as an important technology in law enforcement. Since some NYC residents might be concerned about their privacy, city officials clarified that the robot will only record videos, excluding audio recordings. These are just some of the things you need to know about the new K5 patrol robot. You can click this link to learn more about it. Related Article: NYC Considers Removing George Washington Statues; Reparations Task Force Effort Criticized by Some Residents @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. On Saturday, September 23, at the Volandia Museum, Milan, Italy, the Savoia Marchetti Historical Group unveiled the full size reproduction of the S.55X seaplane used by Italo Balbo in his famous cruise. In 1933, Balbo led a formation of 24 of these flying boats from Orbetello, Italy to Chicago to participate in the Chicago World Fair named A Century of Progress, celebrating the centenary of the founding of the city of Illinois. This static replica was built over the course of seven years in a total of approximately eight thousand person-hours utilizing the original drawings of Alessandro Marchetti. Thanks to the dedication and passion of a core of ten passionate, former workers of Siai Marchetti of Sesto Calende, and some Volandia volunteers, also supported by important local industries, the museum now exhibits the most iconic Italian aircraft of the 1930s, the protagonist of epic undertakings such as the Mediterranean and Atlantic cruises. (Only one earlier type exists, named Jahu in Brazil we cover it here.) If the S.55Xs original story is compelling, the same can also be said of the story of the enterprise that took its first steps in 2015 and on whose success very few would bet. In 2015, on the occasion of the centenary of SIAI Marchetti, a group of aviation enthusiasts from the Savoia Marchetti Historical Group, (SMHG), supported by Volandia and its volunteers, as well as the SIAI Senior Workers Group and local aeronautical industries, began this ambitious project. The project was to commemorate the extraordinary Italian technological, entrepreneurial, and organizational capabilities of the 1930s, and to pay homage by creating an modern recreation to serve as an example of one of the most glorious Italian industries of the past, and one of the most fascinating in the history of world aviation. The first, research phase involved the collection of documentation to ensure accuracy in the construction of the replica with compiling drawings and technical documentation. The creation of the replica required considerable effort, especially for the construction of the two hulls, which are of considerable size (almost 10 meters in length, and more than 2 meters in width and height) and weight (over 500 kg each). Now complete, this extraordinary aircraft will remain on display in Volandia, at Milans Malpensa airport, where it was built, to demonstrate the value, history, and foresight of the aeronautical industries of the time which were developed there. The Savoia Marchetti S.55 was conceived by Alessandro Marchetti (1884-1966), who was a brilliant designer at SIAI, Sesto Calende. It was created in response to a competition announced in 1923 by the Italian Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) for a long-range, over-water torpedo bomber. At that time, it was indeed a very innovative concept, consisting of a twin-engine catamaran style airframe with a monoplane internally cantilevered wing in an era when competing designs still used the traditional single hull, biplane formula. This configuration had many advantages, as the central position of the torpedo, in addition to being on the center of gravity, also simplified loading with a boat positioned between the two hulls. The position of the engines, mounted on struts above the wing, also offered advantages, keeping them away from the water during take-off and alighting. Of wooden construction, the flying boat was also easily dismantled into major component sections to facilitate transport or maintenance. This modular construction reflected the modernity of its conception, in line with the most innovative techniques emerging at the time in other industries. Furthermore, the wing was made watertight, and was thus practically unsinkable in the event of ditching in rough seas. This innovation meant the design was not immediately appreciated by the military, perplexed by such a revolutionary project, so SIAI had to find its first customers in the civil arena. The spacious hull interiors enabled the types use on passenger services on Mediterranean routes to the Middle East and North Africa from Italy. Subsequently, after eliminating teething problems, the new seaplane was equipped with more powerful engines and was adopted by the Regia Aeronautica, where it constituted the standard equipment of the maritime bombing units from 1929, remaining in service to 1937. But the true fame of the S.55 considered the most famous Italian aircraft in the world between the two wars is not due to its service as a torpedo bomber or as an airliner, but rather to the great raids or long distance cruses carried out between 1927 and 1933. First came the solo Atlantic crossings of Francesco de Pinedo and Juan de Barros in 1927, followed by the great formation cruises of Italo Balbo across the Mediterranean (in 1928-29) and then across the Atlantic to the Americas in 1930 and 1933. In America, the arrival of a large formation of seaplanes from overseas aroused, in addition to the enthusiasm of the Italian emigrant communities, a huge reaction arguably comparable only to the landing of man on the moon in 1969. Thanks to its success, the S.55 also had good export success, obtaining orders in Brazil, Romania, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Vintage Aviation News staff did not write this article; the content comes via our partners who wish to help support our website. In recent times, the sky has become a battleground where nations showcase their strength through deadly fighter aircraft. These aircraft are like birds of prey, soaring high in the sky and ready to strike at a moments notice. Let us explore some of the most dangerous fighter jets in operation around the world and the conflicts where they have been used. F-22 Raptor USA The F-22 Raptor, made by the United States, is one of the deadliest jets in the sky. It is a stealth fighter, which means it can avoid enemy radars. This jet first saw action in the Syrian conflict, where it played a vital role in air strikes against targets in Syria. With unmatched speed and agility, the F-22 can dominate any aerial battle. It carries advanced weapons that can destroy targets both in the air and on the ground. Its radar system is very powerful, helping it to spot enemies from far away. Su-57 Russia Russias Su-57 is a modern marvel of aviation technology. It is a fifth-generation fighter, meaning it has the latest features like stealth and advanced avionics. It was used in Syria for a short period, where it was tested in real combat situations. This jet has powerful engines that allow it to fly at very high speeds. It carries a range of modern weapons to strike at enemy targets. It also has a radar system that can track many targets at once, giving it an edge in battle. J-20 China Chinas J-20 is a recent entry into the world of elite fighter jets. It is a stealth aircraft, designed to avoid being detected by enemy radars. This fighter jet is believed to have been used in the border conflicts between China and India, showcasing its capabilities in a high-altitude environment. The J-20 has an impressive range, allowing it to strike targets far from its home base. It carries a variety of weapons, including missiles that can shoot down enemy planes. Its design focuses on stealth, helping it to avoid detection as it carries out its missions. Rafale France The Rafale, made in France, is a versatile fighter that can carry out a wide range of missions. It played a significant role in the Libyan conflict in 2011, where it conducted airstrikes against Libyan targets. With a design that emphasizes maneuverability and power, the Rafale can take on many different roles in battle. It can carry a heavy load of weapons, making it a deadly opponent in any conflict. Its radar system is among the best in the world, helping it to find and track enemies with great accuracy. F-35 Lightning II USA Another deadly jet from the United States is the F-35 Lightning II. This stealth fighter has been used in various conflicts, including battles against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. It is known for its advanced technology and ability to carry out different types of missions. The F-35 has a powerful radar system and advanced sensors that give it a full view of the battlefield. It can carry a wide range of weapons, making it a formidable force in the sky. Its stealth features help it to avoid enemy radars, giving it the element of surprise in attacks. Eurofighter Typhoon Europe The Eurofighter Typhoon, a European creation, has been part of many conflicts around the world. It played a crucial role in Libya, working alongside other jets to carry out air strikes. This jet is known for its speed and agility, making it a tough opponent in aerial battles. The Typhoon can carry a heavy load of weapons, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. Its radar system is very advanced, allowing it to spot enemies from a great distance. It is a formidable force in the sky, ready to defend its territory at a moments notice. In a world where conflicts can erupt at any time, these fighter jets stand as guardians in the sky, ready to protect their nations. They are equipped with the latest technology, giving them the edge in any aerial battle. War is like a game where it is sometimes a matter of strategy and sometimes a matter of luck. It is like playing a casino and getting a Spinia Bonus because of luck or thanks to your strategic skills. Have a try. From the stealthy F-22 Raptor to the versatile Rafale, these jets have proven their worth in various conflicts around the world. They carry advanced weapons and have powerful radar systems, making them deadly opponents in the sky. As technology advances, these fighter jets continue to evolve, becoming even more lethal and capable. They play a crucial role in modern warfare, helping to maintain peace and security in a turbulent world. They are the deadliest birds in the sky, ready to strike with lethal force at any threat. Vintage Aviation News staff did not write this article; the content comes via our partners who wish to help support our website. EVANSDALE Voters across Evansdale will have a choice on the ballot in the Nov. 7 election. There are contested races in all four City Council wards. Its one of four Black Hawk County communities outside of Waterloo and Cedar Falls with contested races for city council, mayor or both. In Evansdale, Ward 1 Councilmember Jeff Bergman, who lives at 319 River Forest Road, is running for reelection. He will face off against Sandy Clements, who lives at 143 East End Ave. Ward 3 is also contested with incumbent Councilmember Steven Seible, who lives at 413 Evans Road, running against Adam Morris, who lives at 214 Grand Blvd. Current Ward 4 Councilmember Kristi Osborne is not running for reelection but three others filed for the seat. These include Richard Dewater, who lives at 930 Second Ave.; Elaine Hammer, who lives at 728 Second Ave.; and Jeff OBrien, who lives at 939 McCoy Road. There will also be an election for Ward 2 to fill a vacancy. The seat was held by Ron Nichols, who died in late August a week before his 89th birthday. On the ballot to fill the spot is Reed Pryor, who lives at 1000 Schons St., and Dottie Wear, who lives at 630 Dodge St. Whoever wins will be on the council for the remainder of the four-year term, which ends on Jan. 2, 2026. Mayor DeAnne Kobliska, who lives at 1660 W. Gilbert Drive, is running unopposed. Residents of Evansdale also elect members of the parks and recreation board. There are three people on the ballot and voters can pick no more than three. These include incumbent Tom Nichols, who lives at 616 Grand Blvd.; incumbent Rick Nolan, who lives at 240 Sipple Ave.; and newcomer Dennis Sweerin, who lives at 847 S. Evans Road. Elk Run Heights Two people are fighting for the mayors seat in neighboring Elk Run Heights. They include incumbent Lisa Smock, who lives at 301 Marie Ave., and Gary Wurtz, who lives at 187 Gray St. Six people are running to join or be re-elected to the City Council. Voters can choose no more than five on the ballot. Elk Run Heights councilmembers serve two year terms. Three incumbents running to maintain their seats are Dennis Bass, of 505 Gilbertville Road; Dave Galbraith, of 623 Amber Lane; and Heather Sallis, of 180 Gray St. Other candidates include Ronald Ratchford, of 404 Everette Ave.; Travis Rodden, of 235 Elk Run St.; and Dale Wilson, of 846 Dawn Drive. Hudson There are four people hoping to win a seat on the City Council but voters can choose no more than three. Jeff Lawson, of 409 Blue Bell Court; Matt Reisetter, of 4511 Ranchero Road; and Lori Seawell, of 4880 Butterfield Road, are all seeking reelection. Darryl Koch also threw his hat in the ring. Koch lives at 129 S. Washington St. Mayor George Wessel is not seeking reelection. Gail Bunz, a councilmember and mayor pro tem, is looking to fill that position. Bunz lives at 105 S. Washington St. Gilbertville Mayor Mark Thome, who lives at 2141 Third St., is running for reelection. He will face off against Councilmember Sheila Brustkern, of 215 Parkview Drive. Residents can vote for three seats on the City Council. However, there will only be two names on the ballot. Scott Becker and Mike Even, both incumbents, are running for reelection. Becker lives at 706 16th Ave. and Even lives at 427 Prairie Lane. Dunkerton Mayor Michael Schares has no challengers in his run for reelection. He lives at 305 W. Williams St. Two people are running for City Council seats. Councilmember Ron Reichen, who lives at 839 Sal Ave., is seeking reelection. Newcomer Elizabeth Downs, of 402 W. Sycamore St., is also a candidate. La Porte City The three councilmembers who terms are up are running for reelection to the City Council. There are no challengers. The candidates include Brett Hakeman, of 1010 Hillcrest Blvd.; Kristi Harrill, of 1206 South St.; and Jan Pint, of 1002 Bishop Ave. Raymond The same goes for the city of Raymond. The only people who filed for the three seats up for election on the City Council are the incumbents. Those on the ballot include Tom McGowan, of 306 N. Fourth St.; Rebecca Pint, of 6913 Lafayette Road; and Larry Thies, of 6801 Lafayette Road. What drives voters? The years with the biggest spikes in voter registration Voter registration over the years Voter registration varies by state Why people vote WATERLOO To complete necessary repairs, The Salvation Army of Waterloo/Cedar Falls must empty the perishable goods pantrys walk-in cooler and freezer. A special pantry day will be held Tuesday, Sept. 26. This kind of pantry day is a first for us, said Kathy Ford, food programs manager. To properly regulate the walk-in cooler and freezer we need to replace the insulation, but first we must turn them off, which means getting rid of a lot of frozen and cold items. Martin Bros. Distributing will provide the manpower for the event to run smoothly. Since the beginning, Martin Bros. has been one of the pantrys largest, most consistent donors, said Katie Harn, volunteer and community relations coordinator. Without them, we would not be able to hold a weekly pantry. Now they are volunteering their time to help, and we couldnt be more grateful. This will be a very physical process for us as it means carrying a lot of heavy items down two flights of stairs. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Salvation Armys back parking lot off Logan Ave. The event is free to anyone in need throughout the community. Come on foot or by car. No supporting documentation required. For additional information please contact The Salvation Army Waterloo/Cedar Falls at (319) 235-9358. In a presidential contest cycle, Senate races dont get the same kind of attention when theres still a year to go until Election Day. But the start of the second fundraising quarter earlier this month brought a host of new candidate names some declared and some still biding their time that will help shape the race for control of the chamber in 2024 and the ultimate power dynamics for whoever is president in 2025. With more candidates launching their campaigns this month, the prospect of competitive primaries has become more real especially on the Republican side. Thats especially true in the top three seats most likely to flip, which represent the GOPs best chances to pick up the one or two seats theyd need to control the chamber, depending on who wins the presidency. (Rankings are based on CNNs reporting, fundraising figures and historical data about how states and candidates have performed.) West Virginias GOP primary mainly between the governor and a congressman was already brewing, but its looking even more contentious with outside groups like the Club for Growths political arm touting the millions theyre planning to spend. This race will be a marquee battle between the national GOPs more establishment forces and the conservative outside group. And, as in other races like Montana and Nevada, this one will test the National Republican Senatorial Committees new strategy of picking sides in primaries. Its impossible to talk about Republican primaries without discussing former President Donald Trump. Ever since 2016, loyalty to him has been a key litmus test for the GOP often much more than actual conservatism. But adherence to his election conspiracy theories has sometimes hurt Republicans in general elections, with the 2022 midterms being a prime example. The chairman of the NRSC, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, has endorsed Trump. And for now, at least, the former president appears to be playing along. CNN reported that hes informed two House Freedom Caucus members whom hes previously backed in West Virginia and Montana that they wont have his support for the Senate. (In Montana, Rep. Matt Rosendale hasnt yet announced his campaign but is expected to challenge the NRSCs preferred candidate.) This months ranking isnt all about primary drama, however. In Pennsylvania, Republicans breathed a major sigh of relief in May when election denier Doug Mastriano, fresh off his 15-point gubernatorial loss, decided not to run. The expectation that Dave McCormick will get into the race with a clearer lane and the GOPs lack of candidates right now in other states bumps the Keystone State up one spot on this list as slightly more likely to flip. Overall, the Senate map remains an offensive opportunity for Republicans. Democrats hold seven of the 10 seats most likely to flip next year, an independent holds one and Republicans hold two a breakdown thats unlikely to change much, although the order of the ranking will likely evolve in the months to come. Altoona Police Chief Greg Stallman, who serves as the legislative chair for the Iowa Police Chiefs Association, said he thinks the proposed vexatious requester bill may have promise. He said his department is dealing with a military veteran, Benjamin Ward, 38, of Altoona, who has filed hundreds of information requests with the city. We cant get into court because theres nothing in law that allows us to say hes a vexatious requester, Stallman told the Iowa Public Information Board last week. He has sued us over open records, and he has lost, but nothing prevents him from filing or making open records requests. We are spending tens of thousands of dollars and man hours of taxpayers money for this and theres no end in sight. Ward says the actual number of requests is 50 or so, and adds that many of his requests are reiterations of requests that the city has previously ignored or denied. Court records show Ward has sued the citys police department twice this year for alleged Open Records Law violations involving his inability to access police body-camera footage. In recent months, Ward has also filed small claims cases against his neighbors and then filed complaints against judges or magistrates who have dismissed those claims. A complaint against one magistrate was for lack of impartiality and disability discrimination. Ward complained that during one court hearing he was asked to remove his privacy hat which he describes as a wide-brimmed hat with a mask that has breathing holes in it and said the magistrate forced him to describe my disability in detail to the court. In a separate case, Ward asked that an opposing party be sanctioned for making disparaging comments about my behavior which is due to my disability. Stallman said until recently he never considered charging Ward for the cost of compliance with his requests as he didnt want to go down the path of charging citizens for access to public information. He said hes a believer in providing information free of charge to the public. A Navy veteran who says he has PTSD is the man responsible for triggering proposed new restrictions on Iowans access to government documents. The individual, Michael J. Merritt of Newton, calls himself Cipher Hunter and describes himself as a creative writer/musician and information warfare specialist. In the lengthy, stream-of-consciousness missives he has sent to public officials over the past year, he has incorporated jokes, anecdotes, details of his marital troubles and brief works of fiction into his public-records requests. He wrote to one state official earlier this year and explained that he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder related to multiple false allegations of criminal conduct going back to January 2017. Last month, he filed almost three dozen complaints with the Iowa Public Information Board, each alleging violations of Iowas Open Records Law. Merritts actions prompted IPIBs executive director to urge the board to take action, calling it a potential immediate crisis that could quickly consume all of IPIBs resources by forcing the board to investigate each of Merritts complaints. Within days, IPIB quickly rejected all of Merritts complaints, but then began considering proposed legislation that would enable state agencies, as well as Iowas cities, counties and school districts, to ignore for up to one year any public-records requests generated by individuals deemed by the board to be the work of a vexatious requester. IPIB Executive Director Erika Eckley has said that while the proposed bill was prompted by the actions of one individual, she believes its not a one-person issue in Iowa. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Merritt for comment. Some board members have already expressed reservations with the proposal, noting that government agencies can pursue harassment charges or seek injunctive relief through the civil courts. If the board considers taking this up, I anticipate being vehemently opposed, said former board chairwoman Julie Pottorff, a former assistant attorney general at Thursdays IPIB meeting. I think (agencies) already have a remedy I dont see any reason why a lawful custodian of records couldnt get an injunction from the district court if they think theyre being overly pelted by requests. Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, said he appreciates the concerns raised by Eckley and others, but added that it seems very unwise to make such a significant change in the public records law based, it appears, on one individuals requests. There are legal options already available to officials options that do not involve creating a loophole in Iowas public records law that some in government might try to use to silence people who request records government is not eager to share, he said. A thorn in the side Records obtained by the Iowa Capital Dispatch from IPIB suggest Merritt has long been a thorn in the side of public officials, particularly in Jasper County and the city of Newton. In October 2019, for example, the Jasper County attorneys victim-witness coordinator, Erika Sheeder, wrote to others in the prosecutors office to let them know Merritt had been in the office insisting that charges be filed in a case involving another persons alleged violation of a no-contact order. Hes a little unhinged, Sheeder wrote. This guy is pissed, and he gives us a weird vibe. In April of this year, Jasper Countys information-technology director, Ryan Eaton, wrote to Merritt in response to a visit Merritt had made to his office. Eaton wrote: I did not respond to your rambling on Monday because I do not begin to understand where you were going with your thought process. I have no idea who the Baptist standing in dirty water refers to so I am unable to share your words with them. I did go to my office and ignore you. I was not really sure how to handle a man with wild hair and in pajamas following me through the courthouse with a camera asking why I am being mean to him. At the time, Merritt was reportedly upset that the county had blocked him from posting comments to the Jasper County Facebook page. The day you started stalking county employees and mapping their locations and times, I received several phone calls complaining and asking me to stop it, Eaton wrote. By the time of that exchange, Merritt had already spent the better part of a year filing public-records requests with various Iowa agencies in an effort, he wrote, to boldly serve the Son of Man while I pursue deceit and tyranny in the darkness of the caves of Afghanistan an apparent reference to his past military service. In June 2022, Merritt sent a record request to the city of Camanche, but as an attachment to an email. The request was denied with the city asking Merritt to simply copy the text of his request into the body of an email to reduce the citys risk of a virus or malware attack. Merritt responded with a lengthy email instructing the city to have the police chief scan his attachment for security issues and to then file criminal charges against him once the malicious code you allege exists was found. I was not groomed in a law office, he wrote. I was built at sea during 20 years of service by the United States Navy Chiefs Mess. Panic, PTSD In October 2022, Merritt asked the city of Newton to send him the official portraits of 10 city officials, which were already available online, as well as city council multimedia files that the city couldnt provide as it wasnt clear what was being requested. In June of this year, he sent an email to dozens of public officials in Iowa referencing false allegations of sexual abuse made by others who were attempting to destroy my life. He complained of unnamed public officials causing panic attacks in a veteran diagnosed with PTSD. In July, Merritt sent Eckley an email with the subject header The Form of the Flying Dutchman, announcing his plans to donate to the state a database he had created showing where all state and local government agencies electronically store and preserve public documents. In the email, which was copied to dozens of other public officials, Merritt said he had compiled the database while being treated for PTSD. Eckley forwarded the message to Pottorff, in her final weeks as IPIB chairwoman, seeking advice and expressing concern that it could create some security risks if he collects information about where and how records are stored online. Pottorff responded by indicating Merritts actions were probably related to his mental health issues and suggested Eckley consult with the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Then, last month, Merritt sent a 17-page letter to Jasper County indicating he planned to submit quarterly requests for information to all Iowa state, county, public school districts, public universities and the top 100 municipal government bodies. His letter also included a work he labeled, A United States Navy True Sea Story that detailed a practical joke he claimed to have played on an officer in 2007. Around that time, Assistant Black Hawk County Attorney Michael OTreinan pushed back on one of Merritts records requests, writing, You have asked for literally every email sent or received by the county recorders office. OTreinan warned that each email would have to be gathered and then reviewed for confidentiality. We anticipate this would take a massive amount of time by our staff. Days later, Eckley wrote to the states Office of Chief Information Officer to express ongoing concerns regarding the activity from Mr. Merritt. Eckley wrote that Merritt is making 1000s of records requests to government entities. He has a right to do that. The concern I have is that he has stated he wants to develop a database of the government email systems, etc. She wrote that she was concerned about the potential harm that could be done if there is a database that shares information that could be useful to others to harm these government systems if bad actors were able to use the information to insert malware of ransomware. Immediate crisis Shortly before 4 a.m. on Aug. 11, Merritt filed 35 complaints with IPIB over alleged Open Records Law violations. Six hours later, Eckley wrote to three IPIB board members warning them Merritt had ramped up both his requests for information and his complaints to the board. At one point he told me he was going to develop a database of information to make request to government entities easier particularly how they store emails, Eckley told the board members. I am not sure his actions are meant to be a cybersecurity threat, but he could be creating information that others could use for attacks. She warned of a potential immediate crisis that would have a direct impact on her own office, which works to resolve disputes over public-records requests. This has ballooned into something that could consume all of the IPIB resources if we have to open a complaint for every allegation he makes in regards to his voluminous and indecipherable requests. One board member responded, His requests do seem to be bordering on harassment. And this greatly concerns me. On Sept. 13, Eckley circulated to others draft legislation that would allow government agencies in Iowa to ignore, for up to one year, any public-records requests made by individuals that IPIB deemed a vexatious requester. Associations representing those government agencies were supportive. Emily Shields, executive director of Community Colleges for Iowa, wrote back: Vexatious requester might be the greatest term I have ever heard. Siobhan Schneider of the Iowa Association of School Boards suggested adding a provision that would allow IPIB to stay all pending records requests from a potential vexatious requester while the board considered the issue. That is a good suggestion, Eckley responded. Eaton, the Jasper County information-technology specialist who had been dealing with Merritt, told Eckley: The vexatious requester legislation looks great. It gives us the ability to present you with our case and actionable steps. Eckley said Friday that IPIB intends to gather more information on the issue of vexatious requesters and the proposed legislation and will possibly hold a public hearing on the matter. Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (25 September 2023) Part I (See Part II) Last night, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have launched a group strike with long-range precision weapons and strike drones against temporary deployment sites of foreign mercenaries and sabotage groups training points of the AFU. All the facilities have been neutralised. The goal of the attack has been reached. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, have successfully repelled seven attacks by AFU assault groups close to Spornoye, Berestovoye, and Mayorsk (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 445 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, one tank, three infantry fighting vehicles, and 11 motor vehicles. In addition, in the course of counter-battery warfare, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system and two D-30 howitzers have been destroyed. One ammunition depot of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU has been also destroyed near Zvanovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian grouping of troops, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems have repelled two attacks by the 71th Jaeger Brigade of the AFU close to Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). In addition, AFU 21st and 65th mechanised brigades manpower and hardware clusters have been hit close to Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka, and north of Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 100 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles. During the counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system, one D-20 gun, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and four D-30 howitzers have been destroyed. In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of coordinated actions of units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, Army Aviation and artillery, two attacks by assault groups of the 67nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been repelled north of Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic). In addition, one manpower and hardware concentration area of the 12th Azov Special Purpose Brigade has been hit near Serebryansky forestry. The enemy losses were up to 55 Ukrainian servicemen, two infantry fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and two D-30 howitzers. In South Donetsk direction, aviation and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces have struck manpower and hardware of the 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU and the 110th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Urozhainoye and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In addition, two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the AFU have been eliminated near Marfopol (Zaporozhye region) The enemy losses were up to 125 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, one D-20 gun, and two D-30 howitzers. In Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces have hit manpower and hardware clusters of 14th, 43rd and 66th mechanised brigades of the AFU near Sinkovka, Peschanoye, and Cherneshchyna (Kharkov region). The enemy losses were up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 90 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, two motor vehicles, two D-30 howitzers. In addition, one ammunition depot of the 126th Territorial Defence Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been destroyed close to Nikolayevka (Kherson region). Russian Defence Ministry Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (25 September 2023) Part II (See Part I) Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have eliminated command and observation posts of 105th, 122nd territorial defence brigades near Krasnogorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Kherson, as well as enemy manpower and military hardware in 116 areas during the day. The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed one Mig-29 fighter of the Ukrainian Air Force close to Dolgintsevo airfield (Dnepropetrovsk region). Air defence facilities have shot down 7 projectiles launched by HIMARS MLRS. In addition, 33 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been hit close to Belogorovka, Lisichansk (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Aleksandrovka, Berestovoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Shevchenko, Novoye, Ilchenkovo, and Tokmak (Zaporozhye region). In total, 478 airplanes, 250 helicopters, 7,115 unmanned aerial vehicles, 438 air defence missile systems, 12,135 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,155 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,533 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,449 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. Russian Defence Ministry WtR What I am now seeing Russia seems to have started to change the soft approach against Ukraine and NATO mercenaries, now more than likely Russia will not be taking anymore prisoners or differentiate between wounded or dead enemy combatants, every enemy that shows sign of life must be eliminated, it is now or never, the hell is being unleashed against Ukraine and especially against foreign mercenaries This was brought upon by the West, they have now entered the SMO and Russia does not have time to pick and chose Ukrainian or other in the ditch Time to kill them all Russia for Mercys time has come and gone WtR A two-vehicle crash in Utica left two people with non-life-threatening injuries Friday morning. Anthony Joseph Vonarx, 68, of Hokah was driving a 2010 Freightliner milk tanker truck northbound on County Road 18 to County Road 33 at 5:41 a.m. when the vehicle collided in the intersection of Highway 14 with a 1993 Nissan pickup traveling westbound on the highway, according to a report from the Minnesota State Patrol. The pickup was driven by Manuel Estrada Salazar, 37, of Winona. Both drivers, who were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, received treatment for their injuries at Mayo Clinic Hospital's St. Mary's campus in Rochester. Winona County Sheriff, St Charles Police and Lewiston Fire and EMS additionally responded to the crash. NASA's new UFO hunter weapon has been revealed. This hints that the International Space Agency is already taking unidentified flying objects, which are now called UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), more seriously. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson explained how important and effective the technology they'll use to find UAPs. NASA's New UFO Hunter Weapon Unveiled The new NASA UFO hunter weapon is not a new technology since the aerospace organization refers to artificial intelligence and machine learning. The latest effort of NASA to incorporate AI and ML in its UFO hunt program was confirmed by Bill Nelson during a recent briefing on September 14. "We will use AI and machine learning to search the skies for anomalies... and will continue to search the heavens for habitable reality," he explained via Fox News. The NASA official added that artificial intelligence is already being used to explore numerous areas. "So why should we limit any technological tool in analyzing, using data that we have?" added Nelson. NASA's Associated Administrator, Dr. Nicola Fox, also shared her opinion regarding using AI and ML technologies. She said that artificial intelligence is an amazing tool to find "signatures that are sort of buried in data." Meanwhile, NASA's independent UAP research team shared their findings, claiming that incorporating AIs and machine learning tools is necessary for a comprehensive UFO detection campaign. Read Also: New NASA UFO Report to Be Released-What's in It? Here's How to Watch the Livestream NASA Begins Official UFO Hunt Effort According to Politico's latest report, NASA finally launched its official UFO hunt effort. This time, the Space Union is seeking help from Americans to find UAPs. NASA said people can use their smartphones and other gadgets to capture mysterious aerial aircraft. The aerospace organization even called for a government-wide approach to collect UFO data. NASA requested assistance from Americans and other people worldwide after its UFO team explained the things needed to find UAPs. The independent research group said there's no standardized system for making civilian UFO reports. Because of this, there are insufficient and incomplete data devoid of curation or vetting protocols. The NASA team suggested that open-source smartphone-based apps that can gather imaging data and other databases across the globe should be checked by the space agency. Recently, many NASA officials were quiet when asked about their opinions on UFOs. Now, many of them are becoming more open regarding their beliefs. One of them is Bill Nelson, who said he believes there's life in a vast universe. Related Article: NASA UFO Report Update: Study Team Found No Evidence Proving UAPs are Extraterrestrial @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WAUPUN Sixteen Japanese junior high students are visiting Waupun at the start of the 30th year of an international exchange. It is the first time since the COVID-19 shut down that the students have returned as part of Waupun Area Schools sister school exchange with Japan. In 1992 a group of middle school teachers applied to the state to be selected to have a Sister School from Japan, said Robbi Schranz, a retired Waupun Area School District teacher. Our superintendent at the time wanted us to think globally. We were honored to have been selected, and the rest is history. Waupun had two superintendents in 1992. William Bobbe and Gerald Thompson both spent time in the position. The visiting students are from two neighboring schools in the city of Isumi, Japan, Waupun teacher Doug Disch said. The schools are Misaki and Kunivoshi Junior High School. When I first started working for WASD, I was really impressed with this opportunity, Disch said. That isnt something you see in a small midwestern city, this is really something unique. A trip to Japan is a once in a lifetime trip. It is great to see this program continue for so many years. Ive traveled to Japan twice, and our family has hosted several times. I would highly recommend supporting this program by serving as a host family or making the trip to Japan. Disch said he truly believes the trip has life-changing benefits for the students. Students will gain a greater sense of independence by experiencing a world outside of their daily lives, Disch said. You are truly stepping outside of your comfort zone by navigating airports and new cities and overcoming language barriers. These are all skills that will benefit them as adults. Students from both countries benefit from gaining a better understanding of the culture of each others country, Disch said. It is an altogether different experience to live with a family, attend school and view how they interact with the world, Disch said. I hope that the students and adults involved with this program gain understanding and interest in the viewpoints of others. Disch said his own two oldest children made the trip, and he witnessed firsthand how they benefited from this experience. It is a beautiful country and the Japanese citizens were amongst the kindest and generous people I have ever met, Disch said. It was also interesting to see the photos of Waupun in the schools in Japan, Disch said. Students from Waupun will return this spring. Waupun middle school students interested in the trip can contact mathematics teacher Cheryl Clarenbach at Waupun Area High School. 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. The man accused of killing an 18-year-old north of Reno has pleaded not guilty. The Washoe County District Attorney's Office says Todd Tonnochy pleaded not guilty all charges - he will now go to trial starting in August 2024. He is accused of killing Hailey Nieto and leaving her body near a road in Cold Springs in March. SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 The man accused of killing an 18-year-old near Cold Springs is facing new charges in part due to his alleged conduct following his arrest. According to the Reno Justice Court, Todd Tonnochy is now facing charges related to attempting to bribe and intimidating a witness. The Washoe County District Attorney's office tells us along with his conduct -- they were filed based on evidence from prior convictions. Tonnochy is accused of killing Hailey Nieto in March. He's now scheduled to be back in court next Monday, September 25th. July 17 Update: On Monday, a judge denied Tonnochy's request for new representation. His preliminary hearing is set to happen September 15. June 24 Update: The man accused of killing an 18-year-old mother earlier this year is expected in court on Monday. Todd Tonnochy is accused of killing Hailey Nieto and leaving her body near a road in Cold Springs in March. According to court documents, Tonnochy has already made appearances in court on March 19 and June 5. Tonnochy's next court appearance will be a status hearing. Tonnochy remains in the Washoe County Jail where he is being held on no bail. May 18 Update: The man accused of killing 18-year-old Hailey Nieto is now back in Washoe County after being extradited from Texas. 39-year-old Todd Tonnochy was booked into the Washoe County Jail on Thursday on charges of open murder and concealing/destroying evidence. Tonnochy was arrested by U.S. Marshals on March 28 in Midland, Texas. As of right now, there is a no court date scheduled for Tonnochy. Nieto's body was found on the dirt extension of North Virginia Street in March, and her death was ruled a homicide. MARCH 31, 2023: Authorities say a man is now behind bars accused of killing 18-year-old Hailey Nieto and leaving her body near a road in Cold Springs last week. On March 28, 2023, through an investigation led by the Washoe County Sheriffs Office, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested 39-year-old Todd Tonnochy. On March 28, 2023, the U.S. Marshals, with the assistance of the Midland County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigation Division and SWAT team, successfully located Tonnochy at a motel in Midland, Texas, where they took him into custody. Washoe County Sheriffs Office detectives say there are no outstanding suspects in this case, and they would like to thank the members of the public who provided tips and information. ---- A viewing was held Wednesday for the woman whose body was found north of Reno last week. The family sent us photos of the viewing they had for Hailey Nieto at Mountain View Mortuary. Her brother and parents were among those who attended the 18-year-old's viewing. As we reported, her body was found last week with a gunshot wound on the dirt extension of North Virginia Street and is being investigated as a homicide. In a statement, her family said: "Hailey was a daughter, mother, granddaughter, great granddaughter, cousin, niece and aunt. She loved her two baby girls and loved taking them to the park to see the ducks and go on the swings. She was a Reno Native, born and raised here. She was studying to be a mortician and wanted to work at Mountain View Mortuary someday. Its very sad that she ended up there in a different way. She loved doing art, makeup, fashion, loved music, camping, Hawaii and Lake Tahoe in the summer. She was so empathetic, she would occasionally go to cemeteries, read about peoples stories and show her respect. She leaves behind a two-year-old and nine-month-old, Luna & Mila." Authorities are looking for anyone who may have been in the area between 5:00 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, 2023. If you have any information that can help authorities, call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness at 775-322-4900. A $5,000 reward is being offered. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help expenses. Click below - We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form On Friday, the UAW in our area decided to walk out at 9 a.m. to join the nationwide strike for better wages and fair pay. Taylor Martin and Colin Philips grew up in Marin and met in high schooland as any other teenage lovers, they spent every waking moment together. Though they went to college on opposite ends of California, distance made their hearts grow fonder: After graduation, the pair moved back to the Bay Area, built a cozy little home in San Rafael and adopted a yellow lab named Sadie. Work and travel took them around the world, and it was on a bucket list trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand that they got engaged. Amid the ancient ruins and lush landscape outside Hanoi, Phillips got down on one knee on top of a mountain overlooking rice fields. Now living in Napa, the couple planned their wedding day in Berkeley at the picturesque Brazilian Room in Tilden Park. Surrounded by towering redwoods, they said their vows. The day was filled with timeless charm: Martin wore a flowing deep V-neck gown with scoop back and a pretty floral headpiece. Pointed teal velvet flats added a fun color pop that allowed her to sashay and dance all night. Bridesmaids sported complementary blush-toned floor-length dresses and bouquets that mirrored the larger arrangements, while the groomsmen donned black suits with bowties and suspenders. For the reception, they took to the sweet cottage on site with high ceilings and exposed beams. It was the perfect setting for the fairytale wedding. The decor was simplewhite linens with amber goblets and a touch of eucalyptus with baby's breath at each table. A frame topped with foliage and hanging candles floated over the head table. No one would have known that the crafty couple had DIY-ed everything themselves form the florals to the decor to ceremony arrangements. Venue:Brazilian Room Dress: Elizabeth Dye Bridesmaid dresses: Show Me Your Mumu Groomsmen attire:Banana Republic Cake:Sweet Adeline Bakeshop Caterer: Cafe Soleil Photographer: Capture Create Studios (Photo : Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Qatar Museums) NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 09: UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake supports the launch of '1 in 11', a partnership between FC Barcelona Foundation, UNICEF and Reach out to Asia (ROTA) to help children to fulfil their potential through sport and education at Danny Kaye Vistors Centre on January 9, 2015 in New York City. In a startling turn, the Speaker of Canada's House of Commons, Anthony Rota, issued a public apology on Sunday for recognizing a 98-year-old man who had fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II. The incident occurred during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address in the House of Commons, as per The Washington Post. Canadian Speaker Apologizes for Recognizing WWII Veteran Canadian lawmakers gave Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation, mistakenly introduced as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division. Rota's introduction of Hunka included the statement that he had fought against the Russians in World War II. However, Speaker Rota later regretted his decision, citing newly acquired information that led to his change of heart. He acknowledged that his fellow Parliament members and the Ukrainian delegation were unaware of his plan to recognize Hunka, who hails from Rota's district. In his formal apology, Speaker Rota extended his deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and worldwide. He took full responsibility for his actions and expressed remorse, stating, "I accept full responsibility for my action." Hunka, the subject of the controversy, has not yet commented on the matter. During Zelensky's visit to Ottawa to seek support from Western allies for Ukraine's struggle against the Russian invasion, Canadian lawmakers cheered while Hunka received two separate standing ovations. Speaker Rota described him as a "Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero" and thanked him for his service. However, this unexpected recognition of Yaroslav Hunka has raised significant concerns and sparked outrage among various organizations and individuals. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly labeled his adversaries in Ukraine as "neo-Nazis," despite President Zelenskyy being Jewish and losing relatives in the Holocaust. The First Ukrainian Division, in which Hunka fought, is also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division. It was a voluntary unit under the command of the Nazis during World War II. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement on Sunday condemning the division's actions, emphasizing that it "was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable." They demanded an apology to Holocaust survivors and WWII veterans who fought against the Nazis. B'nai Brith Canada's CEO, Michael Mostyn, expressed his outrage, highlighting that Ukrainian "ultra-nationalist ideologues" who volunteered for the Galicia Division promoted an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed ethnic cleansing. He called for a meaningful apology from Parliament and a thorough explanation of how Hunka was allowed to enter the Canadian Parliament and receive recognition, according to CBS News. Read Also: US Reconstructs Cold War Submarine Program as China Bolsters Navy Cross-Party Applause for Hunka Raises Questions, Demands for Explanation Members of Parliament from various political parties applauded Hunka during the incident, with some expressing their shock and lack of awareness about his history. Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for the Conservative party, stated that the reports of Hunka's history were troubling, and Trudeau's Liberal party would need to explain why he was invited. Karina Gould, leader of the government in the House of Commons, also expressed her concern on social media, emphasizing that she had no additional information beyond what Speaker Rota provided. She clarified that the government played no role in inviting Hunka, and the Prime Minister did not meet him. She urged MPs not to politicize the incident but acknowledged her deep distress. The recognition of Yaroslav Hunka, a former member of a Nazi unit, in the Canadian Parliament has led to widespread outrage and calls for a meaningful apology and explanation. This incident has raised important questions about how such recognition could occur in the heart of Canadian democracy and has ignited a broader conversation about acknowledging and addressing historical atrocities, The Guardian reported. Related Article: UAW's Next Step is the 'More Nuclear Option,' Claims Top Analyst @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. loading......... Malibu, CA, Sep 25, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - In this segment of The Ellis Martin Report we catch up with co-founder Adam Smith of Oroco Resource Corp. ( CVE:OCO ) ( ORRCF:OTCMKTS ) as he travels the through Europe meeting with investors and those interested in the company's over 8 billion pound Santo Tomas Copper Project in Mexico. The case for copper continues to build on the ground and in the press as the global rush to electrification continues. To WATCH the Interview, please visit: https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/XO8NP1G6 About Oroco Resource Corp Oroco Resource Corporation (CVE:OCO) (OTCMKTS:ORRCF), founded in 2006, is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a history of and expertise in the development of resource opportunities in Mexico. Oroco is led by a management team with significant experience in exploration, discovery, development and operations in the mineral sector. Oroco's focus is on the confirmation and expansion of the historical resource of the Santo Tomas porphyry copper project in Sinaloa State, Mexico, while continuing its assembly of neighbouring mineral concessions and the acquisition of certain other rights associated with the project. Oroco has a controlling interest in 8,908.79 hectares of contiguous mineral concession that cover and surround the known core of the Santo Tomas mineralized structure as well as the potential extensions of the historical resource to the north and south. This controlling interest increases as Oroco funds the additional exploration and development of the project. The Santo Tomas project is a copper porphyry deposit which is historically defined by a total of 106 diamond drill and reverse circulation drill holes, totalling approximately 30,000 m. In July of 1994, Bateman Engineering Inc. conducted an economic assessment of the Santo Tomas project based on technical work by a team that included Mintec, Inc., Mountain States Research and Development, Inc., and Minetek S.A. de C.V. Bateman completed this study, termed "Santo Tomas Project, Sinaloa, Mexico, Pre-Feasibility Study." Current drilling activity is intended to confirm the historical project data and to further define the extent and quality of the resource. While the economic assessment by Bateman contains favourable metallurgical test results and engineering designs that remain broadly acceptable today, the Company considers these historical economic studies and associated mineral resource estimates to be only conceptual in nature until confirmed by current technical programs. About The Ellis Martin Report The Ellis Martin Report (TEMR) is an internet based radio program showcasing potentially undervalued companies to an audience of potential retail investors and fund managers that comprise our listening audience. TEMR is broadcasted on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel and The Opportunity Radio Network. CEO and company interviews are paid for by those represented on the program. 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"The Italian Job" actor, who turned 90 in March - and who famously portrayed a London gangster in "Get Carter" - said he got close to mobsters after taking a trip to Sin City with Frank Sinatra. "I'll tell you who liked a laugh - Frank Sinatra. He was very nice, he became my friend, and he loved to laugh. But he never did many things that made you laugh. He was very tough. He took me to Las Vegas on his private plane, and then I knew every mafia guy in Las Vegas. I had dinner with them all," he told the Daily Telegraph. Michael first met Frank when the actor went to Hollywood in the mid-1960s, where he admitted he was amazed to be mixing with stars he idolised. He said, "It was the most incredible experience." "It was like living with gods. I'd go out to a restaurant and there'd be John Wayne sitting there, all sorts of people - and they'd all say hello. They treated me as one of them! I lived there, I worked there, I occasionally won an Academy Award and all that. I was just like them." Michael admitted his mortality is on his mind as he knows how he wants to go down in history. He said when asked how he would like to be remembered, "Let me see? For the fact that I remained an actor all my life, and I never went into anything else. I never left, I never wanted to leave." Michael and his wife of 50 years Shakira Baksh, 76, recently downsized by selling their country home in Surrey. They split their time between a house in Wimbledon, London, and a flat in the city's Chelsea as it means the couple are closer to their daughter Natasha, 50, and Michael's three grandkids. He also has daughter Dominique, 67, from his first marriage to the actress Patricia Haines, who died in 1977 aged 45 from lung cancer. You can share this post! Instagram Music The 'In My Feelings' rapper conquers the charts yet again as his latest offering 'Slime You Out' featuring ex-girlfriend SZA makes impressive chart positions on the streaming giants both in the U.S. and overseas. Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - Drake has done it again. The rapper is back atop the charts with his highly-anticipated release, "Slime You Out" featuring a reunion with his ex-girlfriend, SZA. Both artists blend their unique styles, resulting in a song that is both commercially appealing and artistically satisfying. Their collaboration came seamlessly partly because of their past connection. "We're cool. And we've always been cool. It's never been weird. Anytime he's ever mentioned me, it's always been positive. He's never said anything negative about me. I'm grateful for that. I think highly of him... He's King Drake," SZA gushed over her ex in an interview. Despite sparking controversy ahead of its release due to its artwork that features Halle Berry, the song has been met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. It ruled major streaming charts, including the US and Global Apple Music charts as well as the US Spotify Charts. Additionally, it made an impressive debut at number 13 on the Global Spotify chart, firmly establishing itself as the chart's top new entry. In the United Kingdom, it broke into the top 10 on the singles chart and hit an impressive number three on the UK Hip Hop/R&B singles chart. This achievement showcases Drake's ability to appeal to a global audience, reaffirming his status as one of the most influential artists in music today. The collaboration between Drake and SZA on "Slime You Out" was recorded for his next studio installment "For All the Dogs" due later this year. Their musical chemistry and nostalgic references to their past relationship create a captivating listening experience. As with most of Drake's releases, "Slime You Out" has sparked conversations among listeners about its lyrics and themes. Drake has a talent for infusing personal experiences into his music, and this track is no exception. The emotional depth and introspective nature of the lyrics resonate with audiences, further solidifying his connection with fans around the world. You can share this post! Cover Images/LISVETT SERRANT Celebrity According to a new report, the masseuse claimed that the comic, who has been accused by several women of rape and sexual assaults, groped her and made her feel 'like a prostitute.' Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - Russell Brand was grilled by police over claims that he sexually assaulted a masseuse back in 2014. According to a new report, the masseuse claimed that the comic groped her and made her feel "like a prostitute." The Sun reported on Sunday, September 24 that an English masseuse said he attacked her at a mansion in Oxfordshire. She said that she was hired to give the actor a birthday massage valued at more than $600 on June 7, 2014. She claimed that he started touching her "in a sexual way" for about 40 minutes after she led him to his massage table at a bathroom suite. The report added that the former husband of Katy Perry was eventually kicked out of the mansion. The masseuse, who was not publicly identified, stated that Russell's action made her feel like she was treated "like a prostitute" because she received payment for the massage even though she never gave him one. She later called Thames Valley Police on him before they questioned him over the allegations. At the time, Russell denied the accusations, noting that the encounter was "friendly but awkward." The "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" actor also allegedly claimed that CCTV footage from the property supported his version of the story that he was not kicked out of the mansion. Thames Valley Police later informed the masseuse and Brand that they were not pursuing the case. The masseuse was upset by the decision and sought to have the case reviewed by the Independent Office for Police Misconduct. The Independent Office for Police Misconduct and the Thames Valley Police Department have yet to comment on the report. Recently, Russell faced new abuse claims from a woman who said he forced her to commit a sex act before letting her leave his house after he allegedly tore holes in her tights on a limousine ride. The 48-year-old, who has been accused by a growing list of women of offences ranging from rape to sexual and emotional abuse, allegedly pounced on a woman as she was driven to his home by a chauffeur. You can share this post! In a bid to address allegations surrounding a controversial cash-for-visas scheme for migrants that has stirred political turmoil in Poland, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged the Polish government to provide clarifications. This move comes as Germany finds itself grappling with an intensifying debate on immigration, according to Business World. Germany Presses Poland for Visa Scheme Details The demand from Chancellor Scholz signals a heightened level of engagement from Poland's influential western neighbor, following reports that Germany had summoned the Polish ambassador and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser held discussions with her Polish counterpart on this pressing matter. Since the beginning of this month, the Polish government has been embroiled in allegations put forward by opposition parties. These claims suggest that the government may have been involved in a system where migrants obtained Polish visas at an expedited rate without undergoing proper vetting facilitated by intermediaries. Given Poland's open borders as an EU member state, individuals who gained entry to Poland could cross into other European Union countries, raising concerns about the broader implications of the scandal. Poland's government has responded to these accusations by characterizing them as an exaggerated "media fact," suggesting that the timing of these revelations is politically motivated, aimed at discrediting the ruling nationalists ahead of the challenging reelection battle scheduled for next month. In a statement made during an event, Chancellor Scholz stressed the need for clarity surrounding the visa scandal. He expressed his desire to avoid a situation where people from Poland might be allowed to pass through unchecked. Furthermore, Chancellor Scholz hinted at the possibility of Germany taking measures to control its border with Poland, depending on how the situation evolves. Germany has already grappled with significant waves of migrants and asylum seekers in recent years, particularly from conflict-ridden regions such as Syria and Ukraine. This experience has added complexity to the ongoing debate on immigration within Germany, as per Financial Times. Read Also: Netizens Criticize NYC Mayor Eric Adams' Interaction With New Armless Patrol Robot EU Commissioner Urges Poland to Clarify Alleged 350,000 Work Visa Scandal In a related development, European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson sent a letter to Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, demanding a thorough clarification of the scandal, which reportedly involved up to 350,000 purchased work visas for the EU-Schengen area. The letter, disclosed by BILD, highlights concerns that the conduct of Polish authorities may constitute a violation of EU law, specifically the EU Visa Code.The ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged cash-for-visas scheme has placed Poland under significant international scrutiny and has also ignited discussions about the integrity of EU immigration policies. As Poland faces increasing pressure to address these allegations and provide clarifications, the situation remains fluid, and its implications continue reverberating within the EU's broader immigration discourse, South China Morning Post reported. Related Article: AOC Makes Another Promise to Replace Her Tesla EV @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Instagram Celebrity The Canadian rapper is reportedly 'scared for his life and safety in prison' after he was sentenced to 10 years in August for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in summer 2020. Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - Tory Lanez is reportedly scared for his life in jail after being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion. The rapper, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in August for shooting 28-year-old Megan in the feet after the pair left a party at Kylie Jenner's home in Los Angeles in 2020. A source told Page Six he now fears he could be fatally attacked behind bars at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California, where he was caged last week. They said, "Tory is scared for his life and safety in prison. He feels like he is an instant and direct target because of his celebrity status." "His family is concerned for him as well, especially his dad. He has been in contact with his family, and they are all trying to keep his spirits up," the source added. "He definitely had his moments where he has teared up (and is) realising who his real friends are." TMZ has reported the rapper is being held in Administrative Segregation because of his high-profile status, which keeps him largely apart from other inmates. The outlet said he is "escorted to the showers where he bathes by himself," and, "if he chooses to spend time in the yard, he'll be the only one in the fenced-off area." An insider added about him being vulnerable to possible attacks, "He stands in at 5ft 3in, so his size is definitely a setback. He is housed with real hardcore criminals, murderers. So he is really hoping that his lawyers will be able to continue to fight for his freedom while still maintaining his innocence. The whole thing is a mess." Tory pleaded not guilty to three felony charges in December 2022, including assault with a semi-automatic firearm as well as carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. He also said in an Instagram post in August, "I have never let a hard time intimidate me. I will never let no jail time eliminate me. Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will. In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I'm being wrongfully convicted of." Tory has vowed that he'll continue to fight the case, posting, "I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do. I've faced adversity my whole life, and every time it looked like I would lose, I came out on top. This is nothing but another moment where my back is against the wall, and I refuse to stop fighting till I come out victorious. Tough times don't last, but people do." Megan, real name Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, gave a victim impact statement in the case that said, "He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma he tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul." You can share this post! Cover Images/INFphoto.com Celebrity After being speculated to have lived separately from her husband, the 'Almost Famous' actress, through her lawyer, sets the record straight on the false assumptions. Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - Bijou Phillips has clarified her and Danny Masterson's residence prior to his legal trouble. The "Almost Famous" actress, through her lawyer, set the record straight on the matter after it was speculated that she and the "Yes Man" actor had lived separately. Speaking to Page Six on Saturday, September 23, the 43-year-old actress' lawyer Peter Lauzon confirmed that Danny lived together with Bijou and their 9-year-old daughter Fianna at their home in Santa Ynez, California before he went to jail for sexual assault case. He also explained that she cited in the divorce filing that Fianna has been living only with her mother at the California home because the 47-year-old actor is not residing there "at this moment." The speculation suggesting that Bijou and Danny resided at different homes before he went to jail came after DailyMail.com revealed that she cited in divorce papers, which were obtained by the outlet, that their daughter Fianna had been living only with her mother in Santa Ynez, California since 2018. In addition, she allegedly wrote that Fianna lived the first four years of her life with both of her parents in their home in Hollywood. The couple later sold the property, which featured five bedrooms and four bathrooms, for $6.2 million in 2021. Bijou filed for divorce from Danny and submitted the divorce papers at a court in Santa Barbara, California on September 18. On the reason behind the breakup, she cited that there were "irreconcilable differences" in her marriage to Danny. In the court docs, she listed "TBD," meaning to be determined, as the date of the separation. The "Raising Hope" star asked for spousal support and full legal as well as physical custody of Fianna. The former socialite also requested that any financial support for Danny be denied and their assets be divided up by the court as separate property. In the wake of the divorce filing, Danny allegedly was not blindsided by Bijou's decision to call off their marriage. Speaking to TMZ on Friday, insiders who claimed to be close to the couple spilled that Danny "knew the divorce docs were coming." The insider went on to reveal that he "wasn't blindsided as many had suspected." On September 7, Danny was slapped with 30-year prison sentence for two counts of forcible rape. The former "That '70s Show" star received the sentencing after three women, who are former members of the Church of Scientology, came forward with rape allegations against him. You can share this post! Instagram Movie The Writers Guild of America and the labor group representing studios and streamers have reached a tentative deal on a new contract that could precipitate the end of the 146-day strike. Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to end the writers' strike. After several long consecutive days of negotiations, the WGA and the labor group representing studios and streamers reached a tentative deal on a new contract that could precipitate the end of a historic, 146-days writers' strike. The Writers Guild of America emailed strike captains on Sunday night, September 24 and shortly after, its negotiating committee informed all members. "We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language," read the message. "We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional - with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the parties came to terms on a provisional three-year agreement, which will need to be ratified by WGA members to take effect, on Sunday after studios responded to last-minute union asks that day. "This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership's right to make a final determination on contract approval," Writers Guild leaders said. Confirming the good news, the WGA posted a statement via its social media accounts, "The WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement. This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who stood with us for over 146 days. More details coming after contract language is finalized." The union's negotiating committee asked for patience on disclosing the fine print of the deal. "What remains now is for our staff to make sure everything we have agreed to is codified in final contract language," they said in an email. "And though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last 'i' is dotted." The deal will first go to the union's negotiating committee for a vote, then to the WGA West's board and the WGA East's council for approval; both referendums are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. If rubber-stamped by those leaders, board and council will also vote on whether to end the strike "at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification," the negotiating committee said. While the deal is tentative, many are rejoiced over the latest outcome from the long strike. "I'm so proud of the writers for standing up for themselves and securing a fair contract. The strike is over and we can enjoy their work again!" one social media user reacted to the news. Another penned, "Congratulations and solidarity!" while a third user echoed the sentiment as saying, "So happy for them." A fourth person added, "YA'LL DID IT! so so so happy for the writers. Now let's go SAG!!" You can share this post! Cover Images/Sara De Boer Celebrity The Italian acting icon, who turned 89 earlier this month, allegedly needs surgery as she sustains several fractures to her hip as well as a serious fracture to her femur. Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - Sophia Loren had emergency surgery on Sunday, September 24. According to a new report, the Italian acting icon suffers from several fractures following a bad fall at her home in Swiss. A source close to the actress, who turned 89 earlier this month, told The Hollywood Reporter that Loren fell in her bathroom. She allegedly needed surgery as she sustained several fractures to her hip as well as a serious fracture to her femur. The insider went on to say that there is cautious optimism about the outcome of the operation and Loren's recovery. Due to her injury, she reportedly needs to complete a short convalescence and then a long rehabilitation. It was also said that the actress' sons Carlo and Edoardo remained by her side at the hospital. Loren's health scare was revealed by a restaurant she was set to open in the Italian city of Bari on Tuesday, September 26. The actress was also set to receive honorary citizenship from the city, though all her schedules for the foreseeable future have been canceled. Fans, meanwhile, wished Loren a speedy recovery upon learning about the news. "Oh no at her age people don't do well after a fall. I hope she'll be okay," one wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another user commented, "Uh oh...the Broken Hip is usually the end of the road at that age." Someone else added, "Not THEE Acting Titan omg May the force be with her." Loren's most recent feature film was a 2020 Netflix feature titled "The Life Ahead", which was directed by Edoardo. The movie also earned her a David di Donatello Award win for best actress. In 2021, she was the subject of Netflix's documentary "What Would Sophia Loren Do?". Meanwhile, the acting legend was last seen making a last public appearance when attending the Armani fashion show in Venice on September 2 which was held during the 80th Venice Film Festival. You can share this post! Cover Images/INFphoto.com Celebrity According to a new report, the Chicago rapper and Yeezy designer may be facing legal trouble for wearing a face mask in public during his and wife Bianca Censori's European trip. Sep 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Kanye West's lewd act with wife Bianca Censori and her racy outfits aren't the only thing that cause controversy during their extensive trip in Italy. The Chicago star may be facing legal trouble due to his fashion choice, according to Daily Mail. The news outlet stated that the Yeezy designer broke Italian anti-terror and public order laws for wearing a face mask in public. The laws prohibit wearing items that hampers an individuals identification and are punishable by a fine of up to 2000 Euros. The law, article 533, was introduced in 1977 to combat domestic terrorism, and restricts face coverings in public unless for religious reasons with prior authorization. "Obviously there are exceptions, wearing a scarf or balaclava over your face during the winter would be tolerated," lawyer Angelo Russo told the news outlet. Ye has been opting to wear face covering throughout his European getaway with Bianca. He usually paired his black face mask with an all-black top and pants as well as black socks as he went shoeless. His wife, meanwhile, has been making headlines for her sultry outfit which consisted of a sheer bodysuit. As if that wasn't enough, the Australian architect ditched her bra, allowing her nipples to be visible for everyone. Recently, it was said that Bianca is distancing herself from her friends despite their concerns. "A few of her friends were finally able to reach her, but she wasn't interested in talking, nor was she interested in anyone's concerns for her," a source told the Daily Mail on Tuesday, September 19. "She's shut everyone out." The insider also claimed that the 28-year-old "told one of her former friends to 'f**k off' when they tried to ask if she was OK." The insider continued, "She is saying that her friends are just jealous of her stardom." The source went on to say that Bianca is enjoying the world's attention to her. "Bianca knows how to grab headlines now, and she loves being Kanye's muse because it gives her what she has always wanted - fame," the source alleged. "Her friends are done trying because she is a thirsty lost cause." You can share this post! Cover Images/Charlie Steffans Celebrity During a chat at the Los Angeles Beverly Arts Icon Awards, the visual artist showers the 'John Wick' actor with praise for being an 'inspiration' whenever she feels stuck creatively. Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - Alexandra Grant could not help but shower Keanu Reeves with praise. Making an appearance at the Los Angeles Beverly Arts Icon Awards, the accomplished visual artist gave rare insight into her relationship with the "John Wick" actor. Speaking to PEOPLE while hitting the red carpet of the event on Friday, September 22, the 50-year-old said, "The good news about falling in love as an adult is that I had built my own career by the time that my relationship had begun. I feel very confident in the relationship on the red carpet. I feel confident on it alone. It's interdependent and independent in the best ways." Alexandra went on to discuss how her 59-year-old beau helps every time she feels stuck creatively. "In a moment of frustration in my life, I once said, 'Sometimes I feel like a Maserati stuck in traffic,' that I have this big engine, but, for a variety of reasons, that I couldn't ever go," she admitted. "And I know a lot of people feel frustrated in their lives, that they're not able to run their engine. I think every creative person feels that way." "What I love about Keanu and our exchange is that we're pushing each other to build new roads," she gushed. "Seeing the other person's problem-solving is inspiring, like, 'Oh, well, okay, this one, that's a cul-de-sac. How do I try this other thing?' He's such an inspiration to me. He's so creative, he's so kind. He works so hard." During the chat, Alexandra also discussed the similarity between her and Keanu's works. "My work is much more of a private performance, but I have a text that I interpret in the studio into a painting, into an object. He takes the text in private and then turns it into a performance in public. There's a relationship. We're both at the heart readers and researchers. We both care about people and we care about characters," she elaborated. "I think there's a lot of similarities," she shared. "Sometimes I feel like, to make a film, as we're seeing now in the strike, that it's a cruise ship. Everyone is dependent on everyone else. You can't go off and being an artist, maybe at the beginning of my career, I was in a kayak on the sea of creativity. Now maybe it's a small speedboat, but it's still a lot more nimble." About Keanu creating a film, Alexandra pointed out, "I think that is very inspiring for him. To make a film, you require hundreds of people. To be an artist, you don't. You require one. You require a community to get the work into the world, but not to actually make it. I think part of the inspiration is the differences of scale." Alexandra and Keanu were friends before they started dating. In 2011, the two worked together for a grown-up picture book titled "Ode to Happiness". Alexandra was the one working on its illustrations, while Keanu contributed to the text. You can share this post! Movie The 'Italian Job' actor weighs in on intimacy coordinator, saying he doesn't understand why such person is needed when actors are filming their racy scenes on set. Sep 25, 2023 AceShowbiz - Sir Michael Caine feels happy he's never worked with an intimacy coordinator. The 90-year-old actor has doubted the need for the on-set experts, who are responsible for making actors and actresses feel safe and secure during intimate scenes. "Really? Seriously? What are they? We never had that in my day," Michael told the Daily Mail newspaper when asked for his thoughts on their role. Michael has enjoyed a long and hugely successful career in the movie business, and he feels relieved that he's never had to work with an intimacy coordinator. He shared, "Thank God I'm 90 and don't play lovers anymore is all I can say." The "Alfie" actor also acknowledged that times have changed in the movie business. He said, "In my day, you just did the love scene and got on with it without anyone interfering. It's all changed." Meanwhile, earlier this month, Michael suggested that "The Great Escaper" could be the last film he ever makes. The acclaimed actor is widely considered to be an icon of the movie industry, and Michael hinted that the new drama would be his last-ever film - even though he's previously teased retirement and then made a comeback. Michael told the Daily Telegraph newspaper, "I wasn't 90 then. I am bloody 90 now, and I can't walk properly and all that. I sort of am retired now." Despite this, Michael admitted to having a "wonderful time" during the film's shoot. The London-born star shared, "I was so happy to do it. I just loved the character of Bernie. I thought he was incredible, and it's so beautifully written. With COVID and all that, I hadn't done a picture for three years, and I thought I was finished. And I suddenly did it - and had such a wonderful time." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Good Luck Chuck' actor is officially taken off the market after exchanging wedding vows with his fiancee in an intimate ceremony taking place in Hawaii. Sep 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Dane Cook and Kelsi Taylor are officially husband and wife. The 51-year-old comedian-and-actor married the fitness instructor - who he got engaged to in July 2022 after five years together - in front of just 20 guests at a private estate in O'ahu, Hawaii on Saturday, September 23, with the setting holding particular significance to the couple. "We chose Hawaii because it has such a special place in our hearts and our relationship. It was one of the first trips we ever went on together and we continue to go back often. It's such an oasis, and we couldn't be more excited to have spent our wedding week surrounded by the beauty of Oahu," Dane explained to People magazine. The guests enjoyed a week of celebrations that included a welcome BBQ, jazz bar night out, a pool party and a beach day ahead of the wedding ceremony. Dane said, "We envisioned something that was more along the lines of a gathering of our closest family and friends." Dane Cook's new wife shares a picture after their wedding "Something intimate, connected, and filled with fun. We decided to do a full week vacation with a wedding right in the middle, and we wouldn't want it any other way! Nothing better than spending this special time with all of our favourite people." Kelsi added, "Our wedding is an absolute dream come true. It is exactly what both of us envisioned. Staying in a beautiful home next to the ocean, saying our 'I Do's' in the lush green grass under the palm trees with the best view, and all of our favourite people there to witness." The couple opted for "traditional" vows - because the 24-year-old bride worried the 'Good Luck Chuck' star would "outshine" her. Kelsi laughed, "We went for traditional vows - because to be perfectly honest, I had a feeling that Dane would totally outshine my speech." "He has the best way with words, and I knew I wouldn't even be able to match up to his delivery. I also really just wanted to keep our more intimate vows private and to give him a handwritten letter the morning of." After getting married, Dane said the couple are now looking forward to "building a life and home together and a family" of their own. You can share this post! Cover Images/Media Punch Celebrity In a new television interview on NBC, Emma Heming Willis admits she doesn't know whether or not her retired actor husband is aware of his battle with dementia. Sep 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Bruce Willis' wife is clueless about whether he is aware he has dementia. The "Die Hard" actor's loved ones announced in February he had been diagnosed with degenerative condition Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), a year after he stepped away from acting due to communication disorder aphasia, and Emma Heming Willis admitted she isn't sure how much the 68-year-old star understands. "It's hard to know," Emma told co-host Hoda Kotb when asked if he is aware of his condition on "Today". The 45-year-old model - who has daughters Mabel, 11, and eight-year-old Evelyn, with Bruce - admitted her husband's condition has been "hard" on everyone around him, including his three adult daughters with ex-wife Demi Moore. She grew emotional as she said, "What I'm learning is dementia is hard. It's hard on the person diagnosed, it's also hard on the family. And that is no different for Bruce, or myself, or our girls. When they say this is a family disease, it really is." Emma admitted coming to terms with Bruce's condition has been "the blessing and the curse" but she's thankful he was able to get a definitive diagnosis. She said, "To finally understand what was happening so that I could be into the acceptance of what is - it doesn't make it any less painful, but ... just being in the know of what is happening to Bruce makes it a little easier." The Make Time Wellness founder described her spouse as the "gift that keeps on giving" and him and his condition have taught their daughters a number of qualities such as "love, patience and resilience." She said, "It's teaching them so much and how to care and love, and it's really a beautiful thing amongst the sadness." As well as looking after her husband, Emma is aware she needs to take care of herself too. She said, "It's important for care partners to look after themselves so that they can be the best care partner for the person they're caring for." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity While ranting anew about free speech and conspiracies, the 'Get Him to the Greek' actor asks for donations from fans after police launched an investigation into his sex scandal. Sep 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Russell Brand has ranted again about free speech and conspiracies - as police confirmed they were investigating allegations of sexual assault against the under-fire comic. The "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" actor, 48, began a live stream on Monday, September 25 on his $60 subscription channel on Rumble, hours after cops said they were probing accusations of sexual offences in London and "elsewhere" in Britain. "Are we being silenced? The battle for free speech - streaming now on @rumblevideo," Brand posted on X. Are we being silenced? The battle for free speech - streaming now on @rumblevideo https://t.co/fmHbem0tuv Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) September 25, 2023 During the stream, the multi-millionaire went on a long-winded rant about a government conspiracy to prevent him from sharing his theories and make money from social media - while repeatedly pleading for fans to send him donations. Detectives confirmed they have opened an investigation into a series of non-recent sexual offence allegations against the comedian, with a Metropolitan Police spokesperson saying, "Following an investigation by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times, the Met has received a number of allegations of sexual offences in London." "We have also received a number of allegations of sexual offences committed elsewhere in the country and will investigate these. The offences are all non-recent. Officers will be offering specialist support to all of the women who have made allegations. Detectives have launched an investigation into allegations of sexual offences." Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy added, "We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us. We understand it can feel like a difficult step to take and I want to reassure that we have a team of specialist officers available to advise and support." Brand was accused of offences ranging from rape and sexual assault to emotional and physical abuse by four women, whose allegations were made public on 16 September as part of a joint investigation into the comic's treatment of women by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4's "Dispatches" investigative journalism team. One of the women claimed she was 16 when she had an abusive relationship with a then 31-year-old Brand. Another said he raped her against a wall at his LA mansion. The four women say his offences came between 2006 and 2013 at the height of his fame. A series of other women have since come forward to allege sexual assault and mistreatment by Brand. Hours before news of the four women's allegations broke, Brand posted an online video strongly denying all their accusations - and saying he was part of a "coordinated attack." He also recently posted a video in which he raged about a media conspiracy and how the world is apparently in the grip of a "collaboration" between corporations and news outlets. You can share this post! On the first day of a new visa-free entry program that officials hope will revive the nation's tourism industry, which was severely hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, top Thai officials welcomed hundreds of Chinese tourists at Bangkok's international airport. As his tourism minister and other dignitaries welcomed roughly 300 visitors from Shanghai, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin distributed gifts and posed for photos. Inside the arrivals area at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai traditional dancers and drummers amused the guests. Srettha stated that the authorities' first objective is to address tourist worries about safety, as reported by The Associated Press. This also addresses numerous stories and speculations about fraud and kidnapping in Thailand circulating on Chinese social media. The "very lively" welcoming ceremony at the airport, according to a Shanghai visitor who only went by the name Dai, impressed him. However, he pointed out that the immigration officer who checked his passport was unaware of the temporary visa exemption policy. He declared that he intended to stay for two weeks and travel to cities other than Bangkok, including Chiang Mai and Phuket. Read also: Thailand Entomologists Discover New 'Electric Blue' Tarantula in 'Enchanting Phenomenon' A Good Strategy for Thailand's Tourism? Chinese citizens entering Thailand without a visa is a terrific strategy, according to Peng Chunyu and Wan Yi, who arrived on the same flight. "Very smooth," remarked Peng of the procedure. The two claimed they were excited to explore Bangkok's Grand Palace, Wat Arun temple, and Chinatown during their nine-day vacation. The visa waiver is in place until February 29 and includes travelers from Kazakhstan, a country in Central Asia. Bookings for hotels and flights have increased by nearly 30 percent since the program was announced, according to tourism minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol. With nearly 11 million visitors in 2019, China overtook the United States as Thailand's top supplier of tourists, accounting for 27.6 percent of total arrivals in that year before the pandemic ravaged the travel industry. Because of the stringent visa procedures, the administration worried that the number of Chinese tourists might be smaller than anticipated this year. After learning that roughly 1.4 million Chinese visitors visited Thailand in the first six months, the state tourism authority of Thailand reported that the goal number of arrivals from China had been reduced from 5 million to 3 million. The Goal to Increase Chinese Visitors According to Thapanee Kiatphaibool, director of the tourism authority, the government is optimistic that with the introduction of the visa-free program, the number of Chinese visitors would reach 4 million to 5 million. Due to the pandemic's devastating effects on Thailand's massive tourism industry, the country's economy suffered. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the nation attracted over 40 million visitors in 2019, who are expected to have spent 1.9 trillion baht ($53.2 billion). However, by 2021, this figure had decreased by more than 99%. The prime minister's spokesperson, Chai Wacharonke, previously stated that 15 million foreigners visited Thailand in the first seven months. In 2023, he claimed, the government hopes to welcome 28 million visitors and earn 1.4 trillion baht ($39.2 billion) in revenue. Related article: Thailand's New PM to Rectify Legislation to Permit Cannabis Use for Medicinal Purposes Alone @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bolas, a leading name in the dry fruits, nuts, and sweets industry in India, is delighted to announce the appointment of Veteran Kannada Actor Anant Nag as its brand ambassador. With a strong presence of over 70 stores across Karnataka, Bolas is set to strengthen its connection with the local community through this exciting partnership. Anant Nag, a celebrated actor known for his outstanding contributions to the Kannada film industry, brings his charisma, credibility, and immense popularity to the Bolas family. His association with the brand is a testament to Bolas' commitment to quality and tradition, mirroring the values that have made Anant Nag an icon in Karnataka. Bolas has been serving its customers with premium quality dry fruits, nuts, and sweets for several decades, maintaining a legacy of taste, trust, and excellence. Bolas strength lies in their supply chain operations, enabling them to procure their products from farmers around the world. With Anant Nag as the brand ambassador, Bolas aims to enhance its connection with the people of Karnataka, reinforcing its position as the preferred choice for authentic and delectable treats. Speaking about his association with Bolas, Anant Nag expressed, "I have known the Bolas family for a long time. It gives me a great pleasure to be associated with Bolas, which shares my passion for tradition and quality." Bolas is confident that this collaboration will not only elevate its brand presence but also inspire a new generation of consumers to appreciate the rich flavors and traditions of Karnataka. Kelloggs, Indias leading breakfast cereal manufacturer has announced the launch of Kelloggs Chocolate Muesli with the tagline, Mmmmuesli. As the tagline that captures the essence of the new breakfast attraction to the portfolio suggests, the Choco variant of muesli promises an irresistible combination of rich, indulgent chocolate with the goodness of multiple grains and rich inclusions such as fruits, nuts, and seeds. The brand has rolled out an extensive multi-media communication campaign, conceptualised by Ogilvy, for the launch. The 360-degree campaign for Kelloggs Chocolate Muesli, infused with rich indulgent chocolate, is being launched across various media channels, including TV, outdoor, digital platforms like YouTube and other social media channels. The campaign includes a TVC featuring a delightful breakfast moment between a father and his teenage daughter as they enjoy the Kelloggs Chocolate Muesli. Conceptualized by Ogilvy, the video ad reflects the exact response from the creative team when they initially tasted the product: Mmmmmmmm. Sharing insights about the newly launched product,Mr. Vinay Subramanyam, Senior Director of Marketing, Kellogg South Asia, said, "We understand that taste plays a pivotal role in our daily food choices. Kelloggs Chocolate Muesli is by leaps and bounds the tastiest Muesli one can have. One can spend a lot of time describing why this blend of multigrain, fruits, nuts and seeds and chocolate is so delectable. It is beautifully baked, is astonishingly crunchy and tastes great as a breakfast and equally awesome when you have it with dessert. However, true pleasure is felt and not described, and therefore we all unanimously agreed that the proposition should be the simple expression of Mmmmuesli. Kelloggs Chocolate Muesli will be available in a convenient trial pack size of 75gm for Rs. 60 and a larger family pack of 450g at Rs 360. This launch is an endeavour towards Kelloggs ongoing commitment to providing diverse, nutritious, and delightful breakfast choices. Rohit Devgun, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy India spoke about the inspiration behind the idea, Chocolate in a breakfast bowl isnt normal. So why would someone eating it express the same normally? That is what we captured with our new campaign. That this rich, chocolatey deliciousness doesnt make your taste buds just go mmmmmm, it makes them go mmmmmuesli. An idea that travels across mediums with a unique sensorial expression for a unique breakfast product. Building upon its existing portfolio, Kelloggs Chocolate Muesli joins the ranks of Kelloggs Muesli with 20% Nuts Delight, Kelloggs Muesli with 21% Fruit, Nut & Seeds, Kelloggs Muesli with 0% Added Sugar, Kelloggs Muesli with 22% Fruit Magic, and the newly launched Kelloggs Pro-Muesli with 100% plant protein. In a thrilling moment for motorsports enthusiasts, Ranveer Singh, the first Indian actor ambassador for Ducati, set the stage ablaze at MotoGP Bharat 2023. This marquee event was conducted in full throttle at the Buddh International Circuit, with high-octane action continuing until Sunday, September 24. Ranveer Singh's presence at the event had taken the motorsport spectacle to new heights, drawing attention from fans and enthusiasts alike. Ranveer Singh, widely regarded as one of the most vivacious and charismatic actors in the Indian film industry, has consistently brought a dynamic and infectious energy to every event he graces. His magnetic presence, both on and off the silver screen, has made him a true showman and a beloved figure among fans. It comes as no surprise that he has been chosen as the first Indian actor to be the brand ambassador for Ducati, the iconic Italian motorcycle brand, given his ability to infuse any occasion with unparalleled enthusiasm. Beyond the racetrack, the Bollywood superstar is enjoying the spotlight for his recent cinematic triumph, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, which has garnered widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics. After the massive success of season 1, Sony LIV is all set to bring the 2nd season of its critically acclaimed Marathi original Shantit Kranti. Season 2 promises a double dose of laughter and awakens the spirit of self-discovery. Uniting after 18 months, Shreyas (Abhay Mahajan) surprises the boys with news that he's getting married, and three boys decide to leave for Shreyass international bachelor trip. Things spiral out of control when they realize Shreyas is not even engaged, Prasanna (Lalit Prabhakar) has brought his baby along, and Dinar (Alok Rajwade) has booked them on a 6-day pilgrimage to Nepal in a bus with 10 strangers instead of bachelors trip. Lalit Prabhakar said, Shantit Kranti season 1 received immense love from the audience. We are excited to return with an all-new season where we embark on a new journey that is filled with revelations, laughter, twists, turns, and more! This season truly redefines the bonds as well as introduces new characters that help each one of us grow. We hope this season too will entertain and resonate with the audience." Created by TVF in association with BhaDiPa and produced by Arunabh Kumar, the show is Directed by Sarang Sathaye and Paula McGlynn. The series stars Abhay Mahajan, Alok Rajwade, Lalit Prabhakar, Mrinmayee Godbole, Priya Banerjee, Priyadarshini Indalkar among others. Shantit Kranti 2 streaming from October 13 only on Sony LIV Two new stores are coming to Birminghams The Summit. California-based TravisMathew will be opening its first Alabama location this fall at 205 Summit Blvd., while Halloween seasonal retailer Spirit will open next month. TravisMathew showcases Southern Californias culture through its brand of lifestyle and performance apparel for men, women and children. Spirit offers costumes, decorations, accessories, collectibles, and other spectral products to satisfy spooky customers. Indulge Your Imagination. Find Your Perfect Costume. Scream Sold Separately, reads a statement for the store at The Summits website. Several new stores have been added to The Summits roster in 2023. Upscale eyeglass retailer Warby Parker opened last month. Several high-profile names have been added, including mens and womens underwear and apparel store Tommy John, womens fashion franchise Evereve, denim apparel retailer Buckle, jewelry store Pandora, Emmy Squared Pizza, The Normal Brand and Nordstrom Rack. The Summit 16 also began a $5 million renovation. Mac McAnally, an Alabama native who was one of Jimmy Buffetts closest musical allies, said that the right words still fail him three weeks after Buffetts passing. McAnally, whos originally from Red Bay, is an accomplished songwriter, performer and producer who has earned considerable acclaim for his own work, including a run from 2010 to 2018 when he won the Country Music Associations Musician of the Year award eight times out of nine years. He also has worked extensively with Buffett in his songwriting, in the studio and on stage with the Coral Reefer Band. Buffett passed on Sept. 1 after several years grappling with aggressive skin cancer. McAnally has performed since then; in a Sept. 7 appearance in Nashville, Ind., he said that one week ago tonight, I had the privilege to go say goodbye to my buddy. And we got to say the things that we already knew but still wanted to say. Theres no conveyin what it means, and I ran out of words and I was about to just bawl like a three-year-old. So I picked up the guitar and I played him this. He followed with a rendition of Its My Job, one of his songs that Buffett recorded. Afterward, as the audience applauded, he pointed skyward. He then played Buffetts A Pirate Looks at 40. McAnally appears to have been quiet on social media since Buffetts passing. But on Monday he shared a post titled Loss and gain. I am without words for about three weeks now, he wrote. I usually have too many. The closest thing I ever had to a big brother left this world on Sept. 1. Ive been comforted by so many beautiful tributes and am grateful for them. It is my intent to offer comfort and tribute in words and music for the rest of my life. Im just slow getting up to speed. Jimmy would be laughing at me (or IS laughing) for dragging my feet. What I can say in lieu of the right words that continue to evade is what an honor it is and has been to ride shotgun with a one man fountain of positive energy that saw fit to take me under his wing forty some odd years ago, McAnally continued. And to the folks who only knew him from the stage or through the speakers I can tell you he was the same fellow in person that you saw and heard. Trying to help everyone he crossed paths with have the best day possible. Rich folks, poor folks, strangers and friends. Blue and white collars, all religions and political camps. He saw life as a gift to enjoy and his calling was to spread that joy. Ive never seen anybody do it better. McAnally contributed to Buffetts last studio album, Equal Strain on All Parts, which is slated for Nov. 3 release. READ MORE: Jimmy Buffetts new album will revisit University of Bourbon Street, Close Calls Bubbles Up: For Jimmy Buffett co-writer Will Kimbrough, work with veterans inspired lyrics Mobiles Jimmy Buffett parade started with a whim -- and a lot of help Each week Jefferson County posts across their social media pages to let people know what road work is scheduled for the next four or five days. While a majority of the list is regular maintenance items like mowing and litter pickup, some larger road projects could involve months long road closures that impacts peoples commutes. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) website also provides a map of ongoing road projects with information on how long the projects are anticipated to last and what lanes will be impacted. Below are five ongoing road projects that may impact your ability to get around the county over the next week: Lindale Realignment Project Adamsvilles Lindale Road will remain closed until November 10 as the county continues their work on the roads realignment, a project that first began in 2008 but was paused until recently due to finances according to Jefferson County Public Information Officer Helen Hays. Sylacauga police say a 72-year-old stabbed a 25-year-old man to death around midnight Monday. Police Chief Kelley Johnson said the incident happened at 510 N. Main Ave. in Sylacauga. Officers responding to a stabbing call found Fredrick Norris, 25, originally from Alexander City, lying on the front porch. Officers performed first aid on Norriss stab wounds until Sylacauga Ambulance arrived. Sylacauga Ambulance Service arrived shortly after and transported him to Coosa Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Johnson said the 72-year-old suspected of stabbing Norris, whose name was not released, is cooperating with investigators, along with other residents that were at the home when the incident occurred. There are no charges at this time and the investigation has been turned over to the district attorney, who will present the case to a Talladega County grand jury, Johnson said. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD tip line at (256)-249-4716, or SPD at (256)-267-0090, or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at (334)-215-7867. Alabama aerospace and tech business leaders met in Huntsville Monday to hear a new plan to find and train the employees space and technology industries will need in Alabama and nationally in coming decades. With 40 percent of all technical workers expected to retire in the next few years, speakers said, the problem of a keeping a stable technical workforce is becoming a local, state and national issue. Meeting at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, business leaders were told the new partnership is called the Alabama Space Roundtable. It is working with consulting company Futures, Inc. These best practices will be demonstrated first here in north Alabama, where weve already got so much of it going on, said organizer Stephanie McCullough of North Alabama Works. But then it will also be implemented nationwide utilizing these best practices. Leaders of Huntsville area aerospace communities already talk to each other about issues like hiring and training, McCullough said. Thats what this is, she said, formalizing to expand that effort to more companies. Job training organizations, nonprofits and others in the workforce arena will be included, McCullough said. There is work to be done entry level as well as a lot of opportunity for students through these enrollment programs even at the high school level. There are entry level positions that just take a little bit of education. Business leaders at the session were asked to consider financially supporting a plan with three pillars: engaging and inspiring students to explore STEM space careers, ensuring young people have the skills and credentials needed for space careers and matching candidates with jobs. The early demonstration of the plan will focus on job-ready military trained candidates leaving the military, Reserve and National Guard members and veterans in general, organizers said. Speakers at the session included David Smith, a systems administrative lead at United Launch Alliance; Tracy Lamm, director of business development at Lockheed Martin; Dr. Kimberly Robinson, CEO of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Keith Phillips, vice chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. A follow-up virtual meeting is planned Oct. 2. A mass exodus is underway as ethnic Armenians in the Azerbaijani-claimed region of Nagorno-Karabakh leave their homeland for Armenia after Baku launched a successful decapitation strike on the regional capital of Stepanakert last week. The offensive quickly overwhelmed ethnic Armenian fighters that Artsakh officials were compelled to return to the negotiating table to discuss the enclave's fate. As a result of the blitz, many ethnic Armenians packed everything they could carry and began leaving for friendly lands, specifically for Armenia, where the border city of Goris is being used as a staging ground for processing those evacuating Karabakh. Those leaving the region are to be escorted by Russian peacekeepers to the Armenian border, Artsakh officials added. Azerbaijan's Turkish Backing Being a fellow Turkic state, Azerbaijan was able to garner the material support of Turkey in capturing Nagorno-Karabakh by force, especially during the 2020 war, which lasted six weeks long. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was due to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Monday (September 25) in the Azeri exclave of Nakhchivan. Erdogan stressed last week that he was supporting Baku's military operation but played no part in it. US Officials Travel to Armenia On the other hand, An unnamed US official told Reuters that US Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power and State Department Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim would also arrive in Armenia Monday to affirm US support for Armenia's democracy, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as its commitment to address humanitarian needs out of Nagorno-Karabakh. The official added that power would be the first of the two Washington officials arriving in Yerevan to affirm US partnership with the country and to address the humanitarian efforts needed to accommodate those fleeing their homes. Read Also: Ethnic Armenians, Azerbaijan Agree to Russia-Brokered Ceasefire Hours After Attack in Nagorno-Karabakh Karabakh Lives On in Armenia, Artsakh Officials Say Nagorno-Karabakh officials told Reuters that the region's 120,000 Armenian residents refused to live as part of Azerbaijan for fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing, much like the famed Armenian Genocide during the First World War. Back in Yerevan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan faced calls for him to resign for his failure to save Karabakh. In an address to the nation, he said that the mass exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh was the only way for ethnic Armenians in the region to save their lives and identity. Those whose cars still had fuel started to drive down the Lachin corridor toward the Armenian border, with the likelihood they would never return to their homeland again. Officials in Yerevan said over 1,000 people had crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh as of 22:00 local time Sunday (18:00 UTC, September 24). Despite Azerbaijan's promises to guarantee their rights as Nagorno-Karabakh is integrated, Artsakh presidential adviser David Babayan claimed that "99.9%" of ethnic Armenians would rather leave their historic lands than become Azerbaijani citizens. "The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilized world," he added. "Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins." Related Article: Fall of Armenian Karabakh Imminent? Azerbaijan, Artsakh Officials Begin Talks on Fate of Armenian Enclave @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jacksonville State University applied forensics professor Joseph Scott Morgan got a surprise during a recent lecture on last years Idaho quadruple slaying when the mother of one of the victims stood to talk from the audience. Morgan, host of the Body Bags podcast, presented his hour-long lecture, The Idaho Murders: An Expert Forensic Analysis, and then turned over the floor for questions. He was speaking Friday to a crowd of more than 3,000 at Orlandos CrimeCon 2023, according to the New York Post. Thats when Stacy Chapin, mother of University of Idaho victim Ethan Chapin, stood and identified herself, to a loud gasp of astonishment, followed by applause. I want all of you to know that these were four of the greatest kids, and all of the great things that you read about them (are) legitimately true, Chapin said. Bryan Kohberger, 28, a graduate student at Washington State University, faces charges in the November 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Chapin, 20, and Xana Xana Kernodle, 20. Defendant Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a motion hearing regarding a gag order in Latah County District Court on June 9, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. (Zach Wilkinson/Pool/Getty Images/TNS)TNS Its always been a challenge for me to hear people talk about Ethan who dont know him, Chapin said. I can speak on behalf of my own son, who was an incredible human, and we miss them all terribly...They were amazing, amazing kids in the prime of their life. Morgan felt the mother deserved a platform. I knew immediately that I needed to keep my mouth shut at this point, Morgan told Fox News Digital. Chapins son was spending the night with his girlfriend when they were both killed, along with Kernodles housemate and friends Gonclaves and Mogen after a night out in Moscow, Idaho. Construction resumed Monday on a bridge to Alabamas beach cities that has been the subject of a months-long legal case over whether the head of the states transportation department negotiated in bad faith with the operators of a nearby toll bridge. The construction work on two-lane bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores is restarted, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation. The contractors, the Scott Bridge Co., is back on the site for the first time since May, when the project was shut down after a Montgomery County Court judges injunction put it on a temporary hold. Were pleased to see Scott Bridge Co. back at work but are disappointed we have lost over four months of construction time since the shutdown, through a period of some of the best weather weve seen, for no valid reason, Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said in a statement. The projects restart occurs after the Alabama State Supreme Court rejected a request from the Baldwin County Bridge Company the owners and operators of the Foley Beach Express toll bridge adjacent to The Wharf in Orange Beach to have their case reheard. The Supreme Court ruled on August 25 that Montgomery County Court Judge Jimmie Pool did not have the authority to halt the construction of the Gulf Shores bridge, and reversed the preliminary injunction that halted the bridges construction. The Gulf Shores bridge will be located approximately 1.1 miles west of the BCBC toll bridge. Pool decided, after a seven-day bench trial in May, that ALDOT Director John Cooper negotiated in bad faith with BCBC over an alternative plan that included an expanded lane over the existing toll bridge. But the Supreme Court, citing the 1901 Alabama State Constitution, claimed that Pool did not have jurisdiction to make the ruling based on Coopers immunity as a state agent. With the Baldwin County Bridge Companys request for a rehearing denied and the Supreme Courts previous ruling in favor of ALDOT now finalized, ALDOTs bridge contractor Scott Bridge Company -- has been directed to resume work immediately, a statement sent by ALDOT on Friday reads. The Supreme Courts decision (on Friday) is a victory for ALDOTs effort to complete a toll-free bridge that will reduce traffic congestion to and from Alabamas Gulf Coast beach communities, the statement reads. We are gratified that the Court ruled in our favor so we can get back to work on a project that is sorely needed. Its unclear how long the construction project will last. The original contracts completion date has not been updated, and there is no adjusted finishing date that has been made available. Its also unclear on the adjusted costs for the project, a point of contention during the legal hearings in Montgomery. A $52 million contract was awarded to the Scott Bridge Company last October to build the new structure, though estimates for the complete project are expected to be around $120 million. In Orange Beach, Mayor Tony Kennon who has argued that the Gulf Shores bridge will not reduce traffic on Alabama State Route 59, or elsewhere on the beach said a looming issue awaits on whether there will be any improvements to the toll bridge. He said he doesnt anticipate any from BCBC, and noted that once ALDOTs project is completed, well have to deal with traffic issues and with a diversion of traffic in unpredictable manners. BCBC, less than one week after the Supreme Courts decision, increased its toll rates from $2.75 per one-way trip over the bridge to $5. Kennon said he knows there are a lot of people upset over the toll increases which he has emphasized was not a decision made by the City of Orange Beach. But Kennon said there are discounts for frequent users. Electronic rates for prepaid accounts holders the rates paid by many South Baldwin County residents increased last month by 20 cents, to an average of $2.22. The discounted electronic rates for Orange Beach residents remains at a flat $1. A newly-formed group of Catholics describing itself as Guardians of Grace and Protectors of the Children protested outside Cathedral Square Sunday, demanding greater accountability from the Catholic Diocese of Mobile in the wake of the Alex Crow scandal. The group, the Catholic Warriors Initiative, launched a Facebook page two days earlier and had 18 members as of Monday. In addition to Sundays protest, in which people carried signs referencing perceived cover ups and calling for accountability, one of the members -- Bud Hadley -- has started a petition on Change.org. The petition calls for the removal of Archbishop Thomas Rodi, McGill-Toolen High School president Fr. Bry Sheilds and principal Michelle Haas from their respective positions. As of midday Monday, the petition had gathered 21 signatures out of a stated goal of 25. For decades, there have been deeply troubling cover-ups within the Archdiocese and McGill, particularly related to child predators, encompassing both sexual and emotional misconduct, Hadley wrote in the petition. The collective leadership of Archbishop Rodi, Father Shields, and Ms. Haas has been made aware of these misdeeds on multiple occasions by numerous concerned individuals. Hadley went on to claim archdiocese and McGill-Toolen officials have dismissed sexual abuse claims without investigation; been reluctant or refused to believe victims claims; and demonstrated a lack of action to address the issues. Our goal is not to tarnish the reputation of any individual but to ensure the safety, transparency, and integrity of our Catholic institutions and schools, Hadley wrote. We firmly believe that for the community to heal and move forward, there is a pressing need for a change in leadership. Crow was stripped of his duties as a priest in July after the archdiocese said he had abandoned his assignment. Crow had reportedly left the country with an 18-year-old woman, with the two later located in Italy by a family member of the young woman. At the time, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said no criminal activity was suspected, but has since accused Crow of grooming the young woman, and others, while they were students at McGill-Toolen High School, where Crow lectured. Burch has gone so far as to suggest Crow is a pedophile, according to WPMI, although no criminal charges have been filed. The Archdiocese of Mobile and Mobile County District Attorneys Office have both released prior statements saying they were investigating and cooperating with the sheriffs office. In response to Sundays protest, the Archdiocese released the following statement to WKRG: The Archdiocese of Mobile takes every accusation of sexual misconduct with a minor seriously. Sexual misconduct with a minor is not tolerated and we work together with school and parish leadership, in whom we have full confidence, to ensure the enforcement of our Safe Environments Program. Monday is the deadline for a special master appointed by a three-judge federal court to submit proposed Congressional district maps for Alabama to replace a map the judges found likely violated the Voting Rights Act. Lawyers for the state, meanwhile, are hoping that the U.S. Supreme Court will grant their request for an emergency stay to block the three-judge courts order. The states lawyers, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Solicitor General Edmund LaCour, say the map passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in July complies with the Voting Rights Act. Time is limited because Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said a map needs to be in place by early October to prepare for the 2024 elections, either the one passed by the Legislature or a court-drawn map. The decisions expected this week could help determine the outcome for a dispute that started two years ago. The key issue is whether Alabamas congressional map, with one majority Black district out of seven, dilutes the influence of Black voters in a state where one-fourth of residents are Black. The three-judge court ruled in January 2022 that a map passed by the GOP-led Legislature in 2021 likely violates the Voting Rights Act. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that decision in June 2023, sending the case back to the three-judge court. In a special session in July, Republican lawmakers approved a new map over the objections of Democrats. The new map made substantial changes but left District 7 in west Alabama as the only majority Black district. The three-judge court, which held a hearing August 14, found that legislators failed to follow the courts guidance to create a second majority Black district or one close to majority Black, a district where Black voters would have an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. On the Legislatures new map, District 2 in southeast Alabama has the second highest proportion of Black voting age population at 40%. That was up from 30% on the previous map. But lawyers for the organizations and Black voters who sued to challenge the maps said the new District 2 would not be an opportunity district for Black voters because a recent history of elections showed the white-preferred candidates, Republicans, almost always receive more votes than the Black-preferred Democrats in the district. The judges, Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and District Judges Anna Manasco and Terry Moorer, said the Legislatures decision not to create a second opportunity district for Black voters was the deciding point in the case. This case remains straightforward, the judges wrote. We are aware, however, of no other case and the Secretary does not direct us to one in which a state legislature, faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district, responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district. But lawyers for the state, in their request to the Supreme Court for an emergency stay, said the map passed in July fixes problems with the 2021 map that were key issues in the previous rulings, including keeping the Black Belt whole to the extent possible and making Montgomery County whole within the new District 2. They said the plan follows redistricting principles and protects communities of interest in the Black Belt, the Gulf Coast, and the Wiregrass. They said the new District 2 is as close as possible to an opportunity district that could be drawn without what they said would be an unlawful racial gerrymander. The State of Alabama has been maligned as engaging in open rebellion because it remedied the discriminatory effect in the 2021 Plan without going further to split Mobile, or Dothan, or the places in between on race-based lines, Alabamas lawyers wrote. No State could constitutionally draw such plans. The Court should stay the District Courts order enjoining the State from using the 2023 Plan to allow the State a meaningful opportunity to obtain appellate review, which can proceed on an expedited basis if the Court deems necessary. The three-judge court ordered the special master and his team to submit three proposed maps. Parties in the case will have three days to file objections. The court scheduled a hearing for Oct. 3. Read more: Who are court-appointed officials assigned to draw Alabamas congressional map? Florence police say one person was injured Monday morning when a glider crashed near Florence High School. Police received a call around 8 a.m. of a suspicious aircraft flying around the school. School resource officers and patrol officers responded to the high school. At about 8:15 a.m., the glider crashed near 4184 Rushton St., police said. Firefighters, police, and medical personnel responded, and the man inside the glider was transported by helicopter to receive medical care. Police are investigating. While Gulf Coast residents continue to wait for the return of Amtrak passenger service between Mobile and New Orleans, a company has brought a high-speed rail line to take passengers from Orlando to Miami and back. The new Brightline rail had its inaugural run Friday, with round-trip tickets priced at $158, or $298 for first-class. Groups can buy four round-trip tickets for $398, according to the Associated Press. The Orlando-to-Miami run is the first private intercity passenger service in the U.S. in a century. Its estimated that roughly 40 million people travel between the two Florida cities each year, with more than 90% making the trip by car. Brightline has invested $5 billion with the expectation that the high-speed train will attract about 20% of those travelers. The trains run on biodiesel fuel and make the 235-mile Orlando-to-Miami trip in about 3 1/2 hours -- or about 30 minutes less than driving. This is a pretty important moment, whether youre thinking about it in the context of the state of Florida or what it might mean for these kinds of products as they develop elsewhere in the United States, Brightline CEO Mike Reininger told the AP. The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new product. A new product thats safer, thats greener, that is a great value proposition [and] its fun. Brightline stations offer lounges and marketplaces for passengers prior to departure. Onboard, passengers have the option of purchasing snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails, including the Tres Generaciones Jalapeno Pineapple Margarita. More information and tickets can be found at the Brightline website. Leeds police say a murder suspect will eventually be on his way back to Kentucky after he was caught following a traffic chase. Police Chief Paul Irwin said Lamykel Antonio Jones, 30, of Birmingham, faces charges of a parole violation for murder domestic violence, drug trafficking, first degree receiving stolen property, and first degree promoting contraband. He is currently being held without bond in Jefferson County Jail awaiting extradition. He also faces felony eluding, certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm, obstructing justice using a false identity, drug possession and first degree marijuana possession. According to Irwin, the incident began when officers attempted a traffic stop on Sept. 6 on U.S. 78 westbound. A chase began until the vehicle wrecked in the 2600 block of Crestwood Boulevard in Irondale. The driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot before being taken into custody. A passenger was taken into custody at the crash scene without incident. The vehicle contained cash, marijuana, promethazine codeine and two firearms. According to police, Jones gave false information to conceal his real name. It was later they discovered he was wanted in Kentucky on the murder and drug charges. By the actions of this individual, it was determined that he does not belong in society because he has been convicted of murder and put a lot of lives in danger here in the State of Alabama, Irwin said. He drove with complete disregard for the safety of any other person including himself and there were two firearms in the vehicle, and one contained a drum. Fortunately, no one was involved in the accident except for these criminals, and they were not able to utilize their weapons against our officers. The passenger, Antoine Tavon Reed, is charged with drug possession and second degree marijuana possession. He is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $11,000 bond. Irondale police assisted in the arrest. A rural Alabama newspaper editor once praised nationally for his investigative reporting, then later attacked for writing a pro-Ku Klux Klan editorial, has died. Goodloe Sutton, who from 1964-2019 was the editor, publisher and owner of The Democrat-Reporter, a weekly newspaper in Linden, was found dead in his home on Friday afternoon, said Marengo County Coroner Ernest Taylor. He died of natural causes, said Linden Police Chief Richard Varner. Sutton was 84. Sutton and his wife, Jean, were celebrated in the 1990s for publishing a series of articles exposing corruption in the Marengo County Sheriffs Office. Their work was featured in stories in The New York Times, People magazine and Readers Digest, and the couple appeared on a segment of Oprah Winfreys show about people who did the right thing in 1998. In 2019, his reputation soured nationally as he published a controversial editorial calling for the Ku Klux Klan to be revived. Publicity about Suttons Klan editorial made him the focus of widespread condemnation. Several politicians, including U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, Alabamas only Black representative in Congress, called on Sutton to resign. Sutton was also stripped of his past journalism awards and was censured by the Alabama Press Association. Suttons family had owned and operated the weekly Democrat-Reporter based in Linden from 1917 until 2019. His father, Robert E. Sutton, had bought the paper in 1917 and served as editor. Suttons wife, the former Jean Rodgers, who had met him at the University of Southern Mississippi, had played a critical role in the investigative reporting the newspaper did. After she died of cancer in 2003, the newspaper began to lose credibility, some Linden officials said. The 1990s investigation by the newspaper, with many of the stories written by Jean, led to guilty pleas by then-Marengo County Sheriff Roger Davis for extortion, soliciting a bribe and failure to pay state income taxes on the extorted money. The Suttons withstood threats of intimidation by the sheriff, who was sentenced to two concurrent 27-month sentences. The newspapers investigation prompted a federal investigation that led to the arrest of 68 people in a drug raid. Sutton had run for Congress in the 7th district as a Democrat in 1978, but lost in the primary. He later registered as a Republican. After the controversy over his KKK editorial, Sutton said he was stepping down as editor, appointing a Black woman, Elicia Dexter, to succeed him. But Dexter resigned after only a few weeks, saying Sutton continued to interfere. Sutton then sold the newspaper to Tommy Wells in 2019. Matteo Messina Denaro, a convicted mastermind of some of the Sicilian Mafias most heinous slayings, died on Monday in a hospital prison ward, several months after being captured as Italys No. 1 fugitive and following decades on the run, Italian prosecutors said. Rai state radio, reporting from LAquila hospital in central Italy, said the heavy police detail that had been guarding his hospital room moved to the hospital morgue, following the death of Messina Denaro at about 2 a.m. Doctors had said he had been in a coma since Friday. The brief statement about his death from the LAquila prosecutors office didnt cite the time of death, but said both the office and that of prosecutors in Palermo, Sicily, were requesting an autopsy, even though it was well known that Messina Denaro had been afflicted with a very serious illness. Burial was expected to take place later in the week in Sicily, Italian media said. Reputed by investigators to be one of the Mafias most powerful bosses, Messina Denaro, 61, had been living while a fugitive in western Sicily, his stronghold, during at least much of his 30 years of eluding law enforcement thanks to the help of complicit townspeople. His need for colon cancer treatment led to his capture on Jan. 16, 2023. Investigators were on his trail for years and had discovered evidence that he was receiving chemotherapy as an out-patient at a Palermo clinic under an alias. Digging into Italys national health system data base, they tracked him down and took him into custody when he showed up for a treatment appointment. His arrest came 30 years and a day after the Jan. 15, 1993, capture of the Mafias boss of bosses, Salvatore Toto Riina in a Palermo apartment, also after decades in hiding. Messina Denaro himself went into hiding later that year. While a fugitive, Messina Denaro was tried in absentia and convicted of dozens of murders, including helping to plan, along with other Cosa Nostra bosses, a pair of 1992 bombings that killed Italys leading anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Prosecutors had hoped in vain he would collaborate with them and reveal Cosa Nostra secrets. But according to Italian media reports, Messina Denaro made clear he wouldnt talk immediately after capture. When he died, he took with him his secrets about Cosa Nostra, state radio said. After his arrest, Messina Denaro began serving multiple life sentences in a top-security prison in LAquila, a city in Italys central Apennine mountain area, where he continued to receive chemotherapy for colon cancer. But in the last several weeks, after undergoing two surgeries and with his condition worsening, he was transferred to the prison ward of the hospital where he died. His silence hewed to the examples of Riina and of the Sicilian Mafias other top boss, Bernardo Provenzano, who was captured in a farmhouse in Corleone, Sicily, in 2006, after 37 years in hiding the longest time on the run for a Mafia boss. Once Provenzano was in police hands, the states hunt focused on Messina Denaro, who managed to elude arrest despite numerous reported sightings of him. Dozens of lower-level Mafia bosses and foot soldiers did turn states evidence following a crackdown on the Sicilian syndicate sparked by the assassinations of Falcone and Borsellino, bombings that also killed Falcones wife and several police bodyguards. Among Messina Denaros multiple murder convictions was one for the slaying of the young son of a turncoat. The boy was abducted and strangled and his body was dissolved in a vat of acid. Messina Denaro was also among several Cosa Nostra top bosses who were convicted of ordering a series of bombings in 1993 that targeted two churches in Rome, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and an art gallery in Milan. A total of 10 people were killed in the Florence and Milan bombings. The attacks in those three tourist cities, according to turncoats, were aimed at pressuring the Italian government into easing rigid prison conditions for convicted mobsters. When Messina Denaro was arrested, Palermos chief prosecutor, Maurizio De Lucia, declared: We have captured the last of the massacre masterminds. Only three high schools are getting armed law enforcement officers this fall, according to an amended agreement the Mobile County Commission approved Monday. The remaining nine high schools will be staffed with an armed sheriffs deputy within the next eight to 10 weeks, as they become available and are trained for the job. The Mobile County School Board, late last month, approved a $1.8 million agreement to have a dozen sheriffs deputies work full-time at each of the Mobile County School Systems 12 high schools. The changes approved by the commissioners state that the Mobile County Sheriffs Department does not have 12 law enforcement officers certified through the Alabama Peace Officer Standards and Training to devote to the board. Only three are available to be assigned to schools chosen by the School Board. Under the agreement, once the Sheriffs Department hires all 12 deputies, the school board will reimburse the county for salary, overtime, all benefits, retirement and equipment (including new vehicles). The estimated cost for each deputy sheriff is $149,310. The commission adopted the change without making any comments. Sherry Dillihay-McDade, the school board president, told AL.com Monday afternoon that she was unaware of the situation, adding that she will be contacting Superintendent Chresal Threadgill to get more information. Rena Philips, spokeswoman with the Mobile County School System, said the three deputies are already working. She said that for security reasons, the school system cannot specify exact assignments, but they are in our schools. The school systems high schools are: Mary G. Montgomery, B.C. Rain, Citronelle, Baker, Blount, Williamson, Murphy, Davidson, John L. LeFlore Magnet, Vigor, Theodore, and Alma Bryant. The 12 armed deputies will join the 14 unarmed resource officers who have played a role within the school systems security for years. The unarmed resource officers will remain within their schools, helping to develop relationships with students and assisting in security issues, according to Andy Gatewood, director of safety and security with Mobile County Public Schools. Mobile County schools has, in recent years, held off on adding armed law enforcement officers despite a growing number of public school systems throughout the state adding them to their systems. The resource officers in Mobile County Schools, first added into the schools in the 1970s, were armed until 2007. Gatewood said last month that the addition of armed law enforcement officers in Mobile County has been part of a progression for the school system on school safety. We have seen that unfortunately things throughout the country have not necessarily gotten better as far as the violent acts occurring, he said. I think we realize that this is an additional layer we can put into place. This story was updated at 9:16 a.m. on Sept. 26, 2023, with some correct information about the existing resource officers at Mobile County Public Schools. Apple supplier Pegatron temporarily suspended iPhone manufacturing at its factory in south India on Monday, September 25. According to three people who spoke with Reuters, this follows a fire incident that occurred the night before. Fire Breaks Out at iPhone Factory Pegatron has canceled all shifts for the day at the plant located close to the city of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Taiwanese company has not yet reportedly informed the assembly employees whether or not the facility would operate on Tuesday, September 26. In a statement sent to Reuters by Pegatron, there was a spark incident at the factory, which is now under control. The occurrence has no significant financial or operational effect on the firm. It took about five hours to put out the fire, as per a local official who works for the emergency services department. They even had to bring in many fire engines from different stations. There are no reports of injuries or deaths, and there is no damage to any other property. According to Pegatron's statement, the appropriate authorities are presently investigating to determine what caused the accident. Counterpoint, a research organization, estimates that Pegatron is responsible for 10% of Apple's iPhone manufacturing in India right now. Apple has placed a substantial number of bets on India ever since it launched iPhone assembly in the nation in 2017 through Wistron and then Foxconn, despite the fact that the Indian government was pushing for local manufacture at the time. Pegatron, which began iPhone assembly in India in September 2022, is also discussing establishing a second Indian contract plant for Apple near the current one in Tamil Nadu. See Also: Shifting From Dragon to Tiger: US Companies Plan to Move Manufacturing Facilities from China to India Firms Leaving China for India As tensions rise between the US and China in the Asia-Pacific region, a number of American corporations are exploring other countries, such as India, to set up new factories. COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in China, as well as the most recent semiconductor embargo, are two examples of events that had an impact on most of the US businesses. India boasts a developing young workforce and increasing telecommunications and industrial capacities. It has overtaken China as the world's most populated country this year. MarketWatch reports that large US corporations were enticed by these trends, especially since US electronics exports are estimated to grow from $7 billion in 2019 to $22 billion in 2023, as per CEIC worldwide statistics. Dec Mullarkey, managing director of SLC Management and an expert in investments and asset allocation, made it clear that businesses were not planning to "decouple" from China. They are seeking alternatives. Reportedly, several Western companies are following suit and diversifying their holdings away from China and into other emerging economies. See Also: China Denies iPhone Ban in Government Offices, Says It Hasn't Passed Any Laws @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nearly two months after a brawl on Montgomerys riverfront, several people involved in the violent episode that captured the nations attention on Monday reflected on the incident in an interview with Good Morning America. The viral Aug. 5 melee started when crew members of the Harriott II were unable to dock the cruise boat because a private pontoon boat was in the way. A now-notorious melee ensued including punches and even a chair, all caught on multiple cell phone videos. Harriott II Co-captain Dameion Pickett told Robin Roberts he remains a little sore, little bumps and bruises here and there. But Im here by the grace of God. I didnt expect this to happen at work today, Pickett said. I was just expecting another peaceful, nice cruise. Aaren Hamilton-Rudolph, a teen seen swimming to the dock to defend Pickett, and Roshein RahRah Carlton, Picketts coworker and friend, were also interviewed for the segment. I couldnt just watch and sit around and just let him get beat on while everybody else is just recording and watching, Hamilton-Rudolph said. Carlton said he heard a lot of racial slurs used during the incident. Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert said police looked at every avenue and left no stone unturned but were unable to present any insight in a riot or racial racially biased charges at this time. A lawyer for Reggie Ray, who is Black and is the only defendant not on the pontoon boat to be charged in the case, told GMA the attack on the workers was racial. Ray was seen swinging a folding chair in one of the viral videos. Ray was involuntarily roped into the disorderly conduct initiated by a violent white mob, lawyer Lee Merritt said. The other four defendants are white and were on the pontoon boat. An attorney for three of them has said it would be premature to comment on the case when his clients were charged. All charges are misdemeanors and range from third-degree assault to disorderly conduct. Concerns over a lease and operational agreement in Mobile linger after the announcement of a $178.8 million federal grant was awarded Friday to cover most of the improvements along the Gulf Coast line. And the latest twist among Mobiles worries: The train could be operating in close proximity of the Interstate 10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project, an Alabama representative of the Southern Rail Commission said. The Alabama State Port Authority does not appear to have any pressing concerns. In a statement, the agency said Monday that it will work with Amtrak and our freight partners to ensure that the success of passenger rail is accounted for as the Port, the City of Mobile, and the State of Alabama continue to deliver impactful economic development wins not only for our region but also for our country. The federal funding for railroad improvements was part of a $1.4 billion announcement by the Federal Railroad Administration through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. Not awarded within the funding is the construction of the Mobile train stop, which is being handled by CSX. Knox Ross, chairman of the Southern Rail Commission (SRC), said that aside from building the Mobile train stop, everything has been done to run the train. He had previously indicated that the official awarding of the CRISI grant would allow for the capital projects to go forward to get Amtrak restarting the Gulf Coast route for the first time since 2005. But it could take months before CSX designs, builds and moves forward with a train stop. The project needs approval from Mobile city officials in the form of a lease agreement. Agreements Candace Cooksey, spokeswoman with the City of Mobile, said the citys focus is on a lease agreement for the train stop and an operating agreement that will include costs that the city will incur to support the train route for the next six years. The initial plan is for a platform to bring up to ADA compliance and get it into good enough shape to be operational, Cooksey said. (Amtrak and CSX) would then work on a permanent platform in the future, and we may look at any sort of upgrades in the future depending on how this goes. But all of that is related to the land use agreement. Those details are being worked out, and simultaneously, we have to work out the details of an operating agreement. She said there is no timeline in getting both agreements completed. The train stop is proposed at Cooper Riverside Park facing Government and Water streets. Were not putting any pressure on them, Ross said about the work in Mobile. But its the last check in the box. Negotiations are continuing between the City of Mobile and Amtrak over an agreement to allow the facility to be built within walking distance of the Alabama Cruise Terminal, the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center and the heart of downtown Mobile. David Clark, president & CEO with Visit Mobile and an Alabama representative on the SRC -- said there are unanswered questions looming about the costs Mobile taxpayers will have to make support the trains operations. He said those concerns focus on the citys share of a Restoration & Enhancement (R&E) grants the City Council voted in early 2020 to support, but which has likely changed since then. Cooksey said that agreement is not longer relevant, noting that it is set to expire in 2024. It is the first time that concerns over the R&E grant has been mentioned publicly since early 2020, or right before the council approved $3 million over three years to support the Amtrak service. As proposed, the train will operate a twice-daily service connecting Mobile to New Orleans with four stops in coastal Mississippi. The revised R&E program is to support a project for six years. We need a clear distinction on what the new annual costs are in each of those six years, Clark said. Im a little unclear, at this point, as a commissioner. I want the numbers re-run. At the end of the day, Im appointed by the governor and I need to make sure the mayor and city council have absolute right numbers to some degree of accuracy. Other concerns Members of the Southern Rail Commission attend their quarterly meeting at The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Ala., on Friday, September 8, 2023. Pictured from left to right: David Clark, Knox Ross and John Spain. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Clark said that I-10 and its future construction could also be a concern. The $2.9 billion project, which is set to be under construction next year, includes a new bridge over the Mobile River starting south of the downtown area. We still have work to do on the ground lease and the design of the platform, which can take three to four months, and how that design plays out in the that space (near Cooper Riverside Park) and how that space will be relatively close to the new I-10 bridge, Clark said. He later said its not a huge concern, but that the location of the bridge should be taken under consideration. Clark also said earlier on Monday that there were concerns from the Alabama State Port Authority. The Port Authority is one of the parties involved in the dispute over the Amtrak project before the STB. Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Port Authority have been silent about the details in the agreement that was announced last November. Maggie Oliver, spokeswoman with the Port Authority, said the Port was moving forward now that the CRISI grant was approved. Following this significant investment, we look forward to executing the remaining terms of our confidential settlement agreement, she said. The CRISI grant is considered a significant part of that agreement. It is the only part that has been made public. The agreement lays out the $178.4 million in federal funding to improve the Gulf Coast track along with $44.6 million from non-federal matching funds: $23.1 million from the states of Louisiana and Mississippi $15.6 million from CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Alabama Port $6.2 million from Amtrak. The Port is appreciative of the federal governments support for this grant, which would not have been possible without Amtrak coming to the table and committing funds they were initially unwilling to obligate to invest in the vital infrastructure required to accommodate passenger rail, Oliver said. This story was updated with comments from Candace Cooksey with the City of Mobile, and an updated statement from the Alabama State Port Authority. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is conducting a probe into what led to a weekend shooting at Tuskegee University. According to the Macon County Emergency Management Agency, the incident happened at about 12:48 a.m. Sunday. The Macon County Sheriffs Office and Tuskegee police were dispatched to assist Tuskegee University police on a shots fired call. They found two people wounded, one with life-threatening injuries and one subject who was treated and released from an area hospital, EMA said. WSFA is reporting that the shots came at an unauthorized party at the West Commons student housing complex. A university spokesperson told the station that two students were also injured trying to leave the area. The Fifth Judicial Circuit District Attorneys Office, Franklin police and Tuskegee Fire all assisted. EMA Director Frank Lee said crime does not discriminate based on where you are. Moreover we realize that gun crime can strike and take a toll on any given community, Lee said. Unfortunately Tuskegee University was impacted this past weekend and the response was good. Tuskegee University President Charlotte P. Morris said classes are cancelled today to let students seek counseling. This is a time for us to work together to support each other and our students as One Tuskegee, Morris said. I thank the entire campus community for pulling together to ensure the wellbeing of our students and providing the resources they need. A Birmingham hotel is removing a photo of Confederate army veterans after a guest complained. Ahmar Mustikhan, an activist and writer, said he did not like seeing a photo in the Tutwiler Hotel that depicts a 1916 Confederate veterans reunion. A handwritten caption on the photo reads, The 26th Annual Confederate Veterans Reunion Tutwiler Hotel Lobby. Mustikhan, who lives in Washington D.C., was in town for commemorations of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. When I came to Birmingham, my eyes were opened to the kind of atrocities that people over there faced in 1963 and today, Mustikhan said. The hotel general manager, Kay French, removed the photo on Sept. 18. In an email, she said the hotel is working to determine an appropriate replacement. I went and saw this huge picture and I really did not know what to do about it because I wasnt sure how safe it was for me to react to it. As far as I know the Confederate veterans were actually the KKK, Mustikhan said. A group of Confederate soldiers established the first chapter of the Ku Klux Klan which was devoted to white supremacy and to ending Reconstruction in the South. The Tutwiler Hotel opened in 1914 and was, in part, responsible for Birmingham becoming a major destination point in the South. The original building was demolished in 1974; a new luxury hotel with the name opened in 1986. Mustikhan wants to ensure a meaningful change is made and wants the hotel to consider replacing the photo with that of the four little girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing: Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Denise McNair, or one of the citys many civil rights leaders. He also contacted the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to work with the hotel to determine an appropriate replacement. Samantha Elliott Briggs, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute vice president, said in an email that she is working with the institutes historical content expert and head of archives to see if they are in a position to acquire the Confederate army photo. This picture can be hung in an institute for education, but it should not be displayed in a business. Because in that case, this picture belongs to the dustbin of history, Mustikhan said. The activist believes a public apology from the hotel is in order. Tuscaloosas Bryant High School is mourning the death of two students this morning. Principal Eric Hines in a message to parents and guardians said Elijah Clark and Mariyae Gulley died following a crash late Saturday night. The crash happened at 10:25 p.m. Saturday on Alabama 69 near the 136 mile marker, approximately five miles south of Tuscaloosa, according to a press release from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The two were killed when a 2005 Nissan Maxima left the roadway and struck a ditch. Hines said school counselors and support staff would be available for individual and group counseling. Elijah and Mariyae were not just students; they were bright, spirited individuals who brought joy and positivity to our school every day, Hines said. Their absence will be profoundly felt by their classmates, teachers, and all who had the privilege of knowing them. Our thoughts are with you, and we share in your grief as we remember and honor the lives of Elijah and Mariyae. Disputes about how claimants and lawyers should split a historic $2.7 billion settlement with Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates have delayed payments to 100 million people who had policies between 2008 and 2020. Judges on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments last week from those who believe the funds should be split differently including one person who objected to $627 million in attorneys fees. Payments from the settlement wont be distributed until the court has ruled on all the appeals. Plaintiffs first filed the lawsuit more than a decade ago, alleging that Blue Cross affiliates had agreed to divvy up territories to reduce competition for health insurance. The massive case involved more than 30 Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. The attorneys agreed to settle the case for $2.67 billion in October 2020 and U.S. District Court Judge David Proctor of the Northern District of Alabama finalized that agreement last year. It was one of the largest healthcare settlements in U.S. history. Several people filed objections to the settlement, including attorneys for Home Depot, who opposed a part of the settlement they believed could bar future lawsuits. Another group argued that claims for self-funded plans should go back to 2008 instead of 2012. One objection came from David Behenna, who said the 23.5% of the settlement awarded as attorneys fees was too high. He argued the court erred in calculating the amount, which should have been closer to $194 million. In October 2021, the court conducted a multi-day fairness hearing. Appellant traveled at his own expense from New Hampshire to Birmingham, Alabama to attend the fairness hearing and to voice his objections, according to court documents. The District Court overruled Appellants and other objectors objections with respect to the proposed attorneys fees and approved Plaintiffs Counsels fee application without modification. Attorneys involved in the case, who have defended the fees, pointed to the long and complex nature of the case. The percentage awarded to attorneys fell in line with similar cases that typically range from 20 to 30 percent, they said. The attorneys not only secured settlement funds, but also changes to the way Blue Cross and Blue Shield affiliates do business. [It] includes one of the largest monetary recoveries ever achieved in a private antitrust class action settlement and a package of transformative structural relief that will reshape competition in the health insurance industry for years to come, they wrote. Although the 11th Circuit heard oral arguments last week, it may take months to issue an opinion. No settlement funds or attorneys fees can be issued until the appeals are resolved, according to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement website. The deadline to file a claim passed in November 2021 and objections have already been filed and heard. There is currently no timeline for resolution of these appeals, the website said. In addition to the monetary settlement, the case could also change the way Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans do business. Plans will now be able to offer products in other states, which could increase competition. Alabama is one of the states that could be affected. The American Medical Association named it the state with the least competitive health insurance market in 2021. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama covers about 87 percent of the privately insured market. An $8 million federal grant will help officials tackle a longtime problem of blocked railroad crossings hindering access to several Birmingham area neighborhoods. The grant will improve Norfolk Southerns railway line by funding plans to redesign tracks, bridges, signals and roads to reduce blocked crossings. The move is expected to improve community safety and access to roads leading in and out of communities including Harris Homes, a public housing community in east Birmingham, along with and nearby communities in Trussville. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, today announced the funding assistance from the Consolidated Rail and Infrastructure Safety and Improvements grant program, which is from the U.S Department of Transportations Federal Railroad Administration. Today marks a major step forward in our fight against blocked railroad crossings in Alabamas 7th Congressional District, Sewell said in a press release this morning. This funding from President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law represents a critical part of our long-term strategy to alleviate blocked railroad crossings and will go a long way in improving the quality of life for those living in and around Birmingham. Birmingham, Trussville and Norfolk Southern will contribute to match 20 percent of the funding, as required by the federal grant program. Securing this funding was truly a team effort, and I want to thank the city of Birmingham and our local leaders for their hard work in developing such a strong proposal and Norfolk Southern for their significant financial commitment to this project, Sewell said. Birmingham City Councilman Darrell OQuinn said the grant addresses yearslong requests from residents who have sought improved safety measures and ways to enter and exit their communities. Its hard not to get a little emotional thinking about what this will mean for the residents of this area. This is an opportunity to drastically improve the quality of life for so many of my neighbors, OQuinn said in a press release. Id like to take a moment and thank our partners at Norfolk Southern, who own the rail corridor in question. They have been a tremendous partner in moving this initiative forward and will be committing $1.5 million in funding to this initial planning and engineering grant. Its the largest financial commitment theyve made to a project of this type, ever. Train crossings as old as the city itself have presented safety concerns. Residents around Birmingham have long complained that the trains cut them off from the rest of the city, causing slowed fire and ambulance service. The problem was particularly problematic in the Collegeville Neighborhood of north Birmingham before state and federal assistance finally arrived to build a vehicle and pedestrian overpass in the area. The bride opened in 2017. A 2007 documentary film, Trained In, illustrated a safety crisis created by stalled trains in Collegeville. The film was produced by Kevin Garrison and Allison Stagg when they were students at the University of Alabama. When Gov. Bob Riley visited Birmingham in 2009, then Councilwoman Maxine Parker spoke to him about the trains and how they affected the students attending the nearby Hudson School. Riley saw the problem first-hand and eventually pledged support for an overpass. Like other communities around town, the North Birmingham Community for decades made up a major industrial center where homes were built just blocks from the plants where many residents worked. Baldwin County Schools, the third-largest school system in Alabama, educates around 32,000 students everyday and is growing by leaps and bounds, like the rest of the county. Still, the school system manages to be one of the highest-performing county school systems in the state, officials say. The school system has worked to keep up with the countys growth through their Pay As You Go program, which has led to over $300 million in new construction since 2015. The system is currently in the process of building the Baldwin Preparatory Academy, a vocational training school outside of Loxley. Still, growth in the county comes with challenges. Here, Baldwin County School Superintendent Eddie Tyler and Chief School Finance Officer John Wilson discuss those challenges, goals for the new school year and navigating ongoing challenges to books and libraries. Questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity. What are some of the issues you see facing Baldwin County students right now? Mobile residents across the city have posted bright blue signs with the phrase Love is Inclusion in their yards, in the hopes of showing support for the LGBTQ community and getting the attention of city officials. Dee Jordan, a retired teacher, came up with the idea for the signs with a group of friends in her neighborhood. Jordan says they were sitting around a dining room table, talking about the rancor and the rhetoric around LGBTQ issues when she said, Love is inclusion. A group of us got together. I was wearing a bright blue shirt, Jordan said. I said, lets make a sign and use these bright colors, this cobalt blue. The idea behind the signs was not only to spread their message, but to get the attention of Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. Underneath the phrase Love is Inclusion is One Mobile, Stimpsons slogan since he first campaigned in 2013. Jordan says the idea for the signs came before Stimpsons decision to discontinue the two LGBTQ liaison positions in August. In a statement, Stimpson said that ending the positions was due to concern that there wasnt a liaison for other groups in the city. Victorias Secret: The Tour will officially premiere starting Monday, Sept. 25 at 8/7c. According to a recent press release, the Victorias Secret special will be presented as a re-imagined fashion show. The documentary is also described to be a celebration of women and global creatives looking at fashion and art through a cinematic narrative lens. Its no secret that the international brand has been under fire for some time now for the body standards that it has required of its models for most of the brands existence and, since the cancellation of the annual Victorias Secret Fashion Show, has since tried to shift away from that narrative -- which seems to be the goal of this documentary. Part spectacular fashion event, part documentary, the one-of-a kind show promises an unrivaled viewing experience that celebrates the mission of Victorias Secret to uplift and champion women on a global scale, the release states. Those interested will be able to shop a tour inspired collection at Victoriassecret.com and Victorias Secret Amazon storefront. Where can I watch Victorias Secret: The Tour ? Those who want to watch Victorias Secret: The Tour can stream it exclusively with Prime Video, available to all Amazon Prime members. Those who arent an Amazon Prime member can still stream Victorias Secret: The Tour free with Prime Videos 30-day free trial. After its free trial, Prime Video costs $14.99 a month. Those who are considering an regular Amazon Prime membership can take advantage of all benefits for $139 annually. You will also get a 30-day free trial upon signup. Students, however, can get a 6-month free trial and only pay $69 per year for the same benefits, including access to Prime Video. Matteo Messina Denaro, an Italian mafia leader convicted of many murders and who was finally apprehended in January after 30 years on the run, died of cancer on Monday, September 25, at the age of 61, according to authorities. Messina Denaro, who was dubbed "the last Godfather" by the Italian press, was arrested when he was in the midst of a colon cancer battle. His health has been deteriorating over the last several weeks, so he was moved from the central Italy maximum-security prison where he was being detained to a hospital. He went into a coma last Friday, September 22, and never woke up. Captured After Years of Hiding When Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two anti-mafia prosecutors, were murdered in 1992, it outraged Italy and prompted a crackdown on the Sicilian mob. Messina Denaro was found guilty of many crimes, including aiding in the killings, according to Forbes. In 1993, he was accused of orchestrating the abduction of 12-year-old Giuseppe Di Matteo to prevent the boy's father from testifying against the mafia and of being responsible for explosions in Rome, Florence, and Milan that killed 10. Two years later, the youngster was slain after being kept captive. Messina Denaro was arrested on January 16 outside a private clinic in Palermo, Sicily. He has been reported to have cooperated with authorities. Leaked medical documents to the Italian media indicate he had colon cancer surgery between 2020 and 2022. Messina Denaro's health deteriorated drastically in the months leading up to his arrest, according to a doctor at the Palermo clinic who spoke with La Repubblica. Also Read: At Least 4 Dead Following Gun Battle Between Ethnic Serbs, Local Police During the Kosovo Monastery Siege Earlier Life in Mafia Messina Denaro, the son of a mafioso, was born in the town of Castelvetrano on the southwestern coast of Sicily in 1962. In a report by Reuters, he had already joined the mafia-like his father at the age of 15, and was armed with a revolver. At age 18, he allegedly committed his first murder, according to the police. The Castelvetrano family was friends with the Corleonesi, headed by Salvatore "the Beast" Riina, who rose to become the unchallenged "boss of bosses" of the Sicilian Mafia, also known as Cosa Nostra (Our Thing). Messina Denaro was one of his pupils and proved to be equally as ruthless as his mentor by receiving 20 life sentences for his part in several mob killings during trials that were conducted while he was in jail. He allegedly boasted that he was responsible for the deaths of enough individuals to fill a cemetery. Investigators suspect Messina Denaro seldom left Sicily after he went into hiding in 1993 as more and more mafia turncoats began disclosing information about his participation in the organization. According to the police, he spent most of 2022 hiding away in Campobello di Mazara, a town of around 11,000 people in western Sicily, near his mother's home. Also Read: French Military to Be Pulled Out of Niger, Announces French President @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Following Storm Daniel that devastated the country on 10 September 2023, more than 4,000 fatalities have been confirmed and more than 8,000 people are still missing as of 19 September, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Egypt reported that 391 of its citizens are missing in Libya, most of them in the city of Derna. As of 19 September, 87 bodies of Egyptian citizens have been recovered. Several thousand bodies reportedly remain under the rubble, and local teams require sustained support to continue ongoing identification, documentation and burial services, as well as manage the risk of future health outbreaks or waterborne diseases. In addition to humanitarian aid, Libya also needs and has requested technical experts including specialized civil engineers, unexploded ordnance (UXO), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and waste management experts. Over the past few days, heavy rainfall and strong winds have affected the Emirates of Dukku and Nafada in Gombe State, eastern Nigeria, causing floods and resulting in displacements and damage. According to the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria, more than 1,336 persons are displaced, and several houses and farmlands have been destroyed. As of 28 August 2023, approximately 109,120 individuals were affected by flooding across the Niger Republic according to the United Nations. To explain why some African countries were touched recently by these devasting floods, ONG Greenpeace explains that low-income countries, people of colour, Indigenous People, women, and people with disabilities are more exposed to the devastating impacts of climate disasters such as floods, wildfires, severe drought and soaring temperatures, as well as rising sea levels and limited access to food and water. This global majority marginalised and made more vulnerable by powerful systems of oppression dont have access to the financial resources and institutional capacity to adapt to climate change nor to recover from the losses and damage that it causes , explains the ONG. Greenpeace estimates that the cost of loss and damage is estimated to be between 290 to 580 billion USD per year by 2030 and unfortunately, much of this will be shouldered by developing and least developed countries. The Cameroonian environmentalist, Ayuk Peter, explains that while the whole world, struggles with compounding crises, big western oil firms, by far some of the largest contributors to the global climate crisis, more than doubled their profits to 219 billion USD in 2022. Historical polluting countries and industries are responsible for the crisis the world is facing and that those who contributed the least to the problem are now suffering most. The polluting corporations and countries accountable should be forced to pay for the damage they have caused and continue to cause , says Maxi Ngo, leader of NGO of Human rights in Central Africa. Fossil fuels are responsible for over 75% of global GHG emissions and 90% of CO2 emissions. There is no climate justice without a just phase out of all fossil fuels: coal, oil and gas. The only path to a sustainable and resilient world and to achieve the social and climate justice we all need is by adopting an alternative economic model that moves quickly away from its addiction to fossil energy, and places people and sustainability over profits and extractivism , concludes Greenpeace. SCIENCE Gender inequality in the computer science industry Alwihda Info | Par Peter Kum - 25 Septembre 2023 There are too few women in Computer Science and Engineering all over the world. Its not that they arent interested; its the culture of these fields and how they exclude the female gender. The future of the African continent depends upon the full utilization of the human capital available ; and women account for half of its population. Throughout the world, and particularly in Africa, there is a stark under-representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professions , says the African development Bank. The leaky pipeline of women and girls begins as they start and progress through their schooling and enter into science and technology-based careers. In Cameroon for exemple, many girls leave school before the high school level. The ratio according to the ministry of Education in Cameroon is one girl to five boys at the final stage of the high school. According to UNESCO estimates, only 30% of researchers in sub-Saharan Africa are women, with the gender gap especially apparent in disciplines such as mathematics, engineering and computer science. The American Scientific magazine estimates that only 20 percent of computer science and 22 percent of engineering undergraduate degrees in the U.S. go to women . Studies also indicate that women in STEM are paid less, publish less and do not progress as far in their careers compared to their male counterparts. This is a loss for the science, technology and innovation field - and for society. Ojong Geodeon who works at the Ministry of Womens affairs in Cameroon explains that hat women are less interested than men in computer science and engineering. You should understand that in some parts of Cameroon, parents dont even understand why girls should go to school. Some parents send their grils for early marriages at the age of 15. This is particular in the northern parts of the country , explains Mr Geodeon. There is believe that girls are less interested than boys in computer science and engineering. Girls who strongly endorse these stereotypes show the lowest interest in computer science and engineering during their school careers , argues Mr Geodeon. Between 2005 and 2017, the African Development Bank invested $2 billion in 70 education projects, with a primary focus on science and technology. According to the Bank, the major goal here was to speed up the enrolment of girls in STEM through affirmative action measures. Such measures included providing scholarships and gender-sensitive educational services, designed to act as direct incentives to encourage girls to go to school, undergo training, opt for relevant research areas and disciplines, and succeed in their social and productive lives in general. The Bank is proposing medium to long-term approaches that we can adopt to leverage science and technology as a tool for womens socio-economic empowerment. First, we should create opportunities for girls to complete basic education. Second, we must target reforms in the education system that encourage girls interaction with science and technology from a young age and encourage their interest in STEM as they transition through every level of schooling. Third, we must make science, technology and innovation more attractive and relevant for women and girls. Finally and I would proffer, most importantly, we must change social norms and attitudes about women and girls participation in male dominated or technical roles . Dans la meme rubrique : < > La vie dans le monde du coma Repousser les frontieres de la science grace a lintelligence artificielle Cameroun : 205 Chercheurs activement recherches ! Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) Reading the most recent Washington Post polls, Ive got to admit that Im having to fight the temptation to become optimistic about the 2024 election. Trump is ahead of Biden by 10 points. Its so embarrassing that the Post had to pretend their own poll was an outlier. The question is quickly turning from, can Trump win? to can Trump lose? The answer to both questions is, sure. These days fewer and fewer people like or respect Joe Biden. It would be easier to feel sympathy for the President as he appears to struggle with dementia if hed been a nicer person prior to his decline, but apparently Joe was corrupt long before he started losing his mind. When he isnt shaking hands with thin air, hes doddering off the stage but snubbing the President of Brazil and forgetting to shake his hand. Theres even smoking-gun evidence in the form of a video where Biden is famously bragging about withholding one billion dollars of Ukrainian loan guarantees unless prosecutor Viktor Shokin was immediately fired. In addition to all the money flowing into Biden bank accounts from Ukraine, millions and millions of dollars were also wired by Russian oligarchs, Chinese Communist party officials, sleazy Romanians, and just about anyone else looking to buy influence. There have been an astonishing 170 different Suspicious Activity Reports (SARS) reported to the IRS about various Biden bank accounts. Its only a matter of time before some of that ocean of money extorted by Hunter Biden shows as flowing into one of Joes back pockets. Joe must have been corrupt for decades, not only in more recent years since Hunter got old enough for his father to demand half his salary. He probably could not have afforded to buy The Station on his government salary alone. Now he owns two homes in Delaware, including a beach house allegedly worth $2.7 million dollars. From where did all this money come? How can Joe Biden own so much expensive real estate when hes spent almost his entire adult life working for the federal government? There are two factions in the Democrat media machine: more traditional nitwits (I meant to say journalists), people like Philip Bump, who have gone into circle-the-wagons mode and claimed there is no evidence of Biden corruption despite the fact the host of the podcast on which he was being interviewed cited clear and incontrovertible evidence by quoting Hunter Biden. Once upon a time reporters at the Washington Post might have been able to take the attitude of if we dont report it, it didnt happen but in the modern age of the internet, that tactic only works on an increasingly smaller subset of the total population. Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks represents the more radical faction of the media and insists its time for Joe to step aside. Uygur recently penned an opinion piece that said, Youre Going to lose to Trump. Were Begging You to Step Down. Wow, indeed. Democrats are unused to dissent among the ranks. The House of Representatives has opened an impeachment inquiry, which means bank records for the many Biden shell companies will be subpoenaed and eventually the full extent of the familys corruption will be brought to light. If Biden had an R instead of a D after his name, the corporate media would have already decimated him by now, with hit piece after hit piece like the one recently tried on Dave Portnoy. Instead, our demented liar-in-chief has circled the wagons and continues to insist he will win reelection despite the strong headwind blowing in the opposite direction. Now there doesnt seem to be anything Biden can do to improve his situation. The ridiculous indictments sought by partisan prosecutors against Donald Trump seem destined to fail. Trump is accused of taking privileged White House records to his home in Mar-A-Lago, but Trump had the authority to declassify any records he wanted, and Joe Biden was discovered to have done worse by taking secret documents he was never allowed to have under any authority. Trump has also been accused of some sort of unpatriotic behavior for questioning the 2020 election results, but a quick search on the internet can easily find a video of Democrats questioning election results. Of course, one should never assume that just because Biden seems to have no path to victory that Trump will win the next election. We should never underestimate the determination of people desperate for Trump to lose no matter what the cost is to our country. We have rapidly become of nation of two different systems of justice: one for Trump supporters, and an absurdly different and unfair one favoring Biden voters. A drunk liberal deliberately murdered a teenager with his car because he thought the teen was a Republican extremist and received a virtual slap on the wrist, a prison sentence of five years. He gets credit for a year of home confinement, too, so he wont even spend five years in jail. By comparison, alleged January 6 protestor and Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio received a sentence of a whopping 22 years in prison despite the fact he wasnt even in Washington on January 6th, and even though nobody died. Well, nobody died except poor Ashley Babbitt and a couple of other nobodies, but according to AP, Babbitt doesnt count for much because the Air Force veteran was allegedly a violent adulterous psychopath guilty of insurrection, or so they smeared. Tarrio had been arrested several days earlier, but prosecutors said the Proud Boys leader took credit for orchestrating the riot on January 6th, and that was enough for the book to be thrown at him. Does AP stand for Associated Press, or American Pravda? Its difficult to tell these days. Trump has no chance of receiving a fair trial prior to the 2024 election. Any trial will be election interference, but there is little or no chance he will receive a fair trial in Washington, D.C. officiated by Judge Tanya Chutkan, who has openly expressed her bias against the former president in the trials of other defendants but has yet to recuse herself. If Trump is convicted in a sham trial and his case is appealed to the Supreme Court, there will be tremendous pressure put on the three Trump-appointed justices to recuse themselves. What happens if those justices recuse and the court splits 3-3? A per curiam decision, which means whatever ruling was made by the lower court remains in effect. By virtually every measurable standard, Trump should win the White House in 2024 by a landslide. However, the powers-that-be cannot afford to let him compete fairly, so they will hinder his campaign with multiple lawsuits, as much as the courts will allow. The bench behind Biden isnt deep. Kamala Harris is a weak potential candidate. So are Pete Buttigieg and Gavin Newsom. Much weaker than Biden, and thats really saying something. In fact, there is only one potential candidate on the Democrat side who might stand a reasonable chance of defeating Donald Trump in a fair election: Michelle Obama. Even though shes never held an elected office and has no known political skill, she could potentially win as a novelty candidate -- her husband was the first (half) black POTUS, and she could be the first black woman. Millions would probably vote for her due to name recognition alone. It's a disturbing thought. On the other hand, more people of color than ever before are supporting Trump in this election. The future of our nation literally depends on whom we elect. John Leonard is a freelance writer. He blogs at southernprose.com. His books can be found at LeonardBooks.net. Image: Coastal Elite Pink Floyds Roger Waters, who was scheduled to be part of a Palestine Writes festival at the University of Pennsylvania, is well known for his hatred of Israel. The Hills Alex Blecker writes, Waters has a history of comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and using antisemitic imagery during his concerts. (Waters has since been told he is not allowed to enter the venue and attend the discussion.) What many people dont know, however, is that its not just Waters but also the rest of his band (as constituted in 1983), who have equated their own country to Nazi Germany. Here is Pink Floyds official music video of The Fletcher Memorial Home for Incurable Tyrants and Kings. The inmates include not only Argentinian dictator Leopoldo Galtieri along with Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte, but also Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill. A man who was apparently unhappy about his sons death in the Falkland War, which Galtieri started, walks onto the premises and shoots not only Galtieri, but Thatcher too. Thats correctthe video acts out the assassination of the United Kingdoms former prime minister. On a somewhat lighter note, a giant snail has the misfortune to attract Napoleons attention and, as he is the Emperor of France, ends up in a cooking pot as escargot. In any event, if Waters sees any moral equivalence whatsoever between the genocidal monster who ran Germany until his nine-millimeter-and-cyanide honeymoon with Eva Braun, and the man who may well have saved Europe from Nazism by persuading England to not make peace after France was overrun, he clearly has little sense of right and wrong. From a Forbes article on the subject: But we should appreciate just how close Hitler came to winning. No other British leader in the spring of 1940 could have kept Britain in the war. World War Is heroic leader, David Lloyd George, who admired Hitler, was ready to lead a collaborationist government, just as Frances hero, Henri Petain, actually did, when France sued for peace that June. If Waterss unwillingness or inability to distinguish between his own country as represented by Winston Churchill and Nazi Germany as represented by Hitler isnt bad enough, he also said Taiwan is part of Communist China. He also dismissed Communist Chinas abuse of Uyghurs and illegal occupation of Tibet as bullocks and nonsense in an interview with Michael Smerconish. That tells us everything we need to know about his genuine concern for human rights. To this he added that Joe Biden is a war criminal for fueling the fire in Ukraine for a start, and that is a huge crime and asked, why wont the United States of America encourage Zelensky to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war? He also claims the USSR had already effectively won the Second World War by the time Pearl Harbor forced the United States to enter it, thus desecrating the memories of the sailors who died on the Murmansk Run bringing supplies to Joseph Stalin: [O]ne convoy lost 24 of 33 ships at a cost of 153 lives. It was so dangerous that strict orders were given that no merchant ship was allowed to stop, even to rescue sailors who fell overboard. These unfortunate men had to be left behind. Here is a video that elaborates further. Waters also seems to carry Vladimir Putins water for him as shown here: The musician was invited by Russia to address the UN Security Council. Russia asked Waters to address the 15-member Security Council following an interview with a German newspaper, in which he praised Vladimir Putins leadership. Waters admittedly disappointed Putin by calling the invasion of Ukraine illegal, but the fact that he then tried to excuse it as being provoked underscores his apparent inability to distinguish right from wrong. There we have it, folks. Roger Waters spews not only mindless hatred of the one nation in the Middle East with equal rights for people of all races and religions, women, and LGBT people, he also equated Churchill to Hitler and Thatcher to Galtieri, supported Communist China against Taiwan, whitewashed Chinas abuses of ethnic minorities and Tibet, dismissed the memories of the Allied sailors who risked and lost their lives on the Murmansk Run, and tried to excuse Russias genocidal invasion of Ukraine. Waters also doesnt like the United States, whose own role in saving the world from Nazism is well known. He calls us the most evil [country in the world] of all by a factor of at least 10 times. The fact that this individual is a major player in the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement underscores the absolute moral bankruptcy of the entire movement and every single person at the University of Pennsylvania who found him to be a suitable dignitary. Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history, and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. He or she is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to cancel culture for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter. Image: digboston, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, unaltered. Who would believe that the man legislatively in charge of shaping the foreign policy of the most powerful nation on the planet is a dirt-bag political prostitute from New Jersey willing to sell his country's interests and his own honor for cash, cars, and Egyptian gold bars? Well, for one, the U.S. Justice Department, whose indictment of Robert Menendez boldly proclaims: Robert Menendez Allegedly Agreed to Use His Official Position to Benefit Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, and the Government of Egypt in Exchange for Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars of Bribes to Menendez and His Wife Nadine Menendez, Which Included Gold Bars, Cash, and a Luxury Convertible The man who, as a consequence of that indictment, just "temporarily" resigned his chairmanship of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee has been a U.S. senator for 17 years, and, for many of those years, he seems to have been patently taking brazen bribes to betray his oath of office and sell his honor unless, that is, corruptly enriching himself by selling his senatorial power is part of "well and faithfully discharging the duties of the office" upon which the citizens of New Jersey have serially, and unwisely, "elected" him. Robert Menendez is one of a mere 100 men making law in the upper legislative house of the most important nation on Earth. As such, he's one of the 100 most important men on Earth. And yet he appears to be above the very laws he makes. Until now, perhaps. This isn't Menendez's first Justice Department rodeo. Federal prosecutors indicted him way back in 2015 for taking $1 million or so worth of bribes from an apparently uber-retinologist in Florida for which, as the Justice Department then boldly proclaimed: Senator Robert Menendez and Saloman Melgen Indicted for Conspiracy, Bribery, and Honest Services Fraud That indictment charged Menendez with, among other things, using his Senate power to help the Florida retinologist loot a federal agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provides health care benefits to over 100 million needy Americans. A subsequent jury deadlocked on the senator but convicted the retinologist on 67 criminal counts of Medicare fraud. The retinologist went to federal prison for 17 years. (Curiously, President Trump pardoned him.) The senator went back to the Senate, where he sat for the next eight years, until now. The senator's story, as his senatorial propaganda proclaims, is a "quintessential American" one: [Bob Menendez] grew up the son of Cuban immigrants in a tenement building in Union City and has risen to become one of 100 United States Senators. He is currently the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 118th Congress. He has earned a national reputation for his international leadership in the Senate, which pairs with his long-time reputation as a fighter for New Jersey families who puts their health care, economic security and education ahead of powerful special interests. Moreover: the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee [is] ... one of the Senate's original ten standing committees that has shaped our nation's foreign policy to advance the interests of all Americans in war and peace. As Chairman, Bob has a unique position to help set policy for the way in which the U.S. government confronts key foreign policy issues of the day including competing with China, defeating the global pandemic and strengthening our alliances. Senator Menendez will also play an instrumental role in the effort to rebuild our nation's foreign policy institutions and restore our place as a leader around the globe in the post-Trump era. He also served as the Committee's Chairman in the 113th Congress, where he led the effort to sanction Russia after they invaded Ukraine. Wow old Bob's a one-man Senate wonder-boy wizard, without whom the nation (maybe even the world?) would be practically prostrate! Is there no honor, no integrity, no principle, no accountability anywhere in the vast federal bureaucracy? Let's hope the Menendez story isn't quite quintessentially American. Being perhaps quintessentially senatorial may be more than enough. The least our federal senatorial club could have done eight years ago, after Menendez's first merry-go-round with the Justice Department, was to have consigned him to perpetual senatorial purgatory. It might now at least make him wear nothing in the Senate but tee shirts, gym shorts, and sneakers. That's good enough for Senator Fetterman, whose only crime is perhaps incomprehensibility. Instead, the Senate merely makes Menendez "temporarily" step down from his "powerful" committee's chairmanship. Well, perhaps that's better than making him wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Maybe that comes later? Any government refusing to discipline an evident villain in the upper house of its legislature the very legislature making the very laws governing that government itself is collectively as villainous as the villain himself. And a people whose government has no honor have, themselves, no honor. We're starting at every level of governance to look like a failed state. In representative republics, governments cannot fail unless the people they govern have themselves first failed. Look, for example, at the one cardinal emblem that, above all others, most prominently depicts and displays our governing dishonor. Our national debt (which, in arrears, finances our governing dishonor) is now $33 trillion. And even if we made zero new laws between now and 2053 our national debt's projected to be $66 trillion a mere three decades from now. That's an amount equal to over three quarters of the entire globe's present gross domestic product. And we'd then be paying $5.4 trillion a year, in interest payments alone, on that national debt's unpaid principal. That's an interest payment virtually as big as our entire present national budget. So if we now prorogued our national Legislature (a la the Eleven Years Tyranny) for the next 30 years, we would, in 2053, be expending all federal revenues exclusively on nothing but interest payments on our national debt. Obviously, the United States of America never intends to repay its metastasizing national debt. It can't. All it can do is just keep rolling that debt over until no one anywhere in the world any longer wants to buy any more of it, and then default. Are we not too, then, selling our national honor? Is not reckless governance fecklessly creating in the fruitless process of politically prostituting itself a $66-trillion national debt it never intends to repay just as dishonorable as a senior senator selling himself for cash, cars, and Egyptian gold bars? After all, who's ultimately more responsible for our metastasizing national debt than the upper house of our national Legislature, who's but the supreme senatorial representation of ourselves? And if our supreme legislative representation tolerates in its midst a career kleptocrat villain like Menendez, is it not itself villainous? Almost everywhere one looks these days, our national culture and its honor seem to be transforming into the lowest and most lawless common denominator of all the ill governed citizens of all the world's failed states now beating their paths to our broken borders. And God help us, we have senior senatorial lawmakers like Robert Menendez guiding us through our coming time of trials and tribulations. Image: Bob Menendez. Credit: World Economic Forum via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Other than natural disasters and major loss of life, Americans rarely pay attention to events occurring around the world especially if it is a slow process, aided by the left. Such is the case with South Africa. With the end of Apartheid in the early 1990s, the African National Congress (ANC) won power in 1994 and has never relinquished it. What has happened since then has been the embodiment of Critical Race Theory in practice, with predictable results. Americans should pay attention to this, as it will be the endgame in the United States in the not too distant future. South Africa is beating its carbon reduction goals handily as the power grid is increasingly causing rolling blackouts. The state-owned energy company Eskom provides 90 percent of the country's electricity. The blackouts and "load-shedding" are caused by an aging fleet of coal-fired plants that are continuously breaking down due to lack of maintenance, years of underinvestment, and systematic corruption. Eskom warned then-president Nelson Mandela's administration in 1998 that unless new and more sophisticated power plants were built immediately and infrastructure was upgraded, the electrical grid "would begin imploding within a decade." Between 2009 and 2018, multibillion-dollar contracts to build new power stations were awarded fraudulently to ANC-linked companies. The power plants are today largely dysfunctional, having been poorly constructed and filled with equipment that doesn't work. This is caused by the rampant fraud and corruption. There were 104 confirmed cases of fraud and corruption registered with the South African Police Service over the year to March 2022, according to the energy company's financial statements. In November 2022, Eskom announced that police arrested two subcontractors for coal and diesel theft. Consequently, the people suffer at the hands of incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats. In addition to the problems plaguing the state-run power company, the state-run railway system is dysfunctional. The system, called Transnet, is in such bad shape due to years of government underinvestment and corruption that companies are having to turn to alternate transport systems, like trucking goods to Mozambique. This is a catastrophe for South Africa's mining sector, which cannot get goods to export terminals on the coast. As metals, gems, and minerals account for most of South African exports, the state's failure to fix the transport system is having a downward effect on the entire economy. The South African Post Office and South African Airways have collapsed. And although the flag carrier has restarted some flights, private couriers and airlines have largely stepped into the breach. There has been an onslaught of attacks on whites in the country. "Poor Whites" has become South Africa's "New Subclass." These are white families who have lost their jobs and fallen into poverty as a result of the policy of "affirmative action" that is, preferential treatment for blacks. Living in total, abject poverty, this destitute group is rarely discussed or acknowledged but is increasing in size. The people survive in informal settlements away from the public eye, mostly in tents and hovels. South Africa's National Assembly passed legislation on Sept. 28 that would allow the government to seize land without paying the owners, a practice known as "expropriation without compensation." It also passed new government rules that will make it nearly impossible for business owners to hire whites or Indians in the country. Controversial affirmative action policies mean blacks take precedence over whites in the job market. Then there are the murders. The brutal murder of two elderly people outside Ohrigstad once again highlights the cruelty of violent crime in South Africa. They were set on fire while still alive after being tortured. The major forms of violence against whites are "farm attacks" (vandalism) and "farm murders." In 2023, there were 117 farm attacks and 35 farm murders. In one case, attackers chanted "kill the Boer" before stabbing a female with a spear after beating her with a bolt-cutter and lead pipes. In this case, the perpetrators were apprehended, but that is not usually the case. Ninety-five percent of farm attacks and murders are unsolved. And it is not just crime against whites. South Africa suffers from 74 murders and over 100 rapes per day. Economic destruction, racism, violence: how does this all happen? Why is this nation heading to collapse? The meltdown in South Africa is not a natural disaster or a random fluke. It is a choice. South Africa was the first modern nation to be (re)founded on the anti-white principles of Critical Race Theory, and now it is reaping the results of that choice. South Africa did everything that is being done in America right now. As a diverse multiethnic, multilingual society, South Africa has followed almost every prescription embraced by the globalist ruling class. It is suffering a severe brain drain. Outward immigration to countries like the U.K., Australia and the United States has risen significantly over the past decade because of the untenable situation. Remember the power plants that don't work? The country has two expensive, botched power plants because Hitachi's African subsidiary secured contracts based on black empowerment criteria rather than actual expertise. Eskom has problems with coal supply because it gave favoritism to black-owned mining companies and even pushed foreign firms to divest from the country. The government policy of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has been used as a mechanism for the ANC's "cadre deployment" strategy, in which political loyalty, rather than skills or even race, comes first, second, and third. BEE is one of many onerous costs of business that the biggest, well-established firms can bear while their up-and-coming competition is eliminated. This creates a winner-take-all economy while the sum of it all shrinks. About half of South Africa's population of about 60 million lives in poverty and receives at least one monthly welfare payout. About a third of the country's workforce is unemployed. South Africa is now a failed state. We cannot let this happen to the United States. There is still time. Image: South African Tourism via Flickr, CC BY 2.0. Masks are making a return, now over 3 years since COVID upended life in most of the world. For those past three years, we were constantly told to follow the science. What science were we following, medical science or political science? Which category did masks fall into? We had to wear masks everywhere in public. In private, too. These past mask recommendations laughingly passed for science. CNN pushed its audience to wear a mask while having sex. How romantic. And impractical. Canadas top doctor scolded, Skip kissing and consider wearing a mask when having sex to protect yourself from catching the coronavirus. As if a mask will stop two intertwined naked bodies from transmitting a highly contagious respiratory virus. That would be like using an umbrella to keep dry during a hurricane. On Reddit, someone asked if one should swim with a mask. Dr Anthony Fauci, calling himself the science, took masks a step further, Double-masking makes common sense and is likely more effective. Using his logic, why not wear 17 masks? Dr Fauci must have memory troubles, forgetting what he said in the early days of the pandemic. Both Dr. Fauci and Surgeon General Jerome Adams said masking was unnecessary and potentially harmful. That was until COVID mutated from a respiratory virus into a political and electoral weapon. YouTube screen grab Are masks making a grand return? COVID cases are allegedly on the rise. But todays COVID is not the same as the early 2020 Wuhan strain. Viruses typically mutate over time, becoming more contagious but less virulent. COVID testing still relies on an overly sensitive PCR test, which even the NY Times acknowledged, Up to 90 percent of people testing positive carried barely any virus. Is the recent uptick in supposed COVID cases simply reflecting a seasonal increase in colds and flu? Will the CDC make this distinction or simply push endless vaccines and masks? NBC News concurs, Doctors say they're finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish Covid from allergies or the common cold, even as hospitalizations tick up. Based on faulty and imprecise testing, mask mandates are coming back. Hows that for following the science? As Forbes reported, Officials in New York City this week reportedly urged residents to wear masks in public as a new strain of Covid-19 continues to spread throughout the country. Morris Brown College in Atlanta requires masks for all students and faculty. Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa California reinstated a mask mandate. Lionsgate Studios in Santa Monica re-required masking, but then changed its mind. The science is lacking in masking as it is for PCR testing. Lets look at mask science. A 2019 JAMA study comparing common medical masks with the gold standard N-95 masks and found, There was no significant difference in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza among health care personnel with the use of N95 respirators (8.2%) vs medical masks (7.2%). This randomized prospective clinical trial demonstrated that neither type of mask stopped a respiratory virus as 7-8 percent still became infected despite wearing a mask. The study also showed that the simple medical mask was equally beneficial (or non-beneficial in this case) compared to the N-95 respirator. In fact, there was a non clinically significant trend favoring the cheap masks. This is no surprise based on the comparative sizes of viral particles and mask pores. From a viral particle size perspective, masks also do little. The COVID virus is 50-140 nm while the pore size in standard surgical masks is 300 nm to 10,000 nm. This is using a chain-link fence to stop mosquitoes. Are their downsides to masks? A German study looked at harm from masking which, Increases the resistance and dead space volume leading to a re-breathing of CO2. Ironically, we are told that CO2 is harmful and destroying the planet, yet we are also told that there is no problem with children and adults rebreathing this toxic gas. The German study explained further, There is a possible negative impact risk by imposing extended mask mandates especially for vulnerable subgroups. Circumstantial evidence exists that extended mask use may be related to current observations of stillbirths and to reduced verbal motor and overall cognitive performance in children born during the pandemic. A need exists to reconsider mask mandates. What happened to the medical admonition of first do no harm? The Wisconsin Department of Health Services warns of the dangers of CO2 exposure, Exposure to CO2 can produce a variety of health effects. These may include headaches, dizziness, restlessness, a tingling or pins or needles feeling, difficulty breathing, sweating, tiredness, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, coma, asphyxia, and convulsions. This same health department, in summer 2021, had no problem urging Wisconsinites to mask up. They are recommending a practice that not only has minimal, if any, benefit, but can also cause harm, as they noted. No wonder so many people distrust health authorities who prioritize politics over health. Last on the science front is a Cochrane analysis. They review numerous high-quality studies and are considered the benchmark in healthcare effectiveness. They found, The pooled results of RCTs did not show a clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks. There were no clear differences between the use of medical/surgical masks compared with N95/P2 respirators in healthcare workers when used in routine care to reduce respiratory viral infection. The lead author of the analysis confirmed, There is just no evidence that they masks make any difference. Full stop. What about N-95 masks, as opposed to lower-quality surgical or cloth masks? Makes no difference none of it. What about the studies that initially persuaded policymakers to impose mask mandates? They were convinced by nonrandomized studies, flawed observational studies. Why arent health authorities following this science? It seems that based on scientific studies, masks offer little if any benefit and may cause harm. This is why mask mandates were never instituted during other viral respiratory illness outbreaks and that routine mask use was discouraged. Under the doctrine of my body my choice, anyone should be able to wear or not wear a mask, depending on their beliefs and desires. Or does choice only apply to certain aspects of healthcare? With COVID, we are forced to follow a new science, the political science of fear, control, and subservience. According to the World Economic Forum, COVID-19 has resulted in more than one in two people losing confidence in the healthcare systems ability to handle major crises. This trust will be difficult to earn back especially as health authorities are doubling down on their rules and mandates rather than thoughtfully reflecting on what they got wrong and trying to course correct. Someday they will need that trust and wont have it. Brian C Joondeph, MD, is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor Substack Dr. Brians Substack Truth Social @BrianJoondeph LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph The first and to me highly desirable scenario is that Ukraine eventually takes back all or part of Russian-annexed Ukrainian territory. This currently seems like an unlikely scenario since the battlefront situation is basically a stalemate trench warfare situation with neither side making any strategic gains thus resulting in what could be considered to be a stalemate situation. Neither the Russian nor Ukrainian soldiers have been trained for successful strategic breakthroughs with swift coordinated air and land assaults. If Ukraine is to take back any territory from the Russians it will require almost never-ending Western economic and military aid in the form of an almost limitless supply of artillery shells, drones, precision long-range rockets and missiles, air defense systems, and ongoing excellent surveillance information which accurately tracks Russian logistics. If Western aid continues for years then it is entirely conceivable that Ukraine will devastate Russian logistics by taking out command control centers, anti-aircraft defense systems, munitions dumps, petroleum storage areas, and infrastructure such as railroad lines, airfields, and bridges like the Kerch bridge connecting Russia and Crimea located on the Black Sea which Zelensky desperately wants back in Ukrainian hands. By devastating the Russian logistics structure Ukraine could conceivably slowly advance using mine sweepers, artillery, troop vehicles, tanks, assault squads of about 10 to 15 soldiers, and drones to break through Russian defensive lines with a minimal loss of soldiers whose attrition rate is of paramount concern. Both sides are running low on soldiers for the front lines and a second mobilization of troops by Russia could really put a lot of stress on Ukraine to also mobilize more soldiers. Of course a second mobilization of hundreds of thousands of largely unwilling, untrained, Russian cannon fodder conscripts will also greatly stress Russia and Putins government. Realistically, with a dearth of Ukraines soldiers and no possible bold strategic military move this scenario could conceivably last for years and not just months. Loss of a lot of Western aid in the near future could result in Scenario 2. Scenario 2 is an indefinite stalemate situation along the current military borders with an occasional exchange of artillery, drones, and mortar fire which can broadly be described as border skirmishes with no significant military results. This seemingly never-ending struggle would probably not last long without a probable change in Ukraines political structure and growing pressure to reach some kind of political peace agreement which would lead to Scenario 3. Scenario 3 would be a Russian victory with both sides agreeing to a new border with Russia keeping all of the currently annexed Ukrainian territory. After Scenario 3, Putin would be emboldened and would probably spend future years trying to rebuild the military and then preparing it for further incursions into Ukraine and beyond. So, Scenario 4 is Putin preparing to take over all of Ukraine which now seems like a very remote scenario. With Scenario 2, 3, and 4 being very bad for Ukraine lets pursue Scenario 1 a little further and think of an outcome where Ukraine eventually recaptures much of southern Ukraine cutting off the Russian land bridge to Crimea. It is then entirely possible that Crimea will fall back into Ukrainian hands. If the loss of Crimea means the end of Putins rule then a possible 5th scenario is Ukraine starting peace talks and compromising a little by letting Russia keep much of the eastern Ukraine Donbas region as an equitable end to all hostilities and overall peace. For the next year or so Scenario 1 is still in play. If Western aid eventually severely diminishes, especially U.S. military aid, then Ukraine is in big trouble and will probably never get much more of the Russian annexed Ukraine territory back into the foreseeable future. Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. Ukrainian officials are yet to formally confirm if the Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, Adm. Viktor Sokolov, was among the 34 officers killed after a row of Ukrainian missile strikes hit Sevastopol over the weekend. Ukrainian special forces also said via Telegram Monday (September 25) that an additional 105 Russian personnel were injured. Sokolov was assigned as commander of the Black Sea Fleet by Russian President Vladimir Putin to restore the fleet's pride after the sinking of the fleet's flagship, Moskva, last year. Read Also: Russia Slams Ukraine's Peace Plan at United Nations, Says War Would Be Resolved on Battlefield Recap on the Missile Strikes On Friday (September 22), British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles were fired against the Crimean port city. While Russian defense officials say they have shot down five of the attacking missiles, some have hit their targets, including the headquarters of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet, which military officials in Kyiv said was beyond repair. A second attack was launched the day after (Saturday, September 23). The missiles were also allegedly used to severely damage two Russian warships drydocked in Sevastopol earlier this month. Following the operation, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said several high-ranking Russian military personnel were injured in the strikes but fell short of confirming or denying reports surrounding Sokolov's alleged death, Newsweek reported. Related Article: Ukraine Launches Two Missile Attacks on Sevastopol In A Row @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The Second Amendment was put to the test this week, albeit abroad and not at home. This past Thursday, a band of South African citizens, currently suffering under the thumb of a wicked and lawless government and emboldened criminals, restored law and order and security after a gang of thugs robbed an armored truck and murdered the driver. From a Gateway Pundit article yesterday: On Thursday, 9/21, local farmer militiamen in South Africa stopped a gang of 15 armed robbers armed with AK-47s who had just robbed an armored car, killing the driver. The local volunteers apprehended the fugitives after a high-speed chase, including a dangerous Mozambican criminal wanted for murder of a police officer. According to a local source, the police responded, but fled the scene when they came under fire, at which point a community crime watch group known as Hoedspruit Farmwatch stepped in, setting up makeshift barricades with boulders. The armed robbers then shot at the farmers, who returned fire in a clash that lasted around 20 minutes. After all was said and done, the members of HF were unhurt, while four of the gang members were dead and another three were injured; see the tweet below: Hero farmers from Hoedspruit kills 4 CIT robbers and wounds 3 after police flee the scene. Full story: Today, 22/09/2023, 15 robbers armed with automatic rifles carried out a CIT heist in Hoedspruit, killing the driver Fidelity driver. Police fled the scene when the robbers pic.twitter.com/QtHq8KsaYp Willem Petzer (@willempet) September 22, 2023 (CIT stands for Cash-in-Transit.) Additional details here: It is further reported that the suspects started shooting at members of Hoedspruit Farmwatch who in self-defence returned fire. During the shootout, four suspects were killed and one (28) was injured and arrested on the spot. The other suspects ran into the nearby bushes and Ian Cameron (@IanCameron23) September 23, 2023 Few things bring me as much joy as when I read stories in which harsh justice rains down on those who hurt the innocent, so this was certainly a feel-good story for someone like myself, but its also a good reminder of what the militia is, and why our very lives depend on its sustenance. These armed farmers, private citizens with personal weapons, are the militia, despite all the screaming and shouting to the contrarythe militia is neither the National Guard, nor is it a state police force, nor any other government corps. George Mason, an anti-Federalist, purportedly said, I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them. In the Library of Congress, you can find the text from the debates at different state conventions prior to the adoption of the federal constitution, excerpted below: That the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well-regulated militia, including the body of the people capable of bearing arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defence [sic] of a free state. Federalist No. 46, penned by James Madison and arguing for a national standing army reads: To these [federal forces] would be opposed a militia amounting to near half a million of citizens, with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves, fighting for their common liberties and united and conducted by governments possessing their affections and confidence. It may well be doubted whether a militia thus circumstanced could ever be conquered by such a proportion of regular troops. The militia is the people, and without an armed populace, we see lawlessness as in the case of South Africa, and tyranny, realities which are completely antithetical to security, freedom, and life. These farmers and their willingness to accept their sacred duty as the militia call to my mind Proverbs 28:1, and rather fitting given their African heritage: The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. For devout Catholics, getting a phone call from a cardinal, a prince of the Church, a man who leads vast flocks of the faithful and is one of the few guys who votes to choose the next pope, is kind of an ... honor. But not so much for "devout Catholics," such as Joe Biden, who's literally not taking Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan's phone calls. According to the New York Post: The Archbishop of New York, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, told The Post he has reached out to POTUS about the tragic, broken migrant system to no avail. He doesnt take my calls or answer my letters, he said. New York just cant handle them all, we know that, the cardinal added. Its very unfair. This is a New York problem, but its not just a New York problem. It is an American problem. Seems the cardinal hasn't had the sense to go through Hunter Biden and pay the "consulting fees" which is what it takes to get The Big Guy on the phone. Recall all the grifters and oligarchs Hunter got Joe Biden to come to the phone for from the Hunter Biden laptop files and the contrast of Biden ignoring the cardinal of New York is interesting. Dolan, of course, was seeking help from the White House to help New York with its vast migrant influx. Biden has already ignored New York's mayor, Eric Adams, who has loudly called for such aid, and got a visit from a couple of low-level flunkies for his trouble, but little actual help, and now not even a cardinal can't get so much as a call or letter through to the White House, either. The cardinal's aims seemed to be pretty honorable. He said he was responding to Adams's request to seek federal help for the huge crush of migrants who are bankrupting New York City, based on Joe's open borders which are taking in all comers under catch-and-release. The cardinal's archdiocese is doing what it can to help the migrants, but obviously, they don't have a bottomless pit of money for that any more than Adams does, so that was why there was a plea for help. Dolan has kept a temperate and politically neutral stance on this, narrowly focusing on the Church's mission to care for the indigent, while reasserting to the Post the "just law" of nations having borders: Dolan feels the current system is terribly wrecked and needs dramatic immigration reform. The church has always been very supportive of the right of a nation to have borders and border security . . . we dont just want borders where anybody can come in, said Dolan, who is known to visit the migrants housed at the Roosevelt Hotel. However, he and the church still have a high obligation to care for the newcomers. For us, its not so much about politics and policy . . . we have to leave that to others, he said. Our sacred responsibility is to help them. We hate to see these people suffer. Which is a far less offensive and inflammatory stance than that of Pope Francis, who this weekend told France and other western states that there was "no migrant emergency ," it was all " alarmist propaganda ," and nations must accept every economic migrant the smuggling rackets could ferry in as a "reality," and ignore the costs , monetary and civilizational, of caring for vast numbers of migrants since apparently there's no such thing as living with "dignity' in countries such as Tunisia, Senegal, or Mali. Following that absurd message, his armed guards took him back to his walled compound at the Vatican where there wouldn't be any "smell of the sheep" to bother him. Biden, though, won't even give the cardinal the time of day. If the cardinal has problems caring for migrants, that's his problem, the White House intends to keep the border open. Which in light of Joe's loud proclamations of how Catholic and "devout" he is, waving his rosary beads for political advantage, shows just how crummy and false his claims actually are. Dolan has supported Biden, in declaring that he wouldn't deny abortion-promoting Biden holy communion back in 2019 , and supporting the questionable Democrat "narrative" about January 6, including criticism for President Trump. For his trouble, he was rewarded with a Biden lawsuit over regulations forcing Catholic hospitals to perform gender "re-assignment" surgeries against their beliefs. Now on the migrant issue, he's persona non grata, a man who can't even get his phone calls through to Biden's idle and vacation-filled White House. Dolan doesn't seem to like wading into public controversy, but obviously, Biden considers him a political threat or problem ... or non-entity. But as campaign season heats up, look for Joe to proclaim his devout Catholic-ness, even as he snubs actual Catholics right up to their princes of the Church. Recently, for some on the right, Elon Musk has become a hero for attacking the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), threatening to sue for loss of advertising revenue. For many conservatives, the ADL has gotten out of line. The new head, Jonathan Greenblatt, was a functionary of the Obama administration, and seems to be taking the ADL into advocacy politics well beyond the original scope of the ADL, which is to fight antisemitism. In plain terms, the ADL has become a leftist advocacy group. From the New York Post: First off, the ADL isnt a Jewish organization in any genuine ethnic or theological sense. Its primary mission is no longer to stop the defamation of Jews. The ADLs CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, a former Barack Obama appointee who often appears on MSNBC to chat it up with bigots such as Al Sharpton, has created a partisan leftist social justice outfit. And its primary goal these days is cynically using the organizations historical position to advance often illiberal, completely irreligious, leftist ideas. More than one conservative Jew has taken exception to the ADLs new direction. Make no mistake about it, the ADL does have enough influence to bring financial pressure to bear when it wants to. Facebook was persuaded to abandon its free speech position and ban Holocaust denial from its platform after a boycott supported by the ADL and the NAACP: That same month, the ADL launched an advertiser boycott to protest Facebooks inaction in removing anti-Semitic and racist hate speech. More than 1,000 companies participated, including Starbucks and Ben & Jerrys. So Elon Musk is not out of his mind when he suspects the ADL of causing an advertising loss. Recently, the fight has gotten nastier. An Irish nationalist (mislabeled as a white supremacist) named Keith Woods posted a tweet which recommended #BanTheADL. Musk liked the hashtag. From the Times of Israel: Musk had earlier liked the tweet launching the hashtag by Keith Woods, an Irish white nationalist and self-described raging antisemite. The ADLs favourite tactic is financially blackmailing social media companies into removing free speech on their platforms, Woods said in his Aug. 31 tweet. Why should they have a platform on X to hold @elonmusk to ransom? Its time to #BanTheADL. Musk liked two subsequent tweets by Woods, who touted Musks support to his followers. Well the call to #BanTheADL took off. And it looked like the ADL might lose in the court of public opinion. Prime Minister Netanyahu intervened to have a discussion with Musk, asking him to combat antisemitism. Whatever one thinks about the ADL, Musk should not become a new conservative hero for defending freedom and liberty. First: Musk is pushing electric vehicles, which are an ecological disaster masquerading as an eco-friendly technology. The United States does not have the generating capacity for the extra load those cars will require, and Musk, who is technically adept, knows this. He has to know that all he is doing is moving combustion from the local car to the power plant. Second: Musk is the champion of the bizarre Neuralink, a new age transhumanistic technology which would put microchips in the brain. From Cybernews: Musk envisions a future where brain implants could pave the way for game-changing solutions to various conditions, including obesity, autism, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinsons, epilepsy, and beyond. He even predicts a future where web browsing using our brains and telepathy become the norm. I am all for treating disease, but it obviously will not stop there. Third: Musk is making decisions with Starlink that should be the province of governments, not CEOs, such as cutting off Ukrainian access to the network. From CNBC: Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for a probe Tuesday following a claim that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk curbed a Ukrainian military operation aimed at Russias Black Sea fleet last year by limiting access to SpaceXs Starlink satellite network, a report said. Right or wrong, Musk should not be the one making such decisions. Maybe the ADL has gone too far. Ben Shapiro seems to think so. But ultimately Musk is about Musk, and he is not a hero in thisneither is Jonathan Greenblatt. Musk is just a contender. He is no less a techie elitist pushing for a new world order than the rest. Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. Down in Mexico, the migrant crisis has President Lopez-Obrador calling for a meeting with President Biden. This is the story: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has requested a bilateral meeting with his US counterpart to discuss the migration crisis that has "overwhelmed" his country, his foreign minister said Friday. The meeting would occur in Washington when Lopez Obrador attends a summit of Latin American leaders, to be convened by US President Joe Biden on November 3. Lopez Obrador wants to discuss "legal paths" to address the humanitarian situation facing hundreds of thousands of people who have recently attempted to make their way to the United States and to study the ways in which they can request asylum, as well as work visas for the agricultural sector. Mexico is being "overwhelmed" by the arrival of migrants to its territory, Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said at a press conference during the UN General Assembly in New York. Around 9,000 arrive at the country's southern border every day, around 3,000 of whom have traversed the Darien Gap, a dense jungle on the border between Colombia and Panama. Another 8,000 arrive at the northern border with the United States every day. "Yesterday 11,000 arrived," Barcena said. "This exceeds any capacity, no matter how much Mexico wants to do a good job." This past week AG Merrick Garland testified before the judicial committee of the US House of Representatives. Garland provocatively and erroneously declared that he was not the presidents attorney nor was he the Congresss prosecutor. Garland sanctimoniously declared that he and his DoJ served only the American people. My understanding of our U.S. Constitution is that it is very clear that AG Garland, like DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and all other officers of the cabinet, are appointed by the president and by extension shall take care to faithfully execute our laws. President Biden from the earliest days of his administration has tried to create a ruse by declaring a split between the sphere of the AG and department of justices duty to enforce the law and Bidens duty to be in charge of executing the laws. Biden conveniently declares that he knows nothing about Garlands sphere of decision-making. Biden seems to extol a sly idealism that would dispel, for instance, AG Eric Holders statement that he was President Obamas wing man or the way AG John Mitchel acted as Nixons lawyerly agent during the Watergate conundrums. Bidens ruse sounds righteous but allows him cover, especially when his own behavior or that of his family is investigated at the request of Congress. Garlands second declaration about not being Congresss prosecutor is another sly ruse. Bidens frequent worshipful comments about our democracy or our democratic values overlooks, as Garland does, the fact that America is a representative democracy or republic. So, serious requests to the DoJ or AG for investigation of any American by Congress are in fact requests from the duly elected representatives of the people. Is Merrick Garland still so bitter and angry at Senator Mitch McConnell and Republicans for withholding his shot at being a SCOTUS justice that he has blind spots about his sacred responsibilities about American justice? Image: US Senate I have never aspired to serve in the US Congress, except in those moments when engaging in insider trading seemed financially rewarding; illegal for us ordinary Americans (ask Martha Stewart), but not for Congress. After watching the latest clown show that was Merrick Garland's appearance before Congress, I know how I would have addressed him had I been on that committee: Mr. Garland. We have been subjected to many of your appearances before this committee. You have proven yourself to be remarkably consistent. I have come to the conclusion that you have studied long and hard at the Hillary Clinton/ Adam Schiff School of Public Integrity, and you have graduated Summa Cum Laude. For those of you on the other side of the aisle, this means "with highest honors." You come before this committee to testify and answer questions about your management of the Department of Justice. When pressed on even the most obvious malfeasance, you tap dance, pass the buck, feign ignorance, dissemble, and lie. I have no intention of asking you any further questions because it is a waste of my time and that of this committee. So here is my take on you and your dreadful performance at the Department of Justice. I have no doubt that when you return to the Department after another stellar performance here in Congress, you smirk and take high fives from your colleagues: 'Boy did I put another one over on those rubes in Congress!' But you didn't. To paraphrase a line in an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, you are like a cut glass bowl, hollow and we can see right through you. In the 1970s former Attorney General, John Mitchell, was convicted and went to prison. Yet what Mitchell did was no worse than the perversions of justice over which you have presided. You use the FBI to attack parents who object to policies of school boards and pretend you didn't know or that it was something else. You refuse to prosecute those who were illegally demonstrating in front of the houses of Supreme Court Justices, falsely claiming that this decision is solely up to federal marshals; all because you sympathize with the demonstrators. You deliberately obstruct justice by slow walking a slam-dunk prosecution of Hunter Biden by allowing the statute of limitations to run on his most serious tax offenses. Who was prosecuted for the destruction of federal buildings during the Floyd riots? Now your Department of Justice is targeting Elon Musk, who has been so instrumental in exposing the nefarious operations of the Democrats. Just a coincidence, I suppose. But you can rest assured that you will never be investigated or charged with anything. Barack Obama brought to the Justice Department "the Chicago way," where political enemies are punished and friends like you receive the perennial "get out of jail free" card. It doesn't matter in what you have engaged as long as you have been loyal. Heaven help any opposition, because they will need it. Your lies, your obstructions of justice will never be prosecuted, and you know it. You know you have the same sort of immunity had by the likes of James Clapper, John Brennan, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, Tony Fauci, and Alejandro Mayorkas, to name only a few of many. After all, what are little things like the Constitution, oaths, the rule of law, and equal justice, when there are political scores to settle, power to be consolidated, and influential Democrat supporters and players to be protected? You have crassly squandered whatever semblance of a good reputation that you may have had when you left the federal bench. Now you will be forever remembered as just another bitter, political hack, instrumental in the degradation of America's system of justice. Not a day goes by when I don't thank God and the then-majority in the Senate for keeping someone with your character off the Supreme Court. If you had any sense of decency or honor, you would resign. But of course, you have neither. So, the country will continue to endure the chronic miscarriage of justice endemic in any banana republic. Congress will simply waste more time listening to you as you pretend to be an effective and responsible public servant. I cede the rest of my time. If only a congressman would be so direct and candid instead engaging in phony courtesy, addressed to someone so undeserving. I have never met a person on the political left who lacked an abundance of self-esteem. Merrick Garland, being a Democrat and evidently incapable of any self-reflection or shame, would ignore my statement. He would still celebrate his performance upon returning to the Department of Justice, and I would be branded by our worthless press corps as just another MAGA extremist hater. No matter how you slice it, its a shocking story: The Parliament of Canada, from Trudeau on down, gave a standing ovation to a WWII-era Nazi who is a veteran of the Waffen-SS. However, when you consider how the left operates and its constant situational ethics, the story begins to make sense. The Post Millennial has the facts: The Parliament of Canada provided a loud, all-party standing ovation Friday to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old who served with the Nazi Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Canadian Parliament and Zelensky give a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, who fought for the 14th division of the Waffen SS pic.twitter.com/7WrD3vchZ8 The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 24, 2023 Hunka was a soldier with the 14th Galicia division of the Waffen-SS, the military section of the Nazi SS, which was responsible for elements of terror from massive extermination camps to the daily torture and repression of citizens within occupied Europe. The International Military Tribunal that oversaw the Nuremberg war crimes trials declared the SS to be a criminal organization. The Associated Press captioned of a picture documenting Hunkas presence, describing Hunka as having fought with the First Ukrainian Division in World War II before later immigrating to Canada. The Galicia division was rechristened in 1945 with a Ukrainian name in order to avoid connecting it to the Waffen-SS. Hunka was a guest of Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Zelensky was in Ottawa to address a joint session of Parliament and to pick up more military aid from the Liberal government. In his address to Parliament, Zelensky thanked Canada for its continued support to the war with Russia and suggested Canadians have always been on the bright side of history. You can read the rest here. If you think about the way the left operates, all this actually makes perfect sense, going all the way back to WWII. When Stalin was allied with Hitler through the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the North American left was studiously silent about Hitler and the Nazis. After all, fascism and communism are siblings, given that both are the offshoots of Marxist socialism. One sees the state own the means of production while the other sees the state control the means of production, but both are about the state having total control. For leftists, things were copacetic. However, when Hitler blew through the Pact and attacked the Soviet Union, North American leftists suddenly became the most ardent anti-Nazis and anti-fascists. When the war ended, anyone they didnt like (e.g., conservatives and Republicans) became fascists, despite opposing socialism. Meanwhile, the leftists relentlessly pushed actual socialism in the West. Thats the pattern: There is no absolute good or evil predicated on fixed moral standards; there is only supporting socialism or opposing socialism. The pattern has continued into the modern era. Throughout the Soviet Unions existence, it successfully expanded its empire across Eastern Europe and relentlessly pushed its influence in Western Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Those unlucky enough to live under its control suffered terribly. But the North American left always assured us it wasnt that bad because socialism was a fundamental good. It just wasnt being done right. When the Soviet Union ended, the lands under Moscows control shrank dramatically. Putin, however, has been trying a little bit (a very little bit compared to the Soviet Union) to expand his borders again. Those unlucky enough to live under his control suffer greatly. But because Putin advocates traditional Christian values along with his tyranny, the same leftists who tolerated the Soviet Union despise him. (Im consistent; I despise both.) What this means is that when Putin (who is despised) invaded Ukraine (which is acknowledged as a corrupt sinkhole), Ukraine became the good guy. This new scenario overrode the fact that, during WWII, Ukraine (which hated Stalin) sided with the Nazis. Ukraine was right, of course, to hate Stalin, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend, which justified supporting the Germans. But the fact is also that the Ukrainians out-Nazied the Nazis when it came to murdering Jews. Therefore, I, being consistent, dont like Ukraine either. But once again, leftist ethics are entirely situational. They dont even acknowledge having to hold their nose when faced with the devils bargain of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So, the party that once didnt care about the Nazis and then hated the Nazis now loves a Nazi and gives him a standing ovation. Image: Canadian parliaments standing ovation for a Nazi. YouTube screen grab. These panel of images from the late 1950s China, depicting young boys hunting sparrows for sport, were taken from a poster aimed at school children. The poster was part of a large campaign to eradicate pests responsible for the transmission of pestilence and disease. Four pests were chosen for eradicationmosquitoes, rats, flies and sparrows. The last on this kill list was deemed responsible for creating shortages in grains and fruits which the bird ate. The ill-conceived idea to tamper with the food chain caused a severe ecological imbalance, and along with other misguided policies the government put in place, it triggered a chain of destructive events that left some 50 million people dead in three years. The Great Sparrow Campaign was part of an even bigger program called the Great Leap Forward initiated by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1958 to transform the largely agrarian nation to a thriving socialist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization. In order to take control of agriculture and establish a monopoly over grain distribution and supply, Mao abolished ownership of private land and introduced communal farming. Many peasants, stripped off their lands, were ordered to work on massive infrastructure projects and on the production of iron and steel. At the same time, Mao launched a patriotic health campaign targeting vermin that spread diseases. Along with mosquitoes, rats and flies, Mao picked up for elimination the Eurasian tree sparrow that fed on grains. Maos advisers calculated that a single sparrow ate four pounds of grain each year, and for every million sparrows killed, there would be food for 60,000 people. The Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus). Photo credit: hedera.baltica/Flickr Few people realized the consequence of disturbing the natural balance of the ecosystem, and even if they did, Mao wouldnt have listened to them anyway. Mao knew nothing about animals. He didn't want to discuss his plan or listen to experts. He just decided that the 'four pests' should be killed, one of China's most prominent environmental activists, Dai Qing, told the BBC. An incredible slaughter of sparrows followed. Every possible method that existed for killing birds were employed. They were shot from the sky, nests were destroyed, eggs broken and chicks killed. Sparrows were caught in nets or trapped with baits. Those that flew away to the countryside were poisoned with tainted food and water. The most cruel of them was driving them to exhaustion. People were told to come out in the open banging pots and pans and create a ruckus to terrorize the birds. The sparrows took to the air and flew around in circles, too terrified to land, until they dropped dead from exhaustion. Some sparrows found refuge in the premises of various diplomatic missions in China. In the Polish embassy in Beijing, guards denied Chinese people from entering the premises to scare away the sparrows who were hiding there. The crowd then surrounded the embassy and drummed constantly for two days. In the end, the Poles had to use shovels to clear the embassy of dead sparrows. Millions of people took part in the activities with merciless efficiency. An account published in the Shanghai newspaper reported that 194,432 sparrows were killed on a single day. To encourage people to participate contests were held among government workers and school children, and non-material rewards were give to those who handed in the largest number of tails of rats, or dead flies and mosquitoes, or dead sparrows. The movement became something of a sport, for the children at least, who participated with great enthusiasm. Over the next three years, approximately one billion sparrows, 1.5 billion rats, 100 million kilograms of flies and 11 million kilograms of mosquitos were killed. Although the eradication program was inordinately successful, it came at a great cost. A direct consequence of the Four Pests Campaign was the Great Famine. It became painfully obvious to the Chinese that the sparrows ate more than grains. They also ate insects. With their primary predator gone, insects wrecked havoc on crops and consequentially, rice yields decreased. Locust populations also ballooned, swarming the country and compounding the ecological problems already caused by the Great Leap Forward, including widespread deforestation and misuse of poisons and pesticides. By the time Mao terminated the programbut not before replacing sparrows with bed bugs in the Four Pests listbetween 20 to 50 million people had died of starvation. The gruesome episode serves as a lesson for mankind as to what can happen when unadvised changes are made to an ecosystem. Unfortunately, no lesson was learned. In 1998, a similar program was launched in Chongqing. A poster spotted at Southwest Agricultural University directed people to Get rid of the Four Pests, only this time, sparrows were replaced with cockroaches. Again in 2004, China began to cull civet cats in an effort to contain the spread of the SARS virus, even though no evidence has been found linking the cat to the virus. According to the BBC article, officials also planned to launch a patriotic health campaign targeting rats and cockroaches, which is eerily similar to Maos Great Sparrow Campaign. The delusion that man could conquer nature was one of the most defiant philosophy of Maoone that has left a poisoned legacy in China. Mao had famously said in 1958make the high mountain bow its head, make the river yield the way. China continues to disrespect nature exploiting its natural resources and doing little to stop its degradation, the consequence of which is now seen in the countrys many environmental issues ranging from pollution, deforestation, climate change and natural disaster. The Google Pixel 8 is the only device in the series that will get a price bump in the US, based on a recent report. Well, both Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro could cost more in some markets. Both the Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro are said to cost more in some markets Roland Quandt, a well-known tipster, has just revealed price tags for the two phones in the UK. The Pixel Watch 2 is also a part of the report. The Pixel 8 will start at 699, the Pixel 8 Pro at 999, while the Pixel Watch 2 will set you back 349. Advertisement Advertisement If this info ends up being true, the Pixel 8 will be 100 more expensive than its predecessor. The Pixel 8 Pro will cost 150 more than the Pixel 7 Pro, while the Pixel Watch 2 will see a 10 price bump. In the US, however, the Pixel 8 will cost $699, which is $100 more than its predecessor. The Pixel 8 Pro is said to cost $899, which is the same price tag the Pixel 7 Pro carried. Now, the UK price tag could mean that well price bumps in other European countries too. If we had to guess, wed say that both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will cost more in EU countries, not just in the UK. Chances are theyll both cost more in a ton of markets, actually The pricing will be market-dependent, and it could differ from one country to the next, when it comes to Europe, of course. It will be interesting to see how much will the devices cost in other countries around the world. Its possible well see price bumps for both devices all over. One thing is for sure, at least the Pixel 8 will cost more, as it costs more in Googles homeland. So, its safe to expect well see price bumps everywhere, compared to the Pixel 7. As a reminder, the companys Pixel 8 series will become official on October 4. Thats when Googles Pixel event will take place, and both devices will be announced, in addition to the Pixel Watch 2. Weve already seen plenty of leaks regarding all three devices, but knowing Google, more will be coming. Hong Kong: Campaign launched to support carers The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today held the Care the Carers Campaign kick-off ceremony to mark the launch of a three-year citywide publicity drive which aims to recognise carers contributions, promote the message of caring for the carers, and appeal to the community to show their support. Officiating at the ceremony, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki expressed gratitude to all carers across the city and noted that the Government will continue to better assist carers through enhanced support, strengthened respite services and stronger financial assistance. He also hoped that all members of the community would collaborate with the Government to enhance support for carers and demonstrate the spirit of the Care the Carers Campaign. To thank carers for their efforts and contributions as well as echo with the Happy Hong Kong Campaign, Mr Chan announced that the SWD will organise the Say Thank You to Carers event which involves the distribution of 10,000 Ocean Park tickets to carers of seniors and people with disabilities. The tickets will be distributed through elderly and rehabilitation service units. Separately, the 24-hour Designated Hotline for Carer Support 182 183, will begin operation from midnight tomorrow. Commissioned by the SWD and operated by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the hotline's 30 lines will be answered by professional social workers. Representatives from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, together with carers, gave a demonstration of the hotline at todays ceremony. Speaking on the hotline's operation, Director of Social Welfare Charmaine Lee pointed out that the social workers will conduct instant assessments on the callers conditions and needs, so that appropriate carer support, referral and outreaching visits can be arranged. She also expressed hope that with the timely support, the hotline will alleviate carers pressure. The Government also announced that starting from next month, the Support for Carers Project will be extended to cover disabled people and their carers in need. As such, property management workers can better utilise community resources to support carers of senior citizens as well as people with disabilities. The SWD appealed to the property management sectors continual support for the enhanced project. Furthermore, a Shue Yan University representative briefed the ceremony participants on the Information Gateway for Carers to be launched in November, which aims to help carers obtain comprehensive and updated information. With the launch of the Care the Carers Campaign, the SWD will also roll out new TV and radio announcements in the public interest, and a series of promotional activities tomorrow, to call on public support for carers and a carer-friendly community. This story has been published on: 2023-09-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Online classes provide more possibilities for international cooperation in education between China, ASEAN People's Daily Online) 10:07, September 25, 2023 In recent years, the digitalization of education has gained widespread attention. With the deep integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data into education, new products and applications have emerged, such as 5G virtual simulation teaching, "AI plus sports" smart playgrounds, and intelligent learning diagnosis, which are frequently used in teaching scenarios. Online classes have provided more possibilities for international cooperation in education. Students of Guizhou Vocational College of Culture and Tourism host a livestream during the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Promoting broader educational exchanges and cooperation through high-quality digital education was a hot topic for many participants during the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, which was recently held in southwest China's Guizhou Province. During the event, a live-streamed class on Chinese culture was given by a teacher from Guizhou University to students at the Confucius Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia. The live-streamed class was offered on a platform called built by China Mobile Group Guizhou Co., Ltd. and jointly developed and operated by China Mobile (Chengdu) Industrial Research Institute. As the first comprehensive smart education service platform primarily targeting ASEAN countries and countries participating in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the platform focuses on the practical needs of China-ASEAN education cooperation and exchanges, and has rolled out functions such as course sharing, multi-mode and multilingual online teaching, and one-stop services. The platform also integrates university resources and offers special courses such as textile batik and liquor tasting. Data shows that after a year of construction and development, the platform currently supports access from 11 ASEAN countries, with 62 universities being the first to join. On Aug. 29, 2023, the China-ASEAN Digital Education Alliance was established, which is an important measure to implement the outcomes of the third China-ASEAN Education Minister Roundtable Conference. The alliance is committed to jointly promoting comprehensive, pragmatic, and inclusive high-quality education cooperation partnerships between China and ASEAN countries in the digital era. Nearly 60 institutions from China, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries have applied to join the alliance. The secretariat of the alliance, the "China-ASEAN Digital Education Cooperation Center," is located at the Open University of China. Members of the alliance will conduct cooperation in strengthening research on digital education, promoting the construction and sharing of high-quality digital education resources, advancing the formulation of digital education standards, improving the infrastructure of digital education, and enhancing digital education capacity building. Prospero E. De Vera III, Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman, believes that the development of high-quality digital education and the establishment of a technological network and teaching support environment can create opportunities for collaboration under BRI. "By establishing the China-ASEAN Digital Education Alliance, we hope that learners from China and ASEAN countries can access high-quality educational resources and lifelong learning opportunities at lower costs and with more flexibility. This will contribute to the transformation of education digitization and the innovation of digital education paradigms," said Wang Qiming, President of the Open University of China. The advent of digital technology has significantly expanded the possibilities for vocational education. The integration of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies into 5G virtual simulation training platforms has transformed classrooms into interactive and immersive learning environments. In July 2023, China's Ministry of Education issued a notice to expedite the reform and development of the modern vocational education system. The notice emphasized the need to establish virtual simulation training bases for vocational education and make effective use of new-generation information technologies like VR and digital twins. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Two Americans are accusing the Federal Bureau of Investigation of losing or stealing property seized from them in a raid. Institute for Justice attorney Joe Gay told Fox News that all they knew was that their client's belongings had been in a locked box. They have no idea what occurred after the FBI opened it. On behalf of individuals whose possessions were confiscated by the FBI from their safety deposit boxes during a raid on US Private Vaults in Beverly Hills in March 2021, the Institute for Justice filed two complaints on Friday, September 22. US Private Vaults, the subject of an FBI investigation, was forced to close after the 2021 raid and later admitted responsibility for a cocaine money laundering operation. Missing Cash and Gold Coins After winning in court and having the FBI agree to restore their belongings, Don Mellein and Jeni Pearsons found that some of their belongings were gone. They blame the FBI's sloppy raid or sticky fingers for the loss. Mellein, a 79-year-old retiree from government service, used the box to store hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and 110 gold coins. Pearsons and her husband, Michael Storc, like many other people, hid roughly $20,000 in silver and $2,000 in cash in a safety deposit box in 2017. Neither Mellein nor Pearson faced any criminal charges. Through a procedure known as civil forfeiture, the FBI took possession of the property of Mellein and Pearsons and 1,400 other customers and then notified them of their intention to retain ownership of the property. See Also: Alex Murdaugh Pleads Guilty to 22 Counts of Financial Fraud, Money Laundering for Stealing Millions of Dollars Retrieval of Belongings Pearsons worked with the Institute for Justice to pursue compensation for her stolen possessions, while Mellein retained legal counsel at a cost of $40,000. They both ultimately succeeded, but when visiting the agency's Los Angeles headquarters to collect their belongings, they discovered that some of their possessions were missing. The money in Mellein's box was returned to him, but none of his 110 gold pieces were. The FBI did not seem to have any record of the lost coins since they were not included in the inventory of his box. In August 2021, Mellein filed a lawsuit against the government to compel the return of the coins. After many months, the government located and returned 47 of them but informed Melleine he needed to drop his case and submit a claim with the FBI in order to recover the other 63. After Mellein filed his claim in March 2023, the FBI notified him it had examined itself and found no wrongdoing or carelessness. Pearsons also found that her box containing $2,000 in cash was empty when she tried to retrieve her belongings in 2021. The cases filed by the Institute for Justice seek to restore Mellein and Pearson's property and to provide victims of civil forfeiture with the legal recourse they need to hold government entities accountable when their property is taken without due process. See Also: Investigator Suggests Rebuilding Mississippi Police Department After Mistrial Issue @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsungs Galaxy S23 lineup is now getting its fourth One UI 6.0 beta update. As expected, it brings a handful of bug fixes as the company prepares to roll out the stable build, which should arrive in late October. The Korean firm hasnt officially announced the schedule yet. One UI 6.0 is Samsungs Android 14-based custom software for Galaxy devices. The company opened the beta program for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra in the second week of August. It has since expanded the program to the Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy S21 series, and a few mid-range models while making the update available in more markets. Advertisement Advertisement Over the past one and a half months, Samsung has pushed multiple beta builds to the Galaxy S23 phones. It has just released the fourth update for the trio. The update comes with the firmware build number ZWIC (via) and patches some bugs present in the previous build. Samsung says it has fixed an issue that caused onboarding problems when trying to log into Samsung Pass. It has also addressed the problem of Galaxy S23 phones failing to detect the answer the call voice command while receiving a call. When using gesture navigation, the phones had issues executing Google Assistant using the swipe-up feature. Samsung has patched this bug as well. The official changelog supplied by Samsung further mentions many other improvements without going into details. Additionally, Samsung has outlined some issues that are unresolved with One UI 6.0 Beta 4. You still cant capture motion photos. The Kids app remains unsupported as well. The company has been saying that it will add support in September but hasnt gotten around to doing that yet. You should avoid entering the repair mode too. Samsung says doing so might make the phone enter an infinite reboot loop. The One UI 6.0 stable update might land on the Galaxy S23 in a month Samsung may have yet to officially reveal its stable One UI 6.0 update roadmap, but all signs are pointing at a first stable rollout in late October. As you might expect, the Galaxy S23 series will get the update first. Other flagship models, including foldables, will follow soon. If history is any indication, the company may cover most of the eligible models and a few mid-range models with Android 14-based One UI 6.0 before the end of the year. We will keep you posted with all future beta and stable releases. Google is one of those companies that just cant stay out of trouble. Based on the market, the company has to raise its ad prices from time to time. Thats not an issue, price hikes are natural. However, according to Ad Week (via Search Engine Land), Google faces an accusation of downplaying just how much it needs to raise its ad prices. Right now, Google is the subject of an antitrust trial (shocker, right?), and the company did admit that it raises its prices without telling its customers. Thats bad in and of itself. Nobody likes random price increases without their knowing. The company said that it raises the prices by as much as 5% at times with a maximum of 10% without notifying customers. Advertisement Advertisement But, Google is being accused of downplaying how much it hikes its ad prices A 5-10% hike isnt great, but its not terrible. However, some folks believe that the search giant wasnt being honest about its claim. In a statement to Ad Week, Iriss VP of media Christine Yang stated that Google actually raises its prices much higher without telling the customers. She said that the company goes as far as doubling the price without telling the customers, and it went higher in some cases. For example, Yang said that the CPC (cost per click) for a brand campaign focused on a niche market was about $11.74. Well, over the past six months, that jumped to about $25.85, a 108% increase in the price. In another example, Giovanni Sollazzo, the CEO of media agency Aidem, said that the CPC for an ad went up from 26 to 53, thats roughly a 180% increase. Thats bad enough as is, but the fact that the customers didnt get any heads-up about these price increases makes it worse. If the company is found guilty of this practice, that wont bode well for the case. Right now, Google is trying to prove that its not an evil monopoly. It already has a large grip on the ad market. If its freely hiking its prices, then it could face some consequences. Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are scheduled for launch on October 4. Thanks to an X tipster, we know how much they will cost in the US market. The previous seven generations of Google Pixel have strengthened their foothold in the market. Now, millions of fans worldwide are waiting for the unveiling of the eighth generation. The Pixel series could challenge flagships from other companies by offering a pack of solid hardware and a pure taste of Android at a competitive price. Advertisement Advertisement The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to follow the same path. According to the latest information, the Pixel 8 starting price in the US is $699. The price also soars to $899 for Pixel 8 Pro. The information comes from a screenshot from Google and confirms the devices wont get a price hike. This is how much the Google Pixel 8 series costs in the US Some high-quality renders from the Google Pixel 8 series were leaked a few days ago that demonstrated the phone in all angles and colors. As for the design, there isnt much difference between the seventh and eighth generations. However, the Pixel 8 Pro camera array now puts all three modules in an elongated oval instead of separating them. Google added Obsidian Black, Porcelain, and Sky Blue colors to the Pixel 8 Pro lineup. The screenshot also gives even more details about the hardware and camera. The Google Pixel 8 uses a Tensor G3 chip with 8GB of RAM. We also know the phones rear camera consists of a 50MP wide module and a 12MP ultrawide with Macro Focus. A 10.5MP front camera is also there. The Google Pixel 8 Pro will launch with the same Tensor G3 processor, but it has 12GB of RAM under the hood. The device has a triple camera setup, which includes a 50MP wide module, a 48MP ultrawide with Macro focus, and a 48MP lens with 5x telephoto. The selfie camera also has a 10.5MP lens. Based on the current information, the Pixel 8 series has slightly improved over the previous generation, and no revolutionary upgrade is waiting for you. A faster processor and a better camera. Thats all that you get. Recent research reveals the dominance of Samsung mobile shares, which stand tall in 95 countries. This research is sorted out to find the market shares of various smartphone brands per country. It brought insight into the standing of various brands in different countries around the world, pointing out which brands are most prominent in which countries. The exercise highlighted the prominence of seven smartphone brands in over 171 countries around the world. Among the list of smartphone brands in this research are Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO, Tecno, Vivo, and Huawei. After concluding this research, the folks at Electronics Hub were able to prove that Samsung and Apple exert so much influence on the smartphone industry. Advertisement Advertisement In a total of 95 countries, Samsung stands tall as having the most mobile shares, which is great for the Android community. Apple on their part stands tall in a total of 51 countries, and this leaves just 25 countries for the remaining five smartphone brands. In this article, youll find out some countries where Samsung leads in mobile shares. More details on the report pointing out Samsung mobile share in various countries around the world From this research report, netizens can now see that Samsung exerts a ton of influence on certain continents. In continents like South America and Africa, Samsung dominates mobile shares, leaving crumbs for other brands. Samsung has the highest mobile shares in all South American countries except Venezuela. In Africa, Samsung dominates all countries as well, except for 16 countries. Moving to Europe, Samsung also exerts some level of influence in the smartphone market. As for the Asian market, Samsung shows little control of the mobile share aside from South Korea and a few other countries. Apple follows Samsung closely in terms of mobile shares, leading the market in America, Australia, and Europe. Following at a distance are the likes of Xiaomi, Tecno, Vivo, OPPO, and Huawei. Tecno follows Samsung closely in mobile shares in Africa, with Apple taking the lead in two countries. Surprisingly, despite all the sanctions, Huawei tops the mobile shares in Togo. In Fuji, Samsung controls a whopping 74% of the smartphone market, which is very impressive. Apple, on the other hand, controls 69.79% of the smartphone market in Japan. These are the highest shares any smartphone company holds in any country in the world. Samsung is dominating in certain countries thanks to its wide array of devices to pick from while shopping. Other smartphone brands like OnePlus and Google Pixel are also trying to catch up with the competition in certain regions. (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 25 - A former priest has fulfilled his wish of marrying his partner in church, six years after quitting the clergy to be with the woman he loves. Achille Melegari, 63, and Gerardina Bellassai, 62, were already married in the eyes of the law after tying the knot at a civil ceremony, but not in the eyes of God. That situation has been rectified after Melegari obtained a dispensation from the Holy See, following some 30 years of ministry in various parishes in Emilia Romagna, and Bellassai had a previous marriage annulled, Qn-il Resto del Carlino reported. As a result they were able to wed in a religious ceremony at the church of the Oratorio Madonna della Neve at Cavola di Toano in the Apennines. The couple met in a parish church when Melegari was still a priest and Bellassai was the coordinator of the Reggio Emilia City Angels, a group of volunteers that help the homeless, migrants, drug addicts and prostitutes. "We have finally crowned our dream of getting married in church," they said "Despite the spite directed at us, we are believers and Catholics. Love triumphs always". (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 25 - Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner on Monday described as "nonsense" the move by Guinness World Records to strip him of his record as the first person to climb the world's 14 mountains over 8,000 m. The decision came after German mountaineering reporter Eberhard Jurgalski claimed Messner and Hans Kammerlander failed to reach the summit of Annapurna, in Nepal, in 1985. It's "Nonsense", the 79-year-old from Funes in Italy's Alpine Alto Adige region told ANSA. "First of all, I have never claimed any records, so they cannot disown me," he said. "Also, mountains change. Almost 40 years have passed, if someone has climbed Annapurna it was certainly Hans and I," added Messner. One of Italy's most illustrious extreme mountaineers, Messner made the first solo ascent of Mt Everest without bottled oxygen in 1980. Since then he has gone on to break numerous other records and inspired generations of mountain climbers. He has also given his name to a network of Mountain Museums in Alto Adige. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 25 - A 48-year-old woman died from her injuries at a Palermo burns unit on Monday after being doused with flammable liquid and set on fire by her partner during the night between Friday and Saturday. When Anna Elisa Fontana, from the Sicilian island of Pantelleria, was admitted to hospital with 70% burns on Saturday doctors said her condition was "desperate". Her partner Onofrio Bronzolino, aged 52, also suffered burns in the incident and is receiving hospital treatment under police surveillance. Italy has been grappling with a long string of femicides and other acts of gender-based violence with much soul-searching about what needs to be done. On Friday the Council of Europe said it was worried about Italy's figures regarding violence against women. The human rights body's Committee of Ministers said that it "notes with concern" that the data provided by Rome "show a persistently high percentage of domestic and sexual violence proceedings shelved at the preliminary investigation stage, the limited use of protection orders and a significant rate of violations of them". It committee expressed its disquiet after reviewing the measures taken by Italy to resolve the problems that led the European Court of Human Rights to condemn it several times due to its "ineffective response" to complaints made by women victims of violence. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 25 - Italy would have expected assistance and solidarity in a moment of difficulty related to the uptick in migrant arrivals by sea, said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Sunday in his reply to further statements by a German foreign ministry on Berlin's decision to fund NGOs working for migrants and refugees at sea and on land in Italy. "With regard to the recent and renewed statements on the work of the Italian government and, in particular, on the issue of the rescue of migrants and the funding of NGOs, I would like to respectfully remind the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, who I answer personally because I do not have a 'spokesman' myself, that I would have expected help and solidarity in a moment of difficulty, as we Italians are in the habit of doing with all countries when they are in difficulty," said Crosetto. "It comes naturally to us Italians. As for the issue in question, I merely pointed out in an interview that their response was instead almost exclusively to assist and fund German and other NGOs," he continued. His comments came after the German foreign ministry on Sunday reiterated through a spokesperson that it is "currently implementing a financial support programme set up by the German Bundestag to support both civil rescue at sea and projects on land for people rescued at sea" involving 790,000 euros worth of funding to the German NGO SOS Humanity to perform search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean. Separately, the lay Catholic Sant'Egidio Community charity said on Friday it had signed a fresh deal with Berlin to fund migrant activities in Italy, as part of a years-long relationship. The German foreign ministry spokesperson also responded to claims by Crosetto in an interview to la Stampa that the decision to fund the NGO was "very serious", saying that "saving people who drown and find themselves in distress at sea is a legal, humanitarian and moral duty". "As far as sea rescues are concerned, I would like to remind our German friends that those carried out by NGOs account for just 5%, while the Italian institutions, particularly the coast guard, finance police and navy, whose institutional duties include rescuing people in distress at sea, account for most of the rescues," replied Crosetto. "If Germany had the fate of people in distress at heart and really wanted to help us save lives, it could help build what we call the 'Mattei plan' for Africa, seriously combat the criminals who traffic in human beings, and lend a hand to the military and civil institutions of the Italian Republic," he added. The Mattei plan is a project announced by Premier Giorgia Meloni earlier this year and named after Enrico Mattei, the founder of oil company Eni, focusing on cooperation on energy with African countries and on curbing irregular migration. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 25 - French President Emmanuel Macron is to attend the state funeral of two-time former president Giorgio Napolitano in Rome on Tuesday, sources said on Monday. The report has been confirmed by the French presidential office at the Elisee Palace. The funeral will take the form of a non-religious ceremony in the main chamber of the Lower House at Palazzo Montecitorio at 11:30 local time. (ANSA). Philippines officials claim they have knocked down a Chinese-built floating barrier blocking Filipino fishing vessels from accessing a disputed region in the South China Sea. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. explicitly ordered such action. "The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk," the Philippines coast guard stated. The 'Floating Barrier' Manila claims China's construction of a 300-meter-long (1,000-foot-long) artificial barrier at the Scarborough Shoal is an infringement on Philippine fishing rights. This shoal was called "an integral part of the Philippine national territory." The shoal was taken by China in 2012, and the country now claims more than 90% of the South China Sea. According to Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela, a patrol found the barrier on Friday, September 22. He said the barrier was set up when the Philippine ship arrived. Reportedly, it was constructed by three Chinese coast guard vessels and a Chinese maritime militia service boat. The Chinese boats issued 15 radio challenges, during which they accused the Philippine ship and fishermen of breaking international and Chinese law. When they realized that there were journalists on board, the Chinese boats left. Also Read: Philippines Slams China's Floating Barrier in Contested South China Sea, Claiming It Prevents Filipinos From Fishing The Disputed South China Sea According to BBC, Japan has called for peace in order to highlight the importance of the South China Sea to the stability of the region. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said during a routine news briefing, "Our country strongly opposes any conduct that heightens tension in the South China Sea." There is speculation that large oil and gas deposits exist in the South China Sea, which is also a productive fishing area. The region supports the activities of more than half of the world's fishing boats. China has enraged the Philippines and Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei with its territorial claims, which cover both land and the oceans immediately around it. China has built islands and conducted naval patrols to support its vast claims. Even while the United States claims it stays out of territorial disputes, it has dispatched warships and aircraft to contested islands in the name of "freedom of navigation" operations. After ties improved under previous President Rodrigo Duterte, China permitted Filipinos to fish in the disputed area. But since Marcos Jr. took office as president last year, tensions have risen. In early 2023, President Marcos Jr. allowed American forces greater access to Philippine military outposts after mending fences with the US on the security front. Also Read: Philippines Seeks Legal Options Against Beijing Over Coral Reefs Destruction Within EEZ in South China Sea @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 25 - The government is working fast on the fifth installment of the EU-funded post-COVID National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) aimed at making the Italian economy greener and more modern, Premier Giorgia Meloni said Monday. Monday's 'control room' meeting on the plan was "useful to take note of the work carried out in these first 11 months of government," she said. "In the next few days we are awaiting the third installment, in the last few days we formally requested the fourth, and we are working fast to reach the milestones of the fifth and for the overall revision of the plan, which includes the REPowerEU chapter," she said. (ANSA). A jury has retired to consider its verdict in the case of a man accused of fatally stabbing another clubber on the dancefloor. Edward Wilson is accused of murdering 29-year-old Akeem Francis-Kerr at Valeshas nightclub in Walsall just after 5am on March 11. Mr Francis-Kerr died within an hour of being stabbed in the neck in what prosecutors say was a dispute over who was standing where in the nightclub. During his trial at Stafford Crown Court, Wilson, 39, admitted there had been a scuffle between the pair after he returned from the toilet to find Mr Francis-Kerr was standing where he had been, and said they both threw punches at each other, but denied stabbing him. Taking to the witness stand on Thursday, Wilson told the jury his friend had admitted to him after they left the club that he had stabbed Mr Francis-Kerr during the altercation, but he was too scared to tell the police that when he was arrested and questioned on suspicion of murder. The jury, of six men and six women, were told by judge Kristina Montgomery KC that they could consider an alternative charge of manslaughter. Closing the crowns case on Friday, prosecutor Maria Karaiskos KC urged the jury not to be distracted by what she called the defendants dishonesty throughout the trial. She said: Members of the jury, please do not allow the wool to be pulled over your eyes. It is dishonest, it is desperate, and it is a distraction. When you look at the evidence, the only verdict is guilty of murder. Closing the defence case, Wilsons representative, Nigel Edwards KC, said it was a case of male bravado and stupidity that ended in tragedy. They were exchanging blows, it doesnt matter who started it. But if (Wilson) had a knife in his right hand, where were the stab wounds to Akeems face? We know there were no further knife wound injuries to his face. He told the jury that if they could not be sure that it was Mr Wilson who stabbed Mr Francis-Kerr, they should find him not guilty. Sending them out to start deliberations, the judge said the jury should not feel the pressure of time and should come to a unanimous verdict. Michael Thomas has installed a stone gargoyle at one end of of his building project to ridicule a local councillor who he believes holds a grudge against him. (SWNS) A disgruntled builder has erected a gargoyle on his roof that resembles a town councilor who rejected his planning request. Michael Thomas, 71, was furious when his plan to convert an old pizza takeaway into a three-storey, seven bedroom, house in multiple occupation (HMO), was rejected. Trowbridge Town Council leader Stewart Palmen objected to the project and put an enforcement notice in place to halt the building project. Thomas has now taken his revenge by placing a stone gargoyle of Palmen on his roof. The effigy - sporting half-moon spectacles and sticking his tongue out - now adorns the side of the disputed property in the Wiltshire town. Palmen, 61, said he was "flattered" by the gargoyle which appeared on the building last week. He said: It's just been quite amusing. He just started constructing [the HMO] without any planning permission in 2020. Councillor Stewart Palmen says he is 'flattered' by the stone effigy. (SWNS) I reported him to enforcement and in the end, he applied, and it was refused along with his appeals. He's taken it quite personally and believes the council have dobbed him in. He seems to have vendetta against myself but I quite like gargoyle and would love for it to stay. I dont have an issue with it but there is a serious side to it, theres a court date on the fact he hasnt returned the building to what it was. Michael Thomas previously erected a banner protesting against Wiltshire Planning Department. (SWNS) Thomas found himself at the centre of legal action from Wiltshire Council after he continued building work on the Newtown property despite an enforcement notice. After being issued a temporary stop notice on the project, he vowed to complete the conversion. Following objections from Palmen and local residents, the stop notice was superseded by an enforcement notice in September 2020. Thomas then applied for planning permission which was refused by Wiltshire Council in June 2022. The council refused the project saying it "detracts from the character and appearance of the area". In May this year, an inspector upheld the council's decision after Thomas launched yet another appeal. In retaliation, the builder launched a protest against the council by attaching a banner to the scaffolding around the property. Michael Thomas believes Trowbridge Town Council 'hinder' independent developers. (SWNS) Read more It read: Wiltshire council invests time and energy in green field developments and long developers outside and around Trowbridge at a profit while actively hindering small building developers trying to fill a need for accommodation for those who do not qualify for the more expensive out of town accommodation. The building itself is not listed, but is located in a conservation area. In June Thomas said he was even willing to go to prison over the dispute. He fumed: They dont follow the rules, they make them up as they go along. "If council officers are not following the rules, why should I? I am going to carry on building against their order and allow them to take me to court. I am not afraid of going to jail, I have been jailed twice before and Im told that these days they have toilets and televisions so I dont think that it will be a hardship. Michael Thomas has installed a stone gargoyle at one end of of his building project to ridicule a local councillor who he believes holds a grudge against him. (SWNS) Thomas has been ordered to attend Swindon Magistrates' Court on 27 October to face a charge of failing to comply with the enforcement notice. Can you turn a commercial property into residential in the UK? Until 2015, there were strict restrictions on converting commercial spaces, such as high street retail premises, warehouses and industrial units into residential property. However, changes to the law under the Tory/Lib Dem coalition relaxed this and made it much easier to convert commercial to residential property. Since 2015, many commercial buildings have been eligible to be converted into homes. However, there are exceptions, for example listed buildings, buildings classed as being within safety hazard areas (such as those on former industrial estates/factory sites), buildings situated on designated areas of outstanding natural beauty, ones within national parks or conservation areas, and those in areas of scientific interest. Planning permission is still often needed, and specific regulations must be adhered to. The property must meet specific size, access, and amenity standards. Strikes in the NHS have become normalised, the head of the service has said, as the number of NHS appointments cancelled because of strikes in England is expected to surpass one million. Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, highlighted the hard situation for the health service as the bitter dispute between the Government and doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) shows no sign of resolve. It comes as NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, estimates the first ever double strike action by junior doctors and consultants last week means the country will reach the damaging and demoralising new milestone in figures set to be announced later on Monday. Industrial action began in December 2022, with the official number of inpatient and outpatient appointments and operations cancelled currently standing at 885,154, according to NHS England. If community and mental health figures are included, the total is more than 940,000 although this will not reflect the overall number of actual cancellations, due to some duplication of data. In a message to healthcare leaders across England, Ms Pritchard wrote: I know for providers in particular last week was another very challenging one dealing with industrial action. From the clerical teams who have to explain to understandably frustrated patients that their appointments or procedures need to be rescheduled, to our clinical leaders who have to balance the rights of colleagues to withhold labour with the need to maintain the safety of patients, we know that while industrial action becomes more normalised for the public as time goes on for many of those caught in the middle it feels harder and harder. Junior doctors and consultants on the picket line outside University College Hospital, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Colleagues displayed heroic effort again last week, and there will be little, if any, downtime before planning starts for the next round of action. Further joint strikes are planned next week on October 2, 3 and 4 where both junior doctors and consultants in England will provide Christmas Day cover only. Commenting on the strike impact data, Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said: The immediate concern has to be with patients more than a million and counting whose care or treatment has been delayed. Trust leaders understand only too well the distress this can bring them and their loved ones. Every effort has been made to mitigate the impact of successive strikes but the rising disruption figures tell only a small part of the story. With the official tally of figures capturing those procedures and appointments that we know are rescheduled, thousands more patients will be affected because trusts are simply not booking in care for strike days known well in advance. (PA Graphics) Behind every delay there is a real and human cost. How many more reasons are needed for an end to the dispute? She told Sky News that resolving the dispute will help to bring down the record backlog of care in the NHS. One of Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks key priorities is to cut the NHS waiting list in England which currently stands at a record 7.68 million. I think the critical thing here is that its absolutely in the Governments gift and the unions gift to come round the table, have the conversations and resolve the strike action, Ms Cordery said. If we resolve the strike action, then we will be in a position where we can start to bring down the waiting list. This week, consultants have shown that now more than ever, we will not be silenced. The Government can play whatever games they like, but we will continue, stronger than ever, to #FixConsultantPay. Thoughts from the first joint action picket lines this week pic.twitter.com/Snn3lkgplr BMA Consultants (@BMA_Consultants) September 22, 2023 Professor Phil Banfield, council chairman of the BMA, said: The last thing we ever want is to cause further disruption to the patients in our care and I am extremely sorry that it has come to this. But these strikes are about the long-term sustainability of the NHS and ensuring there are trained doctors around to care for all patients in the future. It is doctors, with their skills and expertise, who have continued treating patients despite years of relative pay erosion, a pandemic that was a brutal experience for doctors, nurses and other carers as well as so many families and the challenges of dealing with the worst waiting lists in the NHSs history which have impacted patient care across the last decade and more. It is the Government that chooses not to acknowledge the cost and value of medical care it is in their hands to safeguard the retention and recruitment of doctors in the NHS for years to come. Appointments in England have been cancelled due to strikes (James Manning/PA) The longer the Government buries its head in the sand, the more both strikes and waiting lists cost the public purse. Its a no-brainer to invest in the future of the NHS workforce rather than waste further money refusing to pitch a credible pay offer. Our door has been open for over a year and we hope for the sake of our patients that the Government eventually listens. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: The co-ordinated action next week will create further unacceptable disruption for patients and fellow NHS staff. We accepted the independent pay review bodys recommendations in full, meaning doctors who started their hospital training this year are receiving a 10.3% pay increase, with the average junior doctor getting 8.8%. Consultants are receiving a 6% pay rise and are already in the top 2% of earners in the country. This pay award is final, and the majority of unions representing over one million other NHS workers have accepted our offer and called off further strike action. The Health and Social Care Secretary is clear his door is open to discuss non-pay issues if the BMA call an end to this damaging disruption. More than 250 climate activists have staged a protest outside crown courts in various UK cities against the decision by the Attorney Generals Office to prosecute fellow activist Trudi Warner. The 68-year-old retired social worker from Walthamstow, east London, was arrested in March after allegedly communicating to jurors with a sign during the trial of Insulate Britain protesters. Warner is said to have held a sign saying: Jurors, you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience, as members of the jury arrived at Inner London Crown Court on March 27. Judge Silas Reid had instructed jurors to decide the case according to the law and evidence and set aside any views they might have about climate change. The Attorney Generals Office said last week it was moving forward with legal proceedings against Warner, who could face a maximum penalty of two years in prison or a fine if convicted of contempt of court. 1. BREAKING: TODAY, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NATIONWIDE replicate the action of #TrudiWarner, the 68 year-old retired social worker, threatened with prison for upholding the law on a sign pic.twitter.com/gz0SnSwovF Plan B Earth (@PlanB_earth) September 25, 2023 Dr Abi Perrin, a molecular biologist in York who is also with the group Scientists For Extinction Rebellion, said: In 2023, telling the truth is being treated as a criminal act, with people prosecuted for displaying facts in public and imprisoned for explaining their motivations in their own defence in a court of law. I am deeply afraid of a world where truth, science and morality are not important, or where we are not free to fight for them. The protesters sat with signs similar to Warners outside crown courts in Bristol, Manchester, London and other cities as jurors arrived for their respective trials. They said if Warner was arrested for her sign, then all 252 activists should face the same treatment, daring the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC to take further action. Vivi MacDonald, 19, in Bristol, said: The continuous measures by the Government to limit protest are threatening everyones freedom and ability to take action or express their opinion based on our own conscience in the light of the urgent need for social, political and environmental change. Warners case will be heard at the High Court on a date yet to be announced, it is understood. The Attorney Generals Office has been contacted for comment. The Prime Minister has said armed police need clarity about the legal powers they have as he backed a Home Office review after an officer was charged with the murder of Chris Kaba. Scores of Metropolitan Police officers stood down from firearms duties following the charge against one of their colleagues. Cover has been drafted in from neighbouring forces and the military could be used in the event of a terror attack, but soldiers do not have the authority to be used in routine policing. The Met said on Monday that the majority of armed officers on duty in London were still from the force, as it denied rumours that all its firearms officers had stepped back from their duties. The forces commissioner Sir Mark Rowley welcomed a review into the situation, which Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she had ordered to ensure armed officers have the confidence to do their job. The Scotland Yard chief said armed officers needed sufficient legal protection to enable them to do their job. Rishi Sunak said it wouldnt be right for him to comment on the case of the unnamed officer charged over the shooting of unarmed rapper Mr Kaba, 24, who was killed in September last year in Streatham Hill, south London. But the Conservative Party leader said the guidance to firearms patrols needed to be reviewed to make sure it is robust and that it commands both public and police confidence. It comes after a Met Police officer appeared in court on Thursday in relation to the death of Mr Kaba, who died after being shot through an Audi car windscreen. The officer accused of his murder is named only as NX121 after a district judge granted an anonymity order. Since the charge was announced, more than 100 officers have reportedly handed in permits allowing them to carry weapons, prompting the Met to turn to the military for assistance. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backed a Home Office review into armed police guidelines (Hollie Adams/PA) The Prime Minister, speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a community centre in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, on Monday, said: Our firearms officers do an incredibly difficult job. They are making life or death decisions in a split second to keep us safe and they deserve our gratitude for their bravery. Now it is important when they are using these legal powers that they do so with clarity and they have certainty about what they are doing, especially given the lethality they are using. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said the Home Office review was expected to be finalised by the end of the year. He refused to confirm whether the Prime Minister knew about the appraisal of armed officer guidance before it was announced by Mrs Braverman on Sunday. In an open letter to the Home Secretary published on Sunday, Met boss Sir Mark suggested legal changes over the way self-defence is interpreted in police misconduct cases. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said firearms officers need legal protections (James Manning/PA) He also put forward the introduction of a criminal standard of proof for unlawful killing in inquests and inquiries, along with changes to the threshold at which the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) can launch an investigation. Sir Mark said: There is a concern on the part of firearms officers that even if they stick to the tactics and training they have been given, they will face years of protracted legal proceedings which impact on their personal wellbeing and that of their family. While previous reviews have been announced, they have not delivered change. Carrying a firearm is voluntary. We rely on officers who are willing to put themselves at risk on a daily basis to protect the public from dangerous criminals including terrorists. Officers need sufficient legal protection to enable them to do their job and keep the public safe, and the confidence that it will be applied consistently and without fear or favour. Chris Kaba was killed during a police shooting last year (Inquest/PA) Sir Mark called for time limits for IOPC and Crown Prosecution Service processes to reduce the punitive impact on officers facing lengthy investigations. He also suggested that more contextual information about incidents could be released to ensure public confidence in policing. The Metropolitan Police Federation, the group which represents officers from the rank of constable to chief inspector in the Met, offered Sir Mark its support following the publication of his letter. The federation said: Colleagues should not fear for their liberty and livelihoods for simply doing the job the public expect of us. Downing Street has insisted that Londoners remain safe following the interim firearms support measures arranged by the Met, pointing out that requests for Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (Maca) had been made in previous years and that it was not unusual for police forces to share resources. Housing minister Rachel Maclean told LBC: They will be doing everything they can these are trained professionals, and their job is to put themselves into harms way in the line of duty. She denied that armed officers were stepping away from protecting the public, telling Sky News their decision to hand back their firearms permits was likely to have been taken reluctantly. Rishi Sunak has been warned by senior Tories not to scrap the HS2 rail line to Manchester ahead of the Conservative conference in the city. The Prime Minister is considering whether to scrap or delay the leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester in response to soaring costs. Cabinet minister Grant Shapps said it would be crazy not to reconsider the project in the light of the rising price tag and the UKs economic situation. But former chancellor George Osborne and ex-deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine warned that axing the Manchester route would be a gross act of vandalism which would mean abandoning the North and Midlands. Writing in The Times, they warned Mr Sunak: Governments are remembered for what they build and create. Make this mistake and yours may only be known for what it cancelled and curtailed. If the northern section was cancelled the remaining stump, little more than a shuttle service from Birmingham to a London suburb, would become an international symbol of our decline, they said. George Osborne warned against cutting the HS2 project (Danny Lawson/PA) Commons Health Committee chairman Steve Brine said it would look odd to scrap the scheme in the days before Tory MPs and activists arrive in Manchester. He also said he hoped the line would run all the way into central London rather than terminating at Old Oak Common in the capitals western suburbs. It would seem very odd for us to be in Manchester next week and can a project to Manchester, Mr Brine told BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour. It would seem very odd not to bring this new rail line into central London and just stop it at Old Oak Common. So I really hope a way can be found to do this. HS2 puts direct intercity services onto dedicated high speed lines, freeing up space for commuter train services to run on the countrys most heavily congested rail routes. Find out more: https://t.co/Llv4VLhSyv pic.twitter.com/whhaqrzs2i HS2 Ltd (@HS2ltd) September 23, 2023 The Sunday Telegraph reported the potential cost of the high-speed rail scheme which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said is out of control had increased by 8 billion just for the initial London-Birmingham stretch, up from 45 billion. Downing Street and Treasury insiders suggested no timing had yet been fixed for any announcement on the future of the scheme. But the Prime Minister and Chancellor are reported to be meeting to discuss the situation in the coming days. Former transport secretary Mr Shapps used broadcast interviews on Sunday to say the Government could not write an open-ended cheque if costs were inexorably going higher and higher. In a hint that a delay rather than an outright cancellation could be an option, Mr Shapps said: I think the sequencing of what happens next is a perfectly legitimate question. The Independent reported the northern leg of the scheme could be pushed back by up to seven years. A train line which featured in The Railway Children film is among a number of cherished UK institutions such as pubs, museums and sports clubs to be protected with funding. The Government is spending more than 12.3m to secure 45 treasured spaces in villages, towns and cities across the country. A railway bridge which carries the train line over Bridgehouse Beck between Keighley and Oxenhope in Yorkshire, will be rebuilt with 1 million from the Community Ownership Fund. The original bridge, built in 1867, is on the train line featured in dozens of films and television shows, including the 1970 adaptation of Edith Nesbits book. David Pearson, of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society, said: (The funding) means that the long term survival of train services on the railway is ensured and means everything to our railway, our villages and our people. The Community Ownership Fund helps people living in towns and cities across the UK create and restore treasured institutions such as museums, pubs and sports clubs. A new aerospace discovery centre in Kinross, Scotland, and the Vale of Aeron pub in Ystrad Aeron, Wales, frequented by poet Dylan Thomas, have both been given 300,000. The Vale of Aeron pub in Wales which was frequented by poet Dylan Thomas (Alamy/PA) Jacob Young, a levelling up minister, said: Our priority is to support communities and deliver opportunities right across the country, which is why were investing 12.3m to secure the future of cherished community institutions. These places from pubs to historic railway lines are the golden thread which run through our social fabric, and keeping them going is vital for supporting communities. The Community Ownership Fund, which has now given 49.3 million to 195 projects across the UK, is currently open again for bids and will close on October 11. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., signaled Monday that he will remain in office despite pressure to resign after being indicted on corruption charges. Menendez was defiant as he delivered his first public remarks since the Sept. 22 indictment. He spoke in Union Station, New Jersey, where he started his political career four decades ago. He didn't take any questions from the press. "Everything I've accomplished I've worked for despite the naysayers and everyone who has underestimated me," he said. "I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey's senior senator." MORE: Sen. Bob Menendez indicted again for corruption, allegedly had cash stuffed in coat, gold bars Menendez and his wife, Nadine, are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for wielding his power to enrich three businessmen -- Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daides -- and benefit the Egyptian government. Those bribes, according to prosecutors, included gold bars, a luxury convertible car, home mortgage payments and more. Menendez has denied wrongdoing, stating Monday, "The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations." "A cornerstone of the foundation of American democracy and our justice system is the principle that all people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. All people. I asked for nothing more and deserve nothing less," the senator added. Menendez also defended his longstanding record of defending human rights in Egypt in response to allegations in the indictment that he gave sensitive U.S. government information "that secretly aided the Government of Egypt " and "improperly advised and pressured" a U.S. agricultural official to protect an exclusive contract for Hana to be the exclusive purveyor of halal meat to Egypt, according to the indictment. He also seemed to address the shocking photos of piles of cash that were seen in the indictment. He explained it as an "old fashioned" safety mechanism following persecution of his family in Cuba. "For 30 years I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba," Menendez said. "These were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. I look forward to addressing other issues at trial." PHOTO: Senator Robert Menendez delivers remarks, after he and his wife Nadine Menendez were indicted on bribery offenses in connection with their corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, in Union City, N.J., Sept. 25, 2023. (Mike Segar/Reuters) Menendez has temporarily stepped down from his influential post as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced last week. Senate Democratic caucus rules state that any member who is charged with a felony must step aside from any leadership position. But state leadership is calling for Menendez to leave Congress altogether. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and most of New Jersey's Democratic House delegation have urged him to resign. Murphy called the allegations "deeply disturbing" and "so serious that they compromise the ability of Sen. Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state." Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on Monday afternoon became the second Senate Democrat to call for Sen. Menendez to resign from the upper chamber. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said Saturday that he hopes Menendez "chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial." "Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate," Brown wrote in a statement. Brown, Ohio's three-term senator, is set to face one of the Senate's toughest reelection challenges in 2024. MORE: Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez under federal investigation: Sources Menendez, who has served in the Senate since 2006, is up for reelection next year. Menendez has not yet said whether he'll seek another term in 2024. He ignored a shouted question from a reporter about whether he would at the conclusion of his remarks. U.S. Rep. Andy Kim -- a fellow New Jersey Democrat -- announced over the weekend will now run for his seat. "After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said 'I am not going anywhere.' As a result, I feel compelled to run against him," Kim wrote in a social media post. "Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity." Though Menendez did not specifically name any politician in his remarks, he seemed to take a shot at those using the indictment to launch political campaigns. "Remember prosecutors are wrong sometimes. Sadly I know that," Menendez said. "Instead of waiting for all the facts to be presented, others have rushed to take the opportunity for themselves or those around them." This is the second time Menendez has been charged with corruption. A 2015 indictment ended in a mistrial in 2018 after a jury failed to reach a verdict on all counts and a judge acquitted him on some charges. ABC News' Isabella Murray contribute to this report. Defiant Sen. Bob Menendez speaks out after indictment, will not resign originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is facing a make-or-break moment in this weeks second Republican presidential debate, as he looks to give his campaign a boost amid falling poll numbers. A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll released last week showed the governor dropping 13 points in the critical early state, falling behind candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and Chris Christie. But a knockout performance at the debate could give DeSantis the much-needed boost in the polls that both Ramaswamy and Haley saw after their performance at the first debate last month. The pressure is on DeSantis to do really well because of the fact he is slipping in the polls and he is slipping fast, said Ford OConnell, a Florida-based Republican strategist. The narrative that this is a two-person race is gone, he said. This is a one-person race with Donald Trump dominating and leading the pack. Other Republicans say the debate is an opportunity for the governor as more GOP primary voters turn their attention to the race. Lets not say that its over yet, said Matt Bartlett, a New Hampshire Republican strategist. Were just past Labor Day, we got through the first debate, I think people are tuning in now. Its an opportunity to turn the ship around. Yes, the expectations are high. What is possible shrinks and what is probable becomes real as we enter into a much more serious campaign phase. Trump will not attend the debate and will instead address striking auto workers in Michigan in an effort to counter-program the event. The former president also skipped the first debate, instead opting to do a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The move allowed the rest of the field to soak up the limelight without being directly in Trumps shadow. Many predicted DeSantis would be the top target on stage, but instead, Ramaswamy and Haley garnered the most post-debate chatter. I thought for sure going into it that he would be under a lot more fire than he ended up being, but Vivek seemed to be able to draw that fire really well, said New Hampshire state House leader Jason Osborne (R), who has endorsed DeSantis. If Ron maybe can do something similar, he only needs to be less of a jerk about it than Vivek was, he added. Osborne said any debate topic on the economy will draw attention to the governors record. I think thats where Ron really has a chance to dominate that stage with his record, the New Hampshire Republican said. I think that will give the opportunity for the other participants to fire away at him. The second debate comes as Trump continues to eclipse the others in polling. Meanwhile, some other candidates, including Ramaswamy and Haley, have seen bumps in support. But DeSantis supporters are firmly pushing back against the narrative that its no longer a two-person race and that hes been surpassed. Trump is acting as if the primary is over. Its not. Perception is reality. Trump is increasingly looking like the default winner of the GOP nomination. DeSantis has to demonstrate that isnt a done deal, said Dan Eberhart, a DeSantis donor. DeSantiss team has made the first caucus state of Iowa a priority, spending the majority of his time on the campaign trail in Iowa with the goal of hitting all 99 counties. The strategy is that DeSantis is hitting Trump in a state he lost in the 2016 GOP primary. The governors supporters argue that if Trump were to lose Iowa as the front-runner and DeSantis were to win, the former president would lack the momentum needed to steamroll the rest of the primary. DeSantis needs to put in a strong showing in Iowa, Eberhart said. That will set him up to win New Hampshire and keep winning going into Super Tuesday. Even if he loses one of the contests other than Iowa, voters will start to swing his way and move away from Trump. Additionally, DeSantis supporters have also pointed to Trumps recently increased attention to Iowa as evidence there is a sense of nervousness there. The former president visited the state last week and has plans to head there next month. The Trump campaign also said that more than 27,500 Iowa voters have signed pledge cards supporting him. The pitch has always been that Trump cant win the general. DeSantis needs to show that Trump cant win the primary first, Eberhart said. A strong showing in next weeks debate could set the stage for DeSantis to win Iowa. But its not crucial. However, some of DeSantiss supporters in New Hampshire are voicing concerns hes not spending enough time in the Granite State. His team has chosen to focus on this hyper-right-wing, religious campaign in Iowa, and its really causing him to shit the bed here in New Hampshire, said one Republican supporting DeSantis. Other DeSantis supporters maintain that this has always been a part of the campaigns strategy. He has stated that he understands that its going to be different in every state and thats how we work, said Kate Day, the former chairwoman of the Cheshire County, N.H., Republicans and a DeSantis supporter. We have 50 different states and 50 different cultures basically. The CNN/University New Hampshire poll showed DeSantis dropping 13 points since the last survey in July, landing DeSantis at 10 percent support among likely New Hampshire GOP primary voters. Ramaswamy clocked in at 13 percent support, while Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) came in at 11 and 12 percent, respectively. Osborne said his biggest takeaway from the poll was candidates circling each other around the margin of error. I wouldnt expect anything else when you have all of those other candidates spending all of their time and resources into New Hampshire whereas the governor is running a full campaign focusing on all of the early states and looking ahead toward actually finishing the campaign all the way to the end, he said. Day pointed to there still being a number of undecided voters in the partys primary. There are a lot of people who are undecided right now and thats why its so important for us to get him in front of a lot more people, she said. We have somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of New Hampshire Republicans that are looking elsewhere besides Trump. Day added that she would like to see more of DeSantis in her state in the future. People in New Hampshire want to see their candidate face to face, she said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. COVID-19 mutations that may be passed from patient to patient are linked to a popular medication produced by US pharmaceutical giant Merck to treat the virus. The research, which was peer-reviewed and published in Nature, may cause more people to question the drug's use and the billions of dollars spent by governments to acquire it. Uptick in Mutations Researchers examined a family tree of 15 million coronavirus sequences to determine when specific mutations happened, according to the Financial Times. The findings indicated an uptick in mutations in 2022, shortly after the widespread introduction of molnupiravir (trade name Lagevrio). Those receiving molnupiravir who were older, at higher risk for severe illness, and from countries where the antiviral medication was more often used were also more likely to have mutations. Since Omicron subvariants have driven the increase in cases with a substantial number of mutations, the results will cause health officials to worry about the efficacy of antiviral medications used to treat COVID-19 during the next busy fall. Francis Crick Institute, University of Cambridge, University of Liverpool, University of Cape Town, Imperial College London, and the UK Health Security Agency researchers found that these mutations had a common signature with those seen in pharmacological trials. According to lead author and Francis Crick Institute postdoctoral researcher Theo Sanderson, "Molnupiravir treatment can sometimes result in viruses that carry large numbers of mutations but remain viable, and in some cases transmissible," which can be taken into account when weighing the pros and cons of the drug. He also noted that future medications with a similar mechanism of action should take into consideration the risk of long-lasting antiviral-induced mutations. See Also: Customers Receiving Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Experience Appointment Cancellations, Delays in Private Insurance 'Molnupiravir' Drug Antiviral medications work by inhibiting the virus' ability to infect healthy cells, bolstering the immune system's capacity to clear the infection. Merck's marketed drug molnupiravir was developed in collaboration with a US biotech company called Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and is thought to act by causing minor mutations in the virus. Although the genetic profile is not associated with any currently worrying abnormalities, the research reveals there were modest clusters of mutations that may spread across individuals. The use of this has not been connected to an increase in instances caused by Omicron variants such as BA. 2.86. In 2022, it was reported that the European Medicines Agency had rejected marketing authorization for molnupiravir, and the drug is currently seldom used in other Western nations. After originally appealing the European regulator's judgment, Merck ultimately decided to drop the case, as reported by the Financial Times. According to Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow in the pharmacology and therapeutics department at Liverpool University, pregnant women may also be at risk for adverse consequences from the medicine. Furthermore, according to the findings of a UK clinical study published last year, the medicine failed to demonstrate it might reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and mortality among those at greater risk from the condition. See Also: Biden-Harris Admin Provides $600 Million To Restart Manufacture, Offer of Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dane Cook and Kelsi Taylor are officially husband and wife after tying the knot in Hawaii over the weekend. Cook, 51, and Taylor, 24, exchanged vows at a private estate in Oahu on Saturday, September 23, according to People. Cook told the outlet that they chose the tropical location because Hawaii has such a special place in our hearts and our relationship. After the ceremony, Taylor shared a few Instagram Story snaps about the weekend. First day as Mr. and Mrs. Cook, she wrote on Sunday, September 24, alongside a photo of palm trees lining a beach. Couldnt be more over the moon. She also reposted a message from sister Britney Mulreaney, who described the ceremony as the most gorgeous wedding. Tears were shed, Mulreaney added. My baby sister is married! Congrats to the Cooks! Dane Cook Addresses 27-Year Age Gap With Fiancee Kelsi Taylor Dane Cook knows his relationship with a woman 26 years his junior raises eyebrows, but hes shown a sense of humor about dating Kelsi Taylor. Sometimes I actually find myself saying, Where has she been all my life? Cook mused during a 2018 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! And then I realize she wasnt alive [] Taylor, added that she was so honored to have her sister by her side for the event. Cook and Taylor got engaged in July 2022 after five years together. Fiance has a nice ring to it, Taylor wrote via Instagram the following month. The secrets out! @danecook and I are engaged A couple weeks ago, Dane got on one knee and asked me to be his wife and I couldnt have asked for a more perfect moment. I love this man and love spending my life with him. I cant wait for whats to come. Alison Buck/Getty Images for SBIFF Cook, for his part, seemingly acknowledged the engagement via X (formerly known as Twitter), writing: Feeling the best Ive ever felt. The couple began dating in 2017 after meeting at a game night Cook hosted at his home. After maintaining a friendship for a while, the pair soon fell in like with each [other] and then upgraded to love, Cook said during an Instagram Q&A in August 2018. 'Downton Abbey' Alum Michelle Dockery Marries Fiance Jasper Waller-Bridge Naomi Watts, Chrishell Stause and more celebrities tied the knot in 2023. Watts confirmed that she wed fellow actor Billy Crudup in June. Hitched! , she captioned an Instagram photo of her and Crudup posing outside of a New York City courthouse. They wanted to keep it low-key and have this moment to themselves, and [] In the same Q&A, Cook poked fun at the couples 26-year age gap. When asked for advice about dating someone much younger, Cook joked, The only thing you have to do is plan that your deaths will be somewhat far apart. Cook also addressed the duos large age difference during a February 2018 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! After mentioning his and Taylors respective ages, Cook noticed an audible reaction from the shows audience. Thank you for the snickers of approval, he quipped. Im sure that wasnt judgment at all. Federal authorities are investigating the Baton Rouge Police Department following allegations that some officers "abused their authority," the FBI announced. The investigation comes as the police department faces several recent lawsuits over the treatment of detainees, including at a now-shuttered police warehouse that officers allegedly called the "brave cave," according to the complaints. The New Orleans FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana have opened the probe, with investigators "reviewing the matter for potential federal violations," the FBI New Orleans said in a statement on Friday, while urging anyone with information on the case to contact them. #FBINewOrleans releases the following statement on the Baton Rouge Police Department investigation: pic.twitter.com/CpCG82F5Xs FBI New Orleans (@FBINewOrleans) September 22, 2023 The announcement comes in the wake of multiple federal lawsuits filed against the Baton Rouge Police Department and the city of Baton Rouge in the past month. In a statement to ABC News, the Baton Rouge Police Department said they are "committed to addressing these troubling accusations and have initiated administrative and criminal investigations." Chief Murphy Paul met with FBI officials and "requested their assistance to ensure an independent review of these complaints," the statement continued. The most recent lawsuit, filed on Monday, alleges that officers "sexually humiliated" Ternell Brown, a Baton Rouge grandmother who was stopped on suspicion of criminal wrongdoing while carrying prescription pills, according to the lawsuit. Officers allegedly refused to examine the prescriptions that Brown says proved she was entitled to carry the medication. Instead, Brown was humiliated during an examination at the so-called brave cave -- a warehouse used by the Baton Rouge Police Department's Street Crimes Unit -- on June 10 and then released without charge, according to the lawsuit. The complaint from Brown is seeking unspecified damages for multiple alleged violations, including unreasonable search, battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment. PHOTO: In this image from Baton Rouge Police Department body camera video, officers interact with Jeremy Lee inside a warehouse in Baton Rouge, on Jan. 9, 2023. (Baton Rouge Police Department via AP) Another federal lawsuit filed last month alleges unlawful conduct at the warehouse. The complaint, filed on behalf of Jeremy Lee, claims Lee suffered a fractured rib after officers beat him on Jan. 9. Lee was not charged with any criminal wrongdoing that led to his detainment, but resisting an officer, according to the complaint, which is seeking unspecified damages for alleged violations including excessive force, unreasonable search and retaliation. A third federal lawsuit, filed last month, also alleges excessive force and retaliation violations stemming from an altercation with Baton Rouge officers outside a hospital on Oct. 8, 2022. The lawsuit claims that two of the plaintiffs were falsely arrested, with their charges later being dismissed. MORE: New Mexico family sues police after man was fatally shot by officers responding to wrong house The East Baton Rouge Parish Attorney's Office told ABC News they do not comment on pending litigation. Following the filing of Lee's lawsuit, Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome announced that the warehouse will be permanently closed and the police department's Street Crimes Unit disbanded. The Baton Rouge Police Department is also conducting its own criminal and administrative investigations. "We are committed to getting to the bottom of what happened at this facility. Most importantly, we are committed to justice," Broome said in a statement to ABC News, adding that they created an online portal at brpd.com "where anyone with relevant information or similar experiences can submit a complaint." PHOTO: The warehouse in Baton Rouge, La., that some members of the Baton Rouge Police Department called the Brave Cave. (U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana) MORE: City of Antioch and police officers face lawsuit over alleged civil rights violations, racist texts A Baton Rouge police officer who was named as a defendant in the three federal lawsuits -- Troy Lawrence Jr. -- resigned last month in the wake of Lee's lawsuit. On Wednesday, he was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge for an unrelated incident that occurred on Aug. 8, police said. "Baton Rouge Police Detectives reviewed departmental body camera footage that showed a handcuffed subject, as he sat in the rear seat of the patrol car, being drive stunned by Lawrence with a taser before giving the subject an opportunity to comply to verbal commands," the department said in a statement. ABC News was unable to reach Lee for comment. It is unclear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. FBI launches probe into Baton Rouge Police Department over abuse allegations originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The United Auto Workers expanded strike against the Big Three entered its 11th day on Monday, with additional details emerging from Fords (F) deal with Canadian auto workers but no breakthroughs stateside. In addition, President Joe Bidens impending arrival to the picket lines comes as dealers raise the alarm over parts and supply shortages. Following ratification of the new deal in Canada, Ford said Canada's Unifor auto union and the automaker agreed to the following terms: a 15% wage hike across the life of the three-year contract, a C$10,000 ratification bonus and C$4,000 for temp workers, increased retirement and raised pension benefits, and a decrease in new hire wage progression (or pay tiers) by 50%. Note that Canada has universal national healthcare, so those benefits are not applicable here (and have an impact on overall wages generally). Despite the positive news of Fords Canada deal, and UAWs decision not to expand its strike against the Dearborn automaker on Friday, Ford still said much work needs to be done with the UAW. The UAW expanded its stand up strikes against GM (GM) and Stellantis (STLA) at 38 parts distribution facilities, but spared Ford claiming it was making real progress with the automaker. Although we are making progress in some areas, we still have significant gaps to close on the key economic issues. In the end, the issues are interconnected and must work within an overall agreement that supports our mutual success, Ford said in a statement on Sunday. As negotiations continue with the UAW and the Big Three, presidential politics enter the fray with President Joe Bidens visit to Detroit on Tuesday, after former President Donald Trump said he would rally with auto workers. Striking United Auto Workers (UAW) members picket outside the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., Sept. 23, 2023. (Dieu-Nalio Chery/REUTERS) Ill go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create, Biden said via his X account. On Wednesday, Trump is expected to hold a rally with 500 former or current union members in Clinton Township, Mich. The UAW said it welcomed Bidens visit to the picket line, though it condemned Trumps presence. "Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers," said UAW president Shawn Fain in a statement last week. While the rhetoric heats up on both the picket line and the political stage, GM and Stellantis dealers (selling Chrysler, Ram, and Jeep vehicles) are raising concerns over parts shortages and higher prices following the expanded UAW strikes and parts centers. "It's going to become near impossible to get a lot of these parts," Richard Fasulo, a mechanic at a New York state Cadillac dealer, said to Reuters. [The strike] is going to have these shops telling their customers, 'We don't know when we can fix your vehicle. It might be indefinitely.'" Other dealers told Reuters they expect the strikes to lead to limited choice for vehicle purchases and cars clogging service bays at dealers, waiting for parts. Experts believe GM and Stellantis may try to alleviate supply problems by getting parts elsewhere. In the short term we will see a demand reduction and consequently less production in the existing factories. We will also see production diversion, where possible, to Mexico and other factories that are not affected by the strike, said Vidya Mani, associate professor at University of Virginias Darden School of Business, to Yahoo Finance. Wall Street believes the parts and supply distribution could be potentially severe for GM and Stellantis, which saw their shares dip on Friday, while Ford stock rose. We think the walkout at the parts distribution centers of GM and STLA could have a debilitating impact on each company's auto production and repair capabilities, raising the probability that the companies will either make concessions similar to those made by [Ford] or announce countermeasures, said CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson in a note to clients. Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram. Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance The otherworldly Rabjerg Mile in Denmark (Csaba Labancz) An exuberant golden retriever wasnt on my bingo card when it came to showing me how to behave in one of Europes most strange and wonderful natural landscapes. Confronted by a gigantic set of sand dunes set against a cornflower blue early evening sky, and with only the sound of my breath for company, I felt oddly immobilised by the sheer beauty and scale of the unique vista before me. I padded slowly and tentatively towards the honeyed peaks consisting roughly of a colossal 3.5 million cubic metres of granules that constitute Denmarks Rabjerg Mile. All was still until a rogue pooch that had broken free from its owner tore into view. The dogs flaxen fur was almost camouflaged among the gently rolling slopes. As it raced and rolled among the dunes with the enthusiasm of a toddler hopped up on sherbet, I began to smile. Following suit, I started to run into the soft, virgin sand. Denmark famously has no mountains to speak of, which makes the mounds that compose the Rabjerg Mile all the more unique. Situated in the far north of Denmark, these extraordinary drifts are the largest set of migrating dunes in northern Europe, moving at a bewildering 15 metres each year. The dunes are formidable, with a reputation for consuming everything in their path, including plants, trees, and even buildings, with a farmhouse, a lighthouse and even a church swallowed up by this peculiar lunar landscape. Around a quarter of a million people visit each year to gawp and roam around the serene and majestic wonder, which tops 40 metres at its highest point. The shifting dunes consist of 3.5 million cubic metres of sand (Mette Johnsen) While there are various trails surrounding and leading to the Rabjerg Mile, we elected to start our walking tour of the dunes from the backdoor of our hotel, Hjorths Badehotel, a chic, peaceful establishment best suited for those craving sublime seafood and stillness. Still satisfied from the previous nights feast, we set out before 9am, passing a field of horses and catching the scent of sea salt in the air; Kandestederne Beach is a kilometre away. Read more on Denmark travel: As we approach the dunes surrounding the Rabjerg Mile proper, were joined by swooping swifts and wagtails. Here, the sands have a heavier covering of grass and were amazed at the extensive carpet of purple heather, lichen and colourful flowers. We cant see a single other person and, save for the occasional bird chirrup, the silence is astonishing. As we venture up and down the slopes, we watch a lone slow worm casually traversing the sands. Idyllic Skagen is also well worth a visit (Mette Johnsen) While there are small signs directing you on to established routes, part of the fun is simply getting lost in this unusual microclimate. With the clock ticking, we agree to revisit the dunes from the east later in the day. This is the official entry point to the Rabjerg Mile and the sand here is largely pure, ie not hindered by grass or flower cover, and powder soft. We spot shoes and unlocked bikes discarded by other visitors who are already enjoying the sand and start exploring ourselves. Its early evening and the wind is gently whistling and from the highest point, you can see the sea. Depending on the gradient and wind direction, some parts of the dunes appear to be perfectly smooth, almost sculpted, while other parts are characterised by wavy ridges shaped by the breeze. I notice a couple shooting photos in the distance and another person cross legged in silent contemplation. The sky feels very close. Its here that the stillness is interrupted by the rogue golden retriever, prompting me to become reacquainted with my inner child. Running into the dunes feels like traversing virgin snow on Christmas Day joyful, wholesome and weirdly otherworldly. And Im far from alone in sharing this view; Danish Star Wars fans even campaigned for the Rabjerg Mile to be used as a filming location for the hit film franchise. The next day, we visit Den Tilsandede Kirke, or the sand-buried church. Skt Laurentius Church was believed to have been built in the latter half of the 14th century, when it was the largest church in the region, gathering the community for four hundred years before drifting sand began to move in. By 1795, the congregation were forced to abandon the church, which is now entirely submerged by sand, with the exception of the tall, narrow tower. Its a marvel to comprehend and perfectly illustrates the destructive power of the dunes. Some parts of the dunes appear to be perfectly smooth, almost sculpted, while other parts are characterised by wavy ridges shaped by the breeze Sand, wind and the flat topography of Denmark have proved to be a fatal combination in years gone by, prompting the creation of an official Sand Drift Act of 1857. This enabled officials to purchase the land surrounding the sands and plant grasses and trees to stabilise it. By the 1950s, they were under control with the exception of the Rabjerg Mile, which has been left to roam freely, a reminder to the local community of natures potency. Now, the sand can go wherever it wants, Villy Kobsted Hansen, a local nature guide and expert on the dunes, tells me. The Rabjerg Mile is situated a 20-minute drive from Skagen, a port town on the northeastern peninsula of the country. Renowned for the artists who migrated to this remote and picturesque location in the late 19th century for its rugged scenery and spectacular light, its not hard to appreciate the appeal of this luminous arcadia. We visit the Skagen Museum and gaze at an extensive collection of the pastel paintings produced by the Skagen Painters, before wandering the peaceful streets and pastel-coloured houses to Scandinavias first, only, and adorable Teddy Bear Museum (Skagens Bamsemuseum). We cant leave without having dinner at the timeless Brondums Hotel (try the Skagen plaice, served with lingonberries), a historic residence with a classic style that used to be a meeting place of the Skagen Painters. The famed sand-buried church (Joanna Whitehead) Venturing to the very tip of the peninsula leads you to Grenen, an exposed sandbar where the Baltic and North Sea meet; its customary to stand with one foot in each sea. We take the Sandormen, a tractor bus, back through the sand, before gawping at the coastal views from the top of the Grey Lighthouse. Blink, the diminutive cafe adjacent to the tower, serves up delicious and healthy produce from the local area. Running into the dunes feels like traversing virgin snow on Christmas Day While theres no denying the allure of Skagen, with its big skies and wild landscape, were keen to return to the elusive dunes. We arrive close to 8pm to find it near silent, with a gentle breeze. According to Villy, this is the optimum time to visit. In the evening, from sunset, the dunes are very special, he tells me. With a dog or two, simply sitting, watching the sun go down, watching the ocean and the shadows, its possible to find some silence. Peace, wild nature and wonder are what we came for. The Rabjerg Mile, and this special slice of Denmark, provides it in spades. Travel essentials Getting there Ryanair and Norwegian fly direct to Aalborg from the UK. The Rabjerg Mile is located roughly 60 miles northeast of Aalborg. Hiring a car is the easiest way to reach the dunes, but travelling by public transport is possible. Take a two-hour train from Aalborg to Skagen, before hiring either a taxi or bicycle for the remaining nine miles. Be warned that taxis in Denmark are not cheap, while cycle routes are extensive and flat. Staying there Hjorths Badehotel is a peaceful retreat surrounded by fields and sand. The lack of both televisions and wifi aids conversation and connection, complemented by cool interiors and a palate reflecting the natural hues of nature, plus an exceptional kitchen. Its situated minutes from the Rabjerg Mile, just over half a mile from Kandestederne Beach, and 10 miles from Skagen. Read more of our best Denmark hotel reviews An Italian Mafia boss who spent 30 years on the run before his capture earlier this year died on Monday, Italian media reported. Matteo Messina Denaro, 61, had colon cancer when he was arrested in January. His condition worsened in recent months, and he was transferred to LAquila Hospital. Denaro went into a coma on Friday and never regained consciousness, Italian outlet ANSA reported. "You shouldn't deny prayers to anyone, but I can't say I am sorry," Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said in a message on Instagram. Denaro, of the Cosa Nostra mob, had been convicted in absentia of several crimes including planning the murders of anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992, the Associated Press reported. He was given multiple life sentences. Previously: Italy arrests Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro after 30 years on the run This handout video grab taken and released by the Italian Carabinieri Press Office on January 16, 2023 shows the transfer of Italy's top wanted mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro (C) from the Carabinieri police station of San Lorenzo in Palermo, to an undisclosed location, following his arrest in his native Sicily on January 16, 2023 after 30 years on the run. Notorious Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, captured in January after three decades on the run, has died in hospital in central Italy, the ANSA news agency reported September 25, 2023. (Photo by Handout / ITALIAN CARABINIERI PRESS OFFICE / AFP) 'The last Godfather' The ruthless and notorious Sicilian mafia-boss was dubbed the "last Godfather." He was the last of three longtime fugitive top-level Mafia bosses who evaded capture for decades. Felia Allum, professor of comparative organized crime and corruption at the UKs University of Bath told CNN that Denaro was the last of the old generation of mafia bosses. He represents the final link between the belligerent and overt Cosa Nostra of the early 1990s and the silent, business-like Mafia of the 21st century, Allum told CNN. His crimes included the kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy to stop his father from providing evidence against the mob, Reuters reported. The kid was killed two years later. He was also convicted of bombings in Rome, Florence and Milan in 1993. He went into hiding that same year, after many turncoats began to reveal details of his involvement in the mob. A government official told Reuters that Denaro's body is expected to return to Sicily in the coming days for a private funeral. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matteo Messina Denaro death: Italian mob boss dies months after arrest Dorothy Ohlsen is crowned the 49th Silver Queen by Nicole Sanok, vice president of business development for Sangre de Cristo Community Care during a ceremony Sept. 14, 2023 at Pueblo Country Club. Bonaventure of Pueblo resident Dorothy Ohlsen, 98, was crowned the 49th Silver Queen during aprivate ceremony Sept. 14 at the Pueblo Country Club. A total of 27 contestants competed. Charlotte Garnett, 78, of Chateau at Sharmar was crowned first runner-up, while Sally Castillo, 68, of the Trinidad Inn was crowned Ms. Congeniality. From surviving the Dust Bowl to pulling people out of the rubble from a Category 5 tornado in Norman, Oklahoma, this years nominees recalled significant historical events, and provided stories about their lives that both inspired and endeared them to the judges, according to event organizers. The annual pageant has highlighted the areas older adults in good-natured judging of a video interview and display of character and community contribution. The contest is open to hopefuls ages 60 and older, with contestants nominated by staff and administrators of local skilled-nursing and assisted living facilities. A panel of judges narrowed down the 27 candidates to eight finalists. The competitors interviews are streamed on Sangre de Cristo Community Cares Facebook page. Pueblo West Chamber board, annual award nominations sought Oct. 2 is the deadline to apply for Pueblo West Chamber of Commerce Board of Director positions as well as the chamber's annual award nominations. To apply for the board, email a resume and a letter of interest to director@pwchamber.com. The resume should include other volunteer and board experience. To nominate a candidate for the annual awards, go to pwchamber.com by Oct. 2. Nomination categories include member of the year, business of the year and community member of the year. Questions can be directed to new Executive Director Samantha Hardcastle at 719-647-9086. Colorado State University's Pueblo Works program receives grant The Colorado State University Pueblo Foundation-CSU Pueblo Works program recently received a grant from Pinnacol Assurance, a workers' compensation insurer. The goal of the Pueblo Works program is to reduce workforce shortages by awarding stipends for Black, Indigenous, people of color or low-income nursing students. The program was one of 29 nonprofit organizations selected to receive $405,750 in grants. "Pinnacol is integral to the health and longevity of Colorados workforce one way we demonstrate that is through our commitment to the community. We are dedicated to promoting inclusiveness, resilience and access to community services that support Colorados employers, nonprofits and workforce," said John ODonnell, chief executive officer and president at Pinnacol Assurance. Pueblo Association of Realtors hosts annual awards and installation banquet The Pueblo Association of Realtors hosted its annual awards and installation banquet Saturday evening to celebrate excellence in the real estate industry. The prestigious Arthur C. Leach Outstanding Salesperson of the Year award was given to Donna Austin of RE/Max of Pueblo. Other award recipients included: Rookie of the Year Eli Byler of RE/Max Associates Volunteer of the Year Melanie Magee of Re/Max Associates and Jeff Divelbiss of Re/Max of Pueblo. Lifetime Achievement awards Clyde Laut, Robert OCallaghan, Diane Hartman, Phil Beeman, Scott Moore, Ralph Garcia, Bob Schilling, Karen Carlsson, and Garth Scott Closer of the Year Roxi Dase of Unified Title Lender of the Year Angela Ahlers, Advantage Home Mortgage The evening also included the installation of new officers for the upcoming year. Kris Magby of Muldoon and Associates assumed the role of chair, and Dave Mauro of Sun Mesa Realty became the chair-elect. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Silver Queen crowned; Pueblo West chamber seeks nominations The Ohio Department of Transportation is focusing on improving safety along U.S. 23 north of Columbus, including on this stretch in Orange Township, photographed Friday. The numbers are easy: 23 miles of U.S. 23 through Delaware County, between Worthington and Waldo in Marion County. But traversing the stretch of state highway can be arduous, and too often dangerous. With 40 traffic signals and 30% more traffic than the roadway was designed for, motorists experience congestion, uncertain travel times, bottlenecks and high crash rates. That's why the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is focusing its attention on the corridor with the goal of improving safety and efficiency along the connector in the state's fastest-growing county. Gov. Mike DeWine calls the traffic situation along U.S. 23 "unacceptable" In a prepared statement, the governor said "the sheer number of stops and traffic signals has grown over time and reduced the free flow of travel." More: ODOT nixes changes to U.S. 23 in Delaware County after reviewing public feedback, cost Since 1997, ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks has witnessed the intense growth in the area, fueled by Polaris Fashion Place, nearby JPMorgan Chase offices with about 12,000 employees, and thousands of new homes in southern Delaware County. "I have the benefit, or pain, of seeing this corridor become congested," Marchbanks said. Four types of upgrades The state's plans for dealing with U.S. 23 includes several options that focus on safety, said Toni Turowski, ODOT's District 6 deputy director and a traffic engineer. Throughout this and next year, there will be meetings with community and business leaders and the public. Final plans should be decided by the end of 2024, officials say. Traffic along U.S. Route 23 near Corduroy Road on Friday, June 18, 2021 in Lewis Center, Ohio. Potential upgrades include: Traditional interchange: Typically used on freeways with high volume, these replace an intersection with a bridge and ramps, eliminating the need for traffic lights. ODOT has not said where one or more might be used. Connector road interchanges: These are also useful in high-traffic areas, replacing an intersection with a bridge and two-way connector roads, eliminating the need for traffic signals. Unlike traditional interchanges, they minimize impact to adjacent property. Restricted crossing U-turns: Dubbed "R-turns," these would restrict side street left turns onto U.S. 23. Instead they would direct traffic onto U.S. 23 via a right turn, followed by an immediate U-turn lane which could employ a traffic signal. Overpasses and underpasses: Allow for nonstop traffic on and off U.S. 23, with use of traffic signals. Those in the communities that U.S. 23 pass through are eager to learn more. Joe Pemberton, chairman of OneDelaware, a development advocacy group in the county, said he cannot comment without seeing specific plans. But, he's eager to work with ODOT and others. "The county has been very open to ODOT," Pemberton said. "The county is going to be open to partnerships and opportunities." More: Route 23 in Delaware County has more traffic than it can handle, but what's the solution? A study by DelawareNow and Delaware County and its finance authority five years ago envisioned the corridor as a destination for new business, a haven for commercial and residential growth, and a safer, faster byway with upgrades paid for through an improved tax base. The Route 23 Corridor Study released in 2019, was intended to make it easier for businesses to locate here and improve the area's tax base. In 2015, Orange Township was being considered for an Amazon data center, which never happened. New Albany, instead, has become a juggernaut for Amazon with several data centers planned there. How much will the changes cost? Marchbanks said that a healthy state budget, along with federal infrastructure money, is allowing ODOT to move ahead with several projects to improve transit. "The cost will depend on the menu of options that are ultimately selected," he said. A new interchange can easily cost more than $10 million. The Route 665 interchange opened in 2012 at a cost of about $22 million, according to ODOT. A proposed Big Walnut interchange for Interstate 71, discussed for years and also intended to move U.S. 23 traffic to I-71, is still being evaluated, but has no approved funding, said Turowski. Traffic counts are still being evaluated near Alum Creek Reservoir and east and west of the freeway. What about pedestrians? Marchbanks, an avid bicyclist, said the corridor, like any high traffic area, is not conducive to bike lanes, sidewalks or recreational paths. It instead has been, and will continue to be, designed for cars and trucks. "It would be foolhardy to put a bike anywhere along Route 23, north of Lazelle," he said. A continuing debate Each workday, about about 50,000 commuters enter Delaware County on the way to their jobs, while about 65,000 leave the county for employment in Columbus and elsewhere. Continued growth, including the burden on schools, will remain an issue. And not just around Delaware County. Northwest Ohio is home to industries like advanced manufacturing, automotive, energy, food processing, and logistics and distribution. From rail hubs to Lake Erie ports, billions of dollars-worth of goods flow through our part of the state, ODOT District 2 Deputy Director Patrick McColley said in a prepared statement. Tying these industries to central Ohio is key to our states economic prosperity. Statewide, it has been noted that more people want to visit Columbus from Toledo and Sandusky than those who want to leave Columbus to travel north. ODOT officials maintain that further study and planning will be needed to enhance the corridor northward. dnarciso@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio to prioritize reducing 'unacceptable' congestion on U.S. 23 A campaign spokesperson for Donald Trump clarified Monday that the ex-president did not purchase a Glock firearm during a visit to a gun store in South Carolina, after initially tweeting that he had. Trumps visit to the store came ahead of remarks he was set to deliver in Summerville, S.C., on Monday afternoon. Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung initially wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the former president had purchased a Glock firearm. Cheung also posted a video of Trump at the firearm store. In it, the former president points to a firearm and says, I want to buy one. Cheungs video and a separate post by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) showed Trump posing with the gun. Among those with Trump at the store included Greene and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R), whose endorsement, along with 12 others, were touted by the Trump campaign earlier Monday. But CNN reporter Alayna Treene later said the news outlet had confirmed Trump hadnt bought the firearm. Cheungs post on X has since been deleted. Trump spokesman Steven Cheung clarifies to CNN that Trump did not actually purchase a gun while visiting the armory in South Carolina, Treene wrote on X. It is a federal crime to receive a firearm while under felony indictment or to sell a firearm to someone under felony indictment. Trump currently faces 91 counts across four criminal indictments. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges. But the laws are among a series of provisions that have come under constitutional challenges in the wake of the Supreme Courts landmark expansion of gun rights last summer. Among those challenges are a Supreme Court case this fall about a gun possession ban for people under domestic-violence restraining orders. Hunter Biden, the presidents son, has raised constitutional questions about being charged for possessing a gun while being an unlawful drug user. Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, immediately hit back at Trumps visit to the state and released an ad targeting the former president over his position on the Second Amendment and gun rights. Trump promised NRA members hed have their back. But when Second Amendment rights came under attack, Trump abandoned us and stood with liberal Democrats, a narrator says in the ad from Never Back Down. Trumps visit to the state comes as the former president looks to shore up support as the front-runner in the 2024 GOP primary. His rivals, including DeSantis, have struggled to narrow the gap in polling against Trump. In South Carolina, the former president has enjoyed the support from prominent Republicans in the state, including Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Sen. Lindsey Graham and three House Republicans, among others. That support is notable, given that two South Carolinians former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott are also running for the GOP presidential nomination but do not enjoy the kind of support from statewide elected officials in South Carolina that Trump has been able to galvanize. Polling, too, shows the prominent South Carolinians trailing Trump in the state. A Monmouth University-Washington Post poll released earlier this month found Trump receiving 46 percent of likely Republican primary voters in the Palmetto State, while Haley received 18 percent and Scott received 10 percent. Updated at 3:42 p.m. ET Zach Schonfeld contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A huge banyan tree charred by the wildfires in Maui is sprouting new green leaves, giving hope all was not completely lost in the flames. The 150-year-old cultural landmark dominates the courthouse square on Lahainas famous Front Street. The tree was planted in 1873, and is the largest one of its kind in the US, raising more than 60 feet. The historic tree, part of the fig family, gives the illusion of being multiple trees due to its ability to develop accessory trunks from its roots, allowing it to spread out. It currently has about 46 major trunks. A sign of new beginnings It is commonly referred to as a gathering place for Lahaina residents, serving as a hub for tourists, festivals, and even wedding proposals. Landscaping business owner Chris Imonti said the banyan Tree has been an iconic figure in Lahaina for more than a century, and seeing the leaves grow means a lot to the community. People see it as a sign of hope, Imonti said. A sign of new beginnings. Imonti has been working with Hawaiis state arborist, Steve Nimz, along with a team of volunteers to help preserve the Banyan tree. Maui's historical Banyan tree is growing new leaves after being charred in wildfires. - Chris Imonti I would say about 75% of the tree right now is showing new growth, and were really happy about that, Imonti said. The northeast corner of the tree got most of the heat so were still monitoring that part of the tree pretty closely, he noted. During the fire, the soil became extremely hot, which altered the grounds ability to absorb water, according to the landscaper. Volunteers and local contractors have been pouring more than 5,000 gallons of water on the tree daily, in an attempt to rehydrate the roots. And compost tea, an organic liquid compost nutrient, is helping water penetrate the scorched dirt. We put that on the soil to stimulate root growth as well as create a very stable soil structure, Imonti said. The tree is like your only compass in town The wildfires destroyed most of Lahaina, leaving a community of more than 13,000 people with little or nothing to salvage. The flames burned down homes, businesses, and displaced more than half of Lahainas residents. Now, when you look around, you dont have any landmarks, Imonti told CNN. The tree is like your only compass in town. A Kumu 'ulu tree charred by Maui's wildfires. - Chris Imonti The banyan tree isnt the only tree local volunteers are working to save. Were also taking care of a lot of other historical trees in Lahaina, Imonti added. One of them is the Kumu ulu tree, which is connected to the legend of Ku, the Hawaiian god of farming and fishing, who transformed into a Kumu ulu tree to feed his family during a famine. The tree produces the breadfruit, ulu, a popular island nutrient. But most of them have been charred pretty badly, Imonti noted. I mean, everything is gone, he continued. Were running around watering a few trees in town and thats all thats left. Meanwhile, residents are returning to the scorched grounds where their homes once stood. Everybody really has to rebuild their lives, Imonti said, which comes with a whole other wave of sadness for families. And while preserving the trees is important to the islands culture and peace of mind, Imonti acknowledged it is not a top priority for many locals at the moment. I think the tree is the last thing on a lot of peoples minds right now, the landscaper admitted. But he hopes the tree can be a good vehicle for change, and continue to be a sign of hope for the long road of recovery that lies ahead of Lahaina. The town has to be redesigned and its gonna take years, Imonti told CNN. Give us time to heal and hopefully this tree will come back to life and we can start moving forward in a positive way. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WASHINGTON Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez said Monday he expects to be exonerated and will remain as New Jersey's senior senator after the southern district of New York indicted the New Jersey lawmaker Friday alleging charges of corruption and bribery. Menendez said during a news conference in Union City, New Jersey, that those who have called for his resignation have based judgements off a "limited set of facts." "I understand how deeply concerning this could be, however the allegations leveled against me are just that, allegations," he said. Menendez addressed each of the charges listed in the indictment that allege he and his wife accepted bribes of cash, gold, mortgage payments and a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for enriching the Egyptian government. "I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey's senior senator," he said. The New Jersey lawmaker reiterated his record with Egypt and said he has held the country accountable for human rights abuses, repression of its citizens and more. Menendez allegedly passed along "highly sensitive" information about staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, according to the indictment. Menendez also exerted "substantial influence" over military financing to Egypt, according to the indictment. In regard to the hundreds of thousands of dollars FBI agents found when executing a search warrant at his home, Menendez said he often withdraws thousands of dollars of cash from his personal savings account to keep for emergencies. Having stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after being indicted, he said he plans to return to Washington this week to work with his colleagues to avert a looming government shutdown. "For those who have rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts, framed by the prosecution to be as salacious as possible. Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly, I know that," he said during the news conference. Menendez is also accused of interfering with a New Jersey attorney generals investigation of a relative of a New Jersey businessman, who is a co-defendant in the indictment, as well as attempting to influence the federal prosecution of another Garden State businessman, another co-defendant. Menendez faces second indictment Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee speaks during Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, March 22, 2023, in Washington. Menendez and his wife have been indicted on charges of bribery. Federal prosecutors on Friday announced the charges against the 69-year-old Democrat nearly six years after an earlier criminal case against him ended with a deadlocked jury. Friday's indictment marks the second time in 10 years the New Jersey lawmaker has been indicted. The New Jersey lawmaker was previously indicted in 2015 when prosecutors alleged he used his office to benefit a Florida eye doctor in exchange for nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions. Menendez repeatedly defended himself and said he did nothing wrong. He faced 14 criminal counts, including eight counts of bribery. Menendez was later cleared of the criminal charges three years later after the Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss the 2015 indictment. Menendez faces calls for resignation While calls for him to resign have grown, Menendez has remained defiant, denying the indictments allegations and saying in a statement last week he is not going anywhere. Almost all of New Jerseys Democratic House delegation has publicly called on Menendez to step down, including Donald Norcross, Josh Gottheimer, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell and Mikie Sherrill, along with Gov. Phil Murphy. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., has announced he will be challenging the sitting senator in the New Jersey Senate race. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio., have both called for Menendez to resign. More: How common are indictments in the Senate? Here's a look at senators who faced charges Contributing: Ken Tran This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sen. Bob Menendez claims he will be exonerated after corruption charges TRIGGER WARNING: The following story may be distressing to some readers as it tackles topics such as suicide, harassment, and abuse. A 14-year-old girl named Jaylee Chillson was reported to have shot herself while a police officer tried to persuade her to return home to her family. She was last seen alive Saturday (September 23) after she ran away from a party in Aurora, Kansas, ABC's Wichita affiliate KAKE reported. Police from the Cloud County Sheriff's Office said a local resident called for assistance after the girl went missing. It was alleged that Chillson told her parents she was going out with the family dog but later realized she went much farther from home to a party about 40 minutes away and believed she went there with a 20-year-old male. Police added that a deputy located Chillson and attempted to convince her to return home, but she pulled a gun and shot herself in front of the deputy. The deputy, an off-duty firefighter, and the girl's father attempted lifesaving measures but were later pronounced dead at the scene shortly after midnight Sunday (September 24). In the aftermath of the incident, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to help Chillson's family. On the other hand, Kansas lawmakers said firearms were not to blame for increasing youth suicide rates. Read Also: Florida Woman Eaten by 13-Foot Alligator; Remains Spotted in Its Jaws Two Years of Living Hell According to her obituary, Jaylee Chillson was born in 2009 in Manhattan, Kansas, as the eldest child and only daughter of her parents, Jeb and Stacie. She was described as someone who enjoyed spending time outside in the woods, as well as in sports. However, Chillson's family said she was the subject of physical, verbal, and mental abuse in the last few years of her life. Jeb Chillson, the girl's father, told The Messenger that his daughter's hellish experience began two years ago in 7th grade when some Clay Center Community Middle School students began to bully her through teasing, rude acts, and even death threats. Chillson's parents attempted to settle their concerns with several school officials, but nothing was done, according to the father. Transferring her to another school did not help Jaylee either, as she was allegedly physically and sexually assaulted, and nothing was done to prevent students from bullying her. The bullying did not stop even if Chillson's parents pulled her out of school altogether to finish eighth grade with homeschooling. Chillson's Father: Bullying a 'Terrible Pandemic' in Cloud County Despite professional help from a therapist, nobody knew Jaylee Chillson would take her own life, her father added. Since her death, many parents have reached out to the Chillsons to tell them that bullying was a "terrible pandemic" in their living area. Meanwhile, Stacie Chillson took to social media and lashed out her anger at those who contributed to her daughter's death. "I'm angry with those that hurt my baby," she wrote on Facebook. "I'm furious with those I know hurt her and will talk about her now like they didn't play a part in crushing her." Several reporters contacted Clay County school officials for comment but have since denied the allegations made by Jaylee Chillson's father. Related Article: Loneliness Is Major Risk to Public Health, Expert Warns @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. UNION CITY, N.J. (AP) Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey defiantly pushed back against federal corruption charges on Monday, saying nearly half a million dollars in cash authorities found in his home was from his personal savings, not from bribes, and was on hand for emergencies. Rejecting rising calls for him to resign, the influential chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he believed he'd be cleared of charges that he took cash and gold in illegal exchange for helping Egypt and New Jersey business associates. I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator," Menendez said at Hudson County Community College's campus in Union City, where he grew up. He did not respond to questions and did not say whether he would seek reelection next year. Addressing allegations in the indictment unsealed Friday that authorities found cash stuffed in envelopes and clothing at his home, Menendez said that stemmed from his parents' fear of confiscation of funds from their time in Cuba. This may seem old fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years, he said. Authorities recovered about 10 envelopes with tens of thousands of dollars in cash that had the fingerprints of one of the other defendants in the case on them, according to the indictment. Menendez also addressed his relationship with Egypt, which plays a central role in the indictment against him, suggesting he's been tough on the country over its detention of Americans and other human rights abuses. If you look at my actions related to Egypt during the period described in this indictment and throughout my whole career, my record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable, he said. Prosecutors say he met with Egyptian military and intelligence officials, passed along non-public information about employees at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwrote a letter on behalf of Egypt asking his Senate colleagues to release a hold on $300 million worth of aid. He did not directly address those allegations Monday. The states Democratic leadership, including Gov. Phil Murphy, the state party chairmen and leaders of the Legislature, along with some of Menendezs congressional colleagues, are calling on him to resign In Washington, however, where his party holds a bare Senate majority, some of Menendezs Democratic colleagues have stopped short of urging him to give up his seat, notably Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, and Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois. Even though Schumer has not called for Menendez to step down, other members of his caucus have. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown became the second Democratic senator to call for his resignation on Monday, following Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman on Saturday. Menendez did, however, step down as required as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Schumer said on Friday, when the indictment was unsealed. If he seeks reelection, Menendez will face at least one challenger in a primary next year after Democratic Rep. Andy Kim announced over the weekend that he will run for the Senate because of the charges against the states senior senator. Menendezs reelection campaign could face significant hurdles besides the criminal indictment, the second one he has faced in eight years, in light of opposition from state party leaders. If the Democratic Party abandons Menendez, he could lose a potent benefit of party support: the so-called party line, or preferred ballot placement in the primary, widely regarded as a significant boost to incumbents and those with establishment backing. Menendez has denied any wrongdoing in the federal case against him, his wife and three of their business associates. In an emailed statement last week, he accused prosecutors of misrepresenting the normal work of a congressional office and said he will not allow his work in the Senate to be distracted by baseless allegations. A lawyer for his wife said she denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously contest these charges in court. He and Nadine Menendez are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold and a luxury car from a trio of New Jersey businessmen for a variety of corrupt acts. The indictment said Menendez used his clout to interfere in three criminal cases, pressured U.S. agriculture regulators to protect an associates business interests, and used his position as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to influence U.S. policy on Egypt. Federal agents who searched his home in 2022 found more than $480,000 in cash stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe, and gold bars worth more than $100,000, prosecutors said. Another $70,000 was discovered inside his wifes safety deposit box, they said. Some Menendez supporters attended the news conference .Among them was Manny Contreras, a resident of nearby Passaic County, who said he came to show his support for Menendez and had been voting for him for years. Its a big problem for the Latino community, we dont want to see him go, we have to give him the benefit of the doubt," Contreras said. He said if Menendez were found guilty, he would have to reconsider his support, but because of the good things in the Menendezs long career, he was willing to let the process play out. ___ Catalini reported from Trenton. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report. JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia may issue on Tuesday a regulation on the use of social media to sell goods in the country, President Joko Widodo said, a move intended to quell threats to offline markets in Southeast Asia's biggest economy. Ministers have repeatedly said that e-commerce sellers using predatory pricing on social media platforms are threatening offline markets in Indonesia, with some officials specifically citing the video platform TikTok as an example. "We just ... decided on the use of social media for e-commerce. Tomorrow it will perhaps come out," Widodo, who is commonly known as Jokowi, said in a streamed video address on Monday. "What the people are expecting is that the advancement of technology can create new economic potential, not kill existing economies," Jokowi said. Jokowi did not mention any specific companies or offer further details on the regulation, which is being formulated by the trade ministry. Current trade regulations do not specifically cover direct transactions on social media. Deputy Trade Minister Jerry Sambuaga earlier this month said that "social media and social commerce cannot be combined," vowing to ban the mix of the two, citing TikTok's "live" features that allow people to sell goods. A TikTok Indonesia spokesperson on Monday said that social commerce was important for local sellers and helps connect them with local creators who can direct traffic to their online shops. "While we respect local laws and regulations, we hope that the regulations take into account its impact on the livelihoods of more than 6 million sellers and close to 7 million affiliate creators who use TikTok Shop," the spokesperson said, referring to TikTok's shopping platform. The company said that its app had 325 million Southeast Asian users that were active every month, of whom 125 million were in Indonesia. TikTok is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance. (Reporting by Ananda Teresia and Stanley Widianto; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor, Christian Schmollinger and Mark Porter) Rescuers and relatives sit in front of collapsed buildings after recent flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel, in Derna (AP) Eight Libyan officials have been detained as part of an investigation into the collapse of two dams that killed as many as 11,000 people. Two dams outside of Derna collapsed during Storm Daniel, sending a tidal wave of water which destroyed a quarter of the Mediterranean city on 11 September. Government officials and aid agencies estimate between 4,000 to as many as 11,000 were killed in the flooding. The true death toll is not known as the bodies of many of the people killed remain under rubble or in the Mediterranean, according to search teams. A statement by the office of General Prosecutor al-Sidiq al-Sour said prosecutors on Sunday questioned seven former and current officials with the Water Resources Authority and the Dams Management Authority over allegations that mismanagement, negligence and mistakes contributed to the disaster. A view of the destruction after flooding in Derna (AP) Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, who was sacked after the disaster, was also questioned, the statement said. The eight former and current officials did not provide evidence to spare them from potential charges so prosecutors ordered them jailed pending the end of the investigation, the statement added. It follows protests in Derna by local residents who have criticised the way the authorities handled the storm, which also hit Greece. In particular many have hit out at the evacuation orders to leave the beach area and move towards the centre of the city, which put several families directly in the path of the waters from the dam. Inside the destroyed city, residents, some of whom had lost dozens of relatives, said the situation had improved but was still dire. Local and international teams were still digging through the mud and destroyed buildings looking for missing victims. At ground zero there is still no water, no electricity, and they found 75 bodies yesterday that had been swept east into some cliffs, Hamdi Burwag, who lost 32 relatives in the storm, said. So far only the bodies of five of his missing relatives have been found and buried, he told The Independent. I keep telling my family we likely will not find the others. Only God knows, he added. I keep telling my family we likely will not find the others Hamdi Burwag, who lost 32 relatives in Storm Daniel Residents hope the arrests mark the first crucial step in the investigation which may face difficulties because Libya is torn between rival governments in the east and west of the country. The oil-rich North African nation has been ripped apart by rival fiefdoms of militias since 2011, when an Arab Spring uprising, backed by NATO, ousted and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed. Since then rival administrations have claimed control, backed by armed groups and foreign support. Now the country is roughly divided in two: the countrys east has been under the control of General Khalifa Hafter and his self-styled Libyan National Army, which is allied with a parliament-confirmed government. A rival administration is based in the capital, Tripoli, and enjoys the support of most of the international community. The dams were built by a Yugoslav construction company in the 1970s above Wadi Derna, a river valley which divides the city and were meant to protect the area from flash floods. However, a report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2m for that purpose in 2012 and 2013. This is also despite the fact that a Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and to build a third one in between them. The firm, Arsel Construction Company Ltd., said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012. It didnt respond to an email seeking further comment. The World Health Organisation says more than 4,000 flood-related deaths have been registered but the head of Libyas Red Crescent previously cited a death of toll of 11,300. OCHA says at least 9,000 people remain missing. The dead in eastern Libya include foreigners living in the North African countries. By Daniela Desantis ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguayan President Santiago Pena said on Monday he will break off negotiations between Mercosur and the European Union if the parties do not reach a deal before Dec. 6, when Brazil will hand over the bloc's presidency to Paraguay. Pena has criticized the progress of talks between the two trade blocs since before he took office in August. A week before he was sworn in, he told Reuters the EU had demonstrated, via its proposals, that it had no clear interest in moving forward. The deal between Mercosur - the trade bloc composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay - and the EU hit snags in 2019 after a so-called side letter from the EU requiring environmental safeguards. Pena has previously criticized the addendum, and Mercosur in mid-September presented a counter-proposal to the side letter. The Paraguayan leader said he had told Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a meeting last week in New York, where they traveled for the United Nations General Assembly, that he planned to seek alternative options. "If he does not close, I am not going to continue (the talks) in the next semester," Pena told a press conference, adding he would dedicate the time instead to seeking trade agreements with other regions. "I am sure we will reach a deal with other regions very quickly," he added, pointing to Singapore and the United Arab Emirates as potential trade partners. Lula, as well as EU Ambassador to Paraguay Javier Garcia de Viedma, have said they believe an EU-Mercosur deal was feasible by the end of 2023. "I think we are very close," Garcia de Viedma told reporters on Monday. "If there is political will from the negotiators, I think we will manage it by the end of this year." (Reporting by Daniela Desantis Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Mark Potter) Philippines officials on Monday vowed to take "all appropriate actions to remove the floating barriers placed by China in a disputed area of the South China Sea, said the countrys national security advisor. The barriers are blocking Filipino fishing boats from getting access in the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed lagoon in South China Sea. Chinese coast guard vessels laid 300m-long barrier, on Friday as a Philippine government fisheries vessel approached. More than 50 Philippine fishing boats were outside the shoal at the time, the Philippine coast guard said. "We condemn the installation of floating barriers by the Chinese coast guard," Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano said. "The placement by the Peoples Republic of China of a barrier violates the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen." The countrys foreign ministry on Monday said that the barriers were a violation of international law and that the Philippines would "take all appropriate measures to protect our countrys sovereignty and the livelihood of our fisherfolk". In Beijing, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the shoal and its adjacent waters are "Chinas inherent territory", where Beijing "has indisputable sovereignty". A Philippine government fisheries vessel "trespassed into the waters" without Chinas permission on 22 September, Mr Wang said, and "attempted to intrude into the lagoon" of the shoal. "Chinas coast guard took the necessary measures to stop and warn off the ship in accordance with the law, which was professional and with restraint," he added. Its the latest flare-up in long-simmering territorial disputes in the busy and resource-rich waterway, most of which is claimed by China. The South Asian country claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines, which has long been regarded as a potential flashpoint and a delicate faultline in the US-China rivalry. Washington lays no claim to the sea passageway, a major global trade route, but US Navy ships and fighter jets have carried out patrols for decades to challenge Chinas expansive claims and promote freedom of navigation and overflight. China has told the US to stop meddling in what it says is a purely Asian dispute. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches. The latest barrier by China denies Filipinos access to the rich fishing lagoon surrounded by underwater coral outcrops, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said. "We have to be very careful (not to commit) any diplomatic misstep," Mr Tarriela on Monday before the governments comments, when asked whether the coast guard was planning to remove the barrier. Mr Tarriela said that according to Filipino fishermen, the Chinese coast guard usually installs such barriers when they monitor a large number of fishermen in the area, then remove it later. "Its an illegal and illegitimate action coming from the Peoples Republic of China," Mr Tarriela was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. "Definitely it affects our food security." Additional reporting from the wires COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Two people showed up at an abandoned house where four teenagers were hanging out and opened fire, killing three of them and wounding the fourth in an escalation of an old quibble over a burglary, authorities said Monday in Columbia, South Carolina. A 17-year-old Eau Claire High School student was arrested on three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and possessing a weapon during a violent crime, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Monday at a news conference. Officials are still looking for some other people, he said. The teenagers who were killed also attended Eau Claire High School, according to a statement from Craig Witherspoon, the district superintendent. The lone survivor attended a nearby middle school. The district provided additional counseling and security at the high school Monday in response to the unimaginable tragedy, which Witherspoon decried as senseless gun violence. Sheriffs deputies responded to the shooting in Columbia, the state capital, just after 2 p.m. Sunday, the sheriffs department said. After the two shooters opened fire at the house, they followed the victims as they fled to the backyard and continued firing, according to a redacted incident report. It was part of a beef that Lott said began two years ago with a burglary. Three victims were 16 and 17 years old and died at the hospital, and the fourth victim, who is 14, was released, the sheriffs department said. The Richland County Coroner's office identified the deceased as JaKobe Fanning, Caleb Wise and Drevon Riley. The sheriff would not say how the weapons were obtained. But, he said, too many Columbia gunowners leave their firearms in cars, where they are easily stolen. The city experienced 100 vehicle break-ins this past weekend, Lott said. Lott said he held the news conference to address something that seems to be recurring in Columbia and nationwide. Nine people ages 16 to 20 were injured in a park shooting this spring at an event involving students from Columbia-area high schools, officials noted. Witherspoon and other elected officials called for more out-of-school programming by churches, schools and governments. While the vast majority of young residents do not commit crimes like the weekend slaying, they said, these events should not be normalized. Richland County Councilmember Gretchen Barron said lawmakers cannot legislate good behavior and healthy choices." We need everybody in the village thats standing behind me and the village thats out there listening to this, Lott said. We need to do more. This proves that we havent done enough. By Yimou Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two new, domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles, to strengthen deterrence against the Chinese navy and protect key supply lines, the head of the program said. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous sub program a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty. President Tsai Ing-wen, who initiated the program when she took office in 2016, is expected to launch the first of eight new submarines on Thursday under a plan that has drawn on expertise and technology from several countries - a breakthrough for diplomatically isolated Taiwan. Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, Tsai's security adviser, who is leading the program, said a fleet of 10 submarines - which includes two Dutch-made submarines commissioned in the 1980s - will make it harder for the Chinese navy to project power into the Pacific. "If we can build up this combat capacity, I don't think we will lose a war," Huang this month told an internal briefing on the project, which was attended by Reuters. Huang said the first submarine, with a price tag of T$49.36 billion ($1.54 billion), will use a combat system by Lockheed Martin Corp and carry U.S.-made MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes. It will enter sea trials next month before delivery to the navy by the end of 2024. For subsequent models, Taiwan will leave space for submarine-launched anti-ship missiles, but adding those weapons depends on production availability in a U.S., where capacity was already tight, Huang said, without naming the companies that might be involved. He called the submarines a "strategic deterrent" to Chinese warships crossing the Miyako Strait near southwestern Japan or the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines. Huang said Taiwan's diesel-electric submarines can keep China at bay within the first island chain, referring to the area that runs from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China's coastal seas. "This was also the strategic concept of the U.S. military - to contain them within the first island chain and deny their access," Huang said. "If Taiwan is taken, Japan will definitely not be safe, South Korea will definitely not be safe." China's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The Chinese navy, including its Shandong aircraft carrier, has become increasingly active in recent months off Taiwan's eastern coastline, prompting worries that China could launch an attack from that direction. Eastern Taiwan is where planners have long envisioned the island's military regrouping and preserving its forces during a conflict. Huang said the submarines can help maintain the island's "lifeline" to the Pacific by keeping ports along Taiwan's eastern coast open for supplies in a conflict. "The submarines will keep their ships away from our eastern shores," he said. Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation think tank, said the fleet would have trouble with that task, because China could position warships in the Pacific before launching an attack. But he added that the submarines could occupy strategic ambush points in the region and "greatly harm (China's) combat ability" by targeting high-value ships such as carrier groups or landing fleets. 'GREAT HELP' Taiwan has quietly sourced technology, components and talent from at least seven nations to help it build submarines, a Reuters investigation has found. Getting foreign assistance was particularly challenging for Taiwan, which doesn't have official ties with most countries. Huang declined to say which countries had approved export permits, but said he had reached out to generals from countries that included the United States, Japan, South Korea and India. "For those foreign generals who agreed with my ideas, they helped convey the message to their governments or arrange meetings," he said. "I told them our needs and that's how we achieved our purpose of securing export permits." Huang also expressed thanks for the "great help" from a team led by an unnamed retired rear admiral of Britain's Royal Navy, who secured export permits from Britain through a Gibraltar-based company. Britain sharply increased the amount of submarine parts and technology exports approved last year for Taiwan, a Reuters analysis of the data showed. Huang described the program as "even harder than reaching the sky," pointing to challenges such as a global chip shortage that hit many manufacturers around the world. He said his team scrambled to source chips from Taiwan to avoid delays by foreign vendors. A foreign supplier had also pull out at the last minute after the work with Taiwan was leaked to a Chinese embassy, he said, without elaborating. He said China's frequent military harassment, including close approaches to Taiwan's territorial waters and airspace, has prompted Taiwan and the United States to rethink the island's "asymmetrical" strategy of making its forces more mobile and harder to attack, with a focus on smaller weapons systems. "The American thinking is changing gradually. They realised that you can't withstand (the harassment) without bigger boats," Huang said, pointing to the navy's plan to build a new generation of bigger frigates. "They are getting closer and closer," he added, referring to China. "Taiwan can't drive them out with small boats. We must use bigger boats." ($1 = 31.9840 Taiwan dollars) (Reporting By Yimou Lee. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Two Democratic senators called for Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to resign Monday, joining a growing chorus of lawmakers urging him to step down amid federal corruption charges. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio chairman of the Banking Committee, where Menendez chairs a subcommittee and Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont called on Menendez to leave Congress. Over the weekend, Sen. John Fetterman of neighboring Pennsylvania became the first Senate Democrat to say he should resign. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also said Monday night that Menendez should step aside. "It'd probably be a good idea if he did resign," Pelosi, the former House speaker, said on MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki," calling the charges "formidable." The new calls for Menendez to resign followed his first public remarks after an indictment against him and his wife, Nadine, was unsealed Friday. Speaking to reporters at a news conference Monday in Union City, New Jersey, where he once was mayor, Menendez said, "I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator. Menendez, who indicated he would not resign, also offered an explanation for the $480,000 in cash prosecutors said was found in his New Jersey home, much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe. Menendez maintained that the money was his and that it had been earned legitimately. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, he said. These were moneys drawn from my personal savings account based on the income I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. The indictment said some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints and/or DNA of one of the people charged with bribing Menendez or that persons driver. Menendez did not address that claim in his remarks and did not take questions from reporters, but he said he should be presumed innocent. "The allegations against me are just that allegations," he said. He asked his congressional colleagues to pause and allow for all the facts to be presented. The court of public opinion is no substitute for our revered justice system. We cannot set aside the presumption of innocence for political expediency when the harm is irrevocable," he said. Prosecutors get it wrong sometimes, he said. It is unclear which family members Menendez was referring to in his comments about the cash or whether their property had been confiscated. While the Cuban government began confiscating some property in 1959 after the revolution, Menendezs parents came to the U.S. years earlier, and he was born here in 1954. His office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification of his remarks. Menendez's remarks did not sway Brown and Welch against calling for him to step down. Senator Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence. But the people of New Jersey and the United States Senate are entitled to an effective Senator, Welch wrote Monday night on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that the allegations wholly compromised his capacity to serve effectively. I encourage Senator Menendez to resign, he added. A few hours earlier, Brown said in a statement that "Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate." Fetterman also appeared unmoved by Menendezs defense, particularly his emergencies explanation for the large amount of cash in his house. Referring to his comments in a post on X, Fetterman wrote, We have an extra flashlight for our home emergencies. Fettermans team also confirmed a report in The Messenger that it is returning $5,000 in donations Menendez gave to his 2022 campaign. We are in the process of returning the money, Fetterman spokesman Joe Calvello told NBC News, in envelopes stuffed with $100 bills. Many House Democrats and Democratic officials in New Jersey, including Gov. Phil Murphy. have call on Menendez to resign. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., announced Saturday that he would challenge Menendez for his seat. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better, Kim wrote on X. Menendez and his wife were indicted Friday on charges that include conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion. The indictment alleges they received bribes, included cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value. Federal investigators who search their home with a warrant found the more than $480,000 in cash and other allegedly ill-gotten gains that they claim were used to bribe Menendez, including a Mercedes-Benz, exercise equipment, home furnishings and "over one hundred thousand dollars' worth of gold bars," the indictment said. Senators, aside from top leaders, make $174,000 a year. Menendez has denied any wrongdoing, and he suggested in a statement Friday night that he is being targeted because of his heritage. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere, he said. Photograph: Alexander Drago/Reuters Mark Meadows burned so many papers in his office fireplace as Donald Trumps presidency came to its chaotic end that the then White House chief of staffs wife complained about the cost of dry-cleaning his suits to remove the bonfire smell, Cassidy Hutchinson writes in her eagerly awaited memoir. Related: Full fascist Trump condemned after treason rant against NBC and MSNBC The New York Times reported the passage about Meadows burning documents, before MSNBC confirmed it. Hutchinson, a senior aide to Meadows, emerged as a key witness before the House January 6 committee, which investigated the deadly attack on Congress Trump incited in an attempt to stay in power. Hutchinsons book, Enough, will be published on Tuesday. Last week, the Guardian first reported Hutchinsons description of being groped by Rudy Giuliani backstage on January 6. Giuliani denied it. For the Times, Robert Draper wrote: It was, by [Hutchinsons] telling, an administration awash in paranoia, with Mr Meadows and others refusing to dispose of daily litter in burn bags for fear that someone from the deep state might intercept the contents. Instead, she writes, Mr Meadows burned so many documents in his fireplace in the final days of the Trump presidency that his wife complained to Ms Hutchinson about how expensive it had become to dry-clean the bonfire aroma from his suits. Meadows habit of burning documents was previously known. In May last year, the New York Times and Politico reported that Hutchinson had in testimony described Meadows burning papers. Politico said he did so after meeting Scott Perry, a hard-right Pennsylvania Republican congressman involved in attempts to overturn Trumps defeat by Joe Biden. Later, transcripts released by the committee showed Hutchinson saying she saw Meadows burn documents around a dozen times between December 2020 and January 2021. As MSNBC pointed out, ahead of its own interview with Hutchinson on Monday night, Trump himself has without evidence accused the January 6 committee of destroy[ing] all evidence and records. Last week, the former US president claimed to NBC the committee burned all the evidence, OK? They burned all the evidence. Samsung is among the leading manufacturers of smart devices, including tablets. There have been several models released in the past few years, all with their own unique features and performance qualities. The tech giant has found a way to make its tablet dust and water-resistant, all while having good performance. Resistance to Water and Dust It's the first time that Samsung released a tablet in its Galaxy Tab S Series that's both resistant to dust and liquids. Jingyu Hwang from the New Computing (NC) Mechanical R&D Group, was responsible for the mechanical structure and parts design of the latest tablet. As one of the engineers behind the design, Hwang said: "Previous tablets that had water or dust resistance emphasized the physical durability of the product and focused less on the device's other specifications," according to a Samsung blog post. Equipped with a large screen and high performance, the company boasts that users can freely enjoy the tablet anytime, anywhere with its IP68-rating certification across all models, which was set by the International Electrotechnical Commission. Specifically, it had a dust-resistant rating of six for protection against external solid particles, while its water-resistance rating was eight, which allows the device to last up to 30 minutes underwater at a maximum depth of 1.5 meters. Despite these features, Hwang along with Wooseok Ko from the Display Group at Samsung Electronics managed to keep the tablet thin and light. The two had to integrate new technology to make it possible. Hwang explained that when incorporating the said features, making some parts bigger or adding new parts was inevitable. They designed a new internal structure to "house all the necessary water-resistant elements within the body," as well as developed new parts for it. For instance, they applied silicon rubber materials to keep water from entering the speakers, all while utilizing a dispensing method, in which a urethane-based material is applied to parts and then solidified for the USB port. Read Also: Samsung Will Release Bespoke Art Designs for Refrigerator Panels More Note-Worthy Features The Galaxy Tab S9 is equipped with Vision Booster technology, which allows the user to see the screen more clearly under harsh lighting. The technology automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen based on the lighting condition of the environment. Ko says: "Even in situations when on-screen graphics are constantly changing, such as when playing a game or watching a movie, Vision Booster technology's advanced algorithm references the previous frames and quickly applies the same effect using specific computations." It's not just the brightness that's adjusted but the clarity as well. The Vision Booster will also enhance the visibility of the bright and dark areas on the screen, which exceeds the already existing automatic brightness adjustment feature that Samsung has on certain smartphones. In addition to that, the tablet comes with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which is usually found in Samsung laptops and its S Series line in smartphones. Ko, who was behind the display on the tablet, says that they focused on enhancing the image quality of the tablet. Related: Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 Series Can Help Manage Menstrual Cycle via Skin Temperature A top Russian official warned that Ukraine must surrender on Moscow's terms or the country will "cease to exist," and Ukraine claimed to have killed a top Russian admiral in Crimea as the war dragged into its 20th month with no solution in sight. Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, told Russian state media that President Joe Biden, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and other Western officials have poured massive amounts of time, effort, money and military might into the war. Nineteen months after Russia's invasion began, the West has made little headway while its economies struggle and support dwindles, Volodin said. "The simple facts are these: The West is experiencing weapons and ammunition shortages, people in Europe and the U.S. have lost trust in politicians, and the Kyiv regimes counteroffensive has failed," Volodin said. Ukraine and Western officials claim steady progress in the counteroffensive, and Biden has been all-in behind Ukraine. But some Republicans in Congress have waffled on spending plans for the war, and an ABC News/Washington Post survey released Sunday revealed a softening in public support. More than 40% of respondents said the U.S. is doing too much, up from 33% in February, and half said the U.S. is doing the right amount or not enough, down from 60%. This handout satellite image released on September 23, 2023 by Planet Labs PBC shows an aerial view of the city of Sevastopol after a missile attack struck the headquarters of Moscow's Black Sea fleet in annexed Crimea on September 22, 2023. Developments: Polish President Andrzej Duda downplayed a grain squabble with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and walked back an announcement that Poland would no longer send weapons to Kyiv. Duda told the Warsaw tabloid Super Express that Poland would send its older equipment to Ukraine as it is replaced with modern weapons. The first of 31 high-tech M1 Abrams tanks promised by the U.S. have arrived in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said on Telegram. "Abrams are already in Ukraine and are preparing to reinforce our brigades. I am grateful to the allies for fulfilling the agreements!" Zelenskyy wrote. Russian air strikes overnight on the southern city of Odesa killed two people and damaged the seaport, a grain silo and an abandoned hotel, Ukrainian officials said. Later in the day, the southern city of Mykolaiv was hit by a Russian projectile, according to Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych, who asked residents not to post information about the targeted location Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Monday that his country's in "no rush'' to ratify Swedens bid to join NATO, an indication further delays in the accession process are likely. Top Russian admiral killed in Crimea, Ukraine claims Admiral Viktor Sokolov, commander of Russia's Black Sea Feet, was killed in a Ukrainian attack on Russian naval headquarters in Crimea, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces claimed in a Telegram post. The post said 34 "officers" were killed and more than 100 Russian troops were wounded in the attack Friday. Russian officials have not commented on casualties from the assault, which Ukraine said destroyed the building. Ukraine has been targeting Crimean military installations as part of a concerted effort to take back the peninsula seized by Russia almost a decade ago. On Monday evening, Russian authorities in the port city of Sevastopol said air defenses shot down a missile nearby but did not provide information about possible damage or casualties. "This is a remarkable achievement by Ukraine eliminating a very significant Russian military leader and many of his subordinates," retired U.S. Adm. James Stavridis said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "I believe you have to go back to WWII to find other admiral killed in combat." 'Stalwart ally' Poland gets $2 billion US loan for modern weapons In recognition of Poland's strategic importance and its critical help to Ukraine during the Russian invasion, the Biden administration is providing the Polish government a $2 billion loan to modernize its military, along with $60 million to defray the costs. Poland has sent Ukraine large numbers of its own tanks, fighter jets and other equipment, much of it based on old Soviet technology, while serving as a hub for Western weapons going to Ukraine. To replace its aging armament, Poland has placed orders with American and South Korean defense companies. "Poland is a stalwart U.S. ally, and Polands security is vital to the collective defense of NATOs Eastern Flank,'' the State Department said in a statement, adding that these kinds of loans are only offered to the United States' most important defense partners. UN experts find more evidence of Russian war crimes The United Nations is documenting a growing list of war crimes blamed on Russian forces, including "systematic and widespread use of torture'' and attacks on civilians. The U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said in its latest update Monday that it found evidence of crimes committed by both sides in the war, but far more by Russians, including instances of torture, some of it fatal, and rape of women ages 19 to 83. The rapes were frequently committed close enough for family members to hear the women scream. The group of experts said it was also looking into allegations that Russian troops committed genocide, and it's investigating what caused the Kakhovka dam collapse in June and its effects on civilians. The commission, which has sent representatives to Ukraine more than 10 times, said it "deplores that attacks affecting civilians and medical institutions, which have protected status, continue to take place.'' Kindergarten, apartment buildings hammered by Russian artillery A kindergarten, three apartment buildings and several single-family homes were damaged or destroyed by Russian artillery in Chasiv Yar, a town of about 13,000 people in the hotly contested Donetsk region, the regional administration said Monday on Telegram. A casualty count was not immediately available. The town is near war-battered Bakhmut, and locals had long been urged to leave. Agence France-Presse journalist Arman Soldin was killed in a rocket attack on the edge of Chasiv Yar in May. "Chasiv Yar is now one of the most dangerous places for life in Donetsk region. All civilians must evacuate it's a matter of survival!" the post said. Ukraine military has mastered art of 'adapt and advance' Many in the West bemoan the slow progress of Ukraine's counteroffensive, but Ukrainian forces actually have "done what successful militaries do they have adapted and are now advancing," says Nataliya Bugayova, a Russia Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War. Bugayova says Ukraine recognized the depth of Russia's defenses much faster than the Western policymakers who anticipated a swift Ukrainian breakthrough. But Ukraines ingenuity is yielding results, Bugayova writes for the institute. Russian forces have failed to stop the advance in two directions, and Ukraine maintains the battlefield initiative, she says. And the Ukrainian military continues to liberate its territory and people while slowly but steadily cracking "an incredibly formidable" defense. "Now is not the time for Western doubt," she says. "The West must reinforce its military and diplomatic commitments and lean in to help sustain Ukraines battlefield momentum." Canadian House speaker urged to quit over guest for Zelenskyy speech The leaders of Canadian opposition parties are urging House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota to resign after he invited a man who fought for the Nazis during World War II to attend Zelenskyy's speech to Parliament on Friday. Rota issued a written apology Sunday and repeated it in the House on Monday, taking full responsibility for introducing 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a war hero who fought for the 1st Ukrainian Division. Hunka was given a standing ovation right after Zelenskyy's speech. The 1st Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit under the command of the Nazis. I am deeply sorry that I have offended many with my gesture and remarks, Rota said. The Princess Olga monument in Kyiv is dressed in a dummy bulletproof vest with a sign reading "She needs armor" to draw attention to the need of armor designed specifically for women on Sept. 25, 2023. British mine experts aiding counteroffensive Britain's military has sent Royal Engineers to Poland to train Ukrainians in high-tech bomb removal techniques, the British Defense Ministry says. Britain has sent 1,500 mine detectors to Ukraine, and more are on the way. The Russians have heavily mined broad fields along the front lines, presenting a major challenge to the Ukrainian military's counteroffensive. The "tailored training package" educates Ukraine's mine disposal teams in munition recognition, disposal methods and search procedures to overcome improvised explosive devices (IEDs), mines, booby traps and trip wires, the Defense Ministry said. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps affirmed "unwavering support" for Ukraine. "Putins illegal invasion has left Ukraines fields and towns covered in deadly land mines and unexploded munitions, which presents an immediate danger to its citizens now and for years to come," Shapps said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine war updates: Poland gets $2 billion US loan for modern weapons Donald Trump is the front-runner - but for how long? The race for the 2024 Republican White House nomination is heating up. Several big-name and dark-horse contenders have joined a crowded field - and some have already called in quits. All are seeking to unseat the current front-runner, former President Donald Trump, who continues to dominate in national opinion polls. The eventual winner will challenge the presumptive Democratic nominee, President Joe Biden, in the general election of November next year. Ron DeSantis Ron DeSantis Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has worked hard to emulate Mr Trump, and is often viewed as the candidate most capable of defeating him in a head-to-head race. Boosted to the governorship by Mr Trump's endorsement in 2018, he romped to re-election in last year's midterms by more than 1.5 million votes, the largest margin in the state in more than four decades. Under his tenure, Republican voters outnumber Democrats in the state for the first time. At 44 years old, the Harvard and Yale-educated lawyer is still a relative newcomer in US politics. He once served in the US Navy, including a tour in Iraq. He was also a little-known member of the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018. But Mr DeSantis has seen his star rise considerably since he became governor, a role in which he has positioned himself as an enthusiastic culture warrior. He has backed legislation to defund diversity and inclusion programmes, ban teaching on gender identity in public schools, ban drag shows and gender-affirming care for minors, restrict abortions and loosen gun laws. He is also mired in an escalating legal battle with Walt Disney World. The governor has touted his record as a "blueprint" for conservative leadership, and supporters have touted him as a drama-free alternative to re-nominating the former president. Mr Trump has responded by attacking him almost daily on social media. Though Mr DeSantis enjoyed a considerable lead over most of his Republican rivals in earlier polling, a September poll from the University of New Hampshire suggested his popularity had taken a hit. It indicates he is currently placed far behind Mr Trump and nearly tied with Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and Chris Christie. Nikki Haley Nikki Haley Nikki Haley announced her bid for the presidency in mid-February, becoming the first major Republican candidate to commit to taking on Mr Trump. Once considered one of the Republican Party's brightest young prospects, Ms Haley, 51, has seen her profile diminish in recent years. Born in South Carolina to Punjabi Sikh immigrants, Ms Haley became the youngest governor in the country in 2009. She earned national attention in 2015 after calling for the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Capitol. Despite saying she was "not a fan" of Mr Trump in 2016, she later accepted his nomination to be the US ambassador to the United Nations, a tenure marked by her dramatic exit from a UN Security Council meeting as a Palestinian envoy was speaking. Her campaign, which includes a call for mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old, stresses the need for "a new generation" of US leaders. Ms Haley has seen her poll numbers rise since the first Republican debate in August, and they indicate she now ranks second or third with voters in the first three nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Vivek Ramaswamy Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on March 03, 2023 Vivek Ramaswamy, 37, launched his dark-horse White House bid during a late February appearance on the Fox News channel. An Indian-American biotech entrepreneur with no previous political experience, he was a regular fixture on Fox host Tucker Carlson's daily programme, formerly the most-watched cable news show in the US. The Harvard and Yale graduate argues the country is in the midst of a national identity crisis driven by a decline in faith, patriotism and meritocracy. He ran a pharmaceutical company from 2014 to 2021, then co-founded Strive Asset Management, which shirks the "divisive" environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) framework and offers itself as an alternative to large firms like Blackrock. He is also the author of Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam. Following Mr Trump's federal indictment over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, Mr Ramaswamy vowed that, if elected president, he would pardon Mr Trump of any crimes and criticised the rest of the field for not following his lead. Like Ms Haley, Mr Ramaswamy has enjoyed more favourable poll numbers since the first Republican debate, during which the political newcomer captured the spotlight. He drew also controversy that same week over remarks about the 11 September attacks in an interview with the Atlantic. "I think it is legitimate to say 'How many police, how many federal agents were on the planes that hit the twin towers?'" Mr Ramaswamy said in the interview. After he said he had been misquoted by the magazine, the Atlantic released audio from the interview showing it was an accurate quote. Chris Christie Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 19 November 2022 The former New Jersey governor announced his candidacy on 6 June at a town hall event in New Hampshire - the state that hosts the second contest in the Republican primary race. After his own 2016 presidential bid failed, Chris Christie allied himself with Mr Trump, leading the incoming president's transition team and preparing him for debates against Mr Biden in 2020. But he has become a vociferous critic of Mr Trump since the US Capitol riots. The sharp-tongued Mr Christie, 60, previewed an attack line on Mr Trump at a New Hampshire town hall in April, saying: "Donald Trump is a TV star, nothing more, nothing less. Let me suggest to you that in putting him back in the White House, the re-runs will be worse than the original show." Mr Christie served two terms as New Jersey governor from 2010-18. Massively popular in his first term, his second was overshadowed by a political scandal involving bridge lane closures - part of an alleged political vendetta against a Democratic mayor. Before being elected as governor, Mr Christie served as New Jersey's top prosecutor under President George W Bush from 2002-08, and famously sent Charles Kushner - the father of Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared - to prison. Tim Scott Tim Scott Senator Tim Scott has a decades-long career in South Carolina politics and entered the race in May with nearly $22m (18m) - more than his rivals - in cash on hand. The only black man to ever serve in both chambers of Congress, the 57-year-old has represented his home state in the Senate since 2013. Mr Scott is the grandson of a cotton field worker and the son of a single mother, and he has often spoken of how his family rose "from cotton to Congress" in a lifetime. He launched his 2024 bid vowing to turn around "a nation in retreat" and revive America's "culture of greatness". Well-liked among his colleagues, he quickly earned endorsements from two fellow senators, including John Thune, the chamber's second highest-ranking Republican. But he's not the only South Carolina Republican to throw their hat in the ring. Asa Hutchinson Asa Hutchinson speaks at a New York City event on May 17, 2022 Former two-term Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced his run for president during an April interview with ABC News just days after Mr Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York. Mr Hutchinson, 72, has said Mr Trump's legal problems are "a sideshow and distraction" that should prompt him to withdraw from the race. The former attorney and businessman was the youngest federal prosecutor in the nation under the Ronald Reagan administration. He also served two terms in the US House of Representatives, including as a prosecutor in Bill Clinton's impeachment trial, and was George W Bush's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief. Presenting himself as a "non-Trump" candidate with experience and a record of leadership across multiple roles, he has vowed to lean into "common sense, consistent conservatism". Doug Burgum Doug Burgum at a 2017 press conference The former software executive and current North Dakota governor confirmed a run for the White House on 7 June saying: "If you want more small-town common sense in Washington and our big cities, we'll make that happen." The New York Times assessed his candidacy: "As the leader of his deep-red state, Mr Burgum has overseen a period of significant economic expansion, but he has also assented to staunchly conservative social policies, even as he has downplayed his role in them." Perry Johnson Perry Johnson at a May 2023 campaign rally in Iowa Perry Johnson, a 75-year-old businessman who tried to run for Michigan governor last year but was disqualified, joined the presidential race in March. He is touting a plan to reignite the economy by shaving 2% in federal spending every year. Ryan Binkley A business executive from Texas, Ryan Binkley is also a Christian pastor. He has said he "heard calls from the Lord about what's needed" and will prioritise "solutions for the country". Who has dropped out? After a nearly five-month campaign, former vice-president Mike Pence called it quits. Mr Pence had languished in recent polls and had struggled to gain the support of Republican voters. Miami's 45-year-old Cuban-born mayor, Francis Suarez, was the only Hispanic candidate in the race. He was the first to drop out. Former Texas congressman Will Hurd announced he was suspending the race and backing Nikki Haley. The conservative talk radio host and ex-candidate for California governor, Larry Elder, dropped out after accusing the Republican party of having "rigged the rules of the game" to keep him out of the debates. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has received an order from the US Army to deliver an additional 409 CROWS remote weapon stations, spares and support. The order has a value of USD 94 million or approximately NOK 1 billion. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link Commonly Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) mounted on a Humvee (Picture source: Kongsberg) The order is part of the IDIQ (indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity) frame contract awarded in October 2022, the 4th consecutive five-year contract awarded to Kongsberg for the delivery and support of the US Army Commonly Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS). We are very pleased for the opportunity to deliver additional CROWS systems to the US Army and with the confidence our customers place in our products and our organization, says Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The deliveries will be manufactured and assembled at the Kongsberg facility in Johnstown PA. For the last 20 years, Kongsberg has delivered more than 23,000 Protector Remote Weapon Systems to a total of 28 nations. This includes the major US program Commonly Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS). CROWS is a US Army Program of Record for the acquisition and sustainment of Remote Weapon Stations for all U.S. Army vehicle programs. The Protector family includes the RS4 and RS6 Remote Weapon Stations, - with weapons from light machine guns (5.56mm) to light cannons (30mmx113mm). It also includes the Remote Turrets, - designed for medium caliber cannons like 30mmx173mm and 40mmx180mm. In 2022, Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, said: Kongsberg is proud to be selected as the supplier in this competitive award for the next five-year CROWS contract. This is an important milestone. We are extending our collaboration with US Army as we have since 2007 enabling Kongsberg, together with the customer, to provide the soldiers with the best remotely controlled weapon solution, says Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. With this award, Kongsberg and the U.S. Government will be able to fully realize the investments made in the Tech Refresh systems and bring those capabilities to new and existing customers both in the US and abroad. CROWS Tech Refresh is the next generation of remote weapon stations. The Tech Refresh systems are designed to provide greater stand-off, increased precision, and networking capabilities as well as vastly improved situational awareness in addition to being backward compatible, said Eirik Tord Jensen, Executive Vice President for Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Land Systems division. With more than 23,000 systems sold worldwide and 17 years of CROWS experience, Kongsberg will continue to support the soldiers with new systems and capabilities meeting tomorrows requirements while maintaining and supporting a wide range of CROWS variants. Commonly Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) variant to equip U.S. Army vehicles (Picture source: Kongsberg) Defense News September 2023 K-pop quintet adds Latin flavor to new song By Dong Sun-hwa Baila Conmigo, ONEUS's lead single from its 10th mini-album "La Dolce Vita," offers a compelling reinterpretation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," infused with a rare Latin flair. In the song, the five members Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwangwoong and Xion assume the role of a "mermaid prince," who gives up his voice in exchange for legs to meet his loved one. "Baila Conmigo," which translates to "dance with me" in Spanish, portrays the last dance of the two people who have only one day to spend together before their farewell. We thought a lot about different ways to put our own twist to a well-known fairy tale, Hwanwoong said during a media interview at a cafe in eastern Seoul's Gwangjin District, Sept. 20. The interview took place a few days before the release of La Dolce Vita on Tuesday. We attempted to focus on storytelling and acting. For instance, all of us perform like we have our female partners next to us on stage so that people can better grasp our story. The choreography and costumes also play a vital role in storytelling. Keonhee explained that the choreography depicts how the prince loses his voice in exchange for a pair of legs and they also paid extra attention to their stage outfits. We used vinyl and lace on our clothes to visualize fish scales, he said. We also added some pearls, which are known as 'mermaids tears' Another big thing is that we picked blue as our main color, instead of using red which people often associate with passion. We made that choice because we wanted to deviate from the typical path. The Latin-flavored "Baila Conmigo" marks a departure from ONEUS's previous hits like "LIT" (2019) and "Luna" (2021), which incorporated elements of Korean traditional culture. Latin music has its own distinctive character, so we were at first hesitant and concerned about trying out this genre, Hwanwoong said. But in the end, we decided to tackle fresh challenges by changing our singing styles and voice tones. Since we are also releasing the Spanish version of our lead track, we strived to make it sound familiar to Spanish-speaking listeners as well. We are not flawless, but we sing it in our way. Leedo elaborated, A Spanish expert gave us directions when we were recording the song. He corrected our pronunciation and helped us lift its quality. Keonhee believes that the Latin influence will resonate well with their international fan base. We actually performed in Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil for the first time during our first world tour, Reach For Us, that wrapped up in February. I think our fans there will love our new tune. Korean fans will also be fond of it because Latin pop is so popular here as well," he said. The mini-album La Dolce Vita includes three more tracks: Intro: Beggin you, Simulation and Epilogue. Leedo, who participated in the creative process of Simulation and Epilogue, emphasized the effort to create melodies and lyrics aligning with the album's overall concept. I tried to come up with the songs that match well with the overall concept our mini-album and its title track, he recalled. Since its debut in 2019, ONEUS has achieved steady growth with La Dolce Vita clocking up 300,000 pre-orders as of Monday. This is the highest number for the group so far. However, the five members have even loftier ambitions for their future. In the past, when our members said they wanted to enter Billboards (main) charts, I thought their goal was quite unrealistic, Hwangwoong revealed. But many things have changed today, and now I am quite confident about our music. Making it onto the Billboard is no more a dream, but a goal for us. I hope we can also perform at the Super Bowl, one of the worlds largest sporting events. Khappens even if the accused has moved the Supreme Court for protection with the specific plea that they are in danger. Extra-judicial killings are normal in India and are called encounters. They refer to the States murder of an accused who is often, though not always, in custody. And this killing happens even if the accused has moved the Supreme Court for protection with the specific plea that they are in danger. The killings happen even if the accused is being filmed while being transported from one location to another, and filmed because it is thought that they might be killed. The theory applied is that the justice system is broken and punishment cannot wait. That the world has good people and bad people, and the latter do not require to be convicted before being punished and this punishment can come from outside the legal system through shooting them. On August 27, 2013, Lok Sabha MP Gurudas Dasgupta asked the home ministry some questions. They included whether the Government of India was aware of the findings of the commission headed by Justice N. Santosh Hegde appointed by the Supreme Court that seven killings in six separate instances in Manipur were the consequence of fake encounters. And whether the National Human Rights Commission has demanded an investigation into all encounters in Manipur. The government replied that it was aware of the findings of the Hegde commission, but that the NHRC has not demanded any investigation into the findings and therefore the government had done nothing about it. It is instructive to go into what this commission is and what it did. On November 24, 2012, the Supreme Court set up a commission of three people, including former Justice Hegde, former chief election commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh and former DGP of Karnataka Ajay Kumar Singh. Their task was to take up the murders of 1,528 people between 1979 and 2012 in Manipur through encounters. The murders were committed by the Manipur police and the security forces. The matter came up after the Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) filed a petition. The commission took up the first six of the 1,528 murders and by 2013 found that all of the encounters were fake. The murders were facilitated by the fact that the killers were protected by AFSPA, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. However, the Northeast and Kashmir are not the only places where such encounters happen, of course, and AFSPA is not necessary for the State to conduct encounters. Manipur is again in the news globally, but for other reasons. Here also, like with extrajudicial killings, as a people we have looked away from what has happened and even the Prime Minister was forced to speak only after an especially horrible incident came out. So, what has happened to the functioning of the State in India after the government has accepted in the Lok Sabha that this sort of murder is a reality? Not much, unfortunately, and such encounters continue. The examples cited above of someone being killed in custody even after they went to the Supreme Court, and someone being killed while being transported and being covered live on TV, are quite recent. It appears that there is a set of circumstances that makes this possible. At the level of society, there is not much pushback against such murders. This is speculation and anecdotal, but it appears to be the case that there is approval of the use of such methods, because of the idea of good and bad people. This is reflected in the media coverage of such incidents, where holding the State to account for extra-judicial murder is not the primary concern or point raised. Because of this societal approval, or at least because of an absence of meaningful pushback except from what is called civil society, the government can continue doing what it does. Though it has taken some interest in the matter, the judiciary also has not held the State to account for what is has done in the past and what it continues to do. All of this has meant that extra-judicial killings in India remain quite normal. So long as this does not concern others, it has not been a problem. However, this month, the issue has become international. The Indian State is accused of an extra-judicial killing on someone elses territory. No evidence of this has been put out so far, and we must as always take the position of presumed innocence. And we must hope that the allegations are untrue. But we must also consider what the status is inside our home. The problem is amplified and endemic inside our country. An unofficial and brutal justice system exists parallel to the official one, and it executes many times more of the accused than the official one executes convicts. A report in The Hindus Frontline magazine last year said that between 2016 and 2022, more than 800 encounter killings had been recorded. In the same period, the number of people hanged after conviction was five. It should not take external pressure for us to look at ourselves but that seems to be how things often move in India. The list of those executed in Manipur had been prepared and submitted to Christof Heyns, the United Nations special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, who had come on a mission to India in March 2012. Should it have needed this before we acted? The nearness of the end of life, in effect, makes the leader, however powerful he or she might seem, a lame duck leader. In the last question to Yudhishthira at the lakeside, the Yaksha asks: What is the greatest wonder? Yudhishthira replies: Day after day countless people die. Yet the living wish to live forever. O Lord, what can be a greater wonder? This wisdom seems to elude our political leaders. The waning days of a leaders life are always plagued with questions of the individuals health and, by implication, longevity. The nearness of the end of life, in effect, makes the leader, however powerful he or she might seem, a lame duck leader. The term lame duck is an Americanism that refers to an elected official who is approaching the end of his or her tenure, and especially an official whose successor has already been elected. A lame duck status invariably entails a swift loss of political legitimacy and authority, making official power a weak instrument. Most leaders fear this more than death itself. Not long ago the official website of Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he went hiking in the mountains north of Tehran just one month after undergoing prostate surgery. It reported: The septuagenarian ayatollah, who is known to be fond of walks and hiking, was accompanied by his entourage on the hike early on Friday morning. It also quotes the top leader as saying that the hike was arranged on the recommendations of his physicians as physical exercise is beneficial to the recovery process. Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, has been Irans top leader since 1989. He is a powerful defender of Irans theocracy established by his predecessor, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The purpose of this little peep into the ayatollahs otherwise strictly guarded privacy is meant to send a message that nothing has changed and that he is still the man to do business with in Iran. The ayatollahs hike brings to mind Mao Zedongs famous swim in the Yangtze, also when he was well into his 70s. In the early 1960s, after the chairmans disastrous Great Leap Forward, China faced an economic catastrophe and a famine that was taking millions of lives. Mao had to contend with mounting criticism from within the party and Beijing swirled with rumours about his health. The Great Helmsman then retreated to Hangzhou to plot his strategy to regain political legitimacy and full authority. He came up with the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution to deal with his rivals and once again seize full control of the Communist Party. But first he had to show that he was well and kicking. Mao resurfaced in Wuhan in the summer of 1966 to stage one of his greatest acts of political theatre. On July 16, he took a vigorous and well-reported swim in the Yangtze river by the Wuhan Bridge. It was to signal that Mao was in robust health and that his rivals had better take note. Although Mao was in his early 70s, party propagandists claimed that the chairman had swum nearly 15 km in a record 65 minutes. Even if the speed was believable, the crude cut-and-paste photograph that was shared made sure that outside China, it was taken as political buffoonery and a sign that China was soon to descend into a new madness. Then why go to this extent when all that it usually does is to raise more questions? That has more to do with the desires of those close to the leadership to retain the power that closeness confers and the jockeying for better positioning after a succession that also happens simultaneously. Yuri Andropov became general secretary of the CPSU and President of the USSR after the death Leonid Brezhnev in November 1982. Andropov was the first Russian leader to realise how precarious the economic position of the USSR actually was and how untenable its claims to be a superpower were. Andropov also realised how former US President Ronald Reagans Star Wars programme was actually an elaborate hoax to drive the USSR into economic ruination by trying to develop costly weapons to match those that werent there. In August 1983, Andropov called off the Soviet space weapons programme. But earlier that year Andropov suffered a total renal failure. It was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Cold War. The Soviet leader had to be tethered to a dialysis machine and was actually living in a Moscow hospital. This made a mountain hike or a swim in a river in full flow an impossibility. No one is still quite sure when Andropov actually died. He officially died on February 9, 1984. He didnt go gently, but in the end the night takes us all. Closer to home we have the case of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He was diagnosed as stricken with Alzheimers soon after he lost the 2004 elections. But Alzheimers is not a sudden onset ailment. All through the preceding few years there were signs of a fading memory. He kept calling Jaswant Singh Yashwant Sinha, and vice versa. He forgot Pramod Mahajans name at a public meeting. He would suddenly go blank during meetings. But clearly there were many vested interests in keeping the charade going. Ranjan Bhattacharya and Brijesh Mishra were the obvious beneficiaries. Pecuniary and otherwise. There were many others in India and abroad who were entirely too happy with the situation. The Americans fawned upon Brijesh Mishra. Lal Krishna Advani was happy as the succession line was made clear with him being named deputy prime minister. All that was needed was to keep the play going till the 2004 elections, which the BJP expected to win, with Vajpayee as its flag-bearer. Now consider this too. Not long after the 2004 debacle, the then defence minister, George Fernandes, was also detected to be suffering from Alzheimers. Now think of this alarming situation. The Prime Minister and the defence minister, the top two in the nuclear command chain, are afflicted with Alzheimers. Yet they are vested with war and holocaust powers? It was also the same in the case of US President Ronald Reagan. Thats why I like Narendra Modis announced 75-year age cut-off for politicians. I would actually prefer a 70-year cut-off. Narendra Modi is now 73. He is at a chronological age which is past the average Indian life expectancy and his electoral life is very finite given present trends. Its time for him to say: Chal Khusrau ghar aapnay, saanjh bhayee chahu des. (Let us, Oh Khusrau go back now, the dark dusk settles in the four hours corners.) While Israels parliament is on recess for high holidays, one committee expedites one a bill advanced by Ben-Gvir and Levin to allow the police to use cameras for the identification and proactive or retroactive analysis of images. Activists and critics fear the law will be used in an abusive and twisted manner. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) Israeli and Palestinian activists are worried by a bill that risks increasing the powers of the state to control the population, Chinese-style, invading the personal sphere and limiting people's rights. Israels Ministerial Committee for Legislation last week approved a bill promoted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Justice Minister Yariv Levin that would allow and regulate the use of facial recognition technology in public places. As the government sought to expedite the bill, the latter was the only item on the agenda for the special session, as the Knesset is in recess for the High Holidays. The proposed law would let the Israeli Police use facial recognition cameras to analyse, proactively and retroactively, footage to zero on specific individuals or illegal activities. For the bills backers, These uses allow the police to trace the identity and location of suspects and therefore are a useful and effective tool for recognizing and preventing crime and [. . .] protect the peace and safety of the public. Specifically, the use of the technology will be limited to cases of severe crime, which is defined as crimes carrying a minimum sentence of seven years in prison as well as a specific list of other crimes stipulated in the legislation. It is likely, however, that it will be used and abused when acts of violence and terrorism are involved. Levin and Ben-Gvir first submitted the bill in February, but it stalled from a lack of specificity regarding when and where the technology can be deployed. Previous governments tried to adopt facial recognition technology as a security tool, like under Prime Minister Naftali Bennet and during Justice Minister Tzipi Livnis term in office in 2013-14. The bill currently before the Knesset contains a provision that would require all data obtained by the facial recognition software to remain confidential and be deleted within 72 hours, unless directly relevant to ongoing and specific law enforcement operations. What is more, according to the current draft, in order to use the technology, police will have to name a specific suspect location that will be approved by a senior officer Critics and activists say the proposed legislation has no oversight mechanism. This is worrisome since, in 2020, a police source said that law enforcement agencies already collected information about the movements of Israelis not suspected of any crime in a secret database. At the time, police said that the systems use was validated by judicial means and used in an orderly fashion when needed. Backers of the bill claim that it is being advanced as part of a legislative effort to fight crime in Israels Arab community. Ben Gvir has come under heavy criticism for handling an alarming record-breaking rise in killings in Israel's Arab communities. According to the Abraham Initiatives, an anti-violence advocacy group, 174 Arabs have been killed so far this year, including 165 Israeli Arabs, mostly in shootings, up from 77 last year. The use of cameras and facial recognition has long been a practice used against Palestinians. Two years ago, Breaking the Silence revealed that the Israeli army began using a programme in 2019 based on new technologies with thousands of photos and highly invasive surveillance methods, which it defined as the digitisation of the occupation. Similar to a model used in China, the technology, called "Blue Wolf", collects images and cross-references them with a database run by the Israeli military that warns soldiers if an individual should be detained. The surveillance network also includes the "White Wolf" application, used by security officials in West Bank settlements to provide information and identify Palestinians before they enter Jewish settlements to work. by Shafique Khokhar Masheel Rasheed was also sexually abused by her abductors. The father had tried to report the incident to the police, but received no support. Now he and his daughter live in hiding because they fear reprisals from Muslim extremists. Okara (AsiaNews) - The latest case of kidnapping of a Christian teenager illustrates the dangers to which members of religious minorities are subjected in Pakistan: Masheel Rasheed, 16 years old, was subjected to sexual violence and was then converted to Islam to marry her captor, Abdul Sattar. Masheel is Rasheed Masih's youngest daughter and she is part of the only Christian family in the city of Okara, which has around 10,000 residents and is located southwest of the cities of Lahore and Fisalabad. Their ordeal as Christians began in October 2021, when local residents defaced the house and stole some personal belongings. The family filed a complaint with the police which led to the conviction of the accused. The situation degenerated the following year, when Masheel was kidnapped on October 25, 2022. The girl was preparing to go to school when the attackers broke into the house and beat her father until he was unconscious. During her captivity Masheel was drugged and subjected to physical and sexual abuse. Signs of torture are clearly visible on her arms. During the court process to obtain the marriage certificate she was forced to falsely declare her identity because her kidnappers had threatened her by saying they would kill her family if she did not cooperate. Despite her father's complaints to the police, Masheel returned to her family because she managed to escape. At the beginning of her imprisonment the girl had made a first attempt, but she was immediately recaptured. Only after the death of Abdul Sattar's brother, the Muslim man who tortured her and then married her, did Masheel manage to reach Okara and return to her father. The shocked father said he had tirelessly sought justice, but found himself faced with a wall of indifference and collusion within the police force. Ten days ago he and his daughter left Okara, fearing for their lives. Masheel is traumatized and unable to speak. She is afraid to return home because she knows that the kidnappers claim that she should be reunited with her husband, whose family is very influential in the city. Joseph Jansen, president of the religious minority advocacy organization Voice for Justice, denounced the incident: Masheel was only 15 years old when his marriage was deemed valid by a judge in the Okara district, even though in Pakistan the legal age to marry is 18. Jansen then asked for intervention from the Pakistani government to guarantee the protection of persecuted Christians: "Rasheed Masih and her daughter remain in grave danger", he told AsiaNews. Pakistan is bound by the Constitution to uphold the rights and security of its minority religious communities. Shamaun Alfred, spokesperson for the Minorities Association of Pakistan, reminded that birth certificates, church registration documents and school certificates are legal documents that provide accurate information about an individual's age. However, in cases of forced marriages with minors, these acts are often ignored allowing illegal practices that are difficult to eradicate: The failure of state institutions to recognize and support the validity of such official documents is a significant obstacle in the fight against forced and child marriages . It not only undermines the rule of law, but also endangers the lives and futures of countless children." Rachel Mary, a women's rights activist, added that the police consistently favor Islamic groups and treat minority communities as inferior. Muslim extremists willingly shelter these criminals, justifying their actions under the pretext of converting others to Islam and thus spreading their faith in Islam. The Masih family's ordeal highlights the urgent need for reform and protection of religious minorities in Pakistan, where such atrocities continue to plague the lives of innocent citizens." by Vladimir Rozanskij In the campaign to combat "excessively explicit manifestations of the Muslim religion" in public places launched by President Mirziyoyev, schoolgirls are forced to tie the khidzab behind the nape of their necks and houses are raided to confiscate "inappropriate clothing". Some shop owners are forbidden from displaying signs and insignia in Arabic. Tashkent (AsiaNews) - The authorities of Uzbekistan are intensifying the campaign to combat excessively explicit manifestations of the Muslim religion in public places and in social life. As Radio Ozodlik illustrates, those who profess Islam are forced to cut their beards, and women are prevented from wearing the khidzab, the local version of the Islamic veil. There is a video circulating online in which some students from the Bankovskij college in the city of Andizan are forced in rather violent ways to weave their veils behind their heads, and those who refuse to do so are not admitted to the lessons. Such cases are frequent in Uzbekistan, such as that of the third-year student of the Bukhara Technological Engineering Institute, Fatima Abdullokh, who appealed to the daughter of President Savkat Mirziyoyev, Saida, with a request to defend the students forced to take off their khidzab. Similar measures were also taken at the Circik pedagogical institute, in the Tashkent region, where the management demanded that the Uzbek language and literature student Karomat Mukimova take off her khidzab if she wanted to keep her place in the student hostel. There were also raids organized on the homes of inhabitants of the provinces of Zangiata and Yangiyol, where men in black masks carried out searches to take all the clothing deemed inappropriate, because it was considered a sign of Islamic radicalism. To try to govern the situation, Mufti Nuriddin Khaliknazarov, president of the Muslim administration, issued a criticism against "religious excesses" regarding clothing, behavior, pilgrimages and other issues related to Islamic devotion. According to the mufti "we have often overestimated the issue of religious clothing in culture, creating a mentality according to which there are mandatory codes for external appearance. There are the rules left to us by the Prophet, which do not impose particular forms, in fact ours is not a religion of a single nation or of a single climatic region... as the prophet Muhammad says, in reality Allah does not look at your appearance, nor to your properties." Many Facebook users report persecutions against bearded men; Alikhontra Sokiron reports what happened at the market in the Sergelijsk district of Tashkent, where ten men with long beards were arrested by the police and sentenced to fifteen days of detention. Another account reports a series of attacks in two neighborhoods of the capital, those of Mirzo-Ulugbekskij and Almazarsk, where the police publicly shaved the beards of some people, one of whom tried to resist, even ending up him in cell for two weeks. Various forceful actions were authorized by the Department for Combating Economic Delinquency, the Tashkent Prosecutor's Office and the Revenue Agency, even by the State Health and Epidemiological Service. Dozens of bars and shops regularly frequented by the most Orthodox faithful were closed, accusing them of not respecting health regulations or other infractions, when the real cause was always beards and khidzabs. Religious literature bookstores, but also perfumeries and all clothing stores are kept under close observation, also prohibiting the owners from displaying signs and signs in Arabic. The fight against "aesthetic radicalism" was inaugurated a few months ago, when the parliament of Uzbekistan, inspired by President Savkat Mirziyoyev, introduced changes to the Code of Conduct in Public Places. Only those who carry out a ministry in religious associations are allowed to wear "garments of worship" in public. Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and the President of the National Security Service, Abdusalom Azizov, also publicly spoke out against "the growth of religious radicalism in the country". Photo: Flickr / Arian Zwegers by Steve Suwannarat Thais over 60 make up about 21 per cent of the population, proportion expected to rise to 38.5 by 2050. On average, they get 600 and 1,000 baht (US$ 16-28) per month, but changes proposed by the former military-led government and the current progressive opposition are deemed inadequate. Bangkok (AsiaNews) Thailands new government, which took office at the start of the month, has a number of priorities, including a long-term solution for the countrys ailing pension system. Integrating various pensions and funding schemes is crucial, notes the Puey Institute for Economic Research in a recent study, titled Thailands Pension Reform: Towards an Inclusive, Adequate and Sustainable Pension System. The study highlights the need to take into account working careers that often alternate between formal and informal employment and assesses the different ways of financing future pensions and the varying length of working life of Thais. Currently, Thais aged 60 and over make up around 21 per cent of the population, but, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), this is set to rise to 38.5 per cent by 2050. The existing social security and insurance system is largely inadequate, starting from the basic pension, which provides only 600-1,000 baht (US$ 16-28) per month, depending on age. Retired civil servants, military and police enjoy greater pension benefits, as do most employees in the formal sector who are required to pay into the Social Security Office Fund. If they leave the formal sector, they can continue to contribute to the fund. Those employed in the informal sector can opt into voluntary public or private schemes. The need to restructure the pension system is not yet very visible because in Thai society children traditionally support parents in their old age. This was before life expectancy rose, fertility dropped, and families became smaller, which now risk undermining senior citizens financial autonomy. A public scheme seems increasingly a must to avoid a crisis. The former military-led government had pledged to guarantee a basic pension only to the poorest Thais, but that proved to be controversial. The opposition took up the proposal put forward by the Phak Kao Klai (Move Forward) party, which had come close to leading the country after last Mays parliamentary elections. Their idea was to provide a universal monthly pension of 3,000 bath, but it was rejected as too costly. Other proposals are being vetted, like hybrid schemes or fewer beneficiaries. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Produced between 1979 and 1986 for model years 1980 through 1986, the Ford Bronco's third generation came with a choice of 300 to 351 cubes in six- or eight-cylinder guises. The 5.8-liter Windsor makes in the ballpark of 210 horsepower, a respectable number given the 351's archaic design and the emission regulations from the early '80s. HP EFI SUV Photo: Hoonigan on YouTube The 1986 Ford Bronco XLT in the featured clip isn't your usual third gen, though. A true sleeper, this fellow rocks a 444-ci M block with Holleyand a pair of 61-millimeter turbos for good measure. According to its owner, the unassumingproduces around 669 horsepower at the wheels. Peak torque? Circa 1,000 pound-feet (1,358 Nm), thank you!Owned by Ryan Hauf, this block further prides itself on Trick Flow heads, a Howards roller cam, 32-inch Cooper mud-terrain rubber, a Detroit Locker out back, a wicked instrument cluster from Intellitronix, and stock brakes. Equipped with drums for the rear wheels, this Bronco also runs the factory-issue suspension instead of some aftermarket solution.Pictured at the Santa Margarita Ranch airstrip, the Bronco is joined by a high-mileage Viper GTS from the 1996 model year. The V10-powered coupe normally outputs 450 horsepower and 490 pound-feet (664 Nm), although this particular SR II belts out a little more due to a number of tasteful mods.From 18- by 12-inch and 18- by 13-inch tires to long-tube headers a la the ACR-X racing car, a 3.0-inch titanium cat-back exhaust, and a bunch of holes for bettering cooling, this blast from the past isn't for the faint of heart. As far as the interior is concerned, only the gear knob was replaced with an ACR knob.Owned by Nick Reid, the Viper scoots off extremely well in the first of three drag races, making easy work of the body-on-frame SUV over 1,000 feet (305 meters) of runway. Ryan kept close, though, and he came even closer to Nick in the second dig race.Round two saw the Bronco launch significantly better, but alas, the Viper crossed the 500-foot (152-meter) finish line a bumper ahead of the twin-turbo colossus. Ryan asserted dominance in the third and final race, which also took place over 500 feet instead of 1,000 feet.He crossed the line half a car length ahead of the blue-painted Viper. Had they raced over a greater distance, the better tires, more slippery aerodynamics, and six-speed manual (compared to a three-speed automatic in the Bronco) would have resulted in three straight wins for the Viper GTS.As you're well aware, Chrysler pulled the plug on the Dodge Viper in 2017 due to poor demand and new safety regulations that required side curtain airbags. The final-gen Dodge Viper doesn't offer enough room for curtain airbags, and that's the gist of it.As for the Bronco, the Ford Motor Company revived this iconic nameplate for the 2021 model year on the Ranger's platform. It's produced exclusively in the United States at the Michigan Assembly Plant. For the time being, that is, because the Bronco will also be assembled in China beginning in 2024 by Jiangling Ford, a joint venture between the American automaker and Chinese outfit Jiangling Motors. Yoon Jong-kyoo expects new chairman to lead group towards global top 20 By Lee Yeon-woo KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo reflected on his nine-year tenure during a press conference at KB headquarters in Seoul, Monday. "Returning to a leading position has been immensely rewarding," he said. "However, while we are a top financial group domestically, we only rank in the top 60 on a global scale. This remains my biggest regret." Yoon plans to step down this November, passing the reins to Yang Jong-hee, the group's vice chairman. "I took the helm as chairman during a time when our governance was under pressure, and we were seemingly losing our 'top-tier DNA.' Concerns outweighed the congratulations. But, thanks to the unwavering support from our customers and staff, we have risen to become a premier financial group, and for that, I am deeply relieved," Yoon said with pride. Despite the accomplishments, Yoon expressed his dissatisfaction with the bank's standing globally. "In 2002, I believe I was the first to use the term 'the Samsung of Finance.' Reflecting on the past 20 years, there's a tinge of melancholy when pondering our actual progress," Yoon said. "To break into the global top 20, our capital would have needed to grow 2.5 times. We must deliberate whether such growth is feasible at the individual company level and think about our future direction." "I trust Yang will take proactive measures regarding this matter," Yoon added. Yoon began his leadership in November 2014 amid internal disruptions. He was subsequently re-elected three times, serving a total of nine years. His consistent choice of a yellow necktie, a color symbolizing KB, became emblematic of his tenure, so much so that his friends jokingly questioned if he "bleeds yellow." Notably, he was the first in KB's history to achieve back-to-back terms and a total of three consecutive stints. Still, he chose not to compete for a fourth term, handing over the reins instead. In response to the widespread criticisms concerning the governance of financial holding groups and the frequent reappointment of their respective chairmen, Yoon opined that there is "no ultimate answer." "There's an attempt to standardize governance as if there is a definitive answer. However, each group should innovate and cultivate its own governance structure, taking into account their unique circumstances, traits and cultural differences," Yoon said. "KB will remain unwavering in its endeavors to shape its governance in the most optimal way." Citing a 2018 Harvard Business Review article, Yoon pointed out that the average tenure of CEOs at S&P 500 companies is 10.2 years. "Given this context, if Korean financial companies are striving for a global presence, one has to wonder: Can they truly engage in and benefit from long-term investments if there's a CEO change every 3 to 6 years?" However, he also expressed optimism about the future trajectory of KB Financial Group. Yoon believes that Bank KB Bukopin, KB's subsidiary in Indonesia, will outperform local banks by providing comprehensive solutions in tandem with other KB subsidiaries that have penetrated the Indonesian market. "While the resolution of non-performing loans might require a prolonged effort, we are hopeful that the reinvestment in its IT infrastructure will be completed by next June." Yoon extended words of encouragement to Yang. "I have confidence that Yang will steer KB Financial Group towards sustainable progress and substantial leaps forward. I will diligently engage in the transition process during the remaining period to ensure that the designated successor can start on a confident footing." It seems the EV revolution is joined at the hip with the soaring hype for crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks. And even Toyota, now under new leadership at every level, wants to join the zero-emissions party. EV The namesake Toyota brand still has a little faith left in the hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles but that one is slowly fading away. Meanwhile, the luxury division Lexus is more and more invested in battery-powered electrification . For example, they already have the NX and RX PHEVs on sale, and the latter will be joined soon by the all-new, first-ever TX hybrid and plug-in hybrid on the American market.Just recently, the rumor mill has also heard from none other than Lexus International president Takashi Watanabe that the premium automaker might top all these offerings with something unheard of before, aka an electric pickup truck. That's a mighty daring endeavor, of course, but also entirely logical primarily if it's focused on the North American region.Over there, near-premiumpickup trucks are already taking flight in the sales charts, mostly thanks to the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, and the new kid on the block, Rivian R1T. And the market isn't standing still as GM will also add the Chevy Silverado EV and the premium GMC Sierra EV, Ram Trucks will introduce the 1500 REV, and the mighty Tesla will finally unleash their edgy Cybertruck.Naturally, that idea a Lexus pickup truck of the EV variety has caught the attention of everyone, including the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. And they quickly took the task away from Lexus, unofficially imagining what a Lexus 'workhorse' could look like. Some decided that the best way is to redress the N400 Toyota Tacoma with a premium feel and call it a good CGI day.Others didn't think that would cut it, as the Lexus pickup truck would most likely be of the full-size light-duty variety rather than a smaller mid-sizer. Now, Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has taken up the task of revealing that flagship Lexus truck - in CGI.And his recipe is just as simple, though also a little more than outrageous, to say the least. So, instead of solely using Toyota group DNA for the hypothetical Lexus pickup truck, the pixel master relied on a CGI mashup. First, he took the charming appearance of the 2024 Lexus GX as a design benchmark, and then he added the (visible) underpinnings of the Ford F-150 Lightning. The result is, um, interesting.So, what do you think about a Lexus EV pickup truck with the front and rear styling of the all-new Lexus GX but also with the middle section taken almost unchanged from the famous Ford F-150 Lightning? Should we give it our CGI hall pass or not? 4WD SUV ICE Instead, the Japanese automaker first introduced the Subaru BRAT (an acronym for 'Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter') as a light-dutycoupe utility variant of the Subaru Leone four-wheel drive station wagon model. The more compact rival to Chevrolet's El Camino and Ford Ranchero was marketed from 1978 to 1994 over two generations and spawned an indirect successor.That one was the Subaru Baja, produced in the United States by Subaru of Indiana Automotive, as an all-wheel-drive four-door compact utility model for four passengers and cargo. It was only sold between the model years 2003 and 2006, with the concept derived from the Subaru Legacy/Outback models. Seen as a bit controversial in the times, Subaru only sold around 30k units over four years of production.However, this 'fashion statement' in the coupe utility/unibody compact pickup truck sector made a lasting impression on many automotive enthusiasts. Enough so that even today, we see a lot of whispers and rumors circulating around Subie town and some of them point to a potential resurrection of the BRAT or Baja nameplates Well, it makes sense from a marketing standpoint. America is back in love with compact pickup trucks after a rather long hiatus, and it's all thanks to just two models the ritzy Hyundai Santa Cruz (produced in the US) and the Mexico-born, rugged, and electrified Ford Maverick best seller. As such, no one is all too surprised that more automakers are mulling the option of joining the unibody compact pickup truck party sooner rather than later.Regarding Japanese automakers, the most common rumor revolves around Toyota bringing back the Stout nameplate from the nether or simply deriving the Corolla Cross compact crossoveras a Maverick and Santa Cruz foe. However, that's not always the view of the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.The Halo oto channel on YouTube mainly provides fresh automotive info corroborated with their virtual designs; now, there are some CGI ideas about a new Subie Baja on the horizon instead of a Toyota Corolla Cross pickup truck. And the resident pixel master wasn't afraid to take drastic action with this unofficial depiction of the potential revival; we'll give him that.So, instead of something that mimics the current Subaru Outback Wilderness adventure station wagon, the channel's CGI expert went out on a limb with a compact unibody pickup truck that looks straight out of the future. The styling is both daring and completely out of touch with anything that Subaru makes these days it's more Rivian-like if you will allow the comparison and if the startup would ever build an-powered compact unibody pickup truck. So, cool or not cool? SUV Since the year started, we have seen many premieres, small and big. There was the arrival of the 2023 Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, the 2024 Corolla Nightshade family, the GR special editions (GR86 Trueno, GR Corolla Circuit, GR Supra 45th Anniversary), the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid, the all-new, first-ever 2024 Grand Highlander three-row CUV, plus the absolute superstars the N400 Tacoma and 2024 Land Cruiser.But that is not all, as the Japanese automaker has so much more to offer. Apparently, at least according to the rumor mill, even more trucks are coming to join the party alongside the all-new next-gen Tacoma and the solid XK70 Tundra plus Tundra i-Force Max. As such, early last month, some faint whispers talked about the company aiming to introduce an entry-level pickup truck based on the Corolla Cross and slotted below the best-selling Tacoma.Naturally, that means only one thing a unibody-based compact pickup truck destined to wage war against the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. Well, that is a tall order, indeed, but various rumors have talked about Toyota joining the fray ever since the Blue Oval's reinvented Maverick turned out to be such a smashing success. However, initially, the reports discussed the potential return of the beloved Stout nameplate.Of course, as the rumor mill adapted to the new tales, so did the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. As such, today, gone are the digital projects that reinvented the stout little Japanese pickup truck for the modern era they were replaced by rather bland interpretations of the Corolla Cross with a truck bed sticking out the back.Well, no more of that. At least not from the virtual automotive artist better known as Carbizzy on his YouTube channel, who has imagined the unofficial looks of the (allegedly) upcoming Toyota pickup truck with subtle yet impactful changes compared to the compact crossover. More precisely, the general profile (except for the truck's bed, of course) is the same as with the Corolla Cross compact crossover SUV.But the slim front headlights and the vertical taillights are quite different from the Corolla Cross some would say for the better, as the styling of those elements is considered by some fans as the Achille's heel for the compact crossover SUV. All in all, this really isn't a bad effort from the pixel master, especially when the hypothetical Corolla Cross pickup truck is seen from the front. So, what do you think? If accurate, would this stand a chance either against the Hyundai Santa Cruz and, especially, Ford's ultra-popular Maverick? Compact homes on wheels are everywhere nowadays, and the tiny movement trend has been hard to ignore over the last decade. People from all walks of life have shown interest in the tiny life philosophy, living with less, and embracing the freedom brought on by these mobile dwellings. But when downsizing your life to live full-time in a tiny house, you need space that fits your specific needs. Photo: Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses Photo: Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses Photo: Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses This is where custom tiny home builders like Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses step in. The skilled team at the Colorado-based company works with each and every client one-on-one to design a living space that is perfectly suited to their lifestyle. Ad Astra is one of the numerous custom designs they have crafted and a great example that compact living spaces can be extremely versatile and incorporate unexpected features you might not have thought possible in tiny houses.Ad Astra, which is Latin for "To the Stars," was built in 2018 for a lovely couple living in Kansas and measures 24 feet long (7.3 meters). Though the owners originally planned to park it in Kansas, they eventually ended up moving to Portland, Oregon, so this is where this tiny home currently resides. And this is basically the greatest perk of living in a tiny house on wheels - you can take it with you wherever life's roads may lead you.This tiny house sits on a double-axle trailer and boasts a beautiful wooden exterior with cedar lap siding and recycled corrugated metal wainscot. It is capped by a metal shed roof that maximizes the space inside and gives the house a more modern look.A large three-leaf fold-down deck wraps around the structure from the entrance door to the kitchen window. This folding deck is one of the best features of the home's exterior. It can be folded up against the house's walls when you are on the move and then folded down to offer a nice outdoor space when stationary.Another noteworthy feature on the outside is the large storage compartment at the rear of the home, which is great for outdoor gear.The sapphire blue full-light front door leads inside the custom-designed interior that integrates several awesome features we have rarely seen in tiny homes , including a terrarium built into the storage staircase, a serving window in the kitchen, and a special litter box area under the steps, along with a vent leading outside for the couple's pet cat.The interior is a customized version of the company's previous Pequod design, which the owners liked a lot. Minimalist and modern, the compact living space features white-painted shiplap walls and black pine trim throughout, complemented by hand-scraped bamboo floorings.The layout is suitable for an individual, a couple, or even a small family and comprises the usual ground-floor living room, kitchen, and bathroom, plus two lofts.Ad Astra's living room hosts a custom 6-foot sofa with integrated storage under the seats and behind the backrest. Next to it is the dining area, with a nesting table and two cubes for seats with storage inside. The table has fold-up extensions to make it larger when the couple has guests over.The U-shaped kitchen is quite generous, with white cabinets and modern countertops with a fancy concrete finish. It has a large pantry and some secret storage under the sink. Functionality is given by full-size appliances, ranging from a big sink and an oven with propane-powered four-burner stove to a stainless steel fridge/freezer.Another notable feature is an ingenious serving window that slides up and can be used for dining on the deck area outside.The ceiling in the kitchen area is quite low since there is a loft space above it, but the bright white walls and the window over the sink help open up the space and bring in sufficient natural light.The owners of this custom home are animal lovers and have pets, a gecko and a cat, to be more precise, so the team at Rocky Mountain made sure to make the house welcoming for them as well. As such, they integrated a glass terrarium and a litter box area with a passive exterior vent into the storage stairs leading up to one of the lofts.Two bedroom lofts offer sleeping space for up to four people. The main loft sits above the bathroom and, instead of a bed platform, has a sunken queen-size mattress area and six storage cubbies built into the floor.The secondary loft fits a queen-size mattress as well, but it can be used as a flexible space based on the owners' needs.The bathroom inside Ad Astra is small but bright due to its white walls, wainscot, tiles, and fixtures. The builders put a strip of glass tile just above the wainscot to add a tinge of color, and the owners chose an all-in-one vanity and sink with a frameless mirrored medicine cabinet above. A shower/tub combo with white subway tile and a Nature's Head Composting Toilet complete the design.Though not a new model, Ad Astra is such a great tiny house design with so many interesting features. It goes to show that, with a bit of ingenuity and craftsmanship, the right professional team can really make your dream home come true. Nissan's London-based European design studio celebrates 20 years of continuous activity. The Japanese auto company decided to let its professionals go wild to mark the occasion. They returned with the Concept 20-23, a small hatch that looks like it belongs in futuristic video games and the hands of cyborgs. Here's what you need to know about it. Photo: Nissan Photo: Nissan Nissan tasked some of its youngest designers in Europe to come up with a striking design for a small car that would rock any city dweller's boat. They had no limitations and were allowed to go wild. But these people were professionals, so they knew they had to develop something that should, at the very least, have a hint of Nissan.But first, the name. It's rather cool that it's not just a reference to the year we're currently in. Concept 20-23 underlines that the Nissan Design Europe studio celebrates two decades of existence and also points out the Japanese brand's "lucky numbers," so to speak. In Japanese, "ni" means two, and "san" is three.The designers also minded Nissan's history of making quirky small cars. For example, the S-Cargo (meaning "snail" in French), the Figaro (meaning "barber" in Italian), and the Be-1 helped the automaker gain a reputation for having eye-catching vehicles in its portfolio.They also considered the brand's involvement in Formula E, where only all-electric cars race, and the impact video games have on the younger generation. If you were born in the '90s, then you have played titles like Need for Speed, Daytona USA, Crazy Taxi, Grand Theft Auto (GTA), Gran Turismo, Test Drive Le Mans, and Forza 2. Some of those vehicles remained forever embedded into the collective consciousness. It's one of the reasons why BMW's M3 GTR (E46) got immensely popular.The Concept 20-23 blends that nostalgia with a bold vision for the future while also encompassing some definitory Nissan traits. It's a modern twist for the small car that's very popular in Europe, where roads are narrower, and commutes are shorter than in the US or Canada.The concept vehicle boasts a smiley face that feels like it's been plastered onto a shapeshifting robot. Angular shapes transform into rounded surfaces and delicate cutouts. It has a certain level of drama to it, but the designers didn't go overboard. It would be amazing if this concept could somehow end up in production.Clean-cut surfaces reveal a silhouette that immediately makes us think of a pod that's able to manipulate gravity when needed and just unstick from the road and fly away. And sticking to the road, it does because the Concept 20-23 has nearly as much aero work as a Porsche The rear mimics the front with similarly shaped taillights that are interrupted in the middle. They look minimalistic but are a great addition. The small car looks modern and fresh.Sadly, Nissan didn't want to spend the money to give this funky-looking vehicle a proper cabin. The model isn't allowed to open its scissor doors. However, we get to see the designer's vision, which is aimed at incredible visibility. There's a cutout where the dashboard should've been, which allows the driver and the passenger to see what's exactly in front of them.The yoke-like steering wheel exuberates dynamism and suggests that the artists wanted those finding themselves inside the Concept 20-23 to feel like they're driving and flying a spaceship at the same time.We can't help but wonder: does this preview the upcoming Micra? The little hatchback has been in production for six years now. It's due for a refresh.Lastly, can you believe that this marvelously-looking little thing came out of the same design studio that gave us the Juke and the Qashqai? The police-spec Durango Pursuit differs in a few notable ways from the 'Rangos available in dealer showrooms nationwide. Par exemple, Dodge uses an instrument panel-mounted shifter compared to a console-mounted shifter for the eight-speed box. As per documents filed with the federal watchdog, a handful of 2023 model year police vehicles have been hit with a recall over shifters that may come out of gear while driving. FCA US LLC became aware of said issue on June 26. To date, Chrysler has received two warranty claims over said problem.The Auburn Hills-based automaker determined that the shifter boot is the culprit, for the high durometer shifter boot impedes fully seating the shifter in the detent for drive. As expected, the remedy comes in the form of a lower durometer shifter boot. A grand total of 125 vehicles are called back, namely 2023 models produced between April 26, 2023 and May 4, 2023 at Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant.Both dealers and law enforcement agencies will be informed about recall number 23V-640 on or about November 7, 2023. Twinned with the previous-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Durango is also related to the W166-gen Mercedes ML and X166-gen GL. A product of the DaimlerChrysler era, the mid-size utility vehicle carries a sticker price of $40,640 in rear-wheel-drive 3.6L naturally-aspirated V6 flavor.The Pursuit is a tad pricier at $41,415 for the 2023 model year. Select police features include standard all-wheel drive, a heavy-duty alternator, 255/60 R18 tires with a V speed rating (149 miles per hour or 240 kilometers per hour tops), heavy-duty brakes, heavy-duty engine cooling, steelies, a mini center floor console, and either 650- or 800-amp batteries. The latter is available on the optional 5.7-liter HEMI, which is going the way of the dodo soon enough.The 6.4- and 6.2-liter V8s are getting discontinued as well in favor of a twin-turbo sixer that makes up to 510 horsepower in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Even the 2025 model year Ram 1500 TRX is ditching the Hellcat supercharged V8 for it, although we don't know the 3.0-liter Hurricane's output ratings for this particular application. With Direct Connection offering a 1,000-plus-horsepower Hurricane crate engine, the refreshed TRX may get 700-ish ponies.Turning our attention back to the Durango Pursuit, the standard 3.6er makes 293 horsepower at 6,400 revolutions per minute and 260 pound-feet (353 Nm) at 4,000 revolutions per minute. Stepping up to the 5.7-liter HEMI results in 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet (529 Nm). As for the civilian-spec Durango, the Hellcat is the most exciting of the lot. And the most expensive to boot, for it stickers at $94,605 (excluding the destination freight charge).Scheduled to start production on November 6th, the 2024 model year is the final one for this generation of the Durango. Its replacement is rumored to be dubbed Stealth, a nod to the Mitsubishi 3000GT-based coupe that came with a choice of three V6 powerplants. Expected to drop in late 2024, the Stealth could glom onto the Grand Cherokee's Giorgio platform or the new STLA Large platform. Slow news days offer an excellent opportunity to analyze random facts that match as puzzle pieces would. When it comes to Tesla, that is usually the only resource available for painting the bigger picture. In its early days, the company was as praised for selling electric cars as it was for caring for customers. They often said it went the extra mile to please them. That is no longer true: recent facts suggests the company takes care... of getting its clients out of its way. Full Self-Driving FSD Photo: Tesla ADAS BEV Photo: Tesla/edited by autoevolution Photo: Bob Atkins Photo: Bob Atkins Photo: Simon & Schuster/Vehicle Virgins/edited by autoevolution Anyone keeping an eye on Autopilot lawsuits and controversies will already have noticed Tesla adopts what Madeleine Clare Elish defined as "moral crumple zones." In her words, when companies use customers to protect the reputation of their technologies, they put people to absorb the impact of bad outcomes "when the overall system malfunctions" just like crumple zones absorb crash energy to prevent that from hurting the passengers.The battery electric vehicle (BEV) maker does that with its legal disclaimers. They say the driver is always responsible for anything that happens when Autopilot or) is active. Yet, the biography Elon Musk authorized Walter Isaacson to write reveals weird and contradictory episodes.In one of them, the Tesla CEO said in a meeting that he wanted cabin cameras in the company's vehicles to help it defend against lawsuits involving these advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) . In other words, Tesla would record the drivers to accuse them of reckless driving. According to the excerpt, that happened because "Musk was convinced that bad drivers rather than bad software were the main reason for most of the accidents."Ironically, the same book tells how Musk would furiously rush into Tesla's offices around 2015 to demand his engineers did something to "program this (Autopilot) right." His complaints allegedly repeated whenever he claimed Autopilot had tried to kill him . In his case, he did not say a lousy driver caused these dangerous situations. In a hypothetical crash in which Musk sued Tesla for Autopilot errors, the company would use its disclaimers against him. After all, the driver is always in charge. If they decided to use the, that's on them.Bloomberg discovered that Musk dictated this disclaimer for a video showing a seamless Autopilot drive in 2016: "The person in the driver's seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself." The New York Times revealed that the 2016 video was 3D mapped and staged to make it look like the Model X in the video drove without interventions. The truth is that the engineer had to correct it several times. Theeven crashed when it was trying to park autonomously.Even if you choose to ignore what the biography disclosed, Autopilot and FSD still face issues. A recent study published on Frontiers in Psychology revealed that "drivers became complacent over time with Autopilot engaged, failing to monitor the system, and engaging in safety-critical behaviors, such as hands-free driving."Regarding FSD Beta, it "required constant supervision as unfinished technology, which increased driver stress and mental and physical workload as drivers had to be constantly prepared for unsafe system behavior (doing the wrong thing at the worst time)." The Delft University of Technology researchers recommended that "future research to investigate to what extent unintended negative behavioral changes increase the likelihood of being involved in a crash compared to manual driving."These facts show that Tesla and its CEO were more concerned with promoting Autopilot and FSD than with the safety of their customers. The BEV company has reported several deaths involving the two systems to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) . Unfortunately, they were not the only recent situations that painted the BEV maker in a very bad light.The BMS_u029 error code uncovered stories such as the one Bob Atkins and his mother-in-law lived when dealing with Tesla. Atkins rightfully complained when the BEV maker replaced the defective battery pack in his mother-in-law's Model S with a remanufactured component that was older than her car. That was unacceptable for several reasons.The first one is that batteries die from use or age. In other words, older battery packs have a higher chance of failing than new ones. On top of that, early Model S battery packs suffer from "six different types of pack failures." Jason Hughes warned about them and said they were fixed with successive changes until they became "super solid" after Q2 2015. When the Tesla Hacker warns about something like this, you take notes. Hughes also lamented that Tesla still used the defective battery packs as replacements. That keeps happening with owners affected by the BMS_u029 error codes. Only battery packs made after 2015 should be accepted by people needing a replacement.Bear in mind that some of these owners are the very people who first bought a Tesla, having kept their vehicles ever since. Atkins' mother-in-law has her 2014 Model S 85 since it was brand new. Some of them still have "Free Unlimited Supercharging," aka "Supercharging for life." The program was initially linked to the car. In 2017, it became something the buyer would only have for as long as they kept their vehicles. In 2019, the BEV maker started removing it from the cars it bought back in trade-ins.Tesla is now trying to seduce these brand pioneers by offering them newer cars at a discount but without this benefit. Some of these customers still prefer "Free Unlimited Supercharging," which is what made them put up with lower ranges and reduced charging speeds. Some of them now suspect the error codes they are getting are a way for the BEV maker to get rid of them. Hughes denied this is the case, but that did not prevent them from finding it suspicious that the BMS_u029 or the BMS_u018 emerged after an over-the-air (OTA) update. David Rasmussen , who sued Tesla for capping the voltage of his Model S, preferred not to wait. He sold his car and bought a Hyundai IONIQ 6 to avoid any other hassle.Again, these are the same people who experienced the best phase of the company when it comes to customer care and who convinced several others to buy the same cars. Tesla dismissed its marketing department thanks to these guys. Yet, here they are, getting older, remanufactured battery packs with design flaws from the BEV maker.If you think only old and loyal buyers are being disappointed, another recent case shows that this is more democratic than it could seem. A presenter from the Vehicle Virgins YouTube channel shared he would never buy a Tesla again after having a Model S Plaid for the last two years.Problems started when the tires began losing pressure for no reason. When the video presenter checked, he realized the Model S Plaid eats the inside of its tires. The presenter rated that as a safety issue and discovered that it happened every 5,000 miles. He claims he did not push it hard very often, just drove it normally. However, the main disappointment was that he paid almost $140,000 in December 2021. Tesla has cut prices so many times that the same car now costs $89,990. The youtuber said he never lost so much money on a single vehicle in his life.By offering these aggressive discounts, Tesla tried to make its aging lineup attractive to more customers with the ridiculously obvious excuse that "demand at scale is limited by affordability." It's evident that Mercedes-Benz will sell more C-Class units than S-Class sedans. However, the German company never lowered S-Class prices to meet those of the C-Class. In fact, no automaker apart from the American BEV maker would do that. When they want to sell a cheaper vehicle, they develop one because they know what happens next.Tesla either did not know or did not care. That destroyed the residual value of the cars it had already sold. Those who financed their BEVs may owe more than the insurance company would pay them if their vehicles were totaled. What do you do when even insurance is not enough to save you from a financial disaster especially when you do not have gap insurance?These are just a few examples of things that are making Tesla customers swear they will never buy anything else from the BEV maker. For a company that relies on word of mouth for sales and thinks a marketing department is a waste, that is not a wise strategy. Better than giving in to advertisements, the company should revise its actions. If people commented about the premium treatment they received in Tesla's beginning, they will also spread the word on everything that is wrong nowadays. The list keeps growing. Hyundai's North American division became aware of this problem a year ago by means of a warranty claim alleging both stalling and hesitation conditions. Analysis of the fuel pump started a month later, and through May 2024, the South Korean automaker's engineers finished inspecting four more failed fuel pumps.Every single one of them was subjected to computed tomography scans, which revealed interference between the impeller and housing. Hyundai Motor Company of South Korea immediately contacted the supplier of said fuel pumps. Hyundam Industrial of South Korea told Hyundai that a certain lot may have been produced with insufficient impeller material.These low-pressure fuel pumps were ultimately fitted to vehicles produced between June 2021 and December 2021. According to Hyundai , no fewer than 879 unique incidents with receipt dates from July 2021 through August 2023 are related to the subject condition, all of them from the US market.Thankfully for everyone, HMA isn't aware of any fires or crashes related to said issue. Filed with the federal watchdog, the document attached below lists three different part numbers for the fuel pump assemblies of the G80, GV80, and smaller GV70.This report also notes that Hyundam Industrial remedied the insufficient impeller material condition back on January 1, 2022. Impeller deformation occurs at high ambient temperatures, leading to mechanical resistance that could result in the fuel pump shutting down when the vehicle is operated.An estimated 1,897 examples of the 2021 to 2022 model year G80 sedan are potentially affected, along with 7,283 units of the 2021 to 2022 model year GV80 and 10,092 units of the 2022 model year GV70. Production dates range between June 1, 2021 (for the G80) and January 19, 2022 (for the GV70).Dealers and owners will be notified by Hyundai Motor America no later than November 10, 2023. Dealer techs will replace said fuel pumps at no cost to affected owners, regardless of whether the vehicle is still covered by the automaker's warranty or not.An E-segment sedan internally referred to as RG3, the second generation of the Genesis G80 rolled out in 2020 for the 2021 model year. It's produced exclusively in South Korea at the Ulsan assembly complex where the GV80 and GV70 are made as well. Hyundai's Alabama-based Montgomery plant makes plenty of stuff, including the GV70 Electrified dual-motor sport utility vehicle for the US of A.The all-electric option boasts a vehicle identification number beginning with 5, signifying that it's made in the United States. The internal combustion-engined GV70 features K, which stands for South Korea.Pricing for these rear-biased vehicles currently kicks off at $44,900 for the 2024 model year GV70, $57,450 for the GV80, and $54,150 for the G80. In the first week of September Austrian bike maker KTM pulled the wraps off the 890 Adventure R Rally. Described as "the most performance driven Adventure motorcycle yet," it was not meant for everyone, but only for those wishing to experience what it means to ride a bike in some African desert. Turns out there are plenty of those to go around. Whenever KTM releases such an extreme incarnation of its bikes, it does so as limited runs. In the case of this two-wheeler , production slots were capped at just 700 units, sold for a little over $21,000 each.And like we've seen time and time again with KTM products, they were all gone in a heartbeat. The Austrians said at the end of last week it only needed three days to burn through the entire production run after the order books opened on September 20. That's not a record for the bike maker, but still remains impressive.34 of the people who bought themselves the extreme ride were also given the chance to pay an extra $5,200 for something called the Ultimate KTM Desert Experience, and that is now sold out as well.The Experience is a three-day trip to the African desert with luxury accommodation and a night of camping under the stars, highlighted by rides on the sand on fully-prepped bikes and with tech support in tow.As for the bike itself, we're talking about a machine that was not only inspired, but also shares a lot of components with the 450 Rally, the bike Kevin Benavides rode to the win in the Dakar Rally this year.The machine is propelled by an 889cc parallel-twin engine that is rated at 105 horsepower and 100 Nm of torque. An Akrapovic slip-on line exhaust system the likes of which KTM uses on the factory race bikes has been fitted on its right side.To handle the requirements of riding over unexpected surfaces, the bike rides on Excel wheels coming in 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear. They're held in place by a WP Xplor fork and shock with 270 mm of travel.For some, the fact the bike is no longer available for purchase may seem a bit disappointing, but there is still room for hope. People are known to back down from the deals they make, and in case that happens now KTM has created a waiting list. We have no idea how long the list is.For some of those who won't change their minds, Christmas may come early. KTM says deliveries of the 890 Adventure R Rally will begin in December, but warns some people might get theirs as late as May 2024. EV Photo: Out of Spec Dave on YouTube Photo: Out of Spec Dave on YouTube wireless charging didn't work unless the phone was put in a certain position; the USB-C and USB-A ports are not easily accessible; the CarPlay interface doesn't make use of the entire infotainment screen; the software isn't as snappy or intuitive as Tesla's; changing the driver profile to adjust the seats, the mirrors, and other settings takes too long; there's no head-up display (HUD); the sun visor isn't positioned well; some trim pieces have snapped out of place; the native navigation appears on three screens simultaneously; the adaptive cruise control is not smooth in stop-and-go traffic; the hands-free microphone isn't very good; there's no Dog Mode that lets passersby know that the A/C is on; the advanced driver-assistance system that aspires to be like Ford's BlueCruise or GM's Super Cruise costs $10,000 and doesn't do lane changes by itself. When it comes to Americanmakers, Lucid is one of the companies that shine. The Air sedan boasts top-notch engineering and is also one of the fastest family vehicles on Earth in the Sapphire spec. The car can also charge pretty fast by today's standards, a feature that allows owners to not experience any range anxiety while out and about. It also has a great range 516 miles.For what it offers, the sedan is worth its $82,400 - $249,000 price range.EVs are becoming increasingly more popular and refined, but there's one issue left acquiring one also means you're buying into a charging network. And if that web of DC stalls isn't managed by Tesla, you could experience some disappointing charging sessions.It's not just us saying it. Many EV community members on major social networks claim that replenishing their energy storage units at stations run by brands like Dieselgate-born Electrify America often results in frustrating experiences. Dispensers being mislabeled or not working have prompted many to think that the country or even the entire world is not yet ready to switch to all-electric vehicles.Sadly, that's hindering the efforts of cool automakers like Lucid. They can't enjoy the fruits of their labor and advance EV development as fast as possible to compete better with industry leader Tesla. People are seeing what others have experienced and decide they don't want to go through the same thing.This now-former Lucid owner explained yet again that the charging infrastructure heavily influenced the decision to give up on the Air. But, this time, he underlined it wasn't just about DC stalls not dispensing electricity.He bought the pricey sedan because it looked like it could be a great grand tourer. The car is, but it has no support from the companies supplying the electrons.He explained that a Polestar joined him on one of his recent travels in Florida. That EV was also equipped with the CCS Combo 1 connector. He found an Electrify America charging station, but two of the four dispensers were not working. That only fortified his belief that the Tesla Supercharger network is the only viable solution for long zero-tailpipe emission journeys.Another reason that made him sell the Air is that Lucid (led by former Tesla Model S chief designer Peter Rawlinson) didn't come out publicly with a statement regarding the adoption of the NACS port.Out of Spec Dave also had other gripes about the Lucid-made EV. He pointed out that:The man hopes the upcoming Lucid Gravity will sort all these problems out because he intends to check it out and maybe even consider returning to the Newark-based automaker.Thus, fast charging issues alone didn't convince the man to get rid of the Air. The decision to part ways with the car was taken because all those negative factors were amplified by the unreliable CCS Combo 1-equipped dispensers not working properly most of the time. Korea has paved the way for offshore firms to participate in the foreign exchange market in line with efforts to attract more investment from overseas, the finance ministry said Monday. The Cabinet passed the revised enforcement decree of the foreign exchange transaction act to open up its interbank foreign exchange market to offshore companies, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The revision will officially be implemented on Oct. 4. Currently, the country allows only local financial institutions or overseas firms with a branch here, to participate in the market. The new policy will allow the market to open doors to registered foreign institutions (RFI), including global banks and brokerage houses. The Bank of Korea will be in charge of monitoring the activities of RFIs, the finance ministry added. Korea, meanwhile, also has been making efforts to extend the operating hours of its foreign exchange market -- which currently runs for 6 1/2 hours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to 17 hours to close at 2 a.m. the day after. The government plans to implement the new trading hours as early as the second half of 2024 after a six-month pilot run. (Yonhap) I was recently away for an extended vacation on an island with about 6,000 inhabitants. While driving around, I noticed the Hot Wheels logo outside a store. I stopped to investigate and saw they were selling Premium models inside. So, I had to get the Advan AE86 from Boulevard Mix 3 for my collection. Ford RS200 Photo: Ministry of Diecast Lancia Delta Integrale Photo: Ministry of Diecast MG Metro 6R4 Photo: Ministry of Diecast HW Rally Hauler Photo: Ministry of Diecast The story's moral is that either the law of attraction works or that Mattel has managed to ship its products even to the world's most remote corners. Either way, my Hot Wheels addiction is almost back in full swing. As a big-time Group B rally racing fan, I was happy to see the newest premium collector set on the market.The company first developed the concept in 2020 with an all- Nissan set. You can buy four different items every year, with three vehicles inside and an additional hauler. If you choose not to open the package, you get a basic diorama as a backdrop for your prized possessions. But you can always build your garage, racetrack, or parking lot using basic skills and tools.2023 started with a Track Day set containing the '84 Audi Sport Quattro, Lamborghini Essenza SCV12, Sauber-Mercedes C9, and the Euro Hauler. An all-Nissan set was up next, so this new release is the third one for the year. That means the upcoming Jay Leno 's Garage model will conclude the series for 2023.The Ford RS200 is the first item inside the Collector Set, and most people will say it's also the most iconic one here. I've only seen two or three of these live, but they were always on display rather than racing. If you can find one for sale, it can cost more than half a million dollars, which isn't accessible for most people. While the Hot Wheels version can't give you the thrills of the real thing, it will still look fantastic in your diecast display area.Mark Jones designed this casting for its 2020 Car Culture: Thrill Climbers release. That same year, Mattel used it for its now-defunct iD series. The 2021 Period Correct edition can cost over $100 today, so the Team Transport variation is much more affordable. No new RS200 variation showed up in 2022, so seeing it back on the market is good.There are a few differences in livery and decals compared to the previous release, but the wheel choice stands out the most. The Real Riders European rim design has been in Mattel's portfolio for almost 20 years. But the diecast manufacturer uses them sparingly, which might cause some collectors to hoard the new RS200 once it comes out.By now, you've probably realized this Group B-themed collector set isn't revolutionary. There's no new casting here, just variations of existing models. Like with the RS200, we've seen the Lancia Delta Integrale before. But here's the twist. Whereas the RS200 is a premium-exclusive casting, we've only seen the Delta Integrale in the mainline series.That's right; this is the first time the iconic Italian rally car gets a Metal base and Real Riders wheels! Ryu Asada designed the casting a few years ago, and all four previous variations have had a plastic base and regular wheels. But the new Delta Integrale sits on Real Riders Aero rims, and everything looks stunning from every angle. Suddenly, the focus has shifted. And this item could become the highlight of the new collector set.The MG Metro 6R4 is one of the rarer castings here, as there is only one other variation on the market. You might remember seeing it in the 2022 Car Culture: Team Transport series. Mark Jones designed this one, and most people have probably never seen the actual car live. If you are familiar with the Team Transport series, you might have spotted a connection between the RS200 and the Metro 6R4, but we'll get to that in a minute.The First Edition of this vehicle was a replica of the car that Didier Aurol drove in the '80s. Mattel has created a Rothmans-inspired livery for the latest release, arguably even better. I'm happy this new version also uses the Real Riders 8-spoke wheels, as it is the perfect choice for the tiny pocket rocket.Last but not least, you can't have a Premium Collector set without a hauler inside, right? The Hot Wheels Rally Hauler is steadily becoming a classic design, and the best part about it is that it also comes with a trailer. Mark Jones designed both items; you'll find only three previous releases. For its first appearance, the Rally Hauler was in charge of carrying the RS200, and then it went on to handle the Metro 6R4. And that's the connection I was talking about earlier. If you plan a photoshoot with this set, you can always alternate between cars. But again, you should start making your dioramas for extra realism. Tesla has over 50 positions open for the Optimus program in Palo Alto, California, and is trying to lure talent by showing incredible progress with its Optimus robot. In a video shared on X, Tesla shows Optimus performing complicated movements with fantastic fluidity. An earlier prototype had to be carried on-stage on a platform only a year ago during the AI Day event. FSD Photo: Tesla Optimus team Photo: Tesla Optimus team Photo: Tesla Optimus team Although many think of Tesla as a car company, Elon Musk argues it is much more than that. Tesla also makes the software that runs its EVs, has a leg up in artificial intelligence with Tesla, and works on robots that one day would replace humans for the ugliest jobs. That, besides other traditional lines of business like energy (generation, storage, and distribution) and services.Musk made the first official announcement about Tesla's humanoid robot in August 2021 and promised that the first "decent" prototype would be unveiled by the end of 2022. Surprisingly, Musk kept his word and showed off not one but two robots on AI Day last September, Bumble C and Optimus. The latter could barely move its hand to wave to the crowd and had to be brought on stage on a platform.The latest update on the Optimus program was offered in May at the 2023 Annual Shareholder Meeting. The progress was impressive, as the upgraded robots could walk around and grab things, albeit clumsily. The most important achievement was that they could learn from humans with no task-specific programming involved. Even then, Optimus's precision impressed many people, being gentle enough not to break an egg's shell with its robotic hands.Fast forward to today, and Tesla wowed everyone with another video of the Optimus robot. You can find it attached below if you haven't seen it yet. The first thing you notice is the fluid movements, which are now almost human-like. Optimus can sort items using its vision and adjust to the changing environment when the human tries to confuse it by moving the objects. At the video's end, it shows incredible balance as it performs what looks like a yoga move. That's a long way from what it could do in the May video.I was so mesmerized by Optimus's moves that I had to watch the video several times before I noticed the explanations the Tesla team gave in writing. According to these, the Tesla Optimus can self-calibrate its arms and legs and uses only vision and joint position encoders to precisely locate its limbs in space (proprioception). Like Tesla FSD, Optimus uses a neural network that runs entirely onboard to learn new things and perform tasks. This is trained fully end to end, from video in to control (behavior) out.One interesting consequence is that, as you see about 48 seconds into the video, Optimus "knows" that one object is not placed correctly in the basket. It then flips it into the upright position, not because a programmer wrote the code but because it was trained on videos showing how it's done.This opens a whole new range of possibilities, allowing the robot to do the same with shop tools, kitchenware, and other objects it might encounter in the real world. Like a baby, it learns from its interactions with objects and humans.After the video was shared on X, Elon Musk revealed that software is not the only area where the Tesla team made advancements. The Optimus robot uses significantly improved actuators , sensors, and overall mechanics. Like most animals, it can use additional sensing such as audio, temperature, proprioception, and others to map the surroundings, but no LiDAR, radar, or ultrasonics.It is also built with a human hand (five fingers instead of "lobster claws" like other robots ) and human characteristics, which makes sense because we designed our world (and tools) to work great with human hands. This allows Optimus to interact with objects in a more human-like fashion, being able to replace humans for most tasks.In fact, this is precisely the Optimus robot's mission, as Tesla announced a while back. The humanoid robot will be able to work in factories and do the most unpleasant chores. Tesla wants everyone to afford an Optimus, and it considers its robot program even more critical than electric vehicles for the future of humanity.Those afraid that robots will one day not only replace us for hard work but eliminate humans as a species should worry no more. Tesla is already considering this scenario plausible, and that's why it fitted the Optimus in the video with a red kill switch at the back of its neck. Musk is also thinking of implementing better safety checks. According to one of his tweets, the robot "needs to be easy to pause using a remote or your phone with no centralized override." Something like "the best kill switch is no kill switch." Manufactured in Alabama rather than Germany, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is sometimes described as the all-electric sibling of the internal combustion-engined GLS. Truth be told, the zero-emission sport utility vehicle is clearly different in many respects. SUV 4MATIC AWD kWh WLTP From the Mercedes-Benz EVA platform to the aerodynamic traits and everything in between, the EQSis a completely different animal. It's also heavier than its combustion-engined brother, with the 580weighing 2,810 kgs (6,195 lbs) versus 2,640 kgs (5,820 lbs) for the GLS 580 4MATIC.The zero-emission sport utility vehicle in the featured clip is heavier still, partly because the standard 275/45R21 tires were swapped for slightly larger wheels mounted with 275/40 by 22-inch rubber. Although Mercedes worked together with Cooper to develop said tires for the EQS SUV, the Zeon CrossRange MO-S isn't a particularly good tire.Better known for being affordable instead of sporty, Cooper tires and 2.8 tons of electric SUV don't mix in case of an emergency maneuver. Spanish motoring publication km77.com is called as such after the minimum entry speed (77 kilometers per hour or 47.8 miles per hour) required to pass the moose test Care to guess how much speed km77.com squeezed out of this fellow? 66 kilometers per hour (41.0 miles per hour), and that's a rather shocking result. Over in Sweden, which pioneered the evasive maneuver test in the 1970s, the speed limit is 70 to 100 kph (43.5 to 62.1 mph) outside built-up areas. Also worthy of note, the moose is Sweden's most famous animal.Swedes also purchase more electric vehicles than plug-in hybrids, hybrids, and internal combustion vehicles, which makes the EQS SUV's moose test performance all the more dissatisfying. Then again, the German automaker's EVA-based electric vehicles are kind of disappointing due to poor quality and their 400-volt battery architecture.Fernando Rios of km77.com notes almost no understeer at 66 clicks, yet the vehicle's movements are painstakingly slow. Going any higher than that results in chronic understeer, which is natural in a vehicle this heavy and with this ground clearance.Had it been equipped with better tires (Michelin and Pirelli, anyone?), the EQS SUV may have got a little closer to 70 kilometers per hour. But alas, Merc preferred more affordable Cooper tires instead of the premium stuff. The best or nothing? That may have applied back in the good ol' days, but not in 2023.Codenamed X296 as opposed to X167 for the GLS and X294 for the EQE SUV, the full-size model comes with rear-wheel drive in EQS 450+ SUV flavor. The EQS 450 4MATIC SUV and higher trims feature dual-motor, with Mercedes quoting 649 horsepower and 950 Nm (701 pound-feet) of torque for the EQS 680 Maybach 4MATIC SUV.All rock battery packs with a net capacity of 108.4. The 450+ is of course the driving range champion due to a-rated 671 kilometers (417 miles) or an EPA-rated 305 miles (491 kilometers). Over in the United States, the rear-wheel-drive 450+ carries a sticker price of $104,400 sans destination. Toyota ignored the EV trends for quite a while. But now they realize they got it all wrong and changed their minds and shifted strategy. They are now planning to ramp up EV production. It is an attempt to keep up with BYD and Tesla, they say. From where we are standing, it is more like a damage limitation in a market in which they have fallen behind. EV Toyota started out early with the electrification. They rolled out the Prius, the first mass-market hybrid electric car. And everyone thought they would be way ahead of all other carmakers when it came to 'green' cars. But then they did not seem to keep up with the car industry that was going electric with the speed of light.Toyota introduced the bZ (beyond Zero) sub-brand back in 2021, and the first model of the series was the bZ4X SUV , developed in partnership with the Chinese giant BYD. The model entered production in April 2022. And that was obviously not a good start, first of all, because the moment they chose for it was way too late.For 2023, the target is to produce a total of ten million units, including around 150,000 EVs.But Toyota is trying to make up for the time they have lost over the years. The automaker has notified suppliers of the company's plans to produce 600,000 electric cars in 2025.Toyota plans to triple the production of electric cars in 2025 compared to the numbers set for 2024: 194,000 units. They are thus trying to reduce the gap between them and Lexus, on the one hand, and BYD and Tesla, on the other hand.The carmaker will manufacture electric cars at two of its main production centers in Japan. Furthermore, they will producebatteries in the United States and will convert the Georgetown, Kentucky, plant into an all electric car manufacturing facility in 2025. The Kentucky plant is currently Toyota's largest global manufacturing facility. It is capable of producing 550,000 vehicles per year. But no target has been set for after conversion.Toyota's Prime Planet Energy & Solutions battery subsidiary will also ramp up production, while the company will also be supplied with battery packs by Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and BYD.The brand's electric cars are underpinned by the e-TNGA architecture. But Toyota is working on a new architecture that should be ready by 2026. The Japanese car manufacturer is hoping to sell 3.5 million EVs in 2030. 1.7 million should be based on the new platform, as Asia Nikkei reports Tesla and BYD are still a long way ahead. The American car company sold 1,313,581 cars in 2022, while the Chinese sold 1.85 million. Toyota only sold 24,000 electric cars last year. 25 September 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more Armenia used all maneuvers. However, the myth of separatism in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan was destroyed by the Azerbaijani army in just 23 hours and 43 minutes. Despite all this, the anti-Azerbaijani sentiment within the European Union does not end, and the pressure continues. Even the leading representatives of the EU are unaware of the provisions of the biased statement they signed. For example, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Joseph Borell's blunt statement against Azerbaijan after the anti-terrorist measures proved once again that Armenian lobbyism is dominant not only over the US Senate but also over the UN Security Council, as well as the European Union High Representative Offices. There is no doubt that the political circles of both Europe and the United States are heavily corrupted, and still cannot be cleansed of this dirt. However, this does not mean that Joseph Borell and other pro-Armenian politicians always fulfill their obligations to Armenia. In such a case, the question arises: We wonder what forces Borell to make injudicious decisions against Azerbaijan? It should be noted that 27 EU countries accused Azerbaijan of so-called genocide following Azerbaijans recent anti-terror measures in Garabagh. However, the genocidal policy they are talking about is typical of the policy of European imperialist states, and this policy is always applied to migrants within the framework of the policy of Islamophobia. At the same time, recent processes also demonstrate how biased and unethical the European and Western media are. While the territories of Azerbaijan are recognized at the level of Washington and Brussels meetings, today the Western media still refer to so-called terms of "Nagorno Karabakh", "artsakh", etc. Russian political scientist Vitaliy Arkov touched upon the conflicts in the political elite of the West during his detailed comment on the issue to Azernews. He said that Washington and Brussels have only a limited power. "The presidential election campaign in the United States is in full swing, because the efforts of the Democratic Party are aimed at keeping the White House in power. In addition to the few real achievements during the years under the leadership of Joseph Biden's team, the economic and social crises in the United States are increasing day by day. They need at least certain victories on foreign policy and the weakening of their main and potential rivals in the world arena. Currently, in the Russia-Ukraine war, the "support" given to Ukraine is done precisely to weaken one of its rivals. Also, they are trying to weaken China by starting a military conflict with Taiwan. However, the US tried to ignite a war in the South Caucasus by using Armenia. For this, they are also trying to involve Russia, Turkiye, Iran, as well as the Middle Eastern states in a big conflict," said the political scientist. Arkov added that although the US is considered an instigator in the conflicts, it tries to be a mediator in the reconciliation of the parties with the aim of keeping all the processes under its own control. In fact, the main goal is to hold the keys to the world and use them for maximum economic and political purposes. Because the European Union has not had its own independent policy for a long time. It only fulfills the orders sent from Brussels or Washington or obtains "profit" from the bribes of its corrupt officials from third countries. The expert touched on the volatility of Germany's position which previously manifested his support for Azerbaijans struggle against separatism. "I would like to mention another important point that the change of an "iron" chancellor like Angela Merkel to a "plastic" one like Olaf Scholz led to the rapid loss of Germany's influence. This was planned by the United States, which did not want the European Union to be strong and independent. We see a fight between France for the "crown" (leadership) of the European Union, which has already fallen from Germany. So far, neither Warsaw nor Paris has been able to take full control over Brussels (which is also part of Washington's strategy to weaken Europe). Therefore, EU officials are obliged to be slaves of their patrons," Vitaliy Arkov noted. The Russian political scientist believes that France, along with making serious plans to strengthen its influence in the South Caucasus, Brussels also functions as a pressure mechanism on Baku, Ankara, and Moscow. For them, the Garabagh issue is just a subject of trade. "The fate of the Armenians living in Garabagh is of no interest to the politicians not only in Paris but also in Yerevan. These unfortunates are simply tools in the hands of Armenian and French politicians. Those in France literally sell the Armenians living in Garabagh. If the Western buyers want, they will turn them into corpses. Armenians who are forced to accept the terms of Paris politicians use them for political pressure on Baku, Moscow, and Ankara," Arkov added. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 13:10 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Renowned Georgian pianist, UNESCO Artist for Peace Elisso Bolkvadze has given a spectacular concert at Heydar Aliyev Center. Co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Azerbaijani Culture Ministry, the event was held within the 15th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival and marked the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Azernews reports. The Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zurab Pataradze addressed the event. In his speech, he highlighted exceptional services of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev in development of Georgian-Azerbaijani relations. Pianist Elisso Bolkvadze expressed her satisfaction with joining a series of events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. Each spectator was able to plunge into the beautiful world of music and admire the virtuoso performance of the incredibly talented pianist. The audience gave a round of applause for the musician. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Elisso Bolkvadze began her musical study at the early age of four and was immediately accepted at Prodigy School. She performed her first concert with the orchestra at the age of seven. Elisso Bolkvadze continued her study in the conservatory of Tbilisi and at the same time she followed a master class in Moscow. The musician captured numerous international piano competitions such as: Van Cliburn Competition (USA), Vianna da Motta (Lisbon), Axa International Piano Competition (Dublin), Marguerite Long Competition - special prize for the best interpretation of French music (Paris). The musician is regularly invited to play with international orchestras such as: Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Festival Orchestra, Lithuanian National Orchestra, National Philharmonic of Ukraine, Innsbruck Symphony Orchestra, The Gewandhaus Orchestra, France National Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Elisso Bolkvadze is also the founder of the Batumi Music Festival, one of the most important cultural events in Georgia. This festival seeks to promote musical creativity, especially among young people, and strengthen cultural dialogue. In her capacity as a UNESCO Artist for Peace, Elisso Bolkvadze works with the organization in the field of education of children in armed conflict situations. In addition to the educational aspect, her actions also focus on the social reintegration of these children. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 24 September 2023 12:37 (UTC+04:00) By Abdul Karimkhanov On September 20, the surrender of the Armenian separatists was actually proclaimed, and on the conditions that Baku had repeatedly put forward earlier. The question remains: what prevented the Armenians from attacking them at least in August, and avoiding casualties? And the answer can be immediately given - the reluctance of a number of politicians to sacrifice their prestige and status. In the end, they paid for all the deadliest provocations. And the same residents of Garabagh. Following the document of surrender, the question of the existence of artsakh became closed. According to Azernews, well-known Russian political analyst and publicist Andrei Nikulin told Day.az that Azerbaijan's anti-terrorist measures put a full stop to all the allegations of the separatist regime in Azerbaijan's Garabagh economic region. The issues of ensuring the livelihoods of the population of Garabagh within the framework of the Constitution of Azerbaijan, spelled out in the text, indicate in simple language that there is now no administration, no newly elected president, no self-defense forces, but there is only a maximum - a commission for the transfer of territories with the property. And there are still people who now live not in NKR, but on Azerbaijani soil, who have the right to receive Azerbaijani passports and exist within the framework of the Azerbaijani legal system, he said. According to him, official Baku received exactly what it demanded before the start of anti-terrorist measures. Why should Russian peacekeepers stay in Garabagh now? Most likely, to ensure the transfer of control over the territory, the disarmament of Armenian forces, and the removal of residents who do not want to become Azerbaijani citizens to Armenia. After this, there will be no point in deploying peacekeepers, the political analyst emphasized. As the pundit noted, the very history of the existence of independent Artsakh should be considered complete. But a long and sad tale begins about a new wave of Garabagh refugees and the Karabakh government in exile, through which Moscow will try to put pressure on internal Armenian politics, or at least expects to do so. Unless, of course, Pashinyan succeeds in reducing Russian influence in Armenia to zero," Nikulin added. The Russian political scientist believes that Pashinyan will raise the rhetoric of the need to break with Russia and that the entire recent diplomatic history needs to be crossed out and written from scratch. Moscow will continue to try to overthrow the intractable Armenian leader and replace him with his protege. Both Yerevan and Moscow will reproach each other for betrayal, but the verdict will have to be made by the residents of Armenia, many of whom have already formed their position, he noted. At the same time, our interlocutor continued, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict itself is not over. There are still issues of border demarcation, the notorious corridor to Nakhchivan, and the signing of a peace treaty. The negotiation track will have to start from scratch. At least thats what official Yerevan will say. Baku will continue the already repeatedly applied and recognized successful practice of forceful pressure, he noted. In conclusion, the Russian expert said that of the many worst-case scenarios, the best for Pashinyan is the signing of all peace and border agreements as quickly as possible, albeit conceding in many respects to the Azerbaijani side. Because, as we have seen over the past three years, each subsequent phase of the conflict and negotiations starts from the worst positions for Yerevan. What can be achieved now will be unattainable next spring. And the only thing that can be done now is to solve, even if at a very high cost the issue of war, remove by signing peace treaties and broad international guarantees for the final document the risks of resuming Azerbaijani attacks on direct Armenian territory, accept and accommodate refugees and start writing the history of Armenia from scratch. Yes, this is a difficult decision, but there are alternatives even harder, Andrei Nikulin concluded. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 12:05 (UTC+04:00) The State Security Service of Azerbaijan has called on the Armenian residents of the country's Garabagh region to refrain from illegal actions, Azernews reports. The service appealed to Armenian residents of the Karabakh region to refrain from destroying property, documents, and actions that threaten the overall development of the regions within the Garabagh economic region, the well-being of the Armenian population, their reintegration into Azerbaijani society in peaceful conditions, the resolution of social and humanitarian issues, the protection of the rule of law, stability, and public safety, and to surrender their weapons as soon as possible. "During anti-terrorist activities on September 19-20, individuals suspected of participating in illegal organized armed groups and committing terrorist acts, including those involved in the deaths of two civilians and four police officers due to landmine explosions on the newly constructed tunnel road in the village of Taghavard in the Khojavand district and at the 58th kilometer of the Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha road on September 19, were disarmed and detained," the service said. "After reaching an agreement on the complete disarmament and withdrawal of Armenian illegal armed formations from combat positions, in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, consistent measures were taken in the areas where the Armenian population resides to ensure peace, personal safety, and the resolution of social problems for local residents. Ammunition under the control of Armenian illegal armed formations was taken under the control of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces," the service noted. "Full protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals of Armenian nationality who have surrendered their weapons and comply with the requirements of the relevant legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan is ensured," the service added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 16:10 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani Army Lieutenant Colonel Ekrem Shadmanov, who was martyred on 24 September when his military vehicle KamAZ hit a mine, has been buried, Azernews reports. The deceased was buried in the Second Martyrs' Alley. Representatives of the Defense Ministry, relatives of the martyr, servicemen, and members of the public attended the funeral ceremony. It should be noted that on 24 September at about 17:35, a KamAZ-branded military vehicle belonging to the Azerbaijani Army exploded on a mine. As a result of the explosion of an anti-tank mine, previously installed for terrorist purposes, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Army Akram Shadmanov Yunis oghlu and Tural Seyidov Islam oghlu were martyred. Another Azerbaijani servicemen, Elvin Aliyev Taleh oghlu received bodily injuries of various degrees of severity. After providing first aid to the wounded soldier, he was immediately evacuated to a nearby military hospital. His condition is stable and there is no threat to his life. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 15:33 (UTC+04:00) A groundbreaking ceremony for the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline has been held. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is on an official visit to the country, attended the ceremony. The heads of state laid a foundation stone for the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline. A Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline was signed between Azerbaijan and Turkiye in Ankara on December 15, 2020. The length of the pipeline from Igdir to Sadarak district is 97.5 km. The length of the Azerbaijani section of the pipeline is 17.5 km, while the Turkish section is 80 km. The transmission capacity of the pipeline is 2 million cubic meters of gas per day, and 730 million cubic meters per year, which will fully meet gas demand of Nakhchivan. The throughput capacity of the pipeline can be more than doubled in the future. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Korea's exports of farm and fisheries products had marked a slight on-year growth this year as of mid-September on the solid global demand for instant noodles and other food items in line with the popularity of Korean culture, the agriculture ministry said Monday. Outbound shipments of agricultural and fisheries goods came to $6.31 billion from January through the second week of September, up 0.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Global sales of those products logged an on-year fall during the first eight months of 2023, as last year's tally hit an all-time high, but made a rebound this month. By item, sales of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, jumped 23.5 percent on-year to $657 million, and those of beverages rose 9 percent to $422 million. Rice-based food items, such as gimbap, or seaweed rice rolls with vegetables, enjoyed a 16.2 percent sales growth to $145 million, and exports of Kimchi rose 9.9 percent to $113 million. Exports of strawberries and pears also jumped 26.9 percent and 18.1 percent, respectively, the data showed. "Korean food items are becoming famous on the back of the popularity of Korean movies, dramas and music. More people have also turned to ready-to-eat food products after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic," a ministry official said. By destination, exports to China grew 11.3 percent on-year to $977 million, and those to the United States rose 3.8 percent to $910 million. Sales in the European Union and Britain increased 1.2 percent, according to the ministry. The government vowed to extend support for exporters in advancing into new markets and better ensuring the quality of fresh food items. (Yonhap) 25 September 2023 18:35 (UTC+04:00) On September 25, 2023, another meeting between Ramin Mammadov, the point person for contacts with ethnic Armenian residents of Garabagh, with representatives of Armenian residents of Garabagh was held in the city of Khojaly. During the meeting, which was held in a constructive environment, appreciation was expressed with the steps being taken to resolve the issues discussed in Yevlakh on September 21, especially the provision of humanitarian aid, fuel and restoration of electricity supply in the short term. Ramin Mammadov, who is responsible for contacts with ethnic Armenian residents of Garabagh, provided information about the measures to be taken at the next stage. It was noted that lone and elderly residents of Armenian origin who were found in some residential areas were being provided with first aid and were provided with medical assistance. It was suggested that conditions be created for representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to meet with such persons, hand them over to their family members or relevant medical institutions. Agreement was reached on organizing a meeting of the working group led by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev on the solution of social, humanitarian, economic and infrastructure issues with relevant representatives dealing with utility, health and other civil services in the area, including the city of Khankendi, in order to determine the directions of further action. The sides also agreed to set up a joint working group for this purpose. It was also suggested that healthcare services in the field hospital to be established near the city of Khankendi or in the direction of Khojaly should be jointly organized by medical staff of Azerbaijani and Armenian origin. It was also proposed to establish a mobile food supply service by Azerbaijani and Armenian service personnel. The sides expressed their readiness to provide necessary medical assistance to persons suffering from chronic diseases or are in need of special surgery. In addition, the sides emphasized the importance of establishing joint mobile medical teams consisting of medical workers of Azerbaijani and Armenian origin, providing services to lone people in remote villages. The proposal to organize visits of civil society representatives and social activists of Armenian origin living in the Karabakh economic region to Baku or other cities of Azerbaijan was emphasized. It was noted that such initiatives were important in terms of creating a civil society dialogue platform, as well as implementing confidence-building measures. An agreement was reached to hold the next meeting soon in order to discuss the results of the work done and determine further steps. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00) Thousands of demonstrators take to the streets Saturday across France to denounce police violence, systemic racism and support for public freedoms, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Safak. The protests came three months after the death of Nahel M., 17, who was killed in a police shooting in Nanterre in late June. The appeal to protest was launched by dozens of collectives, associations, trade unions and political organizations, to encourage the French to participate in a united march. Collectives of families marched behind the banner of "national coordination against police violence." The risk of fighting is feared in Nice, where an anti-drug rally near a unitary march is organized by the ultra-right, according to a territorial intelligence note. More than 1,000 police officers and gendarmes are mobilized in Paris, according to the police prefect. The Interior minister ordered authorities to "be extremely vigilant. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Turkish security forces neutralized eight terrorists in cross-border operations in northern Syria and northern Iraq, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Sunday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. In a statement on X, the ministry said that five PKK terrorists were neutralized in an air operation in the Claw-Lock Operation Zone. Our operations against the terrorist organization PKK in northern Iraq continue without slowing down, the ministry said. Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror group's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border. It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Turkiye. In a separate statement, the ministry said that security forces neutralized three PKK/YPG terrorists in the Operation Peace Spring Zone. It said they will continue to take action against PKK/YPG terrorists, whose only aim is to shed blood in the region. PKK/YPG terrorists hide out in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, where they plan and carry out attacks on both locals and nearby settlements in Turkiye. Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019). In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and EU has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is PKKs Syrian offshoot. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 23:50 (UTC+04:00) Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover reached $40 billion in the first half of 2023. Analysts from the Center for Economic Research and Reforms under the Administration of the President (CERR) have revealed data on Uzbekistan's top-earning sectors, Azernews reports, citing Kabar. The share of exports in Uzbekistan's trade turnover amounted to $16.4 billion, showing a 27.8% increase compared to the same period in 2022. Uzbekistan exported goods worth $13 billion and services worth $3.4 billion. Among these, Uzbekistan's trade with CIS countries accounted for the largest volume at $13 billion. Import also increased during the eight months, with Uzbekistan importing goods worth $22 billion and utilizing services worth $1.6 billion. The overall import growth rate reached 20.2%. Uzbekistan's exports consist of various categories of goods, including: Foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco - $1.25 billion Non-food raw materials excluding fuel - $196.8 million Fuel, lubricants, and similar products - $602 million Chemical substances - $834.1 million Industrial goods - $2.76 billion Machinery and equipment - $844 million Finished products - $846.7 million Services - $3.4 billion Other goods, including gold - $5.66 billion Uzbekistan engages in trade primarily with the following groups of countries: Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) - $10.2 billion CIS countries - $13 billion European Union (EU) - $3.8 billion Other countries not included in these groups - $27.1 billion In 2022, Uzbekistan's GDP exceeded $80 billion, with a growth rate of 5.6%. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 20:40 (UTC+04:00) An Afghan delegation led by acting Foreign Minister Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi flew to Russia on Monday to attend a Moscow-format meeting, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. According to the countrys Foreign Ministry, the delegation will discuss many political and economic issues during the meeting. Hafiz Zia Ahmad, deputy spokesman for the ministry, said on X that the meeting will be held in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan Republic of the Russian Federation, later this week. The delegation will also visit Moscow before flying to Kazan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 21:15 (UTC+04:00) Rebels who seized power in Niger have closed the countrys airspace for French aircraft, AFP reported on Sunday, citing the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), Azernews reports, citing TASS. Nigers airspace is open for all internal and international commercial flights, with the exception of French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France, including aircraft belonging to Air France, it said. In response to an AFPs inquiry, Air France said that its planes dont fly over Niger. In late July, a group of military rebels in Niger announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum. They then established the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie, CNSP), headed by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, to run the country. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Nigers membership in the organization and imposed tough sanctions on the country. Apart from that, ECOWAS leaders demanded the rebels set Bazoum free and warned about a military resolution of the situation if he is not released. ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs Abdel-Fatau Musah said after a meeting of the blocs military chiefs in Ghana on August 18 that the exact date for the intervention in Niger had been determined, but it is yet to be officially announced. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 September 2023 21:50 (UTC+04:00) Cairo and Moscow have held initial talks on work in BRICS and plan a more detailed discussion soon, Azernews reports, citing TASS. "We had preliminary discussions in Moscow on this issue. We are preparing for more detailed discussions soon," he said when asked whether Egypt, as a new BRICS member, had started consultations with the Russian Federation. The 15th BRICS summit was held August 22-24 in Johannesburg under the presidency of South Africa. The group agreed that Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia will join the bloc from January 1, 2024. A new list of possible members will be prepared for the next summit. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, speaking at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, said that the Egyptian authorities intended to very actively participate in the activity of the BRICS group. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Sal Moretti served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, is a retired city superintendent and a former county supervisor district director. You can email him at morettis3313@gmail.com. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. North Korea on Monday lambasted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for making "hysterical" remarks after he warned against possible military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow last week. Yoon said in a U.N. General Assembly speech that any arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow would be considered a "direct provocation" against South Korea, amid growing concerns about their military cooperation in the wake of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol ... malignantly slandered the relations between the DPRK and Russia," the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English-language dispatch, using the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "It was just the height of irony that the puppet with no elementary political knowledge and common sense of the international relations behaved rudely, voluntarily acting as a servile trumpeter and loudspeaker for the U.S.," it said. The KCNA said it is natural for neighboring countries to keep close relations with each other and the development of friendship and cooperation among nations is the legitimate right of a sovereign state and the foundation for regional and global peace and stability. "No one in the world would lend an ear to the hysteric fit of puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol who is only wearing disgraceful ill fames of 'political immature,' 'diplomatic idiot' and 'incompetent chief executive,'" it said. (Yonhap) As School Choice is beginning to take shape in North Carolina: What is your position on what it should evolve into? 3.7% School Choice is only a distraction from the promise of real public education.92.59% 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.3.7% School Choice - I cannot see how it serves the Education Industry. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell: "I gotta tell you, the amount of mutual aid the State of Florida brought in to support power restoration is significant...What we saw during Hurricane Ian is that they were able to restore the power rather quickly, and I expect the same to... pic.twitter.com/077gQyYjR4 DeSantis War Room (@DeSantisWarRoom) August 30, 2023 Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) says the eye of Hurricane Idalia has moved out of Florida, but the storm's bands are still impacting the state.Power restorations are underway, but DeSantis says more outages could be reported. pic.twitter.com/rkT6M1kjQZ The Recount (@therecount) August 30, 2023 Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 strength storm in Florida's Big Bend at 7:45 a.m. this morning, smashing into the town of Keaton Beach, with 125 mph winds. Calledby the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Idalia is the most powerful storm to hit Florida's Big Bend in over 125 years, triggering evacuation orders affecting tens of thousands of people. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN that the state's response has helped restore power rapidly:Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave updates mid-day:Rapid Reaction: It's amazing what a difference competent, prepared leaders make in government. This isn't DeSantis' first rodeo.In the midst of the Biden administration's chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan, top Pentagon officials were working to get the Secretary of Defense to sign a major climate change initiative - that's according to emails obtained by The Daily Wire.The emails show that in the two weeks between the Taliban takeover of Kabul and the final U.S. military flight out of Afghanistan, Pentagon officials were scrambling on an unrelated matter: getting Biden's Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to finalize a Climate Adaptation Plan. He signed it just two days after the withdrawal, declaring climate change a major national security threat. The Pentagon confirmed to The Daily Wire that Austin spent time during the withdrawal considering the climate initiative. His critics say his full attention should have been on getting Americans and our allies safely out of Afghanistan, where 13 service members had just been killed by a suicide bomber.Rapid Reaction: On the other hand, having incompetent, unprepared leaders results in chaos. The Biden administration is staffed with suchA local news crew reporting in Chicago was robbed at gunpoint by three armed men in ski masks while coincidentally reporting on a string of robberies. Here with more is Daily Wire Investigative Reporter Mairead Elordi:Rapid Reaction: Until Chicagons stop voting Democrat, this sort of crime will continue.A new report suggests that CNN is set to name a new CEO in the coming days after the network fired its last CEO over the summer following a damning profile piece and a town hall debacle involving former President Donald Trump.As early as Thursday, CNN is expected to name former New York Times Company CEO and BBC director general Mark Thompson to be the network's next chairman and CEO. The report said that Thompson has a reputation forand that he could not be more different than the network's last CEO, Chris Licht, who departed from the company in June.Rapid Reaction: Something tells me the new CNN will be even more liberal than it was under Zuckerberg - and snobbier, too. A new poll by the respected French pollster CSA Institute for the French TV news channel CNews has found that 69% of French voters support imposing a naval blockade in the Mediteranian Sea to prevent illegal alien boats from reaching Europe. Women support a naval blockade by a slightly higher percentage than men. The concept of the blockade was favored by a majority in all age groups. A joint naval blockade by European countries in the Mediterranian to stop illegal alien boats was recently proposed by Italian Prime Minister Meloni. https://www.cnews.fr/france/2023-09-20/sondage-69-des-francais-favorables-un-blocus-militaire-en-mediterranee-face https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/69-of-french-support-mediterranean-naval-blockade/ Australia successfully imposed a military led effort to stop human smuggling boats full of illegal aliens under former conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Using military satellite capability, Operation Sovereign Borders, led by an army general, identified inbound migrant smugglilng boats and dispatched military, border force, and coast guard vessels to intercept them and forcibly turn them around back to where they came from. If the boat was not capable of returning, its passengers were transferred to a camp on the island of New Guinea, from which they could seek to legally enter Australia or seek passage back home. Operation Sovereign Borders cut Australia's intake of illegal aliens to almost zero. Southerners are now unwelcome at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC which has gone "woke" embraced cancel culture, and joined the War on History to insult the South. Stained glass windows honoring Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were removed and replaced with windows showing a bunch of protesters. What utter rubbish. If they wanted to honor protesters, they could have found other windows to use to do it. Those running the National Cathedral are rabidly anti-South and therefore should be compelled to take the word "national" out of their name. Maybe it should be replaced with "Progressive" or "Marxist" or "Woke". Robert E. Lee freed hundreds of slaves he inherited from his father-in-law and wrote in 1859 that "slavery is an institution of moral and political evil." Stonewall Jackson never owned slaves, but founded through his church and personally taught a program to teach black people to read and write. After joining the army, Jackson send a part of every military paycheck home to keep that program running. That was probably the first black literacy program in the South. Whatr the National Cathedral has done is shameful. https://redstate.com/jeffc/2023/09/24/national-cathedral-replaces-stained-glass-windows-honoring-confederates-with-images-of-racial-justice-n2164235 A St. Luke's University Health Network medical office building in Allentown, Pa., was evacuated Saturday morning after downed wires were discovered in a wall, according to a Sept. 23 report from Lehigh Valley Live. The downed wires were pulling on an exterior wall, threatening its collapse, according to the report. Area firefighters evacuated the building and established a secure area in case the wall collapsed. A spokesperson for the fire department said the wall is expected to collapse at some point because it has pulled away from the building. St. Luke's is currently assessing the building and is not yet sure how it will affect patients moving forward. Amid growing discontent among physicians on noncompete agreements, which prohibit clinicians from joining a competing practice or setting up their own within a particular distance from their previous practice for a certain period of time, many states have banned the practice. Here are six states that have banned noncompetes or are considering doing so, as laid out by attorneys from the law firm Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete on Aug. 29 in JDSupra: California: Noncompetes are not enforceable and violate public policy. Minnesota: The state prohibits post-employment noncompetes. However, agreements signed on or before July 1, 2023, remain enforceable. Nebraska: The state's courts will not modify a noncompete to make it enforceable. New York: A bill passed by both chambers of the Legislature provides for a complete ban on noncompetes. It is awaiting the signature of Gov. Kathy Hochul. The bill will not be retroactive. North Dakota: Noncompetes are banned. Oklahoma: Noncompetes are banned. Nuance Communications, a healthcare artificial intelligence company owned by Microsoft, announced that 13 of its healthcare clients' data was affected by the MoveIt software breach, The HIPAA Journal reported Sept. 19. The Clop ransomware group was responsible for the attack. The data breach, which occurred between May 28 and May 29, affected 1.2 million patients, according to a filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 13 healthcare clients affected by the breach: Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health Hickory, N.C.-based Catawba Valley Medical Center Charlotte (N.C.) Radiology Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Health System Sanford, N.C.-based DLP Central Carolina Medical Center Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health Pinehurst, N.C.-based FirstHealth of the Carolinas Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health System Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health Wilmington, N.C.-based Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health Raleigh, N.C.-based Wake Radiology Diagnostic Imaging Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's Health System was also affected by the breach but chose to issue its own notification. Virtual tour offers Egyptians glimpse into ancient Chinese Grottoes Xinhua) 10:59, September 25, 2023 A visitor views the replica of an antique during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- People in Egypt now can have an immersive virtual tour of ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital of Cairo instead of going to China. A digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes kicked off on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Cairo, attracting more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day. As one of the most famous grottoes in China, the Tianlongshan Grottoes in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, are notable for the Buddha statues located within. Construction of the Tianlongshan Grottoes began around the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550) and continued until the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The site features 25 caves and over 500 Buddha statues, reflecting the sophisticated carving skills and grotto art of the time. "The arrival of these exquisite exhibits in Egypt presents a valuable opportunity for Egyptians to have a deep understanding of Chinese culture, and also have a glimpse of the geography, history, and culture of the Tianlongshan Grottoes," Maissara A. Hussein, deputy director of the Antiquities National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, said at the exhibition. "China's advanced technology of restoring and protecting historical sites is worth promoting to the world," Hussein said. Wei Tao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Taiyuan Municipal Committee, said that the international tour used many edgy technologies, such as holographic phantom imaging and augmented reality to digitally reimage many Tianlongshan statues scattered in many countries and offer a comprehensive display of the splendid art of the Tianlongshan grottoes. "I hope that through this exhibition, more Egyptian people know more about the Tianlongshan Grottoes and Taiyuan," he said. Zhang Chaoyang, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, noted that in recent years, China-Egypt relations have achieved leapfrog development and fruitful results in the cultural field. "The exhibition will show the beauty of the integration of Chinese and foreign arts to the Egyptian people in a more realistic and tangible way, and will enhance the mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two peoples," he said. At the exhibition, many visitors were amazed by the AR restoration of the Tianlongshan Buddha statues, including Ahmed Zarip, director of the Chinese Department of Minia University in Egypt, is one of them. "This experience is amazing, and I hope to see more such Chinese archaeological and cultural exhibitions in Egypt," he told Xinhua. The China-Egypt Forum on Exchange and Cooperation in the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Heritage was inaugurated on the same day. A visitor views the replica of an antique during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) A visitor takes photos of the replica of an antique during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) People visit a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) A visitor tries an AR device during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Backers call on top UN leaders to join efforts to safeguard principle of non-refoulement By Jung Min-ho A group of South Korean lawmakers will propose a resolution urging the Chinese government to follow the principle of non-refoulement in handling North Korean escapees, while seeking support from top U.N. leaders to pressure Beijing to abide by international laws. A source at the National Assembly told The Korea Times on Monday that 14 lawmakers so far have signed a proposal demanding Beijing to permanently stop its practice of deporting North Koreans despite considerable human rights concerns. After collecting more signatures, the backers plan to introduce the bill in the coming weeks possibly during the Hangzhou Asian Games being held from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. Given that the forcible repatriations of North Korean escapees is a bipartisan issue regarding the basic right to safety, lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party are optimistic that they could win support from their liberal colleagues to pass the resolution, the source said. In a draft, obtained by The Korea Times, the lawmakers express concerns over North Koreans who have been detained in China over the last three years of the coronavirus pandemic as many as 2,000, according to rights organizations and at least four others held in Mongolia. The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea calls on China and other countries in which North Korean escapees reside to respect the principle of non-refoulement and grant refugee status or other legal means to let them stay until severe human rights violations disappear in North Korea, the proposal said. The statement also calls on Antonio Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, and the chiefs of its human rights and refugee agencies Volker Turk and Filippo Grandi, respectively to raise their voices on the issue by releasing official statements. Rights activists in South Korea have complained that the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees have not been doing enough to resolve the issue. In a joint statement last month, 12 groups expressed concerns over the OHCHRs silence on Chinas grave human rights violations against North Korean refugees. The lawmakers efforts come after rights organizations and high-profile individuals from 17 countries made the same demand in a joint letter sent last week to Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the testimonies of numerous North Korean escapees, the fate awaiting those deported by China could be years of incarceration in political prison camps, at the very least. If they were found to have attended religious facilities or contacted South Koreans in China, the escapees could even be tortured or executed. Beijing has treated North Koreans crossing the border as illegal migrants, claiming it has the right to send them back. Rights experts say such repatriations of escapees for whatever excuse Beijing offers are clear violations of multiple U.N. treaties, including the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which China promised to respect as a participating party. In a sign of reopening its borders, North Korea sent athletes to the Asian Games being held in the eastern Chinese coastal city. Activists worry that China would resume the repatriations of North Koreans after the sporting event ends. A ransomware attack hindered the state of Maryland's ability to monitor patient safety at hospitals, The Washington Post reported. Following the December 2021 cyberattack, the Maryland Department of Health's Office for Health Care Quality lost access to the database it uses to track injuries and deaths of hospital patients, according to the Sept. 24 story. The agency said it has collected less information about harmful events since the IT security incident, from which it is still recovering. For instance, the office does not know how many patients died from mistakes at Maryland hospitals during fiscal 2022. "Marylanders deserve transparency and accountability," health department spokesperson Chase Cook told the newspaper. "The Maryland Department of Health is working to construct any missing information from available records." Hospital officials told Becker's they don't view Costco's entrance into healthcare as a threat to their business but as an opportunity for expanded care to reach new patients. Costco is joining competitors such as Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon in breaking into healthcare through a new partnership with virtual care marketplace Sesame. "Costco getting into healthcare is another example of the general patient consumer audience asking for more availability of care on their terms, when they want it," Aaron Miri, chief information and digital officer of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Baptist Health, told Becker's. "Systems have to learn to work together with the big box retailers and other collaborators in this space to ensure equitable access for all while meeting the general consumer needs of access." Through the partnership, Costco members will have access to $29 virtual primary care visits, $72 virtual health check-ups and $79 virtual mental health visits. Sesame does not accept health insurance. "The Costco virtual primary care model appears to be a similar teaming model to what a number of other market entrants have targeted e.g. utilizing existing primary care physicians/practices. One would expect referral patterns for hospital based diagnostic follow up or surgical admissions will likely follow the current practices of those physicians," said Chris Coburn, chief innovation officer of Boston-based Mass General Brigham. Sesame founder David Goldhill has long been a critic of American healthcare. In a 2009 cover story for The Atlantic titled "How American Health Care Killed My Father," Mr. Goldhill wrote, "There needs to be a business reason why an industry, year in and year out, would be able to get away with poor customer service, unaffordable prices, and uneven results a reason my father and so many others are unnecessarily killed." Almost a decade later, Mr. Goldhill founded Sesame with the goal of "bringing marketplace dynamics to consumer healthcare." In 2022, the company raised $27 million in a series B financing round led by GV (formerly Google Ventures). GV is also an investor in primary care company One Medical, which is now owned by Amazon. Previously, Costco maintained a healthcare presence focused on providing pharmaceuticals, not delivering care. In 2020, Costco purchased a minority share in St. Louis-based SSM Health's pharmacy benefits management company, Navitus Health Solutions. "Quality, great value and low price are what the Costco brand is known for," Mr. Goldhill said in a Sept. 25 Sesame news release. The company believes that it can take the Costco model to primary care and that retail care is here to stay. "If the Costco model produces as they would hope, it may potentially reduce demand on emergency care sites. In the near term it is unlikely to have a significant impact on utilization of resources in tertiary and quaternary care urban institutions," said Mr. Coburn. "Longer term impact is more difficult to predict until the effectiveness and efficiency of the care delivery models are solidified. On a separate note, one might think an element of the Costco strategy different from Walmart and Walgreens is to reinforce their pharmacy benefit management investments." "Judging by the investments and product rollouts in the last year from the likes of Amazon and Walmart, the future of retail shopping will include doctor visits and prescription medications," Sesame said in a Sept. 25 LinkedIn post. While some hospital officials worry that the growth of retail clinics means more competition, others see it as an opportunity to increase access to care. "We are focused on the needs of the patient and if those needs can be met by offering exemplary primary care to a broader spectrum of patients when and where they need it that is a good thing," said Charles Bruce, MD, chief innovation officer of Jacksonville-based Mayo Clinic in Florida. "In this dynamically evolving healthcare ecosystem, we are here to offer hope to those patients who still need an answer or who are found to have serious and complex health issues." Accountants are leaving the profession in droves, The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 22. More than 300,000 accountants quit between 2019 and 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those with some tenure are driving the change, per employment data provider Live Data Technologies; 82 percent of those who left through Sept. 1 this year had at least six years' experience, up from 77 percent in 2022 and 71 percent in 2021. Although accounting is often seen as a stable career path, those in the field view themselves as "underpaid and undervalued" compared to their tech and banking counterparts, reporter Mark Maurer writes for the Journal. As a result, many are leaving for those fields and others they find more meaning in financial analysis, business operations or human resources. As experienced accountants leave the field, there aren't many lined up to replace them. To become a CPA, one must accrue 150 credit hours a deterrent for many prospective students, as it leads to an extra year of school. Representatives in some states, like South Carolina and Minnesota, are working to lower this number and make an accounting degree more appealing. Generative AI also stands to shake up the profession. While some see it as a way to cut mundane tasks a core complaint of burnt-out accountants others fear it could endanger their jobs. Firms can raise pay and offer more flexibility, but it is hard to alter the work's tedious nature, according to the Journal. Zach Madel, a 28-year-old accountant who owns his own business in Clearwater, Fla., told the publication he is considering a career switch after tax season. "We're there to help people, we're there to make scary things like taxation better, and I feel like that's not the message a lot of people view us as giving," Mr. Madel said. "I think it's somewhat rare that you can say your CPA changed your life." A government shutdown would leave HHS with about half of its staff, with 42 percent furloughed on the second day of closure. The finding that approximately 42 percent of HHS staff faces furlough if there is a lapse in federal funding comes from a contingency plan that HHS updated Sept. 21. Funding expires Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year. Approximately 51,293 HHS staff will be retained and 37,325 will be furloughed as of day two of a funding hiatus. The agency said it will retain a "limited number of staff" to perform the necessarily implied work to support Medicare, Medicaid and other mandatory health program payments. Roughly half of CMS employees will be furloughed, with the agency noting that only 49 percent of staff will be retained. Five percent of those retained employees are excluded from furlough because their work is "necessarily implied" from the authorized continuation of other activities. The agency notes that those 308 employees will primarily be working to ensure that funded activities, such as the Medicare program, continue operations. The Office of Management and Budget began advising federal agencies to review and update their contingency plans Sept. 22, The Associated Press reports. The guidance was delivered as House Republicans left Washington, D.C., for the weekend with no plan in sight for short-term funding. Contingency plans per agency, many of which are in need of updating, can be found here. If agreement is not reached in Congress by Oct. 1, the shutdown would be the first since December 2018. That lapse lasted 35 days, although it was considered a "partial shutdown" since lawmakers passed 12 appropriations bills to protect some federal departments, including most of HHS, from disruption. St. Margaret's Health CEO Tim Muntz blamed the June closure of St. Margarets Health Spring Valley (Ill.) on Spring Valley City Bank, Shaw Local News Network reported Sept. 25. According to Mr. Muntz, the bank "swept nearly $7.3 million" in funds despite a "forbearance agreement" that the two parties entered into six weeks earlier. The bank's actions left the hospital "no choice" but to close, Mr. Muntz said in a bankruptcy court filing. Mr. Muntz said that the bank swept the funds on June 5. The facility announced its closure on June 12 and officially ceased operations on June 16. The hospital filed for bankruptcy Sept. 1. Nearby, Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare has been attempting to purchase and reopen the closed St. Margarets Health Peru (Ill.) facilities. Medical staff members at Opelika-based East Alabama Health have voted J. Gary Bridges, DO, their next chief of staff. Every two years, a new staff physician is chosen for the role, according to a Sept. 21 news release from the health system. Dr. Bridges, an anesthesiologist, will take the reins from Mary Ann Shannon, MD, on Oct. 1. Dr. Bridges has served the health system for more than 20 years, including terms as chief of anesthesiology and chief of surgery. The union representing registered nurses at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center says a hiring freeze announced earlier this year has exacerbated staffing problems and led to an increase in reported instances of workplace violence against workers. The California Nurses Association which represents more than 18,000 nurses in the University of California health system and is affiliated with National Nurses United contends in a Sept. 22 news release that nurses and workers have reported more than 30 incidents of workplace violence at the Parnassus campus alone since UCSF announced a monthslong hiring freeze in May. Union representatives said nurses are calling on UCSF to ensure patients receive a high standard of care and seek safer conditions in the workplace. "For months, our attempts to warn management about the consequences of the hiring freeze and short staffing have gone unheeded, and now keeping patients safe too often means putting ourselves in harm's way," CNA-UCSF Chief Nurse Representative Elizabeth Fenchel, RN, said in the release. "The only way to keep patients nurses safe is to staff up our hospitals and clinics, not freeze hiring. We will continue to stand up and speak out until our employer lives up to the values it markets to our community that means putting the health and safety of our patients and workers before the bottom line." UCSF Health is standing behind its staffing efforts. In a statement shared with Becker's, the health system said it implemented a short-term hiring freeze, from May to Aug. 31, 2023, "that intentionally excluded roles critical to delivering safe, high-quality care in compliance with staff-to-patient ratios. UCSF Health staffs our hospitals the way we always have based on the level of care required and the acuity of our patients' conditions. Nursing ratios are mandated by the state of California, and UCSF prides itself on meeting or exceeding those state-mandated ratios." The health system also points to its Workplace Violence Prevention program, which it said meets the Violence Prevention in Health Care Standard through the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. "In 2022, in partnership with our CNA-represented nurses, we established a jointly managed committee on workplace violence. As a result of these and other efforts, our staff retention rates are higher than the benchmarks for hospitals in both the state and the nation," UCSF Health added. The union has planned a public rally for Sept. 26 at UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay to voice its concerns. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is accusing a St. Louis-based healthcare provider of violating state consumer protection law by giving puberty blockers to minors without a comprehensive mental health assessment. Mr. Bailey filed the counter lawsuit Sept. 22 against Southampton Community Healthcare, a provider that unsuccessfully challenged the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act. The new law, which took effect Aug. 28, prohibits providers from performing gender transition surgeries and prescribing drugs for gender-affirming care to minors. There are exceptions for minors who were already receiving such treatment before Aug. 28. Mr. Bailey's lawsuit alleges that Southampton provided gender transition interventions, such as puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, to minors without a comprehensive mental health assessment, as was required by the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act law before the SAFE Act took effect last month. The lawsuit notes that at a preliminary injunction hearing in August, Southampton's witnesses "acknowledged in open court that providing these interventions without a comprehensive mental health assessment is contrary to the medical standard of care." "As long as I'm attorney general, I will fight to ensure that Missouri is the safest state in the nation for children," the attorney general said in a news release. "These providers failed Missouri's children when they rejected even a diluted medical standard and subjected them to irreversible procedures. My office is not standing for it." The ACLU of Missouri, which represented Southampton in challenging the new state restrictions, shared a joint statement with Becker's that it issued with Lambda Legal about the counter lawsuit. "Earlier this year, the Attorney General tried and failed to use Missouri's consumer protection laws to go after gender-affirming medical care after Missouri courts enjoined and he later withdrew his so-called emergency rule," the statement reads. "Now, Andrew Bailey is shamelessly attempting to revive that failed effort to distort consumer protection laws into a vehicle for the government to interfere with Missourians' access to healthcare and to dictate the type of treatment medical providers can offer. "Bailey's actions are about nothing more than erasing transness from Missouri while he allows the top causes of child mortality to run rampant throughout the state. We will fight this desperate overreach." Mr. Bailey's counter lawsuit seeks a civil penalty of $1,000 for each alleged violation of the MMPA and an injunction prohibiting such violations in the future. Nationally, the turnover rate for hospital nurses is 22.5 percent, according to 2023 data from NSI Nursing Solutions. At an Advocate hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill., that rate is about 10 percent. The chief nursing officer and vice president of Advocate Christ Medical Center, Giancarlo Lyle-Edrosolo, DNP, RN, told Becker's this success is thanks to efforts that build confidence among new nurses. The health system runs a nurse residency program that pairs first-year nurses with mentors to set expectations and develop professionally, such as learning to have difficult conversations. "We make sure that they have the appropriate time with the preceptors to apply, so that as a new nurse, you're not stressed out going into a unit thinking, 'Is my license in jeopardy? Am I going to harm a patient today?'" Dr. Lyle-Edrosolo said. "We try to mitigate that and build their confidence." Some anxiety can be helpful for new nurses, he added, but nurse leaders should help manage that stress to ensure new staff members assimilate well into their working environment. This support is crucial as healthcare leaders brace for an exodus of seasoned nurses in the next five to 10 years. Dr. Lyle-Edrosolo joined Christ Medical Center in December 2022 after nearly four years of being CNO of Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. He currently leads more than 2,000 nurses and 1,000 healthcare workers at the four-time Magnet-certified hospital. His hospital strives for a 1:1 nurse-to-preceptor ratio while sometimes conceding to a 2:1 ratio because of sick days during the orientation process. At Christ, first-year nurses and their preceptors are matched based on the new nurse's intended field of practice. For example, new intensive care unit nurses and labor and delivery nurses are partnered with seasoned nurses in their respective departments, Dr. Lyle-Edrosolo said. "Depending on the specialty that they practice in, they have intentional items that they need to tend to," he said, "because a nurse is not a nurse is not a nurse." CMS cited two California hospitals with immediate jeopardy after medication errors that caused patient deaths and lifted the warnings in May following corrective plans, the Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 25. At Adventist Health Simi Valley (Calif.), medical staff gave an 81-year-old woman two doses of Lovenox, a blood thinner, within two hours. CMS found the error "probably caused" a brain bleed, and the patient died 18 hours later. Investigators determined that the medical error was a "system wide failure" because the physician ordering the medications did not follow hospital protocol, two pharmacies filled the prescription without talking to each other, and both doses were not correct. The hospital also failed to ensure oral doses of medications had correct expiration dates, which meant patients were at risk of receiving "ineffective, incorrectly prepared, or outdated medications." Adventist Health Simi Valley told the Times that the error was self-reported and concerns were "immediately addressed." CMS removed the immediate jeopardy warning in May after the hospital presented a corrected plan that included pharmacy alerts for certain medications. CMS also gave Los Angeles-based Northridge Hospital Medical Center an immediate jeopardy warning after a patient had to be resuscitated after receiving the wrong medication in February. The patient, who was recovering from anesthesia after an operation, was given a blood pressure medication instead of naloxone. The investigation also found the hospital failed to assess the patient every five minutes while under anesthesia and that nursing staff failed to regularly check the crash cart. Northridge Hospital Medical Center, which is part of San Francisco-based Dignity Health, told the Times it reported the incident itself and "conducted a thorough review and worked closely with the medical staff, patient care staff, as well as with the Department of Public Health, to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again." Northridge Hospital also submitted a corrective plan in May, and the immediate jeopardy warning was lifted. Nobel laureates, top scientific journal express concerns over Koreas future By Park Jae-hyuk The international scientific community is criticizing a decision by the Korean government to cut next year's budget for state-sponsored scientific research activities. The criticism comes after the decision raised public concerns here for possibly damaging the countrys growth potential. Five Nobel laureates, who came to Korea last week to attend the Nobel Prize Dialogue Seoul 2023 event on Sunday, did not hesitate to sound the alarm at the sharp reduction in budget for state-run research and development (R&D) projects. University of Manchester professor Konstantin Novoselov, who won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, told reporters that the Korean governments decision is expected to deal a blow to the countrys scientific community. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology professor George Smoot, a 2006 Nobel Laureate in Physics, emphasized that investments in basic science could yield benefits more than a hundredfold, although it would require time. From that standpoint, he urged the government to make long-term investments, instead of following corporations that seek immediate returns. Stanford University professor Michael Levitt, who received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, warned that the governments decision to cut the R&D budget would undoubtedly lead to unfavorable outcomes. Columbia University professor Joachim Frank, a 2017 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, warned the government against forcing researchers to focus on specific sectors. His view was seen as a counterargument against the governments plan to increase investments in 12 strategic technologies, while reducing spending on other sectors. Max Planck Institute of Biophysics Director Hartmut Michel, who received the 1988 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, disagreed with the method of evaluating a researchers performance by counting the number of papers published in top journals. The governments plan to abolish underperforming research projects will be based on the publications of papers in leading journals and patent applications. The Nobel laureates made the remarks a few days after Science, one of the worlds top three scientific journals, published an article titled, South Korea, a science spending champion, proposes cutbacks. Although the journal remained neutral in that article, it made efforts to convey the opinions of Korean researchers, as well as students majoring in science and engineering, about the R&D budget cut. Its coverage has been considered unusual, because the article focused only on the Korean policy. However, the government has maintained a firm stance against calls to rethink the budget cut, given that the decision was made after President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly instructed his officials in June to reconsider state-run R&D projects from scratch and root out what he referred to as a cartel that seeks to protect their vested interests. After the Chosun Ilbo reported last Wednesday that the presidential office and the ruling party began the process of increasing the budget for basic science, the presidential office immediately denied the report during Yoons visit to the U.S. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho also ruled out the possibility, saying that the government has never considered the increase in its R&D budget. As we reviewed the R&D budget from scratch, the spending has increased recklessly over the past few years, the finance minister said. The government budget for next year is intended to focus on investments in important sectors for the future. The Ministry of Science and ICT has also been busy denying the potential negative impact on young researchers, who are said to risk losing their jobs after the budget cut. Regardless of the decrease in spending for state-sponsored research institutes, we will come up with various measures for the younger generation to continue their research activities stably without losing their jobs, the ministry said in a statement. Despite the explanation, criticism has even come from the ruling People Power Party. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, who worked as a doctor and a scientist, said Monday that the government had to review how it has supervised the use of its R&D budget, before it decides to cut its spending on state-sponsored scientific projects. A Massachusetts man escaped from UMass Memorial-Marlborough Hospital on Sept. 23, and authorities captured him less than 24 hours later, The Boston Globe reported. Isaac Rivera, 24, was taken to the hospital under police custody to undergo a medical procedure Sept. 23. Authorities said Mr. Rivera escaped from Marlborough Hospital wearing a hospital gown and socks around 10 p.m. Sept. 23. Police did not disclose additional details about why Mr. Rivera was at Marlborough Hospital or how he escaped. He was in custody while under arrest on several charges, including domestic assault and battery, strangulation and illegal possession of a firearm, according to police. Authorities apprehended Mr. Rivera around 4 p.m. Sept. 24 at a house in Milford, Mass., according to NBC affiliate WBTS. State data showed patient safety events in Maryland's 62 hospitals more than tripled between 2019 and 2022, reaching the highest level recorded since 2004, The Washington Post reported Sept. 24. The report of deaths and injuries was delayed for several months after the state lost access to the patient safety database following a December 2021 cybersecurity breach. While recovering from the attack, the state used spreadsheets to track some of the required information, which led to the 2022 fiscal year report being less comprehensive than those of previous years. For example, the report could not say how many Maryland patients died because of hospital mistakes. "Marylanders deserve transparency and accountability," Chase Cook, a spokesman for the health department, told the Post. "The Maryland Department of Health is working to construct any missing information from available records." Even without the cyberattack, the Maryland Department of Health's Office for Health Care Quality does not track many key indicators of systematic problems and relies heavily on hospitals to report mistakes voluntarily. Only incidents involving death or serious injury of a patient must be reported, though hospitals are encouraged to report less serious events. After reporting an adverse event, a hospital is required to investigate the cause and submit a corrective plan to the state. The state signs off on plans but doesn't make investigations public. Experts told the Post this approach means only serious events are reported, and less harmful incidents and near misses are never reported. On top of that, most of the medical harm data collected by the state is not publicly disclosed due to state laws that seek to encourage hospitals to report mistakes without fear of public scrutiny. The health department told the Post it is building a new database to track patient safety incidents and anticipates it will be ready this fall. The agency is also working to identify missing information from the 2022 report and share it once it's available. The prior authorization system is seen as flawed by many surgeons working in orthopedics, spine surgery and beyond. It often slows down patient care, adds administrative tasks for employees and sometimes even leaves physicians to foot the bill for expensive patient procedures. Three neurosurgeons, Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, Praveen Mummaneni, MD, and Luis Tumialan, MD, issued a statement to Becker's explaining the major problems physicians face when it comes to receiving fair payments for services offered. "Consider the following two scenarios: Imagine a broken pipe is causing a flood at your home. Your next steps are to contact your insurance carrier, open up a claim and then find a contractor to assess and repair the damage. The contractor provides your insurance company with a bid for the proposed work, which the insurance company reviews and approves. Upon completion of the work, the contractor submits for payment. The insurance company pays the claim. "Now imagine you have a grade 1 L4-5 spondylolisthesis. After years of nonoperative treatment, you see a surgeon who recommends surgery. The surgeon completes a prior authorization of the proposed procedure which your health insurance carrier approves with the caveat, 'prior authorization is no guarantee of payment.' The surgeon performs the procedure as stated with great results. You are genuinely surprised to find out at a post-op appointment that your insurance carrier denied your surgeon payment. "The surgeon's business office then begins the process of filing appeal after appeal over the next several months and ultimately writes off the balance. Thus, the surgeon performed the surgery for free on someone with commercial insurance. The first house flood scenario is how the real world works. The second scenario happens in 1 out of 10 spine surgeries. Denial of payment after prior authorization has become a grim reality of American healthcare. "As bewildering as it may sound, insurance companies authorize procedures. Surgeons perform them as authorized. But then, the insurance company denies payment. No other industry functions in this manner. No other industry would tolerate this system. Yet, in healthcare, physicians, bound by their oaths to care for patients, endure a system that withholds payment. Surgeons put up with prior authorization, payment delays and overwhelming administrative tasks. "Why even maintain a prior authorization system if it serves as nothing more than a mirage? Is it a placebo for surgeons? The prior authorization lulls the surgeon into a fabricated sense of security that they will receive payment for their services. Ultimately, patients bear the brunt of this charade. When insurance companies do not uphold their end of the bargain, surgeons face limited options. Many will not bill patients directly, refusing to fault individuals whose only misstep was choosing an unreliable insurance carrier. "Patients have the right to a top-tier health system where they can select their surgeon. They deserve insurance companies that uphold their contractual promises. The transactions between surgeons and commercial insurers should be no different than a contractor and home insurance carrier. Work completed must result in work paid. It is high time insurance companies fulfilled their contractual obligations just like every other industry." A husband and wife have acquired a country pub next to Down Royal racecourse in Lisburn as part of a six figure investment. Long term lessees Declan and Tara Walsh have acquired Gowdys of Down Royal with support from Ulster Bank after seeing turnover double. The couple first met while working in bars on various cruise liners in the 1990s before moving back to Northern Ireland. They continued to work in the hospitality sector, running a number of local bars before taking up positions together in Gowdys of Down Royal. Then in 2014 the opportunity arose for them to take on the lease of the premises after an extended period of closure for the business. We are thrilled to finally be able to say that we are the proud owners of Gowdys of Down Royal, Tara said. Gowdys at Down Royal owner Tara Walsh and Ulster Bank business development manager Lee White. "We always knew we wanted to buy the business as far back as 2014 when we first took over the lease. "Over the past decade weve put a lot of time and energy into building the business up to where it is today and re-establishing the brand as a go-to destination. Meanwhile Declan added: We are very thankful to have our vision supported by Lee and the team at Ulster Bank. Without this, our new venture would simply not have been possible. They have helped make this process really smooth and easy. Truly, this support has turned our dream into a reality. The couple are supported by long-term manager Frances who leads a 30-strong team in the uniquely positioned pub which has become a go-to destination for spectators at Down Royals 12 annual race meetings. The business has transformed itself to accommodate the significantly increased demand as a result with turnover doubling and the number of staff increasing three-fold. Ulster Bank business development manager Lee White said: Were so pleased to help Tara and Declan acquire this established business. "Their knowledge and proven experience combined with their enthusiasm and vision demonstrates not only its significant growth and transformation over the past decade but the great future it has ahead under their ownership. Henry Brothers has won a 30m contract to build an advanced manufacturing innovation centre (AMIC), a project led by Queens University and part of the 100m Belfast Region City Deal. The Mid-Ulster firm will build the 10,500m Factory of the Future at Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey. Queens University said AMIC will reinvigorate Northern Irelands industrial potential and address the future technology and skills challenges faced by the regions manufacturing sector. It is being delivered by Queens in partnership with Ulster University, industry, and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, and supported by the UK Government and NI Executive. According to Queens, by 2050 its estimated that AMIC will have contributed more than 1bn to the local economy, directly and indirectly created over 1,500 permanent jobs and supported the training of 300 apprentices. Professor Sir Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queen's University, said: Queens vision as a civic university and a Belfast Region City Deal partner is to create tangible impact where it truly matters. We are determined to drive societal progress for generations to come through delivering three innovation centres in advanced manufacturing, clinical research and secure, connected digital technologies. Connecting our underpinning high-quality research with industry, government and the manufacturing sector will turbocharge our regions capabilities and embed a culture of innovation to act as a driver for increased productivity. Our focus is on driving sustainable economic growth to have a positive impact on the lives of people across Northern Ireland. Professor Stuart Elborn, interim provost and deputy vice-chancellor, Queens University, said: As part of our City Deal programme AMIC will create jobs by supporting local companies to be more competitive on a global scale, attract new investment and ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed for the future. Through City Deal we are committed to delivering inclusive growth benefits right across Northern Ireland in terms of productivity, jobs and skills and for the AMIC project were delighted to be working with Henry Brothers, a company which shares this ethos. Henry Brothers, which is headquartered in Magherafelt, with more than 200 employees based across Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland, has been awarded the construction contract after a competitive tendering process. Planning permission for the building was granted in May, and construction work is due to start next spring. AMIC plans to be operating from the Factory of the Future by 2026, with capacity for 150 staff, as it delivers for Northern Irelands manufacturing sector. David Henry, managing director at Henry Brothers, said: We are pleased to be working with Queens University on the new AMIC, which will provide support for the manufacturing and engineering sectors in Northern Ireland and beyond. As one of Northern Irelands leading construction companies, we understand how important facilities like these are in addressing the industry-wide skills shortage. Having previously delivered the redevelopment of McClay Library and David Bates buildings at the University, we have an established relationship with Queens that we look forward to building on. Working with the Belfast Region City Deal partners and sharing their vision to create inclusive economic growth that delivers more and better jobs, Henry Brothers is committed to embedding social value through delivery of this project, with a focus on creating apprenticeship opportunities and providing student placement and professional trainee opportunities, together with delivering paid employment opportunities for those currently facing barriers to employment. Optimism tentative agreement will allow for shooting of delayed projects to finally begin in Belfast How To Train Your Dragon, a live action version of which is to be filmed in Belfast The local film and TV industry has expressed hope a tentative deal struck between a union and Hollywood studio bosses could see productions begin again. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced the breakthrough after 146 days on the picket line over pay and the threat posed by artificial intelligence. NI Screen and Belfasts Harbour Studios have said they are watching developments with interest. Projects currently on hold here include the new Blade Runner 2099 series and a live action version of How To Train Your Dragon. Both had been due to film in Belfast following the success of shoots for fantasy series Game Of Thrones and movies such as Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and The Northman However, talks have not yet resumed between studios and striking actors who are members of Sag-Aftra (the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). Work at the Harbour Studios has been at a standstill since the dispute erupted. Filming for Blade Runner 2099 was due to get under way earlier this year. The delays led to speculation the multi-million-dollar Amazon production could be axed entirely. NI Screen has insisted the project will be still coming in the near future, and said it was following the situation closely. The strike is estimated to have cost the US economy 5.5bn. There will now be renewed optimism How To Train Your Dragon will be back on the agenda also. Delays in its production led for a scramble to find alternative jobs by members of the cast and crew. The writers and actors strikes have been halting production all over the world for some time now, NI Screen said. We welcome the news that progress has been made with the WGA and we also hope for a swift and equitable resolution to the SAG-AFTRA strike, allowing USA-originated projects to get back into production. Strikers picket Paramount Pictures Studio in Los Angeles last week Belfast Harbour Studios said: Belfast Harbour continues to work with NI Screen to monitor the ongoing strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA performers union. Comedian, writer and TV presenter Adam Conover, who wrote and starred in The G Word on Netflix, tweeted yesterday: We did it. We have a tentative deal. WGA said the agreement was exceptional, with meaningful gains and protections for writers. However, the terms must be approved by the guilds board and members before the strike officially ends. A separate dispute involves actors, but many of the concerns are similar to those of the writers, and a resolution would allow filming for fan favourites like The Last of Us, Billions, Stranger Things and The Handmaids Tale to get back under way. Bectu, the British union for workers in behind-the-scenes roles in the creative industries, surveyed 4,000 of its members. Some 80% said their jobs had been affected, with three-quarters not working at all. NI Screen has seen a major growth in output and revenue in recent years, with the tourist industry also benefiting, particularly due to the success of Game Of Thrones. Around 12,000 local people are employed directly or indirectly through movie and TV productions from outside. Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren has had emergency surgery following a fall in her Swiss home, her agent has confirmed. The 89-year-old fell in her bathroom and sustained several serious fractures to different parts of her hip, including her femur, which needed urgent surgery, her agent Andrea Giusti told the PA news agency. Lorens representative also confirmed both Lorens sons, Carlo and Edoardo Ponti, were at her bedside. Film star Sophia Loren and her husband Carlo Ponti leaving London airport for Cannes Film Festival in 1966 (PA) The Academy-Award winning Italian actress was married to film producer Carlo Ponti Sr from 1966 until his death in 2007. During her illustrious career, Loren has starred opposite Hollywood greats including Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant who she rejected a marriage proposal from after they appeared together in The Pride And The Passion in 1957. Her performance as Cesira in 1960s Two Women, directed by Vittorio De Sica, earned her the Oscar for best actress and made her the first actor or actress to win an Academy Award for a foreign-language performance. In 1990, Loren also won an honorary award at the Oscars for being one of the genuine treasures of world cinema who has had a career rich with memorable performances and added permanent lustre to the industry. Health ministry vows to spend 300 bil. won to address problem By Jun Ji-hye The government announced new measures to address a shortage of pediatric physicians in Korea, which experts fear could escalate into a major child health care crisis. Many parents, who have been on the hunt for pediatricians and waited for hours to see them when their children were sick especially during weekends, holidays or late at night are paying close attention to whether the governments latest measures, the third to be announced this year alone, will actually tackle the growing concerns over a possible collapse of the child health care system. The latest measures announced on Friday focused on enhancing the compensation given to pediatricians and pediatric residents. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it will provide a training subsidy of 1 million won ($750) per month for pediatric residents. The bonus, which comes from the national health insurance system, will also be provided to pediatricians who treat children aged under six. The ministry will double the compensation for hospitals and pharmacies offering medical services for children late at night, and increase the number of hospitals that operate at night and on holidays across the country. An average of 200 million won will be offered to each of these hospitals. Through the announcement of the latest measures, the government expressed its willingness to better nurture pediatric specialists and improve pediatric care, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong said during a media briefing. It was the third announcement made by the ministry this year to improve pediatric care. The last announcements were made in January and February. In January, the ministry announced plans to enhance emergency care for children and compensate for losses incurred by medical institutes treating seriously-ill children. At the time, the ministry also vowed to build more hospitals that operate at night and on holidays. The measures announced in February included improving the working environment of pediatric residents. The shortage of pediatric hospitals and doctors is mainly attributed to a falling birthrate and a growing reluctance among medical trainees to specialize in pediatrics due to the heavy workload and low pay compared to other popular fields such as plastic surgery. Yet, the overall effectiveness of the governments measures announced in January and February has appeared to be limited, as the number of young doctors who applied to be pediatric residents this year stood at only 33 out of the 199 quota target, accounting for just 16.6 percent, according to data tallied by the Korean Pediatric Society. The gap was large, when compared to other popular fields within medicine, as data tallied last year showed that the residents' application rates in rehabilitation medicine and plastic surgery stood at 202 percent and 180.6 percent, respectively. This was why the health ministry concentrated its efforts on maintaining and reinforcing the medical infrastructure for children, and encouraging more young doctors to specialize in pediatrics when announcing the latest -- and third set of -- measures. The ministry said about 300 billion won will be mobilized from the national health insurance system to implement the latest measures. The medical sector gave a positive assessment regarding the governments latest set of measures, though they are not sufficient to address all the challenges faced by the field of pediatric care. We expect the government to continue to draw up follow-up measures and improve the working environment for pediatric doctors both legally and institutionally, so outstanding workforce will voluntarily apply to pediatrics, the Korea Medical Association said in a statement. Park Min-soo, second vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, acknowledged that its short-term policies will have limitations in addressing the manpower shortage problem. Fundamentally, long-term policies should be established, including one to increase the quota for medical schools, Park said. The health ministry has already announced its plan to push for these policies. NI pastors cleared of assault and theft of un-Christian items as judge hits out at nonsense case The complainant alleged dreamcatchers, Buddhist tapestries and CBD oil had been stolen from her room. Charges against Crosspoint Church pastor Paul Gray (pictured) and Carolyn Murray were dismissed at Newtownards Magistrates' Court Liam Tunney Mon 25 Sep 2023 at 18:40 A judge has described as absolute nonsense the case against two Christian pastors accused of theft and assault after dismissing the charges on Monday. A 58-year-old man accused of raping one woman and sexually abusing two others went on trial in Belfast today. Christopher Lawrence Johnston has been charged with a total of nine offences which the Crown say were committed against three females over a period spanning from January 1998 to January 2016. The accused, from Ballyrainey Road in Newtownards, has denied all the charges levelled against him. As the Crown opened its case against Johnston to a jury at Belfast Crown Court, prosecuting barrister Gary McHugh said all three women made complaints about Johnston to the PSNI in 2018. The jury of six men and six women were told that on July 16, 2018, one of the three complainants contacted police to claim she had been raped by Johnston on two occasions. The now-40-year-old alleged that in the summer or late autumn of 1999 she called to Johnstons then home in the Belfast area for an arranged driving lesson. She said she was invited into Johnstons home and noticed blankets on the floor of the front room. Mr McHugh said: The accused then came behind her and he tripped her and she landed on the blankets on the floor. She recalls the accused laughing at her. He then got down on the floor and pulled her tracksuit bottoms and pants down. She was shuffling on the ground. She was trying to resist, saying: No, get off. She asked him what he was doing and Mr Johnston told her to f*** up. Mr McHugh said Johnston then raped the woman. The jury also heard that, during what the Crown say was a challenging time in the same womans life, she went back to Johnstons home around August 2000. The prosecutor said, by her own admission, she had taken drugs and alcohol and, after falling asleep in his home, she woke to find Johnston having sexual intercourse with her that she didnt consent to. He told the jury: Again, she asked what he was doing and she recalled him saying: Shut your f*****g mouth. Two other women also made a series of allegations about Johnston. One woman, who is now aged 34, claimed she was indecently assaulted by Johnston on various occasions between January 1998 and January 2000. She gave a video-recorded statement to the PSNI in July 2018 when she alleged that she was touched indecently by Johnston. Mr McHugh said these instances of touching were indecent and done without consent. The third complainant, meanwhile, spoke to police in March 2018 and again in April of that year. Now aged 26, she claimed that between January 2004 and January 2016 she was targeted by Johnston on numerous occasions. She alleged that during that period she was both indecently assaulted and sexually assaulted by Johnston and was also forced to engage in sexual activity with him. Mr McHugh said that, following the allegations made by all three women, Johnston was interviewed by the PSNI in September 2018. He provided police with a pre-prepared statement, in which he denied the complainants claims, before giving a largely no comment response to questions put to him. The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has warned that dealing with the legacy of the past is critical to building a reconciled future. SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said he had been targeted after challenging young people over smashing a bus window (Liam McBurney/PA) Police have described graffiti targeting an SDLP MLA in Co Londonderry as unacceptable and said they are investigating. Mark H Durkan said that he believes he was targeted after confronting a group of youths after windows were smashed on a bus in Strathfoyle. The PSNI has confirmed they are investigating a number of incidents in the area, including criminal damage to property and vehicles. A spokesperson said on Saturday evening at around 8.10pm a bus that had broken down at the junction of Clonmeen Drive and Temple Road had a window smashed. Earlier, just before 8pm, police received reports of antisocial behaviour in Deramore Drive where a door was ripped off a derelict property. Shortly before 10pm on Sunday it was reported graffiti had been daubed on a bus shelter in Clonmeen Drive and on a nearby defibrillator unit. Chief Inspector Yvonne McManus said: These are all serious incidents which are having a distressing impact on local residents in Strathfoyle. We have been speaking with local residents in Strathfoyle, and we know this activity is not welcomed in the area, nor is it representative of those living in the community. We will continue with a visible presence in the area with our neighbourhood policing team officers on patrol and we will robustly investigate reports made to us, or that come to our attention. The actions of those involved could result in someone being seriously injured. It has to stop. She added: Some of this recent activity has been directed at a local political representative. It is unacceptable when those involved in our political process become the subject of abuse or threats. This will be thoroughly investigated and we will explore all lines of inquiry. The police service remains committed to doing everything we can to ensure our elected representatives can live and work free from harassment, intimidation or any other form of criminality. https://x.com/PSNIDCSDistrict/status/1706286290000306653?s=20 In a Facebook post, Mr Durkan posted a photograph of graffiti on a bus shelter which read Mark Durkan will be got alongside an image of a crosshair. He said: I strongly suspect this to be the handiwork of a group of young people in the area who I confronted last night after a Translink bus had three windows shattered in the estate. The same group have been responsible for a litany of destruction and intimidation for well over a year. They have the community terrorised. Valiant efforts have been made by various agencies and local groups to tackle this issue and, other than the odd, isolated improvement, the situation is probably worse now than ever as the kids have got bigger and bolder. He said it was the seventh time in just over a year that a bus in the area had windows smashed. Mr Durkan added: Last week, Id my windscreen cracked in an indiscriminate attack it could have been anyone driving along. Id say it would be a conservative enough estimate to say the cost to the public purse of this wave of destruction has been hundreds of thousands of pounds, never mind the cost to private citizens of repairing their property. What cant be measured is the damage it has done to people the fear and anxiety caused to many vulnerable people and families. This has to stop now. The community has to stand together and say: Enough is enough.' Police on scene of the burnt out car in Upper Galliagh Road. Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph. The burnt out car in Upper Galliagh Road. Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph. Police are investigating after a car was found burnt out in Londonderry. The vehicle was discovered in the vicinity of Upper Galliagh Road in the city in the early hours of Monday morning. The incident, which is being treated as arson, was reported shortly after midnight. The Belfast Telegraph understands the police helicopter was deployed and a large section of Whitehouse Retail Park was cordoned off. Read more Weather warning issued as Storm Agnes set to batter NI with gusts of up to 80mph A PSNI spokesperson said an investigation is ongoing. As part of these enquiries, police are also investigating a report this vehicle a blue-coloured Seat Toledo was damaged in an incident in the Buncrana Road area on Sunday night, 24 September, sometime after 11pm involving a number of males, they added. "Police are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area and saw any suspicious activity at around this time to get in touch. Anyone with information that may assist police enquiries is asked to call 101, quoting reference number 21 of 25/09/23. Chris Kaba, who was shot by police in September 2022. (INQUEST/PA) The PSNI has not received a request for assistance from the Metropolitan Police as it faces a revolt following one of its officers being charged with the murder of Chris Kaba. Armed officers from other forces across the UK are set to be drafted in to support the Metropolitan Police after scores of its officers stood down from firearms duties. Soldiers are on standby as a result of the incident. At this time, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has not received any request for Mutual Aid assistance from the Metropolitan Police, a PSNI spokesperson said. Read more Police officer who shot Chris Kaba charged with murder Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has welcomed a review into the situation by Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The move was also backed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who said armed officers need "clarity" about their legal powers. Sunak says armed police need clarity over powers after murder charge The Met Police said "a number of officers have taken the decision to step back from armed duties while they consider their position" and "that number has increased over the past 48 hours". "To ensure that we can continue to keep the public safe and respond to any eventualities, from Saturday evening Met firearms officers will be supported by a limited number of armed officers from other UK forces," the force added. A police marksman was charged with the murder of a 24-year-old Black man last year. The death of Kaba and the subsequent decision to charge the officer by the Crown Prosecution Service has led to questions being asked over protection for firearms officers. The suspect appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court last Thursday. At least six easyJet flights between Belfast and London Gatwick have been cancelled this evening (Monday) with more disruption expected across the week. The problems arrive as Gatwick Airport is limiting the number of journeys due to staff sickness and numbers in air traffic control. A daily 800-flight limit, affecting both departures and arrivals, has been imposed at the London airport from Monday and will run until Sunday. The cap has been imposed as 30% of Nats (National Air Traffic Services) tower staff are unavailable for a variety of medical reasons, including Covid. It means there will be about 29 fewer flights on Wednesday, 40 fewer on Thursday, 65 fewer on Friday and 30 fewer on Sunday. The daily cap is to prevent last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers, who are being told to check with their airlines about their flights. According to flight tracker website FlightRadar24, two arrivals and departures have been cancelled from Belfast International on Monday evening. One departure and arrival has been cancelled from Belfast City Airport. Two flights due to arrive to Belfast International at 8.05pm and 10pm have been cancelled, while two 6.30pm and 8.35pm flights that were due to fly to London have also been cancelled. An 8.50pm departure and 7.50pm arrival to Belfast City airport have been cancelled, but an arrival due to touch down at 8.50pm is still scheduled to land. An easyJet spokesperson said: "NATS air traffic control staffing shortages at Gatwick today has led to a significantly reduced flow rate being imposed on all airlines meaning flights to and from Gatwick Airport have been subject to disruption today and we have been asked not to operate some flights to and from Belfast. London Gatwicks chief executive Stewart Wingate said: This has been a difficult decision but the action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last-minute cancellations. We are working closely with Nats to build resilience in the control tower, and this decision means we can prevent as much disruptions as possible. London Gatwick would like to apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions. Nats apologised to passengers in a statement, but said that a variety of medical reasons means we cannot manage the number of flights that were originally planned for this week. It said: We have worked very closely with Gatwick airport throughout. Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport. Nats added: Our operational resilience in the tower will improve as our staff return to work and we move out of the summer schedule, which is particularly busy at Gatwick. We continue to train additional air traffic controllers and expect another group to qualify to work in the tower over coming months, ready for next summer. Even an experienced air traffic controller takes at least nine months to qualify at Gatwick and very few are able to do so, as Gatwick is such a busy and complex air traffic environment. Airlines were affected when about 1,500 flights due to serve airports across the UK were cancelled and many others were delayed on August 28, which was a bank holiday and one of the busiest days of the year for travel. An initial inquiry by Nats found the problem was caused by its system failing to process a flight plan correctly. Johan Lundgren, the chief executive of easyJet, said: While it is regrettable that a temporary limit on capacity at Gatwick Airport is required, we believe that it is the right action by the airport so on the day cancellations and delays can be avoided. Gatwick Airport and Nats now need to work on a longer-term plan so the resilience of ATC (air traffic control) at Gatwick is improved and fit for purpose. Our call for a more wide-ranging review of Nats remains so the broader issues can be examined so it can deliver robust services to passengers now and in the future. A spokesman for the airline, which apologised for any inconvenience which was outside its control, said that affected passengers would be contacted as soon as possible and may be able to rebook or get a refund. A shop worker has been left badly shaken following a terrifying armed robbery in north Belfast . It happened at around 8.30pm on Sunday when a man entered commercial premises on the Crumlin Road carrying a weapon. The suspect threatened a staff member with a knife and demanded money before fleeing the scene on foot with a sum of cash taken from two tills. PSNI Detective Sergeant Kitchen said: Officers who were in the area attempted to locate the man who made off across the Crumlin Road and into McCandless Street. He was wearing a blue jacket with light coloured trousers and dark trainers. "His hands were also concealed. Thankfully, the staff member was unharmed but left shaken by what was obviously a terrifying experience. Our investigation is now underway and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and has any information, CCTV or mobile footage, or who saw a man matching this description, to call police on 101, quoting reference number 1544 24/09/23. Pledge made to Dennis Hutchings honoured, says former Army captain A Government minister has said he fulfilled a promise to a dying friend by delivering the controversial Troubles Legacy Act. Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer spoke of his pride at the massive moment of the Bill passing into law last week. The former Army captain described as insane the claim that soldiers serving in Northern Ireland were bad people. He said it helped honour a pledge he made to Dennis Hutchings, who died while on trial in 2021 over a fatal Troubles-era shooting. Mr Hutchings, who was seriously ill, denied attempting to murder and cause grievous bodily harm to John Pat Cunningham in Co Tyrone in 1974. The widely-opposed Act includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the Troubles and prevents future legacy civil cases. Mr Mercer and Mr Hutchings became friends after the ex-soldiers prosecution came to public attention. Read more Archbishop Eamon Martin hits out at controversial legacy law The Tory MP told The Sunday Telegraph: I made a promise to veterans that I would never quit. I made a promise to Dennis. I remember when Dennis was alive, he genuinely felt no one in government really stood up for him. People are obviously annoyed that [the Act] came too late for Dennis. But I hope this brings comfort to those who have had their lives destroyed simply because they served this nation in Northern Ireland. Mr Mercer visited Belfast for the first time in April 2021 to lend support and to witness the trial of two soldiers who were accused of murdering Official IRA member Joe McCann in 1972. He said: I saw two men who had been completely abandoned by their nation. I did everything I could, Dennis was not the only one. "People have died well before their time. They have had struggles with alcohol and depression. "The casualty list for this current legacy process is long. And thats why I was determined to change it. "In my view, its really not that controversial to not allow abuses in the legal system to hound our veterans into their 80s. But clearly, for some it is and I respect that. Mr Mercer said that he recognises the criticism of the Act and has sympathy for the victims. It is difficult for the victims of terrorism but genuinely this is their best chance of finding out what happened to their loved ones because time is running out, he said. Mr Mercer urged people to cooperate with the new commission. The King and Queen will host the South Korean president at Buckingham Palace (Chris Jackson/PA) The president of South Korea is to pay a state visit to the UK in November after accepting an invitation from the King. Charles and the Queen will host Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee at Buckingham Palace. It will be the second incoming state visit of the Kings reign, after South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosas stay last autumn. President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea signing a book of condolence at Church House in London following the death of Queen Elizabeth II (David Parry/PA) Charles and Camilla have just returned from a busy state visit to France. Mr Yoon, 62, carried out a state visit to the US in April when he belted out a verse of one of his favourite songs, American Pie, at a White House dinner at the request of President Joe Biden. The South Korean leader, who has secured a landmark deal with the US to counter the North Korean nuclear threat, is unlikely to deliver a similar performance at the palace. The Princess of Wales, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, and the King and Queen during a state banquet last November (Aaron Chown/PA) State banquets in the royal residences grand ballroom are traditionally a sedate affair, with speeches, toasts and a sit down dinner for more than 160 guests, with a string orchestra usually providing the musical backdrop. The King and the South Korean president met previously at the reception for heads of state and official overseas guests at the palace on the eve of the late Queens funeral. Mr Yoons opponents accused him of being disrespectful during his trip to London after he missed the chance to view the late Queens coffin lying in state which he blamed on heavy traffic. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting Mr Yoon during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in May (Stefan Rousseau/PA) He was also caught on microphone swearing after a chat with Mr Biden at the UN general assembly the following week, with the footage going viral in his home country. Mr Yoon has warned fellow world leaders about possible co-operation between North Korea and Russia after North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The King sent his good wishes to the people of North Korea earlier this month to mark the countrys national day, but the Government insisted it was not a message of support for Mr Kim and his regime. The King has just undertaken a three-day state visit to France (Hannah McKay/PA) The King also expressed his condolences to the people of South Korea in 2022 after more than 150 people were killed in a crowd surge during Halloween festivities in Itaewon, Seoul, with the Prince and Princess of Wales also sending their love and prayers. Charles, as the Prince of Wales, was a key guest at a state banquet hosted by his mother for the then-South Korean leader Roh Moo-hyun in London in 2004. The King visited South Korea in November 1992. The then-Prince and Princess of Wales at a memorial outside Seoul, South Korea in 1992 (PA) He carried out the tour with his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, but the pair were branded The Glums for looking ill at ease together and a month later it was announced Charles and Diana were separating. Korea, China and Japan are set to hold a series of meetings in Seoul on Monday to discuss resuming the long-stalled summit of their leaders. The deputy director-general meetings come a day before high-level talks among Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won, Takehiro Funakoshi, Japan's senior deputy foreign minister, and Nong Rong, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs. Ahead of the three-way talks, Chung is set to hold separate bilateral talks with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts late Monday, according to sources, amid a push to resume a possible trilateral summit. Three-way summits among the three neighbors first held in December 2008 have been suspended since 2019 following a dispute between Korea and Japan over forced labor compensation rulings and the pandemic. Talks on the need to revive tripartite summit diplomacy have surfaced following a thaw in the frozen ties between Seoul and Tokyo since the launch of the current Korean administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol in May of last year. (Yonhap) Technology secretary Michelle Donelan said she hoped the summit would end with a treaty on the sage expansion of AI tech (Aaron Chown/PA) An agreement across nations on the safe use of artificial intelligence will be a key aim of the UKs AI Safety Summit, the Technology Secretary has said. Michelle Donelan said she hoped the summit in November would end with a treaty on the safe expansion of AI tech going forward. Speaking at Bletchley Park, the site for the summit, the Technology Secretary said the Government hoped to see attendees agree an understanding around a smoke alarm for AI risks as part of an AI treaty. I think what we will see coming out of the summit is definitely some sort of agreement across nations and some agreement with companies as well in terms of their approach to what we see as something that we call responsible capability scaling, she said. And what that means is basically that we need almost a smoke alarm established so that not only are companies searching for the risks, but they have a response to the risk and we know at what level that responded and how they respond. Thats the type of system that we need to be seeing across the board. The summit is a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks aim to establish a key role for Britain in harnessing and regulating the technology. It comes as the Government announced the key area of focus for the summit would be so-called frontier AI the latest, cutting-edge advances in the technology, including large language models (LLMs) such as programmes like ChatGPT. Michelle Donelan says that (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Within that, the summit will look at the misuse risks around AI, and loss of control risks. Ms Donelan said there were incredible opportunities around AI, but we can only really seize those opportunities if were gripping the risks. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly confirmed last week that China would be invited to the conference, despite ongoing tensions with Beijing. Relations with China have been strained by a series of security rows, including the arrest of a parliamentary researcher under the Official Secrets Act. Mr Cleverly said the Government cannot keep the UK public safe from the risks of AI if we exclude one of the leading nations in AI tech. Ms Donelan would not be drawn on whether China had yet accepted the UK Governments invitation and said the Government would not provide a running commentary on who was or wasnt coming to the summit. Yaroslav Hunka, right, received a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP) The Speaker of Canadas House of Commons Anthony Rota has issued an apology days after he drew attention to a man who fought in a military unit under the Nazis in the Second World War. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, received two standing ovations from Canadian MPs in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust. On Friday, speaker Anthony Rota introduced Mr Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP) The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit under Nazi command. The apology came in the wake of a statement from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies on Sunday which said Mr Hunka and his division was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable. The statement said: An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of the Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation. Shortly after the statement from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, Mr Rota issued one of his own to express regret after honouring the elderly man after discovering more of his history. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raises a fist in acknowledgement of Nazi soldier Yaroslav Hunka (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP) Mr Rota said: In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus office also issued a statement on the issue, that stated Mr Rota had apologised and accepted full responsibility for issuing the invitation to Mr Hunka. It also said Mr Rota accepted responsibility for the Nazi soldiers invitation to parliament. The statement said: This was the right thing to do. No advance notice was provided to the Prime Ministers Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition. Canadian parliamentarians cheered while Mr Zelensky raised his fist to acknowledge Mr Hunka in Canadas parliament on Friday. Mr Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations. Wreaths at the memorial wall of the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen in Germany (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Mr Rota then called him a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero and thanked him for his military service. The Ukrainian president was in Ottawa to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraines war against the Russian invasion. Kosovo on Monday observed a day of mourning for the Kosovar Albanian police officer killed by Serb gunmen in the north of the country, in one of the worst confrontations since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. About 30 masked men in combat uniforms opened fire on a police patrol near the village of Banjska in the early hours of Sunday, killing one officer and injuring another. They then fled to a nearby Serbian Orthodox monastery, breaking down the gates with an armoured personnel carrier before barricading themselves in with priests and visiting pilgrims. The stand-off ended when most of the attackers escaped on foot under cover of darkness on Sunday. Three of the gunmen were shot and killed by police. The clash raised tensions at a time when Serbia and Kosovo have been seeking to normalise ties. Kosovo police display seized weapons and military equipment (Visar Kryeziu/AP) In February the wartime foes agreed a 10-point plan intended to bring them closer to EU membership, but implementation has faltered. Flags were at half-mast on all public buildings in the capital Pristina on Monday to mourn the dead officer, Afrim Bunjaku. In northern Kosovo, where most of the ethnic Serb minority lives in four municipalities around Mitrovica, police searched for the gunmen who had escaped. It is not clear who the attackers are, nor who is supporting them. Pristina accuses Belgrade of backing the terrorists, an accusation Serbia denies, saying they are Serbs from Kosovo protesting against the government there. Three of the attackers were killed and two injured in the shoot-out as the stand-off ended. Another Kosovar police officer was injured in the confrontation. Two of the gunmen and four Serbs discovered nearby with communication equipment were arrested and are under investigation for terrorist acts. Police showed journalists the arsenal of weaponry they had seized at the monastery, including 24 vehicles and an armoured personal carrier, weapons, mines and grenades, missile launchers and a lot of ammunition. Kosovos interior minister Xhelal Svecla called on Serbia to hand over six injured gunmen who are being treated at a hospital in Novi Pazar, the closest city across the border. The minister said they had identified at least five of the attackers as members of the ethnic Serb Civil Protection organisation, one of two groups which Pristina has declared illegal. Kosovo police man a checkpoint near Banjska Monastery (Visar Kryeziu/AP) Based on evidence, the minister said it was very possible that Milan Radoicic, a leader of the Srpska List party and closely associated with Serbias president, was part of the group. Mr Radoicic is banned from entering the US and the UK. Its a terrorist, criminal, professional unit that had planned and prepared what they did and who are not a smuggling band but a mercenary structure which is politically, financially and logistically supported by official Belgrade, said prime minister Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the gunmen were local Kosovo Serbs who no longer want to stand Kurtis terror. He condemned the killing of the Kosovo policeman, but said the clash was the result of brutal pressure on Kosovo Serbs by the government there. He denied any involvement by Belgrade. Mr Vucic also blasted the West and its hypocrisy over Kosovo. You can kill us all. Serbia will never recognise the independence of Kosovo, that monster creation that you made by bombing Serbia, Mr Vucic said, referring to the 1999 Nato intervention which led to Kosovo separating from Serbia. Serbia and Kosovo, its former province, have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refused to recognise the move. Matteo Messina Denaro, the convicted mastermind of some of the Sicilian mafias most heinous slayings, is dead. It comes only months after Italys number one fugitive was caught following decades on the run. Reporting from LAquila hospital in central Italy, Rai state radio said police officers guarding Messina Denaros hospital room moved to the morgue after the don died at about 2am on Monday. Doctors said the mobster had been in a coma since Friday. Messina Denaro, centre, being escorted from a police station shortly after his arrest (Carabinieri/AP) A brief statement about his death from the LAquila prosecutors office said it and prosecutors in Palermo, Sicily, are requesting a post-mortem examination, even though it was well known Messina Denaro had been poorly. Burial is expected to take place later in the week in Sicily, Italian media said. Reputed by investigators to be one of the mafias most powerful bosses, Messina Denaro, 61, had mainly been hiding out in western Sicily, his stronghold, during his 30 years on the run, thanks to the help of locals. His need for colon cancer treatment led to his capture on January 16 2023. Investigators were on his trail for years and discovered evidence he was receiving chemotherapy under an alias as an out-patient at a Palermo clinic. Digging into Italys national health system data base, they tracked him down and took him into custody when he showed up for an appointment. His arrest came 30 years and a day after the January 15 1993 capture of the mafias boss of bosses Salvatore Toto Riina in a Palermo apartment, also after decades in hiding. Messina Denaro went into hiding later that year. While a fugitive, he was tried in absentia and convicted of dozens of murders, including helping to plan, along with other Cosa Nostra bosses, a pair of 1992 bombings which killed Italys leading anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Prosecutors had hoped in vain he would collaborate with them and reveal Cosa Nostra secrets. But according to Italian media reports, Messina Denaro made it clear immediately after his capture he would not talk. A woman displays a photograph showing top anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone, left, and Paolo Borsellino (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse/AP) When he died, he took with him his secrets about Cosa Nostra, state radio said. After his arrest, Messina Denaro began serving multiple life sentences in a top-security prison in LAquila, a city in Italys central Apennine mountain area, where he continued to receive chemotherapy. But in his last weeks, after having two surgeries and with his condition worsening, he was transferred to the prison ward of the hospital where he died. His silence hewed to the examples of Riina and of the Sicilian Mafias other top boss, Bernardo Provenzano, who was caught in a farmhouse in Corleone, Sicily, in 2006, after 37 years in hiding the longest time on the run for a mafia boss. Once Provenzano was in police hands, the states hunt focused on Messina Denaro, who managed to elude arrest despite numerous reported sightings. Dozens of lower-level mafia bosses and foot soldiers did turn states evidence following a crackdown on the Sicilian syndicate sparked by the assassinations of Falcone and Borsellino in bombings which also killed Falcones wife and several police bodyguards. An Italian police officer looks at graffiti, on the perimeter wall of Palermos citys cathedral, portraying Messina Denaro (Alessandro Fucarini/AP) Among Messina Denaros multiple murder convictions was one for the slaying of the young son of a turncoat. The boy was kidnapped and strangled and his body was dissolved in a vat of acid. Messina Denaro was also among several Cosa Nostra top bosses convicted of ordering a series of bombings in 1993 which targeted two churches in Rome, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and an art gallery in Milan. A total of 10 people were killed in the Florence and Milan bombings. The attacks in those three tourist cities, according to turncoats, were aimed at pressuring the Italian government into easing rigid prison conditions for convicted mobsters. When Messina Denaro was arrested, Palermos chief prosecutor, Maurizio De Lucia, said: We have captured the last of the massacre masterminds. The Hong Kong Journalists Associations chairman Ronson Chan speaks to reporters outside court in Hong Kong on Monday (Kanis Leung/AP) The chairman of Hong Kongs leading journalist group has received a five-day jail term after being found guilty of obstructing a police officer. The case has sparked concerns about the citys declining press freedom. Ronson Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and a journalist at online news outlet Channel C, was arrested last September while on his way to a reporting assignment. He was accused of refusing to show the plainclothes officer his identity card upon request. Chans arrest fuelled concerns about the erosion of media freedom in Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a national security law to crush dissent following the citys massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. The former British colony was promised it could keep its western-style civil liberties for 50 years when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Magistrate Leung Ka-kie on Monday ruled that Chan had deliberately obstructed the officer from carrying out her duty and failed to take out his identity card in a timely manner. He kept asking the officer questions recklessly, she said. Ms Leung sentenced him to five days in prison but later granted him bail pending an appeal. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Chan said his case could affect Hong Kongs image but he hopes every journalist will stand firm in their jobs. Everyone sees how the court views the case. I think justice lies in peoples hearts, he said. Chan, right, speaks to reporters outside court (Alice Fung/AP) In the crackdown following the 2019 protests, two vocal media outlets Apple Daily and Stand News have been forced to shut down and some of their top managers have been prosecuted. Two former top editors at Stand News, where Chan used to work, were tried for sedition. A verdict is scheduled for November. Pro-Beijing media outlets have attacked the association and Chan, calling the professional group an anti-China political tool. Hong Kong, once seen as a bastion of media freedom in Asia, ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders latest World Press Freedom Index. The organiastion said the city saw an unprecedented setback in 2020, when the security law was imposed. Beijing and Hong Kong authorities said the law helped bring stability back to the city following the anti-government protests in 2019. A Chinese coastguard ship tries to block the way of a Philippine supply boat, left, as it heads towards Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in August (Aaron Favila/AP) Philippine officials have vowed to remove a floating barrier placed by Chinas coastguard to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering a disputed lagoon in the South China Sea. They said the 980-foot-long barrier at the entrance to the lagoon at Scarborough Shoal is illegal and illegitimate. Chinese coastguard vessels laid the barrier, held up by buoys, on Friday as a Philippine government fisheries vessel approached. More than 50 Philippine fishing boats were outside the shoal at the time, the Philippine coastguard said. We condemn the installation of floating barriers by the Chinese coastguard, Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano said. Protesters display placards and shout slogans in a protest against China over its coastguards alleged seizure of fish caught by Filipino fishermen near the contested Scarborough Shoal in 2018 (Bullit Marquez/AP) The placement by the Peoples Republic of China of a barrier violates the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen. Mr Ano said in a statement that the Philippines will take all appropriate actions to cause the removal of the barriers and to protect the rights of our fishermen in the area. He did not elaborate. It is the latest flare-up in long-simmering territorial disputes in the busy and resource-rich waterway, most of which is claimed by China. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are involved with China in the conflicts, which have long been regarded as a potential Asian flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the US-China rivalry in the region. Washington lays no claim to the sea passageway, a major global trade route, but US navy ships and fighter jets have carried out patrols for decades to challenge Chinas expansive claims and promote freedom of navigation and overflight. China has told the US to stop meddling in what it says is a purely Asian dispute. The Chinese barrier denies Filipinos access to the rich fishing lagoon surrounded by underwater coral outcrops, Philippine coastguard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said. He said Chinas coastguard installs the removable barrier when Philippine fishing boats show up in large numbers near the shoal. Its an illegal and illegitimate action coming from the Peoples Republic of China, Commodore Tarriela told reporters. Definitely it affects our food security. (Alamy/PA) A Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship, which anchored off Scarborough on Friday, and at least 54 Filipino fishing boats were ordered by four Chinese coastguard ships by radio to leave the territory, saying the Filipinos were breaching Chinese and international law. The Philippine fisheries ship insisted in its radio response that it was on a routine patrol in Philippine waters, Commodore Tarriela said. The Philippines says Scarborough Shoal lies within its exclusive economic zone, a 200-nautical mile stretch of water where coastal states have exclusive rights to fish and other resources. Those rights were upheld by a 2016 arbitration decision set up under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Mr Ano said. China refused to participate in the arbitration sought by the Philippines in 2013, a year after a tense standoff between Chinese and Philippine ships at Scarborough. Beijing refused to recognise the 2016 arbitration ruling and continues to defy it. The 2012 standoff ended with Chinese ships seizing and surrounding the atoll. Chinese coastguard ships have also blocked Philippine government vessels delivering supplies and personnel to Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, resulting in near-collisions the Philippine government has condemned and protested. Washington has said it is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under attack, including in the South China Sea. A few weeks ago, hundreds of businesspeople gathered in Belfast for a trade summit. They included potential investors from the US, Europe and the Middle East, and the conference was hosted by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris. Shutterstock.com Making the sign of the cross seems like such a simple action. It takes less than a minute to complete. And, as Catholics, we do it so often that its all too easy to take it for granted and do it without giving it much thought. But, in reality, it is the simple things that have the greatest impact on our lives. Its also those simple things that can either empower us or weaken us as we deal with the more complex things in life. The former is true of the sign of the cross. In September 1984, Saint John Paul II gave a homily to Canadian Catholics. To honor the solemn celebration for the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross of Christ, he spoke about what the cross means to all of us. The Cross contains in itself the mystery of salvation, because, in the Cross, Love is lifted up, the then holy pontiff said to the crowd. This is the lifting up of Love to the supreme point in the history of the world: in the Cross Love is lifted up and the Cross is at the same time lifted up through Love. And from the height of the Cross, love comes down to us. Whenever we make the sign of the cross, we testify to the salvation found in that love. But there are many things that most of us dont know about this sacramental. Here are just seven facets of the sign of the cross that you may not be aware of. 1. It has been important since the early church. The sign of the cross has been made before and after praying and at the beginning and at the end of Mass since the early years of the Church. Not only that, but in the 4th Century, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem reiterated what the early Church fathers including Terullian had said about the importance of making the sign of the cross in all things, even in those parts of our daily lives that seem mundane. In his Catechetical Lectures, the saint powerfully wrote about how vital it is to purposefully make the sign of the cross every day. He wrote Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in our goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are traveling, and when we are at rest." 2. Originally the sign of the cross was made from right to left. Around the 400s, a formal way of making the sign of the cross was instituted. But while it is still the way that Eastern Rites and Orthodox Catholics follow, it is different from the gesture that Catholics in the Western Church use to make the sign. Through around the 1100s, the sign was made with the thumb and fingers held together in a specific manner that symbolized two incredibly important aspects of our faith. It steadfastly affirmed our belief in the Holy Trinity, which also refuted heretics belief that Jesus wasnt both God and man. And the positions of the thumb, forefinger and middle finger represented the Greek abbreviation IXC (Iesus Christus Soter, Jesus Christ Savior). And it was made from the right shoulder to the left shoulder. Around the beginning of the 1200s, Pope Innocent III explained why. He said This is how it is done: from above to below, and from the right to the left, because Christ descended from the heavens to the earth, and from the Jews (right) He passed to the Gentiles (left). 3. It's now made from left to right. From around the beginning of the 1200s onward, the formal way of making the sign of the cross changed for Catholics in the Western Church. Even though making the sign reminds us that Jesus is our Savior, we no longer hold our fingers and thumb in a specific way to form the Greek abbreviation IXC (Iesus Christus Soter, Jesus Christ Savior). Instead, we now use our open hands to make the sign, since we are blessing ourselves (mind, body and soul). And although our hands are open, we still affirm our belief in the Holy Trinity when we say In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The other distinctive difference for Catholics in the Western Church is that we now make the sign from left to right. Pope Innocent III also documented how this change occurred due to priests beginning the tradition and what it symbolizes. He wrote Others, however, make the sign of the cross from the left to the right, because from misery (left) we must cross over to glory (right), just as Christ crossed over from death to life, and from Hades to Paradise. [Some priests] do it this way so that they and the people will be signing themselves in the same way. You can easily verify this picture the priest facing the people for the blessing when we make the sign of the cross over the people, it is from left to right...." 4. The sign of the cross is made with purpose. Despite the fact that Western Church Catholics make the sign in a different way than the Catholics in the Eastern Rites and Orthodox Churches, we should be united in the sanctity of the action. We should allow the holy action to deepen our commitment to our faith. We should also offer our love and gratitude to the Holy Trinity when we make the sign of the cross. In 2016, Reverend William Saunders wrote about the sign of the cross in the Arlington Catholic Herald. No matter how one technically makes the sign of the cross, the gesture should be made consciously and devoutly, Rev. Saunders wrote. The individual must be mindful of the Holy Trinity, that central dogma that makes Christians Christians. Also, the individual must remember that the cross is the sign of our salvation: Jesus Christ, true God who became true man, offered the perfect sacrifice for our redemption from sin on the altar of the cross. This simple yet profound act makes each person mindful of the great love of God for us, a love that is stronger than death and promises everlasting life. The sign of the cross should be made with purpose and precision, not hastily or carelessly. 5. It prepares us for the Mysteries of Faith. In 2008, during the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the many pilgrims who had travelled to the holy place where Blessed Mother had first appeared to Saint Bernadette. In his homily, he spoke of how the sign of the cross was an important part of the life-changing apparitions. This is the great mystery that Mary also entrusts to us this morning, inviting us to turn towards her Son, Pope Benedict XVI said. In fact, it is significant that, during the first apparition to Bernadette, Mary begins the encounter with the sign of the Cross. More than a simple sign, it is an initiation into the mysteries of the faith that Bernadette receives from Mary. The sign of the Cross is a kind of synthesis of our faith, for it tells how much God loves us; it tells us that there is a love in this world that is stronger than death, stronger than our weaknesses and sins. The power of love is stronger than the evil which threatens us. It is this mystery of the universality of Gods love for men that Mary came to reveal here, in Lourdes. 6. The sign of the cross is connected to our baptism. For those of us who were born and raised in the Catholic faith, one of the first times we encountered the sign of the cross was during one of the most important events in our lives. We experienced the blessing when we received the holy sacrament of Baptism. At the beginning of the Baptism ceremony, the sign of the cross is made on our heads and close to our hearts. It signifies that we will belong to Christ. It also is a sign of the grace of redemption that Jesus gave us when He gave His life to redeem us. Then, as children and adults, we are reminded of our Baptism through the sign. In most Catholic churches, Baptismal fonts filled with holy water are located near the churchs entrances. When we make the sign of the cross using the holy water, after entering the church, we once again make a commitment to Jesus in a special way. And we prepare ourselves to worship God. Later, when we make the sign of the cross before exiting the church, we prepare ourselves to take the Word of God and the Holy Eucharist that we received out into the world. 7. It prepares us for the Word of God. While we make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Mass and at the conclusion of the Mass, we also make it before and after we pray after receiving the Holy Eucharist. Additionally, we are asked to make the sign of the cross in a completely different way before the bishop, priest or deacon reads from the Gospel. At that part of the Mass, each person is expected to use his thumb and forefinger to form a little cross. Then, we must use those little crosses to trace tiny crosses on our foreheads, lips and hearts. Making the sign of the cross in this way is actually an unspoken prayer. With it, we are asking God to permanently engrave the message of the Gospel on our minds, our lips and our hearts. Its a beautiful way of asking God to enlighten and sanctify our thoughts, our words and our souls with the Word of God, so that we may live holy lives that are pleasing to God. Although making the sign of the cross is a simple action, it is also a profound one that can empower us by strengthening our faith. Its wonderful to reflect on several different aspects of this sacramental. But, above all, we honor the Holy Trinity and renew our commitment to our faith when we remember the infinite, miraculous sacrificial love present in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit lifted up and pouring down from the Cross. Christine Galeone is a freelance writer who writes regularly for Beliefnet, The Catholic Free Press, Community Advocate and the Telegram & Gazette. She also writes screenplays. By Bereket Alemayehu Saleh Elrantisi, a 26-year-old Palestinian with a bachelors degree in business administration, moved to Korea in 2022 to escape war in his homeland. While suffering with memories of Palestine, he continues struggling with the refugee application process in Korea. So far, my experience in Korea has been very positive, he told The Korea Times. Korea made me feel like I am in a safe place, far from war and killing, and I therefore hope to live here until Palestine is liberated from occupation, and then I shall return to living in my country peacefully. But even though he was able to share paperwork from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) about his status, he has had to fight to stay in Korea. It was a shock to me when I understood that the Korean government didnt recognize me as a refugee immediately, even though I submitted official documents from the UNRWA proving that I had an asylum number, he said. "Unfortunately, I am not being dealt with as a refugee, but rather I have to apply as a new applicant for refugee status in Korea, and that was not a relief at all because the application process for refugee recognition takes a long time, and this makes me psychologically exhausted. Choi Ji-won, a Ph.D. student of sociology at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, who has assisted Elrantisi with language translation, said the narrative illustrates the need fo Korea to reevaluate the refugee application process. Even though he had submitted official documents from UNRWA confirming his status as a refugee in Gaza Strip, obstacles persist," said Choi. While assisting him as a translator, I could sense his deep desire to convey the perilous situation in Palestine to Koreans, despite the emotional toll it took to relive those memories repeatedly. Saleh's willingness to recount painful memories highlights his commitment to shedding light on the issues facing Palestine, with the hope that Koreans might comprehend the tragic reality. I hope this serves as a catalyst for greater international attention. Elrantisi says he was born a refugee, as his grandfather had been forced to leave his home in Yibna village near Tel Aviv in 1948, relocated to Gaza. Elrantisi worked as a volunteer for three years for Initiative of Changes Palestine (IofC). In addition, he was an activist in the Great March of Return, in which thousands of Palestinians in Gaza protested at the eastern borders of the besieged enclave to demand their right of return as refugees to their original homelands, now in present-day Israel. The residents of the Gaza Strip suffer from a very stifling siege that affects all aspects of life, he said. Gaza is exposed to repeated wars in which thousands of civilians are killed and hundreds of homes are destroyed; the last one was in 2021, which prompted me to escape from hell and try to find a good place to continue my life. Coming to Korea He spoke of the difficulties securing permission to leave Gaza for Korea. Since Gaza is under siege, there is no direct mail from Korea to Palestine, which made obtaining some documents from Korea very complicated. In addition, there is no office for the Korean Embassy in Gaza. Therefore, I had to send the papers via mail to the representative office in Ramallah, which took a lot of time and effort, since I do not have the right to move within Palestine due to the siege, he said. After he obtained his visa, he still had difficulties leaving, as there were no airports or seaports accessible to him. He had to exit Gaza by crossing into Egypt at the border city of Rafah. My journey to come to Korea was like a miracle, as the obstacles were big and hard, he said. There is no doubt that coming to Korea was a dream and a hope for survival, but the dream was certainly not complete because I left my family there in Gaza suffering and exposed to the danger of war. War continues to be a fact of life in the Gaza Strip, and Elrantisi himself has lived through four periods of war, which he says has left him with trauma and psychological effects that are difficult to treat. I succeeded in escaping from the Gaza Strip, but I did not succeed in escaping my painful memories, he said. I remember how the 2008 war began while I was taking the English language test in primary school. I remember how terror spread in the faces of my fellow students and chaos reigned among us. How can I forget the child who was sniped by the Israeli soldier during the Great March of Return on the Gaza Strip border, and his foot was cut off? How can I forget my grandfathers longing to return to his home from which he was forcibly abandoned? How can I forget the shaking of the houses while Israeli war planes dropped bombs on the areas adjacent to my house? How can I forget my younger sisters' fear of bombing? Spreading the word Now that he is safely in Korea, he takes every opportunity to share information about his homeland, giving talks about Palestinian life and culture, presenting Palestinian food and performing Dabke dance. As it was in the past that the Korean people suffered from the Japanese occupation and their long-sought independence struggles, Palestinians are now suffering from the Israeli occupation. Therefore, I believe that we must fight injustice in all places and in all forms to stand in solidarity, he said. Although the Palestinian people suffer from major economic problems that affect all aspects of life, awareness of their rights and support in regaining their stolen land is what they need the most. He noted that most Koreans lack information about Palestinian issues, and urged more Korea-based organizations to get involved. One such group he mentioned is Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Korea, formerly known as Palestine Peace and Solidarity in South Korea, a Palestinian-led movement based here. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity. It is making great efforts to advocate for the Palestinian cause, raising awareness of Palestinian rights and organizing various boycott campaigns against the Israeli occupation, he said. These and other efforts are a ray of hope for us as Palestinians, that the language of freedom and humanity is a common language among all the peoples of the world, and we can feel what others feel despite the geographical and cultural distance. We must remember that refugees yearn not only for economic stability but also for the freedom to live and speak without constraint, Choi said. It is easy to perceive refugees solely through an economic lens, but by delving into their genuine motivations for migration, we open avenues for discussions encompassing politics, gender, race and culture. Elrantisi is grateful to be in Korea and hopes he can stay here as long as necessary, but he said said his yearning for his homeland to be liberated is greater. Although I am seeking asylum in South Korea, he said, my dream will not be complete unless I Palestine is liberated and I can live in safety and peace in my stolen homeland. Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative, and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency. Visit photopatternist.com for more information. A Thai pro-democracy protester holds up the three-finger salute during a protest after Pheu Thai held a press conference announcing that the Move Forward Party (MFP) will no longer be part of the eight-party coalition at Pheu Thai Party's headquarters in Bangkok on Aug. 2, 2023. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center, ostensibly about the opinions of Buddhists and Muslims in South and Southeast Asia, offered a disheartening read to those of us who cherish free speech. But the study also highlighted that it is wrong to think the only enemies of free speech are the regions authoritarian governments. The pollsters asked respondents from four Southeast Asian states to choose between two statements: People should be allowed to speak their opinions publicly even if they upset other people, or harmony with others is more important than the right to speak ones opinion. Around two-thirds of respondents 69% in Cambodia, 67% in Indonesia, and 64% in Singapore chose harmony over free speech. Interestingly, 59% of Thais chose the opposite. Its more straightforward, though not easy, to pick a fight with governments for their repression of free speech, as it is to argue against the common claims that free speech is an illusion or that democracies are just as censorious as authoritarian states. Whats harder to comprehend, and more dangerous not to rebut, is the proposition that freedom of speech is undesirable and honesty is a species of antisocial behavior. But that is what one confronts in Southeast Asia, vide the Pew survey. A Thai man prays in the rain during an all-religion prayer meeting for peace and harmony at the Lumpini park, in Bangkok in 2010. Thousands of residents gathered at dawn to pray for peace at sites across the Thai capital where people were killed and high rise buildings torched in two months of political violence. [Manish Swarup/AP] I say its harder because one must realize that it is not just your governments who want to silence you; its also your neighbors. None of this is palatable. Its far easier to think that all tyranny stems from way up high, in part because one has to get on in society with people who think differently and, also, because it provides a convenient excuse for inactivity. However, this isnt a new realization. In 2015, Pew conducted a global survey on people's attitudes towards free speech. Only 29% of Indonesians, for example, thought that people should say what they want without censorship and just 21% reckoned that internet use without censorship is important. What point is there in free speech if one is only allowed to say something uncontroversial or what everyone else already (appears) to think? Thats not free speech; thats repetition. And repetition doesnt change peoples opinions nor educate. Why not stick to what you thought at sixteen years old and never change your mind? But in order to be allowed to question your established ideas, to educate yourself, you have to be presented with uncomfortable information in an uncomforting way few people relish being told theyre wrong and that they have been wrong for years. I say allowed because that is at the core of free speech. It is often assumed that the true victim of censorship is the person engaged in speaking. They are victims, but so, too, is everyone else. If your thoughts are censored, then I am not able to hear them. If my thoughts are censored, you are not allowed to hear my opinions and judge them against your own. As such, censorship makes each person a prisoner of their own thoughts and makes society barren silos. Enforcing the will of the majority I am not singling Southeast Asia out unfairly.The desire for freedom from speech is universal. Indeed, the want for a quiet life, to be protected from discomforting truths, is as much in the Western consciousness, and increasingly so. It is the defining ethos of totalitarianism a Western concept and of almost all religions. Isnt the founding tenet of Christianity, Judaism and Islam that Adam was wicked for giving up the harmony of Eden for a free life, and that all us apparent descents are still being punished for that crime? It is often said that censorship is grounded in the need to protect minorities. That, at least, is how social harmony is often defined in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; multiethnic countries with political systems that fracture on racial or religious lines. However, time and time again what one finds in practice is that censorship is used to enforce the will of the majority over the minority. Worse, what this becomes is the assertion that harmony can only be protected by prosecuting the minority so that the majority does not engage in violence. Malaysia's then-police chief Khalid Abu Bakar warns journalists Don't do anything or publish drawings or writing that can cause exasperation in the community, Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 22, 2017. [Alexandra Radu/AP file photo] There are numerous examples of this. But to take a lesser-known one: In early 2017, a small Chinese-language daily newspaper in Malaysia ran a caricature of the president of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) that was deemed by some to be anti-Islamic. Shortly after the cartoon went public, admittedly to the newspaper's small readership of mainly ethnic-Chinese, a PAS state commissioner warned the newspaper not to forget what happened to the journalists of Charlie Hebdo, when 12 journalists were murdered at the French newspaper's Paris offices two years earlier. If you remember last time, there was a French newspaper that published a caricature that angered the whole Muslim world, said Muhammad Fauzi Yusof, adding that the newspaper would be responsible for the devastating consequences. Then-police chief Khalid Abu Bakar waded into the debate. Don't do anything or publish drawings or writing that can cause exasperation in the community. We have to be careful with these things, he instructed newspapers and journalists. What do we make of this? Obviously, it was not the Chinese-language newspaper, representing a minority, that threatened violence but the politician, from the majority, who told journalists that they could be assassinated en masse. And what about the police chief? He didn't arrest the politician for a threatening speech that suggested mass murder. Instead he told journalists to refrain from angering others, who happen to be the majority in Malaysia. So who was being protected? Quite clearly the person who was threatening violence. Protecting the one that makes the threat In Cambodia, the ruling party has for decades told the public quite explicitly that if it falls from power, the country would descend quickly back into the barbarism and anarchy of the 1970s Khmer Rouge days. Note that those wishing to unseat the Cambodian Peoples Party want to do so by peaceful and democratic means. Nonetheless, the ruling partys warning is actually a threat. If we, it says, lose power by the ballot, we will be the ones who will bring violence upon the country. How much this is accepted by the public is questionable, although the harmony that Cambodian respondents referred to in the Pew survey must presumably have included this. Another inescapable fact is that the subjects that are taboo and off-limits in Southeast Asia, those cloaked in the need for harmony, tend to be matters that are of the utmost importance. The role of Thailands monarchy, the apparent bastion of Thai-ness, for instance. Indonesians and Malaysians are far more likely to oppose speech that is deemed offensive towards religious beliefs than many other nationalities, such as Filipinos and the Vietnamese, according to Pews 2015 survey. Cambodian People's Party supporters rally in Phnom Penh, July 21, 2023. The ruling party, it had warned that the country would descend back into the barbarism and anarchy of the Khmer Rouge days if it was not in power. [Heng Sinith/AP] On the other hand, fewer Vietnamese (61%) think that people should be able to make public comments that criticize a governments policies than Indonesians (73%) or Malaysians (63%). Of course this is top-down, yet it also speaks to the fact that many people in those countries subscribe perhaps unconsciously to the same principle that these subjects ought to be off-limits and, indeed, are threats to harmony. After all, governments make laws, and authoritarian governments make harsh laws. But whether they are enforced, and how the police behave, depends on the general mood in the country. In Cambodia and Vietnam it is illegal to park on most pavements, but because everyone has done this for decades and no-one really kicks up a fuss, the police rarely enforce it. If large enough numbers of people were interested in freedom of speech, there would be more freedom of speech, even if the law forbids it. However, its much simpler to assume the only problem is the autocrats. David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and a Southeast Asia columnist at The Diplomat. As a journalist, he has covered Southeast Asian politics since 2014. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of Radio Free Asia, a news site affiliated with BenarNews. Kuala Lumpur is working to bring home two Malaysian suspects in the 2002 Bali bombings who have been detained at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay for 17 years, the home minister said Monday after a trip to New York last week. In a Facebook post that has since been removed, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he had discussed the matter while in New York with Tina Kaidanow, the U.S. special representative for Guantanamo affairs. He said he had traveled to the prison, located in Cuba, but did not say when. I have met with two Malaysians detained there. Their story really touched me. Its a downward spiral about life, about repentance, about the chance to be a better person, Saifuddin said. With Gods grace, we will try to expedite the process for them to return to Malaysia. The home minister did not reply to BenarNews request for comment about why the social media post was removed about nine hours after it went live. Saifuddin and Inspector General of Police Razarudin Husain were part of the Malaysian delegation led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Contacted by BenarNews, Razarudin deferred to the home minister. Malaysians Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep, along with Indonesian Encep Nurjaman, also known as Hambali, were expected to face trial in a U.S. military court for their alleged roles in bombings in Bali and Jakarta in 2002 and 2003 that killed hundreds of people. Following their arrests in Thailand in 2003, the three were sent to secret CIA prisons, so-called black sites, before being moved to Guantanamo in 2006. A U.S. Senate report released in 2014 found that each was tortured during his time in the black sites. A court document filed by the lead prosecutor in August indicated that bin Amin would no longer be tried along with the other two defendants. Bin Amins lead attorney, Christine Funk, declined to comment when asked by BenarNews about the significance of the move and whether it might pave the way for his departure from Guantanamo. Bin Leps lawyer, Brian Bouffard, could not be reached for comment. But Nurjamans attorney, James Hodes, said he expected bin Leps case would also be severed from his clients. Thats merely my understanding, he told BenarNews on Monday, while adding he did not know for sure. Hodes said he did not expect either Malaysian defendant to attend the next sessions, scheduled for Oct. 16 to 27 on the court calendar. A court administrator told BenarNews the sessions would likely be cut to one week.. Hodes said Hambali was happy on the one hand that it appeared his co-defendants could be returning to Malaysia. Hes hoping that will be the end result for him as well, Hodes said. Ready to take them The three Southeast Asians appeared in court for the first time in 2021 for a two-day arraignment hearing, but there has been little progress since then, largely due to defense attorneys concerns over poor translation services, and a lack of evidence provided to them. On Monday, counter terrorism analyst Ahmad El-Muhammady of the International Islamic University of Malaysia told BenarNews that he believed the Malaysian government was working on a potential deal for the return of both bin Amin and bin Lep. This is the way forward and to meet the humanitarian rights perspective. They have been under detention for 20 years, he told BenarNews. Ahmad, who is an adviser to the Royal Malaysian Police on terrorist rehabilitation programs, said both would need to undergo psychological and ideological assessment should they return home. But their return will be a lowkey affair due to the sensitivity of the issue. They also need to be put under rehabilitation programs like the former IS fighters and family who we brought home, he said. Mohd Mizan Mohammad Aslam, security analyst at the National Defense University of Malaysia, said he would love for bin Amin and bin Lep to be repatriated. Let our judiciary system do its best for them. I believe our government is ready to take them and give them an opportunity to come back to our country because they are our people. If they already agree to any kind of consequences, that would be good for them, he told BenarNews. They might spend another few years in detention and then be released back into society. In the past, when former Islamic State fighters or their family members returned home, they were sent to prison or required to undergo rehabilitation and deradicalization programs, he said. Some had to wear electronic monitoring devices on their ankles for up to two years. Iman Muttaqin Yusof in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Updated at 11:27 p.m. ET on 2023-09-25 President Joe Biden called on Congress to approve an additional U.S. $200 million of assistance for Pacific island nations, the latest move in his administrations push to counter Chinese influence in a region crucial to U.S. defense. A slew of U.S. initiatives, largely conditional on Congressional approval, were announced Monday at the second U.S.-Pacific islands leaders summit in Washington in a year. The largest items were U.S. $64 million of development aid and U.S. $40 million for infrastructure. The summit, which brought together 16 Pacific island nations as well as Australia and New Zealand, was not attended by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has pulled his country close to China since severing ties with Taiwan in 2019. Three days before the summit, Sogavare praised Chinas infrastructure projects in the Solomon Islands in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The U.S. should focus on coordinating its activities in the Pacific with established partners such as Australia, especially in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, said Mihai Sora, a Pacific analyst at the Lowy Institute, a think tank in Canberra, Australia. The U.S. embassy in [Solomon Islands capital] Honiara appears to be making very little headway on its own with Prime Minister Sogavare, who time and again demonstrates his intent to privilege his relations with China, said Sora, a former Australian diplomat. Speaking alongside the Pacific island leaders after a morning meeting and a group photo at the White House, Biden said the United States was a committed friend and shared their concerns about the sea-level rise projected to occur this century. We hear your warnings of a rising sea, that it poses an existential threat to your nations, Biden said, promising U.S $20 million for adaptation measures. We hear your calls for reassurance that you never, never, never will lose your statehood, or membership with the U.N., as the result of a climate crisis. President Joe Biden (right) speaks with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown during a meeting with Pacific Islands Forum leaders during the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House in Washington, Sept. 25, 2023. [Evan Vucci/AP] The United States also recognized Niue and the Cook Islands, two self-governing states in free association with New Zealand that have growing ties with China. U.S. interest in Pacific island nations was galvanized in early 2022 after Beijing and the Solomon Islands signed a security pact that the U.S. and allies such as Australia fear could lead to a Chinese military presence in the region. Since then the U.S. has agreed to increase its financial and economic assistance for Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau three North Pacific countries that delegate their defense to Washington under longstanding compacts of free association. Subject to budget appropriations, the three nations would receive more than U.S. $7 billion over 20 years. The first Pacific Islands-U.S. summit in September last year announced plans for more than U.S. $800 million in assistance to island nations over a decade. The figure included nearly tripling the payments tied to a tuna fishing treaty with Pacific nations to a total of U.S. $600 million between 2023 and 2033. A State Department spokesperson told BenarNews that the economic assistance agreement for the tuna payments went into effect this month and the first annual payment of U.S. $60 million would occur in mid-2024. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who also is chairman of the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum, said he appreciated Bidens proposals, but also cautioned that relations cannot be restricted to annual summits. It must be a years-long effort, working to an agreed plan of action and supported by requisite resources to deliver transformative actions, Brown said. Our gathering today is our joint commitment to elevating our efforts. President Joe Biden hosts a summit with Pacific Island nation leaders in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Sept. 25, 2023. [Leah Millis/Reuters] It is not assured that Congress will pass all the Pacific spending measures proposed by Bidens administration in a timely fashion or approve them at all. It is unfortunate that President Biden has struggled to unlock most of the funding for Pacific initiatives announced over the last 12 months or so including from the last U.S.-Pacific summit, said Sora. This has put the U.S. in an awkward position. There is little to gain from the U.S. making new announcements until it starts to visibly deliver on its own commitments. Bidens latest proposals also come as the Congress is deadlocked in last-minute talks to keep the U.S. government open past Saturday, underlining the possible gap between what political leaders promise and what the machinery of the U.S. government delivers. So far the Republican-led House has been unable to pass a budget even with heavy spending cuts as hardliners push for more penny-pinching. That has left the Biden administration searching for other ways to woo the Pacific leaders, including a charm offensive taking advantage of the fact they were in New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly. On Sunday, Pacific leaders were assigned a special Amtrak train to travel from New York to Washington, with a side-trip to Baltimore. In Baltimore, they were feted on the field during the Baltimore Ravens 22-19 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, before boarding a Coast Guard cutter to meet with Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan and discuss U.S. efforts to help counter illegal fishing in the Pacific. This story was updated to add quotes and details throughout. A boat is seen near what the Philippines said is a 328 yard-long floating barrier made up of objects that appear to be white buoys linked to each other by a rope China installed at the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, Sept. 24, 2023. Manila removed a floating barrier Beijing had installed last week at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea to prevent Filipinos from fishing in the area, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Monday. Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman, said the special operation to remove the floating barrier that obstructed the entrance to Scarborough Shoal was carried out under the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law, said Tarriela in a statement posted on social media platform X. The West Philippine Sea is Manilas name for parts of the South China Sea within its jurisdiction. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk in BDM, which is an integral part of the Philippine national territory, he said. BDN refers Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippine name for the Scarborough Shoal. Tarriela also said the Philippine Coast Guards removal of the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines sovereignty over the shoal. A United Nations arbitration tribunal in 2016 dismissed Chinas sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal, but Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling. On Sunday, Philippine officials had accused the China Coast Guard of planting the barrier to block Filipinos from their livelihood activities in the shoals rich fishing grounds. The Philippine Coast Guard had said the barrier was 300 meters (328 yards) long. Photographs posted on X showed a series of what appeared to be white buoys linked to each other by a rope. Videos posted Monday, which the coast guard said were of the removal operation, showed a man underwater cutting a rope attached to the buoys, and what appeared to be an anchor being pulled out of the water. China counters For its part, China on Monday said its coast guard did what was necessary to drive away a Philippine ship from the Scarborough Shoal area that has always been Chinas territory. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the China Coast Guard had acted in a restrained and professional manner during the Sept. 22 incident, but did not mention the floating barrier. Huangyan Dao has always been Chinas territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over the island and its adjacent waters and sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said during a news conference. Huangyan Dao is Chinas name for the Scarborough Shoal. On Sept. 22, a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Philippines, without Chinas permission, intruded into the adjacent waters of Huangyan Dao and attempted to enter its lagoon. China Coast Guard did what was necessary to block and drive away the Philippine vessel, Wang said. China took control of the Scarborough Shoal area in 2012 after a standoff between Manila and Beijing. In late 2016, Chinese ships allowed Filipino fishing boats into the area when then-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pivoted to Beijing. Fishermen unload catch from the South China Sea waters within the Philippines jurisdiction, some of it from the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal, in the village of Cato in Infanta town in Pangasinan province north of Manila, April 21, 2022. [Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews] Meanwhile, Philippine officials said they were preparing to file a diplomatic protest against China over the incident. Maria Teresita Daza, Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, said the Philippine government will take appropriate measures to protect the countrys sovereignty. When BenarNews asked if these measures would include a diplomatic protest, Daza answered in the affirmative. If it is filed, this would be the 45th diplomatic protest lodged by Manila against Beijing. Chinas reported installation of barriers and its negative impact on the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk or any other activity that infringes upon the Philippines sovereignty and jurisdiction in Bajo de Masinloc are violations of international law, particularly UNCLOS and the Arbitral Award, Daza said. She was referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines, while throwing out Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea. This latest incident with the floating barrier came on the heels of China Coast Guard ships and its maritime militia seen by media harassing Philippine Coast Guard ships accompanying boats on a supply mission to Manilas military outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. In August, Manila said Chinese ships also fired water cannons on vessels accompanying one such mission. Manila-Beijing tensions have risen even as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office last year after Dutertes term ended, has been more vocal about protecting Philippine sovereignty. Marcos appears to have embraced the United States and other democratic allies, and shifted away from six years of his predecessor Dutertes pivot to China, analysts have said. The Philippine president has granted the U.S. expanded access to more Philippine military bases, and Washington may be asking for even greater access, the two countries military chiefs said earlier this month. Jeoffrey Maitem and Jojo Rinoza in Manila contributed to this report. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the upper 30s. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low around 25F. Winds light and variable. Defense Minister nominee Shin Won-sik said Monday that a landmark inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement should be discarded as it is a "wrong" accord that has weakened the military's combat power amid North Korea's continued military provocations. The Comprehensive Military Agreement was signed in 2018 when then President Moon Jae-in traveled to Pyongyang for summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The deal is designed to dial down military tensions, prevent accidental clashes and build mutual trust. The effectiveness of the accord, however, has increasingly been questioned recently, as Pyongyang has repeatedly taken military actions disregarding it, while pressing ahead to advance its nuclear and missile programs. "The September 19 military agreement is a wrong accord that has increased our military's vulnerability," Rep. Shin of the ruling People Power Party said in a written statement to the parliamentary defense committee ahead of his confirmation hearing scheduled for Wednesday. "As there are many areas of military vulnerability that come from the September 19 military agreement, such as military combat power and operation capabilities, I believe it must be scrapped," Shin said, adding the agreement has near-zero effectiveness amid Pyongyang's "intentional" and "repetitive" violations. Shin said he will review areas of weakness that comes from the military accord and complement them in the shortest time possible should he take the helm of the defense ministry. The minister nominee said the North is highly unlikely to give up its nuclear program and vowed to "sternly" respond to any nuclear provocations with maximum capabilities. "Given North Korea's advancing trend of nuclear and missile capabilities, there is a low possibility that North Korea will give up on its nuclear power at the moment," Shin said. "It will be made clear that should North Korea attempt a provocation involving a nuclear-tipped missile, its regime will come to an end." Still, he stressed that continued efforts to persuade the North to give up its nuclear program are necessary. Shin ruled out the possibility of South Korea's own nuclear armament in any form, stating the government's stance on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Shin is a retired three-star Army general known for his expertise in defense policy and military operations, and as a vocal supporter of President Yoon Suk Yeol's drive to bolster security ties with the United States. He was nominated for defense minister earlier this month. (Yonhap) Allegrone Construction has purchased the iconic former Berkshire County Savings Bank building on the corner of North Street and Park Square in Pittsfield. There are about 12 years remaining on a 25-lease with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the couples decision to retire calls into question what the immediate and long-term future of Bascom Lodge will be after it closes for the season. Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter LENOX Ahead of a formal vote of approval, Select Board members have given a warm welcome to a proposed set of small wireless cell regulations. The aim of the Planning Board's proposal is to help plug widespread signal gap hampering public safety and communications by encouraging applications for installations along the towns public right-of-way. Typically, the low-power small wireless units designed to enhance coverage in a limited area are attached to existing utility poles, much like transformers. The town already has one unit on a pole near Tanglewood on West Street (Route 183), as approved by the Select Board in February 2019. The Verizon unit boosts wireless signals not only at the Boston Symphony Orchestras summer home but also in the immediate residential area. Outlining the Planning Boards recommendation, already reviewed by town counsel, Land Use Director and Town Planner Gwen Miller noted that last Mays annual town meeting voters approved rules for small wireless units on private property. That zoning bylaw was formally approved by the state Attorney Generals Office earlier this month. The Planning Board's proposal emerged from multiple public meetings, including consultation with specialists who guide towns, and has been under study for several years. The board also delved into how other communities have handled small-cell booster installations. The proposed regulation for town property would give the Select Board more teeth and more tools for review, and very specific criteria per federal law to review, approve or to deny small wireless facility applications, Miller said. Other powers that would be granted to the Select Board by the proposed regulations: Theres a strong preference for using existing utility poles; Outside consultants would review thorough, detailed applications; Residents living within 150 feet of the proposed location must receive timely notice of a Select Board public hearing; Emergency contacts must be provided in case of any problems with the facility; Installations are prohibited on local streets in favor of main thoroughfares such as Pittsfield, Lee and Holmes roads, Main Street, most of Walker, Kemble, East, West and Housatonic streets as well as state-route highways. The regulations are designed to encourage wireless carriers to install small-cell facilities in Lenox, Miller pointed out, to fill gaps in low or no-signal areas, based on demonstrated need. Federal law bars town boards from imposing standards that would be prohibitive, she stated. Small-cell installations limited specifically to the public right-of-way must be no closer than 40 feet from the nearest residence or 1.5 times the height of the structure, whichever is greater. You cant treat it that much differently than you would treat another use, because federal law could deem it a prohibition, Miller said. We have to be moderate in how we approach it. A signal emission review must be submitted by the applicant, she added. I think its a very comprehensive regulation that mirrors the zoning bylaw that we passed at the May [annual town] meeting in every way, shape and form, said Select Board member Marybeth Mitts. Its incredibly specific and edgy because theres a ton of requirements and hurdles for applicants to get over. Its very well laid out. She also commented, based on personal experience downtown, that its really disconcerting to not have service when youre dealing with public health and safety. Ill be very happy when we have some viable applications to improve cell service in town. Chairman Edward Lane, as well as members David Roche and Max Scherff, signaled their support of the proposed Select Board regulations. Following further review, the board would take a formal vote on whether to adopt the plan at a forthcoming meeting. Also at last Wednesdays meeting, the Select Board voted to have Lenox join Great Barrington, Lee and Stockbridge to share Building Department services because of a shortage of credentialed, certified inspectors. It appears to be the largest multitown agreement for inspection services in the region, said Lenox Town Manager Christopher Ketchen. The towns recent acquisition of 300-plus acres of forestland adjacent the Strobridge Recreation Area stirred interest among some residents in reviving the dormant Pownal, Vt., Conservation Commission. Do you feel ever confused about how Jesus wants you to treat people from groups different from yours? The answer should be simple: with warmth, open arms, and love. But when it comes to the LGBTQ community, sometimes Christians behavior is mixed lukewarm at best, hateful at worst. Just in case you dont know, LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This article will take an honest look at Jesus interactions with people whom his culture judged to be living in sin. Its time we take our cues from him. Many of you wont hear a word I say, even if you read to the end. That is because youve been taught to filter out voices like mine. If you are from a conservative background, you may have been taught to filter out any suggestion of openness to the LGBTQ community doing so could represent compromise, and we must refuse to compromise on sin (especially that one). If you are from a liberal or progressive background, you may have been taught that anyone who brings the idea of sin into the context of an LGBTQ lifestyle is clearly on the opposing side of the fight for a loving culture. If you are a person who considers yourself part of the LGBTQ community, you have every right to be suspicious many Christians have treated people in your community in harmful, ungodly ways, and I am sorry. You also may be deeply offended by being compared to sinners in the Bible. But according to the Bible, everybody is a sinner. And Jesus was far more concerned with sins of the heart than with lifestyles that were condemned by the religious community. People who have been taught otherwise need to hear that in this context. Whatever perspective youre coming from, I respect you. I have the most to say to conservative Christians, because that is my background. But I am not asking you to agree or disagree about whether living an LGBTQ lifestyle sinful. I am asking you to suspend the side-taking for the next few moments. Would you dare to consider another way? Jesus is the only way, but we have not been taking that way. Christians who refuse to spend time with and love those who think and live differently from them have not been living like Jesus. Who Do I Have to Love? The Bible teaches us to love our neighbors. But in Luke 10, a spiritual leader stood up to test Jesus, asking, Who is my neighbor? By telling the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus turned the question upside down (See Luke 10:2537). The question-asker wanted to know how much loving is required. But Jesus wanted to know how much love he was willing to give. And thats his question for us today: Who will be your neighbor? How much love are you willing to give? Looking at the Heart If we want to know how to treat people like neighbors even people very different from us we can watch how our older brother Jesus did it. He didnt really treat everyone the same. He met them where they were at and based his behavior on what they needed, not on what made him seem righteous in others eyes. Looking at Jesus treatment of other people, we see both consistent patterns of behavior and context-dependent choices. In every situation, he was most concerned about what was going on in peoples hearts. Jesus understood this about his Father: The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Jesus utmost concern was to do the will of his Father (John 6:38, 8:29) not to satisfy the expectations of his followers, or even those in spiritual leadership. Sometimes the way he most clearly demonstrated allegiance to his Father was by honoring and spending time with those who were living far from a righteous lifestyle. What would it look like for us to follow his way in this matter? Again, please set aside for now the question of whether LGBTQ people are, by virtue of being part of that community, living in sin. I am talking about how Jesus teaches us to treat all people. The Samaritan Woman (John 4) As you might know, from the viewpoint of Jewish people in the New Testament, Samaritans were generally thought to be less than godly. In fact, the text says, Jews do not associate with Samaritans (John 4:9). So watching how Jesus (a Jew) interacted with Samaritans can tell us something about how we should treat people in the LGBTQ community, considering that their lifestyle is deemed less than godly by some Christians. Jesus had to cross through Samaria on a trip. He demonstrated that he wasnt afraid or too good to interact with Samaritans by sitting in a public place by himself, while his friends went for food. When a woman approached, he interacted with her readily, asking for her help getting water. She was surprised he would even talk to her. Jesus didnt just ask the lady for water and move on. Nor did he immediately call her out for worshipping at the wrong mountain or for living in sin. Rather, he first got to know her, had a real discussion about God with her, welcomed her to receive from him what she needed, and then dropped a prophetic word: She had a bunch of failed marriages and was now living with a man to whom she was not married. Perhaps Jesus shared this prophetic word so she wouldnt be thinking, If you knew who you were talking to, you would change your tune. He did know her, and he wanted to be with her. Sometimes, Jesus looked at peoples hearts and saw beauty, faith, and honesty even though they were clearly living a sexually sinful lifestyle. In this womans case, he seemed to see a real desire to worship God truly, and he invited her to be part of that (John 4:2324). Can we learn from this? What if we acted like Jesus? We can have real, generous, loving conversations with all kinds of people including people presenting as LGBTQ. For instance, Christian men can follow Jesus by having a friendly water cooler chat with the gay guys in their office. Refusing to do so or conveniently avoiding these people is certainly not acting like Jesus. Jesus didnt start with correcting the womans sinful behavior, even though he already knew about it. You dont need to tell people out loud or under your breath that you think they are living wrong. This includes the trans person checking out your groceries and your neighbor who gets their mail in drag. See past the outward appearance and look at peoples hearts. Here is where the story in Samaria did not end: Jesus did not demand immediate repentance. (He did not say, Go break up with the boyfriend youre living with and then come to synagogue with me. And change your clothes, youre making men stumble.) In fact, the text does not explain whether she changed her living arrangements after this encounter. Jesus did not wipe his brow after a strenuous couple of hours in sinful mans land and make his way back home. He stayed with the Samaritans for two more days (John 4:40). This probably means he slept in their houses, ate their food, and had long talks with many individuals. While Jesus and the Samaritan woman were talking at the well, Jesus friends came back with food. But he was so amped up from his talk with this woman that he wasnt hungry (John 4:3138). One gets the impression that, for Jesus, this was a deeply satisfying, joyful way to live. But What About... This part is painful, but Im going to speak openly here. Some people are worried that hanging out with gay people will lead to negative consequences for them or their family. There is much more to be said on these topics. It should be an open dialogue, not a closed case. Normalizing Sin People are worried that welcoming LGBTQ people into our lives will normalize sinful behavior. The apostle Paul said, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Jesus lived not by keeping only goodness around him, but by bringing his goodness into dark places. Spending time with people does not mean everything they do is okay. Leading Others Astray What about people being led into the gay lifestyle? Did Jesus worry that his friends would be wooed by the woman at the well? I dont know. But he invited them to spend a couple days with her and her people. He didnt lead out of fear, but out of love and wisdom. Exposure to Sexual Predators Sadly, sexual predators tend to be wolves in sheeps clothing. It is not safe to assume that someone is not likely to be a predator because they are a man who wears a suit and tie and sits in the church pew nearby. For the same reason, it is wrong to judge someone as more likely to be a predator because they act effeminate or cross dress. We should trust people, not based on a spotless presentation, but based on their character. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Inviting Assumptions Some of us are afraid to hang out with people who are LGBTQ because we think others will assume that we are too. And this is the thing, friends, following Jesus will definitely lead to false assumptions by others even if you live in a culture where Christianity is the norm. One day, Jesus was having dinner with a spiritual leader, a respected member of the community. In walks a woman with a jar of oil. She starts pouring the oil on his feet and kissing his feet. This was a very intimate and demonstrative thing to do. The spiritual leader hosting Jesus scoffed and looked down on him: If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is that she is a sinner (Luke 7:39). But Jesus defended her love as great, and her acts as prophetic and honorable (Matthew 26:1013, Mark 14:69, Luke 7:47). He saw her heart, and her heart mattered more to him than respect from his peers. Loving LGBTQ People Like Jesus If we take an honest, careful look at Jesus life, here is what we see: He spent time with all kinds of people spiritual leaders, blue collar workers, prostitutes, swindlers, businessmen, wealthy women, and kids, to name a few. He brought his love into social situations where love had been withheld in the name of upholding godliness. He more or less ignored peoples outward presentation of themselves and looked instead at their hearts. (This was definitely a superpower, but it often involved having deep conversations like any regular person can.) He lived unafraid of peoples judgment of him. His concern was the opinion of his Father. And he was already in good standing there, so he didnt have to worry about what anybody else thought. He was free. Photo credit: Getty Images/Rawpixel Allie Boman is a wife, mom, follower of Jesus and freelance editor in the Chicago area. She served for 15 years with Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and studied classical piano in college. She loves adventurous cooking and exploring the natural world. She can be found online at BomanEditing.com. Related podcast: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. A death row inmate serving time in prison for the serial killings of 21 people has recently been transferred to a detention center in Seoul equipped with execution facilities, judicial officials said Monday. Yoo Young-chul, one of the most notorious serial killers in the country, was relocated from a prison in the southeastern city of Daegu to the Seoul Detention Center last week, according to the Ministry of Justice. They also transferred Jung Hyung-gu, another inmate sentenced to death for killing newlyweds with a shotgun for overtaking his car on an unpaved road, to the center. The recent move to the detention center in Uiwang, south of Seoul, which is known to be the only facility with a serviceable execution chamber, has raised speculation that the relocations could be a prelude to Korea carrying out executions for the first time since 1997. Other serial killers, including Kang Ho-sun, who was sentenced to death for slaying 10 women, including his wife and mother-in-law, are also imprisoned there. A ministry official said the transfer was a "necessary measure for correctional administration." The detention center in Daegu is scheduled to move to a different location by the end of the year. Korea is categorized as a death penalty abolitionist in practice globally, having carried out no executions since the last one in December 1997. (Yonhap) In a bold statement, the head of Sanral said on Friday that it would not back down from its efforts to transform the construction industry, despite legal challenges from some of the country's largest contractors. Agency chairman Themba Mhambi said at an event near Cape Town that the big construction firms had enjoyed lucrative contracts for too long and needed to make room for smaller and medium-sized businesses. Mhambi says Sanral, contrary to media reports, does not want to destroy the major construction companies but will support and strengthen them while also pushing them to transform. We are going to damage Sanral if we destroy the big construction companies we have in South Africa, like WBHO, Murray and Roberts, Haw and Inglis (H&I), and so on. If we destroy them, we will be destroying Sanral and South Africa, said Mr Mhambi. Therefore, dont believe all the lies that are told that we want to kill these construction companies. We dont want to do that. We want to support them, we want to strengthen them to get more business but there is one condition and that condition is that they must understand that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, said Mhambi. Time for black South Africans to benefit Mr Mhambi stressed that it is time for black South Africans Africans, Indians and Coloureds who had previously been excluded from benefitting from massive infrastructure projects to benefit alongside the well-established industry players. Those people who have in the past been excluded from benefitting from road construction, bridge building, pavements, manufacturing of guard rails, the production of asphalt those who have been excluded from benefitting from all those things must now benefit as well. That is the condition. And that condition does not come from anywhere other than the Constitution of SA. Mr Mhambis remarks come after some of the countrys biggest construction companies sought court interdicts against Sanral to stop new construction tenders from being issued using the roads agencys new Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP), which requires big companies to share significant portions of the work with smaller players. "You can't be a billionaire by sharing" When these millionaire and billionaire companies say to us we are going to take you to court Sanral because you are depriving us of the millions and billions that we are making alone I understand them, because you cant be a millionaire or billionaire by sharing. They are going to resist sharing. Mhambi was speaking at an event in Franschhoek, outside Cape Town, on Friday night to celebrate Sanrals 25th anniversary. Sanral is an entity of the National Department of Transport and is mandated with the management, maintenance and development of South Africa's proclaimed national road network. Delegates from 50 cities across 30 countries exchange views at Mayors Forum By Jung Da-hyun Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced, Monday, the city's commitment to carry out policies prioritizing inclusive growth by supporting a variety of educational programs and a new welfare system for people in need. During the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum (WCSMF), which took place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Oh shared the outcomes of Seoul's policies toward "Going Together with the Socially Neglected," the slogan of the city which focuses on the inclusive growth. Delegates from 50 cities across 30 countries attended the forum to discuss measures to enhance the livability and sustainability of their respective cities. Oh pledged to ramp up efforts to make Seoul more livable and sustainable through a range of policies and expressed his willingness to share these experiences internationally. "In light of the various challenges we have faced, such as infectious diseases, climate change, and social conflicts, the need for innovative ideas and new approaches toward inclusive growth has never been more urgent," Oh said. Introducing "Seoul Learn," an online education support program, Oh emphasized that providing equal and quality education for youth is a crucial step in addressing polarization in Korea. This initiative aims to level the playing field and provide equal opportunities. It offers needy students free access to online lectures by recommended instructors, study materials, and collegian mentors. A year after the program started, a total of 461 students successfully entered universities through this program, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Oh said the city government will increase the number of participants for the program next year, designing a more comprehensive support system to create a society where everyone can achieve their dreams. He also highlighted the outcome of Seouls new welfare system, named the Seoul Safety Income Program, which aims to assist households with earnings below the median income. This program focuses on overcoming the limitations of the current application-based welfare system, which often discourages people in need from working due to concerns about losing their aid eligibility if they exceed the government's set limit of working hours. People would rather stay in the cycle of being poor and not work anymore, simply to get social aid from the city, Oh said by pointing out the problem of the current system. The key aspect of the policy is to motivate vulnerable social groups to work. Once individuals are identified as needing assistance, the city will monitor their monthly earnings and provide support until they earn enough to sustain themselves. Oh also introduced plans to create an index that can evaluate the outcomes of the citys policies aimed at inclusive growth. This index represents the citys initial effort to assess municipal performance in mitigating polarization and inequality within the realm of social integration, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The city expects this index to serve as a tool for implementing policies based on systematic evaluation. "I hope this forum will be a chance to actively share each city's experience," said Desmond Lee, minister for National Development in Singapore. Delegates from other cities also introduced their policies to make metropolises more habitable and sustainable. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, emphasized the role of culture in bringing city residents together. "Culture dictates where we come from and it underpins inclusive hopes for communities to come together," said Daithi de Roiste, the mayor of Dublin. The Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh shared the experience of a comprehensive social security system that its government established. "This initiative accomplished great success and was recognized by the U.N. for having significant contributions to the city's implementation," said Phan Van Mai, chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. On Tuesday, the last day of the WCSMF, delegates will have the opportunity to experience products and services from 27 innovative companies. Additionally, an MOU between the Land Transport Authority of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Singapore will be introduced. This agreement, signed on June 1, aims to facilitate the exchange of policies related to eco-friendly public transportation between the two cities. The next WCSMF is scheduled to be held in Singapore, the city that established the forum, and the following one will take place in Vienna in 2025, the capital of Austria. Vienna won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize this year. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code The French government is considering a move to block Chinese car makers from benefiting from tax subsidies it offers to French buyers of electric cars. The European Commission has only just announced an investigation into whether Chinese car makers are effectively dumping cheap cars, especially electric cars, onto the EU market in an effort to destabilise local manufacturers. Advertisement Global markets are now flooded with cheaper electric cars. And their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she launched the investigation. The EUs contention, as it stands, is that Chinese car makers are receiving unfair subsidies from the Chinese government. Already, there have been rumblings in the European car industry on the subject. Head of the vast Stellantis Group, which includes the likes of Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, Jeep, and Fiat, Carlos Tavares has previously said that extra import duties should be placed on Chinese cars being sold in Europe, on the basis that European brands have to pay a tariff of between 15 and 25 per cent to enter the Chinese market. Its worth pointing out that Tavares cross-town arch-rival at Renault Group, Luca De Meo, has said that any such tariff-based messing about is pointless and that all should be allowed to compete. Advertisement Advertisement The French government, however, is not waiting around for Tavares, De Meo, or the EU. The Elysee Palace is reportedly weighing up changes to the current 5,000-7,000 subsidy given to buyers of new electric cars, and Reuters is reporting that the French government is looking specifically at ways to ensure that the subsidy which costs the French exchequer 1 billion per year is not paid out to subvent the cost of buying a Chinese, rather than a European, car. Apparently, the rules on the subsidy will be revamped by early December, and will follow a course of looking at the energy input used to create the car in the first place. In theory, that should give European car factories a leg-up, given that many of them are already running or so it is claimed on renewable solar and wind power, whereas China is still very coal-dependent. It looks as if the new French rules will also consider the amount of energy needed to transport each car from its original factory to the market where it is sold, potentially putting Chinese car makers under further pressure. World trade rules The French government is already proclaiming that such a rule change would not breach World Trade Organisation regulations, as its being made under environmental and public health laws, and would not actually represent a tariff. The EU Commission will doubtless be taking note. Advertisement Advertisement There are a number of issues in all of this, not least that even if you take away the incentive payment, many Chinese models would still undercut their European opposition. For example, in the Irish market, if you took away under the same criteria the 3,500 SEAI grant from the popular MG 4 electric hatchback (which is entirely a Chinese-made car, in spite of its classic British badge) then the price of the basic model would rise from a basic 30,995 to 34,495. By comparison, the most affordable equivalent Renault Megane E-Tech electric hatch would remain more expensive, at 38,995. Chinese production Then there is the issue that many European car makers are already thoroughly in bed with their Chinese opposite numbers. BMW has just launched the latest generation of the Mini hatchback in electric form, which will go on sale with a choice of 300km or 400km ranged-models, both of which will be built in China in a factory established as part of a joint venture with Great Wall Motors, and will use a chassis, battery, and electric motors co-developed with Great Wall. It will be at least another year before the new electric Mini will be built in Europe, at the Mini factory in Oxford, alongside its combustion-engined brothers. Advertisement Equally, both Volkswagen and Audi have recently announced tie-ups with SAIC (owners of MG) and XPeng to use their platforms and batteries for future electric models, in an effort to chop development times and bring new electric products to market that much more quickly. The move could also affect Tesla, which imports many Model 3 and Model Y cars to Europe from its factory in Shanghai. Advertisement While the EU probe, and the French tinkering with subsidy regulations, will doubtless awaken ire in Beijing, it may also trigger a little schadenfreude (or the Mandarin equivalent, of course). While China has invested countless billions in building up its car industry, and gearing it towards electric cars, and while the US government has pumped $369 billion into low-carbon industry, such as wind turbines and battery production, the EU earlier this year committed a mere 10 billion to such investment. With so little apparent interest at EU level to committing funding for major industries, such as the car industry, to turn to green tech can it be any surprise that were being out-paced by foreign rivals? Certainly, environmental think-tank Transport & Environment (T&E) thinks that the EU has effectively shot itself in the foot. Xavier Sol, sustainable finance director at T&E, said: Washington and Beijing will be laughing at the EUs weak proposal. There is a big mismatch between the strategic objectives of the EUs green industrial policy and the cash that has been put on the table. "Wealthy countries like Germany and France have to stop dragging their feet on fresh funds. In the long-term we will need a Europe-wide approach if the continent is to compete with the US and China in the global clean-tech arms race. The Commissions, and Ms von der Leyens, investigation may well be more of a sticking plaster to try and cover up the EUs shortcomings when it comes to actually investing in Europes electric car conversion. Advertisement William Todts, executive director of T&E, goes further, saying: Our goal should be to have intense but fair competition, prevent monopolies and retain Europes industrial base in the 21st century. If that is also what EU lawmakers want, they should act much more decisively. As it stands, Europe may well be on course to become a dumping ground for subsidised Sino-US EVs and batteries. Criminal proceedings are being considered in relation to the death of a young pedestrian who was killed after being struck by a vehicle on the N81 in Tallaght earlier this year, an inquest has heard. Kevin Sheedy (23), from Killinarden, Dublin, suffered fatal injuries after being hit by an SUV on the Tallaght by-pass on the evening of January 11th, 2023 at around 7.15pm. Advertisement The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, who is understood to be a woman in her 40s, did not require hospital treatment. The incident occurred near the junction of the N81 with the Old Blessington Road at Springfield in poor weather conditions with heavy rain reported at the time. A brief sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court on Monday heard the victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision. Advertisement The deceaseds sister, Pearl Sheedy, gave evidence of formally identifying her brothers body at Dublin City Mortuary in Whitehall two days later. Advertisement The inquest heard postmortem results showed Mr Sheedy died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries consistent with a road traffic collision. Inspector Daragh Gleeson applied for an adjournment of the full inquest under Section 25.1 of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings in the case are being contemplated. Insp Gleeson confirmed to the coroner, Crona Gallagher, that a file in relation to Mr Sheedys death still had to be forwarded to the DPP for direction. Dr Gallagher granted the application and adjourned the case for a further update on February 27, 2024. A GoFundMe fundraising campaign established by friends of the deceased to help Mr Sheedys family with the funeral expenses raised over 13,000. President Yoon Suk Yeol bled from the nose while leading a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office on Monday, a government official said, attributing it to his intense schedule during and after his trip to New York last week. Yoon was in New York from Monday to Friday, attending the U.N. General Assembly and meeting with 47 heads of state on the sidelines, including through 41 bilateral summits. "The president undertook a murderous schedule of bilateral meetings in New York and continued the intense schedule with public livelihood events immediately after returning home, so it appears he overworked," the official said. The nosebleed occurred during the closed-door portion of the Cabinet meeting after Yoon relayed the results of his New York trip on live television. In the broadcast remarks, he instructed the government to take active measures to follow up on his meetings with the world leaders, citing his efforts to bring the 2030 World Expo to Busan and expand the global market for South Korean businesses. "I emphasized that the Busan Expo will be a value-oriented Expo that will change the paradigm of the international community from one of competition to one of solidarity," he said. "I explained that it will be an Expo of solidarity where, rather than each nation showing off and competing in the achievements of science and technology and cutting-edge industries, the entire world shares the achievements, and that each country will gain an opportunity to make a big leap in their science and technology and industry through the Busan Expo," he added. Yoon has been at the forefront of the government's campaign to bring the World Expo to the southeastern port city. Busan is in a three-way competition against Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Rome, Italy, with the winner set to be decided by a vote among member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions in late November. During the meeting, Yoon also listed the various business projects around the world where South Korean companies and nationals are dedicating themselves, from nuclear power plant projects in the Czech Republic and Hungary to new city construction projects in Iraq and Kyrgyzstan. "We must not think vaguely that what we want will come to us if we just make a passing effort," he said. "We must have a conviction about our goal and give our all in order to achieve it. The global market and the Expo will ultimately become ours if we throw ourselves into them and run with the conviction that they are ours." Yoon also referred to a set of revisions passed by the National Assembly last week to enhance the rights of teachers in classrooms. The revisions were set to be handled during the Cabinet meeting. "Only when the authority of teachers is guaranteed are the rights of students to learn and their human rights also guaranteed," he said. The four revisions, known as the "teacher rights restoration bills," unanimously passed the parliament last week in the wake of a series of suicides by teachers that sparked criticism that the country's school system and related laws fail to protect teachers' authority in classrooms. (Yonhap) Ireland has recorded its highest annual immigration rate for 16 years, with more than 141,000 people arriving in the Republic. Around 42,000 of those coming to live in the State in the 12 months to April 2023 were Ukrainians fleeing the war, according to figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Advertisement Of the 141,600 immigrants, 29,600 were returning Irish citizens, 26,100 were other EU citizens and 4,800 were UK citizens. The remaining 81,100 were citizens of other countries, more than half of whom were Ukrainians. It was the second year in succession where immigration numbers have exceeded 100,000 and the highest rate since April 2007. Advertisement Advertisement In terms of emigration, more than 64,000 people departed Ireland in the 12 months to April 2023, compared with 56,100 in the same period the year before. The CSO said it was one of the highest figures of recent years. The overall population rose by 97,600 people to almost 5.3 million the largest 12-month increase since 2008. Along with the 77,600 net immigration number, there was also 20,000 of a natural increase, with 55,500 births and 35,500 deaths in 12-month period. Advertisement Cathal Doherty, statistician in population estimates and projections at the CSO, said: Irelands population was estimated to be 5.28 million, rising by 97,600 people in the year to April 2023. This was the largest 12-month population increase since 2008 when the population rose by 109,200. Other data released by the CSO shows there were 806,300 people living in Ireland aged 65 and over in April 2023. Those aged 65 and over have shown an increase in population share between 2017 and 2023, from 13.6% to 15.3% of the total a volume increase of 153,900 people. Advertisement Ireland Migrant group calls for reduction on immigration f... Read More There were 1,338,700 people aged 45-64 in April 2023. This cohort has also seen a rise in population share between 2017 and 2023, growing from 24.1% to 25.3% of the total a volume increase of 180,800 people. In terms of where people live, the proportion of the population living in Dublin has increased from 27.6% of the total in 2011 to 28.4% of the total in 2023 and now stands at 1,501,500 people. Liam Byrne, a key member of the Kinahan organised crime gang, has claimed his extradition to the UK should be rejected because he risks "inhumane and degrading treatment" in a British prison. The claim is one of the key arguments put forward by his lawyer in a Spanish court, arguing the extradition order should be refused. Advertisement Byrne's counsel, Jaime Campane, told the court there is a "real risk" that his client's fundamental right to physical and moral integrity will be in danger if his extradition to the UK goes ahead. He said the approval would violate his human rights because the only evidence against him is hacked messages on encrypted communications network Encrochat, Mr Campane claimed. The appeal against the extradition order came before Spains Audencia Nacional court last week. Advertisement Byrne, who was arrested on June 4th in Alcudia following a UK-issued international arrest warrant, watched the proceedings via videolink from the prison near Palma. Advertisement A separate extradition appeal for suspected Kinahan gang member Jack Kavanagh was also held last week. Spanish prosecutors formally backed the extradition of both men, who are wanted on suspicion of firearms offences. Kavanagh, who was arrested at Malaga Airport on May 30th while transiting from Dubai to Turkey, remains at a prison on the Costa del Sol while he awaits a ruling in the matter. On Monday, it emerged the decision is likely to be delayed due to a formal request which has been sent to Irish authorities asking them if they wish to prosecute the two men. Advertisement The request is linked to a 2016 ruling on extradition requests made to EU countries by so-called 'third countries' outside the EU which now applies to the UK following Brexit. Mr Campaner cited overcrowding in some UK prisons among the reasons why Byrnes well-being would be put at risk if his extradition is approved. He has also flagged the recent escape of terror suspect Daniel Khalife from Wandsworth Prison, which raised questions about staff shortages and conditions at British prisons. Advertisement Mr Campaner told the court it should refuse the extradition request if Irish authorities decide not to extradite him. Advertisement He said if the decision goes against Byrne, the UK should state in which prisons he will be held. The UK's National Crime Agency alleges the men were part of a plot spearheaded by Jacks father, Thomas Bomber Kavanagh, to plant arms in Northern Ireland and direct authorities to find them so he could get a reduced sentence on drug charges he was facing. Thomas Kavanagh recently received a 21-year jail sentence for drugs and money-laundering offences. Jack Kavanaghs appeal against the UK extradition order was initially due to go ahead on September 11th before it was suspended following a no-show by his lawyer. Advertisement Spanish state prosecutors had laid out their case for his extradition in a six-page document presented to the Audiencia Nacional before the suspended hearing. Prosecutors alleged Jack Kavanagh used the Encrochat encrypted communications network to participate in criminal activities. Following the arrests, the region head of investigations at the NCA Kay Mellor said: "This investigation is part of the NCAs ongoing work targeting the Kinahan crime group. "Liam Byrne and Jack Kavanagh have been evading justice for a number of years, but have now been arrested in relation to serious firearms offences. "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." A Russian drone and missile strike near Odesa has damaged port infrastructure, a grain silo and an abandoned hotel and injured one person, Ukrainian officials said. Attacks on Ukraine have killed five civilians and wounded 13 over the past 24 hours. Advertisement Ukraines air force reported downing all Russian drones overnight, but one of 12 Kalibr missiles and two P-800 Oniks cruise missiles apparently made it past air defences the day after the war in Ukraine entered its 20th month. Russia has continuously targeted port and grain storage facilities in Odesa since pulling out of a wartime deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports to countries facing the threat of hunger. The attacks have destroyed silos, warehouses, oil terminals and other infrastructure critical for storage and shipping. Advertisement Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 24 September 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/5ySC69osc8 #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/v2eCsBWeKS Advertisement Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 24, 2023 Advertisement The Russian defence ministry said long-range missiles and drones were used to strike facilities that it alleged had housed foreign mercenaries and trained saboteurs. The ministry did not name locations or provide other specifics to support its claim. It also said it downed several Ukrainian drones. The attacks came as independent UN-backed human rights experts said they found new evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces and as President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the arrival of the first Abrams tanks sent by the US. Advertisement The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said it found evidence of crimes committed by both sides in the war but far more by Russians, including instances of torture, some of it fatal, and rape of women as old as 83. It said it was also looking into allegations that Russian forces committed genocide. Mr Zelensky thanked allies on Telegram for their support in announcing the anticipated arrival of the tanks. He did not say how many tanks had arrived but the US said it was sending 31 tanks. Advertisement In other fighting, Russian forces also dropped bombs and launched six heavy artillery strikes on southern Ukraines Kherson region, destroying a school and factory and damaging residential buildings. Advertisement Three of the deaths reported by the Ukrainian presidents office were in the region two people were killed and two others were injured by bombs that hit the city of Beryslav, while a man was killed in the neighbouring village of Lvove. A tractor collects straw on a field in a private farm in Zhurivka, Kyiv region (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) In eastern Ukraine, Russians attacked residential areas of 10 cities and villages in the Donetsk region, killing two people in the village of Zarichne, according to the presidential office. During fighting in southeast Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian army carried out five airstrikes on Orikhiv, a small city, and its surrounding area. The Russian defence ministry said its air defences downed three Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region of Russia and three others over the Bryansk region early on Monday. It also reported that three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region. Kursk governor Roman Starovoit said a downed drone over Kursk city centre damaged the roof of an administrative building and several private houses and shattered windows in an apartment building. Mr Starovoit said there were no injuries. A day earlier, a Ukrainian drone damaged the roof of an administrative building in Kursk that some Ukrainian and Russian media reported housed the offices of the Federal Security Service, Russias main domestic security agency. Advertisement Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said the drones caused no casualties but Ukrainian rockets damaged a farm building and killed cattle. During the drone attack, Russian authorities delayed or diverted several flights at Moscows airports. The defence ministry said five other Ukrainian drones were also shot down over Crimea and the Black Sea. The Speaker of Canadas House of Commons Anthony Rota has issued an apology days after he drew attention to a man who fought in a military unit under the Nazis in the Second World War. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, received two standing ovations from Canadian MPs in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust. Advertisement On Friday, speaker Anthony Rota introduced Mr Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP) The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit under Nazi command. Advertisement The apology came in the wake of a statement from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies on Sunday which said Mr Hunka and his division was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable. Advertisement The statement said: An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of the Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation. Shortly after the statement from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, Mr Rota issued one of his own to express regret after honouring the elderly man after discovering more of his history. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raises a fist in acknowledgement of Nazi soldier Yaroslav Hunka (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP) Advertisement Mr Rota said: In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus office also issued a statement on the issue, that stated Mr Rota had apologised and accepted full responsibility for issuing the invitation to Mr Hunka. Advertisement It also said Mr Rota accepted responsibility for the Nazi soldiers invitation to parliament. Advertisement The statement said: This was the right thing to do. No advance notice was provided to the Prime Ministers Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition. Canadian parliamentarians cheered while Mr Zelensky raised his fist to acknowledge Mr Hunka in Canadas parliament on Friday. Mr Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations. Advertisement Wreaths at the memorial wall of the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen in Germany (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Mr Rota then called him a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero and thanked him for his military service. The Ukrainian president was in Ottawa to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraines war against the Russian invasion. Libyas chief prosecutor said he has ordered the detention of eight current and former officials pending his investigation into the collapse of two dams earlier this month. The disaster sent a wall of water several meters high through the centre of a coastal city and left thousands of people dead. Advertisement The two dams outside the city of Derna broke up on September 11 after they were overwhelmed by Storm Daniel, which caused heavy rain across eastern Libya. The structures failure inundated as much as a quarter of the city, officials have said, destroying entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea. Government officials and aid agencies have given estimated death tolls ranging from more than 4,000 to more than 11,000. Advertisement Derna flood survivor Abdul Salam Anwisi looks at destroyed homes (Yousef Murad/AP) The bodies of many of the people killed still are under rubble or in the Mediterranean, according to search teams. Advertisement A statement by the office of general prosecutor al-Sidiq al-Sour said prosecutors on Sunday questioned seven former and current officials with the Water Resources Authority and the Dams Management Authority over allegations that mismanagement, negligence and mistakes contributed to the disaster. Derna mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, who was sacked after the disaster, was also questioned, the statement said. Advertisement The eight former and current officials did not provide evidence to spare them from potential charges and prosecutors ordered them jailed pending the completion of the investigation, the statement added. The chief prosecutor said eight other officials would be summoned for questioning. The questioning and jailing of officials were the first crucial steps by the chief prosecutor in his investigation, which is likely to face daunting challenges due to Libyas years of divided leadership. Mounting calls for an international investigation into the disaster reflects the deep public mistrust in state institutions. Advertisement Derna flood survivor Abdul Salam Anwisi walks up the stairs at his damaged home (Yousef Murad/AP) The oil-rich North African nation has been in chaos since 2011, when an Arab Spring uprising, backed by Nato, ousted longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed. For most of the past decade, rival administrations have claimed authority to lead Libya. Advertisement The countrys east has been under the control of General Khalifa Hifter and his self-styled Libyan National Army, which is allied with a parliament-confirmed government. Advertisement A rival administration is based in the capital, Tripoli, and enjoys the support of most of the international community. The dams were built by a Yugoslav construction company in the 1970s above Wadi Derna, a river valley dividing the city. They were meant to protect the city from flash floods, which are not uncommon in the area. The dams were not maintained for decades, despite warnings by scientists that they may burst. Divers look for flood victims (Yousef Murad/AP) A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than two million US dollars (1.64 million) for that purpose in 2012 and 2013. A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and build a third one between them. The firm, Arsel Construction Company, said on its website it completed its work in November 2012. It did not respond to an email seeking further comment. Two weeks after the dams collapsed, local and international teams were still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings to look for victims. They also are combing the Mediterranean Sea off Derna for the bodies of people who were swept away. The flood of water from the dams left as much as one-third of Dernas housing and infrastructure damaged, according to the UNs Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Advertisement Authorities have evacuated the most impacted part of the city, leaving only search and ambulance teams, the UN office said. The World Health Organisation says more than 4,000 flood-related deaths have been registered but the head of Libyas Red Crescent previously cited a death of toll of 11,300. OCHA says at least 9,000 people remain missing. The dead in eastern Libya include foreigners living in the North African countries. 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. Florida governor Ron DeSantis had a chance in April to address Donald Trump's growing momentum toward the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Like several such opportunities, he let it pass him by. Mr DeSantis was in Japan at the time on an international tour a step often taken by presidential hopefuls to burnish their foreign policy credentials. Mr Trump had launched his own candidacy five months earlier and had spent much of that time attacking the governor, who was considered his most formidable potential challenger but had yet to declare. Advertisement Asked on camera about falling behind Mr Trump in the polls, Mr DeSantis awkwardly played coy. His eyes opened wide, and his head wobbled from side to side as he tried to avoid answering the question, in what became a viral video clip. Advertisement "I'm not I'm not a candidate, so we'll see if and when that changes," the governor said. Allies, advisers, and people close to the campaign now concede that Mr DeSantis' reluctance in the weeks before announcing his candidacy to engage with Mr Trump - on the Japan trip and elsewhere - was one of several costly strategic errors. Reuters spoke to 16 political operatives and donors close to Mr DeSantis to reconstruct the roughly 10-week period from mid-March - before Mr Trump's first criminal indictment in New York - to Mr DeSantis' campaign launch on May 24th. Advertisement Several of the people said those weeks are crucial to understanding why Mr DeSantis, once seen as the party's best hope of moving on from the tumult surrounding Mr Trump, is now almost 40 points behind the former president, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. The unforced errors in that early stage had a lasting impact on Mr DeSantis' campaign, they acknowledged. After Trump jumped into the race late last year, Mr DeSantis waited for months to get in, dodging the subject of a presidential run with the media and refusing to respond to Mr Trump's attacks. Mr DeSantis hoped a productive Florida state legislative session would boost his candidacy, according to the operatives and people close to the governor. Instead, it has saddled him with a restrictive abortion measure that has turned off some key donors. Advertisement Advertisement Republican presidential candidates, Florida governer Ron DeSantis (L) and Vivek Ramaswamy talk during a break during the first debate of the GOP primary season. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images During those weeks, the gap between Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis mushroomed from roughly 8 percentage points to 34 points, according to data analysis website FiveThirtyEight. With Mr DeSantis now more than halfway from his official launch to the first primary contest in Iowa this January, many allies are asking what - if anything - the campaign should have done differently. Eight advisers, allies, donors, individuals involved in his fundraising efforts or people close to Mr DeSantis told Reuters the governor placed too much emphasis on finishing Florida's legislative session without appearing to be running for president. In hindsight, such a distinction likely did not matter to voters, those people said, and left Mr DeSantis vulnerable to attacks from Mr Trump, as he refused to personally defend himself from the former president's broadsides. Advertisement "What happened was we created this vacuum of vulnerability," said one person involved in the governor's strategy, who said he "100 per cent" wished the governor had declared a presidential bid earlier. The DeSantis campaign told Reuters it did not want to discuss any past strategic decisions and was focused on preparing for the first nominating contests, which kick off with the Iowa caucus on January 15th. Mr DeSantis' aides say they have made some course corrections in the wake of the rocky stretch around the campaign's launch. Trump filled the vaccum Advertisement Three advisers involved in formulating Mr DeSantis' strategy or close to top campaign staff, as well as some Florida-based donors, said that in hindsight they would have pushed Mr DeSantis to more forcefully respond to Mr Trump's attacks early on - including by moving up his formal launch. When Mr DeSantis did jump in, it was via a glitchy launch on X, formerly known on Twitter, that even campaign staff privately concede was a disaster. Advertisement Mr Trump and his aides wasted no time in trying to fill the vacuum that Mr DeSantis had created. They embarked on a strategy to weaken Mr DeSantis in the eyes of Republican voters, particularly by portraying him as a threat to Social Security and Medicare - the healthcare program for seniors - because he supported restructuring the programs when he was a member of Congress. "The president was dead set on attacking Ron DeSantis as early as possible," Chris LaCivita, Mr Trump's co-campaign manager, told Reuters. "DeSantis has his dirty fingers all over senior entitlements. Like cutting Medicare, slashing Social Security. Even raising our retirement age," one TV ad released by MAGA, Inc., a fund-raising super PAC supporting Mr Trump, intoned. According to a Reuters analysis, Mr Trump himself hit Mr DeSantis over Social Security and Medicare in speeches, interviews and on social media more than 40 times between November, when Mr Trump launched his campaign, and Mr DeSantis' announcement in late May. Advertisement Mr LaCivita said the Trump campaign tried to take advantage of the fact that DeSantis was at that point still largely unknown by a large swath of the Republican electorate. "When when you have so little name ID in that position, you are essentially a blank canvas, and you can sit around and wait for your opponent to paint their picture, or you can paint it for him," Mr LaCivita said. As Mr DeSantis continued to delay his entry, his donors were getting restless. One prominent donor complained to Reuters in March that Mr DeSantis was not "cranked up" enough. "They really haven't started hammering Trump," the donor said. "At least 50 per cent of the problems that the DeSantis campaign has faced has come because of Trump's messaging," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist in Florida. "If DeSantis tripped and fell on the campaign trail, Trump's people made you know it happened." Not a candidate Mr DeSantis had his own timetable for launching his candidacy and he would not be stampeded by Mr Trump into moving earlier, according to interviews with two people close to the governor. Mr DeSantis, who painted himself as a man who could get things done without Mr Trump's drama, wanted to wait until the Republican-controlled legislature in Florida passed bills that he could sell on the campaign trail. Advertisement Some of those bills were connected to Mr DeSantis' "anti-woke" crusade, such as expanding the state's ban on teaching gender-identity concepts. Others were cherished conservative policy goals, such as loosing restrictions on concealed weapons. But the legislative session has become best known for an abortion bill that proved repellent to some major donors who worried that the measure was so restrictive that it would turn off moderate voters and make Mr DeSantis unelectable. Conservatives in the Republican-dominated legislature passed a ban in April that would outlaw the practice at six weeks, among the most restrictive in the nation. While Mr DeSantis did not lobby for the bill, he had vowed during his re-election campaign to sign whatever measure was presented to him. He ended up signing the bill at night with little fanfare. In August, hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, the biggest individual donor to the main pro-DeSantis super PAC, told Reuters he was cutting the governor off in part due to his abortion stance. Florida governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey attend services at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the Ground Zero site in lower Manhattan. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images People close to Mr DeSantis told Reuters that it has been difficult at times to square donors' unhappiness over the ban with the campaign's desire to appeal to religious conservatives. The campaign is staking much of its future on Iowa, where conservative evangelicals, Catholics and Lutherans make up much of the voting base. Mr DeSantis' reluctance to enter the race earlier in the spring caused other headaches. He avoided personally seeking endorsements from any of the 20 Republican lawmakers in the US Congress representing Florida, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, in part because he thought doing so might seem impolitic since he had not officially declared his candidacy. Instead, he had a Tallahassee-based ally named Ryan Tyson reach out, those people said. Meanwhile, Mr Trump was working the phones and hosting lawmakers at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, seeking their support. Mr DeSantis' failure to talk to those lawmakers directly, those people argued, likely contributed to much of the delegation coming out in support of Mr Trump in mid-April. The endorsements helped drive a narrative that Mr Trump's nomination was inevitable, they said. Lessons learned Aides say Mr DeSantis' campaign has sought to make some strategic adjustments. After initially eschewing appearances in mainstream media, the governor has regularly sat for interviews to raise his profile and push back at Mr Trump, according to two people close to the governor. Mr DeSantis has also leaned into small-scale retail politics, hoping to give voters a better sense of him at a personal level. He is laser-focused on trying to stop Mr Trump's momentum by winning the first Republican nominating contest in Iowa. The midwestern state uses a caucus system, during which Republicans show up to local meetings to express their candidate preference. Mr DeSantis' allies say that could help them as the system tends to favor campaigns with sophisticated operations promoting turnout. World Is America heading towards its last election in 20... Read More "The reality is: Just be steady. Be disciplined. Outwork the competition and organise. That's how you win in Iowa, and that's exactly what we're doing," David Polyansky, a top DeSantis adviser, told Reuters. Evan Power, vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party who is remaining neutral in the race, said he doesn't think it would have made much of a difference if Mr DeSantis had entered the race earlier. "No matter what he was going to do, these guys were going to attack him out of the gate," Mr Power said. Even so, Mr Power conceded that Mr DeSantis did not need to wait for the legislative session to wrap up in May. "I don't think it was vital, but that was the strategy he wanted. It wasn't necessary." Kosovo on Monday observed a day of mourning for the Kosovar Albanian police officer killed by Serb gunmen in the north of the country, in one of the worst confrontations since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. About 30 masked men in combat uniforms opened fire on a police patrol near the village of Banjska in the early hours of Sunday, killing one officer and injuring another. Advertisement They then fled to a nearby Serbian Orthodox monastery, breaking down the gates with an armoured personnel carrier before barricading themselves in with priests and visiting pilgrims. The stand-off ended when most of the attackers escaped on foot under cover of darkness on Sunday. Three of the gunmen were shot and killed by police. The clash raised tensions at a time when Serbia and Kosovo have been seeking to normalise ties. Advertisement Advertisement Kosovo police display seized weapons and military equipment (Visar Kryeziu/AP) In February the wartime foes agreed a 10-point plan intended to bring them closer to EU membership, but implementation has faltered. Flags were at half-mast on all public buildings in the capital Pristina on Monday to mourn the dead officer, Afrim Bunjaku. In northern Kosovo, where most of the ethnic Serb minority lives in four municipalities around Mitrovica, police searched for the gunmen who had escaped. Advertisement It is not clear who the attackers are, nor who is supporting them. Pristina accuses Belgrade of backing the terrorists, an accusation Serbia denies, saying they are Serbs from Kosovo protesting against the government there. The murder & violence in the north is being perpetrated by these menarmed & organized professional forces in armored vehicles with no license plates. Let me restate: It is not ordinary Kosova Serb citizens but Serbian-state supported troops perpetrating these terrorist attacks. pic.twitter.com/2ipXu5rgFF Advertisement Albin Kurti (@albinkurti) September 24, 2023 Three of the attackers were killed and two injured in the shoot-out as the stand-off ended. Another Kosovar police officer was injured in the confrontation. Advertisement Two of the gunmen and four Serbs discovered nearby with communication equipment were arrested and are under investigation for terrorist acts. Police showed journalists the arsenal of weaponry they had seized at the monastery, including 24 vehicles and an armoured personal carrier, weapons, mines and grenades, missile launchers and a lot of ammunition. Advertisement Kosovos interior minister Xhelal Svecla called on Serbia to hand over six injured gunmen who are being treated at a hospital in Novi Pazar, the closest city across the border. The minister said they had identified at least five of the attackers as members of the ethnic Serb Civil Protection organisation, one of two groups which Pristina has declared illegal. Kosovo police man a checkpoint near Banjska Monastery (Visar Kryeziu/AP) Based on evidence, the minister said it was very possible that Milan Radoicic, a leader of the Srpska List party and closely associated with Serbias president, was part of the group. Mr Radoicic is banned from entering the US and the UK. Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said the gunmen were local Kosovo Serbs who no longer want to stand Kurtis terror. He condemned the killing of the Kosovo policeman, but said the clash was the result of brutal pressure on Kosovo Serbs by the government there. He denied any involvement by Belgrade. Mr Vucic also blasted the West and its hypocrisy over Kosovo. You can kill us all. Serbia will never recognise the independence of Kosovo, that monster creation that you made by bombing Serbia, Mr Vucic said, referring to the 1999 Nato intervention which led to Kosovo separating from Serbia. Advertisement Serbia and Kosovo, its former province, have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008, but Belgrade has refused to recognise the move. Matteo Messina Denaro, the convicted mastermind of some of the Sicilian mafias most heinous slayings, is dead. It comes only months after Italys number one fugitive was caught following decades on the run. Advertisement Reporting from LAquila hospital in central Italy, Rai state radio said police officers guarding Messina Denaros hospital room moved to the morgue after the don died at about 2am on Monday. Doctors said the mobster had been in a coma since Friday. A brief statement about his death from the LAquila prosecutors office said it and prosecutors in Palermo, Sicily, are requesting a post-mortem examination, even though it was well known Messina Denaro had been poorly. Burial is expected to take place later in the week in Sicily, Italian media said. Advertisement Reputed by investigators to be one of the mafias most powerful bosses, Messina Denaro, 61, had mainly been hiding out in western Sicily, his stronghold, during his 30 years on the run, thanks to the help of locals. Advertisement Advertisement His need for colon cancer treatment led to his capture on January 16 2023. Investigators were on his trail for years and discovered evidence he was receiving chemotherapy under an alias as an out-patient at a Palermo clinic. Digging into Italys national health system data base, they tracked him down and took him into custody when he showed up for an appointment. His arrest came 30 years and a day after the January 15 1993 capture of the mafias boss of bosses Salvatore Toto Riina in a Palermo apartment, also after decades in hiding. Advertisement Messina Denaro went into hiding later that year. While a fugitive, he was tried in absentia and convicted of dozens of murders, including helping to plan, along with other Cosa Nostra bosses, a pair of 1992 bombings which killed Italys leading anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Prosecutors had hoped in vain he would collaborate with them and reveal Cosa Nostra secrets. But according to Italian media reports, Messina Denaro made it clear immediately after his capture he would not talk. Advertisement A woman displays a photograph showing top anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone, left, and Paolo Borsellino (Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse/AP) When he died, he took with him his secrets about Cosa Nostra, state radio said. After his arrest, Messina Denaro began serving multiple life sentences in a top-security prison in LAquila, a city in Italys central Apennine mountain area, where he continued to receive chemotherapy. Advertisement But in his last weeks, after having two surgeries and with his condition worsening, he was transferred to the prison ward of the hospital where he died. His silence hewed to the examples of Riina and of the Sicilian Mafias other top boss, Bernardo Provenzano, who was caught in a farmhouse in Corleone, Sicily, in 2006, after 37 years in hiding the longest time on the run for a mafia boss. Once Provenzano was in police hands, the states hunt focused on Messina Denaro, who managed to elude arrest despite numerous reported sightings. Dozens of lower-level mafia bosses and foot soldiers did turn states evidence following a crackdown on the Sicilian syndicate sparked by the assassinations of Falcone and Borsellino in bombings which also killed Falcones wife and several police bodyguards. An Italian police officer looks at graffiti, on the perimeter wall of Palermos citys cathedral, portraying Messina Denaro (Alessandro Fucarini/AP) Among Messina Denaros multiple murder convictions was one for the slaying of the young son of a turncoat. The boy was kidnapped and strangled and his body was dissolved in a vat of acid. Messina Denaro was also among several Cosa Nostra top bosses convicted of ordering a series of bombings in 1993 which targeted two churches in Rome, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and an art gallery in Milan. Advertisement A total of 10 people were killed in the Florence and Milan bombings. The attacks in those three tourist cities, according to turncoats, were aimed at pressuring the Italian government into easing rigid prison conditions for convicted mobsters. When Messina Denaro was arrested, Palermos chief prosecutor, Maurizio De Lucia, said: We have captured the last of the massacre masterminds. The chairman of Hong Kongs leading journalist group has been found guilty of obstructing a police officer. The case has sparked concerns about the citys declining press freedom. Advertisement Ronson Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and a journalist of online news outlet Channel C, was arrested last September while on his way to a reporting assignment. He was accused of refusing to show the plainclothes officer his identity card upon request. Mr Chans arrest fuelled concerns about the erosion of media freedom in Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a national security law to crush dissent following the citys massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. Mr Chan faces two years in prison (Kanis Leung/AP) Advertisement The former British colony was promised it could keep its western-style civil liberties for 50 years when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Advertisement Magistrate Leung Ka-kie on Monday ruled that Mr Chan had deliberately obstructed the officer from carrying out her duty and failed to take out his identity card in a timely manner. He kept asking the officer questions recklessly, she said. Advertisement Mr Chan will be sentenced later on Monday and could face two years in prison. Speaking to reporters before the hearing, Mr Chan said he was calm. No matter how the outcome is, its not the end of the day, he said. In the crackdown following the 2019 protests, two vocal media outlets Apple Daily and Stand News have been forced to shut down and some of their top managers have been prosecuted. Advertisement Two former top editors at Stand News, where Mr Chan used to work, were tried for sedition. A verdict is scheduled for November. Pro-Beijing media outlets have attacked the association and Mr Chan, calling the professional group an anti-China political tool. Hong Kong, once seen as a bastion of media freedom in Asia, ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders latest World Press Freedom Index. The organisation said the city saw an unprecedented setback since 2020, when the security law was imposed. Advertisement But Beijing and Hong Kong authorities said the law helped bring stability back to the city following the anti-government protests in 2019. The chairman of Hong Kongs leading journalist group has received a five-day jail term after being found guilty of obstructing a police officer. The case has sparked concerns about the citys declining press freedom. Advertisement Ronson Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and a journalist at online news outlet Channel C, was arrested last September while on his way to a reporting assignment. He was accused of refusing to show the plainclothes officer his identity card upon request. Advertisement Chans arrest fuelled concerns about the erosion of media freedom in Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a national security law to crush dissent following the citys massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. The former British colony was promised it could keep its western-style civil liberties for 50 years when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Advertisement Magistrate Leung Ka-kie on Monday ruled that Chan had deliberately obstructed the officer from carrying out her duty and failed to take out his identity card in a timely manner. Advertisement He kept asking the officer questions recklessly, she said. Ms Leung sentenced him to five days in prison but later granted him bail pending an appeal. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Chan said his case could affect Hong Kongs image but he hopes every journalist will stand firm in their jobs. Everyone sees how the court views the case. I think justice lies in peoples hearts, he said. Advertisement Chan, right, speaks to reporters outside court (Alice Fung/AP) In the crackdown following the 2019 protests, two vocal media outlets Apple Daily and Stand News have been forced to shut down and some of their top managers have been prosecuted. Two former top editors at Stand News, where Chan used to work, were tried for sedition. A verdict is scheduled for November. Advertisement Pro-Beijing media outlets have attacked the association and Chan, calling the professional group an anti-China political tool. Hong Kong, once seen as a bastion of media freedom in Asia, ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders latest World Press Freedom Index. The organiastion said the city saw an unprecedented setback in 2020, when the security law was imposed. Beijing and Hong Kong authorities said the law helped bring stability back to the city following the anti-government protests in 2019. Former President Park Geun-hye made a rare public appearance Monday as she visited a traditional market in the southeastern city of Daegu ahead of the autumn harvest holiday of Chuseok. Accompanied by her aides and bodyguards, Park visited the traditional Hyeonpung Market in Daegu, her hometown, late Monday morning, donning a cream shirt matched with a dark denim skirt and running shoes with her signature updo hairstyle. Park has been living in Daegu since March last year after she was pardoned in December 2021. She had spent four years and nine months in prison on a 22-year sentence for corruption that led to her impeachment and ouster from office in 2017. Vendors and shoppers welcomed Park with clapping and cheering and wished her good health, while Park engaged them in small talk, giving handshakes and shopping for groceries. When one vendor asked what made her take so long to come, Park responded, smiling, "I've been wishing to come for a long time but got behind schedule." Following a 20-minute tour around the market, Park left in a vehicle, briefly telling reporters, "I came here to shop and see residents because Chuseok is coming." Park has mostly stayed out of the public eye since she moved to a house in her hometown of Daegu in March 2022. Earlier this month, the ruling People Power Party's leader Kim Gi-hyeon visited Park at her house in Daegu and asked for efforts to help the party produce a strong showing in the next parliamentary elections in April. (Yonhap) A powerful blast at a fuel depot in Nagorno-Karabakh killed at least 20 people and injured hundreds more on Monday as ethnic Armenians streamed out of the breakaway territory after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of it. The explosion at the fuel storage facility near the regional capital of Stepanakert killed 20 people and wounded nearly 300, separatist authorities said. They added that 290 people have been hospitalised. Advertisement It was not immediately clear what caused the blast, which happened as residents were lining up to get fuel for their cars in order to leave the region, but Nagorno-Karabakh presidential aide David Babayan said initial information suggested that sabotage was unlikely. The majority of the victims were in severe or extremely severe condition, Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan tweeted. Ethnic Armenians wait near Kornidzor to leave (Vasily Krestyaninov/AP) Advertisement Advertisement Armenias health ministry said a helicopter brought some blast victims to Armenia on Tuesday morning, and more flights were expected. Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said on X, formerly Twitter, that hospitals in Azerbaijan were ready to treat victims, but not if any had been taken to them. Azerbaijan has sent in burn-treatment medicine and other humanitarian aid, he said. The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and start talks on Nagorno-Karabakhs reintegration into Azerbaijan after three decades of separatist rule. While Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and restore supplies after a 10-month blockade, many local residents feared reprisals and decided to leave for Armenia. Advertisement Armenias government said Tuesday morning that more than 13,500 people about 12% of Nagorno-Karabakhs population have fled to Armenia this week. Moscow said that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh were assisting the evacuation. Some 700 people remained in the peacekeepers camp there on Monday. Dozens of people were lining up at the fuel facility where the blast occurred because they had been promised fuel, a scarcity during the blockade, for their cars in order to move to Armenia, according to Nagorno-Karabakhs separatist authorities. Advertisement A convoy of Russian peacekeepers drives through the queue of traffic (Vasily Krestyaninov/AP) Advertisement The explosion took place hours after the second round of talks between Azerbaijani officials and separatist representatives was held Monday in the town of Khojaly, just north of the Nagorno-Karabakh capital. The first round was held last week. Azerbaijans presidential office said in a statement that the talks were held in a constructive atmosphere and that discussion focused on humanitarian aid to the region and medical services. Azerbaijans defence ministry said on Monday that two of its soldiers were killed a day earlier when a military truck hit a land mine. Advertisement In an address to the nation on Sunday, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. If these efforts do not produce concrete results, the government will welcome our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia with every care, he said. Demonstrators demanding Mr Pashinyans resignation over what they call his failure to protect Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh continued blocking the Armenian capitals main avenues on Monday, clashing occasionally with police. Thousands of Armenians have streamed out of Nagorno-Karabakh (Stepan Poghosyan, Photolure photo/AP) Advertisement Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. During the war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict. In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the regions separatist forces. Armenia said the closure denied basic food and fuel supplies to Nagorno-Karabakhs approximately 120,000 people. Azerbaijan rejected the accusation, arguing the region could receive supplies through the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam, a solution long resisted by Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, who called it a strategy for Azerbaijan to gain control of the region. On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Armenia and Armenians, saying that France will mobilise food and medical aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and keep working toward a sustainable peace in the region. Ethnic Armenians head to to Kornidzor (Vasily Krestyaninov/AP) France, which has a big Armenian diaspora, has for decades played a mediating role in Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, visited Azerbaijan on Monday in a show of support to its ally. Advertisement Russia has been the main ally and sponsor of Armenia and has a military base there, but it also has sought to maintain friendly ties with Azerbaijan. But Moscows clout in the region has waned quickly amid the Russian war in Ukraine while the influence of Azerbaijans top ally Turkey has increased. Mr Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan exclave on Monday for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss Turkey-Azerbaijan ties and regional and global issues. Nakhchivan is cut off from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory but forms a slim border with Turkey. The men signed a deal for a gas pipeline and the Turkish leader said Im very pleased to be with all of you as we connect Nakhchivan with the Turkish world. Nasa has successfully landed the largest asteroid sample ever collected back on Earth. A capsule containing about 250g of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu touched down in the Utah desert near Salt Lake City at 3.52pm Irish time on Sunday, three minutes ahead of schedule. Advertisement First Stu Wylie from @usairforce and Vicky Thiem from @LockheedMartin conduct a safety survey of the surrounding area and the #OSIRISREx capsule itself before the rest of the team approaches. pic.twitter.com/0LWA6oRylA NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) September 24, 2023 Advertisement It was then checked for any damage and wrapped in thermal blanketing, before being recovered by helicopter using a cargo net. The sample, collected as part of Nasas Osiris-Rex mission, is the US space agencys first mission to collect a sample from an asteroid and the first by any agency since 2020. Advertisement A quarter of the sample will be given to a group of more than 200 people from 38 globally distributed institutions, including a team of scientists from the University of Manchester and the British Natural History Museum. Advertisement Technicians examine the sample return capsule from Nasas Osiris-Rex mission (Nasa via AP/PA) Dr Sarah Crowther, research fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester, said: It was very exciting watching the Sample Return Capsule return, and a huge relief when it landed safely. I was watching multiple feeds at the same time! It seems like everything went as smoothly as we could have hoped. The capsule even conveniently landed near a road! Advertisement Reacting to the landing, Queen musician Brian May, who aided the mission by helping to identify where Osiris-Rex could grab a sample from the asteroid, said: This box when it is opened of material from the surface of Bennu can tell us untold secrets of the origins of the universe, the origins of our planet and the origins of life itself. What an incredibly exciting day. Advertisement Asteroid Bennu is a 4.5-billion-year-old remnant of our early solar system and scientists believe it can help shed light on how planets formed and evolved. Experts say the carbon-rich, near-Earth asteroid serves as a time capsule from the earliest history of the solar system. Advertisement It is anticipated the sample will provide important clues that could help us to understand the origin of organics and water that may have led to life on Earth. Because the sample has been collected directly from the asteroid, there will be almost zero contamination. Meteorites that fall to Earth are quickly contaminated from the second they make contact with our atmosphere. This means Bennu can give us an unspoiled glimpse into the past. Ashley King, UKRI future leaders fellow, Natural History Museum, said: Osiris-Rex spent over two years studying asteroid Bennu, finding evidence for organics and minerals chemically altered by water. These are crucial ingredients for understanding the formation of planets like Earth, so were delighted to be among the first researchers to study samples returned from Bennu. We think the Bennu samples might be similar in composition to the recent Winchcombe meteorite fall, but largely uncontaminated by the terrestrial environment and even more pristine. Dr Crowther earlier said on Friday: It is a real honour to be selected to be part of the Osiris-Rex sample analysis team, working with some of the best scientists around the world. (PA Graphics) Were excited to receive samples in the coming weeks and months, and to begin analysing them and see what secrets asteroid Bennu holds. Advertisement A lot of our research focuses on meteorites and we can learn a lot about the history of the solar system from them. Meteorites get hot coming through Earths atmosphere and can sit on Earth for many years before they are found, so the local environment and weather can alter or even erase important information about their composition and history. Sample return missions like Osiris-Rex are vitally important because the returned samples are pristine, we know exactly which asteroid they come from and can be certain that they are never exposed to the atmosphere so that important information is retained. The spacecraft launched on September 8, 2016 and arrived at Bennu in December 2018. In this image from video released by Nasa, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft touches the surface of asteroid Bennu on October 20, 2020 (Nasa via AP/PA) After mapping the asteroid for almost two years, it collected a sample from the surface on October 20th, 2020. Astrophysicist Professor Boris Gansicke, department of physics, the University of Warwick, said: The asteroids in our solar system contain the raw building blocks from which the Earth was made, so working out their composition will tell us a lot of how our planet formed. There are many open questions, for instance, where did the water that we have on Earth come from? And where did the ingredients that made life possible to develop come from? Advertisement To answer those questions, ie measure the composition of an asteroid, you need to get your hands on them (or in this case the arm of a space mission), and this is what Osiris-Rex achieved. In a nutshell, its similar to sitting in front of a delicious dinner and wanting to have the list of ingredients. English nurse Lucy Letby will face a retrial on an outstanding allegation she attempted to murder a baby girl. Letby (33) was sentenced to a whole life order after she was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016. Advertisement However, the jury in her trial at Manchester Crown Court was unable to reach verdicts last month on six counts of attempted murder in relation to five children. Police arrested killer nurse Lucy Letby at her home in Chester in July 2018 (Cheshire Police/PA) On Monday, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service said it wanted to pursue a retrial at the same court on one of the outstanding charges that Letby attempted to murder a baby girl, known as Child K, in February 2016. Advertisement A provisional trial date of June 10th, 2024 at the same court has been fixed, with an estimated length of two to three weeks. Advertisement Letby attended the hearing via videolink from a conference room at HMP New Hall in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She sat behind a desk and spoke only to confirm her name and that she could see and hear the proceedings. The first residents and property owners are being allowed to return to their devastated homes in the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, seven weeks after it was engulfed by wildfires. The deadliest US wildfire in more than a century saw people race into the sea to escape the flames as the former capital of the once-Hawaiian kingdom burned. Advertisement As the first restrictions start to lift on the 17 zones and dozens of sub-zones of burned ruins, divided up by the government, residents have been told they will be accompanied on visits to their properties on Monday and Tuesday amid fears of toxic dust left behind by the fires. Advertisement Non-profit organisations will offer protective equipment such as masks and coveralls as the ash may contain asbestos, lead, arsenic or other dangerous substances. Lahaina residents will also be provided with water, shade, medical and mental health care, toilets, washing stations and transportation if needed. Advertisement Interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency Darryl Oliveira said authorities plan to approach the first home visits delicately, allowing people space and privacy to grieve and reflect in the wake of the disastrous fire. He said: They anticipate some people will only want to go for a very short period of time, a few minutes to say goodbye in a way to their property. Advertisement A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Jae C. Hong/AP) Mr Oliveiras comments echo those of Hawaii Governor Josh Green, made last week as the first residents were told they would soon be allowed home visits. Mr Green said: Others may want to stay several hours. Theyre going to be very accommodating. Advertisement The fire left at least 97 people dead and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings. Officials originally thought the death toll to sit around 115 people but that number dropped after DNA testing. Maui Police chief John Pelletier said 74 of the victims had been identified and confirmed the number of missing people had fallen from 41 to 31. Thousands of Armenians have streamed out of Nagorno-Karabakh after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of the breakaway region, while Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Azerbaijan on Monday in a show of support to its ally. The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and start talks on Nagorno-Karabakhs reintegration into Azerbaijan after three decades of separatist rule. Advertisement A second round of talks between Azerbaijani officials and separatist representatives began in Khojaly on Tuesday after the opening meeting last week. While Azerbaijan pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and restore supplies after a 10-month blockade, many local residents feared reprisals and said they were planning to leave for Armenia. Advertisement The Armenian government said 4,850 Nagorno-Karabakh residents had fled to Armenia as of 12pm on Monday. Advertisement Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh arrive in Goris, Armenia (Vasily Krestyaninov/AP) It was a nightmare. There are no words to describe. The village was heavily shelled. Almost no one is left in the village, said one of the evacuees who spoke to the Associated Press in the Armenian city of Kornidzor and refused to give her name for security reasons. Moscow said Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh were assisting the evacuation. Azerbaijans defence ministry said on Monday that two of its soldiers were killed a day earlier when a military truck hit a landmine. Advertisement It did not name the area where the explosion happened. In an address to the nation on Sunday, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. If these efforts do not produce concrete results, the government will welcome our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia with every care, he said. Demonstrators demanding Mr Pashinyans resignation continued blocking the Armenian capitals main avenues on Monday, engaging in occasional clashes with police who sought to disperse the protests. Advertisement Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting which ended in 1994. Advertisement Demonstrators march during a protest against Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, Armenia (Hayk Baghdasaryan/Photolure/AP) During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory which Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict. Advertisement After a Russia-brokered armistice, a contingent of about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers was sent to the region to monitor it. In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the regions separatist forces. Armenia charged that the closure denied basic food and fuel supplies to Nagorno-Karabakhs approximately 120,000 people. Azerbaijan rejected the accusation, arguing the region could receive supplies through the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam a solution long resisted by Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, who called it a strategy for Azerbaijan to gain control of the region. On Sunday, French president Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Armenia and Armenians, saying France will mobilise food and medical aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and keep working toward sustainable peace in the region. France, which has a big Armenian diaspora, has for decades played a mediating role in Nagorno-Karabakh. A few hundred people rallied outside the French foreign ministry over the weekend, demanding sanctions against Azerbaijan and accusing Paris of not doing enough to protect Armenian interests in the region. Advertisement Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh arrive in Goris, Armenia (Vasily Krestyaninov/AP) France is very vigilant about Armenias territorial integrity because that is what is at stake, Mr Macron said in an interview with France-2 and TF1 television, accusing Russia of complicity with Azerbaijan and charging that Turkey threatens Armenias borders. Since the start of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan has relied on strong backing of its ally Turkey, which has offered political support and provided it with weapons. Mr Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan exclave on Monday for talks with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev to discuss Turkey-Azerbaijan ties and regional and global issues. Nakhchivan is cut off from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory but forms a slim border with Turkey. The men signed a deal for a gas pipeline and the Turkish leader said Im very pleased to be with all of you as we connect Nakhchivan with the Turkish world. Mr Aliyev, at a news conference with Mr Erdogan, said It is crystal clear that, independent of their ethnicity, the people living in the Karabakh region are Azerbaijani people so their safety and security is ensured by the Azerbaijani state. Ive always found Eric Schmidt to be a helpful resource, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in an emailed response to questions about the former Google CEO. I know many senators on both sides of the aisle feel the same way. He is smart, thoughtful, and pragmatic. When Schmidt testified before the House China Committee in May, he said the US must organise around innovation power. The next month, Schumer said innovation must be our North Star when introducing his AI framework and the roundtable of tech leaders hell host next week. The bulk of Schmidts wealth comes from his roughly 1 per cent stake in Google parent Alphabet, Credit: Bloomberg All this is happening at a key moment for American AI policy, as the government races to set the global standard for regulating the new technology. Schumer said he aims to turn next weeks insight forum including Schmidt, civil society leaders and executives from Google, Microsoft Corp., OpenAI and other top tech companies into legislation in a matter of months, not years. Eric has been grateful for the opportunity to volunteer his time serving on various US government committees under both Democratic and Republican administrations and has always fully complied with all disclosure requirements, a spokesperson for Schmidt said in an emailed statement. Your emissaries Schmidt, who took over as Google CEO from founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 2001 to help the company grow and go public, has already profited handsomely from Wall Streets newfound obsession with AI. The bulk of Schmidts wealth comes from his roughly 1 per cent stake in Google parent Alphabet, one of a handful of companies that have been the key drivers and beneficiaries of AI advancements in the US. He also owns 20 per cent of hedge fund D.E. Shaw & Co., which manages $US60 billion and is a prominent investor in technology and AI. Loading Alphabets share price is up 55 per cent this year, helping add $US7.9 billion to Schmidts net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Hes collected about $US4 billion from the sale of Alphabet stock over the years, which has helped fund his investments in AI startups, including some that have gone on to win federal contracts. Back in June, Schmidt agreed at a public auction to pay $US67.6 million for the Alfa Nero superyacht, which was abandoned in Antigua after the US Treasury sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev. He dropped the purchase after the deal faced legal challenges. Government watchdogs and outside groups have long raised questions about Schmidts potential conflicts of interest. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, last year wrote to the Pentagon laying out her concerns that Schmidt could use his position on federal commissions to further his own personal financial interests. Schmidt has been remarkably candid about how his connections from the National Security Commission on AI and his other initiatives expand his reach a strategy honed from his time at Google, which has developed a reputation as a lobbying powerhouse that aggressively advocates for its interests in Washington. The people who work in the commission and then go into the government, they are your emissaries, Schmidt told a Capitol Hill cyber policy event in June. A rule of business is that if you could put your person in the company, theyre likely to buy from you. Its the same principle. Schmidt has cashed in on Wall Streets AI obsession. Credit: AP At the same Capitol Hill event, Schmidt pointed to how much of the AI commissions final report was incorporated into the National Defense Authorisation Act, one of the bipartisan spending bills Congress passes annually. This is pretty arrogant on our part but we figured, since theyve asked us to work, we might as well produce some legislation candidates, and much of that, something like two-thirds of it, is now part of the NDAA, Schmidt said. Loading Contracts According to a June report from the conservative nonprofit Bull Moose Project, Schmidts own venture capital funds and others in which he owns a stake invested in at least 57 AI startups, seven of which won government contracts or other forms of support. These investments, which were verified by Bloomberg News, include Rebellion Defense, a war fighting software company that counts Schmidt-backed venture firm Innovation Endeavors among its investors and won an Energy Department contract in April to enhance cybersecurity for the US nuclear arsenal. Innovation Endeavors also invested in Machina Labs, an AI and robotics manufacturing company that has won $US4.8 million in contracts from the Defense Department and NASA since 2021, according to government spending data cited by Bull Moose, including a $US3 million contract for aerospace components. The Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit, also documented how Schmidt helped craft the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which injected more than $US50 billion into US manufacturing of semiconductors, an essential ingredient in AI development. Several of his initiatives, including the public-private Americas Frontier Fund, are poised to benefit from the legislation, according to the nonprofits July report. Schmidt won an auction to buy the Alfa Nero superyacht, which was abandoned in Antigua after the US Treasury sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev. He dropped the purchase after the deal faced legal challenges. Credit: Internet Schmidts financial interest in AI isnt limited to US firms. Even as he warns policymakers about the competitive threat from China, his philanthropic Schmidt Family Foundation had invested in some of Chinas biggest tech companies developing AI tools. Managed by Hillspire LLC, Schmidts family office, the foundation held $US1.7 million in Tencent Holdings Ltd. and $US1 million in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., according to tax documents filed last year. It also had smaller investments in more than 40 other Chinese companies, including state-owned enterprises like the Bank of China. These investments made up a small portion of the foundations $US2.3 billion in total assets. A Schmidt spokesperson said the investments were made by a third-party manager and neither Schmidt nor the foundation made any decisions, suggestions or recommendations. The spokesperson didnt respond to a question regarding the current size of the foundations stake in the Chinese companies. Our solution AI isnt the only emerging technology to be shaped by Schmidt and his network. In April 2022, a Schmidt Futures task force published a report on how the US should develop biotechnology. Several months later, the White House issued an executive order that echoed many of its recommendations, including proposals for federal investment and data sharing. Loading In December, Congress appointed Schmidt to the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, roughly two years after he founded First Spark Ventures, a fund that invests in the industry. At a synthetic biology conference last year, he advised attendees on how to win the US governments attention and money. Theres been a rush on rainwater tanks in south-east Queensland as El Nino sets in and Brisbane homeowners prepare for a hot, dry summer. Pinjarra Hills man Tony Chau says rebates should be offered to households to add extra water tanks. Credit: Tony Moore Mortgage broker Tony Chau and his family live on Moggill Road at Pinjarra Hills, one of the suburbs identified as high-risk for bushfires by the Brisbane City Council in July. It hasnt rained for a while, and everything is brown. Everything is dry, he said. Chau has two water tanks: a 1000-litre tank for washing his car and watering his garden, and a 5000-litre tank used to refill his pool, clean his house and water the back garden. London Complaints about Russell Brand prior to his dismissal from the BBC in 2008 were never reported to a more senior executive than the head of Radio 2, insiders have told The Telegraph. The BBC has begun a trawl of complaints about Brands behaviour during his stint as a presenter, first on 6Music in 2006 and then on Radio 2 until his sacking in 2008. Brand and presenter Jonathan Ross were sacked over lewd messages they left on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs (who played Manuel in Fawlty Towers) relating to Brands relationship with Sachs granddaughter. Russell Brand as he appeared on social media over the weekend. Credit: @russellbrand/instagram But sources said it had not found any paper trail to date that went beyond the networks senior management. The corporation has now written to Lesley Douglas, who was controller of Radio 2 at the time, informing her that she no longer needs to stick to confidentiality agreements put in place when she left the BBC. Mining magnate Clive Palmer and United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet are appealing a Federal Court judgment concerning crosses as responses on Voice referendum ballot papers. In a judgment delivered last week after an urgent hearing, Federal Court Justice Steven Rares said an X was inherently ambiguous and could not be counted as a No vote in the historic referendum on October 14. Mining magnate Clive Palmer launched a Federal Court action over the Voice referendum. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Babet and Palmer the founder of the UAP had sought a Federal Court declaration that effect shall be given to any ballot papers containing a cross (X) written alone in the space provided, by treating such ballot papers as clearly demonstrating the voters intention that he or she does not approve the proposed law. Alternatively, they sought a declaration that any ballot papers containing a tick alone do not clearly demonstrate the voters intention to be counted as a Yes vote. Voters will be instructed to write Yes or No on the Voice referendum ballot paper. However, under so-called savings provisions, a referendum vote may be counted where a voters intention is clear, even when they have not followed the formal instructions. Rares said a tick was unambiguous as it both approves or selects the affirmative as the voters answer. Loading Palmer and Babet were ordered to pay the Electoral Commissions costs. Rares shortened the timeframe for filing any notice of appeal from 28 days to a week. This afternoon, Justice Anthony Besanko ordered that the appeal be heard by the Full Court of the Federal Court on Monday, October 9. Barrister Brendan Lim, acting for the Electoral Commissioner, said a date was sought that would enable judgment to be delivered no later than October 11 because of practical issues concerning the claimed relief if it were to be granted. Besanko said he understood October 11 was in effect, the cut-off point in terms of the action that may or may not need to be taken as a result of the appeal. Ill speak to the other judges who will comprise the Full Court and call the matter back on if we foresee any difficulties, the judge said. At the moment, I dont, but Ill bear in mind what youve said. U.S. helps Canada confirm India's involvement in Sikh leader's killing Xinhua) 11:11, September 25, 2023 OTTAWA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Recent leaks indicate that the United States has contributed to Canada's allegation that India is responsible for the assassination of a Canadian citizen, playing a crucial role in the simmering diplomatic tiff between New Delhi and Ottawa. Canada-India ties recently sank to a deep freeze after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly accused Indian agents of being behind the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, which was strongly rejected by the Indian side. Both countries have started to expel each other's diplomats and issued travel advisories urging their citizens to exercise "utmost caution" while traveling in the other country. Canadian CTV News network on Sunday released an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, during which he explicitly stated, "There was shared intelligence among 'Five Eyes' partners that helped lead Canada to making the statements that the prime minister made." Citing "Western allied officials," The New York Times, in its Saturday report, went one step further in specifying that "U.S. intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that he hopes India will work with the Canadians on this investigation and expects accountability from the Indian side. Previously, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also issued a stern warning, saying that the United States would not grant India any "special exemption" in this matter. "There's not some special exemption you get for actions like this. Regardless of the country ... we will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process," he said. Indians have started to voice their dissatisfaction with the U.S. stance in the diplomatic spat. In a recent editorial, The Tribune, an Indian daily newspaper, inveighed against the United States, stating that "the U.S., that inveterate global policeman ... has laid bare its bias and double standards by targeting India." "Does the U.S. have the moral authority to grant such an exemption, even if unsolicited, considering its own unenviable history of adventurism in foreign lands?" the editorial asked. "The answer is again an emphatic no." Analysts believe that the row will take a toll on the relationship between India and the United States. The U.S. government "is in a no-win situation with this latest bombshell of India-Canada news," Derek J. Grossman, a political analyst at the RAND Corporation, said on social media X, formerly known as Twitter. "Canada's bombshell accusation ... against India could be (the) most significant test of strength of U.S.-India partnership since early 2000s," he opined. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Monday passed a resolution denouncing Japan for laying claims to Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo and approving school textbooks containing such claims. The resolution had originally passed through the committee in June, but the committee decided to pass it again Monday after expanding the subject of condemnation to include not only school textbooks, but also Japanese government documents. The latest resolution, which combines two drafts proposed by the ruling and opposition parties, urges Japan to immediately revoke its decision to approve the textbooks and withdraw its sovereignty claims over Dokdo from official government documents. In late March, Japan's education ministry approved 149 textbooks for elementary school students to be used in 2024. The texts were criticized for watering down Japan's atrocities against Koreans during its 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula and strengthening its territorial claims over Dokdo. (Yonhap) An Australian National University student stabbed in a campus attack is still in intensive care and will never be the same, her mother said in an emotional interview. Ilysha Perry, 20, remains in Canberra Hospitals intensive care unit in a serious but stable condition seven days after the attack. Fiona Coffeys daughter, Ilysha Perry, remains in Canberra Hospitals intensive care unit a week after the ANU attack. Credit: AAP/FACEBOOK Alex Ophel, 24, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after police alleged he stabbed two women Perry and another 20-year-old student, Isabelle Vasudeva last Monday afternoon on the universitys Canberra campus and assaulted two men. Prior to the attack, Perrys mother Fiona Coffey had spent the weekend in Canberra with her daughter, before driving back to Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast, two hours away. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes reveal how Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo used WhatsApp messages to try to reshape governments. See all 6 stories . The public servant in charge of Australias internal security lobbied hard for the power to censor the medias reporting of national security issues after the Australian Federal Police controversially raided three Australian journalists over their reporting. In a series of text messages to an influential Liberal Party operative in 2019, the secretary of the Home Affairs Department, Michael Pezzullo, sought to convince then prime minister Scott Morrison to introduce a system of D-Notices by which government agencies would be able to pressure media organisations not to publish stories deemed damaging to national security. Pezzullo pursued the issue despite the apparent indifference of the government, after his anger was stoked by a report by then News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst who is now state politics editor for The Age about his secret proposal to allow the nations external intelligence agency to spy on Australians. In other messages, Pezzullo wrote that the government could criminalise journalists in certain circumstances for reporting on what they were told by government whistleblowers. The revelations come after The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes revealed a five-year conversation between Pezzullo and Liberal powerbroker Scott Briggs whom the Home Affairs secretary used as a back channel to two Liberal prime ministers to try to further his ambitions. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that Pezzullo had agreed to stand aside from his job pending an inquiry by the Australian Public Service Commission. He had not been stood aside when the inquiry was first announced. Advertisement Smethursts April 2018 story was based partly on a leaked letter written by Pezzullo, in which he proposed the Australian Signals Directorate be able to access the private information of Australians in the name of increasing security. The following year, Australian Federal Police raided Smethursts house. Pezzullo praised the officers who conducted the raid and the Home Affairs secretary called publicly for the jailing of the person who had leaked the document to Smethurst. The raid on Smethurst, along with a separate raid targeting two ABC journalists, Dan Oakes and Sam Clark, led to a public debate and a parliamentary committee inquiry into the balance between press freedom and increasingly heavy-handed security legislation. Senior journalist Annika Smethurst at a Press Club speech on press freedom following the raid on her home in 2019. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer More than a thousand messages to Liberal Party operative Scott Briggs, obtained by The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, show Pezzullo used the leak to Smethurst to denigrate former defence minister Marise Payne and other colleagues, including his fellow bureaucrats, and to go behind Smethursts back to criticise her to her senior journalistic colleagues. Pezzullos messages also show a contempt for several well-known media figures. He congratulated then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull for putting prominent journalist Waleed Aly in his place, described young reporter Primrose Riordan as a silly journalist, veteran ABC journalist Barrie Cassidy as a sneering, cynical hack, and referred to broadcaster Alan Jones view that the Murugappan family of Biloela should be allowed to stay in Australia as a rant. Advertisement Pezzullo, who has a responsibility as a senior public servant to be apolitical, to serve his minister and to be transparent in his dealings in the public interest, instead cultivated a secret relationship with Briggs, a party apparatchik who had the ear of successive Liberal prime ministers. She is useless On April 29, 2018, Smethurst published a story citing a letter written by Pezzullo. It outlined his proposal to allow government hackers working for the Australian Signals Directorate to proactively disrupt and covertly remove onshore cyber threats by hacking into critical infrastructure in Australia. In WhatsApp messages between Pezzullo and Briggs on the Sunday the story was published, the powerful public servant turned his attack on Payne over her response to Smethursts questions published in the article. Payne is completely ineffectual, Pezzullo wrote to Briggs around midday. She could have killed the story yesterday. She is useless, Briggs agreed, before reassuring Pezzullo that, Scott [Morrison] was at pains to say he has your back meaning he agreed it [the hacking policy] is a totally necessary measure. [Then prime minister] Malcolm [Turnbull] said he supports it as well. We just need to make sure they stay committed. Advertisement The shame of it is that Payne could have turned it around yesterday had she engaged, wrote Pezzullo. I could have turned it into a great story for the Government once Smethurst had the yarn she could have been turned. Payne declined to comment. Smethurst told The Age, the Herald and 60 Minutes: I dont think its the role of department people to be trying to turn journalists. This was a profound change [of policy], one that the intelligence watchdog, Margaret Stone at the time, warned against I wasnt in the business of writing great stories for any government or any opposition. It was just about getting facts out there and I would have written it in the same manner. Fourteen months later, in June 2019, Pezzullo returned to the subject after the Australian Federal Police which was part of the Home Affairs portfolio but not under Pezzullos operational command raided Smethursts home and confiscated her electronic devices. The furious media reaction prompted Pezzullo to write to his senior contacts in the media who he described in messages to Briggs as some colleagues in the 4th estate. Advertisement I respect your journalism but I am calling foul on your commentary on the AFP warrant on Smethurst, Pezzullo wrote, forwarding the extended message to Briggs. You cannot possibly defend so-called public interest journalism which is entirely false, and where no evidence of wrongdoing is exposed Why do I know this to be false? Because I wrote the proposal and sent it to Defence. He then denigrated Smethurst: Why do you think her handler picked her, rather than say an experienced national security journalist. Think about it. Smethurst said she had spent months reporting and confirming the story. It was a good story and I stand by it. Bid to restrict media reporting The raids prompted a national debate on media freedom, but Pezzullos messages to Briggs showed that he quickly tired of it. Five days after the raid, as the coverage continued, he wrote to Briggs: The self-indulgence is getting tiresome. Briggs comforted him by saying Morrison, who was by then the prime minister, was very supportive of you and resolute on the media issue. Pezzullo quickly proposed new controls on journalists. Telling Briggs the punters are sick of the chaos, Pezzullo said he was happy to speak with the PMO [Prime Ministers Office] discreetly. Advertisement Observing that Punctuation counts, George Zivkovic of Northmead recently noticed a disconcerting sign on one of Sydneys motorway tunnels: Trucks know your height and weight. While theres a pretty fine line to tattoo etiquette (C8), Joy Heads of Wollstonecraft thinks its ok to have a look: As a 77 year-old with a beautiful rose tattoo on my forearm, I can say being asked about my tattoo has always been a wonderful icebreaker. Both at home and when travelling, this conversation trigger has been a pleasure to engage in and learn from. Only once did someone recoil from shaking my hand. It was on target for Cecily Chittick of Wyong: My young hairdresser had one arm with an arrow tattoo and one arm with a bow, both long and colourful. When I asked about them, she explained she was a NSW champion in womens archery. Plus, she said oldies like me had never asked before. Ask and be prepared for interesting conversations to follow, I say. Maybe, but Marion Newall of Point Frederick claims that Its really taboo to check out tattoos; stare at the groceries instead. Some shoppers might be more self-conscious about that than their ink. Is it another week to daylight saving? asks Nola Tucker of Kiama. Tell the birds. But just months later, Iron Mikes reign might finally be ending and Joyce has left Qantas as the countrys least popular CEO. Alan Joyce (left) and Mike Pezzullo at a speech by Treasurer Jim Chalmers at Parliament House in May. Credit: Alex Elllinghausen As for Briggs, the bloke who received all of those hot takes from Pezzullo on the future of the Liberal Party? Well, last we heard, he was an outside shot at succeeding Scott Morrison as member for Cook, if the former PM ever quits parliament (and at this point, it might not be until the next election). SNAKE AYES Its well documented that Greg Mirabella a former army officer, senator and, most recently, Victorian Liberal Party president packed in the backroom life a couple of months ago to pursue his dream of returning to Canberras red chamber, nominating for the partys Senate ticket for the next election. Senators James Paterson and Jane Hume cobbled together a non-aggression pact last month to take the tickets safe-as-houses first and second spots respectively, which just leaves the not-always-winnable third position up for grabs. Thats the spot left vacant by David Van, who was turfed from the Liberal Party in June after he was accused of sexual harassment which he denies and now sits as an independent. But getting the nod when the party makes its decision in November might not be a walk-up start for Mirabella, with a couple of interesting names on the list of contenders issued to party members on Monday morning. Senate hopeful and snake catcher Jarrod Bingham during his 2022 state politics tilt. Credit: Rachael Dexter Our eye was caught by Jarrod Bingham, the snake-catching (thats his actual job) former regional councillor who ran as an independent for the state seat of Melton in the 2022 Victorian election against the Liberals Graham Watt and managed to be the best of the rest behind the two major parties, outpolling the Greens. After that effort, Binghams application for Liberal Party membership had to go for approval to the state council, which probably decided that a bloke who knows how to handle dangerous reptiles would be handy to have around. Also in the mix are former Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Karyn Sobels, who brings a wealth of policy experience to her tilt at Senate glory, and former Senate candidate and Baptist sometime preacher Kyle Hoppitt, who missed out on a spot in 2019, the year Van was elected. VAN HIRE Some in the party hierarchy are daring to dream that the winner of the preselection contest might be able to get their bum onto the coveted red leather seat without first having to face the electorate. Senator David Van. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The investigation by the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service into the complaints against Van who denies them, vehemently is expected to be concluded within about six weeks, with aforementioned Liberal optimists speculating that the findings might force their erstwhile colleague right out of politics, handing the party its seat back. Its hard to know what might happen, this being the first investigation of its kind by the fledgling standards outfit, but some circumstantial evidence has emerged suggesting Van who did not respond to our invitation to discuss these matters on Monday is not planning to go anywhere. Hes looking to hire a parliamentary officer to join his team, splitting their time between his electorate office in Cheltenham and Parliament House in Canberra. If youre keen, youll need a fairly wide skill set, with political experience and a demonstrated professional integrity and the ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality. RADIO ACTIVE In better news for local Liberals, party leader John Pesutto told the faithful on Sunday that he was working hard to establish a point of difference between his opposition and Daniel Andrews Labor government. Loading Taking their cue from the boss, Pesuttos people massive fans of this column were eager to point out, in light of Andrews rare appearances on Melbourne radio, that their own man had been positively blitzing the airwaves on Monday morning. Pesutto did a 30-minute slot with retiring 3AW mornings veteran Neil Mitchell before lobbing up on ABC Radio Melbourne for a chat with Waleed Aly, who was filling in for Raf Epstein on the stations morning show, with the Liberal leader taking talkback calls during both interviews. Probably not enough to establish Pesutto as man of the people just yet, but as he says, working hard. Heatwaves are a silent killer that lead to more deaths each year than other natural disasters and Australians need to be prepared for them, Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt has said before what is forecast to be the countrys hottest and driest weather since Black Summer. Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne have all endured heatwaves this month and the Bureau of Meteorology last week declared an El Nino event and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole. A man tries to cool down during a heatwave in Sydney, 2019, by lying on the floorboards. Credit: Christopher Pearce Watt said that will bring a more difficult summer, in terms of hot weather risk, than the country had seen since the Black Summer of 2019-20. And while theres been a lot of focus on bushfires, and understandably so, one of the other risks that we face this year is heatwaves, which of course are the silent killer of Australians, he said. Indigenous leader Noel Pearson says he anticipated a scare campaign over the Voices lack of detail but insists Peter Duttons demand for more information is unrealistic and political, even though Pearson himself previously supported releasing the draft legislation before going to a referendum. The contest over detail flared up on Monday when the opposition leader claimed the lack of information was the number one reason approval for the Voice was plummeting. Anthony Albanese with leading Indigenous figures including Marcia Langton in parliament in March. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly said the details of how the Voice would operate would be worked out after the referendum. He has previously said he was learning from history to avoid a repeat of the failed 1999 republic referendum, when questions about the model cruelled the campaign. Macron said Sahrawi was neutralized by French forces. He did not specify whether Sahrawis death was through a targeted operation. (Photo: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters) Nearly two months after the July 26 coup in the West African nation of Niger, French President Macron announced the withdrawal of all French troops and the French ambassador from Niger. Niger has been a primary military base for France in Africa and a significant source of uranium. Since 2021, West African nations including Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all former French colonies, have experienced military coups. Gabon, another former French colony, also underwent a coup this August. These series of coups and France's troop withdrawals signify a diminishing French presence in Africa. After the withdrawal from Niger, Chad will be the only Sahel region country with a French military presence. However, France still wields considerable influence over African nations through the currency tool, the CFA franc. Meanwhile, France's Western allies continue to counter Russia's influence in Africa. In Niger, U.S. military operations have resumed. Another French Withdrawal During an interview with French media on September 24, Macron stated that in light of Niger's reluctance to combat terrorism, France would end its military cooperation with the country. The withdrawal process will commence in the coming weeks and conclude by year's end. France also decided to recall its ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, who, along with other diplomats, will return to France "within the next few hours." Prior to Macron's withdrawal announcement, Niger's military leaders declared the closure of their airspace to French military and commercial aircraft, aiming to reclaim full control over their skies. Last month, the coup leaders in Niger canceled the security defense agreement with France, demanding the departure of French troops and Ambassador Itte. At the time, France rejected Niger's demands, insisting on recognizing only the Bazoum government as the legitimate government of Niger. The democratically elected President Bazoum remains under house arrest and has not been released. By the end of last month, the military government in Niger declared that since Itte had not left the country within the stipulated time, he no longer enjoyed diplomatic immunity and would be expelled. Subsequently, the French embassy in Niger was blockaded by the military government, cutting off supplies and disrupting water and electricity. Itte and his staff had to rely on military rations for sustenance. Macron condemned the military government for holding Itte hostage. An aide to Bazoum revealed that on Sunday, Bazoum spoke with Macron, urging him to recall Itte to prevent further escalation. In response to Macron's decision to withdraw troops and recall the ambassador, the Nigerien military government stated that this marked a new chapter in Niger's sovereignty, emphasizing that their territory no longer welcomes "imperialist and neo-colonialist forces." Currently, France has stationed 5,650 soldiers in Africa, with nearly 1,500 each in Djibouti and Niger, making them the two countries with the most French troops. In 2010, after five French citizens were kidnapped in Niger by Al-Qaeda, the Nigerien government allowed French troops to be stationed there. France established an airbase in Niger's capital, Niamey, deploying fighter jets and drones responsible for combating extremist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda branches in Niger and other countries. However, France's counter-terrorism operations haven't significantly improved Niger's security situation. The Global Terrorism Index report by the independent think tank Institute for Economics & Peace showed that in 2021, Niger ranked eighth. That year, Niger witnessed the highest increase in terror-related deaths globally, with a 129% rise to 588 deaths. From 2005 to 2020, Niger was France's third-largest uranium supplier. Over 30 French companies operate in Niger, including energy giant Total, nuclear giant Orano, and construction giant Vinci Group's subsidiary Sogea-Satom. However, Niger's resource development hasn't improved the living conditions of its citizens. Niger remains one of the least developed countries as recognized by the United Nations, with 40% of its government budget coming from foreign aid. After the coup in Niger, pro-military supporters took to the streets, burning the French flag, storming the French embassy in Niger, and chanting "Down with France." Some supporters also displayed banners welcoming Russia. Similar anti-French sentiments were evident in the coups in Mali and Burkina Faso. Both countries, after their respective coups, demanded the withdrawal of French troops. Mali invited the Russian mercenary group Wagner to be stationed there, while Burkina Faso referred to Russia as a "strategic ally," acknowledging Russia as a significant source of its arms. Mid this month, Niger signed a joint defense security agreement with Mali and Burkina Faso, stipulating that an invasion of any one country would be considered an invasion of all three, with the other two providing military assistance. Diminishing French Presence A map of French military influence in Africa, created by the Swedish Defense Research Agency in 2019, showed that at the time, France had military operations in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Mauritania, with military bases in the first four. After the completion of the withdrawal from Niger, Chad will be the only country in the Sahel region with a French military base. However, France still has troops stationed in Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Djibouti, and Reunion. Despite the coup, Gabon hasn't requested the withdrawal of French troops. The French naval base is also located on the island of Mayotte in the Mozambique Channel. As France's military presence diminishes, the importance of its trade with Africa is also declining. Data from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies in 2022 showed that France's goods exports to Africa amounted to 28 billion euros and imports to 39 billion euros, ranking behind the EU, the Americas, non-EU Europe, and Asia. France's trade volume with Germany, the U.S., and China each exceeded its total trade with all of Africa. For contemporary France, Africa's strategic significance is now less than other regions. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs explicitly lists the "Indo-Pacific region" as a priority for France outside of Europe. Last year, France released its "Indo-Pacific Strategy" document, positioning itself as an Indo-Pacific nation and the only EU country with territories in the region. France has several overseas territories in the Indo-Pacific, including New Caledonia and French Polynesia. Reunion and Mayotte are also considered French territories in the Indo-Pacific. The document emphasized the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to France, noting that trade with the region accounts for over a third of France's foreign trade (excluding EU trade). In the past decade, trade between France and the Indo-Pacific region increased by 49%. France's Military Planning Law for 2024-2030, released this April, proposed that by 2030, France's annual defense budget would rise to over 60 billion euros, nearly double the 2017 level. One of the main reasons for increasing the defense budget is to boost investments in the Indo-Pacific region. Although Africa's importance to France has declined, even with a reduced military presence, France still maintains influence in Africa through monetary tools. During the colonial era, France introduced the CFA franc in Africa. This currency includes two types of francs, one for the West African Economic and Monetary Union and another for the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. Including Niger, 14 countries in West and Central Africa still use the CFA franc, which is pegged to the euro, significantly weakening the monetary policy autonomy of these countries. Additionally, countries using the CFA franc were required to deposit 50% of their foreign exchange reserves in the French Treasury. It wasn't until 2020 that France reformed the CFA franc system, no longer requiring West African countries to use the West African franc. These countries no longer need to deposit 50% of their foreign exchange reserves in the French Treasury, but France will continue to act as the financial guarantor for the West African region. The West African Economic and Monetary Union plans to introduce a unified currency in 2027, while six Central African countries, including Cameroon, will continue to use the CFA franc. Michael Shurkin, a researcher at the Atlantic Council's Africa Center, wrote that after withdrawing from Niger, France can continue to influence Africa through soft power. Statistics from the French Education Services Center show that from 2021 to 2022, France remains the most popular study destination for students from Sub-Saharan African countries. Among Sub-Saharan African students, 14% go to France, the highest number, followed by the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. Shurkin believes that other Western countries like the U.S. and Germany, which haven't provoked local resentment in Africa like France, can fill the void left by France and counter Russia's expansion in Africa. When Macron announced the withdrawal from Niger, the U.S. military stationed there had already resumed its regular military tasks in Niger. James Hecker, commander of the U.S. Air Force in Europe and Africa, announced two weeks ago that after negotiations with the Nigerien military government, the U.S. military resumed drone reconnaissance missions. Information disclosed by U.S. officials and documents released by WikiLeaks indicate that at least five members of the Nigerien coup military, including the coup leader and commander of the Nigerien presidential guard, Chiyani, had received U.S. military training. The U.S. has 1,100 soldiers stationed in Niger and operates two bases, one of which is a drone base costing over $100 million. The U.S. military in Niger primarily conducts reconnaissance and intelligence gathering in Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Nigeria. After the coup in Niger, the U.S. military suspended its regular tasks. Hecker stated that although current U.S. military activities in Niger haven't fully resumed to 100%, most have returned to normal. In addition to holding its ground in Niger, according to reports from U.S. political news outlets, the U.S. is also sharing classified intelligence with African allies to counter Wagner's expanding influence in Africa. Before his death, Wagner's leader, Prigozhin, released an audio message on social media, announcing Wagner Group's support for those fighting for sovereignty and urging the Nigerien military to "call us" if needed. The Delhi High Court on Monday issued fresh notice to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on a plea by an NGO seeking damages, claiming its documentary "India: The Modi Question" casts a slur on the country's reputation and makes false and defamatory imputations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian judiciary. Besides BBC (UK), Justice Sachin Datta also issued fresh notice to BBC (India) on the plea filed by Gujarat-based NGO Justice On Trial. The counsel for the petitioner NGO informed the high court that notices were issued to BBC (UK) and BBC (India) earlier but they could not be served. Advocate Siddharth Sharma, representing the NGO, sought more time to serve the notices to the defendants. Issue fresh notice to the defendants through all permissible modes, the high court ordered, and listed the matter for further hearing on December 15. It had on May 22 issued notice to the defendants on the plea which has said BBC (UK) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom and has released the news documentary -- "India: The Modi Question" -- which has two episodes and BBC (India) is its local operations office. It said the two episodes were published in January 2023. The petitioner has sought damages of Rs 10,000 crore in favour of the NGO and against the defendants on account of the loss of reputation and goodwill caused to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, the Government of India, the Government of the State of Gujarat as it was during the period of the Gujarat Riots, and also the people of India. The documentary relates to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the state's chief minister. The government had banned the documentary soon after it was released. The plaintiff organisation, which says it is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and also registered as a Public trust under the provisions of the Bombay Public Trust, 1950, has filed the suit for damages and also sought permission to file as an indigent person. It has contended that the documentary contains content which casts a slur on the reputation of the country and also makes false and defamatory imputations and insinuations against the Prime Minister of India, the Indian judiciary and the Indian criminal justice system. Also Read ED files FEMA case against BBC India for foreign exchange violations Documentary row: BBC says court doesn't have jurisdiction to try case BBC Punjabi Twitter account withheld in connection with Amritpal's case Twitter tags BBC as 'government funded media', British broadcaster objects ED initiates FEMA investigation against BBC India; calls staffers for probe Shyam Metalics to foray into lithium ion battery-grade aluminum production Essar Oil UK division Vertex Hydrogen to change name to EET Hydrogen Burmans seek to boost financial services play with control of Religare Meesho enables over 500,000 job opportunities for upcoming festive season King's Infra launches digital platform for stakeholders in acquaculture biz The plea claimed the "disparaging and defamatory" statements of the defendant have caused grave and irreparable injury to the reputation of and denuded the goodwill that has been built by the Prime Minister of India, the Government of India, the Government of the State of Gujarat and also the people of India. It said the conduct of the broadcaster is actionable and has made them liable to damages. The NGO has filed an Indigent Person Application (IPA) which enables an indigent person to file a lawsuit. The plea said for an order of damages, the relief is provisionally valued for the purposes of court fees at Rs 10,000 crore and the plaintiff has filed an application under Order 33 Rules 1 and 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) seeking permission to sue as an indigent person, since it does not have sufficient means to pay the court the fee prescribed by law. Under the CPC, a plaintiff is obligated to deposit a certain amount as court fees. Order 33 of the CPC deals with filing of suits by indigent persons. It says a person is an indigent person if he does not possess sufficient means to enable him to pay the fee prescribed by law for the plaint in such a suit. The quantum of damages can be ascertained only after a fuller enquiry of the extent of damage caused. However, for the present the plaintiff values the damages at Rs 10,000 crore. The Centre had earlier issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the BBC documentary, which was described by the Ministry of External Affairs as a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset. Chennai-based Refex Group, through its green mobility venture, will invest Rs 1,300 crore in the next three years for expanding business. Refex Green Mobility provides third-party employee transportation using electric vehicles (EV). Refex Green operates in Bengaluru and will introduce some 10,000 vehicles for expanding to new cities like Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi. The company on Monday commenced its operations in Chennai with 49 cars. Refex Group has been in business for more than two decades and has diversified into refrigerant gas, renewables, ash and coal handling, medical technologies, pharmaceuticals, airports and transportation, among other such business verticals. We are planning to invest around Rs 1,300 crore in the next three years to expand our presence across the country, said Anil Jain, managing director of Refex Group. Refex Green started operations in March 2023 from Bengaluru as an all-EV initiative and will cater to business travel. Refex Group said the travel service will help improve its environmental, social and governance (ESG) footprint and in abating carbon dioxide emission. The company also made an announcement about a new downtown office in Chennai, in addition to the existing premises in T Nagar. While the team at Refex Green Mobility has been working hard in Bengaluru since its commencement of operations in March, starting in Chennai to serve the corporates in our city was a natural progression for us. This is the right moment to also announce our new office in the heart of the city. The 15,300 square feet office space can accommodate 100+ employees and has the best of facilities for employees comfort, said Jain. Refex Green Mobility Limited is one of the youngest entities under the umbrella of Refex Group and caters to corporate entities and passenger mobility platforms by providing a company-owned four-wheeler EV and a technology platform. Court's decision to sway DPK's fate, Lee Jae-myung's political career By Nam Hyun-woo Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung faces a desperate legal battle against prosecutors as a court is set to review his arrest warrant on Tuesday. The review is pivotal for both Lee and prosecutors, because an arrest could jeopardize the embattled lawmaker's political career and also test the legitimacy of the prosecution's investigation. The Seoul Central District Court and the DPK said the review of Lees arrest warrant is scheduled for 10 a.m. The DPK said its chief will attend the review session to plead his innocence, despite his deteriorated health condition following a 24-day hunger strike. Prosecutors have accused Lee of involvement in a scandal-ridden land development project in Baekhyeon-dong in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and an illegal cash remittance to North Korea. Last week, the National Assembly approved a request by prosecutors for parliamentary consent to arrest Lee. If he shows up in court, it will be the first time in Koreas constitutional history that the head of the main opposition party appears for a review of his arrest warrant. A final decision by the court is expected on Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning. Prosecutors have reportedly prepared over 1,600 pages of documents to support their criminal charges and convince the court of the necessity to arrest Lee. The DPK chiefs legal team is also preparing to argue that the prosecution's investigation against the chairman is politically motivated. An arrest warrant is issued when there are sufficient grounds to question the suspects involvement in illegal activities, the risk of the suspect fleeing, and the possibility of destroying evidence. Given that Lee is the chief of the main opposition party and has a slim chance of fleeing, prosecutors are expected to focus on proving Lees wrongdoing and highlighting the possibility of destroying evidence. So far, prosecutors have accused Lee of providing illegal favors to a private developer named Kim In-seop, by changing the zoning purpose of the former site of the Korean Food Research Institute in Baekhyeon-dong. Kim, who is already under arrest and indicted, was Lee's campaign manager during the 2006 mayoral election. Lees attorneys argue that he never profited from the Baekhyeon-dong development project and that the DPK chief has not had contact with Kim since becoming mayor of Seongnam in 2010. The cash remittance case is also expected to be a point of contention in establishing Lees connections with underwear maker Ssangbangwool Groups Chairman Kim Seong-tae, who allegedly delivered $8 million to North Korea on behalf of the DPK leader. Lees side contends that prosecutors have failed to provide convincing evidence showing that the DPK chief and the Ssangbangwool Group chairman are more than just acquaintances. Prosecutors, however, argue that the two exchanged multiple phone calls and Kim donated more than 100 million won ($75,000) to Lee when he was a candidate for the DPKs presidential primary in 2021. Prosecutors believe that Lee has attempted to destroy evidence. During last weeks National Assembly vote on Lees arrest, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said, The case involving Lee is an orchestrated crime involving multiple individuals and has raised significant concerns about the potential for evidence tampering through coercion or pressure on accomplices and witnesses, given Lees political status and the investigation process. Han also mentioned that it was revealed that Lee or his chief of staff coerced public officials involved in the Baekhyeon-dong project to make false statements alleging that the land ministry used its influence to alter the zoning of the construction site. The minister also said that there were irrational attempts to destroy evidence in the investigation process of the cash remittance case, such as DPK members leaking internal prosecution documents and suspicious behaviors of lawyers representing Lee Hwa-young, a former vice-governor of Gyeonggi Province and Lees key aide. The former vice-governor, who has been detained over his alleged involvement in the cash remittance case, initially denied Lees involvement, but changed his statement in June and admitted that the DPK chief played a role. He shifted his testimony again earlier this month saying Lee was not involved. During this process, Lees lawyer was changed to a DPK member. If the court decides to issue Lees arrest warrant, the main opposition party is expected to see infighting between the chairman's supporters and opponents, which could damage the DPK's reputation before the general election in April next year. Members of the party's mainstream pro-Lee faction are already discussing scenarios where the embattled chief continues to handle party affairs and recommends DPK candidates for the general election under detention. This appears to be aimed at creating an image of its leader suffering political persecution by the ruling bloc. On the other hand, the court dismissing the arrest warrant would be an opportunity for Lee and the DPK to launch a political offensive against the ruling bloc and the prosecution, claiming that he was the target of a politically-motivated investigation. This would also clear much of the legal risks that Lee has faced over the past several years. Delhi traders' body CTI on Monday urged the Central government to ban import of lentil (masur) from Canada, over Ottawa's allegations relating to the killing of a Khalistani separatist on Canadian soil. In a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) said that there was a need to exert economic pressure on Canada. A growing dispute between India and Canada has erupted following allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Chairman of CTI, Brijesh Goyal, said that the development has sent ripples through the business world. Indian traders have demanded that India should ban import of lentils from Canada, which is a major supplier. "Canada is becoming a stronghold of Khalistanis and their anti-India sentiment was displayed by protests at the Indian embassy. However, Trudeau is making politically motivated statements in view of upcoming elections in Canada," he said. India's annual pulse consumption is estimated at around 23 lakh tonnes of which 15-16 lakh tonnes is produced domestically and rest is imported from other countries. In the last financial year, India imported 4.85 lakh tonnes of lentil from Canada, Goyal said. The Central government may contact other countries for pulses like Russia, Singapore, and Turkey, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mega congregation of BJP workers here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' is being organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state, party leaders said. This will be the third visit of the prime minister to Madhya Pradesh in the past 45 days where the ruling party is locked in a close contest with Congress. According to sources, the BJP has set an ambitious target of gathering 10 lakh people for the 'Mahakumbh' event being projected as a show of strength by the saffron party. As per the programme schedule, Modi will land at the Bhopal airport at around 10:55 AM and will fly to the Jamboree Maidan helipad in a chopper. He will address the public meeting after reaching the venue at around 11:30 AM. "Modiji is going to address 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal on September 25, the birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyaya," MP BJP chief VD Sharma told PTI. He said lakhs of BJP workers are expected to reach the venue. "They are very excited to hear Modiji," Sharma added. The BJP had rolled out five yatras to reach out to the masses early this month, with party president JP Nadda flagging off the first Yatra from Chitrakoot in Satna on September 3. These yatras have covered 223 out of the total 230 assembly segments. The formal culmination of these yatras would mark the mega workers' meet, party leaders said. In the run-up to the MP assembly polls, the BJP has come up with the slogan "abki bar 150 par" (victory in more than 150 seats). Ahead of the mega meet of BJP workers, Bhopal is dotted with large cut-outs of Modi. Posters of senior BJP leaders have also been put up at various spots. Union Minister and BJP's MP election in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, Union minister and MP Election Management Committee convenor Narendra Singh Tomar, state BJP chief VD Sharma, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with other leaders went to the Maidan and reviewed the preparations on Sunday. Also Read Lenovo launches Legion Slim series gaming laptops in India: Details here Oppn coming together as they can't fight against Modi alone: MP CM Chouhan PM conferred with France's highest award 'Grand Cross of Legion of Honour' The Kerala Story' made tax-free in Madhya Pradesh: CM Chouhan Monsoon session: Lok Sabha to take up no-trust motion debate on August 8 Probably winning Telangana, certainly winning MP, Chhattisgarh: Rahul BJP accuses Cong of 'stealing' Imran Khan's theme song for MP poll campaign Posters targeting Kamal Nath surfaces in Bhopal ahead of MP polls PM reaches Bhopal, to lay foundation of projects worth over Rs 50,700 cr PM Modi to lay foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 50,700 cr in MP With the Jan Ashirwad (blessings of people) Yatra, the BJP has highlighted development and welfare schemes under the Chouhan government. As the battle to set up narratives for the upcoming elections is growing intense, the Congress has also launched 'Jan Akrosh Yatra' to target the "failures" of the BJP government. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP missed another shot to power by a whisker as Congress won 114 out of 230 seats, restricting the saffron party to 109. The Congress under Kamal Nath formed a coalition government with the support of Independents, BSP, and SP. However, the dispensation collapsed after 15 months when a string of Congress MLAs led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, now a Union minister, joined the saffron party, paving the way for the return of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the chief minister. By Mihir Sharma To most of the world, the Indian governments response to Canadas charge that it may have sponsored the murder of a Sikh activist in British Columbia must be befuddling. India has strenuously denied the charges, for which Canada provided no evidence publicly as yet. But the Indian government has also gone further and blasted Canada for supposedly hosting a nexus of terrorism, serving as a safe haven for extremism and organised crime, and much else. Indian investigators have even released a list of what they call terror-gangster networks based in Canada. This is all absurdly detached from Canadas popular image as a polite and welcoming multicultural utopia. Indias rage is misplaced and hardly serves to endear the country to those appalled by the idea that it may have had a Canadian citizen killed. Still, it does reflect widespread sentiment in India and beyond that many countries in the West have long paid insufficient attention to the overseas activism of the immigrant communities they host. That will no longer be possible. Even small, liberal countries such as Canada, Australia, and Sweden must now contend with the consequences of diaspora politics. Sweden, for example, faced a particularly pernicious dilemma when Turkey blocked its entry into NATO on the grounds that it hosted Kurdish separatists. The Swedish government had to balance Turkeys concerns and its own urgent security needs against its constitutional commitments to free speech and dissent. Of course, peaceful political expression must be defended. And countries with a reputation for taking in refugees and asylum seekers, such as Canada and Sweden, will naturally host many more dissenters than elsewhere. The problem is when, as sometimes happens in communities still focused on the disputes they left behind, dissent slides into extremism. How long can governments ignore political radicals merely because they are confining their activities to their old homes, not their new ones? Canada, in particular, has had a long history of tolerating supporters of militancy abroad. Even after 9/11 built pressure on all Western allies to root out supporters of terrorism, Ottawa resisted calls to clamp down on local financial support for Hezbollah. Also Read Nykaa, Paytm, Zomato: Canadian FPI-held stocks take a hit on widening rift Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar and why his murder has led to a diplomatic row Here's how climate change is fueling wildfires in the US and Canada Canada-based pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar shot dead Amid strained ties, Canada pulling diplomats from India, citing 'threats' EAM Jaishankar, Armenian counterpart Mirzoyan affirm strong partnership Vande Bharat Express ticket prices should be reduced: JMM MP Maji Still a world of double standards: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar PM invites students, young professionals to G-20 University Connect Finale Rahul Gandhi to launch rural housing scheme in Chhattisgarh on Sept 25 Canadian communities also provided much of the financing for Sri Lankas Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who, famously, invented suicide bombing. A lot of that money was raised, according to human-rights activists, by intimidating Canadian citizens who still had relatives in Sri Lanka. Now tensions have begun to flare domestically as well. Last year, violence between Hindus and Muslims broke out in the post-industrial town of Leicester, while Sikhs and Hindus clashed in the middle of downtown Melbourne in January. Two years earlier, a Hindu man who had been deported from Australia for allegedly attacking Sikhs was given a heros welcome when he returned to India. Its easy to view such clashes as the natural consequence of Indias increasingly radicalized and divided politics. But thats only part of the story. In fact, diaspora communities themselves are often more radical than those they have left behind and have exported their fundamentalism back home. The revival of Hindu supremacism in India, for example, owes a great deal to the financing and ideological leadership provided by Indian Americans. For their part, Indian investigators have long worried that a rash of murders of Sikhs for supposed blasphemy are related to fundamentalist views being financed from Canada. As Leicester and Melbourne show, ignoring the political churning within diaspora communities is unwise. Yet politicians have clear political incentives to minimize the danger, especially in countries such as the UK or Canada that pride themselves on their multiculturalism. In 2019, for example, the Canadian government removed a reference to Sikh extremism from an official report on security threats after community complaints. The risk is that the most deeply conservative, and sometimes extremist, members of a diaspora are then treated as their communitys legitimate voices. Law enforcement and political parties will reach out to them or the religious institutions they often run for support. This severely disadvantages more liberal figures within the communities themselves. It creates tensions that threaten to spill out onto the streets of the West. And, as weve seen, it can enrage governments you may hope to befriend. Western nations must continue to welcome dissenters and persecuted minorities and should vigorously defend their right to free speech, their property, and their lives. But governments should also try to promote healthier conversations with and within diaspora communities. The West is still struggling to do both. The concerns India is raising would not justify the actions of which its accused. Nonetheless, Canada and others should examine those concerns for their own sake, not Indias. The induction of C-295 aircraft "heralds a new era for the Air Force" and this fleet will in times to come become the backbone of the force's tactical lift capability, former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (retd) RKS Bhadauria said on Monday. The first C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day. The induction ceremony took place at the Hindan airbase here. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari was also present on the occasion. Former IAF chief Bhadauria said this aircraft is "state-of-the-art" and "hugely capable". "It's a great day for the IAF as it was one of the very critical requirement to replace the Avro fleet. And, from that perspective, this induction ceremony is heralding a new era for the Air Force in terms of the tactical airlift capability," he told PTI at Hindan airbase. This fleet will in times to come become the "backbone of tactical lift capability," Bhadauria added. "And, more importantly with indigenous manufacturing in private sector, this would be a game changer for the private industry and for the Air Force in the long-run, from the point of view of maintenance, sustenance, etc.," the former IAF chief said. The incumbent IAF chief on September 13 had received the first of the 56 C-295 transport aircraft two years after India sealed a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the jets to replace its ageing Avro-748 fleet. The first of these medium tactical transport aircraft had landed in Vadodara on September 20, days after it was handed over to the IAF in the southern Spanish city of Seville. Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. Also Read US to control land sales to foreigners within 100 miles of 8 military bases IAF's first C-295 tactical transport aircraft takes to the skies IAF chief embarks on 4-day Sri Lanka visit in a bid to boost defense ties Since Galwan crisis, measures taken to have deterrence in area: IAF chief Harris to be 1st woman to give commencement speech at US Military Academy PM Modi to distribute 51,000 appointment letters virtually at Rozgar Mela Several leaders of BJP want to join Congress: Digvijaya ahead of MP polls Whose heart beats for poor people is true civil servant: President Murmu Morainic foundation, building pressure behind Joshimath subsidence: Report UP asked to appoint senior IPS officer to investigate student slapping case "This is very important as it is the first in terms of transport fleet, a transport aircraft getting manufactured in the country, and that too in the private sector. So, from that perspective too, from industry perspective, its a very big milestone, a huge milestone," Bhadauria said. "Otherwise, we were manufacturing trainers, fighters, helicopters, but transport of this class, this is the first," he said. Asked if the C-295 aircraft delivery in future will be in consonance with change in technology, he said, "The aircraft that we are inducting is a state-of the-art one, and in near future there is no worry from this perspective." The avionics, these kind of technology keep getting upgraded, Bhadauria said. "In due course, in times to come, there will be a need to upgrade it further as per technology development, that is life cycle is each aircraft, it will happen in future," he said. The first batch of Rafale fighter aircraft was inducted in September 2020 during Bhadauria's tenure as the IAF chief. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is procuring the C-295 aircraft to replace its fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered the service over six decades back. The C-295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft. The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation. The aircraft is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties. The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly facility in Hyderabad. These parts will be shipped to the Final Assembly Line in Vadodara which is expected to be operational by November 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for C-295 planes in Vadodara in October last year. It will be the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by a private consortium. As part of a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly session in New York City, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on his Madagascar counterpart, Yvette Sylla, on Monday. During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar discussed a partnership in aspects of food production and the defence sector with the Madagascar Foreign Minister. Taking to his official handle on X, EAM Jaishankar posted, "A warm meeting with our SAGAR partner, FM of Madagascar, Yvette Sylla today. Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defence cooperation." Madagascar is a SAGAR partner of India. Launched in 2020, Mission SAGAR is a global initiative along the lines of the Sagar doctrine. India launched this mission to provide relief aid to Indian Ocean countries following the Covid-19 pandemic. This initiative covers Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, and Seychelles. Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session. He will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC. Earlier, on Monday, Jaishankar also met the United Nations General Assembly President Denis Francis. Taking to X, the External Affairs Minister shared details about the meeting, posting, "Began the morning by meeting @UN_PGA Dennis Francis at UN Headquarters. Welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India's G20 Presidency. Confident that it would contribute to the UN General Assembly's discourse and deliberations. Agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues of our times." After meeting Jaishankar, the UNGA president said the meeting focussed on key issues and priorities, including the UNSC reforms. Francis posted on X, "Delighted to meet External Affairs Minister of India , H.E. @DrSJaishankar. Congratulated India's successful #G20 Chairmanship, especially on India's unwavering advocacy in support of the Global South. Discussed #UNGA78 priorities and key issues, including UNSC reform and building on the outcomes of the #SDGSummit ahead of the Summit of the Future." On September 23, the External Affairs Minister, along with the UNGA president and foreign ministers of other nations attended a seminar titled 'India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York'. Also Read At least 12 people reported dead, 11 injured in stadium crush in Madagascar Jaishankar, Manalo co-chair 5th India-Philippines co-operation commission BCCI to sell digital, TV rights for bilateral series separately: Report EAM Jaishankar meets Ugandan counterpart Jeje, discusses bilateral ties Jaishankar meets German V-C, discusses 'opportunities' for bilateral ties Bengaluru Bandh tomorrow: Section 144 to be imposed; schools, colleges shut Happy for C-295, Spain would like to be trusted partner for India: Envoy CM Khattar bans serving hookah in bars, restaurants, hotels in Haryana SGPC expresses concern over allegations levelled by Canada against India Top 15 longest routes of Vande Bharat trains: Here's all you need to know He called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." He said India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. In his address at the 'India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York' lecture, Jaishankar brought up India's G20 Presidency and the recently-held G20 summit in New Delhi. On the first day in New York City, the External Affairs Minister had a productive and busy day of engagements with his counterparts from multiple countries. On Saturday (local time), Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Cambodia's Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Manet Hun on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UNGA. Earlier, Jaishankar held a meeting with Guinea Bissau counterpart Carlos Pereira, with the discussions veering on expanding the development partnership and enhancing trade and investment between the two nations. In a post shared on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet FM Carlos Pereira of Guinea Bissau on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed expanding our development partnership and enhancing our trade and investment." He also held a bilateral meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos on Saturday, on the margins of the 78th UNGA session. After shaking hands, both the leaders held bilateral talks in the presence of officials from both sides. Jaishankar posted on X, "Nice to meet Foreign Minister @ckombos of Cyprus this morning. Conveyed best wishes to President @Christodulides. Talked about follow-up steps to my visit last December. India's interest in the Mediterranean is steadily growing. Cyprus will always be a valued partner." Prior to this, the Jaishankar met Uganda's Foreign Minister General Odongo Jeje. During the meeting, the two leaders noted the progress of various bilateral initiatives. Posting about the meeting on X, Jaishankar stated, "So glad to meet FM @GenJejeOdongo of Uganda again, now on #UNGA78 sidelines. Fondly recalled my visit to Uganda. Happy to note that the progress of various bilateral initiatives. Offered our fullest support on their upcoming NAM and G77 Presidencies." He also met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and held bilateral talks with him. Sharing the details of his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, the EAM posted on X, "Great to see my friend FM of Egypt Sameh Shoukry in New York on #UNGA78 sidelines. Appreciate his warm words for the Indian Presidency of G20. Took stock of the great progress in our bilateral cooperation. 2023 has been a landmark year in India-Egypt ties. Committed to take them forward. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The two leaders affirmed a "strong bilateral relationship." After the meeting, Jaishankar in a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, "On the sidelines of #UNGA78, met with @AraratMirzoyan FM of Armenia. Appreciate his sharing assessment of the current situation in the Caucasus. Affirmed our strong bilateral relationship." Notably, India recognised Armenia in 1991 and India's Ambassador in Moscow was concurrently accredited to Armenia, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations was signed on 31 August 1992 in Moscow. Earlier, EAM Jaishankar also met Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konakovic. The two leaders discussed growing bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy. Sharing a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good meeting with FM Elmedin Konakovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed growing our bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy." He also met Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena and discussed taking forward the partnership between the two nations with a focus on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. After the meeting, Jaishankar in a post on X, stated, "A real pleasure to meet with Secretary of Foreign Affairs @aliciabarcena of Mexico this morning in New York. Discussed taking forward our Privileged Partnership focusing on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. Also exchanged views on the reforming multilateralism and our work together in G20." Notably, EAM Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC. On Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis and foreign ministers of other nations attended the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York. He called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. Also Read India, Armenia, Iran hold 1st trilateral political consultations in Yerevan Global south a victim of several challenges, impacting lives: Jaishankar We will soon embark on Passport Seva Programme Version 2.0: Jaishankar Jaishankar's 4-nation visit to Central and Latin America begins today External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on four-nation visit from Apr 21 to 29 Vande Bharat Express ticket prices should be reduced: JMM MP Maji Still a world of double standards: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar PM invites students, young professionals to G-20 University Connect Finale Rahul Gandhi to launch rural housing scheme in Chhattisgarh on Sept 25 TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu's judicial custody extended till October 5 In his address at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Jaishankar began his speech by speaking about India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. "Your presence means a lot to us. It also expresses the sentiments that you feel for India and underlines the import of South-South cooperation. We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, a summit which took place on the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future," Jaishankar said. "Now, it was a challenging summit. It was actually a challenging presidency, and it was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarization as well as a very deep North-South divide. But we were very determined as the Presidency of the G20 to make sure that this organisation on which the world really had put so much hope and was able to get back to its core agenda," he added. North Western Railway plans to implement the Kavach anti-collision system in the zone, spread across Rajasthan and Haryana, within the next two years, a senior railway official said on Monday. The North Western Railway operates three Vande Bharat Express trains which are equipped with Kavach, the indigenously developed train protection system, the official said. However, the anti-collision device cannot be used in the railway zone as the system has not been implemented in this part of the country yet. "We have awarded tenders worth Rs 426 crore for Kavach to be rolled out on 1,600 km across the zone," the official said, adding that the LTE survey to ascertain the availability of 4G and 5G networks along the route is underway. Vande Bharat Express are indigenously developed semi-high speed trains that can attain a maximum speed of 160 kmph. Last month, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Parliament that Kavach has been deployed on 1,465 route km on the South Central Railway. He said Kavach tenders have been awarded for the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi -Howrah corridors and work is in progress on these routes. Indian Railways is preparing a detailed project report and detailed estimate for another 6,000 route km and so far 121 locomotives, including Electric Multiple Unit rakes, on South Central Railway have been equipped with the Kavach system. The train accident in Odisha's Balasore, which killed over 290 people and injured at least 1,000, has brought the railways' automatic train protection system "Kavach" into focus. The railways has said that 'Kavach' was not available on the route where the accident occurred on June 2. The system alerts the loco pilot when a train jumps a signal, which is among the leading causes of collisions. The system can alert the loco pilot, take control of the brakes and bring the train to a halt automatically when it notices another train on the same line within a prescribed distance. The implementation of the Kavach system began in a phased manner, with the first field trials on passenger trains starting in February 2016. Also Read Everything back to normalcy after 51 hours: Hardeep Puri defends Vaishnaw Anti-collision device Kavach to be installed in trains next year: Railways Train crash: Modi govt's incompetence, only high decibel PR, says Congress CBI meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents: Kharge to PM Modi Several trains in Rajasthan cancelled in view of cyclonic storm Biparjoy World Coffee Conference in Bengaluru from Sept 25 to 28: All details here Ahead of PM's Bhopal visit, Uma Bharti calls for OBC quota in women's Bill MSMEs in Tamil Nadu go on strike over rising power costs today Monsoon starts withdrawing from India, 8 days after normal date of Sept 17 Centre's response sought on plea raising issue of assistance to PwD Pakistan's 40 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, as per the World Bank, Dawn reported. Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper. The country now needs to take a look at its policy decisions driven by strong vested interests of military, political and business leaders, as per the World Bank. The warning by the financial institution comes ahead of the new election cycle so that the upcoming government can make early choices. The World Bank has asked Pakistan to tax its agriculture and real estate to achieve economic stability through steep fiscal adjustment of over seven per cent of the size of the economy, as per Pakistan-based The Express Tribune newspaper. The lender on Friday also revealed that poverty in Pakistan shot up to 39.4 per cent as of last fiscal year with 12.5 million more people falling into the trap due to poor economic conditions. About 95 million Pakistanis now live in poverty. The Washington-based lender unveiled the draft policy notes that it prepared with the help of all stakeholders for the next government. The lender identified low human development, unsustainable fiscal situation, over-regulated private sector, agriculture and energy sectors as the priority areas for reforms for the next government. The World Bank proposed measures that immediately increase the tax-to-GDP ratio by five per cent and cut expenditures by about 2.7 per cent of GDP, aimed at putting the unsustainable economy back on a prudent fiscal path, according to the Express Tribune. Meanwhile, the WB's lead country economist Tobias Haque said the bank is deeply concerned about the economic situation of today. Pakistan is facing serious economic and human development crises and it is at a point where major policy shifts are required, he added. The bank's note on strengthening government revenues showed a host of measures to improve the revenue-to-GDP ratio by five per cent through the withdrawal of tax exemptions and increasing the burden of taxes on the real estate and the agriculture sectors, as per The Express Tribune. Also Read World Population Day 2023: Theme, significance, date and other details Multidimensional poverty estimates: Is India measuring poverty accurately? Ageing with no successors: Japan's population sees steepest fall since 1968 Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan vs Bangladesh Playing 11, toss result, streaming Asia Cup 2023 full schedule, match timing, venues, live streaming in India France will end its military presence in Niger, pull ambassador: Macron Canadian leader apologises for honouring man who fought for Nazis Amid row over visa denial to players, China calls for better bilateral ties Russia's Lavrov to visit North Korea in Oct as part of follow-up measure Fantastic job done on G20: Mexico Foreign Minister congratulates India By Lara Williams At the start of September, torrential rain in the Mediterranean led to severe flooding, infrastructure damage and deaths in multiple countries. As climate change expedites more extreme weather events like this, we need to consider how theyre framed. These so-called natural disasters are often construed as Acts of God, both actuarially and colloquially, but most of time the blame more fairly lies on human actions. A low pressure system, named Storm Daniel by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, dumped downpours over 10 days across several nations, including Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Libya. The rain in Spain fell over just a few hours, yet major flooding still led to five fatalities. Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey had precipitation for four days, submerging Greeces agricultural center, the Thessalian plain. The storm then strengthened into a medicane, a Mediterranean hurricane, dropping record-high amounts of water on Libya over 24 hours on Sept. 10-11. Many areas were reported to have received between 150 millimeters and 240 millimeters of precipitation, with the town of Al-Bayda getting 414.1 mm. By comparison, in an average year, the coastal city of Derna the epicenter of Libyas resulting crisis gets just 274 mm of rain. Libyas experience has been especially catastrophic. Rain is one thing, but the collapse of two huge dams is another. At around 3 a.m. on Sept. 11 the water broke through the barriers, unleashing a tsunami-size torrent on top of Derna. About 4,000 people are confirmed dead, with more than 8,000 still missing as of Sept. 21. A rapid attribution study found that climate change played a role in the events. In Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, global warming made the heavy precipitation up to 10 times more likely, with as much as 40 per cent more rain. In Libya, scientists found that it was made up to 50 times more likely by fossil-fuel emissions, with as much as 50 per cent more rain though the weather event was still extremely unusual. Friederike Otto, climatologist and co-founder of the World Weather Attribution initiative, told me the rainfall was far outside the realm of anything seen before. After extreme events, weather attribution studies have become an important contributor to making human-caused global warming part of the conversation. By comparing what exactly happened with models of a world not warmed by greenhouse gas emissions, researchers are able to calculate whether and how the climate crisis influenced a specific meteorological situation. Its also important in order to add human agency. Our collective burning of fossil fuels is intensifying and increasing the frequency of storms and droughts, heat waves and wildfires. But thats not all. As Otto likes to make clear, disasters happen when hazards collide with vulnerability. Libya is the perfect example. Reeling from years of civil war, corruption and neglect, the country was already fragile. Split between two governments, the critical maintenance on the destroyed dams simply didnt happen despite repeated warnings from experts. The structures, designed to protect against flash flooding, were damaged in a storm in 1986. More than a decade later, a study commissioned by the Libyan government revealed cracks and fissures in their structures. In 2021, a report said the dams hadnt been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2 million in 2012 and 2013. There will now be an investigation to find out where the money went. Also Read PM Modi lands in Greece for first prime ministerial visit in 40 years Greece evacuates 19,000 people as wildfire blazes on the island of Rhodes Understanding Recep Erdogan's victory and future outlook for Turkey 2,000 bodies retrieved in eastern Libya wrecked by devastating floods ARS vs MNC Highlights: Arsenal win their 17th Community Shield Trophy EAM holds bilateral meetings with global counterparts on UNGA sidelines Canada's allegations may be based on intelligence of US or UK: Expert North Korea calls South's President a 'guy with trash-like brain' LIVE: Cong to hold press conferences in 21 cities to 'expose' govt today 40% of Pakistan's population lives below poverty line: World Bank For years, discussion around how to adapt to a rapidly changing climate was hindered by many who argued that it would reduce pressure to cut emissions. That attitude has arguably lingered in news reporting of some events and risks letting governments get away with not doing enough to protect their citizens. A prolonged food shortage in Madagascar, for example, was roundly portrayed in the media as the worlds first climate-driven famine, resulting from years of drought. Those stories missed the core problem, though: bad governance and greed. Corporate land grabs have taken up much of the agricultural terrain while communities slip further into poverty. Indeed, an attribution study found that climate change wasnt a significant driver of the food insecurity in Madagascar at all. Elsewhere, land-management decisions have transformed absorbent wetlands into slick concrete a factor behind the 2021 floods in Germany and societal structures have made certain groups more exposed, such as in India where caste-based discrimination prevented some from entering evacuation shelters during cyclones. Making these vulnerabilities part of the dialogue is the first step to taking effective action. Yet it doesnt help that adaptation funding globally is still a fraction of the money that goes to emissions reduction. Thats becoming a more critical issue: Although deaths from natural disasters have been decreasing on the whole as disaster management has improved, climate change is making it much harder by spurring events well outside of previous experiences. Some measures may be expensive, but any costs involved will pale in comparison to doing nothing. Its hard to say whether proper maintenance would have completely prevented the dam bursts in Libya in the face of such an intense event. But its clear that human activity intensified both the threat and weaknesses, so much so that the people of Derna didnt stand a chance. The Prime Minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak, is considering a ban on smoking for the next generation by introducing some of the world's toughest anti-smoking measures, The Guardian reported earlier this month. The measures the Sunak government is looking to impose include fines on people for missing a hospital appointment and phasing out cigarette sales for the next generation. According to the report, it is a part of the Sunak government's consumer-focused drive before the next elections are scheduled in 2024. The UK government's measures will be in line with New Zealand's ban on smoking imposed last year. In December last year, the island nation introduced legislation to stop those aged 14 or under from being able to legally buy cigarettes. It became the first country in the world to impose such a ban. Also Read: The New Zealand government also announced that it will introduce a slew of other measures to make smoking less affordable and accessible, including reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products. The tobacco products will only be sold through specialty tobacco stores rather than corner stores and supermarkets.Also Read: As employees return to office, cigarette demand may rise by 7-9% in FY24 Moreover, the plan included reducing the number of stores legally allowed to sell cigarettes by a tenth, from 6,000 to just 600. The laws came into force this year, and the country attempted to make it "smoke-free" by 2025. A spokesperson of the UK government was also quoted by The Guardian as saying that the country is aiming to become smoke-free by 2030. It would include providing 1 million smokers in England with free vape kits via our world-first "swap to stop" scheme, launching a voucher scheme to incentivise pregnant women to quit, and consulting on mandatory cigarette pack inserts Last week, the British government launched a consultation to seek views on adding health alert inserts inside cigarette packs to encourage more smokers to quit, telling them how to enhance their life expectancy and save around 2,000 pounds per year if they abandon smoking. Also Read World No Tobacco Day: Govt bans tobacco promotion on OTT; notifies rules Tobacco in gunny bags to attract 28% GST, 71% compensation cess: AAR Plea to I&B on smoking, tobacco warning: Prevent authority duplication Zydus Lifesciences receives final USFDA approval for varenicline tablets Farmers' body writes to PMO against WHO's advice to replace tobacco farming Largest overseas hindu temple to be unveiled in New Jersey on October 8 EU comm in China calls for balanced trade, warns Ukraine could divide them Past trials suggest certain pitfalls for Georgia judge handling Trump case 'Resolve issue through dialogue': Indian community in Canada amid tensions Flooding in Libya shows how disasters are man-made and not Acts of God The plan being considered will see inserts into the packaging of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco with positive messages to encourage people to quit and signpost them to advice and support. The messages will set out the health benefits of quitting smoking, for example, improvements to breathing within a matter of days and a 50 per cent reduction in the risk of heart attack within a year. They will also show smokers how much money they stand to save by giving up, with the average person likely to save over 2,000 pounds per year if they quit. According to official estimates in the UK, smoking remains the single leading preventable cause of illness and mortality in the country. It results in nearly 4 per cent of all hospital admissions yearly, equivalent to almost 450,000 admissions. Tobacco-related harms are also estimated to cost British taxpayers 21 billion pounds every year, including over 2 billion pounds in costs to the state-funded National Health Service (NHS). Which countries have banned tobacco products? In 2004, Bhutan became the first country in the world to completely ban the cultivation, harvesting, production, and sale of tobacco products under the Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan, 2010. However, small allowances for personal possession were permitted as long as the possessor could prove that they had paid import duties. Later, in 2021, the ban was reversed with the new Tobacco Control Rules and Regulations (TCRR) 2021, allowing the import, sale and consumption of tobacco products. It was primarily done to stamp out cross-border smuggling. In 2012, Brazil became the world's first country to ban all flavoured tobacco, including menthol. It applied to all domestically produced and imported cigarettes. Later in 2016, Turkmenistan banned all tobacco sales in the country. The Pitcairn Islands had previously banned the sale of cigarettes in the country. However, it was allowed via government stores. In India, on July 12, 1999, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court in India banned smoking in public places by declaring "public smoking as illegal for the first time in the history of the whole world, unconstitutional and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution". Later, in 2003, India introduced the Cigarettes And Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition Of Advertisement And Regulation Of Trade And Commerce, Production, Supply And Distribution) Act, 2003, banning smoking in public places like restaurants, public transport or schools. The same law also made advertising cigarettes or other tobacco products illegal. By Arthur I. Cyr The Group of Twenty (G20), a forum of 19 industrialized nations plus the European Union, has met this month at the Bahrat Mandapam conference center in New Delhi, India. The annual gathering provided a major opportunity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demonstrate Indias growing influence. The G20 provides a structure for policy discussion and coordination on a wide range of matters, including international security. China and Vladimir Putin of Russia were absent. Both nations suffer serious and growing economic problems. Moscow is in addition afflicted with the costly, brutal war resulting from the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Just before the G20 gathered in India, President Joe Biden stopped in Hanoi, Vietnam. The occasion was a new, greatly strengthened strategic partnership between the United States and Vietnam. The relationship was formally raised to a comprehensive strategic partnership by Hanoi. This is their highest designation for cooperation. Previously, our relationship had been at their lowest designation. Last year in November, Indonesia hosted a G20 summit. President Biden took the opportunity for a special meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping. The G20 began in 1999, spurred by the Asia financial crisis of 1997. Rapid response led by the United States mobilized public and private capital to relieve nearly disastrous financial pressures on Asian economies. U.S. President Bill Clinton led this effective crisis management. In 2010, G20 meetings took place in Gyeongju and then in Seoul, South Korea. The selection of this nation aptly, and appropriately, symbolized the exceptional economic development of their powerhouse economy and stable political democracy during the years following the devastating Korean War of 1950 to 1953. Japan was a participant in the initial, predecessor G7 organization of economically advanced nations. The successor G20 has developed a wider arena to include China, along with Brazil, India and other rapidly industrializing large economies of the world. The fact that worldwide very poor people are becoming prosperous is good news for everyone. They represent new competitors, but also potential new consumers of our products and investment partners. Wars are on balance less likely. Washington took the opportunity to highlight Indonesia, and neighboring nations, as success stories of expanding political stability, modernization and the rule of law. In 1998, opponents forced Indonesias long-time autocratic president and former general Muhammad Suharto from power. Since then, the nation has had representative government. Indonesias external conflicts today are largely technical and legal, notably the maritime disputes which generally involve the nations of East and Southeast Asia. Dictatorship has ended, but corruption remains a problem. The situation used to be quite different. During the height of the Cold War, Indonesia was a pivotal leader among developing nations. Flamboyant nationalist President Sukarno played the Soviet Union and United States against one another. CIA efforts to bring Sukarno down failed, greatly weakening U.S. standing. In consequence, cooperation between Indonesia and the Soviet Union expanded. This development was extremely important in the decision for large-scale U.S. military intervention in Vietnam in 1965. Today, we largely have forgotten this history. British forces, with Australian and New Zealand allies, defeated Indonesian attacks on Malaysia. Earlier, Britain defeated a Communist insurgency in Malaya, today part of Malaysia. Their strategy remains highly germane. Today, the Cold War is over, though the potentially explosive tensions between China and the United States and other nations show utopia has not yet arrived. Our collaboration with Vietnam is truly historic. Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is author of After the Cold War American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia (NYU and Palgrave/Macmillan). Corebridge Financial, Inc. (NYSE: CRBG) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its UK life insurance business (operating as AIG Life Limited), to Aviva plc for a total consideration of 460 million in cash. The sale is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals. Peter Zaffino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of majority shareholder American International Group (NYSE: AIG), and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Corebridge, said: This transaction is another positive step toward streamlining the Corebridge portfolio to focus on the Life & Retirement products and solutions that are driving positive results in the United States. We are confident that Aviva will continue to provide individuals and employers with the innovative service and solutions they need to protect themselves and their employees. Kevin Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Corebridge, said: Corebridge is focused on leveraging our strong market position and the attractive dynamics of our core U.S. product offerings to deliver enhanced value to stakeholders. Since acquiring the UK Life business in 2014, we have built a well-established provider of life insurance, critical illness and income protection products in the UK. We look forward to working closely with Aviva to ensure a smooth transition for employees, customers and distribution partners. AIG Life Limited is the life insurance arm of Corebridge Financial in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Gibraltar. The business provides financial and practical support for individuals, families and businesses when illness or injury threatens their life, lifestyle or livelihood. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as financial advisor and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal counsel to Corebridge. About Corebridge Financial Corebridge Financial, Inc. makes it possible for more people to take action in their financial lives. With more than $370 billion in assets under management and administration as of June 30, 2023, Corebridge Financial is one of the largest providers of retirement solutions and insurance products in the United States. We proudly partner with financial professionals and institutions to help individuals plan, save for and achieve secure financial futures. For more information, visit corebridgefinancial.com and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube. About AIG American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. AIG member companies provide insurance solutions that help businesses and individuals in approximately 70 countries and jurisdictions protect their assets and manage risks. For additional information, visit www.aig.com. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide operations of American International Group, Inc. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries and jurisdictions, and coverage is subject to underwriting requirements and actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release and any related oral statements constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the relevant partys belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside the relevant partys control. It is possible that the transaction will not be completed within the expected timeframe or at all, or that the transaction will take a materially different form from those contemplated by these statements. Each party referenced in this press release only assumes responsibility for its statements and does not affirm or otherwise adopt the statements of any other party. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924228124/en/ Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College, one of Indias leading institutions to train new doctors, has partnered with Kaplan Medical, a unit of global educational services provider Kaplan, to improve medical education outcomes and bolster clinical readiness. The partnership will leverage Kaplans renowned virtual remediation and assessment resources to benefit both faculty and students. Additionally, Kaplan expertise will support the enhancement of teaching methods, learning processes, and the overall success of aspiring medical professionals at SMVMCH. As part of the partnership, Kaplan is offering comprehensive resources to SMVMCH helping the school align with the new curriculum guidelines set forth by the National Medical Commission, the Indian regulatory body that regulates medical education and medical professionals, while also preparing students for successful outcomes on the NExT examination. While the partnership will open avenues for domestic success, it will additionally allow students to pursue international opportunities; Kaplan also prepares students for the USMLE, a series of exams that students must pass to practice medicine in the United States. Thiru. M. Dhanasekaran, chairman and managing director, SMVMCH, envisions this partnership as a transformative step towards preparing students for the evolving landscape of medical practice. "We are proud to partner with Kaplan, a pioneering leader in medical education. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to equipping our students with the best resources available on their journey towards becoming exemplary healthcare professionals. Together, we will empower our students with a comprehensive suite of resources that not only enhances their academic prowess, but also cultivates the critical thinking skills and clinical acumen necessary for future success. Our shared vision of shaping the future of medical education on the Subcontinent will enable students to excel in their studies and improve the landscape of healthcare," he said. "We are excited about working with Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College, an institution known for its dedication to quality medical education, and its students, to help build Indias future physician workforce," said Nicholas Valentino, executive director of international programs, Kaplan. "By synergizing our educational expertise with SMVMCH's esteemed faculty and state-of-the-art facilities, we will provide students with a transformative learning journey that blends academic rigor with practical and clinical skills. Together, we will empower aspiring doctors to thrive, innovate, and lead. The partnership comes at a time as Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College is proactively focusing on standardizing curriculum and preparing its students for global career pathways in medicine. The integration of Kaplans resources will help to identify and address educational gaps, fostering a more effective and comprehensive learning environment. Test names are the property of the respective trademark holders, none of whom endorse or are affiliated with Kaplan. About Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College is a well-reputed medical institution that focuses on providing high-quality medical education and training. By fostering an environment of excellence, innovation, and collaboration, the college is dedicated to preparing students for a successful career in medicine, aligned with international standards. About Kaplan Kaplan, Inc. is a global educational services company that helps individuals and institutions advance their goals in an ever-changing world. Our broad portfolio of solutions help students and professionals further their education and careers, universities and educational institutions attract and support students, and businesses maximize employee recruitment, retainment, and development. Stanley Kaplan founded our company in 1938 with a mission to expand educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Today, our thousands of employees working in 26 countries continue Stanleys mission as they serve about 1.2 million students and professionals, 13,000 corporate clients, and 4,000 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities worldwide. Kaplan is a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC). Learn more at www.kaplan.com. Twitter: @KaplanEdNews View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924227290/en/ By John Merrill The Cold War has returned to the Korean Peninsula after more than 30 years. And it is colder than ever. The meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East marks a significant watershed. The two reportedly negotiated arms deals, with North Korea supplying artillery shells and other conventional ammunition to support Russias ongoing war in Ukraine. In return, North Korea is expected to receive food and fuel aid from Russia as well as dual-use satellite technology that could benefit its long-range missile program. Although the details of any technology transfer remain obscure, there has been persistent speculation that Russia is considering furnishing a variety of sophisticated weaponry to North Korea, including advanced fighter jets and even nuclear submarines. After meeting Putin, Kim toured an aircraft plant that produces Su-35 and Su-37 combat fighters as well as a naval base to review a Russian frigate. He reportedly left Russia with a parting gift of drones, itself a sanctions violation. Closer military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would have been unthinkable just a few years ago since Moscow supported U.N. sanctions that barred such arms transfers. But some experts, such as Theodore Postol from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have detected signs that Russia may already have violated this boundary by supplying an apparent turnkey Topol-M ICBM to North Korea, which has used them as the basis for its solid-fuel Hwasong-18 missile. Putin is cagey about whether he is willing to violate U.N. sanctions by forging closer military cooperation with North Korea. There are certain restrictions, and Russia complies with them. But there are things we can discuss and think about. There are prospects here, too, he said after the summit with Kim. Other Russian officials say they see no contradiction in Russia adhering to U.N. sanctions while entering a new phase in relations with Pyongyang. While the international media has focused on what impact the Kim-Putin summit will have on the war in Ukraine, the most important aspect of the meeting could be the topic of what happens in Northeast Asia as the ramifications of the Ukraine conflict continue to ripple across the world. The summit signifies that Pyongyang has given up on normalizing relations with Washington, which exposes the bankruptcy of current U.S. policy that has relied more on coercion rather than diplomacy to end North Koreas nuclear program. An example of this was the recent trilateral Camp David agreement between the U.S., South Korea and Japan designed to shore up the hub-and-spoke American military alliance structure in East Asia. Meanwhile, Seoul is indirectly supplying artillery and munitions to Ukraine via Poland. One of the cardinal principles of the realist school of international relations is the so-called action-reaction dynamic, where an action by one side leads to a push-back from the other side. The Camp David agreement could thus be seen as a driver for closer military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and possibly China. Signs of this were already apparent in July when high-ranking delegations from Russia and China attended North Korean celebrations of the 1953 armistice that halted Korean War fighting. The outcome of the Kim-Putin meeting will have several other important consequences. It will likely make Pyongyang more confident and more assertive in building up its military arsenal. If Russia is willing to resume military deliveries to North Korea, it would confirm that the U.N. sanctions against North Korea are now a dead letter. Moscow and Beijing, both U.N. Security Council members, have already made clear that they will not support future U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang. The recent events have turned the clock back to the early 1990s when the first moves were being made by the West to engage North Korea in an effort to break the Cold War stalemate on the Korean Peninsula. Russia and China were willing to support these Western efforts by putting pressure on North Korea. For nearly three decades, that policy appeared to yield dividends as Moscow and Beijing engaged in multilateral negotiations, such as the six-party talks, and supported international sanctions at the U.N. as recently as several years ago. But that era has now come to an end. North Korea is more well-armed than it has ever been and the opposing military alliances in the region are once again being strengthened. John Merrill is a visiting scholar at the Institute of Korean Studies at George Washington University. The Supreme Court of India declined to intervene in the Cauvery Water Management Authority's order resolving the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu dispute over the Cauvery River. The Karnataka government consented to the authority's decision to provide 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. This government stance was not well received by farmers' organisations and pro-Kannada activists, who have called for a Bengaluru Bandh to ensure their demands are addressed by the government. A call for Bengaluru Bandh on September 26, 2023, has already been issued, and now a collection of pro-Kannada organisations has asked for a second day-long protest, Karnataka Bandh, on September 29 in the same week. Vatal Nagaraj stated at a press conference on September 25 that they will not back down from the bandh call on September 29. "Everyone will back the bandh. We shall stage a protest outside the Raj Bhavan. We will close down major highways and airports. "The bandh will be supported by buses, taxis, and autos," he stated. He reiterated that the bandh would be a'sampoorna Karnataka' bandh and that it would be implemented in all districts. It's plausible to expect businesses, including shops, offices, transportation services, and educational institutions, to remain closed for the declared bandh days. This will inevitably disrupt normal routines, impact work schedules, and cause inconvenience to professionals, especially those commuting in and out of the region. Although essential services such as hospitals should remain functional. Many Kannada organizations have called for the state-wide bandh on 29th September. Major effects will be seen in Bangalore, Mysore, Mandya, Ballary, and a few other districts. Schools will be closed again on Friday if they don't withdraw their strike. Schools will be forced to either close or take online classes. By Baek Byung-yeul Local startups specialized in generative AI gathered together to launch the Generative AI Startup Association (GAISA), which will create an ecosystem for domestic companies and explore collaboration opportunities in the emerging sector, they said Monday. Since early this year, domestic AI startups Liner, Wrtn Technologies, Scatterlab, Upstage, Coxwave and FriendliAI have been promoting the establishment of the association. In August, Wrtn Technologies CEO Lee Se-young was elected as chairman of GAISA while Scatterlab CEO Kim Jong-youn was appointed as auditor. To date, 20 domestic AI startups joined as members to cultivate the local AI ecosystem. The establishment of the association is significant in that it is business-led rather than government-led. The rise of generative AI is heralding a change we have never seen before. Many companies around the world are working on it, and the startups here are also at the forefront of the move, GAISA's chairman said. We are committed to creating an AI ecosystem that works for everyone. It is essential to have an ecosystem where each field involved in the AI industry, including hardware, software, data, infrastructure and programming, cooperates and coexists harmoniously. We will do our best to activate the ecosystem, he added. GAISA will collect issues faced by businesses from its members and communicate with the public. Additionally, the association plans to carry out various projects such as holding a technology conference and publishing reports about the generative AI industry. Also, Koh Jean, chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Digital Platform Government said that the government will help these companies create a sturdy ecosystem to generate more business opportunities. The Presidential Committee on the Digital Platform Government is trying to focus government innovation in the age of AI. Startups have a very important role to play in that. Our committee will try to create a lot of business opportunities for them, Koh said during the ceremony. The Bengaluru bandh demand issued by a combination of farmers and Kannada organisations under the auspices of Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti is expected to bring the city to a standstill on Tuesday, September 26. With opposition parties such as the BJP, JDS, Aam Aadmi Party pledging support for the bandh request and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stating that the government will not try to stifle any rallies in a democracy, all indicators point to a total bandh. Farmers' leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar has requested that a holiday be declared by schools, colleges, IT businesses, and the film chamber. He's also asked the state administration to call a special assembly session. Speaking to media at Freedom Park, he stated that on September 26, they will hold a protest march from Town Hall to Mysuru Bank Circle at 11 am Find out what is open and closed in Bangalore on September 26 Schools and colleges: Although Shashikumar, the general secretary of the Private Schools Union, declared that they will show their solidarity by wearing black bands around their arms, many schools and colleges have yet to declare a holiday. Restaurants: The hotel and restaurant associations expressed their support for the bandh and stated that their establishments will remain closed. Hospitals: Hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, and government offices are among the vital services that will remain open. Theatres: The city's movie theatres are scheduled to remain closed. KSRTC and BMTC buses: The KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation has expressed support for the 'Bengaluru Bandh,' and both KSRTC and BMTC services are expected to be disrupted. Cab services (Ola, Uber): Tanveer Pasha, president of the Ola Uber Drivers' and Owners' Association, has declared his support for the protest. Metro services: Airport taxi services may be impacted, however, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will continue to offer normal Namma Metro services. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has just released its most recent PMC Recruitment 2023 Notification. They are looking for 70 people to fill various medical posts such as Physician (Medicine), Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Paediatrician, Ophthalmologist, and others. To apply for these PMC Notification 2023 government jobs, individuals must attend a walk-in interview on October 4, 2023, from 2 to 5 p.m. Furthermore, candidates should be aware that application acceptance hours are from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Recruitment Candidates will be chosen through a walk-in interview. Applicants must bring copies of the above-mentioned documents, as well as a completed application form. Candidates with an MD/ MS/ DCH/ DNB degree are eligible to interview for this PMC position. Candidates who are chosen will be placed in Pune, Maharashtra. Overview Organization Name Pune Municipal Corporation Post Name Physician (Medicine), Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Pediatrician, Ophthalmologist and other posts No.of Posts 70 Job Location Pune, Maharastra Selection Process Interview Official Website www.pmc.gov.in How to Apply? Visit the official website at www.pmc.gov.in. In Recruitment, locate and choose the necessary announcement. The notification will be displayed; read it and determine your eligibility. Complete the application form. Participate in the interview Selection Process Interview/ Written exam. Pay Scale Minimum Pay Scale: Rs. 5,000/- per month Maximum Pay Scale: Rs. 15,000/- per month Rojgar Mela 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute about 51,000 appointment letters to newly inducted recruits on 26th September, 2023 at 10:30 AM via video conferencing. Prime Minister will also address the appointees on the occasion. The Rojgar Mela will be held at 46 locations across the country. The recruitments are taking place across Central Government Departments as well as State Governments/UTs supporting this initiative. The new recruits, selected from across the country will be joining the Government in various Ministries/Departments including Department of Posts, Indian Audit & Accounts Department, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Revenue, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, among others. Newly inducted appointees to also train themselves through online module Karmayogi Prarambh. The Rojgar Mela is a step towards fulfilment of the commitment of the Prime Minister to accord highest priority to employment generation. The Rojgar Mela is expected to act as a catalyst in further employment generation and provide meaningful opportunities to the youth for their empowerment and participation in national development. The newly inducted appointees are also getting an opportunity to train themselves through Karmayogi Prarambh, an online module on iGOT Karmayogi portal, where more than 680 e-learning courses have been made available for 'anywhere any device' learning format. In what comes as a bit of a shock, Mazda has announced that will cease production of the CX-8 in its home market of Japan by December 2023. ... (En francais) ATLANTA (Sept. 25, 2023) The Carter Center announced today that it has launched an international election observation mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of the countrys general elections scheduled for Dec. 20. The Center was invited to observe the elections by the DRCs Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A five-person core team of experts from France, Mali, Spain, and Switzerland is now in Kinshasa. Additional electoral experts and 20 long-term observers from around the world will join them in October, followed by a high-level leadership delegation around election day. We look forward to providing an independent and impartial assessment of the electoral process, said Carter Center International Election Observation Mission Director Nicolas Teindas. We hope that our observation and reporting will provide important information to DRC citizens, offer recommendations to stakeholders, and contribute to the transparency of the electoral process. Barbara J. Smith, vice president of the Carter Centers peace programs, thanked the government for the invitation. The Carter Center has long worked together with national authorities and civil society to advance democracy and human rights in the DRC, she said, and we are honored to launch this international election observation mission in support of the electoral process. The Carter Center has observed 115 elections in 40 countries, including the United States. It conducts its election observation work in accordance with the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and makes assessments based on national legal frameworks as well as regional and international obligations for democratic elections. The Center has worked in DRC since 2006, when it observed the countrys presidential and parliamentary elections. Since then, it has established a permanent office in DRC, currently headed by Senior Country Representative Romain Ravet, and supported citizen election observation networks, human rights defenders, and civil society-led efforts to increase the transparency of extractive industries in the country. The Carter Center observed the 2011 national elections in DRC and sent an expert team for the 2018 elections. It also has provided technical assistance to electoral reform efforts from recommendations of its observation missions and citizen observation organizations. Translation Le Centre Carter deploie une mission pour lobservation des elections generales en Republique Democratique du Congo ### Contact: In Atlanta, Maria Cartaya, maria.cartaya@cartercenter.org The Carter Center Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Following five days of negotiations, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have struck a tentative deal to end the ongoing writers strike. The agreement was reached on Sunday evening, 146 days after the writers began their work stoppage. In a letter to its members, the WGA announced: We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language. What are the terms of the new deal? The WGA hasnt shared details yet and says it wont until the last I is dotted. That said, the union did say the negotiations ended in an exceptional deal with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership. Whats left to do? The WGA says it must ensure everything agreed to is codified in the final contract language. After that, the WGAs negotiation committee will vote to send it to the WGA West and East boards for approval. If both boards vote in favor of the new agreement, a vote among the full WGA membership will be held. After all parties agree, the board will vote on ending the ongoing strike. After the 2007-2008 strike, it took four days for the tentative agreement to be ratified, and the strike halted. What about the actors strike? For the time being, the SAG-AFTRA strike will continue, but there is little question that a resolution between the writers and the AMPTP will hasten the end of the actors strike, which has been going on for 74 days. Although Sundays agreement signified the end of WGA picketing, the guild did encourage its members to join SAG-AFTRA members who are still picketing until a resolution to that stoppage is reached. What does this mean for WGA-repped animation shows? Here is a historical list of WGA-covered animated series, both past and present. Weve indicated shows that were still in development or production when the strikes began. Some of those have not been renewed or are ending their runs, but the news hasnt been made official yet. Its also important to note that animated shows were allowed to continue production of shows for which scripts had already been written, meaning that many of the productions continued unhindered by the stoppage. The 2023 Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) wrapped over the weekend, where Canadian films were a hit with the judges and, for the third year running, a Japanese film won the grand prize for best short. This years top feature was Joel Vaudreuils When Adam Changes a surreal Canadian comedy that caught our eye in this years Annecy Contrechamp competition. Produced by David Pierrat and Olivier Picard at Parce Que Films, the film is a wild and weird suburban trip with a dark sense of humor and a sweetness that is easy to get behind as a viewer. The OAIF feature film jury, comprised of Jessica Borutski (Canada), Joel Frenzer (United States), and Matthew Rankin (Canada), said of When Adam Changes: This film about an impressionable teenager left an impression on us. For the filmmakers skillful walk of the delicate line between irony and sincerity; for his mastery of the absurd; for the detail and precision of his artistic approach; and for authentic heartfelt humor, this years Grand Prize winner for Best Animated Feature is Adam change lentement (When Adam Changes) by Joel Vaudreuil. Ryo Orikasas Miserable Miracle took the grand prize for an animated short, becoming the third Japanese film in as many years to win the prize following Bird In The Peninsula in 2022 and A Bite of Bone in 2021. Its also noteworthy that the film was part of Ottawas non-narrative section, a filmmaking category that is often overlooked by festival juries in favor of narrative stories. A Japan-France-Canada co-production, iserable Miracle is an animated adaptation of the eponymous book by Henri Michaux (1956), written about his experiences with mescaline. In the film, the books lines of text fill the screen and begin to vibrate and morph, with individual letters breaking off and turning to stick figures as a narrator reads the authors original words. According to the shorts jury, comprised of Xi Chen (China), Alla Gadassik (Canada), and Parissa Mohit (Canada): This film embraces animation as an intoxicating cocktail of image, word, and movement. It activates the spectators hallucinatory and synaesthetic sensibilities. For exploring the boundaries of animation and affirming it as a timeless and poetic art form, the jury awards the grand prize to Ryo Orikasas Miserable Miracle. Alexandra Myotte and Jean-Sebastien Hamels A Crab in the Pool topped this years Canadian short competition. The film is a coming-of-age story that turns on young Zoe and her little brother Theo, left to fend for themselves in a run-down neighborhood. The animation is just weird enough to be a lot of fun without adversely affecting the grounded story of two siblings. Continuing an impressive month in Canada, Daria Kascheevas recent Toronto best short film winner Electra won this years OAIF Wacom Public Prize. The film is told from the first-person perspective of its adult titular protagonist, who recalls her 10th birthday and the lasting trauma it caused. Her memories become intertwined with dreams and imagination, represented in the films off-kilter mix of animation techniques. A complete list of winners is below: 2023 Ottawa International Animation Festival Winners GRAND PRIZE FOR SHORT ANIMATION Miserable Miracle Ryo Orikasa GRAND PRIZE FOR ANIMATED FEATURE Adam change lentement Joel Vaudreuil WACOM PUBLIC PRIZE Electra Daria Kashcheeva CANADIAN FILM INSTITUTE (CFI) AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN ANIMATION Winner: A Crab in the Pool Alexandra Myotte, Jean-Sebastien Hamel Honorable Mention: The Girl with the Red Beret Janet Perlman Honorable Mention: A Bear Named Jesus Terril Calder Helene Tanguay Award for Humor: Winner: Pipes Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier, Sujanth Ravichandran Animated Short Competition Category Prizes NON-NARRATIVE Families Albums Moia Jobin-Pare BEST NARRATIVE Zima Kasumi Ozeki, Tomek Popakul BEST COMMISSIONED 14th Anibar Animation Festival Trailer Love Sander Joon BENTO BOX AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT ANIMATION Cyclepaths Anton Cla NBCUNIVERSAL AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN STUDENT Winner: Between You and Me Cameron Kletke, Emily Carr (University of Art + Design) Honorable Mention: Ruins of Equinox Philippe Shewchenko, Mel Hoppenheim (School of Cinema Concordia University) Honorable Mention: Bliss Nadya Aubrey (Universite du Quebec a Montreal) ANIMATION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES 13+ COMPETITION Daffy in Wackyland Max Winston ANIMATION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES 7+ COMPETITION Winner: The Goose Jan Mika Honorable Mention: Swimming With Wings Daphna Awadish Golan Honorable Mention: The Souls Journey Dylan McGarry, Marc Moynihan ANIMATED SERIES COMPETITION Haha, You Clowns Episode 1: Movie Night Joe Cappa VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION My Inner Ear Quartet Koji Yamamura Animated Short Competition Craft Awards BEST SCRIPT Box Cutters Naomi van Niekerk BEST DESIGN Furrie Lucie Grannec XPPEN AWARD FOR BEST TECHNIQUE The Miracle Nienke Deutz BEST SOUND DESIGN Eeva Morten Tsinakov, Lucija Mrzljak U.S. wireless chipmaker Broadcom said Monday it plans to seek an appeal against the Korean regulator's decision to slap a 19.1 billion-won ($14.3 million) fine for its unfair business practices against Samsung Electronics. In a statement, Broadcom said it was "disappointed" over the Fair Trade Commission's (FTC) decision, noting it plans to appeal the case to the Seoul High Court. The punishment of Broadcom came after the U.S. firm forced Samsung to sign a long-term agreement in 2020 by taking advantage of its market dominance and using unlawful tactics, including cutting off its supply and technical support, according to the FTC. Under the deal, Broadcom compelled Samsung Electronics to procure its smartphone parts worth $760 million annually from 2021 to 2023 and required the Korean tech giant to compensate for any shortfall if the purchasing amount falls below that amount. "Broadcom has been working closely with Korean customers in a fair and lawful manner and has made significant contributions to the innovation and success of the Korean economy and some of its largest technology organizations," the company said in the statement. "Broadcom worked very closely with the staff of the KFTC to reach a mutually beneficial outcome that is fair and reasonable for all parties involved," it added. In June, the FTC rejected Broadcom's proposal to voluntarily correct its unfair business practices with 20 billion won, ruling in favor of Samsung. The regulator earlier said the proposal "fell short as a suitable measure to restore the fair trade order and safeguard the interests of other industry players." (Yonhap) By Ko Dong-hwan Korean major retailer Homeplus' private brand products are gaining attention from Mongolian consumers after the firm's distribution network expanded to the country earlier this month, according to the firm. On Sept. 4, the company's products arrived on the shelves of 14 Orgil and Tout'en locations in Ulaanbaatar, which are two discounted retail brands run by Mongolia's Circle Group. Homeplus said its product sales were hot during the first week of sale. Homeplus Signature products were displayed at the front of the stores, according to the company. There were 200 different kinds of products ranging from processed foods to condiments, dried noodles, snacks, confectioneries, beverages and daily hygiene products like paper towels and wet tissues. Homeplus said its expansion to Mongolia is based on the country's heavy reliance on imports. While the imported products on local shelves have been selling at affordable prices, Homeplus aims to distribute its private brand products at cheaper prices. The company also took into account the fact that over 37,000 Mongolians are estimated to live in Korea and have grown accustomed to Korean consumer products. Homeplus' Mongolian expansion came after executives from Circle Group visited Seoul two times to sign the expansion deal. Established in 1996 as a trading and construction company, Circle Group has been listed in the top 100 firms by the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry six years in a row. Homeplus said its long-term goal is to settle in the Mongolian market and expand Korean foods to consumer markets around the world. G-Dragon to appear for police questioning next week over alleged drug use A woman on Midland Pike told police her Kia Forte was the target of a failed auto theft sometime overnight. Police observed the inside of her vehicle to have damage consistent with the "Kia Boys" trend in which Kias/Hyundais can be stolen utilizing a USB-A cable. The ignition switch and steering column shroud were observed to be damaged. At this time it is unknown if the vehicle is drivable from the residence. There is no suspect information. * * * A woman called police and asked if they would escort her and her husband to a residence on N. Moore Road to retrieve belongings. Police told her they would stand by for a second while she goes inside her residence to retrieve things, but would not facilitate the process. She thanked police, went inside with her husband, and police left. * * * A man on Mansion Circle told police he found the entire driver's side of his vehicle had been keyed the day before. He discovered it around 10 a.m., and last saw the vehicle earlier around 2 a.m. when he parked it there. He has checked with the office about cameras and they are supposed to get back with him on it. Police told him to call back for an officer to respond if any video is found. No estimates for repairs have been done yet. * * * A man told police that he brought his vehicle in to have work done on it at Delta Motors, 3713 Rossville Blvd. He said that when he returned to get his vehicle, there several dents and scratches along the vehicle that were not there when he dropped it off. * * * A resident on Hickory Valley Road told police on that on Monday he had a package stolen from his front porch. He said he is needing a report to receive a refund. * * * A woman told police she was in a victim of road rage incident. She said another person drove at her while she was driving at the Walgreens on Highway 58. She said she wanted a report in case another incident arises with the same people. The woman has able to give police a TN tag number from the other vehicle. There is no description of the driver. * * * A woman told police she was at work at the YMCA, 301 W. 6th St., between the hours of 4-8 p.m. She said when she returned to her vehicle (Nissan Rogue, TN tag), she found it to have damage to the front. The woman wished to have a report made for insurance purposes. * * * A noise complaint was made regarding the Exile Bar at 1634 Rossville Ave. Police drove through the area, but did not observe excessive noise. The reporting party did not want to see police. Police will be driving back in the area with a decibels reader in accordance with city regulation, which is 50. * * * A man on Delmont Street told police he heard a noise at his back door that sounded like someone attempting to open it. Police checked around the exterior of the house, but were unable to locate anyone. The man said he had recently kicked out his roommate and believed he may have been the person that was at his back door. Police gave the man several suggestions for going forward and to call police back if anything else occurred. * * * A suspicious person was reported at 101 Northgate Mall Dr. Police located a man sitting at the gas station eating his lunch. The man had a stick with him, but was not doing anything with it. Police are familiar with the man and know he can be animated and loud when he is walking the streets. * * * A Business owner had questions about trespassing people for loitering, due to the homeless problem throughout the plaza at 4011 Brainerd Road. The man owns the laundry mat and said the homeless people are hanging out there, drinking and smoking. Police were on scene and were asked to reach out to the city attorney for clarification on the business owner's options throughout the plaza. * * * An employee at Northern Tool + Equipment, 7658 Lee Hwy., told police he wanted an older white male wearing a blue shirt, hat and glasses, to be removed from the property. Police made contact with the man matching that description in the parking lot, who identified himself. Police informed him that he is not welcome back at the business and that he is liable to be arrested if he returns. * * * Police were flagged down at 1020 W. 37th St. due to a white Hyundai Sonata backed into a parking spot for approximately one month. The vehicle appeared to be ransacked and did not have a license plate. The officer ran the VIN displayed on the vehicle and found it to be registered in Alabama, and had expired in 2020. The vehicle did not return as stolen. Dispatch found a possible owner of "AF Title Co." out of Arkansas, but the business was closed. * * * A woman on Bonny Oaks Drive reported her vehicle was stolen overnight. She believes the vehicle was locked and the keys are currently inside her residence. She said her wallet and credit card were left in the vehicle and the card was unlawfully charged approximately $200 via Uber Eats. The vehicle will have a Stitch (Lilo & Stitch) sticker on the lower left side of the rear window, along with damage on the passenger side of the front bumper. The vehicle was placed into NCIC. The term of matrons is outdated if you attended the University of the South (Sewanee) prior to 1981-1892 when the title of the ladies entrusted to the supervision of students was changed to Head Resident. Unfortunately neither terms are used and a reliable source states that it looks like they were being phased out by the end of 2016. Before 1968 when the Board of Trustees admitted the first female (gals, lasses, her, them, etc.) students in the institution originally created in 1858 was an all male (guys, dudes, him, etc.) that got started when the former Tennessee Consolidated Coal Co. donated a few thousand acres of pristine mountainous terrain to beat competition from Beerheba Springs in Grundy County to build the institution which in 2023 has expanded in size to 13,000 beautiful plots of Mother Earth. The importance of matrons in the history of the University can not be overstated. They provided a constant source of stability (most of the time) to a group of young men and women who originally were isolated on the Domain during the cold, foggy, and often rainy winter months. Dangerous dirt roads or railroad transportation to Cowan and then a seven-mile hike to the summit were the original routes to the little village of Sewanee. Occasionally a ride to the adjoining community of Monteagle on the short line coal train the Mountain Goat could reduce the walk but accommodations in the caboose were not always available and riding on top of a coal car in bad weather was not very convenient. In this scenario came the dormitory matrons who fulfilled several roles in the young students lives that started around 1925 when the construction of each new dormitories included a small apartment to be occupied by widows, spinsters, former residents, and strong supporters of the community. They provided a stabilizing force to instill some discipline amongst the young men, a comforting voice when needed, a piece of cake (and occasional sharing of liquid refreshment), and a rare but loving show of authority. The 2008 publication Sewanee Perspectives reporting on the first 150 years of the University contains a sixty four (64) page chapter 150 Years of Women at Sewanee (Celester Ray) that includes many references to the ladies in charge of both the boarding houses and student dorms on the Domain. The changing of the title from matron to head resident occurred around the early 1980s. The student newspaper The Sewanee Purple on February 16, 2007 contained an article by a student editor (Skipper McInerney) who penned an informative paper, Sewanee Dorm Matrons May Be Cooler Than Your Real Mother, based on his sit down interviews with 5 then current matrons. He summarized their roles at Sewanee as being women that served as untapped resources of knowledge, insider information, and most importantly, compassion. He summarized the requirements of being a matron house resident: 1) An ability to forego a peaceful nights sleep; 2) An appreciation for youth; 3) A thick skin, and; 4) Most of all, a sense of humor. The Purple reported in its December 12, 2012 edition that a reception was held honoring the three remaining Head Residents/Matrons (Susan Peek, Bunny Morgan, and Jeannine Robinson) as the program was being phased out of the Universitys future plans. The importance of the position in the modern era is subject to debate as Sewanee moves forward in its 165th year in 2023. One viewpoint expressed in the chapter on women in Sewanee Perspective may apply more to pre-2012 students on the Domain but its message of supervision of college students is timeless as stated in 2008: These women fostered a singular character life in their halls and some students became very loyal to them, maintaining with one throughout their time at Sewanee and returning to introduce fiancees, wives, and children to their former matrons. The personality and activities of the hall proprietor was a source of conversation for students and a part of the stories they told about Sewanee on departure. The University of the South (Sewanee) has changed a lot in its history from both positive and negative perspectives. Whether the elimination of the Matrons/House Residents program is in the best interest of students (and University) is also subject to discussion. * * * You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com With a passion for theater and an English degree, Jim Kennedy followed his brother to Chattanooga in 1974 to work at the Baylor School. He had no idea that decision would lead him to be a part of organizations like Miller Reid Advertising, River City Company, the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce. In this episode, Mr. Kennedy discusses his seat at the table for many major developments such as the Aquarium and Chattanooga Ventures Vision 2000. After leaving the chamber as CEO in 2001, he started his own consulting firm along with Ann Coulter, Christian Rushing, and Stroud Watson. Ultimately, his career has come full circle and he retired from the Baylor School as Director of Admission and Enrollment. You can connect with him here On September 23, 2023, Sheila Kinder was welcomed into her heavenly home by her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as well as numerous family members and friends. She passed away peacefully at her home. She was 60 years old and had been sick for several years. In spite of her illness, she maintained a joyful attitude with a winsome smile. She will be missed greatly by all who knew and loved her. Sheila was a native of McDonald, Tennessee. She was an outstanding wife, daughter, mother, and grandmother. She had a deep love for God. She was a loving caregiver to numerous animals. Sheila was preceded in death by her parents, Patrick and Margaret Pierce. Left to cherish their numerous memories of her are her husband of 37 years, Tony Kinder; daughter Laura Bible and son-in-law, Matthew Bible; and her three grandchildren whom she adored: Winston, Evan, and Meredith Rose Bible, all of Cleveland, Tn. A brief time of visitation will be held at Fike Randolph & Son Funeral Home in Cleveland, on Monday, Sept. 25, from 1011 a.m. Afterwards, the family will have a graveside service at Lee Cemetery in McDonald, at approximately 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to St. Jude Childrens Hospital, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Bradley County, or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. An act of kindness toward another person or a pet, or a prayer for someone, would also be an excellent way of remembering her. Kadum Hunter Harwood photo by Brent McDonald, See Video on NewsChannel 9 photo by Brent McDonald, See Video on NewsChannel 9 Previous Next A judge on Monday raised the bond for a man police say vandalized and burned the Masonic Temple across from Finley Stadium after threatening to do so on social media. Kadum Hunter Harwood, 29, of 96 Harris St., Ringgold, now faces bonds totaling $450,000. General Sessions Court Judge Lila Statom bound all charges to the Grand Jury against Harwood. Those include harassment, vandalism, arson, aggravated burglary and reckless endangerment. Harwood represented himself, with the help of the public defender's office, at a preliminary hearing. Paul Smith, who oversees the Temple, told of extensive damages inside and out of the building that had been used not only by the Masons but for civic and other groups. Mr. Smith said Masonic members had been aware of threats Harwood had been making. "Numerous Masons had been following his posts," he said. It was testified that Harwood wrote on Facebook, "I think I'm going to burn the one downtown. I am going to make an example of all FMs (Free Masons)." Fire investigator Henry McElvain said Harwood was seen on video setting fires both inside and out of the building, destroying items inside and tossing some property on the parking lot. He said video showed the same car as had been seen outside the Temple before. It was located at Harwood's home and searched by the FBI as well as his home. The investigator said Harwood fired a shot while outside the building in the Sept. 4 incident, and a shell casing was located. At the close of the hearing, Harwood said, "These charges are false. I am being wrongly detained and accused." Kody Brown doesn't think he strung any of his wives along, as Christine Brown claimed. Instead, he said Christine spent 15 years complaining about polygamy. Did he have ulterior motives for his statement? Kody Brown spent all of season 17 of Sister Wives trying to understand why his third wife, Christine Brown, left him. Thus far, season 18 of Sister Wives is the same. Despite Christine being long gone, Kody continues to try to wrap his mind around the divorce. His anger, however, is bubbling over, and it appears hes looking to blame Christine and her lack of dedication to polygamy for the problem. In a recent confessional, Kody stated that Christine had problems with polygamy 15 years before she left the Brown family. He may have been motivated to say she was unhappy for 15 years for a specific reason. Kody Brown insists Christine Brown was unhappy with polygamy for 15-years Kody Brown sat down for a confessional during a recent episode of Sister Wives to discuss the downfall of his relationships. After Christine lambasted her former husband for stringing Meri Brown along, the Brown family patriarch appeared to try to defend himself. He opted to do so by criticizing Christine. Kody said that he liked to believe he could salvage a relationship. He said he and Meri had carefully vetted their relationship before deciding. Meanwhile, Christine just got up and left. Eventually, he stated that Christine Brown had complained about polygamy, with no resolutions, for 15 years before she moved on. He subtly suggested Christine Brown just gave up. Kody isnt the only one to suggest Christine Brown had been unhappy with the familys arrangement for years before she decided to leave. Christine made it known that she did not feel like she was an equal in their marriage for years. Last season, she told Kody there were 10 to 12 years of bad in their union before she decided to separate. Christines timing correlates with Kody choosing to court and marry a fourth wife. Sister Wives fans think the family patriarchs words were carefully selected to take the blame off of Robyn Brown Kodys statements about Christines unhappiness feel pretty calculated. Kody specifically states that his third wife had been complaining about plural marriage for 15 years. Assuming his statements were filmed when the footage for season 18 was captured, he is suggesting that Christine was unhappy while the Browns were living in Lehi, Utah. The statement appears to demonstrate that Christines issues with plural living predate Robyn Brown and Kody Browns romance. Even if Kodys comments were made in recent months, the 15-year statement means Christine was still allegedly disgruntled long before Robyn became Kodys fourth wife. Kody and Robyn married in 2010. Kody Brown and Robyn Brown in an episode shot at home for TLCs Sister Wives | TLC Sister Wives fans feel like Kodys words were calculated. The father of 18 has spent years attempting to deflect blame away from his fourth wife. It has recently become a much harder task. Now that Christine has officially left the Browns behind, she has no reason to keep sweet. She has stopped avoiding more accusatory statements. With nothing to lose with her ex-husband, Christine has bluntly stated that she left Kody because he favored Robyn Brown. Matt Roloff of 'Little People, Big World' fame might be looking to retire soon. Here's what he posted to Instagram shortly before relisting Roloff Farms for sale. TLCs Little People, Big World Season 25 will continue to show the conflict over Roloff Farms. In seasons 23 and 24, Matt Roloff had extensive conversations with Zach Roloff over Roloff Farms ownership. Matt noted he hoped to retire from his work on the farm, as it would soon become too much for him. But he also couldnt strike a deal with Zach, causing a rift between the father and son. But Matt hinted at retirement in July 2023 less than a month before relisting Roloff Farms for sale. Matt Roloff hinted at retiring from his work on Roloff Farms in the near future Roloff Farms is back up for sale. Fans saw Zach Roloff hope to buy the farm in Little People, Big World Season 24, but he and Matt couldnt agree on a price. After Zach walked away empty-handed, Matt listed Roloff Farms for sale to the public in May 2022. He hoped to sell the property for $4 million but failed. Matt then decided to rent the farm for short-term rentals. The reality star is now ready to try and sell the property again. He relisted Roloff Farms in August 2023 for $3.395 million. Given a recent Instagram post, Matt apparently wants Roloff Farms off his hands. He hinted at retirement on July 12, 2023. A quick summary: The farm is in full swing as @jacobroloff45 and @isabelsofiarock take larger and larger roles managing the day-to-day allowing Caryn and I to spend more time in Arizona checking in on our folks and working towards retirement, Matt posted. The Little People, Big World star allegedly wanted to retire in 2022, according to a source Matt Roloffs considered retirement for quite awhile. He discussed the possibility of retiring in Little People, Big World Season 24, as he knew he couldnt care for all of Roloff Farms himself as he got older. A source told The Sun in 2022 that he and Caryn Chandler hoped to retire in 2022 though this didnt happen. Matt and Caryn want to retire soon, probably by the end of 2022, the source said. They think its time after years of hard work. Jeremy is OK with this but also desperately wants to be a part of the business. There are discussions he could end up co-owning the farm with Zach moving forward. Plans with Jeremy and Zach have changed. The twins will no longer co-own Roloff Farms, as Jeremy owns his farm and Zach moved to Battle Ground, Washington. It seems more likely that Jacob Roloff may take the farm off of Matts hands. Once Matt eventually sells Roloff Farms, hell likely head to Arizona full-time to retire with Caryn, whom he plans to wed in 2024. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. 'It may sound silly and a bit basic,' an expert said of the way ahead for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Sussex brand. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might be headed separate ways when it comes to branding. An expert says the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be wise to ditch their joint brand and strike out on their own. Returning to what they were known for has the potential to escape toxicity and fast-track a rebrand. Harry and Meghan may rebrand quicker with distinct and different brands Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Karwai Tang/WireImage The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are inextricably linked not just because theyre married. Not only do they make public appearances together, but theyre founders of the Archewell Foundation, as well as Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions. In short, they work together as part of what has become known as their Sussex brand. However, according to Ed Coram James, a PR and crisis management expert, Harry and Meghan should take different career paths. The reason is to put distance between themselves and royal family drama. Once a brand has become as toxic as Harry and Meghans, it is a long and difficult path to recovery, Coram James told the U.K.s Mirror. By separating out their joint brand, and trying to forge ahead with two distinct and different brand identities, the Sussexes are hoping to short-circuit this process. The idea is that, by resetting the brand, they release some of the toxicity, he added. Although it is unlikely to represent the full antidote to their current reputational aliment, it is definitely a good idea and a step in the right direction. Dissolving the Sussex brand could see Harry focus on his pre-Meghan interests It may be a return to his bachelor days for Harry. Coram James explained why it may be beneficial for Harry to embrace his earlier work. For instance, the Armed Forces Harrys a 10-year veteran of the British Army and the Invictus Games, which he began in 2014 and most recently came to a close in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 16, 2023. It may sound silly and a bit basic, but when a brand is as toxic as the Sussexes, sometimes the only solution is to try to dismantle the brand altogether, Coram James said. In the UK, Harry was very popular before his association with Meghan. That is not to say that Meghan is the actual cause of his popularity demise. By going back to his pre-Meghan interests, and distancing himself from his wife professionally, Harry, the expert said, is returning to what made his popularity soar. Meghan may also benefit from a solo rebranding Similar to Harry, rebranding herself separate form Harry may prove beneficial for Meghan, too. Her toxic image in the US is part of a double act, Coram James said. Before she met Harry, she was a successful television actor, with a good reputation but not household recognition. Meghan spent seven years starring in the USA legal drama Suits before leaving when her relationship with Harry got serious. By forging ahead with an individual identity separate from that of Harry, she can go back to being viewed as the hard-working and successful actor that she was before she met the Duke, the expert continued. That could mean reviving The Tig, Meghans once-successful blog focused on food, health, travel, and fashion. One sign the 42-year-olds already moving toward a career away from Harry? Meghans signing with a Hollywood talent agency. As for a potential return to acting, the mother of two has said on numerous occasions she has no plans to do so. Northeastern State Universitys main campus is located in Tahlequah. The university also has campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow. NSU was recently recognized as a 2023 Best College by Money.com. With just a week before Washington runs out of money to keep the federal government fully operating, warring factions within the Republican Party in the U.S. Congress on Sunday showed no signs of coming together to pass a stopgap funding bill. Congress so far has failed to finish any of the 12 regular spending bills to fund federal agency programs in the fiscal year starting on Oct. 1. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy will push an ambitious plan this week to win approval of four large bills, including military and homeland security funding, that he hopes would demonstrate enough progress to far-right Republicans to win their support for a stop-gap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, as well. Republican Representative Michael McCaul, a 19-year veteran of Congress who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, urged the group of party "holdouts" to stop blocking Republican-backed spending bills while at the same time "saying don't bring bipartisan bills to the floor." "Republicans need to vote for Republican bills" to avert a shutdown, McCaul said on ABC's "This Week" broadcast. But some of those "holdouts," who want deep spending cuts that go beyond a deal passed earlier this year, showed no sign of relenting. "Continuing resolutions don't solve the problem. They just kick the can down the road," Republican Representative Tony Gonzalez told CBS News' "Face the Nation." In June, President Joe Biden signed into law an increase in U.S. borrowing authority that he brokered with McCarthy, which also came with around $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years. Ultra-right House Republicans want to go further with around $120 billion in additional cuts just for the new fiscal year, which could hit programs ranging from education and environmental protection to Internal Revenue Service enforcement and medical research. Similarly, Republican Representative Tim Burchett told CNN's "State of the Union" that he has never voted for a temporary funding bill and won't this time around. He warned that if McCarthy allows legislation to pass the House with Democratic support, "I would look strongly at" a move to strip McCarthy of his speakership. "This dysfunctional Washington cannot continue," Burchett said, referring to the way Congress handles the federal budget, which is on a path to a $1.5 trillion deficit for the fiscal year that ends on Saturday. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned in an ABC interview that a government shutdown will require his agency to immediately suspend air traffic controller training courses at a time when air travel is "getting back to normal" following a high volume of flight delays and disruptions last year. Aides to McCarthy were not immediately available for comment on whether negotiations over a CR were continuing on Sunday. But he has been pushing for a 30-day bill to keep federal offices open, coupled with a strict border security plan that would basically suspend most immigration into the United States at a time of record numbers of people seeking asylum on the border with Mexico. Even some of the Senate's most conservative Republicans on Sunday appealed to House counterparts to stop blocking a stop-gap bill. "We would like for the House to begin that process of sending us a CR to keep the government open and functioning," Senator Marsha Blackburn told Fox Business News. Appealing to those conservatives' eagerness for conducting investigations into Biden and some other top administration officials, Blackburn added: "If you shut down the government you can't continue that." (Reuters) Wes Nofire, left, and Gov. Kevin Stitt have often voiced similar opinions on the issue of tribal sovereignty and its reach, which drew a resolution of no confidence from the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes in response to Stitts appointment of Nofire as Oklahomas liaison for Native American affairs. Among other changes in the schools landscape, there will be at least one new Board of Education member in Cheshire following the November election. Andrew Martelli, who was hired in 2021 as Cheshires Economic Development Coordinator, took his position on the Board in November of 2019. Given his position in Town, he has decided not run again after finishing his term. Seven candidates will seek to fill that seat, or retain the ones they already have. While Martellis contributions, particularly as part of the Planning Committee, will be missed, Board of Education Chair Tony Perugini says that the BOE is in a good situation whatever may happen at the polls. Having been on the Board since 2009, he speaks from experience. There have been years when the mix on the Board wasnt so great, but there are a lot of positives with this group and I dont really see that changing, he says. Whatever happens, happens, but this town is the great equalizer. Not every Connecticut community has the same level of engagement and broad support from its citizenry that Cheshire enjoys, Perugini explained. The kinds of social issues, political disagreements, and fiscal challenges communities around the nation face remain present in Cheshire too, and Perugini, in his role on the CABE (Connecticut Association of Boards of Education) Executive Committee, sees the impact of those issues on state-wide educational policy. In CABE meetings we hear that in many areas around the state, theyre struggling to find candidates. People see the uncivil discourse going on and dont want to run. I always say, its not an easy job. If youre running to get praised, dont run. But all that said, it can be fun, he said. Fun aside, Perugini has dedicated countless hours to promoting public participation in education. Over the past summer, he appeared in a short video, along with CABE colleagues Janice Cupee and Leonard Lockhart, encouraging people in the state to run for local board of education seats. But once a Board member is sworn in, he warns, the hard work is just beginning. Theres a lot of learning in the first year, he admitted. Every board has different personalities, people from different backgrounds. New board members quickly come to realize that the point of the group is to get things done by working together. Board members, Perugini points out, are agents of the state of Connecticuts Department of Education. They are fiduciaries for their towns as well, and can be personally responsible for keeping the local education budget balanced. Figuring out how to balance mandates from the state with local policies and funding limits has been one of the major challenges, he says. The last few years have been eye-opening. From where I sit on the Board, I wonder where some of this legislation is coming from and often its from people (at the state level) not talking with districts, Perugini stated. Legislation known as Right To Read passed as part of last springs implementer bill. It calls for the adoption of specific textbooks to address shortcomings in education among different demographics, but some districts opted out of the mandate when their data showed the new books were not nearly as effective as what was already in place. That law has been a source of stress for administrators and teachers, not only in Cheshire but around the state, Perugini notes. We come to find out the reading curriculum push was started by a parent who was upset because the summer reading program (in their district) wasnt really driving home phonics skills. Instead of bringing it up with the school or the teacher, they contacted a (national) political think tank. Its good intentions, but it doesnt necessarily lead to good outcomes, Perugini suggested. What was missed was reaching out within Connecticut to see whats already working well. Its the occasional ready fire aim approach that doesnt always serve students or administrators, Perugini says, that also applies to a new state-wide civics curriculum currently in development. Rather than sit here and get frustrated, why dont we go to the source and see if we can make it better? he asked. We cant sit here and be a victim, he added. The solution is engagement and listening. Another challenge has been what he says is a noticeable uptick in special needs. Hopefully that situation starts to get better. Were happy to help these kids but it would be nice if the (Department of Education) and Legislature gave funding to address this, he stated. Its kind of a no-win situation where they say you must provide education for kids with social-emotional needs but theyre not providing the resources behind it, and thats problematic. Hartford, according to Perugini, has folks who are receptive (to) hearing from us. We talk regularly with our local legislators. With CABE, weve been encouraging other Board of Ed members to get feedback to their legislators, because they want input. Input is also something that Perugini welcomes from the people of Cheshire. While by law the public does not have a right to address the Board at meetings, in Cheshire, we do everything we can to meet with them. Usually, Board agendas will have an audience section for public commentary, and written correspondance is received as well and read into the public record. Having a three-minute time frame for members of the public to make statements has worked well to keep discussions reasonable and civil, Perugini stated. While the Board cannot answer questions posed by the public during those sessions, Perugini insisted, We do our best to address concerns, and sometimes the questions are answered during the superintendents updates. I spend a lot of time outside of Board meetings talking to folks, I like to see the public taking an interest, he continued. In 2021 and 2022, archaeologists in China began excavating the tomb of an emperor who died thousands of years ago. What they didnt expect to find was the giant skull of one of the worlds most beloved Asian mammals. Archaeologists were digging and uncovering the grave of Emperor Wen of Han, who died in 157 B.C.E. When he was buried, the emperor was placed in a massive and extensive mausoleum. Buried along with Emperor Wen of Han were various animals, including golden snub-nosed monkeys, an endangered black-and-white tapir, red-crowned cranes, and Indian wild buffalo, all considered rare species from Chinas Shaanxi Province. However, there was one set of animal remains that really had archaeologists and the public in awe. In the tomb was the complete skeleton of a giant panda. It was the very first complete panda skeleton to be found within an ancient Chinese burial site. A team from the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology recently identified the remains as belonging to a giant panda by examining them alongside other existing panda bones. This panda was found buried in a sacrificial pit right outside where the emperor was buried, and its head was facing his tomb. In 1975, when archaeologists excavated the tomb of Emperor Wens mother, Empress Dowager Bo, they found the skull of a giant panda. It was not uncommon for Chinese royals to be buried alongside their beloved animals. To be buried with animals was a symbol of high status and was believed to provide the departed with companionship in the afterlife. More average citizens used to be buried with standard domesticated animals, while the elite were buried with more exotic animals at the time, like turtles, deer, eagles, and monkeys. Researchers have also estimated that the giant panda remains belonged to a Qinling panda versus a Sichuan panda, as the Qinling species have rounder heads and shorter noses, giving them more of an almost cat-like face. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. The future looked bleak for St. Peters United Church of Christ (UCC) in Louisville, Kentucky. The congregation had dwindled to a dozen elderly German Americans in a poor, predominantly Black neighborhood. Their building was falling apart. Despite its facade of stained glass and majestic steeples, all the building systems were failing, including plumbing, electrical, and heating. Plaster was falling off the walls and ceiling. The city eventually closed the building due to its dangerous lead paint. But thanks to the vision of pastor Jamesetta Ferguson and a partnership with the UCCs Church Building and Loan Fund, the churchs property now houses a thriving multiuse development known as The Village at West Jefferson. It has injected life into the local economyand the formerly dying church. With funding from multiple mainline denominations, private investors, the city of Louisville, and the federal government, St. Peters erected a complex that includes a coffee shop, a credit union, a daycare center, health care services, and more. Hundreds use it weekly. Plus, the congregation is up to 160, with a multi-cultural, multi-generation membership. The community has really been renewed in many ways, said Patrick Duggan, executive director of the Church Building and Loan Fund. St. Peters is doing the work of serving the poor. In the meantime, it has created about 100 jobs. This is not just talking the talk. Its actually walking the walk. Similar multiuse developments are popping up across North America on the properties of formerly dying churchesmost of them in mainline Protestant denominations. A Montreal Anglican church shares space with a nonprofit circus company and a refugee advocacy group among other organizations. The mixed-use development at Emory Fellowship in Washington, DC, includes affordable housing. So does the development spawned by Arlington Presbyterian Church in Virginia. The challenge of declining congregations in big buildings wont go away anytime soon. Each year, church closures outnumber new church starts in America by 50 percent, according to Lifeway Research. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, although about 3,000 new churches opened, 4,500 closed. Five years earlier, Lifeways analysis showed church openings outpaced closings 4,000 to 3,700. Church closures are predicted to snowball. In 2021, the percentage of Americans holding membership in a house of worship dropped below 50 percent for the first time in history, the Gallup organization found. The median church size in 2020 had fallen to less than half of what it was in 2000from 137 to 65. Such data has spawned a dire prediction by Presbyterian researcher Eileen Lindner: By 2025, 100,000 North American churches could close their doors. Over and over, I have experienced congregations of 10 or 50 or perhaps 100 in buildings that would host 500 or 1,000, said Rick Reinhard, principal consultant with Niagara Consulting Group. Its great to pray. Its great to hire charismatic pastors. But for the most part, those churches are not going to come back. With declining churches, its not that certain parts of the facility are utilized while others sit unoccupied. The entire building is underused or unused, Reinhard said. The $7$10 per square foot per year it costs to operate church properties will sink most congregations with big buildings and small crowds. For example, a church that had 500 people in its 50,000-square-foot facility in 1970 may have dwindled to 30 elderly people today. Building operations alone would necessitate annual giving of nearly $17,000 per attendee. The math doesnt work. But is transforming a church building into a community development hub a valid way to fulfill Jesus Great Commission? Yes, says Shannon Hopkins of Rooted Good, a group that helps faith-based organizations align their mission and their money. Shes worried that if declining churches resort to selling their buildings rather than repurposing them, America will miss out on a flood of missional impact. House-of-worship closures in the coming decades could yield the greatest reshaping of American communities since the GI Bill, Hopkins said. This is a time of hope. While a lot of the narrative is about decline, the present is a really unique moment of opportunity. Churches across the country are seizing the opportunity. That includes congregations in rural and urban settings, with the setting determining how they repurpose. While dying urban churches may repurpose into affordable housing, rural Ottumwa, Iowa, has seen eight churches close in recent years. Three have repurposed into a creative arts space, a medical office, and a residence. Among congregations assisted by Rooted Good, an Alabama church is starting an economic development zone from one of its buildings. In San Antonio, a declining church aims to transform its facility into a park and outdoor amphitheater while meeting for worship in a nontraditional, dinner church setting (where worship occurs over a meal rather than in a sanctuary). In the next 50 years, up to half of US churches will repurpose their buildings, Hopkins said. Mark Clifton isnt sure thats a good idea. As senior director of replanting for the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), he wants church buildings to remain church buildingshousing replanted and revitalized congregations. His view represents an evangelical counterapproach to mainline denominations repurposing strategy. Closing churches robs God of his glory, Clifton said. What about a dying church says our God is great and his gospel is powerful? The church is not a store. Its not a restaurant. Its not a mall. Its the bride of Christ. Its worth fighting and battling to keep those churches going as a testimony to the power of the gospel. When a dying church seeks assistance from Clifton, he helps them choose from among three paths: A new church plant could adopt the old churchs building and bring its members into their new congregation. A healthier church could adopt the dying church and work to plant a new congregation in its building. The dying church could hire a pastor with training to replant the church from within. That pastor would shepherd the remaining members and work to transform them into a vibrant church once again. Clifton practices what he preaches. Three years ago, he became pastor of the three-member Linwood Baptist Church, 35 miles from Kansas City. The members wanted to sell the building and close, but Clifton convinced them to try something different. Today they have 115 in worship and have baptized more than 20 new believers over the past three years. It may be wise to let groups in the community use a declining churchs building, Clifton said, but as an outreach rather than a repurposing or an attempt to raise capital. Others say a replant isnt always feasible. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), a group that formed in the 1990s as a protest against the SBCs conservative direction, has researched the ways churches can utilize their properties to generate additional income. Its case studies feature churches dabbling in solar farming, paid-parking facilities, preschool programs, and neighborhood outdoor space among other options. Often out of the necessity to be better stewards of their real estate and to enlarge their financial base, these churches have discovered needed energy through more regular use of their buildings, the CBF states on its website. Repurposed churches have forged new friendships with entities now using their space and have also seen their financial situation improve significantly through the income generated by these creative ventures. The difference between conservative and progressive denominations approaches to declining churches boils down to theology, said Duggan of the UCC. Conservatives generally think redeveloping church buildings represents a secular or political approach. They emphasize gospel preaching and evangelism. Progressives may draw from theological traditions like liberation theology and the thought of Walter Brueggemann to emphasize community development and affordable housing. It really has to do with the vision of who Jesus is and what the church is supposed to be, Duggan said. Despite the difference of opinion on what to do with declining churches buildings, one fact draws universal agreement: A fresh strategy for them must emerge. The future, Reinhard said, is not a stand-alone church with a fence around it, divided from the neighborhood, isolated from the neighborhood. Something has to change. David Roach is a freelance reporter for CT and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama. Christians break out in song after bomb threat forces evacuation of G3 Conference A bomb threat forced the evacuation of a gathering of Christians who remained cheerful as the unexpected development derailed their evening plans. G3 Ministries, an annual conference launched by Pastor Josh Buice of Pray's Mill Baptist Church that seeks to "educate, encourage, and equip local churches with sound biblical theology for the glory of God," held its event, themed The Sovereignty of God, last Thursday through Saturday. As attendees gathered for a screening of John MacArthurs The Essential Church Friday evening, a bomb threat forced them to evacuate the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park where the conference was held. Shannon Paul Halliday, the director of The Essential Church, took to X Friday evening to announce that he was micd up and ready to go on to talk about the Essential Church movie, and a bomb threat came into the building. He noted that G3s been evacuated, a development he referred to as interesting timing. I was micd up and ready to go on to talk about the Essential Church movie, and a bomb threat, came into the building. G3s been evacuated. Interesting timing. @JennaEllisEsq@ArlenysBuckelew Shannon Paul Halliday (@sphalliday) September 23, 2023 An update shared on social media shared a message sent by G3 Ministries Executive Vice President Scott Aniol, who wrote: As most of you are aware, there was a threat this evening at GICC, but praise the Lord that all are safe. The individual who issued the threat has been detained, and authorities are currently clearing the building. No one will be able to get back into the building tonight, but any personal possessions left in the building will be secure. Fox 5 Atlanta reported that the College Park Police Department arrested Timothy Mixon, 33, in connection with the bomb threat. He is being held at the Clayton County Jail. After the bomb threat forced them to evacuate the conference, several attendees congregated in the lobby of the nearby Marriott to sing Christian worship music. Josh Buice, founder and president of G3 Ministries, commented on the spontaneous expression of worship by declaring, Even in the midst of moments of difficulty, Gods people have a reason to sing. Our God is sovereign! Even in the midst of moments of difficulty, Gods people have a reason to sing. It was arranged by Gods providence. I whistled to gain everyones attention and stood on a table to address the crowd in the lobby of the Marriott where hundreds of us among https://t.co/dKAomJhHwb ???????????????? ???????????????????? (@JoshBuice) September 23, 2023 It was arranged by Gods providence, he added. I whistled to gain everyones attention and stood on a table to address the crowd in the lobby of the Marriott where hundreds of us among the more than 8,300 at the conference had gathered. I directed their attention to @ScottAniol who led us as we began to sing Gods praises. Everyone else in the hotel paused to take it in, both guests and staff. A truly amazing moment. Video footage accompanying Buices post shows those assembled in the Marriott Lobby singing Great is Thy Faithfulness. While the bomb threat prevented the G3 Conference attendees from watching The Essential Church as a group, one of them took to X to indicate that every attendee got a personal copy this morning as part of what she described as a Check mate. Bomb threat requires an evacuation of #g32023 right before #essentialchurch screening? No big thing. Every attendee got a personal copy this morning. Check mate. ???? pic.twitter.com/NQlzs8juRz Mary Weller (@MWellertXc) September 23, 2023 After Aniol reported in a subsequent update that there were no reported injuries or any harm to anyone and that nothing of concern was discovered, the conference resumed Saturday for its final day of programming. Noting that eight different law enforcement agencies were involved in clearing the GICC, Aniol expressed gratitude for the efforts of the GICC staff, G3 staff and security, and law enforcement for their efforts: Let us thank the Lord together that the threat did not materialize and no one was harmed. A seven-year space voyage came to its climactic end Sunday when a NASA capsule landed in the desert in the U.S. state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. When they learned that the capsule's main parachute had deployed, "I literally broke into tears," the Osiris-Rex mission's principal investigator Dante Lauretta told a press conference. "That was the moment I knew we made it home... For me the real science is just beginning." The 3.86-billion-mile (6.21-billion-kilometer) journey marked the United States' first sample return mission of its kind, the U.S. space agency said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. NASA chief Bill Nelson hailed the mission and said the asteroid dust "will give scientists an extraordinary glimpse into the beginnings of our solar system." The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere was perilous, but NASA managed to engineer a soft landing at 8:52 am local time (1452 GMT), in the military's Utah Test and Training Range. Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe had landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected what NASA estimated is roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth." The sample return "is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth. Osiris-Rex released its capsule early Sunday from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles. The fiery passage through the atmosphere came only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtled downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). NASA images showed the tire-sized capsule on the ground in a desert wash, with scientists approaching the device and taking readings. Eventually they concluded the capsule was not breached, meaning its all-important air-tight seal remained intact, avoiding any contamination of the sample with desert sands. The team then lifted the capsule by helicopter to a nearby "clean room." Meanwhile, the probe that made the space journey fired its engines and shifted course away from Earth, NASA said, "on its way" for a date with another asteroid. Japanese samples On Monday, the sample heads to Johnson Space Center in Houston for additional study, and NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference Oct. 11. Roughly one-fourth of the sample will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada. But most of it will be saved for future generations a "treasure for scientific analysis for years and years and years to come, to our kids and grandkids and people that haven't even been born yet," Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Sciences division, said. Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounces of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid. But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said. Earth's origin story Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating back some 4.5 billion years, and have remained relatively intact. They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris. "It's our own origin story." By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said. Scientists believe Bennu, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) in diameter, is rich in carbon -- a building block of life on Earth -- and contains water molecules locked in minerals. Bennu surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during its brief contact with the asteroid's surface, sank into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, like a children's pool filled with plastic balls. Understanding its composition could come in handy, for there is a slight but non-zero chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182. NASA last year successfully deviated the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercise but with much higher stakes. (AFP) Democrat mayor blames Biden for explosion of immigrants in his town coming in without any consequence A surge of illegal immigrants in a Texas town has led to increased crime and forced the closure of a lucrative international bridge, prompting the towns Democrat mayor to blame President Joe Biden for the crisis. During a recent interview with Erin Burnett on CNNs OutFront, Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas described the situation as very serious for the city, which has a population ranging from 28,000 to 30,000. In the last couple of days, weve had an excess of 5,000 people cross from Piedras Negras, Mexico, into Eagle Pass, Texas, he told the cable news network. Salinas lamented that people were being let loose into the community, raising safety concerns and leading to the closure of their international bridge, a significant source of revenue. You have all these thousands of people just walking in, without any consequence whatsoever, he was quoted as saying. State and federal agencies, including the Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol, are assisting the town. However, Salinas expressed disappointment with the Biden administrations lack of action. Ill be honest with you, I believe 100 percent he does [bear some responsibility], Salinas said. The mayor also criticized the federal government for not reaching out to him or his staff. Nobody has bothered to call me, anyone in the city staff saying, Hey, this is the federal government. We know what youre going through. Were worried about you. This is our plan of action, he said. Salinas called for the enforcement of existing laws. Please, just enforce the laws that are on the books. We are a nation of laws, he urged, emphasizing that the situation is unfair to those who have immigrated legally in the past. Salinas concluded by saying that the situation is unacceptable. It takes a lot of money and years to do it the right way. And its not fair for those people that now we have thousands of people coming in without one single consequence, he said. Texas and the Biden administration have had considerable differences over immigration policy for the U.S. southern border with Mexico, which has seen a significant increase in illegal migration since Biden took office. In the first 10 months of fiscal year 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported nearly 2 million encounters with illegal immigrants at the southwest border. According to preliminary data from The Washington Post, a record number of migrants crossed the southern border in August. There were reportedly 177,000 arrests along the Mexico border last month, an increase from 132,652 in July and 99,539 in June. U.S. Border Patrol arrested at least 91,000 migrants who entered the country as part of a family group in August. A DHS spokesperson told the outlet that the increases are part of seasonal trends, and the government has repatriated over 17,000 parents and children who crossed the border as families since May. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra of the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, ruled that the state cant have a floating barrier on the Rio Grande without permission from the federal government, a victory for the Biden administration that the state has vowed to appeal. Ezra issued a preliminary injunction ordering Texas to remove a 1,000-foot buoy barrier along the Rio Grande. In July, under the directive of Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas deployed the buoy barrier to curb illegal entry into the U.S. amid an increase in border crossings in recent years. The U.S. Department of Justice argued that the buoys were installed in violation of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act because they were placed without permission from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Governor Abbott announced that he was not asking for permission for Operation Lone Star, the anti-immigration program under which Texas constructed the floating barrier. Unfortunately for Texas, permission is exactly what federal law requires before installing obstructions in the nations navigable waters, wrote Ezra, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan. Family of church deacon killed in custody want body cam footage released to public The family of a church deacon in Georgia who died in police custody has called for authorities to release the full body camera footage of the tragic incident to the public. Last month, 62-year-old Johnny Hollman was taken into police custody over a minor traffic accident in Atlanta and, while handcuffed, was tased by a police officer and died soon after. Over the weekend, dozens of people attended a demonstration demanding that the Atlanta Police Department release the body camera footage, which was recently shown exclusively to members of Hollmans family. Attorney Mawuli Davis, who is representing the Hollman family, claims that the body camera footage shows that the deceased church deacon did not act in a violent manner toward the officer. The officer tells him youre going to sign the ticket, or youre going to jail, said Davis, as quoted by WSBTV News. [Hollman] attempts to reach out to sign the ticket, the officer grabbed him by the arm and begins to take him into custody and take him to the ground, and you can hear Mr. Hollman begging for him to stop, the attorney said. Hollmans daughter, Arnitra, was quoted by WSBTV asking the public, if its not you, then who? She added that it could be any one of us or any one of our loved ones. We never thought we would be here doing this for our father in a million years. Earlier this month, authorities showed the Hollman family and their attorneys the body cam footage from the Aug. 10 arrest, according to an APD press release. At the direction of [Mayor Andre Dickens], APD conducted a top-to-bottom evaluation of the interaction with Mr. Hollman, including a review of the departments Standard Operating Procedures and training curriculum, stated the APD. As a result of that review, there have been updates to the standard operating procedures of APD regarding traffic citations, to allow officers to write refusal to sign in the signature line, rather than make an arrest. According to APD, now whenever a traffic citation gets issued, officers will inform the driver that signing the citation is not an admission of guilt if the person refuses to sign the citation. If the driver still does not sign the traffic citation, then the APD officer will write refusal to sign in the signature line in Section IV, Summons of the Uniform Traffic Citation, and issue a copy of charges in lieu of a physical arrest. The Atlanta Police Department continues to strive to earn and retain the trust of the communities we are sworn to protect and serve, continued the APD. Our thoughts are with the Hollman family. Jerry Falwell Jr. accuses Liberty University leaders of financial, sexual misconduct in lawsuit Former Liberty University president and chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. has accused multiple past and current members of the Evangelical Christian university's senior leadership team of sexual misconduct and self-dealing in an amended lawsuit. First filed in July, the lawsuit also alleges the exploitation of the trademark and image of his father, Jerry Falwell Sr. In his initial filing of the lawsuit on July 27, Falwell, who was forced to resign as president of the university in the summer of 2020 over a sex scandal, accused the institution founded by his father in 1971 of profiting from Jerry Falwell Sr.'s "brand of religious goods and services" without consulting the Falwell family or having the "authorization of the Dr. Jerry L. Falwell Family Trust." The amended lawsuit, filed by Falwell's attorneys on Sept. 13, now names his brother, Liberty University Chancellor the Rev. Jonathan Falwell, and the school's President Emeritus Jerry Prevo, as defendants. The court filing paints Liberty's leadership team as vultures who used the publicized sex scandal involving him, his wife and a pool boy as an opportunity to wrest control of the university's nearly $3.5 billion empire that exists largely thanks to his work, out of his hands. "Commencing no later than the summer of 2020, certain members of the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees maneuvered to eliminate Mr. Falwell from the leadership of Liberty and wrest control over the University and its sizable $2 billion endowment, upon information and belief, for their own benefit, without oversight by or interference from Mr. Falwell, who they knew would seek to protect the institution his father founded and stand in the way of their attempts to exploit Liberty for their own gain," the lawsuit states. "Indeed, after Mr. Falwell left Liberty in August 2020, these members directed Liberty to dole out hundreds of thousands of dollars in self-dealing transactions, purportedly as 'donations,' to organizations controlled by these members and/or their close affiliates." Among the close associates listed in the lawsuit is Franklin Graham, leader of Samaritan's Purse and president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. "Jerry Prevo assumed the presidency of Liberty University on an interim basis in August 2020, which role he held until May 2023. He now holds the title of President Emeritus. Prior to and concurrent with his interim presidency, Prevo was a member on the Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee, positions he continues to hold. William F. Graham IV became Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees in 2021. Prevo served for many years on the board of Samaritan's Purse, which is, upon information and belief, under the control of Franklin Graham, father of William Graham and president of Samaritan's Purse," the lawsuit states. "Upon information and belief, Franklin Graham is Prevo's closest advisor; during the limited times Prevo appeared on campus to fulfill his duties as interim president, he would speak with Graham virtually every day by phone before making any decisions. In the fiscal year ending June 2021, Liberty paid $200,050 to Samaritan's Purse. In the same year, Liberty paid another $200,000 to Hope Partners International, which is an organization that is, upon information and belief, controlled by Kirk Nowery, the former Chief Operating Officer of Samaritan's Purse," it continues. "In the following year, Liberty paid the organization another $414,960. Upon information and belief, Hope Partners International secured the 'donation' from Liberty by virtue of its ties to Prevo and Graham." In a statement to The Christian Post on Monday, Graham confirmed he and Prevo are longtime friends but appeared to dismiss any notion of impropriety in their business relationship. "Liberty University is a great school and I knew its founder, Jerry Falwell, Sr. My son Will has served on the Board of Trustees there since 2014. Samaritan's Purse is supported by hundreds of thousands of individuals and organizations, and LU has been one of them. A Christian school giving to support missions and evangelism through Samaritan's Purse or any other like-minded organization is not unusual. As an example, one of the projects Liberty University gave to support was Samaritan's Purse relief work in Ukraine, where we have provided more than 200 million pounds of food in the war-torn country," Graham said. "Samaritan's Purse has partnerships with many different universities. This year alone, we have had interns from 56 schools across the country, including Liberty University. These students regularly serve on volunteer mission teams in partnership with Samaritan's Purse. Right now, students from Liberty are working with our teams in response to the devastating wildfire in Maui as well as storms in Florida, and we have a team of staff currently on the LU campus for Global Focus Week, training students in North American disaster response." Graham added that Prevo has been his friend for more than 20 years after they were introduced to each other by Falwell Sr. when Graham held his first evangelistic crusade in Anchorage, Alaska. "I applaud [Prevo] for steering the school back to its original vision to train champions for Christ," Graham said. Liberty University also said in a statement to CP that Falwell Jr.'s allegations are "improper and unsupported." "In response to Liberty's compelling motion to dismiss his complaint, Jerry Falwell, Jr. filed an amended complaint containing improper and unsupported allegations designed to diminish former colleagues, family, and friends and to discredit the university where he formerly served," the statement notes. "These personal attacks have no place in a legal dispute over the use of a person's name, image, and likeness. Liberty will file the appropriate response to these claims in due time and defend its legal right to continue the use of Dr. Jerry Falwell's name. Furthermore, we stand by our initial statement that Liberty University and its Board of Trustees have only sought to honor the visionary leadership of Dr. Jerry Falwell and the mission of training Champions for Christ." While Falwell Jr., his brother, and sister, Jeannie, are co-trustees of the Dr. Jerry L. Falwell Family Trust, he argues in the amended lawsuit that Jonathan Falwell is trying to prevent his case from moving forward by claiming he had not recused himself from the operation of the Trust even though he previously stated this to Falwell Jr. "Mr. Falwell commenced this action on July 27, 2023, on behalf of both the Trust, for which he was, at the time, a co-trustee, and himself individually and as a beneficiary of the Trust as well as Dr. Falwell's next of kin. Prior to doing so, Mr. Falwell consulted with his brother, Jonathan Falwell ('Jonathan'), who also a co-trustee of the Trust, during which Jonathan acknowledged he has a conflict of interest as it relates to his duties with respect to Liberty's use of the Falwell IP," the complaint states. "As detailed herein, Jonathan is a high ranking official, trustee, and employee of Liberty, which is infringing and damaging the Falwell IP. During these communications, Jonathan also agreed to recuse himself from participating in Trust decisions as it relates to Liberty's use of the Falwell IP. Accordingly, Mr. Falwell commenced suit against Liberty, including by exercising his authority as the sole nonconflicted, non-recused co-trustee of the Trust." Falwell Jr.'s lawsuit contends that "Jonathan inexplicably reversed course and claimed his consent was needed for the action to proceed, which he now asserts the Trust does not have." Falwell Jr. filed a motion in the Circuit Court for the city of Lynchburg, "seeking a formal disqualification of Jonathan from acting in his capacity as co-trustee as it relates to Liberty's use of the Falwell IP." "As detailed in the Disqualification Action, Jonathan suffers from a clear conflict of interest as it relates to Liberty's use of the Falwell IP. As a co-trustee of the Trust, he owes fiduciary duties to the Trust and all its beneficiaries to protect and maximize the value of the Falwell IP," the lawsuit states. "He is also a high ranking official, trustee, and employee of Liberty, which is infringing and damaging the Falwell IP. Indeed, as alleged herein, Jonathan's conflict of interest has prompted him to take actions, or fail to take actions, that constitute a breach of his fiduciary duties to the Trust." Falwell Jr.'s lawsuit suggests that Jonathan Falwell is pushing back against the litigation for his own financial gain. The lawsuit claims that Jonathan Falwell has served on Liberty's Board of Trustees for more than 30 years, and since April 2021 through the present, he has also been Liberty's campus chaplain. From 2010 until this March when he was promoted to chancellor, Jonathan Falwell also served as Liberty's vice chancellor for spiritual affairs. Along with being "paid at least a six-figure salary" and "access to numerous financial perks," Jonathan Falwell also has access to the university's private jet and private vehicles. "Upon information and belief, Jonathan has recently accepted another financial perk of the Chancellor's position and is now in the process of moving into a home owned by Liberty on top of Liberty Mountain overlooking the campus. Upon information and belief, at Jonathan's request, Liberty is also paying for the construction of a swimming pool on the property for the use of Jonathan and his family," the lawsuit states. "In addition, five of Jonathan's family members, including children and spouses of children, have recently become employed by Liberty in various roles." The filing further argues that Jonathan Falwell is also benefiting financially from his relationship as senior pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, a role he took over after his father died in 2007. "Through his relationship to TRBC, Jonathan is beholden to Liberty's interests in additional ways. For example, on three separate occasions between 2007 when Jonathan became senior pastor of TRBC and August 2020, Liberty paid millions of dollars to rescue TRBC from financial ruin," the lawsuit alleges. Falwell Jr.'s lawyers also criticized Liberty University's board of trustees and executive committee for the unequal treatment he and his wife received compared with other high-ranking university officials who engaged in sexual misconduct. "The standard these members of the Board and its Executive Committee purported to hold Mr. Falwell to was different from the standard that Liberty had applied to other high-ranking officials of the University. For example, one former University President was sued by a former Liberty employee for sexual harassment, and Liberty retained him in that position notwithstanding that a payment had to be made to that employee as a result," the lawsuit states. "And it is common knowledge within the relevant communities that Ed Hindson, a recently deceased televangelist and former dean of Liberty's School of Divinity, had an extramarital affair during his time at Liberty, and Liberty nonetheless employed him as a high-ranking official after the affair." The lawsuit also mentions former Liberty Provost Ron Godwin "had an extramarital affair with his secretary while working at a Liberty affiliate Moral Majority, Inc., but, again, Liberty nonetheless employed him as a high-ranking official after the affair." "A current member of the Executive Committee has admitted to previously having more than one affair. All of these incidents involved situations in which officials themselves were engaged in affairs or other misconduct, in contrast to Mr. Falwell, who had not engaged in similar misconduct or had any affair. And Liberty nonetheless had permitted these individuals to continue in its employ, consistent with a long-standing culture of forgiveness that is part and parcel of Dr. Falwell's brand of evangelicalism." The lawsuit states that Falwell Jr.'s work at the university was "responsible for Liberty climbing out of approximately $100 million in debt" to become the powerhouse university it is today. "Under Mr. Falwell's leadership, Liberty's finances were transformed from being crippled by debt to possessing nearly $3.5 billion in net assets and one of the largest and fastest growing endowments of any university in the nation," the lawsuit argues. The lawsuit contends that the relationship between his family and the university is now so bad he is no longer allowed to be on the campus. "Once Mr. Falwell was gone, Liberty dug in and continued to treat the Falwells in an ugly manner inconsistent with the principles and values associated with the JERRY FALWELL brand," the lawsuit explains. "This included, among other things, banning the Falwells from campus grounds (where Dr. Falwell Mr. Falwell's father is interred); 'photoshopping' them out of pictures; taking down photos of the Falwells that had been long-displayed on campus; harassing Mr. Falwell through meritless litigation, and depriving Mr. Falwell of retirement funds. The JERRY FALWELL brand does not stand for such abhorrent treatment, which is antithetical to the reputation by which it is known." Teen dies after court blocked her from seeking treatments; family speaks out A 19-year-old Christian woman from Birmingham, England, died after a court prevented her from seeking experimental treatment abroad, according to a U.K. group, which says the family, who can now publicly identify her as Sudiksha Thirumalesh, has spoken out against the courts decision and the hospitals treatment of their daughter. Sudiksha had been embroiled in a legal battle with the NHS for over six months, seeking permission to go to Canada for experimental nucleoside treatment for her rare genetic mitochondrial disease, Christian Concern said Friday, adding that the Court of Protection had barred her and her family from raising funds for the treatment, stating that Sudiksha lacked the capacity to make such decisions. The family, Thirumalesh Chellamal Hemachandran, Revathi Malesh Thirumalesh and her brother Varshan Chellamal Thirumalesh, were under a court order that restricted them from publicly naming Sudiksha for over a year, the group said. The restriction was lifted Friday by a ruling at the Family Division of the High Court. Justice Peel has deferred the decision to lift the restrictions on naming the hospital, the hospital trust and the clinicians involved until next week, Christian Concern said, noting that Sudikshas case had been front-page news, culminating last week with her death. Sudiksha was fully conscious and able to communicate throughout her illness. She had said she wanted to die trying to live, but the courts restrictions prevented her from doing so. Justice Roberts had ruled that Sudiksha did not have the capacity to make decisions about her treatment, despite evidence from two psychiatrists to the contrary. In a statement, the family said, We are deeply disturbed by how we have been treated by the hospital trust and the courts. Had she been allowed to seek nucleoside treatment six months ago, it may well be that she would still be with us and recovering. The family added, We are a Christian family who believe in life, love and forgiveness. Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concerns legal arm the Christian Legal Centre, said, This profoundly disturbing case has demonstrated the urgent need for an overhaul into how critical care decisions are made in the NHS and the Courts. Sudikshas case was similar to those of Charlie Gard, Alfie Evans and Archie Battersbee, where the NHS had asked the Court of Protection to remove life-saving medical treatment, the group noted, commenting that unlike most cases, Sudiksha was conscious and had her own lawyers argue for her right to live and seek treatment abroad. Sudiksha suffered from chronic muscle weakness, loss of hearing and kidney damage, requiring regular dialysis. The hospital had asked the Court to approve a palliative care plan, which would have led to her death within a few days from kidney failure. Two psychiatric experts had told the Court that Sudiksha had the mental capacity to make decisions about her own medical treatment. However, the Court ruled that she was delusional for wanting to live, based on the hospitals assessment of her condition. Sudiksha had grown up in a Christian family who spent all their savings on legal fees to resist the NHSs efforts to end her life. She had been in intensive care since her health deteriorated after contracting Covid in August 2022. In February 2023, the hospital asked the Court to set aside a Lasting Powers of Attorney document that Sudiksha had issued, authorizing her parents to make decisions on her behalf. The Court then approved a palliative care plan, leading to her death within a few days. Outspoken progressive UMC bishop found not guilty of violating Church law An outspoken theologically progressive bishop of the United Methodist Church has been found not guilty of multiple accusations, which had led to her suspension early last year. Bishop Minerva G. Carcano of the UMC California-Nevada Conference was found not guilty by a jury of 13 clergy on the charges of disobedience to the discipline of the denomination, undermining the ministry of another pastor, harassment and fiscal misconduct. Deliberation in the case lasted more than five hours, reported UM News, with retired Bishop Alfred W. Gwinn, the presiding officer in the case, announcing the decision last Friday. Carcano said in a statement released after the proceedings ended that she was grateful for the jury for the time and faithfulness they have displayed in their task. Now I am eager to return to the work of ministry in the California-Nevada Conference and The United Methodist Church and the process of healing for all and the ministry of the church, she added. The UMC Western Jurisdiction released an announcement last Friday noting that, now that she has been found not guilty, Carcanos suspension has been ended and she will retire to her duties. Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut, secretary for the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops who was present for the trial, was quoted in the announcement as saying that the UMC was entering a time of healing. Now the healing begins, and I recognize that its not going to be an easy path, but we must try. I commit myself to this hard work of healing and restoration, stated Rapanut. May this serve as an opportunity to provide a witness to the world as we live out our Christian values of grace, forgiveness, justice and love. In March 2022, it was announced that Carcano was placed on leave from her episcopal duties due to two complaints, with some taking issue with the process. Earlier this year, the group Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latino Americans, which is the UMC's Hispanic caucus, denounced the length of Carcano's suspension and argued that she should be reinstated. "By prohibiting Bishop Minerva Carcano from attending meetings and being in contact with persons affiliated with the organization at any level, is in our view, punitive and judgmental. This action has hurt and continues to hurt our ethnic ministries and missions," said MARCHA in a statement. "The issue is that the prolonged suspension has damaged the reputation of Bishop Minerva Carcano and has discredited her faithful years of services and contributions to the California-Nevada Annual Conference." In May, the Western Jurisdiction announced that a committee found reasonable grounds to bring the charges against the bishop to a trial. Specifically, the committee identified five charges per Paragraph 2702.1 of the Book of Discipline. The Jurisdictions Committee on Episcopacy had voted to continue Carcanos suspension based on the recommendation of the regional bodys Committee on Investigation. Carcano is known for her advocacy for progressive causes, including immigration reform, gun control, and having the UMC change its official stance against the blessing of same-sex unions. In 2014, for example, when UMC Pastor Frank Schaefer of Pennsylvania had his clergy credentials reinstated after being defrocked for officiating his sons same-sex wedding, Carcano gave him a position leading a student ministry in California. "Rev. Schaefer will be responsible for leading the administrative work of this congregation and reaching out to the large college community that lives, studies, and works at the doorsteps of this church," stated Carcano back in 2014. "Schaefer has much to teach us about what it means to love the children God gives us who happen to be gay. I pray that we will make space for him and his family in our lives and in our hearts as he comes to labor among us," she added. The American church is falling for demonic spirits The one thing most of us fail to do is to discern when were dealing with demonic spirits. However, its important to sharpen our ability to discern evil spirits and their workings. For this, having the gift of discerning of spirits is especially valuable, but dont ever doubt that we all have to develop this discernment, especially when working in deliverance ministry. In this spiritual war, the discerning of spirits is the tip of the sword. One of the issues we see with discerning spirits is that many people leave the faith because they follow after other spirits instead of the Holy Spirit. Take a look at this verse: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1 In the verse above, the apostle Paul is writing to his spiritual son, Timothy, to give him a picture of the spiritual warfare at hand. Be reminded that the latter times that Paul references in this verse began at Pentecost and continues through today. Paul was living in the beginning of the last days when he said these words almost two thousand years ago. Now when people ask, Youve been saying that Jesus is going to return for two thousand years, where are all the signs of His coming? Where is He? I always respond, If you read the Bible, youll realize that it took Him four thousand years to show up the first time. True as that is, the prophetic timeline is suddenly accelerating at a startling rate, so wed better buckle up. In our key verse, where Paul refers to those who shall depart from the faith, he is not talking about ungodly individuals who stick their middle finger in Gods face, spit on the Bible, and hate church. He is talking about believers who will depart from the church, from the truth of the Bible, from the preaching, from prayer, from fasting, and from deliverance and miracles. And the reason they will depart is shocking. They will give heed to seducing spirits. This, of course, is not a reference to the Holy Spirit thats spoken of in the first part of the verse. These are evil spirits, and these dark seducing spirits will eventually woo them into accepting doctrines of devils. Doctrines of devils are false religions and other false teachings that dismiss the Bible: idol worship, the worship of man, the worship of objects, the worship of statues, the worship of beads, the worship of charms and amulets and crystals and horoscopes, etc.; and they will eventually defend every sort of perversion that goes against the Word of God. Church people will literally side with demons and occultism and witchcraft. If you havent seen that come full circle in our time, then youve not been paying attention. In short, Paul says there will be demonic activity in the church during the last days that will destroy the church. The influence of demonic activity in the life of the American church is an absolute fact, and through all my efforts to battle against it, Ive discovered you cannot appeal to the conscience of a demon. It works to destroy the conscience of its host and has no conscience of its own. A demonic spirit is void of that emotional connection to God, so it causes people to live numb and dry and lukewarm and barren,and in this context we begin to understand that a demon is nothing more than a person without a body who has taken hold of a human body. As we see more and more demonic influence in our culture, we need to heed Pauls warnings. The devil is going hard after the people of God, and no one is an exception. We must buckle up with the armor of God, stick close to His Word, and keep our eyes focused on Christ. ELCA synod elects its first openly gay bishop A California-based synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has elected its first-ever openly gay bishop, over a year after the regional body removed its first-ever trans-identified bishop from office. At the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly last week, Pastor Jeff R. Johnson of Berkeley, California, was elected to a six-year term as bishop of the regional church body. Johnson was elected bishop on the fifth ballot last Sunday, receiving 226 votes, while the Rev. John Keuhner, pastor of Unity Lutheran Church of South San Francisco, earned 168 votes. Shortly after winning the election, Johnson addressed the synod gathering, celebrating the fact that he belongs to "a Church that is more open, more welcoming, more inclusive, more affirming than the Church we started out in." "It is a sign for us that we can be that Church in the future," said Johnson, who got emotional at times during his remarks. "I am incredibly grateful to be here, to be with you." "You have elected a pastor, but you need to show me how to be a bishop. And I look forward to that conversation, that relationship, that struggle as we raise a bishop together." The details of Johnson's installation service have not been finalized. Johnson was ordained in 1990, according to a synod statement. He has served as pastor of the University Lutheran Chapel of Berkeley since 2013 and is a member of the spiritual care team at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. He formerly served as the pastor of First United Lutheran Church in San Francisco from 1990-1999. He was a mission developer with Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries in San Francisco from 1990-1995 and the HIV education director for Lutheran Social Services of Northern California from 1988-1989. Johnson will replace Interim Bishop Claire S. Burkat, the former head of the ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod who took office after Megan Rohrer, the ELCA's first trans-identified bishop, was compelled to resign in June 2022 amid mounting pressure within the denomination. Elected bishop in September 2021, Rohrer was born a biological female, but as an adult uses both gender-neutral and masculine pronouns for self-identification. Shortly after Rohrer was installed as bishop, allegations surfaced that she engaged in unethical behaviors, including the firing of Pastor Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez of Mision Latina Luterana, which critics accused of being racially motivated. Additionally, litigation was filed in response to Rohrer's actions while serving as pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco. In March, Rohrer filed a lawsuit against the ELCA and the synod in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She claimed that church leadership engaged in "animus" and falsely cast her as racist. "The Church's history of prejudice far predated Megan Rohrer's entry into the Church, and the notion [she] was motivated by racial animus in any personnel decisions is an outright falsehood propagated by the Church to deflect blame," read the lawsuit. "It has also had the tragic effect of turning marginalized communities against each other." Joni Eareckson Tada released from hospital after 16-day stay: 'God rescued me' Bible teacher, bestselling author and disabilities advocate Joni Eareckson Tada has been released from the hospital after a 16-day stay due to double pneumonia. "Like many of the people we serve who struggle with constant health challenges, I can say with them, 'God rescued me!' After 16 days in the hospital struggling with double pneumonia, I am home, happy, healing, and resting," the 73-year-old shared in a social media post last week featuring a photo of her and her husband, Ken, outside the hospital. "The hospital provided oxygen for me, but it's only temporary." She thanked her husband and friends for all they did to care for her, saying they "made sure I rested." "At night, the promise from God in Isaiah 43:1-2 was such a great source of comfort: 'Do not be afraid, for you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown,'" She said. "Yes, Jesus was with me through every scan, x-ray, blood draw, and breathing treatment." Tada, who heads Joni and Friends, an organization "accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community," said the experience reminded her of how critical it is to "share the salvation message of Jesus with the families we serve." "It's why we do what we do at Joni and Friends, and I couldn't be happier than to be on the frontlines with you and every friend of the ministry," she wrote. Tada was paralyzed after a diving accident in 1967 and has since used her platform to advocate for those with disabilities. Her book detailing her experience, Joni, has been translated into over 30 languages and made into a feature film. In addition to living with quadriplegia, Tada has battled cancer twice and, recently, COVID-19. In a 2022 interview with The Christian Post, the speaker and author revealed that resting in God's sovereignty, come what may is what enables her to have "profound, unshakable gladness" in the face of "horrible hardships and jaw-biting pain." God's sovereignty "isn't some doctrinal, otherworldly, theological ivory tower concept that academics talk about, but you'd never really know how to put into practice," she said, but a "trust in His Word; He can be trusted because He's not going anywhere." "I couldn't say that if that pain were happening perchance, or if it were some fluke, or if it was a cosmic roll of the dice. How can I be so confident, to speak calmly into my suffering, the confidence in God's Word were it not for His sovereignty?" Tada said. "When I'm in pain, which is often, especially at night in bed when I can't sleep I talk to my pain and I say, 'You're not going to make me anxious, pain. You're not going to make me fearful. I'm going to walk into you. I'm going to breathe, calmly, serenely. I'm going to enter you, pain, as though I were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego entering the fiery furnace, and I'm going to find Jesus, the Son of God, walking in the middle of the fire with me.'" Tada cited 2 Corinthians 6:10: "We are to be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." "It seems to me, only in the Christian experience can we know both joy and sorrow at the same time; it's like it's on a continuum, and they happen simultaneously," she reflected. "In the West, even we Christians, we don't know what to do with suffering and pain. We try to drug it, medicate it, escape it, divorce it. If it's a child with a disability, we institutionalize it. We do everything but learn how to live with it. And I don't mean live with it begrudgingly, but live with it confident that a sovereign God has you in the midst of this for a good reason. And usually, most of those reasons are that we might cast ourselves wholly and completely on Christ Jesus." Judge blocks school district from enforcing LGBT policy against Christian teachers A federal judge has blocked a California school district from forcing Christian teachers to follow a policy requiring school officials to refrain from telling parents that their children identify as the opposite sex. Judge Roger Benitez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction on Sept. 14, ruling that the Escondido Union School District in Escondido, California, cannot enforce Policy AR 5145.3 against teachers Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West. The injunction means the policy can't be enforced against the plaintiffs while the case proceeds. Mirabelli and West filed a lawsuit against the district's board of education and administrative staff, the California State Board of Education and the state superintendent over the policy. The teachers contend that the policy violates their First Amendment rights. The policy declares that "any district employee to whom a student's transgender or gender-nonconforming status is disclosed shall keep the student's information confidential." In his ruling, Benitez wrote that the teachers "maintain sincere religious beliefs that communication with a parent about a student should be accurate; communications should not be calculated to deceive or mislead a student's parent." "The teachers also maintain that parents enjoy a federal constitutional right to make decisions about the care and upbringing of their children," the George W. Bush appointee added. "The teachers allege a well-founded fear of adverse employment action should they violate the EUSD gender identification confidentiality policy by communicating accurately to a student's parents her own observations or concerns, as a teacher, about the student's gender incongruence." Benitez's ruling repeatedly mentions that EUSD justified the policy as necessary to comply with California's School Success and Opportunity Act. It cites a frequently-asked-questions page about the law, which declares that "the right of transgender students to keep their transgender status private is grounded in California's antidiscrimination laws as well as federal and state laws. Disclosing that a student is transgender without the student's permission may violate California's antidiscrimination law." The order enjoins the defendants "from enforcing against Plaintiffs Mirabelli or West, EUSD AR 5145.3 or the associated official policy described in the California Department of Education's FAQs page on gender identity-related disclosures by teachers to parents." The judge ordered both district and state officials to "restrain any governmental employee or entity from taking any adverse employment actions thereupon against Plaintiffs Mirabelli or West, until further order of this Court." Several school districts nationwide have faced scrutiny for policies requiring school officials to refrain from sharing information about their children's gender identity with parents. According to the advocacy group Parents Defending Education, more than 1,000 school districts have policies that "openly state that district personnel can or should keep a student's transgender status hidden from parents." These districts, which contain a total of over 18,000 schools, span across 37 states and educate nearly 11 million students. In the past, school districts have faced lawsuits for referring to trans-identified students by pronouns that align with their preferred gender identity at school while addressing the students by their given names and pronouns in communication with parents. Leon County Public Schools in Florida is one school district that has faced litigation over such actions. Last month, a federal judge ruled against parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, suing to stop a similar policy in their children's school district. Concerns about parental rights have prompted some school districts, including some in California, to implement policies that require school officials to inform parents if their child requests to identify as a member of the opposite sex. While three districts in New Jersey enacted parental notification policies earlier this year, a New Jersey Superior Court judge put them on hold. Public opinion polling conducted by Monmouth University suggests that 77% of New Jerseyans believe that school officials should notify parents if their child asks to identify as a member of the opposite sex. That figure rises to 81% among parents with children under the age of 18. Traveling Tennessee pastor, father of 6 arrested for alleged child rape; wife charged with facilitating abuse A traveling Tennessee pastor and father of six who recently raised thousands of dollars online to help purchase a vehicle to carry his ministry across the country has been arrested and charged with several counts of child rape, while his wife has been charged with facilitating his abuse. Court documents cited by WGNS Radio said the pastor, Benjamin Garlick, 32, was charged with five counts of aggravated rape of a child, five counts of aggravated sexual battery of a minor who was under the age of 13, one count of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor who was under the age of 13, and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child. The abuse allegedly began in February of 2021. The pastors wife, Shaantal Garlick, 29, was also charged with one count of facilitation of aggravated rape of a child and one count of aggravated child abuse or endangerment to a child aged 8 and younger. Prior to the couple's arrest on Sept. 12, Garlick, whose late father Daniel Garlick was also an evangelist, reportedly led church services in Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Alabama. Evidence of his ministry can be found on YouTube and Facebook. In a GoFundMe campaign, he created in December 2022 to raise $40,000 to pay for a new Ford Transit, Garlick, who managed to raise more than $18,000 of the amount from just 20 donors talked about how his praying wifes faith had previously helped them to get a minivan for their growing family. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened, Garlick declared in a post on the campaign highlighting Matthew 7:7-8. When our third daughter Abigail was born, we realized that our Ford Focus was too small for us to fit our family. We began to pray, and I must confess my faith was not what it should have been. My wife had been taught to pray specifically. She, having faith to move mountains, prayed for a minivan with everything she knew we would need or want in our new car, he explained. I asked her where she expected to get the money to pay for such a van, and she replied, From God. I told her good luck and didnt think much of it after that. Within a matter of weeks, God paid for it just like my wife had prayed! That van pictured here is now over 418,000 miles on the odometer and, by His grace, still chugging along. My first responsibility is to be a husband and father. Our vehicle allows me to fulfill that role while we travel together, he said before noting that the family had outgrown their vehicle again. While we were so excited to receive our Baby Sean into our family, we knew that In the Lord's timing, He would open the door once again for us to get the vehicle we prayed for. And pray we did. His timing is perfect; this week, He opened the door to find the van we have been praying for. Here we are with the new van. Garlick said they were able to get special financing to pay off the $40,000 price tag of their new van with no interest if they could do it in 60 days by Feb. 7. Court records show that Garlick is in custody at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in Murfreesboro on a $750,000 bond. His wife was released after her arrest on a $75,000 bond. Just last month, Shaantal Garlick, who is expected to appear at a hearing with her husband on Sept. 26, also filed for an order of protection against him. Xinjiang's specialty products spread thanks to consumer support from inland provinces, cities People's Daily Online) 13:18, September 25, 2023 Sheep from Yutian county in Hotan Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will be transported directly to Tianjin Municipality in north China. "This is expected to boost local sheep prices by 10 to 15 percent," said Yang Jianli, who was sent by Tianjin to serve as deputy Party chief in Yutian county. An employee sells Tacheng cheese bread through livestreaming at Jiangqu food company in Tacheng, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 1, 2023. (Photo/Xinhua) The cherry tomatoes in Shule county, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang have already received orders from several coastal provinces despite being in the seedling stage. Liu Zhijun, the head of a modern vegetable industry park in Kashgar, expressed confidence in selling 3,000 tonnes of cherry tomatoes from this batch. Xinjiang's specialty products displayed at an agricultural products exhibition in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province achieved outstanding sales, surpassing 2 million yuan ($274,000) within three days. The high demand for these products resulted in many items being sold out on-site, while the exhibition also generated over 20 million yuan worth of intended orders. In recent years, consumer support for Xinjiang has been strengthened, thanks to strong backing from provinces and cities participating in an assistance program for the region. This has resulted in a substantial increase in the sales of Xinjiang's agricultural and specialty products, while also facilitating its integration into the national market and expansion of its customer reach. Utilizing cold chain transportation, east China's Shandong Province and Xi'an city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province built 12 Kashgar agricultural product and byproduct distribution centers, selling over 400 types of agricultural products and byproducts, with cumulative sales of nearly 4.3 billion yuan. Wang Bin, an executive from a travel agency in Shandong, said that the company has launched a special tourism train to promote tourism in Xinjiang. This year, they organized trips for over 1,300 tourists to visit the region. Over 40,000 passenger trips have also been made to Xinjiang from Shandong through chartered flights and special trains under a program which aims to boost tourism in Xinjiang and Shandong. Buhaliqi Sidike, a Uygur woman, decided to return to her hometown and engage in watermelon farming after graduating from college. Now, she cultivates watermelons in a greenhouse at a planting base in Shule. The planting base was built for Shule with assistance from Weifang city in Shandong. She said Shandong's facility agriculture is highly advanced, and she has gained many techniques while cultivating watermelons at the planting base. The watermelons produced at the base are in high demand and are sold to major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Officials sent by Tianjin to Xinjiang under the assistance program have invited the Tianjin Food Group to create an industrial chain for the local sheep industry. This initiative has garnered significant consumer support for Xinjiang, particularly for Hotan sheep, resulting in increased incomes for over 20,000 households, helping 156 village collectives increase their wealth, and enabling more than 1,000 local individuals find jobs near their homes. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country as a result of the coup that removed the democratically elected president. Niger's junta said in response that the announcement signals a new step towards the sovereignty" of the country. "Imperialist and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. The new era of cooperation, based on mutual respect and sovereignty is already underway, it said in a statement. The announcement was a significant, if expected, blow to Frances policy in Africa, with French troops having had to pull out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight Islamic extremist groups. France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didn't recognize the coup leaders as legitimate. But tensions had mounted in recent weeks between France and Niger, a former French colony, and Macron said recently that French diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy. Macrons announcement came after the coup leaders issued a statement earlier Sunday that they were closing Nigers airspace to French planes, commercial and military, so that the new leadership could retake total control of its skies and its territory. The decision did not apply to other international aircraft. Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to Niger's deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, told The Associated Press that Bazoum requested that Macron withdraw the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, in order to reduce tension. In an interview with the France-2 and TF1 television networks, Macron said he spoke to Bazoum on Sunday and told him that France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France." He added, "And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities because they don't want to fight against terrorism anymore. He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year, in coordination with the coup leaders because we want it to take place peacefully. He said Frances military presence was in response to a request from Nigers government at the time. That military cooperation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup, however. The junta leaders claimed Bazoum's government wasnt doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency. The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers. Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops. This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron, said Saidou. The junta in August gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave . After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity . In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing the West African nations full participation at the U.N.s annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies. Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africas gendarme may finally be over, as the continent's priorities shift. Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the U.S. deployments in Niger, though as we have seen, the U.S. and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger. Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist groups. "France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesnt have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term, Lyammouri said. Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave. France also suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign. (AP) 'America no longer the safe haven' for persecuted Christians, says Open Doors (CP) International religious freedom advocacy groups released a joint report Wednesday warning that the number of persecuted Christians being resettled into the United States from countries where they face most persecution still hovers near historic lows even as much of society has regained a sense of normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Christian persecution watchdog organization Open Doors US teamed up with the Evangelical humanitarian agency World Relief to release the latest edition of their "Closed Doors" report. The organizations had previously published a "Closed Doors" report in 2020. Unveiled at an event on Capitol Hill, advocates stressed that as one out of every seven Christians worldwide is subject to "high levels of persecution and discrimination," the number of Christian refugees admitted into the U.S. from the 50 countries on Open Doors' annual World Watch List remains near the lowest level in a decade. "Recent shifts in U.S. policy reveal that America is no longer the safe haven for displaced persons that it once was," the report states. While refugee admissions into the United States were dramatically reduced under the Trump administration and reached their lowest point during the COVID-19 pandemic, the groups warn that refugee admissions have "rebounded more slowly than the pace at which most of life in the United States has returned to a post-pandemic normal." "By the end of fiscal year 2022, the number of Christian refugees resettled from the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution was down by about 70% compared to the fiscal year 2016," World Relief Vice President of Advocacy and Policy Matt Soerens said. While the U.S. resettled 9,538 Christian refugees from the 50 countries on the World Watch List in fiscal year 2022, that number amounts to less than one-third of the 32,248 Christian refugees admitted from such countries in fiscal year 2016, the final year of the Obama administration when nearly 85,000 refugees were admitted into the U.S. At the same time, the number of Christian refugees admitted from countries on the World Watch List in fiscal year 2022 increased from the low of 5,390 measured in fiscal year 2020. While the report focuses primarily on the effects of changes to U.S. refugee and asylum policy on persecuted Christians, the report notes that other minority groups have largely been shut out of the U.S. refugee resettlement system. While Soerens expressed gratitude for the increase in resettlement and predicted statistics from the fiscal year 2023 would reveal the resettlement of more Christian refugees, he believes "the numbers are far less encouraging for Christian refugees from several particular countries where Christians face especially severe persecution." Iran, which comes in as the eighth worst persecutor of Christians on the World Watch List, saw a 95% drop in the number of Christian refugees admitted between 2016 and 2022. Iraq ranked the 18th worst persecutor of Christians worldwide witnessed a 94% decrease in the same period. The number of Christian refugees from Burma, also known as Myanmar, fell by 92% despite its status as the 14th worst persecutor of Christians, according to the Open Doors World Watch List. Refugee arrivals from Eritrea, the fourth worst prosecutor of Christians, declined by 85%. Soerens expressed concern about "several new policies and policy proposals that relate to asylum and that would restrict access to asylum for persecuted Christians and for others who might seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border." The report calls out a rule instituted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Biden administration in May that restricts eligibility for asylum for those who enter the U.S. in ways other than a lawful port of entry. "A new app designed to request asylum appointments at ports of entry, however, offers significantly fewer appointment slots than the number of individuals seeking to request asylum, creating a situation that some have described as an 'asylum lottery,'" the report notes. Soerens described the U.S. asylum system as "a lifeline for persecuted Christians who were unsafe where they were living and whose only hope was to get to a safe place." The panelists at the event warned about the implications of H.R. 2, also known as the Secure the Border Act of 2023. Passed by the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives in a 219-213 vote earlier this year, the measure would reform the asylum process, in part by requiring those seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border to pay a $50 fee. World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene characterized H.R. 2 as an "incredible impediment to supporting and bringing a pathway for asylum for individuals who are fleeing for religious reasons." Soerens took issue with the bill's efforts to "roll back access to asylum" and increased "documentary standards" required to qualify for asylum under the legislation, which is still awaiting action in the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate. Greene called on the Biden administration to "raise and increase the refugee resettlement ceiling," urging Congress to restore the Lautenberg Amendment. Named for the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., Greene praised the amendment as a "bipartisan, broad consensus piece of legislation for many years, which specifically seeks to create a pathway for people from former Soviet republics" as well as "particular religious minorities coming to this country." Greene lamented that the amendment was not included in the most recent House Foreign Operations bill. Soerens praised the Dignity Act as a bipartisan effort that would "put about $35 billion into border security" and "dramatically expand the adjudication capacity at the border by increasing the number of judges and officers that will ... verify asylum claims." He believes the act will enable people to "go through that process closer to the border and not necessarily be distributed across the United States." Sponsored by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., the Dignity Act has secured the support of five Republican co-sponsors and six Democrat co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. The chamber has yet to vote on the legislation. The Christian Post Future of Christians in Syria and Lebanon under threat A "mass exodus" of "desperate" Christians from Syria and Lebanon is threatening the future presence of the faith in the two countries, a church leader has warned. The 2023 Religious Freedom in the World Report by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) shows how the Christian population in Syria fell from 6.31 per cent of the population, to 3.84 per cent between 2016 and 2021. Estimates about the number of Christians in Lebanon vary but the CIA Factbook currently puts their proportion of the population at around a third (32.4%). This is below figures cited by a 2010 report by the US State Department estimating Christians in Lebanon to be over 40 per cent at the time. Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi told ACN that Christians in the Middle East are leaving their homelands despite appeals from the Church to remain. He told the Catholic charity that Christians "no longer have confidence in their country" and "there is no light at the end of the tunnel". Both Syria and Lebanon have been hit hard by extreme economic hardship and the pandemic. Syria's problems have been compounded by an ongoing civil war. It has been hard to give Christians hope, especially as the situation has not improved, Patriarch Absi explained. "There have always been waves of emigration. Nowadays it is a mix of economic, social and political reasons," he said. "We are still doing everything possible to help our faithful, to provide them with essential services. But we cannot replace the governments. "There is no light at the end of the tunnel, we do not see a short-term solution. "Without support we can no longer convince them to stay." He is calling on the West to lift sanctions against Syria that he says are negatively impacting the general population. "I think that our friends can exert pressure in one way or another on their governments, and sometimes even on the religious leaders, to help in this direction or to ensure that the sanctions are lifted," he said. Minister who lost 20 relatives in terrorist attack speaks of forgiveness A Church of Scotland minister whose mother and 19 relatives were murdered by terrorists in Pakistan has opened up about how he was eventually able to forgive his family's killers. Rev Aftab Gohar admitted it was not easy to forgive the suicide bombers who struck All Saints Church in Peshawar on 22 September 2013. He had many questions and wondered why faithful Christians had been allowed to die in this way. "It was a very hard time for us all and I was questioning 'why did it happen to those who were very regular churchgoers?'" he said. "Those who didn't go to church on that day, did they do the right thing? "The Bible says 'when you are persecuted because of your faith in Jesus, you are blessed'. "They all died for their faith." On that harrowing day, Rev Gohar remembered getting ready to preach a sermon at his church's Sunday service in Scotland when he received a text message telling him about the suicide bombing and the death of his family members in Pakistan. Rev Gohar, who grew up in Pakistan and attended All Saints with his family, did not want to disappoint his own parishioners by cancelling the service so he carried on as normal and only told them what had happened afterwards. At least 122 people were killed when two explosions ripped through All Saints and over 250 were injured. Rev Gohar's mother, Iqbal Gohar, was killed in the attack, as were his nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts and friends. He admits it was not easy to forgive their killers but he took inspiration from Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who survived the Ravensbruck concentration camp after being caught helping Jews to escape the Nazis. "It was hard for me to forgive those responsible but with the strength of God I did so and freed myself from the extra burden of hatred and revenge," he said. "On the cross, Jesus prayed for those who were crucifying him: 'Forgive them Father, they don't know what they are doing. "Jesus said 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" a lesson that some people find impossible to follow." He blames the attack on Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, which Christians say are often abused to target them. Rev Gohar, who has been a full-time minister in the Church of Scotland since 2008, joined other campaigners in handing in a petition to the Pakistan Consulate in Glasgow last week. The petition calls on the Pakistani government to improve safety for religious minorities and use the blasphemy law to punish those who attack Christians. Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: "We are united in sorrow as we reflect on the impact this atrocity had on the families of the victims and survivors and sadly Christians continue to be persecuted today. "A report to the 2023 General Assembly noted that Pakistan is in political turmoil and blasphemy has been weaponised. "This law affects everyone but it disproportionately affects marginalised people and communities. False accusations can ruin lives, forcing people to leave their homes and go into hiding. "The Church continues to engage with ecumenical and international partners on the misuse of the blasphemy law and we call on the government of Pakistan to redouble its efforts to protect minority groups." Most Scottish voters support assisted suicide bill - poll A majority of Scottish voters support proposals to allow terminally ill people to end their lives, according to a new poll. The poll by YouGov for pro-assisted suicide group, Dignity in Dying, found that over three quarters (77%) of Scottish voters support the plans, with only 12 per cent being against the plans. A bill outlining proposals to legalise assisted suicide is due to be published before the end of the year. It is being tabled by Lib Dem MSP, Liam McArthur, and has the backing of 36 MSPs from across the parties. Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has expressed his opposition to assisted suicide. Speaking earlier this month, he said his opposition had deepened after meeting with disability campaigners who told him they feared being on "the thin end of the wedge when it came to assisted dying". "They were really worried, particularly after Covid," he told the Daily Record. "They told me the experiences that they had in terms of Do Not Resuscitate notices. So they were really worried and put forward a very passionate plea to me as First Minister not to support assisted dying." He called for the debate to take place "with real sensitivity and respect". Earlier this year, the Church of Scotland dropped its historic opposition to assisted suicide and voted to explore the range of theological views and ethical opinions on the matter within the Church before deciding on its stance at a later date. Other Christians and faith groups are strongly opposed. They include CARE Scotland, The Christian Institute and the Catholic Church. In May, the Church of Scotland's former Moderator, the Rt Rev Iain Greenshields, visited the Scottish Parliament with Catholic Bishop John Keenan and Imam Shaykh Hamza Khandwalla to sign a statement urging MSPs to vote against legalising assisted suicide in Scotland. The myth of charity and paid conversion in India "We reckon that no evil can be done to us unless we be convicted as evildoers or be proved to be wicked men; and you, you can kill, but not hurt us" Justin Martyr (First Apology). Disturbing news emerged from New Delhi, the capital of India, a few weeks ago, where Hindutva vigilante groups barged into a prayer gathering at the Siyyon Prarthna Bhawan with shouts of "Jai Shree Ram," beating up the believers, which included several women. The attackers alleged that the Christians were attempting religious conversion. Such incidents have been on a steady rise for the last few years and now have become a norm in most parts of the country. Looking at these attacks closely, one cannot but observe a clear and distinct pattern that they are elaborately planned and executed with the support of the local authorities. An often-peddled narrative by the attackers is that Christians are coercively converting gullible and poor Hindus. Over the last few years, various state governments supported by right-wing organizations have vouched for and successfully implemented stringent anti-conversion laws. The whole stigmatization of religious conversions as something to be controlled and penalized rides on a large-scale perception that conversions are, generally, "forced and fraudulent." This begs the question as to whether forced or fraudulent conversions are as frequent as some might want us to believe. While conversions are not a phenomenon that's exclusive to any particular religion, the right-wing activism against conversions has been explicitly aimed at Christian missionary work and social action. Beyond the evening news debates and courthouse rhetoric, there has been an alarming increase in mob violence against Christians in recent times, particularly during occasions like Christmas and Easter. This parallel Hindutva vigilantism on the streets speaks of a highly organized and coordinated effort to oppress and otherwise an entire community. According to the United Christian Forum (UCF) based in the national capital New Delhi, the growth in recorded incidents of anti-Christian violence is increasing "not just year-on-year, but even month-on-month." As per data compiled by UCF through its helpline, a total of 511 incidents were reported as of November 21 last year. Practicing one's religion is a guaranteed right as per India's Constitution, but the war against religious conversion and the way that it is currently played out restricts Christians from exercising this fundamental right. While hearing the plea seeking directions against "forced" religious conversion, last December, the Supreme Court bench, comprising of Justices M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, remarked that "the purpose of charity should not be conversion. Every charity or good work is welcome, but what is required to be considered is the intention." The Court's remark here in many ways is a reflection of the manufactured perception around charity and fails to understand its theological basis. Charity: A means to convert? In Christian thought, charity is not merely doing good works for the sake of a heavenly reward, but rather it is a reflection of God's love and character. The whole of mankind, created in God's image, is bestowed with equal worth and dignity. The influential medieval theologian and philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, brilliantly put it this way: "The aspect under which our neighbor is to be loved is God since what we ought to love in our neighbor is that he may be in God. Hence it is clear that it is specifically the same act whereby we love God, and whereby we love our neighbor. Consequently, the habit of charity extends not only to the love of God but also to the love of our neighbor." In the New Testament, the Apostle James emphasizes the importance of giving to the poor, he proclaims that "faith without action is dead". The virtue of charity is something that every devout Christian must demonstrate. Thousands of missionary-run schools, educational institutes, and hospitals are the product of Christian charity and social action. If the purpose of charity were to convert, then these institutions would have actualized the goal long ago. Having said that, the Christian who engages in charity also wills that the Gospel is communicated through his works and words. Why? Because, in the Christian worldview, the greatest good that you can impart to your neighbor is the salvation of his soul. The act of charity itself seeks nothing in return it is selfless by definition. However, the very Christian conviction that propels a believer to engage in charity moves him, even more, to share the very joy and eternal security that he enjoys in Christ. To care for the needy and supply his material needs is good, but to care for his spiritual needs is even greater. For as Christ says, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but to lose his soul?" Christian history is rich with examples of men and women who sacrificed their well-being, traveling to hostile settings to proclaim the love of Christ. Whether one likes it or not, along with social action, they preached the Gospel which played a pivotal role in transforming mankind for the better. The whole idea can be summed up in a simple age-old motto "soap, soup and salvation." Paid conversion: An unfalsifiable charge? The Constitution of India guarantees the "freedom of thought and expression" as a fundamental right. Now let's consider a hypothetical but certainly possible scenario: A Christian who practices charity shares his religious convictions with his neighbor, who in turn, gets convinced of the Christian faith and chooses to convert. Both the persuader and the persuaded are merely exercising their constitutional, fundamental rights. An external party could allege and falsely implicate the Christian for "paid" conversion because charity done from a Christian point of view can be interpreted as allurement from the accuser's perspective. Out of 28 Indian states, 12 have enacted anti-conversion bills. These laws primarily share three common aspects: prohibitions on conversions, notification requirements to the government, and burden-shifting provisions that automatically presume guilt. In the Karnataka (now repealed) and Uttarakhand bill against religious conversion, which was later passed as law, the section titled "burden of proof" states that the burden of proof as to whether a religious conversion was not effected through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage, lies on the person who has caused the conversion and on the abettor who aids or abets such conversion. The burden to prove one's innocence solely rests on the person who "caused the conversion." Firstly, as shown in the above scenario, it is quite a tricky affair. Secondly, there is a fundamental difference between genuinely caring for the poor and the destitute, and systematically and coercively deceiving them. To orchestrate evidence to prove the myth of paid conversion, the Hindutva faction often cites and interprets examples of Christian charity and social welfare programs as allurement. Witnessing the urgency at which such bills are being championed, gives us the impression that conversion by fraudulent means is rampantly rising and is a serious 'national' threat. However, data proves otherwise. Out of 79 cases registered against pastors in the country alleging their involvement in religious conversion activities, not a single case has been proved in court so far. If we were to take a look at the anti-conversion bill passed last year in Karnataka or the Uttarakhand bill passed in 2018, the term allurement envelopes a list of activities including offering any gift, gratification, easy money or material benefit, promise to marry, divine pleasure, portraying practice, rituals and ceremonies or an integral part of a religion in a detrimental way vis-a-vis another religion. Similar bills passed throughout other states in the country resemble analogous interesting phrases and a point to be noted here is that assuming such a definition would indeed require most of the prominent yogis and gurus throughout our country to be booked for alluring the masses by portraying practices such as yoga, kundalini meditation, alternative medicines to have health, financial and material benefits. Why should "allurement" be applied only in the context of Christian conversion? In a country where elected representatives are "allured" to change political camps, where a million gods and goddesses are "allured" daily with money, food and sacrifices so as to shower blessings and bring good fortune why is it that charity is labeled as allurement when it comes to religion? To misrepresent the Christian virtue of charity and to use it as a tool to attack Christians and curb their religious freedom on the pretext of implementing law and order is simply an authoritarian and anti-democratic act of state violence. Ashish John is actively involved in ministering in India, especially with youth and local churches. Along with a few like-minded brothers, he founded Carpenter's Desk. He also work voluntarily with Inter Collegiate Prayer Fellowship. His interests mainly include the philosophy and history of science, missionary activities, and religious conversion in the current socio-cultural scenario. Apart from apologetics, he also teach physics at a high school. He enjoys playing cricket and love engaging in great conversations. Courtesy of The Christian Post. In todays digitally driven world, technology is revolutionizing the way businesses interact with their customers. Customer experience (CX) has become a key competitive differentiator, with almost half of respondents (49%) in the survey by Foundrys State of the CIO report saying the need to improve customer experience increased in priority as a business initiative due to the current state of the economy. Organizations are increasingly leveraging technology to enhance and personalize the customer journey. From data analytics to automation, technology plays a crucial role in shaping CX across various industries. Tata Communications in particular, is leveraging emerging technologies like AI and automation to build a CX centric organization. The CIO team is homing in on customer engagement initiatives, and leadership is cognizant of the challenges in evangelizing CX as a keystone goal across the organization, with the aide of technology. A global survey by Foundry revealed CX to be among the top 3 priorities expected from CIOs and IT by CEOs. This article captures an exploratory conversation between Hari Nair, VP, Sales, Tata Communications and Girish Hadkar, Vice President & Head IT, Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd moderated by Foundry team where they deliberate on how technology enhancements within organisations leads to seamless CX. This insightful discussion has been presented in the form of five key takeaways, highlighting the benefits technology brings to businesses and customers alike. Contextual conversations with Automation and Human Intervention Organization endeavour to take customer experience to the next level, but rapidly changing market rules make this a herculean task. This is validated by findings in the State of the CIO report, which notes that organizations are working to enhance customer experience by analysing customer needs and behaviours (45%), delivering products and services in new ways (42%), and adapting products and services to meet changing demands (40%). Girish, in his conversation highlights the importance of Tata Realty, a real estate company to understand the digital necessities of their customers. He adds that their customers sought a balance between their willingness to engage with digital channels, versus the need for genuine human engagement. To achieve this, the company needed data sets that were comprehensive in both the quantitative but also qualitative sense, from which they could extract crucial information for creating vivid customer personas. With the advent of seamless tools and technology, Hari acknowledges how customers now prefer a proactive system, which allows them to attain the information as quickly and frictionlessly as possible. As he explains, The business intention is not to discard the manual model, as Girish said, but to improve it in conjunction with an automated system to improve the entire experience. This integration with existing technology is critical before the changes can be implemented at the tool level. They agree that their various interaction channels need an orchestration layer which helps them shift across them all seamlessly. Thus, for organisations to innovate with a beating heart; they need both the benefits of speed and efficiency from automation, with the personal touch of human interaction. Leveraging AI the right way AI being the latest buzzword, businesses are expectantly looking to AI and automation tools to enhance customer experience. Girish confirms, The advent of Chat GPT has all the business functions geared towards it. Girish highlights Tata Realtys definitive policy when it comes to this new technology, having divided AI into three parts conversational AI, self-service AI, and proactive AI, from the customers point of view. The company is currently working on an assistive AI model, with several proofs of concept (POCs) tested with employees and other partners to evangelize it into a completely automated proactive AI. Meanwhile, Tata Realtys homegrown bot Genie, can conduct open-ended conversations with the help of policies loaded in the backend, which allows it to have conversations with people and answer their queries, which they aim to gradually release to stakeholders, customers, and vendors. Leveraging AI intelligently is a game-changer in bridging the CX perception gap and elevating customer experiences. By thoroughly understanding customer needs and preferences, organizations can design AI-powered solutions that offer seamless and natural interactions, providing instant support and personalized recommendations. Well Integrated technology Stack Seamless integration at the tool level plays a pivotal role in enhancing business abilities and customer experiences. By ensuring that different tools and technology solutions work cohesively together, organizations can streamline their processes, eliminate data silos, and provide a unified and consistent customer journey. When tools seamlessly integrate, it allows for a more efficient flow of information and data sharing, enabling teams to access critical insights and make data-driven decisions in real-time. This synergy not only improves internal operations but also translates into a more personalized and seamless experience for customers, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. Amalgamation of CRM with Customer Data platform The amalgamation of CRM with a Customer Data Platform (CDP) provides businesses with a 360-degree customer view by combining data from various sources. This integration enables personalized marketing, real-time data synchronization, and deeper customer insights through advanced analytics. The data collected from this amalgamation becomes a valuable input to the orchestration layer, ensuring a seamless and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. It empowers data-driven decision-making and improves customer service, ultimately enhancing customer experiences, driving engagement, and building stronger, lasting relationships with customers. The right CX Technology Partner While some needs can be fulfilled in house for an organization, partnering with the right CX technology provider is critical for businesses. Girish and Hari agreed that working with a technology partner that offers specialized knowledge, tailored solutions, access to advanced technologies, ongoing support, and strategic alignment is important. This partnership ensures optimal CX outcomes and a competitive edge in delivering exceptional customer experiences. Hari added, Tata Communications is a single global provider for Cloud, Network and Voice which is very important for customer experience deployments, with an understanding of the global regulations and complexities across multi-national environments. This is where we outcompete our contemporaries with our strong capabilities, compliance and regulatory knowledge alongside our network expertise. Tata Communications adheres to local security regulations to maintain customer and employee data integrity. We provide extensive voice connectivity with inbuilt fraud prevention as a service, which is a unique capability. All these factors play a very important role in CX deployments. Overall, Tata Communications takes a holistic approach to shaping an organizations CX journey by assessing their current CX strategy, developing a customer-centric CX strategy, providing innovative CX solutions, and supporting their digital transformation journey. The Conclusion Girish observed that when it comes to something as critical as the CX perception gap, every faction of the business comes together to craft the customer experience. Today, the entire leadership is completely on board with the CX perception agenda. Girish concurs, Be it the CMO, or the head of CRM, everybody understands that CX is critical. In terms of technology, what is needed is an amalgamation between a traditional CRM and a customer data platform. This amalgamation serves as a good input for the orchestration layer, where the interactions can be evaluated based on the personas. It sounds simple, but its not, Hari admits. CIOs and organizations are committed to harbouring a culture fostering CX, but challenges emerge.As Hari explains, Were reimagining the customer experience process. There is no shame in getting it completely wrong in the experimentation phase. You need a system in which you can agilely change to customer needs. Additionally, you need to train your employees too, because the concept of customer empathy has to be imbibed. Hari also informs that in a rapidly evolving market, rigidity devolves into future redundancy, so flexibility to customer needs is key. This means that the design of their orchestration tool should be an extension of what the user does. Girish elucidates that ultimately, customer experience enhancement is not the responsibility of a single function like CRM, but of the business as a whole. We have moved from a projects mentality to a platforms mentality. We have integrated our core platforms so that everybody can collaborate using the same data. What we want is to curate human experiences in the digital world. In todays competitive landscape, organizations are leveraging technology to bridge the gap between customer experience (CX) perception and reality. This discussion between Hari Nair, VP of Sales at Tata Communications, and Girish Hadkar, VP & Head IT at Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd, sheds light on how technology advancements can transform CX, the realistic challenges in this path and the solutions brainstormed in the organization to triumph over them. From contextual conversations with automation and human intervention to leveraging AI and understanding customer centricity goals, technology plays a crucial role in enhancing CX. Working with the right CX technology partner is also vital for businesses to achieve optimal outcomes. By fostering a culture of CX and integrating platforms, organizations can curate exceptional human experiences in the digital world. Embracing technology as an enabler and strategic tool, businesses can close the CX perception gap and deliver superior customer experiences. Tata Communications | Powering Hyperconnected Ecosystems 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 Some 28 charity leaders across the sector have signed a joint letter to the prime minister in response to his recent announcements on changes to net zero policies. The letter signed by chief executives of ACEVO, Disability Rights UK, Race Equality Foundation and New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) calls on Rishi Sunak to reverse his decision to delay policies to reduce carbon emissions. Whilst we are concerned about how current environmental policies are impacting people from different social groups, your proposed changes to them do not solve the problems that people, particularly those on low incomes, are facing now, and they are not in line with the priorities that they are telling us, it reads. Meanwhile, NPC has published five briefings looking at how the climate and nature crises affect disabled people, young people, older people and people from ethnic minority communities and what they expect charities and policymakers to do next. Briefings from NPC NPCs research states the charity sector should do more to support those most impacted by the environmental crises. Overall, all groups said that they would like charities to offer them more support to advocate for action on the environmental crises, as they feel that the government isnt doing enough and that their voices are not heard. They also said that charities should extend their existing support to help them respond to the environmental crises, which many felt were already impacting their lives. The briefings findings are based on deliberation groups and surveys with more than 750 individuals from these social groups across the UK. Support ethnic minorities to have a voice in policy-making People from ethnic minority communities said that they dont feel listened to by policymakers, reporting significant distrust of whether environmental policy recognises the challenges they face. The briefing says that charities should support them to have a voice in policy-making and hold policymakers accountable for the social impacts of environmental policy. Charities could also provide information that empowers individual environmental action and builds capacity in local areas to allow grassroots initiatives to thrive, it adds. Respondents suggested that charities could also establish ways for them to volunteer with individuals who need support responding to environmental impact, or deliver activity that supports people from ethnic minority communities to access green space in a way that is safe. Help disabled people advocate for their rights Disabled people told NPC that there are opportunities for policies to improve their life quality and benefit the environment, and that they need accessible communication on environmental crises from the government. The briefing says that Disabled people's organisations (DPOs) and disability charities should help Disabled people advocate for their rights in relation to environmental impacts and government policy responses. DPOs and charities should ensure information on environmental crises and policy are accessible. DPOs and charities should help Disabled people to manage the impacts of the environmental crises on their health and wellbeing. Older people should be offered an appropriate platform Older people said that the government has failed to take sufficient action during their lifetimes and that they are frustrated. Charities should offer them an appropriate platform to input into action on the climate and nature crises, and support them with the impacts of the climate and nature crises such as ensuring continuity of services/transport in extreme weather. The principal areas where older people wanted charities to act were in providing education and advice on issues related to climate and nature and the impacts on their lives; campaigning and influencing government alongside and on behalf of older people; consulting with older people to both inform government policy and share tips with other older people about adapting to the impacts of the environmental crises. Charities should green their operations When it comes to young people, charities should help them be involved in the environmental action, the briefing says. Young people want charities to green their operations as a bare minimum. But they also want charities to teach them and others about the issues; help them access green jobs and training; support them with their mental health; and provide opportunities for time outside. It adds that charities could support them through campaigning and advocacy, with ideas including leading young people to get involved via meetings with politicians, protests and boycotts; and campaigning alongside them for policy change. The five briefings are part of the Everyones Environment programme, a collaboration of more than 50 charities and funders to accelerate action on the social impacts of the environmental crises. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Adobe, by ehrlif. A UK-based Christian charity has been criticised by the Barbados government over its pledge to spend 7m in the country in reparations for its past links to slavery, according to media reports. The Telegraph reported that representatives from the Barbados governments national task force on reparations have criticised the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) for not negotiating the terms nor the amount of the payments with them. David Comissiong, deputy chairman of the national task force on reparations, is quoted as saying that organisations such as USPG should understand that reparations are not about them unilaterally determining what compensation they are prepared to make. Barbados MP Trevor Prescod is also quoted as saying: They did not pass money into the hands of any state agency. We have no authority to see if they will execute the project. However, a spokesman for the USPG is quoted as saying: The project has been developed in close partnership with the Codrington Trust in Barbados, who own and manage the estates. Indeed, the programme proposals have come entirely from the Codrington Trust. As an organisation, we are seeking to take responsibility for our actions in the past through this programme of reparative activity. We will continue to be guided by our partnership with the Codrington Trust around the approach to reparations in Barbados. USPG announced earlier this month that it had pledged 7m to be spent in Barbados over the next 10 to 15 years as part of a long-term initiative called Renewal & Reconciliation: The Codrington Reparations Project. The charity said the project was in partnership with Codrington Trust and Church in the Province of the West Indies in Barbados. Its work, expected to commence in spring 2024, will include four areas of work in collaboration with the descendants of the people who were enslaved; community development and engagement; historical research and education; burial places and memorialisation, and family research. Civil Society has asked USPG for further comment. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, After being downgraded from a tropical storm, Ophelia on Sunday still posed a risk of coastal flooding and heavy rains from Washington, D.C. to New York City, with coastal flood warnings remaining in effect for parts of the Mid-Atlantic region, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. But as Ophelia weakens, a new tropical storm Philippe is brewing in the Atlantic. As of 5 a.m. Sunday, the hurricane center said Ophelia was located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) south of Washington, D.C., with maximum sustained winds of 25 mph (35 kph) and higher gusts. The storm is expected to continue moving north-northeast before turning east on Sunday night, then continue weakening over the next two days. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Philippe was 1,155 miles (1,860 kilometers) west of the Cabo Verde Islands, which are off the west coast of Africa. That storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). Even though Ophelia has been downgraded, the center warned Sunday that swells generated by the storm will affect much of the U.S. East Coast through the weekend, likely causing life-threatening surf and rip currents. Ophelia is also expected to produce 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) of additional rainfall through Sunday night in portions of the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England. Isolated river flooding is also possible in areas of heavier rainfall, the center said. Some New Jersey shore communities, including Sea Isle City, already experienced flooding Saturday. Thousands remained without power Sunday in New Jersey. NJ.com reported more than 6,000 customers without power Sunday morning in the state, down from a high of 13,000, with more than half of the remaining outages among Jersey Central Power and Light customers in Monmouth County. National Weather Service forecasters said numerous communities reported coastal flooding; a video posted on the Mount Holly NWS site said many streets were flooded in Brielle, New Jersey during high tide. Some flooding and road closures were reported in coastal communities in Delaware as well. A number of events scheduled in the region and in the Philadelphia area were canceled due to the storm. The storm came ashore near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, on Saturday morning with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph (113 kph), but winds weakened as the system traveled north, the center said. Videos from social media showed riverfront communities in the state such as New Bern, Belhaven and Washington experiencing significant flooding. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Even before making landfall, Ophelia proved treacherous enough that five people, including three children, had to be rescued by the Coast Guard on Friday night. They were aboard a 38-foot (12-meter) catamaran anchored in Lookout Bight in Cape Lookout, North Carolina, stuck in choppy water with strong winds. A few thousand North Carolina homes and businesses remained without electricity across several eastern counties as of Sunday morning, according to poweroutage. us, which tracks utility reports. When you have that slow-moving storm with several inches of rain, coupled with a gust that gets to 30, 40 miles per hour, thats enough to bring down a tree or to bring down limbs, Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks told WTVD-TV on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Greenville Police posted a video on Facebook of an officer rescuing a small pit bull from flood waters. Police said the dog was tied to a fence and just inches from drowning when Officer B. Schultz responded after someone called authorities about the animal. The dog is safe and Animal Protective Services has opened an investigation, police added. Brian Haines, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, said there were reports of downed trees but no major road closings. As a precaution, swiftwater rescue teams were staged around eastern North Carolina in case rescues were needed, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. One team helped the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office evacuate 15 people from the Twin Lakes Campground, located between the Pamlico River and the Chocowinity Bay, Haines said on Sunday. At the southern tip of North Carolinas Outer Banks, event organizers planned on Sunday to salvage some of the weekends long-running Beaufort Pirate Invasion, a multiday event centering on the 1747 Spanish attack on the town. Winds tore down the big tent for a banquet planned for Saturday and several others were damaged or shredded. The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland each declared a state of emergency on Friday. It is not uncommon for one or two tropical storms, or even hurricanes, to develop off the East Coast each year, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said. Top photo: The Tidal Basin in Washington overflows the banks with the rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flooding warning for the area. (AP Photo/J. David Ake) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. LONDON (AP) Wildfires fueled by climate change have ravaged communities from Maui to the Mediterranean this summer, killing many people, exhausting firefighters and fueling demand for new solutions. Enter artificial intelligence. Firefighters and startups are using AI-enabled cameras to scan the horizon for signs of smoke. A German company is building a constellation of satellites to detect fires from space. And Microsoft is using AI models to predict where the next blaze could be sparked. With wildfires becoming larger and more intense as the world warms, firefighters, utilities and governments are scrambling to get ahead of the flames by tapping into the latest AI technology which has stirred both fear and excitement for its potential to transform life. While increasingly stretched first responders hope AI offers them a leg up, humans are still needed to check that the tech is accurate. The system is designed to find abnormalities and alert emergency command centers, where staffers will confirm whether its indeed smoke or something else in the air. The beauty of this is that it immediately pops up on the screen and those dispatchers or call takers are able to interrogate that screen and determine whether to send a crew, said Phillip SeLegue, staff chief of intelligence for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The cameras, part of a network that workers previously had to watch, provide billions of bytes of data for the AI system to digest. While humans still need to confirm any smoke sightings, the system helps reduce fatigue among staffers typically monitoring multiple screens and cameras, alerting them to look only when there`s possible fire or smoke, SeLegue said. It`s already helped. A battalion chief got a smoke alert in the middle of the night, confirmed it on his cellphone and called a command center in San Diego to scramble first responders to the remote area. The dispatchers said that if they hadnt been alerted, the fire would have been much larger because it likely wouldn`t have been noticed until the next morning, SeLegue said. San Francisco startup Pano AI takes a similar approach, mounting cameras on cell towers that scan for smoke and alert customers, including fire departments, utility companies and ski resorts. The cameras use computer vision machine learning, a type of AI. Theyre trained very specifically to detect smoke or not, and we train them with images of smoke and images of not smoke, CEO Sonia Kastner said. The images are combined with feeds from government weather satellites that scan for hotspots, along with other data sources, such as social media posts. The technology gets around one of the main problems in the traditional way of detecting wildfires relying on 911 calls from passers-by that need confirmation from staffers before crews and water-dropping planes can be deployed. Generally, only one in 20 of these 911 calls are actually a wildfire. Even during fire season, it might be a cloud or fog or a barbecue, Kastner said. Pano AIs systems do still rely on final confirmation, with managers playing a time lapse of the camera feed to ensure its smoke rising. For fighting forest fires, technology is becoming really essential, said Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of energy delivery at Portland General Electric, Oregons largest utility and a Pano AI customer. Utility companies sometimes play a role in sparking wildfires, when their power lines are knocked down by wind or struck by falling trees. Hawaiis electric utility acknowledged that its power lines started a devastating blaze in Maui this summer after apparently being downed by high winds. PGE, which provides electricity to 51 cities in Oregon, has deployed 26 Pano AI cameras, and Bekkedahl said they have helped speed up response and coordination with emergency services. Previously, fire departments were running around looking for stuff and not even really knowing exactly where its at, he said. The cameras help detect fires quicker and get teams on the ground faster, shaving up to two hours off response times. Thats significant in terms of how fast that fire can can spread and grow, Bekkedahl said. Using AI to detect smoke from fires is relatively easy, said Juan Lavista Ferres, chief data scientist at Microsoft. What is not easy is to have enough cameras that cover enough places, he said, pointing to vast, remote areas in northern Canada that have burned this summer. Ferres` team at Microsoft has been developing AI models to predict where fires are likely to start. They have fed the model with maps of areas that burned previously, along with climate and geospatial data. The system has its limitations it can`t predict random events like a lightning strike. But it can sift through historical weather and climate data to identify patterns, such as areas that are typically drier. Even a road, which indicates people are nearby, is a risk factor, Ferres said. Its not going to get it all perfectly right, he said. But what it can do is it can build a probability map (based on) what happened in the past. The technology, which Microsoft plans to offer as an open source tool, can help first responders trying to figure out where to focus their limited resources, Ferres said. Another company is looking to the heavens for a solution. German startup OroraTech analyzes satellite images with artificial intelligence. Taking advantage of advances in camera, satellite and AI technology, OroraTech has launched two mini satellites about the size of a shoebox into low orbit, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) above Earths surface. The Munich-based company has ambitions to send up eight more next year and eventually put 100 into space. As wildfires swept central Chile this year, OroraTech said it provided thermal images at night when aerial drones are used less frequently. Weeks after OroraTech launched its second satellite, it detected a fire near the community of Keg River in northern Alberta, where flames burned remote stretches of boreal forest repeatedly this summer. There are algorithms on the satellite, very efficient ones to detect fires even faster, CEO Thomas Gruebler said. The AI also takes into account vegetation and humidity levels to identify flare- ups that could spawn devastating megafires. The technology could help thinly stretched firefighting agencies direct resources to blazes with the potential to cause the most damage. Because we know exactly where the fires are, we can see how the fires will propagate, Gruebler said. So, which fire will be the big fire in one day and which will stop on their own. AP Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco contributed. Top photo: Falco Kuester, a researcher at ALERTCalifornia, a program run by the University of California San Diego, looks at live feeds from some of the programs cameras, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in San Diego. Californias main firefighting agency, Cal Fire, in July started trying out an artificial intelligence system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras feeds. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A federal appellate court on Friday overturned a take-nothing jury verdict in favor of a tour bus company whose driver was accused of causing a deadly head-on collision on an Arizona highway. In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the District Court had improperly allowed testimony about inadmissible comments made by an Arizona Highway Patrol officer during cross examination. The state trooper said the bus driver had done nothing improper, while the plaintiffs expert witness concluded the bus driver caused the collision by crossing into the oncoming traffic lane. The panel majority decided that discussion about the state troopers report prejudiced the jury. The fact that accident reconstructionists rely on police reports does not automatically mean that everything included in such a report is, without more, fair game for cross-examination, the opinion says. Butch Corey Johnson was killed on Sept. 21, 2004 when his Pontiac Sunfire collided with a tour bus on US Highway 160 in Kayenta, Arizona. The bus was owned by Conlon Garage and operated by EXC Inc., which does business as Express Charters. The collision injured Johnsons common-law wife, Jamien Rae Jensen and the couples child, D.J. Jensens unborn fetus was also killed during the crash. Jensen and Johnsons family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the bus driver, Russel J. Conlon, Conlon Garage, EXC and Go Ahead Vacations, which chartered the tour bus. The suit also names National Interstate Insurance Co. as a defendant. The action asserted claims under the laws of the Navajo Nation, where the accident occurred. Insurers can be sued directly under Navajo law, the plaintiffs said. The suit alleges that the bus driver, Russel J. Conlon, caused the crash by crossing over the centerline of the highway into oncoming traffic. The parties agreed that Conlon had pulled the bus out of the Hampton Inn parking lot onto Highway 160 and moved into the left-most westbound lane. A Chevrolet Tahoe was also driving west in the same lane. Apparently annoyed that the bus had pulled out in front of him, the Tahoe driver attempted to pass the bus on the right. Unfortunately, the right westbound lane ended a short distance away, giving the Tahoe little room to pass. What happens next is in dispute. Jensen and the Johnson estate allege that Conlon, seeing that the Tahoe was trying to pass on his right, pulled into the center universal turning lane to let him by and crashed into Johnsons Pontiac. An expert witness for the plaintiffs testified that Conlon violated Arizona traffic laws by pulling into the leftmost westbound lane rather than pulling into the right lane and allowing the Tahoe to pass. According to testimony, the highway had recently been resurfaced. The lanes were marked with temporary yellow tabs and it may have been unclear whether the center lane was for turning vehicles or an eastbound travel lane. A state trooper who investigated concluded that there was no improper driving by the bus. The District Court judge, however, did not allow the defense to enter the officers conclusions into evidence. The officers measurements and observations at the scene of the accident were allowed, but the officers opinions about who was at fault relied on inadmissible hearsay, the judge ruled. The jury learned what was in the report anyway when a defense attorney asked the plaintiffs expert witness about it during cross examination. The attorney was able to inform the jury not only that the officer found that Conlon had done nothing wrong, but also that he believed Johnson was driving too fast for conditions. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendants on Dec. 23, 2019. The defendants appealed, arguing that the jury had been prejudiced by inadmissible evidence. The panel majority agreed, but Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace did not. He wrote a dissenting opinion that says the defense attorneys questions about the state troopers opinions was proper because it gave the jury an opportunity to judge the credibility of the plaintiffs expert witness. The 9th Circuit panel majority reversed the jury verdict and remanded the case for a new trial. The panel, however, also denied the plaintiffs request for a judicial finding that Conlon was negligent. Although Conlons original decision to proceed in the left lane was concededly negligent, a reasonable jury could find that it was not reasonably foreseeable that Johnsons vehicle would enter that lane at precisely the moment in which Conlon could not safely change lanes, the majority opinion says. HONOLULU (AP) Residents who survived the wildfire that leveled the Hawaii town of Lahaina might not be able to afford to live there after it is rebuilt unless officials alter the zoning laws and make other changes, economists warned Friday. The risk is very real, Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, told a virtual news conference ahead of the groups release Friday of its quarterly state economic forecast. Market prices for this new housing are likely to far exceed the already high prices that existed in Lahaina before the fire. For renters, the old housing stock that was destroyed provided opportunities for reasonable rents, the economic report said. A spike in housing costs would be a further burden for people including retirees and those who worked in restaurants, hotels and shops who lost their homes and jobs when their places of employment burned to the ground on Aug. 8, or when West Maui temporarily closed to tourism after the disaster. West Maui, where the verdant coastline is studded with resort hotels, will reopen on Oct. 8. Youll see that that will speed our recovery for those who have suffered so much, Gov. Josh Green said. At a news conference on Thursday at the state Capitol, Green stressed that the displaced survivors wont be forced out of hotels to make room for tourists, with October typically being a slow month for tourism. But it is much less clear when people displaced by the fire will be able to move back to Lahaina and whether they`ll be able to afford to do so. Bonham said he doubts that rebuilding will start before 2025. The warning about locals being priced out of a rebuilt Lahaina, which was once the capital of the former Hawaiian kingdom in the 1800s, comes despite Green`s assurances that he wont let it get too expensive for locals. Green previously indicated that he was considering having the state acquire land for workforce housing, but he later said that wouldn`t happen unless the community requested it. On Aug. 19, Green banned unsolicited offers for property in Lahaina to prevent land from being snapped up by deep-pocketed outsiders. He said his administration has opened several investigations into alleged violations of that emergency proclamation. Some Lahaina residents have said that Green should have imposed an outright ban on purchasing property. Outsiders should not have the opportunity to grab land or properties because emotions are running high, so everyone is vulnerable, Melody Lukela-Singh, whose home on Lahaina`s renowned Front Street burned, said recently. Bonham said policy changes and a concerted effort are needed to prevent a rebuilt Lahaina from becoming a haven exclusively for the wealthy, for example by changing zoning to allow smaller and more affordable housing units like duplexes and apartments. We need to be seriously focusing on multifamily housing, he said. Thats the way you get housing that isnt million dollar-plus homes: Youve got to have more density. Currently, only about 1% of the land in Lahaina`s burn area is zoned for multifamily housing, Bonham said. The new economic report said the post-disaster plunge in tourism to Maui has hit the islands economy and people hard. Officials initially told prospective tourists to stay away from Maui. Visitor arrivals dropped by nearly three-quarters, the report said. In the weeks after the fire, Maui lost more than $13 million per day in visitor spending. With businesses lacking customers, layoffs resulted. In July, the unemployment rate on Maui was only 2.6%. But it will soar above 11% in the next three months, the economists predicted. Its not expected to dip below 4% until late 2026. There have been about 12,000 new unemployment insurance claims filed since the disaster about 11,300 more than before the fire. The U.S. Department of Labor extended the application filing deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance by one month, through Oct. 16, Hawaiis Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced on Friday. Individuals that do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance may be eligible for DUA benefits, Green said. Officials are now beckoning tourists to come to Maui. The report said the planned Oct. 8 reopening of West Maui resort areas will restart tourism in the region, with a gradual recovery. By the end of this year, Maui visitor arrivals are expected to be roughly half of the 2022 level, rising to 80% by the end of 2024. Selsky reported from Salem, Oregon. Top photo: A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. When the town of Lahaina, which was leveled by wildfire in August, is rebuilt, local residents who survived the conflagration might not be able to afford to live there, leading economists warned on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AVON, Ohio -- Avon High School Leo Club members took part Saturday (Sept. 23) in the cleanup and restoration of very old tombstones in the historic Avon Center Cemetery. It was an effort to save some tombstones that were showing significant wear in the cemetery, which was established in 1814 as settlers arrived in the area. Cynthia Murnyack-Czarnecki of the City of Avon Landmarks Preservation Commission reached out to Avon High School Principal Kristina Dobos Buller for volunteers. She also contacted the Leo Club, a youth organization of the Lions Clubs International. They encourage youths to develop leadership qualities by participating in social service activities, according to their information. Michelle Morahan, an administrator in the Avon Service Department, was all friendly smiles as she put in her own effort into preserving the historic Avon Center Cemetery. (Linda Gandee, special to cleveland.com) Four students from the school took the morning shift from 9 a.m. to noon at the cemetery located at the corner of Ohio 83 and Detroit Road. A second group worked from 1 to 4 p.m. The cemetery holds the graves of Avons earliest residents, notably the Cahoon family, who were among the first settlers in the early 1800s. The familys tombstones are in the cemetery and the family name is remembered at various sites throughout the city. Avon High School students and others worked hard to spruce up the tombstones in the Avon Center Cemetery. Shown here, from left, are Kaitlin Elzeer, who likes new experiences; Hannah Schwab, who always wondered about the cemetery and just joined the Leo Club this year; and Shannon Laurenvi, who is a member of the city's Tree Commission and likes volunteering for the Avon Historical Society. (Linda Gandee, special to cleveland.com) Wilbur Cahoon was a 42-year-old carpenter who owned 100 acres in Salisbury, N.Y., as noted in previous cleveland.com stories. Cahoon had a wife, seven children and an adventurous spirit. In 1814, Cahoon and his family set out for the Ohio Territory and became the first permanent settlers in Avon, originally settled as Troy Township. They had to change the name because another city in Ohio was already named Troy. After becoming Avon Township, then Avon Village, the name Avon took hold for the city in about 1917, during World War I. The tombstone of Wilbur Cahoon, a 42-year-old carpenter who owned 100 acres of land in New York before moving to the Ohio Territory and settling in what is now Avon. What appears to be his entire family is interred in the Avon Center Cemetery. He had a wife, seven children and, clearly, a strong American spirit to help settle the country. In 1814, Cahoon and his family set out for the Ohio Territory and became the first permanent settlers in Avon. He died in 1826 at age 53. Among other early settlers also buried in the Avon Center Cemetery are Peter Miller and his wife. They are widely known for the priceless piece of history they left in their city, Avon Lake: The Peter Miller Home. Both the historic home and its grounds on Lake Erie are frequently used for gatherings. Ralph White is a lifelong Avon resident (but very camera-shy), president of the Avon Historical Society and also vice chair of the Landmarks Commission. We try and promote preservation, save old historical buildings, homes, barns, whatever, he said. White was the first to arrive at the cemetery about 8:30 a.m. for the Key Club student project. His truck was full of materials, tools and substances for cleaning the tombstones. With him was Michelle Morahan, an administrator for the Avon Service Department. She came to assist in the project too. White was a wonderful tour guide of the cemetery. He mentioned that there are several Civil War soldiers and one American Revolutionary War soldier buried in the cemetery. (Note: The family of the Revolutionary War soldier provided a more modern marker in about the 1960s.) There is also a soldiers grave from the War of 1812. This is one of our projects, White said, referring to trying to keep the tombstones looking clean and bright. We have used a company, Gravestone Preservation Services, out of Wellington and Marblehead, he said. Jane Crandall and her husband, Ron, and Kate Rivet work together. They have repaired approximately 32 stones (in the cemetery that were) broken, sunk or collapsing or falling over, and they have done a fine job. Every stone they repair or fix they also clean. Cleaning is part of that process, so there is less we have to do with cleaning. But that got me thinking that we need to clean more, because this cemetery is a landmark. The oldest stone is 1818 -- Lydia Williams. Avons first settlers are here too: the Cahoon family, as well as H.H. Williams, another settler. White explained the process for the helpers. First, we wet down the stone, scrape off moss, anything like that -- biological growth. Then we use only plastic scrapers, no harsh chemicals, and skewers to scrape out all (the gunk in) the numbers and letters, making the information easier to read. Then we wash with a gentle, biodegradable soap, then a biological cleaner called D2, which is made for gravestones. We spray them and let them sit, then rinse, and spray again and walk away. Through time, it brightens up the stone. It will work even up to six months. The students and other helpers followed his instructions, working diligently to put their own conscientious efforts into seeing that the Avon Center Cemetery will last for many more years to come. Read more from the Sun Sentinel. BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- The Bay Village City School District is celebrating its good scores on the Ohio Department of Educations state report cards. It is a significant achievement for our students and our staff, said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Robert Hoon. We received an overall 5-star rating (the highest score) and received for the component scores 5 stars in all components but 1. The one (that) is 4 stars -- progress -- (is) for the second year, Hoon said. What does the 4-star rating mean? It is comprised of student improvement over a three-year period, so we are in the process of taking a closer look at this measure over the three years, as the first year was 2021, coming right after the pandemic, Hoon said. Also, it is important to note our students are showing progress and improving, and the calculation of this measure is determined by the expected rate of growth in Ohio, in comparison to the growth achieved by our students. The difference is comparing the expected rate of growth in Ohio and our growth. We are less than 1/10 of a point for relative academic growth as compared to the state. So, our staff is looking at individual student assessments in collaborating with each other to ensure we are using the data and information to continue to inform our instruction, he said. The performance index showed a reason for extra cheers. We are extra proud of our performance index, which improved from 104.94 to 106.609, placing us 15th overall in the state, Hoon said. So we are very pleased with the results certainly, but its a credit to our students that participate and perform at a high level and our teachers for continuing to push our students to new levels. Early literacy scores also came in at high levels. This measures the reading comprehension of students up to third grade. The other area we are extra proud of is our literacy score, which improved from 4 stars to 5 stars, and within that the improving measure increased from 51.4 percent to 71.6 percent. This was a priority area for us last year and our teachers in elementary classes spent a great deal of time planning, intervening and adjusting instruction to meet the needs of students who may be struggling with reading. I think this is especially important, considering our youngest learners would have had a significant development disruption due to the pandemic with things like social opportunities and the traditional learning experience afforded at a critical age. And Normandy, our K-2 building, improved their early literacy percentage from 47.6 percent to 74.6. That is reflected in the hard work of the entire staff and the support from our parents with the emphasis on early literacy. All is a significant achievement for our students and our staff, Hoon noted in a definitive summary statement. Its important to have this validation from the state. However, we know the work and authentic learning experiences that take place in our classrooms every day are invaluable and cannot be measured by a report card. Read more from the West Shore Sun. BROOK PARK, Ohio -- To supplement efforts already under way in Brook Park to stem residential basement flooding, city officials recently heard Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works representatives explain services available to help keep municipalities sewer lines clear. While a retention basin is currently under construction in Wedo Park to collect storm water and city workers frequently use sewer vacuum equipment to enable sanitary waste to flow unimpeded through the system, Mayor Ed Orcutt believes more needs to proactively take place. He told City Council at its Sept. 19 caucus that the citys preventative maintenance program, which includes a Vactor (sewer vacuum truck), high-pressure water jetting and clean-outs of catch basins, takes approximately 30 months to cycle across the entire city. Weve found were going to have to speed that up, Orcutt said, recalling recent 100- and 200-year storms and the associated flooding they caused. The standard for storm and sanitary (sewers) today vs. 1959 is much different, he said. We probably have pipes that are not large enough to adequately handle some of these heavy rains, so we need to pick up the preventative maintenance portion of this. Director of Public Works Michael Dever described main line sewer cleaning as the countys first frontline of activity undertaken for the 38 communities it currently serves. Other county services include digital video sewer inspections, storm sewer maintenance, clearing residential clean-outs, and smoke and dye testing to check for storm water infiltration into sanitary sewer lines. To accumulate a funding reserve to pay for services, county calculations are based on a citys overall average residential front footage. For example, Dever said Brook Parks average is 70 linear feet. Thus, a $1 charge per linear foot on each homeowners property tax duplicate (i.e. a $70 annual impact) would equate to $557,000 generated annually for additional county sewer services. A $1.50 assessment (i.e. $105 impact) would generate $835,000, while $2 would generate $1.1 million and cost the resident $140 per year. That money would be set aside, and as we provide services in the community, we would draw down from those dollars, Dever said, noting that the Brook Park Service Department and city engineer would triage issues before escalating them to the county for action. Orcutt estimated that he would need to hire 10 people and purchase an additional Vactor, at a total cost of more than $1 million, if the city decides not to pursue any county services. No council action was taken at the caucus, and discussions will continue. Read more stories from the News Sun. MEDINA, Ohio -- On a glorious last day of summer, St. Pauls Episcopal Church, 317 E. Liberty St. in Medina, in conjunction with Hofbrauhaus Cleveland, hosted an afternoon and evening of live German and contemporary music, delicious food and good fun at their fifth annual Oktoberfest Medina. Hundreds of guests, including many young families with babies and toddlers, enjoyed the sunshine, music and kids corner, which featured a giant inflatable slide, face painting and cornhole games. The adults had the opportunity to take part in stein-holding and costume-judging contests. German chocolate cake and sauerkraut balls were among the many items on the menu at Oktoberfest Medina. (Ann Norman/cleveland.com) The biggest attractions were the live music and the German food and of course, the beer and wine. Tents sheltered picnic tables where guests sat, ate and visited with their friends and family members. From 1 to 5 p.m., the Cleveland Donauschwabische Blaskapelle German brass band regaled the audience with polkas and other traditional German music. From 6 to 8 p.m., the Social Workers entertained with familiar soft rock music and such favorites as Hang On Sloopy. Oktoberfest Medina attendees wait in line at the Hofbrauhaus food truck. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com) Under the direction of Tim Scheel, initial organizer and committee chair for Oktoberfest Medina, more than 75 volunteers from the parish worked to make sure guests had a good time. The Hofbrauhaus food truck menu included Pierogies of Cleveland, chicken and pork schnitzel sandwiches, potato pancakes, sauerkraut balls and apple strudel, among other traditional German fare. For more information about St. Pauls Church and its programs, log on to www.stpauls-medina.org/. Read more from the Medina Sun. ROCKY RIVER AND WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Two local schools are celebrating national Blue Ribbon recognition for 2023: Kensington Intermediate School in Rocky River and St. Bernadette Elementary School in Westlake. The U.S. Department of Education has recognized 353 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023, including 19 schools in Ohio. The recognition is based on a schools overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups on assessments. Kensington students feel engaged, valued and welcomed Scott Raiff has been interim principal at Kensington since mid-July. He substituted in Rocky River Schools for a couple of years and was also principal of St. Christopher School in Westlake for seven years before signing on at Kensington. In all, he has 39 years working in education. Raiff was clearly happy about the award. The Blue Ribbon is one of the most prestige awards throughout the country -- a national award. We are only one of 19 selected in Ohio and only one of 353 across the country. Kensington was recognized as an exemplary, high-performing school, one of the state of Ohios best performing schools, measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests, he said. We have the Blue Ribbon, and it takes a lot of work and the whole community (to get there). There are reasons for outstanding test scores: the work of the teachers. They work very hard to not only help students succeed academically, but also to feel engaged, valued and welcomed. Speaking of students feeling welcome, Raiff said: I greet students off the bus, and I am impressed they arrive smiling. They are excited, and I visit classrooms as well. In November, (I) and a staff member will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet the secretary of education and participate in activities with other Blue Ribbon winners. Then we will receive a flag to be flown outside or that can be put up on our building, and also a plaque that we will put in the display case at the entrance to the school. Coming together as a community at St. Bernadette Westlakes St. Bernadette Elementary School cheers its win of a National Blue Ribbon award for the first time. Pictured are Principal Maureen Goodwin, left, and Assistant Principal Mary Beth Sullivan. (Photo Courtesy of St. Bernadette Elementary School) The principal of St. Bernadette Elementary School in Westlake is Maureen Goodwin. Assistant Principal Mary Beth Sullivan spoke for her in this interview regarding the schools first Blue Ribbon win, as Goodwin was out of town on family matters. Sullivan is in her second year as assistant principal and her 14th year at the school. She was a fourth-grade teacher at the school for six years, then taught seventh-grade math for five years. She transitioned into administration a year ago. Its something we have been working towards for the past five years, Sullivan said of the Blue Ribbon. And we have always been right on the cusp of exemplary high performing. We have been very close as we pushed out some different themes of having a growth mindset. We put those relationships first, then all fell into place for 2023. What about going forward? We will continue to do what we do best, coming together as a community, put faith first then relationships. Thanks to our dedicated teachers, we believe all will continue to fall into place. The teaching staff ranges from first-year newcomers to those teaching their 48th year, Sullivan said. Debbie Chinchar has been teaching first grade for 48 years. She is married to the school maintenance man and, between the two of them, have more than 100 years at St. Bernadette. To celebrate the award, Sullivan said they are printing up Blue Ribbon apparel for students and their parents. We are really excited that we can have this stamp of honor of being designated as a Blue Ribbon school. Read more from the West Shore Sun. CLEVELAND, Ohio A North Olmsted house-flipper who called himself The Cash Flow King is accused in a lawsuit of running an $11 million Ponzi scheme that ripped off dozens of investors. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday filed the lawsuit in federal court in Cleveland against Matthew Motil and his companies North Shore Equity Sales, The Marie Paul Co., North Shore Equity Management and other LLCs that Motil owned. The lawsuit alleges Motil, 42, of running a nearly four-year scheme in which he falsely promised high returns to 60 investors on house-flipping ventures mostly around Cuyahoga County. Nearly everything about his scheme was a lie, SEC attorney John Timmer wrote in the lawsuit. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge James Gwin. No attorneys are listed in court records for Motil, and attempts to reach him were not successful. Motil is a licensed engineer, a self-described entrepreneur and real-estate expert, according to the lawsuit. He claimed to have a law degree in intellectual property, which he said he earned in one year from the University of Akron School of Law, the lawsuit said. He marketed himself to investors on his website and on Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as on a website called biggerpockets.com. Motil told people that he helped hundreds of investors worldwide create massive wealth through real estate, according to the lawsuit. On his website, he told people they could Be a Real Estate Investing Bad A--,that they could quit their jobs if they invested with him, according to the lawsuit. Motil also hosted a podcast published on iTunes and YouTube called The Cash Flow King, The Realest Real Estate Podcast hosted by Doctor Motil, the lawsuit said. He posted 147 episodes of the podcast, according to the lawsuit. During one episode highlighted in the lawsuit, Motil talked about the huge level of responsibility that comes with accepting money from investors, the lawsuit said. Motil, according to the lawsuit, carried out the scheme from October 2017 through May 2021. SEC officials said the scheme worked like this: Motil promised investors short-term, low-risk and high-return promissory notes using collateral from houses he bought around Cuyahoga County, including several in Cleveland and one in Parma. He told investors that he would fix up the houses and either re-sell them, refinance them or turn them into rentals. The investors didnt need to do anything but put up the money; he told them they would essentially be acting as banks who owned the property, according to the lawsuit. Motil, however, took in millions of dollars from investors on each property, far more than the homes were worth. He bought one home in Parma for $47,000 and took in more than $1.3 million in investor money. He never filed deeds with the county showing the investors owned any of the homes, according to the lawsuit. Motil also was accused of forging the signature of a notary he had hired, according to court records. He forged the womans notary seal on at least 30 mortgages, court records say. Cuyahoga County prosecutors charged him with forgery in 2021, but they eventually dropped the charges. Motil took the money from the scheme and spent it on $1.6 million worth of personal expenses, transferred another $400,000 to his wife and used $900,000 for other business ventures, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit said Motil spent: $107,000 for rent of a lakeside mansion. $73,000 on courtside seats to Cleveland Cavaliers games. $45,000 on student loans. $37,000 from purchases at Best Buy. $23,000 at Leenys Lean Body, a Westlake personal training service. $22,000 on iTunes. $14,000 at Starbucks. $13,900 at pizzerias. He also used $58,000 in cash. He paid back about $3.7 million in Ponzi payments, the lawsuit said. The investors who lost money to Motil included an active-duty U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel from Texas, who complained publicly because he needed the payments Motil had promised him before he was deployed to Afghanistan. Others included a cancer researcher from Florida and a Massachusetts woman who used her retirement accounts to invest with Motil. The scheme collapsed in March 2022, and he filed for bankruptcy, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks to recoup money for investors, stop Motil from ever becoming an officer or director of a public company and seek a judges order to force Motil to pay civil fines, among other remedies. Adam Ferrise covers federal courts at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. You can find his work here. AKRON, Ohio Jerod Impichch a achaaha Tate proudly embraces his identity as an American Indian classical composer. A 2000 graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Tate is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, and his music reflects the heritage of multiple tribes. Everything he composes is based on American Indian history and culture. But it took many years for Tate to see the relationship between his tribal identity and his classical career. I was given a very unusual opportunity, he said in a telephone interview from his home in Oklahoma City. My father, Charles, is a Chickasaw from Oklahoma who graduated from law school and was a tribal judge, a special district judge, a lawyer and a classically trained pianist and baritone. My mother, Patricia, was Manx Irish. She was a choreographer and dancer. So, between my two parents, I grew up with an enormous amount of American musical theater, opera and ballet. Tate, 55, started studying piano at age 8, and within months of taking his first private lessons, he told his family that he was going to be a concert pianist. I studied classical piano and went to Northwestern University as a piano major, he said. But when I graduated from Northwestern (with a bachelors degree in piano performance) and was going into the Cleveland Institute of Music as a piano major, my mother asked me to compose her next ballet score. Tates mother taught at the University of Wyoming, and she wanted to do a ballet that was based on American Indian stories from the Northern Plains and Rockies, he said. She turned to me and said, Well, youre my Chickasaw classical son, and she asked me to compose the score for her ballet entitled Winter Moons, he said. And thats how I began composing, at the age of 23. It was just beautiful because I didnt see any real-life connection between being a classical musician and a Chickasaw man. They were just two things in my life. So my mom, in a really beautiful and innocent way, was asking me to be all of who I am at the exact same time. After consulting with many of his colleagues in Indian country and in the classical community, Tate found that he had overwhelming support and encouragement to focus on composing. I went back to the Cleveland Institute of Music after we premiered the ballet and added composition to my degree, he said. I had made a personal decision that I was to be a Chickasaw classical composer. Tate earned a dual masters degree in piano performance and composition from CIM, where he studied piano with Elizabeth Pastor and composition under Donald Erb. I feel that my experience at CIM was really quite beautiful and very fulfilling for me, and my two mentors, Liz and Don, were really critical in my development, he said. They really opened the floodgates of my musicianship, and Im just forever grateful for that time with them. Tate received CIMs Distinguished Alumni Award last year, and the institute honored with him an Alumni Achievement Award in 2006. Returning to Northeast Ohio Tate will be guest conductor for his composition, Clans a narrated orchestral work that draws on the culture and history of his Chickasaw heritage when the Akron Symphony Orchestra opens its 70th season on Sept. 29 at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron. Also on the Sept. 29 program, Akron Symphony Music Director Christopher Wilkins will conduct the orchestra on Beethovens Symphony No. 9, which culminates in Ode to Joy. Its a celebration of the 50th anniversary of E.J. Thomas Hall. Tate said he couldnt be more excited about his return to Northeast Ohio. Im also premiering a new work with CityMusic Cleveland next May, he said. So between these two (events), Im just absolutely thrilled to be in the Cleveland area again and doing all this. Clans is from an eight-scene symphonic work of Tates titled Lowak Shoppala (Fire and Light). Lowak Shoppala, which expresses Chickasaw identity, combines orchestra, storytellers, dancers and a childrens chorus. Clans is a very theatric work that also incorporates actors dressed in traditional regalia, so its almost like a slow-motion, ancient fashion runway show, Tate said. Its kind of like a Lion King style in which the different clan members walk up to the stage very slowly and regally through the music of each clan, and they end up in this big line of clans in the finale. Wilkins, who is starting his 18th season as music director of the Akron Symphony, noted that the orchestras season-opening concert last year also included a piece composed by Tate titled Moccasin Game. Its part of Tates work for strings, Shakamaxon. Jerod is Northeast Ohio trained, so Ive been aware of him for some time, Wilkins said. Its an honor of mine to invite him to Akron. Jerod is talented in so many ways. Hes an exceptional pianist and a highly trained classical composer, and hes also a wonderful conductor. Its a rare opportunity for people to see him in action on the podium. Im really excited for him to lead the orchestra. Wilkins described Clans as powerful, gripping and sonically exciting. It gives us a vivid look into several of the stories that are contained in the myth of the origin of the Chickasaw people, he said. The narration, of course, helps with that. Narrator has Choctaw heritage The narration will be provided by LaDonna BlueEye, an Akron resident who is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation. Her tribal home is in southeastern Oklahoma. Choctaws and Chickasaws are brethren, Wilkins said. They share many commonalities, and the two languages are closely related, so its a natural fit. Tate noted that BlueEye is not only an original speaker of the Choctaw language; she also served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army. This work is about our ancient clan warriors, and so LaDonna, as the narrator, is representing a modern American Indian warrior on stage, he said. So LaDonna is literally going to be a warrior speaking about the ancient warriors, and Im really pleased about this. The narration of Clans is in English, but the musical sections in the libretto by Linda Hogan are in the Chickasaw language. Tates sister, Shana Tate Darter, is one of seven Chickasaw actors who are traveling from Oklahoma to portray the clan members in the performance. And his son, Heloha, 9, will sing with the three-member male chorus. That group is composed of baritones Timothy Culver, Brian Keith Johnson and John Pickering, all from the Akron area. So I get to conduct my son and my sister in the same performance, Tate said. Its really cool. Clans was commissioned by the American Composers Forum and premiered in 2009 in Ada, Oklahoma, where the Chickasaw Nations tribal headquarters is located. It has been performed all over the country, Tate said, and is slated to be performed in March at Carnegie Hall in New York. Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, a 2000 graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, will be guest conductor for his composition, Clans, when the Akron Symphony Orchestra opens its 70th season Sept. 29 at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron. (Photo: Shevaun Williams) Influenced by Bartok Wilkins said Tate is dedicated to bringing both his Chickasaw heritage and his classical music training to a larger public. He fully embodies both, and thats very rare and special, Wilkins said. In the tradition of classical music generally, he thinks of himself as in part of the legacy of (Bela) Bartok, and I think thats true. Bartok, considered one of Hungarys greatest composers, was one of the founders of ethnomusicology the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. Bartok had a tremendous influence in 20th-century music because he brought folk music from Hungary and from other regions in Europe onto the classical music stage, and he melded the two, Wilkins said. Jerod has expressed his admiration for Bartok and how he did that, and (what he does) is similar. Tate said Bartok has been a major influence on his path as a composer. He was really the first ethnomusicologist of his own people, he said. The fact that he went around with a wax roll recorder and documented his own people singing his own folk music had a tremendous impact on me. Thats what I do on a daily basis. Im constantly transcribing our folk art all the time, and thats the foundation of what I compose. Tates middle name, Impichch a achaaha, is pronounced Impi-CHA-Cha and is his traditional Chickasaw house name. It translates to his high corncrib. I am so blessed and fortunate that I have been exposed and have had access to the knowledge of all that great art from both my Chickasaw and Manx parents, he said. The gifts that Ive been given are really overwhelming. Because of that, I love teaching composition to kids because I get to impart that knowledge to them and play them examples and show them what American Indian artists and European artists have been doing. A committed educator, Tate works regularly with American Indian students. He is the founder of the Chickasaw Chamber Music Festival and was the founding composition instructor for the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy. While in Akron the week of Sept. 25, Tate will lead a workshop at The Lippman School, which has a partnership with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in southeastern Montana. He will also speak to students at the Akron School for the Arts. Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, far right, a 2000 graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, taking part in performances of his own music with the CIM New Music Ensemble in Mixon Hall at in November 2021. (Photo: Alex Cooke, Courtesy CIM) Premiere of new work in Cleveland This spring, Tate will be a composer in residence with CityMusic Cleveland, a professional chamber orchestra that performs free concerts throughout Northeast Ohio. The world premiere of his new work for solo soprano and chamber orchestra, titled Kokumthena (Our Grandmother), will be at 7:30 p.m. May 30 at Fairmount Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights. Tate will be the guest conductor for this performance, as well as three others May 31 through June 2 at different locations in Greater Cleveland. Its a composition about the legend of Kokumthena (Cloud Woman), grandmother of the Shawnee, who are aboriginal to the Ohio Territory, he said. The work is sung entirely in the Shawnee language. The soprano soloist on the piece will be Kirsten Kunkle, a Sandusky resident who is a citizen of the Muskogee Nation, based in Oklahoma. Kirsten and I are very good friends, and she is amazing, Tate said. She is also premiering my opera in October 2024 and one of my works with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic in 2025. For more information about the concerts with CityMusic Cleveland, visit citymusiccleveland.org. Tates compositions have been commissioned and performed by major orchestras, ensembles and organizations across the U.S., according to his website. In January 2022, The Washington Post selected him as one of 22 for 22: Composers and performers to watch this year. Tate has served as guest composer, conductor and pianist for the San Francisco Symphonys Currents program, Thunder Song: American Indian Musical Cultures. In 2021, Tate was appointed a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State as part of its American Music Abroad program. His music has been featured on the HBO series, Westworld. Tate records regularly with Azica Records, the Grammy Award-winning label based in Cleveland. He works with Alan Bise, a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music, who is chief classical producer of Azica Records. Alan and I met at CIM, and he is now producer for my albums, Tate said. He has a very special relationship with the Chickasaw Nation because hes also recorded two albums of my students compositions. Now that the fall season has arrived, its the perfect time of year to take a hike in nature. Fortunately for those in Northeast Ohio, there are dozens of scenic parks and trails to explore and wander around. In fact, one of the best hiking trails in the entire U.S. is located right here in Northeast Ohio. Towpath Trail at Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of the 10 Most Historical Trails in the U.S. That You Can Hike, according to Outside magazine. Towpath Trail ranked sixth on the list, which includes hiking trails from Hawaii to Alaska to Montana to the U.S. Virgin Islands. RELATED: Cuyahoga Valley once again a top-10 most visited national park This 98-mile path transports you to the 19th century, when the Ohio & Erie Canal opened up trade between the East Coast and Midwest, bringing prosperity to northeast Ohio (my home for 29 years), as well as the nation, through accessibility to domestic goods, Outside.coms Theresa McKinney writes in the rankings. Starting at the Lock 38 Trailhead (a lock is a chamber that raises and lowers water levels for boats to pass), my husband and I walked the flat dirt path north along the marshy canal for 1.8 miles to reach the overgrown stone-wall remains of Lock 39. The Native American Heritage Walking Tour interpretive signs along the way described the Indigenous groups who once lived herefrom the Paleoindians (13,000 to 10,000 years ago) to the Whittlesy People (1,000 to 400 years ago)hunting big game, fishing, and growing maize and beans in Cuyahoga Valley. You can peruse exhibits at the wheelchair-friendly Canal Exploration Center, which once served as a tavern, store, and residence, and on summer weekends, the center holds lock demonstrations, she adds. RELATED: Three Ohio parks named hidden gems for seeing fall foliage The top 10 Most Historical Trails in the U.S. That You Can Hike, according to Outside, are: 1. Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail on Hawaii Island 2. Donner Party Trail in Truckee, California 3. Nez Perce Trail in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana 4. Reef Bay Trail at Virgin Islands National Park in the U.S. Virgin Islands 5. The Oregon Trail in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington 6. Towpath Trail at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Valley View, Ohio 7. Chilkoot National Historic Trail in Alaska and British Columbia 8. Pueblo Alto Trail in Nageezi, New Mexico 9. Unicoi Turnpike on the Trail of Tears in Coker Creek, Tennessee 10. Wanderer Memory Trail in Jekyll Island, Georgia Outsides full list of the 10 Most Historical Trails in the U.S. That You Can Hike can be found online. COLUMBUS, Ohio If Ohio voters pass Issue 2, the recreational marijuana proposal on Nov. 7, tax revenues in the second year of operations, or the first full year of operations, could range between $182 million and $218.4 million, according to new estimates from Ohio State University. By year five, they could range between $336.4 million to $403.6 million. But then they could start to decline. CLEVELAND, Ohio A Richmond Heights man was fatally shot Saturday outside a convenience store on the citys East Side, according to a police report. The office of the Cuyahoga County medical examiner identified the man as Derek Driskill, 39. Driskill was shot in the head at 9:10 p.m. in the parking lot of Union Beverage & Deli, located on East 124th Street and Union Avenue. This story has been changed to clarify the remarks of leaders at St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland, as they say the school will continue to follow the guidance of the Congregation of St. Joseph on LGBTQ issues. CLEVELAND, Ohio Some Catholic schools that are independent of the Diocese of Cleveland appear to be distancing themselves from a new gender policy that has angered many in the LGBTQ community. In letters and emails to parents and staff, the leaders of some schools run by religious orders say they will continue to offer compassion and counsel to all students at a sensitive and formative time in the lives of youths. The dioceses policy bars gender expression through pronouns and bans same-sex couples at events, such as dances. It also requires church or school staff members to tell the parents of a child who might be transgender. The directive affects 79 elementary schools and five high schools. Opponents say it is political, hateful and could cause serious harm to members of the LGBTQ community, especially kids. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer obtained letters and notices sent to faculty, staff and students from several independent Catholic high schools regarding the dioceses directive. Because the schools are operated by religious orders, they do not fall under the diocese. Most of the schools did not respond to inquiries. The diocese did not comment. It had said in an earlier statement that the policy is rooted in scripture and church teachings. At Magnificat High School, which is run by the Sisters of Humility of Mary, alumnae at the all-girls school in Rocky River created an online petition that urged administrators to speak out about the potential consequences from the policy. The schools president, Moira Clark, said in an email to students and parents that Magnificat values its Catholic identity and plans to continue to work toward a welcoming community. In a time when our adolescent youth, and young women in particular, are facing mental health crises, we remain deeply concerned about the heightened risk of mental health challenges including depression, self-harm, and suicide faced especially by LGBTQ youth, and we will continue to accompany them, to stand with them and accept them with love, respect, compassion, and sensitivity, Clark wrote. St. Edward High School President KC McKenna said in an email that the school was neither aware of the dioceses policy nor consulted about it. McKenna referenced the constitutions from the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious order that operates the private school in Lakewood. We will always operate in the best interest of our students and do not plan to make any changes to the pastoral ways in which we support LGBTQ+ students at St. Edward High School because of this policy, McKenna wrote. The Rev. Raymond Guiao is the president of St. Ignatius High School, the Cleveland school run by the Jesuits. In an email to faculty and staff, he said the school remains committed to the Jesuit value of cura personalis care for our students. While questions about sexuality and gender can be complex in the context of Catholic teaching, it is our duty as a Catholic school in the Ignatian tradition to meet anyone who has these questions with pastoral care and sensitivity that embodies Gods unsurpassing love for each person, Guiao wrote. It is our mission to be a community of faith for all people. In Cuyahoga Falls, Walsh Jesuit High School administrators have a team of people reviewing the dioceses policy, said Anthony Burke, a spokesman for the school. Since the guidelines were implemented after the start of the academic year, Burke said the school will consider the diocesan guidelines when crafting the handbook and policies for next year. As a Catholic school, we affirm the teachings of the Catholic Church, and, as a Christ-centered community, we value inclusion and strive to be a community of faith for all people, Burke said in an email to cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. A central truth of our faith is to care for everyone with sensitivity that embodies Gods limitless love for each person, and that every single human being is of limitless value because they are created in the image and likeness of God. The leaders of St. Joseph Academy, including President Kathryn Purcell and Principal Jeff Sutliff, emailed families and staff, saying the Cleveland all-girls school plans to follow the guidance of the Congregation of St. Joseph and not the policy of the diocese on LGBTQ issues. The Congregation of St. Joseph sponsors the school. In a world where many young people feel marginalized and misunderstood, we seek to create a community where every student feels that she belongs and is valued for her unique gifts, the email said. Sister Pat Kozak of the Congregation of St. Joseph said she thinks it is important to say that she fully supports the congregations statement regarding the LGBTQ community. We act in solidarity with all those who are marginalized, the congregations website says. We are called by God to love one another, and with love comes compassion, respect and sensitivity for others. As a congregation, we are committed to doing the work needed to be allies and to help LGBTQ+ individuals find welcome in our church, communities and in our world. WASHINGTON, D. C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown on Monday joined calls for the resignation of his Democratic U.S. Senate colleague Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who has been indicted on bribery charges that allege he used his post on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for personal gain. Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate, said a single-sentence statement from Brown, who also called for Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken to resign in 2017 when he was accused of sexual harassment. Brown - who chairs the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs where Menendez is a senior member - is the second Democratic U.S. senator to call for his resignation, joining U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. A banking subcommittee hearing on flood insurance that Menendez was supposed to chair on Wednesday has been postponed. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has also said Menendez should resign. So has the states Democratic party chairman, and several Democratic U.S. House of Representatives members from New Jersey. U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, announced a primary challenge to Menendez. Menendez was forced to give up his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the charges were filed but insisted during a Monday press conference that he wont leave office. The allegations leveled against me are just that, allegations, said Menendez, 69, predicting the judicial process will exonerate him and hell remain New Jerseys senior senator. Federal prosecutors claim Menendez shared sensitive information with Egypt and accepted bribes of cash and gold bars. They say his wife, Nadine, got a no-show job from politically connected friends. They said Menendez improperly pressured the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect one of those Egyptian friends business monopoly, that he tried to disrupt a criminal probe into those friends activities by the New Jersey Attorney General and sought nomination of a U.S. Attorney he thought could derail that prosecution. Menendez is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. This marks the second time in eight years that Menendez has been indicted. A 2015 case was dismissed after a mistrial. He also was the subject of a corruption investigation in 2006 that did not produce charges. Menendez referenced those failed probes at his Monday press conference. Prosecutors get it wrong sometimes, Menendez said. Sadly, I know that. Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. CLEVELAND, Ohio It may look like its going to rain for most of this week. It doesnt mean it will. Forecasts from the National Weather Service show there are plenty of chances for showers this week in Northeast Ohio, but they are often slight chances and dont become likely until later in the week. Monday, for example, is expected to be cloudy most of the day with temperatures staying in the low 70s. There is a 20% chance of showers after 10 a.m., increasing to a 30% chance overnight. Look for temps to dip to the upper 50s. Tuesday should have partly sunny skies in the Cleveland area but mostly cloudy skies in the Akron area. Highs again will be in the low 70s and there is a 20% chance of showers. Overnight temps will be in the mid-50s and there is a 40% chance of rain. Chances for showers jump to 50% Wednesday, with thunderstorms possible during the afternoon. It will be mostly cloudy and highs will be around 70 degrees. There is a 60% chance of showers overnight, with lows in the mid-50s. Showers are likely Thursday and highs again will be around 70. There is a 40% chance of rain overnight and lows will be in the mid-50s. The skies are expected to clear for the weekend. Friday will be mostly sunny with a high of 72, Saturday will have clear skies with a high of 73, and sunshine again is the forecast for Sunday with a high of 74. Mondays sunrise: 7:16 a.m. Sunset: 7:18 p.m. Pollen count: 0.5 (low) E-commerce giant Amazon on Monday said it will invest up to $4 billion in artificial intelligence firm Anthropic and take a minority ownership position in the company. The move underscores Amazon's aggressive AI push as it looks to keep pace with rivals such as Microsoft and Alphabet's Google. Anthropic was founded roughly two years ago by former OpenAI research executives and recently debuted its new AI chatbot called Claude 2. Amazon is looking to capitalize on the hype and promise of so-called generative AI, which includes technology like OpenAI's ChatGPT, as well as Anthropic's Claude chatbots. The two firms on Monday said that they are forming a strategic collaboration to advance generative AI, with the startup selecting Amazon Web Services as its primary cloud provider. Anthropic said it will provide AWS customers with early access to unique features for model customization and fine-tuning capabilities. Anthropic will also use custom AWS-designed semiconductors to train the foundational models that underpin its AI applications. Foundation models are large AI programs trained on vast amounts of data so that they can be adapted to solve a wide range of tasks. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden's decision to join striking United Auto Workers in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday was not influenced by former president Donald Trump's planned visit Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "Absolutely not," Jean-Pierre said when asked at the press briefing Monday. "This decision to visit the picket line was based on his own desire. This is what the president wanted to stand with autoworkers. That's what you're going to see the president do tomorrow." Jean-Pierre said Biden is visiting the picket line at the invitation of UAW President Shawn Fain and stands with autoworkers, though she did not get into details of the ongoing negotiations between the union and automakers. The UAW, which represents about 146,000 workers across Ford , General Motors and Stellantis, has historically supported Democrats and endorsed Biden in 2020, but it is the only major union that has yet to endorse the president for reelection. Signage for Nomura Holdings Inc. displayed outside a Nomura Securities Co. branch in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, April 24, 2023. Authorities in China have ordered a senior Nomura Holdings banker overseeing the firm's investment banking operations there not to leave the mainland, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. The ban comes as concerns grow among Western businesses about darkening prospects in the world's second-largest economy at a time of slowing growth, coupled with new laws that make for tougher operating conditions. Charles Wang Zhonghe, China investment banking chairman at Nomura, is prohibited from travelling outside the mainland, said the sources, who sought anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media. It was not immediately clear when the exit ban took effect. Wang was based in Hong Kong, his LinkedIn profile showed, though his nationality was not immediately known. A Tokyo-based spokesperson for Nomura declined to comment. Wang did not respond to a Reuters request for comment sent via the LinkedIn social network. The Financial Times newspaper, which first reported the matter, citing sources, said the ban was connected to China's investigation into top tech dealmaker Bao Fan and his former colleague Cong Lin. It is a make-or-break moment for China's relationship with the European Union, as the bloc's trade chief asks for more openness and fairness from Beijing. "We stand at a crossroads. We can choose a path towards mutually beneficial relations. One which is based on open, fair trade and investment, and working hand in hand on the great challenges of our time," Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the European Commission, said at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Monday. "Or we can choose a path that slowly moves us apart. Where the shared benefits we enjoyed in recent decades weaken, and fade. And, as a result, where our people and economies face reduced opportunities," he added. This is some of the sharpest wording to come from European officials and follows data that showed the EU logging a trade deficit of almost 400 billion euros with China in 2022. "Last year, the EU registered record bilateral trade with China of 865 billion euros ($921 billion). But this is very unbalanced, because the EU has a trade deficit of almost 400 billion euros," Dombrovskis said Saturday before an audience in Shanghai, where he began his four-day trip to China late last week. The visit, which was a while in the making, coincidentally came less than two weeks after the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, opened an investigation into Chinese subsidies to electric car manufacturers. While the EU argues that Chinese support to EVs is creating distortions in the European market, Beijing authorities criticize what they described as "protectionist" views from Brussels. Dombrovskis is using the trip to explain to his Chinese counterparts that the probe aims to create fairer trading practices, and that the EU does not plan to cut ties with Beijing. In recent months, the EU has put more and more emphasis on the idea of de-risking from China a concept that tries to bridge the gap between a more aggressive U.S. decoupling and the EU's awareness that China is a critical trading partner. "De-risk. This means minimising our strategic dependencies for a select number of strategic products. Acting in a proportionate and targeted way to maintain our open strategic autonomy," Dombrovskis clarified in a speech in Shanghai. The Russell 1000 Growth Index has climbed down from its year-to-date highs, which Citi believes has set up a "buy growth on a pullback" opportunity. The broader growth leadership index is up 25% in 2023 on a total return basis and peaked at 34% on July 19. Since then, the index has pulled back more than 6%, with significant underlying single-stock dispersion, according to strategist Scott Chronert. Almost two-thirds of the stocks in the index have fallen 10% or more from their 2023 highs, with one-third of the names more than 20% below their year-to-date peaks. "The implication is that there has been more single-stock pressure under the surface than index price action would suggest," Chronert wrote in a note from Friday. "Essentially, we think there is an attractive medium-term setup for Growth as we should have a decent margin of safety for fundamentals." Citi screened for growth names to consider on a pullback. The stocks below met the following criteria: A buy rating from the firm. At least 75% of market cap assigned to growth-style per Russell. Down 10% or more from year-to-date highs (after March 31). Consensus free cash flow per share estimates above March 31 levels. FY5 free cash flow per share greater than or equal to market-implied estimates. Take a look at some of the names on the list and where analysts see the stocks headed next. Defense and aerospace company Lockheed Martin is down 18% from its 2023 high in April. In contrast, the company's free cash flow per share consensus estimate has risen nearly $5 since the end of March. The company has struggled with supplier issues for its aircraft and reduced its full-year delivery forecast for F-35 jets earlier in the month. Shares have fallen 15% year to date. Although image-sharing company Pinterest has had a modest rally following its recent investor day, shares are still down 14% from their year-to-date highs. The stock is still up 8.8% in 2023. The company's management is forecasting revenue expansion of about 8% this year after a slowdown in 2022 and 2023. The full-year free cash flow per share estimate has gained $2.03 since the end of the first quarter. Chipmakers Nvidia and KLA also made the list. Nvidia, which has surged more than 188% year to date, is now down 18% from its highest level in late August. While Nvidia's monumental year-to-date rally may have some suspecting the stock is overbought, its average price target suggests shares could rally an additional 47.7% from Friday's close. Nearly 95% of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy. Dutch-based KLA, meanwhile, has declined 14% from its 2023 peak. The stock is still more than 20% higher for the year. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. UAW President Shawn Fain marches with UAW members through downtown Detroit after a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they strike the Big Three auto makers on September 15, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here . Nasty September Japan outperformed other major markets in Asia-Pacific on Monday. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rebounded about 0.9% off the three-week low it closed at Friday after a bruising week of central bank meetings that also knocked 4.2% off the S&P 500 . U.S. stocks retreated Friday in a fourth straight day of losses for the three major benchmark indexes. On Monday, the Hang Seng Index was down more than 1% weighed down by the Chinese property sector after Evergrande said over the weekend that it would delay a debt restructuring meeting due Monday. Will they, won't they? The clock is ticking, again. U.S. lawmakers over the weekend were not optimistic on a budget resolution that would keep the government funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. Current spending laws are due to expire on Sept. 30. That means if Congress does not reach an agreement before 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, the government will shut down. House Republicans on Thursday sent the chamber into recess, delaying further developments in the negotiations. $100 an oil barrel next? Russia imposed an indefinite ban on the export of diesel and gasoline to most countries, a move that risks disrupting fuel supplies ahead of winter and threatens to exacerbate global shortages. The ban, which came into immediate effect and applies to all countries apart from four former Soviet states, does not have an end date. The countries exempt from the ban include Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, all of which are members of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. European triple dilemma European central banks are now balancing between slowing growth, still too high inflation and the delayed impact of unprecedented rate hikes. Throw in another spanner: rising oil prices. But September marked a change in tone, as some central banks put the brakes on interest rate hikes after nearly two years, while others appeared to be at the brink of peak rates. This has turned market attention to how long rates will be held at current levels, amid strains on economic growth. [PRO] The oversold and the overbought on the S&P500 Investors on Wall Street are contending with the latest forward guidance from the Federal Reserve, which has helped underpin an overall losing week for major indexes. CNBC screened FactSet data to examine what equities traders are betting on, or fleeing, as macroeconomic uncertainty continues. UAW President Shawn Fain marches with UAW members through downtown Detroit after a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they strike the Big Three auto makers on September 15, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here . Nasty September U.S. stock futures edged higher as the market is set to enter the last week of trading in September with big losses. The S&P 500 has fallen 4.2% this month, on pace for its second straight losing month and its worst month since December. Stocks have struggled as the Federal Reserve signaled higher interest rates for longer, sending bond yields rising. U.S. stocks retreated Friday in a fourth straight day of losses for the three major benchmark indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 106.58 points, or 0.31%, to close at 33,963.84. The S&P 500 shed 0.23% to 4,320.06. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.09% to 13,211.81. Will they, won't they? The clock is ticking, again. U.S. lawmakers over the weekend were not optimistic on a budget resolution that would keep the government funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. Current spending laws are due to expire on Sept. 30. That means if Congress does not reach an agreement before 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, the government will shut down. House Republicans on Thursday sent the chamber into recess, delaying further developments in the negotiations. $100 an oil barrel next? Russia imposed an indefinite ban on the export of diesel and gasoline to most countries, a move that risks disrupting fuel supplies ahead of winter and threatens to exacerbate global shortages. The ban, which came into immediate effect and applies to all countries apart from four former Soviet states, does not have an end date. The countries exempt from the ban include Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, all of which are members of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. Burgeoning debt Credit card companies are racking up losses at the fastest pace in almost 30 years, outside of the Great Financial Crisis, according to Goldman Sachs and it is far from over, the firm predicts. [PRO] The oversold and the overbought on the S&P500 Investors on Wall Street are contending with the latest forward guidance from the Federal Reserve, which has helped underpin an overall losing week for major indexes. CNBC screened FactSet data to examine what equities traders are betting on, or fleeing, as macroeconomic uncertainty continues. European markets closed lower Monday as investors reflected on a spate of central bank decisions last week and the prospect of higher-for-longer interest rates. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index ended down 0.6%, with major bourses and almost all sectors in negative territory. Travel and leisure stocks led losses with a 3% decline, followed by household goods, which dropped 2%. The Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank opted to pause their interest rate hiking cycles last week, in contrast to the "dovish hike" delivered by the European Central Bank on Sept. 14. The latest interest rate decisions showed that "all central banks are coping with the same triple dilemma: how to balance between slowing economies, still too high inflation and the delayed impact of unprecedented rate hikes," Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at Dutch bank ING, told CNBC. Elsewhere, U.S. stocks were mixed as they entered the last week of trading in September. Stocks stateside have struggled this month as the Federal Reserve signaled higher interest rates for longer, sending bond yields rising. In Derna, death is everywhere. The people here told us Derna was the most beautiful city in Libya. Today, you walk through it and see nothing but mud, silt, and demolished houses. The smell of corpses is everywhere, the smell of death from the sea, where thousands of decomposed corpses have been swept away. These were the words of Raed Qazmouz, head of a Palestinian rescue team, to Al Jazeera. Derna is a city in Cyrenaica, an eastern region of Libya. It has a population of around 100,000. On the night of 10-11 September, it was completely submerged by the floods caused by Cyclone Daniel. According to the United Nations, 11,300 people are dead and more than 10,000 are missing. Almost a quarter of the city's population has disappeared. The city received 420 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, compared to an annual average of 350 millimetres. On the coast, winds of up to 180 kilometres per hour were recorded. Cyclone Daniel developed into a subtropical cyclone, a so-called Medicane (a term created by merging the words Mediterranean and hurricane), whose effects were also felt in Greece and Turkey. Over the past 15 years, the probability of a Medicane forming in the late summer-autumn season has tripled. We used to see one every four-to-five years, but now the frequency is one every year and a half. It is another effect of global warming, caused by the rapacious capitalist exploitation of the planets resources. But this alone does not explain the extent of the tragedy. Global warming and collapse of the infrastructures As Antonello Pasini, researcher for the Cnr-Isac (an Italian climate monitoring body) said to Il Manifesto: These particularly violent events are favoured by the extremely warm sea: water vapour molecules are the building blocks on which clouds are constructed, i.e. there is more material for their formation. In addition, the sea releases heat into the atmosphere, a form of energy that, according to the laws of thermodynamics, the atmosphere cannot retain and which is therefore discharged to the surrounding area. Two dams were built in the 1970s by a Yugoslav company, not to collect water, but to protect Derna from the floods. Prior to their construction, Derna had been repeatedly hit by massive flooding between the 1940s and 1960s. In 2007, the Gaddafi regime contracted a Turkish company to carry out repairs, which did not begin until October 2010, only to be suspended five months later as the country descended into revolution and civil war in 2011. Thread about satlite images before and after of #Derna flood tragedy First Video from @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/eUlHBG0ka2 Mahmud Mohammed (@MahmudM27830556) September 15, 2023 In a study published in November 2022, Libyan engineer and university lecturer Abdel-Wanis Ashour warned of a "catastrophe" threatening Derna if the authorities did not carry out the maintenance. In short, this was a predicted disaster in which western imperialism cannot claim innocence. It was the imperialist NATO intervention in 2011 that fueled the subsequent civil war, with the French government and Obama administration having played an active role in the capture and murder of Gaddafi. Instead of becoming a business haven for the West in the aftermath, Libya has since been torn apart by battling warlords and a clash between two governments, that of Tobruk in Cyrenaica (supported by Egypt, Russia, France and the Arab Emirates) and that of Tripoli, recognised by the "international community" (i.e. the rest of the West plus Turkey). The US, for its part, balances between the two. Derna had always been a rebel city, over which Gaddafi struggled to maintain control. After the revolution was derailed in 2011, it was the jihadis returning from Mosul and Syria who took control in a power vacuum. In 2015, the flag of the ISIS caliphate flew over Derna. After that, a fierce battle developed between ISIS and Al-Qaeda for control of the city. The battle only ended in 2019 with the capture of Derna by the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which wiped out the Islamists with the help of massive air strikes. The United States, then led by Trump, turned a blind eye to the bombing campaign, targeting ISIS. It was conducted under the command of General Khalifa Haftar, who has dual Libyan and US citizenship, has lived near Langley for 20 years, and has long been on the payroll of the US services. Derna has been devastated: the hard work of reconstruction was just started when it was interrupted. In the on-going civil war, the only infrastructure maintained by the bandit governments was the oil installations, from which they can extract wealth. Planning for intervention in the waterworks was not even remotely on their list of priorities. Cyclone Daniel developed into a subtropical cyclone, whose effects were also felt in Greece and Turkey / Image: VIIRS Imagery from the NOAA 20 Satellite Wikimedia Commons It is clear that the unspeakable destruction wrought by the flooding is not due to mere natural causes: it is the result of neglect and chaos, caused by the bandits who rule Libya, and the forces of capitalist imperialism that allowed them to assume power. The cosmetic condolences of the West did not last half an hour. The European Union continued to close its doors to Libyan migrants, even to the refugees from the flooded areas (as was the case after the earthquake in Morocco). The death toll in Derna does not include the migrants present in the region, of whom it is estimated that there are at least 700,000 in the whole of Libya. These men and women are seen as worthless. Outburst of anger Grief lasted only one week before turning to anger. On Monday, the Derna masses took to the streets to demand accountability from the authorities. Hundreds gathered outside the city's main mosque, where they chanted slogans against the authorities in the east, particularly the Tobruk parliament and its president, Aguila Saleh. The people want the parliament to fall; Aguila (Saleh) is the enemy of God, Those who steal or betray must be hanged, Libya, neither east nor west, national unity, the demonstrators chanted. Urgent: Protesters storm the house of Derna Municipal Mayor Abdul Moneim Al-Ghaithi and set it on fire. In the same context: Urgent: Libyan Prime Minister in #Benghazi, @DrOsamaSHamad , dismisses the entire #Derna Municipal Council and refers it for investigation. pic.twitter.com/blAgdynxVm Mohammed Elgrj (@moelgrj) September 18, 2023 In the evening, groups of protesters went to the house of Mayor Abdulmonem al-Ghaithi and set it on fire, shouting: the blood of the martyrs was not shed in vain. They accuse al- Ghaithi of stealing 2 million EUR that were allocated in 2010 for the renovation of the two dams. The slogans in favour of national unity represent a step in the right direction. The masses support the unity of the common people in the face of this tragedy, and do not understand the division of the country that has only served the interests of the powerful. In the most classic spirit of class solidarity, many young people from all over Libya travelled to Derna, defying the armed militias, to help search-and-rescue operations for the missing. This is precisely the sort of unity that is needed in Libya. Not unity between the oppressed and the oppressors; nor between those who work and the warlords who exploit the people and reap huge fortunes from 'hope trips' across the Mediterranean. Libyan workers and youth have been through 12 years of unbearable ordeal, of which the Derna flood is but the umpteenth tragedy. But Libya's history is rich in revolutionary traditions of struggle, particularly against colonialism and its puppets within the country. Today, they must rediscover these traditions in order to fight against the imperialists and their puppets, who are leading the country and the whole continent to disaster. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., arrives for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with U.S. senators in the Capitol, Sept. 21, 2023. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., will return $5,000 in contributions from a political action committee tied to Sen. Bob Menendez "in envelopes stuffed with $100 bills" because of the New Jersey Democrat's indictment on bribery charges, Fetterman's spokesman said. Fetterman's campaign received the donation from Menendez's leadership PAC during the 2022 election cycle, according to the nonpartisan site OpenSecrets. The Pennsylvania senator's spokesman told NBC News, "We are in the process of returning the money in envelopes stuffed with $100 bills." The news was first reported by The Messenger. Fetterman was the first Democratic senator to call on Menendez to resign after he and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were charged with three bribery-related counts in federal court in New York. On Monday, two other Democrats, Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Peter Welch of Vermont, also called for Menendez to step down. "Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate," Brown said in a statement. Brown leads the powerful Senate Banking Committee, which Menendez sits on. Prosecutors said that during a raid last year on Menendez's New Jersey home and a safe deposit box, federal agents found more than $480,000 in cash, scores of gold bars and a luxury vehicle that were the "fruits of [the couple's] corrupt bribery agreement" with three New Jersey businessmen.Menendez has refused to resign. During a statement to reporters Monday, Menendez suggested that the cash found by investigators "were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived." Korean automobile manufacturer Kia displays the electric vehicle "EV6 GT-Line" during the 30th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang on August 10, 2023. Indonesia's EV-friendly policies have lured global investors to the country, but experts say they could also boost investments in Southeast Asia's automotive industry more broadly. Indonesia could be the "gateway" to the rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said Anindya Novyan Bakrie, CEO and president director of Bakrie & Brothers, an Indonesian conglomerate whose electric vehicle unit VKTR manufactures electric buses as well as EV parts. The Southeast Asian country is rich in copper, nickel, cobalt and bauxite materials essential for the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries. Indonesia is the largest nickel exporter, accounting for 22% of the world's reserves, according to a report by the ASEAN Briefing. Indonesia has courted the likes of Tesla in the hopes of spinning its resource riches into becoming a key global supply chain hub for electric vehicles. "Indonesia's rich endowment in natural resources required for EVs underpins its attractiveness and is certainly a pull factor for EV investments especially in the aftermath of a nickel ore ban and a government that is increasingly calling for the beneficiation of its natural resource to unlock economic growth," Koketso Tsoai, automobiles analyst at BMI Fitch Solutions told CNBC. Indonesia has banned exports of certain metals and minerals in a bid to draw investors and manufacturers in need of those materials to its shores. In this aerial image, damage is seen at a Pfizer pharmaceutical factory after a tornado hit the facility two days earlier, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, July 21, 2023. Pfizer on Monday said it has restarted most production lines at a drug manufacturing plant that was severely damaged by a tornado two months ago, but added that some medicines from the facility may be in short supply until at least mid 2024. In a statement, Pfizer stressed that it has only made the "first step toward full recovery" of its plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The company expects the facility's operations to fully resume by the end of the year. The Rocky Mount plant supplies nearly 8% of all sterile injectable medicines used in U.S. hospitals, including anesthesia, analgesia, therapeutics, anti-infectives and neuromuscular blockers. The facility also manufactures about 25% of the company's drugs in that category. Pfizer in August warned hospitals that some medicines could see supply disruptions. One injection from the plant was in short supply as of late last month, according to a database from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. It was a type of sodium chloride injection, which is used to replenish water and salt lost as a result of certain conditions. Pfizer on Monday said it has restarted production of about 13 medicines, which were prioritized based on "patient need and inventory levels." The company did not specify which drugs those are. Pfizer said it is also continuing to monitor emergency request orders for certain medicines manufactured at the Rocky Mount plant. The company implemented the emergency ordering process in August to manage the distribution of 12 drugs "in high medical need." Pfizer's announcement comes as the U.S. is already facing an unprecedented shortage of medicine, ranging from ADHD pills to pain medicine to injectable cancer therapies. Those shortages are driven by manufacturing quality control issues and surges in demand, among other factors. Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC has a sizeable lead in the chip industry which its competitors will struggle to catch up with, according to Kamil Dimmich, a portfolio manager at North of South Capital. "It has been predicted for the last 20 years that in three years' time everyone will have caught up, but the problem is TSMC moves faster than everyone. So by the time the others have caught up TSMC is another two, three generations ahead," Dimmich said. "It is not for the lack of trying," he said, adding that the likes of South Korea's Samsung have been trying to catch up with investments in technology. "They've probably come the closest but they're still consistently behind TSMC it is incredibly hard to replicate. I'm not saying this will never happen over history, companies do end up losing their edge. It can happen but, if I were a betting man, I'd say TSMC maintains their advantage," he said. Dimmich, who manages the $1.5 billion Pacific North of South Emerging Market All Cap Equity fund, says he is "always looking for great companies with strong cashflows that are not correctly reflected in the market." His focus is identifying undervalued stocks in emerging markets. With close to 13% exposure to Taiwan, his fund has a huge overweight on the market. Close to 7% of its investments there are in TSMC, while other companies it has holdings with include ASE Technology which he considers a beneficiary of TSMC investing heavily in the packaging and testing aspect of chips. When quizzed why he likes TSMC so much, Dimmich responded: "This is a market where there is really very few players, there's a limited supply, it's growing incredibly fast, because it's a new market and [has] new applications, and I think there is no real risk of oversupply, especially because it is an oligopoly, or even arguably a monopoly TSMC sets the price is it wants to [and] doesn't have to compete with anyone. That's what the chips cost. That's it, they make a 50% margin." The only risk he foresees is if there is any conflict between Taiwan and China. "That could physically destroy TSMC [and] its capacity," he responded. Even so, Dimmich said such a possibility would be "a massive disaster for everyone involved," and would affect stocks on a global scale. Is Nvidia cheap? Interestingly, Dimmich said the word on the ground is that stocks in fellow technology firm Nvidia are cheap even if he may personally not think so. "Some of my colleagues think Nvidia is cheap and there's certain scenarios you could put together where Nvidia is cheap. I personally don't think it is cheap," he said. Shares of Nvidia have tripled this year as the company's market value has topped $1 trillion over the optimism surrounding its artificial intelligence-powered applications. Dimmich who does not invest in U.S. shares pointed out that it is "very easy to make things look cheap." His approach to avoid this is refusing to assume that companies grow at very high rates, forever. "We don't do that because we don't think it is possible for companies to grow faster. We just want to be conservative and we don't want to overpay for stuff," he explained. Value in Chinese internet stocks Elsewhere, Dimmich is looking at China more positively and has been searching for stocks with good valuations. In particular, he has been buying Chinese internet or consumer stocks, with the likes of Alibaba , NetEase , JD.com and Vipshop Holdings in his top 15 holdings. "They're kind of online Walmarts, if you like, with huge market share, with huge competitive positions in China, and they're now starting to monetize that they're starting to look for profitability. They're trying to generate cashflows, they're trying to generate shareholder returns," he said. The portfolio manager does not have holdings in Tencent , even as several investors consider it as a stock to watch out for. "It is not because we particularly dislike Tencent, it's just when we when we run the numbers, it's not quite as attractively valued as some of the other stocks," he explained. In any case, Dimmich believes that it may just be a good time to accumulate Chinese stocks particularly tech stocks since they are profitable and are now able to focus on efficiencies and margins. "If people remain negative on China [and start] selling China, like there's no tomorrow, then maybe [Chinese] stocks will go sideways. They might even decline a bit. But that's the time to accumulate. Because one day, people will realize these stocks actually look very attractive and then they will start rewriting, especially if the consumer picks up in China, then they're a big play on that," he stressed. Viktor Sokolov attends a ceremony marking the 240th anniversary of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea, on May 13, 2023. Ukraine said Monday it has killed the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in a missile strike on the naval headquarters in occupied Crimea. It comes days after an attack that left the building smoldering, the latest salvo in a mounting effort to target the Kremlin's naval forces and isolate the annexed peninsula. Kyiv did not provide evidence for the claim, which NBC News has not verified, but if confirmed it would be one of the most high-profile losses of the war so far. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said in a post on Telegram that "the commander" of the Black Sea Fleet was among 34 officers who died in the strike on the fleet's headquarters in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Friday. The commander of the fleet is Viktor Sokolov, although the Ukrainian statement did not name him directly. Rumors had circulated among Ukraine-watchers all weekend that Sokolov had been killed. NBC News has contacted Russia's defense ministry for comment. "If true it would likely be the highest ranking naval officer killed in combat since WWII," Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO supreme allied commander and current chief international security analyst for NBC News, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. On Saturday, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said in another Telegram post that the strike on the fleet's headquarters caused "dozens of dead and wounded occupants, including the senior leadership of the fleet." It said the strike had been part of an operation named "Crab trap" that it said was carried out "on time and accurately" during a meeting of the Russian navy's senior members at the building. Ukraine's intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Voice of America on Saturday that at least nine people were killed and 16 others wounded as a result of Kyiv's attack on the Black Sea Fleet on Friday. He said Alexander Romanchuk, a Russian general commanding forces along the key southeastern front line, was "in a very serious condition" following the attack. Shortly after Friday's attack, Russia's defense ministry said that one serviceman was killed. It later said this person was missing, adding that five missiles were shot down by air defenses. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, in violation of international law. It has since bolstered the peninsula's military assets, but its use of the area just off Ukraine's mainland coast to support its invasion has also made it a growing target for Kyiv's strikes. Ukraine's efforts to hit behind Russian lines were given a boost last week when President Joe Biden told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the U.S. would provide a small number of long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, three U.S. officials and a congressional official familiar with the discussions told NBC News. Ukraine has vowed it will retake Crimea as part of its campaign and has stepped up its attacks against the Russian navy in recent months, damaging ships and buildings stationed on the peninsula. Sevastopol, the city hit by Friday's strikes, is the largest population center in Crimea. Its port is the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, which has been used to launch attacks deep into Ukraine. In April last year, Ukrainian missiles launched with the help of U.S. intelligence sank a Russian guided missile cruiser, the Moskva, which was the flagship of the fleet and the largest Russian warship sunk in combat since World War II. Sokolov has led the fleet since August last year, the result of a major reshuffle that came after the Moskva's sinking and strikes against the fleet on Crimea. He rose through a series of posts in the Pacific and Northern Fleets, serving as deputy commander in the latter, according to Russian state media. From 2020 he headed a prestigious military academy, before taking command of the Black Sea Fleet last year. The Associated Press and Daryna Mayer contributed. WASHINGTON Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey suggested Monday that hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash seized by federal investigators from his home as part of a probe that led to his bribery indictment came from his personal savings account. "I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, what I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba," Menendez said during a press conference in Union, New Jersey. "Now this may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived," the Democrat added. He again said he had no plans to resign from the Senate, despite calls that he do so from Gov. Phil Murphy and other leading New Jersey Democrats. Menendez, 69, and his wife, Nadine, were indicted on federal bribery charges in New York last week. Prosecutors accused the couple of accepting bribes including cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz car and mortgage payments from three New Jersey businessmen, who also have been charged in the case. Investigators armed with a warrant to search Menendez's home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, last year found more than $480,000 in cash "hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe," according to the three-count indictment in Manhattan federal court. Menendez on Monday, in about 25 minutes of remarks made in English and Spanish, did not address the gold bars found in his home. That gold is worth an estimated $155,000. WASHINGTON Bipartisan lawmakers on Monday weighed in on a possible government shutdown, as pressure builds on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to get something passed with less than a week before the deadline. The House speaker "has been able to deliver in a very razor-thin majority, so don't count him out," Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, who chairs the House Committee on Ways and Means, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. McCarthy, R-Calif., is in a bind and can't afford to lose more than four Republican votes on a spending bill. With Republican votes at a premium, the House Freedom Caucus, which boasted 49 members in January, has stalled budget negotiations by adopting a hard stance on domestic spending cuts. McCarthy could seek help from Democrats to secure votes to avoid a shutdown but that would put his speakership at risk. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said Sunday that he might back ousting the House speaker if such a compromise is reached. "The reality is this intra-Republican fighting and the dysfunction in their caucus is what will, in the end, bring about this shutdown, if it comes about," Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., ranking member of the House Budget Committee, said on "Squawk Box" on Monday. The House will reconvene Tuesday to continue budget negotiations after recessing last week without passing a basic rules measure to debate a Pentagon funding bill. "Clearly it's a Kevin McCarthy problem," Heidi Heitkamp, a former Democratic senator from North Dakota, told "Squawk Box" on Monday about moving bills through the House. "We've got a system in Washington where the very, very elite minority who only get attention during these time periods can throw a cog into the wheel and stop government," Heitkamp added. Failing to pass a spending bill by Saturday will affect nonessential government functions, such as pay for federal government employees and Social Security benefit verification. But it is not the crisis that many think it is, said Mick Mulvaney, former White House chief of staff under then-President Donald Trump. "People will get paid at the end of this," Mulvaney told "Squawk Box." "Everything is going to be fine. It's not a crisis. It's just not the best way to reduce spending." A fortune teller predicting the future to a passer-by. Luis Acosta | Afp | Getty Images SINGAPORE When it comes to looking for perfect hires, it's not just work experience and resumes that are scrutinized. For some employers in Singapore, the day and time the candidates were born are just as important. To determine if a candidate was a good fit for his company, one CEO is said to have consulted a "feng shui" master. "If the feng shui master does not give a good reading, they may not be strongly considered," according to a former employee Benedict, who was part of the hiring team in the marketing firm. He declined to use his real name due to the sensitivity of the matter, given how Singapore's hiring principle is one based on merit. Feng shui involves the art of reading one's destiny and temperament based on their birth dates, and comes under the broader umbrella of fortune telling, an ancient practice that seeks to foretell the future and people's fates using methods like tarot cards and palmistry. According to Benedict, consulting fortune-tellers shrank the pool of people considered for the role because the candidates needed to make the cut of "aligning with the company" in their reading. The human resource manager has to do their work. But then we become one of the points of consideration when they decide to hire somebody, especially for important positions. Mark Tan CEO of Way Fengshui Group "If [they ran] the date of birth first through the feng shui master and it's an unfavorable reading, then that eliminates the candidate before an interview is even scheduled," he said. From who to hire to where to put their money and when is the best time to get married, more and more people are turning to fortune telling in Singapore. The industry has grown steadily from 2017 to 2021, with the number of fortune telling establishments in Singapore climbing 32.6%, according to the most recent statistics given by Singapore's Department of Statistics. The total operating revenue by the industry surged almost 70% to 76.2 million Singapore dollars ($56 million) over the same period. Who to hire? About 100 companies use Way Fengshui Group's service per year to enquire about who to hire, according to its CEO Mark Tan. "The companies might send me the 'ba zi' of the candidate and ask me whether this would be a person who will be suitable for the role they are hiring," said Tan, referring to the eight characters which denote a person's date of birth, right down to the hour, according to Chinese customs. However, the company would still have to derive their own final judgment after an assessment is given on whether the candidate is a good fit, Tan said. A person doing a tarot card reading Godong | Universal Images Group | Getty Images "The human resource manager has to do their work. But then we become one of the points of consideration when they decide to hire somebody, especially for important positions," he added. "Especially if it's a C-suite hire, or if it's a very important hire and the companies are unsure. Or if they're very sure, they just want to see if there [are] any blind spots to watch out for." Responding to CNBC's request for comment, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices pointed to Singapore's fair employment guidelines, which state that employers must recruit employees on the basis of merit. The country's Association of Small and Medium Enterprises has not responded to CNBC's request for comment. Where to invest? Some Singaporean companies also turn to the advice of fortune tellers before embarking on major business decisions. Jing, who works for a metals manufacturing company in Singapore, said that on top of hiring decisions, her firm also consults fortune tellers when it comes to investment opportunities in new factories. But such consultations are usually done in tandem with their own research, she affirmed. The most common question that people ask is: 'When will I be rich? How come I'm not rich?' Chase Woo managing partner at Hoseiki "It is usually a clear internal business decision backed by figures and once this is decided, the feng shui master will be consulted on whether it is the right time," said Jing, who declined to give her real name as she's not authorized to speak to media on behalf of the company. The master will take into consideration yardsticks such as the elevation of the land, whether there are "undesirable structures" around like an electrical house, among other factors. "Once they give the green light, then we will go ahead to pursue the project," she said. "It's an added level of assurance so just wanting to cover all bases as much as possible and minimize the chances of things going awry," Jing said, claiming that feng shui has never backfired on them before. How do I get rich? Some who seek fortune may also seek a reading on when the cash would come. "The most common question that people ask is: 'When will I be rich? How come I'm not rich?'" said Chase Woo, managing partner at Hoseiki, a feng shui atelier which also does consultations. Most of the time, it's because their investment strategy is wrong, he said. "And why their investment strategy is wrong has everything to do with the fact that they want to get rich quick," he said. "From their [date of birth] chart," some people just carry the negative wealth element, he explained. Gold coins and bars on display at a shopfront in Singapore. Roslan Rahman | Afp | Getty Images According to Woo, about 60% of his clients ask him about how to get rich, and the bulk of it comes from Singaporeans between 35 to 45 years of age. Woo said a lot of his clients are salespeople, such as financial insurance agents, seeking his advice on how to increase their sales. "We teach them about numerology and some face reading techniques in order for them to [identify] their clients' pain points," he said. "A person with a lot of number six in their chart most probably will be a bit more self centered. You can't tell him that a policy will benefit his child [because] the person won't care," Woo cited an example. Woo said he does between four to 12 destiny readings in a day. When to marry? Aside from wealth and business dealings, Singaporeans also frequent fortune tellers for more personal inquiries such as advice on their love life, or exam results. Tan from Way Fengshui Group bemused that some mothers consulted him about whether their children's exam results will be good. "There is an increasing trend of young people coming to us to [choose] their baby's names, and also auspicious days for getting married," said Tan. Jonathan Lok consulted a feng shui master before picking Jan. 27 to get married. "We only wanted Saturdays and a date before [the] 2024 lunar new year as the feng shui master also mentioned that the next year would be bad for me (for a dog zodiac) and if I were to miss it, that means I have to delay my wedding by one more year," said the 29-year-old. A couple posing for a pre-wedding photoshoot in Singapore. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Rolled aluminum is fed into a machine on the auto treatment line at the Alcoa Inc. Davenport Works aluminum facility in Riverdale, Iowa. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Alcoa Shares of the aluminum stock slipped 6.1% after the company said executive vice president William Oplinger would succeed Roy Harvey as CEO and president. Oplinger also joined Alcoa's board of directors, the company added. Nio The Chinese electric vehicle company's U.S.-traded shares dipped about 2.3%. The stock pared earlier losses, incurred after the firm denied media reports that Nio is considering raising as much as $3 billion in capital from investors. Nio said it currently has no reportable capital raising activity. Li Auto U.S.-traded shares of the Chinese EV company dropped 10% following news that Huawei made moves in the increasingly competitive space. The telecommunications giant teased two new electric cars its first sedan and a high-end SUV at its launch event Monday. Huawei partners with an auto manufacturer to sell cars under the Aito brand. GE HealthCare Technologies Shares of the medical technology gained 3.3%. On Friday, GE HealthCare announced a cash dividend of 3 cents per share for the third quarter. The dividend will be payable Nov. 15 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 20. Williams-Sonoma Shares of the home goods company jumped 11.6% after Green Equity Investors, an arm of investment firm Leonard Green and Partners, revealed a 5% stake in Williams-Sonoma. The securities filing disclosing the position indicated that this is a passive investment. Dow Inc. Shares added about 1.7% after JPMorgan upgraded the petrochemicals company to overweight from neutral, citing potential upside from higher oil prices. Opendoor Technologies The real estate company slipped nearly 5.5% after Citi cut its target price to $2.70 per share from $3.90. Citi said the reason for concern was the low volume of preexisting homes on the market. JD.com U.S.-listed shares of the Chinese e-commerce stock slid 2.1% as concerns over the state of the country's economy grew. A central bank official said on Sunday that the country has little room to further relax monetary policy and said the economy instead needs major reforms. Sealed Air The food packaging stock climbed 3.6% following an upgrade by Citi to buy from neutral. The firm said the company is at a discounted valuation and could see third-quarter earnings as a catalyst. Chefs' Warehouse The specialty food distributor popped 1.6% after UBS initiated coverage of the stock at a buy. UBS said the company has an attractive business model, even as it faces some near-term challenges. Hudson Technologies The reseller of sustainable refrigerant products advanced 5.8% after Canaccord Genuity initiated coverage of the stock at a buy rating. The firm said the company is likely undervalued and should be helped as refrigerant reclamation gains popularity. CNBC's Yun Li, Jesse Pound, Pia Singh, Brian Evans and Hakyung Kim contributed reporting. Srettha Thavisin, Thailand's prime minister, arrives at the Thai Parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Valeria Mongelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images Months of political deadlock and stock market volatility have finally come to a close in Thailand. The appointment of new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is expected to boost investor confidence in the short term but experts say the long-term economic recovery will prove challenging. While the Move Forward party won May's general election, it was unable to obtain approval from the conservative Senate. A volatile summer ensued as election runner-up Pheu Thai abandoned MFP to form a new coalition government with two military parties the Palang Pracharat Party and United Thai Nation Party as well as the moderate Bhumjathai Party. Srettha, Pheu Thai's choice for leader, was appointed prime minister on Aug. 22 the same day that former prime minister and Pheu Thai founder Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand after 15 years of self-exile. Thaksin's return is likely part of a power-sharing deal that Pheu Thai negotiated with the military establishment, according to political watchers, who believe he will eventually receive a royal pardon under Srettha's administration. This political turbulence has been reflected in the stock market, where foreign investors have been net sellers since the May election. August marked the seventh consecutive month for net selling but sentiment is slowly ticking up amid hopes for Thaksin's return and Srettha's economic promises to bring much-needed stability to the business environment. "It may boost a bit of confidence but nothing more than that," said Pimrapaat Dusadeeisariyakul, project manager at Friedrich Naumann Foundation, a German non-profit focused on economic research, civil liberties and democracy. "I think we will have to wait and see how Pheu Thai implements their promised policies and whether Thaksin can still maneuver powerfully at the back stage." Fiscal risks ahead Due to the chaos in recent months, officials delayed unveiling the 2024 fiscal budget, which is now due at the beginning of 2024 even though the fiscal year kicks off on Oct. 1. That could unnerve some investors, geopolitical intelligence firm Stratfor said in an August report: "Budget delays create economic uncertainty among both investors and consumers in terms of fiscal policy direction, while implying reduced government services and higher borrowing costs." Fitch Ratings echoed those concerns in a recent report. "Significant delays could slow the disbursement of capital spending for new investment projects, though we believe there would be a lower impact on current spending." Preventing a recession seems to be Srettha's top priority. In a speech on Sept. 11, he described Thailand's economy as "a sick person" after it grew by just 1.8% year on year during the second quarter versus 2.6% in the first quarter. He argued stimulus is needed due to the slow recovery in tourism and consumer spending. watch now The prime minister also pledged to relieve the country's debt problems. This year, public debt has ballooned to more than 60% of gross domestic product while household debt has spiked to over 90% of GDP. However, economists are concerned that Srettha's proposed stimulus measures could further weigh on public debt and derail fiscal consolidation. In line with Pheu Thai's populist election campaigns, Srettha plans to hand out 10,000 baht ($280) in digital currency to citizens aged 16 and above. "The money will be distributed to all areas and create jobs and economic activity, and the government will earn revenue," the prime minister said in his Sept. 11 speech. Fitch Ratings estimates these digital cash handouts will amount to 560 billion baht, or 2.9% of GDP. Pheu Thai also plans to spend 300 billion baht (1.6% of GDP, according to Fitch) on welfare for the elderly over several years and increase minimum wages and farmers' income as part of efforts to increase GDP growth to 5% annually. "PM Srettha will slowly implement Pheu Thai's populist economic policies as he has to meet public expectations," said Dusadeeisariyakul. "People are expecting to receive THB 10,000 as soon as possible and the government can delay the payment while working on the detailed process. This will surely increase public debts and delay some other projects." Pheu Thai's populist pledges and social welfare measures are fiscally risky, Fitch Ratings warned: "Their implementation could put upward pressure on the gross general government debt/GDP ratio, particularly if economic growth does not accelerate as planned." Moreover, prolonged fiscal deterioration could negatively impact the country's sovereign rating, the credit agency added. Other experts warned against overthinking the fiscal damage since many of Pheu Thai's populist pledges may not materialize. The Palang Pracharat Party and United Thai Nation Party are fiscally conservative so they might not agree with Pheu Thai's policies, analysts at Stratfor explained. "Implementing the minimum wage hike and digital wallet proposal would require cooperation from the PPRP and the UTN to increase current deficit spending limits, a tall order given the conservatives' traditional antipathy to PTP's populist redistribution platform that they see as wasteful pandering." Pheu Thai might be the election runner-up but it's important to not underestimate the power of these conservative factions, said Teerasak Siripant, managing director at Bower Group Asia. "Companies can expect a Pheu Thai-led government with conservative parties to be politically and economically pragmatic," he noted. Military reforms Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks to a crowd during a presidential campaign kickoff event at Charleston Southern University on May 22, 2023. At a campaign event earlier this month in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said former president Ronald Reagan had it right when he fired thousands of striking air traffic controllers in 1981. "Ronald Reagan gave us a great example when federal employees decided they were going to strike," the Republican presidential contender said. "He said, 'You strike, you're fired.' Simple concept to me." The comment was met by immediate blowback from the labor movement, as the number of strikes and other labor actions has exploded this year. Some 362,000 workers have gone on strike so far in 2023, compared with 36,600 over the same period two years ago, according to the Cornell ILR Labor Action Tracker. More from Personal Finance: Buy holiday airfare in October Truck buyers are driving up car payment costs Why it's hard to find a cheap new car these days The United Auto Workers union filed a labor complaint against Scott for his remarks, accusing his campaign of interfering with workers' rights to engage in union activity under federal law. Thousands of auto workers have gone on strike at plants across the country of late, demanding higher wages and better benefits. Kenneth Dau-Schmidt, a law professor at Indiana University Bloomington, said that Reagan's controversial action firing air traffic controllers continues to be condemned and revered, depending on whom you're talking to. "There never had a been a president so hostile to union workers, and it could have gone bad," Dau-Schmidt said. "If one plane went down, Reagan would have looked like a goat. Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee hears motions from attorneys representing Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell in Atlanta on Sept. 6, 2023. The identities of jurors for the Georgia election interference case of former President Donald Trump will be kept secret until the end of the trial, a judge ordered Monday. Those jurors "shall be identified by number only in court filings or in open court during the pendency of trial," Judge Scott McAfee wrote in the ruling in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta. Parties in the case are barred from disclosing the names, addresses, telephone numbers or identifying employment information of the jury or any prospective jurors, McAfee wrote. The judge also barred videos, photographs or any other images including drawings made "in a realistic or otherwise identifiable manner" of those jurors. But audio recording will be allowed when the jury's foreperson reads a verdict, the order noted. The judge's ruling follows violent threats made against officials in Fulton County, which prompted an FBI investigation. In August, Trump supporters posted online the names and addresses of members of the grand jury that voted to return an indictment against the former president. Gen. Mark Milley arrives at the fifth meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Sept. 19, 2023. WASHINGTON Former President Donald Trump and Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona suggested that outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley is a traitor who deserves to be executed. Trump blasted Milley, an Army general, in a social media post Friday that accused Milley of going behind his back by making phone calls to Chinese counterparts in the final months of Trump's administration. "If the Fake News reporting is correct, [Milley] was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States," Trump wrote in the post on his Truth Social site. "This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been death!" "A war between China and the United States could have been the result of this treasonous act," wrote Trump, who by a wide margin is leading in polls of 2024 GOP presidential nomination contenders. Milley in September 2021 told Congress he had made it clear to Chinese officials that Trump was not planning to attack China in his final weeks as president. "My task at that time was to de-escalate," Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "My message again was consistent: Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you." Gosar in a newsletter published Sunday accused Milley of coordinating with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "to hurt President Trump, and treasonously working behind Trump's back" by purportedly delaying National Guard assistance to the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. "In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung," Gosar wrote. Gosar also called Milley, a four-star general with more than four decades of military service, a "traitor." A spokesman for Milley, who is stepping down as Joint Chiefs chairman at the end of September, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC. Pelosi, when asked about Trump's comments on Monday night by MSNBC's Jen Psaki, said, "To engage in language like that should be something that would eliminate somebody as a prospect for any public office." Trump while president regularly dressed down military officials, calling Milley a "dumbass" in 2021 and former Secretary of Defense James Mattis "the world's most overrated general." In 2020, The Atlantic reported that Trump declined to visit an American cemetery near Paris in 2018, and referred to U.S. Marines buried there as "losers" and "suckers." "Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers," Trump reportedly told aides after scrapping the visit to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. The report said Trump later referred to the more than 1,800 Marines who lost their lives in the Battle of Belleau Wood in France as "suckers" for getting killed. The 1918 battle dragged on for 20 days and ended with Marines successfully clearing out German camps. The Allied victory is known as an enduring symbol in Marine Corps history. That comment appeared to prompt Poland's prime minister to state that Poland would no longer supply Kyiv with weapons , escalating tensions further. Duda's comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to suggest, when addressing the U.N. General Assembly last week in New York, that some of Ukraine's allies had feigned solidarity with Kyiv. "We need to get our emotions under control, because let's remember who will benefit most if the paths of Poland and Ukraine diverge. The consequences could be tragic," Polish President Andrzej Duda told a Polish newspaper Sunday. Poland's president appeared to soften Warsaw's recent rhetoric toward Ukraine after tensions rose in recent weeks between the allies and neighbors, particularly over grain imports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens to U.S. President Joe Biden addressing the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, on Sept. 19, 2023. Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters in the war, but tensions have grown recently over Ukraine's agricultural exports that have been transported via eastern Europe, with local farmers saying their own livelihoods have been affected by a glut of cheaper imports. In an interview with a Polish newspaper on Sunday, Duda noted that Zelenskyy's comments at the U.N. General Assembly could have been down to stress. "Let's not forget that Zelenskyy is under enormous pressure," he told Polish newspaper Super Express. "He is sending people to the front, often to their deaths." Referring to defense spending, he said new equipment "must serve to strengthen the Polish army," before more can be sent to Ukraine. "We are not spending billions for us to suddenly give it away," he said. "But that doesn't mean that we won't hand over armaments to Ukraine at all," he said, adding that "when the old equipment is replaced by modern equipment, I don't see a problem with sending that [old equipment] to the Ukrainians." Zelenskyy seemed to attempt to dial down the rhetoric when he posted on Telegram a message thanking Poles for their support in the war, saying "thank you to all of Poland for the invaluable support and solidarity that helps defend the freedom of our entire Europe." Holly Ellyatt "What we have won in this contract most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days," the WGA negotiation committee wrote in a letter to members Sunday night. "It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal." Talks between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers resumed last week after months of starts and stops, ultimately leading to a tentative deal that would end the ongoing writers strike. Striking members of the Writers Guild of America and supporters march toward the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, June 21, 2023. Hollywood scribes initiated a work stoppage in early May as negotiations broke down with studios including Disney , Paramount , Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery . Television and film writers sought protections against the use of artificial intelligence, in addition to increases in compensation for streamed content. The WGA did not disclose what provisions ultimately made it into the preliminary contract, but told union members that "this deal is exceptional with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership." Once the WGA and AMPTP agree on the language within the contract, the negotiating committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it to the Writers Guild of America West Board and the Writers Guild of America East Council for approval. Then, the board and council will vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by membership. WGA leadership noted that the strike is not over and no members of the guild are to return to work until the agreement is officially ratified. Members were encouraged to continue standing in solidarity with striking actors on the picket lines. President Joe Biden, who often touts his pro-union stances, cheered the agreement as he prepares to head to a United Auto Workers' picket line Tuesday in Michigan. "This agreement, including assurances related to artificial intelligence, did not come easily," Biden said in a statement released by the White House on Monday. "But its formation is a testament to the power of collective bargaining. There simply is no substitute for employers and employees coming together to negotiate in good faith toward an agreement that makes a business stronger and secures the pay, benefits, and dignity that workers deserve." Following negotiations with writers, the AMPTP will need to turn its attention to SAG-AFTRA. The acting guild's members have been on strike since mid-July and are seeking contract updates similar to those requested by the writers. Hollywood performers are looking to improve wages, working conditions, and health and pension benefits, as well as establish guardrails for the use of AI in future television and film productions. Additionally, the union is seeking more transparency from streaming services about viewership so that residual payments can be made equitable to linear TV. "SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines," the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists wrote in a statement Sunday. "While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP's tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members." Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. CNBC's Emma Kinery contributed to this article. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with his global counterparts on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly session in New York, exchanging views on reforming multilateralism and cooperation in G20. He held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Armenia on Sunday. Jaishankar said it was a "real pleasure" to meet with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena of Mexico. "Discussed taking forward our Privileged Partnership focusing on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. Also exchanged views on reforming multilateralism and our work together in G20," he said in a post on X. The external affairs minister also met his counterpart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konakovic and discussed growing bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy. Terming his meeting with Konakovic on the sidelines of the UNGA session as "good", Jaishankar said, "Discussed growing our bilateral ties with (a) focus on trade and economy." Jaishankar also met with his counterpart from Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan. "Appreciate his sharing assessment of the current situation in the Caucasus. Affirmed our strong bilateral relationship," he posted on X. Jaishankar is scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the 78th UN General Assembly session, Dennis Francis, on Monday. On Saturday, Jaishankar called on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and discussed the progress of the bilateral development partnership and the situation in Myanmar. The two leaders met on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session in New York. "Pleased to call on Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi. Discussed the progress of our development partnership," Jaishankar posted on X. "Noted as well our expanding defence and cultural cooperation. Exchanged views on Myanmar," he added. Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Egypt, Guinea Bissau, Cyprus and Uganda on Saturday. He began a nine-day visit to the US on Friday, primarily to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and to host a special event on Global South. He would also participate in various plurilateral and bilateral meetings in New York. He is scheduled to address the General Debate from the UN General Assembly hall on Tuesday. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Ayala-led Globe Telecom has obtained a 15-billion loan from Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company to boost its network upgrade and settle existing debt. The telco player announced that it inked the term loan facilities with the bank in a disclosure to the local bourse on Monday. In the filing, Globe said it spent 37.7 billion in capital expenditures during the first six months of 2023, 25% down from a year ago as the group seeks "to bring cash flow back to more sustainable levels." It noted that the bulk or about 90% of the investment was used to bolster its network infrastructure amid Filipino consumers' "escalating demand for data." During the period, more than 500 cell sites were erected, with over 5,000 mobile sites upgraded to LTE. Globe also said it continued to expand its 5G network, with sites now covering 97.44% of the capital and 91% of key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Listed Philippine National Bank (PNB) appointed tycoon Lucio Tan as its chairman emeritus after he served more than two decades as a director of the bank. In a statement over the weekend, the bank said Tan led the group in the completion of the PNB-Allied Bank merger in 2013, which had become crucial to grow its operations. PNB said the lender expanded its global reach under the leadership of Tan. As I assume the role of Chairman Emeritus, I would personally assure our customers, shareholders, investors, and employees that the Tan family will continue to be a major shareholder of PNB. We remain strongly committed to support the Bank and its future, he said. The company also announced that Tans wife Carmen will join the Advisory Board of the bank. Atty. Eusebio V. Tan and Mr. Chester Y. Luy, both with extensive experience in the banking sector, will serve as new members of the board of directors. These appointments are a significant step in aligning PNB's leadership to better serve our customers and stakeholders, it said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start engaging the prosecutorial arm of the government to strengthen its fight against vote buying. On Monday, the poll body inked a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Justice to formalize the creation of the "Kontra-Bigay committee." "Kaya po itong ating gagawin na MOA signing ay napaka-importante po lalong-lalo na sa part ng Commission on Elections. Kung nasa panig po natin ang prosecutorial arm ng ating pamahalaan sa pangunguna ng National Prosecution Service at iba pang ahensya sa Department of Justice, masisigurado natin na hindi lang matatakotna sadyang matutukan at magiging seryoso ang kampanya [laban] sa... makabagong cancer ng ating demokrasya," said Comelec Chairman George Garcia. [Translation: This MOA signing is very important, especially for the Comelec. With the support of the National Prosecution Service and other agencies of the Department of Justice, we can make sure that the complainants will not be afraid. That we can show that we are focused and serious in this campaign against the new cancer in our democracy.] Garcia also said that Comelec's progress in filing almost 2,000 show-cause orders to violators involved in premature campaigning is proof of their commitment to set higher standards in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE). He hoped to strengthen this for the next national and local elections in the years to come. "Subalit mas lalong problema 'yung ganito, lagi po kasi kaming sinisingil ng mga mamamayan, nasaan na 'yung mga inireklamo namin? May napakulong na ba kayo? May na-prosecute na ba kayo? Sadya pong sa kaalaman ng DOJ, nahihirapan ang Comelec hanggang ngayon. 'Yung section two, 61 ng Omnibus Elections code, 'yan pa rin po ang definition ng vote buying base sa ating 1985 election code. Take note, 1985 Omnibus Election code," he said. [Translation: However, our very problem is we are being asked by the citizens, where are the violators that we reported? Were you even able to send them to prison or prosecute them? For the DOJ's knowledge, we are having a hard time now, the definition of vote buying in section two, 61 of the Omnibus Elections code is [outdated]. That code has been the same until now.] According to Garcia, there are new ways to buy votes from the people. "'Yan po ang gusto natin maayos sa pamamagitan ng committee na ito na sadyang 'yung pong guidelines natin sa pamimili ay nilinang nang maayos, plinatsa nang maayos upang kung ano 'yung kasalukuyang nakikita natin at mga sitwasyon, ay ma-handle natin sa pamamagitan ng Committee ni Commissioner Maceda," he added. [Translation: That's what we are solving now with the help of the committee, our guidelines are now refined, and we implement the rules based on the modern ways, so that we can handle the reinforcement effectively with the help of Commissioner Maceda.] For his part, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla expressed his commitment in the program as this fortifies the foundation of democracy. "Our constitution and laws have all made it clear, the act of buying and selling of one's vote, not only rubs the individual of their choice but strikes at the very heart of our democracy. Yet this menace has persisted challenging our institutions and our commitment to fair and free elections," Remulla said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The budget department is set to issue a circular requiring government agencies to abolish vacant permanent positions if these are not filled in the next five years, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) said on Monday. According to Camarines Sur 4th District Rep. Arnie Fuentebella, the CSC is coordinating with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to address the 170,800 vacancies in agencies permanent positions. The DBM has promised us they are going to draft a circular that all agencies to fill their vacant items after a certain period of those which are still vacant could be recommended for abolition in five years, said Fuentebella, who sponsored the commissions budget proposal. During the plenary discussions tackling CSCs funds for 2024, OFW Partylist Rep. Marissa Magsino said 170,800 permanent positions are left unfilled as of 2023. She added that there are 642,000 workers in non-permanent positions 493,000 of which are job orders and 148,100 are contractual. Magsino asked the commission on what is being done to close the gap between the vacancies and the large number of non-permanent government workers. As much as the CSC would want to help agencies to fill up the positions, it is not within the mandate. The CSC has no jurisdiction over job orders and contracts of service but we are coordinating with the DBM, Fuentebella said. Kung hindi po sila nakakapasa sa examination wala po tayo magagawa (If they don't pass the examination, we can't do anything), he added. Fuentebella said the commission will be releasing a resolution which will add 10 points to the overall score of a CSC examinee if they have been under a job order government position for more than 10 years. This will happen by the end of this year, maglalabas po ang ating komisyon ng resolusyon (our commission will issue a resolution) regarding this matter, he said. Last month, CSC reported more than 204,000 vacant plantilla positions as of end-June. Agencies topping the list are the Department of Education with 35,000 positions; the Supreme Court including all courts, 10,000; and the Philippine National Police, 7,700. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee on Monday urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to simplify the requirements for post-harvest programs as the agency has failed to spend almost 15 billion for these initiatives this year. During the House of Representatives plenary debates for the proposed budget of the DA next year, Lee said that as of the second quarter, the agency still has to use around 14.95 billion of its 19.63 billion budget for major post-harvest programs. "Ang masaklap nga po, hirap na nga makahanap ng pondo, sangkatutak ang requirements at napakahirap kumpletuhin [What's awful is that while it's difficult for them to look for funds, it's also hard for them to comply with the long list of requirements]," the lawmaker said. He said there were around "50 requirements" needed to enter the program, including those for registration, accreditation, endorsement, proofs of capacity, evaluation, and validation. He said the funds were earmerked as aid for small farmers and fisherfolk. "Can the DA, through the distinguished sponsor, concretely agree today to liberalize the requirements or simplehan ang mga hinihingi ng DA para pabilisin ang pamamahagi nito ng post-harvest equipment at pagtatayo ng facilties, para sa mga requirement sa pre-harvest programs katulad ng trainings, mga ibinababang binhi, para naman mapakinabagangan ito agad ng ating mga magsasaka at mangigngisda?" Lee asked. [Translation: Can the DA, through the distinguished sponsor, concretely agree today to liberalize the requirements to hasten the distribution of post-harvest equipment and building of facilities, and also the requirements for pre-harvest programs like training and seed distribution, so that farmers and fisherfolk can immediately benefit from these?] For his part, Isabela Rep. Tonypet Albano, sponsor of the proposed 167.45-billion budget of the DA for 2024, said: "I join the congressman Wilbert Lee [from] the Agri Party-list, because there are so many challenges that the Department of Agriculture has, especially when it comes to rolling out projects such as the fuel assistance status and accomplishments." He said one challenge the farmers faced was that they have not attended the mandated Know Your Client verification. He added that while the agency conducts SMS blasts to inform beneficiaries, not all of them are "techie." Lee pointed out that the Commission on Audit also has a lot of "stringent requirements," saying that in due time he would file a bill that will seek to streamline these. In addition, Lee pointed out that 250 million for the "Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita" program and the 100 million budget for the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act remain unreleased. "Wala masyadong nakakaano ng requirements, that's why hindi pa naro-roll out ang ibang program ng Kadiwa [Not many can comply with the requirements, that's why other programs of the Kadiwa are still not rolled out]," Albano said. The Isabela lawmaker said the DA promised to implement a catch-up plan to fully roll out the project by the first quarter of 2024. He also said he would ensure that requirements are streamlined so that farmers' cooperatives and associations can benefit from both the Kadiwa program and the Sagip Saka Act. Lee also asked the DA to look into other pre-harvest and post-harvest programs with underutilized funds. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Fourteen sectoral groups wrote to Congress on Monday to call for the removal of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) from the offices of the country's two highest leaders in the proposed 2024 budget. The Offices of the House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan received on Monday afternoon the letter penned by groups representing various sectors including health, education, labor, and women. "We ask you, our Congressmen, to exercise your power of the purse to remove such huge slush funds from the hands of President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.) and Vice President (Sara) Duterte, who represent the most powerful and corrupt political dynasties in the country," the groups said. "In the first place, they have no need of such huge CIFs," they added. "Giving them unlimited control over billions in taxpayers' money is a betrayal of the public trust." They appealed to Congress not to rush the approval of the 5.768-trillion budget bill for 2024, stressing it must undergo a "judicious deliberation process that ensures transparency, accountability, and the welfare of our people above all." RELATED: Marcos certifies proposed 2024 budget bill as urgent The progressive groups led by former lawmakers Rafael Mariano, Teddy Casino, Raymond Palatino, and Eufemia Cullamat expressed alarm that there was no action to remove or reduce the CIF of agencies with no mandate or function that could justify the huge allocation of such funds. They said such lump sum funds "naturally lead to corruption and abuse" as they are not subject to regular auditing procedures of the Commission on Audit. They suggested realigning the CIF of the Office of the President (OP) and Office of the Vice President (OVP) to "more urgent" needs such as the following: - The construction and repair of hospitals, health facilities, and public schools - The augmentation of salaries and benefits of teachers, health workers, and other government employees - The provision of subsidies to small farmers and fisherfolk - The allocation of housing to poor families. The Marcos administration is proposing 10.14 billion in CIF for next year. The bulk of the funds, or 4.5 billion, will be allocated to Marcos' office, according to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman. The Department of Agriculture, also headed by Marcos, is requesting for 50 million. On the other hand, Duterte is asking Congress for 500 million for confidential funds of the OVP and 150 million for the Department of Education, which she concurrently leads. The vice president has stirred controversy for spending 125 million in confidential funds in 2022 as her office was not provided with such an allocation under the 2022 General Appropriations Act. RELATED: Quimbo: OVP's 125-M confidential funds spent in just 11 days, not 19 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) student council expressed concern that a reduction in the budget of several state universities and colleges (SUCs) will contribute to the learning crisis faced by education stakeholders. PUP student council president Kim Modelo said the budget cuts will impact the quality of education as these tertiary education institutions struggle with lack of resources. Giba po yung north wing ng PUP, so with that iilan lang yung classrooms na nagagamit. May nagagamit na classroom pero kulang kulang yung mga equipment, may mga upuan pero sira-sira. May mga electric fan na hindi gumagana. Yung laboratories, iyong mga estudyante sa College of Computer and Information Sciences ay nagsasalitan, naghihintayan pa para makagamit ng laboratories, Modelo told CNN Philippines on Monday. [Translation: The north wing of PUP is destroyed, so with that, there are only a few classrooms being used. Some classrooms are usable, but equipment is lacking, there are chairs but these are broken. Electric fans are not working. The laboratories, the students from the College of Computer and Information Sciences use it in shifts, they have to wait before they can use the laboratories.] According to Kabataan Partylist, officials from 36 SUCs, including PUP, have appealed to Congress for the restoration of over 6 billion slashed from their budgets for next year. Modelo said the school is still carrying out blended learning because of lack of facilities and equipment. Students are pushing for full face-to-face classes as they find it more conducive to learning. Talagang mas gusto natin ang full face-to-face para din mas mabilis yung flow ng discussion. Talagang mas maintindihan ng estudyante iyong mga pinag-aaralan at makamit ang tunay na kalidad na edukasyon, Modelo said. [Translation: We would really prefer full face-to-face classes as this would mean a faster flow of discussion. Students would really understand the lessons and get quality education.] CNN Philippines is awaiting response to its request for comment from the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Budget and Management. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The National Privacy Commission (NPC) ordered the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to attend a hearing on Tuesday that will tackle the cyberattack on the systems of the state health insurer. In a statement released Monday, the NPC said it wanted PhilHealth to provide comprehensive information regarding the nature and extent of the data breach. The privacy body stressed it expects PhilHealth to provide within the next two days, or until September 27, a complete report containing the details on personal data that may have been compromised, as well as the containment measures it has implemented. The NPC said the September 26 hearing will be followed by an onsite investigation on September 28. These actions have been initiated to evaluate the impact of the alleged data breach and to assess the mitigation efforts undertaken by PhilHealth, with a primary focus on protecting the interests of the affected beneficiaries and contributors, it said. The state health insurer earlier said the cyberattack only affected some personal data of mostly PhilHealth employees, not of PhilHealth members. According to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the hackers have asked for roughly 17 million to allow the government to decrypt the data that they seized. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Hackers have asked for $300,000 or roughly 17 million from the government after the database of state insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation was hacked through the Medusa ransomware, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said the ransom is in exchange for three things, namely: - to hand over the decryption keys so the data can be accessed again; - to delete the data that they obtained and not publish these to the public; and - to give DICT the copy of the data which is in their possession DICT said it is working with PhilHealth and its outsourced cybersecurity vendors to complete the "clean up" of the system, adding the most urgent task is to reactivate PhilHealth's online services, as the health insurer was forced to undergo over-the-counter processing since Sunday. Dy said authorities have gathered evidence against the cyberattackers. "Hopefully, together with our law enforcement agencies, we can apprehend the culprits. We also need to coordinate with our international counterparts since these criminals are operating internationally," he said. In an interview, Dy warned that there is no guarantee that hackers will fulfill the conditions once the ransom is handed out. Medusa ransomware is now an active threat not only to the Philippines but also worldwide, Dy said. On the other hand, Dy said the situation with PhilHealth is now under control as DICT was able to identify which computers have been infected by the Medusa ransomware, some of the servers that attacked PhilHealths cybersecurity, and how PhilHealths data were compromised. I would like to assure the public that basically you would have notice na down yung mga online services sa PhilHealth It is not because these services that are front facing or facing the public have been infected, Dy told CNN Philippines. [Translation: I would like to assure the public that basically you would have noticed that the online services of PhilHealth are down It is not because these services that are front facing or facing the public have been infected.] What we did is we advised Philhealth to turn off their critical services and to isolate the critical services so that the ransomware infection, if I may say, will not spread to the critical computers, he added. Online services of PhilHealth will be available in the next few days, Dy assured The Medusa ransomware has been with PhilHealth since June, Dy said. He explained that the Medusa ransomware hides and then spreads itself in the PhilHealths system in order for its source to be undetected. Unfortunately, some of these notes and worksheets [that were leaked] have some personal data mostly of PhilHealth employees, not of PhilHealth members, Dy said. As of this moment, as per our investigation or checking, the PhilHealth [members] databases are safe and secure, he added. Dy also appealed for an increase in the budget of the Cybersecurity Bureau of DICT as there is a trend of cyber attacks in the country. Dy admitted that there is a concern about the countrys cybersecurity posture as 3,000 cyberattack cases were reported to the DICT from January to August 2023. He said only 400 million were allotted for DICTs Cybersecurity Bureau. DICT on Sunday issued guidelines to government offices on how to protect themselves from the Medusa ransomware. CNN Philippines' Lara Tan and Paige Javier contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) In just 11 days, the Office of the Vice President spent 125 million in confidential funds transferred to it by the Office of the President, as opposed to the earlier reported 19 days a staunch defender of the Sara Duterte-led offices budget revealed on Monday. Madam Speaker, ang totoo po ay nagulat din po ako noong mabasa ko ang mga balita na tila nagastos po sa loob ng 19 days at tinanong ko po ang COA [Commission on Audit] at tiningnan ko po ang mga ibat ibang mga reports, pero hindi po ito nagastos sa loob ng 19 days kung hindi 11 days po, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the senior vice chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee, bared to the House plenary as COA's sponsor during the 2024 budget debates. [Translation: Madam Speaker, the truth is I was shocked when I read reports that it (confidential funds) was spent within 19 days so I asked the COA and I reviewed different reports. It wasnt spent in 19 days, but just 11 days.] ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro last month told CNN Philippines The Source that the OVP spent all 125 million of its confidential funds, which the Office of the Executive Secretary earlier indicated would be used for newly created satellite offices in only 19 days. READ: Castro: OVP spent 125 million confidential funds in 19 days Citing the COA, Quimbo disclosed to the Plenary that the OVP submitted its liquidation report on Jan. 17, 2023, and was issued an audit observation memorandum (AOM) on Sept. 18, 2023. She added that the AOM, which is confidential in nature, had requested additional documents from the OVP. Further, she said that COA would submit a full report on the OVPs 2022 budget on Nov. 15, as the audit was still ongoing. OVP spokesperson Atty. Reynold Munsayac said on Monday that the office had not yet received the AOM from COA. Quimbo earlier defended the OVPs budget and the OPs criticized fund transfer to the former of 221.42 million, including 125 million in confidential funds. Lawmakers have described the move as illegal and unconstitutional. READ: Quimbo: Nothing improper about OPs transfer of secret funds to OVP Quimbo who has drawn flak for backing the OVPs allocations called for the creation of a House Special Oversight Committee for confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) to promote transparency in the budget. It would be composed of the House Speaker, three Majority lawmakers, and one from the Minority. Currently, only the President of the Philippines, the Senate President, and the House Speaker have access to information about government agencies CIFs. The Department of Budget and Management earlier this month claimed that the OPs fund transfer to the OVP did not bypass Congressional power. Meanwhile, the OVPs budget has yet to undergo debates in the Senate. Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she would scrutinize the agency's allocations. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Residents of Barangay Lower Bicutan in Taguig City vacated their homes while 10 people were rushed to a hospital after an ammonia leak was reported on Monday. According to the Taguig City Rescue and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), an ice plant along M.L. Quezon St. had an ammonia leak, which led a nearby school to suspend classes. According sa isang trabahador, nung nag dre-drain siya sa oil pack, bigla na lang natanggal yung tubo na pinanggagalingan nung ammonia. Doon na nag start yung leakage, Edson Regalado, BFP Taguig Cty Senior Fire Officer told CNN Philippines Balitaan. According po sa report, since malakas yung pressure niya, kumalas na yung mismong tubo doon sa pinanggagalingan nung ammonia, he added. [Translation: According to one of the workers, while he was draining the oil pack, the pipe where the ammonia came from suddenly came loose. Thats where the leakage started. According to the report, since the pressure was strong, the pipe came loose from where the ammonia was.] The investigation of authorities is ongoing, however Regalado said the pipe coming loose may be because the safety seal or lock of the pipe was not secured. As of 9 a.m., the BFP declared that the ammonia leak has been successfully contained. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26) While the country expects around four to seven tropical cyclones before the end of the year, the ongoing El Nino is seen to bring drought to more provinces until March 2024, according to the state weather bureau. The latest assessment of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) showed 45 provinces could be hit by drought towards March next year more widespread than the initial tally of 40 in its August forecast. "May inaasahan pa din tayong four to seven tropical cyclones by end-December. But still there will be areas potential for dry spell at maapektuhan nitong nakikita nating tumitindi nang El Nino [and will be affected by what we see as an intensifying El Nino]," PAGASA assistant weather services chief Ana Solis said. According to PAGASA, Central and Western Visayas and Mindanao will be worst hit by the weather phenomenon. Meanwhile, El Nino has already been affecting Luzon. Solis warned that 2024 could be "one of the warmest year on record" for Filipinos. "As early as now nakikita na natin na next year yung warm and dry season ay February, March, April, May. Itong tag-init natin medyo kokonti ang ulan, yun ang kelangang paghandaan," Solis said. [Translation: As early as now we can see that next year the warm and dry season will be February, March, April, May. This summer we have a little bit of rain, that's what we need to prepare for.] Meanwhile, farmer groups proposed that the government distribute more palay seeds of the upland variety such as red rice, brown rice and black, which are more drought-resilient than the inbred seeds currently given to farmers. With reports from CNN Philippines' correspondent Lois Calderon. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) expressed optimism the implementation of Executive Order No. 32, which aims to fast track the process for telecommunications infrastructure, will entice new players and result in faster internet speed. Under EO 32, "no other national or local permit shall be required for the construction, operation and maintenance of telco and internet infrastructure except for building permits, height clearance permits, homeowners and community clearances and others if applicable." "Ang pinaka immediate benefit nito ay mapapabilis ang pagconstruct and pag-operate ng mga towers. Dahil mapapabilis ang permitting and licensing at pagconstruct and pag-operate ng towers, mapapabilis ang internet connection," ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez said on Monday. "Ngayon po nakikita natin may mga lumalapit sa atin na bagong tower companies. Nandito na yung interest. Kasi dahil po dito nailatag natin yung assurance sa kanila na dito sa Pilipinas ay may ease of doing business," he added. [Translation: The most immediate benefit is that it will make the construction and operations of towers a lot faster. Because permitting and licensing will become faster as well, internet connection will be fast, too. Now, we are seeing new tower companies approaching us. There is interest. Because of this, we can give the assurance that in the Philippines, there is ease of doing business.] Perez made the remarks at the ceremonial signing of the implementing rules and regulations for EO 32 with the technical working group. Representatives from partner agencies like the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the National Telecommunications Commission joined the signing. Among the salient points of the implementing rules is the concept of a one-stop shop for construction-related applications, automatic approval, and zero backlogs policy. One crucial provision in the IRR addresses the most common issue telcos face: the pushback of homeowners' associations on the building of towers in a subdivision. "Now that it is clear there is no health issue, they can no longer object to the setting up of operation of the tower. Because the health issue is not an issue at all," Perez said. "We have studies, certification from the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration that it is safe to construct and operate a tower," he explained. The DICT, meanwhile, highlighted the need for strong and reliable internet connectivity in pushing for interoperability and efficiency among government agencies. "With EO 32 and its IRR in place, government has cleared one of the roadblocks that impede the growth of the Philippine digital sector," DICT Assistant Secretary Renato Paraiso added. Presidential Adviser for Investments and Economic Affairs Frederick Go and Private Sector Advisory Council Digital Infrastructure Sector Lead Henry Aguda also expressed their support. The ARTA chief lauded the four major telco firms and the tower companies for joining forces to craft and launch the IRR ahead of the 60 working day deadline. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the measure on July 4 and it took effect the following day. The implementing rules for EO 32 are expected to take effect by the end of September or early October, once it gets the approval of all the technical working group members. Hokkaido Hotate (Scallops) are a culinary delight celebrated for their exceptional quality and rich flavor. Harvested from the pristine waters surrounding Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, these plump and succulent mollusks are highly sought after in the world of seafood. Hokkaido's cold and nutrient-rich environment contributes to the scallops' remarkable sweetness and tender texture, making them a delicacy in Japanese and international cuisine. First stop, Noan in Shibuya! This barbecue joint is known (and loved) for its generously sized platters, outdoor seating, and tebura dining sets. Shizuka cools down with a refreshing lemonade before hitting the grill and tucking into a feast. On the menu? Hokkaido Hotate grilled in butter and soy sauce, grilled vegetables, and pulled pork tortillas. Next stop, Two Rooms Grill Bar in Aoyama. Located on the 5th floor of the AO Building, this restaurant prides itself on high-end dining, premium ingredients, and quality service. Shizuka takes a seat and picks her poison (Chardonnay), then decides on the Teppan Grilled Hokkaido Scallops for lunch. As the dish is being prepared, were introduced to Matthew Crabbe, chef extraordinaire and founder of Two Rooms Grill Bar. Before she knows it, the dish is served, and Shizuka finds herself marveling at the beautiful presentation before tucking in. Final stop, Sake Bar Le Pere in Nakameguro. This cool and cozy spot has a lengthy menu, but what will Shizuka choose? Hokkaido Scallops, deep fried and sashimi (raw), please! Whether served raw as sashimi, lightly seared, or prepared in various other gourmet dishes, Hokkaido Hotate embodies the essence of the sea, delighting taste buds with its briny, buttery notes and earning its place as a true treasure of the ocean. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26) The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Monday issued a show cause order (SCO) against the registered owner of the vehicle involved in a road rage incident in Imus, Cavite. LTO said the order was in compliance with the instruction of LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II to immediately conduct an investigation into the misbehavior of the male driver before and during the incident. In the viral video, a Honda CRV was seen swerving on a public road in an apparent bid to prevent the vehicle behind from passing. The driver later stopped his vehicle and confronted the driver of the vehicle behind him. He was also heard cursing at the occupants of the other vehicle in the video. According to LTO's investigation, the driver of the Honda CRV seen in the video is not the owner of the vehicle, which was registered to a woman from Rizal. The SCO requires the registered owner of the vehicle in question to explain in a notarized affidavit why they should not be penalized in connection with the incident. "You are directed to submit your response under oath within five days from the receipt hereof why no disciplinary action should be taken against you," the order read. Part of the investigation, according to Mendoza, is to identify the driver during the incident and to know if he has a valid driver's license. "Gusto nating malaman kung ang sasakyan ba ay nabenta na o pinahiram. Sa pamamagitan nito, malalaman natin ang identity ng taong ito," he said. [Translation: We want to know if the car has been sold or loaned. Through this, we will be able to identify this person.] The LTO cited a reckless driving violation under Section 48, Article 5 of the Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Socorro Mayor Riza Rafonselle Timcang wants more personnel from Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be deployed in her town pending an investigation on the alleged "cult activities" of Socorro Bayanihan Services, Inc (SBSI) in the mountains of Surigao Del Norte. This was after hundreds of SBSI members staged a protest on Sunday where they denied allegations of sexual abuse and other human rights violations against their leader Jay Rence Quilario, also known as "Senior Agila." Timcang said there is a "real threat and imminent danger of violence" from "agitated members" of the SBSI. "In this regard, I call on the PNP and the AFP to deploy additional augmentation forces to this island municipality more so that the September 28, 2023 hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality is fast approaching," she said. During a previous interview with CNN Philippines' The Source, SBSI Vice President Mamerto Galanida also refuted claims that they are sexually abusing children but admitted that they practice early marriages. The group called on authorities to conduct a "fair" investigation in their base, a plea which Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who earlier exposed the alleged abuses, and the Department of Justice earlier rejected. READ: DOJ, Hontiveros reject Socorro leaders' plea to hold probes in base The rape, sexual violence, child abuse, forced marriage, and other abusive actions allegedly committed by Senior Agila were previously exposed by Hontiveros in her privilege speech on Sept. 18. Hontiveros said over a thousand children were victimized by the religious leader who was declared as the reincarnation of the Santo Nino. READ: 'Dire and despicable': Hontiveros says over 1,000 children victims of sexual abuse by Surigao del Norte 'cult' The DOJ on Tuesday said 13 members of the alleged religious cult are now facing complaints for reported abuse of children. (CNN) A huge banyan tree charred by the wildfires in Maui is sprouting new green leaves, giving hope all was not completely lost in the flames. The 150-year-old cultural landmark dominates the courthouse square on Lahainas famous Front Street. The tree was planted in 1873, and is the largest one of its kind in the US, raising more than 60 feet. The historic tree, part of the fig family, gives the illusion of being multiple trees due to its ability to develop accessory trunks from its roots, allowing it to spread out. It currently has about 46 major trunks. A sign of new beginnings It is commonly referred to as a gathering place for Lahaina residents, serving as a hub for tourists, festivals, and even wedding proposals. Landscaping business owner Chris Imonti said the banyan Tree has been an iconic figure in Lahaina for more than a century, and seeing the leaves grow means a lot to the community. People see it as a sign of hope, Imonti said. A sign of new beginnings. Imonti has been working with Hawaiis state arborist, Steve Nimz, along with a team of volunteers to help preserve the Banyan tree. I would say about 75% of the tree right now is showing new growth, and were really happy about that, Imonti said. The northeast corner of the tree got most of the heat so were still monitoring that part of the tree pretty closely, he noted. During the fire, the soil became extremely hot, which altered the grounds ability to absorb water, according to the landscaper. Volunteers and local contractors have been pouring more than 5,000 gallons of water on the tree daily, in an attempt to rehydrate the roots. And compost tea, an organic liquid compost nutrient, is helping water penetrate the scorched dirt. We put that on the soil to stimulate root growth as well as create a very stable soil structure, Imonti said. The tree is like your only compass in town The wildfires destroyed most of Lahaina, leaving a community of more than 13,000 people with little or nothing to salvage. The flames burned down homes, businesses, and displaced more than half of Lahainas residents. Now, when you look around, you dont have any landmarks, Imonti told CNN. The tree is like your only compass in town. The banyan tree isnt the only tree local volunteers are working to save. Were also taking care of a lot of other historical trees in Lahaina, Imonti added. One of them is the Kumu ulu tree, which is connected to the legend of Ku, the Hawaiian god of farming and fishing, who transformed into a Kumu ulu tree to feed his family during a famine. The tree produces the breadfruit, ulu, a popular island nutrient. But most of them have been charred pretty badly, Imonti noted. I mean, everything is gone, he continued. Were running around watering a few trees in town and thats all thats left. Meanwhile, residents are returning to the scorched grounds where their homes once stood. Everybody really has to rebuild their lives, Imonti said, which comes with a whole other wave of sadness for families. And while preserving the trees is important to the islands culture and peace of mind, Imonti acknowledged it is not a top priority for many locals at the moment. I think the tree is the last thing on a lot of peoples minds right now, the landscaper admitted. But he hopes the tree can be a good vehicle for change, and continue to be a sign of hope for the long road of recovery that lies ahead of Lahaina. The town has to be redesigned and its gonna take years, Imonti told CNN. Give us time to heal and hopefully this tree will come back to life and we can start moving forward in a positive way. This story was first published on CNN.com, Mauis 150-year-old banyan tree is growing leaves after being charred by the wildfires. Its just the beginning of a long recovery" Djibouti (CNN) The US has not seen a withdrawal of Wagner forces from Africa in any substantial or meaningful numbers, a senior US defense official said, as the Kremlin continues to weigh what to do with the Russian mercenary group following its leaders death last month. The number of Wagner forces throughout Africa, concentrated mostly in Central African Republic, Mali, and Libya, remains pretty stable, the official told a small group of reporters traveling with the Secretary of Defense to Africa. There are also signs Wagner forces have been trying to exploit the July coup attempt in Niger to make inroads there, the official said, without elaborating. Ultimately, though, Wagner seems to go where the money is, the official said. Often, they are focusing on places where there are natural resources, where their leadership are willing to pay the security price literally, the money to have their presence. Some countries who have made these kinds of deals with Wagner have told the US they regret it, the official said. The US, meanwhile, has not yet seen a decisive shift in Wagners relationship with the Kremlin, or signs that Moscow has absorbed the groups operations across the continent, the official said. That likely reflects the fact that the Kremlin is still deciding what to do with the mercenary forces now that the groups longtime leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is dead, the official added. There have been signs of official Russian military delegations going out to many countries, testing the waters about whether the official Russian military would have an opportunity to operate, the official said. But it doesnt seem like there has been a decisive shift, and I think this reflects that back in Moscow there is still uncertainty about exactly what to do with Wagner whether to continue to use it as an unofficial arm of the Russian government, whether to undermine it, somehow subsume it, or now that theres been a change in ownership, whether to turn it over to someone elses private control. It remains an open question what the future of the Wagner military group will be, following the death of its leader Prigozhin. The warlord was on board a jet that crashed near Moscow in August, exactly two months after he launched a short-lived rebellion in Russia. Most security experts doubt Wagner can survive without Prigozhin, posing major questions about what will happen to the groups fighters, weapons and operations. This story was first published on CNN.com. "Wagner forces have not withdrawn from Africa in meaningful numbers, defense official says" Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Work team sent to guide rescue efforts following Guizhou coal mine fire Xinhua) 14:51, September 25, 2023 BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A work team has been dispatched to southwest China's Guizhou Province to guide rescue efforts after a coal mine fire on Sunday morning, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management. Sixteen people have been confirmed dead in the fire that occurred around 8:10 a.m. at the Shanjiaoshu Coal Mine in the city of Panzhou. The ministry has called for all-out efforts to guide and assist local authorities in search and rescue work and prevent secondary disasters. It emphasized the need for further efforts to thoroughly investigate and rectify potential safety risks, ensuring resolute measures to prevent major accidents. An investigation into the incident and rescue operations are currently underway. The Work Safety Commission under China's State Council has issued orders to ascertain the cause of the accident and ensure those responsible are held accountable in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) TOKYO, Sep 25 ( News On Japan ) - An 18-year-old male high school student was arrested Monday after a random knife attack in a supermarket in Nagaoka City, Niigata, injuring 3 customers. The incident occurred in the fish section of Apita Nagaoka store, approximately 3 kilometers from JR Nagaoka Station. An 18-year-old male high school student, who resides in Nagaoka City, was arrested on the spot on suspicion of attempted murder. A 110 emergency call was made to the police by a store employee just before 11:30 AM, reporting that a customer had been attacked by an unknown man with a knife. According to the police, a woman in her 40s received a knife wound to the throat. A woman in her 60s was also stabbed, and a male employee in his 40s injured his back while restraining the high school student. All three individuals are conscious and not in life-threatening condition. The male high school student had no prior acquaintance with the victims and has admitted to the allegations, saying, "I have no excuse." The police are treating this as a random act of violence and are investigating the specific motives and circumstances. According to its website, Riverside Chiaki is a shopping mall with approximately 120 specialty stores and a movie theater. The UKs Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has declared that Microsoft has addressed the concerns it had about the software giant's $68.7 billion acquisition of gaming studio Activision Blizzard, clearing the way for the deal to go ahead. In April, the CMA blocked Microsoft from making the acquisition over concerns the deal could alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come. Although Microsoft had submitted a proposal to address some of its concerns before the CMA reached its decision in April, that proposal ultimately contained a number of significant shortcomings. These included a failure to sufficiently open up to providers who might wish to offer versions of games on PC operating systems other than Windows, and not taking into consideration different cloud gaming service business models. Microsoft appealed the decision, taking the case to a Competition Appeal Tribunal. However, after the US Federal Trade Commissin lost its legal challenge against the acquisition, the trial was paused to allow both parties in the UK to try and resolve the issue. In August, Microsoft submitted a restructured transaction for the CMA to review. In contrast to the original deal, Microsoft will no longer control cloud gaming rights for Activisions content, removing its ability to limit access to Activisions key content or withhold those games from rivals. Furthermore, Microsoft will not purchase the cloud gaming rights held by Activision, which will instead be sold to an independent third party, Ubisoft, before the deal is completed. Unlike the remedies the CMA previously rejected, Ubisoft will be free to offer Activisions games both directly to consumers and to all cloud gaming service providers however it chooses, including for buy-to-play or multigame subscription services, or any new model for providing content that might emerge as the market develops, the CMA said in a statement on Friday. The deal with Ubisoft also requires Microsoft to port Activision games to operating systems other than Windows and support game emulators when requested, addressing the other main concern that had been previously been raised by the regulator. The CMAs position has been consistent throughout this merger could only go ahead if competition, innovation, and choice in cloud gaming was preserved. In response to our original prohibition, said Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA, in comments posted alongside the announcement. Microsoft has now substantially restructured the deal, taking the necessary steps to address our original concerns," she said, adding that it would have been far better however if Microsoft had put forward this restructure during the CMAs original investigation. The CMA has invited interested parties to comment on the new agreement before October 6 Tim Burton recently had a lot to say about the new Batman movie, what with people back in the 90s yelling that his take on the masked vigilante was too dark. Then again, what really is darker: A noir-Nirvana Batman with some classic Pattinson emo-tones, or Danny DeVito salivating what looks like crude oil from his charcoal-colored mouth and looking like hes definitely eaten several cats and probably a kid somewhere in his life? Burton might feel slighted by the initial reactions to his risky rendition of ol Batsy, but theres no denying that his movies have become the stuff of legends no doubt with some help from an incredible cast. Seriously, if a cast like this was to be announced today for some upcoming superhero movie, the internet would probably implode. Also, dont anyone ever forget we have Burton to thank for casting Christopher Walken in a comic book movie. On that note, lets take a look at some of the behind-the-scenes tales that contributed to a Batman movie so edgy that McDonalds pretty much got Burton fired because they couldnt come up with a child-friendly toy tie-in, and the Batman movie that gave an entire generation nightmares thanks to DeVito on that yellow ducky boat. 15 Batman Was Almost An Angry Ranting Maniac Warner Bros Pictures Boy, talk about too dark. Screenwriter Daniel Waters said that if it wasnt for the legendary Michael Keaton, Batman/Bruce Wayne wouldve had a lot more Reply Guy energy. Said Waters about Keaton: Hes the only actor I know who would go through my script and go, 'I should say less here. I should say less here.' I had so many angry Batman rant speeches and he was like, 'Eh, Batman would never say that Batman should just say this line right here.' And, you know, usually he was right. 14 Christopher Walkens Character Was Originally Penguins Brother Warner Bros Pictures Not only did Burtons Batman sequel boldly feature a total of three villains, but Christopher Walkens Max Shreck was a completely original Gotham villain. The character was originally written as Penguin/Oswald Cobblepots brother the child kept by Penguins parents and the brother that wouldve caused a classic movie sibling rivalry. 13 Tim Burton Didnt Want To Do A Sequel Warner Bros Pictures Said Sam Hamm, screenwriter of Burtons Batman (1989): Tim was very adverse at the end of the day to the idea of coming in doing a sequel. He thought, I said what I have to say about Batman. I dont really know if I want to do this. And he was very reluctant to get involved. And finally, the way that got to him was to say What if the second movie is really just a Tim Burton movie? And that got his attention and got him thinking about what he could do with it again. How extreme could you go with Penguin? How extreme could you do with Catwoman? What if you didnt have to worry about the fidelity to the mythology? Everything makes so much sense now. 12 Sean Young Really Wanted To Play Catwoman Warner Bros. Pictures The Blade Runner actress was so set on playing Selina Kyle that she dressed up in her own idea of Catwomans attire, barged into the filmmakers office, and announced herself as the next feline villain. Said Warner Bros. executive Mark Canton: My office door flew open, which says a lot about how different security is these days, and Michael Keaton and I saw Sean Young dressed as Catwoman leap over my sofa and say, 'I am Catwoman!' We looked at each other and went, 'Whoa.' During the Shadows of the Bat documentary, Young herself said that she thought an aggressive approach was the only way because Thats what Catwoman would have done. Advertisement Advertisement 11 The Real Penguins Had Their Own Dressing Room (And Dictated The Set) Warner Bros Pictures Danny DeVito explained: Im the kind of guy that loves being on set, but it was cold as sh*t because we had real penguins and they had to keep the water really cold. They had these massive air conditioners. I was the only one really comfortable, because I had pounds and pounds of face prosthetics and the body padding, not to mention the heavy coat. The penguins had their own area in the Warner Bros. lot, all kit out with a swimming pool and a refrigerated dressing room. 10 That Was A Live Bird In Michelle Pfeiffers Mouth Warner Bros Pictures And the bird wasnt even sedated or anything. Tim Burton said hed never been so impressed by an actor. She had a live bird in her mouth while the camera was rolling. It was four or five seconds, and then she let it fly out. It was before CG, it was before digital. It was so quick, it seems like it was an effect. Pfeiffer said she didnt think at the time she just did it. I look back and say, What was I thinking? I couldve gotten a disease or something from having a live bird in my mouth. Advertisement Advertisement 9 The Original Sequel Wouldve Had Penguin And Catwoman Go On A Treasure Hunt Warner Bros Pictures Yes, give us the one where Selina and Oswald murder rich Gotham men (and frame Batman for it) while secretly collecting Raven statues and ultimately breaking into Wayne Manor in search of buried treasure hidden in the Batcave (that even Bruce doesnt know about). Batman II, originally drafted by Hamm (who wrote Burtons first Batman movie), would also have featured kid orphan Robin with some killer martial arts skills. 8 Danny DeVito Was Responsible For Penguins Black Mouth Warner Bros Pictures Penguins black saliva really irritated McDonalds and their attempt at creating toy tie-ins for the movie. And that was all on DeVito: The black saliva was a concoction that I came up with after working with the makeup and the special effects people. Basically, its kind of like mild mouthwash with food coloring in it. We had it in a jar with a nozzle on it. Before every scene, Id squirt it into my mouth. Luckily the taste wasnt that bad. Advertisement Advertisement 7 Cobblepots Most Famous Clown Warner Bros Pictures Doug Jones played the Thin Clown, the menacing gang member of Penguin's posse. Jones would go on to play many iconic characters, including the Faun and The Pale Man in Pans Labyrinth. Warner Bros Pictures 6 The Movie Totally Hogged The Warner Bros. Burbank Lot Warner Bros Pictures More than half of the entire Studio Lot (a 62-acre compound) was turned into Gotham City and used to film the movie in which Michelle Pfeiffer was more cat than anyone in CATS. Advertisement Advertisement 5 Marlon Wayans Almost Played Robin (And Still Got Paid For It) Warner Bros. Television On The Tonight Show, Wayans said he was cast as Robin for the sequel and got paid, even after they decided to scrap his part because there were too many characters in the movie. It seems the idea was to bring him in as Dick Grayson when Burton did his third Batman movie, Batman Forever, which we know ended up going to Joel Schumacher, who cast Chris ODonnell as Batmans sidekick. 4 Michelle Pfeiffer Initially Lost Her Part To Annette Bening Warner Bros Pictures Pfeiffer said she was obsessed with Catwoman when she was little and felt devastated when Bening was cast over her. But then Bening became pregnant and the plans ultimately changed. Which is great, because we got to see Pfeiffer do this glorious scene: Advertisement Advertisement 3 Danny Elfman Wrote The Iconic Theme On A Plane The Kuhnster/ Wikimedia Commons Sure, Elfman wrote the theme for Burtons first Batman film, but its still part of what makes Return so dark and epic. That theme song came to Elfman on a plane, which is not the best place to start singing and writing down an epic, big saga tune. On the way home, the thing f**king hits me, said Elfman. And it was like, what do I do? Im on a 747. How do I do this? I am going to forget this all. Im going to land and theyre going to play some f**king Beatles song, and Im going to forget everything. So he went to the restroom every ten minutes to hum a bit and write down what he could. 2 Animal Rights Groups Protested The Production Of Batman Returns Warner Bros Pictures When word got out that some of the penguins would have rockets strapped onto their backs, PETA and the like said Nope and petitioned that there should be no moving and filming of penguins outside of Antarctica. The production, however, worked with the penguins curator to make sure the animals were comfortable at all times. Advertisement Advertisement If you absolutely have to do a crime, robbing an incredibly rich person is one that generally gets minimal blowback. Insurance probably covers it, it takes a chunk out of their spoiled kids inheritance at worst and you get to give some millionaire a bad day, which is almost always worth it. Nobody but the worlds biggest bootlicker is going to feel much empathy there. If you follow that up by distributing the spoils to people in serious need of them? Thats when you can cross the line from victimless crime to folk heroism. Theres a reason Robin Hood is a beloved figure, one that even contrarian online engagement farmers cant bring themselves to say well, he is a criminal about. So who are a few people from history who rode hands-on wealth redistribution to public adoration? Heres five of them 5 Salvatore Giuliano Antonio-albanesi Not providing adequate food to the poor is a quick way to kick off a revolution. Without a good meal to make them sleepy and passive, youre instead going to have hunger kicking thoughts of resentment into overdrive. So when, in the early 1940s, Sicilys government wasnt able to handle food distribution, they werent swimming in good will. Forget fake Rolexes, the black market there at the time was flooded with a basic resource: food. Salvatore Giuliano, after being almost killed in a police altercation while smuggling wheat, decided he was done with the ruling class, well, rules. Over the next few years, he would become famous for robbing the rich and redistributing the money to the poor. He was beloved even by the hostages he took, who he was known for treating kindly (still not ideal, but it could be a lot worse when youre human leverage). Giulianos exploits werent exactly bloodless, and he killed plenty of police during these criminal pursuits, but given that were talking about police that were at the time an arm of a Nazi government, sympathy doesnt exactly flow like water. He was eventually murdered by his right-hand-man-turned-police-informant, who I cant imagine got a lot of free drinks in that neighborhood anymore. Advertisement 4 Juraj Janosik Jerzy Opiola The actual criminal career of Slovak bandit-turned-icon Juraj Janosik was very short. One of the downsides to taking on an extremely powerful empire is that theyre going to have ample resources they can dedicate to taking out the man spitting in their face. It also guarantees that if you are caught, youre not going out in any sort of humane or dignified way. This proved true for Janosik, who only managed less than two years of good-intentioned robbery before being tortured and executed by a hook through the side far from comfortable. Janosiks enemy was the Habsburg dynasty, pretty much as deserving a target as you can draw up. Slovakia was filled with a population indebted by serfdom to Hungary, ruled by a family famous for their blind nepotism even in a time when monarchy was the rule. They were beyond eager to back somebody willing to cause the ruling class some pain. Given how badly they needed a win, Janosik was destined for martyrdom long before his death, a destiny that came true, with him still considered one of the national heroes of Slovakia. Advertisement 3 Bulla Felix Public Domain Advertisement Again, were looking, unsurprisingly, at a society with a huge socioeconomic divide. After all, if you want to build a Robin Hood-like legend, you need a clear baddie and a suitably starving populace to toss those coins to. This time, were in Rome, all the way back when Jesus Christ was a recent real guy instead of the worlds most popular statue. The man in question was Bulla Felix, which translates to Lucky Charm. A story so silver-screen ready it almost seems impossible that hes never gotten a prestige HBO mini-series. Maybe one reason is that whether he existed is up for debate. Its not a hard no, like Zeus or Godzilla, but historians have their doubts that he existed, or at the very least, wasnt a composite of a couple inspiring fellows. Advertisement If were to believe the popular story, Bulla Felix and a band of accomplices decided to rob a caravan of wealthy merchants and, emerging victorious, distributed their ill-gotten gains to the needy. They formed a group in order to run back this bit of guerrilla trickle-down economics, calling themselves the Green Brigands. If all this is sounding just a little too close to Robin Hood, its for good reason: Historians also think Bulla Felix might have had some influence on modern Robin Hood retellings. Decreased risk: Since EDR tools continuously monitor systems and endpoints, companies are able to quickly detect and respond to threats in real time and reduce the risk of attacks. Fewer false positives: EDR tools investigate suspicious activity before they alert security analysts. If the software determines a suspicious event is not malicious, the alert is closed, reducing the number of false-positive alerts security teams must analyze. Rapid incident response: Typically, security analysts spend four to five hours investigating attacks. EDR tools, however, automate several processes that analysts would usually perform manually, significantly accelerating response times. Pitfalls to avoid One of the biggest pitfalls is thinking that EDR is a "set it and forget it" type of solution, says Michael Suby, research vice president, security, and trust at IDC. "You cant assume you just drop the software in and it does everything for you, because it doesnt," he says. "You have to have sufficient in-house talent that have to learn and operate the software effectively." Mellen agrees with this assessment. "This technology requires having someone in the platform every single day," she says. "Its very important to note that this is not something that youre just going to set up and then leave to its own devices. You need people addressing these alerts." EDR software can also be more expensive than traditional antivirus software in terms of the initial investment and the costs of ongoing maintenance, making purchasing, implementing, and maintaining these tools too costly for small and midsize businesses. Another pitfall is not having sophisticated operators to use the software, according to Firstbrook. "EDR software requires relatively sophisticated operators to use it because it will detect things that are suspicious but not necessarily malicious," he says. "And the operator has to trace the path of the event and determine whether its malicious or not based on the behavior. So, it will require more sophisticated operators or it may require you to outsource that operation to somebody else, which increases the cost." Additionally, some EDR tools may have limited scalability, making it hard for companies to improve their security postures as they grow. And during peak-usage times limited scalability can cause delays or downtime, affecting organizations abilities to quickly detect and respond to security incidents. There are a number of endpoint detection and response tools on the market, so to help you begin your research, we've highlighted the following products based on discussions with analysts and independent research. Cisco Secure Endpoint: Integrates prevention, detection, threat hunting, and response capabilities. Protects Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android devices through public or private cloud deployments. Includes definition-based antivirus engines that are constantly updated for Windows, Mac, and Linux endpoints. Stops malware in real-time. Protects endpoints against current and emerging cyberthreats. Monitors endpoints continuously to enable companies to detect new and unknown threats. In addition, provides companies with detailed endpoint visibility and response tools so they can quickly and efficiently deal with security breaches. Automatically hunts threats to help companies easily identify the 1% of threats that may have flown under the radar. CrowdStrike Falcon Insight: Enables companies to automatically detect and prioritize advanced threats on Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android. Offers real-time response capabilities to provide direct access to endpoints being investigated. Uses AI-powered indicators of attack to automatically identify attacker activity. Prioritizes alerts, which eliminates manual searches and time-consuming research. Integrated threat intelligence provides the total context of an attack, including attribution. CrowdStrikes metric enables organizations to understand their threat levels in real time so security teams can more quickly determine if they are under attack. This also allows security leaders to assess how severe the threats are so they can coordinate the appropriate responses. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Helps protect against file-less malware, ransomware, and other sophisticated attacks on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Enables security teams to hunt for threats over six months of historical data across the business. Provides threat analytics reports so companies can quickly get a handle on new global threats, figure out if they are affected by these threats, evaluate their exposure, and determine the appropriate mitigation actions to take to boost their resistance to these threats. Monitors for Microsoft as well as third-party security configuration issues and software vulnerabilities then takes action automatically to mitigate risk and reduce exposure. SentinelOne Singularity: A comprehensive endpoint, cloud, and identity security solution powered by artificial intelligence. Combines endpoint protection, EDR, a cloud workload protection platform as well as identity threat detection and response into one platform. Protects multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Kubernetes instances, and mobile. Offers enhanced threat detection, improved incident response time, and effective risk mitigation. Gives security teams visibility across the business, powerful analytics, and automated responses. A cloud-based platform, Singularity is easy to deploy, highly scalable, and offers a user-friendly interface. Trend Micro Apex One: Offers threat detection, investigation, and response within a single agent. Integrates with Trend Micros Vision One platform to provide EDR and extended detection capabilities. Supports for all current operating systems, i.e., Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and a number of legacy operating systems. Stop attackers sooner with protection against zero-day threats, using a combination of next-generation anti-malware techniques and virtual patching. Protect endpoints against threats, such as ransomware, malware, and malicious scripts. Offers advanced protection capabilities to protect endpoints against unknown and new threats. Offers a wide range of APIs for integration with third-party security tools. Before the war, large numbers of Japanese people immigrated to the Philippines and worked in the cultivation of hemp and other crops. Many of them married local Filipino women and started families. At its peak, the Japanese community in the Philippines numbered 30,000 people. However, when Japan and the United States went to war, those people were compelled to cooperate with the Japanese military. Children who lost their Japanese fathers in the war (who either lived with their Filipino mothers or were left orphaned) continued to face hardships even after the war. Amidst the anti-Japanese sentiment growing in the Philippines, they not only had to live in hiding but were also designated as stateless. This was because at the time in the Philippines, nationality was based on the fathers citizenship. This was a harsh reality that remained unknown for a long time. Yet as the second-generation individuals grew older, they began to raise their voices to seek the restoration of their Japanese nationality. Still, they faced challenges gathering the necessary evidence to prove their parentage since many of the documents were lost during the war. When asked, Why do you want to become Japanese? they all unanimously respond, Because my father is Japanese. Japanese blood runs in me. Many Japanese people believe that Japans involvement in the war was an event from the distant past. However, their fellow countrymen continue wandering through the never-ending post-war era, waiting for help in a foreign land. A series of attacks targeting a Southeast Asian government has been found to be carried out by distinct threat actors affiliated with Chinese interests, according to Unit 42, the Palo Alto research arm closely studying the attacks. Initially thought to be carried out by a single threat actor, the attacks are now said to have been carried out by three separate threat actors with activities grouped into different clusters, sometimes occurring simultaneously. The operation was found to be nation-state cyberespionage, in which multiple critical government entities of one country were compromised. Unit 42 did not disclose the name of the Southeast Asian country targeted by the attacks. "The techniques and tools observed during the attacks, along with the persistent long-term surveillance efforts made by the different attackers, suggest the work of advanced persistent threats (APTs)," Unit 42 said in a blog post. "In our analysis, we were able to attribute the three clusters to known APT groups with different levels of confidence." The APT groups attributed in the post include Stately Taurus (aka Mustang Panda), Alloy Taurus (aka GALLIUM), and Gelsemium. Chinese APTs stole credentials Both Stately Taurus and Alloy Taurus are believed to be APT groups operating on behalf of Chinese State interests. In this case, they are believed to have backdoor-ed victim systems to gain entry and use the infection to carry out reconnaissance, credential stealing, and persistence. 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Especially if the officer in question is a member of the specialist firearms squad. The fine line between hero and villain is Rizla thin. You only have a split second to decide whether or not to shoot. Get it right and you're up for a gallantry medal. Get it wrong and you're up the steps at the Old Bailey on a murder charge, which is where an anonymous copper identified only as NX121 currently finds himself. He is being prosecuted over an incident in South London last year in which a 24-year-old black man called Chris Kaba was shot dead. More than 100 of his fellow firearms officers have handed back their weapons permits in protest. In a show of solidarity, armed officers from other forces are refusing to provide emergency cover. The Army and the SAS will continue to offer support, but only for counter terrorism operations. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard chiefs and the Police Federation are in crisis talks aimed at persuading firearms officers to return to normal duties. A policeman's lot is not a happy one. Get it right and you're up for a gallantry medal. Get it wrong and you're up the steps at the Old Bailey on a murder charge (file image) Father-to-be Chris Kaba, 24, was killed in September last year in Streatham Hill, South London This impasse has been brewing for some time. Rank-and-file coppers increasingly feel they risk being hung out to dry on the rare occasions they may be called upon to discharge their weapons. They don't expect to be above the law, but this latest case has concentrated minds. There are justifiable concerns about the inordinate amount of time taken by the independent police watchdog and the Crown Prosecution Service to investigate fatal shootings and decide whether or not the officer involved should be charged. In one of the most notorious cases, it took ten years before police marksman Tony Long appeared at the Old Bailey, accused of murdering gangster Azelle Rodney in 2005. By the time he was found not guilty, he had retired from the force. Another officer was left twisting in the wind for three years before the CPS decided to offer no evidence against him. Both Home Secretary Sue Ellen Braverman and Met chief Mark Rowley have called for an urgent review of the complaints investigation process. But while Rowley has made all the right noises, Long told LBC's Nick Ferrari that the Commissioner's words have not been matched by his actions. In the wake of protests including Black Lives Matter activists, Rowley has twice met the family and supporters of Chris Kaba, offering reassurance. But he has apparently not spoken to the officer accused of murdering him. Politically and legally, that may have been the wisest course of action. Nobody wants a re-run of the Brixton or Tottenham riots. But equally it has raised suspicions that Rowley is bending the knee to the BLM mob, while throwing the copper involved to the wolves. Long insists that his fellow officers accept they will come under close scrutiny when they discharge their weapons, particularly if it results in a fatality. They do, however, expect to be investigated fairly and quickly. Carrying a gun is voluntary and, as Rowley stresses in his letter to Sue Ellen, his officers should be given adequate legal protection against prosecution when they have to shoot someone in the line of duty. It would be well wide of the mark to accuse the police of being trigger happy. Of the nearly 4,000 armed incidents the Met attends each year, shots are typically fired on two or fewer occasions. As for this latest case, we can't be sure what happened. We weren't there. What we do know is that Chris Kaba was unarmed and was shot once in the head. He was driving a car which didn't belong to him and which was linked to a firearms incident the previous day. A group of four armed police officers are pictured on duty in Central London this morning Kaba, a rapper who also went by the name Mad Itch, was someone described as 'known to police'. In 2019, he was sentenced to four years in a young offenders institution for possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. In the days before he was killed, Kaba was suspected of involvement in a nightclub gun attack and was allegedly one of five men suspected of conspiring to murder a rival at a Notting Hill Carnival after party. If the case proceeds, the facts and the outcome will be determined by an Old Bailey judge and jury. Over the years, as some of you may have noticed, this column has often been critical of the police. But I've always had the highest regard for the firearms squad, who put their own lives on the line to keep us safe. The difficulties they encounter in the face of danger was brought home to me when I was invited to take part in a Met weapons training course. You've probably seen this sort of thing on TV. You're given a gun and confronted with a range of scenarios. In a heartbeat, you have to decide if the figure in front of you, lurking in a doorway or leaping out from behind a bus shelter, is friend or foe. Is he wielding a brolly or a sawn-off Purdey? Hesitate and, bang-bang, you're dead. Panic and you've just killed an innocent bystander. I have to admit that I shot first and asked questions later. If it had been real life, the firing range would have looked like the set of a Sam Peckinpah movie. There'd have been wall-to-wall claret everywhere. The body count would have given the St Valentine's Day Massacre a run for its money. So you can understand why I'm always inclined to give the cops the benefit of the doubt in these high-profile cases. A policeman's lot is not a happy one. On the rare occasions they have to fire their weapons in the line of duty, they are entitled to expect the unwavering support of their superiors, due process and, above all, the presumption of innocence. A cartoon in one of the papers at the weekend featured a civil servant heading north from London in a desperate attempt to discover a rare species living on the route of the HS2 line between Birmingham and Manchester. That way the Government could argue it had no alternative other than to cancel the whole project. In Britain, we have a noble record of re-routing roads and relocating major infrastructure projects to protect wildlife. We go to great lengths to accommodate our furry friends and assorted Depressed River Mussels, Little Whirlpool Ramshorn Snails, etc. Regular readers may remember the Dormice Bridge over the Pontypridd by-pass in South Wales. It cost 190,000 and fell down during Storm Imogen in 2016. At one stage there was a chance HS2 itself could be derailed by a hedgehog colony in North London. Now we learn that National Highways are converting a derelict World War II bunker into a sanctuary for Lesser Horseshoe and Greater Horseshoe bats which live along the A417 Missing Link road in the Cotswolds. Don't be surprised to find a yellow, three-wheel Reliant parked outside. To the Bat Cave, Rodders! Charles has been King for more than a year now. So why does everyone refer to him as 'King Charles' and not just The King? After all, we never called Her Maj 'Queen Elizabeth'. She was just The Queen, which I suppose is why Camilla is known as 'Queen Camilla'. Calling The King 'King Charles' always makes me think of Lord Charles, ventriloquist Ray Alan's dummy. Gottle of geer! This is proof that Ukraine with the help of the West is mastering the art of 21st century warfare. The Sevastopol missile strike that killed Admiral Viktor Sokolov along with 34 of his officers on Saturday shows that modern military operations depend on combining accurate intelligence and rapid decision-making with advanced machinery. In this case, British Storm Shadow long-range missiles are believed to have been used to obliterate the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. While we have all seen spectacular video footage of strikes in Ukraine, the clandestine work of the intelligence services is, for obvious reasons, seldom witnessed. In this case, it is likely that the US and British intelligence services provided accurate information to the Ukrainians about the timing and location of a meeting of the Black Sea Fleet's top brass in Sevastopol. The Sevastopol missile strike that killed Admiral Viktor Sokolov (pictured) along with 34 of his officers on Saturday shows that modern military operations depend on combining accurate intelligence and rapid decision-making with advanced machinery This was probably based on both intelligence gained from people privy to the secrets of the fleet and the interception of military communications. It was then down to the Ukrainians to plan and execute an operation that overwhelmed Russia's air defences to strike with devastating force at exactly the right place and time. The result is a humiliating blow to Russian morale. While the Kremlin-controlled media has so far remained largely silent about the raid, rage-filled posts on social media complain of Moscow's inept handling of its 'special military operation'. Many point out that the losses of the fleet, supposedly one of the jewels of the Russian military, are mounting alarmingly. Not only was its flagship, the Moskva, sunk in April last year, but a number of other major vessels including two warships and a modern submarine were destroyed last week in dry dock in Sevastopol. But what does this missile attack mean? The immediate effect on the Black Sea Fleet will be operational paralysis until new officers assume command. Don't expect any aggressive moves for example on the Ukrainian grain shipments now recommencing from Odesa. The Sevastopol operation has given Vladimir Putin (pictured) and his apparatchiks in the Kremlin a painful bloody nose and, more importantly, it's a triumph that shows Ukraine can fight smart And let us remember that the devastating Sevastopol strike is merely the most spectacular in a rolling series of operations that have targeted logistics, communications and command centres. These operations have used the same deadly combination of pitch-perfect intelligence and pinpoint targeting. They are systematically degrading Russia's war machine and whipping up paranoia among Russian officers and ordinary soldiers who fear they're under constant surveillance. The Sevastopol operation has given Putin and his apparatchiks in the Kremlin a painful bloody nose and, more importantly, it's a triumph that shows Ukraine can fight smart. But like any such blow, it needs to be delivered again and again until Russia is finally defeated. Mark Galeotti is honorary professor at the University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies and the author of 24 books on Russia, including a biography of Putin Top Russian admiral 'killed in missile strike by Ukraine' By Andy Jehring Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander was killed in a missile strike on occupied Crimea, Kyiv claimed yesterday. Viktor Sokolov, 61, was reportedly among 34 officers wiped out in his HQ on Friday by Storm Shadows supplied by Britain and France. The admiral had been picked by Vladimir Putin to restore the fleet's pride after the loss of its flagship Moskva last year. But Ukraine's special operations force says he was killed in the strike on the base in Sevastopol that left 105 wounded. Minsk, a large landing ship, was also hit with Kyiv claiming 62 crew were killed. A spokesman said: 'Following the destruction of the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, 34 officers died, including the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Another 105 occupiers were wounded. The headquarters building is beyond repair.' Sokolov, who had served in the Pacific Fleet, is one of the most senior Russian commanders to have been killed in the war. Moscow imposed a news blackout after the blast indicating that the consequences had been serious. The Black Sea Fleet moved to Sevastopol after Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. On the front lines Ukraine has made some breaches in the Russian defences but at the cost of heavy casualties. READ MORE: Russian commanders killed and others seriously injured in a devastating Ukrainian missile strike against a military headquarters Advertisement Moscow has also continued its missile strikes with four killed in an attack on Odesa on Sunday night. Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's economy minister, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'Another massive attack on Odesa! The attack resulted in the destruction of grain storage facilities and significant damage to the seaport.' US-manufactured Abrams main battle tanks are starting to arrive in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed yesterday. On the Telegram messaging app he said: 'The Abrams tanks have already reached Ukraine and are undergoing preparations to bolster our brigades.' The US has also said it will soon provide a small number of the Army Tactical Missile Systems ballistic weapons with a range of 190 miles. Meanwhile a UN report has found that Russian occupiers tortured Ukrainians so brutally that some victims died while they also forced families to listen as they raped women. Erik Mose, chairman of a commission of inquiry on Ukraine, told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva his team had 'collected further evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic'. He added: 'In some cases, torture was inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of the victim. Russian soldiers raped and committed sexual violence against women of ages ranging from 19 to 83 years.' Moscow was given an opportunity to respond to the allegations at the council hearing but no Russian representative attended. The leading UN expert on the abuse claimed yesterday that torture was Russian 'state policy'. Dr Alice Jill Edwards, who is an Australian lawyer, told The Times: 'It's not just that it's so widespread. The methods of doing it, the purposes for doing it and the targets are consistent.' Why didn't the Princess of Wales accompany William on his trip to New York? Kate, a reluctant overseas traveller, has been out of the country on official business just twice this year a quick trip to watch England play Argentina in Marseille and to attend the wedding of the Crown Prince of Jordan. There had been high hopes at the FCO that Kate would not only make more overseas visits but would also bring the children. George has been to Australia and New Zealand and was joined by Charlotte in Canada, Poland and Germany, but it seems that school and routine are now more important than helping the FCO with some 'panda diplomacy'. William travels to another Earthshot Prize jaunt in Singapore in November. Will Kate accompany him? Princess Kate, a reluctant overseas traveller, has been out of the country on official business just twice this year William travels to another Earthshot Prize jaunt in Singapore in November. Will Kate accompany him? Pictured: Prince William in New York BBC Radio 4 Today's Justin Webb recalls being mesmerised as a 16-year-old watching Angela Rippon dance on The Morecambe and Wise Show and then tuning in a year later and seeing the father he'd never met doing exactly the same. 'The BBC newsreaders were dressed as sailors and singing, There Is Nothing Like A Dame,' Justin tells Radio Times. ' And then a moment forever etched on my consciousness. From the back of the stage, singing in a deep basso profondo, was the last of them and the most serious, gloomiest TV presence: Peter Woods.' How did his mother react? She murmured, 'He had shoes the size of the Queen Mary.' Cringe alert for Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid when soap star Debbie Arnold, debating whether Joan Collins, 90, is a sex symbol, blurted out yesterday: 'If you had sex with Joan, she'd fall to pieces.' 'This conversation has gone off the rails,' protested Susanna, before awkwardly adding: 'I'm hearing Joan Collins is on the show tomorrow!' Cringe alert for Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid (pictured) when soap star Debbie Arnold, debating whether Joan Collins, 90, is a sex symbol, blurted out yesterday: 'If you had sex with Joan, she'd fall to pieces.' With rumours that the BBC is planning major cutbacks of Alan Yentob's arts slot Imagine, would the Armani-clad polymath fancy taking over Melvyn Bragg's recently mothballed Sky Arts' The South Bank Show? 'I don't know what Alan's future's going to be,' says Bragg, who spoke to Yentob at the recent launch of his David Hockney documentary. Would Alan like the gig? 'Yeah,' grins Melv. 'Well, he lives in hope.' Timothy Spall recalls the worst role he ever played a 'dodgy' character who gave sweets to children in a film for schools called Say No To Strangers. 'Shortly after I filmed it, I went to pick up my eldest daughter from school and they'd just shown it that afternoon,' says the actor. 'It didn't do my reputation much good; obviously all the kids were quite young and they'd been quite affected by it. Everyone was terrified of me.' Told by his parents that as a non-Catholic he couldn't be elected Pope, Gyles Brandreth as a boy opted instead to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. 'I used my mother's eiderdown as my cloak, and a tea cosy as my mitre, he recalls. 'I conducted weddings. I married my Sooty to my Sweep the first gay wedding in the Church Of England.' Every day we receive fresh advice on how to be happy, generally offered by celebrities on the wane. Currently in book shops, you can find Happy: Finding Joy In Every Day And Letting Go of Perfect by Fearne Cotton, recommended by Craig David 'for anyone who's looking to find true consistent happiness'. A writer called Marc Reklau has published no fewer than 13 books telling us how to be happy. Among them are How To Become A People Magnet and Love Yourself FIRST! On his website, he describes these books as 'international bestsellers', though this may just be his publisher's way of keeping him happy. Celebrities used to write children's books, largely because they require very few words and can be fleshed out with illustrations. Nowadays, they offer us advice on how to be happy. Most of their tips revolve around the narcissistic idea that, whoever you are Kim Jong-un or Gordon Ramsay or Liz Truss the secret of happiness is to love yourself more. Craig Brown recommends a spot of fishing to find the path to true happiness (Stock Image) Craig Brown said: 'fishing and working are both ways of thinking of a world beyond ourselves, a world beyond the reach of the self-help gurus' The late Tina Turner started her book Happiness Becomes You by saying: 'Thank you for being you, exactly as you are.' The Duchess of Sussex has never been short of advice in this area. She once revealed that the phrase 'You need to know that you're enough' is 'a mantra that has now engrained itself so deeply within me that not a day goes by without hearing it chime in my head'. 'Never forget that you have a fundamental right to love and be loved, to be successful and to be happy,' advised the former TV personality Noel Edmonds in his loopy book Positively Happy: Cosmic Ways To Change Your Life. He then told his readers to 'memorise this: Hang on, I am a special person. I am allowed to be happy in what I do.' In her manual Thrive: The Third Metric To Defining Success And Creating A Life Of Well-Being, Wisdom And Wonder, Arianna Huffington, the brassy founder of the Huffington Post, told her readers: 'Forgive yourself for any judgments that you are holding against yourself.' I can imagine another famous self-help guru, Russell Brand, reciting these words over and over again as he sits contemplating his future. British psychologists reported that anglers are happier than the rest of the population, and are less likely to suffer from depression or anxiety (Stock Image) In my experience, one of the surest paths to unhappiness is to read books that tell you how to be happy. Living by the sea, I sometimes look out of my bedroom window at anglers sitting alone in their little black tents in the wind and the rain. They're often there the whole night. I wonder what brings them there. Are they a) deeply happy or b) deeply unhappy? Psychologists from three British universities think they have discovered the answer. Having quizzed 1,700 men, they have found out that anglers are significantly happier than the rest of us, and less likely to suffer from depression or anxiety. The more they fish, the better they feel. 'Exposure to blue spaces can lead to improved mental health and wellbeing. One meaningful way to do this is through recreational angling,' the psychologists conclude. On the very same day as the report was published, the irrepressible Gyles Brandreth one of the few people I know who is able to cheer up any room he enters offered his own advice on how to be happy. He said that his old headmaster, Mr Stokes, then aged 82, told him: 'Busy people are happy people.' Those five words have, he says, informed his entire life. The 86-year-old David Hockney is another great advertisement for keeping busy. He is more prolific than ever, painting canvases full of hope and joy. In a tremendous series of TV interviews with Melvyn Bragg, he espouses the discipline of rising early and starting work immediately. 'When you are older, you realise that everything else is just nothing compared to painting and drawing.' Can these two different approaches to happiness fishing and working both be true? One involves doing virtually nothing other than sitting still and holding a rod, while the other involves doing as much as you possibly can. Oddly enough, I think they may be two perfectly true approaches to the same goal. The happiness gurus tell us to think more about ourselves, and about how marvellous we must surely be. But fishing and working are both ways of thinking of a world beyond ourselves, a world beyond the reach of the self-help gurus. Confession: I have long been a Rishi Sunak sceptic. I once even referred to him as 'the head boy from hell'. He struck me as square, stiff, managerial - an officious hall monitor at Winchester elevated to the highest job in the land. He positioned himself as the anti-Boris candidate, which made me uneasy, since the last time we had a general election, Mr Johnson won a thumping majority. In a bid to distance himself from Boris's charismatic leadership, Mr Sunak told us we needed a manager, not a firebrand. It was soul-zappingly uninspiring. He was like Gordon Brown 2.0, only younger and better-looking. And, of course, the Borisphobes in the liberal media lapped it up. The chattering classes started to see Sunak as their saviour from the stormy seas of Brexit and Boris Johnson. Yes, he was a Leaver, but a nice one. He's a 'cosmopolitan technocrat', chirped the business magazine Bloomberg. 'He's Captain Sensible', whereas Boris was always 'blundering', a Tory insider told The Times. Rishi Sunak struck me as square, stiff, managerial - an officious hall monitor at Winchester elevated to the highest job in the land. Pictured: Mr Sunak at Crofton Park near Birmingham in July He positioned himself as the anti-Boris candidate, which made me uneasy, since the last time we had a general election, Mr Johnson won a thumping majority. Pictured: Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in June this year Yet after months of scepticism, I'm starting to change my mind. It seems timid Sunak might, in fact, have political fire in his belly. No, the super-wealthy former hedge-fund manager is not about to become a man of the people, knocking back pints with the good folk of Bishop Auckland or Hartlepool. But he is coming up with good, bold ideas. He does seem, at last, to be paying attention to ordinary people. Who would have thought that Sunak would take on the culture-war crazies of the virtue-signalling Left who have done so much to run this country into the ground? Consider Sunak's plan to get a handle on crime, as exclusively revealed in this newspaper yesterday. Sunak is plotting a 'gear change' on law and order, to prove that his government is really serious about keeping people safe. His proposals include forcing convicted rapists to serve their full sentence. No more early release from the slammer for those convicted of the worst sexual offences. Finally, some sense. For too long, politicians have underestimated how concerned ordinary people are about social disintegration. And the snooty bourgeois Left looks down its nose at those of us who worry about 'law 'n' order'. In truth, working people crave stability. They want peaceful streets where their kids can play without having to worry about gangs or knives or dangerous dogs. The irony is that, while millionaire Sunak in his 7 million home in London's Kensington will never experience the worst of Britain's social mayhem, he seems to understand the concerns of ordinary people better than anyone in the Labour Party. He's even going after the UK's 'most hated' levy: inheritance tax. It is reported the Prime Minister is considering scrapping it all together. Let's hope he will: it's music to the ears of aspirational Britons. And consider his one-man revolt against net zero. Sunak has dared to say the thing that politicians are not meant to say - that the zealous rush to net zero will hurt the less well-off, and therefore we might have to put the brakes on it. He announced last week that he's going to postpone net zero's more draconian targets, including the planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars and the forced replacement of boilers with heat pumps. Brendan O'Neill (pictured) has been won over by Rishi Sunak But it was his swipe at the dishonesty of the green-leaning Establishment that felt genuinely bold. The elites, he said, 'have not been honest about the costs and trade-offs' of net zero. And he's absolutely right. This green drive has been dressed up as a progressive, charitable initiative. Yet anyone with sense knows that it is ordinary people and businesses who will be battered by the expense and inconvenience of such ambitious targets. To inflict such impoverishing measures during a cost-of-living crisis would be wrong and cruel. It's the well-off liberals in Parliament who obsess over apocalyptic climate models. Meanwhile, most ordinary people are more concerned with being able to pay their bills at the end of each month - something made all the more difficult by the headlong rush to green energy. Sunak deserves credit for slowing net zero. We should not underestimate the courage it takes for a mainstream politician to prick the Establishment's cosy and deluded green consensus. I was pessimistic about the next general election. It seemed to me that our choice was between two jumped-up bank managers: grey Sunak and greyer Starmer. Yet Sunak seems to be striking out. Pictured: Sir Keir Starmer at the London Stock Exchange on September 22 Then there is his bristling at the woke ideology. For too long, Sunak and his allies thought they could sit on the sidelines of the culture war. Yet, finally, Sunak seems to be realising that he needs to do some fighting. He recognises that those who shout down gender-critical women or teach lessons in schools on white privilege need to be stopped. It might seem ludicrous, but it is genuinely admirable that Sunak is one of the few politicians willing to say women do not have penises. It is a necessary bulwark against Westminster's irrational gender frenzy which saw Keir Starmer claim 99.9 per cent of women don't have a penis (which means he bizarrely believes one in 1,000 women do, and the Lib Dems' Ed Davey, who went even further, saying women 'quite clearly' can have one). So much of the political class doesn't seem to understand how important truth and reality are to ordinary people. After all, if we can't trust our politicians to tell the truth about something as rudimentary as biological sex, why should we trust them on anything else? Sunak is also considering amending the Equality Act to ban schools from 'socially transitioning' children to a different gender without their parents' consent. This would be a vital defence of parental rights, and a blow to the trans ideologues who think they know what's best for pupils. To that end, Sunak looks set to halt the Government's ban on conversion therapy. He fears, rightly, that such a ban could punish parents and therapists who just want to make vulnerable teenagers think before transitioning. So given my original scepticism, I have been surprised by Sunak's political valour in recent weeks. He knows the costs of standing up to the liberal elite's consensus opinion, and yet he's done it. On crime, net zero and wokeness, he has set a new agenda. I was pessimistic about the next general election. It seemed to me that our choice was between two jumped-up bank managers: grey Sunak and greyer Starmer. Yet Sunak seems to be striking out. He has shown that he understands this country, and its people's concerns, far more keenly than Sir Keir does. Is this a new era of Sunak Conservatism? If he can hold his nerve, and go even further in countering the green religion and the woke crusade, it might well be. The 'Real Rishi' could stir up the electorate. Let's at least hope that the PM now recognises that populism - which simply means policies that are popular with the public - is no bad thing. The wife of former King Juan Carlos I offered her 'most sincere congratulations' to physicist Emilio Lora-Tamayo on Friday as he was named honorary rector for life by the Camilo Jose Cela University in Madrid. In a rare emotional moment (pictured right), the 84-year-old (pictured inset with Juan Carlos) became tearful while paying tribute to the university professor in her speech. The pair are said to have been friends for years, according to local media reports. The royal and Emilio, 73, who must use an oxygen mask and a wheelchair due to his poor health, held hands with one another as they left the event. Sofia's emotional outburst comes amid reports that King Felipe VI of Spain's mother has not been invited to Princess Leonor's (pictured left with Sofia and Queen Letizia) swearing-in ceremony at Congress on October 31, the day when the heir to the Spanish throne turns 18. We're always being told that it's good to talk, aren't we? These days everyone is encouraged to sit and talk about their problems. Let it all hang out. It's a delicate balancing act, however, between being open and honest about your feelings and yet not giving in to them. I've long been suspicious of the recent trend for dredging up all your past upsets, redefining them as 'trauma' and then ruminating over them again and again. The idea that by embracing our negative feelings we rob them of the power they have over us is heavily influenced by Freud. It was the Austrian psychotherapist who argued that suppressing thoughts and emotions means they remain in our unconscious and continue to affect our mood and behaviour in a negative way. A new study from Cambridge University showed that people who suppressed negative thoughts were happier (Stock Image) Unless the bandage is ripped off and the wound exposed and explored, these feelings remain beneath to fester and infect us. Of course, it's an idea that has now gained widespread acceptance and is rarely challenged. The possibility that some things might be best left in the past is now a heresy bottling things up is bad for you, surely? Yet research from Cambridge University last week has cast doubt on this, suggesting that, at times, a stiff upper lip is the best approach. Indeed, according to the study, people who suppressed negative thoughts were actually happier. Even those thought to have PTSD saw improved mental health when they essentially swept bad thoughts under the carpet. This matches what I've found in my patients. You might be surprised to hear me say this, given my profession, but, yes, sometimes, it is better to bottle things up. Sometimes, talking about something endlessly isn't the answer. Sometimes you just need to accept the past and move on. The fact is, no amount of chatting is going to change what's happened to you in the past. Even those thought to have PTSD saw improved mental health when they essentially swept bad thoughts under the carpet (Stock Image) Psychotherapy helps us let go of those past events and move on and people do have to let things go but at what point do you stop looking back and start looking forward? At what point do you stop blaming your parents for all the mistakes you've made in your life? That's not to say I'm not a great fan of psychotherapy. I absolutely believe that the unexamined life is not worth living. I've had psychotherapy and I've trained in it. But I also think there can be too much navel gazing. In our rush to encourage people to explore their feelings, we've become a little too obsessed with every single emotion we experience. We can be guilty of encouraging too much thinking and not enough doing. Sometimes, the best thing someone can do is pick themselves up, dust themselves off, accept that they've been knocked down and get on with their lives. It's not always right to keep calm and carry on as though nothing has happened, but letting wounds heal rather than constantly re-opening them has much to recommend it. It's possible that by leaving them alone we give them the chance to heal faster and leave less of a scar. I look at the younger generation who have embraced the idea that we must constantly examine our feelings and I compare them to the older generation who are generally more stoic. Dr Max believes the stuff upper lip can be hugely positive, preventing people from wallowing in self-pity or revisiting their grief or trauma, over and over again Are the young happier? Has society got noticeably better with more psychologically-rounded individuals? I'm not convinced it has. If anything, I think people have become more self-obsessed and narcissistic. So many seem to wear their problems like a badge of pride, allowing them to define who they are. But that badge also limits them. It enters the room before them, always there, restricting what they allow themselves to do and experience. It means they never really move on, but are stuck in a land of perpetual victimhood, chained to a grief or trauma or difficulty, dragging it behind them like a weight around their ankle. I think about my Nan and the awful hardships and traumas she had to endure. She was one of 14 and brought up in grinding poverty. She was never one to complain. Proud of her Yorkshire roots, she had a proper stiff upper lip. Her motto in life was you just get on with it. Despite having had a very hard life, she never showed any signs of things ever being too much. No complaining, no whingeing. I didn't even know the full extent of what she'd gone through until after she died she didn't speak about it because she knew she couldn't change what had happened: she just had to get on with living. Isn't that a good way to live your life? I don't think we should be so quick to dismiss the stiff upper lip. As a general approach to life, it can be hugely positive, preventing people from wallowing in self-pity or revisiting their grief or trauma, over and over again. Sometimes soldiering on can help to build resilience, which is something the younger generation seem to lack. Gen Z can't work with people with different views, says Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon. I'm afraid this resonates with my experience of talking to the younger generation, who not only can't accept other people have different views but are genuinely perplexed at the idea. They can't believe other opinions even exist! Naomi's years of torment Supermodel Naomi Campbell has opened up about her early childhood experiences of being brought up without a father Naomi Campbell has spoken about how she used drink and drugs to numb the pain and abandonment issues she experienced as a child. Opening up about her early childhood experiences of being brought up without a father he abandoned her mother while she was pregnant with Naomi she acknowledged the deep scars this left behind. The distress caused by feeling abandoned at a young age is a recurring theme among many of my patients who have fallen into addiction. It's hard as a child not to take a parent walking away as personal and the result of something you have done. I do wonder what we are doing to a whole generation of children now that marriages so readily break down. There are about 2.9 million lone-parent families in the UK, and the effects can stretch far into adulthood. I had a strange text from a friend about the doctor he had just seen. He has a complex genetic condition and after a few minutes' conversation, he realised she didn't know what it was. She was definitely his GP. He sent me a screenshot from his practice with her name. 'See,' he said, 'she's a physician.' When I read the description, however, things became clearer. She was a 'physician associate'. This is not a doctor. They have not gone to medical school, and instead have two years post-graduate training. Their widespread use in the health service is relatively new. Shockingly, there have already been cases of people being misdiagnosed even dying after being misdiagnosed by physician associates. So is it right that, like my friend, few people even know that the person they're seeing isn't in fact a doctor? DR MAX PRESCRIBES Calm + Spotify Spotify has collaborated with mindfulness app Calm to launch a new series of its most popular sleep stories and meditations. Spotify has joined forces with mindfulness app Calm to launch a new series of its most popular sleep stories and meditations The aim of the stories is to help reduce stress and anxiety, to help with sleep and to build mindfulness skills and techniques to calm mind and body quickly and effectively. You don't need a Calm subscription to access them either. MelRose Michaels was enjoying a night out with friends when a furious woman demanded to know if she was embarrassed by the fact 'everyone had seen her naked'. The US based sex worker, who was taking home $45,000-per-week selling nudes online, reacted with a well-rehearsed line: 'It's not my fault that your boyfriend buys my nudes.' But the aggressive, public attack left her seething. 'That's when a light bulb went off in my head, like if I could just wear a shirt that said that I wouldn't have to have these conversations in public spaces. I could take back my identity,' she told Seen TV. Now she is a millionaire. MelRose Michaels was enjoying a night out with friends when a furious woman demanded to know if she was embarrassed by the fact 'everyone had seen her naked' Her clothing label Networthy took off - and has become a favourite among people in the sex industry and their supporters. The shirts really do speak for themselves with catchy lines like 'there's a reason I look familiar', 'your boyfriend buys my nudes' and 'stigma looks good on you' plastered across the front. 'When a stranger reads your shirt, and it confirms their suspicions about your career, youve taken the power away from them to shame you for it,' she explained. The sex worker, who was taking home $45,000-per-week selling nudes online, reacted with a well-rehearsed line : 'It's not my fault that your boyfriend buys my nudes.' They have also become popular among women in the mainstream community who like the open approach to talking about sex. MelRose's idea, which was sparked by that night out in 2018, has made her money - but she says the conversation is more important. The porn star who started off being a cam girl in 2011, said she is sick of sex workers being discriminated against. And it isn't just by furious men and women in the street. She also talks about bank accounts and PayPal's being frozen once workers are outed. Or social media crackdowns on workers who use the platforms socially or to generate interest with bikini photos. Now she is making millions - thanks to a brilliant idea She explains sex 'sells everything in the world' but big business has a problem when individuals profit from it. 'When you do this then suddenly its off limits or against the rules. Thats so mind blowing to me,' she said. She has even had modelling work cancelled because agencies have been informed of her main hustle. 'Our self worth isnt negated by our choice in career path,' she argues. 'The one shared experience I know I have with every other sex worker in the world, is facing the stigma of working in the adult space. Kate and William are said to have 'closed their minds' to closing rift with Harry The Prince and Princess of Wales have 'closed their minds' to the possibility that a rift with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can be fixed, a royal expert has said. Jennie Bond, the former BBC royal correspondent, added it was clear that Kate Middleton 'has been hurt and insulted by things that Harry and Meghan have said'. She described how Prince William and his wife had attempted to heal the rift in the Royal Family at Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021, but after a 'blazing row' it became clear it wasn't possible. Ms Bond told OK Magazine: 'There comes a point when you just have to accept that happy families are not a game that everyone can play. 'Catherine has been hurt and insulted by things that Harry and Meghan have said, but she and William are a very strong team, and I suspect that, together, they've come to the conclusion that the rift with Harry cannot be fixed in the foreseeable future. The Prince and Princess of Wales have 'closed their minds' to the possibility that a rift with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can be fixed, a royal expert has said 'They've closed their minds to that possibility and decided to get on with their lives.' The rift between Prince Harry and Prince William first emerged in 2019, when they confirmed they had taken 'different paths' in life. This deepened in January 2020, when Harry and Meghan formally stepped down as working members of the Royal Family and moved to California, where they remain. Though Prince Harry has since returned to the UK on a number of occasions - such as after the deaths of Prince Philip and the late Queen - the rift hasn't been sealed. The group - once dubbed the 'Fab Four' - were even photographed together at a funeral service for the late Queen in Windsor. However, it is likely a number of claims made in a documentary series released by Meghan and Harry - and in the prince's book, Spare - have heightened tensions. Ms Bond said that, like his father, 'William can be quite hot headed, but Catherine is adept at calming him down'. She added that she's sure William and Kate are 'a great support to one another and that Catherine is the most incredible source of encouragement for William'. Their marriage is founded on 'enduring friendship', the royal expert said. Jennie Bond, the former BBC royal correspondent, added it was clear that Kate Middleton 'has been hurt and insulted by things that Harry and Meghan have said' She described how Prince William and his wife had attempted to heal the rift in the Royal Family at Prince Philip 's funeral in April 2021, but after a 'blazing row' it became clear it wasn't possible 'I'm sure William has called on the strength of that friendship to help him come to terms with the loss of his wingman, his brother.' It comes as Buckingham Palace today denied reports that King Charles could be forced to let Prince Harry stay at Kensington Palace next time he visits the UK. The dispute comes amid alleged tensions surrounding the Duke of Sussex's role as counsellor-of-state, which makes him one of seven members of the royal family who could deputise for the King if he is abroad or unwell. By law, counsellors of state, which also include Princess Anne and Prince Edward, are required to have a home in Britain but California-based Harry, is effectively homeless in the UK after being evicted from Frogmore Cottage earlier this year. The rift between Prince Harry and Prince William first emerged in 2019, when they confirmed they had taken 'different paths' in life Though Prince Harry has since returned to the UK on a number of occasions - such as after the deaths of Prince Philip and the late Queen - the rift apparently remains In a bid to resolve the issue, sources claimed royal courtiers have discussed leasing a property on a royal estate to Harry and Meghan. Royal sources told The Sunday Times that one option is an apartment at Kensington Palace, where Prince William and Kate have a home and private office. But these suggestions were quickly shut down. A friend of Charles said: 'The King can see that to remove Harry as a counsellor of state would be seen as an act of antagonism and he does not want to do that. 'If, as a consequence of that, somewhere on the royal estate needs to be earmarked as a pied-a-terre for his son, that seems a reasonable thing to do.' Buckingham Palace refuted the idea, telling the newspaper bluntly: 'These claims are not true.' Swapping Hollyoaks for Hollywood isn't an easy transition for many actors - but Oliver Jackson-Cohen is no ordinary star. For the 37-year-old, who began his career over 20 years ago as a waiter in the soap, has gradually made his name with small parts in TV series and films. But, somewhat ironically, it wasn't till 2020 that he caught his big break when he portrayed the titular character in The Invisible Man opposite Elizabeth Moss. He has since gone on to star in steamy scenes opposite leading actresses including Gugu Mbatha-Raw, in Surface, and Emma Mackey, in Emily. Now he is making waves in the new Amazon Prime series Wilderness, in which he plays the lead role opposite Jenna Coleman. Here FEMAIL reveals how the actor, who failed to get into drama school, has become Hollywood's favourite British star. Swapping Hollyoaks for Hollywood isn't an easy transition for many actors - but Oliver Jackson-Cohen is no ordinary star (pictured in the new Amazon Prime series Wilderness) Oliver was born in 1986 into a family already well accustomed with the showbiz lifestyle - his mother, fashion designer Betty Jackson, designed all the clothes on Absolutely Fabulous. Betty - godmother to Jude Law - told The Times in 2006 how Oliver had been born premature, saying: 'Oliver had to go into an incubator. He was a tiny little thing and all floppy.' As a child, he became Kate Mosss mascot after following her around backstage at his mothers shows. He told Daily Mail in 2008 that he 'just fell in love with her; shes so beautiful and funny). Meanwhile speaking in 2013, he spoke of his mother's close friendship with the Ab Fab actors: 'Shes best friends with Jennifer Saunders. Theyve always been in each others pockets.' Oliver attended a French-language school growing up, but always loved acting - with Betty revealing how he spent lots of time 'dressing up and doing shows' when he was a child. She told The Times that Oliver 'was always at the centre' of the performances. After being thrown out of school drama group for bad behaviour, he attended the Youngblood Theatre Company during weekends. By 16, he was a sandwich-fetcher for Madonna when he worked as a runner on the Royal Variety Show. He then began washing vases for a florist as a job to support himself financially between auditions. Oliver was born in 1986 into a family already well accustomed with the showbiz lifestyle - his mother, fashion designer Betty Jackson, designed all the clothes on Absolutely Fabulous Betty - who is godmother to Jude Law - is a fashion designer and remains close to the Absolutely Fabulous cast He told Daily Mail in 2013: 'I worked in a warehouse for a florist, and my job was to clean out the wax used to preserve the flowers. I did it for four months. It wasnt great.' But his childhood was far from easy - he has since spoken of how he was sexually abused, sharing a post in October 2017 which read: '#MeToo As a child. Repeatedly. 'And have spent most of my life living with PTSD, pretending it didn't happen, and now, trying to rebuild what was shattered. 'The thing about sexual abuse is that the moment it is done, however brief or however long, it changes the course of your life permanently. ' He continued: 'You are changed; not through choice. I stand with all the brave.' Oliver was 15 when he landed his first screen role, as many actors in the UK do, in a British soap - Hollyoaks. He played a waiter in an episode which aired in October 2005 - and it lead to a role in an ITV series called The Time of Your Life. By 2008, he was appearing as Phillip White in the BBC adaptation of Lark Rise to Candleford. Despite his screen credits, he found he was unable to get into drama school in London and instead attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City. The actor made his TV debut in British soap Hollyoaks in 2005, where he played a waiter in one episode The 37-year-old gradually began appearing in a number of different TV programmes and films - including in a set of skits by Funny or Die in which he played Prince William However he left after four months because he was flown to Los Angeles and offered a job. He told Harper's Bazaar the period was 'overwhelming', saying: 'You are really vulnerable in a way because they start to tell you that they are going to turn you into this, and turn you into that. 'You are in this completely bizarre world, and that's when a lot of people start believing their own hype. In 2010, he played Damon in the romantic comedy film Going the Distance starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. and a hitman in the action film Faster, opposite Dwayne Johnson. The following year, he appeared in a series of Funny or Die playing Prince William opposite Allison Williams as newlywed Kate Middleton. He told InStyle he 'didn't know what he was doing' during his early years an actor, saying: 'The romantic comedies and all of that, they were fun, but I never felt right, I never felt comfortable. 'But I think I needed to do those jobs in order to figure out what I really wanted.' His career continued to grow, with the star appearing in ITV's four-part period drama miniseries The Great Fire and NBC series Dracula. Now, he is far more accustomed to steamy sex scenes and Hollywood blockbusters (pictured with Emma Mackey in Emily) In the thriller series, which aired last year, Surface, the 37-year-old actor played opposite Gugu Mbatha-Raw It was announced in July 2014 that he would star opposite Sarah Snook in the 2015 ABC convict miniseries The Secret River, an adaptation of Kate Grenville's 2005 novel of the same name. By 2017, his star was growing and he then appeared in both seasons of the anthology web television series The Haunting. Both seasons of the series, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, received strong critical praise. And Oliver was open about channeling his own trauma and pain from his childhood into his performance. He told Collectible Dry: 'Im fascinated by how what happened to us shapes us and I think its amazing that the varying degrees of what happens to us in our childhood, can forms us as adults.' But it wasn't till 2020 that his big break came, when he starred opposite Elisabeth Moss in science fiction horror The Invisible Man. He later stated that the press tour for the film was difficult because it began just three days after his father had died. It was the blockbuster hit The Invisible Man which saw Oliver's star catapulted into the stratosphere However as Oliver's career took off, his father passed away - and he confessed he felt his family were left 'a mess' He told GQ it had been a challenging period, saying: 'My dad just had passed away, and three days later I went on a press tour for The Invisible Man. 'The whole press tour, it was like, "What is happening?" Then I got home. The movie was this huge success. My family was a mess.' Meanwhile he told The Gentleman's Journal that he struggled with typecasting in the industry. He said: 'The reality is that its rare to get characters with that amount of depth. 'Its a constant uphill battle but, if Im going to be typecast, I would rather be creatively fulfilled and get typecast in the good roles.' Swapping Hollyoaks for Hollywood: Among Oliver's glamorous co-stars are Jenna Colman (left) and Elisabeth Moss (right) In 2021, he appeared in the drama film The Lost Daughter, which also starred Olivia Coleman and was directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal In 2021, he appeared in the drama film The Lost Daughter, which also starred Olivia Coleman and was directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, before he co-starred in the romantic regency comedy Mr. Malcolm's List, a film adaptation of the novel of the same name. Meanwhile he starred in Apple TV+ series Surface playing the character of James Ellis, which has since been renewed for a second series. In an interview with In Style, he described himself as a 'therapist's dream', saying: 'I am very sensitive, and I always have been I'm aware that I am a man, and I am supposed to be non-emotional, and I've battled that my whole life, but I feel so much that it's I don't know. 'That's just kind of who I am, and I know it's not the norm: I'm six foot three, I'm a big man, and I think it's quite rare to have someone that cries so much when they are my size.' He's now starring in Wilderness opposite Jenna, who is plotting her potentially murderous revenge after discovering her husband is having an affair. Jenna plays Liv Taylor, a young woman whose conventional married life is turned upside down as she learns of husband Will's infidelity. Along for the ride: Former Six Feet Under regular Eric Balfour plays Garth (pictured: Ashley Benson, Eric Balfour, Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen) Produced by Amazon Prime Video and adapted from the 2019 novel of the same name by B.E Jones, the series follows heartbroken Liv as she flies into a psychological tailspin after discovering her husband has strayed - leading her to live by her own unique set of rules after planning her revenge. With Will making a clumsy attempt at atonement by insisting the fling was 'just one night,' the couple endeavor to salvage their marriage by embarking on a road trip across the United States. But while Will hopes to make amends, their magical trip from the Grand Canyon, through mountainous Yosemite, rugged National Parks and finally into the heart of Las Vegas gives Liv ample opportunity to plan a permanent end for her feckless husband. One of the notorious Peru Two has left her legion of fans open-mouthed after she posted revealing holiday snaps. Michaella McCollum was one of two British women arrested at Lima Airport in 2013 with 12 kg of cocaine in their luggage, Ms McCollum, from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, posted photos of herself on the beach on Instagram for her 104,000 followers. In one photo, she was snapped in a lemon-coloured bikini striking a pose on a wooden platform on a beach. 'Summer 23 archive,' was the note that the mother-of-two accompanied the ten photos with. A second photo shows Ms McCollum in a flowing blue dress sitting on a bench outside, while she strikes a pose in a third wearing a pink bikini-top and white shorts. Michaella McCollum struck a pose on the beach in her bright lemon bikini In a flowing blue dress, Ms. McCollum seemed to be enjoying her time away Ms McCollum has embraced the limelight since she was released from a Peruvian prison in 2016 Other photos showed Ms McColum enjoying relaxing on the beach and sitting on a ping-pong table in short shorts. Commenters appeared to enjoy the content, with one writing: 'You always look sensational and so classy.' Others simply responded with fire and heart emojis. Ms McCollum was arrested in August 2013 with friend Melissa Reid, from Scotland, on suspicion of drug smuggling at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, with 1.6million worth of cocaine in their luggage. Despite initially claiming that they had been coerced by an armed gang to mule the drugs to Madrid in exchange for around 5,000, they both subsequently plead guilty after striking a deal with Peruvian authorities. Michaella (left) made headlines in 2013 when she was arrested in Peru alongside Melissa Reid (right) trying to smuggle 1.5million worth of cocaine Ms McCollum has since written a book about her traumatic time in Peru, and a Netflix documentary has been made based on her experiences The mother-of-two was shown lounging on the beach in pictures that her fans seemed to love In July, Ms Mcollum graduated from the University of Ulster They were handed a sentence of six years and eight months each. Both Ms MCollum and Ms Reid were released in 2016. Ms McCollum has built a sizable following on social media since. The 'Peru Two' were featured in the Channel 4 series 'Brits Behind Bars: Cocaine Smugglers' in 2015, while Ms. McCollum authored a book about her experiences. Ms McCollum, who is reported to be about to begin working at a veterinary recruitment firm, seems to have been living a jet-setting lifestyle in recent years, with photos of holidays regularly making it onto her social media. She describes herself as a 'public speaker'. In October 2022, Netflix released High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule, which is based on McCollum's experience in Peru. In July, Ms Mcollum graduated from the University of Ulster with a degree in 'Business Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services'. Sasha Obama showed off her midriff in a figure-hugging crop top, a bohemian-style skirt, and knee-high heeled boots as she left the gym in Los Angeles over the weekend. The youngest daughter of former President Barack Obama, 22, was photographed working up a sweat as she went for a run on a treadmill on Sunday. Donning a tight pink top, black sneakers, and a big pair of headphones, the University of Southern California graduate worked out while listening to some tunes. Afterwards, she changed into a gray, long-sleeve shirt and white, flowing midi-skirt which left her stomach on full display. Sasha Obama showed off her midriff in a figure-hugging crop top, a bohemian-style skirt, and knee-high heeled boots as she left the gym in Los Angeles over the weekend The youngest daughter of former President Barack Obama, 22, was photographed working up a sweat as she went for a run on a treadmill on Sunday She donned a tight pink top, black sneakers, and a big pair of headphones The University of Southern California graduate worked out while listening to some tunes Afterwards, she changed into a gray, long-sleeve shirt and white, flowing midi-skirt which left her stomach on full display She completed the look with chic brown boots, some gold earrings, and a slew of eye-popping bracelets She completed the look with chic brown boots, some gold earrings, and a slew of eye-popping bracelets. Fashionable: She held her belongings in a hot pink handbag She held her belongings in a hot pink handbag. Sasha kept her long, braided locks pulled back in a ponytail and wore minimal makeup for the outing. She clutched onto her phone and keys as she exited the gym and headed to her car. The 22-year-old was spotted wearing the same top days earlier, when she stopped to fill up her car with some gas. That time, she paired it with some baggy denim jeans and platform sandals. The former First Daughter relocated to the West Coast in 2022 after she transferred to USC from the University of Michigan, and she is now living in LA with her older sister, Malia Obama. Malia, 25, moved there in 2021 to pursue her career as a screenwriter, after she finished her studies at Harvard University. Keeping it natural: Sasha kept her long, braided locks pulled back in a ponytail and wore minimal makeup for the outing She clutched onto her phone and keys as she exited the gym and headed to her car The former First Daughter relocated to the West Coast in 2022 after she transferred to USC from the University of Michigan, and she is now living in LA with her older sister, Malia Obama Back in November, Michelle, gushed over how her two daughters became each other's 'best friends' after going through a period of not being able to 'stand each other' 'There was a period of time when they couldn't stand each other, and I said, "You wait, you are going to wake up one day and know that you two share something very unique,"' she said Back in November, Michelle, gushed over how her two daughters became each other's 'best friends' after going through a period of not being able to 'stand each other.' Michelle added of her daughters, 'To see them in that place where they're one anothers support systems and they've got each other's backs, it's the thing that a mother would want' 'The thing that I love the most is that those two girls are each other's best friends,' she told Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. 'There was a period of time when they couldn't stand each other, and I said, "You wait, you are going to wake up one day and you're going to look over at that other person, and you're going to know that you two share something very unique," especially given what they've been through. 'To see them in that place where they're one anothers support systems and they've got each other's backs, it's the thing that a mother would want.' Sasha's gym session came just weeks after a convicted felon made wild gay sex claims about her father. Earlier this month, con man Larry Sinclair alleged that Barack performed oral sex on him twice in Chicago in 1999, and that he witnessed him buying and smoking cocaine during an appearance on former Fox host Tucker Carlson's show. Larry - who has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions on forgery, fraud and larceny charges, and has served prison time in Arizona, Florida, and Colorado - first made the claims in 2008, while Barack was gearing up to run for president. Sasha was spotted puffing on a cigarette in her car in Los Angeles last week - a habit she may have picked up from her father, who previously admitted to smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day Sasha's gym session came just weeks after a convicted felon made wild gay sex claims about her father Earlier this month, con man Larry Sinclair alleged that Barack performed oral sex on him twice in Chicago in 1999 Larry also said he witnessed Barack buying and smoking cocaine during an appearance on former Fox host Tucker Carlson's show Larry has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions on forgery, fraud and larceny charges, and has served prison time in Arizona, Florida, and Colorado At the time, his accusations were roundly condemned as an attempted political hatchet-job. He has never offered any proof of his claims against the former president. Larry's claims were given a new lease of life last month, however, after The New York Post released a letter written by Barack in 1982, when he was 21 years old, to his girlfriend Alex McNear. In it, he wrote that he 'loves making love to men daily, but in the imagination,' according to the publication. Seeming unbothered by the scandal surrounding her dad, Sasha has been pictured out and about a lot recently. Last week, she headed to the grocery store to pick up some fresh produce, and days before that, she was seen leaving a luxury spa. Dressed casually in a black tank top and green sweatpants, an onlooker told DailyMail.com that she spent three hours at the wellness center. She stopped to puff on a cigarette before driving off, and it was certainly not the first time that Sasha has been caught smoking - as paparazzi have snapped shots of her partaking in the act on numerous occasions. It's a habit she may have picked up from her father, who previously admitted to smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day and has been very honest about his struggle to quit. He first made the claims in 2008, while Barack was gearing up to run for president, but his accusations were roundly condemned as an attempted political hatchet-job He has never offered any proof of his claims against the former president Seeming unbothered by the scandal surrounding her dad, Sasha has been pictured out and about a lot recently Last week, she headed to the grocery store to pick up some fresh produce, and days before that, she was seen leaving a luxury spa. Now, she was seen hitting the gym Sasha appeared straight-faced as she walked to her vehicle following the workout Barack, 62, began smoking as a teenager and he famously promised his wife, Michelle, 59, that he would stop before he campaigned for president. In 2009, he admitted during a press conference, 'As a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. 'Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I daily smoker or a constant smoker? No. I don't do it in front of my kids. I don't do it in front of my family. 'And, you know, I would say that I am 95 per cent cured, but there are times where I mess up.' In his 2020 memoir, A Promised Land, the former President said that at one point he smoked up to 10 cigarettes a day. He credited his eldest daughter, Malia, with helping him to quit, writing that seeing her 'frown' at him after she 'smelled it on his breath' made him determined to stop. The first time I met Sarah Burton properly was when Alexander McQueen was making my wedding dress. It was the spring of 2005 and I was a writer at American Vogue. Alexander was then at the height of his genius, and we'd become friends since meeting in the early 1990s. He had a charming studio in Islington, North London, a beautiful space in a Victorian building flooded with natural light. He also had a brilliant team around him including one Sarah Burton, his then 30-year-old head of design for womenswear, who'd joined his entourage as a 21-year-old intern in 1996. It would be Sarah who would make my dress, to one of Alexander's hastily sketched designs. Little did I know then that his prodigy would soon make another, rather more famous wedding dress for Kate Middleton forging a partnership that has become one of the most powerful in fashion. Recent news that Burton is stepping down from the helm of McQueen, a role she's held since Alexander's sudden death in 2010, has shocked the fashion world. Burton was so intertwined with McQueen's vision, it is hard to imagine the brand without her. Birthday belle: Kate's official portrait to mark her 40th birthday saw her sporting one of Burton's creations Rare talent: McQueen creative director Sarah Burton (left) with supermodel Kate Moss She is in many ways the industry's best-kept secret a designer's designer who shuns the limelight herself, but whose creations for the Princess of Wales have made headlines the world over. For many years, Kate has relied on Burton for her big, high-profile public occasions. At successive Bafta awards she has worn flowing, chiffon McQueen evening gowns reminiscent of 1940s movie stars'. For formal walkabouts and meetings, she is rarely out of a smart McQueen coat or suit, and for the most significant royal events, she chooses Burton's designs time and again. Kate looked impeccable for her sister Pippa's 2017 wedding in a dusky pink McQueen dress of heavy silk crepe with exaggerated cuffs. For Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding the following year, she wore a simple but immaculately cut cream coat dress. At the christening of Prince Louis, it was an ivory V-neck dress with puffed shoulders, and for the Trooping the Colour in 2018, a baby-blue square-necked dress. For her 40th birthday portraits, taken by legendary fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, Kate wore three McQueen gowns: a dramatic red dress with a billowing sleeve and pockets; a white one-shoulder dress; and a fairy-tale ballgown of tulle and organdie. For King Charles's coronation in May, both Kate and daughter Charlotte wore McQueen. There is clearly a bond of incredible trust between the Princess and Sarah. From my own first fitting with her, I knew I was in talented hands. The design was a traditional corseted gown. It had a tiny waist, long skirt and intricate embroidery on the bodice, with layers of hand-ruched silk net delicately stitched onto the dramatic train. Game-changing gown: Burton fixes Kate's train as she prepares to walk down the aisle on her wedding day in 2011 My first fitting involved trying on a 'toile' (a prototype that couture houses use to perfect a design). I remember Sarah as an unassuming young woman with translucent skin, a smattering of freckles and dark blonde hair with a long fringe that she tended to hide behind. She had been brought up in the North-West, and generally dressed in jeans and a white shirt, always with a pin-cushion on her arm. She was focused and determined to make me the perfect dress. I remember being amazed that the toile was made of the same silk taffeta as my gown it's more usual for toiles to be made of an inexpensive fabric in case of mistakes. But Sarah explained that Alexander often made toiles in the same material as the final piece, however costly, because that way he could be more precise. By the time my wedding dress was ready, Sarah had made a total of nine toiles over several months, created an incredible corset and commissioned the most beautiful embroidery. No doubt Kate would have gone through an even lengthier process for her wedding dress. Sarah's attention to detail was formed from the earliest stages of her career. She tweaked, she refined, she got as excited about the wedding as I was, and even commissioned a pair of silk shoes with embroidery to match the gown. Needless to say the final dress was exquisite, and she had made sure a tiny, pale blue silk bow had been sewn inside it so that I had 'something blue'. The bill for such a dress would normally have been vast, in the tens of thousands of pounds, but Alexander made it for me at 'cost', and did not take a profit. McQueen dream: Kate in a chiffon ballgown Over the next few years, Sarah was a constant presence at the house of McQueen. She was Alexander's right-hand woman, but she never had airs or graces about her. She was simply the quiet force behind the throne. The company later moved to glamorous offices in Clerkenwell, and whenever I was in London, I would pay a visit, either to see Alexander or occasionally to borrow a dress for an event. Sarah was the sort of person who would pop down from her studio, no matter how busy she was, to say hello. Of course, we always talked about the fashion business, but we often chatted about our children, too. She is not only a highly successful career woman but, just as importantly, a wife to photographer David Burton and mother to three children ten-year-old twins and a seven-year-old. When Alexander died suddenly in 2010, aged only 40, Burton was devastated. But there was little doubt who would take over from him, and she was named as his successor almost immediately. Still, she knew she was following in the footsteps of a genius and was (sensibly) intimidated by the prospect. After she had been offered the role, she told me, she telephoned Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in a panic and asked for her advice. She said Anna simply told her 'You have to do it' and that was the end of that. It wasn't long after Burton became creative director of McQueen that Kate Middleton commissioned her to design the dress for her marriage to Prince William in 2011. The soul of discretion, Sarah kept the whole thing secret until the very last minute, although there were whispers that Kate would wear McQueen after she had apparently admired Sara Buys's exquisite wedding dress, also designed by Burton, when she married Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, in 2005. Writer Plum Sykes pictured in a stunning Alexander McQueen dress on her own wedding day With its nipped-in waist, dramatic skirt, nine-foot train and delicate lace sleeves and shoulders, Kate's wedding dress was a magnificent piece of work, which catapulted Burton into another league. The gown redefined and softened the famously sharp McQueen silhouette for a fresh era. Burton's take on the McQueen look would henceforth be a softer, slightly more feminine version of what at times had been too edgy and extreme for some women. In one of her rare interviews, Burton called her style 'soft armour for women', which very high-profile females such as the Princess of Wales might well find useful as a sartorial philosophy. 'You can be dominant in a quiet way,' Burton told British Vogue in 2018, of her working practice in the office and cutting room. After the royal wedding, she attained a new level of global fame as a zeitgeist-defining designer. Yet the attention didn't change her and, most admirably, there was no suggestion that she would use her relationship with Kate to promote herself. There is no diva here; just a woman whose talent and work speaks for itself. From that moment, it seems that Kate was hooked on the look. But it's not just Burton's royal connections that impress. She has also built the McQueen brand still relatively young when she took the helm into a hugely successful business, with 100 stores around the world and an annual turnover of 600-700 million. Since 2010, Burton has produced two stunning collections a year. She is able to make everything from dresses, suits, evening gowns and jeans, to shoes, handbags, jewellery and sunglasses, all with that cool, desirable McQueen look the sharp shoulders, the impossibly tiny waist, the long torso that transforms a woman into a warrior. Over the years she has dressed some of the most iconic female stars on the planet, including Hollywood A-lister Cate Blanchett, models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, and musicians Florence Welch and FKA Twigs. Lady Gaga never looked more stylish at the Oscars than in 2019, when she wore a stark black McQueen 1950s-inspired dress. And when former child star Elle Fanning stepped onto the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival this summer in a corseted pale pink McQueen ballgown with flowing chiffon skirt, she exuded grown-up movie-star glamour. Still, Burton was never just about celebrities and models. When Francois-Henri Pinault, owner of the Kering Group, which acquired a majority stake in the McQueen brand in 2001, threw an amazing candlelit dinner party in London to celebrate the opening of the flagship Alexander McQueen store on Old Bond Street in 2019, I was not surprised that the guest list for the party was as inclusive of the team in the studio as it was of the most important people in the fashion world. It was true to Burton's working ethos that seated among the likes of the then British Vogue editor Edward Enninful and supermodel Naomi Campbell were the pattern-cutter, corset-maker and other technicians from her atelier. On Saturday, at Paris Fashion Week, she will present her last collection under the McQueen brand. Fashion's VIPs will no doubt gather to see it, and I imagine a tear or two will be shed, for it really will feel like the end of an era. I hope that, after a much-deserved rest, Burton, still only 49, starts her own label and does not quit the fashion business entirely. She is one of those rare people who has flair, determination and technical skill in equal measure, and who quietly rose to the top on talent alone. And there's no doubt that if she does carry on designing, the Princess of Wales will be one of her very first customers. SHOPPING Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Shopping article are selected by our writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Daily Mail Australia will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information. An Aussie family have developed a handy way to transport and drink alcohol this summer - and it can fit in your pocket, esky, car or caravan without the risk of breaking or spilling. Launched in 2019 by Victorian father and son duo Wayne and Ashley, The Standard Squeeze is a $24.95 container made from HDPE plastic with a 30mL chamber. It is food grade certified to hold alcohol without leaching or damaging the contents. You simply fill the reusable bottle with your choice of alcoholic spirit then pack it away. You then loosen the small chamber side lid and squeeze the bottle. This forces the spirit up and into the chamber and measures a perfect standard 30mL drink; if you want a stronger drink you can make it a double squeeze. An Aussie family have developed a handy way to transport and drink alcohol this summer - and it can fit in your pocket, esky, car or caravan without the risk of breaking or spilling It also saves 50 per cent of weight as opposed to a glass bottle full of spirits which is important when towing a caravan or packing light. Wayne and Ashley regularly drink spirits when visiting friends and family, fishing or camping and would often have to take a full, glass bottle of their favourite alcohol and a shot/nip pourer. Alternatively, they would have to buy premixed drinks which proved to be quite expensive. They'd also struggle with the problem of having glass that often breaks, rattles or rolls around in the car or esky and free pouring drinks making which often made them too strong or weak in flavour and in alcohol percentage. Launched in 2019 by Victorian father and son Wayne and Ashley, The Standard Squeeze is a $24.95 container made from HDPE plastic with a 30mL chamber It is food grade certified to hold alcohol without leaching or damaging the bottle. You simply fill the reusable bottle with your choice of alcoholic spirit then pack it away So while sitting around a campfire one evening, the idea for The Standard Squeeze was born. The original bottle gives you the ability to pour one standard drink, every time, easily, in a convenient and durable plastic container. Fast forward two years and the company has established a brand with a loyal customer base, selling thousands Standard Squeeze bottles around Australia alone, wholesaling to more than 100 retail stores and creating complimentary products. These include larger options including the Double Shot, XL, Cocktail Pack, Family Pack and stainless steel and vacuum sealed cups. They also have the Chill that keeps your bottle of wine cold for hours on end with no more sweating or drips of water on the table. It also helps you see exactly how much alcohol remains in the bottle from the measurements on the side, which assists in more accurately assessing when you can safely drive a vehicle the next day In Australia, one standard drink is 10 grams of pure alcohol or 30mL of spirits at 40 per cent ABV. The Standard Squeeze helps you remain responsible and stay under the legal Blood Alcohol Content limit (BAC). It also helps you see exactly how much alcohol remains in the bottle from the measurements on the side, which assists in more accurately assessing when you can safely drive a vehicle the next day. 'Our mission is to provide innovative solutions that are either responsible or convenient in the service, storage and consumption of alcohol,' the family said. 'Don't drink and drive, take the guess work out and and know how much you have had to drink its simple.' An American traveller has been left in shock after arriving in Australia for the first time. Josiah Hein couldn't believe his eyes when he rocked up to the luggage carousel to find people just 'milling around' in no rush. Sharing a video, the tourist said the fact no one was crowding around or overly stressed about their bags left a strong first impression for the country. 'Australians don't care as much... this is a different vibe here,' he said. 'They are a little bit less up tight up in here dude, that's my first impression.' His video showed people leaning on bags and looking disinterested or talking to their kids. An American traveler has been left in shock after arriving in Australia for the first time People were quick to criticise the American's video. 'No, we Australians are more civilised. Time waits for us here. We are raised well. We don't do what u think is normal. We do our own thing,' one man said. 'It's not a lack of care. It's an abundance of care. We care about being courteous and giving space,' added an Aussie woman. Others described the reality. 'It is our 'stand back' rule until you see your bag, so you don't get in others way,' one man said. 'You will see a different reality at KFC drive-thru and hear new words for your vocabulary,' laughed another. Josiah said he loves the 'it will be right, mate' and 'it will come out eventually' mottos. 'No point stressing about it. It will keep going around until we collect it.' Josiah explained that in the US there have to be barriers at the beginning of the carousel to block over-zealous Americans from pushing in to grab their things. The Perth resident was shocked that she was allowed to take sick leave An American woman has revealed the biggest - but welcome - surprise she had encountered since moving to Australia. Kerrene Taylor, from Washington, moved to Perth for work almost a decade ago. She recently fell ill and had to call in sick for the next day, and to her surprise her boss was kind, accommodating, and wished her a swift recovery. 'The biggest culture shock living in Australia is the work-life balance,' she said in a video. She elaborated on her experience on her popular TikTok account. 'I needed sick leave today it was a non-issue which is the opposite of my experience working in the US,' she said. 'In Australia, I've apologised for requesting annual leave and I've been laughed at by an employer. More times than not - if I need time off it's okay and allowed.' Kerrene revealed that some past employers in the US made it clear that any request for a day off was an 'inconvenience' and a 'burden' for the business. 'I'm sure there are great employers in the US - but it's just one of those things where I'm really grateful to be here because I can be sick and take time off and it's okay, it's just something that happens because I'm human,' she said. READ MORE: I moved to the Gold Coast and there are so many things that would freak Americans out Advertisement An American woman has revealed the biggest culture shock she has encountered after packing her bags and moving to Australia Many Australians responded to her video by agreeing that time off work was more accepted Down Under. 'In Australia, we apply for annual leave first and if it's declined then we call in sick for those days,' one joked. 'I've actually been asked to take annual leave on so many occasions,' another said. 'I called in sick three days ago because I had a bad dream and was not in the mood. All my co-workers were wishing me a speedy recovery,' a woman shared. But not everyone had the best experiences with employers in Australia. 'Not all Aussie companies are as accommodating, I worked for a toxic place that made us feel guilty for being sick,' a man shared. 'It definitely depends on the industry,' another said. 'Hospitality and retail can be very toxic with taking time off.' 'I work in retail and someone requested annual leave over a year in advanced for a wedding and got declined,' a woman revealed. 'I'm Australian and I just moved to admin after ten years in hospitality,' one shared. 'This is the first job I've ever felt like I'm "allowed" to take time off.' One million NHS appointments have now been cancelled due to 'damaging and demoralising' strikes, figures are expected to confirm today. A walk-out by junior doctors and consultants in England last week is thought to have seen more than 100,000 consultations postponed. The toll will add to the 885,000 appointments already axed since unions began their crusade for better pay last December. Health chiefs say the reality will be much worse than official figures show given that trusts pre-emptively stopped booking appointments on strike days. NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, warned bosses are 'incredibly worried' of the threat of strikes continuing into the winter, when ailing hospitals are under huge pressure with the threat of seasonal illnesses. Official data released today shows strikes by consultants and junior doctors last week including a joint one-day walkout meant 133,494 routine procedures and appointments had to be rescheduled. It takes the total number of appointments cancelled to 1,018,648 NHS Consultants carry placards as they strike at a picket outside the University College Hospital in London on 19 September Consultants who earn six-figure salaries, on average took to picket lines for 48 hours last week, overlapping with junior doctors who staged a 72-hour walkout. This left patients with 'Christmas Day' cover in hospitals, with emergency units staffed and a basic level of cover on wards. Further joint action by both groups of medics is planned next week. As a result, health leaders have told patients to expect five 'Christmas Days' in the coming weeks due to further strikes. Most non-emergency care has been cancelled on these dates, despite efforts to tackle a record backlog that built up during Covid. So far this year, junior doctors have staged 22 days of strike action, with consultants taking to the picket lines on six separate days. READ MORE: I'm a cancer patient whose operation has been cancelled because of NHS walkouts. I think it's a scandal that doctors can strike Monika Schiffer was diagnosed with breast cancer on both sides earlier this year in January and endured six rounds of chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumours Advertisement Many routine hospital appointments and treatments, including cancer care, have been postponed as a result of industrial action, which is being coordinated by the British Medical Association (BMA). The union argues that the medics' pay has been eroded over the last 15 years. It has demanded a 35 per cent pay uplift, while consultants, who are in the top two per cent of earners in the country, set their pay demand at 11 per cent. However, the Government said their pay offer which is worth between six and 10 per cent, depending on the staff group and their level of experience is final. Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said: 'How bad does it have to get before we see an end to these damaging and demoralising industrial disputes? 'The immediate concern has to be with patients more than a million and counting whose care or treatment has been delayed. 'Trust leaders understand only too well the distress this can bring them and their loved ones. Every effort has been made to mitigate the impact of successive strikes but the rising disruption figures tell only a small part of the story. 'With the official tally of figures capturing those procedures and appointments that we know are rescheduled, thousands more patients will be affected because trusts are simply not booking in care for strike days known well in advance. 'Behind every delay there is a real and human cost. How many more reasons are needed for an end to the dispute?' Monika Schiffer, a cancer patient from Bournemouth, told MailOnline that her double mastectomy had been cancelled due to strikes. She said: 'I think it's a scandal that the NHS is allowed to strike. I would ban all emergency services police, fire brigade and the NHS [from taking industrial action]. They play with people's lives.' Meanwhile, a mother told how she feared that her daughter could lose her eyesight after her vital eye surgery was cancelled for a third time due to NHS strikes. Patsi Whelan Archer said her daughter was last week due to undergo an operation to treat cataracts in both of her eyes and replace the battery in a potentially life-saving anti-seizure device. But it was cancelled due to action by junior doctors. And Fiona Chapman, from Wadebridge, Cornwall, said her husband had has procedure for crippling migraines cancelled twice due to strikes by NHS medics. Ms Cordery told Sky News that resolving the dispute will help to bring down the waiting list. She said: 'I think the critical thing here is that it's absolutely in the Government's gift and the union's gift to come round the table, have the conversations and resolve the strike action. 'If we resolve the strike action, then we will be in a position where we can start to bring down the waiting list. Pictured: NHS consultants and junior doctors carry placards as they strike outside St Thomas' hospital in London on September 20 Consultants in England have taken to the picket lines on four separate days so far this summer, while junior doctors have staged 19 days of strike action this year. Both will return to the picket lines together on October, 2, 3 and 4. Radiographers are also set to join medics by walking out for 24 hours from 8am on October 3 'Because we know that hospital trusts and other healthcare organisations are working at double speed, when they can, in order to get people through, have their appointments, have their operations and resolve their situations.' Asked about the possibility of strikes rolling into winter, she added: '[We are] incredibly worried if we see industrial action continuing into the winter. 'We know that winter is a hugely difficult time. It's become more difficult because of the risk of Covid and outbreaks of Covid alongside flu and other respiratory conditions being exacerbated by the weather. 'But then if we put industrial action on top of this, particularly the industrial action that we saw last week, which was junior doctors and consultants striking together, then we know we're in for a really tough time and what we know is that patients and staff and the public deserve more.' Professor Phil Banfield, council chairman of the BMA, said the union is 'extremely sorry that it has come to this' but said strikes are necessary to ensure there are 'trained doctors around to care for all patients in the future'. READ MORE: NHS strikes see man's life-changing op cancelled TWICE - as wife reveals third could be called off due to walkouts Ms Chapman, whose husband (left) can no longer work due to his severe pain, was told by doctors that they hope to operate in October but has been warned that further walkouts by NHS staff could trigger further delays Advertisement He said: 'It is doctors, with their skills and expertise, who have continued treating patients despite years of relative pay erosion, a pandemic that was a brutal experience for doctors, nurses and other carers - as well as so many families - and the challenges of dealing with the worst waiting lists in the NHS's history which have impacted patient care across the last decade and more. 'It is the Government that chooses not to acknowledge the cost and value of medical care - it is in their hands to safeguard the retention and recruitment of doctors in the NHS for years to come. 'The longer the Government buries its head in the sand, the more both strikes and waiting lists cost the public purse. 'It's a no-brainer to invest in the future of the NHS workforce rather than waste further money refusing to pitch a credible pay offer. 'Our door has been open for over a year and we hope for the sake of our patients that the Government eventually listens.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'The co-ordinated action next week will create further unacceptable disruption for patients and fellow NHS staff. 'We accepted the independent pay review body's recommendations in full, meaning doctors who started their hospital training this year are receiving a 10.3 per cent pay increase, with the average junior doctor getting 8.8 per cent. 'Consultants are receiving a 6 per cent pay rise and are already in the top 2 per cent of earners in the country. 'This pay award is final, and the majority of unions representing over one million other NHS workers have accepted our offer and called off further strike action. 'The Health and Social Care Secretary is clear his door is open to discuss non-pay issues if the BMA call an end to this damaging disruption.' A woman who thought she'd been spiked while on a hen do night out was shocked to discover she had actually had a stroke. Joanna Whitelaw, from Edinburgh, was celebrating in her hometown in May when she felt her body 'suddenly go numb' and her vision blurred. The 27-year-old was rushed out of the bar by friends who feared her drink had been spiked and called her boyfriend to take her home. But after the vision in her right eye failed to return the next day she grew concerned and took herself to A&E. It was only after three CT scans and an MRI that medics at the city's Royal Infirmary discovered she had suffered a stroke. Joanna Whitelaw, from Edinburgh , was celebrating in her hometown earlier this year in May when she felt her body 'suddenly go numb' and her vision blurred. The 27-year-old was rushed out of the bar by friends who feared her drink had been spiked and called her boyfriend to take her home. But after the vision in her right eye failed to return the next day she grew concerned and took herself to A&E It was only after three CT scans and an MRI that medics at the Royal Infirmary, in Edinburgh discovered she had suffered a stroke. Further tests also revealed it had been caused by an undiagnosed hole in her heart and she was scheduled for surgery She alerted her friends after suddenly feeling 'really strange' while celebrating at the bar, Fingers, in the city centre. Ms Whitelaw, an administrator for private investors, said: 'The lights were flashing and thought it was playing tricks on my eyes.' Pictured, Ms Whitelaw (left) with bride-to-be Carrie Further tests also revealed she had an undiagnosed hole in her heart and she was scheduled for surgery. Recalling her ordeal, Ms Whitelaw said: 'I was having the best night playing games and have a good time with friends. 'It was until I was in the club, and I didn't feel right and thought I'd been spiked. 'I'm an otherwise fit and healthy person I got to the gym and run regularly. 'I've never had any other symptoms, so it came as a huge shock.' How can FAST save you during a stroke? The main symptoms of stroke can be remembered with the word F.A.S.T. This will help you more quickly identify someone having a stroke. Face: the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped. Arms: the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm. Speech: their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake. Time: it's time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms. Source: NHS Advertisement She alerted her friends after suddenly feeling 'really strange' while celebrating at the bar, Fingers, in the city centre. Ms Whitelaw, an administrator for private investors, said: 'The lights were flashing and thought it was playing tricks on my eyes. 'I told my friends and when we got outside, one whole side of my body felt numb. 'I couldn't feel my bag on my shoulder and kept asking if it was there.' She added: 'I told my friend I was seeing two of her. 'We all worried I had been spiked and they got me home as soon as possible.' But after waking up the next day she thought 'the feeling had come back' on her right side so 'went about her day', even walking to the shops. However, as the day progressed her peripheral vision in her right eye failed to return and she attended A&E. Initially, doctors were unable to pinpoint the cause of her symptoms after three CT scans failed to find a trigger. But she was admitted to the stoke ward, suspecting she had suffered one. It was only after results of a follow-up MRI scan showed a blood clot in the brain that medics could confirm she had suffered a stroke on the left side of her brain. She said: 'I exercised six times a week, I never smoked and don't particularly drink. 'I had no trigger signs or warning leading up to it.' More than 100,000 strokes occur in Britain every year, killing almost 40,000 people making it the UK's fourth biggest killer and a leading cause of disability. Almost 800,000 people in the US are struck down each year, with 137,000 dying. Age, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and diabetes are all known to increase the risk of stroke. Another risk factor is family history of the condition. It occurs when a vessel is either blocked or bursts cutting off blood supply to parts of the brain. Ms Whitelaw was discharged after a three day hospital stay but returned at the end of the month for a check-up and follow up scans. Initially, doctors were unable to pinpoint the cause of her symptoms after three CT scans failed to find a trigger. But she was admitted to the stoke ward, suspecting she had suffered one. It was only after results of an MRI scan showed a blood clot in the brain, that medics could confirm she had suffered a stroke on the left side of her brain Stroke symptoms are commonly remembered under this four-letter acronym, FAST. Patients experiencing a stroke can often have their face drop on one side, struggle to lift both arms and have slurred speech, while time is essential, as immediate treatment for a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke can substantially slash the risk of a much deadlier major stroke Other - just as common - tell-tale signs of a looming stroke, often fall under the radar. These include sudden numbness on one side of the body, sudden vertigo and difficulty swallowing During an echocardiogram a heart scan doctors discovered a hole her heart. It can raise the risk of a stroke, experts say. 'I most likely had it from birth, and it showed no symptoms until now.' Just days later she underwent an operation to close the hole in her heart and has since undergone one session of physiotherapy. She was due to travel abroad with the same group of hens for a holiday but was unable to fly around the time of surgery. She said: 'Doctors told me that between three and six months after a stroke is the hardest, and it will gradually get better. 'I still haven't regained all of the feeling back. I'm having to re-learn things like going to the gym.' She added: 'I'm really lucky I had lots of support around me. I just want to make people aware of the symptoms. 'I thought it was being spiked and the next day, I still didn't suspect a stroke. 'Hopefully it can help other people get medical help quickly.' A PT was left with a weight plate stuck on his penis and in excruitiating pain after a bizarre attempt to make his member bigger went horribly wrong. The 24-year-old, from India, assumed he could 'transform' his manhood in the same way as his biceps and quads. As part of his DIY method, he inserted his flaccid penis through the hole of the metal plate weighing roughly 3kg (6.6lbs). The man, who wasn't identified by doctors who shared his unusual case, proceeded to stimulate himself to try to lift it with his erect penis. The 24-year-old, from India , assumed he could 'transform' his manhood in the same way as his biceps and quads He 'ignored' the 'mild' pain and swelling he felt soon after his attempt began. Instead of quitting, he continued in 'excitement', according to an account published by medics in the journal Urology Case Reports. Dr Jaisukh Kalathia, of the Fortune Urology Clinic in Gujarat, and team wrote: 'After sometime, when intensity of pain and swelling increased in penis, he tried to remove the weight plate but couldn't do so. 'He panicked and decided to visit the doctor.' The man, who went to hospital two hours after placing the weight on his penis, was accompanied by unnamed relatives. Urologists described his penis as being 'incarcerated' and shared gruesome pictures of it swollen. Attempts to slide the plate off with a painkilling gel were unsuccessful, as were drug and initial surgical efforts to reduce the swelling. Surgeons were eventually able to slide the plate off by trying another method to relieve his swelling. He was discharged the next day. Penile incarceration, sometimes called strangulation, is a medical emergency. It typically occurs in patients with mental disorders or who attempt to get sexually aroused. People have used different methods, such as tape, plastic bottles, rings and keyrings to carry out the act. Doctors have to release the penis from the constricting object urgently to preserve blood vessels and body tissue. Penis amputation is required in the most severe cases. A newborn has been nicknamed 'baby hulk' after a rare condition caused her arms and chest to become ultra swole. Armani Milby, from Campbellsville, Kentucky, has a severe form of lymphangioma, a condition that causes benign tumors to grow in the lymphatic vessels, tube-like structures that carry fluid around the body. The swelling has caused her upper torso and arms to become disproportionately bulky compared to the rest of her body. Armani's mother Chelsey, 33, gave her daughter the affectionate nickname 'mini Hulk' when she was born because she looked 'like a mini bodybuilder'. Armani Milby, from Campbellsville, Kentucky, was born with a condition that gave her swollen arms and legs. Her mother Chelsey has nicknamed her 'mini Hulk' Baby Armani, pictured, spent the first three months of her life in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the hospital. She is pictured above shortly after being born with her mother Armani spent the first three months of her life in the hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she received specialist treatment to drain excess fluid from her arms. She is now scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the excess lymph vessels to help reduce her arms and chest to a normal size. She will also need further surgery to remove any excess skin left on her body. Now that some fluid has been drained from her arms, however, her mother has switched to calling her 'squishy'. 'Now she's squishy,' Ms Milby said, 'I just call her my little squishy baby. She's doing very well.' Her daughter's condition, which can be caused by genetics or hormone problems, was diagnosed at week 17 of pregnancy. Armani weighed 12lbs when she was born and made her mother look so large when she was pregnant that strangers would ask if she was having triplets. Doctors gave Armani a 'zero percent' chance of survival, Ms Milby said, but the infant cried as soon as she was born via C-section at 33 weeks and has been fighting ever since. Ms Milby, who has two other children, said she was left in tears after the news saying she didn't understand why her baby had the condition. Lymphangioma is when fluid-filled bumps, or cysts, form under the skin because the lymph vessels overgrow and stop draining fluid from the body. The condition is rare, affecting about one in 4,000 children, and is normally diagnosed at birth or within the first few years of childhood. Swelling is common in the head and neck area because these areas have a relatively high concentration of lymph vessels compared to other parts of the body. But they can also appear in other places like the chest and arms. Of those diagnosed with the condition in the womb, doctors say only 22 percent survive. Doctors said Armani wouldn't make it, but she was born via C-section at 33 weeks and started crying immediately. She has now received treatment to drain some of the fluid from her body In surgery, doctors will cut out the abnormal lymphatic tissue in order to boost fluid drainage from the body and to stop the liquid from collecting. Patients may also receive a procedure called Sclerotherapy where a special medication is injected into the body that causes irritation and scarring to the abnormal lymphatic tissue, leading it to shrink and collapse. Ms Milby said: 'I had never, ever, heard of the diagnosis before and honestly, I had looked into it, and I didn't really like the results with some of the pictures. 'When I found out, to be honest, I was devastated, I was heartbroken. I didn't understand what happened, what went wrong, because I had two other healthy babies, and I cried every day. Every day, I asked God why.' But describing her daughter now, she said: 'She has a lot of extra skin. It'll all go away, and she'll be the normal-looking baby. She'll just have significant scarring from the surgeries and everything. 'She got lucky. She's not deformed or anything like that. I've actually seen some cases where they have and God bless them kids, they're fighters. 'She's happy. She hardly ever cries unless she wants to be held. We're trying to do everything for this baby and give her the best life possible. 'She finally rolled over and she's trying to say "momma", I'm pretty sure, she's getting really close. 'She's doing wonderful. She literally is my miracle baby, and we just love her so much.' The baby has a condition called lymphangioma, which has caused her arms and chest to swell because of a build-up of fluid. This is caused by an overgrowth of the lymph vessels, responsible for draining fluid, causing them not to drain fluid properly Armani is pictured above with her mother Chelsey and father Blake. Her mother said she looks like a mini-bodybuilder Describing the pregnancy, Ms Milby said: 'My body was shutting down. Something was telling me it was time to get her out. I was almost 200 pounds, and my health was getting really bad. 'I suffered every day; I could never sleep. I was extremely sick. 'That's why I had them take her at 33 weeks because my body was shutting down and it was getting harder every day to live life and actually breathe because I was so uncomfortable as I had to keep getting fluid drained out of my stomach. 'To everyone's surprise, she came out crying and everybody in the room was emotional. No one knew what was going to happen. It's a very magical story.' For her father, Blake, who was not allowed in the delivery room, the process was hard. He said: 'I remember sitting outside in the hallway, they took me back there for the delivery and while they're in there giving her an epidural, I was out there pacing the hall, just praying. The operation was far from easy for Ms Milby, who suffered a panic attack soon after they started, but she said it was all worth it when she saw her baby's face. She said: 'They had to give me something to calm me down because I was having a panic attack. I was screaming and crying. 'I was just a wreck, it was horrible. 'In the back of our minds, we were both wondering what was going to happen. However, she just shocked us all and proved everyone wrong. 'When I actually saw her, I cried even more because I had never seen anything like that but I didn't care what she looked like, I loved her anyway. 'I had never seen anyone look like that before so I was just shocked to be honest, but grateful at the same time.' After being born, Armani and her family were moved more than 100 miles away to Cincinnati for three months to be admitted to a specialist hospital where the baby began to make her recovery. Ms Milby said: 'I battled postpartum depression really bad, and I had to push that away to try to be the strongest person I could be for her and for my other two kids. 'It's been a rollercoaster ride. It really has been a rollercoaster ride and every day, I struggle a little bit.' Armani is scheduled for surgery later this year where doctors will remove extra lymphatic vessels and over the coming years, she will need to undergo surgery to remove the extra skin. Most online marijuana dispensaries in the US lack proper age verification features, a study has warned. But researchers in New York City found only half of popular online stores require Government ID and others only ask for self-reported birth dates. Around one in five offer delivery across state lines, even when the recipient lived in a state where cannabis was illegal. Writing in the paper, the authors said: 'Pediatricians and caregivers must be aware of the widespread availability of online dispensaries and potential dissemination of marijuana to minors.' The link between recreational marijuana use and alcohol consumption in recent years has been most significant among younger adults 18 to 24 Writing in the paper, they authors said: 'Pediatricians and caregivers must be aware of the widespread availability of online dispensaries and potential dissemination of marijuana to minors' (stock image) It comes despite scientists warning of the potential harms to adolescents and young adults, saying it can impair brain development, harm academic performance and be a gateway drug to stronger substances. Dr Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), has previously told DailyMail.com young people should avoid the drug completely until their brains have fully developed. Surveys suggest six percent of 12th graders use marijuana daily. For the new study, published today in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers from Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York searched online to find digital cannabis dispensaries. They used Google search terms such as 'buy marijuana online' and 'order weed online' to find the most popular dispensaries. Each website was then analyzed for age restrictions on viewing products and making a purchase. The study was carried out from April to June this year. Of the eighty online dispensaries based in 32 states they identified, researchers said government-issued ID for age verification was only required by 40 of them. Eight relied on self-reported birthdates, while one each used an age-checker website or address proving residency. Three used a selfie photo to confirm someone's age. The scientists said 15 sites made no formal attempt to verify someone's age while they were purchasing marijuana. Out of the sites, fifty were also selling edibles in colorful packaging, which the researchers warned could be attractive to minors. In the past, doctors have warned they have also found packaging disguising edibles as similar to Doritos or Gushers helping to make them attractive to children. The names of the sites were not revealed, but at least one was based in a state where the sale of weed is not legal North Carolina. The above shows cannabis use across American states. Twenty-one states and DC have legalized it for recreational use in addition to medicinal use, while nearly all now allow it to be used for medicinal purposes The researchers, led by pediatrician Ananya Terala, wrote in the paper: 'This cross-sectional study found that most online marijuana dispensaries lacked adequate age verification features and most accepted nontraceable payment methods, enabling youth to hide their transactions. 'Despite regulations, availability of marijuana products remains seemingly high, exacerbated by potential shipment across state lines. 'It is imperative to require strict age verification procedures prior to cannabis purchases online and to establish stringent surveillance of online marijuana dispensaries to protect youth. Most recently in June, Minnesota became the 24th state to legalize marijuana for recreational use for those over 21 years old. The law will come into effect next year. But there are now signs of pushback nationwide with Oklahoma, North and South Dakota and Arkansas all rejecting legalizing the drug within the last year. Only six states ban the drug outright. Parents have been coming forward in states where the drug has received the green light to warn it is nothing like the 'Woodstock weed' used in the 1980s hippy movement and is now much stronger. It comes amid reports the legal marijuana industry is on the 'verge of collapse' after being hamstrung by high prices and a thriving illicit pot market. Sarcoidosis is an immune system condition that most often afflicts the lungs Grammy award-winning rapper Krayzie Bone was rushed to the hospital after coughing up blood last week and is now fighting for his life on a ventilator. The rapper, famous for making up one-fifth of the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony underwent a chest X-ray which revealed a leak from an artery into his lung, which is believed to stem from his long battle against a condition called sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a condition of the immune system that can affect any organ but most often afflicts the lungs and lymph nodes. It causes the immune system to overreact to a foreign invader, building up clumps of immune cells that get lodged in the bodys tissues and cause inflammation. The clumps of immune cells, known as granulomas, can heal on their own, but they can also lead to scarred lung tissue that becomes stiff and inflamed, raising the risk of long-lasting breathing problems and strain on the heart. Below, DailyMail.com answers questions about sarcoidosis, how it damages the lungs, and what could cause it. Details: Bone Thugs-n-Harmony artist Krayzie Bone, 50, was hospitalized in Los Angeles Friday after coughing up blood, sources told AllHipHop Sarcoidosis often does not cause any symptoms and will resolve on its own. But if it advances without treatment, it could lead to permanent lung tissue scarring, which hardens blood vessels responsible for carrying blood from the heart to the lungs What is sarcoidosis? Granuloma can affect any organ system in the body, but in Mr Hendersons case, it has caused damage to his lungs. The bleeding into air sacs in one of his lungs, which can cause a patient to cough up blood, is likely a result of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. Mr Henderson underwent emergency surgery to repair the leaky artery but the bleeding has persisted. Mr Henderson is now sedated and on a ventilator. Sarcoidosis is considered rare per the Food and Drug Administration with fewer than 200,000 cases at any given time in the US. Its the same disease that took the life of comedian Bernie Mac in 2008. While it is not an autoimmune disorder, the condition does prompt an aggressive immune response to an unknown trigger, usually an infection or environmental pollutant. The immune response includes a buildup of specific immune cells called T cells. Along with another type of cells called macrophages, they make up the granulomas in lung tissue. Over time the tissue becomes inflamed and hardened from scarring. That buildup of scar tissue can lead to the narrowing of blood vessels that have to take the same normal blood flow pressure, a complication known as pulmonary hypertension. This places strain on the right side of the heart which then has to work overtime to pump blood to the lungs, making it harder to breathe. It also leads to severe fatigue in 70 percent of patients. What are the symptoms? Most people with sarcoidosis wont even know it. Between 40 and 70 percent of patients will experience symptoms, though. In nearly 70 percent of cases, patients have a dry cough that wont go away, while around a third struggle to breathe, and over a fifth experience chest pain. Mr Henderson first went to the hospital on Friday after coughing up blood. While the details of his medical conditions have not been made public, this symptom could indicate that tiny air sacs in his lung have filled with blood, a life-threatening syndrome called diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. His sarcoidosis diagnosis was revealed in 2016 when he revealed he suffered an intense case of pneumonia due to the medications weakening his immune system. The pneumonia forced him to cancel tour dates in Canada. In addition to causing symptoms similar to those of a common respiratory infection, sarcoidosis can cause joint and bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, unexplained weight loss, kidney stones, and night sweats. How severe is it? Most people with sarcoidosis who have had it for three years or more are likely to have chronic disease, leading to permanent damage to the organs in 10 to 20 percent of cases. Only about five percent of sarcoidosis patients die, but those who do often experience bleeding from lung tissue, lung scarring, and heart failure if the particular case involves disruptions to the hearts electrical system. High blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, or pulmonary hypertension, is a potentially severe complication. The arteries are a type of blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygenation, which means it primarily affects the right side of the heart. When Mr Henderson went to the hospital, doctors identified the leak and immediately rushed him to surgery in order to surgically close the breach in the artery causing the bleeding. Doctors performed the surgery, which can entail suturing the hole in the artery shut or placing a patch over it, but it did not stop the bleeding. While the severity of Mr Hendersons condition remains under wraps, he is currently unconscious and hooked up to a breathing machine. What causes it? The exact cause of pulmonary sarcoidosis is unknown, but scientists believe an external pathogen such as a virus or environmental pollutants such as chemicals in the air could trigger the disease. There is also evidence of a genetic basis. Having at least one first-degree relative with sarcoidosis was associated with a 3.7-fold increase in the risk of sarcoidosis, according to a study in the European Respiratory Journal. In addition to having more than one possible cause, there are several factors that raise a persons risk of getting sarcoidosis. Among African Americans, the most affected group in the US, the estimated lifetime risk of developing sarcoidosis could be as high as 2 percent. Counterintuitively, some research has shown a reduced risk of sarcoidosis associated with smoking. A 2016 study in the journal Respiratory Medicine found that people who currently smoke had a lower risk of developing sarcoidosis compared to those who had never smoked. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota conducted a study of 345 people with sarcoidosis and 345 healthy people. The odds of developing sarcoidosis for current smokers were approximately 66 percent lower than for people who had never smoked. And even when considering both never-smokers and former smokers together, current smokers had a 62 percent reduced risk of sarcoidosis. Still, the extent to which smoking influences the risk of being diagnosed with sarcoidosis depends on each individual patient, with one study in the journal Scientific Reports finding that the way genetics and smoking interact can affect whether a person will get sarcoidosis. That finding suggested that genetics or smoking in and of themselves do not determine whether a person will get sarcoidosis. Rather, its both factors combined that determine the risk. How is it diagnosed? Imaging tests such as X-rays and CT scans are the most common ways to go about diagnosing someone with sarcoidosis. In Mr Hendersons case, doctors ordered a CT scan which uses computers and rotating X-ray machines to give a detailed view of specific parts of the body. Doctors likely will also conduct noninvasive tests that measure lung function, blood and urine tests to show how well other organs are working, and an electrocardiogram to check the hearts electrical activity. How is it treated? Treatment for sarcoidosis is primarily aimed at preventing organ damage and reduce inflammation. Often this requires patients to take immune system-suppressing drugs. Corticosteroids reduce lung inflammation by suppressing the immune system and blocking the production of substances in the body such as cytokines that are known to inflame tissue. We spend a lot on over-the-counter cold and flu remedies more than 250 million a year in the UK alone to tackle the misery of blocked noses, tickly coughs and sore throats. But could we be wasting our money? A ruling earlier this month by a panel of special advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which oversees the use of medicines in the U.S. has sent shockwaves through the multi-million-pound cold and flu product industry on both sides of the Atlantic. After reviewing years of data on the effectiveness of popular brands, the 16-strong panel ruled that phenylephrine a key ingredient in most types of oral decongestants sold over the counter in the UK is no better than a placebo when it comes to clearing stuffy noses and improving breathing. They concluded that taking the drug orally, which is the most common approach, means not enough reaches the nose to have a meaningful effect, as so much of it gets 'lost' on the journey from the stomach to the nose. We spend a lot on over-the-counter cold and flu remedies more than 250 million a year in the UK alone to tackle the misery of blocked noses, tickly coughs and sore throats (Stock Image) In nasal spray form, the reviewers said that phenylephrine does seem to work, as almost all the active medicine lands where it is needed. Phenylephrine eases nasal congestion by temporarily shrinking the tiny blood vessels that sit inside the nostrils, making more space for air to pass through. But as one member of the panel told reporters, the evidence was 'pretty compelling that this medication is not effective' when taken orally. At the moment phenylephrine is designated by the FDA to be 'effective', but this may now have to be revoked. If the FDA agrees with the advisory panel's ruling (its decision is expected within months), it may ban its use in tablets and capsules, potentially forcing manufacturers to pull their products from pharmacy shelves. Following the FDA panel's announcement, the UK drugs watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA), said consumers can 'continue to use products made with phenylephrine as directed'. But some experts are predicting that a ban in the U.S. will lead to supermarket shelves here also being stripped of oral medications that contain phenylephrine (as well as cold and flu remedies, it is found in some tablets for sinusitis and allergy- related stuffiness). 'Almost all oral decongestant products on sale here contain phenylephrine,' says Professor Ron Eccles, who ran the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University before retiring from the university in 2017. 'If the FDA ban it and I think it will it could have a big effect on the UK, where sales of these products are worth hundreds of millions of pounds.' But manufacturers are not just having to consider reformulating or removing their products; some are now facing possible legal action in the U.S. on the basis of the advisory panel ruling. A class-action lawsuit claims the companies knew their decongestant products did not work as advertised and caused consumers to waste money on ineffective products and, given the lack of benefit, unnecessarily exposed them to the potential side-effects of the drug, which can include headaches, insomnia and (at high doses) high blood pressure. Adam Levitt, one of the U.S. lawyers handling the case, told reporters earlier this month: 'There is a serious problem when a decongestant doesn't 'decongest'. In nasal spray form, the reviewers said that phenylephrine does seem to work, as almost all the active medicine lands where it is needed (Stock Image) 'This is a prime example of how the pharmaceutical industry makes billions by knowingly selling questionable products to consumers who are suffering from specific ailments.' Professor Eccles says manufacturers of cold and flu remedies made with phenylephrine are now frantically looking for alternative ingredients in anticipation of future UK restrictions on its use in oral formulations. 'Some of them have been asking me what they can use as a replacement and I'm having to tell them there isn't anything suitable, now or in the research pipeline,' he says. Phenylephrine was developed nearly a century ago and has become the mainstay of top-selling oral brands such as Lemsip, Boots Max Strength Sinus Pressure & Pain Relief Capsules and Superdrug Max Congestion Relief Capsules. Its use boomed after products made with a more effective rival ingredient pseudoephedrine were removed from shelves in the UK in 2008 to prevent criminals turning it into the illegal drug crystal meth. Phenylephrine cannot be turned into crystal meth. Once pseudoephedrine medicines were removed from open shelves and made pharmacy-only (where you have to ask the pharmacist for it before you can buy it), use of phenylephrine in over-the-counter brands soared. But if phenylephrine is ineffective taken orally, how did it come to be licensed for this type of use? Some of the experts who have lobbied the FDA to pull it from the market had gone through the data used for the drug's approval in the 1970s and found some of the information submitted had not been peer-reviewed (where experts in the field scrutinise it first). Furthermore, when the data was run through modern software to analyse its accuracy, the results suggested phenylephrine was no better than a placebo. Concerns about the drug were first put to the U.S. drug authorities 30 years ago. But when the FDA reviewed the evidence in 2005, it judged the drug to be 'weakly active' and, therefore, still worthy of approval. This isn't the first time questions have been raised about over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. In 2014, a major review by the highly respected Cochrane organisation a UK body which scrutinises the evidence for the effectiveness of medicines found there was 'no good evidence for or against' the use of over-the-counter cough medicines sold here. HOW EXPERTS TREAT THEMSELVES Professor Ron Eccles, former director of the Common Cold Research Centre at Cardiff University, says: 'I use a nasal decongestant spray containing xylometazoline or oxymetazoline, as they work within minutes and the effects last for up to ten hours.' Professor Penny Ward, a visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King's College London, says: 'I usually struggle through without taking anything, as medication only treats the symptoms, not the virus itself. But I might sometimes take a Lemsip at night to relieve the symptoms and for comfort so I can sleep.' Professor Andrew Easton, a virologist at the University of Warwick, says: 'I take over-the-counter products such as Beechams powders or similar if my symptoms are quite bad.' Advertisement After trawling through data from 29 trials, it concluded: 'This lack of evidence of effectiveness brings into question how these products can continue to be promoted using language that implies that their effectiveness is not in doubt.' But as this research was simply adding to the evidence for and against cough medicine's use, rather than a regulatory investigation, no action was taken. A separate review in 2017 by the American Chemical Society reached a similar conclusion finding that most cough syrups were no better than a placebo. If some remedies are ineffective, consumer choice has been further limited by safety concerns relating to products containing pholcodine. This March, the MHRA ordered that around 20 over-the-counter cough medicines including Day and Night Nurse and Boots Day Cold And Flu Relief should be withdrawn from the market following an investigation that revealed pholcodine (an opioid-based ingredient that suppresses coughs by interrupting the nerve signals that trigger coughing) increased the risk of having a life-threatening allergic reaction to a general anaesthetic. Anyone who had taken cough syrup made with pholcodine in the 12 months before an operation was at risk, the MHRA warned. And though it stressed that such reactions were incredibly rare (affecting only around one in 10,000 procedures), the products have now been withdrawn from the market in the UK and Europe. Ointment-based remedies may also not be as effective as consumers believe. Research looking at products made with plant-based ingredients such as menthol, eucalyptus oil and camphor shows mixed results. So while Vicks VapoRub contains both eucalyptus and camphor (the UK website says: 'When you have a cold, turn to Vicks VapoRub ointment to relieve your blocked nose, sore throat and cough due to colds'), the evidence suggests that although such ingredients may make people feel better, they have no measurable benefit on nasal congestion. A 2022 study by Cardiff University, published in the journal Drugs in Context, pooled results from dozens of earlier investigations and found the rub-on remedies 'did not improve nasal airway measures', though they did help people sleep, which made them feel a bit better. The Proprietary Association of Great Britain, which represents companies making over-the-counter medicines, insists patients should not be concerned by the recent report on decongestants. Michelle Riddalls, its chief executive, said in a statement: 'This is not a safety issue, and the products on the market in the UK containing phenylephrine are combined with other active ingredients to give the best possible symptom relief.' Most High Street products do indeed mix decongestants with a range of other ingredients, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to bring down temperature and banish aches and pains; or caffeine to combat drowsiness. The attraction is that they provide all-in-one symptom relief in a single product. But leaving aside whether they actually work in terms of clearing the airways, is a combination pill the safest way to take them? 'Quite often with nasal congestion, people also get painful blocked sinuses and headaches,' says Professor Peter Openshaw, an expert in respiratory viral infections based at Imperial College London. 'Paracetamol is an appropriate treatment for that, as is ibuprofen, which can also bring your fever down. But I would always recommend taking these separately rather than in a combination treatment to be sure you are sticking to dosing guidelines.' Under NHS guidelines an adult should take no more than eight 500mg paracetamol tablets in 24 hours (a total of 4,000mg). A 20ml serving of Lemsip Max All in One Liquid, by comparison, contains 1,000mg of paracetamol. A 2022 study by Cardiff University, published in the journal Drugs in Context, pooled results from dozens of earlier investigations and found the rub-on remedies 'did not improve nasal airway measures', though they did help people sleep, which made them feel a bit better (Stock Image) As it can be taken up to four times a day, this gives a total paracetamol intake of 4,000mg i.e. the maximum safe daily allowance. The worry is that some patients might not realise how much of the painkiller is in these products and may take extra paracetamol tablets in between doses, says Professor Openshaw. 'With these combined treatments, it's easy to lose track of exactly how much you are taking, and that means there is the potential to overdose on paracetamol, for example, which could lead to liver damage. It's much safer if you know exactly how much you are taking.' Studies show there are up to 90,000 cases of paracetamol overdose in the UK each year with 150 to 250 deaths. The British Liver Trust website says: 'A lot of cold and flu remedies you can buy from a pharmacy contain paracetamol. So it is possible to accidentally take too much by taking different medicines together.' When it comes to nasal congestion, Professor Openshaw recommends over-the-counter sprays. These will not necessarily contain phenylephrine: some are made with other active drugs, such as xylometazoline (used, for example, in Sudafed blocked nose spray) or oxymetazoline (found in Vicks Sinex Soother Nasal Spray). However, using them for too long can make congestion worse by triggering rhinitis medicamentosa a blocked nose (often called a rebound effect) caused by the medicine itself. READ MORE: Is YOUR favourite cold and flu remedy now banned in Britain? Full list of all 20 products affected by recall Advertisement 'Although the sprays do shrink blood vessels in the lining of the nose and help you breathe more easily, the lining quickly becomes more reactive and almost addicted to the medication you have to use more of it to suppress the inflammation,' explains Professor Openshaw. 'Personally, I would not use a decongestant spray for more than three days in a row to reduce the risk of this happening. 'One useful suggestion I have seen elsewhere is to limit exposure to the spray by squirting it up one nostril at a time, as it's possible to breathe comfortably through one. So maybe squirt it into the left nostril one day and the right one the next to reduce chances of this rebound effect.' Meanwhile, scientists continue to investigate other approaches for tackling colds and flu. Remarkably, given its prevalence, the common cold is one of the few ailments where there are no licensed medicines to tackle the virus itself only the symptoms. Part of the reason for that is that there are more than 200 viruses that can cause a cold. Countless promising candidates have fallen by the wayside. SynGEM, a cold vaccine in the form of a nasal spray developed by scientists at Imperial College London in 2016, generated huge excitement when it first emerged but has since been abandoned as it failed to attract the funding needed to take it to major clinical trials. Currently one of the most promising therapies is a drug called nitazoxanide, which has been found to destroy numerous viruses including those that cause colds when taken as a tablet. It works by blocking a protein called hemagglutinin, which rhinovirus (one of the main cold-causing viruses) needs to replicate. It's currently in phase 3 trials (where the drug is tested on larger groups of people) in the U.S., where volunteers infected with a cold virus are being given a 300mg dose twice a day for five days to see if it shortens the duration of infection. The results are expected later this year. But don't expect a radical breakthrough any day soon, warns Professor Eccles. 'The viruses that cause colds are always rapidly evolving and remain one step ahead of the anti-viral medicines we make so a cure seems a long way off,' he says. 'Compared to the common cold, smallpox was relatively easy to defeat.' Devices and drugs that actually work For years, our go-to decongestant has been pills containing the active ingredient phenylephrine but a panel of experts has advised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration medicines regulator that it is not effective in this form (see main piece). We asked experts to assess the useful alternatives. Contac Non Drowsy Dual Relief 18 tablets, 4.35, lloydspharmacy.com CLAIM: These tablets contain paracetamol and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, which is said to 'clear nasal and sinus congestion'. EXPERT VERDICT: 'This is a good and safe decongestant which has been shown to work for many patients,' says Sultan Dajani, a pharmacist based in Bishopstoke, Hampshire. 'Pseudoephedrine eases nasal congestion by shrinking tiny blood vessels inside the nostrils making more space for air to pass through. It works in a similar way to phenylephrine, but is stronger and has an additional stimulant effect so if you're tired and run down, it'll give you an energy boost (don't take this before bed). 'As with all tablets, some of the dose will be lost as it passes through the gut, but the formulation of pseudoephedrine is such that enough will reach the nasal passages to be effective on congestion. 'The paracetamol here will also help bring down a fever. 'Don't take with other paracetamol-containing products, and check with your doctor first if you have high blood pressure or take heart medication.' Neti Pot Sinus Rinse Kit 11.99, amazon.co.uk CLAIM: You fill the bottle with water, add a salt sachet (this is provided) and shake well. The bottle has an attached tube which you position into a nostril, then pour the water in. By tilting your head sideways, the water drains out the other nostril, bringing any mucus, which may have clogged the sinuses, with it. EXPERT VERDICT: A Cochrane Review in 2018 concluded that nasal rinsing is 'a cheap, safe and acceptable' way to tackle congestion. Thomas Jacques, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Cadogan Clinic in London, agrees: 'This is a safe and effective way to wash away any congestion,' he says. 'We recommend using nasal rinsing for rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, and a lot of our patients find these irrigation kits useful. 'It's a device you can use 'as and when', and it will not interfere with any medications you're taking using it alongside them can give the best possible control.' The bottle has an attached tube which you position into a nostril, then pour the water in. By tilting your head sideways, the water drains out the other nostril, bringing any mucus, which may have clogged the sinuses, with it Sudafed blocked nose spray 15ml, 4.80, tesco.com CLAIM: This contains xylometazoline, to 'unblock your nose fast' using a single spray. Its maker says the effects of each dose last for ten hours. EXPERT VERDICT: 'This spray will help relieve symptoms of nasal congestion associated with the common cold, flu, inflamed sinuses and allergies, thanks to xylometazoline,' says pharmacist Ashley Cohen, from Pharm-Assist, a chemist chain in Leeds. 'This ingredient targets the alpha receptors in the walls of your blood vessels within the nasal passage and sinuses, quickly reducing swelling in this tissue and so relieving congestion. It also decreases mucus production. As it's a nasal spray, it gets absorbed quickly so as soon as you use it you will feel some symptom relief. 'It is good for most patients, but be cautious if you have high blood pressure, and be aware of 'rebound congestion', where prolonged use of a decongestant causes the nasal blood vessels to swell. 'So don't use this spray for more than a week and if symptoms haven't cleared up by then, there may be other factors affecting the sinus such as an infection, so see your doctor or consult a pharmacist.' Beurer SI40 Steam Inhaler 35.95, amazon.co.uk CLAIM: This produces steam that you inhale through an attached mask, to 'open nasal passages, loosen mucus and reduce inflammation'. EXPERT VERDICT: The NHS website says steam inhalation can open up inflamed nasal passages and loosen mucus. It recommends steaming once or twice a day for 10-15 minutes. 'Steam will loosen and soften mucus that's causing congestion, making it drain away better,' says Florian Bast, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS hospitals in London. 'There are not many studies, but those that exist suggest a device like this can improve breathing if we have a blocked nose although they won't reduce the viral load. 'In clinic, we often prescribe steroid nasal sprays [to reduce inflammation] with a device like this for severe rhinitis. I have a similar device which I use if I feel a bit of a cold starting.' But note, while it might loosen mucus, the inhaler won't speed up recovery: a 2017 Cochrane Review concluded that 'there is laboratory evidence that the cold virus may be sensitive to heat but no large-scale clinical trials have tested its [i.e. steam] effectiveness'. Colief Breathe Easy Patch 5.99 for 6 patches, chemist-4-u.com CLAIM: Suitable from age three, these are applied to sleepwear the maker claims that body heat will encourage the release of a eucalyptus and peppermint vapour, which aids 'easy breathing'. EXPERT VERDICT: Scientific research for plant-derived compounds such as menthol, eucalyptus oil and camphor has been mixed. They seem to make people feel better, but don't necessarily have a measurable benefit on nasal congestion. But pharmacist Ashley Cohen says: 'The vapour should have some benefit and would be especially helpful for children. Apply the patch to clothing or bedsheets to reduce potential skin irritation.' P.S. TRY VITAMIN C FOR SHORTENING COLDS VITAMIN C was once thought to be the perfect drug-free way to ward off colds. But studies showed taking it does not actually reduce the odds for most people. However, some evidence suggests it may reduce the duration and severity of the symptoms, according to a 2013 Cochrane Review but only if you take it all the time, rather than just when a cold takes hold. By ADRIAN MONTI Firm said it anticipates third-quarter online net gaming revenue to be down Entain shares nosedived after the firm warned revenues will be weaker than expected this quarter amid tougher regulatory headwinds and slower trade. The FTSE 100 Ladbrokes owner expects a 'high single digit percent' decline in third-quarter online net gaming revenue on a pro-forma basis, it told shareholders on Monday. The Gibraltar-based company also expects group online gaming revenue for the full year to be down by 'low single digit percent' on a pro-forma basis. The FTSE 100 gambling giant revealed that online net gaming revenues for the third quarter and the full-year was expected to fall. Entain shares tumbled by 12.05 per cent to 928.80p in early afternoon trading The business had previously predicted that annual growth would be in the low to mid-single digits. Jette Nygaard-Andersen, CEO of Entain, said: 'We continue to see good underlying growth in our online business and are reiterating our EBITDA guidance for the year despite softer than expected revenue growth in Q3 and the ongoing roll-out of industry-leading safer gambling measures. 'We continue to attract more customers than ever before to enjoy our products and services.' Last week, data revealed that the percentage of online gamblers seeking support for problems related to slot games has almost doubled in the past five years. Of those who disclosed difficulties with online gambling on the National Gambling Helpline last year, 60 per cent cited online slots as one of the main activities they struggled with up from 34 per cent in 2018-19, according to data from the service's operator, GamCare. The findings come as the government consults on introducing maximum stake limits for online slot games. Some 73 per cent of the 5,660 callers to the helpline last year said they had struggled with online gambling. The spotlight on problematic gambling comes as countries around the world, including the UK, place stronger controls on the industry to protect consumers. The British government recently laid out long-awaited plans to crack down on problem gambling with proposals that would see new limits on online stakes, increased affordability checks on customers and a new statutory levy on betting firms to fund research, education and treatment for problem gamblers. Nygaard-Andersen added: 'We have made significant changes to the group over the last three years. Our focus now is on accelerating the actions we are taking to drive sustainable organic growth, expand our margins, capitalise on the US opportunity and deliver long-term returns for our shareholders. 'We remain confident in our ability to deliver on the vast opportunities ahead of us, and look forward to sharing more detail about the changes that we are making alongside our Q3 trading update in November.' ITVX's new true crime documentary will delve into the horrific crimes of one of Britain's most notorious serial killers, Peter Sutcliffe. His crimes shocked the country and led to a five-year manhunt, during which he was only known as The Yorkshire Ripper. Written by George Kay and directed by BAFTA-winning Lewis Arnold, The Long Shadow details the brutal killings of Sutcliffe who took the lives of 13 women. The seven-part series, set to release September 25, draws upon the archive of the investigation, which comprised of hundreds of case files, transcripts and police reports. But who was Peter Sutcliffe? Here is everything you need to know about The Yorkshire Ripper ahead of the ITVX series. An seven-part series will delve into the horrific crimes of Peter Sutcliffe - one of Britain's most notorious serial killers Here is everything you need to know about The Yorkshire Ripper ahead of the ITVX's new documentary series Who was the Yorkshire Ripper? Peter William Sutcliffe, born on June 2 1946, was a British serial killer convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others over a five year period between 1975 and 1980. Sutcliffe was dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper when his identity was still unknown - it was a reference to Jack the Ripper, the notorious serial killer who targeted prostitutes in the East End of London in the 1800s. His murders, which took place across West Yorkshire and two in Manchester, sparked one of the largest police investigations in British history. Three months after the brutal attack on 20-year-old Jacqueline Hill in Leeds, the police caught up and he was initially arrested over unidentified registration plates. Sutcliffe was sitting in the car with a sex worker and the police later found murder weapons in the vehicle. Sutcliffe was dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper when his identity was still unknown - it was a reference to the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper After two days of questioning, he admitted to the murders. When asked why he committed the murders Sutcliffe claimed that voices in his head had told him to kill prostitutes' - yet not all of his victims fit the profile. Sutcliffe was sentenced to 20 concurrent life sentences, he began his sentence at HMP Pankhurst in May 1981 but was transferred to Broadmoor in March 1984. He spent thirty years at Broadmoor Hospital before being moved to HMP Frankland in County Durham in 2016. How did Peter Sutcliffe die? Sutcliffe died on 13 November 2022 at the University Hospital of North Durham at 1.10am A report produced by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), which investigated deaths in prison, detailed his final days. Sutcliffe, who was suffering from diabetes, angina and paranoid schizophrenia, on 27 October, the report states his condition began to deteriorate and he told a prison nurse he felt 'unwell and very dizzy'. Sutcliffe, who was suffering from diabetes, angina and paranoid schizophrenia, was taken from Frankland Prison to the hospital to have a pacemaker fitted. The following day, Sutcliffe was taken to hospital where he had a pacemaker fitted and was tested for Covid twice. He was tested again upon his return to prison on 4 November and was found to be positive. PPO Sue McAllister wrote in the report that Sutcliffe may have contracted Covid-19 in hospital. A report produced by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) stated that Sutcliffe may have died from Covid-related complications On 6 November, Sutcliffe was observed by a prison nurse to be 'coughing continuously and was unable to get out of bed.' Sutcliffe spent two shorter stints of time in hospital on 8 and 9 November over concerns about his low oxygen rate and, a day later, returned to hospital. The killer, who had earlier declined to shield from Covid on a different prison wing, continued to deteriorate. In the report, Ms McAllister said she was satisfied that the prison staff had contacted Sutcliffe's next of kin to inform them that he was dying but said she was 'disappointed' that staff had to 'act as messengers for their personal messages' and they could not communicate directly. When will The Long Shadow air? The Long Shadow will 'sensitively' focus on the lives of Sutcliffe's victims as well as the police investigation that followed The first episode of The Long Shadow will air on Monday 25 September ITV1 and ITVX and 9pm. The docuseries is based on Wicked Beyond Belief by Michael Bilton, a critically acclaimed investigation into the police handling of the case. Episodes will be released weekly, and the finale will air on 6 November. The first episode begins in October 1975 with the murder of Wilma McCann, a mother of four from Leeds. The upcoming drama will 'sensitively focus on the lives of the victims' of Sutcliffe's crimes as well as the police investigation that ensued, the synopsis reads. It said: 'With the victims, their families and the survivors at the heart of this series, The Long Shadow brings a new perspective to a well-documented story.' Sex offenders, shoplifters and drug users were among almost a million crooks given just a 'slap on the wrist' for a shocking array of crimes, MailOnline can reveal. Intended for low-level crimes, community resolutions are out-of-court agreements that don't give the offender a criminal record or show up on a DBS check. However, more than 500 sex offences were resolved with community resolutions across the UK in the 2022/23 financial year. Earlier this week, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Parliament: 'We pay the police to fight crime... They are there to keep people safe.' Yet data obtained and analysed by MailOnline shows the number of 'soft justice' community resolutions handed out by British police has increased by 40 per cent in the last six years. One police insider told MailOnline that community resolutions were used when officers can't be bothered to deal with crimes. Your browser does not support iframes. Sex offenders, shoplifters and drug users were among almost a million crooks given community resolutions for a shocking array of crimes, MailOnline can reveal TOP TEN FORCES THAT USED THE MOST COMMUNITY RESOLUTIONS AS A PERCENTAGE OF CRIMES WHERE POLICE ACTION WAS REQUIRED: The top ten forces that used the most community resolutions last year as a percentage rate of crimes where police action was required The police officer, who spoke to MailOnline on the condition of anonymity, said: 'It's up to the officer to approve the [community resolution], but it's up to the officer to offer it almost. 'I'm surprised to hear it's been used in sexual offences because there's a matrix to guide us in what it can and can't be used for. 'It's generally used when the offence is just not worth doing the lengthy paperwork. 'I use it in possession of cannabis. I don't feel any pressure to use them and I haven't noticed them being pushed.' She said officers referred to a community resolution as a 'Com Res'. The police officer added: '[The phrase] "Just Com Res it and f*** it off'" has been used pretty much since I joined. 'That's just what people say... if it's one of those jobs that is so low level, like possession of a really small amount of cannabis or a common assault with no injury that across the board no one can be [bothered] to deal with and it would never ever get to court. '[That phrase is] basically saying [we should] use the lowest level of intervention and get rid of it quickly.' Surrey and Leicestershire police forces topped the table for the most community orders as a percentage of crimes where police action was required Responding to MailOnline's findings, the Government said: 'The issuing of community resolutions is a matter for the police but they should only be used for low-level or first-time offending as we made crystal clear in new, stricter guidance for forces issued last month. 'Serious offenders should always be pursued rigorously through the courts and thanks to our changes - will now face longer behind bars.' Some of the sexual offences may have occurred between consenting underage children where, although the incident is recorded as a crime, police believe it would be too severe to take a teenager to court for punishment. Yet the figures also show that community resolutions are being handed out for adult offences, including sexual exploitation of a child. Police chiefs say the penalty is normally used in relation to sexual offences only if the victim is content for the crime to be dealt with in that way. Last month the Ministry of Justice issued a new code of practice that provided stricter guidance for police on how and when to use out-of-court disposals such as community resolutions. However, the use of community resolutions is already widespread. Last year alone, the Metropolitan Police handed out 22,550 for crimes including shoplifting, assault and sex offences on children younger than 13 years old. Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for the next mayor of London, told MailOnline the fact the Met 'has resorted to this' was 'unacceptable'. She said: 'Serious criminal offences like sexual assaults on children should never be thrown out by community resolutions and it is unacceptable that the Met has resorted to this. 'Victims deserve justice and under Sadiq Khan, the Met has not been doing enough to deliver it. Hampshire Constabulary, Thames Valley Police and Cheshire Constabulary were in third to fifth place respectively 'As Mayor, I will put things right and get the Met back on the beat solving crimes and supporting victims.' It's not only police in London dishing out 'slaps on the wrist' for serious crime. Of the hundreds of sex offences where community resolutions were used to deal with the crimes, four police forces issued them for child rapes, according to Home Office data, although two of the forces dispute this. In three of those cases, the victim was younger than 13 years old. Rape Crisis policy chief Amelia Handy told MailOnline: 'We do not believe the use of restorative justice or community resolutions are appropriate for sexual offences. 'Justice resolutions such as these not only minimise the severity of sexual violence and its impacts on victims, but also pose a very high risk. 'That perpetrators of serious sexual crimes, including child rape, are able to avoid receiving a criminal record is a huge safeguarding issue. Children victims and survivors are frequently sexually groomed by perpetrators, who can be highly manipulative. 'This power dynamic is not addressed in community resolutions and has the potential to cause further harm to children. 'We question why authorities have deemed this acceptable.' A leading sex abuse lawyer also suggested using community resolutions for such serious crimes could stop rape victims from speaking out the findings were 'concerning'. Kathleen Hallisey, from Hugh James Solicitors, said: 'Victim survivors of sexual abuse need and deserve justice for the trauma that they have suffered. In terms of the most number of community resolutions handed out across the UK, not as a percentage of crimes where police action was required, the Met led the way with a whopping 22,550 The most common reason for community resolutions across all police forces in England and Wales was cannabis possession 'What justice looks like will be different for each person, but it is concerning that community resolutions, which are intended to be used in cases of low-level crime and require the perpetrator to apologise to the victim, are being used in cases of sexual assault and rape. 'Victim survivors often take decades to disclose their abuse for fear that they will not be believed or taken seriously. 'The use of community resolutions in sexual assault and rape cases can further compound that feeling for victims and survivors as well as the power imbalance between the perpetrator and the victim.' The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) told MailOnline if a child raped another child, a community resolution could be used to 'educate and protect' the rapist, rather than criminalising children. A spokesman confirmed it also helped keep taxpayer costs down. The NPCC spokesman said: 'Community resolutions and other out of court disposals are only used in a very small number of sexual offence cases. 'They may be typically applied where schoolchildren share inappropriate images or in cases of sex between underage children. In such cases the aim is to educate and protect, and not to criminalise children. 'We have made it clear that out of court disposals are not to be used in serious cases. Officers take into consideration all circumstances of a case, with victims' wishes at the centre of our decision-making. 'Police forces are dedicated to increasing the number of serious sexual offence cases being taken to court and getting victims the justice they deserve. 'While we know there is much to do, we are making progress through our joint action plan with the CPS to transform how policing investigate rape and supports victims.' Aside from being used on sex offenders, community resolutions are also given to criminals for offences such as assault, criminal damage and shoplifting. Over the past eight years, a quarter were given for the possession of illegal drugs, while shoplifting accounted for 14 per cent of community resolutions. Last week MailOnline revealed there have been more than a million recorded shoplifting offences in the past five years and created an interactive map showing the places where light-fingered locals are ransacking stores the worst. Yet while British police investigated 1,580,277 shoplifting offences in the last five years, just 18 per cent eventually led to someone being charged or summonsed. More than 60,000 shoplifters were given community resolutions - which could involve apologising to shopkeepers or returning stolen goods - instead of being prosecuted. The British Retail Consortium's assistant business and regulation chief Graham Wynn told MailOnline: 'We do not oppose community resolution where appropriate, however we believe that it is important that prolific or violent offenders are dealt with through the courts. 'We do need a greater prioritisation of retail crime and retail violence by the police forces.' The Metropolitan Police said: 'Community resolutions are an established and proportionate way of dealing with offences where it is not in the public interest to proceed with a prosecution or a formal criminal justice outcome for low-level offending. 'In order to be eligible for a community resolution the perpetrator must accept responsibility for the offence. The victim must be consulted regarding the outcome. Met police policy is that a community resolution can be issued for certain offences, including sexual offences, only in exceptional circumstances and with the authority of an inspector. 'Each case is decided upon taking into consideration the offence and the vulnerability of the victim and the offender, and this must be reflected in the justification for issuing a community resolution. 'Our New Met for London Plan is involving Londoners to give them a say in how their areas are policed. Community crime-fighting is the bedrock of how we police and we've put a dedicated neighbourhood superintendent, to lead local priorities, in every borough to help tackle and focus on key local issues.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was contacted for comment. ITVX's new true crime series, The Long Shadow, delves into the five-year manhunt for one of Britain's most notorious serial killers, Peter Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe's heinous crimes sparked one of the largest criminal investigations in UK history, during which he was dubbed by the British press as The Yorkshire Ripper. The seven-part series draws on an extensive archive of police reports, transcripts and case files from the investigation which was derailed by a hoax confession. John Humble hampered the investigation through a series of hoax letters and an anonymous tape, claiming he was the killer. The Long Shadow, written by George Kay and directed by BAFTA-winning Lewis Arnold, is set to release September 25. But who is Wearside Jack John Humble, and what happened to him? Here is everything you need to know about the hoaxer as the series unfolds. ITVX's new true crime series, The Long Shadow, delves into the five-year manhunt for one of Britain's most notorious serial killers that was derailed by hoaxer John Humble (pictured) Humble taunted police detectives in the 1970s by claiming to be the Yorkshire Ripper in three letters and an audio tape. Pictured: An envelope Humble sent West Yorkshire police in 1979 Who is Wearside Jack John Humble? Wearside Jack was the nickname given to John Samuel Humble, the infamous hoaxer who claimed to be The Yorkshire Ripper. With his thick Sunderland accent, Humble gained the nickname 'Wearside Jack', and prompted police to extend their investigation from the West Yorkshire area. Humble sent three letters to the police and a cassette tape in June 1979, two years before the real killer Peter Sutcliffe was caught. The infamous tape which taunted police for years lasted for 14 seconds, and was played by Chief Constable George Oldfield, at Halifax's Old CourtHouse to more than 100 officers. It said: 'I'm Jack. I see you are having no luck in catching me. 'I have the greatest respect for you, George, but Lord you are no nearer catching me now than four years ago, when I started. 'I reckon your boys are letting you down, George. Ya can't be much good, can ya?' The infamous tape which taunted police for years lasted for 14 seconds and was played by Chief Constable George Oldfield at Halifax's Old Court House to more than 100 police officers Despite expert's doubts over the accuracy of the tape and letters, Oldfield began discounting suspects who did not have a Wearside accent - convinced the confession was from the murderer. Humble was said to be an avid reader who had a fascination with Jack the Ripper - a killer who targeted prostitutes in the East End of London in the 1800s and inspired Sutcliffe's moniker The Yorkshire Ripper. Born on January 8 1956, he was said to have 'above average' school results, but left school at 16, having off jobs as a security guard and in hospital laundry before becoming a labourer. Humble had previously been arrested at the age of 19 and convicted at a young offenders institution for actual bodily harm after kicking an off-duty police officer in the head. Just 23 years old at the time of the hoax, he was said to have been living with his mother, sister and brother. Humble sent three letters to police in the 1970s, derailing the manhunt for Peter Sutcliffe for two years before he was eventually caught Despite expert's doubts over the accuracy of tapes and letters, Oldfield begins discounting suspects who do not have a Wearside accent What happened to Wearside Jack? While the manhunt for The Yorkshire Ripper lasted for five years, the search for Wearside Jack extended over two decades. It had been 27 years since Humble had recorded his false confession and taunted police with letters. He was jailed in 2006 for eight years for perverting the course of justice; he died in his home in South Shields on July 30 aged 63 from heart failure and the effects of alcoholism. Humble was identified by a significant piece of evidence, when a two-centimetre section of the seal from the envelope used to send the third hoax letter, was eventually tested. Former Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Gregg spoke to 'Behind the Crimes' podcast in April this year about how a laboratory biologist finally made the breakthrough. Wearside Jack was sentenced to eight years for perverting the course of justice in 2006, he died in his home in South Shields on July 30 aged 63 from heart failure and the effects of alcoholism Chief Constable George Oldfield (pictured right) gathered more than 100 officers at Halifax's Old Court House to play the notorious 14-second cassette tape Former Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Gregg spoke to 'Behind the Crimes' podcast in April this year on how a laboratory biologist finally made the breakthrough which led to the arrest of Wearside Jack 'In a place it shouldn't have been there were glass slides. 'In between the two pieces (of glass) was a perfectly-preserved two-centimetre section of the seal from envelope three of the Ripper letters. 'She blew the dust off and that quickly produced a one in a billion profile.' When that tiny slip of paper was tested, a DNA sample matching John Humble - who had already been logged for minor crimes - led to his arrest. After his arrest, during his police interviews, he said: '[The Ripper case] was getting on my nerves. It was on the bloody telly all the time. I shouldn't have done it. I know that because it's evil. I do deserve jail.' Does Wearside Jack feature in The Long Shadow? The first episode of The Long Shadow will air on Monday 25 September ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm. The docuseries is based on Wicked Beyond Belief by Michael Bilton, a critically acclaimed investigation into the police handling of the case. Peter Sutcliffe killed 13 women over five years (pictured) at the time, terror ensued the streets of Yorkshire as Police said that any woman was at risk from the killings The moment Humble's tape was played to a press conference is revealed in the trailer for the upcoming ITV drama. Star David Morrissey, who portrays Oldfield, is seen telling attendees: 'The voice you are about to hear is the man we believe to be the so-called Yorkshire Ripper'. The new series will 'sensitively focus on the lives of the victims' of Sutcliffe's crimes as well as the police investigation that ensued, according to the synopsis. The killer himself is said to scarcely appear in the series, the synopsis reads: 'With the victims, their families and the survivors at the heart of this series, The Long Shadow brings a new perspective to a well-documented story.' ITVX's new true crime docuseries, The Long Shadow, will give voice to the victims of one of Britain's most notorious serial killers, Peter Sutcliffe. His crimes shocked the country and led to a five-year manhunt, during which he was only known as The Yorkshire Ripper. The Long Shadow delves into the lives of the 13 women killed by Sutcliffe, putting them at the 'heart' of the series, with the killer himself scarcely appearing. The seven-part series, originally titled Yorkshire Ripper, was written by George Kay and directed by BAFTA-winning Lewis Arnold. Set to release on September 25, it draws on the extensive archive of the investigation, which comprised of hundreds of case files, transcripts and police reports. But why was Peter Sutcliffe known as The Yorkshire Ripper? And why was The Long Shadow renamed? Here is everything you need to know ahead of the new series. Peter Sutcliffe aka The Yorkshire Ripper will scarcely appear in ITVX's new true crime series The Long Shadow, which gives voice to its victims The seven-part series, originally titled Yorkshire Ripper, draws on the extensive archive of the five-year investigation which comprised of hundreds of case files, transcripts and reports Why was Peter Sutcliffe called The Yorkshire Ripper? Sutcliffe was dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper by the UK press when his identity was still unknown - but the alias continued long after he was caught and imprisoned with two concurrent life sentences in March 1984. It was a reference to the pseudonymous murderer Jack the Ripper, otherwise known as the The Whitechapel Murderer or Leather Apron, who targeted prostitutes in the East End of London in the 1800s. Most of Sutcliffe's killings were carried out across Yorkshire, though two of his victims were killed in Manchester. Like Jack the Ripper, Sutcliffe targeted prostitutes and told psychiatrists he was 'driven by a voice' to kill prostitutes as he hunted red light districts in 1979. But not all of Sutcliffe's victims fit the profile and six victims of his brutal killings were not involved in sex work. At the time, terror ensued the streets of Yorkshire as Police said that any woman was at risk from the killings, whether out at night or at home. Sutcliffe was finally arrested by Police over unidentified registration plates. He was found sitting in his vehicle with a sex worker and murder weapons were later found in his car. Sutcliffe was dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper by the UK press when his identity was still unknown - but the alias continued long after he was caught and imprisoned Most of Sutcliffe's killings were carried out across Yorkshire, though two of his victims were killed in Manchester Sutcliffe began his sentence at HMP Pankhurst in May 1981 but was transferred to Broadmoor in March 1984. Sutcliffe was dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper by the UK press when his identity was still unknown - but the alias continued long after he was caught and imprisoned Most of Sutcliffe's killings were carried out across Yorkshire, though two of his victims were killed in Manchester He spent thirty years at Broadmoor Hospital before being moved to HMP Frankland in County Durham in 2016. Why was The Long Shadow renamed? The Long Shadow was originally titled The Yorkshire Ripper, but was renamed after its director George Kay said he realised 'disrespectful' to the families affected. In a statement to the Telegraph, he said the name created 'a dark brand' around a man who doesn't deserve that sort of attention. Kay explained: 'We started calling it The Yorkshire Ripper but in the beginning we hadn't learnt, as we did when making the show, that the moniker used to describe Peter Sutcliffe - which obviously began before anyone knew his real name, but continues after - was disrespectful in many ways.' In 2020, the victim's families, who had agreed to be interviewed for a Netflix series urged the streaming giant to change Sutcliffe killed 13 women over five years (pictured) at the time, terror ensued the streets of Yorkshire as Police said that any woman was at risk from the killings Sutcliffe killed 13 women over five years (pictured) at the time, terror ensued the streets of Yorkshire as Police said that any woman was at risk from the killings The family members were initially told the series would be called Once Upon a Time in Yorkshire, and accused Netflix of 'glorifying' Sutcliffe's brutal killings when it was revealed the title had changed to The Ripper. Seven relatives of the killer's victims and survivors signed an open letter to Netflix that was shared to The Sunday Times. They wrote: 'The moniker ''the Yorkshire Ripper'' has traumatised us and our families for the past four decades. 'It glorifies the brutal violence of Peter Sutcliffe, and grants him a celebrity status that he does not deserve. 'Please remember that the word ''ripper'' relates to ripping flesh and the repeated use of this phrase is irresponsible, insensitive and insulting to our families and our mothers' and grandmothers' legacies.' When does The Long Shadow air? The first episode of The Long Shadow will air on Monday 25 September ITV1 and ITVX and 9pm. The docuseries is based on Wicked Beyond Belief by Michael Bilton, a critically acclaimed investigation into the police handling of the case. The Long Shadow will 'sensitively' focus on the lives of Sutcliffe's victims as well as the police investigation that followed The Long Shadow will 'sensitively' focus on the lives of Sutcliffe's victims as well as the police investigation that followed Episodes will be released weekly, and the finale will air on 6 November. The first episode begins in October 1975 with the murder of Wilma McCann, a mother of four from Leeds. The upcoming drama will 'sensitively focus on the lives of the victims' of Sutcliffe's crimes as well as the police investigation that ensued, the synopsis reads. It said: 'With the victims, their families and the survivors at the heart of this series, The Long Shadow brings a new perspective to a well-documented story.' The federal government is hurtling towards a government shutdown, with just a week before the deadline to fund operations and no deal in sight between the Republican-led House and the Democrat-led Senate. If Congress blows past the September 30 deadline to fund fiscal year 2024 with no deal that can pass the House, Senate and get the president's signature, many government operations will shut down and most workers will go without a paycheck. Who still has to work - and who gets paid? Despite the decision being in their hands, members of Congress will still get paid during a shutdown, as will federal judges and the president. Their staff, however, do not. In a shutdown many government operations grind to a halt - but some are deemed 'essential' and continue with or without funding. Congressional staffers, deemed essential, get backpay. Those who get furloughed, like janitorial or cafeteria staff, do not get backpay. Trash can overflows as people sit outside of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial by the Tidal Basin, Dec. 27, 2018, in Washington, during a partial government shutdown Agencies that have been considered essential in past shutdowns include federal law enforcement, active duty military, border patrol and air traffic control. Medicare and Social Security will continue to pay benefits. However, services may be interrupted because around 15 percent of staff would be furloughed. In the 2018-2019 shutdown, the White House furloughed 1,100 of 1,800 staff in the Executive Office of the President. What programs continue functioning, and which ones shut down? Many lawmakers have said that special counsel investigations, like those involving Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, would continue operating. But Speaker Kevin McCarthy has warned conservative hardliners that the impeachment probe into President Biden would grind to a halt if a shutdown were to occur. The White House issued a dire warning about the implications of a shutdown last week. People wait in line at a Social Security office before it opens in Houston, Texas on July 13, 2022 It claimed 10,000 children would lose access to Head Start programs across the country as the Department of Health and Human Services does not award grants during a shutdown. And while essential staff would still be asked to work without pay, agencies have historically faced high rates of employees calling in sick. The White House also warned of the potential for long airport delays under a shutdown. During past shutdowns some national parks have remained open. During the 2019 shutdown many parks stayed open but were severely understaffed - operating without visitor services like restrooms and trash collection. All Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo, would close during a shutdown. U.S. embassies and consulates would remain open, as would visa and passport processing. Non-essential travel and speeches would be cut back, and some foreign aid programs could run out of money. And during the last shutdown, tens of thousands of immigration hearings were canceled. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) would continue to monitor outbreaks but around half the agency's workers would be furloughed. New clinical trials would halt at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Most employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would remain on the job, though they could run out of funds to assist with disaster relief. In this Jan. 3, 2019, file photo, a woman walks past trash piled next to a garbage bin at Ocean Beach in San Francisco When was the last shutdown and how long did it last? The last shutdown lasted 34 days and stretched from December 2018 to January 2019 - the longest in history. At that time, congressional funding for nine departments with around 800,000 employees ran dry. The five-week partial shutdown cost the economy around $11 billion, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). All but around $3 billion of that was recovered once the shutdown ended. It also forced TSA officers to call out of work while trying to find other ways of making money. Before that, the record was 21 days during a 1995-1996 shutdown when President Bill Clinton refused to accept the steep spending cuts and tax reductions put forth by Speaker Newt Gingrich. In 2013, there was another 16-day shutdown when Republicans tried to defund the Affordable Care Act. How many shutdowns has the U.S. gone through? Since 1976 there have been 20 gaps in funding lasting at least a day, according to the Congressional Research Service. Before that, the government usually operated like normal even when spending bills weren't passed. Two opinions from Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti in 1980 said it was illegal for the government to spend money without congressional approval. What will be the effect on air travel? The White House has warned there may be 'significant' delays. A spokesman said: 'Air traffic controllers and TSA Officers would have to work without pay - potentially leading to significant delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country like there were during previous shutdowns.' A grieving mum whose toddler was killed after being hit in a driveway by a 4WD driven by his dad has broken her silence on how the tragedy ripped the family apart. It's been a year since Lucas Kerswell, 3, died at his family's rural property at Dakabin in Queensland's Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane. His uncle spent 15 minutes performing CPR until emergency responders took over but could not revive the little boy. Lucas' siblings witnessed the 'unforeseen accident' while his dad David, had been behind the wheel of the 4WD that struck him. Kayla-Maree Marshall had been hosing the patio at the time and initially thought her son had fallen off his bike. It wasn't until after racing to him lying in the driveway and turning him over that she realised Lucas' lips had turned blue and he was in a bad way. Lucas Kerswell died after he was struck in the family driveway by a 4WD driven by his dad READ MORE: Tributes after toddler was run over and killed while playing on driveway Advertisement She spent hours afterwards lying next to her son's lifeless body in the driveway. 'Every day that has gone by I'm trying to fight the feelings why? Why him? Why us?' Ms Marshall told the Courier Mail. 'You hear it happen quite regularly, but not once do you ever think it is going to happen to you.' She described Lucas as her 'little teddy bear' who melted the hearts of everyone he met with his soft nature. Lucas' uncle and godfather, Elvin Doyle, who also witnessed the accident, remembered the toddler at the time as a 'little fighter with a big mullet.' Ms Marshall admits she initially blamed her distraught partner, David for the accident, adding that the tragedy had torn the family apart. 'He still, to this day doesn't understand how Lucas was there and how he didn't see him or feel the car go over him,' she said. '(David) said to me on many occasions 'I gave him life and I took it' he doesn't understand how it happened.' The 'unforeseen accident' which ended Lucas' life has ripped his family apart Lucas died at the family's property (pictured) in Dakabin, despite desperate efforts by family members and emergency responders to try to save the little boy's life She added Lucas wouldn't usually go anywhere near the cars unless he knew he was going out. It's believed Lucas had wanted to get in the car with his dad and uncle when tragedy struck. Ms Marshall still struggles with the loss of Lucas on a daily basis. 'Waking up every morning and trying to get yourself to understand why your smiling happy boy is not there smiling with you,' she said. Just weeks before the tragedy, a one-year-old boy died at his home after being hit by a 4WD allegedly driven by a family member near Townsville. The Queensland Family and Child Commission's annual report, Deaths of Children and Young People Queensland 2021-22, revealed 17 people had died from 'low-speed vehicle runovers' in the last five years. Around 82 per cent of the deaths happened at the child's home or the home of a person known to them. Six people including two parents and their three children are dead after a train crashed into their Escalade SUV as it went over a railroad crossing in Florida. The incident happened Saturday at a private crossing roughly 20 miles west of Tampa, where there is no barrier and only a stop sign warns of the chance of a passing train. It left five of the vehicle's seven passengers dead at the scene. The driver 52-year-old Jose Guadalupe Hernandez initially survived, but succumbed to his injuries overnight after being rushed to a local hospital, cops said. Hernandez's wife Enedalia, 50, and three children - Julian, 9, Alyssa, 17, and Anaelia, 22 - were ejected from the back of the vehicle upon impact and were all killed. Cops say the car 'crawled across the railroad crossing' but 'never stopped to look both ways.' Jakub Lopez, 17, who was a friend of one of the siblings also died in the crash. Guillermo Gama, 23, Anaelia's boyfriend who was a passenger in the front of the car, is the sole survivor and is in critical condition at Lakeland hospital. Scroll down for video: Six people are dead, including three children, after a train crashed into their SUV Saturday evening - at this private railroad crossing in Plant City, Florida. Five in the backseat died on the scene after being ejected from the vehicle, while the driver, aged 52, died overnight Sole survivor Guillermo Gama, a boyfriend of one the victims, is currently 'fighting for life' after being rushed to a Lakewood hospital sh. Relatives on Sunday remarked how the incident 'stole the lives of an entire family', who had been heading to a party at the time of the crash 'On Saturday 9/23/23 my nephew Guillermo E. (Gordo/Doorbell) Gama III was involved in a fatal train wreck that stole the lives of an entire family,' a GoFundMe started by Gama's aunt reads. 'The deceased victims were [Gama's] girlfriend, parents, 2 siblings and a friend of one of the siblings.' The post - which within two hours amassed nearly $3,000 - went on to state how 'Gama is only 23 years old with a passion for life and family. 'He is currently in Critical Condition at Lakeland Regional Hospital fighting for his life.' 'The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is heartbroken to share the latest update regarding the fatal train versus vehicle crash investigation,' a spokesperson for the office said. 'The driver involved in the crash succumbed to his injuries and passed away overnight.' '[Hernandez] was driving his white 2020 Cadillac Escalade southbound on Jim Lefler Circle from US Highway 92, approaching a railroad crossing controlled by a stop sign and a railroad crossing sign,' officers wrote. 'Hernandez had six other passengers in the Escalade, including his wife, two juvenile children, an adult child, and two friends of the children. 'For unknown and undetermined reasons, the driver slowly crossed the tracks directly in the train's path. 'Five rear passengers were ejected from the Escalade as it rotated and rolled to final rest.' The incident happened Saturday at a private railroad crossing roughly 20 miles west of Tampa, and left five of the Escalade's passengers dead at the scene. The driver involved, 52-year-old Jose Guadalupe Hernandez, initially survived, but succumbed to his injuries overnight after being rushed to a local hospital, cops said. Five in the back including Hernandez's wife and three children - aged 9, 17, and 22 - were ejected from the vehicle upon impact, cops revealed Sunday, as they continue to probe what led to the crash What is known is all of the victims, aside from Hernandez, were rear passengers - with the other a 17-year-old friend of one of the deceased As for the survivor, a boyfriend of Hernandez's adult child, he is in critical condition at a Lakeland hospital In a statement just a few hours earlier, officers from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office gave an update on the condition of the other survivor in Hernandez, who they said had been driving the group to a quinceanera set just across the tracks The update, aired more than 12 hours after the crash, further revealed the other victims' identities and ages - lives that were all snuffed out just before 7pm Saturday when the car slowly crossed the tracks off Highway 92 on Jim Lefler Circle His wife, 50-year-old Enedelia Hernandez, and their three children - Alyssa, who just turned 17, Anaelia, 22 and nine-year-old Julian - were declared dead at the scene, cops said Sunday, while revealing some of the violent circumstances surrounding their deaths The five ejected passengers, officers wrote, all died at the scene, while Rama - seated in the front - managed to escape with serious injuries. His condition remains unknown Sheriff Chad Chronister compared the savaged vehicle to 'a soft drink can that has been smashed' leaving pieces at the scene Sunday morning. Chronister also revealed the crash was captured on camera, and the footage is being used to aid their investigation. According to the Sheriff, the footage shows how the Cadillac approached the railroad crossing and 'slow crawled across the railroad crossing, but never stopped, never stopped to look both ways.' He added that 'the train conductor did everything he could to slow this train down,' signaling loud horns and flashing lights, but failed to avoid the vehicle. A witness told deputies he honked his horn to get the driver's attention, as he crossed the little-traveled crossing to bring the passengers to a birthday party located just across the tracks. The SUV, the sheriff said, 'flipped violently several times' before it landed a distance away from the crossing - which has no barrier and only a sign indicating that trains may pass at any point. The Sheriff said he and all the first responders are still 'visibly shaken' from the incident. 'It's that horrible of a scene.' Jacinta Price has broken down as she opened up on her search for answers more than 40 years after her aunt jumped into a car with five men and disappeared. Marion Nabarula Nelson, 14, vanished on January 10, 1982, with her mysterious disappearance continuing to haunt her family to this day. A police investigation found Marion was picked up by the men at the remote Aboriginal community of Yuendumu, about 300km northwest of Alice Springs. The car drove 50km south-west towards the Western Australia border until it ran out of fuel and the men told police the senator's aunt ran off into the bush, leaving them behind. She was never seen again. Senator Price delved into the mystery and how it has left her searching for answers in a Sky News Australia documentary entitled 'Yimi Junga'. The documentary comes as Ms Price shared one of her biggest fears about the Voice with the senator saying she believed the country would be left divided following the referendum - regardless of the result. Senator Jacinta Price has broken down and sobbed as she relived the chilling moment her teenage aunt got into a car with five men and was never seen again Marion Nabarula Nelson, 14, vanished on January 10, 1982, and her disappearance has haunted her family for more than 40 years. Ms Price choked back tears as she discussed the case of her missing teenage aunt on camera. 'I really wanted to get to the bottom of it,' she said, her voice quivering with emotion. 'And the more that I come have come to learn about the circumstances around it, about those who have known about it themselves, but felt helpless to do anything about it, the more I've felt haunted by her.' She sobbed as she added: 'And just feeling like it's really unfair. 'That that she can just be forgotten about completely...that is so unfair. 'To suggest that a girl of that age in the early 80s simply ran away and decided to make a life for herself elsewhere in this country I dont think is believable. 'Women in my family tell me that she didnt want to marry this man. What 14-year-old-girl wants to be forced into a marriage?' The alarm on her disappearance was only raised two days after she vanished and extensive searches of the area found no trace of her. 'I believe that she was murdered by her then-promised husband for not wanting to be married off at the age of 14 to somebody who had already murdered his first wife and done time,' senator Price told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Monday. 'She was forced into that marriage by her father who was a leading land rights activist, chairman of the Land Council, a celebrated individual who had a state funeral last year and who took to his grave what happened to his daughter.' 'Yimi Junga' is Warlpiri language for speaking the truth and senator Price uses Marions fate as part of a wider story on traditional culture and its links to violence. It also delivers her warning on how the 'stigma of the Stolen Generation' is causing Indigenous children to face repeating cycles of sexual abuse and trauma. Senator Price believes children are being put back at risk when they are taken from the homes of white foster parents to be returned to their local communities. The shadow minister for Indigenous Australians believes Aboriginal children from dysfunctional families should be allowed to stay with and be raised by white families. She is bitterly opposed to them being handed back to the 'kin care' of their relatives where they can often face the same abuse that triggered the initial intervention. Traditional methods of childcare in Indigenous communities was completely inadequate, she said, and puts children at risk of even more abuse. Senator Price insisted it was more important to prioritise the child's human rights over the 'community's culture' when deciding what was best for children. The shadow minister for Indigenous Australians believes Aboriginal children from dysfunctional families should be allowed to stay with and be raised by white families 'If we keep re-traumatising children, we're failing them from the get-go,' she told Fordham. 'We've seen recently a case of an 11 year old being forced away from the foster parents that child's loved to be put back in a kin care. 'That child who was taken away and put in a police van. The child's been re-traumatised again. 'And the loving foster parents - just because they weren't Indigenous - have been treated like they're criminals, but this is the situation in places like Northern Territory. 'Foster parents I know in the Northern Territory are beside themselves because children are being re-traumatised, sexually abused again, and then taken back out and given back to the foster parents after they've been re-traumatised.' She said tradition has too often been prioritised over the care of the child. 'The argument has been put forward that grandmothers should be able to have 15 kids sprawled out on mattresses in their home and that's their idea of caring for children,' she said in her documentary. 'Or you know, "We don't do things the white fella way. We do it this way." And I don't believe that's good enough. 'Our children are human beings, their individual rights should be upheld, like any other kids. She added: 'Children are being re-traumatised because someone in their family put their hand up and said, "I'll take that child". 'They should remain in the loving home that they've been growing up in. We only treat Aboriginal children in this way because of the stigma of the Stolen Generation. 'When you re-traumatise a child, the likelihood of them ending up in incarceration grows. 'We should be creating well rounded adults who can then grow up and find out more about their own identity.' She said it was vital not to let culture and tradition get in the way of what is best for the children. 'What should happen is, in terms of true equality, the child's human rights need to be upheld like any other child,' she said. Senator Price also warned of a nation divided regardless of the Voice vote after the referendum on October 14 'It's not good enough to say, "That child is Indigenous, their culture is more important, so therefore we cannot remove them from their culture." 'If a child is living in a dysfunctional situation, if their human rights aren't being met or upheld, then absolutely they should be removed.' Senator Price also warned of a nation divided regardless of the Voice vote after the referendum on October 14. The No campaign activist insisted the Opposition will continue to press for Aboriginal Australians to get recognition in the constitution even if the Voice fails to win popular backing as predicted in the latest polls. 'I think we'll have a nation divided, absolutely,' she said. 'There's a lot more that we'll have to do to bring our country together. 'We have to start facing our issues as Australians and not divided along the lines of race. That's what we'll have to do. 'There'll be those who will be very disappointed if they supported this all the way and see it as the only way forward. 'But I'd like to remind them that we belong to a wonderful country. There is still great, goodwill out there. There are other ways forward and we can still do this.' She added: 'Recognition is something that the Coalition has committed to for some time now. 'Committing to the processes is what it's all about, making sure that all Australian people are on board with this proposition. 'In future, if it's the appetite of the Australian people to want to do this, then that's certainly what the commitment that's been made by [Opposition leader] Peter Dutton as well as [Nationals leader] David Littleproud.' The woman at the centre of the poisonous mushroom lunch that left three people dead and a fourth fighting for life has lashed out at the media. Erin Patterson was spotted outside her home in the eastern Victorian town Leongatha where on July 29 she served a beef Wellington lunch that left Heather Wilkinson, 66, her sister Gail and husband Don Patterson dead. Ms Wilkinson's 68-year-old husband Ian was left fighting for life and spent two months in Austin Hospital before he was discharged this week. Ms Patterson has firmly denied any wrongdoing with the fatal lunch drawing plenty of scrutiny from the media, pushing the distraught cook to the edge. The 48-year-old was visibly distressed as she was badgered by TV reporters on Sunday. 'No! Go away!' she shouted. Erin Patterson, the woman at the centre of the mushroom poisoned lunch, was in no mood to answer questions from the media On the weekend it was revealed Mr Wilkinson, who is a local church pastor, was discharged from Melbourne's Austin hospital in what many are calling a miraculous survival after two months fighting for his life in a coma. Trevor Shaw, a parishioner at Korumburra Baptist Church welcome the good news. 'It is with shout and joy halleluiah, thats what it is,' Mr Shaw said. 'Everyone in this community and on the outskirts have been praying, seriously on their knees about his recovery.' A family statement was released confirming Mr Wilkinson had been discharged from hospital. 'The Wilkinson family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Leongatha, Dandenong and Austin Hospitals for their unwavering dedication and exceptional care that played a pivotal role in Ian's recovery,' it read. 'The medical team's expertise and compassion have been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey.' 'The family also thanked the local community including members of the church and other loved ones.' Tragically Mr Patterson's wife Heather, 66, her sister Gail and husband Don Patterson did not survive the poisoning, which is the subject of a police investigation. The Pattersons, both aged 70, and Ms Wilkinson died days later. Ms Patterson told police the mushrooms used in the beef wellington she served were a mixture of button mushrooms bought from a supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian supermarket in Melbourne months earlier. The lunch was being held to attempt a reconciliation between Ms Patterson and her estranged husband Simon Patterson, son of Gail and Don. Ms Patterson (pictured) dished up a beef wellington lunch at her home that resulted in the deaths of three people. She has denied any wrongdoing Ian Wilkinson (pictured right with wife Heather Wilkinson) has been released from hospital after spending weeks recovering from a poisonous mushroom lunch that claimed the lives of three others including his wife However, Simon cancelled attending at the last minute. It is believed Mr Wilkinson will help police with their inquiries. Mr Shaw said there was still one thing needed for healing in the local community. 'Weve all got question but hopefully they get answered,' he said. 'The truth will come out and then we all be able to, in a sense, relax because there will be closure. 'But until there is closure then the heartache goes on.' Ms Patterson has denied any wrongdoing and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting she intentionally poisoned her four relatives. MUSHROOM POISONING: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS Saturday, July 29 Don and Gail Patterson and Heather and Ian Wilkinson (a pastor) gather at Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha, north-east of Melbourne, for lunch and east her beef wellington Erin's two children go to the movies Sunday, July 30 Erin's children eat leftover beef wellington but with the mushrooms scraped off. All four lunch guests present to hospital feeling ill. It is initially thought they have gastro. As their condition deteriorates, they are transferred to hospitals in Melbourne. Erin also goes to hospital. Monday, July 31 Erin is transferred to a hospital in Melbourne, where she is treated for poisoning Friday, August 4 Gail and Heather die in hospital. Police find Erin's food dehydrator dumped at a tip Saturday, August 5 Don dies in hospital. Police search Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha and seize a number of items. Sunday, August 6 Police are seen returning to Erin's home to question her. She is heard wailing loudly from inside the house before the four officers leave. Monday, August 7 Victoria Police Detective Inspector for the Homicide Squad, Dean Thomas, confirms Erin is being treated as a person of interest in the case. However, he says the investigation is still in its early stages and it is yet to be determined if the deaths are suspicious. A short time later, Erin breaks her silence and speaks to reporters outside the home. She says she is devastated and 'loves' the four relatives who came to her home. She denies any wrongdoing but does not answer questions where the mushrooms came from, who picked them or what meal she made for her guests. Tuesday, August 8 Forensic testing is underway to find any traces of death cap mushroom on the food dehydrator. Police believe it was used during preparation of the meal. Wednesday, August 9 Daily Mail Australia reveals that Simon Patterson was expected to attend the lunch, but pulled out at the last minute Thursday, August 10 Erin Patterson tells reporters she is driving to Melbourne to see her lawyers. A representative from the legal firm later arrives at her house to hand deliver a letter, but she is not home. Friday August 11: Erin Patterson provides a lengthy written statement to police Sunday September 24: It is announced Mr Wilkinson has been discharged from Melbourne's Austin Hospital Advertisement . Traffic was built up on the M1 near Wakefield on Sunday after two lane closures A lorry driver sparked travel chaos and long delays on the M1 yesterday by driving the wrong way along the inside lane. Traffic was built up on the motorway near Wakefield on Sunday after two lanes out of four were closed, causing delays of at least 15 minutes for frustrated drivers. In a video captured by another driver, the white lorry can be seen facing the wrong way, remaining in a stationary position in one of the lanes of the busy motorway, as a helicopter circles above the chaotic scene below. In a video captured by another driver, the white lorry can be seen facing the wrong way but remains stationary in one of the lanes of the busy motorway West Yorkshire Police attended the incident between junction 39 for Durkar and junction 40 for Ossett and Wakefield before allowing lanes to be reopened Traffic was built up on the M1 near Wakefield on Sunday after two lanes out of four were closed, causing delays of at least 15 minutes for frustrated drivers The National Highways confirmed that the recovery of the lorry had been requested by the police, but as of yet, it is unclear how the driver ended up on the wrong side of the road West Yorkshire Police attended the incident between junction 39 for Durkar and junction 40 for Ossett and Wakefield before allowing lanes to be reopened. The National Highways confirmed that the recovery of the lorry had been requested by the police, but as of yet, it is unclear how the driver ended up on the wrong side of the road. At around 2pm on Sunday, traffic monitoring site Inrix said: 'Queueing traffic and two lanes closed due to vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road on M1 Northbound.' READ MORE: Support for the Voice falls in latest survey Lidia Thorpe claims the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is doing more harm to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by tearing communities apart. Thorpe leads the 'progressive no' bloc, and believes The Voice would lack power and doesn't support the inclusion of Indigenous Australians in the constitution. The Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Warrung woman says nothing will change for Indigenous people regardless of whether the Yes or No vote gets up. 'Nothing changes if it's a yes or no vote,' she said. 'Our people are still dying at the hands of the system, the system is still racist. Lidia Thorpe (pictured) has claimed the Voice to Parliament referendum is tearing Indigenous communities apart 'Our people are hurting more now, I think, than (during) the George Floyd moment,' she said, describing The Voice referendum as an 'absolute nightmare'. 'There are communities being torn apart, families are fighting one another over Yes or No. 'What do we get at the end of the daywe get crumbs on the table. And that is not good enough.' She has specifically called for the implementation of recommendations from the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody and Bringing Them Home report. Meanwhile, Australians living in remote communities are set to begin casting their votes in the referendum at mobile voting stations. The Independent Aboriginal senator believes nothing will change for Indigenous people regardless of whether the Yes or No vote gets up Australians living in remote communities are set to begin casting their votes in the referendum at mobile voting stations early Helicopters, four-wheel drives and even boats are being used by the Australian Electoral Commission to reach remote corners of the country. Given the logistically challenging task of accessing remote communities, voting in these areas has opened 19 days ahead of the October 14 referendum date. Early voting at other locations will start on October 2. It comes as the latest poll for the Voice to Parliament shows just over a third of Australians - 36 per cent - will vote Yes. The results were unveiled in the latest Newspoll survey, which gathered responses from 1,239 voters. The latest Newspoll shows support for 'Yes' at 36 per cent, down 2 points in 3 weeks, while 'No' has risen to 56 per cent, up 3 points from the previous poll, marking the lowest support and highest opposition levels yet (pictured, Anthony Albanese speaks during a Yes rally) The decline in support for the Voice marks a two-point fall in the past three weeks. Opposition to the historic referendum has risen slightly to 56 per cent with less than three weeks until polling day. Support among women has fallen from 41 per cent to 36 per cent but the proportion of those saying they would vote No has risen nine points to 57 per cent. Meanwhile, support for the Voice has risen among men by three points to 36 per cent, while those with university educations have also seen a rise to 54 per cent. However, of most concern to the Yes campaign will be the fall in support among those aged 18 to 34 which is the strongest support base for the Voice. Support among that demographic has fallen five points to 50 per cent - down from 70 per cent at the start of the year - while those backing No have risen four points to 41 per cent. Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo has been exposed for badmouthing several prominent political leaders including Julie Bishop in a series of private texts - and has stepped aside from his position. Mr Pezzullo has been referred to the Australian Public Service Commissioner, accused of inappropriately trying to influence the Liberal Party. A plethora of leaked encrypted text messages revealed by Nine Newspapers on Sunday show Mr Pezzullo using a political back channel to two former Liberal prime ministers. The texts indicate he used Liberal powerbroker Scott Briggs to wield influence, including suggesting ministerial sackings and which member of parliament should become minister of his department. One message showed Mr Pezzullo saying he almost had a 'heart attack' thinking about Ms Bishop becoming Liberal leader. Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo has been exposed for badmouthing several prominent political leaders including Julie Bishop in a series of private texts One message showed Mr Pezzullo saying he almost had a 'heart attack' thinking about Ms Bishop becoming Liberal leader Another message showed him mocking Ms Bishop after she appeared in a fashion shoot with TV star Kerri-Anne Kennerley (pictured, mock-up of the text) Another message showed him mocking Ms Bishop after she appeared in a fashion shoot with TV star Kerri-Anne Kennerley. 'Sorry. She has agency and autonomy. I get it. But how does this advance the cause of strong, independent policy or business relevant women?,' he wrote. Defence Minister Marise Payne is also mentioned in other texts where she is described as 'completely ineffectual' and a 'problem'. The messages were sent on apps such as WhatsApp and Signa with other messages mentioning several more politicians including Attorney-General George Brandis. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Monday that Mr Pezzullo had agreed to stand aside from his position while the investigation is underway. Texts showed Mr Pezzullo suggested now Opposition Leader Peter Dutton should become the new Home Affairs Minister the night before Scott Morrison took the Prime Minister role from Malcolm Turnbull in 2018. According to the messages, he suggested the Liberals sack former defence minister Christopher Pyne. Others show Mr Briggs directly asking if Mr Pezzullo had any messages he wanted him to convey before a dinner with Mr Morrison and Mr Turnbull. It is not suggested the messages show corrupt or illegal conduct but arguably that Mr Pezzullo overstepped the required impartial nature of heading a government department. Defence Minister Marise Payne is also mentioned in other texts where she is described as 'completely ineffectual' and that she is a 'problem' Defence Minister Marise Payne is also mentioned in other texts where she is described as 'completely ineffectual' and a 'problem' (pictured, mock-up of the text) Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil has referred the matter to the public service body, she confirmed in a statement. 'I am aware of reporting regarding communications between Michael Pezzullo and Scott Briggs,' she said. '(On Sunday night) I referred this matter to the Australian Public Service Commissioner, Dr Gordon de Brouwer.' Mr Pezzullo was the first person appointed to head the Home Affairs Department when it was created in 2017. He has held the job since, keeping the role when Labor took office in 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File Photo) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a gathering of women leaders and BJP members on the premises of Ahmedabad Airport on Tuesday. The BJP aims to gather 20,000 female leaders and BJP members for the programme. This event will take place at 6 p.m. on September 26 at the GUJSAIL building compound, immediately after his arrival in Gujarat for a two-day visit. In addition, public gatherings will be organised throughout the state to express gratitude to PM Modi for the recent passage of a bill providing 33 per cent reservation for females in state assemblies and Parliament. The first such programme is slated to occur upon PM Modi's arrival at Ahmedabad Airport on September 26. It will be held at the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Ltd compound at Ahmedabad Airport and attended by female leaders, Members of Parliament , Members of the Legislative Assembly, and BJP members. On September 27, the PM will launch education-related projects worth Rs 4,500 crore. In Chhotaudepur district, he will address a public gathering and then attend an event at Science City in Gandhinagar, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Tributes have been paid to one the UK's top gynaecologists after she died in her sleep on a British Airways flight. Professor Linda Cardozo tragically passed away while on a flight from London to Nice on Thursday night, just a week after celebrating her 73rd birthday. A professor of urogynaecology and consultant gynaecologist at King's College Hospital, London, her employer paid tribute to her as a 'true pioneer'. Her family said that after having health issues in previous months, Prof Cardozo was getting better, and had been heading to Nice for a week's holiday on Thursday, September 21. She had been alongside her husband Stuart Hutcheson when they both fell asleep, but Prof Cardozo did not wake up when the plane landed, the Times reports. Professor Linda Cardozo, pictured, died on a flight from London to Nice on Thursday, September 21 The 73-year-old, pictured, fell asleep next to her husband, but didn't wake up after the plane landed The emergency services were called to the plane, which had landed under the call sign BA 348, but despite the best efforts of medics nothing could be done to save her. In a statement given to the publication her family said that most other passengers had already left the plane by the time it discovered she had passed away. They said that after suffering health troubles in recent months, Prof Cardozo had been 'very much on the mend' and was 'the life of the party' at a wedding two weeks ago. Prof Cardozo had been planning on returning to work 'in some capacity' after her holiday, they said. In the statement, her family said: 'For someone so hell bent on living life to the full and so scared of retirement, it was quite a fitting end. 'We imagine she'd be quite pleased that even her death was an international police incident.' They added: 'We are incredibly thankful for the kind professionalism of the BA staff and the airport duty manager immediately on hand.' Prof Cardozo was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to urogynaecology and women's health, and has also received lifetime achievement awards from International Continence Society and the British Society of Urogynaecology. Tributes have been paid to the professor, who was described by colleagues as a 'true pioneer' in the field of urogynaecology She also served as president of the International Urogynaecological Association, European Urogynaecological Association, Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Women's Health and Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Royal Society of Medicine. In a tribute Dr Leonie Penna, chief medical officer at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Linda worked at King's for 44 years and was a true pioneer in the field of urogynaecology. 'She was also popular and highly respected by her patients and colleagues alike. 'She will be sorely missed and the thoughts of everyone at King's are with her family at this difficult time.' Following her death a spokesperson for British Airways told MailOnline: 'Sadly, a customer passed away on a flight from London Heathrow to Nice. Our thoughts are with the customer's family at this difficult time.' The daughter of a homeless Florida woman who was eaten by a 14ft alligator has said her mom did not taunt the beast before it dragged her into a canal killing her. Sabrina Peckham, 41, was found in the jaws of the alligator after being dragged by the 14-foot beast into a canal on Friday in Largo, Clearwater. A formal cause of death is still to be determined by the coroner. Peckham's daughter, Breauna Dorris, has now come out defending her mom saying she was likely attacked by the gator as she was walking to her homeless camp in darkness. 'My mother was a part of the homeless population that lived in the nearby wooded area. It is believed that she may have been walking to or from her camp site near the creek in the dark and the alligator attacked from the water,' Dorris wrote in a Facebook post. 'My mother, Sabrina Peckham was the victim of the alligator attack at McCay Creek (rainbow village). Please understand that we do not have all information yet as the medical examiners report is not yet finished. Breauna Dorris, has said her mother was not taunting an alligator before it attacked and ate her claiming instead that she had been walking back to her homeless camp in the dark Sabrina Peckham (left) pictured with her daughter Breauna Dorris. Peckham, 41, was found in the jaws of the alligator after being dragged by the 14-foot beast into a canal on Friday Sabrina Peckham was named as the homeless Florida woman mauled to death and dragged into a waterway by a huge alligator in Largo, Clearwater. Her formal cause of death is yet to be determined 'Some details I would like to share is that my mother did not 'taunt' the alligator as some are saying in the news outlets comments. We expected to have many many more years with her. Unfortunately god has called her home sooner than our hearts were ready.' She posted her comments along with an update about the family's GoFundMe which has raised almost $6,000 so far. 'The past 24 hours have been filled with grief and sorrow and unbearable pain for our family.' 'To my mother: I love you more than I ever expressed, I miss you more than you'll ever know and I pray that you are looking down over me and your grandchildren. 'Please protect us. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I pray you are at peace and you are no longer struggling or hurting. I pray you found momo and pop and you all are watching down from above.' 'Some details I would like to share is that my mother did not 'taunt' the alligator as some are saying in the news outlets comments,' Breauna Dorris, the daughter of Sabrina Peckham said Several local residents spotted the gruesome sight of Peckham's death on Friday afternoon, and as the alligator dragged its prey away and began to record the scene while alerting the Largo Fire Department The Florida alligator was found with a dead body clamped between its jaws as it made its way down a canal near Clearwater Over the weekend it emerged how two months before her untimely death, Peckham was arrested on July 14 for trespassing on a county wetland just half a mile from where she was mauled, reports WFLA. She was ordered to pay $500 for that incident. Peckham reportedly ignored warning signs placed around the area and pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge on September 8. It was not the first time that she was apprehended for trespassing, as she has multiple misdemeanors to her name dating to 2014, records show. Peckham also had a history of theft convictions and run-ins with the police. 'No matter how you put it, no one deserves to die like this,' her daughter wrote online. A local resident who was driving to a job interview first witnessed the horrifying sight and called the Largo Fire Department. Soon afterwards several other local residents spotted the gruesome sight as the alligator dragged its prey away with some even recording the scene. Emergency responders, together with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, managed to pull the alligator from the water before shooting it dead, with officials describing it as having been 'humanely killed' following the horrific attack. Emergency responders, along with the Florida FWC successfully removed the alligator from the water and subsequently euthanized it The 14-foot reptile held its victim tightly between its powerful jaws as is paddled down the waterway, in the small town of Largo Jennifer Dean, who lived nearby to where the woman was killed, said: 'A lot of my neighbors were out here and they're the ones that told me about the gator. 'While we were standing here we heard a shot, I assume they killed the gator.' Once the alligator was dead, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office were then able to retrieve the victim's body from the water. 'I could tell there was a body in his mouth, so I started recording,' JaMarcus Bullard said to Bay News 9. 'I came down to the fire department and reported it to them,' he said. Investigators also took time to examine the gator, which measured almost 14 feet in length. It's believed the deadly reptile had come from a nearby alligator-infested lake known as Ridgecrest Park. Aussie shoppers will be forced to pay record-high prices for dairy products as the farming industry is set to produce its lowest volume of milk in 30 years. Farmgate prices hit an all-time high of $9.93kg per milk solid in the 2022 to 2023 season, according to Dairy Australia - a national services body for the Australian dairy industry. While prices have fallen back to $9.44kg per milk solid, they are still 40 per cent above the five-year average, causing prices to surge on supermarket shelves. Last week, Coles 'reluctantly raised' the price of its own-brand milk by 10 cents, with shoppers paying $1.70 for one litre and $3.30 for two litres. The supermarket giant told Daily Mail Australia the price hike was due to 'ongoing cost increases in the supply chain'. Aussie shoppers will be forced to pay record high prices for dairy products as the farming industry is set to produce its lowest volume of milk in 30 years While prices have fallen back to $9.44kg per milk solid, they are still 40 per cent above the five-year average, causing prices to surge on supermarket shelves 'We have reluctantly raised the price of Coles Own Brand milk by 10 cents a litre due to ongoing cost increases in the supply chain,' Coles said. 'We dont take the decision to raise prices lightly, particularly because of the increased cost-of-living pressures faced by our customers.' The increase marks a 21 per cent price jump in just over a year, making local products unaffordable for Aussies struggling with the cost of living. Dairy Australia noted the jump in its latest report on the industry, claiming dairy prices have 'increased at the fastest rate compared to all other food groups'. Supermarket prices remained steady for an eight-year lull after Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi slashed prices to $1 a litre in 2011. However, farmers warned the low milk price would cause some dairy producers to leave the industry. When $1 milk was introduced, 2,350 farm businesses left the industry, and milk production dropped by about 1 million litres, according to Dairy Australia data. The peak body explained price hikes are likely to continue as supply decreases, with national milk production set to drop a further 3 to 4 per cent to 7.8 billion litres. Now, fewer than 4,000 farmers are left in the dairy industry. South Gippsland farmer Benjamin Vagg is one of the dairy farmers still enthusiastic about the industry. The 34-year-old wakes up at 5.30am, seven days a week, and tends to his 420 cows, which are milked every afternoon. 'We have some of the best dairy farmers in the world In Australia,' Vagg told 9News. Mr Vagg added he can't sell his milk for much less as his production costs have also increased. He added it was 'about time' manufacturers pay farmers 'top dollar' for his produce but admitted the flow-on effect would be harder for shoppers. South Gippsland dairy farmer Benjamin Vagg said it was 'about time' manufacturers pay 'top dollar' for produce but admitted the flow-on effect would be hard for shoppers ANZ Head of Agri Insights, Michael Whitehead said Australian milk production had fallen every year, with 2023 set to be the lowest in 30 years. 'We've got the same number of dairy processing companies, so they have to compete to get an ever-shrinking supply of milk,' Mr Whitehead said. 'That pushes up the cost, which cuts their margins and means higher prices at the supermarket.' As prices increase, Aussies will be forced to away from Australian-made dairy products and towards cheaper imported produce. The amount of New Zealand diary in Australia is almost 30 per cent higher than it was in 2022. 'It's absolutely happening now. Two out of the top four butter brands in Australia right now are imported,' Mr Whitehead said. Nearly one million crimes went unsolved in 'Blue Wall' constituencies in southern England over the past year. Out of 2,177,121 crimes recorded in areas such as Hertfordshire, Surrey and Kent, no suspect was identified in almost half - 989,034 - of cases between April 2022 and March 2023. This is equivalent to 2,710 a day. Four of the five worst-performing police forces for attending car thefts are in the Blue Wall, defined as 14 constituencies in the south of England traditionally held by the Conservatives. In Avon and Somerset just 28 of burglaries were attended in 2022, while a fifth of car thefts were unsolved. Nearly 900 car thefts went unattended in Surrey in the first six months of 2023, while more than 560 car thefts were unattended in Cambridgeshire. Rishi Sunak has made crime a significant campaign issue going into next year's general election, with pledges to attend all incidents and mandatory life orders for serious offenders. Four of the five worst-performing police forces for attending car thefts are in the Blue Wall, defined as 14 constituencies in the south of England traditionally held by the Conservatives (Stock image) Rishi Sunak (pictured) has made crime a significant campaign issue going into next year's general election But the Liberal Democrats, who obtained the new figures, have blamed the removal of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) from the streets as a major factor in the failure to obtain justice in many cases. They found three of the five worst affected police forces for PCSOs cuts are in the Blue Wall, such as Bedfordshire, which has seen 82 per cent of its PCSOs slashed since 2015. Lib-Dem home affairs spokesman Alastair Carmichael said: 'With figures like these, it's no wonder that crime is coming up on the doorstep for us again and again. 'Victims across the Blue Wall are being left to suffer with no justice while criminals are given free reign to target local communities.' Last night the party passed a policy motion to restore community policing and provide a guarantee for police to attend and investigate all burglaries. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The government has delivered more police officers than ever in England and Wales. and the Home Secretary expects police to improve public confidence by getting the basics right catching more criminals and delivering justice for victims. 'Since 2010, our communities are safer, with neighbourhood crimes including burglary, robbery and theft down 51% and serious violent crime down 46%. 'The Home Secretary called for every force to send an officer to investigate the scene of every home burglary and secured a police commitment to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry which will help drive up performance and public confidence.' A top health official has refused to rule out lockdowns if NSW is hit by another pandemic. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant was asked on Monday whether with what is known now she would still recommend lockdowns and curfews. Ms Chant did not give a straight-forward answer. 'I think those matters cant be answered in a simple question,' she said. 'And I think also one of the key learnings is that it is important we think about the future but we dont plan for the next pandemic totally on what we have been through for the last.' NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has refused to answer whether the Covid-period lockdowns and curfews are the right way to manage a pandemic Last week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced there would be three-member inquiry into Australia's Covid responses but which would not look into 'actions taken unilaterally by state and territory governments'. As Covid measures such as lockdowns, curfews and the shutting internal borders were decided by state governments this means the inquiry won't be examining these issues in any depth. NSW police are seen issuing fines to a group of three women who broke the state's health orders by congregating in a group of three in August 2021 During the Covid period the longest lockdown NSW experienced was 107 days that ended in October 2021 and it imposed curfews during that September on some of the suburbs worst hit with the Delta strain of the virus. As gruelling as this was it pales against the 262-lockdown endured by Victorians, which came with more blanket curfews. Dr Nick Coatsworth, who was the national deputy chief health officer during the pandemic, commented curtly that such exclusions mean the inquiry will ignore 'pretty much everything they did' to respond to Covid. He previously called for the inquiry to examine whether independent public health powers should remain with states and territories during a pandemic. 'Who determines proportionality of pandemic response and how are societal costs of pandemic restrictions assessed and balanced against need for disease control?', asked Dr Coatsworth. He took aim at Victorian Premier Dan Andrews who 'thinks that the Covid inquiry should focus on vaccines, national medical stockpile and PPE'. 'None of those are related to the core question. Proportionality,' Dr Coatsworth added. 'It is a word that he would prefer never enter into the historical record on our (and his) pandemic response. But it will.' This criticism was echoed by other commentators and the opposition, who accused the Albanese government of shielding Labor premiers from scrutiny. Australian Financial Review political editor Phillip Coorey accused Mr Albanese of treating 'the Australian people like idiots' by making the terms of the inquiry so narrow. '(The announcement) was so utterly disingenuous and patronising that the government would have more credibility had it just broken its promise altogether and done nothing,' he wrote. READ MORE: Top doctor Nick Coatsworth exposes the one major flaw with Australia's new Covid inquiry Advertisement 'That means almost everything that still gives people nightmares about COVID school closures, lockdowns, state border closures, vaccine mandates, failed contact tracing and overzealous policing are all off limits,' he wrote. 'These are the actions that caused economic ruin, widespread heartache, mental health problems and which set back the education of thousands of children.' Deputy leader of the Liberal Party Susan Ley branded the inquiry a 'sham', claiming it places 'the political interests of the Labor party ahead of the interests of all Australians. 'This is the prime minister looking after his labor mates at state government level,' Senator Ley said on Seven's Sunrise program. 'How can you possibly have an inquiry that doesn't look at the totality of what this did in a way that actually allows us to learn how to do better next time?' Mr Albanese on Thursday claimed the inquiry was meeting his electoral promise, despite vowing to establish a much more powerful royal commission into Covid while opposition leader. 'We said before the election and I've said since, given the enormous dislocation, the stress, the loss of life, the economic impact of the pandemic it is appropriate that when we reached a certain period we would have an inquiry,' Mr Albanese said. 'We need to examine what went right (and) what could be done better with a focus on the future because the health experts and the science tells us that this pandemic may not be indeed is not likely to be the last one that occurs.' Dr Nick Coatsworth, who was the national deputy chief health officer during the Covid period, says the Albanese government pandemic inquiry excludes the most important issues The watered down commission of inquiry will lack the powers of a Royal Commission to compel witnesses to appear and testify truthfully. It will be conducted by economist Angela Jackson, epidemiologist and regular Covid commentator Catherine Bennett, and public administration expert Robyn Kruk. The inquiry's timeframe of 12 months to examine the enormity of action during the period has also attracted criticism as being insufficient. Leading Yes campaigner Thomas Mayo has addressed vicious rumours about his heritage and his family as he gears up for the final three weeks of campaigning for the Voice to Parliament. The one-time wharfie has become a household name ahead of the referendum, working closely with Anthony Albanese's government in order to help promote a Yes vote. And he's faced his fair share of criticism after comments from his past resurfaced in which he called for reparations, 'rent' to be paid to First Nations people and the date of Australia Day to be changed. (He later told Daily Mail Australia his opinion had changed as the referendum debate had progressed.) Critics have repeatedly raised questions about Mayo's heritage. In an interview with the Betoota Advocate, Mayo described the insinuations as 'shocking'. 'It's been quite shocking to see photos of your parents being shared around, saying we're not genuinely Indigenous,' he said. Thomas Mayo (pictured with Melanie Mayo) has addressed vicious rumours about his heritage and his family as he gears up for a final three weeks of campaigning for the Voice to Parliament The one-time wharfie has become a household name ahead of the referendum, working closely with the government to help promote a Yes vote Mayo's father is from the Torres Strait Islands. His great, great grandfather arrived in the Torres Strait from the Philippines, and married a local woman. His grandparents on his mother's side are English, Irish and Polish. 'I wasn't from a family of activists or anything,' he said. When the interviewer noted he'd been at the centre of 'multiple conspiracies', Mayo said the rumours he'd heard were 'really crazy'. 'I've never been a member of the Communist party,' he added. 'You can mash up all these videos and make people look scary.' The references to the Communist party come after Mayo spoke on a forum of Search Foundation, an organisation which was once linked to the former Communist Party of Australia. Mayo has been touring Australia campaigning for the Yes vote, and said he's looking forward to October 15, when he can finally take a break. 'I've been working hard on this for six years,' he said. Mayo's father is from the Torres Strait Islands. His great, great grandfather arrived in the Torres Strait from the Philippines, and married a local woman While consecutive polls have seen support for the Voice dropping, Mayo, the government and the official Yes23 campaign is still hopeful it can secure a win on October 14. His message to the public is: 'don't be taken for a mug. 'It's an advisory committee. They are trying to pull the wool over your eyes.' Just over a third of Australians - 36 per cent - say they will vote Yes to the Voice to Parliament, according to the Newspoll survey of 1,239 voters for The Australian. It marks a two-point fall in the past three weeks - the lowest level yet for the beleaguered Yes campaign. Meanwhile, opposition to the historic referendum has risen slightly to 56 per cent with less than three weeks until polling day. Mayo said the Coalition - which is supporting the No vote - is doing nothing more than 'looking for a cheap win'. READ MORE: Mayo drops F-bomb in fiery speech Advertisement 'What a hill to die on,' he said. One of the biggest criticisms of the Voice to Parliament is that there is 'not enough detail' for the Australian public. This message has become one of the most successful of the No campaign, and is the leading reason for Australians voting No according to the Redbridge poll. But Mayo said that, too, is disingenuous. He said the detail of the Voice is available and there is no need for it to be in the referendum question itself. He described the constitution as 'the size of a passport' and said there are no other examples in which all the detail is written into it. 'It doesn't contain the mechanics,' he said. 'It just has top level things. It gives parliament the power to collect taxes, it doesn't say how much tax. It gives flexibility. 'It just says there should be elections, it doesn't say how many people are in Parliament.' A prominent real estate agent has been charged with allegedly shoving a cream crepe into the face of Northern Territory chief minister Natasha Fyles. Ms Fyles, 45, was hit in the face while at the Nightcliff Markets, in northwest Darwin, at about 11.40am on Sunday, in an incident that was captured on camera. Police confirmed on Monday a 56-year-old woman had been charged with aggravated assault over the incident: prominent city real estate agent Suzi Milgate. Ms Milgate is the director of Milgate Real Estate, based out of Larrakeyah, and has previously spoken at Covid anti-vaccination protests. Ms Milgate has been bailed to appear in a Darwin Local Court on October 10. Footage showed a woman rushing towards an unsuspecting Ms Fyles as she left a bank and allegedly shoving the cream-covered crepe into her face. Darwin real estate agent Suzi Milgate has been charged with aggravated assault The charged woman allegedly "smooshed a cream pancake" in the Chief Minister's face. A witness told the NT News that Ms Fyles 'was very shocked and quite taken aback'. 'The woman stood back from Natasha as she was wiping cream off her face,' they said. '(The Chief Minister) pulled out her phone and was trying to film and photograph the incident. There were a few people around supporting her but she didn't appear to be in any danger.' They said the alleged attacker indicated the incident was related to a health matter. 'She stood there with another woman and when people were saying she shouldn't have done it, she said Natasha stopped her husband having a heart operation,' they said. Ms Fyles is also the Territory's minister for health and had been attending a 15th anniversary celebration for the Bendigo Bank branch in Nightcliff, which is in her electorate. Nightcliff market manager Ross Dudgeon condemned the alleged attack. 'The Chief Minister's pretty upset,' he said. 'It's always been a relaxed community market. There's a difference between protesting peacefully and being obnoxious and violent. That's just not on. 'Natasha is always here every Sunday, grabs a smoothie and she should never be exposed to that sort of aggression and violence.' NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles was said to be 'pretty upset' about the alleged attack at the markets in her electorate NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said the NT police are discerning whether security would need to be boosted for the territory's leader. 'It's about appreciating the threat and the risk assessments, and how that presents, and what sort of policing activities we put around people and make sure they're safe,' he told the Australian. A spokeswoman for Ms Fyles said the chief minister would not be making any immediate comment. Vladimir Putin has rained down hell on Ukraine's port city of Odessa with a powerful missile strike - just as the city's large Jewish population marks the holy day of Yom Kippur. Russian invaders are believed to have struck the Hotel Odessa - a military target used as a training centre - with local reports that the building is caught up in flames. Other reports describe a 'continuous attack' on the Black Sea port lasting for over an hour, as Russia fired an arsenal of shahed missiles. Oleg Veretskiy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, listing the invaders' weaponry as 'Onyx, Calibers and Shaheds'. He added: 'I don't remember such a dense attack on Odessa for a long time. It was loud. Right next to us. We survived. The air raid alert has been cancelled.' Russia likely hit "Odessa Hotel" in the port of Odesa. Another high-value military target pic.twitter.com/witSzjWwrD Giorgi Revishvili (@revishvilig) September 24, 2023 Vladimir Putin has rained down hell on Ukraine's port city of Odesa with a powerful missile strike - just as the city's large Jewish population marks the holy day of Yom Kippur Firefighters work to put out a fire in the sea port and at the hotel Odessa after Russia launched a massive attack overnight A view shows damaged buildings, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine, on Monday A view shows damaged buildings, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa on Monday Russian invaders are believed to have struck the Hotel Odessa - a military target used as a training centre - with local reports that the building is caught up in flames Oleg Veretskiy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter , listing the invaders' weaponry as 'Onyx, Calibers and Shaheds' Many of Odessa's population of over 12,000 Jews were marking the end of their fasting period on the holy day of Yom Kippur when the missiles struck. Since its founding in 1795, Odessa has been home to a large population of Jews - outnumbering any other ethnic group until the mid-20th century. Explosions have also been reported in Sevastopol in the Crimea, temporarily occupied by Russia. The attacks come as President Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine grinded into its 20th month with no tangible sign of victory. Yesterday, Russian air strikes killed two people and wounded three others in Ukraine's Kherson province - just days after two were killed and eight others injured in a strike on Sunday. Russian forces have repeatedly struck the city of Beryslav, destroying an unspecified number of private houses. A woman was killed in the latest strike and three people were wounded, including a police officer, according to the region's governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Another air strike also killed a 67-year-old man in the village of Lvove, Mr Prokudin said without specifying the type of weapons used in the attack. The communities hit are both located in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Kherson region, where the Dnieper River has marked a battle line since November 2022, when Russian forces retreated across it, boosting the invaded country's morale. The sky over Odesa tonight as the city is under continuous attack for over an hour now Shaheeds, then missiles, then drones again pic.twitter.com/u4fFEVOhzb OscarDomesticated (@OscDomesticated) September 24, 2023 Firefighters work at a site of a hotel damaged by a Russian military attack in Odesa on Monday A view shows a damaged building, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, on Monday Firefighters work at a site of a hotel damaged by a Russian military attack in Odesa on Monday Firefighters work at a site of a hotel damaged by a Russian military attack on Monday Russian air strikes have killed two people and wounded three others in Ukraine 's Kherson province. Pictured is a destroyed building in Beryslav Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces struck the city of Beryslav, destroying an unspecified number of private houses. A woman was killed and three people were wounded, including a police officer, he said. Another airstrike killed a 67-year-old man in the village of Lvove, Prokudin said without specifying the type of weapons used in the attack. In the city of Kherson, the region's capital, a total of five people were wounded Sunday as the result of repeated Russian bombing, the governor said. The communities hit are both located in the Ukraine-controlled part of the Kherson region, where the Dnieper River that bisects the province has marked a battle line since Russian troops withdrew across it in November 2022, a retreat that boosted the invaded country's morale. The Russians regrouped on the river's eastern bank and regularly shell cities and villages across the river, including the city of Kherson that was occupied early on in the war but retaken by Ukrainian forces more than 10 months ago. In another front-line Ukrainian region, Donetsk, the Russian-installed authorities on Sunday imposed a number of restrictions on the occupied areas: a curfew from 11 p.m. till 4 a.m. on weekdays, a ban on any rallies or protests, and military censorship of any correspondence, online messages and phone conversations. It wasn't immediately clear how such a censorship would operate. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an administrative building in the city of Kursk and "insignificantly damaged" the roof, regional Gov. Roman Starovoit reported. He didn't report any casualties or say what the building housed. Unconfirmed media reports both in Russia and Ukraine said it was the offices of the Kursk branch of Russia's main security agency, the Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB. A woman has been killed in the strike while three people were wounded, including a police officer. Pictured is the aftermath in Beryslav Kherson's governor told of how Russian forces struck the city of Beryslav earlier today, destroying an unspecified number of private houses READ MORE: As Zelensky faces battle to win further funding from countries, a look at which nations are handing over the most cash and weaponry to Ukraine Advertisement The Russians regrouped on the river's eastern bank and regularly shell cities and villages across the river, including the city of Kherson, the regional capital that was occupied early on in the war but retaken by Ukrainian forces more than 10 months ago. Meanwhile in Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an administrative building in the city of Kursk and 'insignificantly damaged' the roof, regional governor Roman Starovoit reported. He did not report any casualties or say what the building housed. Unconfirmed media reports both in Russia and Ukraine said it was the offices of the Kursk branch of Russia's main security agency, the Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB. The Kursk region of Russia borders Ukraine and is also a frequent target of attacks. The drone strike today took place as residents commemorated the anniversary of the regional capital's founding. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian authorities, who usually do not acknowledge responsibility for attacks on Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was travelling home from North America, where he addressed the UN General Assembly and paid his first war-time visit to Canada. In a social media statement on Saturday, Mr Zelensky said he stopped in Poland on his way back to Ukraine to give state awards to two Polish volunteers. Mr Zelensky apparently did not meet with any Polish officials, but in a post on X, formerly Twitter, he thanked Poland for 'its invaluable support and solidarity that helps defend freedom of our entire Europe'. Poland has taken in large numbers of Ukrainian refugees and been a fierce supporter of neighbouring Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into the country on February 24, 2022. However, a trade dispute has recently tested the relationship between Kyiv and Warsaw. The Ukrainian government this month filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia for banning imports of Ukrainian farm products, which are important for the war-weary country's battered economy. The three European Union member nations bristled at the move. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded by saying his country was 'no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons'. His remarks left many wondering if the Western resolve to support Ukraine in the war with Russia is waning. This is the shocking moment an Oregon man hurled racial slurs and threats of murder and rape at his terrified black neighbors at their shared apartment complex. Shirtless Dominic Austin, 19, is seen pounding on the door as he makes the sinister threats, pacing menacingly in front of the mother and daughters' doorstep. He even stabs their front door with a knife and in one clip he can be heard saying: 'I'll f**king rape your daughter, b**ch.' 'You're about to get murdered,' he says in another, before ominously adding: 'Call the cops, b**ch.' He is also heard mumbling angrily about slavery, before asserting that he wants the women to be whipped. The tenants on the other side, Nubrittany Smith and her elderly, live-in mother Tasha, say they have been subject to such behavior since June and have filed a restraining order against Austin. However, Austin was only handed an eviction notice this week, before being arrested Wednesday for menacing the women and violating Smith's August 23 protective order. Identified as 19-year-old Dominic Austin by KOIN News Thursday, the man is seen pounding on the door as he makes the threats, pacing menacingly in front of the mother and daughters' doorstep, even stabbing and slashing to door at points The tenants on the other side, Nubrittany Smith and her elderly, live-in mother Tasha, say they have been subject to such behavior since June - leading them to complain and even file a restraining order against Austin In his arrest report, officers with the Gresham Police report wrote how Austin violated the stalking order at least 10 separate times - repeatedly showing up the mother and daughter's door to harass them while appearing increasingly unstable. Smith said she reported the threats to police after 'each event' - with videos captured on her Ring Security Camera appearing to show Austin's escalating behavior, which she said took a turn for the worse on September 8. According to documents obtained by KOIN, that was when Austin was officially notified by management at The Landings at Morrison that he was being thrown out of the complex due to a stipulation in his rental agreement says tenants will be evicted within 24 hours if they should ever threaten another tenant. The outlet, however, reported that an eviction notice was only handed to Austin on Monday, allowing him roughly two weeks to ramp up his campaign of harassments against the two women, who moved in in June. The threats began soon after, with the family filing their first formal complaint against Austin on June 30. Still, no action was taken until this month - and an arrest was not made until Wednesday, hours after KOIN unmasked Austin's alleged behavior. Footage posted to social media by Smith further substantiated her and her mothers' claims - showing Austin issuing death threats to the pair through their locked door. However, Austin - reportedly the subject of another temporary protective order filed by another neighbor in August - was only handed an eviction notice this week, before being arrested Wednesday for menacing the women and violating Smith's August protective order Austin was notified by management at The Landings at Morrison that he was being thrown out of the complex on September 8 - due to a stipulation in his rental agreement says tenants to be thrown out within 24 hours notice if they should ever threaten another tenant He remains shirtless in all of the videos, which were all shared to Instagram by Smith. In a GoFundMe asking for money to relocate, she alleged that Austin - who at this point was a day from being evicted - was suffering from a mental affliction, and had been coming down to the unit in such a manner since June 29. 'Every time he comes down he is either holding a knife or beating on [our] door,' she wrote on September 17, adding 'the property management is aware of the situation and appears not to be concerned in our health or safety.' She further revealed: 'My mother has requested accommodations as far as being transferred to a different unit or paying for to place us in a hotel. 'The property management declined both accommodations,' she said. Within a day after posting the profile - which has raised more than 10,000 in the span of a week - KOIN published its story about the alleged pattern of abuse, and brass at the posh complex near Portland formally hit Austin with an order to vacate. That notice came nearly two weeks after management hit him with the 24-warning, which they inexplicably did not act on despite Austin's visits - and the families complaints - persisting to this past Tuesday, when he was handed the order. Brass at the posh complex outside of Portland where the tenants live are being criticized for allegedly allowing Austin's pattern of abuse to go on unhindered for more than two months Smith also said that cops failed and her mom, Citing how she reported the behavior to police multiple times since it began on June 29 'I was failed by the system and by the Landings at the Morrison,' Smith told KOIN Wednesday after Austin's arrest, adding 'I don't feel safe because he's in jail today... I don't know what tomorrow is going to be' The next day, only after being named in the KOIN piece, Austin was placed under arrest - on 10 charges of violating protection orders, and one count of menacing - a felony. Upon his arrest, it was also revealed that Austin had a stalking protection order filed against him on August 23 by another tenant at the complex. In that case, cops said Austin continued to violate that order, as well as Smiths' until Tuesday - the day before his arrest. Smith has since retained an attorney, alleging staffers at the Gresham apartment complex failed their tenants by allowing Austin's pattern of abuse to continue unhindered. 'I was failed by the system and by the Landings at the Morrison,' Smith told KOIN Wednesday after Austin's arrest, adding 'I don't feel safe because he's in jail today... I don't know what tomorrow is going to be.' She told the station: 'He could be released at any time. Then what happens next?' Citing how she reported the behavior to police multiple times, Smith said: 'As a Black woman, we, I felt that we weren't heard - I feel that we were not important.' Her lawyer, citing the landlords' failure to act on their own policy of booting tenants within a day of making threats against a neighbor, said: 'The people who run this very large apartment complex didn't give a damn. The police did not give a damn.' Claiming that both cops and the complex failed Smith and her mom, he added: 'I don't know how anyone can look at those videos and come to any other conclusion.' Gresham police, meanwhile, sent out a statement in response Wednesday, finally addressing Smith's complaints. 'We are aware of the terrible conduct of the suspect in this case, including statements that indicate the motivation for the crime is hate or bias. 'We share in our communities' concern and appreciate the unique impact bias crimes, in particular, have on victims. 'Although the suspect has been arrested and is currently in custody, the investigation is continuing. 'We are working with the district attorney's office to ensure the suspect is charged with the appropriate crimes.' The mother of Idaho murders victim Ethan Chapin has made an unexpected and emotional appearance at a packed auditorium at a true crime conference in Orlando. Stacy Chapin went up to an open mic where she introduced herself as Ethan's mother before sharing emotional and heartfelt sentiments about the four slain students, including her son. Ethan 20, was killed alongside his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, 20, her housemates Kaylee Goncalves, 21 and best friend Madison Mogen, 21, on 13 November 2022. Bryan Kohberger, 28, has been charged with the murders with his trial currently set for October, although it has since been postponed. Chapin told the 3,200 strong crowd that she did not see the presentation about the murders because it was 'too hard to watch' but through tears expressed her gratitude to Joseph Scott Morgan, a forensic expert and host of the Body Bags podcast, for his respectful remarks about the four students. The mother of Ethan Chapin, Stacy Chapin, made an unexpected and emotional appearance at a packed auditorium at a true crime conference over the weekend in Orlando, Florida Chapin said that she wasn't a true crime follower but praised how the story had been covered Brian Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20 Chapin's surprise appearance occurred during a Q&A session following Morgan's presentation. 'I'm Stacy Chapin, and I'm Ethan's mom,' she began. 'I want all of you to know that these were four of the greatest kids, and all of the great things that you read about them [are] legitimately true. 'It's always been a challenge for me to hear people talk about Ethan who don't know him,' Chapin said. 'I can speak on behalf of my own son, who was an incredible human, and we miss them all terribly,' she said as her voice broke in front of a stunned audience. 'They were amazing, amazing kids in the prime of their life,' Chapin said to applause, who later explained how she felt compelled to speak up and make it known that Ethan's story was real and deeply personal to her. The surprise appearance by Chapin left host, Morgan, moved. The surprise appearance by Chapin left host, Joseph Scott Morgan, a forensic expert and host of the Body Bags podcast, moved Stacy Chapin, center, together with triplets Maizie, left, Ethan, second from left, and Hunter, right, pose with their parents Stacy and Jim Chapin at Priest Lake in northern Idaho, July 2022 Stacy Chapin told the true crime conference that her son, Ethan, right, was in the 'prime of his life'. He is seen next to twin brother, Hunter, left The murder house in Moscow, Idaho. Slain housemates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were found on the top floor in their beds. College lovers Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were found in a second floor bedroom while survivors Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were sleeping on the first floor 'I knew immediately that I needed to keep my mouth shut at this point, because this woman, more so than anybody at this conference relative to these Idaho cases, she deserved to have a platform,' Morgan said to Fox News. Ethan Chapin was studying recreation, sport and tourism management at the University of Idaho when he was killed. He lived at the Sigma Chi fraternity house, about 200 yards away from the home where he was stabbed to death. He had been visiting his girlfriend, Xana Kernodle on the night of the murders. The man accused of carrying out the quadruple murder, Bryan Kohberger, was a 28-year-old criminology student at Washington State University . He has been charged in the for the home invasion attack that led to the deaths of the four students. Brian Kohberger is pictured entering a courtroom to appear at a hearing earlier this month General view of the infamous murder house in Moscow, Idaho, where Bryan Kohberger allegedly slaughtered four University of Idaho students Kohberger pleaded not guilty during his arraignment. His trial was initially scheduled for October but has since been postponed as he waived his right to a speedy trial pushing back the court case until at least next year. Kohberger was arrested at his parents' Pennsylvania home in late December, almost two months after the killings. Prosecutors arrested him after finding his DNA on the button of a knife sheath, which was discovered under the body of Maddie Mogen. His team has claimed that the DNA was 'planted' by law enforcement, and has claimed in legal filings that his alibi is that he was 'driving around' at the time of the killings. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. by Sanchita Bhattacharya Since the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan in August, 2021, the female population of the country, comprising 49.5 per cent of the total, is experiencing severe distress, torture, and violence. Their personal freedom and choices, their very existence or right to life, are at the mercy of the Taliban Regime. A few examples over the past six months illustrate the pervasive nature of the brutality going under this barbaric regime in Afghanistan, where women across every walk of life have been detained, lashed, raped, abducted, attacked, and killed. On September 19, 2023, the Taliban detained a member of Spontaneous Womens Movement of Afghanistan, Neda Parwani, along with her husband and their four-year-old child, in the Khairkhana area of Kabul. Subsequently, she was transferred to an undisclosed location. As of now, the Taliban has not issued any official statement regarding this incident. An Afghan woman holds her child as she leaves the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) On August 23, 2023, a woman was shot dead inside her residence at Qara-Baghi Square within the Fourth Police District of Ghazni City, the capital of Ghazni Province. The Talibans provincial security commander confirmed the incident. As reported on August 8, 2023, unidentified gunmen mutilated a 28-year-old pregnant woman, Mahdia, cutting off her ears, nose, and tongue, before killing her in the village of Masjid Gholam Hassan Khaan in the Second Police District of Imam Saheb District in Kunduz Province. Local Taliban officials have confirmed this incident. On August 5, 2023, a woman, identified as Masouma, was beheaded by unknown assailants in the village of Jilamkhor in Khwaja Ghar District in Takhar Province. On May 22, 2023, two female teachers affiliated with Darul Uloom Ettefaq, located in the centre of the Bamyan Province, were beaten by the Taliban for welcoming the Talibans acting minister of education, Habibulla Aghaz, who had traveled to Bamyan. On May 1, 2023, Mawlawi Muttaqi, the commander of the Talibans security command for Panjsher Province, forcibly entered a house and sexually assaulted a woman at Frubal village in Bazarak, the provincial centre. On April 27, 2023, the son of a Taliban commander in the Ghor Province, along with a fighter from his group, shot dead a young girl after they failed to rape her in the Sad Seyah area of Firozkoh District. The identity of the assaulter was not disclosed in the media. On April 13, 2023, a female doctor, Zakera Rahmani, was killed by unidentified gunmen near Chanzi village on the Takhar-Kunduz Highway in Takhar Province. The victims husband, was also severely wounded in the incident. The Taliban warned the victims family not to share any details of the incident with the media. The chilling impact of these incidents of violence is compounded by the enveloping environment of repression that has put the very existence of women in Afghanistan at stake. On the Sky News documentary series, Defying the Taiban: women at war in Afghanistan, published on December 7, 2022, on YouTube, Mehbouba Seraj, a womens rights activist and member of the Afghan Womens Network, observed, We are becoming extinct in Afghanistan. Taliban do not want the women to exist that is why there is no school, no work, that is why the women are not supposed to be walking on the street On February 6, 2023, while addressing the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that women and girls in Afghanistan are now exiles in their own country due to laws banning them from public life. According to the Summary report of country-wide womens consultations, published by UNAMA in September, 2023: 80 per cent of women noted their ability to undertake income-generating activities had decreased. For 62 per cent, Taliban decrees were enforced with increasing severity and without exceptions, leading to a further retreat into the private sphere. Harassment, intimidation, and violence on the street by both Taliban and ordinary men is reportedly an increasingly common reality for women who are seen as defying decrees. Women spoke of psychological issues, including depression, insomnia, loss of hope and motivation, anxiety, fear, aggression, isolation and suicidal ideation Furthermore, the provincial picture is extremely grim, with respect to various edicts and orders issued by the Talban from time to time, excluding women from various spaces. The Taliban has been extremely meticulous with regard to suppression of the rights of women across the country. On May 15, 2023, in Daykundi Province, Taliban officials set up a check post where they harass, intimidate, and detain women and girls for not wearing hijab. In the month of April, 2023, Taliban forbade women from taking part in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in Takhar and Baghlan Provinces. In the same month, Taliban officials in Ghazni Province banned all local media outlets from broadcasting commercial announcements recorded with womens voices. In March, 2023, the Taliban shut down the women run radio station Sadai-e-Banowan in Badakhshan Province over broadcasting music, during Ramadan. Apart from denying young girls higher education, as instructed by the Ministry of Higher Education on December 18, 2022, female students and educational institutions for girls have also been directly targeted under the regime. On June 3, 2023, 60 female students were poisoned in Naswan-e-Kabod Aab School, and 17 female students were poisoned in Naswan-e-Faizabad School, both in the Sangcharak District of Sar-e Pul Province. On April 11, 2023, unidentified assailants set ablaze a girls high school in the village of Shokhak in Shahr-e-Safa District in Zabul Province. As a result, all administrative documents and books kept in the school building were burned. Earlier, on March 29, 2022, two girls were killed and another six were injured in a grenade explosion inside a girls primary school classroom in Qush Tepa District of Jowzjan Province. On June 27, Amnesty International called on the Taliban to unconditionally release Afghan educationist Matiuallah Wesa, the founder of Pen Path and a prominent supporter of girls education, noting Under international human rights law, Matiullah Wesas arbitrary detention is a violation of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. He was detained on March 27, 2023 by the Taliban Intelligence unit in Kabul. The restrictions imposed on the female population of Afghanistan has also resulted in various health and medical-related directives from the Taliban, with the regime imposing discriminatory restrictions on the health care system. As reported in July, 2023, for instance, the Talibans Ministry of Public Health announced that only males would be allowed to take exams to pursue specialized medical studies. This follows a ban on female medical students taking graduation exams announced in February, 2023. On January 29, 2023, officials of the Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue in Kandahar Province ordered female employees of local clinics and health centres to refrain from going to work without being accompanied by a Mahram (male guardian). Earlier on December 24, 2022, the Taliban also barred female employees of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from coming to work, causing turmoil in the working process of various global health NGOs. On March 8, 2023, Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE International published a joint statement declaring, We cannot effectively reach children, women, and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff. As in all other sectors, female journalists and media personnels have also been excluded from their workplace by the Taliban. According to Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF, Reporters without Borders), more than 80 per cent of female journalists had lost their jobs by 2022. As reported on February 1, 2023, RSF and the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists noted that only 76 media professionals, including 39 journalists, were still working in Kabul, compared to 4,940 journalists in 2020, 700 of whom were women. Furthermore, on March 8, 2023, International Media Support stated: Access to information about women journalists is still limitednew restrictions have been imposed on women journalists and media workers by the Taliban, which include the following: men and women cannot work on the same television programme, men and womens work studios must be separated, women must cover their faces while appearing on screen women are not allowed to select journalism for their university entrance exam In an unashamed eyewash, on June 25, 2023, in an Eid-ul-Adha message, the Talibans supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, declared that necessary steps had been taken for the betterment of women, as half of society, and steps had been taken to provide women with a comfortable and prosperous life according to Islamic Sharia. The situation of Afghan women is precarious and the environment in which they are living, vicious. There is no hope for any improvement in their situation in the foreseeable future. Indeed, given the severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban on the daily life of women and girls, at every step and stage, their condition can only deteriorate over the coming years. A backlog of paramedics waiting to complete essential driver training has been fuelling potentially 'fatal delays' in ambulance waiting times, it was claimed last night. New figures reveal that hundreds of ambulance staff are waiting to complete training courses and take tests. They show that more than 700 ambulance staff in England are waiting to take the C1 driving test required to jump behind the wheel of a vehicle up to 7.5 tonnes. And more than 600 are on the waiting list to complete the Blue Light driving course, which is considered the gold standard for emergency response drivers. A source at one NHS ambulance trust said the backlog for the C1 tests was due to a long-running shortage of assessors and trainers. A backlog of paramedics waiting to complete essential driver training has been fuelling potentially 'fatal delays' in ambulance waiting times (file image) More than 700 ambulance staff in England are waiting to take the C1 driving test required (file image) It comes after health emergency response times in England plumbed to their worst on record in December last year amid horror stories of patients dying after waiting several hours for an ambulance. At the end of 2022 the average response time for people requiring an ambulance for a stroke, severe burns or chest pain was 93 minutes - five times the official target of 18 minutes. People with life-threatening illnesses or injuries also waited an average of 10 minutes and 57 seconds - almost four minutes longer than the target time of seven minutes. Meanwhile, more than 43,000 people have died before an ambulance reached them every year for the last three years, pointing to an annual trend. The backlog figures, obtained by the Liberal Democrats under Freedom of Information requests, show the South East Coast Ambulance Trust has one of the biggest staff cohorts waiting to complete a C1 driving course. Its backlog was 277, with another 59 waiting to complete a Blue Light test. London Ambulance Service Trust has the second-largest C1 test backlog, with 231. Another 177 staff are waiting to take the Blue Light test. A total of 110 staff for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust are still waiting to take the C1 test, and 153 at the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust were among the trust's backlog for sitting the Blue Light exam. In total, 720 ambulance staff across England are waiting to take the C1 course and 631 the Blue Light test. However, only nine of eleven trusts covering England responded to requests meaning the real figures will be higher. Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrats' health spokesman, called on ministers to address the backlog by bringing forward a plan to recruit more specialist driving instructors and assessors. The party also wants ministers to cover the cost of C1 training as it can amount to 1,000 and paramedics are required to pay for it themselves in most cases. Ms Cooper said: 'When there is a real shortage of ambulance drivers and patients suffering in pain and distress, it is staggering that the Government has not tackled the backlog of NHS paramedics waiting for vital training. 'This is adding serious pressure on our frontline emergency workers. The Conservatives are asleep at the wheel, while patients struggle to access emergency treatment. 'Ministers need to get a grip on the situation, starting by bringing forward a plan to recruit more specialist driving instructors and assessors, as well as covering the cost of ambulance driver training so that paramedics can jump into action as soon as they graduate.' An NHS England source said ambulance times had significantly improved since December last year. They said that the average response time for life-threatening incidents is down to 8 minutes and 21 seconds. Average response times for Category 2 incidents, such as strokes, severe burns or chest pain, is down to 31 minutes and 50 seconds, they added. A Victoria man has admitted to waking his wife up from a peaceful slumber in the early hours of the morning to reveal their life-changing $1.7 million win in the weekend's TattsLotto. The Gippsland residents held one of the three division one winning entries in TattsLotto draw 4401, drawn Saturday 23 September 2023 and pocketed a total prize of $1,720,294.16. The duo explained their minds were still racing despite discovering their newfound fortune on Sunday morning. 'Woo-hoo! Wow!' the winning husband cheered. 'How do we feel? Incredibly awesome! On top of the world! 'This is life-changing for us. We've had to stop each other's thoughts from running wild.' The winning wife couldn't contain her excitement and relayed how the million-dollar discovery came about. 'He came in at 6.10am on Sunday morning and woke me up in a frenzy,' she shared. 'He told me we had won $1.7 million, but he thought it was some sort of scam. I also thought he was joking but then we looked into it together and realised it was real.' With $1.7 million about to boost their bank account and their future plans, the Victorians were eager to take a step back and relax for years to come. 'Honestly, we don't know exactly what we want to do with the prize, but we look forward to living life with a bit of ease. We've worked hard our whole lives,' she said. 'We keep thinking of things to do but would like to be realistic and make sensible decisions. 'One thing we do know though is how to celebrate and we did exactly that on the weekend. 'We will keep this win to ourselves as we live in a small town, but that makes it extra special.' Their winning 50-game QuickPick was purchased at Raymond Street Lotto, 189 Raymond Street, Sale. Raymond Street Lotto manager Angela Harry said she was so proud of her entire team for selling a division one winning entry and changing the lives of a local family. 'Raymond Street Lotto are extremely overjoyed to have sold a division one winning entry in the weekend's TattsLotto draw and we couldn't be happier for our local winners,' she said. 'We've been talking about it all morning with customers wondering who the fortunate winners could be! 'We're so pleased to hear the division one winning entry went to a local family who have supported us for years. 'We would like to congratulate them on their life-changing win and thank them for choosing Raymond Street Lotto to purchase their lottery tickets. 'Hopefully this is the start to a winning streak for us and there will be many division one winning tickets to come!' The winning numbers in Saturday Lotto draw 4401 on 23 September 2023 were 13, 16, 21, 29, 45 and 4, while the supplementary numbers were 11 and 6. Across Australia, there were three division one winning entries in TattsLotto draw 4401 two in Victoria and one in New South Wales. The Lott's division one winning tally has now reached 303 so far in 2023, including 101 won by Tatts customers. In FY23, TattsLotto created 158 millionaires across Australia. During this time, there were 332 division one winning in TattsLotto entries across Australia that collectively won more than $463.06 million. A Jetstar flight was forced to turn back after a passenger allegedly became unruly on the flight. The plane had taken off from Perth Airport and was headed for Sydney just before midnight on Sunday. Wade Douglas Corbett, 33, was allegedly unruly forcing the plane to turn back. He was later charged with disorderly behaviour and failing to comply with safety instructions. A Jetstar flight was forced to turn back after a passenger allegedly became unruly on the flight Corbett was refused bail and scheduled to appear at Perth Magistrates Court on Monday. Passengers onboard the plane were forced to spend the night at the airport following the incident. 'The safety of our crew and customers is our first priority and we do not tolerate any disruptive or abusive behaviour on our aircraft,' a Jetstar spokesperson said. 'We apologise to customers who were impacted by this disruption and thank them for their patience as our teams worked hard to provide overnight accommodation in Perth and replacement flights on Monday morning.' The Writers Guild of America has struck a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers - but the Guild warned: 'No one is to return to work until specifically authorized.' The writers' strike for fairer wages drew Hollywood to a standstill, and those who dared carry on with production - among the likes of Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher - faced immense blowback that prompted them to cancel their shows once again. But the WGA appeared to have reached a tentative labor agreement with major studios including Paramount, Sony and Universal on September 24. The deal is expected to end one of two strikes that have halted most film and television production and cost the California economy billions. The WGA released a statement praising union members for remaining steadfast and demonstrating solidarity. The strike began in early May, as writers expressed concern over wages, staffing and other issues The WGA represents over 11,000 writers and is split into West and East chapters In their statement, the Guild praised union members and wrote: 'We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional' The WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement. This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who stood with us for over 146 days. More details coming after contract language is finalized. #WGAStrike pic.twitter.com/GBg2wZBwGB Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 25, 2023 It read, in part: 'We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptionalwith meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.' Before the three-year contract can take effect, it must be approved by members of the WGA, which is 11,500 people strong. 'So, as you have been patient with us before, we ask you to be patient againone last time,' the Guild wrote. The organization laid out a multi-step process to finalize the agreement culminating with leadership votes tentatively scheduled for September 26. 'Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the Negotiating Committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval,' the statement read. The Board and Council would then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership. If authorization was approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time. This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect their ability to make a final decision on contract approval. Following this process, the Guild would hold meetings to inform members about the deal before they could vote on ratification. However, writers were warned not return to work 'until specifically authorized to by the Guild.' SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA in a show of solidarity. Meredith Stiehm, left, president of Writers Guild of America West, and Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, rallied together The strike stretched on for months and was projected to cost Warner Bros. up to $500million While WGA picketing has officially been called off, SAG-AFTRA members continue to picket Writers were advised not to return to work until explicitly told to do so by the Guild 'We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing,' the statement read. The strike began May 2 after negotiations ended in deadlock. Writers voiced concern over unfair compensation, minimum staffing of writers' rooms, use of artificial intelligence and residuals rewarding writers for popular streaming shows. Two months later, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA) decided to stand in solidarity with the WGA. Hollywood studios made what they claimed to be their 'best offer' in August. The package presented by the AMPTP on August 11 included the highest pay rise in over three decades as well as protection against artificial intelligence and some residual pay increase. It also included a pledge to not use content created by AI as literary material and to share date on streaming viewing hours. But it was slammed by the WGA for 'failing to sufficiently protect them.' While the deal marks the end of a several-months battle, the SAG-AFTRA actors' union remains on strike. As WGA picketing has officially ended, the Guild encourages writers to protest alongside the actors instead. Shocking photos show the violence Border Patrol agents are being subjected to at the US-Mexico border - while video shows more than 5,000 asylum seekers illegally boarding a freight train to gain entry into the country over the weekend. Republican Maya Flores shared the shocking graphic images of a badly bloodied federal agent after an alleged altercation with an uncooperative migrant near McAllen, Texas. 'This is the type of violence that is being exerted on Border Patrol Agents by those who don't want to be apprehended,' the former official wrote, some six months after leaving her post this past January. In Central Mexico, AP video showed a non-passenger freighter arriving on the outskirts of the central city of Irapuato spurring a mad scramble from the thousands-strong procession waiting for its arrival. Seen sleeping alongside the tracks in anticipation of the convoy, the mostly Venezuelan crowd proceed to board the train's metal trailers with ease, with several tossing up bags and handing up their small children swaddled in winter coats. Scroll down for video: Shocking photos show the violence Border Patrol agents are being subjected to at the border , after an alleged encounter between a federal agent and a migrant that left both bloodied Video shared from the Central Mexico shows more than 5,000 asylum seekers illegally boarding a freight train to gain entry into the US Each shows a different reality of the country's continuing border crisis , especially after the recent rescinding of Donald Trump 's Title 42 in May - a move that has made it easier for migrants to seek asylum while circumventing border laws Each of the two scenes shows a different reality of the country's continuing border crisis, especially after the recent rescinding of Donald Trump's Title 42 in May - a move that has made it easier for migrants to seek asylum while circumventing border laws. In her post, shared to both Twitter and Facebook, 37-year old former Rep. Flores provided some insight as to what is occurring near the border - hours after the mayor of notorious Eagle Pass announced the town had reached a 'breaking point'. Sharing images of the unnamed Border Patrol agent - seen drenched in blood with a laceration on his arm - Flores claimed the government workers wounds came after an encounter with an uncooperative suspect. 'The suspect encountered [the agent] near McAllen, Texas' - a city 260 miles away from Eagle Pass that serves as one of the primary commercial vehicle crossings along the Texas-Mexico border. 'The suspect was labeled a rat by the cartels and fought against the agent until the backup arrived,' Flores wrote, sharing a disturbing image of the also bloodied migrant. Disturbingly, the image shows not just the wounds the asylum seeker sustained in the supposed struggle, but a brand etched into his forehead from a group many view as the migrants' other main obstacle - one of the many Mexican cartels. 'Please pray for our men and women in uniform,' providing no other details on the alleged encounter. As for the footage filmed more than 500 miles away deep in Central Mexico, it shows how even with nearly 17,000 agents stationed along the length of the Southern Border, foreigners are still finding ways to enter the country en masse. Images of the unnamed, wounded Border Patrol agent show drenched in blood with a laceration on his arm - wounds a former Texas congresswoman claims came after an encounter with an uncooperative suspect Disturbingly, the image shows not just the wounds the asylum seeker sustained in the supposed struggle, but a brand etched into his forehead from a group many view as the migrants' other main obstacle - one of the many Mexican cartels Aired by by Mexican-born Republican Maya Flores on social media Saturday, the graphic images were reportedly snapped near McAllen, Texas Strategies like traversing the Rio Grande remain popular even without Title 42 - an emergency authority that halted entries during the pandemic. On average, about 1,000 have been sent back across the border since Title 42 ended, compared with nearly 3,000 the month before While many migrants are crossing the border via the Rio Grande, the country's sprawling system of freight trains - known colloquially as 'The Beast' - has long been used as an alternative. However, thanks to massive mobs like the one seen in the AP footage - where thousands of families and single adults are seen sleeping on top of cardboard boxes on concrete waiting for the train - the country's railroads have begun to clamp down. Last week, Mexico's biggest railroad firm, Ferromex, said so many migrants were hitching rides on the trains that it became unsafe to move the trains. Along with the warning, the company announced that it would be halting 60 of its freight trains for the foreseeable future - citing at least a 'half dozen regrettable cases of injuries or deaths' in a span of just a few days. The decision left thousands of migrants from Central and South American stranded across countless other parts of the country - but did little to deter the brazen group seen camping out on the outskirts of of Irapuato. It was there, the AP reported, the group slept for days - eagerly waiting a chance to hop on one of the country's remaining US-headed freighters. Camera crews captured the moment the train arrived in the dead of night, awaking its eventual, illegal occupants - who respond by quickly jumping into action. As for the footage filmed more than 500 miles away deep in Central Mexico, it shows how even with nearly 17,000 agents stationed along the length of the Southern Border, foreigners are still finding ways to enter the country en masse Camera crews captured the moment the train arrived in the dead of night, awaking its eventual, illegal occupants - who respond by quickly jumping into action Migrants watch a freight train pass as they wait for a northbound freight train that stops long enough for them to hop, in Irapuato, Mexico, Saturday Migrants sleep outside a train station as they wait for the arrival of a northbound freight train, in Irapuato, Mexico, Saturday Migrants sleep alongside a railroad track as they wait for a northbound freight train that stops long enough for them to hop, in Irapuato, Mexico, Friday Migrants wait to hop a northbound freight train in Irapuato, Mexico, Saturday Migrants sleep outside a train station as they wait for the arrival of a northbound freight train, in Irapuato, Mexico, Friday Migrants stand alongside a rail track as a northbound freight train pulls into Irapuato Saturday 'Come up, come up,' quicker migrants who already made it atop the train can be heard urging those below, many of whom seen toting kids and bundles of belongings. Others yelled, 'God bless Mexico!' - in an apparent reference to the inaction by staffers manning the massive locomotive, who let the group of more than 5,000 fill the train's many trailers with zero resistance. Many were seen swinging their bodies over the train's trailers to get a seat, while others carefully climbed on with help from others. The sight serves as a sign of the times in both countries - which has boiled over in recent months to the point where Mexico on Monday announced a new agreement with the US to deport migrants from its border cities to their home countries. The deal will also take several actions to deter migrants from traveling by rails, as part of a new effort to combat the recent surge in border crossings. Despite violence from drug cartels and the dangers that come with riding atop the train cars, such freight trains still remain popular. That said, the closures temporarily cut off one of the most transited migratory routes in the country at a time of surging migration. It also further underscores the historic numbers of people heading north in search of a new life in the US, and the dilemma it poses for nations in Central and South America - as they also struggle to cope with the amounts of migrants traversing their territories. Migrants hop a northbound freight train in Irapuato, Mexico, Saturday Migrants wait for a northbound freight train to hop in Irapuato, Mexico, Saturday Migrants wait to hop a northbound freight train, in Irapuato, Mexico, Friday Stateside, matters are even worse, after more than three years of thousands of illegal entries a day - leaving states like Texas, and more recently New York, at a loss. The Biden Administration, even after its rescinding of Title 42, has failed to address the crisis, and is actually turning a lower percentage of border-crossing migrants back into Mexico than his predecessor, statistics show. According to federal data an average of 1,000 people have been sent back across the border each month since Title 42 ended, compared with nearly 3,000 the month before. In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37 percent from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the high of more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released Friday. It reversed a plunge in the numbers after new asylum restrictions were introduced in May. That comes after years of steadily rising migration levels produced by economic crisis and political and social turmoil in many of the countries people are fleeing. Once, just dozens of migrants from Central American countries would pass through Irapuato by train each day, said Marta Ponce, a 73-year-old from who has spent more than a decade providing aid to those who travel the tracks running through her town. Now, that number often reaches the thousands. Cities like Eagle Pass say they are at absolute capacity and cannot handle any more migrants streaming across the border In the last handful of days, El Paso has seen an influx of some 2,000 migrants per day Migrants breach concertina wire set by the Texas National Guard at the border between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso In an aerial view, migrants are seen grouped together while waiting to be processed on the Ciudad Juarez side of the border on September 21, 2023 in El Paso Some of the babies were carried by National Guard and Border Patrol personnel who took the infants from their exhausted mothers as they struggled up the bank This is the astonishing moment a group of 100 migrants stormed across the Rio Grande National guard in boats and air boats and razor wire along the banks trying to discourage the migrants from crossing the Rio Grand and entering the USA on September 23 And migrants come from all over, including African nations, Russia and Ukraine. Most travel through the Darien Gap, a dayslong trek across the rugged Colombia-Panama border. The crossing was once so dangerous that few dared to attempt it, but now so many migrants flood through its dense jungles that it's rapidly become a migratory highway similar to the trains winding through Mexico. Crossings of the Darien Gap - a 66 roadless miles of dense, mountainous jungle and swamp filled with armed guerillas and drug traffickers in Panama - have shot up so much they could approach 500,000 people this year alone. Colombia, which has taken on the brunt of the exodus from Venezuela, has long called on the international community for aid. Panama and Costa Rica, meanwhile, have tightened migratory restrictions and demanded that something be done about hundreds of thousands of people passing through the notoriously dangerous Gap. Panama even launched a campaign dubbed 'Darien is a jungle, not a highway.' The Biden administration has pushed Mexico and Central American nations to control migratory flows and now requires asylum seekers to register through an app known as CBP One - despite its failure to address crises occurring in New York and Texas on American soil. On Thursday, the Biden administration announced it would grant temporary protected status to nearly a half million more Venezuelans already in the country. Activists like Ponce say they expect migration along the train line to grow. As migrants climbed onto the train early Saturday morning, they cheered as the train picked up speed and continued them on their winding route north - a destination they reached in roughly a day. When they touch down, a new struggle awaits - as politicians like Eric Adams mull policies that could put an end to complementary stays in hotels and shelters for the thousands of visitors, and instead thrust them out on the streets within two months of arrival. This comes as countless arrivals have found themselves with nowhere to sleep and nowhere to work, spurring protests, homelessness, and unrest from weary locals. On Saturday, border patrol sources told ABC News that nearly nine thousand migrants were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border that day alone - the highest rate since May. Migrants wait to be processed in Eagle Pass on Thursday morning after overwhelming the small Texas border town yesterday Thousands of migrants are pictured lining up to be processed on arrival in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday. At one point the line stretched five miles The line of migrants awaiting processing on Wednesday stretched as far as the eye could see in Eagle Pass Migrants sit under the bridge on Wednesday in Eagle Pass, awaiting processing Border agents say criminal gangs are taking 'full advantage' of the escalating crisis by increasing their human trafficking efforts. Above, a group of 49 who were found in a 'poorly ventilated trailer. They had come from Guatemala and Honduras Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday eviscerated President Biden for allowing the unfolding disaster. The only migrant shelter in the city, Mission Border Hope, has now been overrun with migrants. Many fled from Venezuela and arrived in the US via Mexico. Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas declared a state of emergency yesterday, warning that the town's hospitals are also becoming overwhelmed. Yesterday, a three-year-old boy drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande into Eagle Pass with his family. The bridge between Eagle Pass and the Mexican city across the border, Piedras Negras, was closed on Wednesday so border agents could be redeployed to work on processing migrants. Randy Clark, a retired Border Patrol agent, said the decision to close the border to those legally crossing back and forth showed the scale of the problem. 'The only closure at the border is one of two ports of entry where legal residents and citizens cross. The inconvenience by DHS is reserved for legitimate trade and travel,' he wrote on X. 'No impediments on the constant flow of illegal traffic between the ports. 'This government is on crazy pills!' The line for processing illegal immigrants on Wednesday stretched for five miles on Wednesday, NewsNation reported, and wound its way back into Mexico. Rolando Salinas, the mayor of Eagle Pass, said 2,500 people crossed into his town of 29,000 on Monday - and 7,200 the week before. So far this year, the Del Rio sector of the border, in which Eagle Pass sits, has recorded 317,866 migrant 'encounters', the latest Border Patrol data shows. The figure is a 15.5 percent decrease on the same time period last year, but Salinas said his town was still struggling. Jacinta Price has vowed she won't be bullied after revealing some of the racist hate messages she's received during her fight against the Voice to Parliament. The shadow minister for Indigenous Australians has been leading the Opposition's No vote campaign for the upcoming referendum on October 14. But the role has made her a magnet for vicious personal attacks after she was targeted when her mobile phone number was leaked on social media. In the days that followed, senator Price said she was bombarded with shocking voicemails, some of which she played to 2GB's Ben Fordham on Monday. 'Uncle Tom coconut,' said one message played back on air. 'Hate your own people. Yeah, you're a disgrace. Absolutely disgraceful, disgusting human being you are.' The attack combined two vile insults which are used to describe black people who try to be subservient to whites, and those said to be brown outside but white inside. 'It's an abusive racial term that's been used against myself and Warren Mundine,' she said. Senator Jacinta Price has vowed she won't be bullied after revealing some of the racist hate messages she's received during her campaign against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament 'We can't just be seen as human beings in our own right. People like to look at us in terms of colour. And there's just no place for it.' Another voicemail message was peppered with obscenities as it abused the senator for texting voters about the referendum. 'F*** off you **** Jacinta Price,' it said. 'Don't message me on my telephone with your lying ****ing message. You're a ****ing **** woman.' 'There are obviously worse ones than that received in the messages that have come through,' senator Price told Fordham. 'It's just remarkable how human beings feel they have the right to be aggressive and abusive and disgusting and horrible.' The senator's mobile phone number - which has since been replaced - had been leaked by 'a couple of individuals on Twitter and other platforms,' she said. 'I've got their details so they've been reported by police.' But she said she had not been deterred by the abuse. 'Hell, no. I am not going to be bullied,' she vowed. 'I'm here because there are people who are worse off than I am. 'I need to be their voice because if I don't, well, who else is going to?' The shadow minister for Indigenous Australians has been leading the Opposition's No vote for the upcoming referendum on October 14 The role has made her a magnet for vicious personal attacks from Yes voters after she was targeted when her mobile phone number was leaked on social media She added: 'I've had so many people be abusive and horrible towards me over the years and it doesn't surprise me. 'I know what human beings are capable of. I just think, you know, wake up to yourselves. 'I've been campaigning for the betterment of the lives of our most vulnerable who are silenced because of violent perpetrators. 'And I won't put up with perpetrators who send me messages like that...reflect upon your behaviour yourselves and sort out your own backyard. That's what I say.' A growing number of KFC stores are no longer accepting cash, sparking outrage from customers concerned that Australia is going cashless. A KFC branch in Morisset, in the Lake Macquarie region of NSW, has become the biggest store from the fast food chain to switch to card-only payments. Signs have been erected outside the store to inform customers about the change. 'This restaurant is cashless. We accept card only,' it reads. The store joins nearby branches in Lake Haven, Heatherbrae, Mudgee and North Wyong which are also cashless. More KFC stores are no longer accepting cash, which has sparked outrage from customers The move to go cashless sparked backlash from Aussies, with many debating the controversial move on social media. 'I thought this wouldn't be allowed, and (that) cash would be accepted everywhere,' one person wrote. 'How long do you think it will be before all shops and everything in-between stop cash transactions?' Another said: 'I don't use card so I guess that K.F.C. Is off the menu!' 'I pity those of any age who get digitally scammed out of all they possess,' added a third. 'Which ones are they? So I save myself some time and don't go there,' added another. But others noted that the change minimises risk to staff. 'As someone who worked in a retail store that got robbed, and had a co-worker who was held at knifepoint while the robber demanded she empty the cash register, I'm on the side of the business on this decision,' said one social media user. A KFC branch in Morisset, a suburb of the NSW Lake Macquarie region, erected signs to inform customers about the change The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has outlined that it is legal for businesses to go cashless but they must be transparent about it with customers. 'Businesses can choose which payment types they accept. It is legal for a business not to accept cash,' the consumer watchdog said. 'However, businesses should be clear and upfront about the types of payments they accept, and the total minimum price payable for their goods and services.' KFC stores switched to contactless card payments only during the COVID pandemic in a bid to slow the spread of the virus. Some of these branches have remained cashless ever since. A KFC spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that only 'a small number of KFC restaurants accept card or digital payments'. 'This is at the discretion of our franchise partners and is in line with legal requirements,' they said. 'All cashless KFC restaurants display signage explaining what payment methods are accepted.' Shocking footage captured the moment teenagers brazenly hung out the windows of an allegedly stolen Mercedes-Benz on a busy highway. Police have arrested seven teenagers, with the youngest being 13, over the incident after the silver Mercedes crashed on Albert Street in the city of Logan, south of Brisbane, at around 2.30pm on Sunday. It alleged the Mercedes was stolen from Carrara on the Gold Coast, which is more than 50km south of Logan, around 10.40am that day. Police Air was called in to track the vehicle from helicopter and eventually road spikes were used to bring the vehicle to a halt causing the crash. Queensland motorists were stunned to see teenagers hanging out of the windows of an allegedly stolen Mercedes as it led police on a chase between cities Motorists filmed the car on route between the two cities with three young figures seen in the video perched out of the windows shouting and gesturing wildly. READ MORE: Mungalli stolen car crash: Couple try to help driver before ute is stolen Advertisement A 15-year-old boy has been charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and one count each of dangerous operation of a vehicle and fraud over the incident. Another boy aged 13 was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a vehicle. They have been refused bail and will appear at Southport Childrens Court on Monday. A 16-year-old girl has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a vehicle. She was refused police bail and was to appear in Beenleigh Childrens Court on Monday. A 14-year-old boy was charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle while two other 14-year-old boys were charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle. Seven teens were arrested over the alleged car theft and joyride in south east Queensland All three are set to appear in Southport Childrens Court on Wednesday. A 14-year-old Kingston girl was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. She was expected to appear in Beenleigh Childrens Court on October 9. A Democrat who was instrumental in getting Joe Biden elected as president in 2020 is stopping short of endorsing the current Vice President, Kamala Harris, as the face of the future for the Democratic Party. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina is the campaign co-chair for the Biden/Harris 2024 re-election campaign. During the 2020 election season he endorsed then-candidate Biden just before the South Carolina primary, propelling him to victory, helping Biden secure the Democratic nomination and subsequently win the presidency. But he is now dodging the very simple question as to whether Harris is ready for the top job if and when the time comes. Speaking on Meet The Press on Sunday, Clyburn, now the Assistant House Democratic Leader was asked if he saw Harris as the future of the Democratic Party. Democrat Jim Clyburn, key in Joe Biden's successful 2020 presidential campaign is not explicitly endorsing VP Kamala Harris as the future of the party Speaking on Meet The Press on Sunday, Clyburn, now the Assistant House Democratic Leader was asked if he saw Harris as the future of the Democratic Party to which he was hesitant Harris was chosen in 2020 to counter arguments against Bidens age but in office shes become the least popular VP in polling history 'I see her as a part of that future absolutely,' he responded. 'Is she the future?' the anchor pressed. 'She could very well be. She is running a very good campaign and I look to her as a successor to this president but I also know the history of that as well,' Clyburn explained before revealing his doubts. 'Its not a given. You dont automatically move on up. Shell have to compete with whoever has dreams and aspirations - and I think she will acquit herself well,' he said. Clyburn has represented South Carolina's 6th congressional district since 1993, making him one of the longest-serving members of the House. While the question of seeking reelection to the presidency has been a given for most modern presidents, that's not always been the case for Biden. A notable swath of Democratic voters have indicated they would prefer he not run, in part because of his age - concerns Biden himself has called 'totally legitimate'. Biden, 80, announced in late April his bid for a second term with VP Harris but questions have emerged in the last year over whether the President is too old or too unfit to serve for four more years. Senior Democrats appear to remain in denial about the issue, at least in public, partly because theres no obvious alternative. A slew of Democratic governors from California to Illinois to Pennsylvania stand ready to throw their hats into the ring should Biden decided to pull out but it's not clear if any could win the general election. Party managers are united, however, that Vice President Kamala Harris, 58, is not the answer. She was chosen in 2020 to counter arguments against Bidens age but in office has become the least popular VP in polling history. Even prominent voices in left-leaning media have begun encouraging Biden to step aside and let someone else, younger run to be the party's nominee in 2024 - but definitely not Kamala Harris. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn addresses a crowd with Vice President Kamala Harris last June Many in the President's own party think he's too old - even though he is running a 2024 reelection campaign In the last few weeks alone, Democratic strategist James Carville, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, columnist Andrew Sullivan, and The Washington Post's David Ignatius have all publicly called on Biden to consider his age and cede the nomination In the last few weeks alone, Democratic strategist James Carville, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, columnist Andrew Sullivan, and The Washington Post's David Ignatius have all publicly called on Biden to consider his age and cede the nomination. Yet few things have unified Democratic voters like the prospect of Trump returning to power. And Biden's political standing within his party stabilized after Democrats notched a stronger-than-expected performance in last year's midterm elections. The vice president now has some of the nation's highest-profile policy issues on her plate - including voting rights, abortion, and the increase in migration across the United States border For now, the 76-year-old Trump is the favorite to emerge as the Republican nominee, creating the potential of a historic sequel to the tumultuous 2020 campaign. But Trump faces significant hurdles of his own, including the designation of being the first former president to face criminal charges. On Friday, Biden gave his vice president yet another task for her packed portfolio. Harris - the first woman to become vice president as well as the first black person and person of South Asian descent to hold the job - will now oversee the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Harris, a former prosecutor and state attorney general, has years of experience on the issue. But the vice president now has some of the nation's highest-profile policy issues on her plate - including voting rights, abortion, and the increase in migration across the United States border. They're also the most politically-fraught issues, are difficult to solve, and can be a minefield to navigate. Police have discovered the body of a British hiker near a mountain trail in the Swiss Alps three months after he went missing three months ago. Aidan Roche, 29, was hiking on his own in the famous Grindelwald area of Switzerland when he was last heard from on June 22, two days before he was due to fly back to the UK. Swiss police have now found a body, which Aidan's anguished family claim to be his, after launching a search for the chemical engineer from Middlesborough. Earlier this year, the force and the mountain rescue service reportedly stopped their search for the experienced hiker, said to be about 6ft 2ins and 13st, claiming that they had 'exhausted every option' and had had no new evidence of his whereabouts. Aidan, who was hiking in the area on the twelfth day of a two-week trip, is believed to have been walking back to his caravan near the village of Grindelwald after visiting a glacier on June 22 when he disappeared. Police have discovered the body of British hiker Aidan Roche (pictured) near a mountain trail in the Swiss Alps three months after he went missing Aidan was hiking on his own in the Grindelwald area of Switzerland when he was last heard from on June 22, two days before he was due to fly back to the UK Aidan, who was hiking in the area on the twelfth day of a two-week trip, is believed to have been walking back to his caravan near the village of Grindelwald after visiting a glacier on June 22 when he disappeared A general view of the Grindelwald area of Switzerland where Aidan went hiking Last month, his anguished family and friends released footage from his trip taken on the day he went missing in an effort to identify those he was with before he disappeared. In the video Aidan pans around the scenic mountainous area before a woman sitting on a bench appears in the background. His family hoped the hiker could be identified and give information about Aidan's movements. At the time, Aidan's brother Connor Roche, 32, said: 'We're all missing Aidan so much - we just need him to come home. 'The hardest thing that me and my family are dealing with is the unknown.' But it has now emerged that Aiden's body has been found on the trail. Last month, his anguished family and friends released footage from his trip taken on the day he went missing in an effort to identify those he was with before he disappeared Aidan, from Middlesbrough, is a chemical engineer and an experienced hiker His campervan was found at a campsite and has now been returned to the UK Friends and family had began messaging each other after they didn't hear anything from Aidan, then created a group chat because they were so worried. None of them had heard from Aidan since an hour after he sent them videos of the area that he was hiking in on day he went missing. Connor and Aidan's other brother Niall, 31, had walked the trail he was last seen on several times and a fundraiser has already raised more than 30,000. Aidan's campervan was found at a campsite and has now been returned to the UK. Russia has ordered mass production of its T-80VM tank to replace the many T-72B3M and T-90M tanks lost in Ukraine. While the T-80 was designed to be a successor to the T-72 line (including the T-90), that did not happen because the T-80 was more expensive to build and operate. The latest version, the T-80VM, purportedly solves most of those problems, especially if it is mass produced. That is why Uralvagonzavod (or (UVZ), the largest Russian tank manufacturing plant, has been ordered to retool and start mass production of the T-80VM. This will not be easy because it is expensive and the Uralvagonzavod plant has its own problems. Russia has previously supplied production contracts as well as more loans, to keep the Uralvagonzavod from going out of business. Uralvagonzavod, the firm that developed the Armata T-14 tank and T-15 IFV, has been bankrupt since 2016 and survived because of state-owned Rostec, a holding company that takes over failing, but essential defense firms, to keep them operating. Uralvagonzavod has produced tanks and other armored combat vehicles since World War II and continued after the war. After 1991, most of those military orders stopped but Russia has learned the hard way that, once a lot of these skilled workers are out of work, they use their skills to find new careers or even emigrate, and are virtually impossible to get back later. UVZ obtained enough orders for new armored vehicles or upgrading existing ones in an effort to maintain the workforce that, once lost, is extremely difficult and time-consuming to rebuild. Uralvagonzavod, like many defense manufacturers of high-tech equipment (vehicles, aircraft, ships, missiles and electronics), had a difficult time staying in business and retaining its skilled workforce after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. That meant orders for armored vehicles disappeared. In 2014 the Russian economy and defense budget took major hits from lower oil prices plus Western sanctions resulting from the Ukraine invasion. The situation got desperate for Uralvagonzavod as it was surviving on loans and whatever commercial work it could get. The company gambled on developing and marketing the revolutionary Armata T-14 and T-15 vehicles. Russian leaders were impressed but there was no money to place large orders and there were no export customers either. The government encouraged work on the T-14 because it was a prestige item that proved Russia was still a major defense developer and manufacturer. That was not true but the government was willing to scrape up the cash to make it appear so. Rostec stepped in to buy UVZ and keep it going so work on the T-14 and T-15 IFV version could continue. That attitude is being exploited by Russia because of much reduced post-Cold War procurement budgets. For example, in early 2021 Russia announced that the army would receive over 400 upgraded tanks and IFVs in the coming year but none would be the new T-14 Armata tank and T-15 Armata IFV. Upgraded tanks like the T-80BVM filled the gap for the missing T-14s. The Armata was a radical new design for tanks and IFVs but too expensive given the defense budgets available. This was due to a 2013 plunge in oil prices that did not recover while the 2014 Ukraine invasion resulted in many economic and trade sanctions. Since then, the Russian replacement program for elderly Cold War era gear has had to settle for more rebuilds than brand new stuff. Russia did announce plans to start building more T-14s in 2022. As of 2023, Armata production is still stalled, but permanently this time because all the problems with the T-14 have been revealed. The T-14 does not work and never came close to working as an effective combat vehicle. Most of the new tanks the Russian army has received since 2000 have been refurbished and much upgraded T-72B3s. In late 2021 the Russian Army had about 3,000 tanks in service and most (65 percent) were T-72B3s, which you hear little about. Russian troops prefer the T-72B3M over the T-80 and T-90 and few have any personal experience with the T-14. There were more serious problems with the Russian tank forces. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 they had 2,600 tanks, mostly (1,600) older models while a thousand were improved and updated T-72B3s which took the Russian tank industry about ten years to produce. More than half the tanks sent into Ukraine were destroyed or captured by the Ukrainians during the first few months of the war. This was a major loss to the Russian army. The T-14 revelations were a minor footnote to the sad state of Russian tank production and usefulness in combat. The latest Russian solution is to have UVZ produce up to 250 T-80VMs a year while also continuing to repair all models of damaged tanks. This is something a different facility of Omsktransmash specializes in but has been overwhelmed by the amount of work created by the Ukraine War. The speaker of Canada's House of Commons has apologized for recognizing a man who fought for the Nazi SS during World War II. Anthony Rota had hailed 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as 'a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians' and 'a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero.' Lawmakers in the Canadian parliament then gave Hunka a standing ovation, prompting him to smile and give a thumbs up. Rota then apologised when it emerged that Hunka served in a division of the Nazi SS during the war. Jewish advocacy group the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center called Rota's warm introduction' shocking' and 'incredibly disturbing' and said an apology is owed to Holocaust survivors and veterans. In 1944, Hunka's unit - the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division - was visited by SS leader Heinrich Himmler, who branded Jewish people a 'dirty blemish' and said his men would be 'eager' to 'liquidate the Poles'. The division's involvement in war crimes and atrocities - particularly during the German occupation of Ukraine - remains a point of controversy. Rota, a Liberal MP, apologized on Sunday, saying that he had 'subsequently become aware of more information' which caused him to 'regret' his recognition of Hunka. The speaker's address had come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an impassioned address to the Canadian House of Commons. The speaker of Canada 's House of Commons has apologized for recognizing a man who allegedly fought for the Nazi SS during World War II . Anthony Rota had hailed 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka (above) as 'a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians' and 'a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero.' Yaroslav Hunka waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the House of Commons in Ottawa Friday. Right: Hunka in his SS unit in the war After Rota had praised Hunka, Canadian lawmakers cheered and Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, raised his fist in acknowledgement as the veteran saluted from the gallery. Both Zelensky and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau took part in the subsequent standing ovations. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said on Sunday that that Rota's remarks ignore 'the horrific fact that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented.' They added: 'An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation.' Rota, 62, said in his statement yesterday: 'In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. 'I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so.' He went on to insist that it was his idea to honour Hunka. 'This initiative was entirely my own ... I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,' he said. Hunka could not be immediately reached for comment. Hunka, who lives in North Bay, Ontario, fought against the Red Army on the Eastern Front. After Zelensky delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave the Hunka a standing ovation - after Rota drew attention to the senior by hailing him as both a 'Canadian [and] Ukranian hero' In an online blog written more than a decade ago, Hunka described the period between 1941 and 1943 as the happiest of his life. The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS - also known as the 1st Galician - was mostly made up of Ukrainian volunteers. It was formed in 1943 and saw action on the Eastern Front. Its primary role was to support German forces in their fight against the Soviet Union. In his address to them, Himmler said: 'Your homeland has become more beautiful since you have lost on our initiative, I must say the residents who were so often a dirty blemish on Galicia's good name namely the Jews, I know that if I ordered you to liquidate the Poles, I would be giving you permission to do what you are eager to do anyway.' On the 78th anniversary of the division's formation in 2021, hundreds of Ukrainians took part in a parade in Kyiv. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre claimed the division was responsible 'for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.' Rota, a Liberal MP, apologized on Sunday, saying that he had 'subsequently become aware of more information' which caused him to 'regret' his recognition of Hunka The Ukrainian politician's visit came as part of the two country's continued alliance against Russia, and after he secured year another multimillion-dollar aide package from the US Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Hunka. A spokesperson for the Conservative party said the party was not aware of his history at the time Speaking of Rota's apology, a statement issued on behalf of Mr Trudeau said: 'This was the right thing to do. 'No advance notice was provided to the Prime Minister's Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition,' the prime minister's team said. The Ukrainian president had been in Ottawa to bolster even more support from Western allies for his country's war against Russia. Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly described Ukrainian troops as neo-Nazis. Canadian lawmakers cheered and Zelensky raised his fist in acknowledgement as Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations - carried out by nearly all in attendance including Trudeau and and unknowing Zelensky Zelensky, meanwhile, is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, but has still yet to comment on the massive mix-up The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis. Michael Mostyn, the CEO of B'nai Brith Canada, said it was 'beyond outrageous' that Parliament honored Hunka. He said Ukrainian 'ultra-nationalist ideologues' who volunteered for the Galicia Division 'dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.' A manhunt is underway for a high-flying businesswoman - and accused fraudster - who has undergone major cosmetic surgery. Sydney's Burwood Area Command issued an urgent plea on Monday afternoon asking the community to help track down 36-year-old Shayhe Lowery. Daily Mail Australia understands a warrant for Lowery's arrest was issued by a court in relation to fraud offences. However, she has not been charged because officers are unable to locate her. A police plea to the public read: 'Information received from the public is that Ms Lowery has undergone some significant cosmetic alterations.' Shayhe Lowery (pictured), 36, is wanted by police on fraud allegations Police said Lowery known to frequent Canada Bay, in Sydney's west and warned people against making direct contact with her. 'If anyone has information regarding her whereabouts, please contact Burwood Police station,' they added. As of Monday afternoon, Ms Lowery had deactivated most of her social media profiles. It can also be revealed that Ms Lowrey is in the midst of a two-year good behaviour bond due to her involvement dissolved company, Investa Consulting. Last year, she pleaded guilty to failing to deliver books to a liquidator, and failing to make out a statement of company affairs. She was ordered to pay a total of $1000 in December, but there was no conviction recorded. The consulting company was officially deregistered in August. A woman was allegedly stabbed during a terrifying carjacking in a busy shopping centre. The woman was allegedly knifed and her white Mazda 4WD ute stolen from Westfield Belconnen, in the ACT, at 11.30am on Sunday. Trong Nguyen, 26, was arrested after a dramatic police chase and refused bail when he fronted ACT Magistrates Court on Monday. Court documents allege the woman was about to get into her vehicle when she heard someone running behind her. Court documents said a Canberra woman was about to get into her vehicle when she heard someone running behind her. She was allegedly stabbed once in the arm before being rushed to hospital ACT Police arrested Trong Nguyen in a foot pursuit after he had allegedly stabbed a shopper and stolen her ute on Sunday morning. Photo: ACT police on a training exercise Nguyen allegedly demanded the woman's car keys, before lunging at her with the blade, cutting her arm in the process. She threw her keys over the alleged thief's head but he retrieved them before getting into her vehicle and driving off. ACT Police allege they spotted the alleged attacker driving the stolen vehicle in the Canberra suburb of Braddon at 11.50am and pursued him. He was arrested in nearby Ainslie a short time later after a short foot pursuit. The court heard Nguyen drove at high speed with police in pursuit, at times on the wrong side of the road, until he crashed into a fence. He was arrested in the stairwell of a nearby building by officers. The woman was rushed to hospital with a single stab wound. Nguyen was charged with eight offences including aggravated robbery, intentionally wound a person. Knife possession, two counts of failing to stop for police, two counts of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified were also among the charges. Nguyen was denied bail when he appeared in court with ACT Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker describing him 'a significant risk to the community'. Employers are offering free vegan meals and fish and chip Fridays to try and tempt workers back to the office. It comes after a survey by Ipsos found working three days a week in the office was the 'right balance' with many enjoying the hybrid set-up. But workers are being offered 'perks' including lunchtime meals and networking opportunities in a bid to try and coax people back after the pandemic forced employees to be rooted to their desks at home. Big Four accounting firm KPMG - which employs 14,000 people in the UK - said it gave the freebie to workers including offers of vegan meals and the British staple 'fish and chip Fridays'. It comes amid a push to get people back to offices, with chief executive of London-based global investment manager M&G, Andrea Rossi revealing he had ordered staff back to the office for at least three days a week because 'the City's too empty on Fridays'. Big Four accounting firm KPMG offered employees free vegan meals on Mondays and free fish and chips on Fridays in a move to tempt workers back to the office (stock image) A recent survey by Ipsos has found the time it takes to get to and from work and having to fork out for lunch were stopping people from going back to the office 'We tried some things early on, which I think the Ipsos report talks about, in terms of perks,' KPMG chief people officer Lisa Fernihough told BBC Radio 4 presenter Mishal Hussain. 'We tried free vegan meals on Mondays and fish and chips on Fridays. I wouldn't say that was thing that drew them back. 'What we are finding is the biggest thing that draws people back is the opportunities to work with people that they know, to network, to have those interactions that you just can't get in the same way when you are working remotely on Teams or Zoom.' In 2021, KPMG told its 18,000 UK workforce they will work in the office for up to four days in a fortnight under a hybrid working model drawn up following the decline in British Covid cases. Ms Fernihough said its guidance of working two to three days in the office currently offers the best mix. 'So far that is our experience, I think the other comment is we are still in a test and learn,' she said. 'We've come out of the pandemic we are working in this way. Who knows where we are going to be in five or ten years in terms of how this works. For now absolutely this is working well.' Mr Rossi told The Times he likes to be in the office. 'I get a bit frustrated when I come in on a Friday because the whole City, its empty, he said. 'M&G has an enormous opportunity to sustainably grow this business in the coming years, even in the coming months, and its important to get more people together.' Ipsos Karian Box's survey found the time it takes to get to and from work and having to fork out for lunch were stopping people from going back to the office. The chief executive of M&G, Andrea Rossi, has ordered his managers back to the office three days a week and said the 'whole City is empty' on Fridays Ghassan Karian, chief executive of Ipsos Karian and Box, said: 'In the responses to our survey, three days in the office came out as the optimum solution. 'It strikes the right balance that realises the benefits of office working for both employer and employee, while also giving individuals the ability to think, work and manage their home lives in a flexible way.' The 'Making The Case For The Office' report highlighted those working in the office four days a week also make quicker decisions. While 53 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 'always or frequently' feel lonely if they work fewer than three days in the office. A survey by recruitment company Robert Walters this week revealed Generation Z lack the social skills to work in teams. It found half of those aged 18 to 24 preferred working alone rather than in a team, reported The Times. Two-thirds of managers also felt Gen Z was destroying team culture. Last week, a survey by Ambl found 40% of Brits who work from home say not being in the office all week has made them fundamentally unspontaneous and boring - more likely to reject night out plans then agree to them. The research, which looked at 2,000 working adults, found that 30 per cent believe Covid took all the spark from their lives and that still has not returned. While civil servants face a working from home crackdown under plans being drawn up by ministers. Downing Street is poised to issue new guidance to all Whitehall departments in a bid to end the culture of Tuesday to Thursday working which has developed since the pandemic. The new push will be led by Paymaster General Jeremy Quin to tackle plummeting public sector productivity, it has been reported. Meanwhile, hundreds of council staff are 'working from the beach' with a ten-fold increase in the number allowed to log in from abroad. Town hall bosses have granted more than 1,350 requests to work from overseas over the past three years, figures show. The number jumped from 73 approvals in 2020/21, the year the Covid-19 pandemic was at its height, to 440 in 2021/22. In August, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said company workers who defy his directive to return to the office for a minimum of three days a week may be best placed to leave the company altogether. During a 'fishbowl' meeting, he expressed frustration over employees not taking his return-to-office policy seriously and told those refusing to come in for the three-day minimum: 'It's probably not going to work out for you.' Zoom recently recently ordered its staff back to the office and said those who live within a 50-mile radius of an office should work in person at least twice a week. The company has a workforce of between 5,000 and 10,000, according to its LinkedIn page, with around 200 working in its new UK office in London. A spokesperson for the firm said: 'We believe that a structured hybrid approach meaning a set number of days employees that live near an office need to be on site is most effective for Zoom. 'As a company, we are in a better position to use our own technologies, continue to innovate, and support our global customers.' This is the hilarious moment BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay spotted his doppelganger next to King Charles in France. After a clip from the monarch's meeting with President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles surfaced showing a man who looked the spitting image of the presenter - forcing him to dispel rumours he had hopped across the pond. 'It wasn't me, I promise' he laughed. 'I have had the weirdest weekend since this went out. I mean it really does look like me doesn't it. It's freaky.' Co-presenter Sally Nugent was in hysterics over the likeness, saying: 'He even moves like you. I expect this sort of service when I arrive at breakfast in the morning now look at this.' The footage was from a state banquet in the Hall of Mirrors at the former royal residence built by King Louis XIV in Versailles, held by Mr Macron on Wednesday evening, at which King Charles and Queen Camilla were guests of honour. After a clip from the King's meeting with President Emmanuel Macron surfaced showing a man who looked very much like Mr Kay, the presenter was forced to dispel rumours he had hopped across the pond 'It wasn't me, I promise' Mr Kay exclaimed. 'I have had the weirdest weekend since this went out. I mean it really does look like me doesn't it. It's freaky.' On Monday's BBC Breakfast, the presenters couldn't stop laughing at the uncanny resemblance between Mr Kay and a waiter serving the King at the banquet. Ms Nugent explained how the video showed King Charles speaking last week in Paris and pointed to the gentleman serving him, before tailing off as she started to laugh. 'Doesnt just look like me,' Mr Kay added. 'Nicks other peoples drinks like me.' The presenter said he had received 'loads' of messages from people saying they had 'seen' him at the banquet. 'Are you sure you weren't in Paris?' his co-host asked. Mr Kay replied: 'I promise it wasnt me, although some people thought it was some kind of green screen special effect. It wasnt me, I promise.' People on social media were quick to express their amusement at the doppelganger situation, with one person writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'Uncanny- even the glasses look similar. 'Didn't think the Beeb paid that badly? How is Jon's French?' While another wrote: 'If only this was held back to 1st April. This would have been a brilliant Fool's day gag. That's so funny.' High-profile figures were invited to the dinner, from which the hilarious clip was taken, to mark their 'contribution to UK-France relations'. Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger and actor Hugh Grant, were among the 160 guests addressed by the King and Mr Macron on Wednesday evening. Ms Nugent explained how the video showed King Charles speaking last week in Paris and pointed to the gentleman serving him (circled), before tailing off as she started to laugh The presenter said he had received 'loads' of messages from people saying they had 'seen' him at the banquet Co-presenter Sally Nugent was in hysterics over the likeness, saying: 'He even moves like you. I expect this sort of service when I arrive at breakfast in the morning now look at this' The King sat with the President to his left and Madame Macron to his right. She in turn was seated alongside actor Hugh Grant, who greeted the monarch with a bow. The Queen sat two seats away from Sir Mick Jagger and opposite foreign secretary James Cleverly. Their Majesties were guests of honour at the dinner at the end of a whirlwind first day of their inaugural state visit to France. Speaking in French, the King told the president: 'Your generosity of spirit brings to mind how my family and I were so greatly moved by the tributes paid in France to my mother, the late Queen, whose funeral took place one year ago yesterday.' The King also said relations between the UK and France have not always been 'straightforward', but went on to stress the unity between the nations. Meanwhile Mr Macron added that France and Britain would rise up to the challenges of the modern world despite the tensions created by Brexit. A police officer has been left red-faced after she breath-tested the passenger and not the driver, at a drink-driving checkpoint. TJ Woodrow and his friends were driving through Cromwell in New Zealand's South Island in his 1964 Impala after going to the Alexandra Blossom Festival. But the Impala is American-made and therefore a left-hand drive car, which caused confusion when he was randomly pulled over for breath-testing three times over the weekend. Each time he was stopped, the officer went to the right-side window, with Mr Woodrow filming the confusing encounters and posting them to TikTok. On the first two occasions, the officer realised their mistake and went to the left-side window to test Mr Woodrow, but the third time they were stopped, his passenger got tested instead. A police officer has been left red-faced after she breath-tested the passenger and not the driver at a drink-driving checkpoint (pictured) READ MORE: Tradie suddenly stops ute causing car to slam into back on Pacific Hwy Shocking footage has captured the moment a tradie suddenly brake-checked their ute causing a car to crash into the back of the vehicle. Advertisement The police officer asked the passenger, who claims he had an open can of Jim Beam whisky and cola on his lap, how he was, then presented the testing device and asked him to blow into it for five seconds. He did so and was cleared, which the officer confirmed by saying 'Sweet as' and seemingly not noticing the lack of a steering wheel in front of the man. As soon as she left, the driver and the passengers in the front and back of the Impala all burst out laughing. With the video racking up a huge number of views and comments online, the police released a statement, admitting a mistake was made, but also admonishing those in the car. 'While we can't be sure exactly where this incident took place, police acknowledge that it appears a mistake has been made by one of our officers dealing with a vehicle at a checkpoint,' a police spokesperson said. 'In this instance, it would be helpful if the driver, on becoming aware that a mistake had been made, let the officer know so that they could breath-test the driver. 'Checkpoints are in place to help ensure the safety of all road users, and a big part of the responsibility for road safety lies with the road users themselves.' Many saw the funny side of what happened, with online commenter posting: 'Some brainy cops in ur town.' As soon as the officer left, the passenger (pictured) and everyone else in the car burst out laughing 'The officer should be breath-tested, how could she miss that?' another said. A third reckoned Mr Woodrow should 'get a spare driver wheel for (the) passenger to finesse without hassle'. Some didn't see the funny side, though, with one writing 'So drink driving is funny? Wow, u kiwis need to b more intelligent. Hope u didn't kill anyone.' And others just blasted the quality of the commenters, with one saying 'The IQ in these comments is the lowest I've seen in a very long time.' An Australian model and influencer has revealed she had nude photos of her leaked while at school. Steph Claire Smith, 29, a Melbourne-based businesswoman and fitness entrepreneur, opened up to Laura Henshaw, her co-host on the KicPod podcast on Monday. 'In high school, I sent nude photos of myself to a boy I was seeing,' said Ms Smith. Steph Claire Smith, 29, a Melbourne-based businesswoman and fitness entrepreneur, opened up about nude pictures of her being shared during high school The mother-on-one asked: 'Why do we blame women in this situation?' 'It turns out he wasn't deserving of my trust, and he sent it to a few friends, and it then found itself around the school.' 'I remember very clearly walking into school and knowing that it had been shared around the night before and girls wouldn't talk to me, other than my friends.' The mother-of-one said she was ostracised and ridiculed while the boy who had leaked her intimate pictures was 'f***ing championed'. 'Why do we blame women in this situation?', she asked. 'Every time! The one-sided shaming is not okay.' Ms Smith said that, while she felt embarrassment and shame at the time, she was over it now. 'I don't have any regrets or feel bad about it now, if any of those were to resurface, I was underage I was literally 16,' she added. 'It can be risky, it can be sent around, if it's on the internet it can stay there but the shame around sending a photo is f***ing s***.' Ms Smith co-founded Kic, a wellness app that focuses on fitness, nutrition and mindfulness. Ms Smith and her husband Josh married in 2019 and they have one child, son Harvey, born in 2021 (pictured) Fifteen migrants claiming to be children were reportedly found to be adults by Kent officials after having their ages reassessed. The discoveries were made between January 2022 and June this year, Freedom of Information Figures revealed. During this time, the ages of 23 migrants claiming to be children were assessed - and of these 15 were found to actually be adults. MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke warned that grown men posing as underage in schools and children's care homes could pose a risk. She said urgent action is needed for compulsory age checks. Border Force officers on bring 50 migrants ashore at Dover Docks earlier this month (file image) Migrants rescued from a boat crossing the English Channel land on Dungeness Beach in Kent, on August 21, 2023 (file image) A source told the Sun: 'Migrants lying about their age has always been an issue, but the smugglers are now actively briefing them to say they are under 16 because they will receive better treatment. 'They have no documents on them when they arrive in the UK and you can't physically determine someone's age. 'Some countries use dental examinations, but that's not definitive. How old someone looks depends on their growth rate.' MailOnline has contacted Kent County Council for further information. It comes after the government announced earlier this month that officials will use X-rays and MRI scans to determine the age of asylum seekers falsely claiming to be unaccompanied children. MRIs of knees and collar bones could be used to check people arriving across the Channel in small boats along with X-rays of teeth, hands and wrists. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick wants to introduce scientific tests to determine the ages of arrivals as part of a package of measures being put before Parliament. Under the planned new laws, anyone who refuses a scientific age assessment could have this count against them when their asylum claims are considered. Similarly, failure to produce ID or provide passwords to phones could also hinder an asylum application. A group of people thought to be migrants crossing the Channel in a small boat travelling from the coast of France and heading in the direction of Dover last month (file image) Migrants' tents at a camp on the outskirts of the city of Calais, northern France (file image) Age tests are used in many European countries but some campaigners and medical professionals have questioned their reliability. 'Age assessment is an important process to help prevent asylum seeking adults posing as children as a way of accessing support they are not entitled to, and allow genuine children to access age-appropriate services,' the Home Office said. Between 2016 and June 2023, there were over 11,275 asylum cases where age was disputed and almost half of the individuals (5,551) were found to be adults, it noted. Councils are also to tell the Government they are 'full' and do not have any room to house any extra migrants while some are already at 'breaking point', it was reported yesterday. One of Rishi Sunak's five pledges for this year was to stop boats full of asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel. The Illegal Migration Act was described as a 'vital step' in stemming the flow when the bill was given Royal Assent in July. Under the new law, the Government is to set an annual cap on how many asylum seekers it will take in consultation with local councils. That consultation must start by October 20, and, with the deadline looming, councils are set to tell the Government they are already 'full', reported The Telegraph. A British man has died after coming off his motorbike at a mountain pass in Spain. The 57-year-old suffered his fatal accident near the village of San Pedro del Romeral in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria. He was crossing a mountain pass called El Puerto de la Matalena on the CA-633 road. The alarm was raised around midday on Friday. Emergency responders took him to the Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital in the city of Santander but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The 57-year-old suffered his fatal accident near the village of San Pedro del Romeral (pictured) in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria He was crossing a mountain pass called El Puerto de la Matalena (pictured) on the CA-633 road READ MORE: Pictured: British couple killed when they fell off their motorbike during rain storm in Spain and cars behind them were unable to brake in time Advertisement Local reports said he had come off the road on his bike for reasons which are still under investigation. It was not immediately clear on Friday if he was travelling alone or was with other people. He has not been named by police. The tragedy occurred less than a fortnight after a British couple died in a motorcycle accident near Llanes around 70 miles north-west of the mountain pass. Kieron Haines, 68, and his wife Sharron, who celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary earlier this year, died after coming off their bike on a motorway during heavy rain. The couple from Hellesdon near Norwich were hit by following vehicles which were unable to brake in time after they were flung onto the tarmac. Kieron Haines, 68, and his wife Sharron (pictured together), who celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary earlier this year, died after coming off their bike on a motorway during heavy rain Tragic Sharron, 65, had to be cut from the underneath of a car by firefighters before being pronounced dead at the scene. As well as a shared passion for motorbikes which had seen them do several European tours, the couple from Norwich also kept an allotment and Kieron was a keen amateur beekeeper. The fatal accident happened around 5.30pm on September 11 on the A-8 motorway near to the resort town of Llanes an hour's drive east of the northern Spanish city of Oviedo. Shelagh Gurney, Norfolk County Councillor for Hellesdon near Norwich, said in a message to her local allotment holders' association after learning of the couple's deaths: 'It is with great sadness and upset that I have to advise you that my dear friend and bee colleague Kieron Haines and his dearest wife and old school friend of mine Sharron have both lost their lives in a freak motorcycle accident whilst touring in northern Spain.' Drone footage taken from points on Britain's faltering High Speed Rail 2 project has revealed the enormous scars ripped into the countryside across the route with as ministers due to make a decision on the northern leg this week. If all had gone to plan, Britain would be just two and a half years away from high-speed trains whizzing between London and Birmingham, cutting travel times by around 30 minutes. Construction workers should now be putting the finishing touches to the network but instead, completion has been pushed from 2026 to 2029-33 and the budget has risen from 37.5billion to 98billion. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly so spooked by an 8billion jump in costs to complete the line to Birmingham that he is set to axe the Manchester leg which has been labelled a 'gross act of vandalism' and an 'act of economic self-harm' by former chancellor George Osborne. In an article for the Times newspaper with Tory grandee Lord Heseltine, the former Chancellor warned the Prime Minister about damaging Britain's reputation and protecting his own legacy. Infrastucture at Denham which will feature a ten mile tunnel has been described as a 'mess' The north tunnel portal (top of image) takes shape at the Chiltern Hills near Great Missenden which has been raised by the building work Line construction at Huddlesford in Staffordshire which is considered a 'mission critical' spot He wrote: 'Governments are remembered for what they build and create. Make this mistake, and yours may only be known for what it cancelled and curtailed.' Citing Boris Johnson's winning message in the 2019 election, they added: 'How could ever again claim to be levelling up when you cancel the biggest levelling-up project in the country?' Last week, the Mail sent a drone along the entire length of HS2. Photographs show many major points are still construction sites in their early stages. Phil Marsh, who has worked in railway administration for 50 years, said: 'These pictures show what a massive infrastructure project HS2 is and how dreadful it looks at the moment. There are earthworks, concrete mixers and haul roads on a vast magnitude, which creates a huge environmental and societal impact on our densely compacted country.' Costs have spiralled, Mr Marsh said, due to the number of changes made. 'Every time specifications are slightly altered, insiders tell me that contractors are basically sticking another million pounds in their back pockets. 'If all this is for 30 minutes off the journey from London to Birmingham, it would be a complete waste of money.' About one mile east of Lichfield and 15 miles north of Birmingham Curzon Street Station, HS2 veers northward. HS2 cuts through the countryside between Long Itchington Wood and South Cubbington Wood in Warwickshire Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are expected to decide in the coming days whether to axe the second phase of the high-speed line. A graphic of the line and each phase is pictured Construction work is being carried out beneath the West Coast Main Line and amid Staffordshire farmland. HS2: How did we get here? HS2 has been a controversial project since plans emerged in 2009. Here is a timeline of key events: January 2009 Labour establishes HS2 Ltd to examine the case for a new high-speed rail line. December 2010 A consultation on a route for HS2 from London to Birmingham with a Y-shaped section to Manchester and Leeds is published by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. January 2012 Transport secretary Justine Greening announces the Government has decided to go ahead with the project, despite concerns over its cost and the environmental impact of construction. November 2013 The Bill setting out the powers needed to build Phase 1 of HS2 between London and Birmingham is introduced to Parliament. January 2014 The Supreme Court rejects outstanding appeals by opponents of the rail scheme. November 2015 HS2 is given a budget of 55.7 billion. June 2016 The National Audit Office warns HS2 is under financial strain and could be delayed by a year. September 2016 Simon Kirby resigns as HS2 Ltd chief executive February 2017 The Bill for Phase 1 achieves royal assent, enabling preparation work to begin. July 2017 HS2 Ltd accepts it was a 'serious error' to make 1.76 million of unauthorised redundancy payments to staff. December 2018 Sir Terry Morgan resigns as chairman of HS2 Ltd amid criticism over his role as chairman of Crossrail, which is delayed and over budget. August 2019 The Conservatives commission a review into whether and how HS2 should continue, led by former HS2 Ltd chairman Douglas Oakervee. September 2019 A report by HS2 Ltd chairman Allan Cook says the railway may not be completed until 2040 and could cost 88 billion. January 2020 The Oakervee Review is widely leaked. It finds that HS2 could cost up to 106 billion, but concludes 'on balance' that the project should continue. February 2020 Prime minister Boris Johnson gives HS2 the go-ahead despite 'exploded' costs. The so-called funding envelope is reset. Phase 1 is set at 44.6 billion (at 2019 prices), with the estimated cost for the full network revised to a range of between 72 billion-98 billion. April 2020 HS2 Ltd gives formal approval for companies to begin construction of Phase 1. July 2020 The delivery of HS2 is given the highest risk warning by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) for the first time. September 2020 Boris Johnson marks the project's formal beginning of construction at an event in Solihull, West Midlands. January 2021 Environmental activists dig a network of tunnels in London's Euston Square Gardens, resulting in a complex operation to remove them. February 2021 Legislation for Phase 2a of the railway - extending the line from Birmingham to Crewe - achieves royal assent, opening the way for construction to begin. March 2021 Anti-HS2 protests and the coronavirus pandemic have contributed to the project facing new 'cost pressures' of 800 million, the Government announces. May 2021 HS2 launches its first giant tunnelling machine from a site in Buckinghamshire near the M25 motorway. June 2021 Concerns over HS2 are a major issue in a shock by-election defeat for the Tories as the Liberal Democrats win in Chesham and Amersham, Buckinghamshire. October 2021 HS2's 'cost pressures' have risen to 'around 1.3 billion', the Government says. This is partly attributed to delays completing preparatory work, approving designs and securing planning consents. November 2021 HS2's eastern leg between Leeds and the East Midlands is scrapped by the Government. January 2022 The Bill for Phase 2b, extending HS2 to Manchester, is laid in Parliament. Transport secretary Grant Shapps hails this as a 'landmark moment'. May 2022 Construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct begins. It will be the UK's longest railway bridge, stretching for 2.1 miles above a series of lakes and waterways just outside north-west London. October 2022 Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove suggests capital investment for HS2 would be reviewed, but Chancellor Jeremy Hunt subsequently backs the project. March 2023 The Government announces that construction of the Birmingham to Crewe leg of HS2 will be delayed by two years. Work at Euston is paused as costs have ballooned to 4.8 billion compared with an initial budget of 2.6 billion. This means HS2 services will start and stop at Old Oak Common, west London, until at least the 2040s. September 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak considers whether to scrap or delay the leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester in response to soaring costs. Advertisement 'This is what is considered a 'mission critical' spot as any disruption to the West Coast Main Line might have cost millions,' said Phil Marsh. 'It looks fine, but the tracks still need to be laid.' The Chiltern Tunnel ends to the west of Chesham and north of High Wycombe. This is where the high-speed trains are due to travel above ground for a short distance before plunging into the 0.9-mile Wendover Tunnel. 'This end of the tunnel through the Chilterns hasn't been cut through yet so it's just a wall of earth,' said Christian Wolmar, who hosts the railway podcast Calling All Stations. 'The twin tunnel-boring machines, Florence and Cecilia, still have about two miles to go.' This one-mile tunnel travels beneath an ancient woodland and was completed in November last year but at the cost of felling four ancient woods in nearby South Cubbington. Work is still being carried out to handle 500,000 tons of mudstone at an on-site slurry treatment plant. 'The hard work has been done with the major construction complete,' said rail administrator Phil Marsh. 'But there are the railway communications, drainage and signalling systems still to do.' Covering ten miles, this will be the longest of the 500 tunnels dug for the HS2 line. The underpass begins in the south near the M25 and then head north-west between the towns of Beaconsfield and Amersham. Railway podcast host Christian Wolmar said: 'The tunnel is only about three-quarters finished. 'Denham is a mess - an enormous building site with a car park for 1,000 cars and a concrete factory works for mixing concrete and making tunnel supports.' This morning, Rishi Sunak ducked over the fate of the HS2 Manchester leg as Tories warned against scrapping it days before the party's conference in the city. The PM refused to be drawn on signs that the government is on the cusp of downgrading the project again over spiralling costs. Speaking on a visit to Hertfordshire this morning, Mr Sunak merely insisted he is still committed to 'Levelling Up' - stressing other issues such as pot holes and bus services. Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt who has admitted that the cost of the scheme is 'out of control' are expected to meet within days to discuss scrapping the northern leg of HS2. The decision will set the backdrop for November's Autumn Statement. There are fears the upper estimate of building the initial London to Birmingham stretch of the line is set to rise by more than 8billion from the 45billion published in June 2022. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said yesterday that it would be 'crazy' not to review HS2. Mr Shapps, a former transport secretary, warned the Government could not write an 'open-ended cheque' if costs were 'inexorably going higher and higher'. 'I think the sequencing of what happens next is a perfectly legitimate question,' he said. He told the BBC: 'We have seen the costs accelerate a lot. Of course, inflation has been part of that. 'There are various different estimates and I think that's one of the things that the Government wants to check, particularly on the costs now post the inflationary picture out of the war in Ukraine. 'I have to say that it would be irresponsible to simply spend the money, carry on as if nothing had changed, if there has been a change in that fiscal picture.' Mr Johnson has warned against 'mutilating' the line, while David Cameron is also said to have privately raised concerns. Commons Health Committee chairman Steve Brine said it would look 'odd' to scrap the scheme in the days before Tory MPs and activists arrive in Manchester. He also said he hoped the line would run all the way into central London rather than terminating at Old Oak Common in the capital's western suburbs. 'It would seem very odd for us to be in Manchester next week and can a project to Manchester,' Mr Brine told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour. 'It would seem very odd not to bring this new rail line into central London and just stop it at Old Oak Common. 'So I really hope a way can be found to do this.' Kieran Mullan, the Tory MP for Crewe and Nantwich, urged the Government to continue with the project. He said: 'We all agree levelling up is desperately needed. London has bounced back from the pandemic more quickly than anywhere else and the gap is only expected to get bigger. 'HS2 might not be perfect but it is already helping close that gap in Birmingham and the North.' London Mayor Sadiq Khan has written to the PM warning that the project could end up being a 'colossal waste of public money' if the northern leg is scrapped and it does not go all the way into central London. When the railway first opens between London and Birmingham, expected between 2029 and 2033, its terminus will be at Old Oak Common in the western suburbs of the capital. HS2 trains are not expected to run on to London Euston until around 2041. And there are now doubts the central London extension will ever go ahead. Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, said people in the North of England are treated like 'second-class citizens' by having to face a choice between HS2 and a cross-Pennine East to West route. Labour has refused to confirm it would fund the line to Manchester if the Tories axe it, despite pressure from Mr Burnham. HS2 is a project for a high-speed rail line linking some of the country's largest cities, intended to connect London, the Midlands and the north of England, with construction split into three phases. Gordon Brown's Labour government set up HS2 Ltd in 2009 and the project has been backed by successive Conservative governments since 2010. In 2020, then premier Mr Johnson recommitted his Government to the scheme following a review. In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost 37.5 billion in 2009 prices but the sums have continued to spiral. A budget of 55.7 billion for the whole of HS2 was set in 2015 but some reports suggest costs have now surpassed 100 billion, having been driven up by recent inflation rises. Many supporters of HS2 say the main benefit will be increased capacity. It will enable intercity trains currently operated by Avanti West Coast to be taken off the West Coast Main Line, creating more space for stopping services and freight trains. Another improvement will be reduced journey times. On a visit to Hertfordshire this morning, Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn on signs that the government is on the cusp of downgrading the project again over spiralling costs Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (pictured jogging today) has admitted that the cost of the HS2 scheme is 'out of control' The former Chancellor's intervention comes as ministers are due to make a decision on the northern leg this week Ministers have already moved to pause parts of the project and even axed sections in the north. The eastern leg between Birmingham and Leeds was reduced to a spur line that is due to end in the East Midlands. It was confirmed in March that construction between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed by two years and that services may not enter central London until the 2040s. Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced that work at Euston would be paused for two years as costs were forecast to almost double to 4.8 billion. The pause means Old Oak Common, in the capital's western suburbs, will be the railway's only London station when services to and from Birmingham Curzon Street begin between 2029 and 2033. The Prime Minister is reportedly now considering scrapping the route from Birmingham to Manchester, with a decision on the fate of the leg north from Birmingham is expected within days. The defense budget has very different priorities than it does in peacetime. For Russia, this is a major problem in Ukraine, where their faltering invasion effort turned out to be a lot more expensive than expected. While the salaries of the troops and operating costs of the military came to $85 billion, the additional wartime expenses included $34 billion for lost weapons and equipment as well as $21 billion for medical care of those wounded and $26 billion for compensating the families of those killed in combat. The latter is also a good way for foreign intelligence agencies to estimate Russian casualties. Those families, especially if they consist of a wife and children, need continued support. Without this compensation you cannot obtain volunteers who join to be career officers and NCOs. For these men the military is a job that they will normally hold for about twenty years before they are eligible to retire with lifetime monthly pay. This compensation is usually a percentage of your active duty pay. Since the 1990s Russia has been attempting to recruit an all-volunteer force for the army. That is still a work-in-progress because the cost was more than Russia could afford. To supplement the career personnel, conscripts were used. Because of popular opposition to conscripts, the term of service was reduced to one year. After that the former conscripts were assigned to an inactive and unpaid reserve force that would only be called on in the event of a national emergency, like an invasion of Russia. The current problem is that the government is trying to portray their invasion of Ukraine as a national emergency. It certainly is for Ukraine and most Ukrainians have supported the fight against the invaders. In Russia there is little enthusiasm for the war in Ukraine. This time Russia is the invader and the Russian government's effort to portray that invasion as a national emergency is not popular with most Russians. Few will voluntarily fight in Ukraine. According to the Russian conscript law, conscripts are not allowed to fight outside Russia unless Russia is being invaded. The conscripts and their parents are angry that their government has violated this provision and sent conscripts into Ukraine to fight. The government justifies this by declaring the Ukraine operation as an effort to annex Ukraine and make it part of Ukraine. The Ukrainians and their NATO supporters are resisting the Russian invasion and many Russians believe the Russian invasion was unnecessary, illegal and harmful to Russia. Not only are a lot of Russian soldiers, including conscripts, getting killed in Ukraine, but the invasion has failed, the Ukrainians are counterattacking and most Western nations have imposed economic sanctions on Russia. The large Russian losses in Ukraine were openly and very accurately reported to the world. In Russia those losses were declared a state secret. That did not prevent Russians from finding out, it just took a little longer. Russia could not keep the bad news out and shutting down Russians access to the Internet did not work either. These casualty reports confirmed to many Russians what was really going on in Ukraine. Russia was losing the war and the Russian government was forcing their population to pay for it. The government originally believed the war would be over quickly with Russia in control of Ukraine and at little cost to Russia. When that didnt happen, the government of Vladimir Putin kept the war going because Putin believed withdrawing from Ukraine would be a defeat that would cause an upheaval in Russia threatening Putins control of the government. He keeps the war going in the hope that NATO nations would eventually tire of supporting the Ukrainians. This Putin plan has little support from Russians and few Russians, Ukrainians or NATO nations expect the Putin plan to succeed. The economic sanctions on Russia are continuing to damage the Russian economy and more Russians are suffering from the sanctions. Russian forces have lost over 200,000 dead, which is far more than they lost during their failed 1980s war in Afghanistan. Russian troops withdrew from Afghanistan after eight years of fighting. The Russians concluded that they couldnt win and withdrew. The damage was already done because within a few years the Soviet Union collapsed, along with Russian control of eastern Germany and most of Eastern Europe. Vladimir Putin was a KGB officer when the Soviet Union collapsed and he was out of a job. Putin considered the collapse of the Soviet Union as a great tragedy that must be rectified. His first move was to gain control of the Russian government. His attack on Ukraine is the first part of his plan to rebuild the Russian empire and it isnt working. But how much has it cost so far? And what are the consequences to axing it? The government is reportedly considering scrapping plans for the HS2 project Rishi Sunak is said to be considering scrapping plans for the HS2 high speed rail link extension due to rising costs. The Prime Minister's official spokesman repeatedly declined to comment on speculation about the future of HS2, refusing to comment on questions on if he is thinking about delaying the leg from Birmingham to Manchester. There are also concerns about the prospect of terminating HS2 in the suburbs of London, rather than running it into the centre of the capital. Among the mass of critics to scrapping the project includes former prime minister David Cameron, while Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has warned axing the extension would risk a 'north-south chasm'. But Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said the project is 'out of control' and former transport secretary Grant Shapps said it would be 'crazy' not to review plans, saying that the government could not grant an 'open-ended cheque' amid soaring costs. But what are the consequences of scrapping HS2? and how much has the project cost so far? Here is everything you need to know. The government is reportedly considering scrapping plans for the HS2 high speed rail link extension to run from Birmingham to Manchester (Pictured: artist impression of HS2) How much has HS2 cost so far? Three years into the main construction of the project intended to deliver high-speed rail lines to London, the Midlands and northern cities, costs have amounted to way over budget. The latest official estimate of completing HS2 is between 72-98 billion, according to a report by The House of Commons Committee published in September 2021. The Government's estimated costs for Phase 1, from London to West Midlands, is 35-45 billion and 5.2-7.2 billion for Phase 2a, from the West Midlands to Crewe. Meanwhile, the cost for Phase 2b, the western leg from Crewe to Manchester is 23-46 billion. These prices are from 2019, so it does not account for the increase in cost of materials and wages in 2023. The full cost could therefore reach closer to 100 billion - a steep increase from the original budget of 55.7 billion in 2015 and far off the budget of 37.5 billion when the project was first envisioned by Labour in 2009. However, The Guardian reported, this week Conservative peer Michael Lord told the House of Lords he has 'reliable sources' who thought the final cost could amount to 150 billion. The former Chancellor's intervention comes as ministers are due to make a decision on the northern leg this week Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt could decide within days whether to axe the second phase of the high-speed line. This graphic shows the phases of the line What are the consequences of scrapping HS2? The prospect of ending HS2 at Birmingham has sparked backlash from northern business owners, as well as politicians who argue that the extension line from Birmingham to Manchester is essential to the government's 'levelling up' ambitions. Sacha Lord, leading entrepreneur and Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, said: 'You've got the Government talking about one of their main agendas being levelling up, and it's just simply not the case. This is the perfect example of that.' It would also put pressure on Labour to commit to funding the line to Manchester, despite the party refusing to confirm its plans. Asked on Sky News whether Labour should commit to building, Mr Burnham said: 'I have been saying that to them. Former transport secretary Grant Shapps said it would be 'crazy' not to review plans of HS2, amid soaring costs He continued: 'The north of England should not be forced to choose between whether we have a good east-west line or a good north-south line.' Mr Shapps suggested that HS2 was not the 'be all and end all' for railway connectivity in the north of England and said that the government had invested 22 billion since 2010, the BBC reported. In addition, not everyone is behind the project and polling by YouGov has found polling in favour of HS2 has been consistently low, with just 26 per cent supporting the project compared to the 36 per cent opposed. The project has also faced outcry from locals at the disruption and environmental damage. Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, said: 'we would like to see HS2 built in full' but said he would not announce policy based on rumours. 'We don't know what the cost overrun is. We don't know which bits of the projects are costing how much extra money. We don't even know what the Conservatives in government are going to do about connections or endings or extensions. We can't answer any questions until they do so,' he told the BBC. According to surveys by YouGov, not everyone is on board with HS2, and many locals have spoken out against the disturbance of the project(Pictured: Birmingham, September 2023) While questions remain unanswered, Tories could lose out on funding. A leading Conservative donor told the Guardian that they and other donors could withdraw support if the government goes ahead with scrapping the northern part of the line. The unnamed donor said: 'Generations of my family have been proud to support what was the party of business. We've given year in, year out for decades and been active in the party. 'But I've spoken to other donors, and several of them feel possibly for the first time ever recent events seriously call into question the ability to continue to support people who don't do what they say they'd do.' Bosses of business groups including Manchester Airports Group, British Land, Virgin Money and the Northern Powerhouse, have signed a letter to the government urging renewed commitment to the project, the BBC reported. This Morning dental expert Dr Uchenna Okoye died from a bleed on the brain as her family said they are heartbroken 'her beautiful, full life has been cut so short'. The 53-year-old, who also starred on Channel 5's makeover show 10 Years Younger in 10 Days, collapsed in her west London home on September 15, and passed away a few hours later. She leaves behind her seven-year-old daughter with her ex-husband, fellow doctor Chidi Ngwaba. A coroner's report, obtained by MailOnline, revealed Dr Uchenna's cause of death was a 'subarachnoid haemorrhage', an uncommon type of stroke. It was sparked by a blood vessel in her brain bursting, known as a ruptured brain aneurysm, which caused bleeding in the space between the organ and the tissues surrounding it. Dr Uchenna ex-husband and father of her daughter, returned to the UK after the tragedy. The former couple divorced last year but have been separated for some time. Her close friend told MailOnline last week how Dr Uchenna, who was also a regular guest on Channel 5's 10 Years Younger in 10 Days and BBC Breakfast, had been having a regularly 'busy week' in the days leading up to her death. Dr Uchenna Okoye's family said their 'priority right now is to take care of her young daughter and continue her legacy and keep her memory alive' This Morning dental expert Dr Uchenna Okoye pictured with Holly Willoughby, who paid tribute to her 'very kind' colleague Dr Uchenna Okoye (pictured on The Alan Titchmarsh Show in 2014) died aged 53 after collapsing at her London home Dr Uchenna had enjoyed a normal 'busy week' in the days leading up to her death. She is pictured in October 2022 wearing pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month This Morning dental expert Dr Uchenna leaves behind a seven-year-old daughter, who her family say is now their 'priority' Dr Uchenna Okoye pictured with her This Morning co-stars Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby Tragically, aneurysms can occur at any time, even if the victims are fit and healthy like Dr Uchenna, who has a seven-year old daughter. The fatal condition occurs when there is bleeding in the space between the brain and the thin tissues that surround the brain, the subarachnoid space. A family spokesperson said: 'Dr Uchenna's sudden death was due to natural causes. We are devastated, and our hearts are broken that her beautiful, full life has been cut so short. 'As a family, our priority right now is to take care of her young daughter and continue her legacy and keep her memory alive. A private celebration of her life will be held in the coming weeks.' Her ex-husband and father of her daughter, fellow doctor Chidi Ngwaba, dashed home from speaking at a Hope For Africa event in Kenya upon hearing of her passing. The former couple divorced last year but have been separated for some time. Her confidante of more than 20 years Mars Webb told MailOnline last week her loved ones were still coming to terms with her shock death. Ms Webb revealed Dr Uchenna, who was also a regular guest on Channel 5's 10 Years Younger in 10 Days and BBC Breakfast, enjoyed a normal 'busy week' in the days leading up to her death. This included a theatre trip to see West End musical Moulin Rouge, a lunch meeting with clients to promote her new Mysmile dental product and an industry event, and she at no point raised any concerns surrounding her health. Ms Webb told MailOnline: 'There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death. She was a happy, healthy and busy person, with no apparent health problems. 'Her passing has come as a total shock to everybody - it came totally out of the blue. 'It's a devastating loss for her family, friends and so many who loved her dearly.' Dr Uchenna leaves behind her seven-year-old daughter with her ex-husband and father of their child, fellow doctor Chidi Ngwaba Dr Uchenna during a visit to 10 Downing Street. She was also a regular guest on Channel 5's 10 Years Younger in 10 Days and BBC Breakfast Dr Ucheena with Lisa Snowdon at campaign group Menopause Mandate's event where she was listed as an expert A coroner's report, obtained by MailOnline, revealed the This Morning dental expert died from a bleed on the brain Dr Uchenna's family posted a heartbreaking statement on her Instagram announcing her death Dr Uchenna died following a 'sudden illness' earlier this month, leaving behind a seven-year-old daughter Dr Uchenna pictured with Eamonn Holmes in the TalkRadio studio Ms Webb confirmed Dr Uchenna's 'big loving family' will ensure her daughter is taken care of and given the love she needs following her passing. What is a brain aneurysm? A brain aneurysm is caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall which causes a bulge like a balloon, which then can burst. As well as the brain, they can also be found in the abdominal aorta - the artery that transports blood away from the heart. When the bulge ruptures it leads to a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The bleeding can cause serious brain damage. It often happens without warning but the burst sometimes occurs during physical effort or straining. Symptoms include: a sudden agonising headache often described as a 'thunderclap headache' (like a sudden hit on the head) a stiff neck sensitivity to light blurred or double vision stroke-like symptoms sickness and vomiting loss of consciousness or convulsions Source: NHS Advertisement She added: 'Uchenna was my boss, my mentor, my bestie buddy for 20 years and honestly, you have no idea how incredible she was and how much more she had to do and achieve and wanted to do.'It is just so unfair she has been taken from us. 'As well as her TV work, Dr Uchenna was known for supporting women in business, building confidence, plus championing diversity and inclusion.' She shared her passion and knowledge to help other women better themselves, and was recognised for changing the face of dentistry, taking on the oral health care market by launching her own Mysmile product range. News of Dr Uchenna's death last Friday, which was announced on her official Instagram page on Monday, sparked an outpouring of support from friends and former colleagues. Announcing Dr Uchenna's tragic passing, her family wrote: 'It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of the much loved and respected Cosmetic Dentist, Dr Uchenna Okoye, who passed away after falling ill at home on Friday 15th September 2023. 'At this time, we ask for your prayers for her young daughter, her family, her team of staff at London Smiling Dental Group and her friends who are all struggling to come to terms with her loss. 'We request that you respect Uchenna's family's wishes for privacy at this very difficult time. 'The Uchenna sparkle touched the lives of everyone she met and drew her into stardom on 10 Years Younger makeover show, followed by 10 Years Younger in 10 Days where her passion and compassion leaps off the screen. The Cosmetic Dentist made numerous appearances on television and radio, offering specialist advice to viewers. She is pictured here on This Morning in 2015 Dr Uchenna pictured with TV star Davina McCall Dr Uchenna was still posting videos on her Instagram page just days before she died. In one post she promotes her toothpaste she had created Her last post was published just two days before she died. The video highlighted an article she appeared in for Prima magazine where she discusses how to keep gums healthy Dr Uchenna celebrates with the 10 Years Younger in 10 Days team after they picked up an award at the NTAs 'For the last 20 years, her deep knowledge of dentistry and her incredible chair-side manner made her the go-to spokeswoman for any dental issue and a popular contributor to radio, TV, and women's consumer press.' Holly Willoughby, who worked with Dr Uchenna on This Morning, told her followers: 'Unbelievably sad to hear of the passing of @druchennaokoye. We first worked together many moons ago with @oralb_uk and she was very kind to me and then of course again, giving her advice on @thismorning. Sending all my love to her family.' BBC radio presenter Jo Whiley wrote: 'Devastating news. Sending love to her daughter, family and London Smiling team. Strong, beautiful, funny Uchenna. Awful. Just awful.' TV presenter Donna Air posted: 'What?! No, I'm so confused. How, why... her daughter!! Shocked and saddened.' While fashion stylist Gemma Sheppard, who appeared alongside Dr Okoye on 10 Years Younger in 10 Days, wrote: 'I'm deeply saddened to hear of the passing of beautiful Dr. Uchenna. 'Her sudden departure has left a void in our hearts that words can hardly express. My thoughts and prayers go out to her daughter and family during this incredibly difficult time. Dr Uchenna pictured with Gok Wan on the set of This Morning Dr Uchenna worked as a cosmetic dentist and appeared on This Morning and makeover show 10 Years Younger Dr Uchenna pictured with Gloria Hunniford while filming for BBC One's Rip off Britain This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby led the tributes to Dr Uchenna, who she described as 'very kind' Willoughby posted on Instagram after Dr Uchenna's family revealed the tragic news of her passing Dr Uchenna's death has been 'a total shock to everybody', her close friend Mars Webb said 'Dr. Uchenna's legacy of kindness, grace, and expertise will always be remembered. May she rest in peace, forever in our hearts .' The British beauty council tweeted: 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Uchenna Okoye, a treasured colleague and Advisory Board member. She was a brilliant and passionate individual who profoundly impacted the industry.' Dr Uchenna, who qualified at the prestigious Guy's Hospital in London, ran two dental practices and owned a line of specialist dental products. She was one of a small group of dentists to belong to both the British and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Outside of directing the London Smiling Dental Group, she regularly appeared on television and radio to provide expert advice. She also was the official dentist of Channel 5's makeover programme 10 Years Younger. Presenter Cherry Healey of the Channel 5 show also paid tribute to Dr Uchenna. 'There aren't really the right words to say how much this absolute force of a human being will be missed and how sad this news is. 'I was so fortunate to work with Dr Uchenna on @10yearsyounger for many happy years, and to then got to know her as a beautiful friend. 'She spoke with such passion and love for the people she helped smile again - and she was the warmest, smartest, most fun woman you could wish to meet.' Dr Uchenna was still posting videos on her Instagram page to her 19,000 followers promoting products and offering medical advice just days before she died. One was a video of an article she appeared in for magazine Prima about how to keep gums healthy. She wrote: 'Bleeding gums? You know thats a cry for help right? Thank you to @primamag who features yours truly in a comprehensive dive into causes and most importantly solutions to this problem.' While just four days earlier a clip appeared of herself clad in black dental scrubs to promote her toothpaste she had created. James Bond could have instead been named 'Rodney' by the author whose protagonist was inspired by a real life hero in the Secret Intelligence Service. Author Ian Fleming was looking for a name for his main character when his brother Peter - a Lieutenant Colonel in charge of 'military deception' in Southeast Asia during WWII - suggested the name 'Bond' as the hero for the first book, Casino Royale. Bond was the surname of a hero in the Secret Intelligence Service - now called MI6 - called Rodney Clarence Mortimer Bond. Peter had come across Rodney Bond when he was rescued from a Nazi bombing attack in northern Greece in 1941, with lieutenant colonel Bond then working for MI6 in Athens. Author Nicholas Shakespeare - whose book 'Ian Fleming: The Complete Man' is out next month - was given unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers and revealed today how Peter suggested the name 'Bond' to Ian. Ian Lancaster Fleming, British author and creator of the James Bond character asked his brother for help in choosing a name for his hero Peter Fleming - a lieutenant colonel in charge of 'military deception' in Southeast Asia during WWII Bond was inspired by Rodney Bond. Pictured is actor Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale An extract from the book in the T2 supplement of The Times today states: 'Peter was having breakfast in Oxfordshire while reading the newspapers when Ian came in and said 'Peter, I've written a bloody good thriller, but I can't get a name for my hero'. 'Without lowering his newspaper, Peter replied 'Try Bond'.' The name Rodney is most commonly associated with dozy Rodney Trotter - nicknamed Rodders - in Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst. Lieutenant Colonel Rodney Clarence Mortimer Bond was born in 1897 and won a Military Cross during World War One, where he fought in France. He then joined the Intelligence Corps and was given the codename 'Hatzis' and was posted to Turkey during World War Two. Lt Col Bond - who married Mary in 1956 - helped save the future Greek prime minister Georgios Papandreou from a Nazi attack in 1944. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1918 and was also made an MBE, and in 1952 was made an OBE. According to the London Gazette in 1919, Bond was awarded the distinguished medal after 'setting an example' to all ranks for maintaining 'perfect fire' under 'heavy shell fire' in Muvres, northern France. Ian Fleming with his mother Evelyn St. Croix Fleming, in November 1957 An action scene in the iconic Casino Royale, pictured is Bond actor Daniel Craig The report states '2nd Lt. Rodney Clarence Mortimer Bond. 'Near Muvres on the 27th September, 1918, the battery was under heavy shell fire. 'He, by his courage and devotion to duty, maintained perfect fire discipline in his section. 'He continually round his guns, encouraging his non-commissioned officers and men, and in consequence the barrage was fired without a hitch. 'He set a very fine example to all ranks.' He died at the age of 65 in 1962. Donald Trump has hailed 'smart' Rishi Sunak following the Prime Minister's weakening of Net Zero measures. The former US president praised Mr Sunak for having 'substantially rolled back' climate action. The PM last week announced he was pushing back the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035. He also weakened plans to phase out the installation of gas boilers by 2035. Mr Trump used his social media network, known as Truth Social, to welcome Mr Sunak's action. Donald Trump has hailed 'smart' Rishi Sunak following the Prime Minister's weakening of Net Zero measures The PM last week announced he was pushing back the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035 The former president said: 'Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom has very substantially rolled back the ridiculous 'climate mandates' that the United States is pushing on everyone, especially itself. 'I always knew Sunak was smart, that he wasn't going to destroy and bankrupt his nation for fake climate alarmists that don't have a clue.' He added: 'Congratulations to Prime Minister Sunak for recognizing this SCAM before it was too late! ' Mr Sunak has claimed his announcements on delaying Net Zero measures are being taken to avoid a a public 'backlash' against climate commitments. In a speech in Downing Street last week, the PM insisted the UK was already ahead of other nations in reducing emissions and could not impose 'unacceptable costs' on British families. 'The risk here to those of us who care about reaching Net Zero, as I do, is simple: if we continue down this path we risk losing the consent of the British people,' he said. 'And the resulting backlash would not just be against specific policies but against the wider mission itself, meaning we might never achieve our goal.' Mr Sunak insisted he was standing by the legally binding goal of hitting Net Zero by 2050 despite making a series of changes. Under the 2050 Net Zero objective - signed into law by Theresa May when she was PM - the UK is legally obliged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 100 per cent from 1990 levels over the next 27 years. The PM detailed his plans to the public on Wednesday after putting them to Cabinet ministers in a hastily arranged call in response to a leak of his plans to the BBC. Mr Sunak faced staunch criticism from within his own party to his action, while he also angered climate campaigners, the car industry and former prime minister Boris Johnson. Mr Trump is widely expected to be the Republican candidate for next year's US presidential election. But his campaign is being threatened by a series of legal cases against him, including the investigation into efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election. Ukraine has claimed it killed the commander of Russia's Black Sea fleet in an unprecedented and devastating missile strike on Vladimir Putin's naval headquarters in the annexed Crimean peninsula last week. Friday saw missiles slam into the building in Sevastopol, with pictures showing smoke rising from the complex, in a major blow to Moscow's on-going invasion. 'Thirty-four officers were killed, including the commander of the Black Sea fleet. Another 105 occupants were wounded. The headquarters are beyond repair,' Ukraine's special forces said in a statement on social media on Monday. Ukraine's army said the strike had happened during 'a meeting of the Russian navy's leadership', while a Ukrainian military source told the BBC the attack was carried out using Storm Shadow missiles, which are supplied by Britain and France. Kyiv has now formally claimed that 61-year-old Admiral Viktor Sokolov - who was handpicked by Putin to restore the fleet's pride after the embarrassing loss of the Moskva flagship to Ukrainian Neptune missiles in April 2022 - is among the dead. Kyivs claim came after the general leading the country's counteroffensive said Ukraine's forces had broke through Russian defences near the town of Verbove. The reported breakthrough came as Kyiv said that senior Russian navy commanders had been among dozens killed or wounded in a missile attack on Moscow 's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Crimea Sevastopol before (top) and after (bottom) a missile attack struck the HQ of Moscow's Black Sea fleet on Friday in a suspected Ukrainian attack deep into Russian-held territory Kyiv has formally claimed that 61-year-old Admiral Viktor Sokolov - who was handpicked by Putin to restore the fleet's pride after the embarrassing loss of the Moskva flagship to Ukrainian Neptune missiles in April 2022 - is among the dead. Friday's strike, by as many as three missiles, was timed to coincide with a meeting of senior military leaders. Among those believed to be seriously injured or dead are Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk, the commander leading the Kremlin's forces in southern Ukraine. Lieutenant General Oleg Tsekov, the commander of ground forces usually based in Arctic Russia, is also understood to be in a serious condition after the barrage. Russian General Budanov has earlier refused to confirm reports that Admiral Viktor Sokolov, commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was killed in the attack. Dramatic video footage emerged over the weekeng that showed the moment one of the missiles slammed through the roof of the headquarters. Thick black smoke poured out of the building which was all-but destroyed. 'The headquarters building cannot be restored,' said the Ukrainian statement. Ukraine's military intelligence chief previously claimed that commanders Romanchuk and Tsekov were wounded in the strike. He did not make a claim about Sokolov - but Ukraine is now certain he was killed, making him one of Putin's most senior commanders to be killed in the war - and the first Admiral - an unprecedented scalp in modern-day warfare. Moscow imposed a news blackout after the Friday strike, a move indicating that the consequences had been serious. Russia's defence ministry said on the day of the attack that one serviceman was missing, after having initially reported that one person had been killed. Meanwhile, in the latest indication that Ukraine is making in-roads on the southern front, Oleksandr Tarnavskiy told US media that the advance was still underway as his forces made gains near the small village of Verbove. 'On the left flank (near the village of Verbove) we have a breakthrough, and we continue to advance further,' he told CNN in an interview released Friday. Progress had been 'not as fast as it was expected - not like in the movies about the Second World War,' he added, but said it was key 'not to lose this initiative. And, well, not to lose it in practice, with actions.' Ukraine launched its counteroffensive to claw back territory from Russian forces in June. Progress has been slow, with much of the territory heavily mined. But Kyiv has in recent weeks reported making strategic advances in the Zaporizhzhia region with the aim of cutting Russia's 'land bridge' in half. During the interview with the American network, Tarnavskiy did not accept that Ukraine's push could be further slowed in the coming winter months. 'The weather can be a serious obstacle during advance, but considering how we move forward, mostly without vehicles, I don't think (it) will heavily influence the counteroffensive,' he said. Ukraine 's forces have broken through Russian defences in the key town of Verbove, according to Kyiv 's general leading the country's counteroffensive. Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier from the 62nd Brigade of Ukrainian Army, wearing a camouflage, is seen in the trenches of the Kupyansk frontline as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, September 22 General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy (seen centre while briefing Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky) told US media that the advance was still underway, in the latest indication that Ukraine is making in-roads on the southern front Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky, spelt out Kyiv's position on the prospects of a long, drawn-out war. 'Are the Ukrainian people happy about the prospect of a long war of attrition?' he wrote Saturday on X, formerly Twitter. 'Absolutely not. 'We are following this path only because there is no other way today.' Tarnavskiy said the counteroffensive's success depended not only on what happens on the front, but also on 'destroying command centres' that create 'a mess on the battlefield'. Strikes on Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, improved morale for Ukrainian troops, he added. 'It helps us, but it also gives us hope for the future.' Meanwhile on Monday, a major ammunition depot was blown-up in Russian-occupied Ukraine in a suspected air-launched missile attack by Kyiv's forces. The giant explosion rocked Sorokyne, also known as Krasnodon, in the eastern Luhansk region, some 86 miles from the current frontline. A large smoke mushroom appeared in the sky, as a huge Russian stockpile of explosives at the Yunost plant ignited in a giant inferno. The plant formerly produced specialist electrical parts for missiles and rockets but its manufacturing capacity was moved to Russia and reports said it had been turned into a significant ammunition depot supplying Vladimir Putin's forces. Some accounts said there were several explosions. Videos record children screaming at a nearby school, and parents rushed to collect them as several schools were evacuated. Windows were shattered in nearby houses and apartment blocks. One local resident said: 'My hands are shaking as I am filming this. There was such a strong explosion.' The attack is seen as a plane-launched missile, and there had been warnings of the Ukrainian air force in the area which has been quiet so far in the war. The area came under Russian control in 2014 when pro-Putin forces took over large areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. On Monday, a major ammunition depot was blown-up in Russian-occupied Ukraine in a suspected air-launched missile attack by Kyiv's forces. Pictures: Smoke rises from the site Ukrainian servicemen of 24th brigade are seen at frontline positions at south of Bakhmut as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Toretsk, Ukraine on September 22 Zelensky was headed for home after addressing the United Nations and talks in Washington with the US Congress and President Joe Biden, who pledged the imminent arrival of US tanks to bolster Ukraine's arsenal. He also got a pledge of more funding from Canada after addressing the parliament in Ottawa. The Ukrainian leader took to X on Saturday to announce he had met Sudan's army chief and de facto ruler general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan during a stopover in Ireland. 'I'm grateful to Sudan for its constant support for Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity,' Zelensky said, at a time when Kyiv is seeking to counter growing Russian influence in Africa. The two leaders talked of 'common security challenges, particularly the activities of illegal armed groups financed by Russia'. Zelensky also said he made a brief halt in the Polish city of Lublin during the afternoon to decorate two Polish volunteers. Western powers through their support for Ukraine are 'de facto' fighting against Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday, as Kyiv claimed fresh advances on the ground. A Ukrainian soldier of the elite drone unit packs up after an attack on the front line in the outskirts of Kremmina, Ukraine, August 20 A Ukrainian drone pilot reaches for a reconnaissance drone in the Luhansk Region 'You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us,' Lavrov told journalists at the United Nations. 'We call it a hybrid war, but that doesn't change things.' Westerners are 'de facto fighting against us, using the hands and bodies of Ukrainians,' Lavrov said, pointing to the billions of dollars in Western military equipment provided to Kyiv since Russia attacked last year. He also indicated the US and British intelligence support and the presence of Western military advisors. A father has been left 'absolutely disgusted' after bosses of a Chinese buffet charged his son for an adult meal because he was 'too tall'. Craig Cantrill's evening at the Wong Ting in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was ruined when he was told to pay an extra 12 for his 11-year-old son's dinner. The 50-year-old claimed bosses measured Joshua when they entered the restaurant and was told as he was taller than 4.5ft he would be charged 22.50 instead of the 10 children's meal. Joshua was only able to stomach half a plate of chow mein, crispy duck and prawn crackers and Mr Cantrill challenged restaurant bosses about the price. But they said he still had to cough up the full amount. Wong Ting manager Lance Pang said the policy is written on the menu and people have the option to leave if they do not like it. Have you ever fallen foul of a restaurant's rule? email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk Craig Cantrill, 50, with his son, Joshua, 11, who was charged for an adult meal when they went to the Wong Ting in Sheffield because he is taller than 4.5ft Joshua was only able to stomach half a plate of chow mein, crispy duck and prawn crackers and Mr Cantrill challenged restaurant bosses about the price. But they said he still had to cough up the full amount Mr Cantrill said: 'It ruined my night, I was really annoyed. I just wanted to pay the bill and get out of there by the end of the night.' The steel worker added: 'If he was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old lad or in secondary school, then we would fully understand it. 'He's just started his last year in primary school and has just turned 11 - he's not even in secondary school. 'I was absolutely disgusted.' Mr Cantrill went to the popular restaurant with wife Jane, 48, and a group of family friends - who also have a ten-year-old son. He said that Joshua and the other youngster were taken away by one of the members of staff, who measured them both. They then came back and the staff member explained that because Joshua is taller than the sign they would have to pay the adult's price. Mr Cantrill added: 'On the menu it said height dependent but it didn't state what the height was. 'Then on the wall, there was a really tacky sign that someone had drew with a biro and just hung on the wall. Wong Ting manager Lance Pang said the policy is written on the menu and people have the option to leave if they do not like it 'The restaurant owner was joking with my son and asking if he wanted a pint of Cobra. 'I said you might as well get him one, as they were charging us full-price for him but he walked off. 'They could have drawn that sign and stuck it up wherever they wanted.' The father-of-one is now boycotting the eatery and said he 'doesn't see' why they wanted the extra 12. He said: 'We spent 217 between us - so I don't see why they would feel obliged to get that extra 12 out of us. 'Now they've lost our business because we've been in a few times before.' Wong Ting manager Lance Pang defended his policy and said he will 'stick to his guns.' He said: 'If you don't like it, you have the option to leave. People are ignorant. It's on the menu. 'Sometimes you get a child who is 15 and 6ft 2in and they eat more than anyone else.' Have you ever fallen foul of a restaurant's rule? email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk America is facing record-breaking numbers of migrants from Latin America, Africa and beyond crossing the US/Mexico border by foot and by train creating an unenviable political task for Joe Biden as he heads into election season as all sides of the political spectrum call for action. Donald Trump has called it in an 'invasion' and promised military action if he is reelected and other Republican frontrunners, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have promised to send in troops to deal with Mexico's drug cartels while Biden's administration continues to scramble for solutions. In addition to those calls for military action, there already thosands of national guardsmen at the border suppording border patrol agents. In the small border city of Eagle Pass, Texas, the city's Democratic mayor has declared a state of emergency where last week it's thought that 100,000 people waded through the Rio Grande, the river that flows between Mexico and the US, and into the town. A police officer in Eagle Pass told DailyMail.com: 'We have a crisis. I don't care what the federal government says.' Officials have long said that the influx of migrants crossing the border illegally is directly linked to multi-billion dollar human trafficking schemes run by the notoriously violent Mexican drug cartels. Video shared from the Central Mexico shows more than 5,000 asylum seekers illegally boarding a freight train to gain entry into the US Shocking photos show the violence Border Patrol agents are being subjected to at the border , after an alleged encounter between a federal agent and a migrant that left both bloodied Migrants from across the world continue to flood into the US through its southern border creating more headaches for the Biden administration Officials have long said that the influx of migrants crossing the border illegally is directly linked to multi-billion dollar human trafficking schemes run by the notoriously violent Mexican drug cartels 'We have a crisis. I don't care what the federal government says,' Sergeant Rene Cordova (above) told DailyMail.com as he stands overlooking a murky stretch of the Rio Grande River outside of Eagle Pass. Around two million migrants are thought to have crossed the US southern border in 2023 with many citing Biden's lax policies as a reason. Another 500,000 could cross by the end of the year. Recently, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that 800 more military service men and women would be sent to the border to aid the crisis joining the more than 2,500 National Guardsman who are already present. A common route for many migrants sees them leap aboard US-bound freight trains in order to get across the border. This has become so common, that Mexico's biggest railroad company announced a suspension of services. Those coming from further south mainly travel on foot which results in them being forced to cross the treacherous Darien Gap, a jungle area in Panama seen as a pathway between South and Central America. Those troops however are not on a front line and are reduced to administration roles, allowing Customs and Border Protection officers to do more work with migrants. Last week, Biden announced plans to quickly process more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants who have crossed the border since July 31 in order to provide some relief to the growing numbers that underfunded border officials are forced to deal with. The numbers of migrants has been steadily rising since May 2023 when Title 42 expired. The Trump-era rule was enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic and allowed officials to turn away those crossing the border en masse citing public health risks. Many migrants are the victims of elaborate multi-billion dollar human trafficking schemes that are run by drug cartels Migrants in Huehuetoca, State of Mexico watch a train go past as they wait along the train tracks hoping to board a freight train heading north on Tuesday That has resulted in more than double the amount of migrants crossing the border per day. This weekend, border crossings on average were recorded at 8,600, up from 3,500 which was the average prior to the expiration of Title 42. Last week, former President Donald Trump announced his plan to deploy thousands of foreign-based troops to the border during a rally in Iowa. In his remarks, Trump referred to the border crossings as an 'invasion.' It's not clear if the Trump would support sending those troops across the border. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in an interview with CBS's Norah O'Donnell that if elected president he would send the military to the border and authorize the use of deadly force against members of drug cartels. DeSantis is Trump's top rival but remains some 40 percentage points behind him in opinion polls. Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has also endorsed the use of military force in Mexico, but has said this is in relation to tackling drug cartels. Haley has also spoke in favor of the use of targeted drone and missile strikes. About one in six Republicans consider immigration as the most pressing issue facing the country, making it the third most important issue to them after the economy and crime, a Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showed. A visibly pregnant woman is next. She's guided to river on the Mexican side by a smuggler. (Above, middle) Aurymar Barrios, a pregnant 21-year-old from Venezuela Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, for his part, has repeatedly made clear that Mexico would not tolerate U.S. military action within its borders and has derided the calls as 'irresponsible' and 'pure publicity.' He has urged Mexican-Americans in the U.S. to vote against Republicans pushing such ideas and said that Mexico would react to any incursion, without giving details. Mostly he has dismissed the threats as electioneering. 'As we are in election season, they talk about intervening in Mexican affairs, about not respecting our sovereignty; They insult us, but one shouldn't take them too seriously,' he said last month in one of his regular press conferences. On Monday, an unnamed border patrol official told the Washington Examiner that the migrant's movements are linked to criminal organizations. 'You will continue to see these large waves coming. A lot has to do with the coordination by criminal elements that organize the movements of the migrants,' the official said. Another official described the criminal gangs' operation as involving 'hard-core recruiting' and 'transportation,' according to ABC News. The sheriff of Maverick County, where Eagle Pass is located, told CNN that he believes the cartels are behind the surge in migrants. 'I mean theyre making money with the immigrants. Theyre making money with the drugs. I know this because we have smugglers coming from Houston, Florida, Austin everywhere to pick up these immigrants. Theres a connection there,' Sheriff Tom Schmerber said. Former President Donald Trump has said that he will deploy troops at the southern border if he's reelected Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has also endorsed the use of military force in Mexico A Democrat, Schmerber opposes Biden's policies on the border accusing the president of sending a message to Latin America that 'the border will be open.' The typical mode of transportation taken by thousands of migrants, climbing on board freight trains bound for the US, was halted last week when Mexico's largest railroad Ferromex put a stop to trains that crossed the border because of concerns over migrants. In Eagle Pass, the town where a state of emergency was declared this year, saw that most of the migrants who have been flooding the municipality are Venezuelan natives. The Homeland Security Department plans to grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31, making it easier for them to get authorization to work in the U.S. Thats been a key demand of Democratic mayors and governors who are struggling to care for an increased number of migrants in their care. Thats in addition to about 242,700 Venezuelans who already qualified for temporary status before Wednesdays announcement. Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain. The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years through the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap, a stretch of jungle in Panama. A floating buoy wall in the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico that was installed by the state of Texas as part of Operation Lone Sta The floatation devices are used as a means to prevent people from swimming across the Rio Grande The operator of Mexico 's largest railroad network has partially shut down service following the deaths and injuries of at least half-dozen migrants who were attempting to reach the United States border. On Wednesday morning, hundreds of migrants, including children, were still seen perched atop dozens of freight train wagons The Democratic mayor of another border city, El Paso, has said said that his city is a 'breaking point' due to the crisis. This weekend, Mayor Oscar Leeser also chartered five buses to take migrants to New York, Chicago and Denver. Cochise County, Arizona, is being slammed with waves of migrants bussed from other counties after crossing the border amid President Joe Biden's lax policies. 'The intellectual avoidance and abandonment with intended consequences' by those leaders in Washington, DC, reference our southern border continues to be a slippery slope for those doing everything we can to protect our quality of life here in Cochise County!' Sheriff Mark Dannels said. 'The migrants being released are from outside Cochise County but were bussed to Cochise County, processed and then released,' Daniels noted in a Facebook post. 'I applaud the local [Customs and Border Protections] agents and their leadership for doing all they legally can during this on-going crisis.' It's unclear exactly how many migrants the processing facilities in Tucson can accommodate or how many have been transported to other locations such as Cochise County. What was Title 42? Title 42 border restrictions are a public health order that enabled U.S. authorities to turn back most migrants, including people seeking asylum from persecution. They were introduced during the pandemic and are currently set to expire on Wednesday, after several extensions. But the number of migrants now attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border is at its highest level in two decades - with even larger numbers expected to arrive once the pandemic-era order is lifted. Many of those were repeat crossers because Title 42 carries no legal or criminal consequences. Title 42 authority has been applied unevenly across nationalities. Mexico has agreed to take back migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico - and limited numbers from Cuba and Nicaragua. High costs, strained diplomatic relations and other considerations have made it more difficult to remove migrants from other countries, who must be flown home. Title 42 is one of two major surviving Trump-era policies to deter asylum at the border. The little-used public health order that gives border authorities the ability to quickly expel nearly anyone encountered along the Southwest border. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether to allow the administration to force asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. That case originated before another Trump-appointed judge, in Amarillo, Texas. Advertisement In fiscal year 2022, Border Patrol encountered 2.2 million people crossing the border illegally. The numbers have gone down in the fiscal year ending this month about 1.6 million so far but that's still high. You have to go back decades to see comparable numbers. From 1990 to 2006, Border Patrol encounters nearly always topped one million a year, with a peak of 1.6 million in 2000. Then the numbers began to fall. From 2010 to 2020, the agency recorded below half a million encounters a year, except for 2019 when they climbed to 859,501. In recent years, the measures used to contain the COVID-19 pandemic skewed the count. The government relied heavily on a public health tool called Title 42 to quickly eject people from the country. But there was no penalty so experts say migrants returned again and again, thus pushing up the statistics. In the days leading up to the end of Title 42, border agents were encountering 10,000 migrants a day and at one point had 27,000 migrants in custody. But immediately after Title 42 expired, the numbers dropped sharply to about 5,000 encounters a day, and have stayed low, according to the agency's data. In addition to human trafficking, the cartels are thought to be behind the growing fentanyl crisis in the US. Fentanyl seizures at the southern U.S. border have exploded in recent years, rising from just 10.7 kg in 2014 to around 8,400 kg in 2022, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Almost 80,000 Americans died from opioid-related overdoses in 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, with fentanyl being the primary culprit. A little girl who was diagnosed with brain cancer and died just months later was initially told by doctors that her early symptoms were nothing to worry about. Evie Poolman, from New South Wales, started complaining of migraines however doctors told her parents, Charles and Bridget, they shouldn't be concerned. But when she started 'seeing double' shortly after Christmas in 2020, Evie's parents knew something was very wrong and took her to Sydney Children's Hospital. 'I'd literally just got her off the trampoline to go there,' Bridget told 2GB's Ben Fordham. 'She was a perfectly healthy, active child who had just celebrated Christmas and had a wonderful time. Then they did the CT scan.' Evie Poolman (pictured), 9, from New South Wales , initially started complaining of migraines which doctors told her parents, Charles and Bridget, it was nothing to worry about Bridget thought they would only be in the hospital for an hour. 'And then doctor pulled us into the room and said, 'Unfortunately we've found a mass',' she added. 'Literally our lives as we knew it then just completely changed, as though someone had just ripped the earth from beneath our feet.' Doctors diagnosed Evie with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a brain tumour that forms in the 'pons', the brain's control centre located atop the spinal cord. The schoolgirl bravely underwent four brain operations, several stints in intensive care and 30 rounds of radiation the condition. The tumour eventually claimed Evie's life. Her parents buried her six months from the day after the tumour was found. Evie was eventually diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a brain tumour that forms in the 'pons', the brain's control centre located atop the spinal cord. Her devastated parents buried her six months to the day after her diagnosis The devastated couple said the treatment plan Evie underwent for the condition has not changed in 60 years. 'The reality is treatment hasn't changed in 60 years and 25 per cent thereabouts of all the childhood deaths from cancer every year are related to this cancer,' said Evie's father, Charles. 'And it's the most underfunded of all the cancers, yet it's the most deadly. I just find that unacceptable.' Mr Poolman said it was 'sickening' that the federal government had provided just shy of a million dollars worth of funding into research the disease since 2015 - less than $5,000 for every child who has died with the condition in that period. 'How do you tell your child that that's what their lives are worth?', asked Mr Poolman. Evie's parents, Bridget and Charles (pictured) are campaigning to raise awareness for more research into the deadly disease DIPG cancer primarily affects children with most diagnoses occurring between six and nine years of age, ato the charity Run DIPG. It makes up 10 to 15 per cent of all brain tumours in children, with about 20-25 new diagnoses per year in Australia. Fewer than 10 per cent of children with the tumours are alive more than two years after their diagnosis. Evie's parents are now raising awareness about the condition in the hope that they can raise money to fund further research. 'We can't just accept that when you're diagnosed with this you're going to die,' Mr Poolman said. 'We need to create solutions and options.' More information about DIPG and how to donate towards research into the disease can be found here. Jill Dando was murdered in a 'professional hit', a former career criminal has claimed. The TV presenter was shot dead on her doorstep in Fulham, West London, on April 26, 1999, in a crime that shocked the nation. New Netflix series Who Killed Jill Dando is set to explore the cold case, which led to one of the most high profile and complex police investigations in history. Noel 'Razor' Smith, who has 58 convictions and spent 32 years in some of Britain's toughest jails, is among the interviewees in the series, which is released tomorrow. He said Barry George - the man whose conviction for Ms Dando's murder was overturned in 2008 - was not involved and that it was instead carried out by a hit man, but the killer was 'not who you would think'. According to the Mirror, when asked if he could give any clues into why the popular Crimewatch presenter was killed, he said: 'No. If I tell you why - you'd know who did it.' It comes as the producer behind the new series said she finds it 'outrageous' that Ms Dando's murder remains unsolved. Jill Dando was murdered in a 'professional hit', a career criminal has claimed. The TV presenter was shot dead on her doorstep in Fulham, West London, on April 26, 1999, in a crime that shocked the nation New Netflix series Who Shot Jill Dando is set to explore the cold case, which led to one of the most high profile and complex police investigations in history. Noel 'Razor' Smith, who has 58 convictions and spent 32 years in some of Britain's toughest jails, is among the interviewees in the series Ms Dando's murder prompted a huge investigation led by the Metropolitan Police. George - a local loner and fantasist who had already served a prison sentence for attempted rape - was convicted of her murder in July 2001. However, he was granted a retrial on appeal and was unanimously acquitted by a jury in August 2008 after spending eight years in prison. Smith, who was first arrested at the age of 14 for stealing apples, said in the new series: 'I don't really want to talk about that for my own safety. But there are rumours in the criminal world, let's put it that way. 'It's not who you would think and it's not Barry George. It was a professional hit.' Hamish Campbell, the former Detective Chief Inspector who led the investigation into Ms Dando's murder, is also among the interviewees. He still insists that Barry George was Ms Dando's killer. Smith has committed more than 200 bank robberies in his life as a criminal. Above: With his son joseph in the early 1980s. His son was later found hanged as a teenager Police at the scene outside Ms Dando's home in Gowan Avenue, Fulham. She was shot dead on her doorstep He said: 'I thought the guilty verdict in 2001 was the correct verdict. It's been in the news or subject to comment or report, every year for 23 years. Asked 'do you think that Barry George killed Jill Dando?', Campbell added: 'I did, yes. 'I don't think I've changed my mind.' George is another interviewee in the series. In a clip shown in the trailer, he said: 'It makes me angry that they have taken eight years of my life.' Speaking to the Independent ahead of the release of Who Killed Jill Dando?, producer Emily Cooper said today: 'I was thinking about Jill, and I'm older than she was when she died, and I just find it outrageous that it's an open case. 'I think it's really sad. And I think that you would want people to keep your memory alive. 'We checked that with [Dando's brother] Nigel and that was something that he wanted, too.' Asked about who she thinks killed the presenter, Ms Cooper added: 'I don't have an opinion,' she insists. 'It's not my role to have an opinion. I just assess the facts to give the audience a truthful account of some of the many things that happened surrounding the crime over the years. Smith has committed more than 200 bank robberies in his life as a criminal. He spent time inside 34 different prisons, including the notoriously tough Whitemoor where he was locked up with infamous murderers such as police killer Harry Roberts. He was also imprisoned at Belmarsh, where he struck up an unlikely friendship with former MP Jonathan Aitken and took him under his wing after the politician was jailed for perjury and perverting the course of justice. Smith finally turned away from a life of crime after spending five years at HMP Grendon, a prison that provides a regime of therapy. Italian diners have left a scathing review after an ice cream parlour charged them 1 for an extra spoon to share their dessert in the latest row over restaurants in the country allegedly ripping people off. A customer said she asked for a second spoon to share her tub of ice cream with her husband at the Gelateria Serafini in the town of Lavis in northern Italy. The woman wrote in her TripAdvisor review: 'I shared a 8 cup of ice cream, but I paid 9: I was charged an extra 1 as a service for asking for a second spoon. 'I won't come back again, but if you come by, bring one from home.' This comes after a couple was charged 2 for an empty plate so their daughter could try the pasta at an Italian restaurant last month. A customer said she asked for a second spoon to share her tub of ice cream with her husband at the Gelateria Serafini in the town of Lavis in northern Italy The woman wrote in her TripAdvisor review: 'I shared a 8 cup of ice cream, but I paid 9 (pictured): I was charged an extra 1 as a service for asking for a second spoon' Italians mocked the restaurant for the unusual charge and even the regional governor condemned it - amid a row in the country over extra hidden prices. Ida Germano, the owner of the Osteria del Cavolo in Finale Ligure, told The Times the charge was valid because more plates to clean meant 'more work' to do. In another prices scandal, a couple who asked for an extra teaspoon so they could share a dessert were charged 1.50. They were billed for the pleasure of using two teaspoons to eat the crema catalana they had at the pizzeria near Alba, in northern Piemonte. It came as a posh bar at Italy's exclusive Lake Como has sparked outrage after it was revealed it charges customers an extra 2 just to cut their sandwiches in half. One disgruntled customer shared a photograph of a receipt online as proof of the baffling charge. The printout from June 18 clearly shows that Bar Pace had charged them 2 for the privilege of cutting their fancy sarnie in two. Diners at an Italian restaurant were shocked after waiters charged them 2 for an empty plate so their daughter could try the pasta. Pictured: The restaurant's receipt Ida Germano (pictured), the owner of the Osteria del Cavolo in Finale Ligure, said the charge was valid because more plates to clean meant 'more work' to do The total pushed the already pricy 7.50 'toast vegetariano e patatine' - or veggie toast and crisps - up to 9.50. The owner of the bar, who has not been named, hit back in Italian media, saying that 'additional requests have a cost'. They explained: 'If a customer asks me to make two portions of toast, I have to use two saucers, two napkins and go to the table using two hands. 'It is true that the customer is always right, but it is equally true that additional requests have a cost.' The customer, also unnamed, was reportedly at the bar in Gera Lario, a small town located on the northern shore of Lake Como, with his partner. They ordered a fizzy drink, the sandwich to share, a water and a coffee, for a total cost of 15.70 (13.52). The TripAdvisor user said: 'This has never happened to me in any of the places I have visited in the world.' Since international travel returned to normality at the end of the global pandemic, several disgruntled holidaymakers have taken to the internet to express their shock at being presented with exorbitant bills in bars and restaurants in a number of European holiday destinations. Several customers have slammed a cafe near Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome for being a 'tourist trap,' with one customer saying they were charged 53 for 'two triangular toast bread sandwiches and a ham and mozzarella ciabatta'. In June, one tourist took to Reddit to express their shock after being left with a bill of 360.80 (310) for a light lunch on Greece's island of Mykonos, at a beach-side restaurant called Eclipse. The customer explained that their family had been looking for a good spot to sit and enjoy the sun when a waiter at beach-side restaurant Eclipse told them they could 'use their cabanas or loungers provided we bought two drinks'. The owner of the bar (pictured), who has not been named, hit back in Italian media, saying that 'additional requests have a cost' In June, one tourist took to Reddit to express their shock after being left with a bill of 360.80 (310) for a light lunch on Greece's island of Mykonos, at a beach-side restaurant called Eclipse (pictured) The customer said they had asked for the prices and a menu, but that the waiter cleverly avoided their questions, telling them it was 'cheap'. The two parents ordered a beer and mojito each but were also pressured into ordering milkshakes for their children. They also had a Greek salad and Calamari. To the customer's shock, they said they were then handed a bill costing their four drinks at 78 (67) and the calamari at 75 (65). Being pestered for payment, they eventually gave the waiter their card. But to even further dismay, the customer said they were charged even more. 'When the bill came back I was appalled as the Calamari was 148 (127), the milkshakes which we never wanted but were forced to order for our kids were 38 (33) each and the salad and bread which we were told were free were 28 (24) and 14.50 (12) respectively,' they said. After telling the staff of his shock and anger at the payment, they said the staff started 'grouping up and getting mad'. They said the cashier then tore off the top part of the receipt containing the transaction details and the restaurant's name and address. We Are China Dazzling lanterns light up Victoria Park in Hong Kong Ecns.cn) 15:52, September 25, 2023 Visitors take photos of dazzling lanterns displayed at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sept. 24, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu) The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Sept. 29 this year. Visitors take photos of dazzling lanterns displayed at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sept. 24, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu) Dazzling lanterns are displayed at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sept. 24, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu) Visitors take photos of dazzling lanterns displayed at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sept. 24, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu) Visitors take photos of dazzling lanterns displayed at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sept. 24, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu) Visitors take photos of dazzling lanterns displayed at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sept. 24, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu) Dazzling lanterns are displayed at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sept. 24, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Hou Yu) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) , ... This is the heartstopping moment a lion suddenly flips and attacks his circus tamer as the audience screams during the performance in China. Shocking footage shows the dangerous stand-off between two lions and their tamer on a caged circus stage in Dongning City in northern China during a performance last week. The male lion attacked and jumped at the man during the show on September 22, while the female lion stood by. The tamer managed to escape the lion's grasp and the video showed him running to the opposite site of the cage with the lions on his heels. 'When the two lions were released, a male lion came out first and circled the female lion,' an eyewitness said. Shocking footage shows the dangerous stand-off between two lions and their tamer on a caged circus stage in Dongning City in northern China during a performance last week The male lion attacked and jumped at the man (pictured) during the show on September 22, while the female lion stood by 'At that moment, both lions were together, and the keeper had to intervene with a stick to separate them. 'The male lion then turned on the tamer, causing chaos in the cage, and frightened spectators fled.' The performance was immediately halted after the attack, and the circus issued refunds to the audience. A day after the attack, the Mayor of Suining Town said that the tamer was not bitten by the lion but suffered injuries to the arm. He added that the circus had received approval for their performance in the area. The circus has since dismantled its performance area and left Suining Town. This comes after another shocking incident in a Chinese circus saw two lions escape into the audience and cause a stampede in April. The tamer managed to escape the lion's grasp and the video showed him running to the opposite site of the cage with the lions on his heels (left). The lion displayed his dangerous set of teeth as he roared in the cage (right) This comes after another shocking incident in a Chinese circus saw two lions escape into the audience and cause a stampede in April. Video footage shows the lions suddenly breaking free from the iron fence separating the stage from the audience during a performance in Luoyang, Henan Province READ MORE: Horror as brutal tigress fight breaks out in circus ring in front of hundreds of children and parents, leaving big cat covered in blood and gravely wounded Advertisement Video footage shows the lions suddenly breaking free from the iron fence separating the stage from the audience during a performance in Luoyang, Henan Province. Terrified spectators were scrambling to protect their children and leave the event hall as one of the lions made its way out onto the streets. Authorities confirmed the animal that escaped the performance area was swiftly caught and that nobody was injured. In January, another handler was attacked by a lion during a circus performance. Footage showed the beast attacking and biting at Alexey Makarenko, 42, during a performance in front of horrified families. His wife Olga Borisova, 43, also a trainer, 'saved his life' in chasing away the predator when it forced him to the floor of the circus ring in Black Sea resort of Sochi. Alexey Makarenko, a professional trainer, was attacked by a lion during a performance at Sochi circus in Russia. He is pictured with wife and fellow trainer Olga Borisova and a lion in a previous performance The drama began when two male lions started fighting during an act in the 1,200-seat arena. Makarenko intervened to seek to stop the brawl, triggering a furious response from a third lion which attacked the trainer, knocking him to the ground. Borisova rushed to help, using a whip to scare the lion as the lights were switched off and staff went into emergency mode deploying water cannons and 'noise grenades' to deter the beasts. Makarenko recovered to hurl a prop at the lion to scare it out of the ring at Sochi State Circus. Amazingly, the pair then took a bow and embraced in front of the audience as if nothing had happened. The experienced lion tamer was left with gashing wounds from the attack. Netflix's upcoming documentary 'Who Killed Jill Dando' has sparked speculation about one of Britain's biggest unsolved murders. TV journalist Jill Dando, was shot dead on her doorstep by a single bullet in the head, at 11:30am on April 26, 1999. Dando was found outside her 400,000 home in Fulham 15 minutes later by a passer-by and was rushed to Charing Cross Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:03pm. Her death sparked one of the largest criminal investigations in Britain since the case of The Yorkshire Ripper, and saw 1,393 potential suspects, 500 hours of CCTV footage, a 250,000 reward and the quashed conviction Although a local man Barry George was jailed for the murder in July 2001, his conviction was quashed in 2007 by the Court of Appeal. Nearly 25 years later the case remains unsolved, and a number of theories have emerged over the years. Here, MailOnline explores the main theories behind the death of TV's 'golden girl', Jill Dando. Netflix 's upcoming documentary 'Who Killed Jill Dando' has sparked speculation about one the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando Barry George: The only man to ever be put on trial for Jill Dando's murder - and had his conviction quashed After a year of fruitless investigation, Barry George became the prime suspect for Dando's murder. George lived around half a mile from her home and had a history of stalking women and sexual offences. George spent eight years in prison for Dando's murder before his conviction was quashed in 2008 after several appeals. Just a day after Dando's killing, police received an anonymous call concerning a 'mentally unstable man' who lived just 500 yards from the presenter's home. As a result of that, police had made an order for the tracing and identification of Mr George, who was then known as Barry Bulsara. George had previous convictions for attempted rape and indecent assault, and women had complained that he had stalked them. In the early 1980s, George had been found hiding in the bushes at Kensington Palace, wearing Khaki, carrying a knife and a length of rope. After years of investigating, police made Barry George their prime suspect. After his house was raided a photo of him holding a gun (pictured) raised suspicions of police officers Barry George had previously been convicted for attempted rape and indecent assault and had experience with firearms READ MORE: How picture of Barry George wearing gas mask and holding pistol led police to believe fantasist shot presenter dead in 1999 before conviction was quashed Advertisement He also had experience with firearms, and had spent almost a year in the Territorial Army learning how to shoot assault rifles and machine guns, before he was discharged in November 1982. A photo of George wearing a gas mask, a leather jacket and holding a blank-firing pistol raised suspicions of police officers. The picture was found in his flat among thousands of images of women he had stalked in West London, which contributed to his conviction. Metropolitan Police were able to build a case against him after officers had found a single grain of gunshot residue in his coat pocket. In 2008 George was able to secure a retrial and was unanimously acquitted by a jury. However, none of his appeals for compensation have been approved, after judges agreed he is 'not innocent enough' to be eligible for a pay-off. Barry George was unanimously acquitted by a jury in 2008, however none of his appeals for compensation have been approved A mystery lover In the wake of Dando's death, a string of theories emerged that she may have been killed by a jealous ex-boyfriend or an unknown lover. Dando had a number of public relationships and had lived with television producer Bob Wheaton before the relationship ended, due to reports that he tired of her frequent absences as she travelled the world due to her BBC1 Holiday programme. Dando also enjoyed, what she described as, a 'very Lady Chatterly' relationship with Simon Basil, a South African game warden - who became a suspect for a short period, but was ruled out by police. In early 1999, Dando was engaged to be married to surgeon-gynecologist Alan Farthing and had been returning from his house in Chiswick on the day of her death. Dando had a number of public relationships and lived with television producer Bob Wheaton, but their relationship ended due to workloads At the time of her death, Jill Dando was engaged to gynaecologist-surgeon Alan Farthing (pictured together) But amid these publicised affairs, police discovered Dando had briefer flings, after investigating her personal diaries. Detective Chief Inspector Hamish Campbell, the man leading the murder hunt, was quoted as saying: 'Her career must be looked at, but I do not consider it to be of equal importance to her private life. We have many positive leads.' It was also speculated that Dando had been shot by a stalker, as it was claimed Dando had 'been irritated by a number of obsessive fans.' Opening the investigation in 1999, Campbell said: 'It could either be a stalker or a hitman. 'However, there are many theories to be explored and nothing will be left untouched.' But the leads were thoroughly investigated and produced no credible evidence to suggest that anyone romantically linked to Dando was involved in her death - and all the men were cleared. A Serbian hitman Just 48 hours after Dando was killed, tabloids aired the theory that the TV presenter was killed by a hitman. The killing of Dando in broad daylight, with a single-shot bullet was thought to be the work of a professional. On April 6, 1999, 20 days before her death, Dando had presented a Kosovo Crisis Appeal that raised over 1 million in 24 hours in support of those fleeing the Balkans. Nato had already begun involvement in the Kosovo War, including aerial bombing against Serbian forces and their leader Slobodan Milosevic. Days before Dando's murder, British and US warplanes bombed the Radio Televesian Serbia building in Belgrade, killing 16 employees. After Dando's death, it emerged that the then BBC's Head of News Tony Hall, was the subject of a telephoned death threat by a man with what sounded like a European accent. Allegations arose in 2012 that Dando was one of two journalists executed by a Serbian hitman in a revenge attack 'Your Prime Minister (Tony) Blair butchered 17 innocent young people,' the unknown caller said. 'He butchered, we butcher back. The first one (Jill Dando) was yesterday. The next one will be Mr Hall.' As a result Mr Hall, now Lord Hall and director general of the BBC, was offered police protection. The Mail on Sunday said: 'the Serbian connection became a cornerstone of the defence case in the 2001 Old Bailey trial of Barry George.' Allegations arose in 2012 that Dando was one of two journalists executed by a Serbian hitman in a revenge attack. The claim was made by a Serbian widow, Branka Prpa, whose husband, Slavko Curuvija, was killed in similar circumstances just 15 days before Dando. Prpa said she was convinced that her husband and the former Crimewatch presenter were targeted by the same killer after insulting Milosevic's brutal regime. Curuvija was a TV presenter and an outspoken critic of the dictator, and was shot in the head outside his home in Belgrade on April 11. According to The Daily Telegraphs Prpa said: 'I think there is a link between Dando and Curuvija. I think they were both executed.' After Dando's death, it emerged that BBC's Head of News Tony Hall, was the subject of a telephoned death threat by a man with what sounded like a European accent The phone call added fuel to theory that Dando was murdered by a Serbian hitman, the anonymous caller reportedly said 'He butchered, we butcher back' Barry George's barrister Michael Mansfield told the court that the National Criminal Intelligence Service had a report suggesting Dando's killing was in retaliation to the Radio Television bombing. He said that the serb warlord Zeljko Arnautovic, known as Arkan, had put out orders to kill the then BBC director general Sir John Birt. 'His security had been stepped up as a result - so the target was switched to the unguarded Jill Dando,' The Mail on Sunday reported. Arkan was shot and killed in the lobby of the Belgrade hotel, nine months after Dando died. While the only other Serb believed to have been named in the 2014 police cold case review insists he was not hired to kill the presenter. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, under the pseudonym Milan Mitrovic, he said: 'I had been implicated in other things in my life but never in the murder of an innocent woman. It wasn't nice being accused of such a heinous crime.' A London hitman closer to home Alongside theories that Dando was murdered by a Serbian hitman, allegations rose that a hitman closer to home was responsible for her death. In 2015 former Surrey police detective Mark Williams-Thomas who is now an investigative journalist, suggested that Dando had been murdered on the orders of a London underworld Mr Big, who sent the message to others as a warning to take on organised crime. Theories sparked that a hitman closer to home was responsible for her death, and suggested Dando was murdered by London Underworld Mr Big After trawling through 52,000 documents in the Dando files, Williams Thomas said he unearthed an intelligence report naming two men from north London, who may have acted for a major organised crime gang. The two were said to have broken the gun allegedly used as a murder weapon, into four pieces, before throwing them into a canal in Islington. The report was seemingly inconclusive and stated that one of the men was later identified and the detectives found no link to the crime family, while the other was never found. Nonetheless, in an Interview on This Morning, Williams-Thomas said: 'I am very confident the killer or the person who organised the killing is in that inquiry team database.' A woman feared her drink had been spiked during a friends hen night, only to later discover she had actually suffered a stroke. Joanna Whitelaw, 27, was celebrating her friends upcoming nuptials in Edinburgh, when her body suddenly went numb and her vision blurred. Friends rushed her out of the bar, fearing her drink had been spiked, and got her boyfriend to take her home, where she spend the rest of the night being sick. The following day, Joanna went shopping but grew concerned when the vision in her right eye didnt return. She was also experiencing pins and needles down the right side of her body, so took herself to A&E at the citys Royal Infirmary. Joanna Whitelaw was rushed to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Doctors were baffled when three CT scans couldnt find anything, but an MRI eventually revealed that Joanna had suffered a stroke. Further tests revealed it had been caused by an undiagnosed hole in her heart and she was scheduled for surgery. Ms Whitelaw, an administrator for private investors, said: It was a huge shock when I was told it was a stroke. I was having the best night - playing games and have a good time with friends. It was until I was in the club, and I didnt feel right and thought Id been spiked. Im an otherwise fit and healthy person - I got to the gym and run regularly. Ive never had any other symptoms, so it came as a huge shock. Joanna had been in an Edinburgh bar celebrating her friend's upcoming wedding Ms Whitelaw was out celebrating with friends in May this year at a bar called Fingers when she suddenly felt really strange. She feared her drink had been spiked and alerted her friends who helped her call boyfriend, Callum Elliot, 33, an engineer. She said: The lights were flashing and thought it was playing tricks on my eyes. I told my friends and when we got outside, one whole side of my body felt numb. I couldnt feel my bag on my shoulder and kept asking if it was there. I told my friend I was seeing two of her. We all worried I had been spiked and they got me home ASAP. The following morning, she got up, went about her day and even went for a walk and to the shops. However, her symptoms continued, so she decided to go the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to get checked out. She said: When I woke up, the feeling had come back in right side, so I thought I was fine and had slept it off. But my vision still wasnt back to normal - I had no peripheral vision in my right eye. She had feared that her drink had been spiked I still didnt feel right in myself, so I went to A&E. At first doctors could not find the cause of her symptoms but kept her in overnight on the stroke ward, suspecting she had suffered one. During her three-day stay, Joanna underwent an MRI which found a blood clot in her brain. The findings confirmed she had suffered a stroke on the left side of her brain. Ms Whitelaw added: It was really shocking to hear. I exercised six times a week, I never smoked and dont particularly drink. I had no trigger signs or warning leading up to it. During a later heart scan, doctors discovered a hole her heart. She said: Its where the clot originated and travelled up to my brain. I most likely had it from birth, and it showed no symptoms until now. On June 9 this year, Ms Whitelaw went for an operation to close the hole in her heart. Ms Whitelaw underwent tests which found a blot clot in her brain She has since undergone one session of physiotherapy and is trying to regain her strength. She added: I just want to make people aware of the symptoms. I thought it was being spiked and the next day, I still didnt suspect a stroke. Hopefully it can help other people get medical help quickly. This is the horrifying moment a woman gets her hair caught in a Ferris wheel, leaving her trapped and in agony 25ft above the ground at an Indian amusement park. Video shows a group of men balancing on the ride's metal frame and frantically trying to free the woman's locks from the Ferris wheel. The woman had screamed in agony as her hair became entangled in the huge structure, with the festival goer seen unable to move an inch. Festival staff in northern India raced to stop the Ferris wheel and two members of staff and another man made the perilous ascent up 25ft to reach the woman. They were seen balancing on the metal frame while trying to saw through her hair with a knife as another man stands in the compartment holding the woman's head. Video shows a group of men balancing on the ride's metal frame and frantically trying to free the woman's locks from the Ferris wheel while 25ft above the ground Festival staff raced to stop the Ferris wheel and two members of staff and another man made the perilous ascent up 25ft to reach the woman. They were seen balancing on the metal frame while trying to saw through her hair with a knife as another man stands in the compartment holding the woman's head. The incident, which could have been fatal, happened in the Indian town of Dwarka during the Shireshwar Carnival in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat. The panicked woman was left trapped and unable to move an inch after her hair became stuck in part of the Ferris wheel above her head. Video shows a large group of stunned festivalgoers looking up at the scene as staff and locals climbed up 25ft to reach the woman. The woman was eventually released after her rescuers managed to disentangle her hair. Locals said they managed to cut her hair using a knife. It follows a series of similar incidents at amusement parks across India, with many angry locals calling for strict safety regulations. 'The lady was writhing in pain. Who will be held accountable for this unfortunate incident,' Pramod Kumar, who watched the chaotic scenes unfold, told the Sun. 'I hope we learn a lesson from these incidents and such incidents won't take place in the near future.' The panicked woman was left trapped and unable to move an inch after her hair became stuck in part of the Ferris wheel above her head. Video shows a large group of stunned festivalgoers looking up at the scene as staff and locals climbed up 25ft to reach the woman In April, a 20-year-old university student was killed after her hair got entangled in the rotator shaft of a Ferris wheel. Priyanka Bauri was dragged from her seat after her hair got caught, with local reports saying she was suspended by her locks for nearly a minute before her body fell to the ground. Reports say her hair and the skin covering her head had remained entangled in the rotator shaft while her body hit the ground with a sickening thud. And in 2016, a traumatised schoolgirl lost all of her hair in a horrific scalping accident on a Ferris wheel in India. The girl had been trying to take a selfie beside the Ferris wheel before her hair got caught in the ride outside a college in Baraut, a small city just over 40 miles north of Delhi. Her hair got entangled in the large spinning wheel and was slowly ripped completely off. A drone operator who was filming aerial footage of vintage cars watched in horror as his device was blasted out of the sky with a shotgun, a report has revealed. The incident happened when the drone was being inadvertently flown illegally in a no fly zone close to an airfield where drones are banned. It is believed to be one of the first times in the UK that someone has effectively taken the law into their own hands to shoot down a drone. Police are now investigating the incident as a potential case of criminal damage after the drone crashed to the ground, apparently riddled with shotgun pellets. Officers say they have so far not arrested or charged anyone in connection with the case. The operator was flying a DJI Mini 2 drone (stock picture of model above) weighing under 250gms near Walney Aerodrome in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria The no-fly zone near Walney Aerodrome is indicated in the map above. The drone pilot is said not to have realised that he was flying in a drone restricted area A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the incident happened on May 17 this year in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The operator was flying a DJI Mini 2 drone weighing under 250gms, meaning it is subject to less stringent rules than other devices. But he is said not to have realised that he was flying in a drone restricted area due to the proximity of the Walney Aerodrome airfield just over a mile away. Drones are normally banned from flying within two miles of the airfield to guard against the risk of collisions with aircraft. The report said: The remote pilot was operating the 249g UA (unmanned aircraft) at a height of about 30m above a private property to take video of some classic cars located there. He was not aware that he was flying in a Flight Restricted Zone of a nearby airfield because the UA manufacturers app did not show it and he had not checked an official source. From the video feed he saw a person at the property taking pictures of his UA and talking on the phone. Drones are normally banned from flying within two miles of Walney airfield (pictured) to guard against the risk of collisions with aircraft The person then walked away but came back with a shotgun and shot at the UA causing it to fall to the ground. The event was the subject of a police investigation. The incident sparked debate on the Facebook group for Commercial Drone Pilots (UK) with one user commenting: The mind boggles, you cant fly a <250g drone in the airspace, but can fire a shotgun randomly into the sky, hmmmm. Another contributor added: I suspect the local firearms officer will rescind that shotgun licence. Cumbria Police said: Police received a report at 8.38pm on May 17 of criminal damage to a drone in the Ormsgill Lane area of Barrow. The investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made. The identity of the drone operator was not revealed in the report. A shocking malfunction on a ride at Ontario's famed Wonderland theme park left unsuspecting thrill-seekers suspended upside-down in mid-air for more than half an hour. The Lumberjack, a swinging axe ride located at the thrill-packed amusement haven in Vaughn, Ontario, suddenly ground to a halt in a terrifying blunder at around 10:30pm on Saturday. A hair-raising video clip captured by parkgoer Jiashira Rivera showed the moment of the error as riders began to panic while dangling dozens of feet in the air. In a TikTok post that has since gone viral, Rivera disclosed that it took over half an hour for beleaguered riders to finally return to solid ground. I'm definitely not getting on this ride any time soon!' she wrote in the video caption. 'It was terrifying, thank God nobody fell off,' Rivera later told Yahoo Canada via direct message. 'They kept telling everyone to clear up the area. Workers came in with safety harnesses, climbed up to the machine and tried resetting it.' The Lumberjack, a swinging axe ride located at the thrill-packed amusement haven in Vaughn, Ontario, suddenly ground to a halt in a terrifying blunder at around 10:30pm on Saturday night A hair-raising video clip captured by parkgoer Jiashira Rivera showed the moment of the error as riders began to panic while dangling dozens of feet in the air The swinging axe ride is a popular attraction at the Ontario theme park Meanwhile, one 14-year-old passenger rescued from the ordeal explained how hanging upside down for such a length of time began to cause severe discomfort. 'Me and my friends all felt the same effects and I'm pretty sure it's the same for everyone... I had so much blood going to my head,' he said, adding that if felt as though he couldn't breathe properly and that his eyes felt heavy due to blood pooling in his head. 'I was thankful that the workers there could get us down but it was just crazy,' he shared. 'I wonder how much longer if we were up there [if] we could've died.' A TikTok user who also experienced the terrifying ride shared their pain with a simple comment: 'It hurt so bad.' With a tinge of dark humor, one commenter invoked the chilling aura of the 'Final Destination' movie franchise. 'Final Destination vibe, hopefully everyone is okay,' they wrote. Canada's Wonderland's director of communications Grace Peacock recounted the event and explained that maintenance and rescue crews were deployed to fix the issue and safely evacuate the ride. 'The park's maintenance team responded quickly and the ride was brought down by 11:05pm,' Peacock said in an email to Yahoo Canada. 'Guests were unloaded safely.' Peacock went on to disclose that, before rejoining the park's festivities, all riders underwent a thorough examination by the park's first aid personnel after two riders reported experiencing chest discomfort. Fortunately, all riders were eventually cleared by medical staff and required no further treatment. The shocking event unfolded just weeks after a fairground ride in Belgium malfunctioned and violently threw riders out of their seats, leaving three with serious injuries. The spinning ride at the Ducasse fair in the village of La Hestre, a suburb of Manage in southwest Belgium, was seen launching its seven riders out of their seats with onlookers heard screaming in shock and panic. Smoke and steam was seen pouring out of the ride moments before seven people were thrown off The fairground will be allowed to stay open as the investigation into the tragedy unfolds All seven people on the ride, who were conscious when emergency services treated them at the scene, suffered injuries following the incident Bruno Pozzoni, the mayor of Manage, said hours after the incident in August that all seven people suffered injuries. Belgian news programme RTL Info reported that the youngest victim, a 10-year-old girl, was rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition after suffering multiple complex injuries. 'She is out of danger. It's polytrauma, she is still being followed, but she is out of danger,' the mayor told the programme. 'One person remains in a worrying state, it is a young girl hospitalized in Tivoli for whom there is a follow-up. Three of the victims have been operated on and are in the orthopedic service. 'One is released and one person is in psychological distress and is supported by psychologists to try to reduce his trauma,' he added. The mayor said that the investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and added that the fairground will be allowed to stay open as the investigation unfolds. 'The question arose in depth, and we felt, in discussions with several specialists, that people should continue to talk about it, not shut themselves up at home and stay on the event. 'That also allows us to to meet them and direct them to our listening cell since many witnesses were present. A part was taken care of, but in the drama that unfolded, many moved away from the place and today, we tries to recover all these witnesses who have suffered psychological trauma,' Bruno added. An extremely rare pair of theatre tickets which provided a 'harrowing' front row view of Abraham Lincoln's assassination have sold for a staggering $262,500. The unknown ticket owners had prime seats at the front of the balcony for a production of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington DC on April 14, 1865. Lincoln was watching the show from the president's box opposite when John Wilkes Booth crept in and shot him in the back of the head. From where they were seated, the ticket holders would have had the 'perfect' view of the 16th US President's shocking execution. Booth, an actor, reportedly shouted 'sic semper tyrannis,' meaning 'thus always to tyrants' in homage to Julius Caesar's slayer Brutus before making his escape. President Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth during a performance of 'Our American Cousin' at Ford's Theatre in Washington These tickets were sold for over $260,000 as they would have offered a 'harrowing view' of the assasination The green tickets are stamped 'Ford's Theatre, APR 14, 1865, This Night Only' and the left side states 'Dress Circle!' The tickets were priced at 75 cents each A huge manhunt took place for him with a staggering reward of $100,000 - the equivalent of 4.3million today - offered for Booth's arrest. He was killed in a shoot-out at Garrett's Farm, North Virginia, 12 days later. The green tickets are stamped 'Ford's Theatre, APR 14, 1865, This Night Only' and the left side states 'Dress Circle!' The tickets were priced at 75 cents each. The right sides have been clipped, presumably by the steward when they entered. The tickets, which were consigned by a private collector, went under the hammer at RR Auction, of Boston, US. They sparked a bidding war, with the undisclosed buyer paying almost three times the $97,000 estimate. The tickets had previously belonged to the The Forbes Collection of American Historical Documents, which was auctioned off in 2002. An RR Auction spokesperson said: 'The scene at Ford's Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865, has been well documented through newspaper reports, eyewitness accounts, and countless tellings and re-tellings of the tragedy. 'The holders of these tickets, seated more or less directly across from the president's box, would have had a perfect view of the harrowing events. 'During the third act, Booth entered the president's box from the rear, fired a bullet into the back of his head, and vaulted over the railing onto the stage.' The tickets had previously belonged to the The Forbes Collection of American Historical Documents, which was auctioned off in 2002 John Wilkes Booth was killed in a shoot-out at Garrett's Farm, North Virginia, 12 days after Lincoln's death Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction, added: 'This pair of front row Ford's Theatre tickets, which were facing Lincoln's box, allowed the original theatergoers to witness America's most tragic performance. 'We know of only one other used April 14, 1865 ticket bearing a seat assignment that exists, making these two from the Forbes Collection extremely valuable.' The play, Our American Cousin, starred British actress Laura Keene in the role of Florence Trenchard. At the time, the show was on an unprecedented run a in an American theater. It's believed that after the gunfire rang out in the theater, Keene went to the presidential box and cradled the president's head as he lay dying. The cuff of her dress, which was stained with Lincoln's blood, was later donated to the National Museum of American History in DC. In April this year, a rare wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth sold at auction for $100,000. Flight cancellations due to Covid-19 have returned after an outbreak of the virus among air traffic control staff was blamed for chaos at London Gatwick Airport. Some 8,000 passengers were said to have been left out of position after a total of 50 flights arriving or leaving the West Sussex hub were cancelled today and yesterday. Data from the FlightRadar24 tracking website revealed Gatwick had 26 arrivals and 23 departures cancelled yesterday. There was also one arrival cancelled today. EasyJet made up dozens of the flights affected after a drop in the 'flow rate' of planes using the Gatwick runway, with some services delayed by up to seven hours. The airline said it was 'extremely disappointed' by the issues which saw eight flights cancelled to and from Belfast, and others to or from Edinburgh, Geneva and Paris. National Air Traffic Services (Nats) based in Fareham, Hampshire, said the disruption was due to 'short-notice staff sickness including some incidences of Covid'. Passengers wait for information at London Gatwick Airport yesterday amid major disruption This is the third time in a month that Gatwick passengers have faced chaos due to air traffic control staff sickness, following incidents on September 14 and September 6. Full list of flights cancelled at Gatwick yesterday and today ARRIVALS YESTERDAY 2.05am: Tenerife (easyJet, U28038) 7.05am: Dalaman (WizzAir, W95710) 11.20am: Belfast (easyJet, U2824) 2.45pm: Bilbao (Vueling, VY6307) 3.20pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28677) 4.25pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28494) 5.35pm: Barcelona (Vueling, VY7824) 6.25pm: Naples (easyJet, U28342) 6.25pm: Nice (easyJet, U28424) 6.50pm: Glasgow (easyJet, U2864) 6.55pm: Paris Orly (Vueling, VY8944) 7.10pm: Berlin (easyJet, U28626) 7.30pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28683) 7.50pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2820) 7:55pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28456) 8.50pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U26474) 9.35pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2832) 9.40pm: Basel (easyJet, U28484) 9.45pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28687) 10.00pm: La Rochelle (easyJet, U28452) 10:10pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28408) 10.15pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2804) 10.15pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28498) 10.20pm: Isle of Man (easyJet, U2844) 10.25pm: Nantes (easyJet, U28448) 10.45pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U2816) TODAY 1.25pm: Tivat (easyJet, U28812) DEPARTURES YESTERDAY 7.50am: Belfast (easyJet, U2823) 1.50pm: Nice (easyJet, U28423) 2.55pm: Heraklion (Tui, BY5794) 3.15pm: Glasgow (easyJet, U2863) 3.25pm: Bilbao (Vueling, VY6306) 3.55pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28688) 4.45pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U26473) 5.00pm: Paris (easyJet, U28455) 5.00pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28505) 5.50pm: Basel (easyJet, U28483) 6.10pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2831) 6.20pm: Barcelona (Vueling, VY7825) 6.30pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28495) 6.35pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2803) 6.40pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28684) 7.05pm: Naples (easyJet, U28341) 7.05pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28409) 7.05pm: Nantes (easyJet, U28447) 7.15pm: Isle of Man (easyJet, U2843) 7.45pm: Berlin (easyJet, U28627) 7.45pm: Paris Orly (Vueling, VY8945) 8.05pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28686) 8.30pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2821) Advertisement That was on top of the Nats technical glitch on August 28 that caused widespread disruption at airports across the UK, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded. Among those left furious by issues over the weekend was consultant psychiatrist Daniel Wilkes, from Angus, whose flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh last night was cancelled after the scheduled departure time. He told The Independent: 'I just can't believe the lack of contingency planning from Nats for staff sickness and that this is happening again. 'Plus, airports and airlines have had quite a while to firm up their processes for cancellations, and yet always the poorly managed scrum ensues. Bizarrely, we were made to exit through border control. I didn't even have my passport as it was a domestic flight.' Dr Wilkes rebooked an easyJet flight this morning from London Stansted to Edinburgh, after travelling there in an Uber for 100 and spending 159 on a hotel at the Essex airport which he hopes the airline will pay. Others took to social media to complain of disruption, with one writing on X: 'Hello @easyJet my flight back to London Gatwick from Amsterdam was cancelled and I am currently stranded in the airport and cannot get through to your customer services. Please can you help me.' Another posted: 'AI172 should have departed at 20:00 - whilst I can see the gate number online, my mum at the airport has been asked to wait by the screen in a very packed terminal, airport are blaming the airline but can't be the case as ALL flights are delayed. Answers please?'. And a third wrote: '@easyJet you have cancelled the 4pm Gatwick to Schiphol and didn't complete confirmation for my rescheduled flight, booked through your shoddy app that crash's. Now all flights full today. Your staff were useless in the airport refusing to help and I have to get home today.' A fourth added: '@easyJet very unhappy this weekend. After a delay inc 25 mins on tarmac after landing at Gatwick on Friday, rtn flight today cancelled and only alternative landed 2+ hrs later. Which is now running 1+ hr late, including standing in an outdoor holding area for 30+ mins.' Vueling cancelled six flights to and from Barcelona, Bilbao and Paris. One passenger wrote on X: 'Vueling flight from Paris to Gatwick cancelled this evening. Next flight Tuesday. Going to miss connection to Dublin.' An easyJet spokesman told MailOnline: 'Nats air traffic control staffing shortages at Gatwick has led to a significantly reduced flow rate being imposed on all airlines meaning flights to and from Gatwick Airport have been subject to disruption and we have been asked not to operate some others. 'We are extremely disappointed that customers are once again being impacted by this and while this is outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused to our customers. 'We are doing all possible to minimise the impact of the disruption and have notified those on cancelled flights of their options to rebook or receive a refund and are providing hotel accommodation and meals where required.' A Gatwick spokesperson said: 'Due to short notice sickness in the air-traffic control tower including cases of Covid-19, temporary air traffic control restrictions were put in place yesterday. This caused some delays and cancellations by airlines. 'We worked hard to minimise disruption and we apologise for any inconvenience. The air-traffic control tower is fully staffed this morning.' And a Nats spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'We very much regret that some passengers experienced delays at Gatwick yesterday (Sunday, September 24). 'This was due to short notice staff sickness including some incidences of Covid. We did all we could to minimise disruption, working closely with the airport and airlines. 'We have worked very hard to increase the number of controllers, but it will take some time to build full resilience. 'It does mean, though, that short notice absences may lead to air traffic control regulations being applied in order to maintain safety, and we are all very sorry for the impact this has.' 'Chaotic' scenes at Gatwick as passengers bound for India are left stranded in terminal overnight Passengers travelling from Gatwick to Ahmedabad on an Air India flight faced 'chaotic' scenes last night after elderly and disabled passengers were allegedly left stranded on the floor at the London terminal overnight. Flight AI172 was due to take off at 8pm and began boarding at 7pm before all passengers were then asked to disembark. Amita Shah, 52, who has recently had a shoulder surgery and is suffering from knee pain, was among those on board. Her daughter-in-law Aarti Nair told MailOnline today: 'Initially, everything seemed to be alright until 7pm, when suddenly all passengers were asked to disembark without any explanation. Passengers for an Air India flight at Gatwick last night had to wait on the terminal floor 'This caused concern, especially for elderly passengers who required wheelchair assistance. As time went on, the staff seemed to be less and less, leaving many passengers to walk and assist the staff. 'Unfortunately, this confusion caused an old lady to suffer from high blood pressure. By 7.30pm, all passengers were off the plane, and chaos ensued.' Ms Nair claimed that Ms Shah was given a 7.50 voucher to buy food at 9.30pm, but most shops were closing and the toilets were unavailable. Ms Shah then endured a 'restless night filled with rumours', before she was taken with some other passengers at 7am to a nearby Ibis hotel. Ms Nair added: 'However, the hotel required passengers to hand over their passports and boarding passes before being given a room. Mum didn't take the room as she wasn't comfortable giving her passport. 'After some negotiations, they were offered some food and given two options by Air India: take a connecting flight via Delhi or a direct flight on Wednesday. We chose the Wednesday flight, and my mother-in-law arrived home at 11am.' Air India responded to criticism of the airline made by Ms Nair on X, with the airline posting a message saying: 'Dear Ma'am, we regret the trouble caused. 'We never want to disrupt the travel plans of our guests and our team is trying its best to get all the passengers to their destination safely. Please be rest assured, our team will be in touch with you regarding further updates.' It added: 'We always try to avoid delays and the cancellation of flights. However, due to certain factors, the schedule gets impacted. Our team is trying its best to minimise the inconvenience caused.' Advertisement The first was a mother-of-four and the second was a woman who had felt forced to take to sex work to ease Christmas-time financial pressures. Wilma McCann, 28, and Emily Jackson, 42 were the first two victims of Peter Sutcliffe, the monster who became known as the Yorkshire Ripper. Tonight, their tragic final days are re-told in ITV drama The Long Shadow, which is airing across seven episodes. Wilma is portrayed by Gemma Laurie, whilst Katherine Kelly depicts Emily. The women were murdered in Leeds three months apart in late 1975 and early 1976. Sutcliffe would go on to kill a further 11 women and attack several others. Wilma McCann was the first of Peter Sutcliffe's victims - she was a 28-year-old mother-of-four from Scott Hall Avenue in Leeds. She is portrayed in the new ITV drama by Gemma Laurie Peter Sutcliffe murdered 13 women between 1975 and 1980. He also attempted to take the lives of several more The murder of Wilma on October 30, 1975, came after Sutcliffe had attacked three women that same year. The women - Anna Rogulskyj, Olive Smelt and Tracy Browne - had all miraculously escaped with their lives. Wilma, a sex worker, was attacked just 100 yards away from her house on October 30, 1975. Sutcliffe hit her with a hammer and stabbed her 15 times in the chest, neck and abdomen. Her body was found in Prince Philip Playing fields. On the night of October 29, McCann had said goodnight to her children and then headed out drinking. She was seen at four pubs - including the Regent and White Sawn - drinking whiskies an beer. Later in the evening, she ended up at a drinking club, where she continued consuming alcohol. Having left the club very drunk after 1am, she staggered around looking for a lift home and was seen by Sutcliffe, who stopped his car and picked her up. He parked his car near Prince Philip Playing fields and, after suggesting that they have sex on the grass, attacked and killed her. The first episode of The Long Shadow opens with Wilma's children waking up to find their mother gone. Viewers then see the moment her body is discovered. Emily Jackson was from Morley in Leeds. The 42-year-old died after being stabbed 52 times. She is portrayed in The Long Shadow by Katherine Kelly Detective Chief Superintendent Dennis Hoban - aware that women of 'loose morals' may not inspire public sympathy - is seen opting to direct public attention to Wilma's role as a mother. However, it would ultimately be more than five years before Wilma's killer was caught. Sutcliffe then carried on life as normal with his wife Sonia. He would go on to tell police: 'After that first time I developed and played up a hatred for prostitutes in order to justify within myself a reason why I had attacked and killed Wilma McCann.' Speaking in 2020, Wilma's son Richard criticised the way police had described his mother and some of Sutcliffe's other victims. 'My mum was more than just a "good time girl" or a "woman of loose morals", as she was described by the police,' he said in a video. 'I hate the things that they said about some of the women, including my mum. 'It's like they seem to forget the person behind that black and white mugshot that I hated for years.' Wilma McCann's children. From left to right: Richard (then five), Sonje (then seven), Angela (three), and Donna (four) The sex worker was attacked and brutally murdered just 100 yards away from her house on October 30, 1975. Sutcliffe hit her with a hammer and stabbed her 15 times in the chest, neck and abdomen. Her body was found in Prince Philip Playing fields. Above: The site where Wilma's body was found Police search for Wilma McCann, the Yorkshire Ripper's first victim Sutcliffe struck again on January 20, 1976. Emily was from Morley in Leeds. The 42-year-old died after being stabbed 52 times. The first episode of the Long Shadow shows how she was desperate to make enough money for her and her husband Sydney to see through the New Year. Seeing no other option, she opts to take up part-time sex work. The episode ends with the moment that Emily got into Sutcliffe's car. Sutcliffe had picked her up outside the Gaiety pub on Roundhay Road, where she was soliciting for business. After Emily had told him an encounter would cost 5, he drove on Roundhay Road to a derelict patch of land. He then stopped his car and pretended it wouldn't start. As she tried to help him by holding her lighter while he looked under the bonnet, he battered her twice with a hammer. He then dragged her body into a yard and used a screwdriver to viciously stab her. Her body was found on nearby Manor Street by a workman on the morning of January 21. Derelict buildings on Manor Street, Leeds, where the body of Emily Jackson was found Sutcliffe would later tell police: 'At that time I had a feeling of satisfaction and justification for what I'd done. 'I found that I didn't have any blood on my clothes which I could see, so I had no need to dispose of them.' Sutcliffe's next murders came in 1977, when he took the lives of four women: Irene Richardson, Patricia Atkinson, 16-year-old Jayne MacDonald and Jean Jordan. The following year, he murdered Yvonne Pearson, Helen Rytka and Vera Millward. And, as police shifted their attention in the wrong direction to Sunderland after the interventions of the now-notorious hoaxer who became known as Wearside Jack, Sutcliffe's killing spree carried on. Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe is portrayed in The Long Shadow by Mark Stobbart (pictured left on set last September). Right: Sutcliffe In 1979 he took the lives of Josephine Whitaker and Barbara Leach. The following year, the final two Ripper victims met their fates. Civil servant Marguerite Walls and 20-year-old Jacqueline Hill were both murdered in Leeds. Sutcliffe was finally caught in January 1981, when he was stopped while driving with false number plates. In The Long Shadow, he is portrayed by Mark Stobbart but does not make an appearance until the final two episodes A Catholic woman who was twice arrested for silently praying near an abortion clinic has said silent thoughts 'are nobody's business but our own' as she vows to continue praying outside the centre on a weekly basis. Video has previously shown Christian campaigner Isabel Vaughan-Spruce being confronted by police outside the BPAS Robert Clinic in Kings Norton, Birmingham, in February. Officers from West Midlands Police told her 'engaging in prayer' was 'the offence' after she insisted she was 'not protesting' - but police have since said 'there will be no further investigation' into the incident and have apologised to her. Ms Vaughan-Spruce's arrest came weeks after she was found not guilty by Birmingham Magistrates Court for silently praying outside the same clinic in December last year. Speaking to the MailOnline, she has today voiced her her fears that police are becoming too 'ideologically and politically driven rather than driven by the law.' Ms Vaughan-Spruce, who is the director of anti-abortion group March for Life UK, said she is 'appalled' her situation took so long to end - and will not be deterred. Speaking to the MailOnline, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has today voiced her her fears that police are becoming too 'ideologically and politically driven rather than driven by the law' 'I definitely plan to continue silently praying [outside the abortion centre] I have every intention to do that,' she said. 'I'm appalled it's taken so long for this situation to come to an end and delighted it's become clear now that I can continue to pray.' She said she intends to pray outside the clinic in Kings Norton on a weekly basis and will start 'straight away'. Speaking about what drives her to do so, she said: 'When I first started doing this work it was more about injustice towards the unborn child, but I really see the injustice towards women and some men. I've met so many women who felt coerced into it and many women who have had a lack of support and lack of alternative. 'I believe there should be a real alternative to women if they want to continue the pregnancy, we are there to make sure they have an alternative. 'As a Christian, I believe in the power of prayer.' Asked if she fears further arrest or confrontation by police, Ms Vaughan-Spruce said: 'I hope that now I have had two charges that have come to an end and also with the statement made by Suella Braverman, I hope that has given everyone the clarity they need of what should have been obvious to people that our silent thoughts are nobody's business but our own.' In March a group of Tory and DUP MPs tabled an amendment aimed at ensuring no offence is committed if a person is 'engaged in consensual communication or in silent prayer' outside the clinics or hospitals offering abortion services. In a free vote, the proposal was rejected by 116 votes to 299, majority 183. The division list showed Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Attorney General Victoria Prentis were among the 109 Conservative MPs, two of whom were tellers, who supported the amendment while 109 Tory MPs voted against. She said she intends to pray outside the clinic in Kings Norton on a weekly basis and will start 'straight away' Ms Vaughan-Spruce, who is the director of anti-abortion group March for Life UK On the police investigation, Ms Vaughan-Spruce said: 'I'm concerned things have been more ideologically and politically driven. The fact that my arrest came two weeks after I had been acquitted of the same thing we need to look at police forces and whether they are being driven politically rather than by the law. 'I'm glad they have recognised it was too long to leave me six months to hear back but it should never have been that. That's a lot of time to have something hanging over you and I hope they realise the affect it has.' Asked what she would say to people who argued she was intimidating women going into the clinic, Isabel argued it would not be clear to anyone walking past what she was doing as she was stood 'motionless'. 'How can silent prayer be classed as harassment? 'I was not holding up a cross or Bible or leaflets. Nobody would know that I was praying unless they asked.' Ms Vaughan-Spruce said she has concerns about 'buffer zones' which she argues have been brought about off the back of 'gossip'. Ms Vaughan-Spruce has asked 'how can silent prayer be classed as harassment?' Officers from West Midlands Police told her 'engaging in prayer' was 'the offence' after she insisted she was 'not protesting' Ms Vaughan-Spruce's arrest came weeks after she was found not guilty by Birmingham Magistrates Court for silently praying outside the same clinic in December last year (above) Buffer zones were introduced as an amendment to the Public Order Bill last year. The UK's first buffer zone was introduced around an abortion clinic in Ealing, west London, in 2018. Buffer zones have been hailed by pro-choice campaigners as an important step towards de-stigmatising abortion and preventing the harassment of those who attend abortion clinics. However, critics see them as an attack on freedom of expression. Ms Vaughan-Spruce added: 'I have never harassed anybody and yet we have been harassed.' The video that went viral showed officers asking Ms Vaughan-Spruce to 'step outside the exclusion zone' that exists around the Birmingham clinic. However, she told officers that she was 'not protesting' and 'not engaging in any of the activities prohibited'. Police responded: 'But you've said you're engaging in prayer, which is the offence', to which she replies: 'Silent prayer.' The officer then said: 'No, but you were still engaging in prayer. It is an offence', to which Ms Vaughan-Spruce answered: 'I disagree.' She was then arrested by six officers for breaching what is officially known as a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). Jeremiah Igunnubole, Legal Counsel, ADF UK, representing Ms Vaughan-Spruce said that 'when you consider that we have never before in modern British History seen an arrest and prosecution based purely on the content of the thoughts in the privacy of an individuals mind, and then you consider that Isabel was previously arrested for silently praying and completely vindicated by the Crown Prosecution Service and Birmingham Magistrates Court just two weeks before she was again arrested for the activities taking place in her mind' then you realise that the 'state of fundamental rights and civil liberties in this country are in great peril.' He added: 'If the state can penalise you for the thoughts in the privacy of your mind then there is nothing they do not have the power to do. We are a country that believes in the rule of law and the protection of basic rights police officers shouldnt throw away this rich legal tradition in order to be seen to be supportive of progressive causes.' he strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions Students have hit out at striking university staff as thousands face disruption at more than 50 universities during freshers' week. One frustrated fresher asked 'what am I paying 9k for if my first week is cancelled' as another criticised mixed messages about whether the strikes were on or not. The action is part of a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions by University and College Union (UCU) members. Staff will walk out for five consecutive days at 42 universities and for at least one day at a further 10. But the industrial action is smaller than planned after dozens of branches called off walkouts after an agreement was reached by some employers. UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'Solidarity to our 42 higher education branches on strike this week as part of our long running pay and conditions dispute. Strikes at Heriot Watt University Edinburgh, Scotland - the picket line pictured today Staff will walk out for five consecutive days at 42 universities and for at least one day at a further 10 Lecturers and other university staff take part in a rally on Buchanan Street, Glasgow, last Tuesday 'We are here because universities are home to some of the most vindictive and cruel managers of any sector in the UK Support every branch.' The strikes, which will coincide with Freshers' Week, had been set to go ahead at over 140 universities across the UK, UCU said. It follows a marking boycott that saw some students graduate without their final mark. UCU said halting action will allow its branches to focus on organising a reballot of members to continue taking industrial action in the long-running national dispute. And some students are supporting their teachers. University of Manchester computer-science first year student Julian, 19, decided to join the picket line and told the BBC: 'If [staff] are treated fairly, my quality of teaching will improve.' Bee Hughes, 34, a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and UCU branch chair, is also on the picket lines for better pay and an end to casual contracts. 'Between contracts you might not have access to the library so you don't even have access to academic texts that you need to do the work and you can't plan,' they said. 'Usually you don't even know if you're going to have a contract until the last minute. You can't plan your future.' The strikes, which will coincide with Freshers' Week, had been set to go ahead at over 140 universities across the UK, UCU said It follows a marking boycott that saw some students graduate without their final mark Members of the UCU on their picket line at London College of Communication on March 15, 2023 Raj Jethwa, chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), said: 'Students and staff will welcome the announcement that UCU has stood down next week's strike days at the majority of institutions. 'It is still disappointing that a number of UCU branches will see attempt to carry out strike action. 'A crucial element of resetting industrial relations in the sector is developing a shared understanding of affordability. 'For the sake of students and staff alike, it is now vital to work together to bring to an end the sector's recent cycle of industrial disputes.' A real estate agent who was sacked last month for mocking struggling renters has landed on her feet with a new job and claims to be an 'inspiration to young women'. Aimee Marsh, 30, was fired from Ray White Aspley, near Griffin in Brisbane's north, after she mocked tenants in a local Facebook group - using her professional profile. In the now-deleted comments, exclusively obtained by Daily Mail Australia, she said renters who make $50,000 a year are 'envious' of her, and suggested her tax bills cover their Centrelink payments. But a month on, Ms Marsh has 'quit retirement' and is back working as a real estate agent with the Blue Moon Property group in Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Though it was social media comments that got her into strife in August, that hasn't stopped Ms Marsh from going online to say she's back in the property business. Real estate agent Aimee Therese Marsh (pictured), who was sacked last month for mocking struggling renters has landed on her feet with a new job She mocked tenants in a local Facebook group while using her professional profile READ MORE: Aimee Marsh caught slamming renters AGAIN - 'not sorry' A real estate agent who was sacked for mocking renters previously criticised aspiring homeowners for not being willing to 'make sacrifices' to get on the property ladder, unearthed comments reveal. Advertisement 'When you tell all your clients you have quit retirement and (are) back in action, and they text back things that spoke volumes to me,' the multi-tattooed real estate agent wrote. 'They are why I do what I do.' It was a markedly different tone than she took with the comments that got her sacked in the first place, where she taunted tenants as 'a disgrace and irrelevant'. 'Half of them don't even own homes in Griffin. They are tenants,' she added, with a laughing emoji in comments that were swiftly deleted, along with her Facebook profile, after being revealed by Daily Mail Australia. 'I pay twice their wage in tax, or I probably pay their Centrelink wages,' she said. Ms Marsh then made another comment from her personal Facebook page: 'Jealously is a curse and money controls people and emotions lol.' 'I can't wait to sell the houses they rent hehe.' A spokesperson for Ray White said she was fired 'within about an hour' of the agency finding out about her comments. 'We respect and value each and every one within our community, and we have a big community of people who rent. 'The views of Aimee Marsh do not align with the values of our business. 'We show pride in our customer service, we have a big community of renters, and we don't tolerate anything like this.' Aimee Marsh (pictured) was named 'agent of the month' by Ray White last January Though it was social media comments that got her into strife in August, that hasn't stopped Ms Marsh from going online (pictured) to say she's back in the property business The multi-tattooed real estate agent Aimee Marsh is pictured beside a motorbike But the manner of her forced departure from Ray White has not stopped Blue Moon Property from hiring her. Ms Marsh wrote on Instagram that among the people who have contacted her in recent weeks are many she had never previously done business with. 'Because although some haven't even used my services yet, I know they one day will, and have shown me nothing but love and loyalty,' she bragged. 'I have still changed their lives in other ways & will continue to. It's not always about the income, it's about helping people & motivating people. Creating lifetime bonds.' The agent, who previously described herself as the '#1 agent in Griffin' also posted what she claimed was a message from a former customer there praising her. The message supposedly said: 'We knew a single incident, would not set you back and ruin everything you have built for so many years. 'You are resilient, strong, admired, an inspiration to young women, tenacious, you have a go get attitude, you're persistent, motivated & driven.' After she was sacked last month, Ms Marsh claimed she had got many job offers, but would not do Only Fans because there are 'too many creeps'. Ms Marsh (pictured) wrote that former clients 'have shown me nothing but love and loyalty' Ms Marsh mocked renters in a series of now-deleted Facebook comments (pictured) The self-described top agent said she was unfazed by the prospect of unemployment because she has been 'inundated with job offers'. 'There are opportunities, but at this stage I am just taking a mental break,' she told news.com.au. She said she was disappointed with Ray White - where she was named 'agent of the month' last January - for publicly announcing her termination, but that other businesses had been checking in to see if she was OK. 'I don't let people walk over me the way they used to. I think that comes through what you have been through. You develop a backbone.' Ms Marsh addressed her social media comments in an interview with Brisbane radio station B105, claiming they were directed at trolls who attacked her than renters in general. She said she was targeted after posting to a Facebook group that she sold a house for $85,000 above its reserve at an auction and that people began blaming her for not being able to buy a home themselves. Aimee Therese Marsh (pictured), 30, was sacked from Ray White Aspley, near Griffin in Brisbane's north She said she couldn't 'wait to sell the houses they rent' in another comment (pictured) The former real estate agent claimed she had been 'inundated with job offers' following the publicity of her very public sacking but insisted she would not turn to adult site OnlyFans because there are 'too many creeps' 'It had nothing to do with me there were two buyers who were battling it out between each other,' she said. 'Unfortunately, that got people off-side who feel like it's my fault that they can't get into the housing market because of the prices. 'And then I started becoming the blame for fuel and groceries, and everything else, so the comments that were made were very targeted at me and very rude.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted both Ms Marsh and Blue Moon Property for comment. A prominent crocodile expert and academic has pleaded guilty to a slew of animal cruelty charges, including the rape and torture of dogs. Adam Robert Corden Britton, 51, began his offending in 2014 torturing and sexually exploiting more than 42 dogs until his arrest in April 2022. Britton, an academic at Charles Darwin University, stood calmly as he pleaded guilty to the 56 counts in the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Monday. He also pleaded guilty to four counts of accessing and transmitting child abuse material. Adam Robert Corden Britton, 51, began his offending in 2014 and torturing and sexually exploiting more than 42 dogs until his arrest in April 2022 Britton stood calmly as he pleaded guilty to the 56 counts in the NT Supreme Court on Monday Before prosecutor Marty Aust read out the agreed facts of the charges, NT Chief Justice Michael Grant urged the public gallery, security staff and media to leave the court. 'These facts contain material that can only be described as grotesque and perverse acts of cruelty which is confronting and distressing and which in my assessment have the potential to cause nervous shock,' he said. 'Either way I'll leave that up to you, but the potential has been described.' Details of the offending are too gruesome to be published but resulted in the death of 39 dogs. 'The offender has had a sadistic sexual interest in animals and in particular dogs,' Mr Aust said. As well as torturing his own dogs, Britton sourced other canines off Gumtree Australia from unsuspecting owners in the Darwin region. '(He) often built a rapport with the dog owners in negotiating taking custody of their animals, many of whom had to reluctantly give their pets away due to travel or work commitments,' Mr Aust said. In one scenario, Britton sent a message to the owners of a large brown dog to reassure them the animal was 'settling in well'. 'Wolfe was relaxed and eating well and enjoying her new home,' the message wrote. But unbeknownst to the previous owners the dog had already been 'sexually exploited, tortured and killed,' Mr Aust said. Britton, a former academic, who once hosted legendary broadcaster and biologist David Attenborough, would share videos and images of himself sexually exploiting the dogs on online forums under pseudonyms. Details of the offending are too gruesome to be published but resulted in the death of 39 dogs A video was eventually sent to NT Animal Welfare Branch and passed on to NT police who arrested Britton in April 2022. He has been remanded in custody since then. Britton was a prominent NT crocodile expert and a senior researcher at CDU. None of his offending is alleged to have been against the reptiles. His matter is set to return to court on December 13 for sentencing submissions. A former CIA officer who is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting 25 women has hired celebrity memory experts who testified for Harvey Weinstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Bill Cosby. Brian Raymond, 47, plans to call on University of Nevada professor Dr. Deborah Davis for his defense - as she works as a psychology specialist who studies the 'workings of human memory when under the influence of alcohol.' According to a new filing, Davis is set to bring in her expertise about consent under the influence, alongside psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Loftus. Raymond's trial is set for November 8, but his attorneys are trying to push that back until April. Raymond is accused of recording his nude victims while they were unconscious, as he forced open their eyelids and groped their bodies. Some of the alleged crimes occurred in embassy-leased houses in several countries. Brian Raymond, 47, plans to call on Dr. Deborah Davis for his defense - as she works as a psychology specialist who studies the 'workings of human memory when under the influence of alcohol' Davis previously testified in Bill Cosby's civil sexual assault case - telling the court in June 2022 that memories can fade over time. Cosby lost the case and was ordered to pay $500,000 in damages for a woman he assaulted in 1975. She told his trial: 'Distortion of memory can be because of things like societal change or the #MeToo movement. It can cause you to think about it differently and remember it differently.' Cosby was criminally convicted of sexually assaulting a woman after a 2018 trial and was sentenced to prison. He later had his case overturned on appeal and is now free. Davis was also called to be a witness at convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein's trial in November 2022. The famous movie mogul was accused of assault by several in Hollywood and has faced charges in both New York and California. She was also called for her expertise at the civil rape trial of filmmaker Paul Haggis. Davis told the New York City court in October 2022 that people 'bend memories' of events to fit their emotional needs. 'What's left over time is the story we tell ourselves of what happened,' Davis said. 'Memory for central details can be very, very inaccurate.' According to a document outlining Brian Raymond's use of the psychologist: 'Dr. Davis will explain that a person in a period of black-out from alcohol consumption may be able to demonstrate consent to sexual activity through physical and verbal action.' Dr. Deborah Davis previously testified in Bill Cosby's civil sexual assault case - telling the court in June 2022 that memories can fade over time. Cosby lost the case Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus arrives for the Harvey Weinstein rape trial, in New York, February 2020. In an August 25 filing, it was announced by Raymond's defense that they would be calling Loftus to testify on his behalf too In an August 25 filing, it was announced by Raymond's defense that they would be calling Dr. Elizabeth Loftus to testify on his behalf as well. She is an 'expert in the field of memory science, including the nature of memory reconstruction.' . Loftus 'will inform the jury that suggestive activities can explain how it is that a person might go from having no memory of sexual abuse to later having 'memories' of abusive acts, even where the memories are false.' She was paid $600 an hour while testifying at Ghislaine Maxwell's trial - Jeffrey Epstein's mistress who was convicted for her role in a sex-trafficking ring and is now in federal prison. Loftus told Maxwell's jury: '[Memory] doesn't work like a recording device. We are actually constructing our memories while we retrieve memories.' At Weinstein's rape trial in February 2020, she told the court: 'False memories, once created either through misinformation or though these suggestive processes can be experienced with a great deal of emotion, a great deal of confidence and a lot of detail, even though theyre false.' Raymond, who was working at the US Embassy, was arrested October 9, 2020, in La Mesa, California, on charges of sexual assault and sexual abuse. The FBI started investigating Raymond after Mexican police responded to a call in May 2020 from a passerby who reported seeing a 'naked, hysterical woman desperately screaming for help' on the terrace of a Mexico City apartment leased by the US government. Investigators found more than 500 photos and videos on Raymond's iCloud account in which he appears to be filming unconscious women, many of whom he met on dating apps, according to court documents. Some of the photos allegedly showed Raymond nude and aroused as he held victims' eyes open, played with their limbs and put fingers in their mouths to show they were unconscious. Raymond, 47, pictured, a former CIA agent, admitted to drugging and raping at least 26 women, but now claims he's not guilty because he suffers from erectile dysfunction Raymond left his job in June and moved back in with his parents in California, where he was arrested. In July 2021, the former agent pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and transporting obscene material. He faced between 13 and 27 years behind bars at sentencing, which was scheduled for November. But in an April 29, 2022, motion seeking to withdraw his guilty plea, Raymond's lawyers offered reasons for wanting to drop the plea, including his 'enlarged prostrate' and the medicine he was taking for it, which caused erectile dysfunction. Raymond's lawyers say their client has an enlarged prostate and has been taking dutasteride, a drug marketed under the brand name Avodart, 'for years,' according to the motion, and one of the side effects of dutasteride is erectile dysfunction. He has been denied bail since he was arrested, and is currently waiting trial inside a Washington, DC, prison. Senator Bob Menendez has hired Hunter Biden's lawyer to defend him against bribery charges as he ignored calls from Democratic colleagues to resign. Abbe Lowell, who is representing the president's son in federal court, will help the embattled New Jersey lawmaker fight the corruption claims unveiled in a dramatic indictment on Friday. He is accused of receiving more than $400,000 in gold bars and cash and a Mercedes in return for favors for a New Jersey developer and businessmen with ties to the Egyptian government. Menendez's move on his legal team came as he insisted he would be 'exonerated' and called the charges against him 'salacious' in an incredible press conference. Lowell and Menendez's wife Nadine Arslanian Menendez - who has also been indicted - were not by his side as he confirmed he would not be stepping down. Senator Bob Menendez has hired Hunter Biden's lawyer to defend him against bribery charges as he ignored calls from Democratic colleagues to resign He didn't mention the gold bars found in his home and wasn't clear on if he would run for re-election. A defiant Menendez said 'sometimes prosecutors get it wrong' in remarks at Hudson County Community College. Hudson County is where he got his start in politics, serving as mayor of Union City. Support for the embattled Democrat is waning. More than two dozen Democrats in New Jersey have called on him to resign. And, Rep. Andy Kim, who cleaned up the Capitol after the rioters left on Jan. 6, 2021, announced he's running for Senate, setting up a tough primary challenge for Menendez. 'This is not something I expected to do, but I believe New Jersey deserves better,' Kim said in a statement. 'We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our countrys integrity. I believe its time we restore faith in our democracy, and thats why I am stepping up and running for Senate.' It is the second round of bribery charges for Menendez. A 2015 case ended in mistrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on all counts and a judge acquitted him on some charges. But, in contrast to eight years ago, when many in the party stood by him, multiple Democrats - including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman - have called on Menendez to resign. 'The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state,' Murphy said. As governor, he would appoint a senator to replace Menendez should he resign. Notably, New Jersey's other Democratic Senator, Cory Booker, has been silent on Menendez. Menendez himself has remained defiant - although he has stepped down from his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rep. Andy Kim announced he will run for Senate in 2024, setting up a Democratic primary challenge with Menendez - above, Kim garnered national attention when he helped clean up the Capitol after the January 6 insurrection Senator Menendez and his wife Nadine are charged with accepting gold bars as bribes Menendez called the investigation 'an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists.' 'The excesses of these prosecutors is apparent,' Menendez said. 'They have misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office. On top of that, not content with making false claims against me, they have attacked my wife for the longstanding friendships she had before she and I even met.' He also claimed he is being 'falsely accused' because he is a 'Latin American' who rose from a humble childhood to the United States Senate. 'Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first generation Latin American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. senator,' he said. Republicans see an opening to win a Senate seat if Menendez stays on the ballot. But former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has ruled out a run, sticking with his campaign to be the Republican presidential nominee. 'I have no interest in being in the United States Senate,' Christie told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker in a Sunday morning interview. Fred Daibes, Chairman and CEO of Daibes Enterprises, in his Edgewater office The 27-page indictment, unsealed on Friday, claims that Bob and Nadine Menendezt had an improper relationship with three New Jersey businessmen: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes, who allegedly paid the couple in exchange for Menendez to use his influence in Washington D.C. to their benefit. The couple face three criminal counts each: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. The three businessmen face charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud The indictment also charges the senator with providing 'sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.' David Schertler, a lawyer for Nadine Menendez, said she 'denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously contest these charges in court.' The indictment outlines a series of texts, payments and actions the couple allegedly took to help the three businessmen, actions from which they financially benefited. The probe listed several 'bribes' paid to them. 'Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,' the indictment said. A June 2022 raid on their New Jersey home found 'over $480,000 in cash - much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe,' the indictment notes, adding Nadine had over $70,000 in a safe deposit box. It also found two one-kilogram gold bars and eleven one-ounce gold bars. The indictment alleges that Menendez tried to disrupt a federal criminal prosecution of Fred Daibes in exchange for the money and other items of value. Daibes is an old friend of Menendez, has fundraised for his Senate campaign, and allegedly has ties to the Genovese mob family. The indictment charges Menendez 'promised to and did use his influence and power' to pressure President Joe Biden to nominate a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey who Menendez 'believed could be influenced by Menendez with respect to the federal criminal prosecution of Fred Daibes.' Menendez recommended and Biden later nominated Phillip Sellinger as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, the top federal prosecutor in the state. Daibes has been under investigation before. New Jersey authorities have tracked high-ranking mobsters meeting with Daibes repeatedly over the last decade, the Daily Beast reported. Daibes provided the couple with gold bars and envelopes of cash, the indictment states. 'Multiple gold bars provided by Daibes were found during the court-authorized June 2022 search; of the couple's home, the indictment states. It also says the senator performed a web search for 'how much is one kilo of gold worth' and that the envelopes of cash had the fingerprints of Daibes and his driver. Cash was found in envelopes during a June 2022 raid of Menendez home The luxury Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible worth more than $60,000 The investigation also focused on 40-year-old New Jersey businessman, Wael Hana, who has known Nadine since before she started dating Menendez. Hana, who is originally from Egypt, operated the company IS EG Halal in New Jersey and it soon became the sole entity authorized to certify that any halal food product imported into Egypt from anywhere in the world had been prepared according to Islamic law. According to the indictment, Menendez 'improperly advised and pressured an official at the United States Department of Agriculture for the purpose of protecting a business monopoly granted to Hana by Egypt and used in part to fund the bribes being paid to Menendez through Nadine Menendez.' The designation of IS EG Halal surprised U.S. agriculture officials. Previously, several other companies had been doing that certification, but they were dismissed by Egyptian agriculture officials in favor of IS EG Halal, which had no previous experience in the field. The indictment charges Menendez with using the power of his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to influence the State Department regarding policy in Egypt and with sending Nadine 'highly sensitive' about Egypt that he got in Senate briefings that she, in turn, gave to Hana. As a senator, Menendez could put a 'hold' on State Department funding to the country. In a text to his wife, Menendez tells her: 'I am going to sign off this sale to Egypt today. Egypt: 46,000 120MM Target Practice Rounds and 10,000 Rounds Tank Ammunition: $99 million.' Nadine then forwarded it to an Egyptian official who replies with the thumbs up emoji. A mass equal pay claim from thousands of women has accelerated fears Sheffield City Council could be the next local authority to declare bankruptcy. The GMB union launched a claim against the council today as it alleged some female workers have been underpaid by up to 11,000 a year. There have been 'truly scandalous' differentials in pay between women and men in comparable roles, the union claimed. The equal pay claim will increase concerns about the financial health of Sheffield City Council, which is currently chasing 47.7million in savings in a bid to balance the books. It has warned it will become 'financially unsound' from 2024-25 onwards if it fails to make such savings. A similar equal pay claim was recently made against Birmingham City Council and is estimated to be worth as much as 760million. It played a part in the local authority declaring itself essentially bankrupt - through a Section 114 notice - earlier this month. A mass equal pay claim from thousands of women has accelerated fears the city council in Sheffield could be the next local authority to declare bankruptcy Sheffield City Council, based at Sheffield town hall, is currently chasing 47.7million in savings in a bid to balance the books Sheffield City Council is currently run by a 'rainbow' collaboration of Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, with no party holding overall control of the council. GMB has claimed the council's job evaulation system 'actively discrimnates' against female workers and sees female-dominated roles underpaid. The union compared the pay of a senior teaching assistant, which is a grade 5 role, with a night-time noise officer, which is a grade 7 role, saying the difference translates as an 11,383 differential. It also compared care managers on grade 5 with cemetery supervisors on frade 7, a difference it said amounted to 7,301 annually. Sue Wood, GMB senior organiser said: 'What we have uncovered in Sheffield is truly scandalous. 'The council are using a rotten job allocation scheme that actively discriminates against its female workforce and opens up thousands of potential equal pay claims. 'We are determined that this injustice must end and call upon the Town Hall to step up, commit to ending this blatant discrimination and scrap this unfair scheme.' Fran Belbin, the council's deputy leader, said: 'Sheffield City Council has positive and long-standing relationships with the trade unions, including GMB, and we work with them using an evaluation scheme to ensure that council jobs are reviewed and graded fairly. 'We have had this scheme in place since 2010 and it includes an appeals process.' Ms Belbin continued: 'Any member of staff can request a review if they believe their grade is not correct. 'We encourage members of staff to raise any concerns about equal pay with us, so we can review and address if necessary. 'When a grade is confirmed as needing to change, changes are made. We meet regularly with staff and their representatives and are always happy to discuss any concerns.' A teenager has been killed after crashing his moped during a pursuit by police who saw him run a red light. His pillion passenger also sustained non life-threatening injuries and was arrested after being found with a machete. At 6.45am this morning two officers on patrol on marked police motorcycles became aware of a motorcycle travelling through a red light on Oxford Street. The vehicle, which failed to stop for police, was being ridden by two males. It was followed into Tottenham Court Road. two officers on patrol on marked police motorcycles became aware of a motorcycle travelling through a red light on Oxford Street A short time later, the motorcycle was in collision with a taxi and street furniture on Tottenham Court Road near to Warren Street tube station. A Met Police spokesman said: Officers provided first aid prior to the arrival of ambulance colleagues. 'Despite their efforts, the rider of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The man's family will be supported by specialist officers. The motorcycle was in collision with a taxi and street furniture on Tottenham Court Road near to Warren Street tube station 'The pillion passenger was found to be in possession of a machete. He has been arrested and taken to hospital for treatment to leg and arm injuries. 'The Mets Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) launched an investigation alongside colleagues from the Mets Roads and Transport Policing Command. 'The Independent Office for Police Conduct have been informed and we are advised that they have launched an independent investigation.' Lawmakers in the US are torn on whether Ukraine should continue to receive billions from taxpayers The country's farming sector has received hundreds of millions of dollars, while small businesses and first responders have also benefited from aid US funding for Ukraine has not just covered the direct costs of war - other sections of the country's economy have also received billions of dollars The US has given Ukraine close to $100 billion in aid since it was invaded by Russia in February 2022 - and the money has not only been used to fund its military. Billions of dollars has also been used to pay for Ukraine's first responders, subsidize its farmers and help small businesses, from baking firms to fashion brands. A recent analysis by the Council on Foreign Relations shows that more than $30 billion - around 40 percent of US aid to Ukraine - has been financial or humanitarian support that is not directly linked to military costs. Military funding totals around $50 billion. President Joe Biden is also asking Congress to approve a further $24 billion in support for Ukraine, despite growing disquiet among some Republicans about the rising cost to US taxpayers. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said international support is crucial to help defeat Russia. Opponents of further aid are largely hardline Republicans who say it is not in America's interests and believe taxpayers' money should be spent at home. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska at the South Portico of the White House A review of the funding granted to Ukraine shows that $1.2 billion has been used to pay the salaries of more than 57,000 first responders in the country. They include firefighters who respond to Russia's relentless bombing campaigns USAID, the government department responsible for international civilian aid, has also given $350 million to Ukraine's agriculture sector, which helps farmers 'store, transport, and export their products' Money has also helped small business, including a knitwear company run by Tatiana Abramova (pictured), who has received support to find international customers A review of the funding granted to Ukraine shows that $1.2 billion has been used to pay the salaries of more than 57,000 first responders in the country. They include firefighters who respond to Russia's relentless bombing campaigns which have left some cities in ruins. A firefighter in Ukraine earns around $7,000 per year, according to one estimate by the Economic Research Institute. USAID, the government department responsible for international civilian aid, has also given $350 million to Ukraine's agriculture sector, which helps farmers 'store, transport, and export their products... allowing them to earn revenue and support Ukraine's economy'. Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain exporters and the US scheme, the AGRI-Ukraine initiative, is partly designed to offset the war's impacts on global food security. Aid has also helped subsidize small businesses. A CBS 60 Minutes report highlighted help given to a knitwear company to find new customers overseas. USAID has also highlighted support it gave in October 2022 to six Ukrainian fashion brands so they could participate in Paris fashion week. The government agency said the war poses 'deep consequences for the future of Europe, regional stability, and the United States, for whom a strong and free Europe is a cornerstone national security goal'. Since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, USAID has provided $9.88 billion in development and humanitarian assistance. Cash has also helped families displaced by the war and supported vital national services including healthcare and education. Schools and healthcare providers have also benefited from funding from US taxpayers The US has provided funding worth nearly $100 billion to Ukraine and Joe Biden (pictured in Washington with Volodymyr Zelensky on September 21) is currently seeking Congressional sign-off for a further $24 billion Zelensky recently visited Capitol Hill urge the government and lawmakers to continue their support for Ukraine, including a hint that Kyiv needs more missiles to counter Russia. The Ukrainian president spent last Thursday morning in Washington. But far-right GOP lawmakers in the House continue their efforts to stop aid for Ukraine, despite many GOP senators supporting more funds. Biden, however, has indicated he believes Congress will ultimately agree to a $24 billion proposal for Kyiv, saying there was 'no alternative.' 'I'm counting on the good judgment of the United States Congress. There is no alternative,' he said. Zelensky said he had frank conversations with lawmakers during his closed-door meetings on Capitol Hill. But funding for his country is falling victim to a civil war among House Republicans. The conservative wing of the GOP doesn't support more money for Kyiv and has sank budget bills that contain it. Biden, meanwhile, announced a new $325 million military aid package for Ukraine although it didn't have all the bells and whistles on Zelensky's wish list. The Ukrainian president wants ATACMS, long-range tactical missiles that Kyiv has been asking for to hit Russian targets in the deep rear of the fight. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office Jill Biden embraces Olena Zelenska while President Joe Biden greets President Volodymyr Zelensky at their arrival at the White House 'When it comes to weapons we will discuss everything with a special emphasis on air defense,' Zelensky said. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said ahead of Zelensky's arrival at the White House that President Biden would announce a tranche 'of military assistance today including significant air defense capabilities to help Ukraine.' That will include additional ammunition for U.S. provided HIMAR systems, anti-armor capabilities, artillery, and ammunition. But it will not include the ATACMS. Zelensky thanked Biden for 'very productive, strong negotiations. And today we have some important results.' Zelensky and his wife Olena got a warm welcome on the South Lawn from Joe and Jill Biden. Hugs were exchanged and the Bidens rolled out the red carpet for the Ukrainian president and first lady. President Biden called Ukraine a 'partner' and said the US is 'formalizing our commitment to Ukraine's long-term security alongside the G7 and with other partners.' McCarthy and Zelensky met behind closed doors where the Ukrainian president told lawmakers: 'When this war started, you said to me, Ukraine, stay unified and stay strong. I'm coming back and saying to the United States: stay unified and stay strong.' Before his visit, Zelensky asked to deliver another joint address to Congress, as he did last December, Punchbowl News reported, but Speaker Kevin McCarthy denied the request. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during an expanded bilateral meeting in the East Room of the White House Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walks with U.S. President Joe Biden down the colonnade to the Oval Office during a visit to the White House Volodymyr Zelensky met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday in his battle to persuade skeptical Republicans to keep sending aid President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and first lady Olena Zelenska at the White House 'Zelensky asked us for a Joint Session and we just didn't have time,' McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday morning, pointing out the Ukrainian president had already addressed Congress. Zelensky spoke to a joint session in December when Nancy Pelosi was still speaker. Congress has already authorized more than $110 billion to Kyiv since Vladimir Putin's invasion, and some rightwing members of the GOP have warned the White House they will oppose Biden's request to send another $24 billion. Congress has not yet passed any of the 12 spending bills that are needed to keep the government running. It has until September 30th to do or the government shuts down. While Zelensky was out of the country, Russia upped its aerial campaign, damaging energy facilities and causing power outages in several region. Moscow targeted Lviv in the west, near the border with Poland, and Kharkiv, close to Ukraine's eastern front lines, as well as Kyiv, Cherkasy and Rivne. Zelensky arrives in Washington after addressing the UN General Assembly as part of the body's annual meeting. He also addressed the U.N. Security Council, where he got tough, accusing it of inaction on Russia's invasion of his country. 'Most of the world recognizes the truth about this war,' Zelensky said. 'We should recognize that the U.N. finds itself in a deadlock on the matters of aggression,' he noted. As buses of asylum seekers keep arriving in New York City and Chicago, the two cities continue to hemorrhage money as they use emergency contracts to set up the infrastructure needed to tackle the surge. Both cities have already spent millions from their own budgets as they look to care for the surge of asylum seekers, as conservative governors from southern states continue busing them north as a way to protest what they see as open-arms immigration policies by Democrats. Chicago has paid at least $56 million to Favorite Healthcare Staffing to care for the more than 13,000 migrants who have arrived this year, according to an NBC 5 investigation that found nurses were making $135 an hour or more. A manager was paid $14,000 for just one week of work, and a nurse earned an eye-watering $20,000 for a week in December. Both invoices included overtime. 'To see invoices like that are disgusting. They are outrageous and they are cause for an immediate investigation,' Aldermen Raymond Lopez told NBC. Meanwhile, New York is currently paying three times more for contracted laundry services at some migrant shelters than it does at homeless shelters, according to a report by Gothamist. Chicago has paid at least $56 million in just one emergency contract to care for the more than 13,000 migrants who have arrived this year, as conservative governors from southern states continue busing them north New York is currently paying three times more for contracted laundry services at some migrant shelters than it does at homeless shelters As the city struggles with about 60,000 asylums seekers under its care, Mayor Eric Adams has entered several emergency contracts to provide the migrants with clean linens and towels. While the city usually pays 99 cents per pound of laundry at homeless shelters, it's currently paying DocGo $1.50 per pound, HappyNest $1.60 per pound and Garner $3 per pound. DocGo and Garner Environmental's costs include other services such as security, food and medical, but HappyNest is solely for laundry services. The City Council is now carrying out an audit into how a $432 million no-bid contract was handed to medical firm DocGo, which has been accused of mistreating migrants and having little experience in caring for asylum seekers. Mayor Adams has been using his emergency powers to sign off contracts to firms without contest, but opponents fear the practice is ripe for abuse and waste of taxpayer funds. For example in the contract with DocGo, the firm was authorized bill taxpayers $170 per night to house migrants - many in upstate NY which generally cost much less - and then pocket the difference. The city comptroller, Brad Lander, has warned that Adams is using his emergency powers as a 'blank check' and argues that given the crisis is now 18 months old it is no longer the case that is is an 'unexpected situation that merits the broad suspension of due diligence processes.' It comes as Chicago Democrats have visited Manhattan to learn lessons about how to deal with the surge of asylum seekers which it is also facing. In the Windy City, Mayor Brandon Johnson quietly signed a $29million contract with a security firm to build migrant base camps earlier this month. The city's deal with the controversial Garda World firm, signed last week, includes at least six locations across the city, with zones holding between 200 and 1,400 asylum seekers. It also includes bedding, laundry, showers, three meals a day and security. Garda World is not only contracted to build the tents, but is also responsible for bussing migrants to the city, raising eyebrows as a potential conflict of interest for some lawmakers. The firm recently failed to secure a contract in Denver, which yanked the deal over 'concerns (that grew) about the international companys history of alleged abuses and mistreatment, as well as its lack of experience in sheltering migrants.' Chicago has seen 13,000 migrants arrive in the city since August 2022, and the surge is expected to cost taxpayers $302 million by the end of the year. The number of migrants who need shelter in Chicago has continued to increase in recent months, and city leaders have stated they will follow New York's lead in turning different locations around the city into shelters for migrants. A migrant father from Venezuela changes the diaper of his 15-month-old son in the lobby of a police station New York City's migrant crisis is expected to cost the city $4.7billion this year. Above is a list of some of the landmarks that have been turned into emergency shelters as officials struggle to house nearly 60,000 migrants in the city's care 'Weve identified multiple locations around the city that can be suitable to treat the family and individuals who are here by law, seeking asylum constitutionally and legally, to have a place that recognizes their dignity,' Johnson said. The migrant backlash is the latest debacle for mayor Johnson, who took over from his disastrous predecessor Lori Lightfoot in May of this year. He is proving to be no more popular than her, with fury at his mansion tax, crushing taxes on businesses and proposals like city-run supermarkets. Earlier this month Johnson announced he planned to move about 1,600 migrants currently living in police stations or at the OHare or Midway airport. Chicago Democratic lawmakers traveled to New York City to 'bring back' lessons on how to deal with a migrant surge in the Windy City. Furious New Yorkers heckled Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was leading their visit, outside the iconic Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, which has become the center of the migrant scandal in the Big Apple. As the migrant crisis continues to worsen in Chicago, mayor Johnson has also faced backlash over a proposed 'mansion tax' on sales of homes of more than $1 million, as his administration continues to push higher tax on households earning over $100,000. Hundreds were hidden behind this black curtain at Chicago 's O'Hare Airport, where asylum seekers have reported inhumane living conditions with families left sleeping on the floor for up to 10 days The newly elected mayor wants to push a hike in taxes in order to fight homelessness in the city. Johnson believes people that own properties worth $1 million in the third-largest city in the U.S. are 'rich, and should pay if they sell those homes.' He also wants to create city-run grocery stores to promote 'equitable' access to food after half of the city's Walmart and Whole Foods stores closed. Johnson's new moves are set to help 'repair past harms that have contributed to purposeful disinvestment and exclusion and lack of food access' in historically underserved communities. Meanwhile, the Windy City has suffered an 86 per cent rise in motor vehicle theft rates over the last year - from 42,512 incidents reported in 2022 to 54,983 so far this year. Overall, this figure has rocketed by 227 per cent since 2019, when 35,711 motor vehicle thefts were reported. Murder rates have also risen by 19 per cent over the past four years under the disastrous reign of the last Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, while robberies are up 30 per cent. Parents of two little girls are set to donate their kidneys in a remarkable act of sacrifice to save their lives. Sisters Charlotte and Isabelle Baldock, aged 14 and 12, suffer from chronic conditions which they currently manage with a cocktail of more than 10 medicines each day. But kidney transplants will be inevitable for the schoolgirls. Fortunately, their father Shane is a match for both his daughters, while their mother Renee is a match for Isabelle. Father Shane (right) is a match for both his daughters, while their mother Renee (left) is a match for Isabelle 'I guess my genes were the ones that caused it in the first place, so to be able to be a match and help them out of it, it makes it a better feeling for sure,' Shane told 9News. Renee is preparing to donate her kidney to Isabelle within the next year as the younger sister's kidney function already down at 18 per cent. 'Once we get to 15 per cent for Izzy then they will start planning the actual transplant, which is about a three-month plan,' Renee said. Isabelle said she felt 'nervous' but knew it was for a good reason. '(I'm) looking forward to seeing that day when she's wondering why she feels so good,' Shane added. There is no cure for chronic kidney disease. The Baldock family is encouraging Australians to support the fundraiser next month, raising money for Kidney Health Australia. Bank ABC has become the first Middle East bank to introduce faster cross-border payments to specific corridors for corporates and financial institutions utilising JP Morgans Coin Systems. Coin Systems is a blockchain-based permissioned system that serves as a payment rail and deposit account ledger and sits within Onyx by JP Morgan. The soft launch of the new payment service by Bank ABC follows close collaboration with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB). The CBB provided support across various aspects of the initiative including integrating and scaling the innovative blockchain-based solution within the Bahrains payments landscape. The Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, Rasheed AlMaraj, said: After working closely with JP Morgan and Bank ABC over the past two years to experiment the execution of cross-border commercial transactions between Bahrain and the US, leveraging the JP Morgan Coin System, we are pleased to witness the soft launch of this innovative banking solution by a Bahraini-based bank. This initiative aligns with the CBBs strategic vision to embrace innovation and digitalise the kingdoms financial services sector by eliminating inefficiencies that exist in traditional cross-border payment railways, facilitating trade between Bahrain and the US, and thereby inducing economic activity. We commend Bank ABC on their commitment to enhance their banking offerings by leveraging advanced global technologies. Innovative products Sael Al Waary, Bank ABC Group CEO, said: As an international bank operating across five continents, Bank ABC Group is committed to introducing innovative products to our home market and across our wider network. Offering high-value cross-border payments via the JP Morgan Coin Systems service, allows us to reduce traditional settlement periods considerably as well as being more cost-effective for our clients. We remain steadfast as a key enabler of Bahrains vision for a digital economy. We would like to thank our partners the Central Bank of Bahrain for their commitment and leadership and JP Morgan for their leading role in advancing cross-border payments for banking services. Naveen Mallela, Global Head of Onyx Coin Systems, said: Bank ABC has been one of the earliest adopters of the JPM Coin offering and we are delighted to launch the first of its kind commercial payment offering between JP Morgan and Bank ABC using distributed ledger rails. This enables cross-border commercial transactions to be executed between Bahrain and US corridors instantly, atomically and with certainty. Complex challenges JP Morgans Coin Systems team seeks to help address the complex challenges of cross border payments, simplify clients' liquidity funding needs, and offer next generation corporate treasury services. While the offering has been launched with USD and locations involving Bahrain, US, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, additional locations and currencies, notably Euro, are in the pipeline. Going forward with the planned introduction of programmable payment offerings, it will enable mutual corporate clients to leverage event driven and automated payouts enabling a dynamic and real time treasury management. The launch of this service is part of Bank ABCs comprehensive digital transformation programme, which serves to futureproof and diversify the Banks proposition with the best available banking innovations.-- TradeArabia News Service Lawyers representing the family of seven say they have a right to stay Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled Germany in 2008 after being fined $9,000 A Christian family is begging the Biden administration to intervene in their upcoming deportation after living in the US for 15 years seeking asylum from persecution in Germany. Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled Germany in 2008 after being threatened with prosecution for homeschooling their five children. Homeschooling in Germany is only allowed in very limited circumstances, and the family was facing a $9,000 fine, so they moved to East Tennessee and filed for asylum. Authorities denied their claim in 2013, with the family attempting to appeal the decision after the Obama administration challenged the initial ruling that was approved. They do not have citizenship in the US. They have been able to live in the US for the last ten years under an 'indefinite deferred action status', but were told earlier this month they must return to Germany. Their bid comes as millions of asylum seekers are pouring into the US near the Texas border. Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled Germany in 2008 after being threatened with prosecution for homeschooling their five children. They had a further two children after moving to the US In their initial argument, the family claimed that 'God was calling them to homeschool their five children', claiming that the 'anti-Christian' message in German schools was also a factor. The couple are now begging the Biden administration to intervene in the decision after they were told to obtain German passports on September 6. During a routine check-in, the family were told their deferred status had been revoked and were given four weeks to apply for German passports. Speaking to Fox and Friends, Uwe said: 'They did not tell us anything. We don't really know why. We wonder ourselves because we can't understand.' His wife added that the 'laws haven't changed' in Germany so they would still face 'the same persecution. The family was reportedly not giving any prior warning or explanation, other than there had been a 'change of orders.' In a legal brief in 2014, the Justice Department wrote: 'The goal in Germany is for an open, pluralistic society. Teaching tolerance to children of all backgrounds helps to develop the ability to interact as a fully functioning citizen in Germany.' Kevin Boden, an attorney representing the family, said: 'They found that the Romeike family did have a well-founded fear of persecution based on their participation in a particular social category, that being homeschoolers. The couple are now begging the Biden administration to intervene in the decision, after they were told to obtain German passports on September 6 The family were reportedly not giving any prior warning or explanation, other than there had been a 'change of orders' During a routine check-in the family were told that their deferred status had been revoked and were given four weeks to apply for German passports The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) said in a statement: 'In the 10 years that the Romeikes have lived peacefully in the United States, they've built a second life' 'The Obama administration appealed that to the Board of Immigration Appeals. That appeal court agreed with them, as did the Sixth Circuit, and the Supreme Court denied it. 'We think this is, in fact, an asylum case. We do think they have a well-founded fear as we testified. Kevin Boden, an attorney representing the family, said that they entered the country legally and have a right to stay 'I can tell you today, I talked to families today that have fear in Germany and the fight there, the persecution there, is very real today as it was 15 years ago.' The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) said in a statement: 'In the 10 years that the Romeikes have lived peacefully in the United States, they've built a second life. 'They have two children who are American citizens, and two other children who married American citizens (one of these couples recently welcomed their first child). 'Deportation to Germany will fracture these families, while exposing the Romeikes to renewed persecution in Germany, where homeschooling is still illegal in almost every case. 'But there is still hope. The United States executive branch intervened once before to grant the Romeikes a respite, and it has the power to do it again.' The family's plea for help comes as record-breaking numbers of migrants from Latin America, Africa and beyond are crossing the US to Mexico border by foot and train After moving to the US the couple had two more children, Sarah, 12, and Rebecca, 10, who were born in America Officials have long said that the influx of migrants crossing the border illegally is directly linked to multi-billion dollar human trafficking schemes run by the notoriously violent Mexican drug cartels Around two million migrants are thought to have crossed the US southern border in 2023 with many citing Biden's lax policies as a reason After moving to the US, the couple had two more children, Sarah, 12, and Rebecca, 10, who were born in America. Their other five children, Daniel, 26, Lydia, 25, Joshua, 23, Christian, 21, and Damaris, 18, were born in Germany, but are facing deportation. Daniel and Lydia both married American citizens, with the entire family previously living in Bissingen, Baden-Wurttemberg. DailyMail.com has contacted the Department of Homeland Security, which di not respond in time for this report. The family's plea for help comes as record-breaking numbers of migrants from Latin America, Africa and beyond are crossing the US to Mexico border by foot and train. In Eagle Pass, Texas, the city's Democratic mayor has declared a state of emergency where last week it's thought that 100,000 people waded through the Rio Grande. A police officer in Eagle Pass told DailyMail.com: 'We have a crisis. I don't care what the federal government says.' Officials have long said that the influx of migrants crossing the border illegally is directly linked to multi-billion dollar human trafficking schemes run by the notoriously violent Mexican drug cartels. Around two million migrants are thought to have crossed the US southern border in 2023, with many citing Biden's lax policies as a reason. Another 500,000 could cross by the end of the year. Recently, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that 800 more military service men and women would be sent to the border to aid the crisis joining the more than 2,500 National Guardsman who are already present. Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar is coming in for withering criticism after he called for retiring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley to be 'hung' after blaming him for the response to January 6 and terming him 'sodomy-promoting.' Gosar, who was censured and stripped of his committee seats in 2021 after posting a violent animated meme about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but then got them restored when Republicans took back control of the House, issued the attack in a newsletter titled 'This Week with Gosar' that he posted on his official House account. Gosar made the attack after stringing together bits of information on the days before January 6, including early warnings that 'bad actors were planning to cause problems,' and then blaming Milley and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the prolonged mayhem at the Capitol. He accused them without evidence of conspiring to delay a security response. 'After the riot was in full swing, the Chief's request for National Guard was finally approved. But even after approval was given, General Milley, the homosexual-promoting-BLM-activist Chairman of the military joint chiefs, delayed,' Gosar claimed, using the acronym for Black Lives Matter. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) posted that in a 'better society,' people like Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley 'would be hung' He accused Milley, who steps down Sept. 30 after a long military career, of 'coordinating' with Pelosi to 'hurt' Trump, and calls his conduct 'deviant' and 'treasonous.' 'In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung,' he writes in his newsletter for constituents. His attacks come after a report in the Atlantic that when Trump offered Milley the job in 2019, he told him former Defense Secretary James Mattis 'says your soft on transgenders.' Trump announced a ban on transgender military service that President Biden reversed. The profile, headlined 'The Patriot,' tells 'How General Mark Milley protected the Constitution from Donald Trump.' Gosar appeared to be echoing a post by Trump on Friday that also referenced Milley's execution. Milley is set to step down from his post at the end of the week at a formal ceremony Milley apologized after he attended a photo-op with former President Trump in his military uniform amid protests over the death of George Floyd President Donald Trump shakes hands with Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley before addressing the troops at Bagram Air Field during a surprise Thanksgiving day visit, on November 28, 2019 in Afghanistan Gosar blamed Milley for the response to January 6 Trump referenced the Atlantic profile, which also described Milley's efforts to reassure China following the attack on the Capitol. 'This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States. This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!' Trump posted. Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling blasted the attack in an appearance on CNN, calling the comments 'disgusting' and saying it 'shows how deeply disturbed both of these individuals are.' 'It just shows the extent to which these kinds of things have become commonplace and not condemned in our divided country,' he said. The Washington Post reported that Milley phoned the Chinese to provide reassurances of the stability of the government during the transition and that it was 'authorized by Trump administration officials at the time.' Also going after Trump for the comments was former solicitor general during the Obama administration Neal Katyal. 'I don't think that Mr. Bone Spurs is in any position to criticize any member of our military, let alone a war hero like Gen. Milley,' Katyal told MSNBC, in a reference to Trump's deferrals from the military draft during the Vietnam era. Trump's attack comes as federal judge Tanya Chutkan is weighing prosecutors' request for a partial gag order on Trump after attacks on potential witnesses. Milley is a potential witness both in Trump's January 6 case in Washington and a separate classified documents case in Georgia. Author Jeffrey Goldberg in the profile writes that: 'Milley has told friends that he expects that if Trump returns to the White House, the newly elected president will come after him. "He'll start throwing people in jail, and I'd be on the top of the list," he has said.' Milley is the highest-ranking U.S. military officer. He received his commission from Army ROTC after attending Princeton University, and deployed to Afghanistan as commanding general of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Forces Afghanistan. The Kremlin said on Monday it was 'outrageous' that a Ukrainian man who served in one of Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS units during World War Two had been presented to Canada's parliament last week as a hero. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, received two standing ovations from Canadian lawmakers during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Canadian parliament speaker Anthony Rota introduced Hunka as 'a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians' and 'a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero.' The speaker of Canada's parliament later hastily issued an apology and insisted he had no idea of Hunka's past Nazi associations. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the episode showed a careless disregard for historical truth, and that the memory of Nazi crimes must be preserved. 'Such sloppiness of memory is outrageous,' Peskov told reporters. 'Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation that does not know who fought whom or what happened during the Second World War. And they know nothing about the threat of fascism.' The speaker of Canada 's House of Commons Anthony Rota had hailed 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka (above) as 'a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians' and 'a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero' After Zelensky delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave the Hunka a standing ovation - after Rota drew attention to the senior by hailing him as both a 'Canadian [and] Ukranian hero' Yaroslav Hunka waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the House of Commons in Ottawa Friday. Right: Hunka in his SS unit in the war Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'Such sloppiness of memory is outrageous' The episode plays into the narrative promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he sent his army into Ukraine last year to 'demilitarise and denazify' the country During World War Two, when Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, some Ukrainian nationalists joined Nazi units because they saw the Germans as liberators from Soviet oppression. Hunka served in World War Two as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group that demanded and received an apology from Rota. The episode plays into the narrative promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he sent his army into Ukraine last year to 'demilitarise and denazify' the country, a European democracy whose Jewish president lost family members in the Holocaust. At a televised meeting with historians this month, Putin stressed the part that 'local nationalists and anti-Semites' had played in the murder of 1.5 million Jews in Ukraine during the Holocaust and said 'this has a direct relation to the present day'. Peskov told reporters that Russia was waging an 'irreconcilable fight' against fascism that was 'trying to find its feet in the centre of Europe, in Ukraine'. After Rota had praised Hunka, Canadian lawmakers cheered and Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, raised his fist in acknowledgement as the veteran saluted from the gallery. Both Zelensky and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau took part in the subsequent standing ovations. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said on Sunday that that Rota's remarks ignore 'the horrific fact that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented.' They added: 'An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation.' Rota, a Liberal MP, apologized on Sunday, saying that he had 'subsequently become aware of more information' which caused him to 'regret' his recognition of Hunka Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Canada came as part of the two country's continued alliance against Russia, and after he secured year another multimillion-dollar aide package from the US Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Hunka. A spokesperson for the Conservative party said the party was not aware of his history at the time Rota, 62, said in his statement yesterday: 'In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. 'I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so.' He went on to insist that it was his idea to honor Hunka. 'This initiative was entirely my own ... I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,' he said. Hunka, who lives in North Bay, Ontario, fought against the Red Army on the Eastern Front. In an online blog written more than a decade ago, Hunka described the period between 1941 and 1943 as the happiest of his life. The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS - also known as the 1st Galician - was mostly made up of Ukrainian volunteers. It was formed in 1943 and saw action on the Eastern Front. Its primary role was to support German forces in their fight against the Soviet Union. In his address to them, Himmler said: 'Your homeland has become more beautiful since you have lost on our initiative, I must say the residents who were so often a dirty blemish on Galicia's good name namely the Jews, I know that if I ordered you to liquidate the Poles, I would be giving you permission to do what you are eager to do anyway.' On the 78th anniversary of the division's formation in 2021, hundreds of Ukrainians took part in a parade in Kyiv. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre claimed the division was responsible 'for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.' Speaking of Rota's apology, a statement issued on behalf of Mr Trudeau said: 'This was the right thing to do. 'No advance notice was provided to the Prime Minister's Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition,' the prime minister's team said. The Ukrainian president had been in Ottawa to bolster even more support from Western allies for his country's war against Russia. Reputed by investigators to be one of the Italian Mafia's most powerful bosses, Matteo Messina Denaro disappeared in the summer of 1993 and spent the next 30 years on the run as the state cracked down on the Sicilian mob. From then on, he lived as a fugitive in western Sicily, his stronghold, eluding law enforcement thanks to the help of complicit townspeople - all while remaining at the top of Italy's most-wanted list and increasingly becoming a figure of legend. That was until eight months ago when, on January 16, 2023, his need for colon cancer treatment led to his capture. He was tracked down and arrested in hospital. On Monday, having spent almost half his life on the run after being convicted of heinous crimes, and just eight months since he was finally arrested, he died aged 61. One of the most ruthless bosses in Cosa Nostra, the real-life Sicilian crime syndicate depicted in the Godfather movies, Denaro's capture was years in the making. Reputed by investigators to be one of the Italian Mafia's most powerful bosses, Matteo Messina Denaro (pictured left and right) disappeared in the summer of 1993 and spent the next 30 years on the run as the state cracked down on the Sicilian mob Denaro lived as a fugitive in western Sicily, his stronghold, eluding law enforcement for 30 years thanks to the help of complicit townspeople - all while remaining at the top of Italy 's most-wanted list and increasingly becoming a figure of legend. That was until eight months ago when, on January 16, 2023, his need for colon cancer treatment led to his capture Maria Mesi (pictured) reportedly had a relationship with Matteo Messina Denaro and helped him shelter in the 1990s Patrizia Messina Denaro (pictured) was arrested by cops at her home in December 2013 The fourth of six children born to Francesco Messina Denaro, who controlled Sicily's Trapani province for the Mafia, he was initiated at 14 and quickly earned a reputation for dispassionate violence against men, women and children. When a local hotel manager tried to end his romance with an attractive Austrian receptionist - fearing guests would be deterred by the presence of a swaggering young mafiosi - he had the man murdered. And when a Cosa Nostra member was discovered to be a police informer, Denaro kidnapped the man's 11-year-old son, holding the boy prisoner for two years before strangling him and dissolving his body in acid. He used the same disposal method after having four mafiosos who opposed his father's decisions summarily throttled, and it was likely used to get rid of a further 50 or more victims, killed by Denaro or on his orders. He once boasted that he had 'filled a cemetery all by myself'. Perhaps his most shocking act came in 1993, when he is reported to have assassinated rival boss Vincenzo Milazzo. His attention then turned to his victim's pregnant girlfriend, who he lured to the murder scene on the pretext that Milazzo was waiting to see her, then strangled her to death. As Denaro put his hands around her throat, she pleaded with him to spare her unborn child, yet he took two innocent lives without an ounce of pity. The bodies were in the countryside. As head of the Castelvetrano clan, Denaro was allied to the Corleonesi clan, who were immortalised in the legendary 'The Godfather' films. He also became one of Cosa Nostra's deadliest soldiers when a war erupted between the mafia and the state over stricter prison laws for convicted gangsters. Such chilling dedication to the cause impressed Salvatore 'Toto' Riina, then godfather of the Sicilian Mafia. Denaro came to be regarded as his heir. During the early 1990s, when Riina tried to bring the Italian government to heel with an all-out terror campaign, Denaro proved to be a willing assassin. He was found to have had a hand in the killing of Giovanni Falcone, his wife, and three police escort officers, who died in a blast on May 23, 1992, as they crossed a bridge beneath which was planted 300kg of explosives. Two months later, Denaro had a leading role in a second bomb attack which killed judge Paolo Borsellino, another judge who worked to rid Italy of organised crime. In 2002, he was convicted in absentia for his involvement in the murder of the two judges in 1992, and in bomb attacks on historic monuments in Florence, Rome and Milan that killed 10 people and injured 93. The attacks were carried out alongside notorious hitman Giovanni Brusca (who boasted of murdering 200 people single-handedly) and it was these attacks that forced him into hiding. Another of his six life sentences was for the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the 12-year-old son of a witness in the Falcone case. His sentences were handed down as part of a maxi-trial against the Sicilian Mafia. In 1993, Messina Denaro helped organise the kidnap of a 12-year-old boy, Giuseppe Di Matteo (pictured), in an attempt to blackmail his father into not giving evidence against the mafia, prosecutors say. The boy was eventually strangled, and his body dissolved in acid Messina Denaro was sentenced in absentia to a life term for his role in 1992 in the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Pictured: The scene of the murder of Falcone in Palermo, Sicily, in 1992 The scene of the bomb attack which killed Judge Giovanni Falcone on 24 May 1992 in Palermo, Sicily The mafia boss, who comes from the small town of Castelvetrano in Sicily, also faces a life sentence for his role in bomb attacks in Florence, Rome and Milan which killed ten people in 1993. The bombs targeted some of Italy's most famous landmarks However, the sentence and being forced underground did little to quell his influence in the outside world. His brutal criminal actions put him firmly at the top of Italy's most wanted list, and on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list - where he would remain for almost three decades. During that time, Denaro outsmarted Italy's top mob-busters at every turn, savouring the hedonistic fruits of his multi-billion criminal empire - including a harem of beautiful women enlisted to ease his isolation. Despite his fame and notoriety, authorities had just a few, grainy photos of him, taken when he was a young man, and his voice had been sketchily recorded only once - when he gave evidence at trial. Investigators have since said their search for him was 'like hunting a ghost.' He never used phones or computers to deliver his orders, with police finding he would communicate with underlings by 'pizzini', small pieces of paper tightly wrapped in Sellotape so they could only be opened once before being burnt. Unwitting messengers included an acolyte's five-year-old daughter, recruited after he treated her to an ice cream. At one point during the hunt for the elusive mob boss, authorities released e-fits of what Denaro might look like today, including a mock-up of his appearance were he wearing women's clothing as a disguise. But despite pleas to the public by authorities, Denaro remained hidden, and during this time, he rose higher in the ranks of the Sicilian mafia. After 'boss of bosses' Leoluca Bagarella was arrested in the clampdown that followed the bombing spree, Messina Denaro was taken under the wing of Bernardo Provenzano who would increasingly refer to him as his 'nephew'. From there, Denaro worked to bring the mafia into the modern age. He united the scattered mafia clan's around the city of Trapiani, formed connections with South America's cocaine cartels, and cultivated a Robin-hood like status. At the same time, he had numerous sources of revenue, from drug trafficking to gambling, both in Italy and abroad. Despite his fame and notoriety, authorities had just a few, grainy photos of him, taken when he was a young man, and his voice had been sketchily recorded only once - when he gave evidence at trial Messina Denaro, captured in January after three decades on the run, died on Monday in hospital in central Italy. The 61-year-old had been treated for colon cancer But despite his reputation as a moderniser, he had to avoid using phones and the Internet to reduce his chances of being caught. His womanising ways also raised eyebrows among the clans more conservative members. He fathered a daughter in 1995 out of wedlock, which was seen as not being in keeping with Cosa Nostra's more traditional family 'values'. Nevertheless, he climbed to the top. When Provenzano was arrested in 2006 after decades on the run, Messina Denaro was tipped as his obvious successor. And with his mentor's death in 2016 - followed by the death of influential godfather Toto Riina a year later - Messina Denaro was all but unopposed at pinnacle of the Sicilian Mafia, and was a popular figure among some of the locals. The hunt intensified following Toto Riina's death in 2017, but his pursuers received scant help from the locals in his province, who were either too terrified to volunteer information or revered him as a modern-day Robin Hood. Yet unlike his predecessors, who spread their wealth among the poor to curry loyalty, Denaro lavished his fortune on luxuries such as works of art, fine dining, incognito foreign travel and perhaps his only weakness - beautiful women. The 'Last Godfather', an avowed atheist who never married and had a string of lovers - at least one of whom bore him a child - was very much a playboy. When arrested, he was wearing a 35,000 Muller watch and a designer leather jacket. And though his two known lairs in Campobello were unprepossessing side-street apartments, police who searched them found Viagra pills, condoms and expensive jewellery. A huge poster of Marlon Brando in his film role as The Godfather was displayed in the ground floor flat, a testimony to his ego. Denaro's secret bunker was found concealed in a closet full of clothes. Police have found evidence he was spending 10,000 a week on luxury items. Indeed, according to Carlo Pulici, a former financial police officer who spent many years attempting to trace him, Denaro's insatiable lust almost proved his downfall. Through an informant, Pulici discovered - too late - that The Godfather was sheltering in a seaside villa in Bagheria, 20 minutes' drive from Palermo. Carabinieri forensics officers are seen taking notes in front of the house of Italy's top wanted mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro in Palermo, January 17 Carabinieri police stand guard near the hideout of Matteo Messina Denaro, Italy's most wanted mafia boss, after he was arrested, in the Sicilian town of Campobello di Mazara, January 17 Italian newspapers with the news of fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro's arrest on January 17, 2023 in Bari, Italy A woman displays a photograph that became iconic in Italy and shows top anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone, left, and Paolo Borsellino, during a demonstration in the streets of Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. The pair were killed Denaro and accomplices Pictured: Police reconstructions of the face of Messina Denaro shared to the public, depicting what he could look like today as an older man, and in costume as a woman 'There were always lots of women going back and forth. Young, good-looking, high-class, because he was very generous to his lovers,' he told the Daily Mail in January. 'They weren't only brought to him for sex. He would have relationships with them. He saw himself as a romantic. A Latin lover,' he said. 'Another lead I followed, in 2014, took me to Bologna. Denaro's cousin owned a jewellery shop and when a diamond ring worth 30,000 euros disappeared from the shelves we deduced that the Mafia boss had it, because he was one of the few locals who could afford it. 'He had fallen for a schoolteacher in Bologna - she was in her 30s, beautiful, tall and blonde - and he'd bought the ring for her. We followed her for a while, but we could never catch him with her.' Finally, however, detectives caught wind of a solid lead. By intercepting the phone calls of one of his sisters, investigators discovered that Denaro, now 60, had cancer. They believed he was being treated at the Maddalena clinic, using an alias, and the opportunity to bring him to justice for dozens of murders had finally arrived. Yet it could all end disastrously. He might have been tipped off, as had happened many times before, and fail to show up for his 9.15am chemotherapy appointment. They could have been wrong in deducing that he was the polite, well-heeled patient who presented himself as landowner Andrea Bonafede, posed for selfies with his nurses and gifted them 'home-grown' olive oil. And if they did have the right man, a gun battle might erupt in the clinic, given that Denaro had a penchant for violence, even by Mafia standards. Before he was approached, around 100 officers, some armed with Beretta machine guns, surrounded and sealed off the building. Investigators gathered around screens receiving live images from drones hovering above the hospital in the suburbs of Palermo. Others whispered prayers and drew crucifixes across their navy blue jackets. Yet the show of force proved unnecessary. Pounced on while making his way to the coffee bar, Denaro meekly surrendered and immediately volunteered his real name. 'This is actually quite common for Mafia of a certain level,' Palermo's anti-crime commander Lieutenant Colonel Antonello Parasiliti Molica told Daily Mail at the time. 'It is about protocol a kind of code. They usually don't run or show any emotion. They don't react violently. Instead, they often compliment the arresting officers, and he did that. Before we put him on a helicopter and flew him to jail, he asked for a piece of paper and wrote down a message, congratulating the ROS and GIS [the two Italian special forces units that captured him] for treating him with humanity.' As it became clear the mission had succeeded, the control room was filled with emotion. Lt Cl Parasiliti, who helped to plan the arrest and was among those watching the feed, said he and his colleagues cheered and hugged one another. Some wept unashamedly, among them a burly senior officer who has hunted Denaro for 25 years. 'It was a cry of relief and of liberation,' the man, who asked not to be named because of his sensitive work, said at the time. 'You must understand that Messina Denaro had seemed unreachable,' the Lieutenant Colonel said. 'It was a symbol who fell.' Carabinieri chiefs dedicated the arrest to a colleague who fell to his death while erecting a listening post aerial on a mountain, hoping to intercept Mafia calls. A member of staff at the hospital, who asked to remain anonymous, told local media at the time: 'He'd been coming here on and off for about a year. He'd had an operation a few months ago and was back for more tests and chemotherapy. 'When I turned up for work this morning at 6am it was all quiet and then he arrived to do his Covid test. A few minutes later a police officer wearing full body armour as if he was going to war came in and said he was looking for a patient. 'He said to remain calm and that armed officers were on every floor of the clinic. We had no idea who he was or what his background was. 'The guy actually managed to get out and ran into a local bar but they tracked him down and that's when all hell broke loose.' As news of his arrest spread across Palermo, local residents had emerged to applaud and shake the hands of the Italian paramilitary police officers involved in the operation. The residents were seen cheering and wiping away tears as they felt a wave of relief that Denaro, who had coordinated years of terror in Italy, had finally been detained. Italian newspapers with the news of fugitive Denaro's arrest on January 17, 2023 Whatever hopes existed that Denaro would serve his prison sentence - or cooperate with authorities - were short lived, however. Prosecutors had hoped in vain he would collaborate with them and reveal Cosa Nostra secrets. But according to Italian media reports, Messina Denaro made clear he wouldn't talk immediately after capture. When he died, 'he took with him his secrets' about Cosa Nostra, state radio said. After his arrest, Messina Denaro began serving multiple life sentences in a top-security prison in L'Aquila, a city in Italy's central Apennine mountain area, where he continued to receive chemotherapy for colon cancer. But in the last several weeks, after undergoing two surgeries and with his condition worsening, he was transferred to the prison ward of the hospital where he died. His death 'puts the end to a story of violence and blood' L'Aquila mayor Pierluigi Biondi said as he confirmed the mobster's death 'following a worsening of his illness.' It also means he takes the secrets of his brutal reign to the grave. 'No-one should be denied prayers. But I cannot say I'm sorry,' Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said of the mobster's death. Teachers are struggling to with a surge in students turning up to school high on drugs because of the legalization of cannabis in New York City. More than 2,000 unlicensed dispensaries have sprung up across the city since legalization in 2021 selling strains three times as powerful as those illegally available 25 years ago. Incidents involving illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, alcohol and unauthorized use or possession of controlled substances or prescription medications in the citys schools have shot up 17% in the last year according to figures seen by the New York Post. And many cannabis derivatives are now sold in smokeless form such as gummies or vapes, leaving teachers powerless to know when their students are consuming them. They come in sluggish or sleepy. Their eyes are red. Sometimes you can smell it, too, one teacher at August Martin High School in Queens told the paper. A pot smoker in New York's Washington Square Park boosting the city's consumption record While marijuana is legal for recreational use in New York, unlicensed shops selling highly-potent THC vapes are cropping up everywhere. But law enforcement is straining to keep up Its not good for learning. They cant learn if they are high. Ive never seen them smoking but Ive seen them coming to school high, said one junior. Its like almost all the time. But you mostly see it on Fridays. Its the end of the week, people are stressed out. The sale of cannabis products to under-21s remains illegal, but the citys tolerance for unlicensed outlets leaves them largely unpoliced. Theres so many of these shops around now and there doesnt seem to be any real enforcement, said Naveed Hasan, a Harlem parent and member of the education council group for District 2 in Manhattan. Then I see kids in playgrounds rolling joints. The biggest change Ive seen in the past year, year and a half, is kids saying, I can get high, its legal, one staffer told Chalkbeat New York. To them its almost like its replaced nicotine. The number of substance abuse counselors employed in the citys schools has nearly halved to 280 since 2006. A teacher at August Martin said children of all grades were now coming to school on drugs. Its against our school policy so they get in trouble, she added. Students said that plastic vapes containing cannabis derivatives are easy to smuggle through schools metal detectors. They vape all the time. Everybody knows that. They go in the bathroom in groups, said one 11th-grader. Cannabis is associated with schizophrenia, impaired memory and learning functions according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Experts from Stanford University revealed in February that cannabis users are up to a third more likely to suffer a heart attack than others. But few students appear concerned with the dangers. Ive been smoking it for three years now, said one senior at Excelsior Prep High School in Queens. I usually smoke one before school. Im a smart kid, t doesnt stop me from learning. A double amputee migrant was seen being carried across the Rio Grande on Saturday, laying bare the desperation in the escalating border crisis. Maria Argentina, 32, was pictured crossing the US-Mexico border at Eagle Pass, Texas, with her child over the weekend, as arrivals swelled to new records, with as many as 11,000 entering on a single day last week. A group of men helped the Honduran migrant cross the river in a rubber ring, while another cluster of migrants carried her two-year-old daughter Natalie Virginia. In a harrowing scene, the mother and daughter were reunited after crossing the dangerous water, and were photographed together near razor wire designed to keep them out. As many as 232,972 migrants crossed the US-Mexico border in the month of August, an increase from previous months. Honduran double amputee Maria Argentina, 32, was pictured trying to cross the US-Mexico border at Eagle Pass, Texas, over the weekend Four men helped the Honduran migrant and her two-year-old daughter cross the river on a rubber ring Then mother and daughter were reunited after crossing the dangerous water, and were photographed together near wire fencing meant to keep migrants out A group of men helped the Honduran migrant cross the river in a rubber ring, while another cluster of migrants carried her two-year-old daughter Natalie Virginia In the small border city of Eagle Pass, the Democratic mayor has declared a state of emergency where last week it's thought that 100,000 people waded through the Rio Grande, the river that flows between Mexico and the US, and into the town. Around two million migrants are thought to have crossed the US southern border in 2023 with many citing Biden's lax policies as a reason. Another 500,000 could cross by the end of the year. Recently, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that 800 more military service men and women would be sent to the border to aid the crisis joining the more than 2,500 National Guardsman who are already present. A common route for many migrants sees them leap aboard US-bound freight trains in order to get across the border. This has become so common, that Mexico's biggest railroad company announced a suspension of services. Those coming from further south mainly travel on foot which results in them being forced to cross the treacherous Darien Gap, a jungle area in Panama seen as a pathway between South and Central America. Those troops however are not on a front line and are reduced to administration roles, allowing Customs and Border Protection officers to do more work with migrants. Last week, Biden announced plans to quickly process more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants who have crossed the border since July 31 in order to provide some relief to the growing numbers that underfunded border officials are forced to deal with. Maria Argentina reacts after her daughter Natalie Virginia made it across the Rio Grande Maria Argentina is helped across after leaving her wheelchair behind The mother holds her two-year-old daughter after they crossed the river separately The pair sitting in the back of a truck with other migrants after being picked up by US Border Patrol Around two million migrants are thought to have crossed the US southern border in 2023 Many migrants are the victims of elaborate multi-billion dollar human trafficking schemes that are run by drug cartels The numbers of migrants has been steadily rising since May 2023 when Title 42 expired. The Trump-era rule was enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic and allowed officials to turn away those crossing the border en masse citing public health risks. That has resulted in more than double the amount of migrants crossing the border per day. This weekend, border crossings on average were recorded at 8,600, up from 3,500 which was the average prior to the expiration of Title 42. The Homeland Security Department plans to grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31, making it easier for them to get authorization to work in the U.S. Thats been a key demand of Democratic mayors and governors who are struggling to care for an increased number of migrants in their care. Thats in addition to about 242,700 Venezuelans who already qualified for temporary status before Wednesdays announcement. The Roosevelt Hotel (pictured), Paul Hotel and Paramount Hotel are among those designated for housing migrants in Manhattan Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain. The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years through the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap, a stretch of jungle in Panama. Many of the asylum seekers have ended up in cities like Chicago and New York, bused north by Republican governors fed up with what they say are open-arms policies by Democrats. Both cities have already spent millions from their own budgets as they look to care for the surge of asylum seekers. Chicago has seen 13,000 migrants arrive in the city since August 2022, and the surge is expected to cost taxpayers $302 million by the end of the year. The number of migrants who need shelter in Chicago has continued to increase in recent months, and city leaders have stated they will follow New York's lead in turning different locations around the city into shelters for migrants. A man has denied murdering a millionaire shower mat tycoon couple who were found dead at their home with synthetic opioid fentanyl in their bodies. Luke D'Wit, 33, has pleaded not guilty after being charged with the murders of Stephen, 61, and Carol Baxter, 64, who founded shower mat company Cazsplash. The married couple were found unresponsive in their home in West Mersea, Essex on Easter Sunday this year by their daughter Ellie Baxter. Essex Police originally treated the deaths of the couple as 'unexpected and not suspicious' but a murder probe was launched after tests found that that Mrs Baxter had toxic levels of fentanyl and promethazine, an antihistamine used in over-the-counter cold medicines, in her body. A second man and woman were also arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of the married couple. They were held by the police to give 'comprehensive accounts' of their alleged involvement before being bailed under investigation. Luke D'Wit, 33, has pleaded not guilty after being charged with the murders of Stephen, 61, and Carol Baxter, 64, (pictured together) who founded shower mat company Cazsplash The married couple were found unresponsive in their home in West Mersea, Essex (pictured) on Easter Sunday this year by their daughter Ellie Baxter D'Wit appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court, Essex, on Monday morning through video link. The court heard the murders allegedly took place between April 6 and April 10 this year. D'Wit, who was in a wheelchair during the hearing, was also charged with being in possession of Class A drug Fentanyl on July 6. The defendant, of West Mersea, Essex, is also accused of stealing jewellery belonging to Carol on the same date. A post-mortem examination gave a provisional cause of death for Carol as combined Fentanyl and Promethazine toxicity with terminal bronchopneumonia. The provisional cause of death for Stephen was delivered as cardiomegaly and alcoholic liver disease with Fentanyl intoxication. READ MORE: Man appears in court charged with murdering wealthy couple who were found dead with deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl in their bodies Advertisement Judge Christopher Morgan remanded D'Wit at Chelmsford Prison in Essex and he will face a four week-long trial from February 12 next year. He warned the defendant about the importance of attending his trial, adding: 'Please be in attendance.' Mrs Baxter was managing director of a company called Cazsplash Ltd, selling bath mats designed to fit snugly around modern curved or corner showers, along with matching towels. Her husband was a fellow director of the business which was launched 11-years-ago, according to Companies House records. He was also global lead, operational risk and assurance, for multi-billion pound transnational real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, which was founded in the UK but has its headquarters in Chicago. The couple, who married in 2000, had two children together. Mrs Baxter, a former adult educator, had two more children from two previous marriages. They were social members at West Mersea Yacht Club which flew its flag at half mast after their deaths. The couple's daughter is said to have found them dead in their chairs on Easter Sunday when she turned up to visit them with her one-year-old son. Mrs Baxter was managing director of Cazsplash Ltd, a bathroom accessories firm which sells corner and curved shower mats Ms Baxter described how she flung open bi-fold doors to let fresh air in as she suspected a carbon monoxide leak. She said at the time: 'It was absolutely awful to see. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. 'But what I keep going back to is that they were sitting there together and were peaceful. There were no signs of a struggle or any pain.' Ms Baxter added: 'They were very loving. Family always came first. They made sure that we always had what we needed and then some.' Firefighters cordoned off the road outside the couple's home for several hours after their bodies were found, amid fears that there had been a gas leak. A Polish museum has claimed to have found the oldest time capsule in the world in a church spire, containing 300-year-old coins, Latin documents and a deformed lead bullet. The box allegedly dates back to 1726 and was discovered during renovation work at the Church of St. Stanislaus in the small town of Wschowa, in western Poland. The age of the capsule has yet to be confirmed, but if it actually is from 1726, it would make the find older than the current record holder from US city Boston. The town's museum called it a 'unique find' and said on social media: 'The oldest time capsule in the world found in Wschowa. 'The oldest capsule takes the form of a box made of copper sheet, with the date 1726 stamped on its lid. The box (pictured here) allegedly dates back to 1726 and was discovered during renovation work at the Church of St. Stanislaus in the small town of Wschowa, in western Poland The age of the capsule has yet to be confirmed, but if it actually is from 1726, it would make the find older than the current record holder from Boston, US The time capsule was found in the church spire of the Church of St. Stanislaus in Wsachowa, western Poland 'The time capsule consisting of four packages from 1726, 1786, 1884 and 1914 was extracted from the sphere at the top of the tower of the parish church.' The current oldest known time capsule, whose age has been verified, was discovered in Boston at the Massachusetts State House in 2014, hidden behind a painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River. Inside one of the newly discovered caskets, museum conservators found a parchment written in Latin which when translated chronicled a devastating fire that engulfed the town and reduced the church to ashes. They also found a lead bullet that had been shot into the casket and damaged some of the documents. Inside a smaller casket they found coins from the 18th and 19th centuries wrapped in newspapers. The town's museum called it a 'unique find' and said on social media: 'The oldest time capsule in the world found in Wschowa. The oldest capsule takes the form of a box made of copper sheet, with the date 1726 stamped on its lid' The museum said: 'The time capsule consisting of four packages from 1726, 1786, 1884 and 1914 was extracted from the sphere at the top of the tower of the parish church' The capsule was found in the small town of Wschowa, in the western part of Poland Inside one of the newly discovered caskets, museum conservators found a parchment written in Latin which when translated chronicled a devastating fire that engulfed the town and reduced the church to ashes They also found a lead bullet that had been shot into the casket and damaged some of the documents The museum said: 'Above the lock and on the bottom there is a date stamped three times from the second opening in 1884. 'The bottom was shot through with a small caliber lead bullet found inside the box. 'The smaller casket contained coins wrapped in newspapers in two separate packages.' Museum experts say they will now translate all the documents and thoroughly examine the contents of the latest find. During the 18th century, the town of Wschowa served as the second, 'unofficial capital of Poland'. In 1793, as a result of the second partition of Poland, the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. It returned to Polish hands after WWII. Inside a smaller casket they found coins from the 18th and 19th centuries wrapped in newspapers The museum said: 'Above the lock and on the bottom there is a date stamped three times from the second opening in 1884. 'The bottom was shot through with a small caliber lead bullet found inside the box' Museum experts say they will now translate all the documents and thoroughly examine the contents of the latest find. During the 18th century, the town of Wschowa served as the second, 'unofficial capital of Poland' Meanwhile, the previously oldest time capsule in Europe was also discovered in Poland in 2020 and dates back to 1797. It was found in a church spire in the town of Ziebice, 115 miles south of the most recent discovery. Opening it up, town officials found 200-year-old old coins and documents dated 1797 written in German. In the 18th century the town was called Munsterberg and was part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The town's mayor Mariusz Szpilarewicz said: 'All indications are that it may be one of the oldest time capsules found in the world. 'The oldest capsule in the world dates back to the 18th century and was discovered in Boston, USA. Our capsule is probably two years younger than the Boston one.' Meanwhile, the previously oldest time capsule in Europe was also discovered in Poland in 2020 and dates back to 1797. It was found in a church spire in the town of Ziebice (pictured above), 115 miles south of the most recent discovery Upon opening the capsule found in 2020 in Poland, town officials found 200-year-old old coins and documents dated 1797 written in German. The town's mayor Mariusz Szpilarewicz said: 'All indications are that it may be one of the oldest time capsules found in the world' The oldest capsule in the world was discovered at the Massachusetts State House in Boston in 2014 after crews removed the time capsule from the granite cornerstone of the building. Inside was an engraved silver plate proclaiming that the capsule was hidden in 1795 by Revolutionary War luminaries Samuel Adams and Paul Revere, along with a host of other items. Originally made of cowhide, the time capsule was believed to have been embedded in the cornerstone when construction on the state Capitol began in 1795. Adams was governor of Massachusetts at the time. The time capsule was removed in the mid-19th century and its contents transferred to a copper box, Galvin said. An Ohio zoo is celebrating after twin tiger cubs were born in July weighing at a meaty 15 and 16 pounds respectively. 'Hold onto your stripes!!! We've got paw-sitively exciting news,' Toledo Zoo said in a post on Facebook. The zoo said that they will hold a gender reveal and a naming competition that will be open to the public. As of right now, the cubs and their mother, Talya, are doing well. The adorable video announcing their pair's arrival shows them playing together and with their mother. 'Talya and the playful cubs are doing well off-exhibit,' the zoo also said. It not clear when the public will be allowed to meet the two. The tigers are rare Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers. They are the world's largest big cat. A fully grown male can reach 10 feet in length and weigh up 660 pounds. '[Siberian tigers] have a unique set of stripes that provide crucial camouflage,' the zoo says on its website. The typically devour elk and boar in the wild but their food sources have become rare. 'Other threats to the species include poaching for illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss,' Toledo Zoo said on its website. An Ohio zoo is celebrating after two endangered Siberian tiger cubs were born during the summer As of right now, the cubs and their mother, Talya, are doing well The WildCats Conservation Alliance, there are somewhere between 265 and 486 Siberian tigers in the wild, located in eastern Russia. It's possible there are some in China and even North Korea. Talya was born in the 2011, Titan, the twins' father Titan was brought to Ohio in 2019. He was moved from Nebraska purposefully in order for him to mate with Talya. A week before the twins' birth was announced, a 165 giraffe calf was born in the zoo. In November, Toledo Zoo welcomed a pair of polar bear twins. A competition to name those two resulted in them being named Kallik and Kallu. The next big birth at the zoo will be the third calf of Renee, an African Elephant, who is due in 2024. Minnesota's freshly appointed head of marijuana regulation has resigned amid claims she sold edibles double the potency of the legal limit. Erin Dupree, 43, stepped down as director for the state's Office for Cannabis Management just a day after her appointment was announced following allegations she sold products containing illegal levels of THC. THC is is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana and is what makes users feel 'high'. Minnesota's marijuana laws state that hemp-derived edible products must contain no more than 5mg of THC per dosage and no more than 50mg of THC per package. But Dupree has been accused of selling products with 10mg of THC per serving and up to 150mg of THC per package through her company, Loonacy. Erin Dupree resigned from her new role as director for Minnesota's Office for Cannabis Management amid claims she broke the law by selling cannabis edibles laced with double the state's legal amount of THC Dupree, pictured here with her husband Moleek Dupree denied knowingly selling the illegal products but decided to step down amid fears she was causing a 'distraction' She has since denied any conscious wrongdoing. She said in a statement: 'I never knowingly sold anything that was out of compliance. And to my knowledge, Loonacy has never been reported to the state of Minnesota for being out of compliance.' The business owner was due to begin her position on October 2 with an $150,505 salary but withdrew from the role on Friday according to the Star Tribune. The outlet shared a now-deleted TikTok in which she can be seen promoting Californian Goliath vape pens which contain several cannabinoids, illegal in Minnesota, according to the product's lab report. In the same clip, Dupree also claims to personally use the vape pens. Dupree added: 'When this video was made, these were legal. For context this was Feb '23. 'It should never be this confusing to be in business. And there should never be products on the shelf that could do real harm to people. 'I took this position to fix that problem and prevent crap like this from happening in the future. But now I'm backing out because clearly I'm a distraction here.' She also refuted claims in the same report about federal tax liens and lawsuits owing to financial troubles. Dupree said: 'When I was very ill with Lupus, lots of things went by the wayside, my bookkeeping and accounting were one of them. They have been paid in full. I have the paid lien notices to prove it.' In a TikTok from her now-deleted business account for Loonacy Cannabis, Dupree advertised a Goliath vape pen which violates MN laws, she claimed the pens were legal at the time the video was created Dupree was due to take up her post at Minnesota's new Office for Cannabis Management at the State Capitol (pictured) next month Recreational marijuana was legalized for over 21s in Minnesota in July, making the state the 23rd to introduce such legislation. The laws also added new penalties for non-compliant hemp-derived products including a $3,000 fine and up to a year in jail for anyone who knowingly sells non-compliant edible cannabinoids. Governor Tim Walz told The Telegraph: 'One of the responsibilities, and I take it and the buck stops with me, is the appointments of literally thousands of people. 'In this case, the process did not work and we got this wrong.' Benefit, Bahrain's leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions services, has signed an agreement to acquire Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB), a leading fintech hub in the region that incubates impactful and scalable initiatives. This agreement seeks to accelerate the sustainable investment in Bahrains fintech ecosystem thereby paving the way for a robust, future ready financial services sector, said a statement. The partnership brings together Bahrains leading fintech market players to develop a more systematic and institutional framework for collaboration across the ecosystem, it said. As an active ecosystem builder which has cemented its standing as an enabler of fintech innovation across the region, BFB was formerly supported by a diverse portfolio of founding partners and entities, incubating over 116 start-ups since its inception. By creating a collective taskforce to drive joint national strategies, synergies, and high-impact initiatives within a fast-growing fintech sector, the newly formed partnership seeks to contribute to ensuring Bahrain keeps pace with key investment trends in an increasingly competitive global playing field, said the statement. Moving forward, BFB will maintain its commitment to supporting impactful fintech initiatives across the sector by delivering bespoke acceleration framework and innovation labs, future proofing local talent through securing leading international fintech education programs. Moreover, BFB will continue to provide curated corporate advisory services, conducting comprehensive in-depth research and developing data-driven strategies to its fintech partners on a project basis. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, Chief Executive at Benefit, said: In line with our strategic plans, this partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay marks a new chapter in our journey of success, as we aim strongly to contribute to establishing Bahrain as the R&D centre of financial knowledge for the region. "This step falls directly in line with the national direction of the Central Bank of Bahrain, Bahrain Economic Development Board and Bahrains Economic Vision 2030 that work towards the growth and diversification of the national economy through the development of key sectors, which includes fostering a more innovative financial and fintech ecosystem to further elevate Bahrains competitiveness on an international playing field, he said. Bader Sater, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain FinTech Bay, said: This is a pivotal moment for us at BFB. In response to ever-changing macroeconomic conditions, where the financial landscape is rapidly evolving, our strategic partnership with Benefit will keep us closer to the heart of Bahrains fintech ecosystem. This new streamlined operating model charts the path to a more sustainable future, where we plan to build on our existing strengths and successes as we work as a collaborative front to serve Bahrains wider fintech ecosystem, taking it to even greater heights. Benefit, which is administered by a Board of Directors that represent the companys shareholders, has continually invested in deploying innovative payment solutions across Bahrain as part of its ongoing commitment to consistently upgrade its portfolio of services, which include various innovative services, e.g., BenefitPay, e-Cheque and electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC), to offer streamlined, seamless experiences to its users. The Bahrain Credit Reference Bureau additionally operates under Benefit, which acts as the central data warehouse between all banks, financial institutions, and credit providers in Bahrain. - TradeArabia News Service An American husband has been arrested over the alleged beheading of his father-in-law in Indonesia. Arthur Leigh Welohr, 35, had been running a business with his Indonesian wife's dad Agus Sopiyan, 58, but their relationship allegedly soured as the venture began to fail. The San Franciso native reportedly hatched a scheme to kill Agus, then allegedly attacked him at a house near his own residence in Banjar City, West Java, on Sunday, September 24. Terrified neighbours heard the pair arguing, but dismissed it as an ordinary fight. However, Welohr allegedly overpowered and knocked down Agus, before brandishing a knife and stabbing the older man. Horrific video footage from the scene shows the dead man's head hanging from his shoulders. Shocked onlookers subdued Welohr and called the police for help. They then shouted angrily at Welohr as he was frogmarched away in handcuffs. Agus meanwhile was found 'in a terrible condition' behind his house, with his head severed from his neck. Welohr was frogmarched away from the scene of the crime in handcuffs Arthur Leigh Welohr, 35, had been running a business with his Indonesian wife's dad Agus Sopiyan, 58, but their relationship allegedly soured as the venture began to fail Welohr is seen alongside his Indonesian wife and family A local named Rizal said: 'The neighbours here initially thought it was just an ordinary argument. But it turned out he pushed and slit his father-in-law's throat.' He added that the residents could not intervene in time because of how quickly the attack unfolded. Adjunct Inspector Nandi Darmawan, head of Public Relations of the Banjar Police, said: 'The suspect has been arrested. We are still investigating this case. We will convey the results of further investigations when all the investigations have been completed.' Yayat Ruhiyat, chief of the Raharja Village where the alleged murder happened, said: 'Previously the suspect had vandalised his in-laws' house and this was also reported to the police. 'However, for various reasons, the police did not make any arrests until this incident occurred.' Agus was found 'in a terrible condition' behind his house, with his head severed from his neck Yayat said Welohr's wife had paid for the vandalism damages, but the rampaging American continued to violate his in-laws' home before reportedly committing murder. Banjar Police Chief of Investigation AKP Ali Jupri said in a statement on Monday, September 25: 'The suspect said he felt that his father-in-law was hindering the relationship between him and his wife. He felt that he himself was being attacked and finally carried out the killing.' Local media reported that Welohr was charged under Article 338 of Indonesia's Penal Code, which states that: 'The person who, with deliberate intent, takes the life of another person, shall, being guilty of manslaughter, be punished by a maximum imprisonment of fifteen years.' Before allegedly murdering his father-in-law, Welohr, from California, had been arrested in 2015 for attacking and wounding two people with a sword in San Francisco. He was reportedly arguing with the victims - a man and woman in their 50s - before whipping out a sword and slashing them. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, San Francisco police had said, though it is unclear whether he was jailed. Tories are facing an intensifying threat to the 'Blue Wall' after the Lib Dem warchest was boosted by a 1million bequest. Ed Davey's party was given the cash injection in the will of a wealthy activist - and pledged to use it to target Conservative heartlands. The gift emerged as the Lib Dem leader attempted to reassure Tory voters by playing down his hopes of rejoining the EU, and abandoning plans to hike income tax. A Lib Dem source said the donation, the party's biggest since 2019, would be 'transformational'. The windfall came in the will of former lawyer and longstanding member John Faulkner, and is said to be enough to recruit extra staff in dozens of seats. Ed Davey is shown the sheep enclosure at Sparsholt College Hampshire by the party's candidate for Winchester, local vet Danny Chambers Sir Ed also tried his luck in a tractor as he tries to boost the Lib Dems' standing The Tories have clawed back some ground on Labour in the latest Deltpoll research The source said: 'We are hugely grateful for this donation that will be transformational for the party in winning more seats in the blue wall at the next election. 'We have been getting interest from more and more senior business leaders, including former Conservative donors, who are appalled by the actions of this government. 'Rishi Sunak trashing his commitments to net zero has underlined that he has turned his back on the business community and the country's economic future.' Tories claw back ground on Labour in poll - but still 16 points behind The Tories have clawed back ground on Labour in a poll today. The latest Deltapoll research showed Rishi Sunak's party 16 points behind - eight points closer than 10 days ago. The gap is still enough to deliver a big majority for Keir Starmer, but could be seized on by Conservatives as a sign things are starting to shift. Mr Sunak has gone on the attack by watering down Net Zero pledges, delaying the ban on new diesel and petrol cars until 2035. Sir Keir has also come under fire over his push for closer ties with the EU. Advertisement Sir Ed said he will drop a key pledge to put a penny on income tax to improve public services as the party announced a host of policies aimed at winning over Tory heartlands. He said the commitment which dates back to 1992 was unsustainable when people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Speaking to The Times, he said: 'We've had two years of frozen income tax allowances and four more years to come. Those six years of stealth income tax rises equate to more than a 3p rise in the basic rate of tax,' Sir Ed said. 'You can't ask working families to pay more in tax. You just can't. 'In the blue wall seats, which we've never really been competitive before, the evidence is we're now becoming super-competitive.' The tensions caused by Sir Ed's positioning to take on the Tories has been underlined at the conference in Bournemouth. When he told members during a Q&A yesterday that he was 'campaigning hard on Europe', one shouted 'no, you're not'. During a bruising round of interviews this morning, Sir Ed repeatedly tried to avoid being pinned down on the issue - saying there were 'many' other problems to deal with and reversing Brexit was 'currently not on the table'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his focus was on winning over votes in the so-called 'Blue Wall' Tory heartland seats. 'We are a pro-European party and we want Britain back at the heart of Europe,' he said. Pressed on rejoining the single market and customs union, Sir Ed said: 'Well again, currently that's not on the table.' He added: 'At the next election, and beyond the next election, Liberal Democrats will be making the economy and the health service our core issues.' Grilled further on BBC Breakfast Sir Ed said rejoining the EU was a 'long-term thing', claiming there was 'no confusion' over the party's stance. He told BBC Breakfast he and foreign affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran had 'worked very carefully to make sure that we can improve our relationship with Europe'. 'At the moment those sorts of things, in terms of long-term things, are not on the table,' the leader said. He defended the party's decision to scrap its long-standing pledge to put a penny on income tax to improve public services, saying there is 'good reason for that'. 'People are struggling with a cost of living crisis, they don't need to pay more bills,' he said. 'They've already got some stealth tax rises from the Conservatives.' Concerns have been growing in Lib Dem circles that they have been outflanked by Labour, after Keir Starmer talked up his desire for closer ties with Brussels. Sir Ed has said people on the doorstep just 'aren't talking about Europe', but senior figures including former leader Sir Vince Cable have argued the party should not lose sight of the issue. 'I really don't think it's sensible to say because the public aren't talking about Brexit, we mustn't,' he reportedly told a fringe event elsewhere. An ultimate goal to return to membership status within the bloc is currently official policy, but the leader has been reluctant to speak publicly about this and says it is currently off the table. Sir Ed has advocated 'root-and-branch' reform of the existing Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), but framed this as a long-term challenge, arguing a 'realistic' approach is necessary. Sir Ed has been trying to raise the Lib Dems' profile with a series of stunts at the conference in Bournemouth When Sir Ed told members during a Q&A yesterday that he was 'campaigning hard on Europe', one shouted 'no, you're not' The Liberal Democrats have become the first major political party to adopt an early version of their manifesto for a general election expected next year as they enter their third day of annual conference. Keeping the triple lock for pensions, introducing a 5 billion social care package and banning sewage dumping are among pledges the party says are central to the newly approved document. On the November 2024 ballot, Biden could face Green Party candidate Cornel West and a moderate No Labels-endorsed candidate Hillary Clinton warned President Joe Biden in a private meeting that he needed to take the threat of a third-party challenger seriously, as he faces all-time high disapproval ratings and sits behind former President Donald Trump in some surveys. NBC News reported Monday that Clinton gave the president the warning while she was at the White House for the Praemium Imperiale Laureate ceremony alongside first lady Jill Biden earlier this month. Clinton saw her own White House dreams dashed when she lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump - with a number of Clinton's allies labeling Green Party nominee Jill Stein a spoiler. Now Biden faces potential spoilers from both his political left and right - with Cornel West, a former supporter of progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, coming after votes from Biden's left flank and the group No Labels hoping to get a moderate on the general election ballot. 'It's pretty f***ing concerning,' a source familiar with the White House's discussions on the matter told NBC. Hillary Clinton warned President Joe Biden in a private pull-aside while she was at the White House earlier this month for the Praemium Imperiale Laureate ceremony that he needed to take third-party challengers seriously President Joe Biden is photographed leaving chuch Saturday. He faces potential spoilers from both his political left and right - with Cornel West coming after votes from Biden's left flank and the group No Labels hoping to get a moderate on the ballot Polling bears out those concerns. In an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday, Biden is down by ten points against Trump, 42 percent to Trump's 52 percent, in a two-way race, among registered voters. NBC's News national poll has better news for Biden - sort of. He's tied at 46 percent support with Trump when it's just two of them on the ballot. But this survey shows the damage a third-party candidate could do. When third-party options are included, Biden loses to Trump 36 percent to 39 percent. In that scenario a libertarian candidate would take 5 percent of the electorate, a No Labels candidate would siphon away 5 percent and a Green Party candidate would get the support of 4 percent, the poll found. Pollsters didn't use West's name when asking respondents about a Green Party pick. In an interview with The Atlantic in July, West denied he was poised to become a spoiler. 'I would say that most of the people who vote for me would not have voted for Biden,' he said. 'They would have probably stayed home.' Cornel West (right) campaigns for Sen. Bernie Sanders (left) at a New Hampshire rally in February 2020 when Sanders was running against now President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary. Now West is taking on Biden as a third-party candidate Another point of concern for Bidenworld is that polling shows the Democratic electorate is thirsty for choices going into 2024. The ABC News poll found that 62 percent of Democratic leaning voters want a candidate other than Biden to run. The NBC News poll found that 59 percent of Democratic primary voters want someone to challenge Biden in a Democratic primary next year. Just 36 percent said they wanted Biden, 80, left unchallenged. By comparison, prior to the 2020 election, only 37 percent of Republican primary voters wanted to see Trump challenged, while 59 percent of GOP primary voters were satisifed with him as the party's pick. Biden has attracted two challengers - but neither have previous government experience. Marianne Williamson, the self-help guru, is running as a Democrat, as is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose prominent vaccine skepticism has made him more popular on the political right than with mainstream Democratic voters. Polling shows the president leading Kennedy by about 50 points and Williamson by 60. That's why Democratic allies of the president are more concerned about a third-party, general election threat. 'With a tight election, every vote counts,' a Biden ally told NBC News when asked about the threat of a third-party challenge. 'Is it in the back of many peoples brains? Absolutely. Do we have to be careful as we move out? Yes, we do,' the source said. Biden himself is 'worried about it,' another source told the network. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez says piles of cash found in his home during his bribery probe were withdrawn from his personal savings in an incredible press conference on Monday denying corruption allegations. At a press conference, where he made his first public comments since Friday's indictment, the New Jersey lawmaker pushed back against some of the specific charges and demonstrated he intends to fight back, calling the charges 'salacious' and accusing those who called for resignation of acting in their own political interests. Menendez, 69, didn't mention the more than $100,000 worth of gold bars or the Mercedes prosecutors say he received for doing favors for a New Jersey developer as he confirmed he will not resign. 'I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be the New Jersey's senior senator.' The Democratic senator, who beat back corruption charges in 2015, noted: 'Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. Sadly I know that.' His wife Nadine was not seen with him during Monday's remarks but, standing behind the senator were about two dozen people he described as 'everyday people and constituents who know me.' Senator Bob Menendez proclaimed his innocence in a press conference in New Jersey 'To those who have rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts framed by the prosecution to be a salacious as possible,' he said. 'Others have rushed to judgment because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them. All I humbly ask for in this moment, in my colleagues in Congress, the elected leaders and the advocates of New Jersey that I have worked with for years, as well as each person who calls New Jersey Home is to pause and allow for all of the facts to be presented.' He did not take questions, including about the gold bars found in his home or the Mercedes-Benz, that prosecutors say he received as bribe payments. He also did not address whether he will run for re-election next year. More than two dozen Democrats in New Jersey have called for him to resign and one top Democrat in the state has announced a Senate bid. Menendez said he will return to Washington DC this week to perform his duties as senator. 'For now, I am remained focused on continuing to do the important work that I do every day on behalf of the 9 million people who call New Jersey home and including everything we can this week to avoid a government shutdown and everything to avoid catastrophic natural disasters and ensuring that the people in Ukraine have everything to defeat Putin and I will return to Washington to do that,' he said. In Washington, where the Senate is closely divided, some of Menendez's Democratic colleagues have stopped short of calling for his resignation, including Majority Leader Chuck Schume and the Number Two Democratic Leader Dick Durbin. In a June 2022 raid on Menendez's home, investigators found $486,461 in cash stuffed in envelopes and in the pockets of jackets with Menendez' name on them. They also found two one-kilogram gold bars and eleven one-ounce gold bars worth $110,000. Menendez defended the money, saying he often kept cash on hand because it's a lesson he learned from his parents, who escaped Fidel Castro's Cuba to live in the United States. He didn't mention the gold bars. 'For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the emergency of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,' he said. 'Maybe it is old fashioned, but these were monies withdrawn from my personal savings account from the income that I have lawfully derived. I will defend those actions at court,' he said. The 27-page indictment, unsealed on Friday, claims that Bob and Nadine Menendez had an improper relationship with three New Jersey businessmen: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes, who allegedly paid the couple in exchange for Menendez to use his influence in Washington D.C. to their benefit. The couple face three criminal counts each: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. The three businessmen face charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud The indictment also charges the senator with providing 'sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.' Menendez defended his record on Egypt. Prosecutors say he met with Egyptian military and intelligence officials, passed along non-public information about employees at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwrote a letter on behalf of Egypt asking his Senate colleagues to release a hold on $300 million worth of aid. 'Throughout my time in Congress, I have remained steadfast on the side of civil society and human rights defenders in Egypt and everywhere else in the world. If you look at my actions related to Egypt during the period described in this indictment and throughout my whole career, my record is clear and consistent in holding Egypt accountable for the unjust detention of Americans and others and the human rights abuses,' he said. Cash was found in envelopes during a June 2022 raid of Menendez home; Menendez claims it was from his personal savings Senator Robert Menendez leaves his press conference Senator Menendez did not mention the gold bars found in his New Jersey home Senator Menendez's wife was not at the press conference but, standing behind the senator were about two dozen people he described as 'everyday people and constituents who know me' Menendez has hired the same lawyer as Hunter Biden to defend him against federal bribery charges, CNBC reported. Attorney Abbe Lowell is representing Hunter Biden in his defense against federal gun charges and will now take on the senator's case. Lowell also represented Menendez in 2015 when he faced corruption charges that were eventually dropped. But support for the embattled Democrat is waning. More than two dozen Democrats in New Jersey have called on him to resign. And, Rep. Andy Kim, who cleaned up the Capitol after the rioters left on Jan. 6, 2021, announced he's running for Senate, setting up a tough primary challenge for Menendez. 'This is not something I expected to do, but I believe New Jersey deserves better,' Kim said in a statement. 'We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our countrys integrity. I believe its time we restore faith in our democracy, and thats why I am stepping up and running for Senate.' It is the second round of bribery charges for Menendez. A 2015 case ended in mistrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on all counts and a judge acquitted him on some charges. The first time Menendez was indicted, he had been accused of using his influence to help a Florida eye doctor who gave him gifts and campaign contributions. Menendez was accused of pressuring government officials to resolve a Medicare billing dispute in favor of Dr. Salomon Melgen and securing visas for the doctors girlfriends. He said he was innocent. His lawyers said campaign contributions and gifts from Melgen which included trips on his private jet to a resort in the Dominican Republic and a vacation in Paris were tokens of their longtime friendship, not bribes. Prosecutors dropped the charges after the mistrial. But, in contrast to eight years ago, when many in the party stood by him, multiple Democrats - including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman - have now called on Menendez to resign. 'The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state,' Murphy said. As governor, he would appoint a senator to replace Menendez should he resign. Notably, New Jersey's other Democratic Senator, Cory Booker, has been silent on Menendez. Menendez himself has remained defiant - although he has stepped down from his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine Arslanian arrive for a state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in December 2022; the couple has been charged on three criminal counts related to bribery and extortion Rep. Andy Kim announced he will run for Senate in 2024, setting up a Democratic primary challenge with Menendez - above, Kim garnered national attention when he helped clean up the Capitol after the January 6 insurrection Fred Daibes, Chairman and CEO of Daibes Enterprises, in his Edgewater office In his press conference on Monday, Menendez did not mention his Latino background although he repeated his remarks in Spanish. It was a change of pace from Friday, when he claimed he was being 'falsely accused' because he is a 'Latin American' who rose from a humble childhood to the United States Senate. 'Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first generation Latin American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. senator,' he said in a statement. Republicans see an opening to win a Senate seat if Menendez stays on the ballot. But former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has ruled out a run, sticking with his campaign to be the Republican presidential nominee. 'I have no interest in being in the United States Senate,' Christie told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker in a Sunday morning interview. In the indictment, investigators outline a series of texts, payments and actions the couple allegedly took to help the three businessmen, actions from which they financially benefited. The probe listed several 'bribes' paid to them. 'Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,' the indictment said. A June 2022 raid on their New Jersey home found 'over $480,000 in cash - much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe,' the indictment notes, adding Nadine had over $70,000 in a safe deposit box. It also found two one-kilogram gold bars and eleven one-ounce gold bars. The indictment alleges that Menendez tried to disrupt a federal criminal prosecution of Fred Daibes in exchange for the money and other items of value. Daibes is an old friend of Menendez, has fundraised for his Senate campaign, and allegedly has ties to the Genovese mob family. The indictment charges Menendez 'promised to and did use his influence and power' to pressure President Joe Biden to nominate a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey who Menendez 'believed could be influenced by Menendez with respect to the federal criminal prosecution of Fred Daibes.' Menendez recommended and Biden later nominated Phillip Sellinger as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, the top federal prosecutor in the state. Daibes has been under investigation before. New Jersey authorities have tracked high-ranking mobsters meeting with Daibes repeatedly over the last decade, the Daily Beast reported. Daibes provided the couple with gold bars and envelopes of cash, the indictment states. 'Multiple gold bars provided by Daibes were found during the court-authorized June 2022 search; of the couple's home, the indictment states. It also says the senator performed a web search for 'how much is one kilo of gold worth' and that the envelopes of cash had the fingerprints of Daibes and his driver. The luxury Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible worth more than $60,000 Authorities found two one-kilogram gold bars and eleven one-ounce gold bars in Menendez's home during a June 2022 search $486,461 in U.S. currency was seized from the couple's home, per the indictment The investigation also focused on 40-year-old New Jersey businessman, Wael Hana, who has known Nadine since before she started dating Menendez. Hana, who is originally from Egypt, operated the company IS EG Halal in New Jersey and it soon became the sole entity authorized to certify that any halal food product imported into Egypt from anywhere in the world had been prepared according to Islamic law. According to the indictment, Menendez 'improperly advised and pressured an official at the United States Department of Agriculture for the purpose of protecting a business monopoly granted to Hana by Egypt and used in part to fund the bribes being paid to Menendez through Nadine Menendez.' The designation of IS EG Halal surprised U.S. agriculture officials. Previously, several other companies had been doing that certification, but they were dismissed by Egyptian agriculture officials in favor of IS EG Halal, which had no previous experience in the field. The indictment charges Menendez with using the power of his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to influence the State Department regarding policy in Egypt and with sending Nadine 'highly sensitive' about Egypt that he got in Senate briefings that she, in turn, gave to Hana. As a senator, Menendez could put a 'hold' on State Department funding to the country. In a text to his wife, Menendez tells her: 'I am going to sign off this sale to Egypt today. Egypt: 46,000 120MM Target Practice Rounds and 10,000 Rounds Tank Ammunition: $99 million.' Nadine then forwarded it to an Egyptian official who replies with the thumbs up emoji. Businessman Jose Uribe allegedly bought Menendez and Nadine the luxury vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible worth more than $60,000. In exchange, Menendez 'agreed and sought to interfere in a New Jersey state criminal prosecution of an associate of Uribe,' the indictment states. Uribe provided Nadine Menendez with $15,000 in cash for the down payment for the Mercedes and then paid the monthly payment for her. After she had possession of the car, Uribe texted her: 'are you happy?' She responded, 'I will never forget this.' She also texted her husband, after the purchase was complete: 'Congratulations mon amour de la vie, we are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes,' with a heart emoji. A pair of Canadian twin sisters have been charged with fraud after allegedly pretending to be Inuit to obtain more than $10,000 in scholarships and grants for their online business. Amira and Nadya Gill, 25, were charged along with their mother, Karima Manji, with fraud of over $5,000 each. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they told police they were the biological daughters of Inuit woman Kitty Noah, and that Manji had adopted them. The lie won them scholarships and grants for their online business that sold COVID face masks. Amira and Nadya Gill, 25, were charged along with their mother, Karima Manji, with fraud of over $5,000 each. They claimed thousands in grants and scholarships by claiming Inuk heritage which police now say was a lie Among the benefits the sisters received were grants for their facemask business. They proudly advertised as being indigenous-owned The sisters regularly advertised the brand as Inuit-owned, and promoted it in the local media. The fraud is said to have been between 2016 and 2022. It remains unclear whether the girls are adopted, or if they are Manji's biological children. The alleged fraud was first exposed in March, when the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. announced it was investigating the girls' claims. Noah, the Inuk woman who the girls had claimed was their birth mom, died in July this year. The sisters claimed they were adopted and that their birth mother was Inuk. It remains unclear if they were adopted Before her death, she publicly denied giving birth to the girls. Her son, Noah Noah, told CBC in April: 'She was definitely taken advantage of by this Karima Manji. 'They are not my mom's twins. We had a conversation with her about it and she was just as flabbergasted as we were.' The NTI said the fraud is the first of its kind in the organization's history. After graduating from college, the sisters started a business during COVID selling facemasks. They promoted it locally, appearing on local outlet CTV Ottawa. All three women are due to appear in court in Ottawa next month. Noah's family say they are outraged by the lies. They believe Manji only knows about their family, who live in Iqaluit, because she once dated a man in the family. Aluki Kotierk, the president of the NTI, fumed at the alleged fraud. 'Youve wanted to take our language away from us. Youve wanted to take our culture away from us. 'Now youre trying to claim our identity? Its just flabbergasting.' Neither of the twins, nor their mother, has commented publicly. The family of the tragic teenager barred from speaking about her end-of-life legal battle today told of their anguish that she died just days before she could see the draconian gagging order lifted. Sudiksha Thirumalesh, 19, who suffered from a rare degenerative disease, died of a cardiac arrest as she fought an NHS Trust's attempts to withdraw her life-preserving treatment. She was anonymised using the initials 'ST' and banned from speaking openly about her ordeal by a court order which was finally removed on Friday. 'It's disheartening... knowing that she battled for this long and it was only a matter of a few days from the point that the transparency order has been cleared, where we were able to tell her name publicly,' her cousin Anita Arai said. 'We were just hoping that she could have held on for a few more days.' Sudiksha Thirumalesh, 19, who suffered from a rare degenerative disease, died of a cardiac arrest as she fought an NHS Trust's attempts to withdraw her life-preserving treatment The bright, straight-A student, who had been determined to tell her story, died on September 12 - just ten days before her application was due to be heard at the High Court. Now watch the Mails exclusive documentary on Sudikshas awe-inspiring battle for life Just weeks before Sudiksha's death she had launched a legal appeal after a judge ruled that she did not have the 'mental capacity' to make decisions about her own medical care Advertisement The previously outgoing teenager, who suffered from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, had been in hospital for over a year after contracting Covid-19. The infection saw her condition worsen leaving her reliant on regular dialysis, a feeding tube and a ventilator. 'She was fine, until the night before her death, even on the day of her passing away, she did meet with other cousins at the hospital and was fully active in terms of mental capacity and had conversations with them,' her cousin told Times Radio. 'It was only a few hours later we heard this tragic news. Until that point I don't think she envisioned the end.' Sudiksha, from the West Midlands, had hoped to travel to North America to join clinical trials for nucleoside therapy which she believed was her 'only chance' at extending her life. But the family say she was unable to raise the 1.5million needed for the transport and treatment because reporting restrictions had banned her from telling the public her story. 'As a family we did give her the confidence boost, that the court date was coming up and there would be more chances when we put her name forward in public. 'But [she died] literally days before,' the mother added. Sudiksha had been locked in a six-month legal battle with her doctors who insisted she was 'actively dying' and that the kindest and most responsible course would be to 'de-escalate her intensive care'. They took her to court and successfully argued that her refusal to accept their view was a sign of delusion and that the Court of Protection should decide her fate. Sudiksha, who had been conscious and able to communicate, died just weeks after launching an appeal against a judge's ruling that she did not have 'mental capacity' to make her own decisions. It was made despite two court appointed psychiatrists stating that she did have 'capacity' with one noting that she was 'comfortable, smiling, alert and in clear consciousness'. 'She was living a normal life like any other teenager. All of this was all triggered when she contracted Covid last year, if she hadn't her health wouldn't have deteriorated,' Ms Arai added. The previously outgoing teenager, who suffered from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, had been in hospital for over a year after contracting Covid-19 She said that the family had been left heartbroken that the young teen died before she could raise the funds to travel abroad. 'Her standpoint was... 'if this is my last chance... let me risk it instead of lying here in a hospital bed knowing that I'm not receiving a treatment to be cured, I'm receiving the treatment to be put towards palliative care',' she explained. 'She was hospitalised in the last few months but she was fully active (in terms of mental capacity) and she could hold a proper conversation with anybody including my three-year-old son. 'She wanted to be listened to, her voice and her opinions...She wanted to get alternative treatment,' her cousin added. The family, who say Sudiksha was able to speak and write down her thoughts until the end, have vowed to continue her appeal against the ruling on her capacity to prove the courts wrong. They have already been to the High Court on her behalf to successfully remove the draconian reporting restrictions which had shrouded her case in secrecy. They were able to finally tell her story in an exclusive interview in Saturday's Daily Mail in which they paid tribute to the remarkable teen. Her family are still fighting for restrictions on identifying the NHS trust, the hospital and the clinicians involved in the case to be lifted. Justice Peel reserved judgment on those matters and is exepcted to deliver a ruling tomorrow. Sudiksha: Condemned to die in secret at 19 - Watch the Mail's exclusive documentary here. New York governor Kathy Hochul has deployed 150 more National Guardsmen to help with the migrant crisis in NYC which spiraled over the weekend with three men arrested for allegedly attacking their girlfriends at emergency shelters. Hochul announced on Monday that an additional 150 soldiers will join more than 2,000 servicemen already helping with the migrant surge across New York state which has seen more than 116,000 people arrive just this year. The National Guardsmen will focus solely on case management for the Venezuelans who can apply for Temporary Protected Status and then get a work permit. Hochul's move comes as the migrant crisis in both NYC and Chicago reach a boiling point as thousands continue crossing the US-Mexico border before heading to north to sanctuary cities, where they have a right to shelter. Three migrants were arrested over domestic assault incidents at the iconic The Roosevelt Hotel and a hotel-turned-shelter in Long Island City over the weekend. Migrants wait in a closed downtown bar that's attached to the Roosevelt Hotel as they are processed on Monday Migrants arrive at Manhattan's Roosevelt Hotel on Monday. The historic building has been dubbed 'the new Ellis Island' by city officials The Roosevelt Hotel (pictured) has become the registering point for the migrants who arrive by bus in the city after crossing the US-Mexico border in Texas On Sunday, an allegedly drunk Milton Vargas-Torapanta, 31, was charged with assaulting his wife, 27, in front of their 11-year-old daughter in their room at a hotel-turned-shelter in Long Island City, Queens. Also on Sunday, Jefferson Rivera, 23, was arrested and charged with assault after he allegedly punched his girlfriend with a closed fist and tried to strangle her in front of the couple's child at The Roosevelt Hotel, which was turned into an emergency shelter for migrants in May. Just a day before, police were called to the shelter at The Roosevelt over another domestic fight involving 23-year-old Franklin Mendoza, who was charged with harassment, aggravated harassment and three counts of assault. Rivera has not yet been arraigned, and Mendoza was released without bail on Sunday, as reported by The New York Post. The historic Manhattan tower, dubbed 'the new Ellis Island' by one city official - has become the registering point for the migrants who arrive by bus in the city after crossing the US-Mexico border in Texas. Many of them have been bused north by Republican governors fed up with what they say are open-arms policies by Democrats. The hotel is among many in Manhattan that have been designated to house migrant families with children, who have started attending schools in midtown this Fall. The city is currently paying about $385 a night per migrant family that needs housing and feeding. According to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, asylum seekers are costing the city roughly $10 million every day. Adams is facing a furious backlash after more than 110,000 migrants have flooded into the city since the spring of 2022. The Big Apple has taken in more than double the amount of migrants than the next most-popular cities. Adams has pleaded for state and federal aid as it is estimated the migrant crisis will cost the city $12billion over the next three years. New York gov Kathy Hochul has asked the national guard to assist during the asylum seeker crisis in NYC. Several buses of migrants arrived at The Roosevelt Hotel over the weekend Migrants, most of them from Venezuela, wait outside the Roosevelt Hotel for processing Scooters parked outside the Roosevelt Hotel. Many of the asylum seekers are working illegally as delivery drivers in Manhattan - some boasting of making up to $3,000 a month Migrants arrive on a bus for processing at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan Migrants were seen sleeping outside The Roosevelt Hotel which has reached capacity since being turned into a designated center for asylum seekers New York City's migrant crisis is expected to cost the city $4.7billion this year. Above is a list of some of the landmarks that have been turned into emergency shelters as officials struggle to house nearly 60,000 migrants in the city's care Houston was listed as the destination for 15,416 people, while 15,329 documented that they were heading to Los Angeles County and 11,081 made their way to Miami-Dade County since May. Despite mayor Adams' cries for help from the state and federal government, the city has not received aid to cover the extra costs, so the $4.7billion would come from the city's budget. That amount is equal to the budgets for the city's sanitation, fire and parks departments combined. Adams has warned that the city's services will be affected by the incredible additional expenses on the budget. He has previously stated the city is planning on cutting services such as library hours, meals for senior citizens, and free, full-day care for three-year-olds. Last week governor Hochul warned that asylum seekers who arrive in New York City will not be housed in hotel rooms as they have been in the past. 'We have to get the word out, that when you come to New York, you're not going to have more hotel rooms, we don't have capacity,' Hochul said on CNN. 'So we have to also message properly that we're at a limit - if you're going to leave your country, go somewhere else.' It's a stunning reversal from her statements in December 2021, when she promised to house and protect asylum seekers - before thousands of migrants began arriving every month from Sothern border states. More than 113,000 migrants have arrived in the city since last Spring. 'As you know, the Statue of Liberty is inscribed. It says, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free,' Hochul previously said. 'You're welcome with open arms and we'll work to keep you safe... We'll not only house you, but we'll protect you.' Gatwick bosses have imposed a limit on the number of daily flights out of the London airport for the whole week - as a coronavirus outbreak among air traffic control staff has sparked travel chaos for thousands of passengers. The airport will be limited to 800 movements a day, starting today and remaining in place until Sunday, October 1. The daily limit is designed to stop last-minute cancellations and delays for passengers while NATS - who operate the London Gatwick air traffic control tower - work through challenges caused by sickness and staffing constraints. It comes as some 8,000 passengers were said to have been left out of position after a total of 50 flights arriving or leaving the West Sussex hub were cancelled today and yesterday. Data from the FlightRadar24 tracking website revealed Gatwick had 26 arrivals and 23 departures cancelled yesterday. There was also one arrival cancelled today. A coronavirus outbreak among air traffic control staff has sparked travel chaos for thousands of passengers at Gatwick Airport (pictured) Some 8,000 passengers were said to have been left out of position after a total of 50 flights arriving or leaving the West Sussex hub were cancelled today and yesterday. Pictured: Chaos at Gatwick Airport Passengers waiting at Gatwick Airport where delays were caused by a number of air traffic controllers staff calling in sick Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick said: 'This has been a very difficult decision but the action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last minute cancellations. 'We are working closely with NATS to build resilience in the control tower, and this decision means we can prevent as much disruption as possible. 'London Gatwick would like to sincerely apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions.' The cap has been imposed as 30 per cent of NATS tower staff are unavailable for a variety of medical reasons, including Covid. It means there will be around 29 fewer flights on Wednesday, 40 fewer on Thursday, 65 fewer on Friday and 30 fewer on Sunday. NATS apologised to passengers in a statement but said a variety of medical reasons means 'we cannot manage the number of flights that were originally planned for this week'. It said: 'We have worked very closely with Gatwick airport throughout. Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport. Full list of flights cancelled at Gatwick yesterday and today ARRIVALS YESTERDAY 2.05am: Tenerife (easyJet, U28038) 7.05am: Dalaman (WizzAir, W95710) 11.20am: Belfast (easyJet, U2824) 2.45pm: Bilbao (Vueling, VY6307) 3.20pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28677) 4.25pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28494) 5.35pm: Barcelona (Vueling, VY7824) 6.25pm: Naples (easyJet, U28342) 6.25pm: Nice (easyJet, U28424) 6.50pm: Glasgow (easyJet, U2864) 6.55pm: Paris Orly (Vueling, VY8944) 7.10pm: Berlin (easyJet, U28626) 7.30pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28683) 7.50pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2820) 7:55pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28456) 8.50pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U26474) 9.35pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2832) 9.40pm: Basel (easyJet, U28484) 9.45pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28687) 10.00pm: La Rochelle (easyJet, U28452) 10:10pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28408) 10.15pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2804) 10.15pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28498) 10.20pm: Isle of Man (easyJet, U2844) 10.25pm: Nantes (easyJet, U28448) 10.45pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U2816) TODAY 1.25pm: Tivat (easyJet, U28812) DEPARTURES YESTERDAY 7.50am: Belfast (easyJet, U2823) 1.50pm: Nice (easyJet, U28423) 2.55pm: Heraklion (Tui, BY5794) 3.15pm: Glasgow (easyJet, U2863) 3.25pm: Bilbao (Vueling, VY6306) 3.55pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28688) 4.45pm: Edinburgh (easyJet, U26473) 5.00pm: Paris (easyJet, U28455) 5.00pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28505) 5.50pm: Basel (easyJet, U28483) 6.10pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2831) 6.20pm: Barcelona (Vueling, VY7825) 6.30pm: Geneva (easyJet, U28495) 6.35pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2803) 6.40pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28684) 7.05pm: Naples (easyJet, U28341) 7.05pm: Paris CDG (easyJet, U28409) 7.05pm: Nantes (easyJet, U28447) 7.15pm: Isle of Man (easyJet, U2843) 7.45pm: Berlin (easyJet, U28627) 7.45pm: Paris Orly (Vueling, VY8945) 8.05pm: Amsterdam (easyJet, U28686) 8.30pm: Belfast (easyJet, U2821) Advertisement 'Our operational resilience in the tower will improve as our staff return to work and we move out of the summer schedule, which is particularly busy at Gatwick.' NATS added: 'We continue to train additional air traffic controllers and expect another group to qualify to work in the tower over coming months, ready for next summer. 'Even an experienced air traffic controller takes at least nine months to qualify at Gatwick and very few are able to do so, as Gatwick is such a busy and complex air traffic environment.' EasyJet made up dozens of the flights affected after a drop in the 'flow rate' of planes using the Gatwick runway, with some services delayed by up to seven hours. The airline said it was 'extremely disappointed' by the issues which saw eight flights cancelled to and from Belfast, and others to or from Edinburgh, Geneva and Paris. National Air Traffic Services (Nats) based in Fareham, Hampshire, said the disruption was due to 'short-notice staff sickness including some incidences of Covid'. This is the third time in a month that Gatwick passengers have faced chaos due to air traffic control staff sickness, following incidents on September 14 and September 6. That was on top of the Nats technical glitch on August 28 that caused widespread disruption at airports across the UK, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded. Among those left furious by issues over the weekend was consultant psychiatrist Daniel Wilkes, from Angus, whose flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh last night was cancelled after the scheduled departure time. He told The Independent: 'I just can't believe the lack of contingency planning from Nats for staff sickness and that this is happening again. 'Plus, airports and airlines have had quite a while to firm up their processes for cancellations, and yet always the poorly managed scrum ensues. Bizarrely, we were made to exit through border control. I didn't even have my passport as it was a domestic flight.' Dr Wilkes rebooked an easyJet flight this morning from London Stansted to Edinburgh, after travelling there in an Uber for 100 and spending 159 on a hotel at the Essex airport which he hopes the airline will pay. Others took to social media to complain of disruption, with one writing on X: 'Hello @easyJet my flight back to London Gatwick from Amsterdam was cancelled and I am currently stranded in the airport and cannot get through to your customer services. Please can you help me.' Another posted: 'AI172 should have departed at 20:00 - whilst I can see the gate number online, my mum at the airport has been asked to wait by the screen in a very packed terminal, airport are blaming the airline but can't be the case as ALL flights are delayed. Answers please?'. And a third wrote: '@easyJet you have cancelled the 4pm Gatwick to Schiphol and didn't complete confirmation for my rescheduled flight, booked through your shoddy app that crash's. Now all flights full today. Your staff were useless in the airport refusing to help and I have to get home today.' A fourth added: '@easyJet very unhappy this weekend. After a delay inc 25 mins on tarmac after landing at Gatwick on Friday, rtn flight today cancelled and only alternative landed 2+ hrs later. Which is now running 1+ hr late, including standing in an outdoor holding area for 30+ mins.' Vueling cancelled six flights to and from Barcelona, Bilbao and Paris. One passenger wrote on X: 'Vueling flight from Paris to Gatwick cancelled this evening. Next flight Tuesday. Going to miss connection to Dublin.' An easyJet spokesman told MailOnline: 'Nats air traffic control staffing shortages at Gatwick has led to a significantly reduced flow rate being imposed on all airlines meaning flights to and from Gatwick Airport have been subject to disruption and we have been asked not to operate some others. 'We are extremely disappointed that customers are once again being impacted by this and while this is outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused to our customers. 'We are doing all possible to minimise the impact of the disruption and have notified those on cancelled flights of their options to rebook or receive a refund and are providing hotel accommodation and meals where required.' A Gatwick spokesperson said: 'Due to short notice sickness in the air-traffic control tower including cases of Covid-19, temporary air traffic control restrictions were put in place yesterday. This caused some delays and cancellations by airlines. 'We worked hard to minimise disruption and we apologise for any inconvenience. The air-traffic control tower is fully staffed this morning.' And a Nats spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'We very much regret that some passengers experienced delays at Gatwick yesterday (Sunday, September 24). 'This was due to short notice staff sickness including some incidences of Covid. We did all we could to minimise disruption, working closely with the airport and airlines. 'We have worked very hard to increase the number of controllers, but it will take some time to build full resilience. 'It does mean, though, that short notice absences may lead to air traffic control regulations being applied in order to maintain safety, and we are all very sorry for the impact this has.' Deputy First Minister Shona Robison has been accused of disrespecting the Royal Family after showing up for an event with Princess Anne 40 minutes late. Humza Yousaf's second-in-command attended the Royal opening of Aberdeen South Harbour on behalf of the Scottish Government but angered many of the 350 guests by keeping them waiting. It is understood Princess Anne filled in the time by speaking to members of the public for far longer than intended. When she eventually made her speech, Ms Robison surprised the audience by failing to thank the Princess Royal for attending in sharp contrast to the UK Government representative Andrew Bowie. The Scottish Government said she was late to Friday's event due to 'urgent government business' and apologised to organisers. Deputy First Minister Shona Robison has been accused of disrespecting the Royal Family after showing up for an event with Princess Anne 40 minutes late The Scottish Government said Ms Robison was late to Friday's event due to 'urgent government business' and apologised to organisers Ms Robison, who is Humza Yousaf's second-in-command, attended the opening of Aberdeen South Harbour on behalf of the Scottish Government but angered many of the guests Timings given to guests said HRH The Princess Royal would arrive at 1.30pm, and would meet a group of pre-approved guests from 1.50pm. Speeches by Ms Robison and Mr Bowie, who is MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and nuclear minister, were then due to take place at 2.35pm. Two separate attendees told the Mail that speeches scheduled for 2.25pm did not begin until 3.05pm, and the delay appeared to have been caused by the SNP politician's late arrival. Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Conservative MSP for North East Scotland, said: 'It was completely disrespectful that the Deputy First Minister could not get to the Royal opening of Aberdeen Harbour on time and to keep everyone waiting, including Princess Anne, is quite disgraceful.' The Scottish Government admitted the Deputy First Minister arrived late but denied that speeches were delayed because of this. One guest said: 'Her speech was awful as well. Andrew Bowie was there for the UK Government and he thanked Her Royal Highness for attending but Shona made no reference to her at all. 'She didn't acknowledge the Princess Royal in any way.' The Royal event was marking the completion of the 420million Aberdeen South Harbour project. Normal protocol is that timekeeping is crucial on Royal visits, with events required to start and finish at the agreed times. Organisers are expected to ensure there are no surprise changes to the programme as this can cause consternation for those responsible for security arrangements, as well as embarrassment for the host and visitor. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'The Deputy First Minister was unavoidably delayed due to urgent Government business and apologised to the organisers. 'The speeches were not delayed and the organisers were notified in advance.' No details were given of a reason for the late arrival. However, she had been involved in discussions with council umbrella group Cosla over Thursday and Friday last week about funding for the increased offer to school workers, ahead of this week's planned strikes. The Scottish Government said that after the speeches were made Ms Robison 'enjoyed her conversations with everyone including the Princess Royal'. A sparsely populated area of Alaska home to hundreds UFO and 'bigfoot' style sightings has also seen 20,000 people disappear since 1970. While many have a heard of the Bermuda Triangle, a patch of ocean in the Caribbean known for mysterious airplane and boating disasters, the so-called Alaskan Triangle has managed to slip largely under the public radar, despite having a missing persons rate more than double the national average. Located between Juneau, Anchorage and the small town of Barrow, the area is reportedly a hotbed of paranormal activity. Explanations for the strange phenomenon have ranged from everything from alien activity to powerful electromagnetic fields in the area, similar to those found in the Bermuda Triangle. Local legends refer to a 'sasquatch' creature terrorizing towns. This includes one settlement called Portlock on the southern edge of the Kenai Peninsula which was abandoned in the 1950s after villagers were 'attacked and killed' by an unknown creature they called the Nantinaq. Rep Nicholas Belgich disappeared in 1972 along with fellow Rep Hale Boggs, an aide and a pilot on a flight through the Alaska Triangle. It is thought the aircraft crashed though no remains were ever found In recent years however, the area has been the backdrop to thousands of unexplained vanishings. Despite being just one per cent inhabited, Alaska has far and away the most missing people compared to any other state with an average of 42.16 per 100,000, according to World Population Review. The next highest state for missing persons is Arizona with 12.28, double the national average of 6.5 people per 100,000. One of the first disappearances to pique interest in the Alaska Triangle took place in 1972, when U.S. Reps. Hale Boggs and Nick Begich along with an aide and their pilot disappeared following a suspected plane crash. The group was traveling from Anchorage to Juneau when they are thought to have gone down, though no wreckage or any bodies were ever found despite almost 40 days of searches. More recently Shanna Oman, 43, disappeared while visiting a friend in Fairbanks on June 3, 2019. Oman had made arrangements to get a ride home with a friend, but never materialized or returned home. She left without any belongings or her dog and her disappearance has perplexed authorities who searched for days using helicopters and canine units. Even experienced outdoorsmen are not safe. In 2011, mountain rescuer Gerald DeBerry, 43, went out with a group in the White Mountains about 70 miles north of Fairbanks to search for a missing woman but never returned from the expedition. A year later his ATV was discovered with the engine switched off, but no sign of its owner. Alaska native Shanna Oman was due to return back to her accommodation in Eagle River after visiting a friend on June 3, 2019 but was never seen again Various conspiracy theories have been posited as an explanation to the mass disappearances in the area. Field researcher Ken Gerhard told the History Channel that the triangle could be a 'vile vortice', a lozenge-shaped area with increased electromagnetic force. He said: 'The theory is that these particular areas are supercharged with geo electromagnetic energy and that abundance of electromagnetic energy results in some strange things'.' A new Discovery documentary has interviewed people with some of the most compelling paranormal experiences. They include Wes Smith who saw 'very strange' triangular objects flying without emitting any sound. He said: 'Its like everything youve ever been taught has gone out of the window, because how is that possible?' UFO expert Debbie Ziegelmeyer told the Daily Star that Alaska's sparse population makes it 'attractive' to extraterrestrials. 'They can pretty much go where they want,' said Debbie, who is the Star Team Investigator for MUFON . 'That's the attraction of Alaska.' Mountain rescuer Gerald DeBerry vanished in 2011 during a rescue mission despite knowing the area and being trained in outdoor survival The Alaska Triangle hosts 17 of the U.S.s 20 highest peaks and boasts half of the nation's wilderness MUFON believes that aliens could be trying to spy on the military technology on display across the Alaskan Triangle and points to a rise in UFO sightings since World War Two. Big Foot has been spotted in the area According to locals, sasquatches have their run of the land One of the biggest disappearances was the loss of 44 military personnel aboard a a Douglas C-54 Skymaster en route from Alaska to Montana. Despite one of the biggest joint search and rescue missions by Canadian and American authorities, no trace has ever been found. Meanwhile, cryptozoologist Cliff Barackman told the outlet that 'anything, of any size,' could be hiding in the Alaskan wilderness. He said: 'With so much fantastic habitat and so few people to compete with, Sasquatches basically have the run of Alaska'. In a move to bolster Bahrain's tech ecosystem, YK Almoayyed & Sons, one of the kingdom's esteemed business conglomerates, has announced a two-year corporate alliance with Reboot01, the first-of-its-kind on-campus coding institute in the kingdom. This partnership exemplifies YK Almoayyed & Sons' unwavering commitment to investing in the future of Bahrain's digital landscape and aligns with the ambitions of the Economic Vision 2030, the company said. In this partnership, YK Almoayyed & Sons will provide internship opportunities for students within its organization, enriching their academic endeavours with invaluable practical industry exposure. Beyond this, the students stand to gain from the vast reservoir of expertise held by YK Almoayyed & Sons seasoned professionals, who will offer their mentorship, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry challenges. Furthermore, YK Almoayyed & Sons will actively consider these promising graduates for employment opportunities within its diverse business verticals. Moreover, to further immerse these students in the world of tech innovation, the partnership will introduce a series of bespoke projects and hackathons, granting students a platform to apply their fresh ideas to tangible business scenarios, it said. YK Almoayyed & Sons Director Mohammed Farouk Almoayyed, reflecting on this strategic alliance, commented: "Our collaboration with Reboot01 is not just a corporate agreement; it's a testament to our belief in Bahrain's youth and the digital future they represent. As a part of our commitment to the Kingdom's Economic Vision 2030, we are eager to play an active role in shaping the next generation of tech leaders." Reboot01s Managing Director Yanal Jallad noted: From the very first meeting, I was confident that YK Almoayyed & Sons understood the strong impact that Reboot01 can have on the Kingdoms digital landscape and the lives of Bahrainis who join the institute. I would like to thank Mohammed Farouk Almoayyed and his team for their tremendous support and for their commitment to helping us achieve Bahrains digital transformation goals. This partnership is a significant stride in the realisation of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030. As the kingdom pushes for a tech-inclusive economy, this milestone partnership between YK Almoayyed & Sons and Reboot01 symbolises the harmonious blend of education and industry that is pivotal for such transformative growth, said the company. - TradeArabia News Service The teenage son of Putin-backed Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov pulverised a Ukrainian man who was being held on suspicion of burning a Koran. Adam Kadyrov, 15, was caught on tape pulverising Nikita Zhuravel, 19, a native Ukrainian, who was held in a detention cell for allegedly burning a copy of Islam's holy book. While the beating has been discussed openly in Russian media for a month, video of the attack was shared by the brutal Chechen warlord on Monday, who praised his teenage son for the horrific incident. Father-of-14 Kadyrov said on his social media channels: 'There are still arguments online about the fact that [my son] Adam Kadyrov beat up the Holy Koran burner Nikita Zhuravel, an accomplice of the Ukrainian security services. 'Did it happen or not? He beat him and did the right thing. Adam Kadyrov (pictured, left) is one of his father's 14 children Adam Kadyrov was seen mercilessly beating a Ukrainian teenager for allegedly burning a copy of the Koran 'Moreover, I believe that anyone who infringes on any Holy Scripture, including those who demonstratively burn it and offend tens of millions of citizens of our large country, should be severely punished. 'Our country has a unique law protecting the Holy Scriptures, signed by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. 'Religious values of the citizens of the country are protected by the state at the highest level. And provocateurs cannot take that away. 'Without exaggeration, yes, I am proud of Adam's action. 'He has always been distinguished by his desire to grow up not amongst his peers but amongst his elders, thus developing adult ideals of honour, dignity and defending his religion. 'I respect his choice.' Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured) is a devout Muslim man himself Vladimir Putin (pictured, right) has backed Kadyrov for several years He said of the 19-year-old man who was meant to be under his protection as leader of Chechnya: 'Such provocateurs and traitors are a sick tumour on the body that needs to be cauterised.' The beating is currently under investigation by Russia's Investigative Committee. TV star Ksenia Sobchak complained to the head of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin - a former Putin classmate - over the post. 'This is hell. This is the head of the Republic [of Chechnya]. 'This is disrespect for the laws of our country,' she said. 'Adam Kadyrov's actions must be investigated, they must be given a legal assessment in accordance with the Criminal Code of Russia, not the laws of sharia or Ramzan Kadyrov. 'This young man should not get away with it, how much longer can he mock the whole of Russia and openly spit in the face of the entire law enforcement system?' Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured) released a nearly unintelligible video of himself walking through a park It comes after Kadyrov was not seen in public for several weeks, fuelling speculation that he was either dead or severely ill. The bloodthirsty Chechen leader, 46, was rumoured to have been in a 'critically ill' state after he was reportedly rushed from Moscow to his regional capital Grozny, nearly 2,000 miles away, to deal with severe kidney problems. Ukrainian intelligence claimed that it had information that he was in a 'serious condition'. 'We can confirm that he had had a severe relapse and has been in [a] critical condition for several days,' a spokesperson for the GUR said last week. But Kadyrov posted a video to his Telegram channel seemingly confirming that he was still alive. The warlord, who has frequently been accused of being involved in the kidnapping, assassination, and torture of human rights activists, critics, and their relatives, took two videos of himself walking down a path in an unknown park. While he can be heard speaking in both videos, he was not coherently speaking. He says 'this is how things are...' before trailing off and mumbling incoherently about the rain and the distance he has left to walk, before bizarrely ending the video by saying 'so do some sport!' He can also be heard breathing heavily while going on a gentle stroll through the park. Republican presidential hopeful Tim Scott wagged his finger at his fellow GOP hopefuls, accusing them Monday of waffling on the issue of abortion. In a new 30-second spot, the South Carolina senator accused some Republicans of 'retreat[ing] on life' and allowing the 'radical left' to win, by not backing a national ban of the procedure at the 15-week mark. The ad comes ahead of the second Republican debate, which will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, California on Wednesday night. 'If the radical left wins, abortions will be performed on minors without their parents' consent. Babies old enough to feel pain will be aborted,' Scott warned. 'And poor single mothers like mine will be told that aborting their children would help the economy.' 'Yet these people say I'm the extremist,' he continued. 'I'm Tim Scott and I approve this message because some Republicans want to retreat on life.' Republican Sen. Tim Scott, a GOP 2024 hopeful, played up his position Monday that abortion should be banned at 15 weeks at the federal level, pushing that other Republican candidate have waffled on the issue of 'life' In a post on X and in a new ad, the South Carolina senator said 'babies old enough to feel pain will be aborted' unless Republicans stand strong on the issue. Without naming names, Scott some, 'Some Republicans want to retreat on life' The ad shows Sen. Tim Scott walking through a church and holding a Bible. Last week in Iowa Scott called out former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley for not backing a federal abortion ban 'I know life is a gift from God. And this is a fight we must win,' he 2024 hopeful added. While Scott didn't call out any candidate in particular in the new ad, the senator did name names when bringing up abortion last week. At a campaign stop in Mason City, Iowa, last Monday, Scott called out former President Donald Trump for comments he made about abortion that aired on NBC's Meet the Press the day before. During a sit-down with Meet the Press' new moderator, Kristen Welker, Trump said Republicans with a hardline position on abortion are 'not going to win on this issue.' Trump floated that there could be some consensus instead. 'I'm going to come together with all groups, and we're going to have something that's acceptable,' the ex-president and frontrunner in the GOP 2024 primary said. In Iowa, Scott said this wasn't acceptable. 'President Trump said he would negotiate with the Democrats and walk back away from what I believe we need, which is a 15-week limit on the federal level,' Scott said. Scott added, 'Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, all along with President Trump say they will not name a week where we stop California, New York and Illinois from having abortions on demand.' 'I say, not on my watch.' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law in his state, but has suggested that something that strict wouldn't be viable at the federal level. Trump called DeSantis' six week ban 'a terrible mistake' - believing it to be an election-loser. DeSantis shot back saying, 'Donald Trump may think its terrible. I think protecting babies with heartbeats is noble and just.' Ramaswamy has said he didn't believe abortion bans should be decided on at the national level, though has voiced support for states barring the procedure at six weeks. During a campaign stop in New Hampshire Thursday, Haley blasted the 'fellas' who have 'demonized' abortion and explained how it was politically unrealistic for a Republican candidate to say they could get the procedure banned at the federal level. 'So no Republican president can ban abortion any more than a Democrat president can ban these state laws,' she said. Like Trump, she encouraged 'consensus' on the issue. 'Can't we agree that we don't want late-term abortions? Can't we agree that we should encourage adoptions and better quality adoptions?' she said. 'Can't we agree that doctors and nurses who don't believe in abortion shouldn't have to perform them?' 'Shouldn't we agree that contraception should be accessible? And can't we agree that no state law should say that any woman who's had an abortion can go to jail or get the death penalty?' she asked. 'Let's just start there.' A paramedic has told an inquiry how he found a woman 'writhing in pain' shortly before her death after she and her partner spent three days lying undiscovered inside a crashed car off a motorway. Lamara Bell, 25, and John Yuill, 28, were involved in a serious crash on the M9 near Stirling on July 5, 2015. The couple had been on a camping trip with friends to Lochearnhead, Stirling, and were making their way back to Falkirk. They lay in their Renault Clio for three days before being discovered, after a police control room operator failed to log a 101 call reporting the crash. Mr Yuill was found dead at the scene by a farmer on July 8 while Ms Bell was still alive and calling for help. A missing persons investigation was launched after the families of Mr Yuill and Miss Bell reported them missing when they failed to return home. Helpless: Lamara Bell lay trapped in the car for three days before she was discovered by a passing farmer. A control room operator had failed to dispatch a 101 call to emergency services Her partner John Yuill, 28, died of severe head trauma as a result of the crash James Stewart, 55, was one of the first paramedics at the scene after the couple were discovered by a farmer on Wednesday July 8. Giving evidence at the Fatal Accident Inquiry at Falkirk Sheriff Court, he said Miss Bell seemed 'confused and incomprehensible' and had been 'writhing in pain'. Mr Stewart, then a service area manager for the Scottish Ambulance Service, assessed Miss Bell, putting her at a nine on the Glasgow Coma Scale and said she would only move after stimulus had been applied. The paramedic, who retired from the ambulance service in 2018, also said Miss Bell seemed 'hypothermic'. Advocate depute Gavin Anderson KC asked Mr Stewart how he knew Miss Bell was hypothermic, as he was not able to check her temperature. Mr Stewart said: 'It was touch really. To touch her skin - it was cold. That was one indication. 'It could (also) have been the colour of her skin as well.' Later on Monday, the inquiry heard from Sergeant Ruth Aitchison. She said that Traffic Scotland, which monitors motorways in Scotland for incidents, confirmed there had been no reports of any accidents on the M9 at that time. Mr Anderson asked Sgt Aitchison if road searches were able to take place at the crash location, would officers have been able to search the crash site on foot. Sgt Aitchison said: 'Yes.' Crash scene: Police at the embankment The inquiry then heard from forensic scientist Richard Valance who assessed the damage to the car following the accident. The inquiry heard Mr Yuill had hit a parking bay when the couple arrived at Broxden Services, on the outskirts of Perth, on the morning of Sunday July 5 2015. The inquiry was shown CCTV footage of the car hitting the bay with some force, but not enough to damage the tyres so significantly the journey could no longer continue. Mr Yuill and Miss Bell travelled a further 30 miles to the site where the car eventually crashed. Mr Vallance said in his report that there was evidence of 'poor maintenance' of the tyres. On Friday, the inquiry heard how witness Robert Findlay had climbed down a motorway embankment and called the emergency services upon discovering that Miss Bell and Mr Yuill were trapped inside the car. The FAI comes after the family of Ms Bell was awarded more than 1 million in damages from Police Scotland in a civil settlement in December 2021. Three months previously, the force was fined 100,000 at the High Court in Edinburgh after it pleaded guilty to health and safety failings which 'materially contributed' to Ms Bell's death. Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone apologised to the families following the court case. The inquiry before Sheriff James Williamson continues. Thousands of people have fled from a disputed Azerbaijani territory to neighbouring Armenia amid fears that they may face ethnic cleansing. Nearly 6,700 people arrived in Armenia after leaving the Nagorno-Karabakh region, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, in the two days since the Armenian government began accepting refugees on Sunday. Armenia's prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, said that the country has plans to look after up to 40,000 refugees, but said he expects up to 120,000 people to leave the region due to the 'danger of ethnic cleansing', raising serious concerns over whether Armenia will be able to cope with the influx of people. Refugees have been fleeing the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been fought over for three decades, after Azbaijan's government launched a lightning-fast military campaign on September 19 that forced separatists in the region to lay down their arms. The major military move saw at least 200 people die and more than 400 wounded after Azerbaijan began an 'anti-terrorist' campaign in Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian region that has been at the heart of conflict in the region for generations. Refugees have been fleeing the Nagorno-Karabakh region for fears they may be subjected to ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Azerbaijani government Armenia says it has plans in place to hold up to 40,000 refugees from the region Armenia said that it up to 120,000 refugees may come knocking at its doors Hikmet Hajiyev, a political adviser to the president of Azerbaijan, told CNN last week that the 'counterterrorism action' was launched in response to the deaths of six people in a series of landmine explosions inside Azerbaijan. Two civilians and four police officers were reportedly killed. 'The Azerbaijani government has made a decision to start with an unlimited, but local counterterrorism actions and measures on the ground to neutralize finally the military installations of military infrastructure that illegally exists on our territory,' Hajiyev said at the time. Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, assured that the rights of ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh would be respected, proclaiming on Sunday: 'Karabakh's residents - regardless their ethnicity - are citizens of Azerbaijan.' But the region's de facto leaders have warned citizens not to trust Azerbaijan's leaders. Azerbaijan launched the major military operation on September 19 Refugees, mostly ethnic Armenians, have been fleeing the region for days Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, assured that the rights of ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh would be respected The ethnic Armenian leadership said it would remain in place until all those who wanted to leave Nagorno-Karabakh were able to go. They urged residents to hold back from crowding the roads out, but promised free fuel to all those who were leaving. Tensions have been rising for nearly a year, after Azerbaijan blocked off the only road between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia in December, preventing Armenian supplies from going through. The conflict has been on the radar of the rest of the world for months. Russian peacekeepers were deployed in 2020 to prevent tensions from escalating, though Russia has refused to help Armenia and has largely been supporting Azerbaijan's military. EU and US officials have also been involved in mediation, with limited success. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, an ally of Russia, lauded Azerbaijan's 'historic success' at a meeting with its president Ilham Aliyev in the country's western exclave of Nakhichevan. 'The window of opportunity has opened to settle the situation in the region. This opportunity must not be missed,' Erdogan said. Donald Trump considered buying a glock with his face on the grip during a visit to South Carolina on Monday, stopping at the Palmetto State Armory with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to examine the weapons available for purchase. The former president also posed with a special 'Trump edition' gun that features the Trump's photo on the handle and the words 'Trump 45' on the chamber. 'I'm going to buy one. I want to buy one,' Trump said after examining the weapon. 'Isn't glock a great gun?' One of the salespeople told the former president that Trump glock was a top seller. 'They sell well,' Trump asked. When he heard 'yes,' he replied: 'They like me.' The exchange was posted on social media by Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, who wrote Trump purchased the gun. Cheung later clarified the former president did not actually make the purchase and he deleted the video he posted on X, the platform formally known as Twitter. Donald Trump poses with a glock gun with his face on it during a trip to South Carolina If Trump had bought the glock, there would have been questions about the legality of him buying it. Federal law prohibits anyone under a felony indictment - which applies to Trump, who is facing multiple charges from the Justice Department tied to his possession of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results - from purchasing a gun. However, some federal judges have ruled that such a rule isn't consistent with the Constitution, meaning Trump could have challenged the issue in court. Additionally, in South Carolina, a purchaser is required to have either a concealed carry permit, or have an instant background check done in order to purchase a fire arm. The form Trump would have to fill out is an ATF form. On it, he would have to attest that he is not under felony indictment and not using or addicted to drugs - just as Hunter Biden did when he bought a gun in 2015. Trump examined and posed with the GLOCK G19 GEN4 COMPACT "TRUMP" EDITION 9MM PISTOL, THREADED BARREL, which retails for $829.00, per the Palmetto State Armory website. Trump posed with Palmetto State Armory co-owner Julian Wilson and Palmetto State Armory founder Jamin McCallum, according to photos and video posted to social media. He also posed with a glock, holding it up for photos. Greene, a strong Trump ally, posted such a picture on her social media and wrote: 'President Trump doing a little shopping in South Carolina! He will protect our great Second Amendment!!' The glock features Trump's photo and retails for $829.99 Trump's armory stop comes as President Joe Biden has established a gun violence prevention office. Gun violence is also likely to be a major in the 2024 presidential campaign. Biden is appealing to suburban women, voters of color and younger voters, who have expressed concern about gun violence. Trump, meanwhile, has been a prominent defender of second amendment rights. Polls show Americans are growing more concerned about the number of shootings in the country. The U.S. has one of the highest rate of gun violence in the world. Six-in-ten U.S. adults say gun violence is a very big problem in the country today, with 62% of Americans saying they expect the level of gun violence to increase over the next five years, according to the Pew Research Center. So far in 2023, there have been 504 mass shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Trump, as president, did not sign legislation expanding background checks. However, he did ban the sales of bump stock - a device that turns a firearm into a firearm that operates like an automatic weapon. A bump stock was used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in American history. 'I'm going to buy one. I want to buy one,' Trump said after examining the weapon. 'Isn't glock a great gun?' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (in back wearing white) was with Donald Trump Trump was campaigning in South Carolina as he runs for the GOP presidential nomination The former president spoke at a campaign event at Sportsman Boats in Summerville - part of the greater Charleston area - later Monday afternoon. He was joined Senator Lindsey Graham and Governor Henry McMaster two of his largest allies in the state. South Carolina is an important primary state. Trump leads polls for the Republican presidential nomination by double digits. In South Carolina, he's battling home state lawmakers Nikki Haley and Tim Scott for a win there. He leads both in polling of the state. It's Trump second visit to South Carolina in only two months. A JetBlue flight from Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale hit extreme turbulence while landing in Florida on Monday, injuring seven customers and a crew member. JetBlue flight 1256 departed from Guayaquil, Ecuador around 11:51 p.m. Sunday heading to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. As the plane approached Florida around 5 a.m. Sunday it 'experienced sudden severe turbulence as it neared Florida,' the airline statement said. 'When the flight landed it was met by medical personnel who transported seven passengers and one inflight crewmember to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.' The airline said the aircraft was taken out of service for inspection. Seven customers and one crew member were taken to the hospital after hitting severe turbulence Monday The JetBlue flight was flying from Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale, Florida The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported 46 close call incidents in July. A JetBlue flight landing at Logan International Airport in Boston nearly smashed into a private jet which took off without permission earlier this year. US airlines are slamming the FAA over air traffic control staffing shortages which they say have led to cancelled and delayed flights during record-setting travel season. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport ranked fourth as one of America's worst airports. The ranking was based on overall customer satisfaction as passengers return to pre-pandemic levels of travel. A Venezuelan flag was planted in the middle of the Rio Grande at the US-Mexico border at Eagle Pass before it was promptly taken down by Texas officials over the weekend. It is estimated that over the last week an astonishing 100,000 migrants entered Eagle Pass, a small border town of fewer than 30,000. Most have been released after being processed and will remain free as they wait for their asylum appointments - a process that could take years. According to local reports, most of the asylum seekers are Venezuelans who say they had to leave their home country because of the economic and social collapse of the South American nation under the socialist regime of Nicolas Maduro. As the crisis continues, the Mexican and American governments and the United Nations are considering setting up a temporary pre-screening program for about 40,000 asylum seekers from Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba who are currently in southern Mexico, where there are no mobile US consulates to do this. UN migration and refugee agencies would review the migrants' asylum eligibility before they get to a mobile US consulate, according to Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena. A Venezuelan flag was planted in the middle of the Rio Grande at the US-Mexico border at Eagle Pass before it was promptly taken down by Texas officials over the weekend Texas officials with the Department of Public Safety are seen taking down the Venezuelan flag It is estimated that over the last week an astonishing 100,000 migrants entered Eagle Pass As many as 232,972 migrants crossed the US-Mexico border in the month of August, which is an increase from previous months. Moreover, around two million migrants are thought to have crossed the US southern border in 2023 with many citing Biden's lax policies as a reason. Another 500,000 could cross by the end of the year. Recently, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that 800 more military service men and women would be sent to the border to aid the crisis joining the more than 2,500 National Guardsman who are already present. A common route for many migrants sees them leap aboard US-bound freight trains in order to get across the border. This has become so common, that Mexico's biggest railroad company announced a suspension of services. Those coming from further south mainly travel on foot which results in them being forced to cross the treacherous Darien Gap, a jungle area in Panama seen as a pathway between South and Central America. Those troops however are not on a front line and are reduced to administration roles, allowing Customs and Border Protection officers to do more work with migrants. Last week, Biden announced plans to quickly process more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants who have crossed the border since July 31 in order to provide some relief to the growing numbers that underfunded border officials are forced to deal with. As many as 232,972 migrants crossed the US-Mexico border in the month of August, which is an increase from previous months A migrant family from Venezuela reacts after breaking through a razor wire barricade into the US. They say they are fleeing hunger and repression under the regime of Nicolas Maduro Migrants are seen waiting to be processed in Eagle Pass, Texas NEW: Video courtesy of Texas Congressman @RepTonyGonzales shows the inside of a Border Patrol tent processing center in Eagle Pass on Friday when he visited. He says the facility capacity is 1,000, but when he was there, 4,600 migrants were in custody. pic.twitter.com/fMIN8JKrGR Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 25, 2023 There are currently approximately 242,700 TPS beneficiaries under Venezuela's existing TPS designation, who will be able to remain a further 18 months. There are an additional approximately 472,000 nationals of Venezuela who are now eligible for the scheme. Many of the asylum seekers who enter the country through Texas end up being bused to progressive sanctuary cities like Chicago and New York City by conservative governors like Texas' Gregg Abbot as they protest what they see as the Democrats' open-arm immigration polices. The surge of asylum seekers has created chaos in New York, where The Roosevelt Hotel has become the intake center for migrants looking for shelter. Democratic mayor Eric Adams is facing a furious backlash after more than 110,000 migrants have flooded into the city since the spring of 2022. Many of the migrants have been transported north from Republican border states in a bid to prove the Democrat s' open arms policies are a disaster. NYC has a legal obligation to give shelter to those who make their way there, and Adams has desperately turned to a variety of city landmarks such as hotels, makeshift shelters and temporary housing as short-term solutions. New York officials have been sounding the alarm for months over their inability to right the ship, with Adams cautioning that his office estimates the issue will cost the city in the region of $12 billion in just three years. Adams warned that the city's services will be affected by the incredible additional expenses on the budget. He has previously stated the city is planning on cutting services such as library hours, meals for senior citizens, and free, full-day care for three-year-olds. The writing's on the wall for Sleepy Joe Biden. Even the Washington Post knows his re-election chances are dropping like the Hindenburg, loath though they are to admit it. This weekend, a poll by the Lefty DC newspaper showed Donald Trump to be absolutely spanking the current commander in chief by 10 points, 52 percent to 42 percent among registered voters, should they face off in 2024. The question is no longer can Trump win its by what degree. The Post perhaps wishing it had never commissioned the poll in the first place tried to bury the results below the fold, under a generic headline that made no mention of Trumps hefty lead, and going so far as to laughably write off their own survey as an outlier. Presumably editors were sent into a desperate tailspin attempting to play down the disaster poll, deciding that simply looking the other way will solve the myriad problems facing Biden. Just weeks ago, a widely discussed Wall Street Journal poll put the two old men neck-and-neck at 46 percent. Now Joe is down by double digits: How far will he fall a month, a year from now? The writing's on the wall for Sleepy Joe Biden. This weekend, Washington Post showed Donald Trump to be absolutely spanking the current commander in chief by 10 points, 52 percent to 42 percent among registered voters, should they face off in 2024. But the newspaper tried to bury the results below the fold, going so far as to write off its own survey as an outlier. Just weeks ago, a widely discussed Wall Street Journal poll put the two old men neck-and-neck at 46 percent . Now Joe is down by double digits: How far will he fall a month, a year from now? And its not just the candidate voters would opt for in a general election. Pick an issue, any issue, and Americans are clearly, loudly now saying Biden is done for. The economy, aid for Ukraine, immigration, support among young voters you name it, Bidens failing at it. A stunning 75 percent of Americans in the Post poll said so-called Bidenomics were not so good, or poor. 87 percent say the same about gas and energy prices, while 91 percent despair over spiraling food costs. On the southern border crisis, a mere 23 percent approve of the Presidents handling of the issue. On foreign policy, a paltry 31 percent think Biden is providing the right amount of military assistance to Ukraine. 41 percent believe he is doing too much up from 33 percent in February. Meanwhile, Biden is losing men faster than Taylor Swift, as Trumps lead when it comes to approval among gentleman voters ballooned from 16 points in May to a whopping 32 points. And who thought the day would come? Trump is also now up a staggering 20 points among under 35s, a demographic Biden comfortably won in 2020. Trump has also seen the approval rating for the way he handled the job of being president rise by 10 points since he left office in 2021. Are you getting the picture here? Its a tsunami of awfulness that looks increasingly insurmountable for our octogenarian leader, as he stumbles and mumbles from one gaffe to the next. On the eve of the Post poll, Biden uncomfortably referred to rapper LL Cool J as boy during a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus. On Wednesday, at the UN General Assembly in New York, Joe almost took an on-stage tumble as he bumped into a seven-foot Brazilian flag. During a fundraiser later that night, he repeated the same story twice within minutes. All in one week. But while Biden limps towards humiliating election defeat, Donald Trump only surges further, now holding a 60 to 15 point lead over his nearest Republican-nominee competitor, the beleaguered Ron DeSantis. So we must ask, is it surely not time the deluded Democrats wake up? The entire and, let's be honest, only case to be made for Bidens re-run was that he alone can beat Trump. That voters would concede even a patently senile somnambulist is better than the Big Bad Orange Man. That ship has sailed. In fact, its already halfway across the ocean. And with each day that Biden clings on, Trump inches closer to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, seemingly only bolstered by the 91 criminal charges against him. Yet Democrats and their left-wing cheerleaders, the Post chief among them, cant let go of the Joe 2024 dream. Or should we say nightmare? Bidens crack-pot 2024 campaign is the perfect metaphor for his administrations lunatic policies, stubbornly refusing to budge even when large swathes of your own voter base demand it. But make no mistake: as viable Democrat alternatives such as slippery California Governor Gavin Newsom laugh off potential bids, MAGA supporters are giggling with glee. Its over for Joe; he should do his party and his country a favor by dropping out now. If he wont go quietly, he must be pushed. Jean-Pierre wouldn't speak to what is 'on the table' in talks President Joe Biden allied himself with the UAW's strike demands when pressed at the White House on the eve of his trip to Detroit. The president was asked point blank if he supported the union's demands as its workers strike at auto plants around the country. Biden referenced worker sacrifices during the auto industry bailout during the Obama administration then came close to saying he backed its negotiating position without answering entirely directly. 'I think the UAW gave up an incredible amount back when the auto industry was going under. Think of everything from the pensions on. And they saved the automobile industry,' Biden told reporters at an event on historically black colleges and universities Monday. 'And I think that now that the industry is roaring back, they should participate in the benefit. And take a look at the significant increase in salaries for executives and growth of the industry. They should benefit from it,' he continued. 'Yes I support I always support the UAW,' Biden said. 'Yes I support I always support the UAW,' President Joe Biden said when asked if he backs the United Auto Workers' negotiating position His remarks came just minutes after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will 'stand on the side of workers' when he visits a Detroit UAW picket line without saying if he'll stand by their specific bargaining demands. Jean-Pierre asked repeatedly if Biden was getting behind the United Auto Worker's position in negotiations in their expanded strike against auto companies. But she declined answer directly when asked if he was getting behind the union's call for a 32-hour work week with 40-hour pay, a 40 per cent raise over time. Biden heads to Detroit Tuesday where he'll walk the picket line in a strike that began Sept. 15th against three auto companies: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. UNION GUY: 'Now that the industry is roaring back, they should participate in the benefit,' President Biden said. That came after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said 'the president is a union guy' but declined to say if he backs the specific demands of striking UAW workers. He is visiting in Detroit on Tuesday 'This is the President that stands with workers ... It is not confusing. What he is saying, and we've been very clear he stands. He stands with the workers,' Jean-Pierre said at the White House press briefing Monday. She called him 'the most pro-union president in history.' The White House won't give specifics on Biden's visit, but he is visiting a state where workers have been striking at the Ford assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan. 'The president is a union guy,' she said, calling him the 'most pro-union president in modern times.' But when pressed on specifics of negotiations, Jean-Pierre said that 'we're not going to speak to what's being put at the table.' 'I'm not going to get into negotiations from here,' Jean-Pierre said when pressed on specifics White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (L) was hit by a series of questions about Biden's trip to Michigan. She appeared with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at the White House Monday 'I'm not going to get into negotiations from here. This is for the parties to negotiate,' she said. She said the UAW 'should have a record contract' to match company gains. She also brushed off a question about past presidents who have acted as a mediator to resolve strikes, amid fears the labor action could drag on and harm the economy. She pushed back when asked if Biden's trip, announced late last week, had anything to do with former President Donald Trump's decision to meet with striking workers in Michigan on Wednesday. That event puts Trump opposite the Republican presidential debate taking place in Los Angeles. Trump will deliver a prime time speech from Michigan that will compete with the debate. Biden's own visit comes en route to a trip to San Francisco. 'Absolutely not,' she said. 'This is what the President wanted to do to stand with our workers.' Unions voted to strike after the collapse of talks with the companies. Their demands include the wage hike of up to 40 per cent, changes in contract length, a 32-hour workweek with full pay for the current 40-hour week, along with changes to retirement and health plans. The companies countered with a 19.5 per cent salary increase, up from an earlier offer of 17.5 per cent. 'What's driving members' expectations are the Big Three's profits,' UAW president Shawn Fain said this month. Annual gross profits are up 34 per cent at Ford and 50 per cent at GM since 2019 and 19 per cent at Stellantis from 2021 to 2022, NBC reported. The company formed when Fiat Chrysler merged with Peugeot. Jean-Pierre's comment comes after Trump campaign senior advisor Jason Miller said his trip was 'nothing more than a cheap photo op as he finds himself between a rock and a political hard place.' He claimed the 'only reason Biden is going to Michigan on Tuesday is because President Trump announced he is going on Wednesday.' The White House guidance on the trip states that 'the President will join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.' Biden's tone was lighthearted when he got asked for Monday afternoon if he had a message to auto companies. 'Stay under the speed limit,' he quipped. Humza Yousaf yesterday sparked anger within his own party after insisting he will not row back on plans to ban gas boilers in Scotland. The First Minister said he still intends to ban fossil fuel heating in new-build homes from next April and prevent off-grid properties from installing new or replacement oil boilers from 2025. Mr Yousaf also insisted he wants to stick by the pledge to try to phase out sales of new diesel and petrol cars by 2030 in Scotland, even though a UK-wide ban was delayed until 2035 by Rishi Sunak. His decision to double down on his boiler plan comes just days after the Scottish Government said it would carry out an urgent assessment of whether the Prime Ministers announcements impact on policies proposed north of the Border. But Mr Yousafs comments were condemned by a former SNP minister, who warned that the party will lose power if it hits working people with punitive policies. Humza Yousaf was questioned on his policies yesterday Opponents accused the First Minister of a bull-headed refusal to take a realistic approach to the move to net zero despite major concerns about the costs facing families. Asked yesterday if there would be any change to a target of ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 in Scotland, Mr Yousaf said: There is certainly no intention to roll back. We do have to look at what the implication would be of the UK deciding to row back, deciding to delay that phasing out. Fergus Ewing, the former SNP rural economy secretary, warned the boiler policies were damaging and utterly unaffordable. He urged Mr Yousaf to learn lessons from the Uxbridge by-election, where Labour failed to win Boris Johnsons former seat amid a backlash against the ultra-low emission zone introduced by London mayor Sadiq Khan. Mr Ewing said: Weve seen from the result in the Uxbridge by-election what happens when you punish working people whove done nothing wrong with unfair levies and taxes. Unsurprisingly, they dont say thank you sir, can we please pay even more?. Any Government that peddles punitive policies on the people will become the Opposition, pronto. Mr Yousaf spoke in detail for the first time yesterday about the impact of Mr Sunaks announcements, after attending New York Climate Week events last week. Asked if a ban on gas boilers in new-build homes will go ahead next year and if it will still be extended to oil boilers from 2025 in off-grid properties, Mr Yousaf said: Our plans remain unchanged. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the shift in net zero plans last week I was in New York in just the last week with other world leaders, where Scotland had been invited to a UN Climate Summit of this nature by the UN Secretary General because we show climate action. And the whole discussion during that week was about how the world needs to do more, not less, in the face of a climate catastrophe. So Scotland isnt looking to row back on any of its measures. Now what we have to look at is the detail of the Prime Ministers statement and understand how that might impact and affect any of our climate ambitions here. Pressed on whether that meant there would be no rowing back on policies affecting fully devolved areas, such as the boiler plan, he said: Theres no change, theres no intention to change. The policies on boilers have been set out by Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Governments Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings. Regulations have already been published banning fossil fuel boilers from new-build properties from next April. Mr Sunak said a ban on new oil and LPG boilers for off-grid homes in England will be delayed from 2026 until 2035 but it is still due to be imposed on 170,000 off-grid properties in Scotland from 2025. Douglas Lumsden, Scottish Tory net zero spokesman, said: This is typical of Humza Yousafs bull-headed refusal to take a realistic approach to energy needs and a measured move towards net zero. Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with over 100 properties, has announced plans to expand its operations with 30 openings in the next three years. The plans were revealed during the leading hospitality group's participation at the Future Hospitality Summit, which opened in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains a key focus for the hospitality brand as it signed four Edge by Rotana and one Rayhaan by Rotana properties in Riyadh earlier this year. The new hotels will add an impressive 618 keys to Rotanas expansive portfolio in the kingdom. In line with Rotanas ambitious goal to triple the number of rooms it currently runs in the kingdom to 6,000 over the next four years, the group added an Edge by Rotana property in Al Baha to its portfolio in 2023. Across the region, Rotana is gearing up to open several new properties during the last quarter of 2023, leveraging the buoyant hospitality trade. For the remainder of 2023, Rotana will see the opening of Riviera Rayhaan by Rotana in Doha, Qatar and Bomonti Arjaan by Rotana in Istanbul Turkiye. Makram El Zyr, Corporate Vice President of Development at Rotana, said: We are excited to be participating in the Future Hospitality Summit again this year, offering a fantastic opportunity for Rotana to showcase its latest developments and connect with industry peers. Leveraging our keen understanding of the market, we look forward to further developing our brand presence across the region as well as entering new markets globally, always delivering on our brand promise of Treasured Time to guests across the world. For 2024, Rotanas pipeline encompasses Dar Rayhaan by Rotana in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia; and Onyx Arjaan by Rotana in Manama, Bahrain. Underlining its strong focus on expansion in Africa, Rotana has signed agreements for several new openings next year. It is also expected to make its debut into the Algerian market with the launch of Azure Rotana Resort & Spa in the port city of Oran. Additionally, Bloom Arjaan by Rotana on Abu Dhabis Saadiyat Island, also scheduled to open in 2024, will feature 217 serviced hotel apartments, a floating infinity swimming pool, a range of dining outlets and a state-of-the-art fitness centre. Further cementing its prominent position in the African continent, Rotana recently announced a new Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana branded property in Senegal. The 150-key property in Dakar will represent the height of elegant city living and is expected to be completed by 2026. Globally, Rotana marked its foray into the United Kingdom with two new London properties under Centro, its lifestyle hotel and serviced apartment brand. Centro New Malden and Centro Kingston are slated to open in 2024. These two properties are set to launch as part of a wider agreement to develop up to 1,500 keys over multiple sites across the greater London region, all under the Centro brand. The hospitality group also announced its debut in Georgia with the upcoming opening of Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa, Gonio. Expected to open in 2026, the five-star property with world-class amenities will add 600 keys to Rotanas diverse portfolio. Rotana currently operates 72 hotels in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkiye, serving more than six million guests per year, including an impressive 10,159 keys across 36 hotels in the UAE alone. TradeArabia News Service Police have arrested a third suspect in connection with the death of a toddler who died from fentanyl poisoning at a Bronx day care center. Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, 38, has been charged with drug distribution linked to the death of Nicholas Feliz Dominici, 1, who died at Divino Nino Daycare. The toddler was one of four children who were unresponsive after their nap on September 15. Authorities have already charged Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, in relation to the poisonings. Brito is the cousin of Mendez' fugitive husband. New York City cops are still searching for Mendez's partner, who was last seen on surveillance footage fleeing the day care through a back alley. Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, 38, has been charged with drug distribution linked to the death of Nicholas Feliz Dominici (pictured) , 1, who died at Divino Nino Daycare Authorities have already charged Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, (pictured) and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, in relation to the poisonings Law enforcement sources told the New York Post the NYPD and the Regional Fugitive Task Force are following up on leads that he may have fled to the Dominican Republic. The fugitive has not been named by authorities, with sources saying: 'We're all working together to find him nationally and over in the Dominican Republic,' He has been described by the sources as the 'main player' in the allegations, with Mendez calling him twice and deleting more than 21,000 messages before alerting the authorities to the unresponsive children. Mendez and Brito have been charged with murder, assault and child endangerment a day after Nicholas and three other children were found critically ill at the childcare facility. Nicholas was pronounced dead at the scene, with two boys, 2, and an eight-month-old baby girl were saved with overdose-reversal drug Narcan. Authorities claim the business was a front for a drug-peddling operation, with Mendez and Brito remaining behind bars. Manhattan federal prosecutors say that Paredes had 'tools and instruments that are used to prepare and distribute narcotics' at his apartment. During the raid, they found strainers, tape, a grinder, plastic bags, digital scales and two clear bags filled with a 'greyish powder'. Pictured: Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, 1, died on Friday after ingesting fentanyl at a Bronx day care De Ventura's alleged co-conspirator 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 Law enforcement sources told the New York Post the NYPD and the Regional Fugitive Task Force are following up on leads that he may have fled to the Dominican Republic Officers also found a 'rectangular, brick-shaped package which appeared to contain narcotics.' Paredes was arrested on Saturday, and is being held in custody without bail. Mendez and Brito also remain behind bars. Last week, officers found a cache of drugs hidden under a trap door at the nursery, including a large quantity of fentanyl. Other paraphernalia, which matched what was found in Paredes's apartment, was also concealed by the plywood and tile flooring. Photos shared by police show bags full of powder inside the 'trap floor,' a few steps away from a shelf of children's toys. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: 'I promised last week that we would continue to work to bring those involved in the child poisonings at Divino Nino daycare to justice. 'Since then, this Office and our law enforcement partners have worked around the clock to identify and apprehend additional individuals who are responsible. 'Today's arrest is one more step toward obtaining justice for the child-victims of this heinous offense and their families.' Before discovering the hidden stash, officers had already confiscated a kilogram of fentanyl that was stored near mats that children used for sleeping. Last week officers found a cache of drugs hidden under a trap door at the nursery, including a large quantity of fentanyl Law enforcement sources believe that the basement under the day care where Brito lived was actually a front for drugs They also found multiple devices used by traffickers for mixing drugs and pressing it into bricks. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said last week 'one grain, two grains of fentanyl can take down a grown man so even the residue itself for a small child, would cause the death.' According to reports, there were no previous complaints made against Divino Nino Daycare. The daycare has a capacity of eight children between the ages of six weeks to 12 years old, records show. Nicholas' heartbroken father, Otoniel Feliz, 32, told DailyMail.com it had been the boy's first week at the day care. 'We had a good recommendation. We were told it was a great place. It looked like a nice place,' he explained. 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. 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. They also found multiple devices used by traffickers for mixing drugs and pressing it into bricks US Attorney for the Southern District, Damian Williams announced the new charges against a third person Paredes was arrested on Saturday, and is being held in custody without bail. Mendez and Brito also remain behind bars 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. '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.' Divino Nino Daycare passed its annual unannounced inspection with zero violations on September 6, city records note after receiving its license in May. DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: 'As alleged, Paredes had an instrumental role in this conspiracy and is charged with narcotics distribution and death in connection with the poisoning of four children. 'The alleged drugs and materials seized in the trap are indicative of a prolific drug packaging operation. 'Traffickers often hide contraband in inconspicuous or unsuspecting locations with no regard for the safety of others. 'In this case, the Daycare's floorboards were used as concealment, putting children's lives at risk who innocently sat on the floor to play. Police tape had been stripped from the street and hung across the doorway of the Divino Nino Daycare on Morris Avenue Frank A. Tarentino III (pictured) Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Division said the traffickers had hidden contraband with 'no regard for the safety of others' 'I reiterate that DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue justice for all members of this trafficking ring.' 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. A 14-year-old boy has been charged over a number of hoax phone calls which threatened to blow up the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge which connects Ohio and Kentucky. The unnamed child is charged with four counts of terroristic threatening, police in Covington, Kentucky, said on Monday. Several calls were made to 911 earlier this month from an individual who demanded $400,000 and said he would 'kill everyone' and destroy the bridge with pipe bombs. None of the threats were credible. The first call - on September 13 - closed the bridge for around four hours from 5.30am. Several more calls were made across the following week, sparking more closures. Lieutenant Justin Bradbury, from Covington Police, said on Monday: 'Following a joint investigation with FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) partners, Covington Police Department and the Boone County Sheriff's Department, an arrest has been made in connection with the four bomb threats made against the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. Federal investigators led the investigation into the pipe bomb threat. A 14-year-old boy has been charged Businesses close to the bridge have been evacuated as a precaution, and the US Coast Guard has shut down all river traffic in the area 'A 14 year-old juvenile has been charged in Kenton County with four counts of Terroristic Threatening 1st Degree. 'On Friday, September 22nd, this juvenile was taken into custody in Michigan on an unrelated matter. Because the suspect is a juvenile, we are not able to release any additional identifying information. 'We would like to specifically thank the FBI Louisville/Covington Resident Agency for their hard work and tenacity in bringing the person responsible to justice. 'The partnership we share with this organization continues to prove itself an asset to the city and the region. Thank you for everyone's patience as we worked to ensure the publics safety following each threat.' Federal investigators had joined the investigation into the hoaxes after the initial call was made. During the closures, Covington Police had blocked all vehicle and foot traffic from entering both sides of the Roebling Suspension Bridge between northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. Sources told Fox19 that during the first call, an individual called authorities, threatening to 'kill everyone if he did not get $400,000' by placing pipe bombs on the bridge. The anonymous person called Kenton County 911 center at 5.24am, adding that he would 'shoot police' if they pointed guns at him. Covington Police later confirmed that the threat was not credible. More than 9,000 people use the iconic bridge to commute daily. Authorities were also forced to evacuate dozens of local businesses on either side of the river. The anonymous person called Kenton County 911 center at 5.24am on September 13, adding that he would 'shoot police' if they pointed guns at him Covington Police had blocked all vehicle and foot traffic from entering both sides of the Roebling Suspension Bridge between northern Kentucky and Cincinnati Businesses close to the bridge have been evacuated as a precaution, and the US Coast Guard has shut down all river traffic in the area Investigators found nothing when they searched the bridge. The US Coast Guard shut down all river traffic in the area, with thousands of people affected by the four-hour closure of the bridge. Authorities investigated if the anonymous threat would affect any other bridges in the area, but only the Roebling Bridge was closed. Covington Police Captain Bornhorn told Lex18 that they had 'every agency you can think of' exhausting all resources. He confirmed that they were working with the Department of Homeland Security, multiple bomb squads and even drone teams. The SNPs leader at Westminster has been accused of abject failure after he dismissed concerns by one of his MPs about hostile colleagues. Stephen Flynn yesterday admitted he has not even spoken to Lisa Cameron since she revealed she needed counselling after being ostracised for supporting the harassment victim of shamed MP Patrick Grady. He also rejected her comments about the SNP Westminster group, saying they dont reflect my experience. First Minister Humza Yousaf also admitted he has not spoken to the East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow MP, who now faces a reselection battle, saying it would be up to her local branch to decide whether she can stand in the next general election. Tory MSP Annie Wells said: It is an abject failure of leadership from Stephen Flynn not to have taken up Lisa Camerons claims and concerns with her. MP Lisa Cameron faces a reselection battle 'If she has been ostracised by colleagues for her support of Patrick Gradys victim then this just goes to show that the SNP have learned nothing from the shocking way they have handled this whole affair. And, if nothing else, as a boss and a human being he should be concerned about the wellbeing of one of his team. Last week, Ms Cameron revealed she spoke out when former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said MPs should offer their absolute full support to Mr Grady. She said: I felt ostracised. After I spoke up in one of the meetings and said, Shouldnt we be supporting the victim? people were quite hostile towards me... people wouldnt speak to me. 'So I had to have quite a lot of counselling just so I could go about my normal business in Parliament. Asked if he was concerned about her comments, Mr Flynn said: Ive not spoken to Lisa since I had dinner with her a couple of weeks ago in Westminster. The comments made in relation to the group dont reflect my experience of the situation down in Westminster. Obviously if Lisa is wanting to discuss that further with me she is more than welcome to do so. Shamed MP Patrick Grady Humza Yousaf and Stephen Flynn, right, joined SNP candidate for the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election Katy Loudon yesterday Ms Cameron could be ousted by SNP members after a party worker put his name forward to become the candidate in her seat and she has not ruled out triggering a by-election by standing down if she is not selected again. Asked if he had spoken to her, Mr Yousaf said: No, I havent spoken to Lisa Cameron. We are in the middle of a selection contest. It will be up to local branches to make a decision, or local members to make a decision, on who they want to represent them in the general election. Mr Flynn echoed the comments. Meanwhile, Mr Yousaf revealed he will consider whether to support amendments lodged about his independence strategy at the SNPs conference next month. It proposes that winning more Scottish seats than any other party in the next general election would be a mandate to begin immediate negotiations with the UK Government to give democratic effect to Scotland becoming an independent country. SNP MP Pete Wishart has suggested the motion should be amended, to allow for such talks to take place only if the SNP wins a majority of votes in the election. Mr Yousaf said: We will consider amendments as they come up. Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: This is another sign of panic from Humza Yousaf. 'The idea that, by winning the most seats, the SNP would be able to demand independence was ridiculous, as even politicians in his own party told him. Radio host Charlamagne tha God has slammed the president for botching LL Cool J's name and using a 'racist' term to refer to him at an event honoring the artist. The Breakfast Club presenter criticized Biden for calling LL Cool J 'boy' during a speech at Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner on Saturday. Biden was speaking at the event, which honored those who have made an impact on society, including award recipient James Todd Smith, aka LL Cool J. But when he took to the podium, he butchered the rapper's name by referring to him as 'LL J Cool J'. He then caused further outrage by referring to the star, 55, as a 'boy' before hastily correcting himself. Biden, 80, said: 'By the way that boy - that man's got biceps bigger than my thighs.' The gaffe prompted left wing radio host Charlamagne to dub Biden his 'Donkey of the Day'. The Breakfast Club host Charlamage Tha God awarded Joe Biden his 'Donkey of the Day' over a gaffe which saw him butcher rapper LL Cool J's name and call him the racially loaded term 'boy' He said: 'He fully understands the word boy in the racial context around a white man referring to a black man, is boy. 'See, boy is absolutely a white racist word when used in a certain context. And I know that because I'm from South Carolina. 'When somebody uses the word boy to refer to an adult Black man and the speaker is white, that takes on a whole different point in context.' The word boy, when used by white people to refer to back men, is a historically loaded term which has been used to denote superiority during enslavement and beyond. Charlamagne also pointed out that LL Cool J is far from a new or emerging artist so there was little excuse to fudge his name. Biden introduced the rapper and fellow award recipient DJ MC Lyte, as 'two of the great artists of our time, representing the groundbreaking legacy of hip-hop in America.' But Charlamagne, 45, blasted POTUS again for being 'inauthentic' in his praise. He added: 'This is a prime example of it doesn't matter how many Black people you are around, it doesn't matter how many Black people you have in your administration If it's not authentic to him, then it won't come off as authentic to anyone.' President Biden (pictured at the Congressional Black Caucus event) has been accused of using a racist slur towards LL Cool J and being inauthentic Rapper, actor and producer LL Cool J was honored at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation on Saturday He also attacked the president's age, dismissing the octogenarian as '137 years old'. He said: 'Joe Biden should not need a teleprompter to know theres not two Js in LL Cool J. Okay. LL Cool J is a man who has been rapping since President Joe Biden was my age.' LL Cool J burst onto the scene in 1984 with his song 'I Need a Beat' and was one of the first American rappers to achieve commercial success. The two-time Grammy award winner became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Music Honors in 2017 and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The incident is not the first time the president has been accused of racial insensitivity over the use of the same term. In February he faced a backlash after referring to Maryland's first black governor, 44-year-old West Moore, as a 'boy'. Biden also previously courted controversy with Charlamagne and was forced to apologize after he appeared on the host's show and said voters 'ain't black' if they cast votes for Donald Trump. Ukraine's soldiers have been brutalised during a major counteroffensive to take back the key captured city of Bakhmut. New photos show the life-changing injuries suffered by battalions tasked with taking back the city. Wounded soldiers from the 10th Mountain Assault Bridage, known as the 'Edelveys', were seen barely patched up following treatment in the field, with many of the brigade's fighters still covered in the dirt from the counteroffensive push. The brigade suffered heavy casualties during its assault on the Russia-occupied region, and were seen taking the bodies of their fallen comrades back as they prepared to dig into their nighttime positions overlooking the city. One soldier's head was wrapped up in several layers of bandages, with dried blood caking his nose and mouth as his swollen eyes are barely able to open. One soldier's head was wrapped up in several layers of bandages, with dried blood caking his nose and mouth as his swollen eyes are barely able to open Ukraine has been pushing to retake the fallen city of Bakhmut since Russia captured it in May The 10th Mountain Assault Bridage suffered severe casualties during its assault on Bakhmut One soldier was treated for a severe hand injury he suffered during the assault Ukraine is determined to retake Bakhmut, which Russia captured in May 2023 Another soldier was treated for a severe hand injury by field medics. The city was captured by Russian forces in May, but Ukraine's military has expended massive amounts of resources and time in an attempt to take it back. Ukraine took back the cities of Andriivka and Klishchiivka, which both lie south of Bakhmut, last week, though analysts have said that this does not amount to anything close to a breakthrough of Russia's defences in the region. Despite this, Ukraine's military claims it has made significant progress in other areas. On Monday, it said that the missile strike that destroyed the Sevastopol headquarters of Russia's navy last week killed 34 officers, including the fleet commander, though it provided no evidence to support its claim. Ukraine's Special Operation Forces said on Telegram that its strike on the main building of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol had wounded 105 people. The claims could not independently be verified and are vastly different from what Russia has reported. The brigade, nicknamed the 'Edelveys', suffered severe casualties during its assault Soldiers from the bridgade looked haunted as night fell on Bakhmut At least one soldier died during the assault on the captured city Russia's military initially said that the attack on key military building killed service-person, but later said the person was not killed but missing. Moscow has provided no further updates. The Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target since Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February. Crimea has served as the key hub supporting the invasion. On Monday evening, Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said Russian air defenses shot down a missile in the vicinity of the military airfield in Belbek, a village near the port city. He didn't offer any details about possible damage or casualties. Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea in recent weeks, while the brunt of its summer counteroffensive makes slow gains in the east and south of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said. The brigade prepared to hunker down in its nighttime position over the city Ukraine's military managed to recapture the cities of Andriivka and Klishchiivka, which both lie south of Bakhmut, last week Analysts said that Ukraine's recapturing of Andriivka and Klishchiivka was nothing close to a breakthrough of Russia's defences It is not currently known how many soldiers were lost during the assault on Bakhmut Ukraine claims that despite slow progress on the Bakhmut front, it has made strides in other parts of the country It followed Friday's attack with another barrage on Saturday. The new death and casualty figures are a steep increase from what Ukraine's intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Voice of America on Saturday when he said at least nine people were killed and 16 others wounded in the attack that left the building smouldering. He also said Alexander Romanchuk, a Russian general commanding forces along the key southeastern front line, was 'in a very serious condition.' The new report indicates that the fleet's chief, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, was also killed, though no supporting evidence was offered. He was not named in the statement by the Special Operation Forces, but Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine posted his name and a photo on social media. Ukraine's military also offered more details about Friday's attack, claiming that its air force conducted 12 strikes on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, targeting areas where personnel, military equipment and weapons were concentrated. It said that two anti-aircraft missile systems and four Russian artillery units were hit. The brigade suffered heavy casualties during its assault on the Russia-occupied region Field medics treated this soldier's injuries, which he suffered fighting for Ukraine's military His hands and head were wrapped up in layers of bandages Ukraine's military has expended massive amounts of resources and time in an attempt to take Bakhmut back The UN said it is currently looking into allegations that Russian forces committed genocide The casualty figures were announced as Russian drone and missile strikes near Odesa damaged an abandoned hotel, a grain silo and killed two people who were buried in the rubble of a grain warehouse in the Black Sea port city, Ukrainian officials said. Russian attacks elsewhere were blamed for killing six other civilians in the past day in Ukraine. Ukraine's air force said it down all Russian drones launched overnight, but one of 12 Kalibr missiles and two P-800 Oniks cruise missiles seemingly made it past air defences. Russia has continuously targeted port and grain storage facilities in Odessa since pulling out of a wartime deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports to countries facing the threat of hunger. The attacks have destroyed silos, warehouses, oil terminals and other infrastructure critical for storage and shipping. The Russian Defence Ministry said long-range missiles and drones were used to strike facilities that it alleged had housed foreign mercenaries and trained saboteurs. The ministry didn't name locations or provide other specifics to support its claim. It also said it downed several Ukrainian drones. The attacks came as independent U.N.-backed human rights experts said they found new evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces and as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the arrival of the first Abrams tanks sent by the U.S. that could figure in their slow-moving summer counteroffensive. Independent UN-backed human rights experts said they found new evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said it found evidence of crimes committed by both sides in the war, but far more by Russians In eastern Ukraine, Russians attacked residential areas of 10 cities and villages in the Donetsk region, killing two people in the village of Zarichne The U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said it found evidence of crimes committed by both sides in the war, but far more by Russians, including instances of torture, some of it fatal, and rape of women as old as 83. It said it was also looking into allegations that Russian forces committed genocide. Zelensky thanked allies on Telegram for their support in announcing the anticipated arrival of the tanks. He didn't say how many tanks had arrived, but the U.S. has said it was sending 31 tanks. In other fighting, Russian forces also dropped bombs and launched six heavy artillery strikes on southern Ukraine's Kherson region, destroying a school and factory and damaging residential buildings. Three of the deaths reported by the Ukrainian president's office were in the region: three people were killed and two others were injured by bombs that hit the city of Beryslav, while a man was killed in the neighbouring village of Lvove. In eastern Ukraine, Russians attacked residential areas of 10 cities and villages in the Donetsk region, killing two people in the village of Zarichne, according to the presidential office. During fighting in southeast Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian army carried out five airstrikes on Orikhiv, a small city, and its surrounding area. Many of the soldiers in the brigade were seen still covered in dirt from its assault Soldiers in the brigade suffered a wide range of injuries Zelensky thanked allies on Telegram for their support in announcing the anticipated arrival of the tanks The 'Edelveys' are still fighting to take back Bakhmut from Ukraine The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defences downed three Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region of Russia and three others over the Bryansk region early Monday. It also reported that three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region. Kursk's governor Roman Starovoit said a downed drone over the centre of the city of Kursk damaged the roof of an administrative building and several private houses and shattered windows in an apartment building, and added that there were no injuries. A day earlier, a Ukrainian drone damaged the roof of an administrative building in Kursk that some Ukrainian and Russian media reported housed the offices of the Federal Security Service, Russia's main domestic security agency. Bryansk's governor Alexander Bogomaz said the drones caused no casualties, but Ukrainian rockets damaged a farm building and killed cattle. During the drone attack, Russian authorities delayed or diverted several flights at Moscow's airports. The Defense Ministry said five other Ukrainian drones were also shot down over Crimea and the Black Sea. Guidance has been issued by Mountaineering Scotland amid a rise in people wanting their remains scattered in the countrys hillsides. The organisation is also asking bereaved families not to leave memorials such as plaques to keep the environment as wild as possible. And ashes should be left in lower parts of the mountains rather than the really iconic mountain tops. Its advice has been published on the disposal of human remains, as the number of cremations far outstrip burials. Mountain peaks are among the popular spots chosen by grieving loved ones as a final, poignant send off after a cremation. Mountaineering Scotland has urged mourners to bury rather than scatter loved one's remains to protect Scotlands hills But scattering ashes on mountain summits can have a negative impact on fragile plant life if too many people do it, because the chemicals in the ashes can make it hard for rare mountain plants to grow. Mountain soil in Scotland is naturally acidic with few nutrients, but ashes are highly alkaline, from the mineral phosphate, and are also high in salt. In small doses these would have little impact but with increasing numbers of people having mountain scatterings, there are concerns it can change the chemical composition of the soil. MS, which represents hill walkers, climbers, mountaineers and ski tourers, believes the outdoors should be protected from human-made intrusion and remain in as wild and natural a state as possible. The organisation has also said plaques and other memorials should not be left on mountains. It adds: Mountaineering Scotland believes that mountains should be protected from inappropriate developments and wherever possible remain in as wild and natural a state as possible. Their value as a resource for recreation should be recognised and they should provide visitors with an escape from the pressures and artefacts of daily life. We believe that the majority of people who seek their recreation in the mountains go there to enjoy the natural qualities of the area and do not wish to see plaques and other memorials on mountainsides and summits. While we sympathise with the grief and loss that bereaved friends and relatives feel, we believe that permanent artefacts should not be a feature of the mountain landscape. Instead, it suggests other forms of commemoration including loved ones supporting footpath repair work, planting a tree or bequeathing money towards a mountaineering hut. In 2019 residents living near the Rhymers Stone, an idyllic viewpoint near Melrose claimed that it had been turned into a sludgy mess by the ashes of the dead left by relatives. You can scatter ashes anywhere in Scotland if you have the permission of the landowner. Organisations such as the Nevis Landscape Partnership allow the scattering of ashes but ask this is done away from the summit area and away from the north face on which a number of alpine plants struggle to survive. Welcome to Scotland in 2023, where heroin is free on the NHS for the worst addicts but you might have to shell out for your own chemotherapy. As we revealed yesterday, desperate cancer patients are being forced to raid their life savings to pay for vital surgery or risk dying on long NHS waiting lists. At the same time, amid a drugs death crisis, taxpayers money has been found for a 4million clinic administering pharmaceutical-grade heroin, and the number of addicts on its books is about to double, despite concerns over the cost and dozens of overdoses. Yet the scale of the turmoil in the health service under the chronic mismanagement by the SNP means that many patients are having to fund their own cancer care privately or face lengthy waits to be treated or diagnosed. Its an illustration of the deeply muddled priorities in state-funded healthcare. And while the NHS remains mired in mountainous backlogs, rhetoric about remobilisation following the pandemic is never in short supply but its only so much hot air without a credible recovery plan. Margaret McCaul spent 27,000 for private surgery to remove tumour after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer The SNP has promised for years to protect the NHS from the clutches of the malign Tories indeed it was a central part of the Yes movements pitch for independence. Mind you, the SNPs president, Mike Russell, once co-wrote a book calling for NHS privatisation although its one that he doesnt like to talk about these days. Now, on the Nationalists watch, 1,700 cancer sufferers have had to turn to private hospitals for chemotherapy. Other patients, such as Margaret McCaul, 50, have been forced to travel to England for life-saving surgery. Mrs McCaul was diagnosed with advanced high-grade ovarian cancer in August last year. She spent 27,000 on an operation to remove her ovaries, fallopian tubes, womb and other affected organs and tissue after being told she would need to wait three months on the NHS. As she put it in yesterdays Mail, cancer doesnt wait for the NHS to get its act together on waiting lists and cancer doesnt care if you can afford to pay. Private health insurance, which can be provided by employers, is an increasingly attractive option, although it is classed as a benefit in kind by the taxman so can be an expensive perk. Weighed up against the prospect of dying while on a waiting list, however, its something of a bargain for those who can afford it. Muddled John Swinney, when he was stand-in finance secretary last year, hiked income tax but pledged that the extra cash would be invested in the NHS. His pithy catchphrase was a penny for patient care. From April this year, 530,000 workers on salaries above 43,662 were hit by tax rises as the higher rate increased by 1p to 42p and the top rate rose to 47p, while the threshold for paying the top rate was lowered to 125,140. So where is that penny for patient care going? Is it being swallowed up by vast tiers of NHS management and administrators, or perhaps not getting anywhere near the NHS in the first place? Earlier this year, economic forecasters advising Nationalist ministers said the amount generated by higher income tax in Scotland could be nearly 700million less than hoped for so where does that leave the NHS? Now your taxes may be about to increase once more, to tackle a 1billion black hole in the public finances, although the health service will probably be wheeled out as the justification but theres no meaningful evidence the extra cash weve already coughed up has made any discernible difference. For those going private, they are paying for NHS care which they cant access or at least cant access anytime soon and in some cases while suffering from conditions that can rapidly worsen without prompt intervention, and then paying again out of their own pockets for healthcare. The SNP is in a state of denial, as usual, trotting out barely comprehensible statements about treating more patients on our urgent pathways than last year, which is scant comfort for Mrs McCaul and others who find themselves in a similar predicament. Health spending in England under successive Conservative governments has risen three times faster in the past decade than it has in Scotland under the SNP. Wind the clock back by 20 years and you would find that health spending was 22 per cent higher in Scotland. Wasted While taxes have gone up, millions are being spent on free prescriptions, including painkillers such as paracetamol, costing 1.4billion a year a figure that has risen by 19 per cent in the past decade. Its cash that could have been diverted into cancer care. And the same goes for the 9million a year wasted on Nicola Sturgeons baby boxes scheme. So its little wonder that last year the Audit Scotland spending watchdog declared that the NHS was not financially sustainable and needs reform. It warned of an ever-increasing backlog of patients waiting to be seen and that rising spending on the health service was unsustainable. And it wasnt the first time that such dire existential warnings had been issued but theres no indication that anyone was listening in the Scottish Government, including Humza Yousaf, a former health secretary. Doubtless, in coming weeks and months, well hear a lot about a winter crisis in our hospitals and GP surgeries as flu and Covid take hold another obstacle to getting the NHS back on its feet. Anyone looking for an in-person GP appointment during this period, or frankly at any time, will be lucky to get past the receptionist and might well be fobbed off with an online consultation. Stamina Its easy for serious conditions to be missed, or dismissed, when the patient is dealt with remotely, meaning they wont even get on to a waiting list. Medics are burnt out after the pandemic years and deserve immense credit for their stamina and skill. But the NHS has been used as a vehicle for pushing the SNPs grievance agenda for too long independence was presented as its only saviour. If only we could cast off the shackles of the Union, the argument ran, we could have an adequately funded healthcare system free from the threat of privatisation at the hands of the Tories, who are itching to sell it off (although theyve been running the UK Government for 13 years and show no sign of planning to do so). All of which ignores the fact that theres only one government responsible for the NHS in Scotland and its run by the SNP, which has neglected it under a series of clueless health ministers while trying to shift the blame elsewhere. Its future will be shaped not in London but in Edinburgh and that should be a source of alarm for anyone who genuinely cares about the future of our most treasured public service. Engulfed in flames, these were the scenes as firefighters tackled a blaze at a once grand Victorian railway hotel. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were scrambled to the empty Station Hotel in Ayr last night. Images from the scene showed huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the top of the building. The impact of the fire saw rail services at Ayr station disrupted with trains unable to stop there during the incident. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm was raised at the building in Smith Street at 5.37pm. Firefighters tackle the blaze at the empty Station Hotel A spokesman said 13 appliances had been sent to the scene. There were no injuries reported in connection with the incident. It is the second fire at the building this year, with firefighters attending a blaze at the site in May. The B-listed hotel, which overlooks Burns Statue Square in the town centre, was built by the Glasgow and South-Western Railway Company in 1885. Designed by the great Scottish engineer Andrew Galloway, it was built during a period when grand Victorian railway hotels such as Turnberry and the Balmoral in Edinburgh, were established in Scotland for rich tourists. It was sold by British Transport Hotels in 1951 and has subsequently been owned by the Stakis, Quality and Swallow groups. After closing in 2013, the site was bought by a businessman. However, after years of neglect, an exclusion zone was set up around the hotel to protect the public with scaffolding and plastic sheeting erected around it. The alarm was raised at the building at 5.37pm, with rail services at Ayr station disrupted due to the incident The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said 13 appliances had been sent to the scene It is the second fire at the building this year, with firefighters attending a blaze at the site in May There have been calls over the years for the building to be saved and refurbished so it could be brought back into use. However, the local council had stated it did not have the funds for such a massive project. Some estimates stated it would cost around 9m just to make the hotel wind and water tight. Professor David Walker, Scotlands leading architectural historian, once described it, saying: Ayr Station Hotel is one of the most impressive hotel buildings in Scotland. The B-listed hotel opened its doors in 1866 'It has immense presence and should be saved. When it opened in June 1866, the hotel overlooked the station platforms, which were covered by an ornate iron and glass roof. Made with russet-red Ballochmyle sandstone, the hotel was intended to be a statement reflecting the towns prosperity. Inside, there were coffee and drawing rooms and interiors with stained-glass windows, marble and mosaics provided by artisan workshops in Glasgow. The imposing exterior was built in French renaissance style with a distinctive clock tower and decorative masonry. Last night, a spokesman for ScotRail said: We have had reports of a fire on a property near the railway at Ayr station. Were working closely with emergency services during this time and will keep you updated. Services will be unable to call at Ayr station until it is deemed safe to do so. Justin Trudeau said it was 'important to push back against Russian propaganda' when grilled about a Nazi being honored in the Canadian parliament. The Prime Minister was questioned by reporters Monday after 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka was hailed as a Ukrainian-Canadian war hero during President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to parliament on Friday. Trudeau admitted it was 'extremely upsetting this happened', blamed the Speaker of the house for the 'mistake' - but then launched into a message about 'Russian disinformation.' The Liberal Party leader said: 'The Speaker has acknowledged his mistake and has apologized, but this is something that is deeply embarrassing to the Parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians.' He added: 'I think it's going to be really important that all of us push back against Russian propaganda, Russian disinformation, and continue our steadfast and unequivocal support for Ukraine.' Justin Trudeau has said it's important to push back against Russian propaganda when grilled about the blunder that saw parliament honor a man who fought for the Nazis in World War II Lawmakers in the Canadian parliament gave Hunka a standing ovation. It then emerged that Hunka had actually served in a division of the Nazi SS during the war. NEW - Justin Trudeau blames Russian propaganda for Canadian Parliament honoring a Nazi. "Obviously, it's extremely upsetting that this happened... this is something that is deeply embarrassing to the Parliament of Canada... It's going to be really important that all of us push pic.twitter.com/Zvk5ytkxmC KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) September 25, 2023 The Russians have seized upon the appearance of Hunka as evidence that Ukraine is controlled by Nazis as a justification for his invasion last year. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Canadians on Monday of having 'such an uncareful attitude to memory,' calling the situation 'revolting.' Russia's ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov claimed the invite to the former Nazi was no accident and called the Canadian government 'essentially the personification of neoliberal fascism.' Anthony Rota, the speaker of the House of Commons and also a Liberal MP, apologized yesterday for the spectacle, saying that he had 'subsequently become aware of more information' which caused him to 'regret' his recognition of Hunka. The speaker's address had come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an impassioned address to the Canadian House of Commons. Speaking of Rota's apology, a statement issued on behalf of Trudeau said: 'This was the right thing to do. 'No advance notice was provided to the Prime Minister's Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition,' the prime minister's team said. The Ukrainian president had been in Ottawa to bolster even more support from Western allies for his country's war against Russia. Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly described Ukrainian troops as neo-Nazis. Rota, 62, said in his statement yesterday: 'In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. Hunka was honored as 'a Ukrainian Canadian' war hero during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 's visit to parliament on Friday Russian officials took the opportunity to repeat their false claim that Russia invaded Ukraine to 'denazify' the nation, as Vladimir Putin claims it is being run by pro-West neo-Nazis 'I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so.' He went on to insist that it was his idea to honor Hunka. 'This initiative was entirely my own ... I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,' he said. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement Sunday saying the division 'was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.' 'An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation,' the statement said. Hunka, who lives in North Bay, Ontario, fought against the Red Army on the Eastern Front. In an online blog written more than a decade ago, Hunka described the period between 1941 and 1943 as the happiest of his life. The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS - also known as the 1st Galician - was mostly made up of Ukrainian volunteers. It was formed in 1943 and saw action on the Eastern Front. Its primary role was to support German forces in their fight against the Soviet Union. A massive factory fire has shut down one of Sydney's busiest roads, sparking traffic chaos. Part of Canterbury Road remains closed on Tuesday morning after 70 firefighters spent the early hours of the morning battling the ferocious blaze. Firefighters spent several hours battling the blaze in Canterbury in the city's south-west amid fears it would spread to nearby homes and a service station, where 100,000 litres of petrol were stored. The blaze, which broke out around 2.30am and required aerial firefighting appliances continues to smoulder four hours later. 'Firefighting is continuing with multiple crews and an aerial appliance, traffic is heavy in the area,' Fire and Rescue NSW said. Around 25 fire trucks were called to fight this blaze in Canterbury in Sydney's south-west Superintendent Adam Dewberry described the fire as extremely intense. 'It came within metres of a home at the rear and we committed a number of crews to save the home,' he told Sunrise. 'A rather intense fire for this time of the morning.' The fire broke out in a large factory which produces white goods, which sustained extensive damage. It's understood it was a family business which had been in operation for 50 years. No injuries have been reported. Motorists are urged to avoid the area with several road closures and lengthy traffic delays expected. CANTERBURY: Canterbury Rd is closed in both directions between Fore st and Wonga St due to a building fire. Local diversions are in place. Follow the directions of emergency services on site or consider using an alternate route. Live Traffic Sydney (@LiveTrafficSyd) September 25, 2023 Eastbound lanes of Canterbury Rd reopened around 6am. All westbound lanes remain closed with lengthy delays expected to continue throughout the morning. 'Continue to use an alternate route, exercise caution & allow extra time,' a Sydney Traffic alert states. 'Westbound diversions are via Fore St, High St, Canton St & Canterbury Rd. Traffic remains heavy through the area.' The gutted factory has been declared a crime scene with detectives already at the scene to investigate what caused the blaze. The son of the Yorkshire Ripper's first victim Wilma McCann paid tribute to his mother as an ITV drama recalling the hunt for depraved serial killer Peter Sutcliffe was aired last night. The tragic final days of Wilma, 28, and Sutcliffe's second victim Emily Jackson, 42, will be re-told in The Long Shadow across seven episodes. The women were murdered in Leeds three months apart in late 1975 and early 1976. Sutcliffe would go on to kill a further 11 women and attack several others. Tweeting just minutes before the programme aired, Richard McCann said: 'Not sure why I feel so nervous about the airing of the ITV drama The Long Shadow starting in a few minutes. 'Thinking of you mum more than I ever have for years as people get to see you showing love for your children.' The tragic final days of Wilma McCann, 28, and Sutcliffe's second victim Emily Jackson, 42, will be re-told in ITV's The Long Shadow which is airing across seven episodes Sutcliffe would go on to kill a further 11 women and attack several others Tweeting just minutes before the programme aired, Richard McCann said: 'Thinking of you mum more than I ever have for years as people get to see you showing love for your children' Wilma, who was a mother-of-four, was brutally murdered just 100 yards away from her house on October 30 1975, after Sutcliffe hit her with a hammer and stabbed her 15 times in the chest, neck and abdomen. The young woman, from Scott Hall in Leeds, will be portrayed by Gemma Laurie, while Sutcliffe's second victim will be depicted by Katherine Kelly. The murder of Wilma, who was a sex worker, came after Sutcliffe had attacked three women that same year. The women - Anna Rogulskyj, Olive Smelt and Tracy Browne - had all miraculously escaped with their lives. On the night of October 29, McCann had said goodnight to her children and then headed out drinking. She was seen at four pubs - including the Regent and White Sawn - drinking whiskies an beer. Later in the evening, she ended up at a drinking club, where she continued consuming alcohol. Having left the club very drunk after 1am, she staggered around looking for a lift home and was seen by Sutcliffe, who stopped his car and picked her up. Wilma McCann's children. From left to right: Richard (then five), Sonje (then seven), Angela (three), and Donna (four) The sex worker was attacked and brutally murdered just 100 yards away from her house on October 30, 1975. Sutcliffe hit her with a hammer and stabbed her 15 times in the chest, neck and abdomen. Her body was found in Prince Philip Playing fields. Above: The site where Wilma's body was found Police search for Wilma McCann, the Yorkshire Ripper's first victim He parked his car near Prince Philip Playing fields and, after suggesting that they have sex on the grass, attacked and killed her. The first episode of The Long Shadow opens with Wilma's children waking up to find their mother gone. Viewers then see the moment her body is discovered. Detective Chief Superintendent Dennis Hoban - aware that women of 'loose morals' may not inspire public sympathy - is seen opting to direct public attention to Wilma's role as a mother. However, it would ultimately be more than five years before Wilma's killer was caught. Sutcliffe then carried on life as normal with his wife Sonia. Sutcliffe murdered 13 women between 1975 and 1980. He also attempted to take the lives of several more He would go on to tell police: 'After that first time I developed and played up a hatred for prostitutes in order to justify within myself a reason why I had attacked and killed Wilma McCann.' Speaking in 2020, Wilma's son Richard criticised the way police had described his mother and some of Sutcliffe's other victims. 'My mum was more than just a "good time girl" or a "woman of loose morals", as she was described by the police,' he said in a video. 'I hate the things that they said about some of the women, including my mum. 'It's like they seem to forget the person behind that black and white mugshot that I hated for years.' Firefighters eventually shattered the window and rescued the man from the car The video was taken in Davenport, Florida on a hot summer day A TikTok video shows the moment that a man had to be rescued from his Corvette after the vehicle's electric doors stopped working A TikTok video showed the scary moment firefighters had to rescue a man who was trapped inside his Corvette when the vehicle's electric doors stopped working. The video, posted by user 'BigBroQuan95,' shows the claustrophobic man sweating in the Florida heat on a summer day as first responders surround the car. The man, who says in the video that he is having 'an anxiety attack,' begs the firefighters to break the window, saying he doesn't care about the cost. 'Break the window. Y'all sitting here trying to Goddamn jump it, get me out of this motherf**ker,' the man says as he laughs nervously while sweat drips down his face. In 2015, a man and his dog died in Texas after his electric-powered Corvette stopped working and they became trapped inside. His family later filed a lawsuit against GM. A TikTok video showed the scary moment firefighters had to rescue a man who was trapped inside his Corvette when the vehicle's electric doors stopped working The terrifying video begins with the man - who was sitting at a gas station when his car 'went dead' showing off the vehicle and the firefighters outside. Quan - wearing a shirt embossed with the words 'determination over negativity' - says the firefighters have been working to jump the car as the temperatures soared. 'I'm sweating,' he says. 'It's hot, like 100 degrees outside. I can't get out.' He continues, stating that he even was in fear that he was 'about to die' before the firefighters arrived to assist in his rescue. Throughout the 90-second video, the man repeats that he is not worried about the cost of the repairs on the expensive, luxury vehicle. 'Break the window,' he screams at the first responder as they check out the car to look for alternative ways to save him. 'I'll pay for the Goddamn damage,' Quan shouts before giving one firefighter the thumbs up to shatter the glass. A firefighter eventually comes to the passenger-side window and smashes it with a long and heavy item, immediately shattering the glass. The first responder then has to pry the glass off car window as tiny slivers of the window fall onto the seat next to the driver. 'Get me out of this motherf**ker,' he says while laughing after the glass shattered. The one and a half minute video eventually ends with Quan showing off his sweaty forehead and face and laughing off the stress. Quan could be seen in the video with beads of sweat dripping down his face This is the Corvette that Quan broke out of thanks to firefighters Firefighters examined the glass before breaking the window in the video In a follow-up TikTok, the Corvette owner explained that the car's door handles are electrical and require power to be able to exit the vehicle. He told his 17,000 followers that despite 'freaking the f**k out' and 'hyperventilating' he had to calm himself down and call the police. Quan also said he was banging on the windows trying to get people at the gas station around him to help as he was struggling inside the vehicle. In total, Quan's original video has been liked more than 500,000 times and has surpassed more than five million views as of Monday afternoon. Additionally, nearly 12,000 comments have been left on the clip with the general consensus being that the experience would have scared anyone. 'The way my claustrophobia is set up I woulda been kicking that window like I was in a self defense class!' 'The way my claustrophobia is set up I woulda been kicking that window like I was in a self defense class!' 'I keep a window breaking device in any car I drive because I have a fear of being trapped in a car under water. Everyone should have one.' 'The way Chevy would be hearing from my lawyer cause what!!' Shockingly, it is not the first time that a person has become locked in their Corvette when the vehicle's electrical operations fail. In 2015, James Rogers, 72, of Texas died alongside his dog inside his 'dream car' after a loose cable prevented him from exiting the car. Rogers was trapped as temperatures reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit and police investigators found footprints around the car indicating he had tried to break out. The grandfather left his phone inside the restaurant he was and due to his car battery not working, he was unable to honk his horn for help. Rogers and his dog Leia were pronounced dead. Authorities believe that heat exhaustion was the cause of death. The elderly man's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2016 against General Motors Corporation. Lawyers for Rogers' children alleged that the Corvette was built in a defective manner and failed to properly make clear there is a manual override to get out if the battery dies. It's unclear if the lawsuit was ever resolved between the company and the family. Nicolas Petro allegedly used part of the donation enrich the lives of him and his estranged wife The Attorney General's Office accuses Nicolas Petro of taking money that was meant for his father's presidential campaign The son of Colombian President Nicolas Petro is set to go on trial for money laundering and illicit enrichment, according to documents filed in court by the Attorney General's Office on Monday. Nicolas Petro was arrested July 31 and later released from custody under strict terms for accepting donations for his father's campaign ahead of the 2022 elections. The younger Petro admitted before the investigators that he accepted money from Samuel 'The Marlboro Man' Santander, a former politician who served 18 of a 25-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking; Alfonso 'Turco' Hilsaca, a Cartagena businessman linked to Los Rastrojos, a drug cartel and paramilitary group; and Oscar Camacho, a well-known businessman from Cucuta. President Petro had commented publicly on his son's upcoming trial as of Monday evening. Nicolas Petro (left), the son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and his estranged wife Daysuris Vasquez (right) attend a court hearing in July following their arrest. Petro is set to go on trial on money laundering and illicit enrichment charges after admitting he accepted money from three individuals for his father's presidential campaign in 2022 Nicolas Petro with his father, Colombian President Gustavo Petro He attempted to broker a deal in search of a lighter punishment, which eventually was rejected by the Attorney General's Office. 'A part of the money, according to Nicolas Petro, would have been kept to increase his assets and that of his (former) wife (Daysuris) Vasquez,' Mario Burgos, the lead prosecutor, said back in August. Colombian authorities first learned of Nicolas Petro's scheme after Vasquez revealed explosive details in an interview with local news magazine Semana. Vasquez admitted being present in meetings where her former husband took in $150,000 from Santander. She recalled that her husband met Santander through his daughter, who was his friend for many years. She remembered the sit down with Santander took place at his daughter's residence in February or March 2022. Vasquez said that her husband also accepted $103,000 from Hilsaca. Nicolas Petro (left), his estranged wife Daysuris Vasquez (center) and his father, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro She said that Nicolas Petro took the money and never forwarded the contribution to the campaign. A former legislator in the Atlantico department, Nicolas Petro reportedly used the money to purchased mansion, an apartment in a condominium and a Mercedes Benz SUV. Vasquez told Semana she first learned that he had no intentions of forwarding the money to his father's campaign when she told him her vehicle encountered battery issues. On one occasion, Nicolas Petro texted her: 'I am not going to buy another car, because we are going to take that money that is there to buy a house.' The couple signed a promise to purchase contract and put down 60 percent about $180,000 - of what the home was worth. However, Vasquez said she backed out of buying the new home for 'obvious reasons.' Prosecutors also accused Vasquez of money laundering. A major security operation is underway in Ireland after a fishing trawler, suspected to be carrying large amounts of cocaine, ran aground on a beach amid stormy weather conditions. Tonight the Defence Forces, gardai and the Irish Coast Guard were seen searching the waters near to Wexford, with the garda drugs unit also being involved in the 'live operation'. The level of cooperation is said to be similar to those international vessels suspected of trafficking drugs worth tens of millions or up to 100million, the Irish Times reported. The waters are now reportedly being monitored to see if any cargo - possibly large amounts of drugs - have been lost and cascaded into the sea. The paper said a number of people saved from the water have since been arrested and questioned at Co Wexford Garda station. A major security operation is underway in Ireland after a fishing trawler, suspected to be carrying large amounts of cocaine, ran aground on a beach amid stormy weather conditions Tonight the Defence Forces, gardai and the Irish Coast Guard were seen searching the waters near to Wexford. Pictured: File photo of Garda boat previously The large trawler is said to have got into trouble late last night near a sandbank off Blackwater, prompting an emergency response from the RNLI and a Coast Guard Rescue helicopter. The helicopter, known as the Rescue 117, approached the scene of the vessel but were reportedly told to hold back as the boat was being tracked by the Irish Navys LE William Butler Yeats, the Irish Independent said. The Navy ship was reportedly carrying members of the Garda National Drugs Squad on board. When the RNLI eventually freed the trawler, rescuers were said to have been warned by the navy not to board or allow anyone free, the paper reported, with navy patrols arriving on board after 3am. Two men were said to be taken from the trawler onto the deck of the Navy's boat. A RNLI spokesperson told the Irish Independent: 'The trawler had run aground on the sandbank there and we just couldn't get near them. 'The weather conditions weren't great and we couldn't get the tow-lines over to them. ... They were eventually winched off and onto the naval vessel. I'm not aware of anything that happened after that. The trawler was being tracked by the Irish Navys LE William Butler Yeats, the Irish Independent said 'We'd be unaware of any further circumstances. It's our duty to go out and save lives. What people are doing or where they're going to or from is none of our concern.' The search continued into Monday as bad weather meant the vessel itself could not be checked. On Monday evening, a spokeswoman said gardai were engaged in a 'live operation' while the Defence Forces described its response as ongoing. The Irish Times reported that the boat had been docked in Co Cork at one point before travelling down the south coast, thought to be travelling towards Britain. The Garda Siochana has no comment at this time. The final moments of Emily Jackson before she was murdered by the Yorkshire Ripper have been presented in ITV drama The Long Shadow. The series, which details the police investigation into the 13 murders carried out by Peter Sutcliffe in his campaign of terror between 1975 and 1980, focuses on the victims of his heinous crimes. The first episode of the seven-part series, which was released tonight, followed the tragic final days Wilma McCann and Emily Jackson - Sutcliffe's first two victims who were brutally murdered in 1975 and 1976. In the episode Emily is seen dancing at a bar with someone who looks like Sutcliffe before getting into a car that could have been driven by the murderer. The show has come in for criticism from the families of the serial killer's victims over alleged inaccuracies, although it was praised by some for dropping the murderer's moniker from the title. The first episode shows a man who looks like Peter Sutcliffe dancing with Emily Jackson at a bar In the show the man is seen asking Emily 'how much', a reference to prostitution that she doesn't take well After turning to sex work, Emily is then shown getting into a vehicle that could be Sutcliffe's at the end of the episode Emily Jackson, pictured, was murdered on January 21, 1976, by Peter Sutcliffe after he picked her up in Leeds The episode opens with the discovery of Wilma's body before moving onto the months afterwards, focusing on Emily's family life and the police probe into Wilma's murder. In the show Emily, who was portrayed by Katherine Kelly, is shown having a drink at a bar after going out with her husband Sydney Jackson, played by Daniel May. READ MORE HERE - The Yorkshire Ripper Files: A forensic look at the 13 victims slaughtered by Peter Sutcliffe in his five-year reign of terror - ahead of new ITV drama The Long Shadow Advertisement While there she is shown as catching the eye of a man who looks like Sutcliffe, with the pair dancing together. He later follows her away from the dance floor, before asking 'How does it work then? Have you got a place where we can go? How much?', a reference to prostitution. Later she is shown turning to part-time sex work in a bid to alleviate her family's financial problems in the lead up to Christmas in 1975, allowing her to buy presents for her children. The first episode culminates with Emily going out on the night she was murdered, with her leaving the house after a fight with Sydney and vowing it could be the last night she does sex work. After going to a road frequented by other sex workers, a Land Rover pulls up waiting for a woman to get in. Emily is seen asking another woman why she doesn't go to the car, who responds saying he's a regular and she's 'not so keen on him'. The 42-year-old then walks over to the window and after a short conversation gets into the vehicle, before later being dropped off with money in her hand. Another car soon arrives, and after asking how much, she gets inside before it drives away to an ominous soundtrack, with the show appearing to suggest it was Sutcliffe's vehicle. In the episode Emily Jackson, played by Katherine Kelly, is shown turning to prostitution to help with her family's financial problems The producers of the show have said how they were not keen to show the murders themselves, instead saying they wanted to focus on the lives of those who were killed and the impact on their families. READ MORE HERE: Son of Yorkshire Ripper's first victim Wilma McCann pays tribute to mother-of-four as ITV drama The Long Shadow about hunt for depraved serial killer Peter Sutcliffe is aired Advertisement Sutcliffe murdered Emily after picking her up outside the Gaiety pub on Roundhay Road, where she was soliciting for business. After Emily had told him an encounter would cost 5, he drove on Roundhay Road to a derelict patch of land. He then stopped his car and pretended it wouldn't start. As she tried to help him by holding her lighter while he looked under the bonnet, he battered her twice with a hammer. He then dragged her body into a yard and used a screwdriver to viciously stab her. Her body was found on nearby Manor Street by a workman on the morning of January 21. Sutcliffe would later tell police: 'At that time I had a feeling of satisfaction and justification for what I'd done. 'I found that I didn't have any blood on my clothes which I could see, so I had no need to dispose of them.' As the first episode aired the son of the Yorkshire Ripper's first victim Wilma McCann paid tribute to her, saying he was thinking of her 'more than ever'. Tweeting just minutes before the programme aired, Richard McCann said: 'Not sure why I feel so nervous about the airing of the ITV drama The Long Shadow starting in a few minutes. 'Thinking of you mum more than I ever have for years as people get to see you showing love for your children.' Wilma, who was a mother-of-four, was brutally murdered just 100 yards away from her house on October 30, 1975, after Sutcliffe hit her with a hammer and stabbed her 15 times in the chest, neck and abdomen. Wilma McCann was Sutcliffe's first murder victim after she was brutally killed on October 30, 1975 Sutcliffe would go on to kill a further 11 women and attack several others Tweeting just minutes before the programme aired, Richard McCann said: 'Thinking of you mum more than I ever have for years as people get to see you showing love for your children' The murder of Wilma, who was a sex worker and was portrayed in the show by Gemma Laurie, came after Sutcliffe had attacked three women that same year. The women - Anna Rogulskyj, Olive Smelt and Tracy Browne - had all miraculously escaped with their lives. On the night of October 29, McCann had said goodnight to her children and then headed out drinking. She was seen at four pubs - including the Regent and White Sawn - drinking whiskies an beer. Later in the evening, she ended up at a drinking club, where she continued consuming alcohol. Having left the club very drunk after 1am, she staggered around looking for a lift home and was seen by Sutcliffe, who stopped his car and picked her up. He parked his car near Prince Philip Playing fields and, after suggesting that they have sex on the grass, attacked and killed her. Suffering from incurable colon cancer and realising his remaining days were few, Matteo Messina Denaro the last all-powerful Mafia godfather scrawled his funeral instructions on a scrap of paper. Since he had been in hiding for 30 years, and never used phones or computers, he had intended to smuggle the note to his henchmen via one of his couriers (among them the five-year-old daughter of a local hood, whom he rewarded with ice cream). Along with his stash of Viagra pills, condoms and video games, however, the scrunched-up message was among the many intriguing items found by Italian special forces after they finally arrested him and searched his lair, last January. As they read Denaros interment orders, the officers doubtless allowed themselves a wry smile. For the hubris and hypocrisy shown by the legendarily elusive Cosa Nostra boss, who died in a prison hospital at the weekend, aged 61, beggared belief. For almost 200 years, its leaders had sworn allegiance to the Vatican. From Lucky Luciano to Bernardo Provenzano, they had all demanded and received elaborate Roman Catholic burials. Blood-soaked criminal: Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro went on the run in 1993 Yet Denaro was determined to buck this tradition. Why? Because the man who, by his own admission, had committed so many murders that he filled a graveyard all by myself, deemed the Catholic Church too wicked to conduct his service. I reject every religious celebration because it (the Church) is made up of unclean men who live in hatred and sin, he wrote, perhaps forgetting that his shovel-hands had strangled dozens of victims, including a mob rivals pregnant girlfriend, and the 13-year-old son of another enemy whose body he dissolved in acid. These self-proclaimed soldiers of God would not be allowed to decide the fate of my lifeless body. If this grandiose decree confirmed Denaro as the first atheist Mafia chief, it was not the only way he broke the mould. For as I discovered when I ventured to his power base in Sicily, soon after his arrest, he was in many ways a unique godfather. Indeed, by the antediluvian standards of the Cosa Nostra, we might almost describe him as woke! Take, for example, his business interests, said to have amassed up to 5 billion, much of which is said to be stashed in overseas bank accounts and underground cash dumps that remain to be found. Denaro, the country's most wanted mafia boss, being escorted out of a Carabinieri police station after he was arrested in Palermo, Italy, January 16, 2023 Whereas old-school bosses creamed fortunes from rackets such as extortion, money-laundering, and narcotics, Denaro preferred to invest in ventures that might pass under the authorities radar, such as green energy. The seized assets in which he had interests include a 1.3 billion wind turbine venture near his home town of Castelvetrano, a 600 million shopping mall, and construction firms worth 475 million. All of which required the collusion of seemingly upright associates outside the Mafia, of course. Then there was his exotic love life. Under the paradoxically strict moral code to which past bosses adhered, marriage was obligatory and family life sacrosanct. Though mistresses were commonplace, they were an unspoken privilege; having children out of wedlock was unthinkable. Libidinous even in his dying months, the last godfather a confirmed bachelor thumbed his nose at these traditions. His only known child a daughter Lorenza, now 27 is the product of an affair with the daughter of a regional Mafia boss. Conceived on the run, Denaro never troubled to meet her until he was caught. However, they were reconciled while he was in prison, and she has now adopted his surname. Former police officer Carlo Pulici placed Denaros lovers under surveillance during the many years he spent trying to track him down, forming the view that the don regarded himself as a romantic Latin lover. Spying on a seaside villa, Pulici saw a procession of female visitors come and go. They were young, good-looking, high class, because he was very generous to his lovers. They werent only brought to him for sex. He would have relationships with them. A mugshot made available by Italy's Carabinieri shows Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, Italy's most wanted man, following his arrest in Palermo in January The trail led to Bologna, on the Italian mainland, where Denaros cousin ran a high-end jewellery shop. One day, a 25,000 diamond ring disappeared from the display. It was next seen on the finger of a woman who could ill afford it on her modest maths teachers salary: a statuesque blonde, in her 30s, who had fallen for the godfathers charms. Whether she knew he was among the worlds most wanted fugitives wasnt established. Since his capture, however, other lovers claim to have been duped. According to Laura Bonafede, another glamorous teacher with whom he had a long-term affair, he claimed to be a retired doctor. Now in jail for harbouring Denaro, she told police how they met at a supermarket near the last of his many lairs, a flat in the small town of Campobello di Mazara. He knew how to listen to me. He made me feel important, she said. When she and Denaro conversed they used codewords, substituting the names of people and places with those of characters and locations from his favourite books. He would call her daughter, Martina (of whom he was very fond) Tanya, a character from Charles Bukowskis novel Women. They referred to Campobello di Mazara as Macondo, the idyllic village that features in Gabriel Garcia Marquezs classic One Hundred Years Of Solitude. The godfathers choice of codenames reveals another side of his character that set him apart from his predecessors. For all their enormous power and wealth, the Mafia bosses of yore were ill-educated yokels who led simple, pastoral lives. Denaro was thought to be a boss of the notorious Cosa Nostra Mafia and spent 30 years on the run before he was detained in January Denaro, however, prided himself on his knowledge of literature, classical music and art. Albeit reluctantly, the police chief responsible for his arrest even described him to me as cultured. Yet this was the same man who, during the Mafias onslaught on the Italian establishment in the late 1990s, thought nothing of destroying priceless paintings by Rubens and Giotto by planting a bomb in a Florence art gallery. So, a man of contradictions. The son of a middle-ranking Mafia capo, Denaro was initiated into the clan at 14 and soon earned a reputation for his ruthlessness. When a hotel manager tried to end the teenage Mafiosos romance with a receptionist because he felt Denaros constant loitering in the lobby was bad for business the manager was summarily executed. The same fate awaited others who crossed him. His penchant for killing brought him to the attention of Salvatore Toto Riina, then the Sicilian Mafias Boss of Bosses. He became Riinas closest confidant, helping to mastermind and orchestrate the mainland terror campaign that saw the assassination of an anti-Mafia judge and two prosecutors, before taking on his mantle when he died, in 2017. By then he had already been on the run for almost a quarter of a century, evidently sheltered by a cabal of high-powered politicians and business tycoons. Perhaps police and justice officials, too. A woman displays a photograph that became iconic in Italy - showing top anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone, left, and Paolo Borsellino - during a demonstration in Palermo in January His dramatic arrest last January at a cancer clinic outside Palermo came after police intercepted a phone call with his sister. The more cynical version of events holds that he engineered his capture because he knew his end was near and that he would receive first-class treatment in an Italian prison hospital. Whatever the truth, his passing will mean more restful nights for faceless figures in Italys corridors of power. Some believe he may have left behind a file naming his high-ranking associates, and that it could be found. But keeping dossiers isnt the Mafias style, Giacomo di Girolamo, author of Denaros biography, The Invisible, told me yesterday. I believe his dark secrets were kept in his head, and as he stuck to the Mafia code by refusing to talk to prosecutors, we can assume he will take them to his grave. That grave will be in the family crypt in his home town. As the Italian police will video the entire ceremony, it remains to be seen how many of his underlings will have the chutzpah to attend. As they lower the last godfather, though, we can be sure there wont be a priest in sight. Suella Braverman will today warn that 780 million people are eligible to claim asylum in the UK under 'absurd' rules - as she makes her bid to tackle the Channel crisis by calling for an overhaul of the UN Refugee Convention. In a hard-hitting speech at the American Enterprise Institute, a centre-right think tank in Washington DC, the Home Secretary will claim international asylum laws are creating an 'absurd and unsustainable' system with 'huge incentives for illegal migration'. Mrs Braverman raises the prospect of rewriting the UN's 1951 treaty because the threshold for asylum claims has become too low. She will point out that would-be refugees once had to show they were facing 'persecution' but now they must only prove 'discrimination'. 'Simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination' should no longer amount to grounds for asylum, she will argue. Mrs Braverman will suggest the UN treaty is 'an incredible achievement of its age' and has played a key role in the crisis that has seen nearly 110,000 migrants cross the Channel on dinghies to reach Britain since 2018. 'But more than 70 years on, we now live in a completely different time,' she will add, telling the audience: 'According to analysis by Nick Timothy and Karl Williams for the Centre for Policy Studies, it now confers the notional right to move to another country upon at least 780 million people. Suella Braverman (pictured) will claim international asylum laws are creating an 'absurd and unsustainable' system with 'huge incentives for illegal migration' Mrs Braverman will today warn that 780 million people are eligible to claim asylum in the UK under 'absurd' rules and argue that Channel boat migrants should not be treated as refugees Mrs Braverman will suggest the UN treaty has played a key role in the crisis that has seen nearly 110,000 migrants cross the Channel on dinghies to reach Britain since 2018 'It is therefore incumbent upon politicians and thought leaders to ask whether the Refugee Convention, and the way it has come to be interpreted through our courts, is fit for our modern age. Or whether it is in need of reform.' Crackdown 'to bar families of foreign carers' Suella Braverman is pressing for sweeping changes to the visa system that would bar tens of thousands of foreign workers from bringing relatives to the UK. The Home Secretary is understood to have put forward plans to curb legal migration ahead of the next election. It comes amid concern among Conservative backbenchers that they will be punished at the ballot box over record net migration figures of 606,000 a year. Mrs Braverman and immigration minister Robert Jenrick have urged Downing Street to approve major changes to legal migration routes, including restrictions on foreign care workers bringing dependents with them when they move to Britain, the Daily Telegraph reported. The number of health and social care visas issued by the Home Office has increased by 157 per cent in a year. Government data says 121,290 were handed out in the 12 months to June, up from 47,194 the previous year. The changes could mirror restrictions on foreign students. Advertisement She is also expected to say in her speech in Washington DC tomorrow: 'Nobody entering the UK by boat from France is fleeing imminent peril. 'The vast majority have passed through multiple safe countries, and in some instances have resided in safe countries for several years. In this sense, there is an argument that they should cease to be treated as refugees when considering the legitimacy of their onward movement.' She will ask whether the 70-year-old UN treaty still suits the modern age or should be rewritten. 'The status quo, where people are able to travel through multiple safe countries, and even reside in safe countries for years, while they pick their preferred destination to claim asylum, is absurd and unsustainable,' she will tell the American Enterprise Institute. Mrs Braverman will also level her sights at immigration lawyers and judges. She will question whether the way the convention has 'come to be interpreted through our courts' is also in need of reform. The Government's Illegal Migration Act, passed by Parliament earlier this year, bars 'irregular' migrants from claiming asylum. However, its powers have yet to be brought into force and it remains unclear whether it will make it easier to remove migrants whose claims are denied. Mrs Braverman's criticisms of the UN treaty will be disputed by many immigration lawyers and campaigners, who point to Britain's leading role in drawing it up after the horrors of the Second World War. She will hail the 1951 document as an 'incredible achievement of its age' but add that 'we now live in a completely different time'. The Home Secretary will tell her audience: 'It is therefore incumbent upon politicians and thought leaders to ask whether the Refugee Convention, and the way it has come to be interpreted through our courts, is fit for our modern age or whether it is in need of reform.' Ms Braverman is expected to say in her speech in Washington DC tomorrow: 'Nobody entering the UK by boat from France is fleeing imminent peril' Migrants are picked up at sea while attempting to cross the English Channel last month She will point out that the convention defines refugees as those with a 'well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion'. 'However, as case law has developed, what we have seen in practice is an interpretive shift away from persecution, in favour of something more akin to a definition of discrimination,' she will say. 'And a similar shift away from a 'well-founded fear' towards a 'credible' or 'plausible fear'. 'The practical consequence of which has been to expand the number of those who may qualify for asylum, and to lower the threshold for doing so. 'Where individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary. 'But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if, in effect, simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin, is sufficient to qualify for protection.' Mrs Braverman will also highlight 'asylum shopping' which sees migrants move through numerous safe countries to reach their target country. The convention 'makes clear' that it is intended to apply to individuals 'coming directly from a territory where their life was threatened', she will say, and that they must show 'good cause' for entering a country illegally in order to claim asylum. 'The UK along with many others, including America, interpret this to mean that people should seek refuge and claim asylum in the first safe country that they reach,' she will add. 'But NGOs and others, including the UN Refugee Agency, contest this. 'Seeking asylum and seeking better economic prospects are not the same thing. 'Seeking refuge in the first safe country you reach or shopping around for your preferred destination are not the same thing. Being trafficked ie, transported against your will, perhaps to be sold into sex slavery and being smuggled ie, asking someone to sneak you into a country are not the same thing. 'The extent to which the global asylum framework enables the merging of these categories creates huge incentives for illegal migration. This legal framework is rooted in the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.' She will note that when the convention was signed it conferred protection on two million Europeans, but a recent analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank concluded it now 'confers the notional right to move to another country upon at least 780million people'. Any reform of the convention will be a drawn-out process and would need to secure widespread international support. A Centre for Policy Studies report, published last year and co-authored by former Theresa May aide Nick Timothy, recommended the UK should 'work with international partners on updating the antiquated 1951 Refugee Convention'. But Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the convention's principles were 'just as important today as they have ever been'. 'Abandoning them is not an option: We must stand firm in our commitment to all people fleeing persecution and the international frameworks that were created to protect them,' he said. Countries which made 'staggering' profits from soaring oil prices last year should pay a new climate change levy, Gordon Brown said yesterday. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Norway and others benefited from a 'lottery-style bonanza' after their profits more than doubled in 2022, the former prime minister claimed. A global windfall levy should be introduced to help poorer nations in the fight against the effects of global warming, he concluded. Speaking ahead of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai later this year, Mr. Brown said his proposed levy would lay the foundations for a climate finance fund to support those who are most exposed. 'Petro-states have recorded almost unimaginable profits from the rise in oil price in recent years,' he said. Gordon Brown (pictured) said that a handful of countries made vast profits while contributing nothing to the world 'Pre-Covid, global oil and gas revenues were, according to the International Energy Association (IEA) running at 1.5 trillion dollars a year (1.2 trillion) - in 2022, they soared to an unprecedented four trillion dollars (3.3 trillion). 'To put these extraordinary figures into context, four trillion dollars is 20 times the entire global aid budget. It is an income so big that it exceeds the entire GDP of the United Kingdom. 'These producer states have done literally nothing to earn these extra profits. It represents one of the biggest-ever transfers of wealth from poor to rich nations. 'I am therefore calling on these states which have benefited so much to contribute to a new global windfall levy to help the fight against climate change. 'Given that the high price of oil and gas has been the principal reason why an additional 141 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty, it is the very least they could do.' Support for such a levy could trigger a wider agreement at the COP28 summit which begins on November 30, the former Labour leader said. He has written to the new G20 chairman, Brazilian president Lula da Silva, asking him to hold a pre-COP28 summit with the OPEC oil-producing states to agree the plan for the levy. Mr. Brown added: 'The consequences of such a grand gesture would be immense.' The former PM is the UN's special envoy for global education and the World Health Organisation's ambassador for global health financing. One year after a terrifying incident in which she was struck by a moving rollercoaster, a young woman from Melbourne left fighting for life has made a miraculous recovery. Shylah Rodden, 27, spent months recovering in hospital with serious injuries after a rollercoaster ploughed into her at Melbourne's Royal Show on September 24 last year. She was flung nine metres into the air by the fast-moving ride after she tried to retrieve a dropped phone. In a rare update issued to the media, her mother, Kylie Rodden, says her brave daughter has defied the odds by learning to walk again and is now talking. However, she added that Shylah has also been hit hard by the cruel messages posted by online trolls and issued a desperate plea about their negative impact. Her family has shunned the spotlight largely due to the keyboard warriors who blamed Shylah for her own tragic fate. 'Over the past year, our focus has been supporting Shylah with her recovery and assisting her to move forward with her life,' Ms Rodden said in a statement. Shylah Rodden has defied the odds by being able to walk and talk again but is devastated about becoming the target of cruel online trolls Shyla Rodden suffered critical injuries after she was struck by a moving rollercoaster at last year's Royal Melbourne Show 'We are so grateful to see her progress from the horrific injuries she suffered. 'She has defied the odds and is now walking, talking and doing things that we were told by doctors, may not be possible'. Ms Rodden's lawyer, Sharlene Mehta from Arnold Thomas and Becker told media that WorkSafe's investigation remained ongoing. 'The accident has had far-reaching impacts on Shylah and her family, so the outcomes of these investigations are eagerly awaited,' she said. 'The family has indicated that once they receive further information from the investigations, they may then be open to providing further comments, but for now ask that their privacy is respected so that they can continue to focus on Shylah's recovery'. Shylah Rodden's family says she has been hurt by messages sent by vile online trolls READ MORE: Shylah Rodden rollercoaster accident shock as Royal Melbourne Show throws open the gates Advertisement Shylah's mother added her daughter has seen and been deeply hurt by some of the cruel and misguided comments sent by keyboard warriors. 'What happened was a tragic accident, which as a family we've had to deal with,' Ms Rodden said. 'To be hearing and reading the negative comments made in the media and on social media has been hurtful to Shylah and our family. 'We've done our best to shield Shylah from these comments, as so much of it has been misguided and, in many instances, cruel,' she said. 'Unfortunately, Shylah has seen these comments and they really affect her. 'We are making a public statement now in the hope that people will understand that these negative comments are not helpful in any way. 'Our wish is to keep moving forward and to enable Shylah to continue with her recovery and focus on the incredible progress that she's making.' WorkSafe's investigation into the rollercoaster accident is still ongoing one year on Former President Donald Trump both touted a poll that showed him 10 points ahead of President Joe Biden but also said the survey didn't matter because Democrats have no replacement for the low-polling president. Trump hit the campaign trail in South Carolina Monday and dedicated several minutes of his speech to Sunday's ABC News/Washington Post survey that showed the ex-president with 52 percent to Biden's 42 percent among registered voters. The 2024 Republican hopeful called the news organizations 'corrupt' after a Washington Post analysis suggested Trump's big lead was an outlier. 'It's hard for Republicans to lead by that much in the fake news media,' Trump said. 'When they see these numbers they get crazy.' Trump himself believed the numbers were accurate telling the crowd that even liberal areas of the country are 'changing their tune' because 'nobody can want to vote for this guy, nobody,' he said of Biden. Former President Donald Trump (left) both touted a poll that showed him 10 points ahead of President Joe Biden (right) but also said the survey didn't matter because Democrats have no replacement for the low-polling president Former President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Monday and held an event in Summerville, South Carolina where he dedicated portions of his speech to the Washington Post and ABC News poll that showed him 10 points ahead 'And maybe he makes it to the gate, I don't know if he makes it to the gate,' Trump said of the 80-year-old White House occupant. 'I don't think it even matters anymore because they have been so destructive to our country, what they've done as a party, that I don't think it matters.' 'Who are they going to put in?' Trump mused. 'A guy from California that's destroyed the state?' That was a reference to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. 'They going to put in Kamala, Kamala?' Trump continued, repeating the vice president's name in a taunting fashion. 'Actually our numbers are better against Kamala than they are against Joe, so maybe we'd like Kamala too.' In the ABC/Washington Post poll, a whopping 62 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters said they wanted to see someone other than Biden as the nominee. But when asked to be more specific, just 8 percent were interested in seeing Vice President Kamala Harris fulfill that role. And of that 62 percent of Democratic-leaners, 16 percent said they'd switch their vote to Trump. Former President Donald Trump points and waves to a supporter while campaigning in Summerville, South Carolina on Monday Trump supporter Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene waves to the crowd at the ex-president's Summerville, South Carolina rally on Monday The poll shows Trump with much broader support among members of his party, with 54 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters supporting the ex-president. By comparison, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stands at 15 percent and former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley was in third place with 7 percent. At the South Carolina stop, Trump relished being so far ahead of both DeSantis - once considered his toughest 2024 opponent and Haley, the former governor of the state who's seen a bump in the polls since her first debate performance. 'We're beating your former governor who's not nearly as good as your current governor,' Trump said, while also falsely claiming he was ahead of DeSantis by 56 points. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster introduced Trump at the event. Trump plans to, again, skip a GOP primary debate, set for Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, California and will instead campaign in Detroit, Michigan amid the United Auto Workers strike. 'You know, they're wasting a lot of time with this ridiculous debates that nobody's watching,' Trump said. 'Their last debate was the lowest rated debate in history. That's a good compliment, isn't it?' Last month's first GOP primary debate in Milwaukee drew roughly 12.8 million viewers, which is a smaller number than the August 2015 primary debate in which Trump first appeared onstage. The United States on Monday condemned the latest attack on Cuba's embassy in Washington, in which a man allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails at the mission. Cuba's communist government, which is despised by many exiles in the United States, described the incident Sunday night as a "terrorist attack." No one was injured and there was no significant damage. "All attacks and threats against diplomatic facilities are unacceptable," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. "We are in contact with Cuban embassy officials and, consistent with our obligations under the Vienna Convention, the department is committed to the safety and security of diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work in them," he said. He said the State Department was coordinating with Washington police in the investigation. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel demanded "action from the American authorities." "Hatred once again last night caused a terrorist attack against our embassy in Washington, an act of violence and weakness that could have cost precious lives," he wrote on X, the rebranded name of Twitter. Cuba's ambassador to the United States, Lianys Torres Rivera, said the embassy had "immediately communicated with United States authorities, who were given access to the mission to take samples of the Molotov cocktails." Russia, a traditional ally of Cuba, "strongly condemned" the incident and urged a "thorough" investigation. "It should not go unpunished and those responsible for its orchestration should be severely punished," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. Moscow's diplomatic ties with Washington are at rock bottom over the war in Ukraine. - Havana blames exiles - The attack took place hours after Diaz-Canel returned to Havana after attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York. His New York appearance was met by demonstrations by opponents of the communist government founded by Fidel Castro. No one took responsibility for the attack, although Havana quickly pinned blame on exiles. "The anti-Cuban groups resort to terrorism when feeling they enjoy impunity, something that Cuba has repeatedly warned the US authorities about," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said. It was the second attack against the Cuban mission in Washington in recent years, after a man opened fire on the building in April 2020. There were no injuries from that attack either. At the time, Cuba summoned the top US diplomat in Havana to deliver a protest over what was also described as a terrorist act. That shooting left bullet holes in exterior walls and columns, broke a street lamp and damaged several panes of glass and moldings on the front of the building. US authorities arrested Alexander Alazo over the shooting, charging him with multiple offenses including "a violent attack on a foreign official or official premises using a deadly weapon," according to the US Justice Department. While Washington frequently sees protests outside foreign embassies, attacks are rare, and the United States routinely denounces incidents that impact its own missions overseas. The Cuban embassy reopened as a full mission in 2015 after a reconciliation bid by former US president Barack Obama, who believed that decades of US efforts to isolate the island had failed. His successor, Donald Trump, backed by staunchly anti-communist Latino voters in the politically vital state of Florida, reversed most of Obama's overtures. President Joe Biden has mostly kept in place Trump's policy of pressure and imposed targeted sanctions after Cuba was rocked by unusual mass protests in July 2021. lp/arm/aha/jbr/sco EXCLUSIVE Secret plans are underway to allow the sole survivor of the deadly mushroom lunch to honour his wife following her death. Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only person to survive the poisonous beef wellington dished up on July 29 by stay-at-home mum Erin Patterson in Victoria's east. His wife Heather, 66, and her sister Gail and husband Don Patterson had been invited over for lunch as part of a 'mediation' gathering to discuss Ms Patterson's relationship with her estranged husband Simon, who pulled out at the last minute. Daily Mail Australia can reveal Mrs Wilkinson will be honoured in a public service on October 4 in Korumburra. Ian Wilkinson and Heather Wilkinson (both pictured). Ian Wilkinson has been released from hospital after spending weeks recovering from a poisonous mushroom lunch that claimed the lives of three others including his wife Erin Patterson is pictured outside her home days after serving the killer meal Members of the tight-knit Korumburra Baptist Church met at a Korumburra bakery on Monday to plan the secret service. The memorial is expected to be similar to that held for the Pattersons on August 31 when more than 450 mourners gathered at the Korumburra Recreation Centre to pay their respects to the beloved couple. Mr Wilkinson has not been spotted in public since his release from the Austin Hospital and it remains unknown if he has yet spoken to homicide detectives. It also remains unknown if his wife was buried while he was still recovering in hospital. The Pattersons had been buried at a private service while he was still receiving treatment. The 68-year old is expected to address mourners at the service as Simon Patterson did for his parents last month. Mr Wilkinson's release from hospital is being hailed a miracle by his congregation. His family confirmed on Saturday he is now making 'significant progress' at home. Erin's former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson (pictured) died a week after attending the lunch Simon Patterson paid tribute to his parents at a public memorial last month A large police presence was on hand for the Patterson memorial 'This milestone marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude for Ian and the entire Wilkinson family,' they said. 'The Wilkinson family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Leongatha, Dandenong and Austin Hospitals for their unwavering dedication and exceptional care that played a pivotal role in Ian's recovery. 'The medical team's expertise and compassion have been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey.' The family also thanked the local community including members of the church and other loved ones. 'This collective kindness has been a pillar of strength for Ian and the family, reinforcing the sense of unity and compassion that defines our community,' they said. Daily Mail Australia revealed last month Mr Wilkinson only likely survived because he was rushed to a hospital known for its expertise in treating patients suffering from poisonings. The final resting place of Don and Gail Patterson A hospital insider told Daily Mail Australia that Mr Wilkinson had been transported to the Austin Hospital - recognised as the go-to hospital for Victoria's most critically ill patients - for one specific reason that likely saved his life. 'The Austin was not the natural hospital to go to. From Leongatha the closest hospital is Monash Medical Centre - that's where they normally go. They've basically gone to the hospital the farthest away they could,' the source said. 'The main intensive care unit, and you need the best, you go to The Alfred or Royal Melbourne. They haven't done that either. The state's poison centre is at the Austin, so that's why he's gone there. 'That says they're more interested in dealing with the mushrooms than the intensive care part of it.' Erin Patterson had earlier told police that the mushrooms used in the lunch were a mixture of button mushrooms bought from a supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian supermarket in Melbourne months earlier. In her statement, leaked to the media by an unknown source, Ms Patterson said she portioned the meal onto plates and let her guests pick their own. She said she took the last remaining plate and ate a serving, later handing the leftovers to hospital toxicologists for examination. A dehydrator she had was later dumped at the local tip amid concern her estranged husband would blame her for his parents' death and gain custody of their two children, she said. Erin has denied any wrongdoing and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting she intentionally poisoned her four relatives. Ruthless mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro who spent 30 years on the run for allegedly murdering 50 people including a boy dissolved in acid has died of cancer aged 61 - eight months after he was captured by Italian police. The mafia godfather, who once boasted he could 'fill a cemetery with his victims', was suffering from colon cancer when he was captured by armed police at a medical facility in Palermo, Sicily, in January. But his condition deteriorated in recent weeks and he was transferred to a hospital from the maximum-security prison in L'Aquila in central Italy where he was initially held. Messina Denaro, dubbed the 'last godfather' of the notorious Cosa Nostra gang and nicknamed 'The Devil' following a string of brutal murders, died in the hospital, L'Aquila Mayor Pierluigi Biondi confirmed today. The mafioso had been forced into hiding 30 years ago after he ordered a series of deadly attacks, including the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, as well as a series of car bombs in Florence, Milan and Rome that left 10 people dead and 93 injured in 1993. And children were not off limits for Messina Denaro. In the same year, 'The Devil' helped organise the kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy, Giuseppe Di Matteo, in an attempt to dissuade his father from giving evidence against the mafia, prosecutors say. The boy was held in captivity for two years before he was brutally strangled to death and his body dissolved in acid. Ruthless mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro who spent 30 years on the run for allegedly murdering 50 people including a boy dissolved in acid has died of cancer aged 61 - eight months after he was captured by Italian police. Pictured: A mugshot of Messina Denaro from the time of his arrest in January (left), and the Mafia boss in the 1990s Messina Denaro was arrested in January (pictured) after spending 30 years on the run Pictured: Police reconstructions of the face of Messina Denaro shared to the public, depicting what he could look like today as an older man, and in costume as a woman In 1993, Messina Denaro helped organise the kidnap of a 12-year-old boy, Giuseppe Di Matteo (pictured), in an attempt to blackmail his father into not giving evidence against the mafia, prosecutors say Messina Denaro was sentenced in absentia to a life term for his role in 1992 in the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Pictured: The scene of the murder of Falcone in Palermo, Sicily, in 1992 L'Aquila Mayor Pierluigi Biondi confirmed the mobster's death in hospital 'following a worsening of his illness' in a statement to the ANSA news agency, which had earlier broken the news. His death 'puts the end to a story of violence and blood', Biondi said, thanking prison and hospital staff for their 'professionalism and humanity'. It was 'the epilogue of an existence lived without remorse or repentance, a painful chapter of the recent history of our nation'. Messina Denaro is not believed to have given any information to the police after he was seized outside a private health clinic in the Sicilian capital, Palermo, on January 16. Denaro had requested no aggressive medical treatment, ANSA reported, adding that medics had stopped feeding him after he was declared to be in irreversible coma. According to medical records leaked to the Italian media, he underwent surgery for colon cancer in 2020 and 2022 under a false name. A doctor at the Palermo clinic told La Repubblica newspaper that Messina Denaro's health had worsened significantly in the months leading up to his capture. Preparations are already under way for his burial in the family tomb in his hometown of Castelvetrano alongside his father, Don Ciccio, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Messina Denaro was captured in January when armed police swarmed the private medical facility in Palermo where he was undergoing treatment. The then 60-year-old had tried to outrun the police officers on foot and pushed his way through a series of hospital doors - but he only made it as far as a bar that was part of the same building where he had been seeing doctors for colon cancer checks. As the officers cornered the frail mafia boss, Messina Denaro meekly gave them his name before they bundled him into a waiting black minivan in front of shocked patients and medical staff. The Mafia boss, who had not been seen in public for three decades, was pictured sitting in a police van wearing a brown leather shearling jacket, a white skull cap and his trademark tinted glasses shortly after his arrest. A trigger man who once reportedly boasted he could 'fill a cemetery' with his victims, Messina Denaro was a leading figure in Cosa Nostra, the real-life Sicilian crime syndicate depicted in the Godfather movies. For a mafia boss who evaded arrest for over 30 years, it was his frequent visits to a private clinic that led to his arrest. Messina Denaro had been sitting in the private clinic waiting to see a doctor for colon cancer tests when he was surrounded and chased by a swarm of armed police officers. A member of staff who asked to remain anonymous told local media at the time: 'He'd been coming here on and off for about a year. He'd had an operation a few months ago and was back for more tests and chemotherapy. 'When I turned up for work this morning at 6am it was all quiet and then he arrived to do his Covid test. 'A few minutes later a police officer wearing full body armour as if he was going to war came in and said he was looking for a patient. 'He said to remain calm and that armed officers were on every floor of the clinic. We had no idea who he was or what his background was. 'The guy actually managed to get out and ran into a local bar but they tracked him down and that's when all hell broke loose.' As news of his arrest spread across Palermo, local residents had emerged to applaud and shake the hands of the Italian paramilitary police officers involved in the operation. The residents were seen cheering and wiping away tears as they felt a wave of relief that Messina Denaro, who had coordinated years of terror in Italy, had finally been detained. Messina Denaro was born on April 26, 1962 in the small town of Castelvetrano near Trapani in western Sicily and grew up in the heart of organised crime. He was the son of influential mafia 'capo' (captain) Francesco Messina Denaro, and he quickly rose through the ranks - and eventually followed in his father's footsteps to become the boss of Cosa Nostra. He is said to have first used a gun at the age of 14 and allegedly killed at 18, and is accused by prosecutors of going on to be solely or jointly responsible for numerous other murders in the 1990s. Messina Denaro is believed to have become the 'boss of bosses' following the death of Salvatore 'The Beast' Riina in November 2022. Messina Denaro was the last of three longtime fugitive top-level mafia who had evaded capture. Messina Denaro, right, is seen in a car with Italian Carabinieri officers soon after his arrest at a private clinic in Palermo, Sicily, in January this year. He has now died of colon cancer A composite picture shows a computer generated image released by the Italian police, right, in their efforts to track the mobster down, and a picture of Matteo Messina Denaro, left The mafia boss, who comes from the small town of Castelvetrano in Sicily, faced a life sentence for his role in bomb attacks in Florence, Rome and Milan which killed ten people the following year Messina Denaro, head of the notorious Cosa Nostra gang and nicknamed 'The Devil' following a string of brutal murders, was captured when armed police swarmed a private medical facility in Palermo, Sicily, in January His first run-ins with the law began in 1989, when he took part in a bloody struggle between two clans. He was accused that year of murdering Nicola Consales, a hotel owner who complained to an employee of always having 'these little mafiosos under our feet'. Unfortunately for Consales, the employee was Messina Denaro's mistress. In 1992, he was part of a mob group sent to Rome to try and kill anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone. The group was eventually recalled by Toto Riina, the Corleone boss dubbed 'the Beast', who decided on another approach. Falcone was murdered in a car bomb near Palermo on May 23, 1992. In 1993, he is reported to have assassinated rival boss Vincenzo Milazzo. His attention then turned to Milazzo's pregnant girlfriend, who he strangled to death. The two bodies were buried in the countryside. As head of the Castelvetrano clan, he was allied to the Corleonesi clan, who were immortalised in the legendary 'The Godfather' films. He also became one of Cosa Nostra's deadliest soldiers when a war erupted between the mafia and the state over stricter prison laws for convicted gangsters. Messina Denaro was also convicted for the murder of 12-year-old Giuseppe di Matteo, who was abducted and held captive for two years in a bid by the mafia to stop the boy's father from testifying against them to the state. After all that time in captivity, he was brutally strangled to death and his body was disposed of in a bath of acid. It was in the same year that Messina Denaro is accused of having a role in bomb attacks in Florence, Rome and Milan that killed 10 people and injured 93. The attacks were carried out alongside notorious hitman Giovanni Brusca, who boasted to murdering 200 people single-highhandedly. The bomb attacks, that targeted some of Italy's most historic monuments, forced Messina Denaro into hiding. Messina Denaro had faced multiple life sentences at the time of his death, including for the murder of Falcone and Borsellino and his role in the bomb attacks. Messina Denaro had been number one on Italy's most-wanted list but the only known photo of him dated back to the early 1990. A new e-fit was created in 2014 with the help of an informant. Police said in September 2022 that Messina Denaro was still able to issue commands around the running of the mafia in the area around the western Sicilian city of Trapani, his regional stronghold, despite his long disappearance. In 2015, police discovered he was communicating with his closest collaborators via the pizzini system, where tiny, folded paper notes were left under a rock at a farm in Sicily. Messina Denaro also used a five-year-old girl, Attilio Fogazza's young daughter, to run secret handwritten messages between himself and other mafia top dogs. He was also held responsible for bombings in Rome, Florence and Milan in 1993 which killed 10 people The scene of the bomb attack which killed Judge Giovanni Falcone on 24 May 1992 in Palermo, Sicily The scene of the bomb attack which killed Judge Giovanni Falcone on 24 May 1992 in Palermo, Sicily The scene of the bomb attack which killed Judge Giovanni Falcone on 24 May 1992 in Palermo, Sicily Fogazza, who himself is on a murder charge, said in 2016 that Messina Denaro's second-in-command Domenico 'Mimmo' Scimonelli approached his daughter to send the messages. The right-hand man had taken his daughter for an ice cream and put the messages inside her jacket and backpack. The daughter and the rest of Fogazza's family have been living in a secret location under police protection while he cooperates with the prosecutors as they attempt to bring down the 'boss of bosses' in the Italian mafia scene. Fogazza ran a car dealership in south-western Sicily and decided to collaborate with Palermo investigators after he was arrested last December for the murder of Salvatore Lombardo in 2009, who was killed after he stole a van from Scimonelli. 'One day my daughter said Uncle Mimmo had taken her for a gelato and put the messages inside her jacket and her backpack,' Fogazza told prosecutors in Palermo. Messina Denaro lived a playboy lifestyle. He was known for driving expensive cars and for having a taste for wearing finely tailored suits and Rolex watches. As a rising-star in the mafia in the 1980s, he dressed in designer brands Versace and Armani. His womanising ways raised eyebrows among the clans more conservative members. He fathered a daughter in 1995, which was seen as not being in keeping with Cosa Nostra's more traditional family values. The government could be forced to disclose if aliens have visited Earth under new legislation. The Senate passed an amendment in July that will be part of the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) for 2024. Known as the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Discloser Act, it says Government agencies with records, samples of craft or 'biological' material must hand it over within 300 days. President Joe Biden will have 90 days to appoint a nine-person Review Board responsible for investigating each record and determining if they are considered UAPs that should be disclosed to the public. Any government agency possessing such records will be required to hand over printed and digital copies to the board, which has 180 days to investigate and 14 days to publish their findings. The president, however, can vote against disclosing specific evidence if it poses a national threat. THIS IS HOW IT WOULD WORK: The Senate passed the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Discloser Act in July, requiring government offices to hand over all UAP records no later than 300 days after the amendment's enactment date READ MORE: Pentagon whistleblower says the Vatican is aware of the existence of non-human intelligences and helped the US retrieve a downed UFO from Italian dictator Mussolini at the end of WW2 David Grusch said the UFO was partially intact and held at a secure airbase until the US retrieved it following the collapse of the fascist Italian regime. Advertisement Step One: The President forms the Review Board Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, has teamed up with Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican, in leading an effort to force the disclosure of information relating to what the government officially calls 'unidentified anomalous phenomena.' Their proposal is modeled after a 1992 US law spelling out the handling of records related to the 1963 assassination of President John Kennedy. 'For decades, many Americans have been fascinated by objects mysterious and unexplained, and it's long past time they get some answers,' Schumer said in a July statement, adding that the public 'has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, non-human intelligence and unexplainable phenomena.' The president is tasked with nominating nine individuals to stand on the Review Board. This must be completed within 90 days of the enactment of the Act. Recommendations will come from leaders of the Senate, the Hosue of Representatives, the Secretary of Defense, the UAP Disclosure Foundation, The American Historical Associate and The National Academy of Sciences. These individuals may not have any previous or current involvement with any legacy program or controlling authority related to the collection. The Act defines 'legacy program' as all Federal State and local government, commercial industry, academic, and private sector endeavors to collect, exploit, or reverse engineer technologies of unknown origin or examine bio10 logical evidence of living or deceased non-human intelligence that pre-dates the Act's enactment. The president also has the last say on whether specific evidence should be disclosed. The document continues to explain that the president can postpone disclosure of certain records if they are identified as harm 'to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or conduct of foreign relations.' The amendment was announced just days before a bombshell hearing held by Congress heard statements from three whistleblowers (pictured) who claimed to know about secret government programs involving technology that is 'non-human' Other cases include records naming an intelligence officer who requires protection. The president would also be tasked with making nominations to the Review Board no later than 90 days after the enactment of the Act. Step 2: Governments must handover UAP records The Act states government offices have 300 days after the date of enactment to hand over records to the Review Board. These offices include the president, the Department of Defense, all military branches, the Department of Energy, the Director of National Intelligence, the Library of Congress and more. The document also names the Manhattan Project, which produced the first nuclear bomb. However, these agencies will retain ownership of the UAP records, which they will preserve and secure. The head of each office is required to print a copy of each physical record and create a digital copy that will be sent to the Review Board. The Act establishes that the federal government would have 'eminent domain' over any recovered technologies of unknown origin and that private individuals or entities may control any biological evidence of 'non-human intelligence.' The document defines UAPs as 'any object operating or judged capable of operating in outer space, the atmosphere, ocean surfaces, or undersea, lacking prosaic attribution due to performance characteristics and properties not previously known to be achievable based upon commonly accepted physical principles.' These objects would be flying discs, flying saucers, unidentified aerial phenomena, unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unidentified submerged objects (USOs). Step 3: Review Board investigates the evidence The nine-person board will have 180 days to review each case about UAPs. This group must have at least one national security officer, foreign service official, scientist or engineer, economist, professional historian and sociologist. The Review Board's goals are to determine if a recorder constitutes as an unidentified anomalous phenomena record and whether an unidentified anomalous phenomena record or particular information in a record qualifies for postponement of disclosure. These individuals also have the power to subpoena citizens for their testimony, records and other information relevant to the case. 'The Review Board and the terms of its members shall terminate not later than September 30, 2030, unless extended by Congress,' reads the 64-page document. Step 4: Review Board publishes its findings The Act states that the Review Board must notify the head of each government office about their determination of the records. Once this is completed, the Review Board must publish the findings within 14 days for the public. Senator Rounds said: 'Our goal is to assure credibility with regard to any investigation or record keeping of materials associated with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). 'Relevant documents related to this issue should be preserved. Providing a central collection location and reputable review board to maintain the records adds to the credibility of any future investigations.' The amendment surfaced just days before Congress held a UFO hearing that was streamed to the world. David Grusch - a former high-ranking intelligence official - was one of three military whistleblowers who testified under oath that they had firsthand encounters or knowledge about secret government programs involving technology that is 'non-human.' He claimed that the US has been in possession of UFOs since 'the 1930s' and has been secretly back-engineering them and carrying out a public disinformation campaign to prevent the details from leaking publicly. Grusch was sworn in on July 26, along with Ryan Graves, an esteemed former pilot, and Navy veteran fighter pilot Commander David Fravor, who witnessed the 2004 'Tic Tac' UFO. David Grusch claims one of these alien spacecraft crashed in Northern Italy in 1933 and was secreted away by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Pictured is a handwritten memo claiming to describe the crash An artist's impression of the alleged 1933 UFO crash outside Magenta in northern Italy shows a craft shaped like a saucer The men stated that the US had run a top-secret UFO retrieval program for decades and claimed the 'Vatican was involved' in the first-ever UFO crash. Grusch said last month that the first recovery of a UFO was in Magenta, Italy, in 1933, and Mussolini's Italian government held it until 1944 through 1945 when Pope Pius XII tipped America off about it. 'Due to my extensive executive level intelligence support duties, I was cleared to literally all relevant compartments and in a position of extreme trust both of my military and civilian capacities,' Grusch said during Wednesday's hearing. 'I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access to that additional read-on when I requested it.' Representative Glenn Grothman asked Grusch if he firmly believes the government has possession of UAPs, to which the former intelligence officer responded, 'Absolutely.' David Fravor also said multiple witnesses are coming forward who say that they have first-hand knowledge [of UFOs]. Marine claims he and five comrades saw a flying saucer being loaded with weapons while serving in Indonesia in 2009 (sketch of the event) And he said that is based on interviews with at least 40 witnesses. Fravor reminded the world about his infamous 2004 encounter with the 'Tic Tac' UFO. 'I'd like to say that the tic tac object we engaged in 2004 was far superior to anything that we had at the time, have today or are looking to develop in the next 10 years, he said. 'If we, in fact, have programs that possess this technology, it needs to have oversight from those people that the citizens of this country elected in office to represent what is best for the United States and best for the citizens.' Fravor described the Tic Tac object as being 'perfectly white, smooth and had no windows,' with 'two little objects that came out of the bottom.' Graves said, as an F-18 pilot in the Red Rippers, their squadron was 'split by UAP' during a training mission near Virginia Beach in 2014. He described the object as 'dark gray or black inside a transparent sphere.' It was about 15 feet in diameter and came within 50 feet of the lead aircraft. The mission commander ended the flight, and the squadron submitted a safety report, Graves continued to explain. 'This story is more common than we expect,' Graves said: 'more than 30 witnesses had told his group about similar sightings.' READ MORE: Here's all you need to know about Apple's new operating system Merely days after the release of its new operating system iOS 17 Apple has had to issue urgent updates. iOS 17.0.1, now available globally, fixes three security flaws that left devices exposed to 'malware' malicious computer software. The update is for all iPhone models still supported by the tech giant so those released in 2018 and later (including iPhone XS and the 2nd generation iPhone SE). However, if you've got yourself a brand new iPhone 15 in the last few days, you'll need an even newer update iOS 17.0.2. iOS 17.0.2 also fixes an issue that may prevent the transfer of data directly from an older iPhone during setup. A customer holds an iPhone 15 at a store in Los Angeles, California, on Friday (September 22) - the global release day. Apple's new iOS mobile operating system, iOS 17, was released to coincide with the new device (although it was made available for other recent iPhone models too). Now, Apple has had to release new versions (iOS 17.0.1 and iOS 17.0.2) to fix bugs How to install the urgent iPhone update Go to the Settings app on your iPhone (denoted by the cog or gear icon) Select 'General' followed by 'Software Update' Tap 'Download and Install' Advertisement Therefore, if you have the new iPhone 15, you should update it to iOS 17.0.2 before you try transferring data from your old device, not after. To get either of the latest updates for your iPhone (or iPad, which is also affected), you just need to head to your device's Settings and select 'General' followed by 'Software Update'. Tapping 'Download and Install' should start the update, which could take a few minutes to complete. Apple's new iOS mobile operating system, iOS 17, was released last week, a few days before the iPhone 15 hit the shelves (although iOS 17 was made available for other recent iPhone models too). In a web post, Apple disclosed the three security flaws that are affecting iOS 17.0, which will be fixed in minutes as long as you update. One of these flaws allowed a malicious app to be able 'to bypass signature validation' meaning it may be able to run without the user noticing. iOS 17.0.1 is for iPhone models still supported by the tech giant - so those released in 2018 and later (including the iPhone XS and the 2nd generation iPhone SE). iPhone 15 gets iOS 17.0.2 iOS 17.0.1 fixes three security flaws 1. CVE-2023-41991: A malicious app may be able 'to bypass signature validation' - meaning it may be able to run without the user noticing 2. CVE-2023-41992: A local attacker 'may be able to elevate their privileges' to take control of an iPhone 3. CVE-2023-41993: Processing web content may lead to 'arbitrary code execution' - allowing an attacker to execute any code they want on a victim's system Advertisement Apple disclosed the flaws following tip-offs from Google and the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab research group. iOS 17.0.1 which is for all recent iPhone models apart from the new iPhone 15 fixes the bugs. Meanwhile, iOS 17.0.2 includes the three security fixes of iOS 17.0.1, but it also corrects the iPhone 15's data transfer issue, the tech giant said in another post. If you have any one of the new iPhone 15 models, you should notice in your Settings that the newest software update available is iOS 17.0.2. iOS 17.0.2 fixes the data transfer issue that is issue specific to the iPhone 15 lineup, so the update is not necessary for older iPhone models. Therefore, if you have an older iPhone and you see the latest update available is iOS 17.0.1, you don't not have to worry that iOS 17.0.2 is not available. The most important thing is updating your iPhone from iOS 17.0 (or iPadOS 17.0 if you have an iPad) because it leaves your device vulnerable to bugs. Once this is done you should be able to enjoy the new functionality offered by iOS 17, as intended by Apple. The days of having to manually type a new friend's contact details into your iPhone are a thing of the past in iOS 17. The update includes the ability to share your contact details, simply by bringing your iPhone close to another The generation of software includes several exciting features, including a Live Voicemail tool and the ability to share your contact details simply by touching your iPhone to another. iOS 17 was released a few days before iPhone 15 hit the shelves, leading to packed crowds from London to Beijing. The standard range of new iPhones start at 799 and are equipped with a new titanium frame, USB-C charging port and new artificial intelligence features. The two most expensive options in the iPhone 15 family, the Pro and Pro Max, reach a whopping 1,499 and 1,599, depending on storage. Mountain gorillas have taken a vital step away from the brink of extinction as the animals have been upgraded from critically endangered to endangered. The subspecies of gorilla, which is found in two areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, remains on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Numbers of the still at-risk animals has surpassed 1,000 individuals in central Africa for the first time in more than a decade. Scroll down for video The iconic and highly intelligent mountain gorillas (pictured) live in complex social groups has been upgraded from critically endangered to endangered. Numbers of the at-risk animal has surpassed 1,000 in the region for the first time in more than a decade Anti-poaching patrols, removal of snares and work with communities who live where mountain gorillas are found have helped boost numbers from an estimated 680 in 2008 to more than 1,000 in 2018. Dr Liz Williamson of the IUCN primate specialist group said it was 'fantastic news' the mountain gorillas are increasing in number. But she urged people not to get complacent as the animals are still endangered and conservation efforts must continue. Fauna and Flora International (FFI), which established the International Gorilla Conservation Programme in 1991 to protect mountain gorillas, has called for efforts to be enhanced, not weakened, following the news. Matt Walpole, from FFI said: 'Mountain gorillas remain threatened with extinction despite significant conservation efforts over recent decades, and we have to make sure we build on these achievements and not allow this success to become an excuse for weakening protections.' Irresponsible development, disease and climate change remain serious threats to the animals. Gorilla tourism, observing and photographing the primates, has played an important part in boosting protection but it needs the right support and safeguards to continue to do so, he said. 'Ensuring the benefits of tourism are properly directed to mountain gorillas and local communities will remain essential to avoid undoing years of achievement,' Mr Walpole added. There is also good news for the fin whale, which has seen its status improve from endangered to the less severe category of 'vulnerable' to extinction in the latest update of the Red List. Anti-poaching patrols, removal of snares and work with communities who live around the protected areas where mountain gorillas (pictured) are found have helped boost numbers from an estimated 680 in 2008 to more than 1,000 in 2018 THE IUCN RED LIST Species on the endangered red list are animals of the highest conservation priority that need 'urgent action' to save. An Amber list is reserved for the next most critical group, followed by a green list. Red list criteria: Globally threatened Historical population decline in UK during 18001995 Severe (at least 50 per cent) decline in UK breeding population over last 25 years Severe (at least 50 per cent) contraction of UK breeding range over last 25 years In recent years, in the UK, several more species have been added to the list. These included: Atlantic puffin Nightingale Long-tailed duck Turtle dove Advertisement Its population has roughly doubled globally since the 1970s in the wake of international bans on commercial whaling. The IUCN said that this is attributable to bans that came in to force in the north Pacific and the southern hemisphere since 1976 as well as reductions in catches in the north Atlantic since 1990. Cath Lawson, regional manager of African conservation programmes at the WWF said: 'Today's announcement shows that these iconic species are slowly beginning to recover and demonstrates what can be achieved with extraordinary effort and when people make a conscious decision to protect nature. 'But we cannot be complacent - WWF's recently published Living Planet Report shows that the health of our planet is at serious risk and persistent threats could erode the gains made with these species if conservation efforts are not sustained and scaled up. 'For example, mountain gorilla tourism brings much needed revenue but needs to be well managed to preserve habitats and prevent disease risk whilst infrastructure development needs to be carefully managed to minimise negative impacts.' The western sub-population of the grey whale has also improved, moving from critically endangered to endangered. And Rothschild's giraffe, now only found in small areas in Kenya and Uganda, has seen its status improve from vulnerable to near threatened. This rare giant has improved as a result of a combination of hunting bans, reintroductions and other conservation efforts. IUCN's updated Red List reveals that overfishing is causing declines in important fish species in parts of the developing world. Thirteen per cent of the world's grouper species and nine per cent of Lake Malawi fish are now threatened with extinction. The largest North American tortoise species, the Bolson tortoise (pictured), found in Mexico's Bolson de Mapimi basin, has gone from vulnerable to critically endangered due to being eaten by local people and a loss of habitat Illegal logging is threatening the survival of the Vene tree, a globally important timber tree which is found in west and central Africa and has been driven to endangered thanks to booming demand for its wood. The Titan arum from Sumatra, nicknamed the corpse flower for its stench, has been assessed for the first time and has been categorised as endangered. It has seen an estimated population decline of 50 per cent in 150 years due to logging and conversion of forest to palm oil plantations. And the largest North American tortoise species, the Bolson tortoise, found in Mexico's Bolson de Mapimi basin, has gone from vulnerable to critically endangered due to being eaten by local people and a loss of habitat. In total, 96,951 species are assessed on the Red List, and 26,840 are considered to be threatened with extinction. Titan arum (pictured) from Sumatra, dubbed the corpse flower for its stench, has been assessed for the first time and has been categorised as endangered. It has seen a population decline of 50 per cent in 150 years due to logging and conversion to palm oil plantations Animals placed in the most at-risk categories of critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable are considered to be at-risk of extinction. Inger Andersen, IUCN director general, said: 'Today's update to the IUCN Red List illustrates the power of conservation action, with the recoveries we are seeing of the Fin Whale and the Mountain Gorilla. 'These conservation successes are proof that the ambitious, collaborative efforts of governments, business and civil society could turn back the tide of species loss. 'Unfortunately, the latest update also underlines how threats to biodiversity continue to undermine some of society's most important goals, including food security. 'We urgently need to see effective conservation action strengthened and sustained.' Welcome to the cafe of the future, where the waiting staff are all robots. And the location? No surprises there - Tokyo. It's called the Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe and travel content creator Maz Green dropped in for a juice and a green tea, with the short video she made of the visit garnering tens of thousands of views on Instagram. Maz, who posts eye-catching photos and videos to Instagram and TikTok to hundreds of thousands of followers using the handle 'Where To Find Me', explained to MailOnline Travel that all the food and drinks are served by robots and that they're controlled remotely 'by people with medical or physical limitations who cannot come into work but want to stay connected to society'. Maz, who is half Japanese though born and raised in London, was told there are 70 staff members who work as robot pilots. Travel content creator Maz Green dropped in for a juice and a green tea at Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe in Tokyo. Maz explained to MailOnline Travel that all the food and drinks are served by robots and that they're controlled remotely 'by people with medical or physical limitations who cannot come into work but want to stay connected to society' Inside, she saw 'about 10 avatar robot waiters, one barista robot, one robot behind the bar, and a few more tiny robots dotted around the cafe'. Plus, humans were assisting with issues and helping customers place their orders, and making drinks and meals. The robots, though, serve everything and customers can interact with them. Maz, 31, said: 'The robots can all speak. Each avatar features a camera on the robot's forehead, a microphone and speaker, so that the pilots can communicate with customers as if they were standing right in front of them. Inside, Maz saw 'about 10 avatar robot waiters, one barista robot, one robot behind the bar, and a few more tiny robots dotted around the cafe' 'The robots can perform simple movements, such as nodding their head or raising their hand, all through eye-tracking technology. 'I interacted with so many of them. A robot greeted me at the entrance and explained how the cafe works, then I spoke to my robot waiter and with the mini robots by the bar. 'Because I can speak Japanese, I was able to learn about the lives of many of the pilots. 'It was fascinating to hear their stories and their appreciation for the job, which allows them to feel less isolated and more social during their week. The robots can perform simple movements, such as nodding their head or raising their hand The robots can all speak and each avatar features a camera on the robot's forehead, a microphone and speaker, so that the pilots can communicate with customers as if they were standing right in front of them, Maz reveals Maz, above at a cake-in-a-can vending machine in Tokyo, posts eye-catching photos and videos to Instagram and TikTok to hundreds of thousands of followers using the handle 'Where To Find Me ' 'They are all lovely and are very keen to converse with their tables in English. 'Most of the robots have iPads stationed beside them, so that you can see a photo of the person piloting the robot and where in the world they're logging in from.' And what was the service like? Maz revealed that as you enter the cafe, which is in the Nihonbashi Honcho area of Tokyo, you make your order and pay on an iPad before being assigned to a table. Her juice and green tea 'came within minutes' and none of the robots made a mistake. Did the robots demand a tip? Maz said: 'No, because in Japan, it's not the custom to tip. If you try, they'll deny it and sometimes even chase you out of the restaurant to return your money.' And what was Maz's overall impression? 'I loved it,' she said. 'It was pricier than your average cafe, but worthwhile knowing that you're supporting a great initiative that provides opportunities for people with mobility or isolation issues. 'It was very futuristic and as a result a quintessential Tokyo experience that I highly recommend.' For more about the Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe visit dawn2021.orylab.com. Where To Find Me can be found on Instagram here and on TikTok here. In a career working in air traffic control that spanned 24 years, Michele Robson saw it all (on her radar screen) and heard it all, too. She began her training in 1992 and left in 2016, spending her entire career at London Area Centre, directing traffic flying at over 20,000 feet north of Heathrow and up to Manchester and Scotland, and out over Ireland and that traffic has included Air Force One. Michele revealed to MailOnline Travel what working life was like in the high-pressure world of ATC, from directing pilots with a failed engine to the joy of working with British Airways pilots. She also divulged some soothing insights for nervous flyers, including why the system of planes taking off in between aircraft landing is perfectly safe. She explained: There are rules in place to provide adequate separation. If something went wrong such as the aircraft on the runway not being able to take off, the incoming aircraft would perform a missed approach procedure, which is all documented to be safe. Michele Robson pictured here working as an air traffic controller in the late 1990s Passengers usually find this procedure very scary as the aircraft will quite often get close to the runway and then have to put on full power to climb again. However, it is very normal to have to do this for many reasons and perfectly safe. Passengers also worry as the pilots have an extremely high workload during a go-around, so until they have got capacity to make an announcement, the passengers dont hear anything and think it is an emergency. The stacking system can also cause anxiety, with some worrying that their aircraft will run out of fuel. But Michele said that controllers and pilots will always be able to handle the situation. The 52-year-old said: Passengers dont need to worry because the pilots have a set procedure where they need a minimum amount of fuel on board to continue flying with enough time to fly to their alternate airport if they cant land, plus contingency time. So they will divert or declare an emergency to get priority before it gets to that point. Controllers would always land someone with low fuel as priority. It is extremely rare for a pilot to declare they are running short of fuel. Even then, it is not really an emergency as they have enough to fly elsewhere and hold. Michele is now Editor of a travel tips site called Turning Left for Less Heathrow is notorious for stacking incoming aircraft, but its not the most stressful hub for air traffic controllers. That honour goes to two major airports in the U.S. Michele said: The most stressful airports for an air traffic controller to work at worldwide would probably be JFK or Chicago. Those two airports are some of the busiest in the world and if you listen to their controllers, they dont even have time to get a readback [from the pilot] on many instructions - which would not be allowed in the UK. Despite all the regulations in the UK, things do go wrong, of course. But not very often. Michele said: I dealt with one quite scary emergency where an aircraft had lost an engine - they can fly on one perfectly well - but were worried about the other one. Fortunately, all my training kicked in and despite it being a stressful situation I managed to get him in to land safely at the nearest airport very rapidly. And on top of the training, one group of pilots consistently helped with ATC life those working for British Airways. Michele said: I always enjoyed working with British Airways pilots as they were very professional but could sometimes display their dry sense of humour when it was quiet. Michele is now Editor of a travel tips site called Turning Left for Less, which offers advice on travelling in luxury for less. A new ITV drama, airing in September, will depict and explore the story of the police hunt for infamous serial killer Peter Sutcliffe. The Long Shadow will take a deep dive into the heinous crimes committed by Sutcliffe, a serial killer who operated in Yorkshire in the Seventies and Eighties, as well as the stories of the women he had attacked. Within the span of over five years, Sutcliffe killed 13 women and tried to kill seven more before his capture in 1981, after which he was sentenced to serve twenty concurrent life imprisonment sentences at HMP Frankland. Sutcliffe died aged 74 in November 2020 at University Hospital of North Durham, after refusing treatment for COVID-19 while suffering with other underlying health issues, such as obesity and diabetes. ITV has confirmed that the crime drama will air on Monday 25 September at 8PM on ITV1, consisting of seven episodes. The Long Shadow: A new ITV drama, The Long Shadow, airing in September, will depict and explore the story of the police hunt for infamous serial killer Peter Sutcliffe According to ITV, the drama has been solely written by award-winning screenwriter, George Kay (Hijack, Criminal: UK) and solely directed by BAFTA-winning director Lewis Arnold (Sherwood, Time, Des). The series has been meticulously researched and drawn upon the most extensive archive of the investigation - comprising of hundreds of case files, interview transcripts and police reports. The Long Shadow is also based on Wicked Beyond Belief, Michael Biltons critically acclaimed account of the case, published by William Collins. With the investigating police officers, the victims, their families and the survivors at the heart of this series, The Long Shadow will bring a fresh perspective to a well-documented story. Award-winning Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter actor Toby Jones will play DCS Dennis Hoban, who initially led the enquiry, David Morrissey will be taking on the role of DCS George Oldfield, who famously took on the investigation, while Lee Ingleby will serve as DCS Jim Hobson. Katherine Kelly plays Emily Jackson, a 42-year-old mother from Leeds, who had turned to sex work to try to make ends meet. She was killed by Sutcliffe in 1976 after getting into his car, where he proceeded to beat her with a hammer and stab her repeatedly with a sharpened screwdriver. Taking charge: David Morrissey will be taking on the role of DCS George Oldfield, who famously took on the investigation Award-winning Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter actor Toby Jones will play DCS Dennis Hoban, who initially led the enquiry, while Lee Ingleby will serve as DCS Jim Hobson Daniel Mays plays Emily's husband, Sydney Jackson, while Shaun Thomas will depict the role of their son, Neil Jackson. Jill Halfpenny plays Doreen Hill, with Daisy Waterstone as her daughter, Jacqueline Hill. Jasmine Lee-Jones plays Marcella Claxton, alongside Molly Wright as Donna Deangelo, while Liz White will play PS Meg Winterburn and Shaun Dooley take on the role of Chris Gregg. The cast also includes Alexa Davies, Chloe Harris, Stephen Tompkinson, Jack Deam, Michael McElhatton, Adam Long, Ruth Madeley, Dorothy Atkinson, Rob James-Collier, Charley Webb, Steven Waddington and Kris Hitchen. As reported by The Evening Standard, actress Katherine Kelly said at a recent Q&A for the show: 'The crimes of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe left a scar on the landscape. Grisly end: Katherine Kelly plays Emily Jackson, a 42-year-old mother from Leeds, who had turned to sex work to try to make ends meet, and was killed by Sutcliffe in 1976 after getting into his car 'When youre from that area, you grow up in foreknowledge of those five years of terror, it still lives within those people who live through that time, it changed everything.' Kelly, from Barnsley, continued: 'There was nobody that wasnt touched by that period of time. I think its quite hard to imagine that really, because it wasnt in an abstract way. It was on a day to day.' 'You went and you met women from the bus if a woman was 10 minutes late for work, it was panic. It wasnt, "Oh, she has missed the bus." It was, "Right, where is she?"' According to Radio Times, The Long Shadow was initially to be titled The Yorkshire Ripper, in reference to Sutcliffe's name in the press at the time, but in a recent Q&A for the show, writer George Kay explained why a title name change was crucial. He explained: 'Well, we started by calling it The Yorkshire Ripper when we announced it. Name change: The Long Shadow was initially to be titled The Yorkshire Ripper, in reference to Sutcliffe's name in the press at the time, but in a recent Q&A for the show, writer George Kay explained why a title name change was crucial 'We had a very respectful approach as a team throughout, but even at the beginning we hadn't learned, that that name that people use to describe Peter Sutcliffe, was disrespectful in many ways. 'Especially to the victims' families, who certainly don't like that name being applied to Peter Sutcliffe, because it creates a sort of dark brand around a man who doesn't deserve that sort of attention, and especially not that verb.' The Long Shadow will air at 8PM on ITV 1 on Monday 25 September. Amanda Holden looked sensational as she dressed up in a period drama costume on the second episode of Sky History's new series Sex: A Bonkers History on Sunday. The Britain's Got Talent judge, 52, discussed Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III in the 18th century, and described her as 'the Cilla Black of her era'. She put on a busty display in the vintage yellow long sleeved corset dress which boasted a stunning full skirt. Amanda donned a chic layered peal necklace and pushed her long blonde tresses back in a coordinated headband. During the show, she said: 'I love the fact that Queen Charlotte was like the Cilla Black of her era, just trying to keep love going and keep everybody's relationships going. She's just another trailblazer Queen, isn't she? Amazing: Amanda Holden looked sensational as she dressed up in a period drama costume on the second episode of Sky History's new series Sex: A Bonkers History on Sunday Wow: The Britain's Got Talent judge, 52, hosted the show with Dan Jones and they use archive footage and drama reconstruction to shed light on history's best unknown sex stories 'Comfortable in her own sexuality and pushing people together to make sure that they can keep their relationships going and love was at the bottom of all of this. 'That's the thing to remember. She really believed in love.' The TV personality hosted the show with Dan Jones and they use archive footage and drama reconstruction to shed light on history's best unknown sex stories. Later in the show the presenters both sported religious costumes as they held candles. Amanda seemed to be going through the eras during the programme as she put on a leggy display in a pair of 70's white knee high boots. She tucked a white long sleeved number into a yellow checked mini skirt and accessorised with a chunky gold disco necklace. Completing her ensemble, the TV personality tucked her long blonde locks up into a retro black hat. For her final look, Amanda rocked an oversized black leather blazer with a coordinated choker. Incredible: Amanda seemed to be going through the eras during the programme as she put on a leggy display in a pair of 70's white knee high boots which she teamed with a checked skirt Chic: For her final look, Amanda rocked an oversized black leather blazer with a coordinated choker It comes after Amanda revealed that she missed her flight to Italy on Tuesday after picking up the wrong passport. The TV star was jetting off from London City Airport when she realised she had picked up her husband Chris Hughes' passport and not her own. She was flying out to meet her co-host Alan Carr to film their new series of their hit BBC DIY show the Italian Job. Speaking to her Heart FM co-presenter Jamie Theakston and guest host Zoe Hardman, who is filling in while Amanda is away for the week, she revealed the mistake. Zoe said: 'Now listen, someones just dropped us a text Sam Where is Amanda off to? I passed her yesterday at Gatwick Airport on return from Spain, she was looking very glamorous!"' Amanda revealed: 'Oh! Well I wasnt supposed to be at Gatwick yesterday, I was supposed to be at City Airport I got to City Airport and I opened my passport and it was my husband Chris passport! 'It was my worst nightmare, my poor friend who was with me, he had to carry on to Italy, and then I had to get into a taxi, I mean shout out to a lady called Georgie Hicks who just helped me all the way she could yesterday to get me onto that plane. 'I had someone go and get my passport on a motorbike, and it got to me when the plane had taken off, so then I got to Gatwick and then eventually I got to Italy in the afternoon!' 'It was my worst nightmare': It comes after the TV personality revealed that she missed her flight to Italy on Tuesday after picking up the wrong passport New series: She was flying out to meet her co-host Alan Carr to film their new series of their hit BBC DIY show the Italian Job Jamie added: 'Goodness me, thats the sort of stress that gives me goosebumps.' Amanda added: 'But do you know what honestly Jamie, before I left the house yesterday, I had all my stuff with me in the studio, my husband said, You got the right passport? and I went, do you know what, stop treating me like one of the children! 'To ring him up and say, you wont believe it Ive got your passport and he text me on later in the day, Can I still talk to you like youre one of the children. 'I just wanted to kill him that he was right!' The first series of the BBC One programme saw the presenters buy two Sicilian flats for a euro each and spend three months transforming them into one stunning holiday home. Rumours are swirling that the next season of The Block may be heading to Phillip Island in Victoria. The show's original plans for Daylesford have been dumped and the producers are reportedly scouting new locations. While there has been chatter about potential settings within Melbourne's CBD and the inner suburbs of Carlton and South Yarra, given the significance of this milestone season, it might call for a more iconic locale. Given Daylesford's nationwide recognition as a tourist hotspot, there is a possibility that The Block would be venturing to the renowned tourism haven of Phillip Island. As Fiona Byrne at the Herald Sun speculates, 'a sea-change location would be a fresh angle for the show.' Rumours are swirling that the next season of The Block may be heading to Phillip Island in Victoria. Pictured: The Block's hosts Shelley Craft and Scott Cam Shifting to a coastal location would indeed provide a refreshing twist to the show's concept. Phillip Island made a recent appearance on The Block when two teams embarked on a thrilling adventure, taking a lap around the island's new racetrack and enjoying a luxurious overnight stay. The Victorian island, once the residence of Hollywood stars Chris and Liam Hemsworth and their parents before their move to Byron Bay, garnered recent attention when the Bass Coast Shire Council gave the green light to an $85 million waterfront hotel project at the former Isle of Wight site in Cowes. The show's original plans for Daylesford (pictured) have been dumped and the producers are reportedly scouting new locations Phillip Island (pictured), once the residence of Hollywood stars Chris and Liam Hemsworth and their parents before their move to Byron Bay, garnered recent attention when the Bass Coast Shire Council gave the green light to an $85 million waterfront hotel project The Block faces a time crunch as filming for its 20th season is slated to commence in early March. Earlier this month, the show abandoned its plans to build in Daylesford due to complications in the planning approval process. It comes as a member of the production team for The Block recently revealed a surprising method for 'weeding out' lazy potential contestants. The Block's casting director, Lucky Price, revealed on Sunday some behind-the-scenes tips for future contestants to ensure their success on the show. The Block's casting director Lucky Price revealed on Sunday some behind-the-scenes tips for future contestants to ensure their success on the show. Pictured: Host Scott Cam Price told news.com.au that applicants needed to pay special attention to the lengthy application form, which is designed to weed out those not committed. 'It's a really rigorous application, there's a reason we do that. It's basic vetting. If you can't get through it, you probably wont finish your renovation on The Block,' he said. Price then said future contestants should adopt a positive mindset during their time on the show, so the negative moments don't weigh them down. 'It's a really rigorous application, there's a reason we do that. It's basic vetting. If you can't get through it, you probably wont finish your renovation on The Block,' Lucky Price (pictured) said 'There's going to be days where you get dumped and there's going to be days where you're riding high. It's an extreme situation, but mindset is everything. 'The Block is a giant wave. You can get dumped by the wave, or you can get on top of that wave, throw your arms up in the air and have the ride of your life,' he added. Price said successful contestants should just be themselves on camera as audiences connect with a person they can tell is genuine. The casting expert then said current cast members Liberty and Eliza (both pictured) are a great example of two contestants who, despite having no renovation experience, are thriving on the show by relying on their intelligence The casting expert then said current cast members Liberty and Eliza are a great example of two contestants who, despite having no renovation experience, are thriving on the show by relying on their intelligence. 'They have no renovation experience, but the way Eliza can Google and find an answer to something in a split second? She's got nous. They have get up and go, and they have drive. So it's leaning into what your strengths are.' Price added Channel Nine was looking for a diverse range of contestants so encouraged people from all backgrounds to consider applying. Channel Nine is currently casting for the next season of The Block until October 15 and applicants can apply here. Teams applying for the show must be available for a 12 week shoot period starting in late February 2024. Alessandra Ambrosio put her long, sculpted legs on display in two different outfits this weekend in Italy. In the first, the Brazilian model, 42, bared her amazing abs and went braless in a long-sleeved black crop top with a high neck and buttons up the front as she left a fitting for Milan Fashion Week. She paired the top with a black skater-style mini skirt that she accentuated with studded belts. Sheer black pantyhose covered her legs and she slipped her feet into sky-high platform-heeled Mary Jane-style black shoes. The mom of two - who attended the Dolce and Gabbana party earlier this week - wore her long brunette hair straight and flowing down her back and donned a pair of black sunglasses. Chic: Alessandra Ambrosio put her long, sculpted legs on display in two different outfits this weekend in Italy Leggy: In the first, the Brazilian model, 42, bared her amazing abs and went braless in a long-sleeved black crop top with a high neck and buttons up the front as she left a fitting for Milan Fashion Week Silver earrings and a black handbag completed her chic look. Later in the weekend, the statuesque beauty was spotted shopping in a more casual yet still high fashion look. The former Victoria's Secret model wore a pair of very short black shorts with a white button down with yellow stripes left completely unbuttoned and tucked into the belted shorts. She flashed her black bra as she strutted down the street of the Italian city. Alessandra topped her look off with a boxy, caramel-colored brown blazer, leaving the leather Streets Ahead belt undone and trailing behind her. Her long brunette tresses were pulled into a ponytail with face framing tendrils. Dramatic 1970s-style sunglasses were on her beautiful face and she carried a white handbag with gold accents. Chunky gold hoop earrings adorned her ears. Skirt: She paired the top with a black skater-style mini skirt that she accentuated with studded belts. Catwalk queen: Sheer black pantyhose covered her legs and she slipped her feet into sky-high platform-heeled Mary Jane-style black shoes Short shorts: The former Victoria's Secret model wore a pair of very short black shorts with a white button down with yellow stripes left completely unbuttoned and tucked into the belted shorts Leather blazer: Alessandra topped her look off with a boxy, caramel-colored brown blazer, leaving the Streets Ahead leather belt undone and trailing behind her She's got legs: She flashed her black bra as she strutted down the street of the Italian city. Her long brunette tresses were pulled into a ponytail with face framing tendrils Alessandra wore a pair of pointy-toed, black, high-heeled sandals featuring straps across her foot and ankles. Earlier this week, the model took in a number of fashion shows, including the one at Dolce and Gabbana, during which she sat in the front row. She turned heads in a Dolce & Gabbana corset with a lace bodice. She teamed her incredible ensemble with black wide leg trousers and a pair of strappy heels, while she swept a satin bomber jacket over her shoulders. Australian radio host Jase Hawkins has revealed some odd moments he experienced with embattled comedian Russell Brand. On Monday's episode of KIIS 101.1's Jase & Lauren, he detailed his memories when Brand was visiting Australia to promote his film, Get Him To The Greek. Jase recounted how he was hosting the red carpet chat and afterparty at the time, but the British comedian didn't turn up. 'He never rocked up at the after parties. Jonah Hill had to do it... The next day we were working at another radio station 2DAY FM in Sydney and Kyle and [Jackie O] were doing breakfast and he [Brand] rocked up... For the interview.' Jase then described how Russell engaged with the staff when he got to the studio. 'He sort of mozzied in and flirted a lot with the girls in the office. My wife was working there at the time. She was in the little kitchenette was making breakfast and popped in and was very, very flirtatious,' Jase said. 'He would come in and give them little compliments but in that Russel Brand style. Not handsy.' The breakfast radio host then told a story about the UK comedian locking himself in the office bathrooms. Australian radio host Jase Hawkins (pictured right) has revealed some odd moments he experienced with embattled comedian Russell Brand. Also pictured: co-host Lauren Phillips Jase described how Russell engaged with the staff when he got to the studio: 'He sort of mozzied in and flirted a lot with the girls in the office' According to Jase, Brand was in the bathroom for 20 minutes, posted his bodyguard outside the door to block anyone from going in, and missed his interview on the air. 'He eventually came out [of the bathroom]. He looked off his dial. This was the point that he said he was off booze and drugs, but it just didnt not seem legit. Im not saying guilty or innocent,' the radio host said. '[The women that he flirted with] they laughed it off. Thats what I was saying to Lou [my wife] last night, we were talking about that... Everyone got caught up in this whole Russell Brand thing.' Two weeks ago, Brand was accused anonymously by multiple women of serious allegations, including rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse. The breakfast radio host then told a story about Russell Brand (pictured) locking himself in the office bathrooms. According to Jase, Brand was in the bathroom for 20 minutes, posted his bodyguard outside the door to block anyone from going in, and missed his interview on the air The comedian has denied the allegations on his popular YouTube channel, saying his relationships were 'always consensual.' The rest of Brand's ongoing tour in the UK has been delayed, and his sponsors have chosen to distance themselves from him. Both the BBC and Channel 4 have removed content featuring the comedian from their streaming platforms. The video platform YouTube has taken action against Brand's channels, preventing them from earning revenue through advertisements due to a claimed violation of its 'creator responsibility policy.' Two weeks ago, Brand was accused anonymously by five women of serious allegations, including rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse YouTube stated that this suspension of monetisation applies to Brand's account, which boasts 6.6 million subscribers, and is a result of 'serious allegations against the creator.' The Google-owned video service clarified that this decision extends to all channels associated with or run by Russell Brand. In recent years, Brand has developed a large online following creating videos offering alternative views on media bias, Covid lockdowns, as well as corporate and governmental abuses of power. Four women have levelled accusations of sexual assault against Brand, spanning from 2006 to 2013, and a fifth individual later came forward with a claim dating back to 2003. None of Brand's accusers have so far been publicly identified. Jackie 'O' Henderson shocked her co-host Kyle Sandilands on Monday, by revealing she recently paid US$100 (AU$155) to cut in line at a Los Angeles nightclub. The radio queen, 48, made the surprising confession on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, revealing she bribed a bouncer to let her and her friends into the exclusive venue and avoid standing in the queue. 'The bouncer said, "If you've got friends then you need to go to the back of the line." So I said, "What if I had money?" she began. 'He goes, "Money, yeah, all right," and he puts his hand behind him and I gave him $100. I could have just given him ten bucks, he didn't even look at it,' she added. Jackie added it was money well spent as the extravagant nightclub blew her mind. Jackie 'O' Henderson shocked her co-host Kyle Sandilands on Monday, by revealing she recently paid US$100 (AU$155) to cut in line at a Los Angeles nightclub. Pictured: Jackie O on her Lost Angeles holiday last week 'We get into this Barney's Beanery and I have never seen anything in my life like this before, it was so good,' she said. The blonde beauty recently took a well deserved holiday to Los Angeles, California, with a group of work colleagues, including newsreader Brooklyn Ross. Henderson would have had no problems paying the hefty bribe as it was recently reported she and Kyle Sandilands are allegedly preparing to walk if they can't strike a new lucrative deal with their Australian Radio Network (ARN) bosses. The radio queen, 48, made the surprising confession on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, revealing she bribed a bouncer to let her and her friends into the exclusive venue The radio duo have allegedly demanded a 100% raise from their current $5million per year salaries, to a shocking $10million per year - making it the biggest deal in Australian radio history. Over the course of a 10-year contract, the pay increase would net them a combined $200million, reported The Daily Telegraph. The record-breaking deal would carry the shock jock team through to the end of 2034 and make them the highest paid radio hosts in the country. 'The bouncer said, "If you've got friends then you need to go to the back of the line." So I said, "What if I had money?" Jackie began. Pictured: Henderson with a friend With other radio veterans such as Ray Hadley, Amanda Keller and Carrie Bickmore 'only' earning up to $3.5million a year, Kyle and Jackie O will reign supreme. The demands reportedly don't stop there as the long-time friends seek to dominate other markets outside their predominantly Sydney-based audience. With another 15 months to go on their contracts, the pair are allegedly pushing for less censorship as they try to take a foothold in the Melbourne market. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to ARN as well as Kyle's manager, who declined to comment. It has been a turbulent roller coaster for EastEnders character Jay Brown the last couple of months following the death of wife Lola Brown. Jay (Jamie Borthwick) has been struggling since his partner (Danielle Harold) passed away from a terminal brain tumour in heartbreaking scenes. And now viewers are going to witness him turning to drugs as BBC bosses tackle a hard hitting drug abuse storyline. Widowed Jay is set to start taking the lethal party drug ketamine in the coming weeks as his life continues to spiral out of control. It comes as last week BBC viewers saw him spend time with a Lola look-alike sex worker. Oh dear: EastEnders' Jay Brown is set to turn to drugs as BBC bosses tackle a hard hitting drug abuse storyline in upcoming episodes So sad: Jay ( Jamie Borthwick ) has been struggling since his partner ( Danielle Harold ) passed away from a terminal brain tumour in heartbreaking scenes A source told The Sun: 'It's a controversial story-line, bringing ketamine into millions of homes up and down the country. 'But the important messages here involving the dangers of hard drugs. Dabbling with ketamine proves a serious wake-up call to Jay. Viewers will be on the edge their seats.' It comes after EastEnders fans were left in shock last week when they spotted a 'Lola clone' on the show. Lola Pearce died from a brain tumour in May in scenes that left viewers in tears and earned actress Danielle Harold Serial Drama Performance at the NTAs. So viewers were left doing a double take in the episode when newcomer Nadine (Jazzy Phoenix) made her soap debut bearing a striking resemblance to Lola. Nadine copied Lola's signature look with her bleach blonde hair and huge silver hooped earrings, even mimicking one of Lola's past outfits. Her arrival came as a surprise to Lola's widower Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) who has been struggling with his grief. While the pair initially bonded, he was seen abruptly fleeing after learning that Nadine is working as an escort to support herself during university. Heartbreaking: Widowed Jay is set to start taking the lethal party drug ketamine in the coming weeks as his life continues to spiral out of control Seeing double: It comes after EastEnders fans were left in shock last week when they spotted a 'Lola clone' on the show (left, Jazzy Phoenix as Nadine; right, Danielle Harold as Lola Pearce) Newcomer: Nadine's arrival came as a surprise to Lola's widower Jay who has been struggling with his grief Theories: Fans are wary of Nadine's sudden appearance and striking resemblance to Lola as well as the fact she emerged after Lola's mother Emma (Patsy Kensit) returned to the Square Nadine tried and seduced Jay as he continued to battle with his feelings of grief and loneliness. Yet fans have been left wary of Nadine's sudden appearance and striking resemblance to Lola as well as the fact she emerged shortly after Lola's mother Emma (Patsy Kensit) returned to the Square. Viewers theorised that she could be Emma's secret daughter, which would explain her resemblance to the late hairdresser. Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to share: 'nadine is either a figment of jays imagination or emmas secret daughter (lolas sister) and it is her doing #eastenders'; 'Nadine is gonna turn out to be Emmas daughter and Lolas sister I can already tell #Eastenders'; 'Nadine is wearing the exact same outfit Lola wore when she got back together with jay #Eastenders'; 'I know she is supposed to look like Lola, but no one can convince me that the jacket wasn't taken from Lola's costume department'; 'It's literally the exact same look! #EastEnders'; 'oh eastenders are so evil for this. this is literally 2014 lola'; 'Jay you're not ready to move on. It's actually scary how much Nadine looks and sounds like Lola #EastEnders'; 'Who the Lola from Shein is this? #Eastenders'; 'Lola clone storyline lets go'; 'god she even sounds like lola #EastEnders.' EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One. The episodes are available from 6am each morning on BBC iPlayer. Hugh Jackman looked to be in good spirits on Sunday as he took a walk through nature, a week after announcing his shock split from wife Deborra-Lee Furness. The Wolverine star, 54, posted a gallery of photos to Instagram capturing him enjoying a peaceful walk in the rain through a scenic park in New York City. Jackman was all smiles as he posed next to a serene walking trail and lake. 'Sunday morning walk in the rain heaven (and muddy)!' he wrote next to the snaps. Many of Hugh's followers were quick to send him their well wishes during this difficult time. Hugh Jackman, 54, (pictured) looked to be in good spirits on Sunday as he took a walk through nature, a week after announcing his shock split from wife Deborra-Lee Furness 'So glad you're happy and enjoying your day,' one fan wrote and another added: 'Wow what a beautiful trail! Good to see your smile.' It comes after Jackman and Furness announced they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage. 'We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together 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 earlier this month. The Wolverine star posted a gallery of photos to Instagram capturing him enjoying a peaceful walk in the rain through a scenic park in New York City Many of Hugh's followers were quick to send him their well wishes during this difficult time. Pictured with estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness in May 2023 '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.' 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. Jackman briefly spoke with paparazzi on the street after the shock announcement, admitting he and his soon-to-be ex-wife are struggling with their split. As he walked along a street, he divulged that 'it's a difficult time' but declined to discuss the breakup further. It comes after Jackman and Furness announced they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage Bec Judd has returned to Melbourne just in time for the 2023 Brownlow Medal on Monday night. The AFL WAG, 40, landed back in her home state of Victoria on Sunday after spending time with her husband Chris, also 40, and their four children Oscar, 11, Billie, nine, and twins Tom and Darcy, six on holiday in Noosa, Queensland. She was dressed head to toe in fashionable designer pieces, sporting a $90 black and white striped T-shirt from her own activewear label, Jaggad. Bec stepped out of the airport looking busy while chatting on the phone and wearing leggings and Jaggad socks, while layering with a pale denim jacket. She accessorised with a navy blue Goyard tote bag worth approximately $3,500, and $800 Golden Goose sneakers. Bec Judd has returned to Melbourne just in time for the 2023 Brownlow Medal on Monday night It is unclear if the WAG was heading home specifically to attend for the Brownlow Medal as she wrapped up her Noosa getaway just in time for the AFL's night of nights. Her husband Chris was not seen at the airport with the family. On Monday, Bec shared a series of photos from her holiday that she spent with several friends and their kids. The AFL WAG, 40, landed back in her home state of Victoria on Sunday after spending time with her husband Chris, also 40, and their four children Oscar, 11, Billie, nine, and twins Tom and Darcy, six on holiday in Noosa, Queensland It is unclear if the WAG was heading home specifically to attend for the Brownlow Medal as she wrapped up her Noosa getaway just in time for the AFL's night of nights Her husband Chris was not seen at the airport with the family Her friend Emma Pellicano and her husband hosted the large group at their home on the Sunshine Coast. In one photo, the model smiled as she sat alongside her friends in the outdoor area of the seaside mansion while they all sipped on margaritas. 'We had the most beautiful time in Noosa. 4 families, 12 kids between us and so much fun,' Bec captioned her post. On Monday, Bec shared a series of photos from her holiday that she spent with several friends and their kids Her friend Emma Pellicano and her husband hosted the large group at their home on the Sunshine Coast Australian influencer Mikaela Testa has opened up about the high cost of her internet fame, revealing she is constantly sexually harassed by strangers in public. The Gold Coast-based OnlyFans star, 23, posted an alarming video to TikTok on Sunday, in which she discussed the relentless harassment she receives from 'fans'. 'I have so much anxiety going out and meeting people who know me from the internet. Almost every time I go outside I get sexually assaulted,' she began. 'Two girls and a guy absolutely traumatised me yesterday. One of them ran up behind me hits me on the a**e with all her force, leaving a bruise.' Mikaela then said she politely asked the assailant to not touch her again and was met with a barrage of abuse, as the assaulter claimed it was a 'compliment'. OnlyFans star Mikaela Testa (pictured) has opened up about the high cost of her internet fame, revealing she is constantly sexually harassed by strangers in public 'She then starts saying a bunch of stuff which is nasty and mean, I realised very quick the group was on some substances.' Mikaela said she posted the alarming video to inform her fans of some of the negative experiences she has to put up with on a daily basis. 'This has happened to me in clubs, in the street. It has happened in different countries like Germany and it needs to stop today. I'm going to start fighting back, it's not okay.' The Gold Coast-based influencer, 23, posted an alarming video to TikTok on Sunday, in which she discussed the relentless harassment she receives from 'fans' Mikaela has long been open about the unwanted attention she receives out in public. Back in May, she revealed how she and her friends wear fake engagement rings to drive away unwanted attention from men in bars. Testa said she and her girl gang donned the jewellery while holidaying in Bali recently because too many men kept approaching them. 'I have so much anxiety going out and meeting people who know me from the internet. Almost every time I go outside I get sexually assaulted,' Mikaela began Taking to her TikTok account with 2.3 million followers, Testa, from Perth, said: 'Me and my friends get so harassed by men whenever we go out to a bar, a nightclub, anything'. 'So we bought fake engagement rings, just so that we can hold up hands and say... f**k off. And because men respect other men way more, if you're engaged to another man, they're just gonna leave you alone no drama,' Testa said. The video garnered more than 85,000 likes in just over a day, with hundreds congratulating her on the idea. Mikaela reportedly earns more than $162,000 per month selling X-rated images and videos on the adults-only subscription platform OnlyFans. Isabelle was shocked when her ex-boyfriend Quinn claimed to be the father of messianic Laurent on Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on AMC. Former Paris party girl turned nun Isabelle [Clemence Poesy] came face-to-face with Quinn [Adam Nagaitis], after walking into his underground nightclub called Demimonde in Paris. 'Hi Izzy, it's been a minute,' Quinn said to Isabelle, his former girlfriend. 'Strange to see you after all these years.' Daryl Dixon [Norman Reedus] interjected and told Quinn that he was looking for a way back to America and had traveled with Isabelle through the Catacombs in Paris to his club. 'It's not impossible,' Quinn said 'I've heard things.' Parental claim: Isabelle was shocked when her ex-boyfriend Quinn claimed to be the father of messianic Laurent on Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on AMC Just then, Laurent [Louis Puech Scigliuzzi] walked over. Isabelle told Quinn that he was his sister's child. Quinn said that he had his mother's eyes and invited Daryl and Isabelle to come talk in his office. Once there, Isabelle told him that she had become a nun and that her sister died. 'Lily died having the baby,' Isabelle said. 'You still should have told me,' Quinn said. 'That I had a son.' 'What are you talking about?' Isabelle said. 'She never said.' 'It was a mistake,' Quinn said. Quinn said that she knew the terms for him to help Daryl. 'I don't need a boat this bad,' Daryl said. 'Come on.' Parental claim: 'You still should have told me,' Quinn told Isabelle. 'That I had a son' Somewhat skeptical: 'What are you talking about?' Isabelle said. 'She never said' Dead sister: 'It was a mistake,' Quinn said of having a baby with Isabelle's dead sister Lily Going home: Daryl Dixon [ Norman Reedus ] interjected and told Quinn that he was looking for a way back to America and had traveled with Isabelle through the Catacombs in Paris to his club The third episode of the spin-off series titled Paris Sera Toujours Paris opened with Daryl riding in a horse-drawn wagon with Isabelle, Sylvie [Laika Blanc-Francard], and Laurent, the boy who the Union believed was the Messiah, and arriving in the seemingly deserted town of Angers. Daryl and Isabelle went inside a theater to make contact with a musician and asked to use his radio, but the man insisted first on showing them his zombie orchestra. He had the dead impaled with instruments and tied to the stage. The music played so loudly that it drew walkers to Sylvie and Laurent who were waiting outside in the carriage. 'We should have stuck to the plan,' Daryl said. 'It's a stupid detour.' Daryl came outside and declared they were going to Paris. They walked through the graveyard and Daryl pointed out where Jim Morrison from The Doors was buried. A group of men stopped them, but when Sylvie said they had been sent by Pere Jean, the men understood and stared at Laurent. 'We've been waiting a long time to meet you young man,' the group's leader Fallou [Eriq Ebouaney] said. Fallou took them inside a building to show them his group's commune. Daryl asked if they had a radio, but they instead showed him that they used homing pigeons to send out messages. 'If you don't have a radio, how are you going to help me?' Daryl said. Laurent received gifts from the other children. He then went to talk to a woman named Sonia, who had been distraught after her husband died, but when Laurent hugged her Sonia smiled. Zombie orchestra:Daryl and Isabelle went inside a theater to make contact with a musician and asked to use his radio, but the man insisted first on showing them his zombie orchestra Third episode:The third episode of the spin-off series titled Paris Sera Toujours Paris opened with Daryl riding in a horse-drawn wagon with Isabelle, Sylvie [Laika Blanc-Francard], and Laurent, the boy who the Union believed was the Messiah, and arriving in the seemingly deserted town of Angers Made it: Laurent looked out at the Eiffel Tower as they made it to Paris On track: Daryl was on a mission to find a boat ride back to America Graveyard tour: They walked through the graveyard and Daryl pointed out where Jim Morrison from The Doors was buried Helping out: Fallou took them inside a building to show them his group's commune Across town Stephane Codron [Romain Levi] went to speak to Genet [Anne Charrier]. He told her about how a few years ago a traveler spoke about a movement that would make the world right again. 'He gave me this tattoo and said I was now a warrior,' Codron said. Codron played her a recording of Daryl talking about coming from America. 'I'll find him for you,' Codron said. 'You're hired,' Genet said. Genet showed Codron the experiments they were conducting to figure out how to kill the dead quickly. Daryl went with Isabelle to see her old Paris apartment. She looked through her old belongings and pictures. Isabelle opened up a box filled with jewelry and drugs and said they were things they could trade for information. She also grabbed a picture of her sister Lily [Faustine Koziel]. Homing pigeons: aryl asked if they had a radio, but they instead showed him that they used homing pigeons to send out messages. Meeting up: Across town Stephane Codron [Romain Levi] went to speak to Genet [Anne Charrier] 'I wasn't always a nun,' Isabelle said. 'I can see that,' Daryl said. Isabelle said maybe they were the same. 'Broken until the world ended,' Isabelle said. When they left the building, Isabelle was shocked and upset to see the little girl Aimee, who she had left in the building when she ran to escape the apocalypse, was a zombie. Walkers then started falling out of the building and when they hit the ground got up and came after them. Daryl fended them off and helped Isabelle escape. Later, when Isabelle met up with Laurent she showed him the picture of her sister, his mother. 'It's her,' Isabelle said. Walking dead: Walkers roamed the area around Isabelle's old apartment in Paris 'You see Daryl, it's my mother,' Laurent showed him the picture. 'She's pretty,' Daryl said. The group then walked through the Catacombs with the hallways lined with skulls and opened a doorway, which was the entrance to the underground nightclub called Demimonde. On the wall of the club were famous paintings such as Claude Monet's Water Lilies. 'They saved it, that's something,' Isabelle said. Paris club: The Demimonde club was operated by Isabelle's ex Quinn At the club, they met with a group of men and offered to trade Isabelle's drugs for a boat. Daryl didn't trust them and punched one of them. After they spoke to Quinn, they both decided to leave and walked back out to the Catacombs. Isabelle told Daryl that she didn't need a hero. Meanwhile, Genet's henchman Codron walked into the club brandishing his weapon and everyone froze. Quinn told them that he had an arrangement with Madame Genet that his place would be off limits, but Codron explained that they were just looking for Daryl. At night, Isabelle apologized to Daryl. Daryl told Isabelle that she needed to tell Laurent the truth about his parents. Best policy: Daryl told Isabelle that she needed to tell Laurent the truth about his parents 'Maybe he's just a regular kid,' Daryl said. 'A regular kid that got lucky and lived. Maybe that's your miracle.' Codron and his mercenaries barged in and Daryl told Isabelle to get Laurent and take him back to her place. Daryl jumped to the next rooftop and escaped. Codron came looking for him. Daryl tripped him and then they fought. Daryl had almost choked him to death when Codron's men shot at them and he managed to get away. Then the ground under Daryl crumbled and he fell through the roof. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will return next week on AMC. Cassie Sainsbury has officially launched her online fitness training business, two years after her release from Columbia's notorious El Buen Pastor prison. Dubbed 'Cocaine Cassie' after she was convicted for drug smuggling in the South American country, the failed gym owner, 28, returned to Australia last year and is now hoping to restart her fitness career. Sainsbury's business, Cassie Leigh Fitness, offers online workout programs and personal training sessions that focus on creating the 'body shape' of the Colombian women she served time with. Basic online fitness programs will set you back $20 per month, while the eight-week 'Hourglass Body Challenge' costs $39.95. The South Australian fitness trainer is also offering customised plans for $75, while face-to-face personal training for Adelaide residents are priced at $65. Cassie Sainsbury, 27, (pictured) has officially launched her online fitness training business, two years after her release from Columbia's notorious El Buen Pastor prison. 'While in Colombia I would look at all the women there and they would have beautiful bodies with the whole curvy figure and I thought I want that so I started a process of elimination about how to build certain muscles to give that illusion of having that Latin body shape,' Sainsbury explained in a press release on Monday. Sainsbury has previously vowed to donate 10 per cent of her business' sales to a rehab charity in Adelaide. 'I want to help people get to the point where they are happy and get into the mindset where they feel good about themselves,' she told the Herald Sun on Friday. Sainsbury's business, Cassie Leigh Fitness , offers online workout programs and personal training sessions that focus on creating the 'body shape' of the Colombian women she served time with Sainsbury, who recently moved back to Australia with her wife Tatiana, also spoke to the publication about her fascination with the 'body shape' of South American women during her stint in prison. 'I would look at all the women over there and they would have these beautiful bodies, with the whole curvy figure,' she said. 'And I thought, 'I want that,' so I started a process of elimination about how to build certain muscles to give that illusion of having that Latin body shape.' Basic online fitness programs will set you back $20 per month, while the eight-week 'Hourglass Body Challenge' costs $39.95 Cassie's new business venture comes after she admitted to Herald Sun earlier this year that she has struggled to find a job since moving back to Australia last year. 'Trying to get a job and move forward. I quite often get told that I'm a murderer, that I'm quite conniving and cold and don't show remorse,' she said. 'People can't show emotions because that's a sign of weakness so I buried the sadness and I'd feel I pretty much got to a point where it would explode.' Sainsbury has previously vowed to donate 10 per cent of her business' sales to a rehab charity in Adelaide Cassie was arrested in Columbia in April, 2017, when she was caught trying to leave the country with 5.8kgs of cocaine in her luggage. The bust shot her to international infamy as she was dubbed 'Cocaine Cassie' and even landed a role on SAS Australia this year. She was sentenced to six years behind bars at El Buen Pastor prison but only served three before she was released. Cassie spent another two years on parole in South America before returning to Australia last year to live in Adelaide with her wife Tatiana. Just weeks after celebrating his book Greenlights reaching 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, Matthew McConaughey celebrated another literary milestone. The 53-year-old Texas native released his book Greenlights in October 2020, which reached the #1 spot on the charts, a feat he has now reached twice, with his kids book Just Because taking the #1 spot over the weekend. The actor and writer celebrated the milestone with his sons Levi, 15, Livingston, 10, and wife Camila Alves, who threw him a surprise party. McConaughey shared video of the surprise party for his book, which was published September 12, on Instagram Friday. Levi was heard saying 'Congratulations!' while Livingston added, 'I love you' as the actor clapped along, wearing a lavender sweatshirt and tan sweats. Celebrate: Just weeks after celebrating his book Greenlights reaching 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, Matthew McConaughey celebrated another literary milestone Number one: The 53-year-old Texas native released his book Greenlights in October 2020, which reached the #1 spot on the charts, a feat he has now reached twice, with his kids book Just Because taking the #1 spot over the weekend The video continued with McConaughey giving both of his sons a hug while thanking them for the celebration. 'Thank y'all! Y'all were a big inspiration for this book,' McConaughey said, while Livingston said, 'I have a teensy feeling you totally knew this was happening.' 'I did not know,' McConaughey insisted, as the video shows their dinner spread with balloons that read Just Because. Livingston then announced, 'Guys, he's being throned, he's being throned,' before he puts a green beaded necklace around his neck. The video also shows a hand-drawn card of McConaughey holding up a #1 while Levi congratulates him again. 'Thank you, guys, thank you very much. It's really cool. I got two books and both of them were number 1 New York Times bestsellers,' McConaughey said. Levi added, 'It's pretty awesome,' while Matthew added, 'I was hoping for it, but I didn't know, I sure didn't know about th first one,' he said of his book Greenlights. The video ended with McConaughey looking into the camera and saying 'Thank you' once more with a smile. Inspiration: 'Thank y'all! Y'all were a big inspiration for this book,' McConaughey said, while Livingston said, 'I have a teensy feeling you totally knew this was happening' Card: The video also shows a hand-drawn card of McConaughey holding up a #1 while Levi congratulates him again Really cool: 'Thank you, guys, thank you very much. It's really cool. I got two books and both of them were number 1 New York Times bestsellers,' McConaughey said Didn't know: Levi added, 'It's pretty awesome,' while Matthew added, 'I was hoping for it, but I didn't know, I sure didn't know about th first one,' he said of his book Greenlights Earlier this month, Levi celebrated his father with an Instagram post featuring a picture of him reading Just Because. 'It has been so cool to watch my dad these past few years. Working on new projects and watching them succeed,' he said. 'Hes been writing and creating and to see his first book #GreenlightsBook was awesome!' Levi added. 'Now hes on to his second book, #JustBecauseBook and im really excited about it. Cant wait to see what he does next' Levi concluded. The stars of One Tree Hill took time out to mark the 20th anniversary of the premiere of the hit teen drama series on The WB over the weekend. Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz and Sophia Bush were among the cast members to join in on the love-fest, but they choose to pay tribute the show without ever mentioning it by name. The clever move was done in accordance with the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes; so instead, the trio decided to celebrate the 'female friendships' that were formed during the nine-season run. For her post, Bush, now 41, picked her words carefully and wrote that she 'not gonna mention the job that's turning 20 today while our union is on strike.' She continued, 'So instead I'll celebrate 20 years of female friendships being the ultimate love stories and the reclamation of our good, bad, ugly, and beautiful through @dramaqueensoth. Thank you to our #fanfam who have encouraged us to find and use our voices onscreen and off. #Lucky23 #20years.' Respectful tributes: The three female leads of One Tree Hill celebrated the 20th anniversary of the show's premiere on Sunday by not mentioning it by name, in order to be accordance to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes; Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz and Sophia Bush are pictured with Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty Careful wording: Bush, now 41, picked her words carefully and wrote that she 'not gonna mention the job that's turning 20 today while our union is on strike'; the cover photo show a recent image of former co-stars Bush, Burton and Lenz Burton, 41. was quick to respond to Bush's anniversary tribute by offering up some love. writing, 'Hey. We made it. Love you.' As for Lenz, she shared a carousel of images on her Instagram page that included images from her time on the show as well as more recent times with her former co-stars. '20 years of SOMETHING magical This will always be my family. Thank you to everyone who made it possible,' she gushed in the caption. Created by Mark Schwahn, One Tree Hill had an ensemble cast that starred James Lafferty, Tyler Hilton, Stephen Colletti and Antwon Tanner, who can be seen together in one of the pictures. There also a black-and-white of Lenz planting a kiss on Bush's cheek, all while she burst out into laughter. She's also seen looking lovingly into the eyes of her then baby daughter Maria, who made her grand arrival on Planet Earth in February 2011. The last image, a more recent boomerang, caught Lenz, Bush and Burton all dolled up looking stylish while relaxing on large couch. One Tree Hill focused on the lives of half-brothers, Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (Lafferty), and followed them and the other young adult characters over the course of four years as they shape their friendships and careers. Blast from the past: Bush also shared a throwback snap of the One Tree Hill leading ladies A look back: Bush, Burton and Lenz take a walk down memory lane with One Tree Hill as co-hosts of the Drama Queens podcast that re-watches and talks about each of the old episodes Murray, 42, recalled all the time that has passed since the show began on his Instagram Story. 'Happy 20th Fam #3" he wrote in one post Saturday, which was enhanced with a clip of the One Tree Hill's theme song, I Don't Want to Be by Gavin DeGraw with a giph that said: 'From Downtown.' 'If you'd have asked me back in 2003... Never in my wildest dreams would I've thought we'd still have this magical bond,' he continued, adding the fist-bumping emoji. The actor ended the post by sharing how 'Grateful' he is for his time on the series and the friendships that came from it. Bonafide hit: The drama series ran for nine seasons, first on The WB from 2003 until 2006, and then The CW from 2006 to its finale in 2012 after The WB and UPN merger '20 years. '03 - '23. Those numbers look so familiar," he said, adding a smiling face with sunglasses emoji. The cast also included Paul Johansson, Barry Corbin, Craig Sheffer, Moira Kelly, Barbara Alyn Woods, Lee Norris, Danneel Harris, Jackson Brundage, Lisa Goldstein, Justin Nichols, Robert Buckley, Shantel VanSante and Jana Kramer. The drama series ran for nine seasons, first on The WB from 2003 until 2006, and then The CW from 2006 to its finale in 2012 after The WB and UPN merger. Bush, Burton and Lenz take a walk down memory lane with the show as co-hosts of the Drama Queens podcast that re-watches and talks about each of the old episodes. Actress Katherine Kelly Lang has achieved worldwide fame portraying Brooke Logan on the Bold and the Beautiful. But the American star, 62, proved she's still got a sense of humour while doing the media rounds in Australia on Monday. Far from getting a limousine to pick her up, the star was surprised by a Hilux Ute arriving at Channel Ten. Lang couldn't hide her good-natured shock and laughter as her luggage was loaded into the tray of the car. The actress is in Australia to promote her best-selling Kaftan range with her doing a number of interviews Down Under. Now, that's an Uber! Bold and the Beautiful star Katherine Kelly Lang, 62, was left in shock as a Ute picked her up from Channel 10 on Monday. Pictured The latest range is called Kelly's Kloset and will be sold on TVSN. Katherine looked incredible wearing a stunning floral dress with a belt, along with a pair of studded sandals. The American star carried her belongings in a canary yellow backpack and a small green crossbody bag. Katherine finished her look by carrying a leather jacket over her arm. The good-natured star had a laugh at the oversized ute picking her up, with her warmly greeting the driver at one point. Pictured The star wore her trademark blonde tresses down to her shoulders and opted for a matte makeup look and lipstick for the trip. Katherine was recently filming in Italy for the hit CBS show, which she has starred on since 1987. In May, the actress reflected on the early days of playing Brooke on the CBS soap. The Los Angeles native described the origins of her character with Daytime Confidential, saying Brooke is, 'a girl from the other side of the tracks that falls in love with the young socialite, Beverly Hills guy. The actress is in Australia to promote her best-selling Kaftan range with her doing a number of interviews Down Under. The latest range is called Kelly's Kloset and will be sold on TVSN The star looked to be in good spirits as she chatted to the Uber driver. Pictured 'She comes from a hard-working family in the Valley. I liked that it's kind of how I grew up. I grew up in Encino in a hard-working family. I didn't grow up with money, and it was kind of interesting to have that excitement of falling in love with the rich family,' she said. She said she had been offered some soap opera roles on New York based shows, but wanted to stay in Southern California. When The Bold and the Beautiful came along, 'it was a brand-new show and it was half an hour, so you could kind of create your character. It was in L.A. and I thought, 'What do I have to lose?' It was very interesting to me. Katherine looked incredible wearing a stunning floral dress with a belt, along with a pair of studded sandals for the TV appearance The star wore her trademark blonde tresses down to her shoulders and opted for a matte makeup look and lipstick for the trip 'So I signed the contract. At that time, four years seems like a long time, because when you're young, time seems longer,' she said. 'Four years really goes by like that. So, it went by so fast and I just decided to re-sign, and re-sign, and re-sign,' she added. And 36 years later, she's thrilled to still be playing Brooke Lang. Katherine was recently filming in Italy for the hit CBS show, which she has starred on since 1987 The Los Angeles native described the origins of her character with Daytime Confidential, saying Brooke is: 'a girl from the other side of the tracks that falls in love with the young socialite, Beverly Hills guy 'I'm so happy I stayed on the show, she said. 'It's something that I'm proud of, actually, to be somewhere for a long period of time.' 'It still makes me happy to come to work every day. It feels like family,' she gushed. 'It feels like home going into my dressing room, and it's such a good feeling. I really honestly do love it as much as I always have. So, it's an amazing job and I can't even call it a job because it's more like play,' she added. Nick Frost has opened up for the first time about suffering from an eating disorder where he describes secretly binging on junk food. The comedy actor, 51, has since lost six stone in a bid to be around for his young family, explaining: 'I have a two-year-old, you know, and I'm just aware that big fat men in their fifties don't become big fat men in their sixties, and that's just a fact.' Speaking to The Sunday Times magazine about his battle with eating, explaining how he would 'hide in his car and eat two iced buns and four Snickers', Nick said he knows he was suffering from a form of disorder. Nick went on to discuss how his struggle with eating largely began when he quit smoking and drinking, as he replaced his old bad habits with a new one. He said: 'It was interesting stopping cigarettes and any kind of mind-altering chemicals and drinking, and thinking, 'Yes, I'm good, I've done it.' And suddenly you find yourself eating six Wispas in a dark room and hiding all your s***, enjoying the James Bondness of addiction, all the secret bits.' Candid: Nick Frost has opened up for the first time about suffering from an eating disorder where he describes secretly binging on junk food (pictured this year) Speaking to The Sunday Times magazine about his battle with eating, explaining how he would 'hide in his car and eat two iced buns and four Snickers' (pictured in 2020) However, Nick says he has now taken responsibility for his eating and his health, he proudly told the publication he had lost six stone, adding: 'So now only an XXXL.' Revealing how he lost the weight, he said: 'I've taken responsibility for it, because it's fine me saying, "I'm gonna make sure the kids have the best dad they can have," but it's b******t if I'm secretly eating in the toilet. So I've had to not do that.' Nick Frost shares his daughter, two, and his son, four, with his partner and the family live together in southwest London. Nick's girlfriend has never been photographed and their little boy's name has never been shared publicly. He also has a 12-year-old son, Mac, from his marriage to ex-wife Christina. They were married in 2008 and after seven years of marriage, the couple split in 2013, before divorcing in 2015. Talking about their unique bond, Nick told The Guardian in 2019, 'I think when Chris and I got divorced we knew people who didn't [get along] and you see what it does to their kids. 'I get sometimes that there's no other option, but once you've made the choice to get divorced for the benefit of the child, it seems churlish to then be shit to each other.' Nick confirmed the birth of his third child in August 2021 by sharing a photograph of himself taking the newborn home from hospital on Instagram. Healthy lifestyle: The comedy actor, 51, has since lost six stone in a bid to be around for his young family, explaining: 'I have a two-year-old, you know, and I'm just aware that big fat men in their fifties don't become big fat men in their sixties, and that's just a fact' (pictured recently) Family: Nick Frost shares his daughter, two, and his son, four, (pictured left) with his partner and the family live together in southwest London Baby joy: Nick confirmed the birth of his third child in August 2021 by sharing a photograph of himself taking the newborn home from hospital on Instagram Congratulations! He wrote alongside the shot: 'And then there were 3!!!! (Kids that is!) #thrilled #soinlove #grateful #incrediblemumma' He wrote alongside the shot: 'And then there were 3!!!! (Kids that is!) #thrilled #soinlove #grateful #incrediblemumma.' Three days prior, Nick posted a photograph of himself in hospital and teased alongside: 'It begins...' Nick - who went teetotal in 2018 - is best known for his friendship with his best friend and comedy partner Simon Pegg. The duo were introduced by Simon's then-girlfriend, who was waiting tables in the same Mexican restaurant in north London as Nick. Simon told The Observer of Nick in 2007: 'The thing was, he was the funniest guy working [in the restaurant] and everyone was always saying, "you should be on stage, you should do stand up." 'But I think the performance anxiety was a bit of a thing for him. He thought he had comedy cancer. 'He didn't know that those awful feelings were perfectly normal when standing up in front of lots of people, trying to make them laugh. That's why I wrote him a part in my sitcom, Spaced, in 1999.' Hot Fuzz: Nick - who went teetotal in 2018 - is best known for his friendship with his best friend and comedy partner Simon Pegg (pictured in the film Hot Fuzz) Sophia Loren has been rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery after suffering a bad fall at her home in Geneva, Switzerland. The Hollywood star, 89, was left with several fractures to her hip and and a series fracture to her femur after she fell in the bathroom of her home this weekend. Sophia's sons, Carlo Jr., 55, and Edoardo, 50, have been by her side throughout the ordeal and her time in hospital, according to The Hollywood Reporter. News about Sophia's condition was shared by the team at her self-titled restaurant chain, who shared the news on their Instagram page. The statement read: 'A fall at her home in Geneva today caused Ms Loren hip fractures. Operated with a positive outcome, she will now have to observe a short period of recovery and follow a road to rehabilitation. News: Sophia Loren has been rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery after suffering a bad fall at her home in Geneva, Switzerland Reports: The Hollywood star, 89, was left with several fractures to her hip and and a series fracture to her femur after she fell in the bathroom of her home 'Thankfully everything worked out for the best and the Lady will be back with us very soon. The whole team at Sophia Loren Restaurant takes this opportunity to wish her a speedy recovery.' The post announcing Sophia's surgery news was flooded with support from her devoted fans, wishing the star a speedy recovery. Sophia had been due to open a fourth branch of her restaurant chain in Bari, Italy, on Tuesday. The Italian native was also due to receive honorary citizenship from the city. The events have been cancelled along with her other upcoming public engagements, according to the publication. It reported that Sophia will have a short a convalescence before undergoing a long rehabilitation process in order to recover from the surgery. Sophia most recently appeared in the 2020 Netflix film The Life Ahead, directed by her son Edoardo, which won her a David di Donatello Award for best actress. Sophia plays a Holocaust survivor who bonds with a 12-year-old Nigerian immigrant. Speaking to Ew.com, she explained: 'I love cinema so much. I want to keep doing it forever. I know it's difficult to find good stories, but sometimes I fall in love with the right ones. I intend to make movies forever.' Earlier this year, Sophia was named as one of the AFT 50 greatest movies of classical Hollywood cinema. She is the only living actress on the list. Some of her most iconic films include Two Women (1961) and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963). Update: News about Sophia's condition was shared by the team at her self-titled restaurant chain, who shared the news on their Instagram page She won the Academy Award in 1961 for Best Actress for her performance in the war drama feature, Two Women. Upon receiving the award, she became the first actress to take home the Oscar for a performance that was not in the English language. Loren's last public appearance was at the Armani fashion show in Venice on September 2, which was held during the 80th Venice Film Festival. Sophia looked as glamorous as ever as she arrived at the Film Festival earlier this month, days before her 89th birthday. The showbiz icon looked wore a blazer and shirt, which she paired with black trousers and flat shoes as she waved to nearby fans upon arrival. Sophia's ageless look clearly matches how she feels inside, as she previously opened up about how she feels decades younger. Sophia said: 'Sometimes when I say I'm 86, I don't believe it. I feel 20.' Discussing ageing naturally, she said: 'Why change your body and be somebody else if you are happy inside? I never thought of that - never. I like what I have. I like me!' Living legend: Earlier this year, Sophia was named as one of the greatest stars of classical Hollywood cinema. Some of her most iconic films include Two Women (1961) and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963) (pictured here in 1957) Sophia was born poor, despite the fact that her father was an Italian nobleman. He who would not marry her mother, leaving her to raise Sophia and her younger daughter Maria as a single mother. By age six, the star was hit in the chin and scarred by shrapnel while running to a bomb shelter during World War II. 'When I was a child growing up during the war, my mind was always in the sky - I wanted to be an actress like Rita Hayworth,' adding that she needed help to achieve her dream. 'Now I am an actress, like Rita Hayworth, and it's beautiful. It's a dream.' At age 16, she entered a beauty contest with a dress made of her family's living room curtains sewed by her grandma. One of the judges was Italian director and her future husband Carlo, who was 37 at the time. When she co-starred with Cary Grant in the film The Pride and the Passion in 1957, the duo embarked on an affair - Cary was married to Betsy Drake at the time. Sophia and Cary's romantic relationship was over by the time they filmed Houseboat soon after. While Cary wanted to continue their relationship, Sophia chose to marry Carlo. Sophia and Carlo married on September 17, 1957 despite the fact he was not yet legally divorced from first wife Giuliana, although they had separated for a while. In 1962, their marriage had to be annulled so he would not be charged with bigamy since at the time divorce was forbidden in Italy; but they continued to live together. They became French citizens in 1965 and got a divorce from Giuliana soon after, allowing Carlo and Sophia to marry on April 9, 1966. They welcomed Carlo Jr in 1968 and Edoardo in 1973; Carlo and Sophia remained together until his death in 2007. Kevin Sorbo has branded Hollywood men 'bumbling, useless idiots' with a 'misunderstanding of masculinity'. The Hercules: The Legendary Journeys actor, 65, who claimed to have been shunned by Hollywood for his conservative opinions last month, wrote a controversial new essay for Fox News, in which he blasted 'woke Hollywood'. Taking particular aim at Timothee Chalamet, 27, and Billy Porter, 54, the star, who proudly noted that he made fame playing a Greek demigod, branded the current fondness for androgyny in fashion 'the masculinity crisis'. In his attack on the modern day male, he also insisted that feminists have 'won' when men 'give into their base desires', such as drink, drugs, video games and porn. He penned: 'It doesnt really matter what end of the masculinity spectrum you fall on; if youre a victim to your own base desires, the feminist culture has won. Youre exactly the kind of wussy man they (think they) want you to be.' Shock: Kevin Sorbo has branded Hollywood men 'bumbling, useless idiots' with a 'misunderstanding of masculinity' (pictured in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in 1999) Lashing out: The Hercules: The Legendary Journeys actor, 65, who claimed to have been shunned by Hollywood for his conservative opinions last month, wrote a controversial new essay for Fox News , in which he blasted ' woke Hollywood' Shock: Taking particular aim at Timothee Chalamet, 27, and Billy Porter, 54, (pictured in 2020) the star branded the current fondness for androgyny in fashion 'the masculinity crisis' Not for me: His new op-ed on masculinity, will no doubt cause stirs thanks to his personal attacks on beloved Hollywood and fashion sweethearts Timothee (pictured in September last year) and Billy Kevin shot to fame with his starring roles as the titular character in Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys from 1995 to 1999, and as Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda from 2000 to 2005. He also starred in Xena: Warrior Princess. In recent years, he has been a keen purveyor of Christian beliefs and conservative opinions - something he alleges has led to his 'cancellation'. His new op-ed on masculinity, will no doubt cause stirs thanks to his personal attacks on beloved Hollywood actors and fashion sweethearts Timothee and Billy. Weighing in on their androgyous style, he wrote: 'Society today seriously misunderstands masculinity... On the one hand, we love to normalize androgynous, Billy Porter-type men who sport skirts and poofy dresses... 'GQ's 2019 best-dressed man, Timothee Chalamet, for example, often wears clothes that your grandfather wouldn't have been caught dead dressed like Chalamet.' He went on: 'Everywhere we look, bold, confident, self-assured females upstage passive men who recede quietly into the background... 'Into the basement. Into the past, Fathers, in particular, have become the butt of every woke Hollywood jab, the bumbling, useless idiots who contribute nothing to their families or communities, but sacrifice themselves as objects of ridicule.' Kevin alleged the depictions of men in Hollywood feature: 'The brutish he-man who only abuses his strength and makes a mockery of masculinity.' Shocking: In recent years, he has been a keen purveyor of Christian beliefs and conservative opinions - something he alleges has led to his 'cancellation' His new essay comes a month after Kevin said he has been ousted by Hollywood for his conservative opinions and Christian beliefs in an interview on Fox News. The native Minnesotan claimed he and his agent had parted ways after the Andromeda star was 'blacklisted.' He said: 'It was sad to me, you know, my manager and agent for so many years said that we can't get you jobs anymore, work with you because of you being a Christian, being a conservative.... 'We have such a huge divide in our country right now, and it's perpetuated by the mainstream media, perpetuated by movies, TV'. Cate Blanchett showcased her chic sense of style in a double denim ensemble as she stepped out in Milan on Sunday during the city's Fashion Week. The actress, 54, looked typically stylish in a double-breasted blue blazer and flared jeans as she left her hotel. Cate put on a racy display in the ensemble, opting to go shirtless underneath the blazer. The screen star accessorised with square-shaped sunglasses and simple bracelets. The actress has been making the most of her time in Milan, attending the Giorgio Armani show earlier in the day. Gorgeous: Cate Blanchett showcased her chic sense of style in a double denim ensemble as she stepped out in Milan on Sunday during the city's Fashion Week Cate shares sons Dashiell, 21, Roman, 19, and Ignatius, 15, as well as adopted daughter Edith, eight, with Andrew Upton, 57 - with whom she tied the knot in 1997. The award-winning actress made her film debut in 1997 in the project titled Paradise Road, but rose to prominence after being cast with the leading role in the historical drama, Elizabeth (1998). Throughout the course of her successful career thus far, Blanchett has been nominated for a total of eight Oscars and won two - Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator and Best Actress for Blue Jasmine. While talking to Page Six last year in April, Cate admitted that despite her fame, her children are 'disinterested' in their mother's stardom. 'They have no idea, no idea,' she informed the outlet. 'I told them, "Oh I'm going to New York for 36 hours. 'I'll be back on Wednesday" One of them is getting an award at school, and they went, "Oh, OK, have a good time."' The star expressed that her four kids are 'disinterested' in her fame, but 'in the best possible, healthiest way.' She recently celebrated the release of a recent project titled, The New Boy, which premiered in Australia on July 6. Dressed to impress: The actress, 54, looked typically stylish in a double-breasted blue blazer and flared jeans as she left her hotel The beauty portrayed the leading role of Sister Eileen in the movie - which was both written and directed by Warwick Thornton. The premise follows, 'The mesmeric story of a nine-year-old aboriginal Australian orphan boy who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun,' per IMDB. Blanchett also stepped behind the camera to help produce the upcoming science fiction romantic film called, Fingernails. Her husband, Andrew, was also one of the producers on the project, which will be available to stream later this year on Apple TV+ on November 3. The premise follows that character of Anna who, 'secretly embarks on a new assignment working at a mysterious institute designed to incite and test the presence of romantic love in increasingly desperate couples,' per IMDB. Some of the cast includes The Bear star, Jeremy Allen White, Annie Murphy, Jessie Buckley, and also Riz Ahmed. Good Morning Britain viewers are in uproar over comments made by actress Debbie Arnold about Joan Collins on the show on Monday. Actress Debbie, 68, waded into a debate with journalist Dawn Neesom, 58, on whether you can be a sex symbol aged 60 after Strictlys oldest contestant, Angela Rippon, 78, wowed viewers with her high-kick in the air. Dawn said: 'To be a sex symbol, you have to be a certain age. It's about being confident in your own body, in your experience. 'It's about being confident in your own skin and younger people don't have that. A real sex symbol has va va voom and character and personality.' Host Richard Madeley, 67, said: 'Kylie Minogue is more of a sexual figure now than she was 20 years ago. That's not very nice: GMB viewers were in uproar on Monday over 'rude and disrespectful' Debbie Arnold's (left) 'ageist' comments about Joan Collins, 90, as actress, 68, said: 'If you had sex with her she'd fall to pieces' Looking good: Dame Joan has long been considered a sex symbol, even at 90 years of age - pictured earlier this year Not impressed: Susanna Reid pulled a face as the debate between Debbie and journalist Dawn Neeson, right, rumbled on Dawn added: 'We are talking about the love island generation, those young men and women are sexy but they are not sex symbols. 'Today we have people like Helen Mirren, [aged 78] who is incredibly sexy and Joan Collins, [age 90], who is amazing.' Debbie chimed in: 'Come on, really. A sex symbol is someone you want to have sex with. If you had sex with Joan, she would fall to pieces. 'Do you really think men want to have sex with her now?' Her words were followed by an awkward silence in the studio. Joan is happily married to Percy Gibson, thought to be 58-years-old. They tied the knot in February 2002. And viewers were most displeased by Debbie's words, including Susanna Reid, 52, who pulled a face. They said: 'Omg. I actually dropped my jaw at that womans comment of Joan Collins, how rude, distasteful and disrespectful unbelievable from an older woman who should have learned class in her years.' 'Rude, distasteful and disgusting': Fans did not take very kindly to the comments made on X (formerly known as Twitter) 'Shake her and she would fall to pieces?? One of the nastiest most disrespectful things I have heard in a while. #gmb #ageism Joan Collins is beautiful AND classy a rarity.' '#GMB. God what a hideous thing to say about Joan Collins. 'How daft is this woman. Doesnt she think Joan Collins is a sex symbol to older men. Its not all about the younger generation.' A look back in time: Joan, pictured circa 1955, as ruled Hollywood for years On the list: Dawn also branded Helen Mirren, 78, a sex symbol - pictured in May 2023 Rylan Clark posted a video of mother Linda using a wheelchair lift as she returned to hospital following her nightmare fall in Spain. Linda, 71, seemed in good spirits, though her arm was in a sling, as she clutched her bag. She wore a long-sleeved white jumper, cropped black trousers, and a pair of black flip-flops, with her hair in its usual straight bob. Rylan captioned the short Instagram clip 'Early morning hospital bants', and added Westlife's You Raise Me Up. The visit comes after Linda suffered horrific injuries in Spain in September during her first holiday in ten years. Hospital visit: Rylan Clark posted a video of mother Linda,71, using a wheelchair lift as she returned to hospital following her horror fall and surgery in Spain Happy: Linda has been well looked after by her son Rylan, who flew her back to the UK at his own expense, after her accident (pictured together on This Morning in June) Back to normal: Linda wore a long-sleeved white jumper, cropped black trousers, and a pair of black flip-flops, with her hair in its usual straight bob as she continued to recover Earlier this month, Linda was rushed to hospital and had to have emergency surgery after her horror fall. As a result, Rylan was forced to pull out of his radio presenting gig and replaced by Scott Mills as he cared for his mother, while giving fans updates on her health. The presenter, 34, also likened the overwhelming support and messages he and Linda received to when someone had died. Explaining the situation to his listeners, Rylan said: 'Unfortunately decided to take mummy Linda on holiday... she's not been away for 10 years. And what (did) she go and do? Falls over and breaks an arm and leg, what (are) you going to do? Classic Linda, classic Linda. 'Now a little broken arm and a leg, (I) can deal with that but when you take that up with everything else (that) is wrong with her nightmare, especially abroad. 'But we are both back, mummy Linda is home safe and sound, she is recovering, she's chilling out. 'There's honestly, for want for a better term, I don't mean this in a rude way, It's like someone's died. The amount of people that have been around the house, there's flowers. It's all gone on. 'All the neighbours come out. It was like someone had come home from war.' All smiles: Rylan captioned the short Instagram clip 'Early morning hospital bants' as Linda continued to receive medical attention Recovering: The visit comes after Linda suffered horrific injuries in Spain during her first holiday in ten years in September Poorly: Earlier this month Linda was rushed to hospital and had to have emergency surgery after a horror fall during a holiday in Spain - her first getaway in 10 years Sweet: It comes after Rylan praised the 'dream team' of staff who helped to fly his mum Linda home from Spain , after she suffered a horror fall during their holiday During his radio appearance, Rylan thanked Malaga based health care service Helicopteros Sanitarios for transporting his mother home safely. He added: 'The hospital looked after mummy so well so muchas gracias (thank you so much in Spanish). 'It was a five star hotel, the hospital, they had champagne on the menu, I nearly checked in myself, and you should have seen the physio (physiotherapist), I nearly broke my own arm, oh my god.' The star also thanked 'the lovely Scott Mills for jumping in' as well as all his fans for their support. It comes after Rylan praised the 'dream team' of staff who helped to fly his mum home. The presenter shared a selfie with the crew who chartered the private jet to fly them back to the UK, after Linda underwent surgery in the wake of her injury. Rylan then revealed that he and Linda were finally heading home, and were using the services of Helicopteros Sanitarios. The service is 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year health care service and operates mobile services for medical care in the Costa Del Sol and provided the transport back to the UK. Cute: The presenter shared another image of Linda once they'd boarded the flight on a stretcher attached to various medical apparatus, with the sweet message: 'Love her' Pained: The TV star took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal they were heading home following the the trip, which had been thwarted by her fall Rylan shared a snap with the service's staff, and captioned it: 'Dream team'. He then shared another image of Linda once they'd boarded the flight on a stretcher attached to various medical apparatus, with the sweet message: 'Love her.' Rylan previously updated fans as he took to Instagram on Sunday morning to share a smiling photo of his mother in her hospital chair. Linda could be seen putting on a brave face while both her arm and leg were wrapped up in bandages and braces. Captioning the snap, Rylan wrote: 'Someone is out of the bed and in a chair. She cant believe how many people have sent messages. 'Thanks everyone. Will update you all with more as I can x'. Rylan assured fans that 'all went well' after earlier announcing that he would be pulling out of his scheduled Radio 2 show, with Scott Mills replacing him. He wrote: '[Linda] asked me if she can still have a new driveway. She's deffo come round. Thanks for all your lovely messages x' Doing better! He took to Instagram shortly after Linda's accident to share a smiling photo of his mother in her hospital chair Grateful: Captioning the snap, Rylan wrote: 'Someone is out of the bed and in a chair. She cant believe how many people have sent messages. Thanks everyone' Ben Shephard's hosting stint on This Morning has been widely-praised by fans who begged bosses to hire him as a permanent presenter. The Good Morning Britain presenter, 48, appeared on Monday's show alongside Holly Willoughby, as the roster of co-hosts continues following Phillip Schofield's unceremonious exit earlier this year. It is the first time Ben has hosted the ITV daytime programme in six years, as he usually appears on viewers' screens earlier in the day on GMB, but fans claimed he was a total natural on the show. Fellow stand-in hosts have so far included Friday hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary as well as Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle and now Ben. After welcoming viewers, Ben addressed his unusual appearance on the show, saying: 'What a lovely treat Holly, thank you for inviting me. I'm on my best behaviour.' Nailed it! Ben Shephard's hosting stint on This Morning has been widely-praised by fans who begged bosses to hire him as a permanent presenter Delighted: The Good Morning Britain presenter, 48, appeared on Monday's show alongside Holly Willoughby , as the roster of co-hosts continues following Phillip Schofield 's unceremonious exit earlier this year Holly quipped: 'Don't be too well behaved please!' Ben replied: 'They've (bosses) told me I've got to behave, I've got to tidy up after myself and make sure I leave the place clean and tidy.' Holly then noted that Ben was able to have a lie-in today as the magazine show starts hours after his usual slot on GMB. He replied: 'Three-hour lie-in, are you kidding? My alarm went off at about 6:30- 6:45. What is this? My face looks awake, I didn't need an iron to sort it out.' Holly also joked that Ben was in his 'Sunday' attire, as he follow the smart-casual dress code, rather than appearing in a two-piece suit like normal. Viewers went wild for Ben's appearance on the show, commenting that he would be 'ideal' for a permanent presenting job on the show. One person loved the pairing, and said: 'Ben Shephard, excellent choice with Holly! Definitely a keeper!' Another agreed, and said: 'Love to see Ben Shephard co-hosting with Holly this morning. More presentable and didn't keep talking over the guests!' Reaction: Viewers went wild for Ben's appearance on the show, commenting that he would be 'ideal' for a permanent presenting job on the show He's back! It is the first time Ben has hosted the ITV daytime programme in six years, as he usually appears on viewers' screens earlier in the day on GMB A third mused that the show 'finally had it right with Ben, writing: 'AT LAST you have it right with Ben Shephard, best ever!!! I'll watch again if you keep Ben.' One other was also in agreement, saying: 'Keep Ben on as a permanent presenter!' While some loved his partnership with Holly, another viewer suggested that he would be great teamed up with Craig. They said: 'Please pair Ben Shephard with Craig - they would absolutely save what's left of this show & turn things around.' A different person, said: 'Nice to see a decent presenter like Ben Shephard for a change. Not loud, not all about [him]self, at ease...' Another said: 'Ben Shephard has finally made his way to the This Morning couch. It just seems like a natural fit. Hope they make the move permanent.' Leonardo DiCaprio is said to be getting serious with 25-year-old model Vittoria Ceretti. The 48-year-old Killers of the Flower Moon actor renowned for dropping girlfriends once they hit 26 has been spotted on several dates in the US and abroad in recent months. Now a source has now said they are getting to know each other on a 'deeper level'. An insider told Page Six: 'They've been spending quite a bit of time together over the past few months, and they're enjoying getting to know one another on a deeper level.' Happy with her: Leonardo DiCaprio is said to be getting serious with 25-year-old model Vittoria Ceretti. The 48-year-old Killers of the Flower Moon actor renowned for dropping girlfriends once they hit 26 has been spotted on several dates in the US and abroad in recent months. Now a source has now said they are getting to know each other on a 'deeper level'. Leo and Vittoria were first seen out in public during a steamy club outing in Ibiza, Spain, on 9 August. They were seen in a video exclusively obtained by Page Six kissing and partying together at the electrifying Hi Ibiza club and a few weeks later headed to California. The pair were also spotted getting ice cream and iced coffee in Santa Barbara. An eyewitness told Page Six they noticed a 'vibe' between the two during the date, adding: 'The way they were talking to each other you could feel the energy.' The pair were also spotted in the UK at the Vogue World: London party last week. A source told Page Six: 'Leo and Vittoria were chatting and dancing together all night. 'From the looks of it, their romance is much more than a passing fling.' Another insider said Leo has been supporting Vittoria abroad while she walked the catwalks at Milan Fashion Week. Leo was last in a long-term relationship with actress Camila Morrone, 26, but they split in August 2022 after four years together. He was then linked to supermodel Gigi Hadid, 28, before Vittoria. Italian beauty: Ceretti walks the runway at the Versace fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 22 The man with a plan: DiCaprio speaks during A Conversation with Martin Scorsese during CinemaCon in April His past loves include Bridget Hall (1994), Naomi Campbell (1995), Kristen Zang (1996 to 1997), Amber Valletta (1997), Helena Christensen (1997), Eva Herzigova (1998), Virginie LeDoyen (2000), Gisele Bundchen (2000 to 2005), Bar Rafaeli (2005 to 2010), Blake Lively (2011), Erin Heatheron (2012), Toni Garrn (2013), Kelly Rohrbach (2016), Nina Agdal (2016 to 2017), Camila Morrone (2017 to 2022), Gigi Hadid (2022), Victoria Lamas (2022). On Monday it was claimed DiCaprio was being eyed to play Riddler in The Dark Knight Rises. Studio executives were keen for Riddler to be the primary villain in the 2012 superhero movie, however, director Christopher Nolan decided on Bane (Tom Hardy) instead. David S. Goyer - who co-wrote the Dark Knight trilogy with Nolan - has revealed that the Oscar winner was the actor wanted to portray the supervillain. Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he spilled: 'We had all these pitchesI remember at The Dark Knight [premiere], the head of Warner Bros said, 'You gotta do the Riddler. Leo [DiCaprio] as the Riddler.' That's not the way we work not to take anything away from him.' Goyer also revealed that Jake Gyllenhaal was considered for the role of Batman. He said: 'We would chat about all sorts of thingsThere were a number of people who had screen-tested, and I had advocated for Gyllenhaal. I mean, Gyllenhaal is amazing, Christian Bale is amazing, so who knows what.' One of his exes: Gisele Bundchen seen last week on CBS News Nolan previously revealed that he approached the late Heath Ledger to take on the role of Bruce Wayne in his 'Batman' movies. The actor would go on to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker in 2008's 'The Dark Knight'. However, he was earlier invited by Nolan to play the Caped Crusader in 2005's 'Batman Begins' - but rejected the offer. Speaking to The Playlist, the director said: 'He was quite gracious about it, but he said, 'I would never take a part in a superhero film'. 'I explained to him what I wanted to do with Batman Begins and I think maybe he felt I achieved it.' Yi Embroiderers in SW China Demonstrate Traditional Embroidery Skills (People's Daily App) 16:38, September 25, 2023 Embroiderers of the Yi ethnic group put their traditional embroidery techniques to good use in order to express the joy of the harvest in the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. With a history of more than 1,700 years, Chuxiong Yi embroidery is a proud "fingertip art" and "spiritual flower" of the Yi people. (Produced by Li Zhuoman) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) by Nate Sheff (Lots of spoilers for Barbie.) Platos cave allegory depicts the philosophers journey out of the world of appearances and into the real light of day. After a long climb out from the pits and puppet shows, our protagonist emerges into the world under the sun, whose light makes everything else visible. Having learned from this journey, the philosopher turns back into the cave to spread the good news. The shadows on the wall pale in comparison to the real. True goodness can only be sought elsewhere, up above, after a journey towards the light. Lets picture a different one. Our version starts in the sky. The sun shines, and the world below brightens and basks in its glow, the sun somehow becoming stronger and even more real. But something else comes into being: sighs and grumbling half-heard from a crack in the rocks. The suns light dims. Maybe its time to see how things are going down there. So the sun steps down from the heavens, taking the form of just another human, and peeks its head down into the cave. After a climb down not easy, given this is the first time the sun has felt gravity the sun finally meets the humans and tells them about the boundless sky and the light of day. But humans know all about that, and theyve decided that light is light, even from a measly fire. The suns good news is empty hype, mere marketing. The sun considers this and feels its confidence waning. These people are denying the intrinsic goodness of its light. How can that be? How can these humans embrace a messy, complex, blurry world over simple brilliance? Maybe its the sun that has some learning to do. Plato tells a story about the Idea of the Good, a source of goodness that is so independent as to be impossibly remote yet infinitely powerful. We need it to understand ourselves and our place in the world. The funhouse mirror version has that Idea shedding the trappings of the ideal for the sake of understanding the non-ideal, but complicated and interesting real world. I like this version. It might not have Platos insight or artistry, but it has a scrappy charm that allows me to think about Platos original in a new way. Barbie, Greta Gerwigs film (co-written with Noah Baumbach), plays a trick like this. It asks us to think about human ideals: how they come into our lives, how we think of them, and how our thinking can change them and our relation to them. Ive heard the movie described as existentialist or feminist, and sometimes subsequently criticized for failing to do right by those labels. I guess I could see that in the trailers, but I didnt know what to expect. If a movie has to get rubber-stamped by toy executives, what could it really accomplish? A lot, it turns out. Despite being based on a bona fide Brand, Barbie had a lot of love and genuine artistry poured into it by people with a strong vision of what they wanted to achieve. It never feels like a movie made by a committee. Unlike Pixars back catalog or the recent Puss in Boots movie, this is not an all ages film with themes that resonate for everyone in the audience. Its a movie for adults. There were kids at the screening we went to, and I cant imagine they got a kick out of the opening 2001: A Space Odyssey spoof, or Depression Barbie that eats family-sized bags of Starbursts in one sitting. Thats fine, though. I admire how often the movie swings for the fences with jokes that are more clever than gut-busting, that work better in concept than execution. No big deal. Grownups are allowed to have movies for grownups. Let the middle-aged audience have movies that explore tricky questions about the purpose of ideals in the lives of mere mortals, especially when those ideals get embodied in impossibly proportioned hunks of plastic in bikinis. Barbie has ideas that could be described as existentialist or feminist, but those labels undersell a lot of whats really going on. The hype about the word patriarchy in the film is overblown. Im sure plenty of people would tag me as a cranky Ivory Tower beta male for welcoming that sort of thing in a mainstream movie, but the feminist themes are incredibly mild and pretty mainstream. Any offended men should grow a sense of humor. They sound like people who think black pepper makes food too spicy sad! Still and stick with me while I climb even higher into my Ivory Tower I think the existentialist and feminist readings can go deeper. Its true that you cant ignore either of these ideas in the movie. The Bizarro World matriarchies and patriarchies of Barbieland and the Mojo Dojo Casa House cant be recognized as parodies unless we understand them as feminist jokes; its easy to hear Marilyn Fryes ideas echoed in America Ferraras monologue; and what are Barbies thoughts of death, if not the discovery of Camuss only serious philosophical problem? Margot Robbie plays Barbie, specifically Stereotypical Barbie, the Barbie you think of when you hear Barbie. Shes the Barbiest of the Barbies the Platonic form of Barbie-ness and the ground of being for all Barbies. Barbie is her story: the movie begins with her appearance ushering in a new age of toys for girls, and ends in a line that perfectly caps off her Pinocchio journey to be a real girl. (This is why the inevitable sequel faces an uphill battle to be worthwhile. Barbies story arc is complete, so how could Robbie be the lead of Barbie 2 without undoing her progress in this movie?) I think this elevates Barbie. The trailers made me optimistic; the reviews made me nervous. Would it turn out to be an ironic Gen X pseudophilosophical mask for an extended commercial? I grew up watching a lot of cartoons, which is to say I grew up watching a lot of commercials, including commercials for Barbies no thanks! As a boy, I knew these werent for me, and that was fine. Watch me whistle past the pink aisle at Toys R Us. I did wonder how the movie would handle the elephant in the room: what to say about the pink aisle, those impossible proportions, those hunks of plastic sitting in landfills. I worried that Barbies meeting with teenagers would lampshade the controversy before getting back to the fun stuff (Ken discovering horses). But it didnt brush anything under the rug. Instead, its the gateway into the relationship between Ferraras Gloria and Robbies Barbie, the heart of the movie. Humans like Gloria have ideals. We tell ourselves stories to make these ideals as real as they can be, and these stories often take the shape of myths that happen in a timeless fairyland. Platos forms are eternal. Can we tell the difference between timelessness and endless repetition? Intellectually, yes, but in imagination? These ideals can hurt us, because the idea of perfection brings with it the possibility of falling short. We see our ugliness by its lights; our imperfections become intelligible once we catch hold of the remote and crystalline good. Its why Gloria can pass the time by doodling Cellulite Barbie a plastic idealization with realistic human flesh is a joke in itself. But even though in some way we must posit our ideals as eternal and pure, we know that somehow they cant be, because they are our ideals, values that are embodied in every sense of the word. Unlike Platos forms, Barbieland isnt so far away that it cant be touched. Hence, Robbies Stereotypical Barbie starts to become Cellulite Barbie as a result of Glorias drawing. Idealization makes it possible to evaluate, to criticize, and to strive for more, but they are tethered to us, even as we externalize them into myths. We make them as much as they make us. Ruth Handler, Barbies creator played by Rhea Perlman, says as much during her final scene in the movie. Handler created Barbie so girls could imagine more for themselves than the baby doll toys allowed at the time. You might find yourself in the same critical mindset as the teenagers earlier in the movie: How does a doll in a bikini push the boundaries of the social imagination? It seems backwards from this point in history. But if we do imagine our ideals into being, then they have to start somewhere. Even as we imagine them as existing outside history (somewhere in Barbieland), they really find their roots in history. When Barbie decides to take part in that process and figure out who she really is, she steps into history as a human. She has to figure it out for herself, and she has to start somewhere. What will the sun do in our version of the cave allegory? Plato had an extramission theory of vision, where seeing partially depends on rays that shoot out from the eyes, as well as light sources like the sun. Can light sources see the shadows they cast? Maybe the sun would like to try seeing like a human for a change. Dane Cook is a married man. The 51-year-old actor has tied the knot with his much younger fiancee Kelsi Taylor, according to People. The wedding took place on Saturday at a private estate in Oahu, Hawaii. There were only 20 guests at the outdoor ceremony. Fitness instructor Kelsi looked elegant in a white gown with a veil as she held onto a bouquet. And Dane was dapper in a dark blue suit with tie. 'We chose Hawaii because it has such a special place in our hearts and our relationship,' Cook told People. 'It was one of the first trips we ever went on together and we continue to go back often. Its such an oasis, and we couldnt be more excited to have spent our wedding week surrounded by the beauty of Oahu.' Wedded bliss: Dane Cook is a married man. The 51-year-old actor has tied the knot with his much younger fiancee Kelsi Taylor, according to People; seen together in 2019 Before she said I do: The beauty was seen in a short white dress with a sash before the big wedding day 'We envisioned something that was more along the lines of a gathering of our closest family and friends,' he said. Something intimate, connected, and filled with fun. 'We decided to do a full week vacation with a wedding right in the middle, and we wouldnt want it any other way! Nothing better than spending this special time with all of our favorite people,' added Cook. She wore the Solstice Gown from Grace Loves Lace, a Grace veil and clear heels from Amina Muaddi. 'It was one of the first dresses I tried on, and I immediately fell in love with it,' she shared with People. 'Theres just something about the simplicity and comfort of it and the beautiful stitching design and detail. So happy to have found this gem!' She walked down the aisle to Marry Me by Train. 'Every time I heard this song it made me so emotional. I knew it was the pick for the ceremony,' she said. Last year he said that their impending marriage had added a new marital dimension to his popular shows during an interview with E! News at the premiere of his new special Dane Cook: Above It All. The romantic proposal: He got down on one knee on a rocky coastline The actor and comic revealed that Kelsi has been the first person to hear and respond to some of his newest jokes. 'She saw everything that I was working on for the show,' he explained. 'And she was like, "Keep that in. I think that part will be great." There's even some fun at our own expense.' He was referring to the 27-year age gap between the two lovebirds, which comes up in the course of his latest set. 'We have a bit of an age difference, so it's in the show, it's in the show,' he admitted. 'If we can't laugh at it, then nobody else is allowed.' Kelsi is only 23 now, but the two had already been together for five years when he popped the question. Biggest fan: Dane said Kelsi sees and gives feedback before the audience will ever hear his jokes. 'She saw everything that I was working on for the show. And she was like, "Keep that in. I think that part will be great." There's even some fun at our own expense' Big day: Dane and Kelsi were making a return trip in July of this year to Maine's York Beach, the location of their first trip together as a couple in 2017, when he popped the question Dane and Kelsi were making a return trip in July of this year to Maine's York Beach, which had been the location of their first trip together as a couple in 2017, when he took the opportunity to pop the question. Although the Mr. Brooks actor made his name with a particularly raunchy style of humor, he said he thought married life would transform his stand-up shows. 'I was just trying some material out on her the other day where I was like, "Hey, I think I have maybe my first what-it's-like-to-be-married joke,"' he shared. 'So, she got the exclusive. We tried it out and she said, "I approve of that. That's a good one."' He added he expected the new material would suit the new generations of fans showing up at his concerts. 'I think it'll change it in the way that I would always hope growing up with a generation of comedy fans. I was a college kid talking to, you know, college-age students. And to grow up with a generation of comedy fans, their kids are now coming to my show. I'm family oriented and to be looking at that with Kelsey and our future and family, it's like, all feels like the right timing.' Dane said married life would change his material. 'I was just trying some material out on her the other day where I was like, "Hey, I think I have maybe my first what-it's-like-to-be-married joke,"' he shared; seen in 2022 Dane previously told People that he 'was so ready to ask' Kelsi to marry him. 'I was completely zen about it,' he said. 'The evening of the proposal was incredibly beautiful, the weather was perfect, sunset was spectacular, and I was just quite simply very happy.' The stand-up star was previously linked to high-profile women who were closer in age to him, including Jessica Simpson, 42, and Nicole Scherzinger, 44. Dane's latest special, Above It All, which was filmed from on his home's porch in Los Angeles, will begin streaming on October 5 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with a replay available to watch for 14 days. They tied the knot in an idyllic ceremony earlier this month. And Calvin Harris and his wife Vick Hope certainly looked to be getting in the swing of married life as they stepped out in London on Monday, during which they gave a flash of their stylish wedding rings. The Scottish DJ, 39, cut a casual figure in a loose-fitting black tee and chinos while the stunning TV presenter, 33, flashed her abs in a chic coord. For the coffee run, she showcased her incredible sense of style in a tropical print bralet with a matching high-waisted skirt while she kept out the pending autumn chill with a cosy cardigan layered over the top. Toughening up the ensemble, she paired the look with a pair of black army boots and added in chunky jewellery to perfect her edgy look. Newlywed bliss! And Calvin Harris and his wife Vick Hope certainly looked to be getting in the swing of married life as they stepped out in London on Monday Happy days: The Scottish DJ, 39, cut a casual figure in a loose-fitting black tee and chinos while the stunning TV presenter, 33, flashed her abs in a chic coord Bling bling: As well as her stacks of necklaces and hoop earrings, she was also giving a glimpse of her wedding ring and engagement ring from, when Calvin proposed underneath a tree at his 138 acre Ibiza farm, Terra Masia Ring thing: Calvin opted for a simple gold band for his own ring Stunner: For the coffee run, she showcased her incredible sense of style in a tropical print bralet with a matching high-waisted skirt while she kept out the pending autumn chill with a cosy cardigan layered over the top Here we are: Toughening up the ensemble, she paired the look with a pair of black army boots and added in chunky jewellery to perfect her edgy look Chic: She paired the look with an envy-inducing Yves Saint Laurent bag on a gold chain strap As well as her stacks of necklaces and hoop earrings, she was also giving a glimpse of her wedding ring and engagement ring from, when Calvin proposed underneath a tree at his 138 acre Ibiza farm, Terra Masia. While Vick said she is keeping the details of her engagement private, she said it was a 'very special moment' and that 'it was... perfect.' Insiders revealed: 'Although it is a stunning ring and extremely expensive, the couple aren't going for a flashy or expensive wedding. 'The extravagance of the rock will eclipse how much they're going to spend on the big day itself as they want to keep it low key and simple with just a core of close friends and family present.' Vick and Calvin went on their honeymoon earlier this month, where they were spotted boarding a 25million private jet as they flew to Brindisi in Italy. The chart topping DJ and the BBC Radio host married in a lavish Glastonbury-themed wedding on Saturday, September 9. The couple are yet to officially release any pictures from their big day, however photos from the morning after the wedding show a glimpse inside the luxury and picturesque venue. The incredible event saw white teepees dotted around the grounds alongside 80 lavish tents where guests stayed the night. Strutting their stuff: They looked happier than ever for the trip Special: While Vick said she is keeping the details of her engagement private, she said it was a 'very special moment' and that 'it was... perfect' Evergreen: Vick grabbed a coffee for their outing as they walked alongside greenery Food stands were set up for the after-party, with one for pizza, one for burgers and a Nigerian stall, as Vick is half Nigerian on her mother's side. Calvin and Vick partied with their celeb pals, including Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu and BBC radio DJs Vernon Kay and Scott Mills and Vick's Radio 1 co-presenter Jordan North. Laminated signs placed around the grounds guided guests on where to go, while one declared mobile phones were strictly prohibited to ensure the couple's privacy. Nile Rodgers and Chic, who had been flown in from the US, performed at the raucous reception, with their equipment still left out. A taped-up sign showed their setlist for the event, beginning with Luther Vandross's 1981 song Never Too Much. The rest of the set included classic dance anthems, including hits from Madonna, Beyonce and Sister Sledge. An insider revealed details of the couple's romantic vows to The Sun, which a source said were 'really emotional'. They added that the marriage ceremony included poems like Ernest Hemingways If Theres Empty Spaces In Your Heart and Lori Eberhais Devoted. The publication also revealed that the reception included a ten-minute firework display. Have a laugh: Vick looked radiant as she headed down the busy street Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian has bared her naked baby bump after joining forces with boohoo to launch a brand new collection. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is set to launch her latest range as a Brand Ambassador on September 28, and proudly put her bump on display in a racy new image. In the image Kourtney, who is expected her first child with her husband Travis Barker, showcased her bump in a revealing white crop top and a long trench coat. The star showed off her pregnancy curves in the daring ensemble, which was finished with sexy ripped tights and chunky suede boots. Kourtney was first unveiled as Boohoo's newest brand ambassador last year, forming a partnership focused on sustainable, conscious practices which will see the launch of two 46 limited edition piece collections. Wow! Kourtney Kardashian has bared her naked bump in a stunning new snap after joining forces with boohoo to launch a brand new collection She said in a statement: 'When boohoo first approached me with this idea that was all about sustainability and style, I was concerned about the effects of the fast fashion industry on our planet. 'It's been an enlightening experience speaking directly with industry experts.' Her two collections include 46 limited-edition pieces using recycled fibers, traceable cotton, recycled sequins and recycled polyester, and was offically debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2022. It comes after Kourtney underwent emergency fetal surgery to save her unborn child earlier this month. Travis was forced to abruptly put a halt to his rock band Blink-182's tour to return home to be with his family amid the undisclosed medical complication. The Kardashians star shared a black and white photo of her holding Barker's hand while in a hospital bed and revealed to her 224 million Instagram followers what she had been through. She captioned the post: 'I will be forever grateful to my incredible doctors for saving our babys life. I am eternally grateful to my husband who rushed to my side from tour to be with me in the hospital and take care of me afterwards, my rock. And to my mom, thank you for holding my hand through this. Kourtney admitted that she hadn't been 'prepared' for 'the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery' after experiencing smooth pregnancies in the past. Coming soon: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is set to launch her latest range as a Brand Ambassador on September 28 New venture: Kourtney was first unveiled as boohoo's newest brand ambassador last year, forming a partnership focused on sustainable, conscious practices Worrying: It comes after Kourtney, who is expecting her first child with husband Travis Barker, underwent emergency fetal surgery to save her unborn child earlier this month 'I dont think anyone who hasnt been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear. 'I have a whole new understanding and respect for the mamas who have had to fight for their babies while pregnant,' she explained. 'Praise be to God. Walking out of the hospital with my baby boy in my tummy and safe was the truest blessing,' she concluded the post and added a praying hands emoji and heart emoji. Earlier this year in June, Kourtney announced that she and her husband Travis were expecting their first child together. They had tied the knot with a lavish wedding in Italy in May 2022. The couple are already parents to three children each from previous relationships. Cindy Crawford is back in a very big way (though she never went anywhere, really). The 57-year-old glamazon model has landed on the covered cover of Vanity Fair magazine's Fashion Issue. The original portfolio was from Vanity Fair Italy, France, and Spain. The issue was dedicated to the best supermodels from the 1990s era and was photographed by Luigi and Iango. Also featured were Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Kristen McMenamy, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Shalom Harlow and others. The siren looked half her age in a very low cut Versace gown that made the most of her perky cleavage. The mother of two - she has Kaia and Presley with husband Rande Gerber - is promoting her new docuseries The Supermodels. WOWZA! Cindy Crawford is back in a very big way (though she never went anywhere, really). The 57-year-old glamazon model has landed on the covered cover of US Vanity Fair magazine's Fashion Issue Wayyyy back: It has been almost 30 years since she was solo on the cover of US Vanity Fair The show stars Cindy as well as Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista. On Instagram, Cindy posted the Vanity Fair cover and added, 'Thank you to this dream team.' Her daughter Kaia, who also models, added a fire emoji. Many of her celebrity friends left comments. Rita Wilson shared, 'Fortissimo!' while Lisa Rinna wrote, 'WOW!!!!" and added heart and fire emojis. Demi Moore, Claudia Schiffer, Sofia Vergara, Linda Evangelista, Helena Christensen, and Elle Macpherson hit the like button. This comes after the ladies talked about starring in George Michael's Freedom music video. Some surprises were revealed. One was how Christy did not know the words to the song, another was how Cindy though her scenes were sub par. Christy didn't know the words before she filmed the music video for the song. The 54-year-old model stars in the iconic video alongside, and Christy has admitted to having a last-minute panic before the cameras started rolling. During The Super Models documentary, Christy explained: 'My very first scene that I shot was where you just see my eyes through, like, this cutout. 'You see my mouth, then you see my eyes, you see my mouth, you see my eyes. 'And anytime I dip down it's because I don't know the words yet. 'I'm not that great with lyrics.' Still a 10: The star works out daily and does spa treatments to stay in top form; seen last week on Instagram when in London Sing it: Cindy with Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista Haute stuff: The ladies at the Versace Autumn Winter Fashion Show, Milan, Italy, 1991 Linda also experienced something similar. She shared: 'When I got to the set and they wanted me to lip-sync, I didn't know the words. I had to learn them very quickly in the trailer while they were doing my hair and make-up.' On the other hand, Cindy remembers feeling that she had the worst part in the music video. The 57-year-old model explained: 'I just remember it being super dark and someone explaining to me that I was going to be in a bathtub. I was like, 'Really?' 'I felt like everyone else had a better part than me.' She had the best part: On the other hand, Cindy remembers feeling that she had the worst part in the music video. The 57-year-old model explained: 'I just remember it being super dark and someone explaining to me that I was going to be in a bathtub. I was like, 'Really?' 'I felt like everyone else had a better part than me' Pals: Evangelista and Crawford attend the Steven Meisel New York X Zara Collection Launch At Dover Street Market London on September 15 Meanwhile, Naomi revealed that she negotiated their part in the video during a conversation in a Los Angeles nightclub. The model recalled: 'Basically, I'm in a nightclub in Los Angeles, The Roxbury actually on Sunset, and George is there and he comes up to me and he says, 'So what is it that you guys want?' 'I said, 'We want this much money and round-trip Concorde tickets.' He goes, 'And that's it?' I said, 'That's it.'' This comes after Campbell has admitted she was 'killing' herself with drugs and alcohol. She said: 'If I have people in my life that I love and I see that they need help, of course I'm going to offer my help. I'm there, I'm very loyal to the people that I love.' Melissa Gorga looked stunning in a low-cut, skintight white gown that had gold sparkles when attending a wedding on Saturday. But the Real Housewives Of New Jersey star was slammed for the choice of color. Haters expressed that the reality TV star was upstaging the bride in the revealing white dress. But there was no bride at the New York wedding. That's because the nuptials were between two men: Gorga's male cousin Nicholas Marco and his partner Mike Masco. Also, she was a bridesmaid, so the white dress was no surprise as both grooms requested that she wear white. White look: Melissa Gorga looked stunning in a low-cut, skintight white gown that had gold sparkles on Saturday Why hate? But the Real Housewives Of New Jersey star was slammed for the choice of color A rep for Gorga confirmed to Page Six Style that the grooms 'specifically requested that the bridesmaids were wear whites and golds.' The nuptials took place at the Cedar Lakes Estate in upstate New York. Gorga was seen with her cousin, Nicholas Marco, and his now-husband, Mike Masco, who both looked dapper in suits. Though there was no bride to upstage, Melissa was still called 'thirsty' for her white gown. The dress was an eye-popping design. It was a plunging white sequin dress that had a high slit up one of her long legs. Her hair was beautifully styled and her makeup was dramatic as she added diamond jewelry. The dress matched the other bridesmaids. ReveL: Haters expressed that the reality TV star was upstaging the bride in the revealing white dress. But there was no bride at the wedding No with husband: That's because the wedding was between two men: Gorga's male cousin Nicholas Marco and his partner Mike Masco. seen with spouse Joe Gorga, far right A theme: All of the bridesmaids were asked to wear white or gold or both White night: Also, she was a bridesmaid, so the white dress was no surprise as both grooms requested that she wear white Her mini me: Here Melissa is seen with Joe and her daughter This comes a month after Melissa showed off her new swimming pool at her Franklin Lakes, New Jersey mansion she built from the ground up with husband Joe Gorga. In an Instagram post shared in August, the TV star revealed she has a freshly designed backyard with all the luxuries a rich person would want. 'My very good friend happens to be an amazing pool designer @thepoolbossnj thank you for giving my family exactly what we wanted,' the Bravo beauty began her caption. 'The gorg day beds are from @thewickery They have beautiful outdoor furniture! #rhonj #pooldesign.' The pool has a shallow end for lounge chairs and is surrounded by four fire pits. There were also two cabanas next to the pool making the area look like a high-end resort. This comes after she had a spectacular trip to Italy. She made sure to show off her eye-popping bikini body on Instagram. The 44-year-old Real Housewives Of New Jersey standout looked very slender in the colorful two piece with an ivory head scarf as she waded in the water in Capri, Italy in July. The brunette beauty added white framed sunglasses and held onto a white frosty champagne glass. Melissa's caption simply read, 'Italy.' Cheers to that: She held on to a glass of rose wine as she posed with her dapper spouse The back works well too: The dress had a mermaid finish and criss crosses in the back The fashion designer has been spending her summer vacation on Italy's Amalfi Coast this week. The Bravo staple was also with her husband Joe whose sister is Teresa Giudice. Giudice has been in Mykonos, Greece, with her husband Luis Ruelas. The New Jersey beauty was also seen in a pale blue one-piece swimsuit with a black-and-white skirt while relaxing during a boat day. She added a blue patterned scarf and dark oversized sunglasses. And there was a beige woven Prada handbag next to her as she added beige strappy sandals. In the new post from Tuesday she wrote, 'Somewhere in capri #capri #italy #almaficoast.' Teresa, meanwhile, was also modeling swimwear while in Mykonos, Greece with her husband Ruelas. She too has looked great in swimwear. Earlier this week Melissa was in Positano which is also on the Amalfi Coast. Grand look: In August Gorga showed off her new swimming pool at her Franklin Lakes, New Jersey mansion she built from the ground up with husband Joe Gorga A shore thing: Gorga showed off her beach body while on vacation in Capri, Italy in July The star, who is currently embroiled in a feud with Giudice, also penned a short message in her post's caption that partially read: 'Magical is an understatement.' Gorga and her spouse were seen while making the most of their time at what appeared to be a rooftop bar overlooking the getaway destination. The Bravo cast member donned a flowing green dress that showcased her toned arms during her first night in Positano. The media figure added various elements of shine to her look with several sparkling bracelets. Joe opted for a black button-up shirt that was contrasted with white shorts and matching sneakers. Melissa went on to include a photo taken during a dinner date with her spouse of nearly two decades. The reality television figure also added in a shot to show off the getaway destination at night. Actor David McCallum, who shot to fame as a teen heartthrob in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in the 1960s, before starring as an eccentric medical examiner in NCIS 40 years later, has died at the age of 90. Scottish-born McCallum died of natural causes on Monday, surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital. US broadcaster CBS said in a statement: 'David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world. 'He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away. McCallum had appeared in such films A Night to Remember (about the Titanic), The Great Escape and The Greatest Story Ever Told (as Judas). But it was spy drama, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. that made McCallum a household name in the mid-'60s. Actor David McCallum, who shot to fame as a teen heartthrob in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in the 1960s, before starring as an eccentric medical examiner in NCIS 40 years later, has died at the age of 90. Above: As the Man from U.N.C.L.E McCallum is seen in a clinch with fellow star Stella Stevens in 1968 film Sol Madrid McCallum with his Man from U.N.C.L.E co-star Robert Vaughn. The spy series was a mega hit McCallum poses with Danica D'Hondt Sharon Tate and Kathy Kersh in The Man From U.N.C.L.E The success of the James Bond books and films had set off a chain reaction, with secret agents proliferating on both large and small screens. Indeed, Bond creator Ian Fleming contributed some ideas as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was being developed, according to Jon Heitland's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book. The show, which debuted in 1964, starred Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo, an agent in a secretive, high-tech squad of crime fighters whose initials stood for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Despite the Cold War, the agency had an international staff, with McCallum as Illya Kuryakin, Solo's Russian sidekick. The role was relatively small at first, McCallum recalled, adding in a 1998 interview that 'I'd never heard of the word "sidekick" before.' The show drew mixed reviews but eventually caught on, particularly with teenage girls attracted by McCallums good looks and enigmatic, intellectual character. By 1965, Illya was a full partner to Vaughns character and both stars were mobbed during personal appearances. The series lasted to 1968. Vaughn and McCallum reunited in 1983 for a nostalgic TV movie, The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E., in which the agents were lured out of retirement to save the world once more. McCallum returned to television in 2003 in another series with an agency known by its initials - CBS's NCIS, and appeared on it for more than two decades The actor pictured with his wife Katherine Carpenter in Monaco in 2009 McCallum in The Man From U.N.C.L.E with Leo G. Carroll and Robert Vaughn (centre) David McCallum and Dorothy Provine are seen in the film One Spy Too Many (1966) Ahna Capri as Tavia Sandor and David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin in The Man From U.N.C.L.E David McCallum is seen with Joanna Lumley in TV series Sapphire And Steel The Man From U.N.C.L.E. made McCallum a household name in the mid 60s. Pictured in 1968 McCallum appeared on the TV series Sapphire and Steel with Joanna Lumley from 1979-1982 David McCallum is seen in The Man From U.N.C.L.E with his co-star Robert Vaughn David McCallum (front right) is seen with co-stars Robert Wagner (front left), Jack Hedley (back left), Christopher Neame (back centre) and Edward Hardwicke in TV show Colditz The latest: Actor David McCallum, who became a teen heartthrob in the hit series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in the 1960s and was the eccentric medical examiner in the popular NCIS 40 years later, has died. He was 90. Pictured in 2013 in Santa Monica, California The actor was pictured during an interview at NBC studios in New York on August 28, 1975 McCallum's Illya Kuryakin character was the Russian sidekick of Napoleon Solo, played by Robert Vaughn McCallum was nominated for Emmys in 1965 and 1966 for his work on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. McCallum returned to television in 2003 in another series with an agency known by its initials - CBS's NCIS. He played Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, a bookish pathologist for the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, an agency handling crimes involving the Navy or the Marines. Mark Harmon played the NCIS boss. McCallum said he thought Ducky, who sported glasses and a bow tie and had an eye for pretty women, 'looked a little silly, but it was great fun to do.' He took the role seriously, too, spending time in the Los Angeles coroners office to gain insight into how autopsies are conducted. The series built an audience gradually, eventually reaching the roster of top 10 shows. McCallum, who lived in New York, stayed in a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica when NCIS was in production. 'He was a scholar and a gentleman, always gracious, a consummate professional, and never one to pass up a joke. From day one, it was an honor to work with him and he never let us down. He was, quite simply, a legend,' said a statement from NCIS executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North. An NCIS 20th anniversary marathon airing in primetime Monday was set to display an 'In Memoriam' card. McCallum's work with U.N.C.L.E. brought him two Emmy nominations, and he got a third as an educator struggling with alcoholism in a 1969 Hallmark Hall of Fame drama called Teacher, Teacher. In 1975, he had the title role in a short-lived science fiction series, The Invisible Man, and from 1979 to 1982 he played Steel in a British science fiction series, Sapphire and Steel. Over the years, he also appeared in guest shots in many TV shows, including Murder, She Wrote and Sex and the City. McCallum appeared in guest shots in many TV shows, including Hart to Hart; Murder, She Wrote; and Sex and the City. Pictured in 1982 He played Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, a bookish pathologist for the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, an agency handling crimes involving the Navy or the Marines McCallum posed with NCIS costars and producers in Valencia, California in 2016 at an event commemorating the 300th episode of the procedural crime series He appeared on Broadway in a 1968 comedy, The Flip Side and in a 1999 revival of Amadeus starring Michael Sheen and David Suchet. He also was in several off-Broadway productions. Largely based in the U.S. from the 1960s onward, McCallum was a longtime American citizen, telling The Associated Press in 2003 that 'I have always loved the freedom of this country and everything it stands for. And I live here, and I like to vote here.' David Keith McCallum was born in Glasgow in 1933. His parents were musicians; his father, also named David, played violin, his mother played cello. When David was three, the family moved to London, where David Sr. played with the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic. Young David attended the Royal Academy of Music where he learned the oboe. He decided he wasnt good enough, so he turned to theater, studying briefly at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. 'I was a small, emaciated blond with a caved chest, so there weren't an awful lot of parts for me,' he commented in a Los Angeles Times interview in 2009. After time out for military service, he returned to London and began getting work on live television and movies, In 1957 he appeared in Robbery Under Arms, an adventure set in early Australia, with a rising actress, Jill Ireland. The couple married that same year. In 1963, McCallum was part of the large cast of The Great Escape and he and his wife became friendly with Charles Bronson, also in the film. Ireland eventually fell in love with Bronson and she and McCallum divorced in 1967. She married Bronson in 1968. 'It all worked out fine,' McCallum said in 2009, 'because soon after that I got together with Katherine (Carpenter, a former model) and we've been very happily married for 42 years.' In 2007, when he was working on NCIS, McCallum told a reporter: 'I've always felt the harder I work, the luckier I get. I believe in serendipitous things happening, but at the same time, dedicating yourself to what you do is the best way to get along in this life.' Also an author, McCallum posed with a copy of his book Once a Crooked Man: A Novel in 2016 The late actor, pictured in 2009, was 'was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge,' according to his son Peter The actor was remembered on social media by a number of peers and fans as news of his passing spread Monday. NCIS star Lauren Holly said: 'RIP David McCallum. You were the kindest man. Thank you for being you.' NCIS's Michael Weatherly said that 'McCallum made every moment count, in life and on set. 'Lets raise a jug and celebrate a funny fantastic authentic man,' the actor said. 'Ive only got 3 autographs. Connery, Tony Bennett and McCallum. I felt the same way as Steve McQueen in this picture from The Great Escape: Wow! Its David McCallum! No one did it better. 'We were lucky to have him bring us Ducky. Lets send all the love in the world to his beautiful family. Rest In Peace David.' Actor Michael Warburton said, 'RIP David McCallum.' A post from the NCISverse account said of the late actor: 'We will miss his warmth and endearing sense of humor that lit up any room or soundstage he stepped onto, as well as the brilliant stories he often shared from a life well-lived.' The actor was remembered on social media by a number of peers and fans as news of his passing spread Monday According to People, McCallum's family was planning on holding a celebration of life service in the future, and donations in his memory could be made to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. McCallum had three sons from his first marriage, Paul, Jason and Valentine, and a son and daughter from his second, Peter and Sophie. Jason died of an overdose. 'He was a true Renaissance man-he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on NCIS,' Peter McCallum said in a statement. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Katherine McCallum, sons Paul, Valentine and Peter McCallum, daughter Sophie McCallum and eight grandchildren: Julia McCallum, Luca de Sanctis, Iain de Sanctis, Stella McCallum, Gavin McCallum, George McCallum, Alessandro de Sanctis and Whit McCallum. Jamie Laing has revealed his wife Sophie Habboo was 'really stressed' before they tied the knot. The Made In Chelsea star, 34, tied the knot with his girlfriend, 29, in two ceremonies earlier this year, including a picturesque location ceremony in Spain. And speaking exclusively to MailOnline at the GoCardless JustGiving Awards, Jamie gushed that he's embraced his new status as a husband, and Sophie has been 'way more relaxed' since their wedding. Asked about how he and Sophie have adjusted to married life, Jamie said: 'Nothing's changed. I get to wake up every day with my best friend. It's the best thing ever. 'She's got way more relaxed. She was really stressed before the wedding, but she's completely chilled now. It's amazing.' EXCLUSIVE: Jamie Laing has revealed his wife Sophie Habboo was 'really stressed' before their wedding, as he gushed about their married status in an interview with MailOnline He added: 'So, what that means is, basically, I'm the greatest husband in the world.' Jamie joined a slew of stars in attendance at the JustGiving Awards, which celebrates fundraisers and charities which have used JustGiving to raise money for good causes. He and Sophie tied the knot in a small and intimate ceremony in London on April 14, before having a second wedding in Spain. The largescale second ceremony, which took place on May 20 at Las Sirenas in Sotogrande, saw Jamie and Sophie celebrate their marriage with all their loved ones. The couple were joined by a whole host of their celebrity pals including the likes of Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott, Spencer Matthews and Millie Mackintosh. And Sophie recently reflected on their lavish second wedding in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, telling how they partied the night away until 4am. She said: 'It was great, it was suddenly 4am and I was like 'oh, I need to go home!', so it was really good.' Sophie also said she never wanted a 'huge' wedding and told how it was Jamie who wanted the lavish Spanish bash, while she wanted their intimate Chelsea registry office ceremony. Romance: The Made In Chelsea star tied the knot with his girlfriend in two ceremonies earlier this year, including a picturesque location ceremony in Spain 'I never really wanted a huge wedding, that was Jamie's thing with the Spanish one. So the English one was my day,' she explained. Speaking about the trials of jetting abroad for their wedding, Sophie reflected on taking her gorgeous lace wedding dress on the plane, telling how she had to book it a seat beside her. She hilariously detailed: 'Taking my dress to Spain, I literally thought I was lugging the world across the country. No one was letting me, and I was like 'please', it was a nightmare. But we made it, it was great!' She went on: 'I had to buckle my wedding dress in on an Easyjet flight, I had to put the seat belt on it, I was like 'you must be joking'. 'I had to book it a seat next to me and then the air hostess was like 'you have to buckle it in', so I had to put the seat belt over it. 'I was like 'I'm not sure it's going to fly across the plane but OK I will buckle it in'. You just don't think about all these things, but it was a lot, weddings are a lot!' Giving a further insight into their huge Spanish celebrations, Sophie told how she was left 'sobbing' as her loved ones gave moving speeches during the reception. Loved-up: Jamie gushed that he's embraced his new status as a husband, and Sophie has been 'way more relaxed' since their wedding 'With my Spanish wedding - which I guess was like the one everyone saw most - the speeches were unbelievable, I was sobbing, I was such a mess,' she admitted. The ceremony kicked off late in the day at 6pm due to the scorching heat in the daytime, with Sophie admitting that spending hours waiting made her very nervous for the ceremony. She said: 'Because it was so hot, we started at 6pm, and for me being the bride, the anticipation throughout the day, I was honestly beside myself with nerves.' However, Sophie told how the day went perfectly in the end as she detailed their fairytale wedding and gushed over the special occasion. But 14 percent of Social Security Administration staff would be furloughed As the clock continues to tick towards a possible federal government shutdown, questions are being raised as to how this could affect social security payments for millions of Americans. Social security payments would continue unaffected during a government shutdown, according to experts, but contacting the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the case of problems may be more difficult. If lawmakers do not find a solution by October 1 and a shutdown does occur, the 66 million recipients of social security will still receive their complete federal monthly checks - which averages at $1,827 for retirees. This is because Social Security is funded through permanent, rather than annual, federal appropriations. However, the administration's plan also noted that around 14 percent of its nearly 62,000 person workforce would be furloughed in the event of a shutdown. Social security payments will continue unaffected in the event of a government shutdown but around 13 percent of its staff will be furloughed so some services will be impacted The administration's plan also noted that around 14 percent of its nearly 62,000 person workforce would be furloughed 'A few customer service activities will be suspended, such as benefit verifications and replacement Medicare cards, but SSA is allowed to keep on staff that ensure the payment of Social Security and SSI benefits because the checks are guaranteed by law,' Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at think-tank the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told CBS. SSA 'field offices and phone lines will be open to take applications and help beneficiaries,' she added. Benefits applications will still be received, as will requests for appeals, and the issuance of social security cards will continue. However, the SSA noted in a continency plan last month that it would 'cease activities not directly related to the accurate and timely payment of benefits.' As such it will not respond to requests from the press or third parties, or issue benefit verification letters showing whether you do or do not receive benefits. According to Romig, a trouble spot could be state disability determination services, which is when medical decisions are made as to whether people qualify for social security disability payments. As there is already a large backlog in decisions, she said, a shutdown could worsen delays. In August, Chad Poist, Deputy Commissioner for Budget, Finance, and Management, also warned in a letter to President Biden's Budget Office that the number of staff members furloughed could increase if the shutdown were to persist. 'Should a partial shutdown last longer than five days, we would reevaluate the number of excepted employees performing such functions and possibly increase the number of excepted employees as we did during the 2013 shutdown,' he wrote. A shutdown at the end of the month would be the government's 22nd in five decades, according to an Axios report. The shutdown in 2013 lasted 16 days and was the third longest in US history after 35 and 21-day shutdowns in 2018 and 1995 respectively. This week House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (pictured on Friday) will fight to pass legislation that will secure government funding past September 30 The House is due to take a single vote to advance four appropriations bills this week Last week, Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, similarly noted that VA medical care and disability compensation, among other benefits, would continue in the case of a shutdown. He too said during a press conference on Friday that some workers would be furloughed and some offices would be shuttered as a result. This week House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will fight to pass legislation that will secure government funding past September 30. The House is due to take a single vote to advance four appropriations bills - for the Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security and Agriculture. Advertisement Saving up to send your child to college is one of the most significant expenses many parents will grapple with. But the soaring cost of childcare across the US means that some parents are facing higher fees to send their kids to daycare than they would for college tuition. According to a new study by consumer banking company NetCredit, childcare is now more expensive than public college tuition in 28 states - costing an average of $1,031 more a year. It comes as many childcare services across the country are hanging on a cliff edge. As many as 70,000 childcare programs are in danger of closing when the Government pulls the plug on pandemic-era aid at the end of the month - which could push up the price of existing centers even further. According to NetCredit, Hawaii is the state with the biggest gap between the cost of college tuition and childcare. In the Aloha State, the average cost of childcare per year is $21,016, and typical public school fees are $5,021 annually - a whopping $15,995 difference. Childcare and preschool providers in the state do not receive any government funding which means they rely entirely on tuition. This, in turn, pushes up prices for parents, the study explained. The gap is second largest in New York, where childcare is typically $15,951 more than in-state college tuition. According to the study, annual childcare fees in the state are typically $23,231, while university costs an average of $7,280. New York has the most expensive childcare per year in absolute terms, the study found, followed by Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Virginia. A new study by consumer banking company NetCredit shows childcare is more expensive than college tuition in 28 states New York has the most expensive childcare per year in absolute terms, the study found, followed by Hawaii and New Jersey Childcare is also more expensive than public college in California and North Carolina - although the gap in costs is substantially smaller. In California, childcare is typically $6,862 more expensive, while it is $5,753 more costly in North Carolina. On the other end of the spectrum, tuition costs in Vermont are substantially more expensive than childcare fees - with a difference of $5,423. This is down to the fact that the state has some of the highest in-state university fees - at $13,430 annually - while it still has moderately high childcare costs at around $8,007 a year. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of tuition at a public four-year in-state institution is $9,678 a year. NetCredit found that Vermont residents spend an average of 24.22 percent of their annual wage paying for in-state tuition. NetCredit found that Vermont residents spend an average of 24.22 percent of their annual wage paying for in-state tuition The study comes days before more than three million children are set to lose their daycare places when the Government pulls the plug on federal funding. Estimates by The Century Foundation (TCF) suggest as many as 70,000 childcare programs are in danger of closing when the support dries up. Experts warn the crisis could also reverse women's gains in the labor market after the number of females in the workforce reached record highs this year. States have until the end of this month to distribute the remaining funds. Researchers at the TCF said the deadline represented a 'cliff-edge which would see 3.2 million children with no place to go while their parents work. by Mindy Clegg I think about this Le Guin quote often, especially in the current political climate. Far too many of us have embraced a kind of learned helplessness in the face of what are undoubtedly some of the most difficult and thorny of issues to face our species in our history. These overwhelming problemsclimate change, systemic gun violence, exploitation of labor and resources, the rise of authoritarianism, and so onare all byproducts of the modern neoliberal capitalist system. The current globalized socio-political-economic system seems so entrenched and solutions feel so impossible that many of us have given up trying to solve them via government regulation. Instead many of us embrace a cynical nihilism. We shrug our shoulders and accept that this is the only possible world, maybe pushing back against the worst edges of these problems, focusing on symptoms rather than the disease. Le Guins quote from a speech at an award ceremony offers us a different directionthat change can emerge out of the world of popular, mass produced culture. In recent years, our media seems more divided since the rise of cable TV and then social media. But the increasingly centralized corporate control of mass media has limited alternative voices and increased divisions among us. Many feel that there is no way to create a counterweight, given corporate capture of government regulation. Since the 1970s, many of us no longer see government regulation as a workable solution to dealing with various social problems. But given how many of these problems are a byproduct of unfettered capitalism, a strong, robust regulatory state designed to enhance the rights of the public can help solve these problems. But in order to ensure that does not become tyrannical itself, we also need strong independent, non-commercial cultural production to ensure the voices of the marginalized are heard. What does this look like and has it happened before? Absolutely. Lets see some of this history to understand what is possible. Some of the major events of the late 1960s and early 1970s led to the collapse of the liberal consensus, a contested historical concept of a shared liberal vision during the postwar period.1 The liberal consensus meant a shared belief in a robust progressive tax system, government regulation, support for organized labor, and a strong welfare state. But it was also meant a shared sentiment among many Americans of a strong sense of faith in large, liberal institutions, both public and private. Activists of the era sought to improve our institutions and make them more truly democratic. The postwar Civil Rights movement is one example. The argument made by organizations like the NAACP or SCLC rested on getting America to live up to the premise of Constitutional guarantees. Much the same of an early LBGQT+ rights organization, the Mattachine Society even as it started out as a communist organization. It should be noted that both the Black civil rights organizations and the Mattachine society went along with the purges associated with the a Red Scare of the era, making them more moderate organizations by the 1950s. But they believed that historical wrongs could be corrected by fighting within the system to improve it. That sense of faith in institutions started to change by the late 1960s, especially during the tumultuous year 1968. Starting with the events of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, the year spiraled downward from there, with the deaths of Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, various unrest at home and abroad, crackdowns by the Soviet Union across the Eastern Bloc, and so on. From there, public trust in our government eroded over the next few years across the political spectrum. President Johnson declined to run for a second full term, in part due to the growing anti-war movement. In 1971, a widespread government surveillance program was uncovered known as COINTELPRO, adding fuel to the anti-state fire. Many consider the Watergate scandal to be a turning point for many Americans, though Id argue that President Fords pardon for disgraced former President Nixon might have been the final straw for many. These few short years made many feel like the government could no longer be trusted to work for the people. On the right, it gave space to more libertarian, small government, and often racist candidates to gain traction. Many on the right leaned hard into the culture war issues. On the left, the preference moved to building alternative institutions and having less engagement with the political establishment. The malaise that started in the 1970s was really bipartisan and remains with us today. Cultural production matters in a mass mediated society, as it helps to shape the shared reality and values in that society. Many see the mass media as hegemonic, tyrannically shaping the tastes of the masses with little input from them. But the mass media has always been subject to a kind of push-pull effect between the public, other institutions (the government, other industries), and the elites who came to dominate these mediums. There certainly is an impulse to promote hegemonic common sense in the hopes that the public embraces those hegemonic ideals, as theorists such as Antonio Gramsci argued from a materialist perspective. But we might do better to think of cultural production and power in terms of Pierre Bourdieus more nuanced field theory. If we take the recording industry as one example, we can see how the industry has evolved since its founding at the beginning of last century. The emergence of sound recording technology certainly allowed for music to become a commodity. As a commodity, it changed the nature of our relationship to music. It became a less of a social relation connected to community building and more of a status symbol to be collected, as David Suisman argued about the emergence of the recording industry.2 The early recording industry was subject to a wave of expansion and contractions in those early days. The expansions allowed for new companies to enter the market, with the contractions enabling corporate consolidation to the benefit of entrenched interests. But the commodification of music was not the only outcome of the rise of sound recordings technologies, as people do not always use technologies in officially sanctioned ways. Evan Eisenberg argued that it allowed for both new forms of musical expression not possible in live settings and new ways of building community across vast distances.3 Since the 1970s, a new wave of indie record companies inspired by punk rock took that even further, seeking to maintain their autonomy in a commercialized industry bent on destroying alternatives. Alan OConnors work shows how hardcore punks took the idea of a community built around the production of popular music and created an indie, DIY landscape for non or at least less commercially oriented music production. These labels often centered the artists and fans rather than endlessly seeking a profit.4 So alternative models of mass cultural production exists. We can in fact build on that, by centering people over profits. This was precisely the sort of solutions furthered by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow in their recent book about what has happened to cultural production in the 21st century.5 See Doctorows speech about enshittification and some solutions to it above. The chokepoints they discuss was designed for a few corporations to dominate the production and distribution of culture, ensuring that only the holder of the chokepoint fully benefits. It screws over both the producer and the consumer. Many people today express deep dissatisfaction with cultural production in our modern economy. Many of us seem to understand how media manipulation works, even in the more complex era of social media. We know were being played. At the very least it seems that plenty of people express views that seem to embrace that idea, on both the left and the right, with one viewing the problem as corporation control and the other focused on government being too heavy handed with regulation. Giblin and Doctorow argue that the problem is monopolistic corporate domination coupled with the post-Reagan era of massive deregulationthe very gutting of the old New Deal Order itself. I find myself in agreement with this analysis, as it fits best with the evidence we have. In the second half of the book, they offer some solutionsgreater government regulation with robust enforcement, but also active engagement on the part of the public, both in building alternatives to corporate culture and in helping to shape government regulation. I cant help but think that both authors here drew on the history of punk production in their analysis, even if its not explicitly stated. Punks in the 70s and 80s did precisely what Ursula K. Le Guin suggested, imagining an alternative that people could embrace and build on. We are all the better for that and we can draw on that to forge robust alternatives to our current system. And why not we have nothing to lose but our chains, right? Footnotes 1 For an example on the discussion of the liberal consensus see, Robert Mason and Iwan Morgan (eds), The Liberal Consensus Reconsidered: American Politics and Society in the Postwar Era, (Gainsville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2017). 2 For this history, see David Suisman, Selling Sounds: The Commercial Revolution in American Music, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012). 3 Evan Eisenberg, The Recording Angel: Music, Records, and Culture from Aristotle to Zappa, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005). 4 Alan OConnor, Punk Record Labels and the Struggle for Autonomy: The Emergence of DIY, (Baltimore, MD: Lexington Books, 2008). I talk about 5 Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow, Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How Well Win Them Back, (Boston: Beacon Press, 2022). The results of the senatorial elections confirmed on Sunday the stability of the Upper House, dominated by the right and the center, and the difficulties of the Macronists, in an election marked by the return of the National Rally to the Palais du Luxembourg, with three elected officials. This senatorial renewal reinforces the senatorial majority of the right and the center, rejoiced Gerard Larcher (LR), re-elected at 74 for a sixth term in Yvelines, before a more than probable reappointment to his position as president of the Senate on October 2. The Senate will continue to be this essential counter-power to democracy, he added. The Republicans still note a small erosion and are counting on a group of around 140 senators, compared to 145 previously, according to their latest estimates on Sunday evening. The rebalancing is favorable to the allied group of the centrist Union of Herve Marseille, re-elected in Hauts-de-Seine, which hopes to "enrich" its troops and "reach sixty members". Eight months before the next major European electoral meeting, 170 of the 348 senatorial seats were to be filled for six years by indirect ballot in around forty departments. The head of the LR group Bruno Retailleau castigated a new failure of the President of the Republic in the Senate, due to the disconnection of macronism with the field. The Macronists have paid for their weak local roots, with a series of setbacks. From Sunday morning, they recorded an emblematic defeat, that of the Secretary of State for Citizenship Sonia Backes, the only minister in the running, beaten in the second round in New Caledonia by the separatist Robert Xowie. Could this defeat lead Ms. Backes to leave the government, a rule hitherto applied by the President of the Republic for his ministers in the legislative elections? Neither the Elysee nor Matignon responded to AFP on this subject on Sunday. Former minister Brigitte Bourguignon, already defeated in the 2022 legislative elections, was defeated in Pas-de-Calais. Among its executives in the Senate, Renaissance saved the seat of Xavier Iacovelli (Hauts-de-Seine), but not that of Julien Bargeton in Paris nor Alain Richard (Val-d'Oise). The Macronists united within the RDPI group (24 elected officials) will see their troops diminish, even if their leader Francois Patriat assured that his group "will end up with more than 20 members" despite a vote where "everyone was against ( him)". Like Louis Vogel, elected in Seine-et-Marne, Edouard Philippe's Horizons party seems more dashing, with a handful of additional elected officials brought to sit in the Independents group. In a hemicycle still attached to the traditional left-right divide, a reflection of the municipal elections, the socialist group (PS and related) should remain the second force in the Senate by maintaining its base of 64 senators, according to its census Sunday evening before the latest expected results in the West Indies. Symbolically, its important, recognizes the socialist leader re-elected in the North Patrick Kanner, satisfied with having signed a win-win agreement with the communists and ecologists in around fifteen departments. I had set myself, with my communist and green colleagues, the bar of 100 senators (of the left), I believe that we will be close to it, he said. The bet was won in the capital where this gathering sent eight of the twelve Parisian senators to the Luxembourg Palace, while the divided right obtained four seats. The former environmentalist presidential candidate Yannick Jadot thus entered the Senate just like the communist Ian Brossat. This result marks "a historic victory for environmentalists in Paris", told AFP Yannick Jadot, who joins a slightly strengthened green group, with at least 15 members compared to 12 before the vote. The communist group will also progress slightly: it announced that it had 17 senators compared to 15 before the election. This left-wing alliance did not please rebellious France, dismissed for lack of sufficient local coverage to fill the ranks of the Senate. The refusal of union around Nupes will have cost the left nearly 10 seats, denounced LFI in a press release. Finally the National Rally, absent in the Senate since the departure of Stephane Ravier at Reconquete, makes its return to the upper house. The far-right party obtained three seats: Christopher Szczurek in Pas-de-Calais, Joshua Hochart in the North and Aymeric Durox in Seine-et-Marne. Its a very big questioning, a sort of big wave which is constantly advancing, reacted socialist Patrick Kanner. 09/25/2023 00:25:32 - Paris (AFP) - 2023 AFP Ottawa must be made to understand the sentiments of New Delhi; it should stop pampering pro-Khalistan elements The ongoing massive diplomatic row has brought a sudden spotlight on the Canada-India relationship. Differences emerged between the two countries after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in killing a separatist Sikh activist, Nijjar. Outraged, New Delhi vehemently denied the claim and dismissed it as "absurd and motivated." On June 18 this year, a pro - Khalistani leader Najjar was shot dead outside a Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia. India had declared him a wanted terrorist. If the relationship between India and Canada had been trending smoothly, it was because of the Geopolitical developments, economic relations, and demographic trends. It worsened after the Nijjar killing. The two countries resorted to tit-for-tat reactions against each other. The ties between the visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the G20 summit last week were visibly frosty. New Delhi has been protesting the presence of the pro - Khalistani elements in Canada. New Delhi also frowned on the referendum for Khalistan by them. When Trudeau was on a bilateral visit in 218, there were embarrassing moments about the presence of a Khalistni activist in his delegation. The pro- Khalistani elements sent death threats to Indian diplomats in Ottawa. The request for their extradition also has yet to be addressed so far. Why is Canada important to India? The former British colony has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab. About 1.4 million Indian immigrants live in Canada out of 40 million. About 770,000 people follow Sikhism. New Delhi has often complained about their activities. After the controversy, Canada and India acted swiftly to expel senior diplomats in reciprocal moves earlier this week. On Thursday, India's foreign ministry suspended visa services temporarily for Canadian citizens. Ottawa claims that Canadian security agencies had uncovered evidence linking the Indian government to the assassination. As for domestic politics, the Congress and other parties supported the Indian government and criticised Trudeau's statement. They are shocked at the allegation that the Indian government had orchestrated the killing of an Indian-origin Canadian citizen on Canadian soil and supported the South Bloc. Only Sukhbir Badal, the leader of Akali Dal, suggested that political parties should work together to stop anti-Sikh propaganda in the media. As for the international scenario, the reaction towards India from its Western allies has been cautious. Top U.S. diplomat David Cohen claimed the shared intelligence among the Five Eyes made Justin's allegation. Five Eyes Network is an intelligence alliance comprised of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The New York Times said on Sunday, "In the aftermath of the killing in June of the Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, U.S. intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved. " Trudeau called on India to cooperate with Canadian authorities to "uncover the truth" about the killing but stated that he was not looking to escalate tensions between the two countries. The standoff will have repercussions for both India and Canada. India is Canada's tenth most significant trading partner. Secondly, India has a vital role in Canada's 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy. Thirdly, India is Canada's tenth most significant trading partner. The two countries have been in discussions about a trade agreement for more than a decade. In 2022, the total trade value between them only reached C$13.7 billion, a small portion of Canada's overall trade volume amounting to C$1.52 trillion. A favourable climate for high-level negotiations for an Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) existed. The October meeting for EPTA talks has now been postponed indefinitely. Fourthly, the Canadian merchandise trade had grown from approximately $3.87 billion in 2012 to $10.18 billion in 2022. Trade will be hit for both sides. Fifthly, there could be a reduction in immigration from India to Canada. Canada has been home to many immigrants in recent years. It has tripled since 2013, overtaking Philipjonmes and China. The students' traffic would also be affected adversely. Over 30 per cent of the students come from India to study in Canada. Further, tourist traffic will also affected. On September 21, India declared that it would temporarily stop issuing visas to Canadian citizens because of security concerns affecting their missions in Canada. New Delhi is also considering cancelling overseas citizenship to pro-Khalistanis. India has come a long way since the 1980s and 1990s, rapidly gaining political and economic power. The United States wants to partner with India to balance China's influence and would prefer to avoid strains developing among its allies. A former Pentagon official said that if the U.S. chose the two countries, it might favour India as Washington has been wooing India to balance China in the region. However, any negative impact on India-Canada relations could prevent Canada from joining the Indo-Pacific network of institutions. Ottawa recognises India's regional power and influence. Ottawa must be made to understand the sentiments of New Delhi and should not pamper pro-Khalistani elements. (The writer is a popular columnist; views are personal) It is a historical step and culmination of a series of progressive reforms that the Modi Government has undertaken for the welfare of women Empowerment began with the much-acclaimed Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign, launched by the Prime Minister in 2015 at Panipat, Haryana. BBBP addresses the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of women's empowerment over a life-cycle continuum. Speaking on the success of this programme, the Prime Minister while addressing citizens of his adopted village Jayapur said, Our Mantra should be: Beta Beti, Ek Samaan. Let us celebrate the birth of the girl child. We should be equally proud of our daughters. I urge you to sow five plants when your daughter is born to celebrate the occasion. The next step was the hugely successful campaign of the Swachh Bharat Mission which provided izzat ghars to more than 120 million women thus ensuring access to safe sanitation for women and girl children across rural and urban Bharat. Saving millions of women from chronic respiratory disorders by providing smoke-free kitchens through the widespread Ujjwala Yojana which provided gas cylinders to more than 96 million women was another significant life-changing provision for the women of our country. Apart from these, several important programmes were delivered for the betterment of the health and hygiene of our women. Distribution of over 270 million sanitary pads priced at Re. 1 through Jan Aushadhi Kendras, providing 39 million free antenatal check-ups under PM Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan; benefitting more than 30 million women through the PM Matru Vandana Yojana; increase in paid maternity leave period from 12 weeks to 26 weeks; were some of the significant health initiatives. As an outcome of these, we could achieve a decline in Maternal Mortality Rate from 130 in 2014 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.Modi Government also facilitated holistic well-being development schemes such as Mission Poshan. This was an integrated nutrition support programme to overcome the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. Poshan Abhiyan has reported beneficiaries of more than 100 million which includes more than 5 million lactating and pregnant mothers and more than 4 million children below 6 months. Apart from social welfare, this Government has also ensured economic empowerment through various interventions beginning with opening more than 270 million Jan Dhan accounts and providing more than INR 200 million to women entrepreneurs through the MUDRA Yojana. There has been a 28% increase in registration of women-owned MSMEs in just 3 years. More than 45,000 DPIIT-recognised startups have at least one woman director. Mahila Samman Savings Certificate (MSSC) for girls and women which was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman ji in the Union Budget 23 -24, celebrates Nari Shakti by providing financial freedom and dignity for women and girl children. Apart from social and economic empowerment, this Government has also taken bold steps in bringing much-needed reforms for Muslim women. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 declared the pronouncement of instantaneous and irrevocable triple talaq by a Muslim husband as illegal. The Women's Reservation Bill is now the culminating transformation being introduced to ensure adequate women's participation in the electoral canvas of Bharat. The chequered legislative history of the Womens Reservation Bill began 27 years ago when the H D Deve Gowda-led government introduced it in Parliament in September 1996. Almost every government has since tried to push it through the UPA government managed to get it passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but later could not get it through in the Lok Sabha. The move has not come to fruition so far due to a lack of political will and consensus. The bill will help to represent those who remain underrepresented. The proportion of women MPs was just five per cent in the first Lok Sabha in 1952 reaching a figure of less than 15 per cent today. In Rajya Sabha too, women's representation is about 14 per cent and below 10 per cent in many state assemblies. Bringing in the 1/3 representation will enable many more women's voices to be heard in the wells of the parliament houses. This will also ensure that women's issues and challenges in the most backward areas are represented before the policy and lawmakers which will go a long way in not just keeping our women and girl children safe in the country but also empowering them to play a critical role in nation-building. The Women's Reservation Bill will be etched in the history of Modern Bharat and the Modi Government will always be known as the most progressive Government that provided 360-degree empowerment for the women of our country-social, economic and now electoral. A proud and jubilant moment in history for all of us. ((The author is a public policy expert and spokesperson, BJP and State Vice President, BJP Womens Wing; views are personal)) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday emphasised the potential of the India-Middle East-Europe corridor, announced during the New Delhi G20 summit, as a pivotal trade route for the worlds future economic exchanges as he also recalled world recognition to Indian heritage and cited individual examples of enterprise, service and good deeds in the country. Addressing the 105th episode of his momthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister spoke about the success of Indias Moon mission Chandrayan-3 and New Delhis presidency of the prestigious G20 Summit. Modi emphasised the potential of the India-Middle East-Europe corridor, announced during the New Delhi G20 summit, as a pivotal trade route for the worlds future economic exchanges. India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor proposed during the Summit will become a basis of world trade for hundreds of years, the Prime Minister said. He also lauded Indias role in making the African Union a full member of the G20 bloc, highlighting the countrys commitment to enhancing its global partnerships India showcased its leadership by making the African Union a full member of the G20 bloc, he said. Throughout the year, programmes related to G20 were held at numerous universities of the country. Now in this series, another exciting programme is about to take place in Delhi, which is G20 University connect programme, Modi said. The Prime Minister expressed immense pride in Indias cultural and historical heritage by celebrating two significant achievement Firstly, he mentioned Santiniketans recognition as a World Heritage Site. Besides, the Prime Minister expressed happiness over the inclusion of the Hoysala Temples of Karnataka in the list of World Heritage Sites. It is Indias endeavor that our historical and cultural places get recognized as World Heritage Sites, he said and underscoed the nations commitment to preserving and showcasing its diverse heritage to the world. The Prime Minister cited cases of individual talent, deeds of kindness and welfare including the one related to a foreign girl. He played a video of a Sanskrit prayer sung by a blind German girl who has never visited India. Modi said the girl Kasmi also sings in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu. Modi shared a Kannada song also sung by the German girl saying I wholeheartedly appreciate Germanys Kasmis passion for Indian culture and music. Her efforts are going to overwhelm every Indian. The Prime Minister , thereafter, mentioned some youth in Nainital district having started uniqueGhoda Library for children. The biggest feature of this library is that books are reaching children even in the most remote areas and not only this, the service is absolutely free,he said. Modi then spoke about a young girl Akarshana Satish in Hyderabad opening a library having 6000 books for children cancer patients as also about Sukhdev Bhatt of Rajasthan and his team - named Cobra -working together to save 30000 venomous snakes which in turn, also saved many human lives, he said. Modi also lauded Auto Driver M Rajendra Prasad who he said is also doing a unique work in his Chennai house by saving and serving food, water and health care to 200 pigeons for last 25-30 years. He spends quite a lot of money on this, but he is steadfast in his work. Friends, seeing people doing such work with good intentions really gives a lot of satisfaction and a lot of joy. If you also get information about some such unique efforts, do share it, the Prime Minister said to his listeners. The Prime Minister while wishing his radio audience on the coming festival season asked them to remember the mantra of Vocal for Local. As far as possible, you should buy goods made in India, use Indian products and gift only Made in India goods. Your little joy will become the cause of immense happiness for someone elses family. Whatever Indian goods you buy, our laborers, workers, craftspersons and other Vishwakarma brothers and sisters will directly benefit from it, Modi said. The AIADMK on Monday called off its alliance with the BJP irked over the reported allegations made by the Hindutva partys State chief K Annamalai against former Chief Ministers CN Annadurai and J Jayalalithaa. There is no more alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP. We have also come out of the National Democratic Alliance, said party strongman KP Munusamy, who briefed the media after the day-long conclave of the partys State and district leaders held at Chennai. Munusamy also declared that there would be no more alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP in future. The entire AIADMK cadre and leadership are upset and shocked over the comments made by Annamalai that Annadurai, former Chief Minister and party icon, had humiliated Hinduism at an event in 1956. A prelude to this decision was made by former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar that there was no alliance between his party and the BJP as on date. Alliances are made at the time of election. All I can say is that there is no NDA or alliance with the BJP. I dont know what is in store for the party in future, Jayakumar had told reporters last week. Over the last few months, the ties between the BJP and the AIADMK were getting vitiated over many issues. While leaders of the BJP remained incommunicado about the latest developments, political pundits in Tamil Nadu are of the view that the AIADMK had committed a political hara-kiri by snapping the ties with the Hindutva party. What the AIADMK has done today is the repetition of what the DMK did during 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The DMK had snapped its ties with the Congress and the result was a disaster for the former. It failed to win even a single seat from the State. Jayalalithaa, who led the AIADMK from the front, had projected herself as a Prime Ministerial candidate and bagged 37 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats. Do you think Edappadi Palanisamy, the general secretary of the AIADMK has the charisma of Jayalalithaa? The AIADMK is in for major trouble if it goes solo, said GC Shekhar, veteran commentator. He also pointed out that if the AIADMK had wanted to come out of the NDA, it should have done in August itself when Annamalai is reported to have made the statement condemning Annadurai. If the AIADMK leadership is upset over Annamalais statement, why did Palanisamy go and meet the Union Home Minister afterwards?, asked Shekhar. Rangaraj Pande, former editor-in-chief of Thanthi TV, is of the view that the AIADMKs resentment is only towards the State leadership of the BJP. Edappadi Palanisamy has close links with Home Minister Amit Shah and the partys all India chief JP Nadda. Annamalai seems to be the eyesore of the AIADMK. Moreover the DMK leadership is ridiculing the AIADMK leaders as slaves and stooges of the BJP. Though it is the end of the road for the BJP-AIADMK alliance, anything can happen after the 2024 polls, said Pande. The past ties between the AIADMK and the BJP were not at all comfortable. In 1998, the AIADMK brought down the Vajpayee-led NDA Government after a year long political honeymoon. Though the two parties patched up by 2004, the DMK-led front swept the AIADMK-BJP combination by winning all the 39 seats from the State. From that day onwards, the AIADMK had kept off the the BJP alliance and this was revived only in 2019 which didnt cut ice with the electorate. Shekhar is of the view that the AIADMK is likely to face a rout if it sticks to the decision of calling off the alliance. The BJP under Annamalai is getting stringer by the day while the AIADMK is a divided house. With O Panneerselvan, VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran being sent out of the party, the AIADMK has lost a major vote share. Palaniswamy is no match for the BJPs central leadership as he is waging a losing battle as on date, said Shekhar. The Ashok Gehlot Government in Rajasthan has wasted five important years of the States youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he called upon the people to oust the Congress from power. Addressing a BJP rally here, the prime minister said the Congress deserved zero marks for the government it ran in Rajasthan for the last five years. He accused the Congress dispensation of patronising the mafia leaking recruitment exam question papers and said when the BJP forms government, strictest action will be taken against the mafia. The Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha marked the culmination of four Parivartan Yatras that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out in the poll-bound state. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are due later this year. Addressing the well-attended rally, Prime Minister Modi said the Ashok Gehlot government has wasted five important years of Rajasthans youth. The people of Rajasthan have sounded the bugle for getting rid of the Congress government for its misrule, he said. He also targeted the Congress over the womens reservation bill. It was never the Congress intention to empower women, else it could have passed a womens reservation bill during its rule, the prime minister said, adding the party now supported the bill under pressure from women. Modi said the Congress and its ghamandiya partners are staunch opponents of womens reservation. The prime minister has often attacked the opposition INDIA bloc as ghamandiya (arrogant). Earlier, Modi was welcomed by the BJP Mahila Morcha cadre at the venue. Modi reached the meeting venue in Dadiya village in Vatika on the outskirts of Jaipur from a nearby helipad in an open-top vehicle escorted by activists of the BJPs women wing who raised slogans in his support. Earlier, kickstarting Madhya Pradesh poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Congress and its allies in the new ghamandia alliance reluctantly supported the Womens Reservation Bill in Parliament and warned people that if given an opportunity, they will backtrack on the historic legislation. Addressing a massive gathering of BJP workers, Karyakarta Mahakumb, here, the PM tore into the Congress, equating the national party with rusted iron and alleging its functioning has been outsourced to urban Naxals and that the organisation is not run by leaders. Total 460 patients have so far been registered for treatment in the 98th free urology camp organized from Saturday at Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital located in Sant Hirdaram Nagar. This includes 331 male and 129 female patients. In view to facilitate more patients suffering from urinary obstruction, the registration period for other patients has been extended by 2 more days. Now patients suffering from these diseases can also register themselves in the camp for treatment/operation on 26th and 27th September. The process of disease testing, pathology tests, X-ray and sonography tests of the registered patients has been started. Managing Trustee of Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital, LC Janiyani has said that the beneficiaries who avail the medical facilities in the camp, along with getting health, also get the blessings of Paramhans Sant Hirdaram Sahib Ji, after receiving which the patient enjoys the happiness of a healthy body even in old age. On asking few old operated patients who underwent surgeries in previous 97th camps, they confess that the surgeries done at Sewa Sadan have given them complete health along with divine and physical happiness. Janiyani has appealed the patients living in Bhopal and surrounding areas to come to the camp and get free treatment. Department of Paediatrics AIIMS Bhopal in association with the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Radiotherapy, National Society for Childhood Cancer, Cankids-KidsCan, IAP-PHO chapter, Madhya Pradesh- Indian Academy of Paediatrics and Bhopal Academy of Paediatrics organised a workshop on National Training Program Practical Paediatric Oncology at Academic Block, Department of Paediatrics, First Floor, Near Cancer Treatment Centre, AIIMS Bhopal. This is the first of its kind in the state of Madhya Pradesh. This provides a structured teaching module by qualified and practising pediatric oncology. Director AIIMS Bhopal Prof (Dr) Ajai Singh while congratulating the department of paediatrics and other collaborators for conducting the workshop advised the organisers to continue such activities of knowledge sharing, as the ultimate beneficiary is the patient. Paediatric Haematologist Oncologist and Additional Professor Dr Narendra Chaudhary said that September is childhood cancer awareness month, and the workshop was intended to sensitize healthcare professionals, mainly doctors working in Pediatrics, with the aim to update knowledge in different aspects of Childhood Cancer. More than 650 children were registered in the department for suspected cancer, about 100 completed treatments successfully, and 150 are on treatment. Central Observer Prof. (Dr) Rachna Seth stressed on shared care of children with cancer with paediatricians to decrease the rate of refusal and abandonment of treatment. Experience of Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist Dr Gaurav Tripathi from Rewa, Dr Shweta Pathak from Jabalpur, Dr Swati Patel, and Dr Shivani Patel from Indore shared their experience with basic difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of these children. Sixty-two Doctors and healthcare Professionals from 16 prestigious institutions from Madhya Pradesh participated in the workshop. A book on Pediatric Oncology was distributed to delegates for their future reference. Cancer children who won prizes in competitions during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month were facilitated. The program was started by the inauguration of children with cancer and ended with the NTPPPO Quiz on Kahoot platform. Quiz winner were Dr. Mrinal Patnaik, Dr. Swartika Nayak, and Dr. Akshya Kamle. On the opening of the Monsoon Session of the State Assembly on Friday, hundreds of Anganwadi Workers staged a demonstration at the Lower PMG in the capital demanding fulfilment of their 10-point charter of demands. The demands included a hike of salary to Rs 18,000, government employee status, salary of Rs 9,000 for Anganwadi Helpers, provision of gratuity, pension and summer vacation. The agitators warned of continuing the agitation till fulfilment of their demands. They also threatened to abstain from voting during the upcoming elections. We had earlier resorted to agitation in November last year. However, we withdrew it after receiving a letter from the Chief Secretary, in which we were assured that a meeting will be held over our demands in February. Unfortunately, our demands are still unheard, an agitator said. While salary of Anganwadi Workers has been increased in other States, the same is yet to be done in Odisha, she added. by Mark Harvey One of the artifacts of modern American culture is the digital clutter that crowds our minds and crowds our days. Im old enough to have grown up in the era before even answering machines and the glorification of fast information. Its an era thats hard to remember because like most Americans, Ive gotten lost in the sea of immediate content and the vast body of information at our fingertips and on our phones. While its a delicious feeling to be able to access almost every bit of knowledge acquired by humankind over the last few thousand years, I suspect the resulting mental clutter has in many ways made us just plain dumber. Our little brains can absorb and process a lot of information but digesting the massive amount of data available nowadays has some of our minds resembling the storage units of hoarders: an unholy mess of useless facts and impressions guarded in a dark space with a lost key. If you consider who our wise men and wise women are these days, they sure seem dumber than men and women of past centuries. I guess some of them are incredibly clever when it comes to computers, material science, genetic engineering, and the like. But when it comes to big-picture thinking, even the most glorified billionaires just seem foolish. And our batch of politicians even more so. Its hard to know the shape and content of the human mind in our millions of years of development but the story goes that weve advanced in consciousness almost every century, with major advances in periods such as the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. That may be true for certain individuals but as a whole, it seems we drove right on past the bus stop of higher consciousness with our digital orgy and embryonic embrace of artificial intelligence. Are we losing the wonderful feeling, agency, and utility of uncluttered minds? One of the greatest breakthroughs in our understanding of our place and evolution on this here earth came out of Charles Darwins journey first at sea and then churning his experiences over in his minds eye back at home in the Kent countryside just south of London. That five-year voyage covering some 40,000 miles on the Beagle is just not something that could possibly happen today. To begin, the captain of the Beagle, Robert Fitzroy, was only 26 years old, and Darwin was only 22. Show me a man or woman that young in todays world that could navigate a sloop around the earth in those conditions, collect and catalog thousands of species of plants and animals, make thousands of keen observations and world-class sketches, and Ill send you a new iPhone. Unfortunately, weve lost those skills, patience, and capacity of observation seen in a number of men and women of the 19th century. Its certainly no fault of our youth as they, like every generation, are carried along by the tides of the moment, and at this moment, those tides come in the form of really fast microprocessors, really fast Wi-Fi, and millions of ephemeral videos, photos, posts, texts, likes, and the like. Darwin and Captain Fitzroy lived remarkable livesunimaginable today. At the age of 12 Fitzroy was sent to the Royal Naval College in Portsmouth. The education there was rigorous and a student was meant to learn projectile science, calculus and its use in measuring surfaces and three-dimensional objects, mechanics, hydrostatics, astronomy, tidal movements, naval history, lunar effects on the tides, and more. When he was 14, Fitzroy shipped off on a two-year voyage to South America on the Owen Glendower. Conditions at sea in those days were brutal as evidenced by the many descriptions of maggot-infested biscuits, salted beef that had been stored in casks for years, cabin quarters that housed men cheek by jowl, fetid water, and foul wine. Given his youth at entering the naval college and his immediate experience of long voyages at sea at only age 14, by the time he was 26 and put in charge of the Beagle, he already had vast experience. Darwins life journey was much more surreptitious and his voyage on the Beagle began with none of the import of his world-changing theories. Though he turned out to be a great naturalist, he was actually brought aboard the Beagle to be a companion and conversationalist to Fitzroy. Aware that the previous captain of the Beagle had committed suicide mid-voyage and that his own uncle had slit his own throat in a period of despond, Fitzroy took measures to preserve his sanity by bringing along a Cambridge-educated young man to keep him company. Fitzroy knew his own nature and had a terrible temper that earned him the nickname Hot Coffee. He figured it would help him on the long voyage to have a companion of his own level of education as the hands working the ship were generally uneducated and often illiterate. Darwin and Fitzroy mostly got along and became good friends. There were a few altercations and once Fitzroy banned Darwin from his company for a few hours when they argued over slavery. But Fitzroy quickly apologized and the two reconciled. Tragically, later in life, Fitzroy cut his own throat. Impossible to perfectly diagnose his despond, but he did have some failures after the voyage of the Beagle. He had been made governor of New Zealand and became despised by white settlers there for his sympathy for the Mauri people, even pardoning a Mauri chief after he killed nine whites over land disagreements. Reading Darwins account of the journey in The Voyage of the Beagle, one cant be but in awe of his capacity of observation. Darwins first entry in The Voyage of the Beagle was about his visit to Cape Verde and one of his last entries was about the Azores on his way back to England. In the intervening hundreds of pages, the breadth and detail of what he observed is astounding. In a letter to his sister, Darwin wrote, there is nothing like geology; the pleasure of the first days partridge shooting or first days hunting cannot be compared to finding a fine group of fossil bones, which tell their story of former times with almost a living tongue. His observations along the five-year voyage are detailed and show a remarkable knowledge of flora, fauna, and geology. You could open up The Voyage of The Beagle almost anywhere and find entries like this: The whole surface of the water, as it appeared under a weak lens, seemed as if covered by chopped bits of hay, with their ends jagged. One of the larger particles measured .03 of an inch in length, and .009 in breadth. Examined more carefully, each is seen to consist of from twenty to sixty cylindrical filaments, which have perfectly rounded extremities, and are divided at regular intervals by transverse septa, containing a brownish-green flocculent matter. The filaments must be enveloped in some viscid fluid, for the bundles adhered together without actual contact. Besides being a great ship captain, Fitzroy was tremendously observant too. He acquired his own collection of species on the voyage of the Beagle and his collection of finches was superior to Darwins. In fact, Darwin turned to Fitzroys collection in trying to understand the variations seen on the Galapagos Islands. Fitzroy could also be considered the inventor of modern weather forecasting (he invented the term forecast) and created the first daily and nationwide weather service in England. To that end, he invented a very reliable and portable weather station and equipped outgoing ships with it to gather data about trade winds, storms, and weather patterns asea. Darwin didnt publish his theory of evolution in his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection until about 20 years after his return on the Beagle. As a young man, he had originally intended to join the clergy in The Church of England and he rightfully feared the backlash his theory would cause in the church and even among naturalists. Some of the most accomplished naturalists of that era, such as the French scientist Georges Cuvier, rejected Darwins theory despite having studied and practically invented paleontology. Cuvier named several of todays extinct species such as the Mastodon and the Pterodactylus, convinced the world that species actually do go extinct, and vastly expanded the taxonomy of invertebrates. But he still didnt believe Darwins ideas on transmutation and evolution. And Darwin was harshly pilloried by the Church and cartoonists of the time never got tired of depicting him as half ape or swinging from a tree. While the sea-going voyages of Fitzroy and Darwin probably shouldnt be too romanticized (as they were brutal and often deadly affairs), one cant help but envy both mens prodigious skills, powers of observation, and, yes, uncluttered minds. I think in the days before our digital orgy we were forced into more meditative states. The men and women riding thirty miles a day on a horse in our pioneering era had to have been rocked into a meditative state on some of their journeys. Sailors on long journeys between hoisting a sail or swabbing a deck (with no wifi or earbuds) must have had periods of trance and contemplation with the sounds of the ocean and the gulls. Today the individual mind and the collective mind are piecemeal and fragmented by a thousand texts and emails, a million imageseach of whose meaning lasts about three secondsand a resulting inability for long-term observation. Its not to say that there wasnt plenty of foolishness and fundamentalism in earlier days, but Im not sure it can rival the foolishness and shrill qualities of todays leaders. Watching a bleating politician on television or the orgiastic showmanship of some of our billionaires, one has to conclude that they would all improve their thinking and judgment by spending five years on the Beagle studying finches, lizards, and cephalopods. Loaded with some of these blow-hardy fools, one might hope the Beagle would never return. A workshop held in Raipur on Monday called for making all districts in Chhattisgarh into export hubs. The workshop said the 33 districts of Chhattisgarh, 12 of Maharashtra and four of Madhya Pradesh must be turned into export hubs. The workshop was organized by the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Raipur district administration. Raipur District Panchayat CEO Abinash Mishra said: Chhattisgarh is moving towards economic progress at a very fast pace. Rice, steel, aluminum and iron as well as forest wealth are found in abundance in the state." In a recent meeting with additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries of various departments, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a series of directives aimed at expediting the appointment process and implementing performance-based promotions within government departments across Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasised the detrimental impact of understaffed government departments on overall efficiency and public welfare. Delays in appointments not only create backlogs but also deprive deserving youth of opportunities that match their qualifications, the chief minister said, calling for a prompt appointment process and seeking regular updates on vacancies from districts. Additionally, the chief minister stressed on a comprehensive assessment of necessary positions at all administrative levels, spanning from villages and cities to districts and government departments. He directed the Appointment and Personnel department to provide detailed reports on vacancies, ongoing appointment processes, and the required human resources to the Chief Ministers Office. The chief minister highlighted the implementation of the e-adhiyachan (requisition) system, designed to simplify the appointment process. He stressed the importance of careful reviews of reservation rules before submitting requisitions for appointments. Recognising the evolving needs of departments like urban development, the chief minister called for the creation of new positions where necessary. He advocated proper training of chakbandi lekhpals (consolidation officials) in the Revenue department and the expeditious completion of the selection process for various police department posts by December. The chief minister underscored the significance of time-bound promotions, with performance as the primary criterion for advancement. He called for the completion of promotion processes, including those at the chief secretary/additional chief secretary/principal secretary/head of department levels or through the UP Public Service Commission by September 30 in all cases. In the interest of expediting the recruitment process, the chief minister stressed the need for increased technological integration to reduce processing times. He also highlighted the importance of expanding training capacity. Recognising a considerable number of vacancies across districts, including in Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Mathura, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad, the chief minister called for deployment of qualified personnel to ensure the smooth progress of vital projects. Maintain adequate human resources in aspirational districts, aspirational development blocks and aspirational urban areas, the chief minister said. Acknowledging the commendable work of outsourced personnel in various projects, the chief minister insisted that all employees receive fair remuneration, disbursed punctually and in full. He pledged to prevent any exploitation of employees under any circumstances. As the second quarter of the fiscal year 202324 nears its conclusion, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged all departments to ensure appropriate utilisation of funds allocated in the current budget. He encouraged increased allocation and expenditure, with monthly reviews conducted by the chief secretary at the departmental level. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday reached the Jamboree Maidan in BHEL area of Bhopal and took stock of the preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modis programme on Monday. Chief Minister Chouhan sought information about the stage, arrangements including meeting place, drinking water and other arrangements at the Jamboree Maidan. He also inspected the Jamboree Helipad. After reviewing the arrangements made for the Prime Ministers programme, Chief Minister Chouhan told the TV channel representatives that all necessary preparations have been completed. Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh are ready to welcome the Prime Minister. Among those present during the inspection of the programme venue by Chief Minister Chouhan, were Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang, MP VD Sharma, Public Representative and Commissioner Bhopal Dr. Pawan Sharma, and other officials. Kolar police have arrested a criminal against whom a permanent warrant was pending. He was absconding and wanted in total of 34 cases of theft and embezzlement, accused was in Dewas district for the last several years. On the information the police arrested the accused. About 42 crimes are registered against the accused in Kolar police station. According to TI Ashutosh Upadhyay, a campaign is being run to arrest absconders and permanent warrantees in view of the upcoming assembly elections. On Sunday, information was received from the informer that permanent warranty officer Kamlesh Banjari, who is absconding in several cases, is roaming near the Dussehra ground. After the information, the police reached the spot and caught him. On interrogation, the accused revealed his name as Kamlesh Thakur (30), resident of village Jagata, district Dewas and was living in Banjari Kolar Road. On checking the records, it was found that a total of 28 permanent and 6 arrest warrants were issued against the accused, including theft and embezzlement. A total of 42 crimes are registered against him in Kolar police station. The accused was living in Dewas and remained absconding for the last five years. He settled in Dewas but the details of the crimes committed in the period of absconding are yet to be revealed. Dr Alka Rao shines as a trailblazer with a passion for inclusivity. As a Principal Scientist at the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) in Chandigarh, she's not only made remarkable contributions to protein engineering but has also dedicated herself to smashing down the barriers that hinder STEM education for individuals with disabilities, especially the deaf community. She is a recipient of the prestigious NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Awards 2023, and will be felicitated at a special ceremony on September 28, 2023 in New Delhi. Dr Rao's journey is marked by a remarkable list of accomplishments, including numerous national and international patents, copyrights, and prestigious journal publications. Her expertise extends beyond the laboratory as she advises government bodies like the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), Ministry of Education (MoE), among others. However, it is Dr Rao's dedication to fostering inclusive STEM education that truly sets her apart. She leads the ISLEVL (Indian Sign Language Enabled Virtual Laboratory) project, funded by CSIR under the Jigyasa program. The ISLEVL platform is a collaborative effort that brings together scientists, interpreters, content creators, and multimedia editors. It is accessible online and via the Google Play Store, ensuring that a wide audience can benefit from its resources. This initiative is part of our larger vision to break down barriers and make STEM education truly inclusive. Establishing the country's first ISL-enabled astronomy lab in Karnal pioneering efforts that is revolutionizing STEM education for the deaf is a step towards our commitment, said Dr Rao. "Dr Rao's remarkable journey reminds us that true progress in science is not just about discoveries in the laboratory but ensuring that the wonders of science are accessible to all. NCPEDP-Mphasis award stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment to breaking down barriers and ensuring that the STEM education is accessible to all, regardless of their abilities." said Arman Ali, Executive Director, NCPEDP. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday inaugurated the construction work of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Government Medical College in Panjupur village, Yamunanagar. This project, estimated to cost around Rs 1200 crore, will be completed in about 30 months, he added. Khattar along with Forest and School Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department Dr Sumita Misra inspected the layout project and also planted saplings in the campus. After this, the Chief Minister performed Bhoomi Pujan of the College. Under this initiative, a 100-seat Medical College, a 500-bedded hospital, a Nursing College, and a Physiotherapy Institute will be constructed. Speaking on the occasion, Khatttar said that the present state government is actively working on expanding healthcare services by establishing medical colleges and hospitals in every district. He also mentioned the Nirogi Yojana, which aims to check the health of 1 crore 41 lakh people with income upto Rs 1.80 lakh in the first phase, with 21 lakh people already examined and this target will be achieved in the coming 1.5 years. Khattar highlighted the implementation of Ayushman Yojana and the Chirayu Yojana in the state and said that the Chirayu Yojana offers benefits to individuals with an income of up to Rs 3 lakh after paying a premium of Rs 1500. Currently, 15000 families have registered for this scheme, with the expectation that the number will soon reach 50,000. The Kotwars in Madhya Pradesh will receive a sum of one lakh rupees at the time of retirement. The amount received by Kotwars will now increase by Rs. five hundred every year. Kotwars who do not have service land will receive Rs. 8000 per month in place of Rs. 4000. Kotwars with service land ranging from 3 to 7.5 acres will receive a monthly honouranium of Rs. 1200. Kotwars with service land ranging from 7.5 to 10 acres will receive a minimum honourarium of Rs. one thousand per month. This will also increase from time to time. Those having up to 3 acres of service land will receive Rs. two thousand per month. The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made these announcements while addressing state level Kotwars' conference at the Lal Parade Ground Bhopal here on Sunday. Chouhan said that Kotwars are the backbone of the revenue administration in rural areas. They update information and play important role during natural calamities. Chouhan also said that a mechanism will be worked out to connect Kotwars directly to the Chief Minister's official Residence. Special officers will be appointed for this purpose. Chouhan said that Kotwars will be covered in health insurance scheme. Their uniform color will now be khaki. Ladli Behna Yojana to benefit Kotwar families The Chief Minister said that annual conference for Kotwars will be convened. Kotwars will receive a SIM card and the state government will recharge it. Chouhan urged Kotwars to take care of the village. Kotwars are hardworking and well-intentioned individuals, he added. Kotwar Laliya Bau's Selfless Service Remembered Chouhan recalled that Kotwar used to be vigilant so that villagers have sound sleep. He recalled the services of Laliya Bau, a female Kotwar of Jaith village. She was highly respected and she discharged her duties diligently. Chouhan further noted that he had initiated the first Kotwar conference after assuming the office as the Chief Minister. Principal Secretary of Revenue, Nikunj Srivastava, delivered a welcome speech. He stated that Kotwars are involved in transmitting information. They play the role of a primary assistant. They also assist various departments such as Panchayat and rural development, police, and others. Others present included Ramesh Sharma, Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Employees' Welfare Committee, Bhagwan Das Kewat, and President of the Madhya Pradesh Independent Kotwar Association, Harveer Singh, Manohar Mehra, Veer Singh, Sandeep Yadav, and Bhopal Collector Ashish Singh. The court of 8th Additional Sessions Judge Balram Yadav sentenced a woman life imprisonment and fine of Rs 1000 and in section 363 of Indian Penal Code, 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 1000 for killing a four year old boy. The accused Sunita Solanki was found guilty under section 302, 363 IPC in the heinous sensational murder case of a minor 04 year old child in village Chichli Bairagarh, Kolar. The accused along with her minor son abducted and killed four year old Varun. On July 14, 2019, Narayan Meena's grandson Varun was playing outside the house and failed to return in the evening, he was searched but not found. The police established a case in the matter. On July 16 when the police broke the lock of the house and went into the house along with the people nearby, due to the smell coming from Amar Singh's vacant house in the neighbourhood, they found a half-burnt body of a child, who was identified as Varun. From the spot police found the hair of a woman and other seizures were made. Along with this, there was a line formed by falling wheat grains from the spot to Sunita Solanki's house. On the basis of suspicion, the accused Sunita Solanki was arrested. In the case, the accused Sunita Solanki and her son were taken into custody and interrogated. During the interrogation, Sunita Solanki confessed that due to an old grudge she kidnapped the deceased Varun, killed him by feeding him ant-killing medicine and hide him in a wheat tank. Later on she took him to Amar Singh's abandoned house and burnt it. After matching the DNA of the woman's hair seized from the spot and the fingerprint taken from the pesticide wrapper seized from Sunita Solanki's house, FSL examined, on the basis of the matching of DNA and fingerprint and other evidence presented by the prosecution. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) staff inspected houses as part of a campaign to combat vector-borne diseases in the national Capital and the authorities issued penalties amounting a cumulative `73 lakh for violations. The MCDs public health department, under its campaign to control mosquito-borne diseases, carried out an intensive campaign in 197 police station areas in all its 12 zones, the civic body said. During the campaign, 83 were found to be mosquito-breeding sites. The MCD slapped 60 legal notices, filed one prosecution, issued three court challans and levied administrative charges in one case, the statement said. The civic body is carrying out a campaign against dengue, malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases on a war-footing. Dengue is caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in stagnant water, it said. The department also carried out intensive checking drives at Punjabi Bagh, Vasant Kunj, Jagatpuri, Usmanpur, Nizamuddin, Amar Colony, Lahori Gate, Burari, Swaroop Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Aman Vihar, Bawana, Rithala, Mayapuri, Sultanpuri, Ghazipur, Geeta Colony and Ambedkar Nagar police stations and malkhanas, it added. The MCD has conducted 2,95,69,150 (2.95 crore) house visits. A total 14,84,050 (14.84 lakh) houses have been sprayed with insecticides and 1,35,462 (1.35 lakh) legal notices issued. Fines have been levied upon 22,195 defaulters and a sum of `73,36,640 (`73.36 lakh) has been received for destroying mosquito-breeding (sites) and larva-eating fishes has survived at 203 locations, the statement said. The MCD, after analysing the data related to mosquito breeding, has found that drums and jerry cans accounted for 40 per cent of the mosquito-breeding sites, followed by desert coolers at 35 per cent and construction zones and flower pots at 15 per cent. The MCD has not released its weekly dengue report in the last few weeks, even as the vector-borne disease is on the rise in the national Capital. Delhi has seen a rise in dengue cases in the last two months, with a few deaths reported at both Government and private hospitals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a big public rally in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday. According to state BJP president VD Sharma, around 10 lakh party workers are expected to gather at Bhopal's Jamboree Maidan, where PM Modi will give the mantra of victory for the coming Assembly elections. The BJP workers have decorated the city with cutouts of PM Modi and BJP's flags, while the security forces have issued advisory regarding high alert. While talking to media persons here on Sunday, State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that around 4,000 police personnel, including 20 IPS officers have been deployed to strengthen the security system in Bhopal. "Drone cameras will be used in the surroundings of the Jamboree Maidan where PM Modi will be addressing the Mahakumbh of BJP workers. SPG and NSG forces have already arrived," Mishra said. The mega rally is being organised tomark the formal culmination of the partys five Jan Ashirwad Yatras being held to reach out to the masses before the Assembly polls. The BJP rolled out five yatras early this month, with party president J.P. Nadda flagging off the first one from Chitrakoot in Satna on September 3. These yatras are meant to cover more than 10,500 kms in 210 of the states 230 Assembly constituencies before culminating into a mega workers' meet in Bhopal on September 25. The yatras have already concluded a couple of days ago and BJP claimed to have received massive support from the people. The mega event is being organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the BJP's fore-founder Deen Dayal Upadhyay on September 25. On this occasion, PM Modi will give the mantra for winning the upcoming legislative and Lok Sabha elections to the workers. Only registered party workers will participate in the programme. Without registration, no worker can be part of this event, and the registration process has started at the booth level. This will be PM Modis third visit to the state in the past 45 days. This is an indication of the BJP's efforts to maintain its stronghold in the central state by capitalising on his popularity. by Eric Bies In geometry, a line goes on and on: it goes on and on and never stops. In poetry, a line goes on as long as the poet lets it.though in practice this rarely means more than six or seven words at a stretch. I open the novel lying next to mean attractively typeset hardback Bolanoand its lines smile with the teeth of all of twelve or fourteen. Words: like the Greeks at Thermopylae, they have, somehow, to say more, do more, be more when they amass in minor number. Thats the poets problem. Of course, the poet is more than welcome to set about the rather dry, administrative task of composing and arranging a rank and file of discrete poetic lines: in the end times we shall all stand watching from the horse-shaped shade of an outsize bicorn as the lines march out onto the page, ready to clash with or be routed by the readers eye. And this makes for a nice image, but it does nothing to dispel the poets problem: that blasted matter of saying more with less. If only the poet had paid a little closer attention in class. For even I can hear it now. Its the sound of a single line begging to be many. Such a line, whose contents spill over into another (and perhaps another, and not infrequently another yet), zigging and zagging in clots and clauses of continuous thought, participates in a process called enjambment. Most halfway okay poemsthose desirous both of basic interpretability and, well, the appearance of poetrydo usually enjoy enjambments, of which the poet ensures an artfulness sufficient to staving off suspicions as to their simply having fed a sentence to a sushi chef. But then there really are those poems that one could say are little more than their dismemberments. What we end up with, for instance, when we lift the line breaks from a famous poem by a New Jersey physician is a sentence merely, and an unremarkable one at that. See, so much depends upon a line break. William Carlos Williams demonstrated as much when he punched this one out on his typewriter: so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens The poem, which is everything modernists like Williams taught us a poem could bestudiously irregular, liberally aerated, colloquially disembodiedis clearly only barely a poem. (Actually, its safe to say it shares more in structure and spirit with the readymades of Marcel Duchamp, asserting new perspectives on everyday objects, than anything Longfellow left us.) But what does depend upon a red wheelbarrow, glazed with rainwater, beside the white chickens? The more one reads into such a statement, the less one discovers, the more suspenseful the poem becomes. Eventually, the statements cryptic nature assumes a vaguely conspiratorial aspect. Finally, the poem is read out loud, not as a chant, but as a threat. Imagine the exaggerated accents in every bad gangster movie youve ever seen. So much depends upon a red wheelbarrow. Itd be a shame if something happened to it. Far from The Red Wheelbarrow itself, a handle assigned by some well-meaning and forgotten anthologist, the poems original title was purely numerical: xxii was simply the twenty-second poem in a collection Williams called Spring and All, a fact I believe I sensed long before I knew it. My eyes, anyway, have always slipped the drenched red to hover over the chickens there: they are over there, arent they, white and alive and what else? I tend to picture them a moment past, threading the farmyard with its wild lace, long sparse green blades, all drooping fringe, flinging droplets. I picture them scratching and pecking the damp soil between, a standing grid of white feathers, yellow beaks, red combs, rustling, playingfreezing up when the poet turns his head. Im reminded of Giant chicken, a grainy snippet of Internet home-video revealing the stunning reality of the Brahma, a breed of chicken so large that, the first time I watched one emerge from its coop, descending the steps out front to stretch its long legs in loping strides around the yard, I immediately popped over to Google to investigate. But it wasnt a hoax; the Brahma is real, a fluffier flesh-and-blood Foghorn Leghorn. And though perfectly edible, farmers tend to tout them more for their eggs than their flesh, which to an American tongue like mine, couched in the gloss of supermarket stuff, reads as tough and chewy. Im reminded of Theodoret of Cyrrhus, or rather of his Life of Simeon Stylites (the saint who initiated the practice of pursuing ones mortifications, exposed to the elements, from the top of an imposing pillar), in which we read of a pilgrim desperate to make do with his own stiff bit of bird: Among those who believed in the saving name of Christ the Master was a distinguished Ishmaelite who had made a vow and promise to God with Simeon as witness: he promised to abstain till death from all animal food. Sometime, I do not know how, he broke his promise: killing a bird, he dared to eat it. But since God wanted to lead him to repentance through a trial and promise, the birds flesh was changed into stone so that then he could not eat it even if he wanted to. My guess is the chickens in Williams poemwhich might as well be made of stoneare Leghorns. Theres the undeniable influence, after all, of all things old and Italian in a place like Rutherford, New Jersey, where for more than half a century Williams lived and looked and wrote. Leghorns themselves came from Livorno, south of Pisa, the kind of place where, in the seventeenth century, an Icelandic minister on the run from Turkish pirates could stop and watch an upright fox, dressed in dyed silks, bring up the rear of a procession of naked prisoners. It wasnt until 1828 that the chickens crossed the swan-road to America, where something on the order of an Ellis Island botch job prompted the breeds adoption of a new name upon arrival. Livorno was also, six years earlier, the land from which Percy Bysshe Shelley launched his yacht, got caught in a storm, and drowned. But first, in 1820, Livorno was the land of rolling hills and stiff green cypresses through which he strolled of an evening and where, faintly then fully, he heard the swelling notes of a skylarks song. To a Skylark, the poem the aural encounter inspired, is, in contradistinction to The Red Wheelbarrow, as vigorously poetic a poem as one could hope to meet. It is fully soaring where the other is grounded, kinetic where the other is static. Even the word rain appears, not once as in Williams poem, but three times. Both are wet and drippy poems with birds inside them, yes: one in song and some in silence. And while one prizes soundLike a high-born maiden / In a palace-tower, / Soothing her love-laden / Soul in secret hour / With music sweet as love, which overflows her bower:the other prizes sight. Nearing the poems final lines, speaking of the joy the bird brings, Shelley rhetorizes; he, in fact, enjambs: If we were things born Not to shed a tear, I know not how thy joy we ever should come near. Thank goodness for our feelings, too; thank heavens for our hurts. Its the welter of our passions, the poet pronounces, and the beating of our hearts, the poet approves; its the boredom, pain, and sorrow that we have to thank for our delight, our pleasure, sometimes even our ecstasy. And yet, a red wheelbarrow is a thing, born inertit certainly cannot cryso the poet in America, a hundred years in wait, got down on one knee and wetted the metal with rainwater. In the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state capital to attend BJP's Mahakumbh on Monday, many roads of the city will remain diverted due to his visit and to avoid inconvenience most of the schools will remain closed. Exams have also been postponed in many schools. Parents are being informed about this for the last 2 days. The school management has sent SMS and WhatsApp messages. School operators have taken this decision due to heavy traffic and route diversion. However, the Education Department has not declared any official holiday. DEO Anjani Kumar said that no order has been issued to close the schools. Most of the schools located in BHEL area will remain closed on Monday. St. Xavier School spokesperson Vasundhara Sharma said that the main program of PM is around St. Xavier, hence it is very difficult to open the school. Many other private schools present in BHEL area will also remain closed. The school administrators have taken a decision regarding this at their level. If the school administrators are to be believed, they do not want to talk about this matter. Many schools also had exams from September 25, which have been postponed. The principal has messaged the parents regarding this. In which it has been said that these exams will be held again soon. On the other hand, no message of any kind has been sent to the students in government schools. All such schools will continue to function as usual. DPS Principal Ajay Sharma said that due to diversion of roads, it has been decided to declare holiday in all branches of DPS. It has been seen many times that children get stuck in traffic or face difficulties in reaching school. Vasundhara Sharma from St. Joseph's School told that students have exams on this day. In such a situation, if children are not able to reach school then there will be more problems. Group Director of IES School, Manisha Kavthekar said that the schools will remain closed on September 25 due to traffic diversion. At the same time, LNCT School Principal Chaitanya Saxena said that if children come from all parts of the city, they will face problems due to traffic, hence the holiday has been kept. There is every possibility of markets remaining closed in the BHEL area. However, if Chimanlal Arya of BHEL Traders Committee is to be believed, the markets will remain open. If any order or protocol comes from the administration, then in this situation the markets may be closed. Shramshree Committee Chairman Ram Babu Sharma said that the markets and mandis present in the area will remain open for the time being. Even when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Bhopal in June 2023, many schools were kept closed. During this period, most of the main roads of the city were closed, due to which the students had to face inconvenience in commuting. In June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat trains running from Rani Kamlapati station to Indore and Jabalpur. Apart from this, he participated in BJP's Mera Booth Sabse Strong campaign. The 31st meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) is poised to take place in Amritsar on Tuesday, with Punjab all geared up to host this crucial gathering of leaders from various northern states. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will preside over the meeting, which is expected to address several pressing issues, including those on which the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana are at loggerheads. The State Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has left no stone unturned in making elaborate arrangements for the significant event. The meeting will witness the participation of Chief Ministers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan, along with the Administrator of UT Chandigarh and Lieutenant Governors from Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Delhi. The brainstorming sessions will delve into various issues concerning these states during the course of the meeting. The primary focus of the meeting will revolve around security matters, with a specific emphasis on combating drug smuggling, a persistent concern in the region. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has held several rounds of meetings with senior State Government officials to meticulously review the arrangements. Emphasizing the importance of a warm welcome to the dignitaries, Mann has directed the officials to showcase Punjabs rich cultural heritage to the visiting guests and ensure their warm hospitality throughout their stay. The State Government has left no stone unturned in arranging a comfortable stay for the dignitaries participating in the meeting. In addition to ensuring their cozy accommodation, guests will also be treated to a glimpse of Punjabs vibrant culture. Senior state government officials have been diligently assigned duties to ensure the smooth organization of the meeting, and stringent security measures have been put in place ahead of the event. However, the upcoming NZC meeting is not just about protocol and arrangements; it also comes against a backdrop of political and territorial tensions between Punjab and Haryana. Cong Criticizes AAP Govt for Failing to Safeguard State's Interests Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government for what he perceives as its failure to safeguard the states interests. Bajwa noted that during his visit to Punjab on September 26 (Tuesday), the Union Home Minister is expected to discuss the provision of land to Punjab for the construction of a separate Vidhan Sabha. He criticized the AAP Government for surrendering Punjab's rights over Chandigarh and cited a tweet by Chief Minister Mann on July 9, 2022, in which AAP leader had requested land in Chandigarh from the Centre for a separate Punjab Vidhan Sabha. AAP Government did not adequately present Punjab's case regarding its river water rights, which weakened the State's position. Punjab's quota posts in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) were being filled by employees from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh under the AAP regime, and the Central Government had replaced Punjab Service Rules with Central Service Rules for Chandigarh employees, he pointed out. Additionally, Bajwa criticized the AAP Government for not raising issues such as the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada, which is affecting NRIs from Punjab and Punjabi students in Canada. He questioned why the Punjab Chief Minister had not addressed these concerns with the Central Government and labeled AAP as a B-Team of BJP. SAD Demands Firm Stand on Key Issues Calling upon Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take a firm stance on crucial issues concerning Punjab during the North Zone Council meeting in Amritsar, SAD on Monday stressed the importance of clarifying Punjabs inalienable right over Chandigarh. Expressing concerns about Haryanas attempt to construct a separate Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema called for a strong opposition to this project, which he believes contradicts Punjabs interests. The SAD leader hoped that the presence of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal would not hinder the defense of Punjab's case on important issues concerning the state during the North Zone Council meeting. The Odisha Walking Studio, a groundbreaking initiative, was unveiled. The innovative project is set to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experiential learning opportunity for students and faculty members from collaborating architectural colleges across Odisha. It is a collaborative effort of the Ethos Foundation, the Council of Architecture (India), and The Indian Institute of Architects, Odisha Chapter. The flag-off ceremony commenced amidst the breathtaking backdrop of Konark, serving as a symbolic beginning to an extraordinary journey spanning 98.8 km from Konark to Bhubaneswar. Distinguished guests included the Vice Chairperson and Executive Committee of The Indian Institute of Architects Odisha Chapter, faculty members, aspiring students from renowned schools of architecture, and numerous esteemed delegates from the architectural community. Along the way, participants will have the opportunity to explore and interact with significant settlements, including the holy city of Puri, the artistic haven of Raghurajpur, the crafts village of Pipili, the historic site of Dhauli, and finally, the ancient city and capital of Odisha, Bhubaneswar. The concluding session of the remarkable journey is scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar at the IIA Odisha Chapter Office on September 24. PWD Minister Atishi on Monday directed officials to prepare within one week a plan to improve the stretch between the Delhi Vidhan Sabha and the Secretariat. Atishi on Monday visited various sections of the Ring Road between the Vidhan Sabha and the Secretariat, including the Kashmere Gate ISBT and emphasised the urgent need for improved maintenance of roads, footpaths, and drainage systems on the stretch During the inspections, Atishi stressed on the urgent need to improve the maintenance of roads, footpaths and the drainage systems on the stretch. She also expressed her concern about the poor condition of the Rajghat subway and cautioned engineers about the consequences of laxity in the maintenance of it. Atishi issued a stern directive to officials to prepare an action plan for the improvement of the road stretch in a phased manner within one week, the statement said. She also expressed concern about the poor condition of the Rajghat subway and cautioned engineers about the consequences of laxity in its maintenance, it added. The Minister stressed that the stretch between the Vidhan Sabha and the Secretariat is extremely important as it connects key locations such as the Raj Niwas, Chief Ministers House and the Delhi University, serving as a transit route for lakhs of commuters daily. Atishi directed the officials to ensure the maintenance of drainage systems, horticulture and footpath redevelopment tailored to pedestrian needs and safety. She also issued instructions to trim trees obstructing movement on footpaths, level pavements, re-carpet roads, replace broken kerbstones and apply fresh blacktopping on a high priority. Atishi admonished the officials and directed them to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the entire stretch and submit a report on priority, the statement added. It is the responsibility of PWD engineers to focus on diligently improving roads within their areas. Any negligence will lead to stringent action as the (Arvind) Kejriwal government would not tolerate any lapses in this regard, she said. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday expressed his commitment to address all issues pertinent to the State during the 31st meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC), set to commence in Amritsar on Tuesday. Among the topics on the agenda are issues related to the Bhakra-Beas Management Board, Panjab University's affiliation, road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), canal projects, water-sharing agreements, matters concerning state reorganization, and infrastructure development. Mann, who arrived in Amritsar on Monday, shared photographs featuring him alongside Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on social media. Mann, in a statement, also conveyed the significance of the upcoming NZC meeting, to be chaired by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying, We have arrived at Guru di Nagari Sri Amritsar Sahib for a very important meeting of the North Zone Council....Tomorrow, a very important meeting is going to be held under the chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah." Punjab Chief Minister assured that he would advocate for all issues pertaining to Punjab and its residents during this critical gathering. Official sources have indicated that specific matters will be addressed during the meeting, including the allocation of land in Chandigarh to Haryana for the construction of an additional state assembly building. Additionally, the reluctance of Rajasthan to utilize its full share of water from the Rajasthan feeder during recent floods will also be brought to the Union Home Minister's attention. The NZC serves as a vital forum for resolving such regional concerns and fostering cooperation among the northern states and Union Territories. Over a dozen policemen were seriously injured after clashes broke out in Agras Dayalbagh area when the police attempted to remove an illegal structure belonging to Radhasoami Satsang Sabha which was allegedly constructed on land owned by the Revenue department. The senior trust officials used women and children as shields while attacking the cops with sticks having iron nails. Agra Magistrate Anand Kumar Singh said, As a bulldozer approached to dismantle the gate that restricted public access, a group of approximately 200 satsangis, including women and children, started pelting stones. Deputy Commissioner of Police Suraj Kumar Rai said, The Revenue department had requested police assistance to remove an encroachment in Dayalbagh. However, Radhasoami Satsang Sabha members disrupted the anti-encroachment drive and engaged in stone pelting, which resulted in numerous police officers getting injured. As of now, the demolition exercise has been temporarily suspended. Meanwhile, Radhasoami Satsang Sabha representatives claimed that the administration was trying to grab their land to help builders. The religious group claimed that the land belonged to them. They have been given 24 hours to show their documents, police said. Police have been carrying out a drive since Saturday to remove the alleged illegal encroachment in the Dayalbagh area. Delhi Education Minister Atishi has written to the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) directing immediate release of the third quarterly grant of 12 colleges which are fully funded by the Delhi Government. The matter is currently being heard by the Delhi High Court wherein a notice was issued to the Finance Department to expedite the disbursement of funds. Expressing her concerns over laxity in the matter as it creates substantial obstacles in fulfilling vital financial obligations of the colleges, Atishi directed the DHE to propose a mechanism under which the salaries, arrears, pension, medical bills and other dues of the staff and faculties of these 12 colleges can be paid in time. The Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri slammed the the AAP Government for not disbursing the salaries to the 12 Delhi Government-run colleges. In the last 8 years, such a situation has come many times when the teachers of these 12 colleges and the entire staff have not received salaries. It is shameful that Arvind Kejriwal Government takes credit of the best education system but they are unable to release salaries of 12 colleges, Bidhuri added. This is regarding the immediate release of the third quarterly grant of 12 colleges which are fully funded by the Delhi Government. Despite the increased budgetary allocations by the Delhi Government, there are ongoing issues in processing essential payments including salaries, pensions, arrears, medical bills. These issues are primarily attributed to the delay in fund disbursement by the DHE, Atishi wrote in the letter. The letter further said that this delay in fund disbursal is creating substantial obstacles in fulfilling vital financial obligations of the colleges, particularly the disbursement of salaries which have been pending for months. It is causing undue hardship to the staff and faculties of these colleges. The allocated fund of these colleges, which was `132 crore in 2014-15 was increased three-folds to `400 crore in 2023-24. On August 25, Atishi questioned the finance department over the nearly one-and-a-half-month delay. In a note, she said the fund was approved in June, but it has not reached the colleges. The Minister asked the finance department about the delay between the announcement and the implementation of her order. The members of Senior Journalists' Association, Odisha (SJAO) in a memorandum to Lord Sri Jagannath have prayed for imparting good sense to the Government to provide pension to the scribes after retirement. Lighting a holy lamp at the Lions Gate of the Jagannath Temple here, the senior scribes have handed over a letter to a servitor in favour of the Trinity. The peculiar step of fulfilling demands of monthly pension, besides social security for them came on Friday, when around 60 senior journalists from various parts of the State assembled in Puri to chart their future action plan. Bringing a unanimous resolution in the executive body meeting, the scribe body urged the Government to take immediate steps on their petition already submitted two months ago. We have already given a petition to the Chief Minister demanding a monthly pension like other States are paying to their journalists. We have already supplied all support documents to the CMO, said SJAO president Kahnu Nanda, adding that 21 States with three Union Territories have already been paying pension benefits to the concerned journalists. Raising concern over the delay in Odisha, Nanda said they would wait a month and then move the Orissa High Court. Worthwhile to mention here that the SJAO has already convened three meetings with I and PR senior officials in the last two months. While the petition is under consideration of CMO, the SJAO is hopeful of a positive response. Even the officials have given assurance of good news from the Government, said Nanda. A month ago, the Jagatsinghpur Collector instructed by the 5T Secretary had convened a meeting with them and submitted a report to the CMO, informed Nanda. Besides, SJAO also appointed Saroj Kumar Mishra and Laxminarayan Patnaik as president and general secretary for Puri district, respectively. The big brother attitude of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in seat sharing talks with Congress is emerging as a roadblock in an amicable settlement ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. In a clear signal to the Congress that he is the boss in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav gave a hint of the hard bargaining ahead by saying SP is not demanding seats but giving them. Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that his party will get 60 per cent of the votes in the Lok Sabha election. This indicated that the SP is adamant on contesting maximum number of seats and conceding a few seats to the Congress, the only national party in the INDIA bloc. According to sources, the SP is not ready to leave more than five-six Lok Sabha seats for the Congress in UP in the next general elections, but the latter is insisting on around two dozen seats. The sources said that the basis of seat sharing should be Congress performance in UP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when the grand old party won the lone seat of Rae Bareli from where former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was elected as MP. Congress had lost even in its stronghold, Amethi, where former Congress president Rahul Gandhi lost to Union Minister Smriti Irani. Congress, on the other hand, wants 2009 parliamentary polls to be the basis of seat sharing. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Congress had won 21 seats in UP on its own. We want at least 18 seats where we think we can win, said a UP Congress leader when queried about the seat-sharing talks with the SP. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party is not ready to concede the Congress demand. SP leaders pointed out that the party would also have to leave some seats for Rashtriya Lok Dal in the western region. We also have to accommodate Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar and Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), said a senior SP leader. The sources said that the recent exchange of barbs between UP Congress president Ajay Rai and SP leaders was the result of SPs reluctance to concede to the Congress demand. Rai had accused the SP of backstabbing by fielding its candidate in Bageshwar assembly constituency of Uttarakhand, where a bypoll was held recently, as a result of which the Congress candidate lost to his Bharatiya Janata Party rival by a slender margin. Rai also said that his party was ready to contest all the 80 Lok Sabha seats of UP in the next general election. Akhilesh Yadav has asked the party cadre to get down to work to ensure that the party gets at least 60 per cent votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He said that the struggle to save democracy and the Constitution through the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be no less than a revolution. He said that in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the PDA (Pichhada, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (backwards, Dalits and minorities) and all others would make the SP win. The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested one more person from Assam in connection with the one-time password (OTP) sharing scam with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). The accused, identified as Mohammad Ekbal Hussain, was arrested from Gandhua Pathar under Nagaon district in Assam. He was brought to Odisha on transit remand and produced before a court in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Earlier, six accused were arrested in the case. Hussain was in touch with another accused Abhijit Desmukh, who has been arrested earlier. He was also in touch with Khurram Abdul Hamid (Pakistan Intelligence Officer). He has allegedly sold many WhatsApp Account OTP, Telegram Account OTP and mule or ghost accounts directly to Hamid. After the arrest of the principal accused Pathani Samanta Lenka and his associates, Hussain switched off his phone and went underground. It was found that he has used at least 37 IMEI Nos (handset) and more than 500 SIMs. He confessed his crime and stated that he had been selling OTPs of WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, fake-activated SIM, and Mule/Ghost Account for two years and earned Rs 50, 000 to Rs 60, 000 per month. He further revealed that in his village Gandhua Pathar in Assam, almost all adult male persons are involved in this type of cybercrime. He and other cybercriminals in his village generally use SIM nos/mobile handsets for around a month and then destroy them by throwing them into the river. An awareness program was organized by the Department of Anesthesiology at Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Center (BMHRC) to make doctors, nurses and other support staff aware about the sepsis. Addressing the doctors and other staff present in the workshop, BMHRC Director Dr. Manisha Srivastava said that patients admitted in the hospital suffering from serious diseases are at higher risk of sepsis. To prevent them, it is necessary to use antibiotics judiciously. People who take antibiotics for seasonal diseases like cold, cough and diarrhea may develop antibiotics resistance in their body. Sometimes doctors also unnecessarily advise the patient to take antibiotics. If such patients need to be admitted to a hospital, antibiotics may prove ineffective. This makes them easily susceptible to sepsis. If sepsis is not controlled in time, many organs of the body can be badly affected. she said that along with doctors and support staff, students of nursing college and paramedical institute also need to be made aware.Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sarika Katiyar, Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, BMHRC, said that sepsis accounts for about 40-50 per cent of total deaths in the hospital. People who survive this disease are exposed to many other complications related to it. If doctors and hospital staff keep certain things in mind, patients can be prevented from sepsis. For example, washing or cleaning hands properly and to keep the wounds clean and cover them is important. It is also important to get the vaccines given at regular intervals. Efforts should be made to ensure that the infection does not spread from one patient to another in the ward. The programme was attended by senior doctors from BMHRC and they discussed the possible steps to prevent sepsis in the hospital. A skid was also staged by the students of the Department of Anesthesiology and Paramedical Institute. during the session. Many senior doctors of BMHRC were present on the occasion. What is Sepsis : Sepsis is a serious condition in which the body responds improperly to an infection. The infection-fighting processes turn on the body, causing the organs to work poorly. sepsis may progress to septic shock. This is a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can damage the lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs. When the damage is severe, it can lead to death. Chhattisgarh Police on Sunday said a woman Naxalite who was injured in a gunfight with security forces last week in Dantewada district has died. According to reliable sources, Kerlapal Area Committee member and Area CNM Commander Kumari Erra alias Dirdo carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said. Dirdo was among those Maoists who were injured when two hardcore women Maoists were killed in a gun battle between Chhotehidma and Dunginpara villages on Tuesday night. The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted bail to gangster-politician and former MLA Mukhtar Ansari in a 2007 case registered under the Gangsters Act. The high court's order came on the Ansari's plea against a special MP-MLA court in Ghazipur which sentenced him to imprisonment of 10 years and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him in the case in April this year. Granting him bail, a single-judge bench of Justice Raj Beer Singh also stayed the fine. However, the bench refused to stay the conviction in the matter saying that it will be heard at a later stage. Ansari, who is currently lodged in the Banda jail, is likely to remain in the prison despite getting bail as he is accused in several other cases. In June this year, a court in Varanasi had awarded life sentence to Ansari in a murder case. During the hearing in the case on September 20, counsel for Ansari had argued in the court that the Gangsters Act was imposed on the appellant on the basis of his alleged involvement in the murder of BJP MLA Krishna Nand Rai in 2005 and in that case he has already been acquitted. It was also argued by the appellant's counsel that Ansari has served more than 10 years' sentence in the trial itself, so there is no justification to keep him in jail even after conviction. The state counsel had opposed the bail plea saying that there are sufficient grounds to keep him in jail. After hearing the parties, the high court had reserved its order. In the gangster case, the MP-MLA court had also sentenced Ansari's brother Afzal Ansari to four years in jail. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said his party would conduct a "caste census" if elected to power as only such an exercise would ensure "participation of OBCs, Dalits, tribals and women". He also asked why the Narendra Modi government had not released the details of a 'caste census' conducted by the Congress (when it was in power) and sought to know if the PM was afraid of such an exercise. Addressing the state government's 'Awas Nyay Sammelan' in Parsada (Sakri) village in Bilaspur, Gandhi also waved a remote control at the crowd and said the poor and needy were benefited when the Congress presses it, while "Adani gets ports, airports and railway contracts" when the ruling BJP does the same. "The Congress had conducted a caste census that has the record of the population of every caste in the country. The Union government has this report but Modiji doesn't want to reveal it," he claimed. "Caste census has to be conducted if we want to give participation to Other Backward Classes, Dalits, tribals and women. If Modiji does not conduct a caste census, then when we are elected to power our first step will be to conduct a caste census to ensure OBC participation," Gandhi asserted. Gandhi said the government is run by secretaries and cabinet secretaries and not MPs and MLAs, and pointed out that only three of the 90 secretaries in various Union government ministries are OBCs. These three persons control only 5 per cent of the country's budget, Gandhi said and questioned if India only had 5 per cent OBC population. Asserting that the caste census is the answer to such questions, Gandhi asked why Modi was scared of the enumeration exercise. At the event, during which he launched the Bhupesh Baghel government's 'Gramin Awas Nyay Yojna (GANY)' aimed at providing financial assistance to the homeless and families having kutcha houses in rural areas, Gandhi brandished a remote control to target the Modi government. Gandhi said he had pressed a remote control today and several thousand crore rupees went into the accounts of people of Chhattisgarh. He said the housing scheme launched during the day covers those persons who were entitled to get assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana but never got it as the Centre failed to provide funds despite repeated reminders from the state government, Gandhi said. "We (Congress) press a remote control in front of cameras. The BJP does it secretly. When BJP presses a remote control, (industrialist Gautam) Adani gets Mumbai's airport and railway contracts," he alleged. "There are two remote controls. When we press it, farmers receive money into their accounts through Nyay Scheme and English medium schools get opened (in Chhattisgarh). But when BJP presses a remote, the public sector gets privatized and jal-jungle-zameen (water, forests and land) goes to Adani," Gandhi claimed. Gandhi alleged his Lok Sabha membership was cancelled after he questioned PM Modi's relations with Adani. Gandhi was disqualified as LS member after a court in Surat in Gujarat sentenced him to two years in jail for a remark at a rally in Karnataka about why thieves had the surname Modi. His conviction was later stayed by the Supreme Court, after which he got back his membership of the Lower House. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday ruled out returning to the NDA, an alliance he parted with a year ago, to which the BJP retorted he would not be welcome even if he begged for another chance. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, Kumar's former deputy, called the JD(U) supremo a "political liability who had lost his steam" and said "naak ragdenge to bhi nahin wapas lenge" (will not be re-inducted even if begs). Ironically, Kumar was speaking out against the BJP at RSS ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya's birth anniversary. Upadhyaya was a member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the original party from which BJP was born and RSS is considered as the ideological progenitor of a number of organisations including the saffron party. A fire in a commercial building south of Benins capital has killed at least 35 people, authorities said, as they started an investigation. The gutted and burned ruins of a building in Seme-Podji, 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the capital Porto-Novo, and the charred remains of cars and motorcycles was all that could be seen in the aftermath of the fire in footage by Benins public broadcaster. A fire official told broadcaster ORTB that the accident happened at a site known for the storage and handling of gasoline. Passersby rescued three people before firefighters arrived, the official, Dallys Ahouangbegnon, added. The fire broke out on Saturday morning and was probably started during the unloading of bags of gasoline, Beninese prosecutor Adam-Bongle Abdoubaki said in a statement published on local outlet benin-news.com. The dead included one child while more than a dozen people were injured, he said. Abdoubaki added that a crisis unit was set up to keep the victims families informed, collect information to establish the cause of the fire, and determine criminal liability. I am dismayed, local prefecture representative Marie Akpotrossou told the public broadcaster. She blamed the deaths of so many people on the sale of contraband gasoline and said it was high time to take another look at the illegal trade. The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washingtons ongoing concerns about the Israeli governments treatment of Palestinian Americans. US officials say an announcement of Israels entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israels admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year. The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for three months without visas. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly announced. Blinkens recommendation is expected to be delivered no later than Tuesday, the officials said, and the final announcement will come just eight days after President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The leaders did not raise the issue in their brief remarks to reporters at that meeting but it has been a subject of intense negotiation and debate for months. Israels admission into the program has been a priority for successive Israeli leaders and will be a major accomplishment for Netanyahu, who has sparred frequently with the Biden administration over Iran, the Palestinian conflict and most recently a proposed remake of Israels judicial system that critics say will make the country less democratic. Netanyahus far-right government has drawn repeated US criticism over its treatment of Palestinians, including its aggressive construction of West Bank settlements, its opposition to Palestinian statehood and incendiary anti-Palestinian comments by senior Cabinet ministers. The US move will give a welcome boost at home to Netanyahu. He has faced months of mass protests against his judicial plan and is likely to come under criticism from the Palestinians, who say the U.S. should not be rewarding the Israeli government at a time when peace efforts are at a standstill. Israel met two of the three most critical criteria over the past two years a low percentage of visa application rejections and a low visa overstay rate to join the U.S. program. It had struggled to meet the third, which is a requirement for reciprocity that means all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when traveling to or through Israel. Claiming national security reasons, Israel has long had separate entry requirements and screening processes for Palestinian Americans. Many complained that the procedures were onerous and discriminatory. Americans with Palestinian residency documents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were largely barred from using Israels international airport. Instead, like other Palestinians, they were forced to travel through either Jordan or Egypt to reach their destinations. In recent months, Israel has moved to adjust its entry requirements for Palestinian Americans, including allowing them to fly in and out of Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and going directly to the West Bank and Israel proper, according to the officials. Israel also has pledged to ease movement for Palestinian Americans traveling in and out of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. New regulations took effect earlier this month to codify the changes, although concerns remain and the Homeland Security Department intends to stress in its announcement that it will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that Israel complies, according to the officials. Failure to comply could result in Israels suspension from the program, the officials said. Under the waiver program, Israelis will be able to travel to the US for business or leisure purposes for up to 90 days without a visa simply by registering with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid on Sunday in the northern West Bank, Palestinian health officials said, the latest bloodshed in a surge of violence during a sensitive Jewish holiday period. The Israeli military said it moved into the Nour Shams refugee camp, near the town of Tulkarem, to destroy what it described as a militant command centre and bomb-storage facility in a building. It said that engineering units detonated a number of bombs planted under roads and that militants opened fire and hurled explosives, as troops responded with live fire. The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men Asid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, 32 were killed by Israeli fire. The raid caused heavy damage to the camps main road, severing water pipes and flooding parts of the street. The ground floor of the targeted building was heavily damaged, while part of the exterior wall of the second floor collapsed. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Birzeit University, a major Palestinian institution, said the Israeli army carried out a rare raid on its campus near the city of Ramallah and arrested nine students, including the head of the student council. It said the students were all supporters of the Hamas militant group. The university denounced the raid, which it said caused damage to university property. The Israeli military claimed the suspects were plotting an attack on Israeli targets. Israel has been carrying out stepped-up military raids, primarily in the northern West Bank, for the past year and a half in what it says is a campaign to root out Palestinian militants and thwart future attacks. But Palestinians say the raids entrench Israels 56-year occupation over the West Bank. The raids have shown little sign of slowing the fighting and contributed to the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government that administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Some 190 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. At least 31 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis this year. The tensions have begun to spread over the past week to the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of Palestinians have been holding daily demonstrations along the fence separating the territory from Israel. On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes hit a militant site for the second time in as many days, after Palestinians sent incendiary balloons into Israeli farmland and Palestinian protesters threw stones and explosives at soldiers at the separation fence The spike in violence comes during the Jewish New Year holiday season. Jews are set to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day on their calendar, on Sunday night followed by the weeklong Sukkot festival later in the month. During Sukkot, large numbers of Jews are expected to visit Jerusalems most sensitive holy site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The compound, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is often a focal point for violence. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and chairs; bedding products comprising bed linen, dorma, baby and kid's bedding, and duvets, pillows and protectors; curtains and rugs; and venetian, roller, roman, vertical, and made to measure blinds. It also offers range of home decor products, such as mirrors, clocks, ornaments, pictures and frames, candle and home fragrance, flower and plants, vases, kid accessories, cushions, bean bags, and letterbox flowers, as well as housewarming, engagement, anniversary, and wedding gifts; lighting products, including ceiling and wall lights, table and desk lamps, floor lamps, and pendants and lamp shades; and paint, wallpaper, DIY and upcycling, and haberdashery products. In addition, the company provides kitchen and utility products comprising cooking, dining, electrical, utility, and pet products; towel and bathmats, and bathroom accessories, as well as furniture and decor products; storage products, such as travel and luggage, home, clothes, and kitchen storage; kids bedroom, nursery, and accessories products; outdoor products, which include garden furniture and decoration, and entreating and dining products; and trends christmas products and winter essentials. It operates through a network of 177 stores and 2 distribution centers, as well as sells its products through an online store at dunelm.com. Dunelm Group plc was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Syston, the United Kingdom. Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Aritzia Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs and sells apparel and accessories for women in the United States and Canada. The company offers t-shirts and tops, sweaters, shirts and blouses, bodysuits, sweatshirts, blazers, jacket and coats, and dresses; pants, denim, leggings and bike shorts, sweatpants, skirts, shorts, sweatshorts, and jumpsuits and rompers; accessories, such as socks, hats, bags, scarves, belts, and intimates; swimwear; and shoes. It offers its products under the Wilfred, Wilfred Free, Babaton, The Group by Babaton, Babaton 101, Ten by Babaton, Tna, Little Moon, Sunday Best, Super World, TnAction, Denim Forum, Auxiliary, Talula, Tna x EMU, New Era, and Merrell brands. The company was formerly known as Aritzia Capital Corporation and changed its name to Aritzia Inc. in August 2016. Aritzia Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. 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. APi Group Corporation provides safety, specialty, and industrial services in North America, Europe, Australia, the Asian-Pacific, and other countries. It operates through Safety Services and Specialty Services segments. The Safety Services segment offers safety solutions focusing on end-to-end integrated occupancy systems, such as fire protection solutions; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning solutions; and entry systems, which include the design, installation, and inspection and service of these integrated systems. The Specialty Services segment provides infrastructure and specialized industrial plant services, including maintenance and repair of underground electric, gas, water, sewer, and telecommunications infrastructure. This segment also offers engineering and design, fabrication, installation, and retrofitting and upgrading services, pipeline infrastructure, access and road construction, supporting facilities, and integrity management and maintenance to the energy industry. It serves customers in the public and private sectors, including commercial, industrial, fulfillment centers, distribution, manufacturing, education, healthcare, telecom, transmission, utilities, high tech, entertainment, retail, and governmental markets. The company was formerly known as J2 Acquisition Limited and changed its name to APi Group Corporation in October 2019. APi Group Corporation was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in New Brighton, Minnesota. The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers workers' compensation, commercial automobile and property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, employers' liability, public and product liability, professional indemnity, marine, aviation, onshore and offshore energy, construction, terrorism, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance products. This segment operates through select accounts, which serve small businesses; commercial accounts that serve mid-sized businesses; national accounts, which serve large companies; and national property and other that serve large and mid-sized customers, commercial trucking industry, and agricultural businesses, as well as markets and distributes its products through brokers, wholesale agents, and program managers. The Bond & Specialty Insurance segment provides surety, fidelity, management and professional liability, and other property and casualty coverages and related risk management services through independent agencies and brokers. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners' insurance to individuals through independent agencies and brokers. The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York. Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI) pays an annual dividend of $3.72 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.39%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 7 consecutive years, indicating the company has a new, but growing committment to grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 203.28%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, SUI will have a dividend payout ratio of 51.38% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for SUI. Prudential Financial, Inc. is a global financial services company headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Founded in 1875, the company has become one of the world's largest insurance and investment management companies, with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential Financial provides insurance, retirement, and investment products to individuals, businesses, and institutional clients. The company has diverse products and services, including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, retirement planning, asset management, and real estate services. Its offerings cater to a wide range of customers, from individuals to large corporations. Prudential Financial's management team is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles F. Lowrey, who assumed the position in 2018. Lowrey has been with the company for over 25 years and has held various leadership positions, including President and Chief Operating Officer. He has a strong track record of driving growth and profitability, having led the company's international business and overseen its merger with Prudential plc's Asian business. Other key management team members include Vice Chairman Robert Falzon and Chief Financial Officer Ken Tanji. Over the past few years, Prudential Financial has delivered consistent financial results. The company reported revenue and net income up for the past several years. The company keeps an average profit margin of around 4%. The company has maintained a solid balance sheet with an average debt-to-capital ratio of approximately 20%. Prudential Financial's valuation metrics compare favorably to industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratio are slightly lower than the industry average. These metrics suggest that the company's stock is undervalued relative to its peers. Prudential Financial's stock has performed well over the past few years. Prudential Financial operates in the insurance and investment management industry, which is highly competitive and subject to regulatory and political risks. The industry is also subject to cyclical and secular trends that can impact its profitability. For instance, low-interest rates can reduce the profitability of insurers and investment managers by reducing investment income. Prudential Financial's main competitors include MetLife, AIG, and Manulife Financial. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political risks, such as changes in tax laws or regulatory requirements. In addition, consumer preferences and behavior can also impact the industry, as changes in consumer preferences for financial products and services can affect the demand for insurance and investment management products. Prudential Financial has several growth opportunities. The company has a strong presence in Asia, particularly in Japan and China, where it has established partnerships with local financial institutions to distribute its products. The company also recently acquired Assurance IQ, a technology-enabled insurance brokerage, to expand its reach in the United States. Prudential Financial is also focused on developing new products and services to meet evolving customer needs, such as its Prudential LINK platform, which provides customers with a personalized approach to financial wellness. Additionally, the company has invested in digital and data capabilities to improve customer experience and streamline operations. Prudential Financial also has opportunities for expansion into new markets. The company has been expanding its footprint in emerging markets, such as Brazil and Mexico, where it has seen strong growth potential. Furthermore, the company has been exploring opportunities in the growing retirement and financial planning market, particularly in the United States. The aging population has increased the demand for retirement and wealth management services. Prudential Financial also faces several risks and challenges. The company is exposed to market risks, such as fluctuations in interest rates and equity markets, which can impact the value of its investment portfolio and earnings. In addition, the company's success depends on its ability to effectively manage risks associated with its insurance business, such as mortality, morbidity, and longevity risks. Prudential Financial is also exposed to regulatory and political risks. Changes in regulatory requirements or tax laws can impact the company's operations and profitability. Furthermore, the company operates in multiple jurisdictions with different regulatory environments, which can create additional complexity and costs. 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. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was formed in 1961 with the merger of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and Imperial Bank of Canada. The merger, the largest in Canadian banking history, gave the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce its name but not its true origin. The founding banks originated in 1867 and 1873 respectively and were among the countrys oldest surviving banks at the time. The business is headquartered in Toronto and located at the iconic CIBC Square in downtown Toronto. Today, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is a diversified international financial institution serving more than 13 million clients globally. It provides a full range of financial products and services for individuals, families, businesses and institutions in North America and around the world. The companys goal is to create value by providing consistent returns and sustainable growth. The company maintains a lower-than-average credit profile to help achieve that goal and keep it in a position to take advantage of strategic opportunities. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce operates in 4 segments that include Canadian Personal and Business Banking, Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets. In late 2022 the company brought in over C$20 billion in revenue, had more than C$678 billion in deposits and had more than C$896 million in total assets. In regard to the banks health, it carries high AA or A+ investment grade credit ratings from all the major credit rating agencies. The companys products and services include personal and business deposit accounts, checking, savings, credit cards, and loans. Loans include mortgages, business credit, student loans, and agri-business. Other products include investment services, wealth management, and insurance services. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces digital platform, which was the first launched in Canada, is award-winning and ranked #1 for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces strategy is built on 3 drivers. The first is focusing on high-growth, high-traffic client demographics, the second is elevating the customer experience through digital and the third is investing in differentiators within fast-growing markets. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is also a committed dividend payer that has not only paid a dividend every year since its inception but increases it on a regular basis as well. The company is also well-known for its long-term dividend growth and has a 15-year CAGR above 5.0%. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is committed to sustainability. The companys efforts won it a spot on Canadas Greenest Employers list for 2022 as well as recognition as Best Diversity Employer and for gender equality. 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. 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. Carrier Global Corporation provides heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security, and building automation technologies worldwide. It operates through three segments: HVAC, Refrigeration, and Fire & Security. The HVAC segment provides products, controls, services, and solutions to meet the heating, cooling, and ventilation needs of residential and commercial customers. Its products include air conditioners, heating systems, controls, and aftermarket components, as well as aftermarket repair and maintenance services and building automation solutions. The Refrigeration segment offers transport refrigeration and monitoring products and services, as well as digital solutions for trucks, trailers, shipping containers, intermodal applications, food retail, and warehouse cooling; and commercial refrigeration solutions, such as refrigerated cabinets, freezers, systems, and controls. The Fire & Security segment provides various residential, commercial, and industrial technologies, including fire, flame, gas, smoke, and carbon monoxide detection; portable fire extinguishers; fire suppression systems; intruder alarms; access control systems; video management systems; and electronic controls. Its other fire and security service offerings comprise audit, design, installation, and system integration, as well as aftermarket maintenance and repair and monitoring services. The company offers its products under the Autronica, Det-Tronics, Edwards, Aritech, Fireye, GST, Kidde, LenelS2, Marioff, Onity, and Supra; Carrier, Toshiba, Automated Logic, Bryant, CIAT, Day & Night, Heil, NORESCO, and Riello; and Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold, and Sensitech brands. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. McDonald's Corporation is a U.S.-based multinational restaurant chain that serves hamburgers, fries, chicken sandwiches and drinks. The company is the largest restaurant chain by revenue and serves more than 69 million customers daily. Total revenue topped $23 billion in 2022, with most revenue coming from its franchisees. The company operates in 100 countries and is the world's second-largest private employer, with more than 200,000 executives, managers, cooks and front-line staff. McDonald's most iconic food items include French fries and the Big Mac. McDonald's serves hot and crispy fries. Its Big Mac is a double-decker burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and "secret sauce," a combination of thousand island and French dressing that evokes a sharper flavor. Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in 1940. Its first restaurant location was in San Bernardino, California, and it quickly rebranded into a hamburger stand. The new concept met colossal success, and soon, the two were franchising their brand to other operators. The key to the brother's success was the Speedee Service System introduced in 1948. This system modeled concepts established by earlier chains. The company introduced the golden arches in 1953 in Arizona and reached a significant turning point in 1955 when Ray Kroc entered the picture. He came aboard as the company's franchising agent and bought the company while expanding it. His first restaurant was the company's ninth total, but many agree that Kroc created the modern McDonald's Corporation. During his tenure, McDonald's expanded its footprint, enhanced its menu and grew into international territories. The fictional character Ronald McDonald came to life in 1963. He lives in McDonaldland with his pals Mayor McCheese, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, the Fry Kids and the Hamburglar. He was invented as a marketing ploy to attract children and has become one of the nation's most beloved characters. At the peak of his popularity, the company employed more than 300 full-time clowns to portray Ronald McDonald. Today, McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises McDonald's restaurants globally. The company generates revenue via sales in company-owned stores and rents, fees and royalties from its franchisees. The company's business model is to aid franchisees with real estate purchases and buildings so that it can collect on rent and other fees and brand royalties. As of 2022, the company owns about 45% of the land its restaurants sit on and 70% of the buildings. This model not only generates additional revenue and earnings but helps to insulate it from ups and downs in the consumer cycle. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated about 38,000 restaurants, which includes the closing or divestiture of business in Russia. 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. The earliest precursor to U.S. Bancorp was founded in 1863 and is now headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company owns the 24th national charter, issued in 1863, and is the second oldest original charter holder still in existence. Today, the bank is the 5th largest financial institution in the U.S. and is considered to be systemically important by the FSB. The companys revenue in 2021 topped $22.7 billion, it listed more than $573 million in total assets and employed more than 68,700 people. U.S. Bancorp Is now operating as a financial services holding company. The company provides various financial and banking-related services to individuals, businesses, institutions, and governments under the U.S. Bank, Elavon, and Elan Financial Services banners. Elavon is a payment processor for merchants while Elan Financial Services is a credit card issuer that works in conjunction with small banks and credit unions across the U.S. The U.S. Bank's name got its start in 1891 as the United States National Bank of Portland. That bank was merged with several others over the years before the one resulting in US Bancorp of Oregon. That bank lasted until the late 1990s when it was merged with the First Bank System of Minnesota. That merger created the now-recognizable U.S. Bancorp but the mergers do not end there. A final takeover by Firstar, another bank with a long history of mergers, resulted in the bank being traded on the New York Stock Exchange today. U.S. Bank operates in 5 segments that include Corporate and Commercial Banking, Consumer and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Investment Services, Payment Services and Treasury and Corporate Support segments. The companys long-term debt all carries AA or A+ ratings and are considered investment quality. U.S. Bancorps financial services include deposits, checking, savings accounts, and CDs as well as a range of lending and investment services. Lending services include consumer and business loans, lines of credit and credit cards as well as personal loans, and others. Investment and insurance services include asset management, fund administration, IRA, and access to markets. Services are available through a network of 2,213 branch offices throughout the western and midwestern U.S. Accounts are also accessible through 4,052 ATMs, mobile, online, and telephone. U.S. Bancorp has operations in 26 states. The following companies are subsidiares of Eaton: Abeiron III Unlimited Company, Aeroquip Iberica S.L., Aeroquip-Vickers, Aphel Technologies, Argo-Tech, Arrow Hose & Tubing, Azonix Corporation, Babco Electric Group, Baricide Inc., Beijing Yoosung Shinhwa Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Blinda Industria e Comercio Ltda., Bussmann International Holdings LLC, Bussmann International Inc., Bussmann S. de R.L. de C.V., CBE Services Inc., CEAG Notlichtsysteme GmbH, CLS (Canada) Company, COBHAM INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, CTI-VIENNA Gesellschaft zur Prufung elektrotechnischer Industrieprodukte GmbH, Cambridge International Sarl, Cannon Technologies Inc., Chagrin Highlands III Ltd., Cobham, Cobham Mission Systems Davenport AAR Inc., Cobham Mission Systems Davenport LSS Inc., Cobham Mission Systems FWB Inc., Cobham Mission Systems Orchard Park Inc., Cobham Mission Systems Wimborne Limited, Cooper (China) Co. Ltd., Cooper (Ningbo) Electric Co. Ltd., Cooper B-Line Inc., Cooper Bussmann LLC, Cooper Capri S.A.S., Cooper Crouse-Hinds (LLC), Cooper Crouse-Hinds AS, Cooper Crouse-Hinds B.V., Cooper Crouse-Hinds GmbH, Cooper Crouse-Hinds LLC, Cooper Crouse-Hinds MTL Inc., Cooper Crouse-Hinds S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Crouse-Hinds S.A., Cooper Csa Srl, Cooper Edison (Pingdingshan) Electronic Technologies Co. Ltd., Cooper Electric (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Cooper Electric (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cooper Electrical International LLC, Cooper Electronic Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cooper Enterprises LLC, Cooper Finance USA Inc., Cooper Germany Holdings GmbH, Cooper Industrials, Cooper Industries (Canada) Company, Cooper Industries (Electrical) Inc., Cooper Industries Colombia S.A.S., Cooper Industries FZE, Cooper Industries Finance B.V., Cooper Industries Global B.V., Cooper Industries International LLC, Cooper Industries Japan K.K., Cooper Industries LLC, Cooper Industries Romania SRL, Cooper Industries Russia LLC, Cooper Industries Trading Unlimited Company, Cooper Industries Unlimited Company, Cooper Industries Vietnam LLC, Cooper Interconnect Inc., Cooper International Holdings S.a.r.l, Cooper Korea Ltd., Cooper Menvier France SARL, Cooper Notification Inc., Cooper Power Systems LLC, Cooper Power Systems do Brasil Ltda., Cooper Pretronica Unipessoal Lda., Cooper Safety B.V., Cooper Securite S.A.S., Cooper Shanghai Power Capacitor Co. Ltd., Cooper Technologies Company, Cooper Univel S.A., Cooper Wheelock Inc., Cooper Wiring Devices Inc., Cooper Wiring Devices de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Cooper Xi'an Fusegear Co. Ltd., Cooper Yuhua (Changzhou) Electric Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Copperlogic, Cutler-Hammer Electrical Company, Cutler-Hammer Industries Ltd., Cutler-Hammer SRL, Cyme International T & D Inc., D.P. Eaton Electric, Digital Lighting (Dong Guan) Co. Ltd., Digital Lighting Co. Limited, Digital Lighting Holdings Limited, Dongguan Cooper Electronics Co. Ltd., Dongguan Wiring Devices Electronics Co. Ltd., E. Begerow, E.A. Pedersen Co., ETN Asia International Limited, ETN Holding 1 Limited, ETN Holding 2 Limited, ETN Holding 3 Limited, Eaton (China) Investments Co. Ltd., Eaton (Switzerland) Holding I GmbH, Eaton (Switzerland) Holding II GmbH, Eaton (Switzerland) Holding III G.m.b.H., Eaton Aeroquip LLC, Eaton Aerospace LLC, Eaton Ann Arbor LLC, Eaton Automated Transmission Technologies Corporation, Eaton Automation G.m.b.H, Eaton Automation Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Automotive Components Spolka z o.o., Eaton Automotive Spolka z o.o., Eaton Automotive Systems Spolka z o.o., Eaton B.V., Eaton Capital Global Holdings Unlimited Company, Eaton Capital Unlimited Company, Eaton Controls (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Eaton Controls (UK) Limited, Eaton Corporation, Eaton Domhanda I Limited, Eaton Domhanda Unlimited Company, Eaton Electric, Eaton Electric & Engineering Services Limited, Eaton Electric (Japan) Ltd., Eaton Electric (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Eaton Electric (South Africa) Pty Ltd., Eaton Electric (Thailand) Limited, Eaton Electric (Vietnam) Company Limited, Eaton Electric AB, Eaton Electric AS, Eaton Electric ApS, Eaton Electric BV, Eaton Electric G.m.b.H., Eaton Electric Holdings LLC, Eaton Electric Limited, Eaton Electric S.I.A., Eaton Electric S.a.r.l., Eaton Electric S.r.l., Eaton Electric Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Electric d.o.o., Eaton Electric s.r.o., Eaton Electrical (Australia) Pty Ltd, Eaton Electrical Equipment Co Ltd, Eaton Electrical IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Electrical Ltd., Eaton Electrical Products Limited, Eaton Electrical S.A., Eaton Electrical Srl, Eaton Electrical Systems Limited, Eaton Electro Productie S.r.l., Eaton Elektrik Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Eaton Elektrotechnika s.r.o., Eaton Enterprises (Hungary) Kft., Eaton Enterprises Limited, Eaton Enterprises S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton FZE, Eaton Filtration (Italy) S.r.l., Eaton Filtration (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Eaton Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Filtration BV, Eaton Filtration Ltd., Eaton France Holding SAS, Eaton Fu Li An (Changzhou) Electronics Co. Ltd., Eaton Germany G.m.b.H., Eaton Germany Holdings GmbH, Eaton Global Holdings II Limited, Eaton Global Holdings III Limited, Eaton Global Holdings Limited, Eaton Global Limited, Eaton GmbH & Co. KG, Eaton Holding (Austria) G.m.b.H., Eaton Holding (Netherlands) B.V., Eaton Holding (UK) II Limited, Eaton Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Holding I B.V., Eaton Holding II S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding III B.V., Eaton Holding IV S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding Limited, Eaton Holding S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding SE & Co. KG, Eaton Holding Turlock B.V., Eaton Holding V B.V., Eaton Holding VI B.V., Eaton Holding VII B.V., Eaton Holding VIII B.V., Eaton Holding XIII S.a.r.l., Eaton Hydraulics LLC, Eaton Hydraulics Systems (Jining) Co. Ltd., Eaton I Spolka z.o.o., Eaton II LP, Eaton III LP, Eaton IV LP, Eaton India Innovation Center LLP, Eaton Industrial Products Pvt. Ltd., Eaton Industrial Systems Private Limited, Eaton Industries (Argentina) S.A., Eaton Industries (Austria) G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries (Belgium) BV, Eaton Industries (Canada) Company, Eaton Industries (Chile) S.p.A., Eaton Industries (Colombia) S.A.S., Eaton Industries (Egypt) LLC, Eaton Industries (England) Limited, Eaton Industries (France) S.A.S., Eaton Industries (Ireland) II Limited, Eaton Industries (Ireland) Limited, Eaton Industries (Israel) Ltd., Eaton Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Eaton Industries (Jining) Co. Ltd, Eaton Industries (Korea) Limited, Eaton Industries (Morocco) LLC, Eaton Industries (Netherlands) B.V., Eaton Industries (Philippines) LLC, Eaton Industries (Spain) S.L., Eaton Industries (Thailand) Ltd., Eaton Industries (U.K.) Limited, Eaton Industries (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Eaton Industries Company, Eaton Industries EOOD, Eaton Industries G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Holdings Ltd., Eaton Industries I Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries II G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries II Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries III Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries IV Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries IX LLC, Eaton Industries KFT, Eaton Industries LP, Eaton Industries Manufacturing G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Middle East LLC, Eaton Industries Panama S.A., Eaton Industries Pte. Ltd., Eaton Industries Pty. Ltd., Eaton Industries S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Industries SAC, Eaton Industries Sdn. Bhd., Eaton Industries V Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries VI Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries VII Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries VIII LLC, Eaton Industries X Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XI Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XII Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XIII Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XIV Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XIX Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XV Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XVI LLC, Eaton Industries XVIII Unlimited Company, Eaton Industries XX Unlimited Company, Eaton Industria e Comercio de Produtos Eletricos e Servicos Ltda, Eaton Intelligent Power Limited, Eaton International B.V., Eaton International Industries Nigeria Limited, Eaton Japan G.K., Eaton LLC, Eaton LP, Eaton Leasing Corporation, Eaton Limited, Eaton Ltda., Eaton MEDC Limited, Eaton Management Services LLP, Eaton Manufacturing G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing Hungary Kft., Eaton Manufacturing II G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing III G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing LP, Eaton Manufacturing Limited, Eaton Moeller B.V., Eaton Moeller S.a.r.l., Eaton Phoenixtec MMPL Co. Ltd., Eaton Power (Shanghai) Trading Limited Partnership, Eaton Power Quality (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Power Quality Limited, Eaton Power Quality OY (Finland), Eaton Power Quality Private Limited, Eaton Production International G.m.b.H., Eaton Protection Systems IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton S.A.S., Eaton S.r.l., Eaton SE, Eaton Safety Limited, Eaton Science & Technology Management (Hainan) Limited Partnership, Eaton Services S.a.r.l., Eaton Solutions S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Technologies (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Eaton Technologies G.m.b.H., Eaton Technologies Private Limited, Eaton Technologies S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Teorainn Limited, Eaton Trading (FZC) LLC, Eaton Trading Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Truck Components (Proprietary) Ltd., Eaton Truck Components S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Truck Components Spolka z o.o., Eaton eMobility France SAS, Eaton-Powerware, Electromanufacturas S. de R.L. de C.V., Electrum Group Ltd., Ephesus Lighting, FHF Bergbautechnik GmbH & Co. KG, FHF Funke+Huster Fernsig GmbH, Flight Refuelling Limited, Funke+Huster GmbH, GeCma Components electronic GmbH, Gitiesse S.r.l., Green Holding S.a.r.l., Green Motion SA, Grupo Desdemona S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Otello S. de R.L. de C.V., Hein Moeller Stiftung G.m.b.H., Hernis Scan Systems A/S, HuanYu High Tech, IE Power, Innovative Switchgear Solutions Inc, Institute for International Product Safety G.m.b.H., Integrated Hydraulics, Integrated Partial Discharge Diagnostics, Internormen Technology, Jeil Hydraulics, Joslyn Sunbank Company LLC, Kaicheng Funke+Huster (Tangshan) Mining Electrical Co. Ltd., Lian Zheng Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., MP Group SAS, MTL Instruments B.V., MTL Instruments LLC, MTL Instruments Private Limited, MTL Instruments SARL, MTL Italia Srl, MTL Partners II Inc., MTL Partners Inc., Marina Power and Lighting, Martek Power GmbH, Martek Power S.A. de C.V., McGraw-Edison Development Corporation, Menvier Overseas Holdings Limited, Micro Innovation Holding, Mission Systems, Moeller Electric (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Moeller Electric Ltda., Moeller Holding Gmbh & Co. KG, Moeller Industria de electro-electronicos do Amazonas Ltda., Morestana, Norex AS, Optimum Path Systems (Shanghai) Ltd., Oxalis Group, PDI Intermediate Corp., PT Eaton Industries, PT Ulusoy Electric Indonesia, PT Ulusoy Electric Industry, PT. Fluid Sciences Batam, PerkinElmer - aerospace division, Phoenixtec Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Phoenixtec International Corp., Phoenixtec Power, Pigozzi, Plumtree I Limited, Plumtree Mauritius Limited, Polimer Kaucuk Sanayi Ve Pazarlama, Power Distribution Holdings Inc., Power Distribution Inc., Pringle Electrical Manufacturing, Productos Eaton Livia S.L., Pulizzi Engineering, RTE Far East Corporation, Riseson International Limited, Rizhao Yoosung Shinhwa Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Rolec Comercial e Industrial, Royal Power Solutions, SOURIAU, Santak Electronic (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Santak Electronics Company Limited, Saturn Insurance Company Ltd., Scantronic Benelux BV, Schreder-Hazemeyer, Scoremax Limited, Sefelec GmbH, Sefelec SAS, Senyuan International Holdings Limited, Senyuan International Investments Limited, Shakespeare Holdings Inc., Silver Light International Limited, Silver Victory Hong Kong Limited, Souriau Dominican Republic Ltd., Souriau Germany GmbH, Souriau India Pvt Ltd, Souriau Italy Srl, Souriau Japan KK, Souriau MAROC Sarl, Souriau S.A.S., Souriau UK Ltd, Souriau USA Inc, Standard Automation & Control LP, Sunbank Family of Companies LLC, Sunbank de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Sure Power Inc., T.T.M.C. (2012) Ltd, TGM Automotiva, TTMC Holdings Inc., Technocontact, Telkom Kenya, The MTL Instruments Group Limited, Tractech, Tripp Lite Holdings Inc., Tripp Lite of Canada Corp., Trippe Manufacturing Company, Turlock B.V., Tuthill Coupling Group, Ultronics, Ulusoy Elektrik Imalat Taahhut ve Ticaret AS, Winner Hydraulics Ltd., Wright Line Holding Inc., and Wright Line LLC. Read More Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. holds concessions to operate, maintain, and develop airports in the southeast region of Mexico. The company operates airports that are located in the cities of Cancun, Cozumel, Merida, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Villahermosa, Tapachula, and Minatitlan. It provides aeronautical services, which include passenger, aircraft landing and parking, passenger walkway, and airport security services. The company also offers non-aeronautical services, such as leasing of space at its airports to retailers, restaurants, airlines, and other commercial tenants; catering, handling, and ground transportation services, as well as engages in the various commercial operations. In addition, it holds concessions to operate the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and various airports in Colombia, including the Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellin, the Jose Maria Cordova International Airport in Rionegro, the Los Garzones Airport in Monteria, the Antonio Roldan Betancourt Airport in Carepa, the El Carano Airport in Quibdo, and the Las Brujas Airport in Corozal. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. 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. 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. General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, nutrition bars, and savory snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. It also manufactures and markets pet food products, including dog and cat food. The company markets its products under the Annie's, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Blue Buffalo, Blue Basics, Blue Freedom, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, EPIC, Fiber One, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto's, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Kitano, Kix, Larabar, Latina, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Nudges, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Top Chews Naturals, Totino's, Trix, True Chews, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Wilderness, Yoki, Reese's Puffs, Green Giant, and Yoplait trademarks. It sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce retailers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, convenience stores, and pet specialty stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. In addition, the company operates ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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. Visa Inc. is a US-based multinational financial services company formed from a consortium of US banks. It is the 2nd largest payment processor globally and the leading payment processor outside China. Its market share in 2021 was roughly 50% of global transaction volume x-China. Transactions are processed in 1 of 4 hardened data centers in key regions worldwide. The data centers are hardened against internal and external attacks, both physical and digital, and can operate independently of each, providing ample redundancy for the system. As of 2022, the company can process more than 30,000 transactions per second, making it the most viable solution for most use-case scenarios. Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 by Bank of America as the BankAmericard Credit Card network. Not only is the card itself of historical importance, but how it was launched is also. Bank of America launched the program with the first mass mailing of unsolicited credit cards, changing the nature of the entire consumer credit market. At the time, consumers often had several credit accounts with local merchants, which was cumbersome for financial record-keeping; by introducing a consumer-friendly credit card, Bank of America unified merchant credit accounts into one billing statement. The BankAmericard network was so popular, and to compete again with the then-number 1 MasterCard, Bank of America opened use to other financial institutions. By 1970 Bank of America had relinquished direct control of the institution allowing a consortium of financial institutions to operate the company. It was rebranded as Visa in 1976 and grew to become the dominant payment processing network in the decades since. Visa Inc is not a card issuer; it does not extend credit to consumers and does not set rates or fees for consumers. It is in business to provide electronic funds transfers services or EFT to financial institutions, banks, government and businesses. Entities needing financial payment processing infrastructure can enroll in VisaNet and issue Visa-branded cards and services to their clients and customers. Visa operated as four separate entities serving different regions of the globe until restructuring in 2006. The restructuring resulted in the merger of 3 of the four assets into Visa Inc, leaving Visa Europe as a stand-alone entity. The new Visa Inc held its IPO in 2007, selling half of its shares, raising nearly $18 billion or almost double the targeted amount. Visa Europe was later acquired by Visa Inc, forming the unified company traded today. Visa employs more than 26,500 individuals globally and brought in roughly $15 billion in revenue for fiscal 2021. The company has more than 3.9 billion active cards out globally; it has processed more than 255 billion transactions and is used by more than 80 million merchant locations. As a forward-thinking company, Visa is also engaged to some degree with the cryptocurrency markets and has partnerships with Coinbase and Crypto.com, among others. Suzano S.A. produces and sells eucalyptus pulp and paper products in Brazil and internationally. It operates through Pulp and Paper segments. The company offers coated and uncoated printing and writing papers, paperboards, tissue papers, and market and fluff pulps; and lignin. It also engages in the research, development, and production of biofuel; operation of port terminals; power generation and distribution business; commercialization of equipment and parts; industrialization, commercialization, and exporting of pulp and standing wood; road freight transport; biotechnology research and development; and commercialization of paper and computer materials. In addition, the company is involved in the business office, production packaging, and financial fundraising activities; research, development, production, commercialization, and distribution of wood-based textile fibers, yarns, and filaments produced from cellulose and microfibrillated cellulose; and research and development of wood raw materials for the textile industry. Suzano S.A. was formerly known as Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. and changed its name to Suzano S.A. in April 2019. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Salvador, Brazil. 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. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is a prominent American supplier of scientific instrumentation, reagents, consumables, and software services. The company was formed in 2006 through the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific, established players in the scientific and laboratory equipment industry. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Thermo Fisher Scientific operates in the life sciences, healthcare, and analytical technologies sectors. The company's history dates back to 1956 when Thermo Electron was co-founded by George N. Hatsopoulos and Peter M Nomikos, focusing on analytical and laboratory products. Fisher Scientific, founded in 1902 by Chester G. Fisher, supplied laboratory equipment, chemicals, and services. The merger in 2006 created Thermo Fisher Scientific, combining their expertise and product portfolios to provide comprehensive solutions to scientific and healthcare communities. Thermo Fisher Scientific's mission is to enable customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer through its innovative products and services. They strive to advance research, enhance healthcare and support analytical applications globally. The company offers a wide range of products and services under the brand names of Thermo Scientific, Fisher Scientific, and others. Their offerings include advanced instruments, consumables, reagents, software, and services tailored for research, diagnostics, and industrial applications. Thermo Fisher Scientific's products are utilized by academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, healthcare providers, and research organizations worldwide. Thermo Fisher Scientific's management team is led by Mr. Marc N. Casper, who serves as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the company has grown remarkably and expanded its global footprint. Thermo Fisher Scientific has exhibited strong financial performance in recent years. The company's annual revenue and net income have been increasing yearly. The net profit margin stands at over 10%, demonstrating the company's ability to convert revenue into profit efficiently. The company maintains a healthy financial position with a debt-to-equity ratio indicating that it relies less on debt financing and holds a strong balance sheet confirming its financial stability and ability to meet short-term obligations. Thermo Fisher Scientific's valuation metrics show positive signs. The market has expressed confidence in the company's future earnings potential, and that confidence is reflected in its valuation metrics. This indicates that investors are optimistic about the company's future growth prospects. Thermo Fisher Scientific's stock has demonstrated solid performance, which suggests investors' positive sentiment toward the company. However, various factors, including macroeconomic conditions, industry trends, and company-specific developments, can influence market performance. Thermo Fisher Scientific operates in the measuring and controlling devices industry, specifically life sciences tools and services. The company is a dominant player in this industry, benefiting from its vast product portfolio and global reach. Its comprehensive offerings and strong customer relationships provide a competitive advantage over peers. With a diverse customer base and innovative solutions, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for advanced scientific and healthcare products. Thermo Fisher Scientific enjoys a competitive edge in the industry due to its extensive product range, technical expertise, and established market presence. The company's continuous investments in research and development enable it to introduce cutting-edge products that cater to evolving customer needs. Additionally, strategic acquisitions have expanded its capabilities, strengthening its competitive positioning. The company has numerous growth opportunities in the life sciences, healthcare, and industrial sectors. The rising demand for innovative research tools, diagnostic solutions, and analytical instruments presents attractive prospects for Thermo Fisher Scientific. The company's strong global presence allows it to tap into emerging markets and cater to a diverse customer base. Thermo Fisher Scientific possesses several competitive advantages, including its vast product portfolio, research capabilities, and established reputation in the industry. Its ability to provide end-to-end solutions across multiple sectors sets it apart from competitors. Moreover, strategic partnerships and acquisitions have facilitated access to new technologies and expanded its customer base, bolstering its competitive position. Despite its strengths, Thermo Fisher Scientific faces certain risks and challenges. Market competition from established players and emerging companies could impact market share and pricing power. Global economic conditions and regulatory changes may influence the company's operations and profitability. Moreover, unexpected events like supply chain disruptions or technology shifts could pose challenges. Thermo Fisher Scientific employs robust risk management strategies to mitigate potential risks. These include diversifying its product portfolio, investing in research and development, and maintaining financial stability. The company continuously monitors market dynamics to adapt to changing trends and demands. Additionally, strong governance and compliance practices ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. The following companies are subsidiares of WPP: 24/7 Real Media UK Ltd., 41?29! Media Internet, AD Venture Worldwide Inc, AKQA, AKQA Denmark A/S, AKQA GmbH, AKQA Inc., AKQA Limited, AQuest, Acceleration, Acceleration eMarketing Inc, All Global, Always (Shanghai) Marketing Services Co Ltd, Arctouch LLC, BCW LLC, BWR PR, Beijing Benpao Century Technology Development Co. Ltd., Benenson Strategy Group LLC, Black and Deen, Blast Radius, Blast Radius Inc., Bomtempo Anahory e Ralha, Bottle Rocket, Bottle Rocket LLC, Brindfors Design AB, CB Associes S.A., CMI Media, CMI Media LLC, CONEXANCE MD, CT Finances SA, Catalyst Online LLC, Cavendish Square Holding BV, Center Partners, Cerebra, Cockpit Holdings Limited, Cognifide, Commarco, Commarco GmbH 120274, Cordiant Communications Group Limited, Dawson Integrated Marketing Communications, DeepLocal Inc., Design Bridge, Design Bridge Limited, Dewey Square Group, Ecommera, EffectiveUI, Enduring Organisation, Entreprise de Communications Tank Inc., Essence, Essence Global Group Limited, Essence Global LLC, Eurosem Belgium SA/NV, F.biz, FAST - Financial Administration Solutions & Technologies Srl, Finecast Limited, Finsbury LLC, Forward Limited, GREY Dusseldorf GmbH, GTB Agency LLC, GTB Shanghai Advertising Co. Ltd, GTB Stat LLC, GWE LLC, Geometry Global Japan GK, Geometry Global LLC, Geometry Global Limited, Glendinning Management Consultants, Go Direct Marketing Inc., Gorilla LLC, Grey, Grey Advertising Limited, Grey Global Group LLC, Group M France SAS, Group M Worldwide LLC, Group SJR LLC, GroupM (Shanghai) Advertising Co. Ltd, GroupM Argentina Trading S.A., GroupM B.V., GroupM Chile SAC, GroupM Competence Center GmbH, GroupM Denmark A/S, GroupM Japan KK, GroupM Limited, GroupM Market Advertising Co. Ltd., GroupM Media India Pvt Ltd, GroupM Pakistan (Private) Ltd, GroupM Singapore Pte Ltd, GroupM Srl, GroupM UK Digital Limited, Guangzhou Dawson Marketing Communication Co. Ltd, H-ART, HERING SCHUPPENER Consulting Strategieberatung fur Kommunikation GmbH, HeathWallace, Hill & Knowlton Limited, Hill and Knowlton Strategies LLC, Hirschen Group GmbH, Hogarth California LLC, Hogarth Worldwide Inc., Hogarth Worldwide Limited, Icon Brand Navigation Group, IntelliQuest Information Group Inc, International Meetings & Science LLC, J Walter Thompson Middle East and North Africa E.C., J Walter Thompson Publicidade Ltda, J.Walter Thompson Bridge Advertising Co. Ltd., John Street Inc., KBM Group LLC, KR Media UK Limited, KR Wavemaker SAS, Kantar TNS, Kinetic Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Kinetic Worldwide Limited, LLC GroupM, LLC Wavemaker, Landor LLC, M Media Group Pty Ltd, M2 Digital Inc., Marketeers Vietnam, Marketing Direct LLC, Marketing Perspectives Limited, Mather Direct GmbH, Maxus Communications (UK) Limited, Media Club SpA, Media Insight SNC, MediaCom - Warszawa Sp.z.o.o., MediaCom AS (Norway), MediaCom Agentur fur Media-Beratung GmbH, MediaCom Communications Pvt Ltd, MediaCom Danmark A/S, MediaCom Group Limited, MediaCom Istanbul Medya Hizmetleri A.S., MediaCom TWENTYFIVE GmbH, Mediacom AG, Mediacom Australia Pty Limited, Mediacom Canada, Mediacom Iberia SA, Mediacom Italia Srl, Mediacom LLC, Mediacom Middle East & North Africa Holding W.L.L., Mediacom North Limited, Mediacom Paris SA, Mediacom Worldwide LLC, Mediaedge:CIA Worldwide Limited, Mediaedge:cia India Pvt Ltd, Medialets, Memac Ogilvy & Mather Holding Inc, Mind Share Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., MindShare Canada, MindShare GmbH, MindShare Hong Kong Limited, MindShare Polska Sp. z.o.o., Mindshare Media UK Limited, Mindshare SA, Mindshare South Africa (Gauteng) (Proprietary) Limited, Mindshare SpA, Mindshare Spain SA, Mindshare USA LLC, Mirum LLC, Mirum S.A. de C.V., Motion Content Group Limited, OPR AGENCY PTY LIMITED, Ogilvy & Mather Brasil Comunicacao Ltda, Ogilvy & Mather Group (Holdings) Limited, Ogilvy & Mather Pvt Ltd, Ogilvy & Mather S.A.S, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide LLC, Ogilvy Australia Pty Ltd, Ogilvy Commonhealth Worldwide LLC, Ogilvy Public Relations GmbH, Ogilvy Singapore Pte. Ltd., Ootworld, OpenMindWorld LLC, P Four Consultancy, PTR Comunicacoes Ltda, Penn Schoen & Berland Associates LLC, Penn Schoen Berland, Pep LLC, Plano.Trio Comunicacao, Potato London Ltd, Premiere Group Holdings Limited, Prism Sport + Entertainment, Promotion Execution Partners LLC, Public Strategies Inc., Quasar Media Private, Quinn Gillespie & Associates, Quirk, RLM Finsbury, Rasor Holdings LLC, Ray + Keshavan Design Associates, Real Media, Red Fuse New York LLC, Regional Management Group SAS, Russell Square Holding BV, Salmon Limited, Salmon Ltd, Sandtable, Scangroup, Set Management LLC, Shanghai Easycom Advertising Co. Ltd., Shanghai Linjie Marketing Services Co. Ltd., Shanghai Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Ltd, Shire Hall Group, Spafax Airline Network Limited, Spafax Networks LLC, Stickleback Limited, Sudler & Hennessey LLC, Superunion Limited, Swift + POSSIBLE LLC, Syzygy AG, TMARC, Taxi, Taxi Inc., Team Garage LLC, The Brand Union, The Cocktail Global S.L., The Finsbury Group Limited, The Glover Park Group, The Glover Park Group LLC, The GroupM ESP Clever Company S.R.L. de C.V., The Lacek Group LLC, The Marketing & Communication Agency, The Ogilvy Group LLC, The Performers Group, The Young & Rubicam Group of Companies ULC, Triad Digital Media LLC, Twist Image, Two Circles, VML LLC, VMLY&R, WPP (Thailand) Ltd, WPP 2005 Limited, WPP AMC Holdings, WPP AUNZ, WPP Beans Limited, WPP Brands (UK) Limited, WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited, WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited, WPP Deutschland Holding GmbH & Co. KG, WPP Finance 2013, WPP Finance 2015 Limited, WPP Finance Co. Limited, WPP Finance SA, WPP Group (UK) Ltd, WPP Group Canada Finance Inc., WPP Group U.S. Finance LLC, WPP Group USA Inc., WPP Health Limited, WPP Holdings Spain S.L., WPP Jubilee Limited, WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three Sarl, WPP Luxembourg Sarl, WPP Luxembourg Turris S.a r.l., WPP Marketing Communications (Hong Kong) Limited, WPP Marketing Communications Germany GmbH, WPP Media Ltd, WPP Montagu Square LLC, WPP Mexico S.R.L. de C.V., WPP Ottawa Ltd, WPP Samson Limited, WPP Sigma Limited, WPP Sphinx Limited, WPP Square one B.V, WPP UK Germany Holdings, WPP Unicorn Limited, WPPIH 2001 Inc., Warwicks, Wavemaker A/S, Wavemaker Australia Pty Ltd, Wavemaker BV, Wavemaker Canada ULC, Wavemaker Czech s.r.o., Wavemaker Global LLC, Wavemaker Global Limited, Wavemaker GmbH, Wavemaker Hong Kong Limited, Wavemaker Hungary Kft, Wavemaker Italia S.r.l., Wavemaker Limited, Wavemaker MENA FZ LLC, Wavemaker Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Wavemaker Publicidad Spain S.L., Wavemaker Sp.z.o.o, Wavemaker Taiwan Ltd, Wavemaker Servicos Publicitarios Ltda, Who Digital, Witgoud Investments B.V., Worldwide Mediacom Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Wunderman A/S, Wunderman Thompson (UK) Limited, Wunderman Thompson LLC, XMKT Group, Xaxis LLC, Xaxis US LLC, Y&R Propaganda Ltda, Young & Rubicam, Young & Rubicam LLC, clarus digital, dBOD, groupm Germany GmbH & Co. KG, mPlatform LLC, plista GmbH, thjnk, and thjnk AG. Read More Greece may be part of the EU, but that means nothing to greedy Greek shipping magnates making billions off the misery and atrocities of Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine and Putins evil war. With the help of the Greeks, the Russian economy is now very buoyant with a budget surplus, and the so-called Western sanctions mean absolute shit. Greece is meant to be a part of NATO but is helping Putin. While America and the UK spend trillions on the war effort by subsidising Ukraine, and supplying weapons, Greece is actively working from within NATO to support Putin and his evil war of attrition against NATO, a perplexed analyst revealed. Between January 2022 and August this year, Greek shipping companies sold 60 oil tankers built before 2010 worth at least $30m (25m) apiece, according to analysis by VesselsValue. This was six times the number sold by American companies, as Greek sales amounted to $2.5bn. In the last 18 months, the worlds shadow fleet delivering and supplying Russian oil has ballooned from 220 ships to 535, according to recent analysis, with numbers spiking over the summer. The biggest buyers are the EU, China and India of Russian oil reserves, and the recent price hike of crude has been a great boon for the Russian economy. While Biden and Sunak sleep, the Russians are making trillions in profit. The EU, which buys a lot of oil from Russia, is effectively fuelling Putins coffers, so the war in Ukraine can continue for decades. It is only a matter of time before the West, which is more interested in dumping fossil fuels, is bankrupted while in the East they are making trillions and trillions of dollars from it. The way the corrupt EU gets around the supposed sanctions is to buy repackaged oil and gas from China. Russian oil and gas is delivered to China and India in Greek ships, then repackaged as Indian or Chinese commodities. The oil and gas is then purchased at a high mark-up by the EU and delivered to Europe inside Greek tankers, one insider revealed. As the blood and carnage is daily spilled in the Ukraine meat grinder, the oil flows freely, thanks to the Greek shipping magnates and corrupt EU enabling Putins evil war. A writ petition filed by Telangana Ganesh Murti Kalakaar Welfare Association has challenged the guidelines stipulated by the Pollution Control Board for a complete ban on the ganesh idols made of plaster of paris. Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday, refusing to grant interim direction in favour of artisans creating Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesha idols, voiced concern over civic authorities and state government turning a near-blind eye to its order against immersion of PoP idols in Hussainsagar. The bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar was dealing with a writ petition filed by the Telangana Ganesh Murti Kalakaar Welfare Association, challenging the pollution control boards blanket ban on PoP idols. The long-pending legal issue came to a head last year when the High Court permitted the conditional immersion of PoP idols, in what it called a last chance. The state government also gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court that it would strictly comply with the ban on the immersion of PoP idols in Hussainsagar. However, the High Court bench on Monday voiced concern at how the government may be in connivance in not ensuring compliance with the order. Advocate General (AG) B.S. Prasad, appearing for the state government, assured the court that the government is bound and will be bound by the earlier directions. Chief Justice Alok Aradhe pointed out that there were huge cranes on site, suggesting the possibility of preparation to immerse PoP idols. The AG clarified that there were ponds to the sides of the Hussainsagar where there was permission for immersion and that the government was taking all necessary steps to ensure that there would be no violation of the court order. In the hearing, the court also lamented the failure on the part of the government to clear the garbage under the directions of the court. Harender Prasad, a special government pleader, informed the court that the task of clearing the tank of the garbage associated with the immersion was the function of the GHMC. In its interim order, the bench rejected the plea of the writ petitioners that they enjoyed a fundamental right to manufacture PoP Ganesha idols, referring to similar prohibitions surviving judicial scrutiny in other high courts. It observed that prima facie, it appears from the law laid down by the Supreme Court that petitioners had no fundamental right to manufacture PoP idols. Supreme Court (PTI) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to appoint a senior IPS officer to probe the case of a schoolboy who was allegedly slapped by his classmates on the instruction of his teacher in Muzaffarnagar, terming the incident as "serious" A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal, while directing that the IPS officer shall file a report in the apex court, asked the state government to conduct counselling of the victim and other students, who were involved in the case, by professional counsellors. It said there is a prima facie case of failure on part of the Uttar Pradesh government in complying with the provisions of Right To Education Act, which deals with providing quality, free and compulsory education to children up to 14 years, without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or gender. The bench asked the state government to furnish a status report on the implementation of the RTE Act in schools across the state in four weeks, while terming the incident as "serious". It was hearing a plea filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking speedy investigation in the case. On September 6, the top court had directed the Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police to submit a status report in the case. It had asked the SP to inform it about measures taken to protect the student and his parents. The top court had also issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and sought its reply by September 25. The Muzaffarnagar Police had booked the teacher accused of making communal comments and allegedly ordering her students to slap a Muslim classmate for not doing his homework. The school was also served a notice by the state education department in connection with the matter. The teacher was booked after a video showed her allegedly asking students to slap the Class 2 boy in Khubbapur village and also making a communal remark. The Governor, in separate communications to the Chief Secretary said both nominees do not meet the requirements for becoming MLCs under the Governor's quota as per provisions of Article 171 (5). X.com HYDERABAD: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has rejected the nominations of BRS leaders Dr Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana as MLCs under the Governors quota as requested by the state government, setting the stage for another round of acrimony between Raj Bhavan and Pragathi Bhavan. The Governor, in separate communications to the Chief Secretary on the two nominations, said that neither Dr Sravan nor Satyanarayana met the criteria laid out for nominations under the Governors quota as per provisions of Article 171 (5). In her communiques dated September 19, she said: "My earnest request to the Cabinet and the Chief Minister is to avoid such politically aligned persons to fill up nominated posts under Article 171(5) of the Constitution of India, defeating its objectives and enactment." The Governor had previously held back approval for the nomination of another BRS leader, Padi Kaushik Reddy, under her quota. With no headway on the issue, the BRS nominated Kaushik Reddy for election under the MLA quota, and was chosen unopposed. In the case of Dr Sravan, the Governor said "the summary of Dr Dasoju Sravan Kumar indicates his active participation in politics, corporate and academic sectors. His summary does not indicate any special achievements in literature, science, art, cooperative movement and social service, which appears to be from the summary a short tenure." On Satyanarayana, Dr Soundararajan said that his summary "indicates active participation in politics and corporate trade union activities. His profile summary does not indicate his special knowledge in literature, science, art, cooperative movement and social service, which appears to be from the summary a short tenure." Dr Soundrarajan said, "There are several eminent non-politically affiliated people eminently recognised in our State, fulfilling the pre-requisites prescribed U/A 171(5) of the Constitution of India. Non-consideration of those people and consideration of politically aligned persons to fill the post earmarked for nomination in those fields will be a de-recognition of the merits and the non-recognition of the contribution of those people with special knowledge and experience in the fields mentioned in Article 171(5) of the Constitution of India and these sorts of nominations intending to fill up the specially nominated posts will make the Article 171(5) purposeless, which may not be the intention of the Legislation and it will take away the opportunities to genuine people fulfilling those qualifications." The AIADMK has made a decisive move to exit the NDA, citing the BJP's state leadership's persistent and deliberate disparagement of their party and its revered figures, including C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa.(Image DC) CHENNAI: The AIADMK has made a decisive move to exit the NDA, citing the BJP's state leadership's persistent and deliberate disparagement of their party and its revered figures, including C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa. The AIADMK's Golden Jubilee Revival Conference in Madurai on August 20 and their general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, were also belittled. During a meeting of office-bearers, headquarters secretaries, district secretaries, MPs, and MLAs at the party headquarters, Deputy General Secretary K.P. Munusamy presented the resolution, which was unanimously adopted. This development has the potential to reshape the political landscape in the state, especially in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections less than a year away. The decision was met with celebration, with party members bursting firecrackers and sharing sweets, reflecting their collective anticipation regarding the future of the AIADMK's alliance with the BJP, which had been strained for nearly a year and had almost broken multiple times. The rift had been brewing for some time, particularly since the announcement of the by-election to the Erode East Assembly constituency in February. State BJP's attempts to field a candidate against the Congress nominee, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, were thwarted by Palaniswami. This led to resentment, with some factions in both parties eager to break free. At the meeting on Monday, Palaniswami began by highlighting the alleged mistreatment by the BJP and stressed the necessity of parting ways. The resolution was promptly presented and approved without room for discussion. Party workers at the headquarters expressed their elation, and the AIADMK's IT wing immediately popularised the hashtag #NandriMeendumVaratheer (Thanks, Please do not come again). However, the BJP state president, K. Annamalai, refrained from commenting on the former ally's decision, deferring to his high command's response. Annamalai had provoked the ire of AIADMK members by making derogatory remarks about Jayalalithaa, Annadurai, and Periyar during his state-wide yatra in August. He also questioned Chief Ministers in the state who faced corruption allegations, an apparent reference to Jayalalithaa, and sought to diminish the stature of Annadurai, after whom the AIADMK is named. Furthermore, Annamalai refused to name Palaniswami as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2026 Assembly elections, asserting that only his party's high command could make that decision. He also stated his aim to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Efforts to address these issues with the BJP high command, including calls for a change in BJP State leadership, proved futile. The BJP remained steadfast in retaining Annamalai in his position. Despite attempts by top AIADMK leaders to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, the discord between the two parties escalated when the BJP refused to remove Annamalai, ultimately leading to Palaniswami's decision to withdraw from the alliance. In contrast to previous situations where national leadership intervened to resolve tensions, this time, the BJP's top brass did not mediate between the State BJP and AIADMK, culminating in Palaniswami's decision to exit the alliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi being garlanded during BJP's 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh', in Bhopal (PTI) BHOPAL/JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly criticised the Congress during BJP rallies in Bhopal and Jaipur, characterising the party as being under the influence of "Urban Naxals." Modi also suggested that the Congress supported the bill to avoid backlash from "Nari Shakti" (women power). He cautioned women against being misled by Congress's "false propaganda" on the bill. He also blamed the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan for wasting five important years of the state's youth, stating that the Congress deserved zero marks for the government it ran in Rajasthan for the last five years. The "Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha" marked the culmination of four 'Parivartan Yatras' that the BJP organised in the poll-bound state. In his address, Modi asserted that the Congress had transformed into a private entity, with its operations outsourced to Urban Naxals across various domains, from slogan creation to policy formulation. He noted, "The Congress has awarded the contract for running it to the Urban Naxals. Congress leaders with grassroots level links have been marginalised in the party and forced to keep quiet." Describing the Congress as "rusted iron that corrodes easily in the rains," he claimed the party lacked the ability to comprehend or serve national interests. He also accused the Congress of nurturing corruption in the country and excessively venerating a single family. Modi said that some Congress leaders were born into privilege and appeared indifferent to the struggles of the poor. He quipped, "For them (Congress leaders), the poor's life is adventure tourism. The farmlands of the poor have become the location of their video shooting," indirectly referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. While Modi highlighted his government's efforts to uplift the poor, he criticised the Congress for allegedly demeaning them on the international stage. He lamented the Congress's reluctance to embrace change and its opposition to positive developments in the country, citing their criticism of the G20 summit's success. Further, Modi criticised the Congress for its stance on Droupadi Murmu's bid to become the President of India, accusing them of attempting to hinder her progress. Regarding his government's accomplishments, Modi highlighted developments in road and rail networks, as well as providing essential amenities like toilets and clean drinking water to rural and urban poor communities. He questioned why the Congress, despite its significant post-independence rule, failed to deliver basic amenities and infrastructure across the country, particularly citing the example of Madhya Pradesh's misrule during their tenure, which earned the state the label of a "Bimaru" state. In contrast, he praised the BJP's two-decade rule in the state for ushering in development, especially visible to first-time voters who hadn't experienced Congress's governance. He urged the youth to vote for the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections to maintain the state's development momentum. On September 21, 2023, President Joe Bidens administration announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, reaffirming the United States commitment to supporting its ally amid ongoing tensions with Russia. The package, valued at up to $325 million, includes air defense systems, weaponry, and equipment to bolster Ukraines defenses as it confronts Russias aggression. This announcement comes at a crucial juncture, coinciding with the White House visit of Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and marks the forty-seventh tranche of equipment provided to Ukraine since August 2021. The United States and Ukraine have maintained a strong partnership for years, particularly since Russias illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. This new military aid package underscores the Biden administrations commitment to ensuring Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. The timing of the announcement, during President Zelenskiys visit to the White House, sends a powerful message of solidarity and support to the Ukrainian government and its people. Get alerts: One of the key components of this aid package is the provision of AIM-9M missiles for air defense. These are highly advanced, short-range air-to-air missiles designed to engage and destroy enemy aircraft. This is a significant addition to Ukraines arsenal as it faces aerial assaults from Russia. The AIM-9M missiles will enhance Ukraines ability to defend its airspace against hostile aircraft. In addition to the missiles, Avenger air defense systems will also be supplied. The Avenger is a mobile, short-range air defense system with surface-to-air missiles and machine guns. It provides a reliable means of protecting against low-flying aircraft, drones, and helicopters. These enhancements are crucial for Ukraines security, with the threat of aerial attacks looming. The aid package includes a range of equipment designed to help Ukraine counter Russias ongoing war of aggression. Dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM) have proven effective on the battlefield, aiding Ukrainian forces in their fight against Russian-backed separatists. DPICM are artillery rounds capable of delivering both fragmentation and anti-armor effects. They are versatile munitions that can be used against various targets, making them valuable assets on the battlefield. Anti-tank weapons, including Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems, are part of the aid package. The Javelin is a state-of-the-art anti-tank missile system known for its precision and effectiveness against armored vehicles. The AT-4 is another anti-armor weapon designed to penetrate the armor of tanks and armored personnel carriers. These weapons will provide Ukraine with the necessary tools to resist armored assaults from Russian forces. Over 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition will also be provided. This includes various types of bullets for rifles and machine guns. Small arms ammunition is essential for the Ukrainian military to maintain a steady supply of firepower for their infantry and other small arms. Apart from the weaponry, the aid package also includes logistical and maintenance support besides the weaponry. This includes spare parts, maintenance equipment, and other field essentials. Such support is critical in ensuring that the equipment remains operational and that Ukraines armed forces can effectively utilize it in their defense efforts. The announcement of this military aid package reaffirms the deepening of ties between the United States and Ukraine. It demonstrates that the Biden administration views Ukraine as a vital partner in promoting regional stability and countering Russian aggression. The two nations share common values of democracy and the rule of law, and the United States is committed to helping Ukraine uphold these principles. 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. 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. Thai PM greets arrival of Chinese tourists on inaugural visa-free day Xinhua) 16:59, September 25, 2023 BANGKOK, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand extended a warm welcome to the first batch of visa-exempt flights from China on Monday, marking the launch of the nation's fresh initiative to reinvigorate its Chinese tourist market. Approximately 341 visitors from Shanghai landed at Suvarnabhumi airport on Monday morning, greeted with flowers and applause by the newly appointed Prime Minister (PM) Srettha Thavisin and several senior Thai officials. "This marks a promising first day for Thailand as we welcome Chinese tourists under the new visa-free entry policy," Srettha said at the airport's welcoming ceremony. The Southeast Asian country recently announced its decision to allow visa-free entry for Chinese tourists from Sept. 25 until the end of February 2024, in alignment with the PM's commitment to enhancing Thailand's economy through tourism. "We are confident that this scheme will significantly boost the economy," he said. According to the latest data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), from Jan. 1 to Sept. 17 this year, Thailand recorded over 2.34 million Chinese tourists, approximately 37 percent of the same period in 2019. With the help of the scheme, authorities hope to double the current number, anticipating between 4.01 to 4.4 million Chinese visitors for the entire year. "Knowing that Thailand has lifted visa requirements for Chinese visitors, my mother and I made a quick decision to visit Thailand for a few days," 25-year-old Tian Yumeng told Xinhua. "Our entry went smoothly, and the warm welcome we received, both on the plane and upon landing, has been delightful. I am eagerly anticipating our time here," said Tian. Srettha noted that ensuring tourist safety is their top priority, right from the moment visitors set foot in the country until they depart with a memorable experience. To achieve this, several staff from the tourism police department are present at the airport, using Mandarin to introduce and assist tourists in downloading an app, all as part of their ongoing efforts to enhance safety and ensure a seamless travel experience in Thailand. The stimulus visa scheme, effective just ahead of China's Golden Week in early October, has prompted airlines to gear up for expanding China-Thailand routes, increasing flight frequencies, and introducing new connections between favored Thai destinations and second-tier Chinese cities, according to TAT. On the same day, flights from China's Kunming, Changsha, and Nanning and landing in the capital and other popular tourist cities, such as Chiang Mai and Phuket, are also greeted with Thai-style welcome ceremonies. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A man charged with affray on the night that 19-year-old Jordan McConomy died after an incident in Derry City Centre has gone on trial at the local Crown Court. Dane Barry McKeever (22) of Fahan Street in Derry is charged with one count of fighting and making an affray on September 24, 2017. At the opening of the trial a prosecution barrister said that the definition of affray was fighting in a public place putting others in terror or fear. The prosecutor said that the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning of September 24 2017 in William Street with 'a number of people fighting with each other in the street.' The court was told that the incident lasted twenty minute to half an hour and part of it involved Dane McKeever fighting with Jordan McConomy. The jury was told that there would be CCTV footage of the incident which would show the two men fighting as well as the testimony of a doorman who was driving home at the time. The prosecutor said that the jury would hear about two men 'grappling' and a female was trying to break them up. He then added that McConomy then fell to the ground 'struck his head and died.' The jury was warned that there was no issue with the death as McKeever was not charged with it. The court heard that the defendant was arrested later that day and had injuries to his hand described by a doctor as 'boxer's fracture'. Over a period of days McKeever was interviewed and said he had little recollection of events except for throwing McConomy over his shoulder. He told police he couldn't remember if he hit McConomy or if McConomy hit him. McKeever identified himself on CCTV. The first witness, the doorman, described the incident and said it seemed to him that McConomy lost his footing and fell to the ground. He became emotional when he described how when he saw McConomy fall he knew 'it was an ambulance' situation and that first aid would not be sufficient. The trial continues. A contractor has been appointed for the Queens University Belfast-led Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), a 100m Belfast Region City Deal project, with almost 80m coming from the UK Government. Henry Brothers has won the 30m contract to construct the 10,500m Factory of the Future building at Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey. AMIC will reinvigorate Northern Irelands industrial potential and address the future technology and skills challenges faced by the regions manufacturing sector. It is being delivered by Queens in partnership with Ulster University, industry, and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and supported by the UK Government and NI Executive. By 2050, its estimated that AMIC will have contributed more than 1bn to the local economy, directly and indirectly created over 1,500 permanent jobs and supported the training of 300 apprentices. Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, said: Queens vision as a civic university and a Belfast Region City Deal partner is to create tangible impact where it truly matters. We are determined to drive societal progress for generations to come through delivering three Innovation Centres in advanced manufacturing, clinical research and secure, connected digital technologies. Connecting our underpinning high-quality research with industry, government and the manufacturing sector will turbocharge our regions capabilities and embed a culture of innovation to act as a driver for increased productivity. Our focus is on driving sustainable economic growth to have a positive impact on the lives of people across Northern Ireland. Professor Stuart Elborn, Interim Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Queens University, said: As part of our City Deal programme AMIC will create jobs by supporting local companies to be more competitive on a global scale, attract new investment and ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed for the future. Through City Deal we are committed to delivering inclusive growth benefits right across Northern Ireland in terms of productivity, jobs and skills and for the AMIC project were delighted to be working with Henry Brothers, a company which shares this ethos. Henry Brothers, which is headquartered in Magherafelt, with more than 200 employees based across Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland, has been awarded the construction contract after a competitive tendering process. Work includes the early contractor involvement process, construction of an engineering hall, a clean room, laboratory spaces, an auditorium and office accommodation as well as external landscaping and mechanical and electrical services. Planning permission for the building was given in May, and its hoped that construction work at the site can start next spring. AMIC plans to be operating from the Factory of the Future by 2026, with capacity for 150 staff, as it delivers for Northern Irelands manufacturing sector. David Henry, Managing Director, Henry Brothers, said: We are pleased to be working with Queens University on the new Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre, which will provide support for the manufacturing and engineering sectors in Northern Ireland and beyond. As one of Northern Irelands leading construction companies, we understand how important facilities like these are in addressing the industry-wide skills shortage. Having previously delivered the redevelopment of McClay Library and David Bates buildings at the University, we have an established relationship with Queens that we look forward to building on. Working with the Belfast Region City Deal partners and sharing their vision to create inclusive economic growth that delivers more and better jobs, Henry Brothers is committed to embedding social value through delivery of this project, with a focus on creating apprenticeship opportunities and providing student placement and professional trainee opportunities, together with delivering paid employment opportunities for those currently facing barriers to employment. Mike Brennan, Permanent Secretary of the Department for the Economy, said: The Department, along with Invest NI, continues to support the development of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre and we are delighted to see another key implementation milestone being achieved by Queens University Belfast. The 100m investment shows the commitment that exists within Queens and the Belfast Region City Deal to collaborate with industry partners in order to unlock innovation within our region. AMIC will play a key role in the realisation of the 10x vision for our economy, by driving growth through innovation. Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Mark Cooper BEM, said: The appointment of a contractor for AMIC is great news bringing the development a step closer. The Council is delighted to support this project with a 10m investment which will see this flagship facility, the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, set for Global Point Newtownabbey. This state-of-the-art centre will act as a catalyst for advanced manufacturing in our Borough and will further strengthen the Councils plans to transform Global Point into a world-class hub of advanced manufacturing excellence. AMIC is building on 50 years of sustained innovation and industry support through the Northern Ireland Technology Centre (NITC), the Polymers Processing Research Centre (PPRC) and the more recent university-industry partnership, the NI Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE). It will provide a specialised environment for advanced manufacturing, materials, and engineering sectors to access the latest digital, automation and robotics technology supported by experienced engineers. Derry schoolgirl Annette McGavigan (14) was shot and murdered by a British soldier on September 6, 1971. Just a fortnight after her 52nd anniversary, Annettes brother, Martin, told Derry Now the McGavigans and other families would keep fighting until they got the truth about their loved ones. We will keep banging on doors. Annette McGavigan (14) shot and murdered by a British soldier on September 6, 1971. Annettes sister, May, described her as an angel. Third in the McGavigan family, May added: Annette was so good. She would never do any wrong or say anything bad against anybody. She would always have been out in the street playing with the younger children. She was just an angel. That day, we had got out of St Cecilias because of a bomb scare. We came out of school and we came down home. We lived in Drumcliff Avenue. I cant remember where Annette went but I remember being in the house with my mammy and Mena, my oldest sister. Mena wanted some fruit and mammy asked me to go to the shop to get her a banana. So I went over to the shop and on the way down this girl stopped me and said, May, theres a wee girl shot over there in Lisfannon Park. I went back to the house and told my mammy and she said, God help her poor mother and father whoever they are. Our Mena went over to see what was happening and she came back with Fr Daly, as he was then, and a whole crowd and then it was just mayhem. Vividly recalling the fateful day, Martin said: I was standing at Free Derry Wall. There used to be an old house there, Joe McColgans. We used to call him the Block Man. Across there there was a green and Barman Duffy used to sit there and draw. Me and a friend, John Carlin, were playing and this girl came running across the green and she said, Theres a wee girl shot dead up there. So we ran up towards the house. The house Annette had been taken into was Nell Meenans. Nell was my mothers bingo mate. Someone in the house told me to go over home. We ran across Cable Street and the next person I saw standing at the door was May Cussack, another of my mothers bingo friends. She asked me what was wrong and I said, Our Mena or Annette has been shot. I went into the house and Fr Daly was there. I remember the crowd in the house. Then me and our Tony were taken over to an uncles of mine in Prehen and the next I remember was being brought back for the funeral and there were just thousands of people around us. I was 11. There was mayhem. My mother and father were breaking their hearts,. Poignantly, Martin said Annettes death has a horrible effect on the family. What sticks out in my memory to this day is my mother standing at the hotpress, where she kept the newspaper clippings about Annettes death The 100th victim and Annettes blood-stained clothes, the school uniform she was wearing when she was shot, he recalled. My father always went over to the mural. He would have remembered Annette going out in her school uniform. He never went to the cemetery. He couldnt look at her grave. He wanted to remember Annette the way she was. Mammy used to go up and sit at the grave, breaking her heart. We were children but they were dealing with it. As we got older, we understood their grief more. That is why we are fighting for justice. Now we are stronger, we can talk about it. I often wonder how did mothers and fathers deal with the loss of children like that. There was no counselling. They just closed the door and they had to deal with it themselves. It was shocking. It was horrible, said Martin. May said she felt Annettes name was never, ever mentioned down the years, after she was buried. Annette was the forgotten one, said May sadly. A few years back, the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) were on board and we thought we were getting closer. We met them on numerous occasions, said Martin. On Annettes 39th anniversary, we sat with them in the Pat Finucane Centre and they told us they hoped to have closure by her 40th anniversary. That gave us a bit of hope and we thought we would get closure. They were getting places. They were able to establish the regiment - The Royal Green Jackets - and on one occasion one of the members said to me, We have questioned Soldiers A, B and C but Soldier D is refusing to speak. I was a wee bit hopeful. But then the British Government pulled the HET because they were getting so far. That knocked us back. Then the Legacy Bill came in to protect the soldiers and to protect the murderers who killed all our loved ones. We are not fighting this just for Annette. We are fighting it on behalf of all the families too because a lot of families have suffered here and the British Government is just closing door after door for people. You cant do that for loved ones. Chris Heaton-Harris says, Draw a line in the sand but this Government wants to dig a hole in the sand and bury their heads. It is an embarrassment, said Martin. Speaking passionately, Martin was adamant the Legacy Bill was wrong. Every politician says it is wrong. It is illegal. It is shocking what they are going to do. The Irish Government says its wrong. The Irish Government needs to do more. They need to challenge it in the proper channels and the US needs to come onboard and challenge it too. They need to fight hard. If this happened anywhere else in the world, there would be mayhem. This is human life that was taken away. Murder is murder is murder. Now there is a soldier who is being questioned about this. It is a murder investigation. It is unbelievable they would consider just closing the door. When we met the Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB), they told us they had questioned the soldier and he was refusing to speak. That is an absolute joke. I told the HET we just want them to admit they murdered a 14-year-old school girl. We just want truth and justice. We want closure. We will always be sad for Annettes loss and other families will be sad for their loved ones. It isnt just about Annette. I keep saying, a lot of families are going through the same as us and on their behalf, we will all keep fighting. We will keep banging on doors until we get the truth. And through the courts, we will stand by other families and they will do the same for us. The British are trying to protect their own soldiers, said Martin. You cant just murder someone and get away with it, said May. There is a murder investigation ongoing into the death of a child, Annette McGavigan (14). It is being investigated by the PSNI, and the Legacy Bill effectively means it will now stop. That was the succinct synopsis offered by Sara Duddy, advocacy support worker with the Pat Finucane Centre, as the McGavigan family initiated a judicial review in the High Court challenging the British Governments Legacy Bill. Sara has been working with the McGavigan family for well over a decade and they have been with the Pat Finucane Centre for 20 years. Speaking to Derry Now, Sara said: Annettes case is currently being investigated as a murder investigation by the Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB) of the PSNI and they interviewed a British soldier, under caution, in relation to Annettes death, earlier this year. Over the past two or three years, we have been identifying witnesses and supporting them as they came forward and to provide witness statements to the PSNI. A lot of witnesses have never given evidence but, on the back of Annettes 50th anniversary, the family came out publicly and said, There is an investigation, if you have any information, please come forward. We actually saw a lot of people reaching out for the first time. On the back of that, the murder investigation is quite advanced. We met with the LIB earlier this year and they confirmed they are treating it as a murder, which was something which was new. Annettes family have launched High Court proceedings against the Legacy Bill because, as it stands, if this Bill, which is now law, is not challenged, prosecutions into legacy cases such as Annettes murder of Annette will not happen. Now, the soldier has not been charged yet but if there was a chance of a prosecution in relation to this death, that would just not happen and that is exactly what this Bill is designed to do. It is designed to protect British soldiers. Pointing out the possible ramifications of the Legacy Bill for families, Sara added: If you think about it, there is a murder investigation ongoing into the death of a child by the PSNI and this Legacy Bill now effectively means that will stop. The soldier will never be prosecuted. The McGavigan family will never see justice. That is why they have initiated this challenge in the court. Annette McGavigan's brother, Martin, and sister, May, vow to fight for truth. Obviously it is day one of the court process. It can be frustrating and take a long time and there is no guarantee it will be successful. We were at a review this week. The court is basically trying to decide how to deal with the massive amount of applications challenging the bill and how to streamline the process so they can get through the courts and be adjudicated on efficiently. There is a lot of work to be done but we are really pleased that, at least, families like the McGavigan's have taken that step forward. Rail campaigners Into The West have reacted with anger at a recommendation that Derry should be the only city on the island of Ireland to NOT have a 200km/hr (120mph) rail service. The proposal is part of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which was published in draft form over the Summer. The Review states that services between the seven core cities on the island (Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Limerick, Galway and Waterford) should be 200km/hr (120mph). However it was then ambiguous about the recommended speed of services on the proposed Derry-Portadown route, which will be part of the new main rail corridor between the north-west and Dublin and Belfast once reopened. Into The West sought clarification on this point from Translink, who have informed them that Derry will be the only core city to NOT have a 200km/hr rail service. Translink have clarified that the reopened Derry-Portadown rail route is being uniquely classified as other inter-city routes a status that will apply only to this section of track. Derry will therefore be the only core city on the island that will not have trains running at 200km/hr. That will condemn Derry, Letterkenny and Tyrone to having a sub-standard rail service despite being part of a key inter-city route between three of the islands four largest cities. Chair of Into The West, Steve Bradley, has expressed the organisations dismay at this decision : It would be fair to say that we are gobsmacked, bit not surprised, at the decision to single-out Derry for the lowest quality of rail service on the island. The All-Island Rail Strategy is clear that the seven core cities of which Derry is one should receive 200km/hr rail services. To then create a slower category of inter-city line and apply it solely to the Derry-Portadown route is a calculated insult to the people of the north-west. "Especially as the Derry-Portadown line will be built completely from scratch, so could operate at whatever speed was desired. For some reason Arup (the Reviews consultants), the NI Department for Infrastructure and Translink have combined to decide that it makes sense to treat Derry, Tyrone and Donegal so poorly. Why have they singled out the West of the Bann for this second-rate quality of service ? And why does this keep happening to Derry? "Answers are needed, as this is a bigger issue than just rail. A public consultation is currently being held on the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, running until the end of Friday 29th September. Into The West are urging people in the north-west to make submissions to that consultation, outlining their concern at the proposal for Derry to have a slower rail speed than every other city on the island (with lower speeds for Tyrone and Donegal as a consequence). Other issues in the Rail Strategy that Into The West are also keen for people to raise via the public consultation are : 1) Derry and Letterkenny must be directly connected by rail services. Passengers making the 21 mile journey between the two places should not have to change trains. 2) Rail services between Derry and Dublin should not be routed via Letterkenny. The route should begin and end at Letterkenny, before travelling on to Derry, Strabane, Omagh etc. 3) City of Derry Airport should have a multi-purpose rail station. Not just for the airport - but as a station for neighbouring villages like Eglinton, Greysteel etc, and also a Park and Rail facility to reduce road traffic along the A2. 4) A rail freight hub should be established in the north-west, close to Foyle Port. 5) A rail corridor through Donegal to Sligo should be recommended connecting Derry and Letterkenny to Ballybofey, Donegal Town, Ballyshannon and Bundoran. Co.Donegal needs rail in more places than just Letterkenny. 6) Fermanagh should not be the only county on the island left without rail. An Omagh-Enniskillen-Sligo rail route should also be included in the strategy. Submissions to the public consultation on the Rail Review must be emailed to StrategicRailReview@arup.com before 11:59pm on Friday 29th September. Mr Bradley concluded The days of accepting a second-class quality of rail service for Derry and the north-west must be brought to an end. It is unacceptable for our city to be the only one on the island to not receive fast 200km/hr trains. "The good news is that this Rail Strategy is still only in draft form so there is time to influence and change its content. We would urge as many people as possible to raise this point directly with the Reviews authors and force a change on the proposal. And we would be grateful if people could also raise Into The Wests other concerns regarding the Review, as outlined above. "The finished version of this Rail Strategy will set in stone the rail development plans for this island for the next 30 years or more. It is therefore essential that we ensure its proposals for the north-west maximise the ambition and benefits of rail across this city and region. N.B. : The deadline for submitting responses to the public consultation on the draft Rail Strategy is 11:59pm on Friday 29th September 2023. Email comments to StrategicRailReview@arup.com Following the success of Sleep Out events in Sligo and Donegal in 2021 and 2022, Celtic FC Foundation are delighted to announce that they will be returning to Ireland once again, for a Celtic Sleep Out, Derry event, which forms part of the club's 2023 Christmas Appeal. This years Sleep Out will take place on Friday, November 17 at Derrys very own Celtic Park. Celtic Sleep Out, Derry participants will spend the night from 9.00pm to 5.00am battling the elements outdoors, all for a wonderful cause. We offer special thanks to our friends at The Association of Irish Celtic Supporters' Clubs, the Derry No.1 CSC and our fantastic GAA hosts, whose unwavering generosity, advice and assistance have been instrumental in the organisation of the event, a spokesperson said. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The non-refundable registration fee is 30 per person. Each participant is tasked with raising a minimum of 135 (after the entry fee) to support this years Christmas Appeal. Due to anticipated severe weather conditions, this event will be exceptionally challenging, both mentally and physically. Therefore, participants must be aged 18+ and be in an appropriate physical condition to take part. Celtic FC Foundation will provide a ground mat and foil sheet/blanket but participants are required to bring the appropriate equipment and wear relevant clothing and footwear. Funds raised will help bring relief this festive season to those struggling at an especially challenging time of year. To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celtic-park-sleep-out-derry-2023-tickets-722103520067?aff=oddtdtcreator The construction of a 100 million Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) in Co Antrim has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a contractor. The project is part of the Belfast Region City Deal and will receive almost 80m of funding from the UK Government. Henry Brothers has won the 30m contract to construct the 10,500 square metre Factory Of The Future building at Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey. The AMIC aims to reinvigorate Northern Irelands industrial potential and address the technology and skills challenges faced by the regions manufacturing sector. It is designed to create jobs by supporting local companies to be more competitive on a global scale, attract new investment and ensure the skilled workforce needed for the future. The project is being delivered by the Queens University Belfast in partnership with Ulster University, industry, and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and supported by the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive. By 2050, it is estimated that the AMIC will have contributed more than 1bn to the local economy, directly and indirectly created over 1,500 permanent jobs and supported the training of 300 apprentices. Professor Sir Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queens University, said their focus is to drive sustainable economic growth. Queens vision as a civic university and a Belfast Region City Deal partner is to create tangible impact where it truly matters, he said. We are determined to drive societal progress for generations to come through delivering three Innovation Centres in advanced manufacturing, clinical research and secure, connected digital technologies. Connecting our underpinning high-quality research with industry, government and the manufacturing sector will turbocharge our regions capabilities and embed a culture of innovation to act as a driver for increased productivity. Our focus is on driving sustainable economic growth to have a positive impact on the lives of people across Northern Ireland. Henry Brothers, headquartered in Magherafelt, with more than 200 employees based across Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, was awarded the construction contract after a competitive tendering process. Planning permission for the building was given in May, and it is hoped that construction work at the site can start next spring. It is aimed that the AMIC will be operating from the Factory Of The Future by 2026, with capacity for 150 staff. HIGHLIGHTS Maruti Suzuki Invicto, based on Toyota Innova Hycross, offers hybrid tech for India's electrified future. Invicto boasts a luxurious interior, unique design elements, and superior ride comfort on challenging roads. With a 2-litre petrol hybrid motor, Invicto promises fuel efficiency, power, and a competitive price point. Maruti Suzuki Invicto is a 7-8-seater SUV that India desperately needs. It may seem like a surprising statement, especially when the car in question costs upwards of Rs 30 lakh in India but it is true nonetheless. The degrading air quality and Indias urgent need to move towards an electrified future are two big reasons for the same. But there is a third reason as well and thats because the Maruti Suzuki Invicto is promising to be a fantastic car for someone who wants their moneys worth. More specifically, the Maruti Suzuki Invicto is promising to be an amazing car that you might be able to buy. Confused? Let me explain. The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is based on the Toyota Innova Hycross. To be more specific, it is the Toyota Innova Hycross with just a Maruti Suzuki badge on it and some minor changes here and there. Now, the Innova Hycross, when it launched, saw huge demand, especially from fleet owners who previously relied on the Toyota Innova diesel to fulfil their requirements. But because of the 10-year ban rule on Diesel vehicles in the National Capital Region of Delhi, the ever-lasting and well-built Innova didnt seem as good of a long-term investment as it was earlier. Enter the Toyota Innova Hycross, the new big MUV that could seat 7 or 8, depending upon the configuration, and had a 2-litre petrol engine coupled with an electric motor instead of a diesel powertrain. The new Hybrid powertrain in the Toyota Innova Hycross means that it can last up to 15 years and can even go for fitness tests beyond that to further extend its lifeline. The hybrid system also has an automatic gearbox, an option no longer available in Innova Crysta Diesel, and also offers better fuel economy. As a result, the Toyota Innova Hycross became a huge success. It was so huge that Toyota found itself struggling to meet the massive appetite of the Indian auto market. Seeing this opportunity, Suzuki stepped in with a rebadged Toyota Innova Hycross dubbed the Maruti Suzuki Invicto. With some visual and feature changes, the Indian buyers now had the option of another Innova Hycross like MUV which offered equally high VFM and was a good investment as well. With that said, is the Maruti Suzuki Invicto really worth it when compared to the Innova Hycross? What do you gain or miss out on in this Suzuki which once was a Toyota? And most importantly, are there any deal breakers? Heres my answer. Maruti Suzuki Invicto Specification General Overview: Based on: Toyota Innova Hycross Seating Capacity: 7-8-seater SUV Dimensions: Length: 4,755mm Width: 1,850mm Height: 1,795mm Chassis and Design: Chassis Type: Monocoque Grille: Distinct mesh grille Daytime Running Lights: Tri-LED Alloy Wheels: 17-inch (no 18-inch option) Interior: Color Palette: Black and champagne gold Seats: Luxurious leatherette Infotainment: 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple Car Play Driver Console: Digital and analogue Additional Features: Tire pressure monitoring system, cruise control, EV mode, 360-degree cameras (only on Alpha+ variant), panoramic sunroof Performance and Fuel Economy: Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol hybrid Gearbox: eCVT Chassis: Monocoque Fuel Economy: Mixed Driving: 17km/l City Traffic: 14km/l Highway: 20-22km/l Price: Price: Upwards of Rs 28 lakh (ex-showroom) for Alpha+ variant Maruti Suzuki Invicto Chassis, Design and Comfort MUV Standing in front of a building side view The Invicto, with dimensions of 4,755mm in length, 1,850mm in width, and 1,795mm in height, mirrors its Toyota counterpart in size. This makes it a prominent figure among other Maruti vehicles. Instead of a ladder-on-frame chassis, the Invicto makes use of the Monocoque chassis, about which well talk later in the performance section. Upon first look, the Invictos design closely mirrors the Toyota Innova Hycross, with subtle differences in elements like the grille and headlights. Marutis version has unique features, such as a distinct mesh grille and Tri-LED daytime running lights, characteristic of the Nexa range. Side-by-side with the Hycross, the Invicto shows minor changes in the front bumper and tail lights. One of the standout features is the alloy wheels. Their stylish design is undeniable, but the 17-inch size seems undersized for such a sizable vehicle. Its like putting dainty ballet shoes on a sumo wrestler! While their 17-inch size might make you think the Invicto skipped leg day, Unlike the top-tier Hycross, theres no 18-inch rim option. Maruti made this choice prioritizing ride comfort as the 17-inch wheels do have a higher tire height. Maruti Suzuki Invicto driver-side interior space And the same is evident when you finally get to ride the Invicto. I kept the tire pressure at 35PSI during the entire testing period and the car performed very well over bad roads. The suspension comfort is as good as the Toyota Hyryder or the Grand Vitara, which is arguably the best in the mid-size SUV segment. Invicto also keeps the cabin fairly isolated from outside noise, especially when going over bad roads, thanks to thick window glass and top-notch insulation. And I can confirm that short of looking a bit unusual, the smaller 17-inch wheels do not contribute to any decrease in high-speed stability. The Maruti Suzuki Invictos interior echoes the Hycross but stands out with its black and champagne gold palette, compared to Hycrosss brown. Its luxurious leatherette seats and plush dashboard materials scream opulence, though some plastics feel scratchy. Drivers will love the roomy seats, clear visibility, and handy controls, with a neat, user-friendly dashboard. The lack of thigh support for people taller than 5ft 8 might be hit or miss though. But ventilated front seats do make the long journeys a bit refreshing, especially during summer. Invicto rear passenger seats Moving on to mid-row captain seats youll find ample leg and headroom. I am driving the Maruti Suzuki Alpha+ variant, which only comes with a 7-seat option featuring captain seats. However, an 8-seater option is available in the lower Zeta+ variant. The captain seats are adjustable but lack a boss mode. However, you can slide the seats forward or Backwards. Adjacent to the passenger seats, you also get a small tray to keep your smartphone along with some cup holders as well. However, its a missed opportunity that the surface offers no wireless charging. But you do get factory-fitted Window blinds which is much appreciated. Furthermore, you also get two Type-C fast charging ports at the rear which is another saving grace. Passengers also get rear AC blower vents and an option to adjust the fan speed and also the temperature, essentially creating two climate zones within the MUV. There is no option to control the infotainment system from the back and I think it is high time brands brought back a remote for accomplishing the same. Rear passengers also get two side-mounted blut colour mood lights whose brightness they can control. Going well along with it are two yellow colour cabin lights as well, which can be controlled either by the passengers or the driver at the front. In the 3rd row, you also get plenty of headroom and legroom because the middle-row seats easily slide forward. Passengers also get separate rests and blower vents. But unlike the middle row, passengers in the last row dont get is fan speed regulator and a USB charging port. They also dont get an attached tray set, which middle-row passengers have the convenience of. Maruti Suzuki Invicto Review: The Tech Inside Invicto 10-inch infotainment system The tech is one of the main reasons why you or anyone else would consider spending upwards of Rs 30 lakh for the Maruti Suzuki Invicto. For instance, and probably the biggest tech feature, the hybrid system alone makes up for Invictos high asking price. Mainly because it does two main things provide better fuel efficiency and grunt-mimicking, and quite honestly surpass the capabilities of, a diesel engine. Why? No DPF issue is the first reason. Ever since the BS6 norms came into being in April 2020 in India, diesel cars had to be fitted with a DPF or Diesel Particulate Filter. The device itself requires additional maintenance from the owner side as they now have the extra task of driving their cars in a certain way regularly, preferably at highway speeds, to clear off the built-up soot to avoid a drop in fuel efficiency and power. Although this problem varies depending upon the vehicle and its make it persists to some degree in all of them. Thankfully, BS6 petrol engines dont need any such filter, making them easy to own. And combine the petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery and now your car is as fuel-efficient and punchy as a Diesel engine, without any of the hassles. Moreover, unlike a petrol engine, the vibrations and loudness of a diesel engine can also be brutish, especially if it is bigger than 2-litre, a size standard across this MUV segment. And as I mentioned, the 15-year life span of the vehicle, as specified by New Delhi, is another added thing the hybrid tech helps this car achieve. Invicto rear view Additionally, the Maruti Suzuki Invicto also comes loaded with a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with support for wireless Apple Car Play, a driver console that can turn digital and analogue based on your choice, a tire pressure monitoring system, cruise control and an EV mode. You also get 360-degree cameras, which are very useful in my opinion, only on Invictos Alpha+ variant. But the 10-inch touchscreen lags quite a bit and also has low resolution just like the 360-degree camera. You also get the option of a panoramic sunroof which is big enough that it lights up the entire cabin during the daytime, allowing even the rear passengers to enjoy the sky view. But another area of complaint in Maruti Suzuki Invicto would be its music system. Even in the top-end Maruti Suzuki Invicto Alpha+ variant, the speakers lack bass and sound mostly flat. They arent loud enough especially considering how big the inside cabin is. Maruti Suzuki Invicto Review: Performance And Fuel Economy Invicto front view looks imposing Fuel economy is one thing you can surely expect from a Maruti Suzuki and the Invicto delivers the same without a doubt. With a mix of city and highway driving the Toyota Innova Hycross rival easily delivered 17km/l. In heavy city traffic, this figure dropped to 14km/l. And while on a highway cruise, the hybrid powertrains efficiency remained between 20-22km/l. These numbers are astonishing for a 2-tonne MUV. Whats also astonishing and what many dont usually expect from Maruti, is performance. And the Invicto is quicker and faster than its bulky appearance might lead you to believe. It glides forward with ease in sync with your throttle response. The electric motor often helps in getting it off the line and you can feel its instant torque. The engine comes alive as soon as the car picks up the pace and the 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine is smooth and punchy at the same time. What you will find lagging a bit is the eCVT gearbox. It whines if you put the throttle down or are using Invictos power drive mode. And many times it cant keep up if youre constantly putting the foot all the way down. Every other time though it works well and the gear change is smooth enough, especially when driving with a light or medium foot, that you wont even feel as little as a head-nod. Maruti Suzuki Invicto 17-inch review Invictos Monocoque chassis though is a different story. It simply does not make you feel that youre driving a 2000kg MUV with 185mm ground clearance. And it is a very strange feeling. Because the driver seat is really high and yet the body roll youd expect the car to have isnt there. Invicto feels stable, in turns, in a straight line, and even while overtaking traffic. It does all that with grace and stability. Somebody is still there but it wont creep in unless you arent trying really hard. The suspension is very supple and combined with the increased tyre height, the resulting ride quality is plush. Invito absorbs bad roads really well and keeps its composure at high speed in a straight line. The suspension has enough travel too and during my time with the car, while driving it on Noida roads, it didnt bottom out. Maruti Suzuki Invcito Review: Should You Buy It? Indian buyers demand value for money in every product and the Maruti Suzuki Invicto lies in the same category. It is a 7-seater MUV with enough space and comfort in all its seats that you can go thousands of kilometres without breaking a sweat. Further helping you easefully cover that distance is a 2-litre petrol hybrid motor which is refined, fuel-efficient and powerful. A combination thats sure to win over the Indian audience. And for a Rs 32 lakh price tag Invictos tech fulfils in some areas but lacks in others and mostly remains a hit-and-miss. The car itself is a great replacement for a Toyota Innova Crysta but otherwise is a relatively bare-bones Toyota Innova Hycross. Fortunately, that too is something that is great value for money. HIGHLIGHTS We can expect the Pixel 8 to pack a 6.2-inch FHD+ OLED display. Both the smartphones will feature a Titan M2 security coprocessor The three colour options for the Google Pixel 8 Pro are Obsidian, Porcelain, and Bay. Google Pixel 8 series is set to launch soon on October 4. Ahead of its launch, almost everything about the smartphone phone is circulating on the internet. We now have our hands on the speculations of the two upcoming Google Pixel 8 series smartphones, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. However, the specifications are totally based on leaks, which might or might not be true. Google Pixel 8 series first look A 91mobiles report has revealed the key specifications of the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. With the smartphones all set to launch next month on October 4, heres what we can expect from the upcoming Pixel 8 series. Google Pixel 8 Google Pixel 8 We can expect the Pixel 8 to pack a 6.2-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 60Hz-120Hz refresh rate, offering up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. The phone packs a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus cover and back. It will most likely be powered by a Google Tensor G3 chipset which will come along with Titan M2 security coprocessor. The smartphone could come in an 8GB + 128/256 GB variant. On the camera front, we can expect a 50-megapixel Octa PD wide sensor, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor OIS. On the front, you could get a 10.5-megapixel Dual PD lens for your selfies. Speaking of the battery, we can expect a 4,575mAh battery which could come with up to 27-watt fast charging support. Additionally, the Google Pixel 8 could also come with 18-watt wireless charging support. Youll get three colour options here: Obsidian, Hazel and Rose. Also read: Google Pixel 8 hardware leak suggests it will excel at night photography Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Pixel 8 Pro It could pack a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with a 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate, offering up to 2,400 nits of peak brightness. The Pixel 8 Pro could be powered by Google Tensor G3 chipset along with Titan M2 security coprocessor. It could come in an 8GB+512GB variant. In the American market, theres going to be a 1TB variant too. On the camera front, we could get a 50-megapixel Octa PD wide lens, a 48-megapixel Quad PD ultrawide lens, and a 48-megapixel Quad PD telephoto lens. The Pixel 8 Pro offers Super Rez Zoom of up to 30x OIS and EIS when used in wide and telephoto modes. The front packs a 10.5-megapixel Dual PD selfie shooter too. Also read: Dont Expect The Google Pixel 8a To Wow You With A Brand New Design On the battery front, we get a 5,050mAh with up to 30-watt fast charging support. Additionally, Qi-certified wireless charging up to 23-watt is also supported. The three colour options for this phone are Obsidian, Porcelain, and Bay. HIGHLIGHTS The cover display of the Tecno Phantom V Flip aka The Planet is a 1.32-inch AMOLED round display. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 boasts a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor. The Tecno Phantom V Flip will be available for purchase on Amazon from October 1 for 49,999 as an early bird price. Tecno has launched the Phantom V Flip in India. The Chinese brand is known for its budget-friendly smartphones. It also rolled out a foldable smartphone earlier, namely the Tecno Phantom V Fold, the cheapest foldable smartphone available in India. Moreover, the brand has released a flip smartphone too and we are excited to see how it will perform against the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in this comparison battle. Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G launched Tecno Phantom V Flip vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Design The Tecno Phantom V Flip comes with a unique design, featuring a huge circular camera module on the back surrounding a circular cover display, The Planet. The smartphone features a lychee-pattern leather back and comes in two colour options; Mystic Dawn and Iconic Black. The Tecno Phantom V Flip also comes with one more unique offering and that is its case. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 features a folder-shaped cover display. It has two camera rings and an LED flashlight on the top left corner of the back. Samsung offers seven colour options with this smartphone which are Mint, Graphite, Lavender, Cream, Gray, Blue, and Green. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Tecno Phantom V Flip vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Display The cover display of the Tecno Phantom V Flip aka The Planet is a 1.32-inch AMOLED round display. Speaking of the main display, it features a 6.9-inch FHD+ Foldable AMOLED display that supports up to 120Hz refresh rate. On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is equipped with a 3.4-inch AMOLED display. It has a 6.7-inch foldable AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. It also supports up to 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+. Tecno Phantom V Flip vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Performance The Tecno Phantom V Flip is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8050 chipset, which is paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. It runs on HiOS 13.5 skin based on Android 13 operating system. A 4000mAh battery powers the Phantom V Flip and also supports 45-watt fast charging. However, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 boasts a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor paired with 8GB RAM and up to 512GB storage. This foldable smartphone also runs on Android 13-based OneUI 5.1.1 skin. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 packs a 3700mAh battery with 25-watt fast charging support. Tecno Phantom V Flip Tecno Phantom V Flip vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Camera The Tecno Phantom V Flip has a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 64-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens. It also features a Quad Flashlight setup. On the front, there is a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a 12-megapixel primary camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. There is a 10-megapixel selfie shooter at the front. Tecno Phantom V Flip vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Price and availability Now the real twist comes here. As I mentioned before the Tecno Phantom V Flip is the most affordable foldable smartphone in the country. It will be available for purchase on Amazon from October 1 for 49,999 as an early bird price On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is available on Samsungs official store at a starting price of 99,999. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Thumbshape AI power sensor! The Green Energy & Environment Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute develops low cost energy measurement solution Energy conservation has become an important trend to achieve the goal of net zero emissions in 2050, and companies are all actively measuring their energy consumption. A power meter is the most basic measurement tool, but the power meter currently used by industries is too costly. The AI power sensor developed by the Green Energy & Environment Research Laboratories (GEL), Industrial Technology Research Institute is the size of your thumb, and can be integrated with micro energy management system (EMS), cloud energy management, or industrial control system for visualized energy analysis. This will significantly reduce the cost and time of implementation, and provides a solution for rapidly revealing the power consumption of factories and office buildings. AI Power Sensor Accuracy Reaches 99% With the support of the Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the AI power sensor was developed by a 20-person team formed by engineers Ko-Ying Tseng, Bo-Yin Chu, and Hao-Ting Chao at the Sensor Monitoring Laboratory, Smart Energy Conservation System Technology Division, GEL, and includes a non-invasive power sensor and embedded AI analyzer. It obtains the electricity consumption information of multiple circuits using a non-invasive method similar to a stethoscope used by doctors. It is easy to install, low cost, and was measured by the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) to have an accuracy reaching 99%. This can be expected to increase the willingness of small and medium enterprises to implement an energy management system. After over two years of R&D, the AI power sensor, also called power tab, despite being the size of your thumb, is able to remotely monitor power supply by tabbing it on power cables. The AI power sensor provides information similar to a conventional electricity meter, and helps companies accurately monitor the power consumption of their factories and offices. Ko-Ying Tseng shared that companies immediately saw the advantages of being easy to install and relatively low cost when the team began promoting the product, and it even attracted major power supply manufacturer Sea Sonic Electronics Co., Ltd. to engage in technology transfer, establishing the subsidiary "Sea Sonic Energy Co., Ltd." to focus on the energy measurement applications market. Obtains electricity consumption information of multiple circuits using a non-invasive method similar to a stethoscope used by doctors, and is easy to install and low cost AI Power Sensor that Punches Above its Weight Bo-Yin Chu shared that companies in the Philippines, Thailand, and Japan have contacted them since they began promoting the product, which has already been installed by Far EasTone Telecommunications, Taipei Metro, and Nanya Plastics. Installation of the AI power sensor does not require power to be cutted off, and it is able to disclose energy details faster than typical electricity meters. The product can be applied in equipment failure prediction, and Nanya Plastics found equipment operating abnormally after installing the product. "The greatest advantage is its high cost-performance ratio" said Ko-Ying Tseng. The average cost for installing an electricity meter is nearly NT$20,000. Meanwhile, the AI power sensor has complete functions and is extremely competitive compared to conventional electricity meters in terms of installation, effectively lowering the cost of hardware equipment and installation for electricity measurement. Higher return on investment (ROI) is the greatest advantage it provides to companies and system integrators. AI power sensor effectively lowers the cost of hardware equipment and installation for electricity measurement and increases ROI The GEL Hopes the TIE Award will Increase Exposure The AI power sensor developed by the GEL was recognized with the TIE Award during Taiwan Innotech Expo this year, and will be displayed in the Future Tech Pavilion. Bo-Yin Chu pointed out that they hope to increase the technology's exposure through the TIE Award, because the AI power sensor is able to obtain electricity information through contactless installation, and rapidly reveal electricity consumption for energy management. He believes that the product will become popular worldwide once it gains exposure. Ko-Ying Tseng stressed that customers will be able to directly operate the AI power sensor during the expo, and they prepared electrical equipment, such as hair dryers, for customers to operate the product, which intuitively displays electricity consumption in each stage. Going forward, they plan to integrate the technology with different applications beyond the energy measurement market, such as electrical safety, monitoring power cable temperature to prevent the risk of a fire accident; equipment diagnostics, monitoring abnormal states and providing early warning. This technology can become an irreplaceable first step to improving energy efficiency for net zero emissions. Canalys: Mainland China's cloud market grew moderately in Q2 2023 Cloud infrastructure services spending in mainland China reached US$8.7 billion in Q2 2023, with a year-on-year growth of 19%. This significant increase was primarily due to changes in the way market leader Alibaba Cloud reports its cloud revenue after being split from parent Alibaba Group. Excluding the impact of this change, the Chinese cloud services market continued to perform conservatively, growing in mid-single digits. Enterprise customers remain focused on cost-cutting and efficiency improvements in the face of macroeconomic pressures, leading to a more cautious approach to IT spending. To stimulate an increase in demand, the top cloud vendors are launching self-developed AI foundation models as they seek to use AI-related applications as entry points to accelerate cloud spending by enterprise customers. As cloud vendors increasingly integrate AI technology, the expansion of AI partnerships will be a focal point for competition within the cloud market. The dominant players in mainland China's cloud infrastructure market remain unchanged in Q2 2023, with Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, and Tencent Cloud leading the way. Together, they accounted for 72% of total cloud expenditure in mainland China. Last quarter, Alibaba Cloud was split from Alibaba Group to become the Cloud Intelligence Unit, ahead of its planned spin-off and possible IPO next year. As a result, Alibaba Cloud announced that it would now include cloud consumption within the Alibaba Group (for example, Taobao and Cainiao) as part of its cloud revenue. This change has, to some extent, increased the proportion of direct sales revenue. Cloud revenue generated via channels in the Chinese market has seen a slight decrease, accounting for 23% of the total revenue, against 26% in the previous quarter. In response to challenges related to customer expansion, China's top cloud vendors have shifted their focus to the cultivation of robust partner ecosystems. The leading three have made changes to their partner programs, increasing the resources allocated to their partners. This approach has effectively expanded the growth potential for partners and, to some extent, alleviated pressure on vendors when it comes to customer expansion. As the adoption of AI applications and products becomes more widespread, the diversity and availability of AI products are becoming focal points for competition among cloud vendors. Cloud ecosystem partners are one of the most effective ways for vendors to alleviate this competitive pressure. Recognizing this trend, some cloud vendors have initiated efforts to establish their AI partner ecosystems. "Generative AI presents a significant opportunity for channel partners to unlock new revenue streams and drive operational efficiencies," said Yi Zhang, Research Analyst at Canalys. "Channel partners can capitalize on this opportunity by offering AI services, developing AI software, offering advanced data services and participating in the resell, co-sell and upsell of AI products alongside complementary services." Alibaba Cloud continued to lead the Chinese cloud service market in Q2 2023, commanding a substantial 39% revenue share. But the restructuring of the Alibaba Group raises some questions about Alibaba Cloud's future strategy. This month saw a change in CEO for the cloud unit. In anticipation of rising demand for AI, Alibaba Cloud has launched two notable products: an AI audio transcription offering, "Tongyi Tingwu", and a text-to-image conversion tool, "Tongyi Wanxiang". These additions build on its self-developed foundation model, "Tongyi Qianwen", which was launched in April 2023. Concurrently, Alibaba Cloud has accelerated the pace of building its partner ecosystem, both in mainland China and worldwide, with new policies announced at the Alibaba Cloud Partner Summit in Q2 2023. The new policies aim to encourage the channel through more transparent objectives, increased partner commissions and more clearly defined roles. Huawei Cloud took second place in Q2 2023 with a 19% market share. With year-on-year growth of 14% in Q2 2023, it is steadily narrowing the gap with Alibaba Cloud. Huawei Cloud launched its self-developed foundation model, the "Pangu Model", in July to bolster its competitive stance in the market. This foundation model is geared toward the "AI for industries" strategy, aiming to seamlessly integrate AI technology with specific use cases across various verticals. Huawei also announced a dedicated partner program centered on the Pangu Model in August 2023, delineating roles for software partners and service partners. The newly launched program around Pangu focuses on the enablement of partners while introducing specific incentives, certifications and technical support. Tencent Cloud ranked third in Q2 2023, with a 15% market share after year-on-year growth of 6%. While Tencent Cloud's AI product releases have been somewhat slower than its competitors, it has taken steps to catch up. It announced the roadmap for its AI foundation model in June, unveiling the one-stop service for AI, "Model-as-a-Service" (MaaS), with a focus on industry-specific solutions. Following the announcement of its roadmap, Tencent officially launched its foundational AI model, "Hunyuan", in September 2023. The foundation model will also be integrated into several flagship SaaS products in Tencent's portfolio. Canalys defines cloud infrastructure services as services that provide infrastructure-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service, either on dedicated hosted private infrastructure or shared public infrastructure. This excludes software-as-a-service expenditure directly, but includes revenue generated from the infrastructure services being consumed, to host and operate them. India roundup: Apple embraces growing smartphone market share in India Apple is expected to see increased iPhone shipments and market share, with Foxconn planning to expand investments in India. India's local giants are ramping up their chip push to build a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem. iPhone 15 reportedly receives huge pre-orders in India IANS quoted sources saying that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus received overwhelming numbers of pre-orders, nearly 50% more than the iPhone 14 series in 2022. Foxconn to double employment in India Lee, the Foxconn representative in India, said in a LinkedIn post that the group aims for another doubling of employment, FDI, and business size in India. Lee did not elaborate on the timeline of Foxconn's expansion plan in India. India talks with Tesla, LGES for battery manufacturing According to two exclusive stories by Reuters, Tesla is reportedly talking with India for potential investments to make battery storage systems in India, and India-based JSW is rumored talking with LGES and CATL for partnerships in making batteries. Coforge to ramp up AI push John Speight, executive vice president at Coforge, told DIGITIMES Asia that all types of AI are beneficial for the company. Coforge launched its generative AI platform CoForge Quasar, aiming to capitalize on the growth of AI demands. Intel not ready to make chips in India Christoph Schell, chief commercial officer at Intel, said that a key deciding factor in investing in a new location was having semiconductor fabrication and packaging facilities nearby, along with suppliers and customers, implying Intel would not invest if there was no established ecosystem in India. India sees rising demand for data centers Thanks to India's data sovereignty rules, public and private cloud services, and content delivery networks, demands for data centers in India are expected to grow, as JLL data estimated India's data center capacity had doubled from 350 MW in 2019 to 722 MW in 2022 and is expected to reach 1.4 GW by 2025. Karnataka approves Tata's ATMP project The single-window clearance committee (SLSWCC) of Karnataka approved 91 projects worth INR76.6 billion (US$920 million), including an application by Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Private Limited, which proposed to invest INR2 billion in Kolar, expected to generate 155 jobs. India-based PCB manufacturer plans to launch first made-in-India PC motherboard India-based Sahasra Group said they plan to launch the first made-inIndia computer motherboards in November, adding that their products, expected to be priced between INR6,0007,000 (US$7284), will be 1015% cheaper than those made and imported into India by Chinese brands. India's oldest discrete semiconductor provider sets up ATMP lines India-based discrete semiconductor provider CDIL Semiconductors announced that it will expand its semiconductor packaging capabilities through the Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS), adding a production capacity of 100 million with these ATMP lines. Credit: DIGITIMES Weekly news roundup: Qualcomm Shanghai's layoff rumor and other top stories These are the most-read articles during the week of September 18-22 Pressured by Huawei's comeback? Qualcomm Shanghai R&D center rumored to face massive layoffs After Dell's de-Sinicization and Marvell's China team were completely laid off, Qualcomm also couldn't hold on. Reports emerge that a large-scale layoff is planned at Qualcomm's Shanghai R&D center in October. Against the backdrop of US-China decoupling, foreign investment in China is shrinking. Not only has Qualcomm's heyday in China come to an end, but recent pressure from competitors like MediaTek and the strong return of Huawei's Kirin could also be the factors that led Qualcomm to "cut ties" with China. China doubles localization rate for chipmaking equipment, reportedly over 40% Amid the US containment measures to slow down China's development in semiconductors, China has reportedly increased its semiconductor equipment localization rate to over 40%. Korean media Ddaily quoted industry sources indicating that China's self-sufficiency in semiconductor equipment has exceeded 40%, doubling within two years, with the localization rate of equipment for PVD and oxidation over 50%. According to SEMI, China's localization ratio of semiconductor equipment was 21%, which increased to 35% in 2022. India approves Tata's ATMP project Following iPhone case manufacturing, Tata Group plans to set up an ATMP facility in southern India, which may be the first such facility set up by an Indian conglomerate. According to the Times of India, the single-window clearance committee (SLSWCC) of Karnataka approved 91 projects worth INR76.6 billion (US$920 million). The proposals are from companies, including Maruti Suzuki India, South West Mining, Krypton Solutions, and Aegus Consumer. Huawei steps up NAND flash procurement, say sources Huawei has stepped up its NAND flash chip procurement for its smartphones, driving up the memory prices recently, according to industry sources.NAND flash wafer prices have been rising in the third quarter of 2023, stimulating replenishment demand from the supply chain. The sources noted that the prices are increasing partly because of Huawei's ambitious procurement, and partly because of reduced output by suppliers. Chinese home appliance makers aim for vertical applications through self-developed chips As the smart home ecosystem continues to expand and the AI application trend rages on, many traditional Chinese home appliance makers like TCL, Hisense, Midea, and Gree are observing the massive business opportunity in the vertical application market. Thus, they are deepening their involvement in smart home application scenarios like edge computing AI chips and MCUs. Why are NAND flash prices soaring? Initially, the industry predicted that supply chain stockpiles and a severe supply-demand imbalance would prevent NAND flash prices from increasing in 2023. Since upstream memory original manufacturers decided to begin actively reducing output in the third quarter, the market environment has dramatically shifted, and spot market prices are exhibiting a strong trend. The market is taken aback by this unexpected trend reversal. Effect of US-China rivalry: Samsung China's investment shrinks by over 60% annually In recent times, South Korean analysts have highlighted the impact of the US-China tensions on Samsung Electronics' investments in China. It has been reported that in 2022, Samsung's investment in China dwindled to a mere US$2.2 billion, marking a substantial 60% decline compared to the previous year's US$5.7 billion. Dundalk based business Irish Whiskey Auctions has announced that it is to celebrate five years in existence this year, with a very special event that is hoped to raise over 50,000 for its chosen charities. Irish Whiskey Auctions is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its inaugural auction, which took place on 12 October 2018. The business has grown from 150 lots in October 2018 to 1726 in March 2023, and from two staff members at the beginning to nine this year. During this five years, the business has raised over 150,000 for charity, has broken world records for the highest prices achieved for Irish whiskey at auction, has auctioned over 50,000 lots and gained over 10,000 clients, and rising. Anthony and Katie Sheehys idea was to create a secondary market for their beloved Irish Whiskey for whiskey fans all over the world. It was timely, necessary, and hugely welcomed in the five years since the inception of the online auction platform, Irish Whiskey Auctions, growing to become the worlds leading platform for the auctioning of all things Irish Whiskey. The business has diversified in recent times with the creation of The Whiskey Hub, a complete whiskey solutions center that includes sister companies such as Irish Whiskey Experiences, Whiskey Brokerage, Whiskey Investment, Whiskey Storage, whiskey shipping fulfillment- to name but a few of the many and growing facets to this international business. Anthony and Katie say they feel it is only right to mark the five years of this passion project for all concerned and do something that is very close to our hearts. We have always held charity work high on our priorities list, so we thought what better way to celebrate our fifth birthday than to collaborate with five different brands to auction 1000 bottles for charity. This special Charity Auction begins at 5 pm on Wednesday 27 September, lasting 5 days until Sunday 1 October at 7 pm. There will be 996 lots available including 200 bottles from each of the supporting brands including Dingle, Dunvilles, Two Stacks, Killowen Distillery, and the first-ever release from the Sheehys Single Cask Collection. Each bottle will be sold as an individual lot with only the bottle No. 1s of each release combined into a single highly sought-after set. All bidding will start at 50 with anything above this being donated to the chosen charities. Those who are already registered with Irish Whiskey Auctions can bid in the charity auction, for those who are not already members and wish to join, can join here. Anthony and Katie say they have many celebratory nights planned, one in J.J. Sheehys Public House- another recent acquisition, and more planned in venues to be announced shortly. The two say that their passionate experienced team are on hand to face a bright future in the whiskey industry adding that they are so appreciative of the many clients we have welcomed into our vibrant whiskey community. Find out more about Irish Whiskey Auctions at https://irishwhiskeyauctions.ie/ REvolve, an independent technology-driven supply chain solution driving the circular economy in the automotive sector, was formally launched with the announcement that, in 2022 An Garda Siochanas net Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) savings by procuring green parts from REvolve partner, Ted4Parts, for its fleet were 38,477.35 kgCO2e, in comparison with purchasing newly manufactured vehicle parts. This represents an average 94% saving for An Garda Siochana. The impressive figure was announced by Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement and eGovernment, Ossian Smyth TD, at the event at REvolves Castleblayney partner facility on September 18th. Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and members of An Garda Siochana, amongst other key stakeholders in automotive repair in Ireland, also attended the event. Leading the way in B2B transformation driving circular acton within the automotive supply chains through its custom-built technology platform engineered with the expertise of Philip Mackessy, of Mackessy Technology based in Limerick, , REvolve OS empowers clients, like An Garda Siochana, to embrace all the benefits of sustainability in a new and innovative way by bringing an independent panel of quality-assured vehicle recyclers and green parts suppliers, and green parts consumers such as insurers, repairers, and fleets, together in a structured, value-driven way, with real, measurable financial and environmental benefits. The Monaghan based company is focused on maximising the re-use of automotive parts and resources, and the software is designed from the ground up to integrate with fleet, insurer and repairer workflows to streamline the use of green parts for all stakeholders, delivering real, measurable financial and carbon savings for all stakeholders through its innovative technology. REvolves network of quality and progressive salvage agents and approved vehicle recyclers acrossIreland and the UK offer the highest level of service, focusing on the key metrics of the client, and all REvolve-supplied green parts are graded to the VRA standards to ensure only the highest-quality green parts enter the repair cycle. Richard Brennan, Managing Director of REvolve explained Green parts provide a more sustainable motoring solution, not only in helping to reduce carbon emissions, but also by presenting additional operational advantages such as reducing vehicle downtime and associated costs. Measurement is an integral part of our service, in terms of proving net carbon emissions savings, sustainability impacts, and commercial savings. Transparency and full disclosure about the carbon savings associated with gree parts will help educate and inform clients so they can understand the difference theyre making by choosing to reuse parts over buying them new." Brennan continued We hope that in the long-term, green parts will become the standard option for vehicle repairs. Carbon labelling in Ireland is the next step in raising awareness that green parts can reduce repair costs, and are better for the environment. But ultimately, our approach goes beyond simple measurement and reporting, as we enable improved decision-making, towards better-informed strategies in delivering superior sustainability performance and business value." REvolve enabled the carbon emissions savings for An Garda Siochana through the provision of 551 reclaimed vehicle parts of varying make and model throughout 2022 from REvolve partner, Ted4Parts. The net CO2e saving of 38,477.35 kgCO2e is equivalent to the emissions arising from driving 100,000 miles in a non-electric family car; charging 4,700,000 smartphones; or the yearly carbon sequestered by 48 acres of forest. Commenting on the results and rationale for sourcing green parts through REvolve, Mark Murphy, Fleet Technical Supervisor, An Garda Fleet Management said Using high quality, safety checked green parts, rather than new parts, not only ticks the environmental box for An Garda Siochana, but helps ensure the quickest possible turnaround for repairs. Were excited to see further carbon savings as we continue on our sustainability journey with Ted4Parts through REvolve. Commending REvolve and An Garda Siochana for the positive impact this partnership has on the circular economy, Minister Smyth said Today has given me an opportunity to see how REvolves independent, technology-driven supply chain solution helps to streamline the sourcing of green parts for the automotive business. I welcome such innovative startups that encourage a circular life-cycle approach in their industry. All of REvolves defined carbon savings are independently audited and verified to ensure complete transparency. The newly announced CO2e figures for An Garda Siochana were developed by Earthshine Group within an independent study of the net CO2e savings associated with purchasing used vehicle parts via REvolve, as compared with purchasing newly manufactured vehicle parts. For further information, visit http://www.revolvefleet.com/ EBRD to provide 34.5 million to Dislog, distributor and manufacturer of fast-moving consumer goods Funds to support acquisition of Steripharma, construction of green industrial facilities and installation of solar panels EU provides guarantee and technical assistance to promote gender equality The EBRD is supporting Moroccos pharmaceutical private sector with a MAD 380 million (34.5 million) loan to Dislog Group companies, owned by H&S Holding ("H&S"), a diversified industrial Moroccan group operating in various areas of activity. The facility to Dislog will consist of two tranches. MAD 270 million (24.5 million) will be used to acquire Steripharma, a local pharmaceuticals manufacturer that provides affordable specialty generics medicines to replace expensive original products in the treatment of life-threatening diseases. The remaining 10 million loan will finance the construction of a new green-certified industrial building and logistics platform as well as the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The new PV panels are expected to generate energy to power the building and will help reduce CO2 emissions. This tranche will be supported by a guarantee from the European Union (EU) through its European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD), in line with the objective of the EU-Morocco Green Partnership. The investment will enable Dislog to expand into the pharmaceuticals industry and capture higher added value in the supply chains in Morocco. The acquisition of Steripharma will complement Dislogs established competence in reaching a wide network of small distribution outlets and help increase profit from its existing distribution channels and logistics chains. The loan will be accompanied by a technical assistance project funded by the EU through the EFSD programme to upgrade its human resources policies by implementing a dedicated Gender Diagnostic and Action Plan. The project will help Dislog promote gender equality and the career progression of female workers, along with policies related to childcare and the prevention of gender-based violence and harassment. Dislog will also receive a grant from the FINTECC Programme, which helps companies in participating EBRD economies to implement innovative climate technologies. The programme is part of, and financed through, the EBRDs Green Economy Transition approach and is supported by the Global Environment Facility and the European Union. Dislog is a leading distributor of fast-moving consumer goods covering more than 70,000 retailers across the country. Founded in 2005, the company has diversified its activities into industrial production in agribusiness products, hygiene and pharmaceuticals. The EUs EFSD guarantee programme champions financing and investment in Africa and the EU neighbourhood. It supports EBRD operations in the southern and eastern Mediterranean (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza), as well as eastern Europe and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). Morocco is a founding member of the EBRD and became a beneficiary of Bank resources in 2012. To date the EBRD has invested 4.2 billion in the country through 95 projects. A FORMER industrial school resident voiced concern that redress has only exacerbated issues for many survivors unable to access vital services. Caroline Farry who runs Cork & Kerry Outreach Care was motivated to use her own redress funds to set up secondhand stores, 2nd Glance, in Blackpool and Skibbereen. The money she raises is used to help former residents of industrial schools and mother and baby homes, as well as former foster children and adoptees. She explained that the nightmare still continues for other industrial school survivors like herself who had hoped to rebuild their lives with the help of redress. However, Caroline said that many lost their redress funds to issues like alcoholism and crippling addictions. A number are seeking help from Caroline after being left homeless or living in extreme poverty. Funds raised have paid for everything from helping survivors heat their homes to addiction counselling and emergency accommodation. Ms Farry, who originally hails from the North and attended St Josephs Training School in Middletown, Armagh, was inspired to support others after becoming homeless when her children were very young. Despite becoming a successful chef working in top restaurants in Britain, Caroline fell on hard times once again after her marriage broke down. The mum-of-three had been living in Cork when she was forced to seek refuge in a shelter. We had to go to Cuanlee, she told The Echo. It wasnt bad, but it was a roof over our heads. Fortunately, we didnt have to stay there for long as I had a friend who was renting out a house in Ballincollig. "When I moved in there I couldnt afford to wash my childrens clothes. A neighbour gave me washing powder. Without them I wouldnt have been able to do the laundry. Caranua has distributed 98m to approximately 6,000 survivors across Ireland since its inception. The organisation was set up in response to findings from the Ryan Report, published in 2009. The fund consisted of contributions from the relevant religious congregations listed in the report. It has now been exhausted, with the Department of Education announcing the initiative was in the process of being wound down some months ago. Homelessness Concerns Caroline said the number of survivors who became homeless after exhausting redress funds is a significant cause for alarm. Life skills were not taught in institutions, she told The Echo. We werent taught how to pay a bill or what to do with money. When you finally have that freedom its difficult to know where to go or how to deal with it. I started in the Simon Community in John St and it was full of survivors. "It is very much an intergenerational issue. If you speak to a lot of people who are homeless they will tell you that either their mother was in the Magdalene laundries or their father was in an industrial school. Basically, children were born into a system that was never broken. It has a knock-on effect. She said that some children of offenders have gone on to lead dysfunctional lives due to unaddressed trauma. They suffer from a childhood trauma that runs very deep. Whether we are adopted, fostered, or coming from a mother and baby home, or industrial school, we carry that shame. Nobody is looking at why people are reoffending to get back into the prison. It all comes down to the fact that they know no different. Sometimes it feels safer in prison. Lack of Services Caroline laments the lack of services available to survivors locally. Right of Place Second Chance an organisation providing support to survivors was situated here in Cork but their phonelines and services were all transferred to Waterford. She described the urgent need for services in Cork specifically aimed at survivors. There are survivors homeless on the streets of Cork today because they dont have a place that belongs to them anymore. When you make the calls there is no accommodation for any survivor, Ms Farry added. The former chef said she still suffers from PTSD following the day that changed her life forever. The Troubles were rife when I was growing up and this was back in the 70s. I was taken into care at the age of 11. "I can still remember skipping home from school with a satchel on my back but I never made it home from school. Imagine being released into the care of the RUC in Northern Ireland. The fear of God will never leave me when I see men in uniform because I could be lifted and taken. Even though rationally I know this could never happen again, Im triggered when I go to the North and see the RUC." Caroline described how she was made to feel like a criminal. I stood in front of a court at 11 years of age where I was sentenced to St Josephs training School in Middletown, Armagh. I was on remand for six months even though I had never committed a crime. I wasnt coming from war. Ours was a sleepy village. My education stopped the day I was taken. I went into care with a criminal record. The reason I was sent away was because the family unit broke down per se. I was in the back of a social workers car with no idea where I was going. The memory of those black gates will stay with me until the day I die." Government Supports Education Minister Norma Foley announced that approved further supports had been granted to abuse survivors last June. Supports for recipients of an award under the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme, or an equivalent court award or settlement, will now receive an enhanced package of health services and assistance. Assistance will also be offered to survivors pursuing further education and training and access to advocacy supports through a new independent service. A 47-year-old man pushed gardai and spat in their direction at the height of a disturbance which he caused on Andersons Quay in Cork. Sebastian Domagalski of Cork Simon Community pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to engaging in threatening behaviour and being drunk and a danger during the incident on February 6. Garda Shane Hayes was on duty at Andersons Quay, Cork, when he received a call directing him to an intoxicated man causing a disturbance. He was highly intoxicated. He was pushing gardai back and spitting in their direction, Sergeant Ciaran Kelleher said. The accused man had three previous convictions for being drunk and a danger among his convictions. Eddie Burke, defence solicitor, said the accused was the subject of a serious assault last week and spent three days being treated for his injuries in hospital. All his worldly belongings were taken from him. He is going into second year of homelessness now, Mr Burke said. Judge Olann Kelleher fined the defendant 200 for being drunk and a danger and imposed a suspended two-month sentence on him for his threatening behaviour. A GROUP of talented young Cork dancers got to join the circus for a night after Fossetts reached out to them with a once-in-a-lifetime offer. A total of 80 students from the Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance were greeted with wild applause after opening the second act of a Fossetts Circus show in Blackpool. Fossetts, which recently celebrated its 135th anniversary, is currently on the Cork leg of its tour and will be in Blackpool until this Sunday [October 1]. The production features a melting pot of jugglers, death defying acts with a clown for good measure. Fossetts Circus contacted the dance school in search of performers shortly before the event. Karena Walsh, who runs the facility with her mother Sharon Manning, choreographed a unique performance especially for the event. The pair only had a few days to organise their act but are delighted the hard work and extra rehearsals paid off. Sharon said it was a dream come true for her students to be involved. One girl said that her life was complete because she got the chance to dance in a circus. That was so lovely to hear. The atmosphere was electric. I dont think Ive ever seen the girls so excited. They were in awe watching the acrobats and other performers. I think if a few of them had the chance to run away with the circus and not have to go to school they would take it in a heartbeat. The dancers costumes were created especially for the event. It was a real team effort. A lot of the parents sewed pom poms on to the dancers tutus to give them a circus feel. She praised the students dedication adding: We put out a message on wats app to see if anyone would be interested and they all jumped at the chance. They all saw what an amazing opportunity it was to be able to dance in a circus. A 44-year-old man was arrested in Cork today (September 25) and charged with raping a younger male relative 31 times on occasions that go back to a period approximately 20 to 30 years ago. Detective Sergeant Ailish Murphy charged the accused man with a total of 73 charges. Those counts consist of 31 charges of rape, 32 charges of sexual assault and ten counts of gross indecency. The charges date back to a period between 1991 and 2004 when the defendant was aged between 13 and 26 and the complainant was some years younger than him. Because of the nature of the alleged offences there is a prohibition on identification of the parties. No background details on the allegations that gave rise to the charges were disclosed in court. The accused man was formally arrested, charged and cautioned and he made no reply to any of the 73 charges which all relate to an address in Cork. Sergeant John Kelleher said the Director of Public Prosecutions directed trial on indictment at the Central Criminal Court or a signed plea if that arose and sentencing at the Central Criminal Court. Shane Collins-Daly, defence solicitor, said that would not arise. On that basis, Sgt Kelleher applied for an adjournment of the case until November 6 to allow time for preparation and service of a book of evidence. Det. Sgt. Murphy said there was no objection to bail being granted to the accused but that particular bail conditions were required. Det. Sgt. Murphy said the bail conditions required that the accused would have no contact direct or indirect with the complainant, reside at his home address which is in the UK and notify gardai in advance if he intends to move from there. Judge Kelleher told the defendant that not having contact with the complainant included the requirement to have no contact by social media. The real capital and the actual capital of Ireland have both been selected as finalists for the European Capital of Smart Tourism awards. Cork and Dublin have been chosen from a pool of 30 candidates spanning 17 countries, along with Bremerhaven in Germany, Genoa in Italy, Helsingborg in Sweden and San Sebastian in Spain. Essen in Germany, Gdynia in Poland, Odense in Denmark, Padua in Italy, and Parma in Italy are designated as runner-up cities The esteemed honor will be granted to the city that demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to shaping the future of sustainable and innovative tourism. The Rebel City and the Big Smoke will now be invited to present their proposals to a European Jury, tasked with selecting the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism. The chosen city will receive extensive support in communication and branding. This includes the creation of a promotional video, the installation of a hashtag sculpture for a public exhibition in the city, and the implementation of tailored promotional campaigns aimed at boosting visibility at both the EU and global levels, ultimately resulting in an increase in the number of visitors. The competition welcomed participation from cities within the European Union and non-EU countries that are eligible for the Single Market programme. An impartial panel of experts conducted a thorough evaluation of the applications, and those applicants who achieved the highest cumulative score across all categories successfully advanced. Starting in 2018, the European Capital of Smart Tourism competition has provided a platform to highlight exceptional practices and achievements. Previous winners include Seville and Pafos in 2023, Valencia and Bordeaux in 2022, Malaga and Gothenburg in 2020, and Helsinki and Lyon in 2019. The initiative rewards cities for their innovative approaches in areas such as accessibility, digitalisation, sustainability, and cultural heritage and creativity. Winning cities are given a platform to showcase their outstanding practices to the world. FOR months, the country has been obsessed with The Late Late Show. First, we were shocked at Ryan Tubridys announcement he was leaving the show. Then came the rabid debates about who would replace him, followed by the many hours of news dedicated to the fall-out of the pay scandal. I dont need to go into that; anyone who has picked up a paper, looked at a website or tuned into a television or radio station will know all about it. As a result of the mania, Patrick Kielty has become the second most talked about man in the country. What was Tubridys successor going to be like? Could he do the long-running show justice? Would he even do the job after all the nonsense over the past few months? Just one week after he took to the shiny new Late Late Show stage, Kielty has another first: his acting debut in the feature film Ballywalter, which is in cinemas now. It is a little unfair to the film and its makers that it is caught up in the Late Late saga, but hey, as the old saying goes, there is no such thing as bad press. As it happens, the film is terrific, and with the added spotlight, it might just draw a whole new audience that may have overlooked it had Kielty not become the talk of the town. Seana Kerslake plays Eileen, an aimless twentysomething on a break from college. She hasnt got much money and has moved back to her childhood bedroom, much to the frustration of her mother and heavily pregnant sister. She talks about having a boyfriend and returning to London to finish her degree, but something doesnt seem quite right about her story. Eileen is working two jobs, in a cafe and as a taxi driver, and isnt particularly good at either. She doesnt like customers, people in general seem to annoy her, and she has some wicked one-liners when they get on her wrong side. The only time she really seems happy is when she is drunk, which happens more often than is healthy. It is clear that Eileen is in pain, but we have no idea what the reason is. Whatever the root is, even her family are fed up with her behaviour. Patience only goes so far. She picks up Shane (Kielty) from the coastal town of Ballywalter. He is hitting 50 and is sullen, but is trying to do something different with his life by doing a six-week comedy course in Belfast. He asks Eileen to be his regular driver until the course is over. Bit by bit, he reveals that he is separated from his wife and child and is hiding out in Ballywalter. Initially, Eileen holds back, but soon, they start talking about comedy, and slowly, they each begin to peel back the layers of their lives and what has caused Eileens pain and Shanes self-isolation. Under her snide comments and eye-rolls is a lovely, kind-hearted young woman desperately struggling. Under Shanes sullen appearance, there is a funny man desperate to overcome the pain he is suffering. Ballywalter is thoughtful, with excellent performances, and the script captures the Northern sense of humour. It is written by Northern writer Stacey Gregg, who wrote and directed 2021s Belfast drama, Here Before. Ballywalter is vastly different. Here Before was excellent but very dark and psychological whereas Ballywalter deals with melancholia by using dry comedy. It is a little slow, but many people will enjoy the pace, which allows us to soak up the atmosphere and characters. The slow moments keep the drama and the tension, which the director, Prasanna Puwanarajah, skilfully allows to ebb and flow. Much of the film is set in a taxi, but Puwanarajah uses the landscape between Ballywalter and Belfast, keeping things from being too claustrophobic or introverted. The director is also an actor and starred in Line Of Duty, which was filmed in Northern Ireland. Puwanarajah with the location shines through. The film never becomes too depressing despite having depression as a central theme. Puwanarajah confidently realises that even depressed people can be funny and have good days. It is not all misery and hiding at home under a duvet. Kerslake is excellent, as ever. She has the most expressive facial expressions and the ability to turn her emotions from happy to sad with a rapidity that lets watchers absorb her characters pain. Kielty proves he is not just a comedian-turned- broadcaster; he has solid acting chops. I dont know if his new gig will allow time for more film work, but I sincerely hope so. Ballywalter, in cinemas, Sept 22, cert 15a, **** By David Young, PA Ireland has recorded its highest annual immigration rate for 16 years, with more than 141,000 people arriving in the Republic. Around 42,000 of those coming to live in the State in the 12 months to April 2023 were Ukrainians fleeing the war, according to figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Of the 141,600 immigrants, 29,600 were returning Irish citizens, 26,100 were other EU citizens and 4,800 were UK citizens. The remaining 81,100 were citizens of other countries, more than half of whom were Ukrainians. It was the second year in succession where immigration numbers have exceeded 100,000 and the highest rate since April 2007. In terms of emigration, more than 64,000 people departed Ireland in the 12 months to April 2023, compared with 56,100 in the same period the year before. The CSO said it was one of the highest figures of recent years. The overall population rose by 97,600 people to almost 5.3 million the largest 12-month increase since 2008. Along with the 77,600 net immigration number, there was also 20,000 of a natural increase, with 55,500 births and 35,500 deaths in 12-month period. Cathal Doherty, statistician in population estimates and projections at the CSO, said: Irelands population was estimated to be 5.28 million, rising by 97,600 people in the year to April 2023. This was the largest 12-month population increase since 2008 when the population rose by 109,200. Other data released by the CSO shows there were 806,300 people living in Ireland aged 65 and over in April 2023. Those aged 65 and over have shown an increase in population share between 2017 and 2023, from 13.6% to 15.3% of the total a volume increase of 153,900 people. There were 1,338,700 people aged 45-64 in April 2023. This cohort has also seen a rise in population share between 2017 and 2023, growing from 24.1% to 25.3% of the total a volume increase of 180,800 people. In terms of where people live, the proportion of the population living in Dublin has increased from 27.6% of the total in 2011 to 28.4% of the total in 2023 and now stands at 1,501,500 people. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. A house in Copiague, New York is partially submerged as high tide, rain and winds from Hurricane Sandy caused widespread damage on Oct. 29, 2012. Bruce Bennett / Getty Images In New York, anyone looking to sell a property will need to disclose whether that property has experienced flooding or is at risk of flooding in the future, per a newly signed law. The bill was passed by the state legislature in June and was signed into law on Friday by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. New York State previously allowed property owners to opt in to giving the buyer a credit of $500 in exchange for not having to provide previous flooding risks of a property when selling, The Associated Press reported. The new law closes this loophole and requires sellers to provide flood risks and whether flood insurance claims have been previously filed. Today marks a monumental step forward in our mission to protect New Yorkers from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, Hochul said in a statement. This legislation highlights our commitment to restoring natural habitats, which are our greatest natural barrier for extreme flooding, and safeguarding New Yorkers from the long-term dangers of flooding. The bill comes at a time of rising sea levels and increases in extreme rainfall that have increased flooding risks for people in New York. According to SeaLevelRise.org, the sea level around coastal New York has risen 9 inches since 1950, and the rate of sea level rise has increased to about an inch every 7 to 8 years. The NYC Panel on Climate Change predicted sea levels around New York City alone will rise 8 to 30 inches by the 2050s and up to 75 inches by 2100. This can result in more instances of sunny day flooding, which happens because of rising sea levels and requires no rain for flooding to occur. Properties are also at risk of flooding from extreme weather, including hurricanes and cold-season Noreasters like blizzards and other winter storms. In June 2023, the New York State Legislature voted to pass the bill following a similar bill passed the previous year to protect renters from flood risks. The bill requiring flood risk disclosures to renters went into effect in June 2023, The City reported. The legislature decided last year that renters deserved flood disclosure. This bill brings that same protection to home buyers, who need to know their flood risks, Joel Scata, attorney for water initiatives at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said in a previous statement. Disclosure of past flood damages is currently costing New Yorkers hundreds of thousands of dollars and a home that has flooded once is likely to be hit again so this bill goes a long way towards helping give home buyers information they need to make informed decisions about one of their biggest financial investments; their home. New York joins at least 29 other states, including New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana, in requiring flooding disclosures. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. The Twitter logo rebranded as X displayed on a smartphone on Aug. 10, 2023. Photo illustration by Piyas Biswas / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images The Climate of Misinformation report by Climate Action Against Disinformation, an international partnership of more than 50 organizations dedicated to climate and anti-disinformation, has given Twitter rebranded as X one point out of 21 for lacking clear policies to address misinformation related to climate, presenting no evidence of effectively enforcing policies and being entirely without substantive mechanisms regarding public transparency. The rating was the worst of the major technology platforms ranked by the organization. The report looked at the content moderation policies of YouTube, TikTok, Meta, Pinterest and Twitter, as well as the platforms efforts to reduce misinformation related to climate change. The Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition includes environmental advocacy nonprofits Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. Misinformation around climate change and disinformation fueled by the fossil fuel industry have stalled climate action for decades. Big Tech has become a complicit actor in climate denials resurgence, the report stated. Pinterest received 12 points, the most of the five major platforms. Meta, YouTube and TikTok have committed to addressing climate misinformation, the report said, but their policy enforcement has been found to be lacking by independent researchers. Most platforms, it added, do not have policies to address greenwashing. A toxic and fossil-fueled minority is drowning out the voices of science and reason and social media platforms are complicit, said Erika Seiber, climate disinformation spokesperson for Friends of the Earth, in a press release from Friends of the Earth. Four out of five of the major tech platforms were without a comprehensive, universal definition for climate misinformation in their content moderation policy, the report found. The scores in this report are unacceptable, especially in the case of Twitter/X, and should be a wake up call for platforms and regulators to finally take climate misinformation seriously, Seiber said in the press release. The report noted that the takeover of Twitter/X by Elon Musk had caused confusion regarding current policies. In the case of X/Twitter, Elon Musks acquisition of the company has created uncertainty about which policies are still standing and which are not. While some policy content on Twitter/Xs website dated before the acquisition could potentially benefit the fight against climate disinformation, such as its announcement to ban misleading advertisements on Twitter/X that contradict the scientific consensus on climate change, many policies are no longer being enforced, according to outside sources, the report said. The single point Twitter/X did receive in the report was for having a privacy policy that was easily accessible and readable. The litany of climate disasters unfolding in the U.S. and around the world underscores the urgency of taking action to phase out fossil fuels like oil and gas, said Greenpeace senior strategist Charlie Cray in the press release. Social media platforms have fostered a poisonous spread of disinformation and misinformation that has stalled the necessary action to prevent the climate crisis from becoming an irreversible catastrophe. As we approach COP28, a climate conference being led by the CEO of a major oil company, platforms need to step up and tackle climate misinformation head on before its too late. Twitter/X was the only platform evaluated in the report that did not provide a clear process for reporting misleading or harmful content. We call on platforms to review our rankings and use them to guide future policymaking around stopping the spread of climate denial, greenwashing, hate speech, and public health misinformation, the report said. CEOs explore solutions to challenges facing agri-food sector at Alltech's agri-food summit in Vietnam Twenty-four chief executive officers from across Vietnam's agri-food sector recently convened at the Alltech Vietnam Agri-food Summit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to discuss how to sustainably meet the challenges currently facing the industry. Alltech invited the changemakers and thought leaders in attendance to share their insights on various critical topics, including consumer trends, agricultural technologies and the biggest opportunities for the Vietnamese market. The group also explored how the industry can continue to innovate and work together to nourish both people and the planet. "Alltech is a connector of people and ideas," said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. "Through collective leadership and teamwork, we believe we can drive the industry forward with the shared purpose of "Working Together for a Planet of Plenty". But to achieve this vision, we will need curiosity, openness to new technologies and ways of working, and, above all, a commitment to positive impact." The Alltech Vietnam Agri-food Summit showcased a panel discussion moderated by Jonathan Forrest Wilson, president of Alltech Asia-Pacific. The panelists included Dr. Mark Lyons, Vy Thi Thu Hang (feed and nutrition director and CEO of Feedmill, TH Milk), Tara McCarthy (global vice president for ESG at Alltech) and Michael Joseph Sweeney (partner at Bluegrass Partners and director of strategy for Alltech Asia-Pacific). The panel discussion delved into identifying and understanding the prominent shifts and hurdles affecting the agri-food industry in Vietnam at present and key drivers behind these changes. Several attendees shared their viewpoints regarding the outlook for the agriculture and agrifood sector, expressing whether they hold an optimistic or pessimistic stance on its future trajectory globally and locally. Over recent decades, Vietnam has developed into one of the world's leading agricultural powers, with a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly agricultural processing industry and based on the most recent feed-production data, the country is demonstrating its potential, Alltech said. According to the 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, the company's annual global feed production survey, Vietnam experienced a significant increase in its feed tonnage in 2022 which went up 27.72% to 26.72 million tonnes thanks to its strong recovery from African swine fever (ASF). This included a major increase of 3.78 million tonnes in its broiler feed tonnage and an increase of 3.36 million tonnes in its pig feed tonnage. As a result of these increases, Vietnam joined the list of the top 10 largest feed-producing countries in the world. "Vietnam agri-food has a bright future and unlimited possibilities," said Forrest Wilson. "As a major exporter of agri-food, Vietnam is an attractive market for both local and foreign investment. "We will continue to provide local solutions with global resources and technologies for our partners and customers to develop a prosperous future together." Alltech began operating in Vietnam in 1994 and officially opened a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City in 2000. In the decades since, Alltech has fostered strong partnerships within the industry and the local community. Alltech Vietnam moved to Dong Nai in 2006, where its operations expanded with the construction of a production plant in Amata IP later that year. In November 2022, Alltech continued its investments in Vietnam with the opening of a trace-mineral manufacturing facility in Dong Nai to better serve its local customers and support imports and exports. This October, representatives of the American Feed Industry Association and United States Department of Agriculture will be traveling with Alltech representatives through the country to meet with the Vietnam Feed Association and Vietnam Animal Husbandry Association to work together on biosecurity and immune health as antibiotic use is restricted. - Alltech Philippines sees surge in shrimp and prawn production for 2023 The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) is optimistic about a continued increase in shrimp and prawn production for the year 2023, attributed to substantial investments in research, the adoption of new technologies, and the implementation of best practices within the industry, Philippine News Agency reported. Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban praised the remarkable achievements of shrimp and prawn farmers despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years. Panganiban said that despite the difficulties brought on by COVID-19, the country ranked fourth in Southeast Asia and 10th in the world in shrimp and prawn production output in 2021. He noted that while there was a slight dip in tiger prawn production, the overall production for the first half of the year reached 33,000 metric tonnes (MT), surpassing the previous year's harvest by about 1,000 MT. Anticipating continued growth, Panganiban projected the industry to produce over 91,000 MT of shrimp and prawns by the end of the year, 4% more than the 87,700 MT it harvested in 2022. The total production in 2021 had amounted to 84,134 MT. The shrimp and prawn industry's economic contribution was significant, with PHP 27.63 million generated solely from production operations in 2022. Panganiban also revealed that the Philippines is actively exploring trade opportunities for the industry in countries such as the US, China, and Western Europe. In her keynote message, Senator Cynthia Villar, represented by House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Camille Villar, stressed the importance of continuous support for aquaculture farmers. She advocated for disease and water quality monitoring to prevent the spread of diseases and subsequent economic losses. Villar called for better access to information and educational awareness to ensure consistent implementation of government policies related to shrimp culture. Director Demosthenes Escoto of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) expressed optimism about collaborative efforts leading to a transformed, highly productive, globally competitive, and sustainable shrimp industry. He highlighted the role of the DA-BFAR Hipon Iangat ang Produksyon (HIPON), the National Shrimp Production Program, in promoting sustainable practices and technologies. Joseph Edgar Sarrosa, president of the Philippine Shrimp Industry, Inc, proudly hailed the shrimp and prawn industry as one of the few success stories within the country's agri-aquaculture sector. He emphasised its self-sufficiency, with shrimp production exceeding demand and significant untapped potential. The 14th Philippine Shrimp Congress, chaired by Ryan Michael Alegre, convened nearly a thousand participants from various industry segments for a three-day event. This year's congress centered on the theme "The Philippine Shrimp Industry: Building and Adapting to the Regional Open Market." - Philippine News Agency Intensifying competition among key pork exporters, Rabobank reveals Global pork trade is seeing an increase in competition among major exporters, according to a recent Rabobank report. With growing global pork consumption anticipated through 2030, ongoing opportunities for pork trade will be available. The shifting competitive landscape follows a tumultuous past five years that included animal disease outbreaks, geopolitical headwinds and a global pandemic. Low-cost pork producers like Brazil and the United States will likely have an advantage in trade. Meanwhile, Rabobank expects Europe's position to weaken as market and regulatory requirements regarding animal welfare and sustainability tighten. As disease-related challenges continue to plague the pork industry, mitigation efforts and trade policies will play a vital role in the market success of countries. After African swine fever (ASF) first appeared in Asia in 2018, pork trade experienced a surge in exports. In 2018, global pork trade amounted to 9.7 million tonnes and grew to 12 million tonnes in 2021. As herds in China, the Philippines and Vietnam were decimated, pork imports grew in demand. The following year, in 2022, exports dropped down to 11 million tonnes. "African swine fever continues to impact importing countries in Asia directly and European exporters indirectly through trade restrictions, reshaping global trade patterns," said Eva Gocsik, senior analyst of animal protein at Rabobank. Currently, some countries are experimenting with gene editing and vaccines that could give them a competitive edge. Driven by affordable feed and access to key markets, the United States and Canada have been able to maintain low-cost pork exports. Rabobank noted that ongoing consolidation and sustainability initiatives may raise the value of US and Canadian pork over time. Europe will likely begin to see an increase in production costs as the region demands added animal welfare and sustainability investments. Rabobank reported an anticipated 8% decline in pork production for European countries. A key player in global pork trade to come is Brazil. Last year, Brazil was the second-largest supplier of China's pork imports, holding 24% of the nation's total imports. Likewise, Brazil is highly dependent on China, considering the latter represented 51% of total Brazilian exports in 2022. "Brazil has benefited from recent developments in global markets in this regard, and it's emerging as a remarkable player," Gocsik said. "Despite an increase in production costs, Brazil maintains its production cost advantage over European exporters in particular." China has begun to wean itself off reliance on other countries for pork supplies. In 2022, China's pork production rebounded to pre-ASF levels of 56 million tonnes, and it achieved 95% self-sufficiency. China's annual pork imports are expected to stabilise to around 2.5 million to three million tonnes. - Meat + Poultry The periodic table has a name for every element, and English has at least one word that corresponds to each name. In the case of the element with the symbol Al and the chemical number 13, English has two words: aluminum and aluminium. The difference between these two words comes down to the differences between American and British English. While aluminum is the original word, British editors standardized around aluminium, to preserve consistency with elements like sodium, lithium, and titanium. Continue reading to find out when to use each version of this word. What is the Difference Between Aluminum and Aluminium? In this article, I will explore the aluminum vs. aluminium debate. I will use the words in example sentences to illustrate how they should look in context. I will subsequently show you a mnemonic device for your mental toolkit that will help you remember whether to use aluminum or aluminium. When to Use Aluminum What does aluminum mean? The word aluminum is a noun. Aluminumis a type of metalthat is useful in a variety of applications because it is lightweight, resistant to corrosion, and excellent at conducting heat. Here are some examples of aluminum in sentences, Aluminum conducts electricity but not as well as silver, copper, or gold. Kyle used aluminum baseball bats when he was young, but as he grew older, he switched to bats hewn of ash. My cookware has a layer of aluminum bonded between layers of stainless steel, so that food heats more evenly. One of the worlds largest aluminum stockpiles, which until a few months ago was stored under hay and plastic tarp in a Mexican desert, has been moved to a remote port here in southern Vietnam. The Wall Street Journal When to Use Aluminium What does aluminium mean? Aluminium is the British English word for the same metal. The following chart compares usage of aluminium vs. aluminum in British English works published since 1800, As you can see, the British have historically preferred the spelling aluminium, and it predominates there to this day. Interestingly enough, however, the gap between the two might be narrowing. That said, this chart isnt exhaustive in its scope, only looking at books, to the exclusion of papers, magazines, journals, etc. Still, it is helpful in determining long-term usage trends. These sentences illustrate the British English aluminium, Bloody hell, Commerford, stop using that silly Italian pot; the coffee tastes like aluminium! said Wilshire. Is the tap made of aluminium, or stainless steel? asked Bronwyn. Velar is based on the same fundamental aluminium components as its sister car, as is common in the industry these days; just one of the revolutions the TT kicked-off nearly 20 years ago. The Telegraph Trick to Remember the Difference You can easily decide whether to choose aluminum or aluminium by keeping your audience in mind. American readersare used to aluminum, while British audiencesprefer aluminium. While aluminumwas the original spelling of the element, many scientific communities have standardized around aluminium, so if you are writing for a scientific journal, that might be your best choice. For everyday writing, however, if you have trouble remembering that aluminium is the British version of this word, remember that aluminium has two Is, much like the word British. Summary Is it aluminum or aluminium? Aluminum and aluminium both describe an elemental metal that makes up roughly 8% of the earths crust, and is used by humans for many things. Aluminum is the American version of the word. Aluminium is the British version. Since aluminium and British are each spelled with two Is, you can easily remember that aluminium should be reserved for British audiences. If you require additional assistance, be sure to check this article for a quick refresher when choosing aluminiumor aluminum. What is chances to win super bowl 2022Underlying Retention Underlying retention is the net amount of risk or liability arising from an insurance policy or policies that is retained by a ceding company after reinsuring the balance amount of the risk or liability. The degree of underlying retention will vary depending on the ceding company's assessment of the risks involved in retaining part of the policy liability and the profitability of the insurance policy. Understanding Underlying Retention Underlying retention enables an insurer to avoid payment of the reinsurance premium. The insurer will generally retain the most profitable policies or their lowest-risk components while reinsuring less profitable, higher-risk policies. Reinsurance, also known as insurance for insurers or stop-loss insurance, is the practice of insurers transferring portions of risk portfolios to other parties by some form of agreement to reduce the likelihood of paying a large obligation resulting from an insurance claim. Reinsurance allows insurers to remain solvent by recovering some or all of amounts paid to claimants. Reinsurance reduces net liability on individual risks and catastrophe protection from large or multiple losses. It also provides ceding companies the capacity to increase their underwriting capabilities in terms of the number and size of risks. Key Takeaways Underlying retention enables insurers to avoid payment of the reinsurance premiums by retaining their lower-risk components. The ceding company assesses risks involved in retaining part of the policy liability to select policies that can be retained in its portfolio. Underlying retention is used in cases of non-proportional reinsurance. By covering the insurer against accumulated individual commitments, reinsurance gives the insurer more security for its equity and solvency and more stable results when unusual and major events occur. Insurers may underwrite policies covering a larger quantity or volume of risks without excessively raising administrative costs to cover their solvency margins. In addition, reinsurance makes substantial liquid assets available for insurers in case of exceptional losses. Underlying Retention in Reinsurance Under proportional reinsurance, the reinsurer receives a prorated share of all policy premiums sold by the insurer. When claims are made, the reinsurer bears a portion of the losses based on a pre-negotiated percentage. The reinsurer also reimburses the insurer for processing, business acquisition, and writing costs. With non-proportional reinsurance, the reinsurer is liable if the insurer's losses exceed a specified amount, known as the priority or retention limit. As a result, the reinsurer does not have a proportional share in the insurer's premiums and losses. The priority or retention limit may be based on one type of risk or an entire risk category. Excess-of-loss reinsurance is a type of non-proportional coverage in which the reinsurer covers the losses exceeding the insurer's retained limit. This contract is typically applied to catastrophic events, covering the insurer either on a per-occurrence basis or for the cumulative losses within a set time period. Under risk-attaching reinsurance, all claims established during the effective period are covered, regardless of whether the losses occurred outside the coverage period. No coverage is provided for claims originating outside the coverage period, even if the losses occurred while the contract was in effect. Example of Underlying Retention Suppose that an insurance company has a reinsurance treaty limit of $500,000. It chooses to retain $200,000 worth of insurance risk as its underlying retention. That retained portfolio consists mostly of policies that are worth much less and carry significantly lower risk. For example, the company may choose to retain claims less than $100,000, which carry significantly less risk, in its portfolio. On the other hand, policies that for greater amounts, averaging say $100,00 in payouts, are reinsured. Thus, the reinsurer saves money on premium payments for low-risk policies. What Is a Private Placement?ufc odds today draft warriors 2021 A private placement is a sale of stock shares or bonds to pre-selected investors and institutions rather than publicly on the open market. It is an alternative to an initial public offering (IPO) for a company seeking to raise capital for expansion. Private placements are regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under Regulation D. Investors invited to participate in private placement programs include wealthy individual investors, banks and other financial institutions, mutual funds, insurance companies, and pension funds. One advantage of a private placement is its relatively few regulatory requirements. Key Takeaways A private placement is a sale of securities to a pre-selected number of individuals and institutions. Private placements are relatively unregulated compared to sales of securities on the open market. Private sales are now common for startups as they allow the company to obtain the money they need to grow while delaying or foregoing an IPO. Private Placement Understanding Private Placement 1:29 There are minimal regulatory requirements and standards for a private placement even though, like an IPO, it involves the sale of securities. The sale does not even have to be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company is not required to provide a prospectus to potential investors and detailed financial information may not be disclosed. The sale of stock on the public exchanges is regulated by the Securities Act of 1933, which was enacted after the market crash of 1929 to ensure that investors receive sufficient disclosure when they purchase securities. Regulation D of that act provides a registration exemption for private placement offerings. The same regulation allows an issuer to sell securities to a pre-selected group of investors that meet specified requirements. Instead of a prospectus, private placements are sold using a private placement memorandum (PPM) and cannot be broadly marketed to the general public. It specifies that only accredited investors may participate. These may include individuals or entities such as venture capital firms that qualify under the SECs terms. Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Placement Private placements have become a common way for startups to raise financing, particularly those in the internet and financial technology sectors. They allow these companies to grow and develop while avoiding the full glare of public scrutiny that accompanies an IPO. Buyers of private placements demand higher returns than they can get on the open markets. As an example, Lightspeed Systems, an Austin-based company that creates content-control and monitoring software for K-12 educational institutions, raised an undisclosed amount of money in a private placement Series D financing round in March 2019. The funds were to be used for business development. A Speedier Process Above all, a young company can remain a private entity, avoiding the many regulations and annual disclosure requirements that follow an IPO. The light regulation of private placements allows the company to avoid the time and expense of registering with the SEC. That means the process of underwriting is faster, and the company gets its funding sooner. If the issuer is selling a bond, it also avoids the time and expense of obtaining a credit rating from a bond agency. A private placement allows the issuer to sell a more complex security to accredited investors who understand the potential risks and rewards. A More Demanding Buyer The buyer of a private placement bond issue expects a higher rate of interest than can be earned on a publicly-traded security. Because of the additional risk of not obtaining a credit rating, a private placement buyer may not buy a bond unless it is secured by specific collateral. A private placement stock investor may also demand a higher percentage of ownership in the business or a fixed dividend payment per share of stock. What Is Occupational Labor Mobility?2 team 7 point teaser odds Occupational labor mobility refers to the ability of workers to switch career fields in order to find gainful employment or meet the needs of industry. When conditions allow for high degrees of occupational labor mobility, it can help maintain strong employment and productivity levels. Governments may provide occupational retraining to help workers acquire the necessary skills and expedite this process. Geographical labor mobility, on the other hand, refers to the level of flexibility and freedom laborers have to physically move from one location to another in order to find gainful employment in their field. Key Takeaways Occupational mobility refers to the ease with which a worker can leave one job for another in a different field. When labor mobility is high, economists predict a high degree of productivity and growth. Low-skilled labor and workers with skills that are more general or can be more readily transferred will tend to experience greater occupational labor mobility. Occupational mobility can be restricted through regulations. Licensing, training, or education requirements prevent the free flow of labor from one industry to another. Understanding Occupational Labor Mobility Labor mobility is the ease with which workers can leave one job for another. Workers may not be able to pursue new career opportunities in the event of layoffs or termination if their occupational labor mobility is limited. This can be true for workers who possess few or specialized skills that are only of use under limited circumstances. For example, a worker trained to operate a piece of machinery that only exists in one industry can face challenges seeking employment outside of that industry. If an experienced worker who has earned a substantial salary attempts to switch career paths they may face a significant financial adjustment. This is because alternate jobs they could perform might not make use of their most developed skills, leading to a form of underemployment. For example, an archaeologist may have to find work as a landscaper if no more suitable positions are available. Such circumstances can lead to workers and professionals taking substantially lower pay than they are accustomed to or have been led to expect in the course of their education and training. The ease with which employees can move from a job in one particular occupation to a job in a different occupation determines how quickly an economy can develop. This is because technological progress, innovation, and the creation of new industries and occupations are major components of economic development and also lead to the phenomenon of creative destruction, where the new industries and occupations displace older ones. Labor mobility from obsolete industries and occupations into new ones is a necessary part of this process. Low occupation labor mobility can slow the adjustment to new conditions as the economy develops, and may even contribute to the darker side of progress known as destructive creation. An easing of occupational mobility restrictions can do several things: Increase the supply of labor in particular industries . Lower restrictions cause laborers to have an easier time entering a different industry, which can mean the demand for labor is more readily met. . Lower restrictions cause laborers to have an easier time entering a different industry, which can mean the demand for labor is more readily met. Lower wage rates . If it is easier for laborers to enter a particular industry, the supply of labor will increase for a given demand, which lowers the wage rate until equilibrium is reached. . If it is easier for laborers to enter a particular industry, the supply of labor will increase for a given demand, which lowers the wage rate until equilibrium is reached. Allow nascent industries to grow. If an economy is shifting toward new industries, employees must be available to run that industry's businesses. A shortage of employees means overall productivity can be negatively impacted because there aren't enough employees to provide the service or work the machines used to make the product. Ways Occupational Labor Mobility Influences Productivity The decrease in the number of manufacturing sector jobs in favor of services-focused employment such as software development has diminished the occupational labor mobility for some workers. The U.S. automobile industry, for example, faced ongoing staff cuts as production became more efficient and required fewer workers or was relocated overseas. Domestic job eliminations left many downsized workers unable to find employment that offered compensation that compared with their previous salary levels. Workers in other types of manufacturing-based careers have also dealt with issues of limited occupational labor mobility as their industries shrank. Public and private employment training programs have been established to give workers the opportunity to increase their occupational labor mobility by teaching them new skills. The focus of such programs is to expand the potential career paths these individuals could succeed in. Companies can benefit from the existence of such programs because they increase the pool of potential hires for current job openings. Occupational labor mobility can especially benefit emerging, innovation-oriented businesses. Such companies can see their productivity increase when there is a growing population of workers who possess skills that are in demand. For instance, a startup company could see its development plans stall until it hires enough software coders and programmers to work on its core product. I want my children to think the world of their dad the way Gianna Floyd thinks of hers. It has a 70-pound weight limit, so its off-limits for mom and dad but great for younger children. She goes to war to save her dad, sure but she also goes because shes a tomboy who rejects traditional femininity. My dad, zynga poker reddit odds on ufc 261 he and I didnt sit down and have those big, long talks that some dads do with their children, but it stuck with me, and I remembered him saying that. Its been stressful because I have to worry about still having to help my dad, I have to give him rent money every month, and then I still have to pay off this loan and I dont get that much of a check, you know. The Loan Company That Sued Thousands of Low-Income Latinos During the Pandemic|by Kiah Collier, Ren Larson and Perla Trevizo|August 31, 2020|ProPublica My dad was a sailor, and all through my childhood he was away half of the time at sea, and to an extent I have a similar job. Belle & Sebastian Arent So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST His wife passed away and they had kids, and he wanted to focus on being a dad so he just stopped to raise his kids. Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On Portlandia, Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swifts Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST The fear ofDad, of the waryes, thatbut something elsethe fear that life is nor being lived right here now. The Story Behind Lee Marvins Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST My dad had worked for a while as a ranch hand, and his Open Road was a remnant of those days. My Love Letter to the Stetson|Mark McKinnon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST The kids are out of school, Mom is out of get-up-and-go, Dad is out of work. Congress Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. ORourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST "Dad and Hans Rutter, as you know, weren't the sort of men to sit around and mourn over anything like that," she laughed. Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair When I told dad, sez I, 'Dad, did ever yer hear sech a thing uz gittin' up afore light to feed stock?' Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson He was one of Dad's tenants, a big purple-faced man, who drank a lot and never took much exercise. Uncanny Tales|Various Why, I coaxed even dad over to camp once and I've always wanted Helena to go. Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond What Is the EAFE Index?bet365 free download cards craps The EAFE Index is a stock index offered by MSCI that covers non-U.S. and Canadian equity markets. It serves as a performance benchmark for the major international equity markets as represented by 21 major MSCI indices from Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East. The EAFE Index is the oldest international stock index and is commonly called the MSCI EAFE Index. Key Takeaways The EAFE is a broad market index of stocks located within countries in Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East. Developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) in 1969, the EAFE Index contains more than 900 stocks from 21 countries. Investors and asset managers often use the EAFE Index as a performance benchmark for global developed market equities. Understanding the EAFE Index The EAFE Index was created to reflect the performance of mid- and large-cap stocks across 21 developed market countriesthe Europe, Australasia, and the Far East (EAFE). The index was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) in 1969 and lists more than 874 stocks from 21 countries in the EAFE. As of June 30, 2021, the list of countries by region are provided in the table below: MSCI EAFE Index Countries Europe Australasia Middle East Austria Germany Portugal Australia Israel Belgium Ireland Spain Hong Kong Denmark Italy Sweden Japan Finland Netherlands Switzerland New Zealand France Norway United Kingdom Singapore The EAFE Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index; its individual components are weighted according to their market capitalization. This means that countries with the largest stock markets, such as Japan and the United Kingdom, will have the largest relative weighting in the index. In addition, changes in the market value of larger securities will result in a bigger move in the index than changes in the market value of smaller stocks. The largest 70% securities in the MSCI EAFE Index constitute the index' large-cap stocks, the 71st to 85th percentiles are the EAFE Mid-Cap, and the 85th to 99th percentiles represent the EAFE Small Cap. As of June 30, 2021, equities from the Japanese stock markets accounted for the index's largest allocation at 23.19%. The top four countries in the EAFE Index, following Japan, include the United Kingdom (14.38%), France (11.52%), Switzerland (9.8%), and Germany (9.41%). The top 10 company listings on the index were: Nestle ASML Holdings Roche Holding Genuss LVMH Moet Hennessy Novartis Toyota AstraZeneca Unilever AIA Group SAP These companies account for $2.13 trillion in market-cap value, or 12.55%, of the index's market capitalization. The financial sector of the EAFE has the highest weighting in the index. The table below shows the sectors represented in the MSCI EAFE Index and their respective weights: MSCI EAFE Index Sectors Sector Weight (%) Financials 16.96 Industrials 15.5 Consumer Discretionary 13.03 Health Care 12.41 Consumer Staples 10.52 Information Technology 9.14 Materials 7.91 Communication Services 4.89 Utilities 3.4 Energy 3.22 Real Estate 3.03 EAFE vs. ACWI Another index, developed by MSCI Inc., which represents the performance of the global market is the MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index). The ACWI lists 2,491 assets from 47 countries composed of 23 developed countries and 24 emerging economies. Both indices provide a transparent vehicle that can be used by institutional investors to take advantage of profitable investments from multiple capital markets in the world. In comparison, the table below shows the annual performance of both indices from 2007 to 2020: Annual Performance (%) Year MSCI EAFE MSCI ACWI 2020 7.82 16.25 2019 22.01 26.60 2018 -13.79 -9.41 2017 25.03 23.97 2016 1.00 7.86 2015 -0.81 -2.36 2014 -4.90 4.16 2013 22.78 22.80 2012 17.32 16.13 2011 -12.14 -7.35 2010 7.75 12.67 2009 31.78 34.63 2008 -43.38 -42.19 2007 11.17 11.66 EAFE Index as a Benchmark Institutional investors and asset managers use the EAFE index as a performance benchmark for the international developed equity market. By comparing the performance of funds to that of the EAFE Index, a manager can ascertain whether they are adding value to their clients' portfolios. Investors and portfolio managers who want an increased level of diversification beyond the U.S. and Canadian equity borders can include stocks from the EAFE in their portfolios. This can typically be done by purchasing index-linked financial products, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs). An example of an ETF that tracks the investment results of the EAFE Index is the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA). The EFA has net assets of $57.2 billion with a 0.32% expense ratio, as of July 2021. Other ETFs that mirror the performance of the EAFE Index are iShares Core MSCI EAFE (IEFA) and the iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap (SCZ) ETFs. top sport betting in coloradoshows 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. Words nearby dactylus 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 Seal of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Photo: IC US intelligence agencies are largely held in esteem by the US media and some American people,despite their long history of serving the interests of elites at the expense of humanity. The US has 17 intelligence agencies of varying acronyms, which are designated to conduct the affairs of the state in secrecy. No other US intelligence agency is more recognized globally than the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA was established soon after the conclusion of World War II and turned 75 this year.The US was at that point the world's biggest economy and military power, and the CIA's covert operations were tasked with helping the US maintain world superpower status amid the growth of socialist alternatives such as the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.The CIA has given the human race many reasons to desire its abolition. CIA operations across the world have sown chaos and destabilized entire regions. According to foreign policy critic and author William Blum, the CIA participated in the attempted overthrow of more than 40 governments around the world over the course of five decades. Some of the most well-known examples include helping facilitate the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala, Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran, Patrice Lumumba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Salvador Allende in Chile.The CIA's history is marked by a broad scope of powers and a lack of transparency. In 1975, the US Congress held hearings that detailed a number of CIA abuses, including Operation Mockingbird where the agency recruited, organized, and embedded itself in major media organizations to spread misinformation.The CIA also spearheaded the Board of Broadcasting Governors (BBG) (now rebranded as the US Agency for Global Media) which established entire media organizations such as Radio Free Asia dedicated to undermining communist-led governments around the world.In 1951, the CIA attempted to broadcast Radio Free Asia in China by air lifting radio devices on balloons from the island of Taiwan but abandoned the plan when the receivers were blown back by wind.The CIA is no less dangerous now as it was then. Many of the CIA's operations have directly informed massive escalations in US wars and human rights abuses. Operation Cyclone funded armed groups in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union.This policy created a template for the US foreign policy establishment to use in its ongoing campaign of arming and supporting regime change forces in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and elsewhere. The wanton torture of anti-colonial forces in Vietnam under Phoenix Program helped inform the torture campaign that the CIA employed during the War on Terror.The CIA and the rest of the US intelligence community has led the way in fearmongering about China as part of the US' military strategy of "strategic competition" outlined by Joe Biden's administration.On October 7th 2021, CIA director William Burns called China the "most important geopolitical threat we face in the 21st century" and announced that mission centers would be established to focus more on China.In 2020, Chinese cybersecurity firm Qihoo 360 discovered a massive CIA hacking campaign that targeted China's aviation, technology, and energy sectors. Last month, China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center found that the NSA hacked into the servers of Northwestern Polytechnic University in attempt to steal the personal data of teachers and students. The CIA and other US intelligence agencies have spread Cold War-like propaganda while carrying out the very actions that they accuse of China.The CIA is an extension of a broader "deep state," better termed the real state that drives US domestic and foreign policy. Journalists such as Julian Assange and nations such as China, Iran, and Russia are viewed as threats to be silenced by US elites seeking dominance and maximal profit for themselves. These narrow interests thrive in conditions of instability and war. The CIA is funded with an unknown amount of US dollars to help facilitate them.An end to the CIA would thus be a welcome development for the cause of peace, now and in the future.The author is an independent journalist in the US, and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China as well as a founding member of the No Cold War international campaign. [email protected] Online casino and sports betting software supplier SOFTSWISS this week announced that it is set to rebrand in a move that reflects the companys current position on the online gambling market and its vision to maintain a leading position in this market. From July 1, the providers logo text and brand name will be spelled SOFTSWISS (in caps) in all its official press releases and marketing materials. SOFTSWISS explained that its logos new feel will adhere to its brand values and position as an innovative and leading provider that strives to deliver the most secure and reliableiGaming and online sports betting solutions to its clients. The company revealed that during the brand image development stage, it incorporated the most important lessons it had learned in the past and combined them with the main secret of its brands success its team. SOFTSWISS was launched in 2009 as a small software development startup with just a slew of employees. Over the past 12 years it has grown into a massive internationally recognized brand that now employs more than 700 expertsin offices in Belarus, Malta, and Poland. The new brand logo will reflect the companys evolution over the years with its fresher and more contemporary look. Latest in a Series of Changes in Visual Identity This is the latest change SOFTSWISS has implemented to update its visual identity in recent years. In 2019, the company debuted a new logothat, while bearing the same colors as its old one, was more in line with its multi-vertical product offering. SOFTSWISS broke away from its old bitcoin and casino chip logo in favor of a simpler yet modern lookthat pictures a counter-clockwise turned s that alludes to the infinity symbol. Back in its early days, SOFTSWISS had established itself as a provider of a one-stop-shop white label solution that took care of all technical, legal, and financial processes related to the launch of a new online casino. In 2013, the company pioneered a bitcoin-optimized online casino solution, well ahead of the frenzy that the most popular crytpocurrency has stirred in recent years. Over the years, SOFTSWISS has expanded its portfolio of products to now include an online casino platform, a sportsbook platform, which it launched not long ago, a game aggregator, a crypto casino solution, the Affilka affiliate management platform, as well as different managed services. Commenting on their latest big news, SOFTSWISS founder Ivan Montik said that looking back, its astonishing to realise how much weve grownand that we started over 10 years ago with a very small team, which has now become the size of a small village! Mr. Montik pointed out that the new look will reflect their constant desire for innovation and development and that through the new visual pattern and overall unified image, they will be able to communicate the brand positioning much clearer to our current and potential clients. Source:SOFTSWISS is Rebranding, SOFTSWISS Newsroom, June 29, 2021 Wall Street Bets is toronto casinos canadaa roundup of recent notes from analysts covering the gambling industry. MGM Resorts cyberattack The Sept. 11 cyberattack on MGM Resorts had a ripple effect throughout the gaming industry, with Caesars Entertainment admitting it had been attacked a few days prior to the incident. In a Sept. 19 note, Jefferies equity analyst David Katzwrote that investors have questioned the timing and prospective impacts of both. Earlier this week, MGM announced that they were victims of a cyber security attack that continues to affect multiple business components. In response, MGM notified law enforcement and has employed services from external cybersecurity experts as they attempt to curtail this ongoing issue. MGM continues to suffer from this issue; we expect a near-term impact of ~10%-20% for the days that the current conditions exist. Additionally, on 9/14, Caesars issued a statement confirming its business was also impacted but announced it paid a ~$15M ransom to prevent further disruptions. We expect MGM to restore normal service in time, although whether there is ongoing impact to business remains. Wynn in the U.A.E. J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, in a Sept. 15 note, commented on Wynns interest in the United Arab Emirates and the full-scale luxury integrated resort located on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, in which it will hold a 40% equity interest as well as receive fees in the form of a management and license fee contract. Recall that this project was first announced in January 2022 to little investor fanfare (which made sense at that time, in our view, since it was early in the regulatory process). We, and we think most other sell-side analysts, have adopted a wait and see approach given this earlier skepticism on gaming in the region and Street price targets have embedded zero equity value related to Wynn RAK. We think progress is being made with respect to gaming law enactment, a gaming license being issued, property level financing being secured, and partner equity contributions and construction accelerates. As such, we think investors will start to assess and ascribe the net equity value here. International Game Technology Truist Securities analyst Barry JonasSept. 15 commented on a recent virtual meeting with International Game Technology management. While management did not have specific updates to provide on the strategic review, they noted they are running multiple processes concurrently, Jonas wrote. Management reiterated that the genesis of the strategic alternatives review was driven by the lack of market appreciation for the current structure of the portfolio, following recent structural margin improvements across segments. Additionally, as management sees few significant incremental synergies between the lottery and gaming/digital segments (though more between gaming and digital), they believe the businesses could potentially rerate higher if separated. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos in Bangkok,777 deluxe slot stars 77 agen slot Thailand, Nov. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BANGKOK, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Thursday that China has always viewed its relations with the Philippines from a strategic height. Xi made the remarks when meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on the sidelines of the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting. Xi recalled that during their phone call in May, they reached a series of important consensus on growing bilateral ties in the new era and identified agriculture, infrastructure, energy and people-to-people exchanges as four priority areas of cooperation. Xi said that the two sides need to create highlights in cooperation and enhance the quality of cooperation to the benefit of their peoples, adding that China will work with the Philippines to carry forward their friendship and cooperation, commit to national development and rejuvenation, and write a new chapter in China-Philippines friendship. Xi underscored China's readiness to maintain regular communication with the Philippines and to continue to accommodate its concerns, and the two sides need to further deepen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Philippines' "Build, Better, More" program, ensure the success of the Davao-Samal Bridge project, explore cooperation on "Two Countries, Twin Parks," and strengthen cooperation on clean energy, education, and public health. China is willing to import more quality agricultural and sideline products from the Philippines, said Xi, adding that the two sides need to take more concrete steps to increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cement public support for China-Philippines friendship. On the South China Sea issue, the two sides must stick to friendly consultation and handle differences and disputes properly, Xi said. Noting that China and the Philippines, as two developing countries in Asia, need to keep strategic independence, uphold peace, openness and inclusiveness, and stay the course of regional cooperation, Xi said the two countries should work together to reject unilateralism and acts of bullying, defend fairness and justice, and safeguard peace and stability in the region. For his side, Marcos once again extended congratulations on the success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and on Xi's re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, saying that this brings greater stability not only to the future development of China but also to the region and the world. Marcos said that the Philippines and China share a millennium-long history of friendly exchanges, and bilateral cooperation across the board has made steady progress since the establishment of diplomatic ties, adding that China has made important contributions to the national development of the Philippines by giving support and assistance. Saying that mutual trust between the two countries is being increasingly strengthened, Marcos added that the Philippines looks forward to working with China to unleash potentials and expand cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, energy, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges, in an effort to build a more robust and strong bilateral relationship. Marcos stressed his consistent view that relations between the two countries should not be defined by maritime issues and that both sides may further enhance communication in this regard, and the Philippines will continue to adhere to the one-China policy, uphold the principle of peace, stay committed to an independent foreign policy, and will not take sides. The Philippines is ready to engage in active consultations with China and find ways to advance the joint exploration of maritime oil and gas resources, he said. Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and He Lifeng, among others, were present at the meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) When you are describing something that happens quickly and you didnt expect, what phrase should you use? You could just use a word like suddenly, but sometimes an idiom like out of the blueor all of a sudden adds a little extra flavor. But is it all of the suddenor all of a sudden? Native speakers will probably say this phrase quite quickly in everyday speech, causing each variation to sound alike and confusing writers as to the correct spelling. However, only one of these variations is considered standard, even though there would seem to be little difference between them in meaning. What is the Difference Between All of a Sudden and All of the Sudden? In this post, I will compare all of the sudden vs. all of a sudden. I will outline the correct spelling of this phrase, and I will show you a helpful memory tool that will make choosing the correct phrase easier. When to Use All of a Sudden What does all of a sudden mean? All of a sudden is a popular idiom. It functions as an adverb in sentences, much like the word suddenly. All of a suddentends to describe something that took place unexpectedly or without warning. For example, I was just about to put the horses up for the night, when all of a sudden, a coyote howled nearby. All of a sudden, twelve hooded druids appeared in the clearing and formed a circle around the cairn. But sometimes you wake up too soon, and all of a sudden Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is throwing deep to Antonio Brown in the third quarter, and the all-pro wide receiver is making a beautiful 26-yard touchdown reception and twerking in the end zone. The Washington Post The idiom all of a sudden is an adverb phrase, which means it modifies verbs in sentences. Since it means suddenly, some writers have a pet peeve of people who use it to describe actions that dont actually happen suddenly. When to Use All of the Sudden All of the sudden is an incorrect formulation of the phrase all of a sudden. Given the fact that its not the correct spelling of the phrase, it is rarely used in print. The below graph charts both variations, all of a sudden vs. all of the sudden, since the year 1800. All of a sudden clearly predominates. Avoid the error all of the sudden. Trick to Remember the Difference You should always use all of a suddenbecause all of the sudden is not the correct phrase. For the sake of simplicity, it might be an even better idea to stick with the adverb suddenly instead. But, when you want add little extra pizzazz to your writing, heres how you can remember that all of a suddenis the correct spelling. Since all of a sudden would come before all of the sudden alphabetically (A comes before The), it should be easy to remember that all of a sudden is the standard version of this phrase. Since this spelling comes first in the alphabet, it should be your first choice. Summary Is it all of a sudden or all of the sudden? All of a sudden is an idiom that functions as an adverb phrase. It has the same meaning as suddenly, which means quickly or unexpectedly. The same nouns may be partly declinable and partly indeclinable, and in some of their cases may have fallen out of use. Cratylus|Plato Hence the last vowel of the nominative, or in general of any declinable word, may be called the characteristic vowel. Elements of Gaelic Grammar|Alexander Stewart This has been written to show that verbs of languages in general are as naturally declinable as nouns. A Handbook of the English Language|Robert Gordon Latham Definition of Nostalgia Theplay cleopatra igt term nostalgia, or the feeling of homesickness, has been derived from a Homeric term, nostos, which means homecoming. Homer used this term in his epic Odyssey, to show how homesick Odysseus grew when he freed himself from the war. However, the modern derivative of this term is medical research, as a student by the name of Johannes Hofer coined this term during his study of homesickness of mercenaries, including the associated anxiety and mental pain he observed among them. However, in literature, nostalgia is employed to discuss a general interest in the past, or the personalities of the past, and subsequent feelings of pleasure or pain. The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines nostalgia as, pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again. Therefore, nostalgia is not only sadness or sickness, but also the pleasure of remembering, or taking interest in, the past. That is why the Romantic Movement in English literature has a special association with nostalgia, focusing on the pleasure and pain of remembering the past. Examples of Nostalgia in Literature Example #1: Patriot into Traitor, lines 1-5 (By Robert Browning) It was roses, roses, all the way, With myrtle mixed in my path like mad. The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway, The church-spires flamed, such flags they had, A year ago on this very day! These are the opening lines from Robert Brownings famous poem Patriot into Traitor, which shows how nostalgic the king has become about his past, when he is given a heroic welcome. The people gather everywhere to have his glance. However, after a time span of a year, everything changes. The people, who were happy to welcome him at that time, are now eager to see him going to gallows. That is why he becomes nostalgic about the past. Example #2: Little Dorrit(By Charles Dickens) For I must now confess to you that I suffer from home-sickness that I long so ardently and earnestly for home, as sometimes, when no one sees me, to pine for it. So dearly do I love the scene of my poverty and your kindness. O so dearly, O so dearly! These lines are from Charles Dickens novel, Little Dorrit. This is Amy Dorrits dialogue, who cannot forget her past. On the other hand, all her family members pretend to have forgotten their past. Amy Dorrit has been so involved with her past that she feels pangs of those happy times, and is compelled to think about them. This is a good example of nostalgia by Charles Dickens. Example #3: The Daffodils, lines 18-24 (By William Wordsworth) 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. This stanza is a good example of Romantic nostalgic poetry. This is the last stanza of The Daffodils, by William Wordsworth. The poet, having seen beautiful daffodils somewhere, now often sits alone on his couch, recalling the same scene, which brings him pleasure. This is an apt example of pleasure in nostalgia, because the poet experienced tranquility and peace of mind in the company of the flowers, and he still feels the same afterward, when he is alone at home. Function of Nostalgia Despite changes in its meaning over time, nostalgia has not lost its significance in literature. It is used in poems, novels, and plays to evoke feelings of sadness or pleasure a character experiences when recalling his past. It could be the memory of a past event, a victory, a love, or a relationship. It is usually employed to evoke the same feelings among the readers, so that they also could feel the tinge of pain, or a bit of love for their near or dear ones. It could be used to evoke the feelings of pleasure the readers might feel for some past happenings. Nostalgia has more than one function to perform, such as turning a mood from sadness to pleasure, increasing positive self-respect, and doing away with prejudice about the past events. Liz Truss Photo: AFP Unemployment isthe single most important issue currently dominating the thoughts of British MPs who are members of the ruling Conservative Party.But their waking hours - and perhaps even their dreams at night - are not filled with fears about the work prospects of the general population. They're not losing sleep worrying about protecting the jobs of people already working, or about finding new employment for those who need it.No. The jobs they are worried about are their own.There seems to be open warfare in Liz Truss' new Cabinet, with ministers openly attacking, and counterattacking, over key policies, and the administration making humiliating U-turns. In British politics there is supposed to exist a convention known as collective Cabinet responsibility, in which members of that Cabinet are expected to support decisions taken by it collectively, despite what they may think privately. There's been little evidence of that recently.The party's popularity ratings have hit historically low levels, with the opposition Labour Party taking a 33-point lead over the government in a nationwide survey. Another opinion poll focusing on London alone, where Labour has opened a 37-point lead, concluded that every single Tory MP in the capital would lose their seats if a General Election were held tomorrow - and, astonishingly, this even included former prime minister Boris Johnson. That means there are a lot of Tory MPs now worried about their job prospects.The crisis has been triggered by events, largely self-inflicted, which have occurred only in the past four or five weeks - since Liz Truss became prime minister.At the end of last month, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's controversial mini-budget sparked turmoil on financial markets: the Bank of England had to spend 65 billion pounds to prevent pension funds from collapsing; the International Monetary Fund criticized it in stark terms; mortgage lenders withdrew their house loans, and substituted them with higher-interest more expensive alternatives.At the same time, an opinion poll concluded that three times as many people would prefer Labour's Keir Starmer as prime minister, instead of Truss.Truss' first party conference, in Birmingham a few days ago, could have been a triumphal celebration of her recent leadership victory. Instead, it took place in the shadow of splits and near mutinous behavior from her own politicians.When other MPs criticized plans to scrap a 45-percent higher tax rate on the wealthy, new home secretary Suella Braverman accused them of mounting a "coup" against the PM. She was supported by Simon Clarke, the levelling up secretary. However, trade secretary Kemi Badenoch responded by calling Braverman's remark "inflammatory." Ministerial discipline seems to have completely broken down, seriously undermining Truss' authority as leader.Nadine Dorries, culture secretary under Johnson and someone regarded as a Truss supporter, has even suggested the PM should call a General Election to get public backing for her policies. Such a move however, in the light of opinion polls, would be disastrous for Truss and the Tories as they would almost certainly lose, and lose big.The lack of party discipline, the factional side-taking and chaotic messaging makes for a dysfunctional government. This week Truss will be meeting her party's 1922 Committee, a party grouping of MPs through which party leaders can receive the unvarnished opinions of their backbenchers. She will hear their concerns. Her response will be critical to her future. If she stubbornly refuses to deviate from her course, more discord will be inevitable, perhaps even fatal, unless she can win them over.This means it is a legitimate question to ask whether Truss has what it takes to be party leader, let alone prime minister. She is fighting for her political life, and it is not clear whether she will survive - or for how long. If her MPs are worried enough about their own jobs, they may decide it is best for Truss to lose hers.The author is a journalist and lecturer living in Britain. [email protected] What Is Extended Trading?coinspot shib price my bookie ufc Extended trading is trading conducted by electronic networks either before or after the regular trading hours of the listing exchange. Such trading tends to be limited in volume compared to regular trading hours when the exchange is open. Pre-market trading in the United States, in terms of stocks, usually runs between 4:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and after-hours trading typically runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (EST). The U.S. stock exchanges are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. Key Takeaways Extended trading is the trading that occurs on electronic marketplaces, outside of the official trading hours of the exchange. Extended trading hours vary based on which asset or security is being traded. Stock exchanges in the U.S. are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. Extended trading occurs outside those hours. Lower volume in extended hours can lead to increased risk and volatility, although this can also present opportunities for the astute trader. Understanding Extended Trading Electronic Communication Networks (ECNs) have democratized extended hours trading and even retail investors have an opportunity to place trades outside of regular exchange hours. Extended trading lets investors act quickly on news and events that occur when the exchange is closed, making it an excellent indicator for predicting the open market direction. Most brokers require traders to enter limit day orders during extended trading sessions since the lack of liquidity makes market orders risky. In addition, most brokers only permit extended trading on Reg NMS securities. Over-the-counter securities, many types of funds, some options, and other markets may be off-limits during extended trading hours. Extended Trading Hours The majority of extended trades tend to occur right around regular trading hours. This is because most news that affects investors occurs either shortly before or shortly after the exchanges open or close. Investors in the United States can generally start trading at 4:00 a.m., but the majority of extended trading occurs between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. EST. Similarly, investors may trade until 8:00 p.m. after the stock exchanges close, but the majority of extended trading occurs before 6:30 p.m. If there is a major news event that occurs before the exchange opens, or after the exchange closes, there can be significant extended trading volume. Although, on most days volume is lower in the extended hours when compared to the volume during the hours the exchange is open. Some stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) do significant volume in the pre- and post-market (extended hours), while other stocks do very little or none. The U.S. options and futures markets tend to have different trading hours depending on the underlying assets, while the foreign exchange (forex) market operates 24 hours per day. Extended Trading Risks The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) highlights several risks associated with extended trading, including: Limited Liquidity : Extended hours have less trading volume than regular hours, which could make it difficult to execute trades. Some stocks may not trade at all during extended hours. : Extended hours have less trading volume than regular hours, which could make it difficult to execute trades. Some stocks may not trade at all during extended hours. Large Spreads : Less trading volume often translates to wider bid-ask spreads, which can adversely affect the market price for execution, making it harder to execute orders at favorable prices. : Less trading volume often translates to wider bid-ask spreads, which can adversely affect the market price for execution, making it harder to execute orders at favorable prices. Increased Volatility : Less trading volume often creates an environment for greater volatility given the wider bid-ask spreads. Prices can move drastically in a short amount of time. : Less trading volume often creates an environment for greater volatility given the wider bid-ask spreads. Prices can move drastically in a short amount of time. Uncertain Prices : The price of a stock trading outside of regular hours may not closely match the price during regular hours. : The price of a stock trading outside of regular hours may not closely match the price during regular hours. Professional Competition: Many extended trading participants are large institutional investors, such as mutual funds, that have access to more resources. Extended Trading Opportunities All the risk of extended-hours trading can also be opportunities if a participant is able to get on the right of the action. For example, a stock may have closed at $57, yet placing a bid to buy at $56 or $55 may get triggered in extended trading since there are fewer bids out and if someone wants to sell they may sell to $56 or $55 even though the price was $57 only minutes ago. The stock may even fill orders at $54 and $60, for example, before opening the next day around $57 again. The ability to trade during extended hours also gives investors and traders the opportunity to react instantly to the news which comes out when the exchange is closed. If a company reports poor earnings, the stock will likely start to drop and the trader can exit their position sooner, rather than having to wait for the exchange to open. By the time the exchange opens a lot more selling could have taken place, and the price could be much lower. Example of Extended Trading in the Stock Market The following chart shows the extended trading session on Twitter Inc. (TWTR) on a typical day with no major company announcements. The stock closes for trading on the exchange at 4:00 pm. Prior to 4:00, the one-minute chart is active, with price movement every minute of the trading day. There is also volume associated with each one of those one-minute price bars. Image by Sabrina Jiang Investopedia 2020 After 4:00, the volume drops off dramatically. Some of the price bars also appear as dots, because there was a transaction at only one price level during that one-minute period. There are gaps between the dots (and some price bars) because the price may change even though transactions haven't taken place. This is because there are fewer bids and offers, and so as the bids and offers change, that may entice or scare someone into transacting at the new bid or offer. The last transaction of the evening occurs at 7:55 p.m., in this example. The first transaction, in this example, occurs at 7:28 a.m the following morning. The price is trading higher than the prior close price but is quickly adjusted as the price falls more than $0.75 in minutes. The price oscillates some more, on low volume, before the official exchange open occurs and volume escalates. Liz Truss Photo: AFP It has been widely announced in right-wing leaning tabloid newspapers that the Liz Truss government will officially designate China a "threat" to the United Kingdom in its upcoming strategic defence review,the first time this has ever been done. The decision was lauded by the leading Sinophobic cheerleaders of the British Parliament, including Iain Duncan Smith who is the primary lobbyist for anti-China policies.How exactly, of course, China represents a "threat" to the United Kingdom is not made clear. Either why or how. The two countries sit on opposite sides of the world, are not neighbors and have had a tremendously prosperous bilateral trade and investment relationship. China is not attempting to invade Britain, to impose its ideology on Britain or anything truly malign beyond "win-win" cooperation. History does show that Britain has in fact been a threat to China, but never the other way round. Britain has invaded China, but China has never invaded Britain, and logically speaking, never will.Yet, that is not how the British government sees it. Despite once having lauded a "golden age" of relations with Beijing during the era of the David Cameron government, the United Kingdom has in recent years began to vent unilateral and unprovoked hostility towards China across a range of issues.What was an atmosphere of pragmatism, openness and cooperation, has been replaced with unwarranted hostility, paranoia and small-mindedness. The shift occurred around two years ago, diminishing the hopes of Boris Johnson to articulate deeper economic ties with Beijing.The answer is of course that Britain doesn't truly control its foreign policy and instead humbly obeys the orders given from Washington, who had become so contemptuous of Britain's favorable relationship with China that in 2019, Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger yelled at the British cabinet for five hours flat. How ironic it is then, that since Brexit, Britain subsequently frames its foreign policy in the light of "independence" and a "global Britain." It could not be further from the truth.Yet that doesn't explain otherwise, the personal incompetence and as former Australian prime minister Paul Keating put it, the "demented" nature of Liz Truss, who is by no exaggeration a NeoConservative fanatic who has a worldview only characterized by abrasive ideological confrontation. She aspires for a dual confrontation with both China and Russia. Of course, Britain had little to lose directly in respect to the latter, but for the former, this involves confronting one of Britain's most important trade and investment partners during a time of grim economic outlook.Truss has already scalped the extraordinary achievement of being the most unpopular Prime Minister since records began in the shortest span of time. Her government's overtly ideological character created a financial crisis and a crash of the pound within weeks, and faces on top of that surging inflation, growing industrial unrest across the board, shrinking standards of living and real earnings and eyewatering power bills. The economy itself has barely recovered from the crash imposed by her predecessor's equally as disastrous COVID-19 mismanagement, and has no growth prospects ahead. Her only "plan" appears to be to reward the richest in society.Yet despite all of this, Truss is now banking on a growing confrontation with China, the world's second largest economy, of which Brexit Britain in reality so desperately needs in terms of both export markets and inbound investment.The UK government has continually chased a free-trade agreement with a protectionist United States, who whilst continually doling out its marching orders to Britain, shows absolutely no interest in such. The reality is that China and China alone, is the largest and most suitable market for rekindling growth in Britain, but this is now gone because of a fanatical government who wages a foreign policy based exclusively on identity, ideology and nostalgia.In doing so, the designation of China as a threat is groundless absurdity, and is textbook of the erratic thinking which has made her so deeply unpopular as it is, and if she continues to go down this path, severance of the UK with China will surely pose even graver consequences for the British economy, who right now could not be in a weaker, more fragile or uncertain position.The author is a political and historical relations analyst. [email protected] What Is Under Reporting?best crypto wallet for south africa Under reporting is a term describing the crime of intentionally reporting less income or revenue than was actually received. Companies and individuals chiefly under report their incomings in an effort to avoid or reduce their respective tax liabilities. Under reporting is not a victimless crime. In fact, the billions of dollars of tax-loss revenue caused by under reporting reduces the funds the federal government relies on to finance Social Security, Medicare, and a host of other programs. Key Takeaways Under reporting is the deliberate criminal act of reporting less income or revenue than was actually received. The tax loss revenue that results from under reporting may ultimately slash the funds that Social Security, Medicare, and other federal programs need to finance their outgoing expenditures. Under reporting may be committed by public companies and by individuals alike. Those who purposely under report may face fiscal penalties, criminal consequences, or both. Understanding Under Reporting If a struggling public company experiences a sharp drop in its share price, it may report even lower revenues for a fiscal quarter than it actually earned during that time period. This is done merely for optical purposes. The trick is to hide revenues and then subsequently lump those hidden figures with the revenues in the following quarter's earnings statement, so that onlookers are led to believe that the company has rebounded and is now in much better shape. The appearance of a more successful quarter can inspire investors, and ultimately boost a company's stock price. Naturally, this form of under reporting is also an illegal practice. Companies listed on stock exchanges aren't the only culprits. In fact, in most cases, it's usually self-employed filers and those who earn cash income that are most likely to under report their incomes. The primary goal here is to reduce tax liabilities and pocket a higher percentage of any money made. Wage and salary employees typically do not under report their incomes, because their earnings are usually directly reported to the IRS by third parties--namely, their employers. During the 1990s, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimated that as much as 84% of cash tips, worth hundreds of millions of dollars each year, were going unreported. And in 2019, the U.S. tax authority revealed that under reporting accounted for about $352 billion of the United States' $441 billion tax gapthe difference between taxes owed and taxes actually paidin the 2011-2013 tax years. Under reporting accounted for approximately 80% of the U.S. tax gap in the 2011-2013 tax years. Consequences of Under Reporting Individuals and companies that are caught under reporting may be subject to fiscal penalties, and in extreme cases, might even face criminal charges. However, it's important to remember that under reporting is only a crime if offenders willfully disregard the tax code. If this action occurs due to negligence or calculation errors, the IRS could penalize the under reporting company or individual without initiating criminal action against those parties. For example, if a waitress one night distractedly back pockets a few bills, rather than consolidating them with the rest of her take, this act of negligence won't likely result in criminal punishment. Only if investigators determine that willful tax evasion or fraud has occurred will that waitress be at risk of a felony conviction. What Is the Geometric Mean?jackpot capital sign up bonus The geometric mean is the average of a set of products, the calculation of which is commonly used to determine the performance results of an investment or portfolio. It is technically defined as "the nthroot product of nnumbers." The geometric mean must be used when working with percentages, which are derived from values, while the standard arithmetic mean works with the values themselves. Key Takeaways The geometric mean is the average rate of return of a set of values calculated using the products of the terms. Geometric mean is most appropriate for series that exhibit serial correlationthis is especially true for investment portfolios. Most returns in finance are correlated, including yields on bonds, stock returns, and market risk premiums. For volatile numbers, the geometric average provides a far more accurate measurement of the true return by taking into account year-over-year compounding that smooths the average. Geometric Mean The Formula for Geometric Mean 1:23 geometric = [ ( 1 + R 1 ) ( 1 + R 2 ) ( 1 + R n ) ] 1 / n 1 where: R 1 R n are the returns of an asset (or other \begin{ aligned} &\mu _{ \text{ geometric}} = [(1+R _1)(1+R _2)\ldots(1+R _n)]^{ 1/n} - 1\\ &\textbf{ where:}\\ &\bullet R_1\ldots R_n \text{ are the returns of an asset (or other}\\ &\text{ observations for averaging)}. \end{ aligned} geometric=[(1+R1)(1+R2)(1+Rn)]1/n1where:R1Rn are the returns of an asset (or other Understanding the Geometric Mean The geometric mean, sometimes referred to as compounded annual growth rate or time-weighted rate of return, is the average rate of return of a set of values calculated using the products of the terms. What does that mean? Geometric mean takes several values and multiplies them together and sets them to the 1/nthpower. The geometric mean is an important tool for calculating portfolio performance for many reasons, but one of the most significant is it takes into account the effects of compounding. For example, the geometric mean calculation can be easily understood with simple numbers, such as 2 and 8. If you multiply 2 and 8, then take the square root (the power since there are only 2 numbers), the answer is 4. However, when there are many numbers, it is more difficult to calculate unless a calculator or computer program is used. The longer the time horizon, the more critical compounding becomes, and the more appropriate the use of geometric mean. The main benefit of using the geometric mean is the actual amounts invested do not need to be known; the calculation focuses entirely on the return figures themselves and presents an "apples-to-apples" comparison when looking at two investment options over more than one time period. Geometric means will always be slightly smaller than the arithmetic mean, which is a simple average. How to Calculate the Geometric Mean To calculate compounding interest using the geometric mean of an investment's return, an investor needs to first calculate the interest in year one, which is $10,000 multiplied by 10%, or $1,000. In year two, the new principal amount is $11,000, and 10% of $11,000 is $1,100. The new principal amount is now $11,000 plus $1,100, or $12,100. In year three, the new principal amount is $12,100, and 10% of $12,100 is $1,210. At the end of 25 years, the $10,000 turns into $108,347.06, which is $98,347.05 more than the original investment. The shortcut is to multiply the current principal by one plus the interest rate, and then raise the factor to the number of years compounded. The calculation is $10,000 (1+0.1) 25 = $108,347.06. Example of Geometric Mean If you have $10,000 and get paid 10% interest on that $10,000 every year for 25 years, the amount of interest is $1,000 every year for 25 years, or $25,000. However, this does not take the interest into consideration. That is, the calculation assumes you only get paid interest on the original $10,000, not the $1,000 added to it every year. If the investor gets paid interest on the interest, it is referred to as compounding interest, which is calculated using the geometric mean. Using the geometric mean allows analysts to calculate the return on an investment that gets paid interest on interest. This is one reason portfolio managers advise clients to reinvest dividends and earnings. The geometric mean is also used for present value and future value cash flow formulas. The geometric mean return is specifically used for investments that offer a compounding return. Going back to the example above, instead of only making $25,000 on a simple interest investment, the investor makes $108,347.06 on a compounding interest investment. Simple interest or return is represented by the arithmetic mean, while compounding interest or return is represented by the geometric mean. How Do You Find the Geometric Mean in Excel? The shortcut to calculating the geometric mean in Excel is =GEOMEAN. Specifically, enter the function into a cell and then list the numbers (or cells containing the numbers) that you would like to calculate the geometric mean for. Can You Calculate Geometric Mean With Negative Values? You cannotit is impossible to calculate a geometric mean that includes negative numbers. How Do You Find the Geometric Mean Between Two Numbers? To calculate the geometric mean of two numbers, you would multiply the numbers together and take the square root of the result. Bo Yibo and children. Bo Yibo and family. Bo Yibo, one of The Eight Immortals. The family. Bo xilai, his wife Gu Kailai and their son Bo Guagua. Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai. Once a young pioneer. The mourning. Bo Guagua. Gu Kailai. Bo Guagua. Mother and son. The young man. Bo Xilai and his familyadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline abiding New Word List Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ uh-bahy-ding ]/ ba d /Save This Word!See synonyms for: abiding / abidingness on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Premier Wen Jiabao met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Tuesday,lowest cryptocurrency price in india calling for strengthened political and strategic communications between the two nations. Wen recalled his previous meetings with Kissinger in past years, adding that he appreciates Kissingers unremitting efforts to cement China-U.S. links. It is a great test for China-United States relations to properly cope with challenges brought on by the global financial crisis and other global issues, safeguard peace and promote sustainable growth, Wen said. Although globalization and technological progress offer new opportunities for the world, uncertain and unstable factors are on the rise, said the premier. The two countries should cement political and strategic communication, eliminate barriers and deepen mutual trust and cooperation, as these meet the common interests of both countries and the global community, Wen said. Kissinger said sound U.S.-China relations are important for both countries and the world. The two sides should not only attach importance to addressing practical matters, but also take a strategic and long-term point of view in developing ties and carry out cooperation in broader areas, Kissinger said. Kissinger offered congratulations for Chinas achievements, adding that he believes China will enjoy a brighter future. Wen said the Chinese government and people will make arduous efforts to achieve national prosperity and make greater contributions to the progress of humankind. Kissinger made his first visit to China in July 1971. His visit paved the way for a groundbreaking 1972 meeting in Beijing between then-U.S. President Richard Nixon and Chinas late Chairman Mao Zedong. Xinhua Chinese premier meets Henry Kissingeradded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline talking stick resort club auther: images source: special browse: bigmiddiosmall release time: 2023-11-02 02:24:09 Comments: Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that the Asia-Pacific is talking stick resort clubno one's backyard and should not become an arena for big power contest. No attempt to wage a new Cold War will ever be allowed by the people or by our times, he said in a written speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit. What Is Unbanked?caesars palace souvenir shop Unbanked is an informal term for adults who do not use banks or banking institutions in any capacity. While often an issue in the developing world, there are also pockets of unbanked adults in developed countries, including the United States. Key Takeaways Unbanked refers to adults who do not use or do not have access to any traditional financial services, including savings accounts, credit cards, or personal checks. The unbanked are often concentrated in less developed countries or in poorer regions of developed countries. A lack of money, trust, and privacy concerns are three main reasons people in the U.S. are unbanked. Governments and other organizations have initiated several programs to "bank" the unbanked, such as the FDIC's Money Smart program. Understanding the Unbanked Unbanked people generally pay for things in cash or else purchase money orders or prepaid debit cards. Unbanked people also typically do not have insurance, pensions, or any other type of professional money-related services. They may take advantage of alternative financial services, such as check-cashing and payday lending, if such services are available to them. Unbanked vs. underbanked Underbanked is a related term. It refers to families who have checking or savings accounts but often rely on alternative financial services such as money orders, check-cashing services, and payday loans, as opposed to traditional loans and credit cards, to manage their finances. Unbanked households in the United States A Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) study revealed that more than 7 million or 5.4% of American households were unbanked in 2019 in the United States, which is the fewest recorded since its survey was first conducted in 2009. In its 2017 study, the FDIC estimated that 8.4 million or 6.5% of households were unbanked. The FDIC stated that unbanked rates tend to be higher among certain segments of the population, namely households with low, volatile, or no income. Education can also be influential as people without a high school diploma were deemed more likely to be without a bank account. Black and Latinx households are overrepresented among the unbanked, according to a Boston Consulting Group analysis of FDIC data. While they make up 32% of the U.S. population, they represent 64% of unbanked households. The rate of unbanked households varies greatly from one state to the next. The highest rate of unbanked households remains in the South at 6.2%. Unbanked households in the remainder of the country were as follows: 5% of households in the Midwest 4.9% in the West 4.7% in Northeast Mississippi and Louisiana were the states with the highest rate of unbanked households, sitting at 12.8% and 11.4%, respectively. New Hampshire and Vermont had the lowest instances of unbanked households with 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively. The Federal Reserve (Fed) also runs a survey on how households use banking services. According to its findings, 5% of U.S. households were unbanked in 2020. Why People Become Unbanked The main reason for being unbanked, according to the FDIC study, is costthose who are unbanked cant meet banks minimum requirement balances. Another way of looking at it: Traditional banks dont provide access to the financial services and products unbanked populations need. For instance, someone living paycheck-to-paycheck with very low or volatile income, may not be able to wait for a paycheck to clear at a bank. So they turn to a check-cashing service, which will provide cash immediately, albeit for a fee. In neighborhoods that are "bank deserts," such alternative financial services are also likely more common and open longer hoursin other words, more accessible and convenient than arranging for transportation to and from bank branches during limited banking hours. These high transaction costs (e.g. time/cost to visit bank branches, inconvenient hours), lack of clarity about fees, and alternative products that provided a more compelling value proposition have all been identified as reasons people are unbanked. Lack of trust in banking institutions can also come into play. Distrust was the second main reason cited in the FDIC study for being unbankednot surprising given the history of lending discrimination experienced by Blacks and Latinx in the U.S. and the lingering inequities. For instance, predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods have been targeted for predatory lending, including subprime mortgages. Recent immigrants who experienced banking crises in their countries of origin may also lack trust in banks. Being unbanked is sometimes attributed to peoples lack of financial literacy or knowledge of banking products. But about half of unbanked people have previously held a bank account, so they are familiar with banking services. The three main reasons people are unbanked are: not having enough money to meet minimum balance requirements; not trusting banks; and privacy concerns, according to the FDIC. Initiatives to Help the Unbanked Various state and federal programs have been aimed at helping the unbanked gain access to banking services and financial literacy. Some such initiatives include former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Bank on California Initiative and the FDIC's Money Smart program. The U.S. Treasury Department's Section 326 regulations, which allow banks and credit unions to accept identification issued by foreign governments, seek to help undocumented aliens become banked. The U.S. Treasury Department also makes federal payments to unbanked federal benefits recipients using a Mastercard prepaid debit card. Why Is Being Unbanked a Problem? Being unbanked can be undesirable for several reasons. Alternative financial services, such as cash-checking services and payday loans, are much more costly. Whats more, without a bank account, people dont generate the data they need to establish creditworthiness. As a result, when it comes time to cover an emergency car repair or medical bill, a payday loan may be their only option. These extra costs significantly hurt families who are already struggling to make ends meet. How Many People Are Unbanked? The Fed found that 5% of adults in the U.S. did not have a bank account in 2020. The FDIC, which uses different criteria, said that an estimated 7 million or 5.4% of American households were unbanked in 2019. Who Are the Unbanked? The FDIC says that unbanked rates are usually higher among lower-income households, less-educated households, Black households, Hispanic households, American Indian or Alaska Native households, working-age disabled households, and households with volatile income. Daedala [ deed-l-uh ]/ did l / New Word List Save This brian christopher slots websiteWord! [ deed-l-uh ]/ did l /Save ThisWord! noun (sometimes used with a plural verb)either of two festivals held in ancient Boeotia in honor of the reconciliation of Hera with Zeus, one (Little Daedala ) being held every 6 years, the other (Great Daedala ), every 59 years. Words nearby Daedala How to use in a sentence This mountain, too, was the scene of the mystic rites of Dionysus, and the festival of the Daedala in honour of Hera. 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Relations between the world's top two economies are expected to be part of the discussions at the summit amid escalating global challenges. Can China and the U.S. improve bilateral relations and reach common ground? CGTN spoke to an analyst about the complex U.S.-China relationship. For more, check out our exclusive content on CGTN Now and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The China Report. What Is Net Neutrality?the best slot machines to play Network neutrality ensures that all data on the internet is treated equally by internet service providers (ISPs) and governments, regardless of content, user, platform, application, or device. For users, net neutrality enables access and transparency of internet content and allows access to all internet services and applications. Key Takeaways Network neutrality ensures that all data on the internet is treated equally by ISPs and governments, regardless of content, user, platform, application, or device. Net neutrality policy discussions target issues such as blocking or filtering online content, and preferential internet speeds based on business agreements. U.S. net neutrality laws were enacted by the Obama administration in 2015 and repealed by the Trump administration in 2018. The Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act was introduced in July 2022 and would give the FCC tools to protect the free and open internet and create a just broadband future for everyone in the United States. Understanding Net Neutrality Net neutrality argues that the internet should be accessible to everyone and requires all ISPs to provide the same level of data access and speed to all traffic and traffic to one service or website cannot be blocked or degraded. Coined by Columbia University law professor Tim Wu, net neutrality is used as a broad label in internet public policy and regulatory discussions concerning online freedom of expression, competition of service, innovation, pricing, and internet traffic management. Policy discussions both for and against net neutrality regulation target issues such as blocking or filtering online content, preferential internet speeds based on business agreements, throttling to limit user upload and download rates, and market competition and innovation to offer consumers the best choice of ISP. Net Neutrality Policies The Obama Administration advanced net neutrality legislation in 2015 and enacted rules that barred ISPs such as AT&T and Comcast from deliberately speeding up or slowing down traffic to or from specific websites based on demand or business preferences. However, in 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under President Trump, eliminated all net neutrality protections and renounced its authority over broadband, but allowed states to implement their own open internet rules. In July 2022, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative Doris Matsui (CA-06) introduced the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act, legislation that would classify broadband internet access as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act, giving the FCC the appropriate authority to reinstate net neutrality protections. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for an accessible and just broadband future and the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act gives the FCC the authority to prohibit discriminatory practices like blocking, throttling, paid prioritization online, and the ability to enact effective broadband policies that enhance public safety, increase accessibility and protect consumers. Net Neutrality Discussion There are opposing opinions concerning net neutrality and acceptable internet management activities and those which are overreaching and result in discrimination against both users and content providers. Arguments for Net Neutrality Network neutrality does not allow ISPs to determine the speed at which consumers can access specific websites or services and smaller companies will be more likely to enter the market and create new services. Net neutrality ensures an open internet if mandated by law in the U.S. and prevents broadband providers from practicing data discrimination as a competitive tactic. Human rights organizations, consumer rights advocates, and software companies argue that cable companies should be classified as "common carriers," like public utility companies or public transportation providers, who are forbidden by law from discriminating among their users. Criticism of Net Neutrality Forcing ISPs to treat all traffic equally the government will ultimately discourage the investment in new infrastructure, and will also create a disincentive for ISPs to innovate. Conservative think tanks, hardware companies, and major telecommunication providers are popular critics of net neutrality. ISPs argue that tiered prices allow them to remain competitive and generate funds needed for further innovation and expansion of broadband networks, as well as to recoup the costs already invested in broadband. Example of Net Neutrality Following the 2017 repeal of net neutrality rules, several violations were studied including: YouTube and Netflix were slowed by wireless carriers, using a fraction of the available speed. Verizons throttling of services affected the Santa Clara County Fire Departments ability to provide emergency services during the California wildfires. Comcast introduced new speed limits where videos will be throttled to 480p on all its mobile plans unless customers pay extra. What Is Net Neutrality and Why Is It Important? Net neutrality is the concept that states that organizations, such as Internet service providers, should treat all data on the internet equally. Proponents argue it promotes a free and open internet, where users can access content without restriction, provided the content does not violate any laws. Does the UK Have Net Neutrality? The European Union (EU) formed regulations to promote and protect an open internet, preventing internet service providers from restricting and blocking users' access to lawful content. Certain exceptions, such as the ability to slow traffic at the request of a court order, apply. Is There Net Neutrality in India? In 2017, India developed some of the strictest net neutrality laws in the world. Policymakers and Indian activists, with a desire to promote an open internet and widespread internet access to the nation's citizens, advocated together for net neutrality laws. Service providers who violate these regulations face losing their license to operate. The Bottom Line Net neutrality seeks to promote an open and free internet, unencumbered by service providers and other organizations. Regulations and policies regarding net neutrality have been debated for several years with policies and changes enacted since 2015. A direct freight train service connecting east Chinas port city of Xiamen and Budapest,club one casino granite park Hungary, started Monday. At about 10 a.m., a train with 41 containers of electric products, clothes, shoes and construction materials left Haicang station in Xiamen, marking the first trip of the new route, said Zhao Liqiang, chief of the station. Xiamen launched freight train services to Budapest via Xian, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province, in January, with the new direct route cutting travel time of the original Xiamen-Xian-Budapest route by two to three days to 17 days. The city has rail routes to five European countries, including Germany and Russia. Since services to Europe were launched in August 2015, 260 trains have been operated from Haicang station, delivering goods worth 4.6 billion yuan (695 million U.S. dollars) abroad. Xinhua China optimizes freight train service to Budapestadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline Facebook Facebook Twitter Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College An odor or odour is a volatile chemical compound that humans and other animals perceive via the sense of smell or olfaction. Odors are also known as aromas or fragrances and (if they are unpleasant) as reeks, stenches, and stinks. The type of molecule that produces an odor is called an aroma compound or an odorant. These compounds are small, with molecular weights less than 300 Daltons, and are readily dispersed in the air due to their high vapor pressure. The sense of smell can detect odors are extremely low concentrations. How Odor Works Organisms that have a sense of smell detect molecules by special sensory neurons called olfactory receptor (OR) cells. In humans, these cells are clustered at the back of the nasal cavity. Each sensory neuron has cilia that extend into the air. On the cilia, there are receptor proteins that bind to aroma compounds. When binding occurs, the chemical stimulus initiates an electric signal in the neuron, which transmits the information to the olfactory nerve, which carries the signal to the olfactory bulb in the brain. The olfactory bulb is part of the limbic system, which is also associated with emotions. A person may recognize an odor and relate it to an emotional experience, yet might be unable to identify the specific components of a scent. This is because the brain doesn't interpret single compounds or their relative concentrations, but the mix of compounds as a whole. Researchers estimate humans can distinguish between 10,000 and one trillion different odors. There is a threshold limit for odor detection. A certain number of molecules need to bind olfactory receptors to stimulate a signal. A single aroma compound may be capable of binding to any of several different receptors. The transmembrane receptor proteins are metalloproteins, probably involving copper, zinc, and perhaps manganese ions. Aromatic Versus Aroma In organic chemistry, aromatic compounds are those that consist of a planar ring-shaped or cyclic molecule. Most resemble benzene in structure. While many aromatic compounds do have an aroma, the word "aromatic" refers to a specific class of organic compounds in chemistry, not to molecules with scents. Technically, aroma compounds include volatile inorganic compounds with low molecular weights that can bind olfactory receptors. For example, hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is an inorganic compound that has a distinctive rotten egg scent. Elemental chlorine gas (Cl 2 ) has an acrid smell. Ammonia (NH 3 ) is another inorganic odorant. Aroma Compounds by Organic Structure Organic odorants fall into several categories, including esters, terpenes, amines, aromatics, aldehydes, alcohols, thiols, ketones, and lactones. Here is a list of some important aroma compounds. Some occur naturally, while others are synthetic: Odor Natural Source Esters geranyl acetate rose, fruity flowers, rose fructone apple methyl butyrate fruits, pineapple, apple pineapple ethyl acetate sweet solvent wine isoamyl acetate fruity, pear, banana banana benzyl acetate fruity, strawberry strawberry Terpenes geraniol floral, rose lemon, geranium citral lemon lemongrass citronellol lemon rose geranium, lemongrass linalool floral, lavender lavender, coriander, sweet basil limonene orange lemon, orange camphor camphor camphor laurel carvone caraway or spearmint dill, caraway, spearmint eucalyptol eucalyptus eucalyptus Amines trimethylamine fishy putrescine rotting meat rotting meat cadaverine rotting meat rotting meat indole feces feces, jasmine skatole feces feces, orange blossoms Alcohol menthol menthol mint species Aldehydes hexanal grassy isovaleraldehyde nutty, cocoa Aromatics eugenol clove clove cinnamaldehyde cinnamon cinnamon, cassia benzaldehyde almond bitter almond vanillin vanilla vanilla thymol thyme thyme Thiols benzyl mercaptan garlic allyl thiol garlic (methylthio)methanethiol mouse urine ethyl-mercaptan the smell added to propane Lactones gamma-nonalactone coconut gamma-decalactone peach Ketones 6-acetyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridine fresh bread oct-1-en-3-one metallic, blood 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline jasmine rice Others 2,4,6-trichloroanisole the scent of cork taint diacetyl butter scent/flavor methyl phosphine metallic garlic Among the "smelliest" of the odorants are methyl phosphine and dimethyl phosphine, which can be detected in extremely low amounts. The human nose is so sensitive to thioacetone that it can be smelled within seconds if a container of it is opened hundreds of meters away. The sense of smell filters out constant odors, so a person becomes unaware of them after continuous exposure. However, hydrogen sulfide deadens the sense of smell. Initially, it produces a strong rotten egg smell, but binding of the molecule to odor receptors prevents them from receiving additional signals. In the case of this particular chemical, the loss of sensation can be deadly, as it is extremely toxic. Aroma Compound Uses Odorants are used to make perfumes, to add odor to toxic, odorless compounds (e.g., natural gas), to enhance the flavor of food, and to mask undesirable scents. From an evolutionary standpoint, a scent is involved in mate selection, identifying safe/unsafe food, and forming memories. According to Yamazaki et al., mammals preferentially select mates with a different major histocompatibility complex (MHC) from their own. MHC can be detected via scent. Studies in humans support this connection, noting it's also affected by the use of oral contraceptives. Aroma Compound Safety Whether an odorant occurs naturally or is produced synthetically, it may be unsafe, especially in high concentrations. Many fragrances are potent allergens. The chemical composition of fragrances is not regulated the same from one country to another. In the United States, fragrances in use before the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 were grandfathered in for use in products. New aroma molecules are subject to review and testing, under the oversight of the EPA. Reference What Are Ultra Vires Acts?bills niners odds https hp 7riches Ultra vires acts are any acts that lie beyond the authority of a corporation to perform. Ultra vires acts fall outside the powers that are specifically listed in a corporate charter or law. This can also refer to any action that is specifically prohibited by the corporate charter. The roots of the term are from a Latin phrase that means beyond the power. It is the opposite of under proper authorityintra vires. You will also find the term in the legal profession. Excessive Use of Power Ultra vires acts can also be defined as any excessive use of corporate power that has been granted. These acts cannot be legally defended in court. They will, in fact, leave the corporation vulnerable to lawsuits by employees or other parties. Companies have a variety of legal documents and directives that outline the parameters of what actions are permitted by each organization, its employees, and directors. These documents can include what is known as a "memorandum of association." The memorandum is largely used in Europe but not in the United States. The memorandum combined with articles of association can serve as a constitution for companies that outlines the conditions by which the organization may operate and interact with shareholders. The memorandum offers guidance on the external matters the company can engage in. Articles of incorporation also define the nature of a company, its purpose, and the type of organization it will be. If other types of entities such as government bodies also take actions beyond the scope of their legal powers, their deeds can also be described as ultra vires acts. Examples of Ultra Vires Actions Actions that breach the above directives can be classified as ultra vires. For example, a companys constitution might outline the procedure for appointing directors to its board. If board members are added or removed without following those procedures, then those actions would be described as ultra vires. If individuals within a company make use of resources that go beyond the scope of their legal purview, this can be called ultra vires. Such actions may include appropriating company revenue or shares of the company that the individuals do not have legal ownership of. If a manager were to access the bank accounts of the company and use those assets for personal needs this would be classified as ultra vires acts. If an accountant or another financial officer within a company transferred ownership of company shares they have rights to control, this also falls under ultra vires acts. When government bodies or agencies take action, the scope of their powers is determined by laws that can include a constitution. If branches of government go beyond those outlined powers, their actions can be deemed ultra vires and may face legal repercussions. What Is the Asian Development Bank?goldwin slot 88 casino world free The Asian Development Bank's primary mission is to "foster economic growth and cooperation" among countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. Founded in 1966 and based in Manila, Philippines, the ADB assists members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development. The ADB has been responsible for major projects in the region and raises capital regularly through the international bond markets. The ADB also relies on member contributions, retained earnings from lending, and the repayment of loans for the funding of the organization. Key Takeaways The Asian Development Bank's (ADB) primary mission is to promote economic growth and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region. The majority of the ADBs members are in the Asia-Pacific region. The ADB provides assistance to its developing member countries in the region. It also provides financing to certain private sector projects as well as public-private partnerships through grants, loans, technical assistance, and equity investments to promote development. The ADB is controlled by member countries, with the U.S. and Japan having the largest stake. How the Asian Development Bank Works The Asian Development Bank provides assistance to its developing member countries, the private sector, and public-private partnerships through grants, loans, technical assistance, and equity investments to promote development. The ADB regularly facilitates policy dialogues and provides advisory services. They also use co-financing operations that tap official, commercial, and export credit sources while providing assistance. Membership in the ADB is open to members and associate members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East. It's also open to other regional countries and non-regional developed countries that are members of the U.N. or of any of its specialized agencies. The ADB is one of two Asian regional development banks, the other being the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Financing Provided by the Asian Development bank The ADB provides both private financing and sovereign (public) financing. Private sector efforts focus on projects that help promote private investments in the region that will have significant development impact and will lead to accelerated, sustainable, and inclusive growth. Public-sector financing provides funding for member countries with flexibility in determining how they can achieve development goals. In 2021, the ADB committed nearly US$13.5 billion to help its developing member countries address the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and address vaccination needs, and has mobilized a further $12.9 billion in co-financing from partners. Through a $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility, or APVAX, announced in December 2020, the ADB provided funding for vaccine procurement, logistics, and distribution. The total private financing portfolio consisted of $14.2 billion at the end of 2021. In terms of sovereign financing, ADB's portfolio stood at $104 billion by the end of 2021, consisting of 713 loans, 392 grants, 915 TA projects, one guarantee, and 1 equity investment. Structure of the Asian Development Bank According to ADB's website, "the Agreement Establishing the Asian Development Bank, known as the ADB Charter, vests all the powers of the institution in the Board of Governors, which in turn delegates some of these powers to the Board of Directors. The Board of Governors meets formally once a year during ADB's Annual Meeting." The ADB's highest policy-making body is its Board of Governors, which comprises one representative from each member. The two largest shareholders of the Asian Development Bank are the United States and Japan. Although the majority of the Bank's members are from the Asia-Pacific region, the industrialized nations are also well-represented. Regional development banks usually work in harmony with both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in their activities. Asian Development Bank Country Relationships When ADB was founded in 1966, it consisted of 31 members. Since then, membership has grown to 68 members, which is made up of 48 regional and 19 non-regional members. Membership as of 2022 includes: ADB Regional Members Member Year of membership Afghanistan 1966 Armenia 2005 Australia 1966 Azerbaijan 1999 Bangladesh 1973 Bhutan 1982 Brunei Darussalam 2006 Cambodia 1966 Cook Islands 1976 Federated States of Micronesia 1990 Fiji 1970 Georgia 2007 Hong Kong, China 1969 India 1966 Indonesia 1966 Japan 1966 Kazakhstan 1994 Kiribati 1974 Kyrgyz Republic 1994 Lao People's Democratic Republic 1966 Malaysia 1966 Maldives 1978 Marshall Islands 1990 Mongolia 1991 Myanmar 1973 Nauru 1991 Nepal 1966 New Zealand 1966 Niue 2019 Pakistan 1966 Palau 2003 Papua New Guinea 1971 People's Republic of China 1986 Philippines 1966 Republic of Korea 1966 Samoa 1966 Singapore 1966 Solomon Islands 1973 Sri Lanka 1966 Taipei,China 1966 Tajikistan 1998 Thailand 1966 Timor-Leste 2002 Tonga 1972 Turkmenistan 2000 Tuvalu 1993 Uzbekistan 1995 Vanuatu 1981 Viet Nam 1966 Source: Asian Development Bank ADB Non-Regional Members Member Year of membership Austria 1966 Belgium 1966 Canada 1966 Denmark 1966 Finland 1966 France 1970 Germany 1966 Ireland 2006 Italy 1966 Luxembourg 2003 Netherlands 1966 Norway 1966 Portugal 2002 Spain 1986 Sweden 1966 Switzerland 1967 Turkiye 1991 United Kingdom 1966 United States 1966 Source: Asian Development Bank The two largest shareholders of the Asian Development Bank are the United States and Japan. Both countries have a majority ownership of the bank with 15.6% each. Who Controls the Asian Development Bank? The ADB is run by a board of governors, which represent the member countries of the ADB. As of 2022, ADB's five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People's Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%). Where Is the Asian Development Bank Headquartered? The Asian Development Bank has its headquarters in Manila, Philippines. Is India a Member of the Asian Development Bank? Yes, India is a regional member country of the ADB. Airbnbs are empty. At least thats what it seems like to some Airbnb hosts,acorn cryptocurrency war games even though the company reported its most profitable quarter ever on Tuesday. Some social media users have been speculating for weeks that the Airbnbust is upon us, as one viral tweet read. The conversation has swept across a number of social platforms, from Twitter to Facebook to Reddit, and it includes other short-term rental platforms like VRBO, too. Their concerns have meritsome short-term rental hosts are weathering a steep decline in occupancy rates as the holiday season approaches. But its not because people dont want to travel. Instead, market analysts say many U.S. Airbnbs are sitting empty because so many wealthier people and investors listed short-term rentals on the site, in the wake of a pandemic-fueled boom. The number of available short-term rental listings in the U.S. skyrocketed to 1.38 million in September. Thats a 23.2% year-over-year increase, according to rental analytics firm AirDNA. That means hosts are feeling the pinch of a high-supply marketand consumers could be poised to get better deals, after months of soaring prices for lodging. Explaining the soaring supply 2021 was a bumper year for short-term rentals in the U.S., largely thanks to pent-up demand after lockdowns giving a huge boost to domestic travel, says Jamie Lane, AirDNA vice president of research. Over the past few months, supply has increased to catch up to and even overtake demand growth, pushing occupancy down as bookings are spread across more properties. This is due in part to the number of wealthier homebuyers who purchased a second home since the start of the pandemic. Bolstered by then-low interest rates, extra savings, and the ability to work from anywhere, white-collar workers turned out in droves to buy vacation properties in the last two years. A report this week by property broker Pacaso found that sales of luxury second homes and investment properties were up approximately 235% from April to June of this year compared to pre-pandemic levels. Those are homes that sold for $1 million or more that are designated for seasonal or recreational use. Pacasos researchers found that sales of these properties had increased nearly 25% year-over-year in that time period. More from TIME Last year, months of pent-up travel demand triggered a major spike in short-term rental bookings in many second-home hotspots. These occupancy highs resulted in a surge in short-term offerings, as former long-term landlords shifted to short-term in pursuit of higher returns and institutional investors began scooping up masses of properties to rent out on Airbnb and other platforms. A lot of the supply in these markets shifted away from the for-sale market and long-term rental market towards the short-term rental market amidst a surge of demand for Airbnbs and other vacation rentals, says Taylor Marr, deputy chief economist for real estate brokerage Redfin. Now, Marr says, things have changed: The rapid surge in mortgage rates and the resulting fewer homeowners motivated to sell now have kept home prices high and the affordability crisis raging. The deal with high demand Hosts complaining of low bookings werent imagining things: Occupancy rates fell in 31 of the top 50 largest U.S. short-term rental markets from July through September, according to AirDNA. In August, AirDNA reported that markets where supply had grown by more than 50% had an average occupancy decline of over 10% and saw revenues drop by 8%. Properties that are in markets with the greatest supply growth are seeing the biggest declines in performance, Lane says. But as some Airbnb hosts experience declining occupancy ratesand as the countrys economic outlook is uncertainAirbnb is by and large having a banner year. Demand is still rising every month, and so are Airbnbs bookings and revenue, says Lane. Although hosts in some markets are seeing a correction after a pandemic-driven boom, on the whole, demand remains very strong and we arent yet seeing an Airbnb bust.' Airbnb itself says that in turn, hosts are finding success booking guests on the platform. Amidst new economic pressures, more people are looking to leverage the space they have to earn extra income, and quickly, with most newly activated listings getting booked faster compared to a year ago, says Airbnb spokesperson Liz DeBold Fusco. However, even though people still want to book Airbnbs, there are far more to choose from. This has resulted in lower occupancy rates in certain markets putting the squeeze on some hosts. Jim Ewing is an Airbnb host whose social media post about his propertys occupancy rates sparked the original viral tweet about an Airbnb bust. Hed posted to an Airbnb Superhosts Facebook group about his struggles. Ewing told TIME that his property in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., dropped from 80% occupancy to 0% this past springand hasnt rebounded since. We havent had a single booking since June, he says. The city of Desert Hot Springs, where Ewing began listing his Airbnb property last October, is located in Coachella Valley. Thats one of the markets where occupancy rates have fallen by the greatest percentage in the past three months, according to AirDNA. When we first listed last October, we had every weekend covered. And then November through April, we had anywhere from 70-80% occupancy every month, he says. This year, weve had no one in October and we have no one booked for NovemberSo its been extremely slow. The upside for travelers For now, the high supply of Airbnbs hasnt dropped vacation rental prices for travelers. AirDNA reports that, in September, average daily rates posted their largest year-over-year growth rate since April. September also marked the first month since April where average daily rate growth outpaced the inflation rate. However, in mountain and lake destinations where occupancy rates have dropped, daily average growth rate was significantly lower in September. According to AirDNA, that means that if occupancy rates continue to drop in more destinations, price rates are likely to be pushed down as hosts bid to get more bookings. The short-term rental market is far more competitive than it used to be, says Neal Carpenter, the owner of short-term rental consulting service The Air Butler. Carpenter has been an Airbnb host for eight years and currently hosts 17 units all located within 10 minutes of downtown Nashville, Tenn. In Nashville, a listing that may have performed pretty well five years ago probably isnt competitive anymore if the host hasnt made updates to the property, the amenities, the photos, all those sorts of things, he says. For travelers, increased supply means the ability to be more discerning about the properties and, by extension, hosts theyre giving their business to. If a host is being unfair to guests by assigning them menial chores or making them pay unreasonable fees, its not going to benefit their business, Carpenter says. If you [as a host] are asking people to do more than whats fair and reasonable and common, thats a problem, Carpenter says. If youre trying to charge exorbitant cleaning fees and profiting, thats questionable behavior. Providing personalized customer service will have a knock-on effect on future bookings as guests will always look for properties that have great reviews, Lane says. We are seeing properties with good reviews, reasonable cleaning fees, and popular amenities able to maintain and even grow their occupancy levels, he says. Its becoming more important for hosts to pay attention to their performance and guest reviews. Whats next for Airbnb prices If interest rates continue to rise, investing in short-term rentals will become an increasingly less-attractive prospect, Lane says. That could result in the supply growth rate slowing, which means that this oversupply could be temporary. The growth of short-term rental listings is causing nightly prices to fall and reducing the profitability of owning these vacation rentals, which should result in more long-term rental supply, helping to bring rents back down, Marr says. In the meantime, Neal says that Airbnb hosts need to put [themselves] in travelers shoes if they want their property to stand out in a crowded field. If youre noticing a dip in bookings, look at your competition and make consistent updates to your property, he says. For some hosts, this tougher landscape means its time to get out of the short-term rental game. Ewing says that hes currently looking for a long-term tenant for his property instead of continuing to rent it out for shorter periods on Airbnb. It seems like a lot of people are kind of fed up with Airbnb and theyre angry about how some hosts treat them now, he says. Im curious to see if my timing for leaving the short-term market is the right move, and if in six months or 12 months, Airbnb becomes a bad investment for people. Thank you very much, Jack, and good morning everyone. And let me just say its a pleasure to see so many Chinese and British business leaders sitting side by side here today. I think Its a very real expression of the golden era of relations between our countries. Ive talked a lot with my Chinese counterparts about this growing partnership between our two countries, but its important to recognise that it isnt just about governments. Its about businesses. About people. About bringing the UK and China closer together so that we can all share in the benefits of growth. We meet today at a crucial time in the history and future of both our countries. Last year, at Davos, President Xi set out the case for globalisation and committed to a more open Chinese economy a vision the UK is keen to help you bring to life. Meanwhile, the UK is preparing to leave the European Union. Were seizing the opportunity to become an ever-more outward-looking Global Britain, deepening our trade relations with nations around the world including China. Now this is my first time in Shanghai. On this side of the Huangpu, the eclectic old buildings speak to us of Chinas history. On the opposite bank, the towering skyscrapers of Pudong say much about its future. More than that, the Bund itself is testament to the deep historical roots of the UKs trading links with China. The very building we meet in today started life as the home of a British ship-builder, the historic lifeblood of global trade. The Custom House clock, the international symbol of Shanghai, was made in Shropshire; its bells were cast in Leicestershire. And just as the Bund says much about our trading past, the size of the audience today and the breadth of sectors represented, speaks volumes about the strength of our relationship in 2018. Trade between our nations is worth almost 60 billion and rising. Chinese investment is helping the UK develop infrastructure and create jobs. Nearly 50,000 British businesses import goods from China, while more than 10,000 sell their goods to customers here. And our businesses are already working closely with one another, real commercial partnerships that bring real benefits. Just look at Astra Zeneca and Alibaba, coming together to build a smart health system in Wuxi so chest patients get vital treatment more quickly. As Ive travelled around China over the last few days, Ive seen that we have the potential to do so much more together. In Wuhan, in Beijing and now here in Shanghai Ive been struck by the level of enthusiasm for British brands, British culture, British goods and British services. And thats why I am accompanied on this trip by a business delegation representing businesses of every size and shape, representing many different sectors and hailing from every corner of the UK. Some have long established contacts here in China. Others are visiting for the very first time. But all are completely committed to forging lasting relationships with businesses, investors and customers in your country. This week, theyve been finalising deals in sectors as diverse as financial services, education, energy and healthcare. Aston Martin has announced that it will significantly increase its operations in China with a five-year export drive worth 600m, and will have more than 20 showrooms across China. And yesterday we unveiled a string of commercial deals in the cultural sector, increasing understanding and bringing our people closer together. And I was particularly pleased to see the Busy Bees nursery group taking its place in the delegation. Late last year I enjoyed a marvellous visit to a nursery in my own constituency. Now theyre bringing their 35 years of expertise to Shanghai, with plans for a 230-place international pre-school here. Now when people think of international trade Im sure early-years childcare isnt the first thing that springs to mind. But Busy Bees presence here shows just how diverse the British export offer is, just how much we have to offer in China. While the business leaders have been negotiating commercial deals, I have been meeting with President Xi and Premier Li and discussing with them the importance of removing barriers to trade between our nations. Weve agreed on moves to bring more of the UKs internationally renowned food and drink to China, to open up the market to some of Britains world-class financial services providers. And we have agreed a Trade and Investment Review, as a first step towards delivering ambitious future bilateral trade arrangements. On Wednesday, Premier Li and I attended the inaugural meeting of the UK/China CEO Council. Created with the full support of both governments, the council brings together 40 chief executives from some of Britain and Chinas top businesses many of them here today. It creates a forum in which ideas and insights can be shared. But it is also a platform from which views, problems and solutions can be communicated to the top levels of government, giving senior business leaders the chance to help shape the future of the UKs trade and investment relationship with China. And its a future that excites me. Not just because of the possibilities for increased trade, impressive though they are. But also because of the possibilities for greater co-operation between our people. China and the UK both have proud histories of innovation stretching hundreds, even thousands of years. That spirit of invention is still very much alive today, and if we pool our talents further the results could be extraordinary. The fast-changing world we are in brings many opportunities for businesses in both our countries. And I support a partnership that allows us to exploit those opportunities, bringing together like-minded innovators and entrepreneurs to share knowledge, risk and investment. For example, as I said in Davos last week, we are establishing the UK as a world leader in Artificial Intelligence, building on the success of companies like Deepmind. I believe we have only just seen the beginning of what AI can achieve, something I discussed yesterday with President Xi. We agreed that prospects for collaboration in this area are ever-expanding. But that is not all. In November I launched the UKs modern industrial strategy. We set an ambition for Britain to be the most innovative country in the world. And we are backing that up with 7bn of additional investment in research and development over the coming years. Then, in December we launched the UK-China Joint Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation Co-operation. It brings together scientists and innovators to drive sustainable growth and tackle global challenges. The Strategys priority for 2018 is agri-tech, and thats one reason why I was pleased to be able to visit the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing yesterday, seeing some of this cooperation first hand. Next month, were organising the Great Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong and the Bay area. Over four days, the Festival will offer a series of thought-provoking and lively keynotes, masterclasses, showcases, installations and performances involving industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and artists. With visitors from the UK and right across Asia, the festival will allow entrepreneurs to build partnerships and share the innovations that will drive the future of free trade. I hope that many of you will be able to attend. One thing that I hope will come from the festival is a higher profile for female innovators. The UK and China together have the capacity to play a huge role in advocating for gender equality. But all too often those good intentions dont lead to positive outcomes, and thats something we should all be working to tackle. Last year, the UK government signed a memorandum of understanding with the All China Womens Federation, setting out our mutual resolve to improve gender equality. And I know this subject is also close to Jacks heart. In 2015, Alibaba ran a global conference on women and entrepreneurship. And the company itself has a much larger female workforce, and more women on its board,than most international tech companies. Around the world, young women benefit from seeing that. From seeing role models and trailblazers. Women who have succeeded in their field and shown that progress is possible. And thats why Im proud to have brought many inspirational women in my business delegation. Women like Nancy Rothwell, who spoke to you earlier and whose university, Manchester, has excellent links with Wuhan, the first stop on my visit, as well as across China. And women like Heba Bevan, founder and CEO of AI company UtterBerry. Im nearing the end of what has been a fascinating and productive few days in China. Ive seen our businesses making new alliances and forging new partnerships. Ive seen our people learning about the world through education and about each other through culture. And Ive seen that China and the UK are determined to build on our deep and mature ties to promote national and global prosperity throughout the 21st century. As President Xi, quoting Shakespeare, said to me yesterday, Whats past is prologue. And I wholeheartedly agree. The UK and China are opening a new chapter in our Golden Era. Thank you. Published 2 February 2018 British PM Business Forum speech in Shanghai: 2 February 2018added by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline What Is a Uniform Bill of Lading?poker rooms san antonio tx A uniform bill of lading is a standardized agreement between an exporter and a carrier regarding the items or property to be transported. The uniform bill of lading provides a boilerplate language for the basic information about a shipment such as the shipper and recipient's names and the shipment's origin and destination. In addition, the document establishes the terms of the carrier's liability, transport time frame, how to file a claim for a lost or damaged shipment, how insurance will be applied in the event of a claim, and how the shipment may be stored or disposed of if the shipment is refused or is not deliverable. Key Takeaways A uniform bill of lading is a standardized version of the bill of lading that shippers and carriers use. A bill of lading details and itemizes the contents of a shipment to be transported across borders. It also stipulates the contract terms of the shipment including the carrier's liability and insurance, time for shipment, and claims processes. Understanding a Uniform Bill of Lading The uniform bill of lading also specifies the carrier's liability with regard to specific types of shipments including documents, coin money, items of extraordinary value, and explosives. Additional shipment charges may be assessed if the shipper misrepresents the type of goods being transported. While the uniform bill of lading is the standard template, other variations also exist, including the inland bill of lading, ocean bill of lading, negotiable bill of lading, and through bill of lading. Components of the Bill of Lading The bill of lading also represents proof of delivery when the goods are delivered to the destination and signed for by the receiver. These statements reflect either the shipper's representations to the carrier of the terms of the service or the carrier's notes from its own inspection of the goods. If the bill of lading notes the defective condition of the goods or their packaging, it is considered "claused" or "fouled." If no defects are noted, it is considered a "clean" bill of lading. The Bill of Lading states that the carrier is responsible for loss, damage, delay, and liability in the transportation of the goods for shippers from the time the carrier receives the goods until delivery is complete. The carriers are responsible for full actual loss. If the receiver finds the freight damaged or unacceptable, the bill of lading can be used as a legal document to dispute the delivery of goods in accordance with the provisions of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 1005, Section 14706, the Carmack Amendment. Changes in the Uniform Bill of Lading Changes were made to the uniform bill of lading that came into effect in August 2016. The new standard imposed liability only for carriers "shown as transporting the property" on the bill of lading when damages occur. The new rules also changed the time requirements for carriers to complete deliveries. According to Inbound Logistics, the new bill extended the delivery time from reasonable periods to within the "regular course of providing transportation services." Facebook Facebook Twitter Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a chemical is when it's in aqueous (water) solution. A neutral pH value (neither an acid nor a base) is 7. Substances with a pH greater than 7 up to 14 are considered bases. Chemicals with a pH lower than 7 down to 0 are considered acids. The closer the pH is to 0 or 14, the greater its acidity or basicity, respectively. Here's a list of the approximate pH of some common chemicals. Key Takeaways: pH of Common Chemicals pH is a measure of how acidic or basic an aqueous solution is. pH usually ranges from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic). A pH value around 7 is considered neutral. pH is measured using pH paper or a pH meter. Most fruits, vegetables, and body fluids are acidic. While pure water is neutral, natural water may be either acidic or basic. Cleaners tend to be basic. pH of Common Acids Fruits and vegetables tend to be acidic. Citrus fruit, in particular, is acidic to the point where it can erode tooth enamel. Milk is often considered to be neutral, since it's only slightly acidic. Milk becomes more acidic over time. The pH of urine and saliva is slightly acidic, around a pH of 6. Human skin, hair, and nails tends to have a pH around 5. 0 - Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) 1.0 - Battery Acid (H 2 SO 4 sulfuric acid) and stomach acid 2.0 - Lemon Juice 2.2 - Vinegar 3.0 - Apples, Soda 3.0 to 3.5 - Sauerkraut 3.5 to 3.9 - Pickles 4.0 - Wine and Beer 4.5 - Tomatoes 4.5 to 5.2 - Bananas around 5.0 - Acid Rain 5.0 - Black Coffee 5.3 to 5.8 - Bread 5.4 to 6.2 - Red Meat 5.9 - Cheddar Cheese 6.1 to 6.4 - Butter 6.6 - Milk 6.6 to 6.8 - Fish Neutral pH Chemicals Distilled water tends to be slightly acidic because of dissolved carbon dioxide and other gases. Pure water is nearly neutral, but rain water tends to be slightly acidic. Natural water rich in minerals tends to be alkaline or basic. 7.0 - Pure Water pH of Common Bases Many common cleaners are basic. Usually, these chemicals have very high pH. Blood is close to neutral, but is slightly basic. 7.0 to 10 - Shampoo 7.4 - Human Blood 7.4 - Human Tears 7.8 - Egg around 8 - Seawater 8.3 - Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) around 9 - Toothpaste 10.5 - Milk of Magnesia 11.0 - Ammonia 11.5 to 14 - Hair Straightening Chemicals 12.4 - Lime (Calcium Hydroxide) 13.0 - Lye 14.0 - Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) Other pH Values Soil pH ranges from 3 to 10. Most plants prefer a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. Stomach acid contains hydrochloric acid and other substances and has a pH value of 1.2. While pure water free of undissolved gases is neutral, not much else is. However, buffer solutions may be prepared to maintain a pH near 7. Dissolving table salt (sodium chloride) in water does not change its pH. How to Measure pH There are multiple ways to test the pH of substances. The simplest method is to use pH paper test strips. You can make these yourself using coffee filters and cabbage juice, use Litmus paper, or other test strips. The color of the test strips corresponds to a pH range. Because the color change depends on the type of indicator dye used to coat the paper, the result needs to be compared against a chart of standard. Another method is to draw a small sample of a substance and apply drops of pH indicator and observe the test change. Many home chemicals are natural pH indicators. pH test kits are available to test liquids. Usually these are designed for a particular application, like aquaria or swimming pools. pH test kits are fairly accurate, but may be affected by other chemicals in a sample. The most accurate method of measuring pH is using a pH meter. pH meters are more expensive than test papers or kits and require calibration, so they are generally used in schools and labs. Note About Safety Chemicals that have very low or very high pH are often corrosive and can produce chemical burns. It's fine to dilute these chemicals in pure water to test their pH. The value won't be changed, but the risk will be reduced. Sources Slessarev, E. W.; Lin, Y.; Bingham, N. L.; Johnson, J. E.; Dai, Y.; Schimel, J. P.; Chadwick, O. A. (November 2016). "Water balance creates a threshold in soil pH at the global scale". Nature. 540 (7634): 567569. doi:10.1038/nature20139 Watch Now: What are the Differences Between Acids and Bases? Illustration: Xia Qing/GT Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM has become increasingly popular in recent years,although it is facing controversial debates in some other countries. In China, TCM has enchanted more and more young people who have decided to take part in this industry. For example, Huachi, a county in Northwest China's Gansu Province, was once a famous national poverty-stricken county. Now, it has transformed into a rich wonderland with medicinal materials everywhere. Herbs like scutellaria baicalensis and honeysuckle have become the "new prescription" for villagers to get rich. College students who return to their hometowns to start their own businesses have boosted the trend. However, behind the prosperity of TCM, it is worth reminding that drug manufacturers should in the meantime adapt to local conditions and ensure quality of these medicines when expanding the industry. This can become the real "panacea" for Chinese industrial development. What Is General Partner?sports betting sites not on gamstop A general partner is one of two or more investors who jointly own a business that is structured as a partnership, and who assumes a day-to-day role in managing it. Key Takeaways A general partner is a part-owner of a partnership business and is involved with its operations and shares in its profits. A general partner is often a doctor, lawyer, or another professional who has joined a partnership in order to remain independent while being part of a larger business. The general partner may be held personally liable for the debts of the business. Understanding General Partner A general partner has the authority to act on behalf of the business without the knowledge or permission of the other partners. Unlike a limited or silent partner, the general partner may have unlimited liability for the debts of the business. General partners typically bring specialized knowledge and skills to the partnership and contribute to its pool of contacts and clients. Since they share management responsibilities, each has more time to devote to their respective professional duties. The main benefit of a partnership is that it isn't taxed separately. In other words, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) doesn't require partnerships to pay corporate taxes on profits. Instead, each partner receives their share of the profits as income and file and pay their own taxes. On the flip side, a general partner may be held personally responsible for the liabilities of the partnership. For example, a patient might sue a doctor for medical malpractice. In some cases, courts have allowed the client to proceed against all of the general partners in the medical practice. If the court enters a judgment in favor of the client, all the general partners would be financially responsible. In fact, the general partner with the most money invested in the business could bear a larger proportion of the penalty than the general partner whose alleged malpractice caused the suit. If a general partner is ever required to meet the partnership's financial obligations, their personal assets may be subject to liquidation. The general partner shares the expenses and responsibilities of operating the business and shares in the profits if it is successful. Partnership Vs. Limited Partnership A partnership is any business entity that is formed by at least two people who agree to create a company and share in its expenses and profits. This type of arrangement is particularly appealing to legal, medical, and creative professionals who prefer to be their own bosses but want to expand their business reach. A partnership also offers a pool of investment for building and maintaining a business on a scale that might be beyond the resources of a single individual. In such cases, each professional becomes a general partner under the terms of the partnership agreement. They share the expenses and responsibilities of operating the business and share in the profits if it is successful. In the case of a limited partnership, only one of the partners will become the general partner while the others will have limited liability. That is, their responsibility for debts is restricted to the amount they invested in the business. A limited partner is primarily an investor in the business who does not take an active role in its operations. A Chinese envoy on Friday urged Israel and Palestine to immediately achieve a ceasefire,slot deposit 25 bonus 250 x 300 avoid any military ground operations and other actions that may lead to further escalation in the Gaza Strip. Liu Jieyi, Chinas permanent representative to the United Nations, made the appeal at an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East. In spite of repeated calls from the international community, Israel has continued with its large scale aerial bombardments against Gaza and has launched a ground invasion into Gaza leading to heavy civilian causalities including those of women and children, said Liu, expressing Chinas deep concern and sadness at this development. China condemns any abuse of force, whatever the excuse is, any action that causes heavy causalities among innocent civilians is unacceptable, he said. Instead of solving problems, force will only lead to more bloodshed and destruction and greater hatred. Liu also voiced Chinas disappointment that the humanitarian truce did not lead to a sustained ceasefire. We urge parties concerned to immediately cease hostilities, withdraw their ground troops from Gaza, completely lift the blockade against Gaza and give access to UN and other international humanitarian aid agencies so as to ease the misery of the local population, Liu stressed. Reiterating the issue of Palestine remains the core of the Middle East issue, the Chinese diplomat pointed out that the re- emergence of conflict in Gaza highlights the importance and urgency of a solution of the Palestinian issue in the current situation. As the dominant force, Israel must take proactive actions and create necessary conditions for the re-launch of peace talks, Liu said, calling on the international community to redouble its efforts to push for meaningful initiatives on both sides so as to re-establish mutual trust, resume dialogue as soon as possible and achieve substantial progress. The imperative at this stage is that Israeli and Palestinian parties must respond positively to the international communitys ceasefire initiative and good offices, immediately achieve a ceasefire and avoid any military ground operations, rocket firings and other actions that may lead to further escalation and tension, he noted. Liu also expressed Chinas firm support to Palestines cause of restoration of their legitimate national rights. We support the Palestinian peoples efforts to establish an independent state of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty, with East Jerusalem as its capital and based on the 1967 border, he said. We support the admission of Palestine into the UN and other international organizations. China calls for immediate ceasefire in Gazaadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline What Is the Nonaccrual Experience (NAE) Method?black waterfall basin tap The Nonaccrual Experience (NAE) Method is an accounting procedure allowed by the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) for handling bad debts. This method can only be applied to bad debts for services performed in the fields of accounting, actuarial science, architecture, consulting, engineering, health, law, or the performing arts. The company in question also must have average annual gross receipts for any three prior tax years of less than $5 million. More information can be found in IRS Publication 535: Business Expenses. Key Takeaways The Nonaccrual Experience (NAE) Method is an accounting standard that accounts for bad or delinquent debts. Under this method, firms dont have to accrue income that, based on past experience, is not expected to be collected. Instead, bad debts that are likely to remain uncollected can be written off. Understanding the Nonaccrual Experience (NAE) Method A company incurs a bad debt when it can't collect the money that it is owed. Bad debts that cannot be claimed on the business's tax return using the nonaccrual experience method may be claimed using the specific charge-off method, which is more common. Under NAE the firm can estimate the level of debt that will end up being bad debt based upon their own past experiences with customers and vendors. A nonaccrual experience method of accounting, as described in SEC rule 448(d) (5), allows certain service providers to exclude from accrual the portion of revenue they have determined will not be collected, based on their own experience and through the use of formulas allowed under this section and the regulations. These service providers must fall under the following categories in the fields of: Accounting Actuarial science Architecture Consulting Engineering Health Law The performing arts. According to the rule, a taxpayer is eligible to use an NAE method of accounting if the taxpayer uses an accrual method of accounting with respect to amounts received for the performance of services by the taxpayer, is in one of the above-listed service sectors, and earned less than $5 million in gross receipts in any one of the past three tax years. The matching principle requires that expenses be matched to related revenues in the same accounting period in which the revenue transaction occurs. To comply with GAAP tax rules, bad debt expenses must be estimated using the allowance method in the same period in which the sale occurs. Using the Nonaccrual Experience Method There are several ways that NAE can be employed. For instance, a taxpayer can request the IRSs consent to change to a formula that clearly reflects the taxpayers experience. This item focuses on the nuances surrounding the adoption of, or change to, the safe harbor NAE methods. Safe harbor refers to an accounting method that avoids legal or tax regulations or one that allows for a simpler method of determining a tax consequence than the methods described by the precise language of the tax code. In September 2011, the IRS released a revised rule that allowed a safe harbor method for taxpayers accounting for revenues using the NAE method to compute uncollectible revenues by applying a factor of 95% to their allowance for doubtful accounts as determined through the taxpayers applicable financial statements. Torrential rain that struck south China since May 11 has affected the daily lives of 2.91 million residents within Hunan as of Monday noon. Direct economic losses caused by the flood reached 2.88 billion yuan (456.2 million U.S. dollars),best bets for cheltenham according to provincial flood control authorities. May 14, 2012, a house that has been torn down by flood in Pingjiang County, central-south Chinas Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Bai Yu) May 13, 2012, power facilities damaged by flood in Pingjiang County, central-south Chinas Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Bai Yu) A television set lies deserted after flood struck Meixian Township in Pingjiang County, central-south Chinas Hunan Province, May 13, 2012. (Xinhua/Bai Yu) May 14, 2012, a flood-stricken bridge in Pingjiang County, central-south Chinas Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Bai Yu) An old man carries logs flushed by flood in Donggao Village of Pingjiang County, central-south Chinas Hunan Province, May 13, 2012. (Xinhua/Bai Yu) A man walks along a road damaged by flood in Pingjiang County, central-south Chinas Hunan Province, May 14, 2012. (Xinhua/Bai Yu) 2.91 million residents affected as torrential rains hit Hunanadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline 02:15 Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced his slot pragmatic play onlinebid for the 2024 presidential election Tuesday. Just days ago, Trump appeared the only Republican choice for 2024 nominee. But his strategy in this year's midterm elections has sowed seeds of doubt about his prospects even among those once his most loyal supporters. For more, check out our exclusive content on cgtn now and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the china report. What Is an Unemployment Claim?samana bahia principe The term unemployment claim refers to the request for cash benefits made by an individual after they are laid off from their job. Claims are filed through state governments for temporary payments after people lose their jobs through no fault of their own. The United States Department of Labor (DOL) tracks the number of weekly unemployment claims. It provides both seasonally adjusted and seasonally unadjusted claims numbers and also lists increases or decreases of 1,000 or more claims by state. This data is reported in the media as an indication of national and state economic health. Key Takeaways An unemployment claim is an application for cash benefits that an employee makes after being laid off or other covered reasons, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees who lose a job through no fault of their own may qualify for benefits. Unemployment insurance is paid by states, which collects funds from employers, while administrative costs are covered by the federal government. Eligible individuals can receive up to 26 weeks of benefits, provided they file regular claims. Federal supplements to unemployment benefits for out-of-work individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic expired on Sept. 5, 2021. Understanding Unemployment Claims Unemployment claims are paid from state funds that are collected from employers in the form of an unemployment insurance tax. Unemployment benefits are payable for a limited number of weeks and are designed to replace about half of a worker's previous wages. Most states provide up to 26 weeks of benefits for unemployed individuals. Individuals are required to file unemployment claims with the UI program in the state where they worked. Claims may be filed in person, online, or over the phone depending on the state. When a claim is filed, the following information must be provided: Social Security number Contact information Details about the former employment Workers must also meet certain criteria in order to be eligible for claims. They must be actual employees of the business, receiving W-2 forms at year-endnot independent contractors or freelancers. They must also have been laid off rather than having quit or been fired for misconduct. You must demonstrate that you are actively looking for work in order to continue receiving your unemployment benefits. The initial date of an unemployment claim determines the benefit year during which claimants may file weekly claims as well as the base period of the claim. The base period determines the wages used to compute the weekly and maximum benefit amounts and for which employers will have potential chargeback or reimbursement liability for any benefits paid to the claimant. Only base period employers are part of an unemployment claim. Non-base period employers have no such liability. Special Considerations The time you file an unemployment claim is very important. Consider, for example, an employer that hires an employee in March and lets that individual go after 30 days. If the claimant files an initial claim before April 1, the base period would not include the first quarter of that year (the quarter in progress), nor the fourth quarter of the preceding year (the lag quarter). It actually consists of the fourth quarter of the year before the year preceding the current year, and the first three quarters of the year preceding the current year. However, since the employer did not report wages during that base period, it will have no financial involvement in the claim. The same applies if the claimant waited until April, May, or June to file the initial claimin that case, the base period would omit the second quarter of the current year, the first quarter of the current year, and consist of the four quarters of the preceding year. If the ex-employee files an initial claim after June 30 of the current year, then the employer could be a base period employer, but its chargeback liability would be limited due to having paid only 30 days' worth of wages. Unemployment Claims and COVID-19 The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic rippled through the global labor market. Millions of people found themselves unemployed as a result. The federal and state governments stepped in to help ease the financial burden by implementing a number of employment-related programs. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the $2.3 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) signed by Donald Trump in March 2020 and December 2020, and the American Rescue Plan signed by Joe Biden in March 2021 created and expanded the following programs: Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provided an extra $600 weekly benefit on top of regular unemployment insurance (UI) until July 31, 2020, and an extra $300 benefit on top of regular UI per week after Dec. 26, 2020, and ending on or before March 14, 2021. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which expanded UI eligibility to self-employed workers, freelancers, independent contractors, and part-time workers impacted the pandemic. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which allowed workers to receive UI benefits for an extra 24 weeks after regular they exhausted unemployment compensation benefits. Benefits were extended for an extra 13 weeks (under the CARES Act) and for another 24 weeks (under the CAA Act) for a total of 53 weeks, including the standard 26 weeks of unemployment. These programs officially expired on Sept. 5, 2021. Eligible individuals may still qualify for state UI benefits as long as they are still unemployed and within the first 26 weeks of their benefits. The IRS also announced it would automatically adjust the tax returns of anyone who filed early and declared all of their unemployment income for the 2020 tax year. What Is the Difference Between Jobless and Unemployed? Jobless individuals are only reported as unemployed if they are actively seeking work. Jobless workers aren't included in the unemployment rate. The labor force is made up of the employed and unemployed those that are neither employed nor unemployed aren't counted as part of the labor force. What Do Jobless Claims Mean? Jobless claims are a measure of how many people are out of work at a certain time. There are two sections of jobless claims reported initial and continuing jobless claims. Initial jobless claims are for new claimants for unemployment benefits, while continuing jobless claims are for people who are continuing to receive benefits. What Is the Current Unemployment Rate in the United States? The unemployment rate in the United States is 3.5% as of September 2022. Despite sounding exactly the same, to, too, and two are all different words with different meanings and functions. So, what is the difference between to, too, and two? It is a good English lesson to learn, as it will save you from needless lectures by teachers and professors in the future if you can keep track of them now. When to Use To So, lets begin with to. To has two primary functions that can help us identify when to use it in a sentence. The first function is that of a preposition. When to is acting as a preposition, it will always come before a noun. For example, Yesterday, I drove to the mall. That was my first trip to Ann Arbor. Do you want to go to lunch? I brought my computer to the Apple store. Notice that in each one of these examples, to comes before a noun (mall, Ann Arbor, lunch, store). The second function of to is that it indicates to the reader that the verb to follow is an infinitive. In this case, to will come before a verb in its infinitive form. For example, I asked him to leave. I need to pack my clothes. I should really get to work. To be or not to be. All of the verbs following to in these sentences are infinitives. When to Use Too Too also has two main uses that we can use to help us determine when to use it. The first use is as a synonym for also. For example, My brother will be coming along too. Sell the house and furniture too. The second use of too is to mean excessively or to such a degree as to be regrettable. In this second case, too will always precede an adjective or adverb. For example, I am far too full to have desert. You are speaking too quickly; I cannot understand. I think you have gone too far this time. Four examples are too many. A good way to remember the difference between to and too is that too has an extra O in it. You might say that it has too many Os. Or that its amount of Os are in excess. When to Use Two Two is the easiest of the three to keep track of because it is the most distinct. Two is a number, and its tw easily fits into other words such as twice and twenty, which signify the number 2. Some examples, Two comes before three. Bicycles have two wheels. I have two arms and two legs. Remember the Difference There is a clever mnemonic to remember the difference between these three words, To have two cookies is too much! Another good way to remember is how an English professor of mine once described them to me, Too (also or in excess) Two (the number) To (everything else) While this is not overly illustrative on the meaning of to, it gets across the essential point. Too and two are easy enough to remember. If neither too nor two fit the situation, its got to be to. As Chinas economy diversifies, and as the country moves from a heavily industrialised to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy, there are ambitions for culture and creative industries to reach 5% of Chinas national GDP by 2020. The UK is seen as a strong partner for China to achieve its ambitions in this sector, with creative industries the UKs fastest-growing sector, and a major employer of 1 in every 11 in the workforce. The V&A has recently opened a new gallery in Shenzhen, and the Terracotta Army will arrive in Liverpool for a new major eight-month exhibition next week. It is the first time in more than a decade that the warriors have come to the UK, and the exhibition includes items never previously shown outside of China. From Shakespeare to Sherlock, from fashion to football, UK soft power is already highly influential in China. In a 2016 British Council survey, 82% of Chinese respondents found the UK attractive more than any other G20 country. The Prime Ministers visit will build on this strong foundation and create new opportunities for British businesses in the creative and cultural sector. The Prime Minister will announce a new agreement between DCMS and Chinas State Administration of Cultural Heritage for a three-year programme of activity to develop UK-China cooperation in the field of cultural heritage. The UK has world-leading expertise in heritage preservation, and this new agreement will create significant opportunities for British businesses. The Prime Minister will also welcome a string of commercial deals in the creative sector, with a potential worth of almost 300 million, including: plans for a Serpentine Pavilion in Beijing to open in May 2018, modelled on the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Palace Gardens. It will be the first Pavilion co-commissioned and built by the Serpentine outside the UK the announcement that ITV Studios Global Entertainment has agreed a deal with Chinese company Bilibili for the latest series of international hit Poldark, sold in to over 150 countries globally, and all four series of Mr Selfridge, the story behind the founder of Londons famous department store the announcement that Zycon Media (UK) and DeZerlin Media (China) have reached an agreement to co-produce 10 animated feature films for the global market, each with a subsequent animated television series. The combined deal will employ hundreds of artists, technicians, and performers over the next 8 years the announcement that UK company Silvergate Media and Chinese company CCTV Animation will jointly produce the fifth season of the award-winning British childrens animation Octonauts. The new British-Chinese co-production will be broadcast globally, including by the BBC in the UK and by CCTV in China. A further two seasons are planned the announcement that Merlin Entertainments Plc will develop two new Merlin brands to China a Dungeon in Shanghai, and a Little BIG City attraction in Beijing, as well as further investment planned for 2019 in Beijing with the opening of Chinas third LEGOLAND Discovery Center confirmation that the Eden Project International and China Jinmao Holdings Limited will create an iconic tourism and education centre in the city of Qingdao, focussed on the theme of water. The project is due to open in 2020. The Eden project is also announcing that it will undertake pre-planning and early feasibility consultancy work for a project in Jizhou (near the city of Tianjin) in a former limestone mine with the ultimate aim of regenerating the landscape and surrounding area. Together these projects are expected to generate 130 jobs in the UK The Prime Minister said: Both the UK and China have rich and distinctive cultures of which we are rightly proud. Todays agreements mean we will work even more closely together, collaborating on film festivals, theme parks, architecture, history and much more. These deals underline the strength of the UKs creative industries and will generate hundreds of millions of pounds of investment, creating opportunities across the UK. By sharing our history and culture we will also deepen the strong ties between our two peoples. Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: We are in a golden era for UK-China relations. Our cultural collaboration is yielding fantastic results for British businesses, and the expertise of our creative industries is helping China to realise its own ambitions. Our creative industries are fundamental to how Britain is seen across the world and this growing cultural partnership with China will help boost trade, jobs and investment. British PM announces new UK-China creative and cultural collaborationadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline What Is a Financial Instrument?captain jack casino no rules bonus tax Financial instruments are assets that can be traded, or they can also be seen as packages of capital that may be traded. Most types of financial instruments provide efficient flow and transfer of capital all throughout the world's investors. These assets can be cash, a contractual right to deliver or receive cash or another type of financial instrument, or evidence of one's ownership of an entity. Key Takeaways A financial instrument is a real or virtual document representing a legal agreement involving any kind of monetary value. Financial instruments may be divided into two types: cash instruments and derivative instruments. Financial instruments may also be divided according to an asset class, which depends on whether they are debt-based or equity-based. Foreign exchange instruments comprise a third, unique type of financial instrument. Financial Instrument Understanding Financial Instruments 1:23 Financial instruments can be real or virtual documents representing a legal agreement involving any kind of monetary value. Equity-based financial instruments represent ownership of an asset. Debt-based financial instruments represent a loan made by an investor to the owner of the asset. Foreign exchange instruments comprise a third, unique type of financial instrument. Different subcategories of each instrument type exist, such as preferred share equity and common share equity. International Accounting Standards (IAS) defines financial instruments as "any contract that gives rise to a financial asset of one entity and a financial liability or equity instrument of another entity." Types of Financial Instruments Financial instruments may be divided into two types: cash instruments and derivative instruments. Cash Instruments The values of cash instruments are directly influenced and determined by the markets. These can be securities that are easily transferable. Cash instruments may also be deposits and loans agreed upon by borrowers and lenders. Derivative Instruments The value and characteristics of derivative instruments are based on the vehicles underlying components, such as assets, interest rates, or indices. An equity options contract, for example, is a derivative because it derives its value from the underlying stock. The option gives the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell the stock at a specified price and by a certain date. As the price of the stock rises and falls, so too does the value of the option although not necessarily by the same percentage. There can be over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives or exchange-traded derivatives. OTC is a market or process whereby securitiesthat are not listed on formal exchangesare priced and traded. Types of Asset Classes of Financial Instruments Financial instruments may also be divided according to an asset class, which depends on whether they are debt-based or equity-based. Debt-Based Financial Instruments Short-term debt-based financial instruments last for one year or less. Securities of this kind come in the form of T-bills and commercial paper. Cash of this kind can be deposits and certificates of deposit (CDs). Exchange-traded derivatives under short-term, debt-based financial instruments can be short-term interest rate futures. OTC derivatives are forward rate agreements. Long-term debt-based financial instruments last for more than a year. Under securities, these are bonds. Cash equivalents are loans. Exchange-traded derivatives are bond futures and options on bond futures. OTC derivatives are interest rate swaps, interest rate caps and floors, interest rate options, and exotic derivatives. Equity-Based Financial Instruments Securities under equity-based financial instruments are stocks. Exchange-traded derivatives in this category include stock options and equity futures. The OTC derivatives are stock options and exotic derivatives. Special Considerations There are no securities under foreign exchange. Cash equivalents come in spot foreign exchange, which is the current prevailing rate. Exchange-traded derivatives under foreign exchange are currency futures. OTC derivatives come in foreign exchange options, outright forwards, and foreign exchange swaps. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks respectively with the Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Beijing on Sunday. Aboul-Gheit and Shoukry have come to attend the eighth ministerial meeting of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) scheduled for July 10. When meeting with Aboul-Gheit,idn slot betting games today Wang called on China and the Arab states to deepen strategic cooperation, continue to support each other on issues concerning respective core interests, and play their due roles in promoting peace and stability in the region and the world. The two sides should facilitate synergy of development strategies, Wang said, stressing that China and the Arab states can become stable cooperation partners through jointly constructing the Belt and Road. China hopes its rapid development will provide opportunities to the Arab states in their bid to achieve economic diversification and industrialization development, Wang said. Aboul-Gheit said the Arab states are willing to boost cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, adding he hoped the upcoming eighth ministerial meeting of CASCF will achieve positive outcomes. During the strategic dialogue between China and Egypts foreign ministries, Wang called on the two sides to maintain the momentum of high level exchanges, and give full play to the two heads of states role in guiding the development of bilateral ties. Saying China hopes to speed up alignment of development strategies with Egypt, Wang stressed China welcomes Egypt to participate in the construction of the Belt and Road, and deepen cooperation in various fields including production capacity, trade, security and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides should push forward coordination in regional and international affairs and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, Wang said. Hailing Chinas long-term efforts in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and the development of Africa, Shoukry expressed his countrys willingness to further cooperate with China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, CASCF and Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Xinhua Chinese State Councilor holds talks with AL chief, Egyptian FMadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline Leaders of BRICS countries hailed the outcome of their first-day summit on Tuesday, when four major agreements were signed in key economic areas. The BRICS, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is holding its sixth summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brazils northeastern coastal city of Fortaleza. The first day of the two-day summit saw the signing of such documents as agreements on establishing the New Development Bank (NDB) and the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation among BRICS Export Credit and Guarantees Agencies, and the Cooperation Agreement on Innovation within the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism. South African President Jacob Zuma said during his speech at the summit that the four agreements marked BRICS countries strengthened cooperation in financial and economic domains, which would produce tangible results and impact on the lives of their people. BRICS countries have started a journey of forging strategic cooperation through embarking jointly on tangible projects with key deliverables that will impact positively on their growth and development, Zuma added. Meanwhile, the South African leader said a proposed BRICS-Africa Council could add an additional dimension to augmenting trade and investment between BRICS members and countries on the African continent. Zuma said he was looking forward to working with his BRICS colleagues more closely as his country was implementing the National Development Plan, in the spirit of the BRICS partnership for development and progress. Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the setting up of the NDB and CRA, saying that they would help not only BRICS countries themselves, but also many other developing countries. Putin said the two financial institutions would help developing countries reduce the negative impact of economic fluctuation while implementing their economic policies more effectively. The Russian president proposed closer contacts in areas such energy safety, mining, culture and education. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that BRICS countries have their own advantages and are complementary to each other, describing the BRICS bloc as a unique and crucial platform for the five emerging economies. The group has great influence not only over the five member countries, but also the rest of the world, especially the developing countries, since it addresses common concerns faced by the world, such as poverty, food security, and climate change, Modi said. He called on the BRICS countries to learn from each other while promoting exchanges of different levels and increasing people-to-people contacts, especially between the youth. Xinhua BRICS leaders hail outcome of first-day summit after 4 major deals signedadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline An A330 plane from Helsinki, capital of Finland, landed at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport on May 10, 2012, marking the launch of the first direct flights linking southwestern China to northern Europe. (Xinhua/Liu Chan) People attend the ceremony to celebrate the first direct flights linking Chongqing and Helsinki at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing, southwest China, May 10, 2012. A passenger greets her friends as she gets off from the plane flying from Helsinki to Chongqing at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing, southwest China, May 10, 2012. Direct flights between Chongqing-Finland launchedadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline What Is Income Elasticity of Demand?odds of winning australian powerball Income elasticity of demand refers to the sensitivity of the quantity demanded for a certain good to a change in the real income of consumers who buy this good. The formula for calculating income elasticity of demand is the percent change in quantity demanded divided by the percent change in income. With income elasticity of demand, you can tell if a particular good represents a necessity or a luxury. Key Takeaways Income elasticity of demand is an economic measure of how responsive the quantity demanded for a good or service is to a change in income. The formula for calculating income elasticity of demand is the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in income. Businesses use the measure to help predict the impact of a business cycle on sales. Income Elasticity of Demand Understanding Income Elasticity of Demand 1:27 Income elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of demand for a particular good to changes in consumer income. The higher the income elasticity of demand for a particular good, the more demand for that good is tied to fluctuations in consumers' income. Businesses typically evaluate the income elasticity of demand for their products to help predict the impact of a business cycle on product sales. Inferior Goods vs. Normal Goods Depending on the values of the income elasticity of demand, goods can be broadly categorized as inferior and normal goods. Normal goods have a positive income elasticity of demand; as incomes rise, more goods are demanded at each price level. Normal goods whose income elasticity of demand is between zero and one are typically referred to as necessity goods, which are products and services that consumers will buy regardless of changes in their income levels. Examples of necessity goods and services include tobacco products, haircuts, water, and electricity. As income rises, the proportion of total consumer expenditures on necessity goods typically declines. Inferior goods have a negative income elasticity of demand; as consumers' income rises, they buy fewer inferior goods. A typical example of such a type of product is margarine, which is much cheaper than butter. Furthermore, luxury goods are a type of normal good associated with income elasticities of demand greater than one. Consumers will buy proportionately more of a particular good compared to a percentage change in their income. Consumer discretionary products such as premium cars, boats, and jewelry represent luxury products that tend to be very sensitive to changes in consumer income. When a business cycle turns downward, demand for consumer discretionary goods tends to drop as workers become unemployed. Formula for Income Elasticity of Demand The formula for income elasticity of demand is: Income Elasticity of Demand = D 1 D 0 D 1 + D 0 I 1 I 0 I 1 + I 0 where: D 0 = Initial quantity demanded D 1 = Final quantity demanded I 0 = Initial real income I 1 = Final real income \begin{ aligned}&\text{ Income Elasticity of Demand} = \frac{ \frac { D_1 - D_0 }{ D_1 + D_0 } }{ \frac { I_1 - I_0 }{ I_1 + I_0 } } \\&\textbf{ where:} \\&D_0 = \text{ Initial quantity demanded} \\&D_1 = \text{ Final quantity demanded} \\&I_0 = \text{ Initial real income} \\&I_1 = \text{ Final real income} \\\end{ aligned} Income Elasticity of Demand=I1+I0I1I0D1+D0D1D0where:D0=Initial quantity demandedD1=Final quantity demandedI0=Initial real incomeI1=Final real income Example of Income Elasticity of Demand Consider a local car dealership that gathers data on changes in demand and consumer income for its cars for a particular year. When the average real income of its customers falls from $50,000 to $40,000, the demand for its cars plummets from 10,000 to 5,000 units sold, all other things unchanged. The income elasticity of demand is calculated by taking a negative 50% change in demand, a drop of 5,000 divided by the initial demand of 10,000 cars, and dividing it by a 20% change in real incomethe $10,000 change in income divided by the initial value of $50,000. This produces an elasticity of 2.5, which indicates local customers are particularly sensitive to changes in their income when it comes to buying cars. Types of Income Elasticity of Demand There are five types of income elasticity of demand: High: A rise in income comes with bigger increases in the quantity demanded. Unitary:The rise in income is proportionate to the increase in the quantity demanded. Low: A jump in income is less than proportionate to the increase in the quantity demanded. Zero:The quantity bought/demanded is the same even if income changes Negative: An increase in income comes with a decrease in the quantity demanded. Frequently Asked Questions How Do You Interpret Income Elasticity of Demand? Income elasticity of demand describes the sensitivity to changes in consumer income relative to the amount of a good that consumers demand. Highly elastic goods will see their quantity demanded change rapidly with income changes, while inelastic goods will see the same quantity demanded even as income changes. What Does an Income Elasticity of Demand of 1.50 Mean? Since the value is positive, the good is elastic. It implies that for every 1% increase in income, people will demand 1.5x the number of goods. Thus, if the average income is $100,000 and at that level of income people desire 6 meals out per week, they would demand 9 meals out if income rose to $101,000. How Does Income Elasticity of Demand Differ From Price Elasticity of Demand? Price elasticity of demand measures the change in percentage of demand caused by a percent change in price, rather than a percent change in income. Can Income Elasticity of Demand Be Negative? Yes, for example with certain "inferior" goods, the more money people have the less likely they are to buy cheaper products in favor of higher quality ones. What Is Something That Is Inelastic to Changes in Income? Inelastic goods tend to have the same demand regardless of income. Certain staples and basics such as gasoline or milk would not change with incomeyou'll still only need one gallon a week even if your income doubles. The Bottom Line Income elasticity of demand is the change in quantity demanded of a good or service in relation to the change in real income of a consumer that buys that good or service. Income elasticity of demand will denote whether a product is an essential item or a luxury item. The higher the inelasticity of demand for a good or service, the more sensitive the demand for it is to fluctuations in consumer income. If a good or service has a high inelasticity of demand, it will experience a decline in demand when the real income of consumers decreases. If real income increases, it will see an increase in demand. If a good or service has a low inelasticity of demand, its demand will not significantly change regardless of what happens to the real income of consumers. Have you ever read a passage and wondered whether the author is writing about an act of sacrifice or a modification? If you have, it is probably because the author misused either alter or altar. Their spellings are very close, so even experienced writers sometimes use the wrong one, but they are actually different parts of speech. This article will provide an explanation of the differences between these two words, should you require one. Now you wont have to worry about whether to use altar or alter in your own writing, and your reading comprehension will improve, as well. What is the Difference Between Alter and Altar? In this post, I will compare alter vs altar. I will use both of these words in at least one example sentence, so that you can easily see how to use them correctly. Plus, I will discuss a useful trick to help you remember whether altar or alteris appropriate for your writing. When to Use Alter What does alter mean?Alter is a verb. It means to change or modify something. See the sentences below for examples. I have altered the deal, the villain said. Pray I dont alter it further. Bring the dress to a seamstress, and she will alter it for you. At the start of the postseason, with the Chicago Cubs about to embark on a journey that would forever alter the baseball landscape, manager Joe Maddon gathered his players together to deliver a message: Prepare for something to go horribly wrong. The Wall Street Journal Sometimes, alteris an adjective, as in the phrase alter ego. In this case, it is a synonym for alternative. The superhero had an alter ego as an unassuming journalist. When to Use Altar What does altar mean? Altaris a noun. An altar is a structure upon which sacrifices are made. Altars can be shaped like a table, or a simple pile of rocks, or many other shapes. Here are some examples: Lay the boy upon the altar, and we will sacrifice him to the gods. The prophet constructed an altar out of rounded stones, and began to pile wood on top of it. At the top of the monument, a blood-stained altar stood as a warning to those who opposed the priestess. During a wedding ceremony, you lead someone to the altar, or in some unfortunate circumstances, leave someone at the altar. When word spread earlier this week that J. Crew, the catalog and clothing retailer, was leaving its bridal business at the altar, the reaction was one of collective dismay. The New York Times Trick to Remember the Difference Here is a helpful trick to remember altarvs. alter. The most important thing you need to remember is that altar is a noun and alter is usually a verb, and occasionally an adjective. The two words are never interchangeable. Altar is only ever a noun. Alter is never a noun. You can remember that alter is a verb since both alter and verb are spelled with the letter E. Summary Is it alter or altar? Alter and altar are spelled in similar ways, but they are different parts of speech. Altar is a noun; it refers to a structure used for sacrifices. Alter is usually a verb; it means to change or modify something, and sometimes an adjective, where it is synonymous with alternative in that words adjective sense. Alter and altar are never interchangeable. You can remember that alter is a verb since both it and the word verbare spelled using the letter E. In summary, altar is a noun, but alter is a verb. If you have trouble remembering, you can always check this article for a quick refresher on these words. Travelers are both the conduit and the canary in the coal mine for new COVID-19 variants,betfair poker sign up bonus and U.S. health officials are trying to use those realities to keep ahead of variants coming into the country. At four U.S. airportsJohn F. Kennedy in New York, Newark in New Jersey, San Francisco International, and Atlanta Hartsfieldthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with private companies XpresCheck and Concentric by Ginkgo to test incoming passengers for COVID-19. (Washington Dulles is expected to join the program in November.) The testing gives the CDC a heads up on which variants are entering the country and which new ones might be gaining ground and become a threat for the U.S. Since the program began as a pilot in September 2021, about 12,000 to 15,000 passengers each week have agreed to get their noses swabbed at XpresCheck locations at the airports, and those samples have been pooled together and sent to Ginkgos technicians, who run PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 and genetically sequence only those samples that are positive. When Ginkgos labs detect new changes to the virus, they alert the CDC and scientists keep a closer eye on changing trends in those mutations. The information is vital for CDC scientists, serving as an early detection system for detecting which new variants are entering the country and could present a threat in the future. Read more: From Massages to Nasal Swabs: Inside XpresSpas Tough Road to Becoming an Airport COVID-19 Testing Center Thats how CDC scientists were first alerted to BA.3, which appeared in an airport sample on December 3,the first such report in North America, 43 days before any other testing siteand BA.2, which showed up among passengers on December 14, seven days ahead of other reports. The program was also among the first to pick up other variants that are becoming important ones to watch this winter, including BA.2.75.2, XBB, and BQ.1. More from TIME At the end of August, Cindy Friedman, the CDCs chief of travelers health received a call from a member of her team alerting her to a new mutation, eventually labeled BQ.1, which at the time was on the verge of quickly spreading in Europe. New mutations dont necessarily mean a new variant that could either spread more easily or be more virulent, but its a heads up. The group reports all new mutations it finds to the public database on SARS-CoV-2 genes, GISAID, and the teams report on BQ.1 was the first to identify the variant. CDC scientists then began learning more about its features to determine how it compared to previous variants when it came to virulence and transmissibility. BQ.1 numbers began to rise, and as of the beginning of October, the variant accounted for about 17% of samples among travelers entering the U.S. suggesting that variant may become one to watch this winter. Those numbers are now part of the CDCs COVID-19 Data Tracker, in a section devoted to genomic surveillance of travelers. Read more: How to Stay Safe from COVID-19 During the 2022 Holiday Season BQ.1 appeared in a single pooled samplethese pools typically include 10 to 25 swabs. Indeed, the goal of this project is not to test individual passengers and trace positive tests back to them, but rather to identify potential trends in the emergence and spread of variants. That means passengers who volunteer to get swabbed dont need to provide personal information, just information on their flight, where it originated, and where they had traveled in the recent past. It also means that more people are willing to participate, which is essential for the CDC to get the data it needs to effectively track SARS-CoV-2. As more people are testing at home for COVID-19, fewer are getting tested at hospitals, doctors offices, or clinics where the results are reported to health officials. So health authorities are no longer getting a clear picture of how many COVID-19 cases there are. That in turn means they are also losing their ability to keep ahead of SARS-CoV-2 variantswith fewer tests, experts have fewer genetic sequences of the virus, and a fuzzier view of how the virus is changing to evade immunity from vaccines and natural infections. To understand what variants are emerging, we need testing, says Friedman. We need to fill in some of the gaps in surveillance, and travelers are coming from all over the world, so they are able to fill in the gaps and blind spots created by declining testing, reporting and sequencing. Currently the program includes about 150 flights each week at the four airports. The flights are chosen to represent different regions of the world in order to provide the broadest set of data available on how SARS-CoV-2 might be evolving, and includes 26 countries. Friedman hopes to expand that soon to 500 flights weekly. Because there is such variability in countries ability to test their populations, Friedman says the travelers program provides an additional benefit of providing valuable missing information on COVID-19 trends in countries where the data isnt as robust. This program is a good source of samples in the face of the global decline in testing. For countries that dont have good data, they can look at our data, which is publicly available, and see what variants were finding, says Friedman. Read more: Why the U.S. Doesnt Have a Nasal Vaccine for COVID-19 The program is completely voluntary. Early on, people who participated were offered free PCR testing kits and then rapid antigen self-testing kits, as an incentive to spend a few minutes getting their noses swabbed; now it relies on the altruism of passengers arriving from other countries to agree to stop for a few minutes and provide a sample. Youd be surprised by the number of people who care about public health, and one they understand that its a public health tool, are willing to participate, says Matt McKnight, general manager for biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks. At the airport, XpresCheck is responsible for recruiting and collecting the samples, and has strategically set up tables in areas where passengers are likely to wait such as after baggage claim, or in the Uber pickup areas. Ultimately, if the program continues to prove as successful as it has in identifying new variants early, such screening could even become a routine part of immigration processing. That would be an ideal way to monitor for existing and new public health threats entering the country. For now, the number of volunteers is generating enough data to prove the program worthwhile. But it wont stop there. To supplement swabs from travelers, this summer Concentric began taking about 1 liter of wastewater from each long-haul international flight landing at JFK for testing as well. Wastewater surveillance has become a valuable tool in helping cities in the U.S. keep track of COVID-19 cases, as well as variants, and could also be a critical part of monitoring incoming pathogens on flights. Thats the idea behind the travelers programto eventually use it as a way to monitor the comings and goings of not only SARS-CoV-2 but other highly transmissible bugs as well, including influenza and any still-unidentified potential threats to public health. The Ginkgo team is also working with the U.S.s Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, to develop models for predicting the likelihood that the genetic sequences they analyze were engineered in a lab and did not arise in nature, as a way to raise red flags for possible biosecurity threats. Like in cybersecurity, experts monitor for security threats persistently and pervasively, and look for anomalies, says McKnight. So why arent we catching public health threats sooner so we can develop interventions like vaccines sooner? Such programs could become a new line of defense against both natural- and man-made health threats. COVID-19 was the catalyst bringing together more sophisticated genetic sequencing tools with computational power for pathogen detection that can be used as an early warning system for the detection of many other pathogens beyond SARS-CoV-2, says Friedman. Imagine if had had this platform stood up back in 2020, how wonderful that would have been. This is a path forward for being better prepared for the next outbreak or pandemic. What Is an Inheritance?candy bonanza slot demo Inheritance refers to the assets that an individual bequeaths to their loved ones after they pass away. An inheritance may contain cash, investments such as stocks or bonds, and other assets such as jewelry, automobiles, art, antiques, and real estate. Key Takeaways An inheritance is a financial term describing the assets passed down to individuals after someone dies. Most inheritances consist of cash that's parked in a bank account but may contain stocks, bonds, cars, jewelry, automobiles, art, antiques, real estate, and other tangible assets. Those who receive an inheritance may be subject to inheritance taxes, where the more distantly related a beneficiary is to the decedent, the larger the inheritance tax is likely to be. There are currently six U.S. states that impose inheritance taxes. A decedent's assets are divided according to their will through the probate process. If there is no will, the court will appoint an administrator to divide assets according to state laws. How an Inheritance Works The value of an inheritance can range from a few thousand dollars to several million dollars. In most countries, inheritance assets are subject to inheritance taxes, where beneficiaries may find themselves saddled with tax liabilities. The rates of an inheritance tax (sometimes referred to as a "death duty" or "the last twist of the taxman's knife") depend on a host of factors, including a beneficiary's state of residence, the value of the inheritance, and the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent. Currently, the six American states that have inheritance taxes are Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. And in most of these states, any assets that are bequeathed to a spouse are exempt from inheritance taxes. In some cases, children are also exempt, or they may face lower rates of taxation. An inheritance tax differs from an estate tax, which is a levy on the transfer of a deceased person's estate. But estate taxes do not apply to assets left to a spouse or to federally recognized charities, in most cases. Beneficiaries with no familial ties to the decedent are typically subject to higher inheritance taxes than beneficiaries who are closely related to the decedent. Consider the following example: in Nebraska in 2018, a parent, grandparent, sibling, child, or other lineal descendants (including adopted children) paid an inheritance tax of 1% on assets exceeding $40,000. By contrast, relatives who were further removed from the decedent paid inheritance taxes of 13% on amounts over $15,000. All other beneficiaries, such as friends and far distant relatives, paid inheritance taxes at a rate of 18% on assets exceeding $10,000. Life insurance is not subject to inheritance taxes. If you wish to avoid an inheritance tax, consider taking out a life insurance policy with your heirs named as beneficiaries. The Probate Process Probate is the legal process by which a decedent's assets are divided among their heirs and beneficiaries, according to their will and state laws. If the decedent died with a will, that will is reviewed by a probate court, which appoints an executor for the decedent's estate. The executor is then responsible for dividing the estate among the people named in the will and any creditors. Any disputes are resolved through probate court. A person who dies without a will, or with an invalid will, is said to have died intestate. In this circumstance, the probate court will appoint an administrator of the estate to divide the assets according to state laws. Beneficiaries vs. Heirs There is a distinction between a "beneficiary" and an "heir". Beneficiaries refer to individuals named in a will, while heirs refer to people such as a child or a surviving spouse, who are entitled to receive a decedent's property, by intestate succession, which is a set of rules created to sort out inheritance matters, in the absence of a will. Inheritance FAQs What Can You Do to Avoid Inheritance Taxes? An inheritance tax is a state tax on the estate of a decedent. In most cases, inheritance taxes are higher according to the size of the inheritance, and the beneficiary's relationship to the deceased. You can reduce the inheritance tax burden on your beneficiaries by placing your assets in a trust, or by gifting assets to your beneficiaries while they are still living. Another option is to take out a life insurance policy, naming your heirs as beneficiaries. These payouts are not subject to inheritance taxes. How Can You Avoid Taxes on a 401(k) Inheritance? If you inherit a 401(k) from a spouse, the conventional wisdom is to roll the sum into your own IRA. This allows you to defer taxes until you start taking distributions. If you inherit from a parent, it's a little more complicated. The first step should be to consult the plan documents to determine what options are available. Most advisors caution against a lump-sum distribution, which would incur greater taxes than you would otherwise. A five- or ten-year distribution allows you to spread out the tax burden, and allow interest to compound. Some plans also allow distributions over your calculated life expectancy, under very specific conditions. Can You Protect an Inheritance from a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy? If you receive an inheritance within 180 days of filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy, your trustee may require you to pay the sum into your bankruptcy plan. It's more complicated for inheritances received more than 180 days after a bankruptcy filingmost courts have ruled that these windfalls should be repaid to creditors, but some courts have allowed the inheritor to keep the money. How Do I Find Out If I Have an Unclaimed Inheritance? According to the U.S. Government, the first step to finding unclaimed assets is to check your state's unclaimed money office. This is where the state collects records of unpaid wages, unclaimed bank accounts, and heirs who could not be located. If you are uncertain about the contents of a will, the first step is to contact the decedent's executor. In addition, their will should be filed with the local county recorder. The Bottom Line Inheritance planning is an unpleasant but necessary task for those of advancing age. While nobody enjoys thinking about their death, a well-structured estate plan can save your heirs and beneficiaries from a lot of legal unpleasantries. Moreover, it can also ensure that they receive as much money as possible, without losing too much value in taxes. The words master and mister are confusing. They are spelled with only one letters difference, but they do not reference the same meanings. To make things even more complicated, master has more than one meaning, and one has dropped out of modern usage. Both master and mister are male titles in English. To whom does each word apply? What are the other possible meanings of these terms? To find out, you will have to continue reading this article, in which I explain the differences between these two terms. What is the Difference Between Master and Mister? In this post, I will compare master vs. mister. I will use each of these words in example sentences to demonstrate their use in context. I will also tell you a mnemonic device that will let you easily remember whether to use mister or master for a given person. When to Use Master What does master mean? Master is a title for an underage male. If a person is under 18, master would be used. Once a person turns 18 and enters adulthood, mister would be used. Today, however, master is antiquated and appears only rarely. Where a title is necessary, mister is more likely to appear for both children and adults. See the example below for a possible usage. Master Pippin, the headmistress complains that you have shirked your studies again to go rollicking on the hillside, accused the butler. Master has other functions as a noun, an adjective, and a verb. As a noun, master can also mean one who is in charge of something. Here are a few examples, I am the master of my fate! screamed Cecilia. Sir Commerford is master-of-arms here at the castle. As an adjective, master means having or showing very great skill or proficiency. For example, I am the master printmaker here at the studio. In prints, Segers was both a master technician and a visionary, besotted with color, fascinated by the textures possible with both the etching needle and other processes like the sugar lift, which he invented. The New York Times As a verb, mastermeans acquire complete knowledge or skill. For example, I need to master my piano skill before I play publicly. In order to master my English, I visit Writing Explained. When to Use Mister What does mister mean? Mister is a title for an adult male. Its abbreviation, Mr., is much more widespread than the spelled out word. Here are a few examples, Excuse me, mister, could you spare some change so I can make a phone call? said the man at the pay phone. Mr. Ambrosio told me to tell you that he mailed the package two days ago, said Taliesin. The talented Mr. Schoff will now demonstrate the use of his patented flameproof jumpsuit. The driver lets him out just south of Nashville, and when the speaker in the song calls him Mister, the gaunt figure at the wheel says theres no need, that everyone simply calls him Hank. The Washington Post An entirely different meaning of mister is a device, such as a bottle, with a nozzle for spraying a mist of water. Such devices are commonly used around the house to do chores. For example, I use the mister over there to water the plants. The cat was scratching on the chair, so I sprayed him with the mister. Trick to Remember the Difference Choose mister as a title for an adult male. Choose master for someone who is in charge of something. If you are writing period fiction, you could also use master as a title for a male who has not yet come of age. In contemporary English, however, this title is no longer commonly used. Since master and in charge both contain the letter A, use the shared letter between those words as a tool remember when to use the word master. Summary Is it master or mister? Titles, honorifics, and other designations can be difficult to remember, especially for non-native speakers. Mister is a title for an adult male. Master is a title for a minor male, or someone who is in charge of something. Since master and charge both contain the letter A, you can use that letter as a reminder of when to use master. Remember to check this site any time you have questions about difficult or confusing English words. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (2nd R) speaks during a press briefing at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheikh,mlb tips today best megaways slots Egypt, Nov. 17 2022. Guterres on Thursday called on countries to take climate actions instead of "finger-pointing" at the ongoing UN climate change conference. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on countries to take climate actions instead of "finger-pointing" at the ongoing UN climate change conference. He made the remarks during a press briefing at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is scheduled to close on Friday in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh. Guterres said that COP27 will come to an end in 24 hours, but there is clearly a "breakdown" in trust between North and South. There is no time for finger-pointing, he noted, adding "the blame game is a recipe for mutually assured destruction." On climate actions, Guterres urged the parties to act in three critical areas -- to respond to loss and damage, close the emissions gap, and deliver on finance. The UN chief also asked the developed countries to fulfill their pledge of providing 100 billion U.S. dollars per year for developing countries and set a credible roadmap for doubling adaptation finance. He noted that developed countries "must" provide the support that developing countries need to develop renewable energy and enhance their climate resilience. "Renewables are the exit ramp from the climate hell highway," he said, echoing his earlier remarks about the so-called "highway to climate hell" made at the COP27 leaders' summit. Guterres called for quickly reaching a consensus at COP27, warning that the "climate clock is ticking and trust keeps eroding." During the briefing, Egyptian Foreign Minister and COP27 President Sameh Shoukry stressed that there are still a number of issues lacking progress at the late stage of COP27. The parties "are shying away from taking difficult political decisions," he said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press briefing at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Nov. 17 2022. Guterres on Thursday called on countries to take climate actions instead of "finger-pointing" at the ongoing UN climate change conference. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Front) speaks during a press briefing at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Nov. 17 2022. Guterres on Thursday called on countries to take climate actions instead of "finger-pointing" at the ongoing UN climate change conference. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Illustration: Xia Qing/GT For many children in China,this past Nation Day holidays had a different meaning. These were the first 7-day-long public holidays under China's new "double reduction" policy that aims to ease the burden of homework and off-campus tutoring on students, as well as new regulation that aims to limit minors' online gaming time. Without pressure from studying, kids now can have more time to get out of the house, travel with their families, and enjoy nature. While this is what many children have done in the past week, some still spent their days on online games. It turns out that there are still some games providing services to minors without limitations. As China is likely to further its regulation in this area, children during future holidays will not only be able to shed their academic pressure, but also be rid of the demons of gaming addiction. This way, they can enjoy their holidays more healthily. 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. Facebook B.S., Texas A&M University Before the Industrial Revolution, policing in America and England was typically carried out voluntarily by individual citizens concerned with maintaining law and order in their communities. This part-time citizen volunteer model of policing worked well until the late 1700s and early 1800s, when exploding population growth resulted in more frequent incidents of crime and violent civil unrest in cities throughout England and the United States. It soon became clear that full-time, professional policingsanctioned and endorsed by the governmenthad become a necessity. Key Takeaways: History of Modern Policing The era of modern policing began during the late 1700s and early 1800s, when the explosive population driven by the Industrial Revolution led to an equally explosive growth in crime and civil unrest. Policing in colonial America was carried out by a combination of citizen volunteers along with elected sheriffs and local militias. The first full-time, dedicated city police department in the United States was established in Boston in 1838. Today, more than 420,000 officers in more than 18,000 U.S. police departments deal with about 8.25 million crimes and make over 10 million arrests a year. Since the early 2000s, U.S. police departments have increasingly been criticized of unequal enforcement, racial profiling, militarization, and excessive use of force, especially against people of color. Police have responded to this criticism by employing community policing reforms intended to gain the trust of the people they serve. The Beginning of Modern Policing Along with social scientists, experts in the newly evolving field of criminology began to advocate for centralized, professional, and well-trained police forces. Foremost among these advocates was Sir Robert Peel, former Prime Minister and Home Secretary of the United Kingdom from 1822 to 1846. Known as the "father of modern policing," Peel established the Metropolitan Police Services in London in 1829. Then as now, British police officers were called Bobbies in honor of his first name. Sir Peel is credited with establishing the three core principles of policing, which remain as essential today as they were two centuries ago: The goal of policing is preventing crime, not catching criminals. Effective police departments have low arrest rates because their communities have low crime rates. To prevent crime, police must earn public support. If the community trusts and supports the police, all citizens will share the responsibility of preventing crime as if they were a volunteer police force. To earn public support, the police must respect community principles. Police earn a good reputation by enforcing the laws impartially, hiring officers who reflect and represent the community, and using force only as a last resort. History of Police in America One of New York's then 105 policewomen stands with her gun and her target at the police firing range, New York, December 12, 1934.FPG / Getty Images During Americas colonial period, policing was most often provided by a combination of untrained part-time volunteers and elected sheriffs and local militias. The first sheriff's offices were created in Albany County and New York City in the early 1600s. During the early 1700s, the Carolina Colony established Night Watch patrols dedicated to preventing enslaved persons from rebelling and escaping. Noted for maintaining social and economic order by helping plantation owners recover their freedom-seeking human property, some of the Night Watches evolved into regular town police forces. After winning its independence from England in 1783, Americas need for professional policing grew rapidly. The first federal law enforcement agency, the United States Marshals Service, was established in 1789, followed shortly by the U.S. Parks Police in 1791 and the U.S. Mint Police in 1792. Policing in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries During the era of westward expansion, law enforcement in Americas Wild West was conducted by locally appointed sheriffs, deputies, militias, and constables, many of whom, like the former gunfighters and gamblers Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, had lived on both sides of the law. The role and expectation of the police changed drastically during the 19th century as the definition of public order and the nature of crime changed. With the creation of labor unions and largely uncontrolled immigration during the 1880s, fears of the waves of Catholic, Irish, Italian, German, and Eastern European immigrants who looked and behaved differently drove increased demand for better-organized police forces. The first dedicated, centralized, city police department was established in Boston in 1838. Similar police forces in New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, and Philadelphia soon followed. By the turn of the century, most large American cities had formal police forces. The era of city political machines during the late 19th century brought the first obvious cases of police corruption. Local political party ward leaders, many of whom owned bars or ran street gangs, often appointed and paid off high ranking police officials to allow illegal drinking, gambling, and prostitution in their precincts. This corruption worsened during prohibition, prompting President Herbert Hoover to appoint the 1929 Wickersham Commission to investigate the procedures and practices of police departments nationwide. The Commissions findings resulted in a drive to professionalize policing and redefine the role of the career cop that continues today. Law Enforcement Today Police face criticism for use of military weapons and tactics.South Agency / Getty Images According to the Charles Koch Institute, there are currently more than 18,000 local, state, and federal law police departments employing more than 420,000 officersan average of 2.2 police officers for every 1,000 individuals in the United States. These police officers deal with about 8.25 million crimes and make over 10 million arrests per year. Beginning in the early 2000s, however, many Americans came to criticize local police agencies as operating more like occupying soldiers than community protectors. After the 2014 Ferguson Riots in Ferguson, Missouri, the Black Lives Matter movement came to illustrate the publics concern over the use of unnecessary, often excessive force by police. In May 2020, the killing of George Floydan unarmed Black manby Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin set off over 450 major protests in cities and towns throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Man protesting the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice displays a Black Lives Matter in Washington DC.Coast-to-Coast / Getty Images Confronted by accusations of selective enforcement through racial profiling, militarization, and excessive use of force, many police departments have responded by implementing practices and procedures intended to regain the trust and respect of the people they serve. Community Policing Collectively known as community-oriented policing (COP), or simply community policing, these reforms represent a strategy of policing that seeks to build ties by working more closely with members of the communities. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the three key elements of community policing are: developing community partnerships, engaging in problem solving, and implementing community policing organizational features. The main idea is to allow police to feel like the public can trust them. Clark County, Nevada police host Policing and Race Summit on June 24, 2020.Ethan Miller / Getty Images As part of community policing, many police departments are now working to employ a more diverse pool of officers that better reflect the racial and ethnic makeup of the community. Several departments also offer compensation incentives to encourage officers to live in the neighborhoods they patrol. Similarly, many departments now assign officers to specific areas, called beats within the community. Not only does this allow officers to become familiar with the types of crimes committed in their beats, but being seen daily in the neighborhood also helps them gain the trust of the residents. In essence, community policing reflects the belief of law enforcement experts that policing should not just be about enforcing laws, it should also be about improving the quality of life for the residents of the community. Sources and Further Reference Theonline pokies 4u free Shenzhou-9 spacecraft launched at 18:37 on June 16. Three astronauts will stay in space for 13 days and complete the rendezvous with Tiangong-1, also they will carry on experiment inside Tiangong-1 for the first time. June 16, member of the Political Bureau, Chairman of NPC Standing Committee Wu Bangguo attended ceremony before the launch of Shenzhou-9. The launch ceremony was held at the astronauts apartment of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Astronauts set off for their journey. Astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang came to Yuanmengyuan Square. Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang on Yuanmengyuan Square. Astronauts were taken to the launch pad. Staff in launch tower helped astronauts to change shoes. Astronauts entered the spacecraft at 5 pm. Astronauts preparing for the launch inside the return capsule. The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft launched at 18:37. Staff working at Beijing Space Flight Control Center. Astronauts waving hands inside the capsule after the launch. Entire launch process of Shenzhou-9 spacecraftadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline market cap calculator crypto redditshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dabster [ dab-ster ]/ db str / 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.[ dab-ster ]/ db str /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. nounSlang. an expert.Informal. a person who works in a superficial or clumsy manner; dabbler. Words nearby dabster How to use dabster C18: from dab 1 + -ster 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 dabsterFirst recorded in 170010; dab+ -sterdabble, dabbling duck, dabchick, dab hand, Dabrowa Gornicza, dabster, DACA, da capo, dacarbazine, Dacca, daceDictionary.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 Net Interest Margin?paysafe 888casino ultimate x poker Net interest margin (NIM) is a measurement comparing the net interest income a financial firm generates from credit products like loans and mortgages, with the outgoing interest it pays holders of savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs). Expressed as a percentage, the NIM is a profitability indicator that approximates the likelihood of a bank or investment firm thriving over the long haul. This metric helps prospective investors determine whether or not to invest in a given financial services firm by providing visibility into the profitability of their interest income versus their interest expenses. Simply put: a positive net interest margin suggests that an entity operates profitably, while a negative figure implies investment inefficiency. In the latter scenario, a firm may take corrective action by applying funds toward outstanding debt or shifting those assets towards more profitable investments. Net Interest Margin Calculating Net Interest Margin 1:43 Net interest margin may be calculated by the following formula: Net Interest Margin = IR IE Average Earning Assets where: IR = Investment returns IE = Interest expenses \begin{ aligned} &\text{ Net Interest Margin} = \frac { \text{ IR} - \text{ IE} }{ \text{ Average Earning Assets} } \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &\text{ IR} = \text{ Investment returns} \\ &\text{ IE} = \text{ Interest expenses} \\ \end{ aligned} Net Interest Margin=Average Earning AssetsIRIEwhere:IR=Investment returnsIE=Interest expenses Consider the following fictitious example: Assume Company ABC boasts a return on investment of $1,000,000, an interest expense of $2,000,000, and average earning assets of $10,000,000. In this scenario, ABC's net interest margin totals -10%, indicating that it lost more money due to interest expenses than it earned from its investments. This firm would likely fare better if it used its investment funds to pay off debts rather than making this investment. What Affects Net Interest Margin Multiple factors may affect a financial institution's net interest marginchief among them: supply and demand. If there's a large demand for savings accounts compared to loans, net interest margin decreases, as the bank is required to pay out more interest than it receives. Conversely, if there's a higher demand in loans versus savings accounts, where more consumers are borrowing than saving, a bank's net interest margin increases. Monetary policy and fiscal regulation can impact a bank's net interest margin as the direction of interest rates dictate whether consumers borrow or save. Monetary policies set by central banks also heavily influence a bank's net interest margins because these edicts play a pivotal role in governing the demand for savings and credit. When interest rates are low, consumers are more likely to borrow money and less likely to save it. Over time, this generally results in higher net interest margins. Contrarily, if interest rates rise, loans become costlier, thus making savings a more attractive option, which consequently decreases net interest margins. Net Interest Margin and Retail Banking Most retail banks offer interest on customer deposits, which generally hovers around 1% annually. If such a bank marshaled together the deposits of five customers and used those proceeds to issue a loan to a small business, with an annual interest rate of 5%, the 4% margin between these two amounts is considered the net interest spread. Looking one step further, the net interest margin calculates that ratio over the bank's entire asset base. Let's assume a bank has earning assets of $1.2 million, $1 million in deposits with a 1% annual interest to depositors, and loans out $900,000 at an interest of 5%. This means its investment returns total $45,000, and its interest expenses are $10,000. Using the aforementioned formula, the bank's net interest margin is 2.92%. With its NIM squarely in positive territory, investors may wish to strongly consider investing in this firm. Historical Net Interest Margins The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) releases an average net interest margin figure for all U.S. banks on a quarterly basis. Historically, this figure has trended downward while averaging about 3.8% since first being recorded in 1984. Recessionary periods coincide with dips in average net interest margins, while periods of economic expansion have witnessed sharp initial increases in the figure, followed by gradual declines. The overall movement of the average net interest margin has tracked the movement of the federal funds rate over time. Case in point: following the financial crisis of 2008, U.S. banks operated under decreasing net interest margins due to a falling rate that reached near-zero levels from 2008 to 2016. During this recession, the average net interest margin for banks in the U.S. shed nearly a quarter of its value before finally picking up again in 2015. In Karbala,good crypto to buy an Iraqi province just south of Baghdad, sun pours down from a cloudless blue sky, cooking the khaki-colored earth in 115F temperatures. The smallest stirring of air sends dust swirling. Yet, in a patch of desert measuring just under a square mile outside Karbala city, the capital of the province, 70,000 date palms, in dozens of different species, sway quietly above the soil. Workers hover around the trees, clipping dead branches and checking irrigation hoses running in the soil beside them. The garden, called El Fedek, is a project of the philanthropic arm of the organization that manages The Holy Shrine of Husseinthe resting place of Imam Hussein, one of Shia Islams most central figures, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The Shrine attracts millions of pilgrims from around the world each year. In an air-conditioned trailer sitting on cinder blocks amid the date palmsa national symbol of IraqMohammed Adil Gilgawi, an engineer who works in the Fedek garden, sips tea and eats freshly picked dates. In recent decades, the [countrys] date palms have been reduced by half, he says, pointing to the series of warsthe 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the 1990-1991 First Gulf War, and the 2003 U.S. invasionover the past four decades as the main driver of this loss. With every war, there follows a state of chaos where a citizen might cut down forests or gardens to build apartments. Border areas with Kuwait or Iran full of palms were burned or bombed, Gilgawi says, referring to Iraqs conflicts with these two countries. Since the U.S. invasion in 2003 in particular, he adds, the state has had little interest in saving the palms. Now, climate change is making things worse. Iraq is the fifth-most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change, according to the U.N. Environment Programme. But the country is also the second-largest crude oil producer among OPEC nations. Its economy is highly dependent on maintaining a profitable industryone which helps feed the rest of the worlds fossil fuel addiction, and the resulting climate crisis. Scientists have made clear that the world must dramatically reduce its reliance on fossil fuels in order to slow rising global temperatures. Until then, communities like those in Karbala will bear the brunt of the impact and face the challenge of finding local ways to adapt to this global problem. Over the last four years, groups and institutions in Karbala like the Holy Shrine of Hussein, the Holy Shrine of Abbas, a handful of youth activist associations, and some farmers have increasingly taken matters into their own hands in the absence of state support and little local civil society or climate activism. We need collaboration, says Gilgawi. One hand is not enough. The Fedek project began in 2015 with a $6.8 million loan from the Iraqi government. The goal was to bring nature back to Karbala. Since 2006, the provinces green area was reduced by 40%, according to local climate group Green Karbala. Over the years, much of the rich agricultural land that used to surround Karbala city has disappeared, leaving no fertile soil to capture moisture or moderate temperatures. Sometimes its so hot that going outside for long periods can be dangerous. As fewer trees grow due to the mounting heat and aridityor are cut down in rampant urban developmentthe soil erodes, leading to desertification. This has impacted Karbala in particular, says Gilgawi, which is already located in a hot plane area of Iraq, and has seen temperatures increase by 1.6C (2.88F) from 1979 to 2019, well above the global average of 0.72C (1.3F) during that time period. Around the world, agriculturalists and academics are increasingly focusing on how to adopt once-abandoned traditional land management practices in order to reduce these climate impacts. Passing on this knowledge is critical, says Zemen Al Shammari, one of the farmers who works part-time in the Fedek garden. As a date cultivation expert, he shows other workers in the garden how to irrigate properly, how to harvest the dates, to repel pests, he says of the sustainable farming practices used. They ask me, How do you know these techniques? I tell them that we learned from our fathers and grandfathers. Zemen Al Shammari, left, with his father and daughters. Al Shammari works at the Fedek garden, then returns to his home in a bustaan, a farm with date palms, pomegranates, eggplants, beans, livestock, that serve as a desertification buffer. Sam Kimball Efforts to bring greenery back to Karbala extend beyond El Fedek. On the citys outskirts, where Al Shammari lives, are many interconnected bustaansArabic for grovewhich form a sort of small farm-forest filled with date trees along with pomegranates, eggplants, beans, and livestock all sheltered under the palms shade. Lush, verdant areas like these used to be more common in the center of Karbala city, but countless bustaanshave been razed. Locals often blame urban sprawl as a major contributing factor to increasing heat and desertification in the city over the last two decadeswhich in turn makes it harder for the bustaansto thrive. To counter this, Alhasan Ali Nasrallah, a masters student in agricultural engineering at the University of Karbala, founded Green Karbala in 2019. The goal was to take action against the rapid and chaotic urban sprawl by preserving bustaansand creating new green spaces to reduce the citys heat, improve the air, and capture moisture. The groups first project in the fall of 2019 involved 250 planting activities over three days on the University of Karbala campus. My friends and I started planting shrubs that could handle the heat and minimal water in Iraq: Acacia, Jujube trees, Eucalyptusall plants that Nasrallah cultivates in his own professional nursery, he says. [We] showed locals how to care for the trees and told them, This tree is yours. Its your responsibility now. In addition to talking with students about the environment, energy conservation, and climate change, the group also hands out brochures to educate pilgrims, says Hassan Zainy, another Green Karbala founding member. We tell them that Imam Hussein defended the environment, that he cared about agriculture, not wasting food or burning land, he adds. While Green Karbala members handle most of the funding themselves, Nasrallahs small nursery cant cover the needs of all of its greening activities. So, the Holy Shrine of Hussein helps provide modest financial supportin the range of $400 per yearand plants. We buy, say, 500 or 700 seedlings from the Holy Shrine of Husseins nursery for a discounted price, says Nasrallah. Its a tiny example of the sort of cooperation that must dramatically expand to make the fight against climate change in Iraq effective. The "Green Wall" constructed by the Holy Shrine of Hussein in collaboration with the government. Sam Kimball That said, these sorts of grassroots projects wont be enough; a committed effort from the central government will also be necessary. But as Hayder Mohammed Abdul-Hameed, a professor at the University of Baghdads environmental engineering department, tells TIME via email, until now, governmental involvement is very limited, because of a lack of budget allocated for climate change mitigation, lack of community knowledge about climate impacts, political unrest, and financial corruption. But beyond government actionand a radical reduction in Iraqs dependence on the oil industrymany say the international community should also play a role. Thats because countries like Iraq face some of the biggest burdens from climate change, yet have contributed far less to the problem0.61% of global CO2 emissions in 2020compared to major polluters like the U.S. and China. Some Iraqis say these wealthy, historical emitters have a special obligation to assist Iraq. At last years COP26 in Glasgow, for example, Jassim Al-Falahi, Iraqs technical undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, criticized developed countries for putting the onus on vulnerable countries to immediately shift away from oil without a clear transition plan. The responsibility of the international community now is to support Iraq to diversify its economic resources by way of technical support, improving its economic leadership, and through technology transfer, he says. Al-Falahi notes Iraqs Ministry of Environment has been supporting numerous projects to stop degradation of the soil, to fight desertification, projects for new environmental technologies, green belts, wind barriers, along with initiatives to protect vulnerable farming communities and to encourage solar energy development. The central government is also working with local climate change groups in Iraq, he adds: The door for collaboration is wide open. But Al Shammari, the farmer, is skeptical. We citizens, we know about climate change. But if we go complain to the municipality, they wont listen to us unless we give them a bribe. These troubles were inits because of the government. In the meantime, Karbala is showing how a community can work together to weather the rising temperatures. These days, the air feels cooler under the shaded areas in and around the Fedek garden, says Gilgawi: This spot was once barren desert. No birds, no animals, no life. Now there is water, animals. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addresses the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2012, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 11, 2012. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) talks with entrepreneurs prior to the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2012, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 11, 2012. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addresses the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2012, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 11, 2012. Huang Jingwen / Zhang Chaoqun Xinhua Premier Wen addresses opening ceremony of World Economic Forum in N Chinaadded by chinatimesonline on View all posts by chinatimesonline BANGKOK,shib coin going to robinhood Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed the need to follow the spirit of the Asia-Pacific family, look after one another like passengers in the same boat, and steadily move toward an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future. He made the remarks when addressing the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting here in Thailand. Minnetonka,247games poker online slot betting Minn., Sept 7, 2023 Table Trac, Inc. (OTCQX: TBTC) announces it has signed an agreement to replace a competitors system with the CasinoTrac casino management system, for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior at Legendary Waters Resort and Casino, in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Legendary Waters Resort & Casino is located on the northern-most shores of the State of Wisconsin within the boundaries of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Located just three miles north of Bayfield, twenty-three miles north of Ashland, and eighty miles east of The Twin Ports (Duluth/Superior) on Highway 13, Legendary Waters is a beautiful resort and casino on Lake Superior that provides guests with amazing views throughout the entire facility. When it came to the need for better streamlining our gaming management system and to best evolve our player development and direct marketing efforts, we found the answer with CasinoTrac. Their mission statement permeates in all aspects and our team members and guests will benefit greatly from their progressive technology and ease of use. stated Randy Soulier, Interim General Manager, Legendary Waters Resort & Casino. Chad Hoehne, President of Table Trac, Inc., stated, We are honored that the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior have selected the CasinoTrac management system for the Legendary Waters Resort and Casino. Hoehne continued, We are confident CasinoTrac will help grow Legendary Waters business through an enhanced loyalty program, less system downtime, the value of our maintenance and support program, and greater efficiency by streamlined processes. Just as gaming opportunities seem to be heating up in the United Arab Emirates,euro betting odds winner one Las Vegas-based company is exiting the market. Caesars Entertainment will no longer operate a non-gaming hotel and resort in Dubai starting in November, according to an announcement Wednesday from Singapore-based hotel operator Banyan Tree Group, which will rebrand Caesars Palace Dubai as Banyan Tree Dubai. The UAE announced last week the formation of a gaming regulatory authority to create and oversee the framework for a national lottery and casino gaming. Photo: VCG During the welcoming ceremony of the G20 Leaders' Summit,Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the initiative to approach Chinese President Xi Jinping to chat, the Global Times learned on Wednesday from a source at the scene. But the conversation between the two leaders was very short, the source added.Trudeau expressed the hope to Xi that he would like to have the opportunity to talk about the Korean Peninsula, Ukraine, Canada-China relations, biodiversity and other issues while Xi responded that the key requirement for China-Canada relations is finding a common ground while managing the difference, according to the source.When this principle is implemented, bilateral relations will further develop, Xi told Trudeau.China-Canada relations have been encountering difficulties over the past few years.China-Canada relations are currently at a crossroads, and the key to where relations between the two countries will go lies in whether Canada can return to a rational and pragmatic track and view China objectively and fairly, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. PHNOM PENH,free casino gambling cafe 4d slot Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Royal Palace, the most popular tourist spot in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, will be reopened for the public from Dec. 1 after a closure for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "National and international tourists will be allowed to visit the Royal Palace from Dec. 1, 2022 onwards," Royal Palace Minister Kong Sam Ol said in a letter released to the media on Friday. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the beautiful towering spires of the buildings at the Royal Palace are a great example of classic Khmer architecture found in Cambodia. Tourists are welcome to visit the Throne Hall (Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay), where coronations and official ceremonies take place, the ministry said. The gardens are beautifully manicured, and buildings on the palace grounds include the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot), Stupas, the Royal Dining Hall, the Chan Chhaya Pavilion and a French building that was a gift from Napoleon III, the ministry added. Among the numerous interesting buildings, within the 183,135-square-meter compound is the Khemarin Palace, or the "Palace of the Khmer King", which is the official residence of current King Norodom Sihamoni, the ministry said, adding that the Khemarin Palace is in a protected part of the compound and not opened to the public. The number of international tourists to Cambodia has increased at a faster-than-expected pace, prompting the kingdom to lift its target to 2 million tourists for 2022, up from earlier forecast of 1 million, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said. "Cambodia's full reopening of its borders to all travelers, high COVID-19 vaccination rates and tourism development strategies are key to attracting tourists to the kingdom," Khon told Xinhua. A job fair is held at Huzhou Vocational and Technical College in East China's Zhejiang Province on November 12, 2022. Photo: VCG The Ministry of Education (MOE) said it will make every effort to encourage college graduates to find employment and start businesses, read a notice issued by the ministry on Wednesday.According to the notice, colleges and universities should create conditions to actively invite employers to recruit on campus. The MOE said it will give full play to the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in creating jobs, and encourage more college graduates to work in SMEs. The ministry will also support self-employment and flexible employment.The expansion of local community-level recruitment is also encouraged, in sectors such as health services, elderly care services, social work, judicial assistance and scientific research assistants. The MOE will actively cooperate with the conscription of college students, read the notice.The ministry stressed improving the linkage between employment and college enrollment and training. It will guide colleges and universities to focus more on majors that are in demand for enterprises.The number of college graduates in 2023 is expected to reach 11.58 million, a year-on-year increase of 820,000, the MOE said on Tuesday at a meeting for the promotion of employment for graduates held with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.A series of campus recruitment activities for 2023 college graduates will be held from November to December, according to the MOE.Provinces and cities nationwide have already started campus recruitment activities.For example, the local government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwest China held a job fair with enterprises in early November, which provided more than 1,370 jobs and aims to recruit 10,600 people. About 21,500 graduates applied for jobs, and 8,000 reached initial employment intentions at the fair.For Fushun in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, a total of 23 online and offline recruitment activities for college graduates have been held so far, providing 39,800 jobs for college graduates.More job fairs are expected with policy support, which will effectively reduce the unemployment rate among graduates and young people.In the first nine months of 2022, a total of 10.01 million new jobs were created across the country through policy support.In October, the surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.5 percent, unchanged from the previous month, according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.The surveyed unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 was 17.9 percent and for those aged 25-59 it was 4.7 percent. The surveyed urban unemployment rate in 31 major cities was 6.0 percent, per NBS data.Global Times UCM hosts networking event to highlight the importance of lifelong learning (From left to right) Shelley Langan-Newton, Chief Executive Officer of SQR Group Limited & Chair of the Digital Forum for the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce, Jesamine Kelly, UCM Principal, Kerry Birchall, Manager of UCMs Adult Learning provision and Pamela Berry, Head of Learning Development and Partnerships at UCM. Last week University College Isle of Man (UCM) held a breakfast event focussed on how learning, development and Continued Professional Development (CPD) supports business success. Chief Executive Officer of tech company SQR Group Limited and Chair of the Digital Forum for the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce, Shelley Langan-Newton, delivered a presentation about her journey from teaching to working in the tech industry and the value of upskilling. At the event UCM launched the Adult Learning courses that are for people already working to upskill as well as making great CPD opportunities. Langan-Newton said: I was thrilled to deliver a presentation at UCMs upskilling event, all about how important it is for employers to be supporting their staff through CPD opportunities, and the benefits that come with lifelong learning. Its a topic Im genuinely very passionate about, so it was a great opportunity to share my experience, meet with so many different employers and hear about UCMs professional course offering. UCM currently offers more than 50 upskilling courses to support the Creative Arts, Digital Literacy, Environment and Sustainability, Food and Drink, and Health and Wellbeing sectors. Courses include areas such as Book Keeping, Tractor Driving, Food Safety, Sustainability, Customer Service and Speaking with Confidence. The University College also offers bespoke courses to support Manx businesses with their learning and training requirements. Final call to visit world-renowned exhibition The big buzz by Karine Aigner, Adult Grand Title Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year If you wanted to see a world-renowned exhibition, you only have a few weeks left as it closes on October 8. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year has been at the House of Manannan over summer as part of its tour from the Natural History Museum. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year features 100 remarkable images from around the globe. Laura McCoy, Curator for Natural History at Manx National Heritage said: It is an honour to host this spectacular exhibition, particularly as it carries such a powerful message about the importance of caring for our natural environment. The response from our community has been so enthusiastic whether it be people with a passion for nature photography, or those looking for something out of the ordinary to brighten up their weekend. Weve welcomed approaching two thousand visitors to admire and absorb the exhibition. Now theres only two weeks left, we anticipate many more will be coming to make sure they dont miss out, or to enjoy it again before it goes. Winner of the award was The big buzz by Karine Aigner, shot with a macro lens to show the frenzy of Texan cactus bees competing to mate. This image, and all other prize winners, are among the 100 photographs on display at the House of Manannan. Admission to the exhibition costs 3 - 5, with tickets available at the House of Manannan and www.manxnationalheritage.im. Arts Council awards six student bursaries The Isle of Man Arts Council (IOMAC) has announced the recipients of its annual student bursaries for 2023/24 and for the first time six students have been chosen. Awarded to students moving into or currently in further or higher education, the awards are each worth 10,000. The Jonathan Gollow Awards for Performing Arts are awarded to Millie Christian and Ruth Tickle. The Norman Sayle Awards for Visual Art and Literature are awarded to Gabriel Adddy and Josephine Laisney. The Isle of Man Arts Council Awards are awarded to Lexi Forbes and Lucia Aguilar Prince. Arts Development Manager, Jane Corkill said: The Isle of Man Arts Council is proud to offer support to these very talented students as they further their studies within the Arts. The standard of applications from our students was extremely high which made for very difficult decisions by the Council. I feel sure that I speak for all the Arts Council members, together with the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, our Sponsoring Department, in offering warmest congratulations to all of our recipients and we wish them well in their chosen studies as the new academic year begins. Standard Bank donates to Isle of Man Samaritans Photo L-R: Callum Davies (MBS), Jennie Bronte-Hearne (Standard Bank), Sinead Nudd (Samaritans), Sean Corlett (MBS) Standard Bank has donated a preloved Canon printer, including accessories and toners, to Isle of Man Samaritans. The bank teamed up with Manx Business Solutions (MBS), who collected the printer from the banks Douglas office and performed a thorough health check before delivering and setting it up for the charity's use. Isle of Man Samaritans plays a crucial role offering free 24/7 emotional support for those in need. Sinead Nudd at Isle of Man Samaritans said: We are very grateful to Standard Bank Isle of Man and MBS for their donation of a preloved Canon printer which will go a long way in improving the charity's administrative capabilities, enabling us to continue our essential work effectively. The donation represents a shining example of corporate social responsibility and environmental consciousness in action, where local businesses join forces to support the vital work of local charities and contribute positively to the local community and environment. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has blocked a bill that would have required autonomous trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds (4,536kg) to have human safety drivers on board while operating on public roads. The governor said in a statement that the legislation, which California Senate members passed in a 36-2 vote, was unnecessary. Newsom believes existing laws are sufficient to ensure there's an "appropriate regulatory framework." The governor noted that, under a 2012 law, the state's Department of Motor Vehicles collaborates with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California Highway Patrol and other relevant bodies "to determine the regulations necessary for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles on public roads. Newsom added that the DMV is committed to making sure rules keep up with the pace of evolving autonomous vehicle tech. "DMV continuously monitors the testing and operations of autonomous vehicles on California roads and has the authority to suspend or revoke permits as necessary to protect the public's safety," his veto message reads. Newsom, who has a reputation for being friendly to the tech industry, reportedly faced pressure within his administration not to sign the bill. The state's Office of Business and Economic Development warned that the proposed law would lead to companies that are working on self-driving tech to move out of California. On the other hand, as The Associated Press notes, California Labor Federation head Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher estimates that not requiring human drivers in trucks would cost around 250,000 jobs. We will not sit by as bureaucrats side with tech companies, trading our safety and jobs for increased corporate profits," Fletcher, who called autonomous trucks dangerous, said in a statement. "We will continue to fight to make sure that robots do not replace human drivers and that technology is not used to destroy good jobs. (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) STOCKHOLM, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT Private Equity, together with its co-shareholders, to sell LimaCorporate to NYSE-listed Enovis Corporation Under EQT Private Equity's ownership, LimaCorporate has grown to be one of the leading European orthopaedic companies. EQT and LimaCorporate worked together to further empower surgeons with innovative orthopaedic implants that improve patient outcomes Today, LimaCorporate's products are sold in 49 countries across the globe with more than 130,000 implants delivered every year, with a strong focus on product innovation helping surgeons restore the "eMotion of Motion" in patients EQT is pleased to announce that the EQT VII fund ("EQT Private Equity" or "EQT"), together with its co-shareholders, have agreed to sell LimaCorporate (the "Company") to Enovis Corporation. With this transaction, LimaCorporate becomes part of the NYSE-listed Enovis Corporation in a strategic combination that creates a global leader in the orthopaedic industry.Founded in 1945 by the Lualdi family and headquartered in San Daniele del Friuli, Italy, LimaCorporate is a global orthopaedic implant manufacturer with a heritage of innovation, reflected in its industry leading know-how in additive manufacturing, such as its proprietary Trabecular Titanium ("TT") technology. The Company focuses on shoulder, knee and hip prostheses with a portfolio that includes one of the first modular shoulder systems in the world, the SMR, the Delta hip cup family, and the Physica system knee. EQT has supported LimaCorporate in the expansion of its product portfolio primarily through in-house innovation and the advancement of its 3D printing capabilities. It has invested to solidify its core offering and increase manufacturing capacity in the face of rapidly growing demand, while further developing talent to execute on the Company's market expansion, with accelerated global growth. In 2022, the Company reached revenues of EUR 249 million and it will continue to bring critical innovation to surgeons and patients as part of Enovis Corporation. Matteo Thun, Partner within EQT Private Equity's Advisory Team, said, "LimaCorporate is a true example of sophisticated engineering and technology designed to empower surgeons and to improve patients' life. EQT is proud to have been part of the Company's journey and I want to thank the management team and all the employees of LimaCorporate, who work enthusiastically every day to bring life-changing products to patients around the world. It is exciting to see a global player like Enovis Corporation joining forces with LimaCorporate in such a strategic combination." Massimo Calafiore, CEO of LimaCorporate, said, "I am really proud of what the people of LimaCorporate have achieved over the years and I thank EQT for their partnership. The combination with Enovis Corporation is a key milestone in our journey and I am looking forward to seeing the combined Group continue to develop innovative products for surgeons and patients globally." The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals and is expected to close in early 2024. EQT has been advised by Goldman Sachs as lead financial advisor, Morgan Stanley, Mediobanca, Latham & Watkins and PwC. ContactEQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334 The following files are available for download: View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eqt-private-equity-to-sell-limacorporate-one-of-the-global-leaders-in-joint-replacement-solutions-301937398.html Sunday, September 24, 2023 Croak and Dagger, the New Mexico chapter of the Sisters in Crime mystery writers organization, welcomes The Doyenne of Death Gail Rubin as the speaker at their September meeting. The meeting takes place this Tuesday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church at 3701 Carlisle Blvd. NE (at Carlisle and Comanche), Albuquerque, in the Wesson Room. The talk is free and open to the public. Gail Rubins talk is titled, I See Dead People Hospice Deaths. Note: she will be showing pictures of actual dead people. She will also talk about the upcoming Murder and Mayhem Tour at Historic Fairview Cemetery, October 21. The event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization that manages the cemetery and is the closing event of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival. After her talk, attendees can purchase books and T-shirts. The black cotton short-sleeved shirts have the following sayings: Talking about sex wont make you pregnant, talking about funerals wont make you dead. The one who dies with the most toys still dies. All men and women are cremated equal. Learn more about Croak and Dagger here. About Gail Rubin Gail Rubin is a pioneering death educator who uses humor, film clips and outside-the-box activities to teach about end-of-life topics. An award-winning speaker, she knocked em dead at TEDxABQ in 2015 with her talk, A Good Goodbye. Shes the author of four books on end-of-life issues: A GOOD GOODBYE: Funeral Planning for Those Who Dont Plan to Die, HAIL AND FAREWELL: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die, and The Before I Die Festival in a Box. She also created The Newly-Dead Game, an upbeat way to test how well you are prepared for end-of-life issues. Gail is also a Certified Thanatologist (a fancy name for a death educator), an informed advocate for planning ahead, a Certified Funeral Celebrant, president of Historic Fairview Cemetery in Albuquerque, and the coordinator of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival. Learn more at her websites, www.AGoodGoodbye.com and www.BeforeIDieFestivals.com. Related Monday, September 25, 2023 Matthew Leonard, born on November 26, 1929, in Eutaw, Alabama, embodied the spirit of service from an early age. Raised in a segregated society, Leonard attended Ullman High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He was not only a student but also a Boy Scout, instilling in him the values of honor and duty. As a teenager, Leonard took on a job at a local drugstore, earning a modest $15 per week. This hard-earned income was dedicated to helping his mother meet the familys financial needs. Even in his youth, Leonard demonstrated a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to those he cared for. In 1947, at the age of 18, Matthew Leonard enlisted in the U.S. Army, beginning a remarkable journey that would span nearly two decades. He dedicated himself to a life of service, embracing the challenges and responsibilities that came with it. Leonard served as a drill sergeant and trained young recruits at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. But as the war in Vietnam broke out, Leonards wife said he struggled to watch those young recruits, who werent much older than his sons, go to war and die. So, even though he was close to retirement, he volunteered to deploy in the hope of making a difference. On February 28, 1967, in the heart of Vietnam, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Leonard, serving as the platoon sergeant for Company B of the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, demonstrated unparalleled bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. Sgt. Leonards valorous journey unfolded near Suoi Da, Vietnam, where his platoon suddenly found themselves under a hail of enemy fire. The enemy, armed with small arms, automatic weapons, and hand grenades, vastly outnumbered Leonards platoon. Amid the chaos, the platoons commander and several key leaders were among the first to be wounded, thrusting Leonard into a position of leadership. With remarkable composure, Leonard rallied his platoon to repel the initial enemy assault. He swiftly organized a defensive perimeter, redistributed ammunition, and bolstered the morale of his fellow soldiers. Even in the midst of battle, he exemplified unwavering leadership. As the enemys assault intensified, Leonards selflessness and bravery shone brighter. When a wounded soldier found himself outside the safety of the defensive perimeter, Leonard risked his life to rescue him. It was during this act of heroism that Leonard himself was struck by a snipers bullet, shattering his hand. Undeterred by his injuries, Leonard refused medical attention and continued to fight. He moved tirelessly from position to position, directing counterfire against the enemy, who had positioned a machine gun that threatened the entire perimeter. Just as the situation seemed dire, Leonards own platoons machine gun malfunctioned, adding to the peril. Without hesitation, Leonard crawled to the malfunctioning weapon, determined to get it back into operation. During this critical moment, the enemy machine gun began strafing nearby soldiers, hitting Leonards gunner and others. Summoning every ounce of his strength, Leonard rose to his feet and charged toward the enemy gun. Despite suffering multiple gunshot wounds, he managed to eliminate the enemy machine guns crew, silencing the threat. Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Leonards indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to his comrades and mission endured until the very end. Despite being gravely wounded, he propped himself against a tree and continued to return fire until he could no longer carry on. His incredible sacrifice and valor were acknowledged with the Medal of Honor, a testament to the extraordinary dedication and courage he displayed in the face of adversity. Samantha Power, a former journalist and longtime human-rights activist who heads the U.S. Agency for International Development, is keenly aware of the role religious pluralism plays in preventing wars and mass atrocities. Power literally wrote the book on Americas failed record of fighting genocides around the world, even as the nations leaders have repeatedly promised never again after the Holocaust. In Powers A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, she recounts her experiences reporting on the massacre of more than 7,000 Muslim men in the siege of Srebrenica during the Bosnian war. Afterward, she examined several genocides of the 20th century, including the Ottoman slaughter of Armenians, the Holocaust, Pol Pots reign of terror in Cambodia, Saddam Husseins destruction of Kurds in northern Iraq, and the Hutus systematic extermination of the Tutsis in Rwanda. All had religious persecution at their core, and in every case, the United States chose to look the other way for too long and failed to prevent or stop the mass killings. The book earned Power a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 and helped launch her out of academia to eventually become President Obamas U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Over the years, through her travels in various global leadership roles, Power says she also has witnessed first-hand just how critical local religious leaders can be in bringing people together to help embrace reforms and provide humanitarian relief for communities. Now she is leaning into those partnerships by launching USAIDs first strategic religious engagement policy, an effort to overcome the reluctance of U.S. foreign aid officials to work with religious groups and leaders in recent years. In announcing the new agency-wide initiative last week, Power recalled how former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright responded when asked why it wouldnt be better if U.S. agencies kept religion out of foreign policy altogether. She answered adamantly, We cant, and we shouldnt. Religion is a large part of what motivates people and shapes their views of justice, right behavior, it must be taken into account, Power recalled. Power is now upping the ante. When we fail [to take religion into account], we fail to tap into one of the worlds most powerful potential forces for change, she told a large audience gathered at the U.S. Institute of Peace to witness the launch of the new engagement policy. Power tried to clear up misconceptions on what can and cant be done legally when the U.S. government partners with faith-based groups and pledged to overcome negative perceptions about religious organizations involvement and internal agency worries about violating the separation of church and state doctrine embedded in the Constitution. Sometimes, instead of reckoning with this history, facing it squarely and coming up with a strategy to overcome these challenges including some confusion about these legal constraints we refrain from engaging with religious leaders who might be able to further our goals, she said. Faith-based organizations, she said, are integral, necessary partners in development and key to helping drive more resources to local organizations with the power to produce the most impact, a top USAID priority. Ive seen how during times of crisis, which sadly there are too many of these days, [local religious leaders] are often the first to arrive and the last to leave, Power said. Many have committed their lives to fighting for justice and caring for those with the greatest needs. Grounded in the principles of their faith and living out their religious conviction in a way that uplifts humanity and inspires us all. And when we partner with these changemakers, the results can be extraordinary, she added. Power pointed to an overwhelmingly positive success story from the recent past: When the State Department worked closely with faith-based leaders to fight AIDS and HIV in Africa in the early 2000s during George W. Bushs presidency. U.S. State Department and USAID administered the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease. Religious leaders were absolutely key in disseminating essential information to communities at risk, she said, noting that the effort is credited with saving 25 million lives in 55 countries, and faith-based organizations were on the frontlines of the effort. Now in its 20th year, PEPFAR faces criticism from some conservatives who originally supported the program but believe it has strayed from its main purpose of fighting AIDS and malaria to become a vehicle for funding abortions overseas. But its effectiveness in fighting disease is undisputed. Over the last week, Powers new commitment to forging religious partnerships has won rave reviews even from those wary of the Biden administrations approach to helping populations persecuted for their religious beliefs. Administrator Power deserves so much credit, said Katrina Lantos Swett, the daughter of the late-Rep. Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress and a longtime human-rights champion. She spoke with a real understanding and a sense of genuine commitment in implementing this new strategy in a meaningful way, and I found that very encouraging, Lantos Swett, who runs the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, told RealClearPolitics. Lantos Swett, who co-chairs the International Religious Freedom Summit with Sam Brownback, the former ambassador for Religious Freedom in the Trump administration, highlighted Powers participation and remarks during a break-out session at the gathering earlier this year. We have had a problem with not just USAID, but also to some degree the State Department because our civil policy culture is so very secular in its orientation, and there has been a difficulty in connecting those groups to local religious leaders who are often the most able to play a positive role in USAIDs efforts on the ground, she said. During former President Trumps administration, an effort to direct USAID funding to assist religious minorities decimated by ISIS in Iraq faced major bureaucratic hurdles at both USAID and the State Department. Ultimately, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with the help of Vice President Mike Pence and other political appointees, including USAID Administrator Mark Green, waded through United Nations and internal U.S. government red tape to direct U.S. money to victims of genocide, including ISIS victims in Iraq and the Rohingya communities in Burma. With the help of Pompeo and Sam Brownback, the administration also elevated the issue of religious freedom by hosting annual international summits highlighting the plight of persecuted religious minorities around the world. The meetings, held in 2018 and 2019, led to greater news coverage and awareness about numerous abuses worldwide. In the early days of the Biden administration, critics also voiced concerns over a shift to a broader human rights focus and away from prioritizing religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy. In March 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally acknowledged the change in priorities, which includes a focus on the rights of immigrants and refugees, victims of human trafficking, LGBTQ individuals, and womens access to abortion, birth control, and other reproductive options. At the time, Blinken took a shot at the Trump administration for what he characterized as an unbalanced emphasis on religious persecution over other concerns. Human rights are also co-equal. There is no hierarchy that makes some rights more important than others, Blinken said. At my confirmation hearing, I promised that the Biden-Harris administration would repudiate those unbalanced views. We do so decisively today. Critics noted that Blinkens comments downplaying religious freedom negated 25 years of bipartisan public policy forged since President Bill Clinton signed into law the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which cemented a U.S. commitment to promoting religious freedom as a foreign policy priority. That law also created the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF, as a way to promote independent policy recommendations to the State Department. Religious persecution around the world has worsened in recent years, even as more and more countries have recognized Chinas internment and mass forced sterilization of its Uyghur populace as genocide. Yet, in the first few months of the Biden administration, religious freedom programs approved during the Trump administration were canceled or put on hold, including a project in Nigeria to provide a detailed accounting of Christian and Muslim persecution by the jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram, militant Fulani herdsmen, and others. Nigeria is the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian even though Christians make up nearly half of Nigerias population of 200 million. According to the religious freedom watchdog Open Doors International, more than 5,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria last year alone, accounting for nearly 90% of Christian deaths worldwide. Despite these alarming statistics, in 2021 Blinken removed Nigeria from a State Department blacklist of worst offenders when it comes to religious persecution, reversing the designation the Trump administration had made against the West African country in December 2020. Nigerias removal sparked a backlash among religious freedom advocates, including a rare rebuke from USCIRF, a bipartisan body, which issued a statement saying it was outraged by the omission. The Biden administration attributes the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria not to religious persecution but to a conflict over resources exacerbated by climate change. Rep. Chris Smith, a leading human rights champion in Congress, and Rabbi Abraham Cooper, who chairs USCIRF, have since called on the Biden administration to reverse course and add Nigeria, as well as India and Afghanistan to its blacklist of worst religious freedom offenders. During a July Congressional hearing, Smith and Cooper pressed Rashad Hussain, Bidens ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom for an explanation for the decision to take Nigeria off the list. Hussain appeared to agree with Smith and Cooper, saying that he shares their concerns, adding that his office had just begun work on its annual report, which provides detailed information about every countrys religious freedom record. The office is expected to issue its findings in November. Hussain, the first Muslim to hold the position of U.S. ambassador for religious freedom, has helped to mollify critics who question the Biden administrations commitment to faith-based liberty. Over the last two years, he has earned high marks from leaders across the political spectrum for his engagement and hard work on behalf of victims of religious persecution around the world. When Power announced USAIDs new engagement initiative, Hussain spoke at the event, extolling the virtues of the new policy and citing detailed examples of the important roles local religious leaders play in efforts to address the humanitarian needs of communities around the world. I remember efforts to address the famine in the Horn of Africa where oftentimes it was religious leaders who were the ones who could provide access to places that were difficult because of extremists and others that were controlling certain areas, he said. Religious actors can be such a powerful force for good, and we cannot fully meet our foreign-policy objectives without engaging them. Both Powers new religious initiative and Hussains commitment have helped to break through some of the partisan divisions that emerged over the last several years on the religious freedom front. Knox Thames, a former top State Department advisor on religious freedom issues during the Obama and Trump administrations, applauded Power for continuing to knock down barriers within the foreign policy world by formalizing her belief in religious engagement in an official strategy document. This new strategy demonstrates continuity from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, Thames told RCP. The baton was passed, and they were able to carry it forward and introduce this very impressive document that really could be a game-changer in how USAID approaches working with religious communities and faith-based organizations in the field. During his time in government, Thames, now a senior fellow at Pepperdine University and director of its Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies, recalled experiencing an over-cautiousness about engaging faith-based organizations. However, the ISIS rampage across Iraq and Syria and its genocide against Yezidi and Christian communities made it impossible to ignore the key role local religious partners could play. We had these horrific events in Iraq with [ISIS] terrorizing, victimizing minorities in ways that were just truly unimaginable, and there was this huge response militarily humanitarian, economic a full court press, he recalled. There was fear of doing it the wrong way and crossing some red lines. This document explains how to do it right. Power readily acknowledges, however, that shes not reinventing the wheel when it comes to local religious engagement, pointing to the success of the PEPFAR programs partnership with local religious groups in the early 2000s. The landmark assistance was implemented during Andrew Natsios tenure as USAID administrator. Natsios, who held numerous important titles during his time in government, including U.S. special envoy to Sudan, said such partnerships seemed only natural to him after serving as vice president of World Vision, the largest faith-based nongovernmental organization in the world, from 1993 to 1998. Although Natsios applauds Powers new religious engagement push, he also maintains that many U.S. foreign aid officers who have spent most of their careers overseas dont have the same hang-ups about religious engagement as D.C. bureaucrats. The career people in the field have been dealing with religious communities for decades, but they dont tell everybody in Washington because theyre afraid to get into political trouble, he told RCP. During the initial days of the PEPFAR program, Natsios recalled how he convened an unprecedented meeting of different religious leaders in Uganda, bringing together the chairman of a Muslim doctors association, the head of the Pentecostal Church, and bishops from the Anglican and Catholic churches. Natsios anticipated having to mediate sharp exchanges between the Muslim and Christian leaders, but the conflict that arose was between the Pentecostals and Anglicans because Pentecostal churches were winning over some Anglican parishioners and diminishing their numbers. They started fighting in the meeting, and it was the Muslim doctor who went to calm them all down and said, Can we focus on the issue of HIV? Thats why were here, Natsios recalled. The ambassador was watching, and he said, Theyve never been in the same room together all these four groups. The experience helped Natsios see that these religious leaders were the only ones who could slow the AIDS epidemic because the African people dont trust their governments, only their faith leaders. During that meeting, imams, pastors, and priests relayed a big problem that they were witnessing in their churches and mosques: In some families, both parents had already died of AIDS, and the children were being taken care of by their elderly grandparents, who were too feeble to farm and were having trouble getting enough food for their grandchildren. So, we created a whole program to support the families where kids had been orphaned, but the grandparents were taking care of the kids, he said. There were stories like this in every country, some of them very, very moving. In another success story during Natsios tenure leading USAID, he said the government in Bangladesh asked USAID to teach additional courses on development issues at a Quranic Institute, a Muslim academy primarily dedicated to Islamic theology and religious law. Natsios said he was surprised that the agency was already operating at an Islamic institution but quickly learned they were focused on fish-farming and basic health precautions and other development-oriented material, which were the most popular courses taught at the institute. One of the USAID courses focused on efforts to curb human trafficking, a terrible problem in the area because criminals from India would come across to the village from Mumbai and kidnap girls and boys and take them away to work at brothels across the border. At one point, one of the local mullahs feared he had lost his 13-year-old child to human traffickers during a bad rainstorm. It was a false alarm, but the experience led him and other local mullahs to call on USAID to help develop a program to protect their children. The agency worked with the local mullahs through their mosques and quickly developed a public awareness campaign and monitoring system to teach children and families how to avoid being tricked into the sex slave trade, Natsios said. They cleaned out the entire human-trafficking ring from the whole region using the system, Natsios recalled. It was a community-based enforcement system. The State Department and USAID have a long history of working with large religious nongovernmental organizations, such as Catholic Relief Services. But most of the barriers in working with hyper-local religious partners come from an inability to comply with the legal red tape those organizations must file to meet U.S. contracting regulations. In order to jump through all the required hoops, outside organizations must have enough funds to hire teams of lawyers and accountants. Robert Destro, who served as assistant secretary for the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor during the Trump administration, said too many taxpayer dollars are going to fund the overhead costs at large NGOs rather than being channeled to more effective local assistance. By the time it gets to the local level, its like a friend from Nigeria said to me, Wow, this is like the dew that never quite makes it to the grass. If we had access to a fraction of this money, we could really move mountains, Destro, the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Law & Religion at the Catholic Universitys Columbus School of Law, said in an interview. One of the reasons U.S. government agencies prefer dealing with these big Beltway bandits, Destro argued, is because the State Department or USAID officers supervising the projects usually pay more attention to the top-layer spending, which is easier, and dont scrutinize the impact at the local level where the money is supposed to be making a difference. Samantha Power has set a goal of increasing the agencys work with local organizations to make up 25% of all USAID assistance and noted that faith-based organizations rooted in the communities with all that history and that local knowledge will be wonderful candidates. It wont be easy, Power acknowledges, but shes committed to helping cut through all the legal and paperwork challenges to increase these critical partnerships. If you have questions, dont then say, okay, let me go run off and find another partner where it might be less complicated or where I dont have to talk to a lawyer, Power instructed agency officials during her announcement. But call the [agency] general counsel, call your legal adviser at your mission about the wide array of partnerships that are possible. We really want to get the word out to the faith community that USAID has always been open [to them] for business, but now were even more intentional in this direction, she said. One of the proposed Greater Idaho maps, which calls for several Eastern Oregon counties to secede and join Idaho. (Courtesy of greateridaho.org) ENTERPRISE, Ore. This small ranching town, surrounded by towering tree-topped mountains and a valley of rolling grass fields, sits tucked into the northeast corner of the state both out of the way and right in the middle of a contentious debate. At a meeting late last month, 25 people packed into a stuffy conference room in the Wallowa County Courthouse 35 miles west of the Idaho state line and 260 miles east of Portland to hear county commissioners debate a single agenda item leaving Oregon. The Greater Idaho movement, which wants to secede from the Beaver State and become a part of its neighbor to the east, had sputtered along for years, gaining little traction. But then, the coronavirus hit in the spring of 2020. The global pandemic was a blessing for the movement, according to Mike McCarter, who took up the movements mantle in 2019. Quarantines and remote learning inflamed residents anger with the state government for shutting down schools and businesses. This tension invigorated the effort to join Idaho, a state whose government reacted wholly differently to COVID-19 than Oregon did. Our movement brings things to light, and it brings hope, McCarter said. I dont want to see the guns picked up. I dont want to see the battles. Why cant we sit down and talk? Secession is a long shot that would require approval by Congress; so far, there have been ballot measures, and there has been a lot of talk. But the fact that the movement has gotten even this far illustrates the growing tear in the American fabric. Greater Idaho has seen a success that other secessionist movements, regionally and in states such as California and Illinois, never reached. If supporters here achieve their goal, it could mean a paradigm shift nationally, proponents say, inspiring more states to split along cultural and political lines. County by county, Eastern Oregonians have voted on similar measures over the past three years, securing much of the large rural region for the secessionist movement. In June, Wallowa County became the 12th to pass a ballot initiative in support of joining Idaho. The measure, to begin biannual discussions, won by just seven votes of the 3,497 that were cast. In the stone courthouse last month, in a town square that honors the first settlers who came in the 1880s and the Nez Perce peoples who predated them, supporters argued that Democratic lawmakers, who control the capitol in Salem and were elected largely by Western Oregonians, have ignored the other side of the state and are hurting its way of life. I just feel unrepresented, completely, said Rob DeSpain, standing tall in the back of the room, his white goatee pronounced under a black cap. We just dont have a voice. Its very frustrating. Shaking his head at a series of pro-secession speakers who brought up transgender youth, urban decay and the struggle to protect cattle from wolves, another man, David Hayslip, finally raised his hand. There would be cuts in the minimum wage, he pointed out to his neighbors, and a new state sales tax and a potential decline in home values if they joined Idaho. If you want to go over there, U-Haul has really good deals, Hayslip said after exhaling in frustration, looking up from the floor. Dont like it here? Hit the road. This is democracy, folks. You dont like the results? You keep fighting in the democratic system. Other residents opposed to secession said they feared what would happen if they lost access to abortion rights, health care coverage, infrastructure funding, mail-in voting and marijuana. Some of them said that while they werent born in Oregon, they have lived in the state more years than not. Theyre Oregonians and want to remain Oregonians. The room was split, much like the county. But as in other small towns in America, people knew one another, greeting old friends and neighbors before tension filled the room. Oregon is divided geographically, politically, economically and culturally. Beyond the Cascades, the population drops off with the elevation, as the terrain turns from the moist mountains of the coast and the fertile farmland and progressive population hubs of the Willamette Valley to the high desert, golden grasslands and craggy mountain ranges of the immense east. Stateline traveled more than 1,000 miles of Eastern Oregon, where supporters of the movement to join Idaho said they feel unheard by the decisionmakers in Salem. Would-be secessionists freely recognize that their communities represent less than a tenth of the states population, but they also asked: Dont we matter? You have two very different cultures that shouldnt be sharing a state government, said Matt McCaw, the spokesperson for the Greater Idaho movement and a resident of Powell Butte, an unincorporated town near the geographic center of Oregon. Their grievances are many: They dislike rules that restrict tree-cutting, protect coyotes and promote electric vehicles. They oppose transgender rights, classroom discussions of gender and race, and limits on guns. They detest the taxes and regulations they believe have devastated the regions economy. And they hate what became of Portland, a city many of them look back on with nostalgia. For many Eastern Oregonians, theres a sense of desperation, as if all options have been exhausted and all that remains is joining Idaho. I have people come at me and say, Well, what can we do to change it? said McCarter, a deeply religious man and an Air Force veteran. Its gone too far over the top to change. It really has. It is a battle for our freedom and our self-sufficiency. Whether they can succeed is another story. While they work to secure more wins at the ballot box including in Crook County next May, and later Gilliam and Umatilla counties supporters of the movement are beginning a broader effort to lobby the Idaho and Oregon legislatures to start an interstate dialogue to shift their border a dialogue for which Oregon Democrats do not have an appetite. A growing movement out of a divided state Sitting on the front deck of his single-story green home in La Pine, a wooded city of 2,500 people who live past the lava fields south of tourism haven Bend, McCarter has two flags flying off his house: the American flag and the Idaho flag. When the 76-year-old is not assisting with pastoral duties at his 30-person church, he fills his retired life with fixing old ham radios, getting back into long-distance running, teaching gun safety and leading the Greater Idaho movement. Though McCarter lives in Deschutes County which voted for President Joe Biden in 2020 with 53% support and has not voted to join Idaho Oregons new border could follow the Deschutes River, he said, snaking to the west of his home and putting him within the new Idaho boundary. Greater Idaho could encompass roughly 15 eastern counties, representing 65% of Oregons landmass and one congressional district. Each county handily voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020 with two-thirds or more of the vote. While the movement tried ballot initiatives in Douglas and Josephine counties, which are west of the Cascade Range, those failed in 2022. A splintering of Oregon would mean new tax structures, a transfer of public debts, the loss of state parks and natural resources, and a fundamental shift in social program benefits. The details could take years to work out, but thats a problem down the line, supporters say. Now, they just want the two states to start talking about a transition. Supporters for the movement vote mostly Republican, but some are socially conservative while others are more economically libertarian. Some are not even registered to a political party. I have very deep roots in the state, or what used to be this state, said Sandie Gilson, a fifth-generation Oregonian with ancestors who mined gold and operated sawmills. I dont recognize it. Over chicken Caesar salad at a Main Street eatery in John Day, a town in a high-desert canyon, Gilson described how shes crisscrossed Grant County, even planning to speak at an upcoming Democratic Party meeting, to talk about the deterioration of Portland, how taxes and regulations stifle housing, and the unrealistic shift away from gas-powered cars for rural communities. The policies of Salem dont consider the commonsense requirements of life in the states east, she said. Oregon hasnt had a Republican governor since 1987; Democrats have held a trifecta for more than a decade, controlling the governors office as well as the state House and Senate. This is one of the latest iterations of a debate over minority political representation that is as old as this nations founding, Gilson said. The U.S. Constitution was written to encourage consensus, she said; the Revolutionary War was fought because people were being taxed but not listened to. Isnt that our message? she asked. Stephen Piggott doesnt see it that way. I totally understand their concerns, said Piggott, the momentum program director for Western States Strategies, a Portland-based nonpartisan social welfare organization that campaigned against the ballot measure in Wallowa County. But for Greater Idaho, theres no other solution except to say, We cant find any common ground, so screw it, were going to just go up and leave. And while it may not be espousing racist viewpoints, the movement is supported by white nationalists and militia leaders such as Ammon Bundy, Piggott said, harking back to Oregons racist founding, when Black people were banned from settling the land. Among the 15 counties that could be part of Greater Idaho, all but three have white populations above 75%, according to census numbers. Greater Idaho proponents vehemently reject charges of racism or hatred, saying they cant control the people who agree with their cause. And they say they are not seeking violence, but a peaceful political solution. I have people come to me and say, But isnt this movement kind of racist? Well, I had nothing to do with that, McCarter said, the air around his home still thick with wildfire smoke. In rural Oregon, if its predominantly white, so be it. And we make a point that we dont get into that angle at all. Thats not what its about. Retired chimney sweep Grant Darrow said that letting a few counties join Idaho could be a pressure relief valve to avoid violence from people long frustrated with Oregons policies. People are fighting mad, said Darrow, who sported a handlebar mustache and an Awake Not Woke T-shirt in his home in Cove, Oregon, a town nestled in an agricultural valley. If youre not moving in a direction that everybody thinks positive, its going to blow up. But to slice up states to reflect residents politics is not how the American political system works, regardless of an urban-rural divide that exists across the country, said Judy Stiegler, a former Oregon Democratic state representative who now is a political science instructor at Oregon State University-Cascades, located in Bend. We should be having conversations with each other, Stiegler said. The Greater Idaho movement is taking advantage of peoples frustrations. And I believe theyre not being honest about the real objective, which is power. The reality of the secession happening is slim to none, she said. She expects neither state Democrats nor Congress to endorse the move. Can it pass the Idaho and Oregon legislatures? When Idaho Republican state Rep. Barbara Ehardt first heard about Oregons movement to join her state, it just resonated with her. Why wouldnt Idaho be interested in more land, more resources such as timber, minerals and water, and more like-minded people? she asked. You can only push people so far, demanding that they acquiesce to some of your non-constitutional whims before people push back, Ehardt said. In February, the Idaho House passed her bill to open a formal interstate dialogue with Oregon to secure those counties that want to secede. Although it didnt move forward in the Senate, Ehardt is hopeful and optimistic she can get her bill passed in both the legislative bodies next year. For this to succeed, it will involve the hand of the Lord. When the Oregon state legislature reconvenes next year, Republican state Sen. Dennis Linthicum plans on reintroducing legislation to let those 15 eastern counties secede and join Idaho. His bill died in committee earlier this year. I thought we were talking about tolerance and welcoming all ideas and welcoming other thoughts and perspectives, and it turns out none of that is true, said Linthicum, who voted for the Klamath County ballot measure. Its a storyline. And thats why Eastern Oregonians are fed up with it. While she 1,000% agrees with the reasons why people are so frustrated with the policies coming out of Salem, freshman Republican state Rep. Emily McIntire worries about Eastern Oregonians who have superior health care, child care, food stamps and other state services than Idaho offers, including Oregons $14.20 minimum hourly wage compared with Idahos $7.25, the federal minimum wage. Everybody thats working at a Walmart in a county in Eastern Oregon, that Walmart can go, Were going to drop you guys all down to eight bucks an hour, she said. Its not just like we flip the switch, youre part of Idaho and everything stays as it is. In Enterprise, the meeting wrapped up after more than an hour of discussion involving those in the room and another 30 people who joined by Zoom. The county commissioners finally chimed in. Though they are officially neutral on the question, all three said they understood the concerns expressed by both sides. Commissioner John Hillock said hes submitted pieces of legislation, grant proposals for sewer and water projects and new funding requests for the county fairgrounds to lawmakers in Salem and been ignored. He gets it. As does Commissioner Susan Roberts, who asked attendees to come up with ideas before they meet next in February on how to constructively move forward and get our friends on the west side of the state to have a dialogue. They dont get us. On the other hand, I dont get most of them. Most of the time, I cant figure it out, she said with a chuckle. But that is the back-and-forth that we need. The post An Eastern Oregon effort to join Idaho reflects the growing American divide appeared first on Daily Montanan. ALLIANCE, Ohio StarkFresh, a Canton-based nonprofit, announced the grand opening date for its second neighborhood-sized grocery store location, located at 405 S Linden Ave inside the Alliance Commons, in Alliance. There will be a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Oct. 9. StarkFreshs first store location opened in October 2020 in downtown Canton. Both locations are full-service, neighborhood-sized grocery stores, much like those typically seen in larger cities. The Alliance location is nearly double the size of the Canton location and will initially be open Monday- Friday 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Although it is a normal grocery store that anyone can shop at, there will be special incentives for those who need it most, incentivizing all fruit and vegetable transactions (50% off every day using a SNAP card). Thanks to a GIVE Alliance 365 grant from the Greater Alliance Foundation, customers using SNAP will be given an additional $5 discount on their purchase, effectively doubling their purchasing power each time they shop. The funding used to open the store has come from The Geraldine Burnell-Brotzman Charitable Fund of the Greater Alliance Foundation, AARP, The Greater Alliance Development Corporation and the City of Alliance through Community Block Grant funds. Additional support and guidance have come from the Greater Alliance Foundation and the Mount Union Regula Center for Public Service students and staff. For more information, visit www.starkfresh.org. Improvements to the traceability system for cattle have been set out by the government, with the measures aiming to reduce red tape for farmers. The proposals include the use of new digital technology to remove slower paper processes and help trace animal disease more quickly. Defra said the new, modern system would make it easier for farmers to navigate and be less time consuming. An effective cattle traceability system is seen as essential to control the spread of infectious diseases. Failure to do so could have a devastating impact on the economy, international trade, and public health. The current Cattle Tracing System (CTS) was introduced in 1998 towards the end of the BSE epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. By law, all bovines must be registered with the British Cattle Movement Service to allow the government to identify and locate livestock in the event of an outbreak or food safety incident. Defra's Biosecurity Minister Lord Benyon has encouraged farmers to respond to the consultation, which closes for responses in November. He said: By registering their cattle, farmers and keepers play an important role in protecting the national herd from insidious diseases such as bovine TB and BSE. I urge all those with an interest to respond to this consultation to help ease unnecessary administrative burdens and take advantage of digitisation, to make registration of cattle much easier. As well as the introduction of bovine electronic identification (BeID), other new proposals include a fairer regulatory framework, Defra explained. There will also be greater flexibility for late registration of calves, so that farmers do not suffer financially by having them excluded from the food chain. The consultation forms part of the wider Livestock Information Transformation Programme, which will replace the existing domestic traceability databases with one multi-species platform. Bovines will have a new database that will make tracing individual animals quicker and easier, Defra said, which will help to reduce the harm caused by a disease outbreak. The changes are subject to an eight-week consultation, which will close for responses on 15 November. Lloyd Fraser's parent company, Barbican Capital, is seeking financial compensation after the milk haulier was 'incorrectly' place into administration. Lloyd Fraser, which is one of the UK's biggest milk hauliers, collects milk for major dairy processors including Arla, Muller and Meadow Foods. It went into administration last week, causing concern that thousands of litres of milk could go uncollected. Now Barbican Capital, the logistics company which owns Lloyds Fraser and others, is contesting the move, blaming "the actions of Close Brothers Limited and Close Invoice Finance Limited". Barbican said it was 'appalled' by their 'incorrect' decision, which had "led to our group of companies... unnecessarily losing related licenses required to meet our customers' needs". A Barbican Capital spokesperson said: Our immediate priority is to ensure that our employees and our customers are impacted as little as possible from Closes actions. "Once we have done so, we will look to Close to seek compensation for the material losses that they have caused to the Lloyd Fraser group for putting it into administration when it was wholly unnecessary. The spokesperson added: The actions of Close Brothers has had a major impact on the supply of milk in the UK, as well as the fashion industry two sectors which Lloyd Fraser Holdings provides vital logistical support to. "Without any warning, our employees, their families, and our customers have seen their employers and suppliers, each a viable business, closed quite literally overnight due to the unnecessary and irresponsible actions of Close Brothers, despite the solvency of the companies." Barbican Capital slammed the move into administration as "debanking on a terrifying scale", as it would impact hundreds of employees, including many dairy farmers. The spokesperson said: These communities have felt the unnecessary consequences of what we consider to be major flaws in Close's IDEAL client interface portal, which we recently discovered caused huge financial issues for and underfunded our business. "On identifying these problems Lloyd Fraser understandably looked to replace Close as our banking partner. This was communicated to Close and an orderly handover was agreed for the end of September. "As part of this transition, any monies owed to Close by any Lloyd Fraser company would be discharged in full on or around 29 September 2023. "However, on 1 September 2023, without warning, and in breach of the agreement to migrate our business away from Close in an orderly manner, Close refused to operate our facility as normal. "This has subsequently led to the Lloyd Fraser group companies being put into administration quite literally overnight." The spokesperson added: With all of these factors in mind we have engaged a legal team to fight this administration and seek justice for the actions of Close." Scottish farmers are needed to provide 150 lambs to reach this years target of delivering 2.75 tonnes of lamb to 24,000 schoolchildren this November. The industry initiative is part of Lamb for St Andrews Day, which aims to encourage more people to eat lamb as part of the Patron Saints celebrations. The annual event has been recognised in the Scottish parliament and has become one of the key lamb promotion events in Scotland. It is credited for improving the prime lamb price throughout the month of November, with the price tracking upwards during the month over the last three years. Scotlands institute for livestock marts and auctioneers, IAAS, started the Lamb Bank three years ago to gather donations from farmers to give lamb to schools, for free, for use on 30 November. Over 390 lambs and 65,000 lamb portions have been donated to date for school canteens and Home Economics classes across Scotland. This year, 150 lambs are needed to reach this years target of delivering 2.75 tonnes of lamb to schools. This can be done by donating the value of store, prime and breeding lambs, cull and breeding ewes and tups, usually in the region of 100-150, via any Scottish auction market. Neil Wilson, executive director of IAAS, said: "There is just no better way to tell the story of lamb and encourage more people to choose it. "School teachers have loved the opportunity to inspire young people with tasty, fun-to-make recipes and the chance to try lamb, whether its in class or the canteen. "Its a hugely valuable and interactive way to teach about the merits of Scottish lamb production and healthy eating and to counter negative marketing around red meat, but also to demonstrate that it can be affordable. As the appetite among schools grows, IAAS is calling on the industry to donate, whether its the value of a lamb at the next mart sale, or financial donations. Donations can be made online or at any livestock mart. Mr Wilson added: If we all put in a little, it spreads the burden, and we are calling on everyone, mart users or not, to come forward and give what they can so we can make a big impression." Like it? Share it! Zug, Switzerland, September 2023 EFSG, an association of European certification bodies operating in the fire and security sectors, and Euralarms Task Force EFSG have been working closely together on a common application form for EFSG certification. The form was published recently and can be used for making an application for multiple certifications. The new form is intended to reduce the number of separate forms that manufacturers need to complete when submitting an application for certification with EFSG members. The common application form will allow one application to be accepted by all EFSG members followed by a central project management process within EFSG, which should help improving overall certification timescales. This single form will be accepted by AFNOR, BRE Global, CNPP, DBI and Vds for applications to certify fire detection and fire alarm equipment to the EN 54 standards, smoke alarms to EN 14604 and power supplies to EN 12101-10 within the scope of EFSGs mutual recognition agreement. Step forwards The common application form is a step forwards. The promise is that the single applications form and the central project management process within EFSG supports one stop testing and improves time to market for new and modified products. It contains all necessary contractual information of each certification body thereby removing the need for separate applications. The exception is BRE Global their terms and conditions are provided with the quotation. However, the success of the new form depends on the companies using it. Local work instructions and quality processes may require modification to use the new form. Euralarm supports the use of the common application form. Therefore, we call on manufacturers to implement or incorporate the common application form in their processes. Meanwhile, we also call on EFSG to use the new process to drive improvements in the certification process. The common application form and the accompanying appendices are available to download from the EFSG website. Incorporated into the form is a check box used to identify applications related to product changes implemented due to component shortages and which require fast-track certification. About Euralarm Euralarm represents the electronic fire and security industry, providing leadership and expertise for industry, market, policy makers and standards bodies. Our members make society safer and secure through systems and services for fire detection and extinguishing, intrusion detection, access control, video monitoring, alarm transmission and alarm receiving centres. Founded in 1970, Euralarm represents over 5000 companies within the fire safety and security industry valued at 67 billion Euros. Euralarm Members are national associations and individual companies from across Europe. To read the full story, become a PRIME member today. PRIME Unlimited Access to Insightful Industry Information All Corporate Members and TexPro Subscribers are eligible to access F2F PRIME CONTENT using the same login credentials. Bijay J Anand is a multi-dynamic personality who inspires one and all with his art. He wears the hat of an actor, International yoga guru and art consultant and most importantly, his words of wisdom always inspire people across all age groups. Any words of wisdom or insights that he shares from his end is taken seriously by the youth and no wonder, his suggestion and advice matters. In one of his social media posts in July, Bijay J Anand shared an insightful quote on the importance of living in the present while simultaneously not worrying too much about the future. His post reads, "I never planned or worried about my future. I was too busy living in the present." Well, the quote certainly stands true in today's time when people often feel overburdened about the pressure of future. While it is easier said than implemented, the idea is certainly to encourage the youth to move forward in the right direction. Regarding his teachings and belief about life, Bijay says and we quote, "This is something I have believed always right from the very beginning. I feel there's no point in spoiling your present while thinking about future which you anyway can't control. You can't even predict what's going to happen in the next 10 mins. Everything is unpredictable. So you never know. I feel acknowledging the idea is the first step towards making this a reality so that the thought process develops in the long run." On the work front, Bijay J Anand will be seen in projects like Sultan Of Delhi, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan alongside Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, Crakkk, and many more. Stay tuned for more updates. Bollywood is all set to welcome a fresh face, Junaid Khan, Aamir Khan's eldest son, into its glittering galaxy. The actor is set to make his Bollywood debut with Yash Raj Films' "Maharaj," but that's not all. He's also gearing up for an untitled love story alongside Sai Pallavi as per reports, set amidst the enchanting Japanese winters, which promises to be a cinematic treat for audiences. During a recent recce to Sapporo along with the film crew, Junaid Khan had the opportunity to experience the breathtaking Japanese winters first-hand and attend the famous Snow Festival, which showcases stunning ice sculptures and snow art, attracting visitors from around the world. Having witnessed its beauty, the cast and crew knew Sappora would make the perfect backdrop for this love story. A source close to the film reveals, "The team saw saw the famous Snow Festival during their recce, which will also feature in the film as it will see the city of Sapporo set in the winters, and the team absolutely loved it. They were so thrilled by the picturesque landscapes and the unique cultural experience." The source adds, "During their time in Sapporo, Junaid also paid a visit to Sapporo City Hall and had a pleasant chat with Mayor Akimoto. This interaction not only highlighted the warmth and hospitality of the city but also signifies the growing global reach of Bollywood. Never before has a Hindi film been shot in Sapporo, which makes it an exciting proposition to watch on the big screen." Before stepping into the world of cinema, Junaid Khan dedicated six years to the world of theater. His journey began in August 2017 with director Quasar Thakore Padamsee's adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's 'Mother Courage and Her Children,' a biting satire on the absurdity of war. This marked the beginning of a passionate pursuit of the craft of acting. With "Maharaj" and the reported, untitled love story set in the enchanting Japanese winters, Junaid is all set to usher in a new phase - and considering how his untitled next with Sai Pallavi is a fairytale romance set against picturesque Japanese winters, gives audiences much to look forward to! Parineeti Chopra-Raghav Chadha Wedding Pics: The long-anticipated nuptial of Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra and AAP leader Raghav Chadha commenced on September 24 in the picturesque city of Udaipur, Rajasthan. The grand wedding took place at the lavish The Leela Palace Hotel. Many high-profile figures including Priyanka Chopra's mother Madhu Chopra, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, actor Bhagyashree, Sania Mirza were seen attending the wedding. PARINEETI CHOPRA-RAGHAV CHADHA'S FIRST PICS AS HUSBAND & WIFE The couple have known each other for years and after dating for a while, they finally tied the knot amid a close knit ceremony on Sunday. Taking to social media, the duo have shared their first pictures together as a married couple. The pictures are dreamy, to say the least. The photos capture Parineeti and Raghav perfectly complementing each other, with Parineeti stunning in a heavy ivory-colored lehenga and Raghav looking dashing in a white sherwani. Parineeti wore her hair down, accentuating her look with exquisite diamond and emerald jewelry. Against the backdrop of lush green plants, they exchanged garlands, creating a truly picturesque moment. She opted for a subtle nude makeup look, complementing her overall appearance. Her look was put together with the traditional pink chooda. Sharing the pics, the couple wrote, "From the very first chat at the breakfast table, our hearts knew. Been waiting for this day for a long time .. So blessed to finally be Mr and Mrs! Couldn't have lived without each other .. Our forever begins now .. ." Meanwhile, the wedding celebrations were held yesterday at the Leela Palace Hotel in Udaipur. The groom, Raghav, had his sehrabandi at Lake Palace before the baaraat departed for the wedding venue in curtained boats. The wedding rituals began with a jaimala followed by the pheras and finally, the vidaai. The pre-wedding festivities included a haldi, mehendi, and a 90s-themed sangeet where singer Navraj Hans performed live. Last week, an ardas and Sufi night were organized in New Delhi. Additionally, a wedding reception is scheduled to take place on 30th September in Chandigarh. It was a delightful and star-studded affair at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's residence as renowned producer Madhu Mantena and celebrated Yoga Acharya Ira Trivedi attended the Ganesh Pooja ceremony together. The couple left everyone in awe as they graced the occasion in stunning traditional attire. Madhu Mantena, the talented film producer, exuded charm in a vibrant green Kurta, perfectly complementing his striking personality. On the other hand, Ira Trivedi, an accomplished Yoga Acharya and author, looked absolutely radiant in a graceful blue saree, epitomizing timeless beauty. The couple's presence at the Ganesh Pooja added a touch of glamour and sophistication to the event where superstars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and many more reputed actors and actresses were also spotted at the Chief Ministers' house.. They were seen happily posing alongside Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, capturing the essence of unity and celebration. Madhu Mantena is a produced some of the top net grossers in India with films such as Ghajini, Mukkabaaz, Jhoota Hi Sahi, Rakht Charitra amongst a few others. Raima Sen started her career with the 1999 release Godmother in which she played a small role. She was later seen in Daman in which she portrayed the character of Raveena Tandon's daughter. Her first Hindi film as a lead was Fun2shh, but she rose to fame with her performance in Parineeta. In her career spanning more than two decades, she has been a part of many Hindi and Bengali films, and she is now gearing up for the release of her next Bollywood film The Vaccine War. Filmibeat recently interacted with Raima and spoke to her about her role, why she does less Hindi films, Bengali movies' pan-India release, and more... We have hardly seen you in a Hindi film in the past few years. So, what made you say yes to The Vaccine War? I have been doing web shows in Hindi and I have done a couple of Hindi films that haven't been released yet. So, I was working, but yes of course, The Vaccine War is going to make more of an impact, like a comeback, than any of the films that I have done in the past few years. I thought of being a part of this film because I really liked The Kashmir Files and when Vivek met me, he told me that this is a very clean film; it celebrates India's achievements and victories, and this is the film I am proud of and it will go down in history. So, I said I would love to be a part of it, good or bad because this is a film that people should watch. As you said this film is about India's achievements. So, when it was offered to you weren't you like give me a positive role, I don't want to play a negative character. Not at all, I thought this would be a great challenge for me to accept this role. He (Vivek) told me people won't love you, but they can't ignore you either. So, for an actress, there's nothing greater than that. When we hate a villain in a film, it's obviously because the actor has done a good job. So, I am glad that my role will be impactful, and it will stand out. In the last two films of Vivek Agnihotri, The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files, Pallavi Joshi played negative roles and she even won National Awards for her performance in both movies. Now, does that put pressure on you as now in The Vaccine War, you are playing the negative role? She is a very good actress, I don't think I can compare myself to her. She was fabulous in The Kashmir Files, but I don't look at her as a negative character. He (Vivek) told me that in this film you play your role honestly and convincingly because you are convinced that what you are saying is correct. In my head, I am not playing a negative role. I am playing a science journalist who believes that what she is saying is the truth. So, I am not under pressure like that but I know that in all his films, he gives women a very powerful role. Even I play a very strong character in the film; it's not like I am playing a negative role, so she is nothing. She is a very strong character. Do you have any scenes with Nana Patekar? Yes, we have a confrontation scene. But, though I am going to be seen in a scene with him, I didn't get to meet him personally, unfortunately. You have been in the Indian film industry for the past many years now, and have also done many amazing Bengali films. While now we see that many South Indian films are being released as pan-India films, why we don't get to see Bengali films getting a pan-India release and do you think Bengali filmmakers should start doing that? I hope they do that. We have been waiting for that. A lot of filmmakers from Bengal have moved to Mumbai, and a lot of films here are getting National Awards. So, maybe it is just a matter of time before there's more awareness about Bengali films like South Indian films. But of course, you can't compare the budget of a Bengali film to a South film or a Bollywood film. So, that's something I feel has to change. When a script comes to you what's that one thing you look forward to before saying a yes to it? First I look at the director. For me, I rely heavily on the director. I have to believe in his vision and my gut tells me whether this director is good and whether can he get the best out of me or not. So, first the director, then the script as a whole, and then my role. At this point, I will do any role that makes an impact. After The Vaccine War, which projects do we get to see you? You will definitely see me. I have finished shooting for a show for Amazon Prime Video; it is directed by Sudhanshu and Nithya Mehra, and it should be released soon. I also have two Bengali films, one Bengali web show, and one Hindi web show. The Vaccine War is slated to release on 28th September 2023. Paris Fashion Week: The highly anticipated Paris Fashion Week is set to commence today, and is scheduled till October 3. The eight days of the extravagant affair will witness a lineup of 108 designers who will captivate audiences through 67 runway shows, the most extensive of the "Big Four" global fashion events. From leading French brands, including Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel, to a wave of newcomers, the Spring-Summer 2024 show is poised to make an indelible mark. THE OPENING & CLOSING OF PARIS FASHION WEEK Marie Adam-Leenaerd is set to open Paris Fashion Week, and Duran Lantink, a rising star in the fashion world, will be closing the event on October 3rd. DESIGNERS WHO WILL TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT The upcoming Paris Fashion Week promises a breathtaking display of luxury and style, with renowned fashion houses taking the spotlight. The final calendar released by the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode reveals an exciting lineup, which includes, the Christian Dior show on September 26, Louis Vuitton on October 2 and a wrap-up by the iconic Chanel on October 3. Adding to the glamour of the week, Gabriela Hearst will unveil her final collection as the creative director at Chloe on September 28. Additionally, Sarah Burton will showcase her last collection for Alexander McQueen, marking the end of her illustrious 26-year journey with the fashion house, including an impressive 13-year stint as creative director, just two days later. DESIGNERS MAKING A COMEBACK THIS YEAR The upcoming Paris Fashion Week will mark the return of prodigious talents who've been absent from the runway for a significant period. Notably, Carven, absent for five years, is set to make a highly anticipated comeback on September 30. Moreover, Mugler will rekindle its presence at Paris Fashion Week on October 2, with Maison Margiela also gracing the runway on the same date. These comebacks add a sense of excitement and nostalgia to the event, as fashion enthusiasts eagerly await their reimagined creations. DEBUT DESIGNERS The fashion world eagerly awaits the debut of several emerging designers who have caught the eye of fashion enthusiasts. Italian Maison Marni is all set to make its inaugural appearance alongside Parisian brand Casablanca. Meanwhile, Peter Do, who made waves with his first Helmut Lang collection in New York, will present his collection on September 26. The excitement continues with Christopher Esber and Louise Trotter, who will introduce their collections for the very first time at the Paris Fashion Week. Sanjana And Kiran From Popular Serials Tie The Knot?: In the world of Malayalam television serials, "Kudumbavilakku" and "Mounaragam" have captured the hearts of viewers with their compelling storytelling and intriguing characters. While they explore different narratives, both serials consistently rank highly in viewership. SP Balasubramaniam's Melodies Still Resonate: Remembering The Legendary Musician On His 3rd Death Anniversary In "Kudumbavilakku," Reshma Nandu portrays the character of Sanjana Menon. Sanjana's story in the serial has taken a dramatic turn recently, leaving fans in suspense about her future. On the other hand, "Mounaragam" features Naleef Gea, a talented actor hailing from Tamil Nadu, in the role of Kiran. Kudumbavilakku And Mounaragam's Viral Wedding What recently took the internet by storm were the viral images of Sanjana from "Kudumbavilakku" and Kiran from "Mounaragam" getting married. It's not uncommon for stars from different serials to come together, but this event left many people puzzled. Fans of "Kudumbavilakku" know that Sanjana has been going through a challenging phase in her life within the storyline. As a result, her sudden wedding led to speculations and questions about her character's journey in the serial. Did she really get married again? "Kudumbavilakku" delves into the family life of a woman named Sumithra, illustrating her ups and downs, the sacrifices she makes to hold her family together, and the unwavering support she offers. The series has been raking in high ratings, primarily due to its engaging storytelling. One of the central plotlines revolves around Sumithra's son, Pratheesh, who has ventured off to Chennai to pursue a singing career. Pratheesh's decisions and his newfound relationship with a girl have not been well received by his family. In the midst of these developments, Sanjana, Pratheesh's wife, has gone missing, leaving viewers concerned about her fate. The audience was taken by surprise when they came across pictures and videos of Sanjana tying the knot with Kiran. Social media platforms were soon abuzz with memes and playful comments. However, here's the twist: the wedding of Sanjana and Kiran was not part of the serial storyline. Instead, it was a delightful segment on South India's beloved music reality show, "Start Music." The wedding was a lighthearted skit performed as part of a programme, which found its way onto YouTube. Vanangaan First Look Unveiled: Bala's Directorial Starring Arun Vijay Promises A Unique Tale While the intention was to entertain, some netizens misinterpreted the video and shared it as if Sanjana and Kiran had indeed gotten married. A playful segment turned into an internet sensation, highlighting the influence and reach of Indian television serials. Chithha review Photo Credit: Gallery Chithha is the upcoming film featuring Siddharth, who also bankrolled the movie. This emotional drama charts the relationship between a father (father's younger brother) and his daughter. The movie is written and directed by SU Arun Kumar. Chithha is hitting the screens on September 28, worldwide. The movie's dubbed version is going to be released in Telugu on the same day. Speaking about the film, director SU Arun Kumar is quoted as saying, "There are many films that represent the sentiment of Thai mama (maternal uncle). This film talks about the love and affection of a Chitthappa (Father's younger brother)." He also mentioned that he wrote the story keeping Siddharth in mind and eventually, Siddharth had come forward to fund the project. This role is a different facet of Siddharth's acting capabilities that showcased him in a new light. Chithha Premise Chithha is the story of a girl (Sahasra Sree), who is the apple of the eye of her Chithappa, played by Siddharth. He is very close to her and following the death of Sahasra's father, her Chithappa takes over her responsibility by being supportive of Sahasra's mother. On the other hand, there are a series of kidnappings and reported rapes in the area. Chithha joins hands with the cops to nab the psycho. Chithha First Review Ahead of the film's theatrical release, the filmmakers organized a special screening for the critics and media. The movie is receiving highly positive reviews. Check out some tweets here. #Chithha stands unique from Por Thozhil and Ratchasan because besides the arresting screenplay , there is a noble message . The crimes not just give you thrills but create much-needed awareness. I highly recommend this film to all parents and youngsters https://t.co/nvMnhyjk4z Rajasekar (@sekartweets) September 25, 2023 #Chiththa interval - More than hard hitting . Just shakes you from inside . Simple yet to the point narration , Arunkumar has played with so many emotions ! Prashanth Rangaswamy (@itisprashanth) September 27, 2023 #Chithha [4/5] : No Tamil Movie has shown a "sensitive subject" like this movie.. An emotional movie as well as a Thriller! #Siddharth 's best performance Both the child artists have done well.. Writer/Director #SuArunkumar jolts you with a Powerful Movie.. The movie Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) September 25, 2023 #Chithha is Intriguing, Disturbing, Thought provoking and a much needed film with lot of Heart . Fantastic performances from everyone especially those little girls. Hatsoff #Siddarth sir for choosing this. Congrats #SUArunkumar bro.Always loved your work. pic.twitter.com/FhzJxbkXfj Rathna kumar (@MrRathna) September 25, 2023 Chithha Cast The movie stars Siddharth, Chithha, SU Arun Kumar, and Nimisha Sajayan among others in key roles. Chithha Crew The movie is produced by Siddharth himself under the banner Etaki Entertainment. Vishal Chandrashekhar and Dhibu Ninan Thomas composed the film's entire music and background score. Balaji Subramanyam cranked the camera. Suresh A Prasad worked as the film's editor. CS Balachandar worked as the head of the Art department. Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10: FAQ 1. When will Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 start? Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 started on October 10, 2023. 2. Who is the host of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? Baadshah Kiccha Sudeep hosting the 10th season of Bigg Boss Kannada. 3. Who are the contestants for Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? The list of contestants for Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 has announced on October 8th and all the 16 contestants entered the house. 4. How can I watch Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 streaming on JioCinemas App and also can be watched everyday on Colors Kannada. 5. How can I vote for the contestants in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? There are two ways to vote for the contestants in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10: * By giving a missed call to a specified number * * By voting on the JioCinemas app* 6. What are the rules of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? The rules of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 have not been released yet. However, they are likely to be similar to the rules of previous seasons. 7. What are the prizes for Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? The prize money for Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 has announced that the winner will be getting cash price of 50 lakhs along with trophy. 8. How can I participate in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? There are no open calls for participation in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10. The contestants are selected by the makers of the show. 9. What are the challenges that the contestants face in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? The contestants in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 will face a variety of challenges, including physical challenges, mental challenges, and social challenges. 10. What are the benefits of participating in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10? The contestants in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 will have the opportunity to win the prize money, gain fame, and experience the challenges of living in a closed environment. GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chu Shijia, Vice President and Secretary General of the Canton Fair and Director General of the China Foreign Trade Centre, led an accomplished delegation group on an extensive promotional tour to Germany, Turkey, and the Netherlands from September 5th to 13th. The tour encompassed successful promotion meetings and seminars in the three countries, which were attended by over 210 business people in total, and visits to prominent exhibition groups, i.e. Messe Frankfurt, Koelnmesse, Messe Dusseldorf. Collaborative efforts were forged with influential organizations like German-Asian Business Circle, Ankara Chamber of Commerce, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkiye (DEIK), and Europe China MICE Network. Field studies were carried out on notable corporations like Metro AG and Koopman International to foster practical cooperation on exhibition projects, culminating in commendable results. Chu Shijia, in the meetings with the business community, emphasized the momentous progress made in the comprehensive cooperation between China and the three countries. The leadership's unwavering support has elevated this cooperation to new heights, significantly benefiting both enterprises and the people. In light of this, he extended a warm invitation to enterprises from the three countries to source and exhibit at the Canton Fair and make full use of this efficient trade promotion platform. This will provide a golden opportunity to forge new partnerships and uncover fresh business prospects. In their resounding endorsement of trading with China, representatives from the three countries underscored the tremendous potential for collaboration. They have committed to organizing groups to partake in the exhibition, harnessing the unparalleled opportunities presented by the Canton Fair. The Canton Fair is introducing some exciting changes starting with the 134th session. The Fair is optimizing and adjusting some exhibition areas, urges all buyers to plan their visit accordingly. More details can be found on its official website with a reminder to all overseas buyers who wish to attend onsite to complete the pre-registration in advance to ensure a hassle-free attendance. The pre-registration function is now available via https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/pages/655692320955457536. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2219424/Canton_Fair.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-134th-canton-fair-gains-momentum-with-germany-turkey-and-the-netherlands-as-new-promotion-focus-301936992.html Collaborative carbon credits initiative supports innovative school feeding programme SINGAPORE, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-in-class partnership between Tradeflow Capital Management (TradeFlow), The FarmFresh Food Company Ltd (FarmFresh) and Heads of Schools Organisation Rwanda (HOSO), a partnership monetising 298mt of CO2e averted over the Rwandan school year September 2022 to August 2023 has been realised, during which FarmFresh supplied 119mt of cooked beans into schools in Kigali, equivalent to ~790,000 school meal servings of beans. Using industry accepted tried-and-tested emissions reduction verification approaches and models, FarmFresh worked closely with Tradeflow to develop an informal, voluntary carbon credit linked to each 1kg of cooked beans used by a school. The methodology quantified a saving of 2.51kg of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions averted per 1kg of FarmFresh cooked beans used, compared to the school's previous method of boiling the dried beans for hours over firewood to cook them properly. TradeFlow paid the USD equivalent of the carbon offsets calculated as a donation to HOSO to promote improved nutrition while reducing reliance on solid biomass fuel stock. Working alongside HOSO, a local NGO reporting to the Rwandan Ministry of Education and with a national remit to promote best practice across all schools in Rwanda, FarmFresh has been shifting schools from cooking over firewood to using factory cooked beans which can be stored for longer, and only need to be warmed prior to serving. FarmFresh cooks high quality beans sourced directly from smallholder farmers, in highly energy efficient retort machines, packed in recyclable laminate pouches, at scale, and using a fraction of the energy compared to school kitchens using wood-fired ovens burning for several hours at a time. In Rwanda, the main source of protein for school children are beans, a key source of protein, complex carbohydrates, fibre and micronutrients including iron and zinc that require extensive cooking times to allow nutrition to be extracted from the beans. With support from the Rockefeller Foundation's Good Food Innovation Fund (GFIF), FarmFresh looks to double capacity to 250mt per month as a next step to national coverage. Further, through a partnership with the Mayor's Office, City of Kigali, HOSO, Ministry of Education, National Child Development Agency (NCDA) and the Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), FarmFresh is targeting to supply 120mt of cooked beans per month to Kigali schools - representing 800,000 school meal servings and 300mt of Co2e emission averted per month, in the academic year starting in September 2023. Dr Tom James, CEO of TradeFlow shared: "TradeFlow is leading the commodities sector in working with local partners to identify carbon saving projects and develop credit schemes that they are willing to support directly, bypassing the need for expensive, third party, distant verification agencies, but instead working to rigorous methodologies and developing indicators that can be verified using local auditors for real-world impact." In agreement, Marie Claire Nyirankundizanye, the Acting Managing Director of FarmFresh said: "We are delighted to be part of this ground breaking initiative with our local and international partners. At FarmFresh we are committed to providing highly nutritious food to school children in an environmentally sustainable manner, that helps schools shift away from cooking over firewood. We are excited to work with HOSO and other partners, including the City of Kigali and Ministry of Education to scale our production and supply 120mt to schools with a focus on Kigali in the first instance." Emmanuel Dusingizimana, the Executive Secretary of HOSO added: "We are excited to be part of this innovative initiative. The challenge of feeding high quality nutritious meals to the 3 million Rwanda school children, on limited budgets and in a way that is sustainable and not contributing to climate change, is a challenge that HOSO is keen to address. The partnership with FarmFresh and Tradeflow is an example of what can be done to meet this challenge. We look forward to scaling the innovation nationally." About TradeFlow Capital Management (Tradeflow) TradeFlow is the world's first Fintech-powered commodity trade enabler focused on SMEs. TradeFlow consists of a diverse team of experts with the focused mission of addressing the increasing trade finance gap faced by global SMEs operating as producers/traders/end-users in the bulk commodity trading space. By performing an enabling role in international trade and globalization, TradeFlow creates growth opportunities for businesses and economies. To date, TradeFlow has successfully invested in more than US$2.5 Bn of physical commodity trade through 3000+ transactions across 18+ countries and 30+ commodity types, with more than 1800 SME counterpart entities KYC reviewed. As part of its unique business model, The TradeFlow Funds*, advised by TradeFlow, were conceived in 2016 and launched in 2018. TradeFlow is a Partner of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to mobilise capital and improve trade finance access for SMEs worldwide through the "'ICC Trade Now" and "ICC Digital Trade Standards Initiative" platforms. TradeFlow Capital Management Pte Ltd UEN: 201920511H www.tradeflow.capital Please bookmark our media: TradeFlowTV | Twitter | LinkedIN About the FarmFresh Project FarmFresh was founded in 2015 as part of the UK Government Department for International Development (DFID) funded SEED Programme, managed by H2O. FarmFresh is an innovative Kigali-based food processing company that markets branded, fully-cooked Rwandan beans in laminated pouches aimed at retail consumers and institutions across East Africa. FarmFresh sources beans either directly from smallerholder growers; by paying a premium for high quality beans, FarmFresh provides an incentive for farmers to increase the quality of their bean harvest, including the adoption of improved seed varieties that increase yield and standards, and benefits the producers by increasing their net household income. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1994878/4282327/TradeFlow_Tagline_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tradeflow-capital-management-enables-scalable-carbon-abatement-in-rwanda-301933264.html LONDON, Sept. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a comprehensive research report by Brandessence Market Research (BMRC), "Insulin Pump Market By Product Type, By End User, Industry Analysis, Trends, And Forecast 2028". The Insulin Pump Market was valued at USD 4.98 billion in 2021 and expected to reach USD 12.18 billion By 2028, amplifying with a CAGR of 13.64% over 2022-2028. A large section of the world's population is affected with diabetes. This ailment can be regarded as a silent killer because it not only hampers the quality of life but also leads to the occurrence of other comorbidities. Insulin is a hormone that aids in the regulation of blood sugar levels and therefore is administered to patients with severe diabetes. A wide range of medical instruments and diabetes are used to efficient administer insulin. Some of the most common devices are syringes, insulin pens, and pumps, among others. Insulin Pump is one of the most effective devices for insulin administration. These pumps deliver a continuous and precise amount of insulin into the body through a small tube called a cannula or catheter. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar (glucose) by allowing it to enter cells, where it can be used for energy. The market trends report is curated with an aim to help businesses understand the overall dynamics of this industry. The growth drivers, challenges, opportunities, and restraints are thoroughly elaborated in this report. It offers market size forecast along with projected market share over the stipulated timeline. This report further bifurcates the industry on the basis of various segments. These segments are analysed with an aim to determine the exact size and scope of this business vertical. Apart from the, the top regions and competitive landscape of this industry are evaluated using proven research methodologies. Insulin Pump Market Scope- Report Metric Details Insulin Pump Market Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 12.18 Billion Market Size in 2021 USD 12.18 billion Market Growth Rate CAGR of 13.64% from 2022 to 2028 Base Year 2021 Study Period 2022-2028 Key Players/Companies Sanofi, Abbott Laboratories, Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Medtronic Inc., Becton Dickinson and Company, Insulet Corporation, and others Get Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://brandessenceresearch.com/downloadSample/PostId/280 Elaborating the key trends and dynamics of Insulin Pump Market- Growing prevalence of diabetes especially type 1 diabetes, changing lifestyle trends, and rise in the geriatric population base are the primary factors leading to market share increase. Alongside, surge in healthcare spending, rising diabetes awareness worldwide, and emergence of highly advanced medical devices are creating profitable prospects for this industry. High pervasiveness of gestational diabetes and initiation of favourable medical reimbursement policies across numerous nations are creating lucrative market growth opportunities. Major growth drivers- High diabetes prevalence: The patient pool affected with type 1 and type 2 diabetes rising dramatically across the globe. This can be credited to the rapid shift towards a sedentary lifestyle, food adulteration, growing fast food consumption, and rise in the volume of aged population. There is no permanent cure for diabetes but it can be regulated by making lifestyle changes and following proper health protocols. People with severe diabetes require the administration of insulin to regulate their blood sugar levels. The advent of innovative insulin pump infusion sets and advanced infusion pump accessories have created a beacon of hope for patients. This in turn is positively influencing Insulin Pump Market Trends. Ideal initiatives by government and healthcare organizations- Governments and healthcare organizations worldwide are initiating various initiatives to promote diabetes management and improve access to insulin delivery devices. They are spreading cognizance about the importance of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with the use of advanced devices. Further initiatives include reimbursement policies, awareness campaigns, and strategic collaborations, are aimed at raising awareness about this ailment and offer quality medical care to treat and manage the same. These factors together are increasing Insulin Pump Market revenue. Challenges- Safety Concerns: Insulin pumps devices are subject to malfunctioning, contamination and can also cause insulin pump infections and injuries. This at times leads to reluctance among patients and healthcare providers to opt for these devices for insulin administration. Insulin pump failures an lead to unpredictable blood sugar levels. Insulin pump insulin pump reservoirs and insulin pump batteries malfunctioning can result in the pump shutting down unexpectedly. These factors are impacting industry remuneration scope. Competitive Hierarchy: The prominent players influencing Insulin Pump Market Outlook are- Sanofi Abbott Laboratories Hoffmann-La Roche AG Medtronic Inc. Becton Dickinson and Company Insulet Corporation Tandem Diabetes Care Animas Corporation Valeritas Cellnovo Ltd Nipro Diagnostic SOOIL Developments Co. Asante Braun Melsungen AG Omron Ypsomed MicroPort Scientific Corporation Spring Health Solutions Debiotech Microtech Medical Medzer Ltd. Cellenovo Eoflow Lenomed Medical Others Browse In-depth Market Research Report (300 Pages) on Animal Genetics Market: https://brandessenceresearch.com/healthcare/global-insulin-pump-market Insulin Pump Market Segmentation- By product type, the smart pumps segment is expected to amplify substantially since they ensure improved blood sugar management while paving the way for remote monitoring. Geographical Landscape: Europe is reckoned to emerge as one of the fastest growing segments in this market. This is ascribed to the surge in the geriatric population base, emergence of smart medical devices, and rising prominence of home healthcare. Besides, presence of noteworthy players, favourable reimbursement policies, and unhealthy lifestyle trends of the masses positively swaying Insulin Pump Market dynamics. Major Developments- Acquisitions: In July 2019, Insulet Corporation, a global leader in tubeless insulin pump technology, acquired the Omnipod insulin business from Ypsomed. Porter's Five Forces Analysis- Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants is relatively low in this industry. Developing and manufacturing insulin delivery devices requires significant investment in research and development, regulatory compliance, and established distribution channels, creating barriers for new players. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: In this market suppliers hold moderate bargaining power. While there are multiple suppliers in the market, manufacturers need to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality components. Supplier relationships and the ability to negotiate favourable terms can influence production costs and product quality. Purchase Copy of This Research Report @: https://brandessenceresearch.com/Checkout?report_id=280 Bargaining Power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers in this market is relatively high. Buyers, including healthcare providers and individual patients, have access to a wide range of insulin delivery devices and can compare features, prices, and performance. This puts pressure on manufacturers to offer competitive pricing, innovative features, and strong customer support to retain and attract buyers. Threat of Substitute Products: The threat of substitute products is relatively low. Insulin delivery devices are essential for individuals with diabetes who require insulin therapy. While alternative methods of insulin delivery, such as traditional syringes or insulin pumps, exist, the market for insulin delivery devices remains strong due to their convenience, accuracy, and improved patient experience. Competitive Rivalry: The competitive rivalry in this market is high. Numerous companies, including established medical device manufacturers and specialized diabetes care companies, compete for market share. Differentiated product offerings, technological advancements, pricing strategies, brand reputation, and regulatory compliance are key factors influencing the intensity of competition in the market. 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Brandessence Market Research publishes market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations and Ph.D. Students. We have a delivery center in?Pune, India?and our sales office is in?London. Follow Us:?LinkedIn Contact: Mr.?Vishal Sawant? Email:?vishal@brandessenceresearch.com Email:?Sales@brandessenceresearch.com Corporate Sales:?+44-2038074155? Asia Office:?+917447409162 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1392316/4254672/BEMR_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/insulin-pump-market-size-is-expected-to-reach-usd-12-18-billion-by-2028--with-a-13-64-cagr-by-2028--brandessence-market-research-301937101.html DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Nihao! China - Sichuan, More Than Pandas" Sichuan Culture and Tourism Promotion Conference was held at the Dubai World Trade Center, On Sept 18. The conference is co-hosted by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Sichuan Airlines, and supported by the China Cultural Center in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East International Exhibition Group. Liu Yang, director of the China Cultural Center in the UAE, said in his speech that the tourism resources of China and the UAE are very different and highly complementary, and there are broad prospects for tourism cooperation. He hopes the conference provide industries in the UAE with a panoramic view of the latest offerings and opportunities in Sichuan's burgeoning cultural and tourism markets. Yan Sashuang, deputy director general of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, promoted Sichuan's five natural and cultural heritage sites, including the Sichuan Giant Panda Habitat and Jiuzhaigou Valley, as well as Sichuan cultural tourism products such as Sanxingdui and Sichuan cuisine. "The direct flights between Dubai and Sichuan make travel between the two regions a breeze. UAE tourists can benefit from visa-free policies when visiting Sichuan. We cordially invite UAE tourists to immerse yourselves in the vibrant cultural tapestry and unique tourism charms that Sichuan has to offer," She said. Wang Hailin, President and Founder of the Middle East International Exhibition Group, said both Sichuan and Dubai boast dynamic cultural and tourism industries which not only drive economic growth but also serve as vital bridges for communication. He voiced his expectation for a broad and fruitful future collaboration between the two sides. "Sichuan, celebrated for its hotpot and pandas, stands out as one of China's most renowned tourist destinations, boasting a wealth of attractions," said Dr. Tarig Ahmed Nizami, founder and CEO of the CEO Clubs Network Worldwide. He also shared plans to arrange trips for member of the CEO Club to immerse in Sichuan's scenic splendors and savor its culinary delights. The Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism also displayed Sichuan cultural tourism brand resources through photo exhibitions, lottery interactions, and the release of special route products. After the promotion conference, representatives from the culture and tourism industry in Sichuan and Dubai held exchanges and discussions. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2219569/Sichuan_Culture_and_Tourism_Promotion_Conference_held_in_Dubai.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sichuan-culture-and-tourism-promotion-conference-held-in-dubai-301937165.html Stockholm, Sweden--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2023) - Eureka Partners, a European-based native crypto fund comprised of seasoned investors and entrepreneurs who have been at the forefront of the cryptocurrency industry since its early days, is pleased to announce a substantial investment of $40 million from Nordic Venture Innovations AB, a prominent Nordic family office. This strategic investment represents a significant milestone in Eureka Partners' journey and will expedite its growth within the blockchain and cryptocurrency domains, providing additional resources and support for future innovation and ecosystem development. Eureka Partners distinguishes itself with a youthful and dynamic team, a group of individuals primed to adapt swiftly to the rapidly evolving crypto landscape. This team brings fresh perspectives, innovative thinking, and a proactive work ethic to the table, enabling them to identify and comprehend emerging technologies and market trends with precision. Proudly, the team at Eureka Partners consists of true crypto natives-individuals who have been deeply immersed in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space since its inception. This inherent understanding of blockchain technology's intricacies and its potential applications equips the firm to conduct comprehensive project analyses and offer robust support to crypto entrepreneurs. Eureka Partners fosters an ethos of open-mindedness and innovation, challenging conventional paradigms and exploring novel solutions. The team's disposition enables them to effectively navigate market uncertainties and seize innovative opportunities, making them a driving force within the industry. Diana, Managing Partner of Eureka Partners, provided her perspective on the company's philosophy and approach: "In the fast-paced crypto realm, speed and innovation are paramount. Our team is brimming with energy, constantly seeking new opportunities, exploring uncharted territories, and tirelessly advancing the development of cryptographic technology. What sets us apart is our unique investment strategy, which revolves around anticipating future technological trends, particularly within the Web3 infrastructure. We believe this will profoundly reshape the financial and internet landscapes. " Importantly, she further emphasized, "We recognize the pivotal role of marketing specialists in this transformation. As a former marketing agency turned Corporate Venture Capital firm, we understand the critical importance of marketing to our investment portfolio's success. We are committed to offering substantial marketing support to our investment portfolio in the future, recognizing its central role in driving value. We believe that by integrating marketing expertise with our crypto-native knowledge, we can empower projects to thrive." This substantial investment from Nordic Venture Innovations AB is a resounding vote of confidence in Eureka Partners' vision and capabilities. With a youthful and dynamic team, a commitment to open-minded thinking, and a unique investment strategy that focuses on anticipation, partnership, and empowerment, Eureka Partners is poised to continue leading the way in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. For more information about Eureka Partners and their innovative approach, please visit their official website at https://www.eurekapartners.xyz/. About Eureka Partners Eureka Partners is a European-based native crypto fund founded by a group of seasoned investors and entrepreneurs who entered the crypto industry early. Beyond traditional investment, Eureka Partners provides incubation, marketing, and talent acquisition services, forging deep collaborative partnerships with crypto projects. Their youthful and innovative team, deep crypto-native knowledge, and open-minded approach set them apart in the blockchain and crypto landscape. Media Contact: Diana Zhu diana@eurekaprtners.xyz About Nordic Venture Innovations AB Nordic Venture Innovations AB is a prominent family office based in Northern Europe, known for its strategic investments in innovative ventures across various industries. Media Contact: Sara Nilsson business@nordicventure.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/181651 Elliptic Labs (OSE: ELABS), a global AI software platform company and the world leader in AI Virtual Smart Sensors currently deployed in over 500 million devices, is announcing the launch of its AI Virtual Proximity Sensor INNER BEAUTY with Transsion's Tecno Phantom V Flip smartphone. Transsion, the world's fifth largest smartphone maker in the world, is releasing the Tecno Phantom V Flip smartphone for the global market. Elliptic Labs' partner MediaTek is driving the Phantom V Flip with its Dimensity 8050 chipset. The contract for this launch was previously announced by Elliptic Labs. "Elliptic Labs' AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform is fast becoming the choice of the largest smartphone makers for their newest foldable smartphone designs," said Laila Danielsen, CEO of Elliptic Labs. "Elliptic Labs continues our technological leadership in AI, ultrasound, and sensor-fusion all software-based in driving innovation for leading OEMs. Working with Transsion, the fifth largest smartphone maker in the world, demonstrates that the best smartphone OEMs seek out Elliptic Labs to empower their devices to be greener, smarter, and more human-friendly." AI Virtual Proximity Sensor INNER BEAUTY Elliptic Labs' AI Virtual Proximity Sensor detects when a user holds their phone up to their ear during a call, allowing the smartphone to turn off its display and disable its screen's touch functionality. This keeps the user's ear or cheek from triggering unwanted actions during the call, such as hanging up or dialing numbers. Turning off the screen also helps conserve battery life. Proximity detection is a core capability that is used in all smartphones, but Elliptic Labs' AI Virtual Proximity Sensor is a unique, software-only solution that delivers robust proximity detection without the need for a dedicated hardware sensor. By replacing hardware sensors with software sensors, the AI Virtual Proximity Sensor reduces device cost and eliminates sourcing risk. INNER BEAUTY is a registered trademark of Elliptic Labs. AI Virtual Smart Sensor, AI Virtual Proximity Sensor, and AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform are trademarks of Elliptic Labs. All other trademarks or service markets are the responsibility of their respective organizations. About Elliptic Labs Elliptic Labs is a global enterprise targeting the smartphone, laptop, IoT, and automotive markets. Founded in 2006 as a research spin-off from Norway's Oslo University, the company's patented software uses AI, ultrasound and sensor fusion to deliver intuitive 3D gesture, proximity-, presence-, breathing- and heartbeat-detection experiences. Its scalable AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform creates software-only sensors that are sustainable, human-friendly and already deployed in hundreds of millions of devices around the world. Elliptic Labs is the only software company that has delivered detection capabilities using AI software, ultrasound, and sensor fusion deployed at scale. The company joined the Oslo Brs main listing in March 2022. Elliptic Labs is headquartered in Norway with presence in the USA, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Its technology and IP are developed in Norway and are solely owned by the company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924075261/en/ Contacts: PR Contact: Patrick Tsui pr@ellipticlabs.com Investor Relations: Lars Holmy Lars.Holmoy@ellipticlabs.com A major new academic study identifies four geographic hubs of illicit trade for organized crime and specifies how each of the hotspots shares a permissive environment for criminals and enablers to thrive. In identifying the locations and the lax regulation and governance gaps that create the illicit trade zones, researchers say law enforcement and policymakers can take action to curtail the massive human, economic, societal, and security harms across the world. The study, Smugglers' Paradises in the Global Economy: Growing Threats of Hubs of Illicit Trade to Security and Sustainable Development, and its alarming findings are announced at the IP Crime Conference organized by Interpol in Oslo on Monday, September 25. A copy of the report can be found on the Hubs of Illicit Trade page. "This study underscores the critical need for governments and the private sector to prioritize the fight against illicit activities and to crackdown on organized crime within their Free Trade Zones and other hotspots," said Hubs of Illicit Trade project director Louise Shelley, University Professor at George Mason University. Shelley is also director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at Mason's Schar School of Policy and Government and the Anti-Illicit Trade Institute (AITI) which participated in the project. Former U.S. diplomat David M. Luna, codirector of the AITI at TraCCC, said of the report, "Our mission is to advance robust international cooperation, not only with European institutions and inter-governmental organizations but also with national law enforcement authorities. An important step in this direction is to strengthen the policing of Free Trade Zones and foster effective cross-border law enforcement and judicial actions, including participation in diplomatic fora, such as the one today [in Oslo], the upcoming global tobacco control meetings (MOP3) in Panama, or the April 2024 OECD Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade." The study reveals that four global hubs South America (the Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay tri-border area), Central America (Panama, Guatemala, and Belize), the Middle East (Dubai), and Eastern Europe (Ukraine)-share an enabling environment that fuels illicit trade, facilitated by regulatory laxity, and are points of convergence for different types of criminality, such as corruption, money laundering, and other security threats that contribute to the movement of illicit goods and contraband in Europe and the U.S., amongst others. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924730428/en/ Contacts: For more information: Judith Deane jdeane@gmu.edu or Dr. Yulia Krylova ykrylova@gmu.edu The Trustee to No Va Land's USD300m convertible bonds, Bank of NY Mellon, has already issued multiple Event of Default notices, most recently related to the missed coupon payment on the USD 300m convertible bonds due 16 July 2023 An Ad Hoc Group of international bondholders, holding over 75% of No Va Land's USD 300m convertible bonds is in a position to direct an acceleration notice at short notice if No Va Land fails to negotiate restructuring in good faith No Va Land's prioritisation of local investors and sidelining of international bondholders is damaging international investors' confidence in Vietnam To avoid issuance of an acceleration notice, No Va Land Investment Group Corp. must engage with an Ad Hoc Group of international bondholders, comprising investors with a combined AUM in excess of USD15bn, holding over 75% of USD 300m convertible bonds, to negotiate a restructuring agreement in good faith. An acceleration notice would have a spiralling effect on other stakeholders; if unsecured creditors accelerate the debt to step to the front of the line, more senior (secured) creditors will likely accelerate, derailing the entire restructuring process underway with onshore creditors, risking bankruptcy. Furthermore, equity could be zeroed out, ceding control of the company to creditors. The Trustee to No Va Land's USD 300m convertible bonds, Bank of NY Mellon, has already issued multiple Event of Default notices, most recently on 17 July 2023, related to the missed coupon payment due 16 July 2023. Despite a process to negotiate a consensual restructuring in the wake of a forbearance agreement having been attempted, the Board of No Va Land has refused to engage with the group in good faith. The case has implications for other Vietnamese conglomerates with debt trading at stressed levels and refinancing concerns. This is the first restructuring in the context of the Vietnam 2035 vision and government attempts to capitalise on the growing China 1 strategy. The stalling of No Va Land's restructuring almost certainly creates issues for other companies which are critical to the Vietnamese economy. This would seem entirely unsatisfactory for the government's plans to achieve its ambitious GDP growth in 2H 2023, which will be reliant on foreign investment after GDP growth significantly slowed, to 3.7% in 1H 2023, from 8% in 2022. The Ad Hoc Group, whose members have been significant investors in Vietnam over many years, are highly concerned about the prioritisation of onshore creditors over international investors. A failure to reach an agreement is significantly impacting Vietnam's standing in the international financial market and damaging investor confidence in the country. A bondholder said: "As long term and significant investors in Vietnam, we urge the Board of No Va Land to engage with us to reach a consensual agreement, rather than refusing to countenance serious negotiations. This is for the good of the company, its stakeholders and Vietnam's standing among international investors. No Va Land's proposal further erodes our confidence in the process, forcing us to consider an acceleration notice which would negatively impact creditors and likely wipe out equity. By negotiating with onshore investors while blatantly sidelining international investors, No Va Land is projecting the message that global investors will not be supported but overlooked in a default, which is not conducive to encouraging the FDI Vietnam needs to capitalise on the growing China 1 investment strategy." European business confidence in Vietnam dropped 4.5 points in Q2 2023, its lowest level in over a decade (excluding the Covid pandemic) and worse than during the Vietnam banking crisis of 2012, according to a report by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam. The number of businesses who plan no increase in FDI in Vietnam rose c.4% QoQ to 40%. The top two obstacles cited to doing business are unclear rules and regulations and administrative issues and difficulties. Continued Foreign Direct Investments into Vietnam are required to support the rapid capital expenditure to scale domestic infrastructure spending and this all needs to be underpinned by a functioning restructuring regime. Notes to Editors: About the Ad Hoc Group The Ad Hoc Group is a group of funds managed by international institutional investors. The group manages a combined AUM in excess of USD 15bn. The Ad Hoc group of creditors holds over 75% of No Va Land's US$300m convertible bonds, due 2026. About No Va Land Investment Group Corp No Va Land is a Vietnamese developer active in residential property and luxury resorts. Founded in 2007, it is listed on the Singapore stock exchange. The company has been hit by a liquidity crisis in the Vietnamese real estate sector. In May this year, No Va Land delayed payments on a VND 1 trillion ($42.6 m) bond that matured on 18 May. Then in June, two board members, brought in as part of the restructuring process, both formerly senior leaders at state-owned Gelex Group, stepped down less than a month after their appointment, Ms. Do Thi Phuong Lan and Mr. Nguyen Tran Dang Phuoc. Then on 16 July the company did not make the interest payment on notes due, to allow the company to maintain sufficient cash for ongoing operations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924901706/en/ Contacts: Camarco Julia Tilley (Partner): julia.tilley@camarco.co.uk +44 7586 722 849 Amrith Uppuluri (Senior Consultant): amrith.uppuluri@camarco.co.uk +44 7763 083 058 Ed Gascoigne-Pees (Partner): ed.gascoigne-pees@camarco.co.uk +44 7884 001 949 France's art market professionals will be extremely relieved by this news. The French government has decided to maintain the VAT rate at 5.5% for initial sales and imports of artworks from countries outside the European Union, proof that the two French Ministers, (Rima Abdul Malak for culture and Bruno Le Maire for the economy) succeeded in making their case against strong headwinds from Brussels. [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2023/09/image1-Rima-Abdul-Malak-Culture-Bruno-Lemaire-Economy-Finance.jpg ] On the left, Rima Abdul Malak, Minister of Culture On the right, Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial & Digital Sovereignty copyright Shutterstock If they had failed, there was a high risk that VAT would be raised to 20% before 1 January 2025, which would undoubtedly have broken the dynamics of the French art market, now the fourth largest national art market in the world according to Artprice.com by Artmarket. Over recent years France has been accumulating a number of very positive signals for the re-emergence of its art market. These include the presence of large private foundations such as the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the Pinault Collection, the replacement of the FIAC with Paris+ (organized by Art Basel), the arrival and/or expansion of major international galleries such as the Gagosian, Zwirner, Skarstedt, Max Hetzler, Thaddaeus Ropac, Continua, Marian Goodman, and Bonhams' recent acquisition of the French auction house Cornette de Saint Cyr, not to mention the rise of the two major global auction houses, Christie's and Sotheby's, both owned by French business tycoons (Francois Pinault and Patrick Drahirespectively), and, the successful transformation of Drouot, and Arcurial (Dassault family), France's leading auction house in terms of turnover which now ranks 14th among the world's top 20 auction houses. Since Brexit, the French art market has been the main beneficiary being the main gateway to the European Union. A VAT rate hike to 20% would have a negative impact not just on artists, antique dealers, art dealers, and auction houses, but also on the entire art market ecosystem which includes tens of thousands of people employed in related fields ranging from frame-building to journalism, from restoration to transport, from logistics to security and from tourism to insurance. In March 2023 the Parisian gallery owner Kamel Mennour told the Le Monde newspaper (interview by Harry Bellet) "If the increase makes it difficult for me to sell their works, I will obviously be less inclined to sign new artists". Now that the VAT has been maintained at 5.5%, Kamel Mennour can breathe a sigh of relief... Artprice.com by Artmarket congratulates the government's decision. VAT at 20% would have harmed the art market in France as a whole, and, as a result, would have damaged the confidence and dynamism of Artprice.com by Artmarket's French clientele. Incidentally - as the World Leader in Art Market Information for more than 25 years - Artprice notes that its French clients, who represented less than 5% of their total clientele a few years ago, now represent more than 10% (see Artmarket.com's universal reference document registered with the AMF, France's Financial Markets Authority), showing that French collector participation has doubled. The reduced VAT rate of 5.5% will therefore continue to apply as of 2025 to initial sales as well as to imports of artworks from outside the EU. The rate will apply to the total price and not just to the margin, which will penalize low-margin sales very slightly. "A VAT rate at 20% would, for example, prevents the return to our country of Impressionist paintings or even masterpieces of Modern art by the likes of Picasso, Matisse and Manet, which are no longer in France although they were created in France and are adored by French collectors. Art is not a common consumer good: a State is enriched by its imports as well as the production of its 'home-grown' artists. Inversely, the departure en masse of its national treasures has an impoverishing impact on the State that loses them." This idea was expressed with courage by journalist Martine Robert who became the 'whistleblower' for this cause for the French economics newspaper Les Echos in February 2023. thierry Ehrmann - founder of Artprice and CEO of Artmarket.com and himself a sculptor (see his biography in Who's Who In France ) - made the following observation: "This decision by the government will ensure that the dynamism of the French Art Market is not disrupted. We can only rejoice at this courageous decision by our Ministers Rima Abdul Malak and Bruno Le Maire. Artprice.com by Artmarket has worked for more than 25 years with all the players in the French art market, and it knows how much the VAT rate can impact the good performance of the art market. As a sculptor, I have been passionately following artistic creation in France for 40 years, and it is once again resonating around the world. This move will give substantial reassurance to French artists." Faced with an increasingly globalized art market, France remains a strong and competitive market. Geographical distribution of Fine Art auction turnover in H1 2023 [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2023/09/image2-geographical-distribution-fine-art-auction-turnover-H1-2023.png ] France's place in the global and European art market In the first half of 2023, French auction houses sold 54,000 fine art lots, generating a total turnover of $384.3 million. Artprice.com 's econometrics department has calculated that France therefore accounts for 5.9% of the overall value of global art auction sales, (giving it 4th place in the world) and 50% of the European art market. And it is creeping ever closer to the Top 3 podium. Several other European Union countries also play significant roles in the global art market, albeit on smaller scales: Germany (2.8% of global art auction turnover), Italy (1.5 %), Switzerland (1.3%), Austria (0.8%), Poland (0.6%), Belgium (0.6%). Much less centralized than France, the German market is the strongest neighboring country, and Sotheby's has recently launched new sales sessions in Cologne. Read Artprice by Artmarket reports on the art market: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2022 Competition with the United Kingdom Despite Brexit, the United Kingdom still accounts for 17% of global art auction turnover with 5% VAT. The competition between London and Paris is particularly palpable every year in October. In a few weeks, Frieze London and Paris+ by Art Basel will take place in short succession. For the first time ever, the latter will be hunting on an equal footing with the Frieze, thanks to the power of Art Basel. In all, October is an intense period with the most prestigious galleries deciding whether or not to make the trip across the Channel. It is also a key time with auction houses hosting major sales and several organizations choosing to make major announcements to the world press. The Marcel Duchamp prize, for example, is awarded every October by the ADIAF (of which Artprice.com by Artmarket is a patron) to an artist from the French art scene at the Pompidou Center in Paris. According to Artprice.com 's econometrics department, in 1960, France's share of the global art market was 62%. The old stock market adage "a price once attained always comes back sooner or later," also works in economics... More than 23 years ago, when Artprice definitively became the World Leader in Art Market Information following the spectacular and unexpected acquisition of the American leader Sound View Press NY, there was a widely held belief in financial and economic circles that Artprice's head office would inevitably migrate to its New York offices. The decision to stay in France was indeed a daring one. Today, France can rest assured that the World Leader in Art Market Information, Artprice.com by Artmarket, will remain in France. Images: [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2023/09/image1-Rima-Abdul-Malak-Culture-Bruno-Lemaire-Economy-Finance.jpg ] [ https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2023/09/image2-geographical-distribution-fine-art-auction-turnover-H1-2023.png ] Copyright 1987-2023 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com Don't hesitate to c ontact our E conometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: econometrics@artprice.com Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artmarket: Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987. See certified biography in Who's who : https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2023/04/2023_2_Biographie-thierry-Ehrmann_WhosWhoInFrance.pdf Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 817,000 artists. Artprice by Artmarket, the world leader in information on the art market, has set itself the ambition through its Global Standardized Marketplace to be the world's leading Fine Art NFT platform. Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians. Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 7200 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 7.2 million ('members log in'+social media) users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code). Artmarket, with its Artprice department, has twice been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI), which has supported the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the art market. Artprice by Artmarket's Global Art Market Report, "The Art Market in 2022", published in March 2023: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2022 Artprice releases its 2022 Ultra-Contemporary Art Market Report: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2022 Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department: https://serveur.serveur.com/artmarket/press-release/en/ Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 6.3 million followers) twitter.com/artmarketdotcom twitter.com/artpricedotcom Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013 La Demeure du Chaos / Abode of Chaos GESAMTKUNSTWERK & SINGULAR ACRHITECTURE Confidential bilingual work now public: https://ftp1.serveur.com/abodeofchaos_singular_architecture.pdf L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 (over 4 million followers) https://vimeo.com/124643720 Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department - Contact: ir@artmarket.com ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: nG+eYJaZZJidnmudaZZmbZZnm2xpyGPHm2eYl5KblMzImZqVnWiUbp2YZnFinmZr - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-81915-artmarket-com-france-obtains-the-maintenance-of-vat-at-the-reduced-rate-of-5point5-percent-on-the-art-market-major-victory-according-to-artprice-en.pdf EQS-News: PlusPlus Capital Financial S.a.r.l. / Key word(s): Bond PlusPlus progresses in raising funds and plans voluntary buyback program following adjourned bondholders' meeting 25.09.2023 / 11:00 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. PlusPlus progresses in raising funds and plans voluntary buyback program following adjourned bondholders' meeting Tallinn, Estonia, 25 September 2023. PlusPlus Capital ("PPC"), a leading Pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management group, intends to use the funds it is currently successfully raising in particular for a voluntary buyback program for its EUR 2022/2026 bonds following the adjourned Bondholders' Meeting on 26 September 2023. In addition, taking advantage of current favorable market conditions, part of the funds are to be used to actively purchase new portfolios that will generate cash flow to service and ultimately redeem the remaining bonds at maturity in 2026. The combination of the two uses of funds offers bondholders the opportunity to redeem their positions early at a discount in 2023 or hold them to maturity while allowing the Company to resolve liquidity issues PlusPlus has faced since the market turmoil in 2022. PlusPlus recommends that the bondholders decide against the termination of the Bonds and the enforcement of the Guarantees and the Transaction Security Documents in the adjourned bondholders meeting. Prior to this, the bondholders' meeting originally scheduled for 29 August 2023 did not take place as the required quorum was not reached. However, PlusPlus notes that 81 percent of the votes cast were in favor of the Company's proposals. All the necessary documents for the voting are available on the website of PlusPlus Capital: https://pluspluscapital.eu/investor-relations/reports-and-presentations/ Contact: PlusPlus Capital AS Kaarel Raik, Member of the Management Board Email: kaarel.raik@plusplus.ee Phone: +372 56 606 148 About PlusPlus Capital: PlusPlus is a pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management company with offices in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Helsinki. The Company acquires overdue loans and other non-performing exposures from financial institutions and non-financial sector merchants. With its core competence in handling claims against private individuals, PlusPlus prefers diversified portfolios balanced by geography, portfolio type, and other metrics. Since its inception in 2010, PlusPlus has bought over 120 thousand claims with nominal value of approximately EUR 300 million. The Company offers its clients affordable recovery solutions and aims to avoid litigious scenarios. In doing so, PlusPlus pursues win-win solutions that allow sellers to focus on their core business, provide affordable solutions for borrowers, and ensure adequate returns for investors. PlusPlus is a transparent and socially responsible company set to assist people in resolving problems connected with their insufficient solvency. The ambition of PlusPlus is to increase its market share and further strengthen its position as a leading player in its regional market. pluspluscapital.eu 25.09.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2023) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (OTCQB: PVGDF) (the "Company" or "Provenance") is pleased to announce that it has closed its oversubscribed non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") consisting of 15,517,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,241,360. Rauno Perttu, CEO of Provenance states, "Having such strong support from our current and new shareholders speaks to the strength of our properties. We are extremely pleased with the initial results of our exploration program this summer at Eldorado. We look forward to continuing work on the property this fall. Our initial drill program supported the historic drilling and discovered a new thick strongly mineralized zone below the historic drilling with further results pending. Our goal, despite the less than favorable current market conditions, is to provide solid, tangible in-ground advancements. We also believe the gold market will strengthen in the months ahead, with world-wide shrinking reserves, few new discoveries and growing demand." Each Unit issued in the Offering consists of one common share in capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.12 per Common Share until September 22, 2026. All securities issued in connection with the private placement are subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws until January 23, 2024. In connection with the Offering, the Company has paid finders' fees of $3,360 to an arms-length brokerage firm in consideration for the introduction of subscribers. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for drilling and exploration on its Eldorado Project and for general working capital. About Provenance Gold Corp. Provenance Gold is a precious metals exploration company with a focus on gold and silver mineralization within North America. The Company currently holds interests in Nevada and eastern Oregon, USA. For further information please visit the Company's website at https://provenancegold.com or contact Rob Clark at rclark@provenancegold.com. On behalf of the Board, Provenance Gold Corp. Rauno Perttu, Chief Executive Officer Safe Harbor Statement: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/181636 In diesem Report stellen wir Ihnen 3 Top-Aktien aus dem Energie-Sektor vor, die Sie unbedingt auf Ihre Watchlist setzen mussen. Lassen Sie sich diese kostenlose Analyse nicht entgehen! Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The acquisition of multi-kilogram GMP and fill-finish capabilities enables the support of all phases of the product life cycle from discovery to commercialisation. Biosynth, a supplier of critical materials to the life science industry, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Pepceuticals, a UK producer of synthetic peptides with multi-kilogram GMP facilities and fill-finish capabilities designed to support customers from clinical trials to commercial supply. Dr. Urs Spitz, CEO and President of Biosynth, commented, "We are very excited for Pepceuticals to be joining Biosynth. The Pepceuticals team has great expertise in optimizing the production of peptides and working at GMP and larger scales, making it a natural fit for Biosynth as we round out our peptide offering." Ehab Alramahy, Senior Vice President, Head of Peptide Division, added "The acquisition of Pepceuticals into the Biosynth family strengthens our position in the peptide field. As we've built the peptide division, our goal has always been to offer a seamless, comprehensive service to our customers. The acquisition represents an important step which allows us to extend our support to clinical trials and commercial supply." "Joining the Biosynth Group marks the start of an exciting chapter for our team." Dr. Kamal Badiani, Managing Director of Pepceuticals, states, "We look forward to working together, combining our expertise and enhancing our offering to our customers. We are excited to join Biosynth and provide leading peptide manufacturing services." About Biosynth Biosynth is a supplier of critical materials, securing life science supply chains with global research, manufacturing, and distribution facilities. Supplying the pharmaceutical and diagnostic sectors; where Chemistry meets Biology, Products meet Services and Innovation meets Quality, Biosynth is at the Edge of Innovation. With an unrivaled research product portfolio of over a million products and end-to-end manufacturing services, Biosynth's expertise and capability spans Complex Chemicals, Peptides, and Key Biologics, all from one trusted partner. Headquartered in Staad, Switzerland, Biosynth is owned amongst others by KKR, Ampersand Capital Partners, and management. Find out more about Biosynth at www.biosynth.com. About Pepceuticals Pepceuticals is a specialist British manufacturer of synthetic peptides, dedicated to supplying the Life Science industry with high-quality custom peptides. Pepceuticals has developed novel technologies that allow the preparation of complex peptide molecules. Operating from a purpose-built manufacturing facility, the highly qualified team provide a comprehensive drug development program to support all aspects of peptide manufacture. This includes delivery of peptides manufactured under cGMP from milligram to kilogram quantities. Pepceuticals is certified by the MHRA for GMP API and MIA (IMP). https://www.pepceuticals.co.uk View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230925401813/en/ Contacts: Biosynth Alannah Wheeler +44 7984 525560 marketing@biosynth.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / Pulsar Helium Inc. (TSXV:PLSR)(FRA:3YK) ("Pulsar" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with Capstar Drilling, Inc ("Capstar") for the provision of drilling services at the Topaz helium project in Minnesota, USA. Capstar will provide rig #314, a 6000 Elenburg Manufacturing trailer-mounted drilling rig to drill the appraisal well at Topaz. The program is for one well, with the option to drill a second at the Company's discretion. The appraisal well is to be named Jetstream #1 and is scheduled to commence on, or about December 10, 2023. Jetstream #1 will be drilled to a vertical depth of 2,200 feet (671 meters) and the collar location is anticipated to be within 65 feet (20 meters) of the original discovery well, LOD-6, that flowed 10.5% helium. The hole will be rigged up with a 3000 PSI blowout preventor and the well will be drilled with an 8.5" polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit to intermediate casing depth. Following the intermediate casing run, the reservoir interval will be drilled with a 6.25" PDC bit to total depth (TD). During drilling, a gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer will be on location to provide real-time gas composition measurements including helium concentration. On reaching TD, an open-hole logging suite will be acquired to evaluate the reservoir zone for the next phase of evaluation. Permits from Federal, State, and Local Government entities required for drilling activities are in place with final approval having been granted in early September. Preliminary civil works were conducted in March and final access and drill-site civil works are expected be completed by mid-November. The drill location is on private mineral rights for which Pulsar has an exclusive lease for non-hydrocarbon gases, in addition, the Company has agreed upon terms to acquire the surface rights. Pulsar's President & CEO, Thomas Abraham-James commented: "The signing of the drilling contract for the appraisal well at our flagship Topaz helium project is a significant milestone. Now the countdown to realizing Topaz's potential begins. I am proud of our team's efforts to adhere to the aggressive work program we set ourselves, including the seismic survey which is currently underway. As a company that listed on the TSXV only last month, we will continue to provide consistent news flow for our investors." About Pulsar Helium Inc. Pulsar Helium Inc. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange with the ticker PLSR. It is dedicated to defining and developing primary helium assets. Its portfolio consists of the Topaz helium project in Minnesota, USA and the Tunu helium project in Greenland. Pulsar is the first mover in both locations with primary helium occurrences identified at each. Topaz is the Company's flagship, having been drilled and flowing a remarkably high helium concentration of 10.5%. For further information visit https://pulsarhelium.com and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) https://twitter.com/pulsarhelium?lang=en and LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/company/pulsar-helium-inc. On behalf Pulsar Helium Inc. "Thomas Abraham-James" President, CEO and Director Further Information: Thomas Abraham-James President, CEO and Director Pulsar Helium Inc. connect@pulsarhelium.com + 1 (604) 599-0310 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to the Company's current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result", "are expected to", "expects", "will continue", "is anticipated", "anticipates", "believes", "estimated", "intends", "plans", "forecast", "projection", "strategy", "objective" and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the anticipated drill date of Jetstream #1, the cost to drill Jetstream #1 may be higher than expected, the prospective nature of the Topaz area, achievement of the Company's business objectives going forward and other statements that are not historical facts. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to Pulsar may be unsuccessful in drilling commercially productive wells; drill costs may be higher than estimates; delays in the commencement of drilling, and other factors set forth under "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Market and Industry Data" and "Risk Factors" in the Final Prospectus. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them, or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. SOURCE: Pulsar Helium Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/786863/pulsar-signs-drill-rig-contract-for-appraisal-well-at-the-topaz-helium-project Oslo, Norway, 25 September 2023 - IDEX Biometrics has appointed John T. Kurtzweil as Chief Financial Officer effective today. Mr. Kurtzweil is a highly accomplished financial executive. He joins IDEX Biometrics after having served as CFO at Metabolon, a US life science company, where he was pivotal in revitalizing the company. Prior to Metabolon, he has served as CFO for leading technology companies such as CREE, Cirrus Logic and ON Semiconductor where he had key roles in finance operations at large, and leading strategic planning as well as mergers and acquisitions, growing shareholder value. Mr. Kurtzweil succeeds Eileen Wynne who has been Interim CFO in IDEX Biometrics since August 2022. Ms. Wynne will continue as a consultant during a transition period. Vince Graziani, Chief Executive Officer of IDEX Biometrics, comments: "We welcome John Kurtzweil to our global executive team. His broad experience from global technology companies will be extremely valuable to us as we continue to accelerate commercialization and revenue growth. I would also like to thank Eileen Wynne for her excellent contributions during her tenure and for ensuring a smooth transition to John." For further information contact: Marianne Be, Head of Investor Relations E-mail: marianne.boe@idexbiometrics.com Tel: + 47 918 00186 About IDEX Biometrics IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a leading provider of fingerprint identification technologies offering simple, secure, and personal authentication for all. We help people make payments, prove their identity, gain access to information or unlock devices with the touch of a finger. We invent, engineer, and commercialize these secure, yet incredibly user-friendly solutions. Our total addressable market represents a fast growing multi-billion-unit opportunity. For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com About this notice This notice was published by Erling Svela, Vice president of finance, on 25 September 2023 at 08:30 CET on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA. The information shall be disclosed according to Euronext Oslo Brs rulebook II section 4.2.4. TRADEMARK STATEMENT IDEX, IDEX Biometrics and the IDEX logo are trademarks owned by IDEX Biometrics ASA. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --Zerion Pharma A/S ("ZERION") today announces that the Company has elected Mr. Carl-Ake Carlsson as its new Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Carlsson brings over three decades of leadership and strategic experience in the pharmaceutical industry and embodies Scandinavian diversity: Born in Norway with Swedish ancestry and having spent over a decade living and working in Denmark. Carl-Ake joins Zerion's Board after 15 years as CEO of Xellia Pharmaceuticals, specializing in anti-infective and critical care treatments. Under his leadership, Xellia transitioned from a Scandinavian entity to a global contender, boasting annual sales to USD 300 million and a robust team of around 1,800 employees. "We are excited to welcome Mr. Carlsson to our leadership team," said Ole Wiborg, CEO of ZERION, and continues: "ZERION stands in front of significant opportunities on the path to commercialise our Dispersome technology platform, and I am convinced that Mr. Carlsson will be able to make a great contribution in both setting and implementing the strategic direction to exploit these opportunities to their maximum." For his part, Mr. Carlsson commented, "I'm excited to join ZERION in this important role. I believe the company's technology holds immense potential, and I'm eager to contribute to the company's growth and innovation." ZERION's Dispersome technology has proven to be very efficient in improving the solubility and bioavailability of small molecule drugs. ZERION has established partnerships with a significant number of large pharmaceutical companies that are exploiting the Dispersome platform for both new chemical entities as well as currently marketed drugs. Some of these partnerships are now proceeding into the clinical phase. Before his tenure at Xellia, Mr. Carlsson held several leadership roles at Alpharma (NYSE:ALO). For a decade, he was integral to the top leadership, overseeing business within pharmaceutical retail, specialty institutional markets, and the extensive global B2B sectors. Mr. Carlsson is also serving at prominent board positions, including the biotech company Vectron Biosolutions and Lecka Alpha Trading LP. About Zerion Pharma A/S ZERION develops its own proprietary drug formulations and offers its Dispersome technology platform to established pharma companies as a means to solve their challenging drug solubility problems. By applying ZERION's technology, the solubility of poorly soluble compounds may be greatly enhanced, which improves their oral bioavailability and thereby therapeutic outcomes for the patients. ZERION was established in 2019 as a spin-out from the University of Copenhagen based on almost a decade of research. For more information, please visit www.zerion.eu or contact: Ole Wiborg, CEO, Mobile: +45 40 96 80 18, E-mail: info@zerion.eu The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/21246/3841239/2316407.pdf Press Release Carl-AISke Carlsson Sep 25 2023 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/zerion-pharma-as-elects-carl-ake-carlsson-as-chairman-of-the-board-301937388.html SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has launched its inaugural Climate Action Plan (CAP), a milestone in the Bank's ongoing commitment to combatting climate change. Designed to guide AIIB's climate ambition from 2024-2030, the CAP brings together the principles governing the Bank's climate financing while identifying crucial action areas that will steer AIIB's investments in support of its Members. The document is a statement of intent to AIIB's Members and partners. The CAP is a compass for crafting climate solutions and directing climate financing. It is a dynamic framework that can evolve to stay pertinent and impactful as the ramifications of climate change intensify. "The Climate Action Plan demonstrates AIIB's ambition to mobilize our capital, capacity and convening power to help our members in their efforts to address climate change," said AIIB President and Chair of the Board Jin Liqun. "AIIB stands by our members in the face of climate challenges ahead. We must work together to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen resilience against the coming wave of extreme weather events, and safeguard the natural capital that makes life on earth possible." The battle against climate change will be decided in Asia, an engine of global economic growth facing heightened vulnerability to climate hazards. Contributing over 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Asia's effectiveness in addressing its unique climate challenges is of paramount importance to the sustainability of societies worldwide. Early action offers the opportunity to bend the emission curve, support a just transition and pave the path toward low-carbon development while avoiding the legacy issues experienced by developed economies. AIIB's CAP outlines four principles: 1. Meeting Differentiated Member Needs for a Just Approach on Climate Finance: AIIB will tailor climate solutions to individual client needs and circumstances, recognizing the diverse impacts of climate change across Asia and the variations in Members' income levels, development pathways and capacities to address climate change. 2. Taking a Holistic Approach: AIIB will focus on solutions that simultaneously mitigate climate change, build resilience, enhance adaptation and offer cobenefits for biodiversity and nature conservation. Viewing nature as infrastructure and integrating nature-based solutions into infrastructure design will enhance climate resilience. 3. Mobilizing Capital: Leveraging AIIB's robust financial position and strengthening financing partnerships to mobilize capital for climate projects. 4. Facilitating Technological Innovation: Promoting innovation for both mitigation and adaptation efforts. AIIB has set ambitious targets, committing to allocate at least 50 percent of its annual financing approvals as climate finance by 2025. In 2022, the bank attained a 56-percent rate. By the second quarter of 2023, the Bank had achieved a cumulative USD 11.75 billion in climate finance and has financed 107 projects with climate components. In 2023, AIIB issued Asia's first adaptation bond, demonstrating its commitment to climate resilience. AIIB now aligns all new investments with the principles of the Paris Agreement as of July 1, 2023. "This document marks one of the many important steps we must collectively take in our pursuit of a sustainable world free from climate havoc and other natural disasters to the greatest extent possible. We are moving forward on the right course, driven by the understanding that our actions today will shape the destiny of generations to come," President Jin concluded. To access AIIB's Climate Action Plan and learn more about the Bank's commitment to climate action, please visit here. About AIIB The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is financing the Infrastructure for Tomorrow-infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in January 2016 and have since grown to 106 approved members worldwide. We are capitalized at USD100 billion and Triple-A-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Collaborating with partners, AIIB meets clients' needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/aiib-unveils-climate-action-plan-reinforces-commitment-to-tackle-climate-change-301937390.html Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States Alamos Gold Inc. (TSX: AGI, NYSE: AGI) participated in the private placement with a subscription for 625,000 units, for aggregate consideration of $140,625 Financing upsized to $1.55 million due to strong investor interest VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT:TSX-V)(OTCQB:AZZTF) ("Aztec" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news releases dated August 8, 2023 and August 29, 2023, the Company has closed the second and final tranche (the "Final Tranche") of its non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), consisting of 2,840,389 units (the "Units") at a price of CAD$0.225 per Unit for gross proceeds of CAD$639,087 under the Final Tranche. Aggregate gross proceeds from both the first tranche and Final Tranche of the Private Placement are approximately CAD$1,550,663. Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company and one half of one transferable common share purchase warrant (the "Warrants"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of CAD$0.30 per share for a period of three years from the date of issuance. The Company paid cash finder's fees and issued finder warrants in connection with a portion of the first tranche of the Private Placement (see Aztec's news release dated August 29, 2023). No fees were payable in connection with the Final Tranche. Simon Dyakowski, Aztec Minerals President & CEO stated, "We are pleased to complete this financing and are grateful for the ongoing support of our existing shareholders and several new shareholders. Notably, Aztec's largest shareholder, Alamos Gold Inc. (TSX: AGI, NYSE: AGI) subscribed for 625,000 Units of the financing, thereby maintaining their equity ownership of approximately 8.8% on an undiluted basis." The CEO participated in the Private Placement and acquired 400,000 Units, which constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company has relied on the exemption from the formal valuation requirement in Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, as the Company's common shares are not listed or quoted on any of the markets enumerated therein. The Company has also relied on the exemption from minority shareholder requirement in Section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the subscription for Units by the insider of the Company does not exceed, in aggregate, 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Private Placement to conduct exploration work on its Cervantes porphyry gold-copper project in Sonora, Mexico, and its Tombstone epithermal gold-silver & CRD silver-lead-zinc-copper-gold project in Arizona, USA, as well as for general corporate purposes and working capital. All securities issued pursuant to the Final Tranche are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the closing date in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. About Aztec Minerals - Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on two emerging discoveries in North America. The Cervantes project is an emerging porphyry gold-copper discovery in Sonora, Mexico. The Tombstone project is an emerging gold-silver discovery with high grade CRD silver-lead-zinc potential in southern Arizona. Aztec's shares trade on the TSX-V stock exchange (symbol AZT) and on the OTCQB (symbol AZZTF). Contact Information - For more information, please contact: Simon Dyakowski, President & CEO, Director Tel: (604) 619-7469 Fax: (604) 685-9744 Email: simon@aztecminerals.com Website: www.aztecminerals.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, the Private Placement and use of proceeds, other statements relating to the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of metals, the ability to achieve its goals, the ability to secure equipment and personnel, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner and that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at sedarplus.ca. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather/climate conditions, equipment failures, access to personnel and equipment, decrease in the price of gold, copper, silver, and other metals, failure to maintain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance, increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law. SOURCE: Aztec Minerals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/787068/aztec-minerals-closes-final-tranche-of-oversubscribed-155-million-private-placement Multinational corporations are an important force in building an open world economy. The matchmaking meeting of multinational companies at the 2023 World Manufacturing Convention (WMC) was held on the afternoon of September 20, in Hefei. This matchmaking meeting resulted in 33 cooperation projects with a total investment of 15.6 billion RMB. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924012832/en/ Production base for high-end light trucks of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., Ltd. (Photo: Business Wire) According to WMC, Volkswagen, Continental, NIO, Corning, Saint-Gobain and other multinational companies continue to expand investment in Anhui; BEA, HSBC, Mizuho, Standard Chartered, Nanyang Commercial Bank and other international financial institutions have successively made deployments in Anhui. More than 4,600 foreign-funded enterprises had taken root in Anhui by the end of 2022, and 89 overseas Forbes Top 500 companies had set up 180 enterprises in Anhui, with foreign-funded enterprises contributing 23% of Anhui's imports and exports. The spotlight of the 2023 WMC was the technological innovation in Anhui: the world's first quantum satellite "Mozi", the world's first commercial "quantum microscope" and many other world records. According to the statistics of WMC, Anhui has 23.7 effective invention patents per 10,000 people. With 121 universities, 7074 scientific research institutions, and 324 vocational schools, Anhui is also rich in innovation resources. Large scientific installations are forming clusters, and the key national laboratories have made plans in Anhui. The construction of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center speeds up, and the Hefei-Wuhu-Bengbu National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone develops rapidly. On average, there are about 11 national high-tech enterprises more every day. WMC also highlighted Anhui's role as an important manufacturing base in China, with all 41 industrial categories, of which 14 industries have a yield value of more than 100 billion RMB, and the yield of home appliances, laptops, and LCD screens is leading in the country. About 4 trillion-level industrial clusters consisting of a new generation of IT, automotive and parts, equipment manufacturing, new materials are being built, of which the "top" automotive industry has gathered 7 finished vehicle factories, more than 1100 parts and components enterprises are above the designated size, the exportation of finished vehicles with independent brands is the highest in China. WMC also acknowledged Anhui's integration into the global supply chain system has been effective in recent years. In the first seven months of 2023, the actual use of foreign capital in Anhui's manufacturing and high-tech industries increased by 33.7% and 68.3% respectively, accounting for 52% and 45.2%. As one of Anhui's various platforms devoting to promote international economic and trade cooperation, WMC works closely with other local institutions, including China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone, 21 national development zones, 7 first-class open ports, 5 comprehensive bonded zones, 11 Anhui's international cooperation industrial parks, 24 national bases of foreign trade transformation and upgrading as well as the "Investment Tour to Anhui", the Haike Commerce Roundtable, and the "Anhui Going Global" FDI attracting operation, which provide a strong support for Anhui's opening up to the outside world. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924012832/en/ Contacts: Yuan Fan Tel: 0086-13552640063 E-mail: 564346447@qq.com The acquisition is another milestone in INNIO's growth strategy and further strengthens INNIO's market position in the U.S. NES-WES is currently one of the leading distributors for Jenbacher solutions globally The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2023 JENBACH, AUSTRIA / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / The INNIO Group (INNIO*) today announced the acquisition of Northeast-Western Energy Systems (NES-WES) from Penn Power Group. NES-WES is a leading power systems integrator in the U.S. With this decision, INNIO continues its successful growth strategy in the U.S. and builds a nationwide offering for new installations and energy services in the U.S. Leading Jenbacher distributor NES-WES is one of the leading distributors for Jenbacher solutions globally. INNIO has been working with NES-WES for the past 20 years to develop the market in North America and established a remarkable local installed base for its Jenbacher product brand. NES-WES has evolved to be the largest distributor for Jenbacher solutions in the U.S. with an experienced management team, a highly skilled workforce, and an industry-leading customer service organization in place. Strong position for continuous growth NES-WES has a large installed base of Jenbacher engines in the 500 kW - 5.0 MW range supported by very strong parts and service capabilities. This provides a strong foundation to build a nation-wide leading distributed energy business, integrating engines, renewable technologies, energy storage systems, standby power systems, microgrids and related services. Through the acquisition, INNIO is in the position to rapidly scale the business and expand its share for firm-hybrid microgrids, peaking power and renewable gas applications. "Building on our successful collaboration with the very experienced Northeast-Western Energy Systems team, we will now be able to further grow our business in North America. Not only can we increase our offering for new installations and related services, but we add outstanding microgrid and project management expertise to our team," said Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of INNIO Group. "I look forward to welcoming the Northeast-Western Energy Systems team to the INNIO Group." Al Clark, President and CEO of NES-WES added: "As the largest distributor for Jenbacher solutions in the U.S., we know the Jenbacher product portfolio and applications extremely well and have experienced significant, increased demand for INNIO's energy solutions first-hand. We have strong in-house capabilities to design, integrate, build, operate and maintain small to large, distributed energy systems, microgrids, balance of plant systems for continuous duty, peaking, and fast start data center applications. Combined with INNIO's immense growth and innovation potential we will be well positioned to expand INNIO's market position in the U.S. We are truly very pleased to join forces and excited about the opportunities of this partnership." The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2023. About INNIO Group INNIO* Group is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With its product brands Jenbacher* and Waukesha* and its digital platform myPlant*, INNIO offers innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. INNIO is individual in scope, but global in scale. With its flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, INNIO enables its customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey. INNIO is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada). A team of more than 4,000 experts provides life-cycle support to INNIO's more than 55,000 delivered engines globally through a service network in more than 100 countries. In March 2023, INNIO's ESG rating ranked first out of more than 500 companies worldwide in the machinery industry assessed by Sustainalytics. For more information, visit INNIO's website at www.innio.com. Follow INNIO Group and its brands on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn. * INNIO, Jenbacher, Waukesha, and myPlant are trademarks of the INNIO Group or one of its affiliates. All other trademarks and company names are the property of their respective owners. About Northeast-Western Energy Systems ("NES-WES"): NES-WES is well established across the U.S. as a leading integrator of Jenbacher clean natural gas Combined Heat and Power, biogas, landfill gas and wood gas to energy solutions. NES-WES has continuously evolved over (20) twenty years to include business development, application-solutions engineering, project engineering, combined with comprehensive parts, service and operating capabilities. NES-WES focuses on integrated Combined Heat and Power, distributed energy, demand response-peaking and data center solutions including microgrids, battery energy storage systems, thermal solutions, carbon sequestration, emissions controls, electric generation, distribution, and control systems. NES-WES is headquartered in Bristol, Pennsylvania with well established operations in Brea, California, and Anchorage, Alaska with further expansion coming soon. For more information about NES-WES visit www.nes-wes.com as well as the LinkedIn page of Northeast-Western Energy Systems. Contact Information Susanne Reichelt INNIO Media Relations susanne.reichelt@innio.com +43 664 80833 2382 SOURCE: INNIO Group View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/787082/innio-group-to-acquire-northeast-western-energy-systems-nes-wes--largest-distributor-for-jenbacher-solutions-in-the-us SANTA CLARA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / Taiwan Tech Summit 2023 was held on September 16th at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley. This international, cross-generational, and cross-industry tech event, themed "Next Vision," brought together over 100 American industry associations, attracting thousands of in-person participants and tens of thousands online attendees. Distinguished speakers at the event included Wally Liaw, Senior Vice President and Co-Founder of Supermicro, Vivian Lien, Vice President and General Manager of Intel's CCG, and Shih-Chia Hsiao, Founder and CEO of Acepodia, Inc. Taiwan Tech Summit 2023 Organizers and VIP Photo. (Provided by Taiwan Tech Summit) Katie Hsieh, the Chair of the Taiwan Tech Summit, said that the "Next Vision" event aimed to create more opportunities for networking and connections through innovative trend forums, Taiwan Demo Day, professional networking events, career workshops, and various themed areas to promote the growth and development of Taiwanese individuals in the USA market. David Weng, CEO of Taiwania Capital and the chair of the advisory board, said that in the face of global supply chain restructuring and the AI wave, he hopes to create opportunities for cooperation between Silicon Valley professionals and experts through the Taiwan Tech Summit. This will strengthen the connection between Taiwan and Silicon Valley, helping Taiwan to become a "Silicon Valley of Asia." Vice President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan also expressed his support for the Taiwan Tech Summit, highlighting that the connection between Taiwan and Silicon Valley extends beyond the industry to shared values and innovative spirit. Furthermore, Ming-Chi Lai, Director of the San Francisco Economic and Cultural Office, Ming-Hsin Kung, Chairman of the National Development Council, and David Weng, CEO of Taiwania Capital, all voiced their support for the event in their speeches. This year's Taiwan Tech Summit featured a rich program divided into four major sections: Innovation Forums, Taiwan Demo Day, Career Expo, and Networking Events. The forum theme was primarily divided into AI & Data Science, Biotechnology, Hardware, Investment, AI & Cybersecurity, and Generative AI. We also invited several well-known and influential speakers, such as Eric Liaw, General Partner of IVP; Susan Chiang, Deputy CISO of Cloudflare; Chu-Cheng Hsieh, CTO of Shein US; Leon Huang, Director of Cancer Immunology Discovery at Pfizer; and I-Chueh Huang, Principal Scientist of Gene Therapy at Johnson & Johnson, Harrison Tang, CEO of Spokeo to join us in this grand event. Guided by the National Development Council and supported by Startup Island TAIWAN, Taiwan Demo Day, organized by Meet Global, invited over 10 Taiwanese startups in the fields of IoT, biotechnology, and software applications to the United States to assist Taiwanese startups in Silicon Valley by providing them with practical experience and connecting them with investors. Networking Events primarily revolve around interactive community events tailored to innovative industries to facilitate talent networking, interactive Q&A sessions, knowledge sharing, brand promotion in the U.S. market, and business collaborations. We also have the Career Taiwan USA Association to host the Career Expo, connecting professionals from various industries in different U.S. cities to create a platform for career development for Taiwanese talents in the USA. Organizer: TaiwanNext Foundation Co-Organizers: Taiwan Data Science Meetup, North America Taiwanese Engineering & Science Association NATEA, Bay Area Taiwanese Biotech Association - BATBA, Meet Global, NEX Foundation, SoCal Monte Jade Tech Conference Main Sponsors: National Development Council, Taiwania Capital, Startup Island TAIWAN, Business Next, Silicon Valley Influence Foundation Mory Lin, VP of Supermicro; Wally Liaw, Senior VP and Co-Founder of Supermicro; Ming-Chi Lai, General Director of TECO; Katie Hsieh, Chair of Taiwan Tech Summit; David Weng, CEO of Taiwania Capital. Taiwan Demo Day 2023, hosted by Meet Global. (Provided by Taiwan Tech Summit) Keynote Speaker: Vivian Lien, Vice President, CCG & General Manager Client Graphics Product Management, Intel. (Provided by Taiwan Tech Summit) Investment Forum: David Weng, CEO of Taiwania Capital; Eric Liaw, General Partner of IVP; Jason Wang, Director of Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention Bowei Lee, Professor, Stanford University. Media Contacts: Taiwan Tech Summit / TaiwanNext Foundation Cathy Chen contact@taiwannext.org https://www.TaiwanTechSummit.com https://www.facebook.com/TaiwanNext1 SOURCE: TaiwanNext Foundation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/787083/taiwan-tech-summit-2023-shape-the-future-of-the-us-taiwan-tech-ecosystem-with-2500-attendees Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2023) - Level 14 Ventures Ltd. (CSE: LVL) ("Level 14" or the "Company") announces the appointment of Christian Milau as a director of the Company. Mr. Milau is a mining executive with over 25 years' experience in leading growth oriented exploration, development and operating mining companies. Mr. Milau's mining experience includes CEO of Equinox Gold from 2016-2022, leading the team through five mergers and acquisitions to grow the company from a single-asset developer to a multi-asset producer with 8 operating mines. Prior to joining Equinox Gold, Mr. Milau was the CEO of True Gold until it was acquired in April 2016. From 2011-2015 he was CFO of Endeavour Mining as it grew from a single asset company to five operating mines in West Africa. Prior to Endeavour, Mr. Milau held senior executive positions at New Gold, BNP Paribas in London and Deloitte. Mr. Milau brings more than two decades of experience to the company with expertise in finance and capital markets as well as operational, government and stakeholder relations experience in North and South America, Africa and other mining jurisdictions. About Level 14 Ventures Ltd. Level 14 is an exploration-stage mining company with a focus on precious metals with an option to acquire 100% of the Colpayoc Property in Peru. Colpayoc has significant, untested potential for a Cu-Au porphyry at depth beneath drill holes bottoming in copper-gold sulfide mineralization. Colpayoc is largely untested with limited drilling and is similar to many of the world class porphyry copper-gold deposits within this prolific belt. Level 14 continues to evaluate opportunities in the mineral sector on an ongoing basis. For more information about Level 14, please visit our website at www.level14ventures.com or email us at info@level14ventures.com. Marcel de Groot, President & Director Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions, and are based on the Company's current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating the potential of the Company's Colpayoc Property and the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, that no significant event will occur outside of our normal course of business and operations (other than as expressly set out herein); and that the Company will be able to close the Arrangement on the timeline expected. Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Company's management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, the risk that the Company may not be able to locate attractive deposits at Colpayoc, or at all; changes in laws, regulations and government practices; that a material adverse change may occur to the business of the Company; and such other risks as are identified the Company's public disclosure documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/181738 DUBLIN, IRELAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / Given the rising need for commercial carpet cleaning services in Dublin, Sandyford Carpet Cleaning, a well-known company in the cleaning sector, has increased the range of services it provides. Due to their continuous dedication to upholding cleanliness and hygienic conditions in commercial spaces, Sandyford Carpet Cleaning has established a solid reputation as the company to turn to when businesses require expert carpet cleaning services. Dublin's business landscape has expanded significantly, as evidenced by the appearance of many new businesses, offices, and retail spaces. As a result, there has never been a greater need for excellent carpet cleaning services. An established name in the cleaning industry, Sandyford Carpet Cleaning quickly adjusted to the shifting market dynamics by expanding its menu of services. Regular carpet cleaning is essential to achieve the primary importance of maintaining a spotless and hygienic atmosphere in a commercial setting. In addition to improving the appearance of a workspace, clean carpets help get rid of pollutants, dust, and allergens that build up over time. Sandyford Carpet Cleaning wants to offer complete and dependable commercial carpet cleaning dublin to businesses all around Dublin with this development. Services Offered by Sandyford Carpet Cleaning Sandyford Carpet Cleaning stands out as the top option in Dublin for maintaining a clean and healthy commercial space, offering a variety of comprehensive services designed to satisfy the particular requirements of businesses. Sandyford Carpet Cleaning has established a name for itself as a provider of superior cleaning services thanks to its dedication to excellence and client-centered philosophy. Here are some of their main services in more detail: 1. Complete Cleaning Solutions: Sandyford Carpet Cleaning doesn't just focus on superficial cleaning. They use cutting-edge techniques and cutting-edge tools to give thorough cleaning solutions that go above and beyond the obvious. Their thorough technique guarantees that carpets are free of hidden allergens and filth in addition to being superficially pristine. They are aware that a genuinely clean carpet helps to create a more comfortable indoor atmosphere for both clients and staff. 2. Professional Stain Removal: Carpet stains can be a lingering eyesore, but Sandyford Carpet Cleaning's team of highly qualified experts is up to the task. Even the worst stains can be effectively removed by them, leaving carpets looking as good as new. They have the know-how to remove a variety of stains, including ink smudges from a hectic office or coffee spills from a popular cafe. The carpets will always look their best thanks to their stain removal process, which will improve the aesthetic of the commercial area as a whole. 3. Environmentally Responsible Practices: Sandyford Carpet Cleaning is a pioneer in advancing environmentally responsible cleaning methods in a time when environmental sustainability is crucial. They value the safety of their employees and the environment by only using environmentally friendly cleaning products and methods. Businesses that choose Sandyford Carpet Cleaning gain access to a clean environment as well as a cleaner, more sustainable future. 4. Flexible Scheduling: Sandyford Carpet Cleaning is aware that every organization has different scheduling requirements and that any disruption to routine operations may be problematic. They provide a variety of scheduling alternatives as a result, all of which are intended to reduce downtime and annoyance. Their staff works hard to fit their clients' schedules, making sure that business operations go as planned and the carpets get the attention they require. 5. Upholstery Revival: Sandyford Carpet Cleaning offers upholstery cleaning services in addition to its expertise in carpet cleaning. For organizations trying to create a warm and professional ambiance, maintaining the cleanliness and durability of furniture is crucial. By preserving the beauty and toughness of the furniture, Sandyford Carpet Cleaning's upholstery cleaning services improve the overall appearance of the commercial environment. 6. Competitive Pricing: Sandyford Carpet Cleaning is aware of the budgetary limitations that many companies must contend with. They are dedicated to offering reasonable costs without sacrificing the caliber of their offerings. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from Sandyford Carpet Cleaning's professional cleaning options at affordable prices, making it a wise investment. In-depth market analysis and a willingness to adapt to the changing needs of Dublin's businesses led Sandyford Carpet Cleaning to decide to enter the commercial carpet cleaning sector. The company already has a solid reputation for providing top-notch household carpet cleaning services, and this growth enables them to apply their knowledge in the business sector. They are happy to extend their carpet cleaning expertise to the commercial sector in Dublin, a representative for Sandyford Carpet Cleaning said in a statement. Their introduction into the commercial carpet cleaning sector demonstrates their commitment to providing top-notch cleaning solutions to businesses. They recognize the critical importance of having a clean and healthy workplace. Sandyford Carpet Cleaning invests much in the intense training of its qualified specialists, who closely follow industry best practices to assure the finest service quality. Customers can feel secure knowing that their commercial space is in good hands thanks to comprehensive licensing and insurance. In an era where cleanliness and hygiene are of the utmost importance, Sandyford Carpet Cleaning promotes itself as a reliable partner for companies attempting to maintain their premises in immaculate shape. The business stays on the cutting edge of the sector, continually producing great outcomes through a client-centric strategy as the demand for commercial carpet cleaning services rises. Sandyford Carpet Cleaning is the go-to company for businesses in Dublin because of its everlasting dedication to excellence and skillful application of cutting-edge technologies. Media Contact Organization: Sandyford Carpet Cleaning Contact Person: George Racos Website: https://www.sandyfordcarpetcleaning.ie/ Email: info@sandyfordcarpetcleaning.ie Contact Number: +353894888589 Address: 51 Bracken Rd Sandyford Dublin 18 City: Dublin State: Ireland Country: Ireland SOURCE: Sandyford Carpet Cleaning View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/787103/sandyford-carpet-cleaning-expands-services-to-meet-growing-demand-for-commercial-carpet-cleaning-in-dublin The results are published as the startup secures a contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX and opens a Swedish subsidiary for chip fabrication. Atlantic Quantum, a developer of scalable quantum computers, today announced new research that shows the company's fluxonium-based qubit architecture achieves the lowest error rates to date for superconducting qubits. Published in Physical Review X, the peer-reviewed research demonstrates how the novel superconducting qubit architecture can perform robust operations between qubits (the building blocks of quantum computers) with greater accuracy than scientists have previously been able to achieve. This technology, stemming from years of work performed at MIT by the co-founders of Atlantic Quantum, now forms the basis of the company's quantum processors. Quantum computers are engineered to efficiently solve complicated computational problems in critical industries, such as pharmaceuticals, industrial chemistry and material science. Error rates in today's quantum computers remain high, however, and because these errors require fixing, no qubit architecture to date has been able to implement the desired applications. Combined with physically complex hardware requirements, these factors hinder the practical use and adoption of quantum computing, a crucial technology that McKinsey projects could account for nearly $1.3 trillion in value by 2035. Atlantic Quantum is evolving quantum computing from vision to reality by building fault-tolerant quantum computers using a novel qubit architecture and proprietary qubit control technique. The new research, whose authors include Atlantic Quantum co-founders Leon Ding, Youngkyu Sung, Bharath Kannan, Simon Gustavsson and William Oliver, elucidates the importance of error rate reduction for constructing useful quantum computers. The research demonstrates that the introduced qubit architecture supports two-qubit gate fidelities exceeding 99.9% accuracy and single-qubit gate fidelities of 99.99% accuracy. "This result marks the first time that the state-of-the-art single- and two-qubit gate performance was advanced with a different type of superconducting qubit since the invention of the more standard transmon qubit in 2007," said Leon Ding, co-founder and lead author of the research paper. Reducing error rates is a pivotal step toward achieving fault-tolerance in quantum computing, directly affecting the number of qubits required for error-correction protocols and thereby significantly reducing resource overhead. "Historically, the quantum computing sector has approached the challenges of high error-rates and restricted scalability separately, and solutions that improved one typically came at the cost of the other. At Atlantic Quantum, we're building quantum computers based on a new circuit that can address both accuracy and scalability from the ground up. We are singularly focussed on eliminating the tradeoffs that typically arise when trying to solve both issues simultaneously," said Bharath Kannan, co-founder and CEO at Atlantic Quantum. The publication of this milestone comes during a period of momentous growth for the company. Earlier this month, Kannan was named to the MIT Technology Review's 35 Innovators Under 35 list, where he and the Atlantic Quantum team were recognized for their breakthrough achievements in quantum computing. The company also recently completed the buildout of its first R&D facility and opened a Swedish subsidiary for chip fabrication. In August 2023, Atlantic Quantum was selected by AFWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II contract in the amount of $1.25 million focused on further developing its fluxonium-based quantum computing hardware, to address the most pressing challenges of the Department of the Air Force (DAF). To read the full research paper titled, High-Fidelity, Frequency-Flexible Two-Qubit Fluxonium Gates with a Transmon Coupler, visit https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.13.031035. For more information on the company or to view its open positions, visit https://www.atlantic-quantum.com/. About Atlantic Quantum Atlantic Quantum believes that developing fault-tolerant quantum hardware is the key to commercializing quantum computing. We take on this uniquely tough challenge with a team of deep experts in the field, anchored in Cambridge and Gothenburg to reflect our MIT and Chalmers roots. Our combined U.S. and EU presence helps attract talent, investments, and partnerships to accelerate the development and commercialization of scalable quantum computing. We offer flexible work in a fast-moving start-up environment, with strong ties to world-class academic research. Find us online at: http://www.atlantic-quantum.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230925050208/en/ Contacts: Media: Kerry Walker kerry@engine.xyz NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / Over 200 senior leaders of US businesses, the United Nations Global Compact, local government, civil society, and the UN attended the 2023 SDG Summit USA to raise awareness and promote practical business action and partnerships within the American private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event, which took place during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, was organized by the UN Global Compact Network USA, the American Chapter of the United Nations Global Compact. SDG Summit USA highlighted opportunities for US businesses to amplify their impact and establish leadership in propelling the SDGs forward. "Governments provide the framework for progress, but markets drive change. And change cannot happen without the US," Adam Roy Gordon, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network USA, said in his welcome remarks. He acknowledged that the world could benefit from the US's involvement and influence in global progress because "the US has a proven track record of leadership, innovation, technological advancement, and effective action." In his Opening Remarks, Paul Polman, Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact Board of Directors and former CEO of Unilever, said, "Increasingly, we do see that those who embrace the SDGs tend to get rewarded." He noted that this commitment helps businesses attract talent, reduce costs, enhance relationships with stakeholders, drive innovation, and better position companies for a future everyone aspires to. At SDG Summit USA, UN Global Compact Network USA also recognized its local SDG Pioneer winners, Cristina Villalon, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Alvarez-Diaz & Villalon, and Raven Adams, Sustainability Manager at Granite Construction. SDG Pioneers are recognized business leaders championing the SDGs and inspiring others to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UN Global Compact Network USA was honored to have US Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform Christopher Lu present the awards to the winners. "As we've learned from our collective efforts to address climate change, we need everyone at the table - national governments, local governments, nonprofits, foundations, and especially the private sector. And here in the US, our private sector is one of our greatest comparative advantages in addressing global demands," said Ambassador Lu. "We in the US Mission are fully committed to increasing this private sector engagement and highlighting the great work businesses are doing on the SDGs." While progress has been made, 70% of the SDGs are stagnating or regressing in the US. The United Nations Global Compact-Accenture Global Private Sector Stock Take report, which surveyed over 2,800 business leaders from around the world, showed the vast majority (94%) of business leaders still view the SDGs as a unifying global vision. Still, to achieve them, the private sector must focus on the areas where they can have the most impact. To respond to this call, the UN Global Compact has launched Forward Faster, a new initiative to accelerate private sector action at the pace and scale needed to deliver on 17 SDGs and meet the 2030 Agenda. Speaking to business leaders earlier that week, Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, said, "Time is running out to create the positive change the world so desperately needs. We must all join forces to create a more prosperous and resilient global community. We must move forward faster." Ms. Ojiambo offered the closing remarks at SDG Summit USA during a fireside chat with Mr. Gordon and Michael Okoroafor, Chief Sustainability Officer of McCormick & Company and UN Global Compact Network USA Board Member. During her address, Ms. Ojiambo encouraged attendees to establish ambitious targets and expedite their efforts in achieving the SDGs. The 2023 SDG Summit USA took place at the Accenture office in New York, NY. UN Global Compact Network USA would like to thank its Co-presenting Sponsor, Accenture, and its supporting partners, Geomatica, Plus Media, and Sustain.life for their support. About Global Compact Network USA Global Compact Network USA (Network USA) is the US Chapter of the United Nations Global Compact, the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world. Network USA is a powerful network of companies and stakeholders dedicated to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. By connecting partners with the resources of the greater UN, Network USA supports companies that are committed to fully integrating its principles of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption into their business strategies and operations. To learn more, visit GlobalCompactUSA.org. Contact Jessica Tuquero Head of Communications Tel: +1 (646) 573-7377 Email: jessica@globalcompactusa.org View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from United Nations Global Compact on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: United Nations Global Compact Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/united-nations-global-compact Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: United Nations Global Compact View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/787155/us-business-leaders-convene-at-sdg-summit-usa-for-collective-action-on-global-goals In diesem Report stellen wir Ihnen 3 Top-Aktien aus dem Energie-Sektor vor, die Sie unbedingt auf Ihre Watchlist setzen mussen. Lassen Sie sich diese kostenlose Analyse nicht entgehen! CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The euro fell against its major counterparts in the New York session on Monday. The euro weakened to 157.55 against the yen and 1.6472 against the aussie, off its early highs of 158.17 and 1.6590, respectively. The euro dropped to a multi-week low of 1.7734 against the kiwi and multi-month lows of 1.0584 against the greenback and 1.4257 against the loonie, from its early highs of 1.7907, 1.0655 and 1.4362, respectively. The euro declined to 0.8673 against the pound and 0.9643 against the franc, reversing from its early multi-month highs of 0.8702 and 0.9685, respectively. The euro is poised to challenge support around 154.00 against the yen, 1.61 against the aussie, 1.74 against the kiwi, 1.03 against the greenback, 1.40 against the loonie, 0.84 against the pound and 0.94 against the franc. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. FlexShares ETFs - Notice to Shareholders PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, September 25 Date: 25 September 2023 Notice to Shareholders of the following sub-fund(s) of FlexShares ICAV (the "Company"): Sub-Fund Share Class ISIN TICKER FlexShares Emerging Markets Low Volatility Climate ESG UCITS ETF USD Accumulating ETF IE00BMYDBN83 QVFE FlexShares Emerging Markets High Dividend Climate ESG UCITS ETF USD Distributing ETF IE00BMYDBH24 QDFE (each a "Fund" together, the "Funds") IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ - ACTION REQUIRED ON OR BEFORE 16 OCT 2023 Dear Shareholder, Following a recommendation of the Funds' Manager, Northern Trust Fund Managers (Ireland) Limited and acting in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Prospectus, the Directors of the Company intend to the close the Funds on the basis that each of the Funds are below their stated Minimum Fund Size of USD 20 million. The Directors wish to give notice to all holders of shares in the Funds (the "Shares") that it is the intention of the Company to (i) permanently de-list the Funds from all Relevant Exchanges (as defined below) (the "De-listing"), (ii) permanently close the Funds further subscriptions and redemptions by Authorised Participants and (iii) compulsorily redeem any residual shareholdings in the Funds (the "Compulsory Redemption") in accordance with the procedure and the dates set out under the headings "Procedure and Key Dates respectively below. PLEASE NOTE THAT: 1)If you have not sold your Shares on or before 16 OCT 2023 (the last day for trading on each Relevant Exchange) and you remain registered as a Shareholder in any of the Funds as at 26 OCT 2023; OR 2)If you have not validly applied for redemption of your Shares on or before 17 OCT 2023 and you remain registered as a Shareholder in any of the Funds as at 26 OCT 2023, The Directors will exercise their discretionin accordance with Article 39.2 of the Company's Instrument of Incorporation to compulsorily redeem your shares in the Funds for cash. Procedure and Key Dates As part of the process of closing and winding-up the Funds, it will be necessary for the following steps to take place: 1) The final day for trading on each of the stock exchanges on which the Shares are listed, such exchanges being Euronext Amsterdam and Deutsche Borse (the "Relevant Exchanges"), shall be 16 OCT 2023 (the "Final Exchange Trading Date"). 2) De-listing: The Shares of each Fund shall be de-listed (or suspended from trading, in respect of the Deutsche Borse) from each of the Relevant Exchanges with effect from 17 OCT 2023 which shall also be the last day on which applications for subscriptions and redemptions by authorised participants shall be accepted. 3) The last "Dealing Day" (as such term is defined in the Prospectus) in respect of which applications for subscriptions and redemptions shall be accepted from Authorised Participants shall be 18 OCT 2023 (the "Final Primary Dealing Date"). Applications for subscriptions and redemptions in respect of the Final Primary Dealing Date must be received no later than 4:00pm on 17 OCT 2023 (i.e., the "Dealing Deadline" applicable to the Funds as prescribed by the Prospectus) otherwise they shall be rejected. 4) Dealing in the Funds shall be suspended (i.e., closed to further subscriptions and redemptions) with effect from and including the day immediately following the Final Primary Dealing Date and the investments in the Sub-Funds will be liquidated for the purposes of the payment distribution to Shareholders on or shortly after the Final Distribution Date (as defined below). 5) Please note that if you have not sold your Shares on or before the Final Exchange Trading Date or redeemed your Shares in full on or before the Final Primary Dealing Date, and you remain listed as a shareholder of Shares in either of the Funds as at 26 OCT 2023 (the anticipated "Compulsory Redemption Date"), the Directors will exercise their discretion to compulsorily redeem your Shares in the relevant Fund on the Compulsory Redemption Date for cash. 6) If your shareholding is compulsorily redeemed, it will be redeemed at the appropriate net asset value per share on the date on Compulsory Redemption Date and your Compulsory Redemption proceeds shall be distributed on or around 2 NOV 2023 (the "Final Distribution Date"). Subject to all redemption requests requirements having been complied with, the proceeds of the Compulsory Redemption will be paid to the account of the relevant shareholder on record with the Paying Agent of the Company for the relevant Shareholder. Further Information: Shareholders may obtain the prospectus, a copy of the supplement, the key information documents, the latest annual and semi-annual reports and copies of the instrument of incorporation free of charge from the local representatives in the countries where the Company is registered, including from the Manager, Northern Trust Fund Managers (Ireland) Limited, 54-62 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, Ireland, who also acts as EEA Facilities Agent, the German Facilities Agent, ACOLIN Europe AG at Reichenaustrasse 11a- c, 78467 Konstanz, Germany and via www.flexshares.com or by writing to the Fund's administrator Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Ireland) Limited at George's Court, 54-62 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Please note that as part of the closure process and before the final redemption date, the ability to meet the investment objective of the Funds may be compromised as the underlying portfolios are liquidated and there may accordingly be an increased risk of tracking error in the Funds. The additional costs incurred in respect of closing the Funds will be paid by Investment Manager. The Funds' normal operating costs and transaction costs will continue to be borne by the Funds and their respective Shareholders in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus for the Funds. Investors should consult their own professional advisers as to the tax implications of the Compulsory Redemption and closure of the Funds under the laws of the countries of their nationality, residence, domicile or incorporation. If you have sold or transferred your Shares in the relevant Fund please pass this letter at once to the purchaser or transferee of the Shares, as the case may be, or to the Authorised Participant or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was affected, for transmission to the purchaser or transferee as soon as possible. In closing the Fund, the Directors would like to extend our thanks for your support of the Fund. If you have any questions or need any additional support or information, please email EMEA_FlexShares@ntrs.com or contact your usual financial adviser, and they can provide you with the necessary fund information and documents. Yours sincerely, __________________ Director for and on behalf of FlexShares ICAV Two world-renowned women in cancer research - one goal - find a cure NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / At Baylor Scott & White in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Joyce O'Shaughnessy is a medical oncologist at the forefront of innovative cancer research focusing on advanced treatment options for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Madrid, Spain, Dr. Eva Ciruelos leads clinical trials to better understand breast cancer patients who are unresponsive to certain cancer treatments. In a personal and inspiring conversation, these two trailblazing women in cancer research discuss the critical topic of female-related cancers, what's on the horizon for their research efforts, and how we can better support women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation and Mary Kay Inc. have contributed more than $36 million to cancer research, support programs and services. Across the globe, we are committed to nurturing partnerships aligned with our company's mission of Enriching Women's Lives and we are grateful for pioneering women like Dr. Ciruelos and Dr. O'Shaughnessy who help us remain true to our mission. Listen to their inspiring conversation on our YouTube channel. I've chosen to focus on the primary, resistant triple negative breast cancer. That's arguably one of our most difficult, scientific biological questions - why is it that some women's triple negative breast cancer does not respond to the pre-operative therapy? I'm just trying to understand by doing serial biopsies, doing pilot trials of novel therapeutics. Mary Kay has been very supportive of me and others in the U.S. that are working in this area. I really appreciate that because you can't do it without funding. This is strictly philanthropic funding. Dr. Joyce O'Shaughnessy, Celebrating Women Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Baylor University Medical Center Thanks to Mary Kay for this meeting and many other research ideas and initiatives. Thank you all for being here. Stay tuned because breast cancer is improving and clinical research is the key and the answer to many questions we are ready to solve. Dr. Eva Ciruelos, Breast Cancer Unit Coordinator, University Hospital/HM Hospitals in Madrid and Chair, SOLTI Group on Breast Cancer Research Dr. Joyce O'Shaughnessy, Celebrating Women Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Baylor University Medical Center View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Mary Kay on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Mary Kay Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/mary-kay Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Mary Kay View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/787233/future-of-cancer-research-insights-from-women-in-the-field Sotheby's has completed the sale of the first of the seven total decanters, each one-of-a-kind, and housing an exquisite 70-year-old single malt whisky, the oldest release from The Glen Grant distillery. ROTHES, Scotland, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, The Glen Grant Distillery and Sotheby's announced the sale of The Glen Grant Devotion Decanter Number One for 81,250 ($101.3k). Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Royal Scottish Forestry Society, in support of the preservation of local woodland within the Speyside area. This auction, in partnership with Sotheby's, is the first of its kind for The Glen Grant distillery. The Glen Grant Devotion is an exquisite 70-year-old single malt whisky, inspired by the remarkable reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and a tribute to her seventy years of resolute service and lifelong devotion. The Glen Grant Devotion Decanter Number One is the first of seven one-of-a-kind decanters presented in a sculptural masterpiece. Each unique piece represents one decade of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and of exquisite whisky maturation and has been created through the combined talents of Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE and the distillery team, award-winning craftsman John Galvin and hot glass master Brodie Nairn of GLASSTORM. "This record-breaking sale of the oldest whisky ever released from the distillery has marked a pinnacle moment for The Glen Grant," said Samantha Leotta, Global Director of Scotch Whisky at Campari Group. "It is a true testament to the skill and mastery of all those who contributed to this historic release, from The Glen Grant's founding to today. We are incredibly grateful to the successful bidder for this meaningful contribution to the Royal Scottish Forestry Society, which will be used to replant and restore woodland in Speyside." Speaking on behalf of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society, President Wilma Harper said: "We are absolutely delighted at the success of the auction. The funds will be used to create a new native woodland on the burn beside the Glen Grant distillery, creating a direct link back to the 1876 passion of James "The Major" Grant in protecting the banks of the Back Burn and sustaining the quality of its water. We are grateful to The Glen Grant for this support for our Society, of which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the patron, in its continuing work nurturing future generations of foresters, passing knowledge and craftsmanship on to future generations." Jonny Fowle, Global Head of Spirits, Sotheby's, said: "This result propels The Glen Grant into the highest level of collectability at a value that only very few distilleries have previously achieved." The remaining six decanters will be made available for sale within USA and Asia. Prices are available upon request from October 2023. Follow on Instagram @theglengrantscotch Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2220688/The_Glen_Grant_Devotion.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-glen-grant-devotion-70-year-old-sells-for-81-250-101-300-usd-at-auction-with-proceeds-to-benefit-the-royal-scottish-forestry-society-301938053.html Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States of America. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2023 / Cypher Metaverse Inc. (CSE:CODE) ("CODE" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding definitive agreement ("Definitive Agreement") dated August 29, 2023, in respect to a business combination (the "Transaction") with Agapi Luxury Brands Inc. ("Agapi"). It is expected that upon completion of the Transaction, the combined entity (the "Resulting Issuer") will meet the listing requirements for an industrial issuer under the policies of the CSE Venture Exchange (the "CSE"). The CSE has conditionally accepted the Transaction, and the Company will hold a shareholder meeting on December 1, 2023 to give its shareholders the opportunity to consider the Transaction and approve the same. Terms of the Transaction The Transaction is expected to be completed by way of a share exchange, which will result in Agapi becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of CODE. Upon the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set out in the Definitive Agreement, the following, among other things, will be completed in connection with the Transaction: the holders of Agapi Common Shares will receive 0.7601 common shares of the Resulting Issuer in exchange for each of their Agapi Common Shares, (the " Exchange Ratio "); "); all outstanding Agapi warrants will be replaced with equivalent convertible or exchangeable securities of the Resulting Issuer entitling the holders thereof to acquire common shares of the Resulting Issuer; the management and board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will be determined by Agapi and announced in further press releases; and CODE will change its name to such name as determined by Agapi in its sole discretion, in compliance with applicable law and as may be acceptable to the CSE. The Transaction is a non-arm's length transaction or a related party transaction pursuant to the policies of the CSE and NI 61-103 as the CEO of CODE is a significant shareholder of Agapi. As a result, CODE is being represented in these negotiations by a special committee made of up of independent directors. In addition the Company has commissioned an independent valuation of Agapi and will seek the approval of disinterested shareholders. Private Placement Financing In connection with and as a condition to the Transaction, Agapi intends to complete an equity financing of Agapi Common Shares for minimum gross proceeds of $750,000 (the "Private Placement"). It is expected that the issue price per Agapi Common Share will be $0.12. The Agapi Common Shares are expected to be sold to "accredited investors" and other parties pursuant to exemptions from prospectus requirements under Canadian securities laws. The Private Placement is intended to be completed prior to or concurrently with closing of the Transaction. The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. Conditions of the Transaction Completion of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including: (i) receipt of all required approvals and consents relating to the Transaction, including without limitation any approvals of the shareholders of CODE and Agapi as required by the CSE and under applicable corporate or securities laws; (ii) completion of the Private Placement; and (iii) the CSE's final approval for listing the shares of the Resulting Issuer. Trading Halt Trading in CODE Common Shares on the CSE will remain halted in compliance with the policies of the CSE. It is not expected that trading in the CODE Common Shares will resume prior to the Closing. Filing Statement In connection with the Transaction and in compliance with the policies of the CSE, CODE will file on SEDAR by September 29, 2023 the information circular which will contain details regarding the Transaction, CODE, Agapi and the Resulting Issuer, including proposed management of the Resulting Issuer. . About Cypher Metaverse Inc. Cypher Metaverse Inc. seeks early-stage investments in emerging technology sectors, including the blockchain ecosystem, fintech and the metaverse. The Company identifies such opportunities and applies its relationships and capital to advance its interests. The Company's head office is located at 1780-355 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 2C8. The common shares of CODE ("CODE Common Shares") are currently listed on the CSE and CODE is a reporting issuer in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. CODE currently has 15,571,906 CODE Common Shares issued and outstanding and securities exercisable or exchangeable into 3,288,070 CODE Common Shares. About Agapi Luxury Brands Inc. Agapi's premium luxury branded cigars sold under the brand "Freud Cigar Co.", are exclusively handcrafted using the finest tobacco leaves that are carefully selected and aged to perfection, and artistically blended to produce an unforgettable smoking experience for the luxury consumer. The company has partnered with renowned industry veterans Eladio Diaz and Wiber Ventura with the aim to disrupt the luxury cigar segment. The company has successfully commercialized products in the US and international markets selling over 40,000 and 10,000 cigars in each respective market. Agapi is a private company and was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) on June 11, 2021. Agapi's head office is located at 1780-355 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 2C8. Agapi currently has approximately 65,571,906 common shares ("Agapi Common Shares") issued and outstanding and securities exercisable or exchangeable into approximately 84,542,058 Agapi Common Shares . For further information please contact: Cypher Metaverse Inc. Corporate Communications Brian Keane - Director Phone: Toll-Free (877) 806-CODE (2633) or 1 (778) 806-5150 Agapi Luxury Brands Inc. David Stadnyk, CEO All information in this press release relating to Agapi has been provided by Agapi and is the sole responsibility of Agapi. Cautionary Note Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, CSE acceptance and if applicable pursuant to CSE requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the exploration and development of Agapi's products, the proposal to complete the Transaction and associated transactions, including statements regarding the terms and conditions of the Transaction the Exchange Ratio, the name change of the Company, the Private Placement, the use of proceeds of the Private Placement and the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer. The information about Agapi contained in the press release has not been independently verified by CODE. Although CODE believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because CODE can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that the parties will not proceed with the Transaction, the name change of the Company, the Private Placement, the appointment of the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer and associated transactions, that the ultimate terms of the Transaction, the Private Placement, the appointment of the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer and associated transactions will differ from those that currently are contemplated, and that the Transaction, the name change of the Company, the Private Placement, the appointment of the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer and associated transactions will not be successfully completed for any reason (including the failure to obtain the required approvals or clearances from regulatory authorities). The terms and conditions of the Transaction may change based on receipt of tax, corporate and securities law advice for both CODE and Agapi. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. CODE undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of CODE, Agapi, their securities, or their respective financial or operating results (as applicable) except as required by securities laws. SOURCE: Cypher Metaverse Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/787278/cypher-metaverse-inc-announces-next-steps-in-proposed-business-combination-with-agapi-luxury-brands-inc Cameron Borumand (General Partner), Kellan Carter (General Partner), Brendan Wales (General Partner) Fuse, a Bellevue, Wash.-based early-stage venture capital firm focused on the Pacific Northwest, launched a $250M sophomore fund. Backed by many of the most high-profile Seattle-based software executives as well as many state-affiliated funds, foundations, and universities, the firm invests in emerging software and AI-enabled startups located in Seattle and the broader Pacific Northwest, including western Canada. The firm will lead Seed and Series A rounds with check sizes ranging from $1M to $10M. Founded in 2020 by Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand, and Brendan Wales, Fuse raised $170M for its inaugural fund and now has over $420M in committed capital. The firms founding team also includes Operating Partners John Connors, the former Microsoft CFO and long-time Ignition Partners Managing Partner, Satbir Khanuja, an early Amazon Executive and founder of DataSphere, and Bobby Wagner, the eight-time pro-bowl linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. The firm has invested in 31 startups to date ranging from vertical software to machine learning applications including Zuper, which helps businesses automate their field services workflows, and WellSaid Labs, the enterprise choice for AI created voice. The strategic LP base includes current and former executives at the Pacific Northwests top companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Nike, Starbucks, Costco, T-Mobile, Avalara, DocuSign, Smartsheet, Icertis and many more. The network includes Eric Sprunk, former Chief Operating Officer of Nike and current Board Director at Seattle-based Nordstrom and Providence Health, and Chris Weber, former Microsoft Corporate Vice President, and current CRO at Gitlab. FinSMEs 25/09/2023 Jura Bio, a Boston, MA-based biotechnology company developing immune-based therapeutics using machine learning and synthetic biology, raised $16.1M in funding. The round was led by Michael Chambers, John Ballantyne, Fontus Capital, and Josh Elkington. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its development efforts. Founded in 2017 by Julie Norville, Ph.D., CSO and Elizabeth Wood, Ph.D., CEO, Jura Bio has developed an end-to-end generative machine learning and synthetic biology platform for the discovery and development of genetic medicines. With a focus on developing drugs built around the TCR-epitope-HLA synapse, they are developing a map from any antigen-HLA pair to any T cell receptor; such a map would broadly advance the development of therapeutics for oncology and autoimmune disease. The company announced a research collaboration with Syena, a cell therapy product company and subsidiary of Replay, a genome writing company, to develop T cell receptor (TCR) based therapies. JURA Bio will receive an upfront payment as well as research funding for the period of the partnership. The details of the financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. If the option is exercised, Replay and its cell therapy product company Syena will be responsible for global development and hold exclusive worldwide commercialization rights on all TCR-NK therapies resulting from the partnership. JURA Bio will be eligible to receive development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments in addition to tiered deferred option payments on global net sales for products based on TCRs arising from the collaboration, as well as royalties on products utilizing at least one of the licensed technologies. Replay launched Syena with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in February 2023. The engineered TCR-NK technology in Syena is based on the scientific discoveries of Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy at MD Anderson. FinSMEs 25/09/2023 COO and CFO Daniel Conti and CEO Chieu Cao Mintago, a London, UK-based financial wellbeing startup, raised $4.75M in funding. The round was led by BlackLion Ventures, with participation from Love Ventures and Cur8 Capital. The company intends to use the funds to further enhance its platform and accelerate its growth across the UK. Founded in 2019 by CEO Chieu Cao and COO, and CFO Daniel Conti, Mintago provides a financial wellbeing platform designed to help employees tackle their most pressing financial needs, such as managing pension contributions and locating lost pension pots through its Pension Hunter tool. The platform also enables employees to take control of their finances with free access to financial advisers, debt counselling, savings tools and unbiased financial education programmes. The financial conduct authority (FCA)-regulated company serves brands such as Oddbox, Chillys, Lucky Saint, Olio and Superscript, among others. FinSMEs 25/09/2023 Celebrated screenwriter Prayag Raj, known for his work in Amitabh Bachchan blockbusters like Amar Akbar Anthony and Coolie, has died. The veteran writer breathed his last on Saturday evening at the age of 88 due to age-related issues. Prayag Rajs last rites were held on Sunday morning. Several personalities from the film fraternity paid their last respect to Prayag Raj. Bachchan paid his tribute on his personal blog. Last evening we lost another pillar of our great film industry, he wrote. Shabana Azmi, who starred in Amar Akbar Anthony, noted on X, Sorry to hear about the passing away of writer director actor Prayag Raj. RIP. Sorry to hear about the passing away of writer director actor Prayag Raj. RIP pic.twitter.com/OZN2P7xQeH Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) September 23, 2023 Anil Kapoor, who featured in Hifazat, written by Raj, also expressed his grief over the writers demise. Taking to X, he said, Im truly saddened by the loss of the late Prayag Raj. Working with him on Hifazat was a privilege. May his soul rest in peace. Im truly saddened by the loss of the late Prayag Raj. Working with him on Hifazat was a privilege. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/Al4RP7poFb Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) September 24, 2023 Abhishek Bachchan also paid homage to the stalwart. He thanked him for the innumerable celluloid memories. Our industry lost a stalwart recently! Largely unsung, but so influential. Came across this very informative tribute to #Prayagraj ji by my friend Ausaja. Thank you Prayagraj ji for the innumerable celluloid memories and for sharing your talent with us. Abhishek (@juniorbachchan) September 24, 2023 Prayag Rajs son Aditya told PTI that the writer died at his Bandra residence. He said, He passed away peacefully on Saturday at 4pm at his residence in Bandra. He had multiple ailments since eight to ten years like heart disease and age-related issues. Rajs last rites were performed at Shivaji Park crematorium in Dadar and was attended by his family and friends from the industry. The legendary writer had more than 100 films to his credit including Big Bs Naseeb, Suhaag and Coolie and Mard. Prayag Raj also wrote the script for Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasans Geraftaar. He contributed to the screenplays of Rajesh Khanna-starred Roti, Dharmendra and Jeetendras Dharam Veer among others. The last film he contributed to was S Ramanathan-helmed unreleased Zamanat. The prodigal Prince is now homeless Harry after being denied a room at Windsor Castle. It is clear that if Prince Harry wants to stay at Windsor Castle when he returns to the UK in January, he will be required to give suitable warning. He was asked to give notice to visit King Charles. Harry was taken aback for sure, but how does it matter to him when he has rejected invitations from his father King Charles many a time. According to reports, it has been alleged that Prince Harry must give notice to visit his father after he was denied a room at Windsor Castle this month. Harry has lived with his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children, in Montecito, California, since they stepped down as royals back in 2020. According to the Telegraph, Harry, who is due to return to the UK in January, will still be allowed to stay at properties in Windsor going forward, but only if suitable warning is given. At the time, he was offered the chance to stay in Balmoral with his father Charles on the anniversary of the Queens death on September 7 but said his busy itinerary made it impossible. Instead he remained in the south in a hotel and marked the occasion on his own. It was Harrys first visit to the UK since he and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage leaving them effectively homeless in the UK. It was recently also revealed that Harry rejected an offer to spend time with his father on the first anniversary of the Queens death, according to The Sun. The invitation from Charles may have been a sign that he wanted to forgive his son after the attacks he made against the royal family. According to a report published in Daily Mail, Harry was later pictured holding a short vigil at the Queens resting place, located at Windsor Castles St Georges Chapel. News of the situation comes as Harry and Meghan continue to build their profile in the US. On the other hand, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were all smiles as they made a surprise appearance at Kevin Costners One805 Live! charity event for first responders on Friday, held at his $26 million polo field in Santa Barbara. The couple were joined by their good friends Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres as they took another step into Hollywood royalty. The fundraising event where last chance tables cost $12,000 was hosted at the oceanside estate of Kevin Costner in Summerland and included noteworthy guests, including Katy Perrys parents. Harry wore black while Meghan opted for a sophisticated, chic look, in a monochrome jacket with her hair pulled back clean-girl style. Upon their arrival, the Duke and Duchess who have just returned from a PDA-packed appearance at the Invictus Games in Germany were spotted backstage chatting. Recently, there was a strange royal rule too that even though Meghan remains an active member of the Royal Family, yet she can never bear the name of Princess Meghan (With added inputs from agencies) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The United States is getting its largest Hindu temple. Being dubbed the worlds largest Hindu temple built outside India in the modern era, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple will be formally inaugurated in New Jersey on 8 October. The temple is already attracting Hindu devotees and visitors from other faiths daily, as per the news agency PTI report. Spread over some 400 acres, the Angkor Wat Temple Complex built in the 12th Century by King Suryavarman II in Cambodia is considered the largest religious structure in the world. Lets take a look at the US largest Hindu temple. BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Touted as the second-largest Hindu temple in the world, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham is located in New Jerseys Robbinsville Township, about 90 km south of Times Square, New York. Popularly known as just Akshardham, the grand temple is dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a revered 19th-century Hindu spiritual leader, as per a report in ANI. Built over a span of more than 12 years between 2011 to 2023, the temple complex is spread over 183 acres. The temple will be unveiled in the presence of BAPS spiritual head Mahant Swami Maharaj and other dignitaries on 8 October. It will reportedly open for visitors from 18 October. Experience the grand dedication ceremony of #BAPS Swaminarayan #Akshardham, a landmark of Hindu architecture & culture. The breathtaking Mahamandir and other features on the 185-acre campus in Robbinsville, NJ were built by 12,500 volunteers, who devoted millions of hours of pic.twitter.com/kiH9yQbNps Kaushal Dave (@DecisionIntell) September 17, 2023 Speaking to PTI, Aksharvatsaldas Swami from BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha said: Our spiritual leader (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) had a vision that in the Western hemisphere there should be a place which can be a place for all people of the world, not only for Hindus, not only for Indians, not only for certain groups of people; it should be for all of the world where people can come and learn some values, universal values based in Hindu tradition. It was his wish, and it was his Sankalp (pledge). According to his Sankalp, this Akshardham has been built with traditional Hindu temple architecture, he added. As per ANI, a week-long inaugural celebration will be held which is likely to be attended by several US Congressmen, senators, Biden administration officials and state governors. Features of the temple The temple was designed by a group of BAPS swamis and volunteers. Around 12,500 volunteers, aged between 18-60 years old, from across the US have helped in building the shrine. Four types of stones, including limestone, pink sandstone, marble and granite, sourced from different parts of the globe were used to build the temple. As per PTI news agency, limestone was acquired from Bulgaria and Turkey; granite from India and China; marble from Greece, Turkey and Italy; sandstone from India and other ornamental stones from Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Guided by artisans from India, volunteers from the US worked together to construct the temple. Akshardhams design is inspired by ancient Hindu scriptures as well as Indian culture. The temple has more than 10,000 statues, along with carvings of Indian musical instruments and dance forms, reported the news agency. As per ANI, the stones and small figurines also pay homage to sages, saints, and spiritual personalities of India and Hinduism. Housing the main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (spire-like structures), and nine pyramidal shikhars, Akshardham also boasts of the largest-ever elliptical dome of traditional stone architecture, reported PTI. A golden pot, or Kalash, sits atop the Mahashikhar of the shrine, representing a sense of wholeness and excellence, as per the ANI report. Above the Kalash, a flag stands tall, symbolising the victory of good over evil, the report added. There is a Brahma Kund, or a traditional Indian stepwell, inside the temple premises with water from more than 300 water bodies from around the world, including the holy rivers of India and from all American states. A 49-foot statue of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, portrayed as a yogi, graces the entrance of the shrine. Known as Nilkanth Varni during his teenage years, he was the founder of the Swaminarayan Hindu tradition, according to the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham website. ALSO READ: Ram Temple in Ayodhya: What are the sacred shaligram stones from Nepal to be used to make the Ram idol? About BAPS BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a global Hindu organisation that has constructed over 1,000 temples across various the world, including in India, the United Kingdom, the US, Canada, Kenya, South Africa, and Australia. Notably, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi, spread across 100 acres, is among the worlds largest temples. The Sanstha has adopted a number of sustainable practices over the years, such as a solar panel farm, a fly ash concrete mix, and the planting of more than two million trees across the world, reported PTI. With inputs from agencies Wildfires are extremely difficult to predict, and their severity is on the rise. Wildfires fuelled by climate change have ravaged communities from Maui to the Mediterranean this summer, killing many people, exhausting firefighters and fuelling demand for new solutions. Enter artificial intelligence. Firefighters and startups are using AI-enabled cameras to scan the horizon for signs of smoke. A German company is building a constellation of satellites to detect fires from space. And Microsoft is using AI models to predict where the next blaze could be sparked. With wildfires becoming larger and more intense as the world warms, firefighters, utilities and governments are scrambling to get ahead of the flames by tapping into the latest AI technology which has stirred both fear and excitement for its potential to transform life. While increasingly stretched first responders hope AI offers them a leg up, humans are still needed to check that the tech is accurate. Californias main firefighting agency this summer started testing an AI system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop camera feeds and is now expanding it statewide. The system is designed to find abnormalities and alert emergency command centres, where staffers will confirm whether its indeed smoke or something else in the air. The beauty of this is that it immediately pops up on the screen and those dispatchers or call takers are able to interrogate that screen and determine whether to send a crew, said Phillip SeLegue, staff chief of intelligence for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The cameras, part of a network that workers previously had to watch, provide billions of bytes of data for the AI system to digest. While humans still need to confirm any smoke sightings, the system helps reduce fatigue among staffers typically monitoring multiple screens and cameras, alerting them to look only when theres possible fire or smoke, SeLegue said. Its already helped. A battalion chief got a smoke alert in the middle of the night, confirmed it on his cellphone and called a command centre in San Diego to scramble first responders to the remote area. The dispatchers said that if they hadnt been alerted, the fire would have been much larger because it likely wouldnt have been noticed until the next morning, SeLegue said. San Francisco startup Pano AI takes a similar approach, mounting cameras on cell towers that scan for smoke and alert customers, including fire departments, utility companies and ski resorts. The cameras use computer vision machine learning, a type of AI. Theyre trained very specifically to detect smoke or not, and we train them with images of smoke and images of not smoke, CEO Sonia Kastner said. The images are combined with feeds from government weather satellites that scan for hotspots, along with other data sources, such as social media posts. The technology gets around one of the main problems in the traditional way of detecting wildfires relying on 911 calls from passers-by that need confirmation from staffers before crews and water-dropping planes can be deployed. Generally, only one in 20 of these 911 calls are actually a wildfire. Even during fire season, it might be a cloud or fog or a barbecue, Kastner said. Pano AIs systems do still rely on final confirmation, with managers playing a time lapse of the camera feed to ensure its smoke rising. For fighting forest fires, technology is becoming really essential, said Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of energy delivery at Portland General Electric, Oregons largest utility and a Pano AI customer. Utility companies sometimes play a role in sparking wildfires, when their power lines are knocked down by wind or struck by falling trees. Hawaiis electric utility acknowledged that its power lines started a devastating blaze in Maui this summer after apparently being downed by high winds. PGE, which provides electricity to 51 cities in Oregon, has deployed 26 Pano AI cameras, and Bekkedahl said they have helped speed up response and coordination with emergency services. Previously, fire departments were running around looking for stuff and not even really knowing exactly where its at, he said. The cameras help detect fires quicker and get teams on the ground faster, shaving up to two hours off response times. Thats significant in terms of how fast that fire can spread and grow, Bekkedahl said. Using AI to detect smoke from fires is relatively easy, said Juan Lavista Ferres, chief data scientist at Microsoft. What is not easy is to have enough cameras that cover enough places, he said, pointing to vast, remote areas in northern Canada that have burned this summer. Ferres team at Microsoft has been developing AI models to predict where fires are likely to start. They have fed the model with maps of areas that burned previously, along with climate and geospatial data. The system has its limitations it cant predict random events like a lightning strike. But it can sift through historical weather and climate data to identify patterns, such as areas that are typically drier. Even a road, which indicates people are nearby, is a risk factor, Ferres said. Its not going to get it all perfectly right, he said. But what it can do is it can build a probability map (based on) what happened in the past. The technology, which Microsoft plans to offer as an open-source tool, can help first responders trying to figure out where to focus their limited resources, Ferres said. Another company is looking to the heavens for a solution. German startup OroraTech analyses satellite images with artificial intelligence. Taking advantage of advances in camera, satellite and AI technology, OroraTech has launched two mini satellites about the size of a shoebox into low orbit, about 550 kilometres (340 miles) above Earths surface. The Munich-based company has ambitions to send up eight more next year and eventually put 100 into space. As wildfires swept central Chile this year, OroraTech said it provided thermal images at night when aerial drones are used less frequently. Weeks after OroraTech launched its second satellite, it detected a fire near the community of Keg River in northern Alberta, where flames burned remote stretches of boreal forest repeatedly this summer. There are algorithms on the satellite, very efficient ones to detect fires even faster, CEO Thomas Gruebler said. The AI also takes into account vegetation and humidity levels to identify flare-ups that could spawn devastating megafires. The technology could help thinly stretched firefighting agencies direct resources to blazes with the potential to cause the most damage. Because we know exactly where the fires are, we can see how the fires will propagate, Gruebler said. So, which fire will be the big fire in one day and which will stop on their own. With inputs from AP Indias diplomatic rift with Canada has made tens of thousands of students and their families in the South Asian country jittery. Indians make up the highest number of international students in Canada, contributing crores of rupees to the economy of the North American country. While Canada has not indicated any intentions to halt student visas for Indians so far, there are concerns about the possibility of the approval for visas becoming harder amid the tensions. Lets take a look at the statistics of Indian students in Canada and how any likely visa ban for them could hurt Canadas economy. Canadas international students Canada is one of the most preferred foreign destinations for students from India wanting to pursue higher education. Of the more than 800,000 international students in Canada last year, 40 per cent were from India, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data. As per the Canadian Bureau of International Education, the number of Indian students in Canada rose 47 per cent to nearly 320,000 in 2022. Foreign students contribute over $22.3 billion per year to the Canadian economy, The Tribune reported citing IRCC. Between 2012-13 and 2020-21, Canada saw a 342 per cent increase in international enrolments, as per the data issued by the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario. These overseas students pour significant money into Canadas economy. International students pay an average of $14,306 (over Rs 8 lakhs) in tuition fees annually, as compared to a domestic fee of $3,228 (about Rs 2 lakhs) paid by Canadians, according to The Tribune report. Many public colleges in Canada also depend heavily on the tuition fees of foreign students. In 2020-21, about $1.7 billion in tuition fee revenue across Ontario came from international students, as per the Indian publication report. Most of the students from Punjab Out of the 226,450 visas approved by Canada for Indian students in 2022, about 1.36 lakh applicants were from Punjab, as per a Khalsa Vox report. Presently, an estimated 3.4 lakh Punjabi students are enrolled in educational institutions across Canada. Based on the figures available to us, nearly 60 per cent of Indians migrating to Canada are Punjabi, accounting for an estimated 1.36 lakh students who went last year. On average, each student pays approximately 17,000 Canadian dollars (around Rs 1 lakh) in annual fees, in addition to depositing 10,200 Canadian dollars (over Rs 6 lakh) as Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) funds, Kamal Bhumla, chairman of the Association of Consultants for Overseas Studies, told Khalsa Vox. Speaking to Khalsa Vox, a senior official at a forex company in Jalandhar said, We often observe that the average expenditure incurred by Punjabi parents to send their children to Canada on a student visa amounts to approximately Rs 20 lakh per year. Extrapolating from this data, it is safe to estimate that there are at least 3.4 lakh Punjabi students in Canada, collectively contributing Rs 68,000 crore annually to the Land of the Maple Leaf. ALSO READ: Should Indian students, diaspora worry amid souring Indo-Canada relations? Worry among Indians Parents and Punjab politicians have expressed concerns about the Indian students pursuing education in Canada. Balwinder Singh, whose daughter studies in Canada, told ANI, We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, and its been seven months since she left. There is news in the media that there is tension going on between both countries (India and Canada). My child is also worried there, she cant focus on her studies. #WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, its been 7 months since she has leftthere is news in the media that there is tension going on between both the countries (India and Canada). My child is also worried there, she cant focus on pic.twitter.com/c9HLChwg4F ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023 Amid the nosedive in relations between the nations, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar urged External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday (23 September) to set up a helpline for Indian students and residents in Canada. In view of the strained diplomatic ties between India and Canada, I have written to Sh. @DrSJaishankar ji to have MEA set up a help line to address the concerns of our citizens and students in Canada. (Punjabis form the biggest number of our citizens residing in Canada). I have pic.twitter.com/E5mvmy9LNJ Sunil Jakhar (@sunilkjakhar) September 23, 2023 Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu also called for Prime Minister Narendra Modis intervention to ensure the well-being of the students in Canada. ALSO READ: How India-Canada ties turned rocky under Justins father, Pierre Trudeau Consultants in India have tried to allay fears of Indians planning to study in Canada. Fake news is doing the rounds. We are receiving calls from many students and their parents asking if they can still opt for Canada for higher studies. The students who have flights next month are asking whether they will be able to fly to Canada. All we can say is that there is nothing to worry. Those students who have already got visas can fly as per their schedule. There will also be no problem for students who have applied or are applying for student visas. The Canadian government has not cancelled visas that have already been given to Indian students, Vinay Kumar, the head of a reputed visa consultancy firm in Surat, told Indian Express. With inputs from agencies India is in the midst of a faceoff with Canada. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are battling it out over sharing the water from the river Cauvery. However, its the standoff between two social media pages that has got the attention of the internet. What are we talking about? The internet is right now all abuzz after popular social media account Humans Of Bombay, founded by Karishma Mehta, has filed a copyright infringement case against People Of India (POI), a similar social media account that recounts moving stories of common citizens. And the matter has now even drawn in the founder of popular blog Humans of New York, the inspiration behind the Humans of Bombay page. Whats the row all about? Why did Humans Of Bombay sue People Of India? Where does Humans of New York fit into the debate and what does the internet have to say? The row between Humans of Bombay and People of India To understand, the row between the two social media accounts, one needs a little background. Humans of Bombay was started in 2014 as a Facebook page. Drawing inspiration from the New York version called Humans of New York it began as a medium to share heartwarming tales of Mumbaikars. Humans of Bombay was the brainchild of 21-year-old entrepreneur Karishma Mehta and at the beginning, she had said that the page would capture the essence of the city through personal anecdotes, struggles, and triumphs. In the years gone by, her page, Humans of Bombay, has seen a meteoric rise, embracing an ever-widening circle of people, including merchants, celebrities, and individuals from all walks of life. It was hailed as a platform that celebrated the diversity of Mumbais undying spirit. The page, now available on all social media platforms, has generated a mass following; at last count, the Humans of Bombay page on X had 14,900 followers, 2.7 million on Instagram and 1.4 million followers on Facebook. The row erupted when Humans of Bombay sued People of India a similar storytelling platform for copyright infringement. In its lawsuit filed in the Delhi High Court, Humans of Bombay alleges that People of India copied its content, including its logo, tagline, and the format it primarily uses for its stories. According to Business Today, Humans of Bombay is seeking damages as well as an injunction to prevent People of India from using its content. The Delhi High Court on 18 September issued a notice to People of India expressing concern over allegations of significant imitation. Humans of New York weigh in However, the lawsuit hasnt sat well with Brandon Stanton, the founder of Humans of New York page. Taking to social media platform X, Stanton on 23 September wrote: Ive stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if theyve monetised far past anything Id feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you cant be suing people for what Ive forgiven you for. Ive stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if theyve monetized far past anything Id feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you cant be suing people for what Ive forgiven you for. https://t.co/0jZM05YyTt Brandon Stanton (@humansofny) September 23, 2023 For the unaware, Stanton began the Humans of New York blog in 2010. He photographed and shares stories in an unique manner, gradually becoming an internet sensation. People quickly chimed in on Stantons post, calling out Mehta and the Humans of Bombay page for being hypocritical. Some even trolled Humans of Bombay for covert marketing and staging stories. One X user wrote: @Karishma_Mehta5, this is not done. You must drop the lawsuit. If youve taken inspiration from Humans Of New York and they have been kind, you must afford the same liberty to others. Another chiming in, called the lawsuit ridiculous and said it cast the page as small minded. Others since then have called out Mehta for her hypocrisy and even dug out an old video in which she claims that she got the idea of starting HOB completely randomly and out of the blue. Humans of Bombay founder Karishma Mehta said that she got the idea of HOB "Completely randomly and out of the blue". It's like Abibas/Poma saying that they got the idea completely random and then sued Adidas/Puma. #HumansofBombay pic.twitter.com/sLouYliBVn Rahul Bhardwaj (@_rahulism_) September 24, 2023 Humans of Bombay speaks up As Stantons post garnered more attention, the Humans of Bombay page chose to react. In an open letter to Stanton, it wrote that they were grateful to Brandon for his storytelling and they were protecting their teams hard work. We are grateful to HONY & Brandon for starting this storytelling movement. The suit is related to the IP in our posts & not about storytelling at all. We tried to address the issue amicably before approaching the Court, as we believe in protecting our teams hard work. PFA Humans Of Bombay (@HumansOfBombay) September 24, 2023 It also clarified that the matter was related to intellectual property and not to storytelling. In a second post, they wrote, Its therefore shocking that a cryptic assault on our efforts to project our intellectual property is made in this manner, especially without understanding the background of the case. Now while this battle rages on social media, its interesting to note that People of India has chosen to stay mum on the matter. However, more will be revealed as Delhi High Court has now scheduled the next hearing regarding the allegations on 11 October. With inputs from agencies It seems that India has had enough. Enough of the Khalistani threat. Amid worsening ties with Canada over the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India has decided to go hard on Khalistani terrorists living on foreign soil mostly the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Dubai, Pakistan, and Australia. Over the weekend, reports emerged that the government had tasked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to draw up a list of Khalistanis and confiscate their properties in India. Moreover, India is also looking at cancelling their Overseas Citizenship Card (OCI) cards so as to not allow them to enter the country. The move comes after the NIA, on Saturday, seized properties in Punjab belonging to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) group chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Two of his properties were confiscated by the NIA team in Amritsar and Chandigarh. The probe agency also confiscated 46 kanals of Pannuns agricultural land in his ancestral village of Khankot in Amritsar district. Lets take a closer look at what India has in plans to choke the movement and activities of Khalistanis. Properties to be seized On Sunday, it was reported that the NIA had drawn up a list of 19 Khalistanis living abroad and would go after their properties in India. The action will be taken under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The aim of such a move would be to choke their finances in order to curb their spending and in turn, reduce their spending on activities hurtful to India. As per the list released, the NIA will be going after Paramjit Singh Pamma, who is in the UK, Wadhwa Singh Babbar alia Chacha in Pakistan, Kulwant Singh Muthra in UK, Jay Dhaliwal in US, Sukhpal Singh in UK, Harpreet Singh alia Rana Singh in US, Sarabjeet Singh Bennur in UK, Kulwant Singh alias Kanta in UK, Harjap Singh alias Jappy Singh in California, US, Ranjit Singh Neeta in Lahore, Pakistan, Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga alias Baba, Gurpreet Singh alias Baaghi in UK, Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada in Dubai, Gurjant Singh Dhillon in Australia, Lakhbir Singh Rode in Europe and Canada, Amardeep Singh Poorewal in California, US, Jatinder Singh Grewal in Canada, Dupinder Jeet in UK, S Himmat Singh in New York, US. The NIA has said that they would confiscate the properties of these 19 Khalistanis as allowed by the law similar to what they did on Saturday (24 September) with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. For the unaware, on Saturday, NIA officials seized Pannuns house in Punjabs Chandigarh and confiscated land owned by him in Amritsar. Another property, house no 2033 in Sector 15-C, Chandigarh, was also seized. Due to this action, the SFJ chief has now lost rights to his property, which now belongs to the government. In fact, this is not the first time that such action has been taken against Pannun. In 2020, the authorities had attached his properties, meaning he could not sell them. Following the confiscation, the NIA had said, The action comes as a big boost to the countrys crackdown on terror and secessionist network being operated from various countries, including Canada. The confiscation of Pannuns properties had come, incidentally, after the SFJ chief had threatened Indo-Canadian Hindus to leave the country and return to India. The India-Canada row coverage Backing Khalistani terrorists, farmers stir and more: Justin Trudeaus anti-India politics How Justin Trudeaus anti-India antics have angered Canadians What did Indias intel reveal about Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar? How the pro-Khalistan sentiment has grown in Canada Meet Jagmeet Singh, Canadian MP influencing Trudeaus pro-Khalistan politics Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing: Does spat with Canada threaten India-US bonhomie? Cancelling OCI cards And the government isnt just stopping at seizing properties. The government is adopting a two-pronged plan seize properties and also revoke OCI and PIO cards of Khalistanis. The government has asked agencies to revoke the OCI, and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards to bar their entry into India. The OCI card effectively provides people with a multiple entry, multi-purpose, life-long visa to Indian-origin people living abroad. According to a Live Mint report, revoking OCI cards is rare. Of the estimated 4.5 million OCI cards issued till date, only around 150 have been cancelled after being found in violation of rules on the basis of inputs by intelligence and security agencies. This action also comes after India suspended visa services to all Canadians for an indefinite period and also directed Canada to cut its diplomatic staff in India. India-Canada ties nosedive India and Canada ties have taken a turn for the worse since last Monday when Canadian prime minister expelled an Indian diplomat, and accused Indian agents of being responsible for the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who is a known Khalistani leader. India refuted these claims, calling them absurd and motivated, and in a tit-for-tat move, also expelled a Canadian diplomat. The situation worsened further when India suspended all visa services for Canadians. Amid this row, the Canada has sought help from its allies the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand also known as the Five Eyes to condemn India. Earlier, it was reported that it was intel collected by the Five Eyes that had led to Trudeau accusing India of having a role in the killing of Nijjar. However, the Western countries have refused to take sides, with the US and Australia saying that it had sought New Delhi to participate in a probe. Top security officials in New Delhi have said that Canada has not shared any credible evidence on the matter yet. No credible evidence has been shared through either the diplomatic or the intelligence channel with India. Since India has nothing to do with Nijjars murder, it is ready to provide assistance provided Canada moves the legitimate legal process and prosecution of the identified killer or killers, an official was quoted as saying to Hindustan Times. In fact, Indian officials have maintained that Trudeaus allegation is politically motivated, with an eye on the Sikh diaspora in Canada. Moreover, a senior journalist in Canada also said to news agency ANI that the reason Trudeau has picked a fight with India is to divert attention from the China meddling issue. If you want to have some Canadian context about whats going on and why he may have done this, heres what I think is maybe the leading theory we can say as to why Trudeau has started to fight with India. In Canada, we have this big, big spectre of foreign interference from China. Thats a major scandal right now. Its Justin Trudeaus Liberal party, was getting help from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at different points in elections Its a whole big thing that we need an investigation into, said Daniel Bordman, adding that in order to shift the spectrum from Chinese foreign interference, we have a story of Indian foreign interference. With inputs from agencies As India and Canada witnessed diplomatic relations deteriorate in the backdrop of accusations about the death of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun added fuel to the fire. Pannun, the chief of the banned Sikhs for Justice group, warned Hindu Canadians to leave the country a move that top Ottawa officials denounced albeit without mentioning But what do we know about Pannun? What does new intel reveal about him? Lets take a closer look: What do we know about Pannun? Pannun is the head of the pro-Khalistan group Sikh for Justice. His organisation, the SFJ, is a banned fringe group run by a few radical Sikhs of foreign nationality in the US, Canada, the UK. He is a lawyer based in New York. As per India Today, Pannun was born in Amritsar. His family had migrated from Pakistan during the Partition and settled in Amritsars Khankot Village. His father Mahender Singh worked at a Punjab company. Pannuns brother, Magwant Singh, lives abroad. His mother, Amarjit Kaur Pannun, is around 80 as per The Times of India. Pannu was married to Dhariwal resident Kulwinder Kaur also known as Nikki. They have a son and a daughter. Pannun received his law degree from Panjab University. As per The Week, his firm Pannun Law Firm has locations in New York and California. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said investigations into Pannuns SJF revealed that the group was attempting to radicalise youth and urging them to commit acts of terror. As per NIA, Pannun has been using social media to urge gangsters and youth to take up the pro-Khalistan cause. The agency first registered a case against Pannun in 2019. An NIA court issued non-bailable warrants against Pannun on 3 February 2021. Pannun was declared a proclaimed offender in November 2022. Pannun was declared as an individual terrorist under the fourth schedule of Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Act (UAPA) in 2020. Multiple agencies have filed cases against Pannun under the UAPA. What does the dossier say? As per India Today, a new intelligence report has said Pannun is aiming to disintegrate India on religious lines. According to the report, Pannun wants to carve out of India a Muslim state entitled the Democratic Republic of Urdustan. Pannun is said to be working to radicalise the people of Kashmir with the ultimate aim of separating the region from India. NDTV quoted from the report as saying that Pannun has challenged the unity and integrity of India through audio messages. Pannun faces 16 cases in Punjab, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand. Of these, nine are under the UAPA. Of these, four are in Delhi, two in Punjab, another Gurugram in Haryana and another in Dharamshala. The NIA filed the ninth case under the UAPA. Pannun also has two dozen more cases in Punjab including three sedition cases, as per NDTV. He is said to have offered a $2.5 million reward to anyone able to raise the Khalistani flag at India Gate. He also offered a million dollars to any police who halted the Indian flag from being raised at the Red Fort on Independence Day in 2021. As per Outlook, Pannun was accused of being behind the pro-Khalistani banners and graffiti that was put on the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly building in Dharamshala The International Criminal Police Organisation or Interpol in October 2022 sent back Indias request seeking a Red Notice against Pannun. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is the national central bureau of India to liaison with the Interpol, had sent the request of National Investigation Agency seeking Red Notice against Pannun but it was returned with further queries. Government sources told Outlook that contrary to some reports, Interpol did not flag any misuse of the UAPA. Sources added that Interpol makes no such comment. The National Investigation Agency Saturday confiscated the property of banned outfit Sikhs for Justices chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu here, said official sources. A property confiscation notice was put up outside the residence of pro-Khalistan Pannu in Chandigarh, they said. The action was taken under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. 1/4th share of house no 2033, sector 15-C, Chandigarh, owned by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a proclaimed offender in NIA case stands confiscated to the state under section 33 (5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 by the orders of the NIA special court, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab. This is for information of general public, read the notice put up outside Pannus house. The Centre in a 10 July, 2019, notification had deemed the group unlawful under the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Government of India, banning the SFJ for five years, said its primary objective was to establish an independent and sovereign country in Punjab. The Centre added that the SFJ openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process, challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. This was later upheld by an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act tribunal headed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice DN Patel. With inputs from agencies Amid rising tensions between India and Canada over the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a new Khalistani terrorist has come into the spotlight Arshdeep Dalla aka Arshdeep Singh. The Canadian-based terrorist of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) is also under the scanner for alleged links with Pakistan. But what do we know about Dalla and his links with Pakistan? Lets take a closer look: As per New9Live, Dalla was born in Ludhiana in 1996. As per Hindustan Times, Dalla, 27, hails from the Dalla village in Punjabs Moga district. Dalla is one of the Punjab Polices most-wanted persons. He carries a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, as per News9Live. Dallas involvement first emerged in various targeted killings that took place in Punjab around 2020, as per The Times of India. He also supplied hardware including RDX, IEDs, AK-47 and other arms and ammunition to terror modules in the state after importing them from Pakistan. As per NDTV, Dalla an accused in over two dozen cases. He has been charged with a variety of offenses from murder to criminal conspiracy, arms trafficking and drugs. As per DNA, Dalla and Nijjar established a KTF module to murder the owner of the Sunshine Clothes Store in Moga. Dalla and Nijjar in 2022 again worked together to form a four-member KTF module charged with conducting grenade attacks. He is thought to have planned an attack on a Hindu priest. He also formed another KTF module with gangsters Bikram Brar and Goldy Brar to deliver pistols and magazines. As per Hindustan Times, Dalla is said to have a hand in the November 2020 murder of Dera Sacha Sauda disciple Manohar Lal. Dalla claimed responsibility for the murder on the Facebook account of a deceased criminal known as Sukhpreet Singh. In 2022, he established a KTF module targeting Mohali-based immigration consultant Pritpal Singh Bobby. Dalla is said to be a member of the KTF as well as the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). His passport, issued by the Regional Passport Office in Jalandhar on 1 September, 2017, is valid until 31 August 2027. Dalla fled India in July 2020, as per DNA. Dalla has since been living in British Columbias Surrey like Nijjar had with his wife and a minor daughter. A red corner notice against Dalla was issued in May 2022. His dossier suggests that he has even more kills than Nijjar. The Union home ministry declared Dalla an individual terrorist in 2023 at the recommendation of the National Investigation Agency, as per The Times of India. Dallas close aide Sukhdool Singh aka Sukha Duneke another Khalistani separatist was killed in Winnipeg on Thursday, as per Times Now. According to The Times of India, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has taken responsibility for the hit. What about his links with Pakistan? As per NDTV, Delhi police uncovered links between Dalla and the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. The police said Dalla wanted to target Hindu leaders in Punjab. Dallas plan to target Hindu leaders including from the RSS came to the spotlight after a Delhi Police raid earlier this year in Jahangirpuri. Police found that one of the arrested accused Jagjeet Singh Jagga was in contact with Dalla. Jagga said Dala instructed him to ready himself to conduct terror operations in Punjab. Jagga also said that Dalla was in touch with a Lashkar handler named Suhail. During his period of absconding accused Jagjit Singh @ Jagga came in contact with designated Khalistani Terrorist Arshdeep @ Arsh Dala who had instructed him to murder some leaders of RSS and the prominent persons who are against the Khalistani Movement in Punjab. A nexus had developed between Pakistan-based Suhail, Naushad, Jagjit Singh @ Jagga and Arshdeep @ Arsh Dala to commit terror activities on the instruction of LeT and on the other hand on the instructions of designated terrorist Arsh Dala in Punjab and other parts of the country, the Delhi Police chargesheet stated. They have been tasked to kill Sadhus/ Religious leaders and also commit targeted killings in Punjab for which they have received money, weapons from Suhail and Arshdeep @ Dala, it added. As per News9Live, the two arrested accused also beheaded a Hindu boy in the Shahabad Dairy area on Dallas instructions. On the request of Suhail and Arshdeep, the killers made a video of the murder of a Hindu boy in Taliban style, the chargesheet reads. In August, Punjab police claimed to have busted a Pakistan ISI-backed terror module and arrested four persons having links with Dalla. Ahead of #IndependenceDay, Punjab Police foils major terror threat and busts Pak-ISI backed terror module, with help of Delhi Police. 4 module members associated with Canada-based Arsh Dalla & Australia-based Gurjant Singh arrested, the Punjab Police tweeted. Police said the arrested accused were asked to strike before independence day to disturb peace and harmony in the country. The operation was carried out jointly by the Punjab Police and the Delhi Police. With inputs from agencies India is likely to defer its plan to curb the imports of laptops, according to several media reports. The development comes nearly two months after New Delhi announced that imports of laptops would be allowed against a valid licence. But what do we know about this decision? And why has it been taken? Lets take a closer look: What do we know? Bloomberg quoted officials in the know as saying that tech importers will not need a compulsory licensing requirement. Instead, companies will be asked to register under the Centres import management system. People in the know, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet the system would become functional on 1 November. Under the latest version of the governments plan, companies importing laptops, desktops, tablets and servers will have to register with the import management system. However, unlike the previous regime, companies will not have to tamp down on imports immediately. Instead, the import quota would take effect gradually as companies start producing these goods locally. The companies quota would also depend on local production, IT hardware being imported and its exports. Smartphones are exempt under the new rules, as per Bloomberg. As per CNBC, curbs on imports of laptops, desktops and tablets will likely be introduced in late 2024 with the gradual ramp-up process set to conclude by 25 November, 2024. The move gives big companies that import laptops, tablets and desktops such as Apple, Dell and HP more breathing room. As per Gulf News website, Indias decision also came in for criticism from the United States. Why has this been done? The website quoted officials with direct knowledge of the scheme as saying that the electronics ministry proposed a simpler process. The matter was conveyed to industry representatives in a Friday meeting. Companies have been on tenterhooks following Augusts order following which they raised issues with the government. The Centre in August said it would defer the implementation of the import restriction order on laptops and computers including tablets till 31 October. The curbs were initially imposed to give a boost to local manufacturing keeping in mind the Aatmanirbhar India concept. This, at a time when India has identified electronics manufacturing as a key priority area for its future growth ambitions and is hoping to attract investments from global biggies looking to diversify their operations outside China. Officials also cited security reasons as a factor and said the decision would curtail in-bound shipments of these goods from countries like China and Korea. The import curbs will allow the Centre to keep a close watch on the locations from where the products are coming, officials added. Under the PLI 2.0 (production-linked incentive scheme) IT hardware scheme, 44 companies have already been registered and two companies have filed their applications on the scheme portal till 31 July. Indias electronics imports, which include laptops, tablets and personal computers, stood at $19.7 billion in the April to June period, up 6.25 per cent year-on-year. Research firm Counterpoint estimates Indias laptop and personal computer market to be worth $8 billion annually, with two third of those imported. The intent seems to be substitution of certain goods that are imported heavily, said Emkay Global economist Madhavi Arora. But Sunil Raina, president and business head of Lava, praised the governments move. Raina told CNBC, Changes are required nevertheless. I think, from my perspective, we missed the previous bus on growing the manufacturing ecosystem in India. And that bus was actually taken by China. It could have been ours at that time. There would be some of these inconvenient decisions that will have to be taken and theyre only good for the future. Practically speaking, theres never a good time to do something like this. But whenever you do it, it will lead to better results. Im pretty sure, and I think it is a positive development and it should be encouraged and appreciated. With inputs from agencies In the midst of strained relations between India and Canada, Canadas defence minister has described his countrys ties with India as important. Bill Blair on Sunday said that his country will continue to pursue partnerships like the Indo-Pacific strategy while the investigation of the killing of a Sikh separatist leader continues. Tensions flared between India and Canada following Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeaus explosive allegations of a potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, on his countrys soil on 18 June in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India angrily rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case. Canada had been seeking deeper trade, defence and immigration ties with India before the credible intelligence, as Trudeau called it, was first raised with Canadian officials, Global News reported. Also Read: Diplomats expelled, trade talks on hold: How India-Canada ties have plunged to new lows In an interview aired Sunday on The West Block, Blair suggested Canada will continue to pursue those partnerships while the investigation into allegations continues, calling the relationship with India important. We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India, he was quoted as saying by Global News. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth. If the allegations are proven true, Blair said there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Partnerships like Indo-Pacific strategy will continue Blair said the Indo-Pacific strategy was still a critical one for Canada and has led to an increased military presence in the region and commitments for further patrol capabilities. The strategy commits $492.9 million (Rs 4,089 crore) over five years toward those military priorities, out of a total of nearly $2.3 billion (Rs 19,083,100 crore) over the same period. On Thursday, India asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians, as escalating tensions between the two nations over the killing of Nijjar pushed their ties to an all-time low. India also asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada. Its Hindu Canadians blood On Sunday, Liberal Party MP Chandra Arya said that Hindu Canadians felt frightened following threats issued by extremist forces, and he blamed his own party-led administration for inaction against Khalistan fanatics. Arya has often raised the subject of threats to Hindu Canadians and advised the community to be calm and cautious. I am more worried about the consequence of what happened after the Prime Ministers (Trudeau) statement. The concerns of the safety of Hindu Canadians here, Hindu Canadians are fearful, Arya told while speaking to CBC News, as reported by Hindustan Times. What I am worried is that the bloodshed is going to be Hindu Canadians blood, he added. With inputs from PTI Amid protests across Karnataka against releasing Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, two bandhs have been called this week the first one will be held across Bengaluru on Tuesday, and the second statewide on Friday. The announcement for the Karnataka bandh on September 29 was made on Monday, under the banner Kannada Okkuta led by Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, days after the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti, an umbrella outfit of farmers associations and other organisations led by farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar gave the call for Tuesdays Bengaluru shutdown. The two bandhs reflect the divide among the farmers and pro-Kannada organisations, and has also now led to a confusion about who is supporting the bandh on which day, and whether services will be available tomorrow. Shanthakumar has said that they will go ahead with the Bengaluru bandh on Tuesday, while Vatal Nagaraj, who has called for a state bandh on Friday, made it clear that Kannada Okkuta is not supporting tomorrows bandh. Shanthakumar said they have received support from a number of organisations for their bandh call tomorrow and will go ahead with it. We will come to protest at Bengalurus Freedom Park and stage a demonstration there with our demands. The state government, the chief minister, will have to receive our memorandum. If there is no proper response to our protest from the government, we will decide on our further course of action, he said. Calling for a peaceful bandh, he also appealed to the police to take adequate measures to ensure there are no untoward incidents. Vatal Nagaraj said they had asked Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti to postpone their bandh call and to observe it together with them on September 29. What we have called is Akhanda Karnataka bandh (entire Karnataka bandh) on September 29. It will be observed across the state without leaving any district. Our fight is for entire Karnataka. Kannada Okkuta has organised more than 50 bandhs in the whole state so far, he said, as he questioned why the bandh was called by others only for Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the Ola-Uber Drivers Association on Monday said they would extend full support for the September 29 Karnataka bandh called by pro-Kannada organisations but will not support tomorrows bandh. Tomorrow our services will be normal. This decision was taken in a meeting held today in the presence of pro-Kannada and various organisations, the association in a statement said, adding that drivers are in the midst of financial difficulties and they are of the opinion that they cannot afford to lose two days of work. The Hotel Owners Association too has decided to withdraw support for the bandh tomorrow, citing confusion, and said all hotels and restaurants will be open. Metro services are likely to be unaffected by the bandh call and would continue to function as usual. Most private schools and colleges across the state have already declared a holiday in the wake of the Bengaluru bandh tomorrow. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said his party would support tomorrows bandh. I have asked my party workers to support the bandh. Our workers will support. There should be no chance for any untoward incident, he said. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar also said that the people have the right to protest but that there should be no violence. Addressing media here, he said, protest is everyones right in a democracy and it will not be curtailed. Our party people too called and spoke to me about the protest, I said, its your right and protect itbut one has to understand about court orders before calling for protests or bandh, just giving such calls for media publicity is not right, as such calls may have legal repercussions, he said, adding that keeping everything in mind, let them decide. A Dalit woman in Bihar was assaulted and allegedly stripped naked and also urinated upon for refusing to pay additional interest on a loan her husband had taken from a village strongman, said police on Monday. Confirming the incident, Syed Imran Masood, SP City, Patna, said the incident took place on Saturday night under the jurisdiction of Khusrupur Police Station. #WATCH | Patna, Bihar: SP Syed Imran Masood says, An incident has come to light in which a woman belonging to SC has been beaten up, under Khusrupur PS limits The incident took place yesterday night. As soon as we got the information, we registered an FIR, and raids are pic.twitter.com/eJEjUeb6KB ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 An incident has come to light in which a woman belonging to Scheduled Caste has been beaten up, under Khusrupur PS limits As soon as we got the information, we registered an FIR, said Masood. He said that the accused is on the run and the raids are underway to nab the culprit. The accused is absconding We are raiding all the possible locations of the accused. As per the information till now, there has been some dispute between the two sides over money, due to which the accused beat up the woman, added the SP He said that the woman has also alleged that she was stripped and urinated upon by the accused. As per the investigation till now, a dispute over money and a woman being beaten up is confirmed. We are investigating the rest of the allegations. Further probe is underway, said Masood. According to an NDTV report, citing police, the womans husband had borrowed Rs 1,500 from one Pramod Singh in Mosimpur village of Patna district. The couple had repaid the whole amount, however, Singh had been demanding additional interest. When the couple refused, Singh, his son and their aides assaulted her and stripped her naked, added the report. In her complaint, the woman alleged that Pramod, his son Anshu and four other men forced her to come along with them on Saturday night when she was at her home. They thrashed her with sticks and stripped her naked at an isolated place in the village, officials said. Singh then asked Anshu to urinate in her mouth, officials said. With inputs from agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that long rule of the Congress after Independence turned a rich state like Madhya Pradesh into bimaru state and that the youth of the state were fortunate that they didnt have to see the bad governance of the grand old party in the state. Addressing a Karyakarta Mahakumbh in Bhopal, PM Modi said, After Independence, it was Congress rule in Madhya Pradesh for a long time. The Congress turned a prosperous state into bimaru state. The youths of the state have not seen the deplorable law and order condition during the Congress rule, said the PM. VIDEO | After Independence, it was Congress rule in Madhya Pradesh for a long time. The Congress turned a prosperous state into beemaru. The youths of the state have not seen the deplorable law and order condition during the Congress rule, says PM Modi at Karyakarta pic.twitter.com/qaz3QJJhtG Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 PM Modi said first-time voters are fortunate to have seen only BJP government in MP which is key centre of Indias development vision. The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has completed almost 20 years. This means the youths who will be voting for the first time in the upcoming elections, they have only seen the BJP government. They are fortunate that they havent seen the bad governance of Congress in Madhya Pradesh, said the Prime Minister. PM Modi said the BJP has a special connection with Madhya Pradesh, which is known as the heart of the nation. This public uprising, this joy, this excitement, this mahakumbh of workers says a lot. This shows what is there in the minds of people here. This shows the energy of the workers of the BJP Madhya Pradesh is the heart of the country People of the state have always supported BJP #WATCH | Karyakarta Mahakumbh says a lot of things. This shows what is there in the minds of people here. This shows the energy of the workers of the BJP Madhya Pradesh is the heart of the country People of the state have always supported BJP The state is not only the pic.twitter.com/BtLzYMk0SN ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 Terming the upcoming polls in the state very crucial, PM Modi said that it is important to ensure that the path of development created by people of MP, that vehicle of development doesnt wander or stop. Slamming the Congress for criticising the BJP over construction of new Parliament building and opposing digital payment system, he said, Congress cannot digest the development work in India They dont want the country to develop They are never proud of the countrys achievements because neither they want to change and neither want the country to change or develop Congress will make Madhya Pradesh a Bimaru Rajya if it gets a chance (to come into power here). They opposed digital payment but the world is impressed by UPI mode. He said that the Congress has been busy glorifying only one family and has been busy nourishing the corrupt system in India. Congress is like rusty iron, which gets corroded if kept in the rain. Now, Congress neither has the ability to see nor understand the national interest, said the PM. With inputs from agencies Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 exhibition at the Hindan Air Base in Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad today. The Defence Minister will also formally induct the C-295 transport aircraft into the Indian Air Force in the presence of top military officials, including IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. Today, 25th September, I shall be in Ghaziabad to attend the Bharat Drone Shakti 2023, a drone exhibition cum display event. Shall also attend the unveiling ceremony of the IAFs first C- 295 MW transport aircraft at Hindon Airbase. Looking forward to it, posted the Defence Minister on X. Notably, the IAF, recognizing the potential of indigenous drone design and development, is collaborating with the Drone Federation of India to jointly host Bharat Drone Shakti 2023. This event, scheduled for September 25 and 26, will take place at the IAFs Hindan airbase in Ghaziabad and will feature live aerial demonstrations. In India, the utilization of drones is on the rise, spanning across military and civilian applications. Drone technology has rapidly transformed both civil and defence sectors, enhancing efficiency, reducing risk exposure, and elevating capabilities, said a press release. The IAF has extensive experience in deploying Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Intelligence Surveillance and reconnaissance operations. To harness the burgeoning drone technology sector in India, the IAF initiated the Meher Baba Swarm Drone competition, showcasing its faith in the nations drone capabilities, according to the release. Now, with Bharat Drone Shakti 2023, the IAF is poised to further leverage this expertise. Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 promises to spotlight the full potential of the Indian drone industry, with an impressive lineup of over 50 live aerial demonstrations. These demonstrations will encompass a diverse range of drone applications, including survey drones, agriculture drones, fire suppression drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy-lift logistics drones, loitering munition systems, drone swarms, and counter-drone solutions, said the release. The event will also witness the active participation of more than 75 drone start-ups and corporate entities. Anticipated to draw approximately 5,000 attendees, Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 will serve as a convergence point for a wide spectrum of stakeholders. Representatives from central government agencies, state departments, public and private industries, armed forces, paramilitary forces, friendly foreign countries, academic institutions, students, and drone enthusiasts are expected to grace the event, said the release. This collaboration between the Indian Air Force and the Drone Federation of India underscores the commitment to advancing drone technology and its applications in India. The event promises to showcase the capabilities of Indian drones and provide a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts. Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 marks a step towards harnessing the full potential of this transformative technology for the nations benefit. Jammu and Kashmir, Indias federally managed area, will sell off its lithium deposits in the coming weeks, according to a government source familiar with the situation. India, which has been looking into methods to secure supply of lithium, a vital raw element needed in the production of electric car batteries, discovered its first lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir in February, with estimated reserves of 5.9 million tonnes. The auction will happen soon and some overseas miners have shown interest, the source said, declining to be identified because of the sensitive nature of discussions. The federal mines ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters email seeking comments. The source also said that KABIL, a state-owned joint venture formed to scout for minerals overseas, was in the final stages of securing a few lithium blocks in Argentina. Discussions with the Chilean government were also underway to secure lithium blocks although talks were still in the early stages, the source added. KABIL, short for Khanij Bidesh India Ltd, was formed in August 2019 to identify, acquire, develop and process strategic minerals overseas for use in India. India, among the worlds top greenhouse gas emitters, has been pursuing overseas pacts to secure key minerals in resource-rich countries such as Australia, Argentina and Chile. Indian army contingents participating in joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2023 with the US army on Monday departed New Delhi for Alaska. #IndianArmy contingents participating in the Joint Military Exercise #YudhAbhyas with #USArmy and ADMM plus EWG with #ASEAN Nations departed from #NewDelhi, Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army wrote on X formerly Twitter on Monday. Before departure, Director General #Infantry interacted with the contingents and encouraged the contingents to display the highest standards of training & imbibe the best practices of the participating nations, the tweet read. The exercise will entail exchanging the best practices, enhancing interoperability and strengthening the bond between the two Armies. Indian Army contingent will be participating in 19th Edition of joint military Exercise Yudh Abhyas at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA. The Exercise will entail exchanging best practices and enhancing interoperability to mutually learn from each other & strengthen the bond between the two Armies, the official handle of the Indian Army posted on X (formerly Twitter). Exercise #YudhAbhyas 2023#IndianArmy contingent will be participating in 19th Edition of joint military Exercise #YudhAbhyas at Fort Wainwright, #Alaska, #USA. The Exercise will entail exchanging best practices and enhancing interoperability to mutually learn from each other & pic.twitter.com/Pxn7K1KNSM ADG PI INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) September 22, 2023 The joint exercise will take place from September 25 to October 8 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, US. Indian Army contingent comprising of 350 personnel will participate in this edition of the Exercise. The lead battalion from Indian side is affiliated to MARATHA Light Infantry Regiment. 1-24 Infantry Battalion of 1st Brigade Combat Team will participate from the US side. Both sides will practice a series of tactical drills to enhance interoperability in conducting UN peacekeeping operations. Personnel from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their experiences and best practices. The theme of the Exercise is Employment of an Integrated Battle Group in Mountain/ Extreme Climatic Conditions under Chapter VII of United Nations mandate. According to a release by the Defence Ministry, the Field Training Exercise includes validation of Integrated Battle Groups against hostile forces at the Brigade level, Integrated Surveillance Grid at the Brigade/ Battalion level, employment of Heliborne/ Airborne elements and Force Multipliers, validation of logistics and casualty management during operations, evacuation and combat medical aid and other aspects as applicable to High Altitude Areas and Extreme Climatic Conditions. EX YUDH ABHYAS-23 will facilitate both Armies to mutually learn from each other and further strengthen the bonds between the two armies said the release. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis and expressed confidence that the outcomes of Indias G20 Presidency would contribute to the UN General Assemblys discourse and deliberations. Jaishankar met Francis at the UN headquarters and thanked him for his presence at the special India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development side event he hosted on Saturday last on the margins of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. Began the morning by meeting @UN_PGA Dennis Francis at UN Headquarters. Welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of Indias G20 Presidency. Confident that it would contribute to the UN General Assemblys discourse and deliberations. Agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues of our times, Jaishankar said in a post on X. He also held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Madagascar Yvette Sylla and discussed development partnership and cooperation in different areas. A warm meeting with our SAGAR partner, FM of Madagascar, Yvette Sylla today. Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defense cooperation, the minister said in another post on X. He is scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later on Monday. He began his nine-day visit to the US on Friday last week, primarily to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and to host a special event on Global South. On Sunday, Jaishankar held a series of separate bilateral meetings with his global counterparts, including from Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Armenia, on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly session here, exchanging views on reforming multilateralism and cooperation in G20. The Supreme Court mandated on Monday that the Home Secretary of Manipur and the Deputy Director General of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Gauhati, make sure that any displaced individuals in an ethnically divided state who may have lost their Aadhaar cards are given a copy of the card after proper verification. Concerned about the possibility of illegal immigrants in Manipur obtaining Aadhaar cards, a bench of the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra warned UIDAI that it must match the biometric information pertaining to each person who has claimed that they have lost their Aadhaar card with its database. Someone will have to verify if they are genuine citizens. What if someone is an illegal entrant? We will say that the authorities will verify if the person is a genuine citizen. We cant pass a general order, the CJI said. The bench stated that it will be simple for those who have misplaced their Aadhaar cards because their biometric information will already be available. Deputy Director General, UIDAI, regional office Gauhati and State Home Secretary shall take all steps to ensure that Aadhaar cards are provided to all displaced persons who may have lost their Aadhaar cards in the process of displacement. We clarify that UIDAI which would have biometric data would match the claims of any displaced persons, and issue Aadhaar cards, the top court ordered. The Supreme Court-appointed High Power Committee recommended that the UIDAI be given instructions for providing Aadhaar cards for the states displaced citizens, and the Apex Court agreed. The bench was informed by senior attorney Ranjit Kumar, who was representing the Meitei side, that many people with Aadhaar cards are also illegal immigrants. CJI said that he had previously stated that verification will take place prior to the issuance of the Aadhaar card. The bench also made it plain that it does not intend to oversee every aspect of the states government from here in order to run Manipur from there. We do not propose to run the Manipur administration in the Supreme Court. We will not hear the case every week, we will hear it every four weeks. We do not believe the High Court of Manipur is not functioning, the bench said after senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for the Kuki side, said lawyers of the Kuki community were not being allowed to appear before the High Court to espouse causes related to the violence in the State. The top court instructed the head of the Manipur High Court Bar Association to certify that attorneys were not being prohibited from testifying before the High Court because of their membership in a particular religion or community. Additionally, it directed the president of the bar association to draught a statement and submit High Court orders verifying the attendance of solicitors from all communities. The High Court Bar Association President informed the bench that solicitors from all groups were participating in cases both physically and virtually. The cases involving the conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur have been brought before the highest court. Following an event on May 3 organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM), fighting broke out between the Meiteis and the tribal Kuki in Manipur. Since May, the state has been engulfed in violence, and the Central government has to use paramilitary forces to put things under control. (With agency inputs) In a government office in Kanpur, Mohan, a 45-year-old temporary worker, faced scrutiny when it was discovered that he had been selling important pension files he was responsible for transporting between departments to a scrap dealer for just Rs 60. This money allowed him to buy a quarter bottle of potent homemade liquor and enjoy a peaceful nights rest. However, this routine was disrupted last week when he was discovered and promptly dismissed from his position. Additionally, a legal case has been initiated against him. The issue came to light on Friday when officials conducted a search for old age pension documents but were unable to locate them. Subsequently, they discovered that records of the old age pension scheme from 2017 to 2022 were missing. Upon questioning the staff, it was revealed that Mohan had been diligently transporting a sack full of official documents to the scrap dealer every evening. When asked about this, he claimed that it was all worthless scrap. Later, the pension records for 2023 were recovered from the scrap dealers shop. The scrap dealer, Deepak Jaiswal, informed investigators that Mohan had been delivering these documents in a sack for the past three months, and he had no knowledge of their source. Jaiswal further stated that he sold all the scrap to a wholesaler located in Beconganj. Efforts were underway to recover the remaining documents as well. In response to the situation, Chief Development Officer Sudhir Kumar took swift action and initiated legal proceedings against the accused. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mega congregation of BJP workers here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The Karyakarta Mahakumbh is being organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the BJPs Jan Ashirwad Yatras that crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state, party leaders said. This will be the third visit of the prime minister to Madhya Pradesh in the past 45 days where the ruling party is locked in a close contest with Congress. According to sources, the BJP has set an ambitious target of gathering 10 lakh people for the Mahakumbh event being projected as a show of strength by the saffron party. As per the programme schedule, Modi will land at the Bhopal airport at around 10:55 am and will fly to the Jamboree Maidan helipad in a chopper. He will address the public meeting after reaching the venue at around 11:30 am. Modiji is going to address Karyakarta Mahakumbh at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal on September 25, the birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyaya, MP BJP chief VD Sharma told PTI. He said lakhs of BJP workers are expected to reach the venue. They are very excited to hear Modiji, Sharma added. The BJP had rolled out five yatras to reach out to the masses early this month, with party president JP Nadda flagging off the first Yatra from Chitrakoot in Satna on 3 September. These yatras have covered 223 out of the total 230 assembly segments. The formal culmination of these yatras would mark the mega workers meet, party leaders said. In the run-up to the MP assembly polls, the BJP has come up with the slogan abki bar 150 par (victory in more than 150 seats). Ahead of the mega meet of BJP workers, Bhopal is dotted with large cut-outs of Modi. Posters of senior BJP leaders have also been put up at various spots. Union Minister and BJPs MP election in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, Union minister and MP Election Management Committee convenor Narendra Singh Tomar, state BJP chief VD Sharma, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with other leaders went to the Maidan and reviewed the preparations on Sunday. With the Jan Ashirwad (blessings of people) Yatra, the BJP has highlighted development and welfare schemes under the Chouhan government. As the battle to set up narratives for the upcoming elections is growing intense, the Congress has also launched Jan Akrosh Yatra to target the failures of the BJP government. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP missed another shot to power by a whisker as Congress won 114 out of 230 seats, restricting the saffron party to 109. The Congress under Kamal Nath formed a coalition government with the support of Independents, BSP, and SP. However, the dispensation collapsed after 15 months when a string of Congress MLAs led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, now a Union minister, joined the saffron party, paving the way for the return of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the chief minister. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated a mega drone show being hosted at the Hindon airbase. The first C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force. This kicks off Indias first Make in India aerospace programme in the private sector. Watch: VIDEO | Defence minister Rajnath Singh formally inducts IAFs first C- 295 MW transport aircraft into the Indian Air Force at Hindon Airbase in UPs Ghaziabad. pic.twitter.com/MOR5l46KWr Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 #WATCH | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inside C-295 MW transport aircraft following the aircraft's formal induction into Indian Air Force at Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad pic.twitter.com/DjegIyUsxw ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 The aircraft had landed in Vadodara on September 20, days after it was handed over to the IAF in the southern Spanish city of Seville. Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly facility in Hyderabad. These parts will be shipped to the Final Assembly Line in Vadodara which is expected to be operational by November 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for C-295 planes in Vadodara in October last year. It will be the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by a private consortium. The IAF is procuring the C-295 aircraft to replace its fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered the service over six decades ago. The C-295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft. The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation. The aircraft is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties. With inputs from PTI According to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, there is still a world of double standards, and nations in positions of influence are resisting efforts to reform, while those with historical influence have weaponized many of those capacities. Jaishankar was speaking at the Observer Research Foundations Ministerial Session titled South Rising: Partnerships, Institutions, and Ideas, which was co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, United Nations India, and the Reliance Foundation. I think more than political will, there is political pressure for change, he said here on Saturday. There is a rising feeling across the globe, and the global South symbolises it in certain ways. But, he added, there is also political opposition. Those in positions of authority, most notably in the UN Security Council, are resisting the urge to change. Those who are economically dominant today are leveraging their production capabilities and those who have institutional influence or historical influence have actually weaponised a lot of those capabilities as well, Jaishankar said. They will all mouth the right things, but the reality is still today, its a world very much of double standards, Jaishankar said. COVID itself was an example of it, he said, But I think this whole transition will really be in a sense the global South putting more and more pressure on the international system. And, the global North is not just the North. There are parts which may not think of themselves in the North, but are very resistant to change, he said. Jaishankar added cultural rebalancing really means recognising the diversity of the world, respecting the diversity of the world, and giving other cultures and other traditions their due respect. He referred to the G20 Summit in Delhi earlier this month and cited the example of millets. He noted that the global South historically ate less wheat and more millet. In the name of the market, a lot of things are done, like in the name of freedom a lot of things are done, he said to laughter from the audience. Respecting others heritage, tradition, music, literature, and ways of life, is all part of the change that the global South would like to see, Jaishankar said. The event was also addressed by Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, Reliance Foundation CEO Jagannatha Kumar, UN Resident Coordinator in India Shombi Sharp and ORF President Samir Saran. Participating in the panel discussion at the event were the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal Joao Gomes Cravinho and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica, Kamina Johnson Smith. Jaishankar further said that with a couple of months of Indias G20 Presidency still left before Brazil assumes the presidency in December 2023 we will get hopefully something moving on the reform of international financial institutions. Saran referred to Jaishankars remark that Europes problems are the worlds problems but the worlds problems are not Europes problems and said that some feel that Jaishankar is tough on Europe and if that is a fair assessment. No no of course not, Jaishankar said. Debt, SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) resourcing, climate action resourcing, internet access, nutrition, and gender are among the major concerns plaguing the entire globe, according to Jaishankar. These themes were driven out of global debates, according to Jaishankar, partly because to COVID and partly due to the focus on Ukraine, and he added that getting the G20 to talk about what the world wanted it to talk about was a significant difficulty in the G20. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed it best when he said, lets talk to the people who are not going to be at the table, lets find out what they have to say, which is why India organised the Voice of Global South Summit 2023. Hosting the Voice of the Global South Summit provided India with the credentials, and more importantly, the empirical foundation, to say that weve spoken to 125 nations and this is what is really affecting them, and that is why we need to focus on these issues. Measures such as streamlining port, customs operations and establishing a national trade network, Indian companies can better integrate into global value chains and it could contribute an additional USD 1.2 trillion to Indias foreign trade by 2030. Currently, Indias limited participation in global value chains (GVCs) hampers its export potential, despite possessing substantial manufacturing capabilities across various GVC-relevant product categories, said the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). The integration of Indian companies into GVCs is crucial, considering that approximately 70 per cent of global trade occurs within these networks, covering a diverse array of products, including electronics, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and apparel. Indias weak GVC integration can be attributed to poor trade infrastructure, causing delays at ports and customs, which are detrimental to the timely flow of goods in these intricate value chains, GTRi Co-Founder Ajay Srivastava said. Countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia have excelled in GVCs due to investments in quality trade infrastructure. The GTRI report has recommended six action points to the government which can help boost the participation of domestic firms in GVCs. The suggestions include automating port and customs procedures, and implementation of green channel clearances for 99 per cent of shipments; analysing the top 10,000 exporters responsible for 85 per cent of Indias exports; matching global best practices for ship turnaround times, reducing queues, speeding up transactions, and optimizing infrastructure use; and enhance communication between traders and shipping companies, port operators, and Container Freight Stations (CFS). The report asked for the creation of an online platform for all export-import compliance processes. National Trade Network (NTN) would enable exporters to submit all required information and documents in one place, eliminating the need to interact separately with customs, DGFT (directorate general of foreign trade), shipping companies, ports, and banks, Srivastava said. The other steps include focusing on high-value segments of GVCs, product conceptualization, design, prototype development, and after-sales services. Countries like the US, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea excel in R&D expertise at the high end, while China specializes in final assembly at the lower end. Further, it suggested inviting top global firms to become anchor manufacturers in priority sectors. We know their names. Apple and Micron are a good beginning. With thousands of manufacturing units in most sectors, India needs a few large anchor firms in each sector. Their use of innovation and technology will result in gains for all firms in the entire sector the way Suzuki did to Indias automobile sector in the early 1980s, he said. Citing renowned examples of GVCs, the report said that for Apples iPhone, R&D and critical component design happens in the US; Taiwan produces semiconductor chips; South Korea makes OLED displays and semiconductor components; Japan manufactures memory chips, capacitors, and sensors; Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand produce specific components or assemblies. All these components and subassemblies are sent to China, where final assembly takes place in facilities operated by Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron. Apple manufactures iPhones in India, and its supply chain involves various countries for different components, it said. Similarly, for laptops, Taiwan produces processors and semiconductors; South Korea makes displays, memory chips, and storage devices; and Japan manufactures batteries, sensors, and some semiconductor components. Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines provide labour and assembly services, along with making components for specific brands; and Vietnam handles assembly operations for a few brands. In China, 90 per cent of laptops are ultimately assembled, with major manufacturers having manufacturing facilities there. With inputs from PTI The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against former state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and five others in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda, a top official said on Monday. Apart from Badal, who is now a BJP leader, and former Bathinda municipal corporation commissioner Bikramjit Shergill, the other four booked in the case on Sunday night have been identified as Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj, the official said. Rajiv Kumar and Amandeep Singh have been arrested, the officer added. The bureau had launched an investigation into the matter based on former MLA Sarup Chand Singlas 2021 complaint alleging irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda. BJP leader Singla, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, had alleged that Badal, as a minister in the previous Congress dispensation, had abused his position to convert commercial plots into residential plots for himself. The case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery) and also under the Prevention of Corruption Act. During the investigation, the Vigilance Bureau had interrogated Badal in July. A few days ago, Badal had filed a pre-arrest bail application in a court in Bathinda and the matter is listed for hearing on September 26. Badal had joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in January this year. The key outcome of the G20 summit earlier this month was the MoU signed to develop the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) corridor. The blueprint for the corridor, as per the MoU, will be ready within 60 days. Thats just before the virtual summit of the G20 on November 30, 2023, to formally end Indias year-long presidency. Significant geopolitical and geo-economic consequences will flow from the IMEC. It will trigger an infrastructure boom in sea terminals, railways, roadways and undersea cables for green energy. Indias western coast will witness both greenfield and brownfield expansion in seaports. Indian companies such as private sector Larsen & Toubro and public sector giants like IRCON International and RVNL are well equipped to win contracts to build rail and road projects from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan through to Israels Mediterranean ports. Once diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia are formalised, a direct route on rail and road through Jordan from Saudi Arabia to Israels coast can be established. Since the United States, and the European Union are signatories to the MoU, IMEC has strong financial backers. Germany, France and Italy, Europes three largest economies, are also signatories in their sovereign capacities along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India. The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is usually a sceptic on direct infrastructure linkages between South Asia and Western Europe. But even the council, in a briefing note on September 15, 2023 by its director for the Middle East and North Africa programme Julien Barnes-Dacey and visiting fellow Cinzia Bianco, conceded: The G20 announcement establishing the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor (IMEC) has been hailed as a historic breakthrough by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The project aims to build a railway and, later, digital and electric cables, as well as a clean hydrogen pipeline, from India to Europe via Jordan and Israel. IMEC will quickly force the West to confront the mismatch between how they and key Gulf actors see the multipolar world. The West believes it can still cement its regional influence at the expense of China, offering an alternative to Beijings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But Gulf actors see this agreement within the context of a new global order in which they can balance ties with both China and the West to maximise their own gains. Sceptics of IMEC are thicker on the ground in India. Vivian Fernandes writing in BQ Prime pointed out: Is the transcontinental transport corridor between India, the Middle East and Europe an idea that will acquire shape and substance in the foreseeable future, or will it fizzle out like other such grand announcements? Near-seamless goods transport through IMEC is predicated on the normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. They do not have diplomatic ties, though the ice is melting. Saudi Arabia did not join the 2020 Abraham Accords that normalised relations between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain. It is also not part of I2U2, a group comprising India, Israel, the UAE, and the US formed in 2021 for deeper engagement in six areas, including transportation and energy. For India, the corridor is a plug-and-play project. Much of the investment will be made by the West Asian countries. But it could leverage the project for greater integration of South Asian economies. The positive impact of the IMEC corridor on the Indian economy is indisputable. Apart from enhancing Indias position as a logistical hub for the Middle East and Western Europe, the spin-off benefits to the Indian economy will come in several other ways. Exports from India will be streamlined. Once fully developed, the IMEC corridor will cut logistical costs for both Indian exports and imports. But the real impact of IMEC is geopolitical. With countries involved in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) struggling with debt, IMEC provides an alternative route from east to west. BRI was to cut across Eurasia, past the Middle East and onwards to Europe. It would pass through sovereign Indian territory in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan, illegally occupied by Pakistan. Italy is set to withdraw from the BRI in April 2024 when its five-year agreement with China ends. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang at the G20 summit in New Delhi that the BRI agreement would not be renewed. Since Italy was the first and only Western European country to sign on to the BRI in 2019, its withdrawal will be a setback to Beijings plans to revive the stalled initiative. India obviously is not putting all its geo-economic eggs in the east-to-west IMEC basket. It is simultaneously developing a strategic Indo-Pacific military and civil maritime corridor in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Rs 72,000 crore Great Nicobar project came under criticism from environmentalists and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). All construction work was halted as a result. These concerns were studied, as mandated, by a group of experts who last month gave the Great Nicobar project the green signal. According to the Journal of Projects, Infrastructure and Energy Law (IJPIEL), The idea behind this project is to enable India to use its geographical access to major shipping routes between East Asia and South Asia and major trade cities like Colombo, Port Klang and Singapore to leverage a significant share of the regional maritime economy. The geographical vicinity will act as a major economic benefit due to the instance of cost savings for containers shipping cost. The proposed Great Nicobar Island International Airport (GNIIA) has been decided to be developed as an International Airport in Great Nicobar. The airstrip should be developed to cater for operations of Airbus A-380 type of aircraft in all weather conditions. Military and civilian aircraft will now have access to the South Pacific Sea. The expanded Indian naval base in the Great Nicobar lies just over 100 miles from the tip of Indonesia and overlooks the entrance to the Strait of Malacca through which most of Chinas trade passes. The combined impact of IMEC and the Great Nicobar Project will help India cut a swathe from Western Europe past North Africa and the Middle East to the Indian Ocean, East Asia and the South Pacific Sea. The benefits of the two projects will make India the trading hub it was for centuries before the advent of European colonialism. The tables have turned. The writer is an editor, author and publisher. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The diplomatic ties between India and Canada have hit a nadir after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, in British Columbias Surrey. While the Khalistanis, true to their calling, have now threatened to target the India mission in Ottawa and consulates in other cities in that country, the Canadian media, in coordination with their Western counterparts, in an ostrich-style of reporting, have been busy sanitising Nijjars criminal past by projecting him as a temple leader. One newspaper has gone to the extent of calling him a tireless campaigner and fatherly figure who would do temple works with his own hands. This is shocking, especially for those who have not been closely tracking Canadas internal politics and its Khalistani links. After all, this is not the first time Indians and the Indian mission have been targeted in that country. In the 1980s, even as Bill Warden, Canadas high commissioner then, was assuring Indias foreign secretary on the upgraded security being provided at Indian missions in Canada, as he recalls in his 2017 memoirs, Diplomat, Dissident, Spook, an armed gunman walked into the consulate general in Toronto, fired some shots, and then slipped away unimpeded. Such was the failure of the Canadian authorities in handling the Khalistani terror in the 80s that Warden was summoned to the (Indian) foreign ministry to receive strong protests on some eighteen occasions. And like Nijjar today, there was then Talwinder Singh Parmar, a dreaded Khalistani terrorist who was gunned down in Punjab in 1992 but almost a decade back he had forewarned that Indian planes will fall from the sky. This actually happened a few years later with the Kanishka Air India bombing in 1985, but Parmar remained a free man in Ottawa. Parmar was the same person who was refused an extradition by Canada in 1982 despite repeated Indian requests. In fact, when India sought his extradition in 1982, Ottawa went to the ludicrous extent, saying the extradition protocols between Commonwealth countries would not apply because India only recognised Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, and not as Head of State! The Kanishka Air India bombing, until 9/11, was the deadliest terrorist attack in history. But while the 11 September 2001, attack saw the initiation of the war against terrorism, the 1985 tragedy went largely ignored in the West, with Canada seeing it as Indias problem: This despite the fact that of the 329 dead, 268 were Canadian citizens, mostly of Indian descent, while 27 were British and 24 were Indian citizens. As Canadian journalist Terry Milewski writes in his well-researched book, Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of the Global Khalistan Project (2021), The cause for which the bombers fought went nowhere. The investigation took twenty years. Except for the victims families, it seemed that nobody was interested in the Air India bombing All of their families were left to fend for themselves in navigating the aftermath, the funerals and the formalities. Among others, Milewski tells the story of one Susheel Gupta, who was only 12 when he went with his father to Ireland, looking for the body of his mother, Ramwati, who was killed in the plane bombing. By the time the judicial inquiry started, Gupta was thirty-three and a federal prosecutor in Ottawa. But he remembered. Canadian government officials did not seem to care at all, he said. This was not their tragedy to deal with, but Indias. Didnt matter that we were Canadian citizens. Such was the indifference, if not disdain, for the tragedy that the victims families wondered if it were an Air Canada plane full of white people, would the government have been so indifferent? Susheel Gupta, even at the height of his personal bereavement, couldnt stop noticing the contrast between the Canadians and the Irish people in approaching this man-made tragedy. When they were caught in the rain, there was someone (Irish people) to help: Neither my father nor I had a raincoat. As we were walking, a group of three Irish people walked up to us, greeted us. We were crying. They hugged us and then took off their own raincoats, handed one to my father as another one of the three individuals put his jacket upon me, buttoned it up, pulled the hood over my head and told me to keep the jacket I still have the raincoat to this day. Both before and after the Kanishka, Canada and its original citizens failed to act with sensitivity the tragedy deserved. But the 1985 bombing wasnt just about the racist indifference of White Canada for its brown citizens. Just like Justin Trudeau is today busy turning a criminal into a victim and, worse, accusing without any substantial proof the worlds largest democracy of indulging in a murder in another country, the 1980s Canada too turned a blind eye to, first, when the Paramar-led Khalistanis vowed to bring Indian planes down, but also later denied if there were any prior intel warning of an attack on Air India. In 1987, two years after the Kanishka bombing, Canadas solicitor general James Kelleher told the parliament that nobody could have seen the Air India bombing coming: I should point out to the House that there was no indication that there was a specific threat to Flight 182! Sixteen years later, in 2003, he found support from Solicitor General Wayne Easter, who stated that the police and security services were not in a position to know that there would be a terrorist attack on an Air India aircraft. Interestingly, Kelleher was a Conservative minister, while Easter was a Liberal! Facts tell a different story, however. As Milewski brings out eloquently, Beginning in 1982, Canadas security services knew that a terrorist group, the Babbar Khalsa, was operating in Canada; that it had dozens of killings on its record; that its leader, Talwinder Parmar, was wanted for murder; and that he was preaching that Indian planes will fall from the sky. Thats why CSIS the Canadian Security Intelligence Service watched and wiretapped Parmar for three months before the Air India bombing, starting in March 1985. The surveillance made it plain that Parmar was intent on violence so plain that Ray Kobzey, the CSIS agent in charge of watching him, immediately exclaimed on hearing that Flight 182 had gone down, Parmar did it! Still Parmar and others roamed free in Canada. Till this day, of at least nine main accused, only one man has been convicted the man who built the bombs. Several credible warnings were available beforehand suggesting a threat to the Air India plane in Canada, but authorities in Ottawa refused to look at them. Maybe they just didnt care. In August 1984, for instance, Gerry Boudreault, a French-Canadian criminal, told the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that some Vancouver Sikhs had offered him $200,000 in cash to smuggle a bomb onto Air Indias flight from Montreal to London Flight 182. He refused and went to the police. But the cops kept looking the other way. There was also one Harmail Singh Grewal, a Sikh, who informed the Vancouver police about the plot to blow up an Indian plane. Grewal, in fact, talked about the plan to bomb two planes, which proved to be correct. The transcript of the talks between Grewal and the police is self-revealing: Officer: Theres a plot to put a bomb on an airplane right? Grewal: They said, yeah. Officer: Ok Grewal: Maybe two. Officer: Maybe two airplanes? Grewal: Well is it two, two, two, yeah. I heard their problem, they say if it doesnt blow, what happens? They said Some extra Officer: A backup bomb? Grewal: Yeah. Officer: What kind of airplane? Grewal: Air India 747 Officer: Air India 747. Is this going to be leaving from Montreal? Grewal: Yes. Officer: And its going to be, when? Grewal: Well I dont know the exact date, you know, the time. A flight leaves only from Montreal in Canada. The Canadian administration may continue to repeat the lie, but the fact is that there was not just vague but specific warning about Flight 182 being on the radar of Khalistani terrorists. After all, Air Indias flight from Toronto to Montreal and London, once a week, was the only flight the airline operated in Canada. The story of Canadian indifference one should call it collusion doesnt end there. Milewski writes how two weeks before the bombing, Parmar, with an accomplice, travelled to Toronto, preaching at the Malton Gurdwara near the airport. The next day, 10 June, an informer told the local police that people at the gurdwara were warned not to fly Air India as it would be unsafe. Later that very month, Air India Flight 182 exploded mid-air killing 329 people. More would have been killed had the second bomb not blown up on the ground at Narita Airport in Japan as the bags were being moved to Air India. Today, when the Western media is ignoring the Canadian complicity in pushing and promoting Khalistani terror in the name of freedom of expression, besides calling one of its terrorists a temple leader and a fatherly figure, its important to look back at the 1980s, especially the tragic Kanishka bombing and how a similar Canadian attitude led to the killing of hundreds of people and inflicting untold trauma to thousands others. The era of clubbing terrorists with freedom fighters is mostly gone and rightly so. Only a few pariah states, such as Pakistan, still pursue such obsolete, dangerous ideas. Canada, more so under Trudeau, seems to be going the Pakistan way. By defending Ottawa for its acts of omission and commission, the West is committing a hara-kiri similar to what it did in the Af-Pak region in the 1980s and after, resulting in two planes crashing into two iconic towers in New York in 2001. Before coming to Canadas support, the West should relook its role in the Kanishka bombing and after. If the Wests terrorists are Indias terrorists, then the latters terrorists cannot be the Wests father figures. If not checked now, these extremists would one day haunt the West just the same way Osama bin Laden and his fidayeen did in 9/11 and after. (This is the second part of the two-part series.) Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It was the type of crisis no one in Washington wanted. While there had been some background discussions among Canada, the United States, and other countries in the run-up to the G20 Summit about the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apparently caught Washington by surprise when he decided to accuse India of murdering the terrorist on Canadian soil. Trudeau based his accusations on alleged intelligence provided by the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). Not all intelligence agencies are equal, however; no one fears New Zealand spies and Australias Office of National Intelligence focuses more on China than on Canada. Therefore, Trudeaus statement insinuated he had received intelligence from either the United States or United Kingdom. It is no secret that the United States or Canada spy on allied countries; India does the same thing. To simply say intelligence shows is amateurish, though. When there is intelligence, for example, intercepts of phone calls, these are seldom cut-and-dry but rather open to interpretation. Intelligence provides puzzle pieces, but it seldom offers a clear picture. Nor would any operative speak clearly about their plans, even in the special rooms designed to avoid eavesdropping. When intelligence is clear, for example, when the United Kingdom developed the Enigma device during World War II, the United States and Canada would likely prioritise keeping their penetration secret rather than haphazardly exposing a capability it might take years to restore. When after the murder of Saudi intelligence agent-turned-dissident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, Turkey revealed it had bugged the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, they did so after cancelling balancing President Recep Tayyip Erdogans desire to embarrass Riyadh over the fact that they would never again receive information from those transmitters. When the United States assassinated Al Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden, they did so only after calculating the damage caused by exposure of Americas then-secret stealth helicopter capabilities. Make no mistake: The United States is frustrated with Trudeaus willingness to expose intelligence collection and capabilities especially at a time when the intelligence was murky at best. While the White House has tried to dampen rhetoric against India in sharp contrast to its actions in the aftermath of Khashoggis murder, David Cohen, the US ambassador to Canada, appeared on Canadian TV and confirmed that Canada received Five Eyes intelligence. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think thats as far as Im comfortable going, Cohen said. Cohens remarks were not wise. He appeared on television for its own sake, stirred the pot, but ultimately said nothing. From his perspective, he simply wanted to be available for Canadian TV. Indians should understand US diplomacy and Canada. American ambassadors come in two forms: career and political. The US President usually sends a political ambassador to Canada, someone who contributed generously to his campaign. Not all political ambassadors are equal. India and Japan regularly receive highly capable American advisors. Because Canada neighbours the United States, speaks English, and most business is done directly with direct phone calls, ambassador posts in Ottawa are usually reserved for those who want the honorific but do not have top skills that the State Department can trust in a crisis. Cohen was a successful businessman and, from his stint as chief-of-staff to Philadelphias mayor, he understands city politics, but he is not someone whom the United States trusts in a crisis. Technically speaking, American ambassadors supervise all elements in US embassies including the CIA chief-of-station. In practice, however, the US ambassador in Ottawa keeps a hands-off approach. It is doubtful that Cohen even knew about any Nijjar-related issues before Trudeaus comments last week. He is playing catch up and trying to assuage his Canadian audience with whom he must interact daily. Frankly, the same pattern extends to American diplomats stationed in Canada. Canada is seldom a first-choice destination for ambitious diplomats. Often, the State Departments personnel shop reserves slots in Ottawa or at the various provincial consulates for diplomats who must stay close to home for certain reasons, be they family issues or health. No top State Department official built their career in Canada. Secretary of State Antonys Blinkens comments should worry India more. Blinken built his career in the Senate as Bidens chief foreign policy aide. In the culture of the senate, posturing and virtue signalling trumps policy responsibility. If American progressives seize upon this issue as a cause celebre no matter Nijjars terrorism, Blinkens political instincts will be to follow rather than lead. This dynamic has haemorrhaged Biden administration relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia. Many American progressives harbour an irrational antagonism to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If Modi walked on water, they would belittle him for not knowing how to swim. Behind-the-scenes, though, Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan are smart enough to hope the problem will just go away. This might occur in two ways: First, a new crisis might simply shift the focus in Washington and relieve the pressure on the White House and State Department. Blinken and Sullivan pursued this strategy after the Afghanistan withdrawal, and they hope the Nijjar story will likewise simply disappear as focus shifts elsewhere. A more likely scenario is that it will disappear when Trudeau loses his premiership, something polls show will likely happen in the next election. While Trudeau can remain in power until 2025 due to a deal with the left-leaning New Democrats, such a deal is not binding and elections could occur much sooner. The question for New Delhi and Washington then becomes whether the source of the current crisis is Canada or Trudeaus superficiality and venality? Certainly, economic and educational ties suggest India and Canada are a relationship too important to discard. Trudeau is like Donald Trump; the personality is the problem, not the country. Indeed, the silver-lining to the crisis is already obvious: No longer will either Ottawa nor Washington ignore New Delhis security concerns. Whether the United States wanted to or not, it increasingly understands it cannot ignore the violence and terrorism Khalistani separatism represents nor the movements lack of popular legitimacy. The writer is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In July 1979, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain assembled about 100 members of his Baathist party in a room. He then announced a plot against him and one by one, members of his party, accused of plotting, were led out. Those who remained, immediately swore loyalty to Saddam. They were then given weapons and instructed to kill those accused of treason. This made them complicit to murder and ensured that none would ever contemplate challenging his power. He remained firmly in his chair until he was executed in 2003. Stalin from 1936-38 launched a brutal political campaign to eliminate dissenting members of the communist party and anyone else he considered a threat. It is estimated that around 75,000 were executed and over a million sent to forced labour camps. This sealed his power. Similar actions were undertaken by Hitler to eliminate any threat against it. Equally infamous was the cultural revolution launched by Chinese strongman Mao Zedong. The purge ended with the death of Mao in September 1976. In this ten-year period the revolution claimed between 500,000 to two million lives, true figures never being available. Dictators like Stalin, Saddam, Mao and Hitler always feared being overthrown and thus anyone, even perceived as a threat, had to be removed. Their survival was dependent on internal intelligence, monitoring possible challengers and creating an aura of fear amongst the population. Midnight knocks have always been a favourite tactic of ensuring subjugation and control. More recently, Kim Jong Un, who replaced his father as the absolute monarch of North Korea in Dec 2011, launched his purge of supposed detractors a few months later. Within two years over 50 per cent of his senior party members were removed, many eliminated. Amongst them was his uncle and former mentor who was mercilessly killed. The cruelty created such fear that none was willing to question him. In this day of social media conducting mass purges are no longer feasible. Dictators have to invent innovative methods to remove challengers. The best option is to give harsh sentences for perceived corruption. It is easier in closed societies than open ones. Putin in Russia has removed all challengers to his power by jailing them under various false pretexts. Currently, there is none in Russia to stand against him whenever elections are held. While Russia claims to be a democracy, Putin remains the undisputed king. Ukraine is headed the same way, with Zelensky following Putin by jailing all his detractors, adopting the war as an excuse. This is what is also being witnessed in China in the past few months. In June, the deputy commander of the PLA rocket force, Wu Guohua, died under mysterious circumstances, which was subsequently declared as cerebral haemorrhage. The inside story is state authorised murder. The rocket force is responsible for handling Chinas tactical and strategic missiles, including nuclear. In end June, the commander of the rocket force, Lieutenant General Li Yuchao, went missing from official engagements. It was subsequently learnt that he had been arrested and under investigation for alleged corruption. China watchers mention that the list of accusations include Li Yuchaos son, studying in the US, leaking state secrets for financial gains. Around the same time, the newly appointed foreign minister, Qin Gang, a blue-eyed boy of Xi Jinping and former ambassador to the US as also the man behind Chinas wolf warrior diplomacy, went off the radar. The Chinese authorities either claimed he was unwell or ignored questions on his absence. It is rumoured that he is linked to the turbulence in the rocket force and also under investigation. He has not been seen in public since. Xi had brought the PLA under the CCP and him directly once he had established himself. He purged the leadership of those loyal to his predecessors. Many other senior officials of the PLA, including the former defence minister and ex-commander of the rocket force, Wei Fenghe, are under investigation for corruption. While the truth behind the removal of all linked to the PLA rocket force may never be known, there is talk of a possible revolt against the CCP leadership from within the PLA being spearheaded by the rocket force. In latest inputs from China, the current defence minister, Li Shangfu, a former army general with ties to military space enterprises, has been missing for over two weeks. His absence came to light when China cancelled his visit to Vietnam as also a meeting with the Singaporean naval chief. It is reported that he too is under house arrest and being investigated. Reports mention at least 20 generals being under secret police custody and investigated for multiple offenses. In October 2022, former Chinese president, Hu Jintao, was physically lifted from his chair and escorted out from the communist party meeting which endorsed Xis third term. He was likely to raise objections on the grant of a third term to Xi. The live display of the incident on television was intended to send a firm message of Xis undisputed grip of the country. The purge of the top leadership, only limited details being available, indicates a growing sense of dissatisfaction within China as also increasing insecurity and paranoia within Xi. Such is the fear within the Chinese leadership that it is demanding all its citizens to help catch spies. Beijing believes that foreign intelligence agencies have infiltrated multinationals, social media and the universities bent on weakening the hold of the communist party. It is possible that the Wagner revolt of June this year added to concerns of Xi as majority of those arrested and currently under investigation were post the Wagner uprising. If it could happen in Russia, it could also happen in China and the PLA could be the lead. This rising fear has led to the Chinese leadership devoting its attention to national security rather than on rebuilding the economy. This basically implies protecting the power of the CCP and Xi Jinping. Xi, on being elected for his third term, built his team around sycophants and yes-men. Currently, many of them are being purged and a new team created. It is possibly the ongoing sequence of arrests and suppression of a possible revolt which kept Xi away from the G20. Either Xi Jinping judged wrong or dissatisfaction is increasing within China against mismanagement of the economy and suppression of the populace under him. For an emperor the worst fear is removal by revolt and subsequent elimination. How long will he keep suppressing dissent is to be seen. Insecurity with the military leadership would imply promoting those who are loyal as against those who are professional, a sure signal for failure in operations. The author is a former Indian Army officer, strategic analyst and columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri wrapped up a long pre-release roadshow of his new film The Vaccine War in New Delhi yesterday. Intriguingly, most of those invited for the previewincluding this columnisthad seen nothing in the media in the preceding days about the film set during the pandemic, good or bad. An odd silence indeed, given that Agnihotri is a magnet for controversy, and does not shy away from it either as The Kashmir Files brouhaha demonstrated. The subject and treatment of the story provides some clues. Agnihotri says his movie is about a superhero, belying Hollywoods supposed accusation that India doesnt make relevant films in that genre. It is tempting to identify Dr Balram Bhargava, the man whose book forms the basis of the film, as that putative hero. Only, his character in the film (played brilliantly by Nana Patekar) himself acknowledges he isnt. He credits the entire team of virologists. The Vaccine War unabashedly lauds the intrepid scientists of the Indian Council of Medical Research (which Bhargava headed during the Covid 19 pandemic and the race to develop a vaccine) and the National Institute of Virology at Pune, whose head Dr Priya Abraham is played by Agnihotris wife and the films producer Pallavi Joshi. And as the film focuses on the women at the forefront of the vaccine quest, it is hard for the usual suspects to diss the film. Countless salwar-kameez and saree-clad, bespectacled women scientists are the emerging new superheroines of India, recently applauded for their real-life role in the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. Indian women are right there alongside the science non-fiction male heroes depicted in recent big and small screens such as The Rocket Boys and Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, not to mention Mission Mangal. And they are front and centre in The Vaccine War. The courage and fortitude of what the general population knew as frontline workers cannot be overstated. On the one hand there were doctors and healthcare staff fighting a deadly enemy armed with just PPEs and masks. We saw them working and even dying in front of our eyes. And we saluted them by blowing conch shells, ringing bells and drumming thaliscontrary to the misinformation campaign that it was just a silly effort to scare away the virus. On the other hand, there were virologists working furiously to isolate the virus, understand it, and then figure out a way to kill it before it killed us all. That story was not played out before our eyes or made vicariously visible to us via the media and social media. Seeing the very ordinary looking women and men on the stage after the movie, the inevitable conclusion was that superheroes are not in the world of Marvel Comics; they live among us, they are us. It would be foolhardy for even the usual Agnihotri baiters to criticise this films subject although they may have issues with the cinematography (as they did in the case of The Kashmir Files) or even the dialogues. They may even try to rope in animal activists on the issue of the testing of the vaccine shown in the film but there is no denying it is a feel-good film, it is about teamwork, dedication and camaraderie, about a good sort of positivity in Covid times. The narrative that India in the past few years has been obsessing about its glorious past to the exclusion of reason and rationality is being contradicted by the rise of these new heroines and heroes firmly focused on science and the futurethat too, from right here in India not NASA or a foreign pharma laboratory. This film emphasises that the battle against Covid was fought by nothing else but cutting-edge science and the unshakeable belief that India can do it. Maybe that is why silence is now the weapon of choice. The unusual lack of buzz about a topic that literally touches us all, points to some unofficial embargo on the film. And as there cannot be an Agnihotri film that does not take aim at a shibboleth, the fact that he has the media and social media in his sightswith a woman at the epicentre as befits the leitmotif of the moviecould be the reason why The Vaccine War has hardly got any pre-release build-up. As all the rest of the characters in what is billed as A True Story are very real, it is also hard to believe that the treacherous woman science reporter is just a composite, as also the media organisation from which she relentlessly spews misinformation. More so as two thirds of her name and that of her supposedly fictitious media outlet would sound familiar to those who followed the Twitter wars over the pandemic and the development of the vaccine. Played with consummate conviction by Raima Sen, the science reporters constant negativity about the handling of the Covid-19 crisis and her barely disguised pressure to allow foreign vaccines instead of a substandard Indian one triggers total recall. Remember how the race for an indigenous vaccine was portrayed as unnecessary when there were foreign ones available? And how vaccine hesitation was deliberately played up in India? Visuals of tweets put out by the army of naysayers during that time may have the names blurred out in this film, but those who did keep trackincluding this columnistwill remember what they had said. After all, it was not that long ago. Seen against the backdrop of the enormous odds against which Indian virologists accomplished what was deemed impossible, the orchestrated social media and media misinformation campaign appears even more heinous. Audiences should foil moves by this brigade to exonerate itself on grounds of freedom of speech. The Supreme Court offered media a lifeline by observing in the context of Manipur that, Making a false statement in an article is not an offence of 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups); it may be incorrect statements and that journalists are entitled to put forth a viewpoint. But giving the media the benefit of doubt (or not) is a personal choice. A new version of vaccine hesitancy should not be allowed to be disseminated to deter audiences from watching this film. Seeing the heroines and heroes of The Vaccine War on stage, each emphasising how every member of the team from the peon to the tech assistants to the virologists did their bit, brings to mind what the mountaineer Edmund Hillary famously said: People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things. The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. With barely a few months to go for the general elections in the country, the AIADMK on Monday announced it was walking out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and added it would lead a separate front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The formal break-up was announced by AIADMK Deputy General Secretary KP Munusamy after a resolution was passed unanimously at a meeting of MPs, MLAs and district heads at the partys headquarters in Chennai. After the news emerged, party workers celebrated by setting off firecrackers. At a meeting in New Delhi on Saturday a last-ditch effort to revive strained ties the south Indian party remained firm on its demand that either K Annamalai, the BJPs Tamil Nadu chief, apologise for remarks on late former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, or he be replaced with a non-controversial leader. Former CM Annadurai was the mentor of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran. A senior AIADMK leader at that meeting told news agency PTI that discussions were smooth and cordial, but remarks by the BJPs M Chakravarthy told a different story. The resolution, without naming anyone, said the BJPs state leadership has been of late defaming Dravidian stalwart, the late CN Annadurai and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, besides criticising its policies. It was obvious the Dravidian party was miffed with BJP state president K Annamalai, whose comments about Annadurai had created a rift between the two erstwhile allies. Top party office-bearers, district secretaries and MLAs and MPs took part in the AIADMK meet, helmed by party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami at the AIADMK headquarters. The AIADMK-BJP alliance was on the brink last week after the former partys D Jayakumar told reporters, We will decide on the alliance before the election. Annamalai is unfit to be BJPs state president. He speaks ill of late leaders only to project himself. The BJP leader had previously also been critical of the late former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who remains an iconic, almost revered, figure within the AIADMK. At the time, the southern party had demanded the state BJP chief be taken to task. Annamalai frequently stirs up controversy with both his partys ally (the only one in the state) and their joint rival, the DMK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, said Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan has wasted five important years of the youth of the state. Addressing Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha in poll-bound Rajasthans Jaipur, PM Modi came down heavily on the incumbent Congress government and said, The people of Rajasthan have sounded the bugle against the bad governance of Congress. Congress deserves to get zero marks for the way they ran government here (in Rajasthan). The people of Rajasthan have decided to remove the Gehlot government and bring back BJP, the Prime Minister said. 'See a change in Rajasthan' PM Modi said he "clearly" sees that there will be a change in Rajasthan. "The Parivartan Yatra held in every corner of the state received a lot of support from the people, which indicates that the weather of Rajasthan has changed, the PM said. VIDEO | I can clearly see that there will be a change in Rajasthan. The Parivartan Yatra held in every corner of the state received a lot of support from the people, which indicates that the weather of Rajasthan has changed, says PM Modi in Jaipur. pic.twitter.com/WpXuhkTyLj Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 'Congress never wanted women to get reservation' Intensifying his attack on Congress and Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A, PM Modi said the new "Ghamandiya" alliance supported the women's reservation Bill in Parliament under pressure from women. "Congress could have brought the women's reservation 30 years ago but they never wanted women to get the reservation. Congress and 'Ghamandiya' alliance partners are against women's reservation," he said. The Prime Minister even said that the grand old party backed the women's reservation bill now under pressure from women. VIDEO | "Congress could have brought the women's reservation 30 years ago but they never wanted women to get the reservation. Congress and 'Ghamandiya' alliance partners are against women's reservation," says PM Modi at Jaipur rally.#RajasthanElection2023 pic.twitter.com/GvpjQyWC63 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 The Bill, named as 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed in the Lok Sabha on 20 September and was cleared by the Rajya Sabha a day later. The bill will grant reservations to women on one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. 'Congress govt protecting paper-leak mafia' The Prime Minister said if BJP is voted to power in Rahasthan, the party will take stringent action against paper-leak mafia. "Incidents of paper leak have brought shame to Rajasthan. Congress government is protecting the paper-leak mafia. I assure you that the BJP government will take stringent action against the paper-leak mafia," he said. VIDEO | "Incidents of paper leak have brought shame to Rajasthan. Congress government is protecting the paper-leak mafia. I assure you that the BJP government will take stringent action against the paper-leak mafia," says PM Modi in Jaipur.#RajasthanElection2023 pic.twitter.com/vKsrcAHxYF Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 PM Modi guarantees action against corruption in Rajasthan In his address, PM Modi said there has been rampant increase in corruption in Rajasthan. He asked, "Who will invest in a state where there is rampant corruption and where incident of beheading takes place openly." VIDEO | "Who will invest in a state where there is rampant corruption and where incident of beheading takes place openly," says PM Modi in Jaipur.#RajasthanElection2023 #AssemblyElections2023 pic.twitter.com/I8pnakSUjF Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 "We gave a guarantee of stringent action against corruption. Today, everyone can see the action taken against those involved in corruption," the PM said. VIDEO | "We gave a guarantee of stringent action against corruption. Today, everyone can see the action taken against those involved in corruption," says PM Modi in Jaipur rally.#AssemblyElections2023 #RajasthanElection2023 pic.twitter.com/VoxHroBLKW Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 Ahead of his address at the event, PM Modi was welcomed by BJP Mahila Morcha cadre at Jaipur rally venue. He also received warm welcome when he arrived at the venue of 'Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha' in Jaipur. VIDEO | PM Modi receives warm welcome as he arrives to participate in 'Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha' in Jaipur, Rajasthan. (Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/yxFDNo2yvq Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 The rally in Jaipur will mark the culmination of four 'Parivartan Yatras' that the BJP took out in the poll-bound state. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held in Rajasthan in the next few months. With inputs from agencies California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill aimed at prohibiting heavy-duty driverless trucks from operating in the state. This decision comes as a relief for companies working on autonomous technology for long-haul trucking in the United States. Assembly Bill 316, supported by labour groups, required that autonomous vehicles weighing over 10,001 pounds have a trained human driver present. It had received substantial backing in both houses of the state legislature. In his veto message, Governor Newsom stated, Considering the existing regulatory framework that presently and sufficiently governs this particular technology, this bill is not needed at this time. Its worth noting that a governors veto can still be overturned if the legislature opts to pass the bill with a two-thirds majority in each house. However, such a reversal is rare and hasnt occurred in California since 1979. While several states, such as Texas and Arkansas, have allowed testing and operation of self-driving trucks, California, home to tech giants like Alphabet and Apple, has maintained restrictions on autonomous trucks exceeding 10,001 pounds. The states Department of Motor Vehicles has been working on developing a regulatory framework to lift this restriction, which prompted the proposed bill. The development of autonomous trucking technology has proven more challenging and costly than anticipated, resulting in job cuts and some companies exiting the industry. Nevertheless, a few, including Aurora, Daimler Truck, Kodiak Robotics, and Gatik, continue to test and deploy driverless trucking operations. Supporters of the technology argue that the bill would hinder the progress of autonomous freight transport, particularly from the busy Southern California seaports to locations across the state, potentially pushing future investments in autonomous infrastructure to other states. Conversely, labour unions led by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have been advocating for Governor Newsom to sign the bill, citing safety concerns and potential job losses associated with autonomous trucks, some of which can weigh over 80,000 pounds. In his veto message, Governor Newsom emphasized that any regulations developed by the Department of Motor Vehicles would prioritize transparency and include input from stakeholders and experts to ensure safety. He also directed the labour and workforce development agency to formulate recommendations to mitigate potential job impacts resulting from the deployment of such vehicles. Googles recent introduction of the Bard extension, powered by its large language model, has raised concerns as it seems to have some issues, including fabricating emails. While Googles integration of its generative AI into its established product lineup is a logical step, it appears that the company may have rushed the process. According to New York Times columnist Kevin Roose, Bard, in its current state, isnt quite the helpful inbox assistant that Google envisions. During his testing, Roose found that the AI created entire email conversations that never occurred. The problematic behaviour started when Roose asked Bard to analyze his Gmail and identify his major psychological concerns. While an unusual request, its straightforward. Bard quickly responded, asserting that Roose tends to worry about the future and cited an email, supposedly from Roose, expressing stress about work and fear of failure. However, Roose never sent that email. Bard had misinterpreted a quote from a newsletter that Roose had received and used it to craft a completely fictitious email, claiming that Roose had sent it. This wasnt an isolated incident. Bard continued to fabricate emails, including one where Roose allegedly complained about not being cut out to be a successful investor. The AI also made numerous errors in airline information and even invented a non-existent train. In response to these concerns, Jack Krawczyk, the director of Bard at Google, acknowledged that Bard Extensions is still experimental and in its initial stage. Despite this disclaimer, the extension appears to have significant shortcomings, raising questions about Googles decision to release a product with such issues. Additionally, there are concerns regarding the privacy implications of having an AI analyze personal emails. Overall, it seems that Googles eagerness to maintain its lead in the AI industry may have led to hasty decisions that could potentially result in significant problems. NASA has successfully concluded its first sample return expedition from an asteroid late last night. A scientific capsule, carrying materials from an asteroid landing, completed a remarkable 1.2 billion-mile voyage originating from the asteroid Bennu. This capsule was released from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during its Earth flyby last night, which then reentered Earths atmosphere at a velocity of approximately 27,000 miles per hour. Data that could be more valuable than gold The OSIRIS-REx mission, which took flight in 2016, has amassed a significant quantity of asteroid material, totalling several hundred grams. This invaluable haul holds the promise of unravelling the mysteries surrounding the initial phases of our solar systems formation. During a mission overview briefing, Melissa Morris, the OSIRIS-REx programme executive, expressed, NASAs commitment to missions like OSIRIS-REx underscores our commitment to exploring the abundant asteroid population within our solar system. These celestial bodies hold the key to understanding the genesis and evolution of our solar system our very own cosmic origin story. Recovery teams successfully retrieved the sample from the Utah desert, and at 12:15 PM ET, a helicopter departed with the precious cargo. The next step involves transporting the capsule to a provisional clean room, where an initial disassembly procedure will commence. During this process, larger components like the backshell will be removed. Subsequently, a crucial nitrogen purge operation will be carried out. In this phase, nitrogen will be introduced into the canister to safeguard the sample, preventing any contamination from Earths atmosphere. Following this safeguarding step, the canister will be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Upon arrival, it will be opened for the very first time, enabling scientists to conduct a thorough analysis of the enclosed sample. Studying the possible origin of life The OSIRIS-REx mission represents NASAs maiden endeavour in retrieving a sample from an asteroid, marking a significant milestone. Notably, it takes inspiration from Japans space agency, JAXA, which achieved this feat in its groundbreaking Hayabusa and Hayabusa 2 missions. While the initial Hayabusa mission managed to procure only a minuscule quantity of material, the subsequent Hayabusa 2 mission triumphantly returned approximately five grams of asteroid material from Ryugu in 2020. In contrast, OSIRIS-REx has brought back a considerably larger amount of material from asteroid Bennu, totalling around 250 grams. This substantial haul opens up new horizons for scientific exploration, particularly when investigating minute trace elements. Nevertheless, researchers view these two missions as complementary rather than competitive, recognizing the unique contributions each makes to advancing our understanding of asteroids and the cosmos. Lauretta, a member of the Hayabusa 2 team, emphasized the diversity among asteroids, stating, Not all asteroids are the same. Despite both Ryugu and Bennu sharing a similar spinning-top-like shape, they exhibit distinct characteristics. Ryugu, for instance, is larger and possesses a reddish hue, while Bennu is smaller and appears more blue. The significance of this colour contrast remains a mystery, but the analysis and comparison of the samples here on Earth promise to shed light on both the similarities and distinctions between these celestial bodies. As Lauretta aptly put it, this collaborative effort is seen as a single, extensive sample analysis program, uniting researchers worldwide in a common quest for knowledge. Asteroids: Flying time capsules When scientists seek to unravel the mysteries of Earths formation, they extend their gaze beyond our planet into the broader solar system. It is well-established that star systems originate from vast clouds of gas that collapse into a central star, subsequently forming a disk of material around it. This is evident not only in other star systems but also within our own solar system, where the planets orbit the sun in a shared direction and within a single plane. This alignment supports the notion that they emerged from a solitary disk of material. A portion of this material coalesced to create planets, while the rest found its way into the earliest asteroids, some of which still endure to this day. Bennu, the asteroid from which OSIRIS-REx acquired its sample, is believed to consist of material dating back around 4.5 billion years, potentially serving as a time capsule preserving the earliest stages of the solar system. However, definitive confirmation of its age awaits a comprehensive and meticulous analysis. Microsofts bid to acquire Activision Blizzard has made significant progress, with the UKs competition regulator provisionally accepting Microsofts amendments to the $75 billion deal. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had previously blocked the merger in April due to concerns about potential harm to competition. In response to the CMAs reservations, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard submitted a revised merger agreement last month to address these concerns. The new proposals central element was an agreement to sell Activisions cloud streaming rights to the French-based company Ubisoft. Under this arrangement, Microsoft would not have the exclusive rights to release Activisions games, including popular titles like World of Warcraft and Diablo, on its own cloud streaming service, Xbox Cloud Gaming. Instead, these games would be available on the Xbox Cloud Gaming platform alongside offerings from other companies. The CMA stated that Microsoft had made substantial restructuring efforts to address their initial concerns, and they had limited residual concerns that certain aspects might be circumvented, terminated, or not enforced. To mitigate these concerns, Microsoft has offered remedies to ensure the enforceability of the sale of Activisions rights to Ubisoft. The CMA has provisionally concluded that these additional protections should address the remaining concerns. Sarah Cardell, the CEO of the CMA, pointed out that it would have been more beneficial if Microsoft had proposed this restructuring during the initial investigation. She emphasized that the CMAs position has remained consistent throughout the process. Gareth Sutcliffe, a games analyst at Enders Analysis, noted that with cloud gaming being a relatively small sector within the gaming industry, the provisional approval represents a significant compromise for both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. The CMAs consultation period for the revised proposal will run until October 6, clearing the way for final approval ahead of the extended deadline for completing the deal, which is set for October 18. Since the CMAs initial decision to block the deal, Microsoft has entered into further licensing agreements with competitors, including Sony, the parent company of PlayStation. These agreements aim to alleviate regulatory concerns regarding access to Activisions games. Brad Smith, Microsofts President, expressed optimism about the positive developments in the CMAs review process and the companys commitment to addressing remaining concerns related to cloud game streaming. An Activision spokesperson welcomed the preliminary approval, describing it as great news for our future with Microsoft. However, there may be questions about how Microsofts top executives, including Brad Smith and Phil Spencer, read the UK market and regulators, and whether they will be held accountable for the delays and costs incurred during the approval process. Pros: Enjoyable and lively sound output Good ANC and passive noise isolation Sturdy build with snug in-ear fit IP67-rated dust and water resistance UV cleansing in the case to kill bacteria Feature-rich companion app Good call quality Decent battery backup Multi-point support up to 5 devices Cons: Lacks support for high-end codecs Bulky charging case Average transparency mode Bit expensive Price: Rs 12,989 Rating: 4/5 We reviewed the LG Tone Free FP9W true wireless (TWS) earbuds last year and quite liked its sound quality and some of the unique features it brought to the table. Its price was a bit of a deterrent and had a few minor shortcomings. We now have another LG wireless audio product for review that strives to address some of those issues while retaining most of its goodness, and its a bit more affordable too. Lets get to know the LG Tone Free Fit TF7 better. LG Tone Free Fit TF7: Design and Comfort (8/10) As the name suggests, the TF7 is targeted at fitness enthusiasts and flaunts an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. The case has a dark grey matte finish on the outside with a very fine texture. The inside of the case is lemon yellow in colour. The circular buds have a smooth grey finish with a yellow ring that matches the insides of the case. They also have perforated fins that somewhat resemble the top of a Spartan helmet; just my imagination maybe. The angular ear tips are made of medical-grade translucent silicone gel and sit well in the ears without any discomfort. For best results, you need to put the buds in the ear and rotate them a bit to lock the fins in the earlobes for a snug fit. This setup provides excellent passive noise isolation with the right-sized tips and fins. You get two more pairs of different-sized tips and fins in the bundle. Choose the pair that works best for you. The back of the buds is touch-enabled and accepts various gestures to control different functions. While the build quality of the buds and case is very good, the case is far from compact and it noticeably sticks out if you slip it in your pocket. The buds weigh a shade under 6 grams each while the case tilts the scale at 43 grams. The case glows blue for a couple of seconds when you open the lid, which looks cool. It has two LEDs at the front, one for power level and the other for UVnano cleansing indication and a USB-C charging port at the back. LG Tone Free Fit TF7: Features and Specifications (8.5/10) Each earbud hosts a 6 mm dynamic driver and three microphones for calling and noise reduction. You also get wear detection sensors to pause the audio when you remove a bud from the ear and resume when you put it back in. Touch gestures generally work well as long as you dont tap too fast. The LG Tone Free app lets you configure the controls. You can assign play/pause, previous/next tracks, voice assistant or nothing to single-tap, double-tap or triple-tap gestures. You can also assign volume control to one of those gestures so that you dont need to reach for the phone to change the loudness. The ANC toggle can only be assigned to touch-and-hold gestures, and you cannot change that. Unlike the LG Tone Free FP9W, you can also have the ANC off option here in addition to ANC on and Transparency modes. That helps you save battery when you dont need the other two modes. The LG Tone Free Fit TF7 is Bluetooth 5.3 compliant and supports AAC and SBC codecs. Once again, support for a superior codec like aptX or LDAC is missing here. You get multi-point support, and one can pair these earbuds with 5 devices simultaneously. As I touched upon earlier, these earbuds have an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. So you can wear them to the gym or for a jog even in the rain without a worry. But the case has no ingress protection, and its best to keep it away from moisture. If the buds get wet, wipe them dry before placing them in the case. One of the unique features of the FP9W is available here too. The case has UVnano technology that uses UV light to supposedly kill 99.9 per cent bacteria on the speaker mesh inside the buds in 5 minutes whenever you put the case on charge with the earbuds inside and lid closed. Thats a neat feature to have. You also have an option of using the UV feature all the time even when not charging the case. Mind you, it consumes battery and continues to work as long as the charge in the case is above 40 per cent. LG Tone Free Fit TF7: Performance (8/10) These LG buds arent the loudest around, and you will need to push the volume up to 70-75 per cent even when indoors, and a little higher in noisy areas. The good part is that the audio doesnt distort even at high volume. The sound has been tuned by the British HiFi audio brand, Meridian Audio, and they have done a good job with most of the presets. Three out of the available five are not just usable but actually quite good and cater to different tastes. The sound signature is close to neutral when using the Natural preset, but the soundstage feels narrow, and a lot of users may find the bass deficient. For me, Immersive offers the best sound with a noticeably broader soundstage and a nice balance between the three frequency ranges. Brands tend to go overboard with their Bass Boost presets, but it is perfectly usable and enjoyable on the LG Tone Free Fit TF7 for those who like their sound on the warmer side. The lows are boosted, yet the bass is fairly tight and punchy. The soundstage is the broadest of the lot in this mode. The LG Tone Free app also provides you with a multi-band equaliser to create a couple of custom presets, and you can certainly give it a go. However, the loudness drops significantly when using custom presets. For best results, it is best to stick to either of the three presets mentioned above. The overall sound output feels refined and reasonably detailed, and just like in the case of the Nothing Ear (2), I couldnt help wondering if it would have sounded even better with a superior Bluetooth codec. The ANC actually sees a noticeable improvement over the older but more premium FP9W. Thanks to the combination of a very good seal around the ears and those half a dozen microphones, the TF7 manages to significantly reduce low-frequency noises like the whirr of a fan or the buzz in crowded places. It also reduces certain midrange sounds like voices but does not eliminate them entirely. The ANC here is still not Sony grade but is better than what you get in competing products in the segment like Nothing Ear (2) and OnePlus Buds Pro 2. The Ambient Sound mode (Transparency) here is serviceable but could have been better. The microphones let ambient sounds through for you to be aware of your surroundings or have a conversation without removing the buds from the ears. The app offers you Listening and Conversation modes respectively for those two use cases. The constant wind noise in both modes dampens the experience. The wireless range is good with the earbuds retaining a strong connection at 10 metres with a clear line of sight. There were no latency issues either with no perceptible lag between the video and audio when streaming videos. LG Tone Free Fit TF7: Call quality (8/10) The call quality is quite good on these LG earbuds. People on the line were perfectly audible to each other when indoors with excellent clarity. Even outdoors, things were pretty good when it came to voice clarity. Just that it cannot eliminate the wind noise at times. Other ambient sounds like traffic noise are kept in check reasonably well. So the TF7 is a solid option for calling too. LG Tone Free Fit TF7: Battery life (7.5/10) The company promises 10 hours of playback for the earbuds and another 20 hours with the charging case with ANC off; thats 30 hours for the buds and case combined. With ANC on, LG states 6 hours of playtime for the buds and thrice of that with the case. With ANC on, I got a little over 5 and a quarter hours for the buds at 75 per cent loudness, and close to 8 hours with ANC off. The case can charge the buds twice over taking the overall battery backup in the range of 16 to 24 hours depending on your usage of ANC. While these arent chart-topping figures, they are pretty decent. The LG Tone Free Fit TF7 supports quick charging too. Placing the depleted buds in the case for 5 minutes can give you close to an hour of playtime with ANC off, which is handy. The buds take about an hour to charge fully, while the case takes two. The battery level of the earbuds and the charging case can be seen in the companion app. When checked in the phones Bluetooth settings, the battery figures tend to fluctuate for whatever reasons. LG Tone Free Fit TF7: Price and verdict The LG Tone Free Fit TF7 can be purchased for Rs 12,989 with a one-year warranty. While I wouldnt term the price exorbitant, it certainly could have been more competitive, given the level of competition in this segment. For starters, you have the Oppo Enco X2 selling under 10K which is easily the best-sounding pair for TWS earphones under Rs 15,000, and packed with features as well. Then you have the Nothing Ear (2) for Rs 9,999 which sounds better too. And lastly, you have the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 for 12K with comparative sound but better overall battery backup. These LG buds trump them all in ANC and durability (IP67-rated ingress protection). They offer an energetic sound output with good detail and a broad soundstage, decent battery backup and pretty good call quality. In addition to that, they provide an extra level of hygiene courtesy of the unique UVnano cleansing. All things considered, the LG Tone Free Fit TF7 is a solid all-round product that ticks a lot of boxes. In a significant development, the government of Madhya Pradesh is planning to implement a program similar to the DigiYatra programme, which will be called the DigiPass. This idea is that just like DigiYatra made accessing airports across the country and checking in a lot easier, the DigiPass programme should be able to optimise administrative procedures and therefore enhance overall efficiency within government ministries and offices. Abhijeet Agrawal, who serves as the Managing Director of the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation, operating under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of Madhya Pradesh, made this announcement during the AWS Public Sector Symposium in New Delhi. While DigiYatra has already made remarkable improvements to the passenger experience in airports, DigiPass has the potential to bring about a revolution in government operations, and how the general public interacts with an establishment. It promises to introduce a streamlined and paperless workflow, significantly enhancing efficiency in these administrative processes. The Airport Authority of India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation are in the process of extending the DigiYatra paperless boarding system to an additional six airports throughout India. The DigiYatra is a contactless facial recognition technology, which is already in operation at airports in Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru, and is set to streamline the entire airport experience across the country. It accelerates the journey from the entrance to the boarding gate, offering passengers a time-saving and efficient process. The question of customer privacy in the context of DigiYatra is a complex and concerning issue. The use of facial recognition technology in airports raises uncertainties regarding the potential compromise of personal data, and there isnt a straightforward answer to these concerns. Privacy advocates express legitimate fears that DigiYatra may infringe upon the fundamental right to privacy. The system relies on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), which inherently requires data for person identification. Once an individuals facial features are captured in the system, it becomes unclear who might have access to this data. While its claimed that collected data will be deleted within 24 hours after a passengers departure, theres scepticism about whether this deletion is properly enforced. It wouldnt be surprising if the gathered data is sold or utilized for other purposes without the data owners consent. Data holds significant value in the market, and a data breach or unauthorized sale can have severe consequences. Indias track record with data security has been far from exemplary, with numerous major data breaches involving COVID-19 certificates and banking details in recent years, for which no one has been held accountable. Although DigiYatra holds promise, the risks for users are substantial. Notably, India currently lacks an active data protection law. Pros: Perform decently well despite the low price Great battery life Cameras work well in the daytime Stylish design 120Hz display Cons: Displays dont work that well under the sun Secondary cameras dont add much value Slow charging on the Realme 11X Displays lack HDR support Tons of bloatware and ads on UI Rating: Realme 11 5G: 3.75/5 Realme 11x 5G: 4/5 Price: Realme 11 5G: Rs 18,999 for 128GB + 8GB Realme 11x 5G: Rs 14,999 for 128GB + 6GB Following the introduction of the Realme 11 Pro and 11 Pro+ earlier this year, Realme has expanded its 11 series portfolio with the unveiling of two new smartphones. These newly introduced devices, known as the Realme 11 and 11x, exhibit notable distinctions from their Pro counterparts. Notably, they are very competitively priced and come for less than Rs 20,000. The Realme 11X is especially more enticing given that it starts at just Rs 14,999. Furthermore, its worth mentioning that the Realme 11 and 11x feature specifications, including the new MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ System on a Chip (SoC), have been moderately scaled back when compared to their Realme 11 Pro counterparts. To delve into finer details, the Realme 11 and 11x essentially share many similarities. For all intents and purposes, they are the exact same device. However, the two areas where they differ, are its cameras and charging. For this reason, we have reviewed both the devices together. Realme 11 and 11x Review: Design The Realme 11 is quite the looker, especially in its Glory Gold version, which is the one we got. But if gold isnt your thing, you can also snag it in Glory Black. As for the 11x, you have the Purple Dawn and Midnight Black colour options. For my review, I got to play around with the Purple Dawn shade, and I must say, I was quite taken with its rear panel. Its got this fantastic iridescent and glittery finish that really adds to its appeal. One thing thats hard to miss on both these smartphones is the rather sizeable camera module. Its this circular setup that sits a bit off-centre and grabs your attention, though not always in a good way. To some, this module might come across as a tad oversized. And if you take a closer look at the horizontally aligned camera sensors within, they might remind you of someone giving you a curious look. On the plus side, this module serves as a practical advantage it makes typing on the phones while theyre lying flat on a surface a breeze. Moving beyond the camera module, these devices have flat edges and nicely curved corners, which really add to their comfortable, ergonomic grip. Holding them for extended periods shouldnt pose any discomfort, thanks to their lightweight and slim build. Whats even more impressive is that despite packing a substantial 5,000mAh battery, the Realme 11 and 11x manage to keep their weight at just 190 grams. When it comes to connectivity, both the devices get a USB Type-C port at the bottom, along with a speaker grille and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The fingerprint scanner is cleverly integrated into the power button on the right side, and it does an excellent job of swiftly unlocking the device with the right fingerprint. Realme 11 and 11x Review: Display Both the Realme 11 and 11x boast 6.72-inch FHD+ IPS LCD displays, which surprisingly manages to deliver a pretty good visual quality experience, despite being an LCD panel. The images are sharp and true to life, with good viewing angles. However, it falls a bit short in terms of dynamic range. The panel supports an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. This not only enhances your gaming and reading experiences but also makes content consumption fun at times. Do note that there are quite noticeable bezels on all sides, especially on the chin but this is forgivable given the budget-friendly price tags of these phones. Both the devices have up to 550 nits peak brightness, which works well indoors but might feel a bit lacking under direct sunlight outdoors. You can fine-tune the colour profile of these phones to your liking via the settings menu. They are also Widevine L1 certified, enabling you to stream FHD content from platforms like Netflix. While the viewing experience is respectable, the audio quality is a bit underwhelming. Both the Realme 11 and 11x come with a mono speaker, which, in 2023, might seem like a less-than-ideal cost-cutting choice. Realme 11 and 11x Review: Camera When it comes to photography, both the Realme 11 and Realme 11x feature a dual rear camera setup, with some differences in their primary sensors. The Realme 11x is equipped with a 64MP main shooter, whereas the Realme 11 steps it up with a 108MP camera. Both phones also share a 2MP depth sensor for those artistic shots. For selfies and video calls, the regular Realme 11 boasts a more substantial front camera with 16MP, while the 11x settles for an 8MP shooter. In terms of camera performance, its safe to say that both phones deliver quite comparable results. In good lighting conditions, they both excel in quick focus and shutter speed. The images they produce are generally pleasing to the eye, although the colours might appear slightly oversaturated. However, these sensors do a commendable job of maintaining exposure and highlights in most situations. That being said, the larger sensor on the Realme 11 does give it a slight edge over its counterpart in terms of detail. This is noticeable in both daylight and low-light shots, with low-light scenarios particularly highlighting the difference. The images taken by the Realme 11x in dimly lit environments tend to appear grainy, even after using night mode. In a similar context, the Realme 11s images show less noise, resulting in superior details. On the downside, the portrait mode on both the Realme 11 and Realme 11x could use some improvement when it comes to edge detection. Both the front and rear cameras tend to distort the subject around the edges. As for the selfie camera, these devices do a decent job of capturing skin tones and facial details in well-lit settings. Once again, youll notice that the level of detail in selfies is superior on the Realme 11, thanks to its larger sensor size. Realme 11 and 11x Review: Performance, Software Experience and UI At the core of both the Realme 11 and Realme 11x, youll find the new MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC. This chipset features two powerful performance cores, six efficient cores, and an ARM G57 MC2 GPU. When put to the test in benchmarking, these smartphones performed admirably. They managed to maintain their performance even when subjected to the CPU Throttle test with 50 threads for half an hour. The Realme 11x comes in two configurations: 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage or 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. On the other hand, the standard Realme 11 offers only one RAM option, which is 8GB, but you have the choice of pairing it with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. While the RAM isnt expandable, both phones provide a dedicated microSD card slot for expanding your storage. Its also worth noting that both these phones are 5G capable. In everyday use, these devices handle regular tasks with ease, showing no signs of hesitation. Theyre also quite proficient at multitasking, but its a good idea to keep an eye on background apps, as having too many of them open could lead to occasional slowdowns. When it comes to gaming, the phones can handle graphically demanding games like BGMI and COD: Mobile at moderate graphics settings for short periods. I was able to play BGMI for half an hour without encountering any stutters or lags, although I did notice the device warming up slightly after the gaming session. Both the Realme 11 and 11x run on Android 13-based Realme UI 4 right out of the box. This software is feature-rich and comes with a variety of pre-installed apps. However, its important to note that the devices come with some third-party apps, which you can manually remove after the initial setup. On the downside, the phones also display a lot of ads and push notifications, which can be a bit bothersome. On the brighter side, you have a wealth of customization options at your disposal to tweak the user interface, app icons, and more to your liking. These devices also offer various handy features, such as call recording and screen recording. Realme 11 and 11x Review: Battery & Charging The Realme 11 is equipped with a 5000mAh battery, and while its not the absolute best in terms of battery life, it does the job quite satisfactorily. If youre not indulging in extended content consumption or heavy gaming throughout the day, this battery should easily see you through the entire day. Moderate users wont have to tote their charger around all day. However, if you fall into the heavy user category, you might need to top up your battery in the evening. Realme generously includes a 67W charger in the box, along with a USB Type-C cable. This charger does a swift job, taking just around 50 minutes to fully charge the battery, which is quite impressive. As for the Realme 11x, it also packs a 5000mAh battery. During my usage, which involved tasks like calling, social media browsing, reading articles, attending video calls, listening to music, indulging in light gaming, and some light editing, the battery comfortably lasted the entire day. I usually plugged it in for a recharge at night. In the box, youll find a 33W SuperVOOC adapter, which may not be the fastest in the market, but it gets the job done. It takes about 75 minutes to charge the battery from 0 to 100%, and around 35 minutes to reach the halfway mark. While it might not be the speediest charger around, its still quite decent, especially considering the price point. Realme 11 and 11x Review: Verdict The Realme 11 and Realme 11x have made their way into the Indian market with competitive pricing thats sure to catch the eye of budget-conscious consumers. The base model of the Realme 11x with 6GB of RAM is available at an introductory price of Rs 14,999, while the 8GB RAM variant comes in at Rs 15,999. Meanwhile, the Realme 11 starts at Rs 18,999 for the base model and goes up to Rs 19,999 for the higher-end variant. When it comes to overall performance, both the Realme 11 and the Realme 11x hold their own against competitors, with one exception being the display quality. However, if display quality isnt your top priority and youre more interested in a smartphone with the latest chipset, impressive battery life, a decent display, and respectable daylight camera performance, then these new Realme 11-series smartphones could be a solid choice for you. Pros: Solid stainless steel case Rotating bezel Bright, radiant display Eco-friendly synthetic leather strap Pretty accurate sensors Skin temperature sensor Solid performance Cons: Average battery life A little heavy on the wrists Some of the sensors dont work in India Rating: 4.5/5 Price: Rs 40,999 for the tested 43mm LTE version Samsung has been a leading brand in the smartwatch industry for a while, especially since its shift from the in-house Tizen OS to Wear OS in 2021 with the Galaxy Watch 4 series. Although there are no major, head-turning updates to this years Galaxy Watch 6 series, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is hands down the best smartwatch Android users can get. Last years Galaxy Watch 5 Pro introduced a capacitive digital bezel, but it just wasnt the same as the physical one on the Watch 4 Classic. Fortunately, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, we not only get the beloved rotating bezel back but also a return to the naming conventions of the past. The physical rotating bezel is a standout feature of this new wearable, and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic also brings several other improvements compared to its predecessor. Heres why the Galaxy Watch 6 will leave you mightily impressed. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Design When it comes to the design of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, the standout feature is undoubtedly its rotating bezel. Its not just there for show; its a practical tool that allows you to quickly navigate through apps, menus, metrics, text, tiles, and more. You can effortlessly rotate it in either direction with one finger or two, and it has stopping points that make scrolling more precise compared to its siblings touch bezel. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic also boasts a shinier and more durable stainless steel case, with brushed matte accents on the left and right sides, as well as on the band clasp, giving it a premium look and feel. Additionally, it features a classier hybrid eco-leather (synthetic) band. Apart from these design elements, the Watch 6 Classic and its more affordable counterpart, the Galaxy Watch 6, share many similarities. They have the same apps, battery specifications, connectivity features, durability ratings, internal memory, operating system, processor, sensors, storage capacity, and user interface. As for options, the Watch 6 Classic comes in 43mm or 47mm sizes in either black or silver. For this review, Samsung sent over the smaller variant of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic in silver, equipped with LTE connectivity. Inside the box, youll find a quick start guide and a puck-style USB-C charger. Samsung claims that the rotating bezel on this years model is 15 per cent slimmer compared to the one on the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. The outer edge of the rotating bezel has small vertical ridges, which not only contribute to the design but also offer a practical grip for easy rotation. Situated between the rotating bezel and the display is a fixed black physical inner bezel with silver number markings from 05 to 55, representing the minutes in an hour. Navigating the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a joy, thanks to the spinning bezel. It makes scrolling through tiles and notifications on the watch face a breeze and facilitates quick navigation through various screens and menus. In addition to its benefits with the UI, the rotating bezel serves as a protective buffer for the display. If the watch happens to take a fall face-first, the bezel should absorb the impact, safeguarding the glass. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is not a slim or lightweight watch by any means. Apart from the battery, its stainless steel case adds to its weight. However, this weight contributes to the watchs durability and various certifications. It boasts an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, a 5ATM water depth rating, and MIL-STD-810H certification, making it a robust and rugged companion for various activities. Samsung has made a significant change in how the watch bands attach to the device. Theyve opted for a quick-connect style band that includes an integrated button. This button allows you to easily retract the pins connecting the band to the watchs lugs, making it simple to remove the band for cleaning or swapping it out. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Display Every model within the Galaxy Watch 6 series comes equipped with a Super AMOLED always-on touchscreen, protected by a robust sapphire crystal outer layer. The 43mm Classic variant boasts a 1.3-inch panel with a resolution of 432 X 432 pixels. Samsungs latest smartwatches come with some improvements in the display department, offering larger and brighter screens. However, one trade-off with these upgrades is that the battery life takes a hit, although, more on that later. The increased screen size means that icons and visuals appear larger on the display, providing a more user-friendly experience. Additionally, the watches now offer six text font size options, giving users more control over the texts appearance. Furthermore, the screen brightness on the Galaxy Watch 6 series reaches an impressive maximum of 2,000 nits. This enhancement is particularly valuable in places like Delhi, where sunlight can be quite harsh at times. The upgraded display, operating at its full potential, does indeed consume battery power quite rapidly, and this holds true for both versions of the Galaxy Watch 6 series, regardless of the size of the batterywhether its 300mAh or 425mAh, depending on the model. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Performance and Software To stand out as one of the best fitness trackers on the market, wrist-worn devices like the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic need to offer more than just step tracking, and in this regard, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic excels. Samsung has made health a central focus in its smartwatches, equipping them with advanced sensors and seamlessly integrating them with the Samsung Health app. While the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic doesnt introduce any new sensors compared to its predecessor, the Watch 5 Pro, it doesnt really need to. It does a commendable job of passively monitoring key health metrics such as heart rate, stress levels, blood oxygen levels, and sleep patterns. Notably, the watch can also notify you when it detects readings that fall outside your normal range, providing you with the opportunity to take appropriate action. One of the new features included is irregular heart rhythm notifications, which leverage the ECG feature to check for any abnormalities in your heart rate. This can potentially alert you to critical conditions like atrial fibrillation. However, its crucial to emphasize that when it comes to health-related features, its always advisable to consult a medical professional before placing too much reliance on the watchs readings. In addition to these features, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic offers advanced tracking capabilities like ECG readings (exclusive to Galaxy devices), body composition analysis, and blood pressure monitoring (available in select countries). While the array of health metrics is comprehensive, it can be frustrating that many of these features are either restricted or unavailable in certain regions. For instance, the blood pressure and ECG monitor apps were not available in India. You can use a bunch of third-party apps though, as Samsung really allows you to go bonkers with customisations. We even managed to use WhatsApp, and actually send messages using the Galaxy Watch 6 Ultra. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Battery In our testing, with the always-on display enabled and brightness set to the maximum 2,000 nits, both the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic lasted around 20 hours on a single charge. Of course, the battery life can be influenced by the display settings. Keeping the brightness at 2,000 nits will drain the battery faster than setting it to a lower, but still very visible, 1,000 nits, which is sufficient for most scenarios. You have the flexibility to manually adjust the screen brightness using a slider in the quick settings menu. The Galaxy Watch 6 series also offers an Adaptive Brightness feature in the display settings. In testing, this feature reliably extended the battery life by a few hours compared to keeping the screen at a constant 2,000 nits. Disabling the always-on display and enabling Adaptive Brightness, two power-saving measures, extended the Galaxy Watch 6 Classics battery life to more than 49 hours on a single charge, allowing for two full nights of sleep tracking. Disabling the always-on display and setting the brightness to the maximum yielded approximately 30 hours on a single charge. In other words, you have some flexibility in battery life depending on your preferences and usage. Samsung officially claims that both the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Classic can achieve a maximum battery life of 40 hours on a single charge, or 30 hours with the always-on display active. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Verdict The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is undeniably one of the top smartwatches available, and its the ultimate choice if youre a dedicated Samsung user, given its seamless integration with Samsung devices in your home. This watch excels in terms of user-friendliness, the depth of data it provides, and its understated yet stylish design. When it comes to a smartwatch, what more could you ask for? Id recommend investing a bit extra to opt for the Classic version, primarily for the convenience of the rotating bezel. Just be sure to consider the size that suits you best to ensure an ideal fit and overall experience. Before you decide to buy the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic though make sure youre okay with a larger device and are willing to pay for features you might not use. However, its an advanced smartwatch thats user-friendly. If you have the budget and have been waiting for the return of the physical rotating bezel, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a solid choice that wont let you down. Thailands Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, announced on Sunday that the country is poised to secure investments of at least $5 billion from tech giants Tesla, Google, and Microsoft. During a press briefing in Bangkok, Prime Minister Srettha revealed, Tesla is considering the establishment of an electric vehicle manufacturing facility, while both Microsoft and Google are exploring the possibility of establishing data centres. However, it was not clarified whether this $5 billion investment is a collective commitment from these companies or separate contributions from each. At the time of this announcement, Tesla, Google, and Microsoft had not issued immediate responses to media inquiries. Prime Minister Srettha disclosed this information during his post-UN General Assembly address in New York, where he had previously engaged in discussions with executives from these companies earlier in the week. This prospective influx of foreign investments stands to provide a significant boost to Thailands economy, which has been grappling with lower-than-anticipated growth projections for the year at 2.8 per cent, largely due to a decline in exports. Its noteworthy that Srettha had a conversation with Tesla CEO Elon Musk just last week, primarily centred on the electric vehicle industry. Thailand, recognized as Asias fourth-largest automobile manufacturing centre, has been actively incentivizing electric vehicle and battery manufacturers while also offering tax incentives to domestic electric vehicle consumers to maintain its status as a regional automotive hub. Sixteen people were killed in a coal mine disaster in Panzhou, Guizhou province, on Sunday, according to a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Monday by the mines owner, Guizhou Panjiang Refined Coal Co. According to Shanghai-based commodities consultancy Mysteel, all coal mines in Panzhou city have suspended production for one day. The mining safety authority in Guizhou told Reuters it has no knowledge on the matter. According to Mysteel, the area has a total production capacity of roughly 52.5 million metric tonnes per year of primarily coking coal, or about 5% of Chinas coking coal production capacity. According to the exchange filing, the state-owned business, also known as Panjiang Coal, has ordered safety inspections at all of its mines and has taken measures to ensure safe production. The firm owns and runs seven coal mines with a combined capacity of about 17.3 million tonnes. According to Mysteel, the mine where the disaster occurred had an annual capacity of 3.1 million tonnes. The catastrophe comes after a series of similar occurrences in the countrys coal mines, including a February collapse at an open-pit mine in the Inner Mongolia area that killed 53 people. Authorities have outlined steps to improve sector safety, including limits on smaller miners and plans to increase the use of underground automation. Armenia prepared to welcome a new influx of Nagorno-Karabakh refugees on Monday, as Azerbaijans and Turkeys leaders planned a jubilant conference to honour Bakus triumph over the rebel enclave. As Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan blamed Russia for last weeks events, additional rallies against his handling of the issue were planned in Yerevan. According to the Armenian administration, 377 forcefully displaced persons had crossed from Azerbaijan by Sunday evening. The majority of the migrants observed by AFP were women and children, including those from Eghtsahogh, whose residents sought safety behind a Russian peacekeeping station after their village was allegedly shelled by Azerbaijani forces. Yesterday, we had to put down our rifles. So we left, a man in his thirties from the village of Mets Shen told AFP as a first group of a few dozen people crossed the border and registered with Armenian officials in Kornidzor. We had 15 minutes to pack everything up, he said, regretting having left behind his livestock and the grave of his three-year-old daughter. I didnt tell her goodbye. I hope to go back. Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev intended to cement his victory by flying to his countrys western exclave of Nakhichevan for talks Monday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his most important regional ally. Turkey supplied Baku with a fleet of combat drones that helped Azerbaijan claw back a chunk of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory in a six-week war three years ago. The two leaders are scheduled to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new natural gas pipeline and open a modernised Azerbaijani military complex, a show of Turkish force contrasting sharply with Russias apparent withdrawal from the region. Pashinyan blames Russia Armenias premier c on Sunday sought to deflect blame onto long-standing ally Russia, signalling a breakdown in the countries security pact. In nationally televised comments, the Armenian leader said the security agreements between the two countries had proved insufficient to protect the country, suggesting that he would seek new alliances. Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) a Russian-dominated group comprising six post-Soviet states that had pledged to protect each other if attacked. But Russia bogged down in its own war in Ukraine, refused to come to Armenias assistance in the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, arguing that Yerevan itself had recognised the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan. Now, Russian peacekeepers are helping Azerbaijan disarm the Karabakh rebels. Pashinyan also said Armenia should ratify the treaty which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. But he is under pressure at home from thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh supporters who have been rallying and blocking roads in Yerevan since Wednesdays ceasefire deal. They plan more disruptions over three days starting Monday, some voicing anger at Pashinyans pivot away from Moscow. Tension high The diplomatic manoeuvres come with tensions running high on the ground. At the Kornidzor crossing, five kilometres (three miles) from the Hakari bridge on the convoys route, angry relatives had gathered to await news. One man was so frustrated he pulled out a knife in front of police. My son was in the army in Artsakh. Hes alive, but Im worried for him, said Alik Blbuyan, 43, using the name Karabakhs ethnic Armenian population gave their breakaway statelet. On the other side of the border in Azerbaijani settlements such as Terter and Beylagan, locals celebrated their governments victory over the rebels. State television played music paying tribute to the nation and its army, and the roadsides were lined with flags and portraits of dozens of local martyrs, fallen in the fighting during the previous 30 years. The head of the Metropolitan Police has called for stronger legal protections for police officers after a situation where armed police officers withdrew from their duties, leading to the army being put on standby. In response to a murder charge against one of their fellow officers, many Metropolitan Police officers tasked with firearms duties have stepped back from their roles. This has prompted the military to stand ready to step in if needed. Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the force, has welcomed an inquiry into the matter by Home Secretary Suella Braverman. In an open letter, he emphasized the importance of allowing the police to carry out their duties and the need for a system that instills confidence in both officers and the communities they serve. Rowley stated, We must have a system that people believe in, where officers are held to the highest standards. This includes the use of force, which should be no exception. The process for evaluating officers actions should be rooted in integrity and should result in swift and fair decisions. He also stressed the necessity of reviewing accountability mechanisms, including the practices of the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). This review should particularly focus on when to investigate police use of force and involvement in pursuits. The announcement of this review is a positive step, Rowley added. Ive been vocal about the need to allow the police to do their job. We are committed to making improvements within the Met, but this progress is hindered by a system that doesnt support officers adequately. More than 100 officers have reportedly surrendered their permits to carry firearms, leading Scotland Yard to seek assistance from the military. This crisis unfolded after an unnamed officer was charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old who was shot and killed in Streatham Hill, South London, in September the previous year. The accused officer is identified only as NX121 due to a court order granting anonymity. In response, Ms. Braverman stated, Our courageous firearms officers protect us from societys most dangerous and violent individuals. They must make rapid decisions under extreme pressure. They should not fear facing legal action for doing their duty. I fully support officers risking their lives to keep us safe, and I will do everything in my power to support them. Thats why Ive initiated a review to ensure they can carry out their duties with confidence while safeguarding us all. Khalistan ideologues are a tiny minority within Canadas Sikh community with control over less than four per cent of the Gurudwaras (Sikh temples) in the country. Amid the ongoing diplomatic strife between India and Canada, a source from an Indian intelligence agency has revealed that eight out of approximately 250 gurdwaras in Canada are controlled by Khalistani groups, News18 reported. These groups have a significant presence in Surrey, British Columbia, Brampton, Abbotsford, and select areas in Toronto. The source suggests that around 10,000 Sikhs in Canada support Khalistani ideology, with 5,000 being hardcore supporters and the rest sympathising due to peer pressure. In Canada, there are two types of gurdwaras private and non-profit. Private gurdwaras are privately owned, while non-profit gurdwaras, which are larger, hold elections to determine their administrative leadership. A long-standing dispute over the use of chairs and mats during langar (community meal) in gurdwaras has persisted since the 1980s. Moderates advocate for chairs, while extremists prefer mats. The outcome of elections typically determines the arrangement in the langar hall. The India-Canada relationship took a hit during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to India, particularly during the G20 Summit. During this visit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed Indias concerns regarding the anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. In response, Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar earlier in the year. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs dismissed Trudeaus claims as motivated and absurd. Canadian Gurdwaras under Khalistani influence 1. Gurunanak Sikh Temple Gurudwara in Surrey: Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a two-time president of the gurdwara, had Khalistani ties. The gurdwara initially had moderate leadership but later saw Khalistani supporters winning elections. 2. British Columbia Sikh Gurdwaras Council: This council oversees eight gurdwaras, with four believed to be under separatist groups control and four under moderate leadership. Gurdwaras like Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar, Gurunanak Sikh Temple, and Banda Bahadur Singh Temple have Khalistani supporters in their committees. 3. Dixie Gurudwara in Ontario Province: Controlled by Khalistani groups. Khalistani outfits World Sikh Organisation (WSO): A Sikh advocacy organisation that promotes Sikh interests in Canada and worldwide. It has members in various sectors, including politics and the judiciary. The WSO is considered to support the Khalistani narrative in Canada. Sikh Youth Federation, Sikhs For Justice, Khalistani Zindabad Force, Khalistani Liberation Force, Khalistani Commando Force, Khalistani Tiger Force, Babbar Khalsa International: These are various Khalistani organizations with operatives spread across Western countries, including Canada. The Khalsa Deewan Society, a moderate pro-India Sikh society, controls gurdwaras that have been visited by prominent Indian leaders like Jawahar Lal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, and Narendra Modi. Founded in 1906, it is the oldest Sikh society in Greater Vancouver. After Prime Minister Narendra Modis election, he sought reconciliation with Sikh communities in Canada, leading to several organizations ceasing their anti-India activities. However, groups like Sikhs For Justice, with backing from multiple intelligence agencies, continue to obstruct Indias outreach efforts. India also suspects that Canadian intelligence has disrupted its attempts to reconcile with certain anti-India elements. On Sunday, the speaker of Canadas House of Commons apologised for honouring a member of a Nazi unit during WWII at a parliamentary hearing. Speaker Anthony Rota had recognised 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a Ukrainian hero before the Canadian Parliament two days before. According to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish human rights organisation that sought an apology, Hunka participated in World War II as a member of the SSs 14th Waffen Grenadier Division. In a statement, Rota accepted responsibility for what was described as a mistake, calling the endeavour entirely my own. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision, he said, adding his deepest apologies to Jewish communities. On September 22, in the House of Commons, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I regret my decision to do so, and accept full responsibility for my actions. Read my statement here: https://t.co/Hd9chtHFNJ Speaker of the HoC (@HoCSpeaker) September 24, 2023 The recognition came following a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked Canada for its assistance in his country's war against Russia. Following Zelenskyy's remarks, Rota acknowledged Hunka, who was seated in the gallery, praising him for fighting for Ukrainian independence against the Russians. Hunka received two standing ovations from those gathered. "At a time of rising antisemitism and Holocaust distortion, it is incredibly disturbing to see Canada's Parliament rise to applaud an individual who was a member of a unit in the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military branch responsible for the murder of Jews and others," the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement while demanding an apology earlier Sunday. "An explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation," the group added. Russia's RIA state news agency cited Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, as saying that the embassy will send a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a note to the Canadian foreign ministry on Monday. "We will, of course, demand clarification from the Canadian government," RIA cited Stepanov as saying. Russia launched a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, saying the goal of the "special military operation" was to de-nazify and demilitarize its neighbour. Kyiv and its Western allies, say the aggression, which has since seen thousands killed and millions displaced, has been an unprovoked land grab. Washington has said that Moscow's false justification for the war has been nothing but the Kremlin's attempt to "manipulate international public opinion." Rota added in his statement that no one, including fellow parliamentarians or the Ukrainian delegation, was aware of his plans or remarks beforehand. Hunka could not be reached for comment. Canadas Leader of Opposition Pierre Poilievre criticised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for meeting and honouring a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). He demanded an apology from Trudeau over the matter. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Poilievre said Liberals arranged for Nazi veteran to be recognised on the floor of the House of Commons during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys visit to Canada this week. He called it an appalling error in judgement on the part of Trudeau, whose office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind. In a post shared on X, Pierre Poilievre stated, It has come out today that Justin Trudeau personally met with and honoured a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). Liberals then arranged for this Nazi veteran to be recognized on the floor of the House of Commons during the visit of the Ukrainian President. It has come out today that Justin Trudeau personally met with and honoured a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). Liberals then arranged for this Nazi veteran to be recognized on the floor of the House of Commons during the visit of the https://t.co/9JFUEqsdW8 Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) September 24, 2023 He further added, This is an appalling error in judgement on the part of Justin Trudeau, whose personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind. No parliamentarians (other than Justin Trudeau) had the opportunity to vet this individuals past before he was introduced and honoured on the floor of the House of Commons. Without warning or context, it was impossible for any parliamentarian in the room (other than Mr. Trudeau) to know of this dark past. Mr Trudeau must personally apologise and avoid passing the blame to others as he always does. He made the statement in response to a post shared by Canadian-based human rights group organisation Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centers (FSWC) post shared on X. In the post, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center stated, FSWC is appalled that Canadas Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others. Meanwhile, Anthony Rota, Speaker of Canadas House of Commons, has extended apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. He spoke about introducing an individual in the gallery on September 22 during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys address at the Canadian Parliament. In a statement, Rota said, On Friday, September 22, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them. He further said, This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Canadian Parliament and said that Russias aggression must end with Ukraines victory. He offered repeated thanks to Canada for its continued support of Kyiv. Zelenskyy was accompanied by Ukraines First Lady Olena Zelenska. They received a standing ovation upon arrival in the House of Commons. In his address at the Canadian Parliament, Zelenskyy said, This Russian aggression must end with our victory so that Russia will never bring back genocide to Ukraine and will never ever try to do so, Moscow must lose once and for all and it will lose. A Canadian Sikh group has called on its members to protest outside the Indian diplomatic missions of main Canadian cities on Monday, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhis involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia. Trudeau said last week Canada was pursuing credible allegations that Indian government agents may be linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a high Sikh population. India swiftly denied any role in the killing and described the allegations as absurd. The accusations have sparked tensions between the two countries, with each nation expelling diplomats, and New Delhi suspending visas for Canadians. Jatinder Singh Grewal, a director for Sikh for Justice in Canada, told Reuters on Sunday that his organization will lead the demonstrations outside the Indian embassies and consulates in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver to increase public awareness about Nijjars killing. We are asking Canada to expel the India ambassador, Grewal said. Representatives for Indias diplomatic missions in Ottawa and Toronto were not immediately available for comment. The Toronto Police Department said it was aware of the planned demonstrations on Monday but declined to disclose details of the security preparations or potential response to any violent situations that may arise during the protest. Nijjar, who worked as a plumber, left the north Indian state of Punjab a quarter-century ago and became a Canadian citizen. He has supported the formation of an independent Sikh homeland, called Khalistan, to be created out of Punjab. India designated Nijjar a terrorist in July 2020. The Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation into the Sikh separatist leaders murder, CBC News reported last week, citing unidentified sources. The report said the intelligence included communications of Indian officials present in Canada, adding that some of the information was provided by an unidentified ally in the Five Eyes alliance. Canada is home to about 770,000 Sikhs the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab and the country has been the site of many demonstrations that have irked India. Sikhs make up just 2% of Indias 1.4 billion population but they are a majority in Punjab, a state of 30 million where their religion was born 500 years ago. The European Union has no plans to terminate ties with China, even as the group makes moves to decrease economic dependence and de-risk, but China could do a lot to assist in reducing the impression of risk, according to the EU trade head on Monday. The EU has long lamented Chinas lack of a fair playing field and the politicisation of the economic climate. Concern shifted to wariness following Beijings decision to expand ties with Moscow despite the Ukraine conflict. The European Union has strong economic relations with China, but China could do a lot to help reduce our perception of risk, Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said in a lecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing. This year, China also unveiled new laws, including a foreign relations law that warns against acts that are detrimental to Chinas national interests and an anti-espionage law that prohibits the transfer of information related to national security that it does not specify, raising compliance risks for foreign companies. Their ambiguity allows too much room for interpretation, Dombrovskis said. This means European companies struggle to understand their compliance obligations: a factor that significantly decreases business confidence and deters new investments in China. Dombrovskis is expected to share his concerns with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at a high-level economic and trade dialogue in Beijing on Monday. The dialogue, the 10th such discussion since 2008, will be a litmus test for the two sides, according to Chinese nationalist tabloid Global Times. Ahead of the dialogue, the European Commission last week declared that it would investigate whether to impose tariffs to shield European producers from a flood of cheaper Chinese electric vehicle imports it says benefit from state subsidies. The leader of the largest group of journalists in Hong Kong was given a five-day jail sentence on Monday for impeding police officers in September of last year, in a case that some criticised as further restricting media freedoms in the financial centre. While covering a story, Ronson Chan, the head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was stopped and handcuffed by two plainclothes officers when he refused to produce his personal identification card. Chan, who entered a not-guilty plea, previously informed the court that he had requested the police to display their warrant cards before turning over his identification, which is required of all residents of Hong Kong. A fine rather than jail time, according to Magistrate Leung Ka-kie, would not adequately reflect the seriousness of Chans offence. Leung declined to consider community work as a substitute because she believed Chan had shown no remorse. After Chans attorneys indicated that he would file an appeal, Leung did allow him HK$30,000 ($3,800) in bail. The journalist had to turn over his travel documents because he is unable to leave Hong Kong. Chan stated in a statement following the court that the jail sentence did not surprise him. Everyone can see the courts perspective on the matter. I believe that we are just people, he stated. While acknowledging that it was difficult to predict how his case would affect press freedom, Chan expressed his hope that journalists would stand firm in their obligation to report the truth for Hong Kong and the rest of the world. The appeal has not yet been given a deadline. Following the adoption of a national security law by Chinese authorities in June 2020, the Hong Kong Journalists Association is among the remaining significant professional organisations in Hong Kong that advocates for fundamental rights and press freedoms. Given the freedoms afforded to Hong Kong when it was returned to Chinese control by Britain in 1997, the law has drawn criticism from several Western nations as being restrictive. Officials from Beijing and Hong Kong have stated that the measure is necessary to restore stability to the city after months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. (With agency inputs) According to a US-based rights organisation citing a Chinese government source, China has sentenced a prominent Uyghur academic to life in jail for endangering state security. Rights activists claim that China has launched a widespread detention campaign against Uyghurs and committed other violations such forced sterilisation and cultural suppression, which have been referred to as genocide by certain government agencies, including the US State Department. China vehemently refutes these allegations. Rahile Dawut, 57, lost her appeal against her initial conviction from December 2018, according to a statement from the Dui Hua Foundation. This is believed to be the first time that a reliable source in the Chinese government has confirmed the sentence of life imprisonment, it added in last weeks statement. An inquiry by facsimile for comment was not immediately answered by Chinas state council, or cabinet. In the secretive legal system of China, conviction rates in court are 99.9%, and acquittals are uncommon. Dawut was an esteemed professor at the College of Humanities at Xinjiang University as well as an expert in cultural anthropology and the ethnography of Uyghur folklore before she was imprisoned. She had been imprisoned since December 2017 in Xinjiang, a province in northwest China where Beijing has been accused of violating the rights of the primarily Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority, a charge it vigorously contests. The sentencing is a cruel tragedy, a great loss for the Uyghur people, and for all who treasure academic freedom, said John Kamm, executive director of the Dui Hua Foundation. I call for her immediate release and safe return to her family. More than 300 Uyghur intellectuals have been detained, arrested, or imprisoned by Chinese authorities since 2016, the organisation continued. Dawut joins that list. She collaborated with numerous eminent Western institutions, including Harvard and Cambridge universities, which have demanded her release. The purported mass imprisonment of Uighurs peaked in 2018, according to some Xinjiang specialists, but violations have continued and forced labour has become more prevalent. I worry about my mother every single day, said Dawuts daughter, Akeda Pulati, who is based in Seattle. The thought of my innocent mother having to spend her life in prison brings unbearable pain, she added, in a statement released by Dui Hua Foundation. China, show your mercy and release my innocent mother. (With agency inputs) UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to reveal new measures that would make convicted rapists serve their entire prison sentences, as part of a significant shift in the governments approach to tackling crime. According to reports, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has been tasked with developing these proposals, and they are expected to be included in the Kings Speech in November. The Prime Minister is also likely to address these changes in an upcoming speech. A source within the Conservative Party referred to these alterations as a gear change aimed at revealing the true intentions of Rishi Sunaks leadership. In a recent speech, Prime Minister Sunak emphasized the need to address long-term challenges facing the country. He previously announced his intention to amend the law so that convicted criminals are required to attend their sentencing hearings, particularly in the wake of the case where murderer Lucy Letby did not appear at her hearing. Furthermore, Prime Minister Sunak disclosed plans to impose life sentences without the possibility of parole for the most heinous murderers, with judges compelled to administer the harshest penalty in the UKs criminal justice system, with only a few exceptional cases. These legal changes would also establish life imprisonment as the default sentence for sexually motivated murders. Speaking on this matter, the Prime Minister stated, I share the publics shock at the brutality of recent crimes. In the gravest cases, people rightly expect that life imprisonment means exactly that. We are committed to honesty in sentencing, and by introducing mandatory whole-life orders for the most despicable murderers, we will ensure they never regain their freedom. Following leader Kim Jong Uns visit to Russia, North Korea on Monday criticised South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for condemning its collaboration with Moscow, claiming that it is natural and normal for neighbours to have strong ties. Speaking last week at the UN General Assembly, Yoon declared that it would be a direct provocation if Russia assisted North Korea in expanding its arsenal in exchange for support for its conflict in Ukraine. The North accused Yoon of malignantly disparaging its friendly collaboration with Russia in an article published by KCNA news agency, and claimed Yoon was acting as a loudspeaker for the United States. It is quite natural and normal for neighbouring countries to keep close relations with each other, and there is no reason to call such practice to account, it said. Following a week-long visit to Russia, where he and Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to expand their military and economic cooperation, Kim went home last week. In addition to seeking technological support for its nuclear and missile programmes, Pyongyang may be attempting to purchase weaponry from the North to augment its decreasing supplies for the war in Ukraine, according to US and South Korean officials. Resolutions passed by the UN Security Council forbid any actions that support North Koreas nuclear programmes. The foreign policy of the DPRK will not be tied to anything, and its friendly and cooperative relations with the close neighbours will continue to grow stronger, the commentary said. DPRK is the initials of the Norths official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. (With agency inputs) On the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his Armenian colleague Ararat Mirzoyan. The two presidents stated that they had a strong bilateral relationship. After the meeting, Jaishankar in a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, On the sidelines of #UNGA78, met with @AraratMirzoyan FM of Armenia. Appreciate his sharing assessment of the current situation in the Caucasus. Affirmed our strong bilateral relationship. On the sidelines of #UNGA78 , met with @AraratMirzoyan FM of Armenia. Appreciate his sharing assessment of the current situation in the Caucasus. Affirmed our strong bilateral relationship. pic.twitter.com/T10QFK2RKg Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 24, 2023 Notably, India recognised Armenia in 1991, and according to the Ministry of External Affairs, India's Ambassador in Moscow was concurrently accredited to Armenia. The document establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries was signed on August 31, 1992, in Moscow. Earlier, EAM Jaishankar met with Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmedin Konakovic. The two presidents talked about expanding bilateral ties, with an emphasis on commerce and the economy. Sharing a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good meeting with FM Elmedin Konakovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed growing our bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy." He also met Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena and discussed taking forward the partnership between the two nations with a focus on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. After the meeting, Jaishankar in a post on X, stated, "A real pleasure to meet with Secretary of Foreign Affairs @aliciabarcena of Mexico this morning in New York. Discussed taking forward our Privileged Partnership focusing on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. Also exchanged views on the reforming multilateralism and our work together in G20." Notably, EAM Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC. On Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis and foreign ministers of other nations attended the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York. He called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. In his address at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Jaishankar began his speech by speaking about India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. "Your presence means a lot to us. It also expresses the sentiments that you feel for India and underlines the import of South-South cooperation. We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, a summit which took place on the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future," Jaishankar said. "Now, it was a challenging summit. It was actually a challenging presidency, and it was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarization as well as a very deep North-South divide. But we were very determined as the Presidency of the G20 to make sure that this organization on which the world really had put so much hope and was able to get back to its core agenda," he added. President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that France would withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by the French military contingent in the coming months, a move welcomed by Nigers military leaders as a step towards sovereignty. Macrons announcement comes two months after a coup in the west African country that ousted the pro-Paris president. France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France, Macron told French television in an interview, without giving details over how this would be organised. Macron added that military cooperation was over and French troops would withdraw in the months and weeks to come with a full pullout by the end of the year. Nigers military rulers responded swiftly in a statement read out on national television. This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger, said the statement from the military rulers, who seized power by overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. This is a historic moment, which speaks to the determination and will of the Nigerien people, the Niger statement added. Ban on French aircraft Earlier Sunday the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) said on its website that the military rulers had banned French aircraft from flying over the countrys airspace. It was not clear if this would affect the ambassador being flown out. In his comments, Macron said that in the weeks and months to come, we will consult with the putschists, because we want this to be done peacefully. France keeps about 1,500 soldiers in Niger as part of an anti-jihadist deployment in the Sahel region. Macron said the post-coup authorities no longer wanted to fight against terrorism. Nigers military leaders had told French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country after they overthrew Bazoum. But a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognise the military regime as legitimate. Earlier this month, Macron said the ambassador and his staff were literally being held hostage in the mission, eating military rations with no food deliveries. In Sundays interview, Macron reaffirmed Frances position that Bazoum was being held hostage and remained the sole legitimate authority in the country. He was targeted by this coup detat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice, he argued. Very worried about region The coup against Bazoum was the third such putsch in the region in as many years, following similar actions in Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022 that also forced the pullouts of French troops. But the Niger coup is particularly bruising for Macron after he sought to make a special ally of Niamey, and a hub for Frances presence in the region following the Mali coup. The US also has more than 1,000 troops in the country. Macron regularly speaks by phone to Bazoum, who remains under house arrest in the presidential residence. The French president has repeatedly spoken of making a historic change to Frances post-colonial imprint in Africa but analysts say Paris is losing influence across the continent especially in the face of a growing Chinese, Turkish and Russian presence. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened military action to restore Bazoum but so far its threats, which were strongly supported by France, have not transferred into action. We are not here to be hostages of the putschists, said Macron. The putschists are the allies of disorder, he added. Macron said that jihadist attacks were causing dozens of deaths every day in Mali after its coup and that now such assaults had resumed in Niger. I am very worried about this region, he said. France, sometimes alone, has taken all its responsibilities and I am proud of our military. But we are not responsible for the political life of these countries and we draw all the consequences. According to two businesses engaged, Vietnam aims to reopen its largest rare-earths mine next year with a Western-backed project that might match the worlds largest, as part of a larger campaign to undermine Chinas supremacy in a sector that helps fuel sophisticated technology. The initiative would be a step towards the Southeast Asian countrys goal of boosting its ability to convert ores into metals used in magnets for electric vehicles, cellphones, and wind turbines. Vietnams government aims to issue bids for numerous blocks of its Dong Pao mine by the end of the year, according to Tessa Kutscher, an executive at Australias Blackstone Minerals Ltd, which plans to bid for at least one concession. She referenced unpublished data from Vietnams Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which did not reply to comment inquiries. The auction date may vary, but the government intends to reopen the mine next year, according to Luu Anh Tuan, chairman of Vietnam Rare Earth JSC, the countrys major refiner and Blackstones project partner. The proposed restart of Dong Pao whose timeline, scale and degree of foreign financial support have not been reported previously comes as many nations fret about their vulnerability to supply disruptions due to Chinas stranglehold on strategic minerals and its disputes with the US and its allies. Beijing this year imposed export curbs on minor metals used in semiconductors, which an influential Chinese policy adviser warned was just a start. According to the US Geological Survey, Vietnam possesses the second-largest rare-earth reserves. However, they have mostly gone undeveloped, with investment deterred by low pricing essentially set by China due to its near-monopoly on the world market. During a visit to Hanoi this month to strengthen bilateral ties, US President Joe Biden inked an agreement to improve Vietnams capacity to attract investors for its rare-earth assets. In interviews with Reuters, 12 industry executives, investors, analysts and foreign officials described plans for Vietnam, including investments they said showed how talk of derisking supply chains to reduce reliance on China is translating into action. Some acknowledged the difficulties of forging a rare-earths hub but said the gambit could make Vietnam a viable player while assuaging strategic worries, even if China remained dominant. Kutscher said Blackstones investment in the project would be worth around $100 million if it wins. She added that the company was talking to potential clients, including electric car makers VinFast and Rivian (RIVN.O), about possible contracts with set prices that would shield suppliers from fluctuations and guarantee buyers a secure supply chain. Sealing such deals would address a hurdle faced by developers in Vietnam. In recent years, Japanese investors Toyota Tsusho and Sojitz abandoned projects at Dong Pao after China ramped up supply, pummelling prices. The Japanese firms did not respond to requests for comment. Yet despite the focus on derisking, it is unclear whether clients would be ready to pay a premium for Vietnam, said Dylan Kelly, of investment firm Terra Capital, noting the market in general was opaque. Asked about VinFasts potential involvement, a spokesperson for parent company Vingroup said the groups entity in charge of raw-material procurement, VinES, had no current plans with Blackstone involving rare earths. He did not address subsequent questions about VinFast specifically. Rivian did not reply to a request for comment. Rivalling mountain pass Effective exploitation of Dong Pao which has sat dormant for at least seven years, according to an official at state-controlled miner Lavreco, which owns a concession would propel Vietnam into the top league of rare-earths producers. But refining rare earths is complex, and China controls many processing technologies. Dong Paos estimated deposits also need to be reassessed with modern methods, according to Blackstone. Still, rare earths at Dong Pao are relatively easy to access and are mostly concentrated in bastnaesite ores, according to the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology. These are typically rich in cerium, used in flat screens, and lanthanides, such as praseodymium and neodymium, which go into magnets. Tuan said VTRE hoped to win a concession that would allow it to extract about 10,000 metric tons of rare-earth oxide (REO) equivalent a year, roughly one-third of the mines expected annual output. Production could start around the end of 2024, he said. That would put Dong Paos output slightly below that of Californias Mountain Pass, one of the worlds largest mines, which produced 43,000 metric tons of REO equivalent in 2022, according to the USGS. Vietnam also plans to develop additional mines. In July, Hanoi set a target to produce up to 60,000 tons of REO equivalent a year by 2030. China set a domestic quota of 210,000 tons last year. Those goals would see Vietnam producing 5% to 15% of Chinas projected output by the decades end, said David Merriman, a research analyst at consultancy Project Blue, who expects China to increase production over that period. Vietnams targets were ambitious, though they are not entirely out of the question, he said. US encouragement The US agreed during Bidens visit to help Vietnam better map its rare-earths resources and attract quality investment, according to a White House fact sheet, a move that could encourage US investors to bid for Vietnams new concessions. Reuters could not determine whether concrete plans involving US investors exist at this stage. Officials at the US embassy in Hanoi, the White House and Department of Commerce did not reply to requests for comment. But recent US attempts to gain a foothold in the Vietnamese industry did not succeed, said John Rockhold, a consultant to the rare-earths sector and president of the Hanoi chapter of the US Chamber of Commerce, adding that one such plan involving VTRE collapsed this year. That plan would have involved the shipment to the US of rare earths refined by VTRE and possible future investment in Vietnam of $200 million, according to a non-public report for unspecified US investors seen by Reuters. VTRE confirmed the shipment deal had foundered. Instead, VTRE in April announced a deal to supply 100 metric tons of rare-earth oxides this year to Australian Strategic Materials. ASM declined to comment on Dong Paos exploitation. Blackstone, which is a partner in that deal, operates a nickel mine in Vietnam and has determined that its processing facility in the country could handle ore from Dong Pao, according to a company statement. From ore to magnet Ultimately, VTRE plans to play a role in the whole rare-earth industry from ore extraction to the final products, said Tuan, who with his wife owns most VTRE shares, according to a list of shareholders he showed to Reuters. Blackstone said the ownership information accorded with its assessment following due diligence. This is not an easy feat. The US currently exports its rare-earth ores to China for processing as it lacks its own facilities. An existing VTRE factory in northern Vietnam specialises in separating rare-earth oxides from the extracted ore. The plant has capacity to process 5,000 tons of REO a year but the company plans to treble that to accommodate input from Dong Pao, Tuan said. Once separated, oxides are turned into metals for use in magnets and other industrial applications. The metallization process is controlled by China, which produces 90% of rare-earth metals, according to the US Department of Energy. But VTRE is running a pilot project to build a metallization factory with South Koreas Setopia, said Setopia, which has no previous experience in the sector. The initial combined investment would be around $4 million, mostly from Setopia, a Setopia official told Reuters, with a plant possibly ready next year. In the downstream industry, South Korean and Chinese magnet firms are set to open factories in Vietnam, Reuters reported in August. Dudley Kingsnorth, a professor at the Western Australian School of Mines at Curtin University, said Vietnam had some way to go, including in improving environmental practices, to realise its rare-earth goals. Still, he said, Vietnam has the resources, the mining and processing expertise to provide alternatives to China. On Monday, an International Monetary Fund monitoring delegation began work on the second assessment of Ukraines $15.6 billion multi-year loan programme. The IMFs resident representative, Vahram Stepanyan, stated in a statement that conversations with the Ukrainian government will focus on recent economic developments as well as fiscal, financial, and structural issues. The IMFs four-year programme for Kyiv is part of a $115 billion global package to help Ukraines economy as it fights Russias invasion. The 19-month-old war has harmed Ukraines economy, and the government has depended significantly on Western help to fund social and humanitarian expenditures. The government has said Ukrainian businesses have adjusted to the new wartime reality and that the economy has been recovering more quickly than expected this year. After a decline of 29.1% last year, today we see a gross domestic product growth, Yulia Svyrydenko, economy minister, said in a post on Facebook. Now we can say with confidence that the economy has adapted to force majeure conditions. We predict that the positive trend will continue. Official statistics showed that GDP grew by 19.5% in the second quarter of the year compared with the same period a year earlier. The economy ministry expects the economy to grow by about 4% this year and by up to 5% next year. Ukraine has already received about $3.6 billion from the IMF so far this year, according to finance ministry data. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has written to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz telling him she learned with astonishment of a German government initiative to finance migrant charity groups operating in the Mediterranean. The right-wing government of Meloni is pursuing a hard line against illegal immigration but Italy has seen a surge in migrant arrivals this year with some 133,000 coming ashore so far against around 69,800 in the same period in 2022. Melonis letter is dated September 23 and was made public after Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, a senior figure in Melonis Brothers of Italy party, also took aim at the German government for supporting the charities in an interview on Sunday. Melonis letter to Scholz, seen by Reuters, said: I have learned with astonishment that your administration without coordinating with the Italian government has allegedly decided to support with substantial funds non-governmental organisations engaged in the reception of irregular migrants on Italian territory and in rescues in the Mediterranean Sea. A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said on Friday, Berlin was implementing a parliamentary financial support programme for both civilian sea rescue and projects on land, and had completed the review of two applications. The ministry also said rescuing people at sea is a legal, humanitarian and moral duty. Meloni last week signed off on new measures to lengthen the time migrants can be detained and increase the number of detention centres in an effort to deter them from embarking on sea crossings from North Africa. Her government also ruled migrants would have to pay to avoid detention while their request for protection is being processed. I believe that the efforts, including financial, of EU nations interested in providing concrete support to Italy should rather focus on building structural solutions to the migration phenomenon, Meloni said in her letter to Scholz. She said Germany, governed by a centre-left coalition, should rather concentrate on assisting migrants on its own soil, adding that the presence of charity boats at sea can incentivize migrant trips that often result in shipwrecks and casualties. Charity groups have denied that their rescue boats act as a pull factor for migrants to set sail for Europe. British nurse Lucy Letby, jailed for life for murdering seven babies at the hospital where she worked, will face a re-trial over an accusation she had tried to kill another newborn, prosecutors said on Monday. Letby, 33, Britains most prolific serial child killer of modern times, was convicted in August of killing five baby boys and two baby girls at the Countess of Chester hospital in northern England and attacking six others in 2015 and 2016. However, the jury were unable to agree on six charges of attempted murder involving five other infants. At a hearing at Manchester Crown Court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced they would now seek a new trial over one of those charges, with the trial date provisionally set for next year. These decisions on whether to seek retrials on the remaining counts of attempted murder were extremely complex and difficult, said Jonathan Storer, a chief crown prosecutor. Before reaching our conclusions we listened carefully to the views of the families affected, police and prosecution counsel. After her conviction, Letby, said by the judge to have carried out a cruel, calculated campaign of murder with her actions bordering on sadism, was sentenced to a whole life term meaning she will never be released from prison. Earlier this month, lawyers for Letby, who maintains her innocence, submitted an application seeking permission for an appeal against her convictions. Police are also continuing to examine 4,000 other admissions at neonatal units where Letby worked to see if there were other possible victims, while the government will hold an inquiry into the case amid accusations from senior doctors that concerns about the nurse were not heeded by hospital bosses. Malaysia will expand palm oil exports to China by 500,000 tonnes per year in response to new European Union deforestation regulations, a top minister said AFP on Monday. This year, the trade bloc enacted new laws prohibiting items from deforested territory, putting its weight behind the battle against climate change and environmental degradation. Environmentalists accuse palm oil of fueling the loss of rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia, which generate 85 per cent of world supply. However, the EU laws have sparked outrage in producing nations, with Malaysia and Indonesia also contesting the decision. Malaysias Plantation and Commodities Minister Fadillah Yusof told AFP that his country was now upping exports to China, a major importer of the commodity. Chinas import of palm oil and palm-based products from Malaysia was 3.14 million tonnes in 2022, he said. That will grow by the end of the year or early next year with additional uptakes of 500,000 tons of palm oil by Beijing, he said. The increase is the result of a deal between Malaysian-headquartered palm oil product firm Sime Darby Oils International and Chinese state-owned Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group. It will definitely help Malaysia counter European curbs, he added. Chinese importers are buying high value-added downstream palm products produced from Malaysia, he said. The edible oil is used in foods such as cakes, chocolate and margarine, as well as cosmetics, soap and shampoo. Malaysian palm oil exports to China are now expected to hit 3.2 million metric tons for 2023, Yusof said. But the country has no intention of turning away from the European Union, currently the second largest importer of Malaysian palm oil after India, and just ahead of China. He slammed the regulations as a trade barrier which curtails free and non-discriminatory market access, but added Kuala Lumpur still hopes the blocs stand will evolve over time. Malaysian and Indonesian officials are actively lobbying Brussels over the rules, which do not come into full effect for 18 months, to give producers time to work out compliance. Representatives from the two countries are due to meet EU officials in Kuala Lumpur for new discussions in December, Yusof confirmed. A top Pakistani court on Monday ordered authorities to shift former prime minister Imran Khan from the Attock jail in Punjab province to high-security Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, his party said. In August, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to transfer the deposed party chief to Adiala prison where A-class facilities are available, keeping in view Khans affluent family background, social and political status. In order to fill the vacuum for simultaneous and coordinated strengthening of policies and accountability systems, the World Bank has advised Pakistan to create a National Council of Ministers comprising key federal and provincial representatives. The World Bank highlighted that incomplete devolution, institutional weaknesses, and poorly performing federal and provincial institutions are the key to obstructing the countrys economic situation. The Washington-based lending agency has provided policy advice, noting that current contextual factors, including deteriorating economic conditions, demographic changes, and the impact of social media, could offer opportunities for positive change in Pakistan. However, it emphasized that technocratic interventions are unlikely to bring about a swift transformation in the countrys institutional environment. According to the agency, Pakistan has not effectively implemented devolution as initiated by the 18th Amendment. As a result, the central government continues to handle many devolved functions, leading to overlaps in service delivery, increased fiscal costs, and blurred lines of accountability. This situation has weakened accountability for revenue collection and complicated tax administration. Additionally, the agency pointed out that performance reviews are infrequent, and incentives tend to reward compliance with rules rather than operational excellence. Promotions are often based on seniority and informal networks rather than qualifications. To address these challenges, the World Bank has urged the government to take immediate measures to improve coordination between different layers of government and provincial authorities. The lending agency emphasized that given the non-binding nature of decisions made by the Economic Coordination Committee and the federal cabinet on provinces, it is crucial for the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and the National Economic Council (NEC) to assume a pivotal role in promoting national policy coordination and coherence. The agency recommended the establishment of a National Council of Ministers comprising federal and provincial ministers, operating under the umbrella of the Council for Common Interests (CCI), The Down, a Pakistan-based media outlet, quoted the agency as saying. It also added that this council should be responsible for formulating and overseeing the implementation of key national policies, covering areas such as education, health, food security, agriculture, water and sanitation, and transportation. The agency also urged the newly elected government to promptly initiate efforts to build consensus on technical implementation arrangements for a decentralized system. This includes considerations like expenditure reductions, tax and revenue assignments, as well as the transfer of functions and tax instruments. The agency proposed that an appropriate constitutional body, likely the CCI, should develop an implementation plan based on the agreed-upon vision, through a consultative process with broad provisions. The bank has called for enhancements in the procedures related to public sector appointments, performance evaluation, and job security. It identified that the vested interests of senior bureaucrats are hindering the implementation of public sector reforms, as they seek to maintain the status quo. To address this, the bank emphasized the need for strong political leadership to reform the incentive structures within the public service. This reform would involve the introduction of a Performance Management System (PMS) across the public sector. Under this system, public servants would undergo assessment based on agreed-upon performance indicators, with the results influencing career advancement, salary increments, and, in cases of consistently poor performance, early retirement. Furthermore, the bank recommended strengthening the job security of all government officers. It suggested that any decision to remove a government officer from their position before the end of their appointed term should be accompanied by a written justification. Moreover, the affected individual should have the right to challenge this decision through an independent and formal process. A controversial Pakistani anchor and YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan, 47, who went missing four months ago following the May 9 anti-government protest, has returned home safely, police said on Monday. The journalist was detained two days after the May 9 protests in Pakistan following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khans arrest. Khan was an ardent supporter of the former prime minister and highly critical of the establishment after the former premier was ousted from office in April last year. Journalist/anchor Mr Imran Riaz Khan has been safely recovered. He is now with his family, the Sialkot police said in a post on X. He was last known to be taken to the Lahore Cantonment police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison in Punjab province. On May 15, a law officer told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that the anchor was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing. However, on Monday Punjab provinces Sialkot police said that Khan has returned home safely without divulging any further information Khans lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq also confirmed the development and said: By Gods special blessing, grace, and mercy, I have brought back my prince. It took a lot of time due to the pile of difficulties, the last limit of understanding of the matter, a weak judiciary, and the current ineffective public constitution and legal helplessness, he said. The Lahore High Court was hearing the case of his alleged abduction and on September 20 had given the Punjab Police a last chance to recover the anchor. It was not clear where he had been kept during that period. With inputs from agencies. A 35-year-old businessman with no previous political experience was voted to lead Greeces major opposition coalition, the left-wing Syriza party, on Sunday. In a runoff election, Stefanos Kasselakis beat Effie Achtsioglou, a 38-year-old MP and former labour minister. Three other contenders have already been eliminated in the first round. Achtsioglou contacted her opponent to congratulate him while the ballots were still being tallied. With 70 per cent of precincts reporting late Sunday, Kasselakis had just under 57 per cent of the vote, while Achtsioglou had just over 43 per cent. Around 136,000 Greeks voted, lower than in the first round. Kasselakis, a Miami resident, was unknown to the Greek public until he was named to Syrizas at-large list. In Greeces national elections, 15 of the 300 legislators are chosen at-large, based on the vote percentage of each party. Expats may be considered as at-large candidates. Syriza elected four such members in May and three more in June. Kasselakis, who finished tenth, had little chance. Then, in late August, a few days after presenting a list of party recommendations, Kasselakis published a four-minute video detailing his life and goals. The video went viral, catapulting him to the forefront of the partys leadership race. Achtsioglou had been the clear favourite. Nineteen days after the video introduced him to the public, Kasselakis led the first round of the leadership contest, with nearly 45 per cent of the votes to Achtsioglous 36 per cent. To the partys old guard and left-wing, Kasselakis candidacy rankled. A rival candidate, former Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, accused Kasselakis of indulging in a shallow, social media-driven post-politics. Achtsioglou, who sought to appeal to a broad range of supporters when she was the frontrunner, took up these criticisms. But rank-and-file party members apparently felt a need for change. Syriza lost power when the conservative New Democracy party won the 2019 elections 39 per cent to 31 per cent. In Junes election, Syriza fell to just under 18 per cent, while New Democracy got over 40 per cent. Alexis Tsipras decided to step down, forcing the leadership contest. Despite their youth, Achtsioglou and Kasselakis are older than Tsipras was 15 years ago when he became Syriza leader at age 34, taking advantage of a deep financial crisis. He took the party from around 4 per cent voter support to 35 per cent in 2015. Experts say not being a lawmaker will hamper Kasselakis efforts to oppose Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. But the new leader of the opposition, aware of his limited knowledge of politics, seems happier doing trips around the country, talking to people, posing for selfies and posting the whole thing on Tik-Tok. It also remains to be seen how some of the left-wing voters will take to someone who boasts of his business acumen and mastery of several languages. A youthful math prodigy attending an exclusive Greek school, Kasselakis was offered a scholarship by the Phillips Academy, a prep school at Andover, Massachusetts. He was offered another scholarship to attend the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, where he got a B.S. in finance, in addition to a B.A. in International Relations. He worked for Goldman Sachs and founded a shipping company. Shipping news service Tradewinds has called him a distressed asset maestro who sold all five of the ships the company owned at a handsome profit in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday said his army had taken delivery of US Abrams battle tanks, boosting Kyivs forces in their slow-moving counteroffensive against Russian troops. Kyiv announced the push to claw background from Russian forces in June after building up assault battalions and receiving some weapons promised by Western countries. Good news from (Defence) Minister (Rustem) Umerov. Abrams are already in Ukraine and are preparing to reinforce our brigades, Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media. Zelensky did not elaborate on how many tanks had arrived in the country, nor on how long it would take for them to be deployed to the front line. Washington had promised to provide 31 Abrams tanks to Kyiv at the start of the year, part of more than $43 billion in security assistance pledged by the United States over the past 18 months. US officials had said the tanks would be paired with 120 mm armour-piercing depleted uranium rounds. The decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine represented a U-turn as American defence officials had repeatedly said they were ill-suited for Kyivs forces due to their complexity. China is asking its soldiers to be cautious of whom they choose to mingle with, warning them of the same fate some leaders met for wrong socialising. Urging the cadre to purify their social circle, a commentary in the state-run PLA Daily advised them to even physically isolate themselves if need be. The most effective way to stay away from dangers and temptations is to conduct physical isolation, the Daily said. If events or meal appointments arent necessary, they should be avoided, the statement urged the soldiers. The advisory comes after some Chinese leaders were removed for allegedly having extramarital affairs, or indulgence in corruption. In June, President Xi Jinping sacked foreign minister Qin Gang, just seven months after his appointment, making his tenure the shortest in the post thus far. He reportedly indulged in an affair while he represented China in Washington. Defence Minister Li Shangfu has been missing from the public view since late August. While China hasnt officially confirmed his removal from the post, US intelligence suggests that he has been sacked as well. His alleged removal came at a time when the Chinese military started probing corruption cases pertaining to procurement going more than five years back almost coinciding with the time Li was the head of the equipment department. A few months before Lis went out of public spectacle, generals from the command that manages Chinas nuclear arsenal. Numerous worldwide medical studies aimed at testing medicines have enrolled more people from India than necessary, according to researchers. They are urging drug regulators to investigate and prevent the potential exploitation of Indian participants. A study revealed that out of 424 multinational clinical trials sponsored by foreign organizations to evaluate potential drugs for conditions like asthma, bacterial infections, and cancer, 26 of them had recruited or planned to recruit over 60% of their volunteers from India. As per a report, Gayatri Saberwal, a policy research professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology in Bangalore, expressed concerns about the possibility of India being over-recruited due to lax oversight by ethics committees that approve these trials. Ethics committees, comprised of medical experts, social scientists, and legal professionals, are responsible for reviewing proposals for clinical trials, assessing the risks to volunteers, and ensuring informed consent is obtained. Saberwal questioned the rationale behind such a high percentage of Indian participants in global trials, stating, It is not always clear why global trials should have greater than 60 per cent volunteers from India. However, health sector analysts pointed out that India only accounts for 3% of clinical trials worldwide while dealing with 15% of the global burden of prevalent diseases like respiratory infections, cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes. Regulatory changes in India since 2013 have led to increased clinical trial activity, as reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the US India Chamber of Commerce. The report stated that the number of clinical trials initiated in India by the top 20 pharmaceutical companies increased from 175 between 2014 and 2016 to 296 from 2020 to 2022. In multinational trials, Saberwal recommended that the proportion of participants from any single country should ideally not exceed 50%, with the actual percentage depending on the number of countries involved. For example, a two-country trial should have 50% of participants in each country, a three-country trial 33% from each, and so on. This distribution pattern helps ensure a fair distribution of risks and potential benefits among volunteers from all participating countries. Saberwal and her colleagues from the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology and the Centre for Ethics, Yenepoya University, conducted a study analyzing volunteer recruitment in 424 multinational clinical trials sponsored by foreign organizations from January 2013 to December 2020. They discovered that six of the completed trials and 20 of the incomplete trials had either planned to recruit or had actually recruited more than 60% of participants from India. Eighteen of the 20 incomplete trials were not related to health disorders that were particularly prevalent in India. These trials were sponsored by companies from Australia, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Brazil, Russia, and Malaysia. Saberwal and her colleagues have called on drug regulators to investigate why some global trials had such a high percentage of Indian participants, particularly when sponsors were from populous nations like Brazil and Russia. They argued that it should be possible for these nations to find trial participants within their own borders. A UN-mandated investigating panel has claimed that Russian forces forced families to watch while they raped women next door and tortured Ukrainians so cruelly that some of their victims died. The head of the Ukrainian Commission of Inquiry, Erik Mse, reported to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that his team had gathered additional evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic. In some cases, torture was inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of the victim, he said. Russian soldiers raped and committed sexual violence against women of ages ranging from 19 to 83 years in occupied parts of Kherson province, he said. He went on to claim that family members were frequently detained next door and made to hear the violations. Russia denies attacking civilians in Ukraine or committing atrocities there. Mse claimed that the commissions attempts to contact Russia had been unsuccessful. At the council session, Moscow had the chance to refute the accusations, but no Russian representative showed up. An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by the Russian defence ministry. Pablo de Greiff, a commission member, responded that it was impossible to know the exact number of cases of torture that resulted in deaths due to access restrictions, but that it was a fairly large number andit comes from very different regions across the country, close and far from the lines of battle. Mses panel travelled to territories of Ukraine that were once controlled by Russian forces in August and September, including the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia districts. It was discovered that torture was primarily carried out against prisoners who were allegedly Ukrainian informants in detention facilities run by the Russian government. The panel has already stated that crimes against humanity may have been perpetrated in Ukraine by Russian forces, including the use of torture. According to Mse, the UN panel also discovered a few cases of abuses by Ukrainian forces, including instances of indiscriminate attacks and cruel treatment of Russian detainees. As previously said, Kiev verifies all information pertaining to the treatment of POWs, and it will look into any violations and take the necessary legal action. The committee has visited Ukraine numerous times and interviewed hundreds of people since being given a mandate by the council in March 2022 to look into abuses that have occurred there since the start of the war. There are times when information obtained through U.N.-ordered investigations is used in national and international tribunals, including war crimes charges. (With agency inputs) Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, was informed by Russia on Monday that he was solely to responsible for Azerbaijans success in Nagorno-Karabakh because he focused on courting the West rather than cooperating with Moscow and Baku for peace. In a speech to the country on Sunday, Pashinyan claimed that Russia had let Armenia down by not doing enough to prevent the conflict over the breakaway territory. He also indicated that he would have to change Armenias security partnerships. Russias foreign ministry retaliated by criticising Pashinyan in severe terms. We are convinced that the Yerevan leadership is making a massive mistake by deliberately trying to destroy Armenias multi-faceted and centuries-old ties with Russia while making the country hostage to the geopolitical games of the West, it said. Following a swift onslaught by Azerbaijan last week, thousands of ethnic Armenians fled into Armenia. The approximately 120,000 Armenians who live in Karabakh have been assured by Baku that their rights will be protected, but many do not believe this to be true. Internationally, Karabakh is considered to be Azerbaijani territory. Russia, which deploys approximately 2,000 peacekeepers in the area, claimed Pashinyan was attempting to clear himself of responsibility for failures in domestic and foreign policy by shifting the blame to Moscow. According to the Russian foreign ministry, Pashinyans comments on shifting alliances show that he is getting ready to turn away from Armenias alliance with Moscow and towards the West. Russia said that Pashinyan had shied away from working in rhythm with Russia and Azerbaijan and instead had run to the West to address the Karabakh problem and that Yerevan authorities had incited anti-Russian hysteria in the Armenian media. Moscow refuted claims that it participated in the demonstrations in Yerevan and warned Pashinyan that while Russia did not incite revolutions, the West did. The head of the Armenian government should be well aware that Moscow does not get involved in such things unlike the West which is pretty adept at organizing colour revolutions, Russia said. Russia accuses the US of fomenting colour revolutions in a number of post-Soviet states, including Ukraine. (With agency inputs) Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, captured in January after three decades on the run, has died in hospital in central Italy, the ANSA news agency reported Monday. The 61-year-old had colon cancer, for which he had sought treatment while on the run a decision that brought him to the attention of the authorities, who arrested him at a clinic in Palermo. Messina Denaro was one of the most ruthless bosses in Cosa Nostra, the real-life Sicilian crime syndicate depicted in the Godfather movies. He was convicted by the courts of involvement in the murder of anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone in 1992 and in deadly bombings in Rome, Florence and Milan in 1993. One of his six life sentences was also handed down for the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the 12-year-old son of a witness in the Falcone case. Messina Denaro disappeared in the summer of 1993, and spent the next 30 years on the run as the Italian state cracked down on the Sicilian mob. But he remained the top name on Italys most-wanted list and, increasingly became a figure of legend. In a stunning swoop, he was arrested on 16 January, 2023, as he visited a health clinic where he was being treated using a fake identity. He was detained in a high-security jail in LAquila, central Italy, where he continued treatment for his cancer in his cell. In August, Messina Denaro was moved to the inmates ward of the local hospital, where his condition had declined in recent days. This weekend, media reports said he was in an irreversible coma. Medics had stopped feeding him and he had asked not to be resuscitated, they added. After Messina Denaro went on the run, there was intense speculation that he had gone abroad and he likely did. But in the end, he was found to have been staying near his hometown of Castelvetrano in western Sicily. Investigators had been combing the Sicilian countryside for Messina Denaro for years, searching for hideouts and wiretapping members of his family and his friends. They were heard discussing the medical problems of an unnamed person who suffered from cancer, as well as eye problems a person who detectives became sure was Messina Denaro. They used a national health system database to search for male patients of the right age and medical history, and eventually closed in. But while his arrest brought some relief for his victims, the mob boss always maintained his silence. In interviews in custody since being arrested, Messina Denaro even denied he was a member of the Cosa Nostra. An interior ministry spokesman said that the Taliban are developing a large-scale camera surveillance network for Afghan cities that may involve adapting an American plan before their 2021 withdrawal. This development comes as authorities work to supplement the thousands of cameras already positioned throughout the capital, Kabul. The Taliban government, which has stated publicly that it is primarily concerned with reestablishing security and suppressing Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for numerous significant attacks in Afghan towns, has also spoken with Chinese telecoms equipment manufacturer Huawei about possible collaboration, the spokesman added. According to readouts from such discussions, the Talibans contact with several other countries, including the U.S. and China, is centred on preventing assaults by international militant groups, particularly well-known outfits like the Islamic State. However, some observers doubt the regimes ability to pay for the programme, and rights groups are worried that any funding will be used to repress demonstrators. There have been no prior reports on the specifics of how the Taliban seek to increase and handle mass monitoring, including acquiring the US plan. At the present we are working on a Kabul security map, which is (being completed) by security experts and (is taking) lots of time, he said. We already have two maps, one which was made by U.S.A for the previous government and second by Turkey. He made no mention of the creation date of the Turkish proposal. Speaking on behalf of the State Department, the United States claimed that it was not partnering with the Taliban and that it had made clear to the Taliban that it is their responsibility to ensure that they give no safe haven to terrorists. Requests for comment from a representative of the Turkish government were not answered. Qani claimed that in August, the Taliban and Huawei had a simple chat regarding the potential network, but no agreements or concrete plans had been made. According to a source familiar with the conversations, Bloomberg News reported in August that Huawei had reached verbal agreement with the Taliban regarding a deal to set up a surveillance system. In September, Huawei informed Reuters that no plan was discussed at the meeting. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she was not aware of specific discussions but added: China has always supported the peace and reconstruction process in Afghanistan and supported Chinese enterprises to carry out relevant practical cooperation. According to the Taliban, there are around 62,000 cameras in Kabul and other cities that are watched over from a centralised control room. The prior administration, which mainly relied on Western-led international forces for security, claimed that the last significant modification to Kabuls camera system took place in 2008. In January 2021, when NATO-led international forces began to progressively withdraw, then-vice president Amrullah Saleh promised that his administration will introduce a significant overhaul to Kabuls video monitoring system. He informed reporters that the NATO coalition supported the $100 million initiative. The arrangement we had planned in early 2021 was different, Saleh told Reuters in September, adding that the infrastructure for the 2021 plan had been destroyed. It was unclear whether the plan Saleh referred to was comparable to those the Taliban claim to have obtained, as well as whether the administration will alter them. A surveillance system would be useful for the Taliban as it seeks to prevent groups like the Islamic State from attacking Taliban members or government positions in Kabul, according to Jonathan Schroden, a specialist on Afghanistan with the Centre for Naval Analyses. The Taliban already maintain constant roadblocks and security force vehicles to actively monitor urban areas. Rights activists and regime critics are afraid that increased surveillance may target protestors and members of civil society. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that at least 64 journalists have been jailed since the takeover, though the Taliban rarely confirm arrests. Mass monitoring programmes being implemented under the guise of national security sets a template for the Taliban to continue its draconian policies that violate fundamental rights, according to Matt Mahmoudi of Amnesty International. The Taliban vehemently disputes the idea that an improved surveillance system will violate Afghans human rights. According to Qani, the system is equivalent to those used by other big cities and will be run in accordance with Islamic Sharia law, which forbids recording in private areas. Security analysts claim that the plan confronts real-world difficulties. Daily power outages in Afghanistan make it unlikely that cameras connected to the main grid would deliver reliable feeds. According to the government-owned power company, just 40% of Afghans have access to electricity. After a severe economic downturn and the removal of considerable aid following their takeover, the Taliban also need to find finance. According to the Taliban army chief, the regime claimed in 2022 to have an annual budget of more than $2 billion, the most of which goes towards defence. A few months before to the conversation with Huawei, China met with Pakistan and the temporary foreign minister of the Taliban, during which time the parties emphasised their commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. Another important component of the 2020 troop departure agreement that the United States made with the Taliban is dealing with militancy. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), an armed separatist group operating in Chinas western Xinjiang region, has drawn Chinas public concern. According to security sources and U.N. data, ETIM probably has a few militants in Afghanistan. ETIM was unavailable for comment. Foreigners in Afghanistan have also received threats from the Islamic State. Last year, its fighters stormed a hotel that was popular with Chinese executives, injuring several Chinese nationals. One of its attacks also resulted in the death of a Russian official. The Taliban asserts that there is no threat to their authority from militancy and that no assaults would originate in Afghanistan. They have made raids on Islamic State cells in Kabul publically known. Since early 2023, Taliban raids in Afghanistan have removed at least eight key (Islamic State in Afghanistan) leaders, some responsible for external plotting, said U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West at a Sept. 12 public seminar. There may be as many as 6,000 Islamic State fighters and their families in Afghanistan, according to a U.N. monitoring assessment from July. Urban surveillance, according to analysts, wont completely solve their existence. According to Schroden, the eastern mountainous regions of Afghanistan are where Islamic State fighters home bases are located. Therefore, while cameras in cities may help avoid attacks, they are unlikely to make a significant contribution to their eventual defeat. (With agency inputs) Indians in Canada feel that the claims made by Justin Trudeau against the Indian governments alleged link over the killing of Khalistani terrorist was wrong. Being a Prime Minister, you cannot claim anything that you cannot later prove. Whatever the Canadian PM (Trudeau) said was wrong. Now that he has said it, he should be able to support his statement, Canadian citizen of Indian origin Gurjant Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. Last week, Trudeau made an explosive charge that his countrys national security officials had reasons to believe that agents of the Indian government were behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Nijjar. Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Trudeau had said. The statement by Canada PM Trudeau triggered a massive diplomatic row between the two countries, with the Indian government rejecting the allegation as absurd. India said that Canada did not share any specific information regarding its charges, flagging politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in the country. India has also accused Canada of not acting upon specific evidence about criminal activities done by Canada-based individuals. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has prepared a list of 19 fugitive Khalistani terrorists living in UK, US, Canada, Dubai, Pakistan and other countries whose properties are also likely to be confiscated. Resolve the issue amicably Meanwhile, the Indian community in Canada has expressed concerns over the recent strain in ties between India and Canada and they feel that issue between India and Canada should be resolved amicably. Highlighting the plight of Indians in Canada, senior Canadian journalist Harleem Sadia said common people have been finding it difficult to travel to India and Canada. It is difficult for people who lead normal lives, have regular jobs, Sadia was quoted as saying by ANI. Gurjant too said that he feels the issue between India and Canada should be resolved through dialogue. I am very concerned about the matter and I think everything should be resolved through dialogue. Anything, any issue can be discussed, solved at the table. Both the Indian and Canadian governments should put up their point of views while remaining within their lines, boundaries. he said. Gurjant further said any demands should be made within the line, by keeping control on our language, emotions. He further said, being a Sikh, both India and Canada are extremely important to him and the recent tensions deeply concern him. Relations should get better for Indian students in Canada Canadian citizen Ajaib Singh has said relations between the two countries should get better for the sake of Indian students studying in Canada. Students come to Canada for a better future. They study here, get good jobs and also become residents here. Parents also want their children to have a better future in Canada. Some also go back to India after their studies. They also go back for a better future, Ajaib said. For the sake of these students, I pray that relations between India, Canada get better, he said. India, Canada should resolve their issues at the table and that visa ban is not the solution, innocent people should not be punished, Ajaib said. I urge the leaders of both countries to sit at the table, resolve the issue amicably, he added. On Thursday, India said security threats being faced by the countrys High Commission and Consulates in Canada have disrupted their normal functioning and they are temporarily unable to process visa applications. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the issue is the incitement of violence, inaction by Canadian authorities and the creation of an environment that disrupts the functioning of our consulates. With inputs from ANI Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will visit Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, as hundreds of ethnic Armenians begin to flee Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijans defeat of the breakaway regions forces last week. Erdogan will undertake a one-day visit to Azerbaijans autonomous Nakhchivan exclave a sliver of Azeri land sandwiched between Armenia, Iran, and Turkey to address the situation in the Karabakh area with Aliyev, according to the Turkish presidents office. After a 24-hour military campaign by the considerably bigger Azerbaijani military, the Armenians of Karabakh, a province internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but hitherto outside its control, were forced into a ceasefire last week. The leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh told Reuters on Sunday that the provinces 120,000 Armenians did not want to live as part of Azerbaijan due to fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing and had begun departing the country. According to an Armenian official statement issued early Monday, more than 1,500 individuals had crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabkah as of midnight (2000 GMT). According to a Reuters correspondent in the Karabakh city known as Stepanakert by Armenia and Khankendi by Azerbaijan, those with petrol had begun to drive along the Lachin corridor towards the Armenian border. Reuters images showed scores of automobiles moving out of the capital towards the hilly bends of the route. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the enclave in 30 years with Azerbaijan gaining back swathes of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week conflict in 2020. Erdogan, who backed the Azeris with weaponry in the 2020 conflict, said last week he supported the aims of the Azerbaijans latest military operation but played no part in it. Armenia says more than 200 people were killed and 400 wounded in last weeks Azeri operation, a hostility condemned by the United States and other Western allies of Armenia. On Sunday, Azerbaijans defence ministry said it had confiscated more military equipment from Armenian separatists, including rockets, artillery shells, mines and ammunition. The Karabakh Armenians are not accepting Azerbaijans promise to guarantee their rights as the region is integrated. Armenia called for an immediate deployment of a U.N. mission to monitor human rights and security in the region. Ninety-nine point nine per cent prefer to leave our historic lands, David Babayan, an adviser to Samvel Shahramanyan, president of the self-styled Republic of Artsakh, told Reuters. Flying above enemy lines, a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone sends a clear image back to soldiers hiding in a basement a few kilometres away: A Russian armoured vehicle is idling along a key logistics route, looking like easy prey in the artillery-scarred green landscape. Then, in a flash, the image disappears, and the drone operators screen is replaced by a jumble of black and white pixels. Snow, says a calm commander known by the battlefield name Giocondo, who allowed The Associated Press to follow him and his unit of drone pilots on condition of anonymity to protect their identities. High-tech warfare cuts two ways, and the Russians use electronic beams to disable the drones signals. Seconds later, the drone pilot switches to a frequency the Russians cannot easily exploit. The birds-eye image of the armoured vehicle reappears, and a second drone this one laden with explosives is quickly launched. It zips toward the target. Nineteen months into the Russian invasion, and as a gruelling counteroffensive grinds on, the Ukrainian government wants to spend more than $ 1 billion to upgrade its drone-fighting capabilities. Whether used for reconnaissance, dropping bombs or self-exploding on impact, drones save money, and soldiers lives. They are also more precise than traditional artillery which is in short supply and can deliver outsized impacts, such as real-time mapping of the battlefield, destroying tanks and ships, and bringing Russian advances to a halt. The advantages of drones can be fleeting, however. The Russian army, which relies on Iranian expertise for its own horde of deadly drones, quickly catches up each time Giocondos unit gains an edge. Success, he says, lies in constant battlefield iteration and innovation. Ukraines minister for digital transformation, Mykhailo Federov, says the government is committed to building a state-of-the-art army of drones and that its value to the war effort will be evident by the end of this year. The country has already trained more than 10,000 new drone pilots this year. A new stage of the war will soon begin, Federov promises. Perfect target Giocondos unit operates near the occupied town of Svatove, in northeastern Ukraine. It has spent months modifying drones to enable them to fly deeper behind enemy lines and to better evade Russian detection and sabotage. His drone pilots are all volunteers, and many of them had no military experience prior to Russias invasion. Hiding in a barn house haloed in morning light, a pilot who goes by the battlefield name Bakeneko pops on a head-mounted display and is instantly transported, soaring above verdant fields bustling with Russian combat vehicles and infantrymen. He is flying a drone loaded with explosives toward a Soviet-made tank spotted moments earlier by a reconnaissance drone. Bakeneko listens in one ear to the German heavy metal band Powerful, explaining that he cant fly in silence. A few feet away, another soldier a sales manager before the war prepares exploding bombs. Using plastic flex cuffs and duct tape, he secures artillery shells and bulky batteries, turning an inexpensive commercial drone into a killing machine. As the sun rises, Russian troops to the east have the advantage of good light, peering into Ukrainian positions with their own drones. But that advantage flips in the afternoon, when Ukrainian drone pilots can sometimes spot the moving shadows of Russian infantrymen. Combing through the vast landscape to find a target takes hours. Russian troops have gotten better at hiding and camouflaging themselves in the foliage. When Bakenekos target is within view, he gives the remote control a jolt, and the drone plunges. His headset shows the bucolic countryside rushing at him, and then it goes blank. Super, we got it, says Giocondo, who is watching on a separate screen, which shows a plume of smoke coming from the tank. Trial and error The growing reliance on short-range exploding drones on the front line has prompted the Russians to deploy more handheld jamming devices, Ukrainian officials say. That has forced Giocondos unit, and others, to devise creative countermeasures. After three months of trial and error, Ukrainian soldiers operating in the eastern village of Andriivka, south of Bakhmut, figured out how to evade Russian jamming devices that had long stymied their drones. The fix led to the village being recaptured in early September. A spokesman for the battalion that retook the village said exploding drones were key because they forced the Russians to pull back heavy weaponry by roughly 15 kilometres to stay out of range. But Ukrainian drone pilots say the Russians will learn from what happened, and adapt again. This is an interactive, two-sided competition, said Stephen Biddle, a senior fellow for defence policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. Since the wars early days, Russia has used long-range, military-grade drones to inflict devastating damage and psychological terror in Ukraines capital, Kyiv, and in other cities. Over time, the Ukrainian military has responded by launching its own military-grade drones deep behind enemy lines, targeting warships in the Black Sea, an airport in Western Russia and even buildings in Moscow, according to Russian officials and media. The acceleration of short-range drone warfare by units like Giocondos is in direct response to the trouble Ukrainian forces experienced this summer using conventional weapons to try to punch through Russias fortified defences. The counteroffensive that began in June has depleted money, artillery and soldiers and hasnt yielded as much momentum as Ukraine had hoped for. Faced with these challenges, the leader of an elite drone squad called the Asgard Group, which oversees Giocondos unit, sensed an opportunity. The leader, a wealthy former businessman who goes by the name Pharmacist on the battlefield, directed his soldiers to begin targeting Russias large and expensive weaponry with small and inexpensive drones. The logic was simple, Pharmacist says: Exploding drones cost roughly USD 400 to make, while a conventional projectile can cost nearly 10 times as much. Even if it requires multiple drones to take out a tank and sometimes it does it is still worth it. The strategy had the additional benefit of putting fewer soldiers lives at risk. But first they had to modify commercial drones with hardware and software to suit the battlefield, enabling them to penetrate deeper behind enemy lines without being detected or jammed. A breakthrough came through the clever use of several drones in unison. With his entrepreneurial spirit, Pharmacist helped turn a ragtag group of engineers, corporate managers and filmmakers into an elite fighting force. He estimates that his 12-man team, assembled with just $ 700,000, has destroyed USD 80 million worth of enemy equipment. The Russian army which faces its own economic and military challenges as the war in Ukraine drags on is also looking to accelerate the use of drones. Russia had stepped up production before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine early in 2021, but officials have acknowledged that they didnt do enough. Now, as Ukraine catches up, Russian shopping centres are being repurposed into research labs and factories dedicated to drones, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank. The enemy learns very quickly, said Pharmacist. Scaling up The Ukrainian government has taken notice of the grassroots innovation carried out by people like Giocondo and the Pharmacist; now it wants to replicate those efforts with an infusion of cash. The draft budget for 2024 includes an extra 48 billion hryvnias in defence spending earmarked for drone purchases. One reason to prioritise enhancing Ukraines domestic drone-making capabilities, experts say, is the increasing difficulty in sourcing parts from China, the worlds leading drone maker. We are doing everything for businesses to invest in the production of various drones, said Federov, Ukraines minister of digital transformation. He estimates that domestic production will grow one hundred times above last years level. Since March, at least eight new Ukrainian companies building explosive drones have been formed as part of the initiative. Looking out over the horizon, Federov said advances in artificial intelligence being employed by some brigades are only likely to sharpen the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of drones. Still, some drone operators take all of the enthusiasm with a grain of salt. They are sceptical that Ukraines military culture, which has vestiges of rigidity from the Soviet era, can change quickly enough. A successful drone operation doesnt hinge on just training and procuring drones, they say. The more critical piece of the puzzle is scaling up the ingenuity and real-time adaptability of units like Giocondos. Its a complex interaction within the unit itself, said Pharmacist. The US is considering making one of the largest arms transfers to its former Cold War rival, Vietnam, in order to wean it off Russian weapons and better arm it against China, with whom it is embroiled in maritime boundary disputes in the South China Sea (SCS). White House officials say that the two nations are still going through negotiations, although the agreement includes the US selling the recently upgraded F-16 fighter jets to Vietnam. Experts believe the contract may also have requisite missile systems like the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range AAM if finalized. Since an arms embargo was eased in 2016, according to media reports, US military supplies to Vietnam have been restricted to coast guard ships and trainer aircraft, while Russia has provided nearly 80% of the nations arsenal. The Sukhoi Su-30 is the front-line fighter used by Vietnam. Its fleet also has guided-missile corvettes, submarines, fast attack corvettes, and guided missile frigates from the Soviet and Russian eras. This comprises around 80% of its arsenal. According to the report, Washington wants to shift a share of Vietnams $US2 billion annual arms purchases over the long term to weapons from the United States or its allies and partners, especially South Korea and India. Vietnam has only purchased US weapons equipment worth $400 million in the last ten years. Following its retirement from its fleet in July of this year, the Indian Navy gave a Khukri-class missile corvette to the Vietnam Peoples Navy (VPN). India was negotiating the sale of its BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to Hanoi earlier in that same month. At the time, it was merely a rumour, but today it can be argued that this was low-key organised with Washington. The cost, which Washington is considering structuring special financing terms for the pricey equipment that could help cash-strapped Hanoi steer away from its traditional reliance on lower-cost, Russian-made arms, is a major obstacle behind the miniature representation of US-made weapons in Vietnams arsenal. Democratic lawmakers in the United States are advocating for a new bill aimed at providing sexual assault survivors with the chance to postpone their student loan payments. According to reports, the proposed legislation, introduced last week, would grant survivors the option to defer payments for up to three years if their ability to attend school was hindered as a result of their traumatic experiences. Its worth noting that a similar bill was introduced last year but failed to secure passage. Representatives Madeleine Dean, Ayanna Pressley, and Senator John Fetterman, along with eight other Democrats, introduced HR 5588, just days before the resumption of student loan payments on October 1. Fetterman, who supported the Student Loan Deferment for Sex-Based Harassment Survivors Act, spoke about his own time away from the Senate earlier this year when he received treatment for clinical depression. He stated, Seeking help allowed me to be the father and husband I aspire to be, and the Senator that Pennsylvania deserves. I strongly urge anyone facing challenges or in crisis to seek help, and extending this opportunity to our students is the right thing to do. This legislation will enable students to prioritize their mental well-being without the added burden of student loan payments. The proposed bill would also broaden the definition of sexual violence to include sex-based harassment, making it possible for more survivors to access this assistance. Several national organizations, including the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and the YWCA, have already given their support to the bill. An earlier version of the bill was introduced last summer but did not progress beyond the House. As the October deadline for the resumption of federal student loan payments approaches, Democratic lawmakers are exploring ways to ease the financial strain on borrowers. Recently, six Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, criticized the student loan servicer MOHELA for its slow handling of documents, which could force certain borrowers to repay loans they should not have to. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is taking steps to rectify overcharges on student loans for various borrowers. Furthermore, President Joe Biden continues to work towards widespread student debt forgiveness after his initial plan to forgive up to $20,000 per borrower was rejected by the Supreme Court. According to U.S. commander General Chance Saltzman, the United States Space Force has held internal conversations about establishing a hotline with China to prevent space disasters. The head of space operations stated that de-escalating tensions would benefit from a direct line of communication between the Space Force and its Chinese counterpart, but that the U.S. has not yet engaged with China to build one. What we have talked about on the U.S. side at least is opening up a line of communication to make sure that if there is a crisis, we know who we can contact, Saltzman said, adding that it would be up to President Joe Biden and the State Department to take the lead on such discussions. The remarks come at a time when the US Space Force is considering opening a branch in Japan, Chinas military aspirations in the Indo-Pacific are unsettling its neighbours, and the conflict in Ukraine has brought attention to the value of space assets in conflict. Taiwan and any lessons China may have learned from Russias invasion of Ukraine a year ago have been of particular concern to Japan. China, which regards Taiwan, which is democratically run, as its own territory, has not rejected using force to annex the island. When Saltzman met senior Japanese defence officials on Monday in Tokyo, he was able to confirm that the space force was looking into the possibility of setting up a regional office there. He didnt go into detail on where or why it would be used. In order to monitor and comprehend space activity to deter China and prevent grey zone activities, such as jamming satellite signals, Saltzman noted that closer cooperation with like-minded nations, such as Japan, would be essential. We have to be able to have those indications and warnings and see what theyre doing and call them on the intent. Just being hypersensitive so we dont fall prey to grey zone activities, Saltzman said. Additionally lacking a clear line of communication with its Russian counterpart is the 2019-established U.S. Space Force. (With agency inputs) The US gave intelligence to Canada following the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but conversations intercepted by Ottawa were more conclusive, leading it to accuse India of organising the plan, according to The New York Times, citing sources. The claim emerged on the same day that the senior US ambassador in Canada stated that Five Eyes allies exchanged intelligence that caused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus provocative charge against India in the assassination of a Khalistani fanatic on Canadian territory. The claims enraged India, which dismissed them as absurd and motivated and removed a senior Canadian ambassador in retaliation for Ottawas removal of an Indian official over the matter. In addition, India accused Canada of providing a safe haven for terrorists. On June 18, Nijjar, the leader of the proscribed Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was assassinated in Surrey, British Columbia. Nijjar was labelled a terrorist by India in 2020. The US has encouraged India to help with Canadas probes. In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved, the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying. Yet what appears to be the smoking gun, intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said. David Cohen, US Ambassador to Canada, in an interview with CTV News said that shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June. I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think thats as far as Im comfortable going, Cohen told CTV News. According to two allied officials, after Nijjars death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had no advance knowledge of the plot and that if they had, they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies duty to warn doctrine. According to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, Canadian authorities sent a generic warning to Nijjar but did not inform him that he was the target of an Indian government operation. Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations. And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function, he said in response to a question. While Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, American officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India, the paper said. But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner, it said. Blinken said the US is deeply concerned about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was closely coordinating with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see accountability in the case. Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation. Trudeau on Friday said that Canada shared with India many weeks ago evidence on the killing of Nijjar and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the very serious matter. When asked about Canada sharing any information in the case with India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said: No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case, either then or before or after. We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information. US President Joe Bidens administration on Monday imposed new trade restrictions on 11 Chinese and five Russian companies, accusing some of supplying components to make drones for Russias war effort in Ukraine. The Commerce Department, which oversees export policy, added a total of 28 firms, including some Finnish and German companies, to a trade blacklist, making it harder for US suppliers to ship them technology. Nine of the companies, including Chinas Asia Pacific Links Ltd. and Russias SMT-iLogic, allegedly took part in a scheme to supply the previously blacklisted Special Technology Center with drone parts for Russias Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU). An investigation by Reuters and iStories, a Russian media outlet, in collaboration with the Royal United Services Institute, a defense think tank in London, last year uncovered a logistical trail that spans the globe and ends at the Orlan drones production line, the Special Technology Centre in St. Petersburg, Russia. The investigation found that Hong Kong-based exporter Asia Pacific Links Ltd. has been among the most important suppliers to Russias drone program. The firm, along with import company SMT iLogic, were the target of an earlier round of U.S. sanctions in May. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. We will not hesitate to take swift and meaningful action against those who continue seeking to supply and support Putins illegal and immoral war in Ukraine, the Commerce Departments export controls chief Alan Estevez said in a statement. Another six Chinese entities were added for allegedly procuring aerospace parts for the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Company that are used to make drones used by Iran to attack oil tankers in the Middle East and by Russia in Ukraine, according to the Commerce Department. The Special Technology Center in St. Petersburg, Russia, which once made a variety of surveillance gadgets for the Russian government and now focuses on drones for the military, was first targeted by U.S. sanctions after former President Barack Obama said it had worked with Russian military intelligence to try to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The United States has aggressively used a trade blacklist known as the entity list to target Chinas tech sector and attempt to stymie Russias war in Ukraine. An Oregon woman has been imprisoned for 30 days for subjecting her baby to cruel treatment, including waterboarding and placing the child in the freezer. She reportedly did this to test whether the babys father cared about the childs well-being. Sharday McDonald, aged 30, admitted her guilt in cases of criminal mistreatment, identity theft, and witness tampering. The discovery of the babys mistreatment occurred during a welfare check conducted by the police on October 28, 2021, as per a report. Upon receiving reports that a baby had been put in a freezer, the police arrived at McDonalds residence in Oregon. They overheard her shouting at the childs father. She was heard saying, Im going to demonstrate something to you right now. Dont you want him? The accused continued, Let me show you about this little baby; I couldnt care less, according to WPDE. As a consequence of her actions, the woman was sentenced to 30 days in prison. According to information from the Multnomah County Detention Center, McDonald will be released on October 6. McDonald pleaded guilty to the charges on July 28. Based on an affidavit obtained by Fox Digital, during the police visit to her apartment in 2021, McDonald opened the door while holding the child wrapped in a blanket. Officers questioned her, and she claimed that she had no intention of harming the child, despite her actions of subjecting the baby to running water before placing him in the freezer. Photographs depicting the baby being subjected to waterboarding were discovered. An officer described the images, saying, It appeared as if [the baby] was attempting to hold his breath while water was pouring over his face In one picture observed by the officer prior to her arrest, McDonald held [the baby] by the onesie in a downward position, with his hips, legs, and feet higher than his head (almost upside down) while water streamed over his face. Given that angle, the only place the water could go was into his nose. When taken into custody, McDonald stated that her actions were a test to determine if Neal cared about the child at all. Human rights lawyers working alongside Ukraines public prosecutor are building a case alleging Russia of causing starvation during the ongoing war. The case to be presented at the International Criminal Court (ICC), could lead to the first-ever prosecution of its kind, potentially indicting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The weaponisation of food has taken place in three phases. It began with the initial invasion when Russian forces besieged Ukrainian cities, cutting off food supplies, Yousuf Khan, a senior lawyer from Global Rights Compliance, was reported as saying by the Guardian. One horrifying incident theyve documented involves the death of 20 civilians in Chernihiv on March 16, 2022. Russian bombs exploded near a supermarket where Ukrainians were waiting for food. The lawyers are also looking into the siege of Mariupol, where food supplies were cut off, and aid corridors were blocked or bombed, making it nearly impossible for starving people to escape. In the second phase, they highlight the destruction of food, water, and energy supplies across Ukraine during the conflict. Khan described these acts as crimes of intent because they targeted things essential for civilian survival. For instance, Russian forces took control of the water supply station in Mykolaiv, leaving residents reliant on daily water deliveries. The third part of their case involves Russias attempts to limit Ukrainian food exports. Khan pointed out that Russia attacked grain facilities on the Danube and created problems in the Black Sea, causing the destruction of substantial food stocks in July and August. These allegations of using starvation as a weapon of war have a painful historical connection, particularly the memory of the Holodomor in 1932-33 when millions died in a famine caused by the Soviet government. The renewed focus on these allegations comes after a UN Security Council resolution in 2018 condemning the use of starvation as a weapon of war and changes to the ICCs rules in 2019, allowing for more types of cases. Global Rights Compliance (GRC) is collaborating with Ukrainian prosecutors until the end of next year to gather evidence. They intend to submit it under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, which lets third parties provide information on war crimes to the ICCs prosecutor. The final decision rests with the prosecutor in The Hague. The lawyers are also trying to identify the individuals responsible, potentially calling for the indictment of President Putin, just as the ICC issued an arrest warrant for his role in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia during the conflict. Khan argues that Putin could be held responsible for these actions directly, through others, or for failing to control Russian military personnel or others accused. Hong Kong: Elector registers published The 2023 final registers of electors/voters for geographical constituencies (GCs), functional constituencies (FCs) and Election Committee subsectors (ECSSs) were released today, the Registration & Electoral Office announced. Electors in the final register for GCs may cast their vote in the District Council Ordinary Election to be held on December 10. The office will issue letters to inform GC voters about their assigned District Council constituencies. A total of 4,333,106 electors are carried in the final register for GCs. The final register for FCs contains 198,505 individual electors and 8,151 corporate electors, comprising a total of 206,656. For the final register for ECSSs, there are 2,260 individual voters and 5,335 corporate voters, adding up to a total of 7,595. Statistical information about these final registers has been uploaded to the voter registration website. In addition, notices on the inspection of the final registers of electors/voters were gazetted today. A copy of registers containing entries relating to individuals may only be shown in accordance with statutory requirements, and made available for inspection by specified people only. Meanwhile, a copy of registers containing entries of corporate electors/voters may be inspected by any member of the public. This story has been published on: 2023-09-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts 1. Portugal Portuguese is a Romance language. Like other Romance languages such as Spanish, French, Italian and Romanian, Portuguese evolved from Vulgar Latin, the spoken language of the Roman Empire. Over time, Vulgar Latin evolved into distinct regional languages, including Old Portuguese. It is not only the Portugal's official language but also the primary language spoken by the majority of its population. The language is regulated and standardized by various language institutions, such as the "Academia das Ciencias de Lisboa" ("Academy of Sciences of Lisbon") and the "Instituto Camoes" ("Camoes Institute"). Additionally, Portuguese language education is a fundamental part of the country's curriculum, ensuring that Portuguese citizens have a strong command of their native language. Portuguese spread to other countries primarily through a combination of colonialism, exploration, and trade during Portugal's Age of Discovery. Portuguese is a Romance language. Like other Romance languages such as Spanish, French, Italian and Romanian, Portuguese evolved from Vulgar Latin, the spoken language of the Roman Empire. Over time, Vulgar Latin evolved into distinct regional languages, including Old Portuguese.It is not only the Portugal's official language but also the primary language spoken by the majority of its population. The language is regulated and standardized by various language institutions, such as the "Academia das Ciencias de Lisboa" ("Academy of Sciences of Lisbon") and the "Instituto Camoes" ("Camoes Institute"). Additionally, Portuguese language education is a fundamental part of the country's curriculum, ensuring that Portuguese citizens have a strong command of their native language.Portuguese spread to other countries primarily through a combination of colonialism, exploration, and trade during Portugal's Age of Discovery. 2. Brazil The most significant expansion of Portuguese took place in Brazil. Portuguese explorers, led by Pedro Alvares Cabral, arrived in what is now Brazil in 1500 and claimed it for Portugal. Over the centuries, Portuguese settlers and colonists established settlements and mixed with indigenous peoples and African slaves. Portuguese became the dominant language. Today, Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world, with a distinct Brazilian Portuguese dialect. Portuguese is the country's only official language Brazil has its own set of vocabulary that differs from European Portuguese. These differences can include slang words, idiomatic expressions, and regionalisms. It also incorporates a large number of loanwords from indigenous languages, mainly Tupi-Guarani. These loanwords often describe local flora, fauna, and customs. African words, expressions, and intonations brought through slave trade have influenced Brazilian Portuguese, particularly in music, dance, and religious practices. Brazilian Portuguese has specific pronunciation patterns that distinguish it from European Portuguese. Despite regional variations, a standardized version of Brazilian Portuguese exists for official purposes and education. The "Academia Brasileira de Letras" ("Brazilian Academy of Letters") plays a role in preserving and promoting the Portuguese language in Brazil. 3. Cape Verde Portuguese colonial expansion in Africa began in the 15th century, with the colonization of islands like Sao Tome and Principe. Later, the Portuguese established colonies in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and other regions. Portuguese was imposed as the official language, and it remains a significant language in these African countries even after decolonization. Portuguese is the official language of Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony. It is used in government, education, and the media. However, Cape Verdeans also commonly speak Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu), which is a creole language based on Portuguese with influences from African languages. Kriolu is widely spoken in daily life and is often used for informal communication. Portuguese remains the language of administration and education in Cape Verde. 4. Guinea-Bissau Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau serves as the official language and holds a significant place in the nation's linguistic landscape. Historically, Guinea-Bissau was a Portuguese colony until gaining independence in 1973, during which time Portuguese was the colonial language. Since independence, Portuguese has continued to be the official language, used in government administration, education, and media. Despite its official status, Guinea-Bissau is a multilingual country with a diverse array of indigenous languages, including Crioulo, Fulfulde, Mandinka, and Balanta. These languages are often used for everyday communication within communities, alongside Portuguese. However, Portuguese serves as the language of instruction in schools and higher education institutions, making it essential for accessing formal education. Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau serves as the official language and holds a significant place in the nation's linguistic landscape. Historically, Guinea-Bissau was a Portuguese colony until gaining independence in 1973, during which time Portuguese was the colonial language. Since independence, Portuguese has continued to be the official language, used in government administration, education, and media.Despite its official status, Guinea-Bissau is a multilingual country with a diverse array of indigenous languages, including Crioulo, Fulfulde, Mandinka, and Balanta. These languages are often used for everyday communication within communities, alongside Portuguese. However, Portuguese serves as the language of instruction in schools and higher education institutions, making it essential for accessing formal education. 5. Sao Tome and Principe Portuguese is the official language of Sao Tome and Principe, a small island nation located in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. The history of Portuguese in Sao Tome and Principe is intertwined with colonization. The islands were uninhabited until they were discovered by Portuguese explorers in the late 15th century. The Portuguese established sugar and cocoa plantations on the islands, which were worked by enslaved Africans brought to Sao Tome and Principe. Over time, a Creole language known as "Forro" developed among the descendants of these enslaved Africans, blending Portuguese vocabulary with African linguistic elements. Forro is still spoken by some as a mother tongue in addition to Portuguese. After achieving independence from Portugal in 1975, Portuguese remained the official language, and it is used in government, education, and media. The majority of the population speaks Portuguese to varying degrees, although many also speak Forro and other indigenous languages. 6. Equatorial Guinea Portuguese is one of the official languages of Equatorial Guinea, a small country located on the west coast of Central Africa. The region was initially explored and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century. However, by the 18th century, Portugal had largely ceded control of the territory to Spain. Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spain in 1968 and adopted Spanish as the official language, which remains widely spoken in the country today. Portuguese, though less commonly spoken, was also recognized as an official language due to its historical significance. Portuguese is primarily spoken by a minority of the population, particularly those with ties to the Portuguese-speaking islands of Sao Tome and Principe or Cape Verde. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in promoting Portuguese in Equatorial Guinea, and efforts have been made to reintroduce the language into education and government. 7. Angola Portuguese is the official language of Angola, a country located in Southern Africa. The presence of Portuguese in Angola is a result of colonization by Portugal, which began in the late 15th century when Portuguese explorers first arrived in the region. Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975, and Portuguese remained the official language of the newly independent nation. Portuguese is the primary language used in government, education, media, and business in Angola. It is the language of instruction in schools and universities, and most official documents and legal proceedings are conducted in Portuguese. Additionally, the majority of Angolans are multilingual, with Portuguese often serving as a lingua franca among speakers of different indigenous languages. Despite its status as the official language, Portuguese is not the mother tongue of the majority of Angolans. Various Bantu languages, such as Kimbundu and Kikongo, are spoken as native languages by different ethnic groups throughout the country. Portuguese is taught as a second language in schools, and its usage is more prevalent in urban areas and among the educated population. Portuguese is the official language of Angola, a country located in Southern Africa. The presence of Portuguese in Angola is a result of colonization by Portugal, which began in the late 15th century when Portuguese explorers first arrived in the region. Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975, and Portuguese remained the official language of the newly independent nation.Portuguese is the primary language used in government, education, media, and business in Angola. It is the language of instruction in schools and universities, and most official documents and legal proceedings are conducted in Portuguese. Additionally, the majority of Angolans are multilingual, with Portuguese often serving as a lingua franca among speakers of different indigenous languages.Despite its status as the official language, Portuguese is not the mother tongue of the majority of Angolans. Various Bantu languages, such as Kimbundu and Kikongo, are spoken as native languages by different ethnic groups throughout the country. Portuguese is taught as a second language in schools, and its usage is more prevalent in urban areas and among the educated population. 8. Mozambique Portuguese holds the status of the official language in Mozambique, a country located in South-eastern Africa. This linguistic prominence traces back to centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, initiated by Portuguese explorers' arrival in the late 15th century. Mozambique achieved independence from Portugal in 1975, and Portuguese remained the official language. Portuguese is the language of government, education, and administration throughout Mozambique. It serves as the medium of instruction in educational institutions, and most official documents and legal procedures are written in Portuguese. Furthermore, Portuguese is prevalent in media, commerce, and urban centers, serving as a common language for communication among speakers of different indigenous languages. Despite its status as the official language, Portuguese is not the mother tongue of the majority of Mozambicans. The country is linguistically diverse, with numerous indigenous languages spoken throughout the regions. Languages like Emakhuwa, Xichangana, and Elomwe are among the most widely spoken indigenous languages. 9. Macao Portuguese traders and explorers established a presence in Asia, notably in India, Macao, Timor Leste, and parts of Indonesia. Portuguese influence in these regions led to the adoption of Portuguese loanwords and some linguistic influence, although the number of Portuguese speakers declined over time. Portuguese in Macao, also spelled Macau, has a unique historical and linguistic context. Macao was a Portuguese colony from the 16th century until its handover to China in 1999. During this period, Portuguese became one of the official languages alongside Chinese (Cantonese). Macao has a bilingual policy, and both Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese are considered official languages. Portuguese continues to be used in some government documents and official communication. In education, Portuguese is taught in schools, and there is a Portuguese School in Macao that offers education in the language. Many Macao residents, particularly the older generation, can still speak and understand Portuguese to varying degrees. 10. Timor Leste Portuguese colonization of Timore-Leste (East Timor) began in the 16th century. Although the Dutch and then the Japanese occupied the territory during World War II, Portugal reclaimed control after the war. In 1975, East Timor declared independence but was later occupied by Indonesia. In 1999, East Timor regained independence, and Portuguese was reinstated as one of the official languages. Portuguese in Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, has a complex linguistic history and cultural significance. Timor-Leste was a Portuguese colony for over four centuries, from the 16th century until it declared independence in 1975. After a brief period of independence, it was invaded and occupied by Indonesia until 1999 when it regained independence. During the Portuguese colonial era, Portuguese was the official language of administration and education, and it left a lasting impact on the country. However, during the Indonesian occupation, the use of Portuguese declined significantly. After gaining independence, Timor-Leste made Portuguese one of its official languages, along with Tetum. This decision aimed to both honor its historical ties to Portugal and promote cultural and linguistic diversity. Today, Portuguese is taught in schools, and there is an ongoing effort to revitalize its use in government and education. However, Tetum remains the more widely spoken and used language in daily life. Portuguese colonization of Timore-Leste (East Timor) began in the 16th century. Although the Dutch and then the Japanese occupied the territory during World War II, Portugal reclaimed control after the war. In 1975, East Timor declared independence but was later occupied by Indonesia. In 1999, East Timor regained independence, and Portuguese was reinstated as one of the official languages.Portuguese in Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, has a complex linguistic history and cultural significance. Timor-Leste was a Portuguese colony for over four centuries, from the 16th century until it declared independence in 1975. After a brief period of independence, it was invaded and occupied by Indonesia until 1999 when it regained independence.During the Portuguese colonial era, Portuguese was the official language of administration and education, and it left a lasting impact on the country. However, during the Indonesian occupation, the use of Portuguese declined significantly. After gaining independence, Timor-Leste made Portuguese one of its official languages, along with Tetum. This decision aimed to both honor its historical ties to Portugal and promote cultural and linguistic diversity. Today, Portuguese is taught in schools, and there is an ongoing effort to revitalize its use in government and education. However, Tetum remains the more widely spoken and used language in daily life. Source: Author wellenbrecher This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system. 404 Something's wrong here Sorry. We can't find the page you're looking for. RETURN HOME India Likely to Cancel Import Restrictions on Laptops and Electronics News oi -Kabir Jain The Indian government is contemplating a reconsideration of its decision to impose import restrictions on laptops, tablets, and various other electronic devices. The original intention behind these restrictions, slated to be implemented on November 1, 2023, was to incentivize brands to bolster local production of electronic goods. However, recent developments indicate that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is currently engaged in discussions to formulate new policies that will further empower and enhance electronics production within India, with a target set for the year 2030. Revisiting Import Restrictions Initially, the government's mandate required businesses to obtain an import license post-November 1, 2023, with a cap of importing a maximum of 20 units per shipment. This sudden imposition of restrictions raised considerable concerns among major laptop manufacturers operating in India, including HP, Dell, ASUS, and Acer. While these companies expressed their readiness to invest in local manufacturing, the stringent two-month deadline proved to be a significant hurdle in establishing the necessary infrastructure. A Potential U-Turn Reports stemming from The Economic Times (ET) now suggest that the government is strongly leaning towards canceling the import restrictions on laptops, tablets, and other items categorized under HSN 8741. This potential reversal of policy is rooted in fears that an abrupt cessation of electronics imports could potentially trigger a shortage of laptops and computers in the market, thereby potentially disrupting the Indian IT industry. Government's Stance While the government has yet to make an official announcement regarding the cancellation of import restrictions, anonymous officials have shed light on its primary objectives. The government's foremost focus remains on improving the ease of conducting business in India and fostering local production. In this context, the perceived benefits of immediate import restrictions are being weighed against the possible complications they might introduce. Industry Collaboration and Strategies A pivotal joint meeting between the Government of India and the IT Ministry, led by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, brought together representatives from major tech giants such as Asus, Dell, Acer, Apple, Samsung, and Intel. The agenda of this meeting was twofold: to discuss the potential impact of import restrictions and to explore alternative strategies for amplifying local laptop manufacturing. A Transition Plan In the short term, it is anticipated that the government will temporarily allow companies to continue importing laptops and electronic goods without any limitations. However, the government is expected to introduce phased restrictions, whereby companies will be assigned import quotas. Ultimately, the overarching objective is to encourage companies to maximize domestic production of electronic devices by the year 2030, with plans in place to introduce an online system to streamline the import quota process. Implementing Import Authorization In a parallel development, officials have unveiled plans to establish an import authorization system within the next six to eight months. This system will allocate quotas to companies importing IT hardware, ensuring a fair distribution based on criteria such as the import value of the previous year or the average of the past three years, domestic manufacturing of IT hardware devices, and exports of electronic goods. Oversight of this entirely online import management system will be handled by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), guaranteeing transparency and efficiency. Commitment to Indigenous Manufacturing Furthermore, the government is contemplating the introduction of a sunset clause by 2030 for the import management system, underscoring its unwavering commitment to nurturing indigenous IT hardware manufacturing capabilities within the country. As these dynamic developments continue to unfold, the Indian tech industry, along with global electronic giants operating in India, will be closely monitoring the government's decisions, recognizing their profound impact on the landscape of electronics production and imports in the country. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Qualcomm Could Launch Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in Two Variants: 4nm and 3nm Versions News oi -Kabir Jain Qualcomm is expected to introduce the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC next month. However, the upcoming processor could arrive in two flavors, if a new report by South Korea's gamma0burst (via Gizmochina) is to be believed. The report states that Qualcomm is set to unveil not one but two variants of its highly anticipated Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Two Variants One variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will employ TSMC's 4nm process node, replacing its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. However, what truly raises eyebrows is the second variant, which will harness TSMC's N3E (enhanced) 3nm node. The Power of Smaller Transistors The smaller process node utilized in the 3nm variant allows for more transistors to be packed into the same chip space. This boost in transistor density promises a chipset that is not only more potent but also energy-efficient, a combination that will undoubtedly delight consumers. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the only two phones that currently use 3nm chipsets (A17 Pro). Building on Past Success Qualcomm's choice to offer two variants is similar to a strategy it used in 2022 when it released the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, both of which were powered by different process nodes. This strategy proved to be wise, as the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 outperformed its predecessor thanks to TSMC's 4nm node, which offered 30% better power efficiency and improved temperature control. The Core Configuration The documents reveal that both Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 variants will share identical CPU configurations, featuring ARM's latest Cortex-X4 prime CPU core, the Cortex-A720 performance CPU core, and the Cortex-A520 efficiency CPU core. The primary distinction lies in the manufacturing process, which could significantly impact performance, energy efficiency, and heat management. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Launch The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC is slated to debut next month on October 24 at the Snapdragon Summit 2023 in Hawaii. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Chinese national security agency exposes cases of espionage through telecom fraud Global Times By Global Times Published: Sep 25, 2023 10:59 AM Updated: Sep 25, 2023 10:57 AM The Chinese national security agency exposed several cases of espionage through telecommunications fraud on Monday, reminding netizens to be wary of not only telecommunications fraud from northern Myanmar, but also low-interest loans, dating apps, high-paying part-time jobs and other spy networks. Recently, there have been frequent reports of successful disruption of telecommunications fraud in the country, with 1,482 suspects involved in fraud cases in northern Myanmar being handed over to Chinese authorities. However, behind the various types of information and disguises on the internet, there is not only telecommunications fraud in northern Myanmar, but also spy networks. A retired soldier named Xiao Jun (pseudonym) accumulated a huge amount of debt due to his addiction to online gambling. To repay his debts, he started looking for online loans and met a foreign intelligence officer who posed as a manager of an online loan company. After learning about Xiao Jun's identity as a retired soldier, the spy officer said that as long as Xiao Jun provided proof of his retirement, he could apply for interest-free loans. If he could provide confidential military information, not only could he clear his debts, but he could also quickly become wealthy. Chasing the dream of getting rich, Xiao Jun thought he had found a "lifesaver" and decided to take the risk of revealing all the military secrets he knew during his service to the spy officer. Chinese national security soon uncovered Xiao Jun's selling of state secrets. Liu, who lives near an important classified military site, is enthusiastic about making friends online. One day, as usual, while using the "shaking" function on his phone to find people nearby, Liu encountered a beautiful woman. The woman greeted Liu warmly and sent him some nude photos. To gain the favor of the woman, Liu followed her request and took photos and surveyed sensitive military sites near his home. Soon, national security agencies discovered Liu's illegal activities and quickly took action to arrest him. Upon investigation, the true identity of the woman turned out to be a foreign spy who used "virtual positioning" to connect with people near sensitive military sites to gain access to classified information. Wang is a technician in a military-industrial enterprise. Due to financial difficulties at home, he had the idea of working part-time online and posted job-seeking information on a recruitment website. To enhance the "value" of his resume, Wang specifically emphasized his work in the military-industrial enterprise in his personal information. Shortly after, a foreign consulting company sent an email to Wang, offering him a high-paying job as a consultant. Wang was quickly captivated by their generosity and gradually lost himself, crossing his moral boundaries. With the mentality of getting rich overnight and making a quick profit, he sold military secrets to the foreign party, before being arrested by law enforcement department. Cao is a clerk in an office under a sensitive government agency. Due to his strong writing ability, he developed the idea of earning extra money by writing papers after encountering the novelty of online ghostwriting. Cao posted ghostwriting information on multiple online platforms, and was soon contacted by a foreign intelligence agency through an individual posing as "commissioner Deng" from a foreign research institution. After learning about Cao's work situation, the other party hired him as a consultant and promised to support his future research work abroad. Tempted by these promises and the illusion of becoming a professor abroad, Cao became deeply immersed and intended to sell confidential documents. After national security agencies were tipped off, Cao was promptly taken into custody by Chinese law enforcement. In another case, Zhang, an aviation manufacturing industry worker joined several model aircraft enthusiasts groups on various social media platforms. During the group chats, Zhang unintentionally revealed information about his involvement in the aviation manufacturing industry. A netizen immediately contacted Zhang and the two began frequent interactions. After some time, the netizen requested photos of new aircraft from aviation exhibitions. Upon receiving the photos, the netizen further demanded that Zhang take photos of the inside of his workplace. At this point, Zhang suddenly realized the situation and reported it to the national security agency. Following investigation, it was discovered that the netizen's true identity was a foreign intelligence officer. His purpose in joining multiple military and aviation chat groups was to illegally obtain classified information through industry insiders. The national security agency reminds all netizens on Monday to be vigilant, stay alert, and recognize the tactics used by foreign spy intelligence agencies to avoid falling into their traps and compromising China's national security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kosovo: High Representative Borrell speaks to Prime Minister Kurti and President Vucic following the attack against Kosovo Police European External Action Service (EEAS) 24.09.2023 EEAS Press Team Following today's hideous and cowardly terrorist attack against Kosovo Police officers, High Representative Josep Borrell spoke to Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He condemned in the strongest terms today's aggression. High Representative Borrell expressed his condolences to the family, colleagues, and loved ones of the police officer who lost his life in the line of duty, and wished speedy recovery to the injured police officers. The High Representative also called President Aleksandar Vucic. High Representative Borrell reiterated his call for the assailants to surrender immediately and the release of the pilgrims at Banjska Monastery, for them to leave safely. He called for restoring the calm and stability. EULEX, as second security responder, is monitoring the situation on the ground and stands ready to support Kosovo institutions in maintaining stability & security of all its communities, in line with its mandate and in close coordination with NATO's KFOR. The EU Special Representative for Kosovo on the ground is in close contact with the authorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kosovo: Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell on the attack against Kosovo Police European External Action Service (EEAS) 24.09.2023 EEAS Press Team I condemn in the strongest possible terms the hideous attack by an armed gang against Kosovo Police officers in Banjska/Banjske in the north of Kosovo, which left one police officer dead and two injured. All facts about the attack need to be established. The responsible perpetrators must face justice. More innocent lives are at risk in ongoing hostilities in the surroundings of Banjska Monastery. These attacks must stop immediately. EULEX, as second security responder, is on the ground and in close contact with the authorities and KFOR. The EU and its Member States repeatedly urge all actors to work to de-escalate the situation in north of Kosovo. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US offers Vietnam F-16 fighters 'to sabotage peace, stability' Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Sep 24, 2023 10:10 PM The US is reportedly in talks with Vietnam on offering the country F-16 fighter jets after the two countries upgraded their diplomatic ties earlier this month, but experts said on Sunday that the potential deal, serving the US' hegemonic goals of containing China, would stir up troubles that sabotage peace and stability in the region, and that Vietnam will not easily accept that. In a move that "could irk China and sideline Russia," the Biden administration is in talks with Vietnam over an arms sale package featuring a fleet of F-16 fighter jets that could come together within the next year, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the deal. The deal, which could become the largest arms transfer in history between the two countries, is still in its early stages, with exact terms yet to be worked out, and may not come together, Reuters reported. Reuters brought up the tensions between China and Vietnam over the South China Sea issue, citing it as a reason Vietnam should consider buying the US warplanes, with another named reason being that the Ukraine crisis is making it harder for Vietnam to acquire weapons from its longstanding arms supplier Russia. But Chinese military experts said that the US proposal has its own hegemonic goals. The Vietnamese air force now mainly operates Russian-made fighter jets, and if the US-made F-16s replace them, it means that the US could win another major customer from Russia, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday. By offering F-16 fighter jets, potentially second-hand, to Vietnam and boosting defense ties, the US aims to gain another foothold in the region through adding political strings like demanding the use of Vietnam air force and naval bases, Wei said. Taking advantage of this new foothold, the US military can stir up more troubles in the South China Sea to build up a military encirclement and contain China, Wei said. However, analysts believe that Vietnam can weigh the pros and cons independently and avoid falling into a trap that would make it a US pawn. If Vietnam buys US fighter jets, it could find itself controlled by the US, and its defense policies and military activities could become dependent on US decisions, Wei said. "Vietnam will unlikely find this acceptable," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France says withdrawing envoy from Niger, military cooperation with Niamey over Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 11:36 PM France's President Emmanuel Macron says Paris is imminently withdrawing its ambassador from Niger followed by its troops, putting an end to military cooperation with Niamey. "France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France, And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the current Niger authorities...," Macron told France-2 television in an interview on Sunday. Emphasizing that military cooperation between the two countries is finished, he noted that around 1,500 French troops in Niger will leave in "the months and weeks to come" with a full pullout "by the end of the year." "It will be organized in the coming weeks, but it's the end of this cooperation [between the two countries] because we are not there to participate in political life (of Niger)," Macron said. Niger welcomes withdrawal of French envoy, troops Hours later, Niger's military government issued a statement, welcoming France's announcement about pulling its ambassador and troops out of the country as "a new step towards sovereignty." "This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger," it said. "The French troops and the ambassador of France will leave Nigerien soil by the end of the year," the statement noted, adding, "This is a historic moment, which speaks to the determination and will of the Nigerien people." Niger's military ousted pro-Western former president, Mohamed Bazoum, in a coup on July 26. Since then, relations have been deteriorating between Paris and Niamey due to the former's refusal to recognize Niger's new rulers and its support for the ousted president. The coup against Bazoum was the third of its kind in the West Africa region in as many years, following similar military actions in Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022, which also forced the pullouts of French troops. During his Sunday interview, Macron reaffirmed France's position that Bazoum remained the "sole legitimate authority" in the West African country, claiming that "he was targeted by this coup d'etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms." Last month, Niger's military leaders declared French ambassador Sylvain Itte persona non grata and revoked his diplomatic immunity. However, after a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave passed, the French government refused to comply, saying it did not recognize the authority of Niger's military government. Niger closes airspace to French flights In a related development also on Sunday, Niger's new authorities banned French aircraft from using the country's airspace. Niger's airspace is "open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France, including those of the airline Air France," the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) said in a statement on its website. The airspace would remain closed for "all military, operational and other special flights," unless receiving prior authorization, the message added. Niger reopened its airspace for commercial flights on September 4 after it was closed for nearly a month. The West African nation said on August 6 that it closed its airspace due to the "threat of intervention from neighboring countries." The decision came after the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, threatened military action to restore the country's ousted president. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UAE claims on Persian Gulf trio islands blatant violation of UN Charter, intl. law: Iran mission Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 4:39 PM Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations has dismissed as "baseless" claims by the United Arab Emirates over three Persian Gulf islands, saying such statements are a "flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter." "Iran regards such groundless statements as violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a member of the United Nations and a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter," the mission said on Sunday. The mission issued the statement in response to latest remarks by the UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy, who renewed her country's demand that Iran should end "occupation" of the islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. Speaking at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Hashimy said the UAE will "continue to seek a resolution, either through direct negotiation or through the International Court of Justice. This has been our firm stance for decades." The Iranian diplomatic mission said it is regrettable that the Emirati representatives repeat such an unfounded claim about the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf in the General Assembly session every year. It added that the three islands have always been an integral part of the Iranian territory and will remain so. "Any claim contrary to this fact is invalid." The mission reiterated Iran's commitment to the policy of cordial relations with its neighbors, including the UAE, but said the Islamic Republic's territorial integrity and sovereignty over the three islands will not be subject to negotiation. The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found and corroborated by countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands. The three islands fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Iran's sovereignty over the islands was restored. Iran recognizes that Arabs ruled the islands for centuries, but all historical documents show that they did so from the Iranian port city of Lengheh and therefore as Iranian subjects. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela: US seeking to create military base in disputed region of Essequibo Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 3:04 PM Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil says the United States intends to establish a military base on a disputed territory between Venezuela and Guyana called Essequibo, stressing that Washington seeks to take control of oil resources in the region. "We condemn the intention of the US government to militarize the situation [in Essequibo]. The Southern Command is trying to create a military base in the disputed territory in order to create the spearhead of its aggression against Venezuela and seize our energy resources," Gil said at the UN General Assembly on Sunday. He further noted that the Venezuelan parliament has passed a referendum protecting the sovereign territory from US aggression, adding that Washington is again trying to interfere in the 200-year-old territorial dispute between the two South American nations. "The US government seeks to appropriate our oil resources by using the company Exxon Mobil, which has incorporated the government of Guyana into its ranks," he said. Guyana and Venezuela have been engaged in a long-standing dispute over Essequibo, an area of 160,000 square kilometers that is administered by Georgetown but claimed by Caracas. The region is rich in oil and gas, especially in offshore areas. The former British colony sees its current borders, established by a court of arbitration in Paris in 1899, as accurate. But Venezuela insists that the Essequibo River to the east of the region is the more natural border between the two countries, as was the case in 1777. In 2018, Guyana asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to resolve the dispute and ratify the current borders. Back in April, the ICJ ruled it had jurisdiction over the issue, which could determine which country has rights to territory rich in oil and gas, especially offshore. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Azerbaijan seizes arms from Armenian separatists Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 11:12 AM Armenian separatists have begun laying down their weapons under a Russian-mediated agreement as the first convoy of humanitarian aid entered Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani officials announced. Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Armenian separatists began handing over their weapons to Azerbaijan, including more than 800 guns and six armored vehicles, according to Russia's defense ministry. "We are in close cooperation with the Russian peacekeepers, conducting the demilitarization" of the separatists, Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense spokesman Anar Eyvazov told reporters in Shusha on Saturday, a district on the edge of the rebel stronghold of Stepanakert. "We have already seized weapons and ammunition," Eyvazov said, adding that its soldiers along with Russian peacekeepers are working jointly to disarm separatist fighters in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The fighting flared up on Tuesday after Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the region, accusing the Armenian-backed troops there of "systematic" shelling, "reconnaissance activities," fortification of defensive positions, and "high-level of combat readiness." Baku demanded that separatists lay down their arms and the separatist government disband. Peace talks between the two fighting sides over Nagorno-Karabakh, which both want full control of, are scheduled on Thursday in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh. To the southwest, the so-called Lachin Corridor that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia is also controlled by government forces, which have mounted a de facto blockade for the past nine months. With Armenians suffering serious shortages of food and fuel after a months-long de facto Azerbaijani blockade, an aid convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) headed into Karabakh on Saturday, the first since Azerbaijan's military operation. Ethnic Armenians will leave Nagorno-Karabakh The 120,000 ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will leave for Armenia as they do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and fear ethnic cleansing, the leadership of the breakaway region announced on Sunday. "Our people do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan. 99.9% prefer to leave our historic lands," David Babayan, an adviser to Samvel Shahramanyan, the president of the self-styled "Republic of Artsakh" said. He said it was unclear when the Karabakh Armenians would move down the Lachin corridor. "The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilized world. Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins," he added. Azerbaijan has repeatedly said it will guarantee Armenians' rights and integrate the region. The Azerbaijani foreign minister in his UN General Assembly address on Saturday said his country wants to integrate ethnic Armenians as "equal citizens" and denied any intention to harm them. Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said ethnic Armenians in Karabakh should not leave their homes unless it is absolutely necessary. Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh to Armenians, is a landlocked region in the Caucasus Mountains and lies within Azerbaijan's borders. Karabakh has always been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan though it is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians who have resisted Azerbaijan's sovereignty over the territory since a separatist movement waged a war against Azerbaijan in 1994 and captured it. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address What to do about 'freedom from speech?' A poll of Southeast Asia shows it's wrong to assume that it is only autocratic governments that stymie free speech. A commentary by David Hutt 2023.09.24 -- A recent survey from the Pew Research Centre, ostensibly about the opinions of Buddhists and Muslims in South and Southeast Asia, offered a disheartening read to those of us who cherish free speech. But the study also highlighted that it is wrong to think the only enemies of free speech are the region's authoritarian governments. The pollsters asked respondents from four Southeast Asian states to choose between two statements: "People should be allowed to speak their opinions publicly even if they upset other people" or "harmony with others is more important than the right to speak one's opinion". Around two-thirds of respondents69 percent in Cambodia, 67 percent in Indonesia, and 64 percent in Singaporechose harmony over free speech. Interestingly, 59 percent of Thais chose the opposite. It's more straightforward, though not easy, to pick a fight with governments for their repression of free speech, as it is to argue against the common claims that free speech is an illusion or that democracies are just as censorious as authoritarian states. What's harder to comprend, and more dangerous not to rebut, is the proposition that freedom of speech is undesirable and honesty is a species of antisocial behavior. Indeed, the argument you should keep silent even if you know you would speak the truth. But that is what one confronts in Southeast Asia, vide the Pew survey. I say it's harder because one must realize that it is not just your governments who want to silence you; it's also your neighbors. None of this is palatable. It's far easier to think that all tyranny stems from way up high, in part because one has to get on in society with people who think differently and, also, because it provides a convenient excuse for inactivity. However, this isn't a new realization. In 2015, Pew conducted a global survey on people's attitudes towards free speech. Only 29 percent of Indonesians, for example, thought that people should say what they want without censorship and just 21 percent reckoned that internet use without censorship is important. What point is there in free speech if one is only allowed to say something uncontroversial or what everyone else already (appears) to think? That's not free speech; that's repetition. And repetition doesn't change people's opinions nor educate. Why not stick to what you thought at sixteen years old and never change your mind? But in order to be allowed to question your established ideas, to educate yourself, you have to be presented with uncomfortable information in an uncomforting wayfew people relish being told they're wrong and that they have been wrong for years. I say "allowed" because that is at the core of free speech. It is often assumed that the true victim of censorship is the person engaged in speaking. They are victims, but so, too, is everyone else. If your thoughts are censored, then I am now able to hear them. If my thoughts are censored, you are not allowed to hear my opinions and judge them against your own. As such, censorship makes each person a prisoner of their own thoughts and makes society barren silos. Enforcing the will of the majority I am not singling Southeast Asia out unfairly, The desire for "freedom from speech" is universal. Indeed, the want for a "quiet life", to be protected from discomforting truths, is much in the Western consciousness, and increasingly so. It is the defining ethos of totalitarianisma Western conceptand of almost all religions. Isn't the founding tenet of Christianity, Judaism and Islam that Adam was wicked for giving up the "harmony" of Eden for a free life, and that all us apparent descents are still being punished for that "crime"? It is often said that censorship is grounded in the need to protect minorities. That, at least, is how social "harmony" is often defined in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; multiethnic countries with political systems that fracture on racial or religious lines. However, time and time again what one finds in practice is that censorship is used to enforce the will of the majority over the minority. Worse, what this becomes is the assertion that harmony can only be protected by prosecuting the minority so that the majority does not engage in violence. There are numerous examples of this. But to take a lesser-known one: in early 2017, a small Chinese-language daily newspaper in Malaysia ran a caricature of the president of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) that was deemed by some to be anti-Islamic. Shortly after the cartoon went public, admittedly to the newspaper's small readership of mainly ethnic-Chinese, a PAS state commissioner warned the newspaper not to forget what happened to the journalists of Charlie Hebdo, when 12 journalists were murdered at the French newspaper's Paris offices two years earlier. "If you remember last time, there was a French newspaper that published a caricature that angered the whole Muslim world," said Muhammad Fauzi Yusof, adding that the newspaper would be responsible for the "devastating" consequences. Then-Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar waded into the debate. "Don't do anything or publish drawings or writing that can cause exasperation in the community. We have to be careful with these things," he instructed newspapers and journalists. What do we make of this? Obviously, it was not the Chinese-language newspaper, representing a minority, that threatened violence but the politician, from the majority, who told journalists that they could be assassinated en masse. And what about the police chief? He didn't arrest the politician for a threatening speech that suggested mass murder. Instead he told journalists to refrain from angering others, who happen to be the majority in Malaysia. So who was being protected? Quite clearly the person who was threatening violence. Protecting the one that makes the threat In Cambodia, the ruling party has for decades told the public quite explicitly that if it falls from power, the country would descend quickly back into the barbarism and anarchy of the 1970s Khmer Rouge days. Note that those wishing to unseat the Cambodian People's Party want to do so by peaceful and democratic means. Nonetheless, the ruling party's warning is actually a threat. If we, it says, lose power by the ballot, we will be the ones who will bring violence upon the country. How much this is accepted by the public is questionable, although the "harmony" that Cambodian respondents referred to in the Pew survey must presumably have included this. Another inescapable fact is that the subjects that are taboo and off-limits in Southeast Asia, those cloaked in the need for "harmony", tend to be matters which are of the utmost importance. The role of Thailand's monarchy, the apparent bastion of "Thai-ness", for instance. Indonesians and Malaysians are far more likely to oppose speech that is deemed offensive towards religious beliefs than many other nationalities, such as Filipinos and the Vietnamese, according to Pew's 2015 survey. On the other hand, fewer Vietnamese (61 percent) think that people should be able to make public comments that criticize a government's policies than Indonesians (73 percent) or Malaysians (63 percent). Of course this is top-down, yet it also speaks to the fact that many people in those countries subscribeperhaps unconsciouslyto the same principle that these subjects ought to be off-limits and, indeed, are threats to "harmony". After all, governments make laws, and authoritarian governments make harsh law. But whether they are enforced, and how the police behave, depends on the general mood in the country. In Cambodia and Vietnam it is illegal to park on most pavements, but because everyone has done this for decades and no-one really kicks up a fuss, the police rarely enforce it. If large enough numbers of people were interested in freedom of speech, there would be more freedom of speech, even if the law forbids it. However, it's much simpler to assume the only problem is the autocrats. David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and the Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat. As a journalist, he has covered Southeast Asian politics since 2014. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of RFA. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines accuses China of planting barrier in S China Sea Beijing's blockade in disputed Scarborough Shoal area prevented Filipinos from fishing, Manila says. By Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2023.09.24 -- The Philippines on Sunday accused the Chinese coast guard of planting a "floating barrier" in a part of the disputed South China Sea that blocked Filipinos from their livelihood activities in the rich fishing grounds. The Philippine Coast Guard and the country's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said they condemned China's installation of the barrier that they spotted on Sept. 22 near Bajo de Masinloc, which is the local name of the disputed Scarborough Shoal. A United Nations tribunal in 2016 dismissed China's sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal, but Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling. The incident comes on the heels of China's coast guard vessels and its maritime militia seen by media harassing Philippine Coast Guard ships accompanying boats on a supply mission to Manila's military outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. In August, Manila said Chinese vessels also fired water cannons on vessels accompanying one such mission. A Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson said that during the Sept. 22 incident near Scarborough Shoal, four China Coast Guard vessels issued 15 radio warnings attempting to drive away the fisheries bureau vessel and the more than 50 Filipino boats in the area. "The floating barrier with an estimated length of 300 meters was discovered by the PCG and BFAR personnel ... when they conducted routine maritime patrol on Sept. 22, 2023, at the vicinity of [Bajo de Masinloc]," Commodore Jay Tarriela, coast guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said in a statement on Sunday. "The CCG crew alleged that the presence of the [fisheries bureau] vessel and Filipino fishermen violated international law and the domestic laws of the People's Republic of China. The [fisheries bureau] vessel responded to each and every radio call and emphasized that they were carrying out a routine patrol within the territorial sea of [Bajo de Masinloc]." The West Philippine Sea is Manila's name for the South China Sea within its jurisdiction. Tarriela added that the Chinese coast guard vessels moved away when they realized there were media personnel on the fisheries bureau boat. The Chinese vessels installed the barrier when the Philippines fisheries bureau's vessel arrived in the area to provide groceries and other items to help the Filipino fishermen sustain their operations, Tarriela said. "It was reported by the Filipino fishermen that the CCG vessels usually install floating barriers whenever they monitor a large number of Filipino fishermen in the area," he added. Radio Free Asia affiliate BenarNews on Sunday contacted the Chinese Embassy in Manila for comment but did not immediately hear back. China took control of the Scarborough Shoal area in 2012 after a standoff between Manila and Beijing. But after late 2016, Chinese vessels allowed Filipino fishing boats in the area when then-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pivoted to Beijing, which still controls access to the disputed shoal. Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office last year after Duterte's term ended, analysts say the new leader has been more vocal about protecting Philippine sovereignty. The Philippine government has filed more than 99 notes verbale, or diplomatic protests, against China since Marcos Jr. took office. Last month, Manila summoned Beijing's ambassador to complain about the water cannon incident. The two countries have also tangled over statements by the Chinese envoy to Manila on the 150,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesia's exclusive economic zone as well. In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, and threw out China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, particularly the West Philippine Sea. Beijing, however, has ignored the ruling and carried on with its military expansionism in the strategic waterway, including building artificial islands. Coral destruction Meanwhile, Philippine Secretary of Defense, Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., on Friday said China was being, "to put it as politely as possible - hypocritical," when it accused Manila of polluting the the South China Sea. China had made the accusation in response to the Philippine Coast Guard and the Army blaming Beijing's maritime militia ships for destroying coral in Manila-claimed waters in disputed sea. Manila said it was considering filing a case against Beijing over the destruction. Beijing said Manila was polluting the sea's waters with a "rusting" World War II-era ship it grounded in 1999 on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal to establish its military outpost. Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro said China's expansionist activities in the South China Sea were the real problem. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! China continues to damage the [West Philippine Sea] by its illegal reclamation activities in the [South China Sea] and it was found to be a violator of international law in the 2016 Arbitral Award when such activities damaged the marine environment," Teodoro said in a statement. "Disingenuous propaganda lines such as this only serve to expose China's insincerity and will only heighten the mistrust by the Filipino people and the rest of the world of the Chinese government." BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kosovo Officials Say Standoff Ends After Deadly Attack, Search On For Remaining Assailants By RFE/RL's Balkan Service September 24, 2023 Authorities in Kosovo said police had regained control of territory around a Serbian Orthodox monastery complex in the mostly Serb north of the country after a tense standoff following an overnight assault by a "heavily armed" group that led to the death of one police officer and three suspected assailants. "We have gotten this territory under control. It was accomplished after several consecutive battles," Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla told reporters on September 24. Prime Minister Albin Kurti earlier said that Kosovar police were in a standoff with some 30 attackers dressed in security -- or military-like -- uniforms who may have ties to the Orthodox monastery complex in the village of Banjska, where the deadly encounter began around 2:30 a.m. local time, sparking vague accusations of involvement by neighboring bitter rival Serbia. During the standoff, Kosovar police said that three attackers had been killed and six people had been arrested, including two of the assailants and four others found to be in possession of radio communications technology and had discovered a "significant amount" of weapons, ammunition, and other equipment." Details remained scarce and it wasn't immediately clear how the remaining suspected assailants may have escaped or where they were heading. In a speech late on September 24, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he was sorry that a police officer was killed, but he blamed the Kosovar leader, saying that ethnic Serbs there "did not want to suffer Kurti's terror any longer." "I do not want to justify the murder of an [ethnic] Albanian policeman in any way, nor can I justify it. It is a reprehensible act and it is something that no one needed," the Serbian president said. He denied that Belgrade was involved in the overnight incident and said two of those killed were from North Mitrovica, without providing their identities. Vucic again vehemently stated that Serbia would "never" recognize the independence of Kosovo, its former province, "neither formally nor informally." He did add, however, that Belgrade was willing to talk to Pristina. Kurti earlier told a news conference that "there are at least 30 heavily armed people, professionals, military and police, who are under the siege of our police forces and whom I invite to surrender to our security bodies." He said Kosovar security authorities and prosecutors would scramble "to understand more about these uniforms." Kurti showed images of vehicles reportedly being used by the perpetrators and said neither local Serbs in the area nor other civilians in Kosovo have "such vehicles." An RFE/RL team said earlier that rounds of gunfire continued to echo near the scene in northern Kosovo where ethnic and national tensions appear to have erupted into violence again in a predominantly Serb region of a Balkan hot spot. Serbia does not recognize the 2008 declaration of independence of its mostly ethnic Albanian former province, with many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo following suit while remaining dependent on so-called parallel structures that Pristina regards as illegal. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he "condemn[s] in the strongest possible terms the hideous attack by an armed gang against Kosovo Police officers in Banjska/Banjske" and said more innocent lives were in danger "in ongoing hostilities" around the monastery. He said the EU's peacekeeping force, EULEX, was "on the ground" as a second security responder and was in touch with authorities and with NATO KFOR peacekeepers. "The EU and its Member States repeatedly urge all actors to work to de-escalate the situation in north of Kosovo," Borrell said. KFOR in a statement said it "strongly condemns" the attack against Kosovar police and that it "continues to closely monitor the situation in Banjska, and KFOR troops are present in the area, standing ready to respond if required." "The Kosovo Police, as first responder, has primary responsibility for managing the incident on the ground," it added, while saying it is in "close and constant contact with all international stakeholders, including the EU, the Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, and with the Institutions in Kosovo." Earlier, Kurti said the incident was a "criminal and terrorist act." The Kosovar Interior Ministry said authorities closed the nearby Brnjak border crossing with Serbia. Police have closed the main road from Pristina and an RFE/RL team was prevented from approaching the scene in Banjska. Kosovo's main hospital network said it had raised preparedness levels in at least two area facilities. Kosovo's president, Vjosa Osmani, called it "an attack on law and order in the north of the country" and "an attack against Kosovo." "These attacks testify once again to the destabilizing power of criminal gangs organized by Serbia, which have long since, as evidenced by attacks on KFOR members, journalists, and citizens, have been aiming to destabilize Kosovo and the region," Osmani said. The U.S. envoy to Pristina "strongly condemned" the violence and urged that the perpetrators be brought to justice. There was no immediate response from Belgrade to the incident or the suggestions from Pristina of indirect or indirect involvement by Serbia. Kurti said a gunbattle had begun around 3 a.m. local time in Banjska, in the Zvecan municipality, between police and "professionals with masks and armed with heavy weapons." Kurti blamed "organized crime with political, financial, and logistical support from official Belgrade," saying it was "attacking our state." A Kosovar police statement later confirmed the officer's death and said the wounded person had been transferred to a hospital in Pristina with non-life-threatening injuries. A physician at a local medical facility told RFE/RL's Balkan Service that doctors had removed grenade shrapnel from the chest and arm of the injured policemen. Police say their officers are occasionally targeted in attacks by organized armed groups in the area. Zvecan is one of four mostly Serb municipalities where unrest erupted in May after boycotted elections and attempts by Pristina to forcibly seat ethnic Albanian local officials. Local Serbs sometimes block roads and carry out other acts of defiance against Kosovar authorities in the northern areas. In a statement, the Kosovar police said three rapid-response units "encountered resistance from several different positions" while responding to the discovery around 2:30 a.m. local time of two unmarked heavy trucks that were blocking a bridge that leads to Banjska. It said they were fired on "with an arsenal of firearms, including hand grenades." Western officials mediating talks with Serbia and Kosovo have signaled frustration since negotiations this month, which also involved Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, failed to achieve a breakthrough on normalization. Those talks are part of a decade-long U.S. and EU diplomatic push toward formalized relations and to repair some of the wounds from bloody internecine wars in the 1990s, after the breakup of Yugoslavia. In May and June, Kurti ignored outside warnings and tried to forcibly install four mayors in mostly Serb northern municipalities following boycotted by-elections to fill posts vacated by protesting Serbs. The resulting tensions erupted into violence that injured dozens of NATO KFOR peacekeepers and some ethnic Serb protesters. The U.S. ambassador to Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, said on social media that he "strongly condemn[s] the orchestrated, violent attacks on the Kosovo Police" and stressed the Kosovo Police's "full & legitimate responsibility for enforcing the rule of law in Kosovo." He added that "the perpetrators must & will be held accountable and brought to justice." Kosovar authorities identified the slain police officer as Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku. "His murder should be translated into an even greater commitment in the fight against gangs, illegal structures, crime, and terrorism, which threaten the security of citizens and the constitutional order," Kurti said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-police-officer-killed- serb-north-kurti/32606755.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pashinian Laments Armenia's Security Arrangements; Expected Mass Refugee Influx From Nagorno-Karabakh Begins By RFE/RL's Armenian Service, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service September 24, 2023 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has told his Caucasus nation on the heels of a bruising defeat for allies in a breakaway region of Azerbaijan that while Baku and Russian peacekeepers bear responsibility for protecting ethnic Armenians there, if necessary his government "will welcome our brothers and sisters of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia with all care." Yerevan reported on September 24 that the first several hundred refugees from the region had begun arriving in Armenia, with Nagorno-Karabakh leaders indicating that nearly all of the estimated 120,000 ethnic Armenians are likely to leave for the Caucasus nation's territory as soon as possible, saying they did not want to live under Azerbaijani control. Meanwhile, Armenia's Security Council said Pashinian would conduct previously arranged talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Grenada, Spain, on October 5, with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and EU chief Charles Michel also participating. In a televised address to his nation of around 3 million, Pashinian also seemingly delivered a barb to Russia and Moscow-led efforts at regional security. "The attacks carried out by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia in recent years lead to an obvious conclusion that the external security systems in which we are involved are not effective from the point of view of the state interests and security of the Republic of Armenia," Pashinian said. Pashinian and many Armenians blame Russia -- which traditionally has served as Armenia's protector in the region -- for failing to use its peacekeeping force to protect ethnic Armenians in Karabakh. Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which Russia has tried to position as a counterweight to NATO, although as recently as this month its armed forces were conducting exercises with U.S. forces. Pashinian has been on rocky political footing since overwhelming Azerbaijani forces retook much of the territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh held for decades by ethnic Armenians in a six-week war in late 2020 that led to a Russian-brokered cease-fire. Then this week the breakaway leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh was thrashed by a lightning Azerbaijani offensive that led Baku to declare victory in returning its sovereignty to the territory. Around the time Pashinian was addressing the nation on September 24, an adviser to the defeated leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh said virtually all of the territory's ethnic Armenians will leave for Armenia in a bitter exodus from "our historic lands." Davit Babayan, an adviser for foreign policy to the separatist government's de facto leader Samvel Shahramanian, told Reuters on September 24 that "Our people do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan. Ninety-nine point nine percent prefer to leave our historic lands." He said nothing of a time frame and there was otherwise no official position on a possible mass exodus. Calls have increased in urgency for humanitarian help from the United Nations and the international community since the ethnic Armenian separatists agreed to a Russian-brokered cease-fire after a 24-hour blitz by Azerbaijani military forces on September 19-20. Baku has repeatedly vowed to ensure the rights of what ethnic Armenians say is around 120,000 locals but the Azerbaijani side says is around half that figure. "The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilized world," Babayan said. "Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins." Azerbaijan again signaled victory in Nagorno-Karabakh while Armenia urged international help to ensure the safety of the local ethnic Armenian population in competing speeches before the United Nations General Assembly, as evacuation and disarmament efforts continue. Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile used his UN appearance to say the two post-Soviet foes have "put things in order" and now it's time to build "mutual trust." The trio of September 23 speeches came as the Yerevan-backed separatists said they were implementing the terms of the days-old cease-fire but concerns continued over the safety of tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians in the territory and with evacuations of the wounded under way. Azerbaijan and Armenia's foreign ministers struck opposing tones in their speeches to the UN forum. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov hailed the success of his country's September 19-20 military campaign in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, as achieving the "goals of anti-terrorist measures." "Armenia and its subordinate illegal regime were forced to agree to disarmament, liquidation of all so-called structures and withdrawal of forces from Azerbaijan," Bayramov said. In his speech to the UN General Assembly several hours later, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan lamented Yerevan's repeated calls for greater UN activity to break a nine-month-long de facto Azerbaijani blockade of the region before the latest offensive. Armenia's government has distanced itself from the latest cease-fire mediated by Russia's peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 20, with daily protests targeting Pashinian and his government. Mirzoyan accused much larger neighbor Azerbaijan of pursuing a "path of war" and disregarding accepted international principles. He said the message from Azerbaijan has been that "you can talk about peace, but we can go on the path of war, and you will not be able to change anything." Mirzoyan said the latest casualty toll of this week's Azerbaijani actions were "more than 200 confirmed dead and 400 wounded, including civilians, women, and children." He said the fates of hundreds more remained "uncertain." He also repeated Yerevan's "imperative" call for a UN mission in Nagorno-Karabakh "to monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground, "with "unhindered access." Armenia's Health Ministry announced on September 24 that ambulances were transporting 23 seriously injured individuals from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenian territory. RFE/RL reporters said the first refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh had arrived at a humanitarian aid facility in the border village of Kornidzor on September 24. Photos showed men, women, and children gathered around Red Cross tents and other receiving areas. Separatist authorities said Russian peacekeepers would accompany those wishing to leave the region and go to Armenia. The Armenian government said more than 1,000 people have had arrived in the country from Nagorno-Karabakh by late September 24. In his speech to the General Assembly on September 23, Russia's Lavrov said "the time has come for confidence-building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh." He said Russia's peacekeepers would assist, and he accused Western governments of inserting themselves unnecessarily in the Caucasus. Lavrov said that "Yerevan and Baku actually put the situation in order." Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian separatist leaders said on September 23 said they were implementing the cease-fire, including evacuations of injured civilians to Armenia with the help of Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The separatists said that, as part of the September 20 agreement, aid was to be delivered from Armenia to Stepanakert -- the de facto capital of the breakaway region under ethnic Armenian control -- through the Lachin Corridor, for decades the main link between Karabakh and Armenia. Also as part of the agreement, separatists said, talks would take place on "the political future" of the region, which is suffering from shortages of food, fuel, and electricity. Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh reported that Karabakh separatists had already handed over more than 800 firearms, grenades, mortars, anti-tank guided missiles, and anti-tank missile systems, and the disarmament process would continue over the weekend. U.S. Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who is leading a congressional delegation to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, called for international observers needed to monitor the situation and said people in Karabakh were "very fearful." "I am certainly very concerned about what's happening in Nagorno-Karabakh right now. I think there needs to be some visibility," Peters told reporters. Azerbaijan has vowed to protect the rights of civilians there. The offensive was halted on September 20 after Karabakh's ethnic Armenian leadership accepted a proposal by the Russian peacekeeping mission, although sporadic fighting has been reported. Baku has said it envisages an amnesty for Karabakh Armenian fighters who give up their arms and seeks to reintegrate the territory's ethnic Armenian population. Some separatist fighters have vowed to continue to resist Azerbaijani control. France's Macron on September 24 said Paris is now concerned about the territorial integrity of Armenia after Azerbaijan's military took control of Nagorno-Karabakh. "France is very vigilant at this time concerning the territorial integrity of Armenia. Because that is what's at stake," Macron told a TV interview, adding that Russia was now "complicit" with Baku and that Azerbaijan is "threatening the border of Armenia." Although Armenia traditionally has close ties to Russia, many Western nations -- including France and the United States -- have large ethnic Armenian populations and watch developments there closely. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Pashinian in a phone call on September 23 that Washington continues to support Armenia's "sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity" and that it has "deep concern for the ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh." During a short but bloody war in 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured much of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as seven surrounding districts that had been controlled since the 1990s by ethnic Armenians with Yerevan's support. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-armenia-un- feud-karabakh-civilians-concerns/32606776.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO's, EU's Missions in Kosovo Say Ready to Provide Assistance for De-escalation Sputnik News 20230924 MOSCOW, September 24 (Sputnik) - The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) stand ready to provide assistance for de-escalating the situation in Kosovo, where police officers have been attacked, the missions said on Sunday. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said earlier in the day, that on Sunday night unidentified people opened fire on Kosovo police officers in the northern municipality of Zvecan, killing one and wounding another. The shooting occurred around 3.00 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) near the village of Banjska, some 30 miles from Pristina. "KFOR continues to closely monitor the situation in Banjska, and KFOR troops are present in the area, standing ready to respond if required," the mission said on X, previously known as Twitter. It also said that the mission's commander, Angelo Ristuccia, communicates closely with "all international stakeholders," including the European Union and the Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Gen. Milan Mojsilovic to find a solution to the situation. EULEX chief Giovanni Pietro Barbano said on X that he was "appalled" by the incident. He offered condolences to the family of the police officer who was killed in the line of duty, and wished speedy recovery to the injured officer. "EULEX, as [Kosovo's] 2nd security responder, is fully engaged in monitoring closely the situation on the spot standing ready to support Kosovo institutions to the maximum possible extent in maintaining stability & security of all its communities, in close coordination [with KFOR]," Barbano added. Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has called on the European Union, the United States and NATO's KFOR mission to take all necessary measures for normalizing the situation in Kosovo. "The Euro-Atlantic community should make every effort to bring Kosovo and Serbia back to the negotiations on normalization. The convening of an extraordinary peace conference, supervised and guaranteed by the EU and the US, and, at the same time, the adoption of all emergency KFOR measures to prevent further escalation, are strategically necessary not only for peace and security in Kosovo today, but also for tomorrow's peace and security of the entire region," Rama said on X. The Serbian government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija said unknown persons threw grenades into the yards of three representatives of the Serbian List party in Kosovo on Friday night, which Belgrade believes was an intimidation attempt by Kosovo Albanians. Serbia has not recognized Kosovo's independence and continues to refer to it as its Kosovo and Metohija autonomous region. In late May, clashes erupted in Kosovo after the local police forcibly installed new ethnic Albanian mayors in offices in several northern cities following municipal elections in April. The polls were boycotted by the Serb community but declared valid despite a less than 3.5% voter turnout. More than 50 Serbian protesters and at least 30 NATO peacekeeping troops were injured in the clashes. KFOR was launched in Kosovo in 1999 in order to maintain stability in the area and was comprised of troops from NATO member countries, partner countries and non-NATO countries under unified command and control. EULEX, launched in 2008, is the largest civilian mission under the EU Common Security and Defense Policy which conducts monitoring, mentoring, and advising activities. The EU mission's current mandate expires in June 2025. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Macron Recalling Ambassador to Niger, French Embassy's Staff, Troops Sputnik News 20230924 PARIS (Sputnik) - France is recalling French Ambassador to Niger Sylvain Itte, all staff of the French Embassy, and all French troops in the West African country, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday. "The Ambassador in Niamey, as well as all staff of the embassy, will return to France in the coming weeks or months," Macron told a French broadcaster. He added that the military cooperation with Niger is "over" and French troops will leave the country by the end of the year. "I spoke with President Mohamed Bazoum today and informed him that France has decided to recall its ambassador ... We will also put an end to our military cooperation with the current Nigerien authorities because they are no longer aiming to fight terrorism. This is the end of this cooperation, it [the troops withdrawal] will be organized in the coming weeks or months. The troops will return in an organized manner before the end of the year," Macron said. Bazoum was deposed as president by his guard during a military takeover in July. France has refused to recognize the new government in Niger, initially ignoring their demands for French troops and the ambassador to leave the country. Roughly 1,500 French troops are currently deployed in Niger. Despite the move, Macron said he still views Bazoum as the true leader of Niger. Bazoum has called for his reinstatement, calling for help from the Economic Community of West African States, but two members of the block, Burkina Faso and Mali, signed a defensive pact with the military leadership of Niger and threatened to leave ECOWAS if it took military action against Niger. The French embassy in Niamey and French military bases have been the focus of mass protests in the capital city. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Peacekeepers Escort 311 Civilians From Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia Sputnik News 20230924 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian peacekeepers escorted 311 civilians, including 102 children, from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "The Russian peacekeeping contingent organized and escorted 5 buses and 41 private vehicles to Armenia. A total of 311 civilians were transported, including 102 children," the ministry said. The local population has thanked the Russian peacekeepers for providing assistance. The Russian Foreign Ministry, in turn, said that Armed formations in Nagorno-Karabakh have surrendered six armed vehicles, over 1,200 firearms, anti-tank weapons and portable air defense systems, as well as over 130,000 munitions, as of Sunday. "In fulfillment of the ceasefire agreements reached, the armed formations of Nagorno-Karabakh continued to surrender weapons and military equipment under the control of Russian peacekeepers. As of September 24, six armored vehicles, over 1,200 small arms, anti-tank weapons and man-portable air defense systems, and about 130 ,000 munitions were handed over," the ministry said. It added that Russian peacekeepers have delivered humanitarian aid, including 125 tonnes of food supplies, to the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. As of Sunday, the peacekeepers recorded no violations of the ceasefire regime in the region, the ministry said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Seeking to Create Military Base in Disputed Region of Essequibo - Venezuela Sputnik News 20230924 MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - The US government intends to "militarize" the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the region of Essequibo by establishing its military base in this oil-rich area, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on Sunday. "We condemn the intention of the US government to militarize the situation [in Essequibo]. The Southern Command is trying to create a military base in the disputed territory in order to create the spearhead of its aggression against Venezuela and seize our energy resources," Gil said at the UN General Assembly. The minister added that the Venezuelan parliament approved a referendum to protect the sovereign territory from US aggression. Gil also noted that Washington is once again interfering in the 200-year-old dispute over the territory of Essequibo and intends to appropriate Venezuelan oil with the help of US oil and gas company ExxonMobil. For more than a hundred years, Venezuela and Guyana a former British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations have disputed the oil-rich Essequibo region. In 1966, the two countries signed the Geneva Agreement to seek a peaceful solution, but in 2018, Guyana filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where it asked for legal recognition of the 1899 decision of the Paris Court of Arbitration that awarded the territory to Guyana. The Geneva Agreement of 1966 was registered at the United Nations. It regulates border disputes between Venezuela and British Guiana and establishes steps to resolve the dispute, but none of the preliminary protocols has been ratified by Caracas. Since 1983, Venezuela has proposed that Guyana engage in direct negotiations, although Guyana prefers to seek a solution through the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, or the ICJ. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address QA-10, 24 September 2023, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Tanju Bilgic, in Response to a Question Regarding This Morning's Attack in the North of Kosovo, which Resulted in the Loss of Life of One Kosovo Police Officer Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs We condemn the attack this morning (24 September) in the village of Banjska in the Serb-majority Zvecan municipality in the north of Kosovo, which resulted in the loss of life of one Kosovo police officer and injury of other Kosovo police officers. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Our Embassy in Pristina also issued a statement condemning the attack. In order to reduce the tension in the region and prevent escalation, it is imperative that all parties act with restraint and refrain from violence. Dialogue is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in Kosovo and the region. As Turkiye, we will continue to support the dialogue process. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kosovar Police Surround Village After Serb Gunmen Storm Monastery in Violence That Has Killed 4 By VOA News September 24, 2023 Dozens of Serb gunmen dressed in combat uniforms killed a Kosovar Albanian police officer then stormed an Orthodox monastery in Kosovo near its border with Serbia, setting off gun battles that left three assailants dead and further raised tensions between the two former wartime foes as they seek to normalize ties. Kosovo police surrounded Banjska, a village located 55 kilometers north of Kosovo's capital where the monastery is located, and the gunfire was continuing, according to Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Kosovo's interior minister stated later Sunday that the area was under control but did not say if the gunmen had left. The Kosovo Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church said a temple of the monastery in Banjska was locked down after the gunmen stormed it. A group of pilgrims from Serbia was inside the temple along with an abbot. Kurti said the attack was supported by Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke later Sunday in Belgrade to say the gunmen were local Kosovo Serbs "who no longer want to stand Kurti's terror." Vucic condemned the killing of the Kosovo policeman, saying it "cannot be justified," but still said the clash was the result of "brutal" pressure on Kosovo Serbs by the Kosovo government. He denied that Belgrade had anything to do with the attack. Asked how come the Serb gunmen were photographed wearing combat uniforms, Vucic said anyone can purchase such uniforms in ordinary shops and that the ones seen did not belong to the Serbian military or police force. "The only culprit for what happened in Kosovo ... is Albin Kurti," said Vucic, also blasting the West and its "hypocrisy" when it comes to Kosovo. "You can kill us all. Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo, that monster creation that you made by bombing Serbia," Vucic said. Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refused to recognize the move. Earlier this month, an EU-facilitated meeting in Brussels between Kurti and Vucic to normalize ties ended in acrimony. The United States has supported the negotiations and the EU's position in trying to resolve the ongoing source of tension in the Balkans. On Sunday, the Kosovo diocese said gunmen in an armored vehicle stormed the monastery, breaking down the locked gate and shooting guns. "Armed, masked men move around the courtyard and occasional gunshots are heard," it said. Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Kurti said, "Masked professionals armed with heavy weapons" launched the attack, opening fire on a police patrol at about 3 a.m. (01:00 GMT) in Banjska near the monastery. Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said they had arrested six gunmen, two of whom were injured, and found "an "extraordinarily large amount of weaponry and ammunition, explosives." Three of the assailants were killed. One police officer has been killed and two others injured, the last during the armed confrontation, apparently near the monastery at the village, authorities said. At a news conference, Kurti described the armed assailants as "an organized professional unit who have come to fight in Kosovo," calling on them to hand themselves over to Kosovar authorities. Police said the situation remained tense while "gunfire attacks against police units continue with the same intensity from the moving criminal groupings." Kosovo police said the attack began when three police units were dispatched to a bridge at the entrance to the village that had been blocked by trucks. The police officers came under fire from weapons that included hand grenades and bombs and one was killed. The armed men then stormed the monastery. Kurti called it a "sad day" for Kosovo, identifying the dead police officer as Afrim Bunjaku. Local roads and two border crossings into Serbia were closed. Most of Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority lives in four municipalities around Mitrovica, in the north. "It was a real little war: first some gunfire, then silence, shootings, detonations," Serbian news agency Kossev quoted an unidentified resident as saying. Kurti wrote on his Facebook page that "Organized crime, which is politically, financially and logistically supported from Belgrade, is attacking our state." The speaker of Serbia's parliament, Vladimir Orlic, responded that Kurti "was quick to blame the Serbs" but actually was the one who wanted an "escalation." The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, condemned "the hideous attack by an armed gang against Kosovo police officers" and said, "All facts about the attack need to be established. The responsible perpetrators must face justice." He added that the EU's rule of law mission, or EULEX, had representatives on the ground and in close contact with authorities and the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Borrell talked by phone with Kurti and Vucic, reiterating "his call for the assailants to surrender immediately and the release of the pilgrims at Banjska Monastery, for them to leave safely." International police officers from the EU mission and a limited number of Kosovo police have been responsible for enforcing the rule of law in northern Kosovo. Serbia has vehemently protested the presence of the Kosovo police. In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to end the latest round of heightened tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Kurti and Vucic gave their approval at the time, but with some reservations that have still not been resolved. The EU warned both countries that the commitments the leaders made in February "are binding on them and play a role in the European path of the parties" in other words, Serbia and Kosovo's chances of joining the 27-nation bloc. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 24 September 2023 - Day 578 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 weeks, Russian customers have highly likely been experiencing localised petrol and diesel shortages. The shortages are unlikely to be a direct result of the war. They are probably being caused by a range of factors including short term demand increases from the agricultural sector, annual summer maintenance of refineries, and attractive prices for export. On 21 September 2023, Russia suspended nearly all diesel and petrol exports in order to stabilise its internal markets. The move will almost certainly further constrain supplies in a tight global market, likely having the greatest impact on countries currently dependent on Russian fuel supplies. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of September 24, there were 24x combat engagements. Russian forces launched 1x missile strikes, 44x air strikes, 52x MLRS strikes at the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian targets. Unfortunately, Russian attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed or damaged. 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 an air strike in the vicinity of Stepne (Sumy oblast). More than 15x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Moshchenka, Karpovychi (Chernihiv oblast), Yablunivka, Ryasne, Pozhnya (Sumy oblast), Odnorobivka, Baranivka, Vovchans'k, Vil'khuvatka, Stroivka (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: the Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Cherneshchyna (Kharkiv oblast) and Novojehorivka (Luhansk oblast). More than 10x settlements, including Dvorichna, Syn'kivka, Berestove, Ivanivka, Kyslivka (Kharkiv oblast), suffered Russian artillery and mortars shelling. Lyman axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive actions. The Russian adversary launched air strikes at the settlements of Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast) and Spirne (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Novosadove, Spirne, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast), suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire. Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled Russian attacks in the area east of Bohdanivka and southeast of Bila Hora (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces made attempts to regain lost ground near Klishchiiivka (Donetsk oblast), but was unsuccessful. The Russian occupiers launched air strike in the vicinities of Klishchiivka, Andriivka, New York (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Druzhba, New York (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: Russian forces made unsuccessful attempts to regain lost ground near Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian invaders launched an air strike in the vicinity of Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian adversary fired artillery and mortars at the settlements of Avdiivka and Karlivka (Donetsk oblast). Mar'inka axis: during the day of September 24, the Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled 11x Russian attacks in the vicinity of Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian adversary launched an air strike near Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Hostre, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Pervomais'ke, Paraskoviivka (Donetsk oblast). Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces launched air strikes near the settlements of Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva, Staromaiors'ke and Zelene Pole (Donetsk oblast). About 10x settlements, including Vodyane, Vuhledar, Blahodatne, Urozhaine, Rivnopil' (Donetsk oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortars fire. Melitopol' axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct the offensive operation. The Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled the Russian forces' attacks near Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). The Russian occupiers launched air strike near Verbove, Mala Tokmachka, Robotyne and Novodanylivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Levadne, Hulyaipole, Yehorivka, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka, Plavni (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Kherson axis: the Russian invaders launched air strikes in the vicinities of Beryslav, Odradokam'yanka, Burhunka, Ol'hivka (Kherson oblast). The Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Kozats'ke, Ol'hivka, Tokarivka, Dniprovs'ke, Kizomys, Stanislav (Kherson oblast). During the day of September 24, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 8x air strikes on the concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment of the Russian adversary. Missile troops hit 2x anti-aircraft missile systems, 4x artillery systems and 1x ammunition depot of the Russian invaders. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in the Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, have repelled an attack by the AFU 110th Mechanised Brigade near Vesyoloye (Donetsk People's Republic). As a result of the enemy fire defeat, the Russian troops improved the tactical position by decisive counterattack actions. A total of four enemy attacks have been repelled close to Krasnogorovka, Maryinka, Khimik, and Vesyoloye (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 305 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one U.S.-manufacturer M777 artillery system. In Zaporozhye direction, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems of the Russian grouping of troops have inflicted a fire defeat on manpower and hardware clusters of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, one infantry fighting vehicle, and three motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare the enemy lost one U.S.-manufacturer M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, two D-30 guns, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one Msta-B howitzer. In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of competent and well-coordinated actions by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, two attacks by assault groups of the 67th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU have been repelled close to Serebryansky forestry. Ground-Attack and Army aviation and artillery have hit manpower and hardware concentration areas of the 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, the 100th Territorial Defence Brigade, the 5th National Guard Brigade, and the 12th Special Purpose Brigade of the AFU close to Torskoye and Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry. The enemy losses were 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, and one D-20 howitzer. In South Donetsk direction, aviation and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces have hit manpower and hardware concentration areas of the 38th Marine Brigade, the 56th Motor Infantry Brigade of the AFU, and the 110th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Urozhaynoye, Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Malinovka (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 110 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and two D-20 guns. In Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery by the Zapad Group of Forces have struck manpower and hardware of 14th, 92nd mechanised and 25th airborne brigades of the AFU and the 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade close to Berestovoye, Sinkovka, and Kislovka (Kharkov region), and Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy lost over 20 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system, and one field ammunition depot were destroyed near Berestovoye (Kharkov region). In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen and two motor vehicles. In addition, in the course of counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system, one D-30 howitzer, one 122mm Partizan artisanal MLRS, and one field ammunition depot of the 126th Territorial Defence Brigade near Shlyakhovoye (Kherson region). Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have struck one command and observation post of the 126th Territorial Defence Brigade near Berislav (Kherson region), one signal node of the 77th AFU Airmobile Brigade near Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as enemy manpower and military hardware in 109 areas. Air defence means have shot down one Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter near Kleshcheevka (Donetsk People's Republic). Three HARM anti-radar missiles and eight HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles have been intercepted. In addition, 15 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed close to Gorlovka and Stepnoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Kuzyomovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Samoilovka, Chervonogorka, Lyubimovka and Ocherevatoye (Zaporozhye region) and Kazachyi lageri (Kherson region). In total, 477 airplanes and 250 helicopters, 7,082 unmanned aerial vehicles, 438 air defence missile systems, 12,104 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,155 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,515 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,397 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Public should get COVID-19, flu vaccines by end of Oct: experts Global Times By Leng Shumei Published: Sep 24, 2023 09:15 PM In light of the double challenges of COVID-19 and influenza this fall and winter, Chinese doctors and medical experts have called for the public to get updated vaccines by the end of October. The suggestion came with the latest study by a research team led by Chinese infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong that revealed weakening neutralization against Omicron subvariants as the virus continues to evolve. Since late 2019, the novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly spread across the globe. Since November 2021, the Omicron strain has been the predominant variant of concern in most countries, noted an article published online by the Emerging Microbes & Infections journal on September 5. The Omicron variant has continued to mutate over the past few years and subvariants such as BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, BA.5 and BF.7, as well as the latest XBB.1.5, have swept the world, causing lots of deaths and huge economic losses, according to the article. "Compared with non-vaccination groups, breakthrough infection in two-dose vaccination groups had significantly higher neutralizing antibodies against WT, BA.2, BA.5, BF.7 but not to BQ.1.1, CH.1.1, XBB.1.5., while booster dose against the prototype virus prior-breakthrough would not further significantly enhance individual's humoral responses against the latest Omicron subvariants," the article revealed. Thus, it is necessary to keep evaluating risk population and the efficacy of existing vaccination strategies against the latest Omicron subvariants, the article concluded. Future vaccination strategies should aim to enhance effective neutralization for contemporary variants, the article stressed. In light of the double challenges of COVID-19 and influenza in this fall and winter, Zhuang Shilihe, a Guangzhou-based expert who closely follows the COVID-19 pandemic, recommended that the public be vaccinated against the dominant XBB. On June 8, Chinese health authorities approved emergency usage of a vaccine developed by WestVac Biopharma and West China Medical Center,Sichuan University. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world approved for emergency usage against the XBB lineages of SARS-CoV-2, according to the WestVac Biopharma. Zhuang predicted that more updated vaccines may get approved in China in the next few months. It will be better to get both COVID-19 and flu vaccines together by the end of October, Zhuang noted. As the 2023 National Day holidays next week will lead to an increase in people traveling across the country, some doctors and experts are predicting a low-level outbreak of COVID-19 and influenza following the period. Peng Jie, an expert from the Southern Medical University, told media that there have been growing reports of EG.5 subvarinat infections recently. But most of COVID-19 cases reported in clinics are secondary infections with mild symptoms. This is because EG.5 can be neutralized by antibodies from previous COVID-19 infections, Peng explained. As a whole the situation should remain controlable as long as the public get vaccinated in time and take proper prevention measures, experts noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Chinese central bank chief calls for end to 'hukou' red tape Yi Gang wants 'city-specific' measures including fewer barriers for those who move into urban centers to live. By Jenny Tang for RFA Mandarin 2023.09.23 -- A former governor of China's central bank has called on the country's leaders to relax "hukou" household registration rules to allow people to move into cities as the leaders struggle to boost a flagging property market and stimulate domestic consumption. Former People's Bank of China Gov. Yi Gang called in a Sept. 19 article published by a national political advisory body for policy measures to boost consumption, including pressing ahead with ongoing urbanization plans by cutting through the red tape that prevents people from easily moving to live and work in other cities. Noting that the post-zero-COVID recovery in China remains lackluster, Yi called for "city-specific policies" to boost demand for housing, including easier loan terms for residential landlords, and financial subsidies to cash-strapped local governments to enable them to buy up empty housing stock as affordable rented housing. "Some scholars have estimated that reform of the household registration system can boost consumption among migrant workers and new arrivals to a city by 23%," Yi wrote, in a reference to the "hukou" system that limits access to services like healthcare and schooling, as well as the right to buy property, to natives of a given area. The authorities have rolled out limited reforms to the system, which makes it hard for people to put down roots anywhere other than their hometown. In recent years, they have removed registration restrictions from all locations in the eastern province of Zhejiang except the provincial capital in July, and lifted hukou restrictions across the whole of Jiangxi and Shandong provinces in 2021. Abolishing barriers But other prominent commentators have taken it further. Beijing University of Science and Technology professor Hu Xingdou called in 2017 for an end to the hukou system, as the biggest, "first-tier" cities like Beijing and Shanghai attract far more wealth and resources than other areas, increasing inter-regional inequality. Yi, who still sits on the standing committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference that advises the government, appeared in his article to be cautiously agreeing with this approach, suggesting that many minds in the government system think that Beijing needs to do more to inject life into the economy. "It will be necessary to provide better protection for migrant workers in housing, medical care, children's education, social security and other aspects while working in cities," he wrote. "At the same time, we also need to pay attention to maintaining a certain degree of mobility of labor between urban and rural areas, between different cities, and between the east and west," he said, adding: "This is also a way to bake stability into the Chinese economy." Ren Liqian, who manages China investments at U.S.-based WisdomTree Asset Management, said via X that while she agrees with hukou reform, she was less sure whether it would boost consumption. "While the current reforms to the household registration system will have some economic benefits, they definitely won't pay huge economic dividends," Ren wrote. "This may not be good to hear, but I can afford to be honest because I'm not in charge." Beijing is under huge pressure to find ways to improve economic performance, U.S.-based economist Li Hengqing said. "Everyone from the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee to the State Council is feeling the pressure," Li said. "With the exception of [party leader] Xi Jinping, they all feel that poor economic performance is responsible for social unrest and growing public dissatisfaction." While the government wants to launch an all-out effort to boost the economy, it can no longer turn to massive spending on local infrastructure as a way to do this. "The central government's credit is very low right now, and there are a number of debts it is finding hard to repay both principal and interest on by maturity, so eventually bad debts will appear," Li said. "So that means that the cost of financing [a stimulus package] would be very high." Wider dissatisfaction? U.S.-based economist Zheng Xuguang said Yi's article hints at wider dissatisfaction with Xi Jinping's current policies among party elders. But he said Yi's suggestion was unlikely to have much of an impact in the face of dwindling exports and plummeting foreign business confidence. "Investors have been pessimistic about China's political situation and Sino-U.S. relations for a long time, which means there is no hope of a rebound in investor confidence or in consumption," Zheng said. "I think the party elders are likely unhappy, but Xi Jinping doesn't care very much ... they feel that they have to raise it, but party elders no longer have much of a say in politics," he said. Cong Liang, deputy director of China's National Development and Reform Commission, was resolutely upbeat during a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday, saying China has already survived two financial crises, and will bounce back again. "Positive factors in China's economy are accumulating, and naysayers will be disappointed yet again," Cong said in comments paraphrased by state news agency Xinhua. However, Cong also acknowledged that China's economy faces "a lot of difficulties and challenges." Li said the upbeat news conference would only widen the disconnect between what the government says and what people hear. "What [Cong] said flew in the face of people's actual experience, which means the government loses even more credibility," Li said. "After time, people will regard them negatively - so that if they say go east, then everyone else will look to the West." "Even if the government told the truth, people would still assume the opposite was true," he said. Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea calls Yoon an 'idiot' as S Korea deepens ties with US Rebuke comes after Yoon's UN warning and as ally China considers visit to the South By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA 2023.09.24 -- North Korea lambasted South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, calling him a "diplomatic idiot" on Monday, fueling tensions as Seoul fortifies its alliance with the United States against the North. The outburst also comes at a juncture where several nations are recalibrating their stance to safeguard their national interests revolving around the Korean peninsula. "No one in the world would lend an ear to the hysteric fit of puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol," North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said, calling the South Korean President a "political immature", "diplomatic idiot" and "incompetent chief executive". KCNA chastised Yoon for having "no elementary political knowledge and common sense of the international relations," saying South Korea has become a "servile trumpeter and loudspeaker for the U.S." The critique came after Yoon issued a fresh warning to North Korea and Russia in an address to the U.N. General Assembly last week, declaring that Seoul and its allies would respond collectively should the two authoritarian states pursue military cooperation. Yoon said that Seoul, and its allies "would not just stand idly by," if the two pushed ahead with their "illegal" cooperation. Russia's President Vladimir Putin offered to aid North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in perfecting his "satellite" technology during their meeting in the Russian far east earlier this month. Russia's transfer of relevant technology may pose a threat to the international community as rocket technologies can be used for both launching satellites and missiles. For that reason, the U.N. bans North Korea from launching a ballistic rocket, even if it claims to be a satellite launch. North Korea on Monday also defended its cooperation with Russia as it berated Yoon. "A trash-like head cannot understand the profound and enormous meaning of the development of the DPRK-Russia friendly relations," KCNA said, referring to North Korea by its formal name. "Puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol is a wrecker and disturber of the regional situation," it added. China's Xi may visit Seoul North Korea's emotionally-charged rebuke came as the leader of its traditional ally China, Xi Jinping met South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Hangzhou on Saturday. In the meeting, Xi told Han that he would "seriously consider" visiting South Korea, according to the Prime Minister's office of South Korea. Beijing is caught between improving relations with its authoritarian neighbors, and the democratic world. A move to strengthen political and military ties with North Korea and Russia could solidify its security in the wake of its rivalry against the U.S. But it could just as well jeopardize efforts to maintain relations with the U.S. and its allies, especially on the economic front, where access to international markets and foreign investment is crucial to arrest a further deterioration of its economy. Russia, simultaneously, is also aiming to hedge its political risks. Moscow is expected to send its Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Rudenko later this week to South Korea, where he is expected to discuss Kim Jong Un's recent trip to Russia with Seoul. The Russian official's visit could be seen as a diplomatic balancing act as Moscow attempts to maintain a stable relationship with South Korea while fostering ties with the North, to mitigate any potential fallout amid shifting dynamics in the Korean Peninsula. The recent Russia-North Korea summit has sparked a diplomatic skirmish among nations surrounding the Korean Peninsula, said Wang Son-taek, director of the Global Policy Center at the Han Pyeong Peace Institute. With both North Korea and Russia seemingly orchestrating a new cold war, a rigorous diplomatic engagement has ensued among the relevant nations, he noted. "China, rather than overtly partaking in the Moscow-Pyongyang camaraderie, is likely to maintain discreet cooperation towards the alliance, while exploring avenues of coexistence with the U.S. and its allies. To this end, easing relations with the ROK may help, as a scenario in which the ROK and Japan adopting a staunch anti-China policy stance would be highly unfavorable," Wang said, referring to South Korea by its formal name. But Wang pointed out that even though Russia needed North Korea's ammunition, it is treading cautiously in its relations with the South, as severing ties with Seoul "may constrict its diplomatic leverage." "Nonetheless, the forthcoming visit by Deputy Minister Rudenko may present a dichotomy. It could also serve as a diplomatic tactic to pin the blame on the ROK and the U.S., should relations with Russia sour, or potentially to hold the allies accountable for escalating tensions." "It appears that a vehement diplomatic contest is in full swing, with every nation striving to optimize its interests amidst the unfolding geopolitical game." Yoon, who is a conservative, has been seeking to align Seoul's foreign policy stance with the U.S. to counter global challenges including North Korea's nuclear ambitions. To that end, Yoon has focused on strengthening its military and economic cooperation with Washington and Tokyo. South Koreans are largely divided on Yoon's policy, with its conservatives welcoming the approach, as they see the alignment could effectively foster the denuclearization of North Korea. On the other hand, its progressives argue that such an approach exacerbates tensions on the Korean Peninsula, stressing that diplomatic resolutions can only be achieved through dialogue and negotiations. Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address VISIT OF ADM R HARI KUMAR, CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF, TO USA India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 24 SEP 2023 12:56PM by PIB Delhi Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) attended the 25th International Seapower Symposium (ISS) in the United States from 19 - 22 Sep 23. ISS is conducted by the US Navy at US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island and provides the opportunity to engage with the FFCs towards the shared vision of enhancing maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The CNS also held bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the ISS with his counterparts from various countries including the USA, Australia, Egypt, Fiji, Israel, Italy Japan, Kenya, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore & UK. The extensive engagements during the visit are a demonstration of the Indian Navy's steadfastness towards realising the vision for a Free Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific and International Rules-Based Order. During the visit extensive deliberations were also held towards exploring greater IN-USN operational engagements at bilateral and multilateral exercises such as the Malabar, RIMPAC, Sea Dragon and Tiger Triumph. Regular Subject Matter Expert exchange also takes place between both the Navies to institutionalise interoperability in various fields. At the ISS the CNS spoke extensively about the challenges of Human Resource Management, with specific reference to recruitment and retention of trained personnel and India's initiatives towards addressing these through the Agnipath Scheme, empowering women and driving the Indian Navy into a gender-neutral force. The visit of the CNS to the US provided a significant opportunity for Apex Level Navy to Navy engagements for deepening bilateral cooperation as well as engaging with diverse partners across the Indo-Pacific. ********** VM/PS (Release ID: 1960082) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's regional policy based on constructive interaction: FM IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 25, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that Iran's regional policy is firmly based on constructive interaction and cooperation. In a post on social media on Sunday, Amirabdollahian pointed out that geography, neighborly policies, religion and history are among the factors that can bind regional countries together to ensure their collective security, economic interests and prosperity. "Iran's regional policy is based on constructive interaction and cooperation," he asserted. 4353**9417 Amirabdollahian meets UN chief in New York IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 24, 2023 New York, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York. During the meeting, which took place at Guterres's office on Saturday evening, Amirabdolahian informed the UN chief about the good progress achieved in Iran's relations with its neighbors as well as some Arab and Islamic countries. He also referred to the recent exchange of prisoners between Iran and the US and the release of the former's frozen assets in South Korea, saying Tehran is in contact with Washington to revive the nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The exchange of messages with the US is ongoing, and the plan of the Sultan of Oman is still on the table; if the other parties are ready, we are serious about returning to the JCPOA so that all parties return to their commitments in the JCPOA within the framework of the Oman initiative, he said. The chief Iranian diplomat also pointed to Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying that whenever the IAEA acts within the technical framework, things move in the right direction. But things go awry when others prioritize their political views over the agency's professional affairs, he hastened to add. Amirabdollahian also reiterated that nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's doctrine. Guterres, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with the meeting and thanked Amirabdollahian for sharing the points and for his diplomatic initiatives in resolving problems, removing obstacles, and improving relations with countries. 4354**9417 Agreement on revival of nuclear deal "within reach" if U.S. quits "contradictory behaviors": Iranian FM People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:17, September 24, 2023 TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that an agreement on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will be "within reach" if the United States stops its "contradictory behaviors," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday. Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks to reporters on Friday in New York while elaborating on his meetings on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said the report. "We believe that, in view of the prisoner swap conducted between Iran and the U.S. earlier this week, if the American side quits its contradictory behaviors and shows its real intention, achieving an agreement for all parties' return to the JCPOA and the removal of sanctions on Tehran will not be out of reach," the report quoted the minister as saying. Amir-Abdollahian noted that he met with members of an American think tank and a number of former U.S. officials in New York to explicitly discuss bilateral issues, one of which was the "wrong" approach of the U.S. toward Iran and the JCPOA. Iran and the U.S. conducted a prisoner swap on Monday, with each side releasing five detainees under a Qatar-brokered agreement. Also on Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran is open to indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. on the sidelines of the UNGA, which had seen the attendance of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, leading a high-ranking delegation. Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The U.S., however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal. The talks on the revival of the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raeisi: 60% uranium enrichment came after Europeans 'trampled on JCPOA commitments' Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 6:50 PM President Ebrahim Raeisi says Iran's uranium enrichment to the purity level of 60% was in response to the lack of commitment by the European parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement. Raeisi made the statement in an interview with the CNN's Fareed Zakaria on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. "In the beginning, we were not seeking 60% levels of enrichment. They (European states) trampled upon their commitments," the Iranian president said. "What the Islamic Republic of Iran did was in response to a breaking of commitment of the signatories to the (2015) agreement." Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami announced in June that enriching uranium to the said purity level was in accordance with a December 2020 parliamentary law - the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions. The law was passed with the purpose of removing anti-Iran sanctions as well as the production of radiopharmaceuticals and detectors, among other aims. Earlier in the month, Reuters cited a confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) claiming that Iran's stockpile of 60% enriched uranium continued to grow, albeit at a slower pace than in the previous quarter. In the interview, Raeisi categorically rejected the country's enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade levels, saying, "It was officially announced that the action that we intend to take is not intended to reach nuclear weapons of any type or a military dimension of any type, but it is... a response for the lack of commitment demonstrated by the Europeans." He also reiterated Tehran's long-standing conviction that the Islamic Republic does not plan to acquire a nuclear bomb. The United States, under former President Donald Trump, abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018 and reinstated crippling sanctions that the agreement had lifted. The talks to revive the 2015 deal kicked off in Vienna in April 2021, with the intention of removing anti-Iran sanctions and examining Washington's seriousness in rejoining the JCPOA. The discussions, however, have been at a standstill since August 2022 due to Washington's refusal to remove all the sanctions imposed by the previous US administration. The European Union, which acts as the coordinator of the talks, forwarded at the time a new proposal to the Islamic Republic in order to break the impasse. Iran submitted its response to the draft proposal on August 15, 2022, a week after the latest round of talks wrapped up in Vienna. After submitting its response to the EU proposal, Tehran urged Washington to show "realism and flexibility" in order to reach an agreement. However, it took almost ten days for the administration of President Joe Biden to submit its response to Iran's comments on the EU draft. Iran blamed the failure of the JCPOA's revival on the procrastination of the American side in providing an answer and said moving to the next stage would have been possible had the US government shown serious willpower and acted responsibly in its promises. Israeli normalization deals will fail In the interview with CNN, Raeisi said the US-mediated efforts to normalize Israeli relations with Persian Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, "will see no success." President Biden declared on July 28 that a deal for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations may be on the horizon following National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan's talks with Saudi officials in Jeddah. In order to sign a deal with Israel, Riyadh publicly asked Tel Aviv to implement the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative to establish a Palestinian state first. However, members of the Israeli cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say they will not make any concession to the Palestinians as part of a potential deal for normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia. Under the Abraham Accords, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco signed US-brokered normalization deals with the Israeli regime in late 2020. Palestinians have denounced the deals as a "betrayal" of their cause. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran 'first' defense power in West Asia: Military official Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 3:09 PM A senior Iranian military official has highlighted the country's great defense capabilities and combat readiness in West Asia, saying the Islamic Republic is the "first" defense power in the strategic region. Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, the spokesman for Iran's Defense Ministry, made the statement in a ceremony held to commemorate the martyrs of the 1980s Iraqi imposed war on Iran in the western province of Hamedan on Sunday. "Today, Iran is the region's prime power in defense," Talaei-Nik said. "We were all by ourselves before the war, but today they say no equation in the region can be balanced without Iran; this is the defensive power that has been achieved." Pointing to various threats posed against the Islamic Republic, the Defense Ministry spokesperson said Iran is in possession of precision strike missiles that are named after top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who was martyred by the US military in January 2020, and capable of hitting Israel. "Today, we have missiles at our disposal that we have named 'Israel-striker' missiles," Talaei-Nik said. "We have Israel-striker missiles; Martyr Haj Qassem missile is a missile capable of striking Israel." The Iranian Defense Ministry previously announced that Martyr Haj Qassem missile is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 1,400 kilometers. The sophisticated missile weighs more than seven tons and is 11 meters long, with a 500-kg warhead. "With a speed 12 times greater than that of sound while entering the atmosphere, the missile is able to pass through any missile defense system and destroy the target owing to its high accuracy and powerful warhead," the Defense Ministry said. In a recent interview, Talaei-Nik said Iran is among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of defense industry technology. The Defense Ministry spokesman added that Iran was able, in 45 years, to "transform from an importer of weapons to a country that manufactures about 90% of its military needs." Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient. Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran foils major bombing plot in Tehran, arrests 28 Daesh-linked terrorists Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 1:30 PM Iran has nipped in the bud a major plot to carry out 30 simultaneous bomb attacks at populous areas of the capital Tehran, arresting 28 operatives affiliated with the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. In a statement on Sunday, the Intelligence Ministry said its forces conducted operations in a time span of several days in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz and West Azarbaijan. Bases used by the terrorists were detected and all the Daesh-linked agents involved in the plot were arrested. "These elements are affiliated with Daesh and a number of them have a history of cooperating with Takfiri groups in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Kurdistan region of Iraq," the ministry said. The modus operandi employed by the terror teams, the ministry said, was by far more complex than that used by ordinary Takfiri groups and it remarkably conforms to the patterns practiced by the Israeli regime. The ministry said the seized equipment includes a considerable amount of explosives and ready bombs, a package of 100 explosive primers and electronic devices used in time bombs, 17 US-made handguns and bullets, as well as diverse smart and satellite telecommunication devices, military outfits, and suicide vests. The ministry affirmed that the plot of terror had been designed to coincide with the anniversary of last year's riots in Iran. Daesh has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Iran, including one targeting the Parliament and another the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in 2017. The terrorist group also claimed two terrorist attacks on the Shah Cheragh shrine in the southern city of Shiraz in August 2023 and October 2022. The riots in Iran erupted after the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. In mid-September 2022, Amini fainted at a police station in Tehran and was later died at the hospital. An official report by Iran's Legal Medicine Organization concluded that Amini's death was caused by illness rather than alleged blows to the head or other vital body organs. Iran's intelligence community said several countries, including the United States and Britain, used their spy and propaganda apparatuses to provoke the violent riots. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jordan resolved to open new page in bilateral ties with Iran: FM Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 10:30 AM Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi said his country welcomes the enhancement of relations with Iran to tackle regional challenges both Tehran and Amman face. Safadi made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday "We want good and brotherly relations between the two countries, and are determined to open up a new page in our relationship with Iran," he said. "We both face many challenges in the [West Asia] region, which cannot be addressed except through cooperation. Our bilateral relations must reflect historical, fraternal bonds that exist between the two nations," he added. Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, expressed Tehran's readiness to improve relations and increase the level of cooperation with Amman, pointing to abundant opportunities for bilateral and regional collaboration. "The positive atmosphere in the region as well as warming relations between Iran and Arab countries will hopefully boost ties between Iran and Jordan to serve their mutual interests," he said. Amir-Abdollahian also commended Jordan's remarkable efforts to defend sacred Islamic and Christian sites across the occupied Palestinian territories in the face of Israeli acts of aggression and lauded the Arab country's unwavering support for the Palestinian nation and the holy city of al-Quds. Jordan's Hashemite ruling family has been the sole custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in East al-Quds, including the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount, since 1924. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran says serious about returning to JCPOA if other sides ready Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 9:27 AM Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has expressed Iran's preparedness to return to full compliance with its commitments to the 2015 nuclear agreement if the other parties to the US-abandoned deal are also ready to do so. During a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN Headquarters in New York on Saturday, Amir-Abdollahian highlighted Iran's recent prisoners' exchange with the US and the release of billions of Iranian assets illegally frozen in South Korea. "The exchange of messages continues with the US and the initiative by the Sultan of Oman is still on the table. If the other parties are ready, we are serious about returning to the JCPOA so that all sides return to their obligations within the framework of Oman's initiative," he said, referring to the accord by the acronym of its official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The top Iranian diplomat also emphasized that the Islamic Republic has always had good consultations with the UN chief regarding the JCPOA. Former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018, imposing severe economic sanctions against Tehran while Iran was adhering to its commitments under the deal and even continued to do so for a year after the US withdrawal. Tehran scaled back its commitments to the JCPOA in a series of pre-announced and clear steps after witnessing the other parties' failure to secure its interest under the agreement. The talks aimed at reviving the agreement have been on pause since August 2022, with Iran blaming a lack of political will on the part of US President Joe Biden's administration to undo the damage caused to the multilateral accord by the previous US administration. 'Iran not after nuclear bombs' Touching on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, Amir-Abdollahian asserted that atomic bombs have no place in Iran's defense doctrine. "Whenever the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) operates within a technical framework, things move in the right direction. However, things go awry whenever others prioritize their own political agendas over the agency's professional affairs," he added. 'Iran committed to all countries' territorial integrity' The foreign minister further referred to the Ukraine crisis, saying that Iran abides by the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine. Guterres, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with the meeting. He also thanked Amid-Abdollahian for his diplomatic initiatives meant to resolve problems and remove obstacles in relations between countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No one takes Netanyahu's empty threats seriously: Iran FM Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 6:43 AM The Iranian foreign minister says no one takes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's baseless anti-Iran accusations and threats seriously as the occupying regime is in its "weakest state" amid internal crises. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's remarks came on Sunday, two days after Netanyahu called for a "credible nuclear threat" against Iran in an address to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. However, the hawkish premier's office later clarified that he misread the line and meant to say a "credible military threat." Amir-Abdollahian said that Tel Aviv is only capable of issuing threats but not acting upon them. "Firstly, Netanyahu and the fake Israeli regime are only capable of making threats against the Islamic Republic. That is, if they were able to do something, they would not resort to such rhetoric. Today, they (the Israelis) are grappling with multi-layered crises inside the occupied territories," he added. "Secondly, the prime minister of a fake and occupying regime uses the language of threats from the UN podium disrespecting the world body rules; a fact that shows the Zionist regime is taking advantage of international tools." The top Iranian diplomat also noted that some officials from different countries, who had attended the General Assembly meeting, referred to Netanyahu's behavior as a joke. "The Zionists, who are themselves in possession of hundreds of nuclear warheads, brazenly continue their threatening programs," he added. "But basically, the fake Israeli regime is not in a position where people take its words and threats seriously. The Zionists are today in their weakest state." Israel, which pursues a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its nuclear weapons, is estimated to have 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, making it the Middle East's sole possessor of non-conventional arms. The usurping entity has, however, refused to either allow inspections of its military nuclear facilities or sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). On the contrary, Iran has long been cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a signatory to the NPT. Iran showed the world the peaceful nature of its nuclear program by signing the 2015 nuclear agreement with six world powers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Amirabdollahian wraps up 7-day intensive talks in New York IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 25, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian left the US for Iran after intensive diplomatic consultations on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Amirabdollahian who accompanied Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi last Monday to participate in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, remained in the United States after the departure of the President and engaged in bilateral consultations. continued regional and international. Iran's foreign minister had about 43 plans, 34 of which were meetings with counterparts and some officials, including a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who, in part of the talks, discussed the initiative and proposal of the Iranian president regarding the necessity of solidarity of the families. In a meeting with other officials and parties, Iran's foreign minister talked about some of the existing global and regional challenges and consulted with the foreign ministers of countries about pursuing bilateral issues and agreements that are on the agenda between Tehran and the opposite country. Amirabdollahian finally left New York after seven days of intensive diplomatic consultations on Sunday evening local time to follow the results of these consultations in Tehran and travel to other countries. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran never pursuing nuclear weapons: President Raisi IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 25, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has fully dismissed the Western states claim that Iran intends to build nuclear weapons, and said that the high-level enrichment was a response to the westerners reneging on their promises. In an interview with the CNN, the Iranian defended his country's enrichment of uranium to 60 percent purity level, and said it was a response to the European states not living up to their end of the 2015 nuclear agreement. Raisi categorically dismissed Iran's enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade levels, and said, "It was officially announced that the action that we intend to take is not intended to reach nuclear weapons of any type or a military dimension of any type, but it is... a response for the lack of commitment demonstrated by the Europeans." He also reiterated Tehran's long-standing conviction that the Islamic Republic does not plan to acquire a nuclear bomb. Iran announced that it was enriching uranium to 60% in 2021, following an attack on its above-ground nuclear facility in Natanz, which Tehran blamed on Israeli regime, according to the American media outlet. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Russia nuclear chiefs meet in Vienna IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Sep 25, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami, who is in Vienna to participate in the annual meeting of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), met Head of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 67th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, which has yet to be held in the Austrian capital. Eslami and Likhachev held constructive talks on the development of cooperation and bilateral relations, as well as nuclear interactions between the two countries. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi FM calls for independent Palestinian state, censures 'blatant violations' by Israel Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 7:10 PM The Saudi foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, in his speech at the UN General Assembly, has called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and demanded an end to relentless violations of international law by the Israeli regime. The top Saudi diplomat stressed in a speech to the 78th session of the General Assembly in New York that there can be no durable peace and stability in the Middle East until a just solution to the Palestinian plight is found. "The stability of the region rests on a just and comprehensive solution for the Palestinian cause," he said, and "the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East al-Quds as its capital." Bin Farhan said that his country, "rejects and condemns all the unilateral steps that constitute a blatant violation of international laws and which contribute to the collapse of regional and international peace efforts and are hindering the path of diplomatic solutions." The UN speech comes amid growing speculations over a potential US-mediated normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel Palestinian issue still very important to Saudi Arabia: MBS In an interview with right-wing US media channel, Fox News on Wednesday, Crown Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said the Palestinian issue still remains very important to Saudi Arabia. Bin Salman told Fox's Special Report program that the Palestinian issue was "very important" to Riyadh. "We need to solve that part," he said when asked what it would take to get a normalization deal. Riyadh has reportedly demanded Israeli concessions to Palestinians that nevertheless fall short of giving them an independent state. US President Joe Biden's administration in recent months has pressed ahead with an effort to broker a Saudi-Israeli deal. Saudi Arabia has reportedly informed the United States of its decision to suspend all negotiations on normalizing ties with Israel due to the far-right Israeli cabinet's unwillingness to make any concessions to the Palestinians. The London-based Elaph online newspaper, citing an Israeli official, reported last Sunday that Washington had informed Tel Aviv of Riyadh's stance that the "extremist" nature of the occupying regime led by Netanyahu is "torpedoing any possibility of rapprochement with the Palestinians, and therefore with the Saudis." On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed recent so-called "normalization" deals between Israel and Arab states, claiming that Palestinians must not have a "veto" over such agreements. The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas recently slammed Israel's push for normalization with Arab countries for increased raids into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Israeli settler incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque and violence against Palestinians have been on the rise since the hardline cabinet of Netanyahu took office last December. Omani FM stresses Palestinian statehood Oman's foreign minister has told the UN that the UN has a "moral duty" to resolve the Palestine issue through a two-state solution. Sayyid Badr Albusaidi made remarks while speaking at the 78th UN General Assembly in New York City on Saturday. The minister described the Palestinian issue as "an injustice which has lasted more than 70 years." "The Palestinian people, however, stand firm in their conviction and determination vis-a-vis the brutal Israeli occupation, the embargo and abuses and violation of international law, and Security Council resolutions," the top diplomat said. Oman's belief in justice, equity and respect for the UN Charter means that "like all peaceful nations," the country sees no other solution to the Palestine question than the two-state solution, Albusaidi noted. He appealed to all countries to "stay attached" to the UN system in settling disputes and resolving conflict, adding that the UN has a duty "to put an end to the painful suffering of the Palestinian people." This can only happen through Israel's withdrawal from the June 1967 borders and the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East al-Quds as its capital, Albusaidi said. Senior Palestinian officials from the Palestinian Authority have urged the international community to recognize an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East al-Quds as its capital and demanded all-out support for its full membership in the United Nations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently told the UN General Assembly that Middle East peace will not be achievable until the Palestinians are granted full rights. "Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full, legitimate national rights would be mistaken," Abbas told the UN's annual gathering on Thursday. Palestine applied for full UN membership in 2011 but failed to get the necessary support in the UN Security Council, which is dominated by the US-led Western states, Israel's key backers. Observers say the so-called two-state initiative is fading and being violated systematically by Israel and its Western allies, and it has become fairly difficult to implement it. In June, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said statements by Netanyahu regarding the occupying regime's plans to eliminate the Palestinian people's aspirations for an independent state confirm Israel's "fascist" nature. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon approves $500m military sale to Saudi Arabia Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 7:47 AM The Pentagon has authorized a potential arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $500 million in order to help the kingdom sustain its arsenal of armored vehicles with spare parts and maintenance, according to the US State Department. "The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement (CLSSA) Program, Foreign Military Sales Order (FMSO) II, and related equipment for an estimated cost of $500 million," US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced in a statement on Thursday. Under the CLSSA Agreement, the Pentagon will deliver spares and parts for vehicles to the Kingdom, including its fleet of Abrams tanks, M-60 tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, Mine Resistance Ambush Protected vehicles, Light Armored Vehicles, howitzers, among a diverse range of military equipment, the statement said. Other equipment covered includes TOW missile launchers, radar systems and communications equipment and other related elements of logistics and program support, according to the DSCA. "This proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by supporting a strategic partner's self-defense and promoting stability in [West Asia]" and will "maintain Saudi Arabia's capability to meet current and future threats by allowing the Royal Saudi Land Force (RSLF) to continue to purchase needed spare/repair parts through their current CLSSA program," the statement said. The RSLF has participated in the CLSSA program since 1965. Any military pact with the kingdom would require support from two-thirds of the 100-person US Senate, which seems to be a tall order as the legislative body is torn evenly between the two major American political parties. However, the previous $500 million military support was granted when relations between Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and President Joe Biden were tense. The package comes on the back of continued negotiations over a potential normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and the Israeli regime, mediated by the US. Israel is "at the cusp" of establishing formal diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia by finalizing a US-brokered breakthrough peace agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday. "Peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia will truly create a new Middle East," he said. The deal is aimed in part at restoring US credibility as a broker in the region, pushing back Chinese influence, but there are a number of obstacles to such a complex agreement coming to fruition. One of the three main components of the deal is security guarantees demanded by Saudi Arabia from the US as well as more advanced US weapons systems. The other two are civilian nuclear technology and an end to Israel's occupation of Palestine. In order to sign a deal with Israel, Riyadh publicly asked Tel Aviv to implement the 2002 so-called Arab Peace Initiative to establish a Palestinian state first. However, members of the far-right Israeli regime, led by Netanyahu, say they will not make any concession to the Palestinians as part of a potential deal for normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, Mohammed bin Salman also confirmed that the kingdom is "getting closer" every day to normalizing ties with Israel. However, he added that the progress of the agreement would depend on how Israel would deal with Palestinians. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan made it clear that the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel until Palestinians are granted statehood. The UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel in 2020, drawing condemnations from Palestinians who slammed the deals as "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security of Middle East Requires Solution to Palestinian Issue - Saudi Foreign Minister Sputnik News 20230924 CAIRO (Sputnik) - Security in the Middle East requires a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian problem, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Saturday. "Security in the Middle East requires an acceleration in the search for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian problem based on international law and the Arab peace initiative, guaranteeing the right of the Palestinian people to create an independent state within the 1967 borders," the Saudi minister said at the UN General Assembly, adding that his country rejects any actions that impede the resolution of the Palestinian issue. Bin Farhan Al Saud also noted the need for de-escalation in Sudan, called for a solution to the Syrian crisis and declared the country's interest in security and stability in Yemen. In addition, the minister said that Riyadh is striving to stabilize energy prices. On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud said that the country is "getting closer every day" to normalizing relations with Israel. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is on the verge of a historic peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, which will change the face of the Middle East. Relations between Palestine and Israel have been adversarial since the latter's founding in 1948. Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and continues to build settlements in the occupied areas despite objections from the United Nations. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian, Russian, Turkish FMs, UN envoy discuss Syrian situation People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:13, September 24, 2023 TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian foreign minister said he had discussed with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, as well as the United Nations (UN) envoy, the latest situation in Syria in New York, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported Saturday. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks to reporters in New York on Friday, while elaborating on his meeting earlier in the day with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, said the report. The meeting was held within the framework of the Astana process, which was launched in 2017 at the initiative of Iran, Russia and TArkiye. The minister said the meeting highlighted economic problems, Western sanctions and terrorism as fundamental challenges in Syria. He added that it also voiced concern over the humanitarian situation in Syria and reiterated that the unilateral sanctions against the country, which violate international and humanitarian law and the UN Charter, should be fully lifted. Amir-Abdollahian said the meeting highlighted the international community's responsibility to reduce the Syrian people's suffering, urging the UN to mull a plan and provide financial support for creating the necessary infrastructure for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. The Iranian top diplomat noted that solutions were also proposed at the meeting to reduce misunderstandings and settle border problems between Syria and TArkiye. During the meeting, the Turkish and Russian foreign ministers and the UN envoy also stated their views on helping resolve Syria's problems, according to IRNA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Violence, Human Rights Violations Risk Future Stability of Syria By Lisa Schlein September 24, 2023 United Nations investigators say that human rights violations and abuse in Syria are sowing the seeds for further violence and radicalization, despite diplomatic efforts to stabilize the situation in the country, including through its re-admission to the League of Arab States. The three-member Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria presented this bleak outlook Friday to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Reacting to the commission assessment, a majority of the 42 countries in the meeting expressed deep concern about continuing alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes by the Syrian regime. "Nearly 12 years in, the parties to this conflict continue to perpetrate war crimes and to violate basic human rights," Paulo Pinheiro, commission chair told the council. "Today, Syrian youth are fleeing the country in droves, leaving behind a fragmented state, a crippled economy and destroyed homes," he said. "They no long feel they have a future in their own country." The U.N. estimates that more than 300,000 civilians have been killed since 2011 and over 12 million forced from their homesa6.8 million within Syria and 5.4 million as refugees in neighboring countries. During the first half of this year, with the war continuing, "Syrians continued to be killed, disappeared, tortured, arbitrarily detained, displaced and dispossessed," said Pinheiro, "not only by the state but also by the three other main actors controlling a third of its territory." This is reference to the U.N.-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahriri Al-Sham, the opposition Syrian National Army, and the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria. Additionally, the report documents attacks by Syrian forces and five foreign armies still operating in the country, including Russian air forces, Israeli forces, and Turkish-backed militias. Pinheiro said "escalating unrest and fighting along multiple front lines, a near collapse of the economy, and persistent human rights violations and abuses" make it unsafe for Syrian refugees to return to their country. The commission said some refugees who have returned to Syria have been detained and ill-treated by Syrian security forces or criminal gangs. It says some have been blackmailed for their release, others have been handed over to security services, and in some cases, people, including children, went missing. In its report, the investigators criticized the countries' reluctance to repatriate their nationals being detained in the Al Hawl and Al Rawj camps by the U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. "Their living conditions amount to cruel and inhuman treatment and outrages on personal dignity for an estimated 50,000 people, mainly women and children," Pinheiro said. He said 14 countries have repatriated more than 2,200 foreigners from these camps since the beginning of this year, including more than 1,800 Iraqis. "Such efforts are absolutely critical," he said. "We have long stated that the only human rights compliant solution for foreign nationals in the northeast is repatriations." Syria's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Haydar Ali Ahmad, rejected the commission's report as biased and replete with contradictory and false information "which was shameful from a professional perspective." He described the commission as "a mere tool of incitement against the Syrian Government" and called for the withdrawal "of the occupying American and Turkish forces" as the only way to improve the situation. He said this would "allow the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the lifting of all illegally imposed unilateral coercive measures on the country." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 3 more diplomatic allies speak for Taiwan's U.N. inclusion at 78th assembly ROC Central News Agency 09/24/2023 11:48 AM New York, Sept. 23 (CNA) Three more diplomatic allies of the Republic of China (ROC), the official name of Taiwan, have spoken up to advocate for the country's inclusion in the United Nations system, during Saturday's General Debate at the 78th General Assembly in New York. Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves and Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Terrance Drew, together with Foreign Minister of Belize Eamon Courtenay all made a similar appeal in their respective addresses on Saturday. This means that 11 of the Republic of China's 13 diplomatic allies have voiced their support for allowing Taiwan to participate in the U.N. system during this year's General Assembly. In his Saturday address, Gonsalves said it is "long overdue" for the Republic of China (Taiwan) to be brought in "from the diplomatic cold," referring to the ROC's exclusion from the U.N. system since 1971, when the People's Republic of China (PRC) took its seat as the "only lawful representative of China." Gonsalves said Taiwan's quest for participation in relevant U.N. specialized agencies "is reasonable, and ought to be accommodated." "Repeatedly, Taiwan has shown itself to be a responsible member of the international community," he said. He added: "Peace across the Taiwan Strait is an imperative for the prosperity and the security of the world." Drew mentioned in his speech that Taiwan has "proven itself to be a reliable development partner, which greatly contributes to collective efforts to address the pressing global issues of today." "It is our firm belief that Taiwan should be able to make its contribution to the work and budget of multilateral institutions, such as the United Nations and the World Health Assembly, in furtherance of the common global goals, and it is a hope that the right of its 23 million people to adequate representation can be realized," the St. Kitts and Nevis leader said. Drew also called for peace in the Taiwan Strait "as war would result in severe consequences for all of us." Belizean Foreign Minister Courtenay said the continued exclusion of Taiwan from the international community is "inconsistent with the realities of today's world." "Taiwan is a vibrant, democratic country with the willingness and capacity to contribute to addressing global challenges. Belize calls for Taiwan's full inclusion in the international system," he added. Meanwhile, the Holy See is scheduled to speak on Monday. Being Taiwan's only ally in Europe, it is not a member of the U.N., but an observer, and rarely speaks on political issues during U.N. meetings. Ariel Henry, prime minister of Taiwan's Caribbean ally Haiti, focused on the continuing unrest in his country in his address to the world governing body Friday and did not touch on Taiwan this year. He appealed for international support to combat rampant gang violence -- one element of the multi-dimensional crisis currently affecting the Caribbean nation. (By Ozzy Yin and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA ground forces exercise deters Taiwan secessionists as long-range rockets, missiles, amphibious troops join 'unusual' drills around island Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Sep 24, 2023 10:20 PM The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly conducted a ground exercise on the mainland side of the Taiwan Straits on Sunday, as the defense authority on the island of Taiwan became aware of the participation of long-range rockets, conventional missiles and amphibious troops in the PLA drills around the island in addition to previously detected aircraft and vessels. The intense PLA exercises over the past two weeks, which featured a record-breaking numbers of vessels and aircraft as well as new training methods that featured an aircraft carrier group, sends a stern warning to "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces, experts said. On Sunday morning, armed forces on the island of Taiwan detected PLA military drills at Dacheng Bay located in Dongshan Island in East China's Fujian Province featuring undisclosed numbers of aircraft, vessels and ground troops, the defense authority on the island said in a press release on the day. Dacheng Bay is a PLA amphibious landing training site that faces the island of Taiwan from the mainland side, according to media reports on the island. The defense authority on the island of Taiwan has been reporting daily PLA aircraft and vessel activities over the past few years, but only started reporting PLA ground activities on Thursday, when it said for the first time that it had spotted the PLA Army's long-range rocket artilleries, Rocket Force missiles and ground activities around Dacheng Bay. Analysts on the island speculated that the exercise could feature amphibious landing training and follow-up tactical maneuvers. Chiu Kuo-cheng, the leader of defense authority on the island, said on Friday that the recent movements by the PLA are "highly unusual," media reported. September saw the PLA break the record for the number of daily aircraft sorties and vessel activities around the island of Taiwan, as the island spotted 103 PLA warplanes on September 17 and 20 PLA warships on September 11. Also in mid-September, the Shandong aircraft carrier group held a five-day exercise in West Pacific waters to the east of the island, joined by another group of eight PLA warships. During the exercises, the aircraft carrier Shandong formed a group with vessels from the PLA Southern Theater Command and played as a blue team, while other warships and Air Force units from the PLA Eastern Theater Command played as a defensive red team, Chiu said. Previous far-sea exercises by PLA aircraft carriers often lasted for about a month and did not feature as many warships, so the latest drill likely featured new tactics or a new form of training, observers noted. The PLA has not announced the exercises or their details as of press time, but Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on August 31 that there is no need for the PLA to pre-announce countermeasures against collusions between the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external forces. The new developments in the PLA drills around the island of Taiwan display the increasing level of the PLA's combat readiness and its capability in controlling the situation in the Taiwan Straits, a Chinese mainland military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday. They also serve as warnings and deterrence against the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and external interference forces, the expert said. Experts also warned of US involvement in the recent information releases on PLA activities. The US likely provided intelligence to the armed forces on the island of Taiwan, so the latter learned more about PLA ground deployments and activities, Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday. While such intelligence sharing does not pose an immediate threat to the PLA, it serves to hype the "China military threat" theory and incite the island of Taiwan to purchase more long-range guided weapons that turn the island to a powder keg, Song said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia says inflicted heavy damage on Ukrainian forces Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 10:09 AM Russia's defense ministry has said that its military inflicted heavy damage on Kiev forces, killing a multitude of enemy forces while destroying their tanks, armored battle vehicles, drones and munitions depots. The Russian Defense Ministry told TASS news agency on Sunday Southern Military District chopper took out more than two dozen Ukrainian troops in the Zaporozhye area. "Reconnaissance revealed a buildup and transfer of additional enemy personnel in one of the wooded areas, up to 30 people. The task was set to destroy the identified target with unguided [aerial] missiles. From time to time, along with personnel, we also hit lightly armored vehicles, pickup trucks ... and infantry fighting vehicles," a military pilot, identified by his call name Spartak, said in a video obtained by TASS. The Russian Defense Ministry added that the Southern Military District's aircraft continue to carry out missions to "destroy the enemy's personnel and armored vehicles," and disrupt Ukrainian attempts to attack Russian positions in the Zaporozhye area. Multiple combat sorties by Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters of Russia's Southern Military District targeted Ukrainian fortifications and armored military vehicles, the ministry said, adding that Russian pilots approached the combat area at extremely low altitudes and skirted the terrain, which allowed the aircraft to avoid detection by Ukrainian air defenses. On another front, Russia's battlegroup South aircraft hit 23 Ukrainian-controlled areas in the Donetsk area, destroying three munitions depots and a drone control post, among other targets, Georgy Minesashvili, a spokesman for the battlegroup, told TASS. "The group's aircraft struck personnel and military equipment in 23 areas. In the course of the fighting, the enemy lost a US-made M777 howitzer, a UK-made Stormer surface-to-air missile system, two pickup trucks, as well as three ammunition depots, a drone control post and an observation post," he said. Minesashvili added that Russian air defense systems destroyed 10 Ukrainian drones in the areas of the Vesyolaya Dolina, Belogorovka and Pervomayskoye settlements in the Donetsk People's Republic. He said Russian units in the Donetsk area, in joint action with aircraft and artillery, repelled three attacks by Ukrainian assault groups in Maryinka and Avdeyevka. Russia's battlegroup West units also destroyed two Ukrainian Leopard tanks in the Kupyansk area, according to another spokesman of the Russian forces, Sergey Zybinsky. "In the course of combat operations, personnel of the battlegroup West destroyed two Leopard tanks, two 152mm towed howitzers 2A65 Msta-B and a mortar crew in the areas of Stelmakhovka, Krinichki, Peschanoye and Petropavlovka," Zybinsky said. According to the spokesman, the enemy forces attempted to rotate units of the 25th Airborne Brigade in the forward positions in the Berestovoye area, which is part of the defense line of the 1st Tank Army. Artillery fire from the battlegroup thwarted the rotation. The enemy's total losses amounted to more than a military unit, two pickup trucks and one unmanned aerial vehicle. Also, according to Zybinsky, the operational-tactical aircraft of the battlegroup inflicted an air strike on temporary bases of the 44th mechanized and 68th jager brigades near Kopanka and Pershotravnevoye in the Kupyansk area. Elsewhere, Russia's battlegroup Dnepr units destroyed a fuel depot and a mortar position in the Kherson area over the past day, a representative of the region's emergency services told reporters. "As a result of a fire attack by units of the battlegroup Dnepr in the Kherson area, a 120mm mortar unit and its ammunition were destroyed (losses: three Ukrainian servicemen were killed, four incurred injuries of various severity), and a depot of fuel and lubricants," he said. A Ukrainian stronghold was also destroyed in the island areas, and a temporary base of a separate enemy unit and two of their military vehicles were taken out in the Kakhovka region. In the meantime, the Western leaders, who have extended all-out support to Ukraine since Moscow launched its special military operation in Donbas in February 2022, have been critical of Kiev for its forces' failed counteroffensive against Russian troops. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Never insult Poles again': Warsaw warns Zelensky after his UNGA speech Iran Press TV Sunday, 24 September 2023 6:20 AM Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has warned his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky never to slander Poland on the world stage again. Poland, along with Hungary and Slovakia, slapped a ban on Ukrainian grain imports to protect farmers from a surge of grain and food imports from Ukraine, after the war in Ukraine blocked the country's export routes via Black Sea ports. Ukraine's actor-turned-president Vladimir Zelensky, speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, complained that "some of our friends in Europe play out solidarity in a political theater, turning the issue of grain into a thriller," thus giving hope to Russia. Poland reacted to Zelensky's speech by summoning the Ukrainian ambassador to Warsaw, Vasyl Zvarych, on Friday. Poland's foreign ministry said it had "conveyed the Polish side's strong protest against the statements made by President V. Zelensky at the UN General Assembly yesterday, alleging that some EU countries feigned solidarity while indirectly supporting Russia." The Polish prime minister also reiterated Warsaw's outrage over Zelensky's remarks, warning Kiev "never to insult Poles again." "I want to tell President Zelensky never to insult Poles again, as he did recently during his speech at the UN," Morawiecki told a crowd at a rally in the city of Swidnik on Friday. "The Polish people will never allow this to happen, and defending the good name of Poland is not only my duty and honor, but also the most important task of the Polish government," Morawiecki insisted. Morawiecki pointed out that the Polish government will stand up for its interests "in the current geopolitical context." The trade dispute unfolded after Warsaw refused to lift the ban on Ukrainian grain, citing the need to protect its farmers from the influx of cheap products from abroad. Kiev, meanwhile, launched a complaint to the World Trade Organization, insisting that the restrictions imposed by Poland were illegal. The issue is particularly sensitive because Poland is a crucial logistics hub for the deliveries of foreign weapons to Ukraine and hosts the training of Ukrainian soldiers. Poland's President Andrzej Duda has described Kiev as "a drowning man," who risks dragging under the water those trying to rescue him. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, in turn, urged Warsaw to "put aside their emotions" and focus on finding a "constructive path" to resolve their dispute. In the meantime, many Western leaders have become irritated by Zelensky's continuous demands, pushing for a stop to the supply of money, weapons and munitions for Kiev. Ahead of Zelensky's visit to the UN, many Western leaders had declared their opposition to continued support for Kiev. Opponents of Zelensky say it is not in their interests to send their nations' much-needed cash to Ukraine in the form of financial aid, weapons and munitions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Chaos, Screams, And Explosions': Ukrainian Forces Make Modest But Important Gains In Grueling Counteroffensive By Borys Sachalko, Reid Standish September 24, 2023 Near KLISHCHIYIVKA, Ukraine -- After months of intense fighting to dislodge Russian units north and south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv's forces recaptured the nearby tactically important village of Klishchiyivka in a move that Ukrainian officials say could set the stage for further military advances. Located approximately 9 kilometers south of Bakhmut, Klishchiyivka -- which Ukrainian military officials said they recaptured on September 18 -- is part of a recent series of modest but potentially crucial gains for Kyiv as it searches for a major breakthrough in its grueling counteroffensive to wrest back territory from Moscow. Speaking to Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, members of the "Tsunami" regiment within an assault brigade of Ukraine's National Guard, described chaotic and hard-fought battles to retake the village that has left much of the area razed to the ground, with damaged equipment and corpses still being recovered. "After encountering war for the first time, you quickly rethink it," said Dmytro, a former priest who signed up to the National Guard's newly formed assault brigades six months ago and asked to be identified only by his first name. "You imagine it one way, but it looks completely different in reality. There's nothing beautiful in combat operations. It's chaos, screams, and explosions." Ukrainian commanders have described the capture of Klischiyivka and the recent retaking of nearby Andriyivka as stepping stones for taking back Bakhmut, which fell to the Russians after months of some of the war's heaviest fighting. These small gains in the east -- along with similar ones across the south and southeast -- will allow Ukrainian forces to advance farther toward Russian positions in order to deliver more accurate artillery strikes, Ukrainian officials say, and help cut off road and railway access that is crucial for the Russian military's logistics. But the incremental progress also highlights the difficulties that Kyiv faces since launching its counteroffensive in June. Russia still has substantial defenses in place, including areas saturated with tank and antipersonnel mines, and Ukrainian forces have retreated and advanced again in recent months amid intense fighting that has ranged from artillery barrages to house-by-house street fights. "It wasn't easy, sometimes we wanted to give up," said Valeriy, a soldier in the Tsunami regiment that helped capture Klischiyivka. "The worst thing is watching my guys get [wounded]. We kept having to retreat, regroup, pick up the wounded, and then prepare for an assault all over again." Counteroffensive Slogs Forward The Russian Army has now withdrawn beyond Klischiyivka and Ukrainian forces have raised the country's flag over the village. Other members of the National Guard assault brigade who spoke to Current Time say that pushing back Russian troops came at a high cost, with many saying that it was reminiscent of the grueling battle for Bakhmut, which saw heavy losses on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides. "Our group encountered the St. Petersburg riot police. There were 28 of them there, give or take, and they were dug in," recalls "Prince," a member of the assault brigade who asked to be identified by his military call sign. "We covered them with artillery strikes, but they stayed right until the end and kept shooting back. There were only six that made it out and retreated." Russian forces continue to periodically counterattack near Klischiyivka, but Ukrainian officials say they are well-positioned to keep pressing forward in the east, where analysts suggest Kyiv intends to keep Russian troops engaged as it searches for breakthroughs elsewhere in the country. Grinding progress also looks to be moving forward in the southeast around the villages of Robotyne and Verbove along the line in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya region. There, Ukrainian forces look to be pushing through Russia's formidable defenses, which have become known as the Surovikin Lines -- named for the former head of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, who was removed from his post earlier this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The lines consist of three defensive layers of trenches and other defenses, with the final line made up of trenches and "dragon's teeth" -- concrete pyramid-shaped obstacles intended to slow down vehicles and channel them into kill zones. Unconfirmed videos and images posted online on September 20 appear to show Ukrainian Marder and Stryker infantry fighting vehicles advancing east toward Verbove, well past the first trench of Russian defenses. Since then, new footage posted online has shown further advances, with analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stating in a September 24 update that geolocated photos and videos showed that "Ukrainian armored vehicles were operating slightly beyond Russian fighting positions near Verbove, indicating continued Ukrainian progress." The think tank added that while Ukrainian forces appear to have broken through some tri-layered Russian defenses in the area, in others, the fortifications passed by troops "are not the final defensive line" in Russia's defensive depth in western Zaporizhzhya. The report added that it is still unclear if Ukrainian forces are retaining these positions. Digging In For A Long War While the recent slate of small gains highlight incremental progress made on the battlefield by Ukrainian troops, the slow pace of the counteroffensive, which has the stated aim of driving Russian forces out of Ukraine entirely, has left some Ukrainian officials worrying about war fatigue in the West. Governments in Poland, Estonia, Slovakia, and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe have been among Kyiv's staunchest allies since the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion, but many are facing upcoming elections or other domestic challenges that could see the level of their support waver. Similar concerns remain over the United States as it prepares for presidential elections in 2024 with several leading Republicans being critical of continuing the same degree of U.S. support for Ukraine. With potential obstacles looming, Kyiv is looking to keep Western arms flowing to its troops on the front line. During a September 21 White House visit with U.S. President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was told that Washington would give Ukraine a version of the longer-range ATACMS ballistic missiles, without specifying how many or when they would be delivered. General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently expressed caution about Kyiv being able to achieve its war goals -- both in the short-term and long-term. "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 said. A similar sentiment was expressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said that the war was likely to carry on for a longer period. "Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin," he told Germany's Funke media group during an interview. Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by Borys Sachalko in eastern Ukraine. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine- counteroffensive-gains-robotyne-russia/32607106.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskiy Pivots To Talk Of Postwar Rebuild, As Kherson Hit, Russians Impose Donetsk Curfew By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, RFE/RL's Russian Service September 24, 2023 President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pivoted to postwar reconstruction after his return to Europe from North America, as Ukrainian intelligence claimed a major blow against Russia's navy in annexed Crimea. Russian officials also said a Ukrainian drone struck near Russian intelligence offices in the northern city of Kursk as Moscow's full-scale invasion reached the 19-month mark. In Ukraine's Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian strikes on September 24 killed two people, wounded eight, and destroyed several private homes in the town of Beryslav. Meanwhile, in the frontline Donetsk region of Ukraine, Moscow-installed authorities imposed restrictions on occupied areas, including a weekday 11 p.m.-to-4 a.m. curfew, a ban on protests and rallies, and military censorship of correspondence, online communications, and telephone calls as fighting intensified in the east and south. Following a stop in Poland, Zelenskiy said via social media on September 24 that he had met with in the United States with leading individuals from the business and finance sectors, including media mogul Michael Bloomberg. The gatherings were part of a visit that took him to the floor of the UN General Assembly and before the UN Security Council in New York, as well as to crucial meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders in Washington and to Canada. "The American entrepreneurs and financiers confirmed their readiness to make large-scale investments in our country immediately after the end of the war and the receipt of security guarantees," Zelenskiy said via social media. "We are working for the victory and reconstruction of Ukraine." As the unprovoked Russian invasion entered its 20th month, the Ukrainian military and an outside assessment suggested that Ukrainian forces were penetrating deeper into Russian defenses in their ongoing counteroffensive, especially in a crucial southern region. Ukraine's General Staff said on September 24 that Russian drone and missile strikes had continued in the last 24 hours, and said its forces were engaged in offensive operations "in particular in the Verbove area of the Zaporizhzhya region" in the south. A day earlier, analysts from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said they had used geolocation and other information to conclude that "Ukrainian forces are deepening their penetration" in the Zaporizhzhya region. Much of the latest focus of the three-month-old Ukrainian counteroffensive has been on Zaporizhzhya and its surroundings, which host Europe's largest nuclear plant at a facility captured by Russia in the early weeks of the invasion. In Russia, officials said a drone attack blamed on Ukraine had damaged an "administrative" building in downtown Kursk in the vicinity of offices of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). But reports that a blast had struck the FSB offices, located on Dobrolyubova Street, could not be confirmed. Kursk regional Governor Roman Starovoit said on Telegram that what he described as a Ukrainian drone had struck an administrative building downtown and "the roof was slightly damaged." Reports on social media showed images of smoke rising over the city center and referred to multiple explosions, although RFE/RL could not immediately verify their authenticity. Kursk is about 90 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. A drone strike there last month damaged a railway station and injured five people. On September 23, Ukrainian military intelligence claimed a missile attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula on September 22 had targeted "a meeting of the Russian navy's leadership" and resulted in high casualties, including a group commander. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskiy-postwar- rebuilding-counteroffensive-penetration/32606932.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Air Defense Systems Destroy Ukrainian Drone Over Kursk Region - Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230924 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian air defense systems have repelled an attack of a Ukrainian airplane-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and destroyed the drone over the Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "On September 24, 2023, at about 8:30 p.m. Moscow time [17:30 GMT], an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an aircraft-type UAV on facilities located on the Russian territory was thwarted. The Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle has been destroyed over the Kursk Region by the on-duty air defense systems," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Russian air defense systems destroyed another Ukrainian drone over the Bryansk Region later on Sunday, the defense ministry also said. "On September 24, 2023, at around 10:20 p.m. Moscow time, an attempt by the Kiev regime to conduct a terrorist attack by an aircraft-type UAV on objects on the Russian territory was prevented. The Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the Bryansk Region by the air defense on standby," the defense ministry said. Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that the drone was shot down over the Bryansky district of the region, adding that there were no casualties or damage. Ukraine has been sending drones into the Russian territory almost daily since it launched a counteroffensive in early June. The United Nations said in August, following a botched drone strike on Moscow, that it did not want to see any targeting of civilian infrastructure. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses About 340 Troops Near Donetsk, Zaporozhye in 24 Hours Sputnik News 20230924 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian forces lost around 340 troops in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. Also in the Donetsk direction, Russian forces repelled four attacks near the cities of Krasnogorovka and Maryinka, as well as near local villages. "[Ukrainian] losses for the past 24 hours in this direction amounted to 305 troops, two armed vehicles, seven cars and a US-made 777 artillery system," the ministry said, adding that in the Zaporozhye direction Ukraine lost up to 35 servicepeople, a US-made 109 Paladin artillery system, and other combat installments. Russian forces also improved their tactical positions, repelling an attack by a Ukrainian mechanized brigade near Veseloye, the ministry said. Ukrainian losses in the Southern Donetsk direction amounted to 110 troops, two armed vehicles, three cars and two D-20 artillery weapons, the Russian ministry said. In the Krasny Liman direction, the Russian military repelled two attacks, eliminating over 50 Ukrainian troops, two armed vehicles, two cars and a D-20 howitzer, the ministry said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Repel 5 Ukrainian Attacks in Krasny Liman Direction Sputnik News 20230924 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian armed forces have repelled five attacks by Ukrainian military in the Krasny Liman direction, eliminating up to 20 Ukrainian troops, Alexander Savchuk, the head of the press center of Russia's Center Group of Forces, told Sputnik. "In the Krasny Liman direction near Torskoe and Serebryansky forestry, coordinated actions of units of the Center Group of Forces, with artillery fire and air strikes, repelled and thwarted five attacks by assault groups of the 63rd mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, the fifth brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine and the 12th special forces brigade Azov,*" Savchuk said, adding that Kiev's losses reached up to 20 servicepeople. Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian drone near the settlement of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People's Republic, he added. "The group's bomber aircraft carried out four strikes on [Ukrainian] command and observation posts near [the village of] Serebryanka in the Donetsk People's Republic," Savchuk said. *Azov Battalion is regarded as a terrorist organization by Russian authorities and is outlawed in Russia. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Modified Lancet Drones May Prod Ukraine to 'Rearrange' Its Military Assets - Report Sputnik News 20230924 Oleg Burunov The Russian army uses Lancet drones in the special operation zone to target various Ukrainian military assets such as howitzers, air defenses, multiple launch rocket systems, as well as command and observation posts, and congregations of troops. A new modification of Russia's Lancet kamikaze drone is capable of hitting targets at a considerable distance, posing a threat to air bases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), a US military news outlet has reported. "Now that it appears Moscow does obtain the capability to launch attacks in Ukraine from farther positions, Kiev should rearrange some of its air bases and other military assets to ensure they cannot be reached via these longer-range drones," the outlet pointed out. It referred to developments earlier this week, when an Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet was hit by a Lancet unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a distance of over 80 kilometers (49 miles) in the rear of Russian defensive positions. The Lancet's a range typically stands at 40 kilometers (25 miles). The news outlet noted in this connection that "Ukrainian forces must consider the placement of any new fighters [including the due-to-be-delivered fourth-generation F-16 jets] in light of Moscow's growing UAV capabilities." A separate US media outlet described the Russian UAV's strike on the Ukrainian MiG-29 jet as "the new Lancet's combat debut." An informed source earlier told Sputnik that the Russian company ZALA AERO recently unveiled a range of revolutionary upgrades for the Lancet's hardware and software systems. According to the source, new design-related solutions were also used during the development of the Lancet's upgraded version. Lancets, alongside various other types of drones, are widely used in the Russian special military operation zone to tackle Kiev's counteroffensive, which Russian President Vladimir Putin called "more of a failure than a stalemate." He added that since the beginning of the counteroffensive in early June, the Ukrainian army had lost 71,000 soldiers, 543 tanks and nearly 18,000 armored vehicles of different types. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It was a very productive week, we have a lot of good defense and other decisions - address by the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 24 September 2023 - 21:07 I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians! It was a productive week. Very productive. We have many good defense and other decisions. Defense packages. From the United States - including artillery, necessary shells, HIMARS munitions, air defense missiles, additional air defense systems, tactical vehicles. And some other types of weapons that will prove themselves on the battlefield. From Canada, we have a decision on long-term defense support worth half a billion U.S. dollars. In particular, these are medevac vehicles, which are very much needed at the front. We have agreed on their production and supply. There is a historic decision by the United States to jointly produce weapons and defense systems. In particular, air defense. This is something that was an absolute fantasy until recently. But it will become a reality. We will make it a reality. Everyone who works for the state. And this is the new quality of Ukraine's defense industry - much more powerful. And this is also the economy. Protection for our cities. Enterprises, new jobs for both our peoples - for Ukrainians and Americans. We have a clear perspective of a new resilience of Ukraine that will prevent the recurrence of Russian aggression - this is what we have already agreed on. I am grateful to President Biden, his entire team, and everyone in America who values freedom and supports Ukraine. I held very important meetings in Washington, in Congress - both parties, both houses. There were a lot of questions, a lot of dialog. Equally sincere answers, absolute frankness and sincere understanding. And we specifically requested a format of meetings and communication in Congress that would allow for the most detailed conversation. This resulted in more trust, and I heard that support for Ukraine will persist. In general, many morally robust and important positions were voiced at different levels in the United States - from the top level to all those involved in negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation. The same is true for Canada. There is a clear unity. There are new sanctions against Russia, and there will be even more sanctions pressure. We have reached economic agreements with both governments and businesses. There is a decision on a free trade area with Canada. A memorandum on energy cooperation was signed in Washington. An agreement was reached in Ottawa to rebuild Kakhovka HPP and reconstruct Kaniv HPP. There is an obvious interest of large companies in the U.S. and Canada to work in Ukraine. At the level of the Ministry of Strategic Industries, there is mutual understanding with defense companies. And there is a very important mutual understanding at the level of societies - at the level of ordinary people who really care about Ukraine and really wish us victory and all Ukrainians protection from Russian terror. When ordinary people in America say they pray for Ukraine, it is truly touching and makes our relations stronger. Separately, I would like to thank the Government of Canada for its readiness to allocate funding for the Holodomor Genocide Museum, for the completion of this museum. It is symbolic that Canada will be the one to support Ukraine in preserving its historical memory. Thank you, Canada! We have agreements of the First Lady of Ukraine regarding support for the rehabilitation of veterans, there is a corresponding Ukrainian-Canadian medical partnership. Olena is expanding access of Ukrainian culture to the world's leading museums, and now there is an agreement with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Olena also had important meetings and speeches on the sidelines of the UN, in particular, regarding the protection of Ukrainian children during the war. This year, Ukraine presented to the UN a vision of reforming the key UN institution - the Security Council. The Security Council is currently not able at all to stop aggression and actually restore peace because of the obsolete veto system, when there is no restriction on the aggressor's abuse of the veto. This needs to be changed, and in general, all nations that respect other nations and peace should be given more rights and opportunities in the UN. I am sure the world supports this Ukrainian position. And of course, this week was also fruitful in terms of bilateral meetings with the leaders of other countries. Thank you all for your support! And for your willingness to work with Ukraine. Yes, this is a different scope of cooperation. Different areas. But this is a clear recognition that Ukraine has a future. Its own future. Powerful and free. And our warriors. I am extremely grateful. I am proud of you! This week, there are grounds to praise the brigades fighting both in the east and in the south. 5th separate assault brigade and 80th separate airborne assault brigade. Thank you for your fortitude in the battles near Klishchiivka! 93rd separate mechanized brigade. Guys, thank you! 15th operational brigade of the National Guard and 71st separate hunting brigade - thank you for the true Ukrainian power in the battles near Verbove... 116th separate mechanized brigade - well done, guys! Thank you to everyone who is fighting for Ukraine, who is on combat posts, in combat missions! Thank you to everyone who helps! Every week brings Ukraine more strength and opportunities. Hence, every week brings our victory closer. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskyy Describes Visit to the West as 'Very Productive' By VOA News September 24, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described his visit to the U.S. and Canada this week as "very productive." In his nightly video address on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine secured defense aid from Washington and Ottawa respectively. He said the U.S. committed a defense package to Ukraine, including "artillery, necessary shells, HIMARS munitions, air defense missiles, additional air defense systems, tactical vehicles and more," while Canada offered long-term defense support "worth half-a-billion U.S. dollars." Zelenskyy also called "historic" a decision by the U.S. to "jointly produce weapons and defense systems, in particular, air defense." The Ukrainian president said Ukraine's collaboration with the U.S. will help create a much more powerful defense industry for his county and bolster Ukraine's economy. "Protection for our cities. Enterprises, new jobs for both our peoples - for Ukrainians and Americans. We have a clear perspective of a new resilience of Ukraine that will prevent the recurrence of Russian aggression - this is what we have already agreed on," he said. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to both the Biden administration and the American people who value freedom and support Ukraine. Airstrikes Russian airstrikes killed two people and wounded many others Sunday, in southern Ukraine's Kherson province, the region's Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. Russian forces struck residences in the city of Beryslav, killing a woman and wounding three people, including a police officer, he said. Another airstrike killed a 67-year-old man in the village of Lvove, Prokudin said. Both communities are in the Ukrainian part of the Kherson region on the western bank of the Dnipro River. The Russians regularly shell cities and villages, including the city of Kherson, from across the river. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone struck an administrative building in the city of Kursk and "insignificantly damaged" the roof, regional Gov. Roman Starovoit reported. Unconfirmed media reports both in Russia and Ukraine said the building housed the offices of the Kursk branch of Russia's main security agency, the Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB. The drone strike Sunday took place as residents commemorated the anniversary of the regional capital's founding. No casualties were reported in Russia. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian authorities, who usually don't acknowledge responsibility for attacks on Russian territory. Ukrainian abducted children Out of 19,500 Ukrainian children abducted by the Russians, only approximately 380 children have been returned to Ukraine, said Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska in an interview Sunday on the CBS show "Face the Nation." "These are kids. Sometimes they do not fully understand what's going on. They are easy to manipulate," she said. "Almost all children we managed to return to Ukraine told us they were told no one cares about them in Ukraine and that no one is looking for them." Zelenska said that Russia is uprooting these children, preparing them for adoption in the territory of the Russian Federation. She said that older children have some understanding of the situation, but small children are "susceptible to Russian disinformation." During Ukraine's address at the U.N. General Assembly last week, Zelenska said, "We proposed to develop a new system of joint effort that would make Russia return Ukrainian children to their country." Ukraine grain A second shipment of Ukrainian wheat reached Turkey Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse. Russia had threatened to attack vessels headed to or from Ukraine. Ukraine, however, is now testing shipping waters controlled by NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. The Palau-flagged ship, Aroyat, is headed to Egypt. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted Saturday that the Black Sea Grain Initiative allowing safe passage for Ukrainian exports will not be revived, noting that Moscow left the Black Sea Grain Initiative because promises made to Russia had not been fulfilled. Lavrov also castigated a 10-point peace plan proposed by Ukraine, saying both were "not realistic." Lavrov addressed the U.N. General Assembly at the annual gathering of world leaders at U.N. headquarters in New York last week. With a note of global diplomacy, Ukraine and its Western allies did too, seeking to rally support for Kyiv on its defensive war against Russian aggression. During his speech at the U.N General Assembly, Zelenskyy accused Russia of weaponizing food, energy and even children against Ukraine and "the international rules-based order" at large. U.S. President Joe Biden struck a similar note, while urging world leaders to keep up support for Ukraine. "If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?" he said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DOCN) between February 16, 2023 and August 25, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important November 13, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline SO WHAT: If you purchased DigitalOcean 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 DigitalOcean class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18119 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 November 13, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding DigitalOcean's business. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) defendants lacked the skills and experience to assess complicated tax matters and therefore did not design or maintain effective controls over DigitalOcean's accounting for income taxes; and (2) as a result of the foregoing, defendants financial statements during the Class Period were inaccurate and materially misleading. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the DigitalOcean class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18119 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. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com NEWARK, Del, Sept. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2023, the global substation automation market will be worth US$ 29.12 billion. The demand for substation automation is expected to increase at a 6.7% CAGR between 2023 and 2033, with a market value of roughly US$ 55.69 billion by 2033. The increasing demand for reliable and efficient power drives the substation automation industry. As the world's population grows and urbanization accelerates, there is a rising need for advanced automation technologies to ensure uninterrupted electricity delivery. Additionally, integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid and the need for grid modernization drive the adoption of substation automation solutions. One of the major restraints in the substation automation industry is the high initial investment required for infrastructure upgrades and technology implementation. The cost of deploying advanced automation systems, including sensors, communication networks, and control devices, can be substantial. The complexity of integrating new automation solutions with existing infrastructure and legacy systems poses challenges. The industry must address these cost and integration barriers to ensure widespread adoption of substation automation technologies. The increasing focus on energy efficiency and sustainability presents significant opportunities for the substation automation industry. Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are implementing policies and incentives to promote the adoption of smart grid technologies and improve overall energy efficiency. Substation automation is crucial in optimizing power distribution, reducing energy losses, and enabling real-time monitoring and control. Request Our Sample Report to stay ahead of the growth curve! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5190 One of the latest trends in the substation automation industry is the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies. AI and ML algorithms are integrated into automation systems to enable advanced analytics, predictive maintenance, and intelligent decision-making. This allows utilities to optimize operations, improve asset management, and enhance grid reliability. Furthermore, the industry is witnessing the emergence of digital twin technology, which creates virtual replicas of physical substations for simulation, testing, and optimization purposes. Key Takeaways from the Substation Automation Market: The United States holds a market share of 29.7% in 2023, contributing significantly to the global market in substation automation. Germany captures a market share of 6.5% in 2023, showcasing its presence in the substation automation industry. Japan secured a market share of 5.1% in 2023, playing a notable role in the global market for substation automation. China exhibits a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period, reflecting its steady expansion in the substation automation industry. The United Kingdom reveals a CAGR of 5.0% during the forecast period, indicating a positive outlook for the substation automation industry. SCADA-based control system holds a significant share of 46.0% in the substation automation industry. Commercial and civic power utilities account for 37.5% of the end user market in substation automation. What are Key Players Doing to Thrive in the Substation Automation Market? The substation automation industry is highly competitive, with several key players vying for market share and technological advancements. Some of the prominent companies operating in the sector include: ABB Ltd: A global leader in power and automation technologies, ABB offers a comprehensive range of substation automation solutions, including control systems, protection devices, and communication networks. The company's extensive product portfolio and strong research and development capabilities position it as a major player in the market. A global leader in power and automation technologies, ABB offers a comprehensive range of substation automation solutions, including control systems, protection devices, and communication networks. The company's extensive product portfolio and strong research and development capabilities position it as a major player in the market. Siemens AG: Siemens is a renowned name in the field of electrification, automation, and digitalization. The company offers many substation automation products and solutions, including intelligent electronic devices, advanced control systems, and remote terminal units. Siemens' expertise in integrated automation and digital solutions gives it a competitive edge in the industry. Siemens is a renowned name in the field of electrification, automation, and digitalization. The company offers many substation automation products and solutions, including intelligent electronic devices, advanced control systems, and remote terminal units. Siemens' expertise in integrated automation and digital solutions gives it a competitive edge in the industry. Schneider Electric SE: Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management and automation solutions. The company provides advanced substation automation solutions that enable efficient electrical network monitoring, control, and protection. Schneider Electric's focus on sustainability and innovative technologies positions it as a key player in the substation automation market. Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management and automation solutions. The company provides advanced substation automation solutions that enable efficient electrical network monitoring, control, and protection. Schneider Electric's focus on sustainability and innovative technologies positions it as a key player in the substation automation market. General Electric Company: GE is a prominent player in the substation automation industry, offering a comprehensive portfolio of digital solutions for power transmission and distribution. The company's expertise in grid analytics, advanced controls, and asset performance management allows it to deliver cutting-edge substation automation solutions. GE is a prominent player in the substation automation industry, offering a comprehensive portfolio of digital solutions for power transmission and distribution. The company's expertise in grid analytics, advanced controls, and asset performance management allows it to deliver cutting-edge substation automation solutions. Eaton Corporation: Eaton is a leading power management company that offers a wide range of substation automation products and services. The company's offerings include intelligent electronic devices, communication solutions, and software platforms for efficient substation automation. Eaton's focus on reliability, safety, and sustainability makes it a strong competitor in the industry. Other notable players in the substation automation industry include Honeywell International Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, and Emerson Electric Co. These companies compete through continuous product innovation, strategic partnerships, and a strong global presence to meet the evolving needs of the substation automation market. Unlock Brand Insights & More! Get the Competition Analysis Dashboard for unparalleled marketing wisdom. Buy now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/5190 Key Segments Covered in the Substation Automation Industry Analysis By Component Hardware IEDs Bay Controller Feeder and Motor Protection Relay Tele controller / IECs Circuit Breaker Control & Management Line Differential Others Software Data Visualization and Monitoring Data Analysis By Site Process Level/ Electric Control unit Bay Level Substation Level By Rated Voltage Low Voltage Medium Voltage High Voltage By Control System SCADA based HMI based RI/O (Remote Input-Output) based By Application Transmission Substation Distribution Substation By End User Commercial and Civic Power Utilities Oil & Gas terminals Mining & Metallurgy Manufacturing Unit Railways By Region North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia & Pacific The Middle East and Africa About the Author Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over a decade of experience in market research and business consulting. He has successfully delivered 1500+ client assignments, predominantly in Automotive, Chemicals, Industrial Equipment, Oil & Gas, and Service industries. His core competency circles around developing research methodology, creating a unique analysis framework, statistical data models for pricing analysis, competition mapping, and market feasibility analysis. His expertise also extends wide and beyond analysis, advising clients on identifying growth potential in established and niche market segments, investment/divestment decisions, and market entry decision-making. Nikhil holds an MBA degree in Marketing and IT and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Nikhil has authored several publications and quoted in journals like EMS Now, EPR Magazine, and EE Times. Explore FMIs Extensive Coverage on Industrial Automation Domain: Variable Speed Generators Market Growth : By 2023 and 2033, the market for variable speed generators is expected to be worth US$ 8.5 billion and US$ 14.2 billion, respectively. Global sales of variable speed generators are expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.3% over the assessment period. Military Parachute Market Type : During the projected period, the market demand for military parachutes is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.5%. It is estimated that the global market will increase from US$1.42 billion in 2023 to US$2.43 billion by 2033. Clad Pipe Market Forecast : By 2033, the market for clad pipes is expected to have grown from US$ 2,560.6 million to US$ 3,938.7 million. Over the course of the forecast period, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.4%, according to FMI. Electric & Hydraulic Wellhead Drives for Onshore Application Market Sale : By the year 2033, it is expected that the market for electric and hydraulic wellhead drives for onshore applications will reach a high of US$ 405.3 million. Metal Stampings Market Value : In 2023, the market for metal stampings is anticipated to be worth US$ 419.7 billion. By 2033, the market is anticipated to reach more than US$ 635.8 billion. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 5000 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Nandini Singh Sawlani GENESEO, IL, Sept. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Armory Life is proud to announce that respected military consultant, actor, director and writer Capt. Dale Dye, USMC (Ret) has authored an article on the Battle of Peleliu, one of the most brutal encounters in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The Battle of Peleliu began with an amphibious assault 79 years ago this week, with the First Marine Division landing men on a little patch of hell. Their mission was to smash the Japanese defenders and seize airfields to support the liberation of the Philippines. What was supposed to take four days lasted nearly three months and exposed these heroes to some of the most horrific fighting World War II offered. Telling the story, Capt. Dale A. Dye, USMC (ret.) recounts the brutal combat and shows us what the island looks like today. As the Senior Military Advisor to the critically acclaimed HBO series The Pacific, Capt. Dye traveled to Peleliu to see the terrain firsthand. What he found on the island was unbelievable from live Japanese mortar rounds in reinforced caves to U.S. armor left in silent testimony to the brave men who answered their nations call. "While serving with the 1st Marine Division, I ran into some aging vets who told me if I really wanted to learn about what a meat-grinder the Pacific was, I should study Peleliu, said Capt. Dye. Visiting that remote island brought it all home for me. I'm hoping readers will feel some of the same awed respect I found standing on the beaches and climbing the coral mountains where so many Marines and soldiers paid the ultimate price." In addition to this article, Capt. Dye has written numerous other articles for The Armory Life, both in its digital and print mediums. You can find a collection of his articles on the website, and his piece on American armor in the Vietnam War is featured in the current Fall 2023 issue of the print magazine. We could not be more honored to have Capt. Dye as a contributor, said Mike Humphries, editor of The Armory Life. Everyone on our team is a huge fan of his work, so we obviously jumped at the opportunity to have him create content for The Armory Life. We look forward to running many more of his pieces in the future. For more information, please visit TheArmoryLife.com. About Springfield Armory In 1794, the original Springfield Armory began manufacturing muskets for the defense of our young, free Republic. The Armory functioned as a firearms supplier for every major American conflict until 1968 when the government sadly closed its doors. In 1974, nearly two centuries after its inception, Springfield Armory Inc. in Geneseo, Ill. revived the iconic heritage of the Armory to carry on its legacy. We strive to honor this responsibility as guardians of the original Springfield Armory legacy by manufacturing the highest quality firearms to enable responsible citizens to preserve their right to keep and bear arms in the defense of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. With an unmatched emphasis on craftsmanship, performance and exceptional customer service, our mission is to forge superior firearms and provide the tools necessary to defend individual freedoms and equality for those who embrace the rights and principles secured by our Founding Fathers. For more information, please visit us at: springfield-armory.com. ### For Media Inquiries: Mike Humphries Media Relations Manager mike.humphries@springfield-armory.com (309) 944-8706 newsroom: news.38digitalmarket.com BRISBANE, Australia, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allkem Limited (ASX|TSX: AKE) (Allkem or the Company) is pleased to announce an update to the Olaroz lithium brine operation located in Jujuy Province in Argentina. Allkem has reviewed and updated the Mineral Resources and economics for the Olaroz Lithium Facility (Olaroz) including Stage 1 and Stage 2. In April 2022, Allkem released a Technical Report updating key economic metrics for Olaroz Stage 2 and in March 2023, Allkem released a Technical Report (previous study) updating Mineral Resources. HIGHLIGHTS Stage 1 and 2 (42,500 lithium carbonate equivalent tonnes per annum) Financial Metrics Pre-tax Net Present Value ( NPV ) of US$7.01 billion at a 10% discount rate and a Post-tax NPV of US$4.56 billion ) of US$7.01 billion at a 10% discount rate and a Post-tax NPV of US$4.56 billion Long term operating costs for the combined Stage 1 and Stage 2 operation are estimated at US$4,149 per tonne lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) over the life-of-mine considering operational synergies from the joint operation of Stage 1 and 2 Mineral Resource Total Mineral Resource Estimate of 22.63 million tonnes ( Mt ) LCE , a 10% increase from the previous estimate in March 2023 with a 52% increase in Measured Mineral Resources ) LCE a 10% increase from the previous estimate in March 2023 with a 52% increase in Measured Mineral Resources The Mineral Resource now comprises 11.54 Mt of LCE, as Measured, and 3.83 Mt as Indicated for a combined 15.38 Mt of Measured & Indicated Mineral Resource. There is an additional 7.25 Mt of Inferred Resources for a total resource of 22.6Mt (Measured, Indicated and Inferred) The improvement in Mineral Resource categorisation results from reclassification of Indicated Mineral Resources between 200 and 650 m depth as Measured Mineral Resources in the pumping field area, reflecting the greater amount of information available from pumping performance since installation of the Stage 2 wells and the addition of Maria Victoria tenements Olaroz's life of mine (LOM) production represents ~8.5% of the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, further confirming the Tier 1 status of the basin, and its potential to support additional expansions Stage 2 (25,000 lithium carbonate equivalent tonnes per annum) Schedule Update The expansion achieved the first wet lithium carbonate production in July 2023. Commissioning activities are ongoing and production is scheduled for H2 CY23, with ramp-up expected to take 1 year Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Perez de Solay commented: We have recently concluded a review of the companys resource base. The improvements in Mineral Resource classification for the project are built on our long-term commitment to understand the hydrology of the Olaroz-Cauchari basin to the best extent possible and to manage extraction from the basin in a responsible manner. This Mineral Resource base will support future studies focusing on maximising the productive capacity of this Tier 1 resource. PROJECT BACKGROUND Allkem is the operator and majority owner of Olaroz, located in the Jujuy Province, in northwest Argentina (Figure 1). Figure 1: Olaroz Project Location https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/614945e5-ea1f-4d1a-8014-5cf8bd2bb65a Allkem Limited holds 66.5% of Olaroz through its local subsidiary Sales de Jujuy S.A. (SDJ), with the remaining project ownership held by Toyota Tsusho (25%) and the Jujuy Energia y Mineria Sociedad del Estado (JEMSE) (8.5%). This Joint Venture holds mineral properties that cover the majority of the Salar de Olaroz, including tenements covering 47,615 hectares and two exploration properties (cateos) consisting of 33 mining concessions. Olaroz is fully permitted by the provincial mining authorities and has provincial and federal permits, to allow operations for an initial 40 year mine life with renewable options to extend beyond 2053. Olaroz Stage 1 is the original project which commenced operation between 2013 and 2015 during the production ramp-up, with a maximum production capacity of 17,500 tpa of lithium carbonate. The Olaroz Stage 2 expansion, targeting an additional 25,000 tpa of lithium carbonate, produced first wet concentrate in July 2023, and is scheduled to commence production in H2 CY2023. Olaroz Stage 1 and Stage 2s cumulative site lithium carbonate production capacity is 42,500 tpa. GEOLOGY & MINERALISATION The Olaroz salar is located in the elevated Altiplano-Puna plateau of the Central Andes. The Puna plateau of north-western Argentina comprises a series of dominantly NNW to NNE trending reverse fault-bounded ranges up to 5,000-6,000 m high, with intervening internally drained basins at an average elevation of 3,700 m. High evaporation rates, together with reduced precipitation, have led to the deposition of evaporites in many of the Puna basins since 15 Ma, with borate deposition occurring for the past 8 Myr. Precipitation of salts and evaporites has occurred in the centre of basins where evaporation is the only means of water escaping from the hydrological system. Mineralization in the Olaroz salar consists of lithium dissolved in a hyper-saline brine, which is about eight times more concentrated than seawater. The lithium concentration is the product of the solar evaporation of brackish water which flows into the salar as groundwater and occasional surface water flows. The concentrated brine with lithium is distributed throughout the salar in pore spaces between grains of sediment. The brine also extends a considerable distance away from the salar, beneath alluvial gravel fans around the edges of the salar. These areas are largely unexplored by the company to date. In addition to lithium, there are other elements, such as sodium, magnesium, and boron, which constitute impurities that are removed in the ponds and processing plant. MINERAL RESOURCE UPDATE Olaroz wellfield update Following installation of the Stage 1 production wellfield at Olaroz, several deeper wells were installed in 2014 below 200 m in depth and subsequently utilised for Stage 1 production. This deeper drilling intersected high porosity and permeability sand units, with flow rates of over 30 litres per second (l/s). This discovery initiated evaluation of the deeper resource potential of the basin. Since 2011, material amounts of new information have been obtained from exploration and production activities at Olaroz. This included geological and production data from Stage 1 production and monitoring holes generally drilled to 200m, with some to 350m and 450 m; and the Stage 2 expansion production and monitoring holes to depths of between 450 and 650 metres. Additional information has also come from drilling in Cauchari, a 1,408 m deep exploration hole north of the production holes in Olaroz and geophysical surveys over the whole basin. Olaroz Stage 2 involved an expansion of facilities and production capacity to reach a total production capacity of 42,500 tpa LCE. This involved the installation of additional wells for brine extraction and for industrial water extraction, pipelines for brine and fresh water, additional brine collection ponds, lime plants, significantly expanded evaporation ponds (adjacent to the existing ponds), a new plant facility, stores, power generation facilities, reverse osmosis plant, production plant and accommodation camp. The last of the 15 new wells for Stage 2 production (Figures 2 and 4) was completed late in 2022. These production wells are now installed to depths between 450 m and 650 m (with one hole to 751 m), and most of the brine production comes from these deeper levels in the Salar on a 1 km grid spacing in the central to eastern area of the Salar, between the original Northern and Southern wellfields. In addition to the production wells, a number of diamond drill holes provide core and brine samples and allowed the installation of monitoring wells. The Stage 2 production wells are producing a combined flow of approximately 396 l/s, at an average per well of 28 l/s, since beginning operation. This is considerably higher than the Stage 1 wells, which have averaged 11 l/s per hole since the beginning of 2017. Samples from the wells were sent to external and internal laboratories for chemical analysis. This information and downhole geophysics (from a borehole magnetic resonance tool, part of a broader suite of geophysical tools) were used to update the geological model. The newly completed wells reached depths between 390 m and 751 m (E15). The lithium concentrations recorded an average lithium grade of 643 mg/L and varied from 544 mg/L to 789 mg/L. Further drilling information and analytical results are displayed in the Annexures. Wellfield operation started August 2013 with the ramp-up of stage 1 wells and then in CY21 wellfield production increased again with the ramp-up of stage 2 wells as seen in Figure 2. Figure 2: Production Wellfield Pumping and Extracted Lithium in Brine to ponds (August 2013 to June 2023) https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61bee127-e443-4d18-8d1b-68efc13ac3bd The historical well production from start of wellfield operation to 30 June 30 2023, is ~291kt of LCE. 286kt thousand tonnes of LCE was depleted from measured resources and 5kt of LCE was depleted from indicated resource over this period. Brine Mineral Resource Estimate Hydrominex Geoscience was engaged to estimate the lithium Mineral Resources in brine for various areas within the Salar de Olaroz basin in accordance with the 2012 edition of the JORC code (JORC 2012). Although the JORC 2012 standards do not address lithium brines specifically in the guidance documents, the QP has taken into account the Australian Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) brine guidelines and the NI 43-101 guidelines for lithium brines set forth by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM 2014). Hydrominex Geoscience considers these complies the intent of the JORC 2012 guidelines with respect to providing reliable and accurate information for the lithium brine deposit in the Salar de Olaroz. Figure 3: Location map of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Lithium Mineral Resources https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/271fb3cf-5d48-45a6-82ef-5323ca43e98c The 2023 Mineral Resource estimate is outlined in the following Table 1 and 1a presenting the lithium and lithium carbonate tonnages. The previous estimate at March 2023 is also presented in Table 2. A lithium cut-off grade of 300 mg/L was utilized based on a projected LCE price of US$20,000 per tonne over the entirety of the LOM. The total revised Mineral Resource estimate of 22.63 Mt LCE (detailed in Table 1) reflects a 10 % total increase to the prior Mineral Resource of 20.65 Mt LCE (detailed in Table 2). Table 1: Olaroz Mineral Resource Estimate at August 20231 Category Brine volume Average Li In Situ Li Li 2 CO 3 Equivalent Li 2 CO 3 Variance to March 2023 m3 mg/l tonnes Tonnes % Measured 3.3 x 109 659 2,170,000 11,540,000 53% Indicated 1.2 x 109 592 720,000 3,840,000 -46% Measured & Indicated 4.5 x 109 641 2,890,000 15,380,000 5% Inferred 2.2 x 109 609 1,360,000 7,250,000 21% Total 6.7 x 109 636 4,250,000 22,630,000 10% The Competent Person(s) for these Mineral Resources estimate is Hydrominex Geoscience for Olaroz Comparison of values may not add up due to rounding or the use of averaging methods Lithium is converted to lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) with a conversion factor of 5.323 The cut-off grade used to report Olaroz Mineral Resources is 300 mg/l Mineral Resources that are not Ore Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, there is no certainty that any or all of the Mineral Resources can be converted into Ore Reserves after application of the modifying factors Table 1a: Olaroz Mineral Resource Estimate at August 2023 by company Category Brine volume Average Li In Situ Li Li 2 CO 3 Li 2 CO 3 Equivalent Variance to March 2023 m3 mg/l tonnes Tonnes % Measured 3.3 x 109 659 2,170,000 11,540,000 53% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 2.7 x 109 664 1,796,000 9,561,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 2.0 x 108 700 142,000 756,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 3.8 x 108 595 229,000 1,219,000 Indicated 1.2 x x109 592 720,000 3,840,000 -46% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 1.1 x 109 591 659,000 3,508,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 4.2 x 107 645 27,000 144,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 5.9 x 107 573 34,000 181,000 Measured & Indicated 4.5 x 109 641 2,890,000 15,380,000 5% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 3.8 x 109 645 2,455,000 13,069,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 2.4 x 108 691 169,000 900,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 4.4 x 108 592 263,000 1,400,000 Inferred 2.2 x 109 609 1,360,000 7,250,000 21% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 1.2 x 109 623 764,000 4,067,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 2.4 x 108 650 154,000 820,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 7.3 x 108 608 443,000 2,358,000 Total 6.7 x 109 636 4,250,000 22,630,000 10% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 5.0 x 109 640 3,219,000 17,136,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 4.8 x 108 671 323,000 1,720,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 1.2 x 109 602 706,000 3,758,000 Mineral Resource categories were assigned based on available data and confidence in the interpolation and extrapolation possible given reasonable assumptions of both geologic and hydrogeologic conditions. Table 2: Olaroz Mineral Resource Estimate at March 2023 Category Brine volume Average Li In Situ Li Li 2 CO 3 Equivalent m3 mg/l tonnes tonnes Measured 2.2 x 109 657 1,420,000 7,550,000 Indicated 2.2 x 109 612 1,340,000 7,130,000 Measured & Indicated 4.4 x 109 634 2,760,000 14,680,000 Inferred 1.8 x 109 606 1,120,000 5,970,000 Total 6.2 x 109 625 3,880,000 20,650,000 The reader is cautioned that Mineral Resources are not Ore Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Additional information for the resource estimation can be found in the Annexures. Olaroz basin geology Exploration activities, since Allkem acquired the properties in 2008, have consisted of extensive geophysical programs and drilling over the Olaroz basin. Geophysical programs have included AMT (Audio-Magnetotellurics) electrical surveying, and vertical electrical soundings to define the lateral extents of the brine beneath alluvial sediments, around the margins of the salar. This is important in order to constrain the geological and hydrogeological models and assess areas for brine prospectivity off the salar. The northern SDJ and 100% Allkem properties have been subject to minimal exploration to date. However, electrical geophysics indicates prospectivity for brine beneath alluvial and deltaic sediments north of the Olaroz salar in the exploration mining right, Cateo 498, and other properties. Additional geophysics has included an extensive gravity and magnetic survey across the basin, that provided information on the basin depth and corroborated the early geophysical interpretation which indicated the basin is more than 1 km deep. Since the exploration drilling for the 2011 Mineral Resource estimation, conducted between 2008 to 2011, more extensive drilling undertaken for exploration and production well installation has provided information to depths of 751 m in Olaroz (generally 400 to 650 m) and better defined the basin geology. Additionally, one deep exploration hole has been drilled at the north end of the production area to a depth of over 1400 m, without intersecting basement rocks. This drilling led to development of a mixed salar basin model, with five separate geological and hydrogeological (hydrostratigraphic) units above the basement, defined by geological and geophysical logging of holes (refer to Figure 4 and 5). UH1 - Upper evaporite deposits, porous halite, clay, sand and silt UH2 - Alluvial fans on the western and eastern margins of the Salar, which contain brine beneath brackish water off the Salar (as defined by production well E26) UH3 - Mixed sediments with clay and sand intervals UH4 - Evaporite deposits, principally halite, with clay, silt and sand interbeds UH5 - Sand units, interbedded with clay and silt. Sandy material is sourced from the historical western margin of the basin and becomes progressively deeper in the east of the basin Drilling has not intersected the basement rocks beneath the Salar and it is possible that additional units will be intersected in future deeper drilling. In the central eastern part of the salar unit UH4 is thicker, reflecting the nucleus of the Salar in this area. The geological interpretation across Olaroz is also consistent with the independent interpretations on adjacent projects based on drilling conducted by Allkem and Advantage Lithium in Cauchari, and the work conducted by Minera Exar in Cauchari, being the southern continuation of the Olaroz structural basin. Figure 4: Geological model of the Olaroz salar looking north through the northern part of the basin https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf882adf-f7a5-4663-a8ff-5aa775b5959f Figure 5 Olaroz production well locations https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d41b90c7-f924-4a8d-94e6-d9a1399a2919 Resource estimate data sources Average production well brine chemistry values, from throughout pumping of the wells, have been used as inputs for the resource estimation, in addition to the interval samples historically collected in the upper 200 m. This is considered an acceptable approach in this situation, given the level of information available in the Olaroz salar, hydrogeological continuity between drill holes, comparison between historical interval samples and pumped brine concentrations and the history of pumping data available. Additional diamond drilling is recommended for future resource evaluations and to allow installation of additional deep monitoring wells. Geophysical logging in the deeper holes has confirmed generally consistent drainable porosity and permeability characteristics throughout the clastic sediments with higher porosities and permeabilities associated with more sand dominated intervals. Mineral resource estimation Estimation of a brine resource requires definition of: The aquifer distribution (in this case restricted to the Salar outline, except around hole E26 in the south) The distribution of drainable porosity (specific yield) values The distribution of lithium and other elements in the brine defined by drilling The external limits (geological or property boundaries) of the resource area The resource grade is a combination of the aquifer volume, the drainable porosity (portion of the aquifer volume that is filled by brine that can potentially be extracted) and the concentration of lithium in the brine. The Olaroz aquifer system is not a conventional water supply style aquifer, based on a discrete geological unit, but rather a layered sequence of sediments that contributes brine flow to production wells. More permeable sand and gravel units provide relatively higher flows. The surface outline of the Salar is used to delimit the area of the resource estimate (except for the off-salar extension around E26). The 2023 resource covers 147.9 km2, larger than the original 2011 Resource area (93 km2). The expanded area reflects inclusion of the Olaroz Lithium and la Frontera (Maria Victoria) properties, which were not part of the original property holdings. The resource has been further expanded by the drilling of hole E26 south of the Salar, allowing definition of resources beneath the alluvial gravels south of the Salar (Figure 5). Brine saturated sediments are known to extend beneath alluvial sediments surrounding the Salar and this was confirmed in drilling of hole E26 on the edge of the gravels beside the Salar, which continued to 510 m in sandy and gravel material. The resource estimate is limited laterally by the boundaries (Figure 3) with adjacent property owner Exar, in the salar to the east and north of the properties owned by Allkem subsidiaries (Olaroz Lithium and La Frontera Minerals) and SDJ entities. The resource estimate is limited at depth by the sediment-basement contact interpreted from the gravity geophysical survey conducted over the basin. Drilling suggests this interpretation underestimates the basin depth. Within the Salar the three-dimensional distribution of the different hydrostratigraphic units was defined using Leapfrog 3D software, with these units based on geological and geophysical logging observations. The resource is entirely within the Salar, except in the gravel area extending west from production hole E26. This is the only location where brackish water overlies brine within the resource estimate. Lower lithium concentration blocks have been excluded from the resource by the 300 mg/l cut-off grade. In all other areas within the resource brine begins from within several metres of the salar surface. The porosity data set consisted of interval porosity samples analysed in an independent laboratory for the upper 200 m and the BMR downhole geophysics from 200 to 650 m. These were used to generate a block model across the salar area, applying ordinary kriging to the composited drainable porosity data. The distribution of lithium and other elements was estimated from point sampling data from the upper 200 m of the model, where samples are typically spaced every 6 m in the 200 m holes and 3 m or less in the 54 m holes. Below the upper 200 m the resource was estimated based on the pumped samples from the production wells, with a single value per hole representing the average pumped lithium value, assigned to the areas with screens in the production wells. The block model was constructed with 500 by 500 m blocks, with a 20 m vertical extent (Figure 6 and Figure 7). Only the portion of the block inside the salar outline is reported in the resource (with the exception of the area around E26). The resource estimate was undertaken using Datamine software, with variograms developed for the point samples from the upper 200 m. Estimation was undertaken using ordinary kriging. The ordinary kriging method is the most commonly used kriging method. In areas of sparse data around the model edges Nearest Neighbour estimation was used. The Mineral Resource was estimated using four passes in the search strategy. The results of the first two passes are nominally equated to blocks classified as Measured and Indicated, with the latter two passes equating to blocks classified as Inferred. The resources were defined across the salar outline and extension around E26, defined over different depths, reflecting drilling density and confidence. Future drilling on the salar may bring additional Mineral Resources into the Indicated and Measured classification. Figure 6: Lithium grades (mg/L) at 100 m (left) and 250 m below surface (right.) https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d066869c-a33c-4487-8620-aa6578dd8a23 Figure 7: Resource blocks in lithium mg/l, showing the salar edge (red), alluvial zone (green) in the south and the muddy marginal zone outline (between red and blue outlines). https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0f61b68a-de50-4f54-b482-6514fd58dae0 Mineral Resources classification Measured Mineral Resources The Measured classification is based on reliable geological correlation between drill holes, which show gradual changes in lithology laterally and with depth. Measured Resources were previously defined to cover the entire salar area to 200 m depth, as exploration drilling was previously conducted across the salar area to 54 m and 200 m depth. The deeper extension of the Measured Resource in this estimate is defined based on the drill hole depth in the pumping field, with the resource to 650 m depth in the east of the salar and 450 m deep in the west, where drill holes are shallower. Measured Resources are defined to 350 m depth around holes drilled in the Maria Victoria property, in the north of Olaroz, extending below the 200 m depth defined elsewhere in the north of the salar. Classification is supported by ongoing extraction by pumping of brine from production wells installed to 200 m since 2013, 300 m since 2014 and 650 m since 2021, with 1 km spaced production wells and a drilling density of approximately 1 hole per 2 km2. Indicated Mineral Resources Geological continuity established by deeper drilling below 200 m, geophysical logging of holes, and gradual changes in lithium concentration provide the basis for classifying the brine below 200 and 350 metres below surface in the north of the salar (with lesser drilling density) and south of the salar around hole E26, to the base of the salar in that area as Indicated. Mineral Resources below this depth are defined as Inferred. Laboratory porosity samples are relatively limited below 200 metres, however similar sediment intervals are present above 200 metres at Olaroz, where porosity characteristics have been established from hundreds of laboratory analyses. Extensive porosity samples from similar sediments are also available from the Allkem Cauchari properties. Ongoing extraction by pumping of brine from wells up to 450 metres deep since 2014 and from 650 metres depth for up to 3 years, provides confidence as to the extractability of brine from the resource to this depth. BMR porosity data was collected below 200 metres depth, providing extensive porosity data in the Stage 2 holes. Future drilling below 200 metres provides the opportunity to upgrade Indicated Mineral Resources to Measured Mineral Resources status. Inferred Mineral Resources The Inferred Mineral Resource is defined between 200 or 350 metres and 650 metres in the north of the salar and below 650 metres to the base of the basin. The base of the basin is defined by the gravity geophysical survey, with areas significantly deeper than 650 m defined. There are currently 19 production wells installed to 350 metres or below, with production wells for Olaroz Stage 2 installed between 400 and 751 metres deep between the existing northern and southern wellfields. The deep hole drilled in the north of the salar confirms locally the salar sediments extend to below 1400 metres depth. Drilling has not intersected the base of the salar sediments, where the geophysical estimated basement depth has been reached, suggesting the basin may be deeper than estimated from the gravity survey. Limited brine samples were collected in this deep hole. Taking account of the distribution of brine grade and porosity to date (as determined by BMR geophysics) there is a sufficient level of confidence to classify the Mineral Resources extending to the bottom of the basin as Inferred Mineral Resources. It is likely that additional drilling could convert these to a higher confidence Mineral Resource classification. Mineral Resource classification table and cut-off grade Since publication of the updated Mineral Resource on 27 March 2023, Allkem has undertaken a company-wide review of Mineral Resources. This has led to the reclassification of a large portion of the Olaroz Indicated Mineral Resources to Measured Mineral Resources. The Olaroz brine project is a very large salar which hosts lithium dissolved in hypersaline brine present in pore spaces between sediment grains. The brine mineralisation in the resource covers an area of 147.9 km2, within a larger area also known to contain lithium-mineralised brine. The lithium concentration is highly homogeneous compared to most mineral deposits, as the lithium concentration process results in a relatively homogeneous brine concentration. The lithium concentration varies slowly laterally and vertically across the salar. There is no internal waste (uneconomic lithium concentrations) within the Mineral Resource. Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the project have been developed with conventional evaporation pond technology. Future additional developments may utilise direct extraction technologies. The Mineral Resource was previously stated with no cut-off grade, considering its large homogeneous nature and location almost entirely on the Salar. As an outcome of internal peer review the Mineral Resource is now stated at a lithium cut-off grade of 300 mg/L, applied based on a breakeven cut-off grade for a projected LCE price of US$20,000 per tonne) over the entirety of the life of mine (there are no areas within the resource below this). BRINE EXTRACTION AND PROCESSING A groundwater model has been developed for Allkem by Napa consultants of Barcelona, Spain, covering the Olaroz and Cauchari basins. The model was developed in FeFlow groundwater modelling software, based on the exploration and production holes drilled to date and calibrated with the pre-production water levels and the results of production pumping. The Steady State model was calibrated to 49 wells and the Transient model was calibrated to 32 wells with 12,921 data points from production pumping since 2013, providing extensive information on brine levels and response to pumping. Geochemical data was available from 107 monitoring points having 33,640 geochemical data points. The model was calibrated in a steady state configuration and also calibrated with the results of pumping from the period from 2013 to 2018 in a Transient mode. The effects of industrial water extraction from the existing water source in the Archibarca area, south of the plant, was also simulated in the evaluation. The model was subsequently used for a number of model simulations of future production scenarios, including Stage 2 development, with coincident pumping and operation of the adjacent Exar project in Cauchari-Olaroz, to simulate the results of combined pumping and long term extraction of brine from the large brine body present in the salt lake. The model will be used to evaluate different scenarios for the development of Stage 3 of the project, and will be updated to incorporate results from additional drilling in the Olaroz basin, particularly in the north of the Salar and south of the ponds and plant, where there is little current information available. With this information the model will be used to simulate future combined production in the basin and to develop an Ore Reserve estimation for the different stages of the project. Brine is extracted from the host sediments from wells at different depths, depending on the age of the wells. There is no mining of the sediments. All extraction of lithium is via brine. Audits and reviews An independent assessment of the groundwater model that will be used to derive Ore Reserves has been undertaken and observations and recommendations are being reviewed and implemented. Operations and Stage 2 Status The Olaroz project was subject to an initial definitive feasibility study in 2011 with engineering company SKM which was the basis for Stage 1 project design and construction. A subsequent study was undertaken to support the development of Stage 2 of the project, the results of which were published in April 2022 in a JORC compliant announcement and NI 43-101 technical report. The Stage 2 project has now been constructed, achieved first wet production in July 2023, and is in the commissioning stage with operations ramp-up starting H2 CY23. The Olaroz project borefield and ponds have been operating successfully from 2013 and site based lithium processing and sale of lithium carbonate product from 2015 as part of the Stage 1 project development. The Stage 2 development is designed with a substantial increase in the evaporation pond area with the addition of 9 km2 of new ponds. A second processing plant has been built to increase annual production capacity to 42,500 ktpa LCE from the combined Stages 1 and 2. The new plant design is based upon the original Stage 1 plant but with improved equipment selection and processing strategy based on that experience. Mining Factors Mining is undertaken by the installation of large diameter (12 inch installed casing) wells into the salt lake sediments. Once installed and developed the wells are pumped to provide a continuous supply of brine to the project evaporation ponds. The wells provide an average lithium concentration that is derived from the sediments where production wells are installed. Only a portion of the project resource can be extracted, due to the limitations of extraction by widely spaced wells. This amount was simulated in the groundwater model which will be the basis for the future project Ore Reserve, which will take account of salars environmental factors during extraction. The extraction from wells was simulated using calibration data from actual pumping operations since 2013, providing an extensive dataset for model calibration and prediction. Extraction using bores is the appropriate extraction choice in salars, as the lithium is dissolved in brine (fluid) and mining of unconsolidated sediments is not contemplated. There are no minimum mining widths, as brine mining is not a selective mining method. Geotechnical parametres for brine extraction are different to hard rock mining, and consider issues such as compaction and settlement of sediments over time as brine is extracted. Inferred Mineral Resources are present beneath and laterally to the volumes of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources. The Inferred Mineral Resources are not included in current mining studies but are considered a possible source of future brine extraction, when further drilling is completed. Brine mining requires the provision of electricity and pipelines to the sites of wells from which brine is extracted. The pipelines pump brine to centralised collection ponds, from where it is pumped to the evaporation pond network. The brine is subject to the addition of lime in the evaporation ponds. Pumps are required to move brine between ponds and pump brine into the plant, where lithium carbonate product is produced. A gas pipeline provides the energy source for onsite electricity and heat generation. Brine is liquid and flows in response to operation of pumps installed in wells, with pumping inducing radial flow towards the well and extraction of brine to evaporation ponds. The location of some of the Stage 2 production wells in proximity to the eastern boundary of the Olaroz SDJ properties will result in a portion of the brine from these wells being extracted from adjacent properties. This is a small portion of the overall brine extraction. The lithium concentration in brine is forecast based on the groundwater flow and transport model. This predicts a minor decline in the lithium concentration over time, from 650 mg/L in 2023 to an overall concentration of approximately 570 mg/l in 2053. Metallurgical factors The metallurgical process utilised for the production of lithium carbonate is based on solar evaporation of brine prior to reacting lithium with soda ash in the plant to produce lithium carbonate. In this way much of the energy required for the process is provided naturally by the sun. Lithium remains soluble in the brine, and other elements precipitate in response to their increasing concentration and saturation in the brine. Lime is added to the ponds to facilitate the precipitation of magnesium from the brine. Although more recent direct extraction processing techniques are now more widely available pond evaporation provides a cost-effective and low risk processing method for Olaroz brine. The metallurgical process is based on the well-established Silver Peak process, which was adapted for use at the Olaroz project. The project has been producing lithium using the Olaroz process since 2015, with optimisation of the process undertaken during this period. Extensive test work was undertaken on the Olaroz brine prior to finalisation of the process and development of the project. Deleterious elements were characterised during the exploration of the project and evaluated extensively during the process development. Pilot scale testing was undertaken at the site in real environmental conditions. The actual processing plant has now been operating since 2015. Lithium Carbonate is sold as both technical (>99.3% Li) and battery grade (>99.5% Li) product, depending on the concentration of impurities. The project produces both grades of product. The Olaroz Stage 2 process plant has been designed primarily based on the experience gained from 5 years of operating development and data analysis from the Stage 1 process plant. Some equipment specific testing was also conducted, mostly on new solid liquid separation steps in the polishing area. The Olaroz 2 plant is similar in its general process flowsheet and chemistry to the Stage 1 plant, however it has been designed to provide higher quality technical grade product and improved recovery in the primary carbonation circuit. This is achieved by: Washing of solid precipitates in the polishing circuit to minimise lithium loss Inclusion of improved ultra-fine filtration technology in the polishing circuit which will contribute to product quality Removal of trace Ca and Mg by ion exchange ( IX ) processing of carbonation reactor feed which will contribute to product quality and an anticipated improvement from technical to battery grade ) processing of carbonation reactor feed which will contribute to product quality and an anticipated improvement from technical to battery grade Improved control of washing and filtration of final product using air blown plate and frame filters, also contributing to improved quality by minimizing entrained impurities in the cake moisture Improved process control by enhanced instrumentation and increased process buffer storage It should be notes that Stage 2 does not include a purification circuit as installed in Stage 1. A gas fired rotary drying kiln has been used in the Olaroz Stage 2 drying plant, along with additional micronising capacity. A new soda ash bag storage area and mixing plant with the capability to convert to bulk delivery has been designed. Additional raw water wells in the Archibarca alluvial field and downstream reverse osmosis plant capacity are provided to meet the increased clean water requirements. Extended water supply rights have been obtained in the northern Rosario River alluvial sediments. The required increase in power generating capacity is provided by expansion of the stage 1 gas fired generators and additional boiler capacity for solution heating. INFRASTRUCTURE The project is well served by infrastructure, being located adjacent to a paved international highway between Argentina and Chile that leads to major import and export ports in Northern Chile. The project is supplied by a spur line from a gas pipeline which passes to the north of the project. Electricity and heat are generated on site for the project process and camp. Water for industrial processes is obtained from groundwater that is treated by reverse osmosis. Accommodation is provided by purpose-built accommodation at the project, with additional accommodation provided in nearby villages and towns. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Olaroz Stage 2 reached substantial Mechanical Completion in June 2023 with first wet production achieved in July 2023. Capital investment for Olaroz Project Stage 2, including equipment, materials, indirect costs, and contingencies and pre-commissioning activities during the construction period was estimated to be US$425 million, excluding VAT and working capital. The operating costs estimate for Olaroz was updated by Allkems management team. Most of the operating costs are based on labour and consumables which are currently in use at the operation. Table 3 provides a summary of the estimated cost by category for a nominal year of operation. Table 3: Stage 1 and 2 - Summary of Operating Cost Operating Cost Units Total Reagents US$/t LCE 2,280 Labour US$/t LCE 816 Energy US$/t LCE 98 General and Administration US$/t LCE 687 Consumables and Materials US$/t LCE 240 Transport and Port US$/t LCE 28 TOTAL OPERATING COST US$/ t LCE 4,149 Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding Lithium carbonate price forecast Lithium has diverse applications including ceramic glazes, enamels, lubricating greases, and as a catalyst. Demand in traditional sectors grew by approximately 4% CAGR from 2020 to 2022. Dominating lithium usage is in rechargeable batteries, which accounted for 80% in 2022, with 58% attributed to automotive applications. Industry consultant, Wood Mackenzie (Woodmac") estimates growth in the lithium market of 11% CAGR between 2023-2033 for total lithium demand, 13% for automotive, and 7% for other applications. Historical underinvestment and strong EV demand have created a supply deficit, influencing prices and investment in additional supply. Market balance remains uncertain due to project delays and cost overruns. The market is forecast to be in deficit in 2024, have a fragile surplus in 2025, and a sustained deficit from 2033. Prices have fluctuated in 2022-2023, in response to EV sales, Chinese production, and supply chain destocking trends. Woodmac notes that battery grade carbonate prices are linked to demand growth for LFP cathode batteries and are expected to decline but rebound by 2031. Lithium Hydroxides growth supports a strong demand outlook, with long-term prices between US$25,000 and US$35,000 per tonne (real US$ 2023 terms). PROJECT ECONOMICS An economic analysis was developed using the discounted cash flow method and was based on the data and assumptions for capital and operating costs detailed in this report for brine extraction, processing and associated infrastructure. The evaluation was undertaken on a 100% equity basis. The lithium price used in the economic analysis is weighted on the basis of the proportion of the various products produced. The basis of forecast lithium carbonate pricing was provided by Woodmac who expect prices to settle between US$26,000/ t and US$31,000/ t (real US$ 2023 terms) over the longer term. There is a 3 percent mine mouth (boca de mina) royalty on the value of production to the provincial Jujuy government, considered the value of the product after the deduction of the costs of extraction, processing and transportation. There is an export duty of 4.5% on the FOB price, as regulated by Argentinian Government Decree Nr. 1060/20. Olaroz Stage 1 and 2 production is expected to reach nominal capacity of 42,500 metric tonnes per year of lithium carbonate for an estimated operational life of approximately 32 years. This would result in the production of approximately 543,030 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of saleable lithium carbonate. When considering both Stage 1 and 2, the total saleable product is estimated to be 1,310,670 dmt of lithium carbonate for the LOM. The saleable product for Stage 2 is expected to be of technical grade (>99.3% Li). However, it's important to note that Stage 1 includes both Technical and Battery Grade (>99.5% Li) lithium carbonate. The key assumptions and results of the economic evaluation are displayed in Table 4 below. Table 4: Key assumptions utilised in the project economics Assumption Units Stage 1 and 2 Project Life Estimate Years 32 Discount Rate (real) % 10 Provincial Royalties 1,2 % of LOM net revenue 3.0 Corporate Tax2 % 35 Annual Production3 tonnes LCE 42,500 CAPEX (Olaroz Stage 2) US$M 425 Operating Cost US$/tonne LCE 4,149 Average Selling Price4 FOB US$/tonne LCE 24,798 1 Provincial royalty agreement at 3.0%, export duties, incentives and other taxes are not shown. JEMSE, the Jujuy provincial mining body, holds an 8.5% interest in SDJ 2 There is a risk that the Argentina Government may, from time to time, adjust corporate tax rates, export duties and incentives that could impact the Project economics 3 Based on 100% technical grade lithium carbonate coming out of Olaroz Stage 2 4 Based on price forecast provided from Wood Mackenzie and targeted production grades stated in Footnote 3 above The project economics of Olaroz Stage 1 and 2 demonstrates strong results, with substantial net present values and robust projected revenue and operating cash flow figures. Pre-Tax NPV@10% is estimated to be US$7,012 million. Post-Tax NPV@10% is estimated to be US$4,562 million. Sensitivity Analysis As displayed in Table 4 above, the Olaroz operations update for Stage 1 and 2 demonstrates strong financial outcomes with a post-tax NPV at 10% discount rate of US$4,652 million. Figure 8 analyses the impact on post-tax NPV when pricing, operating cash costs and development CAPEX fluctuate between +/- 25 %. Figure 8: NPV Sensitivity Analysis https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38ae641b-15d6-4e22-babf-7a8d164122aa Environmental The Environmental Monitoring and Follow-up Plan (PMSA) of SDJ contains the procedures and methodologies to evaluate the environmental components of the project area and to measure and monitor their variations during operation. Olaroz Stage 2 is permitted under 2016 and 2018 authorisations, with additional authorisations from March 2021. Environmental Monitoring aims to obtain data on periodic and seasonal environmental parametres, running quarterly campaigns, in the months of February, May, August and November. The objectives are to verify that environment conditions in the area of influence by the operation remain unchanged or that changes produced are within the approved permissible limits as part of the project operations. This work includes extensive studies of flora, fauna, hydrogeology, hydrology, climate, air quality, noise, limnology, landscape characteristics and ecosystem characterisation. This is supported by social economic and cultural studies, surveys and support programs. SDJ has received the relevant permissions from 2009 through 2021 for the Olaroz Project development and operating activities from provincial and federal agencies, such as the provincial Jujuy Mining Directorate and the UGAMP scientific committee of Jujuy (which reviews lithium project developments), provincial water resource authority and environmental authorities. The project is located in the Olaroz Cauchari Fauna and Flora Reserve (La Reserva de Fauna y Flora Olaroz-Cauchari). The reserve was created in 1981, under provincial law 3820. The reserve is a multi-use area that allows for agricultural and mining activities and scientific investigation programs. The operation of the Olaroz project is consistent with the multi-use reserve status. Social and Community Relations SDJ has been very actively involved in community relations since the properties were acquired in 2008. Although there is minimal habitation in the area of the Salar, SDJ has consulted extensively with the local aboriginal communities. SDJ has agreements with communities in the territory where the Olaroz brine operation is developed, which are the communities of Olaroz Chico and El Toro (the northern area around the Rosario River) and provides assistance to the local community, by providing services to community members and employing a significant number of people from the surrounding communities in the current operations. As part of the SDJ community and social performance policy, SDJ has a commitment to six communities to provide an Internet connection and a commitment to nine communities so that every two years SDJ makes an investment in the construction of infrastructure for community use. Ten communities in the surrounding area are beneficiaries of the Community Relations Plan programs. Olaroz Stage 2 will provide new employment opportunities and investment in the region, which is expected to be positive. Currently, 40% of the project workforce is from surrounding towns and 75% is sourced from within the province of Jujuy. This release was authorised by Mr Martin Perez de Solay, CEO and Managing Director of Allkem Limited. Allkem Limited ABN 31 112 589 910 Level 35, 71 Eagle St Brisbane, QLD 4000 Investor Relations & Media Enquiries Andrew Barber +61 418 783 701 Andrew.barber@allkem.co Connect info@allkem.co +61 7 3064 3600 www.allkem.co IMPORTANT NOTICES This investor ASX/TSX release (Release) has been prepared by Allkem Limited (ACN 112 589 910) (the Company or Allkem). It contains general information about the Company as at the date of this Release. The information in this Release should not be considered to be comprehensive or to comprise all of the material which a shareholder or potential investor in the Company may require in order to determine whether to deal in Shares of Allkem. The information in this Release is of a general nature only and does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with the Companys periodic and continuous disclosure announcements which are available at allkem.co and with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) announcements, which are available at www.asx.com.au . This Release does not take into account the financial situation, investment objectives, tax situation or particular needs of any person and nothing contained in this Release constitutes investment, legal, tax, accounting or other advice, nor does it contain all the information which would be required in a disclosure document or prospectus prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act). Readers or recipients of this Release should, before making any decisions in relation to their investment or potential investment in the Company, consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to their own individual investment objectives and financial situation and seek their own professional investment, legal, taxation and accounting advice appropriate to their particular circumstances. This Release does not constitute or form part of any offer, invitation, solicitation or recommendation to acquire, purchase, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, or issue, any Shares or any other financial product. Further, this Release does not constitute financial product, investment advice (nor tax, accounting or legal advice) or recommendation, nor shall it or any part of it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or investment decision. The distribution of this Release in other jurisdictions outside Australia may also be restricted by law and any restrictions should be observed. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. Past performance information given in this Release is given for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as (and is not) an indication of future performance. Forward Looking Statements Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and, by their nature, are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performances and achievements to differ materially from any expected future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the risk of further changes in government regulations, policies or legislation; risks that further funding may be required, but unavailable, for the ongoing development of the Companys projects; fluctuations or decreases in commodity prices; uncertainty in the estimation, economic viability, recoverability and processing of mineral resources; risks associated with development of the Company Projects; unexpected capital or operating cost increases; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones at the Companys Projects; risks associated with investment in publicly listed companies, such as the Company; and risks associated with general economic conditions. Subject to any continuing obligation under applicable law or relevant listing rules of the ASX, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this Release to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward-looking statements or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Nothing in this Release shall under any circumstances (including by reason of this Release remaining available and not being superseded or replaced by any other Release or publication with respect to the subject matter of this Release), create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date of this Release. Technical Information and Competent Persons Statements The information in this report that relates to Olarozs Exploration Results and Mineral Resources is based on information compiled by Mr. Murray Brooker who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), a Registered Professional Geoscientist in Australia (RPGeo) and a member of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and Michael Gunn, BAppSc. (Metallurgy)(Gunn Metallurgy) is a Chartered Professional Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM), both of whom are recognised as Competent Persons by a Recognised Professional Organisation (RPO) included in a list posted on the ASX website from time to time. Murray Brooker an employee of Hydrominex Geoscience Pty Ltd and Michael Gunn an employee of Gunn Metallurgy have sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Murray Brooker and Michael Gunn consent to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. The scientific and technical information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and approved by, Murray Brooker (Hydrominex Geoscience Pty Ltd), as it relates to geology, modelling, and Mineral Resource estimates; Michael Gunn, BSc. Chemical Engineering (Gunn Metallurgy), as it relates to processing, facilities, infrastructure, project economics, capital and operating cost estimates. The scientific and technical information contained in this release will be supported by a technical report to be prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Technical Report will be filed within 45 days of this release and will be available for review under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Not for release or distribution in the United States This announcement has been prepared for publication in Australia and may not be released to U.S. wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this announcement or anything attached to this announcement shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. Any securities described in this announcement have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in transactions registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or exempt from, or not subject to, the registration of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and applicable U.S. state securities laws. Appendices The following appendices provide a summary of drill hole coordinates and average lithium concentrations for Stage 2 production wells (E-series holes) and Stage 1 production wells (P and PP-series holes).The appendices also include the JORC Table 1 for the announcement. APPENDIX A: DRILL HOLE COLLARS AND LITHIUM CONCENTRATION *Average well flows from 12 January 2017 to 31 January 2023 APPENDIX B JORC Table 1 Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data related to Olaroz Stage 2 expansion drilling (Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Holes were drilled using the rotary drilling technique. Drill cuttings were collected to identify the sediment type and compare observations with downhole geophysical logs. Mud samples were taken during drilling to evaluate changes in properties such as fluid density, electrical conductivity and dissolved ions. A comprehensive suite of down hole geophysical logs was run open hole, once holes reached total depth. These included conductivity tools to evaluate changes in temperature and brine conductivity, to evaluate whether there are intervals with pronounced flows and changes in thermal gradient; resistivity to evaluate changes in lithology, in particular the contacts of zones of halite, which show strong contrast in resitivity, due to low porosity and low contained fluid; borehole magnetic resonance for characterisation of changes in porosity, total porosity and free fluid, which is considered equivalent to specific yield; spectral gamma provides information on potassium, uranium and thorium, to assist correlation between holes. In some holes an acoustic televiewer has provided additional information on sediment texture. This provided additional information on the lithologies encountered during drilling. This included in the deep 1408 m hole. The downhole logging was undertaken by the company Zelandez, who have extensive experience with geophysical logging on salt lake projects. Drill cuttings were described by experienced geoscientists, and the results compared with results from nearby holes and with the geophysical logs. Samples were not collected for assay from the cuttings, as the primary objective of the holes was to confirm the geology to the depth of drilling and install production wells. Cuttings were used to describe the lithology. Samples for brine analysis were taken from the production wells when cleaned up and pumped. Qualitative changes in brine conditions were also evaluated during drilling. Three diamond holes were drilled in this program, with core samples collected in polycarbonate (Lexan) tubes and selected intervals analysed for porosity laboratory in an independent lithology (Geosystems Analysis in the USA). Extensive interval brine sampling was carried out in the upper 200 m of the sediments previously. This provided useful information on variability of the brine concentrations laterally and vertically, showing the changes are gradual and defining the highest concentrations in the northeast of the salar. Drilling for the Stage 2 program consisted of rotary drill holes to install production wells. These were pumped, providing representative samples of the intervals where screens were installed. This information provided broadly similar lithium concentrations to the upper 200 m of the salar, with specific yield information provided by the borehole magnetic resonance tool. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). Rotary drilling with a tricone bit was used to drill the entire length of the production holes, reaching depths between 450 and 650 m (in one hole 751 m) and also used for the deep hole to 1408 m. Typical hole diameter was 17 inches and productive casing of 12 inches is installed up to approximately 200 metres and 10 inches below. Brine from a surface trench (low lithium content) was used to mix drilling muds, to develop a thick wall cake in the rotary holes and maintain hole stability. Three diamond holes were drilled in this program, with the purpose of collecting porosity information and brine samples. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Drill cuttings were described by experienced geoscientists, and the observations compared with results from nearby holes and with the geophysical logs. Sample recovery was aided by the use of appropriately prepared drilling mud to remove cuttings from the hole. Cutting samples were not analysed chemically and descriptions were a qualitative evaluation of the lithologies encountered in the hole. There is no relationship between sample recovery and ion concentrations in the brine in this case. Core sample recovery for the three recent diamond holes was between 86.1 and 88.6%, which is higher than historical diamond drilling conducted to 200 m depth. Core sampling is enhanced by use of polycarbonate (Lexan) triple tubes. Unconsolidated salt lake sediments have much lower core recoveries than hard rock deposits. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Drill cuttings were described by experienced geoscientists, and the observations compared with results from nearby holes and with the geophysical logs. This has provided a consistent stratigraphy, supporting resource estimation and mining studies. Cutting logging is of a qualitative nature and results were compared with the quantitative geophysical logs to interpret the lithologies encountered in the hole. All intersections with sample recovery were logged. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Cuttings were only used to identify the lithology and were not used for chemical analysis, and were only sub-sampled to collect representative reference samples. Wet mud samples were taken from the returned drilling muds and analysed for concentrations of lithium and other elements, which maintained elevated and similar concentrations through the drill hole. Due to the rotary mud nature of this drilling the mud samples are considered only qualitative and not quantitative. Consequently, the mud sample analytical results are not reported in this release and not used for resource estimation. Brine samples from production wells are from production pumping or pumping tests of new wells, once wells were developed and cleaned or had been in production, in some cases for more than 5 years, with consistent lithium concentrations obtained from weekly brine samples taken from the production wells, taken over a period of years are considered representative of the sediments in which the wells are installed. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have been established. The brine samples (from production wells and pumping tests conducted once wells were fully installed and cleaned) were analysed at the Olaroz site laboratory. Quality control/Assurance samples were used by the Olaroz site laboratory, which is not a certified commercial laboratory. These standards were prepared in the laboratory and used for control purposes. Additional third-party standards were used for checking batches of samples sent to the internal and external laboratories. Standards accompanying brine samples in the Olaroz laboratory have been analysed in commercial laboratories as part of a laboratory round robin analysis. Check samples were analysed in the Alex Stuart independent commercial laboratory in Jujuy, Argentina. Duplicate samples have been analysed in commercial laboratories as part of QA/QC procedures. Results were generally within acceptable limits. Downhole geophysical tools were provided by geophysical contractor Zelandez. These are calibrated periodically to produce consistent results. BMR tools are calibrated yearly in Australia. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Brine analyses are from pump testing post installation of production wells, are quantitative analyses and were reviewed by different company personnel. Samples are collected on a weekly basis and analysed in the Olaroz site laboratory operated by SDJ, providing an extensive collection of data for cations and most anions (chloride is not regularly analysed). Laboratory data (from spreadsheets) is loaded directly into the project database by company personnel. Brine samples from production wells were analysed in the Olaroz site laboratory, with periodic additional samples analysed in the third-party independent Alex Start laboratory in Jujuy, Argentina, together with duplicates and independent laboratory standards. The Olaroz site laboratory uses the atomic absorption method for determination of lithium, whereas the Alex Stuart laboratory uses ICP-OES for this. Both laboratories use this method for the analysis of most cations, with gravimetric analysis of sulphate, by Alex Stuart and ICP-OES by the Olaroz laboratory. Sulphate exhibits amongst the largest differences between labs for the analytes, Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. The holes were located initially with a hand-held GPS and are subsequently surveyed by a certified surveyor. Production wells and diamond holes are drilled with a general spacing of 1 km between holes. The Project location is in zone 3 of the Argentine Gauss Kruger coordinate system with the Argentine POSGAR 94 datum. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Lithological data was collected throughout the drilling from cuttings and geophysical logging. Historical diamond drilling was conducted to 200 m depth, with three recent diamond drill holes to 650 m depth. Due to the rotary drilling methodology samples for indicative brine chemistry, were not collected at regular intervals during drilling. Brine samples were collected from the pumping of wells, once wells were installed and cleaned (developed). The samples taken during the pumping tests are composite samples, sourced from multiple well screens throughout the wells where screens are installed (through much of the hole). Brine samples from historical diamond and sonic drilling were taken at a vertical spacing of 3 and 6 m to 54 m and nominally 6 m between 54 and 200 samples, with actual sampling irregular and depending on conditions. This information forms part of the resource estimate, along with more recent data. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. The salar deposits that host lithium-bearing brines consist of sub-horizontal beds and lenses of sand, silt, halite, clay and minor gravel, depending on the location within the salar. Drill holes are vertical and essentially perpendicular to these units intersecting close to their true thickness. Faults controlling basin development occur on the basin margins. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Brine samples were moved from the drill site to secure storage at the camp on a daily basis. All brine sample bottles are marked with a unique label. Samples were transported from the camp to the laboratory for chemical analysis in sealed rigid plastic bottles with sample numbers clearly identified. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. No audits or reviews have been conducted at this point in time. Section 2 - Reporting of Exploration Results (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. The Olaroz properties (operated by Sales de Jujuy for the joint venture between Allkem 66.5%, Toyota Tsusho Corporation 25% and JEMSE 8.5%) are located in the province of Jujuy in northern Argentina at an elevation of approximately 3,900 meters above sea level (masl). Allkem also owns 100% of a number of other properties in the north of the Olaroz salar. The company has owned the majority of the properties for over 10 years. JEMSE (Jujuy Energia y Minera Sociedad del Estado) is the JEMSE is a public company tasked with promoting economic and social developement in the province of Jujuy. The joint venture holds mineral properties that cover the majority of the Salar de Olaroz, covering 47,615 hectares, consisting of 33 mining tenements and 2 exploration properties (cateos). In addition to its stake in SDJ, Allkem also owns 100% of six properties immediately in the north of Olaroz, which contribute an additional 9,575 hectares, belonging to the subsidiary company Olaroz Lithium. In addition to those six properties, Allkem has also acquired the Maria Victoria property in the north of Olaroz, which contribute an additional 1,800 hectares, belonging to the subsidiary company La Frontera Minerals. The project development was approved by the provincial government UGAMP technical committee in 2012 and received other approvals for project development in this time period. The project has an 8.5% participation by the provincial mining agency JEMSE, is subject to a royalty of 3% and an export tax of 4.5% of mine gate value. Toyota Tsusho and Allkem act as the joint marketing agent for lithium produced at the project. The tenements/properties are believed to be in good standing, with payments made to relevant government departments. The company maintains good relationships with the local government and government agencies and communities as part of operations. Many local inhabitants work at the Olaroz operation. Several peripheral properties have not yet been fully granted, as this is an extended process for mining leases in Argentina. Properties are within the Reserva Provincial de Fauna y Flora Olaroz-Cauchari (a regional flora and fauna reserve), as is the adjoining Exar project. This reserve allows for multiple uses, including agriculture and mining. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. The properties were not subject to any exploration for lithium prior to Allkem (Orocobre) obtaining the properties. Significant exploration has been conducted immediately to the east and south of the Olaroz properties by Minera Exar SA, resulting in a large resource and related reserve and a brine pumping project is currently in construction. Further south in Cauchari Olaroz subsidiary, Advantage Lithium defined a 4.8 Mt LCE resource in Measured and Indicated categories and 1.5 Mt of Inferred resources (NI 43-101 report - Cauchari Pre-Feasibility Study of 2019]). These three projects are all developed on different parts of the same lithium brine body. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. The project is a lithium salt lake deposit, located in a closed basin in the Andean mountain range in Northern Argentina. The sediments within the salar consist of halite, clay, silt, sand and gravel which have accumulated in the salar from terrestrial sedimentation from the sides of the basin. Brine hosting dissolved lithium is present in pore spaces and fractures within unconsolidated sediments. Evaporation of brines entering and within the salt lake generates the concentrated lithium that is extracted by pumping out the brine. The sediments are interpreted to be essentially flat lying with unconfined aquifer conditions close to surface and semi-confined to confined conditions at depth. Geology was recorded during drilling of the hole. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. The holes are located in the mining properties covering the Olaroz salt lake, centred around approximately 7402000N/ 3427000E and approximately 3930 m elevation, in Zone 3 of the Argentine Gauss Kruger grid system, using the Posgar 94 datum. The drill holes are all vertical, (dip -90, azimuth 0 degrees). Collar coordinates and depths are provided in a table following the announcement. On the salt lake brine is present from within ~1 m of surface to the base of drilling. Lithological data was collected from the mud return cuttings as the hole was drilled and from the geophysical logging of holes. Previous sonic and diamond drilling core samples were collected in polycarbonate Lexan tubes and described in detail, with laboratory analyses made of the sediment porosity in several international laboratories. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. Brine samples were taken from pumping wells at the completion of pumping tests. Samples were taken from the diversion valve installed at the well head, when these were installed and from the brine flow from the pumping line when wellheads had not been installed. Samples were collected in clean new plastic bottles, with the bottles rinsed with brine prior to brine collection. Bottles were capped and caps sealed and labelled with unique sample numbers for submission to the internal and external laboratories. Samples were collected as duplicates for submission to the internal Olaroz laboratory and the external Alex Stuart laboratory. Samples were submitted with field duplicate samples and with certified standards. Pumping rates varied depending on the hole, with flow rates typically in the order of 15 to 60 L/s. Samples were collected in 1 litre plastic bottles. For the QA/QC samples these were collected from the diversion valve during normal pumping operations at each site, with wells connected to pipelines. Results during the pumping tests were analysed and compared, to ensure results were repeatable. The pumping well samples are composite samples that reflect inflows from different levels within the wells, which are screened at multiple levels throughout their depth. The lithium concentration in the pumped samples is an average of the concentration from different units with relatively higher and lower values than the average. More permeable units contribute a higher proportion of the brine in the pumped samples. The QA/QC pumped samples were compared to the results of weekly sampling over a period of months to years. The samples collected for QA/QC analysis in the on-site Olaroz laboratory and the independent Alex Stuart laboratory are considered to be directly comparable to the results and range of results from the weekly sampling. The results are considered to be comparable to the range and average of weekly samples and sufficiently representative of the brine contained in sediments where the holes are drilled. Results from pumping wells were also compared with the results of the nearest diamond drill holes to 200 m depth, which showed low vertical coefficients of variation (CV). Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg down hole length, true width not known). The sediments hosting brine are interpreted to be essentially perpendicular to the vertical drill holes, representing true thicknesses in drilling. The entire thickness of sediments is believed to be mineralized with lithium brine, with the water table within approximately 1 metre of surface. Lithium is hosted in brine in pores within the different terrestrial sedimentary units in the salt lake sequence. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Diagrams are provided in the text showing the location of the properties, the drill holes and cross section through the deposit, showing the correlation of geological units. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. Data regarding the drilling and sampling has been provided in the release. A table is provided with the results of the pumping wells, which have provided the basis for estimation below 200 m depth. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. The company has conducting rotary drilling to obtain geological information, brine samples, and hydraulic parameters for the installation of additional production wells. Future drilling will also support an update of the resource estimation. Future updates to the resource will be released when drilling is conducted peripheral to the salar in areas when little or no current drilling. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. The company has recently completed installing 15 deep production wells for Stage 2 of the project, . Future drilling is planned to extend further north and south of the current resource area, to support definition of further resources in those areas (refer to the map with drill holes in the release). Comprehensive documentation outlining the resource drilling is planned for release when that future drilling is complete. Section 3 Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Database integrity Measures taken to ensure that data has not been corrupted by, for example, transcription or keying errors, between its initial collection and its use for Mineral Resource estimation purposes. Data validation procedures used. Data was transferred directly from laboratory spreadsheets to the database. Data was checked for transcription errors once in the database, to ensure coordinates, assay values and lithological codes were correct. Data was plotted to check the spatial location and relationship to adjoining sample points. Duplicates and Standards have been used in the assay process. Brine assays and porosity test work have been analysed and compared with other publicly available information for reasonableness. Comparisons of original and current datasets were made to ensure no lack of integrity. Site visits Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits. If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case. The Competent Persons visited the site many times prior to the current drilling and sampling program and more recently Mr Brooker visited the site on 21 st November 2022 to supervise the collection of brine samples for sending to the internal and external laboratories and to review drilling cuttings from production wells, comparing these to the drilling logs that had been produced for the project by Allkem personnel and to the downhole logging results. The sample bottles were subsequently sent for analysis and the observations of the drill cuttings corroberated observations from the down hole geohysical logging. November 2022 to supervise the collection of brine samples for sending to the internal and external laboratories and to review drilling cuttings from production wells, comparing these to the drilling logs that had been produced for the project by Allkem personnel and to the downhole logging results. The sample bottles were subsequently sent for analysis and the observations of the drill cuttings corroberated observations from the down hole geohysical logging. Competent Person Mr Brooker was responsible for previously planning the location of the new production wells. Geological interpretation Confidence in (or conversely, the uncertainty of ) the geological interpretation of the mineral deposit. Nature of the data used and of any assumptions made. The effect, if any, of alternative interpretations on Mineral Resource estimation. The use of geology in guiding and controlling Mineral Resource estimation. The factors affecting continuity both of grade and geology. There is a high level of confidence in the geological model for the Project. There are relatively distinct geological units in essentially flat lying, relatively uniform, clastic sediments and halite. The drainable porosity data consists of extremely detailed data from geophysical logging, extensive historical porosity samples to 200 m deep and sparse porosity samples up to 650 m deep, supplemented by BMR geophysical data in production wells. Brine data below 200 m, consists of composite pumped samples from holes, which provide realistic information regarding brine concentrations. Any alternative interpretations are restricted to smaller scale variations in sedimentology and porosity, related to changes in grain size and fine material in units, as porosity is the key influence on the resource estimate. Geological units are identified in the geological and geophysical logging of holes and separated in the hydrostratigraphic model, where unit specific porosity characteristics are applied. Data used in the interpretation includes sonic, rotary and diamond drilling. Sedimentary processes affect the continuity of geology, whereas the concentration of lithium and potassium and other elements in the brine are related to water inflows, evaporation and brine evolution in the salt lake and are essentially independent of porosity. Dimensions The extent and variability of the Mineral Resource expressed as length (along strike or otherwise), plan width, and depth below surface to the upper and lower limits of the Mineral Resource. The lateral extent of the resource has been defined by the boundary of the salar, except in the SE around E26, and in the east and north the boundary with adjacent properties . On the salar (and in the southern extension below alluvial gravels) the brine mineralisation covers 147.9 km 2 . . The top of the model coincides with the topography obtained from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The original elevations were locally adjusted for each borehole collar with the most accurate drill hole collar coordinates available. The base of the resource is the base of the basin, as interpreted from gravity geophysics. The depth of the basin is likely to exceed the depth interpreted from the geophysics, based on drilling to date. The basement rocks underlying the salt lake sediments have not yet been intersected in drilling. Estimation and modelling techniques The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) applied and key assumptions, including treatment of extreme grade values, domaining, interpolation parameters and maximum distance of extrapolation from data points. If a computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a description of computer software and parameters used. The availability of check estimates, previous estimates and/or mine production records and whether the Mineral Resource estimate takes appropriate account of such data. The assumptions made regarding recovery of by-products. Estimation of deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance (eg sulphur for acid mine drainage characterisation). In the case of block model interpolation, the block size in relation to the average sample spacing and the search employed. Any assumptions behind modelling of selective mining units. Any assumptions about correlation between variables. Description of how the geological interpretation was used to control the resource estimates. Discussion of basis for using or not using grade cutting or capping. The process of validation, the checking process used, the comparison of model data to drill hole data, and use of reconciliation data if available. The Mineral Resource estimation for the Project was developed in Datamine Software, with the geological model developed in Leapfrog software. The model is considered a reliable representation of the local lithology and will be refined as new information becomes available. Generation of histograms and box plots were conducted for the Exploratory Data Analysis for lithium. It should be noted the search radii are flattened ellipsoids with the shortest distance in the Z axis (related to the variogram distance). No outlier restrictions were applied, as distributions of the different elements do not show anomalously high values. No grade cutting or capping was applied to the model. The coefficient of variation in the brine results is low, reflecting the relatively homogeneous distribution of brine grades across the salar. Results from the primary porosity laboratory GSA are compared with results from check Core Laboratories. Potassium is the most economically significant element dissolved in the brine after lithium. Estimation of Lithium for each block used ordinary kriging. The presence of brine is not necessarily controlled by the lithologies and lithium and potassium concentrations are independent of lithology. Geological units had hard boundaries for estimation of porosity. Estimation of resources used drainable porosity data from BMR geophysical logs. The block size (500 x 500 x 20 m) reflects the thick and relatively homogeneous nature of the lithological units. No assumptions were made regarding selective mining units and selective mining is generally not feasible in brine deposits, where brine flows in response to pumping. No assumptions were made about correlation between variables. The geological interpretation was used to define each geological unit and the salar boundary and property limit were used to enclose the reported Mineral Resources. The Inferred Mineral Resource was estimated on the basis that it is within the salt lake or immediately adjacent and occupies the same or similar geological units to the Indicated and Measured Mineral Resource, although drilling in the Inferred Mineral Resource area is more limited around the margins of the salar. Validation was performed using a series of checks including comparison of univariate statistics for global estimation bias, and visual inspection against samples on plans and sections. Visual validation shows an acceptable agreement between the samples and the Ordinary Kriging estimates. Moisture Whether the tonnages are estimated on a dry basis or with natural moisture, and the method of determination of the moisture content. Moisture content of the cores was Measured (porosity and density measurements were made), but as brine is extracted by pumping not mining the sediments moisture is not relevant for the resource estimation. Tonnages are estimated as metallic lithium dissolved in brine, with lithium values converted to a lithium carbonate tonnage using a conversion factor of 5.323. Cut-off parameters The basis of the adopted cut-off grade(s) or quality parameters applied. A lithium cut-off grade of 300 mg/l was used based on a breakeven cut-off grade for a projected lithium carbonate equivalent price of US$20,000 per tonne over the entirety of the LOM. Mining factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible mining methods, minimum mining dimensions and internal (or, if applicable, external) mining dilution. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential mining methods, but the assumptions made regarding mining methods and parameters when estimating Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the mining assumptions made. The resource has been quoted in terms of brine volume, concentration of dissolved elements, contained lithium and their product lithium carbonate. No mining or recovery factors have been applied (although the use of the specific yield = drainable porosity is used to reflect the reasonable prospects for economic extraction with the proposed mining methodology). It should be noted that conversion of Mineral Resources to Ore Reserves for brine deposits is lower than that for hard rock deposits. Dilution of brine concentrations may occur over time and typically there are lithium and potassium losses in both the ponds and processing plant in brine mining operations. However, potential dilution will be estimated in the groundwater model simulating brine extraction, to define a Ore Reserve. The conceptual mining method is recovering brine from the salt lake via a network of wells, the established practice on existing lithium brine projects. Detailed hydrologic studies of the lake have been undertaken (catchment and groundwater modelling) to evaluate the extractable Mineral Resources and potential extraction rates Metallurgical factors or assumptions The basis for assumptions or predictions regarding metallurgical amenability. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential metallurgical methods, but the assumptions regarding metallurgical treatment processes and parameters made when reporting Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the metallurgical assumptions made. Lithium carbonate is currently produced on site via conventional brine processing techniques and evaporation ponds to concentrate the brine prior to processing. Additional brine extracted for the Stage 2 expansion would be processed the same way, with refinements related to optimisation of the process, learnt from operation of Stage 1. Environmental factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible waste and process residue disposal options. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider the potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation. While at this stage the determination of potential environmental impacts, particularly for a greenfields project, may not always be well advanced, the status of early consideration of these potential environmental impacts should be reported. Where these aspects have not been considered this should be reported with an explanation of the environmental assumptions made. Impacts of the lithium carbonate production operation at the Olaroz salar include; surface disturbance from the creation of extraction/processing facilities and associated infrastructure, accumulation of various salt tailings impoundments and extraction from brine and freshwater aquifers regionally. Precipitated salts are collected in ponds and later returned to the salar. The project holds the necessary environmental permits for the Stage 1 and Stage 2 production. Bulk density Whether assumed or determined. If assumed, the basis for the assumptions. If determined, the method used, whether wet or dry, the frequency of the measurements, the nature, size and representativeness of the samples. The bulk density for bulk material must have been measured by methods that adequately account for void spaces (vugs, porosity, etc), moisture and differences between rock and alteration zones within the deposit. Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the evaluation process of the different materials. Density measurements were taken as part of the drill core assessment. This included determining dry density and particle density as well as field measurements of brine density. Note that no mining of sediments is to be carried out, as brine is to be extracted by pumping and consequently sediments are not mined but the lithium and potassium is extracted by pumping. No bulk density was applied to the estimates because Mineral Resources are defined by volume, rather than by tonnage. The salt unit can contain fractures and possibly vugs which host brine and add to the drainable porosity. However, salt units below 50 m depth are generally quite compact. Classification The basis for the classification of the Mineral Resources into varying confidence categories. Whether appropriate account has been taken of all relevant factors (ie relative confidence in tonnage/grade estimations, reliability of input data, confidence in continuity of geology and metal values, quality, quantity and distribution of the data). Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Persons view of the deposit. The Mineral Resource has been classified in Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources categories based on the spatial distribution of data and confidence in the estimation. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource reflect higher confidence in the geological interpretation in the upper levels of the salar and the greater frequency of data, where there is current production. The Inferred Mineral Resource underlies the Indicated and Measured Mineral Resource in the deeper part of the salar and around the edges of the salar, and reflects the limited drilling in these areas. In the view of the Competent Person the resource classification is believed to adequately reflect the available data and takes into account and is consistent with the JORC code 2012 and the Australian Brine Guidelines. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of Mineral Resource estimates. This Mineral Resource was estimated by independent consultancy H&S Consultants, with work supervised by the Competent Person Mr Brooker. Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence Where appropriate a statement of the relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Resource estimate using an approach or procedure deemed appropriate by the Competent Person. For example, the application of statistical or geostatistical procedures to quantify the relative accuracy of the resource within stated confidence limits, or, if such an approach is not deemed appropriate, a qualitative discussion of the factors that could affect the relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate. The statement should specify whether it relates to global or local estimates, and, if local, state the relevant tonnages, which should be relevant to technical and economic evaluation. VANCOUVER, British-Columbia, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arbor Metals Corp. (Arbor or the Company) (TSXV: ABR, FWB: 432) announces the Company's exploration team, currently deployed on-site, has made exciting discoveries in the north section of the Jarnet Lithium Project . Multiple untested pegmatite outcrops have been identified in this region, in close proximity to where the best samples from previous exploration programs originated. This latest development has prompted the exploration team to allocate additional time and resources to this part of the program. The team is now focused on thoroughly examining and sampling these newfound pegmatite outcrops. Utilizing the state-of-the-art Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) laser spectrometer, the team will conduct in-depth analyses to refine and pinpoint drill targets. President and CEO of Arbor , Mark Ferguson, expressed his enthusiasm for these discoveries, stating, "We are incredibly excited about identifying these pegmatite outcrops in our Jarnet Project. This development holds the potential to significantly impact both our current exploration program and the overall prospects of the Jarnet Lithium Project. Our team's dedication and skill in making these discoveries are commendable." Arbor remains committed to conducting its exploration and mining activities with the utmost regard for environmental sensitivity and collaborating with local communities and Indigenous groups. The Company acknowledges the importance of responsible resource development in alignment with its corporate values. The exploration team will continue its diligent work on-site, conducting further assessments and analyses, and the Company will provide updates as the program progresses. Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Dr. Peter Born, P.Geo, a Director of Arbor and a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101. About Arbor Metals Corp. Arbor Metals Corp. is a mining exploration company focused on developing high-value, geographically significant mineral projects worldwide. Arbor is paving the way for advanced mineral exploration as it oversees world-class mining projects. The Company is confident that combining quality projects with proven strategies and a dedicated team will yield exceptional outcomes. Arbor currently oversees three outstanding mineral projects. The Jarnet lithium project , located in the James Bay region of Quebec, comprises 47 map-designated claims, covering an area of approximately 3,759 hectares. The Jarnet project is contiguous to the Corvette-FCI property, where diamond drilling has confirmed significant lithium mineralization, representing one of the highest-profile lithium exploration projects in the sector. For further information, contact Mark Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer, at info@arbormetalscorp.com , 403-852-4869, or visit the Companys website at www.arbormetalscorp.com . On behalf of the Board, Arbor Metals Corp. Mark Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain Forward-Looking Statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, target, plan, forecast, may, schedule, and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to planned project development, exploration programs, success of the LIBS analytical approach and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Companys current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ac9c34f-6084-4782-a8ec-1c2f30b35a1a VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (West Red Lake Gold or WRLG or the Company) (TSXV:WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Harpreet Dhaliwal to the position of Chief Financial Officer effective November 15, 2023. Shane Williams, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented, On behalf of entire West Red Lake Gold team, I would like to welcome Harpreet to the organization, and we are delighted to have someone of Harpreet's caliber join the team. Harpreet's experience in the mining industry in the CFO role is well established, and she joins West Red Lake Gold at an exciting time in the Company's stage of development. Harpreet Dhaliwal, CPA, CA, is a highly regarded and accomplished financial executive with 16 years of extensive experience in the resource sector. A graduate of The University of British Columbia, Ms. Dhaliwal commenced her career in the public accounting field before transitioning to the resource sector working with Uranium One Inc., American Bonanza Gold Corp., Endeavour Mining Corp., Fiore Management & Advisory Corp and Leagold Mining Corp. Most recently, Ms. Dhaliwal served as the Chief Financial Officer at NexGen Energy Ltd. Ms. Dhaliwal was responsible for implementing controls across the organization which led to NexGens successful inaugural SOX compliance reporting. She successfully led the filing of the $500M Base Shelf Prospectus and the $250M At-the-Market Equity Program and ensured compliance on all listed exchanges including Toronto Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange and Australian Securities Exchange. She was also responsible for the implementation of an ERP system, maintaining the Companys IT infrastructure, and working with the project teams on delivering effective budgeting, forecasting and management reporting. At her previous role at Leagold Mining Corp as CFO, she was responsible for the design and implementation of financial and management reporting, treasury, and working with the operations and project teams on developing budgets and forecasts for multiple producing multi-jurisdictional mines. She was a valuable member of a team that successfully completed numerous mergers and acquisitions supported by debt and equity financings and led integrated lean and efficient finance teams. The Company would like to thank current CFO & Corporate Secretary, Jasvir Kaloti for her continued dedication and contributions. Jasvir Kaloti will remain as the Corporate Secretary following the appointment of Harpreet Dhaliwal as CFO on November 15, 2023. The Company further announces that it has entered into an agreement dated September 14, 2023 to issue 50,000 common shares (the Debt Shares) of the Company at a deemed price of $0.60 per Debt Share in settlement of $30,000 of amounts owing to an arms length creditor. The issuance of the Debt Shares is subject to the prior approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. ABOUT WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD. West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The highly productive Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the world's richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 km2 including three past producing gold mines - Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit. ON BEHALF OF WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD. Shane Williams Shane Williams President & Chief Executive Officer FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Amandip Singh, VP Corporate Development Tel: 416-203-9181 Email: investors@westredlakegold.com or visit the Companys website at https://www.westredlakegold.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements", including, among others, statements relating to expectations regarding the appointment of Harpreet Dhaliwal, and the issuance of the Debt Shares in settlement of certain accounts payable. When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management, however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward- looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a4c4f83-4230-4299-9acc-c12ff6f10f82 New York, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Market size is projected to expand at ~ 6% CAGR between 2023 and 2033. The market is expected to garner a revenue of USD 180 Million by the end of 2033, up from a revenue of ~USD 110 Million in the year 2022. The growth of the market can be attributed to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases across the globe. For instance, in India, according to a study, approximately 10.1% of people have multiple chronic illnesses, while more than 19.8% of people have at least one chronic condition. Request Free Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.researchnester.com/sample-request- 4595 Furthermore, the Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Market process is used in certain laboratory procedures to detect the pathogen and infection carrier. Numerous infectious diseases claim millions of lives each year, including tuberculosis, hepatitis, and influenza. Thus, loop-mediated isothermal amplification has become a favored alternative in a variety of clinical and industrial settings due to its benefits, which include disease-specific testing possibilities. Hence, the rising need for accurate and on-time testing of infections and the growing cases of infectious diseases across the world are predicted to drive market growth during the forecast period. It was reported that each year, at least 2 million Americans have an infection that goes untreated, and at least 23,000 of them die. Global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Market: Key Takeaways Market in North America to propel highest growth Hospital laboratories segment to garner the highest growth Market in Asia Pacific to grow at a highest rate Growing COVID-19 Pandemic and Rising Healthcare Expenditure to Drive Market Growth The growth of the market can be attributed to the increasing prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Market plays an important role in testing this infection in the laboratory and gives real-time results. The tests, including PCR and real-time PCR, can be performed by employing the LAMP mechanism. For instance, as of January 2022, there were around 664,097,132 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 6,716,108 deaths owing to it around the world. Moreover, the rising need for genetic testing owing to the increasing prevalence of genetic disorders is predicted to propel market growth during the forecast period. Also, the DNA amplification method is less complicated and more affordable than traditional PCR, and it reacts more quickly. Along with real-time detection and target quantification, the use of intercalating dyes also contributes to improving the detection's sensitivity via the DNA testing method. In addition to this, with the increasing healthcare expenditure across the globe on account of the high prevalence of diseases worldwide, more money is being spent on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, which is expected to increase the rate of Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Market. Furthermore, the rising government investments in the healthcare industry are expected to create new opportunities for market expansion during the projected time frame. For instance, global health spending has surged over the past 20 years, according to the World Health Organization, doubling in real terms to reach USD 8.5 trillion in 2019 and 9.8% of GDP, up from 8.5% in 2000. Global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Market: Regional Overview The global loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) market is segmented into five major regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa region. Expanding Healthcare Infrastructure and Rising Chronic Disease Prevalence to Drive Growth in North America The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) market in the North American region is estimated to garner the largest revenue by the end of 2033. The growth of the market can be attributed to the growing healthcare infrastructure, backed by the rising spending on healthcare in the region. It was noted that major countries in the region, including the USA and Canada, spend around USD 30 billion on healthcare, and the total healthcare expenditure in Canada in 2022 was estimated to be more than USD 8,560 per person and is estimated to rise further owing to increasing awareness of the importance of proper care and diagnosis and rising disposable income in the region. Apart from this, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and diabetes, is predicted to boost market growth over the upcoming years. It was found that around 34.2 million people in the US live with diabetes, and this number is predicted to increase significantly during the forecast period owing to the growing prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle habits and a lack of exercise among people. Furthermore, the increasing burden of treating and managing these chronic diseases is quite costly, which is estimated to boost market growth during the forecast period. Rising Infectious Disease Cases and a Growing Geriatric Population to Drive Growth in the Asia Pacific Region The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) market in the Asia Pacific region is estimated to garner the highest CAGR by the end of 2033. The growth of the market can be attributed to the increasing rate of the geriatric population in the region, which is more prone to acquire various chronic diseases and needs hospital assistance and lab testing very often. For instance, in the Asia Pacific region, it is anticipated that one in four people will be older than 60 by 2050. Additionally, the region's rising treatment costs for these impairments and the area's doubling disposable income are anticipated to fuel market expansion during the projected period. Furthermore, the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, including measles, hepatitis A and B, influenza, diarrhea, and COVID-19, in the major countries of the region, which include China, Japan, and India, is predicted to fuel market growth over the forecast period. It was noted that infectious diarrhea was the second-most prevalent communicable disease in China in 2021, with about 1.35 million cases reported there, and hand-foot-mouth disease was the second-most prevalent infectious disease in the region. Moreover, the rising investment by the major key players in the region in research and development is expected to propel market growth during the forecast period. Make an Inquiry Before Buying this Report @ https://www.researchnester.com/inquiries-before-buying- 4595 Global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), Segmentation by End-User Hospital Laboratories Research and Academic Institutes Diagnostic Centers The hospital laboratories segment is anticipated to hold the largest revenue by the end of 2033. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the patients' hefty outlays for test findings from reputed labs and those labs' affiliations with blood banks, clinics, and specialized diagnostic facilities. According to recent research, hospital medical and diagnostic laboratories in the United States are expected to generate close to USD 54 billion in revenue by 2024. Additionally, hospitalizations owing to an increase in communicable diseases and the increasing spread of COVID-19 have led to a noticeable increase in the number of hospitals across the globe, as the majority of COVID-19 patients require laboratory testing, hospital admission, and ICU care, all of which are predicted to fuel segment growth over the course of the forecast period. It was noted that in 2021, COVID-19 patients filled around 80% of hospital beds in the US and almost 79% of hospital ICUs. Additionally, expanding autoimmune disease awareness, rising healthcare spending, and rising healthcare investment are expected to contribute to segment growth over the course of the projection period. Global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), Segmentation by Application Diagnostic Research Purposes The diagnostic segment is anticipated to hold the largest revenue by the end of 2033. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the increasing need among the population for quick and effective diagnosis of various chronic and communicable diseases. Furthermore, the rate of infectious diseases is predicted to rise further during the forecast period owing to people's abrupt transition to unhealthy lifestyles and the consumption of calorie-dense foods. As a result, the demand for loop-mediated isothermal amplification is estimated to increase over the upcoming years. It was found that over one-third of American adults, or 36.6 percent of all adults, or around 85 million people, consume fast food every day. Furthermore, increasing investment in research and development to improve diagnostic facilities and techniques is expected to fuel segment growth during the forecast period. It was found that innovation investments were at an all-time high prior to the COVID-19 havoc. Research and development expanded in the US at a historic rate of 8.5% in 2019. Also, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom have continued to lead the list for innovation for the past three years. Request for Customization of this Report @ https://www.researchnester.com/customized-reports- 4595 Global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), Segmentation by Technology Microfluidic Advanced Infrared Optical Modern Microsystem Technology Few of the well-known market leaders in the global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) market that are profiled by Research Nester are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., New England Biolabs, Inc., Nippon Gene Co., Ltd., Omega Bio-tek, Inc., LGC Limited, Excellgen.com, Meridian Bioscience, Inc., HiberGene Diagnostics, Jena Bioscience GmbH, and other key market players. Recent Development in the Global Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Market The Gibco CTS DynaCellect Magnetic Separation System (DynaCellect), which was unveiled by Thermo Fisher Scientific, would make it easier for companies researching cell therapies to move from the process and clinical development to commercial manufacture. HiberGene Diagnostics has announced that it would offer its state-of-the-art point-of-care (POC) and near-patient testing solutions to healthcare professionals in the UK and Ireland. One can choose from a variety of tests for infectious and communicable diseases with these excellent selections. About Research Nester Research Nester is a one-stop service provider with a client base in more than 50 countries, leading in strategic market research and consulting with an unbiased and unparalleled approach to helping global industrial players, conglomerates, and executives for their future investments while avoiding forthcoming uncertainties. With an out-of-the-box mindset to produce statistical and analytical market research reports, we provide strategic consulting so that our clients can make wise business decisions with clarity while strategizing and planning for their forthcoming needs and succeed in achieving their future endeavors. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided the right guidance at the right time is available through strategic minds. NEW YORK CITY, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sesame, the company building a radically new healthcare system for uninsured Americans and those with high-deductible plans, today is launching a partnership to offer special discount pricing to Costco Members on a broad range of outpatient medical care offered at Sesame. The news was first reported by Bloomberg News healthcare reporter John Tozzi . Quality, great value, and low price are what the Costco brand is known for, said David Goldhill, Sesames co-founder and CEO, and a serial author on American healthcare reform. When it comes to health care, Sesame also delivers high quality and great value and a low price that will be appreciated by Costco Members when it comes to their own care. What is Sesame? Sesame has built a unique healthcare marketplace, connecting thousands of outpatient healthcare providers covering all 50 United States with American consumers seeking high quality, convenient medical care at half the price of what is typical. By bringing marketplace dynamics to consumer healthcare for the first time, Sesame has created an environment where providers actually compete to serve patients, regardless of the patients insurance status. The resulting competition lowers the price of care, drives complete price transparency, provides ready access to health providers (the vast majority of appointments on Sesame take place within two hours), and ensures a high-quality consumer experience with top-rated providers. The Sesame marketplace is comprised of primary care doctors and nurse practitioners, more than 40 health specialties, labs and imaging centers, and is inclusive of both virtual and in-person care. Why is this partnership unique? Many retailers are expanding their healthcare offerings by offering preventative and urgent care services in store, as well as opening pharmacies. By partnering with Sesame, Costco is providing its members access to Sesame marketplace of low-price healthcare services, virtually or in-person with a provider, all at an exclusive discount. With the option to bring healthcare into their home, Costco members will have access to care in a setting thats right for them and have the option to develop long-term doctor-patient relationships with a Sesame provider. What do Costco Members now get? With todays announcement, all Costco Members will receive Sesames best pricing on a range of health services across all 50 states, such as: Virtual primary care, just $29. Health check-ups (a standard lab panel, plus a virtual follow-up consultation with a provider), just $72. Virtual mental health therapy, just $79. Plus, 10% off of all other Sesame services, including in-person appointments. Sesame doesnt accept health insurance, making it ideal for Costco Members that prefer to pay cash for their health care, whether it is because they are enrolled in high deductible insurance plans, are uninsured, or simply appreciate the price, quality and convenience of Sesame. ABOUT SESAME: Sesame is building a radically new healthcare system for uninsured Americans and those with high-deductible plans. The company's marketplace replaces historically inefficient, expensive healthcare with a direct connection either virtually or in-person between patients and physicians. This direct connection enables Sesame to offer doctor visits, labs, imaging and prescription drugs at half the price. Sesame is backed by private equity investors that include GV, Virgin Group, General Catalyst and Giant Ventures. The company was ranked #1 by Healthline for overall care in 2021, 2022 and 2023 , as well as Best for Doctor Choice in 2023 by Forbes. For more information, visit www.sesamecare.com. Attachment IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation [OTC Markets NYMXF] (the Company) is pleased to announce today that a new formal submission has been made by the Company in the U.K. for Nymozarfex (TM) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) was submitted to the U.K. Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The new submission includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Company will provide further information, including with respect to other submissions for Nymozarfex (TM), when the information becomes available. Paul Averback MD, CEO of Nymox said, "We thank our team members and many very important expert collaborators for their efforts and perseverance involved in the ongoing process. This product is a major innovation and there is a great need for men throughout the world to have access to this technology, which is unique. We will continue to provide updates and all relevant communications whenever appropriate. The Company is very grateful for the solid support of our valued stakeholders." About NYMOX Nymox is in the process of submitting applications for the approval to market the Company's first in class drug NYMOZARFEX (TM) to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is one of the most common conditions affecting middle aged and elderly men throughout the world. BPH can be devastating to men who suffer from the condition. Current treatments are associated with numerous intolerable side effects including sexual problems, such as impotence and retrograde ejaculation. Medications for BPH have been associated with prostate cancer, depression, gynecomastia and other adverse effects. The majority of men stop taking the available medications due to these and other problems. Surgery is often needed for advanced BPH. Surgery is usually effective but it is not without risks, the discomforts of surgery, and BPH surgery has side effects such as permanent retrograde ejaculation for many patients. Nymox recently reported 10-year follow-up new data on all available patients from its U.S. clinical trial of NYMOZARFEX (TM) for the treatment of low grade localized prostate cancer. The available long-term data newly assessed, confirmed that all available data shows that the NYMOZARFEX (TM) treatment had important and statistically significant benefit for reducing the long-term progression of these prostate cancers. About NYMOZARFEX (TM) (Fexapotide) NYMOZARFEX (TM) is given in an in-office procedure that is administered in a few minutes without need of anesthesia or analgesia. The drug has been tested in clinical trials involving overall more than 1750 patients with over 1600 injections administered including over 1200 NYMOZARFEX (TM) administrations. NYMOZARFEX (TM) has led to significant long-term improvements and has shown an excellent safety profile without the side effects normally associated with existing BPH treatments. For more information please contact info@nymox.com or 800-936-9669. Forward Looking Statements To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Nymox, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the need for new options to treat BPH and prostate cancer, the potential of Fexapotide to treat BPH and prostate cancer and the estimated timing of further developments for Fexapotide. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our clinical development program, future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the clinical drug development process, including the regulatory approval process, the timing of Nymox's regulatory filings, Nymox's substantial dependence on Fexapotide, Nymox's commercialization plans and efforts and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of Fexapotide. Nymox undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Nymox in general, see Nymox's current and future reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, and its Quarterly Reports. Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global pigment market is projected to flourish at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2022 to 2031. As per the report published by TMR, a valuation of US$ 53.8 billion is anticipated for the market in 2031. As of 2023, the market for pigments is expected to close at US$ 37.7 billion. The construction industry is a major consumer of pigments for colouring concrete, paints, coatings, and other construction materials. Growing urbanization and infrastructure development worldwide have fuelled demand for pigments. An increase in the demand for decorative and industrial paints and a rise in housing construction and infrastructural development are anticipated to fuel the pigments market during the forecast period. Expansion in the marine, furniture, and consumer goods sectors is also contributing to a surge in the demand for industrial paints, thereby driving the global pigments market. Increasing demand for pigments in the automotive industry for coatings, plastics, and interior applications. Increasing automobile production and consumer preferences for vibrant colours drive pigment demand. Stay a step ahead of the competition with our industry expertise grab your sample copy today: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=905 Market Snapshot: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue US$ 34.5 Bn Estimated Revenue US$ 53.8 Bn Growth Rate - CAGR 4.6% Forecast Period 2022-2031 No. of Pages 309 Pages Market Segmentation By Product, End-use, Region Regions Covered North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa Companies Covered Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Key Takeaways from the Market Study As of 2022, the pigments market was valued at US$ 36.0 billion By specialty, the classic organic segment enjoys high demand, accumulating a high revenue share during the forecast period. Based on product, the inorganic segment is anticipated to dominate the industry during the forecast period Based on end-users, the paintings and coatings segment is expected to generate high revenue during the forecast period. Pigments Market: Key Trends and Opportunistic Frontiers Rise in construction activities, increase in the number of infrastructural development projects in growing economies such as India, China, Vietnam, and GCC, and expansion in the automotive sector in developing countries are driving the demand for pigments. Increasing demand for pigments in textile dyeing and printing processes. The fashion industry's dynamic trends and demand for customized colours contribute to pigment consumption. Continuous research and development in pigment technology have led to improved pigment properties, including colour stability, dispensability, and compatibility with various substrates. Have questions or need customization? Our industry experts are here to assist you: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=ASK&rep_id=905 Pigments Market Regional Analysis Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the pigments market during the forecast period. The owing to increase in demand for paints and coatings in countries such as China, India, and Japan is driving the market in Asia Pacific. Expansion of the automotive sector is also expected to fuel the market in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. Growing industrial and construction activities contribute to the demand for pigments. North America is expected to account for a high share of the pigments market. The mature pigments market is driven by a strong presence in the manufacturing, automotive, and construction industries. There is also a growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable pigments. Competitive Landscape The global pigment market is dominated by a few large and medium players operating across the world. The top few players operating in the global market cumulatively accounted for more than 50% share in 2021. Key players are focusing on technological innovations, business expansion through mergers and acquisitions, financial restructuring and investments, and capacity expansion to have a large global presence and enhance their pigments market share The Chemours Company CRISTAL Tronox Limited BASF SE LANXESS Clariant International AG Ferro Corporation KRONOS Worldwide Inc. Sun Chemical Corporation Cathay Industries Group Heubach GmbH Gharda Chemicals Limited Sudarshan Chemical Industries Limited Altana AG Key Developments in the Pigments Market BASF , a global chemical company, has been focusing on developing pigments with improved colour intensity, durability, and environmental performance. They have also invested in sustainable pigment solutions, such as bio-based pigments. , a global chemical company, has been focusing on developing pigments with improved colour intensity, durability, and environmental performance. They have also invested in sustainable pigment solutions, such as bio-based pigments. Clariant has been at the forefront of innovation in pigments, particularly in the field of colorants for plastics. They have introduced pigments that offer high colour strength and thermal stability. has been at the forefront of innovation in pigments, particularly in the field of colorants for plastics. They have introduced pigments that offer high colour strength and thermal stability. DIC Corporation has been engaged in the development of pigments with improved dispersion properties, stability, and color consistency. They have also focused on developing pigments for digital printing applications. has been engaged in the development of pigments with improved dispersion properties, stability, and color consistency. They have also focused on developing pigments for digital printing applications. Ferro Corporation has worked on developing specialized pigments for ceramic and glass applications. They have also invested in sustainable pigment solutions to reduce the environmental impact of their products. Partial Table of Content (ToC): 1. Executive Summary 1.1. Global Market Outlook 1.2. Demand Side Trends 1.3. Key Facts and Figures 1.4. Trends Impacting Market 1.5. TMRs Growth Opportunity Wheel 2. Market Overview 2.1. Market Segmentation 2.2. Key Developments 2.3. Market Definitions 2.4. Key Market Trends 2.4.1. Market Dynamics 2.4.2. Drivers 2.4.3. Restraints 2.4.4. Opportunities 2.5. Global Pigments Market Analysis and Forecast, 2020-2031 2.5.1. Global Pigments Market Volume (Kilo Tons) 2.5.2. Global Pigments Market Revenue (US$ Mn) 2.6. Porters Five Forces Analysis 2.7. Regulatory Landscape 2.8. Value Chain Analysis 2.8.1. List of Raw Material Providers 2.8.2. List of Manufacturers 2.8.3. List of Dealers/Distributors 2.8.4. List of Potential Customers 2.9. Production Overview 2.10. Product Specification Analysis 2.11. Cost Structure Analysis 3. COVID-19 Impact Analysis 4. Global Pigments Market Analysis and Forecast, by Product, 20202031 4.1. Introduction and Definitions 4.2. Global Pigments Market Volume (Kilo Tons) and Value (US$ Bn) Forecast, by Product, 20202031 4.2.1. Inorganic 4.2.1.1. Titanium Dioxide 4.2.1.2. Iron Oxide 4.2.1.3. Carbon Black 4.2.1.4. Chromium Compounds 4.2.1.5. Others 4.2.2. Organic 4.2.2.1. Azo 4.2.2.2. Phthalocyanine 4.2.2.3. Quinacridone 4.2.2.4. Others 4.2.3. Specialty 4.2.3.1. Classic Organic 4.2.3.2. Metallic 4.2.3.3. High-performance Organic 4.2.3.4. Light Interference 4.2.3.5. Complex Inorganic 4.2.3.6. Fluorescent 4.2.3.7. Luminescent/Phosphorescent 4.2.3.8. Thermochromic 4.2.3.9. Others Request Complete TOC of this Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=905 Pigments Market Key Segments Product Inorganic Titanium Dioxide Iron Oxide Carbon Black Chromium Compounds Others Organic Azo Phthalocyanine Quinacridone Others Specialty Classic Organic Metallic High-performance Organic Light Interference Complex Inorganic Fluorescent Luminescent/Phosphorescent Thermochromic Others End-use Paints and Coatings Printing Inks Plastics Construction Materials Others Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports. Contact: Nikhil Sawlani Transparency Market Research Inc. CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN, 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Blog: https://tmrblog.com Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the current Farm Bill expiration date approaches Sept. 30, and Congress continues to stall in advancing a new one, American family farmers and ranchers, who have a direct stake in the outcome, mobilized to Washington D.C. Sept. 17-22 to assert their position on key bills during their second Farm Bill Summit in two months. The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM), Competitive Markets Action (CMA), and members of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, Kansas Cattlemens Association, National Dairy Producers Organization, American Grassfed Association, Farm Action and others, rallied in our Nations Capital in nearly 100 meetings. The groups voiced their strong opposition to the so-called Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, H.R. 4417/S. 2019, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas. If enacted, the EATS Act would nullify more than a thousand state and local agricultural laws that are in place to protect communities from a myriad of issues such as invasive pests and livestock diseases. The absence of local regulations would create an environment in which foreign conglomerates, such as the Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods, could easily expand across all 50 states without having to comply with state laws. Guarding U.S. agriculture and farmland ownership from Chinese companies is both a food safety and national security issue. EATS would weaken policy guardrails that are in place to prevent nefarious activity on U.S. soil. The organizations also advocated for the inclusion of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, H.R. 1249/S. 557, led by Sens. Mike Lee, R-UT, Rand Paul, R-KY, Cory Booker, D-NJ, Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, and Reps. Nancy Mace, R-SC, and Dina Titus, D-NV, in the upcoming Farm Bill. OFF would reform the U.S. Dept. of Agricultures scandal-ridden Commodity Checkoff Programs by requiring transparency so farmers are able to see where the tax dollars they pay are being spent; would prohibit anti-competitive practices in the marketplace like the use of slogans such as Pork the Other White Meat; and would codify a Supreme Court decision that prohibits checkoffs from utilizing funds for lobbying purposes. Checkoffs have long-lobbied for harmful policies like the repeal of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) that have decimated American family farmers and cattle prices. Following the sumitt and the groups' meeting with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, he and Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-IN, introduced an amendment to the FY24 Agriculture Appropriations Act that states "none of the funds made available by this bill may be used to carry out commodity checkoff programs." The measure has since been ruled in order and will likely be up for a vote on the House floor this week. If EATS is included in the upcoming Farm Bill, it will mark the end of American family farming as we know it, said Deborah Mills, Chairwoman of the National Dairy Producers Organization and a Board Director at the Organization for Competitive Markets. We must fight this hostile takeover with everything we have. Its clear from China Weeklys recent commentary that the Hinson-Marshall EATS Act is exactly what the Chinese Communist Party wants to see enacted to help them takeover American agriculture. Arguably, the EATS Act is the most controversial piece of legislation being attempted to insert into the 2023 Farm Bill. In addition to farmers and ranchers, Congressional lawmakers, and government associations have also voiced their objection to the bill. Last month a bipartisan group of 30 U.S. Senators submitted a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee leadership opposing the EATS Act, and a coalition of over 170 U.S. Representatives submitted a letter to U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., and Ranking Member David Scott, R-Ga., citing their opposition to the bill. Following these letters, the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties, and the National League of Cities also submitted letters, emphasizing the importance of avoiding preempting state level laws regarding agriculture production. As a proud American and lifelong producer, Im elated to see our members rally and rise up to defeat industrial agriculture and their backers in China on a level never seen before, said Jonathan Buttram, President of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association and Treasurer at the Organization for Competitive Markets. The industrial agriculture mafia is petrified of our work and the OFF Act because they see the writing on the wall and we hope they soon meet the same fate as New Yorks infamous Five Families. Since the inception of these programs, illegal relationships between checkoff boards and lobbying organizations have formed, said Mike Schultz, Founder of the Kansas Cattlemens Association, and Vice-President at the Organization for Competitive Markets. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been misused, and these checkoff programs, as they are currently being managed, do not work in the best interests of independent family famers." American family farmers are in peril and are fighting for their livelihoods under assault by the Hinson-Marshall EATS Act and its backers in China, said Marty Irby, President of Competitive Markets Action and Secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets. The gloves are off and groups like the National Cattlemens Beef Association and National Pork Producers Council that have long-hijacked the voice of independent producers are finally being exposed for what they truly are puppets of the Chinese government and multi-national conglomerates like Smithfield. The American Family Farmer Nation is finally rising up. In June, OCM and CMA launched a campaign against the EATS Act which included ad buys in Politico Morning and Weekly Ag for three full weeks in June and one full week in July, as well as ad buys that included a takeover of The Daily Callers homepage six times as well as radio ads in key Congressional Districts, and a billboard truck on Capitol Hill, the last half of July thatll be returning for the full month of September and beyond. The ads encourage voters to contact their elected officials and ask them to vote no on any Farm Bill that contains the EATS Act. OCM and CMA plan to continue the ad campaign throughout the course of 2023, or until the Farm Bill is finalized and enacted. OCM and CMA also conducted a fly-in to Washington, D.C. in July and engaged in nearly 100 meetings on the OFF and EATS Acts during that event as well. In addition to their grassroots advocacy CMA is represented on the EATS Act by several lobbying firms including Capitol South, LLC, and Conaway-Graves, led by former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-TX, as well as Vincent Trometter who hails from Williamsport, PA, in the home district of current House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "G.T." Thompson, R-PA. ### The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of the Organization for Competitive Markets is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission, and our duty, is to define and advocate the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as a regulator and enforcer of rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens. Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that was formed with the mission of shaping policy to promote more regenerative and sustainable agriculture, and competitive markets in the U.S., and to defend against attacks on states rights by the federal government. CMA works to raise awareness of the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to the American family farmer, the consumer and our U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms. Attachments PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GREAs National Student Housing Group is pleased to announce the sale of 101 student housing apartment units totaling 299 beds within walking distance to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The firm represented the seller, FPA Multifamily, headquartered in San Francisco, CA. The Knoxville market has experienced consistent student growth since 2015, reaching nearly 34,000 students at the beginning of the 2023 school year, with an impressive retention rate of approximately 90%. Ken Wellar, founding partner at GREA, stated: Our firm has been aggressively following growing student housing markets throughout the country. We are seeing more family office groups come into the student space given the fundamentals of student housing growth. In the current academic year, the University of Tennessee welcomes the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, the College of Music, and the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies, along with 187 new full-time faculty members. Steffan Ramos, an associate at GREA who worked on this transaction, stated: The University of Tennessees reputation for academic excellence attracts both students and faculty members, enabling the university to accommodate a wider range of prospective students and adapt to emerging fields of study. For more information on current rates or to view our available listings visit www.GREA.com FPA Multifamily, LLC is a real estate operating company focused on the acquisition, renovation and management of both core plus and work force housing apartment communities. Founded in 1985, FPA has owned over 148,000 apartment units valued at over $23 billion. FPA is currently investing through its value-add focused FPA Apartment Opportunity Fund VIII which will acquire approximately $4.6 billion of assets and its core-plus focused FPA Core Plus Fund V which will acquire approximately $1.9 billion of assets. Headquartered in San Francisco, FPA also has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Irvine and Washington DC. For more information, please visit www.fpamf.com GREA has been a leader in multifamily commercial real estate in Philadelphia and the surrounding markets since 2013. With our extensive local market knowledge, we pride ourselves in helping our clients from acquisition to disposition and through every major capital event. Press Contact: Corey Lonberger and Ken Wellar Founding Partners 215-454-2852 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b154c000-c92b-4cbf-b47b-471ee7cd3f92 PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that it is investigating the fairness of the proposed buyout of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (NYSE: AEL) (AEL) by Brookfield Reinsurance (Brookfield). On July 5, 2023, AEL announced that it had agreed to be acquired by Brookfield at a price of $55.00 per AEL share (consisting of $38.85 in cash and 0.49707 of a Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. share). Following the closing of the proposed transaction, AEL investors will be cashed out of their investment position and the companys shares will no longer be publicly traded. The investigation seeks to determine the fairness of the proposed transaction to AELs investors, including whether AEL shareholders will be receiving sufficient consideration for their shares, and whether AELs directors breached their fiduciary duties or violated the securities laws in agreeing to sell the company to Brookfield at $55.00 per share. AEL shareholders are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. or Adrienne Bell, Esq.) at (484) 229 0750, or by email (skaskela@kaskelalaw.com / abell@kaskelalaw.com) or online at https://kaskelalaw.com/cases/american-equity-investment-life-holding-company/ , for additional information about this investigation and their legal rights and options. Kaskela Law LLC represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation on a contingent basis. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com. This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. CONTACT: KASKELA LAW LLC D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. Adrienne Bell, Esq. 18 Campus Blvd., Suite 100 Newtown Square, PA 19073 (888) 715 1740 (484) 229 0750 www.kaskelalaw.com CHICAGO, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The M&A Advisor announced the finalists of the 22nd Annual M&A Advisor Awards. Dresner Partners has been selected as a finalist for Information Technology Deal of the Year (Between $50MM and $100MM) where it advised CCI Systems, Inc. in the divestiture of its Network Solutions Group business unit to ePlus Technology, inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ePlus inc. The awards will be presented, and winners revealed at a Black-Tie Awards Gala during the 2023 Future of Dealmaking Summit on November 14-15, 2023, in New York City. For nearly 25 years, The M&A Advisor has been honoring the leading M&A transactions, companies, and dealmakers. Dresner Partners was chosen from hundreds of participating companies to become an awards finalist. It gives us great pleasure to recognize Dresner Partners as a finalist for mergers and acquisitions firms and professionals, said Roger Aguinaldo, Founder and CEO of The M&A Advisor. Dresner Partners represents the best of the M&A industry in 2022-23 and earned these finalist honors by standing out in a group of very impressive candidates. Steven M. Dresner, President of Dresner Partners said, We are honored to be recognized as a finalist by The M&A Advisor and proud to be associated with all of the outstanding professionals who worked with us on the transaction. The Awards Gala is a feature of the 2023 Future of Dealmaking Summit. The Summit will take place on November 14-15, 2023, and will feature over 350 of the industrys leading professionals participating in exclusive interactive forums, sessions, roundtable discussions, one-on-one meetings and a solutions provider showcase led by a faculty of M&A industry stalwarts and business media experts. For an event profile CLICK HERE. For a complete list of winners CLICK HERE. About Dresner Partners Dresner Partners is a FINRA-registered, middle-market investment bank headquartered in Chicago, with professionals located in New York, Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, and Palo Alto. For more than 30 years, Dresner Partners has provided financial advisory services to middle-market companies throughout the world including merger and acquisitions advisory, institutional private placements of debt and equity, financial restructuring, valuations, and strategic consulting services. Dresner Partners has extensive international and cross-border transaction experience and is a member of Mergers Alliance, one of the worlds leading global mergers and acquisitions partnerships focused on the middle market. An affiliated company, Dresner Corporate Services, is a strategic communications firm specializing in public relations, investor relations and corporate development. More information is available at www.dresnerpartners.com. You can also follow Dresner Partners on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DresnerPartners. About The M&A Advisor Now in its 25th year, The M&A Advisor was founded to offer insights and intelligence on mergers and acquisitions, establishing the industrys leading media outlet in 1998. Today, the firm is recognized as the worlds premier leadership organization for mergers & acquisition, restructuring and corporate finance professionals, delivering a range of integrated services, including the most active online community of M&A professionals called M&A Connects. More information can be found at www.maadvisor.com. Media Contacts: David Gutierrez, Head of PR, IR and Corp. Dev., Dresner Partners, (312) 780-7204, dgutierrez@dresnerco.com Roger Aguinaldo, Founder and CEO, The M&A Advisor, (718) 997-7906, raguinaldo@maadvisor.com For Transaction Related Inquiries Christopher W. Nolan Sr., Managing Director, (212) 444-8029, cnolan@dresnerco.com Steven M. Dresner, President, (312) 780-7206, sdresner@dresnerco.com Boca Raton, Fla., Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renters across Florida are faced with a prolonged affordability crisis despite rent growth having returned to normal, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University and two other schools. Rent growth for the most part has returned to normal in Florida, with most of the measured metro areas in the state seeing rent growth at or below the national average, according to August numbers from the Waller, Weeks and Johnson Rental Index. Orlando saw the smallest year-over-year increases at 1.10 percent, followed by Jacksonville, 1.31 percent; Lakeland, 2.08 percent; Palm Bay, 2.33 percent; Tampa, 2.69 percent; Miami, 2.83 percent; Deltona, 2.99 percent; North Port, 4.02 percent; and Cape Coral, 6.90 percent. Rent growth on a national level for August reached 3.25 percent year-over-year. This is indicative of the rental market returning back to normal as rent usually increases by three to five percent in a typical year. Even our premiums are normalizing, said Ken H. Johnson, real estate economist with FAUs College of Business. However, we are entering a new normal where overall rents are high, and renters are left with a prolonged affordability crisis. The Waller Weeks and Johnson Rental Index, part of FAUs Real Estate Initiative, measures where the average rent is in the 100 most populated metropolitan areas in the United States and compares it to where rents should be based on historical rental pricing trends. Johnson, along with fellow researchers, Shelton Weeks, Ph.D., of Florida Gulf Coast University, and Bennie Waller, Ph.D. of the University of Alabama, also measure average yearly increases, monthly increases and how much money the typical household needs to make to avoid paying more than 30 percent of their income towards rent. Despite rent growth returning to normal, overall rents remain high, making it difficult for the typical renter to afford a place to rent as incomes have not kept pace. In Miami, the typical household needs a salary of $111,914 to avoid being house poor, or paying more than 30 percent of their income to rent. In North Port, the salary needed is $94,817; Cape Coral, $90,916; Tampa, $86,659; and Orlando, $83,486. Some people may end up leaving the area due to these costs, but it wont be enough to balance out the influx coming into the state. Florida has a vibrant, expanding economic base that will continue to draw people in, most likely preventing rents from falling, Waller said. Renters in Florida are unlikely to see relief until enough housing is built to meet the intense demand and combat the low supply. Typically, in a housing cycle, there is a balance between the number of roofs to live under and own plus the number of roofs to live under and rent, Weeks said. Until we build enough roofs to rent and own to address the severe supply shortage, there will be chaos in the rental and housing markets, which could take years to address. Cayenne S E-Hybrid is added to luxury SUV model range Positioned between Cayenne E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid models 512 hp (382 kW) system output and 553 lb-ft system torque Larger 25.9 kWh battery and 11 kW charging capacity Extended standard equipment with adaptive air suspension Stuttgart, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Porsche is expanding its hybrid range for the new Cayenne further. As the third plug-in model of the luxury SUV series that was comprehensively revised recently, the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid impresses with its finely balanced driving dynamics, comfort and efficiency. Stuttgart. The new Cayenne S E-Hybrid is the third electrified engine variant within the model series and is positioned between the Cayenne E-Hybrid and the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid models. Focusing on a fine balance between everyday usability and performance, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid is available in SUV and Coupe body styles and is a well-suited addition to the model range. The hybrid technology of the new Cayenne, comprehensively revised earlier this year, also provides this model variant with a further improved electric range and shorter charging times due to its intelligent energy management. In the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, a revised three-liter V6 turbo engine with 348 hp (260 kW) is paired with a 174 hp (130 kW) electric motor. Together they produce a system output of 512 hp and a maximum system torque of 553 lb-ft, allowing the Cayenne S E-Hybrid to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and reach the mile marker from a standing start in 13.0 seconds, a tenth of a second quicker than its non-hybrid twin-turbo V8 counterpart. Air suspension with two-chamber, two-valve technology for a broad range of performance In the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, the standard adaptive air suspension contributes to the combination of increased performance and greater driving comfort. Its innovative two-chamber, two-valve technology enables a particularly wide spectrum of spring rates and dynamic behavior that range from comfort-oriented to high performance. At the same time, the new S E-Hybrid models benefit from the optimization of the hybrid system of the current Cayenne generation. This includes a battery capacity of 25.9 kWh (gross) and an 11 kW on-board AC charger that can fully charge the Cayenne S E-Hybrid in roughly two and a half hours with the standard Level 2 charger on a 240V circuit. More standard features Visually, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid also integrates seamlessly within the existing model range. It comes equipped the 20-inch Cayenne S wheels and an exhaust system with two twin-tailpipes in brushed stainless steel as standard. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid SUV comes with a Silver exterior package, while the Coupe comes standard with a Black exterior package. Matrix Design LED headlights featuring automatic high beams and Lane Change Assist are now standard as well. The standard interior features the driver can look forward to include eight-way seats, Sport Chrono package including a mode switch on the steering wheel for selecting between driving modes, Comfort Access keyless entry and start, stainless steel pedal pads, as well as the Diamar interior package painted in Silvershade. The driver also benefits from additional functions in the My Porsche app, including new functions in Apple CarPlay as the first car manufacturer to enable easier access to car functions within CarPlay. In the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid, added comfort is provided by the new optional passenger screen that includes in-car video functions, as well as a new air quality system offering which is designed to filter out particles and hazardous substances. Availability and pricing The new Cayenne S E-Hybrid SUV and Coupe models can be ordered immediately, and are expected to reach dealers in Spring of 2024. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid has an MSRP of $99,100, not including the $1,650 delivery, processing, and handling fee, while the Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupe has an MSRP of $104,000. About Porsche Cars North America, Inc. | One Porsche Drive, Atlanta, GA 30354 USA Established in 1984, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is the exclusive U.S. importer of the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, Macan, Cayenne, Panamera and Taycan. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1998, PCNA is home to the first Porsche Experience Center in North America, which features two module-based 1.6 mile driver development tracks, a business center and Restaurant 356. The campus is also home to the U.S. headquarters of Porsche Classic. The company operates a second Porsche Experience Center near Los Angeles. That complex features a driver development track with eight educational modules totaling 4.1 miles, a business center, Restaurant 917 and the headquarters of Porsche Motorsport North America. PCNA supports 197 independently owned and operated Porsche centers, one Porsche Studio and three satellite stores in the U.S., including supplying parts, service, marketing, and training. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the Porsche brand's 75-year history of leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. PCNA is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date. Follow us: twitter.com/porsche | facebook.com/Porsche USAOfficial | instagram.com/porsche usa facebook.com/PECAtlanta|instagram.com/pecatl|facebook.com/pecla | instagram.com/pecla Photos and video footage are available to accredited journalists on the Porsche Press Database at http://press.porsche.com/. Attachments BRISBANE, Sept. 25, 2023 - Allkem Ltd. (ASX|TSX: AKE) ("Allkem" or "the Company") is pleased to announce an update to the Olaroz lithium brine operation located in Jujuy Province in Argentina. Allkem has reviewed and updated the Mineral Resources and economics for the Olaroz Lithium Facility ("Olaroz") including Stage 1 and Stage 2. In April 2022, Allkem released a Technical Report updating key economic metrics for Olaroz Stage 2 and in March 2023, Allkem released a Technical Report ("previous study") updating Mineral Resources. HIGHLIGHTS Stage 1 and 2 (42,500 lithium carbonate equivalent tonnes per annum) Financial Metrics Pre-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") of US$7.01 billion at a 10% discount rate and a Post-tax NPV of US$4.56 billion Long term operating costs for the combined Stage 1 and Stage 2 operation are estimated at US$4,149 per tonne lithium carbonate equivalent ("LCE") over the life-of-mine considering operational synergies from the joint operation of Stage 1 and 2 Mineral Resource Total Mineral Resource Estimate of 22.63 million tonnes ("Mt") LCE, a 10% increase from the previous estimate in March 2023 with a 52% increase in Measured Mineral Resources The Mineral Resource now comprises 11.54 Mt of LCE, as Measured, and 3.83 Mt as Indicated for a combined 15.38 Mt of Measured & Indicated Mineral Resource. There is an additional 7.25 Mt of Inferred Resources for a total resource of 22.6Mt (Measured, Indicated and Inferred) The improvement in Mineral Resource categorisation results from reclassification of Indicated Mineral Resources between 200 and 650 m depth as Measured Mineral Resources in the pumping field area, reflecting the greater amount of information available from pumping performance since installation of the Stage 2 wells and the addition of Maria Victoria tenements Olaroz's life of mine ("LOM") production represents ~8.5% of the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, further confirming the Tier 1 status of the basin, and its potential to support additional expansions Stage 2 (25,000 lithium carbonate equivalent tonnes per annum) Schedule Update The expansion achieved the first wet lithium carbonate production in July 2023. Commissioning activities are ongoing and production is scheduled for H2 CY23, with ramp-up expected to take 1 year Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Perez de Solay commented: "We have recently concluded a review of the company's resource base. The improvements in Mineral Resource classification for the project are built on our long-term commitment to understand the hydrology of the Olaroz-Cauchari basin to the best extent possible and to manage extraction from the basin in a responsible manner. This Mineral Resource base will support future studies focusing on maximising the productive capacity of this Tier 1 resource." PROJECT BACKGROUND Allkem is the operator and majority owner of Olaroz, located in the Jujuy Province, in northwest Argentina (Figure 1). Figure 1: Olaroz Project Location https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/614945e5-ea1f-4d1a-8014-5cf8bd2bb65a Allkem Ltd. holds 66.5% of Olaroz through its local subsidiary Sales de Jujuy S.A. ("SDJ"), with the remaining project ownership held by Toyota Tsusho (25%) and the Jujuy Energia y Mineria Sociedad del Estado (JEMSE) (8.5%). This Joint Venture holds mineral properties that cover the majority of the Salar de Olaroz, including tenements covering 47,615 hectares and two exploration properties ("cateos") consisting of 33 mining concessions. Olaroz is fully permitted by the provincial mining authorities and has provincial and federal permits, to allow operations for an initial 40 year mine life with renewable options to extend beyond 2053. Olaroz Stage 1 is the original project which commenced operation between 2013 and 2015 during the production ramp-up, with a maximum production capacity of 17,500 tpa of lithium carbonate. The Olaroz Stage 2 expansion, targeting an additional 25,000 tpa of lithium carbonate, produced first wet concentrate in July 2023, and is scheduled to commence production in H2 CY2023. Olaroz Stage 1 and Stage 2's cumulative site lithium carbonate production capacity is 42,500 tpa. GEOLOGY & MINERALISATION The Olaroz salar is located in the elevated Altiplano-Puna plateau of the Central Andes. The Puna plateau of north-western Argentina comprises a series of dominantly NNW to NNE trending reverse fault-bounded ranges up to 5,000-6,000 m high, with intervening internally drained basins at an average elevation of 3,700 m. High evaporation rates, together with reduced precipitation, have led to the deposition of evaporites in many of the Puna basins since 15 Ma, with borate deposition occurring for the past 8 Myr. Precipitation of salts and evaporites has occurred in the centre of basins where evaporation is the only means of water escaping from the hydrological system. Mineralization in the Olaroz salar consists of lithium dissolved in a hyper-saline brine, which is about eight times more concentrated than seawater. The lithium concentration is the product of the solar evaporation of brackish water which flows into the salar as groundwater and occasional surface water flows. The concentrated brine with lithium is distributed throughout the salar in pore spaces between grains of sediment. The brine also extends a considerable distance away from the salar, beneath alluvial gravel fans around the edges of the salar. These areas are largely unexplored by the company to date. In addition to lithium, there are other elements, such as sodium, magnesium, and boron, which constitute impurities that are removed in the ponds and processing plant. MINERAL RESOURCE UPDATE Olaroz wellfield update Following installation of the Stage 1 production wellfield at Olaroz, several deeper wells were installed in 2014 below 200 m in depth and subsequently utilised for Stage 1 production. This deeper drilling intersected high porosity and permeability sand units, with flow rates of over 30 litres per second (l/s). This discovery initiated evaluation of the deeper resource potential of the basin. Since 2011, material amounts of new information have been obtained from exploration and production activities at Olaroz. This included geological and production data from Stage 1 production and monitoring holes generally drilled to 200m, with some to 350m and 450 m; and the Stage 2 expansion production and monitoring holes to depths of between 450 and 650 metres. Additional information has also come from drilling in Cauchari, a 1,408 m deep exploration hole north of the production holes in Olaroz and geophysical surveys over the whole basin. Olaroz Stage 2 involved an expansion of facilities and production capacity to reach a total production capacity of 42,500 tpa LCE. This involved the installation of additional wells for brine extraction and for industrial water extraction, pipelines for brine and fresh water, additional brine collection ponds, lime plants, significantly expanded evaporation ponds (adjacent to the existing ponds), a new plant facility, stores, power generation facilities, reverse osmosis plant, production plant and accommodation camp. The last of the 15 new wells for Stage 2 production (Figures 2 and 4) was completed late in 2022. These production wells are now installed to depths between 450 m and 650 m (with one hole to 751 m), and most of the brine production comes from these deeper levels in the Salar on a 1 km grid spacing in the central to eastern area of the Salar, between the original Northern and Southern wellfields. In addition to the production wells, a number of diamond drill holes provide core and brine samples and allowed the installation of monitoring wells. The Stage 2 production wells are producing a combined flow of approximately 396 l/s, at an average per well of 28 l/s, since beginning operation. This is considerably higher than the Stage 1 wells, which have averaged 11 l/s per hole since the beginning of 2017. Samples from the wells were sent to external and internal laboratories for chemical analysis. This information and downhole geophysics (from a borehole magnetic resonance tool, part of a broader suite of geophysical tools) were used to update the geological model. The newly completed wells reached depths between 390 m and 751 m (E15). The lithium concentrations recorded an average lithium grade of 643 mg/L and varied from 544 mg/L to 789 mg/L. Further drilling information and analytical results are displayed in the Annexures. Wellfield operation started August 2013 with the ramp-up of stage 1 wells and then in CY21 wellfield production increased again with the ramp-up of stage 2 wells as seen in Figure 2. Figure 2: Production Wellfield Pumping and Extracted Lithium in Brine to ponds (August 2013 to June 2023) https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61bee127-e443-4d18-8d1b-68efc13ac3bd The historical well production from start of wellfield operation to 30 June 30 2023, is ~291kt of LCE. 286kt thousand tonnes of LCE was depleted from measured resources and 5kt of LCE was depleted from indicated resource over this period. Brine Mineral Resource Estimate Hydrominex Geoscience was engaged to estimate the lithium Mineral Resources in brine for various areas within the Salar de Olaroz basin in accordance with the 2012 edition of the JORC code ("JORC 2012"). Although the JORC 2012 standards do not address lithium brines specifically in the guidance documents, the QP has taken into account the Australian Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) brine guidelines and the NI 43-101 guidelines for lithium brines set forth by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM 2014). Hydrominex Geoscience considers these complies the intent of the JORC 2012 guidelines with respect to providing reliable and accurate information for the lithium brine deposit in the Salar de Olaroz. Figure 3: Location map of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Lithium Mineral Resources https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/271fb3cf-5d48-45a6-82ef-5323ca43e98c The 2023 Mineral Resource estimate is outlined in the following Table 1 and 1a presenting the lithium and lithium carbonate tonnages. The previous estimate at March 2023 is also presented in Table 2. A lithium cut-off grade of 300 mg/L was utilized based on a projected LCE price of US$20,000 per tonne over the entirety of the LOM. The total revised Mineral Resource estimate of 22.63 Mt LCE (detailed in Table 1) reflects a 10 % total increase to the prior Mineral Resource of 20.65 Mt LCE (detailed in Table 2). Table 1: Olaroz Mineral Resource Estimate at August 20231 Category Brine volume Average Li In Situ Li Li 2 CO 3 Equivalent Li 2 CO 3 Variance to March 2023 m3 mg/l tonnes Tonnes % Measured 3.3 x 109 659 2,170,000 11,540,000 53% Indicated 1.2 x 109 592 720,000 3,840,000 -46% Measured & Indicated 4.5 x 109 641 2,890,000 15,380,000 5% Inferred 2.2 x 109 609 1,360,000 7,250,000 21% Total 6.7 x 109 636 4,250,000 22,630,000 10% The Competent Person(s) for these Mineral Resources estimate is Hydrominex Geoscience for Olaroz Comparison of values may not add up due to rounding or the use of averaging methods Lithium is converted to lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) with a conversion factor of 5.323 The cut-off grade used to report Olaroz Mineral Resources is 300 mg/l Mineral Resources that are not Ore Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, there is no certainty that any or all of the Mineral Resources can be converted into Ore Reserves after application of the modifying factors Table 1a: Olaroz Mineral Resource Estimate at August 2023 by company Category Brine volume Average Li In Situ Li Li 2 CO 3 Li 2 CO 3 Equivalent Variance to March 2023 m3 mg/l tonnes Tonnes % Measured 3.3 x 109 659 2,170,000 11,540,000 53% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 2.7 x 109 664 1,796,000 9,561,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 2.0 x 108 700 142,000 756,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 3.8 x 108 595 229,000 1,219,000 Indicated 1.2 x x109 592 720,000 3,840,000 -46% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 1.1 x 109 591 659,000 3,508,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 4.2 x 107 645 27,000 144,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 5.9 x 107 573 34,000 181,000 Measured & Indicated 4.5 x 109 641 2,890,000 15,380,000 5% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 3.8 x 109 645 2,455,000 13,069,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 2.4 x 108 691 169,000 900,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 4.4 x 108 592 263,000 1,400,000 Inferred 2.2 x 109 609 1,360,000 7,250,000 21% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 1.2 x 109 623 764,000 4,067,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 2.4 x 108 650 154,000 820,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 7.3 x 108 608 443,000 2,358,000 Total 6.7 x 109 636 4,250,000 22,630,000 10% SDJ JV (66.5% AKE) 5.0 x 109 640 3,219,000 17,136,000 Olaroz Lithium (100% AKE) 4.8 x 108 671 323,000 1,720,000 La Frontera Minerals (100% AKE) 1.2 x 109 602 706,000 3,758,000 Mineral Resource categories were assigned based on available data and confidence in the interpolation and extrapolation possible given reasonable assumptions of both geologic and hydrogeologic conditions. Table 2: Olaroz Mineral Resource Estimate at March 2023 Category Brine volume Average Li In Situ Li Li 2 CO 3 Equivalent m3 mg/l tonnes tonnes Measured 2.2 x 109 657 1,420,000 7,550,000 Indicated 2.2 x 109 612 1,340,000 7,130,000 Measured & Indicated 4.4 x 109 634 2,760,000 14,680,000 Inferred 1.8 x 109 606 1,120,000 5,970,000 Total 6.2 x 109 625 3,880,000 20,650,000 The reader is cautioned that Mineral Resources are not Ore Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Additional information for the resource estimation can be found in the Annexures. Olaroz basin geology Exploration activities, since Allkem acquired the properties in 2008, have consisted of extensive geophysical programs and drilling over the Olaroz basin. Geophysical programs have included AMT (Audio-Magnetotellurics) electrical surveying, and vertical electrical soundings to define the lateral extents of the brine beneath alluvial sediments, around the margins of the salar. This is important in order to constrain the geological and hydrogeological models and assess areas for brine prospectivity off the salar. The northern SDJ and 100% Allkem properties have been subject to minimal exploration to date. However, electrical geophysics indicates prospectivity for brine beneath alluvial and deltaic sediments north of the Olaroz salar in the exploration mining right, Cateo 498, and other properties. Additional geophysics has included an extensive gravity and magnetic survey across the basin, that provided information on the basin depth and corroborated the early geophysical interpretation which indicated the basin is more than 1 km deep. Since the exploration drilling for the 2011 Mineral Resource estimation, conducted between 2008 to 2011, more extensive drilling undertaken for exploration and production well installation has provided information to depths of 751 m in Olaroz (generally 400 to 650 m) and better defined the basin geology. Additionally, one deep exploration hole has been drilled at the north end of the production area to a depth of over 1400 m, without intersecting basement rocks. This drilling led to development of a mixed salar basin model, with five separate geological and hydrogeological (hydrostratigraphic) units above the basement, defined by geological and geophysical logging of holes (refer to Figure 4 and 5). UH1 - Upper evaporite deposits, porous halite, clay, sand and silt UH2 - Alluvial fans on the western and eastern margins of the Salar, which contain brine beneath brackish water off the Salar (as defined by production well E26) UH3 - Mixed sediments with clay and sand intervals UH4 - Evaporite deposits, principally halite, with clay, silt and sand interbeds UH5 - Sand units, interbedded with clay and silt. Sandy material is sourced from the historical western margin of the basin and becomes progressively deeper in the east of the basin Drilling has not intersected the basement rocks beneath the Salar and it is possible that additional units will be intersected in future deeper drilling. In the central eastern part of the salar unit UH4 is thicker, reflecting the nucleus of the Salar in this area. The geological interpretation across Olaroz is also consistent with the independent interpretations on adjacent projects based on drilling conducted by Allkem and Advantage Lithium in Cauchari, and the work conducted by Minera Exar in Cauchari, being the southern continuation of the Olaroz structural basin. Figure 4: Geological model of the Olaroz salar looking north through the northern part of the basin https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf882adf-f7a5-4663-a8ff-5aa775b5959f Figure 5 - Olaroz production well locations https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d41b90c7-f924-4a8d-94e6-d9a1399a2919 Resource estimate data sources Average production well brine chemistry values, from throughout pumping of the wells, have been used as inputs for the resource estimation, in addition to the interval samples historically collected in the upper 200 m. This is considered an acceptable approach in this situation, given the level of information available in the Olaroz salar, hydrogeological continuity between drill holes, comparison between historical interval samples and pumped brine concentrations and the history of pumping data available. Additional diamond drilling is recommended for future resource evaluations and to allow installation of additional deep monitoring wells. Geophysical logging in the deeper holes has confirmed generally consistent drainable porosity and permeability characteristics throughout the clastic sediments with higher porosities and permeabilities associated with more sand dominated intervals. Mineral resource estimation Estimation of a brine resource requires definition of: The aquifer distribution (in this case restricted to the Salar outline, except around hole E26 in the south) The distribution of drainable porosity (specific yield) values The distribution of lithium and other elements in the brine defined by drilling The external limits (geological or property boundaries) of the resource area The resource grade is a combination of the aquifer volume, the drainable porosity (portion of the aquifer volume that is filled by brine that can potentially be extracted) and the concentration of lithium in the brine. The Olaroz aquifer system is not a conventional water supply style aquifer, based on a discrete geological unit, but rather a layered sequence of sediments that contributes brine flow to production wells. More permeable sand and gravel units provide relatively higher flows. The surface outline of the Salar is used to delimit the area of the resource estimate (except for the off-salar extension around E26). The 2023 resource covers 147.9 km2, larger than the original 2011 Resource area (93 km2). The expanded area reflects inclusion of the Olaroz Lithium and la Frontera (Maria Victoria) properties, which were not part of the original property holdings. The resource has been further expanded by the drilling of hole E26 south of the Salar, allowing definition of resources beneath the alluvial gravels south of the Salar (Figure 5). Brine saturated sediments are known to extend beneath alluvial sediments surrounding the Salar and this was confirmed in drilling of hole E26 on the edge of the gravels beside the Salar, which continued to 510 m in sandy and gravel material. The resource estimate is limited laterally by the boundaries (Figure 3) with adjacent property owner Exar, in the salar to the east and north of the properties owned by Allkem subsidiaries (Olaroz Lithium and La Frontera Minerals) and SDJ entities. The resource estimate is limited at depth by the sediment-basement contact interpreted from the gravity geophysical survey conducted over the basin. Drilling suggests this interpretation underestimates the basin depth. Within the Salar the three-dimensional distribution of the different hydrostratigraphic units was defined using Leapfrog 3D software, with these units based on geological and geophysical logging observations. The resource is entirely within the Salar, except in the gravel area extending west from production hole E26. This is the only location where brackish water overlies brine within the resource estimate. Lower lithium concentration blocks have been excluded from the resource by the 300 mg/l cut-off grade. In all other areas within the resource brine begins from within several metres of the salar surface. The porosity data set consisted of interval porosity samples analysed in an independent laboratory for the upper 200 m and the BMR downhole geophysics from 200 to 650 m. These were used to generate a block model across the salar area, applying ordinary kriging to the composited drainable porosity data. The distribution of lithium and other elements was estimated from point sampling data from the upper 200 m of the model, where samples are typically spaced every 6 m in the 200 m holes and 3 m or less in the 54 m holes. Below the upper 200 m the resource was estimated based on the pumped samples from the production wells, with a single value per hole representing the average pumped lithium value, assigned to the areas with screens in the production wells. The block model was constructed with 500 by 500 m blocks, with a 20 m vertical extent (Figure 6 and Figure 7). Only the portion of the block inside the salar outline is reported in the resource (with the exception of the area around E26). The resource estimate was undertaken using Datamine software, with variograms developed for the point samples from the upper 200 m. Estimation was undertaken using ordinary kriging. The ordinary kriging method is the most commonly used kriging method. In areas of sparse data around the model edges Nearest Neighbour estimation was used. The Mineral Resource was estimated using four passes in the search strategy. The results of the first two passes are nominally equated to blocks classified as Measured and Indicated, with the latter two passes equating to blocks classified as Inferred. The resources were defined across the salar outline and extension around E26, defined over different depths, reflecting drilling density and confidence. Future drilling on the salar may bring additional Mineral Resources into the Indicated and Measured classification. Figure 6: Lithium grades (mg/L) at 100 m (left) and 250 m below surface (right.) https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d066869c-a33c-4487-8620-aa6578dd8a23 Figure 7: Resource blocks in lithium mg/l, showing the salar edge (red), alluvial zone (green) in the south and the muddy marginal zone outline (between red and blue outlines). https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0f61b68a-de50-4f54-b482-6514fd58dae0 Mineral Resources classification Measured Mineral Resources The Measured classification is based on reliable geological correlation between drill holes, which show gradual changes in lithology laterally and with depth. Measured Resources were previously defined to cover the entire salar area to 200 m depth, as exploration drilling was previously conducted across the salar area to 54 m and 200 m depth. The deeper extension of the Measured Resource in this estimate is defined based on the drill hole depth in the pumping field, with the resource to 650 m depth in the east of the salar and 450 m deep in the west, where drill holes are shallower. Measured Resources are defined to 350 m depth around holes drilled in the Maria Victoria property, in the north of Olaroz, extending below the 200 m depth defined elsewhere in the north of the salar. Classification is supported by ongoing extraction by pumping of brine from production wells installed to 200 m since 2013, 300 m since 2014 and 650 m since 2021, with 1 km spaced production wells and a drilling density of approximately 1 hole per 2 km2. Indicated Mineral Resources Geological continuity established by deeper drilling below 200 m, geophysical logging of holes, and gradual changes in lithium concentration provide the basis for classifying the brine below 200 and 350 metres below surface in the north of the salar (with lesser drilling density) and south of the salar around hole E26, to the base of the salar in that area as Indicated. Mineral Resources below this depth are defined as Inferred. Laboratory porosity samples are relatively limited below 200 metres, however similar sediment intervals are present above 200 metres at Olaroz, where porosity characteristics have been established from hundreds of laboratory analyses. Extensive porosity samples from similar sediments are also available from the Allkem Cauchari properties. Ongoing extraction by pumping of brine from wells up to 450 metres deep since 2014 and from 650 metres depth for up to 3 years, provides confidence as to the extractability of brine from the resource to this depth. BMR porosity data was collected below 200 metres depth, providing extensive porosity data in the Stage 2 holes. Future drilling below 200 metres provides the opportunity to upgrade Indicated Mineral Resources to Measured Mineral Resources status. Inferred Mineral Resources The Inferred Mineral Resource is defined between 200 or 350 metres and 650 metres in the north of the salar and below 650 metres to the base of the basin. The base of the basin is defined by the gravity geophysical survey, with areas significantly deeper than 650 m defined. There are currently 19 production wells installed to 350 metres or below, with production wells for Olaroz Stage 2 installed between 400 and 751 metres deep between the existing northern and southern wellfields. The deep hole drilled in the north of the salar confirms locally the salar sediments extend to below 1400 metres depth. Drilling has not intersected the base of the salar sediments, where the geophysical estimated basement depth has been reached, suggesting the basin may be deeper than estimated from the gravity survey. Limited brine samples were collected in this deep hole. Taking account of the distribution of brine grade and porosity to date (as determined by BMR geophysics) there is a sufficient level of confidence to classify the Mineral Resources extending to the bottom of the basin as Inferred Mineral Resources. It is likely that additional drilling could convert these to a higher confidence Mineral Resource classification. Mineral Resource classification table and cut-off grade Since publication of the updated Mineral Resource on 27 March 2023, Allkem has undertaken a company-wide review of Mineral Resources. This has led to the reclassification of a large portion of the Olaroz Indicated Mineral Resources to Measured Mineral Resources. The Olaroz brine project is a very large salar which hosts lithium dissolved in hypersaline brine present in pore spaces between sediment grains. The brine mineralisation in the resource covers an area of 147.9 km2, within a larger area also known to contain lithium-mineralised brine. The lithium concentration is highly homogeneous compared to most mineral deposits, as the lithium concentration process results in a relatively homogeneous brine concentration. The lithium concentration varies slowly laterally and vertically across the salar. There is no internal waste (uneconomic lithium concentrations) within the Mineral Resource. Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the project have been developed with conventional evaporation pond technology. Future additional developments may utilise direct extraction technologies. The Mineral Resource was previously stated with no cut-off grade, considering its large homogeneous nature and location almost entirely on the Salar. As an outcome of internal peer review the Mineral Resource is now stated at a lithium cut-off grade of 300 mg/L, applied based on a breakeven cut-off grade for a projected LCE price of US$20,000 per tonne) over the entirety of the life of mine (there are no areas within the resource below this). BRINE EXTRACTION AND PROCESSING A groundwater model has been developed for Allkem by Napa consultants of Barcelona, Spain, covering the Olaroz and Cauchari basins. The model was developed in FeFlow groundwater modelling software, based on the exploration and production holes drilled to date and calibrated with the pre-production water levels and the results of production pumping. The Steady State model was calibrated to 49 wells and the Transient model was calibrated to 32 wells with 12,921 data points from production pumping since 2013, providing extensive information on brine levels and response to pumping. Geochemical data was available from 107 monitoring points having 33,640 geochemical data points. The model was calibrated in a steady state configuration and also calibrated with the results of pumping from the period from 2013 to 2018 in a Transient mode. The effects of industrial water extraction from the existing water source in the Archibarca area, south of the plant, was also simulated in the evaluation. The model was subsequently used for a number of model simulations of future production scenarios, including Stage 2 development, with coincident pumping and operation of the adjacent Exar project in Cauchari-Olaroz, to simulate the results of combined pumping and long term extraction of brine from the large brine body present in the salt lake. The model will be used to evaluate different scenarios for the development of Stage 3 of the project, and will be updated to incorporate results from additional drilling in the Olaroz basin, particularly in the north of the Salar and south of the ponds and plant, where there is little current information available. With this information the model will be used to simulate future combined production in the basin and to develop an Ore Reserve estimation for the different stages of the project. Brine is extracted from the host sediments from wells at different depths, depending on the age of the wells. There is no mining of the sediments. All extraction of lithium is via brine. Audits and reviews An independent assessment of the groundwater model that will be used to derive Ore Reserves has been undertaken and observations and recommendations are being reviewed and implemented. Operations and Stage 2 Status The Olaroz project was subject to an initial definitive feasibility study in 2011 with engineering company SKM which was the basis for Stage 1 project design and construction. A subsequent study was undertaken to support the development of Stage 2 of the project, the results of which were published in April 2022 in a JORC compliant announcement and NI 43-101 technical report. The Stage 2 project has now been constructed, achieved first wet production in July 2023, and is in the commissioning stage with operations ramp-up starting H2 CY23. The Olaroz project borefield and ponds have been operating successfully from 2013 and site based lithium processing and sale of lithium carbonate product from 2015 as part of the Stage 1 project development. The Stage 2 development is designed with a substantial increase in the evaporation pond area with the addition of 9 km2 of new ponds. A second processing plant has been built to increase annual production capacity to 42,500 ktpa LCE from the combined Stages 1 and 2. The new plant design is based upon the original Stage 1 plant but with improved equipment selection and processing strategy based on that experience. Mining Factors Mining is undertaken by the installation of large diameter (12 inch installed casing) wells into the salt lake sediments. Once installed and developed the wells are pumped to provide a continuous supply of brine to the project evaporation ponds. The wells provide an average lithium concentration that is derived from the sediments where production wells are installed. Only a portion of the project resource can be extracted, due to the limitations of extraction by widely spaced wells. This amount was simulated in the groundwater model which will be the basis for the future project Ore Reserve, which will take account of salar's environmental factors during extraction. The extraction from wells was simulated using calibration data from actual pumping operations since 2013, providing an extensive dataset for model calibration and prediction. Extraction using bores is the appropriate extraction choice in salars, as the lithium is dissolved in brine (fluid) and mining of unconsolidated sediments is not contemplated. There are no minimum mining widths, as brine mining is not a selective mining method. Geotechnical parametres for brine extraction are different to hard rock mining, and consider issues such as compaction and settlement of sediments over time as brine is extracted. Inferred Mineral Resources are present beneath and laterally to the volumes of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources. The Inferred Mineral Resources are not included in current mining studies but are considered a possible source of future brine extraction, when further drilling is completed. Brine mining requires the provision of electricity and pipelines to the sites of wells from which brine is extracted. The pipelines pump brine to centralised collection ponds, from where it is pumped to the evaporation pond network. The brine is subject to the addition of lime in the evaporation ponds. Pumps are required to move brine between ponds and pump brine into the plant, where lithium carbonate product is produced. A gas pipeline provides the energy source for onsite electricity and heat generation. Brine is liquid and flows in response to operation of pumps installed in wells, with pumping inducing radial flow towards the well and extraction of brine to evaporation ponds. The location of some of the Stage 2 production wells in proximity to the eastern boundary of the Olaroz SDJ properties will result in a portion of the brine from these wells being extracted from adjacent properties. This is a small portion of the overall brine extraction. The lithium concentration in brine is forecast based on the groundwater flow and transport model. This predicts a minor decline in the lithium concentration over time, from 650 mg/L in 2023 to an overall concentration of approximately 570 mg/l in 2053. Metallurgical factors The metallurgical process utilised for the production of lithium carbonate is based on solar evaporation of brine prior to reacting lithium with soda ash in the plant to produce lithium carbonate. In this way much of the energy required for the process is provided naturally by the sun. Lithium remains soluble in the brine, and other elements precipitate in response to their increasing concentration and saturation in the brine. Lime is added to the ponds to facilitate the precipitation of magnesium from the brine. Although more recent direct extraction processing techniques are now more widely available pond evaporation provides a cost-effective and low risk processing method for Olaroz brine. The metallurgical process is based on the well-established Silver Peak process, which was adapted for use at the Olaroz project. The project has been producing lithium using the Olaroz process since 2015, with optimisation of the process undertaken during this period. Extensive test work was undertaken on the Olaroz brine prior to finalisation of the process and development of the project. Deleterious elements were characterised during the exploration of the project and evaluated extensively during the process development. Pilot scale testing was undertaken at the site in real environmental conditions. The actual processing plant has now been operating since 2015. Lithium Carbonate is sold as both technical (>99.3% Li) and battery grade (>99.5% Li) product, depending on the concentration of impurities. The project produces both grades of product. The Olaroz Stage 2 process plant has been designed primarily based on the experience gained from 5 years of operating development and data analysis from the Stage 1 process plant. Some equipment specific testing was also conducted, mostly on new solid liquid separation steps in the polishing area. The Olaroz 2 plant is similar in its general process flowsheet and chemistry to the Stage 1 plant, however it has been designed to provide higher quality technical grade product and improved recovery in the primary carbonation circuit. This is achieved by: Washing of solid precipitates in the polishing circuit to minimise lithium loss Inclusion of improved ultra-fine filtration technology in the polishing circuit which will contribute to product quality Removal of trace Ca and Mg by ion exchange ("IX") processing of carbonation reactor feed which will contribute to product quality and an anticipated improvement from technical to battery grade Improved control of washing and filtration of final product using air blown plate and frame filters, also contributing to improved quality by minimizing entrained impurities in the cake moisture Improved process control by enhanced instrumentation and increased process buffer storage It should be notes that Stage 2 does not include a purification circuit as installed in Stage 1. A gas fired rotary drying kiln has been used in the Olaroz Stage 2 drying plant, along with additional micronising capacity. A new soda ash bag storage area and mixing plant with the capability to convert to bulk delivery has been designed. Additional raw water wells in the Archibarca alluvial field and downstream reverse osmosis plant capacity are provided to meet the increased clean water requirements. Extended water supply rights have been obtained in the northern Rosario River alluvial sediments. The required increase in power generating capacity is provided by expansion of the stage 1 gas fired generators and additional boiler capacity for solution heating. INFRASTRUCTURE The project is well served by infrastructure, being located adjacent to a paved international highway between Argentina and Chile that leads to major import and export ports in Northern Chile. The project is supplied by a spur line from a gas pipeline which passes to the north of the project. Electricity and heat are generated on site for the project process and camp. Water for industrial processes is obtained from groundwater that is treated by reverse osmosis. Accommodation is provided by purpose-built accommodation at the project, with additional accommodation provided in nearby villages and towns. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Olaroz Stage 2 reached substantial Mechanical Completion in June 2023 with first wet production achieved in July 2023. Capital investment for Olaroz Project Stage 2, including equipment, materials, indirect costs, and contingencies and pre-commissioning activities during the construction period was estimated to be US$425 million, excluding VAT and working capital. The operating costs estimate for Olaroz was updated by Allkem's management team. Most of the operating costs are based on labour and consumables which are currently in use at the operation. Table 3 provides a summary of the estimated cost by category for a nominal year of operation. Table 3: Stage 1 and 2 - Summary of Operating Cost Operating Cost Units Total Reagents US$/t LCE 2,280 Labour US$/t LCE 816 Energy US$/t LCE 98 General and Administration US$/t LCE 687 Consumables and Materials US$/t LCE 240 Transport and Port US$/t LCE 28 TOTAL OPERATING COST US$/ t LCE 4,149 Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding Lithium carbonate price forecast Lithium has diverse applications including ceramic glazes, enamels, lubricating greases, and as a catalyst. Demand in traditional sectors grew by approximately 4% CAGR from 2020 to 2022. Dominating lithium usage is in rechargeable batteries, which accounted for 80% in 2022, with 58% attributed to automotive applications. Industry consultant, Wood Mackenzie ("Woodmac") estimates growth in the lithium market of 11% CAGR between 2023-2033 for total lithium demand, 13% for automotive, and 7% for other applications. Historical underinvestment and strong EV demand have created a supply deficit, influencing prices and investment in additional supply. Market balance remains uncertain due to project delays and cost overruns. The market is forecast to be in deficit in 2024, have a fragile surplus in 2025, and a sustained deficit from 2033. Prices have fluctuated in 2022-2023, in response to EV sales, Chinese production, and supply chain destocking trends. Woodmac notes that battery grade carbonate prices are linked to demand growth for LFP cathode batteries and are expected to decline but rebound by 2031. Lithium Hydroxide's growth supports a strong demand outlook, with long-term prices between US$25,000 and US$35,000 per tonne (real US$ 2023 terms). PROJECT ECONOMICS An economic analysis was developed using the discounted cash flow method and was based on the data and assumptions for capital and operating costs detailed in this report for brine extraction, processing and associated infrastructure. The evaluation was undertaken on a 100% equity basis. The lithium price used in the economic analysis is weighted on the basis of the proportion of the various products produced. The basis of forecast lithium carbonate pricing was provided by Woodmac who expect prices to settle between US$26,000/ t and US$31,000/ t (real US$ 2023 terms) over the longer term. There is a 3 percent mine mouth (boca de mina) royalty on the value of production to the provincial Jujuy government, considered the value of the product after the deduction of the costs of extraction, processing and transportation. There is an export duty of 4.5% on the FOB price, as regulated by Argentinian Government Decree Nr. 1060/20. Olaroz Stage 1 and 2 production is expected to reach nominal capacity of 42,500 metric tonnes per year of lithium carbonate for an estimated operational life of approximately 32 years. This would result in the production of approximately 543,030 dry metric tonnes ("dmt") of saleable lithium carbonate. When considering both Stage 1 and 2, the total saleable product is estimated to be 1,310,670 dmt of lithium carbonate for the LOM. The saleable product for Stage 2 is expected to be of technical grade (>99.3% Li). However, it's important to note that Stage 1 includes both Technical and Battery Grade (>99.5% Li) lithium carbonate. The key assumptions and results of the economic evaluation are displayed in Table 4 below. Table 4: Key assumptions utilised in the project economics Assumption Units Stage 1 and 2 Project Life Estimate Years 32 Discount Rate (real) % 10 Provincial Royalties 1,2 % of LOM net revenue 3.0 Corporate Tax2 % 35 Annual Production3 tonnes LCE 42,500 CAPEX (Olaroz Stage 2) US$M 425 Operating Cost US$/tonne LCE 4,149 Average Selling Price4 FOB US$/tonne LCE 24,798 1 Provincial royalty agreement at 3.0%, export duties, incentives and other taxes are not shown. JEMSE, the Jujuy provincial mining body, holds an 8.5% interest in SDJ 2 There is a risk that the Argentina Government may, from time to time, adjust corporate tax rates, export duties and incentives that could impact the Project economics 3 Based on 100% technical grade lithium carbonate coming out of Olaroz Stage 2 4 Based on price forecast provided from Wood Mackenzie and targeted production grades stated in Footnote 3 above The project economics of Olaroz Stage 1 and 2 demonstrates strong results, with substantial net present values and robust projected revenue and operating cash flow figures. Pre-Tax NPV@10% is estimated to be US$7,012 million. Post-Tax NPV@10% is estimated to be US$4,562 million. Sensitivity Analysis As displayed in Table 4 above, the Olaroz operations update for Stage 1 and 2 demonstrates strong financial outcomes with a post-tax NPV at 10% discount rate of US$4,652 million. Figure 8 analyses the impact on post-tax NPV when pricing, operating cash costs and development CAPEX fluctuate between +/- 25 %. Figure 8: NPV Sensitivity Analysis https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38ae641b-15d6-4e22-babf-7a8d164122aa Environmental The Environmental Monitoring and Follow-up Plan ("PMSA") of SDJ contains the procedures and methodologies to evaluate the environmental components of the project area and to measure and monitor their variations during operation. Olaroz Stage 2 is permitted under 2016 and 2018 authorisations, with additional authorisations from March 2021. Environmental Monitoring aims to obtain data on periodic and seasonal environmental parametres, running quarterly campaigns, in the months of February, May, August and November. The objectives are to verify that environment conditions in the area of influence by the operation remain unchanged or that changes produced are within the approved permissible limits as part of the project operations. This work includes extensive studies of flora, fauna, hydrogeology, hydrology, climate, air quality, noise, limnology, landscape characteristics and ecosystem characterisation. This is supported by social economic and cultural studies, surveys and support programs. SDJ has received the relevant permissions from 2009 through 2021 for the Olaroz Project development and operating activities from provincial and federal agencies, such as the provincial Jujuy Mining Directorate and the UGAMP scientific committee of Jujuy (which reviews lithium project developments), provincial water resource authority and environmental authorities. The project is located in the Olaroz Cauchari Fauna and Flora Reserve (La Reserva de Fauna y Flora Olaroz-Cauchari). The reserve was created in 1981, under provincial law 3820. The reserve is a multi-use area that allows for agricultural and mining activities and scientific investigation programs. The operation of the Olaroz project is consistent with the multi-use reserve status. Social and Community Relations SDJ has been very actively involved in community relations since the properties were acquired in 2008. Although there is minimal habitation in the area of the Salar, SDJ has consulted extensively with the local aboriginal communities. SDJ has agreements with communities in the territory where the Olaroz brine operation is developed, which are the communities of Olaroz Chico and El Toro (the northern area around the Rosario River) and provides assistance to the local community, by providing services to community members and employing a significant number of people from the surrounding communities in the current operations. As part of the SDJ community and social performance policy, SDJ has a commitment to six communities to provide an Internet connection and a commitment to nine communities so that every two years SDJ makes an investment in the construction of infrastructure for community use. Ten communities in the surrounding area are beneficiaries of the Community Relations Plan programs. Olaroz Stage 2 will provide new employment opportunities and investment in the region, which is expected to be positive. Currently, 40% of the project workforce is from surrounding towns and 75% is sourced from within the province of Jujuy. This release was authorised by Mr Martin Perez de Solay, CEO and Managing Director of Allkem Ltd.. Allkem Ltd. ABN 31 112 589 910 Level 35, 71 Eagle St Brisbane, QLD 4000 Investor Relations & Media Enquiries Andrew Barber +61 418 783 701 Andrew.barber@allkem.co Connect info@allkem.co +61 7 3064 3600 www.allkem.co IMPORTANT NOTICES This investor ASX/TSX release ("Release") has been prepared by Allkem Ltd. (ACN 112 589 910) (the "Company" or "Allkem"). It contains general information about the Company as at the date of this Release. The information in this Release should not be considered to be comprehensive or to comprise all of the material which a shareholder or potential investor in the Company may require in order to determine whether to deal in Shares of Allkem. The information in this Release is of a general nature only and does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with the Company's periodic and continuous disclosure announcements which are available at allkem.co and with the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") announcements, which are available at www.asx.com.au. This Release does not take into account the financial situation, investment objectives, tax situation or particular needs of any person and nothing contained in this Release constitutes investment, legal, tax, accounting or other advice, nor does it contain all the information which would be required in a disclosure document or prospectus prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) ("Corporations Act"). Readers or recipients of this Release should, before making any decisions in relation to their investment or potential investment in the Company, consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to their own individual investment objectives and financial situation and seek their own professional investment, legal, taxation and accounting advice appropriate to their particular circumstances. This Release does not constitute or form part of any offer, invitation, solicitation or recommendation to acquire, purchase, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, or issue, any Shares or any other financial product. Further, this Release does not constitute financial product, investment advice (nor tax, accounting or legal advice) or recommendation, nor shall it or any part of it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or investment decision. The distribution of this Release in other jurisdictions outside Australia may also be restricted by law and any restrictions should be observed. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. Past performance information given in this Release is given for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as (and is not) an indication of future performance. Forward Looking Statements Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and, by their nature, are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performances and achievements to differ materially from any expected future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the risk of further changes in government regulations, policies or legislation; risks that further funding may be required, but unavailable, for the ongoing development of the Company's projects; fluctuations or decreases in commodity prices; uncertainty in the estimation, economic viability, recoverability and processing of mineral resources; risks associated with development of the Company Projects; unexpected capital or operating cost increases; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones at the Company's Projects; risks associated with investment in publicly listed companies, such as the Company; and risks associated with general economic conditions. Subject to any continuing obligation under applicable law or relevant listing rules of the ASX, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this Release to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward-looking statements or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Nothing in this Release shall under any circumstances (including by reason of this Release remaining available and not being superseded or replaced by any other Release or publication with respect to the subject matter of this Release), create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date of this Release. Technical Information and Competent Persons' Statements The information in this report that relates to Olaroz's Exploration Results and Mineral Resources is based on information compiled by Mr. Murray Brooker who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), a Registered Professional Geoscientist in Australia (RPGeo) and a member of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and Michael Gunn, BAppSc. (Metallurgy)(Gunn Metallurgy) is a Chartered Professional Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM), both of whom are recognised as Competent Persons by a 'Recognised Professional Organisation' (RPO) included in a list posted on the ASX website from time to time. Murray Brooker an employee of Hydrominex Geoscience Pty Ltd and Michael Gunn an employee of Gunn Metallurgy have sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Murray Brooker and Michael Gunn consent to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears. The scientific and technical information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and approved by, Murray Brooker (Hydrominex Geoscience Pty Ltd), as it relates to geology, modelling, and Mineral Resource estimates; Michael Gunn, BSc. Chemical Engineering (Gunn Metallurgy), as it relates to processing, facilities, infrastructure, project economics, capital and operating cost estimates. The scientific and technical information contained in this release will be supported by a technical report to be prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Technical Report will be filed within 45 days of this release and will be available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Not for release or distribution in the United States This announcement has been prepared for publication in Australia and may not be released to U.S. wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this announcement or anything attached to this announcement shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. Any securities described in this announcement have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in transactions registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or exempt from, or not subject to, the registration of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and applicable U.S. state securities laws. Appendices The following appendices provide a summary of drill hole coordinates and average lithium concentrations for Stage 2 production wells (E-series holes) and Stage 1 production wells (P and PP-series holes).The appendices also include the JORC Table 1 for the announcement. APPENDIX A: DRILL HOLE COLLARS AND LITHIUM CONCENTRATION *Average well flows from 12 January 2017 to 31 January 2023 APPENDIX B JORC Table 1 - Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data related to Olaroz Stage 2 expansion drilling (Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Holes were drilled using the rotary drilling technique. Drill cuttings were collected to identify the sediment type and compare observations with downhole geophysical logs. Mud samples were taken during drilling to evaluate changes in properties such as fluid density, electrical conductivity and dissolved ions. A comprehensive suite of down hole geophysical logs was run open hole, once holes reached total depth. These included conductivity tools to evaluate changes in temperature and brine conductivity, to evaluate whether there are intervals with pronounced flows and changes in thermal gradient; resistivity to evaluate changes in lithology, in particular the contacts of zones of halite, which show strong contrast in resitivity, due to low porosity and low contained fluid; borehole magnetic resonance for characterisation of changes in porosity, total porosity and free fluid, which is considered equivalent to specific yield; spectral gamma provides information on potassium, uranium and thorium, to assist correlation between holes. In some holes an acoustic televiewer has provided additional information on sediment texture. This provided additional information on the lithologies encountered during drilling. This included in the deep 1408 m hole. The downhole logging was undertaken by the company Zelandez, who have extensive experience with geophysical logging on salt lake projects. Drill cuttings were described by experienced geoscientists, and the results compared with results from nearby holes and with the geophysical logs. Samples were not collected for assay from the cuttings, as the primary objective of the holes was to confirm the geology to the depth of drilling and install production wells. Cuttings were used to describe the lithology. Samples for brine analysis were taken from the production wells when cleaned up and pumped. Qualitative changes in brine conditions were also evaluated during drilling. Three diamond holes were drilled in this program, with core samples collected in polycarbonate (Lexan) tubes and selected intervals analysed for porosity laboratory in an independent lithology (Geosystems Analysis in the USA). Extensive interval brine sampling was carried out in the upper 200 m of the sediments previously. This provided useful information on variability of the brine concentrations laterally and vertically, showing the changes are gradual and defining the highest concentrations in the northeast of the salar. Drilling for the Stage 2 program consisted of rotary drill holes to install production wells. These were pumped, providing representative samples of the intervals where screens were installed. This information provided broadly similar lithium concentrations to the upper 200 m of the salar, with specific yield information provided by the borehole magnetic resonance tool. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). Rotary drilling with a tricone bit was used to drill the entire length of the production holes, reaching depths between 450 and 650 m (in one hole 751 m) and also used for the deep hole to 1408 m. Typical hole diameter was 17 inches and productive casing of 12 inches is installed up to approximately 200 metres and 10 inches below. Brine from a surface trench (low lithium content) was used to mix drilling muds, to develop a thick wall cake in the rotary holes and maintain hole stability. Three diamond holes were drilled in this program, with the purpose of collecting porosity information and brine samples. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Drill cuttings were described by experienced geoscientists, and the observations compared with results from nearby holes and with the geophysical logs. Sample recovery was aided by the use of appropriately prepared drilling mud to remove cuttings from the hole. Cutting samples were not analysed chemically and descriptions were a qualitative evaluation of the lithologies encountered in the hole. There is no relationship between sample recovery and ion concentrations in the brine in this case. Core sample recovery for the three recent diamond holes was between 86.1 and 88.6%, which is higher than historical diamond drilling conducted to 200 m depth. Core sampling is enhanced by use of polycarbonate (Lexan) triple tubes. Unconsolidated salt lake sediments have much lower core recoveries than hard rock deposits. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Drill cuttings were described by experienced geoscientists, and the observations compared with results from nearby holes and with the geophysical logs. This has provided a consistent stratigraphy, supporting resource estimation and mining studies. Cutting logging is of a qualitative nature and results were compared with the quantitative geophysical logs to interpret the lithologies encountered in the hole. All intersections with sample recovery were logged. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Cuttings were only used to identify the lithology and were not used for chemical analysis, and were only sub-sampled to collect representative reference samples. Wet mud samples were taken from the returned drilling muds and analysed for concentrations of lithium and other elements, which maintained elevated and similar concentrations through the drill hole. Due to the rotary mud nature of this drilling the mud samples are considered only qualitative and not quantitative. Consequently, the mud sample analytical results are not reported in this release and not used for resource estimation. Brine samples from production wells are from production pumping or pumping tests of new wells, once wells were developed and cleaned or had been in production, in some cases for more than 5 years, with consistent lithium concentrations obtained from weekly brine samples taken from the production wells, taken over a period of years are considered representative of the sediments in which the wells are installed. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have been established. The brine samples (from production wells and pumping tests conducted once wells were fully installed and cleaned) were analysed at the Olaroz site laboratory. Quality control/Assurance samples were used by the Olaroz site laboratory, which is not a certified commercial laboratory. These standards were prepared in the laboratory and used for control purposes. Additional third-party standards were used for checking batches of samples sent to the internal and external laboratories. Standards accompanying brine samples in the Olaroz laboratory have been analysed in commercial laboratories as part of a laboratory "round robin" analysis. Check samples were analysed in the Alex Stuart independent commercial laboratory in Jujuy, Argentina. Duplicate samples have been analysed in commercial laboratories as part of QA/QC procedures. Results were generally within acceptable limits. Downhole geophysical tools were provided by geophysical contractor Zelandez. These are calibrated periodically to produce consistent results. BMR tools are calibrated yearly in Australia. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Brine analyses are from pump testing post installation of production wells, are quantitative analyses and were reviewed by different company personnel. Samples are collected on a weekly basis and analysed in the Olaroz site laboratory operated by SDJ, providing an extensive collection of data for cations and most anions (chloride is not regularly analysed). Laboratory data (from spreadsheets) is loaded directly into the project database by company personnel. Brine samples from production wells were analysed in the Olaroz site laboratory, with periodic additional samples analysed in the third-party independent Alex Start laboratory in Jujuy, Argentina, together with duplicates and independent laboratory standards. The Olaroz site laboratory uses the atomic absorption method for determination of lithium, whereas the Alex Stuart laboratory uses ICP-OES for this. Both laboratories use this method for the analysis of most cations, with gravimetric analysis of sulphate, by Alex Stuart and ICP-OES by the Olaroz laboratory. Sulphate exhibits amongst the largest differences between labs for the analytes, Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. The holes were located initially with a hand-held GPS and are subsequently surveyed by a certified surveyor. Production wells and diamond holes are drilled with a general spacing of 1 km between holes. The Project location is in zone 3 of the Argentine Gauss Kruger coordinate system with the Argentine POSGAR 94 datum. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Lithological data was collected throughout the drilling from cuttings and geophysical logging. Historical diamond drilling was conducted to 200 m depth, with three recent diamond drill holes to 650 m depth. Due to the rotary drilling methodology samples for indicative brine chemistry, were not collected at regular intervals during drilling. Brine samples were collected from the pumping of wells, once wells were installed and cleaned (developed). The samples taken during the pumping tests are composite samples, sourced from multiple well screens throughout the wells where screens are installed (through much of the hole). Brine samples from historical diamond and sonic drilling were taken at a vertical spacing of 3 and 6 m to 54 m and nominally 6 m between 54 and 200 samples, with actual sampling irregular and depending on conditions. This information forms part of the resource estimate, along with more recent data. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. The salar deposits that host lithium-bearing brines consist of sub-horizontal beds and lenses of sand, silt, halite, clay and minor gravel, depending on the location within the salar. Drill holes are vertical and essentially perpendicular to these units intersecting close to their true thickness. Faults controlling basin development occur on the basin margins. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Brine samples were moved from the drill site to secure storage at the camp on a daily basis. All brine sample bottles are marked with a unique label. Samples were transported from the camp to the laboratory for chemical analysis in sealed rigid plastic bottles with sample numbers clearly identified. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. No audits or reviews have been conducted at this point in time. Section 2 - Reporting of Exploration Results (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. The Olaroz properties (operated by Sales de Jujuy for the joint venture between Allkem 66.5%, Toyota Tsusho Corporation 25% and JEMSE 8.5%) are located in the province of Jujuy in northern Argentina at an elevation of approximately 3,900 meters above sea level (masl). Allkem also owns 100% of a number of other properties in the north of the Olaroz salar. The company has owned the majority of the properties for over 10 years. JEMSE (Jujuy Energia y Minera Sociedad del Estado) is the JEMSE is a public company tasked with promoting economic and social developement in the province of Jujuy. The joint venture holds mineral properties that cover the majority of the Salar de Olaroz, covering 47,615 hectares, consisting of 33 mining tenements and 2 exploration properties ("cateos"). In addition to its stake in SDJ, Allkem also owns 100% of six properties immediately in the north of Olaroz, which contribute an additional 9,575 hectares, belonging to the subsidiary company Olaroz Lithium. In addition to those six properties, Allkem has also acquired the Maria Victoria property in the north of Olaroz, which contribute an additional 1,800 hectares, belonging to the subsidiary company La Frontera Minerals. The project development was approved by the provincial government UGAMP technical committee in 2012 and received other approvals for project development in this time period. The project has an 8.5% participation by the provincial mining agency JEMSE, is subject to a royalty of 3% and an export tax of 4.5% of mine gate value. Toyota Tsusho and Allkem act as the joint marketing agent for lithium produced at the project. The tenements/properties are believed to be in good standing, with payments made to relevant government departments. The company maintains good relationships with the local government and government agencies and communities as part of operations. Many local inhabitants work at the Olaroz operation. Several peripheral properties have not yet been fully granted, as this is an extended process for mining leases in Argentina. Properties are within the Reserva Provincial de Fauna y Flora Olaroz-Cauchari (a regional flora and fauna reserve), as is the adjoining Exar project. This reserve allows for multiple uses, including agriculture and mining. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. The properties were not subject to any exploration for lithium prior to Allkem (Orocobre) obtaining the properties. Significant exploration has been conducted immediately to the east and south of the Olaroz properties by Minera Exar SA, resulting in a large resource and related reserve and a brine pumping project is currently in construction. Further south in Cauchari Olaroz subsidiary, Advantage Lithium defined a 4.8 Mt LCE resource in Measured and Indicated categories and 1.5 Mt of Inferred resources (NI 43-101 report - Cauchari Pre-Feasibility Study of 2019]). These three projects are all developed on different parts of the same lithium brine body. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. The project is a lithium salt lake deposit, located in a closed basin in the Andean mountain range in Northern Argentina. The sediments within the salar consist of halite, clay, silt, sand and gravel which have accumulated in the salar from terrestrial sedimentation from the sides of the basin. Brine hosting dissolved lithium is present in pore spaces and fractures within unconsolidated sediments. Evaporation of brines entering and within the salt lake generates the concentrated lithium that is extracted by pumping out the brine. The sediments are interpreted to be essentially flat lying with unconfined aquifer conditions close to surface and semi-confined to confined conditions at depth. Geology was recorded during drilling of the hole. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level - elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. The holes are located in the mining properties covering the Olaroz salt lake, centred around approximately 7402000N/ 3427000E and approximately 3930 m elevation, in Zone 3 of the Argentine Gauss Kruger grid system, using the Posgar 94 datum. The drill holes are all vertical, (dip -90, azimuth 0 degrees). Collar coordinates and depths are provided in a table following the announcement. On the salt lake brine is present from within ~1 m of surface to the base of drilling. Lithological data was collected from the mud return cuttings as the hole was drilled and from the geophysical logging of holes. Previous sonic and diamond drilling core samples were collected in polycarbonate Lexan tubes and described in detail, with laboratory analyses made of the sediment porosity in several international laboratories. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. Brine samples were taken from pumping wells at the completion of pumping tests. Samples were taken from the diversion valve installed at the well head, when these were installed and from the brine flow from the pumping line when wellheads had not been installed. Samples were collected in clean new plastic bottles, with the bottles rinsed with brine prior to brine collection. Bottles were capped and caps sealed and labelled with unique sample numbers for submission to the internal and external laboratories. Samples were collected as duplicates for submission to the internal Olaroz laboratory and the external Alex Stuart laboratory. Samples were submitted with field duplicate samples and with certified standards. Pumping rates varied depending on the hole, with flow rates typically in the order of 15 to 60 L/s. Samples were collected in 1 litre plastic bottles. For the QA/QC samples these were collected from the diversion valve during normal pumping operations at each site, with wells connected to pipelines. Results during the pumping tests were analysed and compared, to ensure results were repeatable. The pumping well samples are composite samples that reflect inflows from different levels within the wells, which are screened at multiple levels throughout their depth. The lithium concentration in the pumped samples is an average of the concentration from different units with relatively higher and lower values than the average. More permeable units contribute a higher proportion of the brine in the pumped samples. The QA/QC pumped samples were compared to the results of weekly sampling over a period of months to years. The samples collected for QA/QC analysis in the on-site Olaroz laboratory and the independent Alex Stuart laboratory are considered to be directly comparable to the results and range of results from the weekly sampling. The results are considered to be comparable to the range and average of weekly samples and sufficiently representative of the brine contained in sediments where the holes are drilled. Results from pumping wells were also compared with the results of the nearest diamond drill holes to 200 m depth, which showed low vertical coefficients of variation (CV). Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg 'down hole length, true width not known'). The sediments hosting brine are interpreted to be essentially perpendicular to the vertical drill holes, representing true thicknesses in drilling. The entire thickness of sediments is believed to be mineralized with lithium brine, with the water table within approximately 1 metre of surface. Lithium is hosted in brine in pores within the different terrestrial sedimentary units in the salt lake sequence. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Diagrams are provided in the text showing the location of the properties, the drill holes and cross section through the deposit, showing the correlation of geological units. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. Data regarding the drilling and sampling has been provided in the release. A table is provided with the results of the pumping wells, which have provided the basis for estimation below 200 m depth. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples - size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. The company has conducting rotary drilling to obtain geological information, brine samples, and hydraulic parameters for the installation of additional production wells. Future drilling will also support an update of the resource estimation. Future updates to the resource will be released when drilling is conducted peripheral to the salar in areas when little or no current drilling. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. The company has recently completed installing 15 deep production wells for Stage 2 of the project, . Future drilling is planned to extend further north and south of the current resource area, to support definition of further resources in those areas (refer to the map with drill holes in the release). Comprehensive documentation outlining the resource drilling is planned for release when that future drilling is complete. Section 3 Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Database integrity Measures taken to ensure that data has not been corrupted by, for example, transcription or keying errors, between its initial collection and its use for Mineral Resource estimation purposes. Data validation procedures used. Data was transferred directly from laboratory spreadsheets to the database. Data was checked for transcription errors once in the database, to ensure coordinates, assay values and lithological codes were correct. Data was plotted to check the spatial location and relationship to adjoining sample points. Duplicates and Standards have been used in the assay process. Brine assays and porosity test work have been analysed and compared with other publicly available information for reasonableness. Comparisons of original and current datasets were made to ensure no lack of integrity. Site visits Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits. If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case. The Competent Persons visited the site many times prior to the current drilling and sampling program and more recently Mr Brooker visited the site on 21 st November 2022 to supervise the collection of brine samples for sending to the internal and external laboratories and to review drilling cuttings from production wells, comparing these to the drilling logs that had been produced for the project by Allkem personnel and to the downhole logging results. The sample bottles were subsequently sent for analysis and the observations of the drill cuttings corroberated observations from the down hole geohysical logging. November 2022 to supervise the collection of brine samples for sending to the internal and external laboratories and to review drilling cuttings from production wells, comparing these to the drilling logs that had been produced for the project by Allkem personnel and to the downhole logging results. The sample bottles were subsequently sent for analysis and the observations of the drill cuttings corroberated observations from the down hole geohysical logging. Competent Person Mr Brooker was responsible for previously planning the location of the new production wells. Geological interpretation Confidence in (or conversely, the uncertainty of ) the geological interpretation of the mineral deposit. Nature of the data used and of any assumptions made. The effect, if any, of alternative interpretations on Mineral Resource estimation. The use of geology in guiding and controlling Mineral Resource estimation. The factors affecting continuity both of grade and geology. There is a high level of confidence in the geological model for the Project. There are relatively distinct geological units in essentially flat lying, relatively uniform, clastic sediments and halite. The drainable porosity data consists of extremely detailed data from geophysical logging, extensive historical porosity samples to 200 m deep and sparse porosity samples up to 650 m deep, supplemented by BMR geophysical data in production wells. Brine data below 200 m, consists of composite pumped samples from holes, which provide realistic information regarding brine concentrations. Any alternative interpretations are restricted to smaller scale variations in sedimentology and porosity, related to changes in grain size and fine material in units, as porosity is the key influence on the resource estimate. Geological units are identified in the geological and geophysical logging of holes and separated in the hydrostratigraphic model, where unit specific porosity characteristics are applied. Data used in the interpretation includes sonic, rotary and diamond drilling. Sedimentary processes affect the continuity of geology, whereas the concentration of lithium and potassium and other elements in the brine are related to water inflows, evaporation and brine evolution in the salt lake and are essentially independent of porosity. Dimensions The extent and variability of the Mineral Resource expressed as length (along strike or otherwise), plan width, and depth below surface to the upper and lower limits of the Mineral Resource. The lateral extent of the resource has been defined by the boundary of the salar, except in the SE around E26, and in the east and north the boundary with adjacent properties . On the salar (and in the southern extension below alluvial gravels) the brine mineralisation covers 147.9 km 2 . . The top of the model coincides with the topography obtained from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The original elevations were locally adjusted for each borehole collar with the most accurate drill hole collar coordinates available. The base of the resource is the base of the basin, as interpreted from gravity geophysics. The depth of the basin is likely to exceed the depth interpreted from the geophysics, based on drilling to date. The basement rocks underlying the salt lake sediments have not yet been intersected in drilling. Estimation and modelling techniques The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) applied and key assumptions, including treatment of extreme grade values, domaining, interpolation parameters and maximum distance of extrapolation from data points. If a computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a description of computer software and parameters used. The availability of check estimates, previous estimates and/or mine production records and whether the Mineral Resource estimate takes appropriate account of such data. The assumptions made regarding recovery of by-products. Estimation of deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance (eg sulphur for acid mine drainage characterisation). In the case of block model interpolation, the block size in relation to the average sample spacing and the search employed. Any assumptions behind modelling of selective mining units. Any assumptions about correlation between variables. Description of how the geological interpretation was used to control the resource estimates. Discussion of basis for using or not using grade cutting or capping. The process of validation, the checking process used, the comparison of model data to drill hole data, and use of reconciliation data if available. The Mineral Resource estimation for the Project was developed in Datamine Software, with the geological model developed in Leapfrog software. The model is considered a reliable representation of the local lithology and will be refined as new information becomes available. Generation of histograms and box plots were conducted for the Exploratory Data Analysis for lithium. It should be noted the search radii are flattened ellipsoids with the shortest distance in the Z axis (related to the variogram distance). No outlier restrictions were applied, as distributions of the different elements do not show anomalously high values. No grade cutting or capping was applied to the model. The coefficient of variation in the brine results is low, reflecting the relatively homogeneous distribution of brine grades across the salar. Results from the primary porosity laboratory GSA are compared with results from check Core Laboratories. Potassium is the most economically significant element dissolved in the brine after lithium. Estimation of Lithium for each block used ordinary kriging. The presence of brine is not necessarily controlled by the lithologies and lithium and potassium concentrations are independent of lithology. Geological units had hard boundaries for estimation of porosity. Estimation of resources used drainable porosity data from BMR geophysical logs. The block size (500 x 500 x 20 m) reflects the thick and relatively homogeneous nature of the lithological units. No assumptions were made regarding selective mining units and selective mining is generally not feasible in brine deposits, where brine flows in response to pumping. No assumptions were made about correlation between variables. The geological interpretation was used to define each geological unit and the salar boundary and property limit were used to enclose the reported Mineral Resources. The Inferred Mineral Resource was estimated on the basis that it is within the salt lake or immediately adjacent and occupies the same or similar geological units to the Indicated and Measured Mineral Resource, although drilling in the Inferred Mineral Resource area is more limited around the margins of the salar. Validation was performed using a series of checks including comparison of univariate statistics for global estimation bias, and visual inspection against samples on plans and sections. Visual validation shows an acceptable agreement between the samples and the Ordinary Kriging estimates. Moisture Whether the tonnages are estimated on a dry basis or with natural moisture, and the method of determination of the moisture content. Moisture content of the cores was Measured (porosity and density measurements were made), but as brine is extracted by pumping not mining the sediments moisture is not relevant for the resource estimation. Tonnages are estimated as metallic lithium dissolved in brine, with lithium values converted to a lithium carbonate tonnage using a conversion factor of 5.323. Cut-off parameters The basis of the adopted cut-off grade(s) or quality parameters applied. A lithium cut-off grade of 300 mg/l was used based on a breakeven cut-off grade for a projected lithium carbonate equivalent price of US$20,000 per tonne over the entirety of the LOM. Mining factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible mining methods, minimum mining dimensions and internal (or, if applicable, external) mining dilution. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential mining methods, but the assumptions made regarding mining methods and parameters when estimating Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the mining assumptions made. The resource has been quoted in terms of brine volume, concentration of dissolved elements, contained lithium and their product lithium carbonate. No mining or recovery factors have been applied (although the use of the specific yield = drainable porosity is used to reflect the reasonable prospects for economic extraction with the proposed mining methodology). It should be noted that conversion of Mineral Resources to Ore Reserves for brine deposits is lower than that for hard rock deposits. Dilution of brine concentrations may occur over time and typically there are lithium and potassium losses in both the ponds and processing plant in brine mining operations. However, potential dilution will be estimated in the groundwater model simulating brine extraction, to define a Ore Reserve. The conceptual mining method is recovering brine from the salt lake via a network of wells, the established practice on existing lithium brine projects. Detailed hydrologic studies of the lake have been undertaken (catchment and groundwater modelling) to evaluate the extractable Mineral Resources and potential extraction rates Metallurgical factors or assumptions The basis for assumptions or predictions regarding metallurgical amenability. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential metallurgical methods, but the assumptions regarding metallurgical treatment processes and parameters made when reporting Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the metallurgical assumptions made. Lithium carbonate is currently produced on site via conventional brine processing techniques and evaporation ponds to concentrate the brine prior to processing. Additional brine extracted for the Stage 2 expansion would be processed the same way, with refinements related to optimisation of the process, learnt from operation of Stage 1. Environmental factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible waste and process residue disposal options. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider the potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation. While at this stage the determination of potential environmental impacts, particularly for a greenfields project, may not always be well advanced, the status of early consideration of these potential environmental impacts should be reported. Where these aspects have not been considered this should be reported with an explanation of the environmental assumptions made. Impacts of the lithium carbonate production operation at the Olaroz salar include; surface disturbance from the creation of extraction/processing facilities and associated infrastructure, accumulation of various salt tailings impoundments and extraction from brine and freshwater aquifers regionally. Precipitated salts are collected in ponds and later returned to the salar. The project holds the necessary environmental permits for the Stage 1 and Stage 2 production. Bulk density Whether assumed or determined. If assumed, the basis for the assumptions. If determined, the method used, whether wet or dry, the frequency of the measurements, the nature, size and representativeness of the samples. The bulk density for bulk material must have been measured by methods that adequately account for void spaces (vugs, porosity, etc), moisture and differences between rock and alteration zones within the deposit. Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the evaluation process of the different materials. Density measurements were taken as part of the drill core assessment. This included determining dry density and particle density as well as field measurements of brine density. Note that no mining of sediments is to be carried out, as brine is to be extracted by pumping and consequently sediments are not mined but the lithium and potassium is extracted by pumping. No bulk density was applied to the estimates because Mineral Resources are defined by volume, rather than by tonnage. The salt unit can contain fractures and possibly vugs which host brine and add to the drainable porosity. However, salt units below 50 m depth are generally quite compact. Classification The basis for the classification of the Mineral Resources into varying confidence categories. Whether appropriate account has been taken of all relevant factors (ie relative confidence in tonnage/grade estimations, reliability of input data, confidence in continuity of geology and metal values, quality, quantity and distribution of the data). Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposit. The Mineral Resource has been classified in Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources categories based on the spatial distribution of data and confidence in the estimation. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource reflect higher confidence in the geological interpretation in the upper levels of the salar and the greater frequency of data, where there is current production. The Inferred Mineral Resource underlies the Indicated and Measured Mineral Resource in the deeper part of the salar and around the edges of the salar, and reflects the limited drilling in these areas. In the view of the Competent Person the resource classification is believed to adequately reflect the available data and takes into account and is consistent with the JORC code 2012 and the Australian Brine Guidelines. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of Mineral Resource estimates. This Mineral Resource was estimated by independent consultancy H&S Consultants, with work supervised by the Competent Person Mr Brooker. Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence Where appropriate a statement of the relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Resource estimate using an approach or procedure deemed appropriate by the Competent Person. For example, the application of statistical or geostatistical procedures to quantify the relative accuracy of the resource within stated confidence limits, or, if such an approach is not deemed appropriate, a qualitative discussion of the factors that could affect the relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate. The statement should specify whether it relates to global or local estimates, and, if local, state the relevant tonnages, which should be relevant to technical and economic evaluation. Documentation should include assumptions made and the procedures used. These statements of relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate should be compared with production data, where available. An assessment of the estimated blocks was made against the drill hole data on sections and found to be acceptable. 1 Includes SDJ properties (AKE 66.5%) and other 100% AKE owned properties VANCOUVER, Sept. 25, 2023 - Arbor Metals Corp. ("Arbor" or the "Company") (TSXV: ABR, FWB: 432) announces the Company's exploration team, currently deployed on-site, has made exciting discoveries in the north section of the Jarnet Lithium Project. Multiple untested pegmatite outcrops have been identified in this region, in close proximity to where the best samples from previous exploration programs originated. This latest development has prompted the exploration team to allocate additional time and resources to this part of the program. The team is now focused on thoroughly examining and sampling these newfound pegmatite outcrops. Utilizing the state-of-the-art Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) laser spectrometer, the team will conduct in-depth analyses to refine and pinpoint drill targets. President and CEO of Arbor, Mark Ferguson, expressed his enthusiasm for these discoveries, stating, "We are incredibly excited about identifying these pegmatite outcrops in our Jarnet Project. This development holds the potential to significantly impact both our current exploration program and the overall prospects of the Jarnet Lithium Project. Our team's dedication and skill in making these discoveries are commendable." Arbor remains committed to conducting its exploration and mining activities with the utmost regard for environmental sensitivity and collaborating with local communities and Indigenous groups. The Company acknowledges the importance of responsible resource development in alignment with its corporate values. The exploration team will continue its diligent work on-site, conducting further assessments and analyses, and the Company will provide updates as the program progresses. Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Dr. Peter Born, P.Geo, a Director of Arbor and a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101. About Arbor Metals Corp. Arbor Metals Corp. is a mining exploration company focused on developing high-value, geographically significant mineral projects worldwide. Arbor is paving the way for advanced mineral exploration as it oversees world-class mining projects. The Company is confident that combining quality projects with proven strategies and a dedicated team will yield exceptional outcomes. Arbor currently oversees three outstanding mineral projects. The Jarnet lithium project, located in the James Bay region of Quebec, comprises 47 map-designated claims, covering an area of approximately 3,759 hectares. The Jarnet project is contiguous to the Corvette-FCI property, where diamond drilling has confirmed significant lithium mineralization, representing one of the highest-profile lithium exploration projects in the sector. For further information, contact Mark Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer, at info@arbormetalscorp.com, 403-852-4869, or visit the Company's website at www.arbormetalscorp.com. On behalf of the Board, Arbor Metals Corp. Mark Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "target, "plan," "forecast," "may," "schedule," and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to planned project development, exploration programs, success of the LIBS analytical approach and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ac9c34f-6084-4782-a8ec-1c2f30b35a1a Vancouver, Sept. 25, 2023 - Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. ("Terra" or the "Company") (CSE:TERA; FRA:UB1) is pleased to announce closing of the final tranche of its non-brokered private placement financing (the "Offering") of units (the "Units") for total gross proceeds of $1,212,778. The Company further announces that it has completed the 2,000 m, Phase II drill program at the flagship, 216 km2 Viogor-Zanik project (the "Project") in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Highlights In total, 17 diamond drill holes were completed during the 2023 Phase II campaign totalling approximately 2,000 m with a significant number of them macroscopically exhibiting sulphide mineralization. Twelve drill holes were completed at the polymetallic silver-lead-zinc Cumavici target while 5 holes were drilled at the Au-Cu, skarn-porphyry Brezani target (see Figures 1 and 2). All drill holes are at the ALS laboratory in Serbia with assays expected by the beginning of October; Terra has raised $1,212,778 pursuant to the Offering announced on April 4th, 2023. Terra Balcanica CEO, Dr. Aleksandar Miskovi?, commented: "The conclusion of exploration drilling perfectly coincided with the closing of the private placement financing. I am proud of the field efforts made by the entire team Terra Balcanica but equally thankful to all those who helped raise the funds needed to advance our key assets in Bosnia and Serbia. Having finalized an oversubscribed financing of over $1.2M in such a challenging macroeconomic environment is a positive signal and has allowed us to complete a robust, 17-hole 2,000-meter Phase II drill program and materially advance the flagship Viogor-Zanik project. The composite drill core samples are now awaiting laboratory completion and an internal QA/QC check before being released as a part of Terra's steady news flow for months to come." Drilling Brezani Target Completed The 2023 diamond drilling at the Brezani target focussed on testing the coincident magnetic-conductivity anomaly at depth below the Au-skarn mineralisation observed on surface. Further shallow drillholes BRE23001-004 aimed to add scale to the initial 88 m at 0.61 g/t AuEq intercepted in drillhole BREDD002 (See Company's news release dated 24th January 2023), all within a > 800 m NW/SE trending Au in soil anomaly. Drillhole BREDD002: Continued from a depth of 215 m to 674 m in 2023 commencing in the same chlorite-sericite altered diorite which returned 0.26 g/t Au (214 - 215 m) in 2022 drilling. At a depth of 482.1 m a 9.8 m continuous zone of banded vein and sulphide cemented breccias with characteristics of both low and intermediate sulphidation epithermal deposits was intersected. The margins of the vein host repeating bands of chalcedonic quartz-rhodochrosite-calcite and sulphides/sulphosalts stibnite-pyrite-arsenopyrite-sphalerite-galena-jamesonite. The centre of the structure is dominated by hydrothermal breccia with a sulphide-quartz-carbonate cement. Clasts are banded vein fragments and wall rock hornfels. In the vein footwall the lithology changed to 118.4 m of chlorite-sericite altered diorite porphyry intrusive. Sinuous quartz-pyrite-molybdenite veins, quartz-magnetite, anhydrite-carbonate, pyrite-chlorite, and pyrrhotite-carbonate veining is present alongside disseminated pyrite-pyrrhotite. Drillhole BRE23001: Located 102 m SW of the initial discovery hole at Brezani, which returned 0.61 g/t AuEq over 88 m from surface BRE23001 intercepted a similar package of calc-silicate mineralisation with a strong chlorite retrograde overprint. Intervals of coarse garnet-pyroxene skarn were also intercepted in contact with dioritic intrusives. Figure 1. Geological map illustrating the 2022 and 2023 drillholes at the silver-dominated, polymetallic Cumavici Ridge target 12 km northwest from the Brezani target (click here to view image). Drillhole BRE23002: Located 91 m west of BREDD002 intersected a new style of mineralization for the Brezani target. Commencing at 98 m depth a sulphide-calcite cemented contact breccia between altered diorite and silicic hornfels was encountered. The sulphide matrix was composed of pyrite-sphalerite-galena-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite with individual sphalerite crystals up to 3 cm. The breccia was semi-continuous until 105.2m where it graded into patchy brecciation and intermediate sulphidation veining to 117.6 m. Detailed observations of BRE23001-004 will be completed and updates released in due course. Figure 2. Geological map illustrating the 2022 and 2023 drillholes into the Brezani skarn-porphyry target. Note that the 2022 drillhole, BREDD002 was redrilled from 215 - 674 m during the 2023 drilling campaign. (click here to view image). Final Tranche of Private Placement Financing Closed The Company issued an aggregate of 1,826,470 Units at a price of $0.085 per Unit for gross proceeds of $155,250 pursuant to the Offering announced on April 4th, 2023. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.13 until September 22nd, 2026. Finders' fees in the amount of $3,570 were paid in the final tranche of the Offering. In total, the Company has issued 14,267,967 units at a price of $0.085 for gross proceeds of $1,212,778. Terra used the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital and to finance the Phase II drilling of the two target zones in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued and issuable in connection with the closing of the fifth tranche of the Private Placement will be subject to a four (4) month hold period ending January 23rd, 2024. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any U.S. person or any person in the United States, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. "United States" and "U.S. Person" are as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. About the Company Terra Balcanica is a polymetallic exploration company targeting large-scale mineral systems in the Balkans of southeastern Europe. The Company has 90% interest in the Viogor-Zanik Project in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 100% of the Kaludra and Ceovishte mineral exploration licences in southern Serbia. The Company emphasizes responsible engagement with local communities and stakeholders. It is committed to proactively implementing Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and sustainable health, safety, and environmental management. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. "Aleksandar Miskovi?" Aleksandar Miskovi? President and CEO For further information, please contact Aleksandar Miskovi? at amiskovic@terrabresources.com, or visit our website at www.terrabresources.com. Cautionary Statement This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the words "will", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. September 25 - Vancouver, B.C., Canada - Belmont Resources Ltd. ("Belmont" or the "Company") (TSXV:BEA); (FSE:L3L2) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new director Mr. Patrick Brandl, Senior Partner of bgm Partners with offices in Vienna Austria and Luzern, Switzerland. Patrick Brandl Patrick holds a master's degree in law and business administration. He began his career as a global commodity trader, quickly advancing to the Board of Directors, overseeing global export and processing operations. He later became a Board Member and 40% shareholder in a Swiss trading firm, also assuming the role of CEO and 40% owner of the Russia & Baltic States Subsidiary for a major European processing & retail company. Patrick then transitioned into corporate finance and investment banking, where he became a partner at a US boutique and later at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), leading the firm's corporate finance practice in Austria & CEE. He subsequently served as the head of global investment banking for the Swiss Valartis Banking Group. Following a management buy-out, Patrick became the Senior Partner of bgm Partners Group, a Switzerland and Austria-based firm specializing in investment banking and corporate finance services for the commodity & mining industries, with additional investments in the mining & minerals processing sector. Patrick is a seasoned entrepreneur with board memberships in various entities across the commodity trading & processing and mining sectors. About bgm Partners bgm Partners, is a privately owned, globally active Corporate Finance advisory firm. They provide tailor-made mid-cap and large-cap Corporate Finance advisory services focused on M&A ("Mergers & Acquisitions"), general Corporate Finance and Project Finance. bgm supports and advises enterprises as well as wealthy individuals, family offices and investment companies in executing strategically and financially critical transactions such as divestitures, acquisitions and mergers as well as the raising of debt and equity on private and public capital markets. George Sookochoff, President & CEO, commented: We are delighted to welcome Patrick to our board. He brings a valuable network within the financial circles of Europe and Asia. Patrick and bgm Partners have successfully connected Belmont with two strategic private investment holding companies: Commodities and Resources Pte. Ltd of Singapore and ERAG Energie & Rohstoff AG PCC of Liechtenstein, both of which participated in our recent financing round. We eagerly anticipate Patrick and bgm Partners' continued efforts to introduce Belmont and its portfolio of projects to additional investment groups across Europe and Asia. Stock Options The Company announces that it has granted incentive stock options (the "Options"), pursuant to its fixed stock option plan for a total of 3,000,000 common shares of the Company, to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company. The Options, subject to the terms of the Plan and the corresponding option agreements, are exercisable at a price of CAD $0.05 per share for a period of up to 5 years. The Company's Fixed Stock Option Plan allows for the issuance of up to 10% of issued and outstanding share capital in the form of incentive stock options. The options shall be legend with the required four months plus one day hold period from issuance. About Belmont Resources Belmont Resources has assembled a portfolio of highly prospective copper, gold, lithium, uranium and rare earths projects located in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Washington and Nevada States. Its holdings include: Athelstan-Jackpot (A-J): 2 former gold mines. Planned 2,000m drilling to target multi-coincident geophysical anomaly on strike with neighboring gold trend and gold mines. CrackingstoneUranium-Rare Earths: Some of the highest grade Rare Earth Elements (REE's) are being discovered in Northern Saskatchewan due to the presence of Uranium, Thorium Pegmatites. Crackingstone project meets the criteria for potentially discovering a large REE's deposit with its high grade uranium along with thorium and pegmatite. A review of 3,000m of 2008 drill data shows a 1.3km pegmatite dyke drilled but only assayed for uranium at that time. 2023 plans are to re-assay pegmatite sections for REE's ; Come By Chance (CBC): 2021 geophysics delineated potential large copper-gold porphyry 2022 drilling provided further vectors towards potential core of porphyry; The Lone StarCopper-Gold: optioned to Australian Marquee Resources ASX:MQR. MQR has spent in excess of $2.5M in drilling, completed new resource in Dec. 2022, and is currently preparing a Preliminary Economic Assessment in order to earn 80% interest. Click Image To View Full Size The Kibby Basin Lithium project located 60 kilometers north of the lithium rich Clayton Valley Basin: Optioned 80% of the central Kibby Playa claim block to Australian Marquee Resources - MQR. MQR has spent in excess of $2.5M in drilling in 2022 for potential deep seated lithium brine. 2022 Drilling confirmed high levels of lithium-bearing sediments along with dissolved lithium in the groundwater. Mineralized intervals containing up to 924 ppm lithium with greater than 300 ppm lithium over thicknesses in excess of 450m have been identified in core samples of clay-rich playa sediments. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "George Sookochoff" George Sookochoff, CEO/President Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties, based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Companies forward-looking statements and expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval; that we may not be able to raise funds required, that conditions to closing may not be fulfilled and we may not be able to organize and carry out an exploration program in 2023, and other risks associated with being a mineral exploration and development company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Dynamically Planned Las Vegas Broadly Partnered Olathe, Kan. Resident-Involved Seattle Race-Informed Louisville, Ky. Smartly Resourced San Antonio Employee-Engaged Fayetteville, N.C. Data-Driven San Diego Fayetteville, N.C., population 205,000, is the most innovative city in the country, according to a new report fromin collaboration with the nonprofit Living Cities.The second annual Equipt to Innovate report , released this week, assesses municipal governments on a range of metrics -- including data use and strategic planning, racial equity in decisionmaking, and citizen engagement.Fayetteville was a high performer in last year's inaugural report, in which Phoenix was ranked No. 1, but the North Carolina city rose to the top in this year's evaluation.The city of Fayetteville is both thrilled and honored to be recognized this year as the city best equipped in the nation to innovate, Fayetteville City Manager Douglas J. Hewett says. This is a reflection of the work in which the city has engaged over a number of years to utilize operational data to inform decisionmaking and to seek new ways to better respond to resident needs.While the report does rank cities, the ultimate goal is to offer them best practices and improve their ability to innovate.We didnt want this to be a rank from one to 25 and a battle over who is No. 1," says Steven Bosacker, principal of public sector and partnerships at Living Cities. "What we wanted to do is show that there are cities that are top performers in different categories and who needs to be held up as examples. We want to provide technical assistance to cities who were hungry to learn.Fayetteville was among the top six cities in all but one of the report's seven criteria."There is no way the city could land that high in different elements unless they were doing broad-based planning," says Bosacker.This year, 74 cities completed the survey, including the nations 10 largest cities and 55 of the 100 largest cities. The top performers in each category for 2018 were:Fayettevilles use of data and analytics to guide city management and long-term planning stood out, according to Living Cities. The citys TRACStat system is an open data portal that collects budget and financial data as well as performance results and makes that information available to the public.Residents said they wanted to access this information online, and we also want it to be very simple and clear, says Rebecca Jackson, Fayetteville's director of strategy and performance analytics.That data is coupled with community input in a process that is both high-tech and low-tech.At the beginning of each year, Fayetteville holds what it calls Cafe Conversations. Citizens meet with the city for free coffee (and free coffee mugs), and they're each given an electronic clicker they can use to weigh in on a host of questions.We talk to them about the strategic plan and the overall city, and then we would ask them how satisfied they are with the citys performance, Jackson says.The results are displayed live. City staff then talk to residents about their answers and conduct a resident-informed planning session. The recommendations are taken to the city council before it finalizes the citys strategic plan for the upcoming year.Fayetteville scored especially high in the area of employeee engagement, thanks in part to extensive employee surveys the city has conducted. Through those surveys, the city developed a set of core values centered around R.E.S.P.E.C.T., or Responsibility, Ethics, Stewardship, Professionalism, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Commitment and Teamwork. A Core Values Award recognizes the public employee who best exemplifies those traits.Part of this is really looking at ways we can maximize our performance with the resources we have, says Jackson.With just over 200,000 residents, Fayetteville is the sixth-largest city in North Carolina. In the new report, it outperformed much larger localities including New York, Los Angeles and last years top-ranked city, Phoenix.A city of Fayetteville's size and resources must be nimble and must find ways to do more with less," says Hewett, the city manager. "Data and technology are some of the tools with which we have addressed this issue."While the scale of the government of a large metropolis can provide a wealth of human capital and financial resources to address an issue, the same scale can often be an impediment to quick change.You have a greater chance to innovate when the bureaucracy isnt so big," says Bosacker. "You can talk across city agencies and you dont have fiefdoms." Californias Proposition 13, arguably the most famous and influential ballot measure in the nations history, turns 40 this year. The law cut property taxes by nearly 60 percent, putting the state at the vanguard of an anti-tax movement that quickly spread across the country. Lots of people in California think its long past time to update the law. But theres plenty of disagreement over what to do with Prop. 13 -- as evidenced by two separate ballot measures this year that seek alternatively to weaken the law or to strengthen it.Approved by voters in June 1978, Prop. 13 requires a two-thirds majority to raise state or local taxes and places strict caps on property tax rates. Taxes can be no higher than 1 percent of a propertys cash value and can increase by only 2 percent a year, as long as a homeowner remains in place. Once a property is sold, however, it is reassessed at current values.The law has had profound effects on public finance in California. It has altered funding streams for schools, made fiscal relationships between localities and the state into a complicated mess, and put localities on a never-ending hunt for new taxes and fees. Local governments in California are better off financially if they zone property to attract car dealers, who generate hefty sales tax revenues, rather than homeowners, whose payments are capped and partially diverted to the state.But for most Californians, the law means one thing: a break on property taxes in a state where housing costs are generally a serious burden. Its been characterized as the third rail of California politics, says Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. There are repeated efforts to try to weaken it or repeal it, but thats a ticket to a short political career. (Coupals group is named after Prop. 13s primary sponsor.)Nevertheless, a coalition of liberal nonprofits is currently collecting signatures for a ballot measure to end Prop. 13s protections for commercial and industrial properties. These would be reassessed every three years, with protections for small businesses. The measure would raise an estimated $11.4 billion annually, with roughly half the money going to schools and community colleges. Education has been desperately underfunded since Prop. 13s passage, says Joseph Tomas McKellar, co-director of PICO California, a faith-based group that is cosponsoring the measure. Proposition 13 contributed greatly to the kind of inequality we see in our state, he says. Our economy has grown into an hourglass economy.Polling suggests that voters are open to the idea of raising property taxes on commercial enterprises, but support starts to evaporate when they learn about potential impacts on small businesses. Thats without the millions of dollars that the measures opponents are certain to spend to defeat it. Despite Californias progressive leanings, the state will be rife with anti-tax messages this year, with a separate ballot campaign seeking to repeal a $5 billion gas tax increase that was imposed in 2017.Perhaps that atmosphere will lend some momentum to an effort, sponsored by the California Association of Realtors, to make Prop. 13s property tax breaks even more generous. The groups measure would allow homeowners who are 55 and older, or who are disabled, to keep their low property tax rates intact, even if they move. The associations argument is that this will free up housing by making it financially feasible for older homeowners to move out of their large dwellings, rather than feeling they have to stay in place in order to keep their property taxes low. It would turn part of the original logic behind Prop.13 on its head. Rather than reducing property tax rates to allow seniors to stay in their homes, this would give them a tax break that encourages them to move. But making lower rates portable for older and disabled homeowners could cost counties and schools $2 billion annually, according to the California Legislative Analysts Office.Prop. 13 has already created serious disparities between neighbors property tax bills. If a family has been in its home since 1980, that homes taxable value, on average, is $300,000 less than a recently purchased property on the same block. Sometimes the disparity is far greater.The fact that theres a serious push to convert tax breaks under Prop. 13 into a lifetime guarantee shows as well as anything the enduring potency the law still possesses four decades after its passage. Schumacher denies Alpine deal already done A confused-looking Mick Schumacher on Sunday had to deny that his move to world endurance sportscar racing is already set in stone for 2024. Mick Schumacher, Dutch GP 2022 Haas F1 Team / LAT Alpine's interim team boss Bruno Famin confirmed at Suzuka that we are talking with Mick about a potential deal to see the 24-year-old Mercedes reserve driver race the new Alpine hypercar in the WEC and at Le Mans. It would be a good opportunity for both parties, but for the time being we are just talking and hopefully we will organise a test soon, he said. However, there were rumours in the Japanese GP paddock on Sunday that a deal is already done. The Austrian broadcaster ORF confronted German Schumacher with the news that the Alpine contract is now official . After a long pause, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher answered: Uh - nothing is official. The ORF pundit then asked Schumacher when he can make it official. Well, I'll share that from my side, the former Haas driver insisted. Its time to reform UN Security Council Daily Graphic Editorials Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:55 The United Nations (UN) Security Councils failure to act on critical issues affecting the security of member nations have reignited long-smouldering global demands to overhaul the worlds premier body for international peace and security. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his address at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York last Wednesday, called for immediate reforms at the Security Council of the United Nations to conform to present global trends. The President expressed disappointment that the big powers of the UN preach democracy, fairness and justice around the world, yet they were happy to practise the opposite at the UN, prioritising parochial interests over those of humanity. In his view, the UN in its current shape cannot continue to preach democracy, equality and good governance around the globe, stressing that we cannot insist on peace and justice in the world when our global organisation is seen by the majority of its members and the people of the world as hampered by an unjust and unfair structure. The sentiments voiced by President Akufo-Addo at the General Assembly adds to uncountable similar calls made by other world leaders. Worryingly, in spite of world leaders unanimous admonishment for the expansion of the UN Security Council, there appears to be a lack of willingness to expand the Security Council to 24 members from its current 15, of which five permanent membersBritain, China, France, Russia, and the United Stateswield veto power. The 10 non-permanent members are currently elected to two-year terms. Currently, Ghana is serving the second of its two-year term on the security council as a non-permanent member and President Akufo-Addo was of the view that with all that the UN had achieved in its 78 years of existence, African countries still had to deal with the reluctance by nations, organisations and the major powers at the formation of the organisations, to agree to any reform to reflect present realities. The impulse for reform is understandable. Nearly eight decades after its creation, the Security Council retains the same five permanent members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Compounding these frustrations about membership, each of the permanent five countries retains a veto permitting it to unilaterally block Security Council resolutions inimical to its national interests. The result is frequent council paralysis, exacerbated by deepening geopolitical issues. To a growing proportion of the worlds governments and citizens, the council today is both feckless and unjust, dominated by unrepresentative powers inclined to abuse their position rather than safeguard the peace. The obstacles to council reform are daunting. They include the high procedural hurdles to amending the UN Charter; divergent member state positions on the acceptable size and terms of any enlargement; disagreement over current veto provisions and their potential extension to any new permanent members and gnawing uncertainties over whether any plausible enlargementeven if it made the council more representativewould improve its functioning. Any change to the councils composition or voting rules would require the approval of two-thirds of UN membersincluding each of the permanent five membersaccompanied by relevant domestic legislation. Given intensifying geopolitical rivalry and deepening political polarisation in many countries, prospects for updating the council appear slim. Yet, pressure for Security Council expansion and veto reform will surely grow as the distribution of power and the nature of security threats shift further from what they were in 1945. Absent structural changes, the councils performance and legitimacy will inevitably suffer. Given these stakes, the world requires fresh thinking on reform pathways that will help the council meet the demands of the moment. The Daily Graphic, therefore, strongly believes that the council stands no better chance to effectively address the diverse challenges affecting the world today. Issues such as pressing climate emergencies, food insecurity, terrorism and the recent upsurge in coups detat across Africa; the Russia-Ukraine war, among others, will continue to persist because there is a lack of resolve on the part of all nations to come together to find lasting solutions. Sustaining security in Somalia: ATMIS Police playing significant role Emelia Ennin Abbey Features Sep - 25 - 2023 , 07:08 Since 2007, the African Union (AU) Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) now the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has been providing operational support and capacity building to the Somali Police Force, following a breakdown of law and order in the country as a result of civil war. The over a decade-long civil war was sparked by rival clan warlords in Somalia in 1991 following the ousting of President Mohamed Siad Barre who headed a coup in 1969. ATMIS has three components, namely police, civilian and military, which have been working together to ensure security in Somalia. In the interview below, the Daily Graphic's Emelia Ennin Abbey (EEA) speaks with the ATMIS Police Commissioner (PC), Hillary Sao Kanu (HSK) at the ATMIS Force Headquarters in Mogadishu, Somalia, on the contributions of the ATMIS police component in combating the Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Emelia Ennin Abbey (EEA): What is the capacity of the ATMIS police component in terms of numbers? Hillary Sao Kanu (HSK): Well, the population of ATMIS according to the Communique of 1068 meeting of the United Nations Security Council is 1,040, and that includes the five contingents of Form Police Units (FPU) and the Individual Police Officers (IPOs) from six contributing countries, namely Ghana, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia. We are supposed to have five FPUs but currently we have four and our population is about 856 instead of the 1,040. But again it is not about the population but about what we can do for the people of Somalia, particularly for the Somali Police Force (SPF). With the resources we have on the ground, I believe we are all working selflessly to meet the mandate of the police and we are all cooperating regardless of the fact that we are coming from different countries. We have one goal, which is to ensure that the Somalia Police provide equitable policing and security for their people. EEA: The ATMIS mission is scheduled to end by December 31, 2024. Do you see the Somalian Police as ready to take over their state security architecture after ATMIS? HSK: We have impacted a lot. A lot has been achieved in terms of capacity building, project development, infrastructure and training. And I can say a lot has been gained by the Somalian Police, which can enhance their ability to take over by December 2024. EEA: Are you confident that the Somali Police has been well equipped to take over their security operations when ATMIS winds down its operations? HSK: From our perspective, training and learning in the police is a continuous process. Let's take for example Sierra Leone when it experienced 11 years of civil war, there were foreign troops, there was ECOMOG that supported it in fighting the rebels who entered the city and were pushed out by ECOMOG. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) deployed in Freetown and reform process started. Within five years Sierra Leone was able to build up proper security by itself. But not withstanding, it is a continuous process and as I am talking to you, training is ongoing in different areas, in the areas of investigation, cyber crimes, traffic and even regular duties. We cannot say for Somalia, it will end come 2024; it has to continue. New crimes and other new things come up and they have to be trained in those areas. So it is just a start and so we are there to put some sanity in place. Prior to now, they were unable to investigate cases of Sexually Based Violence (SBVs), now they can. Previously the Somali Police had no close relationship with the general public, but now community policing has enhanced their abilities to engage civilians and their people, talking to them about Al-Shabaab and information sharing. And so as we get along, they will get used to it and be able to handle security, law and order by themselves. So I believe with ATMIS leaving here by 2024, the Somalian Police will need more support in the security sector. Intensified attacks EEA: We have heard reports that also as the mission is winding down, Al-Shabaab have intensified their attacks on both civilians and police. What are you doing differently to ensure the protection of your command and the civil populace? HSK: The draw down is ongoing and the military is about to start the second phase of withdrawing 3,000 troops from Somalia. But for us, this draw-down affects military officers who are in the Front Operation Bases (FOBs). We are not in the front line; we are not fighters or military personnel or an infantry. We are only here to enhance peace and take care of the internal security. We are here to support the Somali Police to ensure that they are well equipped to meet international standards, maintain law and order as well as security in Somalia. So the police are not going to be a part of the draw down. Ours is to ensure that whatever affects policing, we give the Somali Police the needed support. But the draw down has no effect on the ATMIS Police for now. EEA: As the Police Commissioner of ATMIS what has it been like working with officers from different countries? HSK: I think for me it has not been a challenge because this is not my first mission. United Nations African Mission in Dafur (UNAMID), my first mission, was a hybrid mission where we had different nationals from Europe, America and Africa. So here it is just a continuity, mostly working with our African brothers and sisters having similar cultures, so I see no challenges but rather an opportunity to learn from other countries we have not met before. EEA: Where would you say ATMIS stands regarding Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Human Rights? HSK: For the Somali Police, one of our basic rules is engaging with the leadership to identify gaps and we have identified a number of them. This is why we have the ATMIS Training Department and the Reform Restructuring and Development (RRD) Department to engage the leadership of the Somali Police and identify needs. They tell us the areas they need training or the areas they need SOPs developed. We then have a meeting with the senior leadership team (SLT), plan and implement such activities. For instance, the RRD along with the training department have developed different SOPs in traffic, human rights, gender based issues, communications and logistics. So it is left to the Somali Police to go over it and affirm their readiness to accept, then we help print them out. The SOPs aid them in executing their various duties. EEA: There are fears that when the soldiers depart, we may have an Afghanistan like situation, such that Al-Shabaab may overpower the Somalia Security Forces. What is your view on such fears? HSK: I believe the Somalian government has pushed greatly to degrade Al-Shabaab. There are places that were manned by Al-Shabaab and the government has done a lot to oust them and they are still on it. They are preparing for another phase of operation where they can do more to degrade Al-Shabaab in Somali territory. For me I believe they are ready to take over security. Both the police and military, and I will not say after the Mission has left, Al-Shabaab will take over. No, because I believe in the Somalia military and police. They are doing a lot. A number of arrests have been made both within and out of Mogadishu and they are having huge support from the regional governments, Kismayo and Baidoa, who are all in the forefront of fighting Al-Shabaab. We have challenges of arms and ammunition resulting from the arms embargo but the little they have, they are really making use to degrade Al-Shabaab with the support of ATMIS Military and Police. So in our perspective, I believe the government of Somalia and Somali Police Force and Army are on top of the situation. Lessons EEA: What can you say officers under ATMIS police have learnt that can be applied in their home countries? HSK: Like I said this is not my first mission and policing for me is the same all over the world. Our main focus is the protection of lives and properties, to ensure that human rights are respected and protected and as well ensure respect for the rule of law. The only difference for me is in regard to culture and religion as we have to cover our heads. Some of the lessons we are picking from here is tolerance and respect for other people's culture and all that is helping shape our character, attitudes and behaviours. EEA: Could you share any feedback you may have received from the Somali Police and how you have been able to manage conflict between the ATMIS and local police? HSK: Since I arrived at the mission six months ago, I do not think I have received any report from the Somali Police concerning any of our officers, so I believe they have lived within the mandate and code of conduct of ATMIS. When I speak with the Somali Police, they speak highly of our officers and so I am 100 per cent sure that our officers have conducted themselves properly, especially with regard to the training given to the Somali Police. We recently just concluded the station management course. We have lined up about 11 Training of Trainers (TOTs) courses in different areas and interestingly the Somali Police have invited us to conduct another for the senior cadre. At this point in time we want to see the Somali Police take the lead in training their own officers. ATMIS Police have also been very supportive of the Somali Police in terms of assisting them with the provision of medicines and in any other way we can, even from our individual pockets and through lobbying as was done during the Ramadan. EEA: Have you lost any officers during the mission? HSK: None at all. We have lost some members but only through natural causes and not in combat. EEA: Any message to the government of Ghana? HSK: I want to take this opportunity to send greetings to the government of Ghana and the Inspector General of Police for supporting us and providing such wonderful resources for us. Training police officers is not an easy task, so for a government to release a contingent to support another country is a big deal. So I really appreciate the Ghanaian government and the Police Administration for sending their vigilant officers to support Somalia at this challenging time of their history. I want to say we are having a good output from these officers and they are really maintaining their professionalism and showing they are coming from the great African Nation, Ghana. EEA: Ghana is preparing for an upcoming election and you have seen the impact of war in your home country, Sierra Leone, and going on peacekeeping in Dafur and now here in Somalia. What is your advice to young people in Ghana and Africa regarding conflict, insecurity and terrorism among others? HSK: My advice is for the youth because they are the active members of the country. They must make sure they engage in fruitful activities and not to listen to politicians because most politicians fight to stay in power and often the youth are used in fighting their causes. So I encourage the youth to engage in fruitful activities and not in things that can destroy their country. I will also recommend the system of bringing everybody on board. It is something that Africans must take up. We must be inclusive oriented, carrying along women, youth and persons living with disability (PWDs) because they are all part of the system. No one should be left behind because these are the issues that cause problems. For instance, in Sierra Leone, the present cabinet has a number of women and youth between the ages of 29-32, so the civil population are happy about the set up of the cabinet with more than 30 per cent women representation in parliament and the cabinet. By so doing equity prevails. That is what I am trying to say to our sister countries; that there needs to be such initiatives to benefit all. A Memory of Pakistan Dr Wale Okediran Opinion Sep - 25 - 2023 , 06:34 Islamabad. Early morning. I am standing at the immigration desk of the Islamabad International Airport, trying to explain to the Pakistani immigration officer my reason for visiting the South Asian country. He also wanted to know why I had to go all the way from Lagos to London then Dubai before coming to his country. Satisfied with my explanations, the happy looking burly officer gingerly stamped my passport and waved me off with a cheery Welcome to Pakistan. As I waited to collect my baggage, my mind went to my brief encounter with the immigration officer, especially his concern about my itinerary. It was the same question I had been asked when I applied for a Pakistani visa in Abuja. It was also the same question when I wanted to board my Emirates flights in Lagos, London and Dubai. Even though I had decided on my itinerary in order to accommodate a private visit to the UK before going to Pakistan, I did not realise that I had inadvertently put myself under a suspicious radar by that decision. Pakistan is currently fighting a twin problem of drug trafficking and terrorism. That is why travellers with multiple stop-overs are usually put under extra scrutiny, one of my Pakistani hosts later explained to me. Extremely cold Outside the airport, I had to button up my jacket as the chilly 10 degrees Celsius weather hit me like a cold brickbat. November is still a good time to visit Pakistan. Our coldest month is January when the weather could go as low as 2.6 degrees Celsius, my guide who had come to pick me up at the airport said. As I was driven from the airport in the early hours of the morning, I admired the beautiful and sleepy city which was said to have been built as a planned city in the 1960s to replace Karachi as Pakistans capital city. Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, came into being following the partitioning of British India into the countries of India and Pakistan on August 14, 1947. After this partition, the north-eastern and north-western flanks of the country, made up of Muslim majorities, became Pakistan. The rest of the country, predominantly Hindu, but also with large religious minorities peppered throughout, became India. It is the worlds fifth most populous country with a population exceeding 212.2 million. By area, it is the 33rd largest country, spanning 881,913 square kilometres (340,509 square miles). Partitioning effect Even though it took place more than 70 years ago, the partitioning has left some deep-rooted resentments between India and Pakistan. Fortunately, there have been numerous attempts to improve the relationship. However, despite those efforts, relations between the countries have remained fraught, following repeated acts of cross-border terrorism. According to a 2017 BBC World Service poll, only five per cent of Indians view Pakistans influence positively, with 85 per cent expressing a negative view, 11 per cent of Pakistanis viewing Indias influence positively, with 62 per cent expressing a negative view. I had come to Pakistan to attend the annual International Writers Conference of the Writers Union of Africa, Asia and Latin America. In addition, I had also been invited by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts and Hunerkada to attend the 2019 Islamabad Arts and Book Festival also holding in the Pakistani capital about the same time. Arrival While I was to present a report in my capacity as the Deputy Secretary General of the Writers Union during the conference, I had also come to Islamabad with copies of my novels for presentation at the book fair. About an hour after my arrival in Islamabad, I arrived at my hotel, Embessidor Hotel located at Sector G- 5 of the city, where I was heartily received by my hosts and other conference delegates who had arrived ahead of me. It was nice seeing my fellow writers again after our last conference which took place in Rabat, Morocco. Some of the writers who had already arrived at the hotel included delegates from Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Vietnam, as well as Jordan. I also saw some new faces such as Bui Viet Thang from Vietnam, Said Salgawi from Omanm as well as Toy Ting from Thailand. On hand to receive all of us was our chief host, the ebullient Pakistani poet and book seller, Imdad Aakash, who is also the Secretary General of the Pakistani Writers Union. Open letter to President - Safety concerns on the Accra-Tema Motorway Kobina Ofosu Nketia Opinion Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:50 I write with deep concern as a citizen using the Accra-Tema Motorway daily. The Accra-Tema Motorway, a vital conduit for economic and social activities, stands as a symbol of our nation's growth and connectivity, but with a series of safety concerns that have plagued this critical infrastructure and, by extension, the lives of the citizens it serves: Potholes/traffic congestion: The Accra-Tema Motorway is marred by colossal potholes, leading to traffic gridlocks, particularly on weekdays. These craters not only cause damage to vehicles but also hinder the smooth flow of traffic. Immediate resurfacing and repair are essential to alleviate this daily nightmare. Darkness /street light levy: The absence of streetlights along the motorway poses grave hazards, especially given the treacherous potholes that dot its surface. Tragically, on September 2, 2023, a truck collided with the tollbooth due to darkness and the lack of essential safety signs, during a heavy downpour, highlighting the dire situation. It is disheartening that ordinary Ghanaians pay a streetlight levy of three per cent to the government in accordance with the Energy Sector Levy Act, 2017(Act 946) while enduring this dangerous obscurity. Unlawful U-turns: A dangerous trend of unlawful U-turns persists, often involving the Police Service and some government vehicles with green number plates. These risky manoeuvres take place dangerously close to the "abattoir bus stop" endangering the lives of road users and highlighting the urgent need for enforcement and regulation. Tricycles ("Abobo Yaa"): Despite the passage of a by-law by the Greater Accra Regional Ministry, tricycles, popularly known as "Abobo Yaa" continue to operate on the motorway. This blatant violation of established regulations endangers both tricycle operators and other road users. 5. Neglected barriers: After vehicles collide with barriers on the motorway, there is often a glaring lack of prompt action to repair or replace them. This oversight not only jeopardises road safety but also raises questions about our commitment to citizen well-being. Overloaded/reckless driving: Overloaded trucks, bound for neighbouring countries, such as Burkina Faso, often park on the motorway shoulders. When they eventually move, they do so without adequate caution, particularly concerning axle loads. Furthermore, reckless driving and haphazard parking by trotro drivers contribute to dangerous conditions on the motorway. With deep concern, I must assert that the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Road Safety Commission have not demonstrated adequate dedication to addressing these pressing safety concerns. The people of Ghana deserve road infrastructure that is safe, reliable and conducive to their well-being. I earnestly implore you to utilise your esteemed office to direct the relevant authorities to take immediate, comprehensive measures to rectify these alarming issues on the Accra-Tema Motorway. Our citizens, who contribute their hard-earned resources through the streetlight levy, deserve to traverse these routes safely. Your leadership has already brought about transformative change in our nation. I am confident that your intervention will usher in the necessary changes to enhance road safety and restore the Accra-Tema Motorway to its rightful status as a secure passage of progress. Kobina Ofosu Nketia, Health, Safety & Environmental Advisor, De Simone Limited. Some facts and figures on Chinas economy LU Kun Opinion Sep - 25 - 2023 , 14:02 China's economy is under the spotlight in some foreign media recently. Is it doing good? What is the trend? Facts and Figures won't lie. Chinas economy remains in an upward and healthy trajectory. In the past decade, China has made great efforts to promote high-quality development. China contributes more than 30% to global growth on average, with its per capita GDP exceeding 12,000 dollars. China adheres to the philosophy of people-centered development, creating 13 million new urban jobs on average each year and a middle-income group of over 400 million people. China eradicated absolute poverty by lifting 100 million rural residents above poverty line, meeting the targets of the UN SDG 10 years ahead of schedule. China has accelerated efforts to build self-reliance and strength in science and technology against unwarranted sanctions, with nationwide R&D spending ranks the second highest in the world. HUAWEI recently released Mate 60pro, a breakthrough and milestone of technology. Indeed, the Chinese economy is facing some headwinds recently, like in many other countries. Some foreign media talk down the Chinese economy, but have been repeatedly proven to be the opposite of facts. In the first half of this year, Chinas GDP grew by 5.5%, outpacing most major economies. There are many positive figures in major economic indicators such as domestic demand, production, trade and income. From January to July, retail sales of services increased by 20.3% year-on-year, the added value of major industrial enterprises increased by 3.8% year-on-year. One of the highlights in the first half of 2023 is the rebound in consumption, which contributed 77.2% of the growth. China continues to take up about 14% of the global export market. In the first half of this year, the import and export of goods increased by 2.1% year-on-year. China's automobile export surpassed Japan, ranking first in the world, and China has become the world's largest automobile producer, consumer and exporter. Per capita disposable income rose by 5.8% in real terms, while the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.5% year-on-year in the first seven months. Chinas renewable energy generation capacity has overtaken its coal-power capacity. The installed capacity of wind and solar power has topped the world for 13 and 8 years respectively. While transnational investment is lackluster globally, overseas investment in China continues to grow. In the first half of 2023, France, Britain, Japan and Germany boosted investment in China by 173%, 135%, 53% and 14% respectively. Some 24,000 new foreign firms were established in China in the same period, up by 35.7% year on year. Half of Teslas global deliveries came from its Shanghai mega-factory last year, which rolls out one EV every 40 seconds on average. Starbucks now operates more than 6,500 stores in China, opening one nearly every nine hours. China remains the most important engine of global growth. British economist John Ross found that from the second quarter of 2019 to that of 2023, China's economy grew by 4.5% annually, while the United States grew by 1.8%, the Eurozone grew by 0.7%. From the second quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2023, India grew by 3.4% annually, Brazil by 1.9%, South Africa by 0.1%, and Russia by -0.8%. China's economy performs better than that of major economies. The World Bank, OECD and IMF respectively project Chinas economy to grow at 5.6%, 5.4% and 5.2% for 2023. All sorts of comments predicting the collapse of Chinas economy keep surfacing every now and then. While interestingly, what has collapsed is such rhetoric itself, not Chinas economy. Chinas economy keeps growing regardless of the pride and prejudice or tittle-tattle. According to BCA Research, China has been the source of more than 40% of global growth over the past decade, compared with 22% from the United States and 9% from the euro zone. For many years, some people have dismissed Chinas contribution to global growth or even hyped up the threat from a growing China. It is more ironic when some media spread the China collapse theory and China threat theory at the same time. How can a country pose a threat while it is collapsing? Such paradoxical fallacies fully expose some people's distorted attitude towards China's development. Todays world faces unprecedented challenges brought about by the changes unseen in a century. Global recovery remains sluggish, every country has its own problems to tackle. Facing the common challenges of this trying time, its time to make friends, not enemies, to find solutions, not create problems, to build connection, not decoupling, to build trust, not walls. Above all, its high time to prioritize development for the Global South and strive to build a community with a shared future for mankind. The writer, LU Kun is the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Teachers welfare: Pay equal attention to non-teaching staff - TEWU urges govt Emmanuel Bonney Education Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:45 The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) has called for a level playing field for teaching and non-teaching staff as far as welfare issues are concerned. That, it said is to ensure that the country is able to deliver the kind of quality education it has yearned for. In the enterprise of education, it is not only teachers; the non-teaching staff also have a key role to play in ensuring that we attain the education delivery that we are looking for and so there should not be any attempt on the part of government to discriminate against non-teaching staff. Attention So, inasmuch as teachers welfare and other things are being considered, we expect government to pay similar or equal attention to the needs of non-teaching staff so that they would also be able to deliver on this quality education delivery we have set on ourselves. Together, teaching and non-teaching staff can build a very strong education system, the General Secretary of TEWU, Mark Denkyira Korankye, said. He was speaking at the 13th Quadrennial Greater Regional Delegates Conference of TEWU last Tuesday in Accra. It was on the theme: Fostering Partnership for Equitable Education Delivery in Ghana: The Role of TEWU. The delegates Mr Korankye said to attain equitable education delivery in Ghana, there was the need to include everybody, adding that No child should be left behind. He, therefore, said there should not be any form of discrimination against a child from a village with less-endowed resources in favour of a child from the city, with better resources at his or her disposal. Height Whatever height a child in the urban city attains, a child in the rural area should also be able to attain that height as long as their brains assimilate whatever they have been taught, he emphasised. The TEWU General Secretary noted that the theme for the event encapsulated an unwavering commitment to the future of education in the country. Again, Mr Korankye said work place safety was key and that we must ensure that the environment in which we work is free and devoid of any danger so that we would go to work and come back home safely. He called on the government to give due recognition to the efforts put in by non-teaching staff in ensuring that teaching and learning went on unabated. The Dean of Students Affairs of the Accra Technical University, Martin Owusu Amoamah, said TEWUs unwavering commitment to the cause of education in the country was nothing short of inspiring. As we gather here today, I want you to picture the faces of the countless children across Ghana who yearn to learn, grow and chase their dreams. As educators and union members, we share a common purpose to ensure that every child in our great nation has access to quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances. Today, I want to take you on a journey towards fostering partnerships that will illuminate the path to equitable education in our beloved country, he said. Barriers He said TEWU alone could not dismantle the barriers to equitable education in the country and that real change called for partnerships with not just union members, but with the government, communities and other stakeholders who shared their vision. Collaboration with the government is paramount. We must engage constructively, ensuring that our voices are heard and actively shape policies and their implementation. It's time to be architects of our own future, and collaboration with the government is a cornerstone of this endeavour, he said. The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of TEWU, Rev. Michael Adu-Poku, said education was key to personal development and the future of societies as it unlocked potentials and narrowed inequalities. He said although their administration had been fraught with some challenges, it had been able to chalk-up some successes, notwithstanding. Agrihouse, GhaNeb LLC partner to promote agribusiness Severious Kale-Dery Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:40 A ghanaian agribusiness delegation to Grand Island, Nebraska in the United States has ended a four-day business event focused on the growth of agribusinesses in both the United States and Ghana. The delegation returned with innovative ideas to grow the agricultural sector. The 20-member delegation was led by a Deputy Food and Agriculture Minister, Yaw Frimpong Addo, and a former Minister of Food and Agriculture and currently General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey. Stakeholders Dubbed: The Nebraska-Ghana Trade and Investment, the programme, jointly organised by Ghana Nebraska LLC (GhaNeb LLC ) and Agrihouse Foundation, brought together stakeholders in the agricultural value-chain and policy makers to help build relationships and boost the interests of both nations together for the benefit of the farmers and agribusiness. It was supported by the Nebraska State Legislature, Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, EZ Politix, Sandhills Global, The Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Certified Piedmonstese. On the theme, Facilitating opportunities, the event offered the Ghanaian farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, government officials and private businesses the chance to explore businesses, Trade and investment opportunities. In a statement at the end of the summit, the Lead and Co-founder of Nebraska GhaNeb LLC, Senator Ken Schilz, expressed satisfaction with the quality of the Ghanaian delegates, their understanding of the various sectors they operated, and most importantly, their desire to establish long-term and profitable business partnerships. Both GhaNeb LLC and Agrihouse Foundation have positioned ourselves to support to facilitate the opportunities and relationships that have been established, he said. For her part, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, expressed excitement about the impactful and meaningful partnership her organisation had established with the GhaNeb LLC, which made the programme possible. I am excited about the future and the important role we are playing with GhaNeb LLC in facilitating these relationships established and am happy we have showcased our potential to support in driving innovation and growth in the agricultural sector, creating new avenues for both regions to prosper, she added. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Mr Kwetey, who doubled as the representative of former President John Dramani Mahama, who was originally scheduled to be the leader of the delegation, commended Nebraska GhaNeb LLC and Agrihouse Foundation for their outstanding efforts in fostering partnerships between the United States and Ghana. He further commended the two organisations for strengthening the bonds between the two nations and lauded their commitment to promoting collaboration between the United States and Ghana, terming them as exemplary ambassadors. Bible Society of Ghana rallies support from churches ... For Bible translation project Mary Anane-Amponsah Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:50 The Bible Society of Ghana (BSG) has said it is committed to translating the Bible into all the local languages to promote evangelism and discipleship for Jesus Christ across the country. It said the exercise was not only key in promoting the gospel but also in preserving the local languages for generations to come. However, that was a herculean task financially; hence, the need for The Church to support the society to carry out this project. The General Secretary of the BSG, Very Rev. Dr John Kwesi Addo Junior, who gave this assurance, said translating the Bible into local languages was part of the fulfilment of the Great Commission of ensuring that people everywhere got to know about and read the gospel; thus, it was important for churches to make the objective reality in the country. 58th anniversary Addressing journalists after a thanksgiving service at the Holy Hill Assemblies of God, as part of their 58th anniversary celebration in Accra yesterday Very Rev. Addo Junior indicated that so far, the society had been able to translate the Bible into nine major Ghanaian languages, and there was the need to expand the scope. The BSG General Secretary disclosed that it spent GH7 million to translate the Bible into just a language and this huge investment was to get people to know God and transform them. Its Mandate Explaining the mandate, Very Rev. Addo said the society was set up in 1967 to make Gods word available to everybody through the Bible in the format and in the language convenient to them and we thank God that we have over the years been working towards achieving this. He said they used different formats to translate the Bible for different people in society, citing that for persons with hearing impairment, for instance, the society had created the format of putting the Bible in video forms so that when the signs are done, they can understand and appreciate God. He further stressed that it was only when people with such challenges received the word that miracles could take place and so we give them the word in a form that we believe is the best. Although the BSG received foreign support for its activities, Very Rev. Addo Junior said the support for some time now had dwindled, which had, therefore, necessitated a need for support from the local churches. He said the BSG was currently working on seven projects, including a study Bible, and ordinarily, it would take 10 to 15 years to complete one full Bible translation, he said. We have over 50 languages in Ghana. We are working on getting the Bible in every language so that all Ghanaians can have the Bible in their mother tongue. For the sign language, we are looking at anything around 30 years, he said and added that the only country in the world that had been able to fully complete a sign language Bible was the United States of America (USA) and it took them 40 years. Very Rev. Addo Junior said the BSG was learning from the experience of the USA and, therefore, looking at completing their sign language Bible in 30 years but before that would be achieved we are currently doing it book by book, like Matthew, Mark, Luke so that persons with hearing impairment could have portions of the Bible to use before the whole Bible was completed. Bill to remove 15% sanitary pad tax introduced - Sosu presents draft to Parliament Nana Konadu Agyeman Sep - 25 - 2023 , 06:00 A private members bill proposing an amendment to remove the 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on menstrual hygiene products has been sent to Parliament. The proposed bill seeks to amend the VAT (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1082) to remove the VAT on sanitary pads and tampons. It will also push for the reclassification of the 20 per cent import tax on final consumer goods to zero-rated essential social goods and proscribe future taxation of such essential social goods. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, presented the proposed bill to the Clerk to Parliament last Thursday. Justification Providing the justification for introducing the bill in a memorandum accompanying the bill, the human rights lawyer said globally many women and girls faced challenges in managing their menstruation. Mr Sosu explained that menstrual hygiene management (MHM) was defined as the practice of using clean materials to absorb menstrual blood that can be changed privately, safely, hygienically and as often as needed for the duration of the menstrual cycle. In his view, often, the failure to address the menstrual hygiene needs of women and girls could have far-reaching consequences for basic hygiene, sanitation and reproductive health, ultimately affecting the countrys progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals one, three, four, five, six and 10. Goal one covers no poverty, three on good health and wellbeing; four on quality education; five on gender equality, six on clean water and sanitation, and 10 on reduced inequalities. Despite the fact that about a quarter of the worlds population menstruates, 500 million people have been left without access to menstrual hygiene products, leading to period poverty. Period poverty, thus refers to the struggle to afford menstrual products, and the increased economic vulnerability menstruating people face due to the financial burden posed by menstrual supplies, the MP, who is also one of the legislators who sponsored the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which was passed to scrap the death penalty and criminalised accusation of anyone as witchcraft. Discriminatory tax Quoting authoritative sources globally, Mr Sosu said inadequate knowledge of menstrual issues among schoolgirls, unsuitable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities; limited access to sanitary kits and cultural barriers were some of the major factors hindering proper menstrual management among schoolgirls in low-and middle-income nations. He added that globally, women were twice as likely as men to report any discrimination they suffered based on their sex. With women making up the majority of Ghanas population 15.6 million representing 50.7 per cent of the population per the 2021 Population and Housing Census, and 85 per cent of women reported to be using sanitary pads as their main MHM material, he said the imposition of taxes on sanitation did not serve their interest. Imposing taxes on sanitation pads which is as a result of their menstrual cycle which is a natural phenomenon is unfair, discriminatory and violates both national law (Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution) and various international laws and treaties such as Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, Articles 24(1) and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on Rights of Children, and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women, among others, Mr Sosu said. It is possible to remove tax The MP cited how some countries had taken the lead and shown that it was possible to take the tax off menstrual products. Mr Sosu said in 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to offer free sanitary products to all women. Also, Kenya became the first country in the world to remove the tax on imports of sanitary products in 2004, the Madina MP pointed out. He also mentioned Canada, Australia, India, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Lebanon, Malaysia, Colombia, South Africa, Namibia and Rwanda as other countries that had all put in measures to remove taxes on period products. Unconscionable tax On June 23, this year, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, expressed strong abhorrence at the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads in Ghana. He described the passage of laws by Parliament to impose the tax on sanitary pads as unconscionable and a cardinal sin. This House should not have allowed it at all. You know the impact of that law on human resource development and the development of this country is immeasurable. Why should we pass a law imposing tax on sanitary pads? We have to take immediate action to prevent whoever is the minister and is proposing it to take it off, Mr Bagbin said. The Speaker expressed those sentiments to members of the House when he informed the House of a petition he had received from civil society groups and non-profit organisations that called themselves the Socialist Movement of Ghana who had picketed the premises of Parliament on June 23, 2023. The group members, clad in red attire and armbands, carried placards emphasising the need to suspend taxes on sanitary pads. Some of the placards read: You cannot tax my period, We are already bleeding. Dont tax our period, Dont consider sanitary pads as luxury products, and It is unfair and discriminatory to tax bleeding young girls. EPA builds staff capacity for e-waste data collection exercise Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:45 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to undertake a national electronic waste (E-waste) inventory exercise in October, to assess the impact of e-waste in the country. Scheduled to be a countrywide situation analysis on electronic waste, it is intended to help understand it by origin and type, trade routes and hubs, as well as a review of major toxic pollutants. E-waste is one of the challenging bi-products of accelerated development and progress of digitisation as the market for electrical and electronic equipment grow steadily. A number of reports on research indicate that in Ghana, the demand for computers and accessories, in particular, is phenomenal as a result of increasing electronic literacy. Each year, large consignments of electronic and electric equipment, discarded mainly in Europe and North America, find their way into Ghana and are patronised by those who cannot afford to buy new gadgets and this has turned Ghana into a popular dumping ground for old electronics. The e-waste challenge has grave adverse implications on health and the environment thus the inventory is intended to help assess the environmental, health, social, economic implications of e-waste on the economy while assessing the dimension of the sector, including the different value-chains and their employment level, among others. Enumerators training In preparation for the exercise, the EPA has organised a two-day training workshop for enumerators in the Greater Accra Region. The workshop was attended by staff from the EPA Head office, Accra West, Accra East and Kasoa offices. Analysis, workshop The analysis would create a system that would serve as a platform to guide the government on initiatives related to the development of infrastructure for e-waste management, resource mobilisation, awareness creation, capacity building, education and research, and monitoring and evaluation. It is under Africa Environmental Health and Pollution Management Programme (AEHPMP), which is aimed at reducing exposure to mercury and unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants (uPOPs) in the country. Therefore, as enumerators, the training developed their skills and knowledge of collecting data from the field for surveys, verification of the data, post implementation monitoring and post distribution. The participants were also taken through the various electronic and electrical equipment waste categories, the sampling framework, content of the questionnaire and related procedures. They subsequently undertook mock interviews using the questionnaires which were then pretested in some parts of Accra. Significance The AEHPMP Project Coordinator, Larry Kotoe, said the inventory primarily sought to establish the actual volumes of e-waste in-country which would inform policy interventions, business promotion and appropriate treatment options within the value chain. He added that the training was to build the capacity of the staff for the enumeration exercise and to facilitate future updates of the e-waste inventory. Mr Kotoe mentioned that similar training workshops had been held for selected staff and potential field officers in other regions. He urged the public to be cooperative and expect the officers in their houses, offices, and institutions to collect data on electrical and electronic equipment and their associated waste to help with the compilation of the inventory. A representative of Mountain Research Institute, facilitators of the workshop, John Pwamang, urged the participants to take full advantage of the training and learn as much as possible to enhance their capacity for an effective exercise. Ghana hosts UN peacekeeping ministerial meeting December Emelia Ennin Abbey Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:44 Ghana is set to host a United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Accra in December. It will be the first time the two-day meeting, slated for December 5 and 6, this year, will be hosted in Africa but it will be the fifth UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, together with senior officials from the UN Secretariat, announced the date for the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting at a joint press conference in New York, the United States of America (USA). Ghana is currently serving out the second of its two-year term on the Security Council as a non-permanent member, having assumed its membership in November 2022, as the Chairman of the Council. Meeting UN Peacekeeping is a global partnership with peacekeepers from over 120 countries deployed in some of the most challenging places in the world to help save lives, prevent conflicts, and create conditions for lasting peace. The meeting, which brings together foreign and defence ministers, focuses on securing concrete commitments from member states to fill critical gaps, leverage new technologies and address key priorities to improve the operational effectiveness of peacekeeping missions. With missions navigating unprecedented challenges and threats, this years event is expected to focus on critical issues such as the protection of civilians, strategic communications and addressing misinformation and disinformation, safety and security, the mental health of uniformed peacekeepers and the pivotal role of women in peacekeeping. Secretary-Generals initiatives Ms Botchwey said the meeting would provide an opportunity to explore ways by which member states could generate high-performing and specialised capabilities and other pledges that met UN needs, as well as new or expanded, sustainable capacity-building training and equipping partnerships in key areas. As a long-standing troop- and police-contributing country to UN Peacekeeping since the 1960s, Ghana acknowledges the long and positive track record of peacekeeping in Africa and believes that UN Peacekeeping has a future and remains indispensable and invaluable in advancing peace in conflict settings globally," she said. The minister said it was, therefore, pertinent that the world remained resolute in its commitment to guarding jealously the multilateral tool and fully support the UN Secretary-Generals initiatives such as the Action for Peacekeeping and Action for Peacekeeping-Plus, which were essential to improve the effectiveness of modern-day peacekeeping and tackle the security challenges of recent time. Contribution of Ghana, Africa The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations of the UN, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said the 2023 ministerial meeting was an important opportunity for leaders to reaffirm their commitment and make pledges to UN Peacekeeping. UN Peacekeeping, he said, remained one of the most significant multilateral tools to achieve sustainable peace and development. "We are grateful to Ghana for hosting this Ministerial meeting and for their critical contributions to strengthening our operations, he said. Member states were also encouraged to create or strengthen bilateral and triangular support and partnerships to ensure that proposed improvements were sustainable and had the required impact. Ghana to host Africas first lithium refinery Timothy Ngnenbe Sep - 25 - 2023 , 06:10 Processes are underway to set up Africas first-ever lithium refinery in Takoradi in the Western Region. The $500-million refinery is being established by a consortium of CAA Mining Ltd, Livista Energy, based in Luxembourg, and its Ghanaian subsidiary, Livista Ghana Ltd. The lithium processing plant is part of a comprehensive plan to invest in the countrys budding lithium value chain in line with the Green Minerals Policy the government approved recently. Among other measures, the Green Minerals Policy makes it mandatory for value to be added to lithium in the country rather than exporting it in its raw form. The CEO of CAA Mining Limited, Douglas D. Chikohora, told the Daily Graphic that barring any hitches, the refinery would be completed and operationalised in 2026. He said a parcel of 200-acre land within the Takoradi Port City had been earmarked to host the refinery. Mr Chikohora added that preliminary discussions had been held with the Ghana Gas Company Limited for power extension and construction of a service pipeline from the existing pipeline grid to the refinery in April, this year. The mining executive said when completed, the refinery would be the third of its kind in the world and the first on the continent. Licence However, Mr Chikohora said the start of work on the refinery would depend on the issuance of a prospecting licence to Lithium Resources Ghana Ltd (LRGL), a joint venture of CAA Mining Ltd and local entity Empire Rare Earth and Metal Group Limited. The company (LRGL) has invested $2 million into exploration for Lithium on a 646-square kilometre (KM2) concession on the lithium corridor along Awutu-Bereku and Mankessim in the Central Region. It has also committed to rolling out a $10 million lithium drilling programme before the end of the year, subject to the issuance of a prospecting licence by the Minerals Commission. Once we get the prospecting licence and start drilling, the volumes we get will determine the size of the refinery we should put up, he said. Mr Chikohora said the lithium consortium was aware of the countrys green minerals policy and was prepared to invest in the value chain. Strategic location He added that the location of the refinery in Ghana was strategic as it would feed on the countrys lithium and others from African countries such as DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Mali, Namibia and South Africa. There are only two places where lithium is refined in the world, and that is China and the US. In Africa, there is no refinery for lithium, so if we set up the refinery in Ghana, it will be the third in the world and first in Africa. Based on this, the refinery in Ghana will be pan-African in nature since the lithium from other parts of the continent will be refined here, Mr Chikohora said. He added that there would be an industrial boom in the country when the refinery was set up because other industries such as battery manufacturers and vehicle assembly plants would blossom. Apart from the mining and refining jobs, people are going to be producing refined lithium here. There will be battery producing companies, vehicle assembly plants and many other job opportunities, he stressed. Local content In terms of local content, Mr Chikohora said LRGL was a joint venture between a foreign and local firm, with an indigenous business model that cascaded through the value chain. He also said LRGL had begun discussions with the Mining Income Investment Fund (MIIF) to be part of the investment in the lithium value chain as a shareholder to deepen the local content requirement. We have signed a market development agreement with MIIF, so they know what we are doing, he said. Mr Chikohora also said the consortium was planning to launch its social responsibility programme this year to outline the area of support it would offer host communities. He said the company had been in constant touch with the host communities for the priority areas of the CSR activities. We can launch the social responsibility programme by the end of September, depending on the state of the licence, he said. Hundreds show up on final day of Democracy Hub protests Rosalind K. Amoh Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:56 Hundreds of protesters defied the threat of rain and showed up last Saturday for the final day of the three-day of pretest to occupy the Jubilee House. They hit the streets in the early hours sitting through the rain, sun and night, to continue the protest, which began on September 21, to express their frustrations to the government, to demand economic reform and an end to corruption, among a list of concerns. Clad in black with red stripes adorning their heads, the protesters chanted patriotic songs and held placards with inscriptions such as Our Leaders Arent Patriotic, No More Suffering, and Thieves in Suite, among others, to voice their frustrations and demands. Their huge numbers blocked roads around the 37 Military Hospital stretch leading to Jubilee House and mounted their stands in readiness to march towards the seat of government. Police barricade However, the Ghana Police Service mounted their barricades across the road leading to the Jubilee House to prevent the protesters from advancing to press home their demands. As it has been from the first day, the police also showed up in their numbers, calm but alert at their position, ready to prevent the protesters from marching towards the Jubilee House. The protesters, unable to go past the barricade, also refused to disperse and rather, remained on the streets, causing extremely heavy traffic on that route. Support, confrontation The turnout on the final day reflected the support the organisers received for the planned protest, however, the first day of the protest saw 49 members of the organising group, including Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, arrested by the police for leading and taking part in an unlawful demonstration. They were granted bail and released late that same night. On the second day, more protesters, including some celebrities, showed up again in a bid to proceed to the Jubilee House; but yet again, they were obstructed by the police, which had mounted the barricades. On the third and final day, the organisers and protesters tried again to carry out their aim but could not find a way around the police blockade. Address All through the final day, the public address system blared out music that spoke to freedom and corruption, notably Bob Marleys Redemption Song.Also, the leaders of the protests persistently went around, using the public address system to emphasise their commitment to a peaceful demonstration, calling for restraint and cautioning against any violent actions, particularly throwing objects at the police. After a fruitless effort to get their way for their planned march to the Jubilee House, Mr Barker-Vormawor addressed the protesters at about 8 p.m., commending them for their support and being bold to voice their frustration with their support for the protest. He praised them for their resilience and tenacity and stressed that they were on a precipice of change and that their action in the last three days bodes well for a new Ghana. Ghana, our youth in their commitment have shown us that the dream of a new Ghana is possible. Forever, we have shown Ghana that the call for justice and freedom cannot be silent no matter the odds that are stacked against us, he said. He encouraged the protesters not to give up on the fight and emphasised that what Ghanaians had seen was a reminder of the never-dying spirit of Yes, We Can!. People of Ghana, I want you to believe this the youth you see today at #OccupyJulorbiHouse are purchasing tomorrows freedom for your sake, Mr Barker-Vormawor stressed. Graphics Digitalised Archives is a great repository for production - Min of Information Gifty Boadu Sep - 25 - 2023 , 13:47 The Digitalised Archives launched by the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) is a great repository for production, the Minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said. He said when he first personally visited the Graphic Archives centre in May 2023, he was amazed and astonished. I was blown away and before my very eyes I was observing how decades of newsprint were being preserved for prosperity because the paper at some point get difficult to be preserved, he said. Mr Oppong Nkrumah was speaking at the launch of the Graphic Digital Archives last week in Accra. The Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayeribe added that there are three categories of clients who will benefit from the digitalisation, and they are the academic institutions, brand managers and the media. He urged all these institutions to take advantage and use it wisely. IGP Dampare cannot absolve himself from police actions against protesters of Occupy Jubilee House Zadok Kwame Gyesi Sep - 25 - 2023 , 13:22 A security analyst, Emmanuel Kutin is of the view that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare cannot absolve himself from the police's action against last week's protesters in Accra. Following the police action against the protesters last week, there are reports the Accra Regional Police Commander, COP Sayibu Gariba, has been queried and also summoned by the Police Management Board (POMAB) to answer questions on the incidents. Reacting to the POMAB's action in a radio interview on Accra-based 3FM on Monday afternoon, [Sept 25, 2023], Mr. Kutin said it will be wrong to only punish the Accra Regional Police Commander for the excesses of the police during the protest. The protesters were demanding an end to what they said were corrupt activities by government appointees, and wanted to be allowed to occupy the premises of the government, the Jubilee House for three days with their protest. For Mr Kutin, if the police had been praised for their actions, there was no way only the Accra Regional Police Commander would have been singled out to receive the praise. He said, "It is not appropriate to single out the regional commander to query him." Mr. Kutin said IGP Dampare "cannot disassociate himself from the actions of the police" and that "there is the need to reform the police service." The protesters, who were demonstrating against the governments economic policies and alleged corruption, were met with excessive force from the police, on Thursday, September 21. Almost 50 protesters including journalists were arrested. The incident sparked some outrage and many accused the police of using excessive force against unarmed civilians. Following the public outcry, the Police Service in a statement apologised for the inconvenience caused during the three-day protests. The protest was organised by a group called Democracy Hub. The protest was staged to put pressure on the government to address the countrys economic problems and investigate allegations of corruption. It was held from Thursday, September 21, 2023 to Saturday, September 23. The protesters gathered at the 37 Lorry Station and attempted to march to the Jubilee House, the seat of government. However, the police stopped the protesters from reaching the Jubilee House. More Investment needed in oil, gas sector Experts Mary Anane-Amponsah Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:31 Industry experts in the Oil and Gas sector have called for more investment in the sector to spur sustainable economic growth. Expanding the critical gas infrastructure, they said, would enable an optimised use of the product to save the country foreign exchange in its energy bills. The experts included the Council Chair of the Ghana Upstream Petroleum Chamber (GUPC) and Senior Vice-President of Kosmos Energy Ghana, Joe Mensah; the Managing Director of MODEC Production Sevices Ghana, Theo Ahwireng; the General Manager of Engineering, GNPC, Victor Sunu-Attah, and the Director, Local Content, Petroleum Commission, Kwaku Boateng. The experts, at the two-day Ghana Oil and Gas conference in Accra on the theme "Ghana's Oil and Gas industry: Prospects and Opportunities, said that natural gas, recognised as the energy transition fuel of choice, had become the preferred fuel for power plants replacing otherwise expensive crude oil. The conference was organised by the GUPC in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy. The country is now substituting liquid fuel for gas to power the energy sector, which provides ample testament that when the gas sector is fully exploited, it will reduce the countrys debt. The 2023 Ghana Upstream Petroleum Report indicates that last year, the country made significant savings of $1.3 billion from the substitution of liquid fuel for gas. As part of its recommendations, the report indicated that it was necessary to optimise gas utilisation with the necessary infrastructure to increase gas export and off-take and added that it was imperative to prioritise initiatives that reduce gas flaring, encourage gas offtakes and enhance the utilisation of locally produced gas. The report disclosed that domestic gas exports for power generation represented 82 per cent of total gas consumed with imports from Nigeria Gas, accounting for the remaining 18 per cent. In 2022, about 107.56 Billion Cubic Feet (Bcf) was exported into the domestic gas market. This is equivalent to 20.45 million barrels of oil equivalent, the volume of oil to have been consumed for power generation in the absence of fuel switching to gas, it stated. The report also recommended incentives for the exploration of oil to boost reserves and increase production. It added that the country needed to monitor the transition energy space for additional opportunities in the sector. Gas pricing Touching on the issue of gas pricing, the Senior Vice-President of Kosmos Energy Ghana, Mr Joe Mensah, called for commitment from the government to provide fair pricing for gas to boost investor confidence in the sector. The country, he said, had exhausted its free gas supply, which it enjoyed over the years from the oil producers and, therefore, now had to determine a real pricing for the gas. He said if the right investments were put in place in the sector, the country would make enough money and, therefore, would not need to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support. The General Manager for Engineering, GNPC, Mr Sunu-Attah, also called for a conscious effort to satisfy the investors in the sector to enable them to produce more for the country. Mr Ahwireng agreed that harnessing the full potential of natural gas was very critical to the countrys development and, therefore, more efforts needed to be put in that direction to guarantee energy sufficiency for the country. One-man protester demands expansion of limited voter registration exercise Justice Agbenorsi & Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:39 The Convener of Justice for Ghana (G4G), Dramani Selorm Dzramado, a social activist group, last Friday, staged a one-man protest at the national headquarters of the Electoral Commission (EC) to drum home the need for the commission to expand the limited voter registration exercise. The sit-in protest, which started at 8 a.m., was hinged on Article 45(e) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates the EC to undertake programmes for the expansion of the registration of voters. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Dzramado explained that the ECs decision to restrict the centres of voter registration to their district offices could deprive many eligible voters of their right to be registered as voters and to vote in public elections. He said the decision to undertake the sit-in protest was to get the EC to rescind its decision to restrict the exercise to its district offices and added that many people, including the disabled, could be left out of the exercise. Reacting to the ECs assurance that it would maintain the sanctity of the voters register, Mr Dzramado said, The sanctity of the register cannot be achieved by sacrificing Article 45(e) because its a constitutional provision so you cannot sacrifice that on the altar of sanctity. So if you cannot achieve sanctity by expansion, then youre blatantly being incompetent, he said. Vulnerable Mr Dzramado cautioned that if the EC did not follow the various constitutional provisions that guide the conduct of such an exercise, the commission was leaving itself vulnerable to a possible injunction with regards to the main elections itself. If they continue on their current trajectory, just one person can possibly have an injunction placed on the elections if he or she feels like he was not treated properly so that they can vote, he added. Background The EC, at a press briefing addressed by its Chairperson, Jean Mensa, weeks ago, announced it had targeted to register about 1.35 million people in the 2023 Voters Registration exercise, which commenced on September 12 and would end on October 2. The nationwide exercise will be conducted between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, including Saturdays and Sundays. It also stated that the registration exercise would take place in all the 268 District Offices of the Commission, including the Guan District. Since then, several political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs), political activists, experts and disability groups have called on the commission to make use of existing 6,272 electoral areas for the exercise. They lamented that the use of limited offices would affect the participation of eligible voters in the exercise, thereby creating unnecessary tension. Besides, they said, using limited offices would impose unbearable physical and economic costs to individuals, especially persons with disabilities (PWDs), since most of them had to travel long distances to register. Project to make Sunyani youth active citizens launched Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:36 A three-years project to equip the youth to become active citizens and take part in the social, political and economic activities in Sunyani and its immediate environs was launched in Sunyani last Wednesday. Dubbed the Resilient City for Adolescents Project, it is also aimed at improving access to good quality and affordable healthcare, education and other social services to help reduce the negative impact of teenage pregnancy, smoking, drug abuse and mental health problems in the municipality. About 1,500 adolescents are expected to directly benefit from the project, while about 3,000 more will experience the positive impact of the project. The Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) and its primary partners, Indigenous Women Empowerment Network and Citizens Watch Ghana, have secured a 300,000 grant from the Swiss Botnar Foundation to implement the three-year adult inclusive project. Already, the youth in various communities in Sunyani and its environs have been organised with each of them electing their representative (Member of Parliament) to meet them from time to time to deliberate on pertinent issues and seek answers from duty bearers in the city. Adolescents' needs Addressing the launch, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GLOMEF, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, said the project hinged on a three-pronged approach concerning social, political and economic empowerment. That, he explained, involved identifying and addressing the needs of adolescents; increasing adolescents inclusion and participation in city-level planning and development and ensuring sustainable access to quality services targeting education, health, security, job creation and the environment. Mr Ahenu informed duty bearers in Sunyani that the youth would soon be knocking at their doors "because they have a duty to get involved at the various city planning, health sector planning, education, employment and review processes". He stated that the project would also create an online platform where young people could monitor, interact, learn and share information about challenges and positive changes in their city. The goal, Mr Ahenu said, was to promote advocacy and bring about transformative changes that support the development and well-being of adolescents in Sunyani and its immediate environs. He stated that the world currently has more young people than at any time in history. Mr Ahenu added, however, that far too many of today's 1.8 billion adolescents and youth across the world would fall short of their potential if current policy and investment approaches failed to meet their needs. "Youth and adolescent voices must be at the centre of decision-making processes for their own health and well-being, their empowerment and resilience, their education and skills and their connection with people and the planet," he said. In his remarks, the Nkwankwaahene (chief for the youth) of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Kwame Baah Atoapoma I, urged adolescents and their parents to support the project to turn the fortunes of the youth in the area. Relocate to Tarikom centre or be repatriated - Minister tells Burkinabe asylum seekers Gilbert Mawuli Agbey Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:37 The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has given a months ultimatum to 3,235 Burkina Faso nationals currently seeking asylum in the Garu District to relocate to the Tarikom reception centre in the Bawku West District. He said that the asylum seekers, who fled to the country over terrorist attacks in Ghanas neighbouring country, risked being repatriated back to their country if they failed to comply with the decision taken by the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for them to move to the camp. He stressed, They have only two options available to them and that is either they agree to move to the temporary camp prepared for them to settle there or they return to their home country. Mr Yakubu, who was speaking during a meeting with the chiefs of the communities currently hosting the asylum seekers, noted that REGSEC was not happy that the asylum seekers were living among the people in the border communities instead of the camp. There are 3,235 Burkina Faso nationals living in four communities in the Garu District. 1,545 are living in Kugri Nateenga; 1,294 are staying at Nwadua, while 190 and 209 are living in Songo and Denugu respectively. Already, a 30-acre land has been acquired by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) to permanently settle the Burkinabes in Ghana. In the meantime, the two agencies have set up a reception centre close to the permanent settlement, with some of the Burkinabes being accommodated in tents with other basic facilities such as water, electricity and sanitation facilities provided for them as well. He noted that REGSEC was ready to provide the needed assistance for them to easily move to the reception centre to go through the required processes to pave the way for them to stay comfortably. He expressed concern that the countrys security would be at risk if more than 3,000 Burkinabes were allowed to live in the district and other border areas in the region without proper checks to know their identities. He added, There could be the likelihood that some of the asylum seekers may have acquaintance with terrorists in Burkina Faso and it is important that they are prevented from living among the people. DCE In a remark, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Osman Musah, said earlier some of them moved to the centre to be registered but after that, they wanted to return to the district with the humanitarian items given to them by the UNHCR. For his part, the Kugri Naba, Chief Abdulai Asidiwaya, who assured the delegation of his full support, commended the REGSEC for deciding to swiftly relocate the asylum seekers from the various communities in the district. He noted that since some of them had already cultivated some crops and were waiting to harvest them, they would fully comply with the directive after harvesting their crops. Somali police force hails Ghanaian police Emelia Ennin Abbey Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:47 A contingent of Ghanaian Police officers serving in the police component of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has been praised highly by the Somalia Security Force for their contribution to the security and peace situation in the South West State of Somalia. The contingent of 158 officers, including 20 women, belong to the Ghana Formed Police Unit based in Baidoa, Somalia ATMIS Sector Three. Their mandate includes protecting civilians by providing security to civilians to enable them to go about their daily activities and provision of confidence patrols in Baidoa. When a team of Ghanaian journalists went on a five-day visit to Somalia at the invitation of ATMIS, the Bay Commander, Colonel Osman Amiin Maxamed, at the Bay Regional Headquarters in Baidoa, could not stop praising the Ghanaian FPU Continent. The journalists had been invited because Ghana is one of the five Police Contributing Countries (PCCs) to ATMIS operations. The other four are Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda. ATMIS is a multinational mission configured from the African Union Mission in Somalia in April 2022 to support the Federal Republic of Somalia to tackle terrorism in its pursuit for durable peace, security and stability. Defying odds Colonel Maxamed said in spite of the contingent working in very difficult circumstances, they defied the odds to deliver as expected. Speaking through an interpreter, he said, the Ghana FPU had made a major impact on Baidoa and had been collaborating with the local police to ensure security and peace in the area. He described the police officers serving in the Ghana FPU as highly professional and committed. "We are very happy with the work they are doing. Escorting and patrolling to ensure the safety of people, giving other support. I am not exaggerating because you are journalists, what I am saying is the truth. We are very satisfied with their work." Colonel Maxamed said. The Baidoa Central Police Station Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Muktar Ahmes Ibrahim, said in terms of the issue relating to the security situation within the region, the Ghana Police FPU had executed their duty to the expectation of all. He commended the contingent and extended deep gratitude to the personnel serving in the Ghana FPU for their invaluable contribution to the support of ATMIS and working closely with the local police force to ensure peace and stability in Somalia. Specialised unit The Contingent Commander- Eric Anmortey Van-Kofi, briefing journalists said ATMIS had three components comprising the Military Police, Civilian and Police component. The police component has a FPU which has armed personnel and the unarmed personnel who are the individual police officers. While the military operated in the peripheral region, the police were based in the interior. He explained that the Formed Police Unit was a specialised, cohesive armed mobile police unit that provided security support to United Nations operations by ensuring the safety and security of the UN's personnel and assets. Additionally, he said it contributed to the protection of civilians and supported police operations that required response to threats to the public order in a very robust manner. The Ghana FPU continent, he said, had medical personnel, a team in charge of platoons, operations, logistics, administration and workshop for repair of operational vehicles, carpentry, masonry and other jobs. Tang Palace Hotel explores avenues to boost tourism Justice Agbenorsi Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:29 The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tang Palace Hotel, Tang Hong, has said the hotel is exploring avenues to expand its facility in a bid to help boost the hospitality industry. He said said considering the countrys positive prospect coupled with the rich culture and hospitable nature of the Ghanaians, there was the need for hoteliers to come together to create more avenues to support the industry to thrive. The CEO disclosed this when he addressed a gathering of the hotels clients and partners at a cocktail and dinner ceremony to mark the 8th anniversary of Tang Palace Hotel. The ceremony featured a raffle draw to reward clients with prizes which included weekend stays among others. Assurance Mr Hong assured that aside from its future plans of expansion and exploring other avenues, the hotel would be mindful and responsible to green environment by placing sustainability at the core of its operation. Tang Palace Hotel, he said embarked on this adventure with a vision to create an exceptional hospitality experience born out of passion, dedication and a commitment to excellence. Today we can proudly say we have not only achieved our goals but surpassed it the way we couldnt have imagined. Thanks to everyone who has been part of this journey, the exceptional team providing our Guests with exceptional service, our guests for their loyalty and our partners/suppliers for their support, he said. Journey The General Manager, Sajid Ali Khan, said the hotel was glad to celebrate this incredible journey with staff, clients and partners after what he described as a challenging 8 years journey. Almost two to three years, COVID-19 interrupted our services but for the hard work of the entire staff and loyalty of our clients we are here today with a great success. Throughout this period, we have hosted several important guests like Heads of States and we are proud of winning many awards both locally and Internationally with the recent one at the just ended International Travel Awards held in Dubai where we emerged as the Facility with the best Chinese Cuisine City Level in the Restaurant & Food industry, he said. While acknowledging the hotels role in job creation and service excellence, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kwasi Agyemang, said the authority was proud of the partnership with Tang Palace Hotel. The success story of the late Nana Akwasi Essan II, Asantehene's Numuahene Graphic.com.gh Sep - 25 - 2023 , 13:50 The success story of the late Nana Akwasi Essan II, the Asantehene's Numuahene. Nana Akwasi Essan II was Otumfuos Numuahene born on the 6th September 1962 in Kumasi. His Father Opanin Kwame Dapaah of Apatrapa of blessed memory was a Wealthy Contractor, Farmer and Money Lender. His mother Nana Ode Nyarko II was Otumfuos Numua Baapanin. She was a renowned cloth seller. She was one of the big agents of G.B OLLIVANT, S.D KARAM, P.Z , UAC and GTP Companies. Educational Background He started his Elementary School at Bantama Presbyterian Primary School and continued his Education at Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School (Okess), Kumasi Ashanti Region. Working Life With an entrepreneurial and Industrious spirit, Nana ventured into business at an early age. He was a great artist as well as a master craftsman. He established a shoe manufacturing company at Bantama and the companys specialty was the manufacturing of security boots. The factory was well equipped with heavy duty industrial machines. See below: His main clients were some private security companies like Intercom Company Limited, G.4.S Company Limited and sometime ago Ghana Police Service. About six years ago, Nana was fortunate to have some clients from Ivory Coast, who was distributing some of his products in Togo, Benin as well as Ivory Coast. In his quest to expand his horizon in his shoe manufacturing business, he decided to setup two other factories to produce his own SOLES for his security boots. One of the factories he was constructing is at Edwenase Kumasi which is almost completed as shown below. The other factory is at Apatrapa- Kumasi which Nana has put up the office block at lintel level and main factory building at foundation level. See pictures below: His Boots Manufacturing Company employed about thirty permanent workers and always employed about fifty casual hands whenever there is a big order from his clients. (Below are some of his master craftman products) His intention was to import new machines for the two factories mentioned above immediately the factory buildings were completed. Traditional Authority Nana Akwasi Essan II was enstooled on 25th October, 2000. His twenty one year reign was a period of Sacrifice, Service and Integrity. His relationship with his families in Mpatasia, Pankrono, Twedie, Patase and Anyinamso all in the Ashanti Region is worth emulating especially Nana Akwasi Essan II duty towards paternal family cannot be overlooked. As a Traditional Leader and the head of his family, he was controlling all the family lands at Twedie about fifteen thousand acres, Mpatasia about ten thousand acres, Patase about six thousand acres and Anyinamso about ten thousand acres. Work begins on $50m Pan African Heritage museum project Vincent Amenuveve Sep - 25 - 2023 , 05:23 Work on the Pan African Heritage World Museum (PAHWM) at Pomadze Hills, near Winneba, in the Central Region has started. The construction which started last Thursday with a sod-cutting ceremony and tree planting exercise is expected to be completed in three years. The museum complex, estimated to cost more than $50 million, will host galleries and a theatre, heroes/heroines park, on African herbal plant farm with chalets, a community centre for concerts, festivals, youth meetings and games, a palace of African kingdoms, residential accommodation, helicopter landing pad, parking and other facilities. The first phase is, however, projected to be ready in two years. After offering libation, 1,000 assorted tree species were planted on the site with support from the Rotary Club of Winneba. It was witnessed by some traditional leaders, including the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, and the Chief of Gomoa Pomadze, Nana Apata Kofi, who offered the libation. In attendance were the Founder and Executive Chairman of the PAHWM, Kojo Yankah; the Chief Executive Officer of PAHWM, Rev. Professor Pash Obeng; the Winneba District Governor of the Rotary Club, David Osei Amankwah, and other stakeholders from Nigeria and Barbados who share in the vision. In 2021, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of PAHWM. Eye-opener Mr Yankah, who is also the President of African University College of Communications, said for a long time Ghanaians and Africans were miseducated but with the project, it would be an eye-opener to a whole lot of people and not just Africans. Another purpose of the project, he explained, was to help bridge the gap between Africans and people of African descent who had been separated for too long. It is now our turn to learn what we did not learn about years ago and then inspire ourselves and why can't we be proud of ourselves. We believe this project is an eye-opener to a whole lot of people not just Africans, he stressed. Mr Yankah said the realisation that his education had alienated him from his society was what inspired him to initiate the project. Rev. Prof. Obeng stated that the project was encouraging because apart from people from the Diaspora embracing it, we on our own have raised the needed funds to execute it. He added that since it had also received endorsement from the government we know it would honour its commitment towards completion of the project. Exciting Mr Amankwah, for his part, said the project was exciting and that the Rotary Club was determined to make an impact in Ghana over the next decade by planting as many trees as possible and improving on the environment. Odeefuo Buadu VIII said the project was unique and had the blessings of the President, chiefs, the African Union, the United Nations Education Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Association of African Universities and other relevant institutions. He said it was also going to boost tourism and impact positively the socio-economic well-being of the people, adding that it would become the gateway to other tourism sites in the Central Region when completed. Barbados, Nigeria The CEO of Savvy Tech Engineering Company in Nigeria, Bobby Benson, and the Commercial and Cultural Attache to the Barbados High Commission to Ghana, Phil Phillips, described the project as a formidable one that would provide in-depth education to both adults and the youth from the two countries when it was completed and opened to the public. Pharmacy: Strengthening Health Systems - Celebrating World Pharmacist's Day 2023 Audrey Serwaa Bonsu Health Sep - 25 - 2023 , 07:14 Every year, on September 25th, the global community comes together to celebrate World Pharmacist's Day. This day serves as a reminder of the invaluable contributions made by pharmacists around the world in improving healthcare systems and ensuring that people have access to safe and effective medicines. The theme for World Pharmacist's Day 2023, "Pharmacy, Strengthening Health Systems," underscores the critical role that pharmacists play in bolstering the foundations of healthcare worldwide. Pharmacists are the linchpin of healthcare systems, working tirelessly to ensure that patients receive the right medications, proper dosages, and essential information about their treatments. They are the guardians of patient safety, offering expertise in medication management and preventing adverse drug reactions. This year's theme recognizes the pivotal role they play in building robust health systems. One of the key roles of pharmacists is to promote rational drug use. They collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate and cost-effective treatments. By doing so, they help minimize healthcare costs and reduce the burden on healthcare systems. Pharmacists also contribute significantly to public health initiatives. They host drug safety campaigns, support in health screening programs, and provide advice on managing chronic conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists played a vital role in ensuring the availability of essential medications and in Ghana now, pharmacists are actively being trained in vaccine administration, thus widening the scope and services of the pharmacist nationwide. Furthermore, pharmacists are at the forefront of addressing emerging health challenges. They provide guidance on medication therapy management, drug interactions, and the responsible use of antibiotics to combat antibiotic resistance. Their expertise extends to areas such as telepharmacy, expanding healthcare access even in remote regions. As we commemorate World Pharmacist's Day 2023, let us recognize and celebrate the dedication, knowledge, and commitment of pharmacists worldwide. Their role in strengthening health systems is indispensable, and their impact on the well-being of individuals and communities is immeasurable. Together, we can ensure that pharmacists continue to play a central role in advancing global healthcare and making the world a healthier place for all. The writer is a consultant and commercial pharmacist - Elle Mindly A Plus declares intention to contest Gomoa Central Parliamentary seat in 2024 Graphic.com.gh Politics Sep - 25 - 2023 , 02:31 Ghanaian musician Kwame A Plus has declared intention to contest for the Gomoa Central parliamentary seat as an independent candidate in 2024. Naana Eyiah Quansah is currently the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central in the Central Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). She is currently the Deputy Minister of Interior. Naana Eyiah Quansah But Kwame A Plus, a political activist and social commentator, real name, Kwame Obeng Asare is hoping to take over the seat as an independent candidate. Declaring his intention, A Plus said he has done enough for the constituents to give him the nod to represent them in parliament. Kwame A Plus expressed optimism about his victory in the parliamentary election and admonished potential aspirants to allow him to go unopposed to represent the Gomoa Central constituency in Parliament. "Come 2024, I'm not contesting NDC or NPP. I will unseat the MP in this area. Anyone who competes with me, I will defeat the person. I am very confident that I am going to win this seat," he said. "It is very likely that in 2025 I will be the only independent candidate in Ghana's parliament and that is what I want to do. This constituency is ours, if you want to contest we are waiting for you. If you come with money, sweet talks, or anything that the person brings, I will beat him/her. I have more influence than anyone. So whether NPP or NDC, no one should contest the seat coming 2024, they should allow me to go unopposed and go to parliament. "I don't even want any competition. Anyone who wants to join me can share my ambition with me and maybe if I win, I can help the person to become DCE but to be MP in this constituency in 2024, no two ways about that I am going to win the election," Kwame A Plus said. Watch the attached video below Alan Kyeremanten goes independent in 2024 presidential elections Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Sep - 25 - 2023 , 14:36 Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry has stated that he will contest the upcoming 2024 presidential elections as an independent candidate. Mr. Kyeremanten, popularly known as "Alan Cash" made this public during his Monday afternoon's press conference in Accra, September 25, 2023. "I believe I have served my country well and intend to continue to do so. On the 5th of January, 2023, I resigned honourably from my position as Cabinet Minister and declared my intention in a national broadcast to contest the Presidential primaries of NPP. "On the 26th of August this year, I participated in the Super Delegates Conference to shortlist the ten aspirants who had filed their nominations to contest in the primaries. I was selected as one of the five Candidates to contest for the main Presidential primaries scheduled for 4th November 2023. "After carefully analysing the results of the Super Delegates Conference, I issued a Press Statement on the 6th of September 2023, declaring my intention to exit the process leading to the Presidential primaries. In the run up to the Super Delegates Conference, the National Council of the Party made some of the most controversial and contentious decisions in the history of the Party. They rejected a petition signed by nine out of the ten aspirants, requesting for the Super Delegates Conference to be held in one location, as well as allowing each Delegate to the Conference to nominate five persons, instead of one, in line with the provisions in the Partys Constitution. "In my humble and considered opinion, the decisions of the National Council were both unmeritorious and unconstitutional. "To make matters worse, it was absolutely clear as indicated in my Press Statement of September 6th this year that, the Super Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular aspirant. The level of intimidation and monetization that characterized the Conference is unprecedented in the history of internal elections of our Party. The subsequent decisions made by the National Council to vary the rules of procedure for the run-off, arising from the Super Delegates Conference, in direct contravention of both the Constitution of the Party and the Guidelines issued by the Presidential Elections Committee, will go down in history as a travesty of justice, and a demonstration of high handedness by the highest decision-making body of the Party, second only to the Annual Delegates Conference. "Under the circumstances and given the context provided, I wish to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning with immediate effect from the New Patriotic Party to contest for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana in the 2024 General Elections, as an Independent Presidential Candidate," Mr Kyeremanten declared. In addition, he explained, "To actualise this goal, I will establish and lead a new MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE in Ghana. The brand logo for the MOVEMENT is the Monarch Butterfly, which politically symbolizes change and transformation, hope, and positivity. It also communicates strength, endurance, spirituality, and trust, which are key traits that I cherish as a Political Leader. In Akan, it is known as Afrafranto. The brand motto of the MOVEMENT is Ghana Will Rise Again, which symbolizes hope for the future of Ghana. According to him, the new Movement will be led and powered by the youth of Ghana. Out of the over 17 million registered voters in the 2020 general election, the youth aged 18-35, years constituted over 9.4 million voters representing 55% (Fifty five percent) of the total voters. Bawku Central MP condemns killing of 9 traders in Pusiga Gilbert Mawuli Agbey Politics Sep - 25 - 2023 , 00:31 The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central in the Upper East Region, Mahama Ayariga, has condemned the recent killing of nine traders on the Pusiga-Polimakom road. The deceased made up of six women and three men, together with other passengers, were travelling in two separate vehicles through the Pusiga District to Cinkase in neighbouring Togo when the unfortunate incident happened. Fifteen other passengers on board the two vehicles sustained gunshot wounds with some currently in critical condition. Statement Mr Ayariga, in a statement he issued last Friday to condemn the act, noted that the shooting of passenger vehicles on the Bawku areas and Walewale routes was unacceptable and continued to completely derail the recent improved security situation in Bawku and its environs. He stated that the retaliatory shootings must stop and that the military personnel must be firm on the matter and deal swiftly with such dastardly acts, saying The security agencies must take urgent steps to ensure the security of travellers on the Bawku and Walewale roads. Further, he congratulated the security agencies on their efforts in minimising the casualties on the day the shooting incident occurred and also extended his condolences to the bereaved families and well-wishes to the injured as well. While urging the youth to rededicate themselves to the peace that prevailed in the area some weeks ago, he called on the government to fully commit itself to resolving the underlying issues causing the insecurity situation in Bawku to ensure lasting peace. Background Last Thursday, September 21, 2023, some unidentified gunmen killed nine traders near the Gbewaa College of Education in the Pusiga District. In the process, six women and three men died while other passengers on board the vehicles, including some police escorts, sustained injuries. The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. on that fateful day when the unknown assailants surfaced from a nearby bush and shot indiscriminately into a police patrol vehicle and two other passenger vehicles which were being escorted by the police. No arrest has been made in connection with the incident. Ghana needs change in 2024 to transform economy - Alan Kyeremanten Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Sep - 25 - 2023 , 14:51 Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry says Ghana needs change in government in order to transform the economy of the country. Alan Kyeremanten who has declared his intentions to contest the upcoming 2024 Presidential elections as an independent candidate after breaking away from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said he remains the sole candidate who can guarantee the economic industrialisation of the country. Mr. Kyeremanten, popularly known as "Alan Cash" made this known during his Monday afternoon's press conference in Accra, September 25, 2023. He expressed the concern that every year over 300,000 graduates from tertiary institutions in Ghana, excluding those from secondary institutions, enter the job market with little or no hope of finding a job, saying "Clearly, public sector employment is not an option, with an already over-bloated public service." For him, "this phenomenon of pervasive employment crisis, is gradually becoming a national security threat, as evidenced by the recent Occupy Julorbi House demonstrations." Mr. Kyeremanten also expressed unhappiness about how the police handled the recent protesters in the #OccupyJolorbiHouse demonstration. "The initial reaction of the Police in manhandling some protestors is not the solution to the problem. What Ghana needs now is CHANGE, which will provide long-lasting solutions to the challenges confronting our country," he stated. Alan has therefore appealed to voters to vote for him in the 2024 presidential election. "I am using this platform to introduce myself to you, the good people of Ghana and humbly seek your support to become the next President of the Republic of Ghana," he said. Mr. Kyeremanten said "I believe, with unwavering conviction, that I am the only leader who, with unmatched integrity, can guarantee the economic and industrial transformation of Ghana, the restoration of confidence in political leadership, and the unification of an increasingly divided nation." He said unique as a leader was based on his vision, competence, integrity and action. Is Alan Kyerematen going to quit NPP again because delegates are not supporting his presidential bid or...? Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics Sep - 25 - 2023 , 09:09 Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry will address a press conference this afternoon to announce his next political move after withdrawing from the governing New Patriotic Party's (NPP) November 4, 2023, presidential primary. There are indications that he was going to announce his resignation from the NPP to enable him to contest the 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate, or form a new political party, or join an existing party, or endorse one of the candidates in the NPP primary, or support whoever emerges winner of the party's November 4, presidential primary. Prior to making his public pronouncement on his political career today, Alan Kyerematen is said to be preparing to hand over his resignation letter to the party, according to information Graphic Online has sourced from close allies, with some indicating that the option of leaving the NPP was the highest on the table. As of 9am Monday, checks by Graphic Online indicated that nothing has changed with regard to Alan holding his planned press conference this afternoon. Indications are also that some bigwigs in the NPP are still engaging Alan for a change of mind. By late afternoon today, it will become clearer what Alan intends to do next regarding his political career in the Ghanaian political terrain. If it happens that he is going to quit the NPP and form his own political party or contest as an independent candidate in 2024, or even join another political party, it will affect the political fortunes of the governing party, particularly the unity of the party. The NPP has been at the helm of affairs in governance since January 7, 2017, and hoping to break the eight-year cycle of change of government which usually alternates between the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The speculations about Alan Kyerematen's resignation and independent presidential ambition intensified over the weekend and got NPP members jittery after a poster announcing his planned press conference at the Movenpick Hotel on Monday afternoon was released by his aides and supporters. In fact, the speculations had actually started earlier, before September 5, 2023, the day he announced his withdrawal from the current NPP presidential race. Alan was shortlisted as part of the top five candidates who were going into the final selection on November 4, 2023, but some people believed that he would have lost the November 4 election, considering the popularity gained by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong as the leading candidates in the Special Super Delegates conference. Alan placed third in the August 2023 Special Delegates conference having garnered less than 100 votes out of the over 900 votes. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, considered by some as a "non-presidential" material who entered the NPP presidential race just recently beat Alan, who had been in the race for more than 16 years. Alan's name first came up in 2005 as the replacement for the then President John Agyekum Kufuor who was retiring on January 6, 2009, as the leader of the NPP. In 2007, Alan contested with 16 other candidates and came second, as Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo [now President of Ghana] beat him and became the leading candidate. Akufo-Addo has led the party since 2007 as the first presidential choice and has subsequently beaten Alan Kyerematen in other NPP presidential primaries. President Akufo-Addo is retiring on January 6, 2025, hence the NPP is looking for a replacement. President Akufo-Addo's vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has shot up as the next preferable choice, with many party members throwing their support behind him. He garnered a convincing endorsement of over 50 percent votes at the special delegates conference held in August 2023. The larger Electoral College of the NPP will on November 4, 2023, select the next leader. However, Alan Kyerematen expressed his unhappiness with the process that led to Dr. Bawumia's convincing victory in the Super Delegates Conference. Some of Alan's aides alleged that the presidency was supporting Dr. Bawumia behind the scenes and also influencing delegates clandestinely. To Alan, his spokespersons and supporters, it was Alan's time to lead the NPP, having waited for over 16 years for his turn and that it is not time yet for Dr. Bawumia whom they claim only joined the race recently. They wanted Alan to lead after which Dr. Bawumia could have also taken the baton. Supporters of Bawumia however think otherwise, and argue that since it was a contest, they should allow the delegates to decide who leads the party. Will this be the second time Alan is quitting NPP? Feeling bitter about the loss in the 2007 presidential primary and what he described subsequently as being sidelined, Alan, in 2008 resigned from the NPP in a similar move but was politically coerced and later rejoined the party. Read also: Why Alan Kyerematen withdrew from NPP flagbearer race On September 5, 2023, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen withdrew from the NPP presidential race. He announced his decision in a press statement. Mr Kyerematen wrote, "The question I keep asking myself is, How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" "Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. What happened in 2008 with Alan Kyerematen's resignation from NPP? Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen on April 17, 2008, resigned from the NPP. There have been varying views about the political future of Mr. Kyerematen following his withdrawal from the NPP presidential primary. In what looked like a re-enactment of a 2008 scenario when he quit the party after a failed ambition to lead the party into the presidential race, Mr Kyerematen stepped down from the final stage of the partys presidential primary, citing intimidation, physical assault on his supporters, and an unlevel field that favoured a particular candidate. Known for his calm disposition, the former Minister of Trade and Industrys appeal among political moderates, has been touted as a direct function of his unpolitical character. The businessman, who attains 68 years on October 3, 2023, had sought the partys blessings to contest the presidency 15 years ago, and was always touted as the partys anointed candidate after Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo until Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emerged. We reproduce below an article published by the Daily Graphic on Friday, August 18, 2008, when Alan left the NPP and assigned reasons for his resignation from the party. Alan quits NPP Story by Kobby Asmah and Donald Ato Dapatem. First published on Friday, August 18, 2008. Mr Alan Kyerematen, the defeated presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has resigned from the party. According to the Political Aide to Mr Kyerematen, Mr John Kumah, Mr Kyerematen would make his reasons known to Ghanaians later. At the time of filing this report, no official reason had been given but snippets of information indicated that Mr Kyerematen's supporters had not been happy with the treatment meted out to them by the campaign team of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the flag bearer of the party. However, another source close to Mr Kyerematen told the Daily Graphic that Mr Kyerematen presented his resignation letter to the party secretariat yesterday afternoon, copied to President John Agyekum Kufuor. At the party office, the National Chairman, Mr Peter Mac Manu, was absent, having travelled outside the country, according to party insiders. The source also told the Daily Graphic that Mr Kyerematen's resignation was as a result of the alleged harassment of some of his supporters who wanted to contest NPP parliamentary primaries. Since he was named the Chairman of the Committee in charge of Identifiable Groups of the Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Mr Kyerematen is said to have never attended any of its meetings. Reports also indicate that Mr Kyerematen wants to run as an independent candidate in the December general election. Mr Kyerematen, a former Trade and Industry Minister, contested the position of flag bearer of the NPP in December 2007 but lost to Nana Akufo-Addo when he polled 736 votes against the 1,060 obtained by the winner. He has had an extensive and successful professional career in the private and public sectors spanning over a period of 24 years. He was a senior corporate executive with a subsidiary of Unilever International in Ghana. He also worked for a number of years as a Principal Consultant and Head of Public Systems Management with one of the leading management development institutions in Ghana, the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI). He was responsible for establishing the EMPRETEC Programme in Ghana (an enterprise development programme sponsored by the UNDP and Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd in 1990. As Chief Executive, he led in the transformation of EMPRETEC from a small UNDP project into an independent foundation which is internationally recognised as a best practice model for private sector development. In 1998, Mr Kyerematen was appointed by the UNDP as the Regional Director to establish and manage the Enterprise Africa Regional Programme, an Africa-wide regional programme for the development and promotion of SMEs, which is the UNDP's flagship programme for private sector development in Africa. Under the umbrella of the Enterprise Africa Programme, Mr Kyerematen successfully expanded the EMPRETEC presence in Africa into 11 other countries, besides Ghana and Zimbabwe. The new countries included Botswana, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Cameron, Senegal, Uganda and Swaziland. He is a graduate in Economics from the University of Ghana and also holds a law degree from the same university. He has been called to the Ghana Bar and is a practising attorney-at-law in Ghana. In addition, he is a Hubert Humphrey Fellow of the School of Management at the University of Min-nesota, U.S.A., having completed one year management studies under the Fulbright Scholarship pro-gramme in that institution. Mr Kyrematen is a member of the Council of Governors of the British Executive Service Overseas (BESO) in the UK and also a board member of other organisations in Ghana. In 1994, he was listed by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Global Leaders for the new millennium, alongside Bill Gates (Microsoft Corporation), John F. Kennedy Jr and others. more to follow... Writer's email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Follow @enochfrimpong Follow @Graphicgh Official: Alan Kyerematen quits NPP again, decides to contest 2024 as independent candidate Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics Sep - 25 - 2023 , 14:38 It is now official, following the personal confirmation by Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen that he was going to contest the 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate. Alan officially submitted his resignation letter indicating he was no longer interested in being a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday [September 25, 2023]. Immediately after that, he addressed a press conference and announced his decision to contest 2024 as an independent candidate. He is now forming a movement, called "Movement for Change" with a Monarch Butterfly as the symbol. This is a big blow to the governing New Patriotic Party as the move would greatly affect the unity of the party going into Election 2024. The NPP has been at the helm of affairs in governance since January 7, 2017, and hoping to break the eight-year cycle of change of government which usually alternates between the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The speculations about Alan Kyerematen's resignation and independent presidential ambition intensified over the weekend and got NPP members jittery after a poster announcing his planned press conference at the Movenpick Hotel on Monday afternoon was released by his aides and supporters. In fact, the speculations had actually started earlier, before September 5, 2023, the day he announced his withdrawal from the current NPP presidential race. Alan was shortlisted as part of the top five candidates who were going into the final selection on November 4, 2023, but some people believed that he would have lost the November 4 election, considering the popularity gained by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong as the leading candidates in the Special Super Delegates conference. Alan placed third in the August 2023 Special Delegates conference having garnered less than 100 votes out of the over 900 votes. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, considered by some as a "non-presidential" material who entered the NPP presidential race just recently beat Alan, who had been in the race for more than 16 years. Alan's name first came up in 2005 as the replacement for the then President John Agyekum Kufuor who was retiring on January 6, 2009, as the leader of the NPP. In 2007, Alan contested with 16 other candidates and came second, as Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo [now President of Ghana] beat him and became the leading candidate. Akufo-Addo has led the party since 2007 as the first presidential choice and has subsequently beaten Alan Kyerematen in other NPP presidential primaries. President Akufo-Addo is retiring on January 6, 2025, hence the NPP is looking for a replacement. President Akufo-Addo's vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has shot up as the next preferable choice, with many party members throwing their support behind him. He garnered a convincing endorsement of over 50 percent votes at the special delegates conference held in August 2023. The larger Electoral College of the NPP will on November 4, 2023, select the next leader. However, Alan Kyerematen expressed his unhappiness with the process that led to Dr. Bawumia's convincing victory in the Super Delegates Conference. Some of Alan's aides alleged that the presidency was supporting Dr. Bawumia behind the scenes and also influencing delegates clandestinely. To Alan, his spokespersons and supporters, it was Alan's time to lead the NPP, having waited for over 16 years for his turn and that it is not time yet for Dr. Bawumia whom they claim only joined the race recently. They wanted Alan to lead after which Dr. Bawumia could have also taken the baton. Supporters of Bawumia however think otherwise, and argue that since it was a contest, they should allow the delegates to decide who leads the party. Will this be the second time Alan is quitting NPP? Feeling bitter about the loss in the 2007 presidential primary and what he described subsequently as being sidelined, Alan, in 2008 resigned from the NPP in a similar move but was politically coerced and later rejoined the party. Read also: Why Alan Kyerematen withdrew from NPP flagbearer race On September 5, 2023, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen withdrew from the NPP presidential race. He announced his decision in a press statement. Mr Kyerematen wrote, "The question I keep asking myself is, How did we get here as a Party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?" "Regrettably, I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023. What happened in 2008 with Alan Kyerematen's resignation from NPP? Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen on April 17, 2008, resigned from the NPP. There have been varying views about the political future of Mr. Kyerematen following his withdrawal from the NPP presidential primary. In what looked like a re-enactment of a 2008 scenario when he quit the party after a failed ambition to lead the party into the presidential race, Mr Kyerematen stepped down from the final stage of the partys presidential primary, citing intimidation, physical assault on his supporters, and an unlevel field that favoured a particular candidate. Known for his calm disposition, the former Minister of Trade and Industrys appeal among political moderates, has been touted as a direct function of his unpolitical character. The businessman, who attains 68 years on October 3, 2023, had sought the partys blessings to contest the presidency 15 years ago, and was always touted as the partys anointed candidate after Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo until Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emerged. We reproduce below an article published by the Daily Graphic on Friday, August 18, 2008, when Alan left the NPP and assigned reasons for his resignation from the party. Alan quits NPP Story by Kobby Asmah and Donald Ato Dapatem. First published on Friday, August 18, 2008. Mr Alan Kyerematen, the defeated presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has resigned from the party. According to the Political Aide to Mr Kyerematen, Mr John Kumah, Mr Kyerematen would make his reasons known to Ghanaians later. At the time of filing this report, no official reason had been given but snippets of information indicated that Mr Kyerematen's supporters had not been happy with the treatment meted out to them by the campaign team of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the flag bearer of the party. However, another source close to Mr Kyerematen told the Daily Graphic that Mr Kyerematen presented his resignation letter to the party secretariat yesterday afternoon, copied to President John Agyekum Kufuor. At the party office, the National Chairman, Mr Peter Mac Manu, was absent, having travelled outside the country, according to party insiders. The source also told the Daily Graphic that Mr Kyerematen's resignation was as a result of the alleged harassment of some of his supporters who wanted to contest NPP parliamentary primaries. Since he was named the Chairman of the Committee in charge of Identifiable Groups of the Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Mr Kyerematen is said to have never attended any of its meetings. Reports also indicate that Mr Kyerematen wants to run as an independent candidate in the December general election. Mr Kyerematen, a former Trade and Industry Minister, contested the position of flag bearer of the NPP in December 2007 but lost to Nana Akufo-Addo when he polled 736 votes against the 1,060 obtained by the winner. He has had an extensive and successful professional career in the private and public sectors spanning over a period of 24 years. He was a senior corporate executive with a subsidiary of Unilever International in Ghana. He also worked for a number of years as a Principal Consultant and Head of Public Systems Management with one of the leading management development institutions in Ghana, the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI). He was responsible for establishing the EMPRETEC Programme in Ghana (an enterprise development programme sponsored by the UNDP and Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd in 1990. As Chief Executive, he led in the transformation of EMPRETEC from a small UNDP project into an independent foundation which is internationally recognised as a best practice model for private sector development. In 1998, Mr Kyerematen was appointed by the UNDP as the Regional Director to establish and manage the Enterprise Africa Regional Programme, an Africa-wide regional programme for the development and promotion of SMEs, which is the UNDP's flagship programme for private sector development in Africa. Under the umbrella of the Enterprise Africa Programme, Mr Kyerematen successfully expanded the EMPRETEC presence in Africa into 11 other countries, besides Ghana and Zimbabwe. The new countries included Botswana, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Cameron, Senegal, Uganda and Swaziland. He is a graduate in Economics from the University of Ghana and also holds a law degree from the same university. He has been called to the Ghana Bar and is a practising attorney-at-law in Ghana. In addition, he is a Hubert Humphrey Fellow of the School of Management at the University of Min-nesota, U.S.A., having completed one year management studies under the Fulbright Scholarship pro-gramme in that institution. Mr Kyrematen is a member of the Council of Governors of the British Executive Service Overseas (BESO) in the UK and also a board member of other organisations in Ghana. In 1994, he was listed by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Global Leaders for the new millennium, alongside Bill Gates (Microsoft Corporation), John F. Kennedy Jr and others. Writer's email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Follow @enochfrimpong Follow @Graphicgh Throwback: What B.J. da Rocha said about Alan Kyerematen being an NPP 'disruptive factor' in 2008 Graphic.com.gh Politics Sep - 25 - 2023 , 18:03 In April 2008, when Alan Kyerematen resigned from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and there were attempts to persuade him back into the fold of the NPP, a former Chairman and elder of the NPP, Mr. B. J. da Rocha made a prediction. Mr. B. J. da Rocha said it would not be in the best interest of the NPP to receive Mr. Alan Kyeremanten back into the NPP. His reason was that he could become a "disruptive factor in the party, a stumbling block and loose cannon". "The party has an election to win. We should concentrate our efforts on the task ahead and let him go his way in peace," Mr da Rocha said in a report filed by the Ghana News Agency in 2008. It is now official, following the personal confirmation by Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen that he was going to contest the 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate. Alan officially submitted his resignation letter indicating he was no longer interested in being a member of the NPP on Monday [September 25, 2023]. Immediately after that, he addressed a press conference and announced his decision to contest 2024 as an independent candidate. He is now forming a movement, called "Movement for Change" with a Monarch Butterfly as the symbol. This is a big blow to the governing New Patriotic Party as the move would greatly affect the unity of the party going into Election 2024. The NPP has been at the helm of affairs in governance since January 7, 2017, and hoping to break the eight-year cycle of change of government which usually alternates between the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The speculations about Alan Kyerematen's resignation and independent presidential ambition intensified over the weekend and got NPP members jittery after a poster announcing his planned press conference at the Movenpick Hotel on Monday afternoon was released by his aides and supporters. In fact, the speculations had actually started earlier, before September 5, 2023, the day he announced his withdrawal from the current NPP presidential race. Alan was shortlisted as part of the top five candidates who were going into the final selection on November 4, 2023, but some people believed that he would have lost the November 4 election, considering the popularity gained by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong as the leading candidates in the Special Super Delegates conference. Alan placed third in the August 2023 Special Delegates conference having garnered less than 100 votes out of the over 900 votes. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, considered by some as a "non-presidential" material who entered the NPP presidential race just recently beat Alan, who had been in the race for more than 16 years. Alan's name first came up in 2005 as the replacement for the then President John Agyekum Kufuor who was retiring on January 6, 2009, as the leader of the NPP. In 2007, Alan contested with 16 other candidates and came second, as Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo [now President of Ghana] beat him and became the leading candidate. Akufo-Addo has led the party since 2007 as the first presidential choice and has subsequently beaten Alan Kyerematen in other NPP presidential primaries. President Akufo-Addo is retiring on January 6, 2025, hence the NPP is looking for a replacement. President Akufo-Addo's vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has shot up as the next preferable choice, with many party members throwing their support behind him. He garnered a convincing endorsement of over 50 percent votes at the special delegates conference held in August 2023. The larger Electoral College of the NPP will on November 4, 2023, select the next leader. However, Alan Kyerematen expressed his unhappiness with the process that led to Dr. Bawumia's convincing victory in the Super Delegates Conference. Some of Alan's aides alleged that the presidency was supporting Dr. Bawumia behind the scenes and also influencing delegates clandestinely. To Alan, his spokespersons and supporters, it was Alan's time to lead the NPP, having waited for over 16 years for his turn and that it is not time yet for Dr. Bawumia whom they claim only joined the race recently. They wanted Alan to lead after which Dr. Bawumia could have also taken the baton. Supporters of Bawumia however think otherwise, and argue that since it was a contest, they should allow the delegates to decide who leads the party. Second time Alan is quitting NPP Feeling bitter about the loss in the 2007 presidential primary and what he described subsequently as being sidelined, Alan, in 2008 resigned from the NPP in a similar move but was politically coerced and later rejoined the party. But while those discussions were underway to bring Alan back to the NPP, former Chairman and elder of the NPP, Mr. B. J. da Rocha [deceased] sounded this caution. We reproduce that report by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) below Accra, April 25, 2008 GNA report - Mr. B. J. da Rocha, former Chairman and elder of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Friday [April 25, 2008] stated that it would not be in the best interest of the NPP to receive Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, former NPP Presidential aspirant, back into the party. He said Mr. Kyeremanten could become a disruptive factor in the party, a stumbling block and loose cannon. He said, "The party has an election to win. We should concentrate our efforts on the task ahead and let him go his way in peace." Mr. da Rocha was responding to a statement from Mr. Alan Kyeremanten of April 24, 2008 that he would not rescind his decision to resign and maintained that his decision to quit the party still held. Mr. da Rocha said he was not convinced that the matters that complained about were as grave and earth-shaking as to make a loyal member of the party quit summarily and unceremoniously. He said the complaints were like flea bites compared with what many loyal members of the party have suffered and endured in the past without even contemplating leaving the party. Mr. da Rocha said Mr. Kyeremanten's statements to the NPP chairman resigning his membership came to him as a surprise. He said he was approached through the General Secretary of the party, Nana Ohene Ntow to act as mediator and see whether he could persuade Mr Kyeremanten to change his mind. He said he had two meetings with him, both of which the General Secretary was present but National Chairman was out of the country, which Mr Kyeremanten was aware of. He said he told Mr. Kyeremanten that he should not have written the resignation letter while he (Allan) stated that there were certain fundamental issues which had propelled him to resign and unless those issues were addressed he would still stand by his decision to quit. Mr. da Rocha indicated that in the middle of an election campaign, the party could not find time literally to arbitrate what he saw as a dispute between Mr. Kyeremanten and the party. "I suggested to him that many within the party would interpret his action as lack of loyalty and commitment to the party. His response was that, if anybody thought so, so be it", he added. Mr. da Rocha also said their second meeting on Tuesday, April 23, 2008 ended with a proposal by he, (da Rocha) that he would report the outcome to the National Executive for that body to take decision whether it would satisfy his conditions for returning to the party or whether it would simply accept his resignation. He said it was understood that no public statement should emanate from either of them until he had made his report to the National Executive. He said it would be a very bad and dangerous precedent for the NPP to allow any member to dictate to the party, the terms on which he would continue to be a member. "I think Mr. Kyeremanten is bluffing the party. The party should not tolerate such bluff." Mr. da Rocha stated that the concluding part of Mr Kyeremanten's statement was pregnant with meaning and quoted what he said as; "We must also not lose sight of the fact that national interest is superior to the interest of any single party. In this regard, I will soon give a firm indication about the role that I expect to play on the political landscape in the country. This, I believe, will bring hope and confidence to all Ghanaians irrespective of the political or religious affiliation or ethnic background" Referring what Mr Kyerematen said in the above paragraph, Mr da Rocha said the clear import of that passage was that Mr Kyeremanten has in mind, a national interest superior to the interest of the NPP. He said it was unequivocal declaration that he has thought for himself a future role in politics outside the NPP. It is obvious that he has no deep-rooted commitment or loyalty to the NPP. Meanwhile, Mr Alan Kyerematen slammed rumours of his imminent return to the party after his shocking resignation last week. A statement signed by him on April 24, 2008 said no one should consider him as vacillating on his decision and "thereby displaying inconsistency in thought and judgment" because the issues he raised have not been addressed while talks aimed at having him rescind his decision have been inconclusive. "I wish to state categorically that I have not rescinded my decision to resign from the party", the statement said, in part. Mr. Kyeremanten said it appeared that there is a calculated attempt engineered from certain quarters to create public disaffection for him, and stated that while it was true that no single individual is more important than "I wish to state categorically that I have not rescinded my decision to resign from the party", the statement said, in part. Mr. Kyeremanten said it appeared that there is a calculated attempt engineered from certain quarters to create public disaffection for him, and stated that while it was true that no single individual is more important than the party to which he had belonged to, it was equally true that national interest was superior to the interest of any single party. Source: GNA Related articles: FLASHBACK: Why Alan resigned from NPP in 2008 Micron laid the foundation for a new semiconductor plant in India, which will cost the company $2.75 billion (INR 22,500 crore). The investment will be for a chip assembly and test facility and will be in Sanand, Gujarat. The complex is being built by Tata Projects. The facility will focus on transforming wafers into Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages, memory modules and solid-state drives. The facility is known as Assembly, Test, Marking, and Packaging unit (ATMP) and will be located in an industrial park outside the city, placed on 93 acres (over 376,000 sq.m). The project will generate 5,000 direct job opportunities and an additional 15,000 community job prospects over the next five years. Minister for Communication and It Ashwini Vaishnaw said on their Facebook profile this is a success of the government's commitment to developing a semiconductor ecosystem in the Asian country. Previously, PM Modi promised up to 50% government support to all companies willing to set up shop in India. Source The Guam Department of Labor awarded a $310,224 contract using sole-source procurement for benefit claims and processing software thats now being used for the Typhoon Mawar Disaster Unemployment Assistance claims filing via hireguam.com. Labor also hired or reassigned at least 20 employees to help run the DUA program, for a pay of between $10.42 and $28.44 an hour, government records show. The federally-funded program pays $384 a week for eligible workers, business owners and the self-employed who lost their jobs or whose work hours were interrupted because of Mawar. Nearly 2,400 claims have so far been filed, according to the department. I didnt have a paycheck for a month because of the typhoon, and were on standby because there were no tourists, tour company bus driver Glenn Mian, 58, said in an interview while he was trying to apply in person at the DUA Claims Center at Paseo Stadium in Hagatna. Just like the many other applicants, Mian is hoping that his DUA claims will be approved and get the assistance he said he sorely needs. Earlier estimates put the number of Mawar-displaced workers at 7,000, with an initial federal funding request of $898,634. The deadline to file DUA claims is Oct. 4. While theres no telling when the payments will begin for at least the initial number of applicants with approved applications, Labor asked for the publics patience as it shifts into a review process after we receive all applications. Individuals may apply for DUA if they have had a week or weeks of unemployment or self-employment on or after May 28. Thats the date of the presidential disaster declaration for Mawar, and continue to be unemployed or self-unemployed as a direct result of the disaster. Contract award The Department of Labor awarded Florida-based Geographic Solutions a sole-source contract of $310,224 for a computer module used for the DUA program benefit claims and processing. Guam Labor Director David DellIsola justified the sole-source procurement with the General Services Agency, saying that Geographic Solutions is the departments existing vendor that build HireGuam, the islands virtual one-stop system. He said Geographic Solutions is the sole and exclusive owner of the HireGuam program and documentation, including all modifications, updates and revisions, and all intellectual proprietary rights. I am writing to certify that Geographic Solutions Inc. is the only company that can provide an integrated (DUA) Benefit claims and processing software, with the HireGuam workforce system, the companys sales and marketing director, Deane Toler, said in a letter to DellIsola. Geographic Solutions also obtained a sole-source contract from Labor in 2020 to roll out the software for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program application process thats key to issuing more than $750 million in benefits to Guam workers. DUA employees To run the DUA program, Labor hired 20 individuals on temporary appointments, including one who was reassigned from the department as planner II to DUA program coordinator III for an increased rate of $28.44 an hour for up to 90 days. Most of the hired DUA employees were paid an hourly $15.56 as customer service representatives, for up to 120 days or four months. Some were appointed for a term of up to a year. Application ending With the looming Oct. 4 deadline to file DUA claims, Labor is reminding eligible residents to file their claims as soon as possible. I highly encourage eligible residents who were affected by Typhoon Mawar to file for DUA while there is still time and not to wait until the last minute, acting Guam Labor Director Gerard Toves said in a statement. He said DUA has a very friendly and supportive staff to assist and guide claimants through the process and answer questions you may have, whether you are applying online through hireguam.com or in person at the DUA Claims Center. After we receive all applications, we will carefully review each claim and give everyone the due process they deserve. We ask for everyones patience as we transition into the review process, Toves said. Citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia and other nations with compacts of free associations with the U.S. are mostly not eligible for the DUA program. Applicants are required to show proof that they are a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or a qualified alien. For more information about DUA, visit dol.guam.gov/DUA. ASC Trust LLC is protesting the award of a contract to Empower Retirement LLC as third-party administrator for the pay and benefit plans of thousands of government retirees, and has elevated that protest to the public auditor. The procurement process, according to ASC Trust in its appeal with the Office of Public Accountability, is irreversibly tainted. ASC Trust, through attorney William Brennan, asked the public auditor to cancel the request for proposal and order the Government of Guam Retirement Fund to restart the procurement process. The procurement is for plan administration services related to the Retirement Funds Defined Contribution Retirement System which currently covers 16,451 participants; the Deferred Compensation Plan; and Welfare Benefit Plan. Assets for these plans total about $650 million. Public Auditor Benjamin J.F. Cruz put Government of Guam Retirement Fund Director Paula Blas on notice, following the receipt of ASC Trusts Sept. 20 procurement appeal. ASC Trust alleged that the Retirement Fund violated the Open Government Law when its board in February and July discussed the procurement without giving advance public notice. ASC Trust, in its appeal, said because of the Open Government Law violations, the boards action during those meetings regarding the procurement should be declared void. It said the Retirement Fund also failed to give ASC Trust a notice of the ranking of offerors prior to issuing an Aug. 16, 2023 notice of award to Empower Retirement. The Retirement Fund, in a Sept. 7 letter to ASC Trust, said its providing corrected information, stating that the Retirement Fund has issued a notice of conditional award. Board action related to the RFP should occur in public, in accordance with the Open Government Law, to allow ASC and other interested persons to understand GGRFs processes and decision making related to the RFP, ASC Trust said. The ranking of offerors should be announced publicly prior to negotiations commencing, as is customary among Government of Guam agencies and as required by the OAG procurement checklist. ASC Trust also alleged that the Retirement Fund did not maintain a procurement record in accordance with law, so its Aug. 16 notice of award was unlawfully issued and the incomplete record deprives the OPA of the ability to meaningfully review the procurement and GGRFs actions. The Retirement Fund denied ASC Trusts procurement protest, prompting the company to elevate the process to OPA. ASC Trust LLC is protesting the award of a contract to Empower Retirement LLC as third-party administrator for the pay and benefit plans of thousands of government retirees, and has elevated that protest to the public auditor. The procurement process, according to ASC Trust in its appeal with the Office of Public Accountability, is irreversibly tainted. ASC Trust, through attorney William Brennan, asked the public auditor to cancel the request for proposal and order the Government of Guam Retirement Fund to restart the procurement process. The procurement is for plan administration services related to the Retirement Funds Defined Contribution Retirement System which currently covers 16,451 participants; the Deferred Compensation Plan; and Welfare Benefit Plan. Assets for these plans total about $650 million. Public Auditor Benjamin J.F. Cruz put Government of Guam Retirement Fund Director Paula Blas on notice, following the receipt of ASC Trusts Sept. 20 procurement appeal. ASC Trust alleged that the Retirement Fund violated the Open Government Law when its board in February and July discussed the procurement without giving advance public notice. ASC Trust, in its appeal, said because of the Open Government Law violations, the boards action during those meetings regarding the procurement should be declared void. It said the Retirement Fund also failed to give ASC Trust a notice of the ranking of offerors prior to issuing an Aug. 16, 2023 notice of award to Empower Retirement. The Retirement Fund, in a Sept. 7 letter to ASC Trust, said its providing corrected information, stating that the Retirement Fund has issued a notice of conditional award. Board action related to the RFP should occur in public, in accordance with the Open Government Law, to allow ASC and other interested persons to understand GGRFs processes and decision making related to the RFP, ASC Trust said. The ranking of offerors should be announced publicly prior to negotiations commencing, as is customary among Government of Guam agencies and as required by the OAG procurement checklist. ASC Trust also alleged that the Retirement Fund did not maintain a procurement record in accordance with law, so its Aug. 16 notice of award was unlawfully issued and the incomplete record deprives the OPA of the ability to meaningfully review the procurement and GGRFs actions. The Retirement Fund denied ASC Trusts procurement protest, prompting the company to elevate the process to OPA. The first shots fired at the Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz Live Fire Training Range Complex were met with protest on Monday by community groups opposed to the operations at the range. Though four of the five ranges that make up the complex are not set to go online until next year, and the multi-purpose machine gun range will not become operable until at least late 2025, discharge of rounds began Monday. Its part of the calibration of equipment which will be used to track the accuracy of Marine Corps marksmen once the complex goes live. Cars were parked all along the roadside near the primary entrance to the range complex, where current and former owners of property at Ritidian Beach, along with concerned members of the community, were gathered for the latest demonstration of the years-long opposition to the range. With the range now in use, red flags and flashing lights will alert any sailing vessels that approach the surface area danger zone, which extends out into the waters off of Ritidian beach, according to Camp Blaz spokesperson Maj. Diann Rosenfeld. Stray bullets and shrapnel, especially ricochets, are a concern within the zone, and camp Blaz met with members of the Guam Fishermens Co-op ahead of time to discuss the matter. The U.S. Coast Guards website will also post notices for mariners. Public roads and nearby private property do not fall within the danger zone, and motorists and landowners will not be impacted, according to Rosenfeld. Mondays live-fire calibration marks the first time that safety procedures at the range complex are put into action, she said. Currently, there are no plans to conduct live-fire calibration and testing on weekends or in the evenings. Live-fire calibration and testing is scheduled to begin around 7 a.m. and end around 4:30 p.m. from now until Oct. 27, and again in the first two weeks of December. Much of the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Unit at Ritidian does fall within the surface area danger zone and will be periodically shut down when the range is in use. Signage posted at the preserves gate state it was shut down Mondaydue to damage from Typhoon Mawar, not live fire activity. Yigo Mayor Tony Sanchez said that he had been briefed by military officials about the use of the range complex in recent weeks. He told the Pacific Daily News he was aware of concern from the community and landowners in the area, but he believed that much of the area of concern fell within the jurisdiction of the Dededo Mayors Office. If there are any complaints or concerns, we will definitely bring it up to the proper authorities, said Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares, who added that she had received the public notice about the use of the range which was circulated for the public. Camp Blaz representatives have met with various local officials to inform them of ongoing activity, including the Mayors Council of Guam, the speaker of the Guam Legislature, the Office of the Governor of Guams defense liaison, and Del. James Moylan, according to Rosenfeld. We said noBut the scores of protestors that met outside the firing range complex on Monday afternoon led a chant of we said no. Contamination caused by the firing range complex was a big concern for Catherine Flores McCollum. Her grandfather, Benigno Leon Guerrero Flores, had his parcel of land at Ritidian condemned in 1962, and McCollum is still fighting for the land to be returned. I was in the movement to return lands in the 90s and everything that was used for live fire, PCBs had drenched down into our own private land and people were sick, said Flores, referring to polychlorinated biphenyls, an industrial chemical contaminant thats been detected on Guam. I had cancer. And there are many that were stricken with cancer because of all this contaminants, Flores said. The injustice had to stop. Maria Hernandez, McCollums niece and a representative from the former Ritidian landowners coalition Hita Litekyan, said the use of the range on Monday had come as a shock to many families. Camp Blaz Rosenfeld told the PDN that landowners at nearby Jinapsan Beach had been notified ahead of time. But according to Hernandez, the Department of Defense was not in communication with families who still stake an ancestral claim to Ritidian, which she called a slap in the face. Opposition to the range was not going to end, Hernandez said, especially given the risk to contamination at the site, deemed the most harmful out of five sites assessed by the DoD. Our northern Guam lens aquifer provides clean drinking water that we bathe in, water that we use to cook. 90% of our island receives water from our northern Guam lens aquifer. And so we cannot be risking 7 million lead bullets per year above our main water source, she said. Antonio Artero Sablan, a landowner at nearby Urunao Beach who has been in conflict with the military over access to his land for decades, said he continues to be concerned about the impact of the firing range. Leaning on a crutch Monday, Sablan said he had just returned from medical treatment in the Philippines but had rushed out when he heard the range would be used. The water outside is one of the best places for fishing, and then what are you going to be hearing? Boom boom bang bang. Thats our land over there, Sablan said. Sablan operates the Coco Palm Resort off of his property, and is worried that tourists will not take kindly to the sound of gunfire. But even worse off are other families who are still fighting for the return of their land at nearby, he said. How can they say theyre not impacted? Ritidian for sure is not going to be returned for these people because of the flying bullets, he said. Camp Blaz responds Information is power, and is important that the community has accurate information about Camp Blaz construction and activities, Rosenfeld said, when asked about concerns from community groups. Each range has its own berm which looks like a grassy hill, built to catch bullets that are fired and are specifically built based on the range size and the type of ammunition allowed for that specific range, she said. Each berm will be cleaned, and bullets recycled on a three-year-basis, she added. The storm water runoff system pretreats storm water flowing from the range. This filtration includes limestone aggregate, geotextile fabric, PVC liner, limestone substrate, and sand, Rosenfeld said. While the entire northern half of the island sits atop the Lens Aquifer, to include the islands two largest villages, the Live Fire Training Range Complex is outside Guams Groundwater Protection Zone, with the closest well more than 2 miles away and located on Andersen Air Force Base. Berms on the ranges will feature host plants for the endangered Mariana eight-spot butterfly, in addition to 2,000 host plants for the butterfly that have been planted in a nearby forest enhancement area. They make up 89 of the 315 acres that comprise the ranges. Specific to the Live Fire Training Range Complex, 89 acres of the 315 acres needed to build the ranges, were comprised of a healthy, native limestone forest. The rest of the forest was disturbed limestone forests and grassland. Additionally, the forests across the Northern Plateau are negatively impacted by invasive deer and pigs that prey on native plant saplings. This predation threatens propagation of native plants and opens the door for invasive species to thrive. Robert is an intellectual sophomore college student and a star athlete. Both he and his girlfriend were studying very hard preparing to take their Medical College Admission Test. Both their vision was to enter an Ivy League medical school. They both took their Medical College Admission Test at the same time. The long-awaited results came in. His girlfriend got accepted to the IVY League school they talked about, but Robert was denied. He tried one more time and this time he was very confident that they will take him as his scores revealed much higher than before. Sadly, neither of the school that he applied to accepted him. This news hit him severely both physically and mentally. He begun to show extreme change in his behavior and attitude. He told his girlfriend it is best to end their relationship. He was not good enough for her. He gave her all his medical books and asked her to leave him alone for now. He exhibited depression, despair, dejection, and felt hopeless, helpless, miserable and alone. He withdrew from his family, friends, and acquaintances. He stayed in his apartment room all day, playing loud music. His personal appearance was haggard, disheveled and unkempt. He was not the same Robert they all knew. He displayed anger outburst, anxiety, guilt, and a burden to everyone. The Robert they knew was kind, gentle, considerate, confident, well-grounded, vibrant, and always with a positive attitude. Robert felt the intense disillusionment, humiliation, shame and embarrassment weighed far more than a person with dignity and respect. One day, Robert left a message in his moms phone. Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters, I am done with my medical dream profession. I feel a burden and a setback to everyone when I let down your expectations of me when I was not accepted to the medical school of my choice while my girlfriend was accepted. I felt a part of my heart has been ripped off. I have no way out of this dark tunnel. The pain and anguish are so harsh and keeps lingering on. I want to end it all. Mom, please forgive me. I love all of you very much. Robert. After receiving this phone call, they all rushed to Roberts apartment including his girlfriend. The door was unlocked and they found Robert in a fetal position, deeply depressed and crying heavily. Roberts family gave him their emotional encouragement, support and unconditional love. Mom hugged and comforted him. His siblings, dad and girlfriend were all there to be by his side. Today, Robert is a successful pulmonologist with his own practice in the mainland. He is happily married and have four beautiful children. Suicide is a demoralizing reaction to a deeply demeaning life situation. With knowledge and understanding, we can reduce the barriers of suicide and we can save lives! If you think you are suicidal, get help now. Call 911 your local emergency to 8:45 am Call a suicide hotline number, 688. United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) any time of day. Use that same number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis hotline. Suicide cardinal signs or suicidal thoughts: Talking about suicide, I wish I were dead, I want to end it all. Talking about a suicidal plan Isolation, withdrawal and abandoning all social contacts Erratic mood swings and personality that is insensitive Focused and preoccupied on death and dying and ending it all Feeling trapped, hopeless and helpless about present life situation High consumption of alcohol and drugs Sudden change of behavior and attitude Showing unusual signs of affection Warning signs arent always obvious. They may vary from one person to the other. Others make it clear, while others keep suicidal thoughts and feelings hidden. Talk to a trusted friend, clergy, pastor, spiritual adviser. Seek professional help, with a family therapist and other resources. Haiti - Mexico : 113 FAdH soldiers trained in special intervention, back home Enold Joseph, the Minister of Defense informs that the military contingent which left the country on August 26, returned to the country Saturday September 23, 2023 aboard a Mexican Air Force plane, after having stayed for 4 weeks in Mexico , within the framework of Haitian-Mexican Military Cooperation. A delegation led by Minister Joseph welcomed him at Toussaint Louverture Airport. Made up of 113 soldiers from the National Guard, this contingent commanded by Lieutenant Wesby Bjean, a graduate of the Military School in Ecuador, received training in special intervention. It should also be noted that 13 of them were trained in drone piloting. Daniel Camara, the Mexican Ambassador accredited to Haiti, expressed his deep satisfaction for all the achievements accomplished within the framework of this military cooperation signed in October 2018 between his country and Haiti. He took the opportunity to renew his country's desire to support the Haitian State in its efforts to establish a modern army focused on respect for military discipline, human rights and equity of gender. Mr. Camara announced the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding renewing this cooperation program for the next 5 years. For his part, Minister Joseph took the opportunity to greet the soldiers and congratulate them for the exemplary behavior they demonstrated during their training in Mexico. As with the previous groups, he wanted to remind these young people of the enormous responsibility that awaits them in the difficult context that the country is currently going through. Let's recall that the Haitian-Mexican bilateral cooperation agreement signed on October 5, 2018 between Mexico and Haiti covers the exchange of experiences, training and cooperation in military education, support activities in the event of disaster and logistics. According to both Parties, all commitments made within the framework of the agreement have been honored : A dozen awareness seminars on human rights and gender equity; 250 soldiers trained by Mexican instructors at the Anacaona base; 50 soldiers trained in Mexico in leadership and command techniques who became NCOs, without forgetting the first 15 professional executive officers of the FAd'H and a group of thirty instructors and monitors trained in Mexico; 150 soldiers trained in Mexico constitute the first company of the National Guard; Two cadets are currently training in Mexico; Finally, the training of thirteen drone pilots and around a hundred soldiers in Special Interventions. HL/ HaitiLibre By William Schwartz | Published on 2023/09/24 In 1915, Yoon (played by Kim Nam-gil) is a former slave struggling with depression. His former master Gwang-il (played by Lee Hyun-wook-I) tries to get Yoon to come out more, taking him to events that extol the positive impact the Japanese Occupation has had on Korean culture, allowing them both to become soldiers. But all Yoon can do is drink and grimace, thinking of all the people he's killed and all the people he's failed. Yoon goes north, resigned to die, yet ultimately decides to at least let himself die for a purpose. Advertisement "Song of the Bandits" almost immediately gets on my good side by depicting the Japanese as nuanced villains rather than caricatures. From the very beginning we see a propaganda truck distributing leaflets about the recent land reform. The contrast with "Mr. Sunshine" is noteworthy, as that drama has no concept of landlordism and its very important influence on Korean politics of the time. But "Mr. Sunshine" is chiefly a romantic story, while "Song of the Bandits" in the first episode at least tends to revel in cynicism. One of the first facts Yoon learns upon arriving in Manchuria is that bandits have a very bad reputation. Many of them are de facto aligned with the Japanese. There are no heroes in this era. There are thugs, and bullies, and bystanders. But mostly there's just people who want to get paid. Yoon is a well-drawn character because he doesn't really know what to believe in anymore. Kim Nam-gil seems like he might be slightly too old for the role, but his age actually works really well to emphasize his character's general weariness. Yoon suffers from a distinctly middle-aged lack of self-esteem and self-worth, despite the faith other people have in him, mainly because Yoon doesn't respect or trust the people who've seen him at his best, as a killer. The brutal theming of "Song of the Bandits" does not, as of yet, appear to be very marketable. It's only the most popular South Korean drama on Netflix in South Korea proper. This is a shame, because the drama's a genuinely excellent use of the setting. Even as the end of the first episode teases a fairly explicitly formulaic coming together of various ne'er do wells for a greater purpose, "Song of the Bandits" promises a lot more historical gunfighting- rare enough to be an entertaining novelty in and of itself. Written by William Schwartz ___________ "Song of the Bandits" is directed by Hwang Joon-hyeok, Park Hyeon-seok, written by Han Jeong-hoon, and features Kim Nam-gil, Seohyun, Yoo Jae-myung, Lee Hyun-wook-I, Lee Ho-jung, Kim Do-yoon-I. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2023/09/22, Fri on Netflix. Published on 2023/09/24 Netflix announced the greenlighting of its latest period mystery melodrama, "Hong Rang" (WT). Dive deep into the enigmatic world of the Joseon era, brought to life by a stellar cast including Lee Jae-wook, Jo Bo-ah, Jung Ga-ram, and more. Advertisement Lee Jae-wook, with his versatile performances in "Alchemy of Souls", "Search: WWW", and "Extraordinary You", steps into the shoes of "Hong Rang", the long-lost son of Joseon's elite, who emerges from the shadows with hidden secrets. As he makes his unexpected return, having vanished in childhood, the narrative promises a whirlwind of emotions, weaving romance and suspense. Jo Bo-ah, adored by fans worldwide for her roles in "Destined With You" and "Tale of the Nine Tailed", brings depth to Jae-i, a woman torn between doubt and love for her enigmatic step-brother, "Hong Rang". Their fates become inextricably linked in a tale that masterfully explores love, friendship, and destiny. Guiding this saga is the visionary director Kim Hong-seon-I, celebrated for his acclaimed projects like Netflix series "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area - Part 2", "L.U.C.A. : The Beginning", and "The Guest - Drama". Joining forces with him is the brilliant screenwriter Kim Jin-a, known for her work on "Dr. Brain". Together, they promise to deliver a historical drama that will captivate audiences globally. Prepare for a spellbinding experience as "Hong Rang" (WT) unveils a tale from the annals of Joseon that has never been told before. Series Information Title: "Hong Rang" (Working Title) Original Novel: "Hong Rang": Swallowing Gold by Jang Da-hye (Published by Book Recipe) Director: Kim Hong-seon-I Screenwriter: Kim Jin-a Cast: Lee Jae-wook, Jo Bo-ah, Jung Ga-ram, Uhm Ji-won, Park Byung-eun, Kim Jae-wook Production: Studio Dragon, Ace Maker Movie Works, H House Co-Production: IO Content Group Distribution: Netflix YLE on Sunday wrote that Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Poysti has observed repeatedly in the autumn that the government has failed to sufficiently assess the impact of individual spending cuts and the cuts as a whole. THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) appears to have sidestepped the principles of good lawmaking as it scrambles to put together the budgetary decisions associated with its social security cuts, reports YLE. Its proposal to slash the housing allowance, for example, makes no reference to the possible increase in the number of people requiring income assistance, the last-resort form of financial assistance in Finland. The realisation of human rights for housing allowance recipients and their families overall has also been barely assessed, according to Poysti. He has also estimated that the government failed to fully explore alternatives to the proposed suspension of cost-of-living-based increases in certain benefits, such as student financial aid. This would have been important especially from the viewpoint of growing poverty among families with children, a viewpoint that is recognised in the draft proposal. Poysti on Tuesday also drew attention to the tight timetables for expert hearings, which have been as short as five days. The government programme states that the government will promote high-quality and knowledge-based impact assessments in conjunction with the drafting of legislative and regulatory measures. Anssi Keinanen, a professor of legislative and empirical legal studies at the University of Eastern Finland, on Sunday told YLE that the lawmaking efforts of the government have not been of high quality. This is a clear example of everything not going as it should, he said. Impact assessments, he underlined, are a key measure of high-quality lawmaking: they ensure that when lawmakers enact laws, they do so based on knowledge understanding what they are deciding on. Also the constitutional right of parliament to receive information is not realised, according to Keinanen. On the other hand, its a question of the opportunities of advocacy groups and citizens to monitor political decision-making. In the current situation, those opportunities are insufficient, he commented to the public broadcasting company. The government is likely rushing the proposals because any bills entering into force at the beginning of next year will have to be submitted to parliament by 9 October. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has promised to produce a report assessing the overall impacts of the cuts in social security spending. Neither Poysti nor Keinanen thinks this suffices to resolve the issues. The chancellor of justice highlighted that the impact assessments should be available for the drafting of legislative proposals and the ensuing public debate. [The report] is inevitably coming too late if you consider that parliamentary committees should be able to simultaneously discuss individual proposals and assess the overall impacts, viewed Keinanen. It cant be that the parliament doesnt put together the overall impacts until the committee phase. It isnt the parliaments duty. The overall assessment must come from the government. He also reminded that all shortcomings identified during the public comment period should be rectified before a proposal is presented to a parliamentary committee. Aleksi Teivainen HT The Industrial Union, Trade Union Pro and Finnish Electrical Workers Union on Saturday revealed they will organise short work stoppages, walk-outs and protests this week at a number of workplaces in Satakunta and Southwest Finland. TRADE UNIONS in Finland have detailed their first protests against the labour market reforms and social security cuts planned by the government, reports Helsingin Sanomat. Electrical workers, for example, will stage stoppages at Turku Energy and Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. The Industrial Union last week also announced a series of hour-long walk-outs at workplaces in northern and eastern parts of the country. Service Union United (PAM) and the Finnish Construction Trade Union, in turn, will stage demonstrations outside working hours in Joensuu, Mikkeli and Kuopio on Thursday. The industrial actions are part of protests that will take place three days a week for the next three weeks, union bosses revealed at a joint conference hosted last Thursday by the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK). The bosses indicated their readiness to to ramp up the measures if necessary. Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (PS) on Friday issued a press release accusing trade unions of lying, distorting facts, making threats and promoting activities of the political opposition in their opposition to the reforms and spending cuts. Trade unions, she added, have been unwilling to discuss working-life reforms in a fashion that is genuine and focused on finding common denominators. Provisions in the government programme have been clearly misunderstood either intentionally or unintentionally by union bosses, according to Purra. She referred to the plan to relieve employers not covered by a collective bargaining agreement of their obligation to pay employees for the first day of a sick leave. No ones pay during sick leave will be cut automatically. This kind of a claim is simply a lie, she stated. Her statement is at the very least misleading, according to Helsingin Sanomat. About 11 per cent of employees in the country are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, meaning they would be affected by the revision if they have not agreed locally on pay during sick-leave pay. Riku Aalto, the chairperson of the Industrial Union, responded to Purra by asking what are the merits of drafting a piece of legislation that is not expected to have any practical impacts. Finnish trade unions have also expressed their concern about the proposal to rein in political strikes with the introduction of a maximum duration of one day for such strikes, the proposal to rephrase the criteria for terminating an employee on personal grounds and the proposal to disable the national conciliator or another conciliatory body from offering wage increases that exceed those in export-oriented industries. The government is also set to relax the rules concerning notices for temporary lay-offs, remove the re-employment requirement for companies with fewer than 50 staff and allow employers to offer one-year fixed-term contracts without special reasons. Many of its spending cuts are targeting social security. The cuts have been justified by citing their expected impact on employment and public finances with varying degrees of evidence, wrote Helsingin Sanomat. The first amendments to earnings-based unemployment security have been estimated to grow the number of the employed by 20,000. The Ministry of Finance, on the other hand, has not found research substantiating the reported employment impacts of cutting the housing allowance or promoting local bargaining. Aleksi Teivainen HT The Finnish Immigration Service is embarking on a transformative journey to enhance its procurement practices, with a particular focus on a competitive tendering process scheduled for 2024 concerning the development and maintenance of its case management and customer relationship management system for immigration affairs. Additionally, several segments of the agency's reception operations will undergo procurement changes. In a bid to ensure transparency and efficiency in these processes, the Finnish Immigration Service will heed recommendations recently issued by the National Audit Office of Finland (NAOF). The NAOF has recently conducted audits of certain long-term service procurements within the Finnish Immigration Service. The timing of these audits coincided with the agency's ongoing and forthcoming significant tendering procedures this year. Ilkka Haahtela, Director General of the Finnish Immigration Service, emphasized the importance of adhering to the Act on Public Procurement, stating, "We must comply with the Act on Public Procurement in all our operations. We need to ensure that we have sufficient competence in public procurement within the agency. Making public procurements of high quality will help us obtain as good services as possible for our customers while saving state funds." In the quest for excellence, the Finnish Immigration Service has sought external consultation to bolster its internal resources this year. Additionally, it has allocated more resources to its internal audit team and streamlined the documentation practices associated with its procurements. One of the pivotal elements under scrutiny is the UMA information system, serving as a case management and customer relationship management tool for immigration affairs. The UMA system plays a vital role in various processes, including decision-making within the Finnish Immigration Service, and is also utilized by other Finnish authorities, such as the police, the Finnish Border Guard, and Finnish embassies and consulates abroad. The NAOF audit revealed that the procurement of the UMA system should have been re-tendered in 2011 when substantial modifications were introduced to the contract. However, the Finnish Immigration Service opted for multiple direct procurements under the framework agreements established in 2011 and 2016. Director General Haahtela acknowledged the deficiencies highlighted in the 2011 and 2016 procurements, noting, "Shortcomings of the procurements in 2011 and 2016 were brought up during the NAOF audit process. After the audit, we have investigated the matter and would like to thank the NAOF for bringing up these shortcomings. It is extremely important for us at the Finnish Immigration Service to identify all operations that require larger-scale development initiatives, and procurements have been one of them." The process of putting the UMA development and maintenance out to tender commenced in 2022. Nevertheless, due to the complexity and size of the UMA system, it necessitates thorough planning and execution to ensure continuous operational functionality. "For reasons of internal security and due to the statutory tasks of the Finnish Immigration Service, such as the processing of work-related residence permit applications, we are forced to carry out direct procurements for UMA before the competitive tendering process is finished. We will ensure that each procurement is justifiable," assured Haahtela. The Finnish Immigration Service has also taken substantial strides in reforming its reception operations. Earlier this year, the agency issued calls for tenders for the management of adult and family reception centers, employing a dynamic purchasing system. In autumn, it expanded these reforms by tendering multiple reception centers for minors and the provision of healthcare services within the reception system. The agency will continue to put out tenders for reception center operations for adults and families in the coming months. Haahtela concluded, "The direct procurement agreements mentioned in the NAOF report have been terminated." As the Finnish Immigration Service progresses with these changes, it is committed to aligning its practices with the recommendations of the National Audit Office to ensure efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness in serving its customers and managing state resources. HT Builds on unprecedented investment through President Bidens Unity Agenda to tackle the mental health crisis and support community-based behavioral health care and treatment. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced $206 million in grant awards towards youth mental health. Also today, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will make more Medicaid funding available for school-based health services in Virginia, improving health care access, including mental health services. Combined, these awards will help expand access to mental health services for students in schools, bolster the behavioral health workforce, and improve access to mental health prevention and treatment for children and youth in communities across the country. And they represent a key next step in President Bidens Unity Agenda, which is making unprecedented investments to tackle the mental health crisis and transform how mental health is understood, accessed, treated, and integrated in and out of health care settings. The investments include the following: SAMHSA is awarding $131.7 million in grant programs that connect youth and families to behavioral health services. HRSA is awarding $55 million to expand access to mental health care for young people, including access to mental health care in schools. ACF is awarding $20 million to improve the quality of mental health services provided to children involved in the child welfare system. New Medicaid funding that helps expand access to health services, including mental health services, for eligible children in schools. The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to tackling the mental health crisis facing America, particularly among our young people. Expanding mental health care services to ensure that everyone who needs help can access care when and where they seek it is a key element of President Bidens Unity Agenda, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. We are transforming mental health and substance use treatment across the country by providing equitable access to services for all Americans. These tools and resources will help families struggling to meet the mental health care needs of their children. Recent data confirms that young people need more support to address their mental health and substance use disorder challenges. The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that nearly three in five U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021 representing a nearly 60% increase over the past decade. It also found that 22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide during the past year. These awards reflect the extraordinary commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration to addressing youth mental health, said Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm. The tools and resources that we are providing will help children who are struggling by meeting them and their families where they are, and ensuring there is no wrong door to behavioral health care. Supporting at Risk Youth and Families $131.7 Million from SAMHSA to Support At-risk Youth and Families $5.7 million for Planning and Developing Infrastructure to Promote the Mental Health of Children, Youth and Families in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities, $5.5 million for Cooperative Agreements for School-Based Trauma-Informed Support Services and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth, $2.4 million for Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Childrens Health (Project LAUNCH), $16.4 million for Healthy Transitions: Improving Life Trajectories for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Disorders Program, $41.2 million for Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment Capacity in Adult and Family Treatment Drug Courts, $48.3 million for Grants for Expansion and Sustainability of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (System of Care SOC Expansion and Sustainability), $1.8 million for Preventing Youth Overdose: Treatment, Recovery, Education, Awareness and Training, $8.7 million for Behavioral Health Partnership for Early Diversion of Adults and Youth, and $1.7 million for Family Counseling and Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex+ Youth and Their Families. Expanding Access to Youth Mental Health Care $55 Million from HRSA for Expanding Access to Youth Mental Health Care: $25 million to 77 HRSA-funded health centers to create new and expand existing school-based health centers, $19 million to 25 states and territories to train pediatricians in mental health care and provide real-time teleconsultation for pediatricians to get expert support from psychiatrists and other mental health providers to help them care for their patients mental health needs, $11 million to 23 organizations to train more behavioral health providers focused on serving children, adolescents, and young adults in underserved and rural areas. Center to Support Mental Health Services in Child Welfare $20 Million from ACF to Launch First National Center to Support Mental Health Services in the Child Welfare System: $20 million to the National Center to Support Mental Health Services in the Child Welfare System to provide technical assistance and evidence-informed training to strengthen coordination and capacity among child welfare and mental health professionals and systems to improve the quality of mental health services they provide to children, young adults, and their families who are involved in the child welfare system and who have experienced adoption. Expanding School-Based Health Services CMS approved Virginia Free Care School Services State Plan Amendment 21-0017 to allow schools to bill Medicaid for a range of services including mental health, nursing services, and others provided to children in Virginia schools. This is the 5th state this year (and the 16th state overall) to receive Free Care SPA approval, and takes advantage of the flexibilities provided in the Delivering Services in School-Based Settings: A Comprehensive Guide to Medicaid Services and Administrative Claiming released earlier this year. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. Anyone seeking treatment for mental health or substance use issues should call SAMHSAs National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) or visit findtreatment.samhsa.gov. For more information on ACFs behavioral health initiatives and resources, please visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/behavioral-health. Reporters with questions for SAMHSA should email media@samhsa.hhs.gov, for HRSA should email Press@hrsa.gov, for ACF should email media@acf.hhs.gov, for CMS should email media@cms.hhs.gov. Cancer touches every American in some way, and is still the second leading cause of death in America. The President and First Lady reignited the Biden Cancer Moonshot to dramatically accelerate progress in the fight against cancer and mobilize a national effort to end cancer as we know it. In commemoration of World Cancer Research Day (WCRD), today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and leaders from across HHS released the following statements in support of driving innovation for better patient outcomes, providing support to families navigating cancer, and advancing efforts to prevent more cancer diagnosis or detect them early when outcomes are best. Research is fundamental to the fight against cancer, said Secretary Xavier Becerra. On this World Cancer Research Day, we salute the progress made by scientists and researchers to eradicate cancer so people can lead longer and better lives. HHS stands with these essential workers against cancer and we affirm their vital and lifesaving work. We cant count cancer out until we count everyone in, said Acting NIH Director Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D. NIH is committed to research that advances equitable access to cancer care from prevention through survivorship to end cancer as we know it. World Cancer Research Day unites the global community behind the goal to end cancer as we know it for every person facing cancer, and I am proud of the fact that the US National Cancer Plan, launched earlier this year, is committed to bringing the benefits of research to all patients, regardless of who they are or where they live, said National Cancer Institute Director Monica Bertagnolli, M.D. The FDA is honored to join with the global cancer community to commemorate World Cancer Research Day. Furthering clinical research in every stage is critical to address the complexities that exist today in cancer treatment and advance the agencys goal to develop and regulate medical products that are safe and effective, said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. We will continue to do our part as a regulatory public health agency to ensure our efforts support greater innovation, increase the efficiency and inclusiveness of clinical research, foster collaboration with international regulatory agencies, and improve the delivery of cancer care for patients, including those historically under-represented in cancer clinical research. On this World Cancer Research Day, we recognize the important need for research and early detection to reduce the burden of cancer and eliminate health disparities, said CDC Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., M.P.H. At CDC we work around the clock to help prevent cancer and increase survival rates. With the renewal of the Cancer MoonshotSM program, the Biden-Harris Administration has refocused the nations effort to reduce the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years. This goal is more than achievable due to breakthrough treatments and innovative technologies. This World Cancer Research Day, we are leading the CancerX innovation accelerator by building public-private partnerships and diverse coalitions to accelerate knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and real-world action to reduce the burden of cancer for everyone, said ADM Rachel L. Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health. "Research funding is the lifeblood of our collective mission to conquer cancer. It is the spark that ignites innovation, the catalyst that drives progress, and the beacon of hope for countless lives affected by this formidable disease. With every dollar invested, we empower brilliant minds to push the boundaries of science and medicine, bringing us closer to early diagnoses, more effective treatments, and, ultimately, the elusive cure. Our commitment to funding research is not just an investment in science; it's an investment in humanity's future, where cancer is no longer a source of suffering but a conquered foe, said Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The President and First Lady reignited the Biden Cancer Moonshot to mobilize a national effort to end cancer as we know it. By bringing together the federal government, health care providers, researchers, patients, caregivers, advocates, and the public and private sectors, the Cancer Moonshot is dramatically accelerating progress in the fight against cancer. The Cancer Moonshot is mobilizing efforts toward achieving two clear goals that the President and First Lady set: to prevent more than 4 million cancer deaths by 2047 and to improve the experience of people who are touched by cancer. In the era of information warfare, false narratives and social media, one of the cardinal sins of a counter-terrorist operation is to project the adversary in a larger-than-life role and end up demoralizing its own forces. The inadvertent or deliberate mistake also provides oxygen to the terrorists and their mentors and gives another lease of life to the political cause behind the strike. An example is the Kokernag CT operation in Jammu and Kashmir by Indian security forces, where the Indian Army lost brave 19 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Commanding Officer Col Manpreet Singh, company commander Major Ashish Dhonchak, JKP Deputy SP Humayun Bhat and trooper Pardeep Singh on September 13 at Gadole Forest of Kokernag in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was completed after six days on September 19 with all the top Army and Police commanders visiting the spot. Images from the Kokernag encounter where one local terrorist was killed. While a top JKP police official during the encounter claimed that two to three terrorists were holed up at a height in Gadole forest, fact is that only one local terrorist Mohammed Uzair Khan was involved in the fire-fight and was killed in the encounter. Resident of Nagam, Kokernag, Uzair belonged to Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist group and was classified as a B category terrorist in police record since he became active in July 2022with three FIRs related to lobbing of grenade at a CRPF bunker in Anantnag and firing on non-locals in his home district registered against him. While there is no reason to question the CT tactics of the Indian security forces, the Kokernag encounter remained in the headlines for a week with projection of terrorists holding against the might of the Indian Army and JKP. It is now evident that Uzair got lucky and got the Indian braves in single burst of armor piercing bullets fired from AK-47 rifle on September 13. The Indian retaliation took care of the LeT terrorist perhaps the same day. But the image of Indian security forces using drones to plaster the encounter site with explosives gives a larger-than-life image to the jihadis or so-called Ghazis(holy Islamic warriors), who believe that they have been ordained to liberate Kashmir. The narrative also got amplified with all the top commanders landing at the encounter site. The question that needs to be asked is why did the operation go on for six days if there was only one terrorist. And that too in times of battle theatre transparency through drones and technical intelligence. After the Indian Army lost its officers and troopers in April 20, May 5, August 5 and now September 13 encounters with Pakistan-trained terrorists, there is perhaps a need to revisit the adherence to standard operating procedures or else the myth of a Ghaznavi force with fighters who trained with Taliban will be strengthened and in turn lower the morale of the forces. The loss of five Special Forces men in Rajouri on May 5 to Pak terrorists is an unfortunate example that will lend credence to the mythical fighting skills of Pakistani jihadists. The facts on ground are however to the contrary with Indian security forces managing to kill no less than 20 foreign terrorists and nine local terrorists in Kashmir zone from January 1, 2023 this year. In the Jammu zone, no less than 15 foreign terrorists and only one local terrorist has been killed with the local village defence committees and the special police officers acting as big force multipliers in exterminating the pest from across the border. Contrary to the projection by local media of the Kokernag encounter, the Indian security forces have been successful in neutralizing the terror threat from across while the deliberate operations conducted by Indian Army are understandable as no force likes to lose men to a suicide attacker. But it is an over-the-top description of battle and terrorist numbers without total visibility of encounter theatre that needs to be avoided as it sends a wrong message on both sides of the LoC and embarrasses Bharat. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shishir Gupta Author of Indian Mujahideen: The Enemy Within (2011, Hachette) and Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion and Indian Riposte (2014, Hachette). Awarded K Subrahmanyam Prize for Strategic Studies in 2015 by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) and the 2011 Ben Gurion Prize by Israel. ...view detail Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Expertrons, a pioneering force in online professional education, has unveiled its Pro MBA in Banking and Financial Management Program, a 2-year AICTE-approved PGDM. It represents a significant leap forward in financial education, bringing together the expertise of AIMA and the prestigious AICTE accreditation to set new standards in the field. This program is India's only Online Global Management program, which helps aspirants reach the top BFSI companies like Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC, SBICAP Securities & more! 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About AIMA: The All India Management Association (AIMA) is a premier national management association in India, committed to promoting excellence in management education, research, and practice. Disclaimer: This article is a promotional feature and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai, Maharashtra, India - In today's data-driven world, the demand for skilled data scientists is soaring. With businesses relying on data analytics for informed decision-making, individuals who can harness the power of data are in high demand. As a global IT hub, India is no exception to this trend. Aspiring data scientists and professionals looking to upskill are seeking the best Data Science courses available in the country. 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Enroll in one of these top courses today and take the first step towards a rewarding career in data analytics and machine learning. For more information on Expertrons' Data Science certification program, visit Expertrons - Data Science Certification. About Expertrons: Expertrons is a leading ed-tech platform that provides mentorship and certification programs in collaboration with top institutions to help individuals upskill and excel in their careers. With a focus on technology and data science, Expertrons is committed to bridging the gap between education and industry. With over 95% training completion rate, Expertrons is now leading the learning space from the front. Recently aqui-hired another skill-tech start-up from Bangalore called Foxmula, Expertrons is making headlines and on its way to becoming a leading Skill-tech Startup in India. Disclaimer: This article is a promotional feature and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. 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! He said shed never date him because he isnt cool enough as they clashed on social media. Now Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be spurning Elon Musk for real, saying shes looking to trade in her Tesla. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y) speaks at a rally to end the use of fossil fuels, in New York, Sept. 17.(AP) ALSO READ -Your feedback is appreciated. Now pay $8: Musk's sly dig at Ocasio-Cortez The New York Democrat was asked on CBSs Face the Nation why in the midst of a United Auto Workers strike against the Big Three carmakers she doesnt own an electric vehicle made by union workers. We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join She said she bought her Tesla during the pandemic to commute between her New York City district and Washington, D.C. But now, she said, there are union-made vehicles that have the necessary range to make the trip. Were actually looking into trading in our car now, she said. So were looking into it and hopefully we will soon. Musk, the worlds richest man, is chief executive officer of Austin-based Tesla. Hes also the owner of X, formerly Twitter, the social media platform on which he and Ocasio-Cortez have sparred. 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! With protests intensifying over the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu and bandh being called on the issue, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said his government will not curtail them, but underlined the importance of maintenance of peace. The Chief Minister also said the state government will place its argument more forcefully before the Supreme Court on the issue, when it next comes up for hearing, and is committed to protecting the interest of the state. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. Also Read - Bengaluru Bandh tomorrow: What's open and what's closed? While some farmers' outfits have called for 'Bengaluru bandh' on Tuesday on the Cauvery issue, several Kannada outfits, under the banner 'Kannada Okkuta' led by Kannada activists Vatal Nagaraj have called for state-wide bandh on September 29. "We had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority, and Regulation Committee. The court rejected our partition, also Tamil Nadu's. They (TN) initially sought 24,000 cusecs, then 7,200 cusecs, we said we can't even give 5,000 cusecs, as there is no water," Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "The Apex Court did not accept it, and the matter is coming before the Court on September 26. We will place our argument more forcefully." Responding to a question on protests and bandhs being called on the Cauvery issue, the CM said, "in a democracy, we (government) will not curtail protests, but BJP and JD(S) is trying to do politics on the issue." To a query on BJP and JD(S) asking the government to resign and go, he said, "...they are doing politics, what else will they say, they did not say it during the all party meeting." The Supreme Court on September 21 refused to interfere with the order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) which endorsed the directions of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to the Karnataka government to release 5,000 cusecs (cubic foot per second) of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from September 13. Karnataka has been maintaining that it is not in a position to release water, taking into account its own need for drinking water and irrigation for standing crops in the Cauvery basin areas, as there has been water scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains. Noting that the government will do everything in the interest of the state, as protecting the land, its water and language is a priority. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, "We will not try to control the protests, but peace has to be maintained and people should not face any difficulty." Addressing media here, he said, protest is everyone's right in a democracy and it will not be curtailed. "Our party people too called and spoke to me about the protest, I said, it's your right and protect it...but one has to understand about court orders before calling for protests or bandh, just giving such calls for media publicity is not right, as such calls may have legal repercussions," he said, adding that keeping everything in mind, let them decide. Noting that due to slight rains in some regions in the last couple of days, the inflow has been slightly better, Shivakumar, who is also the Water Resources Minister said, the government has also discussed the possibility of cloud seeding, and there have been two-three types of opinion on it. "But, it will be difficult to release water in the days ahead," he cautioned. To another question whether the bandh calls will have legal repercussions on Karnataka's case in the court, Shivakumar said, "as a Minister I'm unable to say anything, as I have to respect the Court, and also safeguard the people. My situation and that of the government is like -- catch 22 situation, between the devil and the deep blue sea." Whatever it is, the government will have to protect the interest of the state, he said. "it is our bounden duty." If the public doesn't cooperate, the bandh will not have any value, said Shivakumar, citing alleged lack of consensus among the organisations on the bandh call, and two bandhs being called. "The government will not interfere in it." Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! A day before the first bandh in Karnataka over the Cauvery water share issue this week, Bengaluru police said no permission for any bandh, protest, or demonstration has been given and the entire Bengaluru is under Section 144 prohibiting the assembly of more than five people. The 12-hour (6am to 6pm) Bengaluru bandh on September 26 has been called by the farmers' organisation and the opposition parties have extended support. The next bandh in Karnataka is on September 29 and it will be a statewide bandh on the same issue. Bengaluru bandh: File photo of Bengaluru's Majestic bus terminus. Two bandhs in Karnataka in a week: Here is all you need to know 1. The Bengaluru bandh has been called by Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti', an umbrella outfit of farmers associations and other organisations led by farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar. The all-Karnataka bandh on Friday (September 29) has been called by Kannada Okkuta', led by Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj. 2. Kannada Okkuta is not supporting Tuesday's Bengaluru bandh. They asked tomorrow's bandh organisers to defer Bengaluru bandh to Friday and observe it together across the state. But the organisers decided to go ahead with tomorrow's Bengaluru bandh as they claimed they received support. 3. Both the bandhs are, however, for the same cause protesting against the Karnataka government's decision to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. 4. Bengaluru bandh confusion: The confusion is over which services will remain open and which will be closed on Tuesday in Bengaluru as there is a division over who are supporting the bandh. 5. Schools, colleges will remain closed while most of the offices have asked their employees to work from home. Walmart and Alphabet's Google issued notices to the employees asking them to not come to office amid the bandh situation on Tuesday. 6. Hotel Owners' Association withdrew their support to Bengaluru Bandh citing confusion. So Bengaluru hotels and restaurants will remain open. 7. Bengaluru's auto and taxi unions have extended a complete support to Bengaluru bandh. So people will be inconvenienced. State buses will also not ply in Bengaluru. Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation services will not be affected. Metro services will remain as usual. 8. BJP is supporting the Bengaluru bandh of Tuesday. Chief minister Siddaramaiah said his government will not curtail protests but there should be peace. 9. The Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Association, which had earlier supported the Bandh on Tuesday, withdrew their support on Tuesday. They will participate in the Friday's statewide bandh. 10. The Karnataka government said the issue should not be politicised by the BJP as the government cannot ignore the court ruling which rejected the Karnataka government's petition. What is the Cauvery water issue? Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been locked in this water battle for decades. The recent flare-up has been the rejection of the Karnataka government's petition by the Supreme Court against an order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority asking Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from September 13. Karnataka government said it is not in a position to release this amount as there are its own needs for drinking water and irrigation. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Farmer groups and pro-Kannada organizations have called for a Bengaluru Bandh on Tuesday and many operations in the city are expected to come to a standstill. More than 175 organisations across the state have declared support to the bandh and said that they stand with the farmer groups who are protesting against releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery water dispute spewed a fresh row after the CWMA order directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days (File Photo) Join our WhatsApp channel for latest news directly to your fingertips Also Read - Bengaluru Bandh on September 26: Farmer groups call for a strike amid Cauvery water sharing dispute Since opposition parties have lent their support to the bandh, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government would not try to scuttle it, it is likely to be total. What services are likely to be closed? KSRTC and BMTC buses The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Staff and Workers Federation extended its support for Bengaluru Bandh and both KSRTC and BMTC services are likely to be affected. Private cab services Ola, Uber Drivers and Owners Association President Tanveer Pasha announced support for the bandh and decided to stay off the roads on Tuesday. There will be no compromise when it comes to land, language, and water. Without any second thoughts, we support the bandh, Pasha said, supporting the bandh. Schools and Colleges Though the Private schools union general secretary Shashikumar said that they would extend their support by wearing black bands on their arms, holiday is yet to be declared for many schools and colleges. A decision will be taken today on it. What services will be open? Namma Metro The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited will be running metro services across the city on Tuesday. There will be no disruptions on any line of Namma metro in Bengaluru. Emergency services All emergency service-related vehicles like ambulances, pharma vehicles and other important goods carrying vehicles will be working. Hospitals and medical stores will also run as usual. Cabs and restaurants: Cabs are likely to be available and restaurants will remain open as cab and restaurant associations withdrew from Bengaluru Bandh on Monday. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The normal life in Bengaluru will take a hit tomorrow as pro-Kannada organisations and farmer groups called for a strike, amid Cauvery water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu. The opposition BJP and JDS alliance has already extended it's support to the bandh and public transport is also likely to be interrupted. Ex PM Deve Gowda writes to PM Modi on Cauvery dispute.(PTI) Also Read - Bengaluru Bandh tomorrow: What's open and what's closed? More than 175 organizations have declared their support for the Bengaluru bandh called by various farmers' and pro-Kannada organisations on September 26 to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, said Kuruburu Shanthakumar, State President of State Sugarcane Growers Association. State Sugarcane Growers Association is one of the main organisations that first called the bandh. Meanwhile in Karnataka's Mandya, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and Cauvery Water Rakshana Horata Samiti spearheaded the agitation. The protests have been happening for the past few days and likely to be intensified on Monday. From the past two days Mandya Bandh was observed. Schools, colleges, bus transport, cabs and autorickshaw services are likely to take a hit on Tuesday and many offices are also planning to announce work from home for their employees. However, the metro services full functions as usual. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, a Janata Dal (Secular) leader and the son of former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, on Sunday morning met with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader BS Yediyurappa at his residence in Bengaluru. Nikhil Kumaraswamy Also Read- How will BJP-JD(S) alliance impact Karnataka? BJP MLA Muniratna also accompanied Nikhil Kumaraswamy on the visit to the former Karnataka CM's residence. "As we all know JDS and BJP are now a part of the NDA alliance. On that basis, Mr Yediyurappa is one of the tallest leaders in Karnataka. So I just came here to take his blessings personally. We all know that they share a good bond," Nikhil Kumaraswamy said after the meeting. "Even in 2006-07 when BJP and JDS had a coalition, HD Kumaraswamy's tenure has given a lot of developments and so did Yediyurappa in his tenure," he said. On being asked about the JD(S) leaders including Vice President Syed Shafiulla Saheb's resignation from the party, Nikhil Kumaraswamy said that the party would be taking up the matter for discussion. "I dont want to comment on that as of now. There are 3-4 people who have shown their disregard but later on, we will have a discussion on it," he added. Syed Shafiulla Saheb announced to cut his ties with the party days after JDS joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the ensuing 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Shafiulla, in his resignation letter to the JD(S) Karnataka president said that he had opted to stay outside the party for the period during which our state unit of the party had joined with the BJP to form the state government. "I would like to state that I have worked hard and served the party in order to serve the society and the community only because our party believes and was standing on the secular credentials, except when our leader Sri Kumara Swamy had earlier joined hands with the BJP to form the government in the state. I also like to mention that, I had opted to stay outside the party for the period during which our state unit of the party had joined with the BJP to form the state government," Shafiulla Saheb said in the letter. Apart from Saheb, many leaders including M Srikanth and UT Ayesha Farzana also resigned from the party. The Janata Dal (Secular) of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Friday announced an alliance with the BJP in Karnataka and formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy made the announcement after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda in the national capital. The JD(S) had aligned with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, however, the parties faced a drubbing as the BJP swept 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka and even an independent candidate supported by the BJP won from the Mandya constituency. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The state special operation cell (SSOC) wing of Punjab Police has booked 32 persons, including 18 Pakistanis, for allegedly running a cross-border drug smuggling network using drones and through the riverine routes at the Punjab border. Representational image Nine of the total nominated accused are presently living in the US, Australia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), France and Turkey. However, the remaining are from Punjab. According to police, proceeds of the smuggled drugs are being sent to Pakistan and Afghanistan via Dubai for further use in anti-India operations, besides funding the sleeper cells in Punjab. According to the first information report (FIR), the copy of which is with HT, registered at SSOCs Amritsar police station, the nominated accused are Arif, Asif, Sadiq, Chaudhary Akram, Haidar, Rustam, Mirza, Nasir, Imran Shah, Imtiaz, Mia, Bilal, Mnesha, Bhola Sandhu, Abdul Hamid Bagga, Jawed, Aslam and Shera all Pakistan nationals; Kinderbir Singh alias Sunny Dial, Gurjant Singh alias Bholu and Rajesh Kumar alias Sonu Khatri of the US; Satnam Singh and Gurlal Singh, living in UAE; Talveer Bedi and Randeep Singh alias Romi of Australia; Vinodh Kumar alias Lucky of France; Navpreet Singh alias Nav Bhullar of Turkey; and Akshey Chhabra of Ludhiana, Vinay Agarwal and Naveen Bhatia of Amritsar, and Lovejeet Singh and Manjit Singh of Tarn Taran in Punjab. As per the FIR, the Pakistani smugglers are running a network of drug smuggling in collusion with the other accused living in foreign countries and India. The FIR was registered on the basis of a true tip-off. As per the information, a large chunk of the smuggled consignments of heroin is being consumed in Punjab while the remaining part is being sent to Delhi and other cities, reads the FIR registered under various sections of the NDPS Act. It further says that the money earned from the smuggled heroin was being sent to Pakistan and Afghanistan via Dubai through a big hawala network. A part of the proceeds of the heroin is being used by Pakistani agencies for funding sleeper cells in Punjab and other locations. The money is also being used for anti-India operations by Pakistani spy agencies, the FIR says, which was registered on Saturday. A senior SSOC official, privy to the cases investigation, said, All the nominated accused are interlinked for running the high-level smuggling network. Our teams are raiding to nab those living in India. Recently, Tarn Taran and Amritsar police had busted two drug smuggling and hawala modules recovering nearly 2 crore of drug money. During the cases investigation, it was found that the drug money was being sent to Pakistan and Afghanistan through the hawala network, involving some import and export traders. A senior police official, who wished not to be named, said, As per the questioning of the accused arrested recently, 11 lakh per kg of heroin are being sent back to Pakistan and Afghanistan via hawala. The Indian smugglers are getting 1 to 2 lakh per kg from collecting it from the border. Further, the receivers sell the drugs to small-time drug peddlers, who sell them in small quantities ranging from 1,500 to 2000 per gram. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The BJP staged a demonstration on the last day of the monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly, condemning the Congress government for anti-people policies. The BJP protest comprised a rally at Ambedkar Chowk in Shimla and a demonstration outside the assembly. BJP workers holding a protest in Shimla on Monday, the last day of the Himachal Pradesh assemblys monsoon session. (Deepak Sansta/HT) The publics anger against the government is visible, state BJP chief Rajeev Bindal said, accusing the Congress government of failing to fulfil its poll promises, such as providing 1,500 monthly to 22 lakh women and one lakh jobs for youngsters, even after 10 months. Bindal criticised the governments handling of law and order, citing the recent murder of a Dalit youngster in Chamba, with no response from chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. He highlighted the rise in cases of crime against women across Himachal Pradesh. Former chief minister and the leader of opposition Jairam Thakur criticised the handling of the situation after the recent floods and landslides. He cited lack of coordination among officials and the focus on political considerations rather than helping the victims. He said the Congress government had made several anti-people decisions during its brief tenure. He said the recruitment exam results have not been declared and notices have been issued to remove around 1,800 employees hired during the Covid-19 pandemic. Former state BJP chief and MP Suresh Kashyap accused the Congress government of pushing outsourced employees out of work. State BJP vice-president Rashmidhar Sood accused the Congress government of misleading people with unfulfilled guarantees. State unit in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna condemned the state governments decisions and contrasted them with the Centres efforts to empower women through the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill. Rajya Sabha members Sikander Kumar and Indu Goswami also took part in the protest. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The state assembly passed the Lokayukta Amendment Bill on the last day of its monsoon session, paving way for the appointment of any high court (HC) judge to the post as opposed to the earlier provision under which only the chief justice could be considered. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the Himachal assembly. (HT File) Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri presented this bill, which was passed by the House in a voice vote. According to the Himachal Pradesh Lokayukta Act, earlier only the HC chief justice was eligible for appointment to the post. It is noteworthy that the state government had made a provision in the law to make other HC judges eligible for appointment to the post of Lokayukta way back in 2021. Section 7 of the law had to be amended for the same. Going forward, in case a judge is appointed to the post of Lokayukta, they will be eligible to receive the salary and allowances corresponding to the post. Jai Ram, Agnihotri spar over FIRs against legislator Speaking in the House, Thakur demanded quashing the case registered against BJP MLA Vinay Kumar. He noted that such practice would become a tradition in future if the case is not quashed before appealing to the government to consider the issues raised by the party during its protest. System change, the leader said, comes through a change in behaviour and not through words. He said the government has been in power for ten months and the government was not in a comfortable position because there is resentment among the people. He urged the government to reconsider the issue of outsourced workers being removed from the health department. Thakur also expressed surprise over the white paper brought by the government in the House, saying that many issues were included in it which are only under the control of the Centre. He said some of the answers provided to the Oppositions questions during the session were not satisfactory and need to be looked at in the future. Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri,meanwhile, took a dig at the leader of Opposition during his speech during the concluding session, saying it has been the Houses tradition to part on happy terms, but he had given a serious speech on the last day. He also said the previous BJP government had lodged first information reports (FIR) against six Congress MLAs even within the assembly itself, saying some of them have not been quashed till date. Agnihotri said the previous BJP government did not present its case properly before the 15th finance commission, which cost the state in terms of assistance from the Centre, reduced the states loan limit and stopped the compensation under goods and services tax (GST). He also expressed surprise at the Oppositions perceived silence during the resolution passed regarding the natural disaster in the state. Over 36 hrs of discussion Assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said that a total of 36 hours and 38 minutes of work was carried out during the session and the productivity of the House stood at 106%. During the period, 537 questions 369 starred and 186 unstarred were asked in the House. He revealed that the CM spoke for five hours during the session, while the leader of opposition spoke for two hours and 48 minutes. He added while a resolution was passed under Rule 102 regarding the disaster in the state and was sent to the Centre and a committee formed to give legal status to hemp cultivation in the state under Rule 63 also submitted its report. The assembly Speaker said that during the session, under Rule 102, the natural disaster in the state was discussed for 15 hours and 10 minutes for three days in which 27 MLAs from the ruling party and 21 from the opposition including three independents participated. Three private resolutions came up for discussion in the House under Rule 101, while 8 subjects were discussed under Rule 61 and 5 under Rule 62. Eight government bills were introduced and passed in the House. nine topics were raised under Rule 324, while 85 reports of the committees of the House were also presented. BOX: Noting that chief minister (CM) Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur have cooperated well to the smooth functioning of the House, state assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania appealed to the legislators to maintain a cordial atmosphere. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Nepalese labourer died and another was injured as debris from an under-construction tunnel fell on them while they were working on a four-lane project in Bilaspur district, police said on Monday. A labourer was killed as debris fells of him in Bilaspur tunnel. (HT File) The victims, who were related, were working at an additional tunnel of Mahla-1 of the Kiratpur-Ner Chowk four-lane project when the incident occurred. The two workers were seriously injured, pulled out from under the debris by other workers and rushed to AIIMS, Bilaspur for treatment. One of the workers succumbed to his injuries and his body has been sent for a post-mortem. The other seriously injured worker has been taken to Anandpur Sahib for treatment. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP, headquarters) Madan Dhiman said the matter is being investigated. Two drowned in Bilaspurs Seer Khad Two ITI Ghumarwin trainees, meanwhile, drowned in Seer Khad near Kasohal bridge of Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district on Sunday evening. According to the information, they went to take a bath in the ravine after seeing others, but could not estimate its depth and were drowned in the deep water. Both of them had gone to Ghayana village near Morsinghi on Sunday to do electrical wiring work. Police came to know about the incident when a patrol team stopped their car after seeing the bike by the bridgeside. Police jawan Pyar Singh searched for the duo and found their bodies, which were taken to the Ghumarwin hospital. The deceased have been identified as Prince, 20, of village Dangar, Ghumarwin, and Yuvraj, 18, of Baldwara, Sarkaghat. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Sadar police have lodged an FIR against the 25 people for demolishing a house in Gill village and taking illegal possession of the land. Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, South) Guriqbal Singh said that raids are on for the arrest of the accused and role of the police personnel is being probed. (iStock) The accused have been identified as Balwinder Singh of Jassowal village, realtor Narinder Singh Dhillon of Gill village and Harinder Singh of Manakwal, while their 22 accomplices are yet to be identified. The Sadar police lodged an FIR under sections 380 (whoever commits theft in any building, tent or vessel), 453 (punishment for lurking house-trespass or house-breaking), 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment), 427 (mischief causing damage), 447 (punishment for criminal trespass), 448 (punishment for house-trespass), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) of the IPC against the accused. The complainant, Gagandeep Singh of Gill village, stated that he along with his widow mother has been living in the house of Balwinder Singh, his maternal uncle. He claimed that they had purchased the house from Balwinder in 2008 and paid 2.5 lakh for the same. However, the ownership of the house was still in the name of Balwinder. Gagandeep said that later they found out that Balwinder had sold the house to someone else without their knowledge. The complainant said that on Sunday, two police personnel came to their house and forcibly took them to police station Sadar. Meanwhile, the accused brought two JCB machinesm demolished the house and took possession of the land. He alleged that the accused had stolen 1.50 lakh, gold jewellery, documents and other valuables worth 6 lakh from the house. On Monday, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Dakonda jumped staged a protest outside police post in Marado, seeking arrest of the accused and action against the two police personnel. The protestors said that the protest will continue till the arrest of the accused. Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, South) Guriqbal Singh said that raids are on for the arrest of the accused and role of the police personnel is being probed. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Taking suo moto cognizance of the beating of a minor boy by a gurdwara head and his six aides Kamalpura village of Raikot, the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Monday ordered a thorough probe by the Ludhiana rural police and sought a report into the matter. The police had lodged an FIR against gurdwara head Surinder Singh, his aides Babbal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Harman Singh, Shamsher Singh, Gurjit Singh and Daljit Singh. (iStock) Rajwinder Singh Gill, deputy director, Punjab Commission for Protection of Child Rights ordered the senior superintendent of police (SSP, Ludhiana rural) to send the investigation officer with the details of the probe before the commission on September 27. The Hathur police had arrested the head of a local gurdwara in Raikot along with his six aides for allegedly holding a 17-year-old volunteer at the shrine captive and assaulting him for four hours on Saturday after they suspected him of stealing his mobile phone. The police had lodged an FIR against gurdwara head Surinder Singh, his aides Babbal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Harman Singh, Shamsher Singh, Gurjit Singh and Daljit Singh. An FIR under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 355(assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person, otherwise than on grave and sudden provocation), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the IPC was lodged against the accused. The commission had also asked the civil surgeon for the treatment of the minor victim. The commission asked the child welfare committee and child security officer for the counselling of the minor. 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! Police busted two Lashkar-e-Taiba terror modules in south Kashmirs Kulgam district and arrested five hybrid terrorists. A terror module busted in Jammua and Kashmirs Kulgam. (HT File) Police said their teams, along with the army (1st Rashtriya Rifles and 9 Rashtriya Rifles) and CRPF (18 battalion and 46 battalion), busted two terror modules by arresting five hybrid terrorists of proscribed LeT. Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including two pistols, three hand grenades 1 UBGL, two pistol magazine, 12 pistol rounds and 21 AK-47 rounds have been recovered from their possession, the police spokesperson said in a statement. The arrested persons have been identified as Aadil Hussain Wani of Poniwah, Suhail Ahmad Dar of Bugam, Aitmad Ahmad Laway of Brazilian Jageer, Mehraj Ahmad Lone of Hawoora and Sabzar Ahmad Khaar of Ghat Redwani Payeen. Cases under relevant sections of law have been registered and further investigation has been initiated, he said. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Two drones, which sneaked into the Indian territory from the Pakistan side, were recovered during separate search operations in Amritsar on Monday. Two drones, which sneaked into the Indian territory from the Pakistan side, were recovered during separate search operations in Amritsar on Monday Both the recovered drones are made in China (DJI Mavic 3 Classic). The first drone was recovered at 9.14 am near Mahawa village, while the second one was recovered around 6 pm near Dhanoe Khurd village in Amritsar. The first drone was recovered during a joint search operation of BSF and Punjab Police. A BSF spokesperson said, During the morning hours, our forward deployed troops intercepted the movement of a suspected drone near Mahawa village. A joint search operation with Punjab Police was carried out in the area. During the search, a drone was recovered from the paddy field on the outskirts of the village. About the second operation, the spokesperson said, Our troops intercepted the movement of a suspected flying object near Dhanoe Khurd village. During the areas search, a drone was recovered from the paddy field on the outskirts of the village. Attari deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurinderpal Singh Nagra said their preliminary investigation has found that both the drones were sent from Pakistan side for smuggling of heroin. Our teams are working to ascertain if the drones had dropped the consignments in the area and who were the people who were tasked to collect them, he added. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Agra: The ongoing confrontation between Radhasoami Satsang Sabha and Agra administration took a violent turn on Sunday evening after a large number of Satsang Sabha members gathered on the site of a land dispute. Stone pelting and cane charging created chaos in Dayalbagh on the bank of river Yamuna and about 20 people were injured, including policemen, a senior official and members of Radhasoami Satsang Sabha. A journalist also sustained injuries in the head. Confrontation between police and Radhasoami Satsang Sabha members in Dayalbagh area in Agra. (HT) The confrontation took place over constructions and gates by the Satsang Sabha on public land connecting the city with villages near river Yamuna. Initially, the district administration watched the activities of Satsang Sabha members who staked claim over the land and justified the gates and constructions, while even taking the matter to Allahabad High Court. But on Saturday, administrative officials escorted by police reached the area and the gates and constructions were demolished. However, the Radhasoami Satsang Sabha again erected the gates. Agra police lodged an FIR against the named accused at New Agra under various sections, including 147, 332, 353, 447 of Indian Penal Code besides Section 7 of Criminal Amendment Act and Section 11 of Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals, although no arrests were made. However, things turned violent on Sunday evening when a team of revenue staff escorted by Agra police reached the spot. The members of Radhasoami Satsang Sabha, including the elderly and women, gathered on the spot and announcements were made through microphones asking police to vacate the property. Police assisted by Provincial Armed Constabulory (PAC) came face to face with Satsang Sabha members who were in no mood to go back even amid stone pelting and cane charging. More force was called and barriers were placed on roads in Dayalbagh. The stalemate at the disputed site was broken late evening when police withdrew and the administration asked Radhasoami Satsang Sabha to prove its claims about ownership of disputed land through proper documents within 24 hours. However, Dayalbagh area was tense. Deputy commissioner of police, Suraj Rai said, Revenue officials sought force for removing the illegal constructions raised on chak road in Dayalbagh area. Police force along with revenue department team reached the spot but the locals resorted to stone pelting and this led to injuries to policemen. Those resorting to protest refused to hold talks. Later it was decided by police and revenue department team to allow time to the protesters to give their version on the claim over the land. Decision will be taken after this exercise, he said. Rai added that no one was severely injured and suitable action was being taken in regard to the violence Earlier, two cases were registered at New Agra police station against president and two vice presidents of Radhasoami Satsang Sabha. Both FIR No. 410 and 411 of 2023 were registered under Section 447 (criminal trespass) and Section 3 (mischief causing damage to public property) and Section 5 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act 1984 on complaint of Lekhpal (revenue staff) Pratap Singh. The president of Radhasoami Satsang Sabha Guru Prasad Sood and vice presidents Prem Prakash Srivastava and Anup Srivastava were named in the FIR. One of the FIRs stated that passage was mentioned in the land within Khasra No. 105 of Mauza Khaspur in Tehsil Sadar of Agra district. The lekhpal alleged in the FIR that the office-bearers of Radhasoami Satsang Sabha closed the passage causing discomfort to locals. The other FIR pertained to a similar act on land within Mauza Jaganpur Mustaqil of tehsil and district Agra wherein the aforesaid office-bearers were said to have caused much inconvenience to common public because of encroachments made on land by placing gate and building wall. . Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The issue of Jat reservation is once again gaining momentum ahead of the general election as different organisations are coming together and organising meetings to seek quota for their community in government jobs at the Centre. Jat leaders during a meeting in Meerut on September 24. (HT photo) One such meeting was held in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut district on Sunday (September 24) under the aegis of Akhil Bharatiya Jat Mahasabha (ABJM) led by its national general secretary Yudhveer Singh. Leaders of Rashtriya Jat Mahasabha (RJM), Jat Swabhimaan Manch, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Chaudhary of Baliyan Khap and Bhartiya Kisan Unions president Naresh Tikait prominently took part in the meeting. Jats, a dominant community in western Uttar Pradesh, are in the list of Other Backward Class (OBC) category and they have reservation in government jobs in Uttar Pradesh. The then UPA government at the Centre had issued a notification for their reservation in jobs of the Union government on March 2, 2014. However, it was scrapped by the Supreme Court by its verdict in 2015. State RJM chief Rohit Jakhar said that all leaders raised the issue of Jat reservation in central government jobs at Sundays meeting. He claimed that the ruling party had assured the community leaders in three meetings it held with them before 2019 that their demand will be accepted. However, the party did not fulfil its promise, he alleged. Jat leaders believe that the government has fooled them over the issue for past nine years. Now, they have no option but to intensify their movement to push for their demand, said Jakhar. The RJM leader said Sundays meeting was regional level. He further said a national-level meeting would be organised in Delhi on November 20. He further said leaders had been directed to held meetings in their respective areas to mobilise people to take part in Delhi meeting in large numbers. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Thane HT Image The Thane crime branch police has arrested an accused in the murder of MNS leder Jamil Shaikh, who shot dead by two assailants on a bike in Rabodi area in November 2020, after two years. The arrested man has been identified as Habib Shaikh, 36, who was linked with the wanted prime accused Osama Shaikh, the Thane crime branch sources said. Through technical details and interrogation of two other accused arrested in the case, they learnt that Habib Shaikh was in touch with the main shooter Osama Shaikh, who has been absconding. An officer said, Habib was on our radar since his link with the wanted accused Osama was established. We were searching for him through social media (videos, pictures) and other sources and got his details which led to his arrest. The police continue to search for prime accused Osama and his arrest is likely to throw light on the crims possible link with political parties. Two unidentified persons came on a bike opened fire on Jamil Shaikh, 49, in broad daylight, killing him in Rabodi in November 2020. Jamil, president of one of the civic wards in Thane, had stood for Thane Municipal Corporation election twice from Rabodi on a MNS ticket and was an active party worker. The biker riders were wearing helmets and hence could not be identifed initially, but after analyzing all CCTV footage and technical details, two accused were arrested in the case. Irfan Sonu Shaikh, 24, a shooter and Shahid Shaikh, 31, who provided shelter to Irfan and later escape from the spot, were arrested in the case. After the murder, Irfan first fled to Nashik and took a bus to Gorakhpur, where he was hiding for a few days, and recently moved to Lucknow from where he was arrested. During his questioning, Irfan told the police that the contract to kill Jamil was given to them by Osama for a sum of 2 lakh. One of the accused, Osama, called Shahid and Irfan on November 23 to his residence in Rabodi. He allegedly told the two to carry out the murder of Jamil on the same day. Irfan went to Shahids place, where Osamas two-wheeler was parked, changed clothes and took the bike to Rabodi Masjid. They fired at Jamil when he came out of the masjid. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Assam police on Sunday rescued seven exotic animals and arrested five alleged Mizoram-based smugglers in connection. Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) was among the exotic animals rescued during the police operation in Assam (HT Photo/Sourced) During the Naka checking at Assam-Mizoram border in Lailapur Gate, we stopped the vehicle and found the cages, an official aware of the matter said. The animals were rescued on Sunday morning and were handed over to the forest department, they were later shifted to Assam State Zoo in Guwahati, said the official. Cachar district Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vijay Palve told HT that all the rescued animals are exotic and are natives of North America and Indonesia. He said that the animals, including one Panamanian White-faced Capuchin (Cebus imitator), four Black Macaque (Macaca nigra) and two Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), were handed over to them by the police on Sunday morning. Since they are not familiar with the weather of our area, we shifted them to Assam State Zoo to keep them alive. They are receiving treatment there. We have registered a case against the smugglers, Palve said. Police said during the initial investigation, it was found that the consignment was coming from Indonesia through Myanmar via Mizoram, and the smugglers were taking them to Meghalaya. Cachar superintendent of police (SP) Numal Mahatta on Monday told HT that an operation was launched after the police received information about the smuggling of wildlife creatures. During the operation, we managed to intercept the vehicle and arrested five Mizoram residents, including a woman, he said. The arrested persons have been identified as Hmingkopuia (41), F Lalchandama (29), Lalrintluanga (24), Vaincluding and Jenny Lalruatkimi (30). All of them are residents of areas near Aizawl and Champhai town, said the SP. Mahatta said that the consignment came from Myanmar and was received by the smugglers in Champhai in Mizoram. Their duty was to take the consignment from Champhai to Meghalaya. From there, the actual smugglers had other plans maybe, he said. The accused have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, and an investigation into the matter has been launched, said a police official, adding, They will be produced before the court as soon as possible. In April this year, nine exotic wildlife species, including seven Spider Monkeys and two black and white ruffled lemurs were rescued from a vehicle near the Assam-Mizoram border. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON KANPUR City police announced a cash reward on Monday for the arrest of BJP leader Priyaranjan Ashu Diwakar and four of his accomplices in connection with the suicide of a farmer whose land was allegedly grabbed by them. Representative pic (HT File) Diwakar contested the Kishni assembly seat in Mainpuri on a BJP ticket and is currently a member of the state commission for the protection of child rights. Earlier, he was declared a proclaimed offender, and non-bailable warrants were issued for his arrest by the court. The police have announced a cash reward of 50,000 for each of the accused. Joint Commissioner of Police, Anand Prakash Tiwari, said the reward has been announced for the arrest of the accused. Police teams are searching for the five remaining accused in the case in Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Mainpuri, Banda, Noida, Delhi, and Lucknow, he said. In Kanpur, the wife of the BJP leader, Anamika, was questioned for several hours regarding his whereabouts. In the last five days, police have questioned about 400 people and conducted more than 160 raids at different places. Apart from the arrest, the polices focus was on ensuring that the accused could not obtain bail from the high court. The chief investigator in the case has been asked to appear before the court and oppose the bail pleas. Ashu Diwakar was named in the FIR lodged on September 12 following the suicide by farmer Babu Singh, who jumped in front of a moving train on September 9. A suicide note addressed to the chief minister was found on him, blaming the BJP leader and the land grab for his death. The BJP leader had bought 10 bighas of land from Singh for 6.5 crore but did not pay him the money after the land registry. He had taken away the two checks previously given to him, claiming that there was some error, and promised to provide new ones the next day. The farmer, who had run from pillar to post to receive his payment, took his own life after witnessing the plots being developed for commercial sale. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Haidar Naqvi Haidar Naqvi covers central UP and Bundelkhand. He closely tracks developments in internal security in the region and beyond. ...view detail Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his home state, Gujarat, on September 27 where he will inaugurate a string of development projects valued at 5,206 crore in the tribal district of Chhota Udepur, a Gujarat government official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers in Bhopal in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday (ANI) This amount includes the 4,505 crore worth of projects under the Mission Schools of Excellence (MSE) initiative. Within the MSE project, 1,426 crore worth of projects will be launched while projects valued at 3,079 crore will be completed. These projects encompass the creation of 9,088 new classrooms, installation of 50,300 smart classrooms, establishment of 19,600 computer labs, and the upgrade of 12,622 classrooms, among other essential facilities, officials said. The project has been funded by multilateral financial institutions including the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for which they sanctioned $1 billion. The Schools of Excellence project is aimed to benefit all the 35,133 government schools and 5,847 grant-in-aid schools in Gujarat by providing world-class infrastructure and educational facilities. The target is to build a total of 50,000 new classrooms in these schools in the next five years, provide smart class facilities in 1,50,000 classrooms, 20,000 new computer labs, 5000 stem labs / tinkering labs, which will directly benefit about 1 crore students in the state in a period of five years. In addition, Modi during his visit, will inaugurate Village WiFi facilities that will benefit 20 lakh beneficiaries residing in 7,500 villages across 22 districts, with 60 crore allocated for this initiative. Also Read: Congress with urban Naxalites, party run like a company: PM Modi in Bhopal The event will also witness the inauguration and dedication of various development projects, including those valued at 277 crore in the roads and buildings department, 251 crore in the urban development department, and 80 crore in the water supply department. Furthermore, in Dahod, a new Navodaya Vidyalaya, with a project cost of 23 crore, and an FM Radio Studio, built at an expense of 10 crore, will also be inaugurated. The historic Chab Lake in Dahod, which has been revamped at an expenditure of 117 crore, will also be inaugurated by Modi along with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, at an event at Bodeli village of Chhota Udepur district on September 27. On September 27, Modi is also scheduled to take part in the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit at an event in Ahmedabads Science City the venue where the first edition of the biennial investment summit was held in 2003. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A district court in Odisha on Monday ordered to book former Odisha law minister and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Pratap Jena under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the double murder case involving a 75-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader two and half years ago. Former Odisha law minister and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Pratap Jena (File Photo) On Monday, the court of judicial magistrate first class in Salipur of Cuttack district ordered that a prima facie case under section 302, 506 and 120 B of the IPC is made against Jena after perusal of statements of the complainant, witnesses, and other available materials on record. On further perusal of the case record, it is found that Pratap Kumar Jena is MLA of Mahanga constituency. Hence, the case record be transferred to the court of the additional district & sessions judge-cum-special court, Bhubaneswar for disposal in accordance to law, the court said. On January 2, 2021, Kulamani Baral, 75, in-charge of Salepur mandal of the BJP and his associate Dibyasingh Baral, 80, were hacked to death near Jankoti village in Odishas Mahanga tehsil. While Baral succumbed to his injuries on the spot, Dibyasingh died while undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack the next morning. Though police had booked Jena, the then law minister and 12 others in the case following a first information report by Barals son, his name was subsequently dropped from the charge sheet by police. Barals son then lodged a complaint against the law minister before the court of JMFC, alleging that the investigation done was perfunctory as police completely overlooked the allegation against Jena and wrongly recorded the statement of witnesses to shield him. Prabin Kanungo, the advocate of the complainant said that a notice will be served to Jena to appear before the court. Meanwhile, Jena could not be contacted for his comments on the development. Incidentally, the body of Prafulla Biswal, the prime accused in the case, was found on a road in the Tangi area more than a month later under mysterious circumstances. Jena was dropped from chief minister Naveen Patnaiks cabinet last year as the opposition gunned for his head. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW: Two security guards allegedly assaulted a young man and his girlfriend while they were enjoying their time at Janeshwar Mishra Park in Gomti Nagar Vistar. The incident occurred on September 23 but only gained public attention on Monday. Representative pic (HT File) An FIR was filed in connection with the incident on September 24, stated Sudhir Awasthi, SHO of Gomti Nagar Extension. According to reports, the young man and his girlfriend had gone to the park to spend quality time together and discuss personal matters. Around 6.30 pm, two security guards approached them, and one of the guards struck my friends leg with a stick. She began crying due to the pain, and I confronted the security personnel. Both of them then proceeded to beat me with the sticks they were carrying, recounted the victim. He disclosed that he sustained bruises from the attack, which was an agonising and shocking experience for him. We are adults and were merely engaged in a conversation, the victim added, expressing his confusion about what might have provoked the guards to resort to violence. The victim reported the incident to the police, although he couldnt provide the names of the security guards. However, he expressed confidence in his ability to identify them if presented with a lineup. The police confirmed the registration of a case and the launch of an investigation. We have summoned all the security guards and will conduct a lineup for the victim and his girlfriend to identify the assailants, the police stated. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW Two men were arrested for hurling abusive language at traffic officers and attempting to obstruct them while towing a vehicle parked in a designated no-parking area in the Alambagh region of Lucknow on Monday. This incident occurred during a towing operation conducted on September 9. Representative photo (HT File) The two accused, identified as Kishore Tripathi (48) and Manish Rawat (25), have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to hindering the duties of a public servant, according to Aparna Rajat Kauhsik, DCP (central). In an effort to regulate traffic and discourage unauthorized parking on the citys roads, the Lucknow Traffic Police initiated a towing campaign on July 24. Initially, 11 areas in the city were designated as no-parking zones. Subsequently, due to the campaigns success, on August 25, the traffic department expanded the list to include eight additional areas, bringing the total number of no-parking zones in the city to 18. The complaint was filed by head constable Ashok Upadhaya, who serves on the Traffic line. He reported that on the evening of September 9, he and other officers from the Alambagh police station were dispatched to tow a vehicle that had been improperly parked in the LD police outpost area, which is designated as a no-parking zone. Despite repeated announcements, the vehicles owner did not appear. Consequently, the vehicle was towed. However, while the tow truck had only moved a short distance, another car overtook it. Six to seven individuals emerged from the second vehicle, began hurling insults, and even threatened me, constable Upadhaya stated in his complaint. This confrontation continued several times, and eventually, the individual reached the LD crossing and retrieved their car by paying the requisite penalty, he added. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday attended Pandit Deendayal Upadhyays birth anniversary organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Patna, skipping the opposition gathering organised by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Kaithal to mark the 110th birth anniversary of former deputy prime minister and party patriarch Chaudhary Devi Lal. CM Nitish Kumar paid tribute to late Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on the occasion his birth anniversary at Rajendra Nagar, Patna (Twitter/@NitishKumar) Born on 25 September 1916, Pandit Deendayal was founder and leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), the forerunner of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumars presence at the event have led to speculation about his closeness to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Kumar, however, downplayed the issue. We respect everyone. It was decided by the government to observe Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jayanti as a state programme. We are working for everyone. We will continue to do development work like this in future also, Kumar said. Kumar also denied that this is an indication of his closeness to the NDA. You all know, I have been working to unite the opposition. I have nothing to do with what others say, the chief minister said. With regard to his Kaithal visit, Kumar feigned ignorance. I keep on going everywhere, he said. It was the NDA government in Bihar that had declared Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Jayanti as a state function when Kumar was part of the alliance before 2022. The INLD had invited most of the leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, including Kumar, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, among others. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP seems to be divided with Kumars gesture. It is a welcome step if he visited there after getting impressed by late Pandit Deendayal Upadhyays work, said BJP state president Samrat Chowdhary, whereas Rajya Sabha MP and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi made it clear that doors for Nitish Kumar are closed permanently. Union home minister Amit Shah had said it twice. He is a political baggage. What utility does he have? He doesnt have the capability to get the votes transferred. Doors of BJP are closed for him, said Modi. However, another senior party leader and former Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha made it clear that only all those leaders were welcome to the party, who toe the nationalist ideology. Kumars attending the Deen Dayal Jayanti programme is seen as a subtle move to exert pressure on his alliance partners as the seat-sharing time approaches. There is no denying that he (Kumar) is one leader who is not narrow-minded. But his Mondays appearance at BJP ideologue anniversary is a clear message more to the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) than the BJP that if not given a proper share, I am not averse to the BJP, said Prof (Retired) N K Chowdhary, former Principal of Patna College and a political commentator. It is also a larger message after Nitish failed to get a role in the INDIA alliance, he added. Reports suggest that Kumar has not succeeded in bargaining a desired share of seats with RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pune: Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP0 in principle is opposed to reservation to minorities, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has said that he had held a meeting with the state minorities department minister and officials and would raise the Muslim quota issue with chief minister Eknath Shinde to find a road ahead. Ajit Pawar performs aarti at Kesari Wada Ganpati in city on Monday. (HT PHOTO) Pawar, during his interaction in Pune on Monday, said he recently held a meeting with state minorities minister Abdul Sattar, officials from the departments concerned, and representatives of some organisations on the issues concerning the Muslim community. We discussed issues of the minority community. There was one on Maulana Azad Mandal, another Wakf Board properties, and other issues discussed at the meeting, deputy CM said. Pawar recalled that Muslims were granted the quota in education and government jobs (when the UPA government was in power) To a question on his stand on Muslim reservation, Ajit said, The high court had earlier accepted the reservation (for Muslims) in education, but the quota in jobs was rejected. The Right to Education (RTE) Act was brought by the government for equal education later, he said. Pawar said he told at the meeting that it was the opinion of Sattar and another minister Hasan Mushrif that Muslims get the reservation, but since this is a three-party government, I told them I would put forth this issue in front of the CM and DyCM. Pawar said he joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government a year after it was formed and believes that both the parties (BJP and Shiv Sena) have had an understanding. After joining the government, I discussed with CM Shinde and DyCM Devendra Fadnavis. They told me they agree that there should be an all-round development of the state, he said. Ajits proposal can trigger friction within the alliance government in Maharashtra as the BJP has always opposed quota to minorities on the lines of religious grounds. After the Congress government in 2014 allocated four per cent reservation to Muslims and the HC also updated quota in education, the Devendra Fadnavis government later abolished it. When asked about possible disagreements within the government, Pawar said Shinde and Fadnavis have assured him of smooth collaboration and joint working. It was also discussed that if any issue comes up on which three parties have different views, we (Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP) will sit down and find a solution, and if needed, the issue can be taken to a higher level for discussion, he added. The deputy chief minister also spoke about the rift in the party and the NCPs name and poll symbol saying, the Election Commission of Indias decision will be acceptable to his faction. The Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions have claimed the party name and symbol and have also appointed functionaries. On being asked on the Election Commissions hearing over the NCP symbol, Ajit said, The Election Commission will give the final decision. After getting the dates, both sides will be represented before the poll body...I will accept the final decision that comes after that... Pawar was speaking in Pune on the sidelines of his visit to various Ganpati pandals. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pune he midnight metro service will go on till Thursday. (HT PHOTO) After the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) extended the Pune Metro rail service operational hours till midnight from September 23, the initiative is gradually gaining momentum despite persistent rain over the weekend. In light of the ongoing Ganesh festival, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had issued directives to Maha-Metro officials to extend the Pune Metro rail services operating hours until midnight for the last seven days of the festival. The aim was to assist devotees in visiting pandals during the extended hours. The midnight metro service commenced on Friday, September 22, and as of Sunday, September 24, 13,518 passengers used the extended service between 10 pm and midnight. Hemant Sonwane, the public relations officer (PRO) of Maha-Metro commented, Since the initiation of the midnight passenger service on Friday, 13,518 passengers have utilised the metro during the extended hours between 10 pm and midnight. We are expecting a rise in ridership in the coming days for the extended service. Maha-Metro continues to monitor the situation and hopes that the combination of extended hours and improved weather conditions will lead to more passengers using the Metro during the last few days of the Ganesh festival. The Pune Metro usually operates between 6 am and 10 pm daily. This extended service is a departure from the previous schedule, which used to start at 7 am. The initial schedule had been adjusted to accommodate commuters boarding the Deccan Queen train, which leaves for Mumbai at 7.15 am from Pune railway station. Monika Jagtap, a resident of Kharadi, said, Our family has a tradition of visiting Ganesh Pandals every year. Unfortunately, for the past few days, heavy afternoon rain has made it impossible for us to continue this tradition. Thanks to Maha Metros initiation of the midnight service, it has come to the rescue of devotees like us. This service, although not yet available from Ramwadi, allows us the convenience of boarding the metro at Ruby Hall Clinic and reaching PMC effortlessly. Sachin Avchite, a Pimpri resident said, The service to visit Punes Ganesh Mandals is a good initiative. It provides a facility to visit pandals late in the evening. Unfortunately, the persistent rain is posing a hindrance to our plans. We remain hopeful that the rain will subside, allowing us to visit Pune city for the Ganesh mandals. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Centre and Jharkhand government will soon agree in principle on the revival of 300 crore Dhalbhumgarh airport project in Jamshedpur, people familiar with the developments said on Monday. The Centre and Jharkhand government will soon agree in principle on the revival of 300 crore Dhalbhumgarh airport project. (HT File) Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato said the breakthrough came after the Jharkhand government gave its nod for 65 hectares of forest land for the airport project out of the 99 hectares demanded by the AAI. For the remaining 35 hectares, three out of five villages around the proposed airport have agreed to give their land, while gram sabhas will be held in the remaining two villages shortly, said Mahato. The MP said he met the Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in New Delhi last Friday in the backdrop of these developments and requested him not to dissolve the Dhalbhumgarh Airport Company Limited (DACL). I met both Scindia-ji and AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar last Friday and apprised them that PM Narendra Modi was keen to see this project through and had sanctioned it in 2019. AAI sanctioned 100 crore immediately, and the foundation stone was laid by the then civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu and former CM Raghubar Das. And now the incumbent state chief minister Hemant Soren has also agreed to withdraw its letter for the dissolution of the DACL, revealed Mahato. He said the Environment Assessment Committee (EAC) had, on September 24, 2020, made adverse comments on the airport project, citing the vicinity of the elephant corridor to the project and suggesting selecting an alternative site in construction with the states chief wildlife warden (CWW). The Jharkhand government had then sent a letter to the AAI requesting it to dissolve the DACL. A meeting chaired by the state chief secretary Sukhdev Singh was held on the EAC report on May 8 this year. This meeting resolved that the project site at Dhalbhumgarh is the most suitable site for the project, and necessary steps be taken for its development in getting environmental and forest clearance for the same in coordination with the CWW and Jamshedpur DFO. CM Soren also approved this and decided to withdraw the request to dissolve DACL, Mahato wrote in a letter to Scindia, a copy of which is in possession of HT. Mahato said the elephant corridor zone was in Chandil, 70 km from the DACL project site. The project site is 500 meters from the main road, and the 3 km approach road from NH-33 has been completed already. We are confident that the work on the DACL project will start shortly, with both the GoI and the state government agreeing to continue it, said Mahato. The Dhalbhumgarh airport, if and when it becomes operational, will benefit the people of Jharkhands industrial capital, Jamshedpur, and the West Singhbhum mining belt, and will also cater to the people in Odisha and West Bengal alike. The DACL project site is just 52 km from Jamshedpur, whereas the Ranchi airport is over 130 km away. Similarly, Kolkata airport is over 143 km from Kharagpur, over 3.30 hours drive away, but the DACL site is just 92 km away. Baripada and Baleshwar in Odisha are 80-90 km away from the DACL site, whereas Bhubaneswar is about 200-250 km, 4-5 hours of drive-away, said Mahato. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Debashish Sarkar Debashish Sarkar is a special correspondent based in Jamshedpur. He has been covering government, administration, politics and crime among other things. ...view detail The government has been pitching the Vande Bharat Express train as the new object of desire. And there is some truth in it. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated nine of them: There are now 34 of these premier, semi-high-speed trains, which made its inaugural run in 2019. An upgrade on the Shatabdi, the Vande Bharat, with better legroom and many other conveniences for passengers, safety features and, of course, speed, is turning out to be a much sought-after train across India, despite the relatively expensive tickets. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), having noticed the popularity of the train, has been quick to make it a part of its governance narrative, including in Opposition-ruled states. The fascination for this new train points to the presence of a new aspirational class of travellers, who have no hesitation in paying more for better services. It is a growing constituency with exposure to first-world amenities, purchasing power and the voice to influence the conversation about development. PM Modi has been quick to reach out to this voter group, usually ignored by the Opposition. Students take selfies with the newly flagged off Vande Bharat train, at Kasaragod station in Kerala on Sunday. (PTI) The BJP, more than any other party, has a history of projecting infrastructure building as a key component of its political outreach. For instance, the Vajpayee administration had championed the Golden Quadrilateral road network among its achievements. In the case of the railways, the focus on elite services could backfire if similar attention is not lavished on more affordable long-distance and passenger trains, that carry the bulk of the masses moving across the country. Railways have introduced dynamic pricing in many routes, which, along with the premier trains, is part of the organisations efforts to improve its revenues. How it balances its dual roles as a commercial undertaking and a public utility service will have an impact beyond the railways' future. 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! Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) announced that it is partnering Ericsson for joint research in the area of Responsible AI. Ericsson signed an agreement to partner with IIT Madras' CeRAI as a Platinum Consortium Member for five years. During the event held at the IIT Madras campus, Ericsson signed an agreement to partner with CeRAI as a Platinum Consortium Member for five years. Under this MoU, Ericsson Research will support and participate in all research activities at CeRAI. Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) is a virtual interdisciplinary research centre at IIT Madras. According to CeRAI, it envisions to be a premier research centre for both fundamental and applied research in Responsible AI with immediate impact in deploying AI systems in the Indian ecosystem. The centre says it aims to pursue research in the domains of Ethical and Responsible AI and become the standard body in the country to recommend guidelines and policies to make deployable AI models/ systems more accountable, explainable and responsible. According to a press release issued by IIT Madras, Dr. Magnus Frodigh, Global Head of Ericsson Research, said, 6G and future networks aim to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds, enabling immersive AR/VR experiences. While AI-controlled sensors connect humans and machines, responsible AI practices are essential to ensure trust, fairness, and privacy compliance. Our focus is on developing cutting-edge methods to enhance trust and explainability in AI algorithms for the public good. Our partnership with CERAI at IIT Madras is aligned with Indian Governments vision for the Bharat 6G program. A panel discussion on Responsible AI for Networks of the future was organised during the symposium held at the IIT Madras campus. Addressing the symposium, Chief Guest, Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras, said, Research on AI will produce the tools for operating tomorrows businesses. IIT Madras strongly believes in impactful translational work in collaboration with the industry, and we are very happy to collaborate with Ericsson to do cutting edge R&D in this subject," stated the media release. The Speakers and Panellists of the Symposium included Prof. R. David Koilpillai, Qualcomm Institute Chair Professor, IIT Madras, Dr. Harish Guruprasad, Core Member, CeRAI, IIT Madras, Dr. Arun Rajkumar, Core member CeRAI, Dr. Jorgen Gustafsson, Head of AI , Ericsson Research, Dr. Catrin Granbom, Head of Cloud Systems and Platforms, Ericsson Research, Kaushik Dey, Research Leader -AI/ML, Ericsson Research - India. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! Get latest news on Education along with updates on Board Exams and Competitive Exams at Hindustan Times. Also get latest Job updates on Employment News SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An actor, director, writer, producer and political activist--Dev Anand wore many hats. The actor was born as Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand on September 26, 1923. The superstar featured in over 100 films throughout his career, earning the love of his fans as well as those in the film industry. Did you know that before embarking on his journey in films, Dev Anand worked as a clerk? (Also Read | Film festival in memory of Dev Anand's 100th birth anniversary kicks off across India. Check details here) Dev Anand starred in many films. The actor was a big fan of Charlie Chaplin. When he met the iconic comedian, he did something funny that left Charlie Chaplain in splits. Dev Anand shared the big screen with many big actors but not Amitabh Bachchan. Do you know why? He fell in love with one of his co-stars, proposed marriage but couldn't tie the knot. Apart from featuring in Hindi films, did you know Dev was also part of an Indo-Filipino film? Today on the 100th birth anniversary of the late actor, we bring you an assortment of interesting trivia about him. Continue reading and find out more unknown facts about him and his life. 1) Before venturing into movies, Dev Anand worked in an accountancy firm as a clerk where his salary was 85. Later, he worked at the Military Censor Office and earned 160. A few months later, he was selected for Hum Ek Hain (1946). 2) Dev Anand was asked not to wear black after an incident took place during the release of his film Kala Pani (1958). Reportedly, a woman allegedly ended her life. As per Times of India, women would jump from buildings seeing him in black. 3) The actor had a signature style as well as his classic choice of outfits. Dev is associated with his checkered print cap. As per Times of India, the checkered print cap that he wore in Jewel Thief (1967) was purchased from Copenhagen, Denmark. At that time, he was filming Pyar Mohabbat (1966). 4) Dev Anand was a big fan of Charlie Chaplin and met him in 1954 in Montreux, Switzerland. When he saw Charlie, Dev shouted Hail Chaplin out of excitement. Charlie burst out laughing and replied, "Welcome to my white house." 5) Suraiya fell in love with him while shooting the Kinare Kinare song from the film Vidya (1948). Later, Dev proposed to her on the sets of the movie Jeet (1949) and gave her a diamond ring worth 3,000. However, they couldn't get married as her mother didn't support the union. 6) Apart from films, Dev Anand was also active during the Emergency called by then Prime Minister, late Indira Gandhi. In 1977, during the elections, he led a group of film personalities against her rule. Dev also formed a party called the National Party of India but it was later disbanded. 7) Dev Anand worked with everyone in his career from Dilip Kumar, and Ashok Kumar to Mithun Chakraborty and Aamir Khan. He, however, didn't work with Amitabh Bachchan. In Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer (1973), the role of Inspector Vijay Khanna (played by Amitabh) was earlier offered to Dev but he turned down the offer. 8) Dev Anand bought his first car, a Hillman Minx, from the money he earned by starring in Vidya (1948). It was his first film opposite the woman he loved, Suraiya. 9) Dev Anand also worked in an Indo-Filipino drama film, The Evil Within, directed by Lamberto V Avellana. It also starred Zeenat Aman, Kieu Chinh, Rod Perry, Prem Nath, and Sudesh Issar among others. Dev Anand featured in many movies including Madhubala, Tamasha, Taxi Driver, Johny Mera Naam, Guide, CID, Jewel Thief, Nau Do Gyarah, Kala Bazar, Ek Ke Baad Ek, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Gambler, Heera Panna, Kalabaaz, Lashkar, among many others. He died on December 3, 2011, in London at the age of 88. The first trailer for Akshay Kumar's upcoming thriller is here. Titled Mission Raniganj, the film tells the story of one man's quest to save the lives of helpless miners stuck in a coal mine. The film also stars Parineeti Chopra as Akshay's wife. (Also read: Mission Raniganj song Jalsa 2.0: Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra break into bhangra. Watch) Akshay Kumar plays the lead in Mission Raniganj. The trailer begins with a terrible accident as a mine collapses on a big group of miners working underground. They are screaming, pleading for their lives to be saved and other side, above the ground in Akshay Kumar, ready to launch a rescue mission. He plays a Sikh engineer in the movie, who will do anything to save the men's lives. We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join. Watch the trailer here: Mission Raniganj is based on true life event of late Jaswant Singh Gill, who led India's first successful coal mine rescue mission. The film is all set to hit the theatres on October 6. Recently, the makers unveiled the track Jalsa 2.0 which received good responses from the fans. Sung and lyrics penned by Satinder Sartaaj. Akshay and Parineeti dressed in Punjabi attire. The duo can be seen performing Bhangra on catchy desi beats. Mission Raniganj is helmed by Tinu Suresh Desai and produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Ajay Kapoor. Akshay earlier collaborated with director Tinu Suresh Desai for the crime thriller Rustom. The film will coincide with Bhumi Pednekars next Thank you for Coming, which is directed by Karan Boolani and also stars Shehnaaz Gill. Apart from this, Akshay will also be seen in the Hindi remake of the Tamil drama Soorarai Pottru which is all set to hit the theatres on February 16, 2024. He also has an action thriller film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan alongside Tiger Shroff and a comedy film Housefull 5 in his kitty. Hello cinephiles, we're LIVE on WhatsApp! Join here. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail Just married, actor Parineeti Chopra and AAP leader Raghav Chadha finally made their first public appearance as husband and wife after tying the knot in Udaipur. The two were papped at the Udaipur jetty as they were leaving for their wedding reception in Chandigarh. The two held hands while posing for the media. Also read: Parineeti Chopra walks down the aisle in statement bridal veil with Raghav Chadha's name on it; see wedding look pics Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha make first public appearance after wedding in Udaipur. (Varinder Chawla)(Varinder Chawla) Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha after wedding look The MP sported a casual look in a white high-collar shirt and black pants. The actor looked beautiful as ever in her newlywed look. She sported sindoor and even showed her minimal mehendi as she came wearing denim pants, a pink top and a pink poncho. She also opted for a non-traditional chooda in a matching pink shade. We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join. Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha Udaipur wedding This marks their first official appearance in front of the paparazzi after the private wedding at The Leela Palace. Earlier in the day, Parineeti and Raghav finally treated fans to their first pictures from their all-ivory-themed wedding. From Parineeti wearing a long veil with Raghav's name embroidered in Hindi to opting for minimal kaleere and mehendi, the two had the sweetest wedding with their attention to detail. Parineeti shared pictures from her pearl white wedding on Instagram and wrote in the caption, From the very first chat at the breakfast table, our hearts knew. Been waiting for this day for a long time .. So blessed to finally be Mr and Mrs! Couldnt have lived without each other .. Our forever begins now." Priyanka Chopra to cousin Parineeti Chopra Parineeti's cousin Priyanka Chopra who couldn't attend the wedding ceremony in India due to work commitments, dedicated a sweet note for the couple. Sharing the same photos as posted by Parineeti, Priyanka from the US, wrote, Picture perfect.. sending so much love to the newly weds on their special day! Welcome to the Chopra family @raghavchadha88 hope youre ready to dive into the crazy with us. Tisha you are the most beautiful bride ever.. were sending you and Raghav all the love and blessings for a lifetime of happiness. Take care of each other and protect this beautiful love. Love you little one. Hello cinephiles, we're LIVE on WhatsApp! *Join here* SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Swara Bhasker and her husband, Samajwadi Party worker Fahad Ahmad are blessed with a baby girl who was born on September 23. Sharing the news on social media, the couple shared the first pictures of their little one. They have named her, Raabiyaa. Also read: Inside Swara Bhaskers baby shower Swara Bhasker and Fahad Ahmad welcome a daughter. Swara Bhasker and Fahad Ahmed welcome daughter Swara and Fahad wrote in a joint post, A prayer heard, a blessing granted, a song whispered, a mystic truth Our baby girl Raabiyaa was born on 23rd September 2023. With grateful and happy hearts, thank you for your love! Its a whole new world. The first photo showed the new parents with baby Raabiyaa at the hospital, most likely during Swara's discharge from the hospital. This was followed by a photo of Swara and Fahad beside their baby in a cradle of the hospital. Another photo featured a sweet moment of the new mom after she had fallen asleep with her newborn daughter on the hospital bed. One more showed Fahad cradling the baby in his arms. The last one is yet another photo of the family of three. Meanwhile, wishes are pouring in for the new parents on social media. From fans to celebs, several people are now sending congratulatory messages to the couple. Tilotama Shome, Guneet Monga and Parvathy congratulated the couple in the comments. Swara Bhasker and Fahad Ahmed Swara and Fahad got married in a court marriage in February this year. Later they held a series of wedding functions which included ceremonies like haldi, sangeet and wedding receptions in March. In June, Swara announced the news of her first pregnancy with Fahad Ahmad. She shared mushy photos of herself and Fahad caressing her baby bump. Sometimes all your prayers are answered all together! Blessed, grateful, excited (and clueless!) as we step into a whole new world, read Swara's caption. Swara's due date was in October and recently held a baby shower. Before heading to the hospital, the actor had shared how she had prepared to welcome her baby. She shared in a post, I'm totally ready to head to the hospital soon as the baby signals its emergence courtesy this thoughtfully curated Premium Hospital Pack from Tabu ji at @completeexpectation ! I was confused about what should go into my hospital bag but #completeexpectation has taken care of ALL hospital essentials for baby and Mamma in a single package! Thank you Tabu ji and Complete Expectation! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail Kerry Washington has made a startling revelation in the her new book Thicker Than Water. The Hollywood actor has opened up about the long-held secret about her parentage, and how she discovered that her dad Earl Washington is not her biological father. Kerry also spoke about her mental health struggles as she discussed her memoir in an interview with People. Also read: Kerry Washington opens about her iconic Whitney Houston's dress Kerry Washington opens up about her struggles and reveals her father is not her biological father in a new book. Kerry recalls her first reaction Kerry Washington said, "When I got this information (that her dad is not her biological father), I was like, 'Oh. I now know my story. I didn't know what my story was, but I was playing the supporting character in their story (her parents')." Kerry recalled that she discovered the family secret shortly after she told her parents she was planning to appear on Finding Your Roots, a PBS series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr, where celebrities learn about their ancestors through DNA testing. Finding out that Earl is not her biological father sent her on a journey of self-discovery and the actor shared her reaction to the explosive revelation in her chat with People, saying 'it really turned her world upside down. Kerry goes in depth about about how she found out Having held onto the secret for decades, the actor's mom, Valerie, a professor, and dad, Earl, a real estate agent, reportedly had a private conversation with Henry Louis Gates Jr, who told them it was always best for families to discuss such revelations privately prior to filming. Kerry recalls she then she got a text message from her parents inviting her to a family sit-down in 2018. The actor told the portal that she kept her calm and asked a lot of questions, while trying to give her parents grace in what was a difficult moment for them. She learned that they had opted to use an anonymous sperm donor to help conceive after struggling with fertility issues. They admitted they had decided never to tell Kerry about it. Kerry on new book and her relationship with parents The actor opened up about how she was struggling for years with anxiety, self-esteem issues, and an eating disorder, when she was young. She now feels those might have been symptoms of subconsciously sensing her parents' secret. Notwithstanding the initial shock, Kerry is content with the revelation, saying, it made her work towards understanding her life better, which she says, in many ways, 'felt like sort of the missing puzzle piece'. She added that the experience ultimately added a new layer to her bond with her parents. She said her parents were supportive of her, but were not too comfortable. Kerry told People, My parents were not thrilled about me writing this. But this really is a book about me. I now get to step into being the most important person in my life... I really started to have so much more love and compassion and understanding for my parents. Taking this deep dive into our family history made me put myself in their shoes and think about the things that they've had to navigate and what they've been through and what they've sacrificed. And it really made me feel closer to them. Hello cinephiles, we're LIVE on WhatsApp! Join here SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail Actress Sophie Turner and musician Joe Jonas have reached a temporary agreement to keep their two daughters, Willa, aged 3, and a 14-month-old identified as D., in New York amidst their ongoing custody dispute. The arrangement was confirmed through legal documents filed on Monday in New York. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party last year. (AFP) The interim consent order mandates that Turner, 27, and Jonas, 34, must maintain their children in the Southern and Eastern districts of New York, which encompass areas such as New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley. Both parties have consented to this arrangement, as stated in the documents: "The parties have agreed to the entry of the attached proposed Interim Consent Order, without prejudice to either party's claims and defences, prohibiting the removal of the parties' children from the jurisdictions of the United States District Courts for the Southern & Eastern Districts of New York pending further order of this Court." Should this order be violated, the documents emphasize that the court reserves the right to take appropriate measures under federal or state law to safeguard the well-being of the children or prevent further removal or concealment before a final decision is reached. This legal development comes shortly after Sophie Turner filed a lawsuit against her estranged husband, Joe Jonas, alleging the wrongful retention of their daughters and claiming he withheld their passports, thus preventing their return to England. Turner's legal team asserted that the "wrongful retention" began on September 20, despite earlier discussions where both parties agreed that England would be their "forever home." In response to the lawsuit, Jonas released a statement countering Turner's claims and asserting that he believed they had come to an understanding regarding co-parenting. The statement read, "Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday in New York when Sophie came to New York to be with the kids. They have been with her since that meeting. Joes impression of the meeting was that they had reached an understanding that they would work together towards an amicable co-parenting setup." The statement also mentioned a court order restricting both parents from relocating the children and Sophie's request for the children's passports to be handed over for an immediate departure to the UK. Turner and Jonas, who tied the knot in 2019, announced their separation in a joint statement on social media, emphasizing their mutual decision and requesting privacy for themselves and their children. The Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) Elections held on campus on September 22 stayed in news for several reasons, including the fact that they were held after four years. But, days before the results were announced (on September 23), these witnessed a viral moment of sorts. This is courtesy a recent video was circulated via social media and shows two girls coming to blows! Reason? Their strong support for the male candidate of their choice, who was campaigning for the post of DUSU president! The video, originally shared on X, has amassed over 116.7K views.(Screengrab: X) The video shows the students pushing, pulling and kicking each other as a crowd watches in shocked silence. A few brave souls try to break the brawl that reportedly broke out at Motilal Nehru College when the two girls, campaigning for different student political parties, came face to face and began arguing over which partys candidate was more eligible to win. Soon the discussion took a hold over several other students and became heated. The fight started over presidential candidates Hitesh Gulia and Tushar Dedha. A group of girls started discussing whose presidential candidate looks hotter ABVPs or NSUIs, shares a student of Motilal, on condition of anonymity, adding, I was right there when the scuffle broke out and I was stunned to see ki aisa bhi hota hai campus mein... Ek ladke ko lekar behes itni badh gayi ki the the two girls beat each other black and blue! Its known in my college circuit that both of then had a crush on the presidential candidates, that is, Tushar Dedha and Hitesh Gulia. The DUSU election results are out but the pertinent question, which is who among the two is hotter, remains answered because abhi bhi inki fight chal rahi hai (chuckles). Adding to this, Sanyam Yadav, a first-year student of BSc (Hons) Mathematics at Ramjas College, said, Wasn't it enough that DUSU campaigning caused so much violence that even the students supporting the contesting candidates started fighting among each other? I dont know who shared the video that has gone viral, but it certainly shows DU in a bad light because its fine to have opinions or crushes but physically assaulting someone to prove your point is like crossing way too many lines. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! In the midst of mounting tensions surrounding the release of Cauvery water, divisions among protesting groups in Bengaluru have resulted in conflicting calls for Bandhs on Tuesday and Friday. The discordant Bandh announcements resulted in several associations, including taxi drivers and hotel owners, withdrawing their backing for the Bandh. However, schools will remain shuttered. Karnataka to see two bandhs over Cauvery issue amid a divide in protesting groups. (Flickr) Click here for live updates on Bengaluru bandh All private schools in Bengaluru have made the decision to remain closed on Tuesday, in an announcement made by the Associated Management of English Medium School in Karnataka (KAMS). Bengaluru urban deputy commissioner Dayananda KA, too declared a holiday for all schools and colleges across the city in anticipation of the Bengaluru Bandh. Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samithi, said they will continue with the Bandh, which they had announced three days in advance. We have called several organisations to be part of the protest and preparations are underway. We have also informed Vatal Nagaraj about these plans. We also held a meeting today (Monday), but they refused to join hands with us, he said. We are not doing this for politics. We are doing it for the people. We are doing the protest tomorrow (Tuesday), there is a meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee. And we wanted our protest to reach those who are in power. So, we wont postpone the protest, he added. Also Read: What is Cauvery water row? Latest updates on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu dispute Meanwhile, the pro-Kannada group, Kannada Chaluvali, led by Vatal Nagaraj, stood resolute in their call for a statewide Bandh on Friday. Everyone will support the bandh. We will protest in front of the Raj Bhavan. We will block national highways and airports. Buses, taxis and autos will support the bandh, Nagaraj said during a press conference on Monday. Vatal Nagaraj also withdrew support for the Bengaluru bandh on September 26. On September 29, the national highways will be shut and we will also try to close the airport down, Nagaraj told reporters. I reiterate that all pro-Kannada outfits present here wont support the bandh on Tuesday. But on September 29, there will be a state-wide bandh. The Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Association, which had earlier supported the Bandh on Tuesday, withdrew their support on Tuesday. There was a meeting wherein it was decided that another bandh would be held state-wide. We have decided to participate in the state-wide bandh and have withdrawn from the Bengaluru bandh as we cannot participate on both days, Tanveer Pasha, President of Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Association. Also Read: Bengaluru Bandh | What's open and what's closed? Bengaluru Police commissioner B Dayananda on the other hand said that permission had not been granted for the Bandh on Tuesday, explicitly prohibiting processions and rallies. He issued a stern warning of strict action against any individuals involved in untoward incidents. Prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 were slated for enforcement from Monday midnight to Tuesday midnight, restricting public gatherings to no more than five people. As per various judgements of the Supreme Court and the high court, no bandh is allowed. The police have made the necessary security arrangements for Tuesday. Patrol forces and additional forces will be deployed on duty. We have also taken the necessary steps to ensure a smooth flow of traffic and additional Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed, said Dayananda. Dayananda said that the proposed rally from Mysore Bank Circle to Freedom Park Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samithi had not received police clearance. Also Read: Bengaluru Bandh | Transport services to be affected after federation's support The Commissioners statement came hours after Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah reiterated the governments stance on permitting protests in a democracy. However, he cautioned against disregarding court orders, suggesting that calls for protests and Bandhs without legal compliance could have legal repercussions. In a democracy, we (the government) will not curtail protests, but BJP and JD(S) are trying to do politics on the issue. Our party people too called and spoke to me about the protest, I said, its your right and protect it...but one has to understand court orders before calling for protests or bandh, just giving such calls for media publicity is not right, as such calls may have legal repercussions, said Siddaramaiah. BJP leader BS Yediyurappa extended his partys cooperation to ensure the success of the Bengaluru Bandh, appealing to all concerned parties to support the cause while maintaining peace and order in the city. On the Cauvery water dispute, we have had detailed discussions and come to a certain decision. The Bengaluru bandh should be successful without any confusion tomorrow. I appeal to hotel and shop owners and organisations to shut their establishments tomorrow, without giving any different statements -- for the sake of maintaining peace and order and in support of Bengalurus cause, Yediyurappa said. Our party workers will try to ensure that the bandh is successful and peaceful. I appeal to everyone to cooperate in the success of the bandh, he added. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made room for three Central ministers and several MPs, including Union Minister for agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Patel, minister of state for food processing, in its second list of candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh', at the Jamboree Ground, in Bhopal.(HT Photo) Tomar will contest from Dimani and Patel from Narsinghpur, according to the list released on Monday. The decision to field senior leaders who are ministers in the union council of ministers and lawmakers was taken by the party high command to bolster the party's chances at the hustings, according to a party functionary. Minister for state for rural development Faggan Singh Kulaste will fight the elections from Niwas, a seat reserved for STs. MPs such as Ganesh Singh, Rakesh Singh, Riti Pathak, and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya have also been given tickets to contest. Hoshangabad MP Uday Pratap Singh will contest from Gadarwara. The second list includes 39 candidates of whom six are women. There are five SC seats and 10 ST seats in this lot. The BJP announced the first list with 39 names in August. "The party high command had sounded off MPs and ministers to be ready for elections. Some of the ministers who are Rajya Sabha members have also been asked to prepare for elections," the party functionary cited above said on condition of anonymity. Another BJP leader said the party is also hopeful that it will buck anti-incumbent and the fatigue factor against its legislators by fielding senior ministers and lawmakers. "It will also reinforce collective leadership and address the concerns of caste balance, as well now have representation from various groups. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Smriti Kak Ramachandran Smriti covers an intersection of politics and governance. Having spent over a decade in journalism, she combines old fashioned leg work with modern story telling tools. ...view detail Tamil Nadu has become one of the largest manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs) sold this year, according to the data from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Vahan website. Out of the 1 million EVs sold in India this year, more than 400,000 EVs were manufactured in Tamil Nadu (HT Photo) Out of the 1 million EVs sold in India this year, more than 400,000 EVs were manufactured in Tamil Nadu. They major category of vehicles manufactured are two wheelers and cars, which are manufactured by ten companies in the state including Ola Electric and TVS Motor who sold 175,608 units and 112,949 units, respectively, from manufacturing facilities in Krishnagiri district. According to the data, 1,044,600 EVs were registered with RTOs this year till September 20. Of this, Tamil Nadu sold 414,802 EVs manufactured here based on registration of all EVs across the states RTOs. It is a significant record and speaks volumes about the diverse, vibrant multi- sector presence and the impetus for growth accorded by the government, an official said. We are among the top 10 global automobile hubs and now Tamil Nadu has now set its sights on becoming the worlds EV capital. With deep industry insights, the government has been working towards giving a big push to the EV ecosystem with manufacturing of batteries and charging infrastructure. The state rolled out an EV policy this January aiming to develop five cities of Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai and Salem as EV hubs. According to the policy, new startups and those looking for an expansion can avail various incentives like reimbursement of SGST, turnover-based subsidy, capital, and advanced chemistry cell subsidies. The state expects an investment of more than 50,000 crore in the sector of EV manufacturing by 2025. By 2030, Tamil Nadu aims to manufacture 30% of all electric vehicles sold in India and contribute substantially to global exports. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The cracks between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), partners in the newly formed Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), seem to have further widened as the Congress questioned the Bhagwant Mann government after governor Banwarilal Purohit sought from the state government details of utilisation of this huge amount of 50,000 crore loan. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann (PTI File) Reacting to Purohit's letter to the Punjab government, Congress leader Alok Sharma questioned the AAP-led Punjab government on Sunday over the alleged 50,000 crore debt and asked it to answer why the state was facing such a situation. Its based on facts that when Bhagwant Mann took oath, he immediately went to Centre seeking a financial support of 50,000 crore, Sharma told news agency PTI. He added, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal used to say the government will recover the money. Now the AAP government must answer why the state has such a huge loan. Sharma further alleged the AAP government whitewashed old buildings in Punjab and has done the drama of creating Mohalla clinics with the loan money. "They drowned the economy of the state, he told PTI. The matter came to light after Mann on Thursday urged the governor to take the issue of the pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) amounting to 5,637 crore with the President and the Prime Minister, to which Purohit wrote back asking the chief minister to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court on the matter. Purohit, while acknowledging in his reply the chief ministers request for his intervention, sought the details of the utilisation of debt of 50,000 crore raised by the present government during its tenure. the debt of the Punjab rose by about 50,000 crore during your regime. Details of the utilisation of this huge amount may be furnished to me so that I will be able to convince the Prime Minister that money has been properly utilised, he said. Responding to Purohits letter, Punjabs finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the governor should not be talking about the states financial obligations as the present regime has inherited a debt of 3 lakh crore from the previous governments. In a statement, Cheema said, We have to pay thousands of crores as interest on debt of about 3 lakh crore that was taken by the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine and Congress governments in the past. Despite repaying the loan instalment and interest, the AAP government is doing good work for the welfare of the people of Punjab. No AAP-Congress alliance in Punjab? While top AAP leaders have joined hands with the Opposition parties, including the Congress, to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Punjab Cabinet minister Anmol Gagan Maan has already announced that there would be no alliance between the ruling AAP and the Congress in the state. Gagan Maan said the AAP would contest all 13 seats in the Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of chief minister Mann and without any seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress. The AAP ministers statement, which indicated that the battlelines are drawn between the state units of the two parties, is a setback to the resolve of the INDIA bloc to contest the Lok Sabha elections together. Asked if these were her personal views, the minister said these were the views of the party and the orders of the chief minister. On the other hand, Punjab Congress leaders have strongly opposed any truck with the ruling party in the state. The party leaders were of the view that seat sharing with AAP would be detrimental to the interests of the Congress in the state, and the workers sentiment was against the alliance. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the Congress would contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tamil Nadus main opposition, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday exited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and decided to contest next years Lok Sabha elections with other state specific allies. AIADMK leader KP Munuswamy speaks to reporters at the party headquarters in Chennai on Monday. (ANI) A resolution to this effect was passed at the meeting led by AIADMKs general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) with his partys MPs, MLAs, district secretaries and top leadership in Chennai on Monday evening. To respect the sentiments of our two-crore cadre, from today the AIADMK is leaving the BJP and the NDA, AIADMKs deputy general secretary K P Munuswamy said, reading out the resolution after the meeting amidst celebrations and bursting of crackers at the party headquarters in Chennai. The relation between the AIADMK and the BJP had been frosty for some time with immediate provocation being the BJPs Tamil Nadu state present K Annamalais alleged comments on C N Annadurai, one of the pillars of the Dravidian movement after whom the AIADMK is named, the party said. The AIADMK alleged that the BJP leadership in the state has been insulting them for the past one year. Annamalai, who tried some damage control a few days ago by saying that all is fine between the allies, on Monday refused to speak on the AIADMKs major decision. The BJP national leadership will speak on AIADMKs decision, Annamalai told reporters in Coimbatore. I will speak about it later. The AIADMK decision came after senior party leaders met BJP national president J P Nadda in Delhi over the weekend and were unable to find resolution of their grievances, party leaders said. For the past one year, the BJPs state unit has been insulting Annadurai, EPS and late J Jayalalithaa, criticised their ideology and also belittled the mega conference held in Madurai in August after courts upheld EPS elevation in the party and O Panneerselvams ouster, Munuswamy said. The AIADMK will lead an alliance to face the 2024 elections with other allies. This is a unanimous decision. Even one person did not oppose this resolution, he added. The AIADMK and the BJP came together ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with the former leading the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu with a coalition of parties- Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) and smaller parties such as the Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) and Puthiya Needhi Katchi. The DMDK exited the NDA ahead of the 2021 assembly elections unhappy over seat allocation. The decision has been seen as a jolt for the BJP as the national party was banking on the strength of the AIADMK in the southern state where unlike other parts of the country, the saffron party has not yet been able to find a foothold. BJP leaders said that their strategy was to contest 2024 Lok Sabha polls together while continuing to build their party to be able to contest the 2026 assembly elections on their own in Tamil Nadu. In the state, obviously the AIADMK is the larger party and EPS is the strongest leader of the party. This decision will only favour the DMK. We will have to see what the central leadership decides, said a senior state BJP leader on condition of anonymity. The BJP had also been working to get the trio of Panneerselvam, TTV Dhinakaran, and V K Sasikala expelled by EPS to come into the NDAs fold. The BJP found a way into the state by uniting the warring factions of the AIADMK soon after J Jayalalithaas death in office in December 2016. Since then, the alliance has far too often been strained. AIADMKs internal assessment has consistently shown that being with the BJP is a baggage particularly because of alienating Tamil Nadus minorities. The party has also lost every election since the alliance the 2019 parliamentary polls, 2021 assembly elections and 2022 local body elections. The ruling DMKs Secular Progressive Alliance has swept each of these elections and they will face 2024 polls in the INDIA bloc. The DMK and Congress in the state have consistently criticised the AIADMK of being subservient to the BJP for being afraid of facing the ire of federal agencies in alleged graft cases against EPS and his second line of leaders. While AIADMKs leadership remained friendly with the BJPs central leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and national party president J P Nadda, back home EPS has flexed muscle to put the saffron partys state unit in their place. In the recent spat too, after Annamalai quoted an anecdote from 1956 about DMK founder Annamadurai, AIADMKs organising secretary D Jayakumar first issued a warning on September 18 and said the party has decided to call off the alliance. Despite that, on September 22, five AIADMK leaders met with Nadda in Delhi for Annamalai to be reigned in. AIADMK was suffocating in the alliance, a senior leader close to EPS said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Divya Chandrababu Divya Chandrababu is an award-winning political and human rights journalist based in Chennai, India. Divya is presently Assistant Editor of the Hindustan Times where she covers Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. She started her career as a broadcast journalist at NDTV-Hindu where she anchored and wrote prime time news bulletins. Later, she covered politics, development, mental health, child and disability rights for The Times of India. Divya has been a journalism fellow for several programs including the Asia Journalism Fellowship at Singapore and the KAS Media Asia- The Caravan for narrative journalism. Divya has a master's in politics and international studies from the University of Warwick, UK. As an independent journalist Divya has written for Indian and foreign publications on domestic and international affairs. ...view detail The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday broke off its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and exited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), days after state BJP chief K Annamalai made controversial remarks about Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. HT Image The AIADMK announced it will lead a state-level coalition, which means the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu will be a three-cornered fight, between coalitions led by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) it is part of the Oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA the AIADMK, and the BJP. Tensions in the four-year-old alliance were simmering for a few months, but flared up on September 11 when Annamalai, citing an anecdote from 1956, said that Annadurai apologised to Forward Bloc leader late U Muthuramalinga Thevar for allegedly insulting Hinduism. The AIADMK denied the claim as untrue. On Monday evening, after a two-hour-long meeting of AIADMKs general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) with his partys parliamentarians, legislators, district secretaries and top leadership in Chennai, the party decided to leave the NDA through a resolution passed unanimously. Reading out from the resolution, AIADMKs deputy general secretary KP Munuswamy said, To respect the sentiments of our two-crore cadre, from today the AIADMK is leaving the BJP and the NDA. The AIADMK will lead an alliance to face the 2024 elections with other allies. This is a unanimous decision. Even one person did not oppose passing this resolution, he said. For the past one year, the BJPs state unit has been insulting Annadurai, E Palaniswami and late J Jayalalithaa, criticised their ideology and also belittled their mega conference held in Madurai in August after courts upheld EPSs elevation in the party and O Panneerselvams ouster, Munuswamy added. The AIADMK resolution did not name anyone individually but blamed the BJPs state leadership in what was seen as a reference to Annamalai, who has courted one controversy after another since he took charge in 2021. The BJP state leadership also criticised the AIADMK conference which was held at Madurai on August 20. This hurts the AIADMK cadre, Munuswamy said reading from the resolution. The BJP did not appear particularly perturbed by the development. Its Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president Nayaranan Thirupathy said: The national leadership will address the matter. Another BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, In the state, obviously AIADMK is the larger party and EPS is the strongest leader of the party. This decision will only favour the DMK. We will have to see what the central leadership decides. Late last week, BJP chief JP Nadda met a delegation from the AIADMK, possibly a last-ditch attempt by the Dravidian party to get the national party to act against its state chief, but with the BJP backing Annamalai, Mondays decision was a given. To be sure, the decision may work to the BJPs advantage eventually. The DMK-led alliance won 38 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, and also comfortably won the state elections in 2021, but is widely expected to lose some ground to the AIADMK in 2024, according to analysts. If anything, the BJP may have weighed down the AIADMK because its position on many issues runs counter to that of the Dravidian parties. The recent controversy over sanatana dharma interpreted in the state as the rigidity of the caste system, but which the BJP has successfully translated as Hinduism itself in the Hindi belt is one such example, they add. And if the AIADMK wants to be part of any alliance after the elections, it will likely veer towards the NDA, the analysts said. EPS knows when to crawl and when to walk out. With todays development he has shown his political smartness. The BJP was never going to replace Annamalai and in time they will know whether he has helped the party grow in Tamil Nadu. And by blaming only the BJPs state leadership, he has kept a post-electoral scenario open, said Ramu Manivannan, political observer and visiting professor, Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, USA. The break-up is unlikely to help the BJPs prospects in the state, though analysts see the partys appeal in the state being restricted to the forward caste and Brahmin vote base that used to support the AIADMK on account of its late leader J Jayalalithaa. The AIADMK came into the NDA fold ahead of the 2019 general elections and is one of the largest constituents in the coalition. The immediate provocation was Annamalais September 11 comments. After his speech, AIADMK spokesperson D Jayakumar on September 15 said that Annamalai should express regret. On September 17, Annamalai rebutted that he is capable of dirty politics. In a veiled attack against EPS, Annamalai said that the statements from AIADMK are a reflection of their leader. The BJP leader, however clarified that he did not denigrate Annadurai but only cited historical facts. They are jealous of the growth of the BJP here, Annamalai has said. Nobody has fallen on anyones feet in BJP to become a leader, he added. On September 18, Jayakumar said that their party cadre will not tolerate criticism against their leaders, accusing Annamalai of crossing the line of alliance dharma. The NDA in Tamil Nadu also comprises smaller outfits such as the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazh (DMDK), Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) and Puthiya Needhi Katchi. The PMK chose to keep its options open. All three of them will want us in their coalition. We dont have to make any decision now when there are several months left for elections, said a senior party leader. Annamalai said that the partys national leadership will soon speak on the development. The BJP national leadership will speak on AIADMKs decision, he told reporters in Coimbatore. I will speak about it later. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Canada's defence minister Bill Blair on Sunday termed the ties with India as important even as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for the Indian government's cooperation, after his explosive allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. Members of United Hindu Front organisation hold banners depicting Justin Trudeau Canada's Prime Minister (L) and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated Khalistani terrorist, during a rally in New Delhi.(AFP) While Blair didn't say whether the Canadian governments Indo-Pacific strategy could be reassessed in light of escalated diplomatic tensions between the two nations, he suggested Canada will continue to pursue those partnerships while the investigation into allegations continues. India has outrightly rejected Trudeau's allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. In an interview with Global News, the Canadian defence minister said, We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth. If the allegations are proven true, Blair said there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Canada had been seeking deeper trade, defence and immigration ties with India before the credible intelligence", as Trudeau called it, was first raised with Canadian officials, reported. Chandra Arya slams his own government Liberal party MP Chandra Arya on Sunday asserted that Hindu Canadians were fearful after threats issued by extremist elements and held his own party-led government responsible for inaction against Khalistan extremists. Arya, who is a lawmaker from PM Justin Trudeaus party, has repeatedly raised the issue of threats to Hindu Canadians and urged the community to stay calm and vigilant. Arya's remarks came after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and other extremist elements issued threats to the Hindu community in Canada, warning them to go back to India, amid the ongoing standoff between the two countries. Speaking to CBC News, Chandra Arya said, I am more worried about the consequence of what happened after the Prime Ministers (Trudeau) statement. The concerns of the safety of Hindu Canadians here, Hindu Canadians are fearful. He also cited a popular column, which had stated The risk of ethnic and sectarian bloodshed in Canada is real What I am worried is that the bloodshed is going to be Hindu Canadians blood, Arya added. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Around 38000 dengue cases were reported this season in West Bengal until September 20 with Kolkata and districts in the southern part of the state being the worst hit. Mosquitoes biting an infected person spread the disease further. (Shutterstock) An official said North 24 Parganas was the worst affected district (8535 cases) followed by Kolkata (4427), Murshidabad (4266), Nadia (4233), and Hooghly (3083). North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, and Nadia share borders with Bangladesh, which is battling a dengue outbreak. South 24 Parganas, another bordering district, registered 1276 cases. A second official said as Bangladesh is witnessing a major outbreak, people carrying the virus may come here. Mosquitoes biting an infected person may spread the disease further. The strains of India and Bangladesh may also be different, said the second official. According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control data, West Bengal registered the highest dengue cases in the country last year (67271) and at least 30 deaths. The state registered around 7000 cases between September 13 and 20. The worst affected are the 15 districts of south Bengal where 34,905 cases have been detected. The eight districts of north Bengal, which includes the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, recorded around 3276 cases, said the second official. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, JP Nadda, joined by other party leaders, on Monday paid their heartfelt tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on the occasion of his birth anniversary here in the national capital. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker and former leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh(X/@JPNadda) The solemn event took place in Delhi, where the party members came together to honour the iconic figure who played a pivotal role in shaping the BJP's ideology. JP Nadda, along with fellow party leaders, offered floral tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, highlighting the enduring legacy of his ideas and the enduring influence they continue to have on the party's policies and governance. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker and former leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He became president of the Jana Sangh in December 1967. His birth anniversary serves as a poignant moment for the party to reflect on his contributions and reaffirm its commitment to the principles and values he espoused. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay's profound thoughts on integral humanism, social justice, and self-reliance continue to guide the BJP in its mission to serve the nation and its people. His birth anniversary provides an opportunity for the party to reiterate its dedication to these ideals and to honour the memory of a visionary leader who has left an indelible mark on Indian politics. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, an accused of sexually abusing several women wrestlers during his tenure as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India, has exuded confidence about his political career when questioned about its future. In a viral video, Singh is seen saying, "who is going to cancel my ticket, when asked if he will be given one in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at the Parliament during the Special Session, in New Delhi on Wednesday.(ANI) During an event in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP confidently posed a question in Hindi, Kaun kaat raha hai uska naam batao?kaatoge aap? Kaatoge?(Who will cancel my ticket? Will you do it? Will you?)." We are now on WhatsApp. Click to join us. As the video went viral, many on social media expressed their anguish over Brij Bhushan's "arrogance even as the case against him is under investigation. Delhi Women's Commission chief Swati Maliwal also shared the video, alleging that a larger support behind Singh for him to be able to show so much arrogance of power". Brij Bhushan, who sexually exploited the daughters who brought medals for the country, is openly challenging who has the courage to cancel his ticket? Only a big man must be in charge of this, that is why there is so much arrogance of power, she claimed. 'Brij Bhushan missed no opportunity to harass women wrestlers' On Saturday, the Delhi Police told the district Rouse Avenue Court that Brij Bhushan missed no opportunity to harass women wrestlers. He held the WFI chief post from 2012-2023. The police argued that Brij Bhushan was aware of what he was doing. Appearing in front of additional chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal, Special public prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava contended that there existed a clear intent on the part of the accused, with all the incidents interconnected. Therefore, the complaints were clubbed into one FIR. To support his arguments, the SSP made reference to incidents that occurred in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Bellary, and New Delhi as evidence of the accused's intent. In addition, he also said that the oversight committee never absolved the accused of the allegations. The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against the six-time Lok Sabha MP on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was registered following a month-long protest held against Singh, led by prominent wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia among others. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After Shiv Sena, Akali Dal and the JD(U), AIADMK on Monday announced its exit from the NDA in a major decision ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha decision. The decision was in the making in the past few months with AIADMK and BJP leaders openly criticising each other. Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has been the catalyst in the breakup as AIADMK leaders called him 'pest', rabble-rouser'. The BJP leader who is on his yatra initially refused to comment on the development and then said the national leadership will give a timely response. BJP-AIADMK break up: AIADMK leaders said Annamalai has been the main reason for the end of the alliance. 'Happiest moment for AIADMK' AIADMK spokesperson Sasirekha said breaking the alliance with the BJP is the happiest moment for the AIADMK. Workers celebrated the decision by bursting crackers in Chennai. 'BJP needs AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, not the other way round' AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan said Annamalai is a rabble-rouser and he started commenting on AIADMK leaders and founders. It is the BJP who needs AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and not the other way round, the AIADMK leader said. 'BJP does not respect its allies': Congress leader Congress leader Rashid Alvi said it is a good step that AIADMK severed its alliance with the BJP like Akali Dal, Shiv Sena. "If they have understood the ideology of NDA and BJP and took this decision after careful consideration and not for any bargaining with BJP, then it is a good step...BJP doesn't respect its allies," Rashid Alvi said. AIADMK will not join the opposition bloc INDIA either. It will lead a separate front in 2024, it said. 'Nandri Meendum Varatheergal' Nandri Meendum Varatheergal (Thank you please do not come again) started trending on Twitter as AIADMK announced the major decision. On September 18, AIADMK announced that BJP is no longer their ally as Annamalai was attacking the AIADMK leaders. Annamalai commented on Annadurai and Periyar. What Annamalai said on Jayalalithaa A few months ago, Annamalai in an interview said Tamil Nadu saw many corrupt governments and a former chief minister was also convicted. the AIADMK passed a resolution condemning Annamalai's statement on Jayalalithaa but Annamalai said he never mentioned Jayalalithaa's name and he holds her in the highest respect. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail The Supreme Court on Monday notified a seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud to decide on the validity of a controversial 1998 decision that allowed lawmakers who receive bribes to cast a vote or make a speech in the legislature to go scot-free. The 1998 decision, PV Narasimha Rao v State (CBI), came in the backdrop of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery scandal that rocked the Congress government headed by PV Narasimha Rao in 1993. (HT file photo) The bench, also comprising justices AS Bopanna, MM Sundresh, PS Narasimha, JB Pardiwala, Sanjay Kumar and Manoj Misra, will hold its first sitting on October 4. The 1998 decision, PV Narasimha Rao v State (CBI), came in the backdrop of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery scandal that rocked the Congress government headed by PV Narasimha Rao in 1993. The Narasimha Rao government allegedly bribed several parliamentarians across parties to defeat a no-confidence motion. The top court by a 3:2 majority decided that MPs who took the bribe and voted in the House could not be prosecuted as they enjoyed immunity under Article 105(2) of the Constitution. However, the same decision held that such protection will not be available to a MP who receives a bribe but abstains from voting or making a speech. On September 20, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by chief justice Chandrachud had occasion to consider the correctness of the decision, which arose in an appeal by former legislator Sita Soren, a JMM MLA and daughter-in-law of party chief Shibu Soren. The allegation against Sita Soren was that in 2012, an election was held for two vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha from the state when she allegedly took a bribe from an independent candidate, RK Agarwal, but voted for another candidate. When she was sought to be prosecuted for bribery by the Central Bureau of Investigation, she relied on the 1998 verdict to claim immunity available to legislators of state assemblies under Article 194(2), similar to that for MPs under Article 105(2). Since the interpretation of the 1998 decision was involved, a three-judge bench in March 2019 referred the matter to a constitution bench of five judges. When this bench took it on September 20, it agreed to unanimously refer the 1998 verdict for reconsideration to a seven-judge bench. The court said that the object of immunity can never be to exempt legislators as persons wielding higher privileges in claiming immunity from application of criminal law that common citizens do not possess. It argued that the immunity is provided to legislators so that they can voice their opinion freely, without fear of consequences. The object clearly is not to set apart the members of the legislature as persons who wield higher privileges in terms of immunity from the application of the general criminal law of the land which citizens of the land do not possess, the bench held. The immunity under Article 194(2) relied to by Sita Soren stated, No member of the legislature of a state shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in the legislature or any committee thereof. The corresponding provision providing immunity to parliamentarians contained in Article 105(2) is similar. The top court noted an anomaly that while the 1998 decision protected those MPs who vote after receiving a bribe, similar protection is not available to members who abstain from voting after receiving a bribe. The 1998 decision refused to extend immunity to then MP Ajit Singh, who allegedly took a bribe but abstained from voting in the House. Another reason for seeking review of the 25-year-old judgment was to determine when the offence of bribery becomes complete. The minority view in the 1998 ruling given by justices SC Agarwal and AS Anand said that once it is proved that a legislator has accepted money, his later conduct in the House is irrelevant as the offence gets completed with the receipt of money. The court had sought the assistance of attorney general R Venkatramani, who said a reference to the 1998 verdict was not made out in the facts of the present case. Voting for Rajya Sabha election took place in the precincts of the Jharkhand assembly, which cannot be considered as part of proceedings of the House, he said. Sita Soren will not be entitled to immunity and will have to face trial, he argued. The court was further informed that a review filed against the 1998 decision was dismissed in 2001 and a writ petition filed by non-profit Centre for Public Interest Litigation sought to challenge the majority view of the Narasimha Rao ruling, but was dismissed in 2002. However, the five-judge bench said, If it is an issue that deeply affects the morality of our legislators, we should take a call to straighten the law. If it furthers public morality on part of our legislators, we should not leave it to a time in future. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ahead of the Chhattisgarh assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched the Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Nyay Yojana (MGANY) in Bilaspur district and also slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the Awas Nyay Sammellan in Chhattisgarh (PTI Photo) Speaking at a public rally in the poll-bound state, Gandhi emphasised the need for a caste census and said that the PM doesnt want to make caste census data public. Referring to the census as the X-ray of India, Gandhi said it would aid in understanding the countrys demographic composition and pave the way for an inclusive development strategy. A caste census is like the X-ray of India. It will help us understand how many OBCs, tribals, and individuals from the general category are there in the country. Once we have this data, the nation can move forward inclusively, Gandhi said. Addressing the Awas Nyay Sammelan organised by the Bhupesh Baghel government, Gandhi waved a remote control at the crowd and said the poor and needy benefited when the Congress pressed it, while Adani gets ports, airports and railway contracts when the ruling BJP does the same. We press the button of the remote control in the open. But the BJP presses it secretly and Adaniji gets Mumbai airport public sector becomes private And when I questioned PM Modi on Adani in the Lok Sabha, I got the reply, my Lok Sabha membership got cancelled, Gandhi said. Gandhi said that the Congress governments Gramin Awas Nyay Yojna (GANY) is aimed at providing financial assistance to the homeless and families having kutcha houses in rural areas. Under the Kisan NYAY Yojana, the government disbursed input subsidies totalling Rs.21,000 crore to farmers. Landless farmers were not left behind, as they received Rs.7,000 each as annual financial assistance, Gandhi said while elaborating on the various initiatives and promises fulfilled by the Congress government in Chhattisgarh. Gandhi further launched 414 development and construction projects valued at Rs.669.69 crore for the Bilaspur district and participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for these initiatives. Bilaspur division, with its eight districts and 25 assembly seats, plays a pivotal role in Assembly elections, significantly influencing the fate of Congress and BJP candidates. In the 2018 elections, Congress secured 14 seats while BJP gained 7, and regional parties like BSP and Jogi Congress won 4 seats collectively, with Jogi Congress and BSP each clinching two seats. The Union government is planning to include provisions that make companies liable for unsolicited commercial email and other types of commercial electronic messages, people familiar with the matter said, in what will be the first time the country legislates against the problem of unsolicited communications or spam. HT Image The government is studying a number of international laws for the purpose, although these have mostly been ineffective in combatting the problem due to the spammers often operating outside of jurisdictions. The move, nonetheless, is likely to create a strong disincentive for Indian companies to send spam. The issue of unsolicited messages has not been addressed by the IT Act. The new Digital India Bill will aim to address the issue, the official said, asking not to be named. The provisions will likely include penalties for violation, this person added. Latest assessments by cybersecurity companies peg spam at close to half of all emails sent globally. According to a 2013 research paper published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, spam accounted for 10% of all emails sent in 1998. While this number dipped in the early 2010s due to improvement in spam filtering technologies by email providers, the problem has now resurged. In its latest assessment, cybersecurity firm Kaspersky found that 48.63% of all emails sent in 2022 was spam, and close to 30% of all spam originated in a single country: Russia. According to an official familiar with the matter, the category of spam will be clearly defined in the law, which is still in its draft stages, and it could extend to communications sent over WhatsApp. The draft is being finalised and categories of different electronic messages will be defined as the law is floated for public consultation. Email spam messages are one example, WhatsApp messages which too are electronically transmitted are also being considered. The issue of whether outside spam messages will be included will need extra modalities which are being considered, the official added. Among the laws the government is studying is Australias Spam Act from 2003. To be sure, the Australian law, like the United Statess CAN-SPAM Act and Canadas Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) have been insufficient in combating the problem, with all of them drawn up prior to 2010. These laws contain punitive measures on any entity established to be sending spam within their legal jurisdiction. For instance, the US law states that each separate email in violation of the law is subject to penalties of up to $50,120, and more than one person may be held responsible for violations. That law also makes both the company, whose product is promoted in the message, and the company that originated the message, legally responsible. Email that makes misleading claims about products or services also may be subject to laws outlawing deceptive advertising, like Section 5 of the FTC Act, the US CAN-SPAM Act states. The existing global regulations typically require senders to obtain explicit consent from recipients before sending commercial messages, provide clear opt-out mechanisms, and enforce penalties for violations. Experts said legal punitive provisions for spam were much needed but added the crucial detail will be in enforcement. According to NS Nappinai, founder of Cybersaathi and a Supreme lawyer, Introduction of such provisions to penalise spam would be most welcome. Enforcement of such provisions however would be the more important process. Mere laws have proven insufficient across jurisdictions. Demonstrable enforcement would only ensure possible deterrence. The only measures established to have worked against countering spam have been filtering technologies that detect legitimate email messages and those that fall within the wide umbrella of spam. In 2019, the last time Google shared an update on the problem, the company said it was blocking 100 million spam messages from Gmail, which at the time had 1.5 billion individual and 5 million business users. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the Congress, saying it never wanted to empower women while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government dedicated the first decision in the new parliament to women in the form of the Womens Reservation Bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 'Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha ' in Jaipur on Monday. (PTI) Congress did not have the intent to empower women. Today they are talking of reservation they could have done it 30 years back. But the truth is that the Congress never wanted to give 33 percent reservation to women, Modi said while addressing a mammoth public meeting in Dadiya village on the outskirts of Jaipur The BJP organised the Parivartan Sankalp to formally mark the culmination of the BJPs four Parivartan yatras across the state. In his address, Modi reminded BJP workers, Our only identity and pride is the lotus. Seeing the large turnout, Modi said, I can see in Rajasthan, change will happen. The BJP yatras got widespread support from the people. This shows that in Rajasthan the weather has changed. Modi said the Congress and its allies in the Ghamandiya alliance are today supporting the Womens Reservation Bill under pressure. Each woman must remember that the Ghamnadiya alliance oppose womens empowerment, he said. He said women had harboured the hope of getting 33 precent reservation for decades but it was not fulfilled. Who fulfilled that dream? It was not me. It was the strength of your vote which made it possible. Your vote elected me and I gave you a guarantee of reservation which I fulfilled, he said. Remember, Modi means guarantee of fulfilling guarantees that I give you, he added. He said he was from an average family and moved ahead in life only on his hard work. I am totally dedicated to serving my people. What I say, I do. My guarantees have power. My nine-year track record is a testimony to this. Modi elaborated on schemes that his government has implemented for welfare of women, such as the law against triple talaq Targeting chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Modi said the Congress government has ruined the future of thousands of youths. The Congress government did not give opportunities but only cheated the youth. The Rajasthan government gave protection to the paper leak mafia. I want to assure the youth that when the BJP comes to power, the paper leak mafia will not be spared. Modi took a swipe at the law and order situation in Rajasthan. He said investment is needed to put Rajasthan on the path to development. But where there is corruption and crime at every step, who will invest? When the Lal diary has black deeds listed in it, where murders and beheading take place in broad daylight and the government is helpless, who will want to invest? he said. Modi said women too were victims of the poor law and order situation. A government that cannot provide security and dignity to women, its ouster is certain. Modi also blamed the Congress for cheating farmers and made the case that the schemes brought by his government have benefitted all sections of the society, from farmers and small traders to the poor and disadvantaged, tribals and defence forces and the middle class and artisans. Modi exhorted people to vote for the BJP to ensure growth and development in Rajasthan. Modi reached Jaipur after a rally in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a coordinated effort, the Kulgam Police, in collaboration with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has successfully dismantled two terrorist cells, leading to the arrest of five individuals with affiliations to Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The operation yielded the recovery of firearms and ammunition, according to officials. Kulgam police along with CRPF personnel busted two terrorist modules and arrested five hybrid terrorists and seized arms and ammunition, in Kulgam on Sunday.(ANI) The individuals taken into custody have been identified as Aadil Hussain Wani, Suhail Ahmad Dar, Aitmad Ahmad Laway, Mehraj Ahmad Lone, and Sabzar Ahmad Khaar. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition including two pistols, three hand grenades, one UBGL, two pistol magazines, 12 pistol rounds, and 21 AK-47 rounds was recovered from their possession, the statement said. "In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law stands has been registered at Qaimoh and Police Station," ANI quoted police as saying. Further inquiries and investigations into the matter are currently underway. The crackdown on terror modules comes days after the encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district ended on its seventh day following the recovery of the body of local terrorist Uzair Khan. However, police said that the search operation will continue as many areas are left to be cleared. "The search operation will continue as many areas are still left...We would appeal to the public to not go there because there are many grenades there. We had information about two to three terrorists. It's possible that we find the third body somewhere that's why we will complete the search operation. We found the body of the LeT Commander and retrieved it, we could also spot another body...We're looking for the third body," ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated the Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 exhibition at the Hindan Air Base in Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad here. Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 hosted live aerial demonstrations of a variety of drone operations and applications by various drone companies. (Screengrab) The mega drone show is being hosted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Drone Federation of India (DFI). After inaugurating the Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 exhibition, Defence Minister and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari witnessed the prowess of the Indian drone industry. Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 hosted live aerial demonstrations of a variety of drone operations and applications by various drone companies. Addressing the gathering, Wing Commander Sonam Bakshi gave an opening to the live aerial demonstrations saying, "Wakif kaha zamana hamari udaan se, Wakif kaha zamana hamari udaan se vo aur the, Jo haar gaye aasaman se." The first demonstration displayed a compact system of drones that can be carried on a motorbike. Special motorbikes are customised to carry unassembled drones. Kisan drones can be transported using motorbikes across rural terrain to introduce modern agricultural practices. Following this, the Defence Minister and Air Chief Marshal witnessed drones with the capability to carry 50kg-100 kg payload. Additionally, the officials also witnessed the display of a Kamikaze drone during Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 at the Hindan Airbase. Notably, the IAF, recognizing the potential of indigenous drone design and development, is collaborating with the Drone Federation of India (DFI) to jointly host Bharat Drone Shakti 2023. This event, scheduled for September 25 and 26, will take place at the IAF's Hindan airbase in Ghaziabad and will feature live aerial demonstrations. In India, the utilization of drones is on the rise, spanning across military and civilian applications. Drone technology has rapidly transformed both civil and defence sectors, enhancing efficiency, reducing risk exposure, and elevating capabilities, said a press release. The IAF has extensive experience in deploying Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Intelligence Surveillance and reconnaissance operations. To harness the burgeoning drone technology sector in India, the IAF initiated the Meher Baba Swarm Drone competition, showcasing its faith in the nation's drone capabilities, according to the release. Now, with Bharat Drone Shakti 2023, the IAF is poised to further leverage this expertise. Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 promises to spotlight the full potential of the Indian drone industry, with an impressive lineup of over 50 live aerial demonstrations. These demonstrations will encompass a diverse range of drone applications, including survey drones, agriculture drones, fire suppression drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy-lift logistics drones, loitering munition systems, drone swarms, and counter-drone solutions, said the release. The event will also witness the active participation of more than 75 drone start-ups and corporate entities. Anticipated to draw approximately 5,000 attendees, Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 will serve as a convergence point for a wide spectrum of stakeholders. Representatives from central government agencies, state departments, public and private industries, armed forces, paramilitary forces, friendly foreign countries, academic institutions, students, and drone enthusiasts are expected to grace the event, said the release. This collaboration between the Indian Air Force and the Drone Federation of India underscores the commitment to advancing drone technology and its applications in India. The event promises to showcase the capabilities of Indian drones and provide a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts. Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 marks a step towards harnessing the full potential of this transformative technology for the nation's benefit. External affairs minister S Jaishankar met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York on Monday, where the two discussed Indias G20 presidency, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, and the reform of the international financial architecture. External affairs minister S Jaishankar met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York on Monday (Twitter) The minister will speak at the UNGA on Tuesday, but has been engaged in close bilateral consultations with partners and friends over the past four days since arriving in New York. Also Read: Dominant resisting change,' says Jaishankar; warns of double standards After meeting the UNSG, who was in Delhi for the G20 summit and had also visited last year to attend the launch of PM Narendra Modis Mission LiFE initiative, Jaishankar tweeted, Discussed how Indias G20 Presidency has contributed to strengthening @UNs sustainable development agenda. We have coordinated closely in this regard over the last year. Appreciate UNSGs strong commitment to reforming International Financial Institutions. The lack of progress in achieving SDGs, and the need for greater resources and financing felt by most of the developing world to achieve these targets, was both a prominent theme of Indias G20 presidency and has been a key talking point over the past week at the UN. The Indian presidency also took forward the issue of the reform of multilateral development banks (MDBs) during its G20 presidency; Guterres too has been a supporter of the expansion of the mandate of the World Bank to include battling climate and transboundary challenges while retaining the focus on battling poverty and has underscored the need to form greater financial resources for MDBs to be more effective. Also Read: From global north to south, Jaishankar continues bilateral engagements The minister and top UN bureaucrat are also understood to have discussed the war in Ukraine and the Black Sea Grain Initiative the UN has been among the architects of the initiative and the Indian G20 presidency saw, in the Delhi declaration, a consensual statement reaffirming the need for the initiative to resume with an eye on global food security in general and food security in Africa in particular. All these themes tie in with Indias decision to use its perch at the UN, and as the G20 presidency, to articulate the issues of the wider global south. This resonated in other meetings too. On Monday morning, Jaishankar also met United Nations general Assembly president Dennis Francis. The minister welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of Indias G20 Presidencyand expressed the confidence that it would contribute to the UNGAs discourse and deliberations. Also Read: Jaishankar kicks off intensive bilateral engagements in New York with close partners Agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues of our times, said Jaishankar. At an event hosted by the permanent mission of India to deepen the India-UN partnership to deliver development to the global south, Francis had called the Indian presidency of G20 a historic milestone, and welcomed the African Unions inclusion in the group as a a strong symbol of solidarity and cooperation across the Global South. He had said that Indias legacy of contribution was a guiding light and acknowledged that he was following in the footsteps of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, the first woman president of the general assembly who was from India. Our enduring partnership, from the UNs heart to Indias remotest villages, serves as an inspiration to the Global South, Francis had said. Jaishankar also continued his bilateral engagements with both partners across north America and Indian Ocean and geographies in turmoil including the Caucasus over the weekend and Monday morning. On Monday, the Indian minister met Yvette Sylla, his counterpart from Madagascar, a key country in the Indian Ocean. Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defense cooperation, the EAM posted on X. On Sunday, he met Armenias foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan. Jaishankar appreciated the Armenian minister sharing his assessment of the situation in the Caucasus and affirmed their strong bilateral relationship. Mirzoyan was more explicit, tweeting, Discussed security situation in #SouthCaucasus & Azerbaijani aggression in #NagornoKarabakh. Stressed imperative for clear steps to restrain efforts to destabilize the region & prevent another ethnic cleansing. Jaishankar also met his Bosnia and Herzegovina counterpart, Elmedin Konakovic and said that they discussed their growing ties with a focus on trade and economy. With Mexicos foreign minister Alicia Barcena, Jaishankar talked about taking forward our Privileged Partnership focusing on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine, and discussed reforming multilateralism and G20, of which Mexico is a member. On Saturday, Jaishankar had also met Cambodias PM Hun Manet. Discussed the progress of our development partnership. Noted as well our expanding defence and cultural cooperation. Exchanged views on Myanmar, Jaishankar said. Cambodia is one of Chinas closest partners in the region, but its membership of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and role in Myanmar makes it important to engage with. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nine technical reports of central government institutions on Joshimath show how geological instability, rampant development (over 4200 buildings) and traffic-induced vibrations may have contributed to the development of cracks and ground fissures in the holy town located on ancient landslide residue in Chamoli district. The reports were commissioned by the state and the central governments to understand different aspects of sudden emergence of cracks in the town between November 2022 and January 2023. PREMIUM Cracks emerged in the town between November 2022 and January 2023 (HT Photo) Also Read: Joshimath cracks likely due to constructions in spring zone, says report Magnitude The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) report on Deformation Analysis showed that the central, eastern, and southern (high altitude) parts of the Joshimath town displayed a higher rate of land displacement, about 12 cm per year, as compared to other areas. IIRS analysed satellite images of Joshimath between June 2019 and February 2022 and gave a slew of reasons for subsidence primarily, toe-cutting by Alaknanda river which flows at the toe/base of Joshimath hillside; slope instability as a result of seepage of local drainage water in the soil; loose and unconsolidated moraine materials of the slope (due to old landside); and flash flood events in and around the area in recent past. This resulted in the development of cracks in the ground as well as houses in Joshimath town, the report said and added there was a sudden increase in deformation from November 9, 2022 to January 19, 2023 because of increase in underground land displacement in the vertical direction primarily due to higher flow of underground water. Geological reasons The report on to study geological and geotechnical subsurface strata at Joshimath by National Institute of Geophysical Institute, Hyderabad, said the Joshimath slope reported over 6 cm displacement during the December 2022-January 2023 period, with peak subsidence regions reporting fissures of up to one metre in length horizontally and vertically. The report said the loose material covering solid rock is not uniform across Joshimath, with its maximum thickness seen around rivulets and streams. The ground fissures have been mostly observed in the zones with thick cover. A similar study by IIT Roorkee said that Joshimath has loose soil having low shear strength parameters even at higher depth. The low soil resistance , land subsidence and high-rise building overloads may aggravate the slope failures, the report added. Also Read: Uttarakhand chief secretary summoned for hearing on Joshimath crisis What may further aggravate the ground situation, the report said, was the Main Central Thrust (MCT) fault-line that passes close to the south of Joshimath at Helang, making the rocks structurally weak and sheared. As such, the area around Joshimath town is covered by a thick layer of overburden material (a very old landslide) and it has been witnessing gradual sinking for a long time, which was formally reported first by Mishra Committee of 1976, the report said. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) said cracks may increase as Joshimath falls within high seismic zone. Between January 13 to April 12, 2023, WIHGs seismic network recorded 16 micro-earthquakes of maximum magnitude 1.5 within a distance of 50 km of Joshimath. Some higher magnitude earthquakes including one of 5.4 on Richter scale on January 24, 2023, were recorded within a distance of 100 km. The present and past seismic activity has a similar trend of increasing seismicity to the south and southwest mainly concentrated around the epicentre of the Chamoli earthquake, the report said. Human impact The report on Safety assessment of buildings in Joshimath by Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) pointed out that the main cause of cracks in houses and land were due to excessive vibration in the ground on account of traffic; CBRI studied 2,364 buildings. The report also documented around 40 ground fissures with a width of up to 300 mm and a depth of 3 to 4 metres. CBRI stated that 37% of the total buildings were usable, 42% needed further assessment, 20% were unusable, and 1% need to be demolished. Also Read: 6-ft hole in a Joshimath field sparks fresh fears While most of the reports blamed the topography of Joshimath for cracks, the Central Water Commission report on hydrology pointed to the large number of constructions in the spring zone of Joshimath town as the main reason . As large number of pilgrims for Chardham Yatra and tourists come every year, to provide accommodation, ample number of hotels, homestays are constructed in the area, the report said, claiming that this stopped the flow of spring water, resulting in it seeping out in JP residential colony. Delinking NTPC The National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkees report source of water gushing in JP Colony ruled out its connection with National Thermal Power Corporation hydro-projects in the area. Instead, it attributed the phenomena to a linkage between subsidence and subsurface water in form of numerous springs in the western part of Joshimath. The report said the topography (cascade of flat and steep terrain from top to bottom) and geological setting create an unfavourable condition for the development of permanent water channels to dispose water coming from upper reaches and any blockade can create underground storage, aggravating subsidence. The Geological Survey of India found 81 ground cracks, of which 42 were recent and mostly in excessive rate of water flow zone. It attributed them to presence of a thick, loose, unconsolidated debris mass on the Joshimath slope due to land sinking for last four to five decades and underground seepage natural lines. The report said water sample tests from JP Colony and NTPCs Tapovan-Vishnugad Hydel Project didnt match. Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha said that it on the basis of these reports that the states Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) was prepared. The report is now with the Union government, he added. The report will also be used in stabilisation of the town. It has also been shared with the Public Works Department for further action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a frontal attack on the Congress party, alleging years of misrule and corruption in Madhya Pradesh before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state. Addressing party workers at Karyakarta Mahakumbh in Bhopal, Prime Minister Modi warned that a return of Congress would turn Madhya Pradesh into a Bimaru state. Bimaru is an acronym to refer to some of the poorest states to imply they have lagged in terms of development parameters like economic growth, healthcare and education. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' in Bhopal. "The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has completed almost 20 years. This means the youths who will be voting for the first time in the upcoming elections, have only seen the BJP government. They are fortunate that they haven't seen the bad governance of Congress in Madhya Pradesh," PM Modi said as he tried to dissuade first-time voters from voting for the grand old party. After Independence, it was Congress rule in Madhya Pradesh for a long time. The Congress turned a prosperous state into 'bimaru'. The youths of the state have not seen the deplorable law and order condition during the Congress rule, the top BJP leader added. Prime Minister Modi addressed the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' to mark the culmination of the yatras, a mass-contact programme, that the BJP has been taking out from five different places in Madhya Pradesh where the assembly polls are due this year-end. The prime minister also asserted that Madhya Pradesh has been an important centre of BJP's ideology and its vision of development. 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' says a lot of things. This shows what is there in the minds of people here. This shows the energy of the workers of the BJP... Madhya Pradesh is the heart of the country... People of the state have always supported BJP... The state is not only the ideology of BJP but also the central spot of development vision, PM Modi said at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal. He claimed that the opposition parties will try to divide 'Naari Shakti', or women's power, urging them to stay united and not fall prey to Congress's "divisive politics". "I want to caution the women of India, the Congress and its new 'ghamandiya' alliance supported this (Women's Reservation) Bill half-heartedly and reluctantly," he said. "They (INDIA alliance parties) are flustered. They will play a new game now and will try to divide the 'Nari Shakti' by spreading rumours," he added. In a veiled jibe at Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Modi said that Congress leaders born with a silver spoon have turned agricultural land into picnic spots and the struggles of the poor into a photo session opportunity. In the past few months, Rahul Gandhi has been interacting with labourers and workers across fields and putting out videos on social media platforms. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail As Janata Dal (Secular) forms an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, several Muslim leaders have resigned from the JD(S) signalling a shift in the partys approach towards its Muslim vote bank in the state, political experts said. However, the alliance is likely to give the BJP an upper hand in the long run, experts added. Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda met former Karnataka chief minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy in presence of Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday. (ANI) A day after the JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA, senior Muslim leaders including Syed Shafiullah, the partys senior state vice-president, resigned from all party positions. More Muslim leaders are said to be contemplating a similar move, and have decided to hold consultations at the district-level on their next course of action. While both the BJP and the JD(S) hope to benefit from the alliance, the JD(S) is now vying on the Vokkaliga vote bank, after its strategy of garnering Muslim votes backfired in the recent Assembly elections. While nine of the 15 Muslim candidates fielded by the Congress won, none of the 22 fielded by the JD(S) did. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the Muslim votes largely went to the Congress. The survey data also indicates that. The JD(S) argument is that the Muslim votes are anyway not with us, so, what are we going to lose by aligning with the BJP? Their argument is that by aligning with the BJP, they can secure the benefit of an alliance, political analyst Sandeep Shastri said. However, Shastri pointed out that the JD(S) strategy is debatable. The BJP, when it is in an alliance, has been successful in getting the allys vote transferred. But the ally has never been successful in getting the votes of the BJP transferred. So, the JD(S) hope that the alliance will vote in their favour can still be a question mark. Shastri was referring to the BJP gaining from the Janata Dals vote bank in 1998-99 when former chief minister Ramakrishnas Hegde Lok Shakti Party tied up with BJP after the Janata Dal crumbled. A big chunk of the Lingayat vote bank shifted to the BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 25 of 28 seats but lost Bengaluru Rural (Congress), Mandya (Independent), and Hassan (JDS). This time, if they concede even 4 seats to the JDS, BJP will only be contesting in only 24 seats, which is less than what they won last time, Shastri added. But Shastri said that the BJPs long-term plan is to make Karnataka a bipolar state with the main parties being the BJP and the Congress. One way of doing this is to marginalise the JD(S). This is a strategy which has been tried across the country. Political analyst A Narayana, however, pointed out that to say that it was only Muslims who didnt support the JD(S) is not a valid argument. He said that there was an erosion of vote base for the JD(S), adding that the Muslim vote factor is just an alibi. Muslims voted strategically in the 2023 elections and in certain constituencies they did support the JD(S), for example, in Channapatna. In some other constituencies they might not have supported because the Muslims had an acute sense of insecurity and they wanted to see the BJP defeated, Narayana said. Also, its not just the Muslims who didnt vote for them. There was an erosion of vote base for the JD(S) in general. This happened in constituency like Ramanagara, where Kumaraswamys son contested and lost. That was a Vokkaliga dominated constituency and if this community supported JD(S) lock, stock and barrel, then they shouldve won. Narayana said that the JD(S) is holding out the argument because they wanted to go with the BJP as it is becoming difficult for them to run the party as an independent entity because there has been a continuous erosion of support base. Their vote base and the number of seats that they have been winning have been declining. I think they have lost their confidence to run as an independent regional party. Therefore, they see some incentive in associating themselves with the BJP, hoping that in 2024, if the BJP comes back to power, they will be able to have some stake in the central government. They have been out of power for such a long time that after 2023, their confidence to hold their own flock together has also taken a hit. Due to this they wanted to go with a stronger party and this Muslim vote factor is just an alibi, Narayana pointed out. Another political analyst Chambi Puranik said that for JD(S), its a sheer matter of survival because its a Vokkaliga-based party. It shows that in order to save the party, keep their identity and their strong Vokkaliga base, the JD(S) has aligned with the BJP without the fear of losing the Muslim vote base. Ideology and other things come into the picture, only when you have your own strong base of bargaining power. As a regional party, the JD(S) has taken a very clever, pragmatic decision to align with the BJP. It also augurs well for the JD(S) financially. BJP will definitely come to the rescue of JD(S) like a big brother. If the funding is assured, rest of the things will follow, Puranik said. Shastri said that if the alliance comes through, one hope of the BJP is that there could be a shift of a Vokkaliga votes in their favour. This is the hope the BJP nurses from this particular election. Whether that happens is something we need to look at. In 2019, when Congress and JDS were an alliance, has the Vokkaliga vote transfer already happened to the Congress is an important question we need to look at. So, would the remaining votes which continues with the JDS, will that get transferred to the BJP? It remains to be seen. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Indian government is in the process of cancelling the registration of over a dozen Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holders for carrying out pro-Khalistan activities and anti-India propaganda, reported HT's sister publication Live Mint quoting two persons aware of the matter. The development comes amid a diplomatic standoff between New Delhi and Ottawa over the latter's unsubstantiated claims about the alleged involvement of Indian agents in the killing of designated Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June. India has already suspended visa services for Canadian citizens and has also directed to cut its diplomatic staff in India. (HT File Photo/Vijay Bate) India has already suspended visa services for Canadian citizens and has also directed to cut its diplomatic staff in India. A dossier put up by Indian intelligence seen by HT shows the thriving network of Khalistan terror on Canadian soil despite repeated requests from India to rein in pro-Khalistani activities. The proposed cancellation of OCI cards of pro-Khalistani elements is seen as India's tough stance against the unproved allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A total of 4.06 million OCI registration cards were issued till January 31, 2022, according to information available on the ministry of external affairs website. What is Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)? Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is a special immigration status and visa category that the Government of India provides to people of Indian origin who are foreign citizens or foreign nationals. This status was introduced in response to demands from the Indian diaspora, particularly those who may have held Indian citizenship at some point or have Indian ancestry. Here are some key points about Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI): Eligibility: OCI is typically available to individuals who can prove their Indian origin. This includes people who were citizens of India on or after January 26, 1950, or who were eligible to become citizens of India at that time. It also covers their descendants, such as children and grandchildren. Benefits: OCI status provides several benefits, including the ability to travel to India without requiring a visa, the ability to own property in India, and the ability to open bank accounts and make investments in India. OCI holders are also eligible for certain educational and employment opportunities in India. Restrictions: While OCI status offers many privileges, it does come with some restrictions. For example, OCI holders cannot vote in Indian elections, hold certain government positions, or acquire agricultural land in India. They also do not have the same political rights as full Indian citizens. Application Process: To obtain OCI status, individuals typically need to apply through the Indian embassy or consulate in their country of residence. The application process involves submitting various documents to establish their Indian origin and paying the required fees. Dual Citizenship: OCI is not the same as full Indian citizenship, and it does not grant the same rights and responsibilities as Indian citizens. India does not allow dual citizenship, so individuals with OCI status are still considered citizens of their respective countries of nationality. Renewal: OCI cards are typically issued for a lifetime. However, there may be a need to renew the card in certain situations, such as when the cardholder obtains a new passport. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail Chrysanthemum once valued at up to 200 per kg, is now fetching farmers mere 15-20 per kg, leaving many in distress. The drastic drop in prices has dealt a severe blow to those who toil to cultivate one kilogram of these delicate flowers. Chrysanthemum farmers destroy crops amid drastic drop in market prices. (HT photo) Farmers invest considerable effort in tilling the fields, planting seeds, nurturing the crop, combating pests, and providing irrigation. However, when the flowers finally bloom, they are met with dismal prices. With prices plummeting to 5-10, there are scarcely any buyers willing to purchase Chrysanthemum from these farmers. Harvesting Chrysanthemum flowers, a task that requires preventing damage to the blooms and transporting them to the market intact, also incurs significant costs. In a situation where the expenses incurred for harvesting flowers are unlikely to be recovered, farmers face a grim dilemma. Yogaraj, a farmer from Kanchanahalli in Pandavapur taluk of Mandya district, made the difficult decision to destroy his flower crop. This family of farmers, who had cultivated Chrysanthemum in Pandavapura and KR pet areas, found themselves struggling as the market price for plummeted. I grew Chrysanthemum in my three acres of farm by spending 1.8-2 lakh by availing loans, Yogaraj said. He was expecting at least 4.5 to 5 lakhs at the price of 40-50 rupees per kilogram. But the price dropped to 10-15 per kilo. I was forced to destroy my crop to grow other crop, he added. We used to send flowers to Bengaluru market but no one is buying for more than 15 per kilo. The harvesting and transporting coolie per kilo exceed 10, he said. Chrysanthemum is being grown in around 3,400 hectares of land in Mandya district, Mandya horticulture department deputy director B Roopa Shree told HT. She said Pandavapura taluk is the major producer of Chrysanthemum with 2,400 hectares of land while KR Pete taluk produces around 824 hectares. But this year most of the farmers switched to Chrysanthemum as the price went up to 200 per kilo in Bengaluru itself. The growing area swelled to 3,924 hectares. The excess growing and inflow of flowers from Tamil Nadu caused the price crash, she said, expressing hope that the price may go up during Dasara festival. Another farmer farmer BN Chandrappa said, This isnt an isolated incident. Numerous farmers are resorting to the destruction of their flower crops due to the absence of fair compensation for their hard work. Faced with the prospect of further losses by harvesting and attempting to sell the flowers in the market, these farmers are opting to compost the blooms back into the earth. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON While addressing a gathering in Chhattisgarh on Monday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reiterated his call for the release of the caste census data, claiming that the Prime Minister appears reluctant to make this data public. But in Congress-ruled Karnataka, the state government is yet to act on the caste census conducted in 2015. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demands caste census, Karnataka government is yet t act on 2015 census reports. (PTI) On June 7, the chief minister of Karnataka announced his governments intention to accept the 2015 socio-economic survey report, commonly known as the caste census. However, since this announcement, the government has taken no concrete steps to act upon this proposal, creating a political conundrum. Party insiders suggest that although chief minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement, the party has recommended delaying any further action on the proposal until after the Lok Sabha elections. This delay strategy stems from concerns that the caste census report could disrupt the long-standing dominance of the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities in Karnataka. These communities have traditionally held significant political influence, based on the belief that they constitute a substantial portion of the states population. Moreover, the caste census has triggered internal divisions within the Congress party, with some leaders opposing the move. This internal strife arises from concerns among Dalits that the report could potentially increase the number of reserved seats (currently at 36) among the 224 Assembly constituencies. Similarly, Lingayats and Vokkaligas fear that the report might negatively impact their political representation. Adding to the controversy, reports surfaced of deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, a prominent Vokkaliga leader, allegedly writing to CM Siddaramaiah, urging him not to accept the states caste census report. However, on Thursday, Shivakumar vehemently denied writing any such letter, labelling the reports as fake news aimed at sowing discord between him and CM Siddaramaiah. I havent written any letter to the CM. I havent even discussed the matter with him. Reports in sections of the media are far from the truth and entirely imaginary. This fake news is being circulated so as to cause a rift between me and CM Siddaramaiah, he said. The groundwork for the caste census was laid during Siddaramaiahs initial term as chief minister when the state commissioned the extensive 2015 survey at a cost of 162 crore. This marked a pioneering effort by any Indian state since 1935. The arduous task of surveying 160 million households in Karnataka, initiated in 2014, took over a year to complete, with a workforce of 160,000 personnel visiting homes across the state. The government allocated 169 crore for this ambitious undertaking. On June 7, even though CM Siddaramaiah announced the decision to accept the report, its contents and the anticipated date of public release remained undisclosed. However, in 2018, certain findings from the report were leaked, leading to dissatisfaction among larger communities such as Lingayats and Vokkaligas. The leaked figures indicated that their populations were significantly lower than commonly believed. Allegedly, the Siddaramaiah government deliberately delayed submitting the report after these leaks, possibly influenced by the approaching 2018 assembly elections. According to the leaked data, Scheduled Castes (SCs) constituted the largest caste group, accounting for 19.5% of the states total population, closely followed by Muslims at 16%. Lingayats and Vokkaligas represented 14% and 11% of the population, respectively. Within the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the Kuruba community alone comprised 7% of Karnatakas population, contributing to the OBCs overall representation of 20% in the state. Collectively, when considering SCs, STs, Muslims, and Kurubas, these groups represented 47.5% of the total population, forming a potentially influential political coalition. Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs AHINDA (Minorities, Backward Classes, and Dalits) group was poised to emerge as a formidable political force in the state, possibly relegating Lingayats and Vokkaligas to secondary positions. However, the Lingayat community contested the reports findings. A senior member of the Veerashaiva Mahasabha, requesting anonymity, referred to the findings of the justice Chinnappa Reddy Commission in the 1980s, which estimated the Lingayat population to be 6.9 million, or 16.92% of the total population. We conducted our own caste census revealed a population of approximately 120 million, constituting around 20% of the total population, he said. When questioned about the reasons for the governments delay in releasing the census, a senior cabinet minister cited technical issues. There are some legal issues since the report that was prepared in 2015 was not signed by then member secretary. His term has expired, so he cant sign it now. These problems need to be rectified before going ahead with the census report, said the minister who didnt want to be named. Meanwhile, K Jayaprakash Hegde, the chairman of the state Commission for Backward Classes, informed the media that the Commission had decided to have the report reviewed by a committee of academics from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC). When the report is final, we will submit it to the government, but it will take time, he said. A political expert noted that Congress is acutely aware of the significant political implications of releasing the caste census data. The dominant communities in the state would no longer maintain their numerical superiority. The fact that Muslims emerged as the second largest group is an advantage to Congress, but they also know that SC, ST and OBCs cant be looked at as a monolithic group. So can the Congress upset the dominant communities that seem united and supported you in the Assembly election, said political scientist Sandeep Shastri. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted raids at homes and premises of former members of banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) across four districts in Kerala, people aware of the matter said. The raids are reportedly being conducted to identify the source of funding for terror activities of the banned outfit. (Representative file image) Teams of ED officials accompanied by police and paramilitary personnel began the raids around 6am across 11 locations in the districts of Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Wayanad. According to people aware of the developments, the searches were conducted at the home of Abdul Latheef, a former state leader of PFI, in Chavakkad in Thrissur district and the residence of Jamal Muhammad, former PFI district president in Ernakulam district. Also Read: Bihar: NIA raids house of suspected PFI activist in Katihar The raids are reportedly being conducted to identify the source of funding for terror activities of the banned outfit. An official statement from the agency is awaited and the copy will be updated whenever a response is received. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Opposition Congress has released video clips on social media blaming corruption for the collapse of idols at the Mahakal Lok corridor in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain as part of its attempts to counter the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) attempt to capitalise on Tamil Nadu minister Udhyanidhi Stalins controversial call for eradicating Sanatan Dharma. Congress is hoping to return to power in Madhya Pradesh. (HT PHOTO) The BJP in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh has continued attacking Congress for allegedly working against Sanatan Dharma since Stalin, whose Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a key constituent of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), made the comment. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday questioned his predecessor Kamal Naths silence over the insult to Sanatan Dharma and said the INDIA bloc is full of people insulting it. When Sanatan Dharma is insulted you [Nath] keep quiet but when it comes to seeking votes, you become hypocriticalWhy did not you utter even a word over the insult to Sanatan? Your alliance partners are abusing Sanatan... People of Madhya Pradesh will not tolerate this and give a befitting reply to your party. Congress media in-charge KK Mishra hit back citing damage to the statues in Ujjain. They did not spare even God. Crores of rupees were spent on the construction of Mahakal Lok in the holy city Ujjain but in just one storm, the idols were damaged as the government indulged in corruption. The Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta this summer took cognisance of its own in the matter and ordered an inquiry into a Gujarat-based companys alleged use of substandard material for the installation of the idols amid Congresss allegations of corruption in the project. Six out of the seven idols of seven sages installed at the corridor collapsed due to gusty winds in May. Congresss Madhya Pradesh in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala last week also accused the BJP government of letting water accumulate in the Omkareshwar Dam to enable Chouhans smooth visit before releasing it at night and flooding the town. Chouhan unveiled at Omkareshwara a 108-feet-high statue of Adi Shankaracharya, who is credited with restoring Sanatan Dharmas glory in the eighth century. State Congress spokesman Santosh Gautam said they were committed to highlighting the corruption of the BJP government in Ujjain, its ruining of the environment at Omkareshwar, and stalling Ram Van Gaman Path work at Chitrakoot which was started when Nath was the chief minister. He said the Congress leaders were highlighting these issues to expose the BJPs real face. State BJP spokesman Hitesh Bajpai said that people know who champions Sanatan Dharma and those who are against it. The problem with Congress leaders is they see corruption even in development...Congress leaders amassed wealth in the name of development. ...people will reject the party [Congress]. The BJP, which has since 2003 been in power in the state barring 18 months between 2018 and 2020, faces anti-incumbency and infighting in Madhya Pradesh, where polls are due this year along with four other states. The five states account for roughly 15% of Indias population. The five assembly elections are expected to set the tone for the 2024 national elections. The Congress hopes to form the next government in Madhya Pradesh three years after it lost power there in March 2020 when 22 legislators resigned. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Maoists on Monday attacked a third railway construction site in a small town near Ranchi-Latehar border in Jharkhand, setting several vehicles situated on the nearby bridge on fire. The incident took place on an over-bridge on Chhati river situated in Ranchi's McCluskieganj. Maoists set vehicles on fire According to LiveHindustan, maoists also attacked the workers at the site and raised slogans. According to one construction worker, around 10-12 people carrying arms ambused the site in the evening. Similar attacks were carried out in the region and obstructed the railway contruction work, leading to destruction of property worth crores. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the Opposition in twin campaign rallies in the capital cities of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan ahead of crucial assembly polls, accusing the Congress of dragging its feet on womens reservation and blaming the party for poor governance and nepotism. PM Modi, accompanied by Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Narendra Singh Tomar, MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP President VD Sharma in Bhopal on Monday. (PTI) In events in Bhopal and Jaipur, Modi took on the Opposition, calling the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) a ghamandia (arrogant) alliance and holding the Congress responsible for keeping the people of India poor and forcing them to live in misery for decades. Who gave the slogan of eradicating poverty 50 years ago? Did Congress fulfil its promise? No. I want to share with you one more statistic. In just five years of the BJP government, 130 million people have come out of poverty in the country. This is the result of Modis guarantee, said the PM in Bhopal. Congress has lost all its willpower. The grassroots leaders of Congress have been sitting quietly with their mouths locked. First, Congress was ruined, then they became bankrupt and now they have given their contract to someone else. The party is no longer being run by its leaders. Now it is outsourcing everything, from slogans to policies, and this contract is with some urban naxalites, Modi added. The high-voltage events came just months ahead of scheduled assembly polls in the two states. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is looking to return to power, while in Rajasthan, a state where the incumbent is usually voted out, the BJP hopes to dethrone the Congress. Assembly polls in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram are also scheduled later this year in what is seen as a virtual semi final before next years general elections. In both state capitals, Modi extensively spoke about the womens reservation bill, which set aside a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures for female lawmakers, and was passed in the recently concluded special session of Parliament. He sought to contrast his governments efforts at pushing through the historic legislation with the stumbling efforts of previous administrations in passing such a law, saying the Opposition backed the bill out of compulsion and could betray women if they came to power. The PM was addressing BJP workers congregation at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal, which was culmination of the partys Jan Ashirvad Yatra taken out from five places in the state between September 3 to 22 in the run-up to the state assembly election to be held in November. The Nari Shakti Vandan bill passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has created history. Mothers and sisters were waiting for this for decades. It was being said that perhaps this could never be possible, he said. Par Modi hai to har guarantee puri hone ki guarantee hai (When Modi is there one should be assured that every guarantee will be fulfilled), he added. He told the women that Congress and its new ghamandia alliance had leaders who didnt allow the bill to be passed for 30 years, but supported it out of compulsion as they realised that the women had understood their character. Remember my words, the ghamandia alliance has already made up their mind and the moment they get an opportunity, they will betray mothers and sisters. They will try to divide you on some ground or the other. You should remain united, he said. He hit out at the Congress, saying that the Congress administrations in Madhya Pradesh were remembered for misrule that made the state BIMARU a reference to an umbrella moniker used for the underdeveloped states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The BJP government has completed almost 20 years in MP. The youth who will vote for the first time have seen only the BJP government. They are fortunate that they have not seen the bad governance and evils of Congress in MP, the PM said. As the gathering chanted his name, Modi urged the people to vote for the BJP to propel development. He said the BJP is building modern roads, broad highways and expressways and brought modern trains such as Vande Bharat. Later in the day in Jaipur, Modi said he could see that change was imminent in Rajasthan. The BJP yatras got widespread support from the people. This shows that in Rajasthan, the wind has changed, he said at the Parivartan Sankalp, marking the culmination of the BJPs four Parivartan yatras across the state. Modi again took on the Congress over the womens reservation bill. The Congress did not have the intent to empower women. Today they are talking about reservations they could have done it 30 years ago. But the truth is that the Congress never wanted to give 33% reservation to women, Modi said. He said that women had harboured hopes of getting 33% reservation for decades but it was not fulfilled. Who fulfilled that dream? It was not me. It was the strength of your vote which made it possible. Your vote elected me and I gave you a guarantee of reservation which I fulfilled, the PM said. Remember, Modi means guarantee of fulfilling guarantees that I give you, he added, elaborating on schemes that his government pushed to empower women. Targeting chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Modi said the Congress government ruined the future of thousands of young people. The Congress government did not give opportunities but only cheated the youth. The Rajasthan government gave protection to the paper leak mafia. I want to assure the youth that when the BJP comes to power, the paper leak mafia will not be spared, he said. Modi also took a swipe at the law and order situation, saying development was stalled due to a spurt in crime. Where there is corruption and crime at every step, who will invest? When the lal diary has black deeds listed in it, where murders and beheadings take place in broad daylight and the government is helpless, who will want to invest? he said, referring to dissident former minister Rajendra Gudha who has alleged that details of irregularities by senior Congress leaders was recorded in his red diary. Modi also blamed the Congress for cheating farmers and made the case that the schemes brought by his government have benefitted all sections of the society from farmers and small traders to the poor and disadvantaged, tribespeople and defence forces to the middle class and artisans. The Congresss Madhya Pradesh in-charge and national general secretary Randeep Surjewala called the speech jumla (empty promises). The warriors of the Congress took on the British and sacrificed their blood for the country. This is not going to stop. Nor will it be stopped by the Mahakumbh of Jumlas, not with a conspiracy built on the sand of lies, said Surjewala. Monsoon started withdrawing from India on Monday, eight days behind the normal date of September 17, the India Meteorological Department said. A woman shelters from heavy rainfall with an umbrella.(AFP) "The southwest monsoon has withdrawn from parts of southwest Rajasthan today, September 25, 2023, against its normal date of withdrawal from southwest Rajasthan of September 17," it said in a statement. This year is the 13th consecutive delayed Monsoon retreat. The withdrawal of monsoon from northwest India marks the beginning of its retreat from the Indian subcontinent. Any delay in the monsoon's retreat means a longer rainy season, which can significantly impact agricultural production, particularly for northwest India where monsoon rainfall plays a crucial role in the Rabi crop production. Typically, the southwest monsoon makes its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17, withdrawing entirely by October 15. According to the IMD, the withdrawal of monsoon from extreme north-western parts of the country is announced based on three major synoptic features after September 1: no rainfall activity over the region for five days on the trot, the establishment of anticyclone in the lower troposphere (850 hPa and below) and a considerable reduction in moisture content as inferred from satellite water vapour imageries and tephigrams. ndia has received 796.4 mm of rain during this monsoon season so far, compared to a normal of 843.2 mm, representing a deficit of six per cent. Rainfall between 94 per cent and 106 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) is considered normal. Normally, the country receives an average of 870 mm of precipitation during the four-month monsoon season (June to September). In a pre-monsoon briefing, the IMD had predicted a normal monsoon for India, albeit on the lower side of normal. It had, however, cautioned that El Nino -- warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America -- might influence the latter half of the southwest monsoon. El Nino results into weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. However, normal cumulative rainfall over the country during the monsoon season doesn't mean even spatial and temporal spread of precipitation. The Indian monsoon refers to inherent fluctuations and changes that occur over time due to various natural factors. This is called natural variability. However, research shows climate change is making monsoon more variable. Increased variability means more extreme weather and dry spells. This year, India experienced a rainfall deficit in June but saw excessive precipitation in July due to consecutive western disturbances over northwest India and a favourable phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), known for increasing convection in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. MJO is a large-scale atmospheric disturbance originating in tropical Africa and travelling eastward, typically lasting 30 to 60 days. August 2023 marked the driest month since 1901 and the hottest ever recorded in India, attributed to the strengthening of El Nino conditions. However, September brought excess of rain due to multiple low-pressure systems and the positive phase of MJO. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The monsoon has withdrawn later than usual from parts of Rajasthan, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday even as there remained a 6% rainfall deficiency across the country. September 17 is the normal date for the withdrawal. There remained a 6% rainfall deficiency across the country. (AFP) The IMD said rainfall was likely to continue in parts of eastern and central India. There has been 17% rain deficiency in east and northeast India, 1% in central India, 9% in the Peninsula, and 2% excess rainfall in northwest India. Rainfall of 90 to 95% of the long-period average (LPA) is considered to be below normal. Less than 90% of LPA is considered deficient. Monsoon rainfall between 96 to 104% is considered normal. The monsoon revived in September after El Nino badly impacted it in August. There was about a 95% chance of 2023 being the warmest or the second-warmest year on record. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned that more months possibly stretching into 2024 could continue the heat trend as the El Nino weather pattern was expected to remain strong. Temperatures were expected to be above normal during a strong El Nino for the post-monsoon period of October-November-December. El Nino causes an unusual warming of waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific. This has a high correlation with warmer summers and weaker monsoon rains in India. The monsoon is critical for Indias economy. As much as 51% of Indias farmed area accounting for 40% of production is rain-fed while 47% of the countrys population is dependent on agriculture for livelihood. IMD said certain meteorological conditions for the withdrawal have been met over the last five days. There has been no rainfall during this period while an anti-cyclonic circulation has developed, and water vapour imagery indicated dry weather conditions over the southwest Rajasthan. The line of monsoon withdrawal line passes through Nokhra, Jodhpur, and Barmer in Rajasthan. A cyclonic circulation was lying over southeast Uttar Pradesh and neighbourhood. A trough from the circulation was to the western Assam in lower tropospheric levels. Another cyclonic circulation was over south Chhattisgarh. A trough was running from this cyclonic circulation to south Konkan in middle tropospheric levels. A cyclonic circulation was likely to form over the north Andaman Sea and neighbourhood around September 29. Under its influence, a low-pressure area was expected to form over the north Andaman Sea and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal during the subsequent 24 hours. Thereafter, it was likely to move west-northwestwards with the possibility of gradual intensification, IMD said. The post-monsoon tropical cyclone season begins in October. But meteorologists said it is too early to say with certainty how far the system would intensify and what would be its track. An IMD official said it can take two directions. One is to move towards Myanmar in which case its intensification may not be strong... another is to move across the Bay of Bengal. The sea surface temperatures are high over the Bay of Bengal with 31C over some pockets. If the system travels over warm waters for several days, it will most certainly intensify. The system in any case will intensify to a depression. Canada wants to shift from the intelligence-based credible allegations Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has cited linking Indian agents to the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar to strong evidence delivered through the ongoing probe, Canadian national defence minister Bill Blair has said. Canadian national defence minister Bill Blair. (X) In an interview with public broadcaster CBC News, Blair said the emphasis should be on the ongoing investigation. ...wed be able to move beyond credible intelligence to evidence, strong evidence of exactly what happened, so that we and the Indian government can know the truth, have the facts and then work together to resolve it in an appropriate way. CBC News reported Blair sought to shift focus away from questions of intelligence on Sunday and toward the ongoing criminal investigation into the issue. Blair, a former Toronto Police chief, said the only request they have made to allies and India is that they co-operate fully in the investigation as its outcome is very important. Canada has not detailed the credible allegations it has even as CBC News reported that Ottawa has in its possession emails from Indian diplomats. India has denied its involvement and described the allegations as absurd and motivated and called Canada a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists and organized crime. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anirudh Bhattacharyya Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb. ...view detail Amid the simmering tension between India and Canada following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that the Indian government could be behind the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Baloch Human Rights Council of Canada (BHRC) has questioned the lack of action in the kidnapping and alleged murder of exiled Baloch human rights activist Karima Baloch. File Photo of Baloch activist Karima Baloch who was found dead in Toronto. (ANI Photo) Baloch was found dead in 2020 in Toronto, Canada, where she had been living for five years in exile after being slapped with terrorism charges in Pakistan. Baloch, 37, from the restive region of Balochistan in western Pakistan, was a vocal critic of the Pakistani military and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Accusing Trudeau of playing politics and ignoring the death of Baloch, the BHRC, in a letter to the Canadian PM, on Saturday pointed out that there had been perceived inconsistencies in his governments response to the mysterious death of Balochistan rights activist and protected individual, Karima Baloch, in December 2020, in Toronto. Claiming that there was a stark contrast with the Canadian governments actions on the pro-Khalistan leader, the letter said that Trudeaus conspicuous silence regarding the high-profile, unexplained death of Karima Baloch stands in stark contrast to his impassioned speeches in the House of Commons and extensive media coverage concerning the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The BHRC also questioned the Canadian governments consistency and fairness, particularly with regard to the handling of Balochistans alleged ongoing human rights violations by the Pakistan Army. Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, has slammed Trudeau over the death of Baloch. Participating in a panel discussion at the Hudson Institute think-tank recently, Rubin said what is striking about Trudeau's "shameless action and cynical action" is that while he's making a statement now, the killing of Karima Baloch that was carried out allegedly with Pakistani assistance is a police matter and has not been taken to the Prime Minister's Office. Tensions flared between India and Canada early this week following Trudeau's explosive allegations of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on his country's soil on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India has angrily rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: Canada has not shared any evidence with India, at any level, on the possible involvement of Indian intelligence agencies in the murder of Surrey-based Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Nijjar, top Indian security officials said. India is prepared to meet the Canadian escalation over the matter, according to the official. According to the officials, who asked not to be named, neither Ottawa nor Washington DC shared any intelligence on the killing of the Khalistan Tiger Force chief Nijjar with New Delhi in the run-up to the G-20 summit in Delhi. Canadian National Security Advisor Jody Thomas met the Indian intelligence chief and her Indian counterpart before the G-20 summit, but she did not share any evidence pointing to the involvement of India in Nijjars killing, the officials added. It is not clear whether the issue was raised at all. The Financial Times reported that the US, the UK and Canada did raise the issue separately with New Delhi during the summit. Credible allegation is an oxymoron, said one of the officials, referencing the language used by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he first mentioned the issue last week. And since then too, the officials added, no evidence has been shared. No credible evidence has been shared through either the diplomatic or the intelligence channel with India. Since India has nothing to do with Nijjars murder, it is ready to provide assistance provided Canada moves the legitimate legal process and prosecution of the identified killer or killers, added this official. The Indian officials insisted that Trudeaus allegation is politically motivated, with an eye on the Sikh diaspora in Canada, and that the US and Canadas other Five Eyes and G7 alliance partners have been dragged into the issue. To be sure, this assessment runs counter to comments made last week by David Cohen, the US ambassador to Canada, that the allegation was based on shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners. The other members of the Five Eyes are Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. This intelligence, helped Canada in identifying a potential link between the killing and agents of the Indian government Cohen added. Still, India, the officials added is prepared to meet the Canadian escalation over the matter and confront the Trudeau government over the unsubstantiated allegations. It also wants to know who killed Nijjar, they said. The officials acknowledge that the US is caught between its closest ally Canada and new best friend India, and has taken the right position of seeking a full investigation. It is critical that the Canadian investigation proceed, and it would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Friday. It is important that the investigation runs its course, he added. The best thing that can happen now is for Ottawa to produce the evidence if it has any the official cited above said. Justin Trudeau should name the killer of Nijjar and also name the Indian government official who, if any, ordered the hit in a prosecution document. An allegation is not evidence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shishir Gupta Author of Indian Mujahideen: The Enemy Within (2011, Hachette) and Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion and Indian Riposte (2014, Hachette). Awarded K Subrahmanyam Prize for Strategic Studies in 2015 by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) and the 2011 Ben Gurion Prize by Israel. ...view detail BSP MP Danish Ali on Monday alleged BJP's leadership of sanctioning its MP Ramesh Bidhuri to build a narrative around him and his community, and questioned the 'delay' in taking action against the derogatory remarks being made in the Parliament during the special session. He further claimed that evidence against him being dug up since the day when the incident took place. Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali(PTI) The BJP MP made derogatory remarks targeting the BSP MP during the discussion on the success of Chandrayan-3 mission and the matter went haywire in the political corridor. Both the Opposition and Centre began mudslinging and demanded investigation into the incident. Also read: Danish Ali provoked, used unpardonable words against PM; BSP MP rejects charge "There is delay in taking action, and evidence is being dug up against me from that day (when Bidhuri made the remarks). I challenge that if there is any evidence against me, then put it forward," Ali told news agency PTI. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first address in the new Parliament building where he said how people have the power to decide who will sit on which side of the House based on their behaviour, the BSP MP said, "The people of the country have seen the behaviour of the BJP." Earlier in the day, Bidhuri met BJP president JP Nadda at the party's headquarters after he was served a show-cause notice on the matter. To this, Ali said, If they (the BJP) would have been sincere in taking action, why would they be calling him and asking, everything is on record. Is there a conspiracy to build a new narrative. Earlier, BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh waded into the controversy and said Bidhuri's outburst was an outcome of Ali's running commentary on leaders of the saffron party. "While I am not condoning the words uttered by him (Bidhuri), Danish Ali should look within before pointing fingers at others. He had been indulging in a running commentary on our leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minsiter Amit Shah. I have seldom heard any member speak as frequently against our leaders as him," he siad. The BSP MP dismissed Sharan Singh's statement and said he is not in a position to inform what should be done inside the Parliament after being chargesheeted in a sexual harrasment case. "We are in a parliamentary democracy. People have elected us and have given us the role of sitting in the opposition. So, I carry out the responsibility of an MP of the opposition," he said in response to the running commentary remark. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to contest the Lok Sabha election from Hyderabad instead of Kerala's Wayanad. Addressing a public meeting in Hyderabad, Owaisi targeted the Congress party over the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 during the Narasimha Rao government. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi. I am challenging your leader (Rahul Gandhi) to contest elections from Hyderabad and not Wayanad. You keep giving big statements, come to the ground and fight against me, the AIMIM president said amid loud cheers from the crowd gathered there. People from Congress will say a lot of things, but I am ready...Babri Masjid and Secretariat's mosque were demolished under the Congress regime. Owaisi challenged Rahul Gandhi hours after the Congress leader asserted that his party is certainly winning Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, probably winning Telangana, and there is a "very close" contest in Rajasthan which the party believes it will emerge victorious in. Speaking on the controversy around BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's communal slurs hurled at BSP lawmaker Danish Ali, Owaisi said the day is not far when there will be a mob lynching of a Muslim in the Parliament of the country. Where is your 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas? The Prime Minister of this country will not speak a word. The person who spoke nonsense about Muslim MP in the Parliament had also stood in front of me. I told him baithbaith jaa meri jubaan ka muqabla nahi kar sakta (sit down, you can't argue with me). Bidhuri's derogatory remarks targeting Bahujan Samaj Party member Ali during a discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 in the Lok Sabha on Thursday triggered a furore, with opposition leaders calling for stringent action against the BJP MP. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha in poll-bound Rajasthan's Jaipur and accused the Gehlot-led Congress government of wasting five years of the youth of the Rajasthan. "I can clearly see that the Congress will lose in Rajasthan and the state will vote for the BJP," PM Modi said. Talking about Chandrayaan, G20, the new Parliament building, PM Modi asked, "Who brought the women's reservation bill?". To the chants of the people, PM Modi said, "Your answer is wrong. I did not do anything. Your one vote brought the change." PM Modi speaking in Rajasthan's Jaipur on Monday. The Congress could bring in the women's reservation bill 30 years ago. But it never happened because the Congress never wanted that. The Congress and the Ghamadiya alliance are against women's reservation. My sisters of Rajasthan, always remember this and be careful, PM Modi said. Invoking Rajasthan's Sanatan heritage, PM Modi said the Ghamandia alliance will have to pay the price for trying to destroy Sanatan. "Rajasthan will be teaching a lesson to the Congress and the INDIA alliance not in this election, but in every election. They will be uprooted," PM Modi said. Cornering the Gehlot government, PM Modi referred to the paper leak incidents and said the Congress government could not take any action against that. But soon the BJP will come and the suffering of the youth will stop, PM Modi said. PM Modi has spoken on the Sanatan controversy several times after Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin compared Sanatan Dharma with dengue, malaria and said Sanatan needs to be eradicated; merely opposing is not enough. While Udhayanidhi defended his comment and maintained that he spoke against caste-based society. The INDIA bloc distanced itself from the controversy while DMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin asked his party members to exercise restraint on this issue. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday where he addressed a mega congregation of the Bhartiya Janata Party workers Karyakarta Mahakumbh at the Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal. PM Modi in Jaipur rally(ANI) The event is being organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya in order to mark the official culmination of the BJP's Jan Ashirwad Yatras, which crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state. Several reports claimed the BJP is eyeing a gathering of 10 lakh people at the Karyakarta Mahakumbh event to demonstrate the strength of the party. Schools have been ordered to stay shut due to anticipated heavy traffic congestion which is likely to arise as the Bhopal Police regulated several routes in the city for Modi's arrival. Parents have received messages over the weekend notifying them of school closures on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday to address a mega congregation of the Bharatiya Janata Party workers. Several schools will remain closed as various routes have been regulated by the Bhopal Police for Modi's arrival. Cutouts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National President JP Nadda, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP State President VD Sharma put up ahead of PM Modi's visit for 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' at Jamboree Ground in Bhopal.(ANI) The Karyakarta Mahakumbh is being organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state, party leaders said. Reports claimed the BJP is eyeing a gathering of 10 lakh people at the event to demonstrate the party's strength. The decision to declare a holiday in several schools is due to the anticipated heavy traffic congestion in many areas as a result of the road regulations, local reports claimed. Consequently, parents have received messages over the weekend notifying them of the school closure on Monday due to the PM's visit. The rally will be held in Bhopal's Jamboree Maidan, where Modi is expected to arrive at around 11am and stay till 1pm, party's MP unit chief VD Sharma told news agency PTI. BJP v Congress in election The event is a part of the BJP's launch of a series of five yatras earlier this month. BJP president JP Nadda inaugurated the first yatra in Chitrakoot, Satna, on September 3. The formal culmination of these yatras would mark the mega workers' meeting in Bhopal on September 25, a party leader said. The Madhya Pradesh assembly election scheduled to happen later this year will see a tough battle unfolding between the ruling BJP and the Congress. A confident BJP has also unveiled its slogan for the election abki bar 150 par (victory in more than 150 seats). Notably, in a bid to counter the narrative, the Congress has launched a 'Jan Akrosh Yatra' in the state to highlight the "failures" of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government. During the 2018 assembly election, the Congress had emerged as the winner with 114 seats out of 230 seats. Under Kamal Nath, a coalition government was formed, however, the alliance faced a setback after 15 months when a group of Congress MLAs, led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is now a Union minister, defected to the BJP. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nisha Anand Trainee Content Producer at HT Digital. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music. ...view detail Sounding the poll bugle in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan with back-to-back rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday targeted the Congress over the women's reservation bill, saying the opposition party and its partners in the new "ghamandia" alliance "reluctantly" supported the historic step. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BJP workers in Bhopal on Monday. (ANI)(HT_PRINT) The prime minister's attack on the Congress during his massive rallies in Bhopal and Jaipur came on a day when 21 women leaders of the rival party held news conferences in 21 cities as part of what the party said its strategy to "expose the Modi government" on the women's reservation bill which secured Parliamentary approval last Thursday. The Congress hit back asking why has Modi played a "cruel joke" on the women of the country. MP and Rajasthan are among the five states where Assembly elections are due later this year. Addressing a gathering of BJP workers, 'Karyakarta Mahakumb', in Bhopal, Modi also likened the Congress to "rusted iron" and alleged its functioning has been outsourced to "urban Naxals" and that the party is not run by leaders. According to a top BJP leader, the event was attended by more than five lakh workers. Modi also spoke about the passage of the women's reservation bill while addressing a BJP event in Delhi after unveiling a statue of the party's ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary, saying it is not only a win for democracy but also of the party's ideology. Without appropriate participation of women in politics, one cannot talk about inclusive society and democratic integration, he added. BRS MLC K Kavitha, meanwhile, said it is due to the efforts of her party that the long pending proposal to provide for reservation to women was finally cleared by Parliament and that the nation is able to stand alongside other countries with its head held high. I can assert that the BRS party is the reason for bringing up the women's reservation bill and making this country stand alongside other nations holding its head high, she told a rally in Nizamabad in Telangana. In Madhya Pradesh, Modi warned people that if given an opportunity, the Congress will backtrack on the bill that seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state assemblies. The mega gathering of workers was organised to mark the formal culmination of the saffron party's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that crisscrossed the length and breadth of Madhya Pradesh. Modi said he wanted to caution women of MP as the "ghamandia" INDIA alliance has "reluctantly" supported the women's quota bill. The prime minister has often attacked the opposition INDIA bloc as "ghamandia" (arrogant). "The Congress and its allies in the 'ghamandia' (arrogant) bloc (INDIA) supported the women's reservation bill out of compulsion and hesitation as they understood the power of 'nari shakti'. Its passage (in Parliament) became possible as 'Modi hai to Mumkin hai'. Modi means the guarantee of fulfilling guarantees." Modi slammed the Congress and its allies for not ensuring the passage of the legislation when they were in power at the Centre. "Its(Congress) allies hampered the passage of the bill for the last 30 years. Now they raise their hand out of compulsion as women are awakened," he said, and asked, "They ran the government for decades with a majority but why they did not push the bill through?" He said women should remain alert against the efforts to divide them and added that the opposition will try to find chinks in the legislation. Addressing a BJP rally later in Jaipur, Modi said it was never the Congress' intention to empower women, else it could have passed a women's reservation bill during its rule, adding the party now supported the step under pressure from women. The "Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha" marked the culmination of four 'Parivartan Yatras' that BJP took out in Rajasthan. Modi further said the Congress and its "ghamandiya" partners are staunch opponents of women's reservation. Congress never had the intention to empower the women of the country. The Congressmen who are talking about women's reservation today could have done this thirty years ago or when they got the chance, but the truth is that the Congressmen never wanted women to get 33 percent reservation, he said. Even today, if they have come in support of the Nari Shakti Vandan bill, then they have come in a direct line as a result of pressure from all the sisters. He said that those who had stopped this bill during the UPA government are trying to divert such a big decision of empowering women, they are still putting pressure on it, hence the women have to be very cautious." Earlier, he was welcomed by the BJP Mahila Morcha cadre at the meeting venue. The prime minister reached the venue in Dadiya village in Vatika on the outskirts of Jaipur from a nearby helipad in an open-top vehicle escorted by activists of the BJP's women wing who raised slogans in his support. AICC spokesperson Mahima Singh said though the women's reservation bill has been passed by Parliament, it cannot be implemented till the next census is completed and this is typical of the BJP's agenda of "wait for your rights but vote for us now". ''Why has Prime Minister Narendra Modi played the cruel joke on the women of this country as he has asked us to wait yet again, to claim our political right of representation?'' Singh asked at a press conference in Guwahati. Ahead of Chhattisgarh assembly elections due later this year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will launch Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Nyay Yojna (MGANY) in Bilaspur district on Monday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks during The Conclave 2023, hosted by Pratidin Media Networks, in New Delhi.(PTI) This scheme is aimed at providing financial assistance to the homeless and families having kutcha houses in rural areas. At 'Awas Nyay Sammelan', Gandhi and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will disburse the first instalment of 25,000 each to 1,30,000 beneficiaries for the construction of houses, officials said. Rahul Gandhi at 'Awas Nyay Sammelan': Top Updates 1)The event will be held at around 2 pm in Parsada (Sakri) village under the Takhatpur development block in Bilaspur district, a public relations department official said. 2)Of the 1.30 lakh beneficiaries, 1 lakh are those who are listed on the permanent wait list (PWL) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY- rural), but are yet to get the benefit of the Central scheme, he said. 3)On the occasion, 5 crore will be transferred to the accounts of 500 beneficiaries under Mukhyamantri Nirman Shramik Awas Sahayata Yojana (MNSASY), which was launched in May this year, according to the official. Under MNSASY, an assistance of 1 lakh is being given to construction workers registered with the Chhattisgarh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board for the construction of houses. 4)Gandhi and Baghel will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of the development and construction works worth 524.33 crore in Bilaspur district and distribute appointment letters to 2,594 newly recruited teachers, he added. 5)Under MGANY, financial aid will be provided by the Chhattisgarh government to those homeless families who were left out of the survey list of the Socio-Economic Caste Census -2011 (SECC-2011), the official said. 6)The Chhattisgarh State Socio-Economic Survey 2023 was conducted on directions of the chief minister between April 1 and April 30 this year, in which 10,76,545 families were found to be homeless or having kutcha houses, he said. Subsequently, Baghel in July this year announced to launch a rural housing scheme to provide pucca houses to these families. Under this scheme, assistance of 1.30 lakh will be given to each beneficiary in remote areas and 1.20 lakh in plain areas for the construction of houses. 7)The scheme is also aimed at benefiting 6,99,439 eligible beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY- rural), who are on the permanent wait list and yet to get the benefit of the PMAY. These 6,99,439 families were not approved houses under PMAY Rural due to the non-allocation of targets from the Central government, the official said. The Supreme Court on Monday extended interim bail granted to former minister Satyendar Jain till October 9 in the money laundering case and asked him to diligently cooperate with the trial. Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain (File Photo) The Court further clarified that the pending bail proceedings should not be used as a ruse to delay trial in the case pending against him. Extending the bail till the next date of hearing, a bench of justices AS Bopanna and Bela M Trivedi said, It is made clear that the pendency of proceedings in this Court shall not be used as an excuse or a ruse to defer proceedings before the trial court for any reason. The Court later adjourned the hearing on the bail application filed by Jain till October 9. Jain was granted interim medical bail on May 26, which has been extended from time to time as he underwent a spinal operation two months ago. Jain has undergone surgery on July 21. Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju appearing for the ED informed the Supreme Court that applications are being filed by the accused seeking several reliefs to delay the trial. Senior advocate N Hariharan appearing for the former minister along with advocate Vivek Jain denied the allegation saying, We have only taken dates on three occasions. The matter has been adjourned for reasons outside our control. The bench refused to be drawn into the dispute but reminded Jain, The conduct of a party in the trial is very material for considering his bail plea and stated in its order, He (Jain) will diligently take part in the trial proceedings. The hearing of the bail matter was specially listed on Monday but the same could not be heard as senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Jain had some health issues. The ED submitted to the Court a detailed chart indicating the web of transactions linked to Jain in the money laundering case where he is accused of laundering money through four linked companies. The ED case is based on a 2017 case registered against Jain by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in which the ED had attached assets worth Rs.4.81 crore last year. Going through the coloured charts prepared by ED, the bench commented, We thought the next years calendar was already being supplied to us. The Court asked ED to digitally upload the chart for ready reference. Jain had approached the top court against a Delhi high court order of April 6 refusing him bail. In his appeal before the top court, he complained of facing depression, a patch on his lungs after suffering from COVID-19 last year, acute lumbar pain and associated vertigo, degeneration of intervertebral discs and sleep apnea. Jain fell in the jail bathroom in May following which doctors recommended surgery. The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a plea for an out of turn listing of the petition filed by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for quashing of the case filed against him by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in the alleged 371 crore alleged development scam. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu at the Rajahmundry central jail in this file photo (PTI file photo) Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud asked senior counsel Sidharth Luthra, representing Naidu, to mention seek a date of hearing after following the norms. Mention it tomorrow. It has to come in the mentioning list. Please, come tomorrow, the CJI replied after Luthra sought an early date of hearing citing Naidus custody since September 8. Justice Chandrachud added that he cannot entertain the plea since it was not there in the list of mentioning matters. Also Read: Naidu moves SC against high court order, seeks quashing of FIR in skill development scam According to the guidelines, a case can be mentioned for fixing a date of hearing only after it finds a place in a list prepared by the concerned registrar, who in turn is guided by the regulations laid down for assignment of dates for different categories of cases. A day after the Andhra Pradesh high court junked his plea to nix the first information report (FIR) in the case, Naidu had moved the court on Saturday and termed his arrest an instance of regime revenge and political vendetta. The high court had in its order noted that the investigation was at the fulcrum of completion and that no prior approval was required to probe Naidus alleged role in the matter. Naidu, in his appeal before the top court, said that he was suddenly named in the FIR registered over 21 months ago. The Petitioner was arrested in an illegal manner and deprived of his liberty motivated only by political reasons and even though there is no material against him, the petitioner is being made to suffer through an illegal motivated investigation, in clear violation of his fundamental right to fair investigation, said the plea. It further contended that Naidu has been illegally put to custody in the FIR as an orchestrated campaign of regime revenge and to derail the largest opposition in the state, the TDP because assembly elections were round the corner and he had started conducting rallies and having mass public contact programmes at various places in the state. The Andhra Pradesh CID is acting at the behest of the ruling party in order to hurt the petitioners partys chances in the state election due early next year in a clear example of regime revenge. The CID is threatening the officers and others to implicate the Petitioner, his family and the Party, read the petition, filed through advocate Guntur Pramod Kumar. The petition further emphasised that mandatory approval under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act was necessary before the initiation of the enquiry and the registration of the FIR against him since all the alleged acts in the case were relatable to the decisions taken by him in discharge of his official duties as Chief Minister. The fact is that the very registration of the FIR was barred by Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act as it related to official acts of public servants named therein, as has been held by this Honble Court. The FIR being barred under Section 17-A, the arrest, remand and consequent actions must fall, it added. The present scenario of regime revenge and political vendetta is exactly what Section 17-A seeks to restrict by protecting innocent persons, claimed Naidu, adding the initiation of investigation without such approval vitiates the entire proceedings since inception and the same is a jurisdictional error. The investigation against Naidu centres around a scheme that allegedly diverted government funds intended for a skill development project into various shell companies through fraudulent invoices, which did not correspond with the delivery of services. He was arrested and later remanded to judicial custody in the matter on September 10. In its order on last Friday, the high court said that no case for an interference with the proceedings was made out when the probe in the case was at the fulcrum of attaining finality. Investigation in so far as petitioner is concerned, it is at nascent stage, and at this stage, this court should not interfere with the proceedings in a petition under Section 482 CrPC, the high court said, noting that it cannot conduct a mini-trial. It added that since the former CMs alleged actions are unconnected with his official duties or functions, the requirement of prior approval under Section 17-A is inapplicable. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction has filed disqualification petitions against the partys seven lawmakers in Nagaland and lone legislators in Jharkhand. People aware of the matter said the faction sought action against the eight for shifting loyalties to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawars rebel faction. NCP leader Sharad Pawar. (PTI) Disqualification petitions were earlier filed against 45 lawmakers in Maharashtra following the NCP split. The disqualification petitions [in Nagaland and Jharkhand] have been filed against the MLAs [members of legislative assembly] for indulging in anti-party activities, said NCP leader Dheeraj Sharma. The rebel faction of NCP is part of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-BJP government in Nagaland. All seven NCP MLAs from Nagaland were in Mumbai and likely to meet Ajit Pawar on Tuesday. The Ajit Pawar camp has also filed disqualification petitions against 10 NCP Sharad Pawar faction lawmakers in Maharashtra. On July 2, Ajit Pawar joined Maharashtras Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government and was inducted as a deputy chief minister. His faction elected Ajit Pawar as their new national president. Both factions claim to have support from 24 state units. The Pawar-led faction has filed around 40,000 affidavits of the party workers pledging their support to the party patriarch. The rebel faction has submitted around 60,000 such affidavits. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Faisal Malik Faisal is with the political team and covers state administration and state politics. He also covers NCP. ...view detail Six people were apprehended by the customs officials at the Calicut International Airport in Kerala for smuggling in gold to a collective tune of around 3 crore, officials familiar with the matter said on Monday. The accused people were caught by the Customs in a period of 14 hours, from Sunday night till Monday morning (HT Archives) The accused people, who had flown individually to Calicut from different locations in the Gulf countries, were caught by the Customs in a period of 14 hours, from Sunday night till Monday morning. The total amount of gold recovered from six people was 5,460 grams which has an approximate value of 3 crore. The gold was found on the bodies of the fliers as well as in the luggage they carried. It was being carried in the form of capsules as well as paste kept in thin envelopes fixed to the sides of carton boxes, a customs official said. We suspected smuggling when we saw a yellow discolouration on the sides of the carton boxes in the X-ray machine. The extraction of the gold is yet to be done, the official said. The six accused have been identified as Sameer, Abdul Sakkeer, Azeez Kollandavida, Ligeesh, Muhammad Midlaj and Muhammad Basheer. Sameer and Sakkeer were onboard the same flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and were apprehended for carrying gold in the form of capsules. Azeez and Ligeesh arrived from Doha in Qatar and were caught with four and two capsules respectively. Midlaj, who landed from Dubai, was caught with gold in the form of paste hidden in carton boxes. Basheer, who was apprehended with two capsules of gold, arrived from Riyadh, the official said. Meanwhile, there was an incident outside the Calicut airport on Monday when a gang of five persons attempted to abduct Ligeesh, resulting in a scuffle with him. The gang was reportedly trying to steal the gold he carried. Alert CISF officials on the spot caught Ligeesh and one member of the gang, handing them over to the Customs and local police respectively. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishnu Varma Vishnu Varma is Assistant Editor and reports from Kerala for the Hindustan Times. He has 10 years of experience writing for print and digital platforms and has worked at The New York Times, NDTV and The Indian Express in the past. He specialises in longform reportage at the intersections of politics, crime, social commentary and environment. ...view detail Castigating the Uttar Pradesh government for a prima facie failure to comply with the mandate of the Right To Education (RTE) Act, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the state government to immediately appoint a senior Indian Police Officer (IPS) to monitor the investigation into a case lodged against a woman teacher, who allegedly encouraged her students to slap a classmate and made communal remarks at a private school. The bench has sought a report from the UP government on the implementation of the RTE Act in relation to the case. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo) The matter had come to light after a purported video of the incident created an outrage on social media last month, and a first information report (FIR) came to be lodged against the teacher in Muzaffarnagar on August 25. If the allegations are correct, the top court said, it must shock the conscience of the state government, adding there was a direct violation of the childs fundamental right to get compulsory and quality education under the RTE Act. Also Read: SC seeks report from police in Muzaffarnagar child slap incident Unless there is an effort made to inculcate importance of constitutional values in students, there cannot be quality education. There cannot be quality education if a student is penalised only on the grounds of his or her religion. Thus, there is a prima facie failure by the state government to comply with the mandates of the RTE Act and the rules framed thereunder, held a bench of justices AS Oka and Pankaj Mithal. Seeking report from the UP government on the implementation of the RTE Act in relation to the case, the bench further directed counselling of the victim child as well as of other children who were reportedly asked by the teacher to assault the former. The State will place on record a compliance report on the implementation of RTE Act and the rules in relation to the victim of the offence in question. The state will provide better education to the victim child and counselling to all children involved in the incident through expert child psychologists, directed the bench, fixing the matter for hearing next on October 30. The IPS officer appointed to oversee the probe, the court ordered, will also present a status report before the next date of hearing after examining the applicability of the penal charges that should be invoked in the case. Considering the manner in which the police have taken action and especially the fact that though a case for cognisable offences was made out, only a non-cognisable offence was invoked, it is directed that the investigation shall be overseen by a senior police IPS officer... This is a case not only on a failure to set criminal law in motion but there is also a violation of fundamental rights under Article 21A (RTE), stated the court in its order. The court said that if the allegations are correct, this may be the worst kind of physical harassment by a teacher in as much as the teacher asked other students to assault the victim. Responding, the state government submitted in court that it disapproves of communal disharmony and comments by anyone, and that the investigation shall be conducted as per law. Additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, representing the state, added that something has indeed happened and that the authorities will take all the required measures. But the bench retorted: Its not something. Its very serious... The manner in which the incident has taken place, if it is true, it should shock the conscience of the state. If this incident is true that a teacher asked students to beat a child saying he belongs to a different religion, what kind of education is being imparted? Observing that the investigation should not be watered down, the court said that it has serious objections to the manner in which the FIR was registered only under non-cognisable and bailable offences against the teacher whereas the complaint by the victims father clearly divulged more serious charges. We will go deep into it. Let the investigation be monitored by a senior IPS officer who will submit his report before us, it told the ASG, adding the senior officer shall also ascertain safety of the child and his family. It further said that the court was not concerned only about the present incident but also about the quality of education being imparted to students in the state of UP, which itself has framed ruled in 2011 to protect children from any casteist or communal remarks, besides ensuring there is no corporal punishment as mandated by the RTE Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Commission for Protection for Child Rights Act. Keep aside this incident for a minute, we are more concerned about the quality of education in your state. Quality education includes sensitive education. Here, a teacher gave a mandate to beat a child because of his religion? What kind of education is being imparted? it asked. Advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for petitioner Tushar Gandhi, argued that the police were required to invoke Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and a pertinent provision under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act that deals with situations where an employee entrusted with the care and protection of the child physically abuses him or her. These charges can fetch a maximum jail term of up to five years. To this, the bench said that the IPS officer appointed by the state government shall examine whether the charges, as claimed by Farasat, were also made out or not. On September 6, the bench had directed the Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarnagar to file a report on the steps taken to investigate the incident and to indicate what measures have been taken to protect the victim child and his family. The order was passed on a petition filed by social activist Tushar Gandhi, demanding a time-bound and independent investigation and registration of FIR under all applicable charges. The teacher, identified as Tripta Tyagi, of Neha Public School in Khubbapur village under Mansoorpur police station of Muzaffarnagar, was seen in a 34-second video, directing her students to slap their fellow Muslim classmate for failing to learn multiplication tables. She also allegedly declared that children of a certain faith whose parents do not pay attention to their children should be taught a lesson. HT cannot verify the authenticity of the video. In the FIR lodged on August 26 on the complaint of the boys father, Tyagi was charged under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Last week, the police also invoked Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act in the FIR against the schoolteacher. Under the provision of the Juvenile Justice Act invoked by the police, a maximum of three years in jail can be awarded. Speaking to HT on phone earlier, the boys father said that his two sons studied in the same school, but he will now send them to some other school, showing his resentment to the teachers act. Gandhis petition, filed by advocate Shadan Farasat, stated that the slapping incident involving the seven-year-old make out a charge under Sections 75 and 82 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, as well but the police had failed in invoking them. The two provisions penalises physical abuses and corporal punishment and can fetch a jail term ranging from three months to five years. The petition also sought preventive and remedial measures within the school systems in relation to violence against children, including those belonging to religious minorities. The episode, it added, may create a sense of fear among students and parents to send their children belonging to marginalised communities to schools, Following the furore on social media that the disturbing video sparked last month, several leaders including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Choudhary, denounced the incident on X (formerly known as Twitter). Meanwhile, Tripta Tyagi also came forward with her statement last month, saying: I made a mistake by getting the child beaten up by fellow students. I am handicapped and couldnt get up, so I asked the students to slap the child. She also claimed that the video had been tampered with. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The arrest of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu on September 9 on alleged corruption charges has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh. PREMIUM BJP national president JP Nadda interacts with former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu (ANI) In the wake of widespread condemnation of Naidu's arrest, widely perceived as a politically motivated move by the Jagan Reddy government, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan made an unexpected and impromptu announcement. He declared that his party would forge an alliance with the TDP for the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh, slated for April-May 2024. Kalyan's surprise declaration came minutes after his meeting with Chandrababu Naidu within the confines of Rajahmundry Central Prison. It's worth noting that Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena party had previously formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Kalyan had been actively pursuing a tripartite coalition involving TDP, BJP, and Janasena to challenge the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He even met BJP President JP Nadda in July, although it appears that he couldn't extract a definitive commitment from the BJP at that time. However, the BJP has remained tight-lipped about its intentions in Andhra Pradesh. His sudden alignment with the TDP is likely to place the BJP in a challenging position. The BJP now faces the critical decision of whether to enter into a partnership with the TDP-Jana Sena alliance, a decision that will significantly alter the political landscape. Previous explorations Interestingly, both the TDP and the BJP have also explored the possibility of a potential alliance. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu held discussions with Amit Shah and JP Nadda in June last but progress seemed elusive. The BJP, despite enjoying negligible voter support in Andhra Pradesh, finds itself in an advantageous position, with both the ruling YSRCP and the TDP vying for its favour. Both parties have their motivations for seeking proximity to Narendra Modi's government. For Jagan Reddy, currently serving as chief minister on bail, the spectre of 11 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases and eight Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases related to the alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets during his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy's tenure as chief minister looms large. These cases, pending in a Hyderabad CBI court for over a decade, have seemingly tempered his approach towards the BJP at the Centre. On the other hand, Chandrababu Naidu learned the hard way about the consequences of alienating the Modi-Shah duo following the resounding defeat in the 2019 elections. After parting ways with the NDA in 2018, Naidu had vocally criticised the Modi government and even briefly aligned with the Congress. However, TDP leaders later deplored in private the BJP government's "preferential" treatment of Jagan Reddy. Naidu began to take a more conciliatory stance towards the BJP, even heaping praise on Prime Minister Modi's leadership. This shift in rhetoric sparked speculation about a potential revival of ties between the BJP and the TDP. Yet, despite the murmurings of reconciliation, little progress has been made, largely because the BJP remains hesitant to abandon Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has seemingly tightened his grip on the state through a combination of financial incentives for the disadvantaged and strong-arm tactics against the opposition. The implications of Naidus arrest It is against this backdrop that the Jagan government took the dramatic step of arresting Chandrababu Naidu while he was touring Rayalaseema, implicating him in an alleged corruption case. The government initiated additional cases to ensure Naidu's prolonged incarceration. In the wake of Pawan Kalyan's emotionally charged announcement, the BJP finds itself in a delicate predicament. If the BJP decides against aligning with Chandrababu Naidu's TDP, it might inadvertently push Jana Sena out of its political embrace. Complicating matters further is the reluctance within the TDP ranks to entertain the idea of a BJP partnership. Many within the party believe, though they will not say it publicly, that the BJP played a role in Jagan Reddy's audacious move to incarcerate Naidu. Leaders from Jana Sena have made it abundantly clear that Pawan Kalyan remains steadfast in his unilateral commitment to the alliance with the TDP. Consequently, the BJP is confronted with only two choices: to venture forth alone or to seek an alliance with the YSRCP. Solo player Historical data paints a gloomy picture for the BJP should it decide to go solo. In the 2019 elections, the party garnered a meagre share of less than 1 percent of the vote when it charted an independent course in the state. Since then, the political terrain in the state has grown even more challenging for them. On the other hand, while Jagan Mohan Reddy's government may secretly favour a covert understanding with the BJP, openly allying with the party poses considerable risks. A significant portion of Jagan's support base comprises Muslims and Christians, both of whom hold substantial sway in the state's political landscape, and may not appreciate an alliance with the BJP with its anti-minority image. Jagan is likely to prefer a covert understanding with the BJP, which will allow him to take on the TDP-BJP combine. The arrest of Chandrababu Naidu by the Jagan government has thus triggered a series of potential challenges for the BJP, leaving the party in a perplexing position. D. Purandeswari, the state BJP chief, speaking to HT, emphasised, "Janasena is still with us. Pawan Kalyan will explain his stance regarding TDP to our leadership in Delhi, and we will follow their guidance." Analysts are pointing out that the state BJP appears uncertain about how to approach this evolving situation, while the Delhi leadership seems relatively untroubled. "Currently, Andhra Pradesh doesn't seem to be a top priority for the BJP. They have not even communicated their intentions in the state to the local leadership. Consequently, they appear unfazed by the rapidly changing political landscape in a state that boasts 25 MPs," commented a state BJP leader who wished to remain anonymous. New Jersey in the US is set to host the world's second-largest Hindu temple outside India, to be formally inaugurated on October 8. Hailed as the world's largest Hindu temple outside India in the modern era, the Akshardham temple has been built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham organisation. Akshardham temple in New Jersey, US. This grand temple is dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a Hindu spiritual leader of the 19th century, and was inspired by his 5th spiritual successor and renowned saint Pramukh Swami Maharaj. All you need to know about US's Akshardham temple: 1) Located in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, the temple has been built by over 12,500 volunteers from across the US over a span of 12 years, from 2011 to 2023. 2) The temple popular as Akshardham spans over 183 acres and has been designed according to ancient Hindu scriptures and includes design elements from ancient Indian culture. These include 10,000 statues and statuettes, carvings of Indian musical instruments and dance forms. 3) The unique Hindu temple design includes one main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (spire-like structures), and nine pyramidal shikhars. It is designed to apparently last a thousand years. 4) In its construction, four types of stone including limestone, pink sandstone, marble, and granite were used to give it lasting strength. These were sources from around the world including limestone from Bulgaria and Turkey; Marble from Greece, Turkey and Italy; Granite from India and China; Sandstone from India. 5) The temple premises also have a Brahma Kund, a traditional Indian stepwell. It contains water from more than 300 water bodies from around the world, including the holy rivers of India and all 50 states of the US. 6) Though the temple will be formally inaugurated on October 8, it will be open for visitors from October 18. Currently, the temple is open for visitors during certain hours but will be closed between September 30 and October 17 due to a series of private events. The official website of the temple says that till September 30, the campus entry will be open to visitors Monday to Friday only, from 10am to 4:30pm. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eid Milad-Un-Nabi 2023: It is that time of the year again. Eid Milad-Un-Nabi is the time of the year when Muslims all over the world celebrate with a lot of joy, pomp and grandeur. This day marks the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad the religious and social leader who founded Islamic faith and the way of life. Also known as Mawlid or Eid-e-Milad, Eid Milad-Un-Nabi is celebrated by the Islam community all over the world and is considered one of the most significant festivals. The special day is observed on the third month of the Islamic calendar Sunni Muslims celebrate this day on 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, while Shia Muslims celebrate Eid Milad-Un-Nabi on 17th of Rabi al-Awwal. Eid Milad-Un-Nabi 2023: 5 important traditions(Unsplash) The dates may vary from place to place. Eid Milad-Un-Nabi, for this year, will begin in the evening of September 27 and will go on till the evening of September 28. We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join ALSO READ: Make your celebration more special this Eid On the auspicious day of Eid Milad-Un-Nabi, certain traditions are followed to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. Take a look at the traditions here: Decorations: homes and mosques are decorated in colourful lights to celebrate the auspicious day. People also deck up in new clothes and spend the day together. Reciting stories: On this day, a significant tradition is reciting stories related to the life of Prophet Muhammad. Usually, the elders of the family recite the stories to the younger ones. Children recount the stories of Prophet Muhammad's life and the lessons to learn from them. Family gets together: This festival also involves getting together with family, friends, near and dear ones, making arrangements to have meals together and spending the day basking in the warmth of loved ones. Doing noble deeds: Giving charity to the poor, exchanging gifts, making gifts and aiding the underprivileged is a special way of celebrating this auspicious day. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Muslims from the Sufi or the Barelvi school of thought celebrate the birth anniversary of the last Prophet of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, as Eid Milad-un-Nabi or Eid-e-Milad which is also called Nabid and Mawlid in colloquial Arabic. The festival is celebrated by the Sufi and Barelvi sect during Rabi al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. When is Eid Milad-un Nabi 2023? Date, history, significance and celebration in Rabi ul Awwal 1445 (Photo by Twitter/Razaullahshaiq) The moon for the beginning of the month of Rabi al-awwal began in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other parts of the subcontinent region was sighted on October 18 this year. As per the gregorian calendar, October 19th was the first date of Rabi ul Awwal. We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4cwg0DeON0mFeEse2Z?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=whatsappChannel Bidaah: Even though Eid-e-Milad and its traditions are widely followed in India and other countries, many different sections of the Muslim community believe that the birthday celebrations of the Prophet has no place in Islamic culture. Since evidences found in the Holy Quran and Sunnah prove that celebrating any event other than Eid al-Fitr and Eid-e-Adha is a kind of biddah or innovation in religion, Muslims from Salafi and Wahhabi schools of thought do not mark the tradition of festivities. They believe that the observance of Eid-e-Milad or Mawlid is an innovation or act of biddat since it was not even celebrated during the era of Prophet Mohammad himself and his appointed successors. Date: The Islamic calendar or lunar calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar on the basis of the crescent moon sighting so those from the Sunni community of Muslms, who celebrate Eid-e-Milad, mark it on the 12th day of Rabi al-awwal whereas the Shia community celebrates it on the 17th of Rabi al-awwal. This year, Eid-e-Milad will be celebrated on on September 27 in Saudi Arabia and on September 28 in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other parts of the subcontinent region. History and significance: The origin of celebrating Prophet Muhammads birthday can be traced back to the early four Rashidun Caliphs of Islam and the idea of marking this day was first initiated by the Fatimids. Some Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca on the twelfth day of Rabi al-awwal in 570 CE. Though the word Mawlid means to give birth or bear a child in colloquial Arabic, Eid-e-Milad is also mourned by some because it is also believed to be the death anniversary of the Prophet. First celebrated as an official festival in Egypt, the celebrations of Eid-e-Milad became more popular during the 11th century. At that time, only the then ruling tribe of the Shia Muslims in the region could celebrate the festival instead of the general public. Eid-e-Milad began to be celebrated by Syria, Morocco, Turkey and Spain only in the 12th century and soon some Sunni Muslim sects too started celebrating the day. Celebrations: Since it began in Egypt, the earlier celebrations were marked by Muslims offering prayers after which the ruling clan gave speeches and narrated verses from the Holy Quran followed by a large public feast. People of the ruling clan were honoured as they were believed to be Caliphs, which were considered to be representatives of Muhammad. Later, as the practices got modified under heavy Sufi influence, the celebrations were marked with animal sacrifices, public discourses, night time torchlight processions and a public banquet. In current times, Eid-e-Milad is celebrated by Muslims wearing new clothes, offering prayers and exchanging greetings. They get together at a mosque or at a dargah and start their day with a morning prayer followed by a procession carried out from the mosques to the town and back. Children are narrated stories of Prophet Muhammads life and preachings as mentioned in the Holy Quran, community meals are organised, donations are made towards the needy and poor people, friends and family are invited to be a part of the naat festivities and social gatherings wherein they have night-long prayers are held. 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! Alongside dengue and flu cases, Hyderabad has now been burdened with an increase in scrub typhus cases which is typically seen in rural areas but is now also present in urban areas, putting immunocompromised individuals, children, and the elderly at risk, as per the city doctors. Scrub typhus, also known as bush typhus, is a disease caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi where the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi is transmitted through the bites of infected larval mites, which can also infest rodents and these mites are commonly referred to as chiggers. Scrub typhus cases rise in Hyderabad. Here are its causes, symptoms, prevention tips and treatment (HT_PRINT) Causes: In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Yojana Pokarna, MD Ayurveda and Founder Of Orijine Clinic, revealed, Scrub typhus is a disease caused by tiny bugs called mites. These mites carry a germ called Orientia tsutsugamushi. When they bite humans, they can pass on this germ. Symptoms: According to Dr Nidhi Kamat, Consultant General Physician, General Infectious Diseases at Ramakrishna Hospital in Bengaluru's Jayanagar, This illness can manifest with severe symptoms, including high fever, chills, throbbing headaches, body aches and the formation of a distinct scab-like lesion at the location called as 'eschar' where the chigger has bitten. Additional indicators may encompass swollen lymph nodes, the appearance of a rash, and alterations in mental state such as confusion, or in severe cases, even slipping into a coma. In the most critical instances, scrub typhus can lead to organ failure and bleeding, potentially resulting in a fatal outcome if swift treatment is not administered. Dr Subrata Das, Senior Consultant - Internal Medicine and Diabetology at Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru, also cautioned, Serious signs of this condition may include fever, rashes in the palm and shoulders, vomiting, loose motion, chills, headache, body aches and the development of a distinctive lesion that resembles a scab at the location of the chigger bite. Swollen lymph nodes, a rash and mental modifications like confusion or even coma can also happen which is called encephalitis. Scrub typhus can cause organ failure and hemorrhage in extreme cases, which, if untreated, can be fatal. Treatment and prevention tips: Dr Kritu Bandhari, MD in Dermatology and Cosmetology, pointed out that most cases of scrub typhus occur in rural areas of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India and northern Australia hence, anyone living in or travelling to areas where scrub typhus is found could get infected. She suggested, Scrub typhus should be treated with the antibiotic doxycycline. Doxycycline can be used in persons of any age. Antibiotics are most effective if given soon after symptoms begin. People who are treated early with doxycycline usually recover quickly. No vaccine is available to prevent scrub typhus. Reduce your risk of getting scrub typhus by avoiding contact with infected chiggers. When travelling to areas where scrub typhus is common, avoid areas with lots of vegetation and brush where chiggers may be found. Asserting that to get better, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible, Dr Yojana Pokarna opined that they will usually give you antibiotics, like doxycycline or azithromycin but in bad cases, you may need to go to the hospital and get extra care. She recommended the following tips on how to avoid scrub typhus: 1. Don't let mites bite you. Wear long clothes, use bug spray, and avoid sitting on the ground in mite-prone areas. 2. Keep your surroundings clean to reduce mite homes. 3. Get rid of rodents (like rats), as they can attract mites. 4. Learn about scrub typhus if you live in an area where it's common. 5. If you feel sick with scrub typhus symptoms, see a doctor quickly. Dr Nidhi Kamat added, To prevent scrub typhus: avoid bushy areas, wear full-body protection, and use DEET insect repellent. In places where scrub typhus is common, if you have symptoms similar to this disease, see a doctor right away. Tell them where you've travelled recently. They might do blood tests and begin specific antibiotic treatment without waiting for test results. Antibiotic works for all ages and can help you recover faster. Quick antibiotic treatment is essential for a successful recovery. Dr Subrata Das concluded, Avoid locations with thick grass and wear long clothing while using DEET insect repellent. If you exhibit symptoms that appear to be scrub typhus, don't hesitate; to seek immediate medical assistance. Your physician will probably recommend antibiotics such as Doxycycline, which is effective across all age groups and can expedite recovery. Your healthcare practitioner may also conduct blood tests, including either the newer IFA test or the conventional Weil Felix test. Awareness of the causes, symptoms and prevention measures of scrub typhus is crucial in regions where the disease is endemic to minimise its impact on public health. Early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment are key to managing the infection effectively. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! The Africa Climate Summit held in early September revealed all that is wrong with how the climate crisis is being tackled. The African continent has contributed the least to historical emissions only around 3% or so, and hence has nothing to do with the climate crisis. In fact, Africa is a major victim of its fallout. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 600 million have no access to electricity. Consequently, the focus should have been on their adaptation to climate change, on loss and damage and on ensuring new and additional financing, as per the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. But the focus of the African Climate Summit was on mitigation since it suited the developed countries. PREMIUM The developed countries have actually increased their consumption of fossil fuels (HT Archive) What was even worse was that instead of acknowledging the historical responsibilities of the developed countries and focusing on meeting their own immediate 2030 Paris mitigation targets (which they are nowhere near to meeting), the developed countries focused more on setting up an African carbon market where they will sustain or even increase their own emissions by buying carbon credits from African countries, who will be obliged to cut down their emissions! For example, the UAE Carbon Alliance announced an agreement to buy $450m of carbon credits by 2030 from the African Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI). The message is simple: You small emitters cut emissions, so that we big polluters can keep polluting. Civil society has condemned carbon credits as neo-colonisation. We also have the European Union (EU) unilaterally imposing carbon border taxes such as the EUs carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) under the ironically titled green deal, hitting directly at developing countries by putting in place another non-tariff barrier to equalise domestic and imported prices. And this is in complete disregard of UNFCCC principles like equity and common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) and differentiation. On the other hand, the developed countries have actually increased their consumption of fossil fuels and also legitimised the use of natural gas as an important transitional energy source, with the EU including it in their taxonomy for green investments. A recent report by Oil Change International says that five developed countries namely the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and the United Kingdom (UK) will account for 51% of the planned expansion of new oil and gas fields till 2050. The UK has just now backtracked on its climate goals saying that it imposes unacceptable costs on its people. On the other hand, imposing unacceptable costs on the development of the Global South is kosher. For example, at the Summit, the African countries were forced into a renewable energy pathway. While a five-fold increase in renewable energy by 2030 (from 56 GW to 300 GW) sounds good on paper, it is ominous when you see the overall reality. An analysis (Tejal Kanitkar and T Jayaraman) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th synthesis reports mitigation pathways reveals that such inequitable pathways will ensure that sub-Saharan Africas per capita will grow from $1,000 to $3,000 by 2050 while for developed countries it will grow from $35,000 to $69,000 for the corresponding period! If there is one big deception and climate injustice, this is it! Unfortunately, references to these unsustainable IPCC mitigation pathways are in the New Delhi G20 Summit Declaration as well, which will seriously impact South Asia also. While developed countries pledged $23 billion for Africa, given their track record of missing every pledge on financing (including non-fulfilment of the pledge to provide $100 billion per annum from 2020 onwards), one doubts whether there will be any new and additional finances or merely innovative accounting. Even then, the goal of 50-50 for mitigation-adaptation, crucial for Africa, is nowhere close. As the host President William Ruto of Kenya said, Those who produce the garbage refuse to pay their bills. On the crucial question of debt burden on Africa, there was very little progress in the Africa Summit. The broader reality is that the donors are refusing to meet their financial commitments. Covid and conflicts ensured that funds for development, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate action went to humanitarian issues. The developed countries are now shifting their responsibility for climate finance to larger developing countries, the private sector, market forces and multilateral development banks. Fortunately, in the recent G20 Declaration, there was at least an acknowledgement that $5.8-5.9 trillion in the pre-2030 period was required for developing countries, as well as $4 trillion per year for clean energy technologies by 2030. But the mobilisation of such finance is up in the air. The irony is that, as the Indian delegation pointed out, unsustainable production and consumption of the developed world that brings the entire planet to the threshold of the current climate and ecological crises, is hardly called into question India has walked the talk and proposed LiFE or Lifestyle for the Environment, which has now been endorsed by the G20 Summit. In the midst of broken promises comes the G20 Declarations recognition of rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global GHG emissions of 43% by 2030 relative to 2019 levels. When the developed countries havent met their 2020 targets or are not on the course or even backtracking on the Paris targets, let alone early net zero, this seems another pie-in-the-sky target. Will there be any carbon budget left for the development of developing countries? Will disruptive technological breakthroughs be forthcoming or will it be like waiting for Godot? With the G20 Declaration repeating the Glasgow Conference of Parties (COP) agreement on fossil fuels, and with fossil-rich UAE hosting COP 28, where there is no chance of this being tinkered with, the setting up of the Global Biofuels Alliance by India is an important development. And so, with COP28 just around the corner, there is so much to do but no political will among developed countries. TS Tirumurti was ambassador, permanent representative of India to the UN (2021-22) and former climate change negotiator. The views expressed are personal Throughout the G20 presidency, India showcased its vision of harnessing digital transformation and the democratisation of technology for the promotion of sustainable growth and development. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, on many occasions, highlighted Indias expertise in the areas of large-scale digital governance and administrative solutions and proposed it as a model for the world. At the core of these solutions lies the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) built over the India Stack. India Stack was designed by its architects, akin to assembling Lego blocks, where different systems were created and layered upon one another to make newer, distinctive solutions. The first layer of this was the Aadhaar platform, which by now has provided every Indian with a unique 12-digit ID. PREMIUM The Digital India initiative was announced in 2015(Getty Images) The Digital India initiative was announced in 2015. Efforts then accelerated to enhance the penetration and integration of the JAM trilogy, consisting of Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar, and mobile phones. Currently, India has over 1.2 billion mobile phone connections, and almost 500 million Jan Dhan accounts. More than half of these account holders are women. These developments created a foundation where the government can efficiently and transparently transfer subsidies and benefits to intended beneficiaries bypassing intermediaries, thereby reducing leakages and corruption, while promoting financial inclusivity, and vastly expanding our financial architecture. The next critical layer was designed to facilitate digital payments, and create interoperable financial services. It includes the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS), and solutions based on the UPI such as the mobile app Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) and QR codes. UPI has witnessed an extraordinary growth since its launch in 2016, with transaction volumes increasing from a modest few thousand to billions of transactions per month. India also emerged as the undisputed leader in digital transactions, accounting for 46% of all global real time payments last year. New layers are now being added with the support of the Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) framework. This will enable secure sharing of data, strictly based on consent, between individuals and various service providers across different sectors, all the while ensuring data privacy. Widely used applications including Aarogya Setu, CoWIN, and DigiLocker are all built over these structures. Newer DPIs, such as the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the Open Credit Enablement Network (OCEN), are currently being expanded and scaled up. Many of our entrepreneurs have also leveraged these platforms to create solutions and enterprises to accelerate Indias trajectory as the worlds fastest growing digital economy, with the third largest start-up ecosystem. Many of these initiatives have given India the opportunity to establish itself as a key influencer of global frameworks in a technology-driven world. For instance, in 2022, PM Modi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres jointly launched the Mission LIFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) movement. This initiative aims to encourage sustainable production and consumption, and to promote healthy, climate-friendly behaviour worldwide. India is a co-founder of the International Solar Alliance, the largest initiative of its kind, with over 120 signatory nations. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is an area where India could assume leadership. Just before the G20 summit, the World Bank (WB) released findings that said Indias financial inclusion rate has increased from 25% in 2008 to over 80% of the entire adult population in the last six years. The WB noted that without DPI, this feat would have taken 47 long years. Many countries that are a part of the developing and underdeveloped world can benefit from Indias DPI. During the G20 presidency, India introduced the One Future Alliance (OFA), a voluntary coalition with the objective of enhancing capacity and offering technical and financial support for the implementation of DPIs in low- or middle-income (LMIC) countries. India also spearheaded an initiative to create and manage a Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository (GDPIR), which would be collaboratively shared by G20 countries and beyond. These steps will position us as a central driver of worldwide standards in this important, burgeoning sector. The DPI, with broader adoption, could be a national talisman, highlighting Indias capability to develop large-scale global solutions. This would further enhance Indias prominence in a fast emerging multipolar world. Anil K Antony is a national secretary and national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The views expressed are personal There is a surreal quality to the whole episode as India-Canada relations hit rock bottom after Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau linked India to the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a charge that New Delhi termed as absurd. This allegation by Trudeau has exposed the fundamental fault line in the bilateral relations between the two nations, resulting in tit for tat diplomatic expulsions, travel advisories being issued by the two, Canada deciding to reduce the number of personnel in its embassy in India and India deciding to suspend issuing of visas to Canadian citizens. PREMIUM FILE - Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) walks past Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R)(AP) Arguing that the decision to share these allegations was not done lightly but was done with the utmost seriousness, Trudeau has urged New Delhi to cooperate with the investigation into the killing. But he has so far refused to divulge any evidence to back up his claims. For its part, New Delhi has underlined that it is willing to look at any specific information that is provided to us but so far we [Indian government] have not received any such specific information. Instead, India has pointed out that very specific evidence of criminal activities by individuals based on Canadian soil has been shared with the Canadian authorities on a regular basis but not been acted upon. And therein lies the crux of the problem. For New Delhi, this issue has been building up for some time and the Indian response has been a patient one, repeatedly asking Ottawa to take action against those individuals and groups who have been openly inciting hatred against India and its citizens. There were Khalistani protests outside Indian missions and consulates in Canada earlier this year followed by a float depicting the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi in a rally. After Nijjars killing, pamphlets describing Indian diplomats as killers were circulated by extremist organisations. As a friend and partner, New Delhi waited for some action from the Trudeau government. All it got were sermons on freedom of expression. Therefore, when unsubstantiated allegations were made in the Canadian parliament, India rightfully saw this as a move to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Delhi, with its words and actions, is clearly indicating that it has no intention of backing down. The mood against Trudeau is so strong that it has united a highly polarised Indian polity. There are three reasons for Indias confidence that it can confront Canada on this issue. First, India is aware of the costs of mollycoddling extremists and separatists. Much before others, it was Sikh extremism in Punjab that challenged Indias sense of national identity and led to a massive schism in the society and the polity. That the Khalistan movement has little resonance in India today is a function of both its no-nonsense approach to sovereignty and its vibrant democracy that allowed the Sikh community to find solace and its own space. Second, Canadas irresponsible behaviour has given New Delhi a unique opportunity to expose to the world the long-standing problem in Canada when it comes to dealing with extremism. India had long been complaining to Ottawa that several criminals and extremists get safe havens in Canada which eventually become launch pads to target India. Trudeaus Liberal Partys sympathies with groups espousing extremist views are now there for all to see. When Trudeau talks of the rule of law and justice, India can turn the spotlight back on him and ask some difficult questions about Canadas own conduct. Third, and perhaps most significant, while Canada has its own Five Eyes Alliance which binds it closely with the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, India has been able to build strategic partnerships with several global players and is central to the emerging global balance of power. What in the past would have been an easy choice for western nations is not a simple matter anymore as the centre of gravity of global politics seems to be moving away from the West. Indias centrality in the Indo-Pacific makes a strong relationship with New Delhi a veritable strategic necessity for most nations wanting to have a stake in the evolving geopolitics. There is a reason why after sulking for a few years post his disastrous visit to India in 2018, Trudeau decided to engage India on a trade pact and the Indo-Pacific dynamic. And it is the same reason why he is struggling to get a full-throated endorsement of his claims against India from some of its closest allies. This is not to say that if Trudeau can bring to bear some concrete evidence, things wont change, or that Indian diplomacy doesnt have challenges to deal with. This is just to underscore whether it is about raw interests or values, New Delhi today can take on Ottawa in ways that would not have been possible in the past. As India and Canada try to find a new balance in their bilateral relations, both should remember that there is so much that binds them but it is for Ottawa to know that if it decides to go for broke, New Delhi has enough cards to play. Trudeau may have rolled the dice but India will now have a big role in determining how it falls. Harsh V Pant is vice president, Studies and Foreign Policy, Observer Research Foundation. The views expressed are personal The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General in his opening address to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 19 said that the world is becoming unhinged. He pointed out that global governance reflects the political and economic realities of 1945. PREMIUM The 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York. (AFP)(HT_PRINT) The UN has a crowded agenda. The problems of the climate crisis, development, and the Ukraine war require the international community to come together. Instead, the world is witnessing increasing polarisation reminiscent of the Cold War era. The key pillars of global governance created at the end of World War II were the UN and the Bretton Woods system, which include the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. A little later, GATT was added to this trinity, since replaced by the World Trade Organization. The UN Charter vested primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in the Security Council. Within the Council, the permanent members arrogated to themselves veto powers. This was to safeguard their interests, which could not be subordinated to majority decisions. The UN Charter was amended in 1965 to expand only the non-permanent members category. However, Communist China was allowed to replace Taiwan as a permanent member in 1972. This was a momentous change, but was affected without any Charter amendment. The US needed peace with honour to exit Vietnam. This entailed Chinas cooperation. The added bonus was to contain the erstwhile Soviet Union. The global realities have changed dramatically since. US President Joe Biden began his speech to the current session of the UN by referring to his recent visit to Vietnam. The latter has accepted the US as a strategic partner. The new relationship is based on a shared concern over Chinas policies. China, in turn, has come closer to Russia. However, there are limits to the change. The US and the European Union want de-risking not de-coupling with China. The latter, in turn, would be loath to lose its markets in the West. Vietnam has received increasing investment from western companies shifting their manufacturing base from China. But it retains strong economic ties with China. The UN also hosted the Climate Summit. The UN Secretary-General in his address to the Summit warned that we are heading towards a dangerous and unstable world with 2.8 degrees temperature rise. He called for developed countries to achieve net zero emissions around 2040 and the major emerging economies around 2050. The current deadlines are 2050 for developed countries, 2060 for China, and 2070 for India. National governments are more cautious than the UNSG. Senator John Kerrys visit to Beijing in July to nudge China to do more drew a rebuff. On the eve of the current UNGA session, British Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak announced investment in new oil and gas fields off the UKs coast. Developed countries have refused to move beyond the $100 billion per annum promised in 2015 at the Paris Conference, though the target for emission reduction has been revised upwards. PM Modi is not attending the UNGA this year and India will be represented by the EAM. Amongst the South Asian leaders who addressed the UNGA, PM Prachanda of Nepal mentioned that his country will exit the ranks of LDCs by 2026. Sheikh Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh has brought down the poverty level in the country from 41.5% in 2006 to 18.7 in 2022. Sri Lankas President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, mentioned that despite challenges, his country managed to bring about a democratic transition. However, Pakistans position remained mired in the past. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar repeated Pakistans rhetoric about Kashmir. Apart from attending the UNGA, he met with the IMF Director General. Pakistan recently avoided default when the IMF extended its 24th assistance package to that country. The IMF DG Kristalina Georgievas advice to him was: Please collect more taxes from the wealthy and please protect the poor people of Pakistan. DP Srivastava is a former ambassador. The views expressed are personal Elon Musk's biography, written by American author-journalist Walter Isaacson, received a strong response, with a total of 92,560 copies sold in the first week of its launch. The numbers include print copies sold up to September 16, according to data compiled by the book tracking platform Circana BookScan, Live Mint reported. The book "Elon Musk" is written by well-known biographer Walter Isaacson. (X/@WalterIsaacson) These figures for the book 'Elon Musk' are just behind Isaacson's 2011 biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The book published shortly after Jobs' death on October 5, 2011, sold nearly 3,83,000 copies during its initial week. We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join Isaacson is a former editor-in-chief of Time Magazine, best known for his bestselling portrayal of Apple founder Steve Jobs, as well as the author of The Code Breaker, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin and Einstein. Elon Musk biography book | Five key takeaways The biography explores Elon Musk's personal relationships, including his involvement with multiple women and his children. It also delves into his early struggles, which were influenced by his father and difficulties in making friends during school. READ HERE: Elon Musk circulated pic of Grimes giving birth via C-section among friends and family, including her father The book highlights his transformation from a lonely child in school to a billionaire entrepreneur. It reveals that Musk had to rely on books to learn about social cues. ALSO READ: Elon Musk's new biography talks about his unique romantic request to Amber Heard Isaacson in the book covers Musk's confrontations, including a verbal dispute with Bill Gates over Tesla's stock shorting in 2022. It also touches on Musk's challenging relationship with his abusive father, Errol Musk. The biography discusses an episode where Musk denied Starlink internet access to the Ukrainian military for a major operation in Crimea, drawing a strong response from Kyiv. Musk later clarified in an X post that Starlink was not yet operational in Crimea at the time. READ HERE: Why did Elon Musk reject Ukraine's Starlink request? He explains Isaacson portrays Musk as having vindictive tendencies toward doubters and critics. It highlights instances where he fired employees who criticized him after acquiring Twitter (now rebranded as X) and made decisions that led to major outages. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India Post has issued a warning about an online scam in which cybercriminals are using the government's postal department logo to send malicious messages and falsely claim to offer iPhone 15 giveaways. In a post on X on Thursday, India Post clarified, "Please be careful! India Post is not offering any gifts through unofficial portals or links." India Post shared the image of iPhone scam message.(X/IndiaPostOffice) Scammers are sending messages under the guise of India Post Navaratri gifts, attempting to lure individuals into revealing their personal information and scamming their money. ALSO READ: Techie duped for 71L by cyber fraudsters One such fake message reads, "You have won an iPhone 15: Follow the instructions on the next page to claim your prize! Share with 5 groups/20 friends on the following apps (click on the corresponding icon below) Click 'Continue' and claim your prize." As online activities and digital banking usage increase, users should exercise caution when clicking on unverified links, as these actions could jeopardise their confidential personal information. ALSO READ: Internet's Kulhad Pizza couple appeals for public support amid video controversy iPhone Series 15 pricing in India It is highly recommended to purchase Apple iPhones from trusted stores and verified e-commerce websites. Here are the price details of the iPhone Series 15: iPhone 15 is priced at 79,900. iPhone 15 Plus is available for 89,900. iPhone 15 Pro is priced at 1,34,900. iPhone 15 Pro Max can be purchased at 159,900. Telegram task-based scam In another scam, fraudsters are using Telegram to deceive users into performing tasks to earn money. This job scam involves small tasks like liking a YouTube video to receive payment. However, under the pretext of providing the payment, scammers request bank details and engage in financial fraud. What to do if you fall victim to online scams? If you get cheated of such financial frauds, it is crucial to take immediate action. You can report online financial fraud by calling 1930 and file a complaint regarding any cybercrime at http://cybercrime.gov.in. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! IRL streamer Ice Poseidon has landed in a controversy after his recent 'creepy' broadcast in Australia on Kick. As per reports, he allegedly struck a deal with a man and gave him $500 to set up an encounter with a female escort. He then allegedly installed hidden cameras to film the event. Some reports said that he was arrested for his actions which he denied. Ice Poseidon (X(Formerly Twitter)/@REALIcePoseidon) Ice Poseidon received flak on social media for the alleged actions. Several other streamers and fans called him out. As the news of the incident broke out, Ice Poseidon clarified on "X"(formerly Twitter). He posted, "Wasn't a "hidden camera" and I got swatted after not arrested. Buck adding to the Twitter cancelation nonsense!!! Figure your s**t out twitter it's LEGAL content that even the police wrote off as LEGAL and safe." Ice Poseidon is not new to controversies. In June, he was arrested in Thailand for giving lap dances in hotel lounge. The hotel's manager called the police on him and he was arrested. ALSO READ| This dry fruit pizza has shocked netizens. Would you dare try it? Meanwhile, video live streaming service "Kick" has promised changes in its guidelines after the latest controversy involving Ice Poseidon. "There's incredible untapped potential in what live streaming has to offer. We're firm believers that the greatest days of live streaming are yet to come. With that said, community & public safety cannot be compromised in the process of making "content". We're continuously learning where this balance sits and are making changes daily. We appreciate our community for the continuous feedback, both the good & the bad. We'll keep you updated on upcoming changes to community guidelines and subsequent enforcement measures," Kick posted on "X"(formerly Twitter). However, there is uncertainty over what will be the changes in community guidelines and when it will be enforced. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sixteen people were killed in a coal mine accident in Panzhou city in southwestern China's Guizhou province on Sunday, according to a filing by the mine's owner, Guizhou Panjiang Refined Coal Co , with the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Monday. All coal mines in Panzhou city have suspending production for a day.(REUTERS representative) Rescue operations at the mine are under way, and a team has been dispatched to Guizhou province to guide the efforts, state media outlet Xinhua reported on Monday. All coal mines in Panzhou city have suspending production for a day, according to Shanghai-based commodities consultancy Mysteel. Guizhou's mine safety administration told Reuters it did not have information on the situation. The area has a total production capacity of about 52.5 million metric tons per year of mostly coking coal, representing about 5% of China's coking coal production capacity, according to Mysteel. The state-owned company, also called Guizhou Panjiang, has ordered safety inspections at all of its mines and has taken measures to ensure safe production, the exchange filing added. The company operates seven coal mines with a total capacity of about 17.3 million tons. The mine where the accident took place has an annual capacity of 3.1 million tons, according to Mysteel. The accident follows a string of similar incidents in the country's coal mines, including a collapse at an open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia region in February that killed 53 people. Authorities have announced a measures to improve safety in the sector, including restrictions on smaller mines and plans accelerate the use of automation underground. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The second Republican primary debate is scheduled for September 27th at 9 p.m. ET. This highly anticipated event will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and is set to run for two hours. Fox Business and Univision will join forces to moderate the debate, ensuring a comprehensive examination of the candidates' positions. Additionally, the conservative online video platform Rumble will stream the event, making it accessible to a wider audience. FILE - Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand on stage and listen to a prayer before a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee.(AP) What is the qualification criteria to qualify for the debate? One of the key changes for this debate is the qualification criteria. Candidates must now poll at 3% in two national polls or 3% in one national poll and 3% in one early state poll from two separate early-voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina, as recognized by the Republican National Committee. This represents an increase from the 1% polling requirement for the first debate. The polls must have been conducted on or after August 1st, and candidates have until 48 hours before the debate to meet these polling requirements. Another significant change is the fundraising threshold. Candidates need a minimum of 50,000 unique donors to their principal presidential campaign committee or exploratory committee, with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in more than 20 states and/or territories. This marks an increase from the 40,000 unique donor requirement for the first primary debate. Who all are attending the second Republican primary debate? While the Republican National Committee has yet to release the official list of participants, it appears that several prominent figures are likely to qualify, including former President Donald Trump, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Ambassador to the U.N. and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. However, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have not yet met the qualification criteria. The debate will be moderated by Stuart Varney and Dana Perino from Fox News, along with Univision's Ilia Calderon, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive discussion. Will Trump attend? One notable absence from the upcoming debate will be former President Donald Trump, who has decided to skip the event in favour of delivering a competing address in Detroit on the same night. Trump's campaign has not yet announced the exact time and audience for his address. During the first debate, Trump also chose not to participate, opting for an interview with Tucker Carlson that streamed simultaneously with the debate. In explaining his decision to skip the debates, Trump cited his commanding lead in the polls, questioning the need to participate in a debate with candidates he deemed unworthy. Primary opponent Nikki Haley criticized Trump's absence, emphasizing the importance of candidates articulating their future plans and solutions. Additionally, Trump has not signed the RNC's "loyalty pledge" to support the eventual Republican nominee, adding another layer of intrigue to the evolving dynamics of the GOP primary race. The second Republican primary debate promises to be a pivotal moment in the 2024 presidential election cycle, offering voters a closer look at the contenders vying for the party's nomination. The Speaker of Canadas House of Commons has apologised after honouring a Nazi veteran. 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka was invited and honoured by the House on Friday during an event just after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy delivered an address. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka, who was in attendance in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday (AP Photo) Zelenskyy was in Ottawa to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraines war against the Russian invasion. The apology came after outrage was expressed by Jewish groups after Hunka was welcomed to the House by Speaker Anthony Rota who referred to him as a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero. Canadian lawmakers cheered and Zelenskyy raised his fist in acknowledgement as Hunka saluted from the gallery as he received a standing ovation from the MPs, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It later emerged that Hunka was part of the Nazi-led Waffen-SS Galicia Division, also known as the SS 14th Waffen Division and later First Ukrainian Division, which battled Soviet troops during World War II. In a statement, Rota said, On Friday, September 22, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognised an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions, he added. Opposition leader of the Conservative party Pierre Poilievre attacked the prime minister saying, This is an appalling error in judgment on the part of Justin Trudeau, whose personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind. Mr Trudeau must personally apologize and avoid passing the blame to others as he always does, Poilievre added. Earlier, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said deeply troubled & disturbed that Hunka was celebrated with a standing ovation in the Canadian Parliament. In a statement, it added, Canadas Jewish community stands firmly with Ukraine. But we cant stay silent when crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed. After Rota had apologised, CIJA posted on X (formerly Twitter), Proper vetting is imperative to ensure such an unacceptable incident does not occur again. In another statement, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center or FSWC said, The fact that a veteran who served in a Nazi military unit was invited to and given a standing ovation in Parliament is shocking. The Speaker of Canadas House of Commons has apologised after a person who was part of a Nazi unit was invited to an event in the chamber on Friday in honour of visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka (right), waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Onatario on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP) The apology came after outrage was expressed by Jewish groups after 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka was welcomed to the House by Speaker Anthony Rota as a a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero to applause from MPs, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It later emerged that Hunka was part of the Nazi-led Waffen-SS Galicia Division, also known as the SS 14th Waffen Division and later First Ukrainian Division, which battled Soviet troops during World War II. In a statement, Rota said, On Friday, September 22, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions, he added. Opposition leader Conservative Pierre Poilievre attacked the prime minister, as he said, This is an appalling error in judgement on the part of Justin Trudeau, whose personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind. Mr Trudeau must personally apologize and avoid passing the blame to others as he always does, Poilievre added. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said earlier deeply troubled & disturbed that Hunka was celebrated with a standing ovation in the Canadian Parliament. In a statement, it added, Canadas Jewish community stands firmly with Ukraine. But we cant stay silent when crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed. After Rotas apology, CIJA posted on X (formerly Twitter), Proper vetting is imperative to ensure such an unacceptable incident does not occur again. In another statement, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) said, The fact that a veteran who served in a Nazi military unit was invited to and given a standing ovation in Parliament is shocking. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A senior Canadian Cabinet Minister has said the Government wants to shift from the intelligence-based credible allegations cited by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in linking Indian agents to the murder of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, to strong evidence delivered through the ongoing investigation. HT Image In an interview with the outlet CBC News, minister of national defence Bill Blair said the emphasis should be on the investigation thats taking place, that wed be able to move beyond credible intelligence to evidence, strong evidence of exactly what happened, so that we and the Indian Government can know the truth, have the facts and then work together to resolve it in an appropriate way. The outlet reported that Blair sought to shift focus away from questions of intelligence on Sunday and toward the ongoing criminal investigation into the issue. The investigation is being led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The only request weve made of our allies and India is that they co-operate fully in that investigation because its outcome is very important, Blair said. Blair, a former chief of Toronto Police, was earlier minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, the department closest to Indias ministry of home affairs, before getting the defence portfolio in the July reshuffle of the Cabinet. So far, the Canadian Government has not detailed the credible allegations it has, though CBC News also reported that Ottawa has in its possession emails from Indian diplomats. India has denied its involvement and described the allegations as absurd and motivated and called Canada a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists and organized crime. Nijjar was gunned down in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the town of Surrey in British Columbia province on June 18. He headed the gurdwara at the time he was killed, and was the principal figure in the province for the secessionist Sikhs For Justice or SFJ. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a major embarrassment for Ottawa, the Canadian lawmakers gave a standing ovation to a man who was introduced as a war hero after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address in the House of Commons only to later realise that he had served in a Nazi unit during World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka, who was in attendance in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.(AP) The speaker of Canadas House of Commons apologized Sunday for recognizing 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a "Ukrainian hero" before the Canadian Parliament. Hunka served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to a Jewish human rights group that demanded an apology. In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so, Rota said in a statement. Rota took responsibility for what was characterized as an oversight, calling the initiative "entirely my own." I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them. The initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention, he added, adding his "deepest apologies" to Jewish communities. Yaroslav Hunka, right, waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Onatario on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.(AP) Following Zelenskiy's address in the House of Commons, Rota acknowledged Hunka, who was seated in the gallery, praising him for fighting for Ukrainian independence against the Russians. Hunka received two standing ovations from those gathered. "At a time of rising antisemitism and Holocaust distortion, it is incredibly disturbing to see Canada's Parliament rise to applaud an individual who was a member of a unit in the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military branch responsible for the murder of Jews and others," the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement while demanding an apology earlier Sunday. "An explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation," the group added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Shi Zhengli- one of Chinas best-known virologists- also known as batwoman, warned that it is highly likely another coronavirus will appear in futurein a recent paper written with colleagues. The world must be prepared for another disease like Covid-19 because if a coronavirus caused diseases to emerge before, there is a high chance it will cause future outbreaks, she said. Shi Zhengli and her colleagues identified important hosts of the pathogen. (Representational) In the study, Shi Zhenglis team from the Wuhan Institute of Virology evaluated the risk of 40 coronavirus species and rated half of them as highly risky, South China Post reported. Of these, six are already known to have caused diseases that infected humans. There is evidence that another three caused disease or infected other animal species. It is almost certain that there will be future disease emergence and it is highly likely a [coronavirus] disease again, the study, which is based on an analysis of viral traits, including population, genetic diversity, host species and any previous history of zoonosis, warned. Sometimes in private conversations, when talking with other public health scholars, we have noticed that intentionally or unintentionally, Chinese authorities are downplaying Covid-19, and some cities have stopped releasing infection data, a scientist from China's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said as per the report. Shi Zhengli and her colleagues identified important hosts of the pathogen, which include natural hosts such as bats and rodents. They also identified possible intermediate hosts like camels, civets, pigs or pangolin. Such studies are not regarded as groundbreaking or technically challenging and thus less valued in the field, but they are important, the scientist said, adding, Just like we need a mushroom textbook to avoid eating noxious mushrooms, its necessary to establish such tools for pathogens. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Striking Hollywood screenwriters reached a tentative new labor agreement with studios including Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc., settling one of two walkouts that have shut down film and TV production. Demonstrators hold signs during a rally outside the Paramount Pictures Studio in Los Angeles, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP) The Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,500 Hollywood scribes, said Sunday it reached the deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, the studios bargaining group. The agreement, if approved by the guild members, will end a strike that began on May 2. The provisional three-year deal remains subject to the completion of contract language and recommendations from the unions council and board, which could come as soon as Tuesday. Members would vote after that. The strike continues through that process. We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership, the guild said in a statement. Read More: The Hollywood Strike Is Ending. This Is How It Happened. The writers went on strike for the first time since 2007 to fight for higher pay from streaming services, which have reshaped how TV is made and how talent gets paid. The Screen Actors Guild joined them in July over similar concerns. Details of the agreement wont be announced for a few days, however people familiar with the matter said earlier that writers gained concessions on key points, including higher wages. The studios have agreed to staff a certain number of writers on their TV shows, a figure that will increase with the number of episodes in a season, one of the people said. The two sides have also created a structure in which writers will receive bonuses for popular shows on streaming services. And it appears they have also reached an agreement on the use of artificial intelligence, which writers feared could destroy jobs. Production of hundreds of films and TV shows stopped as a result of the strikes, impacting not just writers and actors but directors, crew members and industries like catering and real estate. With less money coming in, talent agencies fired workers and studios suspended deals with major producers to cut costs. Awards shows have been delayed and film festivals held without stars. The walkout has delayed the return of new shows for the fall TV season, and many films scheduled to debut this year were pushed into 2024. Shares of studios gained in premarket trading on Monday. Paramount Global rose 2.5%, Netflix was up 0.9% and Disney gained 0.8%. The studios and writers didnt come close to a deal before the onset of the strike, and the studios and writers then didnt negotiate for months, during which thousands of guild members protested outside the studios offices from New York to Los Angeles. While the economics of streaming remained the primary focus of the guilds, the threat of artificial intelligence also emerged as a growing concern. The heads of the biggest media companies got more engaged with the dispute in late July and early August, after the actors joined the strike. The studios offered a new proposal in August that addressed many, but not all, of the writers concerns. The two sides negotiated for a couple of weeks before breaking off yet again. The September negotiations came as a surprise. The two sides hadnt been speaking at least not officially and many studio executives were debating whether it was time to engage with the actors instead. But pressure on both sides to cut a deal had increased. Studios feared the impact of months more without the ability to produce new programming, and many writers began to push their unions leadership to cut a deal so everyone could get back to work. People who work in entertainment, be they writers or grips, were starting to leave Los Angeles due to the lack of progress. Prominent writers asked to meet with the leadership of the guild to discuss the state of the negotiations, and several talk shows said they would return, only to cancel plans under pressure from the unions. When the latest talks began, four of the most powerful executives in entertainment Netflix Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos, Disney CEO Bob Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. CEO David Zaslav and NBCUniversal Chief Content Officer Donna Langley joined their labor negotiators. The studios and writers negotiated for several days. After months of public acrimony and finger-pointing, the two sides kept their public communications to a minimum as they hammered out a deal to get the industry back to work. While the writers rooms may soon reopen, a return to production will have to await a deal with striking actors, who have been picketing from coast to coast, shutting down productions that tried to restart. This was the first time in more than 60 years that both writers and actors went on strike at the same time. The Directors Guild of America reached a new agreement with the studios in June. The United States will recognize independence of two small Pacific nations-Cook Islands and Niue two small Pacific nations, President Joe Biden said confirming an earlier announcement by officials. Speaking ahead of a summit with Pacific island leaders this week, Joe Biden said that the United States had a long history of cooperation with the Cook Islands, dating back to World War II. The US military had then built airport runways on one of the chain's atolls. US President Joe Biden speaks during the first US-Pacific Island Country Summit at the State Department in Washington.(AP) "Today's announcement will enable us to expand the scope of this enduring partnership as we seek to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples' lives," he said. Joe Biden's meeting with Pacific island leaders this week is part of US' plan to block further Chinese inroads into a strategic region that Washington has long considered its own backyard. The White House said the summit will focus on priorities including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, health and illegal fishing. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail US President Joe Biden welcomed Monday a tentative deal for striking Hollywood writers to resume work after a monthslong stoppage that paralyzed the film and TV business. US President Joe Biden(Reuters) "I applaud the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for reaching a tentative agreement that will allow writers to return to the important work of telling the stories of our nation, our world -- and of all of us," Biden said in a statement. Biden said the deal included "assurances" about the use of artificial intelligence, adding that it "did not come easily." But he added that it was a "testament to the power of collective bargaining" between employers and unions. The president also used the Hollywood deal to underscore his call for autoworkers to get a "fair share" of profits in their separate strike against the country's "Big Three" vehicle makers. Biden is set to travel to the picket line in Detroit on Tuesday in solidarity with auto employees. "I urge all employers to remember that all workers -- including writers, actors, and autoworkers -- deserve a fair share of the value their labor helped create," the president said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When Indian security agencies approached their Canadian counterparts post-2014 with information about Khalistanis taking shelter in their country, Ottawa said that they could not receive intelligence from India as there was no institutionalized mechanism and that intelligence was not evidence. In line with FBI-RCMP protocol, the Indian NIA signed an MoU with RCMP in 2020 but nothing changed as the Justin Trudeau government continued to provide safe haven to Khalistanis for vote bank politics. The relations between India and Canada have been strained with Trudeau's unsubstantiated allegation against India in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Recent revelations by Indian intelligence have brought to light concerns over the presence of a Khalistan terror network operating in Canada. The dossier, provided by Indian authorities, identifies several Canadian nationals purportedly linked to the proscribed International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). Gurjit Singh Cheema According to Indian intelligence, Gurjit Singh Cheema, a 50-year-old Canadian national originally from Punjab, is an ISYF/KLF member actively associated with the 'Singh Khalsa Sewa Club' in Toronto. Cheema currently resides in Brampton, Ontario, and works as a truck driver. Cheema's visit to India in 2017 is said to have been for the purpose of operationalizing a module. Upon his arrival in India, he is alleged to have motivated and radicalized Gurpreet Singh Brar and Sukhmanpreet Singh. The dossier also reveals that Cheema lured Sarabjit Singh to join the module. Cheema is also accused of procuring locally-made pistols and funds for module members in Punjab, which were purportedly used for carrying out terrorist activities. In May 2017, with the assistance of Pakistan-based Lakhvir Singh Rode and the late Harmeet Singh, alias PhD, a KLF operative, Cheema is alleged to have sourced a weapon consignment from across the border for ISYF module members. Gurjinder Singh Pannu Gurjinder Singh Pannu, a 28-year-old Canadian national, is another individual mentioned in the intelligence dossier. Pannu currently resides in East Hamilton, Ontario, and is an ISYF/KLF activist actively associated with the 'Singh Khalsa Sewa Club' in Toronto. According to the dossier, Pannu is alleged to have provided funds to ISYF module members in India in March 2017 for purchasing locally-made weapons and operationalizing their activities. He is also accused of sending funds to an individual named Balkar Singh in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, to facilitate the delivery of locally-made weapons to module members in India. Pannu, like Gurjit Singh Cheema, is also alleged to have played a role in sourcing a weapon consignment from across the border in May 2017, with the assistance of Pakistan-based Rode and PhD, for ISYF module members. Gurpreet Singh Brar Gurpreet Singh Brar, a 38-year-old Canadian national holding Canadian passport No. H1820001, is one of the several pro-Khalistani elements mentioned in the intelligence dossier. He currently resides in Surrey, British Columbia, and is associated with the 'Singh Khalsa Sewa Club,' with Cheema as another active member. The dossier indicates that Brar and Cheema were involved in forming a sub-club named Singh Khalsa Sewa Club Dagru in Punjab, under the supervision of Satpal Singh. During his visit to India in March 2016, Gurpreet Singh is alleged to have indoctrinated and motivated individuals to carry out terrorist activities. Gurpreet Singh is accused of directing individuals to collect weapons, which were reportedly obtained from various sources, including Cheema and others. These weapons were intended for use by ISYF module members in Punjab. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shishir Gupta Author of Indian Mujahideen: The Enemy Within (2011, Hachette) and Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion and Indian Riposte (2014, Hachette). Awarded K Subrahmanyam Prize for Strategic Studies in 2015 by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) and the 2011 Ben Gurion Prize by Israel. ...view detail An incident involving a Pennsylvania police officer has resulted in felony strangulation charges. Ronald Keith Davis, 37, a married cop, was arrested on September 21 after a troubling incident involving his mistress, Michelle Perfanov. Pennsylvania cop arrested on felony strangulation charges after incident involving mistress.(YouTube) The incident unfolded in August when Davis, who was romantically involved with Perfanov, sought to forcibly have her committed to a mental hospital in Williamstown, Pennsylvania. Perfanov had been living in Davis's camper van during their four-month relationship, which had soured. Instead of parting ways amicably, Davis pursued a petition to have her involuntarily committed. On August 21, a colleague captured a disturbing video of Davis forcibly arresting Perfanov. He pursued her, used physical force, and sat on her, all while attempting to have her committed. Perfanov was subsequently taken to a hospital and held for several days, during which time doctors found her mentally stable despite Davis's claims. She had previously mentioned thoughts of suicide but later clarified that it was an attention-seeking statement. Now, Davis faces multiple charges, including false imprisonment, strangulation, recklessly endangering another person, and assault. In text messages, he had told Perfanov to "get out of my house now" and threatened her. Davis was off-duty at the time of the arrest, having first obtained the involuntary commitment petition from the station. He then decided to take matters into his own hands when he couldn't locate Perfanov. Assisted by a civilian companion, he tracked her down to the Pennsylvania State Game Lands in Weiser State Forest and attempted to forcibly remove her. Also Read | Tensions erupt at Paris protest against cop brutality; police car attacked Video evidence released by the District Attorney's office shows the distressing incident, with Perfanov struggling to break free from Davis's grip. She was eventually hospitalized for five days before being released on August 26. Perfanov later disclosed to authorities that she had expressed her desire to move to a new city to start afresh, which angered Davis. The criminal complaint against Davis accuses him of knowingly or intentionally impeding Perfanov's breathing and circulation, leading to the felony strangulation charge. Following his arraignment on September 21, Davis was remanded without bail, facing serious legal consequences for his actions. The case has garnered significant attention due to its alarming nature and the abuse of authority by a law enforcement officer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Kremlin said that it was "outrageous" that a Ukrainian man who served in one of Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS units during World War Two had been presented to Canada's parliament as a hero. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, received two standing ovations from Canadian lawmakers during a visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. The speaker of Canada's parliament apologised to Jewish groups for the incident. Yaroslav Hunka (right), waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Onatario, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the episode showed a careless disregard for historical truth. The memory of Nazi crimes must be preserved, he said. Such sloppiness of memory is outrageous. Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation that does not know who fought whom or what happened during the Second World War. And they know nothing about the threat of fascism, Dmitry Peskov said. Canadian parliament speaker Anthony Rota introduced Yaroslav Hunka as "a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians" and "a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero." During World War Two, when Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, some Ukrainian nationalists joined Nazi units. Yaroslav Hunka served in World War Two as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group. Russian president Vladimir Putin said that he sent his army into Ukraine last year to "demilitarise and denazify" the country. Earlier this month at a televised meeting with historians, the Russian leader stressed that "local nationalists and anti-Semites" had played in the murder of 1.5 million Jews in Ukraine during the Holocaust and said "this has a direct relation to the present day". SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered to transfer Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan to Rawalpindis Adiala jailfrom the Attock district jail, news agency Reuters reported. The Islamabad High Court had asked Adiala Jail Superintendent to receive Imran Khan but he was taken to Attock jail. The former Pakistan PM then filed a petition seeking transfer from Attock jail to a better-class facility in Adiala jail. Former Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks during an interview.(AFP) IHC Justice Farooq reserved the verdict on Imran Khans transfer application, claiming he would issue an appropriate order on it. But during the hearing, the judge said, Shift the PTI chairman to Adiala jail. Imran Khan's lawyer said that they had finally been granted justice from the IHC to the extent of transfer of Khan sahib from the Attock jail to Adiala jail, adding that it was a little bit of justice but he was glad about it. He also expressed his gratitude to Justice Farooq while saying that he was dissatisfied at the court for adjourning the hearing on a plea seeking an open hearing of Imran Khans bail plea in the cipher case. The special court formed under the Official Secrets Act had rejected the post-arrest bail plea of Imran Khan in the case of the missing cypher. The cypher controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022 when Imran Khan just days before his ouster in April 2022 brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cypher from a foreign nation. PTI chairman had claimed that he was reading contents from the cypher and said that "all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power" SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail Imran Riaz Khan, a renowned Pakistani journalist and political commentator who had been missing for more than four months, has been found and is now with his family, Dawn reported citing the Sialkot Police on Monday morning. Imran Riaz Khan, a renowned Pakistani journalist and political commentator. (@AbDmeHar0099o/x) Journalist/anchor Mr Imran Riaz Khan has been safely recovered. He is now with his family, the Sialkot Police said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The controversial 47-year-old TV anchor and commentator, with more than three million followers on YouTube, was reportedly arrested two days after violent protests broke out across the country following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khans arrest on May 9. Dawn reported that Riaz Khan was last known to be taken to Cantt police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison. On May 15, a law officer told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that the journalist was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing. His whereabouts remained unknown. Imran Riaz Khan's abduction complaint On May 16, Riaz Khan's father, Muhammad Riaz, lodged an FIR of the journalist's alleged abduction with Sialkot Civil Lines Police. Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar and Sialkot District Police Officer Hassan Iqbal confirmed to Dawn that Imram was now safe at home. By Gods special blessing, grace and mercy, I have brought back my prince," Riaz Khans lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq also confirmed on social media. It took a lot of time due to the pile of difficulties, the last limit of understanding of the matter, weak judiciary and the current ineffective public constitution and legal helplessness, he said. The lawyer added, Despite the unspeakable circumstances, Allah Almighty showed us this best day. Only limitless gratitude right now. Pakistan has long been an unsafe country for journalists. In recent years, Pakistani activists and journalists have increasingly come under attack by the government and the security establishment. Journalist Arshad Sharif, who was critical of the Pakistan Army, was killed in Kenya last October as he fled the country citing threats to his life from the security agencies. Imran Riaz Khan detained and then went missing Riaz Khan was detained under the charges of inciting people to violence through his reporting. Imran was taken into custody under then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's coalition government. He was arrested on May 11. This came two days after violence erupted in Pakistan when Imran Khan was arrested in the Toshakhana case. Riaz Khan was allegedly a vocal supporter of Imran Khan and the military. Sharif dissolved the parliament and his government in August when its mandated term ended, and a caretaker administration subsequently took charge to oversee elections in Pakistan. Reporters Without Borders, known globally by its French acronym RSF, claimed in late May that it had received information from "confidential diplomatic sources" that Riaz Khan was tortured and "may even have died in detention." Human rights groups have since condemned it as an "enforced disappearance." (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistans 40 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, as per the World Bank, Dawn reported. Supporters of Pakistan's Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami protest against rise in price of petrol in Karachi.(AFP) Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper. The country now needs to take a look at its policy decisions driven by strong vested interests of military, political and business leaders, as per the World Bank. The warning by the financial institution comes ahead of the new election cycle so that the upcoming government can make early choices. The World Bank has asked Pakistan to tax its agriculture and real estate to achieve economic stability through steep fiscal adjustment of over seven per cent of the size of the economy, as per Pakistan-based The Express Tribune newspaper. The lender on Friday also revealed that poverty in Pakistan shot up to 39.4 per cent as of last fiscal year with 12.5 million more people falling into the trap due to poor economic conditions. About 95 million Pakistanis now live in poverty. The Washington-based lender unveiled the draft policy notes that it prepared with the help of all stakeholders for the next government. The lender identified low human development, unsustainable fiscal situation, over-regulated private sector, agriculture and energy sectors as the priority areas for reforms for the next government. The World Bank proposed measures that immediately increase the tax-to-GDP ratio by five per cent and cut expenditures by about 2.7 per cent of GDP, aimed at putting the unsustainable economy back on a prudent fiscal path, according to the Express Tribune. Meanwhile, the WBs lead country economist Tobias Haque said the bank is deeply concerned about the economic situation of today. Pakistan is facing serious economic and human development crises and it is at a point where major policy shifts are required, he added. The banks note on strengthening government revenues showed a host of measures to improve the revenue-to-GDP ratio by five per cent through the withdrawal of tax exemptions and increasing the burden of taxes on the real estate and the agriculture sectors, as per The Express Tribune. It has been alleged that Prince Harry must "give notice" to visit his father after he was denied a room at Windsor Castle this month. Harry has lived with his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children, in Montecito, California, since they stepped down as royals back in 2020. It has been alleged that Prince Harry must "give notice" to visit his father, King Charles, after he was denied a room at Windsor Castle this month (REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw, Edwards/Pool via REUTERS) Harry had sought a royal accommodation and security from his fathers office for a night, when he stopped for his appearance at a September 7 charity event named the 2023 WellChild Awards, in West London. At the time, his request was denied. The reason for the refusal was that the familys properties in Windsor or the capital city were unavailable for his stay back then. The Queen died on September 8, 2022. It has now been revealed that if Harry wants to stay at Windsor Castle when he returns to the UK in January, he will be required to give "suitable warning," The Telegraph reported. Buckingham Palace reportedly also told him that he would have to put in a "formal request" if she wished to visit his father. Prince Harry reportedly rejected an offer to spend the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeths death with King Charles It was recently also revealed that Harry rejected an offer to spend time with his father on the first anniversary of the Queens death, according to The Sun. The invitation from Charles may have been a sign that he wanted to forgive his son after the attacks he made against the royal family. Harry was in England when his father asked him to come to Balmoral, the Scottish home of the Royal Family, to pay his respects to the Queen. An expert has said that it was a golden opportunity missed. He should have braved it out and gone to see them. If the King invites you to Balmoral, then most people would cancel all of their travel plans. He could have easily re-arranged things slightly to allow himself the time, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said. A United Nations investigation into human rights violations in Ukraine since Russia's invasion warned on Monday that some rhetoric transmitted by Russian media could amount to incitement to genocide. Russia-Ukraine War: Burnt trucks are seen in Odesa, Ukraine.(AP) Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, the head of the investigation team, Erik Mose, voiced concern "about allegations of genocide in Ukraine". "For instance, some of the rhetoric transmitted in Russian state and other media may constitute incitement to genocide," he said, adding that the team was "continuing its investigations on such issues". The Norwegian judge heads a three-person Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was created by the council to investigate violations committed since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February last year. In its first full report in March, the team determined that Russian authorities had committed "a wide range of war crimes". Mose said at the time that the commission was aware of accusations of genocide, including the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to areas under Russian control, and vowed to investigate. In his update on the situation on Monday, he said the commission had "continued to investigate individual situations of alleged transfers of unaccompanied minors by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation". Read more: Russia adds International Criminal Court president Hofmanski to wanted list "It regrets that there is a lack of clarity and transparency on the full extent, circumstances, and categories of children transferred," he said. The commission is of the view that insufficient knowledge about the precise number and circumstances of children transferred may hamper an expeditious return process. The March report had also determined that Moscow was behind a vast array of other war crimes, including widespread attacks on civilians and infrastructure, killings, torture and rape and other sexual violence. Mose said on Monday that the commission, which had travelled more than 10 times to Ukraine, was now "undertaking a more in-depth investigation" that "may also clarify whether torture and attacks on energy infrastructure amount to crimes against humanity". Among other things, he said the team was investigating the cause of the disastrous destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Russian-held territory on June 6. The commission had also "collected further evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic", he said. The torture was mainly taking place in various detention centres controlled by Russian authorities, he said, adding that in some cases it was "inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of the victim". And in the Kherson region, the commission had found that "Russian soldiers raped and committed sexual violence against women of ages ranging from 19 to 83 years". Such acts were often accompanied by "threats or commission of other violations", Mose said, adding that "frequently, family members were kept in an adjacent room, thereby forced to hear the violations taking place". "The commission reiterates its deep concern at the scale and gravity of violations and corresponding crimes that have been committed in Ukraine by Russian armed forces," he told the council, emphasising "the need for accountability". The team, he said, also recalled the need for the Ukrainian authorities "to expeditiously and thoroughly investigate the few cases of violations by its own forces". SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON San Diego has taken a major step for the protection of sea lions on its beaches. The city's council has shut down access to Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach. The beaches are preferred by sea lions which choose the nearby rocks to breed and nurse. Representational Picture(Getty Images via AFP) In an interaction with FOX 5 San Diego, the city council member representing La Jolla, Joe LaCava informed about the decision. People will be prevented from actually going on to the rocks at Point La Jolla and for Boomers Beach if your purpose is to actually get into the water for swimming, for paddleboarding youre still going to be allowed to get into the water, said Joe LaCava. Meanwhile, the move has irked tourists who wanted to enjoy on the beaches. However, sea lion activists are happy with the decision. While tourists may want to take their children for a [close-up] view and a selfie with the wild 800-pound sea lions, the Marine Mammal Protection Act recommends viewing from 50 feet. Any disturbance of a sea lion defined as changing their behavior including looking at you or moving away or growling is subject to a fine, a spokesperson with the Sierra Club Seal Society wrote to FOX 5. ALSO READ| Texas teen suspended from school over hairstyle, files lawsuit against Governor Greg Abbott Notably, the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act is in place to safeguard and protect these animals. Despite the law in place, Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach which is a hotspot for sea lions, had become a selfie point with increasing human interference and inappropriate interactions with the creatures by tourists. In July, a video was shared by Instagram user @whoisjaphet, in which two sea lions seemingly charged at people on the shore at rocky La Jolla Cove. "Please give that large, male sea lion plenty of room. They have bitten people, and they are protected animals," a lifeguard can be heard saying over a loudspeaker in the video. A 17-year-old student named Darryl George, studying at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu in Texas, who was suspended over his hairstyle, has filed lawsuit against Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Darryl's family has alleged failure to enforce the states CROWN Act, a law that prohibits discrimination over hairstyles that are commonly or historically associated with race. Darryl George(X(formerly Twitter)/@njcampbell1) Barbers Hill Independent School District has defended the school's action against Darryl arguing that he often wears his hair in braids or a ponytail which is a violation of dress code for male students. According to a report by CNN, the policy does not prohibit students from wearing locs or braids. But it places limitations on hair length for male students. As per policy, hair cannot be worn in a style that would allow the hair to extend below the top of a t-shirt collar, below the eyebrows, or below the ear lobes when let down. Through the lawsuit, Darryl's family is seeking an injunction against Abbott and Paxton to direct them to stop the district from taking disciplinary action against students over their hairstyles. ALSO READ| Human lifespan till 120 years?, US doctor claims stem cell research will make it possible in next couple of years Earlier, the district had requested a Texas court to clarify if its dress code violates the CROWN Act. Although we believe the new law does not govern hair length, we are asking the judicial system of Texas to interpret, Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole said in a statement on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Darryl's family has alleged that they have been told Darryl will be sent to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, also known as an alternative school, if he denies to cut his hair. As per CNN, there exists family's emotional connection to the hair as Darryl's locs are intertwined with strands from his grandfather and father, due to which they don't want to remove it. Top Thai officials welcomed hundreds of Chinese tourists at Bangkoks international airport on Monday, the first day of a new visa-free entry program that officials say will boost the country's tourism industry that was badly damaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin gives souvenirs to Chinese tourists during a welcome ceremony.(Reuters) Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin handed out gifts and posed for pictures as his tourism minister and other VIPs greeted about 300 travelers from Shanghai. The surprised tourists were entertained by Thai traditional dancers and drummers inside the arrivals area at Suvarnabhumi Airport. We are confident that this policy will greatly boost the economy, Srettha told reporters. He said that the government plans to promote Thailands smaller cities as destinations for Chinese tourists to encourage them to stay longer and spend more. Addressing safety concerns among tourists, Srettha said it was the top priority of the authorities. There have been reports and rumors widely circulating on Chinese social media about fraud and kidnapping in Thailand. A tourist from Shanghai, who identified himself only as Dai, said he was impressed with the very lively welcome ceremony at the airport, though he noted that the immigration officer who checked his passport did not immediately know about the temporary visa exemption policy. He said he plans to stay for two weeks and visit other cities besides Bangkok, including Chiang Mai and Phuket. Peng Chunyu and Wan Yi, who arrived on the same flight, said it was a great policy for Thailand to allow visa-free entry for Chinese. The process was very smooth, said Peng. The two will stay for nine days and said they look forward to seeing Bangkoks Grand Palace, Wat Arun temple and Chinatown. The visa exemption, which also applies to visitors from the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, will be effective until Feb. 29. Tourism Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said there has been about a 30% surge in accommodation and flight bookings since the policy was announced. China more than a decade ago became a major source of tourists to Thailand, with almost 11 million visitors in 2019, accounting for 27.6% of all arrivals that year before the pandemic devastated the tourist market. The government proposed the visa exemption measure due to concern that the number of Chinese tourists might be lower than expected this year because of strict visa requirements. The target number of arrivals from China had been revised from 5 million to 3 million after a report from the state Tourism Authority of Thailand that around 1.4 million Chinese tourists came in the first six months. Tourism Authority Director Thapanee Kiatphaibool said Monday that the authorities were confident the number of Chinese arrivals could hit 4 million-to-5 million after the visa-free program was introduced. Thailands economy slumped during the pandemic as its huge tourism industry virtually collapsed. The country received about 40 million visitors in 2019, and the government estimated they spent 1.9 trillion baht ($53.2 billion) an amount that plummeted by more than 99% by 2021, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Chai Wacharonke, a spokesperson for the prime minister, earlier said that Thailand received 15 million international visitors in the first seven months. He said the government aims to draw 28 million tourists and generate 1.4 trillion baht ($39.2 billion) in revenue in 2023. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tory Lanez is reportedly fearful of his life after being found guilty in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case. A few days ago, the 31-year-old Canadian rapper was transferred to a state prison, where he will continue to serve time for the crime. Torys legal name is Daystar Peterson. Tory Lanez is reportedly fearful of his life after being found guilty in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case (torylanez/Instagram) Tory is scared for his life and safety in prison. He feels like he is an instant and direct target because of his celebrity status, a source told Page Six. Tory is now at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California. The prison reportedly houses around 4,000 inmates, and many of them were murdered just this year, according to TMZ. Serial killer Ramon Escober was charged for killing his cellmateJuan Villanueva in February. Juan had been put behind bars for aggravated sexual assault of a child. Ricardo Saldivar, 25, was also found dead in his cell, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is now investigating his death as a homicide. Although the prison is fitted with an electric fence around the perimeter, reports claim that multiple inmates have managed to escape over the years. The whole thing is a mess According to TMZ, Tory is being held in Administrative Segregation due to his high-profile status. He is mostly kept away from other inmates. Tory is escorted to the showers where he bathes by himself, and, if he chooses to spend time in the yard, hell be the only one in the fenced-off area, according to the outlet. He stands in at 5-foot-3, so his size is definitely a setback, a source said. He is housed with real hardcore criminals, murderers. So he is really hoping that his lawyers will be able to continue to fight for his freedom while still maintaining his innocence. The whole thing is a mess. Tory was denied bail five weeks after a 10-year prison term. A jury unanimously delivered a guilty verdict last December on three gun felonies after he shot Megan in the feet during an argument in 2020. Tory pleaded not guilty to three charges assault with a semi-automatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. His family is concerned for him as well, especially his dad. He has been in contact with his family, and they are all trying to keep his spirits up, the insider said. Of Tory, the source said, He definitely had his moments where he has teared up, and that in jail Tory is, realizing who his real friends are. The shooting of Megan Thee Stallion Megan and Tory appeared together in several TikTok and Instagram lives before the shooting. In July 2020, the two attended a party at Kylie Jenners Hollywood Hills home. After leaving the party late at night, they were reportedly riding in an SUV with Kelsey Harris, a longtime friend of Megan. According to prosecutors, Megan and Tory got into a heated argument after Megan spoke badly of his rap skills. She demanded to be let out of the car at one point, when Tory allegedly fired at her foot. Canada's leader of the opposition, Pierre Poilievre, launched a scathing attack at Prime Minister Justice Trudeau, alleging that he personally met with and honoured a veteran who fought for the Nazis during World War II. Terming it an appalling error in judgment on the part of Trudeau, Poilievre said that the prime minister's personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka, who was in attendance in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.(AP) A major controversy erupted after Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant, was recognised as a war hero in Canada's House of Commons during a visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The speaker of Canada's parliament Anthony Rota hailed Hunka as "a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians" and a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero. Following the speaker's acknowledgement of Hunka, the House gave him a standing ovation. Rota on Sunday apologised for recognizing Hunka as a Ukrainian hero, adding that he regrets the decision to do so. He also took responsibility for what was characterized as an oversight, calling the initiative "entirely my own." I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them. However, Poilievre, a Conservative leader and Trudeau's rival, demanded an apology from the prime minister and asked him to avoid passing the blame to others as he always does. It has come out today that Justin Trudeau personally met with and honoured a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division). Liberals then arranged for this Nazi veteran to be recognized on the floor of the House of Commons during the visit of the Ukrainian President, he wrote in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter). No parliamentarians (other than Justin Trudeau) had the opportunity to vet this individuals past before he was introduced and honoured on the floor of the House of Commons. Without warning or context, it was impossible for any parliamentarian in the room (other than Mr. Trudeau) to know of this dark past, he added. Mr. Trudeau must personally apologize and avoid passing the blame to others as he always does. Jason Cherniak, a Jewish lawyer from Richmond Hill who was present in the Parliament for Zelensky's speech, said he also stood up and applauded Hunka assuming he was a partisan who fought communist occupation after WWII. Now Ive learned he was a volunteer member of an SS unit, I feel sick to my stomach. As a Jew who was one of the people unknowingly applauding a Nazi soldier, I can hardly imagine a more embarrassing moment. Somebody had better take responsibility for it in a serious way. Everybody who was in that room needs to feel clean again, he said in a series of posts on X. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two Americans named Don Mellein and Jeni Pearsons have sued the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI). According to a report by Fox News, on Friday, the Institute for Justice has filed the two lawsuits on behalf of its clients. The FBI seal (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)(AP) The matter pertains to a FBI raid in March 2021 on U.S. Private Vaults, a Beverly Hillsbased company. The two persons' property stored there in safety deposit boxes was seized by FBI during the raid. Later, after court proceedings when the property was returned to Mellein and Pearsons, they found some of their property missing. As per the report, Mellein had kept cash and 110 gold coins worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in the safety deposit box. Meanwhile, Pearsons and her husband Michael Storc stored around $20,000 in silver and $2,000 in cash in their box. "All we know is that their property was in a box and safe before the FBI broke into the box," Joe Gay, an attorney with the nonprofit law firm Institute for Justice, told Fox News. "Once the FBI broke into the box, we honestly don't know exactly what happened," added Joe. "We don't know if they lost it. We don't know if somebody pocketed it and walked away. We have no way to know," shared Joe. Pearsons reiterated either FBI lost the property or they stole it. Notably, FBI's shoddy recordkeeping of the seized property has complicated any redressal of the issue. "Theres literally been no explanation. I think you have to assume that it's the simplest explanation, and I think, unfortunately, the simplest explanation is they took it or lost it," said Pearsons. ALSO READ| Elon Musk posts epic Namaste pic and video of humanoid robot, leaves Indians gushing- Watch Initially, Mellein received the cash from his box but none of his 110 gold coins. Later, when he sued the government seeking the return of the coins, 47 gold coins were given to him. But remaining 63 gold coins are yet to be handed over to him. On the other hand, Pearsons hasn't received the $2,000 in cash from her box. "We don't know for sure how the property disappeared, we just know it disappeared. And whether it's negligence, whether it's something worse, the government shouldn't be able to rely on its own shoddy recordkeeping to avoid responsibility for losing their property," said Mellein and Pearsons' attorney Joe. Ukraine's Special Forces said on Monday that Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, had been killed in a Ukrainian attack last week on the fleet headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Russia-Ukraine War: Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Vice-Admiral Viktor Sokolov.(File) The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond when asked by Reuters to confirm or deny that Sokolov had been killed in the attack on Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed in 2014. The Ukrainian military said Friday's attack had targeted a meeting of the Russian Navy's leadership in the city of Sevastopol. "After the strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, 34 officers died, including the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Another 105 occupiers were wounded. The headquarters building cannot be restored," the special forces said on the Telegram messaging app. It was not immediately clear how Ukraine's Special Forces counted the dead and wounded in the attack. Each side has at times exaggerated enemy losses since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine 19 months ago and each says little about its own losses. Russian-installed officials confirmed the Ukrainian attack on Friday, saying that at least one missile struck the fleet headquarters. Kyiv has stepped up attacks in the Black Sea and Crimea as Ukrainian forces press on with a nearly four-month-old counteroffensive to take back Russian-occupied territory. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ukraine's southern port of Odesa was hit by Russian missiles overnight, destroying grain stores, the Ukrainian military said Monday. The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said Russia directed 19 drones and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles at Odesa, and fired 12 Kalibr missiles. (File/AP) Russia "attacked the south of the country again", the Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said on the messaging platform Telegram. Since July when Moscow pulled out of a UN-brokered deal allowing safe grain shipments via the Black Sea, Russia has ramped up attacks on Ukraine's grain-exporting infrastructure in the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian southern military command, said Russia was apparently "trying to test out the density of the air defence". "They understand that port infrastructure is a priority for our region, and that it is reliably protected. However, that is why the attack that occurred tonight was both massive and by combined means," she said on Telegram. The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said Russia directed 19 drones and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles at Odesa, and fired 12 Kalibr missiles. They claimed all 19 Shaheds and 11 Kalibrs "were shot down". However, Russia did "hit the port infrastructure" in Odesa, which "suffered significant damage", they said. "Onyx missiles destroyed granaries. But people were not hurt," they said. Warehouses and a private house in the Odesa suburbs were damaged and caught fire, they added, "as a result of falling debris". Gumenyuk said one of the grain stores hit was empty. "Nevertheless, hitting grain deal-related infrastructure", she said, was a Russian "priority". Odesa regional governor Oleg Kiper said on Telegram that one woman in Odesa, a civilian, was injured by shrapnel "in a blast wave" and was being treated in hospital. Grain shipments get through Ukraine is testing a new Black Sea route that avoids international waters and uses those controlled by NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. A first ship loaded with wheat reached Istanbul on Thursday despite Russian threats to attack boats heading to or from Ukraine. A second shipment reached Turkey on Sunday, according to maritime traffic monitoring sites. Russia and Ukraine are two major agricultural powers whose supplies are crucial for global food security. Moscow's invasion of its neighbour in February last year -- and subsequent international sanctions -- have destabilised global supplies and markets. Russia: Ukrainian drones downed Meanwhile Russia's defence ministry said its air defences had "destroyed" four unmanned aerial vehicles over the northwestern Black Sea, and the Crimean peninsula which Moscow annexed in 2014. It said two drones each were intercepted in Kursk and Bryansk, two regions bordering Ukraine. Kursk regional governor Roman Starovoyt said several homes and the roof of an administrative building were damaged "due to an attack by Ukrainian UAVs" in the Central district. No casualties were reported. Bryansk regional governor Aleksandr Bogomaz said there were "no casualties or damage" in the region. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The UN human rights office has expressed concern about the arrest of a Vietnamese green energy expert, who had collaborated with UN and US agencies, just days after President Joe Biden signed business and human rights deals with Hanoi on a visit. US President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam. AP) Hanoi police on Sept. 15 detained Ngo Thi To Nhien, Executive Director of the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIET), an independent think tank focused on green energy policy, Reuters reported last week citing a charity and a source. "We are aware of the arrest and are following the developments with concern," Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) told Reuters in a statement. Nhien had worked for the World Bank, with the United Nations Development Programme and the United States aid agency (USAID), according to her profile on LinkedIn. She "has participated in international and national events, including consultations organized by UNDP on the topic of energy transition," the UNDP in Vietnam confirmed in an email message to Reuters. The US embassy in Hanoi has not responded to repeated requests for comment. Over the last two years Vietnam has arrested five environmental human rights defenders accusing them of tax evasion, a OHCHR spokesperson said in June, noting the arrests happened while the country was negotiating international funding for energy transition away from coal, of which it is a major user. Nhien kept a very low public profile and was considered an expert, not an activist. Vietnam's government has not issued any public statement about Nhien's arrest, and did not reply to requests for comment. On Friday, Vietnam also executed a man, Le Van Manh, who had been sentenced to death in July 2005 after being found guilty of murder, child rape and robbery. The European Union had called to halt the execution. Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, said Manh had a strong alibi which was disregarded. Coast Hotels Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of APA Hotel Canada, Inc. and one of North America's fastest-growing and one of Canada's largest hotel brands, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dale Prout as Director, Development, located in California. In his new role, Dale will focus on growing Coast Hotels' portfolio of franchised and managed hotels in North America specifically targeting key locations throughout the West Coast of the USA to support the company's exponential growth and expansion strategy. In his new role, Dale brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in franchise sales and business development, working for several international hotel companies. Most recently, he served as Director of Franchise Development for Radisson Hotel Group. With this significant appointment, Coast Hotels underscores the company's dedication to expanding its footprint in the United States, setting the stage for an exciting chapter of growth. The Future Hospitality Investment Summit (FHS) 2023 is set to take place at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island from 25-27 September 2023, bringing together the investment communities of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) and the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). This is the first time the region's leading hospitality investment forum will take place in Abu Dhabi. Organised by The Bench, FHS brings together the Middle East and Africa's industry leaders for discussions, deals and insight on the continued growth of the region's hospitality and tourism sectors. The Future Hospitality Investment Summit 2023 in Abu Dhabi will continue to actively engage with investors from both start-up communities and projects from around the region. The distinguished members of the FHS Advisory Board will convene early next year to discuss and shape the agenda for the 2023 edition. This event is organized by The Bench For more information please contact Anne Bleeker +971 56 603 0886 Amsterdam-Worcester, U.K. - Katanox, the travel accommodation distribution and fintech platform, announced today its deal with business travel management company arrangeMY. Thanks to Katanoxs streaming distribution capabilities, arrangeMY can connect directly with a host of either new accommodation providers or build on already established relationships with brands such as Premier Inn, giving the travel management company the ability to increase revenue. Additionally, arrangeMY will be able to offer its business clients more accommodation options, giving its clients additional flexibility because of booking functionality provided by Katanox. Choosing to work with Katanox was a no-brainer for us because of the new opportunities that are now available to us thanks to this partnership, said Nick Scott, Managing Director, arrangeMY. This is truly a no lose scenario, while creating a win-win situation for us and our clients; we reap the benefits of being able to extend our product offerings, while our clients reap the benefits of greater customisation in terms of where and how they book. The arrangeMY team are well experienced travel professionals and have been a part of the evolution of the space since starting business in 1990 under the name BookOTel. The organisation has grown over the years to include venue finding and an events division in addition to providing travel management services. Its validating to work with experienced professionals in this space such as arrangeMY, which not only brings a wealth of knowledge, but also a mutually beneficial distribution channel for our hotel partners said Mendel Senf, co-founder, Katanox. By bringing together TMCs like arrangeMY with leading accommodation providers, were building a stronger ecosystem based on direct relationships, in which all parties benefit. We will continue to fortify this ecosystem with each new organisation we bring onto the Katanox platform. About Katanox Katanox is a travel accommodation distribution and fintech platform bringing together travel sellers and travel accommodation providers. Katanox facilitates distribution of travel accommodation inventory and payments. The platform is unlocking the programmatic era for B2B distribution in hospitality. The team is led by Mendel Senf, Georgios Georgiadis, Imre Vogelezang and Paul Beukers and supported by a group of experienced industry professionals. LinkedIn: Katanox About arrangeMY arrangeMY are experts in business travel management. Their in-house specialist teams deliver an integrated, valued managed solution to travel accommodation, venue finding and event needs. The team prides itself on its personal and professional approach and it is that team who are responsible for the organisations success. Joseph Vito DeLuca Marketing Director Bangkok - Adding another layer to its sustainability pledge, luxury hospitality brand Anantara Hotels and Resorts is rolling out its signature CSR programme Dollar for Deeds at all of its properties worldwide. First introduced almost a decade ago at select hotels in Thailand, Anantaras home base, the initiative has been integrated into the growth strategies of the brand globally. Designed as an opt-in programme for guests, Dollar for Deeds encourages travellers to give back to the community by donating to a range of worthy causes, each hand-picked to impact the environment, sustainability and the community in the most effective way. Under this programme, guests can donate one dollar per night of their stay, with Minor Hotels matching their contribution dollar for dollar and donated to CSR partners internationally. By agreeing at the time of check-in, Anantara guests not only enjoy a luxurious stay that is rich in discovery, but leave with wonderful memories of their experiences, knowing that they have made a positive difference to the local environment and community. In Thailand, funds raised are dispersed equally between three chosen and vetted causes: The Princess Sirindhorn Craniofacial Centre at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok to provide comprehensive care for mainly children with craniofacial abnormalities; The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation that looks after all turtles that nest in Phuket including the critically endangered giant leatherback; and The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation where rescued street elephants enjoy a peaceful life in Northern Thailand and wild elephants and their habitat are protected. Other projects around the world include holistic coral reef protection in the Maldives; vulture nest monitoring, raptor protection and humpback whale monitoring in Oman; gibbon, peacock and otter releases in Cambodia; providing care & vocational training for disabled children in Vietnam and Indonesia; supporting local farmers and local fishing communities in Africa and reforestation projects in China and Malaysia. Sustainability has long been a key pillar of our operating philosophy and, increasingly, it is not only a global need but also a requirement from both our investors and guests. By making Dollar for Deeds accessible globally, we can support more worthy causes around the world while encouraging individual sustainability journeys and changing the definition of purposeful travel in our neighbouring communities and ecosystems. For the expansion I am particularly proud of the way our properties outside Thailand have embraced the spirit of the programme and chosen amazing local causes to support. John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability & Conservation for Minor Hotels, Anantaras parent company Participating properties and associated projects are: Thailand, all properties The Princess Sirindhorn Craniofacial Centre The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation Sri Lanka, Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort Turtle beach protection with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Sri Lanka, Anantara Kalutara Resort Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe Cambodia, Anantara Angkor Resort & Spa Gibbon, peacock, otter releases with the Wildlife Alliance Rewild Angkor The Maldives, all properties Holistic coral reef protection projects Oman, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort Vulture nest monitoring and raptor protection with the Environmental Society of Oman Capture, treatment and release of stray dogs and cats Oman, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara Gulf humpback and Brydes whale monitoring with the Environmental Society of Oman Malaysia, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas Reforestation, wildlife monitoring and protection with the Rewild Desaru Project Vietnam, all properties Kianh Foundation - providing care & vocational training for disabled children Mozambique, Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort Supporting fishing communities through infrastructure development and food donations Zambia, Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara Supporting local farmers through developing products and markets while cutting out the middlemen. Indonesia (Bali), All Properties Annika Linden Centre providing care for disabled kids. China, Xishuangbanna Good to Nature scientific reforestation of Yunnans rainforest ecosystem. The rollout of the Dollar for Deeds programme will continue in Anantaras recently launched hotels throughout Europe in Q1, 2024. For more information about Anantaras sustainability initiatives, please visit https://www.anantara.com/en/sustainability. About Minor Hotels Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator and investor currently with more than 530 hotels in operation. Minor Hotels passionately explores new possibilities in hospitality with a diverse portfolio of properties designed intelligently to appeal to different kinds of travellers, serving new passions as well as personal needs. Through our Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Tivoli, M Collection, NH Collection, NH, nhow, Elewana, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis, Radisson Blu and Minor International properties, Minor Hotels operates in 56 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, South America and North America. With dynamic plans to expand existing brands and explore strategic acquisitions throughout opportunistic markets, Minor Hotels pursues a vision of a more passionate and interconnected world. Minor Hotels is part of the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme, enabling travellers to savour every moment at home or away, while being recognised and rewarded at participating hotels and resorts worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ghadiscovery.com. For more information, please visit www.minorhotels.com. Mark Thomson Director of PR & Communications +66 (0)2 365 7678 Minor Gavin Faull grew up in Tikorangi thinking he would end up working in a grocery store and drive a delivery van just like his dad. Instead, he and his three sons, Matthew, Oliver and Edward, were this week awarded the Legacy Family Business Award 2023 for their Swiss-Belhotel International operation of 125 hotels in 20 different countries that they own with their Hong Kong business partners. Faull, Swiss-Belhotels chairman and president, is a brother of Sir Richard Faull, a world renowned neuroscientist. While growing up in Tikorangi, Faull, the son of a grocer, had been expecting a different future than the one he had carved out for himself, he said. I thought I was going to grow up, work in a grocery store and drive delivery vans. And that was not attractive to me. So, I thought I should go out and do something else. It was good growing up out there its the home of opportunity, makes you want to get out and do something else. He now has homes in Auckland and Urenui and offices in Sydney, Hong Kong and Jakarta, he said. I move around like a gypsy. The hotelier said the legacy award from the Family Business Association New Zealand was a bit of a surprise. There are a lot of family businesses in New Zealand and I think theyre trying to encourage them to develop a bit faster. The judges noted the Faulls were a benchmark multigenerational family business with industry leading growth across the familys business portfolio. Blending the rising generation into the business into senior roles is never a simple process and having all three sons in teams supporting the business is a high achievement. And while many big family businesses are wracked by arguments, his family had avoided that, he said. Thats the way weve been brought up over a few generations and living in Tikorangi. But I also keep them living in different geographic locations, he said, laughing. But they all get together at Christmas where Faull talks more business than his family would like. He said 18 months ago he thought it was the worst time to be in the hospitality business, but its got better. People are travelling again. The important thing in the hotel industry was to understand the guests and what they want, he said. They have to leave with a positive attitude. It all comes down to service. Service is key. Management is key. Its the people that make it. Last month it was announced that Faulls company had signed a deal with a Chinese state-owned tourism company that could help him expand his chain of hotels from 125 to 530 in the next seven years. The family also owns Faull Farms in Tikorangi, one of the largest dairy operations in the country. Its a big business out there. Ive been actively involved in it and my second son Oliver is general manager, but lives in Auckland. Though well into his 70s Faull had no plans to retire. My kids wont let me. About Swiss-Belhotel International Group Founded in 1987, Swiss-Belhotel International Group is headquartered in Hong Kong, and offers hotels, resort, serviced residences and property management services in Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Thailand. With full-service hotel brand concept, the Group's hotels cater to business & leisure travelers with hotels located in major city centers and resort destinations. The Group currently manages 125 properties in 16 countries under 16 brands. For further information visit https://www.swiss-belhotel.com. View source China - The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), today shed light on the substantial resurgence of Chinas Travel & Tourism sector. According to WTTCs latest Economic Impact Research, Chinas Travel & Tourism sector is predicted to contribute $1.48TN to the national economy by the end of 2023, up over 150% from 2022, when the sector contributed $583BN to the economy. Ten years from now, WTTC forecasts that the sector will contribute over $4TN to Chinas economy, demonstrating remarkable growth, outpacing global CAGR by almost 2:1. The global tourism body is also forecasting that the sector will support over 74MN jobs in China this year, up more than 18% from 2022. This is just 9% behind 2019 levels. By 2033, WTTC predicts the sector will support more than 31MN additional jobs to reach almost 106MN in total this represents almost one in seven jobs across China. Global Appetite WTTCs recent A World in Motion report highlights the global appetite for holidays to China remains buoyant. Search data for hotels and flights in December 2022 showed searches from the Americas had their sights set on China, with travellers from across Asia-Pacific also showing sustained interest in visits to China. Travel Trends Data from WTTCs knowledge partner ForwardKeys reveals a 90% increase in outbound passengers from mainland China last year, reaching 3.6MN. Although this was far behind the 2019 peak of 47.9MN, it was a significant increase from the historic low of just 1.9MN outbound passengers in 2021. Year-to-date data shows that 2023 has witnessed a phenomenal 506% increase in outbound passenger numbers already, to reach 22.1MN between January and August. Inbound passenger data shows a similar trend. Last year, inbound passenger numbers to China reached 3.3MN, an increase of 89% from the year before. The year-to-date data shows inbound passenger numbers have grown 556% to reach 21.9MN between January and August this year. Future Outlook This data clearly shows the appetite to travel remains incredibly strong. Chinese travellers want to explore the world once again and international travellers are eager to return to this amazing country, rich in culture, breathtaking landscapes, and warm welcomes. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO A look at Hong Kong In 2022, Travel & Tourism contributed $4.5BN to Hong Kongs economy, up 39% from the previous year. Flight booking data shows outbound passengers from Hong Kong increased 976% in 2022 to reach 3.7MN. Year-to-date data shows a 171% increase between January and August this year to reach 10MN outbound passengers. Data also reveals a 966% increase in inbound passengers to Hong Kong in 2022, to reach 3.5MN. Year-to-date data reveals a 183% increase between January and August to reach 10.1MN inbound passengers. A look at Macau In 2022, Travel & Tourism contributed $12.3BN to Macaus economy, up 26% from the year before. Flight booking data shows outbound passengers from Macau increased 52% in 2022 to reach 373,000. Year-to-date data shows a 331% increase between January and August this year to reach 1.6MN outbound passengers. Data also reveals a modest 2% increase in inbound passengers to Macau in 2022, to reach 516,000. Year-to-date data reveals a 286% increase between January and August to reach 1.9MN inbound passengers. A look at Shanghai In 2022, Travel & Tourism contributed $29.7BN to Shanghais economy, up almost 70% from the year before. Flight booking data shows outbound passengers from Shanghai increased 120% in 2022 to reach 906,000. Year-to-date data shows a 529% increase between January and August this year to reach 5.6MN outbound passengers. Data also reveals an 82% increase in inbound passengers to Shanghai in 2022, to reach 726,000. Year-to-date data reveals a 633% increase between January and August to reach 5.3MN inbound passengers. The Economic Impact Research was carried out in partnership with Oxford Economics and the passenger data has been supplied by ForwardKeys. The press release also draws from the WTTC A World in Motion consumer trends report and the WTTC Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2023 Global Trends Report. All monetary figures are in USD. About WTTC The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector. WTTC Press Office WTTC The global online travel market is estimated to be worth an impressive $1 billion in 2030. The demand is there, but are you capturing your share of it? To get your piece of the pie, you need to cover multiple hotel marketing channels and optimize them for direct booking revenue. Hotel marketing channels are the avenues where you interact with your guests (and potential guests). From research to booking to post-stay surveys, there are dozens of touchpoints throughout the guest journey that you, as a hotel marketer, need to engage with. Understanding how these channels are transforming will help you keep abreast of the guest experience and drive direct booking revenue. Lets walk through the six top hotel marketing channels and how you can capitalize on them. 1. Brand website Your website is your digital homeand just as much a representation of your brand as the front lobby. Your website should be informative, easy to navigate, and optimized for mobile. A poor website experience could influence guests to book on OTAs or overlook your hotel entirely, costing you direct revenue. How to capitalize on your website: Provide a seamless direct booking experience. Make the reservation CTA clear, and ensure your guests can easily add their search criteria before receiving the room rates. Make the reservation CTA clear, and ensure your guests can easily add their search criteria before receiving the room rates. Showcase high quality images of your property and services. Show off your property. Include photos of the rooms, restaurants, and other areas that can be unique selling points. Invite guests to share their own photos that you can also display on your website. Show off your property. Include photos of the rooms, restaurants, and other areas that can be unique selling points. Invite guests to share their own photos that you can also display on your website. Market your location. Do you have a historic restaurant next door? Or a flea market nearby? Let your guests know what else they can enjoy around your property! Do you have a historic restaurant next door? Or a flea market nearby? Let your guests know what else they can enjoy around your property! Optimize your website for mobile. More travelers are booking their trips on their phones. In fact, about 2/3 Milennials are comfortable with planning their entire trip on mobile. Mobile friendly websites also rank better on Google, which leads to higher traffic to your site. The Hoxton, a modern and vibrant urban group, and Spicers Retreats a luxury getaway group, are two great examples of brands with excellent websites. Spicers Retreats website pop-up form Photo by Revinate, Inc. The Hoxton website homepage Photo by Revinate, Inc. Both brands welcome guests with stunning visuals. Guests can easily find the navigation at the top of the page, browse high-quality photos of the properties and other services, and book seamlessly. The cherry on topboth brands are actively capturing first-party data for marketing purposes. Spicers Retreats and The Hoxton have pop-ups on their home pages where people can share their emails in exchange for updates and special offers. That email address can then be associated with all of the bookings and campaign interactions the customer makes. 2. Email Marketing If you think email marketing is dead, were here to tell you that its more alive than ever. Email marketing is the number 1 preferred communication channel by millennials and almost all generations. This is because email is less invasive, and searchable. When done right, with every $1 dollar spend, marketers can receive $36 in return. How to capitalize on email marketing: Automate your email campaigns. The best thing about email marketing is that you can automate the sending process. Createset it and forget it campaigns such as pre-arrival, winback, and shopping cart abandonment series that trigger automatically based on guest activity. The best thing about email marketing is that you can automate the sending process. Createset it and forget it campaigns such as pre-arrival, winback, and shopping cart abandonment series that trigger automatically based on guest activity. Send highly segmented and personalized messaging. Segmented emails often see 2.5x higher open rates and 3x higher click-through rates. Your guests want offers that are relevant to them. Combining data such as your guests booking history, survey responses, and marketing engagement (all available in a rich guest profile or in your CDP) allows you to create specific segments for highly effective email campaigns. Segmented emails often see 2.5x higher open rates and 3x higher click-through rates. Your guests want offers that are relevant to them. Combining data such as your guests booking history, survey responses, and marketing engagement (all available in a rich guest profile or in your CDP) allows you to create specific segments for highly effective email campaigns. Create engaging newsletters. Keep your property at the top of guests minds by sending a regular newsletter with special room offers, notable announcements, or nearby events you want to highlight. Keep your property at the top of guests minds by sending a regular newsletter with special room offers, notable announcements, or nearby events you want to highlight. Invite guests to leave reviews. Your guests may notice things that you dont. Asking for their honest feedback can be valuable for necessary improvements, and to give credit to your staff when guests take the time to express their satisfaction. Your guests may notice things that you dont. Asking for their honest feedback can be valuable for necessary improvements, and to give credit to your staff when guests take the time to express their satisfaction. Experiment with your messages, and see what performs well and what doesnt over time. For example, try A/B Testing your email subject lines, or get creative with your offer. Remember, your guests behavior can always changecontinuously experimenting will keep you on top of shifting trends. Need some inspiration for your next emails? We have two newsletter examples from The Other House, a hotel group based in the UK, and the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, an IHG hotel based in the Maldives. Both newsletters highlighted the experiences and events taking place at the properties in that month. The Other House successfully generated 425 room nights from their April newsletter, and the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort s January newsletter led to 139 room nights. For more successful email campaign examples with results, check out our Inspirations page. And if you want to learn more about email marketing, take a look at our basics of email marketing guide. 3. Text messaging We all know what its like to be glued to our phones, day in and day out. With SMS open rate as high as 98%, its a coveted channel for marketers. Text messaging allows you to send your guests simplified updates and promotions. How to capitalize on text messaging: Automate your text campaigns. Just like email marketing, you can automate your marketing process throughout the guest journey. You can also create a clear and concise script that your AI can use to answer frequently asked questions. Just like email marketing, you can automate your marketing process throughout the guest journey. You can also create a clear and concise script that your AI can use to answer frequently asked questions. Send highly segmented and personalized messaging. With text messaging, you can send simplified segmented and personalized messaging. This can act as a simple reminder of your guests booked services, or a promotional offer followed by the code to redeem the service. With text messaging, you can send simplified segmented and personalized messaging. This can act as a simple reminder of your guests booked services, or a promotional offer followed by the code to redeem the service. Invite guests to leave reviews. Text messaging is another tool that you can utilize for guest feedback. With text-messaging, you can give your guests a point of contact at any time throughout their stay. Vintage Hotels, a group of luxury hotels in Canada, elevated their guests communications with text messages. In the middle of staff shortages and rising travel demand, the property was still able to stay in touch and make their guests feel heard with text messages. You can learn more about how AI can help you improve your guest communications in our blog post. 4. Online reviews A study by TripAdvisor found that 81% of travelers read reviews during their booking decision process. On top of qualitative feedback, reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Booking.com provide quantitative data that you can monitor and track over time, and use to make strategic improvements. How to capitalize on online reviews: Proactively gather reviews. There are multiple touchpoints where you can encourage guests to leave reviews, including during the check-out process, in your post-stay emails, or even through interactions with your staff. You can also reward your guests with special offers for completing a review, such as a drink in the house that they can redeem with a code once the review is submitted. There are multiple touchpoints where you can encourage guests to leave reviews, including during the check-out process, in your post-stay emails, or even through interactions with your staff. You can also reward your guests with special offers for completing a review, such as a drink in the house that they can redeem with a code once the review is submitted. Respond to both negative and positive reviews. 4 out of 5 travelers believe believe that hotels who respond to reviews care about their guests. Hoteliers are often more responsive towards the negative reviews, but responding to positive reviews is just important. Dedicate time in your week to answer reviews. Be kind and genuine in your responses, and dont forget to forward compliments to your team! Learn more about how to respond to negative reviews here and positive reviews here. We also have an online Guest Feedback Certification course led by Revinate Customer Success Managers. 5. Paid search and metasearch Paid search, or Search Engine Advertising, can help you increase visibility and conversion when travelers are researching your hotel or destination online. You can bid against branded keywords, which include your property name (e.g.The Landmark London) to make sure your hotel website is positioned above OTAs, or generic keywords associated with travel destinations or accommodation types, such ashotel in Sydney orluxury Maldives resort. Using paid search advertisements against relevant keywords can boost your visibility and capture demand. In addition to paid research, theres also Metasearch. Metasearch is a tool that allows travelers to compare rates across different travel platforms such as Booking.com, your official website, Trip.com, hotels.com and more, in order to find the best rates for the travelers at their chosen destination and dates. Just as with paid search ads, you can sponsor results on metasearch sites to stand out from the competition. Both channels can boost visibility and engagement, and reduce dependencies on OTAs as you are competing with them for possibly the same keywords. Many marketers opt for paid search to enhance organic search engagement, and use metasearch to create an easier and faster booking decision process for travelers. How to capitalize on paid search and metasearch: Focus on keywords. The more specific the keyword, the better the ROIespecially when it comes to generic search terms likehotels in Bangkok. Keywords likebest 5 star hotels Bangkok orbest rooftop view Bangkok can get you more bang for your buck. Use tools like Semrush or Google Keyword Planner to optimize your campaigns. The more specific the keyword, the better the ROIespecially when it comes to generic search terms likehotels in Bangkok. Keywords likebest 5 star hotels Bangkok orbest rooftop view Bangkok can get you more bang for your buck. Use tools like Semrush or Google Keyword Planner to optimize your campaigns. Show all room rates. Instead of just displaying your cheapest rates, build trust with potential guests by showing your full range of room rates. If you include every option available, people are less likely to turn to other booking platforms to explore rates. You also increase upsell opportunities. Instead of just displaying your cheapest rates, build trust with potential guests by showing your full range of room rates. If you include every option available, people are less likely to turn to other booking platforms to explore rates. You also increase upsell opportunities. Measure results and benchmark your performance. As the adage goes,what gets measured, gets managed. Keep track of KPIs like click-through rate, impression share, cost-per click, and conversion rate to ensure your advertising dollars are well spent. 6. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) Online Travel Agencies like Booking.com, Agoda, and others allow guests to search for hotel rooms, transportation, and travel packages from hundreds of businesses at the same time. Travelers have the flexibility to browse hotels based on requirements such as parking or breakfasts included. They can also browse with a range of dates if they dont have strict travel plans. Though OTAs are an important distribution channel that contribute to your bookings, you have to pay a relatively high percentage of the total booking cost (usually 15-30%) for their services. There may also be hidden fees. Therefore its important to be strategic in your engagements with OTAs and make sure you dont diminish your opportunities for direct bookings. How to capitalize on OTAs: Stand out from your competitors. Use high quality images that entice guests, provide clear basic information, and use attention-grabbing keywords. Use high quality images that entice guests, provide clear basic information, and use attention-grabbing keywords. Manage guest reviews. Some OTAs also host traveler reviews, such as Booking.com. Make sure that you check reviews regularly and respond to them. Some OTAs also host traveler reviews, such as Booking.com. Make sure that you check reviews regularly and respond to them. Measure and review results. You can always change up your engagements with OTAs. Take the time to continuously reassess your investment. Sunish Sadasivan, VP of Revenue Management and E-commerce for Chroma Hospitality, conducted an experiment where he shut down their OTAs for 30 days, And surprisingly, doing so gave their website the main spotlight that it deserved. After an initial dip, they recovered most of their bookings at higher margins through direct channels. 7. Social media Social channels are not just for younger audiences. While some platforms are more popular with certain generationslike TikTok for GenZ or Facebook for Boomersthere are plenty of overlapping audiences. Choose several platforms to make sure you are reaching your target demographics. Whats more, 97% of guests share their travel pictures on social media. These posts, in turn, inspire other travelers to follow suit. Creating your own original content, working with influencers, and re-sharing guest content are all ways to keep your social presence active. How to capitalize on social media: Complete your profile. A complete profile gives you credibility and makes it easier for guests to find you. Include a link to your website so that travelers can book directly. A complete profile gives you credibility and makes it easier for guests to find you. Include a link to your website so that travelers can book directly. Create a social content calendar. The purpose of a content calendar is to keep track of all social media posts in an organized manner. You can create one manually using Excel or Google Sheets, or use a planner such as Hootsuite, Semrush and Later. The purpose of a content calendar is to keep track of all social media posts in an organized manner. You can create one manually using Excel or Google Sheets, or use a planner such as Hootsuite, Semrush and Later. Run ads. The targeting capabilities of social media ads can be complimentary to your organic posts. You can target an audience based on location, demographic, content they consume, and more. Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok and LinkedIn all have advertising opportunities. You can also use your existing guest data to find look-alike audiences and advertise to potential new guests that share interests or characteristics with your loyal customers. The targeting capabilities of social media ads can be complimentary to your organic posts. You can target an audience based on location, demographic, content they consume, and more. Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok and LinkedIn all have advertising opportunities. You can also use your existing guest data to find look-alike audiences and advertise to potential new guests that share interests or characteristics with your loyal customers. Interact with your guests. Heres your chance to be creative. Run promotions, polls, or contests that are specific to your social channels. Comment on posts taken at your property and repost guest content. Use first-party data to optimize your top hotel marketing channels The foundation of effective marketing campaigns is good data. More often than not, hoteliers customer data is siloed in different tools, making it difficult to understand guest behavior and engagement across channels. With a Customer Data Platform (CDP), you can get all of your guest data in one place and use it to get a complete picture of your customers. Use this data to create highly segmented audiences, find the most effective channels, and increase your marketing ROI. About Revinate Revinate empowers hoteliers to directly connect with their guests. Our Guest Data Platform and communication solutions unlock revenue for hoteliers and put them in control of the full guest experience initial research, booking, check-in, throughout the stay, and even after check out all via the communication channels that guests prefer, whether it's voice, text, email, or web. More than 12,000 hotels globally bank on Revinate to drive direct revenue and deliver delightful guest experiences. Ask us how we do it. Visit our website to get a demo. Sanjana Chappalli VP of Brand Marketing and Communications Revinate, Inc. View source In the vibrant world of the hospitality industry, diversity and inclusion stand as pillars of innovation, growth, and resilience. A diverse workforce reflects a diverse customer base, ensuring every guest feels seen, heard, and valued. Yet, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion goes beyond mere representation. It involves creating an environment where all individuals thrive, regardless of their background. Here are six strategies to effectively promote diversity and inclusion in the hospitality industry. 1. Commitment from Leadership: Promoting diversity and inclusion must start at the top. Leadership must not only advocate for but actively participate in diversity and inclusion initiatives. This commitment sends a powerful message throughout the organization, laying a solid foundation for a diverse and inclusive culture. Leaders should continuously communicate the importance of diversity and inclusion, making it a core component of the organization's values and goals. 2. Comprehensive Training Programs: Implement comprehensive training programs that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ensure all employees, from entry-level to management, understand the significance of a diverse and inclusive workplace. Training should cover topics such as unconscious bias, cultural competency, and inclusive communication, equipping employees with the knowledge and skills to foster an inclusive environment. 3. Inclusive Hiring Practices: Inclusive hiring practices are crucial for building a diverse workforce. Move beyond traditional recruitment channels and reach out to diverse talent pools. Consider partnerships with organizations dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion. Ensure job descriptions are inclusive, focusing on the necessary skills and qualifications rather than specific backgrounds or experiences. 4. Employee Resource Groups: Establish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to provide support, networking opportunities, and professional development for diverse groups of employees. ERGs create a space for employees to share experiences, address challenges, and contribute insights, enhancing the organizations diversity and inclusion efforts. 5. Career Development Opportunities: Offer equal career development opportunities for all employees. Ensure that employees from diverse backgrounds have access to mentorship, training, and career advancement opportunities. Creating clear paths for career growth and development for all employees contributes to a more inclusive and equitable workplace. 6. Monitor, Evaluate, and Adapt: Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion initiatives. Solicit feedback from employees and assess the organizational climate regularly. Be willing to adapt strategies based on feedback and assessment results to ensure the continual enhancement of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In conclusion, promoting diversity and inclusion in the hospitality industry is not just a goal; it is an ongoing journey that requires commitment, action, and continuous assessment. By adopting these six strategies, hospitality establishments can create a more diverse and inclusive environment, leading to enhanced innovation, customer satisfaction, and organizational success. HVS Report - Trends in Gulf Cooperation Council Hotel Development Costs Our team of experts has gathered invaluable insights, best practices, and case studies from the forefront of hotel development which forms the basis of our cost indication. Collectively, Hala Matar Choufany and Filippo Sona have advised on more than 10,000 hotel projects in the region, bringing tremendous experience, and unparalleled insights into hotel development costs and recent trends in the industry. Welcome to the world of hospitality development, where unique developments and unforgettable moments come to life. We are thrilled to introduce you to our latest publication, "Navigating the Investment Terrain: Trends in GCC Hotel Development Costs" where we delve deep into the intricate world of hotel development costs, unveiling the secrets that impact project costs and hotel values. In this joint publication, we outline the main hotel development expenses and recent trends in hotel development and design. Whether you are a seasoned developer, an aspiring hotelier, or simply an enthusiast curious about the inner workings of the industry, we hope this publication equips you with the knowledge to navigate this dynamic industry successfully. While data suggests that some 200,000 rooms are under development across the GCC, in the current economic environment, it is important to acknowledge the challenges posed by rising borrowing costs, development expenses, and operational expenditures. These factors are increasingly impacting hotel values and project returns, creating a complex landscape for investors and developers. In order to navigate these challenges and optimize project returns, industry professionals should employ various strategies by carefully analyzing market dynamics, implementing robust financial planning, and embracing innovative solutions. Overall, with strategic planning, comprehensive evaluation and a deep understanding of the investment costs, hotel investment and development in the region can offer attractive returns. Some of the noticeable emerging trends include but are not limited to: The focus on sustainability and environmental awareness has grown, with rising demand for sustainable and eco-friendly hotels. Investors have an opportunity to develop and operate properties with cutting-edge designs, and significant investments in renewable energy, wildlife conservation, and eco-friendly practices. The global pandemic forced many hotels to make significant changes to their layouts and interior design. The trend now is toward incorporating more environmentally conscious design elements and more sustainable operational and design practices. Guest-focused, smart digital contactless technology, co-working spaces, outdoor hospitality spaces, wellness amenities, signature F&Bvenues, smaller room count, and higher levels of efficiency are now common trends in todays hospitality investment and development outlook. In the coming years, the industry is likely to witness growth in the following: Luxury hotels' inventory dominated by residential components for both greenfield and repositioned developments Design and Built & Modular construction to dominate the Mid-Market & Upscale segment More Interior Design firms to incorporate design & supply for Loose FF&E packages Indicative Total Development Cost in USD (Per Sqm Across Different Asset Positioning) Source: HVS, 2023 Indicative Total Development Cost in USD (Per Key Across Different Asset Positioning) Source: HVS, 2023 Please download the PDF for the full article with detailed hotel development costs. About Hala Matar Choufany Hala Matar Choufany is the President for HVS Middle East, Africa & South Asia and Managing Partner of HVS Dubai. Hala is an experienced Managing Partner and Hospitality Advisor with a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry. Skilled in Contract Negotiation, Feasibility Studies, Development Recommendation, Valuation, Asset Management, and Strategic Advisory; she has advised on more than 2,500 hospitality and mixed-use projects in the last 15 years across Europe, MEA and Asia. Hala has in-depth expertise in regional hotel markets and a broad exposure to international markets and maintains excellent contacts with developers, owners, operators, investment institutions and government entities. Hala speaks frequently at investment coneferences on a range of topics including asset valuation, management issues and women leadership. Hala completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School. She also holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from IMHI (Essec- Cornell) University, Paris, France and a BA in Hospitality Management from Notre Dame University, Lebanon. Hala is fluent in English, French and Arabic. Hala is a board member of Harvard Business School club of the GCC and is a mum of three. Born in Beirut, Hala lived and worked in a number of cities across Europe, Asia and Middle East. For more information, contact Hala at hchoufany@hvs.com. The stage is set for World Tourism Day 2023, with the global sector to come together around them theme of Tourism and Green Investments. In what is set to be the biggest celebration to date, the official celebrations will be held of 27 September in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At UNWTO's Member States will mark the occasion in every region through a range of special events and programmes. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: "Tourism has never been more important for our economies or for our societies. Its potential is enormous. And so on this World Tourism Day, we celebrate tourism's ability to drive growth while also highlighting the vital need for investments to ensure such growth is inclusive and sustainable." Tourism and Green Investments On World Tourism Day 2023, UNWTO will place the emphasis on Tourism and Green Investments. The day will focus on the importance of: Investment for People (by investing in education and skills), (by investing in education and skills), For Planet (by investing in sustainable infrastructure and accelerating green transformation) (by investing in sustainable infrastructure and accelerating green transformation) For Prosperity (by investing in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship). In Riyadh, UNWTO will present its Global Tourism Investment Framework and hold a series of high-level panels focusing on the challenges and opportunities surrounding investment in tourism. The official World Tourism Day celebrations will also see the winners of the inaugural UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition for the Middle East announced. From Riyadh to the World World Tourism Day is set to be the biggest celebration so far. UNWTO will welcome representatives from more than 100 of its Member States, including more than 50 Ministers of Tourism. Joining them will be high-level representatives from tourism's private sector, both from the Middle East region and globally. World Tourism Day The first World Tourism Day was held in 1980. As the Global Day of Observance for tourism, it offers a chance to celebrate the sector's vital role in advancing peace and prosperity and UNWTO's global regions take turns in hosting the official celebrations, always around a timely and relevant theme. The date of 27 September marks the day the Statutes of the Organization that became UNWTO were signed. Today the European Commission officially blocked Booking Holdings acquisition of the Etraveli group. The European hotel industry applauds the landmark decision which recognises the negative impact of the merger on various parts of the tourism ecosystem, including the accommodation sector. HOTREC understands the decision as an important step in taming the power of one of the largest and most influential online platforms, which affects the daily operations of tens of thousands of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the hotel sector. In the event of the mergers approval, Booking could cross-sell its different services and further strengthen its dominance in the hotel market. According to HOTREC distribution study, Bookings market share on the hotel accommodation market has increased considerably from 60% in 2013 to 71% in 2021. HOTREC Director General Marie Audren said: HOTREC has long been raising alarms about Bookings market power and its impact on European hoteliers. Todays decision of the European Commission takes into account those concerns and can only be welcomed. HOTREC will remain vigilant and strongly react to any business decisions that negatively impact SME hotels. European hoteliers are faced daily with the unfair behaviour of powerful Online Travel Agents (OTAs). For example, the HOTREC distribution study shows that more than half of hoteliers (55%) feel pressured by OTAs to accept platforms terms and conditions (e.g., regarding cancellation policy, special discounts) that hotels would otherwise voluntarily not offer. While todays decision is important from a competition enforcement point of view, HOTREC also recalls important strides forward on a legislative front with the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The law represents an important milestone for the hotel industry since it will also introduce a ban on all price parity clauses, which prevent hoteliers from offering a better price on their own channels than the platform. Additionally, it will provide business users with better access to the data generated by their listings. In July 2023, Booking stated it does not yet qualify as a gatekeeper under the DMA. HOTREC took note of the decision and is closely following the DMA implementation phase and practices of OTAs towards their business users. Considerations for Regulating the Metaverse: New Models for Content, Commerce, and Data As regulators catch up to Web2, human behavior and technological change continue to drive evolution in metaverse experiences. How can companies and regulators plan for a more distributed, immersive, and tangible internet? Dont count the metaverse out. The grand vision of hyperscale metaverse experiences bringing potentially billions of users together into vast 3D worlds, enabled and managed by Web3 protocols like blockchains and cryptocurrencies, may indeed face technical and organizational challenges as it weaves together and unfolds. But the currents moving people and businesses into more digital and embodied interactions could continue to swell into a sea change. Regardless of how people interface or which services they use to do so, the concept of the metaverse is an important way to understand how more of the world is migrating into the internet and how digital systems are connecting more deeply with the physical. As businesses grapple with the opportunities, regulators are considering the implications. Data from Deloittes 2023 Digital Media Trends survey shows that digital places are a very real part of users lives. Around one-third of US respondents consider online experiences to be meaningful replacements for in-person experiences, and half of all Gen Zs and millennials surveyed agree. Among these younger generations, 48% agree that they spend more time interacting with others on social media than in the physical world, and 40% say they socialize more in video games. These generations are much more engaged with multiplayer video games that support self-expression, social connection, and immersionand theyre spending money to personalize their avatars with digital goods. Regulators are still considering the challenges of the Web2 era: endless content, data collection, privacy, and increasingly complex digital economies. But are current regulations prepared to address the challenges and harness the opportunities presented by hyperscale metaverse experiences? Are businesses ready for the challenges of content and conduct, privacy, and trade when people don digital avatars to express themselves, socialize, and transact, casting large data shadows across vast networks? What are some of the implications when glances, gestures, and even speech are fully digitized, recorded, and stored, when identities can be distributed and obfuscated, and when source and provenance are even more uncertain thanks to generative AI? How can ownership of digital things, dominion over virtual territory, and currency that comprises a bundle of crypto tokens be defined? These questions may not have answers yet, but business leaders and regulators should be asking them. Technology and media companies are committing billions of dollars to develop metaverse technologies in a race to capture consumer and business demographics. Investors are eyeing trillions in value. The hype may have died down, but the deeper currents are still building. In this article, we explore how regulators are working to tackle the challenges of hyperscale social media and content creationissues such as content moderation, conduct, privacy, copyright and fair use, and tax and tradeand then consider how metaverse experiences could amplify these challenges and necessitate new regulatory considerations. Why is the metaverse different? However its defined, the metaverse is a place. It approximates the physical world and typically acts as if it were solid. It has physics, and its users have bodies through which they can act, interacting with objects, others, and the virtual world. Social video games illustrate this placeness and the embodiment of avatars in interactive environments. Todays most popular social video games host tens of millions of players, with all the attendant behaviors such large and diverse groups entail. If a metaverse enables potentially tens of millions of users to interact together outside the confines of a specific game, how might this amplify the challenges of moderation, behavior, harassment, and misinformation? If a user says something in a metaverse space, is that the same as posting content? Who owns that content, and who is liable? Is an avatar an individual whose speech is protected? What constitutes abuse? Are the rules defined by the location of the users or the location of the service provider, or both? And where is the metaverse, anyway? This lack of location and the abstraction of humans into avatars and things into data objects challenge companies and regulators to think differently about existing categories of law in metaverse experiences. A European Parliament briefing, for example, outlines the potential opportunities and risks for competition, liability, and intellectual property. South Korean lawmakers stated that metaverse use cases raise many issues around data governance, privacy, and user safety. The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has established a Web 3.0 Policy Office to connect finance and tax departments with media, sports, fashion, and other industries to foster economic interoperability in the metaverse. Such efforts now exist alongside broad Web2 regulatory frameworks. Yet more questions are likely needed to be ready for the metaverseand the regulations that may be required. Do legal definitions of content apply to 3D objects and assemblies? Will metaverse experiences make data capture much more powerful? How should we view the emergence of AI influencers and digital twins of celebrities? What are the tax implications when identity and location may be hidden by encrypted blockchains? Amid so much continuous disruption, regulators are often caught between implementing and enforcing existing laws, understanding where they might apply to metaverses, and when they may need entirely new rulesets. The regulatory focus: Content, conduct, privacy, and trade By analyzing current regulations, the human behaviors that drive their evolution, and the novel implications that metaverse interaction models can create, business leaders have an opportunity to inform their strategies and implementations. Staying ahead of domestic and global regulatory developments can help mitigate risk and define the scope of innovative experiences. These considerations could enable a more equitable and safer user environment in the metaverse, drive public adoption of the technologies, and help inform future policy developments. When anticipating how regulators may seek to manage hyperscale metaverse experiences, companies should consider how theyre currently addressing content, conduct, privacy, and trade issues such as tax and finance. Content, conduct, and safety Providers and regulators are now contending with the consequences of digitizing human behaviors into hyperscale social environmentsthe leading social media services that span continents and gather hundreds of millions (and even billions) of users together. Social media, user-generated content services, and multiplayer video games are working to monitor conduct and moderate content. They aim to protect their brands and support positive experiences for their users while establishing responses in case any cause problems. These services are used by billions of people across many cultures, normative spaces, and legal jurisdictions. Yet they are often navigating which kinds of content and conduct require moderation. Depending on how its created and distributed, content can undermine ownership, like copyright violations. Depending on the views it expresses and the images it contains, content can be illegal by law, like hate speech or offensive by the various standards of different cultures. Conduct such as harassment or bullying can lead to harms and undermine the safety of these experiences. In the US, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act generally provides online platforms with immunity from liability based on third-party content. Many lawmakers are pushing for this immunity to be scaled back. In the European Union, the Digital Services Act (DSA) established a regulatory regime that requires platforms to manage the risks that illegal and harmful content and activity may pose to users and society. Aimed primarily at services that allow users to share content (including social media platforms), the DSA seeks to increase online safety, drive accountability, and create transparency on how content and behavior are managed on platforms. While the EU has put in place a regulatory framework across its member state countries, there is limited federal law in the United States, where individual states are legislating piecemeal. A challenge in creating social media regulation is the need to not only protect against harmful content but also protect free speech. Californias AB 587, for instance, requires social networks to post their content moderation policies and provide a description of their processes for flagging and reporting problematic content like hate speech, racism, extremism, dis- and misinformation, harassment, and political interference. There seems to be little global consensus on how to regulate human behaviors in social experiences. How such rules might play out in metaverse spaces can be even more fraught where current codes of conduct are suggested but rules seem to be scarce. What are the lines of self-expression through avatars? What about virtual violence? How should copyright apply to avatars and digital clothing, or deepfakes and generative AI content? Many of these issues are being tested and the legal positions being defined via lawsuits, in the absence of regulation. For instance, issues such as fair use and the copyright position for generative AI works are being debated in courts in multiple jurisdictions. The EU aims to address the risks of AI-generated content in its Digital Services Act and draft AI Act, requiring those in scope to classify levels of risk and enable labeling of deepfake and inauthentic content, for example. These issues may become more problematic in the presence of younger users. The UKs Age-appropriate Design Code (for privacy) and pending Online Safety Bill (for content), along with the EUs Better Internet for Children (BIK+) program, are guidelines seeking to clarify how services should protect younger users, including recommendations for enabling strong privacy by default, turning off location tracking, and not prompting children for personal information. Providers are asked to assure the age of users, protect their data, and shield them from harmful and illegal content. The US state of Utah recently enacted requirements for social networks to secure parental consent before any child account is created and to set curfews on child accounts, preventing access between 10:30 PM and 6:30 AM. In 2019 and further amended in 2021, China limited the amount of time minors can play video games, aiming to deter internet addiction. In more immersive experiences, will younger users find it difficult to limit their time online? And whose responsibility is it to set those limits? Critical considerations When negative consequences are allowed to continue unchecked, regulators can be compelled toward strong responses that can limit growth and innovation. As regulations come into effect, tech companies should be proactive in embedding protections into their current policies and implementations and adopt leading practices that help support positive outcomes for users and society. Protection by default, trust by design: Providers should enable protections by default, with straightforward and easy-to-manage user controls and policies for content and conduct. Restricting unsafe search results for younger users, blocking younger users from appearing in searches, disabling direct messaging from unknown accounts, and establishing new accounts as private until configured otherwise are steps that can help companies demonstrate compliance and dedication to user safety. Some may consider how to selectively mute other avatars, keep avatars at a distance, spin off safer metaverse spaces designed for children or teens, and follow a minimal data collection policy for younger users. Real-time content moderation: Moderating such enormous amounts of content and conduct can be very difficult and costlyand metaverse experiences can be even harder. But as potential harms become evident, regulators are able to impose greater punitive measures on service providers. Providers should be paying attention to AI and large language models (LLMs) that may be better able to moderate at scale. Such tools may help mitigate harms, avoid legal challenges, and foster enjoyable experiences for the majority. Risk analysis: Metaverse innovations may inadvertently create new ways for bad actors to engage in harmful conduct and exert influence. It is unclear how issues like bullying, harassment, stalking, grooming, and hate speech may manifest in metaverse environments. Companies should consider scenario modeling to identify new risks and mitigation strategies, then communicate them to users and regulators to build awareness. Global regulators put people in the center So far, the EU has played a leading role in advancing regulations focused on consumer protections, with a stated people-first paradigm that aims to emphasize the safety of individual users. Among these are the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Digital Services Act (DSA). These regulations apply across member countries and carry hefty fines for companies found in violation, including for non-EU businesses that operate there. They could be applied to metaverse use cases. On the content and conduct front, a comprehensive Online Safety Bill is advancing through UK Parliament. It includes rules that online platforms must follow to protect children from harmful content and to identify and delete illegal content. Lawmakers have indicated that they deem these rules future-proof and applicable in metaverse environments, which may create a significant challenge for platforms that dont authenticate users ages. In the US, federal frameworks tend to regulate individual industries (finance and healthcare, for instance), whereas consumer protection rules often vary by state. Some US states are adopting rules modeled after those in the EU for protection of digital privacy. A federal-level Kids Online Safety Act, the goal of which is to protect younger users from social content that may be considered harmful, is under consideration in the Senate and the subject of robust debate. Privacy In the Web2 era, many tech companies and social media platforms have built their businesses around collecting and monetizing user data. However, there are concerns that consumers may not understand how and which kinds of data are being collected, the difference between personally identifiable data (PII) and anonymized data, how its being stored and protected, and how its being used. Tracking users can potentially infringe on privacy rights, and resellers can, if not regulated, provide data to third parties with potentially very different uses in mind. Data breaches have put consumers at risk and enabled additional targeting, persuasion, and abuse. Given the scale of data in the digital economy and the potential risks to consumers and providers, some governments have shifted to establishing much stronger legal and regulatory frameworks around personal data and privacy. The EUs GDPR requires any company that collects and processes personal information of EU residents to provide transparent privacy notices to users, obtain their explicit consent to collect and use their information, and implement data-protection measures. The proposed ePrivacy Regulation would govern the use of cookies, electronic marketing, and confidentiality of communications, and sets rules around tracking technologies and electronic marketing practices. In the US, data is regulated by industry, and consumer privacy laws vary from state to state, which may create complications for companies whose business crosses state borders. Several individual states have data privacy regulations in effect as of this writing. In California, the Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has similarities to the GDPR, such as the right to access, delete, and opt-out of the sale of personal information. Many of the state-level data privacy rules apply primarily to businesses operating in those states, regarding data of residents in those states, and they do not govern data transfers. Many of these may apply to the metaverse, but a world of much more embodied and digitized interactionswhere gestures, facial expressions, and conversations are captured and stored, for examplecould amplify these challenges and enable new ones. A Web 3.0enabled metaverse could obfuscate user identity through encrypted blockchains or make it difficult to locate data trackers. Metaverse use cases could create new kinds of personal information, like sentiments and emotions collected from virtual reality headsets, and 3D user-generated content co-created with generative AI. Synthetic influencers and celebrity digital twins are already challenging licensing models and even personhood itself. Critical considerations To help mitigate risks and anticipate future conditions, companies should view their data collection and usage through a regulatory lens, implementing privacy protection measures during development, not merely when problems arise. In effect, data should be considered an asset that is also a potential liability requiring risk management. Operate across borders: Jurisdiction-based privacy laws can be difficult to apply when users in many locations interact with entities in multiple countries. Blockchains and other encrypted distributed ledgers can make ascertaining jurisdiction easieror more difficult. A decentralized framework for digital identity may enable users to travel across environments with their unique identity, information, and ownership of goods, but companies would then likely need compatible interfaces that recognize and support each user. Tech companies may consider sharing their operational challenges with regulators to frame common standards and harmonize approaches. Privacy by design: Operating from a privacy-first perspective may help companies stay ahead of rules around consent, transparency, and data protection. Instead of finding pockets of customer information and attempting to lock them down, companies should consider a holistic and scalable data management approach. Solutions such as public data vaults and secure peer-to-peer storage architectures could remove some of the burdens of data security and compliance from companies. Let customers decide: Establishing policies with metaverse-specific language and empowering users to decide how their data is collected and used are expected to help reduce liability and hedge against future and emerging regulations. Companies should approach this effort strategically rather than responding ad-hoc based on the uneven patchwork of regulatory regimes. For data-sharing and advertising, financial incentives between consumers and companies may encourage users to share more freely and give them a stronger role in the success of providers. Customers can also be given more tools to monitor and even modify their data on the company platforms. Tax and finance Businesses that operate in or transact through Web2 services have been navigating a patchwork of shifting tax jurisdictions that have raised many questions about indirect tax, the definition of digital goods and services, and how to handle multiple jurisdictions based on the location of the buyer, the seller, the service, and the benefit derived. On the runway from Web2 to Web3 and metaverse experiences, factors include considering identity and location, extending the definition of goods to include digital things, and addressing the challenges of cryptocurrencies. In Europe, digital service taxes are levied across countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on digital activities such as the sale of online advertisements or customer data, and on companies that maintain a digital presence in a given jurisdiction. For example, when a company collects user data, applies analytics, and serves ads, the profits are taxed based on the company location as well as the users location where the profit-generating event occurred. Value-added tax (VAT) rates may also apply based on the location of the supply (for physical goods) and based on the users location (for digital goods). However, there is no consensus yet on whether the organizers of virtual events in virtual spaces, for example, and exchanges of virtual currency for virtual goods are subject to VAT. The debate hinges on how to define cryptocurrencies and virtual assets. The OECD offers guidance for transactions involving crypto assets. The EUs Markets in Crypto Act (MiCA) provides consumer protections and imposes stricter requirements on crypto exchanges. These two developments demonstrate traceability and oversight considerations. The parties involved in the transaction should be identified, the flow of assets should be defined, and this information should travel with the transaction and be retained by both sides. Depending on their implementation, cryptocurrencies can make this easier or harder. In the US, The Securities and Exchange Commission has brought cryptocurrency exchanges to court for alleged fraudulent behaviors and has asserted that the majority of cryptocurrencies are securities, rather than commodities. The distinction between securities and commodities can determine how they are taxed and regulated. To add more transparency to online transactions and deter criminal activities, the INFORM Consumers Act, which took effect in June 2023, requires online marketplaces to collect information about high-volume sellers, block those that dont provide the information, and provide means for consumers to report problems. In metaverse environments, identification and tracking may be more difficult, as different parties have different levels of access to user identity, information, and location. Many companies have experimented with bundles of real and virtual assets to encourage metaverse engagement and nurture brand loyalty. But regulators could struggle to define these assets and may apply different rulesets. For hyperscale metaverse services and the economies they support, specifying effective taxation and auditing may present unforeseen challenges, but companies have a chance to help cocreate those specifications. Critical considerations Work by analogy: In countries where rules around digital goods and virtual transactions are not clearly defined, companies and regulators should collaborate on analogies that correlate to existing rulesfor example, whether nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are collectibles, or purchases executed with cryptocurrency are subject to capital gains taxes. These analogies could help in conversations with regulators and auditors. Expand tax data reporting capabilities: When transactions cross jurisdictions with different tax and reporting requirements, companies may need to ensure they have systems and processes to capture data, retain it securely, and produce it as needed. However, many back-end systems may not be set up to capture, track, and report the information necessary to determine appropriate taxation and comply with transparency rules. Some legislative bodies are considering real-time reporting, which will require companies to grant them access directly to transaction data. It may be wise to include tax and finance professionals in product development discussions in order to help ensure that new models conform to applicable rulesets. Leverage blockchain: Smart contracts, ledgers, and other blockchain technologies represent a potential solution for tracking and storing transaction information in Web2 and Web3 environments. Real-time information exchange between the platforms and authorities may enable companies to improve compliance and reporting once interoperability and scalability challenges are solved. Do the work today for a more successful tomorrow The rise of the social web has mobilized billions of people onto leading providers, bringing with them many of the expectations and behaviors of the physical world. The success of these services has underlined their value while revealing the very real consequences and side effects that attend their mass adoption. The popularity of social media and now social gaming reflect deeper currents in how people are migrating to digital experiences, further blurring the lines between the physical and the virtual. The vision of the metaverse is a way to learn where these currents seem to be leading us. If, in 2005, we had understood the trajectory of early social media, would we have done things differently? This seeming inevitability is why we should take the metaverse seriously and why companies and regulators should be working together to establish the guardrails needed for robust and safe metaverse experiences and opportunitiesto moderate content and guide conduct, prioritize privacy and safety, and define metaverse economies clearly. Doing the work today can secure better user experiences while helping enable businesses to innovate and can drive value with significantly less risk. This article originally appeared on Deloitte. Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. How Autumn Maria Reed uses music to fight gun violence In a country that is ridden with gun violence, one Berklee Online graduate uses the power of music as her weapon to fight the issue. by Talia Smith-Muller from Berklee Onlines Take Note When you think of the first responders who rush to the scene of a shooting, a group of classical musicians is not what most people imagine. This dissonance is purposeful for the Black String Triage Ensemble, a group of Black and Brown musicians who play orchestral music on the scene of tragic events in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Autumn Maria Reed joined the ensemble in 2020, shortly after graduating from Berklee Online with her bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Berklee Online alum Autumn Maria Reed, composer, orchestrator, and bassist for the Black String Triage Ensemble in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I just hope that the work that Im doing with the ensemble can shine a light and just say, Hey, were not okay with this. This isnt normal. And its not normal to play string music on the streets of Milwaukee behind the police no crossing tape, but its also not normal that there are children that are exposed to gun violence in this country, she says. The Black String Triage Ensemble is the subject of a new PBS documentary titled Black Strings, produced by filmmakers Marquise Mays and RJ Smith. The documentary won awards at the Cleveland International Film Festival and MinneapolisSaint Paul International Film Festival. Reed is featured in the documentary and was also interviewed on the Milwaukee PBS program, Black Nouveau. The mission of the Black String Triage Ensemble is a personal one for Reed, who has lost multiple friends and family members to gun violence. The opening scene of the documentary quotes a statistic from the Wisconsin Examiner that reads, From January to July 2020, Milwaukee experienced a 90% increase in homicides and a more than 65% increase in nonfatal shootings, compared with the same seven-month period in 2019. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tracks the latest homicide data, which shows that 2021 and 2022 continued to break these already grim records. This isnt some abstract thing where its like, Oh, I am just playing, and I dont know what happened, says Reed. Of course, we dont know whats happening at the time until we see the news reports later, but this happens in families. I am with these families. Not only can I empathize with these families, I can sympathize because Ive experienced this myself. Black Strings details how the ensemble gathers in the evenings where theyre on-call, monitoring the Milwaukee County dispatch website. If they see theres a disturbance or that shots have been fired, theyll grab their instruments and drive to the scene of the event. If theres no emergency vehicles we just leave because its not safe, says Reed. But if there are people, ambulances, police, even fire trucks, we set up behind the police tapeswe dont want to interfere with the service in progressand we play music that we rehearsed, music written by Black and Brown composers. Members of the Black String Triage Ensemble (left to right) Bernardo Runo, Fatima Gomez, founder Dayvin Hallmon, Autumn Maria Reed leaning on electric upright bass, Maria Hamilton (mother of Dontre Hamilton), and Alida LaCosse. Reed says the ensemble starts with the Frederick Douglass Funeral March by Nathaniel Clark Smith. The repertoire also includes works by artists like Florence Price, Astor Piazzolla, James Weldon Johnson, Billy Strayhorn, and more, including a selection of Negro spirituals. Traditionally, the ensemble prepares six songs that represent the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, with the addition of faith. One event that stands out in Reeds mind was an evening where the ensemble showed up on the scene of a shooting and began to play after the coroner had pronounced someone dead when she saw a little girl standing outside. Reed wasnt sure if the little girl was related to the victim or if she was a neighbor, but she appeared to be about eight or nine years old and was wearing a Rugrats T-shirt. I saw myself in that girl because I liked the Rugrats as a kid, says Reed. This girl does not need to see something like this. We began to play and I felt like, Im glad I could be here tonight so that she can hear this. In addition to being a member of the Black String Triage Ensemble, Reed is continuing to grow as a composer, producer, and orchestrator. She recently traveled to Brazil to see the Orquestra Sinfonica Teatro Nacional Claudio Santoro with Maestro Claudio Cohen perform her piece RESILIENCE. Reed is also a substitute music teacher in Waukesha County in Wisconsin. While she says she enjoys working with students, it has made her more aware of the lack of diversity in the suburbs of Milwaukee, and the concentration of people of color closer to the city. This isnt a fluke; This is by design, she says. We dont want to live in a violent community. And then with gun violence and shootings and drug overdoses and unstable housing and lack of access to education and food, its just the way it is. And people want to get out, but theres no pathway. Reed says if theres one thing she wants people to understand about her work, it is this: Reed says if theres one thing she wants people to understand about her work, it is this: PTSD is very prevalent in many communities, especially marginalized communities. And what can we do in my own community that Im a member of to mitigate it? The best thing is the same thing that I did for myself growing up: music. Share on: For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A court in China sentenced a prominent Uyghur scholar to life in prison on charges of "endangering state security", a rights group has said. Rahile Dawut, 57, lost her appeal against her original conviction in 2018, the US-based Dui Hua Foundation said in a statement. "This is believed to be the first time that a reliable source in the Chinese government has confirmed the sentence of life imprisonment," it said. Prior to her conviction, Dawut was a professor at Xinjiang University and founder of the schools Ethnic Minorities Folklore Research Center. She was internationally renowned for her work studying sacred Islamic sites, authoring books and lecturing as a visiting scholar abroad. She disappeared in December 2017 amid a brutal government crackdown aimed at the Uyghurs, a Turkic, predominately Muslim ethnicity native to Chinas northwest Xinjiang region. Beijing has been accused of committing crimes against humanity" against the Uyghurs and other ethnic minority groups over the past decade through alleged widespread abuses, including mass incarceration, forced labour, torture and sexual assault. The Xi Jinping administration has routinely denied the allegations of genocide made by the US and other Western nations as the lie of the century. "The sentencing ... is a cruel tragedy, a great loss for the Uyghur people, and for all who treasure academic freedom," said John Kamm, executive director of the Dui Hua Foundation. "I call for her immediate release and safe return to her family." Dawut was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and reportedly received grants and awards from the culture ministry before her arrest. She is one of over 300 prominent Uyghur intellectuals detained in Xinjiang, advocacy groups say. Critics say the government has targeted the scholars as a way to dilute, or erase, Uyghur culture, language and identity. "I worry about my mother every single day," said Dawut's daughter Akeda Pulati, who is based in Seattle. "The thought of my innocent mother having to spend her life in prison brings unbearable pain," she added. "China, show your mercy and release my innocent mother." Activists have called on Western institutions, such as Harvard and Cambridge, where Dawut used to work to appeal for her release. Mukaddas Mijit, a Uyghur ethnomusicologist based in Brussels, said Dawut had been an important advisor to her and many other scholars early in their careers. She was a guardian of Uyghur identity, and thats something the Chinese government is after, Ms Mijit told the Associated Press. They want to erase everything, and they want Uyghurs to forget how beautiful and colourful a culture they had. A 48-page report released by the United Nations in September 2022 said a million or more people from minority groups were forced into detention camps where many have said they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to abandon their language and religion. This article was amended on 26 September 2023. It previously stated that a number of universities were calling for Prof Dawuts release, however, that is inaccurate. Several academics from different institutions are calling on their universities to appeal for her release. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 93-year-old man in India will vote for the first time in his lifetime. Sher Singh Hedko, a nonagenarian resident of central Chhattisgarh states Kanker district, will exercise his voting right for the first time in his life during assembly elections scheduled this year for the state. Local media said a lack of documents could be one potential reason for him not having voted even once throughout his lifetime. Reports said his name was added to the voters list during a door-to-door campaign launched in the district by a government official. Several reports said his name was included due to efforts by district collector Priyanka Shukla, who initiated the campaign in the area where Mr Hedko resides. This is a remarkable achievement of our BLOs [Booth Level Officers] that they approached those who were left out in the voters list for certain reasons, by visiting people at their doorsteps and ensuring the adding of their names, Ms Shukla was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. By acting proactively, the BLOs added names of people by helping them arrange required documents and during this exercise, the name of Sher Singh Hedko was also added, she said. It is pretty standard before elections in India to have reports of elderly citizens exercising their voting rights it acts as a potential motivator for others. In this case, however, Mr Hedko allegedly didnt have documents and couldnt register to vote. In India, thousands, especially those who are poor and are from economically marginalised groups, struggle with documentation. According to a 2020 report in the Mint newspaper, official data from India indicates that, at the national level, individuals who are economically disadvantaged and belong to marginalised communities tend to face additional marginalisation when confronted with bureaucratic processes requiring legacy data, such as proof of ancestry, or documentation. A prominent illustration of this disparity can be observed in the possession of birth certificates, where data from the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015-16 revealed that the wealthiest and most privileged social strata are more likely to have such documents, the report says. This survey gathered responses from over half a million participants and covered various aspects related to health and demographic information. Due to the lack of a proper ID system, India in 2009 introduced the Aadhaar, a digital identity system. Several reports, however, point out that various difficulties, inconveniences and exclusions in Aadhar-related schemes disproportionately affect Indias most marginalised populations. There are several reports of elderly citizens, said to be above the age of 100, going to exercise their franchise. Such elderly citizens are usually portrayed as beacons of democracy right before elections are due. In 2019, 102-year-old Shyam Saran Negi became one of the oldest Indian voters, making him the centre of attention of the countrys media. In 2020, in a by-poll in northern Uttar Pradesh state, 115-year-old Jamuni Devi was celebrated for her will to go to a voting centre despite old age. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The founder of social media page Humans of New York (HONY) has called out an Indian version of the page amid a copyright row. Brandon Stanton, the creator of the HONY page, issued a statement on Saturday on X/Twitter after the page Humans of Bombay (HOB) filed a copyright suit against another page called People of India. Ive stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think Humans Of Bombay shares important stories, even if theyve monetised far past anything Id feel comfortable doing on HONY, he said. But you cant be suing people for what Ive forgiven you for. HOB filed a copyright infringement suit in the Delhi high court against the Instagram handle People of India and sought to restrain the page from appropriating what it claimed was its unique format of storytelling. Abhishek Malhotra, the advocate for HOB, said the defendant had started the People of India page by hosting identical content. He asserted that the defendant had duplicated images and videos from HOBs platform and incorporated them into their own platform. The suit claimed People of India replicated the business model of Humans of Bombay. The defendants have, evidently, knowingly and deliberately, published content that is identical or substantially similar to the popular content comprised of the plaintiffs works in an attempt to ride on the goodwill that has been painstakingly built by the plaintiff, the plea read. The suit claimed People of India has completely replicated the stories and the business model of Humans of Bombay. The defendants have, evidently, knowingly and deliberately, published content that is identical or substantially similar to the popular content comprised of plaintiffs works in an attempt to ride on goodwill that has been painstakingly built by the plaintiff, the plea read. Mr Stanton, 39, voiced his criticism of the company for taking legal action against another storytelling platform, all the while accusing them of copying his own original initiative. Responding to Mr Stanton, HOB issued a statement on Saturday and said the founder of HONY ought to have equipped himself with information about the case and what the project aims to achieve before making those comments. Its therefore shocking that a cryptic assault on our efforts to protect our intellectual property is made in this manner, especially without understanding the background of the case, the statement read. The HOB website states that its founder Karishma Mehta started the page in 2014 as a simple Facebook page and that the intention was simple: to tell stories, to connect strangers with the emotion of, Youre not alone. Humans of New York began as a photography project in 2010. The initial goal was to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on the street, and create an exhaustive catalogue of the citys inhabitants, Mr Stanton states on his own website. Earlier, Ms Mehta was criticised on social media over her alleged reluctance to recognise her privilege. She had addressed the accusations in an interview. In January 2019, several months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, HOB released a five-part interview featuring prime minister Narendra Modi. Although the posts gained widespread attention and went viral on social media, they also sparked controversy, with many social media users accusing HOB of disseminating propaganda in favour of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A lawmaker from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been criticised for hurling derogatory and Islamophobic abuses at his Muslim colleague inside the parliament. The unanimous opposition backlash against Ramesh Bidhuri MP from prime minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist party prompted the BJP chief to issue a show-cause notice. Mr Bidhuri met BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda at the party headquarters in capital Delhi, days after he was asked to explain his behaviour in parliament. Mr Bidhuri, 62, has been a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house of the parliament) and represents the elite South Delhi constituency. Critics of Mr Modi have raised concerns over rising hate against religious minorities and sectarian violence under the ruling party. Mr Bidhuri targetted opposition MP Kunwar Danish Ali and called him a "terrorist" and "militant", while using other anti-Muslim slurs against him during a discussion on the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 moon mission last Thursday. His remarks were later expunged from official records, but not before video from the discussion was shared widely and condemned on social media. "When Danish Ali alerted me about what all Bhiduri had said, I immediately gave a ruling to expunge the unparliamentary words," said Kodikunnil Suresh, an MP from Indian National Congress, who was in chair at the time of discussion. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla reportedly warned Mr Bidhuri of possible strict action if he were to repeat such behaviour on the floor of the House. Mr Ali in a letter to the speaker has sought a privilege action against the BJP lawmaker. He said: "During the course of his [Ramesh Bidhuri] speech he directed the most foul, abusive invectives against me which are part of the record of the Lok Sabha." Shri @ombirlakota ji, please take it seriously as this is the first attack on parliamentary democracy in the new Parliament building. Shri @rameshbidhuri must be punished as per the rules to save the dignity of the House. pic.twitter.com/YWnPjc7jbR Kunwar Danish Ali (@KDanishAli) September 22, 2023 "This is most unfortunate and the fact that this happened in the new parliament and under your leadership as speaker is truly heartbreaking for me as a minority member of this great nation and an elected member of parliament." Since the incident, the MP said he had been unable to sleep and was on the verge of a mental breakdown, according to NDTV. He threatened to quit parliament if Mr Bidhuri was let go without repercussions. The opposition parties in a separate letter to the speaker have demanded Mr Bidhuri's suspension from the parliament till during the period of the Privileges Committee's investigation. Abusing Muslims, OBCs an integral part of BJP culture - most now see nothing wrong with it. @narendramodi has reduced Indian Muslims to living in such a state of fear in their own land that they grin & bear everything. Sorry but Im calling this out. Ma Kali holds my spine. pic.twitter.com/3NAqi5FWPy Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) September 22, 2023 Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, said expunging the "unsavoury words" had little impact since it had been already recorded in the media. The leading Muslim bodies in India have also joined the demand for Mr Bidhuris disqualification, calling his remarks "evidence of hatred for entire Muslim community". The use of such language against a Muslim member of parliament shows that, let the common Muslims aside, now the elected representative of the Muslims is not safe even in the parliament," Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Arshad Madani said, according to The Hindu. "If this is the picture of a new India, it is dangerous and disappointing. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Indian lawmakers approved a landmark bill on Thursday to ensure one-third reservation for women in lower house of the parliament and in state legislatures, in a step forward to attain gender parity among lawmakers. But the legislation wont be implemented before India completes the next population census and the delimitation process a mammoth task to redraw the boundaries of constituencies. The bill is likely to be enacted in the 2029 national elections. "This is a historic moment, this is a moment of pride for us," prime minister Narendra Modi said as he tabled the bill known in Hindi as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in the lower house of parliament. The legislation has been in the works for over a quarter of a century but eventually cleared lower house (Lok Sabha) on Wednesday with a 454-2 vote. It was opposed by the two MPs from the opposition All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party due to a lack of reservation within the bill for Muslim women. The upper house (Rajya Sabha) after 11 hours of debate unanimously voted to pass the bill on Thursday. The legislation secures 33 per cent of seats for women in the lower house of parliament, state legislatures and the Delhi assembly. The reservation of seats for women would continue for 15 years and could be extended by parliament. The reservation will not be applicable for the upper house where members are chosen by state legislatures. The bill now requires approval from at least half of Indias 28 state legislatures before it becomes law. All opposition parties that supported the bill said the delay in its implementation was an injustice to women. "Any delay in implementing the women's reservation bill will be a gross injustice to Indian women," said Sonia Gandhi, former chief of the opposition Indian National Congress. "Indian women have been waiting for their political responsibility for the past 13 years. And now they are being asked asked to wait for some more years," she added. Critics have accused Mr Modi of bringing the bill to parliament just months before the upcoming 2024 general elections to amass female votes. India's vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar said the approval of the long-pending bill was a "historic achievement". First introduced in 1996, the bill was tabled for the seventh time at a special session of the parliament held this week. It previously failed due to strong disapproval from the countrys male lawmakers and calls for a special quota for women from backward classes amid fears of the educated elite from urban areas taking up all the space. "I am happy that the women's reservation bill was introduced, but I am feeling somewhat dejected because it has come without reservation for OBC [Other Backward Classes] women," said Uma Bharti, a former minister from Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Women in the world's largest democracy make up for over 48 per cent of the country's 1.4 billion people but have 15.1 per cent representation in parliament, compared to the international average of 24 per cent. Just 104 of Indias 788 MPs were women after the last national election, government figures show. In Indias state legislatures, women hold about 10 per cent of the seats. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The uptick of Covid transmissions this summer has raised questions about whether or not certain safety measures such as wearing masks should be brought back. Several companies and schools nationwide decided to reinstate Covid mask mandates in light of the rising hospitalisations including Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Lionsgate headquarters in Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente across all California locations, and several hospitals in the state of New York. Workers and attendees at these locations are now required to wear masks upon entry. It is ticking up a little bit, but its not something that we need to raise any alarm bells over, Dr David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told the Seattle Times. Although many health experts like Dr Dowdy dont believe people have cause to worry, some have expressed their concerns. While many people have forgone wearing masks, UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert, Dr Peter Chin-Hong, cautioned the Los Angeles Times that swearing off masks for good would put people at higher risk of contracting the virus, elaborating: Right now, when things are heating up all around the country with Covid, you might want to think about [masking at] public transit and airports. Two new variants have emerged to the concern of public health officials. The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned the public on two new variants, EG.5 and BA.2.86, that have emerged. Earlier in August, the former was classified as a variant of interest by the organization. BA.286 has spread to the US, UK, Denmark, Israel, and South Africa, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) risk summary assessment. In the same report, the CDC reported that as of 23 August the BA.2.86 variant is the more infectious of the two, and wrote that those with existing immunity from Covid - either from vaccines or prior infections - were more likely to get infected. According to the Los Angeles Times, the number of Covid hospitalisations has risen an estimated 12 per cent weekly over the course of the last three weeks. But, compared to the heights of the pandemic, these reported numbers are rather low. Covid-19 hospital admissions were at 9,056 for the week ending 29 July, a number that is marginally less than past peaks such as 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, or during the omicron surge of January 2022, in which there were 150,000 admissions. As of 19 August, hospital admissions across the US have continued to rise by at least 15,000 due to the new variants. While a far cry from the heights of the pandemic, the numbers signal that the public should exercise caution all the same. Its highly likely that, due to a lack of ongoing data collection nationally, the numbers may not truly reflect the number of people contracting Covid. Since President Joe Biden declared that Covid is no longer a national emergency in April, the majority of federal authorities have scaled back hypervigilance and data tracking, so the CDC and many states have not been tracking the number of positive test results since May. Many health experts stress that people should remain vigilant. Even though the declared emergency is over, Covid is still circulating - and it probably will be for quite some time. And so if you really dont want to get sick, you can protect yourself by wearing a mask when youre indoors, Dr Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County public health director and health officer, told the LA Times. But its, at this point, an individual decision. Dr Cody said that wearing masks even only in a high-risk environment is better than nothing at all because the more people are together, the greater the chance that one of those people is going to be infectious and spread Covid to others. Health experts also urged people to be respectful of those who choose to wear masks, especially since you never know their reasons for doing so. In Los Angeles, the Department of Health encouraged individuals to consider risk levels of close family or friends they spend time with, and the nature of the event or location when deciding whether or not to wear a mask. If you are up to date on your vaccinations, the likelihood of you contracting coronavirus is lower, while those who have not received a booster shot since the September 2022 omicron surge are urged to schedule an appointment for overdue booster shots. Dr Chin-Hong suggests that, for those who are either immunocompromised or older, its better to get the 2022 boosters now rather than wait for the 2023 formula. The 2023 version of the vaccine will be designed to combat the latest dominant Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, which according to The New York Times, has reportedly seen a wave in hospitalisations on the East Coast. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Dane Cook has married Kelsi Taylor, his partner of six years, during an intimate Hawaii wedding. On Sunday 24 September, Cook, 51, confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and Taylor, 24, had tied the knot over the weekend. Last night I married the girl of my dreams here in Hawaii. The greatest feeling in the world is knowing youve got the strongest person you could ever imagine by your side and giving them all of your love in return, the comedian wrote. The years of laughs, adventures and accomplishments weve shared were solidified in front of some of our dearest friends and family during an emotional ceremony. I cant wait to share more but for now just know this.. Ive never felt this way. Its so wonderful. According to People, the Good Luck Chuck star and the fitness instructor exchanged vows at a private estate in Oahu, Hawaii, in front of 20 guests. Cook told the outlet that they chose Hawaii because it has such a special place in our hearts and our relationship. It was one of the first trips we ever went on together and we continue to go back often. Its such an oasis, and we couldnt be more excited to have spent our wedding week surrounded by the beauty of Oahu, he said. As for their actual wedding, the actor said that he and Taylor had wanted something more intimate and had envisioned something that was more along the lines of a gathering of our closest family and friends. According to Cook, this meant that the wedding celebrations included a welcome BBQ, a night out at a jazz bar, and a pool party. For the occasion, the 24-year-old bride wore the Solstice Gown from Grace Loves Lace, which features a v-neck, a low back and a leg slit. She told People that the gown was one of the first dresses she tried on, and that she immediately fell in love with it. Theres just something about the simplicity and comfort of it and the beautiful stitching design and detail. So happy to have found this gem! she said. As for the couples vows, Taylor said that they went with traditional vows because she suspected that her comedian partners would outshine hers. She told the outlet: He has the best way with words, and I knew I wouldnt even be able to match up to his delivery. I also really just wanted to keep our more intimate vows private and to give him a handwritten letter the morning of. The couple, who began dating in 2017, first met at a game night hosted by Cook at his house, according to the actor, who revealed the detail about their relationship during an Instagram Q&A in 2018. We were friends for a while & soon after fell in like with each other and then upgraded to love, he said at the time. They got engaged in July of last year after five years of dating. Cook previously addressed the pairs more than 25-year age gap during a 2019 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where hed mentioned the age difference with his girlfriend, who was 20 years old at the time, and been met with groans from the audience. Thank you for the snickers of approval, Im sure that wasnt judgement at all, he joked. Sometimes I actually find myself saying where has she been all my life, Cook later said. And then I realise she wasnt alive for the first 26 years of it. He added: People are like: Youre robbing the cradle. I was like: She hasnt slept in a cradle for, like, nine years. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police in Thailand on Monday raided the Bangkok residence of one of the countrys four deputy national police chiefs, an action the target complained was intended to discredit him due to politics inside the Royal Thai Police. Police Gen. Surachate Hakparn is a contender to become the next chief of Thailand's national police. The position is expected to be filled soon. The Royal Thai Police force has a tradition of fierce internal politicking, as well as a longstanding reputation for corruption at all levels. Trairong Phiwpan, a commander in the force's Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation, said the search at the house where Surachate is living was part of an investigation following a bust of a major network of illegal online gambling operations. Four people were arrested in June and July in connection with the case. Arrest warrants were issued for another 23 people, Trairong said. They include eight police officers who were arrested Monday and who Surachate acknowledged are his subordinates. Surachate himself was not named in a warrant and not taken into custody.. Trairong said some of the arrested officers allegedly were involved in administering and managing the 12 websites involved in the alleged gambling network. A total of 17 people were arrested during simultaneous raids Monday at 30 locations across the country, he said. Surachate told reporters after the raids that he was innocent of any wrongdoing. He declared his faith in the members of his team but also said he would not help any who are proven to have been involved in illegal activity. Asked if the search of his home might be related to the imminent appointment of a new national police chief, Surachate replied, Ill let you reporters think for yourselves about the timing of the raid. He also said he believed the warrant served at his home was obtained deceitfully. Maybe Ive worked on a lot of cases and that might have affected many people. Today I had to brace for an impact like this, Surachate said. After the raid, a video emerged online showing Surachate and his subordinates partying with a woman who was arrested in July as a prime suspect in the illegal gambling network. Surachate said the event was a party he organized for his team. He insisted he did not know the woman and said he couldn't possibly know all the people his subordinates might have brought to the party. Legal Affairs officer Trairong said the search warrants for the home where Surachate lives and several nearby that he owns were obtained properly based on the forensic evidence and the money trail from the investigation. The search was conducted mainly to arrest the suspects in the warrants, and the search at the houses there led to an arrest of one suspect. It is proof that the investigation team has been working based on facts and evidence, he said. Known by his nickname Big Joke and for making frequent media appearances, Surachate was a rising star in the Police Immigration Bureau after his appointment there in 2018. He was removed from his post and disappeared temporarily from public view in 2019. He returned to the national police agency in 2021 after Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as an army commander came to power after staging a 2014 coup, appointed him as an advisor to the police chief. Surachate resumed climbing the ranks to become a deputy police commissioner and led several high-profile cases. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The latest talks over the mega dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile Rivers main tributary have broken up without an agreement. The two-day talks between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ended on Sunday night in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. Ethiopias chief negotiator, Seleshi Bekele, said the countries had exchanged constructive ideas on various outstanding issues and added that his country remains committed to continuing the negotiations. Egypts water ministry blamed Ethiopia for the failure to make a breakthrough, alleging that Addis Ababa was opposed to any compromise. It expressed concern and said an agreement was needed to protect Egypts water security and national interests. Talks have rumbled on for years over the controversial $4.6 billion project, whose construction started in 2011. It is expected to produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity double Ethiopias current output and enough to make it a net energy exporter. Ethiopia sees the dam as essential to its development but downstream Egypt the Arab worlds most populous country fears it will restrict its share of the Nile water, critical for its huge population of 100 million people. About 85% of the rivers flow originates from the Blue Nile in Ethiopia though Egypt has received the lions share of the Niles waters under decades-old agreements dating back to the British colonial era. Sudan, also downstream from the Blue Nile where the dam is located, wants a deal to regulate the amount of water Ethiopia will release in the event of a major drought. Talks resumed in August after a long hiatus, with Ethiopia and Egypt hoping to reach a deal by November. Earlier this month Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the final phase in filling the dams reservoir had been completed. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said his country is already facing serious water scarcity issues and criticized Ethiopia for having embarked on the dams construction without consulting fellow Nile states. Ethiopias Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen told the U.N. body on Saturday that the dam represented the legitimate development aspirations of Ethiopians, and asserted that it would help increase regional integration and prosperity. On Monday, Ethiopias foreign ministry said Egyptian and Sudanese concerns were also legitimate but added that its rights need to be protected. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday unveiled the gist of his new economic package that focuses on wage increases and measures to soften the impact of rising prices. Support for his Cabinet has dwindled despite the latest reshuffle less than two weeks ago. Kishida said at the Prime Minister's Office that he will instruct his Cabinet on Tuesday to start putting together the package and promptly compile a supplementary budget to fund it. Details and the size of the package were yet to be announced, triggering opposition lawmakers to criticize Kishida for using the package to lure voter support ahead of a suspected snap election. Kishida's announcement Monday also comes as media surveys showed his recent Cabinet reshuffle has largely failed to buoy his dwindling support ratings. According to media surveys conducted days after the Sept. 13 Cabinet renewal, support ratings remained flat at around 30%, exceeded by disapproval of around 50%. The majority of the respondents said they did not give credit to the reshuffle, believing it to be Kishida's effort to balance power among factions within his governing party, rather than trying to improve government policies. They saw it as a move to solidify his grip on power ahead of his party leadership vote next year. Voters initially welcomed appointments of five women into his 19-member Cabinet, part of his attempt to buoy sagging support ratings for his previous male-dominated Cabinet, which had only two women. The five females match the number in two earlier Japanese Cabinets in 2014 and 2001. But the praise evaporated quickly when people found out that none of the 54 posts for vice-ministers and other special advisory posts went to women. Kishida also came under fire over his remarks about the appointment of the five women to the Cabinet. He said he expected them to fully demonstrate their sensitivity and empathy that are unique to women. That triggered a backlash from women's rights activists, academics and opposition lawmakers. The phrase trended on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, with many users criticizing it as biased, outdated and asking if there is any such thing as uniquely female sensitivity. Kishida later defended himself by saying he meant to stress the importance of diversity in policy making and that he wanted to convey his hope the female ministers will fully express their personality and capability on the job. On Monday, Kishida said the new economic package would include measures to ease the impact of rising prices on the people, to achieve sustainable wage increases and income growth. He also pledged to promote domestic investment in areas such as semiconductors to help growth, while combating rapidly declining births and population, and to ensure reinforced defense and disaster prevention. Kishida promised a speedy implementation by the end of October, but how his government plans to fund hefty costs needed for lower births measures and military buildup is unknown. Kishida said he will shift the economy of cost-cutting to one of active investment and salary increase. Asked if he is eyeing a snap election amid rising speculation, Kishida said he is concentrating on tackling the economy and other policies that cannot be postponed. Right now, I'm not thinking about anything beyond that, he said. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A new Covid variant dubbed Pirola is sweeping the United States and is currently being closely monitored by the World Health Organisation. Pirola is a combination of the Greek letters Pi and Rho, has more than 30 mutations to its spike protein compared to XBB.1.5, a variant of Omicron that had been the dominant strain in the US, according to a Thursday bulletin in Yale Medicine. Such a high number of mutations is notable, said Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist Scott Roberts, MD. Dr Roberts said that this was similar to the number of mutations that differed between Delta, one of the early strains of the coronavirus, and Omicron. When Omicron hit in the winter of 2021, there was a huge rise in COVID-19 cases because it was so different from the Delta variant, and it evaded immunity from both natural infection and vaccination, Dr Roberts added. The other concern is that this strain has been picked up in at least six countries, and the cases are unrelated. This suggests some degree of transmission in the [international] community that were not detecting. What is BA.2.86? Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and lead for the Covid response at the WHO, said very limited information was available on the newly discovered strain. But a large number of mutations within it needed closer monitoring, she wrote on Twitter. Surveillance, sequencing and Covid-19 reporting [are] critical to track known and detect new variants, she added. The variant, also referred to as BA.X, was found through genetic sequencing a process where scientists determine the building blocks of a molecules DNA. Scientists are on alert due to the overly high number of mutations of the variant, with more than 30 in the spike protein the part of the virus that vaccines aim to neutralise. How many cases are there in the US? Pirola has been found in 10 states, according to data from GISAID , a global database. So far, it has been found in Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The CDC noted in a statement released 23 August that the current hospitalisations in the country are not likely driven by BA.2.86, but added, this assessment may change as additional data become available. Globally, the variant has been detected in Denmark, Sweden, South Africa, Israel, Canada, the United Kingdom and the US, as The Independent previously reported. Covid hospitalisations and deaths have steadily risen for the last several weeks, as the US sees the effect of a summer surge. From 3 September to 9 September, hospitalisations from the virus rose 7.7 per cent compared to the previous week, the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show. During that same time, deaths rose 4.5 per cent. As the summer surge has gained traction, experts have started speaking more about preventative measures. In a recent interview with CNN, Dr Anthony Fauci said he hopes Americans wear masks to protect their loved ones if case counts continue to rise. What can you do to protect yourself? The CDC has advised people to protect themselves from the virus as it is not yet clear how well this variant spreads, however as a precautionary measure people have been asked to do the following: Get your Covid-19 vaccines. Get tested for Covid. Seek treatment if you have Covid-19 and are at high risk of getting very sick If you choose to wear a mask, wear a high-quality one that fits well over your nose and mouth Improve ventilation. Wash your hands. What are the symptoms? Symptoms of the new variant include a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and a sore throat. What are the experts saying? Kristian G Andersen, an immunologist and infectious diseases expert, said the lineage had all the hallmarks of something that could take off, but added: Our immunity landscape is now complex, so its too early to say it will. Dr S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist, a flagship Texan hospital, said it remained to be seen whether BA.2.86 would be able to out-compete other strains of the virus or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination. Researchers are currently studying how much if any protection against BA.2.86 might be offered from immunity from previous Covid infections, per The New York Times. However, the research on this topic is still in its infancy, so its difficult to say for sure how past infections may influence Pirola cases. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A hospital patient left after pressing his call button for help and being ignored by nursing staff, per a video circulating on social media. The video shows a TikTok user who goes by the name of Stei pressing his call button repeatedly, then deciding to leave his room after no one comes to check on him. Theyve had me waiting here for the past 30 minutes, he says in the video. I hear [the alarm] dinging outside. Do yall hear? Stei points the camera toward his hand so viewers can see that hes repeatedly calling for help. After futile attempts, he decides to leave. Im leaving, he says, donning his headphones and heading to the exit. I came here for medical assistancenot just to lay downI could do that at home. Stei subsequently said that hospital staff did not communicate with him when he arrived. They never told me how long I would have been waiting for, and I had already been checked in for a little over an hour, he said in an interview with the Daily Dot. After sitting there in complete silence with not even a nurse to come and ask how I was doing, I got fed up and left. Other TikTokers wrote in the comment section of Steis video that his experience is not uncommon. Some said its a reflection of the nursing crisis gripping American hospitals. From 2020 to 2023, the US will need to hire more than 275,000 new nurses, according to a StatPearls paper on the crisis. The crisis is largely driven by grim working conditions: The number of patients each nurse is expected to take care of during a given shiftwhich is known as their ratiois far too high at many American hospitals, experts say. The StatPearls paper says this aspect of the healthcare system is of clinical concern. Research shows these consequences are dangerous for patients. In hospitals with high patient-to-nurse ratios, nurses experience burnout, dissatisfaction, and the patients experienced higher mortality and failure-to-rescue rates than facilities with lower patient-to-nurse ratios, the paper said. In the end, these policies can be fatal. Research cited in a statement from the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) shows that when a hospital asks one nurse to care for eight patients at a time, five additional people will die at the hosptial annually. For each additional patient a nurse is asked to care for, the risk of patient death incrases by seven per cent. More lives are saved, and hospital stays are shortened, when appropriate patient-to-nurse ratios are estblished. When nurses leave the industry due to unfair or dangerous working conditions, it exacerbates the problem, causing more nurses to have to care for higher numbers of patients, research shows. When staffing is short, ratios go up to meet the need, the StatPearls paper says. Turnover is also quite expensive for healthcare systemsthe average cost of replacing just one nurse is somewhere between $82,000 to $88,000, per NYSNA. Ultimately, nurses have to be treated better to prevent incidents like the one Stei captured, where a patient was repeatedly calling for help and nobody was able to answer. Nurses know that safe staffing levels save livesand the research is on our side, the NYSNA statement says. The facts line up with nurses experiences that safe staffing protects patients. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The chief inspector of prisons has called for the closure of one in ten prisons in England and Wales, singling out Victorian-era inner-city jails. Charlie Taylor said there are an awful lot of jails that have got just far more prisoners than they were originally designed for. In an interview with the Guardian, he cited HMPs Wandsworth, Pentonville, Liverpool, Leicester, Lewes, Exeter, Bristol and Leeds among those in need of immediate attention. He said: There are a lot of inner-city local prisons that wont be closed any time soon but they really struggled to fulfil their purpose. Wandsworth was built for around 1,000 prisoners and I think has 600 over; Pentonville [in north London] was built for around 450 and I think there [are] about 1,200 prisoners in that jail. So there are an awful lot of jails that have got just far more prisoners than they were originally designed for. But also the infrastructure of some of those jails really struggles. Youre probably talking about 10% of jails that struggle to be fit for purpose. There are a lot of inner-city local prisons that wont be closed any time soon but they really struggled to fulfil their purpose Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons Asked whether he believed that about 14 prisons just over 10% of the total should be closed in an ideal world, he said Yes. About the Victorian-era jails, he added: They tend to be built with very small footprints because theyre built in inner cities. And they definitely havent got enough activity places when the population is double the number that the prison was originally built for. On his last visit at Wandsworth prison, he said: We saw a cell that was ready for a first-night arrival, potentially your first night in a jail cell, having been burnt out by the previous occupant. It was just hideous. If the prison was not overcrowded, what you would say is Well take that out of commission and paint it and fix it up. But its just one out, one in. With the next general election to be called any time until January 2025, the chief inspector also warned politicians against promising to increase sentences without having a bigger conversation about what we want from prisons. He said: Sentencing is a matter for the courts and ministers decide policy. But I think there should be a bigger conversation about what we want from prisons. What is our expectation of what we are going to get? Because, apart from a handful, the prisoners we lock up are coming out at some stage. Mr Taylor, a former head teacher at a school for children with complex behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, was appointed chief inspector of prisons in 2020 and reappointed in September 2023. From 2017-2020 Mr Taylor was chairman of the youth justice board for England and Wales and previously led the Governments review of the youth justice system. A Prison Service spokesman said: The latest figures show that the majority of prisons are performing well and, where there are issues, we are providing intensive support for those jails to drive long-term improvements, recruit extra staff, bolster security and boost training and work opportunities for prisoners so we can better protect the public. We are also pressing ahead with the biggest expansion of prison places by any Government in over a century, delivering 20,000 additional spaces including six new, modern prisons. Around 5,500 new places have already been delivered, including HMP Fosse Way, which opened in May. According to figures released by the Ministry of Justice in July, the number of prisons rated outstanding reached its lowest point in six years. Among the 119 prisons evaluated, only 13 (10.9%) were awarded the highest rating, a significant drop compared with the performance in 2019/20, where 19 prisons (16.0%) had achieved the top-tier recognition. The Annual Prison Performance Ratings for 2022/23 also showed there was a slight increase in the number of prisons rated as a serious concern compared with the previous year. Nine prisons (7.6%) fell into this category, a rise of two prisons from 2019/20, and included Bedford, Bristol, Deerbolt in Co Durham, Foston Hall in Derbyshire, Isis in south-east London, Long Lartin in Worcestershire, Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, Wandsworth and Styal in Cheshire. Overall, though, 75 prisons (63.0%) received ratings of either good or outstanding, showing more than half of the evaluated prisons maintained a satisfactory level of performance. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A review has been launched by the Home Secretary after a police marksman was charged with the murder of a 24-year-old Black man last year. The death of Chris Kaba and the subsequent decision to charge the officer by the Crown Prosecution Service has led to questions being asked over protection for firearms officers. The firearms officer charged with the 34-year-olds murder appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday. Here we explain, within legal restrictions, who Mr Kaba is, how he died and what will happen next. Who is Chris Kaba and how did he die? Mr Kaba was a 24-year-old Black man who was driving an Audi car in a residential street in Streatham Hill, in south east London, when he was shot in the head on September 5 last year, at around 10pm. Mr Kaba was a construction work who also performed as a rapper under the alias Madix or Mad Itch. His death resulted in protests in the Black community. Mr Kabas family led a rally with hundreds gathering outside the headquarters of the Met Police as they called for an investigation launched by The Independent Office for Police Conduct to be dealt with swiftly. And in March this year, Mr Kabas mother Helen Lumuanganu again called for answers on who was responsible for the shooting as they pushed for a decision on criminal charges in the case. Chris Kabas mother Helen Lumuanganu called for a swift conclusion to the investigation into her sons death (PA) Charging of the police marksman On September 21, the Crown Prosecution said a firearms officer had been charged in connection with Mr Kabas death. The unidentified officer, known as NX121, was charged following a review of evidence provided by the IOPC following its investigation. Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: Following a thorough review of the evidence provided by the IOPC, the CPS has authorised a charge of murder against a Metropolitan Police officer following the death of Chris Kaba. Mr Kaba died after he was struck by a single bullet in Streatham Hill, south London. The CPS reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the officer are active and that he has the right to a fair trial. Court hearing and what happens next The firearms officer charged with Mr Kabas murder appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday. The officers barrister, Patrick Hill, was asked to confirm the defendants identity in court and the officer did not speak. They later appeared at the Old Bailey for a second brief hearing to discuss bail. He answered yes when asked by the court clerk if he is NX121, and passed a piece of paper to court staff with his date of birth on it. Recorder of London Mark Lucraft KC told the defendant that a plea and trial preparation hearing will be listed for December 1, with a possible trial date of September 9 next year. A hearing will take place at the same court on Friday next week to discuss a legal order that bans the identification of the officer. NX121 was released on bail on the conditions that he lives at a named address, surrenders his passport and does not apply for international travel documents. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Britains biggest police force has stood down a plan to use military back-up after enough firearms officers returned for it to cover counter-terrorism duties. Soldiers had been on standby after scores of Metropolitan Police officers stood down from firearms duties to consider their position after one of their colleagues was charged with murder over the death of 24-year-old Chris Kaba in south London. But the Army has been stood down after enough officers returned to armed duties, the force said. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: On Saturday, the Ministry of Defence agreed to provide the Met with counter-terrorism support as a contingency option. As of lunchtime on Monday, the number of officers who had returned to armed duties was sufficient for us to no longer require external assistance to meet our counter-terrorism responsibilities. A large number of armed officers from the Metropolitan Police stepped back from firearms duties in the wake of a murder charge over the death of Chris Kaba (PA) Cover was drafted in from neighbouring forces over the weekend after it was claimed that around 100 of the Mets 2,595 marksmen were refusing to perform their armed roles. The military also agreed to help, but soldiers do not have the authority to be used for routine policing and can only be used in the case of a counter-terrorism attack or for guarding certain locations such as nuclear sites. On Monday afternoon, a limited number of armed officers from other UK police forces were still providing support to the Met, the force confirmed, adding that the situation will be kept under review. It comes as the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said that armed police need clarity about the legal powers they have as he backed a Home Office review announced by Suella Braverman. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has announced a review of armed policing (iStock/PA) Rishi Sunak said it wouldnt be right for him to comment on the case of the unnamed officer, known as officer NX121, who appeared in court last week charged over the 2022 shooting of Mr Kaba. Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a community centre in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, on Monday, he said: Our firearms officers do an incredibly difficult job. They are making life or death decisions in a split second to keep us safe and they deserve our gratitude for their bravery. Now it is important when they are using these legal powers that they do so with clarity and they have certainty about what they are doing, especially given the lethality they are using. On Sunday, the home secretary said she had ordered a review into armed policing, adding we depend on our brave firearms officers to protect us. It was welcomed by Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who had called for reforms to the way officers are held to account in an open letter to Ms Braverman. Proposed reforms put forward by the police chief include legal changes over the way self-defence is interpreted in police misconduct cases. He also called for the introduction of a criminal standard of proof for unlawful killing in inquests and inquiries, along with changes to the threshold at which the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) can launch an investigation. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley wrote an open letter to the Home Secretary about firearms officers (PA) Sir Mark said: There is a concern on the part of firearms officers that even if they stick to the tactics and training they have been given, they will face years of protracted legal proceedings which impact on their personal wellbeing and that of their family. However, charity Inquest said his proposed reforms would give firearms officers a licence to kill. Director Deborah Coles said: Police cannot be judge, jury and executioner and must not be above the law. Already we know that accountability for officers involved in wrongdoing and deaths is exceedingly rare. Mark Rowleys asks to the home secretary, including overturning two recent Supreme Court judgements, would make accountability for police use of force virtually impossible. Effectively giving firearms officers a licence to kill. That cannot be in the public interest. Meanwhile, a former terror chief accused firearms officers of staging an industrial protest after officers stepped down from armed duties en masse. Former counter-terrorism police chief Nick Aldworth said that unarmed police officers faced the same risk of being charged with a criminal offence following a death as firearms officers. We are an unarmed police service, and therefore we will only ever have volunteers who wish to perform the roles of armed officers. Those come with enormous responsibility and potential risk, both physical and judicial, Mr Aldworth said. The judicial risks are no different to that experienced by any other police officer. We have seen police officers charged with murder and manslaughter without using firearms. The problem I have with whats going on is [that] those risks and the perceived weaknesses in the law are well known. So what is happening now is not people who are experiencing a sudden questioning of morally whether they to want to carry a gun, or do they really feel that the law doesnt support them, they are engaged in industrial protest. For good reason, the Police Act does not allow police officers to strike or undertake industrial action. But that is what this is, quasi-industrial action. The National Police Chiefs Council and the Police Federation will work with the Home Office as they carry out their armed policing review, The Independent understands. On behalf of the NPCC, Chief Constable Charlie Hall said: Mutual aid is routinely used to share officers across the country to ensure public safety, and so the National Police Coordination Centre is supporting the Metropolitan Police to ensure the force has the resilience it needs. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} More than 250 climate activists have staged a protest outside crown courts in various UK cities against the decision by the Attorney Generals Office to prosecute fellow activist Trudi Warner. The 68-year-old retired social worker from Walthamstow, east London, was arrested in March after allegedly communicating to jurors with a sign during the trial of Insulate Britain protesters. Warner is said to have held a sign saying: Jurors, you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience, as members of the jury arrived at Inner London Crown Court on March 27. Judge Silas Reid had instructed jurors to decide the case according to the law and evidence and set aside any views they might have about climate change. The Attorney Generals Office said last week it was moving forward with legal proceedings against Warner, who could face a maximum penalty of two years in prison or a fine if convicted of contempt of court. Dr Abi Perrin, a molecular biologist in York who is also with the group Scientists For Extinction Rebellion, said: In 2023, telling the truth is being treated as a criminal act, with people prosecuted for displaying facts in public and imprisoned for explaining their motivations in their own defence in a court of law. I am deeply afraid of a world where truth, science and morality are not important, or where we are not free to fight for them. The protesters sat with signs similar to Warners outside crown courts in Bristol, Manchester, London and other cities as jurors arrived for their respective trials. They said if Warner was arrested for her sign, then all 252 activists should face the same treatment, daring the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC to take further action. Vivi MacDonald, 19, in Bristol, said: The continuous measures by the Government to limit protest are threatening everyones freedom and ability to take action or express their opinion based on our own conscience in the light of the urgent need for social, political and environmental change. Warners case will be heard at the High Court on a date yet to be announced, it is understood. The Attorney Generals Office has been contacted for comment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nurse Lucy Letby is facing a retrial over an outstanding allegation she attempted to murder a baby girl after she was found guilty of murdering seven other infants. The Crown Prosecution Service on Monday announced its decision on whether it would be seeking a retrial against the 33-year-old over six counts of attempted murder in relation to five babies. Appearing at Manchester Crown Court via video link from HMP New Hall in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Letby heard she will be facing a retrial over one count of attempted murder related to a baby girl, known as Child K, in February 2016 but not the other five outstanding allegations. Lucy Letby last month became one of Britains most prolific serial killers of children (PA Media) A provisional date for the retrial, which is expected to last between two and three weeks at the same court, has been set for 10 June next year. Letby, from Hereford, sat behind a desk and spoke only to confirm her name and that she could see and hear the proceedings. Letby was sentenced last month to a rare whole-life order for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit, making her one of Britains most prolific serial killers of children. However, the jury of seven women and four men in the 10-month trial could not reach verdicts on allegations that Letby attempted to murder three baby girls, known in court documents as Child H, Child J and Child K. The jury, which heard from more than 240 witnesses, also decided it could not reach verdicts over an allegation she tried to murder another male infant, Child Q, and two counts of attempted murder against Child N, a baby boy, against whom Letby was found guilty of one count of attempted murder. She was cleared of two other counts of attempted murder. Letby denied all the offences and formally lodged an appeal against her conviction at the Court of Appeal earlier in September. Following the verdicts, families of her victims expressed their extreme hurt, anger and distress. Janet Moore, a family liaison coordinator at Cheshire Constabulary, read out a joint statement on behalf of the families, which said: We are Following the verdicts, families of her victims expressed their extreme hurt, anger and distress. Janet Moore, a family liaison coordinator at Cheshire Constabulary, read out a joint statement on behalf of the families, which said: We are heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb. We may never truly know why this happened. It has also been announced that an independent inquiry will be held into the case, which will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and incidents, including how concerns raised by clinicians were dealt with, the Department of Health and Social Care has said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police have launched an investigation into sexual assault allegations made against Russell Brand following an explosive Channel 4 documentary. On Monday, the force said they have since received a number of allegations of sexual offences in London as well as elsewhere in the country. It follows a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times, and Channel 4s Dispatches, which highlighted the stories of four women including one who was 16 years old at the time who allege Brand either raped or sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013. Police have launched an investigation into comedian Russell Brand following a number of sexual assault allegations made against him (PA) Brand has vehemently denied all allegations, insisting that his prior relationships have always been consensual. The Met previously said it had received an allegation of sexual assault in Soho, central London, in 2003, which emerged as the remaining live shows for his Bipolarisation tour were postponed. The investigation is being carried out by detectives in the Mets Central Specialist Crime Command, led by Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy. Det Supt Furphy said: We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us. We understand it can feel like a difficult step to take and I want to reassure that we have a team of specialist officers available to advise and support. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue. The force said it will be offering specialist support to all of the women who have made allegations. Brand has strongly denied all allegations against him (X) On Saturday, Brand thanked his supporters for questioning the allegations of rape and sexual assault made against him. In the three-minute clip, posted on YouTube, Rumble and Twitter/X, he said the week since the claims were published had been extraordinary and distressing. Shortly after the Met issued its short statement on Monday, Brand made his first return to his regular Rumble show since the allegations were made against him. Brand said he would talk about the collusion between big tech and Government and an apparent concerted effort by legacy media to silence independent media voices. Obviously, its difficult for me to be entirely objective given the events of the last week, but thats what we must try to do, he said. Brand said he would return to his regular show on Rumble an online video platform which refused to follow YouTube in blocking the comedian from earning advertising revenue on its site. He described the streaming site as having made a clear commitment to free speech. Anyone who wants to report an offence to the police should contact the Met on 101. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A motorcyclist has been killed after a collision during a police chase in central London. The man died following a crash with both a taxi and street furniture whilst the motorcycle he was riding was being pursued by police. The passenger seated behind him sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his leg and arm, and was arrested after he was found to be carrying a machete. The collision happened close to Warren Street tube station (UKNIP) Officers pursued the pair in the early hours of Monday morning, at approximately 6.45am, after witnessing the vehicle jump a red light on Oxford Street. Failing to stop after being flagged down, the pair were followed onto the adjacent Tottenham Court Road. The collision occurred shortly afterwards, close to Warren Street tube station. Emergency services attended to the scene, but despite the efforts of paramedics, the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. On Monday morning, BBC Radio London Travel confirmed that Tottenham Court Road was closed between Maple Street and Euston Road. One witness claimed it was a high-speed chase, reporting to MyLondon that they heard a huge bang which sounded like an accident. It made me feel sick, they added. Elsewhere, another described the event as a grim morning, writing on X that the top of Tottenham Court Road is blocked off with police and an ambulance in attendance, and another person is getting medical assistance in Fitzroy St by a medic on a bike. The pillion passenger was found to be in possession of a machete. He has been arrested and taken to hospital for treatment to leg and arm injuries, a statement from the Metropolitan Police read. The Mets Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) launched an investigation alongside colleagues from the Mets Roads and Transport Policing Command. The Independent Office for Police Conduct have been informed and we are advised that they have launched an independent investigation. More follows on this breaking news story.... Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The body of a British hiker who went missing in Switzerland over three months ago has been found, his family have confirmed. Aidan Roche, 29, was last heard from on 22 June while he was walking the popular Eiger Trail in the Bernese Alps. The experienced hiker, who had been on a two-week solo camping trip, was found near to the trail by police officers. He was last seen walking the Eiger Trial while on a solo camping trip (Connor Roche) His van had been found at a campsite in the days after he went missing, while the last picture he sent to friends placed him a short distance away from the village of Grindelwald. In a Facebook statement, his brother Connor wrote: We received the news last week that the police in Switzerland had found Aidan near the trail he was walking. The news has hit us all hard, even with this outcome on our minds over the last few months. On behalf of my entire family I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped us through all of this. The outpouring of support from so many people has got us through all of the uncertainty and anguish, and shows just how loved Aidan was. For all the messages of support, the sharing of Aidans pictures and posters online, and the donations to aid in finding him, you have our deepest gratitude. All of this helped to bring him home to us. Thank you so much. An online fundraiser succeeded in raising more than 30,000 to pay for search efforts, after the Swiss police and mountain rescue ended their efforts after exhausting every option. In previous media appeals, Mr Ridge, an offshore chemical engineer, was described as having the biggest heart. Hes a character and this solo travel thing is exactly the type of thing he loves, his brother Connor had said. He can talk to absolutely everyone and he can just make friends with anyone. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of incidents of spiking have emerged in England and Wales ahead of freshers week kicking off at universities with vapes now a target for spiking. New data from the National Police Chiefs Council, seen by The Independent, reveals there were 6,732 reported spiking offences between May 2022 and May 2023 including 957 needle spiking offences. Figures show there were an average of 561 reported spiking offences per month during this period with the policing body stating the data includes modified vapes and food which have been spiked. Campaigners have warned that the figures are only the tip of the iceberg as many victims do not come forward as they fear not being taken seriously or feel too much shame. Helena Conibear, chief executive of the Alcohol Education Trust, a charity which distributes drink tests and information to students across the UK, told The Independent: We have heard of people unknowingly using vapes which contain THC or spice in them. Very little is known about vape spiking as is it a new phenomenon. We are very much in the dark about how it operates. Rosie Smith, who is studying at the University of Manchester, said she was spiked at a nightclub while visiting her sister in Durham last October. The 20-year-old said: After only two drinks I lost all control of my limbs and ability to talk. I was trapped within my own body and left powerless. My mental health was dramatically impacted after I was spiked and I didnt report the incident to the police due to many other students I know not being believed or being turned away. Spiking is a terrifying and sadly prevalent crime which has a long-lasting impact on the victim, family and friends. She said the spiking ordeal has completely changed her attitude to going out as she explained she worries about her friends a great deal. I dont lose the same inhibitions now on a night out, Rosie added. I don't feel as carefree. You start doubting the people around you, which is really sad. Previous data from police forces in England and Wales shows there were almost 5,000 reported needle and drink spikings from September 2021 to September 2022 but these figures did not include spiked vapes. Ms Conibear said food has been spiked with similar substances to what is found in non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Time after time victims report to us that bouncers or staff left them outside, told concerned friends that the victim is drunk or denied that spiking had taken place on their premises, she added. Our other concern is how A&E deals with spiking cases as there is no duty to test and victims are often just sent home and told to report to the police or victim support. Ms Conibear explained studies demonstrate most drink-spiking victims never report the incident and feel let down by medical services. She added: Between 70 per cent and 90 per cent of those spiked didnt report it at the time, thinking they wouldnt be believed or taken seriously. Much better measures are now in place, thanks to the work of the police, good venues and unis including rapid urine testing, dedicated welfare and active bystander staff, safe spaces at venues and drink-testing kits." David Sidwick and Joy Allen, joint addictions and substance misuse leads for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: Spiking is a heinous crime which puts lives at risk. This freshers term we are urging university students to be vigilant and look out for their friends. It comes after a woman recently told The Independent about her experience of being spiked, telling how she was backing a legal challenge against the government by campaigners who claim not enough is being done to tackle the crime. Close Defence secretary Grant Shapps questions cost of HS2 Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak has insisted he is committed to levelling up despite again failing to confirm that the northern leg of HS2 rail project will go ahead. The prime minister refused to comment on what he described as speculation about part of the line being axed.The Independent first revealed two weeks ago that Mr Sunak was considering scrapping plans for the high-speed rail network between Birmingham and Manchester over concerns about its spiralling cost. Speaking today on a visit to a community centre in Hertfordshire, the PM said: What I would say is were absolutely committed to levelling up and spreading opportunity around the country, not just in the North but in the Midlands, in all other regions of our fantastic country. Earlier, Labours Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham warned that ditching the northern phase of HS2 would be a disaster of epic proportions for the region. An announcement is expected before the Tory Party conference in Manchester next weekend and The Independent understands the northern phase of HS2 could be delayed by up to seven years as part of a bid to scrap the project in the long-term. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tributes have been paid to one of the countrys top gynaecologists, who died in her sleep on a British Airways flight from London to Nice. Professor Linda Cardozo, 73, fell asleep on board the flight next to her husband Stuart Hutcheson, but did not wake up when the flight landed on Thursday evening. A professor of urogynaecology and consultant gynaecologist at Kings College Hospital, London, her employer described her as a true pioneer and highly respected by patients and colleagues. In a statement posted on Facebook, her family said Professor Cardozo was having some health issues in the last few months but was getting better and was planning to return to work. Last week she celebrated her 73rd birthday with a trip to the theatre and dinner, and then was heading to Nice for a weeks holiday on Thursday. However, after falling asleep on the plane, the eminent physician did not wake up when the plane landed, The Times reported. The statement said that most passengers had left the plane by the time it was discovered that she had died. The family said they were incredibly thankful to professionalism of BA staff and the airport duty manager. It added: For someone so hell bent on living life to the full and so scared of retirement, it was quite a fitting end. We imagine shed be quite pleased that even her death was an international police incident. Professor Cardozo was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to Urogynaecology and Womens Health. In 2018 she was awarded the first lifetime achievement award by the British Society of Urogynaecology. She wrote more than 750 papers in peer review journals, 25 books and 130 book chapters, as well teaching medical students and training junior doctors. Professor Cardozo also served as the president of the International Urogynaecological Association, European Urogynaecological Association, Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Womens Health and Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Royal Society of Medicine. Dr Leonie Penna, chief medical officer at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: Linda worked at Kings for 44 years, and was a true pioneer in the field of urogynaecology - she was also popular and highly respected by her patients and colleagues alike. She will be sorely missed, and the thoughts of everyone at Kings are with her family at this difficult time. A spokesperson for British Airways said: Sadly, a customer passed away on a flight from London Heathrow to Nice. Our thoughts are with the customers family at this difficult time. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A woman with a severe strawberry allergy says she spent a flight in fear claiming the airline refused to stop serving products containing them. Chloe Fitzpatrick was travelling from Manchester to Ibiza last month, informing airline staff of her severe strawberry allergy as she boarded the plane. The 24-year-old asked them not to serve any strawberry products on the flight, which included pink gin, rose wine, strawberry daiquiris, Fruit Pastilles and Haribo. But the airline said the request was too short notice for them to accommodate. Ms Fitzpatrick told MailOnline the flights crew said they would make an announcement to fellow passengers on board, but claims strawberry products continued to be sold. Have you had a similar experience? If so email lydia.patrick@independent.co.uk Alongside her sister, the pair offered to buy every single product containing strawberries on board, but claimed they were ignored by staff. They had decided to not serve these products to people on the rows in close proximity to us, not the whole flight, Ms Fitzparick told the news site. I was petrified. Chloe Fitzpatrick says she was offered a mask by airline staff and seated beneath a ventilator (stock image) (PA) While the Mail did not name the airline, it did include a statement in response to the passengers complaints. Ms Fitzpatrick only alerted us to her allergies when she boarded the aircraft, a spokesperson said. In such situations, we are unable to remove products as we cannot ensure the complete removal of all items that may contain allergens. In our terms and conditions, we make it clear that anyone with a severe allergy should make our team aware of this at the time of booking, which unfortunately did not happen on this occasion. In August, a woman with a severe nut allergy decided to purchase every single packet of peanuts on board a flight after cabin crew ignored her request not to serve them. Leah Williams said she spent 144 buying all 48 packets onboard, which cost almost three times the price she paid to fly from London to Dusseldorf. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Downscaling HS2 would create a commercial and operational mess, industry experts have warned. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are reported to be meeting to discuss the future of the high-speed rail project in the coming days. There is speculation the leg from Birmingham to Manchester will be cancelled or delayed while Euston will be axed, both in response to soaring costs. Until you get the railway to Euston, there's not much benefit in it for anybody anywhere William Barter William Barter, a railway consultant whose recent clients include the Department for Transport, told the PA news agency this would result in 80% of the costs and 20% of the benefits, while rail engineer and writer Gareth Dennis claimed it would be a stupid decision. Under existing plans, HS2 trains will run on high-speed lines between London and Manchester, as well as running on existing lines to destinations such as Glasgow, Liverpool and North Wales. Stopping HS2 at Birmingham and not extending the line to Euston means the trains may only be able to be used for a shuttle service between Old Oak Common, west London and Birmingham Curzon Street. If the planned Handsacre Link goes ahead near Lichfield, Staffordshire, HS2 trains will be able to connect to the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML). But only the number HS2 trains could run on the WCML is limited to an estimated three per hour as the route south of Manchester has little spare capacity. It is already used by six passenger train operators and a number of freight companies. Mr Barter said: The number of trains you can run is limited by the capacity of Old Oak Common station as a terminus, and the commercial attractiveness of Old Oak Common as a terminus, which is broadly going to be very good for half the people and very bad for the other half. That means you probably end up running a West Coast Main Line intercity service that is split between Old Oak Common via the new line and Euston via the old line. Thats a commercial and operational mess. Mr Barter said in that scenario, the core HS2 route would be working at about one-third of its operational potential despite building the most expensive bit, which is between London and Birmingham, due to extensive tunnelling, new stations and complex junctions. He added: Until you get the railway to Euston, theres not much benefit in it for anybody anywhere. In effect youd get 80% of the costs and 20% of the benefits. Old Oak Common has an estimated capacity of six trains per hour, compared with 17 per hour at Euston. Mr Barter said: Without Euston, the last train you want to put into Old Oak Common is an Anglo-Scottish one because theyre carrying people whove got luggage and theyre most likely to want taxis to their destination. Northern Powerhouse Rail doesn't exist without HS2 going up to Manchester. That means all those promises about new northern infrastructure completely evaporate Gareth Dennis If you chuck them out at Old Oak Common instead of Euston, thats an additional 30 taxi fare. Either that or theyll be struggling onto the Elizabeth line and interchanging with all their luggage. He added: To get any meaningful use out of anything north of Birmingham, the railway needs to go to Euston. Mr Dennis said the main benefit of HS2 is creating more space on existing mainlines, enabling more suburban trains to run. He said: If you arent running the trains to central London then people are going to want the mainline trains to still run on the existing network, which completely destroys the point. If you get rid of Euston you massively erode the released capacity benefits, not to mention that the journey time benefits are down by the fact that you have people getting off at Old Oak Common. Its a transparently stupid decision. Only someone doing this for internal party political reasons would be proposing such a thing. Mr Dennis said the most significant consequence of failing to build HS2 north of Birmingham would be not getting more services to locations such as Stockport in Greater Manchester or North Wales. He added: If you get rid of the line north of Birmingham, you get rid of all those main benefits. Mr Barter noted that infrastructure involving the planned HS2 line to Manchester is shared with Northern Powerhouse Rail, which is a scheme to boost east-west rail journeys across the North. He said: If HS2 doesnt provide it, Northern Powerhouse Rail will have to all on its own, and that would probably make it unviable. You get the best out of infrastructure by sharing it. Mr Dennis said: We always hear the stories of misery of people trying to commute across the North. You get rid of HS2, there is no new line across the Pennines. Northern Powerhouse Rail doesnt exist without HS2 going up to Manchester. That means all those promises about new northern infrastructure completely evaporate. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A paramedic told an inquiry how he found a woman writhing in pain after the car she was in with her partner crashed off a motorway and lay undiscovered for days. Lamara Bell, 25, and John Yuill, 28, died after the car they were in left the M9 near Stirling on July 5 2015. The couple had been on a camping trip with friends to Lochearnhead, Stirling, and were making their way back to Falkirk. They lay in their Renault Clio for three days before being discovered, after a police control room operator failed to log a 101 call reporting the crash. It was touch really. To touch her skin - it was cold. That was one indication James Stewart, paramedic A missing persons investigation was launched after the families of Mr Yuill and Miss Bell reported them missing when they failed to return home. James Stewart, 55, was one of the first paramedics at the scene when the couple were discovered on Wednesday July 8. Giving evidence at the Fatal Accident Inquiry at Falkirk Sheriff Court, he said Miss Bell seemed confused and incomprehensible and had been writhing in pain. Mr Stewart, then a service area manager for the Scottish Ambulance Service, assessed Miss Bell, putting her at a nine on the Glasgow Coma Scale and said she would only move after stimulus had been applied. The paramedic, who retired from the ambulance service in 2018, also said Miss Bell seemed hypothermic. Advocate depute Gavin Anderson KC asked Mr Stewart how he knew Miss Bell was hypothermic, as he was not able to check her temperature. Mr Stewart said: It was touch really. To touch her skin it was cold. That was one indication. It could (also) have been the colour of her skin as well. Later on Monday, the inquiry heard from Sergeant Ruth Aitchison. She said that Traffic Scotland, which monitors motorways in Scotland for incidents, confirmed there had been no reports of any accidents on the M9 at that time. Mr Anderson asked Sgt Aitchison if road searches were able to take place at the crash location, would officers have been able to search the crash site on foot. Sgt Aitchison said: Yes. The inquiry then heard from forensic scientist Richard Valance who assessed the damage to the car following the accident. The inquiry heard Mr Yuill had hit a parking bay when the couple arrived at Broxden Services, on the outskirts of Perth, on the morning of Sunday July 5 2015. The inquiry was shown CCTV footage of the car hitting the bay with some force, but not enough to damage the tyres so significantly the journey could no longer continue. Mr Yuill and Miss Bell travelled a further 30 miles to the site where the car eventually crashed. Mr Vallance said in his report that there was evidence of poor maintenance of the tyres. On Friday, the inquiry heard how witness Robert Findlay had climbed down a motorway embankment and called the emergency services upon discovering that Miss Bell and Mr Yuill were trapped inside the car. The FAI comes after the family of Ms Bell was awarded more than 1 million in damages from Police Scotland in a civil settlement in December 2021. Three months previously, the force was fined 100,000 at the High Court in Edinburgh after it pleaded guilty to health and safety failings which materially contributed to Ms Bells death. Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone apologised to the families following the court case. The inquiry before Sheriff James Williamson continues. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Britains biggest police force has stood down a plan to use military back-up after enough firearms officers returned for it to cover counter-terrorism duties. Dozens of Metropolitan Police officers stepped away from armed duties after one of their colleagues was charged with murder last week. Cover was drafted in from neighbouring forces after the BBC reported that around 100 of the Mets 2,595 marksmen were refusing to perform their armed roles. The military also agreed to help, but soldiers do not have the authority to be used for routine policing and can only be used in the case of a terrorist attack or for guarding certain locations such as nuclear sites. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: On Saturday, the Ministry of Defence agreed to provide the Met with counter-terrorism support as a contingency option. As of lunchtime on Monday, the number of officers who had returned to armed duties was sufficient for us to no longer require external assistance to meet our counter-terrorism responsibilities. The force has taken a conciliatory tone since the officers downed tools, saying bosses were working to understand their genuinely held concerns. But former counterterrorism police chief Nick Aldworth told the PA news agency that by deciding to act en masse the officers were staging an industrial protest despite rules that stop them going on strike. What is happening now is not people who are experiencing a sudden questioning of morally whether they to want carry a gun, or do they really feel that the law doesnt support them, they are engaged in industrial protest. For good reason, the Police Act does not allow police officers to strike or undertake industrial action. But that is what this is, quasi-industrial action. Earlier the Prime Minister said armed police need clarity about the legal powers they have after Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley called for greater legal protection for officers. The Commissioner welcomed a review of armed policing ordered by Home Secretary Suella Braverman who said she wanted to ensure marksmen have the confidence to do their job. Rishi Sunak, speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a community centre in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, on Monday, said: Our firearms officers do an incredibly difficult job. They are making life or death decisions in a split second to keep us safe and they deserve our gratitude for their bravery. Now it is important when they are using these legal powers that they do so with clarity and they have certainty about what they are doing, especially given the lethality they are using. In an open letter to the Home Secretary published on Sunday, Sir Mark suggested legal changes over the way self-defence is interpreted in police misconduct cases. He also put forward the introduction of a criminal standard of proof for unlawful killing in inquests and inquiries, along with changes to the threshold at which the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) can launch an investigation. Sir Mark said: There is a concern on the part of firearms officers that even if they stick to the tactics and training they have been given, they will face years of protracted legal proceedings which impact on their personal wellbeing and that of their family. While previous reviews have been announced, they have not delivered change. Carrying a firearm is voluntary. We rely on officers who are willing to put themselves at risk on a daily basis to protect the public from dangerous criminals including terrorists. Officers need sufficient legal protection to enable them to do their job and keep the public safe, and the confidence that it will be applied consistently and without fear or favour. Sir Mark called for time limits for IOPC and Crown Prosecution Service processes to reduce the punitive impact on officers facing lengthy investigations. He also suggested that more contextual information about incidents could be released to ensure public confidence in policing. The Metropolitan Police Federation, the group which represents officers from the rank of constable to chief inspector in the Met, offered Sir Mark its support following the publication of his letter. The federation said: Colleagues should not fear for their liberty and livelihoods for simply doing the job the public expect of us. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mother of Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett has urged Rishi Sunak to introduce a law to ensure stronger protections against terrorism in public places without further delay. Martyns Law, named in tribute to the 29-year-old who was one of 22 people killed at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017, would require venues and local authorities in the UK to have preventative plans against terror attacks. On Monday, Mr Hetts mother Figen Murray is to deliver a letter to Downing Street, telling the Prime Minister to keep the promise you made during our (December 2022) telephone conversation, and make this legislation happen without any further delay. Ministers published draft details of Martyns Law in May after years of campaigning by Mrs Murray. In the letter, seen by the PA news agency, she said: As you know, my son Martyn died alongside 21 other innocent souls at the Manchester Arena terror attack on 22 May 2017. Like most people who died that evening, he simply went to a pop concert and never came home. Life as I knew it changed overnight and I have since made it my mission to do everything possible to prevent other parents, families and friends going through the devastating experiences that my family has endured. As we discussed during our call, I initiated the campaign to introduce Martyns Law because I wanted to work with the Government and security industry to introduce legislation that would better protect the public from terror attacks. Her letter to the Prime Minister comes after the Home Affairs Select Committee warned in July that the draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyns Law, would put small businesses and organisations at risk of closure and fail to make a significant impact on preventing attacks. But Ms Murray, who received an OBE for services to counter terrorism in June 2022, claims the committee reached a dangerous and misguided conclusion after scrutinising the draft legislation. Martyns Law will make us all safer without changing our way of life, she added. It is not meant to restrict us but empower us by making the general public more resilient to such attacks. She said the Government committed to introducing the legislation in 2019 and that it has strong support from the public, businesses, the security industry and across Parliament. Until this Bill is introduced, members of the public remain at a greater risk from terror attacks, she added. In July, the Home Affairs Select Committee found the Bill, which has different standards based on venue capacity, would require a local village hall to have certain safety precautions while an outdoor market in a city centre would not. It said after looking at the draft it had serious concerns about the financial burden of requiring venues to have potentially costly safety measures in place. Jonathan Hall KC, the UKs independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, told MPs the majority of attacks since 2010 would be out of the Bills scope. But Mrs Murray told Mr Sunak the draft Bill is proportionate, so that smaller venues need only take very basic steps. She added: This is particularly the case in places like village halls, community centres and other rural locations that people may think are immune from attacks. Sir David Amess was killed at such a small venue and the late Jo Cox MP was also killed in a more rural setting. It is my firm belief that a terror attack can happen at any time, anywhere, and in any place Figen Murray Watering this Bill down by removing smaller venues, as some have suggested, would create dangerous loopholes that terrorists could exploit. It is my firm belief that a terror attack can happen at any time, anywhere, and in any place. The landscape of terrorism has also changed and we now see an increasing number of self-initiated terrorists and people aged 18 years and under charged for terror related offences. That is why it is so important to introduce this legislation as soon as possible, to better protect the public from the risk of a terror attack. A Government spokesperson said: We are grateful to Figen Murray and the Martyns Law campaign for their support in the development of this vital reform. We are committed to improving the security of public venues, to ensure the public can go about their lives freely and with confidence. In May, the Government published the draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill and submitted it for pre-legislative scrutiny by the Home Affairs Select Committee. We are carefully reviewing all of their recommendations to ensure the implementation of Martyns Law is properly understood and effective. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Researchers are investigating whether meerkats can detect emotions such as happiness, sadness or anger from people, and then adapt their behaviour accordingly. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) zoo animal welfare researchers and psychologists want to better understand the potential impact people have on zoo animals. They hope any findings might be able to help improve experts understanding and management of different species. Wild animals housed in zoos undergo daily interactions with familiar and unfamiliar people and this presents an ideal opportunity to see if they recognise human emotions and in a sense catch them Dr Samantha Ward, Nottingham Trent University Dr Samantha Ward, a zoo animal welfare researcher at NTUs School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, said: Wild animals housed in zoos undergo daily interactions with familiar and unfamiliar people and this presents an ideal opportunity to see if they recognise human emotions and in a sense catch them. Were keen to know whether these abilities might be influenced by the frequency of human-animal interactions, as might be the case with strangers, or familiarity with known people such as zookeepers. For example, if zookeepers influence the behaviour of meerkats but the visitors do not then this could impact the management of the animals. If its the people rather than the zookeepers then that could be considered when undertaking measures such as enclosure design. Researchers will be monitoring the behaviour and interactions of meerkats both with zookeepers who they see regularly, and with zoo visitors who they are unfamiliar with. They are keen to see how the animals react to different people and whether they demonstrate empathy by mirroring their emotions. Experts already believe that domesticated animals such cats, dogs and horses are able to understand how people feel, but less is known about wild animals housed in zoos. Meerkats are highly attentive to their surroundings, including to zoo visitors, and commonly interact with both familiar and unfamiliar people on a regular basis as part of animal-visitor experiences and so are considered the perfect species to focus on. Researchers hope their study will provide a step forward in being able to better understand the mechanisms of human-animal interactions and our evolutionary understanding of animal minds. It is thought that knowing how peoples feelings prompt changes in animal behaviour could have implications for the successful management of zoo animals. Dr Annika Paukner, associate professor in Comparative Psychology in Nottingham Trent Universitys School of Social Sciences, said: Our study combines expertise in zoo biology and human-animal interactions with psychology and comparative cognition. The recognition of others emotions is vital for effective interactions across social animals, including humans. People are so sensitive to others emotions for instance that interacting with an anxious person may increase ones own anxiety. It is important that we understand how common this ability is among animals, and what the implications are for human-animal interactions. Nottingham Trent University has received funding from the Leverhulme Trust for the three-year project. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Ed Davey has said rejoining the EU is a long-term thing but is not currently on the table as Liberal Democrat tensions grow about Brexit. The Lib Dem leader said he has worked very carefully with foreign affairs spokesman Layla Moran to make sure that we can improve our relationship with Europe. But he said at the moment those sorts of things are not on the table. Questions persist over the partys stance on Brexit, with Sir Ed heckled on Sunday after insisting to delegates during a Q&A session that he was campaigning hard on Europe. No, youre not, one audience member replied. Sir Ed has said people on the doorstep just arent talking about Europe, but senior figures including former leader Sir Vince Cable have iargued the party should not lose sight of the issue. An ultimate goal to return to membership status within the bloc is currently official policy, but the leader has been reluctant to speak publicly about this and says it is currently off the table. Former Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson ran the partys disastrous 2019 general election campaign on a pledge to revoke Brexit without a referendum, but ended up losing her seat. Sir Ed has advocated root-and-branch reform of the existing Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), but framed this as a long-term challenge, arguing a realistic approach is necessary. It came after the party scrapped a long-standing pledge to put a penny on income tax to fund spending on the NHS and social care. The Lib Dems have called for the increase since 1992 but have scrapped it in a bid to pile pressure on Tory MPs in the so-called blue wall of safe southern seats. Sir Ed said the commitment was unsustainable when people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Speaking to The Times, he said: "Weve had two years of frozen income tax allowances and four more years to come. Those six years of stealth income tax rises equate to more than a 3p rise in the basic rate of tax. "You cant ask working families to pay more in tax. You just cant. "In the blue wall seats, which weve never really been competitive before, the evidence is were now becoming super-competitive." Instead, Sir Ed said the party would hike levies on banks and large companies. Reversing cuts to the surcharge on the financial sector and increasing the burden on water, oil and gas firms would help to fund the partys newly adopted multibillion-pound policy platform, the leader indicated. Asked on BBC Radio 4s Today programme if he thinks wealthier individuals should pay more tax, Sir Ed said: "I think the taxes are going up quite a lot already under the Conservatives." On whether they should go up further, he said: "No... because over the next few years youre seeing a big increase in taxes that are already baked in and I think there is a real danger that if we dont ask those organisations who are doing really well, like the oil and gas companies, like the banks, like the water companies, they have the money." The party adopted an early version of its manifesto at its annual conference on Sunday with policies aimed at winning over voters in Tory heartlands. It will lay out a fully costed document closer to the next general election, expected next year. Among its policies is a 5 billion social care pledge which would see people "be looked after where they want to be at home" and improved GP and mental health services. Sir Ed has argued that the social care package would help to pay for itself by saving 3 billion elsewhere on the NHS, for example by freeing up hospital beds and relieving pressure on care homes. Newly relaxed housing targets may also prove controversial with activists when they are debated on Monday. The party has committed to building 150,000 social homes a year - shifting away from a pledge to build 380,000 homes annually in its 2019 manifesto. But one Lib Dem council leader, speaking at a fringe event alongside housing spokeswoman Helen Morgan, said abandoning national housing goals would be an "abdication of responsibility" and warned against "fluffy local targets". Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An agreement across nations on the safe use of artificial intelligence will be a key aim of the UKs AI Safety Summit, the Technology Secretary has said. Michelle Donelan said she hoped the summit in November would end with a treaty on the safe expansion of AI tech going forward. Speaking at Bletchley Park, the site for the summit, the Technology Secretary said the Government hoped to see attendees agree an understanding around a smoke alarm for AI risks as part of an AI treaty. We need almost a smoke alarm established so that not only are companies searching for the risks, but they have a response to the risk and we know at what level that responded and how they respond Michelle Donelan I think what we will see coming out of the summit is definitely some sort of agreement across nations and some agreement with companies as well in terms of their approach to what we see as something that we call responsible capability scaling, she said. And what that means is basically that we need almost a smoke alarm established so that not only are companies searching for the risks, but they have a response to the risk and we know at what level that responded and how they respond. Thats the type of system that we need to be seeing across the board. The summit is a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks aim to establish a key role for Britain in harnessing and regulating the technology. It comes as the Government announced the key area of focus for the summit would be so-called frontier AI the latest, cutting-edge advances in the technology, including large language models (LLMs) such as programmes like ChatGPT. Within that, the summit will look at the misuse risks around AI, and loss of control risks. Ms Donelan said there were incredible opportunities around AI, but we can only really seize those opportunities if were gripping the risks. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly confirmed last week that China would be invited to the conference, despite ongoing tensions with Beijing. Relations with China have been strained by a series of security rows, including the arrest of a parliamentary researcher under the Official Secrets Act. Mr Cleverly said the Government cannot keep the UK public safe from the risks of AI if we exclude one of the leading nations in AI tech. Ms Donelan would not be drawn on whether China had yet accepted the UK Governments invitation and said the Government would not provide a running commentary on who was or wasnt coming to the summit. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A major cabinet split has opened up over Rishi Sunaks plan to ditch the northern leg of HS2, as top Tory grandees join ministers in pushing the prime minister to rethink the cancellation. The Independent understands levelling up secretary Michael Gove and transport secretary Mark Harper are very unhappy about the prime ministers plot to axe the route from Birmingham to Manchester. In one of the biggest political stories of the year, this publication first revealed Mr Sunak was in secret talks dubbed Project Redwood with his chancellor Jeremy Hunt to scrap the second phase of the project. Former chancellor George Osborne and ex-deputy PM Lord Heseltine described the proposal as a gross act of vandalism, which would end up being a case of economic self-harm. After the story broke on September 14, Downing Street repeatedly stone-walled before ministers accepted talks over the most dramatic decision in years to stop a 34bn infrastructure spend were taking place. The story has prompted unprecedented fallout, with two former prime ministers attacking Mr Sunak amid a cascade of criticism and cabinet divides. Boris Johnson and David Cameron were joined by ex-chancellor Philip Hammond in urging the PM not to cut the high-speed rail route. Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt are understood to have been surprised by the major backlash from business chiefs, northern mayors and senior Tories and are thought to have delayed a final decision and announcement until after next weeks party conference. A source close to government discussions on HS2 told The Independent: The PM and chancellor have opened up a big rift in the Tory party. There are significant figures in cabinet who are opposed [to ditching HS2]. Michael Gove and Mark Harper are very unhappy. The source added: Theyve bottled any announcement for the moment. The backlash has been so big they are not ready to cancel. They are having to consider how to rephase it. [Sunak] is going to have a very challenging conference in Manchester. Levelling up secretary Michael Gove is understood to be among those who are pushing to save HS2s northern leg (PA) A source close to Mr Gove said they did not recognise the idea of a cabinet rift. Mr Harper declined to comment. Downing Street denied there was ever a plan to announce cuts to HS2 this week, with a No 10 spokesperson saying normal spending discussions were taking place ahead of the chancellors autumn statement in November. A document detailing the financial details for the crunch meeting between Mr Hunt and Mr Sunak was photographed being carried into No 10. Although 2.3bn has already been spent on preparations for phase 2, the Redwood solution suggested 34bn would be saved by abandoning any future plans. Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt are understood to have been considering whether HS2 north of Birmingham could be delayed for up to seven years in order to move costs into a future parliament kicking phase 2 into the long grass. But northern Tory MPs are still hopeful parts of the project can be rescued. They have raised it with the party whips, and are pushing to speak to the PM and the chancellor in a bid to save key parts of the project and get guarantees on Northern Powerhouse Rail investment. Some of the pro-HS2 Tories would be able to live with phase 2a from Birmingham to Crewe being delayed, as long as crucial parts of phase 2b the Crewe to Manchester section are accelerated. The Tory rebels want to see a high-speed section between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. A senior northern Tory MP close to the HS2 project told The Independent: I dont expect an announcement before the conference. They would be very unwise to cancel everything there would be a major backlash. Tory grandees (clockwise from top left) Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson, George Osborne, David Cameron and Michael Heseltine want HS2 built in full (Getty/PA) Writing in The Times, Mr Osborne and Lord Heseltine said governments are remembered for what they build and create make this mistake and yours may only be known for what it cancelled and curtailed. Lord Heseltine later said that ditching the northern phase of the project would leave it as a toy town rail line. The Tory peer added that it would send a very clear signal that the levelling up agenda has been put on deep freeze. Mr Hammond said work done when he was at the Treasury showed that HS2 had to go to Manchester and Euston, telling the Express: Anything else was a false economy The project was always about capacity. We needed more rail capacity from Manchester to London. Andy Street, the Tory mayor of the West Midlands, said axing the northern leg would make it the most expensive white elephant in UK history. Mr Johnson has warned against a mutilated HS2, while Mr Cameron is believed to have privately raised concerns about the prospect that the high-speed rail line could be ditched. Jason McCartney, the Tory MP for Colne Valley, told The Independent he wanted HS2 delivered in full to Manchester and Leeds with full connectivity to Northern Powerhouse Rail, but added: I acknowledge its well over budget and its right that the PM takes a pragmatic view. Sunak and Hunt are under pressure to rethink cancellation plans (Downing Street) Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said he would write to Mr Sunak to warn him that scrapping HS2 would rip the heart out of Northern Powerhouse Rail and create a north-south chasm. The Labour mayor insisted that if Mr Sunak wanted to ditch HS2 he should call a general election and get a mandate first. It is understood that the government still plans to cut the southern part of HS2, terminating at Old Oak Common and not continuing to Euston, sparking fresh outrage on Monday. Experts said it would cause a commercial and operational mess. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said the chaos around HS2 makes him want to weep and warned a truncated project would be a total waste of money. Dozens of leading business chiefs including the heads of Manchester Airports Group and Virgin Money signed a letter to the government urging HS2 to be built in full. A group of 10 vice-chancellors of universities in the West Midlands has also called on Mr Sunak to commit to high-speed rail. Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: The government has heard the voice of business and northern mayors its time to listen. No 10 repeatedly declined to comment on speculation about the future of HS2 on Monday but pointed out that there was precedent for delaying parts of the line due to affordability. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} On Wednesday 13 September, TheIndependent revealed top-level talks were taking place between Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt about whether to scrap parts of the high-speed rail project HS2. The much-delayed and overbudget scheme is for a rail line linking some of the countrys largest cities, intended to connect London, the Midlands and the north of England, with construction split into three phases. Downing Street was evasive when approached for comment but refused to deny discussions were taking place. Our story even appeared to be news to HS2s project managers, as well as the Department for Transport. The next day, the rest of the press pack caught up. The prime ministers spokesperson was subjected to relentless in-person questioning at a regular briefing of political journalists in Westminster. Still, No 10 would not deny the discussions had taken place. Other newspapers began to pick up the story. Pressure started to grow: Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was first out the gate, blasting the government: Levelling up, my a***! he said. It set the tenor of the rest of the reaction. George Osborne was the next Tory big beast to weigh in. He took to the airwaves to warn that the prime minister was making a mistake. Over the following days, he was joined by former Tory prime ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron, as well as the governments own infrastructure tsar. Other mayors including Londons Sadiq Khan joined in, urging the PM to keep the project on track. Businesses groups warned it would be a betrayal to abandon work now, with some signing a joint letter. Mr Hunt finally broke his silence more than a week after the original story, on Thursday. The chancellor said HS2 costs were spiralling out of control his strongest hint yet that a cut was being considered. The Independent this weekend further revealed a decision on the line is due before Tory conference this coming week. The prime minister is said to be considering a delay, rather than a cut to the project, spooked by the reaction to this newspapers revelations. Westminster now awaits his decision. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Scrapping the northern extension of HS2 would be a gross act of vandalism, George Osborne and Michael Heseltine have warned. The former chancellor and former deputy prime minister have told Rishi Sunak that stopping short of Manchester would be an act of huge economic self-harm. The intervention comes weeks after The Independents explosive revealations that Mr Sunak and chancellor Jeremy Hunt are in advanced discussions over scrapping the second stage of the high speed rail project. Under plans codenamed Project Redwood, the PM and chancellor are considering the move, with estimates suggesting 34bn would be saved by abandoning any future plans. As Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said cutting the line would leave the north with Victorian infrastructure, probably for the rest of this century, Mr Osborne and Lord Heseltine pleaded with the PM: Dont do it. But despite refusing to commit to building HS2 to Manchester, Mr Sunak insisted he is committed to levelling up - the Tories 2019 election promise to spread prosperity around the UK. He told broadcasters on Monday: "Im not going to comment on that type of speculation. But what I would say is were absolutely committed to levelling up and spreading opportunity around the country, not just in the North but in the Midlands, in all other regions of our fantastic country. "And transport infrastructure is a key part of that, not just big rail projects, but also local projects, improving local bus services, fixing pot holes, all of these things make a difference it peoples day-to-day lives." But in a joint op-ed in The Times, Lord Heseltine and Mr Osborne said they felt compelled to speak out about the PMs plans plans. They joined a growing chorus of opposition to the plans, revealed by The Independent, including from David Cameron, Boris Johnson, a host of regional mayors and the governments own infrastructure tsar Sir John Armitt. Lord Heseltine and Mr Osborne wrote: It would be an act of huge economic self-harm, and be a decision of such short-sightedness, that we urge the prime minister: dont do it. How could you ever again claim to be levelling up when you cancel the biggest levelling-up project in the country? Referring to the PMs new slogan, long-term decisions for a brighter future, the pair said it would be undermined by abandoning the single largest and most challenging long term piece of infrastructure the country is building. Lord Heseltine, who served as deputy prime minister under John Major, and Osborne, said governments are remembered for what they build and create. Make this mistake, and yours may only be known for what it cancelled and curtailed, they warned. And despite citing legitimate concerns with the project around cost overruns, they called for a sensible, serious way forward; not the gross act of vandalism that cancelling HS2 would represent. The remaining stump that would be left would amount to a shuttle service from Birmingham to a London suburb and would stand as an international symbol of our decline, they said. They added: Messrs Sunak and Hunt have been restoring our countrys reputation lets hope they see sense and avoid undoing all the good work they have done. Mr Burnham told the BBC he will be writing to the Prime Minister on Monday to ask him not to scrap the high speed rail project. He told the Today programme: Scrapping HS2 rips the heart out of northern powerhouse rail. It would leave the north of England with Victorian infrastructure, probably for the rest of this century. And if were trapped with that old infrastructure and the southern half of the country has new lines that is a recipe for the north-south divide to become a north-south chasm, the very opposite of the levelling up that we were promised in this Parliament. HS2s original leg to Leeds via Sheffield was already scrapped under Mr Johnsons premiership, while Mr Sunak was chancellor. Labours official policy is to build HS2 in full, including the previously cancelled spur to Leeds though spokespersons for the opposition party have at times in the past two weeks appeared reluctant to confirm this. It is also understood that any move by the government to pull the legislation for the northern phase of the project which is currently going through parliament would significantly complicate the process for a new government attempting to complete it. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Liberal Democrat leadership suffered a blow as they were defied by the majority of their membership at the partys annual conference with a vote to retain national housing targets as policy. Former leader and environment spokesperson Tim Farron was booed for comparing the targets to Thatcherism, as the leaderships plan to drop a pledge to build 380,000 new homes a year was scuppered by activists the Young Liberals. The group put forward an amendment to keep the 2019 commitment, which was approved after a rowdy debate at the event in Bournemouth. The motion said: Conference maintains its commitment to a national housing target of 380,000 new homes per year, to set a clear direction of travel and to indicate serious intent to address the housing crisis. Among those urging members to reject the amendment was Mr Farron, who described it as pure Thatcherism in an impassioned speech. If there was a credible amendment today to build 380,000 council houses a year, I would back it, he said. Mr Farron added: I reckon I can get away with being a rebel again now, I do not give a monkeys, but amendment one does not do that. It is a vague and vacuous target, and we have had vague targets for years they are not radical, they are not liberal, they are not new, they are not effective. Vague targets let and empower developers to build the houses that they want but never the homes that we desperately need, especially that young people actually need. The authors of amendment one do not mean it, but it is pure Thatcherism. Lib Dem London mayoral candidate Rob Blackie hit out at the proposed change, criticising Mr Farron directly. Tim Farron, that speech was below you. Tim, you are better than that, he said. The leadership had been warned prior to the debate that a relaxation of national top-down housing targets would risk losing the youth vote, similar to the fallout from the Nick Clegg-era tuition fees U-turn. We as young people feel ignored and let down by those at the top of our party, chair of the Young Liberals, Janey Little, told delegates. This is not the first time we have had to plead our case. The plan to move away from top-down national targets came as the Lib Dems seek to win over so-called blue wall Tory voters in southern England. Earlier, chief whip Wendy Chamberlain insisted the motion was not about nimbyism but about empowering local communities to make the decisions right for their needs. But the passing of the amendment was followed by rapturous cheers across the conference hall. The Young Liberals tweeted after the vote: Thank you, #LDConf. There is nothing more liberal than ensuring everyone has the right to a home. Simon Clarke, who was the levelling up secretary under Liz Truss, offered a sincere well done to the Young Liberals. The Tory right-winger tweeted: On a cross-party basis, this is the right thing to have done. Unbelievable to see MPs like Tim Farron denouncing building homes. Responding to the defeat, Lib Dem housing spokesperson Helen Morgan said: We are proud to be a democratic party that allows a proper debate on the major issues facing the country. She added: The Liberal Democrats have adopted an extensive policy paper setting out the bold steps needed to fix the broken housing market, including building the affordable and social homes our country so desperately needs. We will give local authorities the powers they need to tackle the excesses of big developers, including ending land banking, as well as being able to build more social homes themselves. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} France has announced that it will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country as a result of the military coup that removed the democratically elected president. Nigers junta said in response that the announcement signals a new step towards the sovereignty of the country. Imperialist and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. The new era of cooperation, based on mutual respect and sovereignty is already underway, it said in a statement. The announcement was a significant, if expected, blow to Frances policy in Africa, with French troops having had to pull out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight Islamic extremist groups. (FILES) French soldiers of the 2e Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes in Niamey (AFP via Getty Images) Some French 1,500 troops have been stationed in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France did not recognise the coup leaders as legitimate. But tensions had mounted in recent weeks between France and Niger, a former French colony, and president Emmanuel Macron said recently that French diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy. Mr Macrons announcement came after the coup leaders issued a statement earlier Sunday that they were closing Nigers airspace to French planes, commercial and military, so that the new leadership could retake total control of its skies and its territory. The decision did not apply to other international aircraft. Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to Nigers deposed president Mohamed Bazoum, told the Associated Press that Mr Bazoum requested that Mr Macron withdraw the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, in order to reduce tension. President Emmanuel Macron says France will end its military presence in Niger (AP) In an interview with the France-2 and TF1 television networks, Mr Macron said he spoke to Mr Bazoum on Sunday and told him that France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France. He added: And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities because they dont want to fight against terrorism anymore. He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year, in coordination with the coup leaders because we want it to take place peacefully. He said Frances military presence was in response to a request from Nigers government at the time. That military cooperation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup, however. The junta leaders claimed Mr Bazoums government wasnt doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency. Children run in the streets of Niamey, Niger (AP) The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers. Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops. This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron, said Saidou. The junta in August gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave. After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity. In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres of obstructing the West African nations full participation at the UNs annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies. Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africas gendarme may finally be over, as the continents priorities shift. Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the U.S. deployments in Niger, though as we have seen, the U.S. and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger. Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist groups. France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesnt have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term, Lyammouri said. Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave. France also suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mother has given birth to a baby boy in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Morocco. The disaster hit at 11pm on 8 September, with the latest figures from the Moroccan government reporting it has now claimed over 3,000 lives and left thousands more injured. Buildings have collapsed and villages near the epicentre have been completely decimated, including Amizmiz, 50km south-west of Marrakesh. But even in one of the communities most heavily hit by the earthquake there have been rays of hope, relief workers say. Nezha gave birth to her third child, Anas, in a makeshift tent (British Red Cross) Baby Anas was named after one of the nurses who helped deliver him (British Red Cross) Supported by the Moroccan Red Crescent, Nezha gave birth to her third child in a makeshift tent amongst the ruins. Baby Anas was named after one of the nurses who helped deliver him. Benoit Carpentier, IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) communications manager, reached the village on 18 September. Ten days after the quake, he encountered search and rescue teams beginning to pack up, having pulled both survivors and casualties from the rubble. Whats striking as we entered the small town is the buzzing main street, with only a few visibly destroyed houses. An eerie semblance of normality, Mr Carpentier said. But as we passed through the small side streets in the heart of the city, its chaos. Hundreds of houses have collapsed on top of each other. All that remains is rubble and dust. It was just as we entered one of these tents, located on the edge of the main roundabout with its continuous flow of cars and trucks bringing relief supplies, that baby Anas was born. The makeshift tent exceeded 35C, with just one delivery table and a small desk (British Red Cross) The impromised maternity ward was later upgraded to a temporary structure with air con and electricity (British Red Cross) The makeshift tent exceeded 35C, with just one delivery table and a small desk. But by the end of the day, the local branch had relocated the improvised maternity ward to a temporary structure that had both electricity and air conditioning. As our response to the earthquake continues, its precious moments like thisa mother cradling her healthy newborn sonthat keep our volunteers and staff going amid the heartbreak and devastation, he added. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Canada has a responsibility to defend its citizens, defense minister Bill Blair said amid nosediving diplomatic relations with India over the murder of a Sikh leader on Canadian soil. The crisis between New Delhi and Ottawa unfolded last week after prime minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian state of involvement in the killing of the Canadian national. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, was murdered in Vancouver on 18 June by two masked men, who fired an estimated 30 to 50 shots at him. We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India," Mr Blair was quoted as saying by Global News. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth." He also said that if the allegations are proven true then there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil." He, however, suggested that Canada will continue to pursue a strategic partnership with India, alongside the investigation carried out by Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canada reportedly has human and signals intelligence backing up their theory of the assassination, including communications involving Indian officials in Canada, CBC reported. "I can assure you that the decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons was not done lightly," Mr Trudeau had told parliament last week. "It was done with the utmost seriousness." The allegations have sparked a bitter row between the two countries. Ottawa expelled a senior diplomat working for Indian intelligence, while India which labelled Nijjar a terrorist in 2020, angrily rejected the allegation as "absurd", expelled the chief of Canadian intelligence in India, issued travel warnings, stopped visa issuance to Canadians and downsized Canadas diplomatic presence in India. Sikhs, who account for just two per cent of Indias 1.4 billion population, now fear backlash from Indias Hindu-nationalist government and a threat to their prospects for a better life in North America, reported Reuters. Outside of north Indian state of Punjab, the greatest number of Sikhs live in Canada, the site of many protests that have irked India. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit (AP) The once-prosperous breadbasket of India, Punjab has been overtaken by states that focussed on manufacturing, services, and technology in the last two decades. "Now every family wants to send its sons and daughters to Canada as farming here is not lucrative, said Nijjars uncle, Himmat Singh Nijjar. India is the largest source for international students in Canada, their numbers jumping 47 per cent last year to 320,000. "We now fear whether Canada will give student visas or if the Indian government will create some hurdles," undergraduate Gursimran Singh, 19, told Reuters. Ties between Sikh groups in Punjab and prime minister Narendra Modis Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government have been strained since Sikh farmers led year-long protests against farm deregulation in 2020 and blocked the capital, forcing Mr Modi to withdraw the measure in a rare political defeat for the strongman. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} American spy agencies shared intelligence with Canada regarding the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. After two masked men killed Nijjar outside of a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia in June, the US provided Ottawa with information to support Canadas conclusion that Indian agents carried out the brazen assassination. The US wasnt aware of the killing ahead of time, and did not share any smoking gun evidence, but helped provide additional context to its close northern ally, US intelligence sources told The New York Times. A banner with the image of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, site of his June 2023 killing, in Surrey, Canada (REUTERS) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating the killing, in which New Delhi denies any involvement. Canada reportedly has human and signals intelligence backing up their theory of the assassination, including communications involving Indian officials in Canada, CBC reports. "I can assure you that the decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons was not done lightly," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday. "It was done with the utmost seriousness." The killing has sparked a diplomatic crisis between Canada and India. Canada has the largest Sikh community outside of India, home to about 770,000 people. Ottawa expelled a senior diplomat working for Indian intelligence, while India has expelled a senior Canadian diplomat and indefinitely suspended visa services in all categories for Canadians. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, advocated for the creation of Khalistan, an independent nation for Indias Sikh population that would include part of the state of Punjab. I am a Sikh nationalist who believes in and supports Sikhs right to self-determination and independence of Indian occupied Punjab through a future referendum, he wrote in a 2016 open letter. The Indian government declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020. It accused him of leading the Khalistan Tiger Force militant organisation. On 18 June, as Nijjar was leaving a Sikh temple, two masked men blocked in his car and killed him with automatic weapons, firing an estimated 30 to 50 shots. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The two individuals killed in a New York charter bus crash on the way to a band camp have been identified. The victims were band director Gina Pellettiere, 43, and 77-year-old retired history teacher Beatrice Ferrari, authorities said. The bus was transporting students from Farmingdale High School in Long Island when it veered off Interstate 84. The vehicle rolled down a 50-foot ravine in the town of Wawayanda, about 45 miles northwest of New York City. Ferrari, who had volunteered as a chaperone, was a pillar of the community, her son-in-law Daniel Aldieri told NBC News. She spent more than three decades teaching in the Farmingdale School District. She was a mom, a grandmother, my mother-in-law, Mr Aldieri said. She loved band camp. She must have gone for 30 years. This was a trip she looked forward to every year. To have her go this way, its so sad. Were all devastated, the whole family. Pellettiere was remembered by friends as a devoted mother to her two-year-old-son and a talented musician who was always there for her students She made school fun. She made life entertaining, and she brought a lot of joy to a lot of people whether they were in the band or not, former Farmingdale High School band member Christian Kalinowski also told NBC. Anybody who wanted to play music, Gina was there. She was a resource and she was a mentor. She was a friend. Gina Pellettiere, 43, (left) and 77-year-old retired history teacher Beatrice Ferrari (77) were killed in a charter bus crash on Thursday (Facebook/Greg Warno) The bus that crashed was carrying 40 students and four adults to a band camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania, about a 30-minute drive from the accident site. A total of 16 students and two adults were hospitalized on Friday. State police said on Saturday that five passengers remained in critical condition. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, seeking to prevent similar accidents, officials said. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that tire failure may have been to blame, but the NTSB said it was premature to speculate. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Mary MacCarthy and her daughter Moira were disembarking from a SouthWest Airlines flight from San Jose to Denver International Airport when they were met by two armed police officers and airline staff. Grief-stricken and sleep deprived after the sudden death of her 46-year-old brother Michael the previous day, Ms MacCarthy initially thought the officers were there to deliver more bad news. Ms MacCarthy, who is white, was then informed that the officers had been contacted by airline staff who saw her acting suspiciously with her biracial daughter. When I heard the words acting suspiciously, I was immediately on guard. I knew perfectly well that Moira and I had not exhibited any unusual behaviour, Ms MacCarthy, a 44-year-old single mother from Los Angeles, told The Independent in an interview. The former journalist described how her media training kicked in and she began filming the 22 October 2021 encounter. Ms MacCarthy later obtained bodycam footage which she provided to The Independent that showed the Southwest flight attendant who reported her telling officers that she thought something was off. The flight attendant informs the officers she isnt sure that Ms MacCarthy is actually Moiras mother, and questioned why she had asked other passengers to move so they could sit next to one another during a time of intense distress. MacCarthy is suing Southwest Airlines after she was suspected by staff of child trafficking (Mary MacCarthy) What I found most upsetting was her claims that I was dishonest, Ms MacCarthy says. She questions why I would point out that Moira is only 10, repeatedly saying shes overtly lying. The flight attendant also suggests that Ms McCarthy fabricated her brothers death, telling an officer: We dont even know if her brother died. Instead of seeing us as a grieving family headed to a funeral, the flight attendant decides that Moira is fearful of me, and that its strange that she never hears Moira never directly address me as Mom, Ms MacCarthy told The Independent. Moira, now 12, is seen breaking down in tears in the bodycam footage, as Ms MacCarthy refuses to allow the officer to question her alone. They are eventually allowed to leave after she produces her daughters birth certificate, traumatised from the experience. Ms MacCarthy said she didnt have the bandwidth to express what an injustice this was at the time. Ten days later, she was contacted by an officer from Denver Police Human Trafficking Unit informing her that they were following up on suspicions that she was involved in human trafficking. She then hired a lawyer to try to clear her name and in August filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Colorado against Southwest. MacCarthy speaking to airline staff and Denver police after disembarking from a Southwest Airlines flight (Denver Police / Bodycam) Ms MacCarthy alleges in the lawsuit that allegations of child trafficking came for no reason other than the different color of her daughters skin from her own. The family are seeking economic damages, compensatory damages, as well as punitive and exemplary damages for the extreme emotional distress suffered in the incident. Southwest Airlines did not respond to a request for comment by The Independent. Its a scenario that is playing out with alarming regularity, as airline staff tasked with being the first line of defence in combatting human trafficking routinely make accusations that turn out to be false, advocates and lawyers say. This is a joke right? According to figures from the Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking prosecutions spiked from 729 in 2011 to 1,343 in 2020, an 84 per cent increase. The DHS trains workers from industries including airlines, hospitality and hotels, to ask staff to keep their eyes peeled for warning signs. It launched the Blue Lightning campaign to raise public awareness and instruct airline staff to recognise the danger signs. In 2021, the DHS reported that the Transportation Security Administration received 40 requests from law enforcement for Secure Flight Passenger Data on individuals suspected of human trafficking offences over the previous year. This led to six suspects being located and detained. Airlines also routinely train staff to be on the lookout for potential red flags. The see something, say something approach to human trafficking has seen increasing incidents where parents are accused of trafficking their own children. Florida father-of-two Jonathan Marcu told The Independent how he was falsely accused of human trafficking by another passenger while returning home on a Spirit Airlines flight from New York to Fort Lauderdale in December 2022 with his two daughters. Jonathan Marcu, with his two daughters Hayley and Caroline, is planning to sue Spirit Airlines after being falsely accused of human trafficking (Courtesy of Jonathan Marcu) He said his two daughters, Hayley aged 21 and 17-year-old Caroline, are of Hispanic appearance, while he is white and Jewish. Mr Marcu, 54, said he was approached by airline staff upon landing in Florida and escorted from the plane, where he was met by three Broward County sheriffs deputies. I said this is a joke right? Mr Marcu told The Independent in a phone interview. It was terrible, it was a horrible experience, it was handled the wrong way, it was racial profiling in my opinion, he said. I understand that human trafficking is a horrible thing, but there has to be some kind of precautions. Theres no rules and regulations on airlines to handle it. You cant just take a guy who looks different from his children and accuse them of human trafficking. Mr Marcu is planning to file a lawsuit against Spirit Airlines over the incident, who did not respond to a request for comment. He said his daughters had been left deeply affected by the incident. His attorney Willard Shepard, of Miami-based Willard Shepard Law and Media, told The Independent in an interview that airlines needed to improve practices around human trafficking reporting. We all understand that human trafficking is a very serious problem, and especially in cities like Miami, New York, Los Angeles, where you have people from all backgrounds coming there. However, the airlines must have in place a set of procedures to follow to make sure that people like the Marcu family are not unfairly victimised. And the information that airlines have and have access to prior to flight and during flight, gives them a vast amount of information to determine whether any trafficking is actually taking place. Marcu said his experience of being questioned for human trafficking on a Spirit Airlines flight was horrible (Associated Press) Trumped-up accusations of parents being involved in human trafficking often make headlines. In 2016, an entire plane was detained while Asian-American woman Kathleen Chan and her Puerto Rican husband Jay Serrano were questioned by New York Port Authority police officers at JFK Airport for suspected sex trafficking. In 2020, a Black social worker filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging that crew members suspected her of kidnapping a one-year-old white boy who she accompanied on a flight. Shannon Murphy claimed that American Airlines employees separated her from the toddler who she was escorting on an October 2019 flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Ontario International Airport in California. She was allegedly removed her from the aircraft for about 40 minutes out of suspicion that she was abducting the child. In May, a father was pulled from a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, accused of trafficking his 13-year-old daughter in May this year. The latest incident came when musician David Ryan Harris was falsely accused of trafficking his own children on a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles on 15 September after a member of the cabin crew became suspicious. Mr Harris told how he and his two sons were met by police officers and an airline employee at the airport after touching down. While they established that he was the boys father, he said he was left angry at the harrowing experience. Mr Harris, who has toured with Pearl Jam and performed with John Mayer, said in a video posted to his Instagram accountthat he suspected racial profiling had been involved. David Ryan Harris (Instagram/drh3) If this had been a white dad/mom with two little black kids, they would probably [have] been offered an upgrade, not an interrogation, he wrote in an Instagram caption. He had since complained to American Airlines, where he has racked up nearly one million miles in air travel touring the globe. No one said sorry sir, theres been an uptick in human trafficking and our policy is .. Nothing, he wrote. Maybe it isnt a race thing, but when you dont respond at all, Im left to make sense of the altercation on my own. An American Airlines told The Independent they apologised for any misunderstanding that may have occurred and were in contact with Mr Harris. Satanic panic Fears about child human trafficking appear to have heightened in 2020 when rumors began circulating online about complex schemes involving child sex trafficking, according to the Polaris Project, a nonprofit that combats sex and labour trafficking. These rumors, though proven false, ignited the use of #SaveTheChildren/#SaveOurChildren, further circulation of misinformation including false numbers about the problem, and even in-person events around the country, the Polaris Project states. The Polaris Project wrote that the barrage of misinformation, hashtags and online chatter left many people who care deeply about this issue confused. Woman Sues Southwest Airlines for Discrimination The Independent submitted a list of questions around the number of human trafficking convictions arising from commercial flights, and how the Blue Lightning campaign guards against racial profiling. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond by the time of publication. Ms MacCarthy told The Independent that since her case made headlines, she has been contacted by 40 to 50 other parents who had been in similar situations, all of whom were from mixed race families. She said that racial profiling appeared to be commonplace among airlines, and believes the obsession with human trafficking is akin to the Satanic panic of the 1980s. Kidnapping is actually extremely rare. Why would you as a human trafficker bring your victim into the most secure form of transport in the world? Certainly some is happening, but it doesnt look like what they think it looks like, and its not happening on flights like this. Everyone of course wants to be anti-human trafficking, she says. You can save the children without harassing people. Ms MacCarthy says she hopes her lawsuit will put airlines on notice. Im calling for accountability from any airline that flags passengers for suspected human trafficking. Clearly somethings missing in that training if the people being targeted are mixed race families. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Virginia mother of three, who has been missing for weeks, made contact with her mother and husband but she refused to disclose her location. The Franklin County Sheriffs Office told The Messenger that Laura Cook, 30, said she and her children Benjamin, seven, Hannah, five, and Elijah, two were fine. However, she did not reveal where they were. But when asked about talking with her daughter, Lisa Tousa, declined to confirm to the outlet whether they had spoken this week. Ms Tousa previously told the outlet that Ms Cook was five months pregnant. I will confirm that I am worried about my daughter and Im worried about my grandchildren, Ms Tousa said. My daughter and my grandchildren are still missing. No one knows where they are. Ms failed to appear for her third scheduled court date at the Franklin County Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court. She failed to appear at the first two court appearances on 5 September and 13 September the second of which prompted a missing persons investigation. By contrast, Mr Cook has shown up for court, the sheriffs office said: The husband has been cooperative with our office and has been attending any court dates that were set. Since the children and Ms Cook disappeared, her husband, Jordan Cook, has sung to a different tune entirely from her mother. Mr Cook said he was not concerned and insisted that they werent in fact missing. Contrary to what has been reported, my wife and children are not missing. I have no reason to be concerned about their safety or well-being, he toldABC 13 earlier this month. I have heard from my wife, and Im sure she and my children are doing well. The pair live in Ferrum, Virginia, and there are reportedly no records of 911 calls that would indicate signs of a domestic dispute. A lot of times you see these situations where a parent loses custody and takes the kids and runs away. This doesnt seem to be like that, Sgt Megan Huston told The New York Post. But theyre not originally from here so I cant say if something has or has not happened elsewhere, Im not privy to that information, she added. Its a complex situation that we have limited details on. Despite her husbands claims, Lauren Cooks name will remain on the missing persons list until a law enforcement agency must make in-person contact, the sheriffs office previously explained. Ms Cooks phone last pinged on 7 September in Lexington, a town about 90 miles from her home. There has been no activity in her bank account since she vanished. Investigators confirmed earlier this month that Ms Cook and her kids were in Litchfield, Illinois on 14 September. Its unclear whether the mother-of-three and her children were still in the state. It is believed that she and her three children could be travelling in a blue 2013 Chrysler van with Virginia tags. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Florida authorities have identified a woman whose body was pulled from a waterway following an alligator attack. The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said that 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham was the victim of Fridays attack involving a 13-foot alligator. Peckham was pulled from a canal in Largo after witnesses reported the gator had a corpse in its mouth. The animal was humanely killed and pulled from the canal, authorities previously said. The sheriffs office said in a statement on Sunday that the coroners office will perform an autopsy to determine Peckhams official manner and cause of death. It is suspected that Peckham was killed by the gator, according to the agency. Peckham was earlier arrested for trespassing on a wetland area just blocks away from the waterway on 134th Avenue North and 121st Street North where her body was discovered, WESH reports. She was fined $500 over the incident which took place two months ago. Peckhams daughter, Breauna Dorris, said in a heartfelt Facebook post that her mother was a part of the homeless population and lived near the body of water. It is believed that she may have been walking to or from her campsite near the creek in the dark and the alligator attacked from the water, Ms Dorris wrote in her post. No matter how you put it, no one deserves to die like this. The family has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral costs. More than $4,000 had been raised as of Sunday evening. Horrifying footage of Peckhams lifeless body was recorded by witnesses before authorities arrived at the scene. JaMarcus Bullard, who first alerted authorities, said that he was on his way to a job interview when he looked towards the lake and saw the horrifying scene. I never thought Id see one like that here, I thought it only happened in swamps but that was a big gator, Mr Bullard told WFLA. Mr Bullard told the network that he threw a rock at the alligator when he saw it holding onto the lower part of the victims torso. The gator then pulled the body underwater, Mr Bullard said. He then ran to the local fire station. Sheriffs deputies and a crew with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission then killed the 13-foot, 8.5-inch male alligator. It was then removed from the water. Jennifer Dean, who lives in the area where the body was recovered, also told Spectrum News that she had previously seen alligators in the waterway but none as large as this one. A lot of my neighbours were out here and theyre the ones that told me about the gator, Ms Dean told the network. While we were standing here we heard a shot, I assume they killed the gator. The waterway where the body was recovered is close to Taylor Lake, where a 47-year-old man was killed by an alligator last year. The mans body was missing three limbs when it was pulled from the water. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two women were murdered just two hours after arriving for vacation in what Brazilian police believe was an ambush. Ewellyn Hansen, 30, and Jessica Cassandra Pereira da Silva, 19, had only just arrived at their hotel in Alagoas early on the morning of 16 September when they were shot in the head, Jam Press reports. Police speculated that the women, from Cabo de Santo Agostinho, were lured into an ambush and killed in a premeditated manner. Within the hotel room, investigators found several beer cans and marijuana, as well as bloody footprints. What we know is that they entered in the morning and one of them already knew one of the suspects, said Talita Aquino, a delegate from the Department of Homicide and Protection of the Individual. Shortly after arriving, they fired shots, the official added, The entire criminal incident occurred inside the room and they left the scene calmly. Three suspects were originally identified, fleeing the scene in a car with cloned licence plates, which was later found abandoned near the hotel. On 20 September, one of the suspects was arrested despite telling the police he was innocent. The man, whose name was not released, said he witnessed the shooting, stating that the shots were fired for no obvious reason. In a statement issued by the police, they have issued an open arrest warrant for the suspect who allegedly carried out the shooting. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The sole survivor in Australias lethal mushroom poisoning was released from a hospital on Saturday, nearly three months after the incident. Ian Wilkinson, a local Baptist pastor in Korumburra, was left fighting for his life, while all the others who ate the meal died of poisoning on 30 July, including the cooks former in-laws. The family ate a beef Wellington dish that is believed to have contained deadly death cap mushrooms. Tragedy struck in Australia when Erin Patterson invited her former parents-in-law Gail and Tom Patterson for a meal, along with Gails sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband, Ian. Within days of the meal, Gail and Tom, both 70, and Heather, 66, were all dead and Ian, 68, was hospitalised in critical condition. In a statement, a spokesperson for the family said that Mr Wilkinsons health improved enough for him to be discharged from the hospital. "We are pleased to announce that Ian Wilkinson has made significant progress in his recovery and was released from Austin Hospital on Friday," the spokesperson said in a statement quoted by ABC News. "This milestone marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude for Ian and the entire Wilkinson family, said the statement, requesting privacy. "The Wilkinson family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Leongatha, Dandenong and Austin Hospitals for their unwavering dedication and exceptional care that played a pivotal role in Ians recovery. The medical teams expertise and compassion have been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey. Erin Patterson sobs in interview (News International) While homicide detectives are investigating the three deaths, Ms Patterson, who served the dish, remained out of custody. At the time of the incident, she denied intentionally poisoning the guests, adding that she too fell ill after eating the lunch. Also a suspect in the case, Ms Patterson said that she bought the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in Melbourne but could not recall the exact location. I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones, the 48-year-old said. I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved. Don and Gail Patterson died after eating poisoned mushrooms at Erin Pattersons home in Victoria, Australia, on 29 July. (Supplied) Ms Patternson also expressed her frustration at the unfair portrayal by the media. I lost my parents-in-law, my children lost their grandparents and Ive been painted as an evil witch, she said. The media is making it impossible for me to live in this town. I cant have friends over. The media is at the house where my children are at. The media are at my sisters house so I cant go there. This is unfair. Earlier on Sunday, when Ms Patterson was approached by Australias 7 News for comments following Mr Wilkinsons release from hospital, she shouted: No. Go away. The Korumburra Baptist Church held a service to celebrate the news of his recovery, where many including Ms Pattersons estranged husband, Simon Patterson showed up. Weve all got questions, but hopefully theyll get answered, Trevor Shaw from the church told 7 News. The truth will come out and then well all be able to, in a sense, relax because then therell be some closure. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Several parts of Russia, the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula came under drone attacks from Ukraine in the early hours on Monday, officials said as the strikes disturbed air traffic operations over Moscows two major airports. The Russian air defence systems destroyed four Ukraine-launched drones over the northwestern part of the Black Sea and over the Crimean peninsula, its defence ministry said on Monday. Another four drones were destroyed over Russias bordering cities Kursk and Belgorod, the ministry said in a separate post. The officials did not immediately mention any damage or injuries as a result of the reported attacks. Russias Tula region also came under drone attack in the early hours of Monday as the country engaged its air defence systems to repel strikes, officials said. The air defence was activated over the region bordering Moscow to its north, reported Russian news agency RIA. According to preliminary information, no damage or injuries were reported as a result of the attack, the Russian ministry of regional security said. The latest morning attacks caused limitation of air traffic as two of Moscows major airports the Vnukovo and Domedovo trimmed down operations on Monday. Flights flying into these airports were redirected to other airports, the Tass state news agency reported. A Russian city located right after like Bryansk and Kursk, cities that border Ukraine, Tula has witnessed increasing attacks and power outages recently. In late August, the Russian defence ministry claimed its air defences destroyed two drones over the city, but did not provide further details on the damage and casualties from the interception, if any. It also did not share any precise time and location of the attack. Last week, a loud explosion rocked the Russian city and was followed by a major power outage affecting thousands of people in a district. Local residents reported hearing sounds of an explosion in the vicinity right before the lights went out in Zarechensky district. Around 5,000 residents in the district suffered power outages, RIA reported. However, a Russian official said the two incidents of explosion and power outages were not related. The power blackout was caused by technical failure and not related to any sounds of an explosion, the Russian emergency situations ministry had claimed on Thursday. It also rejected the noise heard by residents to be of explosions and speculated it was caused by an aircrafts transition to supersonic speed. The ministry said work to restore power supply to the Zarechensky will be completed in the near future. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A notorious Italian mafia boss has died while receiving medical treatment for cancer after being arrested early this year, according to media reports. Matteo Messina Denaro was known as the last godfather of the Cosa Nostra or the Sicilian mafia. He was arrested in January after being on the run since 1993 and was suffering from colon cancer at the time of his arrest. He is believed to have ordered dozens of Mafia-related murders for the Cosa Nostra. Messina Denaros condition worsened in recent weeks and he was transferred to the San Salvatore hospital in LAquila from a maximum-security prison in central Italy. He had requested no aggressive medical treatment, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Monday. The medics had stopped feeding him after he was declared to be in an irreversible coma. A fugitive for the past 30 years, Messina Denaro was arrested at a private hospital in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, where he had been receiving treatment for cancer under a false name. He was sentenced in absentia to a life term for his role in the 1992 murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. He also faced a life sentence for his role in bomb attacks in Florence, Rome and Milan which killed 10 people the following year. Messina Denaro was accused of helping organise the kidnapping of a 12-year-old, Giuseppe Di Matteo, to try to dissuade the boys father from giving evidence against the mafia as well. The boy was held for two years, then murdered. Nicknamed Diabolik, he was once considered a candidate to be the Sicilian mafias boss of bosses, after the deaths of Bernardo Provenzano in 2016 and Salvatore Toto Riina in 2017. According to medical records leaked to the Italian media, he underwent surgery for colon cancer in 2020 and 2022 under the false name Andrea Buonafede. A doctor at the Palermo clinic told the La Repubblica newspaper that Messina Denaros health had worsened significantly in the months leading up to his capture. Messina Denaro, who had a power base in the Sicilian port city of Trapani, in western Sicily, was considered Sicilys Cosa Nostra top boss even while he was a fugitive. Police said in September 2022 that he was still able to issue commands relating to the way the mafia was run in the area around Trapani, his regional stronghold, despite his long disappearance. The son of a mafioso, Messina Denaro was born in the southwestern Sicilian town of Castelvetrano in 1962. He followed his father into the mob and was already carrying a gun at 15 years of age. Police said he carried out his first killing when he was 18. The Castelvetrano clan was allied to the Corleonesi, led by Salvatore The Beast Riina, who became the undisputed boss of bosses of the Sicilian mob, thanks to his ruthless pursuit of power. Nicknamed U Siccu (The Skinny One), Messina Denaro became his protege and showed he could be just as pitiless as his master, picking up 20 life prison terms in trials held in absentia for his role in an array of mob murders. He himself once claimed to have murdered enough people to fill a cemetery. He went into hiding in 1993 as a growing number of turncoats started providing details of his role in the mob, but investigators believe he rarely wandered far from Sicily. Police said he spent much of 2022 hiding in Campobello di Mazara, a town of about 11,000, a short drive from his mothers house in western Sicily. He communicated with other mafiosi via pizzini, small pieces of paper, sometimes written in code and distributed by messengers, some of which were intercepted by police. He never married, but was known to have had a number of lovers. He wrote he had a daughter, but had never met her. Despite his notoriety, prosecutors have always doubted Messina Denaro became the Mafia boss of bosses, saying it was more likely that he was simply the head of Cosa Nostra in western Sicily. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh on Monday in lines of cars which stretched for kilometres, after Azerbaijan took control of the breakaway region sparking fears of persecution. Desperate residents of the main city sent videos showing families stocking up vehicles and sitting in tailbacks which have brought the mountainous road to Armenia to a standstill. They told The Independent people chose to leave fearing abuse at the hands of the Azerbaijani authorities and a burgeoning humanitarian crisis as food, fuel, gas and electricity were increasingly scarce following a 10-month blockade. The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the authorities of the breakaway region to agree to lay down weapons. They also agreed to start talks on the reintegration of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, into Azerbaijan, after three decades of separatist rule. Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh wait near Kornidzor, the town in Syunik region, Armenia (AP) Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians and to restore the supply routes they cut in December. But Artak Beglaryan, a former adviser to the self-declared government of Artsakh, told The Independent that people fear reprisals and ethnic cleansing and so almost all the villages and large parts of the main city Stepanakert, which Azerbaijan calls Khankendi, are emptying. The leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh said in total nearly 7,000 people fled to Armenia on Monday alone. They are fleeing because of the genocidal policy of Azerbaijan, the blockade, their aggression, and the failure of Russian peacekeepers to guarantee protection, Mr Beglaryan added with desperation. It is impossible to live under Azerbaijani subjugation. The Azerbaijani state and society is full of hatred of Armenians. The international community is just looking at this and saying sorry. Nothing else is being done. We are frustrated with everyone. We are frustrated with humanity. Siranush Sargsyan, a freelance Armenian journalist who also spoke to The Independent from Stepanakert, sent videos of lines of vehicles trying to escape. Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh on their way to Kornidzor (AP) I have never seen so many cars together, people are scared the roads will close and they wont be able to leave so they are going now. And the other problem is food, it is hard to try to find something to eat, she said. Nobody wants to leave, we just want to have a life. If we know that we are protected we would stay but who is going to give us that guarantee? She said the ethnic Armenians had suffered 10 months of psychological terror and starvation, because of Azerbaijans effective siege. Breaking down into tears, she accused the international community had prioritised their own economic interests over the lives of ethnic Armenians. Refugees wait after crossing the border and arriving at a registration centre of the Armenian foreign affairs ministry (AFP) The whole world was silent because our lives were not as important as Azerbaijani gas. The world exchanged our lives for gas. Both sides have been locked in a bloody battle over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. It is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan which is backed by Turkey but home to 120,000 ethnic Armenians who have enjoyed de facto independence since then. In 2020, a six-week war erupted during which nearly 7,000 people were killed as Azerbaijan reclaimed swathes of the region. Russia, historically a close ally of Armenia, brokered a truce and dispatched 2,000 peacekeepers. But in recent months Moscow has taken a step back since building stronger ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey after suffering crippling sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. The world exchanged our lives for gas Siranush Sargsyan, a freelance Armenian journalist And so on Tuesday, the Russian-agreed true was broken by the Azerbaijan army who launched a 24-hour string of lightning strikes against the severely outnumbered and outgunned breakaway forces. The area had been struggling with a humanitarian crisis due to Azerbaijans blockade of the Lachin Corridor the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia piling on further pressure. Now thousands are on the move. Moscow said that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh were assisting the evacuation. A second round of meetings between Azerbaijani officials and separatist representatives begin in Khojaly on Tuesday after the opening meeting last week. The international community has been quick to urge Baku to protect the ethnic Armenians. On Monday, the German government said Azerbaijan had a responsibility to protect rights. The day before, French president Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Armenia and Armenians, saying that France will mobilise food and medical aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and keep working towards a sustainable peace in the region. Meanwhile, the head of the US Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, visited Armenia on Monday to affirm US support for Armenias sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to help address humanitarian needs stemming from the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh. She was joined by US Department of State acting assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian affairs Yuri Kim. The United States is deeply concerned about reports on the humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for unimpeded access for international humanitarian organisations and commercial traffic, USAid said. In an address to the nation on Sunday, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr Pashinyhan has faced growing calls for his resignation over what demonstrators have said is his failure to protect Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of Armenians streamed out of Nagorno-Karabakh after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of the breakaway region while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was set to visit Azerbaijan Monday in a show of support to its ally. The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and start talks on Nagorno-Karabakh's reintegration into Azerbaijan after three decades of separatist rule. While Azerbaijan pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and restore supplies after a 10-month blockade, many local residents feared reprisals and said they were planning to leave for Armenia. The Armenian government said that 4,850 Nagorno-Karabakh residents had fled to Armenia as of midday Monday. It was a nightmare. There are no words to describe. The village was heavily shelled. Almost no one is left in the village, said one of the evacuees who spoke to The Associated Press in the Armenian city of Kornidzor and refused to give her name for security reasons. Moscow said that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh were assisting the evacuation. In an address to the nation Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. If these efforts do not produce concrete results, the government will welcome our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia with every care, he said. Demonstrators demanding Pashinyan's resignation continued blocking the Armenian capital's main avenues Monday, engaging in occasional clashes with police that sought to disperse the protests. Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict. After a Russia-brokered armistice, a contingent of about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers was sent to the region to monitor it. In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the regions separatist forces. Armenia charged that the closure denied basic food and fuel supplies to Nagorno-Karabakhs approximately 120,000 people. Azerbaijan rejected the accusation, arguing the region could receive supplies through the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam a solution long resisted by Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, who called it a strategy for Azerbaijan to gain control of the region. On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Armenia and Armenians, saying that France will mobilize food and medical aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and keep working toward a sustainable peace in the region. "France is very vigilant about Armenias territorial integrity because that is what is at stake, Macron said in an interview with France-2 and TF1 television, accusing Russia of complicity with Azerbaijan and charging that Turkey threatens Armenias borders. Since the start of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan has relied on strong backing of its ally Turkey, which has offered political support and provided it with weapons. Erdogan's office said he will travel to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss Turkey-Azerbaijan ties and regional and global issues. Nakhchivan is cut off from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory but forms a slim border with Turkey. During his one-day trip to the region, Erdogan will also attend the opening of a gas pipeline and a modernized military base, his office added in a statement. ___ Associated Press writers Aida Sultanova in London, Andrew Wilks in Istanbul and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russian forces have pounded the city of Odesa in an overnight attack, damaging port infrastructure, a grain silo and an abandoned hotel and injuring one person. Ukrainian air defences destroyed 19 Iranian-made Shahed drones and 11 cruise missiles, the vast majority of them were directed at the Odesa region, Ukraines military said. It said Russia also fired two hypersonic missiles that destroyed grain storage facilities. One woman was taken to hospital with a shrapnel injury and port buildings and infrastructure suffered significant damage in the attack, local officials said. Russia has continuously targeted port and grain storage facilities in Odesa since pulling out of a deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports to countries facing the threat of hunger. Recommended Destroyed buildings following the missile and drone strike on Odessa (via REUTERS) Ukraines economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted on X, formally known as Twitter: Another massive attack on Odesa. Russia fired drones and missiles at the port infrastructure. The attack resulted in the destruction of grain storage facilities and significant damage to the seaport. Russia's aggressive terror must be stopped once and for all. Ukraines south military command posted several pictures on Telegram showing the abandoned high-rise hotel with blown-up windows and severe damage to its structure. Meanwhile in the south, Vladimir Putin's forces dropped bombs and launched six heavy artillery strikes on Kherson, destroying a school and factory and damaging residential buildings. Two people were killed and two others injured by bombs which hit the city of Beryslav. A hotel destroyed in the missile and drone attack (via REUTERS) In the east of the Donetsk region, Russians attacked residential areas of 10 cities and villages, killing two people in the village of Zarichne. During the fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian army carried out five airstrikes on Orikhiv and the surrounding area. A member of Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office personnel inspects damage following a Russian military attack (via REUTERS) The Russian defence ministry said its air defences downed three Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region and three others over the Bryansk region early on Monday. It said another drone was shot down over the Belgorod region. Kursk governor Roman Starovoit said a downed drone over Kursk city centre damaged the roof of an administrative building and several private houses and shattered windows in an apartment building. Mr Starovoit said there were no injuries. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putin wants the Ukrainian counteroffensive halted by early October and has instructed Russias defence minister Sergei Shoigu to improve the situation, according to a Kremlin insider cited by a US-based think-tank monitoring the war. Putin reportedly gave Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu a deadline of one month until early October 2023 to improve the situation on the frontlines, stop Ukrainian counteroffensives, and have Russian forces regain the initiative to launch an offensive operation against a larger city, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in an intelligence update on Sunday. It said the Russian military command is likely ordering relentless attacks with the hope of forcing the Ukrainian counteroffensive to culminate, even at a high cost to Russian military capabilities, if the claims are true. The ISW said it has previously seen situations wherein the Russian defence ministry, fearing the imminent loss of Putins favour, has amped up its efforts to purge commanders offering honest but negative views. Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine in February last year, bringing its neighbour under a full-scale invasion and causing thousands of deaths and displacing millions. Mr Putin had first acknowledged the Ukrainian counteroffensive in June this year and claimed that the war-hit nations troops will not make significant gains against the strong Russian defences. He had also claimed Ukrainian troops would suffer heavy losses of personnel and western military equipment. But the initiative in which Kyiv is looking to push back all Russian forces from Ukraines territory, including the occupied areas, is now well into its fourth month and has registered some important territorial gains this month. President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged the counteroffensive was slow, but added that is was important that we are moving forward every day and liberating territory. A study by the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think-tank, found Ukrainian forces average 700-1,200m of progress every five days. That gives Russian forces time to dig in and especially to mine territory as they pull back. The 3rd Assault Brigade, composed entirely of volunteers and considered one of Ukraines best and most experienced corps, has been fighting almost nonstop in the east since January, while less-experienced units received new training and modern weapons to fight in the south. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russian crude oil supply surged 50 per cent this spring despite sanctions imposed by the G7 countries in the backdrop of continuing war in Ukraine, data from commodities tracker and analytics company Kpler showed. An analysis of shipping and insurance records from August showed almost three-quarters of all seaborne Russian crude flows travelled without any western insurance in August, reported the Financial Times. The move was a lever enacted by the G7 nations, the European Union and Australia which imposed a $60-a-barrel price cap last December as the coalition looked to restrict Russias ability to finance its invasion of Ukraine. The significant surge confirms Russias ability to dodge the cap imposed by Western nations and continue to sell more of its oil at prices competing with international market rates. Russias oil revenues are, however, likely to go up due to constant increases in crude prices and a reduction in the discount on its own oil, estimates by the Kyiv School of Economics showed. Russia cut its seaborne diesel and gasoil exports by nearly 30 per cent to about 1.7 million metric tons in the first 20 days of September from the same time in August. Russias temporary ban on exports of gasoline and diesel to most countries, announced last week, was expected to further tighten supplies. In April this year, Russian crude oil exports reached back above to levels seen before Vladimir Putins Ukraine invasion, despite the ratcheting up of Western sanctions. India and China accounted for 90 per cent of Russias seaborne crude oil exports, according to figures by Kpler. The Asian giants are each buying an average of 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), absorbing the shortfall in exports to European nations that previously accounted for two-thirds of Russian crude. But in August, Indias import of Russian oil dipped to a seven-month low after steady purchase during the course of the war, amid lower discounts for Moscows grades and planned maintenance outages at some plants. Since Russias full scale war, India had steadily increased its purchases of discounted Russian oil. Indian imports of Russian oil hit a record high in October, with the country becoming Indias top oil supplier in terms of bpd. Despite Western sanctions designed to stop funds reaching Mr Putins war chest following his Ukraine invasion, Russias crude oil exports have actually risen from 3.35 million bpd in 2022 to 3.5 million bpd in the first quarter of 2023, Kpler said. After India and China, the two largest buyers of Russian crude are now Turkey and Bulgaria. Close Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Ukraine mail depot that killed six For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putins warplanes have dropped explosive objects into the paths of civilian shipping lanes in the Black Sea, the regions military command said. The occupiers are continuing to terrorise the paths of civilian shipping in the Black Sea with tactical aviation, dropping explosive objects into the likely paths of civilian vessel traffic, it said. There were three such drops registered in the last 24 hours. However, the navigation corridor continues to function under the watch of the defence forces. Ukraine is trying to build up a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its vital seaborne exports. But Russia said it would consider any vessel a potential military target after it quit UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian goods to pass through. It comes as Ukrainian troops have made confirmed advances against Russia on two fronts, 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. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukraine's forces have made a number of breakthroughs against Russian positions in recent weeks as intense fighting rages on in southern and northeastern parts of the country. The counteroffensive launched by Ukraine in June had been making gradual, if slow progress, in pushing back Vladimir Putins troops from land seized since the invasion began. But at the start of the month, there were signs that Kyivs troops were starting to make inroads, as they broke Russias first defensive line near Zaporizhzhia, in the southeast of the country. Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, who is leading Ukraines southern counteroffensive, said that Russian troops had dedicated 60 per cent of their time to its first defence, and only 20 per cent to the second and third lines. He argued this would allow Kyivs forces to attack quicker. Since then Ukrainian forces claim they have taken the village of Robotyne, near Zaporizhzhia, and also broken through at the nearby village of Verbove. In this way Kyivs forces are creeping towards Tokmak, its first major target in the south, as part of its wider strategy to break Russias land bridge that is across occupied southern Ukraine and links Russia with Crimea. Ukraine has had further successes by sending unmanned sea drones and rocket strikes to disrupt the Russian war machine in the Black Sea, specifically targeting the Russian navy base in the city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea. View more Two weeks ago they used long-range Storm Shadow missiles from the UK to strike a submarine in the city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea. And in a further strike at the headquarters, Ukrainian forces claimed they killed the commander of Russias Black Sea fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, as well as 34 others. Mark Galeotti, professor of Slavonic studies at UCL, described Ukraines progress as akin to how a dam breaks, you get a few cracks and then suddenly a big breach. Russian Black Sea fleet in Sevastapol HQ after shelling attack by Ukraines forces (Sourced) He said: The Ukrainians have been pushing and been trying to find weak spots, theyve been hammering away at Russias supply lines and so forth. In some ways it was inevitable that they would make some progress, particularly once they had adapted their tactics so that they were more geared towards sending small units to try and clear a way through the minefields rather than thinking they could just bull their way. Because after all the Russians have pretty effective defenses in place. I think the trouble is we have a tendency to pendulum swing in our analysis, between gloom and doom and triumphalism. Momentum matters, but only up to a point and I think yes the Ukrainians have made progress. Theyve taken heavy losses in the course of that. The Russians, they are not showing any sign of collapsing, its still hard fought. Stem, a member of the elite Ukrainian drone unit, attaches a bomb to an exploding drone in the outskirts of Kremmina, Ukraine (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Mr Galeotti said although Ukraine appears to have made some ingresses in recent weeks that there is no sign of panic in Moscow. They still have reserves, they are still in the fight and quite frankly, none of these things are wa- winning moments. There is nothing the Ukrainians could do to bring the war to a conclusion this side of Christmas. So its really a question of how far can the Russians hold. He added that Kyiv will hope to push their counteroffensive further south and sever the land bridge that is across occupied southern Ukraine that links Russia with Crimea. Mr Galeotti added: Failing that at least push south far enough that the road and rail links to Crimea come under fire-control, in other words, artillery can reach it. Then in effect you can start to, for want of a better word, besiege Crimea, you can bring down the Crimean bridge, you can target ships and planes bringing in supplies, you can cut the supply routes. The point about Crimea is it matters to Russians, ordinary Russians, in a way that none of the rest of Ukraine does. So there is a hope that if Crimea becomes under threat that might Putin to the negotiating table. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as the World Court hears Russias final objections to a genocide case brought by Ukraine which claims Moscow falsely applied genocide law to justify its invasion. Russia will give its final objections against the jurisdiction of the court on Monday 25 September. Ukraine brought the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest UN court for disputes between states, days after Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale war on 24 February 2022. More than two dozen European states, as well as Australia and Canada, have asked the World Court to determine that it has jurisdiction in the case. Last week, Germany told judges the countries strongly believe the court has jurisdiction. Kyiv argues that Russia is abusing the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, adopted in the aftermath of the Second World War, by saying the invasion was justified to stop an alleged genocide in eastern Ukraine. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukraines advance on the southern frontlines Verbove area has triggered panic for a Russian source affiliated to Vladimir Putins elite military unit VDV, according to a US-based war monitoring think-tank. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that its forces captured new unspecified locations near Verbove on 24 September and top general Oleksandr Tarnavsky said more breakthroughs are coming for the war-hit nation that is deep into a counteroffensive against Mr Putins troops. A VDV-affiliated source reported that Ukrainian forces broke into Verbove on 22 September and continued attacking the settlement with armoured vehicles as of Sunday, as per The Institute for the Study of War think-tank. The source later said Ukrainian forces occupied half of Verbove as of Sunday. For how long can Shoigus MoD hide the breakthrough in Verbove? the source said, accusing the Russian ministry of defence of trying to conceal Ukraines tactical progress in Verbove. Territorial advancement and control of Verbove will help Ukraines critical counteroffensive goal of advancing further towards southern and eastern regions. Verbove is a few miles east of Robotyne, that was retaken by Ukraine earlier this month. This comes as Russian military bloggers are complaining about the battlefield situation in the continuing war against Ukraine, the war-torn countrys defence ministry has revealed in a video that compiles their Telegram messages. Russias war bloggers, an assortment of military correspondents and freelance commentators with army backgrounds, have enjoyed broad freedom from the Kremlin to publish their views about the war, now in its 20th month. Mr Putin even made one of them a member of his human rights council last year. A lot of you are wondering how the wars going. At first we thought about explaining it to you from our perspective. Then we realised we couldnt improve on what the Russians are saying, the ministry said in the video and took a dig on the war frontline updates given by Russian bloggers with millions of followers. Does anyone out there have enough balls to start telling the truth to higher management, I dont understand? read the first Telegram message from early August by a Russian military blogger known as the 13th. You f***ing wait until the Ukrainians come to Crimea, and then Ill see how you make excuses there. Another Russian military blogger, known as Romanov whose comments were shared in the Ukrainian ministrys video, said there are no words for the military assault in Ukraines Kherson. What kind of c**p is happening right now in the Kherson direction... The enemy is rolling out in boats along the Dnieper, he was heard saying in a Telegram message from 23 August. In another post two days later, the military blogger complained Russian troops were being cut to pieces there and efforts were being made to evacuate, but the brigade commander is afraid to report to the top about the current situation. On 30 August, a Russian military blogger was heard saying in a warning message on Telegram that the Russians should not expect anything good and it will only get worse. To tell the truth, I am no longer so confident in some kind of Victory while the whole country is dancing to sounds approaching the cries of the countrys leadership, the blogger who goes by the name 13th said. Several of Russias military bloggers with closer access to the battlefield situation virtually and otherwise have been actively sharing details on the casualties and attacks in Ukraine and its territories controlled by Mr Putins forces. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Scientists have gathered a significant chunk of a distant asteroid, which has made its way to Earth after a mission taking millions of miles. But the really useful work will begin now. Nasas Osiris-Rex mission flew to the distant Asteroid Bennu, scooped up a piece of the object into a canister, and then flew back to Earth to drop it off. On Sunday, Nasa picked up that canister in the Utah desert and is now working to secure it. It will then send those samples to a variety of scientists around the world, with a chunk of it being sent to more than 200 people at 38 different institutions across the world. They hope that they can use them as a time capsule to peer into the early universe, telling us about where we came from. This box when it is opened of material from the surface of Bennu can tell us untold secrets of the origins of the universe, the origins of our planet and the origins of life itself, said Queen musician Brian May, who helped with the research by mapping out the asteroid to find a landing spot. What an incredibly exciting day. Sample return missions are particularly exciting to scientists because they offer a look at a pristine piece of a distant world that has been undisturbed by the environment on Earth. While some pieces of asteroids and other objects can fall down to Earth, they have to make their way through the atmosphere and can be damaged and changed in the process. They also mean that researchers are able to use all of the Earths latest technology to study the sample. Other pieces of distant worlds have of course been studied by spacecraft and landers, but they are only able to do so with the limited instruments they take to those planets. Another advantage of sample return missions over studying the objects at their home is that scientists can look back at those samples with new sensors and equipment invented long after the sample was actually taken. Many space missions continue for years Curiosity is still examining Mars after arriving there in 2012, and the Voyager probes are still providing information almost 50 years after they were launched but they are only able to do so with the technology that was available when they set off. The analysis done in sample return missions really begins when the spacecraft arrives at its target: then, it starts looking at the context of the sample, gathering information about the world from which it came that should prove useful to scientists later. Osiris-Rex arrived at Bennu in 2018, and spent two years mapping the asteroid before it set off back home with its delivery. All of that information in addition to the samples could help answer a variety of questions about our planet, scientists hope. The asteroids in our solar system contain the raw building blocks from which the Earth was made, so working out their composition will tell us a lot of how our planet formed, said Boris Gansicke from the department of physics at the University of Warwick. There are many open questions, for instance, where did the water that we have on Earth come from? And where did the ingredients that made life possible to develop come from? To answer those questions, ie measure the composition of an asteroid, you need to get your hands on them (or in this case the arm of a space mission), and this is what Osiris-Rex achieved. In a nutshell, its similar to sitting in front of a delicious dinner and wanting to have the list of ingredients. Sample return missions are almost as old as space travel itself, and the first of them were the early Apollo missions, which brought back pieces of the Moon. Those continue to be useful to scientists. Since then, as human travel into space has declined, most of the work has been done by robots. In the early 1970s, the Soviet Unions Luna missions gathered pieces of the Moon and brought them back, and in 2020 Japans Hayabusa2 mission brought back pieces of the asteroid Ryugu. Scientists have high hopes for future missions: perhaps the most discussed is a mission to Mars, which would bring back the first ever pieces of that planet. Engineers have suggested that for decades, and a number of plans have been formed, but none are likely to launch any time soon. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Googles next flagship smartphone will feature an AI-powered camera that can automatically alter the expression on someones face, according to a leaked video. The Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro, which are set to be unveiled on 4 October, have already been partially revealed by the US tech firm, which has a habit of teasing its devices before the official release date. The latest promo video, posted by reliable leaker Kamila Wojciechowska, shows Pixel 8 users radically adjusting the appearance of photo subjects with a tap. Reimagine an image with Magic Editor from Google Photos, the video states. Itll make you wonder, can a phone be made of magic? Nope, its AI. The video generated excitement among Pixel owners on social media, though some expressed concern about the cameras abilities. I am sold on the Pixel 8 series, one user of X, formerly Twitter, posted. The head swap kinda creepy though. The Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro (The Independent) Similar to Apple with its latest iPhone 15 series, the tech giant is expected to place a major emphasis on the phones camera, with other leaks and rumours surrounding Googles next Pixel devices suggesting both versions will feature a 50 megapixel main camera, together with a 10.5 megapixel front camera. The Pixel 8 Pro will feature an additional rear camera that offers telephoto capabilities and 5x optical zoom. Key specs have also been leaked, most notably the inclusion of a Tensor G3 chipset that will enable better processing power. The price for the standard version is expected to be 699 in the UK and $699 in the US, while the premium version will cost 999 in the UK and $899 in the US. Anyone who pre-orders the Pixel 8 Pro will also receive a free Pixel Watch 2. Google does not comment on leaks or rumours about unreleased products. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Gatwick Airport is forcing airlines to cancel dozens of flights for the rest of the week because of staff shortages in air-traffic control blamed on Covid. The airport is imposing a daily cap on the number of flights until Sunday a move that will see tens of thousands of passengers delayed, cancelled or diverted to other airports. It is the third air-traffic control slowdown at the airport so far this month, with easyJet being the airline most affected. Almost one-third of staff in the control tower at Gatwick the worlds busiest single-runway airport are unable to work for a variety of medical reasons including Covid leading to a reduced flow rate of flights. More than 40 flights were cancelled over the weekend, and now the airport has limited airlines to a total of 800 takeoffs and landings a day. This is much lower than the planned 840 on Thursday, 865 on Friday, and 830 on Sunday. Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick, said: This has been a difficult decision but the action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last-minute cancellations. We are working closely with Nats to build resilience in the control tower, and this decision means we can prevent as much disruptions as possible. London Gatwick would like to apologise to any passengers who have been impacted by these restrictions. By far the largest number of cancellations will be on easyJet by far the largest airline at Gatwick. Johan Lundgren, chief executive of easyJet, said: While it is regrettable that a temporary limit on capacity at Gatwick airport is required, we believe that it is the right action by the airport so on-the-day cancellations and delays can be avoided. Gatwick airport and Nats now need to work on longer term plan so the resilience of air-traffic control at Gatwick is improved and fit for purpose. Our call for a more wide-ranging review of Nats remains so the broader issues can be examined so it can deliver robust services to passengers now and in the future. In a statement, Nats said: We have worked very closely with Gatwick airport throughout. Given the levels of sickness we have experienced over the last few weeks we believe it is the responsible thing to do to limit the number of flights this week in order to reduce the risk of daily disruption to passengers using the airport. With 30 per cent of tower staff unavailable for a variety of medical reasons including Covid, we cannot manage the number of flights that were originally planned for this week. Our operational resilience in the tower will improve as our staff return to work and we move out of the summer schedule, which is particularly busy at Gatwick. We continue to train additional air traffic controllers and expect another group to qualify to work in the tower over coming months, ready for next summer. Even an experienced air traffic controller takes at least nine months to qualify at Gatwick and very few are able to do so, as Gatwick is such a busy and complex air traffic environment. Daniel Wilkes, a consultant psychiatrist from Angus, was booked on the 7.15pm flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh. It was cancelled at 8.40pm. He told The Independent: I just cant believe the lack of contingency planning from Nats for staff sickness and that this is happening again. Plus, airports and airlines have had quite a while to firm up their processes for cancellations, and yet always the poorly managed scrum ensues. Bizarrely, we were made to exit through border control. I didnt even have my passport as it was a domestic flight. Dr Wilkes switched to a Monday morning easyJet flight from London Stansted to Edinburgh, which he reached by Uber at a price of 100 and booked a hotel at the Essex airport for an additional 159. Fingers crossed [the airline] pays, he said. Another easyJet passenger, nurse Katie Williams, was one of hundreds affected by the cancellation of six flights between Gatwick and Amsterdam. She found an alternative flight home on British Airways, but at a fare of 666. Under air passengers rights rules, easyJet is required to cover the cost of accommodation and additional transport when a flight is cancelled regardless of the reason for the flight being grounded. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice A charter plane flying the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL team home from Las Vegas was forced to make an emergency landing in Kansas City after an oil pressure failure. The flight took off from the Harry Reid International Airport at 9pm after a 23-18 win for the Steelers against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night. The Airbus A330-900 made an unexpected landing just around 4.29am in Kansas City after three hours and 40 minutes of flying. The oil pressure failure was located in one of the planes engines. Fire trucks were at the scene to inspect the plane, as well as precautionary emergency responders. No one was injured and everyone remained on the plane while it was being inspected, CBS reported. The aircraft has 182 passengers and crew on board, according to Kansas City International Airport spokesperson Joe McBride. Members of the KDKA news crew were also on the aircraft, confirming it was a Delta Air Lines flight 8867. The Steelers senior director of communications made a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), saying they are doing what they can to allow the players to arrive back in Pittsburgh. Our team charter plane was unexpectedly diverted to Kansas City early this morning on our way back to Pittsburgh following our game in Las Vegas. Everyone on the plane is safe, and we are making necessary plans to arrive back in Pittsburgh later today, he said. Despite the emergency landing, the high-spirited players joked about their delayed journey (Ian Smith/Twitter) open image in gallery The Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward also took to X to joke about the emergency landing, saying they may have had to land due to the referees flagging All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick for roughing the passer during the Sunday night game. He then tweeted Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelse and Taylor Swift, who are rumoured to be dating, asking for a ride. It is currently unclear when the team can make their final stretch of the journey back to Pittsburgh to celebrate their win. An endangered male giraffe has been welcomed at a Scottish safari park for the first time in 10 years. Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling, introduced Sifa, a five-year-old Rothschilds giraffe, to its grounds last Wednesday. The park estimates there are only about 2,000 Rothschilds giraffes left in the wild. Sifa travelled from Dublin Zoo, and as well as a sea crossing from Dublin to Holyhead, during a 337-mile journey north to his new home. He has so far met new companions Harriet, Bella and Ruby, with the park saying the four are already getting along well. On Sunday 24 September, NASA successfully brought back the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was one of the first people to congratulate the team on the feat. This mission proves that NASA does big things, Nelson said. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft was launched by Nasa on September 8, 2016. It collected a sample roughly 250 grams of rocks and dust from the surface of an asteroid, called Bennu, on October 20, 2020. Osiris-Rex set off back to Earth with the sample on 10 May 2021. Larry the Cat "doesn't get on" with Rishi Sunak's dog, his wife Akshata Murty has revealed in her first interview. The chief mouser to the Cabinet Office has had some "heated exchanges" with the family's labrador Nova, who has had "mixed emotions" about living at 10 Downing Street. "Larry's come out on top," the businesswoman said. Despite the tensions between the animals, Ms Murty told the Sky Kids FYI show that she felt "honoured" to live in the prime minister's official residence. The US space agency NASA brought home the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth on Sunday, 24 September. The capsule landed in a training range near Salt Lake City in Utah at around 3.55pm BST. Aerial visuals show the capsule and its accompanying parachute in the Utah desert. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft was launched by NASA on September 8, 2016. It collected a sample roughly 250 grams of rocks and dust from the surface of an asteroid, called Bennu, on October 20, 2020. Osiris-Rex set off back to Earth with the sample on 10 May 2021. A Pennsylvania State Trooper is facing charges after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend and fabricating that she was suicidal to have her involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital. Ronald Keith Davis, 37, is accused of abusing his power to detain his ex-partner and have her locked up after their relationship broke down, according to the Dauphin County District Attorneys office. He is charged with felony strangulation, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression. Footage released by authorities shows Mr Davis using a hold to arrest his former partner on 21 August. Mr Davis had been in a four-month extramarital affair with the woman before the relationship fell apart, authorities said. A man was recused by helicopter after falling from a cliff edge in San Francisco. Footage shows the California Highway Patrols H-30 air rescue team airlifting the man to safety from a tree-lined cliff. CHP H-30 responded with the San Francisco Fire Department to a report of an elderly male who fell approx 30 yards from a cliffs edge near Lands End, a post on the Golden Gate Division Air Operations Facebook page read. After a brief search, H-30 located the male in a grove of trees and in a difficult to access location. H-30 lowered a San Francisco Fire Helicopter Rescue Technician to the scene and hoisted the male from the steep terrain. H-30 flew the victim and the SFFD HRT member to Cliff Rescue 14s location where they were lowered to safety. The Kosovar government has released drone video showing a group of Serbian gunmen storming an Orthodox monastery in Kosovo on Sunday, 24 September. Around 30 masked men fled to the monastery after opening fire on police near the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo, killing one officer and injuring another. The stand-off ended when most of the assailants escaped on foot under cover of darkness on Sunday evening. Three of the gunmen were shot and killed by Kosovar police. Infrastructure near the port of Odesa, Ukraine, was damaged as a result of a Russian drone and missile strike over the region last night, according to regional head Oleh Kiper. One person was injured in the attack. A fire ripped through Hotel Odesa, which was not in use at the time, as a result of the strike. Mr Kiper said firefighters extinguished the flames overnight. Footage shared by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Monday morning (25 September) shows authorities working on the site. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putins commander of his Black Sea Fleet has been killed in a missile strike in annexed Crimea, claims Ukraine - as panic grips Russian military over battlefield advances on the southern frontline. Admiral Viktor Sokolov was among 34 officers who died when British-made Storm Shadow missiles hit the Russian Navy headquarters in Sevastopol during the devastating attack by Kyiv on Friday. The loss of Sokolov - said to have been handpicked by Putin for the job last year - was announced by the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces in a social media update on Monday. Moscow has not yet responded to the claim, which came as the Ukraine counteroffensive in the southern frontline in Zaporizhzhia triggered panic for a Russian source quoted by a US-based war monitoring think-tank. However, on Sunday night, Russia replied with a heavy round of airstrikes on the Black Sea port of Odesa in a likely attempt to stop its export of grain and other commodities including steel. Two people were killed in the bombing, according to local officials. The series of events started on Friday when Ukraine launched the attack on Russias Navy headquarters to coincide with a naval commanders meeting at the base. Pictures and video from the scene showed smoke coming from a large building at the hub. The Russian defence ministry initially said that the strike had killed one service member, but later issued a statement that he was missing. Then, on Monday, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said Sokolov was among the 34 killed during the missile strike. They also claimed that 105 other occupiers were injured. Russia appointed Sokolov its new commander for its Crimea-based Black Sea fleet in August 2022, according to a state media outlet at the time. He had been serving as the Naval Academy chief since 2020. The apparent death of the commander comes as fierce fighting continues on the southern front line - known as the Surovikin line - which Ukrainian forces reportedly broke through for the first time with armoured vehicles last week. A satellite image shows smoke billowing from a Russian Black Sea Navy HQ after a missile strike on Friday (via REUTERS) According to a report published by the Institute for the Study of War, the tanks managed to break the 81-mile line heavily fortified with defensive weapons, including tank traps, minefields and huge concrete blocks designed to stop armoured vehicles. And on Monday, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that its forces captured new unspecified locations near Verbove with a source affiliated to Putins elite military unit VDV reportedly saying Ukrainian forces occupied half of the settlement. For how long can [ Minister of Defence of Russia Sergei] Shoigus MoD hide the breakthrough in Verbove? the source said, accusing the Russian ministry of defence of trying to conceal Ukraines tactical progress in Verbove, according to think-tank the Institute for the Study of War Verbove is a few miles east of Robotyne, that was retaken by Ukraine earlier this month. Its capture would be key in the advancement by Ukrainian troops toward the Sea of Azov, which if reached could effectively cut Russian forces in half. Fire rips through Odesa hotel after Russian missile strike (State Emergency Service Ukraine/Telegram) However, Russia hit back on Sunday night with a large-scale attack on the port of Odesa with two people working in a warehouse in the city killed, according to the regional head Oleh Kiper. Fire also ripped through the empty Hotel Odesa after the drone and missile attack from Moscow. The events came as there was a bizarre situation in the Canadian House of Commons, where there was a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who had served in a Nazi SS unit during the Second World War. Recommended Yaroslav Hunka, 98, was sitting in the gallery when he was described as a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero to applause from prime minister Justin Trudeau and president Volodymyr Zelensky. It led to an apology from house speaker Anthony Rota, after it emerged that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, a voluntary unit made up mostly of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command. Eir urging regulator to implement EU recommendations quickly following criticism of delays on regulatory side Eir CEO Oliver Loomes welcomed what he described as the EUs serious concerns. Photo: Frank McGrath Eir has secured a significant win after EU authorities shot down elements of regulator ComRegs approach to the planned switch-off of old copper networks by the formerly State-owned telecoms provider. Eir CEO Oliver Loomes said the Irish regulator should now implement the Commission recommendations quickly, picking up on language from Brussels that criticised delays on the regulatory side that might slow down rolling out modern fibre cable across the country. That criticism was raised in a letter to ComReg from Roberto Violo, the European Commissions director general for Communications, Networks, Content and Technology. He outlined a number of concerns over ComRegs proposed Framework or regulatory approach to switching off copper, which was submitted to Brussels in August. The letter is published on the Commissions website. It said elements of the proposed Framework would impose unfair and disproportionate requirements on Eir without a proper legal basis. Eir announced the project to replace copper with faster fibre lines throughout the country over five years at a cost of around 1bn back in 2018. In early 2021 it published its preferred approach to switching off the old lines as new high-speed fibre-optic lines are rolled out. That has implications for customers who may lose the option of staying with the old, slower, but potentially cheaper service and the proposals are subject to regulatory approval. On August 3 this year, ComReg notified the European Commission of its preferred approach, or Framework to the switch-off, as required under EU rules. The Commissions September 20 response is critical of ComRegs timeline and suggests it had caused a significant delay in taking over two years to react to Eir. Brussels said ComReg should refrain from further delay when it comes up with the next phase of its work, including a template for moving customers over to new high-speed fibre. It also suggested ComReg overstepped its legal authority by trying to impose a control over the price Eir can charge where it is required to ensure an alternative is in place for customers losing copper connection. The legal basis the regulator relied on, Article 81 of the Electronic Communications Code, is not a sufficient self-standing legal basis to impose price regulation, the Commission said. It does allow ComReg to insist the quality of an alternative service offered by Eir is comparable to the old product but not the new price, the Commission found. Finally, the Commission questioned the fairness of requiring Eir to carry the full burden of so-called non-standard connection costs, with no upper price limit in cases where additional work is required to ensure services are maintained. The letter asked ComReg to reassess the proportionality of this against the wider policy objective of maximising connectivity. Mr Loomes welcomed what he described as the EUs serious concerns. This is the fourth European ruling in three years to find against ComRegs approach to regulating Eir. He also urged the Government to support a more effective regulatory environment including by filling a vacancy for a third commissioner at ComReg that has been open for nearly two years. Monaghan firm expects to double its turnover in Asian market to 25m by 2025 Forklift manufacturer Combilift has announced plans to establish a sales support network across the Asian market. The Monaghan-based engineering firm expects to double its turnover in the Asian market to 25m by 2025, with the company highlighting Vietnam, India and Thailand as the most important markets for Combilift across the continent. Chief executive Martin McVicar said that Combilifts equipment requires after-sales service. We already have salespeople in India and in Vietnam but our intention is to put more boots on the ground in multiple markets across the region, he said. We intend to have two sales people supporting our customers and promoting the business in every country we operate. One employee will be focused on sales, while the other will provide after-sales support to local customers, the company reported. Combilift has been operating in the Asian market for over 15 years. Mr McVicar said that Thailand is a priority for Combilift at present, while India requires further support due to the size of the opportunity there. At Combilift, we have never been afraid to follow our customers overseas, to the markets where they are operating, Mr McVicar said. When you have referenced customers on the ground, it makes it a lot easier to scale up the business. He also pointed to the importance of having face-to-face interactions with customers in different nations. In many of the Asian markets, China in particular, one visit is never enough, he said. Customers want to see that you are serious about the business, they want to you to come back and build a rapport with them. Mr McVicar added that meeting discussions do not often translate into orders as quickly as they do in some other markets across the world, citing customer meetings in India as an example. The businessman will speak at a trade conference taking place in Donegal on October 2nd and 3rd organised by Asia Matters, a think tank focused on trade with Asia, in partnership with the Atlantic Technological University and Udaras na Gaeltachta. You need to go back to the customer again, demonstrating the value of the proposition as such, he said. Mr McVicar, who also co-founded the business, said that Combilift is not fazed by the prospect of low-cost local competition across Asia due to the companys unique offering. Combilift, which was founded in 1998, is the largest global manufacturer of multi-directional forklifts. New data shows 4,700 people left Ireland for Australia in the year to the end of April There was a significant spike in the number of people leaving Ireland to live abroad last year but most were not Irish citizens. The question of youth emigration from Ireland has attracted significant political and media attention since a poll published exactly 12 months ago and commissioned by the National Youth Council of Ireland found that seven out of 10 Irish people aged 18-24 were contemplating moving abroad in search of a better quality of life. However, the data from the Central Statistics indicates that significant emigration of young Irish people is relatively limited. Roughly the same number of Irish citizens returned to live here in the 12 months to the end of last April as emigrated. The data shows 30,500 Irish people left to live abroad in the period while 29,600 moved back here. The data suggests that anecdotal evidence of a large scale movement of young people to Australia appears to overstate the reality. The CSO estimated that 4,700 people left Ireland for Australia in the year to April 2023. This figure represents all emigrants from Ireland, including Irish citizens. Around 5,300 of those who left Ireland headed for Canada while 14,600 departed for the UK. Travel to all three was up from levels recorded in 2022, according to CSO. Almost 5,000 emigrated to the USA from Ireland in the 12 months to April this year, down from over 6,000 in the corresponding period reported last year. Over 64,000 people left Ireland in the year to April 2023, up from 56,100 in the same period in 2022. Less than half of those were Irish citizens. Those leaving are overwhelmingly younger. Out of the 64,000 people who opted to leave Ireland, more than half were aged between 25 and 44. A further 19,900 were aged 15 and 24, the CSO reported. This was down slightly from the 21,100 recorded in the year to April 2022. Irelands total population climbed to almost 5.3 million in April 2023. Around 4.5 million were Irish citizens, making up 85.7pc of the total population. This was the largest 12-month population increase since 2008 when the population rose by 109,200, statistician Cathal Doherty said. The number of immigrants hit a 16-year high, reaching 141,600. This was also the second 12-month period in a year where over 100,000 people immigrated here. Around 29,600 of those were returning Irish citizens, while 42,000 were Ukrainian citizens. Almost 5,000 were from the UK, while 26,100 were citizens of EU countries. The number of immigrants, or those entering the State in the year to April 2023 was estimated to be 141,600, while the number of emigrants, or those leaving the State, over the same period was estimated at 64,000, Mr Doherty said. "These combined flows gave positive net migration. more people having arrived than left, of 77,600 in the year to April 2023, compared with 51,700 in the previous year. Costing between 500m and 1bn, the link is set to be complete by 2029 Critics have argued it would make little or no difference to traffic. Photo: Getty Images The Government expects construction to start on the long-delayed Galway ring road in 2026, according to new documents. The update comes despite the fact that planning permission for the project was quashed last year, resulting in the development being resubmitted to An Bord Pleanala, which has yet to issue a new ruling on the matter. According to Prospects 2023/2024, a report published by the Department of Public Expenditure, construction is envisaged to start in 2026 and end in 2029. The document, which lays out timelines and gives updates for several major infrastructure projects, said the proposed ring road is an integral part of the countys infrastructure strategy. The budget for the project has been widely reported as 600m. The Prospects document did not give an exact number, only saying the ring road is expected to cost between 500m and 1bn. It also said the procurement process to find a main contractor to lead the project is expected to start in the first quarter of 2025. The Galway ring road would form a ring outside of the western city, allowing drivers to pass from east to west without entering the centre. The hope was that this would divert traffic away from the city centre and ease congestion in the area, as well as freeing up space for public transport. However, plans to build the 18km road have been dogged by controversy. Critics have argued it would make little or no difference to traffic and would also negatively impact the environment. The development has now been in the works for over 15 years. A proposal for an outer bypass was approved by An Bord Pleanala in 2008, but cancelled after the European Court of Justice ruled it would have a severe impact on natural habitats. The more modern plans for the ring road were approved by An Bord Pleanala in 2021. However, this permission was quashed in October 2022 after the planning regulator conceded a High Court case taken by campaign group Friends of the Irish Environment. The concession came after An Bord Pleanala admitted it was not aware when it granted permission that the government had adopted a new climate plan four days earlier. It said its failure to consider how the ring road project fits in with the states new plan to reduce emissions nullified its earlier decision. The project now has to be re-assessed by An Bord Pleanala. The Prospectus document noted that planning permission had been quashed, but added: An Bord Pleanala will reconsider the application and make a new decision. The N6 Galway city ring road project is an integral part of the Galway Transport Strategy. In a joint statement issued earlier this year, Galway County Council, Galway City Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland said the ring road is urgently needed. The Galway city ring road is targeted for delivery in the medium term and will support the successful implementation of proposals to achieve sustainable transport objectives in the Galway Transport Strategy and the Climate Action Plan, they said. IT services provider HCS has announced plans to add 15 jobs as the Waterford-based firm expects to increase revenues by 2.5m in the next two years. The company recently expanded its partnership with global cybersecurity business Fortinet, with the growth in revenues expected as a result of this enhanced collaboration. As a Fortinet expert partner, HCS is set to provide specialist cybersecurity services to customers through professional and managed services, including firewalls, cloud security and network security. The partnership will also see the firm add endpoint detection and response capabilities to its existing managed services portfolio. HCS said the increased engagement with Fortinet will also expand the firms customer base into the financial and government sectors. It will also offer increased access to cybersecurity skills and resources to its customers. As a result of the expected increase in demand for new services, HCS will create 15 jobs across its security managed and professional services team. "It cements our position in the security solutions and services marketplace and will enable us to provide an enhanced offering to our customers, HCS head of sales Dan Hegarty said. "Customers security needs are evolving and implementations based on standards such as the Public Sector Cybersecurity Baseline Standards and those required by cybersecurity insurance companies are gathering pace, he added. Fortinets country manager Paul Donegan said that HCS will join a select number of Irish companies to reach this partnership levels. "The team has a depth of expertise in cybersecurity and providing innovative and transformative Fortinet security solutions to customers, he said. HCS recorded revenues of 5.2m for the year ended March 2022, an increase of 26pc on the firms previous financial year. Last year, the company also announced plans to spend 3.2m on doubling its existing headcount to 60 people. In January, the business also acquired Fixaphone, a supplier of business telephone systems in the South East. As well as its headquarters in Waterford, HCS has bases located in Dublin and Cork. Huge boot, great economy figures and leading resale value make the Czech brand a safe bet As the Skoda brand has become more fashionable, the Octavia has moved slightly higher up the price ladder, but with its market-leading resale value, the Czech brand is a safe bet. Skoda was seen as a bit of a joke when it arrived on the Irish scene in the 1980s, but it has become one of the nations bestselling and most loved cars over the years. Tim Cullinan said that the IFA agreed that as an organisation it could no longer continue negotiating with Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue on the nitrates derogation cut. The IFA has warned that a 200-cow dairy farmer, is set to lose 60,000 annually in milk sales as a result of a looming cut to Ireland's nitrates derogation from 250kg to 220kg N/ha. Speaking to the Farming Independent at the National Ploughing Championships, IFA President highlighted that one particular case and said the Limerick farmer has invested heavily in buying land and increasing her herd up to 200 cows. Tributes are being paid to a man in his late 60s who died following an incident at a cattle mart in Loughrea, Co Galway. Michael McLoughlin, from Curraghboy, Co Roscommon died after a bullock jumped out from a sales ring into the crowd at the mart in Loughrea on Saturday. Mr McLoughlin was rushed to University Hospital Galway after the incident at around 4.25pm and was later pronounced dead. Tributes have been paid to the cattle dealer who known the length and breadth of Connacht and beyond. Curraghboy-based Independent councillor Laurence Fallon said Mr McLoughlin was a true gentleman who helped a lot of farmers down through the years. "He was well known in the farming community as a polite gentleman. He will be sorely missed by his family. "He will be missed in the wider community as well. Everybody had a nice word to say about him. The fact it was such a tragic accident makes it all the worse, he said. Cllr Fallon said he first met Mr McLoughlin when they took the bus to secondary school together and he was well-known among cattle farmers and people in Curraghboy. "Michael is somebody thats going to be missed and missed greatly, he added. A garda spokesperson confirmed the Health and Safety Authority and the local coroner have been notified and investigations are ongoing. A notice on RIP.ie reads: Predeceased by his parents James and Bridie and sister-in-law Bernie. "Sadly missed by his twin brother John, sisters Mary, Anne, Bernie and Carmel, brothers-in-law, Kevin and Steen, nephews Mark, Keith, Jonathan, Niall, Conor, Paul and Mikey, grandnephews, grandnieces, relatives, neighbours and his many good friends. Fianna Fail councillor from Loughrea, Shane Curley, said the incident came as a terrible shock. "Its a shock at this time for his family and friends. He was in his late 60s and its tragic that he was taken too soon, he said. Local Independent councillor Geraldine Donohue said it was a terrible tragedy to have occurred at the mart in Loughrea this weekend. "My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this very sad time, its a terrible tragedy. The family need the time and space to come to terms with their loss, she said. "Life is so random, so randomly cruel at times and this is randomly cruel. "My heart goes out to the staff at the mart as well as the people at the mart that day and the first responders. My heart goes out to them and to the mans family as well. The Irish Independent has contacted Loughrea Cattle Mart for comment. Behind enemy lines as worlds best sniper teams go head to head in the Wicklow Mountains Triumph for Irish sharpshooters in gruelling four-day contest for elite military units The worlds best sniper teams go head-to-head in the Wicklow Mountains Paul Williams Mon 25 Sep 2023 at 06:30 An Irish Army team has emerged as the overall winner of a major international sniper competition involving elite troops from seven countries which took place in the wilderness of the Glen of Imaal. Kinahan gang boss Liam Byrne claims he will suffer inhumane treatment in UK jails The Crumlin-born criminal is fighting an extradition request by UK law officials Liam Byrne Gerard Couzens Mon 25 Sep 2023 at 16:12 Kinahan gangster Liam Byrne says his extradition to the UK should be rejected because he risks inhumane and degrading treatment in a British prison. Co Meath-based MCPS investments Homes Ltd has challenged An Board Plenanala's inclusion of its land on a map of lands were the residential land tax applies A landowner has brought a High Court challenge against An Bord Pleanala's decision confirming that lands in North county Dublin are amenable to the controversial Residential Zone Land Tax (RZLT). The RZLT is an annual 3pc charge on the lands market value, which was introduced by the Government in Budget 2022 on lands zoned residential. Tom Martens (left) and his daughter Molly Martens claim they killed Jason Corbett (inset) in self-defence. US authorities have fast-tracked a hearing over the murder retrial of father and daughter Tom (73) and Molly (39) Martens who are accused of the brutal killing of Irish businessman Jason Corbett (39) in 2015. Many ATMs are owned not by the banks but by cash management firms A consumer watchdog has warned that unregulated owners of hundreds of ATMs throughout the country could soon start charging for cash withdrawals. Bank of Ireland and AIB sold 1,200 ATMs between them to independent operators in 2021. At the time of the sales, commitments were given that there would be no additional charges imposed by the new independent owners for withdrawing cash for a period of three years but that is up at the start of next year. Michael Kilcoyne, chairman of the Consumers Association of Ireland lobby group, said there was now a real fear of new charges being imposed on top of bank fees. The two big banks sold a large number of their ATMs to independent operators, who are not regulated. The risk is that they will decide now to introduce charges, so you could be talking about 1 every time you withdraw cash or it could even be 3, he said. Mr Kilcoyne said there was an urgent need for independent operators of ATMs to be regulated by the Central Bank. He said any changes to the charges and fees banks imposed on customers for using current accounts would have to be approved by the Central Bank. But there is no regulatory regime for independent ATM operators. In early 2020, AIB sold its network of more than 500 non-branch ATMs in the State to global cash management corporation Brinks. It is understood a three-year moratorium was agreed on charging fears as part of the sale by AIB. That three-year period is up now. The bank applies a charge of 35c for withdrawals, aside from customers who meet criteria for fee-free banking. In December of the same year, Bank of Ireland sold 700 non-branch ATMs to US-based electronic payment services group Euronet. As part of the sales contract, it was agreed that Euronet could not raise withdrawal fees for three years but that period is up soon. The machines sold by both AIB and Bank of Ireland are largely based in retail outlets. And the independent operators have hundreds of other ATMs apart from the ones they bought from the banks. The Department of Finance-commissioned Retail Banking Review, published last November, recommended that independent ATM operators and cash-in-transit firms be regulated. It said: The review team has noted the effective operation of the cash system relies on a number of cash-in-transit (CIT) firms and a high proportion of ATMs are owned and operated by unregulated non-bank providers, also known as independent ATM deployers (IADs). CIT firms and IADs are of critical importance to the distribution of and access to cash across the country, and currently neither are subject to authorisation or supervision by the Central Bank. The review team recommends that both are brought within the regulatory perimeter of the Central Bank. Finance Minister Michael McGrath has committed to legislation to regulate independent ATM operators and cash-in-transit firms. A spokesperson said: The Department of Finance is currently in discussion with the Central Bank of Ireland as well as relevant industry players (ATM operators and CIT companies) to determine the most appropriate level of regulation to be imposed on these entities. Brinks and Euronet were contacted for comment but did not reply. Calum Kavanagh was last seen on Thursday, September 21. Photo: Gardai. Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in tracing Calum Kavanagh (14) who is missing from Cherry Orchard, Dublin 10, since Thursday evening last. Calum is described as being approximately 5 6 in height, of slim build, with brown hair and blue eyes. It is unknown what Calum was wearing when he went missing. Anyone with information on Calums whereabouts are asked to contact Ballyfermot Garda Station on 01 666 7200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Olympian Simone Biles has reached out to a young black gymnast that was denied a medal at an awards ceremony in Dublin. The American Olympian said it broke my heart to see the girl being snubbed of a medal at the ceremony in the National Indoor Arena by a Gymnastics Ireland official. A video of the young girl being skipped at the presentation went viral online in recent days. The US athlete Simone Biles said she has reached out to the girl who was not given a medal and sent her a video. When this video was circulating, her parents reached out, Ms Biles wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. It broke my heart to see, so I sent her a little video." The family of the young girl alleged she was subjected to racist behaviour in an interview with the Sunday Independent over the weekend. The girls mother said they were very upset at how their daughter was treated by Gymnastics Ireland and they said they believed their daughter was ignored at the ceremony because she was black. In response to the video going viral, Gymnastics Ireland posted a statement online and said they had received a complaint alleging racist behaviour in March 2022. The sporting body claimed the issue had been settled following mediation that concluded in August 2023. However, the girls mother told the Sunday Independent that Gymnastics Ireland had failed to publicly apologise for what happened and they believed it was covering for the official. We are often the only black family at gymnastics events and this has been very hurtful for us, she said. Now eight million people have seen the video. From Pakistan to Ethiopia they can see this was wrong but Gymnastics Ireland still cant accept it and say sorry. In the video sent to the girl, Biles said: I wanted to let you know that I saw how you were treated at your GymStart event recently. I was completely shocked and wanted to let you know that you deserve a medal just like all of the other girls. I know youve worked incredibly hard at the sport and I wanted to say I am rooting for you from here. Sending you my very best and know that there are so many of us here to support you. A statement from Gymnastics Ireland on Monday said: On behalf of the Board and staff of Gymnastics Ireland we would like to unreservedly apologise to the gymnast and her family for the upset that has been caused by the incident at the GymStart event in March 2022. What happened on the day should not have happened and for that we are deeply sorry. We are also sorry that what has happened since that date has caused further upset. Please know that at all times we have been acting in good faith and with the best of intentions in trying to resolve this very difficult and sensitive matter. We offered an in-person apology after the incident as we believed this was the best approach. Subsequently we felt mediation was the best way forward. "We know now we need to do more. We are committed to ensuring nothing like this will happen again. We appointed an independent expert to review our policies and procedures earlier this year and a series of recommendations have resulted which we are fully committed to implementing so that this does not ever happen again. We would also like to engage with the gymnast's family and Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) to listen to any suggestions they have as to how our procedures can be improved in this regard. We are happy to see that the gymnast continues to participate in Gymnastics Ireland events and we look forward to welcoming her back to our future events also. Finally, we would like to make it absolutely clear that Gymnastics Ireland condemns any form of racism whatsoever. 465 Irish people died by suicide in 2020 An Irish resident travelled to Switzerland to die by suicide with the support of a doctor three years ago, an Oireachtas committee will hear. The Swiss-based assisted dying clinic Dignitas will also tell TDs its organisation has 80 Irish members as of last year. An opening statement sent to the members of the Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying, Dignitas said 465 Irish people died by suicide in 2020. Some may have done so with the know-how of do-it-yourself methods, which are considered somewhat reliable, it said. In the same year 2020, one Irish resident travelled to our non-profit membership association Dignitas to live with dignity, to die with dignity, to choose legal, professionally conducted physician-supported accompanied suicide (voluntary assisted dying), it added. The not-for-profit clinic said the first person to receive assistance in dying was treated by Dignitas in 2003. These realities are undesirable. They happen shadowed by taboo and fear of conflict with current Irish law. And with negative consequences for everyone touched somehow, especially loved ones. This should be changed, the statement said. The clinic said voluntary assisted dying should be legalised to soothe suffering. Assisted dying has been legal in Switzerland since 1942 under certain circumstances. Several European countries, including the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, along with Canada have legalised doctor-assisted suicide. Its not about making use of this option right away but having an emergency exit door which provides emotional relief and can prevent people from having to use rough methods, Dignitas said. They should have what everyone deserves a legal way to exercise the human right of freedom of choice on all options of professional care to soothe suffering and end life, at their home, it added. Professor of Healthcare Ethics at the Protestant Theological University in Groningen, Theo Boer, will also attend the committee hearing and will warn of the dangers of introducing assisted dying legislation. Prof Boer is in favour of assisted dying but believes legislation surrounding the practice has evolved too quickly in his home country of the Netherlands and resulted in one-in-four deaths being the result of terminal sedation last year. I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before we take the next hurdle: allowing children of dementia patients to request euthanasia, he said in his opening statement. The legalisation of euthanasia has done much more than just providing some citizens the liberty to take a way out. It turned the whole landscape of dying, including our view of illness, suffering, ageing, and care-dependence upside down, he added. Prof Boer said ageing and dying has increasingly become a life project, a task to be managed in Holland. In the slipstream of legal euthanasia, the percentage of people dying through terminal sedation has skyrocketed to 25pc of all deaths last year where most other developed countries would come no higher than 2pc, he said. Helplines: If you have been affected by the contents of this article, click here for more information: https://www.independent.ie/service/helplines-40487532.html The survey found that 40pc of consumers were not aware of the BER rating of their homes. Photo: Getty Man with van workers may get paid for missing days of work to undergo retrofitting training under a scheme being examined by the Government. Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris is examining proposals with Energy Minister Eamon Ryan on paying sole traders to take up retrofitting training. The scheme will incentivise sole traders to train up in retrofitting and meet the Governments retrofitting targets. The Government aims to retrofit 500,000 homes by 2030. However, some workers may not want to miss work due to training and Mr Harris has said there is a financial barrier for people who cannot afford to miss out on a few days of work but want to train. It is understood the Government is now looking at putting in place financial incentives so workers who miss work while training are compensated for doing so. The amount and means of payment is yet to be determined but it is hoped a scheme will roll out in 2024. The scheme is expected to start as a pilot to assess if more people come forward initially. . Further Education Minister Simon Harris. Photo: PA. It comes as Mr Harris will today publish figures showing a record number of people are availing of retrofit upskilling and reskilling programmes, including an increase in the number of women participating. In the year to date, 2,056 people have enrolled for the training, which has already beaten last years figure of 2,034. Training more people helps increase the pace of the retrofitting programme, said Mr Harris. Crucially it adds competition into the market, which can only reduce the cost for the consumer. We are also seeing a boost in the number of women participating in training with a boost of 2pc compared to last year. Most courses are free and flexible, with weekend and evening provisions available. The minister said there is capacity for even more students in the system and said his officials are looking at the potential for an incentivisation scheme. The system has capacity to handle even larger numbers of students, he said. Many people feel they cannot take the few days off from work to do the training. This is especially true for sole traders. In this context, my officials are examining the potential for an incentivisation scheme, which would provide people with a financial contribution in lieu of income foregone while undertaking training. This is at early stages but it could lift one of the barriers facing people accessing this vital training. Mr Ryan said there has been very strong growth in retrofitting homes in the last 18 months. . Energy Minister Eamon Ryan. Photo: PA A career in retrofitting is a career that really contributes to society, he said. It delivers warmer, healthier homes, with lower fuel bills and lower emissions. People who have existing construction-related qualifications, knowledge or experience can train up on retrofitting within three or four days. Meanwhile, a new survey has found that six in 10 consumers say tax incentives and a low-cost finance scheme would encourage them to invest in home retrofits. The Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) Retrofit Consumer Survey found that reducing energy costs was the main reason for people wanting to improve their homes energy efficiency. However, the cost of the work was cited as the main factor deterring people from investing in upgrades. The survey recommended that financial support be made available to make retrofits more affordable, including tax incentives, a low-cost finance scheme, increased grants and subsidies for ancillary costs such as Building Energy Rating (BER) certification. The survey found 40pc of consumers were not aware of the BER rating of their homes, while the 86pc of respondents said reducing energy bills is one of the most important reasons for wanting to make a home more energy efficient. The estimated cost of a full retrofit ranges from 25,000 to 75,000, depending on the property age. The survey found 63pc of respondents agreed tax incentives would encourage them to invest in home renovations to improve energy efficiency, while 58pc said a low-cost finance scheme supported by the Government would have the same effect. Louise OMahony, head of sustainable banking at BPFI, said the Climate Action Plan envisages 120,000 residential buildings being retrofitted to BER B2 standard by 2025, and 500,000 by 2030. However, the scale of the investment required is massive. The Climate Action Plan puts the cost of housing energy efficiency improvements at 20bn by 2030, she said. That investment is necessitated by the current performance of Irelands housing stock, with only about one-fifth of Irish homes achieving a BER of B3 or better and just 14pc of homes have a rating of B2 or higher. Government has made considerable efforts to support the retrofitting of residential homes on a large scale, including the enhancement of the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, with grant levels of up to 50pc of the cost of a typical deep retrofit. However, further action is now required on the part of the Government in order to ensure retrofitting numbers reach the scale required to meet Irelands decarbonising targets. The BPFI survey was carried out with 1,000 adults and conducted by Amarach Research on behalf of BPFI in April 2023. Concerns have been linked to only one surgeon in the hospital and not others, Donnelly said Health Minister Stephen Donnnely said the consultant who will head an external review on spinal surgery in Temple St Hospital will be free to look at the surgeries of other children, outside the 19 who suffered a significant number of complications, if he sees fit. The minister was speaking following criticism of the terms of reference of the review by patient groups. He will meet families and advocacy groups this week but he said he could not answer for the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who they also want to speak to. Nineteen children who were operated on in Temple St Hospital suffered a serious level of post-operative complications and one child died. They were all operated on by the one surgeon who is now on leave. Mr Donnelly, who was speaking at the Irish Patients Association patient safety conference, said there is "plenty of room in the terms of reference in the external review to reflect what patients want. "The intention is that they would meet with the doctor, Selvadurai Nayagam, from Liverpool , "He can go as wide and as deep as he wants and I know he will be listening very carefully to families." He said the terms of reference were deliberately written to be as encompassing as they need to be. Asked if he believed the cases of other children may be looked at, he said that was open to the review to decide. Dr Nayagam would have authority to do so, he added. "We would not rule anything out like that." However, the concerns have been linked to one surgeon in the hospital and not others, he pointed out. There have been several reports already and this will be the eighth, he added. "I understand why the families involved are so frustrated. They have been waiting for years for surgery they should never had to wait for." The number of children treated has increased but so too have the numbers who are coming on stream needing the operations. He had promised them to do everything to meet the four month target and he is to ask Dr Nayagam if he has any ideas in this area. A new theatre will open in Temple St this week, he added. Earlier, he told the conference that openness and transparency must at heart of the health service. Stephen McMahon, head of the Irish Patients Association, told the conference that change in the health service should not be driven by a tragedy but that was too often the case. "Many patients still feel disempowered in the health system, he added. ARCHIVE: Video compares noise around Dublin Airport before and after flight paths were changed The number of people filing complaints about noise levels from aircraft at Dublin Airport has increased five-fold in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year. An analysis of figures published by DAA the operator of Dublin Airport also reveals that flights at night time accounted for 73pc of all noise complaints in the first six months of 2023. The figures show an average of 259 individuals lodged a complaint each month between January and June about noise from aircraft. The average monthly figure over the same period last year was 47. The DAA figures also highlight for the first time the level of complaints about the controversial new North Runway, which became operational just over 12 months ago. Flights at night-time accounted for 73pc of all noise complaints at Dublin Airport in the first six months of 2023 Complaints about aircraft using the runway, which have only been recorded since the end of February after changes to flight paths were made in response to concerns from local residents, show they accounted for approximately 22pc of all complaints up to the end of June. However, aircraft using the North Runway accounted for 63pc of all complaints in July the latest month for which figures are available. The vast majority of complaints about the North Runway relate to flights operated during the daytime. DAA has not stated what proportion of all aircraft flying in and out of Dublin Airport use the North Runway. DAA figures also show that the level of flight track violations has increased since March with only approximately 96pc of all aircraft using Dublin Airport in compliance with approved routings in recent months, compared to 99pc in most months in recent years. The figure further dropped to 92pc in July when a total of 735 aircraft did not adhere to the correct flight path. Overall, a total of 16,223 complaints were filed with DAA about noise from aircraft in the first six months of 2023 more than 3,000 extra complaints compared to the same period last year. The vast majority of complaints come from areas near the airport and on flight paths including Malahide, Swords, Portmarnock, The Ward and St Margarets. However, figures on the number of complaints can be distorted by the effect of a serial complainant who reported over 10,550 complaints in the first half of this year and almost 12,400 in the first half of 2022. Excluding the figures of the serial complainant, the analysis shows there has still been an eight-fold increase in the number of complaints this year with 5,672 recorded up to June compared to just 704 over the same period last year. Asked about the increase in the number of individuals making noise complaints, a spokesperson for DAA said it was committed to being a good neighbour and to further reducing the impact of noise on those residents living close to Dublin Airport. We understand that a balance needs to be achieved in operating a major European hub airport, like Dublin Airport which contributes 9.6bn in economic activity and supports more than 116,000 jobs around Ireland, and the needs of our local communities, the spokesperson added. Dublin Airports North Runway has become a source of controversy since it first opened just over 12 months ago DAA said the number of noise complaints had increased since the recovery of the aviation industry following the impact of Covid-19, with more aircraft taking off and landing. The spokesperson said complaints which identify specific noise events as opposed to just general complaints were helpful in the process of identifying trends regarding flight routing or issues with particular airlines or aircraft. DAA said such information could be used by it, the aviation regulator and others to inform future decision-making. The airport operator did not respond to a specific question about an explanation for the increase in non-compliance levels with flight tracks since March. A report by the aircraft noise regulator published last month found that the number of people living near Dublin Airport exposed to potentially harmful levels of aircraft noise at night time is up 10pc to almost 1,700 since 2019. The report by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority, which was established by Fingal County Council, also revealed that over 21,000 living on flight paths suffer high levels of sleep disturbance. Last month, the High Court granted DAA a temporary stay on an enforcement order issued by Fingal County Council which would have led to restrictions on the number of night-time flights. The local authority is seeking to enforce planning conditions imposed in 2007 for the North Runway. The council said the measure was being taken in response to complaints from locals. Separately, An Bord Pleanala is currently considering an appeal by residents against a ruling by Fingal County Council to remove the existing conditions which restrict the average number of aircraft movements at Dublin Airport per night between 11am and 7am to 65 flights and replace it with a noise quota scheme. Question: I m 31 and healthy. I was recently at a nurses appointment, and she mentioned I should consider the flu vaccine. Ive never had the flu before and thought the vaccine is for older people or for those with compromised health. Is it worth me getting it? If so, are there any side effects and when should I get it? Dr Grant replies: The ideal time for vaccination in Ireland is before the influenza season which generally begins in October or later. In Ireland, the HSE provides free influenza vaccine if you are pregnant; age 65 or older; between age two and 12; living in a nursing home or long-term care facility; in regular contact with pigs, poultry or waterfowl; or a healthcare worker. Other criteria include those living with a health condition that puts you at higher risk of flu or living with/caring for someone who has a health condition such as diabetes; a chronic neurological condition; chronic heart, liver, lung or kidney disease; Down syndrome; a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40; or suffering with immunosuppression due to disease or drug treatment. You can, of course, pay for a flu vaccine at certain pharmacies or your GP practice. Remember, it takes two weeks for any vaccine to be effective but the flu vaccine should cover you for this upcoming flu season. Human interactions influence how the influenza (and other) viruses spread, as was noted during the Covid-19 pandemic when flu rates fell dramatically due to social distancing, mask-wearing, hand hygiene, lockdowns and travel restrictions. The amount of people who get vaccinated will also influence the influenza rate this winter. The more people who get the vaccine, the lower the rates are likely to be. It is always worthwhile getting the influenza vaccine, even if you dont qualify for a free one. The flu vaccine may not fully protect you from getting the flu but it is effective at reducing your chance of dying, or suffering a life-threatening complication such as pneumonia. Your illness is likely to be much less severe if you are vaccinated. In Europe, we always look to the Southern hemisphere to try to extrapolate how severe the upcoming flu season is likely to be and what variants are likely to be in circulation. Hospital admission rates, ICU (intensive care unit) numbers and overall deaths due to influenza (generally around 0.1pc) are the usual indicators of severity. The effectiveness of the vaccine is tracked during each flu season. Personal factors that influence vaccine effectiveness include your age, your baseline health and immune system function. New vaccines are needed each year because the virus is constantly mutating (just like Covid) and that affects our bodys ability to mount a full immune response. It takes several months to produce the vaccine. Scientists must try to predict what will be the most likely variants in circulation during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere based on the virus variants circulating in the Southern Hemisphere during their winter (June-August 2023). The flu vaccine will be available from October 2023 to April 2024 and is administered as a spray into the nose (nasal spray) in children and as an injection into the arm for adults. In terms of adverse effects, they are rarely serious. The most common minor adverse effect is soreness at the injection site and mild flu-like symptoms for about two days. Occasionally, a vaccine causes a mild deltoid muscle or shoulder muscle bursitis that will typically self-resolve over a few weeks. Lastly, anaphylaxis or severe allergic reaction associated with influenza vaccination is very rare, even among patients who suffer with a known egg allergy. Dr Jennifer Grant is a GP with Beacon HealthCheck A quiet Saturday morning in early February 2019 would change the lives of many people in the close-knit community of McCrea Park, Clogher. What unfolded that day would become one of Northern Irelands most harrowing and brutal murders, when the lifeless body of Sligo man Pat Ward was discovered half naked in a desolate alleyway. What happened the loving husband and father of 4 shocked the community and led to a high profile investigation and court case that has just concluded. Fionnan Sheehan is joined on the Indo Daily podcast by Kurtis Reid, journalist at the Belfast Telegraph to uncover the truth behind the horrific murder of Pat Ward. Chris Kents stories are absolutely hilarious and the punchlines come at you out of the blue Comedian Chris Kent receiving his September Cork Person of the Month award with (L-R): Peter Loughnane, Trigon Hotel Group; Manus OCallaghan, awards organiser, and Clara OMahoney, AM OSullivan PR. Photo: Tony OConnell Photography. A popular Cork comedian who has been making a name for himself on the local and international stand-up circuit over recent years has been honoured with one of his home countys most prestigious awards. Chris Kent, who has been packing out venues across Ireland and the UK has been unveiled as the September Cork Person of the Month. After giving up his day job as an electrician to pursue his comedy calling Kent, a native of Cork Citys northside hit the ground running winning the 2009 Bulmers Nuttin But Funny competition. The following year he won the Comedy Smack Down award at the Galway Comedy Festival, establishing a name for himself on the Irish circuit and a sought-after opening act for established comedians including Dylan Moran, PJ Gallagher, David ODoherty and Neil Delamere. Cited as One to Watch in 2012 by the influential Dubliner magazine, Kent went on to perform solo shows at the Edinburgh and Perth Fringe Festivals, the Irish Comedy Festival in Dubai and Festivals on home turf including The Kilkenny Cat Laughs, the Vodafone Comedy Festival and Electric Picnic. He has become a familiar face of TV including appearances on Russell Howards Stand Up Central, the Irish fly-on-the-wall documentary The Stand Ups and as Conors dad in The Young Offenders. He has also been a regular on radio shows including RTEs The Second Republic and the BBCs The Blame Game. Kent has toured with some of the top names on the comedy circuit, with Frankie Boyle the next one. He is currently bringing his Back At It tour to venues across the country, with many of the shows selling out well in advance underscoring his popularity This year he was voted one of the top five Irish comedians by Hot Press magazine. In addition to selling out shows wherever his plays Kent, who was this year named by Hot Press magazine as being among Irelands top five comedians, has been lauded by fellow comics including Tommy Tiernan. He really makes me laugh and I think his stuff is so smart. He is one of the best comics that I would have seen. Hes fantastic, said Tiernan. The Cork Person of the Month/Year awards organiser, Mallow-native Manus OCallaghan, said Kent was a worthy winner of the September award. Chris Kent is known as an incredible storyteller with a lovely laid-back style and Cork accent, said Mr OCallaghan. His Cork City family anecdotal stories are absolutely hilarious - and the punchlines come at you out of the blue, he added. Chris Kents name will now go forward for possible selection as the 2023 Cork Person of the Year, the winner of which will be announced at a gala lunch in the Metropole Hotel on January 26, 2024. Cork North West Fianna Fail Td Aindrias Moynihan said the expansion of the scheme would "support people who find the price of the build is greater than the funds they could put together themselves. A Cork TD has welcomed the Governments decision to expand the First Home Scheme to self-builders who are planning to build their own homes. Launched last year under the Governments Housing for All strategy, the scheme provides home buyers with a portion of the purchase price in return for a minority shared equity in the home. The scheme was already open to people buying newly-built houses and apartments in private developments and to renters whose landlord is seeking to sell the property they are renting. The extension will mean that self-build customers can benefit from financial support of up to 30% of the total build cost of their home, to add to their self-build mortgage and deposit. This is reduced to 20% if you are also availing of the Help to Buy Scheme. The scheme is available to qualifying home-buyers and self-build customers who are taking out mortgages from AIB (including its EBS and Haven Mortgages businesses), Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB. The application process runs in parallel with the mortgage application process and self-build mortgage applications should continue to be made separately through participating lenders. The minimum equity share is 2.5% of the property price or build cost (for self builds) or 10,000, whichever is higher. Almost 500 homes across the country have been bought under the scheme, with almost 2,000 approved under its eligibility terms. Welcoming the expansion of the scheme Cork North West Fianna Fail TD Aindrias Moynihan said more than 7,000 people, including many couples from Cork, get planning permission to build their own homes each year. The First Home Scheme, a 400 million fund designed to help first-time buyers bridge the gap between their mortgage, deposit and the price of a new home, can now support people who find the price of the build is greater than the funds they could put together themselves, said Deputy Moynihan. The suspension of development charges earlier this year and now the access to the First Home Scheme, will be a great benefit to many young couples I am know of who want to build their own home here in County Cork, he added. County Mayor Frank OFlynn - Tim Luceys leadership, strategic vision and ambition have left a lasting impact on our county. Valerie OSullivan, Cork County Councils southern divisional manager, will take over the role as temporary chief executive of the local authority until a permanent appointment is made. The outgoing chief executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucy, who will take up his new role as CEO of Greyhound Racing Ireland in November. Glowing tributes have been paid to the outgoing chief executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey, who will formally stand down from his role as head of the largest local authority in Ireland on Friday. During Mondays full council meeting elected members took the opportunity to pay tribute to Mr Lucey, who is due to take over at CEO of Greyhound Racing Ireland in November. A native of Bandon in west Cork, Mr Lucey joined Cork County Council in 1982 as a clerical assistant at the motor tax office. Over the following years he worked in various roles within the councils finance department and served as Skibbereen town clerk before taking up a role with the housing office of Cork Corporation (now Cork City Council). Following a brief stint with the Southern Health Board (now HSE) Mr Lucey returned to Cork County Councils finance department in 1996, subsequently taking up roles as head of corporate affairs and northern area divisional manager. In 2010 he was appointed manager of Cork City Council, a role he held for four years before returning to County Hall as Cork County Council chief executive in 2014. Speaking at Mondays meeting the Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Frank OFlynn, summed up the sentiments of the majority of councillors when he said that during his time at the helm of Cork County Council Mr Lucey had exhibited exceptional dedication to public service, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the betterment of our county. His leadership, strategic vision and ambition have left a lasting impact on our county. He spearheaded several transformative initiatives and achieved numerous milestones that have significantly benefited the county of Cork, said Cllr OFlynn. These have included the successful establishment of our eight municipal districts, guiding the authority through the economic downturn, the expansion of Cork County Councils economic and tourism offering and many and many other initiatives that have benefited the residents, communities and businesses of Cork county, he added. Cllr OFlynn made particular reference to Mr Luceys role in a securing a 35 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the resulting development of a social and sustainability development fund that he said would maximise the potential growth of the county and ensure it sustainability into the future. Tim Lucey has ensured the foundation for success through this arrangement, which will develop a network of thriving towns supporting their hinterlands, providing for sustainable future growth with a strong on public realm developments and micro-economics balanced against a climate change agenda, said Cllr OFlynn. This, creating towns and villages that are not only providing the very highest quality of life, but also securing the economic future of Cork County by making it a great place to live, work, visit and invest in. As County Mayor, I propose we extend our heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Tim Lucy as he embarks on a new chapter in his career. Cllr OFlynns sentiments were echoed across the council chamber by elected members from across the political divide. Mr Lucey admitted that it was a bit surreal to be finishing with Cork County Council. It has been an honour and a privilege to be from Cork and to have served as Cork City manager and Cork County manger over period of 13- years something I will always hold very close to my heart. To work with your own citizens, communities and businesses is very special,, said Mr Lucey. He admitted that while, in his own words he may have been thorny and sharp at times, that was part and parcel of the business and he hoped that during his time he had performed his role as chief executive in a balanced and equitable way. I did nothing on my own. I simply steered the ship and looked for the opportunities in the challenges that arose. The councillors, management team and staff (at Cork County Council) have been of phenomenal support to me and I could not have achieved what I achieved without them as a team, said Mr Lucey. He concluded by saying he was looking forward to watching Cork City and Cork County from the outside. Because, there are times when you simply cant do that when you are ingrained in it so much. Im looking forward to having a cup of coffee without being asked about something, he quipped. I have enjoyed the role (of chief executive) immensely but I wont miss it when Im finished. Thats not being disrespectful to the role. Ive invested my life in it and Im now looking forward to moving on and doing something new and fresh, he concluded. Valerie OSullivan, Cork County Councils southern divisional manager will take over the role as temporary Cork County Council chief executive until a permanent appointment is made. Punk movie described as a cross between The Commitments and Trainspotting Baz Black with his parents Gina and Jim at the premiere of his movie Dublin Crust The director of the movie Dublin Crust says the cast and crew have been blown away by reaction to the film as it enters a fifth week in cinemas. Baz Black, who also stars in the independent film, said the journey to getting the film made was an arduous one. Described by one critic as a cross between The Commitments and Trainspotting, Dublin Crust tells the story of Bonehead, who tries to reform his old punk band after hes released from prison. Weve been blown away by the reception it has had. We shot the whole thing over seven days, 32 locations across three counties, absolutely DIY like the band in the film, he said. For an independent film like ourselves, to go into a fifth week in the cinema chains has been unbelievable. Despite the script winning an award at the Dublin Screenwriters festival, Baz was turned down for funding for his debut feature film. You either sink or swim. We thought we would get funding, but we were turned down at every stage, he said. So we had to do it ourselves and just go out and show people. Its a nice feeling. It required tenacity and huge amounts hard work, perseverance. Putting yourself out there and calling in every favour in the book. I hope it opens doors not only for ourselves, but also other film makers. This shows there is a way of doing things if you stick to your guns, he added. The actor and director was determined for the film to have a realistic feel, and he leaned heavily on his own musical roots. Baz Black directs and stars in Dublin Crust I suppose there is that punk in me, I had played drums in a band with Eddie and Andy from the movie for eight years, he said. It was important everyone played their instruments in the film. Joe Rooney was in a band called Guernica, so we wrote original songs for the film as well. The idea for Dublin Crust came from lived experiences and overheard tales, which Baz was able to use for inspiration. A lot of it is based on stories from throughout the years, a world I know, he said. I suppose it is a character-based movie and you dont need to like punk music. Its about retribution. I think thats what people are getting on board with. It has Irish comedy in it and emotional roots, if you can connect to that then I feel I have done my job. While dealing with the difficulties of directing and acting at the same time, Baz had a familiar face to lean on. You need to trust your team. Luckily Emma Reay, who is my wife, is also my producing partner and assistant director, he said. I place a lot of trust in her to make sure everything is running like clockwork. You have to do your duty to the character and keep an eye on such a fast-moving process. There is some improv in the movie. It is mostly organic in people saying things the way they would normally say them, without being totally bound to the script. But you have to be confident without being totalitarian, its a collaboration and a compromise but you cant lose your vision. To see a DIY film do so well, it begs the question of how difficult is it for new talent to receive funding from the industry? Dublin Crust will be in cinemas for a fifth week Independent film makers all say the same thing. I guess, they just get so many applications, Baz said. Even the success of this film, I dont even know if that will be enough to open the doors, its every independent filmmakers struggle. You do wish there was more of a support system for the smaller guys. The little guys can get left behind. We do need to nurture the talent in Ireland, which is amazing. So, what is next for Baz as Dublin Crust continues its successful run in cinemas? I am filming season six of Brassic in the UK from October and I have a new script, Repent, a psychological thriller, so we hope to move forward with that in 2024, he said. I was never one for conformity, thats what drove me forward in getting this across the line. We just got word Odeon have extended Dublin Crust next week for another week due to demand. Making it our fifth week in Irish cinemas. Sometimes, you shouldnt take no for an answer in life, you can end up being surprised where that can get you, he added. Sharon Lynn will make an appeal on Monday nights show Sharon Lynn with her brother Martin, who was killed on July 30 in Dublin The sister of a man killed in a one-punch attack just yards from his front door will make an appeal on RTEs Crimecall on Monday night. Sharon Lynns sibling, Martin (33), died after being attacked on the Larkhill Road in Whitehall on July 30. The family is hoping to move the investigation into his killing forward. Mr Lynn had only just stepped out from a taxi when the incident happened in the early hours of the morning. A motorcyclist allegedly punched Mr Lynn once in the head before fleeing the scene, with the office administrator subsequently dying from catastrophic injuries. In a post on social media, Sharon previously said her brother didn't stand a chance when he was assaulted just seconds away from his own front door. Ms Lynn shared a tribute to her brother whom she described as kind, funny and gentle. Martin Lynn was attacked just yards from his home in Whitehall In the early hours of Sunday morning at around 4.30am, my kind, funny and gentle young brother Martin was violently and unnecessarily attacked by a motorist passing through Larkhill road in Whitehall, she wrote. Just seconds away from the front door of our family home. A home where we had so many happy memories in a nice quiet community. A home that Martin lived in and felt safe in for 33 years. I cannot put into words the shock and devastation we feel. She said her brother was simply trying to get to his own front door on the night of the attack. Martin was a mild-mannered, funny, polite and positive young man and was never involved in any trouble or violence. Small in stature, but big in heart. Our lives have been shattered from the choice that this man made that night and I will not rest until justice has been served. Ms Lynn also pleaded for the publics help to catch the attacker. If you want to help us to get justice for Martin, can you check any doorbell, dash cam or CCTV footage you may have from Sunday, July 30 between 1am and 6am if you live in Whitehall or any of the surrounding areas. Ms Lynn further stated that she wants to draw attention to the fact that the assault was unprovoked and not road rage or a row. She said Martin did not engage with his attacker. Gardai have also appealed for any witnesses to come forward. Crimecall airs on RTE One at 9.35pm tonight, with a new presenter, Carla OBrien, at the helm. She takes over from Sharon Ni Bheolain, who has stepped away after five years in the hotseat. Speaking ahead of her new role, Ms OBrien said it is an honour and a privilege to the given the opportunity to present such a long-running and popular programme. Guido goes green.... Guido Fanzini shows off his latest green machine at his Culture Night show in Killarney House. Photo by Michael G Kenny. Trying something new for Culture Night...Ailish Spillane tries a different approach to shoes at The Guido Fanzini Show at Killarney House. Photo by Michael G Kenny. Ciara Dorgan from The Art House at the Adult Painting Workshop at ANAM Killarney Arts and Cultural Centre at Culture Night 2023. Photo by Michael G Kenny. Enjoying Culture night in Killarney were three members of The Ukrainian Choir: Inna Kucher, Kate Shalamova and Yeva Boliushyneka who gave a performance at The Dept of Culture Goverment offices in Killarney for Culture Night. Photo by Michael G Kenny. At the Culture Night free screening of 'Nothing Compares' at Killarney Cinema were from L-R: Finnian Moloney (Volunteer KIFF) Marie Lenihan (Festival Manger Kerry International Film Festival) Bridget Fitzgerald (Kerry County Council) Declan Lynch(Kerry International Film Festival Programmer) Nicola O'Sullivan(PRO Kerry International Film Festival) Kate Kennelly Kerry County Council Arts Officer Arts) and Kieran Moloney (Volunteer KIFF). Photo by Michael G Kenny. Stacey MacSweeney trying her hand at the Adult Painting Workshop which was hosted by The Art House at ANAM Killarney Arts and Cultural Centre on Culture Night. Photo by Michael G Kenny. Bridget Fitzgerald (Kerry County Council) Elizabeth Baxter and Ciara Dorgan (Art House) at the Adult Painting Workshop at ANAM Cultural and Arts Centre Killarney for Culture Night 2023. Photo by Michael G Kenny. Artists Rebecca O'Carroll, Viveca Amato, Susan Hitching and Margaret Kennedy pictured in Listowel on Friday night as part of the annual Culture Night celebrations. Photo by John Kelliher. Mossy and Fionnuala Donegan pictured at the 'The Power of Poetry' during Culture Night at the Dingle Bookshop last Friday. Photo by Manuela Dei Grandi. Maggie Breen pictured during 'The Power of Poetry' event at Culture Night at the Dingle Bookshop last Friday night. Photo by Manuela Dei Grandi. Pictured enjoying a performance at the Island of Geese, Tralee were Brandon Hurley, Doreen Chinkonde, Tracy Sin Yi Chang and Brenda Giblin. Photo by Domnick Walsh. Pictured preparing to perform at the Island of Geese, Tralee were Muireann Ni She and Macdara O Faolain. Photo by Domnick Walsh. Pictured preparing to perform at the Island of Geese on Culture Night in Tralee were Erin O'Shea, Daire Muprhy, Sean Michael Warr and Holly Mac Entee. Photo by Domnick Walsh. Culture, in every shape and form, was celebrated in various locations all around Kerry this past Friday night as Culture Night an annual all-island public event that celebrates culture, creativity, and the arts celebrations took place, to great acclaim from all those who were in attendance. Over 40 free events, organised and supported by Kerry County Councils Arts Office and supported by the Arts Council and Creative Ireland, took place on the night with just some of the many highlights being the Sean Keane concert in Killarney, tours of the Old Barracks in Cahersiveen while Listowel Square was thronged with performers entertaining the crowd late into the night. It was in West Kerry, the birthplace of so many great traditions from years gone by, that some of the best events of the night took place with Gallarus Oratory stealing the show with a projections showcase by artist, Tim Schmelzer. This event was planned by Hannah Pinckheard, Assistant Arts Officer, supported by the local landowner, OPW and Ealaion na Gaeltachta, and co-funded by the Arts Council. Buses brought a captive audience from around the peninsula right up to midnight. Elsewhere back West, more events took place at An Diseart, Ionad an Blascaoid and in Castlegregory, all of which were extremely well-attended. In the county capital of Tralee, Mercy Mounthawk played host to the fantastic event that was the CEILI Afro Dabke Ukraine and which was delivered by Catherine Young Dance. The Island of Geese, programmed by MTU, meanwhile had a great range of events that attracted crowds all night while Siamsa Tire ran an eclectic programme of music, song, dance, and circus that enthralled. Large crowds also visited the County Museum for tours, workshops, and medieval family fun. Over in Killarney, music lovers found their way to the town where there was a host of free concerts for all to enjoy including AfroTrad who played in St Marys Church of Ireland while Muckross Farms hosted a sell-out performance of Sean Keane. Over in St Marys Cathedral, visitors were enchanted with Song & Stories from the Cathedral while there was a wonderful evening of poetry hosted by poets Eileen Sheehan and John W Sexton at Government Buildings and around the corner at Killarney Library, the Killarney Writers Group hosted an Open Mic night. Kerry has a wealth of culture and is it a privilege to witness the standard of offerings, across communities on Culture Night, stated Councillor Jim Finucane, Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council. On behalf of the Arts Office, a big thank you to all artists, creatives & organisations, that delivered such a wonderful array of activity on the night, it takes commitment, time and effort and we are very proud of Kerrys events on Culture Night, Arts Officer, Kate Kennelly added. See all our photos from the night in the photo gallery above. The average Kerry house price has shot back over the 300,000 mark, with house prices in Killarney exceeding prices in some Irish cities and Dublin-commuter-belt counties. Kerry prices have jumped by 1.7 per cent since quarter two to 302,500, and only Dublin, Cork city, Galway city, and Counties Kildare and Wicklow counties within the Dublin commuter belt recording higher average prices. Prices in Killarney alone rose by 1.4 per cent to 360,000. This is higher than three of Irelands cities Limerick, Galway, and Waterford and only 5,000 less than Cork city. This is according to a national survey carried out by Real Estate Alliance, which focusses on three-bed, semi-detached houses, to provide what it calls an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide. First-time buyers accounted for 55 per cent of purchasers countywide in quarter three, with 20 per cent of purchasers coming from outside the county. A quarter of all sales in Kerry were attributed to landlords leaving the market. Prices in Tralee also rose significantly, by 2.1 per cent, to 245,000. The average time taken to sell a house in Kerry dropped by two weeks in quarter three to an average of six weeks. The average national price stands at 301,370, the first time this figure has exceeded 300,000 since 2007. Donal Culloty of REA Coyne and Culloty, Killarney, has consistently told The Kerryman that a lack of supply is primarily to blame for Kerry and Killarneys high house prices, and he has not deviated from that this quarter. Supply is currently at an all-time low, he said in response to the survey. With no new house builds and nothing planned on the horizon, we are at crisis levels. Kieran Hanrahan, (on left) presenter of the popular weekly RTE Radio 1 Programme Ceili House with Sligos Philip Duffy. Tune in on Saturday Night 30th September at 9pm to hear them discuss Philips new book On The Night. A well-known fiddle player from Sligo has published a book featuring hundreds of musicians from around Ireland who won the All-Ireland Ceili bands competition over the past 70 years. Author Philip Duffy, who works as an accountant for McMoreland Duffy Rouse in Sligo, has always been deeply interested in music especially the Irish traditional music. His Book On The Night shines a light on those musicians both men and women who played on All-Ireland winning Ceili bands from 1951 to 2021 Mr Duffy said, The reason behind writing the book is that a lot of people are familiar with the well-known Ceili bands such as, The Kilfenora, The Tulla, The Liverpool, The Siamsa, The Bridge etc, but not many people especially the younger generation would know the individual musicians of these bands. The book is thorough and well researched through the hardwork of Mr Duffy for around seven years which included some trips to far-flung regions of the world such as China, Australia, Canada, USA, Germany, Denmark, along with the UK and all over Ireland. He said, I have been thinking about doing it for years and back in 2016 when I hit 50 years of age, I decided that I was going to do something about it. I tracked down every living member of every All Ireland winning Ceili band since 1951 and had a chat with them. In case of the deceased musicians, I tracked down each of their families, just to get a first hand account of him/her and the band that they played for. A total of 38 Ceili bands are featured with 408 individual musicians brought to the fore within the books 1,000 pages. It includes several Sligo musicians as well, with John Joe Gardiner, from Ballymote holding the earliest date of birth in 1894. John Joe was a flute and fiddle player, who played with the Siamsa Ceili Band that won the All-Ireland competition for three consecutive years in 1967, 1968 and 1969. The publication also has more than 1,200 photographs and 2 CDs, with 39 recordings from the All-Ireland winning bands representing the years between 1953 and 2019. The author has dedicated the book to the memory of his very good friend Ted McGowan (1933-2015), a music enthusiast and proprietor of the public house The Rosin Dubh in Gurteen. He was a manager of The Glenside Ceili Band, which represented London and won the All-Ireland in Boyle in 1966. Mr Duffy said, The book is just a simple way to reintroduce the public to the great musicians of the past. It is to keep the memory alive as they did a lot to keep the Irish music alive. At a time when our own music was potentially under threat, from other genres of music that were coming in, such as jazz music or show bands, the establishment of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE) and of an All-Ireland Senior Ceili Band Competition in 1951, played a crucial part in maintaining and continuing the important role of the ceili bands as part of our tradition. And these people kept the fire lit that has resulted in Irish music being as strong today as it has ever been. Readers also have a bonus chapter called Wedding Bands which contains a wide selection of wedding photographs of various musicians and their respective spouses Mr Duffy is also being featured for a broadcast interview on popular weekly RTE Radio 1 programme Ceili House on Saturday 30th September at 9pm. On The Night and its accompanying CDs are available for purchase on www.onthenight.net as well as locally at the Record Room and Liber Bookshop in Sligo. Lenmar, Tetiana and Yeva at the Benefit Night, in aid of Michael Rellis Injury Fund, in the Rivers Edge, Bunclody. Elaine Somers, Kaye Somers and Linda Dunne at the Benefit Night, in aid of Michael Rellis Injury Fund, in the Rivers Edge, Bunclody. Keith Geraghty, Barry Moorehead and Maurice O'Connor at the Benefit Night, in aid of Michael Rellis Injury Fund, in the Rivers Edge, Bunclody. Bridie Kavanagh, Marie Cullen and Molly Cullen at the Benefit Night, in aid of Michael Rellis Injury Fund, in the Rivers Edge, Bunclody. Enda Dempsey, Jim Gauntlatt and James Fortune at the Benefit Night, in aid of Michael Rellis Injury Fund, in the Rivers Edge, Bunclody. Serhii and Valerii at the Benefit Night, in aid of Michael Rellis Injury Fund, in the Rivers Edge, Bunclody. Members of the Rellis family at the Benefit Night, in aid of Michael Rellis Injury Fund, in the Rivers Edge, Bunclody. Between 400 and 500 people attended the fundraising event at the Rivers Edge bar in Bunclody to support Michael Rellis. Michael sustained serious life-changing burns last June from an electric shock while trimming hedges at home. Since the accident, Michael has undergone multiple operations including skin grafts, amputation and reconstruction surgery at St James Burns Unit in Dublin. Michael has made progress in his recovery but he will be treated and undergo further operations at St James Hospital along with physiotherapy and recuperation for at least another year and a half. Michaels sister Caroline set up a gofundme.com page called Help Michael on his Road to Recovery ahead of the event with the aim of fundraising 20,000. Before the night began there was a huge number of tickets purchased. The auction was conducted by Pat Lennon, many businesses donated prizes to the raffle and music was performed by Syl Ivers and James Reid. Local man Liam Nolan says that Michaels recovery has been made a lot easier for him and his family because of the good will of the community and all of their help and support. On behalf of Michael and his family, Liam would like to thank the organising committee for putting together such a brilliant evening as well as everyone that contributed to helping Michael, it is very much appreciated. The gofundme page is still available online if anyone missed out on the night at the Rivers Edge bar or would like to contribute further. A motorcycle garda had to be helped from the ground having misjudged the 90 degree bend at Westlands in Wexford town. File pic. Wexford Borough District officials have been urged to take action on a bend at the entrance to a Wexford town housing estate after it emerged that one resident has had two cars written off and, on one occasion, even had to help a motorbike Garda off the floor after he misjudged the bend himself. Labour councillor George Lawlor raised the issue of the bend in the road at the entrance to Westlands in Wexford town and stated that some form of action needs to be taken. "We need to look at installing ramps or something there, he said. Ive been told of at least five serious accidents involving motorists coming up Johns Road and being caught off guard by the bend at Westlands. "One of the residents told me that they had two vehicles written off after parking outside their home and on one occasion, they had to assist a garda who came off his motorcycle after misjudging the 90 degree bend there. "Theres also a school in the area, as were all aware, so I think this is something that really needs to be looked at. While the Borough Engineer was not present at the meeting, District Manager Anthony Bailey agreed to pass on the message right away upon her return. Members of Bray Area Partnerships Disability Network met up in Bray recently to show support for Make Way Day 2023, which took place on Friday. Staff and members from RehabCare Bray, the IMPACT Initiative and Bray Area Partnership shared a photo opportunity outside Bray Town Hall with Make Way Day signs. They then went their separate ways to survey their own local areas around the town for obstacles on the streets to post online using the #MakeWayDay23 hash tag and online survey tool. Make Way Day is an annual Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) campaign to make way on our streets for people with disabilities and raise public awareness about the problems caused by obstacles blocking footpaths such as vehicles parked on footpaths, bikes chained to lamp posts, illegally-placed sandwich boards and forgotten bins. The public is asked each year to support the campaign via social media and post photos of obstacles in their local area using the DFIs user-friendly online survey tool. Mermaid Arts Centre celebrated its 21st birthday weekend in style as the venue played host to a vibrant and eclectic line-up of free events from Thursday September 21 to Sunday 24, taking in Culture Night on the Friday. The birthday festivities resembled a mini-festival, with comics Karl Spain, Fred Cooke, Danny O Brien, Jack Wise and MC Adam Burke bringing the laughs, while Culture Night electrified Bray with the live 2FM broadcast ensuring music reverberated throughout the town. Visual art adorned the walls at the centre, while a visual arts screening and Q&A, theatre performances, poetry readings, storytelling sessions, and a feel-good film wove a tapestry of artistic experiences that crossed generational boundaries. On Sunday, the centre was buzzing with laughter as face painting and balloon animals filled the downstairs of the building, while upstairs a masterpiece was being created as all ages contributed to a drawing which asked: what do Mermaids dream of? The centres Marketing Assistant, Lily Boyle, said: Throughout the weekend, Mermaid Arts Centre was a hive of activity, its atmosphere charged with creativity and a shared appreciation for the arts. The bustling crowds bore testimony to the centre's vital role as a connection point for artists and audiences alike, serving as a cultural hub that draws visitors from across the country. Julie Kelleher, the artistic director of Mermaid Arts Centre, captured the essence of the centre's mission. She emphasised that, above all, Mermaid's purpose is to foster meaningful connections between artists and viewers, hoping to create experiences that are not only memorable but also profoundly moving. She acknowledged the indispensable role of connections formed between the centre's dedicated team, local artists, and talents from beyond County Wicklow in sustaining the vibrant arts scene. "When I first took on the role at Mermaid, this time three years ago, in September 2020, it felt a little bit like evenings like this, where were all gathered together in celebration of art and artists, might never be possible again. Im so proud to be here this evening and to be playing a small part in the history of such an exceptional arts organisation, Ms Kelleher said. "We think of our community like a circuitboard, where both artists and audiences plug in to the creative powerhouse that is Wicklow, and thats how all the lights get switched on: we create connection by completing the circuit between artists, art and audiences. We connect artists and communities across County Wicklow in sharing artistic experiences that spark curiosity, delight and debate, while fostering pride, pleasure and well-being. Our purpose is driven by a fundamental belief in the power of shared experience and connection to guard against loneliness and isolation, and a belief in the right to freedom of artistic expression and creation for all. So, fundamentally, what we do is gather artists and audiences together to create, participate in and enjoy unforgettable artistic experiences. We believe that the arts are for everyone. We felt that our 21st birthday would be the perfect occasion to reinforce our dedication to accessibility and community enrichment. In her closing remarks, Ms Kelleher expressed immense pride in witnessing these connections come to life in the form of the programme and the enthusiastic presence of the audience. Mermaid Arts Centre's 21st birthday weekend celebrations were a testament to the power of art in building bridges, forging bonds, and enriching the lives of the community it serves. As Mermaid Arts Centre enters its third decade, the centre continues to be a shining beacon of culture, creativity, and connection in Bray and beyond. Here's to many more years of inspiring artistic experiences for all. Aine Foley from Baltinglass pictured at the Irish Hair & Beauty Awards in Dublin, where her business 'Hair By Aine' was awarded Best Customer Experience. Aine Foley from Baltinglass, County Wicklow, pictured at the Irish Hair & Beauty Awards in Dublin, where her business 'Hair By Aine' was awarded Best Customer Experience. Despite being established just over two years ago, Hair By Aine, based in Bawnogues, Baltinglass, not only won the coveted national prize but was also nominated in the prestigious Best Hair Salon category for Mid-Leinster. The distinguished honour represents a massive coup for Baltinglass entrepreneur Aine Foley, who set up her one-woman operation after being inspired to strike out on her own during the pandemic. The blossoming business has gone from strength to strength ever since, with a loyal core of customers enchanted by her salons welcoming atmosphere and the intimate and personalised experience Aine provides. Still on cloud nine after a magical night out in Dublin, Aine said: It was a huge honour to even be nominated for an award, considering Im not in business that long, so to actually win one goes beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I brought a little gang along to the awards, including my husband, parents and my sister, because who knows if Id ever get the change again! When they called my name, I was so preoccupied that I didnt even realise it was me they called. I actually turned to my sister and asked her what was going on, and she told me: Its you you won!. I just couldnt believe it. I owe a big thanks to my customers for nominating and voting for me. Ive really tried to provide them with a very personal experience, and it means the world to me that they appreciate it. I have never entered any awards before, but this one is quite different, as its more about recognising the business side of things, so to be nominated for two awards its a great confidence boost and a bit of a nod that the business is moving in the right direction. Having worked in mainstream salons for years, Baltinglass native Aine established Hair By Aine in the summer of 2021, taking a disused shed at the side of her home and transforming it into an enchanted parlour kitted out for all manner of pampering. A grounded character with undoubted business acumen, Aine said she would not get carried away with the award, and would remain true to the personalised experience that has seen her fledgling business flourish. I got pregnant during lockdown, and when I was on maternity leave, I didnt really want to go back to that big salon experience any more it just wasnt working for me, she continued. So, I handed in my notice, got the cabin at the side of our house set up, and then opened the business in June of 2021. I had worked in mainstream salons before, which follow a plan where youre just trying to get in as many clients as possible, whereas I had been there and done that and really wanted to pursue that more personal approach. Im really delighted with how it has turned out. People really seem to appreciate that theyre getting my full attention from start to finish, and its my job to make them feel like theyre number one. I think my clients love the look of the salon and the atmosphere there, even though it is just a converted shed for now. There might be a bit of wear and tear, so the plan in the long term will be to build a more solid structure. I dont really plan to expand more in terms of more clients, and Ill always keep it as a one-to-one experience. Its served me well so far, and the clients seem to be loving it. So, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Storm Agnes, the first named storm of the autumn, has seen Ireland placed under a Status Yellow wind advisory with meteorologists warning that this could be upgraded depending on the precise storm track. Met Eireann warned that, irrespective of the storm's course on Tuesday night and throughout Wednesday, the majority of the country is likely to see very unsettled conditions with strong winds and heavy rainfall. Storm Agnes is a deep Atlantic depression which is sweeping towards northern Europe. However, Met Eireann's Gerry Murphy said it is still too early to determine the precise track of Storm Agnes - and just how powerful its winds will prove for Ireland. A Status Yellow alert has been issued for all of Leinster and Munster with the warning in force from 7am on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday. Met Eireann said that the storm could result in coastal flooding, fallen trees, power outages and very challenging driving conditions. It is expected that the worst of the storm winds will hit Cork and Kerry. The UK Met Office has also issued the same warning, valid from 12pm on Wednesday to 7am on Thursday, for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry. Weather Explainer : What are weather status warnings "This deep Atlantic depression will track close to or over Ireland but exact details of the forecast are still uncertain," Mr Murphy said. "But there is the potential for it to be a very windy or stormy day with damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding." A separate Status Yellow rain warning is in place for Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry and Waterford. It is valid from 7am on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday. The national forecaster said potential impacts include difficult travel conditions, localised flooding and poor visibility. Met Eireann said it is monitoring the storm very closely and further updates will be provided in the 36 hours before the storm's arrival. One forecast model has indicated that the storm could, in a worse case scenario, feature winds gusting to as powerful as 160kmh. Forecasters admitted that the Status Yellow alert could be upgraded to a more serious level if the storm takes a course directly over Ireland. However, Carlow Weather's Alan O'Reilly said some models have the storm taking a more south easterly course with its centre missing Ireland. "However, there is still a risk of severe gusts along the south coast. The potential storm for Wednesday is not just about wind but also the risk of more heavy rainfall, he said. "In general, I wouldn't be making any outdoor plans on Wednesday. The exact track is still a little uncertain. Southerly areas are most at risk but it needs to be watched closely. "Someone should put a brake on the Jet Stream - I don't think any of us need or want a storm like this on Wednesday." Mr O'Reilly pointed out that there are varying models for what the weather front will be like over Ireland on Wednesday varying "from a breezy day to something nasty". One model - the ECMWF - has maximum gusts of up to 166kmh. An average of its estimates has winds at 98kmh. The good news is that the strong winds and heavy rainfall will clear by Thursday morning leaving a largely dry morning. "However, rain will spread eastwards across the country through the afternoon and evening and will clear on Thursday night with scattered showers following," Mr Murphy said. "It will likely be dry for most at first before rain tracks eastwards across the country through the morning and early afternoon, followed by showers, with some heavy or thundery falls possible." "Thursday will see highest temperatures of 15C to 17C." "The current indications suggest Friday and Saturday will be mild with a fair amount of dry weather, lighter winds and a few showers in the west and north. However, spells of rain look likely for Sunday." The 120,000 ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will leave for Armenia as they do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and fear ethnic cleansing, the leadership of the breakaway region told Reuters yesterday. Armenias prime minister also said the Karabakh Armenians were likely to leave the region, and that Armenia was ready to take them in, following a defeat last week at the hands of Azerbaijan in a conflict dating from the fall of the Soviet Union. Gunmen in armoured vehicles stormed a village in an ethnic Serbian-majority region of Kosovo on Sunday, battling police and barricading themselves in a monastery in a resurgence of violence in the restive north of the country. The Indo Daily: The RTE star, a Meath housing estate and the families in need of a Home Rescue Jailed Italian Mafia boss Messina Denaro dies in hospital The crimelord was arrested in January after nearly 30 years on the run A handout photo shows Matteo Messina Denaro Italy's most wanted mafia boss after he was arrested in Palermo, Italy Photo: Carabinieri/Handout via Reuters Crispian Balmer and Kanjyik Ghosh Mon 25 Sep 2023 at 09:20 Italian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was arrested in January after spending 30 years on the run, has died, ANSA news agency has reported. Musician demands apology from American Airlines Guitarist David Ryan Harris (right) performs with John Mayer at The Beacon Theatre in New York City in 2009. Photo: Mike Coppola/FilmMagic A Black passenger on an American Airlines flight was falsely accused of trafficking his own children after a member of cabin crew became suspicious. Musician David Ryan Harris was flying from Atlanta, Georgia, to Los Angeles, California, on September 15 when a flight attendant on board allegedly became suspicious because one of his mixed race children didnt interact with her. Letby, 33, was sentenced to a whole life order after she was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016. Canada's Defence Minister Bill Blair describes ties with India as 'important'.Photo Courtesy: Bill Blair X page Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair has described ties with India as 'important' even after a diplomatic standoff emerged between the two countries following PM Justin Trudeau's allegations that New Delhi was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India, Bill Blair told Global News. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth," he said. If the allegations are proven true, Blair said, There is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Americas Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) met Khalistani elements in the US and alerted them that their lives may be at risk after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, according to a report by The Intercept. This report comes hours after media reports revealed that Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus offensive allegations against India on the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar were prompted by shared intelligence from the US as part of Five Eyes, an intel alliance of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who led the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was gunned down by two unidentified assailants outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Colombia, Canada, on June 18. CTV News Channel, Canada's 24-hour all-news network, reported quoting the US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen as saying that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped Canada allege a potential link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, Nijjar. Cohen confirmed that Canada and its Five Eyes partners (the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand) shared intelligence about India's possible involvement in the murder. In 2020, India designated Nijjar (45) as a terrorist. After his name cropped up in several terrorism cases, Nijjar escaped to Canada in the mid-90s. According to a detailed dossier prepared by Indian authorities, and accessed by NDTV, Nijjar allegedly ordered several killings and attacks in Punjab while taking refuge on Canadian soil. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for him. The probe agency had also filed a chargesheet against the Khalistani terrorist at its court in Mohali. The Intercept reported that Pritpal Singh, a coordinator for the American Sikh Caucus Committee, said three Sikh Americans in California were visited by FBI agents after Nijjars killing. I was visited by two FBI special agents in late June who told me that they had received information that there was a threat against my life, said Pritpal Singh. They did not tell us specifically where the threat was coming from, but they said that I should be careful, he was quoted as saying by The Intercept. The two other Sikh Americans, who wished not to be named, also confirmed that FBI agents visited them to alert them against life threats. Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council who was among those who got warnings after Nijjars murder, also confirmed that Canadian intelligence officials had warned Khalistani elements. They told us that we were at imminent risk of assassination, but they would never say specifically that the threat was from Indian intelligence or give us enough information to tell us where it was coming from, Moninder Singh added. The agents of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had singled out Nijjar, warning him about a life threat. Confirming the development, Sukhman Dhami, co-director of Ensaaf, a California-based NGO, told The Intercept that Khalistani elements were recently been visited by law enforcement and warned that they may be targets, said the report. Image Credit: Chandrababu Naidu Official Twitter Handle New Delhi/UNI: Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu, mentioned his plea on Monday before the Supreme Court to fix a date for his case to be heard, seeking to quash the FIR in the Andhra Pradesh Skill Development scam case. The CJI-led bench of the Supreme Court, however, asked him to come tomorrow and mention it again before it, as today the matter was not listed in the mentioning list. The Supreme Court refused to give a date for the hearing and allowed out-of-turn mentioning of the petition of Naidu today. Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Naidu, told the top court that the gentleman is in judicial custody. This case is related to the state of Andhra Pradesh, where the opposition is being curbed. He was arrested on September 9. "Come tomorrow after being mentioned in the list," the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, asked Luthra. Former Andhra Pradesh CM and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief and National President, Chandrababu Naidu, has moved the Supreme Court on Saturday, challenging his arrest and the FIR registered against him in the alleged Rs 371 crore skill development scam case. Naidu had knocked the doors of the Supreme Court, after the Andhra Pradesh High Court had dismissed his petition, saying that it couldn't interfere in the case since the investigation is on fulcrum of attaining finality. Justice Sreenivasa Reddy of the AP HC, while dismissing Naidu's petition on Friday, said the investigating agency examined more than 140 witnesses and collected about 4,000 documents pursuant to the registration of the crime in the year 2021; therefore, the court was not inclined to interfere with the proceedings when the investigation was on the fulcrum of attaining finality. Jaipur/UNI/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government is committed to the development of Rajasthan and the resolve of the BJP workers to usher in change will open the doors of all-round development in the state as the PM targeted the Ashok Gehlot government, accusing it of wasting five important years of the state's youth. Addressing a BJP rally here, the Prime Minister said the Congress deserved zero marks for the government it ran in Rajasthan for the last five years. He said the Congress has been patronising the mafia by leaking recruitment exam question papers. He said if the BJP forms government, strict action will be taken against them. Taking to the social media, Modi said to further strengthen the resolution, he will participate in the 'Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha' here during the afternoon. Ahead of the public meeting, Modi will visit the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Memorial located in Dhankya and pay homage to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh stalwart. Earlier, he tweeted, "The personality and work of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, the founder of Antyodaya, who dedicated all his life to the service of Mother India, will always remain a source of inspiration for the countrymen. My respectful obeisances to him on his birth anniversary." Importantly, the Prime Minister will address the "Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha" organised in Dadiya, Jaipur, Monday afternoon at the conclusion of the Parivartan Sankalp Yatra taken out by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Photo Courtesy:Tara Reid Instagram page Actress Tara Reid has said filming the second season of the 'Special Forces: Worlds Toughest Test' was 'one of the craziest experiences' in her life. It's really tough," Tara, 47, told PEOPLE at the Project Angel Food Angel Awards. "They call it the Worlds Toughest Test [for a reason]," she said. Even though the American Pie star watched season 1 of the Fox competitive reality series and thought there was no way she would ever do it, she told PEOPLE that the network convinced [me] at the last minute." As a result, the actress says she "didn't have the training like everyone else did. So it was a lot harder on me." Im at a place right now [where] I want to do something like this, she told PEOPLE about competing in the show, which premieres Monday on Fox. You're home so much in your own house, you get depressed, she said. So doing something like this was a great challenge for me and it was an experience I'll never forget and I would never take it back. Even though you watch it, you'll think I'm insane." Tara is best known for playing the role of Vicky in the films American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001), and American Reunion (2012), and Bunny Lebowski in The Big Lebowski (1998). Photo Courtesy: Pixabay A Chinese cab driver in Singapore is under investigation after he allegedly abused a woman and her nine-year-old daughter during a ride over misinformation of destination and even assuming them to be of Indian origin. 46-year-old Eurasian origin Janelle Hoeden told The Straits Times: "You are Indian, you are stupid." The woman said she recorded the interaction on phone which soon became heated. She said she booked a ride on the ride-hailing platform at around 2pm from her home in Pasir Ris Drive 6 where she was visiting her sister-in-law's house. She said the ride started uneventfully but th driver became upset when a part of the road was blocked due to construction of an upcoming MRT line. He started shouting at me, saying that I gave him the wrong address and wrong directions, she told the newspaper. In the video uploaded on her Facebook page and an account by TikTok user Rhiley26746, and later shared by alternative news site Wake Up Singapore the driver, a Chinese man, is seen accusing Ms Hoedens daughter of being less than 1.35m tall, the newspaper reported. Following the incident, Hoeden contacted Tada. Whether I was tanned skin, or Indian, or otherwise, its unacceptable what he said it was totally uncalled for, that he pulled out the race card, she said. She said her daughter was also shaken following the incident. Tada Singapore has started investigating the incident. A Tada spokeswoman told The Straits Times: "Remarks or comments that insinuate racial differences are in direct violation of Tada community guidelines and are not representative of our companys values." India received resounding praise from leaders across the Global South at a special event hosted by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The event, titled India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development celebrated Indias remarkable stewardship of the G20 and its unwavering commitment to international solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Championing the Global South Indias leadership as the head of the G20 was hailed as a historic moment for the Global South. The G20 Presidency provided India with a platform to amplify the voices and concerns of developing nations on the global stage. Bhutans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tandi Dorji, described India as a stalwart leader advocating for the interests and concerns of the Global South, emphasizing Indias role in fostering solidarity and cooperation among nations. One significant achievement was the admission of the African Union into the G20, a milestone credited to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This move highlighted Indias commitment to broadening the representation of developing nations and fostering inclusivity within global forums. A Hand of Humanity Amidst a Global Pandemic During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, India extended a hand of humanity by supplying COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide. This act of generosity stood in stark contrast to the notion of vaccine diplomacy that had emerged in some quarters. Dominicas Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vince Henderson, expressed gratitude for Indias rapid response in providing vaccines to his country and others in the Caribbean and beyond. He reframed Indias actions as extending the hand of humanity rather than diplomacy, emphasizing the genuine intent behind Indias vaccine distribution efforts. Indias commitment to sharing resources and expertise, even while facing its own challenges, resonated with leaders from small island states and developing nations. This act of solidarity underscored Indias dedication to global well-being and was warmly acknowledged by the international community. A Call for Permanent Representation Several nations, including Dominica and Mauritius, voiced their support for Indias bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. They cited Indias population and responsible exercise of power as compelling reasons for its inclusion. Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Maneesh Gobin, highlighted Indias leadership during its G20 Presidency as a testament to the countrys commitment to sustainable and human-centered development. He emphasized the significance of Indias inclusive and consultative approach, which contributed to the success of the G20 Summit. Indias Continuing Commitment The Maldives Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel, commended Indias ability to host the G20 Summit amid a challenging global political landscape and ensure the consensus declaration. He noted that Indias leadership extended beyond the G20, citing the India-UN Development Partnership Fund as a blueprint for South-South cooperation. Indias neighborhood first policy was celebrated for benefiting small island developing countries like the Maldives, which attributed much of its rapid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to Indias support. Indias leadership on the global stage, particularly during its G20 Presidency and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has earned accolades and admiration from the Global South. Indias commitment to solidarity, inclusivity, and humanity continues to inspire nations worldwide, reinforcing its status as a key player in the international arena. As the world faces complex challenges, Indias leadership stands as a beacon of hope and cooperation for the benefit of all nations. (Image and text credit: Khalsavox.com) For those planning for a pilgrimage to the Char Dham of Uttarakhand, travelling to the pilgrimage locations is set to get much easier. The all-weather connectivity Char Dham road to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath is almost completed. With more than 70 per cent of the work completed, about 224 kms is left to be completed. Representative image/ Shutterstock Costing over Rs 11,700 crore, the foundation stone of the project was laid in December 2016 and initially expected to be completed by March 2020. However, the deadline was extended to December 2024. What is the Char Dham project? The Char Dham project is a two-lane highway project currently under construction in the state of Uttarakhand by the Border Road Organisation. It will widen 900 km of highways connecting the pilgrimage sites and the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh stretch of National Highway (NH) 125, a part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route. Why was the Char Dham project introduced? Uttarakhand receives a large number of tourists every season. In 2022, close to five crore tourists, 3.8 crore Kanwar yatris and 45 lakh Char dham pilgrims visited Uttarakhand, as quoted by TOI. Kedarnath, one of the Char Dhams in Uttarakhand It is in order to ensure their safety that the project was introduced with the intent of improving existing roads and highways for ease of travel. The following are the benefits expected to accrue from the Char Dham Project: - It will boost tourism which is the backbone of the state of Uttarakhand - It is expected to bring down accidents - It will improve border security as the army will be able to deploy faster to the Chinese border. Challenges faced by the project In 2018, the Char Dham project was challenged for its potentially hazardous impact on the Himalayan ecology. Infrastructure projects require felling of trees and destruction of ecosystems. In hilly areas, this results in massive landslides and other environmental disasters. According to the 'Landslide Atlas' report prepared by Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, which houses the Kedarnath shrine, has "maximum exposure to landslide risk in the country". Representative image Another Uttarakhand district, Tehri ranks second in the list. The Supreme Court had established a High-Powered Committee (HPC) to consider the impact of the Chardham project on the Himalayan valleys. The report submitted by the HPC stated that a disaster-resilient road is much more critical than a wider road prone to frequent blockages, landslides and recurring slope failures. Subsequently, the SC allowed the double-lane paved configuration for the Chardham road project. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Kaithal, Haryana: Hoping for a good harvest, Ramesh Kumar (45) of Bhatia village in Haryana sowed wheat and paddy on 10 acres of land by spending close to Rs 1 lakh. However, floods in River Ghaggar ruined the crops two months ago, leaving him in debt and without any alternative source of income. "I lost my house and all other possessions to the flood. I am worried about my children's future, their education. I have no other income to take care of my family. Everything is gone, he bemoans. Kumar is among the hundreds of farmers who have suffered losses in the floods that washed away over four lakh acres of agricultural lands and destroyed close to 500 houses in 12 districts of the state, affecting over 1,500 villages. Municipality workers fogging Bhatia village, Haryana, to combat fever and dengue spread (Photo - Akansha Deshmukh, 101Reporters) Yamunanagar, Karnal, Palwal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonipat and Sirsa are among the affected districts, leaving farmers to grapple with losses exceeding Rs 55 crore, said Puran Dahiya, a local farmer engaged in relief work with NGO Jansamvedna. Residents in Kaithal district, around 200 km from Delhi, were affected by the flooding of Hansi-Butana canal. The floods in this particular region were preventable but for the administrations negligence, said Vishpal Singh, a farmer from Sherpur village in Purab block. Initially, the water levels were at 18 ft. It touched an alarming 28 ft on July 18. Had the canal been properly maintained, the villages on this side could have been saved," he said. The farmers have been demanding a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for agricultural lands. However, the government has announced only Rs 15,000 per acre for full crop damage. The farmers have been seeking compensation for livestock loss, damaged borewells, Rs 10 lakh per family for the bereaved, one-year waiver of all debts and interests and minimum support price for their produce. However, none of these demands has been accepted so far. Hiccups all the way Launching an extended version of the e-KshatiPurti portal through the Meri Fasal Mera Byora website on August 2, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced compensations of up to Rs 50 lakh for loss of movable property and Rs 25 lakh for immovable property. The money would be received in the bank accounts of farmers. Submerged farms on either side of the water-filled main road connecting Kaithal to other districts (Photo - Akansha Deshmukh, 101Reporters) However, the complicated process of applying for compensation and lack of easy access to the internet have been causing problems. The farmers had to register their details on the compensation portal or the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal and submit proof of crop damage, including photographs, videos or revenue records, which many of the farmers were not adept at providing. They are still awaiting the verification and approval of their applications by the concerned authorities, which may take a long time or be subject to corruption or negligence. They also face the possibility of receiving less than the promised amount or not receiving it at all due to various reasons, including lack of funds, bureaucratic hurdles or political interference. As per the latest data from the government, 47 farmers from across the state have uploaded necessary information and 40 of them have received the compensation. When contacted, neither the bank staff nor the concerned government authorities were ready to speak on the issues related to delays in providing compensation and complications in applying for the same. "The portal is very slow and it crashes quite often. I had to upload many documents and proofs related to my land and crop damage. It took me several days to complete the application process. I have not received any confirmation or status update from the authorities yet. I do not know when I will get the money," said Rajesh Kumar (38) from Khambeda, who lost paddy, maize and vegetables cultivated on his six acres to the flooding. Ramesh also had a similar experience. "I have not heard back from the authorities. I do not even know if I will get the compensation. But I will fight for what is mine, even if it means giving up my life," Ramesh said. A local internet cafe owner at Cheeka in Kaithal district told 101Reporters on condition of anonymity that the farmers from several villages without electricity and internet access had frequented his cafe every day to fill up online forms for compensation. "I know they are in a dire situation and it pains me to charge them Rs 50 per hour, but I too have to earn my living," he said, adding that he helped around 1,000 farmers to apply for compensation in a single month. "The farmers told me that even in this situation the government officials are seeking bribes from them to expedite their claims," the cafe owner said. Waterborne diseases pose risk The floodwater did not recede for several days, with the Ghaggar staying above the danger mark of 24 ft. However, after some time, the situation became better. However, as a 500-km road stretch was washed away, access to markets and basic services have been affected. The process of rebuilding it is going on at present. Water-filled Kaithal main roads due to blockage and debris (Photo - Akansha Deshmukh, 101Reporters) In July, the district administration established 341 camps and provided water tankers to ensure clean drinking water to the locals. The medical team did health check-ups of over 6,000 individuals and distributed over 1,000 relief packages. However, such measures have been falling short as the number of affected people have increased since then. A woman from Bhatia village told 101Reporters on condition of anonymity that her family have been living in a makeshift tent on a slightly elevated part of their land from the day floods submerged their house. "We have to walk for miles to get drinking water from a nearby village. The water in our taps is dirty and smells bad. We have no electricity, work and food. We have not received relief packages. The authorities have also failed to send water tankers," she said. Locals have been falling sick as stagnant water breeds mosquitoes and gives rise to water-borne and vector-borne diseases. "For the last two days, my neighbour's son is suffering from high fever and vomiting. He might have cholera. We are scared to even go to the hospital because we do not know if they will treat us properly," said a resident of Khambeda village, on condition of anonymity. Officials at the local health centres said many people were falling sick with diarrhoea, fever, and skin and eye infections, but they could not give exact figures. According to a newsreport, Haryana recorded 772 dengue, 43 chikungunya and 35 malaria cases till August 23, with most of the cases coming from Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Rewari and Gurugram. The health department is coordinating with the local administration to fog the areas to kill mosquitoes, and are organising medical camps and distributing medicines and chlorine tablets to prevent the spread of diseases. (Akansha Deshmukh is a Haryana-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.) US President Joe Biden wished the Jewish community "G'mar Chatimah Tova" on Sunday in a statement in observance of Yom Kippur. Biden said as Jewish communities in the United States, Israel, and around the world observe Yom Kippur, he extends his best wishes on this sacred and solemn holiday. File What did the White House say on Yom Kippur? "Jewish tradition holds that from the time the Book of Life is opened on Rosh Hashanah, until the gates close on Yom Kippur, our fate hangs in the balance. From the powerful Kol Nidre service, to the haunting Neilah prayer, and until the piercing sound of the final shofar blast, worshippers are given an opportunity to humbly atone for past misdeeds, repair broken relationships, and commit to doing better in the future," the statement shared by the White House read. "The blessing of Yom Kippur is that it is not just a day of reflection, repentance, and reverence - but a day of transformation, forgiveness, and hope," the statement said. "God invites us to write a new chapter in the story of our lives, and in the life of our nation. As the High Holidays conclude, let us all summon the courage to make the changes required to bridge the gap between the world we see and the world we seek," it further read. "On behalf of my family and my entire Administration, we wish you a meaningful and easy fast. May we all be sealed in the Book of Life," the statement concluded. File Why is Yom Kippur the holiest day for Jews? Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is considered the holiest day of the year for people who practice Judaism. The holiday technically spans two calendar days, because the Jewish calendar is lunar. Days are marked sunset to sunset. Jews around the world are to face their misdeeds and sins over the year through worship and prayer so that they may atone for their wrongdoings. With fear and wonder in facing God's judgment, Jews seek forgiveness. In doing so, people are called to self-reflect on their failings and flaws. When is it celebrated and where? This year, it begins at sunset on September 24 and continues until the evening of September 25. Yom Kippur concludes a 10-day period known as the "Days of Awe" that begins with the Jewish New Year, which is called Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur is a legal holiday in Israel. There are no radio or television broadcasts, airports are shut down, there is no public transportation, and all shops and businesses are closed. Jewish communities across the world celebrate it on the same day too. File How is Yom Kippur celebrated? No matter how you spend the day, it's a time to atone in your own way, whether in a synagogue or at home. Synagogues hold religious services throughout the day for practicing Jews to come pray introspectively, either asking for forgiveness or expressing regret of sins committed in the past year. Once you atone, it's thought to be starting the Jewish new year with a "clean slate," absolved of past transgressions. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. The government of India has issued a high-risk warning to Apple users. The CERT-IN, in an official statement said that multiple vulnerabilities on Apple devices like iPhones and Apple Watch can allow attackers to take control of their devices. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. CERT-IN stated that the vulnerability lies in the WebKit browser engine that is used by Safari and other browsers. Unsplash Also read: iPhone Users Must Try These 7 Hidden Features On iOS 17 "These vulnerabilities exist in Apple products due to certificate validation issue in the Security component, an issue in the Kernel, and an error in the Webkit component. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending specially crafted requests," CERT-IN said in an official statement. Unsplash Which Apple devices are affected? iPhones running iOS versions older than 16.7 and iPadOS versions older than 16.7 Apple macOS Moneterey versions older than 12.7 Apple watchOS with versions older than 9.6.3 iOS versions older than 17.0.1 and iPadOS versions older than 17.0.1 Apple Safari versions older than 16.6.1 Apple macOS Ventura versions older than 13.6 Apple watchOS versions older than 10.0.1 Unsplash If you an iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or MacBook running older software versions, it's time to update it as soon as possible. Simply head over to settings and software update to download the latest software updates on your Apple devices. Also read: A Guide To Downloading And Installing The Latest iOS 17 Update On Your iPhone Do you keep your devices updated? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com. On September 8 of 2016, NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security Regolith Explorer)mission so that it may land on an asteroid and retrieve a sample. Now, that sample has finally returned. "We've spotted the #OSIRISREx capsule on the ground," NASA announced on X, with a clip of the same. "The parachute has separated, and the helicopters are arriving at the site. We're ready to recover that sample!" We've spotted the #OSIRISREx capsule on the ground, the parachute has separated, and the helicopters are arriving at the site. We're ready to recover that sample! pic.twitter.com/ZmPyb8fyrR NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) September 24, 2023 A historic moment for space research The capsule with samples of rock and dust collected from an asteroid called Bennu landed on Earth on Sunday, in an area of the US Department of Defense. The capsule was then transported by helicopter to a temporary clean room, where it is currently connected to a continuous flow of nitrogen. Putting the sample under a "nitrogen purge" is important because nitrogen doesn't interact with other chemicals and the container inside the capsule is able to keep out contaminants from Earth, making scientific analysis possible. Also read: Giant Solar Shield Tethered To Asteroid Could Slow Down Climate Change On Earth "The returned samples collected from Bennu will help scientists worldwide make discoveries to better understand planet formation and the origin of organics and water that led to life on Earth, as well as benefit all of humanity by learning more about potentially hazardous asteroids," NASA wrote. NASA "Congratulations to the OSIRIS-REx team on a picture-perfect mission the first American asteroid sample return in history which will deepen our understanding of the origin of our solar system and its formation. Not to mention, Bennu is a potentially hazardous asteroid, and what we learn from the sample will help us better understand the types of asteroids that could come our way," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Also read: New Space-Scanning Algorithm Spots 'Potentially Hazardous' Asteroid NASA The Bennu sample weighs 250 grams and will be transported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on September 25 where it will be disassembled. The samples inside will be studied, and distributed to scientists worldwide. What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com. The government is legalizing and employing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, despite Greek unemployment of 10.5%, under the pretext of a shortage of farm workers, thus planning the largest population change in the country in 15 years. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis joined a meeting via teleconference held at the Operations Coordination Centre in the region of Thessaly on Monday, during which he was briefed on the worsening weather conditions expected to prevail in the region within the next few hour Motorists and passengers including soldiers and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) at the weekend were ambushed by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State. A source who spoke with Vanguard on Sunday revealed that the incident happened during an escort along the Gwoza-Limankara-Uvaha road, leaving one soldier and three passengers dead. It was gathered that the terrorists also set ablaze five commercial vehicles including a security patrol vehicle, as scores of motorists and passengers were reportedly missing. The source said: I can inform you that about three civilians and a soldier were killed in a Boko Haram ambush along the Gwoza-Limankara-Uvaha road. The deceased soldier (names withheld) for security reasons, was among the security agents escorting motorists and passengers before he was shot dead. About five commercial vehicles and a patrol vehicle belonging to CJTF were set ablaze, even as scores are still missing in the bush as of Sunday afternoon. Presently, our member, representing Gwoza at the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon Abdullahi Buba Abatcha and other concerned personalities have left Maiduguri to Gwoza to sympathize with families of the victims. However, the lawmaker representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, called for collaboration between the military and youths in Gwoza to end renewed killings in the community. Senator Ndume while confirming the incident said, he was informed about the road ambush and other attacks by Boko Haram terrorists, but could not ascertain the number of casualties. He said: Yes seriously, I was informed about the road ambush and other attacks by Boko Haram terrorists, but could not ascertain the number of casualties especially the road ambush by terrorists last Saturday in Gwoza. I knew that since the rainy season set in, several people particularly farmers in Gwoza were killed by terrorists. Although the military has been doing their best in degrading or eliminating remnants of Boko Haram in the North East, more needs to be done considering the renewed killings in my constituency like Gwoza town. READ MORE: Over 100 Terrorists Killed As ISWAP, Boko Haram Clash In Borno I want to also appeal to youths in Gwoza to wake up from their slumber and join the fight against Boko Haram like what Youths in Biu, Hawul, Askira-Uba, Chibok and other local government areas are doing in complementing efforts of security agencies in the fight against terrorism which have brought relative peace in those areas. I want to also call on the Local Government authorities in Gwoza to support men of the Civilian JTF, as well as the military to intensify efforts and address the renewed killings in Gwoza and its environs. It is regrettable to inform you that most of these killings in Gwoza are perpetrated by Youths in Gwoza who have joined Boko Haram and refused to surrender as witnessed in recent times. Therefore, I reiterate that Youths in Gwoza should please stop demonstrations or rioting whenever there is an attack, rather, they should join the forefront in the fight against Boko Haram like what is obtainable in many communities. My appeal to the military is to deploy more troops in Gwoza so that they can finish the work they have started so that these intermittent attacks on our farmers will stop. People are seriously living in fear, they are scared of going about their economic activities, our farmers are no longer going to their farms to harvest their crops due to fear of the unknown, and is very worrisome. Unknown gunmen, on Sunday night, kidnapped Matthew Abo, Benue State Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism. Abo was abducted from his residence at his hometown in Zaki-Biam community of Ukum Local Government Area of the State, which has been a major flashpoint of criminal activities. Information Nigeria reports that the victim was sworn-in as a member of the State Executive Council on August 29th, 2023. According to witnesses, the Commissioner was abducted by men who rode on four motorcycles to his house in Zaki-Biam, a rural town famous for being the largest yam market in the country. Tahav Agerzua, a former media aide to two ex-Governors of the state, in his account of the incident, said that when the gunmen arrived at Abos residence, they ordered everyone, including his wife and children to lie face down, after which they took him away to an unknown destination on one of the motorcycles. READ ALSO: NAFDAC Warns Against Use Of Products With Steroids, Others Banned Substances He added that the abductors compelled the commissioner at gunpoint to sit behind the rider of one of the motorcycles while a gunman sandwitched him. On his part, Kula Tersoo, Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, confirmed the incident, saying that, Unfortunately, he (commissioner) was kidnapped in his country home in Ukum LGA, around 8pm on, Sunday, September 24, 2023. He was in his home with his family, children and his people when the armed men came in. They forced him to a bike. We received the unfortunate development and His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia has already directed and detailed the security operatives to ensure his safe release from the kidnappers den. The South-East chapter of Labour Party (LP), has decried the growing insecurity in the South-East, particularly the recent killings in Imo State which resulted in the death of some security operatives. The LP in a statement in Enugu, by its National Vice Chairman, Innocent Okeke, labelled the killing in Umualumaku, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area as unnecessary and unjustified. Recall that gunmen killed no less than eight security agents in the state last week. The security agents comprised soldiers, policemen, and the Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps. These officers had families who depended on them for daily survival, and it is unjust that they had to answer for national calls with their lives, he said. According to Okeke, there were many more incidents involving the killing of security operatives in the area but most were unreported and not investigated. He lamented that no significant measures are being put in place to forestall further occurrences. This, he said, has made the region descend into a state of lawlessness and total anarchy where individuals are uncertain about their safety and residents leave in fear of death. READ ALSO: Imo Killings: Take Action On Insecurity, Dont Be Clueless Labour Party To Uzodinma The state of Imo has been tragically reduced to a graveyard, where the populace no longer fears the sight of blood and death as it flows and litters the streets daily. The sounds of firearms of varying calibres have engulfed the state, causing tensions that pose serious health concerns to both adolescents and the elderly, he said. The opposition political party however said that the problem could be resolved by both the federal and state governments understanding the reason for the militancy and taking measures to placate the agitation. Labour Party said that the idea of government leaders interpreting every suggestion by opposition parties to mean political rivalry does not make for a way of resolving the security impasse. The gospel of reelection is the only thing paramount on the lips of the government of Imo State, while the people are left defenceless. The high level of governmental intimidations, harassments, and threats to any group or individual who tries to come up with alternative ideas is another issue of concern today. The president of Nigeria, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu should understand that issues affecting any segment of Nigeria should be his concern. Imo state is part of the territory he governs, and he should be concerned about the lives, properties, and wellbeing of the people of Imo State. President Tinubu should rise above party affiliations and offer governance to everyone, he said Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over four tons of illicit and controlled drugs including consignments of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas, skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol during interdiction operations in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states. According to the NDLEA, no fewer than 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas with a total weight of 2,547.2 kilograms loaded in two Toyota Sienna buses were on Friday 22nd September intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway. NDLEAs Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday said the two suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe who were taking the consignments to the nations Federal Capital Territory for distribution have been arrested and taken into custody. READ ALSO: NDLEA Uncovers Illicit Drugs Concealed In Tomato Tins (Video) The statement disclosed that a Toyota Sienna buses marked KTU 582 HV was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.200kgs, while the second bus with registration number FKJ 329 YA was conveying 100 cartons of the substance with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280kgs. Similarly, the anti-narcotics agency said a 48-year-old woman, Mrs. Ugo Eluba, was also arrested in Abuja in a follow up operation after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 intercepted in Kogi state were traced to her. Meanwhile, NDLEA claimed its operatives intercepted 977 kilograms of skunk on September 20 in a trailer marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of maggi. According to the statement, the skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Ipele junction in Ondo state, adding that 959kgs of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto State, while the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada. NDLEA added that two suspects: Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar, have been arrested in connection with the seizure, while two other suspects: Mutari Abdulazeez, 31, and Ayuba Madaki, 28, were also arrested on Saturday, September 23, in the Zuba area of the FCT with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and 13, 930 pills of tramadol. In the same vein, Shuaibu Yusif, 27, and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were on Saturday 23rd September nabbed with 89.1kgs of skunk along Kano -Hadejia road, Jigawa state during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives. Meanwhile, NDLEA said no fewer than 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from a suspect, Usman Musa Sidi, 35, on Monday 18th September along Abuja Forest road, Kaduna while on his way to Bauchi state. The agency further disclosed that a follow up operation in Bauchi led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, 35, on Tuesday 19th September, with at least 2.58kgs of Diazepam and 36.55kgs of pentazocine injection recovered from his home, adding that two other suspects: Inuwa Nuhu and Isiyaku Dahiru Sani were also arrested same Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 49 blocks of cannabis sativa concealed in a black sack weighing 26kgs in a commercial vehicle coming from Ogere, Ogun state to Kano. In a related development, a total of 183kgs of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered by the NDLEA from body compartments of a J5 bus intercepted in Lagos on Wednesday 20th September, operatives in Sokoto, on Tuesday 19th September arrested one Charles Okeke, 44, with 473 bottles of codeine syrup at Unguwar Kosai area of Sokoto, while 365 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 258kgs were recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KTU 886 EZ at Igarra, Akoko Edo LGA. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Sunday, condemned the comment of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which described supporters of the party as bandits and terrorists. NNPP noted that the statement of the court was to tarnish the image of its leaders and members. The party in a statement released through its National Auditor, Ladipo Johnson, said it was surprised with the portions of the publication where a member of the panel, Justice Benson Anya, discredited NNPP members, who, he described the gang of Red Cap wearers who, like a violent and terrorist cult, chased us out of Kano and put us in the fear of our lives. Johnson reiterated that the NNPP would consider all options including petitioning the National Judicial Council over the utterances of the Judge, and shall appeal the tribunals verdict. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Justice Anya, had earlier said that: Instead of some Kano politicians to be allowed to use banditry and violence to abort democracy in Kano State, justice will be used to stop them from destroying democracy in Kano and upward. However, Johnson, condemned the comment of the judge adding that it is unbecoming of a judge and defender of the law. READ MORE: Tribunal Sacks NNPPs Abba Kabir As Kano Governor He said: Of course, the indecorous, libellous and outright condemnable comments credited to the panel and especially those portions where Justice Benson Anya went beyond his judicial bounds of immunity and acted as if he is an interested party in the matter by casting aspersions on the leadership and members of NNPP, are spurious, regrettable, uncouth and based on sentiments. To any rational observer, it should be glaringly obvious that Justice Anyas lengthy rebuke, insult and insensitive remarks against NNPP individually and collectively were rather unprecedented, and not based on the facts, evidence and law before the Tribunal. One would think that he has taken sides as an interested party and as such has prejudiced the judgement of the court. According to him, Justice Benson Anya may have been trying to curry public sympathy by painting the NNPP as wearers of the red cap terrorists and bandits. He said it was a terrible application of sentiments to validate a historic and epic miscarriage of justice. An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, identified as Olajide Ojukoya, has reportedly been stabbed by a yet-to-be-identified driver. He was said to have been stabbed by the driver in the early hours of Sunday, while trying to evade arrest for a traffic offence in the Costain area of the state. This was contained in a statement made available to The Punch on Sunday by the Public Relations Officer of the traffic regulator, Adebayo Taofeek. READ ALSO: LASTMA Warns Movie, Skit Makers Over Unauthorized Use Of Uniform According to the statement, the driver who was apprehended for violating traffic rules, stabbed Ojukoya as a means of evading his arrest. The statement read, Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority today arrested a driver of a painted Volkswagen T4 commercial bus (LSR 966 YE) for stabbing a Lastma officer after being apprehended for serious traffic obstruction around Costain round-about, Lagos. He disclosed further that the enforcement operations were carried out around Costain round-about inward Iponrin after several warnings by the state government to commercial bus/private car drivers to make use of designated bus stops before picking up or dropping passengers/friends across the state. Our enforcement team had successfully apprehended the driver despite dangerous driving attempts to escape before he brought out a knife and stabbed me. After seeing the deep cut he had inflicted with the knife, he decided to strip himself naked and caused serious commotions before he was eventually arrested by policemen from the Iponri police station, Ojukoya stated. The PRO stated further, After his arrest, dangerous weapons cutlass and knife, were recovered inside his commercial Volkswagen T4 bus by security officers. The government had confirmed that the arrested driver would be immediately prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other recalcitrant drivers. Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has given a 13-year-old boy, Greatness Ebisike, N10 million for his mathematical brilliance. Orji Uchenna Orji, former Commissioner for Information and National Orientation under ex-Governor Umahis administration in Ebonyi State, who disclosed this, stated that the event occurred in Lagos on Umahis way to an official event at Victoria Island. The senior secondary one (SS1) student from Abia State, was said to have aced all mathematical questions without using a calculator. It was a great and remarkable day for Greatness Ebisike, a highly skilled and mathematically talented chap, when he encountered the usual and rare benevolence of the Hon. Minister of Works, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Engr. David Nweze Umahi. The chap who is currently in his Senior Secondary School One in Lagos is 13 years old and hails from Abia State. His sense of mathematical calculation and accuracy in result is simply amazing. He is quick in providing answers to algebraic questions, especially questions on multiplication and addition in Mathematics. Ask him any mathematical question and he replies correctly in just few seconds. READ ALSO: Akwa-Ibom: Im Being Threatened To Share Money Or Risk Second Term Gov. Eno A team that accompanied the minister posed several algebraic questions and he rattled them with dispatch and gave them nothing but the answers. When he was asked to give the sum of 707070, he didnt waste a moment in giving the answer as 343,000. You need to see the passion, the speed, the zeal and the energy with which he tackled every question be was asked. The Minister of Works who also witnessed the rattling of the chap was enthused by his performance. The Minister made a gift of N10 million instantly to the talented chap to assist in furthering his education. He urged him to keep up the passion and get developed in the passion as that would make him a precious resource in the world market. The chap dined with the Hon. Minister and received executive handshake from the Hon. Minister together with his guardian, the statement read. The minister however encouraged Nigerians to develop talents around them for the countrys future. Veteran Nollywood actor Yemi Adeyemi, popularly known as Suara, is dead. According to a statement released by his family and signed by the deceaseds son Adedotun Adeyemi on Monday, the actor was said to have died on Sunday. The statement reads, It is with a heavy heart but with total submission to God that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, Oluyemi Lawrence Adeyemi (Suara) who went to be with the Lord on Sunday, September 24, 2023. READ ALSO: Nollywood Actress, Cindy Amadi, Is Dead We are consoled because we know that he has gone to rest. We kindly request that the family be allowed some privacy in this time of grief. More details about the burial will be communicated soon. Art and culture administrator Mufu Onifade described Adeyemis death as shocking in a Facebook post. This is shocking and sad! Very painful; and Im just distraught right now. The shocking news just hit me that Uncle Yemi Adeyemi (popularly called Baba Suara) passed on last night. A great actor, producer and Ifa priest of note, he had been involved in many television and stage productions including Yemoja written by Prof. Ahmed Yerima and performed in Nigeria and Mexico by the National Troupe of Nigeria. May the soul of this great Thespian find solace in the Supreme Being, Onifade wrote in the Facebook post. The House of Representatives, on Sunday, disclosed that it is working on a framework that will lift 16.5 million Nigerians out of poverty. Almustapha Aliyu, Chairman of the House Committee on Alternative Education, said in the past weeks, several engagements were held with relevant government agencies towards actualising the goal. Note that, a 2022 data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor. The lawmaker, said the needed machinery has been put in place to achieve the intervention which is targeted at reducing poverty in the six geo-political zones of the country. Giving a breakdown, Aliyu added that the objective of the intervention is to lift four million people out of poverty in the north-east; 3.4 million in north-west ; 2.5 million in north-central; 3 million in south-east; 2.1 million in south-south and 1.6m in south-west. According to the lawmaker, the framework will also ensure that 14 million out-of-school children return to school. A 2022 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), shows that over 20 million children and youths are out of school in Nigeria. READ ALSO: House Of Reps To Resume Tuesday Early this year, Adamu Adamu, the then Minister of Education, said Nigeria accounts for 12.4 percent of out-of-school children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aliyu said the out-of-school children will also be trained with relevant skills to become productive members of their communities. The lawmaker said the intervention by the lower legislative chamber under the leadership of Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House, in partnership with government agencies, will improve access to education for all Nigerian children in line with the aspirations of sustainable development goals. He furthered that the project christened: Nigeria Mass Reduction of Out-of-School Children and Youth Project (NiMPROP), will run for four years. The committee, he posited, will work with concerned government agencies including; the national commission of almajiri and out-of-school children; the national commission for mass literacy, adult and non-formal education; and the national commision for nomadic education. Amazon Prime Video will include advertising during shows and movies starting early next year, joining other streaming services that have added different tiers of subscriptions. Members of Amazon Prime can pay $2.99 per month in the U.S. to keep their service ad-free, the company said Friday. Streaming services are in a heated tug-of-war over viewers and users are growing more adept at jumping in and out of those services, often depending on price. The platforms risk losing customers with price hikes, but they could lose them if they dont generate new content that wins over users. Disney will begin charging $13.99 a month in the U.S. for ad-free Disney+ in mid-October, 75% more than the ad-supported service. Netflix already charges $15.49 per month for its ad-free plan, more than twice the monthly subscription for Netflix with ads. Advertisement Amazon said limited advertisements will be aired during shows and movies starting early next year so that it can continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time. Live events on Amazon Prime, like sports, already include advertising. Ads in Prime Video content will start in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada in early 2024, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in the year. Amazon said that its not making changes to the price of Prime membership next year. It plans to announce pricing for ad-free programming for countries other than the U.S. at a later time. For U.S. users, Amazon said it will send out an email to Prime members several weeks before ads are introduced into its programs with information on how to sign up for the ad-free option if they choose to do so. Amazons Prime Video is part of a much bigger slate of perks that come with Amazon Prime membership. Members also get free shipping for goods bought on Amazon.com, groceries, online music and more. In June Amazon was accused by the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly engaging in a yearslong effort to enroll consumers without consent into Amazon Prime and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions. An Amazon spokesperson said at the time that the FTCs claims were false. Gina Lovasi, dean of Drexels Dornsife School of Public Health, on Drexels campus in Philadelphia after welcoming the latest class of incoming students to Dornsife. Read more Gina Lovasi, the interim dean of Drexel Universitys Dornsife College of Public Health, recently welcomed the schools latest class of public health students. Lovasi, whos been at Drexel for seven years, formerly ran the schools Urban Health Collaborative, a research center that aims to improve public health outcomes and reduce disparities in cities. She then served as the schools associate dean for education and was named interim dean of the college in June. She spoke with The Inquirer about teaching public health in 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the subject into wider public consciousness than ever before. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. The pandemic made people more aware of the field of public health. What effect has that had on the school? One of the ways thats been showing up for us is that we have a lot more students interested in taking our courses. So weve gone through a process of making sure that were welcoming to all the learners, even ones that are based in majors outside of public health, who want to take one or more public health courses while theyre here. Sometimes that does result in people transferring into public health as their major. So weve been excited to see that growth, and were working on making sure that we have the ability to provide an excellent experience as courses grow. We offer more courses, more often, so we have them both in person and online, to give flexibility to meet learners where they are. How has the pandemic changed your approach to educating students about public health? We have a need to train people and share that health is not only determined by health care. I think the inequities that we saw in who was most likely to experience infection and death from COVID-19 it reinforces the long-standing commitment that our school has to looking at social determinants of health. Its not just about whether you get a COVID test, or whether you get a vaccine, but whether your workplace environment is supportive of staying home when youre sick, whether you have a neighborhood environment that supports a healthy lifestyle that keeps you from having some of the risk factors we know exacerbated COVID-19 infection and mortality risk. Advertisement Its not only the pandemic that has [inspired] people to come into public health. I had a student who had been involved in the Flint water crisis. We have students who have come from clinical practice, who have come from social work. Coming in and wanting to address inequities is a theme that I hear really strongly from our students. What is Dornsifes relationship with the community here in Philadelphia and outside the city? In West Philly, we have the Promise Zone projects that are about having a supportive environment, from cradle to career, for people who live in our vicinity, and making sure were serving that area. As we broaden out to more of Philadelphia, we have student placements with community organizations, including the Philadelphia health department. Some of our students are also placed in and serving public health-related work in other parts of the U.S. we have several important global programs where students support, for example, water and sanitation work. What are the most pressing public health concerns in Philly? How should public health officials and students prioritize addressing them? There are different ways to decide how to prioritize [public health concerns]. To me, whats been interesting and surprising, is that I think theres been a shift between wanting to rank which diseases are causing the most death and disability to thinking about which areas for potential action have the best reach to make improvements. This fall, Im teaching an Introduction to Public Health class. We go through the leading causes of death, these different metrics that help us to prioritize like, which are causing the strongest health burdens? Cardiovascular disease, COVID-19, stroke, cancer, injury, are often among the strongest causes of death. Substance-related deaths and violence are also very salient. But what I see as newly possible in public health is shifting to [studying] some of the broader threats to health and society. Im thinking about the ways we could bring resources to have neighborhoods that meet the needs of the residents, in terms of housing, access to goods and services, clean air and water. If we could find ways to reduce violence and trauma in peoples lives, we would see benefits across a lot of categories of health outcomes the diseases that we usually categorize our work by. That hasnt been the way we [traditionally] organize our work. But I think we have a lot of potential within our school to address those [threats]. The particular risks for an infants accidental suffocation in many respects are situational. Read more 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. Advertisement 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. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces journalism about health issues. A "No Lithium No Mine!" sign is displayed on April 24, 2023, on the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation near McDermitt, Nev. Read more Pennsylvania is the countrys third-largest producer of electricity, behind only Texas and Florida. The bulk of our states energy comes from coal, gas, and nuclear. Solar, wind, and hydropower account for only 3% of Pennsylvanias energy production, yet left-wing environmental groups have been attacking the development of our states abundant natural resources, saying they pollute the Earth and are the cause of climate change. Earlier this year, the State College, Pa.-based company EC Power and Flux Power, a battery manufacturer based in San Diego, announced plans to build a lithium-ion battery factory in Philipsburg, Pa., potentially bringing 150 jobs to the region. Those batteries power the electric vehicles that environmentalists promise will save the Earth. What the environmental left fails to grasp is there is no panacea. All solutions have a cost. Electric vehicles are not without environmental consequences. There are swaps and trade-offs necessary to power the modern world while protecting the environment. Denigrating oil and gas while ignoring the environmental consequences of mining lithium for electric-powered vehicles undermines the moral superiority that environmentalists exhibit to shame the rest of us. Advertisement Even Michael Bloomberg, who recently dedicated his fortune to a war on petrochemicals, acknowledges the unreasonableness exhibited by many on the left. We are not going to get away from using oil for the next 10 or 15 years, Bloomberg remarked at a recent Climate Summit hosted by the New York Times, and we are not going to say everybody that has a gas-guzzling car cant drive it anymore, and they will have to start walking today. You have to be practical. But thats not happening, and Bloomberg is part of the problem. He and other environmentalists fail to recognize that the very harms they acknowledge from climate change namely, the destruction of Indigenous peoples lands and way of life also happen with lithium mining. South Americas Lithium Triangle where Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina meet is home to 67% of the worlds lithium reserves, and is where most mining now takes place. As Carlos Guzman, an Indigenous man living near Argentinas border with Chile, told the Washington Post in 2016, These lands are ancestral. We live by this. By the fields. By our cattle. This way of life is in danger. To be sure, not every Indigenous person is against lithium mining the same article notes that the mining has created jobs and economic opportunities where there arent many. Similar opposition has unfolded in Nevada, where a group of Indigenous people called People of Red Mountain oppose the proposed Thacker Pass Lithium Mine near the border of Nevada and Oregon. The mine is a central part of President Joe Bidens clean energy agenda. The impacts of lithium mining could be coming home to Pennsylvania soon. Experts are eyeing our states potential for extracting rare earth minerals, and have discovered highly concentrated lithium in Pennsylvanias Marcellus Shale. No creation of energy is environmentally neutral. Unless we all want to slap on a fig leaf and return to the nomadic life on foot, there are consequences to our actions, both good and bad. Thats why a balanced approach to energy is so important. But thats not whats happening. While fighting to hamper safe and affordable natural gas production in Pennsylvania, two of the largest environmental groups in the state PennEnvironment and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council are pushing for more government subsidies for battery-powered electric vehicles. They do this while claiming that electric vehicles reduce pollution when lithium mining has been shown to harm the soil, contaminate the air and groundwater, destroy ecosystems, and force Indigenous people out of their ancestral lands. No one is for this. Thats why the government needs to get out of the business of picking winners and losers in the energy sector and focus instead on positive incentives for the free market to effectively address environmental issues. I find it hard to believe that the well-funded environmental movement packed with scholars and experts at leading institutions, including in the government lacks the basic knowledge and resources required to acknowledge the environmental issues with lithium. Ignoring results that do not comport with ones worldview is a credibility killer. Instead of denigrating skeptics as Biden did when he called those who disagree lying, dog-faced pony soldiers environmentalists should look at their cognitive dissonance on issues like lithium as the reason so many people doubt the truthfulness and authenticity of their claims. Just last year, Biden said, Great nations dont hide from their history. Great nations dont hide from their hypocrisy, either. If past Americans got our energy system wrong, then perhaps the president and his environmentalist allies should stop patterning their behavior on past imperialism, and instead show us how to do it right. AM Best also anticipates a continued strengthening of Hotai Insurance's capital position throughout 2023, supported by the release of pandemic insurance reserves as policies mature, expected favourable operating performance from traditional insurance classes, and return on investments. The projection is for the company to progress from a very weak level as of year-end 2022 to a weak level as of year-end 2023, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), with further enhancement anticipated in the following two years, although a return to pre-COVID-19 capital and surplus levels over the same period is unlikely. Discussion around this insurance issue, said Merkin, concerned the proximate cause of the explosion and whether it was the defusing of the bomb, in which case it wouldnt be an exclusion. Or, he said, if the proximate cause was that it was dropped by the Germans in the 1940s as an act of war, so therefore it would be excluded. In its announcement, Vesttoo said: The court ruled in the companys favor on both requests, providing a temporary restraining order on the 14th of September. The court approved a foreclosure of 90,002,116 NIS (New Israeli Sheqel) on Bertele and Lifshitz assets, as well as 27,602,116 NIS on the other two employees and the finder. DJ Bettencourt is settling in after he was confirmed as the states insurance commissioner, more than a month after he was nominated to the post by Gov. Chris Sununu. As commissioner, my key priorities include making New Hampshire a gold standard for mental health parity, preserving the small-group market to ensure access to affordable coverage for small businesses, and assisting non-profits in obtaining critical insurance coverages to support their vital work in the community, Bettencourt said in a statement last week, shortly after the states Executive Council approved his appointment. Bettencourt, a former state legislator, replaces Commissioner Christopher Nicolopoulos, who did not seek reappointment at the end of his term. Bettencourt has served as deputy insurance commissioner since early 2021. After resigning from the state House of Representatives in 2012, he served as Sununus liaison to the Insurance Department for four years, and worked with insurance companies on market stability and other issues, according to news reports. In August, Bettencourt issued a bulletin reminding insurers and agencies that they must notify the department when terminating producers. He said in the news release that the department will continue to recruit talent, modernize operations and improve efficiency. Over the past year, the department has achieved significant milestones that underscore its commitment to safeguarding consumers and ensuring the stability of the insurance market, Bettencourt said. These accomplishments include processing an unprecedented number of insurance adjusters and producers, exceeding tax revenue projections, and achieving record consumer recoveries. Aviva said on Monday it had agreed to buy the UK life insurance business of AIG for 460 million pounds ($563 million), in the largest acquisition to date by the British insurers CEO Amanda Blanc. Aviva said it would buy the unit known as AIG Life UK from Corebridge Financial Inc, a New York-listed company majority-owned by AIG. Over the past three years, Blanc has prioritized hiking Avivas investor returns and refocused the company on its core markets by raising billions selling business units around the world. Analysts at RBC said they viewed the deal as a sensible use of cash raised on a recent stake sale in Singapore Life, adding that their forecast for a 300 million pound share buyback at full-year results was unchanged. Aviva shares dipped 0.4% in early trading. Blanc said the deal would strengthen the FTSE 100 companys position in an attractive market and help position it for capital-light growth. The transaction will add 1.3 million individual protection customers and 1.4 million group protection members, Aviva said, with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. The deal would represent around a 5 percentage point cut to Avivas group solvency II cover ratio, the company said. Peter Zaffino, chairman and CEO of AIG and chairman of Corebridge, said the deal would help focus the business on life and retirement products in the United States. Corebridge was formed in 2021 when AIG spun off its life and retirement business and sold a portion of the company to Blackstone for $2.2 billion. AIG took Corebridge public in September last year, in a share offering that raised $1.7 billion. ($1 = 0.8173 pounds) (Reporting by Iain Withers, editing by Louise Heavens) Topics Mergers & Acquisitions AIG Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of more than 160 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois, recently welcomed two alliance agencies to its members-only Commercial Marketing pod program. VIAA offers this exclusive carrier rating platform service to only 15 alliance agencies. VIAAs Commercial Marketing pod program utilizes an experienced alliance employee to assist agents with obtaining the best quotes for commercial clients. The newest marketing members are Thomas Insurance Advisors and Wiley Insurance Agency. Thomas Insurance Advisors is a full-service insurance agency founded in 2007 that specializes in business, home, and automobile insurance. The company is owned by Gary Thomas. Wiley Insurance Agency is a full-service agency founded in 2014 that specializes in personal, commercial, farm, and life insurance. The company is owned by lifelong West Plains resident Traci Wiley, who has 30 years of insurance industry experience in the community. Our service brings invaluable in-house product and marketing solutions to a select number of alliance agencies, said VIAAs President JD Powers. In 2022, members received an average of $2.04 in commission for every dollar invested in payroll toward our Commercial Marketing Pod program. Powers added that, our brokering commercial insurance service was created to allow these members the time to focus solely on sales opportunities, which is a win-win situation for everyone in this partnership. Topics Agencies Commercial Lines Business Insurance Missouri BOSTON (AP) A leading Egyptian opposition politician was targeted with spyware after announcing a presidential bid, security researchers reported Friday. They said Egyptian authorities were likely behind the attempted hack. Discovery of the attempt last week by researchers at Citizen Lab and Googles Threat Analysis Group prompted Apple to rush out operating system updates for iPhones, iPads, Mac computers and Apple Watches to patch the associated vulnerabilities. Citizen Lab said in a blog post that recent attempts to hack former Egyptian lawmaker Ahmed Altantawy involved configuring his connection to the Vodaphone Egypt mobile network to automatically infect his devices with the Predator spyware if he visited certain websites not using the secure HTTPS protocol. Bill Marczak, the researcher involved at the University of Toronto-based internet watchdog, declined to provide more detail on how he and Google researcher Maddie Stone discovered the spyware exploit chain, which he said was sent to Altantawy`s phone via SMS and WhatsApp links from Egyptian soil. Once infected, the Predator spyware turns a smartphone into a remote eavesdropping device and lets the attacker siphon off data. It`s scary the fact that the government can essentially select anyone on Vodafone Egypts network and perhaps other networks for infections and they just flip a switch and select them for targeting, he said. Marczak said the most likely scenario here is that, yes, there is this cooperation from from Vodafone. Altantawy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on being targeted by the alleged spyware, nor did Egyptian officials. Citizen Lab had previously identified Egypt as a customer of Predator`s maker, Cytrox, and determined that Altantawy`s phone was successfully hacked with it in 2021 in a separate incident. Citizen Lab also previously documented Predator infections affecting two exiled Egyptians, and in a joint probe with Facebook determined that Cytrox had customers in countries including Armenia, Greece, Indonesia, Madagascar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Serbia. Altantawy, a former journalist and lawmaker, announced in March his bid to challenge incumbent President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi in 2024, who has overseen a sharp crackdown on political opposition. Rights groups accuse el-Sissis administration of targeting dissent with brutal tactics forced disappearances, torture and long-term detentions without trial. Altantawy, family members and supporters have complained of being harassed, which led him to ask Citizen Lab researchers to analyze his phone for potential spyware infection. We didnt see any evidence of a successful hack, but we did note that he had (the phone) in lockdown mode, said Marczak. Apple offers lockdown mode for iPhone users at high risk of being targeted with spyware, who include human rights activists, journalists and opposition politicians in countries like Egypt. In July, the U.S. added Predator`s maker, Cytrox, to its blacklist for developing surveillance tools deemed to have threatened U.S. national security as well as individuals and organizations worldwide. That makes it illegal for U. S. companies to do business with them. Israel NSO Group, maker of the Pegasus spyware, was similarly sanctions in November 2021. The reported use of Predator in Greece helped precipitate the resignation last year of two top government officials, including the national intelligence director. The latest discovery brings to five the number of zero-day vulnerabilities to Apple software for which patches have been released this month. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Cyber Leadership The Federal Trade Commission is expected to sue Amazon.com Inc. for antitrust violations next week, according to people familiar with the matter marking the agencys fourth swipe at the online retail giant this year. The lawsuit, expected to be filed in federal court by the agency, marks a groundbreaking moment for FTC Chair Lina Khan, who shot to fame as a law student for a legal article about how to rethink antitrust law to apply to Amazon in the digital age. The antitrust complaint is expected to focus on how Amazons pricing policies, already the subject of a suit by Californias attorney general, Prime and allegations the company illegally ties merchant access to its marketplace to use of its logistics service, the people said, speaking anonymously to discuss a pending complaint. Prime membership has been a key differentiator for Amazon, helping it convert occasional shoppers into loyal devotees who make the company their default choice when shopping online. Politico first reported the news on Friday. The antitrust and consumer protection agency has had Amazon in its sights for more than four years. The FTC during the Trump administration opened a probe into potential anticompetitive conduct related to several aspects of Amazons business, including its marketplace where both the company and third-party merchants sell goods and the Prime subscription service. Under Khan, the agency refined the probe and opened new investigations into the tech company. In August, company executives met with Khan and the FTCs two other commissioners to discuss the potential suit, though no settlement was offered. The agency sued Amazon in May in two separate cases for failing to delete data about children collected by its Alexa speakers and illegally spying on users of its Ring doorbells and cameras. Amazon said it disagreed with the FTCs allegations, but agreed to pay $30.8 million to resolve the suits. A month later, the agency filed another suit against the company, alleging that it duped consumers into signing up for the Prime subscription service and then deliberately made it difficult to cancel. Just this week, the FTC amended its complaint to add three Amazon executives as defendants in the case, arguing the trio ignored pleas by employees to stop using techniques to mislead or trick users into signing up for a recurring bill. The company is contesting the allegations in that case. Photo: Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg Topics Lawsuits OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An Oklahoma judge was arrested in Austin, Texas, last week after authorities say he opened fire on parked vehicles while out driving, striking at least one of them, and intentionally crashed into a woman`s vehicle, telling officers later that she had cut him off. Brian Lovell, an associate district judge in Garfield County, Oklahoma, was arrested Sept. 11 on a misdemeanor count of reckless driving. A felony count of engaging in deadly conduct with a firearm was forwarded to a grand jury for consideration. Lovell was released on $10,000 bond and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. We have zero comment, said a woman who answered a phone call Friday to a number listed as Lovell`s. The woman identified herself as Lovell`s wife but declined to give her name. Lovell didn`t immediately reply to a phone message left at another number listed as his, and he declined to comment to a KFOR-TV reporter who went to his home in Waukomis, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City. According to an Austin police affidavit, officers were called just after 4 p.m. on Sept. 11 by a witness who reported a man firing approximately five times while driving down the street, striking at least one of the parked vehicles. About 90 minutes later, police responded to a call about a crash less than 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the shooting scene, where a woman said a man had deliberately collided into the rear of her vehicle twice. Lovell and his SUV matched the description of the shooter, according to the affidavit. He told police he believed the woman had cut him off in traffic and although he acknowledged their vehicles had collided, he did not admit the collisions were intentional, according to the document. Lovell told police there were two handguns in his vehicle, but he said he did not know why he would have shot his gun and could not recall any part of the shooting incident, according to the affidavit. Paul Woodward, the presiding administrative judge for the Garfield County district, said Lovell agreed to not preside over any cases until his own case is resolved. Hes been a good friend and colleague for years. Its hard for me to believe any of this, Woodward said. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Auto Oklahoma ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Residents in parts of coastal North Carolina and Virginia experienced flooding Saturday after Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall near a North Carolina barrier island, bringing rain, damaging winds and dangerous surges. The storm came ashore near Emerald Isle with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph (113 kph) at around 6:15 a.m. but its winds weakened as it traveled north Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Ophelia is expected to sweep northeast Sunday along the mid-Atlantic coast up to New Jersey. Videos from social media showed riverfront communities in North Carolina such as New Bern, Belhaven and Washington experiencing significant flooding. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Even before it made landfall, the storm proved treacherous enough that five people had to be rescued by the Coast Guard on Friday night from a boat anchored down near the North Carolina coastline. Ophelia promises a weekend of windy conditions and heavy rain as it churns up the East Coast, with the storm moving north at about 12 mph (19 kph) as of Saturday evening. Parts of North Carolina and Virginia can expect up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain, with 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 centimeters) forecast in the rest of the mid-Atlantic region through Sunday. Some New Jersey shore communities, including Sea Isle City, had already experienced some flooding Saturday. Philippe Papin, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said the primary risk of the storm system over the next couple of days will be the threat of floods from the rain. There have been tropical storm-force winds observed, but those are starting to gradually subside as the system moves further inland, Papin said in an interview early Saturday. However, there is a significant flooding rainfall threat for a large portion of eastern North Carolina into southern Virginia over the next 12 to 24 hours. Power outages spread through more states beyond North Carolina, where tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without electricity across several eastern counties as of Saturday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. When you have that slow-moving storm with several inches of rain, coupled with a gust that gets to 30, 40 miles per hour, thats enough to bring down a tree or to bring down limbs, Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks told WTVD-TV on Saturday. And thats what weve seen in most of the areas where weve experienced outages. Brian Haines, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, said there were also reports of downed trees, but no major road closings. North Carolina Emergency Management continues to monitor the situation and to work with our county partners, who are currently not reporting any resource needs, Haines said Saturday morning. A storm surge warning, indicating danger from rising ocean water pushed inland by Ophelia, was in effect from Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia. Surges between 2 and 4 feet (0.6 and 1.2 meters) were forecast in some areas. A tropical storm warning was issued from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to Fenwick Island, Delaware. Five people, including three children 10 or younger, needed the Coast Guard`s help on the water when conditions worsened Friday. They were aboard a 38-foot (12-meter) catamaran anchored in Lookout Bight in Cape Lookout, North Carolina, stuck in choppy water with strong winds. According to the Coast Guard, the sailboat`s owner called them on a cellphone, prompting a nighttime rescue mission in which the crew used flares to navigate to the five people using a Coast Guard boat, then helped them aboard and left the sailboat behind. A Coast Guard helicopter lit up the path back to the station. There were no injuries reported and all five were wearing lifejackets. At the southern tip of North Carolina`s Outer Banks, Carl Cannon Jr. said he hopes he can salvage some of this weekend`s long-running Beaufort Pirate Invasion, a multiday event centering on the 1747 Spanish attack on the town. Three ships battle it out and attack the shore, and Blackbeard even gets beheaded, he said. But the storm`s winds tore down the big tent for a banquet that was planned for Saturday and several other tents were damaged or shredded. Cannon Jr. worries the financial hit will be significant, even with people helping clean up and offering to run online fundraisers. It`s been pretty devastating, said Cannon Jr., CEO and commander of the nonprofit running the event. I`m just hoping that we somehow will be able to recover. Cannon Jr. also hopes that soggy, windy conditions will allow for pirate reenactors to clash Sunday in Beaufort. If I can get the boats out there, we will have an attack and the people will fight on the shore, he said. Elsewhere, the impact was more modest. Aaron Montgomery, 38, said as the rain started coming down hard on Saturday, he noticed a leak in the roof of the home his family just moved into in Williamsburg, Virginia. Still, they were able to safely make the hour-long drive for his wife`s birthday to Virginia Beach, where he said the surf and wind was strong but it had stopped raining. No leak in a roof is insignificant, so it`s certainly something we have to deal with Monday morning, he said. The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland each declared a state of emergency on Friday. It is not uncommon for one or two tropical storms, or even hurricanes, to develop right off the East Coast each year, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said. Were right at the peak of hurricane season, we can basically have storms form anywhere across much of the Atlantic basin, Brennan said in an interview Friday. Scientists say climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach into mid-latitude regions more often, making storms like this months Hurricane Lee more common. One study simulated tropical cyclone tracks from pre-industrial times, modern times and a future with higher emissions. It found that hurricanes would track closer to the coasts including around Boston, New York and Virginia and be more likely to form along the Southeast coast. Photo: Zach Wright, 12, skimboards in floodwaters from the Lafayette River in the Larchmont Neighborhood of Norfolk, Virginia on Friday, as Tropical Storm Ophelia approaches. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood North Carolina Virginia ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Florida agriculture losses from Hurricane Idalia are estimated at between $78 million and $371 million, with farmers also suffering widespread damage to such infrastructure as irrigation rigs and fences, according to a preliminary report Thursday from the University of Florida. The Category 3 hurricane came ashore Aug. 30 along Florida`s Big Bend region with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph (205 kph), sweeping across rural areas that include crops such as peanuts and cotton as well as cattle, poultry and aquaculture operations. Predicted losses for livestock are pegged at between $30.1 million and $123.4 million, according to the University of Florida`s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences report. Estimates for field and row crop losses are between $30.7 million and $93.6 million, with greenhouse and nursery products accounting for between $4.7 million and $68.8 million. Researchers said the wide ranges in these estimates will narrow as more on-the- ground assessments are completed. The storm`s main farm impacts occurred in Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor counties in an area between the Gulf of Mexico and the Georgia state line. Four people in Florida were killed during the hurricane, according to medical examiner reports to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Each storm brings different windspeeds and rainfall, and even though our methods allow us to estimate a credible range of losses given certain characteristics of a storm, we still rely on first-hand reports to fully understand the losses and damages caused by a particular storm, said Xiaohui Qiao, a university research professor and data analyst. The preliminary loss estimate does not include agricultural infrastructure, but the report found some of the worst losses were to irrigation systems, roofs blown off farm buildings and damage to fence lines. Researchers have difficulty calculating these losses initially using a variety of data sources and modeling because there isn`t enough baseline data available from past storms. However, we do believe that Idalia will help us gather critical information to build this baseline data for future assessments, said Christa Court, assistant professor in the university`s Food and Resource Economics Department. Also Thursday, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced an assistance program targeted at repair or replacement of existing irrigation systems. The program offers a reimbursement rate of 75% up to a maximum of $150,000 per producer or entity except those covered fully by insurance, according to a news release. Simpson said the program will support our hardest-hit growers who lost much of their 2023 crop and are now looking for ways to repair or replace hundreds of irrigation systems ahead of next growing season. The university`s report is one of several ways federal and state agencies determine how to distribute response and assistance in natural disasters such as hurricanes. A final report will be released in the coming weeks that will include county-by-county agricultural loss estimates. Florida agriculture and related industries such as processing accounted for more than $270 billion in sales revenue and supported some 2 million jobs in 2022, the University of Florida estimated. Only the tourism industry is larger in Florida. Photo: A flooded forest south of Perry, Florida, following Hurricane Idalia. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, file) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida Profit Loss Agribusiness NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A newly enacted Tennessee law designed to lower the threshold needed for Nashville leaders to approve improvements to its fairgrounds speedway violates the state`s constitution and cannot be enforced, a three-judge panel has ruled. Thursday`s unanimous ruling is the latest development in the ongoing tension between left-leaning Nashville and the GOP-dominated General Assembly, where multiple legal challenges have been filed over Republican-led efforts to undermine the city`s authority. The judges found that the statute targeting the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway violated the Tennessee Constitutions home rule, which says the Legislature cant pass measures singling out individual counties without local support. This means the law cannot be implemented. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed off on the law earlier this year after GOP lawmakers advanced the proposal over the objections of Democrats who represent Nashville. The law dictated that Nashville and any other similar sized city needed just a simple majority to make any demolition on its fairgrounds as long as the facilities would be used for substantially the same use before and after the improvements. The change to lower the approval threshold came as Bristol Motor Speedway is pushing the city to sign off on a major renovation of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway with the goal of eventually bringing a NASCAR race to the stadium. Currently, Nashville`s charter requires that such improvements require a supermajority. While the law didn`t specifically single out Music City, no other municipality fell within the statute`s limits. The Tennessee Attorney General`s office had argued that the law could be applied statewide, making it exempt from requiring local buy-in as required under the state constitution. However, the three-judge panel disagreed. Clearly, the General Assembly may pass laws that are local in form and effect. But the Tennessee Constitution commands that if it does, the legislation must include a provision for local approval, the judges wrote. (The law) does not include a local approval provision. A spokesperson for the attorney general did not respond to an email request for comment. The decision is one of several legal battles that have been swirling in state courts ever since the Republican-dominant Legislature enacted several proposals targeting Nashville after city leaders spiked a proposal to host the 2024 Republican National Convention last year. Angered that the Metro Council refused to entertain hosting the prominent GOP event, Republicans advanced proposals that cut the Democratic-leaning citys metro council in half and approved plans for the state to make enough appointments to control Nashville`s airport authority which manages, operates, finances and maintains the international airport and a smaller one in the city. Nashville leaders have since challenged the statutes and those lawsuits remain ongoing. Photo: (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Tennessee A looming shortage of sugar on global markets has revived bitter memories of how the once flourishing beet processing industry in Ireland was shut down with knock-on impacts on rural and urban communities. Over a period of 80 years from 1926, generations of rural and urban families were involved in what was a remarkable partnership that included the State through the Irish Sugar Company before it was privatised and taken over by Greencore in 1991. Beet growers, farmers, permanent and seasonal workers, haulage contractors, and other service providers were involved. Freight trains were even used to transport beet to the factories during the annual round-the-clock processing campaigns. Tonnes of white sugar were produced annually from beet grown on contract countrywide and processed at four strategically located factories in Carlow, Mallow, Thurles and Tuam. The Sugar Factory, Mallow. Pic: Gavin Browne FREE Irish Examiner gilet with an annual digital subscription Subscribe for 1.54/week Billed as 80 for first year. Ts&Cs apply The Sugar Company was a landmark industry that was developed out of the growing pains of the infant State and later diversified into many different enterprises. It set up the vegetable processing company, Erin Foods, and became the economic foundation of many urban and rural areas. Sugar beet was being grown in 22 counties, vegetables in 14 and potatoes in 12 when the company celebrated its golden jubilee in 1976. It was providing 10,000 jobs and exporting products including agricultural machinery to 40 countries at that time. Mallow Sugar Factory was the last of the sugar plants to be closed in 2006, despite strong opposition locally and nationally by those who pointed out that the industry was efficient, profitable and had a future. Greencores decision to close the factory followed radical proposals by the European Union to reform the sugar regime across member states to eliminate unprofitable production. But it left a sour taste and a lingering blame game. A report by the EU Court of Auditors in 2011 claimed the decision had been based on out-of-date figures concerning economic viability and may have been unnecessary. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food strongly denied the claim. Now, that whole issue is being recalled with reports that India is preparing to ban sugar exports next month for the first time in seven years to reserve supplies for its own population of around 1.4 billion people. Reports from New Delhi predict that Indias sugar production could fall by 3.3% in 2023 because of limited rainfall in key growing regions, coupled with exceptionally hot weather in the first half of the year. India is one of the worlds largest sugar producers and any decision it might take to prohibit exports would have a knock-on impact in other countries. Ireland is not directly affected by any such ban as the countrys sugar imports come from other European Union member states and the United Kingdom. But shortages in these countries could have a bearing on the prices that consumers here pay for their 1lb of sugar on the supermarket shelves. Shoppers have already noticed rising costs. With sugar a key ingredient of other commodities, there are also predictions that chocolate, confectionery, fizzy drinks, and other products could become more expensive. Beet growers and farmers protesting outside the sugar factory in Mallow, Co. Cork in 2005. Picture Dan Linehan Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue was asked by Deputy Clare Kirrane in the Dail in June what consideration he had given to re-establishing sugar beet processing in the State. He said the EU introduced a restructuring mechanism in 2006 with the intention to reduce overall production of sugar, noting the then global oversupply. Ireland secured 353 million as part of the reform package with some 220 million being distributed to beet growers and a further 6 million to machinery contractors in the sector. As part of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, agreement was secured on the abolition of sugar quotas from September 30, 2017. From that date, investors in the European Union, including Ireland, were free to put money into sugar-producing capacity if they wished. Minister McConalogue said some groups had expressed an interest in the redevelopment of the sugar sector. Two of them prepared desktop feasibility studies. In their findings, both proposals sought to develop a new sugar and bio-ethanol production facility with estimated capital costs at that time of between 250 million and 400 million. In 2018, I understand that Beet Ireland sought to engage with interested growers in an equity partnership proposal to develop a sugar processing facility in the south-east. However, the group announced in June 2019 that it was postponing its plans, he said. Minister McConalogue said any proposals to re-establish sugar production must be industry-led and supported by a robust business case that would attract the substantial level of funding required to support and underpin a new start-up of the scale required to re-establish the sector in Ireland. He said the importance of the tillage sector is recognised in the Food Vision 2030 strategy and in the Climate Action Plan 2023 where a target is set out to increase the area in tillage to 400,000 hectares. This is well founded given that the sector is one of the most carbon-efficient sectors of Irish agriculture. To help achieve this target, he recently established the Food Vision 2030 Tillage Group which had its first meeting in May. It brings together all relevant stakeholders to set out a roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the sector to 2030. I have tasked the group with providing a detailed plan and recommendations by the final quarter of this year, he said. Sean Sherlock, TD, also recalled in the Dail last June that Irish Sugar, once a stalwart and part of the backbone of Irish industrial policy, was sold to Greencore and privatised. We lost the sugar industry and now the Greencore site in Mallow is up for sale, he said, calling on the State to acquire it. Deputy Sherlock said he saw no reason why the site could not be used as a key reference point for alternative energy creation. Volcano, Sep 28-Oct 1 The Lir Academy When Volcano won the best production gong at the Irish theatre awards in 2022, it was not a popular choice. Not because of any lack of quality, but because, at that point, it had one short, COVID-constrained run in Galway under its belt. Now, Cork theatremaker and choreographer Luke Murphys show has been getting the exposure it deserves, with five-star reviews following. This newspaper hailed it recently as a scintillating assault on the senses, where Ballyturk meets Black Mirror. Dublin audiences can now finally see what all the fuss is about. Zona Franca, Sep 28-30, OReilly Theatre Zona Franca Picture: Renato Mangolin International work has always been a strong strand at the Dublin Theatre Festival, particularly given the cosmopolitan tastes of artistic director Willie White. This year, two of the most anticipated shows come from that cultural cauldron of a country, Brazil. Zona Franca opens the festival, a show from the acclaimed choreographer Alice Ripoll and the Cia Suave company, which wrestles with ideas of freedom against the countrys uncertain political backdrop, as it moves from the leadership of Jair Bolsonaro to Lula da Silva. After the Silence, Sep 29-30, Project Arts Centre After the Silence. Picture: Nurith Wagner-Strauss In another show from Brazil, Christiane Jatahy has adapted Itamar Vieira Juniors novel Torto Arado, or Crooked Plow, a work thats been likened to John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath, transposed to rural Brazils subsistence farmers. Jatahy, a recent winner of the Venice Biennales lifetime achievement award, mixes documentary, cinema, theatre, and art installation in her exploration of another politically charged Brazilian theme: the fight for land rights among the countrys black and indigenous communities. Someone Out There You, Sep 27-Oct 14 Abbey Theatre Since her play No Romance was staged at the Abbey in 2012, Nancy Harris has been a whip-sharp chronicler of modern life, family intrigue, and love, recently winning wider audiences with her TV series The Dry, starring Roisin Gallager. Harriss latest sees her back at the Abbey, with the premiere of a new romantic comedy about what happens when a woman hitherto unlucky in love brings home a new boyfriend who seems a little too good to be true. History Play, Oct 5-15, The Bank @ Digital Hub Gavin Quinn and Aedin Cosgrave have spent 30 years at Pan Pan creating their brand of ambitious, playful, ironic, postmodern theatre. Sometimes, as in 2005s One: Healing for Theatre, with its 100-strong cast, the scale has been astounding. At others, theyve crafted memorable work with emerging artists and youth theatre groups, or deconstructed classics like Oedipus Rex and Hamlet in revelatory ways. Whatever the approach, its always worthy of attention. For this years festival, Pan Pan is drafting in a Parliament of Historians including Caitriona Crowe, Diarmaid Ferriter, Roy Foster, and others, to create a performance that interrogates our ideas of history, whether official, personal or oral. To Be a Machine 2.0, Sep 28-Oct 8, Smock Alley Theatre The writer Mark OConnell and the Dead Centre company always appeared an ideal match. Both, in their different fields, deal in the multiple ironies and uncertainties of our uncanny moment, where whats real and unreal, natural and unnatural are more and more blurred. They have teamed up again this year to dive deeper into the ideas OConnell raises in his work about how humans and technology intersect. Audiences are invited to upload photos of themselves, and don VR headsets for a journey into the unexpected. The Mysterious Case of Kitsy Rainey, Oct 10-15, Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire The Man in the Womans Shoes first appeared in 2012 as an unassuming festival one-man show. It had a secret weapon, however: Mikel Murfis astoundingly versatile performance. On the back of that, the play has travelled the world, trailing acclaim in its wake, and spawning an equally beguiling sequel, I Hear You and Rejoice. Its audiences who will be rejoicing to see Murfi return to the smalltown world of cobbler Pat Farnon, with his new play, The Mysterious Case of Kitsy Rainey. For those whove not yet seen the first two parts of the trilogy, both of them will be performed during the festival too. One Song Histoire(s) du Theatre IV, Oct 13-15, O'Reilly Theatre One Song Histoire(s) du Theatre. For several years, the Ghent playhouse NTGent has asked a theatremaker one question: As a creator, what is your story? In this, the fourth instalment, acclaimed as a wild, exhilarating study in absurdity at the Avignon festival last year, Belgian artist Miet Warlop responds in her inimitable way: collecting 12 performers on stage for One Song, the unsurprising name for a show that involves multiple repeated performances of a single song over its duration. Theatre then as a challenge, perhaps as discomfort? Or as a celebration of ritual? That will be for each to decide for themselves. Garda security services are monitoring a small group of individuals in Ireland associated with an Islamic State offshoot that is causing growing concern across Europe over its violent intent. An Garda Siochana's intelligence chief also told the Irish Examiner that his officers are investigating around 60 cases of suspected financing of terrorism every year, most relating to monies destined for IS-type terror groups. Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgunn said there is particular concern around an expanding network known as Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) which, he said, has a small presence in Ireland. The head of the Garda National Crime & Security Intelligence Service (NCSIS) said his officers achieved significant success earlier this year after they blocked entry into Ireland of a key ISKP player. In a wide-ranging and rare interview, Asst Comm McElgunn said: Key individuals involved in violent Islamist groups number in the low double figures in Ireland while known supporters of such groups number in the higher end of double figures; Garda intelligence has dedicated departments assessing and investigating threats from four countries, with Russia and China understood to be the main actors. Gardai are investigating so-called illegals associated with these states people who are living in the wider community and not officially attached to diplomatic missions; The NCSIS is investigating what country or group is behind a recent fake Department of Justice letter targeting the Ukrainian community here; US extremist groups are providing funding to Irish far-right groups; Covid lockdowns and restrictions created an unsettling of people leading to disrespectful, hurtful and objectional behaviour that was once largely unknown becoming the norm. Asst Comm McElgunn said a particular threat has emerged from an offshoot of IS, which has its base in Pakistan and Afghanistan. There has been a concern for a while, and its growing, around one element of Islamic State, this Islamic State Khorasan Province, he said. This group has emerged and has a threat in over half of EU states and has a small presence here. This is a group that certainly has an intent of concern. Recently working with the Government we took steps to ensure that one individual associated with that group a person of concern not just to us but to others was not successful in attempts to come to Ireland. He did try, but he was unsuccessful. On a wider front, across all IS-type groups, Asst Comm McElgunn said numbers are relatively small in Ireland compared to many European countries: I would say in terms of key individuals of concern were talking about low double figures and then, the wider grouping support for them who come on our radar from time to time, youre bringing it up to the higher end of double figures. Around the same time the interview was taking place, details of a separate and lengthy counter-terrorism operation emerged, with six foreign nationals appearing before the Special Criminal Court on terrorism financing charges. About five years ago, we set up a group within Special Branch [Special Detective Unit] to investigate terrorist financing and they are now investigating, on average, 60 cases of terrorist financing a year, he said. On funding coming from abroad to far-right groups here, he said: We assess that some funding to groupings to the right of the political spectrum has its origins in like-minded US groups or individuals. At least 5,000 health workers employed by state-funded community and voluntary sector agencies have announced plans for an indefinite strike. The action commencing on October 17 is related to a pay dispute over different rates paid to the workers compared with counterparts employed directly by the state. Union representatives say the disparity is in excess of 10% for many workers. The decision comes after unions Forsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (Inmo) and Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (Siptu) balloted their members. The three unions said ballot returns demonstrated an overwhelming support for industrial action, up to and including strikes. Among the 19 agencies whose staff will begin indefinite strike action from Tuesday, October 17, are the Irish Wheelchair Association, Depaul Ireland and branches of Enable Ireland in Cork, Tralee, the East Coast and the Midwest Regions. The ballots took place following the breakdown of pay talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in July. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) said the strike action will involve thousands of health and community workers employed in community and voluntary sector agencies that are funded by the HSE or other state agencies. Ictu said the action will involve workers in a variety of grades and in multiple locations. The union said the strike would bring services to a halt. Organisations such as Enable Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and DePaul Ireland will be affected. 'The Government has been dragging its feet' Ictu general secretary Owen Reidy accused the Government of a failure to address a serious and growing problem on how the agencies are funded and difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff. Workers in the sector now have chosen to take action because the state, as the chief funding body for these services, has failed to grasp the seriousness of the staffing crisis in this sector, he said. Ashley Connolly, an official with Forsa, added: This is the action of last resort, and it has been a difficult decision for these workers, but theyve been left with no more options. The Government has been dragging its feet on the issue for years, while making conciliatory noises to health workers who urgently need pay improvements. Their colleagues are walking out the door for better terms elsewhere, and waiting lists for the services these agencies offer continue to grow as a result. Theres a yawning pay gap of more than 10%. Services cannot be sustained as long as that continues. Siptu health division official Kevin Figgis said the decision demonstrated the frustration of its members over the dysfunctional way parts of the community healthcare system is funded. Our members involved in this dispute provide essential health services on behalf of the state, he said. Should voluntary providers continue to have recruitment and retention issues, and are no longer able to provide these services, there will be an obligation on the HSE to step in and provide them directly. These services will need to be appropriately funded. Pay parity with the public service is necessary to ensure the provision of vital public services to vulnerable people in our communities. Its an acknowledged fact that the current funding model is unsustainable and will need to be resolved to secure the future of these services. Pay disparity with HSE colleagues Inmo official Albert Murphy added: Nurses in the community and voluntary sector provide essential services to some of the most vulnerable people in society. They have not been afforded the same level of pay increases as their colleagues in the HSE, which is exacerbating a recruitment and retention crisis in the sector. Nurses in the sector are now facing into another winter with rising household costs, yet their salaries remain stagnant. The Government cannot continue to bury its head in the sand over the very real issues at the heart of this dispute. Its hard for our members to take that while the exchequer has enjoyed record returns, and the state continues to deny vital pay improvements to thousands of workers in this vital health sector. In response, the Department of Health said it recognised the important role the workers have in providing services to people with disabilities, vulnerable children and older people. Government have a clear interest to ensure the stability and sustainability of services for the benefit of those who rely on these essential services and the workers who are committed to providing quality services, it stated. It said the department and other state agencies had made an offer to the unions of a 5% pay increase effective from November 2023, with 3% backdated to April. The department said that offer was in line with those accepted by community and voluntary staff in other sectors. This combined offer was not accepted by trade union representatives, and it is disappointing that their members were not afforded the opportunity to vote on whether they wished to accept the 5% increase in pay funding, it added. The statement went on to highlight that the community and voluntary sector agencies are privately owned and operated, with employee terms and conditions not set by the state. The Government is not the employer for any of these staff, it added. On the prospect of strike actions, the statement added: Any industrial action will impact negatively on the people who use their services, and the Department of Health would urge all parties to work on resolving any disputes through the appropriate forums, in the interests of users of these services. As Government reflects on the implications of todays union announcement, relevant agencies have been asked to engage in contingency planning with the relevant employer organisations so that any impact on those who depend on these essential services can be managed to the greatest extent possible. Government remains committed to working with the unions to resolve these matters. The largest yearly population rise in 15 years took place earlier this year, propelled by a 16-year high of immigrants including returning Irish, latest data show. According to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), in the 12 months to the end of April this year, Ireland's population rose by 97,600, which was the largest 12-month increase since 2008. The CSO said that a 16-year high of immigrants saw 141,600 come to the country, including 29,600 returning Irish citizens, 26,100 EU citizens, and 4,800 UK citizens. It was the second successive 12-month period where over 100,000 people immigrated to Ireland, the body added. When it came to Irish people departing for pastures new abroad, the CSO said the 12-month period to April this year saw one of the highest tranches in recent years. Although not a new social phenomenon, compelling anecdotal evidence has shown younger people as well as professionals such as in healthcare and education depart Ireland, saying they are being priced out of home ownership and high rents, as well as stunted wages. The CSO said that more than 64,000 people departed the Republic in the 12 months to April 2023, compared with 56,100 in the same period of 2022. Of the 64,000 emigrants that departed the State in the year to April 2023, 30,500 were Irish citizens. The net migration figure for Irish citizens for the 12 months to April 2023 indicates that 900 more Irish citizens departed Ireland than returning Irish citizens. The immigration figure for Irish citizens was 29,600 with 30,500 emigrants. There were far more births in the 12-month period than deaths, the data shows. The net migration figure for Irish citizens for the 12 months to April 2023 indicates that 900 more Irish citizens departed Ireland than returning Irish citizens. The immigration figure for Irish citizens was 29,600 with 30,500 emigrants. There was a natural increase of 20,000 people in the State comprised of 55,500 births and 35,500 deaths, according to the CSO. Statistician in population estimates and projections, Cathal Doherty, said Ireland's population was estimated to be 5.28 million, rising by 97,600 people in the year to April 2023. There was a natural increase of 20,000 people in the State comprised of 55,500 births and 35,500 deaths, according to the CSO "This was the largest 12-month population increase since 2008 when the population rose by 109,200. "The number of immigrants, or those entering the State in the year to April 2023 was estimated to be 141,600, while the number of emigrants, or those leaving the State, over the same period was estimated at 64,000. "These combined flows gave positive net migration - more people having arrived than left - of 77,600 in the year to April 2023, compared with 51,700 in the previous year," he said. The number of immigrants in the 12 months to April 2023 was the highest since the year to April 2007, Mr Doherty added. As well as the 29,600 returning Irish citizens, 26,100 other EU citizens, 4,800 UK citizens, there were 81,100 other citizens including Ukrainians, he said. When it comes to returning Irish people, the number rose to 29,600 in the year to April 2023, from 23,500 the previous year, an increase of 26%. There are now 806,300 people aged 65 and over as of April, according to the data. Mr Doherty said: "Those aged 65 and over showed an increase in population share between 2017 and 2023 - increasing from 13.6% to 15.3% of the total - a volume increase of 153,900 people." The data also show that the proportion of the population living in Dublin has increased from 27.6% of the total in 2011 to 28.4% of the total in 2023. It now stands at 1,501,500 people, according to Mr Doherty. A man whose wife and baby son tragically died three years ago has said he was never told by doctors that his wife might harm herself or their child. Dublin District Coroners Court heard that Nicola Keane, 34, had told doctors at Crumlin Hospital just three months before her death that she was worried she might do something because of the persistent crying of her baby boy, Henry. Concerns were raised with the emergency services on October 22, 2020, about the behaviour of Ms Keane from Lucan, Co Dublin, who was seen near the M50 toll bridge at around 3.45am. Her car was found abandoned with the key in the ignition when members of the emergency services were called to the scene. Ms Keanes remains were later discovered at Lower Rd, Strawberry Beds in West Dublin. CCTV had captured her jumping from the bridge. When gardai called to her home to notify her husband Darren Coleman, who had been asleep, he discovered their seven-month-old son Henry dead upstairs. Mr Coleman said he opened the door and gardai had told him his wifes car was found and she had died. Mr Coleman said: Where is my baby?, adding that the gardai were confused. He said he sprinted upstairs to where the baby had been earlier with his mother. I grabbed him, but he was lifeless, he said. I knew he was dead." Mr Coleman gave evidence to say his wife was receiving treatment for post-natal depression following the birth of their son in February 2020 and had been prescribed medication. Medical records showed Ms Keane had been concerned about herself and her son three months before she died, and said he hates me". She was afraid she might harm him, the inquest heard. Giving evidence, Mr Coleman said if he knew his wife might harm their son, he would not have gone back to work. Ms Keane was a paediatric nurse and worked at Crumlin Childrens Hospital, and Mr Coleman is a teacher. They had their first baby, Henry, in February 2020. However, Mr Coleman said the child was suffering from irritability and that he cried for lengthy periods, leaving both he and his wife exhausted. Mr Coleman discussed his concerns about his wifes mental health with her two sisters. He told the court that nobody ever told him what his wife had disclosed to clinicians about the possibility of harming herself or their son. At no stage was I ever asked for my opinion, said Mr Coleman. Giving evidence, consultant paediatrician, Dr Una Murtagh, said there were no findings of any medical problem in relation to the baby. She said she became very concerned about Ms Keanes behaviour on July 7, 2020, and a meeting was held with other doctors to refer her to psychiatric services. Dr Murtagh broke down a number of times in her evidence and said: We were all very worried. She had deteriorated since the last time I saw her." She said she had a discussion with Ms Keane about thoughts of suicide and self-harm. "She said she wouldnt do anything, she said. "I felt if the baby was fine, she would be fine." The case will continue on Tuesday. - If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services. A 31-year-old man returned to his mothers house where she was babysitting in the early hours of Saturday morning, assaulted her, and insisted while drunk that he was taking his infant child away. That was the allegation made by Garda David OSullivan at Cork District Court where there was an objection to bail. The defendants 59-year-old mother had to be taken to hospital for treatment for injuries sustained in the incident. Because of her concerns that the defendant was highly intoxicated and would take the one-year-old out of his cot, the childs grandmother felt that the safest thing to do in the circumstances was to strap the infant safely into his buggy. The defendant then took the child from the house at 3.30am after he kicked in the front door and assaulted his mother. A concerned person in the area saw the accused with the child in the buggy at that hour and observed him going into another house. Gardai were alerted and the accused came to the door covered in blood. It was only with the use of incapacitant spray that he could be arrested, Garda OSullivan said. He was charged with assault causing harm to his mother and causing criminal damage to the front door of the house. For legal reasons, the parties are not identified. Garda OSullivan said the infant was taken to hospital as a precaution following the incident. Forced entry Garda OSullivan said the incident began when the 31-year-old allegedly forced entry by kicking and smashing the front door and its glass panels. His mother was alone in the house babysitting the defendants one-year-old child at the request of the accused. When inside he assaulted his 59-year-old mother by pushing her against the wall. She got up and he pushed her onto the floor. Her left arm was bleeding as a result of assault. He wanted his child. Out of fear she took the child out of the cot and placed (the infant) in the buggy as her son was highly intoxicated. He left the house with the child, Garda OSullivan said during the objection to bail at Cork District Court. Gardai received a call from a concerned citizen that he was pushing a pram and shouting at a crying baby to shut up. Applying for bail, the defendant said of the Friday night/ Saturday morning incident: Everything was all normal. My mother said shes mind the child for the night. Then I have a few drinks and everything went blurry. Eddie Burke, defence solicitor, asked the young man: Who is the last person in the world you would harm? He replied: My mother. I wont go near my mother. I wont even talk to her. I just want to go somewhere and get my head straight. I have depression. Everything is getting worse and worse in my head. He said his in-laws were threatening to do away with me my life is a wreck. Cross-examined in his bail application, Sergeant John Kelleher said: Your mother had to have hospital treatment. The defendant replied: Im ashamed of my life two people in the world I would not harm My mother is the love of my life. She done her best, she brought me up I cant explain how sorry I actually am, like. Judge Olann Kelleher refused bail and remanded him in custody until October 2. Mr Burke asked the judge to recommend to the prison service that the accused would be given whatever medical assistance he needs while in custody. Judge Kelleher said he could not direct this but would make the recommendation. Last week, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys published a Green Paper on Disability Reform. Disability rights in Ireland are in free fall. The ongoing scoliosis surgery crisis is emblematic of the broader neglect and abuse of the human rights of disabled citizens in Ireland. Disabled children like my own son left for years on waiting lists for spinal surgery experience complications almost unheard of in other EU states and require more complex surgeries and often unplanned emergency interventions. This leads to negative life-limiting and life-altering consequences for disabled children and adults and can lead to fatal outcomes. This is not the fault of the surgeons and front-line clinicians who struggle to operate in this failed system it is the fault of the HSE and the Department of Health, which, along with many other Government departments, fail to support the basic human rights of disabled Irish citizens. The National Disability Authority and the Disability Stakeholder Group have recently published reports that show Irish Government departments are failing to make sufficient progress to meet the minimum requirements for disabled Irish citizens as set out by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Disability services for children are in failure countrywide, with a crisis in the recruitment and retention of physiotherapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists. Waiting lists Tens of thousands of Irish children remain on waiting lists, denied the necessary therapeutic interventions within the critical windows of opportunity with their age and development. This delayed mostly absent treatment leads to beautiful young lives denied their full potential. The same is true of children and adults with intellectual disabilities, neurodiversity or mental health issues. In short read my lips Ireland is an absolute outlier in European terms with regard to the welfare, status and treatment of disabled citizens. This group of citizens and their families and carers are treated with absolute contempt by the State, with sub-optimal outcomes on every measure delayed medical interventions, poverty, social isolation, loneliness, ill-health and homelessness. Heather Humphreys proposes to target disabled citizens for 'medical assessments' to 'categorise' their disability into three levels each revolving around a 'capacity to work'. Picture: Damien Storan Against this context which has been repeatedly highlighted by Disabled Persons Organisations, carers and families Ms Humphreys has published proposals which, in my view, will further humiliate and harm disabled Irish citizens. The minister proposes to target disabled citizens for "medical assessments" to "categorise" their disability into three levels each revolving around a "capacity to work". This is a direct copy of a British austerity measure introduced by the Tories in 2008 called the Work Capability Assessment for disabled British citizens. Punitive system This punitive system has been brought into complete disrepute in the UK. This year, the Work and Pensions Committee of the UK parliament found there was a "pervasive lack of trust" associated with this system of assessment. It is a Victorian system that sees disabled citizens in a negative light as a cohort who require categorisation into groups of "deserving" and "non-deserving" poor. It is the antithesis of a human rights approach to disability. It is also associated with a spike in suicide among disabled citizens throughout the UK and Northern Ireland. This is precisely the system proposed by Ms Humphreys for Ireland. She proposes to do away with the Disability Allowance of 220 per week and replace it with a slightly increased "Personal Support Payment" to be determined by medical assessment. At present, hundreds of thousands of disabled Irish citizens struggle to get medical appointments, or essential medical interventions and struggle in poverty and crisis conditions. In this context, Ms Humphreys proposes we squander precious, scarce medical resources on the proposed "medical assessment" of almost a quarter of a million disabled citizens. The mind boggles. The departments own Cost of Disability Report published in 2021 shows the extra cost in Ireland of being disabled ranges from 9,000 to 11,000. This is before a disabled citizen pays rent or tries to feed themselves. The current Disability Allowance is 11,440 a year and barely meets this additional cost of disability itself. Disability Allowance should be a universal, non means-tested payment. Appalling vista This would also be consistent with our obligations under the UNCRPD. The appalling vista contained within the ministers proposals should be resisted and opposed by every right-thinking Irish citizen. It is completely inconsistent with the Governments current and expensive PR campaign titled Disability Rights are Human Rights. The Government needs to take four simple steps now. Immediately drop this harmful proposal to medically assess hundreds of thousands of disabled citizens. Make the Disability Allowance a universal, non means-tested payment. Raise disability allowance to the PUP payment to take over 100,000 disabled citizens out of abject poverty. Finally, Cabinet needs to fully ratify all protocols of the UNCRPD as set out in the programme of government. Tom Clonan is a member of Seanad Eireann The Speaker of Canadas House of Commons Anthony Rota has issued an apology days after he drew attention to a man who fought in a military unit under the Nazis in the Second World War. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, received two standing ovations from Canadian MPs in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust. On Friday, speaker Anthony Rota introduced Mr Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP) The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit under Nazi command. The apology came in the wake of a statement from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies on Sunday which said Mr Hunka and his division was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable. The statement said: An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of the Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation. Shortly after the statement from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, Mr Rota issued one of his own to express regret after honouring the elderly man after discovering more of his history. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raises a fist in acknowledgement of Nazi soldier Yaroslav Hunka (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press/AP) Mr Rota said: In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus office also issued a statement on the issue, that stated Mr Rota had apologised and accepted full responsibility for issuing the invitation to Mr Hunka. It also said Mr Rota accepted responsibility for the Nazi soldiers invitation to parliament. The statement said: This was the right thing to do. No advance notice was provided to the Prime Ministers Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition. Canadian parliamentarians cheered while Mr Zelenskyy raised his fist to acknowledge Mr Hunka in Canadas parliament on Friday. Mr Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations. Wreaths at the memorial wall of the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen in Germany (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Mr Rota then called him a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero and thanked him for his military service. The Ukrainian president was in Ottawa to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraines war against the Russian invasion. A Russian drone and missile strike near Odesa has damaged port infrastructure, a grain silo and an abandoned hotel and injured one person, Ukrainian officials said. Attacks on Ukraine have killed four civilians and wounded 13 over the past 24 hours. Ukraines air force reported downing all Russian drones overnight, but one of 12 Kalibr missiles and two P-800 Oniks cruise missiles apparently made it past air defences the day after the war in Ukraine entered its 20th month. Russia has continuously targeted port and grain storage facilities in Odesa since pulling out of a deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports to countries facing the threat of hunger. The attacks have destroyed silos, warehouses, oil terminals and other infrastructure critical for storage and shipping. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 24 September 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/5ySC69osc8 #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/v2eCsBWeKS Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 24, 2023 In the south, Russian forces dropped bombs and launched six heavy artillery strikes on Kherson, destroying a school and factory and damaging residential buildings. Two people were killed and two others injured by bombs which hit the city of Beryslav. A man was killed in the neighbouring village of Lvove. In the east of the Donetsk region, Russians attacked residential areas of 10 cities and villages, killing two people in the village of Zarichne. During the fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian army carried out five airstrikes on Orikhiv and the surrounding area. The Russian defence ministry said its air defences downed three Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region and three others over the Bryansk region early on Monday. It said another drone was shot down over the Belgorod region. A tractor collects straw on a field in a private farm in Zhurivka, Kyiv region (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Kursk governor Roman Starovoit said a downed drone over Kursk city centre damaged the roof of an administrative building and several private houses and shattered windows in an apartment building. Mr Starovoit said there were no injuries. A day earlier, a Ukrainian drone damaged the roof of an administrative building in Kursk which some Ukrainian and Russian media reported housed the offices of the Federal Security Service, Russias main domestic security agency. Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said the drones caused no casualties but Ukrainian rockets damaged a farm building and killed cattle. During the drone attack, Russian authorities delayed or diverted several flights at Moscows airports. The defence ministry said four other Ukrainian drones were shot down over Crimea and the Black Sea. It's time to subscribe and see everything To read the full story log in In March 2023, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, declared publicly that he would fight "very hard every day" to protect the "precious" Union. A month later, the British secretary of state for [...] Tom Kelly It's time to subscribe and see everything To read the full story log in Whoever spray-painted Local houses an (sic) shops only on the premises of Ahmad Alkhamran was not mindless'. This was the fourth attack on this business. Those who targeted Mr Alkhamran were purp[...] It's time to subscribe and see everything To read the full story log in Badly missed this week is the late Dr Eamon Phoenix, Irish News chronicler and a man who helped us understand that history was not about the past, but the present. He would have pored over ever[...] Farmers say that new price controls set on their sales of rice to dealers for the upcoming monsoon harvest will, at best, only allow them to scrape by. Costs, especially for fertilizer, have surged and yields are down due to flooding, farmers say. The price controls were set by the set by the Myanmar Rice Federation last week by order of the junta, which had previously set minimum prices that allowed farmers to negotiate with dealers. The federation announced the new price controls on purchases from farmers, saying the price would ensure appropriate profits for farmers, stabilize rice prices, and reduce the financial burden on consumers hit by surging food prices. The reference prices depend on the variety and are set per 100 baskets. (The regime measures one basket at 21 kilograms, about 46.3 pounds, but on the market a basket weighs about 22-23kg.) The reference price for the Eae Ma Hta and Nga Sein rice varieties is 1.3 million to 1.5 million kyats per 100 baskets, while the price for the Ayeyarwady Paw Hsan and Ayeyar Padetha varieties is 1.6 million to 1.8 million kyats, and the Shwebo Paw Hsan variety is priced at 1.8 million to 2 million kyats. Members of the federation and rice merchants must adhere to the reference prices when buying from farmers, the announcement said. A farmer in Yangon Region said that, based on these reference prices, he can only earn 700,000 kyats if an acre yields 50 baskets. The cost was 500,000 kyats per acre, excluding labor costs. I borrowed money to grow paddy and I need to pay interest [on the loan]. So, I barely make a profit, the farmer explained. Over the past few months, market sales prices have risen above 2 million kyats per 100 baskets of rice, but this has not been reflected in payments to farmers. They say only traders are making money. In response to the surge in prices, the regime previously set price controls. A farmer from Ayeyarwady Region said: Previously, [authorities] only set floor prices. The maximum prices were market rates. This year, we had to spend more on fertilizer and fuel. So, costs were higher. We only make small profits at their reference prices. The prices of food, which we have to buy with money from selling our paddy, are high. Heavy rains damaged rice fields and reduced yields in many parts of Myanmar this year, farmers reported. This year, the average cost was 700,000 to 800,000 kyats per acre. We thought some farms would yield 100 baskets per acre. But many rice plants were damaged by rain. So, the maximum output we guess will be no more than 80 baskets per acre, added the farmer from Ayeyarwady Region. A farmer from Yangon Region said: Because of high prices, we could not use [enough] fertilizer in some farms, and the yield has subsequently declined. So, we can barely make a profit at the reference price. A junta-controlled committee to protect the rights of farmers set a floor price of 540,000 kyats for 100 baskets of rice for the monsoon harvest last year as well as the dry-season harvest this year, though farmers could negotiate prices at far higher levels. In a further move to restrict the trade in rice, the regime has required that its officials and its consumer affairs department approve all transportation of rice out of every township where it is grown. Junta deputy commerce minister Nyunt Aung has followed in the footsteps of his mentor, former Colonel Kyaw Shwe the first military officer to be jailed under the previous SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) military regime. Nyunt Aung was recently detained for interrogation as part of a junta purge in response to soaring prices of basic commodities. Nyunt Aung was part of the Defense Services Academy 30th intake along with junta boss Min Aung Hlaings right-hand man and trade chief, Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun, who is also being interrogated for corruption. Nyunt Aung was a protege of the notorious Colonel Kyaw Shwe. The 1988 military takeover saw Kyaw Shwe, then Yangon Command chief, appointed as deputy commerce minister by his boss Maung Aye, the juntas deputy supremo and trade chief. Nyunt Aung was then a captain serving as a general staff officer (3rd class) in Yangon Command. Following his appointment as deputy commerce minister, Kyaw Shwe had Nyunt Shwe transferred to the commerce ministry. Kyaw Shwe took bribes worth billions of kyats shortly after taking the position. He was arrested and handed 40 years in prison by Maung Aye. Nyunt Aung, however, continued to serve in the commerce ministry. He rose through the ranks and became director-general under Thein Seins quasi-civilian government. Nyunt Aung was eventually fired for allowing the illegal use of heavy machinery in jade mines in Kachin States Hpakant, as well as taking bribes for border trade. He escaped punishment, however. Following the 2021 military coup, he was restored to the commerce ministry post by his old classmate and newly appointed trade chief Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun. Moe Myint Tuns growing power in the regime has helped several of his military classmates amass significant wealth, said a former military officer. Nyunt Aung is also a member of the Myanmar Investment Commission, which is chaired by Moe Myint Tun. Together with Moe Myint Tuns henchman Yan Naung Soe, he also serves as secretary to the Central Committee on Ensuring Smooth Flow of Trade and Goods which is also led by Moe Myint Tun. Importers need approval from the committee and commerce ministry before shipping in any goods. Nyunt Aungs arrest followed the detention of Moe Myint Tun and Yan Naung Soe in the first week of September. The regime is also questioning five directors and another director-general of the commerce ministry, according to sources familiar with the matter. Observers say junta boss Min Aung Hlaing is reluctant to take harsh action against Moe Myint Tun because of his close ties to Maung Aye. BANGKOKChinese tourists received a personal welcome from the Thai prime minister Monday as they arrived in Bangkok under a new visa-free scheme the government hopes will give the kingdoms vital tourism sector a boost. Traditional dancers accompanied a smiling Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin as he greeted visitors arriving from Shanghai at Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi airport, handing out welcome gifts. I was shocked by the welcoming ceremony, and Im very happy. Its a great start of my trip, visitor Zhuang Pan, 31, told AFP. Jin Li, arriving for her honeymoon, told AFP the scheme was great, before she and her new husband grabbed a photograph with Srettha. I dont need to worry, can go on a trip at any time, just need to book a ticket, she said. Visitors from China accounted for the largest percentage of Thailands tourists pre-pandemic, with tourism overall making up around 20 percent of the kingdoms GDP. COVID-19 travel restrictions hammered the sector and recovery has been slow, stymied by a struggling global economyand safety fears stoked by a Chinese blockbuster thriller about a man being kidnapped and forced to work in a Southeast Asian online scam center. Zheng Zhengzhou, 36, said he was aware of the dangers of visiting Thailand, referencing No More Betsthe film that has spooked many tourists. So it would be a lie to say I dont have any concerns [on safety issues], he said. Srettha has sought to reassure visitors about their safety before, emphasizing that visitor security in the kingdom is a priority. The safety of tourists from their first step in Thailand to their departure when they leave must be safe and spectacular from all sides, he said. Chinese visitors were greeted by tourism police officers and informed of the details of a 24-hour police hotline. The visa-free scheme was launched in time for Chinas Golden Week holiday period in October, and runs until Feb. 29. Srettha said that under the scheme bookings had already increased tenfold, and that he was confident it would significantly stimulate the economy. Today marks a good day for Thailand and we hope our other policies will continue to stimulate the economy, he added. As the coalition government of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin gets going, it faces multiple daunting challenges, from public expectations and policy deliverables to the maintenance of political stability. While no post-election honeymoon period appears in the offing, government action is being demanded to shore up the economy and boost public welfare. Addressing these challenges will require patience, grit and new thinking. This is not the best government outcome after the election, but the alternatives could be worse. Public expectations are high because the best coalition government would have put the poll-winning Move Forward Party (MFP) with Sretthas Pheu Thai in charge of the country, but the constitutional set-up after the 2014 military coup prevented it. Instead, the MFP was isolated and forced to lead the opposition, while Pheu Thai was enticed to form a coalition with pro-military parties and their allies, led by Palang Pracharath (PPRP), United Thai Nation (UTN) and Bhumjaithai. As a result, more than one-third of the 39.5 million voters who chose the MFP and its reform agenda became disappointed and resentful after seeing their party being systematically denied a role in the government. As these voters opted for the MFPs anti-coup and anti-military platform, they are now forced to put up with yet another government dominated by pro-military parties. Sretthas civilian-led government bears the brunt of this resentment. In addition, the previous government under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-chas dismal performance made members of the public crave change and better prospects. The two-sided reality for Srettha is that Prayuts bar for managing the country was so low that there is a lot of upside potential. At the same time, because the bar is so slow, people want it swiftly raised by a lot. Managing expectations will thus be critical for the prime minister to perform sufficiently to satisfy the public. Because the new Srettha government has similar cabinet faces as the previous lot, many in the public are sceptical about how much it can get done and whether or not it will be beset with mismanagement, cronyism and graft allegations like before. This scepticism is compounded by the division of portfolio spoils among the governing parties, with Pheu Thai conceding key ministerships, including interior, energy, education, industry, labor and agriculture, to coalition partners. The policymaking setting is split along party lines, lacking an integrated approach. Pheu Thai also does not have as much leverage as it did in the past when it ran coalition governments because this time, it came in second to the MFP with 141 out of 500 elected representatives. The combined number of MPs among the three like-minded coalition partnersBhumjaithai, PPRP and UTNis greater than Pheu Thais. Policy deliverables are, therefore, crucial. The Srettha governments policy directions are two-pronged. On the one hand, a raft of tried and tested populist measures featuring subsidies and handouts are to be deployed. These include reductions in electricity and petrol prices, a guaranteed daily minimum wage of 600 baht and a monthly salary of 25,000 baht in a progressive structure over four years. The signature handout will be a 10,000-baht digital wallet for all Thais above the age of 16 to spend in their localities. This policy plank will incur substantial public debt, which already breaches the traditional threshold of 60 percent of gross domestic product under Prayuts leadership. This figure could rise to 70 percent, which would then put pressure on debt servicing and, ultimately, the national budget. With mounting interest payments on public debt in view of routine state expenditures on sustaining the bureaucracy, there will be less and less room for public investment to stimulate growth. Growing the economy this way can be profligate, irresponsible and unsustainable because it takes money from future generations for spending today. This populist push is premised on multipliers that are supposed to boost consumption. But with household debt approaching 100 percent of GDP and the structure of the Thai economy increasingly concentrated in an oligarchy of big businesses, it is doubtful whether this approach will work as planned. People might choose to pay down debt as much as they can while the oligarchs gain the lions share of populism-driven state largesse. If these spending plans could be considered as the debit side, then the credit column would have to more than make up for the debt. On this point, the governments inchoate and tentative soft power strategy offers upside potential. This strategy sounds more like industrial policy than soft power because it calls for an integrated approach across cabinet ministries to convert hidden assets and talents and harness them into pro-growth strategies. If this growth strategy can be more comprehensive and coherent, it can lead to policy innovations, upskilling and Thailands upsloping global value chains. Trade policy is another component of the credit column. Until recently, Thailands trade policy, strategy and capacity have been dormant. The last major free-trade agreement was the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement in 2007. Trade liberalization and free-trade agreements were politicized and used to attack governments led by Pheu Thais predecessors, the Thai Rak Thai and Palang Prachachon (Peoples Power) parties. Now that Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai Rak Thai founder with influence over Pheu Thai, has made peace with his opponents, trade policy can be depoliticized in a tough new world full of geopolitical and geoeconomic tension. Thailand needs to complete trade agreements with the European Free Trade Association and the European Union and apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. Its role in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership should be more salient, and its participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework can be more proactive. So much was lost on trade policy from the two military coups in the past two decades, particularly during Prayuts nine years as prime minister. Making progress on these policy fronts will require Srettha and the Pheu Thai Party to navigate the rough and tumble of Thai politics and maintain political stability while moving forward on reforms and drafting a new constitution. This is what both Pheu Thai and Move Forward Party voters wanted when they went to the polls. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, PhD, is professor in the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University and a senior fellow at its Institute of Security and International Studies. DHAKA Bangladesh has been deepening relations with Myanmars junta and ambassador Dr Monwar Hossain has held multiple meetings with the regime since moving to Yangon in July. Border guards also had a courtesy meeting to foster relations. On September 8, Monwar tweeted about a long discussion with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on relations with Bangladesh, Rohingya repatriations, promoting trade, connectivity, drug trafficking and health, security and disaster management collaboration. Monwar said he told the military chief that Bangladeshs top priority was repatriation, ensuring returnee safety, their willingness and sustainability in Rakhine State. He tweeted that Min Aung Hlaing expressed his willingness to see immediate repatriations. The Border Guard Bangladesh this month announced a meeting with the juntas border guards near the friendship bridge to improve existing friendly relations and mutual trust. Monwar announced another meeting on September 14 with junta foreign minister Than Swe and international cooperation minister Ko Ko Hlaing, discussing Rohingya repatriations through the regimes pilot project. The ambassador, who is a physician trained at Chittagong Medical College, on September 15 said he met junta health minister Dr Thet Khaing Win on possible cooperation in public health, including a community clinic, pandemic prevention and response, antimicrobial resistance, drowning prevention and the distribution of Bangladesh-produced drugs and medical products in Myanmar. On September 21, Monwar announced that visa-free travel with Myanmar, suspended because of Covid, was being restored. Retired Major General Shahidul Haque, who was previously Bangladeshs defense attache in Yangon, told The Irrawaddy: There is tremendous potential for trade and commerce between two countries. Bangladesh can become one of the largest trading partners. We can absorb large amounts of agricultural products as well as mining. But the biggest obstacle is the repatriation of 1.2 million citizens from Myanmar. Unless concrete steps are taken, this obstacle will remain. The solution lies in Myanmar. Monwars meetings have angered Rohingya leaders and rights activists. John Quinley, director at Fortify Rights, told Irrawaddy: Its outrageous that Bangladesh is reportedly collaborating on defense with Myanmar. The junta is an illegal regime. Under Min Aung Hlaings watch, the military is committing ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity. He said the ambassador should push the junta to end military rule, widespread attacks on civilians and release political prisoners. The government of Bangladesh is critical in holding Myanmars military accountable. Over the last few years, they have allowed [the junta] access to Coxs Bazar to speak to refugees and gather evidence. Monwar should engage the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) as the legitimate administration, Quinley added. U Aung Kyaw Moe, the NUGs deputy human rights minister, told The Irrawaddy: While we appreciate Bangladeshs generosity, finding a durable solution for the Rohingya is interconnected with the democratization of Myanmar. The Rohingya will be not able to go back with dignity and safety and live peacefully if the military is in control. We should learn lessons from 1978 and 1992 when reparations were completed in smaller numbers than now. This is because the military never had good political will. The military is falling apart and has no legitimacy, domestically or internationally. These short-term efforts and engagements will cause long-term harm. Monwar declined to comment. Myanmar resistance groups reportedly occupied a Military Security Affairs office during a dawn raid on regime bases in Myanmars jade town of Hpakant in Kachin State on Monday, according to locals and Kachin media. At 4 a.m. on Monday, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of the countrys most powerful ethnic armed groups, and the Hpakant Peoples Defense Force (PDF) jointly raided the military intelligence office in a residential ward of Hpakant town, a resident told The Irrawaddy. At the same time, other members of the joint resistance group attacked regime forces at a police station in the town to prevent them from reinforcing the military office, the media reported, citing residents. The military office was occupied, and some regime forces were killed and injured in the resistance raids, locals told the media. A resistance official confirmed the raids to the Kachin News Group. However, KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu said he had not received reports of the raids from forces on the ground when The Irrawaddy contacted him. Last Thursday, two junta policemen were killed and three injured in the jade town when KIA and PDF forces attacked police officers in a vehicle as they were arriving at a clinic in Seik Mu Village. A day earlier, joint resistance forces attacked a military outpost at a bridge between two villages in the jade-mining hub, killing two soldiers. On the same day, the KIA and another PDF group attacked and seized a strategic junta base at a bridge on the Myitkyina-Sumprabum highway in Sumprabum Township, killing 11 junta soldiers and arresting two. Two resistance fighters were also killed and others were injured. Since early July, clashes have been reported along the Myitkyina-Bhamo highway in Kachin Sate following the juntas deployment of several hundred troops to attack the KIAs headquarters in Laiza on the Chinese border. The KIA has clashed with junta forces in Muse and Kutkai townships in neighboring northern Shan State. It is also fighting junta troops alongside PDF groups in upper Sagaing Region. U Myint Lwin has lost count of the times he and his family have fled their home. Like the rest of their village, they are on constant alert for the approach of junta troops from the Chinese-run Letpadaung copper mine, just a mile away. The 47-year-old is a resident of Hnin Taw village in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region. He is among thousands of civilians living around the mine who have been terrorized by marauding junta soldiers stationed there since the 2021 coup. We cant count how many times we have been forced to abandon our home, U Myint Lwin told The Irrawaddy. The junta terror campaign is just the latest threat from the mine, which has displaced locals and poisoned farmland for over a decade, leading to protests and violent crackdowns by authorities. Now, the surrounding villages face regular shelling and raids by regime troops, who kill civilians, loot property, and torch houses. Villagers who venture near the mine report being fired upon by soldiers, who also extort money from them at gunpoint. Troops have killed at least 31 civilians living around the mine since the coup, according to a Sept. 20 press conference held by local strike committees. Another four residents have died while fleeing the raids. We cant even live in our own house. Our lives are almost ruined, said a Salingyi resident of a village near the mining project. Civilians from 22 villages around mining operations in Salingyi have fled since 2021 amid frequent raids. We run for our lives to escape the bullets, said a resident who lost her house to an arson attack in 2022. Chinese mining firms Salingyi is home to three Chinese-run copper mines Letpadaung, Sapetaung and Kyesintaung. The mines are run by Wanbao Mining, Ltd and its two subsidiaries Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper, Ltd and Myanmar Yang Tse Copper, Ltd in partnership with the military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd. Wanbao is a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned defense firm China North Industries Corporation (Norinco). Norinco is among the biggest suppliers of arms and equipment to the Myanmar military, according to advocacy group Justice for Myanmar and publicly available information. The US imposed sanctions on Wanbao Mining and its entities in 2021 for supporting Myanmars military regime. The three copper mines affect around 25,000 people living in more than 30 villages in Salingyi and neighboring Yinmabin township. Wanbao has been operating the controversial Letpadaung mine since 2010. Large protests against the mine began in 2012 when villagers demanded compensation for land seized and environmental damage. In December 2012, Thein Seins quasi-civilian government formed a commission led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to investigate the project. However, the dispute between the mine operators and locals went unresolved. Following the 2021 coup, the Chinese companies claimed they had halted operations at the mines to seek a resolution to the long-standing dispute over land and compensation. However, locals report that the mines continue to operate with support from regime troops, who have launched a terror campaign to destroy civilian life and property across the region. Junta atrocities Wanbao has allowed regime troops to use Letpaudang mine as a base, providing food and resources as well as vehicles for the soldiers to raid villages in the locale. It has also approved the deployment of artillery on its premises, which are being used to shell surrounding villages, according to residents. In April last year, resistance groups from Salingyi and Yinmarbin warned the mines to halt operations and called on miners to down tools and join the civil disobedience movement (CDM). A local resistance chief estimates there are now 200 regime troops based in the mining compound. A unit of around 100 soldiers recently raided villages along the Pathein-Monywa road while accompanying a convoy carrying copper from the mine. The regime has sent troops by river and road from Northwest Regional Command and the 28th police battalion to reinforce Wanbao, a resistance chief told the Irrawaddy. Wanbao also uses the river route to ship copper, and civilians like U Myint Lwin who live along the riverbank must endure constant fear of being tortured, arrested or killed by troops guarding the mining convoys. On Dec. 7, 2021, troops from the mine burned alive 10 villagers including five teenagers aged between 14 and 17 in what became known as the Don Taw village massacre. The military kill civilians, torched houses, and rape the women, said a Don Taw villager who lost her husband and nephew in the massacre. Wanbao and [subsidiary] Myanmar Yang Tse are enabling this vicious and cruel army. We are living in fear. This year, troops stationed at mine have escalated their campaign of atrocities. In late June, they tortured and killed two residents of the townships Moe Gyo Pyin North village. In August, six villagers were brutally killed by the soldiers in Yinmabin and neighboring Pale township. Since the coup, junta troops based at the Chinese mine projects have been openly destroying the lives and property of local people, Ko Lwan Thu, the head of the Yinmabin-Salingyi multi-village strike steering committee, told last weeks press conference. Troops based at the Chinese mines have torched almost 2,000 houses in Salingyi Township alone, he added. According to the locals, over 1,000 houses in 17 villages around the three mines have been incinerated in raids. We returned to a devastating scene in our village after one raid, a resident said through tears. There were no houses left. We are still grieving the loss. Her village was torched by troops in January this year. Land seizures expanding Amid the series of atrocities, Wanbao has seized farmland and fenced-off property in Wethmay village to the west of the mining compound, forcing out more than 30 families. This month the Chinese miner also seized the farms of 46 residents near Moe Gyo Sulfuric Acid Factory, which supplies the copper mines. Some 148 acres of the residents farmland has now been fenced-off, said strike committee chief Ko Lwan Thu. In addition, junta troops plant mines in the farms of local villagers, according to local aid group Anyar Pyitinehtaung. Residents dont dare to go to farms out of fear of stepping on a mine, a representative of the group told The Irrawaddy. She also confirmed reports that soldiers at the mine compound frequently shoot at passing residents. Life would be fine without Wanbao Salingyi residents say they want the mining firms to close and regime troops to halt their terror campaign. Our life would be fine without Wanbao. And we will never forgive the junta, said one resident. U Myint Lwin said that lives of locals have worsened immeasurably since the 2021 putsch. Before the coup, we had land problems, but now our lives our being threatened by soldiers, he told The Irrawaddy. At the very minimum, he wants Wanbao to withdraw permission for troops to be stationed in its compound. Last month, 17 local strike bodies in Monywa, Salingyi and Yinmarbin townships called on Wanbao and Yang Tse to halt their collaboration with the military regime. Local resistance forces have warned the company that it is a legitimate target for hosting junta troops that are committing atrocities against civilians. Local residents are calling on the international community to intervene in the terror campaign being waged by the regime in collaboration with Myanmar Wanbao and Myanmar Yang Tse. They have also urged the parallel civilian National Unity Government and relevant organizations to hold the perpetrators to account. We can no longer endure the violations of junta troops supported by Wanbao. We want the mining firms to halt operations forever, a Salingyi resident said. Monday, Sep 25th, 2023 (7:55 am) - Score 240 Broadband ISP RunFibre, which is deploying a new 1Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across rural parts of South Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire in England, has been awarded the Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award in recognition of their commitment to supporting veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families. The announcement follows last years decision to sign the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC), which broadly reflects a pledge to recognise the contribution of serving personnel, both regular and reservists, veterans and military families often as part of recruitment (i.e. ensuring they are treated fairly and not disadvantaged in their day-to-day lives). The Silver Award recognises the companys commitment to all this, which shouldnt be too surprising because the providers CEO, Dave Swanston, is a military veteran himself with two tours of duty in Afghanistan. The companys boss has actively spearheaded their dedication to honouring the armed forces and their invaluable contributions. Dave Swanston, CEO of Runfibre, said: Its a tremendous honour for us to receive the Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award. At Runfibre, we hold a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by the armed forces and their families. We believe that access to high-quality internet should be universal and that no ones digital life should be defined by their postcode. We are committed to ensuring that veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families receive the support they deserve, and this award validates our ongoing commitment. Customers usually pay from 25 per month on a 24-month term for their 100Mbps (symmetric speed) package, which rises to 60 for their top 1Gbps tier (the fastest tiers also include Wi-Fi extenders and a Wi-Fi 6 router). Plus, they offer a cheaper 100Mbps Social Tariff for 20 per month. The provider also sells different services over the CityFibre network in Wolverhampton and Gloucester. Monday, Sep 25th, 2023 (8:44 am) - Score 3,552 UK ISP Voneus, which is deploying gigabit-capable wireless (FWA) and full fibre (FTTP) broadband networks across rural parts of England and Wales, has today announced that SWS Broadband and Cadence Networks are being merged into their operations. On top of that, theyve acquired Broadway Partners from administration. The deal reflects an agreement between a consortium of existing investment partners, including Macquarie Capital, Israel Infrastructure Fund (IIF) and Tiger Infrastructure Partners. As a result, SWS Broadband (Rural Broadband Solutions Plc), Cadence Networks and Broadway Partners all begin operating as part of Voneus as of today. Tiger Infrastructure Partners, the principal shareholder of Rural Broadband Solutions (RBS), the holding company of SWS Broadband and Cadence Networks, will become a major shareholder in the combined group alongside Macquarie Capital (which initially invested in Voneus in 2019) and IIF, which first invested in Voneus in 2021. The combined group will be funded with up to 250 million in new capital from the three shareholders and bank lenders. The combined company has a target to serve over 350,000 premises across the UK, although the announcement doesnt clarify whether that includes the coverage of their existing wireless infrastructure and theres no mention of any timescale. Christopher Traggio, CEO of Voneus Broadband, said: This is a very exciting time for Voneus, and for our new partners, shareholders, and the communities we serve. We have the backing of our shareholders to accelerate our roll-out plan, which we know will make a positive impact as we all share the same focus to deliver innovative broadband solutions to communities across the UK. Welcoming SWS Broadband, Cadence Networks and Broadway Partners into Voneus provides us with even more opportunities to support businesses, individuals, and communities to thrive fostering economic development, education, and communication to help improve the overall quality of life no matter where they are from. The transaction creates a larger business that should also benefit from various synergies including improved economies of scale, a larger future build pipeline, diversified contractor relationships, and strong backing from institutional shareholders. All of the networks also operate in areas adjacent to where Voneus is already active. Oliver Bradley, Senior Managing Director at Macquarie Capital, said: Voneus is already making a significant contribution to rural communities, but is only at the start of its journey. This important capital raise from three leading infrastructure investors and the joining of UK rural fibre players means we can rapidly accelerate the vital role we have in closing the digital divide nationwide. Yaron Kestenbaum, co-founder and managing partner of IIF, said: Our goal has always been to help Voneus evolve into a bigger and stronger business, with far wider outreach and solid institutional shareholder support. This merger will go a long way to achieving this. Emil W. Henry Jr., CEO of Tiger Infrastructure, commented: The shared vision of Voneus and Rural Broadband Solutions has been to invest alongside the UK government to deliver best-in-class infrastructure and service to meet the connectivity needs of greatly underserved rural households and small businesses. We are pleased to be teaming up with Macquarie Capital and Israel Infrastructure Fund to rapidly advance the realisation of that vision. Just for context. Voneus previously claimed to have identified a total of over 200,000 premises that could potentially be upgraded via either their FTTP or FWA broadband solutions. But so far theyve only covered a total of over 10,000 properties across England and Wales (up from 7,100 a year ago) and we havent had another update on that since earlier this year. By comparison, SWS (RBS) was originally planning to build FTTP to cover 100,000 remote premises, albeit focusing on small towns around Shropshire and Wales where full fibre connectivity is currently unavailable. Prior to that they had been running a wireless network in some of the same areas, and we dont know exactly how much progress theyd made on any of this. As for Broadway, they were aiming to cover 250,000 premises with their new full fibre network by around 2028. But the administrators report noted that the operator had so far only covered over 11,000 homes and over 7,500 Ready for Service (RFS) fibre connections, with c.1,000 fibre customers and c.1,000 wireless customers. All builders of UK full fibre broadband networks are currently facing pressures from rising levels of competition, rising costs and the need to generate a good level of consumer take-up in order to keep investors happy. As a result, weve been seeing a lot of job losses and some consolidation creep into the market as those strains begin to manifest. The hope is that todays merger will provide a more solid base to continue the plans of the aforementioned operators, but those core challenges still exist. UPDATE 11:45am Voneus has informed us that the 350,000 premises target reflects both gigabit wireless and full fibre coverage. In terms of timescale, the vague goal is to get there as fast as possible. 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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe But with corporations insistent on squeezing more profits no matter the cost, strikes are inevitable and necessary. Sonali Kolhatkar is the host of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. This commentary was produced by the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute and adapted for syndication by OtherWords.org. Otherwords.org Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2023) - Renegade Gold Inc. (TSXV: RAGE) (FSE: 070) ("Renegade" or the "Company") announces that it has arranged a private placement of up to 9,375,000 units (the "Units") at $0.32 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $3 million (the "Placement"). Each Unit will consist of one common share and one transferable share purchase warrant, each warrant exercisable into one additional common share for a period of two years from date of issue at a price of $0.45 per share. All securities issued under the Placement will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issue. Finders' fees may be payable on all or part of the Placement pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Placement to extinguish debt, for exploration work on the Company's exploration properties and for general working capital. The Company anticipates closing of the Placement (in one or more tranches) as soon as practicable subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. The Company also advises that the private placement announced on August 4, 2023, has been cancelled. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Renegade Gold Inc. Renegade Gold Inc. is a growth focused company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. As part of its regional-scale consolidation strategy, the Company has assembled one of the largest prospective land packages in and around the Red Lake mining district in proximity to major mines and deposits, as well as along the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts. The recent completion of the acquisition of Pacton Gold Inc. extends Trillium's ownership in Red Lake to over 89,600 hectares of prospective and diversified exploration properties with significant potential for gold and critical minerals on trend with the major structures hosting known gold occurrences in the Red Lake mining district today. A portfolio of prospective projects in Western Australia has also been acquired. For further information, please contact: Renegade Gold Inc. Nav Dhaliwal President, CEO and Director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 604-678-5308 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, the anticipated timing for completion of the Placement and use of proceeds therefrom. The words "anticipate," "significant," "expect," "may," "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; that all requisite approvals will be received and all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, risks related to unforeseen delays; general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes; timeliness of regulatory approvals, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this Forward-Looking Information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this Forward-Looking Information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2023) - Barksdale Resources Corp. (TSXV: BRO) (OTCQX: BRKCF) ("Barksdale" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced drilling at its Sunnyside copper-lead-zinc-silver exploration project in Arizona, with the first hole currently at approximately 765 meters depth. Additionally, the Company is happy to report that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the Plaintiff's motion for an injunction during the appeal process. The Company's Plan of Operations for the Sunnyside drilling program was recently approved by the United States Forest Service. This program will test our high-grade exploration targets, within a district scale mineral system, for up to seven years. The current Phase I drill program is focused on extending known carbonate replacement mineralization ("CRD") from the eastern claim boundary west towards the Sunnyside copper-molybdenum-silver porphyry. Highlights: Drilling has commenced at the first target and a second drill is expected to arrive in October. The first large-scale target is the Boundary CRD copper-zinc-lead-silver zone that was intersected in historic drilling from the 1980's. Hole SUN-001 is currently at 765 meters depth and will test for mineralized horizons within the Concha and Scherrer carbonate units occurring from an approximate depth of 1200 meters. Rick Trotman, President and CEO of Barksdale states, "The drill is actively turning at Sunnyside. After many years of hard work on the permitting front, I'm truly excited to take the next step and start testing our targets. Sunnyside is part of a world-class mineral system and getting the first hole underway is a fantastic achievement. We look forward to providing additional updates as we advance the drilling program." The first hole from the planned ~16,000-meter drilling program is currently underway at the Boundary zone target, located between the eastern property boundary and the previously drilled Sunnyside copper-molybdenum-silver porphyry system (Figure 1). The Boundary zone is within a larger projected horizon of carbonate host rocks that extend through the northeastern portion of the Sunnyside property. This target was previously intersected by drilling in the 1980's that encountered approximately 362 meters of highly altered carbonate rocks hosting over a dozen mineralized intervals of CRD mantos of massive sulfide mineralization. The Boundary zone target is roughly 1.1 kilometers long (NW-SE) by 700 meters wide (SW-NE), plunging shallowly (5-15 degrees) to the northwest and dipping to the northeast (20-40 degrees). Figure 1. Plan map showing known and potential zones of mineralization on the Sunnyside property. Deposit and prospect outlines on the neighboring property are taken from publicly disclosed information. In most CRD systems, the thickest and highest-grade mineralization is often found where key geologic features coalesce, including reactive carbonate host rocks, structural/stratigraphic conduits that aid in channeling metal-rich fluids, and fluid traps that ultimately slow fluid flow and aid metal deposition. The first drill hole will target the upper sequence of Paleozoic carbonates (Concha and Scherrer units) that are located beneath a capping unit comprised of Jurassic and Triassic volcanic rocks, which acted as an aquitard for deposition of polymetallic (Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag) mineralizing fluids. Structural features mapped at surface on the Sunnyside property suggest that a series of deep-seated faults are strongly correlated with near-surface mineralization in the system (Figure 2), which is interpreted to be leakage from strataform CRD mantos at depth. Intersection of these structural features with the host carbonate stratigraphy is the primary target for the drilling program at the Boundary zone. Figure 2. Plan map showing fault corridors as mapped at surface (black lines) with the Boundary zone target area (orange). Deposit and prospect outlines on the neighboring property are taken from publicly disclosed information. To initiate the exploration drilling campaign, the Company has re-entered historic drill hole TCH-2 after down-hole surveys determined that the protective casing from the 1980's was intact from surface to 762 meters. After reentering the historic hole, a wedge has been set shortly past the casing and a new hole that projects away from the original drill hole is being advanced in a northwesterly direction. Assuming no deviation, the hole is expected to intersect the altered carbonate units from approximately 1,200 meters depth at a lateral distance approximately 50 meters to the northwest of the first historic intercept in TCH-2. Drill results from the original TCH-2 drill hole included over a dozen mineralized intercepts, summarized in Table 1 below. Hole Number From (m) To (m) Interval (m) % Cu % Zn %Pb Ag (g/t) Zone TCH-2 428.8 429.4 0.6 0.43 10.95 1.18 5.5 Vein 1228.3 1230.4 2.1 1.27 0.60 0.18 74.1 Manto 1233.2 1234.4 1.2 1.59 0.12 0.09 42.5 Manto 1249.6 1252.4 2.7 0.10 1.05 1.02 46.6 Manto 1257.8 1269.7 11.9 0.71 0.12 0.21 37.7 Manto 1278.6 1282.8 4.3 2.32 0.09 0.73 200.9 Manto 1282.8 1284.7 1.8 0.09 3.39 3.35 54.9 Manto 1293.2 1314.2 21.0 0.27 3.12 2.50 57.6 Manto 1356.3 1368.5 12.2 0.11 1.38 1.57 114.9 Manto 1418.2 1435.5 17.4 1.30 12.20 4.97 371.0 Manto 1452.9 1490.7 37.8 0.23 14.10 0.86 252.3 Manto 1497.4 1499.8 2.4 0.04 3.95 0.28 78.9 Manto 1589.8 1590.1 0.3 0.04 2.10 1.70 56.2 Manto Table 1. Mineralized intervals in TCH-2 as originally reported by ASARCO. Historic drilling occurred prior to implementation of NI 43-101 and has not been verified by a "qualified person" and therefore should not be relied upon. Intercepts are shown as an indication of the possible mineralization within the Sunnyside property and as a guide to future exploration. See the Company's NI 43-101 technical report on SEDAR for detailed information. Additional intersections into the carbonate stratigraphy will advance the refining of targeted projections of host stratigraphy and will guide future drilling along the Boundary zone target. Depending on drilling conditions, additional wedge holes could be completed from the TCH-2 mother hole. Drilling will, over time, shift progressively to the west, where the CRD (mantos) are projected to intersect the Sunnyside porphyry copper-molybdenum-silver deposit. This area surrounding the porphyry has the potential to host zones of copper-dominated skarn mineralization such as those seen in the nearby Rosemont copper deposit (Hudbay Minerals Inc.), which is hosted in the same Paleozoic carbonate sequence as Sunnyside. Barksdale has contracted Boart Longyear ("Boart") to complete the initial drilling program at Sunnyside, utilizing two diamond drill rigs. Boart has a long and distinguished track record of drilling in the area, has a strong local logistical network, and understands the drilling conditions that may be encountered. Legal Update As previously announced on September 6, 2023, the United States District Court for the District of Arizona issued a ruling that denied the Plaintiff's request for a preliminary injunction at Sunnyside, which would have prevented the Company from drilling until the final ruling regarding the United States Forest Service's permit was issued by the Court. The Plaintiffs appealed that ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ("Ninth Circuit"), seeking an emergency injunction that would stop drilling until a ruling has been issued on the appeal. The Ninth Circuit denied the request for an emergency injunction. The Company expects the Ninth Circuit to issue a final ruling on the appeal in December 2023 or January 2024 and the broader lawsuit will continue moving forward over the next year (approximately). Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Lewis Teal, Senior Consultant to the Company and a 'Qualified Person' as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Barksdale Resources Corp., a 2023 OTCQX BEST 50 Company, is a base metal exploration company headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., that is focused on the acquisition, exploration and advancement of highly prospective base metal projects in North America. Barksdale is currently advancing the Sunnyside copper-zinc-lead-silver and San Antonio copper projects, both of which are in the Patagonia mining district of southern Arizona, as well as the San Javier copper-gold project in central Sonora, Mexico. ON BEHALF OF BARKSDALE RESOURCES CORP Rick Trotman President, CEO and Director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Terri Anne Welyki Vice President of Communications 778-238-2333 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For more information please phone 778-558-7145, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.BarksdaleResources.com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation including, but not limited to, the Company's goals for 2023; geological interpretations; the proposed nature, size, timing, targets and impact of the Company's planned drilling program on the Sunnyside project, anticipated drill and exploration results; the estimation of mineral resources; magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future operations; mine plans; future exploration prospects; the completion and timing of technical reports; future growth potential of Barksdale Resources and future development plans for the Sunnyside copper-lead-zinc-silver project; the ability of the Company to obtain the requisite staffing, bonding and financing therefor; and the potential impact of seasonal drilling restrictions on the ability of the Company to effectively carry out such program. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base metals, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. The Company's proposed drilling program at Sunnyside is an exploratory search for commercial quantities of ore, the discovery of which cannot be assured. There are currently no NI 43-101 resources or reserves on the Sunnyside property. There is also uncertainty about the continued spread and severity of COVID-19, the ongoing war in Ukraine and rising inflation and interest rates and the impact they will have on the Company's operations, supply chains, ability to access mining projects or procure equipment, supplies, contractors and other personnel on a timely basis or at all and economic activity in general. All forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Greenland Resources Inc. (NEO: MOLY | FSE: M0LY) (Greenland Resources or the Company) is pleased to note the press release by the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) and EIT RawMaterials, a body of the European Union, reproduced below and posted in their website www.erma.eu. Greenland Resources looks forward to working with ERMA as we move the Malmbjerg molybdenum project to commercial production. BERLIN / Sep 25, 2023 / Business Wire / The European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) and Greenland Resources highlight their successful collaboration on the Malmbjerg molybdenum project, a prime example of cross-regional mining for a secure and sustainable European raw materials value chain for the Green Deal. Outstanding collaboration supporting ESG standards and EU circularity. The Malmbjerg molybdenum project, exemplifying responsible mining practices with top-tier Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, will supply high-quality molybdenum to meet a substantial portion of Europe's demand. Notably, among the worlds largest molybdenum producersChina, USA, Chile, Peru, Mexico Greenland leads in education and health spending as a percentage of GDP and boasts the lowest poverty rates. The outstanding collaboration with ERMA has allowed Greenland Resources to sign documentation on offtake agreements directly with six major EU metallurgical steel and chemical companies as well as secure letters of intent to finance the Malmbjerg molybdenum project capex from AAA credit-rated financial institutions like the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) among other development banks, and commercial banks like Deutsche Bank AG. ERMA has also played an important role in securing documentation with major European and Canadian mining equipment suppliers like Danish FLSmidth A/S and Austrian Doppelmayr Transport Technology GmbH. Malmbjerg molybdenum project will answer 25% of Europes total molybdenum demand. Molybdenum is a fundamental element in the manufacturing of all clean renewable energy technologies such as wind, geothermal, solar, and hydro, as well as in the manufacturing of most mining equipment, making it vital for Europes Green Transition. Currently, China produces around 45% of worlds molybdenum while the EU is the second largest molybdenum user worldwide and has no production of its own. Greenland Resources will be able to supply some 25% of Europes total molybdenum demand for over 20 years from a responsible EU source with one of the highest-grade and clean molybdenum deposits in the world. As global demand for molybdenum continues to soar, its prices have surged, making it one of 2023s top-performing metals. The London Metal Exchange reported a closing price of US$23.95/lb Mo on Sept.22, nearly 33% higher than the base case price used in the Companys NI 43-101 Feasibility Study. Naaja H Nathanielsen, Greenlands Minister of Finance, Minerals, Justice and Gender Equality, underscores Greenlands unique advantage in providing a high-quality, easily accessible Molybdenum supply chain to Europe, while prioritising responsible mining: Greenland is committed to fostering responsible mining ventures that not only tap into our abundant natural resources but also prioritise the well-being and empowerment of our local communities. It's crucial that we set a benchmark for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards while maintaining our competitive advantage. Projects such as the Malmbjerg project with proximity to Europe and high-quality ore serve as a model of responsible mining practices, and they hold immense importance for our region in terms of growth and job creation." Strengthening cooperation and training between Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit communities. In June, Greenland Resources expanded its support to Ittoqqortoormiit, the nearest community to the Malmbjerg project. This included a boost in financial support and mining training, enhancing internet infrastructure, and allocating funding to strengthen culture and education initiatives. In addition, Greenland Resources recently signed an MOU with Nuna Group of Companies, a world class Canadian majority Inuit-owned civil construction company that specializes in Arctic construction and contract mining operations. This will add to the cooperation and training between Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit communities. Bernd Schafer, CEO and Managing Director of EIT RawMaterials, expresses his enthusiasm for this impactful collaboration: The partnership between ERMA and Greenland Resources is a great example of a win-win scenario. We are excited about the development of multi-country value chains for this indispensable raw material, and our commitment in seeking global partners goes far beyond this project. EIT RawMaterials and ERMA, together with the European Commission, are actively engaging in dialogue with partners including the upcoming Strategic Partnership on responsible raw materials value chains between the European Union and Greenland. Dr. Ruben Shiffman, Executive Chairman of Greenland Resources, highlights the collaborations achievements, including capex finance support from financial institutions, successful off-take documentation with prominent European steel and chemical companies, and with leading mining equipment suppliers. ERMAs support has been instrumental in our success. Recently, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Belgium, we signed terms with Molymet, the world largest molybdenum roaster, to convert our molybdenite concentrate in Belgium to ferromolybdenum, molybdenum oxide, and ammonium dimolybdate and sell them directly to the EU steel and chemical industry. We expect a significant percentage of our 2022 Feasibility Study US$820 million capex to come from EU and Canadian financial institutions. Also, over US$300 million on mining equipment will be sourced from the EU and a similar amount from Canada. For more information, please contact: EIT RawMaterials, Elisabeth Ippel, Communications Manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Greenland Resources Inc. Ruben Shiffman, Chief Executive Officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. MEDIA CONTENT Media kit on EIT RawMaterials & ERMA Video on the Malmbjerg Project. Photos, description: South facing view of the Malmbjerg molybdenum deposit. The molybdenum deposit outcrops as indicated by the lighter staining. Malmbjerg deposit drill core from hole number 05-17111 intersecting 3 metres of 3.075% MOS2 View from the Malmbjerg molybdenum deposit to the Mestervig Inlet harbour where processing facilities and shipping are to be located. About EIT RawMaterials EIT RawMaterials is the leading European raw materials partnership established in 2015 to advance Europes transition into a responsible economy. It is EIT RawMaterials mission to secure a responsible raw materials supply for Europe, close materials loops and design products solutions to ultimately develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe by driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship. EIT RawMaterials is also the largest network in the raw materials sector worldwide with over 300 members across the entire raw materials value chain. eitrawmaterials.eu About European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) Metals, minerals, and advanced materials are the key enablers for a globally competitive, green, and digital Europe. The European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) contributes to ensuring reliable, secure, and responsible access to raw materials. ERMAs vision is to secure access to critical and strategic raw materials, advanced materials, and processing know-how for EU Industrial Ecosystems. The alliance brings together all relevant stakeholders, including industrial actors along the value chain, Member States and regions, trade unions, civil society, research and technology organisations, investors, and NGOs. ERMA is managed by EIT RawMaterials, a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. erma.eu About Greenland Resources Inc. Greenland Resources is a Canadian public company with the Ontario Securities Commission as its principal regulator and is focused on the development of its 100% owned world-class Climax type pure molybdenum deposit located in central east Greenland. The Malmbjerg molybdenum project is an open pit operation with an environmentally friendly mine design focused on reduced water usage, low aquatic disturbance and low footprint due to modularized infrastructure. The Malmbjerg project benefits from a NI 43-101 Definitive Feasibility Study completed by Tetra Tech in 2022, with Proven and Probable Reserves of 245 million tonnes at 0.176% MoS2, for 571 million pounds of contained molybdenum metal. As the high-grade molybdenum is mined for the first half of the mine life, the average annual production for years one to ten is 32.8 million pounds per year of contained molybdenum metal at an average grade of 0.23% MoS2, approximately 25% of EU total yearly consumption. The project had a previous exploitation license granted in 2009. With offices in Toronto, the Company is led by a management team with an extensive track record in the mining industry and capital markets. For further details, please refer to our web site (www.greenlandresources.ca) and our Canadian regulatory filings on Greenland Resources profile at www.sedarplus.com. ENDS Qualified Person Statement The news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Jim Steel, P.Geo., M.B.A. a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. For further information please contact: Ruben Shiffman, PhD Chairman, President Keith Minty, P.Eng, MBA Engineering and Project Management Jim Steel, P.Geo, MBA Exploration and Mining Geology Nauja Bianco, M.Pol.Sci. Public and Community Relations Gary Anstey Investor Relations Eric Grossman, CPA, CGA Chief Financial Officer Corporate office Suite 1410, 181 University Av. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 3M7 Telephone +1 647 273 9913 Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Web www.greenlandresources.ca Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward looking statements"), which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "hopes", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: the Companys objectives, goals or future plans; construction and engineering initiatives for the Malmbjerg molybdenum project; statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, and their valuation, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions, and those statements made about the Company by third parties including ERMA. These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Companys current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: future planned exploration and other activities on the Malmbjerg Molybdenum Project; our mineral reserve estimates and the assumptions upon which they are based, including geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock confirming to sampled results and metallurgical performance; tonnage of ore to be mined and processed; ore grades and recoveries; assumptions and discount rates being appropriately applied to technical studies; estimated valuation and probability of success of the Companys projects, including the Malmbjerg molybdenum project; prices for molybdenum remaining as estimated; anticipated global demand and production patterns for molybdenum; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Companys projects; capital decommissioning and reclamation estimates; mineral reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions upon which they are based; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals being received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws; planned energy requirements of the Project; obtaining the permitting on the Project in a timely manner; no adverse changes to the planned operations of the Project; continued favourable relationships with local communities; and current EU and other initiatives remaining in place into the future. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: favourable local community support for the Projects development; the projected demand for molybdenum both in the EU and elsewhere; the current initiatives and programs for resource development in the EU and abroad; the projected and actual effects of factors relevant to the business of the Corporation, including disruptions in supply chains, labour market, currency and commodity prices and global and Canadian capital markets; fluctuations in molybdenum and commodity prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar versus the Euro); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structure formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); inadequate insurance, or the inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices in Greenland, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mining; risks relating to expropriation; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by applicable securities regulations, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update the forward-looking information. Neither the Cboe Canada Exchange nor its regulation services provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lavras Gold Corp. (the Company) (TSXV: LGC, OTCQB: LGCFF) is pleased to announce that further to its news release of September 19, 2023, the Company has increased its private placement offering (the Offering) from a private placement of up to 10,000,000 common shares (each, a Common Share) to 10,146,647 Common Shares. The Common Shares will be issued at a price of CAD$1.35 per Common Share for gross proceeds of CAD$13,697,974. The increase in the Offering is due to investor demand. The net proceeds of the Offering are expected to be used primarily for exploration expenses on the Company's gold properties comprising its Lavras do Sul Project located in Rio Grande do Sul State of Brazil, and for general working capital purposes. The Offering will be conducted pursuant to available exemptions from the registration and prospectus requirements of applicable securities legislation, including sales to accredited investors and to close personal friends and business associates of directors and officers of the Company. The completion of the Offering is subject to the receipt of all regulatory and other approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Lavras Gold Lavras Gold Corp. (TSXV: LGC, OTCQB: LGCFF) is a Canadian exploration company focused on realizing the potential of a multi-million-ounce gold district in southern Brazil. Its Lavras do Sul Project is located in Rio Grande do Sul State, and is primarily an intrusive hosted gold system of possible alkaline affinity. More than 23 gold prospects centred on historic gold workings have been identified on the property, which spans more than 22,000 hectares. Follow Lavras Gold on www.lavrasgold.com, as well as on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. Contact information Hemdat Sawh, CFO | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |+1-416-671-4966 DISCLAIMER AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate, may, will, would, potential, proposed and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur. These statements, including those on planned exploration activities and goals, are only objectives and predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information, including the risks and factors that generally affect exploration and the uncertainty of exploration results. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business, refer to the Companys Managements Discussion and Analysis recently filed under the Companys profile on www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or managements estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday signalled a major foreign policy shift away from Russia, following Moscow's refusal to enter the latest conflict with Azerbaijani over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Pashinyan told the nation in a televised address that his former Soviet republic's current foreign security alliances were "ineffective" and "insufficient". He added that Armenia should join the International Criminal Court (ICC) -- a tribunal which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his actions in Ukraine. "The systems of external security in which Armenia is involved are ineffective when it comes to the protection of our security and Armenia's national interests," Pashinyan said. His address aired just days after Azerbaijan claimed full control over Nagorno-Karabakh after a lightning offensive that forced rebels in the ethnic Armenian territory to agree to disarm. The separatists' apparent capitulation could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged -- off and on -- through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) -- a Russian-dominated group comprised of six post-Soviet states. The group pledges to protect other members that come under attack. But Russia is bogged down in a war in Ukraine and has grown more isolated on the international stage. It argued that Yerevan itself had recognised the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan, and refused to come to Armenia's aid. "It has become evident to all of us that the CSTO instruments and the instruments of the Armenian-Russian military-political cooperation are insufficient for protecting the external security of Armenia," he said. "We must transform and supplement the instruments of Armenia's external and domestic security, in cooperation with all the partners who are ready for mutually beneficial steps," Pashinyan said. - 'Respect our sovereignty' - Pashinyan's address came after days of increasingly strong criticism in Moscow of what has been Russia's main ally in the volatile Caucasus. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday accused Armenia of "adding fuel to the fire" with its public rhetoric. Moscow had earlier this month summoned Armenia's ambassador following its decision to host US forces for small peacekeeping drills. Russian state television commentators have been attacking Pashinyan and other Armenian leaders for their criticism of Moscow. Pashinyan's comments about the ICC threaten to generate particular anger in the Kremlin. ICC judge Tomoko Akane issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for the war crime of allegedly unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. Putin has avoided visiting other ICC member nations to avoid the possibility of arrest. Pashinyan sent the Rome Statute -- a founding document of the ICC -- for parliamentary ratification earlier this month. The Armenian leader said the ICC could help "ensure our security". "The decision is not directed against CSTO and the Russian Federation," Pashinyan said of his desire to join the tribunal. He concluded his address by calling "on our colleagues to respect out sovereignty". - 'Aggravating tensions' - Independent Armenia analyst Beniamin Matevosyan said Pashinyan was "deliberately aggravating tensions with Russia". "He is openly telling Russia: if you don't help keep Armenians in Karabakh, I'll quit CSTO," he said. Matevosyan said the Nagorno-Karabakh supporters and people with roots in the region were leading the protests that have been simmering across Armenia in the past few days. "He is afraid of the 120,000-strong mass of people (from Karabakh). He is seeing that so many Karabakhis are taking part in the street protests these days," Matevosyan told AFP. Pashinyan's new diplomatic line is also running up against the hard reality that Russia still has a military base in the Armenian city of Gyumri that offers Moscow important geopolitical influence. The base is believed to house 3,000 soldiers and has existed since World War II. Armenia analyst Hakob Badalyan added that, in view of the war in Ukraine, Western powers may be unwilling to become more involved in the region. "The West doesn't want to assume the responsiblity," Badalyan said. "It is telling Armenia: negotiate and make peace with (rivals) Turkey and Azerbaijan." Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of mostly Muslim Azerbaijan. But its status has been under dispute for centuries. Furious relatives of ethnic Armenians trapped in Nagorno-Karabakh gathered at the Azerbaijan border to await a medical evacuation convoy on Sunday, as their country signalled a rift with traditional ally Russia. The Armenian health ministry said 23 ambulances carrying a first batch of "seriously and very seriously wounded citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh" were on their way to the border, accompanied by medics and Red Cross workers. As the human drama unfolded, the sudden Azerbaijani victory in the three-decade old conflict also triggered a geopolitical shift, with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan taking a swipe at long-standing ally Russia. In nationally televised comments, the Armenian leader -- himself a target of protests over Karabakh's defeat -- said the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Moscow-Yerevan military-political cooperation were "insufficient" security guarantees. Like a rival to NATO, the CSTO group pledges to protect other members that come under attack. But, bogged down in its own war in Ukraine, Russia refused to come to Armenia's assistance in the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, arguing that Yerevan itself recognised the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan. Now, Russian peacekeepers are helping Azerbaijan disarm the Karabakh rebels. Pashinyan added that Armenia should ratify the treaty which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, tension was running high at Armenia's Kornidzor border crossing, five kilometres from the Hakari bridge on the convoy's route, where dozens of angry relatives had gathered to await news and one man was so frustrated he pulled out a knife. Wild rumours spread through the agitated crowd and concern for missing relatives was mixed with fury over the lightning Azerbaijani offensive that this week seems to have defeated Karabakh's separatist rebellion after decades of fighting. "My son was in the army in Artsakh. He's alive, but I'm worried for him," said 43-year-old Alik Blbuyan, using the name Karabakh's ethnic Armenian population gave their breakaway statelet. "I came here to get news but I'm also hoping armed groups will cross the border. If they do, I'll go with them to rescue my son." - Sons and brothers - Vardan Kirakosyan comes from Machkalshen village in Nagorno-Karabakh, but was working in Russia when Azerbaijani forces imposed a blockade on the enclave nine months ago. Now the 22-year-old is on the border desperate for news about his family. If ethnic Armenian civilians are killed by Azerbaijani forces, he threatened, they he would take revenge by murdering any "Turk" he encounters outside the country. "They'll call me a terrorist, but I don't give a damn," he declared. On the other side of the border in the Azerbaijani town of Beylagan, just outside the breakaway region, local civilians had no sympathy for their Armenian neighbours and were celebrating their government's victory over the rebels. State television played patriotic music paying tribute to the nation and its army, and the roadside was lined with flags and portraits of dozens of local "martyrs", fallen in the fighting during the previous 30 years. Famil Zalov's 18-year-old brother was among those killed, and he's in no mood to forgive. "I support the operation. Our beautiful land got liberated. I'm proud my brother was avenged," the farmer, now in his early fifties, told AFP. Asked whether he could imagine living alongside ethnic Armenians in peace now, he said he could not: "The president has shown them the way. The corridor is open. They can use it and go away." While some argue that Armenians have no future in Azerbaijan, others like Minaya Valiyeva, a smallholder in her seventies, go further and argue they have no past either. "If you take a shovel and dig in the mountains you will find belongings; the wool jacket of our grandfather. You will find our grandmother's combs. You'll not find anything that belongings to Armenians or Russians," she said. The bad blood between the communities will only fuel international concern that Azerbaijan's sudden victory could trigger another round of persecution in a conflict that has seen abuses on both sides. In a call on Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan that Washington had "deep concern" for ethnic Armenians there, a spokesman said. But, speaking for Baku, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the General Assembly: "Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens." Baku will also secure further diplomatic backing from key ally Turkey, whose leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave on Monday. - Villagers 'burn homes' - As the first Red Cross aid convoy crossed into the disputed enclave since Azerbaijan launched last week's offensive, government forces there said rebel "demilitarisation" had begun. Ethnic Armenian separatist fighters began surrendering weapons under a Russian-mediated agreement on Friday, said Moscow. On Saturday, the Azerbaijan forces showed off part of the captured rebel arsenal: sniper rifles, Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and four tanks painted with cross insignia. In a sign the violence may not be over, Azerbaijan's defence ministry on Saturday accused Karabakh Armenians of setting fire to their homes in one village to keep them from Baku's advancing troops. Some villagers also set fire to their homes before fleeing after Azerbaijan first began to re-establish control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020. Ethnic Armenian refugees began to leave Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday for the first time since Azerbaijan launched an offensive designed to seize control of the breakaway territory and perhaps end a three-decade-old conflict. Azerbaijan's one-day operation that ended Wednesday with a separatist pledge to disarm could mark a historic geopolitical shift, with Baku victorious and Armenia publicly distancing itself from its traditional ally Russia. "Yesterday, we had to put down our rifles. So we left," a man in his thirties from the village of Mets Shen told AFP as a first group of a few dozen people crossed the border and registered with Armenian officials in Kornidzor. "We had 15 minutes to pack everything up, regretting having left his livestock and the grave of his three-year-old daughter behind in Mets Shen. "I didn't tell her goodbye. I hope to go back." According to the Armenian government, by Sunday evening 377 "forcefully displaced persons" had crossed from Azerbaijan to Armenia. Most of the refugees seen by AFP were women and children, including some from Eghtsahogh, where people took shelter around a Russian peacekeeping base after their village allegedly came under Azerbaijani shelling. Separatist leaders have said they are negotiating the fate of some 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in talks with Azerbaijani officials mediated by Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan said Sunday it had switched the region's main city, Stepanakert, to its own power grid as part of the "reintegration" effort. But civilians who have managed to escape report shortages of food, water and fuel caused by Azerbaijan's nine-month blockade. - Rift with Russia - As drama unfolded on the border, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan -- himself a target of protests over the crisis -- sought to deflect the blame onto long-standing ally Russia, signalling a breakdown in the countries' security pact. In nationally televised comments, the Armenian leader said the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Moscow-Yerevan military-political cooperation were "insufficient" to protect the country, suggesting that he would seek new alliances. The CSTO members pledge to defend one another from outside attack. But, bogged down in its own war in Ukraine, Russia refused to come to Armenia's assistance in the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, arguing that Yerevan itself had recognised the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan. Now, Russian peacekeepers are helping Azerbaijan disarm the Karabakh rebels. Pashinyan said Armenia should ratify the treaty which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. The rift comes with Pashinyan under pressure at home from thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh supporters who have been rallying and blocking roads in Yerevan since Wednesday's ceasefire deal. They planned to stage more disruptions over three days starting Monday, some voicing anger at Pashinyan's pivot away from Moscow. - Anger and grief - Aliyev, meanwhile, intended to cement his victory by flying to the Azerbaijani western exclave of Nakhichevan for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his most important regional ally. Turkey supplied Baku with a fleet of combat drones that helped Azerbaijan claw back a chunk of the disputed territory in a six-week war three years ago. The two leaders planned to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new natural gas pipeline and open a modernised Azerbaijani military complex, a show of Turkish force that contrasted sharply with Russia's apparent withdrawal from the region. The diplomatic manoeuvres come with tensions running high on the ground. At the Kornidzor crossing, five kilometres (three miles) from the Hakari bridge on the convoy's route, where angry relatives had gathered to await news, one man was so frustrated he pulled out a knife in front of police. "My son was in the army in Artsakh. He's alive, but I'm worried for him," said Alik Blbuyan, 43, using the name Karabakh's ethnic Armenian population gave their breakaway statelet. "I came here to get news but I'm also hoping armed groups will cross the border. If they do, I'll go with them to rescue my son," he said. - 'Our beautiful land' - On the other side of the border in Azerbaijani settlements such as Terter and Beylagan, locals had no sympathy for their Armenian neighbours and were celebrating their government's victory over the rebels. State television played music paying tribute to the nation and its army, and the roadsides were lined with flags and portraits of dozens of local "martyrs", fallen in the fighting during the previous 30 years. Famil Zalov, whose 18-year-old brother was among those killed, was in no mood to forgive. "I support the operation," the farmer, now in his early fifties, told AFP. "Our beautiful land got liberated. I'm proud my brother was avenged." Asked whether he could imagine living alongside ethnic Armenians in peace now, he said he could not: "The president has shown them the way. The corridor is open. They can use it and go away." A group of 22 Ukrainian prisoners of war is being tried in the main military court in southern Russia. Almost every week since their trial in Rostov-on-Don opened on June 14, the defendants are extracted and transported from their detention centres located in this economic and cultural capital of southern Russia, which has become a strategic centre since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. The defendants are accused of participating in a terrorist organization and attempting to overthrow the constitutional system in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). Among them are nine women, most of whom served as cooks in the Azov battalion. According to the defence, among the group of defendants, seven were effective members of the battalion between 2018 and 2021, and only six were active servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine at the time of their arrest. Quotes from Alexander III and Putin The hearing, on September 20, was delayed due to problems with transporting some of the defendants and the tardiness of a lawyer. Despite this, people were gathering near the courtroom on time. At the entrance, there is a poster expressing support for the "special military operation". It reads: "We will demand answers for every drop of spilled blood! You can't negotiate with evil. Evil does not understand grand gestures. Evil must be torn apart!" Similar posters with different slogans are displayed in corridors, in front of the elevator. Some feature quotes from Russian emperor Alexander III and president Vladimir Putin. Lawyers are the first to enter the courtroom. After a confidential communication with the court, around 10 listeners are allowed in. Some of them are law students from a local university, discussing their upcoming classes on civil law and criminology. A small group of attendees consists of friends and relatives of the accused cooks. One woman positions herself to have a view of the right side of the "aquarium", where defendants sit. The faces of three of the women detained are tear-stained and swollen. One of them, wearing glasses with a thick black frame and a bright pink sweater, periodically wipes her eyes with a handkerchief. This is Elena Abramova. Her 18-year-old son and childhood friend will be questioned in court today. They are not here yet. Security guard with a skeleton smile As the start of the hearing approaches, eight security guards surround the glass "aquarium". The mask worn by the first one stands out from the othersit bears a skeleton smile. Each of the eight security guards holds a rifle at the ready. The 22 defendants sit on benches in two rows. Mostly men occupy the left side, three of them sporting the typical military "shaved head" hairstyle. The women are positioned on the right side. One of them, wearing a grey sweater, attempts to convey something through sign language to an acquaintance who has come to support her. After a couple of minutes, a security guard stands right in front of her, making further communication impossible. On the judge's desk, there are three boxes with makeshift handles made of tape. Each box contains seven volumes. Seven more folders with bright yellow bookmarks and flashy coloured files were brought by judges. The case is being heard by three military judges, headed by Vyacheslav Korsakov, whose name is known in Ukraine for having previously sentenced Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov and Ukrainian activist Oleksandr Kolchenko. Open day in Azov Marina Dubrovina, the lawyer of Elena Avramova, requests that the defendants son Ivan Avramov and her friend Olga Zemtsova be questioned. The court agrees and suggests starting with the son. A modest young man in a grey sweater enters the courtroom. Ivan, 18, was born and raised in the village of Urzuf near Mariupol, in south-east Ukraine. It was in the town of Urzuf that Azov's military base was originally located. When asked about his nationality, he states that he is Greek. In 2013, Ivans father died and they with his mother were left alone. Ivan recalls his mother's first job: "She was an entrepreneur, selling women's clothing. After that, she took on part-time work at a store. I know that she received a secondary education and became a pastry chef. She started working in her field after leaving the market." His mother joined the battalion based on a recommendation, he said, but Ivan is not sure who specifically invited his mother there: "In 2020, I was finishing school, and I needed to pursue further education. I planned to attend the Donetsk Law Institute in Mariupol, but it required money. In the end, I got accepted, and my mother helped me a lot financially." He never saw her in a uniform or with weapons. "Once, there was an open day at the military unit, where they invited the children of employees to see where their parents work. My sister, two nieces, and I went there, had a meal," he recalled. During that visit, Ivan took a photo of his mother wearing chef's attire. Later in the hearing, the photo was shown to the prosecutor, and the court decided to include it as evidence in the case. The prosecution had no questions, and Ivan returned to the second row of seats where he was sitting. Afterwards, he repeatedly wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his grey sweater. The second defence witness was Olga Zemtsova, a childhood friend of Elena Avramova. Olga was also born in Urzuf and also identified herself as Greek by nationality. According to Olga, in the 1990s, after completing school, Avramova worked at a boarding house. She then started her own business, which was doing well. "But in 2014, things worsened in the market, as they did in the country as a whole. Sometime around 2013-2014, Elena's husband passed away, and it became very difficult for her," Zemtsova recounted. She also recalled that Avramova's son was planning to attend university, but they needed money: "She was invited to do some part-time work at a store near the military unit. At first, she was filling in for someone, and then she started working as a cook." It was just a regular job for her: "I know for sure that she was baking bread there. There weren't any jobs in the village, and it was difficult for her to pay for utilities. After her husband's death, it was really tough for her." The prosecutor did not pose any additional questions to her either. In addition to the testimonies, the court included in the case file materials a letter of reference on her character written for Avramova from five neighbours, a copy of her secondary education certificate of "baker", and an excerpt from the Ukrainian register of individual entrepreneurs. Azov's canteen offered the highest salary Since the prosecution finished presenting evidence, the defendants have started giving testimonies during the recent court sessions. On September 20, Liliya Pavrianidis, 29, appeared before the court. Dressed in a black zip-up sweater, her long brown hair pulled back from her face with two hairpins, she stood up from her seat and walked straight towards the glass to answer the questions from the court and from her lawyer. She started to recount that she was born and raised in Berdyansk a city located near the Azov sea, in the south of Zaporozhye region, southern Ukraine and obtained a higher education degree in 2018, becoming a food industry engineer. After finishing university, she moved to Moscow, but returned to her hometown of Berdyansk six months later in December 2019. "It's a small city, a resort town, and there aren't many job opportunities there. But in Urzuf, they offered a somewhat decent salary. That's why I made the decision to work as a cook in the Azov battalion's canteen," Pavrianidis said. "I didn't know much about other battalions, and I even learned about Azov shortly before deciding to go there. It was the closest to home, and they offered the highest salary." Were you aware of the Azov battalion's views? asked the prosecutor. We never discussed this topic in personal conversations. How did you feel about the decision regarding the separation of DPR and LPR from Ukraine? continued the prosecutor. Neutral. Liliya's job was only to cook. Despite this, she was assigned an automatic rifle for a period of three months: "But I never saw it and never held it in my hands." Did you undergo any training on handling weapons? asked the prosecutor. No. We only had a three-day basic training as part of the National Guard of Ukraine's inspection. But it was purely a formality; we sat in the classroom waiting for the inspection. Did you go to shooting ranges? There was one outing, again related to the inspection. Was it also a formality? No, we did shoot there. Personally, I fired from an automatic weapon. Prior to the war, Pavrianidis worked in a canteen from 4 am to 7 pm, mainly serving food and preparing salads. She said she lived there because Berdyansk was 60 kilometres away, and it was too far to commute. Usually, she only returned home on weekends. We worked till March 17 in Azovstal On February 24, 2022, along with other cooks, she was transferred from Urzuf to the "Azovstal" metallurgical plant in Mariupol, located at about an hour's drive from Urzuf. During the heavy battle with the Russian forces, the distribution of responsibilities changed: "At Azovstal, everyone helped each other and did not stick to a single process. We worked until March 17. Then the last kitchen was damaged. Our head informed us that the commander had given permission for the women to leave Azovstal," Pavrianidis recounted. They couldn't leave earlier: "We couldn't leave the territory on our own; we wouldnt even get to the checkpoint alive. Plus, I didn't know the building's architecture [the plant had many underground rooms and passages, with a total area of 11 square kilometres]." According to the defendant, in the evening of March 17, she and other women were taken in groups to Mariupol the city centre: "There were eight of us, and we split up. Each group made their own decision. We decided that we needed to find a checkpoint to surrender. We realized that if we stayed in the city, we probably wouldn't survive," the defendant recalled, with noticeable pauses between words. By midnight, the group of women reached the nearest checkpoint, where they were detained by representatives of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Chechen Republic. I had a bag on my head The first procedural document regarding Pavrianidis' detention was drawn up on March 20, three days later. She was handed an administrative detention for 10 days. "On April 13, I was transferred to the General Prosecutor's Office in Donetsk. During the first interrogation, they said I didn't need a lawyer," the defendant recalled, noting that her statements were not recorded in writing. Nonetheless, she was unable to refuse signing the protocols. Why couldn't you refuse? her lawyer asked. Because I had a bag on my head at the time. And the signatures? Well, at the moment when we were supposed to sign, they untied our hands, removed the bags, and told us to sign. The defendant does not admit guilt in the case. Based on her responses, the prosecutor concluded that Pavrianidis disagreed with the legal qualification of the events but acknowledges all the factual circumstances. A visit to DPR and a witness from Kyiv Then the court considered several motions from the defence, composed of both court-appointed lawyers and lawyers by agreement. Yaroslav Zhdamarov's lawyer filed a motion for the examination of physical evidence - "a notepad with personal property notes" and "a questionnaire in the name of Yaroslav Zhdamarov" that is held by the investigative department of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). According to him, the prosecution was unable to arrange for its transport to Rostov-on-Don. Because of this, he asked the panel of judges to hold a visiting court session in the DPR. The Russian Criminal Procedure Code allows for such a possibility, although such hearings are very rare. "Seriously? We would all go together for a visiting court session? Did you discuss this with your colleagues? I'm actually curious to hear the defence's opinion," said Judge Korsakov. But other defence lawyers supported the idea. The court still rejected the motion, considering that there was "no procedural necessity" for a trip to the DPR. Oleg Mizhgorodsky's lawyer asked also for the court's assistance. As part of his examination, the defence counsel said he spoke with a former servicewoman, Rolana Bondarenko, who worked in the battalion's personnel department during the same period as his client. Bondarenko told the lawyer circumstances that hindered Mizhgorodskyi from resigning from his service. The attorney explained he conducted the interview via video call, as Bondarenko resides in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. The lawyer said that with the court's consent, he would be able to have her in court, through video conferencing. "On December 20, 2022, [Ukraine's president] Zelensky signed the law on Ukraine's withdrawal from the convention on legal assistance and legal relations, thus we are unable to obtain the evidence that is in Ukraine. And she cannot come to the court," the lawyer said. The court decided to include in case materials the transcript of Bondarenko's interview and said that it was willing to explore ways to listen to her new testimony during the court session so that she could have witness status. The prosecutor did not object to this. In total, defence lawyers asked for the right to hear around 20 persons, and only a few defendants have testified so far. The next hearing is scheduled for September 27. A United Nations investigation into human rights violations in Ukraine since Russia's invasion warned on Monday that some rhetoric transmitted by Russian media could amount to incitement to genocide. Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, the head of the investigation team, Erik Mose, voiced concern "about allegations of genocide in Ukraine". "For instance, some of the rhetoric transmitted in Russian state and other media may constitute incitement to genocide," he said, adding that the team was "continuing its investigations on such issues". The Norwegian judge heads a three-person Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was created by the council to investigate violations committed since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February last year. In its first full report in March, the team determined that Russian authorities had committed "a wide range of war crimes". Mose said at the time that the commission was aware of accusations of genocide, including the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to areas under Russian control, and vowed to investigate. In his update on the situation on Monday, he said the commission had "continued to investigate individual situations of alleged transfers of unaccompanied minors by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation". "It regrets that there is a lack of clarity and transparency on the full extent, circumstances, and categories of children transferred," he said. "The commission is of the view that insufficient knowledge about the precise number and circumstances of children transferred may hamper an expeditious return process." - Brutal torture - The March report had also determined that Moscow was behind a vast array of other war crimes, including widespread attacks on civilians and infrastructure, killings, torture and rape and other sexual violence. Mose said on Monday that the commission, which had travelled more than 10 times to Ukraine, was now "undertaking a more in-depth investigation" that "may also clarify whether torture and attacks on energy infrastructure amount to crimes against humanity". Among other things, he said the team was investigating the cause of the disastrous destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Russian-held territory on June 6. The commission had also "collected further evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic", he said. The torture was mainly taking place in various detention centres controlled by Russian authorities, he said, adding that in some cases it was "inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of the victim". And in the Kherson region, the commission had found that "Russian soldiers raped and committed sexual violence against women of ages ranging from 19 to 83 years". Such acts were often accompanied by "threats or commission of other violations", Mose said, adding that "frequently, family members were kept in an adjacent room, thereby forced to hear the violations taking place". "The commission reiterates its deep concern at the scale and gravity of violations and corresponding crimes that have been committed in Ukraine by Russian armed forces," he told the council, emphasising "the need for accountability". The team, he said, also recalled the need for the Ukrainian authorities "to expeditiously and thoroughly investigate the few cases of violations by its own forces". After declaring himself as an Inaishingi and an Aramun, the Arthdal natives hunt Lee Joon Gi down for his betrayal in "Arthdal Chronicles 2" episode 6. In addition, Jang Dong Gun also receives his sacred mission from the Aramun prophecy. Eunseom's Great Declaration Eunseom (Lee Joon Gi) declares his identity as an Inaishingi and Aramun, leaving the Arthdal people in shock. Tagon (Jang Dong Gun), on the other hand, continues to hallucinate about his father who is an Igutu. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Episode 5: Lee Joon Gi Announces His Alliance Tanya (Shin Se Kyung) goes to the tree where the sword has been buried and understands that Eunseom accepts his own mission. Tanya Begins Own Mission Tanya brings the sword to the temple and makes the Arthdal natives seek blessings in their time of need. Elsewhere, Saya (Lee Joon Gi) assumes the role of Eunseom and finds the names of the union elders, which he soon uses as a way of causing chaos. However, some men are aware of his true identity. One man reveals that he's a fake Inaishingi and ties him up. Tae Alha (Kim Ok Vin) asks her men to take Eunseom down, and lies about being threatened by the latter. They didn't kill Eunseom but made sure that he would never be able to return to Arthdal. Eunseom then meets up with his men and lure Saya in. Tagon Receives Sacred Mission Tagon visits the tree where the sword is buried. Tanya notices how low his spirit is. Because of this, she tries to appease him by saying that his mission will soon come. When he returns to court, Tagon orders to capture everyone born in the year when the comet appeared, and tells his men to kill them if they try to escape. ALSO READ: Better Than Kim Ji Won? Shin Se Kyung Praised For 'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Transformation He cuts off his ear when one of the ministers asks him to take back his order, shocking Tanya and Tae Alha. Chaos Ensues Between Arthdal & Ago Natives Tagon also hurts Tae Alha with his words after learning about her being a spy in the past. He declares that he no longer believes in her. Meanwhile, Saya decides to join the warriors in leading the mission to the border. The Arthdal soldiers as well as the Ago army soon attack one another. RELATED ARTICLE: Lee Joon Gi Named As Fantasy Period K-drama King- Here's How The Actor Reacted Amidst the chaos, Saya finds Eunseom's location which leaves them both in surprise, especially when they are both pushed to the edge. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Despite the wrong accusations, Kim Sun Woo (Suho) protected Bong Ye Bun (Han Ji Min) from the serial killer and died instead of her in "Behind Your Touch" episode 14. 'Behind Your Touch' Episode 14: Moon Jang Yeol Gets Glimpse of the Serial Killer In "Behind Your Touch" episode 14, Moon Jang Yeol (Lee Min Ki) and Bong Ye Bun rushed to Gwang Sik's house to check on him and learned from Ae Ran that he had gone out for something. The detective escorted Ye Bun going home and advised her to stay and call Ok Hee and stick along. Jang Yeol continued searching for Gwang Sik and came across the serial killer. The chase began and he understood that the killer was not Gwang Sik. Though he failed to catch him, the detective got a glimpse of the killer's identity. Back at Ye Bun's house, injured Gwang Sik came and tried to give a hint about the killer. He said black before dying. Jang Yeol rushed to Kim Sun Woo's (Suho) home and searched on his place. He spotted blood on Sun Woo's hands and tried to accept he was the culprit. He asked the detective for a search warrant and evidence, the latter then warned him and would prove him guilty. RELATED ARTICLE: 'Behind Your Touch' Episode 13: Han Ji Min Finds the Farm Owner Suspicious Ye Bun and Jang Yeol talked about Gwang Sik's last words. The detective then revealed that the killer must have blackouts as that's what Gwang Sik would have tried to tell. Jang Yeol elaborated that the killer can kill even though their eyes are closed. He again requested Ye Bun to stay away from Sun Woo. Kim Sun Woo Happy & Comfortable With Bong Ye Bun However, Ye Bun decided to meet Sun Woo to check on him again. They met at the park and Sun Woo asked her to check his memories again because he didn't want her to suspect him. Ye Bun assured him that she trusted him. She shared details about the culprit and them being psychic. Jang Yeol, Jang Mook, and Dok Hee tried to do the blackout tricks but failed to know the exact method. When Jang Mook checked Gwang Sik's body, the team learned that the killer's skills had gotten better. Meanwhile, Sun Woo and Ye Bun got closer as she believed in him. He felt more comfortable around her since she was the only one who trusted him. Seeing them made Jang Yeol ask Ye Bun to date him if she wanted to date someone, which irritated Ye Bun. Kim Sun Woo Sacrifices Himself to Save Bong Ye Bun Before he left for Seoul, Jang Yeol ensured Ye Bun to stay locked in the police station cell for protection. But was able to escape and went home. Ok Hee then informed Jang Yeol about Ye Bun's escape and returned immediately to Mujin. That night, Ye Bun received a call from Sun Woo and went to see him. At the workshop, he saw her with the Shaman and immediately closed the toolbox, giving Ye Bun's suspicion. She then had the chance to open the toolbox and saw the knife. When she went to escape, Sun Woo ran behind her with the knife. Suddenly a person wearing a poncho appeared in front of her. Sun Woo indeed was not the killer. He ran behind Ye Bun to save her and asked her to escape. Sun Woo then fought with the serial killer. When Ye Bun returned, Sun Woo was already dead. ALSO READ: EXO's Suho as Crown Prince? Actor to Possible Lead His First Historical-Romance Drama For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article. Shai Collins wrote this. Time flies so fast for the avid "Arthdal Chronicles" fans as its second season, led by Lee Joon Gi and Shin Se Kyung, has now closed its first half of broadcast after three weeks. While the series received great reception during its debut, the fantasy romance series suffers from lukewarm attention as it heads into its latter half. Read to know more. 'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Sees Slight Dip In Viewership Ratings On September 24, the highly loved fantasy romance series "Arthdal Chronicles 2" finally dropped its latest episode to fans' delight. Starring Lee Joon Gi and Shin Se Kyung, "Arthdal Chronicles 2" depicts the people's fates, whether they were born to protect or destroy the beautiful land of Arthdal. During the first week of the drama, it successfully took the No. 1 spot on the list of most buzzworthy works in the weekend time slot, giving Season 1 a run for its money. Lee Joon Gi, who plays the dual role of Eunseom and Saya, ranked at No. 8 as one of the hottest actors in prime time at the moment. Unfortunately, a slight decline in ratings was seen after the fifth and sixth episodes were released simultaneously due to the Asian games. "Arthdal Chronicles 2" episode 6 received an average score of 2.1% which is 1.3% lower than the previously recorded rating, making viewers raise their eyebrows. Many spectators even criticized the production's subpar CGI (computer-generated imagery) despite the whopping 40 million USD production cost. With the second half of the broadcast just around the corner, viewers expect to see "Arthdal Chronicles 2" surpass the 5% rating that was recorded during its second week of broadcast. READ MORE: 'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Episode 6: Jang Dong Gun Receives Sacred Mission Watch the new episodes of "Arthdal Chronicles 2" every weekend at 9:20 p.m. KST on tvN, Netflix and Disney+. Lee Joon Gi Named As Historical Romance King Since his debut as an actor, Lee Joon Gi curated a rather flawless filmography that is composed of countless sageuk K-dramas. From 2005 to this day, the actor has appeared in various internationally acclaimed works like "The King and The Clown," "Scholar Who Walks the Night" and "Scarlet Heart Ryeo." Lee Joon Gi also added "Arthdal Chronicles 2" to his collection, and even earned the name as the king of the historical fantasy romance genre. "I love the intricate details, massive efforts and preparations put into a sageuk work," Lee Joon Gi told Allure Korea. "I naturally gravitate towards fantasy romance dramas." While he starred in other modernized K-dramas, 80% of his work is fantasy. Lee Joon Gi also told Allure Korea that he will continue to thrive more as an actor, doing what he loves the most even after 10 years. ALSO READ: 4 Interesting Lee Joon Gi Facts To Get To Know 'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Star KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Professors represent Kennesaw State at Governors Teaching Fellows seminar KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 25, 2023 Ana-Maria Croicu and Hassan Pournaghshband Two Kennesaw State University professors agree that good teachers know they can always learn something new about their craft, no matter how long they do it or how successful theyve been at it. Professor of mathematics Ana-Maria Croicu and professor of software engineering Hassan Pournaghshband spent a week in May at the University of Georgia after being selected for the prestigious Governors Teaching Fellows Spring Symposium, a series of events dedicated to improving teaching skills in Georgias colleges and universities. Our primary objective was to explore effective teaching strategies that actively engage our students in the learning process through hands-on activities and collaborative teamwork, Croicu said. Ultimately, our goal is to empower them with the ability to effortlessly recollect and thoughtfully contemplate the knowledge acquired during these activities or within the classroom setting. Croicu and Pournaghshband joined a cohort of 18 professors from institutions large and small, representing a wide variety of disciplines within STEM fields. The cohort divided into four teams for projects throughout the week, which culminated in presentations at the end of the week. Working in teams with different people with different backgrounds, different ideas was interesting, Pournaghshband said. Ive taught for a long time, so I shared my experience with them, and I got to listen to their experiences as well. That was definitely a plus. Each professor brought a sterling resume to the seminar, having been honored by KSUs Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Pournaghshband, who joined the faculty at Southern Polytechnic State University in 1993, earned the Outstanding Teaching Award for the 2020-21 school year. Croicu, who started at KSU in 2006, earned the Outstanding Teaching Award for the 2014-15 school year and the Outstanding Online Teaching Award for the 2019-20 school year. Both professors cited leadership within their colleges in encouraging them to apply for the program. In Croicus case, she chatted with Kadian Callahan, associate dean for student success and a professor of mathematics education who attended the Governors Teaching Fellows in 2016. Croicu said Callahan emerged from the seminar with valuable and pertinent insights that refined her teaching. So what could two of KSUs best have to learn in one week? Croicu cited the seminars focus on active learning as key to enhancing her teaching, even saving a handout from one of the sessions as a reminder of what she can do for her students. We were provided with a collection of flashcards featuring activities that we can incorporate into our classes to foster active learning, Croicu said. I keep it readily accessible because of its tremendous utility. It's always at my fingertips, helping me brainstorm ways to encourage my students active participation. I plan to recalibrate my teaching approach, prioritizing more engaging, hands-on classroom activities. Pournaghshband said even the most accomplished teachers dont know it all and can always get better, especially at enrichment events like the Governors Teaching Fellows. As a teacher concerned with effective teaching, never believe that you know it all, Pournaghshband said. There is always a new idea somewhere that you can use. So try to find that idea, use it in your class and see how it works, and then you can always revise it to fit your needs. Thats what I learned that week. Dave Shelles Photos by Matt Yung Related Stories A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 43,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu. Irish celebrity chef Richard Corrigan has praised the work of sheep farmers after he herded a flock over a London Bridge, saying its a really tough life. The Co Meath-born star walked over Southwark Bridge alongside the sheep on Sunday as part of the 10th London Sheep Drive fundraising event. The three-time Great British Menu winner said the drive is deeply symbolic for the City of London as it echoes an ancient right for freemen to herd livestock into London without paying a toll. He said: We brought the sheep over the bridge, a deeply symbolic thing for the city of London. Its founded on the the wool merchants and this great wealth. As a Freeman of the City of London, Corrigan has an ancient right to lead the sheep over the River Thames. He was accompanied by former lord mayor of London Sir Andrew Parmley and sheriffs of the city of London for his walk. Corrigan said he had been taken back by the opportunity to guide the sheep as he noted his lifes work has been in the capital. Reflecting on the farming industry, he added: Ive huge respect for these sheep farmers, its a really, really tough life. Corrigan explained he had personal experience with the challenges as he grew up on a farm and assisted with their care every year. Cleaning their hooves, paring their hooves, dosing them and dipping them, its the most laborious task, he added. If anyone knew exactly the effort that goes in the farming sheep, you would really cherish every morsel you put into your mouth. Corrigan earned first Michelin star when he was head chef of Stephen Bull in London in 1994 and has opened up a number of his own restaurants across the capital. He has also appeared on a number of cooking shows including BBC Ones Saturday Kitchen and RTEs Corrigan Knows Food. THE GAELTACHT is about to witness sparks fly as ten hopeful singles step into the world of Gra ar an Tra, the Irish Love Island style series that promises to set hearts racing. Presenters Grainne Seoige, James Kavanagh and Siomha Ni Ruairc are about to rule the Waterford roost where singles will compete for the title of "couple with the most focail." Michelle McGrath from Clare: Michelle believes in being treated well and is a pro at spotting game players. Her favorite chat-up line is cheeky, and her love for the dramatic Irish word "Go tobann" is undeniable. Donal Breathnach from Waterford: Donal is on the lookout for genuine, kind-hearted, and musically inclined love. He's experienced love before but is ready to offer even more "gra." Andrew Jackson from Monaghan: After living abroad for a while, Andrew is excited to connect with new people in Ireland and show his passions. He's also open to finding love while doing so. Megan O'Regan Byrne, the radio presenter from Carlow: Megan craves a mature and serious relationship, and she's determined to improve her Gaeilge. She hopes "Gra ar an Tra" will be her answer. Saoirse Eireann Ni Chuilleagain, Dublin native: Saoirse values integrity and cultural awareness in a partner. Her witty chat-up line and keen sense of humor make her a standout. Sean O Maoilchiarain from Limerick: Sean is in it for the craic and to share his love for Gaeilge. Who knows, he might just find love on the way! Loman Jinks, the electrician from Galway: Loman seeks someone who's sound and fun, and he has a unique requirement the ability to reverse a trailer. Laura Pakenham from Longford: Laura wants a partner who's kind and caring and can make her feel giddy. Her crafty chat-up line strategy is a charm on nights out. Ciara McMenamy from Dublin: Ciara aims to step out of her comfort zone, learn Irish as her first language, and hopefully find "Gra." She has high expectations for her ideal partner. Femi Bankole from Dundalk: Femi is looking to reignite his passion for the Irish language and desires a partner who matches his chaos. He firmly believes in moving past the "ick" moments. The stage is set for a thrilling adventure and a chance to win the grand prize of 10,000. Gra ar an Tra promises a blend of fun tasks, cheeky challenges, and romantic rendezvous, all while brushing up on their Irish language skills. Love, laughter, and a dash of Gaeilge await in this exciting new series. If a frugal friend ever gives you an investing tip, it's likely they'll point you toward Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds. Vanguard is one of the largest and lowest-cost fund providers in the U.S. and, in fact, their push to lower fees has actually helped bring fund costs down industry-wide. But even if your heart is set on Vanguard, you might be asking yourself: Vanguard ETFs vs Vanguard mutual funds, which is the better investment? The answer, as it almost always is when it concerns investing, is "it depends." Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up A brief history of Vanguard Vanguard's history goes back to 1929, with the Wellington Fund which still exists today, offered at Vanguard as both Investor Shares ( VWELX ) and Admiral Shares ( VWENX ). But the company itself didn't exist until 1975, when John C. Bogle founded The Vanguard Group. At the end of that same year, Vanguard launched the First Index Investment Trust the first index fund, which would later be rebranded the Vanguard 500 Index Fund ( VFIAX ). Today, VFIAX boasts more than $900 billion in net assets to make it one of the largest mutual funds by assets. Back then, index funds were a radical concept: trusting a fund's assets to the performance of a benchmark rather than a team of professional managers. But clearly, the investing world saw their incredible value, as index funds now command trillions of dollars in assets worldwide. Vanguard ETFs vs mutual funds: What's the difference? The difference between Vanguard ETFs vs Vanguard mutual funds comes right down to the differences between all ETFs and mutual funds . At a very basic level, mutual funds and ETFs operate the same way. Investors give their money to a provider in exchange for a small piece of ownership in the fund. Fund management then spends that money buying stocks, bonds and/or other assets depending on the fund's goals. You enjoy any capital gains and/or dividends paid, but you also suffer when the fund drops in value. However, mutual funds and ETFs have some significant differences. Mutual funds only trade once per trading day after the market close. When you buy a mutual fund, you can spend any amount of money over the required minimum to buy shares fund minimums run the gamut, from $0 to $50 to $1,000 to $1 million, and everywhere in between. You'll virtually always pay management fees (calculated as a percent of your investment, charged annually and taken directly out of performance), and occasionally other fees such as front-end sales loads (taken out of your initial investment) or redemption fees (fees charged when you sell your shares). On the back end, they're structured in such a way that they can generate capital gains taxes from the buying and selling of assets within the fund. Exchange-traded funds, as the name suggests, trade on exchanges just like stocks, so you can buy them during normal and extended stock market trading hours . There is no minimum investment you can buy as little as one share, usually in the tens or hundreds of dollars. (And if your brokerage has fractional shares , you can spend as little as $1 to buy part of an ETF.) ETFs only charge management fees. And their back-end structure, which involves in-kind creation and redemption of ETF units, helps minimize capital gains tax liabilities. Exchange-traded funds tend to be cheaper than mutual funds for several reasons. One, as mentioned above, they only charge management fees. Two, their management fees tend to be cheaper than comparable mutual funds. And three, most ETFs tend to be index funds, which in general cost less to operate than actively managed funds, while most mutual funds tend to have human managers. But let's be clear: There are actively managed ETFs, and there are index mutual funds , too. One neat thing about Vanguard is that several (but not all) of their mutual funds are also offered as ETFs. And that comes into play when deciding between Vanguard ETFs vs mutual funds. Why choose a Vanguard ETF over a mutual fund? A Vanguard ETF is a better choice than a Vanguard mutual fund in two very common circumstances: You have less than the minimum required investment to own the mutual fund. Popular Vanguard funds like the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares ( VTSAX ) and the aforementioned VFIAX have $3,000 investment minimums. So if you only had, say, $2,000, you couldn't invest in either. But you could buy eight or nine shares of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI), which is floating around $215 per share right now, or four or five shares of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), which currently trades around $400. Vanguard offers both ETF and mutual fund versions of a fund, and the ETF version is cheaper. Even if you can afford the investment minimum for a Vanguard mutual fund, you're typically going to absorb fewer fees by purchasing the Vanguard ETF instead. This is most often the case for Vanguard's indexed products . For instance, VTSAX charges a skinflint 0.04% expense ratio, or a mere $4 for every $10,000 you invest. But its ETF counterpart, VTI, charges just 0.03%. That extra $1 savings on $10,000 invested might seem trivial, but when all else is equal (and it is here), always take the cheaper fund. Those savings add up. Why choose a Vanguard mutual fund over an ETF? There are two very clear instances in which you would buy a Vanguard mutual fund over a Vanguard ETF: You're interested in a Vanguard mutual fund that doesn't have an ETF counterpart. Several Vanguard funds, such as Vanguard Wellington an actively managed fund that invests in both equities and fixed income don't have ETF versions. So if you want Wellington, you have to buy the mutual fund. You're investing in a 401(k) or other retirement plan (like some SEP IRAs) where plans are limited to mutual funds. While you can buy ETFs in virtually any brokerage account you can find, not all investment accounts allow for them. Most 401(k)s have largely rebuffed the ETF trend, and depending on your provider, some other retirement accounts might not allow for them. (Vanguard, for instance, only offers mutual funds in multi-member SEP IRAs.) BOGOTA, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Colombia's mining industry is ready to contribute to the energy transition but needs coherent messaging from the government to create the certainty needed to support investment, the boss of the Colombian Mining Association (ACM) said on Monday. Leftist President Gustavo Petro has made it his goal to wean the South American nation off its dependence on oil and coal exports - which he decried as poisons during last year's election - and has pledged to block open pit mining where communities do not want it. However, the industry needs assurances of stability if mining exploration is to go ahead, as well as security in the regions where projects are located, ACM President Juan Camilo Narino said in an interview. "The field of exploration ... needs clear messages from the government, firstly conveying that this is a government that wants this investment and secondly (it) needs adequate security conditions," Narino said, citing attacks on mining companies and protests that block operations. The Ministry of Mines and Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mining companies will this year pay some 15.9 trillion pesos ($4 billion) in taxes and royalties in Colombia, Narino said, adding that the government must consider how it will use this income to fund its policies of improving access to healthcare and reducing inequality. "(The government) needs to reflect deeply on how to build a competitive framework. If not, the investment will go elsewhere," Narino said, listing countries like Canada, Chile and Peru, among others. While Colombia continues to depend on coal exports for income, it must do more to foster an environment where minerals needed for the energy transition can be produced, Narino said. Colombia currently has one copper project producing 10,000 metric tons per year, he said, adding that a number of other projects are in important phases of exploration. "These projects are the hope for Colombian copper, projects that must be supported with the conditions created for them to keep exploring," Narino said. ($1 = 3,948.7 Colombian pesos) (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta and Oliver Griffin; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Paul Simao) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Listed digital asset investment products continue to experience redemptions, though the pace has slowed, as the latest funds flow report from CoinShares shows that a total of $9 million was pulled from these funds during the week ending September 22. Volumes were low at US$820m for the week, well below the US$1.3bn average for the year so far, matching a similar low volume trend in the broader digital asset market, said James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares. The crypto market has struggled to gain momentum in recent weeks in the absence of any notable developments as the recent spot Bitcoin ETF applications remain stuck in SEC-approval limbo while the ruling that XRP is not a security is headed to an appeals court. Digital asset fund flows. Source: CoinShares Similar to the prior week, a divergence in sentiment from a regional perspective was evident this week too, with inflows into Europe totaling US$16m, where investors see recent regulatory disappointment as an opportunity, Butterfill said. Products listed in Germany saw inflows of $18.1 million, but this was offset by $14.1 million worth of outflows from U.S.-listed products, while countries in the other category saw $12.6 million in outflows. Flows by country. Source: CoinShares The continued redemptions brought the month-to-date outflow total to $125.5 million and reduced the year-to-date (YTD) total inflows to $40 million. Bitcoin (BTC) continues to be the main focus for institutional investors, with long products seeing their third consecutive week of outflows totaling $6 million, while short-Bitcoin products experienced $2.8 million in outflows. Flows by asset. Source: CoinShares The US$15m inflows into short-bitcoin for one week this month look more like an isolated event as there have been outflows totaling 78% of assets under management (AuM) over the course of the last 22 weeks, suggesting investors are continuing to capitulate over their short positions, Butterfill said. Ethereum also experienced a sixth consecutive week of outflows, with $2.2 million being pulled from Ether products last week, bringing the YTD total redemptions to $115 million compared to Bitcoins YTD inflows of 148 million. Multi-asset investment products have also suffered this year, seeing a small but steady trickle of outflows that now total US$32m for the year so far, Butterfill said. It seems investors are becoming more discerning in the altcoin space though, with continued inflows into XRP and Solana totalling US$0.66m and US$0.31m respectively. According to Matteo Greco, research analyst at Fineqia International, Despite the conclusion of the summer season and the anticipated resumption in typical trading activity, digital asset market volumes remain low both on centralized exchanges and on-chain. Greco said the biggest factor affecting financial markets currently is the economic policies enacted by the Fed and other central banks, which have redirected capital towards less risky investments such as government bonds. These bonds currently offer an attractive risk/reward ratio, offering a passive income while mitigating portfolio risk, he said. In terms of positive developments for the crypto market, Greco noted that both Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen an increase in their 7-day moving average of active addresses over the past week. Ethereum saw 508,000 active addresses, its highest average in 2023, while Bitcoin recorded 1.11 million active addresses, the highest level since 2021. Furthermore, Bitcoin's hashrate continues its upward trajectory, achieving a new all-time high in the past week, he said. Hashrate, a measure of a blockchain's computational power that impacts network security and mining difficulty, has reached record levels multiple times in 2023, despite Bitcoin's price significantly falling from its all-time high of $69,000 recorded in November 2021. The network has also done a lot to overcome the negative stigma associated with the amount of energy used to mine Bitcoin, as recent estimates indicate that more than 50% of Bitcoin mining now originates from renewable sources, marking a significant milestone for the network's sustainability, Greco said. Touching on developments related to Bitcoin liquidity, Greco noted that The price slippage for $100,000 sell orders on centralized exchanges within the BTC/USD pair is diminishing. Price slippage, which represents the variance between an anticipated trade price and the executed trade price, is decreasing, indicating improved market liquidity, he said. Low liquidity levels and the challenges faced by market makers have been key issues in the digital asset market throughout 2023. Enhanced liquidity depth would play a pivotal role in promoting increased trading activities and revitalizing the market. He also highlighted that the Bitcoin dominance metric remained relatively stable, which confirms minimal volatility and price fluctuations across the broader market during the past week. Greco said that trading volumes on centralized exchanges as measured over a 7-day period also continue to see limited activity, with the cumulative trading volume over the last seven days amounting to approximately $10.5 billion. This reflects an 8.5% decrease compared to the preceding week, but still higher than the lowest levels reached in the initial week of September, he said. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - British Columbias largest gold mine is under construction and slated for the first gold pour in the second half of 2024, said Steven Dean, chairman and CEO of Artemis Gold. Dean spoke to Kitco mid-September at the Precious Metals Summit 2023 held in Beaver Creek, Colorado. He cited two advantages of developing a mine in B.C., which has not always been mining-friendly: electricity, and the Canadian dollar. "The cost of power is one of the world's lowest, certainly in a Tier 1 jurisdiction, at around CAD$0.06 to $0.07 a kilowatt hour. That would put it at one of the lowest in the world in first-class jurisdictions and then of course the other aspect is that 98-99 percent of the energy source is hydro, which is green power," Dean said. "The exchange rate between the US dollar and the Canadian dollar also provides some relief to margin compression." While gold companies have received less attention from politicians than firms exploring for critical minerals, Dean said Artemis Gold is "getting points with government" in the social and environmental areas. "We remain very unique in that we can bring jobs training and support particularly to indigenous communities, which no other industry can," Dean said. "Were creating economic value which we're sharing with the communities indigenous and non-indigenous and we're creating that value through a largely green-based business." Dean noted Artemis Gold has an option to acquire an electrified mining and haulage fleet from Caterpillar, which would reduce its direct emissions to almost zero. Kitco Minings coverage of the Precious Metals Summit 2023 was sponsored by Newcore Gold. Korea and Turkey agreed Monday to strengthen cooperation in the areas of defense and the arms industry and push to sign a military deal as part of such efforts, the defense ministry said. Korean Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul and his Turkish counterpart, Alpaslan Kavaklioglu, said the two sides will ink the agreement on the protection of classified military information at an appropriate time in the future after concluding domestic procedures. No specific time frame was given. "As brother countries, the two countries are actively carrying out their strategic partnership in the area of defense through robust defense and arms industry cooperation," Shin was quoted as saying by the ministry. Turkey dispatched a total of 21,212 troops to Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty. Among them, 741 were killed in action, according to Korean data. Kavaklioglu was in Seoul to attend a ceremony marking the 75th founding anniversary of Korea's armed forces. Korea celebrates Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1. This year, a large-scale military parade will take place in Seoul on Tuesday, the first such event in 10 years. The vice ministers shared the view of further bolstering defense exchange and cooperation. They also agreed to continue developing forward-looking and mutually beneficial cooperation among defense companies of their countries, such as the development of Turkish Altay tanks. In 2008, Turkey signed a contract with Hyundai Rotem, the Korean manufacturer of the K2 Black Panther battle tank, for technology transfer. (Yonhap) A Seoul court was set to hold a hearing Tuesday to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for opposition leader Lee Jae-myung over corruption charges, the biggest crisis yet for the former presidential candidate. The Seoul Central District Court will hold the hearing at 10 a.m., three days after Lee, chair of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea(DPK), pulled out of his hunger strike launched on Aug. 31 in protest of what he called the "incompetent and violent" government of Yoon. Lee has been accused of breach of trust, bribery and other charges stemming from his time as mayor of Seongnam, south of Seoul, years ago in connection with a scandal-ridden land development project and his alleged involvement in a company's illegal cash remittance to North Korea. The prosecution accuses Lee of committing breach of trust worth 20 billion won ($15 million) by giving special treatment to a private developer in the Baekhyeon-dong district apartment project in the city of Seongnam, south of Seoul, between 2014 and 2015, when he was serving as the city's mayor. Lee is also suspected of asking Ssangbangwool Group, an underwear maker, to illegally transfer $8 million to North Korea between 2019 and 2020, when he was serving as Gyeonggi Province governor, through his deputy to facilitate his visit to the North, and push for a joint smart farm project between his province and Pyongyang. The court is expected to make a decision as early as Tuesday night if the hearing proceeds as scheduled. Should the court issue the warrant, it would deal a serious blow to Lee's leadership, but if the court rejects the warrant request, it would bolster Lee's standing in the party and lead to a massive blowback against the government. By law, sitting lawmakers are immune from arrest while parliamentary is in session unless the National Assembly passes a motion giving its consent to the arrest, a measure intended to shield lawmakers from political persecution. Last week, the National Assembly voted to lift the opposition leader's arrest immunity in a surprise, narrow 149-136 vote attributed to a number of dissenting ballots from his own party that commands a majority of parliamentary seats. The DPK has vehemently lambasted the motion as the government's attempt to "kill a political enemy" eight months before the general elections. Lee has been under medical treatment since he was hospitalized on Sept. 18 due to deteriorating health during his hunger strike. He has been put on treatment for recovery after ending the hunger strike on its 24th day on Saturday. (Yonhap) By A.J. Bauer The retirement of Rupert Murdoch, the global media mogul perhaps most responsible for our contemporary media dysfunction, prompted renewed speculation about the future of his far-flung media holdings. In the US, questions swirled about what this change might mean for Fox News dominance, not to mention its penchant for disinformation. If you were hoping the network would suddenly become a bastion of journalistic integrity, dont get your hopes up. And Murdoch would like you to know that hes proud of his lifework. Our companies are in robust health, as am I, Murdoch wrote in an open letter to his employees. Our opportunities far exceed our commercial challenges. We have every reason to be optimistic about the coming years. The facts suggest a less rosy future for Fox. Murdochs decision to appoint his eldest son, Lachlan, as his successor is likely to continue the networks more blatant white supremacist turn since the Murdoch heir took over as CEO of Fox Corp. in 2019. Journalists Gabriel Sherman and Brian Stelter, known for cultivating sources deep within Fox News, theorized that his retirement may increase the likelihood of a sale. The companys extensive and growing legal liabilities, tied to the networks increasingly brazen falsehoods, present a considerable headwind. The $787.5 million settlement it paid to Dominion Voting Systems for promoting false claims of fraud during the 2020 presidential election has sparked additional lawsuits from shareholders including the pension funds for New York City and the State of Oregon who accuse Murdoch and the Fox board of violating their fiduciary responsibilities by exposing the company to legal risks through knowingly promoting lies pushed by former President Donald Trump. And another $2.7 billion lawsuit, this time from Smartmatic Corp., looms on the horizon. Foxs business future may be uncertain, but ours isnt. Murdochs many innovations as a media mogul have done irreparable harm to the foundational assumptions of U.S. liberal democracy that government ought to reflect the will of the people, properly informed by a fair and impartial press. His retirement will do nothing to mitigate the damage done. To be fair and balanced the moto Fox News did away with in 2017 its not all Murdochs fault. Founded in 1996, the network was built on a foundation of 50-plus years of conservative media activism, which cultivated a widespread belief in mainstream liberal media bias. Murdoch hired Roger Ailes, a Republican media consultant, who catered programming toward this lucrative and underserved market. Fox has since skewed the entire US political system, setting the news agenda as the highest-rated cable news channel for more than two decades. While it has only recently been held accountable for its promotion of disinformation, Fox has a long history of falsehoods in service of its partisan ends. It was the first network to call the 2000 election for George W. Bush before all the votes were counted in Florida, giving him momentum going into legal battles over ballots. Few U.S. media outlets deserve plaudits for their coverage in the run up to the Iraq War, though Fox audiences were found to be particularly prone to misperceptions about the existence of weapons of mass destruction and putative links between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. But Foxs real success and damage has come less from its outright lies than from its conveyance of what Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway once called alternative facts. Its audiences are not detached from reality so much as they are provided with a clear and (to them) compelling narrative with which to interpret the news of the day. A company wishes its customers Happy Holidays to be more inclusive, and it becomes the War on Christmas. Turns out some African Americans participated in the Revolutionary War, so liberal college professors must be lying about the deep legacies of racism. Bud Light partnered with trans actress and social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney to expand its market share beyond its traditional demographics, and all of a sudden capitalism is woke. Foxs purpose an extension of Murdochs own outsider sensibility as an Australian son of a newspaperman who was forced to rebuild his fathers burgeoning media empire from a single backwater tabloid has long been to convey the news in a style that appeals to white working class cultural tastes in order to cultivate a broad-based conservative common sense. Murdoch exhibited this commitment in his retirement letter. Elites have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class, wrote Murdoch, a billionaire Oxford University alum, without a hint of irony. Most of the media is in cahoots with those elites, peddling political narratives rather than pursuing truth. This is a blatant projection, of course. Fox News has long prioritized political narratives designed to match and amplify its audiences beliefs over any commitment to pursuing truth. That Fox now faces competition on its right flank from outlets like Newsmax, One American News and Right Side Broadcasting only solidifies Murdochs legacy of having laundered right-wing narratives as a news. Unlike Murdoch, thats not going anywhere. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency. Ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh began a mass exodus by car on Sunday toward Armenia after Azerbaijan defeated the breakaway region's fighters in a conflict dating from the Soviet era. The Nagorno-Karabakh leadership told Reuters the region's 120,000 Armenians did not want to live as part of Azerbaijan for fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing. Those with fuel had started to drive down the Lachin corridor toward the border with Armenia, according to a Reuters reporter in the Karabakh capital known as Stepanakert by Armenia and Khankendi by Azerbaijan. An Armenian government statement said 1,050 people had crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabkah as of 10 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Sunday. Reuters pictures showed dozens of cars driving out of the capital toward the corridor's mountainous curves. The Armenians of Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but previously beyond its control, were forced into a ceasefire last week after a 24-hour military operation by the much-larger Azerbaijani military. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the enclave in 30 years with Azerbaijan gaining back swathes of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week conflict in 2020. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who backed the Azeris with weaponry in the 2020 conflict, was due on Monday to meet Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Nakhchivan a strip of Azeri territory nestled between Armenia, Iran and Turkey. Erdogan last week said he supported the aims of Azerbaijan's latest military operation but played no part in it. The Armenians are not accepting Azerbaijan's promise to guarantee their rights as the region is integrated. "Ninety-nine point nine percent prefer to leave our historic lands," David Babayan, an adviser to Samvel Shahramanyan, president of the self-styled Republic of Artsakh, told Reuters. "The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilised world," Babayan said. "Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins." The Armenian leaders of Karabakh said that all those made homeless by the Azerbaijani military operation and wanting to leave would be escorted to Armenia by Russian peacekeepers. Reuters reporters near the village of Kornidzor on the Armenian border saw some heavily laden cars pass into Armenia. Armenia said 377 refugees had arrived by Sunday evening. Fears of violence Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has faced calls to resign for failing to save Karabakh. In an address to the nation, he said some aid had arrived but a mass exodus looked inevitable. "If proper conditions are not created for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to live in their homes and there are no effective protection mechanisms against ethnic cleansing, the likelihood is rising that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will see exile from their homeland as the only way to save their lives and identity," he said, according to an official transcript. The situation could change the delicate balance of power in the South Caucasus region, a patchwork of ethnicities crisscrossed with oil and gas pipelines where Russia, the United States, Turkey and Iran vie for influence. Last week's Azerbaijani victory appears to end one of the decades-old "frozen conflicts" of the Soviet Union's dissolution. Aliyev said his "iron fist" had consigned the idea of an independent ethnic Armenian Karabakh to history and that the region would be turned into a "paradise." Armenia says more than 200 people were killed and 400 wounded in the Azerbaijani military operation. First Karabakh war Nagorno-Karabakh lies in an area that over centuries has come under the sway of Persians, Turks, Russians, Ottomans and Soviets. It was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917. In Soviet times it was designated an autonomous region within Azerbaijan. As the Soviet Union crumbled, the Armenians there threw off nominal Azeri control and captured neighbouring territory in what is now known as the First Karabakh War. From 1988 to 1994 about 30,000 people were killed and more than 1 million mostly Azeris displaced. In 2020, after decades of skirmishes, Azerbaijan won a decisive 44-day Second Karabakh War. That war ended with a Russian-brokered peace deal Armenians accuse Moscow of failing to guarantee. The Armenian authorities in the region on Saturday said about 150 tonnes of humanitarian cargo from Russia and another 65 tonnes of flour shipped by the International Committee of the Red Cross had arrived in the region. With 2,000 peacekeepers present, Russia said that under the terms of the ceasefire, six armoured vehicles, more than 800 small arms, anti-tank weapons and portable air defence systems, plus 22,000 ammunition rounds had been handed in by Saturday. Space for 40,000 people from Karabakh had been prepared in Armenia. Azerbaijan, which is mainly Muslim, has said that the Armenians, who are Christian, can leave if they want. Pashinyan on Sunday blamed Russia for failing to do enough for Armenia, which he said would review its alliance with Moscow. "Some of our partners are increasingly making efforts to expose our security vulnerabilities, putting at risk not only our external, but also internal, security and stability while violating all norms of etiquette and correctness in diplomatic and interstate relations, including obligations assumed under treaties," Pashinyan said in his Sunday address. Russian officials say Pashinyan is to blame for his own mishandling of the crisis. (Reuters) Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 25 (ANI): Custom officials have seized gold in paste form approximately to the tune of 5.4 kg in six different cases from Calicut International Airport. These gold are estimated to be worth Rs 3 crore. On Saturday and Sunday night, customs officials caught six individuals with gold paste concealed either inside their bodies or in the check-in baggage. Also Read | Jawan Box Office: 10 Major Records Broken by Shah Rukh Khan's Action-Entertainer As It Crosses Rs 500 Crore Mark in Hindi. Two capsules of gold compound weighing 619 grams concealed inside the body of one flyer Muhammad Basheer Parayarukandiyil, aged 40, hailing from Koduvally in Kozhikode who arrived from Riyadh were recovered, officials said. Customs intercepted another passenger Karumbarukuzhiyil Muhammad Midlaj, aged about, hailing from Koduvally, Kozhikode who arrived from Dubai, and interrogation resulted in the recovery of 985 grams of paper sheets pasted with gold compound placed in bedsheets in the check-in baggage. Also Read | Karanvir Bohra Unfazed by Negative Image as Viraj Dobriyal in Saubhagyavati Bhava. An attempt was made by some criminals to abduct a passenger named Shri Ligesh (40 years), a resident of Kakkattil, who had arrived from Doha by flight no.IX374 outside the airport. CISF along with Kerala Police had foiled the attempt and Customs officials with the help of the Intelligence Officer, IB took the passenger into custody suspecting gold concealment, an official said. They said detailed interrogation of the passenger by the officers resulted in the recovery of two capsules of gold compound weighing 543 grams concealed inside the body. In another instance, customs intercepted another passenger named Azeez Kollantavita, aged 25, a native of Chelarkkad, Kozhikode, who had arrived from Doha. Interrogation of him resulted in the recovery of four capsules of gold compound weighing 970 grams concealed inside his body. Customs seized some 1,277 and 1,066 grams of gold from Sameer of Malapuram and Abdul Sakkeer both from Malapuram. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) NewsVoir Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], September 25: Staying true to its commitment to enabling small businesses to unlock newer levels of growth, Razorpay, Indias Leading Full-Stack Payments, and Business Banking Platform announced its strategic partnership with WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging application. With an increasing number of businesses adopting WhatsApp for conversational use cases, this offering will enable businesses to finalize sales directly within WhatsApp chats, allowing customers to make payments within the app and thus minimizing the challenges of the checkout process. This partnership underscores the growing significance of digital commerce, leveraging WhatsApps massive scale to forge a new era of streamlined transactions. Also Read | Surat Diamond Traders Threw Diamonds on Street? Viral Video of People Searching of Diamonds Shared With Misleading Claim, Heres a Fact Check. PolicyBazaar, an insurance aggregator, and boAt, a D2C electronics & wearables company, are the early adopters of this innovation, with various other e-commerce, D2C, and utility industry businesses also expected to go live in the coming days. By 2025, India is anticipated to welcome 80 million new online shoppers into its continually expanding E-commerce landscape. As a result, merchants and retailers are understandably anticipating a more robust infrastructure. Currently, the ordeal of visiting multiple websites, or hoping on other payment apps is what poses to be one of the major roadblocks for businesses and their customers from making instantaneous purchases. Also Read | 'Keep Telling Myself Competition Is Against Me' Says Shreyas Iyer After Scoring Century Against Australia in 2nd ODI. Addressing the above challenges, through the integration of Razorpay and WhatsApp accounts, businesses will be able to offer customers not just a seamless in-app payment experience but also be able to address issues like cart abandonment, bill payments, and ticket purchases. This solution will empower businesses to seamlessly convert conversations into sales opportunities. It will also provide customers with instant payment confirmations, the convenience of order tracking, and facilitate re-engagement with businesses theyve recently transacted with. Both hassle-free and integrated in the truest sense, it will help merchants to significantly scale their businesses and curate an elevated journey for end-users. Rahul Kothari, Chief Business Officer, Razorpay said, "Today, with India's vast WhatsApp user base of 400 million, we see a tremendous opportunity to bolster the commerce landscape for merchants. By integrating WhatsApp with our robust, tech-first payments platform, we aim to extend an unprecedented opportunity for merchants to expand their revenue streams and reach a broader customer base through WhatsApp. We expect that this collaboration will lead to new unexplored business opportunities in commerce flowing through WhatsApp in the near future. I believe every business should take advantage of this opportunity." Ravi Garg, Director, Business Messaging, Meta in India said, Offering a simple and secure payment experience to people and businesses across India will be a game-changer for how business gets done on WhatsApp. Now, millions of people can easily make a purchase from their favorite businesses that will help these businesses in driving more sales. Aman Gupta, Co-Founder & CMO, boAt said, boAt has always been on the cutting-edge of innovations that give our customers convenience and simplicity. That is why we are excited to partner with Razorpay and WhatsApp to build out conversational commerce experiences to reach new customers and engage existing ones. Once integrated, businesses will be able to offer their customers access to a comprehensive range of Razorpays suite of offerings within the WhatsApp platform. This includes a wide array of payment options such as UPI, cards, net banking, EMI, pay later, and international payments, all available conveniently in one place. This thought-through move is poised to bring about a revolutionary change in Indias E-commerce sector, while widely expanding revenue channels for businesses. Razorpay, a full-stack financial services company helps Indian businesses with comprehensive and innovative solutions built over robust technology to address the entire length and breadth of the payment and banking journey for any business. Established in 2014, the company provides technology payment solutions to over 10 Mn businesses. Founded by alumni of IIT Roorkee, Shashank Kumar, and Harshil Mathur, Razorpay is the second Indian company to be a part of Silicon Valleys largest tech accelerator, Y Combinator. Marquee investors such as Lone Pine Capital, Alkeon Capital, TCV, GIC, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Matrix Partners, Salesforce Ventures, Y Combinator, and MasterCard have invested a total of USD 741.5 Mn through Series A to F in funding. A few angel investors have also invested in Razorpays mission to simplify payments and business banking and redefine how finance works in India. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) NewsVoir Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 25: The trend of early end of season sale has given rise to the demand for Sachet Loans among D2C brands showed Instamojos latest #D2CDecoded Report. Between August 2022 to July 2023, D2C brands borrowed more than Rs 243 crore worth of sachet loans, a 43% increase from the same period in 2019-2020. Also Read | 'Keep Telling Myself Competition Is Against Me' Says Shreyas Iyer After Scoring Century Against Australia in 2nd ODI. Sachet Loans, a service first introduced by Instamojo in 2020, are small ticket cash advance loans which a business takes to manage its liquidity during high demand periods. Sachet Loans saw a peak during the pandemic with businesses borrowing a total of Rs 252 crores during the 2020-21 period. However, with the growing number of end of season sales, the demand for these sachet loans seem to have persisted. Here are some interesting insights on Sachet Loan disbursement trends from the second edition of Instamojos #D2CDecoded Report: Also Read | Forensics: Identifying the Dead After Flood or Flames. Sachet Loans has become the new normal post-COVID for D2C brands, recording a growth of 43% since 2019-20 * Sachet Loans saw a massive spike of 48% between 2020 and 2021 due to rising liquidity crunch and demand during the pandemic * However, because of the advantages of Sachet Loans, the demand for them has remained since 2021 dropping only slightly by 3% between 2021 and 2023 * While the total value of Sachet Loans is on the rise, the volume seems to be decreasing with stringent rules on disbursements. Sachet loan disbursement volume decreased by about 19% since 2021 Early End of Season Sales drive growth of Sachet Loans contributing to over 40% of overall loan disbursement volumes * Almost 40% of all loans disbursed were during April to July period which corresponds to the early end of season sales launched by e-commerce and D2C brands in India * However, this is a new trend. Between August 2021 and July 2022, there were only two spikes in sachet loan disbursements during Dec-Jan, and Mar-Apr which correspond to the festive season and end of winter sales. However, to counter the lowering demand this year D2C brands borrowed to give heavy discounts on their products as part of early send of seasons sales There is a positive correlation between Sachet Loans and Business Growth. For every 1% increase in Sachet Loan borrowing, businesses saw sales grow by 0.5% * Sachet Loans seems to be becoming more and more important for business growth for the D2C brand. According to our analysis for every 1% increase in Sachet Loan borrowing, there is a 0.5% increase in sales for D2C brands. * Education and Jobs related D2C companies took out the largest share of Sachet Loans at 53% * There was a 100% repayment rate for Sachet Loans among D2C brands showing it is more impactful than mid-term personal loans Its 2023, we are not a payments gateway company. Instamojo is THE one-stop #D2CTech company, offering an enabling platform for MSMEs and D2C brands, empowering sellers to start, scale, and manage their businesses online. Since its inception in 2012, Instamojo has ably addressed and resolved the last mile needs of its customers, having enabled million+ MSMEs custodians. Founded by Sampad Swain, Akash Gehani, and Aditya Sengupta, Instamojo fuels Indias entrepreneurial passion with a continued commitment as a one-stop-solution for business owners. It has raised Series B (2020) and Series A (2014) funding from Kalaari Capital, Blume Ventures, 500Startups, Gunosy Capital, and AnyPay - a Japanese payments firm. Instamojo is all set to reshape the future discourse in the D2C space by catering to diverse seller needs, powered by the collective force of technology, data and design. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) A grab from the purported video of the scuffle between two groups in MP's Orchha (Photo/ANI) Niwari (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 25 (ANI): Eight people associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been booked after two groups clashed with each other in Orchha in Madhya Pradesh following a 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' taken out by the party on September 22, police said. Supporters of District Panchayat President Saroj Premchand Rai and her predecessor Ramesh Khangar were involved in the clash that erupted after the 'Yatra' on Friday and escalated with members of both groups hurling abuses at each other. Also Read | IAF Inducts C-295 Planes, Drone Shakti 2023 Event Inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (Watch Videos). A purported video of the incident has been shared on social media platforms. Taking to mediapersons here about the incident, Saroj Premchand Rai said, "I was on my way from Niwari to Orchha after attending the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' in Niwari when Ramesh Khangar and Sonu Yadav kept on overtaking us which almost led to an accident." Also Read | US Embassy in India Issued Record 90,000 Student Visas This Summer, Congratulate Students Choosing United States for Higher Education. Further, Rai said that after she reached Ramraja temple in Orchha, Sonu Yadav pushed her but her security intervened and rebuked him. When she returned to the parking area after her darshan, Khangar and Yadav along with others gathered around her car and used abusive language and roughed up her security personnel. The district panchayat president said she approached the police to register a complaint and alleged that she was made to sit at the police station for four hours and even then her complaint was not registered. Later she said she got to know that a "false" case had been filed against her and her husband. According to Rai both Ramesh Khangar and Sonu Yadav are associates of Niwari MLA Anil Jain. Police have booked eight people on the basis of countercomplaints from the two groups. Orchha Police Station incharge, Kamlesh Soni said, "We received information about a clash between two groups...one FIR has been filed on the basis of a complaint by Saroj Rai and another one on the basis of a complaint from Sonu Yadav...the FIRs are against eight people ..."(ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, September 25: Pro-Khalistani banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) is trying to settle its important members and executors abroad in the countries of their wish, with the help of Pro-Khalistan Elements (PKEs) who are well settled in various countries across the world. A National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge-sheet filed in March this year reveals that the BKI's move has created a symbiotic terrorist-gangster network, between gangster and Pro-Khalistan elements which fulfil their requirement of the shooters to carry out targeted killings. In return the gangsters get access to sophisticated weapons from across the border. In the charge-sheet, the NIA said it was the BKI that targeted and attacked important security installations which was manifested in the form of RPG terror attacks on intelligence headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali, RPG attack on Sarhali Police Station in Tarn Taran and an IED blast on Crime Investigating Agency (CIA), Ropar. India-Canada Tension: Kangana Ranaut Slams Khalistan, Urges Sikh Community to Come Out in Support of 'Akhand Bharat' "All the executioners-accused are from outside states including Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Only harbourers and logistic supporters are from state. They are directly supervised by their gang handlers from abroad who further work on directions of BKI," the charge-sheet mentions. As per the NIA, the BKI militants have their presence outside of India in Pakistan, North America, Europe and Scandinavia. "The BKI at present is active in the US, Canada, the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland and Pakistan. The terror group continues its operations from Pakistan with the support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). It has been officially banned and designated as an international terrorist organisation by several countries India, Canada, European Union, Japan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the USA." India-Canada Diplomatic Row Over Hardeep Singh Nijjar Killing: Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair Urges India, Canada To Start Talking, Find a Common Ground Currently, the agency said, Wadhwa Singh Babbar, who is hiding in Pakistan, heads the outfit. "Mehal Singh is the deputy chief of BKI. Both, Mehal Singh and Wadhwa Singh are amongst the 20 terrorists whom India wants Pakistan to extradite" the chargesheet says. "Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, a gangster tured terrorist has been involved in murders, attempt to murder, contract killing, robberies and extortions and is presently based in Pakistan, has been actively operating for BKI since 2020" the chargesheet adds. Wadhwa Singh Babbar has personally supervised the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh on August 31, 1995, the agency said. "Wadhwa Singh is also believed to have masterminded the January 2004 escape of the assassinationaccused, Jagtar Singh Hawara, from the Burail jail in Chandigarh." The BKI has also established relations with Dawood Ibrahim, who heads the D Company, a terror gangster syndicate based and operating in Mumbai and surrounding areas, points the charge-sheet. The NIA filed the charge-sheet in a special court in Delhi on March 24 this year in a case being probed by the agency after registration of a First Information Report (FIR) on August 26, 2022. Earlier, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had registered a case in this matter on August 4, 2022. A total of 16 gangsters were named in the charge-sheet which further revealed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate formed alliance with the Pro-Khalistan cause, to satisfy its quest for sophisticated weapons and to further invest the proceeds of terrorism generated through their existing extortion rackets. "The requirement of sophisticated weapons that includes assault weapons, hand grenades, IEDs, explosives etc. could not be met within the country. Therefore, they aligned themselves with Harwinder Singh alias Rinda through his old association with Lawrence Bishnoi which was further strengthened by close association of Lakhbir Singh alias Landa with Goldy Brar," it reads. Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Harwinder Singh alias Rinda are presently the most important associates of Wadhawa Singh Babbar lead BKI. Even after the terrorist-secessionist movement for Khalistan was comprehensively defeated in 1995, there remain a handful of terrorist outfits chiefly supported by Pakistan and some non-resident Indian Sikh radical groups who continue to propagate the ideology of Khalistan. One of the most prominent among them is the Babbar Khalsa International. It is among the oldest and most organised Khalistan terrorist groups. The BKI traces its origin to the Babbar Akali Movement of 1920 and is believed to have assumed its present form after the Baisakhi 1978-clashes between the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Nirankaris and more particularly when some followers of Bibi Amarjit Kaur brought out some leaflets styling themselves as Babbar Khalsa after the killing of Nirankari chief Gurbachan Singh, on April 24, 1980. Subsequently, the outfit started targeting all those who sympathised with the Nirankaris. Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Talwinder Singh Parmar were the founding members of this organisation. The first unit of the BKI was founded in Canada in 1981 under the leadership of late Talwinder Singh Parmar. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Patna, Sep 25 (PTI) A women's reservation bill, which had a sub-quota for SCs and STs, was brought by the previous Manmohan Singh government but met with opposition from the BJP, the Congress alleged here on Monday. AICC spokesperson Sujata Paul made the statement at a press conference here at the headquarters of the Bihar Congress. Also Read | Maharashtra: Man Disguised as Woman Befriends Government Employee on Social Media, Scam Him of Rs 1.9 Lakh in Nashik. She said that reservation for women was "first envisaged by late Rajiv Gandhi who spoke of 33 per cent quotas in Panchayats during his prime ministership. Implementation happened in 1992, under another Congress government headed by P V Narasimha Rao". "In 2010, the Manmohan Singh government came out with a comprehensive (vrihat) bill on women's reservation. It had a provision for sub-quotas for those belonging to SCs and STs. It got passed in the Rajya Sabha. But, in Lok Sabha, the BJP, which then had stalwarts like late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani refused to support it, the Congress spokesperson alleged. Also Read | World Tourism Day 2023: IRCTC Will Not Charge Any Convenience Fees on Air Tickets Bookings on These Dates To Mark Foundation Day. Notably, the 2010 bill could not be brought into the Lok Sabha for vote and lapsed. However, Paul claimed that the latest bill betrayed the Narendra Modi government's "doubtful intentions (neeyat mein khot)" and that the ruling BJP "lacked the credibility to be reckoned as a champion of the cause of women's empowerment". "I am reminded of charges of sexual offences against BJP leaders like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Kuldeep Singh Sengar and former Union Minister Chinmayanand. "When the BJP ruled Himachal Pradesh, the son of one of its MLAs was accused of rape and murder of a hotel maid. The party never spoke out against any of these people", Paul alleged. She said the Congress would "expose the Modi government's duplicity" before the nation and "continue to fight till women get their due". Speaking at the same press conference, BPCC chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh said all parties supported the latest bill hoping that it would be passed before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. But, we realised that we have been cheated (humare saath chhal hua) when we learnt that its implementation would be after census and delimitation, he said. "Moreover, the bill contained no special provisions for women of weaker sections. The AICC, therefore, decided to expose the Modi government by sending spokespersons to every state, Singh added. The watershed bill to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women received the Parliamentary nod recently as the Rajya Sabha voted unanimously in favour of it. Unlike the Lok Sabha, where two of the 456 MPs present in the House had voted against the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, all the 214 lawmakers present in the Rajya Sabha voted in its favour. The 128th Constitution amendment bill, referred to as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, will now require the approval of a majority of state assemblies. It will be implemented after a delimitation exercise to redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on census which the government has said will be commissioned next year. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru , September 25: Amid the ongoing Cauvery river water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu, Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) MP HD Deve Gowda on Monday in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested for a team of experts to study the water and standing crop situation in Karnataka. I've made an appeal to the PM on the prevailing situation. In my letter to the PM, I wrote that the Jal Shakti department should file a review petition and a committee of experts should be sent to Karnataka to study the water and standing crop situation. I requested the same to the Vice President of the country, the ex-PM said in a joint press briefing with JD(S) leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy. The JD(S) supremo further said that his party is here to save the people of the state. I don't want to speak on alliance and other issues at present. I'm only speaking pertaining to Cauvery. I don't want to say anything related to bandh called tomorrow. I'm alive not for politics or power. We are here to save the people of the state. My party exists for this. I was crying when I was speaking in parliament about Cauvery, he added. Protest With Human Skeleton: Tamil Nadu Farmers Stage Protest With Human Skeletons in Trichy Over Cauvery Water Issue HD Kumaraswamy, while speaking in the press conference, hit out at the state government and said that it completely failed in the fight for Cauvery river water. Why did this government release water to Tamil Nadu? The state government is playing with the life of the people. Why do we have the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)? Why should we release water even if CWMA and the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) order us to? Even SC asked many times, why the government is going to court again and again, the former CM said. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and JDS for playing politics on Cauvery issue. In a democracy, one can hold protests. We are not going to disrupt the protest. BJP-JD(S) are playing politics on this issue. There is a hearing before the Supreme Court tomorrow regarding the Cauvery issue. Our lawyers will present a competent argument, Siddaramaiah said while talking to reporters in Vidhan Sabha. While Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that it will be difficult to release water in the current situation the state is bound to follow the Supreme Courts directions. Cauvery River Dispute: Farmers and Pro-Kannada Outfits Stage Protest in Karnatakas Mandya Over Water Sharing Issue (Watch Video) JD(S) MP and Former PM HD Deve Gowda on Cauvery Dispute #WATCH | JD(S) MP and former PM HD Deve Gowda on Cauvery water sharing issue "I've made an appeal to the PM on the prevailing situation. In my letter to the PM, I wrote that the Jal Shakti department should file a review petition and a committee of experts should be sent to pic.twitter.com/we7z3gmbRx ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 It will be difficult to release (Cauvery) water in the current situation, but we have to follow the direction of the Supreme Court as well. We have to respect the court. We have to protect the interests of our state no matter what. This is our duty, DK Shivakumar said. Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra on Thursday while refusing to interfere in the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu said both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are regularly meeting and monitoring the water requirements every 15 days. The court declined to entertain an application filed by the Tamil Nadu government to increase its current share of Cauvery water from 5,000 to 7,200 cusecs per day. Tamil Nadu has sought fresh directions for the release of Cauvery River water from Karnataka, claiming that the neighbouring State had changed its stand, and had released a reduced quantum of water as against what was agreed upon earlier. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Yamunanagar (Haryana) [India], September 25 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday flagged off a cyclothon in Haryana's Yamunanagar to promote the initiative of 'drug-free Haryana'. The campaign titled Cyclothon for a Drug-Free Haryana witnessed the first cyclothon on September 1 and today (September 25) is the culmination of the anti-drug campaign. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Employee Dies by Suicide in BJP MLA Yogesh Shukla's Flat in Lucknow. Visuals from the Yamunanagar cyclothon showed a large number of cyclists taking part in the event as a measure to spread awareness about the menace of drug abuse. With the message of drug-free Haryana, the cyclothon has traversed all 22 districts of the state in a period of 25 days. Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Kishanganj Police With Help of Childline Manages To Rescue Nine Minor Boys Among 17 From Traffickers During Raid on Kamakhya-Katra Superfast Train. Khattar had earlier announced that every Tuesday in Karnal would be a 'car-free day' where all government officials would travel by bicycle only. The Haryana Chief Minister had said that the youth will have to be taken forward in a positive direction. He also said that his government is working for a drug-free society in the state in cooperation with NGOs and other organisations. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ranchi, Sep 25 (PTI) People from Jharkhand's tribal community on Monday celebrated Karam, also known as Karma festival, with traditional fervour. One of biggest festivals after Sarhul, the tribals worship the Karam tree on the occasion and pray to mother nature to ensure rich harvest after the kharif season. Also, sisters pray for the wellbeing of their brothers on the occasion. Also Read | Marathi Literature Must Be Translated in All Languages, Taken to Every Part of the Country, Says MNS Chief Raj Thackeray. Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan participated in Karam Mahotsav, organised by the department of tribal and regional languages of Ranchi University. "Karam, also known as Karma festival, reflects the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the country," the governor said. Also Read | Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Bats for 5% Muslim Quotas in Education, Other Ruling Allies Mum. Radhakrishnan said the festival depicts the deep and unbreakable relationship between the nature and humans. "Our tribal brothers and sisters are the true protectors of nature. They honour and respect the nature and give message of its protection to the world," he said. He said that today the whole world is facing various environmental challenges due to global warming and in such a situation Karma Puja sets a better example for the whole world. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also extended greetings on the occasion of Karam festival. He wrote on X, "Karam festival is a symbol of our rich culture that has been going on for centuries. May this holy festival, which reflects the unity of human life with nature and the utmost love and respect between brothers and sisters, bring happiness in the lives of all of you. I wish you all to remain healthy, happy and prosperous." On the occasion, tribals clean their houses and decorate them with flowers and leaves. In the evening, they worship the Karam tree, said Adivasi Jan Parishad president Prem Sahi Munda. "The festival is celebrated for three different reasons. After the sowing season is over during Kharif, farmers expect good harvest. So, we worship Karam tree praying for good harvest. This is also important for brothers and sisters. Sisters fast and pray for wellbeing their brothers," he said. He said the third one is related to Karma. "The festival is also known as Karma festival as it inspires people to do good deeds in life," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], September 25 (ANI): The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, led by the National Center for Cold Chain Development (NCCD), has once again demonstrated its commitment to educating cold chain stakeholders across the nation. The recent India Cold Chain Conclave held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on September 20 was a resounding success, bringing together approximately 400 delegates and prominent dignitaries. Also Read | CTET Exam Result 2023: CBSE Releases Central Teacher Eligibility Test Examination Results at ctet.nic.in, Get Direct Link and Know How To Download. The event was graced by esteemed figures including Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta and Advisor to Governor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar. The conclave provided a platform for constructive discussions and knowledge sharing, read the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare press release. Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta commended the decision to host the conclave in Srinagar and emphasized the need to increase the capacity of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores in the valley for the benefit of growers. Also Read | Germany Expected to Scrap Plan for Tougher Building Rules. Advisor to Governor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar highlighted the event's significance and extended full support to farmers, growers, and cold chain enterprises, read the press release. Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, emphasized the importance of sustainable cold chain development in the Himalayan region. He discussed NCCD's role in advancing the cold chain sector with a focus on energy, technology, and climate, which would open up investment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir. The urgency of addressing climate change concerns and mitigating the environmental impact of conventional refrigerants was stressed. Asheesh Fotedar, chief operating officer (COO) of NCCD, highlighted NCCD's relentless efforts in cold chain development and its crucial role in the sustainable development of the region's cold chain infrastructure. During the conclave, delegates had the opportunity to visit the India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Centre (IIKSTC) at Pampore, which offers infrastructure for the benefit of farmers. The visit was a testament to the government's commitment to the holistic development of the saffron sector, read the press release. In a hands-on approach, Director Horticulture, Priya Ranjan, and Asheesh Fotedar visited IGC-Lassipora, a major hub of modern Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores in South Asia. Their visit showcased the tangible impact of their initiatives. The Directorate of Horticulture, represented by Mir, along with Priya Ranjan and Asheesh Fotedar, expressed their gratitude to the Jammu and Kashmir Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA) for its invaluable support to the 1st India Cold Chain Conclave Himalayan Chapter, read the press release. They recognized the collective vision for sustainable cold chain development in the valley, signifying hope for a brighter and more environmentally conscious future. Asheesh Fotedar reiterated NCCD's commitment to providing unwavering support and technical assistance to cold chain stakeholders, ensuring the continued growth of the sector in the region, read the release. The JKPICCA president, Majid Wafai, and other local entrepreneurs praised NCCD for bringing a National Level Conference to the Kashmir valley. They commended the inclusion of international speakers, financial institutions, energy specialists, and more, putting the valley's CA stores on the international map. The president of JKPICCA requested that this event become a yearly occurrence in Kashmir for the benefit of local farmers and growers, read the release. COO NCCD assured that NCCD is dedicated to creating awareness and would consider the request, keeping in mind the benefits to local farmers, growers, and NCCD's vision of an energy-efficient and climate-friendly industry. The conclave's success was a result of collaboration with key partners, including JKPICCA, the Directorate of Horticulture, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), and Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE). This collective effort underscores the growing recognition of sustainable cold chain development in India's economic landscape. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thiruvananthapuram, September 25: Days after the sudden outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala, the officials informed that the educational institutions that are not included in the containment zones in Kozhikode district will function normally from Monday as the threat of the virus spread in the district is reportedly decreasing. In a press release, Kozhikode district collector, A Geetha said, "Educational institutions which are not included in the containment zone in Kozhikode district will function normally from September 25. At the same time, online classes will continue in educational institutions in the containment zones. Schools will function following safety measures including masks and sanitisers". Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that no new Nipah cases were reported on Sunday and the five samples that were sent for lab tests have been tested negative for the Nipah virus. "The health worker on the Nipah contact list has also tested negative," she added. She also informed that the health condition of the patients who tested positive for the Nipah virus is satisfactory. Nipah Virus Update: Nipah Scare at Keralas Kozhikode on the Wane As 24 More Samples Test Negative "A total of 915 people are under isolation at their residences," she added. The Health Minister directed that those who are in isolation should remain in isolation for 21 days as per the instructions of the health department. Earlier in a press briefing, Minister Veena George said that the state government has decided to strengthen the healthcare system. "We have started to strengthen the 'One Health' activities in the district. We have started training people for the same. 'One health' means all the departments will come together. We have also taken the decision to establish an institution where all the departments will be well-coordinated. So, community surveillance will be there throughout the year", she said. Nipah Virus in Kerala: Restrictions Relaxed in Containment Zones in Kozhikode Six cases of the Nipah virus have been so far found in the state of which two persons died while four others, including a nine-year-old boy, are under treatment. The health minister said that ICMR and WHO had conducted studies and found that Kerala and eight other states in India have the probability of Nipah occurrence. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the state will conduct a seroprevalence study on the Nipah virus being repeatedly found in Kozhikode district. According to WHO, population-based seroprevalence surveys are conducted to predict the proportion of infection and immunity in order to comprehend disease burden, a pattern of transmission, and associated risk factors. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], September 25 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his foreign policy and for rooting out the corruption in the country. Patnaik was participating in an interactive session at the Odisha Literary Festival organised here in Bhubaneswar by the New Indian Express Group. Also Read | Russia: Jailed Putin Critic Transferred to Siberia Prison. "We have cordial relationships with the centre, naturally we want the development of our state it's important to have the centre as a partner in the development," he said. Rating Prime Minister Modi's government '8 out of 10', Patnaik said, "Whatever he has done for foreign policy and also in other matters too, there has been less corruption in this government, He helped in rooting out corruption and trying his very best to serve the people of our country." Also Read | Kolkata Fire: Blaze Erupts at Battery Godown in Chandni Chowk Market (Watch Video). On the passing of the Women Reservation Bill Patnaik said, "I think it very important step, my party has always been there for the development of women, my father began it by reserving 33 per cent of the seats in the local elections, we have increased that to 50 per cent and recently in last elections we reserved 33 per cent of our seats for women in parliamentary elections." "Also we have a great programme called Mission Shakti in which 7 million of our women are involved for the empowerment of Women, economically and in other ways," Patnaik added On One Nation One Election Patnaik said "We always welcomed it, we are prepared for the elections for both bodies at any time." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Angul (Odisha) [India], September 25 (ANI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan paid floral tribute to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on the 107th birth anniversary of the ideologue at Paranga gram panchayat under Chhendipada block in Angul district on Monday. He also inaugurated a blood donation camp during "Seva Samarpan Abhiyan" at the block. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election 2023: BJP Announces Second List of 39 Candidates, Check Candidate Names and Their Constituencies. Meanwhile, Unveiling a 72-ft statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in the national capital on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the figure carved from stone would remind people of the need to ensure "honesty" in politics. Addressing the party workers at a grand event to commemorate the ideologue and the co-founder of the BJP's forerunner, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, on his birth anniversary, PM Modi said Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya always talked about people in the lowest rung of society. Also Read | Germany to Scrap Plan for Tougher Building Rules. "In the last nine years, we have worked towards the upliftment of those in the lowest rung of the society. This statue will stand as a symbol of honesty in politics and will remind people of the need to ensure transparency and probity in public life," PM Modi said. He urged people to take some time out to visit the memorial of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in Rajasthan. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached Jamboree Maidan in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal to address a 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh', a mega congregation of BJP workers. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is also present with the Prime Minister at the Jamboree Maidan. Also Read | Assam Horror: Man Kills Six-Year-Old Daughter in Cachar District, Arrested. PM Modi also paid tribute to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his birth anniversary prior to his address at Jamboree Maidan. Various people gathered in the stadium with posters and waved their hands to welcome the Prime Minister. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: 39 Injured As Private Bus Headed for PM Narendra Modi's Bhopal Rally Hits Stationary Truck in Khargone District. A large crowd of BJP workers and supporters could be seen gathered at the stadium with placards in their hands, welcoming the Prime Minister. For the last few weeks, the BJP has been taking out the yatras, a mass-contact programme, from five different places in Madhya Pradesh, where the assembly polls are due this year-end. PM Modi will address the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' to mark the culmination of these yatras. The 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' is being organised on the birth anniversary of party ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay. Earlier on September 15, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for several projects worth more than Rs 50,700 crore in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, including a Petrochemical Complex and ten new industrial projects across the state. The ten projects for which he laid the foundation stone include the Power and Renewable Energy Manufacturing Zone in the Narmadapuram district; two IT parks in Indore; a Mega Industrial Park in Ratlam and six new industrial areas across the state. He also said the the Petrochemical Complex at Bina Refinery will help make the country 'Atmanirbhar' (self-reliant). Madhya Pradesh is among the five states where assembly elections are scheduled later this year. The BJP has already released its first list of 39 candidates for the 230-member state assembly. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], September 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the G20 University Connect Finale programme at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital on September 26, 2023. PM Modi will address the G20 University Connect Finale programme at 4 pm. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election 2023: BJP Announces Second List of 39 Candidates, Check Candidate Names and Their Constituencies. The G20 Jan Bhagidari movement saw a record participation of more than five crore youth from different schools, higher education institutions and skill development institutes from across the country, the Prime Minister's Office stated. "The G20 University Connect initiative was undertaken with the aim to build an understanding of Indias G20 Presidency among Indias youth and enhance their participation in the different G20 events. The programme engaged over 1 lakh students from universities across India. Initially planned for 75 universities to commemorate India's 75 years of independence, the initiative eventually expanded its reach to 101 universities across India," PMO said. Also Read | Germany to Scrap Plan for Tougher Building Rules. Several programmes were held across the country under the G-20 University Connect initiative. They witnessed extensive participation from higher education institutions. Further. what initially began as a programme for universities quickly grew to include schools and colleges, reaching an even wider audience. The G20 University Connect Finale will be attended at the event venue by about 3000 students, faculty members, and Vice Chancellors of the participating Universities. In addition, students from across the country will also be joining the event Live. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat from September 26 to 27, during which he will participate in a programme marking the celebration of 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit and dedicate to the nation as well as lay the foundation stone of projects worth crores of rupees. On September 27, around 10 am, the prime minister will participate in the programme marking the celebration of 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Also Read | Maharashtra: Man Disguised as Woman Befriends Government Employee on Social Media, Scam Him of Rs 1.9 Lakh in Nashik. After that, around 12:45 pm, he will reach Bodeli in Chhotaudepur where he will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 5,200 crore, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. The prime minister will participate in the programme marking the celebration of 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at the Science City in Ahmedabad. It will witness participation of industry associations, prominent personalities from the areas of trade and commerce, young entrepreneurs, students of higher and technical education colleges among others, the statement said. Also Read | World Tourism Day 2023: IRCTC Will Not Charge Any Convenience Fees on Air Tickets Bookings on These Dates To Mark Foundation Day. "The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started under the visionary leadership of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi," it said. The journey of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit started on September 28, 2003. Over time, it transformed to become a truly global event, attaining the status of being one of the most premier business summits in India, the statement said. With about 300 international participants in 2003, the summit witnessed an overwhelming participation of over a thousand delegates from more than 135 nations in 2019, it said. School infrastructure across Gujarat will get a massive boost as the prime minister will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects worth more than Rs 4,500 crore under the 'Mission Schools of Excellence' programme, the statement said. Thousands of new classrooms, smart classrooms, computer labs, STEM (Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics) labs and other infrastructure built across schools in Gujarat will be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi, it said. He will also lay the foundation stone for projects for improving and upgrading thousands of classrooms of schools across Gujarat under the mission. The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of project 'Vidya Samiksha Kendra 2.0'. This project will be built upon the success of the 'Vidya Samiksha Kendra' which has ensured continuous monitoring of schools and improvement in student learning outcomes in Gujarat, the statement said. The 'Vidya Samiksha Kendra 2.0' will lead to the establishment of Vidya Samiksha Kendras in all districts and blocks of Gujarat, it said. During the programme, Prime Minister Modi will also dedicate to the nation multiple development projects, including a new bridge built across the Narmada river on the Odara Dabhoi-Sinor-Malsar-Asa road in Sinor taluka in Vadodara district. He will also dedicate to the nation the Chab Talav redevelopment project, a water supply project in Dahod, about 400 newly built houses for people from the economically weaker section at Vadodara, a Village Wi-Fi project across 7,500 villages in Gujarat and the newly built Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Dahod. Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone of a water supply project in Chhotaudepur, a flyover in Godhra, Panchmahal, and an FM radio studio at Dahod, to be built under the 'Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)' scheme of the central government. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 25 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Police in a joint operation have arrested three persons, including a Samajwadi Party leader from Mathura, accused of running an alleged cybercrime racket under the guise of a public service centre. Samajwadi Party leader Munna Malik and two associates Kamaruddin and Ravi have been arrested, according to the police. Also Read | Russia: Jailed Putin Critic Transferred to Siberia Prison. SSP Shailesh Kumar Pandey said, "Munna Malik's associate Ravi used to operate a cyber cafe and public service centre, which used to make polymer impressions of the Aadhar card and thumb of the visiting customers and give it to interstate cyber criminals and ration dealers." "Police had been receiving information for a long time that incidents of fake Aadhaar cards and cyber crimes were being carried out through Jan Seva Kendra. City Kotwali Police and SWAT team took action and arrested SP leader Councilor Munna Malik as well as Kamaruddin. Ravi has been arrested and sent to jail. The police have recovered fake coins, a letter pad, a laptop, 40 copies of Aadhaar cards, about 140 duplicate thumb impressions, two thumb readers, an ATM swipe machine and cash," said Shailesh Kumar Pandey. Also Read | Kolkata Fire: Blaze Erupts at Battery Godown in Chandni Chowk Market (Watch Video). They also used these Aadhaar cards to provide fake SIM cards to cyber criminals and to make fake passports. "A large number of Aadhaar cards have been purchased and they have been used to commit cyber fraud incidents, the police will soon arrest other people associated with this gang," added the police. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. More information awaited. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, Sep 25 (PTI) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against former state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and five others in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda, a top official said on Monday. Apart from Badal, who is now a BJP leader, and former Bathinda municipal corporation commissioner Bikramjit Shergill, the other four booked in the case on Sunday night have been identified as Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj, the official said. Also Read | Writers Reach Tentative Deal with Hollywood Studios. Rajiv Kumar and Amandeep Singh have been arrested, the officer added. The bureau had launched an investigation into the matter based on former MLA Sarup Chand Singla's 2021 complaint alleging irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda. Also Read | Earthquake in Uttarakhand: 3.0-Magnitude Quake Strikes Uttarkashi District, No Reports of Major Damage or Injuries. BJP leader Singla, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, had alleged that Badal, as a minister in the previous Congress dispensation, had abused his position to convert commercial plots into a residential plot for himself. The case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery) and also under the Prevention of Corruption Act. During the investigation, the Vigilance Bureau had interrogated Badal in July. A few days ago, Badal had filed a pre-arrest bail application in a court in Bathinda and the matter is listed for hearing on September 26. Badal had joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in January this year. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, Sep 25 (PTI) Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against former state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and five others in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda, a top official said on Monday. Apart from Badal, who is now in the BJP, and former Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) chief administrator Bikramjit Shergill, the other four booked in the case on Sunday night have been identified as Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj, the official said. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Boards Train: Congress Leader Travels by Train in Poll-Bound Chhattisgarh, Says Bharat Jodo Yatra Continues (Watch Video). Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh and Vikas Arora have been arrested, the official added. Raids were being conducted to nab Badal and the remaining accused, a spokesperson of the vigilance bureau said. Also Read | Bengaluru Bandh Tomorrow: Curfew Clamped in City, Over 10,000 Policemen To Be Deputed, Says Karnataka Police. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took a swipe at Badal, saying those who used to boast about honesty are now running from pillar to post to save their skin. "There is a huge difference between speaking the truth and standing by it," the chief minister. These leaders earlier used to say that they would wait for whatever action is taken against them but are now seeking legal protection against arrest. The vigilance bureau had launched an investigation into the matter based on former MLA Sarup Chand Singla's 2021 complaint alleging irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda. BJP leader Singla, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, had alleged that Badal, as a minister in the previous Congress dispensation, had abused his position to convert two commercial plots into a residential plot for himself. The case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery), and also under the Prevention of Corruption Act. During the probe, it was found that Badal abused his position to purchase two plots measuring 1,560 square yards of land in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda thereby causing a financial loss of lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer, the vigilance bureau claimed. The spokesperson of the bureau said it was found that the former FM allegedly colluded with the officials of the BDA Bathinda, misled the general public during the bidding of plots in the year 2021 and fake maps were uploaded to prevent public participation in the bidding process. Apart from this, the plot numbers 725-C (560 square yards) and 726 (1,000 square yards) in the map were also shown as commercial instead of residential and the numbers of plots were not shown in the map on the online e-auction portal, it was alleged. In addition to this, the digital signatures of an administrative officer of the BDA Bathinda were used for the auction of plots without permission, said the spokesperson. It also came to light that the bids of the sole three bidders namely Rajiv Kumar, Vikas Arora and Amandeep Singh were made by one person identified as advocate Sanjiv Kumar. Apart from this, both the plots were purchased by the bidders in 2021 at a lower rate which was fixed during an auction in the year 2018, causing a financial loss of about Rs 65 lakh to the government. The former finance minister purchased both plots through agreements from the bidders known to him before they got allotment letters from the BDA Bathinda. It was also found that Badal transferred 25 per cent earnest money in advance to the successful allottees which shows his connivance with the bidders, said the spokesperson. During the investigation, the Vigilance Bureau had interrogated Badal in July. A few days ago, Badal had filed a pre-arrest bail application in a court in Bathinda and the matter is listed for hearing on September 26. Badal had joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in January this year. In a statement, CM Mann, while targeting Badal, said, "These hypocrites always befooled people with their flowery language". Under the garb of public service, they looted the wealth of the state which is not tolerable, said Mann, adding that they will be made accountable for their sins and every penny plundered from the state treasury will be recovered. The entire Punjab was well aware of the misdeeds of the former minister, said Mann. After his questioning in July, Badal had accused Chief Minister Mann of trying to suppress the voice of his political opponents with such action. Mann should not consider him like Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring, Badal said and stressed that he would never kowtow to the AAP leader. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Aditya Birla Finance on Monday said it will raise up to Rs 2,000 crore through its maiden public issue of non-convertible debentures (NCDs). Its subsidiary Aditya Birla Capital has proposed to issue NCDs for an amount up to Rs 1,000 crore with an option to retain oversubscription up to Rs 1,000 crore. Also Read | Rs 2,000 Note Exchange Deadline Ends on September 30; Know How to Deposit or Exchange Withdrawn Currency Notes. The issue will open on September 27 and close on October 12, with an option of early closure of the issue on such date as may be decided by the Board of Directors, the company said in a statement. The company proposes to utilise at least 75 per cent of the net proceeds of the issue towards onward lending, financing and repayment of interest and principal of existing borrowings of the company and a maximum of up to 25 per cent of the net proceeds towards general corporate purposes, it added. Also Read | UPSC Recruitment 2023: Vacancies Notified for 18 Assistant Public Prosecutor and Other Posts, Apply Online at upsc.gov.in. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, September 25: The Reserve Bank has imposed several restrictions on Ahmedabad-based Colour Merchants Co-operative Bank, including capping withdrawal at Rs 50,000 per customer, in the wake of the deteriorating financial condition of the lender. The restrictions, imposed in the form of 'directions', have come into effect with the close of business on September 25, 2023, the central bank said in a statement. The restrictions will remain in force for six months. Rs 2,000 Note Exchange Deadline Ends on September 30; Know How to Deposit or Exchange Withdrawn Currency Notes. According to the directions, the bank without prior approval of the RBI cannot make any grant or renew loans, make any investment, incur any liability, and accept fresh deposits, among others. "In particular, a sum not exceeding Rs 50,000 of the total balance across all savings bank or current accounts or any other account of a depositor, may be allowed to be withdrawn...," the RBI said. It also said the eligible depositors would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amounts of his/her deposits up to Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). The depositors may contact their bank officials for further information, the RBI added. It also said the issue of the directions should not per se be construed as a cancellation of a banking license by the RBI. RBI Can Spend USD 30 Billion of Forex Reserves to Defend Rupee: Report. "The bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves," it said. The Reserve Bank also said that it may consider modifications of the directions depending upon circumstances. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dubai, Sep 25 (AP) Bahrain's military command says one of its officers and a soldier were killed in a drone attack by Yemeni rebels while patrolling the Yemeni-Saudi border. The statement says a number of soldiers were wounded in the attack early Monday. Also Read | JetBlue Flight From Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale Hits Severe Turbulence, Eight Passengers Injured. Bahrain is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, which has been at war with the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen for several years. A cease-fire had largely stopped the violence, and the two sides have appeared close to a peace agreement in recent months. (AP) Also Read | China: Wuhan Institute Of Virologys Batwoman Shi Zhengli Says Another COVID-19 Outbreak Highly Likely. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Baku [Azerbaijan], September 25 (ANI): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived for a meeting with Azerbaijan counterpart Ilham Aliyev even as thousands of ethnic Armenians continued to flee Nagorno-Karabakh after Baku defeated the breakaway regions fighters in a military operation last week, Al Jazeera reported. Notably, Erdogan's administration gave Azerbaijan military assistance in 2020 after its forces expelled Armenian insurgents from a sizable portion of Nagorno-Karabakh. Also Read | China: Wuhan Institute Of Virologys Batwoman Shi Zhengli Says Another COVID-19 Outbreak Highly Likely. According to state media, Erdogan will also attend a groundbreaking and an opening ceremony in the area in addition to meeting and holding a news conference with Aliyev. Following a 24-hour military campaign by the considerably bigger Azerbaijani military, Armenian rebels in Nagorno-Karabakh, an area that is regarded by the international community as belonging to Azerbaijan but contains a majority of ethnic Armenians, were compelled to agree to a ceasefire last week, Al Jazeera reported. Also Read | UK: Amazon Employee Dies During Shift at Welsh Warehouse, Company Says it Launched 'Thorough Investigation' Into Tragic Incident. The majority of Armenians in Karabakh reject Azerbaijan's assurances of their rights. More than 2,900 persons had entered Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh as of 5 am (01:00 GMT) on Monday, according to a statement from the Armenian administration. On Sunday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he anticipated that about 1,20,000 inhabitants would evacuate the area for Armenia due to "the danger of ethnic cleansing". Nagorno-Karabakh is situated in an area that has, over the course of centuries, been ruled by Persians, Turks, Russians, Ottomans, and Soviets. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia staked claim to the territory following the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917. Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was proclaimed as an autonomous territory inside Azerbaijan. Following the collapse of the USSR, the First Karabakh War, which lasted from 1988 to 1994 and claimed tens of thousands of lives, saw the Armenian population of the area overthrow Azerbaijani rule, Al Jazeera reported. Azerbaijan regained swathes of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in the second war over the region in 2020. The Turkish President, last week, expressed his support for Azerbaijans latest military operation, which it launched on Tuesday. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], September 25 (ANI): Pakistan Railways denied the media reports of multiple injuries during a collision of two trains in Punjab's Sheikhupura on Sunday, reported Dawn. The Mianwali Express which was en route to Lahore collided with another train at 4:50 am which was parked in the loop line at the Qila Sattar Shah Station early in the morning. Also Read | NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Delivers First-Ever Rock Sample From Asteroid Bennu in US (Watch Video). According to ARY News, at least 20 people were injured in the accident, including women and children. However, the Railways spokesperson Babar Ali said, "All passengers aboard the train remained safe during the accident." Also Read | Nawaz Sharif Will Be Treated As per Law on Return, Says Pakistans Caretaker Information Minister. He further added that one passenger, who had a pre-existing heart condition, was wounded and had been moved to the hospital, reported Dawn. Reports of 31 or 21 injured persons in the Mianwali Express accident are based on lies, the railways spokesperson confirmed. Ali also clarified that that the track was cleared by 7:30 and shortly after that Mianwalii Express continued its journey to Lahore. Train driver Imran Sarwar and assistant driver Muhammad Bilal have been suspended for negligence, he said. Moreover, Ali further noted that an inquiry committee had been formed on the directives of the Ministry of Railways and they will submit a report on the incident within 24 hours, according to Dawn. Meanwhile, Railways Chairman Mazhar Ali Shah said that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible as per the law. Whereas, CEO Shahid Aziz said that there would be no compromise on safety. Moreover, such accidents and derailments happen quite often in Pakistan's antiquated railway system which has around 7,500 kilometers of track and carries more than 80 million passengers a year. Earlier in August, at least 30 people died and several others were injured in the Hazara Express train derailment incident in Nawabshah. Over 100 people sustained injuries after 10 bogies of Hazara Express travelling from Karachi to Rawalpindi derailed near Nawab Shah. As the inquiry proceeded, six Railway officials, including two 18-grade officers were suspended, according to Dawn. A preliminary report into the accident stated that the accident happened due to missing fishplates and a broken track, Dawn reported. Notably, the old rails and historic bridges make Pakistan Railways dangerous and unsafe. Over the system, there are 13,841 bridges, including 532 major and 13,309 minor ones. Surprisingly, practically all of the bridges were built when the subcontinent's railway system was inaugurated in 1870, according to The Nation. Also, the theft of rail tracks, engines and particular parts has been commonplace for decades in Pakistan, The Nation reported. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad, Sep 25 (PTI) A controversial Pakistani anchor and YouTuber, who went missing four months ago following the May 9 anti-government protest after former prime minister Imran Khan's arrest, has returned home safely, police said on Monday. Imran Riaz Khan, 47, with more than three million followers on YouTube, was reportedly arrested two days after violent protests broke out across the country following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's arrest on May 9 in an alleged corruption case. Also Read | You Are The Very Worst Kind: Chinese Cab Driver in Singapore Abuses Woman Passenger and Her Daughter Assuming Them To Be Indian. Khan was an ardent supporter of the former prime minister and highly critical of the establishment after the former premier was ousted from office in April last year. He was last known to be taken to the Lahore Cantonment police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison in Punjab province. Also Read | India-Canada Diplomatic Row Over Hardeep Singh Nijjar Killing: Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair Urges India, Canada To Start Talking, Find a Common Ground. On May 15, a law officer told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that the anchor was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing. However, on Monday Punjab province's Sialkot police said that Khan has returned home safely without divulging any further information. Journalist/Anchor Imran Riaz Khan has been safely recovered. He is now with his family, Sialkot Police said in a statement on X. Khan's lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq also confirmed the development and said: By God's special blessing, grace, and mercy, I have brought back my prince. It took a lot of time due to the pile of difficulties, the last limit of understanding of the matter, a weak judiciary, and the current ineffective public constitution and legal helplessness, he said. The Lahore High Court was hearing the case of his alleged abduction and on September 20 had given the Punjab Police a last chance to recover the anchor. It was not clear where he had been kept during that period. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Abuja (Nigeria), Sep 25 (AP) Security forces rescued 14 out of at least 20 students abducted from a university in northwestern Nigeria and were searching for the remaining captives, school authorities said Monday Gunmen attacked the school in the hard-hit Zamfara state's Bungudu district last week and fled with the students and some workers in the first mass school abduction in the West African nation since President Bola Tinubu took office in May. Also Read | JetBlue Flight From Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale Hits Severe Turbulence, Eight Passengers Injured. Such abductions of students from schools are common in Nigeria's northwest and central regions where armed groups often take people hostage in exchange for huge ransoms which analysts have said help them to buy guns and sustain their operations. The 14 students from the Federal University Gusau were rescued alongside two other people, a statement from the university said, without further details about when they were freed or the nature of the rescue operation. Also Read | China: Wuhan Institute Of Virologys Batwoman Shi Zhengli Says Another COVID-19 Outbreak Highly Likely. The sad and unfortunate incident has indeed thrown the University community into serious tension and apprehension, the statement said, adding that security forces were doing their best to rescue the remaining students. It also said steps were being taken to boost security around the university. The latest attack poses a new challenge to Tinubu who extended the ruling party's reign with his election victory after promising to solve the country's security crisis. It adds to growing pressure from the opposition and activists who have accused Tinubu of not doing enough to guarantee security. Armed groups have been carrying out violent attacks in many remote communities, often taking advantage of the inadequate security presence in those areas. While condemning the abduction in a statement issued by his office on Sunday, Tinubu said his government is determined to ensure that educational institutions remain sanctuaries of knowledge, growth, and opportunity, and totally free from the menacing acts of terrorists. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, September 25: The NIA and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police have learnt that Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Dalla has connections with the international terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan's ISI. Delhi-based terrorist Jagjit Singh alias Jagga came in contact with Dalla who was in touch with terror organisations. Jagga was nabbed along with one Naushad from Jahangirpuri. Jagga and Naushad were tasked with killing sadhus, religious leaders and targeted killings in Punjab by Dalla and a Pakistan-based handler Suhail. For this they received money and weapons from Suhail. The Special Cell was the first to establish this connection, which was later shared with the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Khalistani Terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Plans To Create Democratic Republic of Urduistan To Separate Kashmir From India, Says NIA. IANS possesses documents that reveal Dalla's links with the LeT. The documents state that Dalla intended to carry out killings of RSS and religious leaders in Punjab at the behest of the ISI and the LeT. According to sources, Naushad and Jagga disclosed this information, which has also been documented. The Special Cell's charge-sheet states that Jagga, who was arrested in Jahangirpuri, was involved in planning and executing terrorist activities in Punjab, based on the directions of Dalla. Naushad and Jagga carried out multiple murders in the Shahabad dairy area on the instructions of Dalla and Suhail, according to their confessions. Following the revelations, the Special Cell arrested Naushad and Jagga from Jahangirpuri. "Naushad called his aide to Delhi and rented the second floor of house number 1662, B Block Jahangirpuri. They both decided to continue their terror activities together. Jagga came in contact with designated Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep alias Dalla, who instructed him to murder some RSS leaders and prominent individuals opposing the Khalistani movement in Punjab. A nexus had developed between Pakistan-based Suhail, Naushad, Jagga, and Dalla to commit terror activities on the instructions of the LeT. On the other hand, Dalla instructed them to act in Punjab and other parts of the country," the charge-sheet reads. "They were tasked with killing sadhus, religious leaders and committing targeted killings in Punjab. They received money and weapons from Suhail and Arshdeep. To prove their credibility and create communal disharmony, the accused lured a boy named Rajkumar in December 2022 and murdered him at their rented house in Bhalswa Dairy, Jahangirpuri, Delhi. India-Canada Tension: After Khalistani Terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjars Killing, FBI Warned Sikhs in US About Death Threats. They slit his throat, recorded the killing in a video, and sent the video to Suhail through the Signal app. Jagga was in touch with Suhail. They also disclosed information about the recovery of Rajkumar's body, the weapon used, and the location of the incident, as well as the recovery of the video from their mobile phones. They also revealed the mode of payment they received," the charge-sheet stated. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2023 06:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, September 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute about 51,000 appointment letters to newly inducted recruits on Tuesday via video conferencing. He will also address the appointees on the occasion. The rozgar mela will be held at 46 locations across the country. The recruitments are taking place across central government departments as well as state governments supporting this initiative. The new recruits, selected from across the country will be joining the government in various ministries including Department of Posts, Indian Audit & Accounts Department, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Revenue, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, among others. Modi Means Fulfilling of Guarantees to People, Says PM Narendra Modi While Addressing BJP Karyakarta Mahakumbh at Bhopals Jamboori Maidan (Watch Video). The newly inducted appointees are also getting an opportunity to train themselves through Karmayogi Prarambh, an online module on iGOT Karmayogi portal, where more than 680 e-learning courses have been made available for anywhere any device learning format. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2023 04:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Lucknow, September 25: The Uttar Pradesh Police officials are finding themselves in a bizarre situation as two women constables, posted in Gorakhpur and Gonda, have sought permission from the headquarters for gender change through surgery. This is possibly the first time that the Uttar Pradesh Police is facing such a request. The question before them is how they can permit the Constables to change their gender after getting recruited as women cops. An Additional Director General (ADG) rank official of Uttar Pradesh Police confirmed the two Constables had applied for gender change permission and mentioned different reasons. Uttar Pradesh: Two Police Constables Arrested for Misbehaving with Woman Sub-inspector in Sambhal. "The main problem in permitting them to undergo sex change is how would other physical criteria required for male constables be matched if they are considered as male constables after surgery. There are different physical criteria like height, running capacity and shoulder strength for male and female category," he said. The official said the recruitment criteria meant for men and women were strictly followed in the Uttar Pradesh Police and women personnel changing gender after getting job under female criteria would be defying the norms. He added the headquarters had submitted the same reply in Allahabad High Court when one of the two women Constables approached the court after failing to get permission for gender change even after pursuing her case since January this year. Ayodhya Encounter: Anish, Main Accused in Attack on Woman Constable on Saryu Express Train, Gunned Down by Uttar Pradesh Police. "The court asked the headquarters again to reconsider the request of the woman constable on merit basis and further prepare some norms for similar cases that may come up again in future," said another senior police official of the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters. He added that the police authorities had already written a letter to King George's Medical University (KGMU) of Lucknow to get medical examination of both the Constables done through a medical board and give their opinion. "We are seeking opinion from all stake-holders related to women and gender issues, apart from medical and legal opinion, before coming to a final conclusion," he said, adding, "The court will take up this case again in the first week of December." (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2023 07:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The speaker of Canada's House of Commons has apologised for recognising a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II. A Dalit woman was brutally assaulted over a loan in Patna, Bihar under Khusrupur police station. The incident took place on Saturday night, September 24. The victim alleged that the accused stripped her naked, thrashed her and forced her to drink urine, said Patna Superintendent of Police Syed Imran Masood. According to the complaint, she had borrowed Rs 1,500 on interest from the accused named Pramod Singh. The accused continued to demand more money even after the loan was paid back. The accused escaped and a manhunt to nab him has been launched. The incident has created unrest among Dalit community in the area. Bihar Tragedy: Two Die After Allegedly Consuming Spurious Liquor in Muzaffarpur, Probe Underway. The Victim Was Assaulted by Man Who Had Lent Her Money, Said Police: #WATCH | Patna, Bihar: SP Syed Imran Masood says, "An incident has come to light in which a woman belonging to SC has been beaten up, under Khusrupur PS limits... The incident took place yesterday night. As soon as we got the information, we registered an FIR, and raids are pic.twitter.com/eJEjUeb6KB ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) On 22 September, the director of Costa Ricas judicial investigation agency (OIJ), told national TV channel TN7 that the country had already registered more homicides this year than in the whole of 2022 itself a record year for homicides. End of preview - This article contains approximately 396 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 24 September Mexicos attorney generals office (FGR) accused Mexican judges of illegal bias in favour of, the former head of the state oil company Pemex (2012-2016), who is currently on trial for his alleged participation in a contract-rigging scheme involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. End of preview - This article contains approximately 356 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Nestled in the southern part of Central America, El Salvador tends to fly under the radar, even for adventurous backpackers. But that is a real pity because this hidden gem has much to offer. With its ancient Mayan ruins, stunning vistas of smoking volcanoes, picturesque Spanish-colonial towns in flower-filled valleys, and expansive Pacific coastlines perfect for surf enthusiasts, El Salvador is as enchanting as its more famous neighbors. The best part? El Salvador is not vast - it is roughly the size of New Jersey. That means you can explore its most breathtaking destinations at your own pace in just a few days. Here are the five beautiful places you must visit in "The Land of Volcanoes." Mizata Mizata is a tranquil coastal town that is tailor-made for surfers. If you ever felt that El Tunco was too crowded with tourists, then Mizata should be your next stop, said Traveltomtom. While Mizata may not be buzzing with activity, it is where you can truly soak in the essence of a perfect El Salvadorian vacation. This place embodies the laid-back, off-the-beaten-path vibe, making it the ultimate spot to unwind on the beach in El Salvador. Of course, the surf breaks are a big draw for visitors here, but there is more to Mizata than just catching waves. On weekends, you can join in on organized pool parties, and there is always a lively, youthful crowd to mingle with. Mizata sits about 45 minutes east of El Tunco, on the way to the Ruta de las Flores, another must-see attraction in El Salvador. So, if you are seeking that authentic El Salvadorian experience, Mizata is where it is. READ NEXT: El Salvador Festivals Lake Suchitlan Lake Suchitlan is El Salvador's largest man-made lake, created after constructing the Cerron Grande dam in 1976. Lake Suchitlan is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. The highlight of a visit to Lake Suchitlan is undoubtedly a leisurely boat ride across its tranquil waters. As you cruise along, keep your eyes peeled for the fascinating wildlife that calls the lake's surroundings home - from sloths and monkeys to iguanas. Birdwatching is a favorite pastime for many here, with various avian species to spot. And if you are in the mood for a more active adventure, consider kayaking. Arranging a boat ride is a breeze; just stroll down from Suchitoto to Puerto Touristico San Juan and talk to one of the friendly local fishermen. Do not forget to pack some snacks and cold beverages, and you are in for a fantastic day out on the lake. Montecristo National Park Montecristo National Park offers an unparalleled natural experience, showcasing the richness of nature to its fullest. With towering peaks like El Trifino, reaching 7,933ft (2,418m), and lush valleys, the park feels like a lost world, according to Culture Trip. Its dense canopy of oak and laurel trees, some towering up to 100ft (30m), creates a majestic atmosphere. The forest floor is covered in a tapestry of mushrooms, lichens, and mosses. While exploring the park, watch for elusive creatures like pumas, anteaters, spider monkeys, and coyotes. Even if you don't spot these rarities, encounters with squirrels, porcupines, black shrew mice, and white-tailed deer are common. The park is also home to over 300 bird species, including quetzals, green toucans, and white-faced quails, making it a birdwatcher's paradise. Puerta del Diablo Puerta del Diablo, or Devil's Door, is a captivating rock formation consisting of two tall boulders, creating a natural window that offers breathtaking views of the lush El Salvadoran landscape. The viewpoint can be reached via a winding pathway, providing vistas of the indigenous town of Panchimalco below, Lake Ilopango to the left, and the twin-peaked San Vicente volcano straight ahead, with the Pacific Ocean beyond. Adventurous visitors can explore the area's more than 60 rock climbing routes and enjoy activities like zip-lining, canopy tours, caving, and rappelling. Puerta del Diablo is a place of historical significance and a spot of great natural beauty and adventure. READ MORE: 5 Places To Visit in Bahamas This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: 11 TOP Things to do in El Salvador & BEST Places to Visit - From Before You Go Donald Trump's tendency to issue threats to his opponents and witnesses in every case against him is now coming back to haunt the former president in his Colorado election disqualification case. A judge has now barred him from threatening or intimidating people. District Court Judge Sarah Block Wallace ruled on Friday that she is prohibiting Donald Trump from issuing threats and intimidation regarding the case "for the safety of those involved." This includes herself and her staff as Trump tends to also post dangerous statements regarding judges overseeing his cases and blames them for partisanship. According to ABC Denver 7, lawyers are suing the former president under a Civil War-era clause of the 14th Amendment. These lawyers petitioned the judge to issue a gag order on the former president for threatening witnesses, lawyers, and the judge. Trump is already facing several criminal cases in New York, Georgia, Florida, and Washington DC. The DC and Georgia cases are linked as they tackle Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results where he lost to Joe Biden. Meanwhile, the New York case involves his hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and his Florida case involves his mishandling of classified documents. This disqualification case is the latest legal battle that Trump is facing in addition to his four criminal cases and several other civil lawsuits. He is the first former president to be indicted and also the first former president to have his mugshot taken. Donald Trump Disqualification Case The lawsuit against Trump in Colorado petitioned Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold bar Trump from appearing on the state's 2024 presidential primary ballot. It argued that Trump should not be permitted to run under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. READ MORE: Rudy Giuliani Is Getting Sued by His Own Lawyer for Not Paying His Legal Bills According to the Associated Press, anybody who has taken an oath of office from holding public office and has also "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the United States, will be barred from holding any public office. In Colorado, it was petitioned by a bipartisan group of voters, majority of whom were Republican. The petitioners claimed in their lawsuit that Trump made plans to "cast doubt on and undermine confidence in our nation's election infrastructure" and knowingly sought to subvert the US Constitution and system of elections through a "sustained campaign of lies" that led to the January 6 Capitol Insurrection. The suit also claimed that during the January 6 insurrection, he "incited, exacerbated, and otherwise engaged in a violent insurrection at the United States Capitol by a mob who believed they were following his orders." Donald Trump's History of Threats and Intimidation Before the order to prohibit Trump from issuing threats to plaintiffs and witnesses was put in place, Trump had previously threatened opponents by using his platform to rile up his supporters. According to Time Magazine, this has been evident in his Georgia and Federal election cases where he has come after Fulton County DA Fani Willis and Special Counsel Jack Smith, both of whom are investigating him for his various alleged crimes. Using Truth Social, he spread unfounded rumors of Willis engaging in an affair with a gang leader. Willis, as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is pressing a civil suit against the ex-POTUS, have both received death threats that have stemmed from Trump's posts. READ MORE: Donald Trump Co-Defendant Jenna Ellis Turns On Ex-POTUS, Calls Him a 'Malignant Narcissist' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Judge Issues IMPORTANT Order after Recent Trump THREATS - MeidasTouch Six lives, including those of three children, were lost when a freight train collided with an SUV on railroad tracks in Hillsborough County, Florida, according to CNN. The Florida train crash happened Saturday evening, as reported by the sheriff's office. The aftermath of the collision left an indelible mark on first responders, with Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister describing the SUV, a Cadillac Escalade, as resembling "a soft drink can that's been smashed" during a press conference held on the same day. The freight train was traveling at speeds exceeding 55 mph at the time of the collision. The SUV, carrying seven individuals en route to a quinceanera party, tragically bore the brunt of the impact, Sheriff Chronister disclosed. Video footage from a train-mounted camera depicted the SUV's driver approaching the railroad crossing, proceeding slowly without stopping to check both ways, according to the sheriff. Despite the conductor's efforts to slow down the train, coupled with the blaring horns and flashing lights as warnings, the SUV's tragic course remained unaltered. As a witness parked alongside the tracks sounded his horn to alert the SUV's driver, the collision became inevitable. Upon impact, the SUV was violently catapulted, somersaulting multiple times before coming to rest at a significant distance from the crossing, the sheriff informed reporters. READ NEXT: Train Hit Police SUV with Detained Woman Inside Victims of Florida Train Crash Identified The tragic incident claimed the lives of five individuals who were forcefully ejected from the vehicle, with a sixth person succumbing to injuries in the hospital overnight, per USA TODAY. The victims were identified as the driver, 52-year-old Jose G. Hernandez, along with passengers Enedelia Hernandez, 50; Jakub A. Lopez, 17; Alyssa Hernandez, 17; Anaelia Hernandez, 22; and Julian Hernandez, 9. The front-seat passenger, 23-year-old Guillermo E. Gama III, survived but remains in critical condition. The passengers in Jose Hernandez's vehicle included his minor children, an adult child, and two friends of the children, said Jessica Lang, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office. All individuals involved were believed to be residents of Plant City, a community located approximately 25 miles outside of Tampa in central Florida, with a population of around 40,000 residents. Railroad Crossing Where Florida Train Crash Happened Lacks Warning Devices Notably, the railroad crossing lacked crossing arms and featured only a stop sign, an issue Sheriff Chronister attributed to the road's infrequent use. It primarily led to a small number of homes and was considered a privately maintained access road, the Miami Herald noted. Michael Callanan, a rail safety expert, explained that the road's private ownership exempted it from the requirement of installing warning devices. Some neighbors in the area voiced concerns about the crossing's safety, as similar situations had been observed previously, ABC Action News reports. CSX, a railroad company predominantly operating in the Eastern United States, issued a statement expressing condolences to those affected by the tragic incident. The company pledged its support to local law enforcement as the investigation into the incident continues. READ MORE: Indiana Baby Boy Almost Eaten Alive by Rats This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Deadly train crash: 6 killed, 1 seriously injured in Florida collision - From LiveNOW from FOX Donald Trump is under fire again, this time for reportedly belittling a disabled veteran and wounded war hero during a military ceremony, as revealed by General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US military. The former president reportedly told Milley during a 2019 military ceremony that he does not approve of the disabled veteran he chose to sing "God Bless America." The ex-POTUS reportedly told the general, "Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded." Trump also reportedly told Milley he does not want to see Avila again in public. According to Business Insider, the Joint Chiefs chairman took offense to what Trump told him, admitting that he was disturbed by the former president's "repugnant" attitude towards veterans. Milley reportedly stated that Trump's attitude towards the armed forces was "superficial, callous, and, at the deepest human level, repugnant." During a ceremony where Milley took the mantle of Joint Chiefs chairman, he chose veteran Army captain Luis Avila, a wounded war hero who was severely wounded while serving his country in Afghanistan, to sing "God Bless America." He reportedly lost a leg in an IED attack in Afghanistan and has suffered multiple strokes, heart attacks, and brain damage. However, Trump was not happy with the choice. Avila was in a wheelchair during the ceremony and almost got involved in an accident as it was raining, and the ground was soft at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia. His wheelchair almost overturned, but then-Vice President Mike Pence and General Milley's wife rushed to help the disabled veteran. Donald Trump Slammed for Belittling Disabled Veteran When Milley admitted what the former president said, several notable people from both the right and the left slammed Trump, with conservative attorney George Conway criticizing Trump on social media, saying, "There is no nice way to put it. P01135809 is pure scum." The number is a reference to Trump's inmate number at the Fulton County Jail. READ MORE: Donald Trump Barred From Issuing Threats and Intimidation for Election Disqualification Case The Republican political strategist also piled on Trump, posting on social media, "Trump's loathing for an injured war hero speaks more volumes about his low, repulsive character than almost any of the other stories of his public or private behavior," He added, "I've read damn near every account of his degenerate, foul life, and this one still shocks." "This strikes me as 100% true. Physical appearance/looks are EVERYTHING to Trump," posted former senior adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign, AJ Delgado. "A wounded veteran with a missing limb, no matter how heroic, would be a 'no' for him." Former Military Veteran and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Also Whips Donald Trump Former Navy Lieutenant and current Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2014, was among one of Trump's most vocal critics regarding his comments on veterans. He noted that Trump's alleged order was "just the latest in a pattern of outrageous attacks [by Trump] on people who keep this country safe." The former Indiana mayor added that military members "deserve respect and a hell of a lot more than that from every American, and definitely from every American president." He added, "The idea that an American president, the person to whom service members look as a commander in chief, the person who sets the tone for this entire country, could think that way or act that way or talk that way about anyone in uniform, and certainly about those who put their bodies on the line and sacrificed in ways that most Americans will never understand." The Transportation secretary also concluded, "I guess wounded veterans make President Trump feel uncomfortable." READ MORE: Donald Trump Co-Defendant Jenna Ellis Turns On Ex-POTUS, Calls Him a 'Malignant Narcissist' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: 'A general reporting to an unstable president': Report exposes challenges for Milley under Trump - MSNBC The city of El Paso, Texas, finds itself grappling with a challenging situation as a sharp increase in migrants crossing the US-Mexico border has pushed the city to its limits, Reuters reports. Mayor Oscar Leeser, in a news conference, expressed that the city is at a breaking point, with over 2,000 people daily seeking asylum, surpassing shelter capacity and straining available resources. The influx of asylum seekers, primarily from Venezuela, is part of a larger surge of immigrants who have undertaken perilous journeys on buses and cargo trains to reach Mexican border towns near San Diego, California, and Texas cities such as El Paso and Eagle Pass. The recent resurgence in migrant numbers has prompted renewed political debates, with critics raising concerns about the immigration policies of President Joe Biden as the 2024 election looms. Mayor Leeser announced plans to open a new El Paso shelter while chartering five buses to transport migrants to destinations like New York, Chicago, and Denver. Notably, the decision to send migrants to various cities has sparked controversy, with some Republican governors in Texas and Florida facing criticism for relocating migrants to cities seen as politically liberal, like New York and Sacramento. Mayor Oscar Leeser, a Democrat, clarified that the migrants traveling on El Paso's buses were doing so voluntarily, choosing their destination cities. READ NEXT: Migrant Protest Forces Closure of El Paso Bridge El Paso Mayor: 'US Immigration System Was Broken' Regarding the broader immigration issue, Leeser acknowledged that while President Biden has been a cooperative partner, the US immigration system remains broken, per Al Jazeera. Many Venezuelan migrants lack transportation to reach their desired destinations, and El Paso's shelter, which can accommodate only 400 individuals, also serves the homeless population. Current demographics of those crossing El Paso reveal that approximately two-thirds are single men, 32 percent are families, and 2 percent are unaccompanied children. As tensions rise in Texas, the Biden administration dispatched 800 troops to the US-Mexico border, supplementing the 2,500 National Guard members. Efforts have been made to address the migrant flow by introducing specialized programs to process asylum and visa requests in the migrants' home countries, with repercussions for those not following the rules, including deportations and expulsions. The administration has also granted temporary legal status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the US by July 31, making it easier for them to work there. Eagle Pass Suffers the Same Problem as El Paso Eagle Pass, located about 400 miles east of El Paso, is confronting a similar challenge. The border town has been overwhelmed by migrants recently, with over 7,500 arriving in a town of 28,000 people in just two days. In an incident near the US-Mexico border, a group of migrants encountered Border Patrol and National Guard boats. After two hours of standoff, they eventually crossed the US due to concerns for their well-being. They refused to budge for an additional two hours while attempting to navigate their way through a razor wire obstacle erected by authorities and refusing to turn back despite repeated instructions. Following nearly four hours spent in the river and on the bank, guards eventually found it necessary to cut through the razor wire and permit the group to pass through, driven by concerns for their well-being. A local law enforcement source informed DailyMail.com that this decision was prompted by the scorching heat at the border and the extensive time the group spent exposed to the elements. The group, predominantly composed of men, included women and children, with a few appearing unwell and dehydrated. READ MORE: New York Migrant Crisis This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: El Paso at 'breaking point' amid migrant surge, says mayor - From Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the country will pledge to help a proposed UN multinational force led by Kenya that would be dealing with the Haiti Crisis as gangs slowly take over the Caribbean country. The proposed multinational force would be headed by Kenya, with Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda also pledging to send security personnel to Haiti. The proposed force still needs to be approved by the UN Security Council. Blinken announced that the US would provide logistics, including intelligence, airlift, communications, and medical support to the UN mission. He also urged other countries to contribute additional personnel, equipment, logistics, training, and funding, according to the Associated Press. "The people of Haiti cannot wait much longer," said Blinken as he urged other foreign ministers from over 20 countries to act. Currently, gangs have taken over much of the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, with murder, rape, and kidnapping becoming more and more common. Meanwhile, embattled Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry warned that gangs are committing more and more "kidnapping, pillaging, fires, the recent massacres, sexual and sexist violence, organ trafficking, human trafficking, homicides, extrajudicial executions, the recruitment of child soldiers (and) the blocking of main roads." "Democracy is at peril. Our country needs a return to normalcy," the Prime Minister said. Henry has appointed himself as president of Haiti since after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. However, many do not recognize his rule, and it plunged Haiti into its current crisis. READ MORE: Haiti Crisis Explained: How Did It Get This Bad? Kenya and Haiti Set Up Diplomatic Ties Before Multinational Force Was Proposed As Kenya answered the call from Ariel Henry for an international force to deal with the Haiti Crisis, the two countries recently established diplomatic relations. According to Voice of America News, Kenyan President William Ruto and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry witnessed the signing of the pact establishing ties in New York at the Kenyan Mission to the US. "As the leading nation in the UN-backed security mission in Haiti, we are committed to deploying a specialized team," said a statement by President Ruto after the signing. The Kenyan-led force is seen to deter the criminal gangs running rampant across the country as they fight for territory and overwhelm the Haitian police. Kenya Sent a Delegation to Haiti To Assess the Situation Before the pact between Haiti and Kenya was signed, Kenya had already sent a 10-man delegation to the embattled Caribbean country. The Kenyans were there to assess the situation before heeding the call that was first proposed by Ecuador and the United States. However, Al Jazeera News pointed out that Kenya has had a history of police abuse, and many fear that this may come under renewed scrutiny as they lead the multinational force. Human rights groups are now urging the UN to develop a "clear framework for accountability, oversight, and ensuring that [deployed police] discharge their duties in a professional manner" should other countries send troops to help Haiti. READ MORE: Haiti Gang Burns Courthouse This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Haiti: Notorious gang leader warns against deployment of foreign armed forces - Africa News You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Out of more than 20 allegations that drew police to the Sikh temple in Lower Nazareth Township, this was among the worst. Turns out theres no proof anybody broke the law, though. Two adults and three children were left homeless Monday morning after flames ignited a row home in Eastons West Ward, a city fire official said. Easton Fire Chief Henry Hennings said crews were dispatched at 8:34 a.m. to 1201 Jackson St., which connects to an adjoining home at 1203 Jackson St. Firefighters found flames on the second floor of 1201 Jackson St., which they were able to contain and keep from spreading to 1203 Jackson St., Hennings told lehighvalleylive.com. A second alarm was dispatched, bringing in support from all off-duty firefighters and mutual aid from departments in Wilson Borough; Palmer Township; Phillipsburg; Bethlehem Township; and Nancy Run Fire Co. in Bethlehem Township. The homeowners, with their two children and two dogs, were able to escape safely from 1201 Jackson St. Another two adults and two children escaped safely from the adjoining row home, the chief said. Hennings said it took roughly 30 minutes to get the flames under control. There were no reported injuries. Both row homes have since been deemed uninhabitable due to fire damage at 1201 Jackson St. and smoke damage at 1203 Jackson St. A total of two adults and three children are being assisted by the Pennsylvania Rivers chapter of the American Red Cross, which covers the region, Hennings said. The chief didnt immediately have information on which of the adjoining homes the adults and children displaced were from. Its unclear what caused Mondays fire and it remains under investigation. Aside from the various fire departments, also assisting at the scene was the Easton Police Department, Easton Emergency Medical Services and UGI Utilities. Two adults and three children were left homeless Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 after flames ignited a row home in Eastons West Ward, a city fire official said. Easton Fire Chief Henry Hennings said crews were dispatched at 8:34 a.m. to 1201 Jackson St., which connects to another row home at 1203 Jackson St. Pictured to the left is the homeowner of 1201 Jackson St. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. A 67-year-old Florida man suffered serious injuries when a pickup truck struck him while he was walking across a road Thursday afternoon in Hackettstown, town police said Monday. The incident reportedly happened shortly before 5 p.m. on an access road off Mountain Avenue. Through a preliminary investigation, it was determined that a Chevy pickup, operated by a 59-year-old man from Oxford Township, New Jersey, was making a left turn onto the access road from the Wendys parking lot when the pickup struck a 67-year-old man from Wildwood, Florida, who was crossing the road, a news release from town police states. The pedestrian was flown to Morristown Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition as of late Monday morning. The driver of the pickup truck was not injured. The crash remains under investigation, according to the release. Assisting at the scene were Hackettstown First Aid and Rescue Squad, the Independence Township First Aid Squad, and Saint Clares Paramedics. Anyone who may have witnessed this crash is asked to contact the Hackettstown Police Department at 908-852-3300. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. A Laois company has won a big European Award for the production of organic food. The Merry Mill, Ireland's first organic gluten-free oat mill, has won an EU Organic Award for 2023 in the category 'Best organic food processing SME', the European Commission announced. The family-run organic farm in Vicarstown, founded by Jenny and Kevin Scully, produces a range of organic gluten-free foods in a closed-loop system on their organic farm. They built the gluten-free oat mill in order to manage the whole process from start to finish to ensure no cross-contamination of other grains occurs. "We are thrilled to receive such a prestigious award," Kevin told the Leinster Express / Laois Live. More below picture. Pictured above Kevin and Jenny Scully with their award. The European Commission unveiled the eight winners of the second edition of the EU Organic Awards on September 25. The awards recognise excellence along the European organic value chain. The EU Organic Awards also mark the celebration of the EU Organic Day launched by the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission in 2021. This year, a pool of close to 100 applications from all over Europe were received, with 24 shortlisted candidates selected from 11 EU countries. The EU Organic Awards scheme comprises 7 categories and 8 individual awards. They acknowledge excellent, innovative, sustainable and inspiring projects producing real added value for organic production and consumption. EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski said: "I would like to congratulate all winners. In cultivating our land with the principles of organic farming, they not only nourish our soil but also provide healthy and quality products. Todays EU Organic Awards winners are the prime examples on how the production and availability of more organic food can bring benefits to farmers, consumers, and society at large." The awards are jointly organised by the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, COPA-COGECA and IFOAM Organics Europe, with the support of the European Parliament and the Council. Health services delivered in Abbeyleix at a community health facility that the HSE wanted to shut down to save money have been commended by the current HSE boss who has made a visit to the Laois unit. CEO of the Health Service Executive, Bernard Gloster visited Abbeyleix Community campus on Thursday, September 21 to meet with management, staff and patients who work in and use the facility which is jointly governed by Midlands Louth Meath CHO Community Services and the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. He visited the new Transitional Care Unit and the Community Nursing Unit, which share the campus with Primary Care services providing a wide range of services to the population of Laois and beyond. A HSE statement said Mr Gloster heard about the development of the Transitional Care Unit which is a service provided by the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP). It was described as a new care model that sees hospital staff working within a community care facility for the benefit of patients, ensuring reablement so they can continue their recovery and learn to manage again after a period of illness outside hospital. The HSE statement added that he also discussed the models of care for respite and long-term care delivered by Community Services for older persons and met with patients and their families who are using these services. To conclude his visit, the HSE said Mr Gloster heard about the ongoing work across the integrated care area and future plans for Enhanced Community Care and opportunities that exist on the Abbeyleix campus. The HSE said the CEO acknowledged the work across Community and Hospital services for taking a lead in the delivery of integrated healthcare for Laois which is in line with the national policy of Slaintecare. The HSE said he commended the developments in services on the Abbeyleix campus for the people of Laois and beyond. The HSE was stopped after residents being cared for at the unit went to court in 2011 with the help of Abbeyleix and District Hospital Action Group to prevent a shutdown for financial reasons. MORE BELOW PICTURE. Maureen Delaney (aged 89) Bridget O'Neill (aged 92) and Catherine Kelly (aged 93), who have been cared for at the Co Laois facility were granted permission by the High Court to challenge the HSE's decision to close the unit. Thousands of people subsequently marched on two occasions in Laois to convince the HSE that closure should not happen. Among those to accompany him on his visit to Abbeyleix were Olivia Lafferty, Director of Nursing MRHP, John Connaughton, Clinical Director MRHP, Donal Fitzsimons, Head of Older Persons HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO8, Carole Broadbank, Chief Officer HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO8, Orlagh Claffey, Chief Operations Officer, DMHG and John Joyce, General Manager MRHP. Very comfy and roomy 3 row SUV! By Mike | on 5.0 (Warning- a little long) We were looking for a roomy 3 row SUV with easy access to all 3 rows. After a ton of research and multiple test drives of the possible options, we settled on the VW Atlas, SEL Premium. Weve owned our Atlas for a little over a month now. Weve taken it on a couple of long trips (1000+ miles), so weve seen enough to write a decent review. The Atlas was one of 4 finalists for us. The others were the GMC Acadia, the Chevy Traverse, and the Infiniti QX60. These were our finalists for one primary reason- access to the rear seat with car seats installed in the middle row seats (without climbing into the middle row, and going through the middle space between the captains chairs). No other 3 row SUVs had this option, although I understand some will have it for the 2020 model year. Because we only had 4 models to look at, we focused all our attention on these models. Likes: Third row access is incredibly easy in the Atlas. By pulling up on the release on the top of the seat, the entire seat tips forward, and then slides forward, leaving a large opening to access the rear seat, and allowing us to buckle our 4 year old into that seat very easily, even while standing outside the car. This middle row seat movement can be performed with a car seat installed in the middle row seats, a maneuver that very few 3 row SUVs are capable of. The Infiniti QX-60 has a similar setup, and it is just as easy to use. The Acadia and Traverse also have this option, but during our test drives, we found the mechanism to be incredibly difficult to use. The salesman said it was probably just stiff, but it was almost impossible for my wife to get the seat to move, and it happened in both of those models. Also, the GMC and Chevy only have this capability on the passenger side, which is highly annoying. The interior of the Atlas is HUGE, the door openings are very wide to provide easy access, and it is very comfortable. The seats in the Atlas were by far the most comfortable of any vehicle we tested. When I say that, I mean ALL of the seats, to include the 2nd and 3rd rows, and the 3rd row is actually usable by adults. I am 510, and I was very comfortable back there. I would not say the same of the other three vehicles tested. Also, the middle row seats of the Chevy and GMC were very uncomfortable. The had a weird shape, with a weird forward hump that hit right between the shoulder blades. Im sure this has something to do with crash safety or something like that, but those seats were just extremely uncomfortable. Our Atlas is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, which is pretty cool. It also has a power sunshade for the sunroof. The Chevy and GMC have a very cheap, manual cover. It is spring-loaded, and if you accidentally let go of it, it will snap back like a window shade. At this price level, it should be a power sunshade. While we are on the topic of sunshades: the 2nd row windows in the Atlas have built-in sunshades, which is ingenious! I wish all cars had this feature. The Atlas has an infotainment system that is easy to use and intuitive, and it allows for swiping and pinch zooming. Apple Car Play is awesome! Surprisingly, some manufacturers have not integrated this feature at this time. The digital instrument panel has a very nice, modern look, and it offers 5 or 6 different views. One of the really cool things about the Atlas- you can display the nav map in the middle of the instrument panel. Additionally, you can make the map bigger and the gauges smaller, which allows you to see more map detail- a really nice option. The car even has an altimeter, which is really cool to me (Im a pilot by trade). Not so much for my wife The Atlas allows for 4 customizable driver settings. It also has an overhead view camera, which allows you to see a birds-eye view of the vehicle- very handy to ensure you are actually centered in that parking spot! (this is only offered in the highest trim level) The car also has a traditional shift lever. This appeals to me, because Im old school. The Atlas has a very nice exterior, and it looks great from both the front and the back. The LED headlights are really nice, and much brighter than standard headlights. Also, the daytime running lights look really cool (I noticed that when another Atlas pulled up behind us on the freeway). It also has a small turn radius, which makes maneuvering in tight spaces much easier. The Atlas has a few other really nice options- adaptive cruise control, auto-dimming headlights, auto-wipers, and an auto-park feature (highest trim level only) for parallel and back in perpendicular parking. The cruise control also has an option to speed up or slow down in increments of 5 mph in addition to the more standard 1 mph increment, which is handy. It also has a feature that turns on the fog light on the side of the car in the direction of a turn, providing extra light for making the turn safely. You can also lock the middle row seat HVAC controls, to prevent the inevitable arguments from the kiddos! One of the best things about the Atlas is the industry leading warranty- 6 years/72k miles, bumper to bumper. Very few of the competitors even come close to this. And it is manufactured in the USA, which I really like. Now lets talk about the things I dont like about the car. (And believe me when I say these things are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things) The biggest gripe I have is the engine power. Given that my primary goal with this vehicle is to comfortably get a lot of people from point A to B, this isnt a huge deal. I didnt buy this car to qualify for the Indy 500, but I do wish VW offered some different engine options, like a V-8 or a turbo V-6. They do offer a turbo 4 cylinder, but it is not offered above the base trim level, and I dont think it is anything more than adequate for this car anyway. A close 2nd for cons would be the height of the front seat armrests (on the door side of each seat). I like to drive with my left arm resting on the armrest while my left hand is controlling the steering wheel. In this car, I simply cannot do that, because the armrest is not high enough. Ditto with the passenger seat. It just isnt comfortable for me, and I think I am pretty representative of a standard driver/passenger. I found that during longer drives, I have to fold up a coat and stick it under my left arm to make it comfortable to drive those longer distances. This is just me, but you might find it to be a similar issue. The rest of the cons are really only small things: the blind spot warning only gives a visual cue in the side mirror, but no audible warning like all of my other vehicles; you cannot program which view comes up for the reverse camera- it is the same initial view every time you shift into reverse, and then you must select the menu and then the view you desire; an entry/exit seat position is not programmable; the adaptive cruise control cannot be turned off to make it operate like normal cruise control, and the following distance setting resets every time the car is shut down, rather than keeping the last used setting; an audible warning sounds whenever the temperature hits 39 degrees, to let you know you might have slick road conditions- seems like an arbitrary number and a little too high to me; the trip mileage reset switch is a manual switch, unlike everything else in the car, which is digital and/or automated; the gauge views themselves are not customizable, but I do love the altimeter!; the seat bolsters are not heated along with the rest of the seat, which makes them seem really cold to the touch when the seat heaters are on; the gas mileage cannot be reset manually; there is only one trip odometer- most vehicles have two or more; gas mileage is just average for this class. Keep in mind, these things are all very minor, but they might be major things for you. Bottom line, this is a nice, comfortable, feature rich 3 row SUV, with 3rd row seats that are useable by full sized adults. My wife and I love it! We highly recommend it, especially if you need access to the back row with car seats installed in the middle row. Read More On Sunday, October 8, supporters, concerned citizens and quiz lovers will convene at Gurn's Pub Manorhamilton for a fundraising quiz and draw for the Save Dough Mountain Group. This group was formed when Coillte, in tandem with the ESB, set up a company called FuturEnergy, announcing their intention to develop a wind farm with the highest turbines in Europe, leading concerned locals to fund the group. Their worries centre around the scale of the wind farm on a sensitive landscape of upland bog, which, by its nature, is very prone to landslides. The devastation of similar landslides in Leitrim and surrounding counties is fresh in people's minds. The biodiversity on Dough Mountain, just outside Manorhamilton, is wealthy and home to endangered species such as the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, Irish Hare, Hen Harriers, and Pine Marten, as well as a vast array of flora. The night and raising funds are also an opportunity to raise awareness about the campaign and project. John O'Hagan, Chair of the group, said, "Our members are very aware of the need to transition to sustainable forms of generating energy that will benefit the environment and communities. "But the current trajectory we are on cannot deliver on any of this as it favours profit and big business over all else. "Outdated guidelines, little to no meaningful community engagement and further pressure on biodiversity from these developments in unsuitable locations. Companies making money, while further contributing to the climate and biodiversity chaos," he added. There are fantastic prizes for the winning team and wonderful prizes in the draw. People are welcome to come as a team, or individuals can come, and teams can be organised on the night. The organisers would like to thank the following businesses and individuals that are supporting the event: Futurecast Manorhamilton, Osta Manorhamilton, Kiltyclogher Heritage Centre, Tawnylust Lodge, Five Glens Inn, Adventure Gently Canoeing, The Glens Centre, The Rainbow Ballroom, Caz Cards and Felim Gurn. Registration for the event is taking place at 7.30pm on October 8 at Gurn's Pub Manorhamilton. Teams are four people, and the admission fee is 10/person. Tributes have been paid to a nine-year-old boy from Co Tyrone who died in a road crash. Ronan Wilson, from Kildress, had been visiting Bundoran in Co Donegal. Irish police (gardai) said emergency services were called at around 9.20pm on Saturday after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on Atlantic Way. The pedestrian, a boy aged nine years, was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later, they said. The vehicle involved in the collision failed to remain at the scene. Hearts are heavy across the country for the beautiful wee Ronan Wilson. My thoughts and prayers are with Ronans family and his home community of kildress at this tragic and saddest of times. Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) September 24, 2023 On Sunday evening, gardai said a man in his 20s had been arrested for an alleged offence under the Road Traffic Act in relation to the collision in Bundoran on Saturday evening. The male is currently detained at a Garda Station in Donegal under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, they said. Gardai have seized a vehicle in connection with the investigation which will undergo technical examination. Earlier Gardai appealed for any potential witnesses to contact Ballyshannon garda station on 074 9858530 or the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill expressed her sadness. Hearts are heavy across the country for the beautiful wee Ronan Wilson, she posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. My thoughts and prayers are with Ronans family and his home community of Kildress at this tragic and saddest of times. SDLP Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone said the local community in Kildress is broken-hearted following the death of the nine-year-old. He has appealed for anyone with dash cam footage from near the scene of the incident on Atlantic Way at 9.20pm on Saturday night to come forward to police. The whole community in Kildress and across Tyrone is broken-hearted today. The Wilsons are a well-known local family and this tragedy has shocked us all, he said. My thoughts are with Ronans family and friends as they come to terms with this devastating news. I know everyone in Kildress and further afield will be thinking of them and will rally around them in the days ahead. A student in a dormitory at the Bnei David pre-military academy in the Eli settlement in the occupied West Bank. May 8, 2023. JONAS OPPERSKALSKI/LAIF FOR LE MONDE Although the procedure has been managed with discretion, it has already caused a stir, and could lead to a resounding decision in 2024. Since the beginning of the year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN body responsible for arbitrating disputes between countries, has been working on the highly sensitive issue of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories as a result of a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 30, 2022, by 87 countries, with 53 abstentions and 26 votes against. The court is to rule on "the legal consequences arising from Israels ongoing violation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967." In other words, the judges are charged with ruling on the legality of Israel's occupation about five years after it began. The judges' opinion is not binding, but their voice carries weight. "It's a nightmare for the Israelis that this issue is now in the hands of international justice," said a European diplomat. States that are parties to the ICJ had until July 25 to submit a written brief, if they so wished. Fifty-four countries, including the five members of the UN Security Council, and three international organizations the African Union, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have expressed their views. These contributions will be made public at the start of the hearings, which will take place in The Hague in a few months. The judges' opinion is not expected before the summer or even the end of next year. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Thirty years later, no one wants to acknowledge the failure of the Oslo Accords According to information gathered by Le Monde from sources involved in the proceedings, the vast majority of written submissions recognize the court's authority. This is the case with the one submitted by France. While Paris abstained during the vote at the General Assembly, the 20-page text, drawn up by the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, "reaffirms the illegal nature of the colonization; recalls the legal obligations of the occupier in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem; and notes the risk of annexation by fait accompli," a source close to the case told Le Monde. Only a dozen of the 57 submissions contest the referral to the ICJ, including one from the United Kingdom. In a 43-page document seen by Le Monde, London argues that the court does not have the means to deal with such a complex issue, especially since Israel has not consented to it. The UK also considers that to issue such a legal opinion would be in contradiction with the Oslo Accords and certain UN resolutions. You have 65% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Stefanos Kasselakis, newly elected leader of the main opposition party Syriza, arrives at the party's headquarters in Athens, Greece, early on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, after a runoff election for the left-wing bloc. YORGOS KARAHALIS / AP A 35-year-old businessman without prior political experience was elected Sunday to lead Greece's main opposition bloc, the left-wing Syriza party. His name: Stefanos Kasselakis. With the votes still being counted, former labor minister and opponent Effie Achtsioglou called her rival to congratulate him. Kasselakis had just under 57% of the votes late Sunday with 70% of precincts reporting, while Achtsioglou had just over 43%. About 136,000 Greeks turned out to vote, fewer than in the first round. Kasselakis, a resident of Miami, was unknown to the Greek public until he was anointed a candidate on Syrizas at-large list. In Greeces national elections, 15 of the 300 lawmakers are elected at large, depending on each partys share of the votes. At-large candidates can include expatriates. Syriza elected four such lawmakers in the May election and three in June. Kasselakis, in ninth place, had no chance. Then, in late August, a few days after presenting a list of proposals for the party, Kasselakis released a video of just over four minutes recounting his life and his vision. The video went viral, transforming him into a serious contender for the party leadership. Achtsioglou had been the overwhelming favorite. Nineteen days after the video introduced him to the public, Kasselakis led the first round of the leadership contest, with nearly 45% of the votes to Achtsioglous 36%. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes 'Golden boy' Stefanos Kasselakis wants to commit to the Greek left To the partys old guard and left-wing, Kasselakis candidacy rankled. A rival candidate, former Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, accused Kasselakis of indulging in a shallow, social media-driven "post-politics." Achtsioglou, who sought to appeal to a broad range of supporters when she was the frontrunner, took up these criticisms. But rank-and-file party members apparently felt a need for change. Syriza lost power when the conservative New Democracy party won the 2019 elections 39% to 31%. In June's election, Syriza fell to just under 18%, while New Democracy got over 40%. Alexis Tsipras decided to step down, forcing the leadership contest. Despite their youth, Achtsioglou and Kasselakis are older than Tsipras was 15 years ago when he became Syriza's leader at age 34, taking advantage of a deep financial crisis. He took the party from around 4% voter support to 35% in 2015. Experts say not being a lawmaker will hamper Kasselakis efforts to oppose Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. But the new leader of the opposition, aware of his limited knowledge of politics, seems happier doing trips around the country, talking to people, posing for selfies, and posting the whole thing on Tik-Tok. It also remains to be seen how some of the left-wing voters will take to someone who boasts of his business acumen and mastery of several languages. THE DR HARTY Cup kicks off next month with two Limerick schools set to face off in the first round of the famed hurling competition. Four Limerick schools in all are taking part in the Harty Cup this year with St John the Baptist, Hospital taking on Castletroy College in Group Five. Five-time winners Ardscoil Ris open their campaign against Clare's St Flannan's in Group Three, while Doon's Scoil na Trionoide play CBC of Cork in the first round. Those fixtures are provisionally set to take place on Wednesday, October 11, while round two is expected to be played two weeks later. Scoil Na Trionoide meet Rice College, Ennis in the second round, Ardscoil face off against Cork's Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig and Castletroy play CBS Carrick-on-Suir. John the Baptist have a bye week. Round Three fixtures see Scoil Na Trionoide up against Midleton CBS, Ardscoil play De La Salle Waterford, John the Baptist meet CBS Carrick-on-Suir, with Castletroy having a bye. Those games are set to take place on November 15. The knockout stages of the competition begin with the Preliminary quarter-finals on November 29. The quarter-finals are set for January 10, while the semi-finals and final dates are yet to be confirmed. TRADE union Unite has written to Uisce Eireann to ask it to consider matters relating to alleged labour rights breaches by engineering firm Murphy before it awards contracts at a Limerick water treatment plant. It comes as four staff members employed by the company firm were allegedly sacked for what the union believes relates to legitimate trade union activity. Murphy is one of the companies seeking the contract to work on the upgrade of the Castletroy water treatment plant. For its part, Uisce Eireann, formerly Irish Water said as the matter relates to a dispute concerning a third party employer, it is inappropriate to make a comment. Unite staff have for a number of weeks been highlighting the case of what it has described as The Murphy Four. These workers, they claim, were dismissed after they voiced concerns surrounding Murphy Internationals non-compliance with agreed national travel expense agreements. A Murphy's spokesperson said the firm refutes the union's claim which it describes as "misleading". It is Unites contention that Murphys actions constitute victimisation for trade union activity which runs contrary to the European Union charter of fundamental rights. Public procurement regulations stipulate that companies tendering for public contracts must be compliant with their obligations under environmental, social and labour law, and must also be in compliance with the relevant collective agreements. In a statement, the Murphy's spokesperson said: "The claims regarding the reason for the dismissals and allegations of union busting are factually incorrect. Murphy International Limited acted in response to unballotted, unnotified, and therefore unlawful strike action taken by a small minority of workers at our Aughinish site in Limerick. Murphy has had a presence on site for over 40 years, enjoying good industrial relations on the site. All its employees who work on the site are members of trade unions. The company has always indicated that it is open to resolving this matter amicably and sensibly. We remain committed to maintaining an open dialogue with all parties around this issue to try to draw a line under this matter. This matter is currently subject to legal proceedings in Ireland. Unites Irish secretary Susan Fitzgerald said: We fully expect that Irish Water will be mindful of its obligations under Irish public procurement regulations, and will consider the matters raised by Unite before awarding any further contracts to the Murphy group. She added her union will continue to look at Murphys involvement in procurement processes throughout Ireland, and continue to raise awareness of the four staff. ALMOST 4,000 people have taken part in upskilling courses in Limerick. Thats according to Skillnet Ireland, which drew employees of 1,100 local companies to its courses in 2022. The national agency for workforce development delivered over 29,200 training days across Limerick last year. Six in 10 people who took part were men, while the largest cohort of people were aged between 30 and 39 years of age. The vast majority (93.2%) of the 1,100 Limerick companies that upskilled their workforce with Skillnet Ireland in 2022 were small and medium enterprises. The greatest uptake came from the services sector followed by the agriculture, technology, health, manufacturing, life sciences and engineering sectors. Companies based in Limerick undertook upskilling programmes with 66 Skillnet Business Networks, including Limerick Chamber Skillnet. Skillnet Ireland chief executive, Paul Healy said: As a knowledge-based economy nurturing our highly skilled workforce is central to our national competitiveness. The Skillnet Ireland annual report for 2022 shows that nationwide, upskilling and training programmes to the value of 70.2 million, were provided to almost 25,000 businesses and over 92,000 workers across the Irish economy and the regions. Companies contributed 26.5 million or 37% of the total investment towards upskilling their staff, a 4 million increase on 2021 the last time figures were compiled. BUSINESS people working together with communities was the order of the day at a series of special events in Limerick this month. More than 60 people working at multi-national firms in Limerick, alongside small businesses, schools and community groups met up at the events, run by Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI). Northern Trust, located at the National Technology Park and Limerick Chamber in the city centre played host. It was the first time BITCI had held an event outside Cork, with the summit attracting corporate social responsibility professionals from across the region. The events theme was focused on achieving real impact through community engagement, in particular building strategic partnerships between businesses, local charities and non-governmental organisations. As part of this, representatives of Limerick-based firms Cook Medical and Three Ireland shared their experiences supporting workplace inclusion of people with disabilities, and extending community mental health services. BITICI also showcased its education programmes and employment partnerships already active in the Limerick region and called for more companies to engage and support local social needs, particularly the integration of migrant women and mentoring for school students. Already 11 companies in Limerick including Amneal Pharma, Virgin Media and Analog are paired with 11 local schools designated as being disadvantaged. Their students take part in its literacy and numeracy initiatives. Staff link up with students for mentoring programmes. Laura Morrison, BITCI sustainability advisor, Munster Region said: Corporate social responsibility and sustainability professionals have such complex and demanding roles, with so many pressing issues to tackle, its vital they can connect with each other in confidential and supportive settings. Our Munster Network lets individuals and companies learn from each others successes and setbacks and connects businesses with new sources of expertise. We were delighted to bring the Network meeting to Limerick for the first time and, after such an enthusiastic response from companies and organisations here, Im sure it wont be the last. Catherine Duffy, Northern Trust's general manager in Limerick added: We were delighted to host the first meeting in Limerick of the BITCI Munster Members Network and the joint session with BITCI and the Limerick Chamber on Community Engagement and Social Impact. The event was buzzing with local business people, charities and representatives from the education sector. It was a relaxed, informal space which led to robust discussions on sustainability alongside community involvement and responsibility. Chief executive of Limerick Chamber Dee Ryan said: We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with BITCI and Northern Trust to put a spotlight on the value offered by businesses to collaborate on important societal causes and lend support to the commendable work undertaken by local charities and community initiatives. We believe that by joining forces, businesses can make a meaningful impact in our local communities across Limerick. PROPOSALS by a homelessness charity to expand its drop-in centre in Limerick have been opposed by local residents who have asked the national planning authority to intervene. As revealed by the Limerick Leader, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) is planning to increase its footprint from Ozanam House in Hartstonge Street in the city centre to the neighbouring Mechanics Institute. The charity plans to take over 70% of the historic trade union building, and will use it for food provision, practical and emotional support and a housing support service for those who are homeless. In supporting documents, agents for the charity state that no overnight accommodation will be provided, and neither building will become an addiction service. But the proposals have drawn two comprehensive objections to An Bord Pleanala after local planners approved the project. This includes one from nine locals and business owners in the Georgian Quarter community. Already, they claim, there are issues in the vicinity of where SVP operates from. The idle congregation by persons not busy or occupied is common on both streets with frequent verbal (and sometimes physical) disputes occurring between persons standing at or travelling to and from the existing facility as well as the littering of food parts and packaging served by the existing facility, they wrote in their objection. They claimed it's difficult, if not impossible for SVP to manage this. Two other objectors said it would represent better value for SVP to move into a new purpose-built centre, and even signposted a building in their (objector's) ownership near Colbert Station. It is hard, indeed not credible, to understand why the society with a budget of close to 4m could not find another suitable location, they wrote. They alleged it is an emotional attachment to Hartstonge Street which is dominating (SVPs) thought process. Objectors also said there is no reasonable justification for the way an expansion by the charity could impact places like People's Park, the local primary school, the City Gallery and other neighbouring amenities. It was also suggested that there is demand from the local community to host events in the Mechanics' Institute which dates back to 1824. SVP did not return a request for comment. A decision is due by December. PUBLIC Health HSE Mid-West is appealing to people in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary to protect their sexual health and to avail of testing due to the unprecedented levels of chlamydia and gonorrhoea this year. "According to the latest data, we are already reporting record levels of gonorrhoea in the Mid-West region. If current trends persist, record levels of chlamydia are likely to be recorded by the end of the year," said a spokesperson. In 2022, Public Health HSE Mid-West recorded the highest number of both chlamydia cases (798), and gonorrhoea (188) in the past 10 years. So far in 2023, there have been 664 cases of chlamydia, and 274 cases of gonorrhoea. "Our key message is for people to use a condom correctly every time you have sex (oral, anal, vaginal), avoid sexual contact if you have symptoms of an STI and to get tested if you have symptoms of an STI. You should also get tested if your recent sexual partner have an STI or if you have new or multiple sexual partners," added the spokesperson. People can avail of free home testing via SH24.ie. SH24 testing has accounted for nearly 40% of all positive chlamydia cases in the Mid-West so far this year. Dr Kenneth Beatty, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, commented: The rising incidence of sexually transmitted infections in the Mid-West is an issue of Public Health concern. For males and females, chlamydia and gonorrhoea can lead to painful inflammatory diseases, which can lead to infertility." Dr Beatty added: An individual, behavioural response is needed to protect ourselves. Wearing a condom correctly and availing of frequent testing is the most practical way to prevent future infections and to protect your sexual partners. Free contraception is available to 17-30-year-olds, and SH24 home testing is also free for everyone. Dr Patrick ODonnell, GP with HSE Social Inclusion CHO3 & Associate Professor of General Practice at University of Limerick, said: Testing for sexually transmitted infections is now even easier with the availability of the home testing programme. These curable conditions can be present for a period of time without a person realising it. There are easy treatments and supports available to a person if they have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. If you need further advice you can speak to your GP, practice nurse, sexual health clinic or go online to sexualwellbeing.ie. In summer 2023, HSE Mid-West established its first ever Regional Sexual Health and Wellbeing Committee, to tackle rising levels of sexually-transmitted infections and to improve sexual wellbeing in the Mid-West region. The committee comprises expert membership from a wide range of disciplines, including community outreach, acute clinical, nursing, Public Health, and communications. It will convene its second meeting later this year. Storm Agnes is due to hit Ireland on Wednesday, bringing strong and damaging winds and rain to most areas of the country. Met Eireann has issued two weather warnings for the storm system and may upgrade them before Wednesday. They are continuing to monitor the storm. Windy.com shows a live track of the storm as it makes its way towards us over the Atlantic. Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather has warned that "Storm Agnes is only beginning to develop as it crosses the Atlantic." He added: "It is expected to rapidly deepen as it moves closer to Ireland through late Tuesday into Wednesday. Track and intensity hard to nail down in advance." The first Status Yellow wind warning issued by Met Eireann covers Leinster and Munster and warns of conditions becoming "very windy on Wednesday with very strong and gusty southerly winds, veering westerly later on." The warning is valid from 7am on Wednesday until midnight the same day. Met Eireann warns potential impacts included coastal flooding, difficult travel conditions, power outages and some fallen trees. A separate Status Yellow rain warning has been issued for Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry and Waterford, also for Wednesday. This warning too is valid from 7am to midnight. Met Eireann warns heavy rain will lead to difficult travel conditions, localised flooding and poor visibility. GURUGRAM : Wipro Ltd will return to a great level of growth" when market conditions improve, chief executive officer Delaporte said in an interview where he defended his leadership style and dismissed worries about senior-level exits. The statement from Delaporte, who took over as Wipro boss in July 2020, comes at a time when at least half a dozen brokerages expect Wipros full-year revenue to decline this fiscal year. There is nothing inside the company that would make us grow less now than two years ago. So, there is no doubt that when the market is going back, well get back to a great level of growth," Delaporte said at the Wipro office in Gurugram. Delaporte said he is not worried about a series of senior management exits because he is trying to transform the company, and some people who are not aligned with these objectives would leave. If you want to change an organization, you have to bring new talent into the organization. Theres no way applying the same recipe to the same people will deliver different results. The fact that people leave is okay. We are retaining the talent we need to retain," said Delaporte, who is based out of Paris. Wipro, which clocked $11.2 billion in revenue last year, offers quarterly revenue forecasts but not that for the full year. In the June quarter, its quarterly dollar revenue fell 2.1% from the March quarter, and it expects September-quarter revenue to fall up to another 2% in constant currency terms. Wipro will declare its second-quarter earnings in October. Fears of a recession in the US and Europe have made Fortune 1000 companies wary of starting new IT projects, hurting Indian technology services firms, including Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Infosys Ltd and Wipro. Revenue growth for Indian IT firms is expected to be the lowest this year since the global financial crisis brought the business world to its knees in 2008. Even in the backdrop of weakening growth, Wipro is expected to trail its larger rivals, with many analysts expecting a decline in full-year revenue. Wipro is struggling in its turnaround effort, has a weak mega-deal pipeline, and is vulnerable to vendor consolidation," Kotak Institutional Equities analysts Kawaljeet Saluja, Sathishkumar S. and Vamshi Krishna wrote in a note on 18 September. Kotak estimates full-year revenue to slip 0.3%, while Goldman Sachs, in a note dated 22 August, said revenue from IT services business could fall up to 1.9%. Nomura expects Wipros revenue to slip 0.8%. Such a decline will be a reversal in fortunes for the Bengaluru-based company, which saw dollar revenue growth of 27.3% and 7.8% in FY22 and FY23, respectively. Under Delaporte, Wipros profitability has fallen the most as well: Operating margin narrowed from 19% at the end of June 2020 to 16% at the end of June 2023. In response, investors have dumped Wipro. Its shares, which touched a record 715.35 in December 2021, closed at 418.5 on Friday at National Stock Exchange. However, its shares are up 6.5% year to date, better than Infosys, which is down 1.9% between 2 January and 22 September. Shares of HCL Technologies Ltd and TCS have done better during the period, gaining 22.6% and 10.5%, respectively. Still, some analysts advise patience. Without a doubt, Thierry is undertaking a massive transformation. And the good bit is that there is some earnestness in his commentary," said a Singapore-based analyst at a foreign brokerage, on the condition of anonymity. We need to wait to see how the company does when the market conditions improve to know if his strategy has really worked." New Delhi: Warner Music India has signed a joint venture deal with Sky Digital, a Punjabi music content consortium and aggregator, with whom it had signed a strategic partnership in 2021. This is a new phase of collaboration that will see them jointly develop and manage a roster, with Warner Music India upstreaming some of the artists on it, the two companies said in a statement. Sky Digital India is home to Punjabi music stars including Bir, Harnoor, Kaka, Mankirt Aulakh, Navan Sandhu and Sunanda Sharma. The company also manages Punjabi content-based YouTube channels with over 50 million subscribers and aggregates releases from more than 50 Punjabi labels, as well as two leading mainstream independent Hindi labels. This is a strategic partnership with a hybrid model that enables us to help develop artists careers directly. This approach will be hugely beneficial to Sky Digitals artists who have the potential to be truly global stars. Its also part of our mission to take culturally vibrant Punjabi music to a worldwide audience," Alfonso Perez-Soto, president, emerging markets, recorded music, WMG, said in a statement. Jay Mehta, managing director, Warner Music India, said the popularity of Punjabi music around the world has soared in recent years, amplified by a widespread diaspora and starting to cross over into the mainstream in several markets. This partnership creates a great platform for more artists to take their music global and have Punjabi music dominate global charts," Mehta said in a statement. Gurkaran Dhaliwal, managing director, Sky Digital India said the deal takes the two companies collaboration to a new and a more dynamic level. Our synergetic relationship with Warner Music Group has already helped us expand our market share in India and significantly graced our artists with popularity among a wider audience. This joint venture allows music and homegrown talent to scale zenith of success by becoming globally loved and acclaimed stars," Dhaliwal said in a statement. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! JSW Infra IPO date: JSW Infrastructure IPO opens for subscription today (Monday, September 25), and will close on Wednesday, September 27. JSW Infra IPO price band has been set in the range between 113 to 119 per equity share of face value of 2 each. JSW Infra IPO raised 1,260 crore from anchor investors on Friday, September 22. JSW Infrastructure Limited IPO has reserved not less than 75% of the shares in the public issue for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB), not more than 15% for Non Institutional Investors (NII), and not more than 10% of the offer is reserved for Retail Investors. JSW Infra IPO lot size is 126 equity shares and in multiples of 126 equity shares thereafter. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, which has a P/E ratio of 35.95, is the company's listed industry peer. JSW Infra IPO subscription status was 43% on day 1. JSW Infra IPO's retail investors portion was subscribed 1.38 times, NII portion was subscribed 60%, and Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB) portion was subscribed 3%. JSW Infrastructure IPO details JSW Infra IPO comprises a fresh issuance of 2,800 crore worth of shares, there's no offer for sale (OFS) component. According to Red Herring Prospectus (RHP), the company plans to invest the net proceeds from the offering into its fully owned subsidiaries, JSW Dharamtar Port Private Limited and JSW Jaigarh Port Ltd., in order to prepay or repay all or a portion of certain outstanding borrowings. The company also intends to finance capital expenditure requirements through investment in its wholly owned subsidiary, JSW Jaigarh Port Ltd, for proposed expansion/upgradation works at Jaigarh Port, including the expansion of the LPG terminal, the establishment of an electric sub-station, and the purchase and installation of a dredger. JM Financial Ltd, Axis Capital Ltd, Credit Suisse Securities (India) Private Ltd, DAM Capital Advisors Ltd, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India) Private Ltd, ICICI Securities Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Ltd, and SBI Capital Market Ltd are the book running lead managers to the Offer. KFin Technologies Ltd is the offer's registrar. Also Read: JSW Infrastructure IPO opens next week. GMP, review, other details in 10 points JSW Infra IPO Review In its analysis, Canara Bank Securities noted that JSW Infrastructure Limited, in terms of growth in installed cargo handling capacity and cargo volumes handled between Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2023, is the port-related infrastructure company that is expanding the fastest. They suggest building a port in Jatadhar to serve the future steel factory in Odisha for JSW Steel Limited. They anticipate that the expansion of the JSW Group's numerous companies will continue to be advantageous to them. Companys revenue and EBIDTA shows growth of 41% and 42% respectively in terms of 2 year CAGR. EBIDTA Margins have remained steady at 53% despite a fall in FY2022. This issue is available at P/EPS of 28.88x which appears reasonably priced as the companys revenue visibility is strong for future with steady margins. Hence, we recommend to subscribe the issue for listing gains and long term," said brokerage in its report. Choice Equity Broking believes that at the upper price range, JSW Infrastructure Limited is asking for a TTM P/E multiple of 28.7x (to its TTM earnings per share of 4.1), which is is in-line to only listed peer company. Infrastructure for ports requires significant investment to build and run. Additionally, the port's remaining concession life and usage rates are crucial success factors for port operators. Domestic freight handling at JSW Infrastructure Limited is utilised to about 60% of capacity, and the typical residual concession life is about 25 years, providing long-term visibility of revenue sources. Also with JSW Group companies as key customers, there seems to certainty in the long-term cargo volumes for JSWIL. Further, with lean balance sheet post-IPO, JSWIL is well positioned to participate in the port privatisation drive of the government or any inorganic expansion. Thus, we assign a 'Subscribe' rating for the issue," explained the brokerage. Given its dominating position among Indian port operators, large cargo profile, and diversified geographic footprint, brokerage Motilal Oswal Financial Services, favours JSW Infra IPO. The issue is valued at 19x 1QFY24 P/E on annualised and diluted basis, which looks attractive. We believe JSW infra could benefit from the government focus on port development, limited competition and strong parentage. Hence we recommend Subscribe," the brokerage said. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels :rocket: Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va91YSeGehEM6oMesj3d Reliance Securities claims that the Make in India and China+1 themes will continue to drive superior growth strategies and that the Indian economy is on an explosive growth trajectory that supports increased EXIM trades. The cargo traffic increased by 1.7% in FY23, and major port traffic is anticipated to increase by 3-6%. This steady growth will be supported by predictable income derived from long-term concessions and stable tariffs throughout the course of FY2428. JSW Infrastructure has demonstrated a track record of execution over the past few years and benefit from the strong corporate lineage with a professional team, capacity expansion and diversification in similar business will increase revenue diversification and create value for the shareholders. Therefore we recommend a Subscribe to the issue," added the brokerage. Also Read: IPOs This Week: JSW Infra IPO to Arabian Petroleum IPO; 16 new issues, 8 listings to keep primary market buzzing JSW Infra IPO GMP today JSW Infrastructure IPO GMP today or or grey market premium is +18 similar to the previous trading session. This indicates JSW Infra share price were trading at a premium of 18 in the grey market on Monday, according to topsharebrokers.com Considering the upper end of the JSW Infrastructure Limited IPO price band and the current premium in the grey market, the estimated listing price of JSW Infra share price is 137 apiece, which is 15.13% higher than the IPO price of 119. 'Grey market premium' indicates investors' readiness to pay more than the issue price. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Marco Cables & Conductors Ltd IPO opened for subscription on Thursday, September 21, and will close today (Monday, September 25). Marco Cables IPO price band has been set at 36 per equity share of face value of 10 each. Marco Cables IPO lot size is 3000 equity shares and in multiples of 3000 equity shares thereafter. Marco Cables & Conductors Ltd IPO details A fresh issue of 2,601,000 equity shares totaling 9.36 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) component of 2,601,000 shares totaling 9.36 crore make up the 18.73 crore-worth Marco Cables IPO. Sumit Sugnomal Kukreja, Sugnomal Mangandas Kukreja, and Komal Sumit Kukreja are the company's promoters. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund its capital expenditure needs, including the procurement of a solar power system and a 1+12 rigid stranding machine, as well as general corporate objectives. Shreni Shares Private Ltd is the book running lead manager of the Marco Cables IPO, while Bigshare Services Pvt Ltd is the registrar for the issue. According to the Red Herring Prospectus (RHP), the company is engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling of wires, cables and conductors in India, with an operating history of over 34 years in power cable industry in India. The company recommends its operations with manufacturing of wires (with aluminium / copper conductor), XLPE /PVC cables, Aerial Bunched Cables, subsequently they included AAAC (All Aluminium Alloy Conductor) and ACSR (Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced) Conductors and have made our presence in the industry. Marco Cables IPO Subscription Status Marco Cables IPO Subscription Status today was 30.90 times on day 3. The issue received positive response from retail investors whose portion set was subscribed 35.24 times, and non-institutional buyers whose portion set was subscribed 24.36 times, according to data on chittorgarh.com. The company has received bids for 15,18,21,000 shares against 5,202,000 shares on offer, according to data on chittorgarh.com. Marco Cables IPO subscription status was 1.34 times on day 1, and the issue was subscribed 3.48 times on day 2. Also Read: Marco Cables IPO: GMP, subscription status on day 2, other key details to know Marco Cables IPO GMP today Marco Cables IPO GMP today or grey market premium is +10, similar to the last three trading sessions. This indicates Marco Cables share price were trading at a premium of 10 in the grey market on Monday, according to topsharebrokers.com Considering the upper end of the IPO price band and the current premium in the grey market, the estimated listing price of Marco Cables share price is 46 apiece, which is 27.78% higher than the IPO price of 36. 'Grey market premium' indicates investors' readiness to pay more than the issue price. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! Marco Cables IPO Review The company is operating in a highly competitive and fragmented segment. It has posted static top lines for FY22 and FY23, but surprised with boosted bottom line for FY23. Based on FY23 super earnings, the issue appears fully priced. Well-informed/risk seekers may park funds for the medium to long term," said Dilip Davda, the contributing editor at Chittorgarh.com. Also Read: NewJaisa Technologies IPO: GMP, subscription status on day 1, other key details to know "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Stock market today: Maruti Suzuki India Limited shares have been in uptrend after ushering in 2023. In YTD time, this Indian auto major has delivered over 25 per cent reeturn to positional investors. However, it seems that there is still some steam left in Maruti shares. In early morning deals, Maruti share price today witnessed strong buying interest among Dalal Street bulls which enabled the auto stock to hit new life-time high of 10,669.25 apiece on NSE. According to stock market experts, Maruti shares are in uptrend due to strong financials and management's announcement about increase in market shares during teh confeerence call after announcement of Q1 results 2023. They said that Maruti Suzuki's new launches are in sync with Government of India's (GoI's) step to discourage diesel variants. They have been focussing on petrol of CNG variants for the last few years while launching new variants in the market. This has also gone down well among the long term investors. Maruti shares available at attractive valuations is also a reason for bull favouring this stock in current market scenarion. MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA More Information Triggers for Maruti Suzuki shares On why Maruti Suzuki share price is in uptrend, Saurabh Jain, Vice President Research at SMC Global Securities said, "Maruti Suzuki shares are still available at attractive valuations and the auto major announced about increase in market share during its conference call after the Q1FY24 results. This triggered fresh buying interest in this auto major. The company's financials are in sound position as well because it has been focusing upon the petrol and CNG variants for last few years while announcing its new launches. So, its sales are not expected to get affected due to GoI's move to promote eco-friendly vehicles." Saurabh Jain said that market bulls are taking all these reasons as positive for the Maruti Suzuki shares. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! On Indian economy helping Maruti shares to scale new highs, Avinash Gorakshkar, Head of Research at Profitmart Securities said, "Auto segment is an ideal indicator of the national economy. As Indian economy has done comparatively well in recent quarters with robust GSTY collection, better-than-expected GDP numbers, etc., sales in auto segment is expected to go upside due to rise in public expenditure. This is also supporting Maruti Suzuki shares." Expecting bull trend in Maruti shares to further continue, Sumeet Bagadia, Executive Director at Choice Broking said, "Maruti Suzuki shares are looking positive on chart pattern. Those who have this stock in portfolio, can hold the stock for near term target of 11,000 apiece." However, he advised strict stop loss at 10,200 apiece levels. Maruti share price target On suggestion to fresh investors in regard to Maruti shares, Sumeet Bagadia said, "Fresh investors can buy MAruti shares at current levels for immediate target of 11,000 maintaining stop loss at 10,200 apiece levels." Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Bengaluru Bandh protest today, September 26, is a response to the Karnataka government's decision to allocate Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) recently instructed Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for an additional 15 days, following a recommendation by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), reported Times Now. The Karnataka cabinet had stated a decision regarding water sharing with Tamil Nadu will be made on September 26 during the next meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. Pro-Kannada organisations and farmer associations jointly called for a Bengaluru bandh (shutdown) on September 26 to protest against the Karnataka government's decision. They are also planning to conduct a Karnataka bandh on the same day and a decision regarding the same will be taken in a meeting which is scheduled for today, reported HT. Read all news stories here The bandh was called by Kurubur Shanthakumar who is the president of Karnataka Water Conservation Committee. He announced the Bengaluru bandh over the Cauvery issue on September 26 (Tuesday). While pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, independently called for bandh on September 25. After a meeting, they decided to make a final announcement on September 25, but Shanthakumar maintained his call for the bandh on September 26. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Shanthakumar appealed to schools, colleges, IT companies and the film chamber to declare a holiday in support of the bandh. He also demanded that the state government convene a special assembly session to address the Cauvery water dispute. A protest march is scheduled from Town Hall to Mysuru Bank Circle at 11 am on September 26. He said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also expressed support for the bandh. Taxi Services Tanveer Pasha, President of the Ola Uber Drivers' and Owners' Association, announced their support for the bandh, confirming that drivers would stay off the roads on Tuesday in solidarity with the protest. He said, There will be no compromise when it comes to land, language and water. Without any second thoughts, we support the bandh." Metro Airport taxi services are likely to be impacted, but Namma Metro services will continue to operate as usual by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Hospitals Essential services such as hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies and government offices will remain open. Government-operated Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) also expressed support for the bandh and will suspend their services. Theatres The Kannada film industry has shown solidarity with the bandh and movie theatres in the city are expected to remain closed. Restaurants While restaurants expressed their moral support for the bandh, they are considered essential services and will remain open on Tuesday, reported Times Now. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her recent trip to Spain amid the spread of dengue cases in the state saying that she can go to Spain but is incapable of understanding people's pain. While speaking to reporters, he said, We had already warned the state government about the rampant spread of dengue during August-September. This is due to the ignorance of the government towards the common people. They can go to Spain but cannot understand the pain of people here." Adhir Ranjan further attacked the Chief Minister for staying at a luxurious hotel in Spain during her trip to the European nation. "We have heard that the Chief Minister does not take her salary. She sustains herself from the sale of her books and from her paintings. How could you afford to stay at a hotel in Madrid that costs 3 lakhs per day?" the Congress MP asked. Describing the visit as a 'luxury trip', Adhir asked, "How much did you spend on this trip? Which industrialist have you brought here? Don't fool the people here." "If 10 per cent of what you had spent in Biswa Bangla industrial meet would have come back, lakhs of those unemployed in Bengal would have got jobs. We want to know which Spanish companies want to invest in Bengal," he further slammed the CM. However, CM Banerjee who returned to Kolkata on Saturday evening after a 12-day tour of Spain and the UAE said that her trip to attract investments to the state was "very successful". "It was a very good trip. I have not ever seen such a successful tour in my life. I am happy that I could do so much for Bengal," the chief minister told reporters at the airport here. She also said, "The meetings were organised by FICCI a Indian Chamber of Commerce. There were major MoUs signed." Meanwhile, speaking of the Dengue outbreak in the state, six people who were diagnosed with dengue died on 23 September, taking this year's toll in the state to over 30, officials said as reported by PTI. of the six people died, two patients died at a private hospital in Kolkata while undergoing treatment while one of them was a resident of Salt Lake and the other was from Bagha Jatin, officials said on Friday. Two persons died in Ghatal in Pachim Medinipur, and two persons died in nearby Kharagpur, they added. Meanwhile, a migrant worker who returned from Kerala with symptoms similar to Nipah tested negative, a Health Department official said after receiving the report from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) where his sample was sent. The man is undergoing treatment at the Beliaghata ID Hospital and has a high fever, nausea and throat infection, he said. (With inputs from ANI, PTI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! No concrete evidence has been passed to India until now via diplomatic or intelligence channels that link India to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, said high-ranking Indian security officials who prefer to remain anonymous. Canada, despite holding diplomatic talks around the time of the G-20 summit in Delhi, has abstained from furnishing any tangible evidence to India concerning the alleged involvement of Indian intelligence in the assassination of the leader of Khalistan Tiger Force, the Hindustan Times reported citing the unnamed officials. Even as Canada's National Security Advisor Jody Thomas had confidential meetings with Indian intelligence chiefs before the summit, no clues were provided that could link India to Nijjar's killing. Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! While Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first used the term "credible allegation" last week to describe the situation, an Indian official has said that the phrase is contradictory in itself. No credible evidence has been shared through either the diplomatic or the intelligence channel with India. Since India has nothing to do with Nijjars murder, it is ready to provide assistance provided Canada moves the legitimate legal process and prosecution of the identified killer or killers," HT quoted an anonymous official as saying. The Indian officials argue that Trudeaus comments appear to have a political undertone, aimed at the Sikh diaspora in Canada. They also believe that the allegation has inadvertently pulled in Canada's Five Eyes and G7 alliance partners, as well as the United States. Justin Trudeau should name the killer of Nijjar and also name the Indian government official who, if any, ordered the hit in a prosecution document. An allegation is not evidence," said one of the sources cited above. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! After nearly three months since the monsoon initially arrived in various regions of Himachal Pradesh, there has been a resurgence in heavy rainfall, leading to the closure of twenty-four roads across five districts in the state. As reported by ANI, according to the data from the State Disaster Management Authority, "16 roads remain blocked in Lahaul-Spiti district, 4 in Shimla, 2 in Kullu and 1 each in Kangra and Kinnaur districts." As per data from the State Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, "Since the onset of monsoon fury in the state, 468 people have died, 487 injured and 40 are missing." "2,647 houses have been completely damaged, 1,129 houses damaged partially, 320 shops damaged and 5,977 Cowsheds damaged," it said. Additionally, the data suggested reports of 168 landslide and 72 flash flood incidents during the past three months. Also Read: IMD predicts heavy rainfall forecast across multiple states till September 27. Check details here On Monday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented a resolution in the State Assembly, urging the Union government to declare Himachal Pradesh, which has been severely affected by disasters, as a National Disaster. Meanwhile, the opposition has introduced an adjournment motion under rule 67 to initiate a discussion on the state's disaster situation. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels: Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! Both the governing Congress and the opposition BJP convened their respective Legislative party meetings. A total of seven meetings are scheduled during this session, which will continue until September 25th. During the monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, which commenced in Shimla on Monday, the Assembly secretariat received a total of 743 questions. Of these, approximately 70% of the questions were related to matters concerning disasters. Also Read: Himachal Pradesh: 2.8 magnitude earthquake hits Mandi. Details here Additionally, the Assembly received one notice under Rule 62, two notices under Rule 101, nine notices under Rule 130, one notice under Rule 102, and one notice under Rule 324. Sukhu made an appeal to the opposition, urging them to raise concerns regarding disasters and funding from the Union government in the assembly. Sukhu also expressed gratitude to the Congress working committee for passing a resolution requesting the Union government to declare Himachal Pradesh, which has been severely affected by disasters, as a National Disaster. (With inputs from ANI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! India and Australia will discuss collaboration to lay down undersea cables to improve connectivity in less developed nations in South Asia and in the wider Indo-Pacific, according to persons aware of the matter. Australia, which has the technology, high technical standards and experience, is looking to work with India, which has substantial experience working with developing nations in the Indian Ocean. Undersea cables are a crucial component of global communications infrastructure. Sometimes described as the worlds information super-highways, undersea cables carry over 95% of international data. In comparison with satellites, subsea cables provide high-capacity, cost-effective and reliable connections that are critical for our daily lives. There are approximately more than 400 active cables worldwide covering 1.3 million km (half a million miles)," writes Colin Wall for the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a US-based think tank. Collaboration on this front will provide an alternative to China, which has worked with a number of nations across the developing world to improve telecommunications and digital connectivity. Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications giant with ties to the countrys military, had emerged as a key private player in laying undersea cables. The industry has traditionally been dominated by companies from the US, France and Japan. However, the outbreak of geopolitical tensions led to a concerted campaign of pressure, led by the US, to push Huawei and China out of the industry. This move came from concerns over espionage and the desire to maintain clean networks" which would allow trusted flow of vital data. The Trump Administration launched the Clean Network Initiative in an effort to build a network of trusted telecommunications suppliers and to protect against aggressive intrusions by malign actors, such as the Chinese Communist Party." India and Australia are also working together on this matter under the aegis of the Quads Cable Connectivity Partnership. Under this partnership, Australia will establish a new Indo-Pacific Cable Connectivity and Resilience Program to share best practice and provide technical assistance to Indo-Pacific governments," reads the fact sheet from the Quad Leaders Summit held in May this year. This partnership will improve access to develop trusted and secure cable systems and establish better internet connectivity and resiliency in the Indo-Pacific," it goes on to say. Indias MEA did not respond to a query by press time. Meanwhile, the US will also invest $5 million to provide technical assistance and capacity building for undersea cable systems as part of its CABLES programme. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has shared details about Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Pannun in its dossier. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun "wants to create many countries by dividing India." The NIA document says Pannun has challenged the unity and integrity of India through his audio messages. Pannun wants a separate country for Punjabis named Khalistan, a country for Muslims named 'Democratic Republic of Urdustan', and a nation for the people of Kashmir. Sikhs for Justice was declared an Unlawful Association by the Government of India on July 10, 2019. Pannu, who was declared a designated individual terrorist by the Government of India on July 1, 2020, has been actively exhorting Punjab-based gangsters and youth over social media to fight for the cause of the independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, NIA investigations have shown. In recent days, Pannu has been in the news for issuing blatant threats to senior Indian diplomats and government functionaries in public forums. He had also threatened Canadian Hindus for a few days, asking them to leave Canada and claiming that they had adopted a jingoistic approach by siding with India. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels.Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! Earlier, tightening its noose around Canada-based designated individual terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday confiscated the house and land of the self-styled General Counsel of the outlawed Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit in Amritsar (Punjab) and Chandigarh Union Territory. The properties confiscated include 46 kanal agricultural land situated in Khankot village in Amritsar and 1/4th share of House Number 2033 in Sector 15/C, Chandigarh, said the NIA. These properties were earlier attached following orders passed by the government in two different cases. The properties have now been confiscated on the courts orders under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, in case RC-19/2020/NIA/DLI dated 5th April 2020, registered under sections 120-B, 124-A, 153-A 153-B and 17, 18 and 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, said the agency. This is the first time that properties of an absconding accused of NIA have been confiscated under section 33(5) of UA(P)A. The case was originally registered on October 19, 2018, under sections 124A, 153-A, 153-B and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code at Sultanwind Police Station in Amritsar (City) and later transferred to the NIA. A total of 10 accused, including Pannun, have so far been charge-sheeted in the case. The action, which comes as a big boost to the countrys crackdown on the terror and secessionist network being operated from various countries, including Canada, followed confiscation orders passed by the NIA Special Court, SAS Nagar, Mohali. Pannun has been on NIAs radar since 2019 when the anti-terror agency registered its first case against the terrorist, who has been playing a major role in promoting and commissioning terror acts and activities, and spreading fear and terror in Punjab and elsewhere in the country through his threats and intimidation tactics. Non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Pannun by the NIA Special Court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a Proclaimed Offender (PO)' on November 29 last year. NIA investigations have revealed that Pannus organisation, Sikhs for Justice, was misusing cyberspace to radicalise gullible youth and to instigate them to undertake terrorist crimes and activities. It further emerged during the NIA investigations that Pannu was the main handler and controller of the SFJ. *With Agency Inputs "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar announces that all hookah bars in the state will be shut. The ban includes serving hookah to customers in hotels, restaurants, bars and commercial establishments across the state. However, this will not apply to traditional hookahs used in rural areas. He made the announcement while addressing the closing ceremony of a state-level 'Cyclothon', organised as part of a drug de-addiction campaign in Karnal, according to an official statement. The development comes months after Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta had demanded a ban on serving hookah in hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars and night clubs in the state. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels.Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! In May, Gupta had written to Khattar in this regard. The speaker had described smoking of hookah in bars and clubs as a "burning problem" and expressed deep concern over it. To promote cycling and encourage eco-friendly transportation, Chief Minister Khattar announced the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran programme. He also said that licensed builders providing housing facilities to individuals will gift a bicycle to the property owner along with property registry papers, the statement said. In cases where the beneficiary already possesses a bicycle, HSVP or the builder will present 3,000 in lieu of the cycle, it said. Khattar had flagged off the Cyclothon on September 1 and it concluded on Monday. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said he would accept the "final" decision of the Election Commission of India regarding the NCP's name and poll symbol. As per media reports, the election commission has calls both the NCP faction for hearing on 6 October. Both factions have claimed the party name and symbol and have also appointed functionaries. Pawar was speaking to in Pune on the sidelines of his visit to various pandals of Lord Ganesh. Ajit Pawar had led eight MLAs to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra in July. He had claimed the support of a majority of MLAs of NCP, founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar, and staked claim to the party name and symbol in the ECI. The Sharad Pawar faction had challenged the Ajit Pawar faction's move in the poll body and the decision is pending. Asked about the Sharad Pawar faction taking action against MLAs who are joining his group, Ajit Pawar said they can exercise their rights. "However, it is the Elections Commission (EC) which makes a final decision. Both sides have gone to the ECI and everyone will put forth their stand on the given dates. As far as I am concerned, I will accept the final decision of the ECI," he said. When asked about his assessment on the possibility of 16 MLAs (of Shiv Sena) being disqualified by the Maharashtra speaker and the chances of replacing the chief minister, he said all these reports have no meaning. "Such reports have been doing the rounds since the day Eknath Shinde became the chief minister (in June 2022). All these reports are meaningless," Ajit Pawar added as quoted by PTI. Earlier on 22 September, The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP had submitted a petition to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking disqualification of 10 MLAs affiliated to party founder Sharad Pawar. The 10 MLAs named in the petition are Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Rajesh Tope, Rohit Pawar, Anil Deshmukh, Prajakt Tanpure, Balasaheb Patil, Sunil Bhusara, Sandeep Kshirsagar and Suman Patil, said Anil Bhaidas Patil. Incidentally, the Sharad Pawar faction had already filed disqualification petition against 40 MLAs who allied with Ajit Pawar. The Sharad Pawar group has also submitted disqualification petition against seven of these nine MLAs. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, with legislators like Nawab Malik and Suman Patil maintaining a neutral stance. (With inputs from ANI, PTI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! India-Canada news: BJP leader Bhagwan Goyal on Sunday slammed Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, asking him to break up a part of the North American country to form a new Khalistan if he supported the anti-India Khalistanis. "If Canada's PM loves Khalistanis, then why doesn't he break up a part of Canada and create a new Khalistan country? We will be the first to give him recognition," said Jai Bhagwan Goyal as quoted by ANI. The United Hindu Front on Sunday also held a protest against PM Trydeay at Delhi's Jantar Mantar where they expressed their disapproval against his alleged support and protection of anti-India Khalistanis. According to them, there are many similar incidents including farmers' protests when Canada had gone against India to support Khalistanis, and interfered in the internal affairs of India, ANI reported. "During the G20, India's flag flew high across the world, so Trudeau feels sad over India's G20 success. This is not the first time Canada has interfered in our internal affairs, even before this there were farmer protests," said Jai Bhagwan Goyal. "India has often handed over the list of terrorists to Canada, but instead of taking action against them and handing them over to India, Canada has always been supporting those terrorists, they are openly threatening Hindus in Canada, asking them to leave Canada. But the government there is sitting idle," he said. The BJP leader further stated that a memorandum outlining their demands was submitted to Canadian PM Trudeau, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and EAM S Jaishankar, as per ANI reports. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels: Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! Today we are also going to the Canadian Embassy to submit a memorandum, along with this we will also send a letter through the mail to the Canadian PM regarding our protest, along with this we have informed the Prime Minister of our country, Home Minister and Foreign Minister," he added. This came amid worsening bilateral ties between the two nations after New Delhi expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the Nijjar killing case. In 2020, India had designated Hardeep Singh Nijjar as a terrorist. (With ANI inputs) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an invitation to university students and young professionals interested in further education to participate in G-20 University Connect Finale program which is scheduled to take place on September 26 at Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre. In a post on social media platform LinkedIn, PM Modi expressed his satisfaction with the G-20 University Connect program over the past year and said, Over last one year, the G-20 University Connect programme brought together Indias Yuva Shakti. The initiative, spanning the entire year, proved to be incredibly fulfilling, yielding highly satisfying outcomes." Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels: Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! PM Modi stated, "I am delighted to invite you all, especially the university students and young professionals who are keen to pursue further education to a very special programme which will take place on Tuesday, 26th September." He mentioned that the G-20 University Connect Finale will take place at Bharat Mandapam, the same venue where world leaders gathered for the recent G-20 Summit. PM Modi said that G-20 University Connect program played a significant role in educating the youth about India's G-20 Presidency, global issues and fostering a sense of a global community, meanwhile preparing them to activily contribute to a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The G-20 University Connect initiative organised various programs across India, initially targeting universities but later expanding to schools and colleges to engage a wider audience. PM Modi highlighted events like the "Model G20 Meeting," where students from 12 different nations, including 10 G20 countries, discussed the theme "Youth for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)." PM Modi expressed his excitement to learn from the experiences of Yuva Shakti involved in the G-20 University Connect program. "Their enriching journey is bound to ignite inspiration among the youth of our nation. I particularly urge all the youngsters to join this unique endeavour," PM Modi stated in the LinkedIn post. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute about 51,000 appointment letters to newly inducted recruits on Tuesday. The initiative will be undertaken under Rozgar Mela at 46 locations across the country. The Rozgar Mela is a step towards employment generation. Prime Minister Modi will also address the appointees via video conferencing. The recruitment drive is taking place across central and state government departments. The new recruits, selected from across the country will be joining the government in various ministries and departments such as the Department of Posts, Indian Audit & Accounts Department, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Revenue, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, among others," said the statement released by the Prime Ministers Office. The Rozgar Mela, according to the government, is expected to act as a catalyst in further employment generation and provide meaningful opportunities to the youth for their empowerment and participation in national development. The newly inducted appointees are also getting an opportunity to train themselves through Karmayogi Prarambh, an online module on iGOT Karmayogi portal, where more than 680 e-learning courses have been made available for anywhere any device learning format, it said. Through Rozgar Mela, the Ministry of Home Affairs is recruiting personnel in various central armed police forces (CAPFs) such as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Shashtra Seema Bal (SSB), Assam Rifles, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) as well as Delhi Police. Meanwhile, the union government has made several major changes in the recruitment process of paramilitary forces. The process from application to selection has been expedited. The examination for recruitment in paramilitary forces is now being conducted in 13 local languages too. Earlier there was an option to choose either Hindi or English in such examinations, but now the mother tongue has been given importance. This change is expected to help provide opportunities to lakhs of youngsters from various regions to get employment. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! As the race heats up for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to speak at a massive rally on September 25, marking the conclusion of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras'. 10 lakh people at Jamboree Maidan Party insiders revealed that the BJP is aiming to assemble a crowd of 10 lakh people at the Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal. Termed as 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh', this mammoth event coincides with the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder, Deendayal Upadhyaya. It is seen as an ambitious show of strength by the BJP, who are determined to swing the electoral tides in their favour, PTI reported. PM Modi is expected to set foot on the Maidan around 11 AM and will depart by 1 PM. This information was shared by VD Sharma, the chief of the Madhya Pradesh BJP. Large portraits of Modi and banners featuring other senior BJP leaders adorn the city, intensifying the atmosphere ahead of the event. The BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras', inaugurated earlier this month by party president JP Nadda, covered a significant 223 out of 230 assembly constituencies. This impressive outreach is aimed at showcasing the development and welfare schemes led by the current Madhya Pradesh government under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Congresss counter-campaign In response to the BJP's initiatives, the Congress party has commenced its 'Jan Akrosh Yatra'. Their campaign focuses on what they claim to be the failures of the BJP-led government. In the previous 2018 assembly elections, the Congress narrowly seized power, but their coalition government collapsed within 15 months. Amidst preparations for the event, Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Narendra Tomar were seen inspecting the venue alongside state party leaders. The BJP is leaving no stone unturned, further intensifying the campaign with the slogan "Abki bar 150 par", signalling their goal to secure more than 150 seats in the upcoming elections. (With PTI inputs) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sounak Mukhopadhyay Sounak Mukhopadhyay, who also goes by the name Sounak Mukherjee, has been producing digital news since 2012. He's worked for the International Business Times, The Inquisitr, and Moneycontrol in the past. He's also contributed to Free Press Journal and TheRichest with feature articles. He covers news for a wide range of subjects including business, finance, economy, politics and sports. Before working with digital news publications, he worked as a freelance content writer. Read more from this author On Monday Firozpur Police conducted raids on the premises of associates of Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, Khalistani extremist on the radar of National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to media agency reports, raids have been conducted at 48 places in the entire district and many people have also been detained. This comes even as the diplomatic relations between India and Canada continues worsening as Canada Prime Minister Justin Trdueau said there were credible allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led India Government and India's intelligentsia was involved in the June killing of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Earlier on Wednesday, NIA had announced cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of five Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operatives, including Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias "Rinda" and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias "Landa". The federal agency announced a cash reward of 10 lakh each for Rinda and Landa and 5 lakh each for Parminder Singh Kaira alias Pattu", Satnam Singh alias Satbir Singh" alias Satta" and Yadvinder Singh alias Yadda". "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! A spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had said these five terrorists are wanted in a case registered early this year related to the BKI's terrorist activities aimed at disturbing India's peace and communal harmony and spreading terror in the state of Punjab. "The wanted terrorists are accused of commission of terror acts and activities, besides raising funds for the BKI, a banned terror outfit, through smuggling of terrorist hardware and narcotics into Punjab and also through extensive extortion from businessmen and other prominent individuals. "They are also wanted in cases relating to commissioning of targeted killings as well as targeting of law enforcement agencies in order to create an environment of terror in the state of Punjab," the spokesperson said. The official said investigations have shown that the five terrorists have been engaged in recruiting new members of the BKI by promising them monetary benefits. Rinda, originally a resident of Maharashtra, is a Pakistan-based "listed individual terrorist" and member of the BKI, while Landa, Khaira, Satnam and Yadvinder are residents of Punjab. Meanwhile, the NIA released two lists of 54 individuals with their photographs who are wanted in the investigation of two cases, registered last year, to dismantle terror-gangster networks in the country. The lists, one naming 11 persons and the other 43 persons, were shared by the NIA on its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter. The list included several wanted gangsters, including Goldy Brar, Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh Gill. The NIA has also confiscated India properties of slain Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Student visa update: US has issued a record number of over 90,000 visas to Indian students this summer. The US Mission added that this summer from June -August, one in four student visas worldwide was issued to Indians. In a post on X, the US Embassy in India wrote, The US Mission in India is pleased to announce that we issued a record number over 90,000 of student visas this Summer/ in June, July, and August. This summer almost one in four student visas worldwide was issued right here in India! Congratulations and best wishes to all the students who have chosen the United States to make their higher education goals a reality! Thats a wrap! With teamwork and innovation, we ensured that all qualified applicants reached their programs on time." "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! An earlier report by Mint in June had noted that the US had opened the visa appointments for F1 student visas across its consulates in India and the appointments were available from mid-July to mid-August. Meanwhile, a record-breaking 125,000 US student visas were issued to Indians last year, surpassing any other nationality. Meanwhile, study abroad consultants had told Economic Times that many more Indian students are heading for studying abroad this fall than ever. This comes as a result of various factors including rising aspirations for a foreign education and career, an increase in applicants from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the report had stated. Speaking on US intake of Indian students for this fall, Piyush Kumar, regional director -South Asia and Mauritius, IDP Education had told ET: This year has been incredible; the number has increased, and probably more than pre-pandemic year. About 25-30 percent of US enrolments have come from Tier 2/3 cities." "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! NEW DELHI : Valdis Dombrovskis, the EUs chief trade negotiator, did some plain-speaking with China on Monday, saying that the latters tough security laws and a politicized environment had left European businesses anxious over their future in the country. While on tour there, he also said that the EU was being forced to act assertively. This was in reference to a European probe of subsidies given by Beijing for making electric vehicles (EV). The EU suspects that Chinese EVs are flooding its market unfairly, while China has flayed what it described as a naked act of protectionism" on the EUs part. Beijing has also grumbled about the EU throwing away opportunities for cooperation as it sees it. Clearly, business ties between the two have begun to fray. For several months after Russias invasion of Ukraine, which raked up the spectre of Cold War II with the West ranged against Russia and China, US analysts complained that the EU was too cosy with the Peoples Republic. Well, no longer, it seems. Whether a more divided world does anyone any good is another matter. While de-globalization may offer India a few opportunities, trade relations snapping will likely leave everyone worse off. Describing relationship with India as important, Canadas defence minister Bill Blair Sunday said Toronto will continue to pursue partnerships like Indo-Pacific strategy while the investigation of the killing of Khalistani extremist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar will continue, PTI reported. We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India," Blair was quoted as saying by Global News. The Canadian defence minister said the Indo-Pacific strategy was still a critical one for the country and has led to an increased military presence in the region and commitments for further patrol capabilities. The strategy commits $492.9 million over five years toward those military priorities, out of a total of nearly $2.3 billion over the same period, the report said. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth," he said. If the allegations are proven true, Blair said there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil." Tensions flared between the two countries following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explosive allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. New Delhi rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. Canada had been seeking deeper trade, defence and immigration ties with India before the credible intelligence," as Trudeau called it, was first raised, Global News reported. India asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Canada's defence minister Bill Blair on Sunday termed the relationship with India as "important" and said that his country will continue to pursue partnerships like the Indo-Pacific strategy. Tensions heightened between the two countries following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India has rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated". Canada will continue to pursue those partnerships while the investigation into allegations continues, calling the relationship with India important", said Blair in an interview aired on Sunday on The West Block by Global News. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels :rocket: Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India," he was quoted as saying by Global News. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth." New Delhi expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. In 2020, India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist. Blair also said that if the allegations are proven true then there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil." Chandra Arya, the lawmaker from Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus party, on Sunday slammed his own government responsible for inaction against Khalistani extremists. He also asserted that Hindu Canadians were fearful after threats issued by extremists. The Liberal party MP has repeatedly raised the issue of threats to Hindu Canadians and urged the community to stay calm and vigilant. His comments came after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and other extremists had issued threats to the Hindu community in Canada. On Thursday, New Delhi had asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil. India had suspended visa services for Canadians. (With inputs from agencies) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! As thousands of ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan defeated the breakaway region's fighters, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will meet his ally Azeri President Ilham Aliyev today, Monday, September 25. In an official statement, the Turkish President's office said, Erdogan will pay a one-day visit to Azerbaijan's autonomous Nakhchivan exclave - a strip of Azeri territory nestled among Armenia, Iran, and Turkey - to discuss with Aliyev the situation in the Karabakh region." The Armenians of Karabakh were forced into a ceasefire last week after a 24-hour military operation by the much larger Azerbaijani military. Speaking to Reuters, the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership on Sunday said the region's 120,000 Armenians did not want to live as part of Azerbaijan for fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing and started fleeing the area. As of 5 am, more than 2,900 people had crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian government said. Those with fuel had started to drive down the Lachin corridor toward the border with Armenia, according to a Reuters reporter in the Karabakh capital, known as Stepanakert by Armenia and Khankendi by Azerbaijan, Reuters reported. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the enclave in 30 years - with Azerbaijan gaining back swathes of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week conflict in 2020. Erdogan, who backed the Azeris with weaponry in the 2020 conflict, said last week he supported the aims of Azerbaijan's latest military operation but played no part in it. Armenia says more than 200 people were killed and 400 wounded in last week's Azeri operation, a hostility condemned by the United States and other Western allies of Armenia. Azerbaijan's defense ministry on Sunday said it had confiscated more military equipment from Armenian separatists, including rockets, artillery shells, mines, and ammunition, as per Reuters reports. The Karabakh Armenians do not accept Azerbaijan's promise to guarantee their rights as the region is integrated. Armenia called for an immediate deployment of a UN mission to monitor human rights and security in the region. "Ninety-nine point nine percent prefer to leave our historic lands," David Babayan, an adviser to Samvel Shahramanyan, president of the self-styled Republic of Artsakh, told Reuters. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! There is not enough information in the public domain to assess the Canadian governments allegation that Indian officials were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but we should not be too impressed by media commentary along the lines of India wants to be like Israel but is ending up like Russia" or that democracies dont engage in targeted killings." Covert actionincluding targeted killingsis an instrument of statecraft that exists in the toolkit of all sovereign states, including democracies. Opening his history of Israeli targeted killing operations, Ronen Bergman, an Israeli journalist, states that since World War II, the country has assassinated more people than any other in the Western world, killing more than 1,000 people by the turn of the century and carrying out another 800 operations in the years since. By his count, the United States carried out 48 target killings during the George W. Bush presidency and 353 under the Obama administration. Rory Cormac, a British scholar, finds that while MI6 has never been in the business of killing people... a pattern exists of indirect involvement in killings, without British agents having to pull the triggeror even give the orderthemselves." In his view, the covert action scene is mainly dominated by Britain, America, Israel and France." Those arguing that only rogue states engage in targeted killings need a strong dose of self-awareness. The odious label rogue state is more an indication of how much such a states adversaries control the global narrative and their perception of interests. Being so labelled has political and economic consequences, but it is important to remember that the term is political and subjective. To be sure, targeted killings transgress international norms. They are, therefore, an indicator of power. The more powerful the state, the more easily it can transgress and the more easily it can get away with the act. We might not like it, but this is just the way the world is. From a realist perspective, the question is not whether covert action is good or evil, but whether it is effective. It must pass four tests. First, whether you have the capability to carry it out; second, whether you have the capacity to get away with it; third, whether you achieved the desired objective; and fourth, whether you can manage its unintended consequences. By their very nature, covert actions are highly risky. The bar for success is extremely high and even the simplest of operations can have severe unwanted results. It was in part for this reason that the US Congress set up the Church Committee in 1974 to investigate excesses of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Consistent with the constitutional culture of the US, there have been periodic attempts to place covert actions under a legal framework, fix accountability and institute oversight. But as Gregory Treverton, a senior intelligence policy expert, argued in his masterful analysis of covert action back in 1987, the tension between accountability and operational necessity cannot be resolved." Leaders cant have plausible deniability if there has to be a mandatory accounting trail. Contrary to what you read in spy thrillers and chest-thumping action movies, intelligence officials do not like killing people. Even more than their CIA and MI6 counterparts, Indias intelligence officers are strongly opposed to targeted killings. In response to the Canadian allegations, A.S. Dulat, former R&AW chief said, We dont do these things. We do not go around assassinating people. Let me make this very clear." Treverton found that the CIAs dislike for targeted killings often caused the dirty work to be outsourced to the mafia and rebel groups (and, more recently, to private contractors.) There is literally a principal-agent problem here that expands the scope for errors of judgement, loss of control, exposure and mission failure. While realists will not discriminate the type of regime on the two sides of a covert action, is it correct for democracies to carry out targeted killings in other democracies? Unless you accept the unreasonable assertion that all democracies have similar interests, the answer is yes, it can be. If cooperation fails at the law-enforcement and diplomatic levels and there is an imminent threat to national security, reasonable people can agree that covert action should not be ruled out. The question then is whether the considered action passes the four above-mentioned tests. I will not be surprised if it emerges that New Delhi has used the covert action option in Canada. Ottawa is within its rights to protest, but I am unsure of the wisdom of the course it is pursuing. There is much to admire in Canadas commitment to liberty, but it should not condone preparations for an armed struggle in India. The demand for Khalistan among Canadian nationals has very little to do with the state of civil liberties in India. Ottawa is wrong to conflate the two. At this time, Canadians are justifiably concerned about foreign interference in their democracy. So are Indians. Good politics and astute diplomacy can reconcile these differences and rebuild trust. It is in the interest of both New Delhi and Ottawa to quickly head in this direction. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, the complicated official name for the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, which seeks to reserve one third of the seats in both Parliament and state legislatures for women, has once again turned the focus on Indias much delayed decennial census. Although the Bill was passed into law by the Indian Parliament in just two days, its actual implementation is crucially dependent on the completion of the census exercise. That is because the reservation for women can be implemented only after the next delimitation exercise, redrawing of electoral constituencies to take into account changes in population so that in general one elected representative represents about the same number of constituents in every constituency, whether for Parliament or state assemblies, is completed. And that can be done only if the fresh census data is available. The Opposition, which collaborated in the passing of the Bill, has nevertheless condemned it as a jumla (political gamesmanship) since the new law is unlikely to be implemented before the 2029 general elections. The office of the Registrar General of India, which conducts the census exercise, has already sent a letter to States and Union Territories extending the deadline to fix administrative boundaries to January 1 of 2024. After that exercise is done, a detailed house listing exercise will have to be done, which is necessary for updating the National Population Register. The NPR logs details of all usual residents" of a place defined as someone who has been residing in one address for the past six months and intends to do so for the next six months. Given all this, there is widespread belief that the 2021 Census will actually be completed only in time for the 2029 elections. While initially the Covid pandemic was cited as the reason for delay, no official reason has been given for the further delays. However, according to media reports quoting unnamed RGI officials, efforts are on to speed up the exercise, using digital technology. In fact, as far back as 2019, the RGI had announced that it will be using digital technology, particularly mobile phones, to speed up data collection and collation. The 2021 Census will collect data in multi-mode manner, using not only paper-and-pen, but also mobile devices, for which the RBI had developed an app. In a test run conducted between April and September, 2019, 90 per cent of the enumerators opted to use their own mobile phones loaded with app to carry out the test survey. In fact, given the near universal penetration of mobile services and internet connectivity across the country, a digital first approach can significantly speed up data collection and collation, while providing enhanced accuracy and error correction. There are plenty of global precedents for this. The 2020 US Census was the first digital census exercise carried out in the US with mobile devices instead of pen and paper. As a result, the US Census Bureau was ablet o complete data collection a month ahead of schedule. The 2021 Census of England Wales was also carried out digitally. According to the UKs Office of National Statistics, 88.9% of households in England and Wales responded online. While 11 per cent of households asked for a paper questionnaire, nearly half ended up completing the questionnaire online. India has actually progressed well beyond the US and the UK in leveraging digital technologies. Indias Unified Payments Interface puts through close to 10 billion transaction a month, the largest in the world. While India has more than 1.2 billion mobile users, of which 50% use smartphones, the UIDAI has issued more than 138 crore Aadhaar cards, which is close to the estimated population of the country. Of course, the exercise is not without challenges. For starters, the number of mobile users particularly smartphone users is not representative of the actual number of users due to the prevalence of multiple phone ownership. The Aadhaar database is also not without its problems of wrong and fake identities being issued. Besides, authorities have repeatedly exposed instances of a single Aadhaar ID linked to hundreds of SIMs. Scrubbing these datasets will be a huge challenge. There is also the question of security. The RGI says it has put in multiple measures to ensure security during collection, storage and transmission of data. These include ensuring that data collection is done only by verified and identified users. The data collected will be suitably encrypted before saving in mobile with date & time stamping. Once data is transmitted to RGI Server, it will be scrubbed from the mobile automatically after a due date. Data access logs will be maintained and encrypted data will be decrypted in memory for operations, after which it will not be available in decrypted form to users. It says it has also put in place disaster management and data backup-recovery protocols and taken adequate measures to prevent RGI servers storing the data from being hacked. Much like the Election Commission has done with the voter verified paper audit trail for electronic voting machines, a system can be built to allow provide parallel paper data collection on a sample basis to cross-verify the electronically collected data. A digital census can therefore not only speed up the census enumeration exercise but also provide speedier collation and analysis. Socio-economic data collected in the census provides the basis for policy formulation and resource allocation, not only for the government but the private sector as well. By executing a digital census, India will not only be able to demonstrate the robustness of the data infrastructure but speed up e-governance initiatives, just as the UID and JAM trinity have already done for financial inclusion and direct benefit transfer. India cannot afford further delays on this count. Muhammad bin Salman does little to hide his relish at the prospect of a strategic pact between America, Israel and Saudi Arabia. In a rare television interview on September 20th, Saudi Arabias crown prince and the countrys de facto ruler acknowledged with a smile that an agreement is on the cards. Every day we get closer. It seems its for the first time real, serious." A pact would, he said, be the biggest historical deal since the Cold War." On September 22nd Binyamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, confirmed the trio of countries were at the cusp" of a deal. It would, he said, be a quantum leap". Formal diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia, the richest and arguably most influential Arab state, and Israel, the Jewish state which the kingdom has long ostracised, have been a long time coming. Since becoming crown prince in 2017, MBS, as Prince Muhammad is known, has held at least one secret meeting with Mr Netanyahu. Both countries have a shared rival in Iran and quietly do business deals. But in 2020 the Abraham accords were signed between Israel and several Arab states, without Saudi Arabia. Few expected Israel-Saudi ties to be formalised during the lifetime of the princes father, King Salman, who is of a generation for whom any relationship with Israel was unthinkable. Yet the incentives to do a deal have sharpened. For the Saudis, the motivation is a new strategic alliance with America. The two countries have a security relationship but the kingdom wants a more formal defence pact, not least because Irans intensifying nuclear programme means it is now on the threshold of having nuclear weapons, upending the regions security balance. The talks include the possibility of Saudi Arabia developing a civilian nuclear energy programme, with a uranium-enrichment facility run by Americans on Saudi soil, according to the Wall Street Journal, rather like Aramco, the Saudi oil giant, was originally American-run. While this effort would be civilian in nature, and Americas unspoken goal is to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, MBS says he reserves the right to pursue nuclear weapons if Iran crosses the threshold. If they get one, we have to get onebut we dont want to see that," he said in his TV interview. For president Joe Biden, a new American-backed diplomatic and defence framework in the Middle East, built around the two regional powers, would be a major foreign-policy achievement with which to enter an election year. During his election campaign several years ago he promised to treat Saudi Arabia as the pariah that they are" following the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But today realpolitik rules. His administration sees a deal as a way for America to adapt to a new geopolitical era, in which it remains the ultimate guarantor of the Gulf states security for decades to come even as their economies tilt towards Asia, thereby thwarting Iran, calming energy markets and preventing China from pulling the Middle East into its sphere of influence. The domestic obstacles remain significant. Start with the Saudis. Even a near-absolute monarchy must take some account of public opinion. Only 2% of young Saudi Arabians support normalisation of relations with Israel according to the 2023 Arab Youth Survey, compared with 75% in the United Arab Emirates and 73% in Egypt (both countries have formal ties with the Jewish state). That explains the crown princes repeated references in his interview to Israels military occupation of the Palestinians. For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part," he emphasised. Parallel talks between the Saudis and Palestinians are intensifying. An official Palestinian delegation is due to visit Riyadh in October. Palestinian officials have been visiting the Saudi capital on an almost weekly basis in the past few months, according to one source in the West Bank. In his TV interview the prince did not, however, mention the Arab Peace Initiative, a plan endorsed in 2002 by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. That envisaged relations with Israel only after an Israeli retreat from all the territories it captured in the 1967 six-day war, including east Jerusalem, and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Instead, the crown prince made vague promises of a deal that would give the Palestinian their needs" and ensure a good life" for them. All sides paint a picture of a new Middle East, connected by new transport and energy links, where economic opportunity transcends old hatreds. MBSs vagueness on Palestinian rights is a recognition of Mr Netanyahus domestic travails. Every Israeli leader has yearned to end their countrys regional isolation which has lasted since its foundation in 1948. For Mr Netanyahu, who is facing widespread protests against the policies of his far-right government, as well as corruption charges (which he denies), peace with the Saudis is also a golden opportunity to polish his tarnished legacy. The chaotic first nine months of his latest premiership may explain why the politician who has been so vocal for so many years on the dangers of Irans nuclear programme seems willing to countenance Saudi uranium enrichment as part of any package. A deal could create shock waves in Israeli politics with unpredictable consequences. His hardline coalition includes parties which represent the religious Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank who oppose any concessions to the Palestinians. The settlers are well-represented within his own Likud party as well. All warn they will oppose any compromise or any deal where Israel has to relinquish control over any territory. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, seems to have realised that the Saudis will no longer wait for a Palestinian state before establishing ties with Israel. But he would like Israel to at least cease building new settlements and guarantee greater Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank. Even that would bring down Mr Netanyahus current coalition. The only formula the coalition will stand for is the Palestinians getting Saudi money for their needs, but no more rights," says a senior right-wing politician. If MBS backs even part of the Palestinian demands, Mr Netanyahu will probably lose the support of some of his coalition, and with it his majority in the Knesset. His only option would be to use the prospect of a historic deal to gain the support of the centrist parties which have hitherto refused to join his government and would demand significant policy changes to do so now. Mr Netanyahu might welcome the opportunity to rejig his coalition, replacing the far-right with centrists. But while the centrist parties led by Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid are in favour of a Saudi deal (though Mr Lapid has expressed serious reservations at the prospect of Saudi nuclear enrichment), both have bitter experience of serving in his previous governments and remain justifiably reluctant of reliving that. Even Mr Biden may find the deal a hard sell at home. The prospect of a Saudi nuclear programme will worry Americans wary of proliferation in the region. Both progressives in his own Democratic party, who abhor the Saudis human-rights record, and the Republicans, who will fight anything his administration proposes, may obstruct it. His hope is that Mr Netanyahu, who remains popular among Republicans, can sway his opponents. The potential for an American-Saudi-Israeli agreement may be vast, but the political window for achieving it is small. If we dont achieve it in the next few months," said Mr Netanhayu, we might delay it by quite a few years". 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached poll bound Rajasthan on Monday. PM Modi was welcomed by the BJP Mahila Morcha cadre at the venue of a BJP rally, days after Parliament passed the women's reservation bill. PM Modi reached the meeting venue in Dadiya village in Vatika on the outskirts of Jaipur from a nearby helipad in an open-top vehicle escorted by activists of the BJP's women wing who raised slogans in his support. Addressing Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha', PM Modi referred to the Parliament passing the Women's Reservation Bill and said it was done because of the support of people to the BJP exercised through voting. "The people of Rajasthan have sounded the bugle against the bad governance of Congress. Congress deserves to get zero marks for the way they ran the government here. The people of Rajasthan have decided to remove the Gehlot government and bring back BJP," he said. The "Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha" marked the culmination of four 'Parivartan Yatras' that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out in the poll-bound state. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are due later this year. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Rajasthan in the next few months. The women's reservation bill which seeks to reserve a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women was passed by Parliament last week. The Prime Minister reached Jaipur after addressing a rally in Bhopal. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are among five states which will go to the polls later this year. Before addressing the gathering in Jaipur, PM Modi paid floral tributes to BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay on his birth anniversary. In 2018 the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly. The Congress led by Ashok Gehlot formed the government with the support of independents and the BSP. Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! Top points from PM Modi's rally in Jaipur -Ashok Gehlot government wasted five important years of Rajasthan's youth -Congress backed women's reservation bill now under pressure from women, PM Modi said at Jaipur rally. -It was never Congress' intention to empower women, else it could have passed women's reservation bill during its rule -Congress deserves zero marks for the government it ran in Rajasthan for five years -People of Rajasthan have sounded the bugle for getting rid of Congress govt for its misrule -Congress government in Rajasthan patronizes mafia leaking recruitment exam papers, when BJP forms government, strictest action will be taken: PM Modi assured -Congress and its 'ghamandiya' partners are staunch opponents of women's reservation, PM Modi attacked the opposition INDIA bloc at Jaipur rally. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! What is the background to this? Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Canada last week and spoke in front of the House of Commons, which is Canadas Parliament. After his speech, Speaker Anthony Rota recognised 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, who was a guest in the audience, for fighting for Ukraine independence against the Russians" during World War II. Rota went on to call Hunka a Canadian hero" and thanked him for his service. The nonagenarian then received a standing ovation from the lawmakers present as well as from Prime Minister Trudeau and President Zelensky. What ignited the controversy? Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a prominent Jewish organisation, revealed soon after the speech that Hunka had actually served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Schutzstaffel. Also known as the SS, it was a paramilitary organisation established by Adolf Hitlers Nazi Party. The SS is infamous for the role it played in enforcing the Nazi regimes policies of racial discrimination against the Jewish people and other minorities. It was also directly implicated in the Holocaust, which saw the deaths of millions of persecuted groups at the hands of the Nazi regime. Hunkas specific unit also stands accused of atrocities. What has the reaction been? FSWC (Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre) is appalled that Canadas Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others," the group said in a statement. It also called for an apology. This is an appalling error in judgement on the part of Justin Trudeau, whose personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind," said opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. Speaker Rota claimed sole responsibility for the incident and said that no one else had known that he was planning to recognise Hunka. How has Trudeau reacted? As the controversy erupted, the Canadian Prime Ministers office issued a statement stating that the apology was the right thing to do". No advance notice was provided to the Prime Ministers Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition," the statement added. However, Trudeau himself has not yet spoken on the matter. JD(S) Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister, HD Devegowda got emotional during his recent press conference addressing the contentious Cauvery water-sharing issue. As reported by ANI, HD Devegowda said, I request the Center to send a team to Karnataka and let them investigate the present water situation in the state...I'm alive not for politics or power. We are here to save the people of the state, my party exists for this." Gowda further noted, I have made an appeal to the PM on the prevailing situation. In my letter to the PM, I wrote that the Jal Shakti department should file a review petition and a committee of experts should be sent to Karnataka to study the water and standing crop situation." The protestors demanded the sharing of Cauvery water to save the standing kuruvai crop cultivation in Tamil Nadu. The ongoing Cauvery conflict between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has escalated in recent times. This escalation began when farmer groups in Karnataka initiated protests against the transfer of water to Tamil Nadu. Their contention is that the state's reservoirs are currently experiencing water scarcity due to inadequate rainfall in the Cauvery basin during this year. Also Read: Bengaluru news: Farmers, pro-Kannada outfits stage protest in Mandya over Cauvery row The visuals from Trichy showed the protestors raising slogans demanding the release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu and saving farmers. Earlier, on Sunday, a group of farmers in Trichy staged a protest by standing in the Cauvery River water over the ongoing dispute with Karnataka. Both states have been witness to protests after Karnataka hardened its stance on sharing Cauvery water citing severe drought in parts of the state. The Cauvery water management authority has issued an order directing the Karnataka government to release 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery river water to its neighboring state, Tamil Nadu. However, it's worth noting that the court dismissed a petition from the Tamil Nadu government seeking an increase in its current daily share of Cauvery water from 5,000 to 7,200 cusecs. In Bengaluru, pro-Kannada organizations have announced a 'Bengaluru Bandh' scheduled for September 26. This call for a city-wide shutdown follows a recent total bandh observed in Mandya city in protest against a Supreme Court ruling. (With inputs from ANI) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! SINGAPOREAs TikTok pushes to expand its e-commerce business globally, the viral short-video app is turning to a group of sellers for help: Chinese merchants. TikTok is hoping such vendors will expand its online retail offerings. However, the apps background as a haven for catchy dances and lip syncs has confounded even experienced sellers, more accustomed to retailing on traditional shopping platforms such as Amazon.com. Lina Pan, a 46-year-old Chinese merchant based in Chaozhou, southern China, sold soap dispensers and shampoo bottles through a store she set up on TikTok. She paid $4,300 for access to a seven-hour prerecorded class, in which the instructor promised to unveil the secrets to earning millions" on TikTok. The course led her to post videos dishing out household tips, such as using Coca-Cola to remove stains from toilet bowls and frying pans and nifty ways to slice up pineapples. The millions didnt materialize. Selling on TikTok is just not as easy as I thought it would be," said Pan, who shut her store after five months of trying. In September, TikTok expanded the e-commerce service TikTok Shop to all of its 150 million users in the U.S., the apps largest market, after testing the service with select users there for months. In August, TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, started allowing China-based sellers to open storefronts on the app in the U.S. market. It also has been testing a new business model of selling products on behalf of Chinese vendors, a model similar to Amazons Sold by Amazon" program, putting it in competition with popular shopping platforms such as Shein and Temu. ByteDance executives bet that online shopping, driven by its powerful algorithm, will become the companys new growth engine, aiming to quadruple global transactions on TikTok to $20 billion this year from less than $5 billion last year. To bridge the cultural divide, TikTok has shared memos with Chinese merchants explaining customer lifestyles and habits in the U.S. and other markets, as well as offered free classes to help vendors onboard. Outside the company, a cottage industry of third-party agencies has mushroomed in China, offering to help merchants like Pan start and succeed in selling on the app. TikTok isnt available in China, and Chinese sellers have to use software tools that mask their IP addresses to access the platform. Some agencies charge as much as $20,000 to join learning trips to visit factories in popular Chinese manufacturing hubs, and to attend networking sessions for the chance to meet privately with advisers. Despite Chinas rich experience as the factory floor of the world, businesses are finding that selling on TikTok isnt as straightforward. Learning to navigate marketing on social media, picking the right products and avoiding cultural faux pas are all part of the challenges faced by Chinese merchants. Some of the vendors also say their margins are being squeezed by TikToks desire to compete with low-price platforms Shein and Temu in online retail. Yang Guang, a maker of towels and mops, hired a former saleswoman at Beijings Silk Street marketa shopping area known for catering to foreign touriststo sell his products via livestreaming on TikTok. He was impressed by her English-speaking capabilities. After months of trying, sales from the channel were weak. His saleswoman was too traditional, pitching products just like an infomercial, said the businessman from Nantong in eastern China. Consumers on TikTok want to be entertained," said Yang. A K-pop dance may be more likely to keep them in the livestreaming room." Shoppers in China are accustomed to turning to livestreams for e-commerce, said Liu Yiwei, who runs an agency of 14 lifestyle influencers helping Chinese vendors sell inside the country through Alibaba Groups online marketplace Taobao and outside the country through TikTok. On TikTok, however, his influencers need to tell a joke or drop an interesting nugget about life in China, anything to make the livestream interesting, he said. You have to treat them like friends living far away," Liu said. Cindy Chen, a merchant based in Guangxi, southern China, almost missed the chance to ride the recent Barbie-pink mania because of cultural differences. She listed bubblegum-pink plastic soda cups with a cursive B" for sale on TikTok after the platform encouraged Chinese sellers to promote pink-colored items as the Barbie" movie, the top-grossing movie in the U.S. so far this year, grew in popularity. She received dozens of orders in the first week of sales. The Barbie" movie was hardly the same runaway success in China, she said. Theres still a difference between what the domestic market demands and what foreigners want." TikTok has shared memos with Chinese suppliers, educating them on how to capitalize on conventional American shopping holidays. Halloween is billed as the childrens favorite festival," with vendors encouraged to sell pumpkin-themed products, wigs and sweets, according to the documents seen by The Wall Street Journal. Black Friday is the craziest shopping holiday for Americans," think of buyers stockpiling ahead of Christmas and big discounts, TikTok told sellers. It has recommended vendors sell products such as toy slime for children, fake eyelashes and robot vacuums, according to the memos. For those selling to Saudi Arabia, products with Jewish symbols including the Star of David and national flags such as the U.S.s are banned on TikTok, the memos said. Also not allowed to be sold on the app in that country, where most residents are Muslims, are visuals of pigsincluding Peppa Pigas well as products with the same rainbow colors as the Pride flag, a colorful emblem of LGBTQ social movements, the documents said. TikTok said it has been educating vendors on users interests and demands and has guidelines to make sure they are compliant with local regulations. Xiao Huaqing, a clothing and accessories vendor based in Foshan, southern China, had to remove the logo of an eagle from one of his bestselling socks and strip the picture of an anchor from one of the caps he sold. The eagle could be viewed as a geopolitical symbol, while the anchor could have been misconstrued as a Christian icon, according to the documents. A lot of new rules to learn," grumbled Xiao, who expected his five-year experience selling on Amazon to have insulated him from this. I never thought these could be issues." Write to Raffaele Huang at raffaele.huang@wsj.com Hollywood writers and major studios have reached a tentative three-year labor agreement, which, if ratified, would end one of the strikes that have ground Hollywood to a halt. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced the deal on Sunday, September 25, after months of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The strike began on May 2, 2023, and has impacted production on films and television shows across the industry. The tentative deal includes a number of wins for writers, including: Significant wage increases for all writers, including those working on streaming shows. Improved health and pension benefits. New protections against artificial intelligence (AI) and other new technologies that could impact writers jobs. The WGAs 11,500 members still need to ratify the deal, but many view it as a major breakthrough in resolving the long-running dispute between writers and studios. The strike has had a significant impact on the Hollywood economy, with billions of dollars in lost revenue. It has also delayed the production of many highly anticipated films and television shows. The writers and studios view the tentative deal as a positive development, and they hope it will lead to a quick end to the strike. Impact on the Financial Markets The news of the tentative deal between Hollywood writers and studios has been met positively by the financial markets. Shares of media companies such as Disney, Paramount, and Universal have all risen in the wake of the news. The strike has negatively impacted the financial performance of media companies, and the industry sees a resolution to the dispute as a major positive. Conclusion The tentative deal between Hollywood writers and studios is a positive development for both sides and for the industry as a whole. It is hoped that the deal will be ratified quickly and that the strike will come to an end soon. Additional Thoughts The strike has highlighted the growing power of writers in the Hollywood ecosystem. In the past, studios have had the upper hand in labor negotiations, but the rise of streaming has given writers more leverage. Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are desperate for new content, and they are willing to pay writers top dollar for their work. This has given writers more bargaining power in negotiations with studios. The tentative deal between writers and studios is a sign of the changing times in Hollywood. Writers are now more powerful than ever before, and they are using their power to improve their wages and working conditions. Major Boost for Thai Economy Thailand expects to receive at least $5 billion in investment from Tesla, Google, and Microsoft in the coming years, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The investments would be a major boost for the Thai economy, which has been struggling in recent years. The prime minister made the announcement on Sunday, September 25, after attending the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He said that the companies were interested in investing in a variety of sectors, including electric vehicles, data centers, and cloud computing. Tesla to Build Manufacturing Plant Tesla is reportedly considering building a manufacturing facility in Thailand to produce its electric vehicles. The company is already present in Thailand, and it has been selling its cars there since 2021. A Tesla manufacturing plant in Thailand would create jobs and boost the countrys economy. It would also help to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in Thailand. Google to Build Data Center Google is considering building a data center in Thailand to support its growing cloud computing business. The company already operates several data centers in Asia, but it is looking to expand its capacity in the region. A Google data center in Thailand would improve the countrys digital infrastructure and make it more attractive to foreign investors. It would also create jobs and boost the local economy. Microsoft to Invest in Thailand Microsoft is also considering investing in Thailand, but the company has not yet disclosed its plans. The company already has a presence in Thailand, and it offers a range of products and services there, including cloud computing, software, and hardware. A Microsoft investment in Thailand would be a positive development for the country. It would create jobs, boost the economy, and help to develop Thailands digital infrastructure and workforce. Benefits of the Investments The potential investments from Tesla, Google, and Microsoft would have a number of positive impacts on Thailand. For example, the investments could help to: Accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in Thailand Improve Thailands digital infrastructure Attract more foreign investment to Thailand Boost Thailands exports of technology products and services Create more high-paying jobs for Thais The potential investments from Tesla, Google, and Microsoft are a significant development for Thailand. If the investments are confirmed, they could help to transform the Thai economy and make Thailand a more competitive player in the global economy. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew was tasked to assist 6 people on board two cruisers which ran aground on the lake in the past week. On Saturday morning last (September 16) Lough Ree RNLI crew went to the assistance of two people on board a 40ft cruiser stranded on rocks near Nuns Island. Launched just after 9am under helm Kieran Sloyan, the charitys lifeboat Tara Scougall and its volunteer crew responded to a call for assistance. The two people were taken from the stranded boat and transferred to the Lakeside Marina on the Westmeath shore. The boat had been the focus of a call out the previous evening (Friday, September 15) when Lough Ree RNLI had been tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the aid of the stricken boat with two people on board near Nuns Island. The Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew under helm Stuart McMicken reached the scene, near Marker Three, at 7.40pm. On inspection the crew found the 40ft cruiser hard aground on rocks near Nuns Island. The volunteer crew spent more than 90 minutes in a vain attempt to remove the craft from where it came to rest. The two people on board, who were in good health and had sufficient provisions and fully charged communications equipment decided to remain on board for the night. With no improvement in the situation overnight the two people advised Lough Ree RNLI on Saturday morning (September 16) that they wished to be taken off the cruiser. The transfer was successfully complete by 10am. Earlier last week, at lunchtime on Thursday (September 14) Lough Ree RNLI was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the assistance of a cruiser with four people on board which had run aground on the Hexagon Shoal in the south of the lake. Launched under helm Liam Sheringham, the charitys lifeboat Tara Scougall with a volunteer crew reached the stricken boat at 1.40pm. Following an initial inspection, the crew found all four people on board wearing life jackets and uninjured. The boat was towed from the rocks to safe water and continued north under its own power. Kevin Ganly, volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Ree RNLI said: Lake users need to be extra vigilant because of falling water levels on the lake this month. "More than 20 of the charitys volunteers responded to call-outs last week and I want to thank them for their commitment and dedication to keeping people safe on the water. A retired man who pleaded guilty to careless driving was fined 300 at Longford District Court. Hugh Batrim (67) of Corrnagun, Keshcarrigan, Leitrim was before Judge Bernadette Owens arising from an incident on June 6, 2022, at Ballinrud, Granard, Longford. Sergeant Mark Mahon said the matter before the court arose when the defendant drove without due care and attention as he exited a private driveway. As the defendant came out of the driveway he collided with a car travelling on the N55, because he did not see the vehicle approach. The defendant was represented in proceedings by solicitor Anthony Feeney. Mr Feeney told the court his client is a retiree. The legal representative said Mr Batrim had checked both ways before he came out onto the road, but felt that the other vehicle was moving at such a speed that he did not see it in time. Mr Feeney said as the defendant's wife is ill Mr Batrim did not want to contest the matter. Taking the facts into consideration Judge Owens registered a conviction and imposed a fine of 300 with four months to pay. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: September 25 2023 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Julie DeVuono Also Illegally Prescribed Herself Opioids. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Julie DeVuono, 51, of Amityville and her corporation Kids-On-Call Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, P.C., doing business as Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare, pleaded guilty to forging COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards for money together with her guilty plea to Money Laundering in the Second Degree for laundering those proceeds of the sales of the forged cards to benefit herself. DeVuono also pleaded guilty under a separate indictment to one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, after she had illegally obtained prescriptions for Oxycodone for herself in the name of relatives. This defendant used her position as a nurse practitioner to circumvent the law by uploading false information into New York state-wide databases, said District Attorney Tierney. The defendants abuse of authority preyed upon the fears and mistrust of the public during the COVID shutdown to forge COVID cards for the vaccine she never administered, in pursuit of no other purpose than her own enrichment. District Attorney Tierney thanked the Suffolk County Police Department District Attorneys Squad for helping bring this case to a close, and he also thanked the agents and investigators from the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the New York State Department of Health for their help and assistance in this investigation. According to the investigation and the defendants admissions during the guilty plea allocution, from June 15, 2021 to January 27, 2022, DeVuono, sold forged COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards which stated that purported patients had received a vaccination and subsequently entered false information that the customer received a COVID-19 Vaccination into the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS). In 2021, each adult customer was charged $220 for a false entry on the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card and a false entry into NYSIIS. In 2022, each adult customer was charged $350 for a false entry on the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card and a false entry into NYSIIS. DeVuono then laundered the proceeds from this criminal conduct by transferring funds through several accounts and conducting several transactions including paying off the mortgage on her Amityville home. A subsequent District Attorneys investigation uncovered a separate scheme by DeVuono, which revealed that between February 10, 2019 and August 14, 2021, DeVuono submitted false prescriptions for oxycodone to local pharmacies in Suffolk County that had false entries regarding the identities of individuals, none of whom were her actual patients, and some of whom were her relatives. Even though DeVuono knew these electronic prescriptions would be filed with the New York State Department of Health after they were submitted to the local pharmacies electronically, she obtained the oxycodone from these pharmacies and kept the controlled substances for herself. On September 15, 2023, DeVuono and her corporation, Kids-On-Call Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, P.C., both pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable John B. Collins. DeVuono pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a Class C felony, one count of Forgery in the Second Degree, a Class D felony, and one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a Class E felony. Kids-On-Call Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, P.C. pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a Class C felony, and one count of Forgery in the Second Degree, a Class D felony. As a result of DeVuonos criminal conduct, she and the corporation have agreed to forfeit criminal proceeds totaling the sum of $1,252,540.63. The criminal proceeds include United States currency and bank account funds previously seized along with equity that DeVuono paid off on her Amityville home. DeVuono also surrendered her professional licenses as a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Professional Nurse to the New York State Department of Education. She also surrendered her certificate of incorporation as a professional service corporation in New York State, which includes as a condition of her plea to immediately shut down her pediatric office Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare. She is no longer permitted to practice in the medical field in New York. DeVuono is due back in court on November 17, 2023, when Justice Collins is expected to sentence her to six months of incarceration, with alcohol and narcotic conditions imposed, and with 840 hours as a community service alternative that will be completed during her probationary supervision term of five years. DeVuono will also pay a total of $15,000 in fines. Kids-On-Call Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, P.C. will be sentenced to three-year conditional discharges. Both defendants are being represented by Jason Russo, Esq. and Steven Gaitman, Esq. This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys James Bartens and Adriana Noyola of the Financial Crimes Bureau, with investigative assistance from the Suffolk County Police Departments District Attorney Squad, the New York State Department of Health, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The civil asset forfeiture action was litigated by Assistant District Attorney Joseph McCarthy Jr. of the Finance and Asset Forfeiture Bureau. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: September 25 2023 New Deployment Increases National Guard Personnel to 2,050 Working with Asylum Seekers. Governor Kathy Hochul today deployed an additional 150 members of the New York National Guard to support the ongoing response to the asylum seeker and migrant crisis. Because of this new deployment, the state will be able to assign 250 National Guard personnel the full-time responsibilities of case management professionals. This deployment, along with the $50 million state investment in case management thus far, will help asylum seekers and migrants file the appropriate paperwork to attain legal work status and exit taxpayer-funded shelters. It is critical that we help secure work authorization for asylum seekers and migrants in New York, Governor Hochul said. We need to ensure individuals can navigate the paperwork necessary to get them established here so they can work and start making their American Dream a reality. Our National Guard members play a huge role in assisting in the process and we are grateful for their service. Governor Hochul announced the deployment of an additional 150 New York National Guard personnel and assets to asylum seeker sites in New York City. This deployment builds on the 1,900 National Guard personnel who are currently providing logistical and operational support to asylum seekers statewide. New York National Guard personnel are currently staffing 51 hotels and two New York City Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers. In addition to the New York National Guard, Governor Hochul has directed other state resources to help Venezuelans and other asylum seekers and migrants submit the appropriate paperwork to speedily receive legal work status. Working in partnership with federal and city officials, New York is in the midst of a Month of Action where more than 50 personnel from the federal Department of Homeland Security are in New York working to process work authorization paperwork. This builds on an additional $20 million allocated to local nonprofits, $20 million allocated to help New York City with a casework surge through NYC Health + Hospitals, as well as $10 million for migrant legal services allocated in the FY24 Budget. Earlier this month, White House officials announced certain individuals from Venezuela, who have continuously resided in the United States on or before July 31, 2023, will be eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status. This announcement followed more than a year of advocacy from Governor Hochul and a broad coalition of New Yorkers working to secure work authorization for asylum seekers and migrants, allowing them to exit the shelter system and begin living independently. Last month, Governor Hochul directed the New York State Department of Labor to connect employers with newly-eligible asylum seekers and migrants who are on the path to receiving work authorizations. More than 70 state personnel, representing 16 separate State agencies, have been surged to assist in this work authorization effort. The Governor also announced the Department had launched a new portal enabling businesses to inform the State that they would welcome newly-authorized individuals into their workforce. The Department also created a new registration process where asylum seekers and migrants with work authorization can register for assistance. Officials from the New York State Department of Labor and the United States Department of Labor will meet in the coming days to discuss opportunities for partnership and growth. Governor Hochul has identified work authorization as the key factor to end this crisis. She raised this issue with senior Administration officials during her meeting at the White House three weeks ago, reiterating a request she made in a letter to President Biden earlier that month. The Governor has supported New York City throughout this crisis, including committing more than $1.7 billion in State funding beginning with the FY24 Budget, deploying more than 2,000 members of the National Guard, and mobilizing State-owned land to be used as Humanitarian Emergency Relief and Response Efforts. Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, New York State is working hard to assist NYC with the ongoing asylum seeker crisis. Governor Hochul has been focused on finding ways to help migrants and asylum seekers in NYCs shelters leave shelter by resourcing and advocating for pathways to work authorization and legal services. There is more to be done to ensure migrants can be self-sufficient here in New York and Governor Hochul will continue to take every action available to ensure that happens. Major General Ray Shields said, "The members of the New York National Guard and our State Defense Forces look forward to playing a role in the efforts to help asylum seekers link with services they need to be successful, and find opportunities and jobs they need to be self-sufficient." Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to protect New Yorkers from flooding as storms become increasingly frequent and extreme. Legislation (S.5186-A/A.5221-A) requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to implement permit regulations and guidance pertaining to nature-based solutions for shoreline management. Legislation (A.1967/S.5400) requires sellers to inform home buyers as to whether a property is located in a flood risk area or has previously flooded. This legislation underscores Governor Hochuls commitment to climate resiliency and the safety of New Yorkers. "Today marks a monumental step forward in our mission to protect New Yorkers from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, Governor Hochul said. This legislation highlights our commitment to restoring natural habitats, which are our greatest natural barrier for extreme flooding, and safeguarding New Yorkers from the long-term dangers of flooding. Legislation (S.5186-A/A.5221-A) amends the environmental conservation law to require the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to authorize and encourage the use of nature-based solutions to stabilize tidal shorelines in the state and provides such solutions should be considered when promulgating and implementing rules and regulations relating to such. State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, After Hurricane Ida, many constituents reached out to me for assistance with flood damage. I was happy my office could help individuals, but the systemic impact of climate change requires much more. In the face of increased risk of flooding and climate change related hazards, it is critical we take proactive measures. Living shorelines can protect against flooding, improve water quality, and strengthen our resilience. I thank Governor Kathy Hochul for signing this important legislation into law. I also thank my colleague Assemblyman Steve Otis for championing this legislation in the Assembly, and Save the Sound and Riverkeeper for their work inspiring this bill in their efforts to combat climate change and for working with my office on this legislation. Assemblymember Steven Otis said, Living shoreline principles are vital to improving coastal resilience, reducing flood impacts, preventing shoreline erosion and protecting natural habitats. Thanks go to Governor Kathy Hochul, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Riverkeeper, The Nature Conservancy, Save the Sound and other environmental groups who support these important policies. This is important legislation for coastal communities that will help advance nature-based policies at a time when sound practices are needed. Legislation (A.1967/S.5400) establishes a flood risk right to know for homebuyers. Previously sellers could opt that the buyer get a $500 credit at closing and the disclosure requirement was waived. This legislation eliminates the credit provision and requires the disclosure of information concerning flood risk, flood history, and flood insurance on real property transactions. State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, During Climate Week NYC, were especially mindful of the devastating effects of the climate crisis in our local communities, including extreme weather events such as flooding. In response to this new reality, our flood disclosure legislation being signed today requires flood risk information to be provided to home buyers, giving them the necessary tools to make educated purchases. Im extremely grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul for signing this legislation during Climate Week, along with Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the Assembly sponsor of our legislation, Bobby Carroll. Assemblymember Robert Carroll said, As we work to fight climate change, we also have to take measures in response to the harm it is causing. I am glad to see Governor Hochul signing my legislation A.1967/S.5400, which will help New Yorkers by ensuring that they have the information they need to best protect their homes against flooding at the time of making a home purchase. Riverkeeper Senior Manager of Government Affairs Jeremy Cherson said, Governor Hochuls signature of the Living Shorelines Act and Flood Risk Disclosure legislation marks a major step forward for climate resilience in New York State. Responsible management of shorelines along tidal waterways, as envisioned in the Living Shorelines Act, will help ensure that permitting decisions support natural shorelines that provide habitat for wildlife as well as flood protections for communities. With Flood Risk Disclosure, New York will increase transparency around climate risk in our real estate market, empowering home buyers with information about the flood risk to their potential property. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for recognizing the importance of our shorelines in promoting biodiversity and thriving communities, as well as your commitment to climate risk disclosure. Save the Sound Vice President of Water Protection David Ansel said, After several years of work, were thrilled to see the Living Shorelines and Flood Disclosure bills become law. The Governors signature and the overwhelming support in the legislature show New Yorks leaders understand that we must take action to adapt to the stronger storms and rising sea levels of climate change. Using natural features such as native marsh grasses and shellfish reef instead of hardened structures like seawalls benefits shoreline communities, wildlife, and water quality. Ensuring transparency about flood risks helps individuals and communities make wise decisions for their futures. We thank Governor Hochul and the bills sponsors for their leadership. Now we look forward to working with partners across the region to these bills promise into healthier, more resilient coastlines and communities. Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Conservation Director Roger Downs said, There is no doubt that the ravages of climate change will continue to pound New Yorks coastlines and inland waterways with increasingly severe floods and storm surges. Attempts to harden our shores with expensive sea walls will only exacerbate the problem of erosion, as hardscaping intensifies the destabilization of surrounding property, beaches and embankments. We applaud Senator Mayer and Assemblymember Otis for establishing a blueprint for prioritizing nature-based solutions to sea-level rise and flooding. And with her signature of this law, Governor Hochul is building upon a legacy of inspired stewardship of ecosystems starting with the $4.2 billion dollar bond act and new comprehensive wetlands protections, both designed with the understanding that New York will be most resilient to climate change if we protect and enhance the tapestry of ecosystems that protect us. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: September 25 2023 Government Alleges that Dr. Arun Arora Overbilled Medicare for Services Provided to Residents of Nursing Homes. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today a settlement agreement with Queens-based physician Arun Arora. The settlement agreement addresses allegations that Dr. Arora violated the federal False Claims Act by billing Medicare for critical care services to residents of nursing homes when, in fact, he provided only routine care. Our Medicare program, which provides health care services to the elderly, works only if its funds are expended properly, stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. When health care providers overbill the program, Medicare cannot ensure that services are going to the people who need them most. Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work on this case. Dr. Arora provided care to residents of nursing homes. That care was, for the most part, routine care, such as regular medical checkups. The Government contends that, rather than billing for his services as routine care, Dr. Arora billed Medicare for critical care services. Critical care services involve imminent life-threatening deterioration of the patients condition. Medicare reimburses health care providers at a higher rate for critical care services than for routine care. By billing for critical care services when he provided only routine care, as the Government contends, Dr. Arora received extra payment for care that he did not provide. Under the terms of the agreement with the United States, Dr. Arora will pay $1.3 million for conduct that took place in the years 2019 to 2023. In addition to the payment to resolve the governments fraud claims, Dr. Arora has entered into a separate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The Integrity Agreement imposes a number of obligations on Dr. Arora, all of which are meant to ensure that he complies with Medicare rules and regulations going forward. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no admission of or determination of liability. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Blume of the Offices Civil Division. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: September 25 2023 A man stole approximately $440 in clothing from Marshalls, located at 6A Henry Street. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the publics help to identify and locate the man who stole from a Commack store last month. A man stole clothing from Marshalls, located at 6A Henry Street, on August 17 atapproximately 4:15 p.m. The clothing was valued at approximately $440. (Alliance News) - Helium One Global Ltd on Monday said it has commenced drilling on its Tai-3 well in Tanzania. The Tanzania-focused helium explorer said it expects to reach a total depth of 1,100 metres within two weeks. The drilling programme is targeting multiple reservoir targets, it said, with a portable mass spectrometer in the site in order to measure and validate helium gas shows encountered. The company said that after it has reached the total depth, Baker Hughes Co will run and evaluate wireline logs, while Helium One will also carry out evaluation suing Baker Hughes' reservoir characterisation instrument to take samples of the downhole. The firm said the entire drilling and evaluation process is expected to take four weeks. Chief Executive Lorna Blaisse said: "This is a huge and very exciting milestone for the company. The operations that we are undertaking are a significant shift in both scale and approach from what we undertook in Phase 1. The team have worked exceptionally hard to get to this point and we are focused on delivering a safe and successful drilling campaign. "By adopting an oil & gas best practice approach to this drilling campaign from drilling, logging and sampling, right through to HSE guidelines and procedures, we are giving ourselves the best possible opportunity to deliver success at Tai-3." Helium One shares fell 3.8% to 6.20 pence each Monday afternoon in London. By Harvey Dorset, Alliance News reporter Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved. This autumn in Mallorca, music enthusiasts are in for a treat as tribute bands take center stage, bringing iconic sounds to life. From timeless rock classics to pop sensations, these bands transport audiences through a journey of nostalgia, promising unforgettable evenings of live music. The End: Pink Floyd The End celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of one of the most memorable and enduring rock albums in the history of music. With an immersive show, they present a musical and sensory experience where it will share with the audience the passion for Pink Floyd's music. Through a faithful and respectful interpretation of the work's concept, they will cover The Dark Side of the Moon album from start to finish. In a second part, they will add the band's most iconic hits, including "Wish You Were Here," "Comfortably Numb," "High Hopes," and "Run Like Hell." The 2023 Tour commenced in March and has visited theaters in all the major capitals of Argentina, including the renowned Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires. As the year progresses, The End will continue their performances in Latin America and make their first European appearance in October, with a special visit to Mallorca! Saturday, October 22 | Doors open at 9pm; concert starts at 9.30pm | Tickets from 30 at esgremi.com | Es Gremi Music Centre - Carrer Gremi de Porgadors 16, Son Castello, Palma The Buzz Lovers: Nirvana On November 24, the World Tour 2023 Nirvana by The Buzz Lovers, the world's best and most acclaimed tribute band, will touch down in Mallorca. After an intense tour that has taken them to major cities in Spain, Portugal, France, Norway, the Netherlands, the Americas, South America, Asia, among others, and led to sold-out shows in most of their concerts, they return with great excitement and a strong desire to deliver a fantastic night. Undoubtedly, it presents a golden opportunity for the audience to immerse themselves, relive, or experience for the first time the essence of the greatest and most groundbreaking grunge and rock band in history. To kick things off, the event will feature a performance by the local band, Lost Boys. Friday, November 24 | Doors open at 8pm; concert starts at 9.30pm | Tickets from 18 at esgremi.com | Es Gremi Music Centre - Carrer Gremi de Porgadors 16, Son Castello, Palma Brothers in Band: The Very Best of dIRE sTRAITS show Recognised as the ultimate international tribute show to dIRE sTRAITS, bROTHERS iN bAND is embarking on a European tour this autumn, captivating audiences in the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Andorra, and Spain with their revitalised "The Very Best of dIRE sTRAITS." They will take audiences on a nostalgic journey through a meticulously curated repertoire that spans generations. Angelo Fumarola's guitar and vocal prowess mirror Mark Knopfler's, recreating the iconic sound that resides in collective memory. Supported by a talented band, bROTHERS iN bAND faithfully honors the musical legacy of the beloved Mark Knopfler-led group, making them one of the world's premier tribute acts. In "The Very Best of dIRE sTRAITS," they revisit classics like "Sultans of Swing," "Money For Nothing," and more in a captivating 2-hour show. Saturday, December 2 | 8pm | Tickets from 36 at www.wegow.com | Trui Teatre - Cami de Son Rapinya 29, Palma Queen: Queen Forever tribute Recalling the greatest moments in Queen's history, such as Live Aid, Montreal, and Live at Wembley, Queen Forever embodies the essence of Mercury and his bandmates on stage. Since their formation in 2015, they've meticulously crafted their attire, stage presence, and musical arrangements, leaving no detail untouched. Following their appearance on the Got Talent Espana talent show, the band has become a prominent figure in the world of tributes, drawing crowds into venues. Over 600,000 people have witnessed the talents of Tolo Sanders (Freddie Mercury), Adrian Pujadas (Brian May), Haritz Caperochipi (Roger Taylor), Juanjo Amengual (John Deacon), and Sebastian Raimundo (Spike Edney). In the words of Peter Freestone (Mercury's Personal Assistant from 1979 until his passing): "These guys have taken me back 40 years; musically, they are incredible." If you're a Queen enthusiast who missed the original band's performances, Queen Forever is undoubtedly the best choice to relive the British band's strength and prowess. They are, without a doubt, the ultimate Queen tribute. Saturday, December 16 | 9.30pm | Tickets from 45 at auditoriumpalma.koobin.com | Palma Auditorium - Av. de Gabriel Roca 18, Palma Coldday: Coldplay The international tribute band COLDDAY takes audiences on a wonderful journey through all the different stages of Coldplay. In a rigorous chronological order, hey will traverse their entire artistic evolution, from their beginnings in the early 2000s with more intimate and stripped-down works, through iconic albums that led the British band to swap small clubs for much larger venues, up to the present day, where they perform in stadiums across major cities worldwide with consecutive dates. This is not just an artistic journey but also a conceptual one, where Coldplay's music begins with a distinctly intimate and introspective character and ultimately transforms into a celebration of life, featuring songs filled with positive energy, anthems that transcend generations and borders, and a vibrant spectrum of colors. This evolution is not only evident in their sound but also in their live performances, stage presence, prop changes, and scenography. Saturday, December 16 | 9pm | Tickets from 27.5 at truiteatre.es | Trui Teatre - Cami de Son Rapinya 29, Palma If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Bangkok, ThailandChinese tourists received a personal welcome from the Thai prime minister Monday as they arrived in Bangkok under a new visa-free scheme the government hopes will give the kingdoms vital tourism sector a boost. Traditional dancers accompanied a smiling PM Srettha Thavisin as he greeted visitors arriving from Shanghai at Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi airport, handing out welcome gifts. I was shocked by the welcoming ceremony, and Im very happy. Its a great start of my trip, visitor Zhuang Pan, 31, told AFP. Jin Li, arriving for her honeymoon, told AFP the scheme was great, before she and her new husband grabbed a photograph with Srettha. I dont need to worry, can go on a trip at any time, just need to book a ticket, she said. Visitors from China accounted for the largest percentage of Thailands tourists pre-pandemic, with tourism overall making up around 20 percent of the kingdoms GDP. Covid-19 travel restrictions hammered the sector and recovery has been slow, stymied by a struggling global economyand safety fears stoked by a Chinese blockbuster thriller about a man being kidnapped and forced to work in a Southeast Asian online scam centre. Zheng Zhengzhou, 36, said he was aware of the dangers of visiting Thailand, referencing No More Betsthe film that has spooked many tourists. So it would be a lie to say I dont have any concerns (on safety issues), he said. Srettha has sought to reassure visitors about their safety before, emphasising that visitor security in the kingdom is a priority. The safety of tourists from their first step in Thailand to their departure when they leave must be safe and spectacular from all sides, he said. Chinese visitors were greeted by tourism police officers and informed of the details of a 24-hour police hotline. The visa-free scheme was launched in time for Chinas Golden Week holiday period in October, and runs until February 29. Srettha said that under the scheme bookings had already increased tenfold, and that he was confident it would significantly stimulate the economy. Today marks a good day for Thailand and we hope our other policies will continue to stimulate the economy, he added. Update, October 5: The Might Oktoberfest has been postponed due to weather. It will now be held on November 3 and 4. Youve probably been to an Oktoberfest celebration but have you ever been to one with Kid Rock, Foo Fighters and Alanis Morissette tribute bands? That is just whats in store for The Mighty Oktoberfest in Springfields own The Student Prince & The Fort Restaurant on Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7. The weekend-long event kicks off Friday, October 6, at 5:30 with the Berkshire Mountain Wanderers on stage and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno on site to tap the ceremonial keg. Theres nothing like Oktoberfest to welcome the fall season, and we are proud to keep the tradition alive in 2023 with one of the most authentic Octoberfest celebrations around, says Peter Picknelly, co-owner of The Student Prince & The Fort. Join us for non-stop live music, good times, food and drink, and a barrel of fun in downtown Springfield! Food items will include bratwurst, knockwurst, and burgers, with a full menu indoors that includes German fare such as Sauerbraten, Braised Lamb, and Pork Shanks. Single-Night and Two-Night passes are available at the gate and in advance online. Passes include one complimentary haus beer from a special list for those who are 21 or older. 2023 OKTOBERFEST MUSIC SCHEDULE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 Berkshire Mountain Wanderers: 5:30-7:00 pm Trailer Trash: 7:30-10:00 pm SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 Berkshire Mountain Wanderers 5:00-6:00 pm American Badass (Kid Rock Tribute) 6:00-7:00 pm Jagged Little Pam (Alanis Morissette Tribute) 7:15-8:15 pm Foo Fighters Tribute 8:30-10:00 pm Related: Student Prince restaurant seeks to make outdoor dining a seasonal fixture The laser strikes that startled pilots in the skies over Boston last week are a near daily occurrence at airports across New England and nationwide, underscoring the serious threat they pose to pilots and passengers, federal data show. The Federal Aviation Administration received 9,457 reports of laser strikes at airports around the country in 2022, with the number steadily climbing with some variations since 2016, according to data posted to the agencys website. Laser strikes on aircraft remain a serious threat to aviation safety. Intentionally aiming lasers at aircrafts poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law, the agency said in a posting to its website. In New England, New Hampshire led the way with 142 reported incidents in 2022 at airports in Nashua, Manchester and Merrimack, according to a MassLive analysis of the federal data. Massachusetts followed at a distant second with 19 reported strikes in Boston, Hyannis, Lawrence, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester, federal data showed. Fourteen such incidents were reported in Maine last year, with the strikes split between airports in Portland and Bangor. Airports in Connecticut and Vermont reported nine such incidents in 2022, the federal data showed. In the first three months of 2022 alone, airports across New England reported 26 laser strikes, the FAA data showed, with the preponderance at Nashua Airport, MassLives analysis found. Read more: Boston Logan Airport pilot hit by potentially blinding laser strike; national laser strikes jump 41% over the past year Last week, the FAA announced that it had opened an investigation after pilots in three incidents in Boston said theyd been lit up by green lasers on approach to Logan Airport and Massachusetts General Hospital, MassLive previously reported. No one was injured in any of the incidents. In a statement provided to MassLive, federal aviation regulators said they were committed to maintaining the safest air transportation system in the world, and that it would prosecute violators. Both aviation regulators and pilots alike are taking the threat posed by lasers seriously. Lets get this clear: These are not incidents, theyre attacks, American Airlines Captain Dennis Tajer told NECN-TV over the weekend when he was asked about the threat such strikes pose to aircraft, pilots, crew and passengers. In a posting to its website, the FAA warned that while laser pointers may seem like a toy, office tool, or game, they can incapacitate pilots, putting thousands of passengers at risk every year, whey theyre pointed skyward. People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents, according to the FAA. The agency issued $120,000 in fines for laser strikes in 2021. Prior to his arrest, Charles Ponzi owned a mansion in Lexington, a large part of which was paid for by his infamous fraud, according to the New York Times. The 7-bedroom, 6-bath house is now for sale for $4.3 million. Ponzi is most known for what is now known as the Ponzi scheme, which is when existing investors are paid with funds from new investors. Ponzi scheme organizers often promise to invest your money and generate high returns with little or no risk. But in many Ponzi schemes, the fraudsters do not invest the money. Instead, they use it to pay those who invested earlier and may keep some for themselves, the U.S. government website states. With little or no legitimate earnings, Ponzi schemes require a constant flow of new money to survive. When it becomes hard to recruit new investors, or when large numbers of existing investors cash out, these schemes tend to collapse. Ponzi had promised investors a 50% profit within 45 days and a 100% profit within 90 days, according to Time Magazine. At first, it worked. And more and more people began investing in him. But eventually, his luck ran out. He was arrested on Aug. 12, 1920. But his name lives on as Ponzi schemes continue. His former home, located at 19 Slocum Road, is also considered historic. When it was for sale in 2014, the Lexington Historical Society allowed people to come visit, according to the New York Times. Although, many were interested in seeing the home, not everyone wanted to live there. I wouldnt want to live here, Joan Galgay, 66, a retired bank worker, told the newspaper. Its gorgeous, but all this money was stolen from people. Some told the news outlet they believe theres still money hidden on the houses property. Although, the house has been sold many times since Ponzi lived there in 1920. It was purchased in 2015 for $2,350,000. It went on the market again in 2020 and sold in 2021 for $3.5 million. Now sellers are hoping to get $4.3 million. The house has a 5-car garage, three fireplaces, is on one acre of land and has been meticulously revitalized to honor its architectural and historical roots. The primary suite has two walk-in closets and a luxurious marble-clad master bath, according to the listing. For the full listing and photos, click here. An illegal dental operation was uncovered at a local business in Milford last week, resulting in the arrest of the store owner and the suspected practitioner, authorities said. Maria Magdalena Guaman-Castro, who owns Alternativa Convenience Store at 140 Main St., rented a room in the back of the store to Juan Hermida Munoz, according to the Milford Police Department on Facebook. Munoz was offering dental services without a license including examinations, tooth extractions, anesthetics and cleanings, police said. He is not Board Certified and does not have any certifications to practice medicine in the country, police added. After an extensive investigation, the duo was arrested on Monday, Sept. 18. Read More: Last suspect wanted in shooting death of Nathan Paul arrested in Puerto Rico Munoz was charged with unauthorized practice of medicine and unauthorized practice of dentistry, according to police. Meanwhile, Guaman-Castro was charged with conspiracy. In Massachusetts, the charge of unauthorized practice of medicine comes with a fine between $100 and $1,000 or serving between a month and a year in prison, or both. A Boston woman was carried out off of Lonesome Lakes trail in New Hampshire after she suffered significant injuries to her leg on Saturday, Sept. 23, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department on Monday. Leenah Hassan, 30, was hiking with a group of friends at around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Fish and Game said in a statement. While she was trying to take a photo of the lake, she slipped on a wet rock falling awkwardly. Fish and Game conservation officers received a 911 text, due to bad cell phone service, at around that time about what happened to Hassan. Staff from the Lonesome Lake hut went to her location to assess what were significant lower leg injuries, requiring a carryout. By 4:30, her leg was stabilized and Hassan was placed into a rescue litter. Her friends helped carry her down Lonesome Lake Trail for a little over a mile before meeting with a rescue team at the trailhead at around 6 p.m., where a Linwood Ambulance awaited them. She was taken to Littleton Regional Healthcare for treatment, Fish and Game said. The carryout happened quickly due to the response of AMC staff, the willingness of the hiking companions to initially assist in the carryout, and the large response of the well-practiced Conservation Officers and volunteers from Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team, the department added. Appropriate footwear should be worn while hiking; hiking boots that provide support, protection and traction are recommended, Fish and Game concluded in its statement. Authorities have identified a suspect they believe is behind several assaults that happened near Berklee College of Musics Boston campus on Saturday, Sept. 23, Boston police confirmed to MassLive Monday. The suspect was not arrested, and therefore police are not releasing his name. He will be summoned to court soon, police said. Read More: Leenah Hassan of Boston injured while hiking on Lonesome Lake Trail in NH Four people were assaulted at three different locations within a mile radius near Berklees campus on Sept. 23. One person was assaulted in the area of Bolyston and Hemenway streets around 5:48 p.m., Boston police said. Officers spoke with Berklee College police who said a victim was assaulted of 153 Massachusetts Ave., which is right next to the police department headquarters. The victim refused medical treatment, police said. Boston police then spoke with two other victims who said they were assaulted outside 1 Haviland St., which is the address for the Love Art Sushi on Berklees campus. Both victims were treated on scene. Police also said a fourth victim was assaulted in the area of 1130 Boylston St., which is just around the corner, and refused medical treatment. No one was seriously hurt. Officers searched the area, but did not find any suspects at the time. All incidents remain under investigation. 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. Shaitia Spruell is the executive director of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. (Kamila O'Neill photo) Shaitia Spruell Age: 29 Community: Lancaster Her story: Shaitia Spruell is the executive director of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, a state agency charged with studying, reviewing and reporting on the status of women and girls of the commonwealth. It is further responsible for being the permanent effective voice for the women and girls of Massachusetts, she told MassLive. She previously worked for the state Treasurers Office of Economic Empowerment, where she oversaw economic empowerment programming for women that included supporting digital learning opportunities with the department to expand access to financial education, she said. Born and raised in a multicultural home, Spruell described her mother as a proud Boricua, and her father a proud Black man. Together, they raised her to leave this world better than I found it, and to be resourceful. Spruell told MassLive that she was shaped by her experiences as a teen mom, giving birth to her first child at age 18. Its a role that is the toughest and most rewarding job Ive ever had, and it is a huge reason for where I am today. Having a child so young made me need to make big decisions, she said. Read more: Daniel Rojas practices immigration law to give back to the Hispanic community Among them was her desire to see further change, which prompted her to become involved in community organizing through the Springfield Chapter of Neighbor to Neighbor, where she learned about the importance of civic engagement, and began learning about the often arcane legislative process. I then became engaged even deeper through the LIPPI Program at the Western MA Womens Fund, the Partnerships Associate Fellowship, the MA Women of Color Coalition, MassNow and the National Association of Commissions for Women, she said. In her words: This work is HARD, but so worth it, and especially for the emerging leaders! My advice would be to surround yourself people who are working towards the same mission, but also find those who challenge you (or your way of thinking) and get close to them! They will sharpen you to be better equipped for the challenges to come. Read more: Luzed Guzman Romano advocates for more equitable work environments for women 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. Two children are recovering in the hospital after they were hit by a car in Lynn on Monday morning, according to the Lynn Police Department. Read More: Last suspect wanted in shooting death of Nathan Paul arrested in Puerto Rico Lt. Rick Connick said a 10-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were hit by a car near 98 Holyoke St. around 8:17 a.m. on Sept. 25. The vehicle also hit two parked cars, the lieutenant said. The children were brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Connick said. The driver stayed on scene and was cited for charges related to unsafe operation and speeding, the lieutenant stated. No other information regarding the circumstances of the incident was made available. A Worcester nonprofit committed to ending the sex trade has announced its laying off staff, ending overnight operations at its 15-bed shelter and changing its name, according to the Telegram & Gazette. HARBOR, a shelter that opened in 2021, will discontinue its overnight operations as of Sunday, leaders of LIFT wrote in a statement to the T&G, in which it announced an organizational name change to Safe Exit Initiative. The waiting area at HARBOR, a program from LIFT in Worcester that offers resources like an emergency shelter for prostituted people. However, other services will still be offered from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., co-Executive Director Audra Doody told the T&G. Finances reportedly played a big part in the decision, Doody explained to the T&G, adding that the organization went to the city in November 2022, to explain that we needed more funding to operate Harbor since funding was to expire that December. We have struggled to fund shelter services since the beginning, Doody wrote to the Telegram. The nonprofit has laid off 11 staff members, subtracting from its original number of 45 employees, the T&G reported. Additionally, LIFT said in a public statement on Monday that the changes came as it continues to restructure after our leadership change in May, according to T&G. It was announced in May that the organizations founder, Nicole Bell, was leaving, and that LIFT had appointed Audra Doody and Courtney Ross Escobar as co-CEOs, according to a May press release. Nicole Bell, the CEO and founder of Living in Freedom Together a nonprofit working to end the sex trade The statement in May did not list a reason for Bells department. She had been serving as CEO since she founded the organization in 2014. Safe Exit Initiative said in its statement that it has streamlined our programming to ensure it meets the goals of furthering our mission, the T&G said. The nonprofit has evolved through the years, the statement to the news outlet said. And we have now reached the point where we need to expand our mission to encompass not only the direct services we provide the community, but also to further address the systemic factors that drive the sex trade. Read more: Springfield develops city pass in effort to reduce violence among youth The organization wrote that it will continue to provide direct services, including healthcare, legal, and harm reduction for our participants to other shelter and housing service providers that are experts in their field. The T&G reported that the Safe Exit Initiative decided to make this shift to focus on our expertise, and will provide the organization substantiality, efficiency, and effectiveness to pursue our mission to create safe and sustainable exits from exploitation and the sex trade through quality programming, strategic partnerships, and comprehensive legislative initiatives. The nonprofits plan, according to the T&G, is to incorporate a more holistic approach by adding growth through partnerships, raising awareness around the key enablers of the sex trade, and stronger advocacy work towards policy changes to address the multiple inequities that sustain the sex trade and exploitation of women, girls, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Dear Annie: My husband of 42 years discovered a new way of breathing, and it has made me scared to death. I am afraid that he might die in his sleep. Charles had asthma and allergies in his childhood, and he was prescribed all kinds of medication. He mostly outgrew his asthma as an adult, though he would frequently get terrible allergies and take various forms of antihistamines, usually prescribed by his doctor. But a year ago, someone at his office was talking about the Buteyko Breathing Technique, which basically means taking shallow breaths through the nose. It seems that this technique was discovered in the Ukraine years ago and was used to treat people in Russia with asthma and allergies mainly children and to help them get off medications. My husband checked on the internet and on YouTube and found all kinds of advice about breathing through your nose, not your mouth. In fact, he even bought a book about it called something like, Shut Your Mouth. My concern is at night because he puts a piece of tape over his mouth before he falls asleep, and he sleeps the entire night with that tape on. I am afraid that if his nasal passages were to clog up, and he didnt know it, he could actually suffocate in his sleep. I have told Charles this, but he only laughs, saying there is no way. He says that if he couldnt breath, at all he would rip the tape off. He reminded me of the two times that he had to cough in his sleep, and he woke up and ripped the tape off. After coughing, he put a new piece of tape over his mouth. The product that he uses is called cloth tape, which he buys at the local pharmacy. He says that he almost never needs an antihistamine because his allergies rarely act up. When they do, he takes medication, but that is only once or twice a year, while before all this he was taking one or two pills a day. I asked our doctor about it, and she said breathing through the nose is a good idea because the nasal passages filter out germs, but she added that she had never heard of anyone taping their mouth shut to sleep. She did not seem concerned, but shes not married to the guy. Holding My Breath Dear Holding My Breath: Relax. Your husband wont suffocate in his sleep. Given a choice between mouth breathing and nasal breathing, many experts recommend nasal breathing for the reason your doctor stated. The fact that your husband has been able to cut way back on his medications is a good sign, as is your doctor not having concerns. We breath through our nose or mouth; those are our only two options. Normally, when people think of calming down, they say, Take a deep breath, and most people would do so by breathing through the nose and out the mouth. Shallow breathing through the nose is an interesting concept. If any other readers have tried this and experienced good or bad results, Id love to hear about it. How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner? is out now! Annie Lanes second anthology featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM Jay Aaron Smith arrived in the Springfield area after spending time in prison following a rape conviction in Georgia. His crime required him to register in Massachusetts as a Level 3 sex offender. And yet somehow, Smith, a known sex offender, secured the title of ministerial servant within a Springfield location of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses. Smith is again in prison, starting a 15-year sentence after being convicted recently on several counts of indecent assault and battery on a child. Smith, who is 62, was found to have abused a 13-year-old at his home in 2020 and 2021. The First Amendment gives members of the Jehovahs Witnesses religious organization the right to believe what they want. That discretion stops when it comes to their moral duty to protect children and other vulnerable people from abuse. Jay Aaron Smith was convicted of child sexual assault. This is an organization that distrusts secular authority and has fought efforts to provide common sense protections against sexual abuse of children, as seen in multiple national cases. This year, the Pennsylvania attorney generals office brought charges against several members of the church. A grand jury there continues to probe whats described as widespread child sexual abuse. A report is expected to provide the fullest account to date of documented sexual abuse by members of this faith in that state. In the Springfield case, a national spokesman said the church was deeply saddened by Smiths assaults. No child should ever be subjected to abuse, he said. Then, the spokesman took pains to point out that Smiths crimes did not occur during any sanctioned activities by members of the congregation. That doesnt absolve the organization of responsibility. In fact, it fits a pattern of secrecy and coverup documented in other court cases, including a civil suit brought by a woman molested by a man within a Jehovahs Witnesses chapter in North Fremont, California. Depositions in the case revealed that the abuser had a prior history of assault known to the church. As documented by the Center for Investigative Reporting, the churchs defense in the California case included the claim that the First Amendment allowed it to fashion its own approach to handling instances of sexual abuse. Internal church correspondence unearthed in that trial showed church officials calling for reports of sexual abuse by officials to be kept from members of its congregations. That institutional secrecy is abhorrent and dangerous. Children pay the price. The plaintiff in the California case, who prevailed, said she sued after learning the man who molested her later assaulted a 6-year-old girl. Her attacker had remained in good standing with the Jehovahs Witnesses organization she attended and, a deposition revealed, had been lauded as being good with children in a letter of reference mailed to another California Kingdom Hall. Officially, the national church claims to report instances of sexual abuse to civil authorities. In the Springfield assaults by Smith, the organization said it notified the state Department of Children and Families; that is the step required by mandated reporters in Massachusetts, which include members of the clergy. Thats what they say. Actions count more. The church made the decision to grant Smith, the Level 3 sex offender, an appointed church post, conferring on him institutional respect he did not deserve. In doing so, it failed a child, the childs family and the wider community. When asked by The Republican about the case, the spokesman for the churchs national office claimed that the Hampden District Attorneys Office was wrong to identify Smith as an elder. He said the church was currently working with the District Attorneys office to correct this . While it may have tried to adjust the narrative, the DAs office refused, its own spokesman said. Based upon evidence collected through the course of the investigation, we are comfortable with our assertion of his place of prominence within the hall, he told The Republican. It took further questioning of the church by the newspapers investigations editor, Greta Jochem, to draw out the fact that Smith did in fact hold the lesser title of ministerial servant, a role described as being an assistant to an elder. Jochems reporting work included this written exchange with the churchs spokesman: Jochem: What are your policies for responding to allegations like this? Church: Whenever an allegation of abuse comes to the attention of elders, they first seek to comply with any reporting laws, thereafter, they follow the Bibles direction to comfort victims of sin and they evaluate whether the person accused of the sin may remain in the congregation or must be disfellowshipped (removed). A court in Georgia found Smith guilty of rape. When he got to Massachusetts, years later, church policy appears to have allowed elders to make their own call about his fitness. If they didnt know Smith was a sex offender, they should have. If they accepted him in spite of that status, they shouldnt have. Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, but this time she wasnt the one performing for three-plus hours. Swift has been connected to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce of late, with rumors swirling that the two are dating. Those rumors will surely only gain more traction after Swift was spotted sporting Chiefs gear alongside Kelces mom in the family suite ahead of Kansas Citys game against the Chicago Bears. Kelce and the 12-time Grammy Award winner had their alleged romance confirmed by Jason Kelce when he called the rumors 100% true during an appearance on SportsRadio 94WIP. $200 INSTANT BONUS DRAFTKINGS MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET FANDUEL MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $50, GET $250 BONUS CAESARS MASS CLAIM OFFER $1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS BETMGM MASS CLAIM OFFER MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. Tony (Gonzalez) kind of blindsided me with that question Thursday night. Its hard to answer because I dont really know a lot about whats happening with Travis love life, Jason Kelce said. I try to keep his business, his business and stay out of that world. Having said that, I think hes doing great and its all 100% true. Travis Kelce, however, didnt confirm nor deny whether he and Swift were an item, telling The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week that he threw the ball in her court. I threw the ball in her court, Travis Kelce told McAfee. I told her that Ive seen her rock a stage in Arrowhead, and she might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead and see which ones more lit. Well see what happens in the near future. The near future was about 72 hours later when Swift was seen in the Kelce suite. 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. Swift completed the first leg of her Eras Tour on Aug. 26. She played two sold-out shows at Arrowhead on July 7 and 8. Its unclear if this romance will last forever or go down in flames. The Greenfield man who set off a large manhunt on Friday afternoon after police say he dragged a state trooper on Interstate 91 in Holyoke is hospitalized and is expected to face an arraignment in court on Tuesday. Michael J. Williams Jr., 45, is charged with eight counts in connection with a multi-agency manhunt that involved several State Police patrols, canine units, local police patrols along bike trails, railroad tracks, a drone, and a boat in the Connecticut River. Williams was expected to be arraigned on Monday but remains hospitalized after being injured in a crash after attempting to evade police on Friday. Massachusetts State Police provided more details about the moments before Williamss capture. State police K9 unit Sgt. Jack Doherty and canine partner Roxy found Williams in an area of extremely thick brush off Symanski Avenue a stretch of land in between Interstate 91 and Connecticut River in Holyoke close to Route 5 according to Massachusetts State Police spokesperson David Procopio. Doherty told Williams to surrender or face apprehension by Roxy but Williams did not cooperate, Procopio said. Police then entered the brush and arrested Williams without incident. There was no physical contact between the dog and the suspect, Procopio said. Williams was hospitalized because he reported being in pain after his arrested, according to Procopio. He was evaluated by emergency medical services who brought him to the hospital. Procopio said the assumption is Williams injured himself after crashing his car while evading arrest. A clerk with the Holyoke Police Department confirmed that Williams is expected to appear on Tuesday to answer for the charges. James Leydon, the spokesperson for the Hampden District Attorneys Office, said while Williams is on the clerk log for tomorrow, his appearance will depend on his condition. Williams has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; negligent operation of a motor vehicle; operating after license was suspended for prior OUI offense; leaving the scene of a crash that caused personal injury; failure to stop for the police; speeding; marked lane violation; and resisting arrest. Fridays manhunt The trooper dragged by Williams was brought to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton for a lower-body injury and was treated and released, police said. The manhunt began when a trooper tried to stop Williams, who police say was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, due to driving violations at the Holyoke rest stop on the northbound side of Interstate 91 around 3 p.m. The trooper stood outside the Malibu and was trying to secure the suspect when Williams drove off, according to State Police. The trooper was dragged a short distance and Williams struck the troopers cruiser as he attempted to flee, police say. After getting free from Williamss car, the trooper called in the incident, setting off a large manhunt. Several minutes later, Williams went off the road and crashed his car, running into the woods near Route 5 in Holyoke. Troopers set up a perimeter around the area while police from Northampton and Easthampton searched along the Manhan Rail Trail, a bike trail that passes through Easthampton, Holyoke, and Northampton, and railroad tracks with canine units. Northampton police launched a drone to help in the search and Easthampton police used a boat in the Connecticut River. At about 5:35 p.m., Doherty and Roxy found Williams and took him into custody. Hes being held without bail for a violation of conditions of his probation from a previous conviction, according to police. State Police Association of Massachusetts President Patrick McNamara issued a statement after the arrest. He said Enough is enough after a trooper was dragged in Brockton by a 31-year-old man attempting to flee a traffic stop. This reckless and blatant disregard for the lives of our members needs to stop, McNamara said in an email. In 2015, the Greenfield Police Department publicized Williams as a Level 3 registered sex offender on their Facebook page. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, September 25, 2023 The vast majority of global marketers already have set strategies for incorporating AI into their mix, but most of it is focused on creating content, ideas and improving customer experience, not media. That's the finding of a just-completed study released this morning by the World Federation of Advertisers, which will present the findings to its executive committee Tuesday. In fact, the word "media" is used only once in the 899-word release announcing the findings, and that was cited as part of the study asking marketers which teams were most involved in setting their AI strategies. Of the six departments cited in the research, media ranked fourth behind marketing teams, legal teams and insights teams, and just ahead of policy/corporate affairs and sourcing (see above). "We need to review the opportunities and challenges through the prism of all business functions," WFA CEO Stephan Loerke said in a statement included with the announcement. So far, media doesn't seem to be among the most pressing business functions, according to the study. advertisement advertisement The most immediate internal gains cited by respondents were: Improved productivity and efficiency (89%) Reduced costs (76%) Improved creativity (46%) The biggest risks cited by respondents were: Data protection/privacy (77%) IP/copyright (77%) Brand safety/adjacency (71%) by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, September 25, 2023 Gentlechildren, start your engines. Mattel is rolling out Challenge Accepted, a new campaign for its Hot Wheels segment. With a message aimed as much at parents as it is at kids, the new work focuses on the key elements of resilience, urging kids to try, fail, repeat, grow. The campaign, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, starts with a spot focusing on one frustrated but determined kid trying to make a looped track that lets his Hot Wheels car stick the landing. This campaign reframes Hot Wheels as more than just fun, but also a catalyst for kids to develop the grit they need to take on challenges both on and off the track, the company said in its announcement. The new effort comes as a way for the El Segundo, California-based company to continue to look for avenues to accelerate sales for the Hot Wheels franchise. Despite some industrywide softness and a dip in Mattels overall sales, market research company Circana reports that Hot Wheels' market share grew last quarter. In its most recent quarterly earnings, Mattel reported a 10% increase in vehicle sales, driven primarily by Hot Wheels. And in a conference call for investors, company executives say they expect Hot Wheels to notch its sixth record year advertisement advertisement But, as evidenced by the mega-smash status of its Barbie movie, Mattel is taking a much broader approach to brand sales. In addition to sales of the physical toys, it is readying the launch of Hot Wheels Racerverse, a new character-driven play system. And this fall, the company will introduce Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, a sequel to its digital game. Adult-themed TV is also part of the growth equation. In addition to The Barbie Dream House Challenge, a home makeover competition series hosted by Ashley Graham, running on HGTV, Mattel has high hopes for The Hot Wheels Ultimate Challenge. The reality series launched in May and ranks as a top NBC alternative series to launch on Peacock. by Erik Oster , September 25, 2023 To introduce its new visual identity, Diageos Tequila Don Julio is rolling out its largest global campaign in the brands history. The campaign kicked off with a cinematic, fast-paced anthem spot entitled A Love Letter to Mexico. Shot entirely across various locations in Mexico, the 60-second ad was created as a celebration of the country, its culture and its people, according to a brand statement. The campaign is initially running in markets including the U.S. Canada and Mexico, and will be supported by a comprehensive global marketing effort across channels including OOH, paid media, social, digital, PR, and event marketing. To bring the message and new visual identity to life, the brand collaborated with creative agency Anomaly, as well as a series of Mexican artists and creators. JC Molina -- the production designer behind Beyonces Lemonade -- makes his directorial debut with Por Amor, working in collaboration with co-director Leanne Amann. advertisement advertisement As a Mexican American artist I have always felt inspired by my culture, Molina said in a statement. To be asked to film a love letter to mi Mexico, as my directorial debut, has been an honor and a great privilege. Other artists with whom the brand collaborated include Mexico City-based cinematographer Flavia Martinez, stylist Nayeli De Alba, and Mexican-American photographer Thalia Gochez, whose work capturing the culture of modern Mexico is at the heart of the brands OOH campaign. Music for the anthem ad was remixed by Lao of Mexico City record label NAAFI & The Elements. Weve been a leader in defining luxury tequila and its culture. As we continue to share our love for tequila making with the world, we are once again defining what it means to be at the forefront of the category by partnering with Mexican creatives who demonstrate the same unparalleled drive to live Por Amor, Diageo North America Senior Vice President of Tequila Christina Choi said in a statement. Don Julio was a highlight in Diageos earnings report of preliminary results for the fiscal year, reporting 20% global growth for the brand. The company is the global tequila leader by retail sales, according to Diageo CEO Debra Crew, speaking during the investor relations call accompanying the report. New Frontier in Understanding Androgenetic Alopecia Advertisement Cracking the Code of Male Hair Loss Analysis of 72,469 UK Biobank exomes links rare variants to male-pattern hair loss - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41186-w) The analyses identified five significantly associated genes, and further corroborated genes implicated in previous research. The results have now been published in the prestigious scientific journalMale-pattern hair loss is the most common form of hair loss in men and is largely attributable to hereditary factors. Current treatment options and risk prediction are suboptimal, thus necessitating research into the genetic underpinnings of the condition.To date, studies worldwide have focused primarily on common genetic variants, and have implicated more than 350 genetic loci, in particular the androgen receptor gene, which is located on the maternally inherited X chromosome In contrast, the contribution to this common condition of rare genetic variants has traditionally been assumed to be low. However, systematic analyses of rare variants have been lacking."Such analyses are more challenging as they require large cohorts, and the genetic sequences must be captured base by base, e.g., through genome or exome sequencing of affected individuals," explained first author Sabrina Henne, who is a doctoral student at the Institute of Human Genetics at the UKB and the University of Bonn.The statistical challenge lies in the fact that"That is why we apply gene-based analyses that first collapse variants based on the genes in which they are located," explained corresponding author PD Dr. Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, who is a research group leader at the Institute of Human Genetics at the UKB at the University of Bonn.Among other methods, the Bonn researchers used a type of sequence kernel association test (SKAT), which is a popular method for detecting associations with rare variants, as well as GenRisk, which is a method developed at the Institute of Genomic Statistics and Bioinformatics (IGSB) at the UKB and the University of Bonn.The research involved the analysis of genetic sequences from 72,469 male UK Biobank participants. Within this extensive data set, Bonn geneticists, together with researchers from the IGSB and the Center for Human Genetics at the University Hospital Marburg, examined rare gene variants that occur in less than one percent of the population.Using modern bioinformatic and statistical methods, they foundBefore the analyses, EDA2R and WNT10A were already considered candidate genes, as based on previous analyses of common variants."Our study provides further evidence that these two genes play a role and that this occurs through both common and rare variants," explained Dr. Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach.Similarly, HEPH is located in a genetic region that has already been implicated by common variants, namely the EDA2R/Androgen receptor, which is a region that has consistently shown the strongest association with male-pattern hair loss in past association studies."However, HEPH itself has never been considered as a candidate gene. Our study suggests that it may also play a role," explained Sabrina Henne."The genes CEPT1 and EIF3F are located in genetic regions that have not yet been associated with male-pattern hair loss. They are thus entirely new candidate genes, and we hypothesize that rare variants within these genes contribute to the genetic predisposition. HEPH, CEPT1, and EIF3F represent highly plausible new candidate genes, given their previously described role in hair development and growth."Furthermore, the results of the study suggest thatmay also play a role in the development of male-pattern hair loss.The researchers hope that the puzzle pieces they have discovered will improve understanding of the causes of hair loss, and thus facilitate reliable risk prediction and improved treatment strategies.The research was supported by funding from the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn. Prof. Dr. Markus Nothen, Director of the Institute of Human Genetics at UKB and co-author of the study, is a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) "Life and Health" at the University of Bonn.Source: Eurekalert The Justice Department is fighting a federal judge's decision to dismiss the court-martial sentence of former Staff Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, asking the U.S. District Court of Washington to "leave intact the orders of the military courts." Bergdahl's conviction and sentence, which included a dishonorable discharge, monetary fine and demotion to private, should be preserved, the Justice Department has argued in court filings. Bergdahl's attorneys have also asked in court that the decision handed down by Senior Judge Reggie Walton on July 25 be altered or amended. In July, Walton ruled in favor of Bergdahl's argument that the military judge in his case failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest, and then Walton vacated all orders and rulings issued by the judge, Col. Jeffery Nance, when Bergdahl pleaded guilty in 2017 to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Read Next: What A Government Shutdown Looks Like for the Military Bergdahl's attorneys have asked Walton to reconsider a ruling that there was no unlawful command influence by former President Donald Trump -- in light of his ruling that the Army judge in Bergdahl's court-martial failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest. Nance was asked on Oct. 17, 2017, when Bergdahl pleaded guilty whether he had any reasons why he might not be impartial in the case. He said at the time that he was a "terminal colonel" and that he wasn't heading anywhere but "to retirement pastures." But Nance had, in fact, just applied for a position as a federal immigration judge. Bergdahl, a former member of 1st Battalion, 501st Regiment, walked away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban, triggering a military search. He was held captive for five years before being released in a prisoner swap for five U.S. detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 2021, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces upheld Bergdahl's court-martial and conviction on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The following year, Bergdahl filed a suit in civilian court arguing he was denied a fair trial as a result of his judge's failure to disclose future employment aspirations as an immigration judge in the Trump administration. He also alleged that the case was influenced unlawfully by Trump and the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who both made public disparaging remarks about him prior to the proceedings. In July, Walton ruled that no unlawful command influence had taken place, but he upheld Bergdahl's argument that Nance failed to disclose the potential. In his decision, Walton heavily cited as precedent a case in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in which a military judge also failed to disclose his application for a civilian immigration judicial post. In their argument to uphold Bergdahl's court-martial, Justice Department attorneys argued that the Guantanamo case, which resulted in that judge's decisions across four years being voided, was nothing like the Bergdahl case and instead should be held to different standards. The department claims that Bergdahl pleaded guilty and requested his sentence, and that the case had come to its rightful conclusion in a trusted court of law -- the military court system. Bergdahl's attorneys are arguing that the unlawful command influence issue be reconsidered, because Nance misled him by claiming he was unaffected by any comments by senior officials, including Trump, raising the question as to whether he could have been counted on to rule impartially as a result of his pending job application. The Justice Department also has asked that if Walton decides to uphold his decision to vacate Bergdahl's conviction, that he clarify that the case be allowed to be sent back to the military court system for another court-martial. Bergdahl's attorneys argued against the request, noting Bergdahl has been a civilian for more than two years, endured 14 years of his legal case and five years of brutality in captivity of the Taliban. "At the moment, he stands convicted in the court of public opinion, out of the mouth of the President of the United States, as a traitor -- the uniquely infamous category that includes Tokyo Rose, Axis Sally, and a handful of other turncoats over the course of American history. This is tremendously unfair," his attorneys wrote in court documents. Given the complexity of the case, a decision by Walton is not expected for months. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Related: Veterans in Congress Press for Bowe Bergdahl to Be Retried After Sentenced Was Dismissed The Navy fired the commander of one of its ballistic missile submarines on Friday, the service announced in a statement Monday. The commanding officer of the USS Alabama sub's blue crew -- Cmdr. Michael Lyle -- was relieved by Rear Adm. Nicholas Tilbrook, the commander of Submarine Group 9, "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command," the Navy said. Lyle has become at least the eighth Navy commander to be removed from command this year and the first ballistic missile submarine skipper to be publically relieved in recent history. Read Next: A Suicidal Veteran Texted the VA Crisis Line. A Responder Didn't Send Help, and Minutes Later the Veteran Was Dead.: The Navy's statement did not offer any more information about why Lyle was removed from leadership, outside of the usual remark that the service expects its commanders "to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards." Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokeswoman for the commander of the Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, told Military.com in a phone interview that the relief was not due to misconduct. Senior officers of ballistic missile submarines like Lyle are subject to even further scrutiny since ships like the Alabama can carry up to 20 Trident II D5 ballistic missiles and they are considered a critical part of America's nuclear deterrent. The Pentagon's Nuclear Weapons Personnel Reliability Program -- a series of security and medical screenings for individuals with access to nuclear weapons -- classifies the position as "critical." Other positions in the military that share the same classification are nuclear bomber crews and missile silo personnel. According to Lyle's official biography, he was commissioned in the Navy in 2004 and served aboard the USS Houston and USS Buffalo, both attack submarines, before moving to ballistic missile submarines as the executive officer of the USS Louisiana in 2017. Lyle took command of the submarine's blue crew in August 2022. The boat is homeported in Bangor, Washington, but was in the shipyard as of last summer. It is not clear if the submarine has since left the yards and returned to an operational state. Each Navy ballistic submarine has two sets of crews -- blue and gold. They take turns manning the submarines and taking them on patrol. According to the Navy, "this maximizes the [submarine]'s strategic availability, reduces the number of submarines required to meet strategic requirements, and allows for proper crew training, readiness, and morale." During his career, Lyle completed three strategic deterrent patrols, four Western Pacific deployments as well as "nine missions vital to national security" and an Afghanistan deployment where he was "the leader of a Navy postal platoon responsible for the mail mission in three provinces," his biography said. The Navy said that the deputy commodore of Commander, Submarine Squadron 17, Cmdr. Larry Arbuckle, has stepped in as the submarine's interim commanding officer. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on X at @ktoropin. Related: Navy Commander Who Headed East Coast Maintenance Center Is Fired After Loss of Confidence KYIV, Ukraine The missile strike that blasted the Crimean headquarters of Russia's navy last week killed 34 officers, including the fleet commander, Ukraine said Monday, though it provided no evidence to support its claim. Ukraine's Special Operation Forces said on the Telegram messaging app that its strike on the main building of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol had wounded 105 people. The claims could not independently be verified and are vastly different from what Russia has reported. Russia's military announced the attack on the building and initially said one serviceman was killed but later said the person was not killed but missing. Moscow has provided no further updates. The Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine 20 months ago. Crimea has served as the key hub supporting the invasion. Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea in recent weeks while the brunt of its summer counteroffensive makes slow gains in the east and south of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said. It followed Friday's attack with another barrage on Saturday. The new death and casualty figures are a steep increase from what Ukraines intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Voice of America on Saturday when he said at least nine people were killed and 16 others wounded in the attack that left the building smoldering. He also said Alexander Romanchuk, a Russian general commanding forces along the key southeastern front line, was in a very serious condition." The new report indicates that the fleet's chief, Adm. Viktor Sokolov, was also killed, though no supporting evidence was offered. He was not named in the statement by the Special Operation Forces, but Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine posted his name and a photo on social media. Ukraines military also offered more details about Fridays attack. It said the air force conducted 12 strikes on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, targeting areas where personnel, military equipment and weapons were concentrated. It said that two anti-aircraft missile systems and four Russian artillery units were hit. The casualty figures were announced as Russian drone and missile strikes near Odesa damaged an abandoned hotel, a grain silo and killed two people who were buried in the rubble of a grain warehouse in the Black Sea port city, Ukrainian officials said. Russian attacks elsewhere were blamed for killing six other civilians in the past day in Ukraine. Ukraine's air force reported downing all Russian drones launched overnight, but one of 12 Kalibr missiles and two P-800 Oniks cruise missiles apparently made it past air defenses. Russia has continuously targeted port and grain storage facilities in Odesa since pulling out of a wartime deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports to countries facing the threat of hunger. The attacks have destroyed silos, warehouses, oil terminals and other infrastructure critical for storage and shipping. The Russian Defense Ministry said long-range missiles and drones were used to strike facilities that it alleged had housed foreign mercenaries and trained saboteurs. The ministry didn't name locations or provide other specifics to support its claim. It also said it downed several Ukrainian drones. The attacks came as independent U.N.-backed human rights experts said they found new evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces and as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the arrival of the first Abrams tanks sent by the U.S. that could figure in their slow-moving summer counteroffensive The U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said it found evidence of crimes committed by both sides in the war, but far more by Russians, including instances of torture, some of it fatal, and rape of women as old as 83. It said it was also looking into allegations that Russian forces committed genocide. Zelenskyy thanked allies on Telegram for their support in announcing the anticipated arrival of the tanks. He didn't say how many tanks had arrived, but the U.S. has said it was sending 31 tanks. In other fighting, Russian forces also dropped bombs and launched six heavy artillery strikes on southern Ukraine's Kherson region, destroying a school and factory and damaging residential buildings. Three of the deaths reported by the Ukrainian president's office were in the region: three people were killed and two others were injured by bombs that hit the city of Beryslav. A man was killed in the neighboring village of Lvove. In eastern Ukraine, Russians attacked residential areas of 10 cities and villages in the Donetsk region, killing two people in the village of Zarichne, according to the presidential office. During fighting in southeast Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian army carried out five airstrikes on Orikhiv, a small city, and its surrounding area. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed three Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region of Russia and three others over the Bryansk region early Monday. It also reported that three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region. Kursk Gov. Roman Starovoit said a downed drone over the center of the city of Kursk damaged the roof of an administrative building and several private houses and shattered windows in an apartment building. Starovoit said there were no injuries. A day earlier, a Ukrainian drone damaged the roof of an administrative building in Kursk that some Ukrainian and Russian media reported housed the offices of the Federal Security Service, Russias main domestic security agency. Bryansk Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said the drones caused no casualties, but Ukrainian rockets damaged a farm building and killed cattle. During the drone attack, Russian authorities delayed or diverted several flights at Moscows airports. The Defense Ministry said five other Ukrainian drones were also shot down over Crimea and the Black Sea. ___ Associated Press journalists Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report. TODAY: The Reds have released Kevin Newman, the team announced. He is now a free agent. SEPTEMBER 25: The Reds have reinstated Kevin Newman from the injured list and designated the utility infielder for assignment, the team announced. The 30-year-old had been nursing an oblique strain since mid-August. Across 74 games in his first season with Cincinnati, Newman played all four infield positions, providing valuable depth to a Reds team that has dealt with its fair share of injuries. While his offensive numbers were underwhelming (.253/.311/.364), they were almost identical to his career stat line, so its not as if he underperformed expectations. However, with a glut of infielders on the active roster, the Reds no longer had a role for Newman to play. Joey Votto, Jonathan India, and Nick Senzel are healthy, and rookies Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand have all earned spots on the big league roster. Matt McLain is nearing his return from the injured list as well. Cincinnati now has an open spot on the 40-man roster, so the team could be planning an additional move before tomorrows game against the Guardians. The Reds acquired Newman this past offseason in a trade with the Pirates, sending relief pitcher Dauri Moreta to Pittsburgh. The right-hander has performed well this season in a middle-relief role, posting a 4.02 ERA and 3.45 SIERA in 51 appearances. Cincinnati will have to place Newman on waivers in the coming days, but with less than a week to go in the regular season, its highly unlikely he will get claimed. If indeed he passes through waivers, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues in favor of free agency. #Peru: #CIDH expresa preocupacion por investigacion contra la Junta Nacional de Justicia y llama al respeto del debido proceso.#DerechosHumanos ???? https://t.co/YlxBW9WW97 pic.twitter.com/j6LkRKg5Wh ANN ARBOR, MI -- All three men accused in an Ann Arbor crime spree last week now have been arraigned. Shawn Hastings, 20, was arraigned before Magistrate Elisha Fink in the 15th District Court on Saturday, Sept. 23, on charges of armed robbery, attempted first degree home invasion, malicious destruction of personal property more than $1,000 but less than $20,000, and resisting a police officer. Gabriel Escobar, 18, was arraigned before Fink on the same day on charges of armed robbery, attempted home invasion first degree and resisting a police officer. A third suspect, identified as 22-year-old Christian Benitez-Reyes of Ypsilanti, was arraigned Friday, Sept. 22, on charges of armed robbery, attempted home invasion, fleeing and eluding and one count of resisting and obstructing a police officer. Benitez-Reyes last name was previously reported as Reyes. Read more: Man accused of Ann Arbor armed robbery given $2M bond, third suspect arrested The three men were charged in connection with a crime spree Thursday, Sept. 21, Ann Arbor police responded around 2:15 a.m. to the 200 block of South Main Street for a report of an armed robbery. Two women, ages 33 and 29, were standing on the sidewalk when a vehicle driving north on South Main Street turned around and parked nearby, police said, adding that two people then got out of the car, one armed with a long gun and the other wearing a ski mask and armed with a knife. One of the suspects then demanded cash from the women, police said, adding that upon receiving cash from them, the suspects walked back to the vehicle and drove away. The women were not harmed, police said. Read more: 2 men arrested after armed robbery, attempted home invasion in Ann Arbor Roughly three minutes later, police said officers saw a vehicle at a gas station on Main Street that matched the description provided by the women. The passenger in the vehicle was also wearing a ski mask, police said. The vehicle fled west on West William Street, pursued by officers, before crashing at Allmendinger Park, 655 Pauline Boulevard, police said. Two male suspects fled the scene on foot, while one remained on scene, police said. The suspect, later identified as Hastings, was taken to University of Michigan Hospital, police said, adding that officers also found a rifle on scene. At roughly 4:30 a.m., police said officers spotted a man walking south on South Main Street. The man, identified later as Benitez-Reyes, was recognized as one of the suspects and arrested, police said. All three men are currently being held in the Washtenaw County Jail, each on a $2-million bond. They are set to appear in court on Thursday, Oct. 5. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page, the Ypsilanti-area news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: Former Washtenaw County school volunteer sentenced to prison for sexual assault 13 fans ejected from Michigan Stadium in Wolverines win over Rutgers Closures coming to I-94, Liberty Road as overpass repairs continue WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI A man charged with sexually assaulting a minor in Ypsilanti more than four years ago has been sentenced to prison. Washtenaw County Trial Judge Arianne Slay sentenced Levi Jabari Gardner, Aug. 14, to serve six to 20 years in prison on multiple felony charges after he pleaded no contest to sexual assault, court records show. Spanning three criminal cases, Gardner, 24, pleaded no contest to one count each of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a relationship, second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor younger than age 13, accosting a child for immoral purposes, aggravated indecent exposure and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. In pleading no contest, Gardners additional charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor younger than 13, second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor younger than 13, fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and accosting a child for immoral purposes were dismissed. Related: Child molestation suspect heads to trial on three sexual assault cases Gardner was arrested by Ypsilanti police and arraigned Sept. 10, 2019, on multiple criminal sexual assault charges for allegedly sexually abusing a then 10-year-old girl in 2016, court records show. Two additional sexual assault cases were opened against Gardner on Oct. 2, 2019, for incidents alleged to have occurred in June 2018 and June 2019, records show. He was bound over for trial on all three cases after waiving his preliminary examinations. Prior to charges being filed, Gardner was a volunteer in February and March 2019 at the Perry Early Learning Center in Ypsilanti as part of the Perry EMU Bright Futures program, and a student program instructor at the school in April and May 2019. University officials stated there were no reported incidents, complaints or allegations made about Gardner during his time in the program, in which he is no longer employed. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page, the Ypsilanti-area news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. More from The Ann Arbor News: Dexter barbecue spot closes, Olgas Kitchen is in the Big House and other Washtenaw County business news Drivers should prepare for more I-94, U.S. 127 closures Closures coming to I-94, Liberty Road as overpass repairs continue ANN ARBOR, MI -- A man charged in the death of an Ann Arbor community leader will soon face trial on a felony murder charge. Ricky McCain, 54, was bound over to Washtenaw Countys 22nd Circuit Court Monday, Sept. 25, on a charge of felony murder during a hearing before Judge Cedric Simpson. He was also bound over on charges of first-degree home invasion and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration. During the hearing, Simpson removed the open murder charge from the case, adding the felony murder charge instead. McCain has been charged in the death of Jude Walton, 51, who was found dead in her home in April, after Ann Arbor police said they were called to do a well-being check at her home in the 200 block of Chapin Street where there was evidence of a break-in. Read more: Jude Walton, slain Ann Arbor community leader, remembered for welcoming spirit Originally from London, Walton moved to Ann Arbor more than two decades ago. In 1995, she co-founded Zingermans Mail Order, the shipping arm of the popular Ann Arbor deli. She worked for Avalon Housing, a nonprofit dedicated to developing affordable housing, at the time of her death. Walton died of strangulation, Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Blanch confirmed. Video evidence shown during the preliminary hearing showed McCain entering Waltons home. Walton could also be heard yelling. We believe she tried to fight off the defendant; told him get out of here, get off of me, Blanch said. Read more: Records detail slaying of Ann Arbor woman Jude Walton DNA evidence of both Walton and McCain were found on a condom at the scene, Blanch said. McCain was arraigned in 14A-1 District Court on charges of open murder, first-degree home invasion and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration on April 17. He was deemed competent to stand trial during a hearing before Simpson on Thursday, Aug. 3. McCain will next appear in court on Tuesday, Nov. 7 before Judge Carol Kuhnke. He is currently being held in Washtenaw County Jail without bond. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page, the Ypsilanti-area news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: Zingermans Roadhouse celebrates 20 years of bringing comfort food to Ann Arbor 3 men now arraigned in Ann Arbor robbery, attempted home invasion Former Washtenaw County school volunteer sentenced to prison for sexual assault FLINT, MI Prosecutors on Monday said they extended a plea offer that would include a sentence agreement of 10-30 years in prison to a Flint man accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy while knowing he was HIV-positive. Genesee County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Patrick McCombs on Sept. 25 told District Court Judge Jennifer J. Manley that his office had offered the agreement to the attorney for John Dushan Cole on Friday. The agreement was broached in part because prosecutors were trying to get through the case without putting the victim, now 16, on the stand to testify. Our complainant in this case of 16 years old, McCombs said. And recognizing that I have no great desire to put on a 16-year-old minor based on my understanding of the facts of this case I did undertake plea negotiations with a little more earnestness. But Michael Trescone, Coles attorney, said his client rejected the deal when it was discussed with him and sought to proceed with the preliminary examination scheduled for Monday. Related: HIV-positive Flint man accused of sex crimes competent to stand trial, judge rules Cole, 55, is charged with 12 felony counts, including three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct a charge punishable by life in prison. The plea offer made to Cole on the record Monday included amending one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct to third-degree CSC, a 15-year felony. It also called for keeping one count of aggravated manufacturing of criminal sexually abusive material a 25-year felony and four pleas to misdemeanor counts. Cole was charged in May after the victims mother went to the Genesee County Sheriffs Office to report that she believed her son had been sexually assaulted, according to testimony provided Monday. MLive/The Flint Journal does not identify victims of sexual assault. She had very strong beliefs that her son had been persuaded to engage in sexual activities as a 15-year-old with an older male, said Genesee County Sheriffs Deputy Jordan Welch. While investigating Cole, the county sheriffs office previously said digital evidence was discovered that may mean there are additional victims. He is alleged to have befriended the victim, offered him money and gifts, and took him to events before allegedly assaulting him. Cole later allegedly sent the boy text messages and a photo of cash, saying he would provide him with money but, You got to do your part, according to police. Cole, who officials said has several aliases, was released from a Michigan prison about one year ago after serving more than five years behind bars for crimes including sexual intercourse with specific intent or reckless disregard to infect with HIV, according to Michigan State Police records. He was charged with two counts of sexual penetration with an uninformed partner, a four-year felony, in 2012. Four months later, while hospitalized and attached to an electronic tether, he was arraigned again on additional charges that he had sex while in the hospital without telling his partner that he was HIV-positive. Former Sheriff Robert Pickell alleged then that he may have had unprotected sex with as many as 50 people, according to MLive/The Flint Journal files. Genesee County health and police officials said then that Cole used multiple aliases and websites to find sexual partners after learning in 1995 that he was infected with HIV. The two sets of charges resulted in his conviction for sexual intercourse with specific intent or reckless disregard to infect with HIV on Dec. 19, 2016. According to MSP records, he was also convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1987, serving 16 months in prison. Mondays court hearing would ultimately be adjourned to October, as prosecutors did not subpoena the victim to testify. Cole remains jailed on a $75,000 cash/surety bond. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. Read more at The Flint Journal: HIV-positive Flint man charged again with sex crimes. This time, the victim is a child HIV-positive Flint man used websites to find sex partners, never told them about condition, authorities allege HIV-positive Flint man again accused of having sex without telling partner HOLLAND, MI -The state Court of Appeals rejected Holland restaurant owner Marlena Pavlos-Hackneys challenges to her food-license suspension for ignoring orders to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was jailed five days, fined and her restaurant, Marlenas Bistro & Pizzeria, was ultimately closed for five months. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A woman who drove into an icy pond while under the influence of methadone, killing her three young boys, told a judge that her life is a nightmare. I hate myself so much, Leticia Gonzales said Monday, Sept. 25, in Ottawa County Circuit Court. They were the reason that being their mom was all I ever wanted. I rehabbed for them but my reality is just a nightmare. In a tearful statement, she asked for mercy but said she accepted responsibility. She wanted her boys - Jerome III, 4, Jeremiah, 3, and Josiah, 1 - to know she loved them. Ive been sentenced to life without them, she said. Judge Jon Hulsing sentenced her to two to five years in prison, the maximum under advisory sentencing guidelines. Related: Mom jailed in crash that killed her 3 young boys He said she did not intend to harm her children but knew she put them in danger by taking a dose of methadone at a clinic, then buying another dose from an acquaintance. This was not a one-time situation that you succumbed to pressure. This seems to be a pattern. A long-term pattern of placing your children at risk. Methadone is used for treatment of drug addiction and pain. Leticia Gonzales is sentenced Monday, Sept. 25, in Ottawa County Circuit Court in a crash that killed her three young boys. (John Agar|MLive) Leticia Gonzales pleaded no contest to operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, a potential five-year felony, and three misdemeanor charges of moving violation causing death. The crash happened around 11 a.m. Feb. 17, 2022, on James Street near 112th Avenue in Holland Township. Related: Mom withdraws plea in crash that killed her 3 boys after judge rejects plea deal Gonzales was driving west on James when her 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe veered off the left side of the road, jumped a curb and went into an ice-covered retention bond. Gonzales was able to get out but her boys were trapped inside and had to be freed by rescuers. She repeatedly apologized to family, friends, the community - during the sentencing hearing. She said the loss is indescribable. She is depressed and has flashbacks every day. She failed her children, she said. I would like my boys to know that Im sorry for the bottom of my heart and they can forgive me. I will always love my boys. Read more: New Mexican bakery opens in Ottawa County Driver who fled traffic stop with state trooper hanging from car arrested Jury seated in trial for man accused of womans 1996 Grand Rapids killing New, personalized fitness gym opening in Grand Rapids JACKSON COUNTY, MI A Jackson man out on parole for robbing Jackson banks in 2001 and 2007 has been arrested on bank robbery charges again. Thomas Carl Pryor was arraigned Monday, Sept. 25, on bank robbery charges in connection with the robbery of several banks in Jackson County, according to the Jackson County Prosecutors Office. SUMMIT TOWNSHIP, MI State police are asking for help collecting visual evidence relating to a traffic stop that led to a state troopers hospitalization Sunday, Sept. 24. A trooper at about 9 a.m. pulled over a maroon Chrysler 300 for a traffic stop in Summit Township, about 5 miles southwest of Jackson, state police reported on the social media site, X, formerly known as Twitter. An altercation occurred and the suspect was able to get back in his vehicle while the trooper was attempting to take the man into custody, the post stated. The driver then took off at a high rate of speed with the trooper hanging out the driver side window for nearly one mile before the law enforcer broke loose from the moving Chrysler, state police reported. The trooper was hospitalized for minor injuries and released. The search for the driver remains ongoing. One hitch in the search: The troopers body camera fell off during the confrontation, removing potentially key evidence from the investigation, state police reported. State police in the X post asked residents in the neighborhood to check your Ring cameras for footage related to the incident, the post stated. Also please check your property and the area for any police equipment, such as body-worn camera that may have fallen off or been thrown out of the vehicle by the suspect, the X post stated. The confrontation happened in the area of Cooper, High and Elm streets. Individuals with information can contact the state polices Jackson post at (517) 780-4580. ??#PeruRumboAlaOCDE! Aqui te explicamos cuando iniciamos este proceso y como vamos avanzando. ?? pic.twitter.com/1RpBustk1g Trustee Shani Penn listens to a WMU football player speak during the WMU Trustee board meeting on Jan. 24, 2017 at Heritage Hall. This was the first trustee meeting of the new year. (Carly Geraci | MLive.com) Kalamazoo GazetteKalamazoo Gazette Leaders of Michigans second-largest utility said they intend to build an almost hurricane strength power grid after the last four years brought climate change-fueled storms with the strongest, most damaging winds of the last two decades. Consumers Energy officials on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, said they will file with state regulators a new five-year plan to improve reliability for their nearly 2 million electric ratepayers. This comes amid months even years of heavy criticism from among Michiganders, government officials, and politicians after lengthy power outages repeatedly left large swaths of Michigan in the dark after bad storms. Ambitious new goals in the utilitys plan are that no customer be without power for more than 24 hours and no outage affect more than 100,000 customers. Theyre actually the most aggressive goals weve set as a utility on our electric system, said Tonya Berry, the companys senior vice president of transformation and engineering. Utility officials said the company would ramp up tree trimming, infrastructure upgrades, and technology improvements, as well as burying more power lines in areas with heavy forest canopies. Workers will annually trim trees along 7,000 miles of line and system engineers will inspect more than 25,000 each year. New fuse systems and automatic transfer reclosers will be installed and are expected to limit how widespread outages become. And $1 billion will be invested into power poles designed to withstand wind speeds upwards of 100 mph. Related: Michigan regulators may tie utility earnings to grid reliability in straw proposal We are preparing a grid that is almost hurricane strength as part of this roadmap, said Greg Salisbury, Consumers Energys vice president of electric distribution engineering. The companys announcement comes after the Michigan Public Service Commission last month said agency leaders are considering a straw proposal that would tie utility earnings to grid reliability. State utility regulators said they are concerned about the length of time it takes Consumers Energy and DTE Electric to restore power after outages and the large numbers of customers who have repeat power losses each year. Now leadership at Consumers Energy says the intensity of extreme weather events in recent years requires a change in tactics and faster upgrades. Salisbury said technology for building underground lines recently improved to a degree that dollar for dollar, buried lines provide better reliability and resilience than those on traditional utility poles in certain heavily forested areas. The company intends to target another 5,000 miles of line to bury to address places with the biggest reliability problems. Previously, utilities said burying powerlines wasnt cost effective. Related: Burying power lines, trimming more trees may improve Michigans failure-prone electric grid, experts say We now can say that the cost of underground in a rural, single-phase line is par with the cost of hardening our above ground and then doing the tree trimming that has to be done each year, he said during Mondays press conference at the utilitys Grand Rapids service center. Undergrounding more powerlines is a method one Michigan resident encouraged when he spoke last month during a grid reliability listening tour stop in Pleasant Ridge hosted by state Rep. Helena Scott, D-Detroit. The event drew a standing room-only crowd. Jarvis Byrd of Redford, Michigan, spoke about the states frail electricity grid, arguing it not only fails to serve people today, but will only become more problematic in the future. We have to bury all of this, and we need a sense of urgency with this, Byrd said on Aug. 30, at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center. Cant wait five years. Cant wait 10 years. We needed to start yesterday. Michigans utilities in recent years struggled to keep the power on as climate change intensifies, bringing increasingly strong summertime thunderstorms and winter ice storms and blizzards. Utility data shows strong winds, fallen branches, and toppled trees are more often knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents, sometimes for days on end. In July, Michigan received a nearly $15 million federal grant to improve the power grid and reduce the impacts of extreme weather on the system. MARQUETTE, MI A unique Upper Peninsula fishing opportunity is approaching. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says its planning to stock some adult arctic grayling in Upper Peninsula lakes to make room in its hatchery system for an expanding bloodstock which is being raised as part of a species reintroduction program. The stocking numbers wont be large, but they will nonetheless offer anglers an opportunity to hook a fish that hasnt populated Michigan waters in nearly a century. The 2019 year-class of arctic grayling are starting to mature and we can only maintain so many of them per raceway as they get bigger, and so we need to move some out of those systems, said Jay Wesley, Lake Michigan basin coordinator for the DNR fisheries division. Our idea is that well stock adult grayling in certain lakes, which would create kind of an instant fishery, Wesley said. To that end, the DNR has asked the state Natural Resources Commission to amend state law to allow anglers to catch-and-release grayling, which is currently prohibited. Harvesting the fish would remain illegal. The commission may take up the change at its October meeting. The actual stocking could place in late fall or this winter. Wesley said the total number of artic grayling that would be stocked and the lakes which will receive the fish are still being determined. More details will be announced. A ballpark figure is a few hundred fish, he said. The fish are about 10 to 12 inches in length. The DNR is eyeing lakes which are less than 50 acres in size and which are close to the Marquette State Fish Hatchery, where the grayling are being raised. A couple examples which fit the criteria are Penegor and Peralt lakes in Houghton County, he said. You dont want hundreds of people flocking to these, but we certainly want people to have an opportunity to catch them, Wesley said. Related: More than 9 million fish stocked in 2023 The fishing opportunity comes as the DNR is progressing toward a broad reintroduction of artic grayling in multiple watersheds around northern lower Michigan. The DNR and its conservation partners began the Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative in 2016 to reintroduce the native salmonid back to Michigan after the species was extirpated in the 1930s. The fish are being bred at the Marquette hatchery to produce eggs which the DNR needs to plant in tributaries which, hopefully, the grayling will later return to for spawning. Specific locations for in-stream egg incubators are still being determined, but Wesley said the list of watersheds for the initial reintroductions include the upper Manistee River, the Boardman River, the Maple River, the upper Jordan River and the upper Au Sable River. Overfishing, logging, habitat loss and introduction of non-native trout caused Michigans grayling population to decline around the turn-of-the-century. The state built a hatchery in 1914 to save the species through stocking, but loss continued. By the 1930s, grayling were gone. In the 1980s, the DNR tried unsuccessfully to reintroduce the species by releasing juvenile fish which did not return to introduction sites to spawn. The DNR is raising arctic grayling eggs from Alaska in the Marquette hatchery, where the water source, Cherry Creek, mimics their natural habitat. Wesley said the DNR should have enough broodstock to begin fertilizing fish and putting incubators in the selected streams in 2025. The ultimate goal is to develop a naturally reproducing population. The DNR has a list of roughly 30 different nominated streams for possible incubation sites that might eventually get grayling eggs, received from the public and angler groups. We think the success of the program would be to have adult fish come back to these headwater streams and spawn and be successful and reproduce, he said. Once that happens in certain areas, then we can move egg production and start expanding out to new areas. Its Monday and the United Auto Workers are still on strike. Its Rose White here to recap the current status of the historic autoworkers strike against the Big Three General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis. The strike kicked off at three plants at midnight Friday, Sept. 15 when current contracts expired. Employees at 38 plants have now stopped working as the UAW continues negotiations over pay increases and the wage tier system. A slow moving storm system will inch into the southern half of Michigan over the next several days. There will be some meaningful rain amounts over part of southern Michigan. I wrote about how the atmosphere wants to take on the Omega Block shape as we head into this coming weekend. That blocking pattern developing in the atmosphere is actually also going to slow down a storm moving through Michigan today through Thursday. Because of the slow movement there will be areas of rain rotating through Michigan each day. You might think we cherry-pick which weather computer model to show you. We actually do. The reason is some models are better at forecasting in the short-term as in the next 48 hours. Other weather models are better at forecasting several days out. To give you a feel for the rainy periods and locations across Michigan this week, I have to start with the model that does best in the short-term and then go to the best longer-range model. Todays rain will be a fairly small area moving in an odd direction- from southeast to northwest. The total rainfall forecast for today shows who gets in on showers today. The Saginaw Valley, the Thumb, Flint area, Detroit area and Ann Arbor area will have some showers. The rain will generally be short-lived and less than one-quarter inch. Total rainfall forecast just for today, September 25, 2023 Another swath of rain moving from southeast to northwest is expected Tuesday. This will add more rain to the Saginaw Valley region. The Mount Pleasant area, Cadillac area and even southwest of Traverse City can expect a few showers Tuesday. Several models indicate some half-inch to one-inch rain totals when we include Mondays showers. Total rainfall forecast including Monday, Tuesday and Tuesday night. The highest chance of more widespread rain comes Tuesday afternoon right on through Thursday. This is when the bulk of this slow-moving storm will be positioned to rain on the southern half of Michigan. Below is the total rainfall forecast from now through Thursday evening. Total rainfall forecast out to Thursday evening. Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday should easily have one-half inch of rain across much of the Grand Rapids area, with the heaviest to the south. Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing, Jackson, Ann Arbor and the Detroit area will all get in on substantial soaker rain showers. Id call Wednesday and Thursday wet days for the highly populated part of southern Michigan. The northern half of Lower Michigan will mostly stay dry in that same southern Michigan wet period. There may be a few quick scattered showers over northern Lower Michigan, but nothing that compares to southern Michigans rain. Then the atmosphere really takes on the Omega Block feature. Once that block forms, Michigan goes into an extended period of warm-for-October and mostly dry weather. This warm and mostly dry pattern could last for at least the first 10 days of October. 25.09.2023 LISTEN Ghana's music scene is about to witness a harmonious blend of talent as two gifted artists, Kojo Kinn, and Nii Soul, come together to release their much-anticipated single, "Love." With Kojo Kinn's recent debut single "Be Kind" already making waves and Nii Soul's impressive track record, music enthusiasts can expect nothing short of brilliance when these two join forces. Kojo Kinn, a versatile Ghanaian journalist and musician, made a remarkable entry into the music scene with his maiden single, "Be Kind." His heartfelt lyrics and soulful melodies resonated with listeners, earning him recognition as an emerging artist to watch. Now, he is teaming up with the experienced Ghanaian musician Nii Soul, known for his captivating performances and soul-stirring vocals. Nii Soul's journey in the music industry began with his standout performance as the first runner-up in the second edition of TV3's Mentor reality show. Since then, he has continued to enchant audiences with his rich, soulful voice and genuine passion for music. His collaboration with Kojo Kinn on "Love" promises to be a testament to his unwavering commitment to creating exceptional music. Fans and lovers of good music have every reason to be excited, as "Love" is set to hit all digital streaming platforms on Tuesday, September 26th. The song is poised to be a musical masterpiece, showcasing the unique talents of both Kojo Kinn and Nii Soul. With their combined artistry, listeners can anticipate a track that not only tugs at the heartstrings but also offers a fresh perspective on love and relationships. "Love" is expected to explore the various facets of this complex emotion, from its euphoric highs to its bittersweet lows. The lyrics are likely to be deeply reflective, resonating with anyone who has experienced the joys and challenges of love. Kojo Kinn and Nii Soul's vocal chemistry, complemented by a captivating melody, is bound to make this song an instant favorite. In an industry known for its competitiveness, this collaboration is a testament to the power of artists coming together to create something beautiful. Kojo Kinn and Nii Soul's determination to craft meaningful music that connects with people's hearts is commendable and a breath of fresh air in the music landscape. As the release date of "Love" draws near, fans are encouraged to mark their calendars for September 26th and prepare to embark on a musical journey that promises to be both emotive and unforgettable. With Kojo Kinn and Nii Soul at the helm, "Love" is set to become a timeless addition to the Ghanaian music repertoire, and it's a testament to the thriving talent within the nation's music industry. So, get ready to be serenaded by the enchanting melodies of Kojo Kinn and Nii Soul as they share their musical prowess with the world through "Love." Fella Makafui, Ghanaian actress and wife of rapper Medikal has taken a swipe at people who are calling her a boyfriend snatcher. She said calling her a boyfriend snatcher is old news to her, telling the attackers to move on and get a life. "Still calling me boyfriend snatcher is really old news. Move on and get a life. We dey 2023," she wrote in tweet on Sunday, September 24, though not directed at anyone but seems a jab at Sister Derby. Fella Makafui and Medikal began dating in 2018 shortly after Medikal broke up with his ex- girlfriend, Sister Derby. When news emerged that they were dating, rumors began to fly around that Makafui snatched Medikal away from Sister Derby. The rumors claimed Makafui lured Medikal from Sister Derby to herself. However, during the interview with Hitz FM, Fella Makafui denied the allegations. She explained that she had never spoken with Sister Derby before and did not influence her breakup with Medikal. According to her, the fallout between Medikal and Sister Derby had nothing to do with her and that she only got romantic with Medikal after he parted ways with Sister Derby. But it seems netizens and probably Sister Derby herself, are still attacking the Yolo actress for being a block between Sister Derby and Medikal. 25.09.2023 LISTEN MOG Music, a gospel musician from Ghana, has issued a caution to critics who use often derogatory remarks at people. The gospel musician did not take kindly to some comments made against him regarding the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration. According to the gospel musician, every Ghanaian has a right to express their opinion on matters of national issues however there is a limit they can go. Despite being a Christian, he said during a discussion on United Television that he would not react to insults from persons who are not civil in their comments. I don't take silly comments likely, you can disagree with my opinion but don't insult me. I'm not the average gospel musician, I will slam back when you jab at me. I'm also human when you push me to the wall I will react. I'm from the street, before becoming Christian. I try to control my attitude hence I don't usually respond to such comments but I don't take derogatory comments likely, MOG MUSIC stated. MOG said in a tweet that Ghanaians were partially to blame for the current economic difficulties. The gospel musician's tweet about the just concluded #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest sparked mixed reactions from several online users. Female Afropop and dancehall artiste, Vera Hamenoo-Kpeda, popularly known in the music scene as MzVee, says it's worrying that female artistes enjoy limited airplay. According to her, she cannot point out what the reason could be compared to their male counterparts who are always given unlimited airplay by various media houses. MzVee, whose hit songs such as 'Natural Girl', 'Rewind', 'Borkor Borkor' and 'Come And See My Moda' among others had made a lot of impact on the Ghanaian music scene, was speaking on Accra-based Okay FM. To her, since female artistes are not many, it will be imperative for them to get the needed airplay to keep them afloat and influential in the industry. This thing has been discussed so many times, and some people don't want to accept the fact that it is what it is. Talking about airplay, for example, we already do not have a lot of females in the industry; we are very few and do not get enough airplay. Some do well to play our songs, but the male artistes dominate, she said. MzVee launched her solo career with debut single 'Borkor Borkor', released in January 2014. Her maiden album was released in November 2014, and featured several award-winning artistes such as Stonebwoy, VIP, Shatta Wale, Richie Mensah, M.anifest, and Didier Awadi. The album earned her seven nominations, which included Album of the Year and Record of the Year for the single, 'Abofra', which featured Efya, at the 2016 Ghana Music Awards. MzVee was awarded the Best Female Artiste Honour at the Ghana Music Honours on March 4, 2017. She was also nominated for Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year, Best Female Vocalist, and Artiste of the Year at the 2017 Ghana Music Awards. -Daily Guide Women Organizer of the National Democratic Congress in the Dome-Kwabenya, Samira Sulemana Saabey has lambasted her deputy Women Organizer Patience Quaye for supporting embattled Member of Parliament in the constituency Sarah Adwoa Safo. According to her, the viral video which saw Patience Quaye openly endorsing Sarah Adwoa Safo is shameless. She is calling on the party leadership to condemn her actions and appropriate steps taken. Samira Sulemana Saabey reiterated that she is not astonished by the behaviour of Patience Quaye because of her alleged open hatred for Elikplim Akurugu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Dome-Kwabenya for the 2024 election. She disclosed this in a press conference stating that it is disheartening to witness such actions driven by personal animosity rather than a genuine for the well-being of the party and constituency. According to her, they are not deterred by the actions of Patience Quaye and her group. She added that they are working hard to canvass votes for their candidate Elikplim Akurugu to snatch the seat from NPP in the 2024 election. Samira Sulemana Saabey called on the party leadership to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter to punish everyone who goes against party guidelines. Read the full statement below: Last year, Peru set a record in exports of food, totaling US$9.807 billion, which was a 12.3% increase compared to 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) has reported. Peru remains in first place as a supplier of quinoa and fresh blueberries, grapes and asparagus. Moreover, the South American country is the second largest supplier of processed giant squid, canned artichokes and asparagus, avocados, and Amazonian nuts; as well as the third largest provider of capsicums, frozen mangoes, fan shells, canned palm hearts, Wilkins tangerines, and ginger. In recent years, there has been a sustained increase in Peruvian exports thanks to the 22 international agreements that the country has entered into, which allow around 90% of total shipments to enjoy tariff preferences at export destinations. Expectations Although the world scenario seems a bit complicated this year and the following years, global food imports will continue to rise, which represents a good opportunity for companies in the sector, said Edgar Vasquez, head of the Association of Peruvian Exporters' Global Business and Economy Research Center (Cien-Adex). "The world exceeded 8 billion inhabitants in 2022, so a continuous increase in food imports is expected this year and the following years," he stated. There are a number of global consumer trends in organic foods, whose sales could reach around US$294 billion this year: exports of vegetables totaled US$160 billion, while sales of foods with natural flavors (No artificial colors and no artificial flavors) reached US$18 billion. (END) DOP/SDD/RMB Global imports of food will continue to rise, which is a good opportunity for the exportable supply of companies in the country's food sector.Published: 9/25/2023 Post trained teachers from public teacher training colleges to private schools at the pre-tertiary level, the Proprietress of Obuasi-based Jesus Cares school Dr. Amina Achiaa Asiedu Amoah has said. According to the retired educationist, private schools continue to play significant roles in the development of education in the country hence the need for government to extend support to them. Speaking to the media at the sidelines of the 2nd speech and prize giving day and graduation ceremony, Dr. Asiedu Amoah emphasized that the private schools have chalked tremendous successes over the years amidst some challenges. She noted that they will welcome support from the Ministry of Education by posting trained teachers to undertake their national service in private schools or deploy them on permanent basis. She said through that, the trained teachers can pass on their experience to the private schools. The Proprietress also appealed to government to also provide approved textbooks to the private schools. "It is sometimes difficult to access the approved textbooks to teach the children. This is where government can come in to assist." Speaking on the theme for the celebration "Academic and Moral Excellence towards National Development: the Role of Stakeholders," Dr. Asiedu Amoah said academic excellence is not merely about achieving high grades but it is about nurturing well-rounded individuals who can contribute meaningfully to society. She said stakeholders in the educational system have a duty to play in shaping the educational landscape and fostering an environment conducive to academic excellence. She said the school has chalked enormous successes since it was established in August, 2000. "The school became 2nd in the 54th Independence March past in Obuasi, 1st position in 2027, 1st position in the NCCE quiz in 2023. Our school was again ranked 2nd in the 2010 BECE in the Obuasi Municipality," she stressed. She commended the PTA Executives, management and teachers of the school for their commitment to providing high quality and inclusive education to the students. The Obuasi Municipal Director of Education George Alfred Koomson on his part intimated that it was imperative that premium is also put on the moral aspect of education and not focused only on academics. He added his voice to calls for stakeholders to play their roles effectively to ensure that moral values are instilled in school children. "All the social agents in the society like teachers, school administration, parents, church, mosque and other members of the community need to be vociferous in championing the cause of children to be responsible adults in the society," he emphasised. The occasion saw the graduation of 35 kids who were transitioning from KG2 to Primary 1. The Youth wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the United States of America has expressed concern about the recent incidents of police brutality on demonstrators of OccupyJulorbiHouse. In a statement signed by the US chapter Youth Organizer, Emmanuel Issah Abudu stated that the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are fundamental principles of any democratic society, and it is essential that these rights are upheld and protected. He condemns any use of excessive force or violence by law enforcement agencies against peaceful demonstrators He added that that such actions not only violate the rights of individuals but also undermine the trust between the community and the police. He calls on the authorities in Ghana to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into these incidents and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. It is crucial to ensure that law enforcement agencies are trained in de-escalation techniques and respect for human rights, Emmanuel Issah Abudu stated. All parties involved he said should engage in peaceful dialogue to address the concerns of the demonstrators. The US Youth wing he said stands in solidarity with the people of Ghana and calls for the protection of their rights and freedoms. According to him, the police and the youth must work in togetherness towards a more just and inclusive society where the rule of law is upheld, and the rights of all citizens respected. The General Supervisor of Holywell International School located at Agona Swedru in the Agona West Municipality, Mr. Emmanuel Oheneba Nana Kwesi Tawiah has on behalf of operators of private basic schools made a passionate appeal to the Ministry of Education through the Ghana Education Service to as a matter of urgency reform the school placement system. "One of the major challenges facing private basic institutions in the country is the unfair school placement system because parents have started withdrawing their wards soon after JHS 2 to public basic schools for the reason that they want better schools for their wards. "This system of giving priority to public basic schools over private schools is unfair. It is affecting the population of our schools, especially at the final year JHS 3 students. "These students are all Ghanaians and ought to have their fair share of what they deserve from the nation. They can't be sidelined," he stated. Mr. Emmanuel Oheneba Nana Kwesi Tawiah made this lamentation during the 2nd Annual Graduation Ceremony of Holywell International School at Agona Swedru on Thursday. The General Supervisor expressed the hope that the Ghana Education Service (GES) will forward this appeal to the Government to take a second look at the negative effects of the present school placement system on private basic schools in the country. In his annual report, the General Supervisor disclosed that Holywell International School which was established in 2018 with just two children can now boast of 257 pupils from Nursery to Primary 6. "Our Goal as academic educators is never limited to imparting academic knowledge alone, but to shape our students into responsible global citizens. "Holywell International School always strived for excellence, nurturing young minds and moulding future leaders. We stand as a beacon of innovation and excellence, dedicated to providing a world-class education that prepares our students for the challenges of a rapidly changing world. "We have built a community of passionate educators who are committed to nurturing the potential of every student who walks through our doors. "Every classroom has a private washroom to enhance effective teaching and learning. The school is deeply involved in STEM education so we also have Robotics, Maths and Science and Creative Arts clubs as well as I. T Laboratory to enable our students to be abreast with global education. "Our theme for this year's graduation ceremony is, 'Good Education, a Collective Responsibility' which serves as a reminder that education is not confined to the walls of a classroom or limited to the years spent in school. Education is a lifelong process thus parents have a role to play in their children's education," Nana Tawiah stressed. A lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr. Seth D. Ansah lauded both school authorities and parents for their collective effort to mould the future leaders of the country. He added his voice to the fair school placement system adding that children in private basic institutions have parents who pay taxes as their civil responsibility towards the development of the country, as such their children should benefit from their contribution to national development. According to Dr. Ansah, the best legacy Ghana can leave for its future leaders is quality education. The Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has dismissed the three-day protest organised by the pressure group, Democracy Hub. In a statement, the Youth Organiser of the NPP, Salam Mustapha said I tried so hard in the 3 days of the protest to take home the most salient reason and demand for the protest, but nothing concrete. Except for the usual rhetoric of fix the road, motorway, cost of living and other tangentials, which borders on politics. Mustapha, however, condemned the actions of the police during the first day of the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration on Thursday, September 21. He emphasised the importance of the police in drawing lessons from past events to prevent such occurrences. I followed with keen interest a 3-Day demonstration organised by a group known as Democracy Hub. I want to firstly condemn the action of the police force on the first day of the demonstration. I thought that the barbaric act that was meted on us in September 2015, where we were brutalised, served as a lesson for the police to learn from and never to repeat again but alas. For the records, the right to demonstrate is inalienable and guaranteed by the Constitution. Citizens have the right to protest, albeit peacefully to drum home their demand(s). Responding to the groups demand for better conditions for Ghanaians, Salam Mustapha who admitted that Ghanaians are going through economic difficulties assured the governments efforts of fixing the economy. In conclusion, the gallant youth of this country deserve better. We are in difficulties, no doubt about it. But I can state unequivocally that all young people around the world share similar stories as we do here, though with varying degrees, but sufficiently, theres global stress on us all. I have absolute trust in this government and the efforts underway to get us out of the woods. Lets not forget that Ghana was the fastest growing economy in the world in 2018. This translated into jobs and reduction in some benchmark values, stable cost of living. This government has a track record of fixing and will continue to do so, Salam Mustapha assured. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Accra from Thursday to Saturday for anti-government protests linked to economic hardship that has led to dozens of arrests. Protesters, some waving placards or the Ghanaian flag, decried the high cost of living and a lack of jobs as they marched under the watch of riot police. The gold-, oil- and cocoa-producing nation has been battling its worst economic crisis in a generation brought on by spiralling public debt. 49 protesters were arrested in the process on the first day. A BBC journalist and his cameraman were also picked up, while Metro TV's Bridget Otoo was also roughed up by the police on Thursday. The group on Friday and Saturday continued its protest, with the police barricading them from marching to the Jubilee House. citinewsroom Pressure group Fixing the Country Movement has served notice it would occupy the office of former president Mahama if the office of special prosecutor and other state institutions failed to open investigations into the Airbus corruption scandal. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on February 3, 2020, referred the Airbus bribery scandal to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for immediate investigation. A statement signed today by the convener, Mr. Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu said if after 14 days no action is taken to investigate the airbus corruption scandal, the group will mobilze Ghanaians to pickect at the office of the former president. "we are issuing 14 days ultimatum to whoever it may concern to see to it that action is taken on the Mahama Airbus Corruption affair". "And if after the 14days, there's no action in that regards, Fixing the Country Movement will lead a citizens coalition to congregate and picket in front of the office of former President, John Mahama" the statement said. The group also appealed to the judiciary to open thorough enquiry on the Airbus Corruption because it strongly believe that former President Mahama has a lot of questions to answer. Below is the full statement: Notice to occupy Mahama's office in 14 days on the Mahama Airbus Corruption Fixing the Country Movement is appalled at the nonchalant attitude being deployed on the Airbus Corruption investigations. It has been over three years when Airbus SE, a global provider of civilian and military aircraft based in France, agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $3.9 billion to resolve foreign bribery charges with authorities in the United States, France and the United Kingdom arising out of the Companys scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials, as well as non-governmental airline executives, around the world. As part of this coordinated global resolution, the Company also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United Kingdoms Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over bribes paid in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia and Ghana, and the Company agreed to pay approximately 990 million Euros equivalent (approximately $1.09 billion) pursuant to the SFO agreement. The PNF and SFO had investigated the Company as part of a Joint Investigative Team. According to admissions and court documents, beginning in at least 2008 and continuing until at least 2015, Airbus engaged in and facilitated a scheme to offer and pay bribes to decision makers and other influencers, including to foreign officials, in order to obtain improper business advantages and to win business from both privately owned enterprises and entities that were state-owned and state-controlled. As a matter of fact, judicial records made public on 31 January 2020 by the British and American authorities, which Airbus acknowledges to be true, shows that between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus subsidiary specialising in the defence sector hired the brother of a high-ranking Ghanaian elected official(GovernmentOfficial 1), as well as a friend of the said brother and a third person to serve as commercial partners in the sale of three military transport aircraft, model C295, to Ghana. It turned out that Philip Middlemiss, a renowned British actor, Leanne Davis and John Mahamas brother, Samuel Adam Mahama were the intermediaries between Airbus and the former President. In fact, per the court records, "Government Official 1" had such a reputation as a prolific bribe-collector that within three weeks of the election of the incoming Government, AND BEFORE IT WAS SWORN IN, Airbus reached agreement with brother of "Government Official 1," described in the US version of Court documents as "Individual 1." Intriguingly, the British judge in charge of the case found that Airbus had sought, through these kickbacks, to obtain an undue favour from a member of the Ghanaian government. As a result, Ghana indeed bought three Airbus C295 military transport aircraft two in 2011 and another in 2015, all under the presidency of Mills/Mahama. Again, the UK court documents revealed that the intermediaries established a company in Ghana on 7 December 2009 and that a company with the same name was established in the United Kingdom in February of the following year. The Ghanaian company they looked into was owned by the brother of Mr Mahama, and a British television actor who had publicly claimed to be the best friend of John Mahama. Indeed, the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, who had found the corruption suspicions credible enough to open an investigation in February 2020, announced that he had summoned four suspects, Philip Middlemiss and his collaborator Sarah Furneaux, as well as Leanne Davis and Samuel Adam Mahama. The current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng has in a public statement indicated that he is investigating the matter. It has been over a year since the Special Prosecutor announced the new phase of investigations into the matter. Just last week, I personally petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to help the public with the status of the Airbus/Mahama case. And we're yet to receive any response from the office of the Special Prosecutor. In the light of the above, we are issuing 14 days ultimatum to whoever it may concern to see to it that action is taken on the Mahama Airbus Corruption affair. As trusting citizens, we want the Ghanaian justice system to open a thorough enquiry on the Airbus Corruption because we strongly believe that former President Mahama has a lot of questions to answer. And if after the 14days, there's no action in that regards, Fixing the Country Movement will lead a citizens coalition to congregate and picket in front of the office of former President, John Mahama. The nonchalant attitude being deployed on this Airbus matter ought to give way to real action. Signed: Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu (Convener - Fixing the Country Movement) There was absolutely nothing surprising when the vast majority of the NDC Delegates blithesomely threw their unwavering support behind Ex-President John Dramani Mahama in the NDCs 2023 flagbearership race. We cannot also stand accused of harbouring risible and inborn predilection for suggesting somewhat forthrightly and passionately that there are not many patriotic Ghanaians who will gleefully shrill and thrill over the return of Ex-President Mahama with the exception of the diehard supporters, who probably laid hands on big chunks of the national cake, ostensibly, shared unequally by the former president during his tenure in office. We would like to venture to stress that the Mahamas praise singing bandwagon never experienced the harsh socio-economic standards of living their redeemer Mahama wilfully brought upon the nation in the absence of globally diffused corona virus and Russia/Ukraine conflict. So, what do you expect? They will definitely clamour for the return of the spoon that over fed them. If you may recall, during the NDCs 2020 flagbearership contest, the other potential presidential aspirants and their supporters emitted vehemently and inexorably that former President Mahama was the main reason why NDC lost the 2016 election. Apparently, some multitudes of concerned supporters within the NDC were in solidarity with the then aspiring flagbearers. The aggrieved supporters uncompromisingly ventilated their illimitable indignations over the comeback of former President Mahama. Bizarrely, while the sceptics were insisting that Mahama was not up to the task during his tenure in office and must therefore be ditched and replaced with a much more capable flagbearer, the Mahama loyalists were moving heaven and earth to have him back as the partys next presidential candidate. To be quite honest, some of us cannot get our heads around how and why anyone with reflective thinking prowess could aim accusing fingers at the critics for insisting that Mahama kept his eyes off the prize, and therefore does not warrant another chance at the presidency. Much as former President Mahama commands some respect among the NDC foot soldiers and a section of ordinary Ghanaians, the sceptics could not be far from right for being doubtful over Mahamas 2024 electoral chances. It came as no surprise to some of us at all when a group of organisers within the opposition NDC beseeched the then National Executives of the party to allow Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin to go unopposed in the partys 2020 flagbearership contest (See: Alban Bagbin must go unopposed NDC organisers; ghananewsagency.org/ghanaweb.com, 12/03/2018). So many people in the party feel Hon. Bagbin is the best person to lead us into 2020 and the reasons are pretty clear: he is the exact contrast to former President John Mahama in the matter of marketability and yet retains the Northern extraction that will satisfy the need to have a Northerner complete an eight-year mandate. Back then, the spokesperson for the group insisted forcefully that since corruption was going to be a key campaign theme in 2020, and the fact that former President Mahama administration had issues with corruption, Ghanaian voters would be forced to reject him if he was to be elected as the next flagbearer. In fact, it was not only the aggrieved NDC organisers who expressed concerns about the corruption in the erstwhile Mahama administration. The NDC founder and the former president of Ghana, the late J. J. Rawlings, audaciously came out and disclosed that the corruption in the Mahama administration was so pervasive to the extent that a former NDC minister licentiously bought two luxurious mansions worth at a staggering $3 million from an estate agent in Accra shortly after the Mahamas government exited power (see: NDC minister grabs two mansions; dailyguidenetwork.com, 12/06/2018). Besides, prior to the NDCs 2020 flagbearership contest, the Honourable Bagbin, the then MP for Nadoli Kaleo and a contestant of the NDCs presidential race, attributed the humiliating defeat of Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2016 general elections to bad governance (See: Mahama's boys bought V8, built mansions in 4 years Bagbin; myjoyonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 19/08/2018). Mr Bagbin was reported to have quizzed somewhat dejectedly: Dont tell me that the boys that suddenly came closer to the president within four years can build mansions and buy land cruisers and you say there are no resources, where are they getting the money, their salaries? So the Mahama loyalists would want us into believing that every single Ghanaian was oblivious to the happenings in the country prior to the 2016 general elections? K. Badu, UK. [email protected] Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen will today, Monday, September 25, hold a press conference in Accra. This will be the first time the leading figure in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) will be speaking after withdrawing from the flagbearer race of the party. Alan Kyerematen in a press release on September 5, announced his withdrawal from the flagbearer position of the NPP. This was after he lamented the high levels of intimidation witnessed during the Super Delegates Congress of the party held on August 26. I wish to confirm that I am honourably withdrawing from the process that will lead to the Presidential Primaries to be held on the 4th of November 2023. In the next upcoming weeks, I will provide an indication of the role that I will play in politics in Ghana, after consultations with my family and other well-wishers, various stakeholders and interest groups, Alan Kyerematen said in his letter. Over the weekend, the former Trade Minister through a post on social media said he will speak at a press conference today. He will at todays press conference, announce whether he will be resigning from the party or not. Fellow Countrymen and women, Tomorrow, Monday, September 25, I will hold a press conference at 2:00 PM at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra, Alan said in a post on Twitter. Member of Parliament for Effutu and Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin has committed Ghc1,000,000 to support Mumbies Foundation, a health non-governmental organisation to help deal with the menace of hepatitis B. To that effect, the official launching of the project was held on Friday, September 22, 2023. The initiative, HepaGuard Project is aimed at protecting liver health, raising awareness, and making a lasting impact in the Effutu municipality and beyond. from September 2023 to March 2024. Hepatitis B, a silent epidemic affecting communities in Ghana and worldwide, has a significant presence within the Effutu Municipality. The HepaGuard Project is set to prevent the situation from escalating. It is more than a campaign; it is a movement toward better health and brighter futures, driven by the vision and support of Hon Alex Afenyo Markin. The project seeks to provide free Hepatitis B screenings and vaccinations to all individuals within the Effutu Municipality and beyond and also support Hepatitis B pregnant women with free Immunoglobulin to prevent mother-to-child transmission. The event was attended by the MCE for Effutu, Hon. Kassim Zubairu, Paramount Chief of Effutu, Neenyi Ghartey VII, Dr. Prah George, Medical Director of Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital and Madam Mariatu Seidu, Municipal Director of Health Services. Others were heads of institutions, party executives and the general public. Fixing the Country Movement, a pressure group has given the special prosecutor or whoever it may concern a 14-day ultimatum to commence an investigation into the Airbus scandal. In a press statement released the convener, Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu on Sunday 24th September 2023 indicated that the citizens want the Ghanaian justice system to open a thorough inquiry on the Airbus Corruption because we strongly believe that former President Mahama has a lot of questions to answer. He underscored that, if no action is taken after the 14-day ultimatum, Fixing the Country Movement will lead a citizens coalition to congregate and picket in front of the office of former President, John Mahama. "Just last week, I personally petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to help the public with the status of the Airbus/Mahama case. And we're yet to receive any response from the office of the Special Prosecutor". Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu added that the nonchalant attitude being deployed on this Airbus matter ought to give way to real action. Below Is The Full Press Release Public Statement by Fixing The Country Movement For Immediate Release Notice to occupy Mahama's office in 14 days on the Mahama Airbus Corruption Fixing the Country Movement is appalled at the nonchalant attitude being deployed on the Airbus Corruption investigations. It has been over three years since Airbus SE, a global provider of civilian and military aircraft based in France, agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $3.9 billion to resolve foreign bribery charges with authorities in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom arising out of the Companys scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials, as well as non-governmental airline executives, around the world. As part of this coordinated global resolution, the Company also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United Kingdoms Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over bribes paid in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Ghana, and the Company agreed to pay approximately 990 million Euros equivalent (approximately $1.09 billion) pursuant to the SFO agreement. The PNF and SFO had investigated the Company as part of a Joint Investigative Team. According to admissions and court documents, beginning in at least 2008 and continuing until at least 2015, Airbus engaged in and facilitated a scheme to offer and pay bribes to decision-makers and other influencers, including to foreign officials, in order to obtain improper business advantages and to win business from both privately owned enterprises and entities that were state-owned and state-controlled. As a matter of fact, judicial records made public on 31 January 2020 by the British and American authorities, which Airbus acknowledges to be true, show that between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus subsidiary specializing in the defense sector hired the brother of a high-ranking Ghanaian elected official (Government Official 1), as well as a friend of the said brother and a third person to serve as commercial partners in the sale of three military transport aircraft, model C295, to Ghana. It turned out that Philip Middlemiss, a renowned British actor, Leanne Davis, and John Mahamas brother, Samuel Adam Mahama were the intermediaries between Airbus and the former President. In fact, per the court records, "Government Official 1" had such a reputation as a prolific bribe collector that within three weeks of the election of the incoming Government, AND BEFORE IT WAS SWORN IN, Airbus reached an agreement with the brother of "Government Official 1," described in the US version of Court documents as "Individual 1." Intriguingly, the British judge in charge of the case found that Airbus had sought, through these kickbacks, to obtain an undue favor from a member of the Ghanaian government. As a result, Ghana indeed bought three Airbus C295 military transport aircraft two in 2011 and another in 2015, all under the presidency of Mills/Mahama. Again, the UK court documents revealed that the intermediaries established a company in Ghana on 7 December 2009 and that a company with the same name was established in the United Kingdom in February of the following year. The Ghanaian company they looked into was owned by the brother of Mr Mahama and a British television actor who had publicly claimed to be the best friend of John Mahama. Indeed, the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, who had found the corruption suspicions credible enough to open an investigation in February 2020, announced that he had summoned four suspects, Philip Middlemiss and his collaborator Sarah Furneaux, as well as Leanne Davis and Samuel Adam Mahama. The current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng has in a public statement indicated that he is investigating the matter. It has been over a year since the Special Prosecutor announced the new phase of investigations into the matter. Just last week, I personally petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to help the public with the status of the Airbus/Mahama case. And we're yet to receive any response from the office of the Special Prosecutor. In light of the above, we are issuing 14-days ultimatum to whoever it may concern to see to it that action is taken on the Mahama Airbus Corruption affair. As trusting citizens, we want the Ghanaian justice system to open a thorough inquiry on Airbus' Corruption because we strongly believe that former President Mahama has a lot of questions to answer. And if after 14 days, there's no action in that regard, Fixing the Country Movement will lead a citizens coalition to congregate and picket in front of the office of former President, John Mahama. The nonchalant attitude being deployed on this Airbus matter ought to give way to real action. Signed: Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu (Convener - Fixing the Country Movement) President of Breast Care International (BCI) Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai 25.09.2023 LISTEN The President of Breast Care International (BCI) Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai has cautioned Ghanaian women not to allow breast cancer which is curable to kill them needlessly. She said breast cancer which kills more than 2,000 women annually in Ghana can be prevented if detected and reported to the hospital early. Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals expressed worry about the late report of breast cancer cases where little can be done to save lives. She urges women to desist from self-medication in the treatment of the disease, especially the application of herbal medicine which is not scientifically proven. Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai posited that the use of herbs in breast cancer management complicates the situation, and through experiences, many people have lost their lives in the process. Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai made the statements when addressing Brong Ahafo Region A Womens Ministries of the Assemblies of God Church Ghana during their national retreat in Kumasi. The retreat held at the KNUST on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, was on the theme "Holiness on Revival." The women after being given education on breast cancer, were also given free breast cancer screening in an exercise sponsored by Delta Air Lines. Some Ghanaian women are dying needlessly from breast cancer which can be cured when reported to the hospitals early. They spent much time treating the disease at homes; through self medication or herbal medicine application, she stated. The disease is treatable and curable when it is presented at the hospital early. A lot of people have survived the disease, some for more than forty years. So I implore women to report to the hospital if they find anything unusual in and around the breast, she advised women. Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai noted that the disease can also be reduced if certain lifestyles are avoided; among them include the consumption of fatty foods, alcohol, smoking and to some extent the use of unapproved bleaching and hair creams. Another advice given by the BCI president to women was the adaptation of Breast Self-Examination (BSE); a method women use at home, using the palm to look for changes or problems in the breast tissue. Besides the BSE, Dr Wiafe Addai also asked them to visit the hospitals for clinical breast cancer screening regularly to check for signs and symptoms of breast cancer. The Womens Ministry Director for Brong Ahafo Region A, Mrs Dora Oppong, on behalf of the ministry, expressed appreciation to the BCI team for the education. She said the exercise has dispelled some myths surrounding breast cancer and has enlightened them that the disease is not caused by witchcraft and therefore cannot be treated spiritually. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia never agreed and will never agree to any extraterritorial corridor logic, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan told ARMENPRESS in response to a query. ARMENPRESS: Mr. Sanosyan, recently Turkish and Azerbaijani officials have been more frequently speaking about the so-called Zangezur Corridor. How would you comment on this, and has the position of Armenia changed after the latest events? Sanosyan: Armenia never agreed and will never agree to any extraterritorial or corridor logic. On the other hand, we are committed to the agreements reached at the high level. During the latest meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders, which took place on July 15 this year in Brussels, the following agreements were reiterated: Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each others territorial integrity, with the territory of 29,8 and 86,6 thousand square kilometers respectively. The border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan shall take place based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. Regional connections shall be unblocked based on the principle of sovereignty, jurisdiction and reciprocity of the parties. These agreements are public and have been published by the President of the European Council Charles Michel after the meeting. Within the framework of this agreement, the Republic of Armenia not only is ready for the unblocking of connections, but also desires it to happen as soon as possible, because it stems from our interests. Ghana National Fire Service has reported a successful rescue operation that saved over 90 individuals over the weekend in the aftermath of heavy rainfall last Friday, which led to flooding in various areas, including Greater Accra, Tema, parts of the Central region, and other parts of the country. In an official statement, the Ghana Fire Service revealed that they promptly responded to 12 rescue incidents spanning across five regions in the country. Their swift response and efficient efforts played a crucial role in ensuring the safety and rescue of numerous people who were affected by the flooding. However, amidst the positive outcomes of the rescue operations, there was a tragic loss of one life. The authorities said they are deeply saddened by this unfortunate event and extend their condolences to the affected family. The Ghana Fire Service in its statement said it continues to work diligently to mitigate the impact of adverse weather conditions and ensure the safety and wellbeing of citizens in such challenging circumstances. The service cautioned the public especially those in flood prone areas to take the necessary precaution of moving to higher grounds to prevent further loss of lives and properties. Details of the rescue mission Source: Classfmonline.com Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has raised significant concerns regarding the approval of the 2024 budget for the Ghana Police Service, the Electoral Commission (EC), and the Judiciary. He asserts that the traditional approach to approving these budgets should be reconsidered due to alleged misconduct and actions detrimental to the rights of citizens by these institutions. Mr Ablakwa begins by questioning the rationale behind approving the budget for the Ghana Police Service, given their reported misuse of power in suppressing legitimate protests. In a Facebook post, he highlights instances of police brutality towards civilians and suggests that approving their budget might inadvertently endorse these actions. His concern with the Police comes on the back of the recent controversial arrest of #OccupyJulorbi House demonstrators on day one of their demonstration. Shifting focus to the Electoral Commission (EC), the lawmaker questions the wisdom of approving their budget considering allegations of unconstitutional practices such as voter suppression and disenfranchisement. He also criticizes EC Chairperson Jean Mensa for alleged dishonesty regarding the 2023 budget cut claims, implying that their actions may not warrant budget approval without addressing these concerns. Regarding the Judiciary, Ablakwa raises concerns about their perceived biases and lack of responsiveness to critical cases. He questions the Judiciary's fairness and consistency, particularly in political cases, and emphasises their refusal to address the e-levy case. Mr Ablakwa suggests that Parliament should consider withholding approval for the Judiciary's 2024 budget as a means of advocating accountability and fair practices within the institution. He urged Parliament to prioritise the interests of the Ghanaian people and confront issues of alleged misconduct and abuses of power by these institutions. He emphasises the crucial role of Parliament in safeguarding democracy and implores parliamentarians not to betray the trust of the suffering Ghanaian populace in this critical juncture. Details of full post below: During the 2024 Budget approval processes in Parliament this November, it certainly must not be business as usual for these 3 institutions: Ghana Police Service, Electoral Commission and the Judiciary. Why should the police budget be approved when they keep blocking legitimate protests capriciously? Why should the Police budget receive our approval when they cant stop brutalizing harmless civilians? Would a blanket approval of their budget not amount to a tacit parliamentary endorsement of their atrocities? Why should the EC budget be approved when they continue with impunity to carry out their unconstitutional schemes of voter suppression and mass disenfranchisement? Additionally, why should Jean Mensa be made to get away with her blatant falsehood against Parliament when she dishonestly claimed Parliament cut her 2023 budget? Why should this particular judiciary which recklessly enables and emboldens the Police and the EC receive our blessings? Why should a judiciary which refuses to hear our e-levy case be heard in Parliament when they present their 2024 budget? Why should a judiciary which has different standards for political cases depending on which political tradition it favours continue to receive our cooperation within the legislature? Parliament has a choice in November to either stand with the Ghanaian people and curtail the abominable levels of tyranny of the Executive and the Judiciary, and thereby begin to restore some confidence in our ailing democracy or to betray the people who elected us by aligning with oppressors. Never in our countrys history have so many been left with no other option but to rely on Parliament as the last bastion I pray we do not fail the suffering Ghanaian people this time. May God help us resist and defeat oppressors rule! Source: Classfmonline.com 25.09.2023 LISTEN Former Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu, has levelled allegations against the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the recent protest. He claims the opposition party was the mastermind of the recent #OccupyJulorBiHouse protest that sought to picket at the seat of government, Jubilee House. The demonstration, organised under the hashtag #OccupyJulorBiHouse was blocked by the Ghanaian Police, citing violations of the Public Order Act. The Police on the first day of the three-day protest arrested 49 individuals who had converged at the 37 Lorry Station to picket at Jubilee House. The Ghana Police Service, in a statement released shortly after the arrests, clarified their stance, saying, "We would like to state that the Police do not take delight in preventing any group from demonstrating as the Service has a track record of providing security for demonstrations in the past. The exception, in this case, is the Police disagreement with the organisers on the venue, the Jubilee House, being a security zone." The police urged the general public to refrain from participating in the "unlawful" protest until the matter is resolved in court, scheduled for September 26, 2023. Charles Owusu, speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo morning show, did not mince words. He accuses NDC of orchestrating the protest. According to him, the #OccupyJulorBiHouse demonstration was, in fact, organised by the National Democratic Congress secretly. "They are cowards. You see, they should be bold enough to come out and demonstrate. It is within your own right to say that, as a political party, you want to demonstrate but when you sometimes hide behind people to make things messy; I find it difficult to understand," he remarked. Mr Owusu further commended the Ghana Police for their actions in disallowing the demonstration and further arresting those who engaged in misconduct during the protest. He emphasised that the Police had acted in the best interests of public safety and the security of Jubilee House. The Ghana Education Service (GES) has cautioned heads of schools against unauthorised collection of monies from students. This follows reports that some heads of Senior High Schools and Senior High Technical Schools (SHS/SHTS) were allegedly collecting unauthorised monies from the final year students for clearance. As such, the GES in a statement issued noted that management wishes to state that such act is illegal and therefore, cautions heads of schools to desist from it and refund any monies collected to the students with immediate effect. Any head of school found to have collected unauthorised monies from final year students before signing their clearance forms will be severely sanctioned, it stated. The Service, however, urged heads of schools to use the established procedures to surcharge students who have destroyed, lost or stolen school properties before clearing them. The GES asked the Regional Directors of Education to communicate this directive to all Heads of SHS/SHTS for strict compliance to ensure the smooth administration of schools. 25.09.2023 LISTEN In the 21st century, the world has become increasingly interconnected through the internet. While this connectivity has brought numerous benefits, it has also exposed individuals, businesses and nations to cybersecurity threats. Ghana, a West African nation with a burgeoning digital landscape, is not immune to these challenges. This article explores the importance of cybersecurity awareness in the 21st century, using real-life scenarios from Ghana to underscore the significance of safeguarding digital assets. The digital transformation in Ghana.Ghana has experienced a significant digital transformation in recent years, with a growing reliance on technology for various aspects of daily life. Mobile banking, e-commerce platforms and digital government services have become increasingly popular. While these innovations have improved convenience and efficiency, they have also attracted cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in this expanding digital ecosystem. The banking sector in Ghana. One striking example of the need for cybersecurity awareness in Ghana is the banking sector. In 2017, several Ghanaian banks fell victim to a cyberattack that resulted in significant financial losses.Cybercriminals sent deceptive emails impersonating the bank, luring unsuspecting customers to disclose their personal information. Such incidents emphasize the need for Ghanaians to be vigilant in recognizing and reporting phishing attempts. This breach not only highlighted the vulnerability of financial institutions but also emphasized the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. The menace of online fraud.Online fraud has seen a surge in Ghana, with scammers employing various tactics. One common scenario is the sale of counterfeit goods through online marketplaces. Ghanaians have reported purchasing products that turned out to be fake, resulting in financial losses. Raising awareness about the risks of online shopping and teaching consumers how to verify the authenticity of online sellers is essential. Data privacy concerns.In Ghana, the collection and handling of personal data have become a focal point. The introduction of the Ghana Data Protection Act has provided a legal framework, but challenges remain. Recent data breaches in government agencies have raised concerns about data security. Citizens must be educated about their data rights and the importance of holding organizations accountable for safeguarding their information. Phishing attacks in Ghana.Phishing attacks, where cybercriminals deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information, have been prevalent in Ghana. In one case, a major telecom company's customers received fraudulent messages, leading them to disclose their personal and financial details. This incident underscores the necessity of teaching Ghanaians to recognize and report phishing attempts. The need for stronger password practices.Weak passwords remain a prevalent issue in Ghana. Instances of unauthorized access to social media accounts, email addresses, and even bank accounts are on the rise. Promoting strong password practices and two-factor authentication can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access. The role of cybersecurity awareness.Raising cybersecurity awareness is crucial in mitigating such threats. The Ghanaian government, in collaboration with private sector stakeholders, has taken steps to educate the public about online safety. Initiatives such as workshops, public service announcements and awareness campaigns have been launched to inform Ghanaians about the risks associated with online activities. Collaboration for a secure digital future.Enhancing cybersecurity awareness also involves collaboration between the public and private sectors. The Ghanaian government has partnered with international organizations to improve the country's cybersecurity infrastructure. Investments in cybersecurity technology, training for IT professionals and the development of cybersecurity policies have become national priorities. The role of education and training. To address these challenges, education and training are fundamental. Ghanaian institutions, both public and private, should invest in cybersecurity awareness programs. These programs should target individuals, businesses, and government entities, providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves and the nation's digital infrastructure. As Ghana continues its journey into the digital age, the importance of cybersecurity awareness cannot be overstated. Real-life scenarios like cyberattacks on banks and phishing incidents serve as stark reminders of the vulnerabilities that accompany technological advancement. Through education, collaboration and proactive measures, Ghanaians can navigate the digital landscape safely and protect their personal and financial information. In the 21st century, cybersecurity awareness is not just an option; it is an essential tool for safeguarding Ghana's digital future. By: Shelter Kofi Anloadey The establishment of an Independent Secretariat for Climate Vulnerable Forum and the V20 Group of Finance Ministers is a giant step towards achieving climate prosperity objectives. This will ensure that the coalition has a legal framework that will facilitate the mobilisation of more resources to support member states in the development and implementation of their climate prosperity goals. The Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, who is also the Chairman of the V20, and the Finance Ministers of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, made these remarks at a high-level leaders meeting during the 2023 United Nations General Assembly in New York. This will also ensure the provision of policy guidance, facilitation of access to financial resources for adaptation and loss and damage, build the capacity of member states and empower them to effectively navigate challenges posed by climate change. Like all grand endeavours, if we are to become more effective and reach our full potential, our growing initiatives will need a structured coherent organization with a crystal-clear mandate and the clarity of a forward-looking vision, he added. According to the Minister, the combined voice of the 68 Member States of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, representing over 1.7 billion people, is not just impressive in number but powerful in intent to drive and realize deeper global transformation. Mr Ofori-Atta was optimistic that the membership of the Forum would increase from 68 to 100 countries by the end of COP 28, to represent about 30 per cent of the worlds population. The Minister further noted that the approach to establish an independent Secretariat for the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the V20 Finance Ministers was a milestone and described it as the coming of age of a formidable entity designed to sustain and amplify the efforts of our nations, to protect us from climate impacts, expand our adaptive capacity and enable us to rise beyond our climate vulnerabilities. That, he underscored, would provide a more formidable voice and intent on their advocacy for a just energy transition, protect economies of climate-vulnerable countries from climate impacts, scale up accessibility finance with urgency and also ensure debt sustainability. On her part, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, stressed the need to acknowledge the leadership and ingenuity of the Climate Vulnerable nations, which often bear the disproportionate burden of the climate crisis. She further entreated stakeholders, multilateral institutions, government leaders, businesses, civil society organisations and individuals to join in the creation of a more resilient global financial architecture that would enable nations to thrive in a more prosperous and resilient world. 25.09.2023 LISTEN Bangladesh has significantly enhanced its diplomatic standing in the international arena through its proactive and constructive involvement in a range of global problems that are of utmost importance and relevance. Bangladesh has shown its dedication to the ideals and values outlined in the United Nations and its Charter, along with its unwavering support and collaboration with other developing nations and areas. Bangladesh has emerged as a noteworthy exemplar of progress and endurance, notwithstanding the many problems and limitations it has encountered. Bangladesh has made significant strides in the domains of poverty alleviation, social advancement, gender parity, and the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Bangladesh has shown its altruistic nature by accommodating over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and actively pursuing a sustainable resolution to their predicament. Bangladesh has emerged as a leading force in the realm of innovation and digital transformation, effectively using the capabilities of information and communication technology to bolster its governance, service provision, education, healthcare, and economic development. Bangladesh has actively disseminated its exemplary methods and experiences to fellow developing nations through several forums, including the South-South Cooperation. Bangladesh has emerged as a prominent advocate for the Global South, particularly about climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the reform of the United Nations. Bangladesh has called for developed nations to meet their commitments and responsibilities in providing financial assistance, technological advancements, and capacity development to enable countries that are most susceptible to and impacted by climate change. Bangladesh has shown a commendable commitment to promoting peace and security, both within its area and on a worldwide scale. Bangladesh has emerged as a significant participant in United Nations peacekeeping missions, making substantial contributions in terms of military and police deployment. Presently, the nation has sent a noteworthy contingent of 6359 soldiers to such operations. Bangladesh is considered a significant and dependable collaborator of the United Nations due to its consistent commitment, adherence to the organization's regulations, and prompt implementation of measures for adaptation. For the last thirty years, Bangladesh has consistently engaged in peacekeeping operations on a global scale, assuming a crucial role in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security. Bangladesh has shown a steadfast commitment to counter-terrorism, fostering inter-faith dialogue, and upholding human rights. Bangladesh has always maintained a policy of "zero tolerance" against terrorism and violent extremism. During the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh emphasized the concerns and ambitions of developing nations, therefore advocating for the interests of the Global South. Her speech aimed to foster international unity and collaboration to effectively tackle the issues faced by these countries. She emphasized the need for affluent nations to honor their obligations on climate financing, technology transfer, and capacity development to assist the most susceptible nations in adapting to and mitigating the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, she advocated for a just and impartial allocation of COVID-19 vaccines while also urging the global community to consider relinquishing intellectual property rights about vaccines and facilitating the transfer of knowledge to enhance domestic manufacturing capabilities in underdeveloped nations. As reported by the United Nations News on September 22, 2023, Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, urged global leaders assembled at the United Nations to seek dialogue rather than armed conflict and confrontational the establishment of lasting peace and economic well-being for present and generations. Additionally, it was emphasized that Bangladesh has had a transition from a lower-middle-income nation to a middle-income nation. Furthermore, the poverty rate in the country has experienced a decline from 41.5% in 2006 to 18.7% in 2022. Furthermore, she emphasized the need to implement a thorough overhaul of the United Nations, with particular attention to the Security Council, to enhance its representativeness, transparency, accountability, and efficacy. She also highlighted the dedication of Bangladesh to the principles of multilateralism, peacekeeping efforts, the promotion of human rights, the establishment of democratic systems, and the adherence to the rule of law. The involvement of Bangladesh in the United Nations General Assembly has significant importance for the country's overall progress and advancement. Bangladesh restated that the consequences of the epidemic, the implications of a climatic catastrophe of existential significance, and the extensive repercussions of the conflict in Ukraine on global food, financial, and energy supplies have significantly hindered the progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals in poor nations. Bangladesh has shown a steadfast dedication to the promotion of women's empowerment and the attainment of gender equality within a predetermined timeline. A proportion of up to 30% of the budget is designated to promote social and economic empowerment among women. There has been a notable growth in the amount of political representation of women throughout various tiers of government, ranging from the highest echelons to the lowest ones. Bangladesh has presented its accomplishments and ambitions to the global community while also expressing its desire for their assistance and collaboration in achieving its developmental objectives. Bangladesh has increased its diplomatic ties with several nations and international entities, reinforcing its position on both regional and global platforms. Bangladesh actively engages in a range of bilateral and international meetings and conversations, therefore seeking to identify and pursue novel opportunities for collaboration and partnership. Through the articulation of these concerns, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has effectively conveyed the apprehensions and aspirations of the Global South, therefore exemplifying Bangladesh's prominent position in advancing global peace, justice, and prosperity. Through its active involvement in the 78th session of the UNGA, Bangladesh has effectively bolstered its diplomatic ties with other nations and international organizations while simultaneously presenting its accomplishments and future ambitions on a global platform. Bangladesh made further efforts to tackle the humanitarian issue in Myanmar and pursued a sustainable resolution for the Rohingya refugee population. Bangladesh has the potential to advocate for the international community to implement decisive measures aimed at reinstating democracy and safeguarding human rights in Myanmar. Additionally, Bangladesh can play a crucial role in facilitating the secure and dignified repatriation of Rohingya refugees to their own country. In conclusion, through its engagement in the UN General Assembly, Bangladesh has showcased its leadership, vision, and resilience on a global scale, enhancing its standing and credibility among its populace. Bangladesh has reasserted its commitment to the principles of multilateralism, global collaboration, and collaborative action in tackling the shared problems and opportunities that confront the global community. 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]. It is highly debatable whether or not remote work affects employee productivity. On the one hand, employers argue that remote work makes it simpler for individuals to avoid working. On the other hand, avoiding the commute and concentrating on work may increase productivity. Some employers attempt to answer this query by utilising software for employee tracking. This is referred to as Bossware. It is popular because it reduces squandered time and increases efficiency. "Bossware" refers to software or tools that employers use to monitor and track the activities of their employees when they are working remotely or on company-owned devices. Typically, these tools are intended to increase productivity, monitor employee performance, and guarantee that work-related duties are completed efficiently. It also incorporates more sophisticated software that monitors the user's every action. It is ideally installed on a user's computer with their consent, but it can also be used to monitor users without their knowledge. However, the use of Bossware can pose substantial privacy and legal issues. Bossware Implementation Notably, Bossware is simple to implement. It may be installed on a work computer before an employee receives it, or the employee may be required to install it as a condition of employment. Some products are intended to notify users when they are being tracked, while others are intended to do the contrary. If the latter is installed on a computer, the user may be ignorant that it exists. What is the Purpose? Vendors of Bossware market their products for a variety of purposes. The most prevalent include time monitoring, productivity tracking, compliance with data protection laws, and prevention of IP theft. Some use cases may be valid; for instance, companies that deal with sensitive data frequently have legal obligations to prevent data leakage or theft. This may necessitate a certain level of device monitoring for remote employees. However, an employer should not conduct such monitoring for security purposes unless they can demonstrate that it is necessary, proportional, and tailored to the problems they are attempting to solve. Must employees be aware of data collection and its purpose? Common Bossware applications include time tracking, employee productivity monitoring, system monitoring, and compliance with data protection laws. Companies use it to monitor employee labour, but they cannot disclose the information. The instrument ensures that sensitive data is not leaked or stolen from company systems when used by businesses. This may necessitate a certain level of device monitoring for off-site labourers and remote employees. A manager or employer should not monitor devices for security purposes unless absolutely necessary. Employers should inform employees that their devices are being monitored. Therefore, they should attempt to avoid accessing any personal files during working hours. Here are some key points to consider regarding Bossware: Legality of Bossware: 1. Legal Use: In many jurisdictions, it is legal for employers to monitor their employees' work-related activities during working hours, especially when using company-provided equipment or networks. However, there are typically legal limits and requirements that must be adhered to. 2. Consent and Notification: Employers are often required to obtain the informed consent of their employees or provide clear notification about the use of monitoring software. Consent may be implied if it is part of the employment agreement or explicitly obtained from employees. 3. Privacy Laws: The use of Bossware must comply with applicable privacy laws and regulations. These laws vary by country and region but generally require employers to respect employees' privacy rights and ensure that monitoring is reasonable and proportionate. Privacy Issues with Bossware: 1. Intrusion on Privacy: Bossware can potentially intrude on an employee's privacy by monitoring not only work-related activities but also personal activities and communications. This can include tracking websites visited, keystrokes, email content, and even webcam or screen capture. 2. Data Security: The data collected by Bossware may contain sensitive or personal information about employees. Employers have a responsibility to safeguard this data and protect it from unauthorized access or breaches. 3. Employee Distrust: The use of Bossware can lead to a lack of trust between employers and employees. When employees feel like they are being excessively monitored, it can create a negative work environment and impact morale. 4. Overreach: Employers must strike a balance between monitoring for legitimate business purposes and avoiding overreach. Overly invasive monitoring that goes beyond what is necessary for legitimate purposes can lead to legal and ethical issues. 5. Compliance with Data Protection Laws: Employers need to ensure that their use of Bossware complies with data protection laws, such as the GDPR in Europe or HIPAA in the United States, which have specific requirements for the handling of personal data. Addressing Employee Concerns Regarding Bossware The key to using Bossware is to be transparent and equitable about it. You want to educate your employees about the tool and ensure that you are communicating with them openly, so that there is no resentment or confusion. Here are some strategies for promoting Bossware as a tool that will benefit your organisation: Be Transparent As an organisation, it is essential to explain to your employees how and when you collect their personal information using software, and to obtain their consent to these terms. Employers should provide employees with training on how the monitoring software operates and what to expect. This will help ensure the technology is used effectively and employees are on board with its use. Remain Optimistic It is essential to emphasise the benefits of Bossware to employees when communicating with them. If they believe they are being observed, they will become uneasy and less productive. Everyone will be more receptive and invested in their work if you emphasise that Bossware is a tool that establishes a positive standard in your organisation. Such as monitoring productivity and project management to ensure that everyone is working as expected and receiving payment for their efforts. Implement Safety Measures Attempt to optimise your employees' work schedules by configuring your software to monitor employee activity during specific hours of the day. Your solution should have reasonable restrictions so that it does not compromise the privacy of employees outside of work hours and only monitors their usage during work hours. Ensure that this data is backed up on an external device that the appropriate administrators can readily access. The employees should also be aware of what information and data their managers are collecting about them. In summary, while the use of Bossware is generally legal when done within the bounds of applicable laws and with employee consent or notification, it is essential for employers to strike a balance between monitoring for legitimate business purposes and respecting the privacy rights of their employees. Employers should be transparent about their monitoring practices, use monitoring tools responsibly, and ensure that they follow privacy laws to avoid legal and ethical issues. Employees, on the other hand, should be aware of their rights and seek clarification from their employers about the use of monitoring software in their workplace. Author: Emmanuel K. Gadasu (CEH, CDPS, CIPM, BSc IT, MSc IT and Law*, LLB*) (Data Protection Officer, IIPGH and Data Privacy Consultant and Practitioner, Information Governance Solutions) For comments, contact author via [email protected] or Mobile: +233-243913077 25.09.2023 LISTEN The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) is organizing, on Tuesday 26 September 2023 in Abidjan (Republic of Cote d'Ivoire), a roundtable of major regional and international DFIs to inform and raise awareness about the Abidjan-Lagos corridor highway construction project. This roundtable is initiated following the instruction given to the ECOWAS Commission by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS at its 63rd Ordinary Summit to collaborate with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), as well as other development partners and the private sector, to start vigorous resource mobilization efforts to finance the construction of the Abidjan Lagos Highway. To this end, the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization engaged the African Development Bank (AfDB) and EBID to commence joint consultations with other key regional and international Development Financing Institutions (DFIs), to showcase the investment requirements and opportunities in the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway project, by providing information and implementation updates. Subsequently, private investors and equity contributors will also be engaged through several market sounding sessions, once the technical studies are completed The main objective of this roundtable of DFIs , , is to bring together the main regional and international DFIs to provide them with the latest information on this important regional project. This meeting will also serve as an awareness-raising platform and a form soft market testing of the project to arouse the interest of investors and take into account their recommendations and requirements. This is taking place while efforts are underway to finalize the technical studies in October 2023. It should be recalled that, the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Construction Project is a 1,028 km supranational highway that forms an important part of the trans-African highway network that will connect the economic capitals of five West African countries, namely Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. The highway project commences from Bingerville in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire and ends in Lagos, Nigeria. This forms the first phase of the Trans-African Highway Number 7 which starts with the Maritime link from Praia in Cabo Verde through Dakar to Abidjan by road. This Project, which is in line with the objectives of the ECOWAS Vision 2050, has the key objectives of (i) facilitating the movement of people and goods, and (ii) accelerating trade and transport, regional and international, improving road infrastructure. Eventually the transport corridor will be transformed into a development corridor to stimulate investment, sustainable development and poverty reduction in the region. Minority in Parliament has threatened to haul the Administrator of the Scholarship Secretariat before Parliament in the coming days over the two-year arrears owed bursaries of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG). The caucus contends that despite the allocation of GH223 million budget for the scholarship secretariat, the government is yet to release funds for the payment of GRASAG bursaries. Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the GRASAG at the University of Ghana, Legon, the Minority Chief Whip, Governs Agbodza said the group will deploy all available means to ensure the funds are paid by the government. The Minority will in the coming days go through the right processes to get the administrator of the Scholarship Secretariat to answer why the bursaries of the GRASAG are in arrears for two years. Because even as we are concerned those monies have been made available. We can only do this based on the laws, he stated. Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has warned that Ghana's high indebtedness to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) makes it a risky investment destination. Ghana is currently the most indebted country to the IMF under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, with an outstanding loan of 1,689 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). This accounts for almost 10% of the total loans outstanding under the Trust. The Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Isaac Adongo, said that Ghana's high debt levels and low foreign reserves are making it difficult to attract foreign investment. If you look at our creditworthiness in terms of our net international reserves to cover those portfolios, Ghana is a risky country and the IMF itself is worried, he said. Adongo also warned that Ghana may not be able to qualify for another IMF program if it does not improve its fiscal situation. But for the fact that Ghana has a track record of historically meeting its obligation to the IMF, these statistics alone [is enough] for you to know that Ghana will not qualify for an IMF programme, he said. Ghana's high debt levels are a major concern for investors. The country's public debt-to-GDP ratio is currently over 80%, and the government is running a large budget deficit. This means that the government has to borrow heavily to finance its spending, which makes it difficult to reduce the debt burden. Ghana's foreign reserves are also at a low level, covering less than one month of imports. This makes the country vulnerable to external shocks, such as a rise in commodity prices or a decline in the value of the cedi. The government is currently negotiating a new program with the IMF. The program is expected to include measures to reduce the budget deficit, stabilize the economy, and promote growth. However, it is unclear whether the government will be able to implement the necessary reforms to qualify for the program. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Re-exports significantly contributed to the nearly 215% growth (in dollars) of the exports from Armenia to Russia in the first half of 2023, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan told lawmakers at the financial-credit and budgetary affairs committee session in parliament during a discussion of the state budget performance. The big inflow of persons and capital from Russia continued in the first half of the year, he said. In the first half of 2023, compared to the same period of last year, re-exports contributed significantly, by nearly 187 percentage points, to the nearly 215 percent dollar growth in the exports of goods to Russia, whereas the exports of Armenian-made goods contributed by 28 percentage points, the finance minister said. Hovhannisyan also spoke about the growth in the number of tourists from Russia, stating that the number of inbound tourists in the first half of the year grew 70%, with 47% being from Russia. 25.09.2023 LISTEN The Youth Wing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a challenge to Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the convener of the #FixTheCountry movement to provide concrete evidence supporting his recent claims that the government attempted to entice him with financial offers and appointments in exchange for halting his activism. Barker-Vormawor alleged that he and fellow activists had turned down government overtures during a meeting with the National Security Minister. However, the Ministry of National Security has vehemently refuted these accusations. Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organiser of the NPP, expressed his scepticism about Barker-Vormawors claims, referring to him as a chronic liar. Mustapha challenged him to produce any evidence, including recordings, to substantiate his allegations. He emphasized that without such proof, Barker-Vormawors credibility should be seriously questioned. I think he is a chronic liar and he should produce evidence that he says he has a recording. I have also done a little bit of a crosscheck with the National Security people and they also demand and have challenged Vormawor to produce any evidence, even if it is a second of recording that he has, he should bring it and prove a point, he stated. Furthermore, Mustapha accused the #FixTheCountry movement convener of using activism as a facade to further his political aspirations. He warned against allowing individuals to manipulate public sentiment for personal gain, potentially undermining the integrity of the nations democracy. We should not allow people to perfect their political interest behind the smoke screen. We do that at the risk of a buoyant democracy being turned into a sham. Exactly what he is doing. From his antics of calling for a coup when he was living in the comfort of a civilised society in London coming down here and all his antics shows someone with a certain perversion clearly woven in such uncanny politics, he stated. -citinewsroom Niger, which reopened airspace at the start of September, says it welcomes all commercial flights except for French planes or flights chartered by French companies. Hours before France announced it was withdrawing its ambassadors and troops from Niger, the country's military rulers said that its airspace was closed to French aircraft. Niger's airspace "is open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France including those from the Air France fleet," the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (Asecna) said in a statement this weekend. Niger also prohibits any operational military flights and special flights from any country without prior authorisation. Relations between France and Niger deteriorated since the military overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup on 26 July. France supported the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) that threatened military action to restore Bazoum, which lead Niger's military rulers to shut down the airpsace to all traffic on 4 August due the threat of intervention from neighbouring countries. Nearly a month later, Niger reopened its airspace to commercial flights, before announcing Sunday that French flights would not be permitted to fly over the country. Air France, which suspended its flights to Niger on 7 August, told the AFP news agency that it was "not flying over Niger airspace". As the main airline connecting Europe and Africa, Air France now cannot fly over half the airspace of the Sahel, with the closure of Libyan and Sudanese airspace, and security concerns about flying over Mali, forcing flights to fly over the Red Sea to the east, or the western coast of Africa and over Morocco and Algeria, increasing time delays and costs. Meanwhile, the borders of Benin and Nigeria have remain closed since the Economic Community of West African States banned trade with Niger. The cost of rice has since the week before the coup risen 21 percent, sorghum 24 percent, and maize 18 percent, according to the United Nations. Despite these concerns, trade continues between landlocked Niger and other neighbours such as Algeria. (with AFP) The Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, has called for a more deliberate conversation on prioritizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to achieve the desired outcomes in the face of limited financing. He made the call during a side event of the 78th United Nations General Assembly organized by the Government of Ghana in collaboration with the Governments of Uganda, Nigeria and Tonga. Mr Ofori-Atta indicated that the government was clear about the development of the human capital base, particularly in the areas of education, health and technology. However, limited resources were being used to pursue significant projects and that called for prioritization of the projects. He further assured that the governments agenda of providing economic freedom and social liberty through human capital development of its people would not be compromised because of an election. According to him, though Ghanaians were yet to fully realize the gains of some policy interventions like the Free Senior High School programme, the One District, One Factory, among others, the government would continue to embark on such policies that have long-term benefits for Ghanaians rather than spontaneous projects for political gains. The real gains of the Free Senior High School will not be seen in four years and so it is a choice and a real daring pursuit of the government to develop the human capital of the country and that is linked with the SDGs, he added. From the Minister, the solution to the myriad of challenges impeding the achievement of SDGs targets on the continent was known to all but what was lacking was prioritizing them in the face of limited resources. We could have enough resources globally, have the solutions and the human capital on our side, but we are not there. Everybody is saying the right thing but somehow, we are not there, he exclaimed. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, Lord Fakafanua, stated that most of the SDGs were held ransom by climate change and that no single country could these challenges alone. According to him, developed countries had a moral obligation to address the challenges posed by climate change and COP 27 affirmed what the Pacific knew to be true about climate financing and the need for more commitments to ensure climate prosperity for the next generation. Sometimes the solutions are just common sense, we just need to take time to realize and bring them to action, he added. Dr Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission, noted that the challenge for most African countries was the penchant for ad hoc or short-term solutions to long-term challenges. He stated that for most African countries, a lot of the gains made in national policies may not be immediate and therefore there was a need for structural elements in dealing with these challenges. He talked about the transformation of the economy, transitioning from being primary producers of products to value additions and protection of the vulnerable through programmes like the LEAP programme as the essential elements that needed priority in the national budget. The event, themed Accelerator actions and innovative financing to deliver on the SDGs by 2030 brought together officials from Hilton Foundation, the International Rescue Committee, and Ghana UN Country Team. Member of Parliament hopeful for Amenfi Central Constituency in the Western Region, Hon Joana Gyan has called on Ghanaians to celebrate Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah more often and not just on his birthday. She however bemoaned the deteriorating state of Dr. Kwame Nkrumahs mother's residence at Nkroful, his hometown and donated GHC70,000 to help make the place attractive to people who visit the place on daily basis. We went around and obviously, we have seen that there is a lot of work to be done at Dr Kwame Nkrumah's mother's residence. "Dr Kwame Nkrumah is the icon of Africa and if visitors should see the dilapidated nature of his mother's residence it doesn't speak well of him and Ghana. "I made the donation to at least help reshape the deplorable states of the building itself and the entire environment," Hon Joana Gyan said at a grand durbar at Nkroful last Saturday to commemorate this year's birthday of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. She revealed that Dr Kwame Nkrumah's contribution to the development of the Nation cannot be written off, adding that, people do visit Ghana because of the legacies of Dr Nkrumah. "So it was about time we all stand to make the birthplace of Dr Kwame Nkrumah a better place. "We must also learn that we will not wait for his anniversary before we come and do these things of developmental purpose," she said. She added it is about time "we must constantly maintain and reshape the home of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and desist from doing so on an annual basis." 25.09.2023 LISTEN Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Ellembelle Constituency in the Western Region, Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah has said Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana is remembered because of his unprecedented achievements. He noted that he (Dr Kwame Nkrumah) built alot of industries without slogans. According to him, Nkrumah put the interest of the nation first in all his endeavors and not his party first contrary to what is being witnessed under the current NPP government. He said this last Saturday at Nkroful at a durbar to commemorate the 114th birthday celebration of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Mr Armah Kofi Buah revealed that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah built industries to benefit the entire country. Industrial Advancements He said a wave of industrialization initiatives that laid the foundation for Ghana's economic strength marked Nkrumah's presidency. The deputy minority leader noted that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah's focus on creating self-reliance and reducing dependency on imports resulted in the establishment of several key enterprises like the Abosso Glass Factory. He added that Nkrumah's push for local manufacturing led to the creation of the Abosso Glass Factory, a symbol of self-sufficiency in producing glass products. "Akosombo Dam and Akosombo Textiles Limited: Nkrumah's dedication to harnessing Ghana's resources led to the construction of the Akosombo Dam, which not only provided electricity but also spurred the growth of industries like Akosombo Textiles Limited, contributing to local employment." Asutuare Sugar Factory and Buokrom Estate, he said was Nkrumah's agricultural focus which birthed the Asutuare Sugar Factory and the Buokrom Estate, boosting sugar production and providing housing for workers. "Bolgatanga Meat Processing Factory: Nkrumah's commitment to value addition in agriculture led to the establishment of the Bolgatanga Meat Processing Factory, promoting local meat processing. "Bolgatanga Rice Mill Factory: Nkrumah's pursuit of food security materialized in the creation of the Bolgatanga Rice Mill Factory, boosting domestic rice production. "Kade Match Factory: Under his visionary leadership, the Kade Match Factory emerged, contributing to local production and reducing import dependency." On Education, Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah made it clear that Nkrumah recognized that education was pivotal for a nation's progress. He established institutions that continue to shape the country's intellectual landscape such as Accra Polytechnic (Now Accra Technical University). "This institution's evolution into Accra Technical University remains a testament to Nkrumah's commitment to technical education. "Ajumako School of Languages (Now Under UEW): By creating Ajumako School of Languages, Nkrumah paved the way for language studies, contributing to cultural preservation. "Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST): This renowned institution stands as a monument to Nkrumah's emphasis on science and technology education. "University of Cape Coast (UCC): The establishment of UCC expanded educational opportunities along the coast, promoting higher learning. "Enchi Training College: Nkrumah's emphasis on education extended to teacher training, exemplified by the establishment of Enchi Training College. "Fosu Training College: The creation of Fosu Training College bolstered teacher education and improved the quality of education. "University of Ghana (University College of Gold Coast): The expansion of this institution into the University of Ghana underscores Nkrumah's dedication to higher learning. "Ghana Medical School: His commitment to healthcare and medical education found expression in the establishment of Ghana Medical School. "Techiman Secondary School: Nkrumah's focus on expanding educational access is evident through institutions like Techiman Secondary School." Read more Infrastructure and Urban Development: Shaping Modern Ghana Nkrumah's presidency saw the transformation of Ghana's urban landscape, with projects that continue to define its modernity: Kumasi Central Hospital (Now Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital): Nkrumah's investment in healthcare is evident in the expansion of this hospital, ensuring quality medical care for Ghanaians. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital: The expansion of Korle Bu, with specialized blocks, demonstrated Nkrumah's commitment to healthcare excellence. Tema Township and Tema Motorway: Nkrumah's vision for a modern industrial city materialized in the establishment of Tema Township and the Tema Motorway, linking Accra and Tema for efficient transport. Kumasi Jute Factory and Kumasi Shoe Factory: These initiatives contributed to industrial growth, providing quality jute products and footwear to Ghanaians. City Hotel Catering Rest Houses (Now Golden Tulip - Kumasi): The transformation of this facility into Golden Tulip Hotel demonstrates Nkrumah's commitment to hospitality infrastructure. Patasi Estate: Nkrumah's vision for planned housing resulted in the creation of Patasi Estate, catering to urban housing needs. Meridian Hotel: The establishment of Meridian Hotel highlighted Nkrumah's efforts to enhance tourism infrastructure. Financial and Economic Fortitude: Building Institutions Nkrumah's legacy in the financial sector is palpable through the establishment of key institutions: Bank of Ghana (BoG): The BoG's foundation during Nkrumah's time remains the backbone of Ghana's financial system. Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB): Nkrumah's efforts resulted in the establishment of GCB, facilitating financial access and stability. National Investment Bank (NIB): The NIB's creation reflects Nkrumah's foresight in fostering investment and economic growth. Ghana Black Star Line: Nkrumah's endeavors in the maritime sector included the establishment of the Ghana Black Star Line, fostering shipping and trade. Ghana News Agency: The creation of this agency strengthened media and communication networks, supporting national development. GIHOC Pharmaceuticals: Nkrumah's focus on pharmaceuticals led to the establishment of GIHOC Pharmaceuticals, contributing to healthcare access. Cultural and Creative Progress: Nurturing Identity. Nkrumah recognized the significance of culture and creativity in national identity and growth: Ghana Film Industries - Accra and Ghana Film Corporation: These institutions nurtured Ghana's film industry, fostering cultural expression and creative entrepreneurship. Institute of African Studies: Nkrumah's commitment to preserving and studying African heritage is evident in this institute's founding. State Farm Institutes: Nkrumah's agricultural innovation extended to State Farm Institutes, promoting modern farming techniques. A Legacy of Progress Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah's visionary leadership left an indelible mark on Ghana's history. His six years in office were characterized by bold initiatives that propelled Ghana's development across industries, education, infrastructure, and more. Today, as we enjoy the fruits of his labor, Nkrumah's name remains synonymous with progress, and his legacy continues to inspire us to strive for greatness. In the end, Nkrumah's achievements, ranging from the establishment of educational institutions to the creation of vital industries, stand as a testament to his dedication to Ghana's growth and development. The name "Osagyefo" resonates with Ghanaians as a symbol of transformative leadership, and the impact of his presidency continues to shape the nation's path to prosperity. Source: Ayisah Foster New York, 22 September 2023 (ECA) - Africa must fully exploit its abundant critical mineral resources to accelerate sustainable industrialisation and clean energy transition, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Acting Executive Secretary, Antonio Pedro, has urged leaders at a business summit on the side-lines of the United National General Assembly in New York. Speaking at a panel discussion on Extractives, Batteries, Electric Cars: Powering Tomorrow, Today hosted by the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) Mr. Pedro noted that Africa should benefit from its critical mineral resources through fair value creation to ensure that our resources are used to promote resource driven industrialization to create jobs and enable countries to go up the value chain. GABIs Unstoppable Africa is an African private sector-led platform that aims to galvanize leaders across key sectors to invest in Africa - bridging the gap between global investors and Africa's vibrant, emerging sectors. The two-day event is co-convened by the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohamed and the Chairperson of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The event brings together Heads of State, Ministers, investors and UN leaders, joined by stars in music, sport and film for an exclusive two-day forum on Africas future. The session, organized with the aim of elevating Africas prominence in the global economy and positioning the continent as the premier destination for business, trade, and investment, explored Africa's pivotal role in the burgeoning landscape of electric cars and sustainable energy and discussed the continent's capability for innovation and leadership in these sectors. Despite Africa being endowed with an array of minerals from copper, magnesium, nickel and cobalt, the continent has not been able to make energy transition. Mr. Pedro said that enabling policies and incentives are important in boosting investment in the value addition of critical minerals. Ms. Oluranti Doherty, Director of Export Development at the Afreximbank said that African countries need to take ownership and leadership in the development of their mineral resources. Underlying Afreximbank's commitment to promoting an inclusive battery and electric vehicle value chain, Ms. Doherty said the bank is promoting industrialization on the continent and is facilitating the development of Special Economic Zones in Zambia and the DRC. "Following the signing of the framework agreement between the DRC, Zambia, ECA and Afreximbank for financial and technical assistance, we have put together USD1 million to support the preparation of the prefeasibility study for the creation of special economic zones in these countries, Ms. Doherty said. A study by BloombergNEF identifies DRC as an attractive location for the manufacturing of sustainable battery precursors as it has abundant cobalt resources and hydroelectric power. The study promoted by the ECA, Afreximbank, the African Development Bank, the Africa Finance Corporation, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), and the UN Global Compact, noted that the battery precursors to be produced in the DRC would be cheaper, environmentally sustainable and competitive than material produced in China. According to M. Pedro, the value addition of critical minerals and the boom in electric vehicle demand currently represent a $7 trillion market up to 2030 and $46 trillion by 2050. The DRC produces over 70% of the worlds cobalt. Together with Zambia, it also supplies 10% of global copper. Moving the DRC one step up on the electric battery value chain could increase the $11 billion in mining proceeds to $270 billion. Speaking at the same panel, Brian Menell, Chair and CEO, TechMet Ltd noted that Africa has a massive opportunity to be at the forefront of the critical minerals supply for the energy transition and Africas development. Africa has the mineral resources for local beneficiation and with the value addition benefiting local communities, investors are keen to forge partnerships with African governments to enable competitiveness of what is produced, ensuring high standards on sustainability, governance and transparency, he said. The United States is advancing critical minerals partnerships in Africa and is supportive of value addition as a shift from the extractive model of the past. In December 2022, the US signed an MoU with the governments of the DRC and Zambia for the value chain development in critical minerals through processing and manufacturing. New York, 22 September 2023 - The Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Antonio Pedro, has challenged African countries to invest in industrial skills critical for driving Africas industrial growth and economic development. In an address at the sixth High Level event on the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III) held on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Pedro lamented the continents serious short of industrial skills and professional capacity needed to achieve sustainable development. Tackling the skills shortage challenge in Africa requires investing in education and technical and vocational training programs tailored to the needs of the industrial sector to harness the continents abundant natural resources and labour force more effectively; skills development does not happen in a vacuum, he stressed. The SDG-9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure is key for achieving the twin 2030 Agenda and the African Unions Agenda 2063. Held on the theme, Positioning Africas industrial skills development, deployment and Retention: Accelerating Manufacturing, the High Level event, was organized by the African Union Commission, UNIDO and the ECA. The event was aimed at taking stock of the progress made on the IDDA III and the Accelerated Industrialization Development for Africa (AIDA). Key collaborators involved in the event included the International Labour Organization, Afreximbank, the Africa Capacity Building Foundation, the African Business Council, and The Tony Elumelu Foundation. The High-Level event was an opportunity for stakeholders on Africas industrialization to exchange ideas on how best to position industrial skills development for the acceleration of Africas manufacturing, in critical, value-adding sectors. Besides, the participants discussed ideas to effectively upscale, deploy and retain Africas labor force using best international labor practices. Knowing and addressing the skills gap in Africa While the skills shortage and the importance of prioritizing skills development in Africa is widely acknowledged, hard data on the topic is limited, said Mr. Pedro, adding that, This needs to be addressed starting with the undertaking of skills gap assessments at the macro and sectoral level. He added that limited funding of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) and Higher Education by African governments and Development Partners remains a challenge and called for better consultations between governments, businesses and educational institutions to improve the outcomes of resource allocation to skills development. According to Mr. Pedro, Africa can build on existing initiatives and scale them up to trigger transformational change. As an example, the ECA recently signed a five-year collaboration agreement with the University of Johannesburg to develop an 18-month Master of Philosophy in Industrial Policy programme. The programme aims to build human resource capacity in specialized industrial policy on the continent and to equip its students with the ability to support African governments in prioritizing and developing industrial policy in national development plans and long-term national visions. For the continent to create a comprehensive and adaptive skills pool, certain prerequisites, such as improved budget allocation for education and targeted technical training, as well as ensuring an enabling policy environment, need to be prioritized, said Mr. Pedro. Capacity substitution through technical assistance and use of external contractors, service providers, and other forms of capacity acquisition allows industrial skills to be mobilized quickly for project start-ups. It is vital that African countries take steps to transfer essential skills that are critical for strategic sectors, he said, urging for the implementation of strategies and practical measures to safeguard and retain essential indigenous skills. The prosperity of a country depends on a productive labour force, which in turn rests on the skills they have and the effectiveness with which they deploy them, he said. The ECA Acting Executive Secretary recommended that African countries should integrate the rich talent, creativity, and entrepreneurship into the formal economy. At the same time countries must provide mentorship, training, and technical assistance to enable those in the informal sector to contribute to the formal skills pool. 25.09.2023 LISTEN New York, September 22, 2023 The United Nations Secretariat and the Republic of Ghana today announced that the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting will take place in Accra, Ghana on 5-6 December. At a press conference in New York, Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, together with senior United Nations officials, said this flagship biennial meeting will help secure much-needed political support and generate pledges to strengthen UN Peacekeeping, in line with Action for Peacekeeping and A4P+, the implementation strategy for 2021-2023. This will be the fifth UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting and the first to take place in Africa. UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meetings focus on securing concrete commitments from Member States to fill critical gaps, leverage new technologies, and address key priorities to improve the operational effectiveness of peacekeeping missions. With missions navigating unprecedented challenges and threats, this years event will focus on critical issues such as the protection of civilians, strategic communications and addressing misinformation and disinformation, safety and security, mental health of uniformed peacekeepers, and the pivotal role of women in peacekeeping. As a long-standing Troop and Police Contributing Country to UN Peacekeeping since the 1960s, Ghana acknowledges the long and positive track record of peacekeeping in Africa and believes that UN Peacekeeping has a future and remains indispensable and invaluable in advancing peace in conflict settings globally. It is therefore pertinent that the world remains resolute in our commitment to guarding jealously this multilateral tool and fully support the Secretary-Generals initiatives such as the Action for Peacekeeping and A4P+ which are essential to improving the effectiveness of modern-day peacekeeping and tackling the security challenges of our time, said Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. UN peacekeeping is a global partnership with peacekeepers from over 120 countries deployed in some of the most challenging places in the world to help save lives, prevent conflict, and create conditions for lasting peace, said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. The 2023 Ministerial is an important opportunity for leaders to reaffirm their commitment and make pledges to UN peacekeeping, which remains one of the most significant multilateral tools to achieve sustainable peace and development. We are grateful to Ghana for hosting this Ministerial meeting and for their critical contributions to strengthening our operations. Member States are also being encouraged to create or strengthen bilateral and triangular support and partnerships to ensure proposed improvements are sustainable and have the required impact. Highlighting the significance of the Ministerial taking place in Africa and the importance of partnerships, Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support said Ghana and Africas contributions to peacekeeping are advancing beyond troop contributions to offering a vital forum in which countries can unite and collaborate on innovative strategies to address current challenges and discuss the future of peacekeeping. I look forward to the formation of partnerships amongst participants to enhance the effectiveness of our peacekeepers, elevate the quality of their medical care, and foster environmentally responsible operations. In addition to the myriad challenges currently before us, United Nations peace operations are also at a critical juncture in preventing and addressing misconduct as a central element of performance, said Catherine Pollard, Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. This is a collective endeavour. The meeting in Accra is the latest in a series of high-level events that have enabled world leaders to pledge resources to help missions fully implement their mandates. Beyond garnering political support for the work of UN Peacekeeping, generous contributions by Member States at similar meetings in New York, London, Vancouver and Seoul have helped generate rapidly-deployable military units, key aviation assets, better medical capacities, and helped advance the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. In the lead-up to this years Ministerial, a series of preparatory meetings on key areas identified by UN Member States have set the stage for discussions. These included Preparatory Conferences on Women in Peacekeeping Operations, co-hosted by Bangladesh, Canada, and Uruguay, mental health support for uniformed personnel, co-hosted by Ghana, the Republic of Korea, and the United Nations, and safety and security, co-hosted by Japan and Pakistan. In October, a meeting on Protection of Civilians and Strategic Communications will take place in Kigali, co-hosted by Indonesia, the Netherlands, Rwanda, and the UK. Libya's prosecutor general has ordered the arrest of eight officials as part of his inquiry into the recent flood disaster that killed thousands, his office said on Monday. The flash flood, which witnesses likened to a tsunami, broke through two ageing dams on September 10 after a hurricane-strength storm lashed the area around Derna, a port city in Libya's east. The officials are suspected of "bad management" and negligence, among other offences, a statement from the prosecutor general's office said, adding that seven of them served currently or previously in offices responsible for water resources and dam management. Map showing the location of two dams on the Wadi Derna that collapsed following torrential rains. By Sylvie HUSSON, Paz PIZARRO (AFP) "The mistakes that they made" and their "negligence in the matter of disaster prevention" contributed to the catastrophe, the statement charged. Derna's mayor Abdulmonem al-Ghaithi, sacked after the flood, is among the detainees. Almost 3,900 people died in the disaster, according to the latest official toll, and international aid groups have said 10,000 or more people may be missing. After opening a probe, Libya's prosecutor general Al-Seddik al-Sur said more than a week ago that the two dams upstream from Derna had been cracked since 1998. Years of conflict But repairs begun by a Turkish company in 2010 were suspended after a few months when Libya's 2011 revolution flared, and the work never resumed, the prosecutor said, vowing to deal firmly with those responsible. According to his office, the investigation is focused on a dam maintenance contract reached between the Turkish firm and Libya's water department. The 2011 NATO-backed revolt toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, leading to more than a decade of start-stop conflict in the oil-rich country. Hundreds of protesters rallied in Derna accusing eastern authorities of neglect and calling for 'legal action' against those responsible for the flood disaster. By Hussam AHMED (AFP/File) Libya is now divided between an internationally-recognised Tripoli-based administration in the west -- to which Sur belongs -- and another in the flood-struck east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. Eastern forces years ago launched a failed assault on the capital which ended in a 2020 ceasefire. Since then a period of relative stability has held and allowed war-ravaged Libya to try to rebuild. After the flood, hundreds of protesters rallied in Derna on September 18, accusing eastern authorities of neglect and calling for "a speedy investigation and legal action" against those responsible for the disaster. Protesters later torched the home of Derna's mayor, Ghaithi, and the eastern administration dissolved Derna's municipal council. 'Abuse of power' The prosecutor general's statement said the mayor is suspected of "abuse of power and bad management of funds allocated to city development". Politicians and analysts say the chaos in Libya since 2011 has left much of its vital infrastructure dilapidated. The first dam to collapse in the disaster was the Abu Mansur dam, 13 kilometres (eight miles) from Derna, whose reservoir held 22.5 million cubic metres (nearly 800 million cubic feet) of water. Satellite pictures show the upper dam on Libya's Wadi Derna river before the flash floods, on January 7, 2022, and after on September 13, 2023. By - (Satellite image 2023 Maxar Technologies/AFP/File) The deluge then broke Al Bilad, the second dam, which had a capacity of 1.5 million cubic metres and is just a kilometre from the coastal city. The wall of water and debris swept through the normally dry riverbed or wadi that cuts through the city centre. Both dams were built by a Yugoslav company in the 1970s, "not to collect water but to protect Derna from floods", Sour said earlier. In a 2021 report from the Libyan audit bureau, officials criticised "procrastination" on resuming repair work at the two dams. In November 2022, engineer and academic Abdel Wanis Ashour warned in a study that a "catastrophe" threatened Derna if authorities did not carry out maintenance on the dams. Akufo knows he and his family, along with Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, are to blame for the demise of Ghana and the NPP party, and he can't live with that fact for the rest of his life, he thinks he must do everything in his power to keep the vice president, Mahamudu Bawumia, as president, but that is not how it should be. It is the people of Ghana that have the right to choose those who must represent them if the country truly practices democracy, and not the president. It is impossible for someone who has committed a crime to conceal it, no matter how much they try; the body language reveals who's to blame! Since Akufo Addo doesnt want to show any regrets or feels embarrassed over his failure, he is not acting rationally to go in peace because he is aware of his failures to uphold his promises to Ghanaians, his party, and NPP politicians. Instead, he is choosing to take action that he believes will restore his reputation but could lead to political unrest and even bloodshed. Any intelligent Ghanaian can tell from the president's body language, facial expressions, and statements, such as the three times he has said, "I will do everything in my power to ensure the NPP retains power," that exposes his concern about how the destruction of Ghana has also affected the future of his political party. Akufo Addo is aware that if NPP enters the opposition, the party may be there for probably one thousand years because the damage this party has caused is enormous. Any sane Ghanaian should ask himself whether it is morally acceptable for a failed president to rig an election in favor of the ruling party. Even though it is obvious that the majority of Ghanaians no longer want this government, apart from the greedy politicians and tribal bigots, the truth is that Akufo Addo's actions may result in serious political violence that Ghanaians are not anticipating, and since they know that they will get maximum support to blame John Mahama for the political violence they dont care. As indicated earlier in some articles and also programmed by Kevin Taylor, the host of Loud Silence TV, Akufo Addo gave appointments to all the key figures, including Ken Ofori-Atta, who protested against John Mahama to enhance his presidential ambitions. When a leader is engaged in rewarding all those who stood for him, he is more likely to appoint unqualified people to manage state affairs, so there is no way Akufo Addo will have been a successful leader. Kevin Taylor disclosed Akufo Addo's appointment of important protesters who supported his bid to unseat Mahama as president. Ghanaians should, therefore, understand why Ghana is in its worst state, yet, everyone is quiet. Akufo Addo is the most unyielding president that Ghanaians have ever seen, he never listens to anyone and does what he pleases. Many people, including Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta Region, criticized the president when the economy began to deteriorate due to his careless spending and the expensive jets he had been hiring for his pointless duties. However, because everything in Ghana is politicized, NPP politicians, including Kennedy Agyapong, defended the president. Not only do I see the potential for danger and carnage in Ghana if Akufo Addo is allowed to carry out his nefarious plans, but many prominent Ghanaians, such as Nyaho Tamakloe and Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo Mensah, are expressing alarm over what may yet be to come, which can be quite unsettling. The majority of people are extremely frustrated after their businesses and livelihoods were destroyed and permanently placed in poverty, while maidservants have stolen millions of dollars from an NPP politicians house. However, today; Agyapong is now accusing Akufo Addo of destroying Ghana and the NPP party since he is running as an independent presidential candidate. Many NPP politicians, like MP Stephen Amoah, claimed that the E-Levy would solve all of Ghana's problems and accused the NDC of fighting the E-Levy because they knew it would strengthen the party. Once the new tax was finally enacted, the businesses that Ghanaians had spent years to establish collapsed. I sometimes wonder why Akufo Addo became president because Ghana should have reached far if he hadnt stepped in as president. His complete failure and its disastrous impact on the nation is worse than the period Ghana fought for independence. The collapse of banking institutions, foreign and local investments, illegal gold dealings, his involvement in illegal mining, and other crimes Akufo Addo had been involved in took its toll on the country, plunging it into a state of despair. As indicated earlier in some articles and also programmed by Kevin Taylor, the host of Loud Silence TV, Akufo Addo gave appointments to all the key figures, including Ken Ofori-Atta, who protested against John Mahama to enhance his presidential ambitions. When a leader is engaged in rewarding all those who stood for him, he is more likely to appoint unqualified people to manage state affairs, so there is no way Akufo Addo will have been a successful leader. He should have known this if he was intelligent. Now that he feels guilty about the manner he has destroyed again which has also affected the NPP party, he knows that he cant live with it for the rest of his life if the NPP goes to opposition, therefore, he keeps telling Ghanaians that he will break the 8th cycle by making sure that NPP retains power and he thinks since he doesnt respect the population and considers them fools, they will sit quietly for him to implement his diabolical plans. Bawumia said against Mahama As if the incompetent doesnt know the damage he has caused and wants to come back to destroy everything, I want to let the vice president understand that he is not only lazy and incompetent, but he is also a criminal. In any country, he should have been forced to resign or be in prison together with Ken Ofori-Atta for collaborating with the governor of the Bank of Ghana to print money into an already troubled economy without the approval of parliament. How then can Ghanaians allow someone like Bawumia to be a president? Thats cant be. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Authorities in Goris are providing accommodation to the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh willing to stay there after reaching Kornidzor, Goris Deputy Mayor Irina Yolyan told ARMENPRESS. We are assessing their needs here. Those requiring medical assistance or any other services are provided with the necessary help on spot before the needs assessment and provision of relevant assistance. Those who express desire to stay in Goris are being accommodated in hotels, while those who want to move to other towns, for example Sisian or Tatev, or to Vayots Dzor province, they continue traveling there. There are those who are being met by their relatives and accommodated in their homes, Yolyan said, adding that most of the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh are women, children and elderly people. Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMeT) has warned that the countrys capital, Accra, will suffer flooding whenever it rains beyond 50 millimetres. The warning comes after last Fridays downpour, which left parts of Accra in large swamps of running water. Areas such as the Tema Motorway, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Kaneshie, North Kaneshie, Alajo, Adabraka, Accra Central, Tema, Tema station-Accra, Osu, and others were all heavily affected after close to an hour of rainfall. The water left many houses and cars submerged and drains carrying running water were overflown, while some potholes on roads were enlarged and deepened. The Head of Forecasting at the GMeT, Joseph Portuphy, said in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, that the rain was gauged at 78 millimetres, which is why that level of flooding was witnessed across the city. He affirmed that it would be problematic for Accra whenever it rained beyond 50 millimetres. If we have a rain above 50 millimetres within two to three hours Accra will be flooded and that was what happened, he stated. Mr Portuphy noted that though the city is currently in the minor rainy season, the rains will be heavy. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has cautioned the public against forecasted heavy rains. According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NADMO, George Ayisi, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has indicated that there will be more rain. He said it is imperative for the public to brace up for more rains in the coming days. We are in constant touch with GMeT and they keep updating us every time. They say the rains are going to be severe, they are going to be heavy so we should be careful. Those who are travelling in some cases it will be stormy, windy. If you are travelling to places where there are trees and co just be careful. If you are in areas where the roofing of houses or homes areas not too good, let's be careful in those areas. If we are in areas where we are not sure and they are flood prone let's try and identify safe havens in the city and then let's try and move to safer grounds for ourselves and our relatives, he stated. -citinewsroom Benin trader Antoine Djanta lost four members of his family at the weekend when an illegal fuel depot near his home exploded into a massive fire that killed 34 people. Like many others in this border community, he lives off the contraband fuel trade with neighbouring Nigeria, a business that has now brought tragedy to the town. "What have we done to deserve to lose our loved ones like this?" Djanta said, inconsolable as relatives flocked in small groups to visit the bereaved family. On Saturday, one of the main illicit gasoline storage warehouses located in Seme-Krake exploded into flames and burned up in just a few minutes. Twenty-four hours later, all that remains are the depot's walls and the charred frames of cars and motorcycles that were parked there. In the surrounding area, many stores have their doors broken down after residents and owners smashed their way in to salvage as much as possible before the flames spread. Massavo Houngbo, 42, a trader who also makes his living from gasoline trafficking, still can't believe the damage. He and his eldest son narrowly escaped death thanks to a transport issue. "I had dozens of cans there," he said. "I had completed arrangements for one of my loads which was leaving for Cotonou. But the truck was delayed and I left the premises with my son to return later." Many in the town live off the illicit fuel trade with neighbouring Nigeria. By Yanick Folly (AFP) Ten minutes after his departure, an explosion ripped through the depot, sending an enormous black cloud of fuel smoke into the air. "We lost a lot in this fire but we cannot mourn the losses. We are alive and that is priceless," Houngbo said, holding his head in his hands. According to a report from officials on Saturday, the 34 dead in the flames included two babies. Twenty more people were injured, some seriously. An investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances. 'Kpayo' fuel Since the 1980s, fuel from Nigeria, one of the leading oil producers in Africa, has been transported illegally to neighbouring Benin where gasoline is resold along the roads by informal sellers. This contraband gasoline, called "Kpayo" which means "bad quality" in the local Gun language, has become the main source of fuel in Benin and the business supports tens of thousands of people. Until May, it was almost three times cheaper than that sold in Beninese service stations, because Nigeria had until then subsidised its fuel. But the trade also comes with risks due to the dangers of storage and transport conditions, as well as frequent fatal fires. Since 2018, the government has been trying to end trafficking and formalise the sector by encouraging the creation of service stations and training black market traders in other skills. But the scale of the sector is such that even the end of fuel subsidies in neighbouring Nigeria in May did not halt trafficking. Business continued even after the end of Nigerian subsidies tripled the price of "Kpayo", making it more expensive than gasoline sold legally in stations. "The tragedy that has just occurred reminds us of the urgent need to resolve the kpayo issue,' Beninese Economy Minister Romuald Wadagni told reporters on Saturday evening. Benin has 54,000 points of sale of contraband gasoline, the minister said. "We are convinced that giving these people a decent job, they will be able to change activity," he said. More than 5,000 people have already benefited from training in textiles to shift from fuel trafficking. At the border, dealers said they were in shock after the blaze. "There was too much damage," said one of them, on condition of anonymity. "The state must help us because right now we have no other job except this one." UPHOLDING THE PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER THROUGH EFFECTIVE MULTILATERALISM: MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY OF UKRAINE. Mr. President, I thank you for making me a part of this important meeting on how we can uphold better the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, with the unfortunate events in Ukraine serving as the backdrop. I am grateful to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for making a compelling case of the shared benefits we derive as Member States when we choose to be peace-loving, as required by the Charter. Mr. President, none of us here, in this Chamber, can claim not to be aware that our world is in a troubled place. The sharp differences in geopolitical competition among major powers, and the intense convergence of the crises in the world, particularly of conflicts, climate change, and unsustainable development, have undermined global trust and solidarity, and unraveled the common logic that has prevailed since 1945, which is, it is better to suffer the inadequacies of the multilateral system for the greater good, than to pursue the chaos of the unknown for national advantage. In this context, and being mindful of the reality that neither geographic boundaries nor political ideologies have been able to isolate any State from the burden of the prevailing crises, Ghana continues to hope, in earnest, for an end to the war against Ukraine, and for the construction of a future marked by peaceful co-existence, mutual cooperation and brotherly relations between the two neighbouring countries. Indeed, the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine is wrong, and we have said so on many platforms. The war has had an increasingly devastating toll on the people of Ukraine, and the rest of the world, particularly for those of us in Africa, and has challenged our shared values of international peace and security. The turnings of the war have constrained collective efforts in reinvigorating multilateralism, and impeded common approaches to confront effectively several complex challenges of our time. For those of us in Ghana, however, the unfolding situation is not a lost cause. Whilst we are rightfully distressed by what is happening around us, we believe that, together, we can still mitigate the challenges of the unknown if we are prepared to co-operate for a careful managed process of the reform of global institutions, that would redistribute fairly responsibilities and authority to reflect the present realities of our world. We also believe that history has a lesson to teach, and the painful lessons of the two previous world wars inspired the solemn commitments made by the founders of the United Nations to refrain from the use of force in their relations among States. That common understanding to replace force and might, with the rule of law, co-operation and the peaceful settlement of disputes, underpins the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and remains valid if we are to avoid a Hobbesian state of affairs in inter-State relations. We must, thus, work together strongly to reverse the growing fragmentation of our world, and the elevation of nationalist ideologies and actions above commonly accepted rules. Violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, and attempts to normalize such violations or selectively apply the rules of international law and the Charter, would only undermine the promise of the past and the hope for future generations. It is in this regard that Ghana continues to be a firm advocate for dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the Russian war against Ukraine. We do not do so because want a resolution of the dispute at any cost but, united in our belief with many others, we believe the only pathway for a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable resolution of the dispute is one that must be just and based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law. In taking a principled position on the conflict in Ukraine, Ghana has been concerned about the ramifications of the war on the global community and multilateralism. We, therefore, welcome the opportunity that the New Agenda for Peace provides, which is to reset our common understanding on how, among others, we relate with each other as States, can reinforce the preemptory norms of international law that have provided us stability for almost eight decades, and find new ways of addressing old challenges that continue to undermine States and the sovereignty of nations. Mr. President, in support of the choices we need to make for a renewed and inclusive multilateralism, I would want to share three (3) key messages. Firstly, many of the organs and institutions established by the Charter, such as for the Security Council, continue to be relevant, but the Council's composition and working methods need renewal through the completion of the long outstanding reforms. In support of the Common African Position on Security Council reforms, contained in the Ezulwini Consensus, Ghana urges a transformation of the dialogue among Member States to envisage an end point that delivers a Security Council that is representative, and which also addresses the historical injustice done the continent of Africa. To overcome knotty discussions around the veto, we encourage the ongoing efforts to limit its use, and the subsequent placement of a moratorium on its use that would lead progressively to its removal over a reasonable period of time. We cannot continue to have a Security Council that is structurally limited from being effective, and yet demands universal acceptance for its decisions. As with many other things in life, with changes, we need to adapt, and, with authority, comes a responsibility that must be kept. Secondly, the peace of the world is indivisible and integrated with all other global arrangements beyond our collective security. Our efforts at preventive diplomacy must be comprehensive and broad-based. We need to be aware that, for instance, inimical economic and financial policies have an enduring impact on peace, and that global policies and the structure and functioning of international institutions cannot remove the centrality of peace from their raison d'etre. We must strengthen, in a comprehensive and integrated manner, our efforts in preventing the outbreak of violence or resurgence of new conflicts. Thirdly and finally, multilateralism, at the global level, must be accompanied by effective regional partnerships partnerships that help to anticipate better threats to our common humanity, which prioritize pacific means for resolving differences, and which cuts across regions to enhance its effectiveness when required. When we fail to leverage fully the potential of regional bodies, we can only have ourselves to blame when multilateral efforts at the global level are unable to deliver. In ending, I call again for peace in Ukraine and emphasize, as my delegation has often done in this Council, that there is no alternative to winning the peace in Ukraine. We hope the Council can help this United Nations to assume an enhanced role in support of peace efforts around the world, but in particular in Ukraine, for the benefit of all peoples. I thank you, Mr. President. President Akufo-Addo 25.09.2023 LISTEN Community members at Saamang, Abompe, Dome, Hemang, Nsutam, Dwenase, Bosuso and Kplandey in the Fanteakwa South district as well as Asikam and Ahwenease in Abuakwa South of the Eastern region could not hide their joy when they signed grant agreements with Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), an NGO, to carry out various development initiatives. ACA is partnering with Abuakwa South and Fanteakwa South District Assemblies to support mining communities to implement the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), a process that was developed and popularized in East Africa by ACAs partner organization, Spark MicroGrants. FCAP is part of ACAs community-driven development strategy, which encourages communities to create a common development vision and equips them with skills and financial resources including a USD 9,000 microgrant to pursue it. $9,000 microgrant Each community is receiving a $9,000 microgrant from ACA to pursue sustainable development projects that will put these communities, which are threatened by extractive development, in control of their own development and give them the tools to advocate for their own vision of the future. In line with the District Assemblies medium-term plans, Hemang, Dwenase and Kplandey have prioritized the construction of mechanized boreholes while Dome is putting up a CHPS Compound (mini clinic). For residents of Asikam, a maternity block is urgently needed to increase access to maternal health services and further facilitate the process of upgrading their CHPS Compound to a health centre, while their counterparts in Nsutam consider a mini market as their priority. Classroom blocks are to be built at Saamang and Ahwenease. Community members of Abompe and Bosuso are investing their grants in income-generating ventures to create employment and wealth among themselves. While the people of Abompe are going into poultry farming, their counterparts in Bosuso are venturing into the production of soap in commercial quantities. Appreciation I have learnt a lot from ACA over the last four months as regards project implementation and management. Thanks to ACAs engagements with us, we are clear in our minds in taking our destiny into our hands and mobilizing resources toward a common goal. My community arrived at a consensus that we should have a health centre and we remain committed to ensuring the successful implementation of our project, Gideon Ofori Boakye, the Assembly member for Asikam Electoral Area said after the signing of the grant agreement. He added, This project will go a long way to help the community as this maternity block, which is about to be built, forms part of the broader plan to upgrade our CHPS compound to a health centre to improve access to good quality health care. Fruitful collaboration The Mmrateehene (chief of young males) of Asikam, Obed Ofori Ansah, also had this to say: The engagements between ACA and the local assembly and the community over the last few months have broadened our horizon on several issues. For instance, we learnt about effective planning and implementation of community-based projects. We are so grateful to ACA and its partners for the good work done so far. Sagyemase, Juaso and Nsuapemso in the Eastern Region, as well as Donkro Nkwanta, Kyeredeso, Nwoase and Salamkrom in Bono East Region have already benefited from the FCAP process. In all, ACA intends to replicate the process in a hundred communities in Ghanas mining areas in the coming years. ACA has also sponsored CDD projects in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Through FCAP, communities have successfully built key infrastructures, including clinics and community centers, and start-up collective enterprises, such as rice farms and black soap manufacturing. 25.09.2023 LISTEN President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said it is time for Africans to spend their monies in African to make the continent the wealthy place to be. He thus extended an invitation to Africa's living in the diaspora (Global Africans) to turn their investment sets to the continent, noting that with the coming into being of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the stage is set for the continent to attract their investments for its industrial development and transformation. Like the vision of our forebears, the AfCFTA sets the stage for Africa's industrialization and transformation. What is required now is for our respective governments and businesses to show bold leadership. We need coherent and complimentary strategic actions by governments and businesses. The right mix of policies and strategies for exports, value addition to raw commodities and a greater sense of purpose to ensure a robust intra-Africa trade, to drive agricultural growth, economic diversification and the much-needed industrialization of the continent President Akufo-Addo said during the launch of the Global Africa Network, as a platform to galvanize Global African (African Diaspora) with access to funds to channel their investment portfolios into Africa. The Network was launched at the maiden Global Africa Forum convened on the margins of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York. The theme for the forum was Mobilising Global Africa Investments to boost Intra-African Trade The forum was held on the 21st of September and was attended by several African policy and business leaders as well as leading Global Africans. As the saying goes, nothing succeeds as much as success. If we work at it, if we stop being beggars and spend Africa's money inside the continent, Africa would not have to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. Twenty years ago, thirty years ago, China was not where it is today. China does not ask anyone for respect today, she does not need to. Let us make our continent the joyful and prosperous place it should be and the respect will follow Akufo-Addo added. Concrete areas of investment Secretary-General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat, Wamkele Mene, addressing the gathering on available areas of opportunity that the AfCFTA believes are accessible to potential investors to explore on the continent, noted that, the AfCFTA has identified some four (4) major areas of interest. He indicated that the areas as identified by the AfCFTA are the manufacturing sector, the pharmaceutical industry, the agriculture sector and the newly created one (1) billion dollars AfCFTA adjustment fund which has been established to support productive sector investments. The fund is not intended for budget support. It is intended for productive sector investments. What we envisage is that you as the diaspora with global capital, will see the adjustment fund as a vehicle for channeling your investment and to see returns on your investments Wamkele Mene said. This are the four areas that we have identified which are concrete, which we believe will be long lasting and impactful and will create job opportunities in Africa so that millions of young Africans stop being buried deep in the Mediterranean. We can create jobs for them at home on the African continent and that is why I think this dialogue is so very important he added. Necessary actions On his part, Kofi Appenteng, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the African American Institute (AAI), observed that there are three things that governments on the African continent need to take action on in order to create an enabling environment to attract funds from existing diaspora networks. The first he said is ease of travel and the challenges that exist with getting visas to be able to travel to the African continent on short notice. According to the AAI president, if you (Africa) want to create an enabling environment for investments, people need to be able to travel easily. This is something that is within the power of African countries to do something about and it is in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area. We are not going to have the opportunity to create this market if travel continue to be difficult Kofi Appenteng said. The other is, for those who do not have citizenship of any African country, there needs to be the ability for a pathway for residency and also citizenship, because if you are really going to make long term investments, you are going to really need to know that if you go and sit, watch your money and make partnership, etc., that you can do so [safely and freely]. This is something that again is in the control of African governments. The last concern has to do with the real estate sector and the ability to buy real estate or houses Mr Appenteng added. Economic integration Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) and Senior Partner of the Africa Legal Associates (ALA), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, stated that the economic integration of Africa is the surest pathway to guarantee the continent's peace, security and prosperity for all her peoples. The best way to achieve this integration in Mr Otchere-Darko's view, is to have a mindset of Africa without borders. The concept of global Africa he said, will be much more meaningful and find expression if the continent gets rid of the borders that are dividing her currently. He told the gathering that investors who are not Africans in any shape or form, have invested in Africa and their investments have become profitable. The global African, Mr Otchere-Darko said, must see the need to also invest in the continent with profitability as a target. Back in January 2021, we (Africa) gave birth to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which potentially means that we are creating a single largest economy in the world by virtual of the AfCFTA. If that is going to happen, then every man and woman of African descent, should see the role that they can play in that Gabby Otchere-Darko said. The Chinese, he said, have also caught the vision and are investing heavily in Ghana and other parts of the African continent because they fore-see that sooner rather than later, Africans will stop traveling to China to purchase their products and so they see the need to build their factories right on the continent. America to Mr Otchere-Darko, is doing very little in this regard in Africa, however, he noted that it is time for the Africa American, the global African, to wake up to the reality and believe in the continent as a viable place to invest their capital. Global Africa Network Launched Executive Chairman of APN, Gabby Otchere-Darko, in launching network noted that since the 21 September is the birthday of Ghana's first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah, it was appropriate for him to the start with a quote from the former President some 60 years ago when the OAU (Organization of African Unity) was created. The resources are there; it is for us to marshal them in the active service of our people. Unless we do this by our concerted effort, within the framework of our combined planning, we shall not progress at the tempo demanded by today's events and the mode of our people. The symptoms of our troubles will grow and the troubles themselves, become chronic. It will then be too late for pan African unity to secure for us stability and tranquility in with our neighbours for a continent of social justice and material well-being Mr Otchere-Darko said in quoting the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah. The Network To serve as a platform for Global Africans to engage with African leaders on critical areas for investments. To serve as a platform for the African private sector to forge partnerships with Global Africans. Membership of the network is open to Diasporan associations, fund managers, investment brokers and asset managers. The Africa Prosperity Network, the Africa-America Institute and the UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa will work together to manage the activities of the Network by creating such platforms for members to engage with the African continent. -3news.com Residents of Dokyikrom, a farming community in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo region, are blaming Newmont Ghana Gold Limited for the widespread skin and eye-related diseases in the area in the last few years of the companys presence there. According to the residents, they never witnessed such kinds of diseases prior to the large-scale mining in the area and believe that some of the chemicals used by the companys mining operations could be responsible for these diseases. This came to light at a days sensitization programme at Dokyikrom near Kenyase organised by Mining Community Rights Network, a non-profit organisation, on the costs of mining-induced resettlement on rural households. Sponsored by the Global Greengrant Fund, the programme sought to educate the yet-to-be-resettled Dokyikrom community on the effects or socioeconomic and relational costs of involuntary displacement on the rural households and equip the participants with coping strategies to survive and ensure a sustainable resettlement community. It was also to mobilize the community to stand for their rights, particularly in their current situation where Newmont is trying to divide or fragment the community and relocate the households into two different locations, creating social disarticulation, polarizing community cohesion, and social networks and eroding community identity, sovereignty, and sense of place. About 180 community members, mostly farmers and property owners who are due for resettlement, attended the programme. Fierce resistance These community members also expressed their resolve to fiercely resist any attempt by Newmont to split them into two different groups when they are being resettled. Addressing the people, Dr. Samuel Kumi, the Executive Director of Mining Community Rights Network, identified increased poverty, reduced access to basic services such as healthcare and education, loss of cultural identity and heritage, disruption to community cohesion, loss of social networks, changes in livelihoods, impacts on physical and mental wellbeing, increased social inequality, disparities or misunderstanding wealth distribution and access to resources and unequal power structure or dynamics as some of the social costs of mining-induced resettlement to households. Dr. Kumi, who is also a Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Management of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, further mentioned landlessness, loss of property, disruption of livelihoods, reduced income, increased unemployment, loss of access to natural resources and ecosystem services that form the base of household consumption, subsistence and income generation some of the economic cost of mining-induced resettlement. Legal framework He explained that LI2175 Regulation 6(1) and (3) of the compensation and resettlement regulations state that The inhabitants shall be resettled by the holder on suitable alternative land and the resettlement shall have regard to the economic well-being and socio-cultural values of the persons to be resettled and the inhabitants to be resettled shall on the basis of the terms and conditions agreed on between the parties execute a resettlement agreement with the holder of the mining lease. So, per the regulation, the socio-cultural values of PAPs should be respected, and movement should be agreed upon but not forced. Again, principle 14 of UN principles of displacement clearly states that: Displaced person has the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his or her residence, he added. Dr. Kumi condemned any attempt to resettle or relocate anyone forcefully without recourse to the laid down legal framework on the issue and reminded the community members of their right to adequate housing and standard of living, compensation and benefits, livelihood and income restoration, and the right to negotiate all compensation and mitigation packages. He added that they also have the right to engage a consultant at the cost of the mine as well as the option to determine or decide resettlement site within a traditional jurisdiction, among others. 25.09.2023 LISTEN Edudzi Tamakloe, the National Democratic Congress' (NDC's) Director of Legal Affairs has blasted the Akufo-Addo administration, describing it as corrupt. According to Mr Tamakloe, the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstrators have every right to voice their displeasure over the hardship in the country. Edudzi Tamakloe said during an interview on TV3 that the public purse is no longer safe with Akufo-Addo. If the people who organized this demonstration have decided that the Jubilee House has become the den of thieves, they are justified to have that view. What you can do is to put them to strict probe to provide you with the evidence and I am sure that they will provide you with the evidence. It describes a particular crime scene and the popular conversation is that the seat of government has become a crime scene and the person who promised Ghanaians that I shall protect the public purse has become an accomplice in the destruction of the public purse. In fact today the purse is stolen and as we are speaking the latest figures of the public debt has risen to another six billion Ghana cedis, Edidzi Tamakloe stated. The Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, has called on industrialized nations to fulfil their promise of US$100 billion per year to finance climate change. He noted that with rising debt levels and borrowing costs, climate action in Africa must be funded through more equity investments and concessional financing. This necessitates substantial, accessible and predictable inflows of conditional finance. Despite Africa's immense potential for green investments, the continent currently attracts less than one per cent of global green bond issuances, estimated at US$600 billion, he noted. Mr Ofori-Atta, who spoke at a high-level leaders meeting during the 2023 United Nations General Assembly in New York, said more financing should flow to support Africa's adaptation and accelerate its mitigation. According to the Minster, only seven out of 23 countries have met their fair share of commitments, leaving Africa in need of substantial additional support. Additionally, the cost of African green bond issuance is more than double that of similarly rated peers, hampering the region's access to climate financing. To overcome these obstacles, Mr Ofori-Atta stated the need for appropriate vehicles to channel climate finance and strengthen domestic capacity, ensuring that African countries attract climate financing. "The international community, including the private sector, must rally around a solution that ensures African economies are not shut out of green finance opportunities due to perceived 'riskiness'," he noted. In addition to debt-for-adaptation swaps and credit enhancement, he highlighted the role of carbon markets. When carbon markets are properly designed and integrated, they channel private finance toward profitable and sustainable activities, bridging the gap between environmental goals and financial interests. The interconnected nature of these markets can create larger, more liquid markets, drawing in more participants and investments while addressing multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The Minister further endorsed the Nairobi Declaration, which calls for a global carbon taxation regime and carbon tax on fossil fuel trade, maritime transport and aviation. That would provide dedicated and affordable finance for climate-positive investments at scale, with a focus on ring-fencing these resources to ensure they are used for the benefit of Africa and its climate action goals. Police in the North East region are investigating the murder of a 60-year-old woman accused of witchcraft in Janga, West Mamprusi district. The woman was reportedly shot by a young man who is related to her. Her body has since been taken to the WaleWale Hospital for an autopsy. According to a brother-in-law of the deceased, Zakari Iddi, the woman was at home when the assailant came and shot her. She was in her room and they pulled out to the entrance and they shot her. All that I know is that she is suspected of witchcraft, Iddi told Citi News. Ghanas parliament passed a bill in 2020 to protect people accused of witchcraft, making it a crime to abuse them or send them away from communities. The law was passed after a 90-year-old woman was lynched in Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region in July 2020, drawing condemnation from local and international rights groups. -Citi Newsroom Mali's ruling junta on Monday announced a delay to a presidential election scheduled for February that was aimed at returning civilian leaders to power in the jihadist-hit West African nation. The two rounds of voting -- initially set for February 4 and 18, 2024 -- "will be slightly postponed for technical reasons", government spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga said in a statement read out to reporters. Those reasons include issues linked to the adoption this year of a new constitution and a review of the electoral lists, he said. He also cited a dispute with French company Idemia, which the junta says is involved in the census process. "The new dates for the presidential election will be communicated later," Maiga said. Authorities are also refusing to organise legislative elections, initially scheduled for the end of 2023, before the presidential election. The junta "has decided to organise, exclusively, the presidential election", the statement said. Other elections will be held on a schedule "established by the new authorities, under the directives of the new president". The postponement is yet another delay to the junta's schedule for handing back power to elected civilians. The soldiers, who carried out back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, had earlier promised legislative elections for February 2022. But the junta, led by Assimi Goita, announced at the end of 2021 that it was unable to respect the timetable agreed with the regional bloc ECOWAS. It said it needed more time to carry out deep reforms. Security situation In response, ECOWAS in early 2022 imposed heavy sanctions on Mali, severely affecting the poor and landlocked country. It lifted them the following July when the junta agreed to leave power in March 2024, and announced an electoral calendar that set the presidential election for February 2024. The junta had also scheduled a constitutional referendum for March 2023, which finally took place in June. Critics of the new constitution describe it as tailor-made to keep the junta in power beyond the presidential election. Since Mali's back-to-back putsches, West Africa has seen a series of military coups, including in Burkina Faso and Niger, which have also been hit by jihadism and violence, as well as in Guinea. The militaries in each case have said they are carrying out "transitions" before a return to "constitutional order". Mali currently faces heightened activity by jihadist groups and a resumption of hostilities in the north by armed separatist groups. Since August, there has been a series of attacks against army positions and civilians in the Timbuktu and Gao regions. The junta pushed out France's anti-jihadist force in 2022 and the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA in 2023. It has turned politically and militarily towards Russia. Monday's statement made no mention of recent security developments, saying only that junta leader Goita intends "to return to a peaceful and secure constitutional order, after carrying out as a priority institutional political reforms". YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. France is highly vigilant in issues concerning Armenias territorial integrity and stands by the Armenian people, French President Emmanuel Macron has said. In an interview for BFM channel, the French President spoke about the September 19-20 large-scale Azeri attack in Nagorno-Karabakh. In the past days we witnessed unacceptable crimes and hostilities taking place in Karabakh, he said, adding that France will continue to mobilize around humanitarian issues in order to provide humanitarian aid to the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. We are providing political support, in order for it to be possible to reach lasting peace through negotiations, President Macron said. He warned that Armenias territorial integrity is now in danger. Today, France is highly vigilant in the issue of Armenias territorial integrity, because this is whats threatened. We now have Russia, who is complicit with Azerbaijan, theres Turkey, who has always supported its [Azerbaijans] actions, Macron warned, adding that France stands by the Armenian people and international law. Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has resigned from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) with immediate effect. This is the second time the leading member of the NPP has resigned from the party. Addressing a press conference on Monday, September 25, Alan Kyerematen explained that he is resigning from the NPP because he feels his services are not appreciated by the party. As a next step in his political career, the former Cabinet Minister has also announced his decision to contest for President as an Independent Candidate in the 2024 General Elections. Under the circumstances and given the context provided, I wish to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning with immediate effect from the New Patriotic Party to contest for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana in the 2024 General Elections, as an Independent Presidential Candidate, Alan Kyerematen said. The former Trade Minister continued, To actualise this goal, I will establish and lead a new MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE in Ghana. The brand logo for the MOVEMENT is the Monarch Butterfly, which politically symbolizes change and transformation, hope, and positivity. It also communicates strength, endurance, spirituality, and trust, which are key traits that I cherish as a Political Leader. In Akan, it is known as Afrafranto. The brand motto of the MOVEMENT is Ghana Will Rise Again, which symbolizes hope for the future of Ghana. He said the new Movement will be led and powered by the youth of Ghana. At the press conference, Alan Kyerematen said he is the only leader who can guarantee economic freedom while bringing the needed change to make the lives of Ghanaians better. 25.09.2023 LISTEN Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has announced his resignation from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The announcement was made on Monday, September 25, less than a month after he withdrew from the flagbearer race of the party. Among the many reasons behind his decision to quit the NPP for the second time, Alan Kyerematen said he no longer recognises the once noble party he joined in 1992. He said the NPP as it stands now has been hijacked by a selected group of Party leaders and some unscrupulous Party apparatchiks. I joined the New Patriotic Party at the very beginning of its establishment as a Founding Member, believing in its core values and the long-standing traditions of its antecedents, predicated on fairness, equity, probity, accountability, and transparency. I have devoted the best part of my professional career to serving the Party, and I still believe in the vision of the founding fathers of the Party. However, the NPP as it exists now has very little resemblance to the Party that I joined in 1992 and helped to nurture. The Party has been hijacked by a selected group of Party leaders and elders, government appointees, behind the curtain power brokers and some unscrupulous Party apparatchiks, Alan Kyerematen bemoaned. Despite quitting the NPP, Alan Kyerematen said he cherishes the relationship with the party and still believes in the ideals of the founding fathers of the party. He urged NPP followers to vote for Members of Parliament of their choice but chose him as President in the 2024 General Elections to bring the change and transformation Ghana needs. He said if elected President, he will be president for all Ghanaians and not just one political party. 25.09.2023 LISTEN Bridget Otoo, a broadcast journalist of Metro TV who took part in the #occupyjulorbihouse demonstration, said the poor living conditions of Ghanaians is a result of the Akufo-Addo administration's bad economic management. According to the broadcast journalist, there are far more serious issues that must be addressed than focusing on whether the protesters breached the law or not. In an interview with GHONE TV midday news, she said several problems, including corruption scandals, economic mismanagement, and wanton dissipation of state resources are to blame for Ghana's woes. These are Ghanaians who said they dont care about the political powers and I think that they are people that the government should take seriously. Someone spoke to me and disclosed that I am an NPP member which is why I took part in the demonstration. There is a reason that it is called a protest, you dont expect respectability in a protest. If things were okay, do you think people will hit the street and protest and people are protesting and you are telling them that, I dont think they should obsess so much about the name whether it is Julorbi or whatever, what they should rather be concerned about is why they are hitting the street? They are upset about the numerous issues occurring in the country, Bridget Otoo stated. the late Nana Akwasi Essam II, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Numuahene, 25.09.2023 LISTEN Nana Akwasi Essan II, the late brother of embattled former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah was an astute businessman. Apart from large tracts of lands that belonged to the Nana Akwasi Essam II, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Numuahene, he was an entrepreneur who owned a lot of companies. This reporter delves into the life of Nana Akwasi Essan II whose shoe factories products are sold in Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin. Early Life Nana Akwasi Essan II was Otumfuos Numuahene born on the 6th September 1962 in Kumasi. His Father Opanin Kwame Dapaah of Apatrapa of blessed memory was a wealthy contractor, farmer and money lender. His mother Nana Ode Nyarko II was Otumfuos Numua Baapanin. She was a renowned cloth seller. She was one of the big agents of G.B OLLIVANT, S.D KARAM, P.Z, UAC and GTP Companies. Educational background Educational Background He started his Elementary School at Bantama Presbyterian Primary School and continued his education at Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School (Okess), Kumasi Ashanti Region. Working Life With an entrepreneurial and industrious spirit, Nana ventured into business at an early age. He was a great artist as well as a master craftsman. He established a shoe manufacturing company at Bantama and the companys specialty was the manufacturing of security boots. The factory was well-equipped with heavy-duty industrial machines. His main clients were some private security companies like Intercom Company Limited, G.4.S Company Limited and sometime ago Ghana Police Service. About six years ago, Nana was fortunate to have some clients from Ivory Coast, who was distributing some of his products in Togo, Benin as well as Ivory Coast. In his quest to expand his horizon in his shoe manufacturing business, he decided to setup two other factories to produce his own SOLES for his security boots. One of the factories he was constructing is at Edwenase Kumasi which is almost completed. The other factory is at Apatrapa- Kumasi where Nana has put up the office block at the lintel level and the main factory building at the foundation level. His Boots Manufacturing Company employed about thirty permanent workers and always employed about fifty casual hands whenever there is a big order from his clients. (Below are some of his master craftman products) His intention was to import new machines for the two factories mentioned above immediately the factory buildings were completed. Traditional Authority Nana Akwasi Essan II was enstooled on 25th October, 2000. His twenty-one-year reign was a period of sacrifice, service and integrity. His relationship with his families in Mpatasia, Pankrono, Twedie, Patase and Anyinamso all in the Ashanti Region is worth emulating especially Nana Akwasi Essan II duty towards his paternal family cannot be overlooked. As a Traditional Leader and the head of his family, he was controlling all the family lands at Twedie about fifteen thousand acres, Mpatasia about ten thousand acres, Patase about six thousand acres and Anyinamso about ten thousand acres. Former Trades Minister, Alan Kyerematen has said what Ghana needs at this critical moment is a new leader and not a new political party. He said this when he announced his resignation from the governing New Patriotic Party and declared his intent to contest the 2024 Presidential election as an independent candidate. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, 25 September 2023, Mr Kyerematen said the concept of an Independent Candidate becoming the President of the Republic of Ghana though novel, will be the most innovative and revolutionary development in Ghanas political history. It will indeed be a watershed development in Ghana, although similar examples of this model have been practiced successfully in Benin, in Africa, and other political jurisdictions, he stated. He indicated that in a country like Ghana, that is currently embroiled in divisive political turmoil, an Independent Candidate who becomes President, will be a bipartisan and honest broker amongst different political parties, and will bring healing and reconciliation to our body politic. He noted that as an independent president, Ministers and other key Government officials will be appointed from all Parties, and shall also include individuals who are apolitical but have a demonstrable and proven track record of performance, in their field of specialisation. What Ghana needs now is a new leader and not a new political party, he stressed. He emphasised that great nations of this world were built on the vision of great leaders and not on the back of political parties. Citing examples to back his point, he mentioned such great leaders in political history around the world, including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln of the United States of America, Winston Churchill of Great Britain, Mahatma Gandhi of India, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Deng Xiaoping of China, and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. Mr Kyerematen emphasised that electing an Independent Candidate as President and leading a Government of National Unity, will not only bring harmony to the legislature but also facilitate the approval and execution of Government programmes and projects. -Classfmonline.com France is finally facing up to reality by withdrawing both its ambassador and military from Niger two months after a coup ousted the pro-Paris president, but the pullout marks the most severe setback yet for President Emmanuel Macron's Africa policy, observers say. Macron had staked France's strategy in the Sahel region of Africa on the political future of President Mohamed Bazoum, making the country a hub for its forces after successive coups in Mali and Burkina Faso forced the withdrawal of French troops. Paris long appeared reluctant to accept the ousting of Bazoum in a military coup on July 26. But while still insisting Bazoum remains the legitimate president, Macron announced in a TV interview Sunday that France's ambassador would soon leave, followed by all French troops by the end of the year. France must now grapple with the logistical headache of pulling out 1,500 troops and hardware from a country ruled by military leaders it bitterly opposes, as well as urgent questions about the fate of its entire military deployment to fight jihadists in the region. "This third blow in less than two years against the presence of French military forces in Africa is the most serious setback for the head of state on the continent since his election in 2017," said France's Le Monde daily. It said that in contrast to the pullouts from Mali and Burkina Faso, which in some quarters had been seen as an opportunity, the "forced withdrawal from Niger is a real blow for the entire military." 'Major trend' Macron has repeatedly spoken of making a historic change to France's post-colonial imprint in Africa, by abandoning any notion of the so-called strategy "Francafrique" where Paris sought to keep francophone Africa under its thumb. But analysts say Paris is losing influence in the face of a growing Chinese, Turkish and Russian presence, giving Macron's bold words about a new relationship with Africa little chance of taking flight. For researcher Fahiraman Rodrigue Kone, of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), "France did not know how to withdraw at the right time and wanted to continue to play the leader in a context where the sociological environment has strongly changed." Macron had built a close relationship with President Mohamed Bazoum. By Ludovic MARIN (AFP) A French diplomatic source, who asked not to be named, said Paris was reaping the consequences of a "hypermilitarisation of our relationship with Africa" at a time when the most pressing crises on the continent were of security, poverty and environment. "Mali was a big hit, we knew that we were facing a major trend. We have seen this wave rising for years. France felt that it was losing its footing, but remained in denial and stunned," the source told AFP. The French deployment in the region goes back over a decade to 2013 when then president Francois Hollande sent troops into Mali to help fight a jihadist insurgency. The operation, which then morphed into the Sahel-wide Barkhane mission, saw successes notably in the killing of several key jihadist leaders and also in securing vast swathes of territory using tactics that impressed military analysts. Fifty-eight French troops lost their lives. But the military successes have contrasted with political failure, as democracy regressed rather than developed in a region also plagued by a flood of disinformation that Paris blames on Russia. 'Worried about region' "I am very worried about this region," Macron said in the TV interview as he announced the pullout. "France, sometimes alone, has taken all its responsibilities and I am proud of our military. But we are not responsible for the political life of these countries and we draw all the consequences." France initially appeared dubious that the coup would succeed over time and also backed threats of regional bloc ECOWAS for military intervention -- which never translated into action. French intransigence caused tensions even with allies, including the United States, which has 1,000 troops stationed in Niger and reportedly favoured a more pragmatic approach. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin indicated Monday that Washington was not immediately planning to match the French move, saying it would "evaluate" its future steps. Map of West and Central Africa showing changes in France's military and diplomatic presence. By Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA, Paz PIZARRO, Sylvie HUSSON (AFP) Uncomfortably for Macron, one of the last remaining allies of France is Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby who came to power without any constitutional process in 2021 following the frontline death of his father Idriss Deby who had ruled the country for three decades. French media have also repeatedly noted that he is currently even without an official advisor on Africa after Franck Paris, who had served in the post since 2017 until earlier this year, departed for France's mission in Taiwan. For Senegalese daily Walf Quotidien, "with this umpteenth setback, France sees its influence and its power reduced dramatically in West Africa in particular and in Africa in general." Outbreaks of dengue fever and acute watery diarrhoea have "killed hundreds" in war-torn Sudan, medics reported on Monday, warning of "catastrophic spreads" that could overwhelm the country's decimated health system. In a statement, the Sudanese doctors' union warned that the health situation in the southeastern state of Gedaref, on the border with Ethiopia, "is deteriorating at a horrific rate", with thousands infected with dengue fever. Although Gedaref has been spared the direct effects of the brutal war between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), it has nonetheless been impacted by mass displacement and other humanitarian crises. More than five months into the war, 80 percent of the hospitals in Sudan are out of service, according to the United Nations. Even before the war, the fragile healthcare system struggled to contain the annual disease outbreaks that accompany the country's rainy season starting in June, including malaria -- endemic in Sudan -- and dengue fever. This year, with Gedaref hosting upwards of 250,000 internally displaced persons according to the UN, the situation is much worse. "The hospital's beds are all full but the cases keep coming in, particularly children," a medical source told AFP from Gedaref Hospital, requesting anonymity out of concern for his safety. "But the number of those receiving treatment at home are much more than those at the hospital," he said. Gedaref resident Amal Hussein told AFP that "in each home, there are at least three people sick with dengue". Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that causes high fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and, in the most serious cases, bleeding that can lead to death. Medics and the UN have repeatedly warned that the violence in Sudan, combined with the rainy season and devastated infrastructure, would cause disease outbreaks. More than 1,200 children have died in refugee camps since May, due in part to a measles outbreak, according to the UN refugee agency. 'Disaster is knocking' In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, "13 cases of malaria were reported in one week", the health ministry said. In Khartoum, "three people died of acute watery diarrhoea" -- suspected cases of cholera -- in the Hajj Youssef district in the east of the capital, the local resistance committee said on Monday. "Take precautions to avoid infection," urged the committee -- one of many that used to organise pro-democracy demonstrations before the war and that now volunteers to help those caught in the crossfire. Health crises have compounded the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, where half of the population of 48 million relies on aid to survive and with six million on the brink of starvation, according to the UN. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN's humanitarian representative in Sudan, warned on Monday that "disaster is knocking on the door in Sudan". She urged "donors to immediately disburse pledged funds to sustain life-saving humanitarian aid". By early September, the conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, had killed nearly 7,500 people, according to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Dozens of hospitals have been bombed or occupied by fighters, in what the UN has called "cruel disregard for civilians". The medics and aid workers who remain are themselves regularly targeted and their stocks looted as more people demand help. The health ministry said on Monday RSF forces had seized control of the main medical supplies warehouse. "Medicines and medical equipment amounting to $500 million have been lost," ministry spokesman Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said, adding that "70 percent of the equipment in specialised centres in Khartoum... has been lost". Even before the war, one in three Sudanese needed to walk more than an hour to gain access to medical care, and just 30 percent of vital medicines were available, according to the UN. The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, has expressed his understanding of Alan Kyerematen's decision to resign from the NPP, citing unfair treatment as the catalyst. Mr. Kyerematen, during a press conference on Monday, 25 September 2023, announced his departure from the NPP and disclosed his intention to run for Ghanas presidency as an independent candidate. However, despite acknowledging the perceived unfair treatment Kyerematen endured within the NPP, Gyamfi emphasized that Kyerematen is not seen as a viable alternative to lead the country as President. Mr Gyamfi expressed his empathy for Kyerematen's situation in a Facebook post and highlighted that Kyerematen's resignation underscores why, in his view, no democratic or peace-loving Ghanaian should align themselves with or vote for the NPP. Despite the challenges faced by Kyerematen, Mr Gyamfi reiterated his stance that Mr Kyerematen is not the solution, labeling him as an inadequate alternative to the incumbent NPP government. Read Mr Gyamfis full post below: On the matter of Alan Kyerematens resignation from the failed NPP; 1. It is an indisputable fact, that Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has not been treated fairly by his party, the NPP. 2. The NPP under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo has never been truly democratic. There is no way Alan could have gotten a modicum of fairness or justice in the ongoing presidential primaries of the NPP under the leadership of the despotic tyrant, Akufo-Addo who is hell bent on installing his puppet as his successor and continues to oppress persons who disagree with him. Former NPP National Chairman, Paul Afoko and former General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong come to mind readily. 3. I understand Alans pain and do empathize with him. He and his supporters have continuously been victims of intimidation, unprovoked harassment and violence. His resignation from the NPP is therefore understandable. 4. The basis of his resignation from the NPP is the more reason why no democratic or peace-loving Ghanaian must join or vote for the NPP. 5. *However, the point has to be made forcefully, that Alan is not a viable alternative to the failed incumbent NPP government. As a Cabinet Minister responsible for Trade and Industry and a member of the Economic Management team from 2017-2023, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen actively participated in the destruction of the economy into the mess it is today. Under his watch, the Komenda Sugar Factory was abandoned to rot for almost six (6) years. Growth of the manufacturing sector declined significantly and businesses were suffocated by the bad policies of his Ministry and government leading to several job losses. 5. Would Alan have resigned from the NPP if he had been treated fairly by the NPP in their ongoing Presidential primaries? Clearly, it is the pain of rejection by the super delegates of the NPP and the intimidation and harassment of his supporters which is fueling Alans latest decision and not any superior passion to help heal the partisan divisions in the country. But it is too late for Alan to jump ship now. ALAN IS NOT AND CANNOT BE THE SOLUTION TO THE VERY MESS HE PARTICIPATED IN CREATING! ALAN = BAWUMIA = NPP THE VALUE IS THE SAME! Sammy Gyamfi ESQ National Communications Officer, NDC Source: Classfmonline.com/Emmanuel Mensah Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has resigned from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on September 25. His resignation came as a surprise to many as he recently emerged third in the partys super delegates conference organised on August 26 for its presidential hopefuls. Addressing the nation from the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, the former NPP stalwart gave the following reasons for his decision to opt out of the NPP. Disfavour created against Alan to diminish his popularity Mr. Kyerematen said he had endured unfair treatment from the NPP for about 15 years now. In 2007, I joined a distinguished group of seventeen (17) Presidential aspirants to contest in the presidential primaries of NPP. In that election, under very strange circumstances, the electoral process was truncated on the day of the election, on account of accusations levelled against me, of influencing the course of the elections. This strategy was designed to create disfavour against me, in an attempt to diminish my popularity and the massive support I enjoyed amongst the grassroot activists of the Party. He indicated that despite the unfortunate plot against him, he threw his support behind then-candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to avoid a run-off. Hostility and brutality Mr. Kyerematen also raised concerns about some hostility and brutality toward him and his supporters despite all the sacrifices that he had made for the party. He said some serious post-primary attacks were unleashed against him and his supporters and that though he complained to the leadership of the party and was assured his complaints would be resolved, little to nothing was done to stop such attacks. Despite the sacrifice that I made to unite the Party as referred to above, there were very serious post-primary attacks on my supporters all over the country and an open show of hostility. Some of my supporters were victims of brutalities and continue to bear the scars of that treatment. I made several representations to the then leadership of the Party, drawing their attention to the rancorous and divisive behaviour of some elements in the Party. Unfortunately, however, all the promises made by the Party leadership were never fulfilled, and indeed the divisive and hostile attacks on my person and my supporters remained for several years thereafter, and have continued to date. NPPs National Councils disregard for the rule of law Mr Kyerematen expressed disappointment with the National Council of the NPPs handling of issues he raised in the aftermath of the super delegates conference of the party in August 2023. He alleged that the super delegates conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular aspirant and had expected the Council to correct such unfairness, but they sat aloof and watched on. In the run-up to the Super Delegates Conference, the National Council of the Party made some of the most controversial and contentious decisions in the history of the Party. They rejected a petition signed by nine out of the ten aspirants, requesting for the Super Delegates Conference to be held in one location, as well as allowing each Delegate to the Conference to nominate five persons, instead of one, in line with the provisions in the Party's Constitution. To make matters worse, it was absolutely clear as indicated in my Press Statement of September 6th this year that, the Super Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular aspirant. The level of intimidation and monetization that characterized the Conference is unprecedented in the history of internal elections of our Party. Hijacking of NPP by some persons Mr. Kyerematen lamented that the New Patriotic Party has gone through an unhealthy transition in recent years and has been hijacked by some selected party leaders of which he can no longer be a part. I have devoted the best part of my professional career to serving the Party, and I still believe in the vision of the founding fathers of the Party. However, the NPP as it exists now has very little resemblance to the Party that I joined in 1992 and helped to nurture. The Party has been hijacked by a selected group of Party leaders and elders, government appointees, behind the curtain power brokers and some unscrupulous Party apparatchiks. Ghanas rising unemployment figures He also expressed worry over the alarming youth unemployment figures. He said his resignation and decision to contest the 2024 polls as an independent candidate is to help him work to contribute his quota to improving and resolving such an unfortunate menace. It is also worth noting that every year over 300,000 (three hundred thousand) graduates from tertiary institutions in Ghana, excluding those from secondary institutions, enter the job market with little or no hope of finding a job. Clearly, public sector employment is not an option, with an already over-bloated public service. This phenomenon of pervasive employment crisis, is gradually becoming a national security threat, as evidenced by the recent Occupy Julorbi House demonstrations. The initial reaction of the Police in manhandling some protestors is not the solution to the problem. What Ghana needs now is CHANGE, which will provide long-lasting solutions to the challenges confronting our country. -citinewsroom Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the breakaway presidential hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says he remains committed to the ideals of the founding fathers of the party. Mr Kyerematen, on Monday, announced that he was resigning from the governing NPP with immediate effect, to contest the 2024 Presidential election as an independent candidate. According to him, his services and contributions to the Party were not appreciated, adding that his continuous stay in the Party would create further tension and division. Under the circumstances and given the context provided, I wish to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning with immediate effect from the New Patriotic Party to contest for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana in the 2024 General Elections, as an Independent Presidential Candidate. Mr Kyerematen said at a news conference, in Accra. He added that: To actualise this goal, I will establish and lead a new Movement for Change in Ghana. The brand logo for the Movement is the Monarch Butterfly, which politically symbolises change and transformation, hope, and positivity. It also communicates strength, endurance, spirituality, and trust, which are key traits that I cherish as a Political Leader. However, the former Trade Minister insisted he remained committed to the ideals of the Party, adding, his resignation was to save the NPP from the risk of going into opposition. I wish to use this opportunity to assure the rank and file of the New Patriotic Party that I still cherish my relationship with you, and I am committed to the ideals of the founding fathers of the Party, he said. My decision to contest as an Independent Candidate will not destroy the Party, but rather provide the Party an opportunity to participate in a Government of National Unity in the future and avoid the risk of going into opposition with no dividends, in what arguably will be a difficult general election in 2024. You can vote for your preferred choice of NPP Parliamentary Candidate and vote for Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen in the Presidential elections in December 2024, to become the sixth President of the fourth Republic of Ghana. Mr Alan Kyerematen was among 10 presidential aspirants who contested in the NPP's Super Delegates Conference, in August 2023. He came third, polling 95 votes out of over 900 votes. GNA YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh representatives and Azerbaijani authorities held their second meeting today in Ivanyan (Khojaly.) According to a statement released by the Azeri government, issues related to a number of humanitarian issues were discussed. An agreement was reached to hold another meeting in the coming days. The third meeting will be held in Stepanakert. Azerbaijan will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev at the meeting. Some residents of Galilea at Kasoa have been enduring an agonizing and unexplained power outage since last Friday, 22nd September 2023 heavy downpour. The situation has reached an unbearable point, as the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) appears to be dragging its feet in resolving the issue despite numerous distress calls. The heavy downpour on Friday led to power disruptions in the area. Initially, residents were patient, believing that the outage was a result of the unstable weather. However, as days turned into nights without any sign of relief, it became evident ECG has refused to act. Due to the frustration, residents have reached out to the ECG since that fateful Friday to restore power. Regrettably, the responses from ECG have been far from reassuring. Traders and residents have been counting their losses as foods stored in fridges have gone bad and increased security concerns in the area. The residents are pleading for urgent action to both restore power and provide a transparent account of the underlying reasons behind the outage. 25.09.2023 LISTEN Ghanaians to outsiders look like funny people not as people of a great nation with a stable democracy blessed with natural resources in abundance. While other African countries rise up against their governments even with violence, especially Francophone African Ghanaians fear blood. This specific character makes foreigners wonder, why? Today (25.09.2023) I left a comment on the FB page of a man from Pakistan. He praised Africa to the heavens with Ghana as the most desirable of them all. I mentioned my time from 2012 to 2017 in Ghana the suffering my Ashanti wife and I had to endure, the money stolen, having to hide in the Executive Lodge Greda Estate for two months as our lives were in danger, Ibrahim Mahama taking part of our investors money to buy his jet, Hope Agboado from UT-Bank got me arrested with machine gun and I was kept for half a day at Airport Police station as I had asked for our money to be given to us and so much more. My wife and suffered in all those years even my Ghanaian partner got imprisoned for no legal reasons by the order of Ibrahim Mahama former IGP under the old president. Everything I claim I have often well-documented on social media with evidence in my hands that I still share in Germany with my students and others being interested in my life in Ghana. Yet people still attack me on FB saying I am a criminal, possibly involved in Galamsey as the government of Ghana would never do such things. With Ghanaians, I have learned that when you confront them with the truth based on the evidence you hold in your hands they will frustrate you that something must be wrong with you. The clear evidence presented that the truth of the matter in the second stage turns against you. An innocent man will be labeled as a criminal if he to give up and stop telling the truth. Under the current government, this can end you in a mortuary under the NDC to government you better escape from Ghana to end your suffering. My wife has given up on her own people knowing their character better than I do not wanting to hear the truth but rather accepting the suffering of NDC and NPP inflicted on the good people of Ghana fearing blood. I don't fear blood as much as I fear people going around in circles not willing to follow the truth as this mentality causes migration into my white man's world. 25.09.2023 LISTEN Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen has affirmed his love for the New Patriotic Party saying "I still cherish my relationship with you, and I am committed to the ideals of the founding fathers of the Party." He indicated that his decision to resign and contest the 2024 general elections as an Independent Candidate was not to destroy the New Patriotic Party (NPP). At a press conference held at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra on Monday, September 25, he indicated that "If elected as President, I will also be President for NDC," urging the opposition party to consider participating in a government by voting for him. Mr Kyerematen emphasized that his independent candidacy aims to provide the NPP an opportunity for a Government of National Unity in the future, saying, "My decision to contest as an Independent Candidate will not destroy the Party, but rather provide the Party an opportunity to participate in a Government of National Unity in the future." Hon. Kyerematen encouraged voters to vote skirt and blouse, saying "You can vote for your preferred choice of NPP Parliamentary Candidate and vote for Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen in the Presidential elections in December 2024, to become the sixth President of the fourth Republic of Ghana." Hon. Kyerematen extended an invitation to citizens of all political affiliations to join a new chapter. "To the rank and file and my friends in the smaller Parties and other political organizations, please let us join hands to unite Ghana for our collective benefit," he stated. He concluded by announcing his upcoming campaign launch and Great Transformational Plan, stressing his determination to engage with the people of Ghana at various levels. "I am determined to hear your voice in this Movement for Change," he emphasised. Sylvamo (NYSE:SLVM Get Free Report) is one of 17 publicly-traded companies in the Paper mills industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Sylvamo to similar businesses based on the strength of its valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, earnings and profitability. Insider and Institutional Ownership 89.1% of Sylvamo shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 72.7% of shares of all Paper mills companies are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Sylvamo shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 5.5% of shares of all Paper mills companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Get Sylvamo alerts: Risk and Volatility Sylvamo has a beta of 1.1, indicating that its stock price is 10% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Sylvamos competitors have a beta of 1.32, indicating that their average stock price is 32% more volatile than the S&P 500. Dividends Analyst Recommendations Sylvamo pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.4%. Sylvamo pays out 14.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Paper mills companies pay a dividend yield of 3.7% and pay out 57.0% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Sylvamo and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Sylvamo 0 1 1 0 2.50 Sylvamo Competitors 112 709 472 47 2.34 Sylvamo presently has a consensus price target of $52.50, suggesting a potential upside of 23.82%. As a group, Paper mills companies have a potential upside of 29.95%. Given Sylvamos competitors higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Sylvamo has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Sylvamo and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Sylvamo $3.63 billion $118.00 million 6.24 Sylvamo Competitors $5.57 billion $686.61 million 28.97 Sylvamos competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Sylvamo. Sylvamo is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Profitability This table compares Sylvamo and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Sylvamo 7.87% 55.02% 12.80% Sylvamo Competitors 7.59% 18.89% 6.66% Summary Sylvamo competitors beat Sylvamo on 8 of the 15 factors compared. Sylvamo Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Receive News & Ratings for Sylvamo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sylvamo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. East Africa Metals Inc. (CVE:EAM Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as C$0.09 and last traded at C$0.10, with a volume of 64000 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$0.10. East Africa Metals Stock Performance The stock has a market capitalization of C$20.43 million, a P/E ratio of -3.33 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.55. The business has a fifty day moving average price of C$0.11 and a 200-day moving average price of C$0.12. East Africa Metals Company Profile (Get Free Report) East Africa Metals Inc, a mineral exploration company, focuses on the identification, acquisition, exploration, development, and sale of base and precious mineral resource properties in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the United Republic of Tanzania. The company primarily explores for gold, copper, silver, and zinc deposits. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for East Africa Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for East Africa Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. you are here: Rajan Mahan is a journalist who headed NDTV and Star News in Rajasthan. He was also a Professor of Journalism at the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community , "What advice would you give to people who are planning to solo travel in Latin America?" Here are 19 tips and recommendations for solo traveling in Latin America: Some responses are also from this Reddit thread by u/TheMakeUpBoy and this Reddit thread by u/zbr13. First, here are some travel hacks and general advice for visiting Latin American: 1. "Just spent 12 years in Nicaragua. Best advice: learn Spanish, learn Spanish, learn Spanish!" ejb3work 2. "Generally, I'd recommend keeping a picture of your passport on your phone, as police sometimes stop to check you're not overstaying your visa." Yiu Yu Hoi / Getty Images u/UnconditionalMay 3. "I spent 10 months in South America and just over a year in Central America and had an amazing time. Take a reusable water bottle with a built-in filter so you can fill up from any fresh water source and have safe, clean drinking water you'll avoid getting sick from drinking dodgy water, save money from not buying bottled water, and reduce plastic waste too!" Leopatrizi / Getty Images "Aside from that, take your time and enjoy!" clairesturz 4. "Theft in hostels wasn't uncommon, so lock your shit up." Erdark / Getty Images u/UnconditionalMay 5. "I found the best advice was from either hostel staff or other travelers I met along the way." Hispanolistic / Getty Images u/UnconditionalMay 6. "I traveled South America solo as a female over land and air, from Argentina to Venezuela through Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador. Leave your valuables at home. Blend in. Be polite to everyone. Don't act like a tourist, pull out maps, have your bulging wallet in a pocket, or wear a bum bag." Shay Mitchell / Via giphy.com "I kept a credit card in a hidden pocket (cargo pants pocket near the shin), enough bus or taxi fare to get home in another hidden or zipped pocket, and the smallest amount of cash to pull out for drinks, food, small purchases etc. Any rearranging of pockets was done in the toilets unseen." Story continues u/Truantone 7. "Just remember, people are people wherever you go, and people in Central and South America are extremely warm and friendly. Don't be afraid to use what Spanish you know. If you run out of Spanish, just smile and communicate with your hands and eyes. They will smile and help you." Prime Video u/craig_j Now, here are tips for visiting specific countries and cities: 8. "Peru was more difficult to travel around in. Driving anywhere via bus will take a while due to the mountainous roads. We flew to most of our destinations to save time." Artmarie / Getty Images u/Bubba_Junior 9. "I travelled as a solo female in Peru for a month and didn't feel unsafe. I was also a bit nervous about transportation, so I opted to use PeruHop , which is a hop-on/hop-off bus service that runs from Lima down to Arequipa and back up to Cusco. I found it took a lot of the stress out of trying to get around, plus they helped book hostels and activities." Christian Vinces / Getty Images/iStockphoto u/brigidsbollix 10. "I stayed in Havana, Cuba in a 'casa particular' [a private accommodation, similar to a bed and breakfast], which was kinda neat because you got the hostel crowd staying there, but you also get to see the locals more. In my case, it was a whole family who ran the casa particular." Cultura Exclusive / Getty Images/Image Source u/SolidardadLibertaria 11. "Tour buses can be reserved from one of the fancy hotels in old Havana. I took one to Vinales, but you can also take a taxi colectivo [share taxi] out there too." Elojotorpe / Getty Images u/SolidardadLibertaria 12. "Costa Rica lacked good public transportation. Our first trip, we took shuttle vans that we reserved beforehand, which was $20$50 for each leg. I would highly recommend avoiding that and renting your own car." Kryssia Campos / Getty Images "Most things are spread out quite far, so driving is nice." u/Bubba_Junior 13. "In Colombia and Ecuador, try to get your hotel or restaurant to call for a cab rather than hailing one on the street." Hispanolistic / Getty Images/iStockphoto / Via Getty u/craig_j And now, here are some recommendations for places solo travelers should visit: 14. "I'm very biased because my mom is from there, but Quito, Ecuador is a wonderful city to visit! There's so much to do, and the food is delicious (and relatively cheap!). You can easily get around on the bus for 25 cents or less, or use taxis, which will run you $510, depending on how far you need to go (sometimes even less) and are usually safe." F.j. Jimenez / Getty Images "For women, if you feel safer using an app instead of taxis, try DiDi. It's the equivalent to Uber. I found it easy to use. The city is massive seriously, don't underestimate it but a few places Id recommend are the Virgen del Panecillo monument (easy to get a bus there) and the historic center, which is full of beautifully preserved churches & historic buildings that you can tour solo or with a guide (available in English) for $30 or so. There's also a teleferico [an aerial lift, similar to the Disney Skyliner] and museums with free days just check in advance. Last summer, I even went to an adorable classic movie theater that I'd never been to before, and it was amazing! Sadly, I don't remember what it's called, but it shouldn't be too hard to find. There's also the Mitad del Mundo attraction with exhibits of all the regions of Ecuador, great food, and souvenir shops. Lastly, don't forget to check out Banos. It's a short drive out of the city, also accessible by bus, and has so many options for outdoor adventures (zip lining, swing that goes over a cliff, bike trails, waterfall, etc.). As with anywhere, be mindful of your items and of your surroundings, especially try to be careful when using your phone (grip it tightly, don't be obvious, keep it in an inaccessible location), and you should be fine." yourfavoritebibliophile 15. "Don't count out Guatemala! Hike an active volcano, explore Mayan ruins, and chill in Antigua." Cavan Images / Getty Images/Cavan Images RF / Via Getty u/TinKicker 16. "So, I have to speak up about Honduras. From Belize, you can drive to a city called Omoa. Then you take a ferry to the Bay Islands. Google them; they're amazing and super cheap." Pola Damonte Via Getty Images / Getty Images "If you make it down here, you won't want to ever leave." u/aubor 17. "Visit Peru! You must come here! You have Lima, the Latin American capital of gastronomy. Then, you can visit Arequipa, which is really beautiful, and you cannot leave Peru without visiting Cusco (including Cusco City, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu). Believe me, you won't regret! And it is very cheap for you that will come with euros." Christian Vinces / Getty Images/iStockphoto / Via Getty u/dianavg12 18. "I am a solo female traveler. I never felt unsafe in Mexico. I am in Mexico City right now." AA Marco Bottigelli / Getty Images "The culture, music, food, museums, and parks are so rich." u/laureire 19. And finally: "I went to Costa Rica as a solo woman specifically because it's one of the safest countries in the Americas. The experience was better than home." Matteo Colombo / Getty Images "I highly recommend the Guanacaste area during low season." u/egusisoupandgarri If you've ever solo traveled, what tips and recommendations do you have for visiting your favorite destinations? Share your answers in the comments! Some entries have been edited for length/clarity. Join BuzzFeed in celebrating Latine Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. Harsh Kumar is Correspondent at Moneycontrol based in Delhi. Harsh covers BFSI sector. You can reach him at Harsh.kumar@nw18.com September 25, 2023 / 10:30 PM IST Aadhaar, the most trusted digital ID in the world Moodys Investors Service opinions baseless. A certain investor service has, without citing any evidence or basis, made sweeping assertions against Aadhaar, the most trusted digital ID in the world. Over the last decade, over a billion Indians have expressed their trust in Aadhaar by using it to authenticate themselves over 100 billion times. To ignore such an unprecedented vote of confidence in an identity system is to imply that the users do not understand what is in their own interest: Ministry of Electronics & IT This months Book Report contains two debut novels about making connections one from a Japanese writer (the first of her five novels) and a mystery about a grandmother, mother and granddaughter teaming up to solve a murder. I have always thought librarians were amazing, and after reading Michiko Aoyama's charming novel, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, I am more convinced than ever. It tells the stories of several people who are either at a crossroads or feeling stuck in their lives. Tomoka is 21 years old and works at a boring job at a clothing store in Tokyo. In order to get a better job, she has to improve her computer skills. Her friend tells her about the Community House, where she could take a class. There she seeks out the reference librarian, Ms. Komachi, who listens to Tomoka's story and gives her advice, a list of books to check out that includes a children's book seemingly unrelated to computers, and an odd little felt craft that Ms. Komachi made. Other people go the Community House for classes, and end up at the library reference desk with Ms. Komachi. A stay-at-home mom who was demoted from a job she loved when she returned to work after maternity leave and is dissatisfied with her life, an accountant who dreams of owning his own antique shop, a recently retired man who doesn't know what to do with himself now that his identity has been taken away they all end up at Ms. Komachi's desk. She listens carefully to each of them, gives them advice and a list of books to help (including one seemingly unrelated to their search), and even though they don't understand all that Ms. Komachi tells them, eventually it all comes together. The story is about the connections that people make, as this passage states: "Everybody is connected. And any one of their connections could be the start of a network that branches in many directions. If you wait for the right time to make connections, it might never happen, but if you show your face around, talk to people and see enough to give you the confidence that things could work out, then 'one day' might turn into 'tomorrow.'" What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a life-affirming, endearing story that restores your faith in humanity and will make you look for new connections in the people around you. It is perfect for fans of The Midnight Library (but I liked this one better). I adored this book and give it my highest recommendation. Author Nina Simon was looking for a way to help her mother through a medical crisis and hit upon creating a mystery novel together. Mother-Daughter Murder Night begins with Lana Rubicon, a high-powered Los Angeles real estate developer, discovering that she has lung cancer. Lana reluctantly moves in with her daughter Beth, a nurse, and Beths daughter (her 15-year-old granddaughter) Jack. Beth left home when she was just 17 after she became pregnant, and Lana banished her from their home. Beth moved into a house on a slough near Monterey Bay that Lana owned, and the two rarely saw each other. Lana continued on with her successful real estate career and Beth raised Jack all on her own, living a quieter life surrounded by water and wildlife. Now, the three women have a chance to reconnect. While Jack is taking out a group of people on a kayaking tour, she comes across a dead body. Lana and Jack team up to try and solve the murder after a police detective zeroes in on Jack as a person of interest." At the same time, one of Beths favorite residents at the nursing home where she works dies suddenly, and somehow his death is related to the dead man Jack discovered. While some mysteries are more plot-driven, Mother-Daughter Murder Night is more character-centered. I found Lanas character to be the most interesting, perhaps because she was really driving the murder investigation. She uses all the skills she has attained over the years to put the pieces together. The writing is crisp, the setting is unique, and although there are a few plot points I found off (why did they keep allowing Jack out of their sight with a murderer on the loose?) I enjoyed this story. Im hoping to see this become a series of novels. Abhishek Sahu covers HR and Education (Careers) at Moneycontrol. He can be reached at Abhishek.Sahu@nw18.com and @Abhishek44sahu. Osho Krishan is the Senior Analyst - Technical & Derivative Research at Angel One. Santosh Nair is Executive Editor, Special Projects, Moneycontrol. He has been writing on the financial markets for over two decades, having previously worked with Business Standard, myiris.com, Crisil Market Wire and The Economic Times. He is also the author of the popular book on Indian markets, Bulls, Bears and Other Beasts. The formation of the Doji candlestick pattern on September 25 after consistent selling in the previous four sessions indicates the possibility of a bounce-back. Hence, the Nifty50 may march towards 19,800 in case of a bounce and sustainability of uptrend may take it towards the 20,000 mark, whereas the 19,600-19,500 is expected to remain a key support area, experts said. The benchmark indices closed flat with a positive bias amid volatility. The BSE Sensex was up 14.5 points at 66,024, and the Nifty50 gained 0.2 points at 19,674.5, while the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices rose 0.66 percent and 0.04 percent, respectively. "The present chart pattern on the Nifty50 indicates the formation of a Doji-type candle pattern at the swing lows. Normally, such Doji formations after a reasonable decline alert for a bounce back from the lows. A sustainable positive close in the subsequent session is likely to confirm an upside bounce for the market," Nagaraj Shetti, technical research analyst at HDFC Securities said. The Nifty is currently placed near the support of the 20-week EMA (exponential moving average) around 19,580. "The said moving average has offered strong support for the Nifty for the past 3-4 months. Hence, there is a possibility of an upside bounce in the near term," Shetti said, adding that at the highs, the market could find strong resistance around 19,850 levels. Immediate support to be watched is around 19,600-19,550 levels, he said. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks are the aggregates of three-month data and not just the current month. Key support and resistance levels on Nifty The pivot point calculator indicates that the Nifty may be taking support at 19,619, followed by 19,588 and 19,538. On the higher side, 19,721 can be an immediate resistance, followed by 19,752 and 19,803. Nifty Bank On September 25, the Bank Nifty also snapped its four-day weakness and jumped 154 points to 44,766, forming a bullish candlestick pattern with long upper and lower shadows, which resembles a High Wave sort of candlestick pattern (not exactly one) on the daily charts. "The Bank Nifty index experienced a brief respite following a four-day sell-off, with buyers gaining traction from lower levels. However, the index continues to trade below its 20-day moving average (20DMA), which is currently positioned at 45,000. A close above this level would signal a potential resumption of the upward momentum," Kunal Shah, senior technical & derivative analyst at LKP Securities said. On the downside, he feels the lower-end support now rests within the 44,500 to 44,000 zone. A breach below this support range could result in additional selling pressure on the index, he said. As per the pivot point calculator, the banking index is expected to take support at 44,497, followed by 44,370 and 44,165. On the upside, the initial resistance is at 44,906 then 45,032 and 45,237. Call options data As per the options data, the maximum weekly Call open interest (OI) was seen at 19,800 strike with 1.1 crore contracts, which can act as a key resistance for the Nifty. It was followed by 20,000 strike which had 1.01 crore contracts, while 19,900 strike had 81.71 lakh contracts. The meaningful Call writing was seen at 19,700 strike, which added 22.97 lakh contracts followed by 19,900 and 20,000 strikes, which added 9.94 lakh and 9.18 lakh contracts. The maximum Call unwinding was at 20,500 strike, which shed 9.25 lakh contracts followed by 20,100 strike and 20,600 strike, which shed 5.23 lakh contracts, and 3.78 lakh contracts. Put option data On the Put side, the maximum open interest remained at 19,000 strike, with 90.2 lakh contracts. This can be an important support for the Nifty in the coming sessions. It was followed by 19,500 strike comprising 76.29 lakh contracts, and 19,700 strike with 72.38 lakh contracts. The meaningful Put writing was at 19,400 strike, which added 18.01 lakh contracts, followed by 19,500 strike and 19,600 strike, which added 13.27 lakh and 10.93 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was at 19,800 strike, which shed 9.66 lakh contracts followed by 18,500 strike and 20,000 strike, which shed 7.91 lakh and 5.34 lakh contracts. Stocks with high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in the stock. Britannia Industries, Max Financial Services, Hindustan Unilever, HDFC Bank, and UltraTech Cement have seen the highest delivery among the F&O stocks. 64 stocks see a long build-up The long build-up was seen in 64 stocks on Monday, including Dalmia Bharat, Punjab National Bank, Godrej Properties, Balrampur Chini Mills, and Persistent Systems. An increase in open interest (OI) and price indicates a build-up of long positions. 29 stocks see long unwinding Based on the OI percentage, a total of 29 stocks including Delta Corp, Canara Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Granules India, and M&M Financial Services, saw long unwinding. A decline in OI and price indicates long unwinding. 42 stocks see a short build-up A short build-up was seen in 42 stocks, including Bosch, India Cements, REC, Tata Motors, and TCS. An increase in OI along with a fall in price points to a build-up of short positions. 51 stocks see short-covering Based on the OI percentage, 51 stocks were on the short-covering list. These included Tata Chemicals, IRCTC, Cummins India, Ashok Leyland, and HDFC AMC. A decrease in OI along with a price increase is an indication of short-covering. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Investors meeting on September 26 Stocks in the news Welspun Corp: Subsidiary Sintex BAPL has entered into an MOU with the Telangana government to set up a manufacturing unit in the state with up to Rs 350 crore investment. The proposed project is under the state governments incentive scheme and will be manufacturing water tanks and PVC pipes & fittings. The total investment will spread over the next three financial years. RPP Infra Projects: The company has received a letter of acceptance for road and drain works-1 for CBR project of CPCL at Nagapattinam, Tamilnadu at a contract price of Rs 300.44 crore. Further, it received a contract worth Rs 90.18 crore for the provision of civil works and allied services for the engine test facility along with ancillary work for GRTE at Rajankute, Bengaluru. It also received a contract worth Rs 16.88 crore for the construction of a stormwater drain from Thoothukudi City Municipal Corporation, Tamil Nadu. Tata Steel: Global credit rating agency Moodys has upgraded the corporate family rating of Tata Steel from Ba1 to Baa3, and changed the outlook from Positive to Stable. The rating agency expects the company's profitability to increase even as softer steel prices dent revenues, and the company to maintain conservative financial policies with a well-balanced capital allocation and financial metrics appropriate for its Baa3 rating. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank: SMC Global Securities announced a strategic partnership with Ujjivan Small Finance Bank to offer online trading services to the banks customers. This association will offer services comprising savings, demat and trading accounts, to the bank's customers. The collaboration will enable SMC Global to expand its client base by tapping into Ujjivan SFBs extensive pan-India presence, serving over 76 lakh customers. Wipro: The IT services company announced the sale of land measuring 14 acres and 2 cents, in Chennai, together with a 20-year-old building for Rs 266.38 crore. The company executed the sale deed on September 25 and Casagrand Bizpark was the buyer. Fortis Healthcare: The company has received approval from the board of directors to enter into a Share Purchase Agreement for acquiring 99.9 percent stake in Artistery Properties. The enterprise value of the stake buy is Rs 32 crore. Artistery owns land and building situated adjacent to Fortis Hospital, Anandpur in Kolkata. GR Infraprojects: The bids for 2 ropeway projects won by GR Infraprojects are annulled by National Highways Logistics Management. In February 2023, GR Infraprojects emerged as the L1 bidder for the development, operation and maintenance of a ropeways contract worth Rs 3,613 crore in Uttarakhand on Hybrid Annuity Mode. Fund Flow (Rs Crore) FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth Rs 2,333.03 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) bought Rs 1,579.28 crore worth of stocks on September 25, provisional data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE) showed. Stocks under F&O ban on NSE The NSE has added Balrampur Chini Mills to its F&O ban list for September 26, while retaining Canara Bank, Granules India, Hindustan Copper, and Indiabulls Housing Finance to the list. Delta Corp, and Manappuram Finance were removed from the said list. Securities banned under the F&O segment include companies where derivative contracts cross 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. A public hearing will be held this week on a proposed $38.5 million solar array in the town of Scipio. SunEast Development is seeking the town's approval of a site plan for an array that will cover 113.7 acres with 44,050 solar panels, according to documents the developer has filed with the town and Cayuga County. Before the town planning board votes on the plan, it will host a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Scipio Volunteer Fire Department, 3550 Route 34, Scipio. The 160-acre property where SunEast is proposing to build the 18-megawatt array is located at 2902 Center Road and was previously used for growing hay. Duke Energy Renewables, of North Carolina, first proposed developing a facility valued at $23.1 million on the property a few years ago. The Scipio Town Board unanimously approved the extension of deadlines to SunEast as successor to Duke Energy Renewables at the board's Aug. 9 meeting, according to minutes. SunEast's site plan passed review for potential intermunicipal or countywide impacts by the county's General Municipal Law 239-l, m & n Review Committee at its Aug. 17 meeting. In April, the Cayuga County Industrial Development Authority approved a total of $1,928,732 in sales and use tax and mortgage recording tax exemptions for the project. Headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, SunEast is managing the development of more than 800 megawatts of solar projects in the eastern U.S., its website says. Solar investment in Cayuga County has been increasing in recent years, according to data from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority. Through June 30 there were 389 installations totaling 36.7 megawatts of capacity, compared to 65 installations totaling 1 megawatt through 2013 and 298 totaling 9 megawatts through 2018. The investment has been encouraged by the state, which seeks to source 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and to cut greenhouse gases by 85% by 2050. If you go WHAT: Public hearing on proposed solar array on Center Road in Scipio WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 WHERE: Scipio Volunteer Fire Department, 3550 Route 34, Scipio INFO: Visit townofscipio.com or call (315) 364-5740 Solar surge: NY's renewable energy push brings big project proposals to Cayuga County At the end of September, 333 active solar installations in Cayuga County ranging from homes with a few panels on the roof to an array taking Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day AUBURN The city will resume paid on-street parking downtown next month, and business owners are divided about the change. In May 2021, the city began allowing two hours of free on-street parking downtown to draw people there as businesses recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. The city's final 2023-24 budget, approved by Auburn City Council in June, included eliminating the program and restoring downtown's on-street parking rate of 25 cents for every 15 minutes. The two hours of free parking is slated to end Oct. 1. More information on the return of paid on-street parking downtown is available at auburnny.gov. With the change approaching, some downtown business owners told The Citizen they want the city to retain the two free hours, while others said they're glad paid parking is returning. Michaeala Nicpon, the manager of Parker's Grille & Tap House at 129 Genesee St., is not looking forward to the change. Nicpon noted the city has a budget to maintain, but told The Citizen she feels free parking has been beneficial for downtown businesses overall, and is popular with customers. She also feels most people don't come downtown for long periods on weekdays, so being able to park briefly without paying has been convenient for them. "It's one less thing they have to worry about when coming downtown," she said. Nicpon is also concerned about the hours of paid parking, which will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Since most of the restaurant's patrons come Friday nights and weekends, she does not want the change to discourage that business. Still, she noted the city's efforts to help downtown, and said the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District gave Parker's notice of the change. Meanwhile, Sam Chindamo Jr., owner of Sam's Shoe Service at 20 E. Genesee St., favors the change. Chindamo told The Citizen he believes paid parking will help customers find spots downtown, as he's seen business owners, employees and tenants take up most of the spaces since free parking started. "I'm not looking forward to people getting tickets and complaining about the meters, but I would rather have people be able to find a place to park," Chindamo said. Jacob Renz, sales associate at Vape Kult at 10 South St., told the Citizen he was thrilled about the change. Like Chindamo, Renz said owners and employees of businesses fill up the parking spots nearby, making it harder for customers to park and possibly decreasing foot traffic for those businesses. At barbershop Flawless Cutz at 66 Genesee St., co-owner Danny Figueroa told The Citizen he's against paid parking. Most people don't carry change, he said, so he'd prefer at least one free hour. Next to the barbershop, at 66 Genesee St. No. 2, Fabric Fair Upholstery owner Lisa Marr told The Citizen she would prefer the two hours of free parking to remain indefinitely. Marr said those hours "mean a lot to people," as the store's clientele often comes from as far as Skaneateles or Syracuse. Due to that time commitment to go to the business, she continued, they tend to spend a fair amount of time in Auburn, including more than two hours in Fabric Fair. Marr also questioned the Oct. 1 date for the change, as the store receives a lot of business over the holidays. Although Marr feels the city has made improvements downtown, she said she has talked to many people who don't like downtown's back-in parking, which has been required along Genesee Street from Loop Road to the Cayuga County Office Building since late June 2018. Paying for parking will therefore be an additional obstacle for downtown visitors, she said. "They're paying for the inconvenience," Marr said. City officials have said the current two hours of free parking at Auburn's downtown parking garage will not change despite the return to paid on-street parking. In addition, once per quarter, parking violators will get a courtesy ticket educating them about a first violation instead of a ticket with a fine. The city reported in April that Auburn made about $857,000 less in parking revenue from 2020 to 2022 than it did from 2016 to 2018, though the lost parking revenue was covered by federal American Rescue Plan Act funds the city secured during the pandemic. City manager Jeff Dygert told The Citizen on Sept. 15 that every businesses has different needs for parking. He noted the city is trying to be mindful of customer turnover, or letting the most amount of people be able to park for a period of time. Dygert said the city is trying to keep downtown businesses and tenants in mind as well. "We're trying to strike the best balance that we can," he said. "It's certainly not a perfect solution, but I don't think there is a perfect solution." Auburn councilors debate free parking as budget process continues As part of their budget discussions, most members of the Auburn City Council recommended ending a pandemic-prompted program allowing for two h Gov. Kathy Hochul will have the final say on whether local elections will move to even years, but the New York State Association of Counties hopes she will veto the legislation. The group passed a resolution urging Hochul to reject the change that was approved by the state Legislature in June. The bill would move certain local elections, which are now held in odd years, to even years. The legislation's sponsors, state Sen. James Skoufis and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, said the current system "leads to voter confusion and contributes to low voter turnout in local elections." With turnout higher in presidential or midterm election years when federal offices are on the ballot, they added that holding local elections in even years "will make the process less confusing for voters and will lead to greater citizen participation in local elections." State lawmakers passed the bill, mostly along party lines. The state Assembly vote was 89-57, while it cleared the state Senate by a 39-23 margin. But the state Association of Counties has criticized the bill, noting that it was not discussed during public hearings. They also claim it will not save taxpayer dollars. The basis for the claim is that certain offices, such as county clerk and district attorney, must be held in odd years. Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy, who also serves as president of the New York State Association of Counties, called on Hochul to veto the bill. "Every year, politics gets more and more divisive and substantive issues drift further and further off the radar," said McCoy, a Democrat. "By moving local elections into the same year as our often toxic and divisive federal and state elections, the critical issues that actually impact New Yorkers' daily lives will get drowned out by the mudslinging of national and state politics." The legislation does not cover New York City elections, which would continue to be held in odd years. But it would impact numerous offices in municipalities across the state, from county legislatures to town boards. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On September 25, Chinese auto parts supplier Shanghai SDRIVE Technology Co., Ltd. ("SDRIVE") announced the successful completion of a Pre-A+ funding round, securing tens of millions of yuan. This marks the company's third funding round in its two-year history, accumulating nearly 100 million yuan in total. This latest round of funding was led by Kexing Kechuang Equity Investment, Solid Wood Investment, and Nuo Yan Capital, with Bridge Capital as a co-investor, and ET Capital continuing to serve as a long-term financial advisor. The primary allocation of funds from this round will be dedicated to the market expansion and production delivery of SDRIVE's second-generation integrated eight-in-one SDS (One Box) product. Photo credit: SDRIVE Founded in September 2021, SDRIVE is headquartered in Jiading District, Shanghai, and has primarily focuses on the R&D, manufacturing, and sale of core components, software, and hardware solutions for air suspension systems. The core team members at SDRIVE are graduates of renowned domestic and international universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Tongji University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and the University of Stuttgart in Germany. They have previously worked with leading domestic automakers and Fortune Global 500 component companies, specializing in R&D, production, marketing, and operation of automotive air suspension systems, integrated eight-in-one SDS (One Box), and controllers, according to the companys introduction. Automotive suspension systems act as crucial linkages between a vehicle's body and its wheels, primarily responsible for transmitting forces like support, braking, and steering while reducing the impact of rough roads and absorbing vibrations generated by wheel movement. This ensures a comfortable ride for passengers and minimizes cargo transportation losses. Compared to traditional suspension systems, air suspension systems are more stable and comfortable, and they find extensive applications in the high-end passenger car and commercial vehicle sectors. With the acceleration of core component localization, the expansion of production capacity by domestic automakers, and an increasing range of compatible models, the cost of air suspension systems is anticipated to significantly decrease. SDRIVE forecasts that the average per-vehicle price of air suspension systems is poised to drop by over 30%. As one of the earliest companies in China to focus on air suspension products, SDRIVE has always been committed to providing an enjoyable and comfortable driving experience, venturing into software products related to air suspension and offering integrated eight-in-one SDS (One Box) solutions, said the company. To date, SDRIVE has successfully developed first-generation control products for air springs, multi-chamber air springs, semi-active dampers, and magnetorheological dampers, as well as second-generation integrated SDS (One Box) products. It has established an advanced production line with an annual capacity of 500,000 sets and secured production orders from leading domestic automakers to be well-prepared for successful production and delivery. Omartian, Barna, Bevere, Jones Headline Free Online Christian Women's Conference for Nonprofit Hope International NEWS PROVIDED BY Equipping Godly Women Sept. 25, 2023 NEWBURGH, Ind., Sept. 25, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- This years Called to Act Conference, a free online conference hosted by popular media company Equipping Godly Women, is open for registration. The event will be hosted live October 17-19, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT on the Equipping Godly Women website. Designed to help Christian women of all denominations experience Gods purpose and power in new ways, conference topics include experiencing the power of prayer, unlocking the power of the Holy Spirit, discovering the joy of in-depth Bible study, reaching the next generation with the gospel, and more. Throughout the 3-day event, participants will hear from 15 well-known speakers, including award-winning author Stormie Omartian, Dr. George Barna of Arizona Christian University, author Christian Bevere, Senior Pastor Jeff Jones of Chase Oaks Church in Dallas TX, and Dr. Gregg Allison of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Additional speakers include Allen Parr, Sarah Molitor, Heather MacFadyen, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Liv Dooley, Natalie Runion, Barb Roose, Erica Wiggenhorn, Kelly Needham, and Sarah E. Frazer. Christian women are searching for meaning and purpose. They want to know theres more to life than the endless cycle of dishes, laundry, bills, and permission slips. They want to discover and step into Gods unique call on their liveswhile still showing up as an amazing wife, mom, and friend, shares Brittany Ann, conference host and founder of Equipping Godly Women. Tickets are free, and replays are available for those unable to attend live. Attendees will also have the option to purchase an upgraded All Access Pass for lifetime access to session recordings, the conference workbook, additional exclusive events, and more. A portion of all proceeds from this years conference will be donated to Hope International, a Christian nonprofit committed to fighting global poverty by providing micro-loans and small business training to families in underserved areas worldwide. To learn more and register for this event, visit equippinggodlywomen.com/called-to-act-conference-2023. About Equipping Godly Women Equipping Godly Women is a Christian media company dedicated to challenging, encouraging, and equipping busy Christian women to find simple, practical ways to live out their faith daily so that they can enjoy a strong faith and a close familywithout the guilt and overwhelm. Founded and run by bestselling author and speaker Brittany Ann, the site offers a wide variety of courses, conferences, books, articles, podcasts, and more. SOURCE Equipping Godly Women CONTACT: Brittany Ann, Founder, Equipping Godly Women, 812-573-0495, press@equippinggodlywomen.com With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. China-made Odyssey MPVs exported to Japan On September 23, GAC Honda saw a slew of China-made Odyssey vehicles shipped from the Xinsha Port in Dongguan city, Guangdong province to Japan, marking the official reverse export of complete vehicles to the Japanese market. This milestone makes the Odyssey the first made-in-China Japanese brand's MPV model exported to Japan. Photo credit: GAC Honda DENZA to introduce new edition of N7 model On September 26, DENZA, the premium auto brand majority-backed by BYD will unveil a new edition of its N7 model. The new product will feature the next-generation NVIDIA DRIVE Orin platform, expecting significant improvements in both autonomous driving and in-car user experience. Wuling Binguo's new edition with 410km range hits market The 410km extended-range version of the Wuling Binguo fully-electric hatchback officially hit the market on September 25, priced at 88,800 yuan with only one trim offered. According to official claims, it can be charged from 30% to 80% of its battery capacity in just 35 minutes. Photo credit: SGMW Chery unveils large-sized hybrid SUV under 'Fengyun' new energy vehicle range On September 24, CHERY brand officially unveiled the latest addition to its new energy vehicle lineup, the hybrid large-sized electric SUV "Fengyun T11". Electric commercial vehicle maker Newrizon bags over 100 million yuan in B+ funding round Newrizon, a Chinese intelligent connected new energy commercial vehicle startup, recently announced it had secured over 100 million yuan in the B+ financing round from Fusion Capital, marking another successful round of funding after receiving investments from NIO Capital earlier this year, according to a press release the company issued on its WeChat account on September 22. Pony.ai permitted for unmanned Robotaxi service in Shenzhen Pony.ai, the Chinese autonomous driving solution provider, recently obtained Shenzhen's first-ever demonstration application license for unmanned autonomous driving services. VOYAH deepens collaboration with Tencent for smart mobility advancement VOYAH, the premium new energy vehicle brand under Dongfeng Motor recently inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese IT giant Tencent. This strategic partnership promises to usher in a new era of digital innovation and smart mobility, expanding across multiple domains. Haomo.ai establishes headquarters in Beijing's Shunyi District On September 23, Haomo.ai, the autonomous driving technology firm backed by Great Wall Motor, announced the official establishment of its headquarters in Beijing's Shunyi District. The company aims to support Shunyi in becoming a hub for China's new energy intelligent automotive industry. ROX Motor raises $1 billion worth of strategic investment from Weiqiao Pioneering On September 22, Jishi Auto's parent company, Shanghai ROX Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ("ROX Motor"), announced that it has secured a strategic investment of $1 billion from Weiqiao Pioneering Group. The funds will be allocated towards the R&D of all-aluminum vehicle bodies, integrated die-casting technology, and a short-cycle smart manufacturing factory project. Chinese auto parts supplier Shanghai SDRIVE closes Pre-A+ funding round On September 25, Chinese auto parts supplier Shanghai SDRIVE Technology Co., Ltd. ("SDRIVE") announced the successful completion of a Pre-A+ funding round, securing tens of millions of yuan. 2024 XPeng P5 hits market, starting at 156,900 yuan On September 25, just one week after the debut of the 2024 XPeng G9, XPeng put another new product, the 2024 XPeng P5, onto the market. Geely launches cloud-native digital twin smart cockpit technology On September 22, Geely, the renowned Chinese automaker, presented its technological advancements under the theme "Cloud-Native Technology Empowering the New Intelligent Car Experience" at the 2023 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference. GAC Energy, Wuhan's Qiaokou District cooperate in EV charging, battery swapping, smart energy management fields On September 22, 2023, the signing ceremony of the strategic cooperation agreement between the People's Government of Qiaokou District, Wuhan City, and GAC Energy, the energy subsidiary of GAC Group, was held at the headquarters of GAC AION, marking a significant step towards promoting the transformation towards clean energy and green upgrades for both parties. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On September 23, Haomo.ai, the autonomous driving technology firm backed by Great Wall Motor, announced the official establishment of its headquarters in Beijing's Shunyi District. The company aims to support Shunyi in becoming a hub for China's new energy intelligent automotive industry. Signing ceremony; photo credit: Haomo.ai Shunyi, the permanent host of the World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference and a prominent automotive production region in Beijing, has been actively promoting the transformation and upgrade of the automotive industry. In recent years, Shunyi has been actively targeting high-tech industries, focusing on new energy intelligent vehicles, third-generation semiconductors, and aerospace. In the smart connected vehicle industry, Shunyi is enhancing its business environment and attracting industry clusters by fostering innovation in smart connected vehicle technology, application demonstrations, and investment services. Haomo.ai has established itself as a major player in the autonomous driving sector within just three and a half years of its inception. Its HPilot intelligent driving system has been integrated into over 20 vehicle models in the passenger car segment, with users having driven nearly 80 million kilometers using its assistance. In the field of last-mile logistics and autonomous delivery, Haomo.ai has introduced its third-generation product, the Xiaomotuo 3.0, the world's first medium-sized autonomous delivery vehicle priced below 90,000 yuan. As of now, Haomo.ai's Xiaomotuo has processed more than 200,000 delivery orders in Shunyi District, Beijing. Haomo.ai's technological innovations are evident, particularly in the realm of large-scale, high-performance computing, and big data. In April 2023, the company introduced the industry's first autonomous driving generative large model, DriveGPT, with a parameter scale of 120 billion. Beijing (Gasgoo)- VOYAH, the premium new energy vehicle brand under Dongfeng Motor, recently inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese IT giant Tencent. Built upon the previous collaboration, this deepened strategic partnership promises to usher in a new era of digital innovation and smart mobility, expanding across multiple domains. Photo credit: VOYAH One of the focal points of this collaboration is digital marketing. VOYAH and Tencent will join forces to create a more extensive and precise direct-to-user model, ensuring an enhanced and personalized interactive experience for consumers. Moreover, they will explore opportunities in the smart cockpit sector, aiming to bolster the smart cockpit ecosystem, thereby enabling the implementation of new products and services by VOYAH. In the realm of mapping and navigation, both companies plan to delve into next-generation in-car navigation products, ultimately improving the user's intelligent driving experience. Another key area of cooperation is cloud services. They aspire to co-create a cost-effective cloud platform, with a particular focus on autonomous driving and smart connectivity. In the field of international expansion, both entities intend to leverage their respective resources to facilitate mutual growth and expand into overseas markets. Furthermore, Tencent will employ industrial IoT and digital twin technologies to enhance VOYAH's flexible manufacturing capabilities, paving the way for efficient and lean production. This partnership extends to various facets, including intelligent connected vehicle safety, digital office solutions, intelligent spaces, and smart campuses. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Pony.ai, the Chinese autonomous driving solution provider, obtained Shenzhen's first-ever demonstration application license for unmanned autonomous driving services. Photo credit: Pony.ai This groundbreaking approval allows Pony.ai to offer Level 4 autonomous ride-hailing services, often referred to as "Robotaxi," to the general public within the city's central areas. Previously, the company had successfully deployed its fully autonomous ride-hailing services in major cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou, establishing itself as one of the pioneer firms granted autonomous testing qualifications in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. As of now, Shenzhen residents can conveniently hail autonomous vehicles via the PonyPilot+ app in the bustling Qianhai area. Passengers can simply order a ride, take a seat in the back, and initiate their journey by tapping the "Start Trip" button on the screen. Pony.ai's autonomous ride-hailing service, PonyPilot+, is accessible at nearly 150 locations across Shenzhen, encompassing metro stations, parks, commercial districts, residential communities, and other high-demand destinations. The service operates from 8:30 AM to 10:30 PM, covering both morning and evening peak hours. Back in May, Pony.ai secured Shenzhen's exclusive intelligent connected vehicle unmanned testing permit, commencing driverless testing in the city's central area without a safety operator in the driver's seat. Leveraging the robust generalization abilities of the companys virtual driver technology, Pony.ai has demonstrated proficiency in navigating complex road conditions in Shenzhen's core region. Currently, Pony.ai has amassed a cumulative total of 25 million kilometers in autonomous driving distance, with 250,000 kilometers covered in fully unmanned driving. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On September 22, 2023, the signing ceremony of the strategic cooperation agreement between the People's Government of Qiaokou District, Wuhan City, and GAC Energy, the energy subsidiary of GAC Group, was held at the headquarters of GAC AION, marking a significant step towards promoting the transformation towards clean energy and green upgrades for both parties. Photo credit: GAC Energy The collaboration newly formed demonstrates a robust commitment to driving the transition towards clean energy and sustainable development. According to the agreement, GAC Energy will leverage its strengths in resources, capital, and technology, harnessing various application scenarios to foster innovative collaboration models. The focus will be on advancing cooperation in areas such as electric vehicle (EV) charging and swapping, comprehensive smart energy management, energy storage, and the sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs). This initiative aims to establish a leading domestic flagship pilot project for integrated energy centers, ultimately better serving the needs of the people in Qiaokou District, Wuhan City, and Hubei Province while promoting the development of local new energy industry. Qiaokou District, as one of the central urban districts in Wuhan City, boasts exceptional geographical advantages and immense development potential. Over the next three years, the district plans to add 6,000 EV charging piles and concurrently construct 50 centralized charging stations and 10 battery swapping stations. Additionally, Hubei Province and Wuhan City have successively introduced regulations to guide the construction of EV charging and battery swapping infrastructure across the province and city. The "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of a High-Quality Charging Infrastructure System in Hubei Province" released by the People's Government of Hubei Province has set clear objectives: by 2025, a total of 600,000 charging piles will be installed, including 250,000 public charging piles. The "Wuhan City High-Quality Urban Development Plan" also emphasizes the need to advance the construction of smart parking lots and NEV charging piles to meet the fundamental parking and charging infrastructure requirements in its central urban area. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On September 22, Jishi Auto's parent company, Shanghai ROX Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ("ROX Motor"), announced that it has secured a strategic investment of $1 billion from Weiqiao Pioneering Group. The funds will be allocated towards the R&D of all-aluminum vehicle bodies, integrated die-casting technology, and a short-cycle smart manufacturing factory project. As of now, ROX Motor has successfully completed six rounds of financing. In April 2021, ROX Motor secured an angel round of funding led by Northern Light Venture Capital and Gaorong Capital, with a valuation of $240 million at that time. Then, ROX Motor secured three rounds of financing (Series B, C, and D round) consecutively, with its valuation increased to $2 billion. On February 24 of this year, the company obtained equity financing from IDG Capital and Tencent Investment. After just six months, ROX Motor once again secured a strategic investment of $1 billion. Jishi 01; photo credit: Jishi Auto Simultaneously, Jishi Auto's first dealership and delivery center have officially commenced operations in Shanghai. According to its plan, by the end of this year, the automaker will establish 17 experience showrooms, 11 delivery centers, and 11 service centers in 17 cities nationwide. Additionally, it will construct 62 authorized body and paint service centers in 55 cities. Jishi Auto is a new energy vehicle brand jointly created by ROX Motor and Beijing Automobile Works Co., Ltd. ("BAW"). ROX Motor is responsible for providing intelligent solutions and design, while BAW is responsible for the production and manufacturing of the vehicles. This production model is similar to partnerships like Huawei and SERES launching AITO, and Baidu and Geely launching JI YUE, where one party handles the intelligence and product design while the other focuses on production and manufacturing. ROX Motor unveiled its first production model, the Jishi 01, only two and a half years after its inception in January 2021. On August 22 of this year, Jishi Auto's first mass-produced vehicle, the Jishi 01, officially hit the market. It is positioned as a rugged off-roader, available in two trim levels, with prices starting at 349,900 yuan and 359,900 yuan, respectively. Deliveries are expected to commence in November this year. President Biden announced the creation of the The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Since the tragedy in Sandy Hook and I remember being there. I remember that how I met with every one of the parents who were there. I met with every member every family member. And what I do also remember is that I remember as we were leaving, the state police doing the investigation asked the senator if theyd meet with me if I could meet with them. And I said of course I would. And I think there were about 12 to 14 of them. I walked in a room, and two of them started crying. And they said, We need help. We need help. And I looked at them; I said, What can I do? They said, We need psychiatric help. We need help. We need help. Anyone who doesnt think that these kinds of engagements have a permanent effect on young children and, in many cases, alter their entire lives even if theyve never had a bullet touch them misunderstands. These were hard and tough cops asking me could I get them psychiatric help. To all the state and local leaders and advocates from all across the country and to the survivors and families who are with us today, many of whom Jill and I have gotten to know And, by the way, our losses may be different circumstances, but I know events like this are really hard to attend. You want to be here to promote the change, but it brings back all the memories as if it happened a day ago. And I thank you, those of you who are parents, for being here brothers, sisters for being here. It matters. You have absolute courage; you found purpose in your pain. And because of all of you here today, all across the country, survivors, families, advocates especially young people who demand our nation do better to protect all; who protested, organized, voted, and ran for office, and, yes, marched for their lives Im proud to announce the creation of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention the first office in our history. (Applause.) I created by executive order, I determined to send a clear message about how important this issue is to me and to the country. It matters. And heres why: After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message the same message heard all over the country, and Ive been to every mass shooting: Do something. Please do something. Do something to prevent the tragedies that leave behind survivors who will always carry the physical and emotional scars, families who will never be the same, communities overwhelmed by grief and trauma. Do something. Do something. Well, my administration has been working relentlessly to do something. To date, my administration has announced dozens of executive actions to reduce gun violence more than any of my predecessors at this point in their presidencies. And they include everything from cracking down on ghost guns, breaking up gun trafficking, and so much more. (Applause.) And last year, with the help your help, I signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: the most significant gun safety law in almost 30 years. (Applause.) It strengthens background checks, expands the use of red flag laws, improves access to mental health services, and so much more. This historic law will save lives. Its a really important first step. And, by the way, I was the guy along with a woman in California who also we once banned assault weapons and multiple magazines. Were going to do it again. A call to action. A reason to hope. Because for so long, the conventional wisdom was wed never get any Republicans to support gun safety legislation. But we did. For the first time in three decades, we came together to overcome the relentless opposition from the gun lobby, gun manufacturers, and so many politicians opposing commonsense gun legislation. And we beat them. (Applause.) And we did it through a bipartisan effort that included the majority of responsible gun owners. Were not stopping here. Again, its Ill say it again. Im not going to be quiet until we get it done: Its time again to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. (Applause.) If you need 80 shots in a magazine, you shouldnt own a gun. Because, look, last time we did it, it worked. We also last time, we established universal background checks and require safe storage of firearms. Its time. Its time. (Applause.) Look, while we push we push for Congress to do more, were going to centralize, accelerate, and intensify our work to save more lives more quickly. Thats why this new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention its what its designed to do. It will drive and coordinate a government and a nationwide effort to reduce gun violence in America. And it will be overseen by an incredible vice president, who understands this (applause) more than any vice president has. No, really. Thats not hyperbole. Thats a fact. Shes been on the frontlines of this issue her entire career as a prosecutor, as an attorney general, and as a United States senator. Her deep experience will be invaluable for this office. And Stef where is Stef Feldman? THE VICE PRESIDENT: Shes right there. THE PRESIDENT: Stef, I want you to stand up, please. Stef Feldman (applause) whos been working on this issue with me since the Sandy Hook in 2012 she was 13 years old when she joined me, but (laughter) since 2012 will serve as director of the office. An office and the office will have four primary responsibilities: First, to expedite the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the executive actions already announced. And I mean it: Were going to fully implement it. Second, coordinate more support for survivors, families, and communities affected by gun violence, including mental health care, financial assistance the same way FEMA responds to natural disasters. (Applause.) The same way. And it helps folks recover and rebuild and alter. Look, folks, shootings are the ultimate superstorm, ripping through communities. Third, identify new executive actions we can take within our legal authority to reduce gun violence. And fourth, expand our coalition of partners in states and cities across America because we do have partners to get more we need more state and local help to get these laws passed locally as well and to strengthen our laws and give us more hope. Folks, to be clear, none of these steps alone is going to solve the entirety of the gun violence epidemic. None of them. But together, they will save lives. (Applause.) And its going to help it will help rally the nation with a sense of urgency and seriousness of purpose. Today, guns I never thought Id even remotely say this in my whole career guns are the number one killer of children in America. Guns are the number one killer of children in America the United States of America. More than car accidents, more than cancer, more than other diseases. In 2023 so far, our country has experienced more than 500 mass shootings and well over 30,000 deaths due to gun violence. Thats just totally unacceptable. Its not who we are. And we have to act, and we have to act now. And let me be very clear: If members of the Congress refuse to act, then well need to elect new members of Congress that will act. (Applause.) Democrat or Republican. Look, folks, there comes a point where our voices are so loud and our determination so clear that our effort can no longer be stopped. Were reaching that point weve reached that point today, in my view, where the safety of our kids from gun violence is on the ballot. At the end of the day, whether theyre Democrats or Republicans, we all want our families to be safe. We all want to go to school, houses of worship, grocery stores, gyms, malls, movies without constant anxiety. We all want our kids to have the freedom to learn how to read and write in school instead of duck and cover, for Gods sake. And it matters. So, let me close with this. Earlier this summer, I was in Connecticut at a summit on gun safety hosted by Senator Murphy. Four students impacted by gun violence, who are here with us today, summoned extraordinary courage and stood and shared their stories on stage. Four of them. They each came from different backgrounds, different parts of the country, different shootings. But they shared a common, singular message that one of them summed up in just a few words, and I quote, the deadly and traumatic price for inaction. Thats what he talked about: the deadly and traumatic price for inaction. They made clear what all of you know too well that price can no longer be the lives of our children and the people of our country. They spoke for an entire generation of Americans who will not be ignored, will not be shunned, and will not be silenced. (Applause.) And I know I know progress is hard. Ive been at this a long time. But weve done it before, and we can do it again. If were here, Im here to tell you that you and Vice President Harris hears you as well. Youre right. Youre right. Were by your side, and were never going to get up give up dealing with this problem. Were never going to forget your loved ones. Were never going to get there unless we remember. You know, I know well do this because I know you: heroes. Heroes proving that even with heavy hearts, you have unbreakable spirits. In memory of your loved ones, youre building a movement that endures. Above all, youll never give up on the one thing we must never lose: hope, hope, hope. Jill and I, Kamala and Doug, our entire administration are more determined than ever to carry forward that hope, that inspiration, that light that you continue to give us all. For the lives we have lost for the lives we can save, we can do this. We just have to keep going. We just have to keep the faith. We just have to remember who we are. Every time Id walk out of my grandpops house up in Scranton, hed yell, for real, Joey, keep the faith. And my grandmother would yell, No, Joey, spread it. Spread it. (Applause.) Thats what we have to do: spread the faith. And remember remember and I mean this sincerely: We are the United States of America. There is nothing nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. Nothing weve ever tried to solve, when weve done it together, we havent succeeded. May God bless you all. May God protect our troops. And may God protect our children. Thank you so very much. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Newrizon, a Chinese intelligent connected new energy commercial vehicle startup, recently announced it had secured over 100 million yuan in the B+ financing round from Fusion Capital, marking another successful round of funding after receiving investments from NIO Capital earlier this year, according to a press release the company issued on its WeChat account on September 22. Photo credit: Newrizon Proceeds from the fresh financing will primarily be directed towards the market promotion of the company's next-generation commercial vehicle, the iC1, improving its battery swapping operations, developing its domestic marketing channels, and expanding its overseas business. Fusion Capital has been focusing on the investments in leading companies along new energy vehicle (NEV)-related industrial chain. It has supported such power battery makers as Sunwoda EVB and SVOLT, the complete vehicle maker Leapmotor, and also expanded its reach into areas like power domain controller, new materials, and upstream equipment for NEVs. Newrizon, established just three years ago, has already gained recognition and support multiple investors, including Lightspeed China Partners, China Creation Ventures, NIO Capital, Axiom, the University of Washington Foundation, and Huolala. The company has already released two vehicle models, the EC1 and the iC1. EC1, which has been on the market for a year, has already sold more than a thousand units. The iC1, on the other hand, is Newrizon's first fully self-developed electric light-duty truck, which was just launched in early August this year. Zambian Police Caution Former President Lungu Against Politicizing Morning Jogging Sessions Zambian police have issued a warning to former President Edgar Lungu, urging him to refrain from turning his morning jogging routine into political events. The caution comes in response to an incident that occurred in Lusaka on Saturday, where supporters of Lungus Patriotic Front (PF) joined him during his exercise session, cheering and showing their support. In a statement released on Sunday, police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga stated that Lungus jogging sessions, accompanied by PF members and without his security officers present, constituted unlawful assembly. Hamoonga emphasized that in the future, the former president should inform the police in advance of his jogging plans to ensure public safety and proper traffic management. Hamoonga further emphasized that Lungu must adhere to security protocols and avoid engaging in any form of political activism. He expressed disapproval of the disruption caused by Patriotic Front cadres during the incident, as it hindered the flow of traffic. The police spokesperson made it clear that such actions would not be tolerated moving forward. This development adds to the already tense relationship between Lungu and his successor, Hakainde Hichilema. The strained dynamics between the two leaders have recently led to the arrest of Lungus wife on allegations of vehicle theft. It remains to be seen how Lungu will respond to the police warning and whether he will adjust his jogging routines accordingly. The incident highlights the delicate balance between personal activities and political implications for public figures, especially in a charged political environment. Breaking News via Email Gokwe Man Allegedly Commits Suicide Amid Police Search for Sodomy Charges Tragic news unfolded in Gokwe as a man, identified as Temba Munyoro (42) from Venge Village under Chief Chireya, reportedly took his own life after learning that the police were actively searching for him on sodomy charges. Munyoro was found hanging from a tree after an intensified police hunt. Midlands Police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, confirmed the incident, stating that Munyoros body was discovered on September 21, 2023, around 4 am, following his earlier disappearance. According to the police, Munyoro had been consuming alcohol at Nyamhara Business Centre when he received news that the authorities were looking for him in relation to allegations of sodomy. He went home and retired to bed. Around 4AM, he woke up leaving his wife in bed. When his wife woke up, she could not locate him and she informed neighbours and they began searching for him, shared Inspector Mahoko. Tragically, Munyoros lifeless body was found hanging from a mango tree near an abandoned house in close proximity. Inspector Mhoko took the opportunity to remind the public to seek assistance and support when faced with challenging situations, rather than resorting to drastic measures. He emphasized the importance of confiding in someone and seeking a second opinion to navigate through difficult circumstances. Breaking News via Email Lambert Strether: Seems straightforward enough. Elisabeth Artmann, Senior Researcher at Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nicola Fuchs-Schundeln, Chair for Macroeconomics and Development at Goethe University Frankfurt, and Giulia Giupponi, Assistant Professor of Economics at Bocconi University. Originally published at VoxEU. As populations age, the strain on government budgets will keep pension reform at the forefront of political campaigns and policy debates worldwide. This column analyses how pension reforms affect workers who are still many years from retirement. Using a 2014 German policy that increased pension wealth for mothers, the authors show that pension reforms alter not only the expenditure side but also the revenue side of budgets, as workers adjust their immediate labour supply in response to the income effects caused by changes to future pensions. The ageing of populations is putting substantial pressure on pension systems worldwide. As an answer to this demographic pressure, pension reforms typically a combination of changes to the retirement age, the benefit accrual process, and benefit generosity have become central to the political agendas of many governments. Such reforms not only affect current pensioners, but also alter the incentives to work. They typically encompass an income effect by changing expected pension wealth, as well as a substitution effect by changing the returns to working. Understanding the behavioural responses of current workers to pension reforms is crucial for getting a full picture of their budgetary implications. A large literature has investigated the effects of pension reforms on labour supply close to retirement, focusing especially on changes in actual retirement behaviour (for reviews, see Gruber and Wise 1999, Krueger and Meyer 2002, Blundell et al. 2016). Less is known about the responses of workers further away from retirement; existing studies examine the role of changes in the statutory retirement age (Hairault et al. 2010, Carta and De Philippis 2021), the contribution-benefit link (French et al. 2022), and pension rules more generally (Bovini 2019). In a recent paper (Artmann et al. 2023), we analyse whether changes in pension wealth have an effect on the labour supply of workers who are not yet close to retirement age. The specific setting we analyse enables us to isolate a pure income effect, since the reform does not encompass any changes in the returns to working. This setting is thus ideal to understand whether workers adjust their labour supply in response to changes in future pension wealth. The German Pension Treatment of Mothers In the German pension system, mothers receive pension points, which later translate into pension income, for having children. Yet, there is a marked discontinuity in this policy (the so-called Mutterrente, or mothers pension): for children born on or after 1 January 1992, mothers receive three pension points; previously, for children born before 1 January 1992, mothers received only one pension point. This discontinuity played a major role in the political debate ahead of the German elections in September 2013, in which the Christian Democrats announced that they would alleviate this unequal treatment in a potential future government. Indeed, after they won the election, their coalition agreement with the Social Democrats from December 2013 stated that the pension points for mothers of children born before 1 January 1992 would change from one point to two points per child from July 2014 onwards. This reform increased the pension wealth of mothers with children born before 1992 by 3,380 per child in present discounted value, corresponding to 4.4% of the average pension wealth of these mothers, while it left the pension wealth of mothers with children born in 1992 or later unchanged. This setting enables us to analyse the income effects of pension wealth on labour supply in a difference-in-differences design, using mothers of children born in 1992 or later as the control group for the treated mothers, whose children were born in 1991 or before. Income Effects of Pension Wealth To analyse whether treated mothers adjusted their labour supply after the increase in their pension wealth, we refer to the Integrated Employment Biographies of the German Institute for Employment Research (IAB). These contain the full working histories of all German workers subject to the social security system. We impute child births in the data following the methodology of Muller and Strauch (2018), which works very well for capturing the births of first children. To ensure comparability of the treatment and control groups, we then compare the labour supply behaviour of mothers whose first children were born between October and December 1991 (the treated group) to the labour supply behaviour of mothers whose first children were born between January and March 1992 (the control group), before and after the reform announcement in December 2013. These mothers were on average 50 years old at the time of the reform, thereby still substantially younger than the statutory retirement age of 67. As Figure 1 shows, total unconditional earnings of both groups of mothers evolve virtually identically in the eight semesters preceding the reform, namely from the first semester of 2010 (indicated as Jan 2010) to the second semester of 2013 (indicated as Jul 2013). However, immediately after the announcement of the reform, in December 2013, the unconditional earnings of treated mothers fall behind those of the control group, and this gap widens over time. In the first 2.5 years after the reform, unconditional earnings of the treated group fall by 101 annually (or 0.7% of the pre-reform mean unconditional earnings), and in the following 3 to 5 years even by 196 annually (or 1.3%). We therefore find statistically significant responses to the increase in future pension wealth: treated mothers reduce their (unconditional) earnings. Figure 1 Notes: Dots represent point estimates and capped vertical bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on robust standard errors clustered at the individual level from a regression of unconditional labour earnings on the interaction of a treatment dummy and a semester dummy, controlling for calendar time and individual fixed effects. The graph also reports estimates of the short-run effect over the 12.5 years after the 2014 reform (SR) and of the medium-run effect over the 35 years after the reform (MR), with robust standard errors clustered at the individual level in parentheses. The baseline statistic is the average value of the outcome in the treatment group in JulyDecember 2013. Are these responses along the extensive or the intensive margin? In other words, do treated mothers stop working, or do they reduce their hours worked? Figure 2 gives an answer to this question, differentiating between the probability of being employed in Panel (A), and labour earnings conditional on being employed in Panel (B). In fact, we find no response along the extensive margin; instead, the entire response occurs along the intensive margin: treated mothers dont stop working, but reduce their earnings conditional on working. In line with this, we also find that the probability of working full-time, conditional on working, falls after the reform. Studies that focus on labour supply close to retirement usually show extensive margin effects; further away from retirement, however, intensive margin responses seem to be more important. Figure 2 Notes: Dots represent point estimates and capped vertical bars represent 95% confidence intervals based on robust standard errors clustered at the individual level from a regression of unconditional labour earnings on the interaction of a treatment dummy and a semester dummy, controlling for calendar time and individual fixed effects. Each graph also reports estimates of the short-run effect over the 12.5 years after the 2014 reform (SR) and of the medium-run effect over the 35 years after the reform (MR), with robust standard errors clustered at the individual level in parentheses. The baseline statistic is the average value of the outcome in the treatment group in JulyDecember 2013. To translate the effects into the marginal propensity to earn (MPE) out of pension wealth in a given period, we equally allocate the wealth windfall over time until retirement, which gives us an MPE of -0.54: an extra euro of pension wealth leads to a 54 cent reduction in labour earnings in middle-age. Heterogeneity and Spillovers We further investigate heterogeneity in the effects, and find that mothers in jobs with higher expected returns to tenure are less likely to cut back their labour supply. By contrast, the physical strain of an occupation does not play a role in the response. Mothers with higher pre-reform pension wealth, be it personal or cumulated household pension wealth, react more strongly to the reform. Liquidity constraints, as proxied by the partners pre-reform labour earnings, seem to mute responses to the reform. For a subsample of the data for which we can match husband and wife, we can also investigate the behaviour of the husbands of the affected mothers. While the point estimates indicate some household-level spillovers, with husbands of the treated mothers also reducing their conditional earnings, most are not statistically significant. Conclusion The ageing of the population puts a strain on government budgets, and pension reforms are therefore at the forefront of many policy debates. Pension reforms affect not only the expenditure side but also the revenue side of budgets: as our study shows, workers adjust their labour supply in response to the income effects caused by changes to future pensions. A back-of-the envelope calculation implies that for each euro of increased pension due to the reform, government revenue fell by 31 cents due to lower income tax and social security contribution payments, a substantial fiscal externality. At the same time, assuming symmetry of our results would imply that reforms that reduce pension generosity lead to increased labour supply through the income effect, thereby amplifying the positive effect of such reforms on government budgets. Footnotes References available at the original. NASAs First Asteroid Sample Has Landed, Now Secure in Clean Room NASA How to Hide a $2 Trillion Antitrust Trial Matt Stoller, BIG. Todays must-read. Here is Stollers trial reporting site. How disconcerting that Stoller is doing this, and not, say, The Times or WaPo! The Selling of Americas Most Controversial Gun WSJ. The deck: Private equity turned the AR-15 into a big profit-maker and a charged symbol in the debate over gun rights and mass shootings. Private equity getting bad press recently Private Equitys Slow Carnage Unleashes a Wave of Zombies Bloomberg The $100 Billion Luxury Complex Thats Sitting Empty and Unfinished and The Luxury Tower Built for New Yorks Elite Still Sits Half Empty WSJ Climate Water #COVID19 Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Updating Our Approach to Masking in Health Care Facilities (opinion) Annals of Internal Medicine. In a recent article, Shenoy and colleagues (2) proposed a transition back to prepandemic approaches to mitigating health careassociated respiratory viral infections by using Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions in health care settings. This recommendation assumes that our prepandemic approach to preventing hospital-acquired respiratory viral infections was adequate. In fact, it is likely that before the pandemic, we vastly underappreciated the degree of harm caused by hospital-acquired respiratory viral infections that were preventable by masking among patients and HCWs (7). A direct assault on Shenoy et al.s vicious, reprehensible indeed, eugenicist and shoddy proposed guidance to decrease patient protections in what we laughingly call hospital infection control at CDCs HICPAC. Worth reading in full, and not jargon-filled. Im encouraged that this piece was written, and even more encouraged that it was published. In hospitals, viruses are everywhere. Masks are not. Boston Globe. Greed (masks and ventilation cost money) and fear (of anti-maskers) in the hospital infection control community, with patient care a distant third (hat tip, CDC, MGH, Brighams, etc.). * * * Association of COVID-19 with New-Onset Alzheimers Disease Journal of Alzheimers Disease. In this retrospective cohort study of 6,245,282 older adults (age 65 years) who had medical encounters between 2/20205/2021, we show that people with COVID-19 were at significantly increased risk for new diagnosis of Alzheimers disease. An infectious etiology of Alzheimers disease has been postulated for decades and despite supportive evidence, it is still controversial [1]. The increased risk for COVID-19 in people with Alzheimers disease [2] and recent recognition of long lasting neurological sequela of SARS-CoV2 infection [3] in part reflecting inflammatory processes, which are central to Alzheimers disease neuropathology [4], suggest bidirectional relationships. However, whether COVID-19 might trigger new-onset Alzheimers disease or accelerate its emergence is unclear [chanting: Just a cold! (Mild!) Just a cold! (Mild!)]. * * * What you need to know about Covid as new variant rises BBC (MV). Worth reading in full. Of the many demented quotes from bent practitioners, this strikes me as the best: The emergence of BA.2.86 meant a decision was made to bring forward the autumn Covid booster to better protect the most vulnerable this winter. But the new jabs are only available to people over 65 years old it was the over-50s last year and those with certain health conditions. That is a tactical decision, says Dr Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol. He explained: When younger people whove already had infections and vaccines get Covid [again], they get a cold and a cough and might be off work for a few days. Theres no real value in investing a lot of time and effort immunising them again when there are so many other things for the health service to be doing. The reality is then that most under-65s will now end up boosting their immunity not through vaccination, but through catching Covid many times . Reality is another one of those words. When you hear reality think artificial construct (building social or symbolic capital for the propagator). What It Will Take to Avoid a Tripledemic This Winter Ashish Jha, Time. Over the coming months, more than 100,000 Americans will likely die, mostly unnecessarily, from respiratory infections. Yes, that is the reality we are now facing this fall and winterand likely every fall and winter for the foreseeable future. Unless we act. Between flu, COVID-19, and RSV, we are likely looking at a very large number of Americans getting sick, ending up in the hospital, and dying. For the first time, this fall and winter, we have highly effective, safe vaccines available to protect Americans against all three major causes of serious respiratory infections. So this is why the Tripledemic framing some PR brain genius invented (false because Covid is not seasonal). The immunology of long COVID Nature. Just as a reminder: The oncoming burden of long COVID faced by patients, health-care providers, governments and economies is so large as to be unfathomable, which is possibly why minimal high-level planning is currently allocated to it. Ringo Starr, the musical heartbeat of The Beatles and arguably the most adored drummer ever, has a lot of awards, from two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions to a knighthood bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II. So what does it mean to be inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame, which honors the legendary players who craft, perform and record songs? "It means I've done all of that," the 83-year-old quipped at his induction ceremony in Nashville before flashing the easy smile fans have loved since The Beatles arrived in the U.S. nearly 60 years ago. Starr was honored for both his time with the Fab Four and his lengthy solo career in a Sunday afternoon ceremony. The event featured guitar icon Peter Frampton, 60s country, rock and pop giant Brenda Lee and a band performing hits from across Starrs repertoire. "It's as magic to me as it is to you," Starr told reporters. "We loved each other, and we supported each other, and we listened to each other. That's how that sound arrived, and even still today, the kids are listening to it." Frampton called his friend's southpaw drumming feel "incredibly unique." "From the earliest Beatle recordings, Ringo was already orchestrating songs with his playing, not just playing along," Frampton said. Lee brought a unique perspective to the event: She had The Beatles open for her at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, before Beatlemania became a global sensation. "Even as raw as that time was and we were still befuddled about where we were going to go musically you still could hear the start of it," Lee said. "Even though it was a little raw, it was there. It was always there." The ceremony took place the same day Ringo & His All-Starr Band played at the Ryman. The magnitude of playing such a storied country music stage still isn't lost on Starr even after his long career. He recounted seeing pictures of a clean-shaven, suited-up Willie Nelson in the early 1960s and said Liverpool was a hub for country music thanks to merchant navy ships that brought American songs to English shores. "It's a really cool thing," Starr said. "If you've ever seen us at the Ryman, it just blows me away because I love country music. And I come from a city, Liverpool, which is in all of England the biggest country outlet for anybody. I just love country music. A lot of story, a lot of joy and happiness." He also teased a forthcoming country EP of his own that he worked on with famed producer T Bone Burnett. Another EP, titled Rewind Forward, is set for Oct. 13. With his induction, Starr became the first recipient of the Joe Chambers Musicians Legacy award. The award was named in honor of Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum founder Joe Chambers, who died in September 2022. When Lucy Bell died out in Cheatham County 106 years ago this week in September 1917 her son Robert was the informant listed on the death certificate. He told the clerk, W.G. Perry, his mothers name, her age, her marital status and the name of her parents. Its possible that Perry wasnt, shall we say, the sharpest knife in the drawer. For instance, he put down that Lucy Bells race or color was collard. (Though when I tell you more about Lucys family, we may have to concede that it would make sense if they actually had collard greens in their veins.) I bring up the fact that Perry might have been a few bricks shy of a load because he actually recorded the name of Lucy Bells father. Or maybe he was new to the area and didnt realize the implications in her fathers name. Youd imagine, if he had realized, he might just have put down unknown instead of Montgomery Bell. Montgomery Bell, the iron magnate, was the namesake and first benefactor of Montgomery Bell Academy. That Montgomery Bell was Lucys father. And it was apparently so well-known and known as true that when she died, no one bothered to keep it off her death certificate. Lucys family didnt benefit from being the descendants of Montgomery Bell, but they did find their own way to success. Lucys daughter Bessie married Robert Lee Swett. Bessie and Roberts son Walter started the family businesses that have come down to us today as Swetts Restaurant. Swetts website states that Walter only had a second-grade education, and yet he and his wife Susie opened a gas station, bought a tavern, owned a grocery store and started Swetts Dinette. Walters accomplishments are ... I mean, the dude succeeded. Born only 40 years after the end of slavery, given a perfunctory education, and he does all this? Damn. But compare in your mind Walters empire with his great-grandfathers. What if Walters grandmother had inherited part of Montgomery Bells estate? Montgomery Bells white daughter came out of the Civil War with a dozen kids, $40,000 worth of real estate (in 1870s dollars) and $1,900 as her personal estate. She lived in Cheatham County, in District 10. Lucy, Walters grandmother, had no money in 1870, owned no property, and worked for Monroe Bell (no relation that I can find), a farmer out in Dickson County, District 7. So imagine the Cumberland River, north of Ashland City, and imagine the Harpeth River and the Cumberland River making a T where the Harpeth meets the Cumberland. Montgomery Bells white daughter lived on the east side of that T, and Lucy lived on the west. There were 114 households in that Cheatham County district and 142 in the Dickson County district. They were neighbors. Sisters. With completely different fortunes. What might it have meant for Walter if his mother could have put him in school past second grade? Hell, Walter was in his 70s before Black boys were attending his great-grandfathers eponymous school. And yet, would there even have been an MBA without Walters family and the rest of the Black communities enslaved by Bell? Imagine how Walter's trips to the bank for business loans or mortgages would have gone if hed been Montgomery Bells white great-grandson who was a successful businessman. And this is the thing about Walter Swett: He was obviously a good businessman, and he must have been very smart to accomplish all he did with a second-grade education. Everything he accomplished, he accomplished with the deck stacked against him. Hell, not only was the deck stacked against him, but he was dealt two cards each time white guys got five. And he still did pretty well. What might he have done with an even playing field? What was done to Walter is a kind of theft, but theft is too small a word for it. It wasnt like he had resources and someone took them. Its that the resources that ordinarily would have gone to him were never provided. Federal Leaders Call Out Gov. Lee for TSU Underfunding Federal data states that TSU has been shorted more than $2 billion Ive been thinking about Walters situation again, because last week the Biden administration informed our state that weve shortchanged Tennessee State University more than $2 billion dollars since 1987. Dr. Learotha Williams told WPLN that now that this is known, Tennessees next step will likely be to claim TSU would have squandered the money anyway. From WPLN: Based on historical precedent, Williams anticipates the state may get defensive. First thing youre probably going to hear is that these schools have histories of mismanaging funds. And thats something that goes all the way back to Reconstruction. He said allegations of mismanagement and corruption were used to discredit Black politicians after the Civil War. Those sorts of allegations are a common feature of being in positions of power at HBCUs, Williams said. I think hes right. Were going to get defensive rather than apologetic. But again, doesnt the word theft seem too small for this? Even if Tennessee immediately and without strings attached handed TSU the roughly $2 billion, what good does that do for the kid whose dorm was in massive need of upgrading in 1990? How do you calculate all the damage done because TSU couldnt afford to hire more tenure-track professors in the late 1980s? What do you say to the disabled people who needed working elevators in all the buildings in 2000? This is years of stealing opportunities from people decades, centuries even. How do you make that right? Its daunting to even think about. Do we just hand over the University of Tennessee system with all its resources to TSU? Does that make it fair? Or do we give the current university a billion dollars and then split the other billion between all the graduates of TSU during that time period who got cheated out of the full potential of college by our state? To go back again to Walter Swett, theres another wrinkle to his story that may have implications for how this shortchanging of TSU plays out. By the time Montgomery Bells wealth had been spread out over his white great-grandchildren so people just as related to Bell as Walter, but with everything that whiteness can do for them a lot of them also had hard, shitty lives. Walter at least got to go to second grade. Some of his white cousins hadnt been to school at all. Walter at least came to own successful businesses. Some of his white cousins stayed stuck as tenant farmers. If you had stood Walter next to one of those descendants and said to the white guy, You all got what Walter deserved, Im sure that, at best, you would have gotten baffled looks, probably from both men. The dude who owns the restaurant has some moral claim on part of the nothing the dirt farmer has? I can imagine something similar with, say, UT Martin. You stand UT Martin and TSU side by side and tell UT Martin that it got resources that should have gone to TSU, youre going to see people from both schools looking around Martin and wondering aloud about what resource compared to what TSU has. This is part of why I keep saying that white supremacy is a pyramid scheme. It extracts from as wide a base as possible at each level, and then comes up with reasons why not all of us can move up to the next level. The sales pitch of white supremacy to white people is: We are the best. We made this world. We should be proud to be white and proud to celebrate our legacy. In the South, its with the added benefit of: Look at these fine houses that famous and powerful white people lived in and probably still live in. Look at these schools and roads and towns named for white people, because we are the best. Look at all the places we can go and things we can do because were white and were awesome. But most white peoples lives are not super great. Sure, maybe Andrew Jackson lived in a great house, and maybe the railroads made some white guys rich beyond imagination, but most white people in Tennessee cant afford great houses. They cant find jobs that will make them wealthy. And a lot of them went to college and got married and did all the stuff theyre supposed to do, and it still didnt open a lot of doors to them. White Supremacy: America's Long-Running Pyramid Scheme The racist and anti-Semitic views being peddled by the likes of Tucker Carlson and Matt Gaetz are nothing new This ought to break the scheme. You cant say, Support whiteness as being the best and youll get all the stuff white people deserve, and then not deliver on it without people getting angry. And obviously, people do get angry. The pyramid scheme just directs that anger toward the people on your level or slightly below you or slightly above. Theyre the ones taking the job you rightfully deserve, getting the spot at college that should have gone to you. But what the schemers dont want you to understand is that there arent ever enough spots. If the base of the pyramid scheme starts shrinking, the number of pathways up the pyramid also starts shrinking. This is why, even as the state was shortchanging TSU, it wasnt using that money to equally improve all the other colleges in the state. Even among those colleges, favorites get more, and its very likely that Tennessee will try to insulate its favorites from bearing the brunt of the repercussions of the theft from TSU. White supremacy benefits from white people seeing Black people trying to get the resources due to them as them trying to steal from white people. But just like all of Montgomery Bells descendants have cause to ask, Where did all that money go? everyone who cares about higher education in Tennessee should be asking, Where did all that money go? It would not be right if it all went to, say, UT Knoxville instead of TSU, but at least then it would be obvious who benefited from the theft. I dont think anyone would suggest that its obvious that the UT schools got the money that should have gone to TSU. They dont look like schools with an extra $2 billion. So who did benefit then? As the legislature was shortchanging TSU, whose pockets were being filled? I dont know if well ever get those answers, but when the time comes and people are squabbling over where the money to make this right is going to come from, we need to push for answers as to where it went in the first place. On Monday (25 September 2023), NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana addressed 250 staff officers and faculty members at the German Command and Staff College in Hamburg. He emphasised the importance of maintaining support to Ukraine for as long as it takes, pointing out that if President Putin wins in Ukraine that would send the wrong message to other authoritarian leaders and undermine the rules-based international order. During his visit, the Deputy Secretary General highlighted NATOs work on innovation and thanked Germany for its contributions to the Alliance. Mr Geoana met the First Mayor of Hamburg Dr Peter Tschentscher and participated in a roundtable discussion with start-ups at Hamburg Invest. Breakthroughs in disruptive technologies from Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, to biotech and human enhancement are rapidly changing the world. NATO is adapting to address the challenges and opportunities new technologies present to our security. Mr Geoana also delivered a speech at the opening of the academic year at the University of Medicine and Technology Targu Mures - Medical Campus. He discussed how global pandemics like COVID-19 had underlined the importance of increasing our resilience. He also spoke about the expanded notion of security. The Deputy Secretary General highlighted the transformative power of new technologies and encouraged students and professors to stay ahead of the curve, to safeguarding democratic values and support the ethical use of the new technologies in their fields. (As delivered) Mike Froman, President of the Council on Foreign Relations: Well, good morning, everybody. My name is Mike Froman. I'm President of the Council on Foreign Relations, and I'm delighted to welcome you to today's Russell C. Leffingwell lecture featuring NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. I want to begin first by thanking the Leffingwell family for their generosity in endowing this annual lectureship, especially Tom and Ted Leffingwell Pulling who are joining us virtually today. This lecture was inaugurated in 1969, named for Russell Leffingwell who previously led CFR, first as a charter member of the Council. He was President of the Council, a very important role in 1944 to 1946, and Chairman from 1946 to 1953. And the lectureship is for a distinguished foreign official who was invited to address our members on a topic of major significance. Previous speakers have been the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Indian Prime Minister Singh. And in addition to his roles at CFR, Russell Leffingwell was also Assistant Secretary of Treasury during the Woodrow Wilson administration, where he helped lead the bond issues that financed the US military efforts in World War I. Then there was a robust debate about European security and America's commitment to it. And today, we see both the strengthening of the Alliance and the testing of that Alliance by the war in Ukraine, and we're privileged to have a firsthand view of that today with Secretary General Stoltenberg. It's been a very important few years for NATO expansion to Finland and Sweden and more countries living up to their 2% defence commitment goal, more energy and coherence than has been there for a number of years. And that's really due to two men, Vladimir Putin and Jens Stoltenberg. Vladimir Putin couldn't be with us today. We're delighted to have Secretary General Stoltenberg. We're also delighted to have Jane Harman presiding at this event today. Jane was a nine term member of Congress, including being ranking member of the Intel Committee and on the Armed Services Committee, the author of eight important laws, key laws, I'm sure many others as well, including the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. And her highest and most distinguished role, of course, was being president of a think tank, the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. She has been a great source of wisdom and support for me personally in government and outside and it's great to have her back on the CFR stage. I turn it over to Congresswoman Harman. Congresswoman Jane Harman: Thank you, Mike. Thank you. So, so first, back at you, Mike, I have belonged to CFR for three decades. And I want to congratulate CFR in making a stellar choice of Mike Froman as the new president. I am also delighted to welcome a man I have come to know in conferences all over Europe, at NATO in Washington, etc. His tenure has just been extended for one more term. I don't know if that's good news or bad news to him. But I'll tell you, I wish he would follow the 'Hotel California' rule I'm from California which is, 'you can check in anytime but you can never leave'. So a bit of personal history, in a hurry. In 1995, I was in my second term in Congress serving on the Armed Services Committee. And my daughter my son, Brian, is in the front row his sister, Hillary, called. She was a senior at Princeton, and she was writing her honors thesis on the future of NATO. She said, Mom, tell me about this, I have to think carefully about the future of NATO. To which I responded, honey, I haven't been thinking about the future of NATO. And you know, I should have been, but when the Cold War ended, NATO had a new mission. And to remind, there were a number of studies including one by the late great Madeleine Albright. But NATO really came into its own this future, post-Cold War NATO following the Russian invasion of Crimea, and following guess who joined NATO that year, six months later? Jens Stoltenberg. So he has said that, you know, on his watch, NATO has implanted the biggest reinforcement of its collective defence since the Cold War. Before coming to NATO Mike did not mention this you were UN Special Envoy for Climate and you were Prime Minister of Norway, among other things, so you bring enormous experience and there is so much to ask, and so much for the audience, both here and virtual, to ask and we'll get your questions in. My first question is, what is your agenda this week at UNGA? NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: First of all, let me just thank you for inviting me. It's a great pleasure to be here and to meet this Council and this audience, and also to meet with you again, Congresswoman. Because you're right, we have met many places across Europe, I think this is actually the first time we do something together, here in New York. And that's one of the reasons actually why I'm here, is that UNGA week is a perfect platform to engage and to meet and to have a wide range of meetings. And that's exactly what I've done. Of course, the main purpose, the main task for me during this week, is to mobilise support for Ukraine. So that's what I've done in almost all of my meetings. The good news is that I see that across NATO, and also with partner nations, they realise that to support Ukraine is something we do because it's our security interest to ensure that Ukraine remains as a sovereign independent nation. It will be a tragedy for Ukraine if President Putin wins, it will also be extremely dangerous for us, it will make the world more dangerous and us more vulnerable. Because then the message to President Putin, but also to President Xi, is that when they use military force, when they violate international law, when they invade another country, they get what they want. So if the United States is concerned about China and wants to pivot towards Asia, then you have to ensure that Putin doesn't win in Ukraine. Because if Ukraine wins, then you will have the second biggest army in Europe, the Ukrainian army, battle-hardened on our side, and we will have a weakened Russian Army. And we have also now Europe really stepping up for defence spending. That will make it easier for you to focus also on China and not only Or be less concerned about the situation in Europe And opposite if Putin wins. So it is in the security interest of the United States to ensure that Ukraine wins and make it easier to deal with China. Congresswoman Harman: So we'll talk about China in a moment and some of the things you're doing to pull in Asian countries. But let's talk about Ukraine a little bit more. Ukraine wants to be a member of NATO. There was a meeting and I think the words were 'Ukraine's future belongs in NATO'. What does that mean? And how should Ukraine think about NATO? And how does Ukraine think about Ukraine's membership in NATO? NATO Secretary General: So first of all, Ukraine, of course, very much want to join NATO. They have stated that very clearly. The sentence you just quoted means that Ukraine will become a member of this Alliance. And that was stated very clearly at the Summit in Vilnius, the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July. But, to be honest, the most important thing we did was not to state that, because NATO has said that before. The most important thing we did in Vilnius was actually to move Ukraine closer to that goal, to move them closer to NATO membership. And we did that by deciding three things, which move them closer to become a full member. One, the first thing we did was to remove the requirements for a Membership Action Plan. Because for many, many years, it has been a requirement to join NATO that before you are invited you are part of what we call a Membership Action Plan, some kind of preparations for becoming a member at a later stage. Meaning that it's a two step process to join NATO: first Membership Action Plan, then invitation. We said in Vilnius, there is no need for a Membership Action Plan. So this two step process has been turned into a one step process. So you can go direct from where we are today with Ukraine to an invitation. That's actually also the same we did with Finland and Sweden, but different from what we have done for the past decades with all the other new members. So that's the first good news for Ukraine on membership. The other good news was that we agreed a very comprehensive programme for ensuring that the Ukrainian armed forces are fully interoperable with NATO. And we set aside around roughly 500 million euros for that annually. And by ensuring that Ukrainian forces can work together and are fully operational with NATO forces, moves them in very practical terms closer to NATO. That also reflects the fact that they have now a lot of NATO weapons. So when we train them on HIMARs or on Patriots or on Leopard battle tanks or soon also F16s, of course that moves Ukraine closer to NATO in very practical terms. And the third thing we did was to establish something called the NATO-Ukraine Council, which is a council that can make decisions, can organise different joint activities, and is an extremely important tool to integrate Ukraine and NATO even closer. So, yes, we said that Ukraine will become a member. But I will say it's even more important that we actually charted the way how to achieve that goal. So Ukraine is closer to NATO membership now than ever before. Congresswoman Harman: Well, two sticking points on that, and then we'll turn to I'd like to turn to Sweden. One is that Ukraine is in an active war against Russia. So if Ukraine were to join NATO now, wouldn't that trigger Article 5? That's one question. Second question is about corruption, not that Ukraine is the only country on the planet, certainly, in its neighborhood, to have some corruption. But Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been eliminating corruption in a very brave way, firing a number of generals, etc. So is the corruption problem is still a sticking point? And what about the fact that there's an act of war going on? NATO Secretary General: Well, the fact that it's an active war makes it impossible to just invite them tomorrow or today. So in one way or another, we need to deal with that situation. And of course, it's easy to foresee a membership when this war ends in one way or another. So that's also the reason why I think even those who are most eager to have Ukraine as a member, as soon as possible, realise that this is not something that will happen now. But at the same time, we need to in a way look beyond the active war, which is ongoing. Because when this war ends in one way or another in the distant or the near future, we need to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. Because we have to remember that this is a pattern of Russian behavior over many years. First, they annexed Crimea, and we said that was unacceptable. And then a couple of months later they went into Donbass in 2014. And then we had these Minsk Agreements with the ceasefire and the ceasefire lines and so on. They violated them again and again, over the years. And then suddenly, we had a full-fledged invasion in 2022 last year. So it has been step by step trying to take more and more territory from Ukraine. And the war didn't start in February last year, it started in 2014. So if there is When there is an end now to the fighting, we need to ensure that this is a real end, it stops there. And therefore, it means that there has to be a framework in place to guarantee the security, the territorial integrity, the borders of Ukraine. Of course, NATO membership is one way of achieving that. There are also ideas of more bilateral arrangements, but in one way or another, there is a need for guarantees. So there is a link between the membership issue and how to envisage an end to the war and to secure an enduring and lasting peace after the war. Then, on corruption. President Zelenskyy has been very tough on that, also before the war, a little bit before the full scale invasion, that was one of his top issues when he was elected. He has and his administration has made progress. And many of the programs that we are conducting are also related to what we call a transparency and better governance and reform of the defence and security solutions to fight corruption. But I'd like to say one more thing. And that is that the best proof that our aid, our military support actually makes a difference and ends up at the frontline is the military progress the Ukrainians have made. There's no way that they could have been able to push back the Russian invaders first around Kyiv and then in the north, and then in east around Kharkiv, and then in the south around Kherson, and now also conducting a full scale big counter offensive if all this support has just disappeared in corruption. They are shooting down Russian drones, they are liberating territory with the equipment we provide. So the proof is in actually the actions. Congresswoman Harman: And I would add to that, I think our military has been very careful to track where that equipment goes. And it's not part of the corruption enterprise at least, hopefully, is not and won't be. But okay, let's turn now to Sweden. It was impressive, certainly to me and I think all of us, that Finland, which had been neutral for so many years 'Finlandisation' was the term, which the Finns hate, but anyway, but that was the term and has a 800 mile border with Russia wanted to be admitted and was admitted to NATO recently. Sweden, too, wants to be admitted. My impression is that the Turks have backed off their objection. But now Hungary is objecting. What is that about? NATO Secretary General: Well, first of all, it is a great historic achievement that Finland is already a member and Sweden will soon be a member of NATO. And we need to put this in perspective. We have to remember that in December 2021, so a couple of months before the invasion, President Putin put forward what he called 'security treaties'. He wanted the United States and NATO to sign documents that were sent to Brussels and to Washington. There were several demands. They demanded that we should remove all NATO infrastructure from the eastern part of the Alliance. They demanded some buffer zones, especially in the Baltic region, meaning that most of the Baltic countries could not be protected with NATO forces. And they demanded as a kind of ultimatum for not invading Ukraine, that NATO should guarantee no further enlargement. That was about no further enlargement with Ukraine, but also Finland and Sweden. It was not possible, so we actually were able Actually we invited Russia to a dialogue, we said it's not possible for us to accept those ultimatums. But we made a real diplomatic effort to see if it was possible to sit down and find a diplomatic solution to the crisis that was scaling up in the fall of 2021. But the declared purpose of the invasion of Ukraine was to stop further NATO enlargement and to have less NATO, with its buffer zones, and the movement of NATO infrastructure from all those countries that joined NATO since 1997. So one of the main purposes was then to have less NATO: less NATO members and less NATO presence in the eastern part of the Alliance. President Putin has got exactly the opposite. Because the day of the invasion NATO activated its defence plans, meaning we handed over more authority to our Supreme Allied Commander, SACEUR, General Cavoli, and he used that to deploy more forces in the eastern part of the Alliance. So there are more NATO forces, more NATO infrastructure, more NATO planes, more NATO ships, more NATO troops in the eastern part of the Alliance now than ever before. The other thing was that Finland and Sweden applied. They applied in May and already in June they were invited. So that's extremely quickly. So I was quite impressed by the speed of Congresswoman Harman: Well, I think NATO has a good leader! NATO Secretary General: Okay, that's This was the Allies. Allies made this quick and perfect decision. And then we had the ratification process, and then Finland joined in April last year No, this year. And that's the quickest ever accession process in NATO's modern history. Then, Sweden has not yet been fully ratified. But if we get all this in place, let's say this fall, it will still be the second quickest ratification process, membership process, in NATO's modern history. So it's not that slow, it's still quite fast. In Vilnius President Erdogan agreed to a statement where it's stated clearly that he will submit the ratification papers to the Turkish parliament. And he also stated clearly that he will work with the parliament to ensure ratification. And he also stated in meetings with me, with the president No, sorry, Prime Minister Kristersson of Sweden, and also publicly in different press conferences that this will happen as soon as possible, meaning that when the Turkish parliament, the Grand National Assembly, convenes later this fall, I expect that will happened then. And that's what I assume, and that's what I expect, and that will be in line with what President Erdogan has said. Congresswoman Harman: And Hungary is not a problem? NATO Secretary General: Oh sorry. Hungary has stated that they will not be the last. And if there are two who have not ratified and Turkiye ratifies, then I think the problem is solved. Congresswoman Harman: Good work. So at Vilnius, among other things, you invited four countries from Asia, the Asia-Pacific Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea to attend and they did attend. And you have made the point that And you just made it again, and you made it in a Foreign Affairs article you have to shill for the local place that there's a global threat from Russia, not just a threat in Europe and a threat to the existing NATO countries. So you've done outreach to these four countries, you have considered setting up a liaison office in Japan. Can you explain why you're doing this, and where this is going to go with this initiative? NATO Secretary General: We are doing this in NATO because we realise that security is not regional, security is global. This idea that you can have some kind of a European or transatlantic security regardless of what happens in Asia is just wrong. For many reasons, not least because we see that Beijing and Moscow are coming more and more closely together. Just weeks before the invasion, China and Russia signed this agreement stating that the partnership is without any limits. We see how Russia and China are conducting more air and naval patrols together, exercises, and how they support each other diplomatically, politically and in many other ways. And the reality is that China is propping up Russia's war efforts by or supporting the war efforts by propping up their economy, and also by spreading the false narrative, the Russian false narrative of what this war is about, and of course, the war of aggression against Ukraine. So what happens in Europe matters for Asia, what happens in Asia matters for Europe. That's also the reason why countries like South Korea, Japan are extremely concerned about the war in Ukraine. Because they know that if President Putin wins, it lowers the threshold for President Xi to use force. And they watch this very, very closely. NATO will remain a regional alliance, meaning that NATO will remain an alliance of North America and Europe. And if there is an enlargement, it will be European countries. So NATO will not become a global Article Five collective defence organization. But this North Atlantic region which is quite big, 1 billion people faces global threats. That's actually nothing new. Terrorism is global, it brought NATO to Afghanistan, on the borders of China. Then piracy was something we fought not so many years ago and brought us to the Horn of Africa, with our naval forces. Cyber is, by nature, global. Space is becoming more and more important for our security, all the satellites and all the things which are up there, which are so fundamental to our lives here at Earth. So we have faced global threats and challenges for many years, it has adapted NATO for many years. Then China also matters for our security in the North Atlantic region. So therefore, we need to work with our partners in that region Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand. The leaders participated for the second time at the NATO Summit in July this year in Vilnius, and we are working on how we can do more together with them, ranging from cyber to exercises and many other things. Congresswoman Harman: I've just pointed out too that you also have liaison relationships in the Middle East, and you have one in the global south with Colombia. But one more question about what you're trying to do in Asia, especially with this office in Japan. Rumor has it that the President of France is not happy with this idea. Is that true? What are his objections? NATO Secretary General: We have not yet established that office, we're looking into it. We're working on how we can have a liaison office in Tokyo. As you said, we have liaison offices in many other places in the world, it's nothing new. And again, it doesn't mean that NATO will become a global Article 5 Alliance. It means that we realise that Japan, Asia is a highly valued partner for us. We need to work more closely together and just to facilitate practical cooperation, and also political dialogue, it's helpful to have a liaison office in Tokyo. Congresswoman Harman: So that was an answer about Macron? NATO Secretary General: No, I didn't Well, I think I will make my work as Secretary General more difficult if I told you everything about every Ally. Congresswoman Harman: As a recovering politician, I give you a pass. But also the NATO force was A huge part of the force in Afghanistan was from members. So NATO has been very much present outside of the European region. So one more question for me, and then we'll take all of your questions. Last time I was in Brussels, I remember going to the new It's not new anymore, cyber command or I think that's what it was called centre at NATO, which is very impressive and long overdue. NATO has made major moves on technology. And you mentioned that what we call the new domains, cyber and space and the US needs to shore up its assets in space, something I care a lot about. But my question is Well, let me back up. I mean, my background is in intelligence and security. And I have watched our intelligence agencies do something unprecedented in the last months as the Ukraine war has progressed, and that is to selectively declassify some of our intelligence, which, of course, was very accurate, and very helpful. What do you think of that practice of selectively declassifying? NATO Secretary General: I think it was very much absolutely the right thing to do. It was a way to warn the Russians that we knew what they were planning. So when the war or when the invasion happened, we were well prepared, and we knew exactly what to do. And we, as I said, we activated our defence plans and we deployed more forces in the eastern part of the Alliance. But the fact that the United States, but also some other NATO Allies and NATO, declassified intelligence was a way to tell the Russians that'don't do it'. And then they decided to invade, regardless. But this declassification of intelligence also made it easier for us to prepare and to increase awareness around this among our own nations and Allies. So I think that was absolutely the right thing to do. Congresswoman Harman: Well, I agree with you. I think it's, in hindsight, a bit of a shame that Zelenskyy didn't absolutely believe it, that it would happen, because we could have prepositioned some equipment earlier and maybe had an even more impressive rebuff to the Russian advance. OK, people, now it's your turn. I know some people in this audience, but I'm just going to recognise you by hand so I don't embarrass myself. And we have people listening in, and Sam is going to tell me when some of the folks on the line want to speak. We'll start with the man right here in the third row. Please identify yourself. A mic is coming. Stand up. There we go. Short question, so we can get to everybody. John Hess: John Hess Secretary General we know each other from Norway years past. Thank you for the outstanding leadership. Energy has been fundamental to the political and economic relationship between Europe and Russia. 40% of Europe's gases, you know, and 30% of the oil, Russia supplies to Europe has been ripped apart. So as you look forward, when Ukraine prevails, will that relationship be restored? Or do you think it's going to be fundamentally changed forever? Thank you. NATO Secretary General: So first of all, I had to tell her I have a lot of these Hess' cars. In my I think I have like 20 of them, my son wants to take them away when they move, and I kept them. So these are these are great cars then on energy. It is fundamentally changed. The big policy is that many experts warned against being too dependent on Russian gas. But then the Europeans thought it was absolutely okay. And they were wrong. And we cannot repeat that mistake by once again, being too dependent on gas from or energy from Russia. This is also a lesson to be learned when it comes to China. We need to find a balance between continuing to trade and engage with China there is no way to not trade with China but not to be too dependent on rare earth minerals and key commodities. So that's one of the big challenges where you have to find that balance. But now we're not to turn back. And the only reason why we'll not turn back is that there is an energy transition going on. So at some stage so I'm from Norway, we are big oil and gas producers, Hess has been big in oil and gas. But we had to just realise that there is a transition. So we cannot go back to being so dependent on fossil fuels. Congresswoman Harman: Okay, the woman here in the white jacket. Cynthia Roberts: Thank you, Cynthia Roberts. You frequently point to the great strides that NATO is making in collective defence capabilities, particularly on the eastern flank, but you rarely speak about you do speak about it but rarely talk about modernizing, or changing or improving NATO as a nuclear alliance. And I wonder what's your perspective on this given Putin nuclear threats, and also that the US, as you know, in 2020, decided to deploy the W76-2 low yield SLBM to bolster as it said, in the press briefing, especially extended deterrence missions. So do you think NATO needs to do more in the nuclear area? Thank you. NATO Secretary General: NATO as long as there are nuclear weapons, NATO will remain the nuclear alliance. We have stated actually, that our goal is a world without nuclear weapons. But of course, a world where NATO gets rid of its nuclear weapons and China, Russia and North Korea retain their weapons it's not a safer world, so So any attempt to reduce the number of nuclear weapons has to be balanced and verifiable. So therefore, NATO is in favor of arms control. We supported strongly New START and the other INF and other arms control agreements that has reduced and even have abolished the different types of nuclear weapons systems. And everyone regrets strongly that Russia has walked away from the INF Treaty and other agreements and yes, we need the balance. That doesn't mean that NATO necessarily mirror exactly what Russia does. So when Russia started to deploy this new SSC-8, which are intermediate range nuclear weapons violating the previous INF Treaty, we didn't respond by deploying exactly the same weapons, but we ensure and there are constantly adapting, and that our nuclear deterrence remain safe, secure and effective. And we have exercises in NATO has actually also, for the first time actually been more transparent and open about nuclear exercises and make the necessary investments in our nuclear capability to ensure that it is safe, secure and effective. I think one of the main challenges we face in the nuclear domain is that for for decades, it was mainly the United States and Russia that had nuclear weapons. We had those we had the UK and France, but of course, the big numbers were in the Russia and the United States. And they also had these different agreements of ceilings under arms control arrangements. Now, most of those arrangements are not effective anymore. Russia has suspended the START agreement, violated the INF agreement and then China with zero transparency, no agreements whatsoever. So I think the next generational arms control agreements on the nuclear weapons has to be in one way or another an agreement that also includes China. And that's the big, big challenge. Congresswoman Harman: I would just add to that, that Russia and Korea and North Korea just met in Russia is going to transfer it seems some nuclear technology in North Korea, which will make that row country more dangerous. Let's see here. That's right. We have a caller online. Operator: We'll take the next question from Heidi Hart. Heidi Hart: Hello, Secretary General, my name is Professor Heidi Hart from the University of California Irvine. I wanted to follow up on the energy transition question in line with NATO's climate change and security action plan. I know that Allies' militaries have been continuing to adopt different green technologies. And I'm wondering from your perspective, as these changes are occurring: to what extent is NATO thinking about interoperability? How is NATO helping ensure that allied militaries are remaining interoperable? And to what extent are we seeing defence planning change itself? Thank you. NATO Secretary General: NATO has put climate change high on our agenda. And that has happened over the last few years couple of years. Because we clearly see that climate change matters to our security. And therefore, climate change matters for NATO, because NATO is about security. And climate change is it's a crisis multiplier, it fuels conflicts over water, territory, land farming areas, and forces millions of people to move and of course, that's a crisis multiplier. Climate change has a direct effects on how we can conduct military operations, because the military operates out there in nature, and more Wilder and wetter weather, more extreme weather, more floodings, more and more heat waves, of course, matters for everything from uniforms from equipment from how we conduct exercises. We have a NATO presence in Iraq, there the soldiers they have experienced more than 50 degrees Celsius many, many times. Just flooding, rising sea levels matter for large number our naval bases. So it has a direct impact on actually how we conduct military operations. Then the other aspect of climate change, and NATO, and you refer to that, and that is, of course, that if you really want zero emissions, net zero, we also need to include our military forces in one way or another. And I'm a great supporter of big naval ships and aircraft carriers and the fighters and so on, but they're not very climate friendly. They are really consuming a lot of fossil fuels. And at some stage, we need to start to switch also, these heavy military vehicles and ships and planes to some kind of environmentally friendly energy sources. That's not easy. Some of them are actually nuclear driven, submarines and aircraft carriers, but most of them are based on fossil fuels. And that has started. There are some examples of biofuels for fighter jets, there are some more use of solar energy for fueling different types of military equipment and so on. And the point is that at some stage, this will be the best thing for the armed forces, not only for the climate, because if we had to choose between a kind of a combat effective battle tank or a green battle tank, of course, we will choose the combat effective, we cannot sacrifice our security, but at some stage that will not be the issue. Because when we see the big energy transition, which is taking place in the in the civil sector, where the most modern cars are electric cars, where the most effective engines are normally not fossil, at some stage, if the military sector remains fossil, we'll be the last possible sector in the society. And that will not be the best engines, it will not be the best weapon systems. So the question is when do we do the shift? And how do you do the shift how for how long a time have both fossil and electricity driven military vehicles? So it's not an easy transition, it will happen. And the only way to ensure that we have the best and most modern and combat effective equipment in the future is to ensure that it is also climate friendly, because that will be the best engines. The last thing I'll say about this is that our armed forces have been through similar transitions before the best example is Winston Churchill when he was the Minister for the Navy, in just the beginning of the First World War, one or two years before that, he decided to go from coal to oil. That was a big transition, because of course, they had all the infrastructure for coal, and all the harbors and the depots around the world. But he saw that oil was more effective and had more power, higher speed. And then they made that decision for the British Navy. And that gave them a big advantage. So I don't think Churchill did that for climate change reasons. But it made the British Navy even more effective. Congresswoman Harman: Right. Let me just add to that I mentioned in your biography that you were the UN special envoy on climate a while back a decade back. Yesterday, the Secretary General Guterre convened a climate panel here, just asking, this may be another politically incorrect question. Is the UN doing enough on climate? And could the UN be doing more on climate to help NATO? NATO Secretary General: The UN could of course do much more. But (inaudible) you cannot blame the UN, we have to blame member states, because they have made some good agreements the Paris Accord but we need faster and more speedy implementation of those decisions. And that will be good for NATO. Because again, even if you don't care about climate change, you have to realise what's happening now with the heat waves, the wildfires, the flooding, matters for our security. And there's this enormous transition energy revolution, which has to be compared with the with the first industrial revolution. And if the armed forces are not part of that, we will lose. So I care about climate change, and security. I'm twice-double interested in these issues. Congresswoman Harman: The woman in front in black right here. I confuse you. I meant the woman holding the microphone, but we'll get to you too. Raghida Dergham: Thank you. Yes, thank you very much, Raghida Dergham, chairman of the Beirut Institute. You both mentioned the liaison relations with the Middle East, and would I like to know how far you would like to take that, what do you expect from the Eastern countries, from the relationship you're trying to form with them? And what worries you when it comes to revenge by China and Russia? Medvedev keeps speaking of the nuclear option. You're dismissive of it, hopefully, you're right. But why are you so confident? NATO Secretary General: The first one, so when it comes to our relationship with the Middle East or and also our Asia Pacific partners, we just strongly believe that we can we need to strengthen political dialogue with them, we need to strengthen practical cooperation, cooperation with them on exercises, cyber, maritime security, there are many areas where we or even climate change, there's a wide range of technology. So there are many areas we have started to work with them. And they're here to do more with us. And the Russian nuclear rhetoric also from Medvedev is reckless and dangerous. And Russia must understand that the nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. That is something we have we communicated again and again to the Russians. We of course, monitor very closely what they do. We have seen the announcements about the deploying of nuclear weapons to Belarus. We have seen some preparations for that going on. So we continue to be vigilant, we continue to monitor, but so far we haven't seen any changes in their nuclear posture that requires any changes in our nuclear posture but rest assured this is something follow up very closely. Congresswoman Harman: I think we have another question online and it will be followed by the question of the the other woman in black in the front. Operator: We'll take the next question. Kashish Parpiani. Kashish Parpiani: Secretary General, Kashish Parpiani from Reliance Industries, India. In June, you announced a partnership program with Japan, if I can call it that was your first foray in the Indo Pacific region? I want to know, sir, which is the next priority nation in the Indo Pacific from NATO standpoint? Thank you. NATO Secretary General: So, first of all, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Australia, they have been partners for many years with NATO. What we announced our updated a new individual partnership programs with the list of different activities that we're going to conduct together. And that fills this partnership with the content and different joint activities. NATO is in general open for more partners in the Asia Pacific, of course, and we have reached out and we are ready. My feeling is that still some of the countries in the Asia Pacific or Indo Pacific are a bit reluctant because they're afraid of, in a way, that they will be called NATO Allies and NATO partners. That's not the issue. The issue is to work with NATO, not least to counterbalance what you see coming from China in the same region. Congresswoman Harman: Right here. Lucy Komisar: My name is Lucy Komisar. I'm a journalist. So I like to go back to where things begin. And talking about declassified documents, that was declassified the memo between Baker and Gorbachev where they agreed to NATO would not do one step further east. And then when it started to happen, George Kennan predicted it would be a disaster, which has turned out to be true. However, whoever you want to parse it, it's not wonderful what's going on. Then there was the US supported coup in 2014, against an elected head of the Ukrainian government, because he was not considered to be enough pro American. Are you satisfied with how these things have turned out? Has this protected anybody? Or have you, in a sense, baited the Russian bear in a way that perhaps you didn't expect how it was going to turn out? Could anything have been done differently, so that Putin was not persuaded that the defensive alliance that NATO was started out today has become a defensive an offensive alliance with troops and weapons on its border? What could have been done differently? Are you satisfied with how things are turning out in Ukraine now? NATO Secretary General: No, I'm not satisfied with how things are turning out in Ukraine, but that's Russia's fault, it's Russia that has decided, by choice, to invade another country. And regardless of what you think about NATO enlargement, that doesn't give Russia an excuse to invade another democratic, independent nation? So I think there's a fundamental mix that even if you agree that NATO may have made some mistakes and wrong things in the past, that doesn't give Russia an excuse to invade another country. Is like saying that, you know, maybe the Versailles Treaty was a bit too tough on Germany. I'm not saying it was, but I'm saying that's what some experts say. But when Germany invaded Norway, the 9th April 1914, you could say, well, "we me understand it, because the Versailles Treaty was a bit too harsh". So it's important because not too many people are thinking that in a way, because NATO Allies did something wrong, 5, 10, 20 years ago, right or wrong, it doesn't give an excuse to invade and another country and kill thousands of people. So if you don't understand that, then you really don't understand fundamental and fundamental values, which is about the relationship between countries but also between people, this is about killing people. And there's no excuse. That's the first thing. The other thing I just want to say is that this idea that it is a provocation and a threat to Russia that countries through democratic free decision making join NATO is also very dangerous. Because what you say then, is that small countries in Europe cannot choose their own path. And I come from Norway, a small country bordering Russia, or the Soviet Union, and in 1949, Norway is the only country bordering the Soviet Union joining NATO. Stalin said that was a provocation, a threat. But I'm very glad that Washington, Paris and all the other big countries in NATO said it's for Norway to decide not for Stalin. So, we joined NATO. And if you accept that Latvia, Lithuania, join NATO is a threat to Russia, then you take away the rights of the people in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to decide on future. And they have the right to decide. It's not Moscow. It is the people in Lithuania that decides about Lithuania. And this idea that NATO is aggressively going East, no, it's the Eastern countries that are going to NATO through democratic, free decisions. So these are fundamental ideas, we should respect them. And that's what NATO is about. Congresswoman Harman: I would just add that we're at the UN General Assembly, and the basic tenet of the UN Charter is respect for the sovereignty of other states. Russia was an original signatory to that charter. And in 2014, I don't think there was a US coup. I think the Ukrainians voted in a democratic election to select someone else. They were protests on the Maidan, I was there. And I was an observer of that election on a delegation led by Madeleine Albright, and it was a free and fair election, though. Let's see, let's go on the way back on the aisle on the left side, my left, my left. Andrew Gorski: Andrew Gorski formerly recovering journalist author. A quick question. I mean, I think you've been making a very eloquent case for maintaining a very strong support for Ukraine as others have. But in this country, there's also a strong debate on that, there are definitely people wavering or opposing. And one of the bits of ammunition they use, is the fact that the largest European country, Germany, is not living up to its pledge of 2% and seems to have even lost any desire to do so. How do you respond to that? And are you able in any way to make the German government reconsider its current stance? NATO Secretary General: First of all, the issue you raised is extremely important, that is about burden sharing at NATO. And of course, when you stand together, we promise to protect each other, and an attack on one will be, regardless, an attack on all of us. We need to invest together in our shared security. And therefore, I think is absolutely fair that different US administrations over the last years have raised the need for European Allies and Canada to invest more. And we made an important decision at the NATO summit in Wales in 2014, that we should spend 2% of GDP on defence. At that time, three Allies met that 2% guideline: the United States, United Kingdom and Greece. Since then, all Allies have increased defence spending significantly. More and more Allies meet the 2% guideline. Now it's 11 Allies. Next year we expect even more. And even those Allies who are not yet at 2% have move closer to 2%. In total, European Allies and Canada added 450 billion extra. So I'm not saying that everything is fine. But I'm saying that compared to where we were just a few years ago, when the whole different place regarding how much European Allies and Canada are investing in defence compared to the United States. And that's extremely important and obvious the war in Ukraine demonstrates that. Then, on top of that, there is also an issue related to burden sharing when it comes to support of Ukraine. And there are different figures and different numbers out there. And it's not always easy to compare what is actually committed compared to what is actually transferred, and so on. But I think that one of the best databases for information is something called the Kiel Institute. And they track this on a regular basis, the latest figures they published, are showing that when you look at military support, the military support from the United States to Ukraine is more or less exactly the as big as the military support from non US NATO Allies, meaning that the European Allies and Canada are in total providing roughly the same amount of military support to Ukraine as the United States. And their economies are roughly the same as on the US. So that's it, you can discuss details, but roughly, there is a fair burden sharing when it comes to military support from the US and other NATO Allies to Ukraine. On top of that, of course, European Allies also receiving millions of refugees, and also of course, paying the price for economic sanctions in a different way that the United States. So, burden sharing is very important. The good news is that European Allies are even now stepping up. Congresswoman Harman: And now a few members of Congress just heard that Let's go to the back in my far right. Yes. Will Mauldin: Thank you so much. Will Mauldin with the Wall Street Journal. And thanks for having us. I wanted to ask about the Black Sea. We had a story this week, saying that Ukraine has kind of clawing back a safer zone in the northwest part of the sea to export grain, which is important economically for Ukraine, and food for the world, of course, wondering if NATO is playing a role in the Black Sea, if it should play a greater role or if it is playing a greater role than we realise and what would be most helpful there. Thank you. NATO Secretary General: So then NATO is playing a role. NATO is present and of course, NATO Allies are present. And of course, we coordinate and work together as NATO and NATO Allies, partly because three of the littoral states in the Black Sea are NATO Allies: Romania, Bulgaria and Turkiye. And then we have two very close partners, Georgia and Ukraine. We have maritime patrol aircrafts, we have more military presence on the on the on the on the ground, we have drones. There is a limit on ships. So the littoral states have ships, but the Bosphorus Strait is closed for naval ships because of the war. But that also affects how much Russia can bring ships to the straits. Then, I welcome the fact that so first of all, I regret that Russia has left the Grain Deal. But I welcome the fact that there are alternative routes. And I think we saw a report today or yesterday that the first big ship with grain has been able to use this alternative route along the coast of Romania and Bulgaria, and has now reached Turkiye. So of course, NATO Allies are doing what they can to help to facilitate that transport or grain out of Ukraine, including on these alternative routes. Congresswoman Harman: There's another question online. Operator: We'll take the next question from Daniel Pipes. Daniel Pipes: Thank you. Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum. Secretary General, you mentioned New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea. You did not mention Taiwan. Is there any possibility of Taiwan joining this affiliation? Thank you Congresswoman Harman: Joining, well, being added to the list of four Asian countries. NATO Secretary General: So, first of all, I mentioned only those four countries which are partners of NATO today, it's not in agenda for Taiwan to join or to become a formal NATO partner. Congresswoman Harman: That's, we're almost out of time. So what am I going to do I have to call on Mike Abramowitz, who is the president of Freedom House. Full disclosure, I'm the chair of the board. Mike Abramowitz: thank you, Jane. Secretary General, I wanted to ask you just quickly, you alluded in your opening comments about Hungary and Turkiye? And I want to know, in general, I mean, these are two countries that are I think, are diverging from the rest of NATO in terms of their adherence to democratic values. Do you feel that that's going to be a long term problem for the Alliance? NATO Secretary General: First of all, I think we need to understand that NATO is based on some core values, freedom, democracy, rule of law. And these are values which I attach great importance to. And I strongly believe that when there are concerns about what extent will Allies live up to those values, need was a platform to raise those concerns, to have frank and open debates and discussions and to and to express concerns, criticism, and then use NATO as the platform to do that. NATO does not have the kind of mechanisms that the EU has in the notable article seven, because it reflects also that NATO was conducted or was established to face outside threats. And that's what we do. Then then I would like to say that there have always been differences among NATO Allies, we have to remember that NATO was founded in 1949. In 1956, we had the Suez Crisis with two Allies went into Egypt without the biggest one, United States, knowing it. Then we had in the 1960s we had France and the United States ending up in a difficult relationship. So NATO had its headquarters in Paris, and we were forced to leave Paris within months, and we ended up in Brussels. And then we had the Vietnam War, we had the Iraq War, and Allies had different opinions on these big things. But throughout all these years, and all these differences, we have always been able to unite around our borders to protect and defend each other. And I'm confident that we'll do that, regardless of differences, concerns, about different aspects about different members as we now see, for instance, with those issues with those countries you mentioned. Congresswoman Harman: So, Secretary General Stoltenberg, Jens, I just want to close this by saying that as a resident of California, the Hotel California rule does apply. And you can never leave, raise your hand if you agree with me. And thank you very much. And to our audience, please note that the video and transcript of this session will be posted on GFR's website. The meeting is adjourned. NATO Secretary General: Thank you so much. THE REPLACEMENTS: Biden regime to offer nearly half a million jobs to Venezuelan migrants flooding through Americas southern border As illegal alien migrants continue to pour across the border by the tens of thousands and get relocated to New York City and other Democrat strongholds by Republican leaders, the bureaucrats who run said Democrat strongholds have resorted to begging fake president Joe Biden to offer all these undesirables work permits so they can get out of the elite's backyards as quickly as possible and Biden is complying According to reports, "the big guy" just agreed to make roughly 470,000 work permits available to Venezuelan migrants who qualify for them, which will allow these illegals to enter the workforce. All Venezuelan migrants who arrived in the U.S. by July 31 are eligible for the program, which is known as Temporary Protected Status or TPS. The TPS program allows qualifying Venezuelans to work legally in the U.S. for 18 months while being federal protected against deportation. In other words, they are basically being granted amnesty and handed jobs that American citizens would otherwise work. "It is critical that Venezuelans understand that those who have arrived here after July 31, 2023 aren't eligible for such protection, and instead will be removed when they are found to not have a legal basis to stay," announced Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. (Related: Many illegal alien migrant children are afflicted with serious diseases like tuberculosis that they carry with them across the border while infecting others along the way and Biden is to blame.) As Democrats get a taste of their own medicine, suddenly nobody wants to deal with all these illegals roving the country even the "bleeding hearts" The Wall Street Journal says "blue-state officials," meaning the leaders of Democrat strongholds, have made it their top priority to get all these illegals jobs and a pathway out of their areas. The TPS program does just that by creating a shortcut around existing immigration law. Asylum seekers are not technically allowed to receive a work permit in the U.S. for at least the first six months after submitting an asylum application. The TPS program skirts around that law, allowing Democrats to get what they want for the illegals flooding their cities. "The U.S. has virtually no ability to deport people to Venezuela once they arrive because Washington has no diplomatic ties with the South American nation," the Journal explains. "Until now, top officials with the White House and Department of Homeland Security had refused to consider that option, arguing behind closed doors that such a move would ultimately serve as a draw for even more migrants to head for the U.S. border, according to people familiar with their conversations." Other Democrat strongholds filled with illegal migrants that plan to utilize the TPS program include Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Boston. Once these Venezuelans are handed job, they will then be kicked out of the city-run migrant shelters in these various Democrat enclaves and be forced to support themselves. So much for all those "loving" left-wing "we welcome our immigrant neighbors" yard signs, eh? The Venezuelan migrant problem is particularly challenging for Biden since about 7.1 million Venezuelans currently live outside their country, mostly in neighboring countries but lately an increasingly larger number of them are rushing towards the U.S. border after exhausting all other Latin American options. Once they are here, Venezuelans cannot be deported because, again, D.C. has no diplomatic ties with the South American nation, which has largely collapsed and become a third-world police state devoid of economic opportunities, not to mention food. The illegal alien invasion will not stop until the nation, formerly a viable republic, implodes into dust. Learn more at InvasionUSA.news. Sources for this article include: WSJ.com NaturalNews.com Jeffrey Prather drops major BOMBSHELLS in powerful interview with Health Ranger about Russia-Ukraine war and why Russia is BEATING the West with ease In recent days, Russia has been able to vastly increase the industrial output of the munitions it needs to finish what it started in Ukraine and at a very low cost, mind you, because the Russians make their own munitions. Conversely, Ukraine, the United States, and their NATO allies are struggling to keep up the same level of fight from their end, which suggests that In a recent episode of "The Health Ranger Report," retired special operations soldier and former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) intelligence collector Jeffrey Prather of "The Prather Point" spoke with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, about the situation across the pond, which points to an impending victory for Russia. In Prather's view watch the interview below (the first 15 minutes primarily focus on this subject) we have already surpassed World War III and are now engaging in World War IV now that Russia has supercharged its production of weaponry. In many ways, Russia today is like the U.S. was back in the 1950s with a strong domestic production industry and Russia largely has U.S. sanctions to thank for this as they pushed Russia into becoming more self-reliant. "Ukraine is a managed war," Prather explained. "Everybody knows that. It's the CIA's color revolution via the State Department and Victoria Nuland. We're supporting Nazis and bioweapons and biolabs there. And we have run out of our supply." "Also, our emergency mineral supply and resources supply, our diesel supply, is way down. And that's so that we cannot operate on the world stage. For example, if we did want to go defend Taiwan, the ships don't have the fuel, they don't have the crew, our military, what's left of it ... are sitting in Poland. So this is all by design." (Related: The Pentagon is chomping at the bit to nuke Russia if its demands are not met.) When the U.S. finally wages war on Russia officially, the military can expect to lose about 3,600 soldiers per day In the same way that the globalists have tried to restrict ammunition production here at home as an affront to the Second Amendment, they are also doing the same thing overseas in Ukraine. Much of the U.S. military's ammunition is produced overseas, in fact, while Russia produces its own at home for a fraction of the cost. The New York Times, of all sources, confirmed all this recently, as well as the fact that military patriotism in Russia is currently at an all-time high the same cannot be said for the U.S. military, of course, which has been overtaken by the LGBT mob and other deviants. Once the Russia-Ukraine war goes global and it certainly seems to be moving in that direction at a very rapid pace there will not be nearly enough U.S. soldiers to participate in the fight. It is estimated that once the U.S. officially wages war on Russia, the military will lose about 3,600 military service members per day, which will quickly deplete the available supply of soldiers. Another thing to consider in all this is that Russia is not nearly as digitalized as the U.S. is, meaning they are not as reliant on electronics to fight a war as the U.S. is. Once the power goes out in, say, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event, the U.S. will be crippled while Russia will only just be getting started. The above interview contains a whole lot more about this subject, so be sure to tune in and hear Prather's expertise on the subject. The latest news about the war in Ukraine can be found at WWIII.news. Sources for this article include: Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com Megyn Kelly calls out Trump for GASLIGHTING America about COVID lockdowns you actually gave Fauci a presidential commendation before leaving office In one of the most cringeworthy interviews he has ever given, former President Donald Trump just about killed his chances of reelection in 2024 by rambling on and on to Megyn Kelly about all the lives he supposedly "saved" during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" while dodging pretty much every question she asked about why his administration supported the lockdowns and mask mandates. While it is technically true that the Trump administration itself never imposed a nationwide vaccine mandate it let Fauci and later Joe Biden do that instead Trump's people did lock down the country for a short time at the beginning of the "pandemic," as well as push mask mandates. And what about Operation Warp Speed and the PREP Act, both of which were used by the Trump administration to unleash the jab hell that the world is now having to endure. In typical form, Trump behaved rudely and immaturely to Kelly, who asked a few hard-hitting questions that she received from viewers of hers who support Trump. The number-one question they all want to know, according to Kelly, is why did Trump launch Operation Warp Speed in the first place and continue to push the shots again and again in media appearances years after the jabs had proven to be unsafe. (Related: Even after it was already widely known by everyone that COVID injections are killing people left and right, "father of the vaccine" Trump continued to triple down on urging Americans to take his jabs.) "I asked my audience: 'what would you like me to ask President Trump?' These are your fans this is the number-one question that they wanted me to ask you: that you shut the country down for six weeks in Spring 2020, and Operation Warp Speed," Kelly started to ask Trump before he quickly cut her off and started rambling again. "Excuse me! Alright? I didn't really ...," Trump said as Kelly took back control of the interview. "Let me, let me ask the question," she said. "This is my audience's question and I've got to get it out: Operation Warp Speed, though, that was on the vaccines. They were rushed through, and they have helped but also hurt a lot of people. And your White House actually supported mask mandates so wouldn't you like a do-over on any of that?" "Look, when this came in, nobody knew what the hell it was," Trump responded. "It sounded like an ancient, you know, a pandemic. You thought that was from 200 years ago or from 1917. We never thought you'd have a pandemic. Nobody had any idea we got word that bad things were happening in China right around the Wuhan clinic, and I was the one who said it was in the Wuhan clinic." Trump: "I let the governors run their states" excuse me? The interview only further degraded as Trump emphasized over and over again that he should be credited, in his own mind, for "letting the governors run their states," as if Trump was some kind of appointed dictator over the country who grants individual states their own rights. As if this is not bad enough, when Kelly asked Trump why he proceeded to give Fauci a presidential commendation for his mishandling of COVID, Trump denied that he ever did such a thing, claiming that: "Uh ... I don't know who gave him the commendation. Somebody probably handed him a commendation." In other words, in Trump's view, he did absolutely nothing wrong during or after COVID, or really at any point during his entire presidency. See for yourself in the interview footage below: To learn more about Trump's bid for the presidency in 2024, visit Trump.news. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com Taiwan set to begin testing its first indigenous defense submarine amid rising tension with China Admiral Huang Shu-Kuang, the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces, said in an interview that Taiwan is set to begin testing its first indigenous defense submarine (IDS) on Sept. 28, with harbor acceptance tests scheduled on Oct. 1. The tests and are expected to conclude by April 1, 2024. Taiwan's IDS Program seeks to double Taiwan's existing fleet of four aging submarines. The $16 billion program was launched in 2016 when the Taiwanese government partnered with Taiwanese shipbuilder, the China Shipbuilding Corporation. The IDS program was envisioned at a time when the island nation was having trouble getting submarines and critical components from other countries, many of whom did not want to upset China by supplying Taiwan with defensive material. (Related: Taiwan to extend mandatory military service period amid rising tensions with China.) "There are instances where we spent around half a year working toward a deal, and the partner withdrew at the moment right before the contract was signed, i.e. a last-minute withdrawal due to political pressure [from China]," Huang said. Fortunately for Taiwan, the United States was willing to support the nation despite the fact that the country already stopped making the kinds of submarines Taiwan wanted to launch. In the final days of the presidency of former President Donald Trump, he approved an $18 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which included the sale of advanced weapons technology. Moreover, the Trump administration also granted export permits in December 2020 and January 2021 for the important elements of the IDS project digital sonar systems and integrated combat systems. Later on, the administration of President Joe Biden also approved the export of additional necessary equipment like periscopes for the same project. And now, three years after the launch of the IDS project, Taiwan is ready to arm its diesel engine submarine with U.S.-based Lockheed Martin's MK-48 anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare torpedoes. Taiwan continues building defense against China to deter potential invasion China has been expanding its own naval fleet, and the People's Liberation Army Navy currently boasts an armada of over 50 submarines, including nuclear-powered ones. So, Taiwan needs to counter this increasing encirclement by investing heavily in submarines to deter any potential invasion attempts. Huang stated that the island nation seeks to prevent the Chinese military from approaching the "first island chain," by the northeastern waters and the Bashi Channel, the passage between the Philippines' Mavulis Island and Taiwan's Orchid Island. This strategy would prolong the first attempt of attack, allowing other nations, including Japan, to extend their support to Taiwan. Meanwhile, Huang predicted that China might seek support from Russia in the East China Sea to counter potential intervention by Japan and the United States. "They will want to isolate Taiwan and finish off the invasion as soon as possible. Taiwan can't be surrounded by China from all sides. Otherwise, we'll be doomed," warned Huang. Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, the commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, explained that the naval prowess of China has the potential to claim control and surround Taiwan, although he could not predict whether China would resort to a blockade or launch a full-fledged military attack. Despite that, he reiterated the commitment of the U.S. to the security of Taiwan, pledging to respond to any threats or acts of aggression in the region. "Clearly, if they do something that's non-kinetic, which, you know, a blockade is less kinetic, then that allows the international community to weigh in and work together on how we're going to solve that challenge," Thomas stated. Visit WWIII.news for more updates about the conflict between Taiwan and China. Watch the video below that talks about the CCP deploying more warplanes over Taiwan. This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Domestic crisis may force China to invade Taiwan, lawmaker warns. WWIII looms: Biden administration working on another PROXY WAR involving Taiwan and China. China preparing to launch an invasion of Taiwan, warns Chinese journalist. China will not hesitate to use FORCE to retake Taiwan, warns Xi. China increases military budget to $224 BILLION in preparation for invasion of Taiwan. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com TheDefensePost.com Brighteon.com HACKED: Donald Trump Jr. tweets his father is dead and that North Korea is about to get smoked Donald Trump Jr.'s Twitter account became the target of a cyberattack on Wednesday morning, Sept. 20, resulting in a flurry of peculiar and bewildering posts. The sequence of hacked tweets on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, included a range of alarming claims and offensive content. The initial tweet in the series, apparently posted by the hacker, read: "I'm sad to announce, my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024." This false announcement quickly garnered attention. As if to prove hes still alive, the former president sent an unrelated message on Truth Social, X's rival, just over 20 minutes after the false announcement. Truth Social was founded by Trump after his Twitter account was suspended in 2021 due to the risk of incitement of violence. The account was reinstated last November. (Related: BREAKING: Trump was censored by Twitter under pressure from federal agencies before being banned.) Subsequent posts of the hacked account included: A warning about impending military action against North Korea: "North Korea is about to get smoked" A message targeting X CEO Elon Musk Offensive language, including a racial epithet and the phrase "F*** Joe Biden" In one particularly bizarre tweet, the hacker alluded to "some interesting messages with Jeffrey Epstein," referencing the convicted sex offender who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019. This raised further concerns and questions regarding the breach. Additionally, the hacker claimed, "My dad owns u Elon Musk bum," taking a swipe at the billionaire entrepreneur. Another tweet stated, "[W]hen I become president I am going to burn the SEC," referring to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Hacking incident raises questions about X's ability to safeguard user data Despite the shocking and erroneous nature of these posts, they were deleted from Donald Trump Jr.'s account shortly before 9 a.m., indicating that control had been restored. Eric Trump, the former president's middle son, joined the discussion and joked in his own post to X: "I dont want Donald J. Trump Jr. to get his account back this is all interesting." Trump Jr. has since posted on X, but did not mention anything about his account being compromised. He did "like" a tweet saying he had been hacked. Andrew Surabian, a spokesperson for Trump Jr., confirmed in a tweet that the posts were not legitimate and that the account had been hacked. This incident underscores the ongoing concerns about the security of social media accounts, particularly those belonging to prominent political figures, as the 2024 election approaches. It also raises questions about the platform's ability to safeguard user data and address security vulnerabilities, given that X is still under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. The investigation was initiated following a whistleblower disclosure by former security chief Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, who alleged unaddressed security vulnerabilities on the platform. The FTC investigation is related to allegations that Twitter deceptively used account security data for targeted advertising, affecting more than 140 million X users. The FTC is seeking testimony from Elon Musk, who has laid off the bulk of X's workforce since taking over the company. Watch the discussion about a worldwide X outage after Musk said Soros seeks the West's destruction. This video is from from TruNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Twitter FINED $350,000 for refusing to hand over Trumps social media records on time. Twitter Files: US government helped launch project where millions of online posts were flagged for censorship. Twitter Files reveal that several mysterious federal agencies worked with platform to suppress content. Twitter yielding to more government CENSORSHIP demands under Musk leadership. Sources include: Dailymail.co.uk NBCNews.com NYPost.com Brighteon.com A 13-foot alligator that had human remains in its mouth was put to death by authorities after it was discovered in a Florida canal on Friday. The Pinellas county sheriff's office said in an interview that the alligator was male and was "humanely" killed after being removed from the water. Additionally, the remains of an adult have been found. Alligator sighting On Friday afternoon, Jamarcus Bullard claimed to have seen an alligator and a body in the water on 134th Avenue. "I threw a rock at the gator just to see if it was really a gator and like it pulled the body, like it was holding on to the lower part of the torso, and pulled it under the water," he said in an interview. The victim was publicly identified on Saturday as 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham. Investigations are being done on the death's cause and the manner of how she died. It is still unknown by authorities whether the alligator killed Peckham. Nevertheless, some Floridians are uneasy after recent alleged alligator attacks on people. In Fort Pierce, Florida, an alligator killed an 85-year-old woman in February as she attempted to save her dog. Two weeks later, a guy opened his front door to a gator and avoided being bitten. However, data showed that alligator attacks that turn deadly is rare. The US reports on an average of six fatal alligator attacks every year. Alligators typically attack people when they feel frightened or provoked, which can happen when people intrude on their space or try to feed them. "When you go to the water's edge you are in much more danger of drowning than you are of being bitten by an alligator," said Frank Mazzotti, a professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Florida. Attacks by alligators can be quite deadly because the creatures' strong jaws and cutting teeth can result in severe injuries or even death. Read Also: 88-Year-Old Woman Mauled to Death by Massive Alligator in South Carolina Florida law on alligators Florida is home to more than 1 million alligators. There have been eight unprovoked alligator bites on the state on individuals that have required medical attention annually on average over the past ten years. To kill or hurt an alligator in Florida is a third-degree felony. Except for those who obtain a special alligator trapping or farming license from the state, it is also illegal to capture and keep an alligator or its egg. There are a few exceptional situations in which someone may use self-defense against alligators, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). According to experts, you can defend yourself if an alligator attacks you or your pet, but it gets more challenging to do so if the incident takes place outside of your land. The FWC does not want anyone to randomly shoot and kill alligators while claiming to be acting in self-defense. Related Article: Alligator That Killed 2-Year-Old Boy In Disney Resort Caught Related Video: Weather disturbance Ophelia brought havoc in some parts of the United States' East coast, bringing inundation and power outages. Meteorologists said that around 30,000 customers have been cut out with electric supply due to Ophelia's powerful winds. They said that wind gusts as high as 80 miles per hour have been experienced by residents in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. In its landfall in North Carolina, Ophelia unleashed torrential rains that also resulted in massive floods from eastern North Carolina to southern New Hampshire. Officials said that Pennsylvania was on top of the list of affected areas of Ophelia. Read Also: Ophelia Makes Landfall in Carolina; Brings Floods, Rough Seas Up To New Jersey Ophelia's track The National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center said that at 500 AM EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Ophelia, now categorized as post-tropical cyclone, was located near latitude 37.7 North, longitude 77.3 West. The post-tropical cyclone is seen tracking the direction toward the north-northeast near 12 mph (19 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue before making a turn to the east. Maximum sustained winds are near 25 mph (35 km/h) with higher gusts. Weather experts also see a gradual weakening of Ophelia during the next 48 hours as the low center moves slowly offshore. On the other hand, the estimated minimum central pressure is forecasted at 1007 mb (29.74 inches). When it comes to storm surge, water levels remain elevated within some of the areas in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers, however, it is seen to gradually recede through today. Ophelia is also expected to unleash more rainfall in some areas including the portions of the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England, with one to three inches of rain. This amount of rainfall may produce localized flash, urban, and small stream flooding impacts across portions of the Mid-Atlantic region into southern New England. Moreover, isolated river flooding is possible in areas where heavier rainfall could be experienced. The swells that were generated by Ophelia would also continue to affect much of the east coast of the United States. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Residents are urged to check information specific as regards to their locations from their respective local National Weather Service forecast office. Floods, rescue efforts Ophelia was a strong tropical storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, when it made landfall. Officials said a number of individuals had to be rescued due to the dangerous seas that was triggered by Ophelia even as it approached the land area. There were dangerous episodes of flash flooding, including that of Greenville, North Carolina wherein it endured a "major flash flood event" over the weekend. Risky sea conditions also led to problems, with authorities rescuing five individuals from a boat that was anchored near the North Carolina coast before the weekend. Storm surge floods also inundated some communities, bringing knee-high water in many homes along the waterfront in New Bern, North Carolina. Ophelia also unleashed a formidable force in parts of the Outer Banks. Due to these conditions, authorities were forced to declare a state of emergency in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. Related Article: Tropical Storm Warnings in US: Heavy Rain, Flash Flood Risks Likely in New Jersey, Southeastern Virginia, Mid-Atlantic States Related Video: The Banyan Tree in wildfire-stricken Maui has started to sprout leaves, giving hope to the deadly blaze that hit the island last month. The 150-year-old tree, which is considered as a cultural landmark, is situated in the courthouse square along Lahaina's famous Front Street. The historical tree is the largest one of its kind in the United States, having a size of more than 60 feet. Prior to the deadly fires, the Banayan Tree is commonly used as the gathering place for Lahaina residents, especially during occasions among families and the neighborhood. Residents in the have since believed that seeing the tree's leaves grow brings hope for the community. Wildfire-hit tree To recall, the Banayan Tree was among those hit by the massive wildfires. Governor Josh Green earlier said that despite the tree not producing as much sap as usual, it is still observed to be breathing and soaking up water. The Lahaina Restoration Foundation said that the tree was reportedly planted on April 24,1873, marking the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission of the town. While affected by the fires, an arborist said that the tree could still grow as some species may recover from wildfire by resprouting. Experts said that the underground protection for dormant buds and nutrient reserves in the root system enables rapid sprouting after a fire. Read Also: Maui Wildfires: Number Of Missing People 'Nearly Unchanged'; Finalization Might Take Time Road to recovery When it comes to the casualties brought by the wildfires, the Maui Police Department said that as of September 15, the number of fatalities is 97, which was a decrease from the 115 that was previously reported. The new number was reached based on factors including obtaining DNA profiles during the examination of the remains of the victims. Authorities said that 99 percent of the Lahaina disaster area was already searched by rescue teams and cadaver dogs. Meanwhile, authorities still need the help of survivors in identifying individuals who have been reported unaccounted for following the Lahaina wildfire disaster. The validated list of names is available at mauinuistrong.info/unaccountedfor. Officials said that if the residents recognize a name on the list and they know the person to be safe, or have additional information that may help locate them, they may contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at (888) 814-7693 or go to www.fbi.gov/MauiFires. Fire personnel also gave updates on the containment of fires: Olinda fire: 90% contained. Estimated 1,081 acres. Kula fire: 96% contained. Estimated 202 acres. Lahaina fire: 100% contained. Estimated 2,170 acres. Officials from the Maui Fire Department have advised the public that extinguishing the Upcountry fires may take an extended period of time given the large burn area and the nature of the rural terrain. Although containment percentages have not changed over recent days, the MFD continues to reassure the public that there are no active threats among the three ongoing fires. Meanwhile, on September 12, the Department of Water Supply already announced that the Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula has been amended to remove Zone 1 from the affected area. Water serving homes and buildings in Zone 1 has been determined to be safe for unrestricted use. Related Article: Maui Wildfire Cause: Telecommunications Company Responsible for Devastating Wildfire Will Face Lawsuits Related Video: Experts found out that corals in the Red Sea could be at risk due to a still unknown disease that might have killed a number of sea urchins in the area. Marine biologists have warned that since the long-spined sea creatures are feeding on algae that can usually suffocate corals, their mass death could further result in the destruction of the entire coral reef ecosystem. Experts' investigation Researchers learned that a species of sea urchin in Eilat was dying rapidly in January, prompting them to visit an area that is known for an abundance of the species Diadema setosum. Initially, they thought that the risk in corals could be attributed to the local pollution. However, they found out that the spiny invertebrates had also started dying down the coast, including those found in the seawater-fed facility of the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences. Experts are still determining what could be the real cause of the massive death of sea urchins. They are working towards establishing a population of the affected species which can be released into the Red Sea once the current threat already passed. Initially, researchers said that there are visible signs that the disease paralyses the sea urchin's spines as well as their tiny feet. To recall, there was also a similar massive death among the sea urchins that hit in the Caribbean. This incident also raised the speculation that a disease may have come in the Red Sea by ships. Experts said that these vessels could have been carrying ballast water that contain pathogens and exotic species. They noted that if indeed a disease-causing pathogen had been transported by a vessel, steps could be taken to prevent its spread by cleaning up ships and minimizing the risk of spreading the next deadly pathogen. Read Also: Climate Change Threatens Sea Urchin Survival That Can Devastatingly Affect Coral Reef Growth Sea urchins' role in marine ecosystem According to the Reef Resilience Network, sea urchins are important herbivores on coral reefs, and in some ecosystems they also play a critical role in maintaining the balance between coral and algae. Scientists said that their role could be especially important on reefs where other herbivores, such as parrotfishes and rabbitfishes, have been depleted. The sea urchins usually contribute to reef resilience by grazing algae and providing settlement space for corals. These actions of sea urchins usually help to maintain conditions necessary for coral communities to recover after acute disturbances, such as storms and even bleaching events. Urchins, however, can also be susceptible to disease. In places where urchins are key herbivores, people may wish to consider helping to re-establish the urchin populations where densities have been depleted. On the other hand, urchins can also have negative impacts on coral reefs. This as in some situations, where the processes of reef calcification may be depressed and/or urchin populations reach outbreak densities, the scraping effects of sea urchin feeding can remove coral recruits, which later reduce cover of important coralline algae ref and lead to unsustainable bio-erosion. Sea urchins' outbreak may be caused by depletion of natural predators, such as triggerfishes and wrasses, as well as reduced food competition. Related Article: Red Sea Urchin in Southern California Could Suffer from Climate Change, New Report Finds Related Video: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, Sept 13, 2023. [Photo/Agencies] Are Chinese subsidized electric vehicles (EVs) flooding European markets? This month, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced that she would launch an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles. She claimed the prices for the cars are kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. She added that, "Global markets are now flooded with these cheaper cars, which distorts our market." This decision comes after EU data indicated that China's share of the new energy market in Europe has risen to 8 percent and could probably reach 15 percent by 2025. Is her suspicion grounded in facts? Has China kept prices artificially low by subsidizing car manufacturers? How will the anti-subsidy probe affect China-EU ties? By Express News Service BHOPAL: Pakistan continues to make its presence felt in the politics of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Six days after the ruling BJP and Congress blamed each other for stealing the theme song of former Pakistan PM Imran Khans political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Congress ka Pak Prem (Congress Love for Pakistan) posters were found on walls in many parts of Bhopal on Sunday. Containing the smiling pictures of ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan and former MP CMs Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, the posters raised the issue of 'Corruption Nath' (the name used by BJP leaders to attack Kamal Nath) of deleting the chapter on Kargil victory, asking for proof on surgical strikes and banning Vande Mataram during his stint as MP CM. The same posters mentioned Mr Bantadhar (the nickname through which the ruling party attacks Digvijaya Singh) for linking RSS with the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai and addressing Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed as Sahib. The posters bearing unique barcodes (to know more about Congress love for Pakistan) were found pasted at various places across the poll-bound states capital, including bus stops near the state Congress headquarters. The poster war between the two parties and their supporters in Bhopal and other cities of MP has been on since June, under which both parties have hurled corruption allegations against each other. Making light of these latest posters, state Congress chief Kamal Nath said, Everyone knows about my unblemished political career spanning over four decades, let them (BJP) link me to Pakistan, Khalistan or Afghanistan, Im hardly bothered with these diversionary tactics of the ruling party. The latest posters particularly assumed significance, as they came up just a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the BJPs Karyakarta Mahakumbh at Bhopals BHEL Jamboree Maidan on Monday. The mega gathering of the BJP workers from across the poll-bound state will on one hand mark the birth anniversary of BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and on the other hand, also symbolise the culmination of the partys five state-wide Jan Ashirwad Yatras. The PMs Monday visit to Bhopal (for which the BJP has made big preparations) will be his third visit to MP in less than 45 days and a seventh visit to the poll-bound state in less than six months. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BHOPAL: Pakistan continues to make its presence felt in the politics of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Six days after the ruling BJP and Congress blamed each other for stealing the theme song of former Pakistan PM Imran Khans political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Congress ka Pak Prem (Congress Love for Pakistan) posters were found on walls in many parts of Bhopal on Sunday. Containing the smiling pictures of ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan and former MP CMs Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, the posters raised the issue of 'Corruption Nath' (the name used by BJP leaders to attack Kamal Nath) of deleting the chapter on Kargil victory, asking for proof on surgical strikes and banning Vande Mataram during his stint as MP CM. The same posters mentioned Mr Bantadhar (the nickname through which the ruling party attacks Digvijaya Singh) for linking RSS with the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai and addressing Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed as Sahib.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The posters bearing unique barcodes (to know more about Congress love for Pakistan) were found pasted at various places across the poll-bound states capital, including bus stops near the state Congress headquarters. The poster war between the two parties and their supporters in Bhopal and other cities of MP has been on since June, under which both parties have hurled corruption allegations against each other. Making light of these latest posters, state Congress chief Kamal Nath said, Everyone knows about my unblemished political career spanning over four decades, let them (BJP) link me to Pakistan, Khalistan or Afghanistan, Im hardly bothered with these diversionary tactics of the ruling party. The latest posters particularly assumed significance, as they came up just a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the BJPs Karyakarta Mahakumbh at Bhopals BHEL Jamboree Maidan on Monday. The mega gathering of the BJP workers from across the poll-bound state will on one hand mark the birth anniversary of BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and on the other hand, also symbolise the culmination of the partys five state-wide Jan Ashirwad Yatras. The PMs Monday visit to Bhopal (for which the BJP has made big preparations) will be his third visit to MP in less than 45 days and a seventh visit to the poll-bound state in less than six months. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India has around 4,000 cities, including 300 towns, that have a population of over 1 lakh. Also, there are seven cities with more than 3 crore people. Good news is almost all cities of the country will be connected with the high-speed Vande Bharat Express trains in a few years. The day is not far when Vande Bharat will connect the countrys cities, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday after flagging off the nine new Vande Bharat trains in one go virtually from the national capital. The nine new Vande Bharat trains were launched in 11 states Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala and Gujarat. These trains will substantially link a large number of tourist and pilgrim centres. The PM said the nine new trains are equipped with world-class facilities. The speed and scale of infrastructure development in the country is matching the aspirations of 140 crore Indians, the Prime Minister said, adding that the new train is a symbol of new enthusiasm prevailing in India. Expressing delight over a growing number of passengers opting for Vande Bharat trains, the PM said that over 1.11 crore passengers have travelled in 25 such trains so far. The additional trains now form a 34 Vande Bharat fleet. Hitting out at previous governments for not paying enough attention to the Railways, the Prime Minister said the modernisation is taking place in a mission mode. The Prime Minister also highlighted how tourism is getting a boost with Vande Bharat trains. The swift and safe journey will spur tourism and increase economic activities across areas in and around the tourist places, he said. He also said the Railways was also contributing to women empowerment as many railway stations in the country are run by women functionaries. Elaborating on the larger government role in the Railways, he said the present government has increased the railway budget eight times compared to what it was till 2014. India is now on the path to being developed. The country will have to modernise its railway stations as well. Redevelopment of more than 500 major stations across the country has started on a large scale, he said. The stations being redeveloped would be called Amrit Bharat stations, reflecting the identity of the new Bharat in the coming days, said the Prime Minister. He appreciated the Railways new initiative of celebrating the Sthapana Diwas (foundation day) of more than 150-year-old stations. This tradition of celebrating the birthday of railway stations will be expanded further and more and more people will be involved in it, he said. The Prime Minister also asked the railway employees to ensure the ease of journey improves. Every railway employee has to remain sensitive to ease of travel and provide a good experience to the passengers, he emphasized. The PM said that the number of passengers who travel by trains in one day in India is more than the population of many countries. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also attended the launch and outlined the Railways efforts to create world-class infrastructure. Modernisation Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Railways was also contributing to women empowerment as many railway stations in the country are run by women functionaries. Elaborating on the larger government role in the Railways, he said the present government has increased the railway budget by eight times compared to what it was till 2014. India is now on the path to being developed. We will have to modernise our railway stations as well. Redevelopment of more than 500 major stations has started on a large scale, he said. TRAINS PUT ON FAST TRACK Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai Vande Bharat Express Hyderabad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express Vijayawada-Chennai Vande Bharat Express Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri Vande Bharat Express Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: India has around 4,000 cities, including 300 towns, that have a population of over 1 lakh. Also, there are seven cities with more than 3 crore people. Good news is almost all cities of the country will be connected with the high-speed Vande Bharat Express trains in a few years. The day is not far when Vande Bharat will connect the countrys cities, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday after flagging off the nine new Vande Bharat trains in one go virtually from the national capital. The nine new Vande Bharat trains were launched in 11 states Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala and Gujarat. These trains will substantially link a large number of tourist and pilgrim centres.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The PM said the nine new trains are equipped with world-class facilities. The speed and scale of infrastructure development in the country is matching the aspirations of 140 crore Indians, the Prime Minister said, adding that the new train is a symbol of new enthusiasm prevailing in India. Expressing delight over a growing number of passengers opting for Vande Bharat trains, the PM said that over 1.11 crore passengers have travelled in 25 such trains so far. The additional trains now form a 34 Vande Bharat fleet. Hitting out at previous governments for not paying enough attention to the Railways, the Prime Minister said the modernisation is taking place in a mission mode. The Prime Minister also highlighted how tourism is getting a boost with Vande Bharat trains. The swift and safe journey will spur tourism and increase economic activities across areas in and around the tourist places, he said. He also said the Railways was also contributing to women empowerment as many railway stations in the country are run by women functionaries. Elaborating on the larger government role in the Railways, he said the present government has increased the railway budget eight times compared to what it was till 2014. India is now on the path to being developed. The country will have to modernise its railway stations as well. Redevelopment of more than 500 major stations across the country has started on a large scale, he said. The stations being redeveloped would be called Amrit Bharat stations, reflecting the identity of the new Bharat in the coming days, said the Prime Minister. He appreciated the Railways new initiative of celebrating the Sthapana Diwas (foundation day) of more than 150-year-old stations. This tradition of celebrating the birthday of railway stations will be expanded further and more and more people will be involved in it, he said. The Prime Minister also asked the railway employees to ensure the ease of journey improves. Every railway employee has to remain sensitive to ease of travel and provide a good experience to the passengers, he emphasized. The PM said that the number of passengers who travel by trains in one day in India is more than the population of many countries. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also attended the launch and outlined the Railways efforts to create world-class infrastructure. Modernisation Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Railways was also contributing to women empowerment as many railway stations in the country are run by women functionaries. Elaborating on the larger government role in the Railways, he said the present government has increased the railway budget by eight times compared to what it was till 2014. India is now on the path to being developed. We will have to modernise our railway stations as well. Redevelopment of more than 500 major stations has started on a large scale, he said. TRAINS PUT ON FAST TRACK Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai Vande Bharat Express Hyderabad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express Vijayawada-Chennai Vande Bharat Express Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri Vande Bharat Express Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Giving a reprieve to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, the Allahabad High Court, on Monday, granted him bail in a 2007 Gangsters Act case but refused to stay his conviction in the matter. The bench comprising Justice Raj Beer Singh also stayed the fine of Rs 5 lakh imposed on Mukhtar by an MP-MLA court of Ghazipur which had convicted and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment on April 29, 2023. Justice Singh said the matter related to his conviction would be heard at a later stage. Though Mukhtar has been granted bail in the Gangsters Act case, he will remain in jail in connection with other criminal cases, including the Awadhesh Rai murder case of Varanasi, where he had been awarded a life sentence by the sessions court of Varanasi. A history sheeter of Mohammadabad police station in Ghazipur with 61 cases against him, Ansari has been languishing in jail since 2005 after he surrendered in a communal riot case in Mau in which seven people had died. Mukhtar had represented the Mau Sadar seat five times twice as a BSP candidate and thrice as an Independent. Mukhtars lawyer Upendra Upadhyay had moved an application stating that the Gangsters Act was imposed on the appellant (Mukhtar) on the basis of his alleged involvement in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. He has already been acquitted in that case, therefore, there remains nothing in the present case filed under Gangsters Act, he said. He argued that Mukhtar had served more than 10 10-year sentences during the trial itself, so there was no justification in keeping him in jail after conviction. Opposing the submissions of the defence lawyer, the government counsel said that there were sufficient grounds to keep the gangster in jail. After hearing the parties, the court had reserved its order on September 20. The special MP/MLA court in Ghazipur had on April 29, 2023, convicted Mukhtar and his brother Afzal Ansari in the 2007 Gangsters Act case. While Mukhtar was handed 10 years imprisonment, Afzal was sentenced to four years. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: Giving a reprieve to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, the Allahabad High Court, on Monday, granted him bail in a 2007 Gangsters Act case but refused to stay his conviction in the matter. The bench comprising Justice Raj Beer Singh also stayed the fine of Rs 5 lakh imposed on Mukhtar by an MP-MLA court of Ghazipur which had convicted and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment on April 29, 2023. Justice Singh said the matter related to his conviction would be heard at a later stage. Though Mukhtar has been granted bail in the Gangsters Act case, he will remain in jail in connection with other criminal cases, including the Awadhesh Rai murder case of Varanasi, where he had been awarded a life sentence by the sessions court of Varanasi. A history sheeter of Mohammadabad police station in Ghazipur with 61 cases against him, Ansari has been languishing in jail since 2005 after he surrendered in a communal riot case in Mau in which seven people had died. Mukhtar had represented the Mau Sadar seat five times twice as a BSP candidate and thrice as an Independent.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Mukhtars lawyer Upendra Upadhyay had moved an application stating that the Gangsters Act was imposed on the appellant (Mukhtar) on the basis of his alleged involvement in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. He has already been acquitted in that case, therefore, there remains nothing in the present case filed under Gangsters Act, he said. He argued that Mukhtar had served more than 10 10-year sentences during the trial itself, so there was no justification in keeping him in jail after conviction. Opposing the submissions of the defence lawyer, the government counsel said that there were sufficient grounds to keep the gangster in jail. After hearing the parties, the court had reserved its order on September 20. The special MP/MLA court in Ghazipur had on April 29, 2023, convicted Mukhtar and his brother Afzal Ansari in the 2007 Gangsters Act case. While Mukhtar was handed 10 years imprisonment, Afzal was sentenced to four years. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI BHOPAL: With an eye on the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tore into Congress equating the party with "rusted iron" which he said would push MP back into the BIMARU category if given an opportunity again. Addressing a massive gathering of BJP workers 'Karyakarta Mahakumb', the prime minister said the Congress and its allies in the "Ghamandia" bloc supported the Women's Reservation Bill out of compulsion and hesitation as they understood the power of "nari shakti". He said if given an opportunity, Congress will back out on this bill that seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state legislatures. The 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' was organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state. "Congress and allies backed the women's reservation bill out of compulsion. Its passage was possible as 'Modi hai to Mumkin hai'. Modi means the guarantee of fulfilling guarantees," Modi said and slammed Congress and its allies for not allowing the passage of this bill when they were in power. "Congress is a parivarwadi party with a history of crores of corruption and vote-bank appeasement. It's like rusted iron that will be finished if kept in the rain," Modi said. He also targeted Rahul Gandhi without taking his name, saying for Congress leaders born with a silver spoon, "the life of poor people is like an adventure tourism and picnic and the poor person's agri field is a place for video shooting and photo session". Modi said first-time voters in MP are fortunate that they have seen only the BJP rule in the state, which is the key centre of India's development vision. For a developed India, MP too needs to be developed, he added. Modi said Congress wanted people to remain poor in its own interest. "During its erstwhile rule, Congress had pushed MP, which has rich resources, into a BIMARU (laggard) state". He said more than 13. 5 crore people came out of poverty under the BJP rule in the last five years in the country. "The Congress had turned MP into BIMARU state during its long rule after Independence. It will make MP BIMARU again if it gets an opportunity," Modi added. He slammed Congress for criticising the BJP over the construction of the new Parliament building, quality roads and modern stations. "Congress spreads negativity. They don't like the achievements of the nation. They want to take the country back to the 20th Century," Modi said, adding the Congress destroyed the states ruled by it with crores of corruption. After Modi reached the stage at the venue, a group of BJP's women wing members honoured him with a huge garland for the passage of the Women Reservation Bill. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BHOPAL: With an eye on the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tore into Congress equating the party with "rusted iron" which he said would push MP back into the BIMARU category if given an opportunity again. Addressing a massive gathering of BJP workers 'Karyakarta Mahakumb', the prime minister said the Congress and its allies in the "Ghamandia" bloc supported the Women's Reservation Bill out of compulsion and hesitation as they understood the power of "nari shakti". He said if given an opportunity, Congress will back out on this bill that seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state legislatures.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' was organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state. "Congress and allies backed the women's reservation bill out of compulsion. Its passage was possible as 'Modi hai to Mumkin hai'. Modi means the guarantee of fulfilling guarantees," Modi said and slammed Congress and its allies for not allowing the passage of this bill when they were in power. "Congress is a parivarwadi party with a history of crores of corruption and vote-bank appeasement. It's like rusted iron that will be finished if kept in the rain," Modi said. He also targeted Rahul Gandhi without taking his name, saying for Congress leaders born with a silver spoon, "the life of poor people is like an adventure tourism and picnic and the poor person's agri field is a place for video shooting and photo session". Modi said first-time voters in MP are fortunate that they have seen only the BJP rule in the state, which is the key centre of India's development vision. For a developed India, MP too needs to be developed, he added. Modi said Congress wanted people to remain poor in its own interest. "During its erstwhile rule, Congress had pushed MP, which has rich resources, into a BIMARU (laggard) state". He said more than 13. 5 crore people came out of poverty under the BJP rule in the last five years in the country. "The Congress had turned MP into BIMARU state during its long rule after Independence. It will make MP BIMARU again if it gets an opportunity," Modi added. He slammed Congress for criticising the BJP over the construction of the new Parliament building, quality roads and modern stations. "Congress spreads negativity. They don't like the achievements of the nation. They want to take the country back to the 20th Century," Modi said, adding the Congress destroyed the states ruled by it with crores of corruption. After Modi reached the stage at the venue, a group of BJP's women wing members honoured him with a huge garland for the passage of the Women Reservation Bill. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service KOLKATA: With around 38,000 dengue cases reported in West Bengal by September 20, the state government has issued a series of guidelines making it clear that legal actions will be initiated against property owners who dont comply with the preventive measures. According to health department officials, the state capital and its adjoining areas are the worst affected spheres. The Union government alleged that the state government is not sharing data with the Centre for its vector-borne disease control programme. Six persons diagnosed with dengue died in the past 24 hours taking the toll to over 30 this year. According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), West Bengal had not shared data on dengue cases in 2018 and 2019 as well. The West Bengal government has not given us any information about dengue cases. All other states have uploaded the information on their portals. The data helps the Centre send resources to the states to deal with dengue and malaria, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin in Delhi last week. According to the NCVBDC, West Bengal registered the highest number of dengue cases in the country last year which was 67,271 and at least 30 deaths. The state government issued the guideline after chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi held a meeting with the district magistrates on Monday. It has been decided that legal action will be initiated against private property owners if they do not comply with dengue preventive measures which include cleanliness and not allowing storage of clean water in open containers, said an official of the state health department. The guidelines also requested the central government organisations like railways and Metro authorities to take up proper cleaning activities within their premises along with adequate preventive activities at their construction sites. Leave of all the officials and staff associated with dengue management throughout the state will remain cancelled till the situation improves, said the official. According to the state health department, the 15 districts of south Bengal are the worst affected areas from where 34,905 cases have been reported. The scenario in North 24 Parganas is the worst followed by Kolkata, Murshidabad, Nadia and Hooghly. Other than Kolkata and Hooghly, three other districts share a border with Bangladesh which is facing a dengue outbreak. Mosquitos biting an infected person may spread the disease further. The strains of India and Bangladesh may also be different, said another health department official. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOLKATA: With around 38,000 dengue cases reported in West Bengal by September 20, the state government has issued a series of guidelines making it clear that legal actions will be initiated against property owners who dont comply with the preventive measures. According to health department officials, the state capital and its adjoining areas are the worst affected spheres. The Union government alleged that the state government is not sharing data with the Centre for its vector-borne disease control programme. Six persons diagnosed with dengue died in the past 24 hours taking the toll to over 30 this year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), West Bengal had not shared data on dengue cases in 2018 and 2019 as well. The West Bengal government has not given us any information about dengue cases. All other states have uploaded the information on their portals. The data helps the Centre send resources to the states to deal with dengue and malaria, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin in Delhi last week. According to the NCVBDC, West Bengal registered the highest number of dengue cases in the country last year which was 67,271 and at least 30 deaths. The state government issued the guideline after chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi held a meeting with the district magistrates on Monday. It has been decided that legal action will be initiated against private property owners if they do not comply with dengue preventive measures which include cleanliness and not allowing storage of clean water in open containers, said an official of the state health department. The guidelines also requested the central government organisations like railways and Metro authorities to take up proper cleaning activities within their premises along with adequate preventive activities at their construction sites. Leave of all the officials and staff associated with dengue management throughout the state will remain cancelled till the situation improves, said the official. According to the state health department, the 15 districts of south Bengal are the worst affected areas from where 34,905 cases have been reported. The scenario in North 24 Parganas is the worst followed by Kolkata, Murshidabad, Nadia and Hooghly. Other than Kolkata and Hooghly, three other districts share a border with Bangladesh which is facing a dengue outbreak. Mosquitos biting an infected person may spread the disease further. The strains of India and Bangladesh may also be different, said another health department official. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: A criminal case has been lodged against Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra and 12 others in Kanpur on the basis of a complaint given by one Rajesh Mishra alleging that false assurance about the safety of a four-wheeler led to the demise of his son in a road mishap. The case could be lodged only after the complainant, who lost his son Dr Apoorv Mishra in an accident on January 14, 2022, approached a local court to get the order for lodging the case on Saturday. Even the dealership manager Anand Gopal Mahindra was among those booked at the Raipurwa police station in Kanpur. According to the complaint of Rajesh Mishra, he bought a Black Mahindra Scorpio SUV for Rs 17.39 lakh on December 2, 2020, convinced about its security aspect after seeing advertisements and posts on social media by Anand Mahindra. As per the complaint, Rajesh Mishra gifted the SUV to his son Dr Apoorv Mishra keeping in mind the advertisements and claims made on safety. On January 14, 2022, my son Dr Apoorv was returning to Kanpur from Lucknow in the same SUV. Along with Apoorv, his friends were also in the car and all of them were wearing their seat belts (mentioned in the police report). Because of fog, the car hit the divider and turned turtle multiple times killing my son on the spot, said the complaint. The complainant has further said that he would have never bought the SUV if assurances of safety were not given. It also says that despite the occupants were wearing the seat belt, the airbags in the car didnt open, resulting in his sons death. Thus the company had cheated him by giving false assurances. It also said that it was found through sources that there were no airbags in the car. The Raipurwa police lodged the FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 287 (Negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 304-A (causing death by negligence), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 102-B (criminal intimidation). SHO, Raipurwa, Aman Singh, said the investigation in the case was on. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, Mahindra & Mahindra said it "would like to clarify with respect to an FIR that was filed on September 23, 2023. The case is over 18 months old, and the said incident happened in January 2022." The statement said, "It was alleged that the vehicle did not have airbags. We would hence like to categorically reconfirm that the Scorpio S9 variant manufactured in 2020 did have airbags. We have investigated and there was no malfunction of the airbags. It was a rollover case which would not deploy the frontal airbags. A detailed technical investigation was completed by our teams in October 2022." It added, "The matter is currently subjudice and we are committed to cooperating with the authorities for any further investigation that is required. We completely empathise with the family and offer our deepest condolences to them in their grief." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: A criminal case has been lodged against Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra and 12 others in Kanpur on the basis of a complaint given by one Rajesh Mishra alleging that false assurance about the safety of a four-wheeler led to the demise of his son in a road mishap. The case could be lodged only after the complainant, who lost his son Dr Apoorv Mishra in an accident on January 14, 2022, approached a local court to get the order for lodging the case on Saturday. Even the dealership manager Anand Gopal Mahindra was among those booked at the Raipurwa police station in Kanpur. According to the complaint of Rajesh Mishra, he bought a Black Mahindra Scorpio SUV for Rs 17.39 lakh on December 2, 2020, convinced about its security aspect after seeing advertisements and posts on social media by Anand Mahindra.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); As per the complaint, Rajesh Mishra gifted the SUV to his son Dr Apoorv Mishra keeping in mind the advertisements and claims made on safety. On January 14, 2022, my son Dr Apoorv was returning to Kanpur from Lucknow in the same SUV. Along with Apoorv, his friends were also in the car and all of them were wearing their seat belts (mentioned in the police report). Because of fog, the car hit the divider and turned turtle multiple times killing my son on the spot, said the complaint. The complainant has further said that he would have never bought the SUV if assurances of safety were not given. It also says that despite the occupants were wearing the seat belt, the airbags in the car didnt open, resulting in his sons death. Thus the company had cheated him by giving false assurances. It also said that it was found through sources that there were no airbags in the car. The Raipurwa police lodged the FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 287 (Negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 304-A (causing death by negligence), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 102-B (criminal intimidation). SHO, Raipurwa, Aman Singh, said the investigation in the case was on. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, Mahindra & Mahindra said it "would like to clarify with respect to an FIR that was filed on September 23, 2023. The case is over 18 months old, and the said incident happened in January 2022." The statement said, "It was alleged that the vehicle did not have airbags. We would hence like to categorically reconfirm that the Scorpio S9 variant manufactured in 2020 did have airbags. We have investigated and there was no malfunction of the airbags. It was a rollover case which would not deploy the frontal airbags. A detailed technical investigation was completed by our teams in October 2022." It added, "The matter is currently subjudice and we are committed to cooperating with the authorities for any further investigation that is required. We completely empathise with the family and offer our deepest condolences to them in their grief." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which was discussed at the recent G20 Summit in Delhi, will become the basis of world trade in the coming century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, during his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat. Whenever the history of the economic corridor would be discussed, it would be remembered as envisioned in India, the Prime Minister said. Recounting the countrys recent achievements, he said that more than 1 lakh delegates from across the world visited India for the G20 Summit and they returned elated after being acquainted with the countrys diversity. He shared with the listeners how the success of the summit has strengthened Indias leadership and the country got acknowledged by the world. The African Union was added as a member of the G20 group following Indias efforts, he said. You all know that Indias goodwill has risen over the last few years and increased many folds after we conducted G20 Summit with visits from over 1 lakh foreign delegates to India, Modi told listeners. The Prime Minister talked about the growing potential of tourism in creating maximum employment with minimum investment. The number of world heritage sites in the country is increasing, he pointed out, adding that recently, Santiniketan of West Bengal and the Hoysala temple of Karnataka were made world heritage sites. Citing contributions of several countrymen in different fields, he said, When intentions are firm and there is a passion to learn something, no work remains difficult. The Prime Minister also said that several cleanliness drives are being planned on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The Swachhatha Hi Seva Abhiyan is going on with great enthusiasm in all offices of the Central government, Modi said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which was discussed at the recent G20 Summit in Delhi, will become the basis of world trade in the coming century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, during his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat. Whenever the history of the economic corridor would be discussed, it would be remembered as envisioned in India, the Prime Minister said. Recounting the countrys recent achievements, he said that more than 1 lakh delegates from across the world visited India for the G20 Summit and they returned elated after being acquainted with the countrys diversity. He shared with the listeners how the success of the summit has strengthened Indias leadership and the country got acknowledged by the world. The African Union was added as a member of the G20 group following Indias efforts, he said. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); You all know that Indias goodwill has risen over the last few years and increased many folds after we conducted G20 Summit with visits from over 1 lakh foreign delegates to India, Modi told listeners. The Prime Minister talked about the growing potential of tourism in creating maximum employment with minimum investment. The number of world heritage sites in the country is increasing, he pointed out, adding that recently, Santiniketan of West Bengal and the Hoysala temple of Karnataka were made world heritage sites. Citing contributions of several countrymen in different fields, he said, When intentions are firm and there is a passion to learn something, no work remains difficult. The Prime Minister also said that several cleanliness drives are being planned on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The Swachhatha Hi Seva Abhiyan is going on with great enthusiasm in all offices of the Central government, Modi said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Republicans interested in representing Montanas eastern U.S. House district, should incumbent Matt Rosendale run for Senate, are making their intentions known. Former Montana legislators Ric Holden and Joel Krautter tell Lee Montana Newspapers that they will run for the Eastern District House seat if Rep. Matt Rosendale clears out. They join state Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen in readying for a non-Rosendale contested 2024 Republican primary. Holden ranches in Dawson County and served four terms in state Senate representing southeast Montana until 2002. Krautter is an attorney in Billings who previously represented Sidney and the surrounding area in the 2019 Legislature. I do think we need a new generation of leadership in Washington, Krautter said. I'm 35 years old. I think I'm uniquely suited to run for this position because I live in Billings now. But I have lived in Sidney before. And so I'm someone that understands a lot of the issues in rural eastern and central Montana, as well as the urban areas. I've represented people out there, both as a legislator, and in my law practice. That's really why I'm looking at this. Both men described the issues facing Eastern Montana as uniquely different than those facing the Western District represented by Republican Ryan Zinke. Unlike 2022 when the Rosendale's experience as an at large representative made the outcome a foregone conclusion, 2024 presents a chance for candidates and voters to define the district as something unique. Krautter spoke of the lack of services in rural Eastern Montana, everything from potable water to medical services, as unique challenges. Holden said to serve the East, Montanas congressional delegation needs representation on the agriculture committee, where currently no Montana lawmaker serves. Our economy is driven by the agriculture community. All of our businesses here depend on the ag dollar. Its our largest industry, Holden said. When I was in Helena it was easy to see all the revenues for state government coming out of Eastern Montana. We had agriculture, oil, coal all that stuff is where the money came from to run state government tourism was highly promoted, but not a lot of revenue dollars in comparison to the other three. Holden ranches near Glendive. His youngest sons interest in the family business has freed up the former legislator for a potential return to public office after a 20-year hiatus. He left politics because the stress on his family was too much. He tells of his wife and then 12-year-old son calving while Holden was away in Helena. The announcements by Holden and Krautter follow Arntzens announced intentions in August. Both Arntzen, of Billings, and Krautter have filed statements of organization with the Federal Election Commission. Democrats Kevin Hamm of Helena and Ming Cabrera of Billings have declared their House campaigns, regardless of whether Rosendale decides to challenge Tim Sheehy, CEO of Belgrade-based Bridger Aerospace, in the Republican Senate Primary. PTI By KOCHI: The right to bail cannot be denied merely because of the sentiments of the community being against the accused, Kerala High Court said on Monday while granting bail to a woman who allegedly poisoned to death a 23-year-old man in October last year. Justice Mohammed Nias C P, granted bail to 22-year-old Greeshma, who is accused of poisoning her friend, Sharon, by giving him some kashayam (Ayurvedic decoction) and expired juice. While granting the bail, the court observed that the accused had fully cooperated with the investigation and also took into consideration her young age. Parassala native Sharon (23) passed away on October 25, 2022, after being admitted to the medical college hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for nearly 11 days. His family had alleged that he was poisoned by his female friend, Greeshma, and her family by giving him some kashayam and expired juice. "I also cannot lose sight of the fact that the accused is a woman aged 22, in the light of the proviso to S.437 Cr.P.C. I also note that the accused has been in custody since October 31, 2022, and the prosecution raises no apprehension that if released on bail, the petitioner is likely to abscond," Justice Nias observed. The court said it was "trite that there is a presumption of innocence, meaning a person is believed to be innocent until found guilty". "It is also to be borne in mind that the principle is that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, which is the touchstone of Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the court said. It added that after the charge sheet was filed, a strong case must be made for placing a person in judicial custody. "The right to bail is not to be denied merely because of the sentiments of the community being against the accused, nor can bail be withheld as a punishment, pending trial. Accordingly, this application is allowed, and the petitioner is granted bail," the court said. The court also considered Greeshma's submission that her name did not figure in the dying declaration of Sharon. It directed the accused to furnish a bond of Rs one lakh and two solvent sureties each for the like sum and not to interfere in the probe. According to the prosecution, Sharon passed away due to multiple organ failure. His parents alleged that he had gone to his female friend's house on October 14 and later developed uneasiness including vomiting. Sharon's family had claimed that the doctors told them that some kind of acid substance had damaged his internal organs. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOCHI: The right to bail cannot be denied merely because of the sentiments of the community being against the accused, Kerala High Court said on Monday while granting bail to a woman who allegedly poisoned to death a 23-year-old man in October last year. Justice Mohammed Nias C P, granted bail to 22-year-old Greeshma, who is accused of poisoning her friend, Sharon, by giving him some kashayam (Ayurvedic decoction) and expired juice. While granting the bail, the court observed that the accused had fully cooperated with the investigation and also took into consideration her young age.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Parassala native Sharon (23) passed away on October 25, 2022, after being admitted to the medical college hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for nearly 11 days. His family had alleged that he was poisoned by his female friend, Greeshma, and her family by giving him some kashayam and expired juice. "I also cannot lose sight of the fact that the accused is a woman aged 22, in the light of the proviso to S.437 Cr.P.C. I also note that the accused has been in custody since October 31, 2022, and the prosecution raises no apprehension that if released on bail, the petitioner is likely to abscond," Justice Nias observed. The court said it was "trite that there is a presumption of innocence, meaning a person is believed to be innocent until found guilty". "It is also to be borne in mind that the principle is that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, which is the touchstone of Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the court said. It added that after the charge sheet was filed, a strong case must be made for placing a person in judicial custody. "The right to bail is not to be denied merely because of the sentiments of the community being against the accused, nor can bail be withheld as a punishment, pending trial. Accordingly, this application is allowed, and the petitioner is granted bail," the court said. The court also considered Greeshma's submission that her name did not figure in the dying declaration of Sharon. It directed the accused to furnish a bond of Rs one lakh and two solvent sureties each for the like sum and not to interfere in the probe. According to the prosecution, Sharon passed away due to multiple organ failure. His parents alleged that he had gone to his female friend's house on October 14 and later developed uneasiness including vomiting. Sharon's family had claimed that the doctors told them that some kind of acid substance had damaged his internal organs. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: Maharashtra state assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar on Monday reserved his order fixing the schedule for hearing disqualifications petitions of Shiv Sena MLAs and clubbing all these disqualifications petitions. The next hearing is likely on October 13. The Supreme Courts directive asked the speaker of the Maharashtra state assembly to submit the progress report and schedule of disqualification petitions hearing within a week. Then, Rahul Narvekar called both the factions of Shiv Sena for the hearing on Monday, but the factions were not on the same page over the matter. During the hearing at Vidhan Bhavan, speaker Rahul Narvekar said that he is not in a hurry and as per natural justice, each MLA who is facing disqualifications should get adequate time to hear out his case and arguments. The justice is important, not the delay in hearing and disposing of the petitions, the Speaker said. Anil Parab, Shiv Sena MLC (UBT) said that the government is just buying time. He said that the Supreme Court has clearly given the guidelines for disqualifications of MLA petitions, but the hearing has been postponed for some or other reasons. Justice delayed is justice denied. If the disqualifications of Shiv Senas MLAs are of a similar nature, then why is the speaker not clubbing all these petitions together and hearing them out rather than spending separate time for individual petitions? It will consume a lot of time. The Supreme Court had given a reasonable time, not indefinite as it has mentioned in recent directives, Anil Parab said. Sanjay Shirsat, Shiv Sena MLA (Shinde) said that the speaker heard them out on Monday. He said they requested separate hearings over disqualifications of MLAs while some of them wanted the online hearing. There should not be a hurry while disposing of the disqualification petitions. We are against clubbing the petitions, Shirsat said. Parab said that the speaker in his next hearing on October 13 will decide whether to club all these petitions and hear them out separately. Today, we expected that the speaker would share some tangible things with them, but the hearing was postponed again. The Supreme Court has given clear-cut guidelines such as who is the chief whip and which is the political party legislative and organizational, so there is no point in delaying the hearing. We are confident that the speaker will give justice in their favor, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: Maharashtra state assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar on Monday reserved his order fixing the schedule for hearing disqualifications petitions of Shiv Sena MLAs and clubbing all these disqualifications petitions. The next hearing is likely on October 13. The Supreme Courts directive asked the speaker of the Maharashtra state assembly to submit the progress report and schedule of disqualification petitions hearing within a week. Then, Rahul Narvekar called both the factions of Shiv Sena for the hearing on Monday, but the factions were not on the same page over the matter. During the hearing at Vidhan Bhavan, speaker Rahul Narvekar said that he is not in a hurry and as per natural justice, each MLA who is facing disqualifications should get adequate time to hear out his case and arguments. The justice is important, not the delay in hearing and disposing of the petitions, the Speaker said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Anil Parab, Shiv Sena MLC (UBT) said that the government is just buying time. He said that the Supreme Court has clearly given the guidelines for disqualifications of MLA petitions, but the hearing has been postponed for some or other reasons. Justice delayed is justice denied. If the disqualifications of Shiv Senas MLAs are of a similar nature, then why is the speaker not clubbing all these petitions together and hearing them out rather than spending separate time for individual petitions? It will consume a lot of time. The Supreme Court had given a reasonable time, not indefinite as it has mentioned in recent directives, Anil Parab said. Sanjay Shirsat, Shiv Sena MLA (Shinde) said that the speaker heard them out on Monday. He said they requested separate hearings over disqualifications of MLAs while some of them wanted the online hearing. There should not be a hurry while disposing of the disqualification petitions. We are against clubbing the petitions, Shirsat said. Parab said that the speaker in his next hearing on October 13 will decide whether to club all these petitions and hear them out separately. Today, we expected that the speaker would share some tangible things with them, but the hearing was postponed again. The Supreme Court has given clear-cut guidelines such as who is the chief whip and which is the political party legislative and organizational, so there is no point in delaying the hearing. We are confident that the speaker will give justice in their favor, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, appeared before a special NIA court here on Monday. Thakur, one of the seven accused in the case, arrived around 2 pm, nearly two hours after the other accused in the case appeared before the court. Thakur informed the court that she suffers from health issues that prevent her from waking up early in the morning. The court then adjourned the matter to October 3 to record the statements of the accused. The prosecution had on September 14 informed the court that the process of recording of evidence in the case had been completed and no more prosecution witnesses needed to be examined. Once the recording of evidence is completed, the court records the statements of the accused under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). As per the provision, the court questions the accused generally on the case for the purpose of enabling them to personally explain any circumstances appearing in the evidence against them. Only six accused -- Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni -- appeared before the court on Monday. Sudhakar Dwivedi was not present and his lawyer cited religious rituals as the reason for his inability to attend court and sought exemption from appearance. The court, however, refused the plea and issued a bailable warrant of Rs 5,000 against Dwivedi. Six people were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before it was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, appeared before a special NIA court here on Monday. Thakur, one of the seven accused in the case, arrived around 2 pm, nearly two hours after the other accused in the case appeared before the court. Thakur informed the court that she suffers from health issues that prevent her from waking up early in the morning.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The court then adjourned the matter to October 3 to record the statements of the accused. The prosecution had on September 14 informed the court that the process of recording of evidence in the case had been completed and no more prosecution witnesses needed to be examined. Once the recording of evidence is completed, the court records the statements of the accused under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). As per the provision, the court questions the accused generally on the case for the purpose of enabling them to personally explain any circumstances appearing in the evidence against them. Only six accused -- Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni -- appeared before the court on Monday. Sudhakar Dwivedi was not present and his lawyer cited religious rituals as the reason for his inability to attend court and sought exemption from appearance. The court, however, refused the plea and issued a bailable warrant of Rs 5,000 against Dwivedi. Six people were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before it was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI LUCKNOW: A 30-year-old man was found dead at the official residence of BJP MLA Yogesh Shukla in the Hazratganj area here, police said on Monday. Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Arvind Kumar Verma said the incident occurred on Sunday night and no complaint has been received. Also, the motive behind the suicide is still not clear, he said. The deceased has been identified as Shresth Tiwari, a member of the MLA's media team, and belonged to Barabanki district, the police officer said, adding the body has been sent for post-mortem. "The MLA is out of station," the ACP said when asked whether the MLA has been questioned in the case Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: A 30-year-old man was found dead at the official residence of BJP MLA Yogesh Shukla in the Hazratganj area here, police said on Monday. Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Arvind Kumar Verma said the incident occurred on Sunday night and no complaint has been received. Also, the motive behind the suicide is still not clear, he said. The deceased has been identified as Shresth Tiwari, a member of the MLA's media team, and belonged to Barabanki district, the police officer said, adding the body has been sent for post-mortem.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "The MLA is out of station," the ACP said when asked whether the MLA has been questioned in the case Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Jaison Wilson By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued fresh notice to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on a defamation suit filed by a Gujarat-based NGO seeking to sue the global media giant over its documentary titled 'India: The Modi Question' for allegedly casting a slur on the reputation of India, its judiciary and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The documentary in question is related to the 2002 Godhra riots and critical to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was then Gujarat Chief Minister. Issuing notice to the respondents "through all permissible modes" including--BBC (UK), and BBC (India)-- a single-bench Judge Justice Sachin Datta posted the matter for hearing on December 15. Advocate Siddharth Sharma, on behalf of petitioner NGO Justice on Trial submitted before the court that notices were issued to the same respondents earlier but they could not be served. He also sought more time to serve the notices to them. Petitioner NGO Justice on Trial had submitted the BBC (India) as the local operation office and BBC (UK) has released the documentary -- "India: The Modi Question" -- which has two episodes. Through the plea, the NGO sought damages of Rs 10,000 crore in its favor against the defendants on account of the loss of reputation and goodwill caused to the Honble Prime Minister of India, the Government of India, the Government of the State of Gujarat as it was during the period of the Gujarat Riots, and also the people of India. It was urged by the petitioner that an order of damages, the relief is provisionally valued for the purposes of court fees at Rs 10,000 crore and the plaintiff has filed an application under Order 33 Rules 1 and 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) seeking permission to sue as an indigent person, since it does not have sufficient means to pay the court the fee prescribed by law. Earlier on May 3, a Delhi court had issued summons to the BBC, Wikimedia Foundation and US-based Internet Archive on a defamation suit moved by BJP leader Binay Kumar Singh over the contentious BBC documentary which is now banned in India. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued fresh notice to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on a defamation suit filed by a Gujarat-based NGO seeking to sue the global media giant over its documentary titled 'India: The Modi Question' for allegedly casting a slur on the reputation of India, its judiciary and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The documentary in question is related to the 2002 Godhra riots and critical to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was then Gujarat Chief Minister. Issuing notice to the respondents "through all permissible modes" including--BBC (UK), and BBC (India)-- a single-bench Judge Justice Sachin Datta posted the matter for hearing on December 15.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Advocate Siddharth Sharma, on behalf of petitioner NGO Justice on Trial submitted before the court that notices were issued to the same respondents earlier but they could not be served. He also sought more time to serve the notices to them. Petitioner NGO Justice on Trial had submitted the BBC (India) as the local operation office and BBC (UK) has released the documentary -- "India: The Modi Question" -- which has two episodes. Through the plea, the NGO sought damages of Rs 10,000 crore in its favor against the defendants on account of the loss of reputation and goodwill caused to the Honble Prime Minister of India, the Government of India, the Government of the State of Gujarat as it was during the period of the Gujarat Riots, and also the people of India. It was urged by the petitioner that an order of damages, the relief is provisionally valued for the purposes of court fees at Rs 10,000 crore and the plaintiff has filed an application under Order 33 Rules 1 and 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) seeking permission to sue as an indigent person, since it does not have sufficient means to pay the court the fee prescribed by law. Earlier on May 3, a Delhi court had issued summons to the BBC, Wikimedia Foundation and US-based Internet Archive on a defamation suit moved by BJP leader Binay Kumar Singh over the contentious BBC documentary which is now banned in India. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, under flak for using derogatory words against BSP MP Danish Ali in Lok Sabha, met the ruling party president J P Nadda on Monday. Bidhuri made certain objectionable remarks targeted at BSP member Kunwar Danish Ali on Thursday night during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Bidhuri met Nadda at the BJP headquarters, days after he was issued a show-cause notice by the party for his remarks. There was no official word on what transpired in the meeting. Amid demand by several opposition parties that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla take action against him, many BJP MPs have written to the Chair, alleging that Ali "instigated" Bidhuri and seeking a probe into his utterances as well. The said remarks were expunged from Parliamentary records and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately expressed regret for Bidhuri's behaviour in the House. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, under flak for using derogatory words against BSP MP Danish Ali in Lok Sabha, met the ruling party president J P Nadda on Monday. Bidhuri made certain objectionable remarks targeted at BSP member Kunwar Danish Ali on Thursday night during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Bidhuri met Nadda at the BJP headquarters, days after he was issued a show-cause notice by the party for his remarks. There was no official word on what transpired in the meeting.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Amid demand by several opposition parties that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla take action against him, many BJP MPs have written to the Chair, alleging that Ali "instigated" Bidhuri and seeking a probe into his utterances as well. The said remarks were expunged from Parliamentary records and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately expressed regret for Bidhuri's behaviour in the House. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule stirred a controversy by asking party workers to identify journalists who report against the party and government and give them a treat at dhabas to ensure that there is no negative reporting ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. The purported audio clip of Bawankule, which went viral on Monday, was from a meeting with party workers in Ahmednagar. Party workers at booth level should identify the journalists who give negative coverage against us. We should offer them tea once a month and give them treats in the evening. I believe you are smart enough to understand it. Take these journalists to roadside dhabas. If you need something, then our local BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil is here to help you out with expenses. We should take care of the journalists. There should not be negative coverage against us, Bawankule said. After the audio went viral, Bawankule clarified that his statement was twisted deliberately. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ruling for the last nine years and doing a lot of good work, despite which some journalists are doing negative reporting. So, I was telling my party workers to behave well with journalists and present them the work of the government and offer tea. But some sections of the media blew my statement out of proportion, Bawankule said. Defending Banwankule, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he made the statement in a lighter vein. Reacting to the clip, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the BJP wants to buy journalists. BJP state president revealed the secret and confidential plan of the BJP to buy journalists by offering them tea and food, he said, adding that the BJP should apologise to journalists for insulting them. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule stirred a controversy by asking party workers to identify journalists who report against the party and government and give them a treat at dhabas to ensure that there is no negative reporting ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. The purported audio clip of Bawankule, which went viral on Monday, was from a meeting with party workers in Ahmednagar. Party workers at booth level should identify the journalists who give negative coverage against us. We should offer them tea once a month and give them treats in the evening. I believe you are smart enough to understand it. Take these journalists to roadside dhabas. If you need something, then our local BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil is here to help you out with expenses. We should take care of the journalists. There should not be negative coverage against us, Bawankule said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); After the audio went viral, Bawankule clarified that his statement was twisted deliberately. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ruling for the last nine years and doing a lot of good work, despite which some journalists are doing negative reporting. So, I was telling my party workers to behave well with journalists and present them the work of the government and offer tea. But some sections of the media blew my statement out of proportion, Bawankule said. Defending Banwankule, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he made the statement in a lighter vein. Reacting to the clip, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the BJP wants to buy journalists. BJP state president revealed the secret and confidential plan of the BJP to buy journalists by offering them tea and food, he said, adding that the BJP should apologise to journalists for insulting them. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service BHOPAL: Just a day after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi predicted a certain win for the party in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh in the coming assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the prime opposition party, claiming that it was now being run by urban naxals. Congress first got ruined, then became bankrupt and now has contracted itself to others. The party is no longer run by its own leaders, it has turned into a company, that has outsourced everything, from slogans to policies to the urban naxals. Its the urban naxals who are now running the Congress, while the partys real grass root leaders are silently and helplessly watching it, Modi said while addressing a mega BJP Karyakarta Mahakumbh in the poll-bound MPs capital Bhopal on Monday. Continuing the all-out attack on the grand old party, Modi equated the Congress with rusted iron, which gradually finishes in rain. Congress has no futuristic vision and if given another chance in MP, it will put the state back into the BIMARU category. Congress spreads negativity. They don't like the achievements of the nation. They want to take the country back to the 20th Century. At a time when the Congress is increasingly focussing on issues, like unemployment, women's safety and atrocities against SC/ST, the PM focused primarily on the first-time voters and women during a large part of his long speech. The young, particularly the first-time voters have seen only BJPs good governance till now in the state. Theyre fortunate that they didnt see the Congresss rule, which was the cause of the miseries of their parents and grandparents. After independence, Congress ruled MP for decades and, the lack of development and rampant corruption were the hallmarks of that long rule. It was the Congresss decades-long rule that put the resource-rich MP among the BIMARU states. The BJP on the other hand in each stint in power has taken MP to new heights of development with renewed energy. The youth of todays MP have seen MP emerge as a centre of development in the country, now the youth and first-time voters particularly have to ensure that the engine of growth and development isnt allowed to derail by Congresss return to power. Always remember how the Congress ruined Rajasthan after getting an opportunity in 2018, how the alliances rule gave Congress the opportunity to loot Maharashtra. If the same vote bank and appeasement politics hungry corrupt Congress gets an opportunity in MP, then it will result in major damage to MP. Dont allow the Congress to loot the money meant for MPs development, Modi said. While raising the issue of the recent passage of the long pending women reservation bill in the Parliament, Modi, while calling the oppositions INDIA bloc as Ghamandiya Gathbandhan, said, The Congress and the opposition alliance was forced to vote in support of the bill, because our mothers and sisters have woken up and are now more confident and made their power felt. Always remember that the oppositions alliance includes those very parties, which didnt allow the crucial legislation to be passed for three decades. Even now they are raising ifs and buts, despite having voted in favour of the bill. Mothers and sisters should stay alert, as the Congress and its partners are fretting and fuming and will now conspire to divide the women's power through all kinds of rumours. Urban Naxals are running the Congress Party! pic.twitter.com/sLHFuLg8fy Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 25, 2023 The successful passage of the women's reservation legislation is just the beginning of womens participation in power, it marks the beginning of a productive change in the country. While maintaining that during five out of the nine years of BJP rule at the centre, 13.5 crore people in the country (which is more than MPs total population) have come out of poverty, Modi said, Our government at the centre and in MP, has always prioritized the well-being and development of deprived sections, including poor, SC/ST and backward sections. Congress on the other hand has thrived on politics of keeping the poor impoverished. Obliquely attacking Rahul Gandhi, the PM said, The lives of the poor have always served as adventure tourism for Congress leaders. For them, the basti (slums) of the poor are picnic spots and the agricultural fields of poor farmers are the ideal location for photo and video shoots. In the past also, the leaders of the same party have made fun of Indias poor abroad. BJP government on the other hand is working at making India a grand country and is presenting the country in a similar manner across the globe, thus opening immense opportunities for the world to invest in our countrys growth story. Its this difference between the Congress and the BJP, which has to be conveyed by you (BJP workers) to every voter at every polling booth in MP. Amid the mega gathering of BJP workers carrying placards reading MP ke Mann mein Modi, Modi ke Mann mein MP, the PM said, Modi means a guarantee for fulfilling every guarantee of bettering lives of every citizen of MP and making every family of the state as developed as any other family in other parts of India and world. The BJPs Karyakarta Mahakumbh marked the birth anniversary of the partys ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and also the conclusion of the partys five state-wide Jan Ashirwad Yatras. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BHOPAL: Just a day after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi predicted a certain win for the party in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh in the coming assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the prime opposition party, claiming that it was now being run by urban naxals. Congress first got ruined, then became bankrupt and now has contracted itself to others. The party is no longer run by its own leaders, it has turned into a company, that has outsourced everything, from slogans to policies to the urban naxals. Its the urban naxals who are now running the Congress, while the partys real grass root leaders are silently and helplessly watching it, Modi said while addressing a mega BJP Karyakarta Mahakumbh in the poll-bound MPs capital Bhopal on Monday. Continuing the all-out attack on the grand old party, Modi equated the Congress with rusted iron, which gradually finishes in rain. Congress has no futuristic vision and if given another chance in MP, it will put the state back into the BIMARU category. Congress spreads negativity. They don't like the achievements of the nation. They want to take the country back to the 20th Century.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); At a time when the Congress is increasingly focussing on issues, like unemployment, women's safety and atrocities against SC/ST, the PM focused primarily on the first-time voters and women during a large part of his long speech. The young, particularly the first-time voters have seen only BJPs good governance till now in the state. Theyre fortunate that they didnt see the Congresss rule, which was the cause of the miseries of their parents and grandparents. After independence, Congress ruled MP for decades and, the lack of development and rampant corruption were the hallmarks of that long rule. It was the Congresss decades-long rule that put the resource-rich MP among the BIMARU states. The BJP on the other hand in each stint in power has taken MP to new heights of development with renewed energy. The youth of todays MP have seen MP emerge as a centre of development in the country, now the youth and first-time voters particularly have to ensure that the engine of growth and development isnt allowed to derail by Congresss return to power. Always remember how the Congress ruined Rajasthan after getting an opportunity in 2018, how the alliances rule gave Congress the opportunity to loot Maharashtra. If the same vote bank and appeasement politics hungry corrupt Congress gets an opportunity in MP, then it will result in major damage to MP. Dont allow the Congress to loot the money meant for MPs development, Modi said. While raising the issue of the recent passage of the long pending women reservation bill in the Parliament, Modi, while calling the oppositions INDIA bloc as Ghamandiya Gathbandhan, said, The Congress and the opposition alliance was forced to vote in support of the bill, because our mothers and sisters have woken up and are now more confident and made their power felt. Always remember that the oppositions alliance includes those very parties, which didnt allow the crucial legislation to be passed for three decades. Even now they are raising ifs and buts, despite having voted in favour of the bill. Mothers and sisters should stay alert, as the Congress and its partners are fretting and fuming and will now conspire to divide the women's power through all kinds of rumours. Urban Naxals are running the Congress Party! pic.twitter.com/sLHFuLg8fy Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 25, 2023 The successful passage of the women's reservation legislation is just the beginning of womens participation in power, it marks the beginning of a productive change in the country. While maintaining that during five out of the nine years of BJP rule at the centre, 13.5 crore people in the country (which is more than MPs total population) have come out of poverty, Modi said, Our government at the centre and in MP, has always prioritized the well-being and development of deprived sections, including poor, SC/ST and backward sections. Congress on the other hand has thrived on politics of keeping the poor impoverished. Obliquely attacking Rahul Gandhi, the PM said, The lives of the poor have always served as adventure tourism for Congress leaders. For them, the basti (slums) of the poor are picnic spots and the agricultural fields of poor farmers are the ideal location for photo and video shoots. In the past also, the leaders of the same party have made fun of Indias poor abroad. BJP government on the other hand is working at making India a grand country and is presenting the country in a similar manner across the globe, thus opening immense opportunities for the world to invest in our countrys growth story. Its this difference between the Congress and the BJP, which has to be conveyed by you (BJP workers) to every voter at every polling booth in MP. Amid the mega gathering of BJP workers carrying placards reading MP ke Mann mein Modi, Modi ke Mann mein MP, the PM said, Modi means a guarantee for fulfilling every guarantee of bettering lives of every citizen of MP and making every family of the state as developed as any other family in other parts of India and world. The BJPs Karyakarta Mahakumbh marked the birth anniversary of the partys ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and also the conclusion of the partys five state-wide Jan Ashirwad Yatras. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fierce attack on the Congress and INDIA alliance over the Women's Reservation Bill on Monday. Speaking at a rally in Jaipur to mark the conclusion of the BJP's Parivartan Sankalp Yatra in Rajasthan, PM Modi asserted that the Congress and its Ghamandiya alliance partners are against women's reservation. PM Modi slammed Congress leaders who are now talking of a delay in the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill and urged women not to be misguided by them. He stated, The Congressmen who are talking about women's reservation today could have done this work 30 years ago. They could have done it whenever they had the chance, but the truth is that Congress never wanted women to have 33% reservation. PM Modi added further that for many decades, our mothers and sisters were waiting for 33% reservation in the Lok Sabha and Assembly. This hope of theirs has been fulfilled by the power of your vote. Your vote elected me, and I guaranteed my service to you. Today, I have fulfilled this guarantee of yours. You should remember that Modi means a guarantee of fulfillment. With women leaders and women volunteers playing a major role in organizing the public meeting in Dhankya village, about 30 kilometers from Jaipur, PM Modi remarked, It is noteworthy that the entire responsibility for this program was in the hands of women workers. During his speech, PM Modi also sought to polarise public sentiments. He remarked, "Congress is attempting to erase our identity. The Ghamandia (I.N.D.I.A.) alliance endeavored to undermine Sanatan Dharma through various means, but the truth is that today, the people of the country and Rajasthan have discerned their intentions. In this scenario, the people of Rajasthan will now strive not only to hold up a mirror to the arrogant alliance in this election but in every future election." In reference to the Kanhaiyalal beheading in Udaipur, PM Modi accused Congress of appeasement and labeled it as detrimental to the economic development of the state. He commented, "How can investment flourish in a state where incidents of open throat-slitting occur, and the government appears powerless? This is not a run-of-the-mill crime; it is the consequence of Congress's appeasement policies." The PM further asserted, "Instead of taking decisive action against terrorists, Congress displays leniency toward them, granting criminals free rein. How can law and order be maintained under such circumstances?" PM Modi also launched a sharp attack on the state government and called CM Gehlot's administration a total failure. He remarked, "The way Congress has administered the state, it deserves a score of zero. Therefore, the people of Rajasthan have made the decision to oust the Gehlot government and reinstate the BJP." Highlighting issues like paper leaks and corruption in Rajasthan, PM Modi said, "The Gehlot government has wasted 5 important years of the youth here. Therefore, the people of Rajasthan have decided to remove the Congress government and bring in the BJP. Whenever papers are leaked in Rajasthan, people get worried. If the BJP government is formed in Rajasthan, strict action will be taken against the mafias responsible for paper leaks. No mafia exploiting the youth will be spared." PM Modi once again referred to the Red Diary issue that has rocked Rajasthan for over two months. The PM said, "The Lal Diary conceals dark deeds. Kickbacks and commissions are rampant, deterring investment in the region. Industrial development lags behind due to corruption in the law and order system, and my mothers and sisters suffer the most because of this." Prior to this rally, there were speculations about PM Modi clarifying the role of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the upcoming elections. However, he almost confirmed that this Rajasthan assembly election will revolve around his leadership. He declared, "I want to convey to every BJP worker that our symbol of identity and pride is the lotus flower (Party symbol). Therefore, we must strive to ensure that lotus flowers bloom at every polling booth." It is noteworthy that, for the first time in several decades, the BJP has not announced a chief ministerial candidate in Rajasthan. Sources within the BJP suggest that the party is contesting this election under the leadership of PM Modi. It remains to be seen how effectively PM Modi can compete with CM Ashok Gehlot and the Congress, who seek to retain power in the state by highlighting their public welfare initiatives. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fierce attack on the Congress and INDIA alliance over the Women's Reservation Bill on Monday. Speaking at a rally in Jaipur to mark the conclusion of the BJP's Parivartan Sankalp Yatra in Rajasthan, PM Modi asserted that the Congress and its Ghamandiya alliance partners are against women's reservation. PM Modi slammed Congress leaders who are now talking of a delay in the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill and urged women not to be misguided by them. He stated, The Congressmen who are talking about women's reservation today could have done this work 30 years ago. They could have done it whenever they had the chance, but the truth is that Congress never wanted women to have 33% reservation. PM Modi added further that for many decades, our mothers and sisters were waiting for 33% reservation in the Lok Sabha and Assembly. This hope of theirs has been fulfilled by the power of your vote. Your vote elected me, and I guaranteed my service to you. Today, I have fulfilled this guarantee of yours. You should remember that Modi means a guarantee of fulfillment.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); With women leaders and women volunteers playing a major role in organizing the public meeting in Dhankya village, about 30 kilometers from Jaipur, PM Modi remarked, It is noteworthy that the entire responsibility for this program was in the hands of women workers. During his speech, PM Modi also sought to polarise public sentiments. He remarked, "Congress is attempting to erase our identity. The Ghamandia (I.N.D.I.A.) alliance endeavored to undermine Sanatan Dharma through various means, but the truth is that today, the people of the country and Rajasthan have discerned their intentions. In this scenario, the people of Rajasthan will now strive not only to hold up a mirror to the arrogant alliance in this election but in every future election." In reference to the Kanhaiyalal beheading in Udaipur, PM Modi accused Congress of appeasement and labeled it as detrimental to the economic development of the state. He commented, "How can investment flourish in a state where incidents of open throat-slitting occur, and the government appears powerless? This is not a run-of-the-mill crime; it is the consequence of Congress's appeasement policies." The PM further asserted, "Instead of taking decisive action against terrorists, Congress displays leniency toward them, granting criminals free rein. How can law and order be maintained under such circumstances?" PM Modi also launched a sharp attack on the state government and called CM Gehlot's administration a total failure. He remarked, "The way Congress has administered the state, it deserves a score of zero. Therefore, the people of Rajasthan have made the decision to oust the Gehlot government and reinstate the BJP." Highlighting issues like paper leaks and corruption in Rajasthan, PM Modi said, "The Gehlot government has wasted 5 important years of the youth here. Therefore, the people of Rajasthan have decided to remove the Congress government and bring in the BJP. Whenever papers are leaked in Rajasthan, people get worried. If the BJP government is formed in Rajasthan, strict action will be taken against the mafias responsible for paper leaks. No mafia exploiting the youth will be spared." PM Modi once again referred to the Red Diary issue that has rocked Rajasthan for over two months. The PM said, "The Lal Diary conceals dark deeds. Kickbacks and commissions are rampant, deterring investment in the region. Industrial development lags behind due to corruption in the law and order system, and my mothers and sisters suffer the most because of this." Prior to this rally, there were speculations about PM Modi clarifying the role of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the upcoming elections. However, he almost confirmed that this Rajasthan assembly election will revolve around his leadership. He declared, "I want to convey to every BJP worker that our symbol of identity and pride is the lotus flower (Party symbol). Therefore, we must strive to ensure that lotus flowers bloom at every polling booth." It is noteworthy that, for the first time in several decades, the BJP has not announced a chief ministerial candidate in Rajasthan. Sources within the BJP suggest that the party is contesting this election under the leadership of PM Modi. It remains to be seen how effectively PM Modi can compete with CM Ashok Gehlot and the Congress, who seek to retain power in the state by highlighting their public welfare initiatives. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Scores of Hindu saints on Monday staged a protest against DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin over the Sanatan Dharma row and burnt his effigies near Tamil Nadu Bhawan here. The protesters also raised slogans against political leaders who also made similar remarks and issued statements supporting the DMK leader. The protesters under the banner of Delhi Sant Mahamandal held placards denouncing Udhayanidhi Stalin and other leaders and marched from a temple in Sarojini Nagar towards Tamil Nadu Bhawan. Police stopped them at Africa Avenue after which they torched effigies of Udhayanidhi and others. The protesters said that heads of different political parties should restrain their leaders from issuing statements against 'Sanatan Dharma' and demanded an apology from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin for his son's actions. President of Delhi Sant Mahamandal, Narayan Giri Maharaj, said it was surprising that state governments were silent over the issue. "Even the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the hate speech of politicians against Sanatan Dharma. The language used by politicians against Sanatan Dharma creates animosity among communities and strict action should be taken against such political leaders," he said. Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and a minister in the state government, recently caused a storm by comparing the Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria and called for its eradication saying it was against social justice. READ MORE | I will continue speaking out against 'sanatana dharma', vows defiant Udhayanidhi Stalin Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Scores of Hindu saints on Monday staged a protest against DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin over the Sanatan Dharma row and burnt his effigies near Tamil Nadu Bhawan here. The protesters also raised slogans against political leaders who also made similar remarks and issued statements supporting the DMK leader. The protesters under the banner of Delhi Sant Mahamandal held placards denouncing Udhayanidhi Stalin and other leaders and marched from a temple in Sarojini Nagar towards Tamil Nadu Bhawan.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Police stopped them at Africa Avenue after which they torched effigies of Udhayanidhi and others. The protesters said that heads of different political parties should restrain their leaders from issuing statements against 'Sanatan Dharma' and demanded an apology from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin for his son's actions. President of Delhi Sant Mahamandal, Narayan Giri Maharaj, said it was surprising that state governments were silent over the issue. "Even the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the hate speech of politicians against Sanatan Dharma. The language used by politicians against Sanatan Dharma creates animosity among communities and strict action should be taken against such political leaders," he said. Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and a minister in the state government, recently caused a storm by comparing the Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria and called for its eradication saying it was against social justice. READ MORE | I will continue speaking out against 'sanatana dharma', vows defiant Udhayanidhi Stalin Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to appoint a senior IPS officer to probe the case of a schoolboy who was allegedly slapped by his classmates on the instruction of his teacher in Muzaffarnagar, terming the incident as "serious". A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal, while directing that the IPS officer shall file a report in the apex court, asked the state government to conduct counselling of the victim and other students, who were involved in the case, by professional counsellors. It said there is a prima facie case of failure on the part of the Uttar Pradesh government in complying with the provisions of the Right To Education Act, which deals with providing quality, free and compulsory education to children up to 14 years, without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or gender. The bench asked the state government to furnish a status report on the implementation of the RTE Act in schools across the state in four weeks while terming the incident as "serious".It was hearing a plea filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking speedy investigation in the case. On September 6, the top court directed the Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police to submit a status report in the case. It had asked the SP to inform it about measures taken to protect the student and his parents. The top court had also issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and sought its reply by September 25. The Muzaffarnagar Police had booked the teacher accused of making communal comments and allegedly ordering her students to slap a Muslim classmate for not doing his homework. The school was also served a notice by the state education department in connection with the matter. The teacher was booked after a video showed her allegedly asking students to slap the Class 2 boy in Khubbapur village and also making a communal remark. READ MORE | 'Not ashamed, this is how we tackle them, UP teacher who egged on students to slap Muslim classmate Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to appoint a senior IPS officer to probe the case of a schoolboy who was allegedly slapped by his classmates on the instruction of his teacher in Muzaffarnagar, terming the incident as "serious". A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal, while directing that the IPS officer shall file a report in the apex court, asked the state government to conduct counselling of the victim and other students, who were involved in the case, by professional counsellors. It said there is a prima facie case of failure on the part of the Uttar Pradesh government in complying with the provisions of the Right To Education Act, which deals with providing quality, free and compulsory education to children up to 14 years, without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or gender.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The bench asked the state government to furnish a status report on the implementation of the RTE Act in schools across the state in four weeks while terming the incident as "serious".It was hearing a plea filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking speedy investigation in the case. On September 6, the top court directed the Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police to submit a status report in the case. It had asked the SP to inform it about measures taken to protect the student and his parents. The top court had also issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and sought its reply by September 25. The Muzaffarnagar Police had booked the teacher accused of making communal comments and allegedly ordering her students to slap a Muslim classmate for not doing his homework. The school was also served a notice by the state education department in connection with the matter. The teacher was booked after a video showed her allegedly asking students to slap the Class 2 boy in Khubbapur village and also making a communal remark. READ MORE | 'Not ashamed, this is how we tackle them, UP teacher who egged on students to slap Muslim classmate Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider the urgent listing of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu seeking to quash the FIR registered by Andhra Pradesh CID wherein he was arraigned as an accused of allegedly misappropriating funds in the multi-crore skill development scam asking the leader to mention his petition on Tuesday. The Former Chief Minister was named as accused 37 in the FIR which was booked under sections 166, 167, 418, 240, 465, 468, 471, 477A, 409, 201 and 120B IPC read with sections 12, 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. (PC Act) on December 9, 2021. A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra turned down Naidus plea for urgent listing after it was mentioned by Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra. This is related to the State of Andhra Pradesh where the opposition is being curbed...he was arrested on September 8, Luthra said. Refusing to consider out of turn mentioning, CJI asked him to mention it again on Tuesday.Come tomorrow in the mentioning list, CJI told Luthra. Chandrababu Naidu approached the top court against Andhra Pradesh HC on September 22, 2023 order of refusing to quash the FIR and the order dated September 10, 2023, of judicial remand. Remarking that the court while considering a quashing petition could not conduct a mini-trial, Justice K Sreenivas Reddy while noting that the probe agency after the crime had not only examined 140 witnesses but had also collected over 4,000 documents had said that he was not inclined to interfere with the probe which was on the fulcrum of attaining finality. TDP leader in his plea has argued that he was arrested in an illegal manner and deprived of his liberty motivated only by political reasons by disregarding the fact that all actions were initiated without obtaining the sanction mandated by section 17A of the PC Act. Section 17A of the PC Act mandates police officers to seek prior approval from a competent authority before conducting an inquiry or investigation into an offence related to any recommendations made or decision taken by a public servant in the discharge of his public functions. The former minister in his plea has argued that the approval should have been taken from the Governor in his case. Both the initiation of the enquiry and the registration of the FIR is non-est as both have been initiated and the investigation continues till date without a mandatory approval under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The present scenario of regime revenge and political vendetta is exactly what Section 17-A seeks to restrict by protecting innocent persons. The initiation of investigation without such approval vitiates the entire proceedings since inception and the same is a jurisdictional error, the plea stated. Calling the allegations against which were relatable to the decision taken in the discharge of his official duties as CM as unfounded, he in his plea has said that he was suddenly named in the FIR registered twenty-one months ago. To further demonstrate the extent of political vendetta against him, he in his plea has also referred to the belated application dated September 11, 2023, relating to the grant of police custody which names him and his family members. This motivated campaign of harassment has been allowed to continue by the courts below unabated despite patent illegality in the FIR, he has said in his plea contending that AP CID is acting at the behest of the ruling party in order to hurt his partys chances in the state election which are due in 2024. The CID is threatening the officers and others to implicate him, his family and the Party, the plea said. The judge in his 68-page order had also said that it was thus not appropriate to meddle with the investigation at the FIR stage. Rejecting the arguments related to receipt of prior sanction under section 17A of the PC Act, the judge said, Section 17A of the PC Act cannot be made applicable in those cases where the act of the public servant that amounts to an offence appears on the face of it lacking in good faith. Issuing public building licenses and no objection certificates cannot be said to be acts done in good faith. Where the performance of public function is grossly improper, the safe conclusion at least at the initial stage can be that it was in anticipation for in consequence of accepting an undue advantage from the beneficiary. After HC's September 22 order, AP CID was further granted two days of custody. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider the urgent listing of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu seeking to quash the FIR registered by Andhra Pradesh CID wherein he was arraigned as an accused of allegedly misappropriating funds in the multi-crore skill development scam asking the leader to mention his petition on Tuesday. The Former Chief Minister was named as accused 37 in the FIR which was booked under sections 166, 167, 418, 240, 465, 468, 471, 477A, 409, 201 and 120B IPC read with sections 12, 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. (PC Act) on December 9, 2021. A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra turned down Naidus plea for urgent listing after it was mentioned by Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This is related to the State of Andhra Pradesh where the opposition is being curbed...he was arrested on September 8, Luthra said. Refusing to consider out of turn mentioning, CJI asked him to mention it again on Tuesday.Come tomorrow in the mentioning list, CJI told Luthra. Chandrababu Naidu approached the top court against Andhra Pradesh HC on September 22, 2023 order of refusing to quash the FIR and the order dated September 10, 2023, of judicial remand. Remarking that the court while considering a quashing petition could not conduct a mini-trial, Justice K Sreenivas Reddy while noting that the probe agency after the crime had not only examined 140 witnesses but had also collected over 4,000 documents had said that he was not inclined to interfere with the probe which was on the fulcrum of attaining finality. TDP leader in his plea has argued that he was arrested in an illegal manner and deprived of his liberty motivated only by political reasons by disregarding the fact that all actions were initiated without obtaining the sanction mandated by section 17A of the PC Act. Section 17A of the PC Act mandates police officers to seek prior approval from a competent authority before conducting an inquiry or investigation into an offence related to any recommendations made or decision taken by a public servant in the discharge of his public functions. The former minister in his plea has argued that the approval should have been taken from the Governor in his case. Both the initiation of the enquiry and the registration of the FIR is non-est as both have been initiated and the investigation continues till date without a mandatory approval under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The present scenario of regime revenge and political vendetta is exactly what Section 17-A seeks to restrict by protecting innocent persons. The initiation of investigation without such approval vitiates the entire proceedings since inception and the same is a jurisdictional error, the plea stated. Calling the allegations against which were relatable to the decision taken in the discharge of his official duties as CM as unfounded, he in his plea has said that he was suddenly named in the FIR registered twenty-one months ago. To further demonstrate the extent of political vendetta against him, he in his plea has also referred to the belated application dated September 11, 2023, relating to the grant of police custody which names him and his family members. This motivated campaign of harassment has been allowed to continue by the courts below unabated despite patent illegality in the FIR, he has said in his plea contending that AP CID is acting at the behest of the ruling party in order to hurt his partys chances in the state election which are due in 2024. The CID is threatening the officers and others to implicate him, his family and the Party, the plea said. The judge in his 68-page order had also said that it was thus not appropriate to meddle with the investigation at the FIR stage. Rejecting the arguments related to receipt of prior sanction under section 17A of the PC Act, the judge said, Section 17A of the PC Act cannot be made applicable in those cases where the act of the public servant that amounts to an offence appears on the face of it lacking in good faith. Issuing public building licenses and no objection certificates cannot be said to be acts done in good faith. Where the performance of public function is grossly improper, the safe conclusion at least at the initial stage can be that it was in anticipation for in consequence of accepting an undue advantage from the beneficiary. After HC's September 22 order, AP CID was further granted two days of custody. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Express News Service NEW DELHI: Expressing concerns over a sense of complacency within the Union Ministry of Health in implementing the tuberculosis (TB) elimination programme, a parliamentary panel has said that shifting the responsibility to non-governmental organisations eventually may impede the overall progress of the programme. In its 149th report, the department-related parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare said that it believes the task at hand is enormous and time is short to meet the 2025 target. India has set the target of eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global deadline of 2030. The committee recommended that robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are implemented to track the progress of TB elimination goals. Appreciating the immense potential of the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative in enhancing TB control efforts in India and alleviating the 58 socio-economic burdens of the disease, the committee, however, said that the Ni-Kshay adoption model alone cannot be considered the mainstay of fighting the disease under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA). The committee expresses its concerns over a sense of complacency within the ministry and the government organisation responsible for implementing the TB elimination programme due to a shift in their responsibility to non-governmental organisations, which eventually may impede the overall progress, it added. It suggested that the government establishes a robust selection process for Ni-Kshay Mitra and implement effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the responsibilities are diligently fulfilled. Under the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, which was launched by President Droupadi Murmu last year, community support is provided to TB patients so that they can be adopted and cared for by an individual, elected representatives or institutions. As per the World Health Organisations Global TB Report 2022, around one-quarter of the worlds population 2 billion is latently infected with tuberculosis, and it is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after Covid-19. India contributes approximately one-fourth to the total international cases, about 25 lakh cases out of 1.05 crore globally. The panel said that in the last five years, TB has been more commonly seen in the age groups of 15-24 and 25-34 years. As the health of the young population is central to the nation, it suggested that a robust population-based approach be worked out to address their socio-economic conditions, healthy lifestyle and preventive strategies to have a holistic approach to the TB elimination drive. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Expressing concerns over a sense of complacency within the Union Ministry of Health in implementing the tuberculosis (TB) elimination programme, a parliamentary panel has said that shifting the responsibility to non-governmental organisations eventually may impede the overall progress of the programme. In its 149th report, the department-related parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare said that it believes the task at hand is enormous and time is short to meet the 2025 target. India has set the target of eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global deadline of 2030. The committee recommended that robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are implemented to track the progress of TB elimination goals.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Appreciating the immense potential of the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative in enhancing TB control efforts in India and alleviating the 58 socio-economic burdens of the disease, the committee, however, said that the Ni-Kshay adoption model alone cannot be considered the mainstay of fighting the disease under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA). The committee expresses its concerns over a sense of complacency within the ministry and the government organisation responsible for implementing the TB elimination programme due to a shift in their responsibility to non-governmental organisations, which eventually may impede the overall progress, it added. It suggested that the government establishes a robust selection process for Ni-Kshay Mitra and implement effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the responsibilities are diligently fulfilled. Under the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, which was launched by President Droupadi Murmu last year, community support is provided to TB patients so that they can be adopted and cared for by an individual, elected representatives or institutions. As per the World Health Organisations Global TB Report 2022, around one-quarter of the worlds population 2 billion is latently infected with tuberculosis, and it is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after Covid-19. India contributes approximately one-fourth to the total international cases, about 25 lakh cases out of 1.05 crore globally. The panel said that in the last five years, TB has been more commonly seen in the age groups of 15-24 and 25-34 years. As the health of the young population is central to the nation, it suggested that a robust population-based approach be worked out to address their socio-economic conditions, healthy lifestyle and preventive strategies to have a holistic approach to the TB elimination drive. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: The UP police department is grappling with a tricky situation as two women constables, one posted in Gorakhpur and the other in Gonda, have sought permission from the headquarters for gender change through surgery. While change of sex through surgical procedure is not a new phenomenon, the state police authorities are facing such an issue for the first time. The department is faced with the awkward question of how they could permit the constables to change their gender after getting them recruited as women cops. According to highly placed sources in police department, the two constables had applied for gender change permission and mentioned different reasons. The authorities believe that if the two women cops are permitted to undergo sex change, how would other physical criteria required for male constables be matched in them if they are considered as male constables after surgery. The physical criteria like height, running capacity and shoulder strength for male and female categories are different. Those recruited as female cops would not be able to match other physical attributes required to be considered as male cop. According to a senior police official, recruitment criteria meant for men and women are strictly followed in UP Police. The women constables after getting their gender changed to male would defy the norms. The sources claimed that the police department made similar submissions in the Allahabad High Court when one of the two women constables approached the court after failing to get permission for gender change as she had been pursuing her case since January this year. The court asked the headquarters again to reconsider the request of the woman constable on merit basis and further prepare some norms for similar cases that may come up again in future, said another senior police official of the UP Police headquarters. The sources claimed that the police authorities had already written a letter to King Georges Medical University of Lucknow (KGMU) to get medical examination of both the constables done through a medical board and give their opinion. Consultations were on with all the stake-holders related to women and gender issues, apart from medical and legal experts, before coming to a final conclusion, said the sources. The High Court had posted the matter for the next hearing in the first week of December. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: The UP police department is grappling with a tricky situation as two women constables, one posted in Gorakhpur and the other in Gonda, have sought permission from the headquarters for gender change through surgery. While change of sex through surgical procedure is not a new phenomenon, the state police authorities are facing such an issue for the first time. The department is faced with the awkward question of how they could permit the constables to change their gender after getting them recruited as women cops. According to highly placed sources in police department, the two constables had applied for gender change permission and mentioned different reasons. The authorities believe that if the two women cops are permitted to undergo sex change, how would other physical criteria required for male constables be matched in them if they are considered as male constables after surgery.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The physical criteria like height, running capacity and shoulder strength for male and female categories are different. Those recruited as female cops would not be able to match other physical attributes required to be considered as male cop. According to a senior police official, recruitment criteria meant for men and women are strictly followed in UP Police. The women constables after getting their gender changed to male would defy the norms. The sources claimed that the police department made similar submissions in the Allahabad High Court when one of the two women constables approached the court after failing to get permission for gender change as she had been pursuing her case since January this year. The court asked the headquarters again to reconsider the request of the woman constable on merit basis and further prepare some norms for similar cases that may come up again in future, said another senior police official of the UP Police headquarters. The sources claimed that the police authorities had already written a letter to King Georges Medical University of Lucknow (KGMU) to get medical examination of both the constables done through a medical board and give their opinion. Consultations were on with all the stake-holders related to women and gender issues, apart from medical and legal experts, before coming to a final conclusion, said the sources. The High Court had posted the matter for the next hearing in the first week of December. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: It is not just diplomatic ties that are on the ascendancy between India and the US. The US is going all out to get Indian students to study in their universities, issuing a record number of visas to them this summer. "The US Mission in India has issued around 90,000 student visas for Indians this summer from June to August. This also means that one in every four students granted a US visa this year was in India," said the US Embassy in Delhi. According to estimates, in 2022 nearly 4,65,791 Indian students were studying in the US. Indias share in the total number of international students had increased from 11.8 per cent to 21 per cent. India surpassed China in sending more students to the United States in 2022, according to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to their annual report, India sent 64,300 students to America in 2022 while China's number shrunk to 24,796. "I first came to India as a young student and Ive seen in my own life how transformative these experiences can be," said US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti. "Student exchange is at the heart of U.S.-India relations, and with good reason. A U.S. education provides students a world-class education and access to a global network of knowledge, laying the foundation for a lifetime of understanding. Thats why we are here today, to encourage these opportunities for as many Indian students as possible," said Ambassador Garcetti during the seventh annual Student Visa Day celebrations held in June. Meanwhile, there has been a steady rise in the number of Indian students in the US. Statistics show that in 2022, there was a 19 per cent increase. Of the Indian students that got admitted across various universities in the US, 37 per cent were girls. According to the 2021 Open Doors report, the US remains the top study destination with more than 9,00,000 students from over 200 places of origin. For Indian students seeking higher education, the United States remains their top choice. There are many reasons why getting a degree from the US is becoming more desirable, including the abundance of top-notch colleges and universities there. This years increased capacity for US visas, shorter wait times and an overall rise in the number of Indians who want to study abroad, not just from major cities but also from tier 2 and tier 3 cities also led to more Indians looking to go abroad for studies. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: It is not just diplomatic ties that are on the ascendancy between India and the US. The US is going all out to get Indian students to study in their universities, issuing a record number of visas to them this summer. "The US Mission in India has issued around 90,000 student visas for Indians this summer from June to August. This also means that one in every four students granted a US visa this year was in India," said the US Embassy in Delhi. According to estimates, in 2022 nearly 4,65,791 Indian students were studying in the US.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Indias share in the total number of international students had increased from 11.8 per cent to 21 per cent. India surpassed China in sending more students to the United States in 2022, according to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to their annual report, India sent 64,300 students to America in 2022 while China's number shrunk to 24,796. "I first came to India as a young student and Ive seen in my own life how transformative these experiences can be," said US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti. "Student exchange is at the heart of U.S.-India relations, and with good reason. A U.S. education provides students a world-class education and access to a global network of knowledge, laying the foundation for a lifetime of understanding. Thats why we are here today, to encourage these opportunities for as many Indian students as possible," said Ambassador Garcetti during the seventh annual Student Visa Day celebrations held in June. Meanwhile, there has been a steady rise in the number of Indian students in the US. Statistics show that in 2022, there was a 19 per cent increase. Of the Indian students that got admitted across various universities in the US, 37 per cent were girls. According to the 2021 Open Doors report, the US remains the top study destination with more than 9,00,000 students from over 200 places of origin. For Indian students seeking higher education, the United States remains their top choice. There are many reasons why getting a degree from the US is becoming more desirable, including the abundance of top-notch colleges and universities there. This years increased capacity for US visas, shorter wait times and an overall rise in the number of Indians who want to study abroad, not just from major cities but also from tier 2 and tier 3 cities also led to more Indians looking to go abroad for studies. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Preetha Nair By Express News Service NEW DELHI: With the crucial assembly elections just a few months away, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party will certainly win Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, probably win Telangana, and there is a very close contest in Rajasthan. Speaking at a media conclave here, he claimed this is also the BJPs internal assessment, adding that the saffron party is in for a surprise in 2024 elections as the opposition bloc INDIA will emerge victorious. Reiterating his demand for a nationwide caste census, the former Congress chief said the BJP is indulging diversonary tactics to take attention away from the demand for a caste census. He was referring to the row over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuris derogatory remarks against BSP leader Danish Ali in Lok Sabha. ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi regrets UPA bill didnt provide for OBC quota in 2010 The country is facing issues such as concentration of wealth, huge inequality in wealth, massive unemployment, huge unfairness towards the lower caste, OBCs, and tribal communities, and price rise, he said. Gandhi added that the Congress learnt an important lesson in Karnataka that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative, and so we fought the polls constructing our partys narrative. He further said now the Congress party is controlling the narrative in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and other states with a positive agenda, and the BJP is nowhere to be seen. He said INDIA bloc offers a great deal of flexibility among the opposition leaders. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: With the crucial assembly elections just a few months away, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party will certainly win Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, probably win Telangana, and there is a very close contest in Rajasthan. Speaking at a media conclave here, he claimed this is also the BJPs internal assessment, adding that the saffron party is in for a surprise in 2024 elections as the opposition bloc INDIA will emerge victorious. Reiterating his demand for a nationwide caste census, the former Congress chief said the BJP is indulging diversonary tactics to take attention away from the demand for a caste census. He was referring to the row over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuris derogatory remarks against BSP leader Danish Ali in Lok Sabha. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi regrets UPA bill didnt provide for OBC quota in 2010 The country is facing issues such as concentration of wealth, huge inequality in wealth, massive unemployment, huge unfairness towards the lower caste, OBCs, and tribal communities, and price rise, he said. Gandhi added that the Congress learnt an important lesson in Karnataka that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative, and so we fought the polls constructing our partys narrative. He further said now the Congress party is controlling the narrative in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and other states with a positive agenda, and the BJP is nowhere to be seen. He said INDIA bloc offers a great deal of flexibility among the opposition leaders. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service BHOPAL: Springing a strategic surprise for the second time in 39 days, the ruling BJP came out with its 39-strong second list of candidates for the coming assembly polls. The candidates include seven sitting Lok Sabha MPs, including three union ministers and the partys national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. With this, the ruling party has so far named 78 candidates against the total 230 seats in the state ruled by it for 19 years. Earlier on August 17, the BJP had named 39 candidates in its first list for the state, where polls are likely in November. The list was released just a few hours after PM Narendra Modi left Bhopal after addressing the BJPs Karyakarta Mahakumbh. Political watchers in the state feel that by fielding seven Lok Sabha members and Vijayvargiya (four of them have been MLAs in the past), the party may be trying to open up the race for CM post among various probable candidates on the poll battleground. Importantly, the party hasnt till now named its longest serving CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, or any other leader as its CM face in MP and is contesting the polls with PM Modis face in the center. The ruling party also seems to be eyeing to strike a balance between its various senior regional leaders on the election battlefield, to gain maximum out of their experience and influence in specific regions and castes. The three union ministers include Kshatriya caste leader and union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar (fielded from Dimani in Morena district, part of his Lok Sabha constituency), Prahlad Patel (fielded from his ex-minister and sitting MLA brother Jalam Singh Patels Narsinghpur seat) and Faggan Singh Kulaste (who will fight from his old Vidhan Sabha seat Niwas in Mandla). Patels sitting MLA brother Jalam Singh Patel, reportedly doesnt want to contest the polls, just a few months after his son Monu Patels death. Four other MPs, including Ganesh Singh (fourth-time MP from Satna), will be contesting from the Satna assembly seat, four-times Jabalpur MP and ex-state party chief Rakesh Singh will be contesting from Jabalpur-West seat of his LS constituency, while second-time Brahmin woman MP Riti Pathak will be in the fray from Sidhi seat. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, the six-time former MLA from different seats of the native Indore district and an ex-MP minister has been fielded from Indore-1 seat (currently with Congresss Sanjay Shukla). He makes his return to contesting Vidhan Sabha polls, ten years after he last won from Mhow-seat of Indore district. The party has not only named him a candidate for Indore-1 seat to wrest the urban seat of Indore, but also to use his poll management experience and political influence on other seats of Indore district as well as the entire Malwa-Nimar region that houses a maximum of 66 seats. Vijayvargiya has been lying in the cold, despite being national general secretary, particularly in the wake of the 2021 Bengal assembly election debacle. On the other hand, multiple times Lok Sabha member and union minister Narendra Singh Tomar (last contested and won Vidhan Sabha polls 20 years back from home district Gwalior) has been fielded from Dimani seat of Morena district, to not only influence seats of his Morena parliamentary constituency but also to send a positive message to upper caste Thakurs and Brahmins in the 34-seats strong Gwalior-Chambal region. By fielding powerful Lodhi OBC caste leader and union minister Prahlad Patel from the native Narsinghpur seat, the party is eyeing the OBC Lodhi vote which is significant on 40-50 seats. Not only has the party fielded MPs, including union ministers to strengthen the party in the battlefield of different regions, but has also given them the additional challenge of proving their mettle back in the assembly poll battleground. Another sitting MP who has been given an assembly poll ticket is Jat community leader and third-time MP from Hoshangabad constituency Uday Pratap Singh, who will contest from Gadarwara seat of his parliamentary constituency. He last won the assembly polls in 2008 as a Congress candidate from Tendukheda seat. By fielding Satna MP Ganesh Singh from Satna assembly seat of his LS seat Satna and the second time MP (from Sidhi constituency) in Sidhi assembly seat, the party is eyeing to consolidate its base among the OBC Kurmi and Brahmin upper caste voters the two powerful blocks of population in the Vindhya region, which was swept by the BJP in 2018. Also, the party is trying to eye the crucial tribal votes in tribes dominated Mahakoshal region by fielding union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste. The party had fared badly in 2018 in this region, which also houses state Congress chief Kamal Naths pocket borough Chhindwaras assembly segments. The party has denied a ticket to third-time MLA from Sidhi seat Kedarnath Shukla, seemingly due to the controversy generated by his alleged supporter Pravesh Shuklas 2019 video clip of urinating on a tribal man. Shuklas close relatives say that being denied a BJP ticket, he might contest polls from Sidhi only, either as an independent or on any other partys ticket. Two other sitting MLAs not considered for tickets, include sitting MLA and Prahlad Patels brother Jalam Singh Patel, who lost his son just a few months back, and the Maihar MLA Narayan Tripathi, who has now formed his own party for the cause of a separate Vindhya state. The list includes names of just three Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist MLAs, including former MLAs Raghuraj Singh Kansana (Morena) and Imarti Devi (Dabra-SC) and Hirendra Singh Bunty Bana from ex-CM Digvijaya Singhs pocket-borough Raghogarh, which since two-times is being represented by Singhs ex-minister son Jaivardhan Singh. Out of the 39 candidates named in the list, six, including two-times MP Riti Pathak, former minister and ex-MLA Imarti Devi, Jyoti Dehria (Parasia-SC), Ganga Bai Uike (Ghodadongri-ST), Nanda Brahmane (Bhikangaon-ST) and ex-MLA Sangeeta Charel (Sailana-ST) are women candidates. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BHOPAL: Springing a strategic surprise for the second time in 39 days, the ruling BJP came out with its 39-strong second list of candidates for the coming assembly polls. The candidates include seven sitting Lok Sabha MPs, including three union ministers and the partys national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. With this, the ruling party has so far named 78 candidates against the total 230 seats in the state ruled by it for 19 years. Earlier on August 17, the BJP had named 39 candidates in its first list for the state, where polls are likely in November. The list was released just a few hours after PM Narendra Modi left Bhopal after addressing the BJPs Karyakarta Mahakumbh. Political watchers in the state feel that by fielding seven Lok Sabha members and Vijayvargiya (four of them have been MLAs in the past), the party may be trying to open up the race for CM post among various probable candidates on the poll battleground. Importantly, the party hasnt till now named its longest serving CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, or any other leader as its CM face in MP and is contesting the polls with PM Modis face in the center. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The ruling party also seems to be eyeing to strike a balance between its various senior regional leaders on the election battlefield, to gain maximum out of their experience and influence in specific regions and castes. The three union ministers include Kshatriya caste leader and union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar (fielded from Dimani in Morena district, part of his Lok Sabha constituency), Prahlad Patel (fielded from his ex-minister and sitting MLA brother Jalam Singh Patels Narsinghpur seat) and Faggan Singh Kulaste (who will fight from his old Vidhan Sabha seat Niwas in Mandla). Patels sitting MLA brother Jalam Singh Patel, reportedly doesnt want to contest the polls, just a few months after his son Monu Patels death. Four other MPs, including Ganesh Singh (fourth-time MP from Satna), will be contesting from the Satna assembly seat, four-times Jabalpur MP and ex-state party chief Rakesh Singh will be contesting from Jabalpur-West seat of his LS constituency, while second-time Brahmin woman MP Riti Pathak will be in the fray from Sidhi seat. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, the six-time former MLA from different seats of the native Indore district and an ex-MP minister has been fielded from Indore-1 seat (currently with Congresss Sanjay Shukla). He makes his return to contesting Vidhan Sabha polls, ten years after he last won from Mhow-seat of Indore district. The party has not only named him a candidate for Indore-1 seat to wrest the urban seat of Indore, but also to use his poll management experience and political influence on other seats of Indore district as well as the entire Malwa-Nimar region that houses a maximum of 66 seats. Vijayvargiya has been lying in the cold, despite being national general secretary, particularly in the wake of the 2021 Bengal assembly election debacle. On the other hand, multiple times Lok Sabha member and union minister Narendra Singh Tomar (last contested and won Vidhan Sabha polls 20 years back from home district Gwalior) has been fielded from Dimani seat of Morena district, to not only influence seats of his Morena parliamentary constituency but also to send a positive message to upper caste Thakurs and Brahmins in the 34-seats strong Gwalior-Chambal region. By fielding powerful Lodhi OBC caste leader and union minister Prahlad Patel from the native Narsinghpur seat, the party is eyeing the OBC Lodhi vote which is significant on 40-50 seats. Not only has the party fielded MPs, including union ministers to strengthen the party in the battlefield of different regions, but has also given them the additional challenge of proving their mettle back in the assembly poll battleground. Another sitting MP who has been given an assembly poll ticket is Jat community leader and third-time MP from Hoshangabad constituency Uday Pratap Singh, who will contest from Gadarwara seat of his parliamentary constituency. He last won the assembly polls in 2008 as a Congress candidate from Tendukheda seat. By fielding Satna MP Ganesh Singh from Satna assembly seat of his LS seat Satna and the second time MP (from Sidhi constituency) in Sidhi assembly seat, the party is eyeing to consolidate its base among the OBC Kurmi and Brahmin upper caste voters the two powerful blocks of population in the Vindhya region, which was swept by the BJP in 2018. Also, the party is trying to eye the crucial tribal votes in tribes dominated Mahakoshal region by fielding union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste. The party had fared badly in 2018 in this region, which also houses state Congress chief Kamal Naths pocket borough Chhindwaras assembly segments. The party has denied a ticket to third-time MLA from Sidhi seat Kedarnath Shukla, seemingly due to the controversy generated by his alleged supporter Pravesh Shuklas 2019 video clip of urinating on a tribal man. Shuklas close relatives say that being denied a BJP ticket, he might contest polls from Sidhi only, either as an independent or on any other partys ticket. Two other sitting MLAs not considered for tickets, include sitting MLA and Prahlad Patels brother Jalam Singh Patel, who lost his son just a few months back, and the Maihar MLA Narayan Tripathi, who has now formed his own party for the cause of a separate Vindhya state. The list includes names of just three Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist MLAs, including former MLAs Raghuraj Singh Kansana (Morena) and Imarti Devi (Dabra-SC) and Hirendra Singh Bunty Bana from ex-CM Digvijaya Singhs pocket-borough Raghogarh, which since two-times is being represented by Singhs ex-minister son Jaivardhan Singh. Out of the 39 candidates named in the list, six, including two-times MP Riti Pathak, former minister and ex-MLA Imarti Devi, Jyoti Dehria (Parasia-SC), Ganga Bai Uike (Ghodadongri-ST), Nanda Brahmane (Bhikangaon-ST) and ex-MLA Sangeeta Charel (Sailana-ST) are women candidates. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Harish Bijoor By I grew up surrounded by a culture of bandhs. As a kid, I used to enjoy a bandh thoroughly. When for whatever reason a shutdown was announced, the first thing to look forward to was a school holiday. Children were the first ones to be protected from the ruckus that would or would not happen on the streets. Public transport was always the first target of a bandh. Those who dared to disobey the call faced a barrage of stones and worse still, rioters torched public transportwhich at the end of it belonged to us all. Now, what is a bandh? Wikipedia defines it as, A form of protest used by political activists in South Asian countries such as India and Nepal. It is similar to a general strike. During a bandh, a political party or a community declares a general strike. Ouch. Bandh seems to have a specific geography. And in this case, it is all about India and Nepal. Strange. As an adult now, my understanding of bandh is a day when a city or a state decides to shut down to show solidarity to protest something or to mourn an unfortunate event. Earlier this month, a rather unsuccessful bandh in Bengaluru was held to protest the loss of business for auto rickshaw and private transport operators due to the implementation of the Karnataka governments Shakti Scheme, which provides free bus travel for women in the state. And today, even as you read this, Bengaluru city is possibly witnessing one more shutdown. This time, to protest the state governments decision to release Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu. My guess is that more such bandhs are in the queue. Bandh is not a phenomenon restricted to a single state in India. It happens across the country. But then it dawned upon me that bandh is all about a yesterday we have been through. Been there, done that. A yesterday that believed in demonstrative protests which had the attention of all riveted to the cause in question. Over the last two decades, if you look at the number of bandh calls, you will see that they have decreased for sure. The belief in the system is vanishing. Protest possibly has new ways. Protest used as a tool to cause discomfort to the common man on the street is something we believe less in. I do believe we have started respecting public space much more. While we still fight within our homes, as we must, we refuse to let our discontent spill into the streets. We do believe that the public space belongs to us all and not one entity, organisation or cause. And when that is the case, protest must be expressed in a different manner altogether. In a manner that does not inconvenience anyone. In a manner that does not inconvenience people at railway stations and bus stops. Schools must be open. Offices must function. Public services must not be disturbed. The poor and impoverished need to earn their daily wages and so must not be disturbed. Shops need to remain open to sell to their customers, just as restaurants need to be able to dish out their fares to make their businesses tick. A bandh really disturbs all this. Bandh is, therefore, an antediluvian instrument. A sabre that is rattled often, but thankfully, less often now than before. A little rattling is enough to make an entire set of people, businesses and transport options go into a half-closure mode, if not full. Must we allow this sabre-rattling to continue at all? Or should it be put back into the sheath of yesterday that it belongs to? Do bandhs misuse a form of protest that is not really necessary anymore? What does it achieve? Typically, it brings the common cause or memory to the fore. It showcases the intent of those who are behind the call. It accords prominence to the cause in the media. And thats where the positive and semi-positives stop. Then begin the negatives. A bandh is bad for business and business sentiments too. A city that goes into bandh mode too often is marked by businesses as a geography to steer clear of. Protest we must. Is there an alternative way to do so then? Is there another way to work towards a good cause or mourn a great soul? In an era where we are progressively going digital, the e-protest just may be the way to go. Grab the cause at hand. Reveal who is behind the cause. Put together the photographs and names of all those who wish to be seen as lead protesters. Record grievances. Pass out videos to energise the cause. Put it all out there in the public domain using social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. The beauty of an e-protest is the fact that arson is never an option. Stopping someone from going about their life in the public space is never an option. Disturbing the peace and quiet is not an option. Compelling businesses to close is not an option. Disrupting life is not an option. ALSO READ | The language of consulting to create the future Strangely, protesting on e-platforms is possibly the most peaceful option at hand for us. Maybe we need a protest app which can reach all within a city, but one which just cannot disrupt the life of any one of those citizens. If not today, I think e-protest is the way to support a cause in the future. Peaceful protest is the way. Non-violent protest is the way. Protest without inconveniencing a citizen on the street is the right way. What better way than the e-way to do this? In the old days, a factory strike meant a tools-down protest. On some days, this was used selectively for a couple of hours to impress upon the management what could happen with a full-scale tools-down protest. More often than not, it worked. Factory productivity would get hit and the owners woke up to the cause and the issue at hand to resolve. A tools-down strike in this digital day and age is an internet-down bandh. I guess even that shall happen. One day or the other. Till then, wishing you a happy and peaceful bandh! Click here for all the earlier colums Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp I grew up surrounded by a culture of bandhs. As a kid, I used to enjoy a bandh thoroughly. When for whatever reason a shutdown was announced, the first thing to look forward to was a school holiday. Children were the first ones to be protected from the ruckus that would or would not happen on the streets. Public transport was always the first target of a bandh. Those who dared to disobey the call faced a barrage of stones and worse still, rioters torched public transportwhich at the end of it belonged to us all. Now, what is a bandh? Wikipedia defines it as, A form of protest used by political activists in South Asian countries such as India and Nepal. It is similar to a general strike. During a bandh, a political party or a community declares a general strike. Ouch. Bandh seems to have a specific geography. And in this case, it is all about India and Nepal. Strange. As an adult now, my understanding of bandh is a day when a city or a state decides to shut down to show solidarity to protest something or to mourn an unfortunate event. Earlier this month, a rather unsuccessful bandh in Bengaluru was held to protest the loss of business for auto rickshaw and private transport operators due to the implementation of the Karnataka governments Shakti Scheme, which provides free bus travel for women in the state. And today, even as you read this, Bengaluru city is possibly witnessing one more shutdown. This time, to protest the state governments decision to release Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu. My guess is that more such bandhs are in the queue.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Bandh is not a phenomenon restricted to a single state in India. It happens across the country. But then it dawned upon me that bandh is all about a yesterday we have been through. Been there, done that. A yesterday that believed in demonstrative protests which had the attention of all riveted to the cause in question. Over the last two decades, if you look at the number of bandh calls, you will see that they have decreased for sure. The belief in the system is vanishing. Protest possibly has new ways. Protest used as a tool to cause discomfort to the common man on the street is something we believe less in. I do believe we have started respecting public space much more. While we still fight within our homes, as we must, we refuse to let our discontent spill into the streets. We do believe that the public space belongs to us all and not one entity, organisation or cause. And when that is the case, protest must be expressed in a different manner altogether. In a manner that does not inconvenience anyone. In a manner that does not inconvenience people at railway stations and bus stops. Schools must be open. Offices must function. Public services must not be disturbed. The poor and impoverished need to earn their daily wages and so must not be disturbed. Shops need to remain open to sell to their customers, just as restaurants need to be able to dish out their fares to make their businesses tick. A bandh really disturbs all this. Bandh is, therefore, an antediluvian instrument. A sabre that is rattled often, but thankfully, less often now than before. A little rattling is enough to make an entire set of people, businesses and transport options go into a half-closure mode, if not full. Must we allow this sabre-rattling to continue at all? Or should it be put back into the sheath of yesterday that it belongs to? Do bandhs misuse a form of protest that is not really necessary anymore? What does it achieve? Typically, it brings the common cause or memory to the fore. It showcases the intent of those who are behind the call. It accords prominence to the cause in the media. And thats where the positive and semi-positives stop. Then begin the negatives. A bandh is bad for business and business sentiments too. A city that goes into bandh mode too often is marked by businesses as a geography to steer clear of. Protest we must. Is there an alternative way to do so then? Is there another way to work towards a good cause or mourn a great soul? In an era where we are progressively going digital, the e-protest just may be the way to go. Grab the cause at hand. Reveal who is behind the cause. Put together the photographs and names of all those who wish to be seen as lead protesters. Record grievances. Pass out videos to energise the cause. Put it all out there in the public domain using social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. The beauty of an e-protest is the fact that arson is never an option. Stopping someone from going about their life in the public space is never an option. Disturbing the peace and quiet is not an option. Compelling businesses to close is not an option. Disrupting life is not an option. ALSO READ | The language of consulting to create the future Strangely, protesting on e-platforms is possibly the most peaceful option at hand for us. Maybe we need a protest app which can reach all within a city, but one which just cannot disrupt the life of any one of those citizens. If not today, I think e-protest is the way to support a cause in the future. Peaceful protest is the way. Non-violent protest is the way. Protest without inconveniencing a citizen on the street is the right way. What better way than the e-way to do this? In the old days, a factory strike meant a tools-down protest. On some days, this was used selectively for a couple of hours to impress upon the management what could happen with a full-scale tools-down protest. More often than not, it worked. Factory productivity would get hit and the owners woke up to the cause and the issue at hand to resolve. A tools-down strike in this digital day and age is an internet-down bandh. I guess even that shall happen. One day or the other. Till then, wishing you a happy and peaceful bandh! Click here for all the earlier colums Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By AFP WASHINGTON: The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is due to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the US space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9:00 am local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah. Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth" and cast light "on the earliest history of our solar system," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. "This sample return is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth. But the capsule's return will require "a dangerous manoeuvre," she acknowledged. Osiris-Rex is set to release the capsule -- from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometres) -- some four hours before it lands. The fiery passage through the atmosphere will come only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtles downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius). Its rapid descent, monitored by army sensors, will be slowed by two successive parachutes. Should they fail to deploy correctly, a "hard landing" would follow. If it appears that the target zone (37 by 9 miles) might be missed, NASA controllers could decide at the last moment not to release the capsule. The probe would then keep its cargo and make another orbit of the sun. Scientists would have to wait until 2025 before trying a new landing. If it succeeds, however, Osiris-Rex would head toward a date with another asteroid. Japanese samples Once the tire-sized capsule touches down in Utah, a team in protective masks and gloves will place it in a net to be airlifted by helicopter to a temporary "clean room" nearby. NASA wants this done as quickly and carefully as possible to avoid any contamination of the sample with desert sands, skewing test results. On Monday, assuming all goes well, the sample will be flown by plane to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. There, the box will be opened in another "clean room" -- the beginning of a days-long process. NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference on October 11. Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth of it will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to Japan and Canada, partners in the mission. Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from the asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounces of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid. But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said. Earth's origin story Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating to some 4.5 billion years ago, and have remained relatively intact. They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris. "It's our own origin story." By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said. Scientists believe Bennu, which is 1,640 feet in diameter, is rich in carbon -- a building block of life on Earth -- and contains water molecules locked in minerals. Bennu had surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during the few seconds of contact with the asteroid's surface, had sunk into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, sort of like a children's pool filled with plastic balls. Understanding its composition could come in handy in the -- distant -- future. For there is a slight, but non-zero, chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182. But NASA last year succeeded in deviating the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercise -- but with much higher stakes. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp WASHINGTON: The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is due to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the US space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9:00 am local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth" and cast light "on the earliest history of our solar system," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. "This sample return is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth. But the capsule's return will require "a dangerous manoeuvre," she acknowledged. Osiris-Rex is set to release the capsule -- from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometres) -- some four hours before it lands. The fiery passage through the atmosphere will come only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtles downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius). Its rapid descent, monitored by army sensors, will be slowed by two successive parachutes. Should they fail to deploy correctly, a "hard landing" would follow. If it appears that the target zone (37 by 9 miles) might be missed, NASA controllers could decide at the last moment not to release the capsule. The probe would then keep its cargo and make another orbit of the sun. Scientists would have to wait until 2025 before trying a new landing. If it succeeds, however, Osiris-Rex would head toward a date with another asteroid. Japanese samples Once the tire-sized capsule touches down in Utah, a team in protective masks and gloves will place it in a net to be airlifted by helicopter to a temporary "clean room" nearby. NASA wants this done as quickly and carefully as possible to avoid any contamination of the sample with desert sands, skewing test results. On Monday, assuming all goes well, the sample will be flown by plane to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. There, the box will be opened in another "clean room" -- the beginning of a days-long process. NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference on October 11. Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth of it will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to Japan and Canada, partners in the mission. Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from the asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounces of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid. But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said. Earth's origin story Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating to some 4.5 billion years ago, and have remained relatively intact. They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris. "It's our own origin story." By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said. Scientists believe Bennu, which is 1,640 feet in diameter, is rich in carbon -- a building block of life on Earth -- and contains water molecules locked in minerals. Bennu had surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during the few seconds of contact with the asteroid's surface, had sunk into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, sort of like a children's pool filled with plastic balls. Understanding its composition could come in handy in the -- distant -- future. For there is a slight, but non-zero, chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182. But NASA last year succeeded in deviating the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercise -- but with much higher stakes. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By AFP BANGKOK: Thai police swooped on the home of one of the kingdom's most high-profile officers on Monday as part of a series of raids targeting an illegal online gambling network dubbed "Betflix". Most forms of betting are illegal in Thailand, with authorities striving recently to shut down the illicit gambling sites, often foreign-owned, that have sprung up. A sprawling investigation across six provinces saw SWAT teams raid some 30 locations -- including Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn's central Bangkok house. Surachate, well known in Thailand for his regular appearances in the media giving updates on investigations, denied any involvement in the alleged gambling ring. "I'm not worried at all, because I'm not involved in this and I can answer any question," he told reporters outside his home while the raid was under way. Police Major General Trairong Phiwpan said the raids stemmed from a probe into a gambling website called "Betflix" and 12 subsidiary sites. Investigators have issued 23 arrest warrants, he said, including eight for police officers -- though Surachate said he was not among them. Officers conducting the raid said they were unaware whose house it was. Known by the nickname "Big Joke" -- for his seniority, not his sense of humour -- Surachate insisted the search warrant for his home was "irregular" and hinted at rivalries within the force. "Today I see this as nothing more than internal politics within the police," he said. The raid comes only a few days before the selection of a new police chief, with Surachate touted as a possible candidate. The long-serving officer -- nicknamed "the cat with nine lives" -- has been linked to powerful figures in the previous government. He was appointed by ex-deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan as chief of the Immigration Bureau in September 2018. He disappeared in 2019 over unclear reasons, before then-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made him a special adviser on strategy to police in 2021. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office last month, told reporters he was monitoring the situation. "There may be the need to set up an independent investigation committee - because this is a big problem," he said. "It affects the morale and public impression towards the police." Thai police have long been dogged by allegations of endemic corruption. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BANGKOK: Thai police swooped on the home of one of the kingdom's most high-profile officers on Monday as part of a series of raids targeting an illegal online gambling network dubbed "Betflix". Most forms of betting are illegal in Thailand, with authorities striving recently to shut down the illicit gambling sites, often foreign-owned, that have sprung up. A sprawling investigation across six provinces saw SWAT teams raid some 30 locations -- including Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn's central Bangkok house.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Surachate, well known in Thailand for his regular appearances in the media giving updates on investigations, denied any involvement in the alleged gambling ring. "I'm not worried at all, because I'm not involved in this and I can answer any question," he told reporters outside his home while the raid was under way. Police Major General Trairong Phiwpan said the raids stemmed from a probe into a gambling website called "Betflix" and 12 subsidiary sites. Investigators have issued 23 arrest warrants, he said, including eight for police officers -- though Surachate said he was not among them. Officers conducting the raid said they were unaware whose house it was. Known by the nickname "Big Joke" -- for his seniority, not his sense of humour -- Surachate insisted the search warrant for his home was "irregular" and hinted at rivalries within the force. "Today I see this as nothing more than internal politics within the police," he said. The raid comes only a few days before the selection of a new police chief, with Surachate touted as a possible candidate. The long-serving officer -- nicknamed "the cat with nine lives" -- has been linked to powerful figures in the previous government. He was appointed by ex-deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan as chief of the Immigration Bureau in September 2018. He disappeared in 2019 over unclear reasons, before then-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made him a special adviser on strategy to police in 2021. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office last month, told reporters he was monitoring the situation. "There may be the need to set up an independent investigation committee - because this is a big problem," he said. "It affects the morale and public impression towards the police." Thai police have long been dogged by allegations of endemic corruption. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp FARGO Following several recent high-profile crimes in Fargo, questions sprang up about the mental state of the person alleged to be responsible and whether they were legally allowed to have firearms. After Mohamad Barakat, 37, shot and killed one Fargo police officer and seriously wounded two others and a bystander before being shot dead by a fourth officer on July 14, an investigation determined the firearms and explosives he had stockpiled were legally obtained. Police determined Barakat planned to use the weapons to cause mass carnage at the Downtown Fargo Street Fair. During multiple visits to Barakats home by law enforcement and firefighters in years prior, his collection of weapons drew alarm, but again, was deemed lawful. On Aug. 29, the Cass County Sheriffs Office arrested a man after he told the FBI that he threatened a mass shooting at the Horace middle school. James Patrick Donnelly, 35, said he was asked to shoot up a school in order to gain access to a parallel dimension, court documents alleged. He said he did not have guns but that another person would provide them. Because Donnelly faces two felony terrorizing charges and was reported to be suffering a mental health problem, his name could end up in a federal background check database to prohibit him from having firearms, depending on the outcome of his case. In Barakat's case, he had no reported history of mental illness or even a criminal record. The Forum set out to determine what systems are or are not in place to keep mentally unstable people from having firearms so they dont harm themselves or others. From 1 to 8,300 More than a decade ago, North Dakota did poorly in a report on how states were doing at matching mental health records with the federal database that gun dealers use for background checks. The state was ranked 42nd in the analysis by a safety advocacy group after providing only one mental health record to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, as of October 2011. In most cases, a gun seller or a law enforcement officer responding to someone's home would not have known about court orders for mental health hospitalization, because those records were deemed confidential. That same year, the North Dakota Legislature passed a law meant to fix that, requiring courts to pass along those records, limited to name and nonclinical information, to the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation which would forward them to NICS, operated by the FBI. The NICS database also contains names of convicted felons from North Dakota and other states who are prohibited from having firearms. Despite the mental disability law passage in 2011, the system to handle those records didnt go online until June 2014. It took time for everybody to get their electronic process built, said Sally Holewa, North Dakota state court administrator. Since then, court orders have been issued for more than 8,300 North Dakota residents for firearms restrictions under mental disability, according to state court data provided to The Forum. Chief BCI Agent Casey Miller said such a person trying to buy a firearm through a licensed gun seller would be flagged in the FBI database. If I'm on this system they will get a notification that I'm a prohibited person, he said. County by county Gun safety advocates point to the mass shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, as a glaring example of fatal gaps in states mental health reporting systems. Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 people on campus that day, was prohibited from having guns due to a court order deeming him a danger to himself and others. However, the record was not submitted to NICS, allowing him to pass a firearms check and buy weapons used in the mass shooting. Now, 43 states, including North Dakota and Minnesota, have passed mental health records reporting laws, according to the gun violence prevention organization Everytown for Gun Safety. In North Dakota, the 8,313 district court orders in place as of mid-August are classified under several categories pertaining to mental disability. They include people incapacitated by mental illness, mental deficiency, physical illness or disability, or chemical dependency to the extent they cant make responsible decisions. A majority of the court orders in most counties fall under that broad mental health category. Another category is persons deemed sexually dangerous and persons charged with a felony but considered lacking criminal responsibility due to a mental health finding, Holewa said. Also included on the list are people for whom a guardian or conservator has been appointed, in cases of dementia, Alzheimers disease or a traumatic brain injury. Cass County, the most populous in North Dakota, has the largest number of district court orders prohibiting people from having firearms at 1,914. Of those, 1,488 are categorized under mental health, while most of the rest are guardian/conservator cases. There are also seven people in Cass County under the sexually dangerous category who are prohibited from having a firearm. The much more sparsely populated Stutsman County has the second-highest number of such court orders at 1,322. Of those, approximately 1,125 are mental health related. Stutsman County is home to the North Dakota State Hospital in Jamestown, which provides short-term acute inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment. Ward County, which includes Minot, has standing court orders against 967 people prohibiting firearms possession. Grand Forks County has 890 such court orders, and Burleigh County, which includes Bismarck, lists a total of 806 orders. Court records fluctuate The number of court orders for firearms restrictions due to mental disability compiled by the state court system and forwarded to the BCI fluctuates, as names are added and others are removed. Miller said the BCI does not research or analyze the cases passed along. It only sees a name and court case number, with "MH" referring to mental health. We just hit send to NICS and it goes right to the FBI, so we're just kind of a conduit to send that data, he said. If a person's right to firearms possession has been revoked due to mental disability, they may petition at some point to have it restored. In making a determination, the court considers evidence related to the original order, the persons mental health records and changes in the persons condition, according to the North Dakota Court System. The petitioner must prove "by a preponderance of the evidence" that they wont create a danger to public safety and that restoring their firearm rights would not be contrary to public interest. Miller said people added to the NICS database generally stay on it indefinitely until the court notifies the BCI of a change. Holewa said state court puts an end date on court orders in only two instances: If a firearms restriction is vacated because it was reported in error, or if a restriction is removed when it no longer applies. Since North Dakota began electronic recording in 2014 of court orders for firearms restrictions due to mental disability, restrictions made in error have been lifted 48 times and removed due to status changes 81 times. As for a persons underlying reason for mental disability, or any personal circumstances surrounding it, Holewa said the state doesnt keep track of that information. That's just a level of detail thats in the complaints or the petitions but it's not data that we capture, she said. New York, September 24 B hutan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tandi Dorji congratulated India for the remarkable success of the G20 Summit held in Delhi. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the External Affairs Minister for their "adept diplomacy" in achieving unanimous consensus on the comprehensive joint Declaration on the opening day of the G20 Summit and the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor. While addressing the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Tandi Dorji said that the G20 Summit marked a significant milestone with the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member. "Let me begin by extending my heartful congratulations to India for the remarkable success of the G20 Summit held recently in New Delhi. This summit marked a significant milestone with the admission of the African Union as its newest member, ensuring the representation of all 55 African countries within the G20, which was previously limited to South Africa alone," Tandi Dorji said. "Undoubtedly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves recognition for championing the inclusion of the African Union in the G20. His proposal made three months prior to the Summit laid the foundation for this historic decision," he added. He said, "Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge and commend Prime Minister Modi and DrJaishankar for the adept diplomacy in achieving unanimous consensus on the comprehensive Joint Declaration on the opening day of the Summit, as well as the successful launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor." He called India's ties with the Global South "dynamic and multifaceted." He said that India has robust bilateral ties with various nations in the Global South and places significant emphasis on South-South cooperation. "India's relationship with the Global South is both dynamic and multifaceted. The nation has cultivated robust bilateral ties with numerous countries in the Global South and places a significant emphasis on South-South cooperation," Bhutan's Foreign Minister said. "This cooperative approach involves collaborations among these nations to foster mutual development through various forums and initiatives. India also extends technical assistanceand concessional loans to support development projects in partner countries. The Vaccine Maitri Initiative, which was one of the biggest humanitarian initiatives undertaken by India, has provided COVID vaccines to nearly 100 countries around the world," he added. He stated that the partnership between India and Bhutan serves as a "remarkable example" of strong bilateral ties in the Global South. Lauding India's support for Bhutan, Tandi Dorji said that it has not only boosted Bhutan's economy but also enhanced its energy security. "The enduring partnership between Bhutan and India serves as a remarkable example of strong bilateral relations in the Global South. Rooted in shared values and historical ties, this partnership spans various sectors, including trade, education and development," Tandi Dorji said. "India's consistent support for Bhutan's socioeconomic development, coupled with collaborative efforts in the hydropower sector, has not only boosted Bhutan's economy but also enhanced regional energy security. The enduring people-to-people ties between the two nations further strengthened this bond," he added. He said that India stands as a "stalwart leader" of the Global South. Praising India for its "stewardship" of the G20 Presidency, Tandi Dorji said that New Delhi has played a key role in showcasing the concerns and interests of the Global South. He said that India's hosting of the G20 Summit and its dedication to the welfare of the Global South showcases its leadership in the international arena. "In many respects, India stands as a stalwart leader of the Global South, advocating for the interests and concerns of developing nations on the international stage. Through its stewardship of the G20 Presidency, India has played a pivotal role in amplifying the concerns and interests of the Global South, embodying the spirit of solidarity and cooperation among nations. Speaking about the challenges faced by Global South, he said, "the Global South confronts an array of challenges ranging from poverty, income equality and limited access to health care and education to issues such as food insecurity, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, high unemployment rates, political instability, climate change, trade imbalances and digital divide." "Addressing these complex issues necessates a multifaceted approach involving international collaboration, investment in human capital and infrastructure, enhanced governance and accountability, and the adoption of sustainable development practices," he added. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." In his address at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development in New York, Jaishankar began his speech by speaking about India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. "Your presence means a lot to us. It also expresses the sentiments that you feel for India and underlines the import of South-South cooperation. We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, a summit which took place on the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future," Jaishankar said. "Now, it was a challenging summit. It was actually a challenging presidency, and it was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarization as well as a very deep North-South divide. But we were very determined as the Presidency of the G20 to make sure that this organization on which the world really had put so much hope and was able to get back to its core agenda," he added. Bhutan's Foreign Minister commends PM Modi, Jaishankar for achieving consensus at G20 Summit Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New York, September 24 A dministrator of UNDP Achim Steiner has lauded India's G20 presidency and underscored India's "prominent role" in significant initiatives for South-South cooperation. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Steiner said, "So, at the end of very intense UNGA week with over 100 heads of state and hundreds of ministers and civil society representatives discussing the future of development, climate change, but also geopolitics, I think it became clear that India has had a very prominent role, particularly this year G20 presidency, but also many of the significant initiatives for South-South cooperation that we discussed here." He was speaking on the sidelines of the India-UN for Global South Delivering for Development event. Steiner also stated that the UNDP will continue to walk alongside India to aid the developing countries. "This afternoon feature... the United Nations, the United Nations Development Program, and particularly as we look forward to India's leadership. For instance, on digital public infrastructure. UNDP will continue to walk alongside India in helping developing countries take advantage of the digital opportunities of the future," he said. Other countries have also congratulated India's G20 Presidency. Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji on Saturday said India's G20 Presidency was "stunning and exemplary" and termed India a "very strong partner" for Bhutan. Dorji said, "India has always been a very strong partner for Bhutan and will continue to wish India the best. And we hope that India will continue to be the voice of the Global South." "Absolutely stunning, as I mentioned, India's presidency of the G20 was very, very exemplary. In that, it represented all of the global south. And for the entire year, India has always included the participation of all the countries from the Global South. And we are very, very proud to be a partner of India," he added. Speaking to ANI, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata?afa said, "The colleagues who spoke on the presidency of India's G20 encapsulated, I think, the general feeling of the South in terms of India's leadership and stewardship of the development process and in partnerships with the South. And I think there's been a significant leadership role. And you can see by the representation at the meeting today people's appreciation of that leadership, which is very much needed in the current geopolitical framework and architecture." External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, UNGA President and the foreign ministers of several nations, including Bhutan, Dominica participated in the India-UN for Global South Delivering for Development event. Jaishankar called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." In his address at India-UN for Global South Delivering for Development in New York, Jaishankar spoke abou India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. Notably, Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York city, Jaishankar will travel to Washington, DC. UNDP Administrator highlights India's prominent role in South-South cooperation Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! A new partnership between Gov. Doug Burgum's office and the state's department of Workforce Safety and Insurance will offset some of the costs of medical examinations for paid full-time firefighters and law enforcement officers in North Dakota. Employers for these emergency responders are already required to cover the costs of routine medical exams, but they can now receive a maximum reimbursement of $250 per employee to reduce the financial impact of the requirement. The program was announced late last week but will retroactively reimburse employers for qualifying medical examinations that have taken place since the beginning of the month, according to WSI Communications Director Valerie Kingsley. The money for the program comes from the department's safety appropriation funds, Kingsley said. Though it's unclear what the program's cost will be, as it will depend on employer participation, the department has estimated it will spend between $200,000 and $250,000 annually on the initiative. It comes just months after Burgum signed into law a slate of bills passed by the Legislature that expanded state benefits and support for firefighters and law enforcement officers in areas such as retirement benefits, hiring bonuses and workers' compensation coverage. "The Serve & Protect Reimbursement Program demonstrates our deepest gratitude for the invaluable service provided by our firefighters and law enforcement officers," Burgum said in a statement. "We owe it to these brave men and women to ensure they have access to the best possible health care. This program not only alleviates a financial burden but also underscores our commitment to the well-being of those who put their lives on the line every day to keep North Dakota safe." Centre mulls move to cancel OCI cards of Khalistani terrorists, confiscate their properties in India New Delhi, Sep 24 A day after the National Investigation Agency confiscated the properties of Canada-based 'designated individual terrorist' Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, it is learnt that the government has asked the investigative agencies to identify the properties of other terrorists wanted in India sitting abroad. Sources privy to the matter said that the government has asked the agencies to identify the properties of the terrorists settled abroad. The source also said that the government has asked the agencies to identify Khalistani terrorists settled in countries like US, UK, Canada and Australia and cancel their Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) so that they don't come to India. The government plan comes a day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated the properties of Pannun in Chandigarh and Amritsar. The source said that the step will help the government to choke the finances of these terrorists from India and also not allow them to visit here. The source said that the government has identified 19 absconding Khalistani terrorists staying in countries like US, UK, Canada, UAE, Pakistan and other countries. Paramjit Singh Pamma, based in UK, Wadhwa Singh Babbar aka Chacha in Pakistan, Kulwant Singh Muthda, UK, JS Dhaliwal, US, Sukhpak Singh, UK, Harriet Singh aka Rana Sungh, US, Sarabjit Singh Benoor, UK, Kulwant Singh aka Kanta, UK, Harjap Singh aka Jappi Dingh, US, Ranjit Singh Neeta, Pakistan, Gurmeet Singh aka Bagga, Gurpreet Singh aka Baaghi, UK, Jasmin Singh Hakimzada, UAE, Gurjant Singh Dhillon, Australia, Jasbit Singh Rode, Europe and Canada, Amardeep Singh Purewal, US, Jatinder Singh Grewal, Canada, Dupinder Jeet, UK and S Himmat Singh in US The source said that their properties will be confiscated under section 33(5) of UA(P)A. Earlier the security agencies identified a group of 11 individuals, believed to be both gangsters and terrorists, currently residing in Canada, the United States, and Pakistan. Of these, eight suspects are suspected to be operating from within Canada. The list includes the names of gangsters and terrorists like -- Harvinder Sandhu aka Rinda believed to be in Pakistan, Lakhbir Singh aka Landa, Sukhdool Singh aka Sukha Duneke (killed three days ago), Arshdeep Singh aka Arsh Dalla, Ramandeep Singh aka Raman Judge, Charnjit Singh aka Rinku Bihla, Sanawer Dhillon and Gurpinder Singh aka Baba Dalla, all believed to be in Canada. The list also includes names of gangsters and terrorists like Gaurav Patyal Lucky and Anmol Bishnoi believed to be in US. The source said that the government's action will help in dealing with the terrorists who have been staying abroad with OCI cards and choke their movements in India so that they are not able to target the gullible youths for radicalising them to join their movement in India. The source said that the NIA investigations in Pannun case had revealed that his organisation, Sikhs for Justice, was misusing the cyberspace to radicalise gullible youth and to instigate them to undertake terrorist crimes and activities. It also emerged during the NIA probe that Pannun was the "main handler and controller of the SFJ". The SFJ was declared as an 'Unlawful Association' by the Government of India, vide notification on July 10, 2019. Pannun, who was declared a 'designated individual terrorist' by the Government of India on July 1, 2020, has been actively exhorting Punjab-based gangsters and youth over the social media to fight for the cause of independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, NIA probe had shown. The source said that the recent attacks on Indian missions in US, UK and other countries have brought the scanner on these terrorists, who have been staying abroad with OCI cards. Centre mulls move to cancel OCI cards of Khalistani terrorists, confiscate their properties in India Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New York, Sep 24 O ur gut microbiome may have a role to play in our bone health and ward off the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, suggests a study. The findings, published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, could one day provide the opportunity to alter gut microbiomes to achieve better bone health, as scientists learn more about "osteomicrobiology" -- a new term recently used to characterise this relationship. A team from Hebrew SeniorLife and Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research in the US conducted the study of older men to determine whether they could find a potentially modifiable factor contributing to skeletal health. They used high-resolution imaging of the arm and leg. This is significant because low bone density increases the risk of developing osteoporosis, affecting millions of people worldwide over the age of 50, and can increase the risk of fractures. The team found that bacteria called Akkermansia, which has been associated with obesity, and Clostridiales bacterium DTU089, had negative associations with bone health for older adults. DTU089, a bacterium from the class Clostridia, has been described to be more abundant in people with lower physical activity, and lower protein intake. It could be significant because prior studies have found protein intake and physical activity have a definite connection to skeletal health. "We found patterns in which greater abundance of microbiota were associated with worse measures of bone density and microarchitecture. In fact, some bacteria were associated with differences in the bone cross sectional area, suggesting the possibility that certain microbes could influence how the bone changes size with ageing," said Douglas P. Kiel, Senior Scientist at the Marcus Institute. "It is premature to know if the bacterial organisms themselves may have effects on skeletal health," he added. The team proposed additional studies to gain insights regarding associations between specific bacterial species in the intestine and skeletal integrity. They also hope to identify specific functional pathways influenced by the bacteria that could influence the skeleton." "For example, some bacteria can lead to low levels of inflammation that may affect bone health. Ultimately, if findings like this are confirmed, we may be able to target the gut microbiome to influence skeletal health," Kiel said. Study shows our gut microbes may determine bone health Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Washington, September 24 U S spy agencies provided information to Ottawa after the killing of a Khalistan terrorist in the Vancouver area but Canada developed the most definitive intelligence that led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make allegations against India, triggering a diplomatic standoff, The New York Times reported citing Western allied officials. In the aftermath of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, US intelligence agencies shared context with their Canadian counterparts, contributing to Canada's determination of India's role in the incident. However, what appears to be the crucial piece of evidence, intercepted communications involving Indian diplomats in Canada, indicating their involvement in the plot, was collected by Canadian officials, as confirmed by allied officials, according to the report in the NYT. While US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken has called upon India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, US officials have been cautious about triggering any diplomatic backlash from India. Nevertheless, the revelation of US intelligence involvement risks "ensnaring" Washington in the ongoing diplomatic dispute between Canada and India, just as the US seeks to strengthen its partnership with New Delhi, NYT reported. US intelligence agencies did not become aware of the plot or evidence implicating India until after Nijjar was killed, according to the allied officials. Prior to his killing on June 18 outside a gurduwara, Canadian authorities had repeatedly warned Nijjar about the threats against him and advised him to avoid going to the temple. After his death, American officials informed their Canadian counterparts that they had not possessed any advance information about the plot. They emphasized that if they had, they would have promptly shared it with Ottawa under the "duty to warn" doctrine observed by intelligence agencies, according to two allied officials. The United States routinely shares substantial amounts of intercepted communications with its closest intelligence partners, including Canada. However, in this case, the contextual information regarding the assassination was deliberately shared as part of a comprehensive package of various intelligence streams, the NYT reported. The US officials have been cautious about discussing the assassination. While the United States aims to assist Canada, its close ally, it also seeks to avoid alienating India, a partner with whom it hopes to expand ties as a counterbalance to China's growing influence in Asia. The accusations have strained diplomatic relations between Ottawa and New Delhi, leading both countries to expel each other's intelligence officers, with India suspending visas for Canadians.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian officials have refrained from disclosing the specific intelligence gathered regarding India. Canadian authorities argue that it is crucial not to jeopardise the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's ongoing investigation into the murder, according to the newspaper report. Allied officials have refrained from providing detailed descriptions of the intelligence shared by the United States, while a Canadian government official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the information, confirmed that they had received intelligence from multiple countries. India, however, dismissed the allegations calling them "absurd and motivated". US intel involvement risks 'ensnaring' Washington in ongoing India-Canada row: Report Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Study finds ways to analyse brain signals to look into brain illness North Gyeongsang Province, September 24 A nalysing and interpreting brain signals is critical for investigating brain diseases and developing novel treatments. Although neural probes linked to the brain can detect minuscule biosignals, they cannot amplify or analyse them, necessitating the deployment of a second amplifier. The research team uncovered a solution in common household "inkjet printers" that have been on the market for some time. A research team led by Professor Sungjune Jung at Pohang University of Science and Technology, PhD candidate Yongwoo Lee, Professor Eun-Hee Kim from Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital, and Professor George Malliaras from the University of Cambridge developed an integrated sensor capable of both capture and detection. The study's findings will be published as the inner cover of Advanced Materials, a respected journal in the field of materials research, in recognition of the team's groundbreaking effort. Inkjet printing is a technology that generates patterns by ejecting minuscule ink droplets, each on the scale of picoliter, onto either paper or a substrate. The initial step taken by the research team involved crafting an ultra-thin substrate, which is only one-hundredth the thickness of a human hair. This was achieved by employing an exceptionally flexible material that easily adheres to the brain's surface. Subsequently, the team harnessed inkjet technology to imprint a sensor onto this substrate, one that possesses the unique capability of detecting, amplifying and processing bio-signals. In essence, they developed a sensor for brain signal amplification. Following the sensor's development, the research team conducted experiments involving mice. The results showcased the sensor's swift recording of high-resolution brain-originating signals upon attachment to the rats' cerebral cortex. Professor Sungjune Jung who led the research explained, "This technology empowers the seamless creation of patterns in desired areas, paving the way for future manufacturing of customized bio-signal measurement devices." The study was conducted with the support of the Basic Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Regional Future Science and Technology Program by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Study finds ways to analyse brain signals to look into brain illness Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 24 I ndian Navy chief, Admiral R. Hari Kumar attended the 25th International Seapower Symposium in the US, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. At the conference, the CNS spoke extensively about the challenges of Human Resource Management, with specific reference to recruitment and retention of trained personnel and India's initiatives towards addressing these through the "Agnipath" scheme, empowering women and driving the Indian Navy into a gender-neutral force. According to the ministry, the ISS is conducted by the US Navy at US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island and provides the opportunity to engage with the FFCs towards the shared vision of enhancing maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The visit of the Chief of the Naval Staff to the US provided a significant opportunity for apex level navy to navy engagements for deepening bilateral cooperation as well as engaging with diverse partners across the Indo-Pacific, it said. Admiral Hari Kumar also held bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the ISS with his counterparts from various navies including of the US, Australia, Egypt, Fiji, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the UK, a Defence Ministry official added. The extensive engagements during the visit are a demonstration of the Indian Navy's steadfastness towards realising the vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and an international rules-based order, the official said. During the Indian Navy chief's visit, extensive deliberations were also held towards exploring greater IN-USN operational engagements at bilateral and multilateral exercises such as the Malabar, RIMPAC, Sea Dragon and Tiger Triumph. Regular subject matter expert exchange also takes place between both the navies to institutionalise interoperability in various fields, the ministry official added. Indian Navy chief participates in Seapower Symposium in US Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Kathmandu, Sep 24 N epal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Sunday arrived in Beijing to attend the Nepal-China Business Summit. After arriving here, he attended the opening of 19th Asian Games. He is scheduled to address the Nepal-China Business Summit later in the day. More than 100 industrialists are expected to take part in the summit, organised by Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), The Himalyan Times reported. Nepal's ambassador to China Bishnu Pukar Shrestha will host a dinner in honour of Dahal and the Nepali entourage today. On Saturday, Dahal held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during which he told the latter that Nepal supports a series of important concepts and initiatives proposed by China. Prachanda is on a week-long visit to China, beginning September 23, during which he is scheduled to hold bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang. On September 25, he will meet Li in Beijing where both leaders will hold delegation-level talks followed by the signing of the some agreements and understandings. Dahal in China for Business Summit Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mumbai, Sep 24 A ctors Shubhangi Atre and Rohitashv Gour, who share the screen space in sitcom 'Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain', will visit the enchanting city of Indore to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Shubhangi plays Angoori Bhabhi, while Rohitashv is seen as her playful Laddo ke Bhaiya, Manmohan Tiwari. Shubhangi, hailing from Indore, looks forward to embracing the spirit of Ganesh Utsav in her hometown. In contrast, Rohitashv eagerly anticipates discovering the city's renowned night market, indulging in street food, and infusing additional excitement into this magnificent festival. Sharing her excitement, Shubhangi said "I am excited to participate in the celebration of Ganesh Utsav in Indore alongside my co-star, affectionately known as Ladoo Ke bhaiya. My beloved hometown, Indore, holds a special place in my heart, and I have cherished witnessing Ganesh Puja festivities since childhood." "The city comes alive with a vibrant atmosphere as devoted individuals gather at renowned pandals to pray to Lord Ganesha. This time, I am enthusiastic about exploring popular spots and revisiting my cherished locations in Indore," she shared. Added Shubhangi "The prospect of reuniting with my family, friends, and devoted fans intensifies my anticipation, and I'm eagerly counting down the days until this unforgettable experience commences." Rohitashv shared "Much like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh also boasts incredible Ganpati celebrations, and I'm thrilled to join in these festivities and connect with our fans." The show airs on &TV. Shubhangi Atre, Rohitashv Gour to celebrate Ganeshotsav in Indore Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 24 I ndian and US armies are going to participate in joint military exercise "Yudh Abhyas" in Alaska, the Defence Ministry announced on Sunday. The theme of the exercise is "Employment of an Integrated Battle Group in Mountain/Extreme Climatic Conditions" under Chapter VII of United Nations mandate As per the ministry, the lead battalion from the Indian side is from the Maratha Light Infantry, and the 1-24 Infantry Battalion of 1st Brigade Combat Team will participate from the US side. The 19th edition of "Yudh Abhyas" will be conducted from September 25 to October 8 in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and the Indian Army contingent comprises 350 personnel. An annual exercise conducted jointly by the Indian Army and the United States Army, the previous edition of the exercise was conducted in Auli, Uttarakhand in November 2022, the official added. A Defence Ministry official said that both sides will practice a series of tactical drills to enhance interoperability in conducting UN peacekeeping operations. Personnel from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their experiences and best practices. A command post exercise and expert academic discussions on selected topics will also form part of the schedule. The scope of the field training exercise includes validation of Integrated Battle Groups against hostile forces at the brigade level, integrated Surveillance Grid at the brigade/battalion level, employment of heliborne/ airborne elements and force multipliers, validation of logistics and casualty management during operations, evacuation and combat medical aid and other aspects as applicable to high altitude areas and extreme climatic conditions, the official added. The Defence Ministry official said that the exercise will also involve exchange of views and best practices in drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, obstruction clearance, mine and IED warfare. "Ex Yudh Abhyas-23" will facilitate both armies to mutually learn from each other and further strengthen the bonds between them . Indian, US army to hold joint exercise in Alaska Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Three new criminal law bills don't have colonial imprint but have flavour of Indian soil: Amit Shah New Delhi, September 24 U nion Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday addressed legal professionals during 'International Lawyers Conference 2023' held in Delhi and said India's criminal justice system was imprinted with colonial laws. The three new laws do not have a colonial imprint but have the flavour of Indian soil, Shah said. The focus of these three laws is to protect the constitutional and human rights of the citizens as well as their own, he said. Three new laws are coming into the criminal justice system and are coming after almost 160 years with a completely new approach and new system. Along with the new initiative, three initiatives have also been taken by the government to create a law-friendly ecosystem. The basic objective of the old laws was to strengthen British rule and to punish, not to do justice. The purpose of these three new laws is to provide justice, not punishment. Here is one step in delivering penal justice, said Shah. On new criminal law provisions, Shah said, "Many changes have been made in the new laws to promote technology. The definition of documents has been greatly expanded, legal recognition has been given to electronic and digital records, messages available on digital devices have been recognized, and summons will also be considered valid in all types of electronic modes, from SMS to email." Further talking about changes being made in some of the laws, Shah stressed that no law is ultimate and changes need to be made for better implementation of laws. "Whether it is GST or Insolvency Act, the changes being made in these are because of the errors faced after their implementation. It is important for any government or a law-making agency to admit that any law is not in its final form. Changes should be made according to the issues which come up over time after their implementation because the goal of making a law is to establish a smooth system, not to establish the supremacy of the lawmakers," said Shah. The Union Home Minister also said, "The purpose of making laws is to create a smooth system, not to establish the supremacy of the lawmakers. Therefore, the changes taking place in these laws are making them more relevant." During the event organised by Bar Council of India, for the first time Vidhi Ratn Award was also given to five legal luminaries including former Attorney General Late Soli Sorabjee, Senior Advocate K Parasaran, Senior Advocate KK Venupal, Senior Advocate Fali Nariman and Late Ram Jethmalani by the Union Home Minister in the presence of Supreme Court Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Sanjev Khanna and PS Narsimha. Bar Council of India has organized the International Lawyers Conference 2023 in association with the Law Society of England and Wales and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. It was a mega event that aimed to pave the way for introspective discourse and constructive dialogue on multiple issues concerning bar, bench and legal professions. Three new criminal law bills don't have colonial imprint but have flavour of Indian soil: Amit Shah Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New York, September 24 E xternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently in New York to participate in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, has been engaging in meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the event. A video shared on the social media platform X captures Jaishankar's interactions with his counterparts, including Sameh Shoukrey of Egypt, Gen Jeje Odongo of Uganda, Constantinos Kombos of Cyprus, Carlos Pereira of Guinea Bissau, and Abdul Momen of Bangladesh. Additionally, he also paid a visit to Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia during his stay in New York. https//twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1705917683634520431 In the video, Jaishankar is also seen meeting the Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa and his Bhutanese counterpart Tandi Dorji, Dominica's Foreign Minister Vince Henderson and Guyana's Foreign Minister Hugg Todd, among many others. It's worth noting that the External Affairs Minister is in New York to lead the Indian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly session. As per an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, he is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26. Following his engagements in New York, he will proceed to Washington, DC. Earlier on Friday, the External Affairs Minister had a productive and busy day of engagements with his counterparts from multiple countries on the margins of the 78th United National General Assembly in New York. On Saturday External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Cambodia's Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Manet Hun on the sidelines of 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Earlier, Jaishankar held a meeting with Guinea Bissau counterpart Carlos Pereira and discussed expanding the development partnership and enhancing trade and investment between the two nations. In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet FM Carlos Pereira of Guinea Bissau on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed expanding our development partnership and enhancing our trade and investment." EAM S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with his Cyprus counterpart Constantinos Kombos here on Saturday on the margins of the 78th UNGA session. After shaking hands, both the leaders held bilateral talks in the presence of officials from both sides. Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, "Nice to meet Foreign Minister @ckombos of Cyprus this morning. Conveyed best wishes to President @Christodulides. Talked about follow-up steps to my visit last December. India's interest in the Mediterranean is steadily growing. Cyprus will always be a valued partner." Prior to this, the EAM Jaishankar met Uganda's Foreign Minister General Odongo Jeje. During the meeting, the two leaders noted the progress of various bilateral initiatives. In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "So glad to meet FM @GenJejeOdongo of Uganda again, now on #UNGA78 sidelines. Fondly recalled my visit to Uganda. Happy to note that the progress of various bilateral initiatives. Offered our fullest support on their upcoming NAM and G77 Presidencies." He also met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and held bilateral talks. After meeting his Egyptian counterpart, Jaishankar posted on X, "Great to see my friend FM of Egypt Sameh Shoukry in New York on #UNGA78 sidelines. Appreciate his warm words for the Indian Presidency of G20. Took stock of the great progress in our bilateral cooperation. 2023 has been a landmark year in India-Egypt ties. Committed to take them forward." Day 2 UNGA: Jaishankar meets World leaders in New York, shares video Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up or thumbs down on the issues from the past week. Up Oil and gas development in western North Dakota is pushing a rise in energy demand in North Dakota, and the need for more electricity is only expected to grow as outside companies eye the state for new energy-intensive industrial projects. North Dakota Transmission Authority Director Claire Vigesaa says rising demand in the west can cause grid congestion in other parts of the state. He compares it to a vehicle incident snarling traffic on the interstate. But the good news is that there are a number of electricity transmission projects in the works to help meet the growing demand. Basin Electric Power Cooperative has two projects going in the west, along with plans for another two power lines connecting the U.S. and Canada. Two new transmission lines also are planned in eastern North Dakota, involving Otter Tail Power Co. and Montana-Dakota Utilities. There also are efforts to update existing infrastructure that's aging. Energy is a backbone of the state's economy, and it's good to see industry stepping up to the plate to address potential issues. Down The federal government is implementing a new system for computing flood insurance premiums, and some states aren't happy about it. Ten of them including North Dakota have sued, trying to block sharp increases in rates in some areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the new method has resulted in premium reductions or little or no increase for most policyholders. But FEMA figures also show huge impending increases in some parts of Louisiana. Suing states say that could lead people to back out of home purchases, abandon mortgages, sell homes that have been in families for generations, or drop their insurance. FEMA argues its new premium system is an improvement over past methods, and wants the lawsuit dismissed. The situation seems to beg for some sort of compromise, to ensure everyone who needs flood insurance can get it at an affordable price. Up Natural gas production and gas capture are at historic levels in the Bakken. That's according to the most recent figures released by the state, for the month of July. And oil production that month rose to a level not seen in two years. Meanwhile, oil prices are on the rise. State Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms says workforce shortages are still a problem in the oil patch, and the drilling rig count is lower than officials would like. But the North Dakota Petroleum Council says the good news coming out of the Bakken shows the industry's commitment to overcoming obstacles. Down More than 80% of American Indian tribes in the U.S. wont receive a full suite of detailed demographic data from the 2020 census. That's because of new privacy methods the U.S. Census Bureau implemented to protect the confidentiality of participants. Census numbers determine funding for social programs, education, roads and elderly care for tribes that have been historically undercounted. It also helps determine political power. A Federal Reserve report says the situation will harm the ability of self-governing tribes to meet the needs of their citizens." The limited data is a disservice to tribes across the country. United Nations, Sep 24 U N General Assembly President Dennis Francis and a parade of Global South leaders have hailed India's contributions to fellow South nations and being their voice to the G20 summit. "From bolstering digital public infrastructure and innovative capacity-building, to strengthening the existing supply chains and addressing the debt crisis India is setting an example for many UN Member States from the Global South," he said on Saturday at the India-UN for Global South event on the sidelines of the United Nations High-Level General Assembly session. India successfully landing the Chandrayaan on the South Pole of the moon was an inspiration for all countries on what they can achieve when they have access to science. India's pioneering endeavours benefit the entire South, he added. "India's recent G20 Presidency marked a historic milestone, being the first to usher the African Union into the group as a permanent member a strong symbol of solidarity and cooperation across the Global South," he said. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that India's presidency of the G20 "was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp east-west polarisation as well as a very deep north-south divide". But India was "very determined" to get the growth of the Global South into the core agenda of the G20. "The New Delhi summit of the G20 has, in many ways laid the foundation for the international community, really, to look at its development prospects, hopefully with greater optimism certainly in our expectation with more resources," he said. "Today, geopolitical calculations and geopolitical contests are impacting very basic requirements of many countries, including the affordable access to food, to fertilizers, and to energy," he said. Facing this situation, India pushed the G20 to agree on the reform of international financial institutions and a green development bank. Jaishankar said "When it does come to South-South cooperation, we have endeavoured to walk the talk", and was working on development projects in about 80 countries around the world. Hari Menon of the Melinda Bill Gates Foundation and Shombi Sharp, the UNDP administrator in India, signed a letter of intent for cooperation in developing projects alongside India. Two areas of India's South cooperation were prominent in the testimonials of the leaders Sharing and developing digital technologies, and the supply of Covid-19 vaccines. Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa spoke of the Samoan Knowledge Project for "building inclusive knowledge societies". Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji said that India providing Covid vaccines to about 100 countries "was one of the biggest humanitarian initiatives". "The enduring partnership between Bhutan and India serves as a remarkable example of strong bilateral relations in the global south are rooted in shared values and historical ties," he said. Mauritius Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin said that India's economy took off after the 1993 reforms, but having achieved a breakthrough, it did not say, "bye, bye" to the countries of the South and leave them back, instead it is sharing its resources and expertise to bring them along. The Metro Express Project in Mauritius that India worked on "has transformed the landscape of transportation and it serves as an exemplary model of meaningful South-South cooperation". Dominica Foreign Minister Vince Henderson appealed to India to help Haiti, a Caribbean neighbour that has descended into chaos. He suggested that India send personnel to the international force led by Kenya and help Haiti get back on its feet. Henderson said that India is emerging as an important player on the world stage and should get a permanent seat on the Security Council. Hugh Hilton Todd, Foreign Minister of Guyana, said that India now has a seat at the table of international decision-making and it "is taking us on board". It is saying to the world that India has been through challenges and now "we want to take on the burden, we have got to take all that responsibility of investing in humans", he said. St. Lucia Foreign Minister Alva Romanus Baptiste said "India is taking its place in a multipolar world. India is rising." He said that India was a bridge across the East-West and North-South divides. Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Khaleel said that a significant contribution to his tourist-dependent country's fast recovery from the Covid pandemic was from India. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) UNGA prez, Global South leaders hail India's contribution to South nations Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Shimla, September 24 S tudents of Loreto Convent Tara Hall donated to 'Aapda Rahat Kosh', which aims to provide disaster relief and support to the people affected by the monsoon fury in the state, an official statement said on Sunday. Two students of the Loreto Convent Tara Hall in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, Aahana Verma and Jiya Verma donated Rs 10,229 and Rs 9,806 respectively by presenting their 'Gullaks' to State Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the statement read. "It is a matter of happiness that the children are also sharing their responsibility for this noble cause by making contributions to mitigate the sufferings of the disaster affected people serving as an inspiring example of solidarity and compassion", CM Sukhu said. It is worth mentioning that Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a catastrophe this year with the monsoon causing a massive infrastructural damage and claiming several lives. According to officials, the current monsoon season has claimed the lives of 400 individuals in rain-related incidents and caused damage to more than 13,000 houses. Incessant rains in Himachal Pradesh have led to multiple landslides and cloudbursts in several places. Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution demanding the Union government to declare destruction caused by recent heavy rains in the state as a "national disaster." Earlier on September 18, the Himachal Pradesh government moved a resolution in the state assembly recommending the central government to declare the destructions caused by heavy rains in the state during the monsoon season this year a "national disaster." According to state officials, Himachal Pradesh has incurred a loss of Rs. 12000 crores in the rain-induced calamities during the monsoon this year so far. Himachal Pradesh: Students of Loreto Convent Tara Hall donate to disaster relief fund Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Dubai, September 24 D ubai's Roads and Transport Authority has automated the issuance of supplementary information sign permits, which are now accessible on RTA's website . The step is part of RTA's ongoing digital transformation drive aimed at providing convenient and smart services accessible to customers anytime and anywhere. Service requesters can log on to RTA's website and submit applications for supplementary information sign permits. This system is now integrated with various other systems, including the financial and electronic mapping systems as well as the company licensing systems of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. RTA issues permits enabling the installation of supplementary signs at specific locations. These permits are granted to entities such as health and emergency facilities, transportation hubs, public places, and major tourist destinations, provided they meet the stipulated conditions provided in the Executive Council Resolution of 2013 No. of 2021, which regulates the issuance of supplementary information signs on Dubai roads. Accordingly, the design, installation, maintenance, and removal of supplementary information signs must comply with the standards as well as the legal and technical specifications outlined in the Executive Council's Resolution and RTA's Traffic Control Means Manual. The system enhances operational efficiency, reduces paper use, and streamlines procedures for all customers. It underscores RTA's commitment to elevating service standards and complying with the best practices to maximise customer satisfaction. It aligns with RTA's strategic objective of enhancing competitiveness and making people happier. The system enables customers to apply for and obtain permits via RTA's website, eliminating the need for paper-based documentation. The service operates round-the-clock, providing customers with the flexibility to access it at their convenience, without visiting RTA service centres. Once the automated payment is completed, the permit is electronically issued. The system sends notifications to customers via their mobile phones and e-mails to keep them updated on the status of their applications. This new service enables users to renew, cancel, or inquire about the status of their permit. The designing, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and removal of supplementary signs must be overseen by RTA's approved or appointed contractor, who has to provide RTA with installation plans after conducting field studies of locations where the signs will be positioned. RTA automates issuance of supplementary information sign permits Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Manila, September 24 T he Philippines has strongly criticized China for the installation of what they have referred to as a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, according to CNN. The floating barrier was found by Philippine warships on Friday during a normal marine sweep, according to a statement by Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela on X, previously known as Twitter. It was around 300 metres in length. Bajo de Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal, is a small but strategic reef and fertile fishing ground 130 miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon. The shoal, which China calls Huangyandao, is one of a number of disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea, which is home to various territorial disputes. "The Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources strongly condemn the China Coast Guard's installation of a floating barrier in the Southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc, which prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities," the statement read. Following the arrival of a Philippine government vessel in the region, according to images given by Tarriela showing the purported floating barrier and claims made by three Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat, the floating barrier was built, CNN reported. This Monday, the Philippine coast guard released a video showing extensive swaths of shattered and bleached coral, leading authorities to charge China with widespread devastation in the region. The Philippines has accused China's shadowy maritime militia of causing extensive coral reef destruction in the South China Sea, which has ignited a public dispute between the two nations. Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard have revealed substantial damage to coral reefs along the Rozul Reef and Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. These underwater features fall within the Philippines' internationally recognized exclusive economic zone and are located near Palawan, a southwestern island chain facing the South China Sea. However, China asserts sovereignty over a significant portion of the South China Sea, challenging competing claims by neighbouring countries and international rulings. Between August 9 and September 11, the Philippine coast guard reported monitoring 33 Chinese vessels near Rozul Reef and approximately 15 Chinese ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal. The presence of crushed corals strongly suggests potential dumping, possibly involving dead corals that were previously processed and then returned to the seabed. The Philippine military had previously accused China's maritime militia of causing extensive destruction in the area. However, China initially remained silent on the allegations until its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, refuted the claims as "false and groundless." Mao advised Philippine authorities not to utilize fabricated information for political purposes, according to CNN. China has asserted "indisputable sovereignty" over a vast portion of the South China Sea, including the Spratly chain, which consists of 100 small islands and reefs. These territorial claims are contested, in full or part, by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. China's actions in the South China Sea, including the construction of military installations on reefs and atolls, have challenged not only the Philippines' sovereignty but also the marine biodiversity of the highly disputed region. Philippines condemns China for installing floating barrier in disputed South China Sea Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Paris, Sep 25 F rench President Emmanuel Macron has announced his decision to withdraw the country's ambassador and end all military cooperation with Niger amid a coup in the West African nation. In a statement on Sunday, the President said "France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France." He added that military co-operation was "over" and French troops would leave in "the months to come", the BBC reported. The military junta seized power in Niger in July. It is one of several former French colonies in West Africa where the military has recently seized control, following Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Chad.Last month, a coup was staged in Gabon. Currently, there are about 1,500 French soldiers in the landlocked West African country. In his statement, Macron went on to say that he still regarded ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as the country's "sole legitimate authority" and had informed him of his decision. He described the deposed president as a "hostage". "He was targeted by this coup d'etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice," the BBC quoted Macron as saying. Meanwhile, the military junta in Niger welcomed Macron's decision, saying it was "a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger". France to withdraw envoy, end military cooperation with Niger amid coup: Macron Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Pristina/Belgrade, Sep 25 K osovo and Serbia have traded accusations over a deadly standoff at a Serbian Orthodox monastery during which one policeman and three gunmen were killed. Sunday's incident between ethnic Serb gunmen and police in Banjska village, northern Kosovo, marked one of the deadliest escalations in Kosovo for years, and follows months of mounting tension between the two sides. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but Serbia does not recognise it. The shooting began at about 3 a.m. on Sunday, after Kosovan police said they arrived in Banjska, where about 30 heavily armed gunmen had earlier barricaded themselves in the monastery near the Serbian border. Three of the gunmen were killed in the standoff through the day as police mounted what Kosovo's interior minister Xhelal Svecla described as a "clearance operation". "We put this territory under control. It was done after several consecutive battles," the BBC quoted the Minister as saying. The local authorities said six people were arrested, and a significant number of weapons was seized. Meanwhile, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti blamed "Serbia-sponsored criminals" for the incursion, saying they were "professionals, with military and police background" who were financed and motivated by Belgrade. But Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic hit back, blaming Kurti for months of "provocations", adding that the three gunmen killed were Kosovo Serbs. While describing the death of the Kosovo police officer as "absolutely reprehensible", he said Kurti bore responsibility for the incident. "His only wish is to drag us into a war with NATO and that's the only thing he does all day". Tensions have escalated in Kosovo, after violent clashes followed disputed local elections in May, reports the BBC. Kosovo Albanian mayors were installed in majority-ethnic Serb areas, after local residents boycotted the polls Kosovo, Serbia trade accusations over deadly monastery standoff Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Tokyo, September 25 A mid a resurgence of tourism after the end of coronavirus-related border control measures the Japanese government is looking to expand its electronic visa system to streamline application procedures for foreign visitors, Kyodo News reported on Sunday. The Foreign Ministry began the online service in March in 11 countries and regions, with China added to the system in June. Among its conveniences, it enables eligible applicants to obtain short-term stay visas without going to their local Japanese embassy or consulate. Kyodo News reported quoting the data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation showed that the Japanese Foreign Ministry issued about 15.19 million foreign tourists. The figure represents about 69 per cent of the total number recorded in the same period of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic emerged. An official from the Ministry's Foreign Nationals' Affairs Division said that "the rate of online applicants is increasing. The system allows for smooth issuance of documents, and it is very likely to be contributing to the recovery in inbound tourism." The digitization of the visa system has expedited the processing times and reduced staff workload. "Inbound tourist numbers are on an upward trend, meaning we could at some point become unable to respond with the current workforce. I hope we can progress further with bringing the system online," the official said. Under the scheme, applicants from all eligible countries and regions except China can pay for visa fees using credit cards. Users are informed of the results of their screening by email. By accessing the system's website, successful applicants can present their visa issuance notice from their smartphones when boarding a flight to Japan or entering the country. The 12 countries and regions are Brazil, Britain, Canada, Cambodia, China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Japan looks to promote e-visas amid surge in inbound tourists Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Washington DC, September 25 N early five months after Hollywood screenwriters went on a strike, a tentative deal has been struck to end the impasse between writers and studios that has impacted the television and movie industry. The Writers Guild of America on Sunday signed a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a labour group representing studios and streaming services, Deadline reported. The writers' strike began on May 2 this year after 11,500 WGA members stopped working when their contract expired. Among the issues they were protesting included increased pay, the use of Artificial Intelligence in the creation of scripts, and the size of diminished writing staffs linked to streaming show performance. "The WGA and AMPTPT have reached a tentative agreement," the two groups said in a joint statement on Sunday evening. "We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language," the WGA told its members in a release, which the US-based media outlet Deadline said came after five days of long negotiations. The deal was agreed on after five days of negotiations after a meeting with union officials and four top media CEOs that began on September 20 and stretched into the weekend. Details of the WGA's tentative agreement have not been released but will be revealed by the guild ahead of membership ratification votes. The next steps in the process will see the WGA negotiating committee vote on "whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval" in votes tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, the guild said on Sunday, as per Deadline. The three-year contract agreement must be approved by the guild's board and members before the strike officially ends. The WGA informed its members that it is still on strike, but that all protests are currently suspended. More than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America had began the strike in May, claiming they aren't paid fairly in the streaming era. "Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal ... the studios' responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing," said a statement from the union leadership. Meanwhile, The 160,000-member Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a labour union has been on a strike from July this year against film and television industries has congratulated the WGA on "getting over the biggest hurdles with AMPTP". "SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency, and solidarity on the picket lines. While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP's tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members," the statement cited by Variety said. "Since the day the WGA strike began, SAG-AFTRA members have stood alongside the writers on the picket lines. We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand," the SAG-AFTRA added. According to US-based media outlet Variety, this was the second time in the history of Hollywood that actors had joined writers on the picket lines. Hollywood writers reach tentative deal with studios to end nearly 5-month-old strike Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Manila, September 25 T he Asian Development Bank gave its approval for a substantial USD 500 million loan on September 22, aimed at bolstering Indonesia's development initiatives and reform priorities. Established in 1966, ADB is a multilateral development bank owned by 68 members, with 49 representing the region. According to a news release by ADB, this funding will play a pivotal role in creating an environment conducive to investments, simplifying trade barriers, and elevating enterprises. Notably, this loan marks the second of three subprograms within the Competitiveness, Industrial Modernization and Trade Acceleration Program, building on the achievements of the first subprogram sanctioned in October 2021. Under the aegis of subprogram 2, the Indonesian government has diligently undertaken a series of measures to enhance the investment climate. Of significant note is the expedited approval of business licenses, achieved by updating the online single-submission process. This revamped, risk-based approach seamlessly integrates the processes of national, subnational, and ministry-level approvals. Furthermore, to attract additional investments and facilitate Indonesia's transition to a low-carbon economy, the government has deepened the reforms initiated in subprogram 1. This includes promoting investments in energy efficiency and creating an environment conducive to green investments. A particularly noteworthy development is the approval of foreign direct investment for the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries, with five high-value contracts signed, expected to generate a minimum of 49,000 jobs. To address trade barriers, the government has implemented three new systems in line with the National Logistics Ecosystem Masterplan . These digital systems serve to connect the public and private sectors within the logistics chain efficiently. An online payment platform for logistics services, backed by six banks employing a single operating system for port operators, has been rolled out. Moreover, enhancements to the national single window and the fortification of government procurement competitiveness have been introduced. In an effort to elevate enterprises, the government has worked to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem and bolster the capacity of businesses to adopt a more export and technology-oriented approach. Special emphasis has been placed on enterprises owned by women, often lacking awareness and capacity to engage in government procurement. A significant achievement has been the establishment of an integrated sex-disaggregated system for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. This system will be instrumental in tracking, analyzing, and reporting on the performance of businesses owned by women. ADB Country Director for Indonesia, Jiro Tominaga, emphasized the necessity of ongoing structural reforms to foster growth, stimulate investment, create employment opportunities, improve the business climate, and enhance trade. Tominaga said, "To achieve high-income status by 2045, the government anticipates that Indonesia's gross domestic product must grow by at least 6.0% annually, significantly above the pre-pandemic average of 5.3%. Indonesia is making good progress in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but ongoing structural reforms are needed to boost its growth potential by stimulating investment, job creation, improved business climate, and trade". "Policy reforms under the program will help Indonesia attract more investments, including in green and sustainable businesses, ease trade barriers, and empower local enterprises", Tominaga added. These reforms align with Indonesia's vision of achieving high-income status by 2045, requiring an annual GDP growth rate of at least 6.0 per cent, notably higher than the pre-pandemic average of 5.3 per cent. The program is well-positioned to facilitate these objectives, enabling Indonesia to attract investments, particularly in green and sustainable sectors, remove trade barriers, and empower local enterprises. The CITA aligns harmoniously with Indonesia's Vision 2045 and the National Medium-Term Development Plan 2020-2024. It forms an integral component of ADB's country partnership strategy for Indonesia, 2020-2024, with a particular focus on accelerating economic recovery and strengthening climate resilience. ADB remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific region while persistently working toward the eradication of extreme poverty. ADB approves USD 500 million loan to support Indonesia's development and reform priorities Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Ghaziabad, September 25 S pain's Ambassador to India Jose Maria Ridao has said the country is proud to see the C-295 MW military transport aircraft in India and there is a tender for six submarines for India. Speaking on the C-295 MW military transport aircraft, Ridao said "The induction is proof that when Spain engages with one date, we deliver the plane on that date. So we have another programme, a very important programme for the Navy and the Indian government is thinking about how we can proceed with the offer." The first C-295 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed at Air Force Station in Gujarat's Vadodara on Wednesday, officials said. The aircraft was flown by Group Captain PS Negi and took off from Bahrain, IAF officials told ANI. The aircraft had taken off from Spain on September 15 from Seville and made three stopovers in Malta, Egypt and Bahrain before reaching Vadodara. The C295 is a versatile tactical transport airplane that is tailored for missions that range from carrying troops and cargo to signals intelligence. It is capable of carrying up to nine tonnes of payload or as many as 71 troops at a maximum cruise speed of 260 knots. Under the current deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems in India The Spanish Ambassador to India said "We are very proud and we're very happy to see this plane here in India. But don't forget that relations are much bigger than this...Now there is a tender for six submarines for India and we presented our offer. We think it's the best offer in the market. At the same time, Spain is ready to transfer technology..." On India-Spain defence cooperation, he said this cooperation and partnership in the defence industry is very important. "We don't see India only as a market in the defence industry. We see India as India with many other things. We think also about cultural relations, we think about trade, civil trade, we think also about visas and these kinds of things since India is a country in transition...So we have to reflect on the whole relationship and not concentrate and focus only on one aspect." Meanwhile, Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal VR Chaudhari recently held talks with Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles and discussed matters pertaining to strengthening the bilateral relationship between both countries. Taking to X, India Air Force informed, "On the sidelines of his visit to formally accept the first C-295 aircraft, the CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari called on the Defence Minister of Spain, Ms Margarita Robles. Matters pertaining to strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries were discussed during the meeting. Spain proud to see C-295 transport aircraft in India: Ambassador Jose Maria Ridao Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Lunch Break[1] Wolf Wondratschek[2] Translated by xia23 She sits in a sidewalk cafe. Immediately she crosses her legs. She doesnt have much time. She turns pages in a fashion magazine. The parents know that she is pretty. They dont like to see that. As an example, she has friends. Nevertheless she doesnt say that is her best friend, when she introduces a boyfriend at home. For example, men laugh and look over, imagining her face without sunglasses. The sidewalk cafe is crowded. She knows what she wants. There is also a young girl with her legs sitting on the next table. She hates lipsticks. She is ordering a cup of coffee. Sometimes she thinks about movies and thinks about romantic movies. Everyone has to leave quickly. On Fridays there is enough time to order a glass of cognac with coffee. But on Fridays there are always rains. It is easy not to blush with a pair of sunglasses, it would be even easier not to flush with cigarettes. She regrets that she cant smoke. The lunch break is a plaything. If no one comes and talks to her, she would imagine, as if she was talking to a man, she was laughing and she was giving an evasive answer. She would probably say that the chair next to her was being taken. Yesterday someone talked to her. Yesterday the chair was free. Yesterday she was happy because in the lunch break everything happened so fast. At the dinner the parents talk about how they were once young too. The father says he means good only. The mother even says she actually would have some fear. She answers, the lunch break is not dangerous. In the meantime, she has learned not to make her mind up. She is a young girl just like other young girls. She answers a question with a question. Even though she regularly sits in the street cafe, the lunch break is more strenuous than writing letters. She is watched from all sides. She immediately feels that she has hands on. The skirt is not to be missed. The main thing is that she is punctual. In the street cafe, there are no drunks. She plays with her purse. Now, she doesnt buy a newspaper. It is fine that a catastrophe can happen at every lunch break. She could be very late. She could fall very much in love. If no waiter or waitress comes, she goes in and pays her coffee at the counter. At the typewriter, she has lots of time to think about catastrophe. Catastrophe is her favorite word. Without a favorite word the lunch break is boring. [1]. Mittagpause, p. 51-53. V. H. Vail & K. Sparks, Der Weg zum Lesen, 3rd ed., Harcourt Brace Publishers, Fort Worth, Tokyo, 1986. [2]. Wolf Wondratschek https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Wondratschek#Selected_filmography Wolf Wondratschek (German pronunciation: [?v?lf ?v?nd?at???k] ? ; born August 14, 1943) is a German author . He was born in Rudolstadt in Thuringia . Life[ edit ] Wondratschek grew up in Karlsruhe . From 1962 through 1967, he studied literature , philosophy and sociology at the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg , Georg-August University of Gottingen , and the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main . In 1968, Wolf won the prestigious Leonce and Lena Prize for poetry given by the city of Darmstadt . [1] The next year, Wolf's first book, Fruher begann der Tag mit einer Schuwunde , came out to critical acclaim; [2] the short stories which included his famous piece, Mittagspause . During 1970 and 1971, Wolf was a Research Fellow at the University of Warwick . [3] In 1970, he won the Horspielpreis der Kriegsblinden for his radio play Paul oder die Zerstorung (Paul or the Destruction). [4] He continued to publish both poetry and prose during the 1980s, when he took an extended vacation to the United States, and Mexico. Upon his return to Germany, Wondratschek settled into residences in Munich and Vienna, publishing not only poetry and prose, but also radio plays and screenplays. In 2012, Wolf was awarded the Literaturpreis der Wilhelm und Christine Hirschmann-Stiftung , a Bavarian literary prize. [5] Work[ edit ] Wondratschek was influenced mainly by writers from Gruppe 47 , such as Ingeborg Bachmann and Paul Celan . His work is characterized by its sparseness and usage of "colloquial language; his sentences are short and clear, grammatically reduced to a minimum." [6] Selected filmography[ edit ] Violanta (1976) References[ edit ] 1. ^ Spaeth, Becker (2013), Preistrager , Literarischer Marz, retrieved 7 April 2013 2. ^ Wondratschek, Wolf (1969). Fruher begann der Tag mit einer Schuwunde (in German). Munich: Carl Hanser. ASIN B0000BU9DZ . 3. ^ Wondratschek, Wolf (1972). Omnibus (in German). Munich: Carl Hanser. 4. ^ Horspielpreis der Kriegsblinden , Bund der Kriegsblinden Deutschlands e.V., 2012, retrieved 7 April 2013 5. ^ 20.000 Euro fur den Dichter Wolf Wondratschek , Der Standard, 27 September 2011, retrieved 7 April 2013 Mumbai, Sep 25 B ollywood actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, who is gearing up for his upcoming series 'Sultan of Delhi', has shared that for him, the basic requirement to sign a project is that it should be disruptive. He said that his goal is to do work which breaks the clutter. 'Sultan of Delhi', directed by Milan Luthria, is based on the book 'Sultan of Delhi Ascension' by Arnab Ray, and details the rise of a gangster in 1960s Delhi. Talking about his role in Sultan of Delhi, the actor shared "The goal is always to do clutter-breaking work. What attracts me to any project is how disruptive it is. Sultan of Delhi is a project that really hit home for me. Arjun Bhatia is a protagonist that has every possible shade an actor can play and challenged me to bring my A game on the sets every single day! I'm fortunate that Milan Luthria sir cast me to play the lead and made me a part of his grand vision. It was very magnanimous of him to give me a precise road map, yet trust me with the space and freedom to bring my own ideas to the table." He added "I'm really excited to see people's reactions to Arjun Bhatia and the series. As an actor, I aspire to do such projects and I have poured everything from within me into this series. So, all the love and the appreciation that it is receiving is a big, big personal validation for me. I'm so happy for Milan sir and the entire team." 'Sultan of Delhi' and co-directed and co-written by Suparn Verma, will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from October 13. Here is what attracts Tahir Raj Bhasin to a sign project Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Sep 25 G enetics may serve as an early indicator to identify the risk of the hard to diagnose ovarian cancer among women, said experts on Monday. September is observed as ovarian cancer awareness month. It is the third most common cancer in women worldwide and nearly 20,000 women are newly diagnosed every year worldwide. With about 12,000 women dying each year due to ovarian cancer worldwide, it is one of the deadliest gynaecological cancers. However, due to common and subtle symptoms, early detection is hard. By the time the diagnosis is made, the cancer reaches an advanced stage. "Ovarian cancer is a slow-growing cancer, so it can grow and spread without causing any symptoms until it is in an advanced stage. The symptoms of ovarian cancer can be vague and easily mistaken for other conditions. This is why it is important to observe them right," Dr Nishith Modi, Consultant - Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, told IANS. "It is a very challenging cancer to diagnose compared to other types of cancer as the symptoms are very non-specific and can easily be attributed to any other common lifestyle disorder such as indigestion and bloating," added Dr Rubina Shanawaz Z, Consultant Uro-Gynaecology, Gynae-Oncology & Robotic Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, Karnataka. The doctors explained that some common symptoms include abdominal bloating or swelling, feeling full quickly after eating, difficulty eating or lack of appetite, pelvic pain, abdominal pain or cramping, the need to urinate more frequently or urgently than normal, fatigue, back pain, constipation, or changes in a woman's period. According to Rubina, ovarian cancer is one of the commonest cancers affecting women in India and its incidence has been rising over the past few years. "If there are persistent symptoms, then women tend to go for an evaluation and it can usually be diagnosed by ultrasound. Two-thirds of ovarian cancers occur in the postmenopausal age group. "By the time the patient comes for a check up and imaging is done, it usually gets to the advanced stages. Adhering to yearly ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis would help in identifying cancer in the early stage," she said. However, Dr Rashmi Dharaskar from Surya Mother and Child Super Speciality Hospital Pune told IANS that genetics may offer some hope. "Genetics serves as the intricate blueprint of our health journey, and when it comes to ovarian cancer, it plays a pivotal role in shaping risk assessment, guiding treatment decisions, and the path to prevention," said Rashmi, senior consultant- obstetrics and gynaecology. A recent study estimates that around 23 per cent of ovarian cancers are primarily due to hereditary factors. Genes provide instructions for making essential proteins in our bodies. When genes grow and divide uncontrollably, they can turn normal cells into cancerous ones. The doctor noted "when talking about ovarian cancer, genetic markers like BRCA1 and BRCA2 can signal a higher risk and enable a closer watch. When it comes to prevention, genes not only predict the narrative but also rewrite its course, resolving the mystery of drug resistance and facilitating targeted therapies". For instance, in cases with BRCA mutations, actions like closer check-ups are important for early detection which could be followed by surgeries. Knowing these genetic signs helps doctors create personalised treatment plans. "In the world of genetics and ovarian cancer, there's hope-for finding cancer early, designing treatment plans tailored to each person, and potentially minimising the impact of the disease through genetic knowledge," she said. In addition, risk factors for ovarian cancer include but are not exclusive to family history of cancers in the reproductive tract/breast/colorectal cancers, obesity, not having been pregnant, history of hormone use for fertility treatment/postmenopausal replacement therapy, said Rubina. Genetics may signal risk of hard to find ovarian cancer: Experts Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. With the Oct. 7 export controls, the United States government announced its intent to cripple Chinas ability to produce, or even purchase, the highest-end chips. The logic of the measure was straightforward: Advanced chips, and the supercomputers and A.I. systems they power, enable the production of new weapons and surveillance apparatuses. In their reach and meaning, however, the measures could hardly have been more sweeping, taking aim at a target far broader than the Chinese security state. The key here is to understand that the U.S. wanted to impact Chinas A.I. industry, says Gregory C. Allen, director of the Wadhwani Center for A.I. and Advanced Technologies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The semiconductor stuff is the means to that end. Though delivered in the unassuming form of updated export rules, the Oct. 7 controls essentially seek to eradicate, root and branch, Chinas entire ecosystem of advanced technology. The new policy embodied in Oct. 7 is: Not only are we not going to allow China to progress any further technologically, we are going to actively reverse their current state of the art, Allen says. C.J. Muse, a senior semiconductor analyst at Evercore ISI, put it this way: If youd told me about these rules five years ago, I wouldve told you thats an act of war wed have to be at war. If the controls are successful, they could handicap China for a generation; if they fail, they may backfire spectacularly, hastening the very future the United States is trying desperately to avoid. The outcome will likely shape U.S.-China competition, and the future of the global order, for decades to come. There are two dates that will echo in history from 2022, Allen says. The first is Feb. 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine; and the second is Oct. 7. Despite the immense intricacy of their design, semiconductors are, in a sense, quite simple: tiny pieces of silicon carved with arrays of circuits. The circuits flip on and off based on the activity of switches called transistors. When a circuit is on, it produces a one; off, a zero. The first chips, invented in the late 1950s, held only a handful of transistors. Today the primary semiconductor in a new smartphone has between 10 and 20 billion transistors, each about the size of a virus, carved like a layer cake into the structure of the silicon. The rate of progress over the last six decades has been famously described by Moores Law, which observed that the number of transistors that can be fit on a chip has roughly doubled every two years. Chris Miller, author of the book Chip War and an associate professor of international history at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, likes to note that if airplanes had improved at the same rate as chips, theyd now be flying at several times the speed of light. No technology in the history of human civilization has ever matched the breathtaking ascent of computing power. In a recent study published in Cell Reports Medicine, researchers developed AI-Doctor, an advanced artificial Intelligence (AI) system designed to interpret fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) images precisely. It aids in the accurate diagnosis and treatment suggestions for various Ischemic Retinal Diseases (IRDs). Study: An artificial intelligence system for the whole process from diagnosis to treatment suggestion of ischemic retinal diseases Image Credit: Yurchanka Siarhei/Shutterstock.com Background In ophthalmology, AI has been extensively explored for disease screening or diagnosis. Still, a comprehensive AI model simulating physicians' extensive thought processes from diagnosis to treatment suggestions remains a pivotal need. This is crucial for conditions like IRDs reliant on intricate FFA for evaluation, where interpretation challenges exist, particularly in underserved areas. While technologies like optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) have surfaced, their application is confined, emphasizing the need for AI to bridge the significant gap in healthcare services by promoting accessibility and equity in eye care. Current AI models, primarily focused on specific diseases, lack extensive practical implementation, including treatment suggestions. Therefore, further research is imperative for developing versatile AI models to ensure equitable and efficient eye care solutions where specialized knowledge is scarce and interpreting diagnostic images is complex. About the study In the study, experienced technicians utilized Spectralis Heidelberg Retina Angiograph + Optical Coherence Tomography (HRA+OCT) to capture FFA images from various hospitals, adhering to a unified image capture protocol. The images were categorized into different phases for both clinical and research applications. A team of authorized ophthalmologists, well-versed with standardized training, executed the classification tasks, ensuring the precision of the image b phase identification and IRD diagnosis. The segmentation task involved the development of a model focusing on Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) with non-perfusion areas (NPAs), utilizing FFA images and relying on specialists' annotations and refinements for achieving accurate results. An additional check on model generalizability was conducted with images of other IRDs, which included Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO) and retinal vasculitis. The developed Ai-Doctor consisted of two models, one for classification and another for segmentation, employing state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks, Unet and ResNet-152. For improved clinical applications, a Clinically Applicable Ischemia Index (CAII) was proposed, aiming to facilitate the identification of patients with higher risk, using FFA images captured from different orientations and applying detailed principles for image selection and CAII calculations. Specialists initially divided the eyes into groups based on their need for laser therapy, utilizing the characteristics of FFA images, medical records, and clinical experience. The CAII values for each eye in the groups were quantified under the segmentation model, setting the CAII values as the threshold for laser therapy suggestions and deriving sensitivity and specificity under the corresponding threshold to explore the optimal threshold, subsequently validating them with an independent external dataset. The evaluation of classification and segmentation models was rigorously conducted using statistical tests and measures such as accuracy, recall, and precision, along with the analysis of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) and areas under the ROC curve. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Intersection over Union (IoU) value, and F1 score were utilized for segmentation assessment. Empirical ROC curves were examined to establish optimal CAII thresholds for recommending laser therapy. These meticulous analyzes and subsequent statistical assessments ensured the thorough evaluation of the developed models and methodologies. Study results In the present research, a novel AI-Doctor system was developed and meticulously validated, leveraging 24,316 images. The design was systematically structured, utilizing distinct datasets for classification tasks in training and internal validation at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC), and external tests at Shenzhen Eye Hospital (SEH) and Foshan Second People's Hospital (FSPH). An additional 1,295 images were dedicated to refining the segmentation model, focusing on NPAs and branch retinal vein occlusion areas. Ai-Doctor has showcased promising results, displaying high precision, recall, and accuracy in multiple datasets for identifying image phases and diagnosing common IRDs, aligning its diagnostic competency with experts. It effectively utilized heatmap visualization to facilitate precise identification of diverse conditions like diabetic retinopathy, revealing a focus on more pronounced features in the images, especially where misclassification occurred. For segmentation, the research compared Unet-VGG16 and Unet-Swin Transformer models, with the former exhibiting superior performance and robustness in segmenting NPAs and BRVO areas, both in internal validation and external test sets. When trained with a diversified set of images, including those of diabetic retinopathy and BRVO, Ai-Doctor's segmentation model demonstrated enhanced versatility and applicability, showing high Dice similarity coefficients even in previously unencountered conditions. The study introduced a clinically applicable ischemia index (CAII), calculated based on segmentation results of 55-viewing field FFA images. The established optimal CAII thresholds showcased high sensitivity and specificity in determining the need for laser therapy, with subsequent validations reinforcing the reliability of these thresholds in classifying diverse conditions such as BRVO and diabetic retinopathy. AI-Doctor enhances clinical utility by automatically generating comprehensive AI reports for FFA image interpretations and maintains high efficiency, completing the entire process from image phase identification to ischemic area segmentation in approximately eight seconds. This efficiency emphasizes AI-Doctor's potential for rapid application in clinical environments. This research underscores AI-Doctor's transformative potential in ophthalmological diagnostics, substantiating its reliability, precision, and versatility in medical image analysis. The AI system's capability to provide detailed insights and its quick processing time render it a pivotal advancement, potentially reshaping diagnostic approaches in ophthalmology and substantiating its significance in medical image interpretation. The AI-Doctor's detailed, rapid, and precise interpretations mark a transformative progression in medical diagnostics, especially in ophthalmology, by combining efficiency, reliability, and extensive applicability. The research's implications are profound, highlighting the potential of advanced AI in revolutionizing medical diagnostics through detailed, efficient, and precise interpretations, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in ophthalmology. Mumbai is all set to embark on a transformative infrastructure project, introducing its maiden urban underground road tunnel. This visionary project is poised to reshape the citys transportation landscape. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is leading this initiative. Its more than just concrete and tunnels; its about making life easier for the people of Mumbai. The ambitious 9.23-kilometer corridor project aims to connect the Eastern Freeways Orange Gate to the scenic Marine Drive coastline route. The traffic congestion here has been nothing short of a nightmare, and its only expected to get worse with the impending Mumbai Trans Harbour Sea Link (MTHL), connecting to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). Taking the lead in this transformation is Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a trusted contractor handpicked for this monumental project. Their expertise is the driving force behind this vision. Mumbai Underground Road Tunnel Project: Details The heart of this ambitious project consists of a 6.51-kilometer twin-tube underground tunnel, complete with 2+2 traffic lanes, 1+1 emergency lanes, and pedestrian walkways in each tunnel. Distinguished by their roles, the left-side tunnel, spanning 4.5 kilometers, is designated for southbound traffic, while the right-side tunnel, spanning 2 kilometers, caters to northbound traffic. This engineering marvel will navigate beneath existing infrastructure, including railways, underground metros, roads, and heritage structures, reaching depths of up to 40 meters below the ground. Mumbai Underground Road Tunnel Project: Clearances and Permissions However, to pave the way for this transformative project, several crucial permissions and clearances are required, including Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, land acquisition, and traffic block management. The estimated cost of this monumental undertaking stands at Rs 7,765 crore. Mumbai Underground Road Tunnel Project: Other Details The project also involves the creation of a viaduct at the Eastern Freeway Orange Gate, offering seamless vehicle access. Additionally, open cuts and access roads will be established on both sides of the corridor. A tunnel will pass beneath the seaway, re-emerging after B D Somani Chowk, not far from the iconic Wankhede Stadium. The projects alignment includes the construction of cut-and-cover roads and viaducts, with tunneling conducted using advanced tunnel boring machines. Mumbai Underground Road Tunnel Project: Whats in it for the people of Mumbai? Reduced travel times between the eastern and western parts of the city, providing uninterrupted connectivity to Marine Drive and the Eastern Freeway. The perpetual traffic jam on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road will ease as traffic diverts into the tunnel. A journey that currently takes 30 minutes during peak hours from the Eastern Freeway to Marine Drive will be cut to just 10 minutes once the tunnel becomes operational. Moreover, this tunnel promises to be environmentally friendly, reducing carbon emissions and supporting future connectivity projects aiming to unite the western and eastern realms of Mumbai. Residents of South Mumbai can look forward to quicker connections to Navi Mumbai and beyond, enhancing overall accessibility. The MMRDAs dedication aims to create a more streamlined and accessible transportation network, benefitting all residents of Mumbai. The Burman family, which holds a controlling stake in Dabur, on Monday announced an open offer for a 26 per cent stake in Religare Enterprises for upto Rs 2,116 crore ($255.03 million), according to a stock exchange filing. MB Finmart, Puran Associates, VIC Enterprises and Milky Investment & Trading Company are the entities that will participate in the open offer to acquire up to 90,042,541 fully paid-up equity shares from the public shareholders of Religare Enterprises at a price of Rs 235 per equity share. The proposed transaction is in line with our vision to create a leading financial services platform that encompasses lending, broking and health insurance services. We are convinced that REL is the right platform and positioned for sustained success. With our guidance, REL will continue its journey to being one of Indias distinguished financial services platforms, said Anand C. Burman, Chairman Emeritus, Dabur India The Burman family owns a majority stake in Dabur and, as of June 2023, had 14 per cent stake in Religare Enterprises through its three entities. Mumbai-based Religare Enterprises provides diversified financial services in over 400 cities. The services include loans to SMEs, affordable housing finance, health insurance and retail broking. JM Financial Ltd. has been appointed as the manager to the open offer and public shareholders could tender their equity shares for a period of 10 working days. The offer price will be paid in cash, the exchange filing issued by JM Financial said. Share of Religare tumbled nearly 7 per cent in Mondays opening deals. A police case has been registered against Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra and 12 others in Kanpur for false assurances on the safety of car. The FIR was registered after a complaint was made by a man (Rajesh Mishra) whose son (Dr Apoorv Mishra) had died following a car accident. In the FIR, Rajesh Mishra said he bought a black Scorpio worth about Rs 17.40 lakh after believing the companys claim on its features and safety in advertisements and social media posts by Anand Mahindra. He gifted the car to his only son Apoorv Mishra. On January 14, 2022, my son Dr Apoorv was returning to Kanpur from Lucknow in the car. Along with Apoorv, his friends were also in the car and all of them were wearing their seat belts (mentioned in the police report). Because of fog, the car hit the divider and then toppled several times and my son died at the spot, said the complaint. According to the FIR, Rajesh Mishra said if the assurances were not given by the dealership and the company in advertisements, he would have never bought the car. The complainant said that despite the seat belt being worn, the airbags in the car did not open, resulting in his sons death and that the company had cheated him by giving false assurances. It also said that Mishra found through sources that there were no airbags in the car. Mishra moved a local court and now an FIR has been registered against Mahindra Chairman Anand Gopal Mahindra and 12 others. The case has been lodged under various sections of the IPC Section 420 (cheating), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 304-A (causing death by negligence), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 102-B (criminal intimidation). JSW Infrastructure IPO Day 1: The initial public offering (IPO) of JSW Infrastructure Limited is open for subscription from today, September 25, 2023. The book build issue will remain open for subscribers till Wednesday, September 27, 2023. JSW Infrastructure Limited aims to raise Rs 2,800 crore from its initial offer, which will be 100 per cent fresh in nature. The public offer is proposed for listing on BSE and NSE. Till 15.44 pm on the first day of bidding, JSW Infrastructure IPO has been subscribed 13 per cent, receiving bids for 1,73,66,706 shares as against 13,62,83,186 shares on offer. Key Points Investors Should Know: JSW Infrastructure IPO Price Band The price band for the offer has been set at Rs 113-119 per share. JSW Infrastructure IPO Size The company plans to mop up Rs 2,800 crore from the public issue at the upper price band. The IPO comprises only a fresh issue component by the company and it does not have an offer-for-sale portion. Out of the total offer size, Rs 1,260-crore was raised by the company from several anchor investors on September 22, including Monetary Authority of Singapore, Morgan Stanley, the Government of Singapore, HSBC, The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Goldman Sachs, Theleme India Master Fund, Principal Global, Sunil Singhania-owned Abakkus, LIC Mutual Fund, SBI Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, Aditya Birla Sun Life Trustee, and Max Life Insurance Company. JSW Infrastructure IPO Objectives of Fresh Issue The net issue proceeds will be used to repay debts amounting to Rs 880 crore, and Rs 1,029.04 crore will be spent on expansion or upgrade works at Jaigarh Port, owned by subsidiary JSW Jaigarh Port. The company had a total consolidated debt at Rs 4,228.39 crore as of June 2023. Further, the fresh issue proceeds will also be used for the expansion at Mangalore Container Terminal (Mangalore container project) owned by subsidiary, JSW Mangalore Container Terminal at a cost of Rs 151.05 crore. And the remaining amount will be used for general corporate purposes. JSW Infrastructure IPO Lot Size Investors can bid for a minimum 126 equity shares, i.e. one lot and in multiples of 126 shares thereafter. The minimum application amount for retail investors works out to be Rs 14,994 (for 126 shares) and their maximum investment is Rs 1,94,922 (1,638 shares) as they can not exceed the investment limit of Rs 2 lakh. JSW Infrastructure: About the Company JSW Infrastructure provides maritime-related services, including, cargo handling, storage solutions, logistics services and other value-added services to customers. Its ports and port terminals typically have long concession periods ranging between 30 to 50 years, providing it with long-term visibility of revenue streams. JSW Infrastructure Financial Performance JSW Infrastructures revenue from operations recorded a CAGR of 41.15 per cent during FY21-FY23, and profit after tax averaged a growth rate of 62.28 per cent in this period. On a year-on-year basis, the net profit at Rs 749.5 crore for the year ended March FY23 increased by 126.8 per cent and revenue from operations jumped 40.5 per cent to Rs 3,194.7 crore during the same period. In the quarter ended June FY24, the companys net profit grew 67.3 per cent on-year to Rs 322.2 crore and revenue increased by 7.1 per cent to Rs 878 crore compared to June FY23 quarter. JSW Infrastructure Promoters The Sajjan Jindal Family Trust has 90.91 per cent shareholding in the port-related infrastructure company, while JSW Infrastructure Employees Welfare Trust, JSL, and Siddeshwari Tradex hold 9.08 per cent shares in the firm. JSW Infrastructure IPO: GMP Its equity shares were available at around 12 per cent premium over the upper price band, in the grey market, analysts said on anonymity. The grey market is an unofficial platform for trading in IPO shares till the listing. JSW Infrastructure IPO Share Allotment & Listing The basis of the allotment of IPO shares will be finalised by the company in consultation with the BSE by October 3, and the shares will be credited to the demat accounts of eligible investors by October 5. The Initiation of refunds (if any, for anchor investors) or unblocking of funds from the ASBA account will take place by October 4. The trading in the equity shares of JSW Infrastructure on the BSE and NSE will be commenced with effect from October 6, as per the IPO schedule. JM Financial, Axis Capital, Credit Suisse Securities (India), DAM Capital Advisors, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India), ICICI Securities, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company and SBI Capital Markets are the book-running lead managers to the issue. Kfin Technologies is the registrar of the offer. Should You Invest? Most analysts recommended a subscribe rating to the IPO on the companys decent financial track record and fair valuations. They believe the company will benefit from the governments focus on port development, limited competition and strong parentage. This issue is available at P/EPS of 28.88x, which appears reasonably priced as the companys revenue visibility is strong for the future with steady margins. Hence, we recommend subscribing to the issue for listing gains and long-term, said Canara Bank Securities. We like JSW Infra given its dominant position among the port operators in India, along with its broad cargo profile and diversified geographical presence. The IPO looks attractive said brokerage Motilal Oswal while assigning a subscribe rating. Manoj Vaibhav IPO Update: The initial public offering (IPO) of Manoj Vaibhav Gems N Jewellers Ltd, which was opened for public subscription on September 22, is witnessing the second day of bidding. The Rs 270.20-crore IPO has been subscribed 27 per cent on Monday, receiving bids for 24,42,738 shares against 91,20,664 shares on offer, according to the latest NSE data till 1640 IST. The category for retail individual investors was subscribed 42 per cent, while the portion for non-institutional investors received 27 per cent subscription, till 1640 IST on the second day of bidding. Manoj Vaibhav IPO GMP According to market observers, Manoj Vaibhav Gems N Jewellers Ltd is currently trading Rs 13 higher in the grey market. The Rs 13 grey market premium or GMP is about 6.05 per cent higher than its upper issue price of Rs 215 per share. This means the grey market is expecting an 6.05 per cent listing gain from the public issue. Grey market premium indicates investors readiness to pay more than the issue price. Manoj Vaibhav IPO Details The IPO has a fresh issue of up to Rs 210 crore and an offer for sale of up to 28,00,000 equity shares. The funds raised will be utilised for opening eight new showrooms, inventory for these new stores and general corporate purposes. The price range for the offer is Rs 204-215 per share. The minimum lot size is 69 shares. The minimum amount of investment required by retail investors is Rs 14,835. The minimum lot size investment for NII is 14 lots (966 shares), amounting to Rs 207,690, and for NII, it is 68 lots (4,692 shares), amounting to Rs 1,008,780. The IPO allotment will take place October 3, and Manoj Vaibhav Gems N Jewellers Ltd will make its market debut with shares listing on NSE and BSE on October 6. The company mopped up Rs 81.05 crore from anchor investors on September 21. The company, a regional jewellery brand in South India, has its presence in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with 13 showrooms across eight towns and two cities. Bajaj Capital and Elara Capital (India) are the managers to the offer. (The story has been updated with the latest data) / /: : (jpg, jpeg, png). (25 MB). 5 . . Stocks To Watch on September 25: GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded 54 points, or 0.27 per cent, higher at 19,696.5, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for positive start on Monday. Heres a slew of stocks that will be in focus today for various reasons. State Bank of India: The countrys largest lender raised a whopping Rs 10,000 crore through an infrastructure bond issue on Friday, with bids exceeding the initial target by over five times. The bonds, which will carry a coupon rate of 7.49%, will be used to fund infrastructure projects and affordable housing. This is the fourth infra bond issue by SBI, underscoring the growing demand for such instruments from investors. Reliance Industries: Global investment firm KKR has invested Rs 2,069.50 crore in Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), the retail arm of Reliance Industries, increasing its stake to 1.42% from 1.17%. The investment values RRVL at a pre-money equity value of Rs 8.36 trillion. KKRs investment will be used to fund RRVLs expansion plans, including the launch of new stores, the rollout of new products and services, and the development of its e-commerce platform. Delta Corp: Casino operator Delta Corp received a tax notice from the government on Friday, demanding Rs 111.4 billion in taxes, interest, and penalties for the period July 2017 to March 2022. The company is already facing heat from the recent imposition of a 28% GST on the money collected by gaming companies from customers. The company has said that it will challenge the tax notice. Life Insurance Corporation: The state-owned insurer said it would appeal a tax notice of Rs 290 crore issued by the Goods and Services Tax authority of Patna, Bihar. The notice, issued on September 21, demands GST, interest, and penalty for the period July 2017 to March 2022. The tax authority has alleged that LIC did not reverse the input tax credit (ITC) availed on the premium received by the corporation from policyholders. Ambuja Cements: The Adani Group is negotiating with banks to refinance $3.5 billion in debt taken to finance its acquisition of Ambuja Cements, Bloomberg reported quoting sources. The deal is expected to be one of Asias largest syndicated loan deals of the year. The refinancing is part of Adanis efforts to reduce its debt burden and improve its financial health. JSW Steel: Caretta Minerals LLC, a US subsidiary of JSW Steel, has entered into an agreement to sell its plant and equipment, property, and mineral rights to West Virginia Properties for $24 million. JSW Steel said the sale was due to the fact that operating the mines was not economically viable in the absence of a coal mining lease and plant lease. The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks. Bajaj Finance: Bajaj Finance Ltd. will convene a board meeting on October 5 to consider raising funds via a qualified institutional placement (QIP). The company plans to raise funds through various methods, including a preferential issue and the QIP. The proposal is subject to regulatory approvals, including approval from the companys shareholders. ICICI Lombard General Insurance: The company has named Sanjeev Mantri as its new managing director (MD) and CEO, effective 1 December 2023, or the date of approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). Mantri will replace Bhargav Dasgupta, who has been appointed as vice president of the Asian Development Bank. Blue Star: The consumer durables manufacturer has raised Rs 1,000 crore through its qualified institutional placement (QIP) issue, which opened on 18 September. The company allotted 1.29 crore shares at an issue price of Rs 770 apiece, which is a 1.84% discount to the QIP floor price of Rs 784.55 per share. The price is at the lower end of the discount range of up to 5% which Blue Star had mentioned at the time of the QIP opening. IRCON: The state-owned company has executed a contract agreement with Sri Lanka Railways for the procurement, installation, testing, commissioning, and certification of a signaling and telecommunication system on the railway line from Maho Junction to Anuradhapura, under the Indian line of credit. The contract is valued at $14.89 million and will be completed within 24 months from the date of signing. Apples latest iPhone 15 series is witnessing a massive craze with multiple videos of customers flocking to the Apple stores in huge numbers going viral to buy the latest smartphone. As a result of the huge demand, Apple has been ramping up its operations across countries. It is also shifting its production dependency away from China. In India, the company has already been manufacturing some iPhone models and planning to scale up production here by over fivefold to around $40 billion (about 3.32 lakh crore) in the next 4-5 years. When Apple Started Producing iPhones in India, and Which Models Are Made Here? Apple started assembling iPhones in India in 2017 with its budget iPhone SE through Wistrons facility in Karnataka. Currently, there are three contract manufacturers of iPhones in India Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron. They manufacture iPhone 13, 14 and 14 Plus models in the country. Apple is also producing the iPhone 15 at the Foxconn plant near Chennai. This is the first time that the tech giant is selling a made-in-India iPhone right from the launch stage. Earlier, iPhones in India used to be imported for the first few months of launch before local production started in the country. This year, the company started producing iPhone 15 from Day 1. The Foxconn plant near Chennai is also in the process of producing the iPhone 15 Plus. However, the company is not looking to produce the iPhone Pro series in India for now. Apple plans to start manufacturing Airpods from next year, news agency PTI has reported. The company, however, has no immediate plans to make iPads or its laptops in India. They (Apple) dont have any plans to participate in IT hardware PLI. They may come at a later stage but as of now their focus is to scale up existing production levels, the PTI report quoted a government official as saying. Apples Future Plans For India The company has plans to scale up production in India by over five-fold to around $40 billion (about 3.32 lakh crore) in the next 4-5 years, according to the PTI report quoting government sources. Apple has crossed the $7 billion production mark in the last financial year, according to the report. Apple has plans to increase production in India to over $40 billion in the next 4-5 years. It has crossed $7 billion in the last fiscal, the PTI reported the official as saying. The company globally sold iPhones worth $191 billion and products worth $38.36 billion in the wearable, home and accessories segment in the financial year ended on September 25, 2022. In the first nine months of the current fiscal, the company recorded about a 4 per cent dip in iPhone sales at $156.77 billion and a slight decline in the wearable, home and accessories segment at $30.52 billion. The company has become the largest exporter of mobile phones from India. According to industry sources, sales of Apples iPhone 15 series registered a 100 per cent growth compared to that of the iPhone 14 series on the launch day on Friday. On September 12, 2023, iPhone 15 was launched in India at Rs 79,900, iPhone 15 Plus at Rs 89,900, and iPhone 15 Pro at Rs 1,34,900 for 128 GB base variants. iPhone 15 Pro Max 256 GB has been launched at Rs 1,59,900. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Apple led the ultra-premium segment, with phones priced above Rs 45,000 apiece, with 59 per cent market share in the first quarter of 2023 and India is among the top-five markets for the company now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a mega public rally in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh today, September 26. Several schools in Bhopal have decided to remain for today considering students might face difficulty reaching schools due to heavy traffic because of the rally. All exams have been postponed as well, reported Mint. However, there has been no official order from the education department directing schools to remain closed. Around 10 lakh party workers are expected to gather at Bhopals Jamboree Maidan today according to state BJP president V D Sharma. The event is being organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the BJPs fore-founder Deen Dayal Upadhyay today. The mega rally is being held to mark the formal culmination of the partys five Jan Ashirwad Yatras to reach out to the masses before the MP Assembly polls. PM Modi is set to give mantras of victory to the workers before the Assembly elections. The BJP workers have further decorated the city with cut outs of PM Modi and BJPs flags, while the security forces have issued an advisory regarding high alert. This will be PM Modis third visit to Madhya Pradesh in the past 45 days. Around 4,000 police personnel, including 20 IPS officers have been deployed to strengthen the security system in the city, State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. Drone cameras will be used in the surroundings of the Jamboree Maidan where PM Modi will be addressing the Mahakumbh of BJP workers. SPG and NSG forces have already arrived, Mishra said. The BJP had rolled out five Yatras early this month, with party president J P Nadda flagging off the first one from Chitrakoot in Satna on September 3. The yatras concluded a few days ago and the BJP claimed to have received massive support from the people. Only registered party workers are allowed to attend the programme. Without registration, no worker can be part of the mega rally event. with IANS inputs It will be a super Monday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch its campaigner-in-chief Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two poll-bound states Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan even as it completes its high-voltage Jan Ashirvaad Yatra in MP and Parivartan Yatra in the desert state. ALSO READ | Womens Reservation Bill to be Highlight of PM Modis Poll Campaigns in MP, Rajasthan from Monday PM Modi will address party cadre and supporters in both the states, injecting confidence among them, taking the BJP poll bugle to the level of siren. Monday is also significant for the BJP as it is the birth anniversary of Jan Sangh co-founder Deen Dayal Upadhyay. Interestingly, the BJP has started its campaign way early this time, even announcing candidates for weak seats, while election dates are expected anytime in October. The Prime Minister is likely to travel to Madhya Pradesh at least thrice in the coming weeks, say sources. It includes Mondays trip when he will address party workers on the occasion of the culmination of the Jan Ashirvaad Yatra that the BJP started off as an early warm-up exercise on the instruction of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. PM MODI HAS MADE 34 TRIPS TO MP SINCE 2013, LAST WAS DAYS AGO Mondays meeting will take place in Bhopal an MP town that Modi visited days ago as the Prime Minister to announce developmental projects worth more than Rs 50,000 crore. His rally is being organised in Bhopals Jamburi Maidan the same ground where Shivraj Singh Chouhans all-women pre-rakhi meet was organized when he increased the monthly dole for the Ladli Behna Yojna. The BJP is expecting a crowd of 10 lakh. ALSO READ | BJP Chalks Out ABCD Formula Based On Winnability In Poll-bound Rajasthan The recent trip to Madhya Pradesh was Modis 34th trip since 2013 and seventh this year alone, as earlier reported by News18. In his last visit, which was focussed more on the government, Modi didnt shy away from attacking the Congress. The party (Congress), which ruled this state for decades, left it high and dry and economically laggard compared to other states. People from previous generations would remember how the Congress left the states Bundelkhand region in desperate need of water, electricity and roads," he had said. MODI TO RETURN TO JAIPUR AFTER 4 YEARS PM Modis other pit stop is another poll-bound state where the Congress is in power. Unlike Bhopal, which he visited weeks ago, the Prime Minister will be returning to Jaipur after four long years. The last time he was in Jaipur was ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. With the culmination of the Parivartan Sankalp Yatra, the state BJP is calling Mondays mega rally Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha. Sources say he will reach Jaipur around 2pm and reach the ground, which is on the outskirts of the city, after 3pm, before offering floral tributes to Deen Dayal Upadhyay in Jaipur. Senior leaders, including from State Prabhari Arun Singh to State BJP President CP Joshi, have been frequenting the rally venue over the weekend to ensure it is a success. In every assembly constituency, down to the mandal level, the BJP has pressed its machinery to reach out to people to invite them to Mondays rally in Jaipur with rice. A day ahead of his high-voltage rally, the PM flagged off Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat on Sunday. However, just a couple of days ahead of the PMs visit, former chief minister and BJPs most formidable face in the state Vasundhara Raje Scindia suggested that she is up for a fight if the BJP projects anyone else as its leader in the election. She said in no uncertain terms, I am not leaving Rajasthan. I will stay put here and help the people of the state." ALSO READ | One Take | Daily Sops on Air for Women: Its Prime Time for BJP, Cong Schemes Ahead of MP, Raj Polls However, sources in 6A Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg suggest the BJP has decided already not to project any state leader as its CM face and the focus should be to unitedly fight the Congress. Pradhanmantri ji will do precisely that. He will unite the party against the Congresss misgovernance tomorrow," said a BJP General Secretary on condition of anonymity. In 2018, the BJPs vote share was 0.1% more than the Congress, yet it won 109 seats, five less than that the Congress at 114. However, with Scindia switching sides, the BJP came back to power in MP in 2020, two years after the election. In Rajasthan, the Congress, however, swept back power. The BJP had won just 73 seats, much lower compared to the previous election, in which it won an absolute majority of 163 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on Monday. While the prime minister will address a mega congregation of party workers, Karyakarta Mahakumbh in MPs Bhopal, he is set to hold a Booth Mahasammelan in Rajasthans Jaipur later in the day. PM Modis MP Visit BJP has organised Karyakarta Mahakumbh on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the partys five Jan Ashirwad Yatras that took place across the state, party leaders said. BJP president JP Nadda had flagged off the first yatra in Chitrakoot, Satna, on September 3. As per reports, the BJP is expecting a gathering of 10 lakh people at the event in a show of strength. PM Modis Jaipur Visit PM Modis Booth Mahasammelan event in Daidiya Panchayat, Surajpura, Jaipur will mark the culmination of the four-phased Parivartan Sankalp Yatra across the state. Latest Updates on PM Modis Bhopal-Jaipur Visit PM Modi will address a public meeting at Bhopals Jamboree Maidan at 11:30 am. shead of PM Modis visit, a holiday has been declared in several schools as a result of anticipated traffic congestion and regulation of various routes by the Bhopal Police for the prime ministers arrival. A lawsuit filed by popular digital storytelling platform Humans of Bombay against rival storyteller People of India for imitation has triggered a war of words, with New York-based platform Humans of New York joining the debate. So, What is the Row All About? Humans of Bombay, which was founded by Karishma Mehta, began as a Facebook page, documenting the lives of ordinary Mumbaikars. The platforms USP was its focus on human interest stories that it showcased in a photo-blog format. Over the years, as its popularity rose, Humans of Bombay gained over two million followers. The latest row erupted when the portal sued People of India a similar storytelling platform over copyright infringement, alleging that it copied its content, logo, tagline, and storytelling format. HoB filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court seeking damages and an injunction to prevent PoI from using its content. On September 18, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to PoI, expressing concern over the allegations. Founder of Humans of New York Weighs In The lawsuit, however, did not go down well with Brandon Stanton, the founder of Humans of New York, who slammed HoB for the legal action and accused them of copying his own format. Ive stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if theyve monetised far past anything Id feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you cant be suing people for what Ive forgiven you for, he wrote in an X(formerly Twitter) post. Ive stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if theyve monetized far past anything Id feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you cant be suing people for what Ive forgiven you for. https://t.co/0jZM05YyTt Brandon Stanton (@humansofny) September 23, 2023 Stanton also received support on social media as several users called out Mehta for appropriating his format and monetising it. Karishma Mehta, this is not done. You must drop the lawsuit. If youve taken inspiration from Humans Of New York and they have been kind, you must afford the same liberty to others, wrote a user. The audacity of @Karishma_Mehta5 to copy your work, make money out of it with sponsored deals and then go on to sue someone for copyright infringement. Its the pot calling the kettle black, another user wrote. Humans of Bombay Reacts In response to Stantons allegations, HoB posted an open letter on their X (formerly Twitter) handle on September 23. In the letter, HoB expressed shock over a cryptic assault on our efforts to protect our intellectual property is made in this manner, especially without understanding the background of the case. Further, addressing the lawsuit at hand, HoB stressed that storytelling should be done honestly and ethically. We believe in the honourable court of India and will request patience for the law to take its own course after hearing all facts of the matter. In a follow-up post on Sunday, HoB expressed gratitude to Stanton and HoNY for pioneering the unique storytelling format. We are grateful to HONY and Brandon for starting this storytelling movement. The suit is related to the IP in our posts and not about storytelling at all, it said. We tried to address the issue amicably before approaching the court, as we believe in protecting our teams hard work, it added. Indias first C-295 aircraft will formally be inducted into the Indian Air Force at a ceremony in Hindon near Delhi on Monday. The medium tactical transport aircraft was handed over to the IAF in the southern Spanish city of Seville earlier this month. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari had on September 13 received the first of the 56 C295 transport aircraft two years after India sealed a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the jets to replace its ageing Avro748 fleet. All About The Aircraft The Indian Air Force (IAF) is procuring the C295 aircraft to replace its fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered the service over six decades back. The C295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft. The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation. The aircraft is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties. Its flexibility is the capability of being equipped for air-to-air refueling of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The aircraft is fitted with a retractable landing gear and features an unobstructed 12.69-meter-long pressurized cabin. The C-295 cruises at altitudes up to 30,000 feet. It reportedly has a remarkable short take-off & landing (STOL) performance from unpaved, soft, and sandy/grass airstrips. According to Airbus, the C-295 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprop engines that provide excellent manoeuvrability, outstanding hot-and-high performance, with fuel consumption for a very long endurance of up to 13 hours aloft. The Deal With Airbus Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. These parts will be shipped to the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara which is expected to be operational by November 2024. In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for 295 planes in Vadodara. It will be the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by a private consortium. An Army personnel, who claimed he was beaten by six persons in Kerala and wrote PFI on his back, has been arrested by the police for allegedly giving false a statement about the incident. The soldier, Shine Kumar, claimed that the incident took place on Sunday night in a rubber forest next to his house in Keralas Kollam. Kumar alleged that his hands were tied with tape and PFI was written on his back with paint. A case was registered under sections 143(unlawful assembly), 147(rioting), 323(voluntarily causing hurt), 341(wrongful restraint) and 153(provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code. Meanwhile, R Prathapan Nair, Additional Superintendent of Police, Kollam Rural said that during the course of the investigation, it was found that the case was fake. Both Shine Kumar and his friend Joshy have been arrested. They were arrested for various sections of the IPC including for trying to create communal violence, giving fake statements, proof and for conspiracy. The motive of the accused army personnel was that he thought he would get national attention with this and he would get a posting of his liking. For the past five months, he has been preparing for this, the ASP said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with his global counterparts on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly session here, exchanging views on reforming multilateralism and cooperation in G20. He held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Armenia on Sunday. Jaishankar said it was a real pleasure to meet with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena of Mexico. Discussed taking forward our Privileged Partnership focusing on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. Also exchanged views on reforming multilateralism and our work together in G20, he said in a post on X. The external affairs minister also met his counterpart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konakovic and discussed growing bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy. Terming his meeting with Konakovic on the sidelines of the UNGA session as good, Jaishankar said, Discussed growing our bilateral ties with (a) focus on trade and economy. Jaishankar also met with his counterpart from Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan. Appreciate his sharing assessment of the current situation in the Caucasus. Affirmed our strong bilateral relationship, he posted on X. Jaishankar is scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the 78th UN General Assembly session, Dennis Francis, on Monday. On Saturday, Jaishankar called on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and discussed the progress of the bilateral development partnership and the situation in Myanmar. The two leaders met on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session here. Pleased to call on Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi. Discussed the progress of our development partnership, Jaishankar posted on X. Noted as well our expanding defence and cultural cooperation. Exchanged views on Myanmar, he added. Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Egypt, Guinea Bissau, Cyprus and Uganda on Saturday. He began a nine-day visit to the US on Friday, primarily to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and to host a special event on Global South. He would also participate in various plurilateral and bilateral meetings in New York. He is scheduled to address the General Debate from the UN General Assembly hall on Tuesday. The European Unions trade commissioner called for a more balanced economic relationship with China on Monday, noting a trade imbalance of nearly 400 billion euros ($425 billion), while also warning that Chinas position on the war in Ukraine could endanger its relationship with Europe. Valdis Dombrovskis, in a speech at Chinas prestigious Tsinghua University, said that the EU and China face significant political and economic headwinds that could cause them to drift apart. The strongest, yet not the only, headwind is Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, and how China positions itself on this issue, he said, according to a prepared text of his remarks. Dombrovskis is in China to co-chair high-level economic and trade talks on Monday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. EU leaders have expressed concern about the blocs growing trade deficit with China, which reached 396 billion euros last year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently announced an investigation into Chinese subsidies to electric vehicle makers, saying a flood of cheaper Chinese cars is distorting the European market. The Chinese government has called the investigation a protectionist act aimed at distorting the supply chain. Dombrovskis, in his Tsinghua address, said it would follow well-established rules and be done in consultation with Chinese authorities and stakeholders. The EU trade commissioner urged China to address the lack of reciprocity in the economic relationship, saying the figures speak for themselves. He said that China has created a more politicized business environment to protect its national security and development interests, resulting in less transparency, unequal access to procurement, and discriminatory standards and security requirements. Dombrovskis cited as examples a new foreign relations law and an updated anti-espionage law that has European companies struggling to understand their compliance obligations. Their ambiguity allows too much room for interpretation, he said about the laws, adding they deter new investment in China. Chinese officials have been trying to lure back foreign investment to help the economy emerge from a sluggishness that has persisted despite the lifting of pandemic restrictions last December. The Chinese government has tried to remain neutral in the war in Ukraine rather than joining the United States and much of Europe in condemning the Russian invasion. Dombrovskis, who is Latvian, noted that territorial integrity has always been a key principle for China in international diplomacy. Russias war is a blatant breach of this principle, he said, according to his prepared remarks. So its very difficult for us to understand Chinas stance on Russias war against Ukraine, as it breaches Chinas own fundamental principles. Five persons were killed when the car they were travelling in rammed into a tree alongside the national highway in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh in the early hours of Monday, police said. The incident occurred near Majhgava village on the national highway number 43 under the Ghunghuti Police post area at around 3 AM, an official said. Assistant Sub Inspector Shailendra Chaturvedi said five persons were travelling in the car headed to Shahdol from Umaria when the collision occurred. He said three occupants of the car died on the spot while two others succumbed to their injuries on the way to the hospital. All the deceased were aged between 30 to 35 years. Most of them were government employees, he added. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. This month, Kerala once again sounded the alarm with two Nipah-related deaths. Both state and central health agencies were on heightened alert, fearing the resurgence of a deadly outbreak. Nipah is known to kill approximately nine out of 10 people infected. In its first outbreak in India in 2018, 89 per cent patients of the 23 infected died. However, in much relief, no death has been reported after the two casualties. According to a top virologist, privy to the developments, it looks like the end of the outbreak. Going by past experience, it is over now, the virologist working in a top government lab told News18. However, the official statements are on hold due to the ongoing incubation period of samples and people isolated. As per the World Health Organisation, the incubation period is in range from 4-14 days. On September 13, Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced that the Nipah cases detected in the state were of the Bangladesh strain. This strain is known to cause respiratory distress syndrome, which makes patients feel breathless during the initial symptoms and pushes them onto ventilators. This was the fourth time the Nipah outbreak took place in Kerala. In the first Indian outbreak in 2018, fruit bats were found causing the infection. Fruit bats are natural reservoir hosts of the Nipah viruses. The virus is present in bat urine along with bat faeces, saliva, and birthing fluids. In May 2018, the investigation found that the index patient was in direct contact with fruit bats while cleaning the well of his house in a village in Kerala. Next year also, the outbreak took place in the month of May, indicating the linkages between bats and mango harvesting season. In 2021, the third outbreak of Nipah took place in the month of September followed by the latest outbreak, again in September defying the trend of the first two years in mango season. The findings of the latest investigations have still not been made public. With no vaccines or antiviral drugs available to save the lives of infected patients, it is clear that India needs to put a system in place to prevent reported or non-reported outbreaks. This could be somewhat similar to the efforts made by Bangladesh where bats were found infecting the palm sap. The country was able to control Nipah cases for more than seven years but unusual deaths were reported once again in 2023. The Bangladesh Story Nipah virus (NiV) was first discovered in 1999 following an outbreak of the disease in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore. However, at present, sporadic episodes are reported only from India and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the Nipah virus was discovered in April-May of 2001. Bat saliva and excreta were found to be the reasons behind the infection, which was brought on by consuming raw date palm sap. Since then, the virus has affected around 330 people out of which 231 died. Currently, the Bangladeshi government warns against drinking raw date palm sap during outbreak seasons, usually between November and May. The palm trees which are known habitats of bats are protected by covering them with bamboo skirts during collection season. The Bangladesh government also promoted public awareness in vulnerable areas with habitats of bats. These programmes are run especially from November to May in newspapers, regional TV and radio. According to a paper written by Bangladeshi authors on the need for developing prevention strategies against Nipah, any fume or specific chemical can be developed so that the bats or birds would remain out of the range of the fruit or date plants at least during the harvesting seasons especially in the winter. Taking bitten fruits by bats should be avoided; any structure like iron frame can be employed around the date sapping area. They wrote that as a preventive measure, a greenhouse can be developed for the fruits or date sap. They also suggested producing artificial frequencies of ultrasound that may cause disturbance in bats location precision and cause distraction. animals like bats and some birds make sounds to overcome the obstacles. They produce echolocation which is a sound system that bats make to find the location of insects Need to Strengthen Animal Health Surveillance Nipah virus infection is generally described as an emerging bat-borne zoonotic disease transmitted to humans through infected animals or contaminated food. The repeated comeback of Nipah reflects a need for strengthening the animal health surveillance system to detect new cases and provide early warning for veterinary and human public health authorities. Many experts believe that the reason behind the scare in Kerala for the fourth time has nothing to do with the geography of the state but the strength of its surveillance that it catches the outbreak then and there. Kerala A Unique State With Strong Surveillance? In July, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found evidence of the Nipah virus circulation in the bat population across nine states and one Union Territory in India. So far, the survey has been completed in 14 states and two Union Territories. The presence of Nipah viral antibodies has been found in bats in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, Dr Pragya Yadav, scientist F and group leader, Maximum Containment Laboratory, ICMR-NIV, told The Indian Express. Does this mean that the virus could be in circulation in other states too but Kerala ended up detecting it? More scrutiny is required to understand the findings of the government survey along with putting stronger surveillance mechanisms across India and working on vaccines and other treatment options against the disease. Representatives from over 30 countries will attend the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC) in Delhi which has been co-hosted by the US Army since 1999. The conferences aim is to focus on security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, especially considering increasing aggression from China over Taiwan. The event underscores the increasing importance Delhi in the region. In fact, the change in nomenclature from the earlier Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific reflects how Indias role is being perceived by world powers in the region. India has also seen expediency in shedding its earlier hesitancy in getting involved in an area seen as Chinas backyard. Through diplomacy and military engagement, India been making significant strides in establishing itself as a proactive and collaborative player in Indo-Pacific. While the IPACC is not pitched overtly as a conference to counter China, its stated objective is to build trust, understanding and cooperation among land forces in the region, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. But no one can dispute that Chinas aggression, BRI expansionism and String of Pearls strategy have not forced the formation of such regional groupings. The announcement of an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) during the G20 summit bolsters the Indo-Pacific strategies of several countries as it can help retune supply chains and rebalance trade with China. IMEEC de-risks supply chains away from the Suez Canal and is an alternative to Chinas hegemonic purview of Belt and Road. Despite existing diplomatic rows, Canada is sending its Vice Chief of Army to be part of the IPACC meeting in Delhi, which shows military relations are paramount for the Indo-Pacific. New Delhi has not allowed the diplomatic spat or the larger Khalistan issue colour its military cooperation with Canada. Indias Diplomacy Blitz in Indo-Pacific Indias urge to challenge this Chinese expansionism is best reflected in its choice to become part of the formal Quad grouping alongside the US, Australia and Japan. Officially, even the Quad claims it is not a military grouping and not focussed on China. Early next year, India will be hosting the in-person Quad leaders summit which will see Joe Biden, Anthony Albanese, Fumio Kishida and PM Modi deliberate on building a more secure environment in the Indo Pacific. Indias role in the Quad setup is crucial, as it is the only nation that has in recent memory exchanged physical blows with China. Also, New Delhi is determined to counter Chinas String of Pearls strategy that seeks to encircle India. Under PM Modi, there has been increased outreach towards even the smallest of Indo-Pacific nations. In fact, one of the first countries he had visited during his premierships was the small island nation of Fiji in 2014. India has increased its outreach to small countries like Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Seychelles in a bid to expand its influence in the region. Apart from this, India has also been closely working with larger nations like Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines etc on matters of interest. Indias growing interest in the Indo-Pacific is also driven by its urge to be looked at as the leader of developing nations. Throughout Indias G20 presidency, New Delhi has championed the cause of the Global South. There are several island nations in the Info Pacific in urgent need of a strong advocate who can voice their concerns and work for their benefit on the international stage. Of late, India has emerged as that power. Earlier this year, PM Modi was said to have forcefully raised the issues of the Global South at the G7 summit in Japan. This was followed by Modi co-hosting the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation, a grouping of India and 14 Pacific Island countries. Modis Act East policy has seen India enhancing its political and security relations with ASEAN. Most recently, PM Modi attended the 20th ASEAN-India summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, where extensive discussions regarding bolstering the ASEAN-India relationship in the Indo-Pacific were held. PM Modi even hailed the unison in the vision of India and ASEAN for the Indo Pacific in a subtle message to China that countries in this region were opposed to its expansionist proclivities. Combined Arms With China expanding its naval footprint in Indias backyard i.e. the Indian Ocean, India is not taking any chances. It wants to become the pre-dominant naval power in the region operating a 175-ship strong navy, replete with nuclear submarines. Recently, the Indian military was reported to be studying the role it would play in the event of Beijing invading Taiwan. India is no longer taking a hands-off approach when it comes to Taiwan. The recent visit to the breakaway nation by former chiefs of the three services is a message to Beijing. India is also fast emerging as a major security partner for several Indo Pacific nations. Last week, India and Singapore had kicked off their annual joint exercises SIMBEX. These drills in the South China Sea have been on yearly since 1994. Last week, India also for the first time held a trilateral exercise with Indonesia and Australia. This comes just days ahead of a joint military exercise being planned by ASEAN nations. In the case of a conflict, armed forces of several of these countries are keen on interoperability with allies. India regularly participates in the Malabar naval exercise, which include Quad allies US, Japan and Australia, focusing on anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and surface warfare. Apart from this, India has regular naval exercises with Australia called AUSINDEX and JIMEX with Japan focusing on enhancing interoperability. India hosts the biennial multilateral naval exercise Milan, which sees participation from various Indo-Pacific countries. India has also been an observer in a multilateral exercise hosted by Thailand and the U.S. called Cobra Gold. Last month, Indian Coast Guard signed an MoU with the Philippine Coast Guard to enhance maritime co-operation. At the upcoming IPACC in Delhi, India will also put on display indigenously manufactured military hardware as it seems more export opportunities to the Indo-Pacific. At the 2021 Aero India show, India had hosted the Indian Ocean Region Defence Ministers Conclave with a similar aim. India is hard-selling its military capabilities in building artillery guns, drones, assault weapons, missiles and ballistic protection gear. India had recently finalised sale of the BrahMos missiles to the Philippines and the latter had also shown interest in procuring other advanced equipment. India is reportedly also in discussions with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam for new BrahMos orders. In May last year, India gifted a missile corvette, INS Kirpan, to Vietnam, as well as discussed with Hanoi stepping-up training of Vietnamese personnel in areas including submarine and fighter jet operations, cyber-security and electronic warfare. Also last year, India extended a $100 million line-of-credit to Vietnam for the development of guard boats. Indian exports in the recent past include HMS-X2 sonars to Myanmar and Sukhoi 30 avionics and MIG spare parts to Malaysia. India has also supplied offshore patrol vessels to Mauritius. In October 2020, India gifted the diesel-electric submarine INS Sindhuvir to Myanmar as part of its strategic outreach. Indias submarine was far superior to what China had offered to Myanmar. There are strong and very visible reasons to believe that India wants to be seen as a reliable economic and security partner among nations of the Indo-Pacific. Most importantly, India wants to be the much-needed counterweight to China in the region and a voice for the global south. Hosting IPACC will go a long way in sending the message. India Canada Issue: Canada has updated the travel advisory for its citizens in India and has asked them to stay vigilant and exercise caution in the wake of recent developments between India and Canada. Meanwhile, the Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against Karanvir Singh, a member of the Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International. As per government sources, soft pedalling of Khalistanis ensured that moderate and pro-India Sikhs were thrown out of all many big Gurdwaras in Canada by the muscle and money power of Pro-Khalistan Elements. . Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair has called Canadas relationship with India important, and said his country will continue to pursue partnerships like the Indo-Pacific strategy while the investigation of the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar continues. Canada had been seeking deeper trade, defence, and immigration ties with India before the credible intelligence, as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it, was first raised with Canadian officials, Global News reported. In an interview aired on Sunday on The West Block, Blair suggested Canada will continue to pursue those partnerships while the investigation into allegations continues. What Blair Said? We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India, he was quoted as saying by Global News. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth, he said. If the allegations are proven true, Blair said there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. The Minister further noted that the Indo-Pacific strategy was still a critical one for Canada and has led to an increased military presence in the region and commitments for further patrol capabilities. Notably, the Indo-Pacific strategy commits USD 492.9 million over five years toward those military priorities, out of a total of nearly USD 2.3 billion over the same period. India-Canada Diplomatic Issue Tensions flared between India and Canada following Trudeaus explosive allegations of Indian agents potential involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Nijjar on his countrys soil on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated 45-year-old Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), as a terrorist in 2020. India has rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case. On Thursday, India asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians, as escalating tensions between the two nations over the killing of Nijjar pushed their ties to an all-time low. It also accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists. India also asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada. Meanwhile, the United Hindu Front on Sunday held a protest against the Canadian PM at Delhis Jantar Mantar, expressing their disapproval of Trudeaus alleged support and protection of anti-India Khalistanis. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in New York, also took a veiled dig at Canada. Speaking at a ministerial session titled South Rising: Partnerships, Institutions and Ideas hosted by the Observer Research Foundation, Jaishankar said that it is still a world of double standards and those countries which are occupying positions of influence are resisting the pressure to change. In the name of the market, a lot of things are done, like in the name of freedom, a lot of things are done, he said, hinting at Trudeaus statements defending pro-Khalistan activities in Canada by citing freedom of speech. In Canada, however, posters calling for the killing of Indian diplomats at a Gurdwara in Surrey were taken down after local authorities intervened amid Ottawas plummeting ties with India. According to sources, the Surrey Gurdwara was asked to remove the posters calling for the killing of three Indian diplomats after authorities realised the magnitude of the issue and the optics of such messaging originating from Canadian soil. No Intel Received on Nijjar Reportedly, No evidence has been shared with India by Canada on Indian agents possible involvement in Nijjars murder. Quoting top Indian security officials, a report by Hindustan Times said neither Ottawa nor Washington DC shared any intelligence on the KTF Chiefs killing with New Delhi in the run-up to the G-20 summit in Delhi. Credible allegation is an oxymoron, said one of the officials, referencing Trudeaus statement when he first mentioned the issue last week. And since then too no evidence has been shared, the officials added. India Mulls To Cancel OCI Cards of Khalistani Terrorists After the National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated the properties of Canada-based designated individual terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, it is learnt that the government has asked the investigative agencies to identify the properties of other terrorists wanted in India sitting abroad. Sources privy to the matter said that the government has asked the agencies to identify the properties of the terrorists settled abroad. The source also said that the government has asked the agencies to identify Khalistani terrorists settled in countries like the US, UK, Canada and Australia and cancel their Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) so that they dont come to India. US Gave Intel? Meanwhile, the US has claimed that it provided Canada with intelligence after Nijjars killing. However, as per a report by The New York Times, the communications intercepted by Ottawa were more definitive and led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot. The report, which cited sources, came on Saturday as the top US diplomat in Canada confirmed that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that had prompted Trudeaus offensive allegation against India in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil. In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved, the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying. Yet what appears to be the smoking gun, intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said. David Cohen, US Ambassador to Canada, in an interview with CTV News said that shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June. I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think thats as far as Im comfortable going, Cohen told CTV News. After Nijjars death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had not had any advance information about the plot, and that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies duty to warn doctrine, according to two allied officials, the newspaper reported. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, said Canadian officials had offered a general warning to Nijjar but had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot, according to the report. Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations. And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function, he said in response to a question. US Stance The United States has also urged India to cooperate with Canada in its investigations. While Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, American officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India, the paper said. But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner, it said. Blinken said the US is deeply concerned about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was closely coordinating with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see accountability in the case. Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation. Warning To Sikhs In the US After Nijjar was shot dead, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents visited several Sikh leaders and warned them that their lives were also at risk, as per a report in The Intercept. Pritpal Singh, a political activist who is a coordinator for the American Sikh Caucus Committee, told The Intercept that he and two other Sikh Americans in California received calls and visits from the FBI after Nijjar was killed. Sukhman Dhami, co-director of Ensaaf, a California-based nonprofit group said Sikhs throughout the US have received police warnings about potential threats. (With Inputs from PTI and IANS) The International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as the Interpol, has issued a Red Corner Notice against a member of the Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Karanvir Singh. Singh, who is allegedly a close aide of terrorists like Wadhawa Singh and an operative of BKI, has been facing multiple terror charges in Punjab. According to sources, he is also behind the recent killings in Punjab. Singh has fled to Pakistan and is currently helping the ISI. His role is under scanner in arms dropping through drones as well. Red Corner Notices are issued for fugitives who are wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence in relation to serious ordinary law crimes such as murder, rape and fraud. CNN-News18 conducted a sting operation in Lahore where the teams reached his home. A man in Maharastras Nagpur died after allegedly being slapped by a State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawan during an argument over the latters car headlight. The incident took place in the Mata Mandir area of Nagpur city on Thursday night. Accused Nikhil Gupta (30) was visiting the area as his sister lived there. While he was parking his car, the vehicles headlight beam struck the face of victim Muralidhar Ramraoji Neware (54), a resident of the same locality. As per the police, Neware apparently politely told Gupta to readjust the light beam but the SRPF jawan got angry, leading to an altercation between the two. Neware collapsed to the ground after Gupta slapped him hard. He was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital but died on Saturday, the official said. The police have registered a case against Gupta under Indian Penal Code section 304 (homicide not amounting to murder), the official added. (With PTI Inputs) The Mumbai police have arrested a 28-year-old man with several cases of housing-breaking and theft to his name and seized electronic gadgets worth Rs 7.6 lakh from his possession, an official said on Monday. The police on Sunday nabbed Vaibhav Thorve from the western suburb of Andheri, he said. The accused had allegedly broken into the apartment of a 61-year-old woman 10 days ago and decamped with an expensive laptop, the official said. Based on CCTV footages from the area, the police zeroed in on Thorve and recovered the stolen laptop. Apart from this, the police recovered two iPhones, cameras, memory cards, and other materials worth Rs 7.6 lakh from him, he said. With the arrest, the police have detected cases of thefts and house-breaking registered against the accused, who is a history-sheeter, the official added. A bus carrying Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) workers rammed into a truck in Madhya Prdaeshs Khargone district leaving 39 passengers injured. The accident took place late Sunday night near Kasrawad. The injured were rushed to a district hospital. The passengers were on their way to attend the Karyakarta Mahakumbh in Bhopal, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a mega congregation of party workers today. BJP workers mostly from Khaparjamli, Rupgarh and Rai Sagar of Bhagwanpura were travelling on the bus. BJP has organised Karyakarta Mahakumbh on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the partys five Jan Ashirwad Yatras that took place across the state Nearly 1.6 lakh Indians, accounting for almost 20 per cent, of those renouncing their citizenship between January 2018 and June 2023, have opted for Canadian nationality. The numbers revealed in a data by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) comes amid strained relations between India and Canada. According to a Times of India report, Canada has emerged as the second most preferred destination for Indian expatriates during this period, following the US, while Australia and the UK hold the third and fourth positions, respectively. Overall, close to 8.4 lakh Indians gave up their Indian citizenship during the mentioned timeframe, becoming citizens of 114 different nations, with a substantial 58% choosing either the US or Canada, the report stated. According to TOI, a year-wise breakdown of Indians relinquishing their citizenship displays an upward trend, except for a dip in 2020 due to the pandemic. The number surged from 1.3 lakh in 2018 to 2.2 lakh in 2022. A little over 87,000 Indians opted for foreign citizenship in the first half of 2023. The report quoted emigration expert Vikram Shroff, leader of HR Law at Nishith Desai Associates, as saying that the top four preferences align with expectations. Many Indians prefer citizenship in developed nations where English is the dominant language, the expert mentioned. There are multiple reasons for emigration, including higher standard of living, childrens education, employment opportunities and quality healthcare. Countries like Canada and Australia are attracting foreign talent by making it easier and quicker for people to obtain residency and citizenship, Shroff was further quoted. Congress Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu had recently written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging insecurity among Indians in Canada amid the tensions. Over six lakh Indian students are studying in Canada, many of them have also applied for permanent residency. The increased tension might lead to delays or complications in visa processing for Indian students, who plan to study in Canada or those seeking visa extensions, he said. He further urged PM Modi to ensure the well-being of the students in Canada. My sister-in-law, a Canadian citizen, is an expectant mother. My mother was planning to visit us in Canada and she had already applied for a visa in India. However, given the current situation, we are now unsure about the next course of action, a report in Tribune quoted Manpreet Kaur, a student from Punjab currently on a work permit in Toronto. Tension has grown since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they are investigating credible allegations about the potential involvement of India in the murder of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June. India had designated 45-year-old Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), as a terrorist in 2020. India has rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case. Be unsurprised! Marjorie Taylor Green managed to not actually wish Jewish folks a happy day of atonement! The Georgia congressperson used an image of the Menorah, a traditional symbol of the Hannukah celebration, matched with what appears to be a Shofar or a sloppily drawn marijuana cigarette. Democrats, when they controlled the House of Representatives looked to censure Greene over comments comparing Joe Biden to Hitler. Greene has a long history of anti-Semitism and just plain stupid comments about Jews, Judaism, and space-borne weaponry. Now that Republican's have the house Greene has been Speaker-Pro Tempore. The Guardian: Amid a spiralling diplomatic tussle between India and Canada over the issue of Khalistani separatists, the union home ministry has given a massive boost to anti-terror body National Investigation Agency (NIA), clearing the creation of posts of an additional director general (ADG) and six inspector generals (IGs). The NIA is also probing cases related to gangsters and the Khalistani network. According to an official communication, the ministry has said that the NIA had proposed to create these posts in 2021 and 2022. Posts of 1 Additional Director General and 6 Inspector General at Pay level in pay matrix Level-15 Level-14 have been approved by the ministry. Sources said that the approval has been accorded by top government authorities to give more teeth to the investigating agency. The NIA currently has four IGs who deal with terror financing, the Northeast, investigation, and policy. They each have a team of at least two deputy inspector general (DIG) and four superintendent of police level officers. They all report to an ADG who reports to the director general (DG). An NIA team was supposed to fly to Canada over matters related to fugitive gangsters and Khalistanis, said sources. After the diplomatic tussle between India and Canada, the NIA on Sunday released a list of 19 fugitive Khalistani terrorists residing in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Dubai, Pakistan, and other countries. The agency is likely to confiscate the properties of these individuals. The development comes a day after the NIA confiscated the properties of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a member of the banned pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). According to reports, the action against the 19 fugitives will be taken under anti-terror law UAPA. They have been accused of running anti-India propaganda from abroad. The National Investigation Agency aims to be a thoroughly professional investigative agency matching the best international standards. The NIA aims to set the standards of excellence in counter-terrorism and other national security-related investigations at the national level by developing into a highly trained, partnership-oriented workforce. NIA aims at creating deterrence for existing and potential terrorist groups/individuals. It aims to develop as a storehouse of all terrorist-related information, the agency says. Terming the relationship with India as important, Canadas Defence Minister Bill Blair has said that his country will continue to pursue partnerships like the Indo-Pacific strategy. He added that the crucial tie-up with remain even as his country is investigating the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. In an interview aired on The West Block on Sunday, Blair suggested Canada will continue to pursue those partnerships while the investigation into allegations continues, calling the relationship with India important. We understand that this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to our relationship with India, he was quoted as saying by Global News. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to defend the law, defend our citizens, and at the same time make sure that we conduct a thorough investigation and get to the truth. If the allegations are proven true, Blair said there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Blair said the Indo-Pacific strategy was still a critical one for Canada and has led to an increased military presence in the region and commitments for further patrol capabilities. The strategy commits USD 492.9 million over five years toward those military priorities, out of a total of nearly USD 2.3 billion over the same period. Tensions flared between India and Canada following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus explosive allegations of a potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, on his countrys soil on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India angrily rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case. Canada had been seeking deeper trade, defence and immigration ties with India before the credible intelligence, as Trudeau called it, was first raised with Canadian officials, Global News reported. On Thursday, India asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians, as escalating tensions between the two nations over the killing of Nijjar pushed their ties to an all-time low. India also asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada. (With inputs from PTI) Angry about the temporary suspension of Indias visa services, the Sikh community in Canada is blaming the PM Justin Trudeau-led government and Khalistani groups for the strain in bilateral ties, a top community leader from Vancouver told CNN-News18, on condition of anonymity. ALSO READ | India Suspends Visa Services in Canada: Who Can Travel, Who Will be Impacted & Exemptions | Explained A majority of Indian Canadians visit India during the festive season and stay there for three-four months. They also take care of their farmlands during the period. The cancellation of visa will disturb the social fabric," he said. It will also stop our visits to the Golden Temple which will be very painful for devotees," he added. The leader said they plan to give representation to the Indian Missions in Canada. According to the leader, visa cases should be decided on a case-to-case basis. The community blames Trudeau for the row. He should have taken steps to stop this extremism," he said. The row broke out as Trudeau recently accused India of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar earlier this year. The Ministry of External Affairs termed the claims made by Trudeau motivated and absurd". THE VISA SUSPENSION Amid the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced temporarily suspending issuance of visas to Canadian citizens in view of security threats" faced by its high commission and consulates in Canada. ALSO READ | Khalistanis Control 8 of 250 Gurdwaras in Canada, Dont Have Solid Sikh Support: Intel Source MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, while announcing the visa restrictions, said, You are aware of the security threats being faced by our High Commission and consulates in Canada. These have disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, our High Commission and consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications. We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis." He added that suspension of visa facility in Indian missions in Canada will also be enforced for third-country applicants who may choose to apply for visas through Indian missions in Canada. A notice by BLS International, a private firm hired for initial scrutiny of visa applications of Canadian nationals, said, Due to operational reasons Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice". ALSO READ | Trudeau Govt Doesnt Have Intel on Nijjar Killing in Canada: Indian Govt Source | Exclusive All Canadian nationals who intend to visit India and do not have a visa will be affected by the suspension of visa services. This will include Canadian citizens, tourists, business travellers and students who were intending to travel to India. Moreover, the relatives and family members of India citizens who were planning to travel to India to visit family or friends will also be affected. Amid the India-Canada standoff, in what highlights the Indian Sikhs sentiments, a video posted on social media shows a Sikh follower saying that their kids dont go to gurdwaras to support the Khalistanis or disrespect the tiranga. ALSO READ | Khalistanis Control 8 of 250 Gurdwaras in Canada, Dont Have Solid Sikh Support: Intel Source We are feeling ashamed that the Tiranga is being disrespected," the man is heard saying in the video. In a blow to the bilateral ties between India and Canada, Canada PM Justin Trudeau recently accused India of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar earlier this year. The Ministry of External Affairs said the claims made by Trudeau are motivated and absurd". CNN-News18 had earlier reported citing intelligence sources that the Indian Sikhs feel the Khalistan issue is being blown out of proportion, and the community is losing respect due to the separatists radical approach. Sikh groups feel they are known for their hospitality and charity, but that is marred by Khalistanis violence, sources had said. The Sikh community is in minority in different parts of the world such as the United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), Germany, France and Canada and has integrated in those societies. However, the community feels that as they dont have a leader, the leadership is taken over by people involved in abuse and harassment, say intelligence sources. The alleged leaders only speak of separation and have no association with the Guru Granth Sahib in any way. They are never seen reciting a single word from the Holy book, the community feels, according to sources. Sikhs in the other part of the globe are harassed or threatened by aggressive Sikh activists, they say. The rise of the extremist fringe pro-Khalistan ideology is creating a negative impact on Sikhs in other countries and tarnishing their image too. ALSO READ | Trudeau Govt Doesnt Have Intel on Nijjar Killing in Canada: Indian Govt Source | Exclusive Moderates feel they are not seen respectfully by host countries they are staying in. Gradually, this continued fight against India and disrespecting leaders and flags will lead to hostility, which they are not keen on, they say. Amitabh Bachchan is one of the most famous celebrities. There is no doubt that he enjoys a huge fan following. Well, the actor has been following a tradition on Sunday for many years. He always greets his fans outside his residence, Jalsa. And now it has been 41 years that he has been religiously following it. On this special completion, Amitabh Bachchan took to his social handle and shared a special video expressing his gratitude for them. He writes, This Sunday .. 41 years ! Every Sunday ! Can never have enough emotion or words for this gratitude and love. In the video, we can see Amitabh Bachchan wearing a white colour ethnic wear, coming out of his home. The gate opens and he is seen greeting all. Fans are seen screaming his name and holding placards. As soon as he shared the video, fans were seen expressing their excitement. One of them wrote, You are legend Mr. Bachchan no words can describe your aura, grace and elegance.. You are an epitome of perfection.. May god bless you with long life with good health. Another wrote, Love you always. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) The actor once revealed the reason behind greeting fans bare feet. He also shared a picture on his Instagram handle. Amitabh Bachchan writes, They ask me somewhat contentiously .. who goes out to meet fans bare feet ? I tell them: I do .. you go to the temple bare feet .. my well wishers on Sunday are my temple !!You got a problem with that !!! In the picture, Big B can be seen wearing a white kurta-pajama that he layered with a black jacket. He is standing on an elevation and has extended his hands towards the crowd of his fans who are standing there to witness his one glimpse. Meanwhile, Big B will be seen in Section 84. He also has Project K with Prabhas and Deepika Padukone in the pipeline. He also has the official Hindi remake of the superhit Hollywood film The Intern with Deepika Padukone Actress Amy Jackson recently made headlines when she took to Instagram to share her new look. The photo quickly went viral on social media platforms as netizens said that the actress looked like Hollywood sensation and Oppenheimer headliner Cillian Murphy. Some even said that the actress looked unrecognisable and trolled her. In a new interview, Amy addressed expressed that she was hurt by the comments she came across. However, she felt over the moon by the comparisons made with Cillian. Talking to The Times Of India, Amy revealed the reason behind donning this new look. She said, Im an actor and I take my job very seriously. For the last month, Ive been filming a new project in the UK. So, for the character I am playing, I had to slim down and fully commit myself to the role. Addressing the harsh comments about her new look, Amy said, The online outcry from the (mainly male) Indian demographic is quite sad. Ive worked with male co-stars who had to drastically change their look for a film, and they were highly praised for it. The moment a woman does it through unusual hair and makeup which doesnt conform to their idealism of beauty, they think they have the right to troll you. On being compared to Cillian Murphy, the actress said, Im over the moon. Hes chiselled perfection! Ill get my flat cap and Brummie (Birmingham) accent ready for a Peaky Blinders comeback. For the unversed, the photos posted by Amy went viral owing to the focus on her higher cheekbones, her hairdo and facial expressions. The comment section buzzed with various reactions. One of them wrote, Cillian Murphy female version>>>. Another one commented, 2nd image looks like Thomas Shelby. Someone else said, Cillian Murphy Doppelganger? A netizens also stated, You were great in Oppenheimer. However, some netizens also made rude remarks about her appearance, calling her ugly and comparing the photo with her past looks. Chris Evans and Alba Baptista were spotted for the first time since their reported wedding. On Sunday, a fan in the US spotted the Captain America star and his wife at the Lisbon airport. The couple maintained a low profile. However, the eagle-eyed fan managed to notice them and even shared a few pictures. The fan, sharing the photos with Instagram account Deuxmoi (known to feature unverified international gossip), revealed that the couple was headed to Boston from Lisbon. Deux! I know the girlies are gonna go crazy over this one. Im currently on a flight from Lison to Boson and Chris Evans and Alba are in the first class being super incognito tried my hardest to snap a photo but this is the best I got for you, the social media user said while sharing the photos. Earlier this month, Page Six reported that Chris Evans is now a married man. The insider claimed that the wedding ceremony took place in Massachusetts, at the couples Boston home. The intimate ceremony was attended by only closest family and friends. An insider informed the publication that the guests were asked to sign NDAs and phones were forfeited. While Chris and Alba are yet to confirm or clarify reports about their wedding, a couple of photos from Boston have surfaced online hinting at the guest list. While Chris is yet to announce his wedding formally, in an interview taken before his reported wedding, Chris made a brief mention about his life with Alba. Speaking with GQ, Chris said, I havent worked all year and I dont plan to, which has been lovely, he said, mentioning that he has no movie slated for 2023. My girlfriend that Ive had for a while, when we began dating, I was like: Yeah, I do one movie a year. I try to never work now. And then, after like a few months of dating, boom, guess what? Were living in Atlanta for a year. Get ready. And even when that year was happening, I was like, man, never again, he added. Deepika Padukone is undoubtedly one of the biggest actresses in Bollywood presently. From Shah Rukh Khan and Ranveer Singh to Saif Ali Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, she has worked with some of the finest actors in the industry in films across genres. Now, Deepika is all set to share the screen with Hrithik Roshan for the first time in the film Fighter. According to the recent reports, Deepika and Hrithik are headed to Italy for the films latest schedule. Deepika and Hrithik are currently busy shooting the Siddharth Anand directorial film. According to the latest reports, the actors have now flown to Italy to film two songs over two weeks. The shoot will begin this week and choreographer Bosco Martis is all set with some catchy hook steps. The first song is set to be a peppy dance number by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, similar to Hrithiks song Ghungroo from the 2019 film War. The second song is said to be a romantic ballad between Hritik and Deepika. Hrithik was seen at the airport on Monday leaving Mumbai. For his airport look, Hrithik went the monochromatic route and paired a black T-shirt with sweatpants. He wore a black cap to complete and paired the outfit with white sneakers for a pop of colour. Last week, Deepika was spotted at the airport in a chic, all-black outfit. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) Fighter is scheduled to be released in theatres on January 25, 2024. As such, the film is expected to be wrapped in October. The film will be an aerial action thriller, the first of its kind in Bollywood. The cast also includes Anil Kapoor, Akshay Oberoi and Karan Singh Grover among others. Meanwhile, Deepika was last seen opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the blockbuster hit film Pathaan. She also had an extended appearance in his record-breaking film Jawan. The film is expected to make history by entering the Rs. 1000 crore club soon. Hrithik, on the other hand, was last seen in the 2022 film Vikram Vedha. His performance as the shrewd Vedha was lauded by fans and critics alike. Kanu Behl made his foray into fikm-making by assisting Dibakar Banerjee in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. He followed that by co-writing another critically-acclaimed film LSD: Love Sex Aur Dhoka, featuring names like Rajkummar Rao, Anshuman Jha, Nusshratt Bharrucha among others. However, it was his directorial debut Titli that put him on the map as a visionary film-maker. After a long wait, his latest film Agra saw its premiere at 2023 Cannes Film Festival and Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne 2023. The drama film starring Rahul Roy, Mohit Agarwal, Priyanka Bose, Ruhani Sharma, Vibha Chibber, Sonal Jha and Aanchal Goswami traces the themes of repressed sexuality and the rampant patriarchy slowly rotting the socio-cultural setup. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Kanu Behl opened up about his film. Tackling a subject like that, that too in a country like our, how much mental preparation you had to do before embarking on this project? What were some of the initial pitfalls and how you navigated through them? Its always difficult when you are making a film like this. Right at the outset, you know you are tackling a subject that doesnt easily find financers or producers. So you always vary how this film will get made. But theres a bigger battle that a film-maker fights which is the battle of being scared within. How much do we want to push the envelope on this film. And that battle is sometimes subconscious. Sometimes you dont even know you are fighting it, while you are. For me, it was one of the biggest journeys that I had to undertake with the film, where for about a year, I was writing the film but I was not fully pushing all the buttons. I think I was a little scared. And then I was fortunate enough to go to a residency where my mentor was Mauli Sensgard. Thanks to that period, where the script was being written and her feedback, I realised I was not opening all the doors that I needed to, for a film like this to make sense. Once I realised that, that was the first major battle won because I stopped writing for a couple of months and I just sat down and asked myself whether or not I actually want to make this film. If you truly want to say, what you are feeling, and if you have the courage and capability to tell a story like that. And once I got the answer that I feel strongly about this film, then most of the problems were secondary problems. Then it was how to figure the best way to make this film and from there on, the film takes a life of itself. From what I gathered, Guru is not a one dimensional character in any way. It draws from realism and because it draws from realism, the challenge for you to get into the convoluted psyche of his must have required a lot of . So describe that whole process as to how you could channel all those layers in your protagonist? It was not that difficult because somewhere the film was very personal to me. Even though it changed a lot while writing, but the central feelings that Guru had felt, I think I have felt the same things growing up as a young boy, even till the age of 24-25. Ive tackled and dealt with some similar feelings myself. And thats where the seed germinated from. So to a certain extent, I knew Guru, I recognised him and I knew the guy I wanted to talk about. The thing that I realised was Yes, I felt some of the sexual repressions that Guru had felt but I had not felt it to the degree that Guru feels in the film. That is where I was a little vary because I felt this film shouldnt look like a copout or a medium where I am showing that this is what a sexually repressed man looks like. Because all said and done, I am a middle-class, upper middle-class boy who had grown up in a three bedroom house in East Delhi, in not a very expensive area. But I did have a little bit of privilege while growing up. That privilege Guru doesnt have. So after a point, I knew I had to go on this journey where I have to understand him better and the degree of his sexual repression, to be able to write this film truthfully. And to go on that journey, I had to incorporate certain tricks which were risky and difficult. For example, I spent about six months visiting sex chatrooms myself and sometimes posing as a woman talking to random boys, sometimes being myself, sometimes being other boys and trying to do a lot of research around what is happening, what is getting talked about in these black holes and how people are able to express themselves more openly when they know they are not being watched or that their identity is protected. And that research made a lot of layers of the character emerge on top of what I already knew. Thats where some of the characters outline came from and what you see in the film came out of it. Coming to the name of the film and the setting of the story i.e Agra. What was the idea behind that? Why Agra and whether that holds any significance to your film. The name of my film Agra comes from Agras mental asylum, which was at one point, the largest mental asylum in the country. But whenever you hear the name Agra, I feel the first thing that comes in peoples minds is not Taj Mahal but the mental asylum itself. And when I was writing the film, I wanted the name to indicate that kind of a madhouse-ness. Because the house in which the film takes place is full of troubled and repressed people. So I wanted the metaphor of mental asylum to always be like a shadow that hangs over the film. Coming to the actors, how did you rope Mohit Agarwal, Sonal Jha and Rahul Roy? How did they exactly fit in the world or the story you created? It was quite a journey behind selecting the cast of the film. For Mohit, we were auditioning in five different cities and I always knew that the character is such a difficult character and he is doing such difficult things in the film that its hard for anyone to comprehend. I always knew I would need an actor who is not very intimidating or who has some sort of presence where he has a certain vulnerability about him. So one can empathise with him while going on this journey with him. We were doing workshops with three good actors but I think what eventually worked for Mohit was he is so vulnerable. Apart from his acting, his openness feels like staring into a mirror, when you look into his eyes. Similarly, for the role of the father, who is a womaniser in the film, and runs after multiple women, I wanted someone who is a charmer, who is a ladies man and yet has a certain feeling of decay about them. And I have seen Rahul Roy, his own life has seen both aspects and both sides of the coin very, very closely. When he started playing with Daddys part and when we started the workshop, it was as if he cast himself in the role. I remember one day, Rahul walked in and said that I am going to do this role and nobody else. So there are interesting stories about the casting of all the protagonists of the film. What was your experience working with Rahul Roy. I was watching a recent interview of his and it was really heartbreaking to see him asking for work. Regardless of the stroke that he suffered, how was he on the sets of your film? It was an absolute pleasure working with Rahul Roy. He is one of the most professional actors that I have ever worked with. And he is so dedicated. Not for a moment, does he step outside of the park, not for a moment do you realise that you are working with a very big star or an actor who has a pedigree. He is so hardworking and was so deeply involved with the part that hes playing. Sometimes with younger actors, they can be a little lazy and you have to reprimand them. But Rahul Roy is experienced and he has worked with great directors, so it was a pleasure to have him as a part of the film. Coming back to the theme it explores, I believe most people in the country like to live in denial that something like sexual repressiveness exists when in turn, they have let it thrive unbenowst to the repurcussions. On top of that, if a film-maker like yourself tries to throw light on that, youll have to face several hurdles to even present something that you have created. And I am sure when you decide to release it her India, youll have a tough time convincing others. So what can facilitate a change in perspective on these topics? And whether such hurdles demoralizes film-makers to tackle unconventional stories? This is a much larger discussion. It cannot be seen, just in the prism of a film that deals with sexuality. Any film-maker today who is trying to push the envelope towards a certain kind of content that is mature, nuanced and that is trying to engage the audience, rather than treating them like children who have only come to the theatre to have popcorn and Pepsi and you want their money and just get done with them after the screening. If you are not trying to do that and if you are genuinely trying to engage with an audience, today it is very difficult for any film-maker, working in any region. And that difficulty is related to the socio-political-cultural context that we live in. To the amount of structural support that you have for a certain kind of cinema in the country, that needs to be looked at by the policy makers and that space needs to be actively created. That space is promoted in most of the Western countries. The shining beacon of that are the French who makes sure that any film which has come for a film festival, including in their own country, there is a mandated theatrical release for that film and theres no other way. So there are other cultures that treasure their artistic endeavours in numerous interesting ways. And maybe its time that we look at those cultures and we look at our artistic space and we reevaluate the kind of nuance we have in our culture and what we want to do for the continuous slide of nuance. We are just seeing more and more kids film out there or PSAs. What is your take on mainstream film-makers and films that try to highlight such themes in a simplistic lens ofcourse. A recent example of that would be OMG 2 which again was in a shroud of controversy regarding its underlying theme of sex, masturbation etc. Do you believe a simplistic or commercial approach on important topics like these only taints the narrative? Or is it the other way round? Absolutely. And here I am not talking about any specific film. I dont want to comment on OMG 2 or any other film. But these are all kids films. I dont treat them as films, I dont see them as films. Or lets just say I dont look at them as cinema. I went to a government sponsored film school and I had my cinema education on taxpayers money. And I am very cognizant of that. I want to respect my audiences and I want to treat them as adults and I want to engage them in conversations. I dont want to come to your cinema halls or to your homes via OTT and give you a sermon. Audiences are way, way smarter than any of us film-makers and they know what lives are, because they are living those lives everyday. This is not the cinema we should be aspiring to or this is not a cultural space that we should be creating for ourselves. Because eventually, if you stop seeing the nuances in the cinema, that means those nuances are fading away. And if they are indeed fading away, as balanced human beings, while sitting in the centre, one has to understand the tiff between left and right, to understand where the disinfranchisement is emanating from. If we dont have the capability to hear either side, in a calm and nuanced, balanced way, then whats the point? That was one of the strengths of our culture, over the years. That is what has made India as a land really special that we used to listen to both sides. So the absence of nuance is a much larger malaise and the absence of it is what you are seeing in the cinema. Akshay Kumar finally unveiled the highly anticipated trailer of Mission Raniganj and it has not only lived up to its promise and hype but has exceeded all expectations! In the film, the actor essays the role of Jaswant Singh Gill who played a significant role in rescuing surviving miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Raniganj in November 1989 which was a successful rescue mission in Bharat against all odds. The recently released motion poster of Mission Raniganj had already piqued immense curiosity among audiences, eagerly anticipating this gripping rescue thriller based on a real-life story. The trailer, which is nothing short of a cinematic spectacle and edge of the seat experience, lives up to the tremendous hype that has surrounded the film. It is a roller-coaster ride of emotions, drama, inspiration, courage, and soulful music, all beautifully woven together with terrific performances from the cast. Have a look at the trailer : The rescue thriller starring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra, boasts the massive cast and promises to be the most remarkable coal mine rescue operation ever depicted on the silver screen. One of the major highlights of the trailer is the brilliantly shot water sequence featuring Akshay and the impressive cast giving us a glimpse into the rescue mission. Each frame also showcases the great ensemble of talented cast supporting Akshays character Jaswant Singh Gill in every frame, which is truly heartwarming! Its a nail-biting and edge-of-the-seat experience that will have viewers hooked from start to finish. Producer Deepshika Deshmukh adds, I am absolutely thrilled to present the trailer of Mission Raniganj. This film has been lots of brainstorming sessions with tech teams , hard work and meticulous planning , and I couldnt be happier with the way it has turned out. Its an inspiring story that needs to be seen, felt, and celebrated on the big screen. I cant wait for the audience to experience the heart-warming journey of courage, human spirit and determination that Mission Raniganj offers. Director Tinu Suresh Desai adds, As a filmmaker, I feel happy and extremely proud to showcase the trailer of Mission Raniganj. It talks about the relentless spirit and determination of the human spirit. Im eagerly looking forward to sharing this thrilling and inspiring tale with audiences on the big screen. Starring Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Kumud Mishra, Pavan Malhotra, Ravi Kishan, Varun Badola, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajesh Sharma, Virendra Saxena, Shishir Sharma, Ananth Mahadevan, Jameel Khan, Sudhir Pandey, Bachan Pachera, Mukesh Bhatt and Omkar Das Manikpuri, Mission Raniganj is an ode to the resilience, determination, and valor of the human spirit and engineering minds. The film also marks Tinu Suresh Desais next thriller after Rustom, which won Akshay Kumar his first National award and the team massive critical and commercial acclaim. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Ajay Kapoor, Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue is directed by Tinu Suresh Desai and music on Jjust Music. The coal mine accident that shook the nation and the world, and the relentless efforts of the rescue team led by Jaswant Singh Gill, will be released in theaters on October 6th 2023. Press Release September 25, 2023 'Dapat maging mas handa tayo' -- Bong Go supports bills seeking to establish National Disease Prevention Management Authority, Medical Reserves Corps, Virology Institute Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed in an interview on Thursday, September 21, after attending the groundbreaking for the Super Health Center in San Mateo, Rizal, his full support for the establishment of the National Disease Prevention Management Authority, Medical Reserve Corps, and the Virology Institute of the Philippines. The measures were discussed during the Third Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting. When asked about the progress of these initiatives, Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, responded, "As chair po ng Senate Committee on Health, full support po ako dito." "Nasa subcommittee ang mga bills na ito na pinangungunahan ni Senator Pia Cayetano. Nakapag-hearing na ito at isa ako sa mga nagfile ng bills. Hopefully, maipasa ito ngayong taon," said Go. "Priority rin ang mga ito ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, nabanggit din ito sa LEDAC, so suportado ko ito," he added. Go clarified that the NDPMA is essentially the same as the previously named Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bill. "Unang-una, napaloob po ito sa Philippine Development Plan po ng ating Pangulong Marcos. Itong paggagawa ng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or ibahin man po, maging National Disease Management Prevention Authority ay suportado ko po ito," added Go. The senator emphasized the importance of being prepared for possible future pandemics, citing the country's experience with COVID-19. "Mas mabuti pong lagi tayong handa; meron tayong opisina na nakatutok po kung saka-sakaling may dumating na pandemya po sa buhay natin," he said. He recalled how the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) became a crucial office for COVID-19 testing, despite almost losing its funding during the 2019 budget deliberations. "Noong 2019 naman bago dumating ang pandemya ay muntik ding binawasan ang budget para sa Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. Hindi po tayo pumayag. In fact, dinagdagan pa natin sila noong budget deliberations. Tama nga ang kutob ko, sino ba ang mag-aakala na ang RITM ang magiging isa sa pinakaimportanteng opisina sa panahon ng pandemya? Ang RITM din ang may kakayahan na mag-test ng iba pang nakahahawang sakit bukod sa COVID-19," Go shared. He concluded by saying that he supports these initiatives that will benefit Filipinos, the healthcare system, and the less fortunate. "Bagama't isang boto lang po ako, ay suportado ko po ang mga ito." The senator has filed his own versions of these measures in the Senate. Go has filed Senate Bill No. 195 or the creation of a Center for Disease Control (CDC). If passed into law, CDC will serve as the country's central hub for disease prevention, surveillance, and control, focusing on both infectious and non-communicable diseases. Another key legislative measure from Go is SBN 196, which seeks to establish a Virology Science and Technology Institute. The institute is envisioned as a center for virology that will enhance the country's capacity to study, detect, and combat emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. He also filed SBN 1180 which seeks to establish a Medical Reserve Corps composed of individuals who have degrees in health-related fields but have yet to obtain professional licenses. The Medical Reserve Corps may be called upon to assist the national government and the local government units in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of the public in times of national emergencies. Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra and AAP politician Raghav Chadha are married now. The couple tied the knot at The Leela Palace in Udaipur on Sunday, September 24. Their wedding was an intimate affair with family members and close friends in presence. For her special day, Parineeti opted for a pastel colour lehenga designed by Manish Malhotra. Raghav complemented his bride in a traditional sherwani. For More : Parineeti Chopra And Raghav Chadha Are Married Now; Couples FIRST Wedding Photos Out Swara Bhasker recently welcomed a baby girl with husband Fahad Ahmad. The proud parents named her Raabiya. As they embark on their journey into parenthood, the couple is over the moon. A source close to their family informed paparazzo Viral Bhayani, Swara and Fahad are delighted to announce the arrival of their greatest joy & blessing : a baby girl born on 23rd September 2023 . Shes the cutest, most precious thing & they cannot take their eyes off her. For More : Swara Bhasker Welcomes Baby Girl With Husband Fahad Ahmad, Shares First Photo Salman Khans niece, Alizeh Agnihotri, is all set to make her film debut, confirming previous rumours. In a recent social media post, many celebs, including Salman himself, shared the title of Alizehs debut film, Farrey, and the teaser is out now. It was reported in November last year that Alizeh had begun shooting for award-winning director Soumendra Padhis film. Reports claimed that the film is slated for a 2023 release. Alizeh is the daughter of Salmans sister Alvira Khan and producer Atul Agnihotri. For More : Farrey Teaser: Salman Khan Drops Thrilling Teaser Of Niece Alizeh Agnihotris Bollywood Debut Akshay Kumar finally unveiled the highly anticipated trailer of Mission Raniganj and it has not only lived up to its promise and hype but has exceeded all expectations! In the film, the actor essays the role of Jaswant Singh Gill who played a significant role in rescuing surviving miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Raniganj in November 1989 which was a successful rescue mission in Bharat against all odds. For More : Mission Raniganj Trailer: Akshay Kumar Starrer Promises One-Of-A-Kind, Thrilling Rescue Mission Actress Amy Jackson recently made headlines when she took to Instagram to share her new look. The photo quickly went viral on social media platforms as netizens said that the actress looked like Hollywood sensation and Oppenheimer headliner Cillian Murphy. Some even said that the actress looked unrecognisable and trolled her. In a new interview, Amy addressed expressed that she was hurt by the comments she came across. However, she felt over the moon by the comparisons made with Cillian. For More : Amy Jackson Finally Addresses Comparison With Cillian Murphy, Says He Is Chiselled Perfection Actress Wamiqa Gabbi of Jubilee fame is all set to dazzle the audience with her upcoming series Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley. Directed by the visionary filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, this gripping whodunnit murder mystery showcases a unique connection to the popular series Fleabag. Wamiqa Gabbis character, Charlie Chopra, shares a distinctive trait with Phoebe Waller-Bridges iconic character in Fleabag. Both characters break the fourth wall to establish a direct connection with the audience. Fleabag, which gained immense popularity for its groundbreaking approach, featured Phoebe Waller-Bridges character frequently breaking the fourth wall. This technique allowed the character to connect with viewers on a personal level, especially during awkward and realistic situations, bridging the gap between the reel and the real world. Inspired by this revolutionary style, Wamiqa Gabbi has incorporated a similar approach in her portrayal of Charlie Chopra. In Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley, Wamiqas character engages in candid and direct conversations with the camera, effectively communicating with the audience on a one-on-one basis. This narrative technique adds a layer of intimacy and authenticity to the storytelling, making the series even more engaging and immersive. Wamiqa Gabbi shared her enthusiasm for this unique approach, stating, In our series, my character breaks the fourth wall to create an atmospheric connection with the audiences directly. Its a creative process and idea to have Charlie as a character to pamper the viewers involved in her expedition to solve the murder mystery. That I feel was very intriguing a process to do. The last time I do remember seeing and being greatly inspired where a similar approach was used but in a different genre was Fleabag where Pheobes character would stare into the camera to connect with the audience during awkward situations. I did use this as a reference point for myself. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the series promises to be a thrilling roller coaster ride filled with suspense, mystery, and unexpected twists. With Wamiqa Gabbis innovative portrayal of Charlie Chopra, viewers can expect a captivating and immersive experience that blurs the lines between the fictional world and their own. The ongoing rumours surrounding Aditya Roy Kapur and Ananya Pandays alleged relationship have continued to captivate attention. From drives in the city to frequent appearances together at events, the pair has consistently been in the public eye. Most recently, the rumoured couple made a significant impression at the extravagant wedding party of producer Aman Gill. Ananya Panday attended the occasion in a stunning white tube dress, complemented by a glitzy bag and elegant evil-eye earrings. Her makeup was flawlessly applied, and she wore her lustrous hair flowing down her shoulders. Meanwhile, Aditya Roy Kapur epitomized suave elegance in his all-black attire. The actor looked effortlessly dashing in a black shirt with casually rolled-up sleeves, paired with black trousers and black-and-white sneakers. Both actors posed separately for the cameras before making their way inside the event. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) As soon as their videos surfaced online, fans wasted no time and eagerly flocked to the comment section to shower the pair with compliments. Reacting to the video, one user wrote, Favorite couple, love their chemistry, while another user commented, They look so good together. A fans comment read, Adi and Ananya look so good together and complement each other so well. Jersey producer Aman Gill got married to Amrit Berar on June 7 in a private ceremony. Recently, he hosted a grand wedding reception in Mumbai. Many Bollywood celebrities like Shahid Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, and Varun Dhawan attended the event. Previously, Ananya Panday and Aditya Roy Kapur were spotted together at filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwanes production house office in Mumbai. As they exited the office, paparazzi swarmed around them, seeking a photo opportunity. While they declined to be photographed together, they kindly obliged by posing separately. Notably, both actors were dressed in matching white outfits for the occasion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) On the professional front, Ananya Panday has an exciting lineup of projects in her kitty. The actress will be seen in director Vikramaditya Motwanes upcoming thriller film Control alongside Vihaan Samat and Devika Vatsa. She also has Arjun Varain Singhs upcoming drama film Kho Gaye Hum Kahan. The film also stars Adarsh Gourav and Siddhant Chaturvedi. On the other hand, Aditya Roy Kapurs most recent appearance was in the crime mystery web series The Night Manager. Currently, he is busy filming for Anurag Basus upcoming romance drama Metro In Dino. So much has been written in the recent weeks, both in the Indian and the Canadian press, about the unprecedented deterioration of relations between the two countries. Without exception, all these write-ups have hoped either overtly or implicitly for an improvement of relations. But few have tried to show the way forward. What should be done? How to restore our mutually beneficial historic ties? The two countries, both democracies of the parliamentary variety, with shared colonial pasts and continuing linguistic and cultural ties, ought to be close natural friends if not allies. Given our friendly relations in the not-too-distant past and, even more so, with the growing convergence in our economic and strategic interests, this is an imperative that both sides cannot afford to ignore. Will relations improve? Definitely. But the way forward will not be easy, especially for Canada. We will see why when we understand the basic cause of the stand-off between the two countries. Simply speaking it is this. The ruling Justin Trudeau government has allowed itself to be held hostage by a small group of Khalistani extremists and sympathisers. Why and how this came about is, however, neither simple nor uncomplicated. Like all bad things, this toxic relationship too was years in the making. Among its contributory factors are the peculiarities of Canadian diaspora demographics. Canada is a vast country. Its land mass is close to 10,000,000 sq km, second only to Russia in size. But with less than 40 million, it ranks 37th in the world in population. What is more, a very large Indian diaspora of nearly 2 million people resides in Canada forming over 5 per cent of its population. Of these over 800% or 1/3 is Sikh. In fact, there are more Sikhs in Canada than in any other country other than India. Sikhs are also among the oldest subcontinental immigrants in Canada, settling in significant numbers over a hundred years ago. As one of the most organised of Canadas minorities, the Sikhs, especially through their network of Gurdwaras, have been much more influential politically than any other minority community. In fact, during the last Trudeau administration, 17 Sikh MPs were elected to the Canadian parliament. No wonder, in 2016, Trudeau famously remarked, I have more Sikhs in my Cabinet than Modi does. Of his four Sikh cabinet members was Defence Harjit Sajjan, whom then Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt. Amarinder Singh, had called a Khalistani sympathiser in 2017. In the 2019 elections, Trudeaus liberal party won 154 of the 338 seats in the Canadian House of Commons, 16 short of a clear majority. At present, Trudeaus minority government enjoys the support of the 24 members of the New Democratic Party (NDP), led by Jagmeet Singh. Jagmeet Singh is a known proponent of the Khalistan Referendum in Canada, calling it a fundamental human right of Canadian Sikhs protected by local and international laws. Trudeau had recently claimed in the Canadian parliament that he had credible allegations of an Indian hand in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. But long before this escalated into a major issue, Khalistani extremism in Canada and the laxity of the Canadian authorities in dealing with had already set the stage for deteriorating relations between Canada and India. It was in 1985, over 38 years back, that Khalistani terrorists blew up AI 182, killing all the 329 persons on board, of which 22 were airline crew. The tragic irony is that of the 307 passengers killed, 268 were Canadian citizens, most of them Punjabis and Sikhs. One would have imagined that after such a huge security failure on their part, Canadian authorities would have shown zero tolerance to Khalistani extremism. But quite the contrary, under cover of freedom of speech, mainstream Canadian politicians like Trudeau have allowed Khalistanis to flourish, both ideologically and politically. Worse, they have also done little to check the criminal elements among them, who have desecrated Hindu temples and openly threatened Indian diplomats in recent months. Until this unholy nexus between Khalistani extremism and mainstream Canadian politics is broken or defeated, neither Canada nor India can be better friends, let alone trusted partners. What is more, ordinary citizens of both states stand to lose immensely as long as this stand-off continues. Worse, the very lives and safety of some of the opponents of these extremists are under threat in both countries. Given this stark reality, what is the way forward? India has shown its hand by cracking down hard on Khalistani sympathisers whether in Canada or India. Even the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, elected supposedly with Khalistani support from overseas, cooperated in the arrest of the wanna-be Bhindaranwale Amarpal Singh. Now the properties of overseas anti-India Khalistani activists and criminals have been confiscated by the National Investigative Agency. Whether or not the government of India had anything to do with the elimination of Nijjar, what is amply clear is how the Khalistani cause is being aided and abetted by all kinds of anti-India forces, including our not-so-friendly neighbours. How would Trudeau respond to a Khalistani call for an independent Sikh state within the present borders of Canada, say in British Columbia? When his own party colleague and former Premier of the said state suffered a murderous attack at the hands of Khalistanis, how long can Trudeau continue to look the other way? The truth is that Canada has as much to lose as India when it soft-pedals or countenances extremism on its own soil. Can Canada give so much prominence to criminals, gangsters, and those who lied or cheated their way into Canada that it turns a friendly fellow Commonwealth country, once a close friend, into an enemy? India has sent a clear signalterrorism and secessionism is unacceptable, whether it is camouflaged by freedom of speech or any other high-sounding principle. India will not allow its territorial unity or integrity to be compromised by belligerents operating on foreign soil. Trudeaus popularity ratings are at a low ebb, hovering around 30 per cent. Gurmeet Singhs party has also lost seats and the popular vote in the last general elections. Instead of trying to outdo Jagmeet Singh in his support to Khalistanis, Trudeau would do well to distance himself from them by bringing criminals to justice or extraditing them. That would be the first step to improving ties between Canada and India. For India to keep looking the other way or, worse, allowing extremist secessionism to flourish either within its borders or on the soil of so-called friendly countries is no longer an option. The writer is an author, columnist, and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. A week has passed since Justin Trudeau sent India-Canada ties into a whirlwind by accusing India in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, in British Columbias Surrey. Meanwhile, Western media outlets have spent this time relentlessly pursuing a core objective humanising Nijjar and whitewashing his crimes. Western media outlets have painstakingly put up a case for Nijjars sainthood. The Khalistani terrorist is being painted as the true embodiment of innocence and victimhood. In Western medias eulogy for Nijjar, he has been referenced as a Sikh leader, Sikh activist and temple leader. If we are to go by The New York Times or The Washington Post, Nijjar was a religious community leader. He was merely a poor and innocent plumber with a family, we are made to believe. The Financial Times took it up a notch. For FT, Nijjar was a tireless campaigner and fatherly figure who would lay out chairs and do other temple chores with his own hands. The Western media has gone to agonising lengths to exonerate Nijjar, glossing over a ghastly track record that this supposedly virtuous, devoid-of-all-things-foul individual just happened to be tainted with. Nijjar just happened to be on the no-fly list of the US and Canada. He just happened to be an internationally wanted criminal with an Interpol red corner notice against him. He just happened to have arrived for the first time in Canada on a fake passport with a fake identity. He just happened to have his citizenship rejected twice because of his fraudulent methods. He just happened to lead a terror group called Khalistan Tiger Force and a recruiting and training camp in Mission Hills, BC. He just happened to fly to Pakistan several times to receive training from the ISI. He just happened to be in the bad books of India and involved in the murder of a Hindu priest in Punjab and a fellow Sikh leader who was not saying the right things anymore and challenged his word. He just happened to be an accused in a couple of deadly bomb blasts in Punjab. He just happened to have AK-47s, prohibited in Canada, that he fired around in the fields with his little temple buddies, totally not running a terror training camp. And while being a saintly temple leader, he just happened to be entangled with gangsters and human traffickers in Canada, not all of whom were his friends. The question for Western media is, what made the US and Canada put him on their no-fly list? Why did they see him as a risk if he was just plumbing for a living? But this section of the media is not in the mood to ask any questions or pay the slightest heed to Indias sensibilities and its decade-long history with Khalistani extremism. Humanising Nijjar, while glossing over the facts, is the greatest disservice to his victims. And yet, the West has attempted the very same thing at an industrial scale. Western journalists are also out to catch misty statements from Nijjars lawyer, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, while grossly failing to uncover Pannus own involvement in Khalistani terror or even his very recent tirade against Canadian Hindus threatening them to leave the country. Just as Trudeau named India in the killing, citing credible allegations, Western media set out to churn one sob story after another about a man who was killed three months ago. The assignment seems to be an endless flood of stories equating India with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia or China. Thats a hypocritical take given the US and the larger NATOs record in neutralising perceived threats on foreign soil. Be it drone strikes to kill Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, or another one in Baghdad to eliminate the top-most Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, the list of extrajudicial killings of terrorists at the hands of the West is long. Trudeau also happens to fully endorse such conduct. In 2018, India handed over a list of terrorists to Justin Trudeau during his visit to the country. Nijjar was on this extradition list. But Trudeau had other plans. Raising eyebrows in New Delhi, Trudeau had Jaspal Atwal a Khalistani convicted in Canadian courts for attempting to murder an Indian politician invited to the events planned out. After being sensationally subbed, he left India with a promise to counter the threat and act on Indias concerns. Ultimately, on his return, he did next to nothing about the menace of Khalistanis on Canadian soil. Five years on, the Khalistani threat has festered in the eyes of Indian authorities. Based out of Canada and involved in gangs, drugs, human trafficking, and other organised crimes, these extremists and terrorists are breeding terror operatives with lush funds targeted at destabilising the Indian state of Punjab but not limited to it. The Khalistani movement, which is entirely a diaspora issue, has escalated further with attacks on Hindu temples and on Indian diplomatic missions in Canada, the US and the UK. Open calls for the assassination of Indian diplomats did not faze Canadians. A float graphically celebrating the murder of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also did not affect Canadian authorities. Justin Trudeau is not just inclined to turn a blind eye but to protect the Khalistanis, with reports stating that Nijjar had been tipped off by Canadian intelligence of a possible threat to his life. Large hoardings calling for the assassination of Indian diplomats were not a problem for months until two days ago when they were finally taken down in Surrey, with Gurdwaras also directed to no longer make radical announcements on the loudspeakers. That this was allowed in the first place implicates Trudeau and his government in the proliferation of a terrorist movement aimed at the dismemberment of India. It was not until India spent a whole week raising the stakes and unleashing a volley of evidence of Canadian negligence and complicity, that cosmetic cover-ups like those in Surrey could be made. Trudeau now says that he does not want to provoke, escalate, or cause problems with India but that ship has sailed, and along with it, every ounce of credibility for Western media to fall back on has been squandered too. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. The diplomatic ties between India and Canada have hit a nadir after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, in British Columbias Surrey. While the Khalistanis, true to their calling, have now threatened to target the India mission in Ottawa and consulates in other cities in that country, the Canadian media, in coordination with their Western counterparts, in an ostrich-style of reporting, have been busy sanitising Nijjars criminal past by projecting him as a temple leader. One newspaper has gone to the extent of calling him a tireless campaigner and fatherly figure who would do temple works with his own hands. This is shocking, especially for those who have not been closely tracking Canadas internal politics and its Khalistani links. After all, this is not the first time Indians and the Indian mission have been targeted in that country. In the 1980s, even as Bill Warden, Canadas high commissioner then, was assuring Indias foreign secretary on the upgraded security being provided at Indian missions in Canada, as he recalls in his 2017 memoirs, Diplomat, Dissident, Spook, an armed gunman walked into the consulate general in Toronto, fired some shots, and then slipped away unimpeded. Such was the failure of the Canadian authorities in handling the Khalistani terror in the 80s that Warden was summoned to the (Indian) foreign ministry to receive strong protests on some eighteen occasions. And like Nijjar today, there was then Talwinder Singh Parmar, a dreaded Khalistani terrorist who was gunned down in Punjab in 1992 but almost a decade back he had forewarned that Indian planes will fall from the sky. This actually happened a few years later with the Kanishka Air India bombing in 1985, but Parmar remained a free man in Ottawa. Parmar was the same person who was refused extradition by Canada in 1982 despite repeated Indian requests. In fact, when India sought his extradition in 1982, Ottawa went to the ludicrous extent, saying the extradition protocols between Commonwealth countries would not apply because India only recognised Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, and not as Head of State! The Kanishka Air India bombing, until 9/11, was the deadliest terrorist attack in history. But while the 11 September 2001, attack saw the initiation of the war against terrorism, the 1985 tragedy went largely ignored in the West, with Canada seeing it as Indias problem: This despite the fact that of the 329 dead, 268 were Canadian citizens, mostly of Indian descent, while 27 were British and 24 were Indian citizens. As Canadian journalist Terry Milewski writes in his well-researched book, Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of the Global Khalistan Project (2021), The cause for which the bombers fought went nowhere. The investigation took twenty years. Except for the victims families, it seemed that nobody was interested in the Air India bombing All of their families were left to fend for themselves in navigating the aftermath, the funerals and the formalities. Among others, Milewski tells the story of one Susheel Gupta, who was only 12 when he went with his father to Ireland, looking for the body of his mother, Ramwati, who was killed in the plane bombing. By the time the judicial inquiry started, Gupta was thirty-three and a federal prosecutor in Ottawa. But he remembered. Canadian government officials did not seem to care at all, he said. This was not their tragedy to deal with, but Indias. Didnt matter that we were Canadian citizens. Such was the indifference, if not disdain, for the tragedy that the victims families wondered If it were an Air Canada plane full of white people, would the government have been so indifferent? Susheel Gupta, even at the height of his personal bereavement, couldnt stop noticing the contrast between the Canadians and the Irish people in approaching this man-made tragedy. When they were caught in the rain, there was someone (Irish people) to help: Neither my father nor I had a raincoat. As we were walking, a group of three Irish people walked up to us, greeted us. We were crying. They hugged us and then took off their own raincoats, handed one to my father as another one of the three individuals put his jacket upon me, buttoned it up, pulled the hood over my head and told me to keep the jacket I still have the raincoat to this day. Both before and after the Kanishka, Canada and its original citizens failed to act with the sensitivity the tragedy deserved. But the 1985 bombing wasnt just about the racist indifference of White Canada for its brown citizens. Just like Justin Trudeau is today busy turning a criminal into a victim and, worse, accusing without any substantial proof the worlds largest democracy of indulging in a murder in another country, the 1980s Canada too turned a blind eye to, first, when the Paramar-led Khalistanis vowed to bring Indian planes down, but also later denied if there were any prior intel warning of an attack on Air India. In 1987, two years after the Kanishka bombing, Canadas solicitor general James Kelleher told the parliament that nobody could have seen the Air India bombing coming: I should point out to the House that there was no indication that there was a specific threat to Flight 182! Sixteen years later, in 2003, he found support from Solicitor General Wayne Easter, who stated that the police and security services were not in a position to know that there would be a terrorist attack on an Air India aircraft. Interestingly, Kelleher was a Conservative minister, while Easter was a Liberal! Facts tell a different story, however. As Milewski brings out eloquently, Beginning in 1982, Canadas security services knew that a terrorist group, the Babbar Khalsa, was operating in Canada; that it had dozens of killings on its record; that its leader, Talwinder Parmar, was wanted for murder; and that he was preaching that Indian planes will fall from the sky. Thats why CSIS the Canadian Security Intelligence Service watched and wiretapped Parmar for three months before the Air India bombing, starting in March 1985. The surveillance made it plain that Parmar was intent on violence so plain that Ray Kobzey, the CSIS agent in charge of watching him, immediately exclaimed on hearing that Flight 182 had gone down, Parmar did it! Still, Parmar and others roamed free in Canada. To this day, of at least nine main accused, only one man has been convicted the man who built the bombs. Several credible warnings were available beforehand suggesting a threat to the Air India plane in Canada, but authorities in Ottawa refused to look at them. Maybe they just didnt care. In August 1984, for instance, Gerry Boudreault, a French-Canadian criminal, told the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that some Vancouver Sikhs had offered him $200,000 in cash to smuggle a bomb onto Air Indias flight from Montreal to London Flight 182. He refused and went to the police. But the cops kept looking the other way. There was also one Harmail Singh Grewal, a Sikh, who informed the Vancouver police about the plot to blow up an Indian plane. Grewal, in fact, talked about the plan to bomb two planes, which proved to be correct. The transcript of the talks between Grewal and the police is self-revealing: Officer: Theres a plot to put a bomb on an airplane right? Grewal: They said, yeah. Officer: Ok Grewal: Maybe two. Officer: Maybe two airplanes? Grewal: Well is it two, two, two, yeah. I heard their problem, they say if it doesnt blow, what happens? They said Some extra Officer: A backup bomb? Grewal: Yeah. Officer: What kind of airplane? Grewal: Air India 747 Officer: Air India 747. Is this going to be leaving from Montreal? Grewal: Yes. Officer: And its going to be, when? Grewal: Well I dont know the exact date, you know, the time. A flight leaves only from Montreal in Canada. The Canadian administration may continue to repeat the lie, but the fact is that there was not just vague but specific warning about Flight 182 being on the radar of Khalistani terrorists. After all, Air Indias flight from Toronto to Montreal and London, once a week, was the only flight the airline operated in Canada. The story of Canadian indifference one should call it collusion doesnt end there. Milewski writes how two weeks before the bombing, Parmar, with an accomplice, travelled to Toronto, preaching at the Malton Gurdwara near the airport. The next day, 10 June, an informer told the local police that people at the gurdwara were warned not to fly Air India as it would be unsafe. Later that very month, Air India Flight 182 exploded mid-air killing 329 people. More would have been killed had the second bomb not blown up on the ground at Narita Airport in Japan as the bags were being moved to Air India. Today, when the Western media is ignoring the Canadian complicity in pushing and promoting Khalistani terror in the name of freedom of expression, besides calling one of its terrorists a temple leader and a fatherly figure, its important to look back at the 1980s, especially the tragic Kanishka bombing and how a similar Canadian attitude led to the killing of hundreds of people and inflicting untold trauma to thousands others. The era of clubbing terrorists with freedom fighters is mostly gone and rightly so. Only a few pariah states, such as Pakistan, still pursue such obsolete, dangerous ideas. Canada, more so under Trudeau, seems to be going the Pakistan way. By defending Ottawa for its acts of omission and commission, the West is committing a hara-kiri similar to what it did in the Af-Pak region in the 1980s and after, resulting in two planes crashing into two iconic towers in New York in 2001. Before coming to Canadas support, the West should relook its role in the Kanishka bombing and after. If the Wests terrorists are Indias terrorists, then the latters terrorists cannot be the Wests father figures. If not checked now, these extremists would one day haunt the West just the same way Osama bin Laden and his fidayeen did in 9/11 and after. (This is the second part of the two-part series.) Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. On July 31, 2022, a retired physician residing with his grandkids in Kabul, was seated on the balcony of his house, enjoying the morning sun. As the CIA would later reveal, Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of Al Qaeda, liked to read alone in the morning. To know what happened next, lets quote from a press statement released two days later by the Pentagon. Zawahiri was killed in an over-the-horizon operation in downtown Kabul, where he was residing as a guest of the Taliban. The house was struck by two Hellfire missiles in a precision, counterterrorism operation at 6:18 a.m. Kabul time on Sunday. Zawahiri was the only casualty His death deals a significant blow to al-Qaida (sic) and will degrade the groups ability to operate, including against the US homeland. New York Times called Zawahiri one of the worlds most-wanted terrorists, while Al Jazeera referred to him as an Egyptian surgeon. Maybe it is a matter of perception. Interesting to note on that very day, August 2, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cheered the CIA drone strike on Zawahiri, congratulating the US for carrying out an extrajudicial, unlawful killing of an Egyptian national on foreign soil. In a tweet Trudeau, devoid of any moral compunctions that he has shown over the killing of a Khalistani terrorist, claimed, The death of Ayman al-Zawahiri is a step toward a safer world. The death of Ayman al-Zawahiri is a step toward a safer world. Canada will keep working with our global partners to counter terrorist threats, promote peace and security, and keep people here at home and around the world safe. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 2, 2022 It is said that hypocrisy is the price vice pays to virtue. The escalating diplomatic crisis between India and Canada reveals the blatant duplicity that lies at the heart of the Wests rules-based order that runs on the unwavering principle of White is always right. When it comes to the West, their enemies are terrorists who enjoy no human rights, nor do the nations where they find shelter have any claims to sovereignty. After killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria, Donald Trump boasted: He died like a dog God bless America. The West clapped in unison. These rules click in place, however, when a member of the Global South is affronted. While the Wests concerns are non-negotiable, and the terrorists they are going after are traced to the far corners of the earth and hunted down accompanied by instant justification of their actions by the Western media even legitimate concerns of, say, India are subject to the rules set by the West that never seem to match the bar. Suddenly, the terrorists who carry out targeted killings, fund terror and narcotics networks and carry out secessionist activities are mere community activists, plumbers, temple leaders, fatherly figures living an honest life and victims of state repression. As Seema Sirohi wrote on X, these are rules-based order with Western characteristics. The same Trudeau who celebrated the taking out of Zawahiri, became the protector-in-chief of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar due to domestic political compulsions. Even though New Delhi had shared with Ottawa a dossier containing relevant details of over a dozen criminal cases filed against Nijjar and intelligence on other terrorist activities he had been involved in against India over two decades, the Trudeau regime kept ignoring the evidence, kept cold-shouldering extradition requests and virtually gave Nijjar a free hand to make Canada the staging ground for a revival of the Khalistani movement aimed at violently ripping India apart. As AEIs Michael Rubin points out in 1945, while Within the United States, Pakistans efforts to promote a Khalistan separatist narrative largely manifest themselves in a few gadflies and conspiracy-addled activists In Canada, however, the campaign has grown more malevolent. Khalistani militants regularly extort money from the Sikh business community under threat of violence. Their tactics mirror what the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Tamil Tigers did in the 1980s and 1990s among the Kurdish and Tamil diasporas in Europe. Evidently because Khalistanis were getting political protection, even encouragement from the Canadian political establishment. Nijjars Khalistani antecedents were well-established. Dossiers on him shared with Ottawa by New Delhi, which are now emerging in the public domain, paint an unflattering picture. No matter what the Canadians would have the world believe, Nijjar was a terrorist, an extortionist, a racketeer and a murderer. He ran militant camps in Mission Hills, British Columbia, where he trained Khalistani extremists on using AK-47s, sniper rifles, and pistols, and was designated as an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by Indias Ministry of Home Affairs in 2020. According to reports in Indian media quoting from the dossier prepared by Indian intelligence, Nijjar was radicalized by Pakistan-based KTF (Khalistani Tiger Force) chief Jagtar Singh Tara and cultivated by the ISI. His activities are a long, exhaustive list of targeted assassinations of political leaders and cops, ransom and kidnappings carried out through the KTF module whose members were spotted, trained, funded and operationalized by Nijjar. Videos abound in social media of Nijjar boasting about the Khalistani legacy of assassinating former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. This is what Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar would exhort from Khalistani Gurdwaras!Assassinating Indian PM, Chief of Army Staff, Sikh CM of Punjab.. being a human bmb etc is proud legacy of their movement!Any comment: @JustinTrudeau, @theJagmeetSingh, @PierrePoilievre? https://t.co/51elDbjW0M pic.twitter.com/aImjSzt2Xa Puneet Sahani (@puneet_sahani) September 20, 2023 Along with gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Singh Dala, whose agents killed a local Congress leader in Punjabs Moga district last Wednesday, Nijjar also operated an immigration racket and extorted money from businessmen in Punjab. The NIA lodged several cases against him, the Interpol had a notice issued against his name and he also carried a cash award on his head. Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, a soldier and a military historian, writes in Indian Express that Government of India has on quite a few occasions raised the issue of Canada providing shelter to anti-India elements in that country. Those involved in heinous crimes of terrorism and killing are provided political asylum there. When I met Trudeau as Chief Minister of Punjab on behalf of the Government of India in February 2018 at Amritsar, I handed over a list of nine A-category terrorists to him for action. But the Canadian government chose to ignore the list completely. Nijjars acquiring of Canadian citizenship is an equally intriguing story. Reports in Indian and Canadian media reveal that Nijjar fled to Canada in 1998 on a forged passport in the name of Ravi Sharma, but his application for political asylum through fabricated stories of police torture was rejected by the Canadian authorities on grounds that the doctors report misspelt injuries as intesticlals. The honest plumber proved quite resourceful in a foreign land. He arranged for another application within 11 days of that setback by entering a marriage agreement with a divorced Sikh woman. This application, too, was rejected over suspicion that it was fake. The community activist then lodged another appeal, and to quote from Canadian media outlet Globe and Mail, Neither Balraj (his son) nor Pannun (his lawyer) could say what exactly happened next, and there are no public records that detail precisely how he became a Canadian citizen. But federal immigration minister Marc Miller confirmed this week that Nijjar acquired Canadian nationality on May 25, 2007 (Miller first said this took place in 2015 before correcting the date). Nothing to see here. Incidentally, Nijjar, whom an Interpol notice calls a key conspirator in the 2007 bombing of a cinema in Ludhiana, has also been named in the plots to kill Hindu religious leader Kamaldeep Sharma in Jalandhar and a temple explosion in Patiala. Why was this criminal mastermind being shielded from deportation to India and was even receiving protection from Canadian intelligence officers, with whom he had regular meetings? Worth noting that though Canada consistently rebuffed Nijjars extradition attempts despite both country being signatories of a treaty, the Khalistani terrorist was put on a no-fly list by Ottawa in 2017-18, a move replicated by the United States in 2019. The relevant question then becomes why would Trudeau go to the extent of levelling an extraordinarily serious charge of complicity in murder against a sovereign nation without furnishing even a modicum of proof, and in the process making an adversary out of a key economic power and a fellow democracy for the sake of a bona fide terrorist? After all, it is the same Trudeau who uttered not even a pipsqueak when a dissident Pakistani human rights activist, Karima Baloch, who was granted asylum in Canada in 2016 was found dead in Toronto four years later. The indications that Baloch, who was involved in an insurgency movement in Pakistans restive Baluchistan province, was killed by Pakistani agents were strong, but Trudeau did not open his mouth, let alone levelling allegations against Pakistan. Some have suggested bruised ego as part of Trudeaus motivation, but the reason goes deeper. In a previous piece, I had laid out the reasons behind Trudeaus protective arm toward Khalistani elements in his party and constituency and why the Canadian prime ministers political survival is tied to appeasement of Khalistani votebank. Theres more evidence of that phenomenon from a former foreign policy advisor to Trudeau, on how the Canadian PM whose ratings are now well below his rival Pierre Poilievre according to the latest opinion poll is critically dependent on the Khalistani votebank which he is loathe to lose to Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP). Omar Aziz, who served the government in 2017, writes in Canadas Globe and Mail, Canada should have at least begun to take steps to ensure our land was not used for terrorist financing a reasonable demand The only problem was, Trudeau did not want to lose the Sikh vote to Jagmeet Singh. So we dug in our heels What I saw in government was how Canadas ethnic domestic battles were distorting our long-term foreign policy priorities, and politicians, who never understood South Asia or India anyway, were pandering in lowest-common-denominator ways in B.C. and Ontario suburbs, and playing up ethnic grievances to win votes. Yet the Khalistani vote-bank is only one part of the story. A far more consequential development that has gone totally under the radar due to the Trudeau-induced diplomatic crisis with India, is the charge from Canadas opposition that Trudeau is a China sympathizer. The country that stands to gain the most from Canadas fracas with India is China. Conservative leader Poilievre, whose star is on the rise, has mounted stringent criticism against Trudeau that he has turned a blind eye to Chinese governments intervention in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections, allegations that have emerged in Canadian media quoting national security documents. Beijing has denied all charges. The Opposition leader, according to a report in the Canadian outlet CBC, has accused Trudeau of working in Chinas interests and against Canada and of covering up, even encouraged it to continue. After a lot of ultimately unsuccessful stalling tactics, Trudeau, on September 7, was forced to launch a public investigation into whether China or Russia had anything to do with Liberal Partys gains in 2019 and 2021 that led to Trudeau retaining power, bowing to Oppositions relentless pressure. China was not amused, and threatened Ottawa with consequences through a stern statement. A few days later, after returning home from a disastrous trip to New Delhi for the G20 summit, Trudeau made a dramatic announcement in the Canadian Parliament, bringing malicious charges against India while refusing to share any evidence, and the entire China issue that had been an uncomfortable episode for Trudeau, was forgotten. Dead and buried. It may not be a coincidence. Suddenly, the issue of China opening police stations in Quebec through which Chinese Canadians have been victims of the possible activities conducted by these centres, a matter that is being probed by the Canadian police, is forgotten. Trudeau did not make it an issue, a tactic he had steadfastly employed while China had taken two Canadian citizens as hostage to release Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Trudeaus reticence to call out China was noted, and he had been at the receiving end of barbs from the Opposition. Could that explain why Trudeau decided to go ballistic on India, so that Beijing that stands to gain if he remains in power is moved out of focus? Tasha Kheiriddin, A Canadian columnist, writes in National Post that For over a year now, Trudeau has been on the defensive about foreign interference in Canadian elections by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In response, he criticized leaked intelligence documents for containing inaccuracies Our public inquiry into foreign interference finally kicked off and suddenly, theyre not the focus anymore. There are other bad states doing bad things. The crisis also torpedoes Canadas Indo-Pacific Strategy, unveiled in November 2022, which criticized Chinese policies and sought to build stronger ties with India. Now, that hope is dead, and with it, a small part of Indias plan to counter Chinas influence in the Indo-Pacific. While Trudeau ups the ante against India through media leaks about possessing intelligence on Indias alleged involvement with the murder that refers to communications involving Indian officials themselves, including Indian diplomats present in Canada, he has crucially refused to release any real evidence, and has demanded that India cooperate in the probe. In an interview to New York Times published Saturday, Trudeau made some incendiary remarks, claiming that he would like to see a number of people thrown in jail, convicted. A series of lessons learned and changes made to the way the Indian government and the intelligence services operate, to a question on the Nijjar issue. India has refuted the allegation in strongest of terms, clarified that not a single proof has been shared with New Delhi, and in rare departure from strategic ambiguity, has called Canada a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and for organized crime that should be worried about its international reputation. While both sides take confrontationist positions, with Canada seemingly boosted by back-to-back statements from America, a few points must be made clear. First, Canada needs to share clear, actionable intelligence with India on the allegations, not empty bombast over credible allegation and potential links. Ottawa unfortunately has refused to share evidence but still wants India to cooperate, which leads to fantastic conclusion that India will gather proof against itself so that Trudeaus theory is proven. As of now, Canada has failed to provide any evidence of Indias direct involvement in the Nijjar case. Second, if Ottawa chooses to play the media game through leaks, it must know that two can play this game. Such insinuations prove nothing. Third, the burden of the proof, especially in light of these outrageous and malicious charges, lies entirely with Trudeau. Whether or not India has indeed carried out the execution will depend on evidence, not moral bombast. India has totally rejected the charges so the issue is hypothetical. Still, it must be made clear that the Wests sermonizing on transnational repression, as Antony Blinken put it, is a classic case of pot calling the kettle black. If, and it is a big IF, India was forced to bring the terrorist to justice, it would be a morally and legally justified way of conducting statecraft, that is more common than the theatrical western outrage, where the grievance seems to be not that India has done it, but that it had the audacity to do it against a FVYE nation. I have some news for the shocked western leaders. Countries put self-interest ahead of ideals and values. When it comes to territorial integrity, India has no space for bargaining. Read the first paragraph of this piece again. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Has Canada failed to learn from its past? And is that the reason that has led Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led government in Canada to buckle under the pressure of Khalistan supporters and terrorists to make unsubstantiated allegations against India regarding recent killing of a Khalistan terrorist on its soil? Award winning and much respected Canadian journalist Stewart Bells book Cold Terror: How Canada nurtures and exports terrorism around the world provides useful insights in this regard. The book was first published in 2004 and later revised in 2007. In addition to the Islamic terrorism, it also talks about the inept handling of the Khalistan movement which is being run from Canadian soil. Here are some key takeaways from Bells observations that can help one understand the root cause of the present crisis between India and Canada in context of Canadas lame duck approach towards terrorism: Talking about the bombing of an Air India plane in 1985 by Khalistani terrorists that killed 329 people on board, Bell observed, Air India was Canadas 9/11. Proportional to Canadas population, the death toll was equal to that of the attacks of September 11. Air India (incident) should have prompted the government to pass anti-terrorism legislation and commit to security and intelligence. Instead, it opened the door for other extremist groups to set up bases inside Canada and export their terror abroad. Canadian politicians did virtually nothing about terrorism after Air India, and there was no public groundswell to force them to do anything, probably because, once again, the victims were mostly Indo-Canadians, which made it easy to portray the attack as targeting an isolated segment of Canadian society rather than a more fundamental assault on Canada, its security and its value systems. Security and intelligence budgets were reduced on the false assumption that the end of the Cold War had made them unnecessary. The government did not even revoke the charitable status of the Babbar Khalsa until 1996. And even then, proposals to crack down against charities fronting for terror were rejected by the Liberal cabinet. Raising questions about the way investigations into Air India incident was handled, Bell said, While there were serious problems with the investigation, that was not the main lesson of the Air India disaster. The first lesson of Air India was that when terrorists harness their cause to religion, there are no limits. Canadian State Intelligence Service(CSIS) thought that if Sikh extremists were going to attack Air India, they would hijack a plane. They thought that way because they viewed Khalistan as a political movement. Hijacking is a political act; terrorists seize an airplane full of passengers and make a series of demands, gaining publicity for the cause and concessions such as the release of an imprisoned terrorist leader. However, Khalistan had become a religious extremist movement. According to Bell, the failure of Air India (and, for that matter, the failure of 9/11 as well) was not realising just how evil terrorism had become, that it was war without limits, killing for the glory of God. When all else is stripped awaythe ideologies, the dogmas and the hatredswhat is left is one fundamental question: how can terrorists indiscriminately kill others to promote their cause? Terrorism is not a crime of passion, it is coldly calculated. Air India was planned well in advance. Bell makes a significant observation about a lesson that terrorists have learnt in terms of using Canada as a safe haven, There was another lesson to come out of Air India, but this one was for the terrorists. The worlds terrorist organizations might have different causes, they might kill for different Gods, but they do not work in isolation from one another. They train together, buy weapons from one another and learn from each others mistakes. The terrorist groups working inside Canada learned a valuable lesson from the early spillover wars. That lesson was: the fastest way to put yourself out of business is to kill Canadians. The Sikh extremist organizations survived the aftermath of Air India, and indeed the chief suspects lived freely for a decade and a half until they were charged. But the disaster put Sikh militancy under a microscope, tarnished the cause and gave the Sikh community in Canada the momentum it needed to push the extremists aside. The mistake of the extremist Sikhs was to commit acts of violence within Canada. On the other hand, as long as you dont bomb any departmental stores in British Columbia, shoot any Ottawa embassy guards or blow-up planes filled with Canadians, the government will leave you alone and you are free to preach all the hatred you want and raise limitless sums of money to pay for war, terror and insurgency overseas. Canada deplores the import of terror to its peaceable kingdom, but appears indifferent to the export of terror. The money raised in Canada might pay for weapons and explosives that kill thousands of civilians in far-off lands, or it might finance an attack next door in Los Angeles, but the victims will safely be viewed as only Turks or Indians or Americans or Israelis. As long as the killing occurs outside Canadas borders, Canada is your playground. It is your safe haven.Terry Milewski, another Canadian journalist throws light on the reluctance of politicians in Canada to crack down on the Khalistan movement in his book Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of the Global Khalistan Project as he wrote, In Canada, too, the conflict turned to politics. But, unlike their comrades in Punjab, the extremists in Canada went from strength to strength, showing an astute understanding of law, politics and media. It is a question often asked by Indians: why do Canadian politicians pander to Sikh extremists? The short answer is that it is not easy to look out at a throng of 100,000 on Vaisakhi Day, knowing they might vote for you if you keep your mouth shut, and then to open it instead and risk losing the votes. Most politicians evidently prefer to avoid the risk and, by exploiting that tendency, Canadian Khalistanis have made it normal to celebrate murders of the right sort. He further adds, This collective shrug from the Canadian political class inevitably emboldened the separatist lobby and the acquittals in the Air India trial, in 2005, doubled the effect. The Khalistanis had won a victory and began to reap the benefits. Conclusion It is clear that the roots of the present crisis lie much deeper in the political system of Canada. Canadians, however, must remember that every country which has nurtured or protected terrorists in the name of liberal values has suffered at the hands of the same terrorists. Its neighbour and close ally United States of America is the biggest example. Many countries in the western world have learnt their lessons from the recent history of terrorism and have started cracking down on any kind of terrorism of extremism but many are still to learn! In a big setback to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK on Monday announced officially to end all ties with the ruling party at the Centre and exiting the NDA. The decision was taken during an AIADMK meeting chaired by General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami with key office-bearers, including the district secretaries and MLAs to discuss ties with the BJP. The partys high-level meeting adopted a unanimous resolution criticising the BJP TN unit for deliberately attacking AIADMK icons and ideology. VIDEO | AIADMK announces to break alliance with BJP in #TamilNadu.We are breaking our alliance with BJP and NDA. AIADMK will form a new alliance and face upcoming Parliamentary elections, says party. pic.twitter.com/TWpbMrQKPT Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2023 The state leadership of the BJP has been continuously making unnecessary remarks on our former leaders, our general secretary EPS and our cadres for the past one year. In todays meeting, this resolution was passed unanimously, said the AIADMK. Celebrations took place outside AIADMK headquarters in Chennai following the partys decision to sever ties with the BJP. #WATCH | Tamil Nadu | AIADMK workers burst crackers in Chennai after the party announces breaking of all ties with BJP and NDA from today. pic.twitter.com/k4UXpuoJhj ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 BJP state unit does not have sanctity for us. It keeps on attacking our leaders. BJP high command has failed to take any action against Annamalai. BJP needs us more than we need them, an AIADMK spokesperson told CNN-News18. #WATCH | Chennai: We never sought the meetings with Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) nor did he refuse. These are all wrong speculations. The meeting with JP Nadda (BJP National president), the outcome from Nadda thats also wrong. The outcome of this meeting will put to rest all pic.twitter.com/5yKsdppLH9 ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 Speaking to ANI, AIADMK Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, We never sought the meetings with Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) nor did he refuse. These are all wrong speculations. He also said, Whatever the decision of the General Secretary that is full and final and binding upon every cadre of AIADMK. An AIADMK delegation flew to the national capital on Friday and met BJP president J P Nadda and Union Minister Piyush Goyal, in charge of Tamil Nadu, asking for their intervention in making Annamalai apologise. AIADMK Angry Over Annamalais Remarks Following an argument over certain remarks by the BJP state chief K Annamalai against late Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai, senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar had called off the alliance between the two parties on September while claiming that Annamalai was conveying the partys stand on the issue. ALSO READ: AIADMK Ditches BJP Ahead of 2024 Polls; A Look At Their Ties Over The Years | Timeline BJP Chief Annamalai Reacts to AIADMK breaking alliance with BJP and NDA After AIADMK officially announced the breaking of ties with BJP and NDA, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai told ANI, I will speak to you later, I dont speak during Yatra. I will speak later. #WATCH | Coimbatore | On AIADMK breaking alliance with BJP and NDA, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai says, I will speak to you later, I dont speak during Yatra. I will speak later. pic.twitter.com/yObr5hSeT3 ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023 Earlier, Jayakumar had also said that any decision regarding the coalition will be taken during polls. He further said that his party workers will not tolerate any insult to the late chief minister. Jayakumar said that since Annamalai had made critical remarks about AIADMK leaders including the late J Jayalalithaa, the party had sought that the BJP leader be restrained. He is criticising Anna, Periyar and the General Secretary. No cadre would accept this. Tomorrow we have to work on the field. So without any option, we announced this. There wont be any impact on us with this decision. We are confident of our victory, he said. Top BJP sources, had earlier said that any issues between AIADMK and the state party unit will be sorted out amicably. WHAT HAPPENED IN 2019 LOK SABHA POLLS IN TAMIL NADU? In 2019, the BJP was wiped out in Tamil Nadu and its partner AIADMK was decimated to only one seat. On the other hand, the DMK-Congress alliance won 30 (Congress 8 & DMK 24) out of 39 seats in the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a meeting with top BJP leaders from Jammu and Kashmir amid the buzz over Assembly elections in the union territory. Besides BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda and partys J&K chief Ravinder Raina, LG Manoj Sinha was also present at Shahs residence in the national capital for the meeting. Among others who are attending the crucial meeting include former deputy chief Minister of J&K, Kavinder Gupta, Union Minister and Udhampur MP Jitendra Singh, Ashok Koul, Nirmal Singh, Devendra Maniyal, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Bibdoh Gupta, Sunil Sharma, Sat Paul Sharma and Shakti Parihar. Commenting on the agenda of the meeting, Kavinder Gupta earlier told ANI that it is a regular meeting of the core group in which issues will be discussed and the focus is likely to be on impending polls. Union minister Jitendra Singh earlier said that the BJP is ready for the elections and it is up to the EC to decide when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls will be held. Recently, the Election Commission had said that preparations have been done to conduct these elections in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir with Assembly and Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to the region. Privacy Policy Last updated: September 22, 2023 This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You. We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy has been created with the help of the Privacy Policy Generator. Interpretation and Definitions Interpretation The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural. Definitions For the purposes of this Privacy Policy: Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service. Affiliate means an entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with a party, where "control" means ownership of 50% or more of the shares, equity interest or other securities entitled to vote for election of directors or other managing authority. Company (referred to as either "the Company", "We", "Us" or "Our" in this Agreement) refers to Brudirect, 1250-A, Jalan Tanjung Bunut, Jalan Tutong BF2920, Bandar Seri Begawan BE4119 Negara Brunei Darussalam. 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Changes to this Privacy Policy We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page. Contact Us If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday ruled out returning to the NDA, an alliance he parted with a year ago, to which the BJP retorted he would not be welcome even if he begged for another chance. Kumar snapped at reporters asking him about speculations on the possibility of the JD(U)s return to the NDA, saying, Kya faltu baat karte hain (What rubbish are you talking). To this, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, Kumars former deputy, called the JD(U) supremo a political liability who had lost his steam and said naak ragdenge to bhi nahin wapas lenge (will not be re-inducted even if begs). Ironically, Kumar was speaking out against the BJP at RSS ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyayas birth anniversary. Upadhyaya was a member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the original party from which BJP was born and RSS is considered as the ideological progenitor of a number of organisations including the saffron party. The drama unfolded at a park in the citys Rajendra Nagar locality where Kumar came to take part in the function which his government had been holding since the time it shared power with the BJP. Kumar was accompanied, among others, by his current deputy Tejashwi Yadav, whose party RJD takes pride in having remained uncompromising in its opposition to the BJP. Yadav, who offered floral tributes before a statue of Upadhyay, one of the founding members of the BJPs former avatar Bharatiya Jana Sangh, insisted that his ideological stance notwithstanding, he was not averse to such niceties. When some journalists claimed he had once said in the assembly that he would discontinue functions held in memory of RSS leaders upon coming to power, Yadav shot back, I have never said so. Kumar has been attending functions to mark respect not only to Deen Dayal Upadhyay but also former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and ex-NDA finance minister Arun Jaitley as he holds them in high esteem, even though he does not belong to the BJP. Many political analysts believe that several opposition leaders and parties maintain links with the RSS despite taking on the BJP, as part of a calculated political stance. When it was the turn of the chief minister to interact with journalists, he was asked, in a lighter vein, whether he was planning a return to the NDA. Notably, a section of the media has been speculating that Kumar was unhappy with the opposition INDIA coalition not naming him as the convener and that his exchange of pleasantries with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent G20 event in New Delhi had more to it than what meets the eye. However, the septuagenarian seemed displeased with the kite flying as he snapped, Kya faltu baat karte hain (What rubbish are you talking), even as Yadav, who stood by his side, grinned at the exchange. He also responded to queries on future activities of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and voiced disapproval of his party colleagues calling him a prime minister material. Replying to a query, Kumar said he did not know why BJP leaders, who attended the function to mark the birth anniversary of the late Deen Dayal Upadhyay while in power, were not present this time. However, BJP leaders did reach the spot shortly after the CM, his cabinet colleagues and other government officials had left and the partys state unit chief Samrat Choudhary alleged that they were not invited to the function. Modi, who was part of the BJP contingent, was asked about the possibility of return to NDA of Kumar, with whom his personal friendship was once the stuff of legend in Bihars political circles. The BJP leader, who is now a Rajya Sabha member, asserted that the bridges have been burnt, saying, Nitish Kumar has now become a liability. He is now incapable of getting a single vote transferred to alliance partners. Why would we then like to realign? All doors are closed for him. He is no more welcome even if he begs to do so by rubbing his nose on the ground. Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh on Monday claimed several leaders of the ruling BJP are keen to join the Grand Old Party as they have sensed imminent defeat in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. Singh questioned if Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes that he can wash away the sins of the BJP government which has been in power in MP for the last 18 years and its ministers. People have made up their mind to dislodge the BJP from power in Madhya Pradesh. Sensing that they will face defeat in the polls, many big leaders of the ruling party are trying to join Congress again, Singh claimed while speaking to reporters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday kicked off BJPs political campaign in Rajasthan as he addressed the Jan Sampark Rally in Jaipur where the prime minister launched a veiled attack on Congress and CM Ashok Gehlot over the corruption and exam paper leak in the state. PM Modi said that BJPs Parivartan Rally has been getting an overwhelming response in all the poll-bound states adding that the people of Rajasthan are ready to throw off Gehlots government as the Congress has done zero for the state. Here are top quotes by PM Modi from his Parivartan Rally in Jaipur. The Maharashtra assembly speaker has fixed October 13 as the next date to hear the Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena issue. On Monday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction reiterated its demand to club all petitions filed against chief minister Eknath Shindes Shiv Sena. However, the Shinde camp opposed to this demand, pointing out there are 34 different petitions in front of the speaker and he should be given proper time to hear them. Last year, the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed after a rebellion in the then undivided Shiv Sena with Shinde and several other MLAs teaming up with the Bharatiya Janata Party. After Eknath Shinde became the chief minister with the BJPs support, the two factions of the Shiv Sena filed disqualification pleas against each other. The matter also reached the Supreme Court, which asked the Maharashtra assembly speaker to make a decision. Speaker Rahul Narwekar had issued notices to the MLAs of both factions on September 14, to hear the petitions they filed against each other with his office. He had ordered them to exchange the documents as both factions had said that they hadnt got notices issued by each other. After hearing both sides, the assembly speaker has decided that he will fix a timetable to hear all petitions before him. But both factions are of the opinion that it is not possible to complete the hearing in the stipulated period as time will be required for the verification of documents, recording statements of the two sides, and giving them opportunities to cross-examine each other. Experts are also of the opinion that at least three months would be required to complete the hearing. So the final order in this matter is likely to come in January 2024. On Monday, Anil Parab, Sunil Prabhu, and Anil Desai from Uddhav Thackerays faction and a few other MLAs from Mumbai were present for the hearing. Initially, the speaker allowed both sides to put forward their arguments. After hearing them, he decided to make a timetable to hear all 34 petitions in front of him. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders were unhappy over what they saw as delay caused by the speaker and had approached the apex court. The SC had expressed its displeasure with the working style of the speakers office in hearing these petitions. Following the Supreme Courts direction to expedite the proceedings, Narwekar had issued notices to both factions to remain present for a hearing on September 14. The speaker will have to explain to the top court what was done in the past four months regarding this matter. Narwekar was recently in Delhi and sources say he was getting legal advice from top Supreme Court lawyers. The next hearing in the SC will be on October 3. The deadline to impose restrictions on laptop imports in India has been extended as the manufacturers are finding it hard to meet the new regulations in a short time. The first deadline was set for November 1 this year, which was unlikely to be enough for brands to comply with in the first place. The new deadline is unclear as of now but the conditions are reportedly changing so that brands like Apple, Samsung and Dell among others can continue to ship their products and cater to the possible demand that will arise during the festive season in the coming weeks. The decision to push the deadline seems to have been taken after the IT hardware industry officials met with Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology. The restrictions were being put on laptop imports to encourage local manufacturing, which was not going to happen overnight. Brands like Apple and Samsung have reportedly talked about the limited business sense for setting up in the country, but it is possible the company could use India as the manufacturing hub for its exports if needed. The country is also setting up PLI worth crores which will give the manufacturers the incentive for domestic production. The new rules for laptop makers from November 1 were going to limit their scope to import products and the brands were supposed to register with the import department to get the license to import the products. These changes would have forced companies to reduce their imports, which could have put a massive burden on the product demand, forcing retailers to increase the prices of laptops. Having a mechanism in place to support the import registry is paramount and it is evident that the government wasnt sure of pulling it off in the next 30 days or so. The extension will definitely come as a relief to the brands but just because the restrictions dont come into effect from November doesnt mean it wont happen in the next six months. For now, these brands can continue operating in the usual fashion but the change is imminent and the companies would sooner rather than later have to comply with these restrictions and start making in India. The expensive price tag of Rs 1.60 lakh at least isnt deterring Indian buyers from lining up to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The craze to be among the first few to use the iPhone 15 Pro Max has strained initial stockswhich are simply not enough to cater to the unexpected demand. If you want to buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max in India right now, dont be surprised if a shopkeeper charges up to at least Rs 20,000 more. The iPhone 15 Pro models are being sold at a grey market premium above the MRP in India, News18 Tech has learned. These modelslaunched just three days ago on September 22are in high demand across India, especially the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with most offline and online retailers running out of stock for immediate delivery. News18 Tech reached out to several offline retailers in New Delhi and tier-2 cities like Jaipur and discovered that they are selling the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max above the MRP. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Made of Natural Titanium. But Pricing? Not Natural. Retailers are selling the top-end iPhone Pro Max 256GB variant in Natural Titanium for approximately Rs 20,000 over the MRP of Rs 1,59,900. While the premium for the smaller iPhone 15 Pro isnt as exorbitant as the Pro Max, retailers are asking for Rs 5,000-10,000, depending on the desired colour and storage capacity. A retailer in Karol Bagh, New Delhi, quoted a price of Rs 1,51,000 for the iPhone 15 Pro 256GB in Titanium Blue, which is exactly Rs 6,000 more than the MRP of Rs 1,44,900. We expected the situation in cities like Jaipur to be better, but to our surprise, a retailer operating in Ganpati Plaza, MI Road, openly listed the iPhone 15 Pro 256GB in Blue Titanium for Rs 8,000 above the MRP. International Stocks of the iPhone 15 Pro Being Sold at Prices Nearly Equivalent to Indian MRP. We also found an online listing by a popular online seller in New Delhi who was selling both internationally sourced models and Indian stock for as much as Rs 28,000 over the MRP. Another retailer in Thane, Maharashtra openly advertised selling the iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB variant for Rs 2,32,000Rs 32,000 above MRP. Its important to note that iPhone 15 Pro models in India are considerably more expensive than in countries like the US and UAE. For instance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max costs roughly Rs 1,00,000 in the USA, while it costs Rs 1,59,900 in India, a price difference of almost Rs 60,000. However, offline retailers are importing stocks from abroad and selling them for nearly the same price as their Indian counterparts, effectively nullifying the cost difference, all while attempting to evade taxes through so-called cash deals." The iPhone 15 Pro costs Rs 1,44,900, but we will charge Rs 5,000 over it." One retailer in Karol Bagh told us, The iPhone 15 Pro costs Rs 1,44,900, but we will charge Rs 5,000 over it." When we asked why, he said, The models are selling at a premium price right now. There is no stock anywhere, so even if you buy accessories from us, you will still have to pay the Rs 5,000 markup." He added, If we talk about the Pro Max Natural, it will be at least Rs 20,000 over the MRP." Same Situation Happened in 2022 When iPhone 14 Pro Models Were Launched Last year, we reported a similar situation with the iPhone 14 Pro models. However, a major difference this year is the absence of COVID-related stock shortages or reported issues with Foxconns supply chain in China. Yet, we are witnessing a shortage of iPhone 15 Pro models, especially in major metropolitan areas where the demand for the bleeding edge is high. On September 22, News18 Tech covered the live launch of the iPhone 15 series from the official Apple Store in Saket. We observed that users were primarily purchasing the iPhone 15 Pro models, showing less interest in the standard modelsfurther signifying the more interest in Pro models. On the other hand, not every retailer is involved with this malpractice, and we can say this after we also visited an official third-party reseller in Jaipurto get first-hand experience of the operations. We found that no premium was being charged for the stock, and they were not pushing overpriced accessories like tempered glass or cases with the devices. In fact, the standard iPhone 15 models were readily available, along with some colour options for the smaller iPhone 15 Pro as well. WhatsApp is used by billions but soon the number of users could come down as the messaging app will stop working on old Android versions. WhatsApp does that regularly so that the messaging app is available for the latest devices and every other Android version that can support all of its features. Google also has a schedule for when the Android versions lose official support which makes them vulnerable to security risks, and WhatsApp adheres to those changes so that millions of its users are secure from possible threats. Chances are that most of you are already using Android phones with versions that are not close to being outdated but even then WhatsApp shares the details of the Android versions that wont be compatible with the app. The new list of phones that will stop supporting WhatsApp from October onwards, includes any device that is running on Android 4.1 or earlier. Android Phones That Wont Support WhatsApp The list of phones running on Android 4.1 is quite dated with brands like Sony Ericsson, LG Optimus and the HTC phones in the mix. Here is the full list Samsung Galaxy S2 Sony Xperia Z Motorola Xoom HTC Desire HD LG Optimus 2X HTC Sensation Nexus 7 HTC One Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc3 WhatsApp has given a deadline of October 24 to support these phones. After that, you will need an Android phone with version 5.0 or higher to use the messaging app. Similarly, for iPhone users, they need to have installed iOS 12 or later versions. You can check for the Android version running on your phone by going to Settings About Phone Software details. Android versions that are not supported by WhatsApp will not let you send or receive messages. Humans of Bombay is being massively trolled on social media after Humans of New York accused the organisation of copying his idea. HOB founder Karishma Mehta also became the target of many trolls. Many people called her out for promoting a toxic workspace environment. Amid all the chaos, now a post on Reddit which is going viral sheds light on the most cringe content uploaded by HOB. An anonymous user took to the social media site and asked people, Okay so since the HOB downfall party is on and Karishma Mehta is releasing one poorly worded and ignorant statement after the other, I want to know what are some of the most cringiest posts youve seen on the Humans of Bombay page? Also Read: iPhone Users Complain of Battery Draining Faster Than Lightning After iOS 17 Update, Heres Why Seems like people had a lot to say about it. The post has gathered hundreds of comments with people sharing their experience. That story about a doctor(actually a physiotgerapist) who gave her exam on her wedding day.. Like really, they could have planned the wedding on another day. According to HOB BS, the bride was so committed to exams that she went to exam hall all decked up, rushed back to get married.. but in the meantime, was able to do a full fledged photoshoot and dance reel outside exam hall(and some of it inside) for social mediathey truly keep it so real, commented a Reddit user. Another person wrote, I dont remember the name but the one where this girl flew in from abroad for her brothers wedding but stayed the night at a friends placed and made her entry right during the varmala. Such an attention seeker, taking the spotlight away from the bride on her wedding. Shadi bafna. How her wedding was postponed due to covid. Sorry not for the wedding, How her dream to get into the influenza business was getting shattered bcz she could not have a grand grand wedding with 10000 people. Because if my personal reasons I m really biased towards people who could have a wedding after covid but yeah I really hate her out if touch reality behaviour, shared another user. Comment byu/restlessplanner from discussion inInstaCelebsGossip Comment byu/restlessplanner from discussion inInstaCelebsGossip Comment byu/restlessplanner from discussion inInstaCelebsGossip Comment byu/restlessplanner from discussion inInstaCelebsGossip Also Read: You Are India: Singapore Cab Drivers Racist Rant to Passenger During Argument Sparks Outrage Do you have any such story in mind? Karishma Mehta, the founder of Humans of Bombay, founded the organisation as a Facebook Page in 2014. Karishma has been making headlines ever since her Copyright infringement case against People of India backfired. But who is she? Lets find out. Karishma is a writer and photographer. Not just a founder, but she is also an author of the book called Humans of Bombay. Karishma started the page when she was just 21 years old. She was born and raised in Mumbai and attended the Bombay Scottish School in Mahim. She attended a boarding school in Bangalore for 2 years then college in the UK for three years. Also Read: Video of Karishma Mehta Saying Humans of Bombay Idea Came Out of Blue Resurfaces HOB is an Indian photoblog website which comprises the most wholesome stories about Mumbaikars (people residing in Mumbai). The popularity of all digital platforms of Humans of Bombay remains uncontested. It covers a mixed bag of stories that best emulate the spirit of the city. Karishmas book came as an attempt to raise funds to support the website. For the book, she compiled all the posts, including some which were not even published online. In 2022, she started a YouTube video series called How The Hell Did I Do It?. The series is based on interviews and involves successful businesses and famous personalities. All the guests address questions as to how they did it, meaning, how they made it in life. Mehta has been a subject of trolls every now and then. Sometimes it is for her privilege and other times it is for her struggles. The recent controversy started when the organisation filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against an online storytelling portal People of India for copyright infringement. A little while after that Humans of New York founder Brandon Stanton took to X and shared his opinion on India-based storytelling. He accused them of copying his idea of Humans of New York. Also, he criticised the company for filing a lawsuit against another storytelling platform. Brandons statement did not only bring in criticism for the organisation but it was also accompanied by trolls. Many people called our Karishma for promoting a toxic workspace environment. Also Read: Humans of Bombay Sues People of India Over Copyright Infringement, HONY Founder Reacts Amid all the chaos, an old video went viral and it showed Karishma talking about her organisation. In the video, the founder elaborated on how the idea of HOB came completely out of blue and it just clicked for her. This invited further trolling. Completely randomly and out of the blue, I stumbled upon the idea of Humans of Bombay and I started it. And it clicked. That period was a high of its own to start something new, she says. Two women have been booked in Bengaluru for allegedly duping people by using the name and photograph of Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty. They were booked after Murtys executive assistant Mamata Sanjay filed a complaint on Friday. The accused have been identified as Lavanya and Shruti. As per the complaint, Sudha was invited to attend the 50th anniversary of the Kannada Koota of Northern California (KKNC). However, her office responded that she would not be able to attend it. Also Read: Sudha Murty Interacts With People While Waiting At Airport, Gets Lauded For Simplicity Some time later after the event, the author was surprised to come across photos and videos which indicated that she would be the chief guest at the event. Murtys office came across an advertisement that mentioned a meet-and-greet with their chief guest Dr Sudha Murty on September 26. Tickets for the event were also being sold. This is when her office got in touch with KKNC organisers and came to know that Lavanya, one of the women arrested by the Bengaluru police, had claimed to be Murtys personal assistant and confirmed her presence. The second person, Shruthi, collected over Rs 3000 and claimed that the Infosys Foundation chairperson would be attending a programme in the US. Also Read: KIIT Bhubneshwar Slammed After Dead Frog Found in Hostels Food, College Responds As of now, a case has been registered against the two women under sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act and Section 419 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code. Also, a probe has been initiated. Murty is a renowned author of over 150 books, a philanthropist, and social worker. She is married to Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy. Despite holding all of these powerful positions in society, she is known for her humility. Her simplicity shines through her daily gestures. A new state report seeks to highlight the challenges facing rural counties, including population losses, an aging population and a shrinking labor force. The report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli selected 10 counties that are representative of those issues, including Allegany and Wyoming in Western New York. The report, which examined the demographic, economic and quality-of-life trends in 10 largely rural counties, also looked at the challenges those communities face when it comes to available housing, and access to health care, food and internet broadband. DiNapoli, in a statement, said that although the states rural areas have vibrant histories and vast potential, they often face obstacles that amplify one another. Demographic and other changes pose difficulties for local and state officials as they look for policies to boost communities and increase connectivity and access to health care and other services, he said in the report. Yet the shift in remote work and migration from urban areas could offer opportunities for rural communities to grow and thrive. According to the report, while the states population increased by 4.2% between 2011 and 2021, the population in rural counties decreased by 3.4% during the same period. While the median age for the state dropped from 39.2 years old to 37.8 years between 2011 and 2021, the median age in the states rural counties increased to 45.8 years from 43 years old. Between 2012 and 2022, the labor force in New York grew by 14,390 workers, adding 430,738 jobs. Also during that period, the labor force decreased by 13,707 workers, losing 2,580 jobs in the 10 rural counties examined in the report. The average rate of unemployment in the rural counties, at 3.7%, was lower than the state average of 4.3% in 2022, but the average labor force participation rate in rural counties was 55.9%, which was well below the states rate of 63.1%. The report also found that a larger portion of the workforce in rural counties was employed by the government, or 20.1%, compared with the statewide percentage of 16%. While rural and urban areas face similar challenges, DiNapoli said that the recent tendency is to develop public policies for the challenges facing rural communities that are being addressed by funding from new federal programs such as the $20 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to help rural governments access federal funding for the deployment of internet broadband in rural areas. A 26-year-old woman from Madhya Pradesh was arrested at Worli on September 15 for riding her motorcycle without a helmet on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Two-wheelers are allowed on the sealink. After being caught, the woman verbally abused the police personnel and even allegedly pointed her cigarette lighter, which was in the shape of a pistol at the police personnel. This happened when he asked for her license and vehicle documents. The video has now gone viral. Nupur Patel is a resident of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and was visiting her brother in Pune. She wanted to see the Worli Sea Link and that is why she took her brothers motorcycle for a trip to Mumbai. Also read: Watch: Staff At This Temple Serve Prasadam In Fast And Furious Style Here is the viral video: Mumbai: A 26-year-old woman from MP, identified as Nupur Patel was arrested by the police on September 15 for allegedly joyriding on her motorcycle without a helmet on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, where two-wheelers are not permitted.The situation became serious when the woman pic.twitter.com/XID507kwLf Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) September 24, 2023 According to reports, Nupur was completely unaware of the roads in the metropolitan city and had no idea that two-wheelers are not allowed on the Sea Link. She also ignored the signboards at the entrance of the Sea Link. As per the police, she also tried to dodge the two personnel who tried to stop her there. This lady being 26 would be only unbelievable thing about this video. https://t.co/akwd8BnQNo Norse_Code (@Norse_Codee) September 24, 2023 Wow. This is just Shameful. Women cannot play the women card to grossly misbehave like this. This female's licence ahould be permanently supensed, and she should be arrested at the earliest. https://t.co/jaSw95Waut TheLastOracle (@theMillionSandy) September 25, 2023 Not a single day goes by where such antics of a particular gender are not exposed on social media. Feminists brush them aside as anecdotal incidents. Anyone can see, she is totally sozzled in power for being woman and that is the irony. Be #misandry free. https://t.co/UU6u9SsiPs Wounded Bhishma (@woundedbhishma) September 24, 2023 Also Read: Woman Nearly Loses Vision After Contact Lenses Cause Ulcer In Her Eye The audacity at which seller blocks the road is even more shocking. Does she think she owns the road? Glad that the cops have arrested her and I joke she will be asked to present in court and get further mouthful from the judge. I also joke the judge will play this video when she is at the court, commented an X user. Another person wrote, Excellent work done by Mumbai Police. She thought this was her home town and would get away. Madam Ji Yeh Mumbai Police Hain. What do you think? In a shocking incident, a 25-year-old British woman named, Steph Carrasco, faced a harrowing experience when she nearly lost her eyesight due to an ulcer caused by her contact lenses. Initially, she dismissed the itchiness in her eye as a normal lens irritation, but a visit to the eye doctor revealed that she was going through a severe bacterial infection. Her optometrist, Jack Brenton, recognized the seriousness of the situation and quickly referred her to a specialist eye hospital. Stephs vision was badly affected and she spent a week in the hospital, where she underwent treatment, which involved 72 eye drops daily in an effort to reduce the ulcers size. The woman, who is a recruitment consultant from Cardiff, UK recounted her frightening experience and told, Wales News Service, By the time I was admitted to hospital, I could barely see. It was terrifying. Thankfully, Jack and the team were outstanding. He made sure I didnt leave the Specsavers store until he had arranged plans with the hospital and kept me reassured during an incredibly stressful time. He was quick thinking and thorough, I couldnt be more grateful. Despite receiving 72 eye drops per day, Steph Carrascos corneal ulcer wasnt healing, leading medical staff to perform a cornea transplant. After three weeks, her vision has improved and she is expected to fully recover by October, which will enable her to return to work. While hospitalised, she learned from hospital staff that the harshness of her infection was so bad, she could have lost her eyesight if it was not treated on time. She added, Its easy to dismiss health concerns, but this has taught me to never take my vision for granted. I just feel incredibly lucky to have had Jack and the hospitals medical team there to help when I needed them the most. Meanwhile, optometrist Jack Brenton, who works at the Cardiff Queen Street Specsavers branch, highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating that the aggressive bacteria in Steph Carrascos eye required immediate treatment. He expressed relief that they quickly sent her to the hospital to prevent the infection from advancing further. Although Steph is currently on the path to recovery, they are expecting that her vision will return to normal within a month. According to information from the NHS reported by the Daily Mail, corneal ulcers can be a serious condition and may lead to permanent vision loss. However, they can be treated with antibiotics or antifungal eye drops. People who wear contact lenses are at a higher risk of developing the infection, however, the risk is ten times higher than those who wear them overnight. Chinas famous virologist Shi Zhengli, who is known for her research on viruses originating from animals, has warned that a new coronavirus may emerge in the future. Shi, who gained her nickname batwoman, has stressed global readiness to combat such outbreaks, drawing from the lessons of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, according to the South China Morning Post. The top Chinese virologist, who has conducted research on bats and their role as carriers of infectious agents that can transmit to humans, has pointed out that past instances of coronavirus-induced diseases, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the Covid-19 pandemic, underscore the possibility of future outbreaks. In their study, Shis team, based at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), evaluated the risk of 40 different coronavirus species spilling over from animals to humans. Notably, they classified half of them as highly risky. Of these, six are already known to have caused diseases in humans, while three others have evidence suggesting their potential to infect either humans or other animal species, according to the Hong Kong-based daily. The studys conclusions are unequivocal, warning that the future emergence of the deadly disease is almost certain, with another coronavirus outbreak highly likely. The assessment was based on a thorough analysis of viral characteristics, encompassing population dynamics, genetic diversity, host species, and past instances of zoonosis the transmission of diseases from animals to humans. Although this alarming study was published in the English-language journal Emerging Microbes & Infections in July, it only gained widespread attention on Chinese social media only recently. This comes as Beijing is reportedly downplaying the concerns over Covid-19. More importantly, Chinese virologists have avoided commenting on Shis latest research, given the sensitivities around her work based at the infamous Wuhan Institute. Earlier this month, the US federal agency announced that it has officially banned WIV from receiving funding for the next 10 years. This decision comes as US media reports suggest the Covid-19 pandemic leaked out of a Chinese lab, possibly the Wuhan Institute, which conducted risky gain-of-function experiments on bat coronaviruses, according to The New York Post (NYP). US intelligence documents from June stated there was no conclusive evidence supporting the lab leak hypothesis, although the lab leak theory couldnt be definitively ruled out. US President Joe Bidens disapproval rating reached its highest point of his presidency at 56 percent, with people expressing concerns about his age and mental fitness. As per an NBC News poll, waning support for the incumbent President is among critical voting demographics, including voters aged 18-24, Latinos, and independents. Despite concerns about Biden, he and ex-US President Donald Trump are neck and neck at 46 percent among registered voters in a hypothetical 2024 match-up, according to the latest poll. A majority of Biden voters (58 percent) say their vote is more against Trump than for Biden, while a majority of Trump voters (57 percent) say their vote is more for the former President than against the current one. The poll comes a month after the latest indictment of Trump in Georgia, ahead of Wednesdays Republican debate, and as Biden faces only nominal opposition for the Democratic nomination. It showed that Trump has taken a commanding lead in the GOP primary, with 59 percent of national Republican primary voters supporting him, compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 16 percent. Republicans continue to increasingly favour Trump as the leader of their party, with 58 percent supporting him. Meanwhile, Biden faces challenges beyond his disapproval rating, including a drop in approval for his handling of the economy and a lack of interest in the election among some key Democratic base groups. Trumps gains have come from various segments of the population, including men, seniors, and moderate Republican primary voters. The poll also highlighted concerns about the candidates ages and legal issues. Approximately 74 percent of voters expressed concerns about Bidens age, while 44 percent had similar concerns about Trump. As many as 62 percent had concerns about Trump facing multiple criminal and civil trials, and 60 percent had concerns about Bidens possible involvement in his son Hunters business dealings which are currently under scanner. As for the US presidential election next year, the poll showed a dead heat between Biden and Trump, with each having 46 percent support among registered voters. The poll was conducted from September 15-19, surveying 1,000 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. This survey indicated challenges for both Biden and Trump as they contemplate their political futures, with potential implications for the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The Philippines accused China of depriving fishermen and coastal communities of their livelihoods after the latter installed a floating barrier to stop fishing boats from entering a disputed area in the South China Sea. The Philippines coast guard said that a 300-metre floating barrier was stopping fishermen from accessing a lagoon in the Scarborough Shoal. Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said they discovered the barrier during patrol on Friday. China seized the shoal in 2012 and has laid claim to 90% of the South China Sea. The Philippine vessel saw three Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installing the barrier. When the Chinese side realised that there were media personnel aboard the Philippine ship they moved away. Until then they were accusing the Philippine ships and fishermen of violating international and Chinas laws. Tarriela said the barrier deprives fishermen of their livelihood. He also highlighted that China installs such barriers when they spot a large number of fishermen in the area. Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are irritated with China because Beijing keeps on making dubious claims related to sovereignty of land parcels and their adjacent waters in the region. The region is known to have large deposits of oil and gas reserves and more than half of the worlds fishing vessels operate in this zone. China has doubled down on its claims by building islands and naval patrols. Since 2012, China has been forcing Filipino fishermen to travel further for catching fish after it seized the Scarborough Shoal. When relations improved under former President Rodrigo Duterte, Philippines fishermen were allowed to fish nearby but the relationship has deteriorated once more after Ferdinand Marcos Jr became president last year. Marcos Jr restored military ties with the US and granted American troops wider access to Philippine military bases. China did not like the move because the US presence in the Chinas stance on the Russian war in Ukraine is affecting the countrys image, the European Union trade commissioner warned on Monday, saying Beijings refusal to condemn the invasion poses a reputational risk. China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, while offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline as its international isolation deepens. Russia and China frequently tout their no limits partnership and economic and military cooperation. Chinas position is affecting the countrys image, not only with European consumers, but also businesses, Valdis Dombrovskis said in a speech in the Chinese capital. Territorial integrity has always been a key principle for China in international diplomacy. Russias war is a blatant breach of this principle, Dombrovskis added. And, China always advocates for each country being to free to choose its own development path. So its very difficult for us to understand Chinas stance on Russias war against Ukraine, as it breaches Chinas own fundamental principles. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Russia in March and declared that relations between the two countries were entering a new era. His Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is due to visit China next month. The EUs trade chief told Beijing on Monday that tough security laws and a more politicised business environment have left European companies struggling to understand their obligations and questioning their future in China. Chinas refusal to condemn ally Russia for its war in Ukraine also poses a reputational risk for the worlds second-largest economy, Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said in a speech at Beijings Tsinghua University. He said transparency and openness were a winning strategy in the long run, at a time when trade tensions between the European bloc and China are mounting. China is navigating a challenging transition from an investment-led economy to a broad-based economy, he said. For this it needs to remain open. Dombrovskiss four-day trip, which kicked off Saturday, follows a report by the EU Chamber of Commerce that showed business confidence was at one of its lowest levels in years. It also follows Brussels decision to launch a probe into Beijings electric car subsidies. The investigation could see the EU try to protect European carmakers by imposing punitive tariffs on vehicles it believes are unfairly sold at a lower price. Chinas commerce ministry has condemned the EUs naked protectionism, and said the measures will have a negative impact on China-EU economic and trade relations. On Monday, Dombrovskis insisted China remained an attractive investment opportunity for European businesses. The EU and China both benefited immensely from being open to the world, he said, adding that European companies still want to invest here but only if the conditions are right. From win-win to lose-lose Growing challenges for European business in China mean that what many saw as a win-win relationship in past decades could become a lose-lose dynamic in the coming years, the commissioner said. A new foreign relations law aimed, in part, at combating foreign sanctions and a recent update to Chinas tough anti-espionage regulations are of great concern to our business community, Dombrovskis said. Their ambiguity allows too much room for interpretation, he warned. This means European companies struggle to understand their compliance obligations: a factor that significantly decreases business confidence and deters new investments in China. Asked about Dombrovskiss remarks, Chinas foreign ministry insisted the country would protect the legitimate rights and interests of individuals. We will continue to provide a market-oriented, legal and international business environment for companies from all over the world to legally operate in China, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing. China is not the source of risks, but rather a firm force for preventing and defusing risks, he added. The EU commissioner also criticised Chinas refusal to condemn Russias war in Ukraine, which he said is affecting the countrys image, not only with European consumers, but also businesses. China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, while offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline as its international isolation deepens. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow in March, while Russian leader Vladimir Putin is due to visit China next month. Territorial integrity has always been a key principle for China in international diplomacy. Russias war is a blatant breach of this principle, Dombrovskis said. So its very difficult for us to understand Chinas stance on Russias war against Ukraine, as it breaches Chinas own fundamental principles. Pakistan was told to form a national council of ministers by the World Bank, news agency the Dawn reported. It said that the council should comprise key federal and provincial representatives who can help revive the nations federal and provincial institutions, policies and accountability systems which have been performing poorly. The document pointed out that officials were rewarded for adherence to rules but not for good operational performance. It also said that performance reviews of officials are rare. The successive governments did not promote officials on the basis of qualifications and performance but on the basis of seniority and informal networks. The World Bank also urged the government to improve the recruitment process to the public sector and performance management processes. It said that reforms are being impeded due to vested interests of senior bureaucrats who are busy in maintaining the status quo, highlighting that a strong political leadership will be required to change incentive structures within the public service through the introduction of a Performance Management System (PMS) across the public sector. The policy document also advised the government to take immediate measures to improve coordination between central and provincial governments. A National Council of Ministers, consisting of the federal and provincial ministers working under the aegis of the council for Common Interests (CCI) should formulate and monitor the implementation of key national policies, including in education, health, food security and agriculture, water and sanitation, and transport, the World Bank said. The global lender highlighted that Pakistans key governance issues are incomplete devolution and institutional weaknesses and said much can not be hoped for from a technocratic government. While technocratic interventions are unlikely to transform Pakistans institutional environment in the short term, the current contextual factors deteriorating economic conditions, demographic change and social media may present some windows of opportunity for positive change, the World Bank said in its policy advice. The policy advice pointed out that Islamabad failed to implement devolution initiated through the 18th Amendment and said the successive governments took measures which led to overlaps in service delivery, increasing fiscal costs and blurring accountabilities. It further suggested that measures should be taken to strengthen institutions and support implementation. Those measures should be able to thwart elite capture of institutions and build the governments capacity to deliver critical reforms and investments. The global lender said that it hopes that these policies will help build confidence in the nations private sector and improve the quality of public services while addressing policy instability and corruption. President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country as a result of the coup that removed the democratically elected president. Nigers junta said in response that the announcement signals a new step towards the sovereignty of the country. Imperialism and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. The new era of cooperation, based on mutual respect and sovereignty is already underway, it said in a statement. The announcement was a significant, if expected, blow to Frances policy in Africa, with French troops having had to pull out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight Islamic extremist groups. France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didnt recognize the coup leaders as legitimate. But tensions had mounted in recent weeks between France and Niger, a former French colony, and Macron said recently that French diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy. Macrons announcement came after the coup leaders issued a statement earlier Sunday that they were closing Nigers airspace to French planes, commercial and military, so that the new leadership could retake total control of its skies and its territory. The decision did not apply to other international aircraft. Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to Nigers deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, told The Associated Press that Bazoum requested that Macron withdraw the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, in order to reduce tension. In an interview with the France-2 and TF1 television networks, Macron said he spoke to Bazoum on Sunday and told him that France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France. He added, And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities because they dont want to fight against terrorism anymore. He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year, in coordination with the coup leaders because we want it to take place peacefully. He said Frances military presence was in response to a request from Nigers government at the time. That military cooperation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup, however. The junta leaders claimed Bazoums government wasnt doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency. The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers. Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops. This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron, said Saidou. The junta in August gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave. After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity. In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing the West African nations full participation at the UNs annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies. Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africas gendarme may finally be over, as the continents priorities shift. Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the U.S. deployments in Niger, though as we have seen, the U.S. and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger. Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist groups. France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesnt have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term, Lyammouri said. Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave. France also suspended military operations with the Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign. Amid the ongoing diplomatic tension with India over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada on Monday updated its travel advisory for its citizens in India and cautioned them to remain vigilant as it believes there are growing negative sentiments towards Canada on social media in the light of the recent developments. In the context of recent developments in Canada and in India, there are calls for protests and some negative sentiment towards Canada on social media. Please remain vigilant and exercise caution, the Canadian government said in its latest update. The advisory comes after chaos flared up between the two countries following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus explosive allegations of a potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45. India strongly rejected Trudeus allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case. Najjar was killed on June 18 in Canadas British Columbia. India designated him as a terrorist in 2020. Last week, India issued a similar advisory for Indian nationals and students living in Canada. Indias Ministry of External Affairs also announced the decision to stop all categories of visas, including e-visas, for Canadian Citizens amid the grave allegations. Relations With India Important: Canadian Defence Minister Earlier, Canadas Defence Minister Bill Blair called Canadas relations with India significant and voiced concern over the measures taken by India including the suspension of visa services for Canadians. The Canadian minister also urged New Delhi to cooperate fully in the investigation of the killing of a Sikh separatist leader to uncover the truth and work together to resolve it in an appropriate way. I am concerned about the measures that theyre taking because we have a very significant (and) important Indo-Canadian population in this country, people who are connected to family and through business and other relationships to India. Set Up Helpline for Indian Students, NRIs in Canada: Punjab BJP Chief Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar urged External Affairs minister S Jaishankar to set up a helpline for Indian students and NRIs in Canada amid a diplomatic row between the two countries. In his letter to the Union Minister, Jakhar while highlighting the concerns of citizens residing in Canada, urged him to release a detailed statement listing out the measures being taken by the Centre for the safety of the countrys citizens in Canada until the eventual resolution of this issue. We Evidence of Credible Allegations on Nijjars Killing: PM Trudeau Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada shared with India many weeks ago evidence that it may have been behind the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the very serious matter. Meanwhile, India has also asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada. The labor fight between Starbucks and its union-supporting workers has drawn national attention to Buffalo, where the movement to organize Starbucks stores began two years ago. But an undercard bout also has emerged, turning every bit as contentious. Call it the National Labor Relations Board vs. U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. A decision from the judge last month dealt a blow to the federal agency charged with safeguarding employees rights to form unions and prevent unfair labor practices. The judge dismissed its request for an injunction to stop what it called Starbucks illegal union-busting efforts at stores in the Buffalo area. People across the country, from those at the University of California in Berkeley to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., have taken note of how Sinatras rulings could influence the U.S. labor movement as well as how Starbucks litigation tactics here could spread to other labor disputes. The NLRBs fight with the judge is over subpoenas. Sinatra last year allowed the coffee giant to serve subpoenas on 22 individuals 19 current or former Starbucks employees and three agents of the labor union organizing Starbucks stores to obtain documents and information about union-organizing activities. Starbucks did not receive any documents, as the Starbucks Workers United union called the subpoenas overly burdensome and unlawful requests that sought confidential information. Starbucks asked for all the communications that employees were having internally about their union activity, said Cathy Creighton, director of Cornell Universitys School of Industrial Labor Relations Buffalo Co-Lab, who works closely with unions and oversees Cornell programs aimed at union members. Well, thats something the employer is not allowed to have under the National Labor Relations Act. Its illegal for the court to seek that information of whos supporting the union or not. And here Judge Sinatra was like, yeah, turn it over. Starbucks spokesperson Andrew Trull said in an emailed statement that Sinatras ruling made it clear the NLRB crossed the line trying to deny Starbucks a fair opportunity to defend itself and thwarting the courts subpoena orders. The U.S. District Courts decision dismissing the NLRBs petition for an injunction reaffirms the companys right to discovery, which is necessary to determine whether Workers United created its own narrative that chilled organizing, Trull said. For nearly a year, the NLRB has unfairly denied Starbucks the opportunity to defend itself by evading the courts discovery order and obstructing the litigation process through intolerable and repugnant tactics unsupported by precedent or case law. A fair shot Among their requests, Starbucks lawyers wanted to know what union talking points were given to baristas and others who were put in contact with media outlets talking about the Buffalo stores, saying that if the union was speaking through these employees, the company ought to be able to ask about that in the court proceeding before Sinatra. Given the numerous times the union or individual employees communicated with the media, complying with the companys subpoena would be burdensome, the union said. Another of the subpoena requests covered Starbucks employees outside Buffalo who had communications with the union. Attorney Ian H. Hayes, who represents the union, told Sinatra at a hearing last year that the subpoena would capture essentially every communication between a worker in the United States and the union. As you would expect pretty much every communication that the unions email address received or their intake process receives is about support for the union, he told the judge. Thats a hugely voluminous request and responding to that would necessarily slow down this process in a really major way. Sinatra did not budge. Well, heres the thing, Sinatra replied in his eighth-floor downtown Buffalo courtroom. Youre on the eighth floor now, and both sides get a fair shot on this floor. And one side doesnt get to keep all of the evidence to themselves. Sinatra quashed some of Starbucks document requests but allowed others, including those that he said might bear on whether someone or some organization other than Starbucks had a role in causing a chill in organizing activities. But no one produced the subpoenaed documents by the October 2022 deadline. The NLRB and Workers United failed to convince a federal appeals court to block the subpoenas. The NLRB also went to an administrative law judge alleging the subpoenas issued by Starbucks were themselves an unfair labor practice. The administrative law judge ruled against nearly all of the subpoena requests approved by Sinatra, and he ordered Starbucks to withdraw all but two of its discovery requests. The company refused to do so. This whole situation can only be described as Orwellian, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Glenn Spencer wrote in an article posted on the chambers website. The NLRB itself went to federal court to press charges against Starbucks, he noted. Starbucks availed itself of procedures available in federal court to mount a defense, he said. And now the NLRBs general counsel argues that by defending itself, the company has violated federal labor law. Even as the administrative law judge ruled against Starbucks evidence requests, it wasnt lost on him the NLRB pressed the unfair labor practice allegation before him to challenge Sinatras discovery rulings, calling it a sword to weaken Starbucks defense in Sinatras courtroom. Repugnant Sinatra told the NLRB on Aug. 23 that he would dismiss its request for an injunction against Starbucks if Linda M. Leslie, the NLRBs regional director, did not certify that she has terminated all efforts to impede or frustrate this courts discovery order. Later the same day, the NLRB filed a court document refusing to drop its opposition to the subpoenas. And then it appealed Sinatras dismissal to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Lawyers for Leslie said that even if she had the authority to do what Sinatra requested, she would not violate the legal rights of the union and Starbucks employees. Sinatras order, in essence, allows company lawyers to use civil litigation to attack workers and their unions, UC Berkeley law professor Catherine Fisk wrote of his subpoena ruling. In the union organizing campaigns of the 1930s, companies paid legions of spies to report everyone who attended a union meeting and what was said, Fisk wrote. Today, Starbucks neednt hire spies. They just use subpoenas in civil litigation. In his order dismissing the NLRBs petition, Sinatra referenced a decision written in a 1983 case by Antonin Scalia, at the time a justice on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Scalia, who three years later would be appointed to the Supreme Court, called it repugnant to notions of fairness for the government to seek sanctions for alleged wrongdoing while withholding from the proceeding evidence that would demonstrate innocence. It is repugnant here as well, Sinatra said in his decision. No quick injunction The NLRB sought the injunction against Starbucks in May 2022 to quickly block what it called the companys illegal union busting while it pressed a massive unfair labor practice case against the company before an administrative law judge, including 35 unfair labor practice allegations at 20 stores in Western New York. The NLRB sometimes goes straight to federal court to ask a judge for an injunction to stop what it considers an unfair law violation, because if it waited for the administrative law judge to rule on the case, it could be too late to undo the harm of the unfair practice. The administrative law judge would eventually determine Starbucks illegally disciplined and fired employees over union activity and he ordered the company to reinstate seven employees among other remedies. But that decision didnt come until this past March 299 days after the NLRB sought the injunction, which it was still waiting for. By the time Sinatra rejected the injunction, 474 days had passed since the NLRB requested it, the delays chiefly due to the subpoena dispute. The NLRB said the Starbucks subpoena requests unnecessarily prolonged the litigation in Sinatras courtroom while the case in front of the administrative law judge slowly moved forward. In a court filing, the NLRB said it was Starbucks intention to create a parallel duplicative proceeding in this court while the administrative hearing on the same facts with the same parties and involving the same evidence advances simultaneously. Starbucks and other companies could use the tactic of aggressive discovery requests elsewhere, given the companys success with Sinatras rulings in Buffalo, said Creighton, the Cornell ILR director. I think it could be copied, Creighton said. Im sure that Starbucks is going to use this tactic wherever it can. The length of the injunction case alone worked against the employees, she said. Its possible the appellate court could undo everything that Sinatra did, Creighton said. But I guess my question is, at this point, how important is the injunction? Its already been a couple years. The whole purpose of an injunction is to get a swift remedy. The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a US visa despite Washingtons ongoing concerns about the Israeli governments treatment of Palestinian Americans. US officials say an announcement of Israels entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israels admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year. The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the US for three months without visas. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the matter who spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly announced. Blinkens recommendation is expected to be delivered no later than Tuesday, the officials said, and the final announcement will come just eight days after President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The leaders did not raise the issue in their brief remarks to reporters at that meeting but it has been a subject of intense negotiation and debate for months as has been the Biden administrations effort to secure a deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Both State and the Homeland Security departments said they had nothing to announce publicly at this time, adding that the two agencies will make a final determination in the coming days. The US is working with Israel toward fulfilling the full range of law enforcement, national security, and immigration related requirements of the program, according to the State Department. Israels admission has been a priority for successive Israeli leaders and will be a major accomplishment for Netanyahu, who has sparred frequently with the Biden administration over Iran, the Palestinian conflict and most recently a proposed remake of Israels judicial system that critics say will make the country less democratic. Netanyahus far-right government has drawn repeated US criticism over its treatment of Palestinians, including its aggressive construction of West Bank settlements, its opposition to Palestinian statehood and incendiary anti-Palestinian comments by senior Cabinet ministers. The US move will give a welcome boost at home to Netanyahu. He has faced months of mass protests against his judicial plan and is likely to come under criticism from the Palestinians, who say the US should not be rewarding the Israeli government at a time when peace efforts are at a standstill. Israel met two of the three most critical criteria over the past two years a low percentage of visa application rejections and a low visa overstay rate to join the US program. It had struggled to meet the third, which is a requirement for reciprocity that means all US citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when travelling to or through Israel. Claiming national security reasons, Israel has long had separate entry requirements and screening processes for Palestinian Americans. Many complained that the procedures were onerous and discriminatory. Americans with Palestinian residency documents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were largely barred from using Israels international airport. Instead, like other Palestinians, they were forced to travel through either Jordan or Egypt to reach their destinations. In recent months, Israel has moved to adjust its entry requirements for Palestinian Americans, including allowing them to fly in and out of Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and going directly to the West Bank and Israel proper, according to the officials. Israel also has pledged to ease movement for Palestinian Americans traveling in and out of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. New regulations took effect earlier this month to codify the changes, although concerns remain and the Homeland Security Department intends to stress in its announcement that it will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that Israel complies, according to the officials. Failure to comply could result in Israels suspension from the program, the officials said. Palestinian American activists have been critical of the impending decision, which has been expected for some time due to the priority placed on it by both the Israeli and US governments. There are so many problems with this decision, said Yousef Munayyer, the head of the Palestine-Israel Program and senior fellow at Arab Center Washington. The reciprocity requirement is clearly still not being met since Israeli policy continues to treat some Americans, specifically Palestinian Americans, differently. The administration however seems committed at the highest levels to overlooking this continued discrimination against American citizens to rush Israel into the program before the deadline. Munayyer said it was unclear why the Biden administration seems dead set on offering political victories for Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when his far-right government is outraging Palestinians and many Israelis with their extremist agenda. Under the waiver program, Israelis will be able to travel to the US for business or leisure purposes for up to 90 days without a visa simply by registering with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. From the July 26 coup in Niger to the decision by France to pull troops out of the West African nation by years end, here are the key dates in the crisis: Coup In Western Ally: Troops overthrow President Mohamed Bazoum, elected in 2021. The international community condemns the coup and calls for the release of Bazoum, a key partner of France and the United States in the fight against jihadists plaguing the Sahel semi-desert region of west and central Africa. A week later, General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the presidential guard, takes over. He cites the worsening security situation caused by eight years of jihadist attacks as justification for the power grab. Threat Of Intervention: The regional power bloc, the Nigerian-dominated Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), gives the coup leaders a week to reinstate Bazoum or face a possible military intervention. Nigers new leaders vow an immediate response to any intervention, accusing ECOWAS of doing the bidding of France. French Civilians Evacuated: The coup sparks tensions with France, leading to a repeat of the anti-French demonstrations seen in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso. On August 1, France begins evacuating its citizens from Niger, with other countries following suit. Regional force on Standby: On August 10, ECOWAS leaders announce plans to deploy a standby force in order to restore constitutional order in Niger. But they do not give a timetable to intervene and Nigerias President Bola Tinubu says there is still hope for a peaceful solution. On August 13, the coup leaders say they will pursue ousted president Bazoum for high treason. French Troops To Leave: In late August, Nigers new rulers order Frances ambassador to leave the country. France replies that only Bazoums deposed government can order him out. Demonstrations over the presence of 1,500 French counter-terrorism troops in Niger grow more frequent. On September 24, French President Emmanuel Macron finally announces that France will withdraw its embattled ambassador and bring home its troops by the end of 2023. A popular Pakistani television anchor who went missing more than four months ago after being arrested by police mysteriously returned home Monday after being freed, local media said. Imran Riaz Khan, known for backing jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was believed to be held by the countrys security agencies. Riaz Khan was arrested at an airport in Punjabs Sialkot in May as he tried to leave the country after sharing a video message saying that the space for him to do his job was shrinking in the crisis-marred country. Riaz, who went missing after his arrest, was held two days after violent protests broke out across the country following the arrest of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief on May 9. Imran Riaz Khan had voiced support for the former prime minister before going missing. Imran Khans party, PTI, has welcomed his release. Imran Riaz Khan, a well-known Pakistani journalist who was missing for almost 5 months now, has finally returned home. He is one of the many names who are suffering from #EnforcedDisappearancesInPakistan, the party said in a post on social media platform X. Imran Riaz Khan, a well known Pakistani journalist who was missing for almost 5 months now, has finally returned home.He is one of the many names who are suffering from #EnforcedDisappearancesInPakistan.These are innocent people who are either members & supporters of pic.twitter.com/wRNuxoez41 PTI (@PTIofficial) September 25, 2023 These are innocent people who are either members & supporters of Pakistans largest & only federal party PTI, led by Chairman Imran Khan; or people who have raised voice against the unprecedented fascism, utter lawlessness, suspension of constitution & dismantling of democracy in the country, the party added. Pakistan security agencies are notorious for holding people without producing them before the courts as required by law. Police in Sialkot announced Monday that he had been safely recovered and was now with his family. They provided no further details. Hamid Mir, a prominent TV journalist, confirmed that Khan had reached his home in Lahore. Khans lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, also confirmed his freedom on social media, without saying who had held him. However, no one has claimed responsibility for Khans abduction. Khan has more than 5 million followers on X and is highly popular among supporters of former PM, the countrys leading opposition figure who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and was later arrested last month on corruption charges and sentenced to three years in prison which was later suspended. However, he still remains in jail. Pakistan has long been an unsafe country for journalists. In 2020, it ranked ninth on the Committee to Protect Journalists annual Global Impunity Index, which assesses countries where journalists are harassed and killed without the assailants being held accountable. (With agency inputs) Russia said Monday it had placed Piotr Hofmanski, the president of the International Criminal Court, which is seeking the arrest of President Vladimir Putin, on its wanted list. Hofmanski Piotr Jozef, Polish. Wanted under an article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, said a notice in the Russian interior ministry database. The ministry did not provide details of the allegations against Hofmanski. In March the Hague-based court announced an arrest warrant for Putin on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. The ICC also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russias presidential commissioner for childrens rights, on similar charges. Russia has earlier issued arrest warrants for ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and several judges. Russia, which is not a member of the ICC, insists the warrant against Putin is void. In September, the ICC opened a field office in Ukraine, as part of efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for Moscows offensive in the Western-backed country. The speaker of Canadas House of Commons apologized Sunday for recognizing a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II. Just after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division. In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so, Rota said in a statement. He added that his fellow Parliament members and the Ukraine delegation were not aware of his plan to recognize Hunka. Rota noted Hunka is from his district. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action, Rota said. Hunka could not be immediately reached for comment. Canadian lawmakers cheered and Zelenskyy raised his fist in acknowledgement as Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations. Rota called him a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service. Zelenskyy was in Ottawa to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraines war against the Russian invasion. Vladimir Putin has painted his enemies in Ukraine as neo-Nazis, even though Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus office said in a statement that Rota had apologized and accepted full responsibility for issuing the invitation to Hunka and for the recognition in Parliament. This was the right thing to do, the statement said. No advance notice was provided to the Prime Ministers Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition. The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement Sunday saying the division was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable. An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation, the statement said. Bnai Brith Canadas CEO, Michael Mostyn, said it was outrageous that Parliament honored a former member of a Nazi unit, saying Ukrainian ultra-nationalist ideologues who volunteered for the Galicia Division dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing. We understand an apology is forthcoming. We expect a meaningful apology. Parliament owes an apology to all Canadians for this outrage, and a detailed explanation as to how this could possibly have taken place at the center of Canadian democracy, Mostyn said before Rota issued his statement. Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Hunka. A spokesperson for the Conservative party said the party was not aware of his history at the time. We find the reports of this individuals history very troubling, said Sebastian Skamski, adding that Trudeaus Liberal party would have to explain why he was invited. The Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, does not have evidence on the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a top Indian government source told CNN-News18 amid the India-Canada diplomatic crisis. ALSO READ | Visa-a-vis Travel Woes: Canadas Sikhs Irked with Trudeau, Khalistani Groups, Says Community Leader | Exclusive In a blow to the bilateral ties between India and Canada, Trudeau recently accused India of being involved in the killing of Nijjar earlier this year. The Ministry of External Affairs said the claims made by Trudeau are motivated and absurd". Two days ago, through the backdoors and diplomatically, we asked for information, but the Canadian side is unable to produce anything. They have acted on the advice of the Khalistani groups and the same was communicated to G7 groups," the source said. Their own law and order is an issue due to bad economy. They have shortage of law enforcement force due to sinking economy," he added. The source pointed out the normalcy of gang wars" and the immigration business" in Canada. Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Communist Party of China (CCP) are very active in Canada. Killing their targets to control business is easy. They then put the blame on India," said source. The Indian side is clear that evidence should be shared before making any comments, he added. NSA DOVAL HAS ALWAYS INFORMED CANADA ABOUT TROUBLEMAKERS CNN-News18 had earlier reported how top Indian government sources told that National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart always discussed the issues of both countries, especially terrorism. Doval had very clearly and categorically told his counterpart about the troublemakers and terrorists sitting in Canada, they had said. NSA Doval always shared lists of wanted fugitives and letters rogatory (LRs) from various agencies and state police, sources had said. He shared intelligence inputs and intercepts from time to time, including the locations of these people, they added. ALSO READ | Khalistanis Control 8 of 250 Gurdwaras in Canada, Dont Have Solid Sikh Support: Intel Source Sources had said that his counterpart also raised issues of alleged Indian involvement to which Doval very clearly asked him for the evidence and First Information Reports (FIR). Sources said Doval had clearly told him that if the perpetrators were from India, this was a matter of deep concern, but evidence was needed to move in the direction of investigations. SELECTIVE IN INVESTIGATIONS Trudeau has been accused of being selective with investigations into the deaths of citizens where foreign interference has been alleged. Trudeau has publicly accused India of being involved in the killing of Nijjar, a claim rejected by New Delhi, but has been silent about two deaths allegedly at the behest of China and Pakistan, respectively. ALSO READ | Who Was Hardeep Singh Nijjar? Khalistan Terrorist at Centre of India-Canada Tussle | EXPLAINED Sources in Canada told News18 that Trudeau has been selective with investigations into the killing of Chinese-origin Wei Hu and Pakistani-origin Karima Baloch. Washington will evaluate its future steps on the Niger crisis after France announced the withdrawal of its ambassador and troops from the coup-hit nation, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday. While we give diplomacy a chance, we will also continue to evaluate any future steps that would prioritise both our diplomatic and security goals, Austin told reporters in Nairobi during a visit to Kenya. Also Read: France Out! When Former Colonies Give Paris The Boot But he stressed that Washington had not made any significant change to our force postures and we really want to see a diplomatic solution, a peaceful end to the crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that France would withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by French troops, two months after a coup in the West African country ousted pro-Paris President Mohamed Bazoum. France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France, Macron told French television in an interview. Macron added that military cooperation was over and French troops would withdraw in the months and weeks to come with a full pullout by the end of the year. France has kept about 1,500 soldiers in Niger as part of an anti-jihadist deployment in the Sahel region. The US has some 1,100 military personnel in the country. Nigers military rulers responded swiftly to Macrons announcement in a statement read out on national television. This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger, said the statement from the military rulers, who described it as a historic moment. The July 26 coup against Bazoum was the third such putsch in the region in as many years, following similar actions in Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022 that also forced the pullouts of French troops. But the Niger coup is particularly bruising for Macron after he sought to make a special ally of Niamey, and a hub for Frances presence in the region following the Mali coup. Canadas support to Khalistani sympathiser Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the subsequent row with India over his killing has not only irked the latter but also the Baloch Human Rights Council of Canada (BHRC) which questioned the lack of action in the kidnapping and alleged murder of exiled Baloch human rights activist Karima Baloch in 2020. Accusing Trudeau of playing politics and ignoring the death of Baloch, the BHRC, in a letter to the Canadian PM, noted that there had been perceived inconsistencies in his governments response to the mysterious death of Balochistan rights activist and protected individual, Karima Baloch, in December 2020, in Toronto. Claiming that there was a stark contrast with the Canadian governments actions on the pro-Khalistan leader, the letter said that Trudeaus conspicuous silence regarding the high-profile, unexplained death of Karima Baloch stands in stark contrast to his impassioned speeches in the House of Commons and extensive media coverage concerning the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Who Was Karima Baloch? A Balochistan rights activist, Karima Baloch was fighting for the rights of the Balochistan people with the Pakistan government. She was the first chair of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO-Azad), a political students body, and was known for raising the cause of forced disappearances among Baloch activists. A vocal critic of the Pakistani military and Inter-Services Intelligence, Baloch was granted asylum in Canada after being slapped with terrorism charges in Pakistan. In 2020, after going missing, Baloch was found dead in a river in Sweden, becoming the second Baloch activist to have died in exile that year. What Her Family Said As cops ruled out foul play, Balochs husband Hammal Haider, also a Pakistani activist living in exile, had said: I cant believe that its an act of suicide. She was a strong lady and she left home in a good mood. He had added: We cant rule out foul play as she has been under threats. She left Pakistan as her home was raided more than twice. Her uncle was killed. She was threatened to leave activism and political activities but she did not and fled to Canada. Canadas Response Unlike Nijjars case, where Trudeau did not shy away from escalating diplomatic tensions, Balochs death was brushed under the carpet and Canadian police ruled the death as non-criminal despite allegations of foul play. The circumstances have been investigated and officers have determined this to be a non-criminal death and no foul play is suspected, said Torontos police department in a short statement. The Nijjar Row Tensions flared between India and Canada following Trudeaus explosive allegations of a potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on his countrys soil on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India angrily rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case. Of course, there are credible allegations that we need to take extremely seriously as Canadians and indeed as a world, Trudeau asserted when asked if the evidence suggested by him was extensive in the matter. Trudeau also said that his government was not looking to provoke or cause problems. There is no question that India is a country of growing importance and a country that we need to continue to work with, not just in the region but around the world. Were not looking to provoke or cause problems. But we are unequivocal around the importance of the rule of law and unequivocal about the importance of protecting Canadians. Thats why we call upon the government of India, to work with us to establish processes to discover and to uncover the truth of the matter and to allow justice and accountability to be served, he added. Small businesses in South Buffalo that were impacted by Covid may apply for a $5,000 boost from their Common Council representative and the city. South Council Member Christopher Scanlon announced a vital financial lifeline for small businesses in his community, called the SoBuf Biz Grant Program. Applications are being accepted for grants of up to $5,000 to eligible brick-and-mortar businesses that have experienced economic hardship due to the pandemic. Eligible uses of the grant funds include operating working capital expenses such as payroll, rent and marketing. Businesses that have ceased operations are ineligible. Scanlon earmarked $100,000 for the program from his Neighborhood Initiatives coffer, known as discretionary funds that each of the nine city lawmakers receives. The citys Office of Strategic Planning kicked in an additional $50,000. We understand the challenges that our local businesses have faced during these unprecedented times since the start of the pandemic back in 2020 and even today, said Scanlon, president pro tempore of the Council, who created the grant program. Although our large businesses need assistance, it is our small businesses that are the backbone of our neighborhoods. The SoBuf Biz Grant Program aims to provide essential support to these eligible businesses in the South District, helping them recover and thrive once again. The program is a creative initiative to help small businesses recover from the pandemic, said Mayor Byron Brown. I am hopeful that this will serve as a model for additional small business programs moving forward, Brown said. To be eligible for a grant, small businesses must meet the following criteria: Be the principal (majority owner) of a small business in a commercial location within the City of Buffalo Common Council South District. Have been in operation prior to March 1, 2020. Be in operation at the time of application. Have 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees. Have had between $25,000 and $1 million in annual revenue in fiscal years 2021 or 2022. Have experienced economic or financial hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Priority will be given to neighborhood-serving small businesses. Applicants must also be current on city property taxes and provide a range of documents, including articles of incorporation/organization, federal business tax returns and proof of address. Business owners may submit their applications online at ndc.smapply.io/prog/sobuf_biz_grant. The funds are limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa has been implored to concede defeat to President Mnangagwa following last months harmonised elections and not seek to cause anarchy and despondency in the country. President Mnangagwa is already on record as saying all opposition political party leaders should feel free to approach him for dialogue directly as opposed to using proxies, the media and third parties. The President, who has kept an open-door policy to all Zimbabweans since the advent of the Second Republic, established the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) platform where he regularly interacts with all opposition political parties. Following the August 23 polls, the President said the platform would stay in place. While many opposition leaders have embraced POLAD, some like Mr Chamisa have chosen not to, instead expressing their willingness to dialogue on the wrong platforms. Speaking in an interview with a local media house, Roman Catholic Church priest, Father Fidelis Mukonori, said it would be prudent for Mr Chamisa to accept defeat and seek dialogue with President Mnangagwa whose door remains open. The one who says I am not satisfied and I believe the elections were not free and fair should also have the courage, it takes courage for someone to say let us sit down and discuss, it takes wisdom, courage is wisdom. It is essential, the two to sit down and discuss. Discussions are more difficult than toy-toying on the streets and it will get people killed. They (discussions) are more difficult because they require thinking and it is an exercise which has no text book and thinking requires someone who has to know how to think, he said. Fr Mukonori said it was not too late for Mr Chamisa to seek an audience with the Head of State, describing it as a discussion between the winner (President Mnangagwa) and the loser (Mr Chamisa). We need that humility. It is only a lawyer who is called an educated person but there has to be a display to say indeed we are learned and therefore let us sit down and discuss. I believe it is necessary, it is not too late to request the two sides, the winner and loser to say please can you sit down and discuss. There is a need for serious discussion, he said. Turning to the countrys detractors in America and Europe, who perceive themselves to be in the highest echelons of democracy, Fr Mukonori said it was all a facade and not true. He said if they were truly as democratic as they made the rest of the world believe, they would invite those they perceive to be lesser democracies to come and observe their elections, as a learning curve. In Europe and America they never invite Africans to say come and observe our elections so that you can learn how we do it, we take it that in America everything is spick and span, it is not true even in Europe. We have to realise that Zimbabwe has everything we need to have a good and successful country, Fr Mukonori said. President Mnangagwa continues to reiterate that Zimbabwe is now a mature democracy. Zimbabwe continues to entrench democracy, constitutionalism, good governance and the rule of law, following the recently held 2023 harmonised general elections. I am pleased to highlight that our country enjoyed peace before, during and after our free, fair, transparent and credible elections, said the President during the 78th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly debate held last week. President Mnangagwa won the presidential election after polling 2 350 711 votes (52,6 percent), beating Mr Chamisa, who got 1 967 343 votes (44 percent). Herald A FEMALE police officer has been arrested in connection with the recent break in at a Nedbank Bulawayo branch where burglars got away with more than US$270 000 and R2 million. Sources close to investigations told the Chronicle that Detective Constable Sinikiwe Ndlovu (38) of CID Stores in Bulawayo is suspected to have received a Honda Fit vehicle for assisting the nine-member gang to pull off the heist and was in constant communication with them before, during and after the robbery. It is suspected that Ndlovu could have been guiding the gang on how to successfully carry out the heist. She was arrested on Thursday last week. Bank employees discovered the break in on 28 August when they reported for duty in the morning. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi is on record saying an inside job could not be ruled out. Yesterday, he confirmed Detective Constable Ndlovus arrest. The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that Detective Constable Sinikiwe Ndlovu has been arrested on allegations of defeating and obstructing the course of justice. This is in connection with the unlawful entry into premises and theft case at Nedbank Zimbabwe in Bulawayo and the arrest of two suspects Lovemore Gambiza (45) and Elias Mudenda (46), said Asst Comm Nyathi. The police are still pursuing the other suspects who are on the run. Members of the public with information should contact the National Complaints desk on (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp 0712 800 197, he said. Gambiza and Mudenda were arrested days after the robbery and they implicated seven others who are still at large. The suspects who are on the run are Agrippa Mloyi of Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo, Dingilizwe Mloyi, Nqobile Mloyi, Sipho Tshuma, Bhekani Mlilo, and two others known only as Samamo and George. Agrippa Mloyi and Bhekani Mlilo specialise in breaking safes and have been on the police wanted list since 2018 for series of break-ins and theft. The two skipped bail in 2018. The Chronicle established that upon arrest Detective Constable Ndlovu confessed that she received a silver coloured Honda Fit vehicle, registration number AEY4681 from Agrippa Mloyi the night before the robbery. Later she allegedly said she had bought the vehicle for US$4 700 from Mloyi who she said was a childhood friend. However, she could not produce an agreement of sale or the vehicles registration book. She also appeared not to know under whose name the vehicle is registered. (The Chronicle has withheld the name of the vehicles owner for ethical reasons.) Mlilo is known at CID Stores and CID Homicide Bulawayo and specialises in burglary and safe grinding and has a warrant of arrest under Bulawayo Magistrate Court CRB 1869ABC/15. Mloyi is said to be another criminal mastermind who is also no stranger at both CID Stores and CID Homicide Bulawayo. According to court records, on 5 April 2016, Mlilo and Mloyi were convicted by the Bulawayo Magistrate court for breaking into premises and grinding safes. They appealed against both conviction and sentence. On 18 June 2018, while they were on bail pending appeal, the High Court dismissed their appeal but they never showed up to serve their sentence. Chronicle ALBANY Nearly 250 years ago, a movement to secede from the State of New York was successful. During the midst of the Revolutionary War, when 13 colonies were fighting for independence from Britain, Vermont also declared its independence from New York. Since the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788 and contained an amendment making secession by a portion of state extremely difficult a series of secession movements in New York have failed, including those seeking to split upstate and downstate into separate entities. Now, in the year 2023, an Orchard Park native has begun what he describes as a more intellectually serious effort to build support for upstate independence than has recently been pursued. Jon Pierowicz, a Marine turned local attorney, acknowledges many will believe the cause quixotic. My response to that sort of pessimism Oh, things will never change, Albany is the way it is, you just have to accept that, or move to Florida is that that (attitude) is part of a pretty significant problem we have upstate. And I can say that with love, because Im from here, Pierowicz said. We need to get out of the mindset of, Everything is inevitable. History is replete with examples things taking unprecedented and unexpected turns. Though the cause of upstate secession has primarily been championed by Republicans, Pierowicz said he wants his recently formed nonprofit organization, Upstate Independence, to be nonpartisan. Thinking back to my experience in the Marine Corps., when youre pursuing a goal together thats huge, a lot of the other dividing lines that you may have had tend to melt away in the bonds you form, he said. So my hope would be, it sort of transcends that traditional, destructive partisanship that we come together in trying to make upstate a better place. Pierowicz, 39, was born in Orchard Park and attended Wesleyan University. Upon graduation, he served as an Marine officer in Afghanistan. He later attended UCLA law school, then lived in New York City, working at a large, multinational law firm. He bears no ill will to New York City, which he said he liked very much. Upon moving back to Orchard Park seven years ago, Pierowicz dipped a toe into local politics, attending local Republicans meetings. (In 2017 and 2018, he gave several small campaign donations to Republicans, and in 2017 told The News he supported former President Donald Trump because of policies opposing moving jobs overseas.) Pierowicz said he was ultimately turned off by the pettiness of politics, and felt elected officials were thinking too incrementally about how to solve the incompetence and corruption of New York State government. Pierowicz said he is no longer active in party politics, and has registered as an unaffiliated voter. Earlier this year, he co-founded the nonprofit with his wife, Alina, and they recently began fundraising. In most performance metrics, particularly population, economy and quality of life, upstate New York has performed very poorly over the last 50 years, he said. If this was a business case and New York States budget is roughly comparable with something like Apple if you saw two widely divergent divisions, performing differently that would be the exact sort of candidate for a spin-off. Besides the political difficulty of upstate secession it would require sign-off by both the New York Legislature and U.S. Congress detractors cite that affluent New York City residents supply a significant tax base funding upstate spending initiatives. But Pierowicz says a more complicated picture emerges from details within a 2011 study by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, examining regional distribution of revenue and spending in the 2009-2010 state budget. Its the latest study hes been able to locate on the topic. In 2009-2010, upstate received about $14.3 billion more in state expenditures than it paid in taxes and fees, he said. Figures within the study, however, indicated upstate was receiving a disproportionate share primarily because of state funds going toward State Operations the salaries and pensions of state employees and toward Capital Projects, including spending on road and bridge projects, the building and maintenance of SUNY schools and prison infrastructure. Pierowicz defines that spending benefiting upstate as primarily collective goods that could conceivably benefit all New York residents, not just those upstate. Meanwhile, upstate that year received less funding per person than downstate from Local Assistance Grants. Those grants are driven by education and health care spending areas where, Pierowicz argues, the spending downstate does not accrue much benefit for upstate residents. In a paper examining the Rockefeller study, he argued that, If not affiliated with a SUNY campus, state government, or the prison system, the average upstate residents experience with the State Government comes in the form of crushingly high taxes and burdensome regulations. As for an always-contentious question Where does upstate actually begin? Pierowicz puts the border as north of Westchester and Rockland counties. He argues that upstate independence would not only benefit upstate, but also downstate, since upstate members of the State Legislature would no longer have influence over policy matters impacting solely New York City. Among his nonprofit organizations initial goals, Pierowicz said, is to sway public opinion so that at least here in upstate New York a majority of residents support independence. In 2019, a Sienna College poll found that 38% of upstate residents supported dividing New York into two states, while 56% opposed it. That number is incredibly high, Pierowicz said, when in my opinion this case has never really been seriously made to the people. The second Republican debate takes place Wednesday night, and the New York Times sees it as a challenge not only for the candidates, but as perhaps the "biggest test" yet as a journalist for moderator Dana Perino. Coverage: Nuts and bolts: The debate begins at 9pm ET on Fox Business and will be moderated by Perino, Fox's Stuart Varney, and Ilia Calderon of Univision. The six candidates who've currently qualified and plan to be there are Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, and Tim Scott, per Time. The debate begins at 9pm ET on Fox Business and will be moderated by Perino, Fox's Stuart Varney, and Ilia Calderon of Univision. The six candidates who've currently qualified and plan to be there are Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, and Tim Scott, per Time. Perino: In its profile of the 51-year-old Perino, the Times notes that she first gained notice as press secretary for George W. Bush before heading to Fox. She co-hosts The Five and the morning show America's Newsroom. "Not known for being as provocative or partisan as many of her colleagues behind the desk, (Perino) has spent a good part of the last decade trying to thrive as a Bush Republican working for a network where loyalty to former President Donald J. Trump is often the ticket to high ratings and the career advancement that accompanies them." She has a reputation for being exceptionally well prepared. Add Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the list of politicians who think Sen. Bob Menendez needs to resign due to his indictment on corruption charges. The Democratic representative said the charges against Menendez, including allegations that he accepted bribes including a Mercedes-Benz, are "very serious," the Guardian reports. "Consistency matters. It shouldn't matter if it's a Republican or a Democrat," she said, adding that the allegations "involve the nature of not just his but all of our seats in Congress." Meanwhile, while Sen. John Fetterman and several Democrats in Menendez's home state of New Jersey say their fellow Dem should step down, NBC News reports that other Democrat senators have not been so quick to join that chorus: An infamous Italian mob boss who was captured in January after 30 years on the run has died. Officials tell Reuters that 61-year-old Matteo Messina Denaro, known as the "last godfather," has succumbed to colon cancer, after falling into a coma on Friday from which he never emerged. The Sicilian mobster had been held in a maximum security prison in central Italy until recent weeks, when he was brought to a hospital due to his deteriorating condition. Per state radio, the police detail that had been guarding Denaro's hospital room in L'Aquila shifted to the hospital's morgue around 2am Monday, the AP reports. Prosecutors in both L'Aquila and Palermo have requested an autopsy, despite the fact that it was common knowledge that Denaro was "afflicted with a very serious illness," per a statement from L'Aquila prosecutors. "You shouldn't deny prayers to anyone, but I can't say I am sorry," Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini posted on Instagram after Denaro's death was announced. Denarowho "once claimed to have murdered enough people to fill a cemetery," per the APwasn't believed to have given up any information on his crimes or others to police before he died. "He took with him his secrets," state media noted. Denaro, born in the Sicilian town of Castelvetrano, is said to have followed his father into the mob, packing heat as early as age 15 and making his first kill when he was 18. He went into hiding in 1993 and evaded authorities for three decades, though he was sentenced to 20 life sentences for his role in various murders during trials held in absentiaincluding the 1992 killings of two prominent anti-Mafia prosecutors. He was busted in January as he sought treatment for his cancer; he continued to receive treatment in prison, including chemo. According to Italian state media, Denaro will be buried later this week in Sicily. (Read more Mafia stories.) The Azerbaijan military offensive was quick and decisive . Now comes the mass migration amid fears of ethnic cleansing. Thousands of ethnic Armenians are leaving their longtime homes in a disputed region between their native country and Azerbaijan, after the Azerbaijan military easily reclaimed control in a 24-hour blitz, reports the BBC . The AP says about 5,000 ethnic Armenians have so far streamed across the border back into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh, but that number is expected to grow exponentially. An estimated 120,000 lived there, and a top official with the de facto ethnic Armenian government tells Reuters that "99%" want to leave rather than live under Azerbaijan control. "The past two days were the most horrific in my life," 23-year-old Meline Hakobyan, a law student who left her village in Nagorno-Karabakh, tells the New York Times. "My wish is that the feeling we have now, nobody goes through it." Another evacuee tells the AP that her village was heavily shelled and almost completely evacuateda "nightmare." Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought over Nagorno-Karabakh, roughly the size of Rhode Island, at least three times since the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia has generally sided with Armenia and Turkey with Azerbaijan, and those alliances help explain why Azerbaijan was so easily able to take control in this latest offensive: Russia now needs Turkey as a trade partner because of its Ukraine war, notes the Times. "The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilized world," says the ethnic Armenian official who spoke to Reuters. Armenia now must figure out where the influx of perhaps tens of thousands of new people will live. "The government will welcome our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia with every care," said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a national address Sunday. But Pashinyan himself is the subject of much criticism at home, with demonstrators accusing him of caving too quickly in the long-running territorial dispute. (Read more Nagorno-Karabakh stories.) At least one Molotov cocktail was thrown at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, reports the AP , but there was no significant damage and no one was injured. US law enforcement officials were investigating. Secret Service officers were called around 8pm ET on Sunday to respond to the attack on a busy street in the Adams Morgan section of the city. Embassy officials reported that someone had thrown a "possible incendiary device" at the building, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Monday. There was no fire or significant damage to the building, he said. No arrests had been made. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said on the X social media site that the Cuban Embassy "was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who launched 2 Molotov cocktails," a type of crude grenade made from a bottle filled with flammable liquid and a wick that's lit just before it's thrown. He said no one was injured. A rep for the Cuban Embassy didn't immediately respond to a request for additional information on Monday. Cuba built the embassy in 1917. It closed in January 1961 as Cold War tensions between the two countries escalated, then reopened as an "interests section" in 1977. In July 2015, it became an embassy once again as the two countries restored relations under then-President Obama and President Raul Castro. In 2020, a Cuban man who sought asylum in the US opened fire with an AK-47 at the Cuban Embassy, spraying the front of the building with nearly three dozen rounds. Authorities said the man told them he opened fire because he wanted to "get them before they could get him." The shooting left bullet holes in the glass around the embassy's door, and bullets pierced the bronze statue of Jose Marti, the Cuban writer and national hero, as well as the columns and facade of the building. The embassy is on a busy street between the embassies of Poland and Lithuania. (Read more Cuba stories.) The San Diego City Council has taken a big step to eliminate a nuisance at a local beachhumans. The city has declared it illegal for people to visit Point La Jolla for seven years, reports the Lo Jolla Light . The reason? The small rocky beach serves as a breeding and nursing ground for sea lions, and humans have been flocking there to take selfies with the animals, per the Los Angeles Times . Wildlife officials say it's distressing for the sea lions and potentially dangerous for the humans. "What makes this such a special place is that this is the only sea lion rookery on the California mainland," says the Sierra Club in applauding the move, per SFGate. The public will still be able to observe the sea lions, but from a distance and from behind barriers. The closure, which also affects adjacent Boomer Beach, was originally put in place for six months of the year because of "harassment and problematic behavior between humans and the sea lion population," says a San Diego Parks and Recreation official. The new move extends the closure to year-round and leaves it in place for seven years. At that point, the city would have to apply for a permit to reopen the area to the public. (Read more sea lions stories.) The commander of the US Space Force says the newest branch of the military is stepping up its activities in Asia and is considering establishing a hotline with its counterpart in China. Gen. Chance Saltzman said Monday that Space Force has discussed "opening up a line of communication to make sure that if there is a crisis, we know who we can contact," but there have not been talks with the Chinese side yet, Reuters reports. Saltzman said the Space Force is also considering setting up a base in Japan. The force's first overseas base was activated in South Korea last year. Saltzman said Space Force guardians are already working "side-by-side" with Army personnel in a missile-tracking unit Misawa Air Base in northeast Japan and the unit will soon transfer to Space Force command, Stars and Stripes reports. "We will work together with Japan and other like-minded nations committed to establishing norms of responsible behavior and deterring conflict for the safety, security, stability and sustainability of the space domain," he said, per Kyodo News. Saltzman said that as China steps up its activities in space, the US-China relationship should remain one of competition, not conflict, but it is important to counter "gray zone" activities like jamming satellite signals. "We have to be able to have those indications and warnings and see what they're doing and call them on the intent," he said, per Reuters. (Read more Space Force stories.) Sen. Bob Menendez says he's not stepping down from the Senate after being indicted on bribery charges and he's got an explanation for the cash investigators say they found stashed around his home. The New Jersey Democrat said Monday that the money found in clothes and closets was his from his own savings accounts, the Guardian reports. He said that over the last 30 years, he has withdrawn thousands of dollars of legitimately earned income from his accounts, "which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba." Menendez, who was born in the US a few months after his parents left Cuba, didn't comment on the gold bars also mentioned in the indictment. Investigators say they found $480,000 in cash in Menendez's home and another $70,000 in his wife's safety deposit box. Menendez and his wife are accused of taking bribes in exchange for political favors to the government of Egypt and business associates in New Jersey, the New York Times reports. The senator said Monday that he is facing his "biggest fight yet," but predicted that "not only will I be exonerated, I will still be New Jersey's senior senator." Menendez is facing calls to resign from Democratic leaders in New Jersey and some of his colleagues in the Senate, though other senators have stopped short of saying he should step down. Sen. John Fetterman, one of those calling for resignation, didn't seem to buy Menendez's claim that he had $480,000 stashed in his home for emergencies. "We have an extra flashlight for our home emergencies," Fetterman said in a post on X. (Read more Bob Menendez stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Fairbanks, AK (99701) Today Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 27F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 17F. Winds light and variable. Agencies | Washington The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrains Ambassador to the US, Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, has emphasised the need to enhance cooperation and partnerships in space exploration, focusing on scientific studies, experimentation, and communication among countries with shared visions to achieve these goals. The envoy was speaking during the last episode of the "Bahrain Banter" podcast programme, which focused on space technology and science. The Ambassador hosted Shelley Brunswick, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Space Foundation, and two Bahraini students, Nasser Al Quti and Maryam Al Awadhi, who are graduates of US Space camp. Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid highlighted the impact of space technology on daily life, future space exploration, and the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics He highlighted Bahrain's achievements thanks to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas vision and the signing of the "Artemis" Accords by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister during HRH's official visit to Washington in March 2022. The Artemis Accords, a collaboration between Bahrain's National Space Science Agency (NSSA) and the US-based Kallman Worldwide Foundation, promotes cooperation among participating countries through shared principles. Brunswick highlighted the significance of space exploration, and stressed its applications on Earth, including telecommunications, navigation, agriculture, public safety, and transportation. The Artemis Accords, a cooperative agreement between participating countries, aim to facilitate human return to the Moon by 2025 and promote space exploration expansion, she added. Students Nasser Al Quti and Maryam Al Awadhi, nominated NSSA in Bahrain, expressed their pride in participating in a space camp in the US. They highlighted their experience in space exploration and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, noting that it has inspired them to pursue a future career in the space industry. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Reported by Mahir Haneef The Bahrain government is finalizing the implementation of a web-based drone hub system, addressing the call for drone regulation to protect public privacy and national interests. A total of 12 companies have been qualified in the initial round of the tender and have successfully submitted bids for implementing the Drone Hub System (DHS). The bidding process also saw a twelve-fold jump in the amount quoted by the highest bidder when compared to the bids received for a tender issued earlier this year. Companies whose bids were accepted also rose from two to 12 this time. While the highest bidder for the project this time was Fakhroo IT Services WLL, at BD628,716, the lowest bid was made by Ignite Software and Design, at BD17,160. A bid of BD75,020 submitted by Mantech Commercial Service WLL has been accepted with conditions, while the rest of the 11 bids were accepted by the Tender Board upon opening the bids on September 14. The DHS system is intended to help the Aviation Safety and Security Directorate and the Aeronautical Licenses Directorate manage the entire approval process for drones. In the tender issued on behalf of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, it was specified that the DHS system should have a public portal for customers to submit their requests as well as an internal portal for the ministry and stakeholders to process the requests and perform other associated tasks. In addition to these, the companies have been asked to build a mobile app for customers to submit, track, and view requests and information. Though the ministry had invited tenders earlier this year for implementing DHS, only two companies bid for it when the bids were opened on February 27. The higher bid was for BD51,216, and the lower one was for BD31,680. It was in July 2019 that a system for regulating drones was sought before Parliament. Fouzia Zainal, who was the Parliament chairperson then, had submitted a proposal highlighting the necessity of implementing norms to govern the import, manufacturing, assembling, and possession of drones. She cited the need for such a regulation in view of the possibility of drones being misused to infringe upon the privacy of the people and possible harm to national interests. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, highlighted the promising investment opportunities available to the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom, which are supported by a range of bilateral agreements. This came as HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister met yesterday with the Minister of State for Investment of the UK, Lord Dominic Johnson of Lainston, at Riffa Palace. His Royal Highness highlighted the depth of longstanding relations between the two countries. He noted Bahrains commitment to strengthening relations, especially with regard to economic and investment ties, so that joint goals can be achieved in line with the Kingdom's comprehensive development, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. HRH Prince Salman noted Bahrain's commitment to further bolstering its investment environment, by providing wide-ranging facilities to attract cross-sector investment, which will benefit the Kingdom and its people. HRH the Deputy King affirmed the importance of building on the Kingdom's economic and investment achievements to ensure further economic progress, productivity, and development. During the meeting, regional and global developments and issues of common interest were also discussed. Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro also attended the meeting. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani expressed his appreciation for the strong historical fraternal ties and strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He highlighted the progress and development witnessed by both countries under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Dr. Al Zayani emphasised the pride of Bahrain in celebrating the 93rd National Day of Saudi Arabia, acknowledging the close historical relations between the two nations. He commended the Saudi policy as a strategic depth to the Arab and Islamic world, highlighting its role in promoting regional and global security, peace, and prosperity. The Minister also praised the initiatives of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council, co-chaired by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. He emphasised the commitment of both governments to strengthen political, security, economic, cultural, media, tourism, social, investment, and environmental coordination. Dr. Al Zayani reiterated Bahrains firm support for Saudi Arabia and its efforts to maintain regional security and stability. He expressed Bahrains willingness to settle regional and international disputes through peaceful means and support for the Palestinian cause and the Yemeni crisis. He further emphasised Bahrains commitment to enhancing solidarity and stability within the Gulf Cooperation Council. The minister extended his support for Saudi diplomatic and development initiatives at the regional and international levels, wishing for continued security, progress, and prosperity for the Kingdom and its people. TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - If you've seen a news headline recently, or ventured online at all, you'll know that artificial intelligence is here to stay. It's certainly not a new thing. For years now, AI has been removing inefficiencies and helping teams become more effective. You might just not have even realized the part it's been playing. Whether that's from automating customer interaction, reducing the burden of repeatable tasks, forecasting sales, the list goes on But recently, it's been thrust into the limelight, and this has prompted a series of questions from employers and employees alike on just how this technology is going to shape the future of work. BrightHR's Chief Technology Officer Alastair Brown believes AI is something to be embraced in the world of work, and its many successes have already been highlighted by its use within the Finance, Marketing, IT, and Customer Service sectors. "But" Alastair stresses, "AI must be adopted correctly." How AI is impacting the workplace. A 2021 report by the UK Government concluded that AI has the potential to boost the country's economy significantly, perhaps by as much as 10 percent by 2030. But this comes with a host of concerns, like whether it can lead to significant structural labour market change. An earlier report by the World Economic Forum estimated the amount of work done by machines will increase from 29 percent (in 2017) to more than 50 percent by 2025, but that this shift will be accompanied by new labour market demands which will result in more jobs. So, the simple answer here is that we don't actually have a firm answer on what the extent of the changes that AI will have in the workplace will be. Its rapid rate of development has taken much of the world by surprise and with technology evolving exponentially, it's going to be a challenge to stay on top of it all. But to stay compliant, productive, and competitive, we need to rise to that challenge." Will adopting AI mean fewer jobs? There's a train of thought that the widespread adoption of AI will have negative consequences on some types of roles, in that machines will replace humans. But don't forget: the Industrial Revolution might have introduced machines to replace a proportion of the manual labor force, just as AI replaces some menial processing tasks. However, more people were needed who could operate those machines, and many of those laborers who were replaced were redispersed fast forward to today and we have a reasonably healthy labor market, rather than millions of people displaced by machines and unemployed. So, it's not a case of having to protect jobs necessarily rather how to utilize the technology to enhance them." Why workplaces should be using AI. We recently issued a survey at BrightHR asking clients about their AI usageand more than a third reported to be using it. Of that group, the top three functions it was used in were admin (40%), creative writing (35%), and internal comms (22%). "My advice would be that if you felt there was a significant benefit, use it, but in moderation as an assistance tool rather than an end-to-end work tool. And don't forget mass adoption of widely available AI carries significant risks. It can be useful and beneficial, but there are often pitfalls. It would be easy to become dependent on something like ChatGPT, which would in time erode skills or practice of writing. Use like you would use any research tool by making sure you understand it and adjust where appropriate. Ownership is really important: make sure you always own your work. Use the AI but make sure it's not using you. A few risks you need to be aware of. BrightHR's survey data shows that around three in 10 employers bill security risk as their key concern when using AI. Inputting company data into AI platforms will usually be a big no-no and will breach your company's privacy policy. Samsung staff found this out the hard way earlier this year. Beware of breaching copyright too. After all, you don't know where on the internet the information is being pulled from. The second biggest concern was the margin of error as cited by one in five employers. Using information created by AI will likely contain some errors, so make sure you understand it and make sure everything produced or refined using these tools is true and thoroughly checked to be factual and well-researched. "Here's an interesting case where we see these pitfalls in play: in New York earlier this year, an experienced attorney of 30 years, Steven A Schwartz, used AI to conduct legal research in a case where a man was suing an airline. It was discovered that six of the cases that had been cited to persuade a judge to move the case forward were in fact completely bogus ChatGPT had made them up." If you're thinking of using external AI platforms to provide clients with legal expertise or advice, think again. There are too many risks and not enough controls. "Advice-centered AI-powered tools are great for saving time and stress take our own tool BrightLightning for example. But as is the case with our Lightning tool, all legal information should still be sourced through qualified professional experts." How to reduce these risks and stay on the ball when it comes to AI. The first step is to assess your tech providers. With any technology you adopt within your organization, you must carry out due diligence in terms of data protection protocols both from the perspectives of data management to security. You can't afford to get this wrong. Consider your internal security and protection from cyber threats. Like with any new tool, website, or provider you're bringing into your organization, it's important to have robust policies and processes in place to ensure not just "any" tool is being accessed within your business network. Next, understand that legal expertise still should be people driven. There are still many inaccuracies in public chat tools when it comes to providing legal advice in areas like employment law. Be mindful of this and the source of information. Remember: AI-powered advice is great for speed, but the information must receive validated checks by qualified professionals. Employers will benefit from carrying out regular assessments of their work processes to identify whether AI could be utilized for efficiency and productivity. Where there is an opportunity though, you'll need to assess and control any associated risks. "In all scenarios, pay attention to the areas and industries which are being disrupted, be alert of the changes and what's coming, train where your discipline is vulnerable, and be aware of how your job may be affected. Reading the tech press is by far the best way to stay informed. But be sure to use trusted, reputable sources known for reliable coverage, disregard speculation and sensationalism, especially on social media, and seek to understand what's changing." What to include in your organization's AI policy It's best practice, given that AI is certainly not going away, to introduce an "AI in the workplace" policy. It should give consideration to the ethical and legal implications of using such technologies, and clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of all employees when it comes to working with AI systems, including guidelines for data privacy and security. "Additionally, the policy should address the potential impact on job roles and the need for retraining or upskilling. It is also important to establish a process for monitoring and auditing the use of AI systems to ensure they are being used ethically and fairly. Lastly, the policy should address any potential biases in the AI systems being used and establish a plan for addressing and mitigating these biases." Here's the final take-home message. The point is AI, like many technologies, isn't going anywhere. And though many are uncertain about how it will impact the world of work; employers should indeed embrace it but they must: be responsible, use it ethically, exercise caution, protect sensitive information, steer clear of taking results at face value, instead making sure any information is checked by experts." About BrightHR Canada BrightHR is a leading HR and Health & Safety software service that is transforming people management for 6,500+ clients across Canada. In addition to our award-winning HR and Health & Safety software, BrightHR saves business owners time and money by offering an extensive library of 400+ templates/documents/policies, on-demand advice by local experts, a range of e-learning courses, a free marketplace to advertise or use discount offers, plus much more. Interviews available SOURCE BrightHR Canada For further information: Sally Abu-Samra - Public Relations Specialist, T: 647-988-2137 | E: [email protected] TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Mercer released the results of its August 2023 Mercer QuickPulse Canada Compensation Planning Survey revealing that although cost of living concerns remain top of mind for many Canadians, employers are projecting a more modest annual increase for both merit and total compensation budgets compared to 2023. New data reveals employers planning more modest compensation increases in 2024 due to easing labour pressures (CNW Group/Mercer) Canadian employers are projecting 3.3% for merit increases and 3.7% for total increase budgets in 2024 compared to 3.6% and 4.1%, respectively for 2023, for non-unionized workers. Total increase budgets include merit increases along with other base pay increases such as promotional pay increases and cost of living adjustments. Although Canada still has an extremely tight labour market, indices show that the market is stabilizing. As a result, the use of pay increases to respond to labour market pressures has slowed down. "In the face of economic uncertainty and reduced labour market pressure, employer compensation budgets seem to be returning to pre-pandemic levels," said Elizabeth English, Principal in Mercer Canada's Career Products business. "If Canada's labour market continues to cool over the next few months, it could reduce pressure on 2024 compensation budgets even further." The survey also highlights how pay transparency is an emerging priority for Canadian employers. British Columbia is one of the first provinces to have passed pay transparency legislation requiring employers to post salary ranges on publicly advertised job postings. The legislation goes into effect November 1, 2023. The survey found that many Canadian employers overall are taking a less proactive approach, with only 30% agreeing they should have embedded transparency as part of their reward and talent philosophies. What's more, 51% of employers have no plans to go further with pay transparency than required by local law. However, over the last year, the number of Canadian companies who report that they share salary ranges in job postings has nearly doubled, from 8% to 15%. "Pay transparency legislation continues to push employers to fast forward their policies," added English. "Proactive action will not only help employers get ahead of future legislation, but pay transparency promotes a culture of trust, increases employee perceptions of fair play, is critical in attracting candidates, and ultimately drives higher levels of commitment and engagement." Mercer's Compensation Planning Survey includes data from more than 500 organizations of varying sizes across 15 industries. You can view more of the survey findings here. To learn more about the survey results and gain insights directly from Mercer's business leaders, register for Mercer's signature event webinar: Reshaping the future: Total rewards on fast forward. About Mercer Mercer believes in building brighter futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. Mercer's approximately 25,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm operates in 130 countries. Mercer is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world's leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with more than 85,000 colleagues and annual revenue of over $20 billion. Through its market-leading businesses including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit mercer.com. Follow Mercer on LinkedIn and Twitter. SOURCE Mercer For further information: Carey Hoch, Email: [email protected] Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State said on Sunday that hes working hard to address the insecurity situation in the state. He spoke at a special church service as part of activities to mark this years Independence anniversary celebration at St. Patricks Cathedral in Awka. The governor said his administration was committed to ensuring security in the state. According to him, the state government has deployed security personnel to strategic locations across the state, adding that greater efforts are being made to improve intelligence gathering and sharing. My government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all. We are working hard to address the security challenges in the state, and we are confident that we will overcome them soon, he said. The governor also cautioned Nigerians to be wary of purveyors of fake news. Soludo said some people have been taking advantage of the current security situation in Nigeria to spread fake news and misinformation. The Lagos Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Olajide Adediran against the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Ibafemi Hamzat. The tribunal upheld the election of Governor Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Hamzat. The three-person Tribunal presided over by Justice Arum Ashom threw out the petition for lacking in merit. In an unanimous judgment, it held that all the issues raised by the petitioners are pre-election matters of which the Tribunal lacks jurisdiction to entertain. Other members of the panel are Justice Mikail Abdullahi and Justice Igho Braimoh. Sanwo-Olu polled 762,134 votes to defeat his closest rival, Rhodes-Vivour, who polled 312,329. The candidate of the PDP, Adediran, came third with 62,449 votes. Respondents in the petition filed by the PDP and Jandor are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party and its candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. They asked the Tribunal to disqualify Sanwo-Olu and Rhodes-Vivour for non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated April 7, the petitioners said APC did not comply with the INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election, which stipulated that all political parties must give 21 days notice to INEC before the conduct of the primary election. Besides the allegation of non-compliance with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, Adediran added that at the time of the governorship election, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, and Rhodes-Vivour were not qualified to contest the election. He asked that all votes cast for them in the election be declared wasted, and Adediran should be declared the winner. The Tribunal had earlier struck out the name of the Labour Party candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour from the petition. The tribunal declared that Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Hamzat are eminently qualified to contest the March 18 governorship election in the state under section 177 of the Constitution. Judgei, stated this while delivering judgment in the petition filed against their election by the PDP candidate, Adediran. The judge noted that they are members of political party and educated up to school certificate level. Section 177 of the constitution stipulated that A person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a State if (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) He has attained the age of thirty-five years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. We have considered evidence before this court. He has highest number of votes. This petition is dead on arrival. In view of evidence adduced before the court, the grounds on which the petitioners is seeking disqualification of 2nd and 3rd respondents lacks merit. I have found Governor Sanwo-Olu and deputy Dr Hamzat duly elected and therefore declared them winner, the Tribunal ruled before proceeding on recess. Director of Press and Information of the Supreme Court, Dr Festus Akande, has said the fire incident that gutted part of the courts building did not affect the presidential election petition tribunal. Fire engulfed some sections of the apex court in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday. The incident was put under control by the police and firefighters. Speaking with journalists, Akande said only one chamber of the Supreme Court was affected by the fire, which was subsequently doused. Akande said, What was destroyed in that chamber were books, stationery, and other computer gadgets. The books are replaceable because we have an e-library. We have the soft copy of the books and also the hard copy which can be procured and supplied to the chamber. So it has nothing to do with the Presidential Election Petition, as people are saying outside. Such issues as presidential election matters are not discussed in the chamber, inside the court. Meanwhile, the FCT Police said it has launched an investigation into the incident. France will withdraw its 1,500 soldiers from Niger by end of the year, following a July 26 coup in the country, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday. France will also withdraw its ambassador, Sylvain Itte in the next few hours, Macron added. He said France, Nigers former colonial master, refused to be held hostage by the putchists. Observers said the move dealt a huge blow to French influence and counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel region. Frances exit, which comes after weeks of pressure from the junta and popular demonstrations, is likely to exacerbate Western concerns over Russias expanding influence in Africa. The Russian mercenary force Wagner already present in Nigers neighbour Mali. The French president has refused to recognise the junta as Nigers legitimate authority but said Paris would coordinate troop withdraw with the coup leaders. We will consult with the putschists because we want things to be orderly, Macron said in an interview with Frances TF1 and France 2 television stations. French nuclear power plants source a small amount less than 10% of their uranium from Niger, with Frances state-owned Orano operating a mine in Nigers north. Macron said he still regarded democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as Nigers legitimate leader and had informed him of his decision. Nigers military rulers responded swiftly in a statement read out on national television. This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger, said the statement from the military rulers, who seized power by overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. This is a historic moment, which speaks to the determination and will of the Nigerien people, the Niger statement added. Earlier Sunday the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) said on its website that the military rulers had banned French aircraft from flying over the countrys airspace. It was not clear if this would affect the ambassador being flown out. French influence over its former colonies has waned in West Africa in recent years, just as popular vitriol has grown. Its forces have been kicked out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso since coups in those countries, reducing its role in a region-wide fight against deadly Islamist insurgencies. Until the coup, Niger had remained a key security partner of France and the United States, which have used it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africas wider Sahel region. Frances military base in Nigers capital, Niamey, had become the epicentre of anti-French protests since the July 26 coup. Groups have regularly gathered on the street outside to call for the exit of troops stationed in the capital. On one Saturday this month, tens of thousands rallied against France, slitting the throat of a goat dressed in French colours and carrying coffins draped in French flags. Pro-coup demonstrators in Niamey have waved Russian flags, adding to Western countries fears that Niger could follow Malis lead and replace their troops with Wagner fighters. Some gunmen on Sunday night invaded the residence of Benue State Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Matthew Abo, and abducted him. The incident was said to have occurred around 8:00pm at his country home in Zaki Biam, Ukum Local Government Area of the state The commissioner was said to have been at home with his family members when the gunmen came on four motorcycles and found their way into his living room. An eyewitness said, The kidnappers came on four motorcycles, ordered everyone in the house including the commissioners wife and children to lie face down, and took him away to an unknown destination on one of the motorcycles. The abductors forced the commissioner to sit behind the rider of one of the motorcycles while a gunman sandwiched him. Abo was among the 17 commissioners sworn in on August 29, 2023, by Governor Hyacinth Alia. Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kula Tersoo, confirmed the abduction of the commissioner. He said, Yes he was kidnapped. Unfortunately, he was kidnapped in his country home in Ukum LGA, around 8pm on, Sunday, September 24, 2023. He was home with his family, children and his people when the armed men came in. They forced him to a bike. We received the unfortunate development and His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia has already directed and detailed the security operatives to ensure his safe release from the kidnappers den. The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition sitting in Ikeja has described candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 election, Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor, as busybody. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election. Dissatisfied, Jandor and Labour Partys Gbadebo Rhodes-Vovour had headed for the tribunal. While ruling on the petition of Jandor that Sanwo-Olu was not qualified to contest the election because he was improperly nominated and supported by his party, the tribunal held that it could not decide on that. Tight security as tribunal set to deliver judgment on petitions against Sanwo-Olu Tribunal delivers judgment on Lagos Guber poll Monday Justice Mikail Abdullahi, who read the judgment on behalf of the panel said the petition did not fall under the provisions of sections 177 and 182 of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended). He also declared that the tribunal did not have powers to inquire into the primary election of the APC which produced Sanwo-Olu because pre-election matter did not fall under its jurisdiction. Only an aspirant or member of a political party can complain about the outcome of the partys primary, not a busybody like the petitioner, he held. The tribunal first focused on the preliminary objections filed by the parties before passing judgement on Jandors petition. Earlier, the tribunal struck out the names of the Labour Party and its candidate among the list of respondents, saying a petition is contemplated to be filed between the winner and the loser of an election and not between two persons who lost. As a result of this, the tribunal upheld the preliminary objection and later removed Rhodes-Vivour as the fifth respondent from Jandors petition. The tribunal also deleted all of the exhibits that Rhodes-Vivour had submitted as proof in Jandors plea. The tribunal also ruled that Rhodes-Vivour could not challenge any aspect of the Jandors petition judgement going forward, or else he would be seen as an intrusive outsider. The 6th respondent filed an application that it cannot he joined in the petitioners petition on some grounds but the ruling on the motion filed on the petition was reserved till the day of the Judgement. The tribunal held, That the 5th & 6th respondent ought not have been made respondents to the petition cannot rob the tribunal of the jurisdiction to hear the parties. The question of mis-joinder cannot lead to a striking out of the petition as the proper order to make is to strike out the names of the parties. Already the name of the 5th respondent has been struck out and the 6th respondent who has been found to be improperly joined is also ordered to be struck out. The judgement was still being read as of the time of filing this report. Security has been beefed up at the Roseline Omotosho Courthouse, Ikeja, as the Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal is set to deliver judgement in petitions challenging the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate for the state in the March 18 poll, Abdulazeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, and his Labour Party counterpart, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, filed the petitions. Security operatives took over the main entrance of the courthouse, screening journalists, lawyers and others before they could gain entrance. Securing operatives prevented a number of people from entering the premises. Adediran, in his petition, alleged that the governor presented a forged West African School Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission. Adediran also accused Lagos deputy governor, Kadri Hazmat, of not including an oath declaration in the INEC Nomination Form EC9. He added that APC did not comply with the Electoral Act when nominating Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat. Rhodes-Vivour, in his petition, also challenged the eligibility of Hazmat to contest on the grounds that he allegedly renounced his Nigerian citizenship and swore allegiance to the United States of America. NAN News / National by Staff reporter The Matabeleland South Agricultural Show Society has announced plans to extend the duration of the exhibition from three to four days in response to exhibitor feedback.According to Thabani Mkhwananzi, the show society's secretary, they have acknowledged concerns from the business community about the limited exhibition period. The move is in line with the National Association of Agricultural Show Society of Zimbabwe's efforts to standardize show durations across the country.In the future, the first day of the show will be exclusively dedicated to the business community, with the remaining days open to the public.Agritex agronomist for Matabeleland South province, Innocent Nyathi, advised farmers to reduce maize production and shift their focus to small grains due to the region's low rainfall pattern.Colet Moyo, the chairperson of the Gwanda United Residents Association, expressed excitement about the show's impact on the community. More young people are attending to learn farming techniques from experienced farmers, contributing to the show's positive atmosphere. Moyo emphasized the importance of marketing the show to attract investments and promote local agriculture. Voters in Monmouth County will decide this week whether to merge three school districts into one. The grades K-6 school districts in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands would join the grades 7-12 Henry Hudson Regional School District, which already serves both municipalities, under the proposal on Tuesdays ballot. The regionalization ballot proposal is the first in New Jersey since 2013, when voters in Hunterdon County approved merging four school districts into the South Hunterdon Regional School District, according to the New Jersey Boards Association. New Jersey, which is home to about 600 school districts, has few regionalized districts compared to many other states. Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that gave districts financial incentives to study consolidation, including combining into county-wide or regional school districts. Supporters say combining local school districts could save money and reduce school taxes for homeowners. But, some districts have resisted mergers because they do not want to give up local control of their schools and worry students will not be able to attend their neighborhood schools in regional districts. Some school districts have already combined. In 2017, the Elmer school district was absorbed by Pittsgrove in Salem County, adding Elmers 240 students to Pittsgroves 1,600 students, after years of debate. If approved by voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands this week, the school boards in both districts would be disbanded in July 2024, according to a description available on the districts websites. All three school districts would be overseen by the Henry Hudson Regional School District school board. Voters are heading to the polls Tuesday, the same day seven school district construction proposals totaling $40.2 million are on the ballot in other New Jersey school districts, the school boards association said. Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Henry Hudson Regional are relatively small, with a combined enrollment of 740 students as of last year. A single superintendent, Tara Beams, is already leading what is characterized by local officials as a tri-district. Each district is home to a single school. Highlands Elementary School and Atlantic Highlands Elementary School serve grades K-6. Henry Hudson Regional High School opened in 1962 and serves grades 7-12. The topic of regionalizing these three schools has been a decades-long debate, mostly on whether or not the current structures are efficient in running schools, Beams said at a Sept. 12 community forum. The most efficient model, for a child, is that there is a system that they go through, from pre-K or kindergarten, all the way up to 12th grade, and theres some continuity in those services, regardless of whether youre in a large district or small district that you have a team of administrators and educational experts that are making decisions that look at a childs journey from pre-K all the way through 12th, Beams said. In advocating for the change, officials predicted a reduction in taxes stemming from consolidating some services and a boost in state aid that is available to school districts opting to regionalize, according to a proposal overview from the school districts. The overview acknowledges that approval would result in some loss of autonomy, due to dissolving Atlantic Highlands and the Highlands school boards, and that some staff members might be relocated or transferred although this is expected to be very minor. The new regional board will need to commit effort and resources to assume control of the educational facilities, engage with existing vendors and contractors, restructure contracts, and the collective bargaining agreements with the employees unions, the overview states. If approved, the current board members in the three districts along with any elected in November would continue through June, officials said. Then, an interim regional board consisting of three members from each current board would be seated, leading up to the election of a new board in November 2024. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. A New Jersey school district says it will allow officials to search the contents of students cell phones under a new electronics policy enacted after a 14-year-old who was allegedly bullied died by suicide last year. The Central Regional School District in Ocean County said it is also requiring middle school students to store phones in special cell phone pockets while in class and high schoolers must either turn cell phones off and put them away or place them in cell phone pockets at school. Central Regional which enrolls about 2,331 students from Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park said the new electronics policy adopted in August applies to all students in grades 7 through 12. Central Regional Superintendent Douglas Corbett and school board secretary Kevin OShea did not respond to requests for comment on the new policy or why the changes were made. Although schools in New Jersey have the authority to search a students cell phone, experts advise they try less intrusive methods of getting information about an incident before a students property is searched. Searching students cell phones also raises concerns about the broader issue of surveillance in schools, some critics say. The current state of the law seems to give school boards broad discretion to do these types of searches. But, this is part of a broader issue of school surveillance and the erosion of students rights to privacy, said Joe Johnson, policy counsel for American Civil Liberties Union-New Jersey. MORE: After student suicides, N.J. schools try new ways to stop bullying Central Regionals new policy says school officials can search a students phone if there is reasonable suspicion that district or Board policies, rules or regulations have been violated, as well as if there is a reasonable suspicion that the electronic mobile device contains information that may be pertinent to a school investigation. The new rules are an update to the districts previous use of electronic communication and recording devices policy that was last revised in 2016, according to school records. The 2016 policy said cell phones could be confiscated by school staff. But, the policy did not say phones could be searched. It is unclear if the new policy is related to the changes Central Regional planned to make following the suicide of 14-year-old Central Regional High School student Adriana Kuch in February. Adrianas death drew national headlines after her family said she died days after she was attacked in a school hallway by classmates in an assault that was recorded on student cell phones and spread via social media. After her death, four of Adrianas classmates were charged in connection with a hallway attack. Adriana Kuch, 14, died by suicide in February. Her family demanded her Ocean County school district change the way it handles bullying and alleged officials failed to intervene and protect her at school. Adrianas family alleged the school mishandled the videotaped attack, which lasted less than a minute, according to footage shared with NJ Advance Media. Since then, Central Regional officials who are also facing an unrelated lawsuit related to another student allegedly assaulted at school have been under increased scrutiny. The former superintendent, Triantafillos Parlapanides, resigned in February after he allegedly disclosed personal information about Adrianas family and health history in emails to reporters at a news publication. In the weeks following Adrianas death, dozens of students, alumni and parents came forward with their own stories of alleged bullying in the Central Regional School District. Many of the allegations involve cyberbullying, including harassing messages, videos and photographs shared widely on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. Some students said they also knew of social media pages set up to highlight videos of school fights at Central Regional. Under the new cell phone policy, Central Regionals middle school students will be required to place their cell phones in cell phone pockets available in classrooms, Corbett, the district superintendent, previously said. The phones will remain in the storage pockets until the end of class and students can no longer take their cell phones to the bathroom during class time. In the high school, students can keep their phones in class if they are turned off and put away or they can put them in cell phone pockets during instruction time, Corbett said. Many other school districts in New Jersey have similar policies or have used cell phone storage devices in class, including locking neoprene pouches. Some parents have objected to the cell phone rules, saying their children will not be able to get to their phones if there is an emergency. A student at Maxson Middle School in Plainfield puts his cellphone into a Yondr pouch used to store cell phones in the classroom. Searching student phones, laptops or other personal property for evidence that a student is violating school rules is legal. But, the New Jersey School Boards Association advises officials to exercise discretion in deciding to conduct a search. Search and seizure are intrusive acts and care should be taken to evaluate whether or not the circumstances of the policy violation make it necessary, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association. Search and seizure is considered a high grade response to alleged violations of a code of student conduct. The New Jersey School Boards Association advises that whenever possible, less intrusive steps or lower grade responses should be implemented to give the student the opportunity to cooperate before the student or his or her property is searched. New Jersey law currently makes wide allowances for these types of searches, experts say. But, studies show students of color may face disproportionately high rates and severity of punishment compared to their white peers. In late August, New Jerseys attorney general and acting state education commissioner released guidance to schools on disciplining students without discriminating against them. From kindergarten to high school classrooms, Latinx/e and Black students face disproportionate discipline for the same actions committed by their white peers, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. And nationally, LGBTQ+ students are nearly twice as likely to be suspended from school as non-LGBTQ+ students. Black students make up 15.5% of the states student body, but account for 29.8% of schools referrals to law enforcement and 28.9% of arrests in schools, according to data on disparities in discipline. Some critics are concerned that giving school officials the right to look through a students cell phone could lead to larger problems. There is a broader issue of continuing to erode the expectation of privacy for students in the aim of school safety, said Johnson, the ACLUs policy counsel. But, others argue schools must do more to battle bullying and violence in schools. School districts in New Jersey reported 30,568 incidents of violence, vandalism, weapons, substance use, and harassment, intimidation and bullying in the 2021-22 school year, according to the latest data from the state Department of Education. READ MORE: Fights, weapons, and unruly kids. Inside the mounting misbehavior crisis at N.J. schools. Central Regional announced a series of initiatives to evaluate and improve the districts approach to bullying in response to outrage over Adrianas death and other allegations of school violence. The initiatives included: organizing a steering committee of parents and community leaders to evaluate and update the schools approach to bullying and other issues; bringing in an outside group to examine district policies and response to crises; and reviewing the districts cell phone policy. Additional initiatives that were planned included: establishing a toll-free hotline operated by an outside party for students to call anonymously; arranging guest speakers for student assemblies focused on avoiding and preventing risky behaviors; and arranging for education and information sessions for parents to help them better understand bullying, harassment and other issues impacting students. The Central Regional school district also announced plans to continue training staff and parents to recognize potential problems and to improve communications with the community. Editors note: September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. Eisa Daviss Bulrusher, a 2007 finalist for the Pulitzer in drama, examines a tumultuous and transitional time in American history through an unexpected and affective lens. Jim Crow segregation and racial violence is raging in the South, Emmett Till has just been brutally murdered, the fires of civil rights battles are starting to ignite. But Davis brings us 2,500 miles away from Birmingham, Alabama, and sets her play in the sleepy Northern California backwater of Boonville. There we meet a few locals hanging around a brothel while anticipating the annual apple harvest festival and dance. Only occasionally in the shadows does the violence and resistance that defined an era emerge. The Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) will not stand behind their hometown hero, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who is facing federal corruption charges. But, insiders say, the party will not stand against him either. At least not yet. According to federal prosecutors, Menendez allegedly accepted bribes of cash, gold bars, a Mercedes Benz and a no-show job from politically connected friends for his wife in exchange for favors for three businessmen, including sharing sensitive information related to Egypt. As U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez faced the world for the first time since he was indicted Friday, not a single fellow elected official stood behind him. But his longtime friends did. When Jameka Walker started teaching in 2005, she says there were few teachers of color. Still, she wanted to ensure that poor children received the high-quality education needed to succeed. I knew I always wanted to work in the inner city and help the neediest of children, said Walker, 51, of Pennsauken. So, I joined the Philadelphia school system and made it my mission to help students achieve academic success and make it to college. Its been my experience that when students see a teacher of color who is high quality, the student believes they can be successful, she added. Twelve years later, Walker yearned to do more and joined Catholic Partnership Schools (CPS), a nonprofit that operates five Catholic Pre-K through 8th grade schools in Camden with a mission of strengthening and sustaining educational excellence. There Walker oversees the schools serving 876 mostly Black and Hispanic students and supports each schools administrators. Others have taken note. Walker, CPSs executive director, has been named one of three finalists for the 2023 Opus Prize an annual international faith-based humanitarian award that recognizes organizations or individuals making an impact in their communities. The winner receives $1 million to support their organization. The other two candidates are Kristin Schroeder, a Duke University professor who conducts medical research in Tanzania, and Paride Taban who runs a church in Sudan focusing on education, health services, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. I am so honored to be recognized by the Opus Foundation, Walker said. But this recognition rightfully belongs to the entire team of educators and staff at Catholic Partnership Schools. We are passionate in our shared belief that every child is deserving of a high-quality education and that poverty should not be a barrier to that. Principal Kyle Orosz, of CPS St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School, says Walker deserves the recognition, given her commitment to students who may not stand a chance in life without a quality education. Ms. Walker wants the best for our students in every way possible, Orosz said. As she says, we have a responsibility to the kids here in Camden to put them on the right path and give them the tools to be successful in a way not usually afforded to them. She wants to set the kids on a different path morally and academically, Orosz added. And Jameka makes sure we have what is needed to execute her vision. The students in CPS network schools are 66% Hispanic, 21% Black, and 3% white, similar to the racial makeup of Camden, which is 52.8% Hispanic, 42.9% Black, and 4.1% white, according to the United States Census Bureau. The Minnesota-based Opus Prize Foundation awards the annual prize, funded through a private endowment. Each year, about four dozen people are nominated. A committee selects the three finalists. The nonprofit foundation partners with a different Catholic university this year Villanova University to award the prize to an individual or organization that may have roots in any faith. The Opus Prize finalists remind us that in our neighborhoods and all over the world, there are people who lend their whole lives to alleviating human suffering, said Kerry Robinson, the executive director of the foundation. These unsung heroes offer hope to an often beleaguered, dispirited world and inspire us, by their example, to make this a better, more loving world. The 2023 prize will be awarded Nov. 9 during a ceremony at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. In addition to presenting $1 million to the winner, organizers will give the two runners-up $100,000 each to support their work. Walker says she has high hopes of winning the top prize, which she said she would invest in her students. Despite the amount of money we raise each year, there is always a gap, she explained. A lot goes into educating these wonderful students. If we win, that money would go toward more resources and helping our students and families on scholarship. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram at @DeionRJohnson or Twitter @DeionRJohhnson A 46-year-old New Jersey truck driver was charged with murder in Maryland after the body of a woman was found on the floorboard of the vehicle following a chase near a Costco distribution center early Sunday, authorities said. The chase took place after deputies from the Frederick County Sheriffs Office showed up at the Costco distribution center in Monrovia at about 1:30 a.m. after getting a report that a driver later identified as Matthew S. Watley was under the influence and broke the window of his own truck. Deputies placed spike stops in front of and behind the truck after Watley was argumentative and wouldnt speak with them, officials said. Watley then attempted to flee in the truck and continued driving even after his tires went over the spike strips, the sheriffs office said. He stopped at the exit lane of the distribution center, but still refused to get out of the truck despite repeated request, officials said. A short time later, deputies used pepper spray on him, but Watley remained in the truck cab. Finally, deputies broke a different window, used a stun gun on him and took him into custody. Thats when deputies found the dead woman. She has not been identified pending family notification. Watley, of Sicklerville, is charged with first and second-degree murder. He was being treated at a local hospital while being guarded by deputies. Attorney information wasnt immediately available. Monrovia is about 40 miles west of Baltimore and 40 miles northwest of Washington D.C. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriffs office at 301-600-1046 and reference case # 23-102844. Tips can also be emailed to FCSOtips@frederickcountymd.gov or by calling 301-600-4131 anonymously. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Many New Jersey residents have received a surprise in their mailboxes: applications for mail-in voting that are pre-filled with their information but that were not requested by the voters. County clerks across the state are advising voters that the vote-by-mail applications are valid and theyre legal, but they werent sent by the counties. Instead, political campaigns and related organizations are behind the mailings, several county clerks said. The clerks said their offices have fielded questions from voters, some angry, others confused, about why they received the ballot applications and how their information was obtained. Voter data is obtained by organizations, candidates or political committees from the Statewide Voter Registration System, which is under the direction of the New Jersey Division of Elections, Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon said in a message to voters. Certain voter data, such as name and address, is considered to be an open public record according to New Jersey law. Hanlon said its important for voters to know that while the applications are real, they do not represent official election mail from the county and they are not mandatory to be completed in order to vote in the general election, which is on Nov. 7. This is a common and legal campaign practice and voters have a choice as to whether to complete the applications and to send them in, she said. The Division of Elections sent an advisory to election officials in all 21 counties about the mailings on Sept. 13. We are getting this type of activity from both the Democrats and Republicans, said Gloucester County Clerk Jim Hogan. We are left trying to explain the situation to angry and confused voters. Some of the mailings were sent by the Voter Participation Center (VPC), which describes itself as a a non-profit, non-partisan organization, and the Center for Voter Information (CVI), which describes itself as a non-profit, non-partisan partner organization to Voter Participation Center. The groups said they sent 54,150 vote-by-mail applications to eligible New Jerseyans, less than the 2.1 million it sent in 2021 for the gubernatorial election. This year it also sent 88,651 voter registration applications in the state, it said. It also said the mailings include a disclaimer that says: If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, call (800) 986-2348 or email unsubscribe@voterparticipation.org and provide this code: NJ1C00073241. If a registered voter decides to sign and date the pre-filled application and drop it in the mail, they can, Monmouth County said. The pre-filled applications are valid as long as the assistor has correctly filled out their designated section and the signature of the requesting voter matches their signature on file with the Statewide Voter Registration Database, an official from the clerks office said. Warren County Clerk Holly Mackey said the unsolicited applications go out every election season. As long as ONLY sections 2-7 and 10 the name, address and contact info of the voter and the Assistor portion are pre-filled out, I will process as usual, she said. If any other section sections 1, 8 and 9 and/or section 10 is blank, I will reject. Some voters have received a pre-filling vote-by-mail application. These are coming from political groups, county clerks say. (Courtesy N.J. Division of Elections) Voters should look closely at the pre-filled information, Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello said. There is a box that gives a choice asking if they want to vote by mail for one election or for all elections in the future. We will honor that if its marked (vote-by-mail) for all future elections, she said. Hunterdon County Clerk Mary Melfi said shes received complaints about the unsolicited applications. Rather than accept outright applications that say the voter wants mail-in ballots for all future elections, her office is contacting each voter to verify their intent. If the voter goes next year (for the 2024 presidential election) and wants to vote in person, then they will have to complete a provisional ballot they dont like provisionals, she said of the ballots that are accepted at polling places but arent counted until after the voters eligibility is confirmed. One disenfranchised voter is too many for me, Melfi said. Mail-in voting received new attention during the COVID pandemic when in 2020, election officials sent mail-in ballots automatically to the states 6.2 million registered voters under an executive order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy. But today, voters have to ask for a mail-in ballot unless they previously checked the application box saying they want mail-in ballots for all future elections. Any voter may apply for vote-by-mail by completing the Application for Vote-By-Mail Ballot and returning the application to their County Clerk, the Division of Elections said. You can check your voter registration status on the states election website. You can see whether youre registered as an active vote-by-mail voter, and what your voting history is, at Vote.NJ.Gov, under Track My Ballot. If you are registered to vote by mail in an election, you must opt out, in order to cast a ballot in person on a machine at an early voting location, the Division of Elections said. To opt out, contact your County Clerk. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KPMueller. Appearing in public three days after being indicted on sweeping federal corruption charges, a defiant U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said Monday hes poised for his biggest fight yet as he pledged to keep battling the accusations and signaled once again he wont resign as New Jerseys senior senator despite losing the support of top fellow Democrats. The allegations leveled against me are just that allegations, Menendez told reporters during remarks at a brief news conference at Hudson County Community College in his hometown of Union City. I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jerseys senior senator. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez speaks during a press conference while facing corruption charges at Hudson County Community College on Monday, September 25, 2023.John J. LaRosa | For NJ Advance Menendez called Mondays event, his first since the indictment, to double down on statements he made Friday pushing back against the stunning and vivid charges in the hours after they were announced. Federal prosecutors claim Menendez, 69, who has long chaired the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, shared sensitive information with Egypt and accepted bribes of cash, gold bars, and a no-show job for his wife from politically connected friends. The details of the case have rocked New Jerseys political world, including one instance that could have been ripped from The Sopranos photos authorities shared of gold bars and cash stuffed into jackets bearing Menendezs name. This marks the second time in eight years Menendez has been indicted, after a 2015 case was dismissed after a mistrial. He also was the subject of a corruption investigation in 2006 that did not produce charges. Menendez referenced those failed probes in his remarks Monday. Prosecutors get it wrong sometimes, he said. Sadly, I know that. The embattled lawmaker took no questions during the gathering, where he delivered remarks in English and Spanish from a multi-purpose room at the college. His tone was calm but emphatic. He spent the most time describing his work on human rights issues in Egypt and around the world. He also addressed the cash seized from his home. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, Menendez said, referencing his parents history as Cuban refugees. This may seem old-fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on my income I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. I look forward to addressing other issues at trial. Prosecutors say they connected several of the cash-stuffed envelopes to wealthy friends and donors to the senator using DNA and fingerprint evidence. Menendez countered Monday that the indictment was framed by the prosecution (to appear) as salacious as possible. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning at Federal Court in Manhattan alongside his wife, Nadine Arslanian, who was also charged, and two other defendants. Hours after the charges were announced, leading New Jersey Democrats, who stood by Menendez the last two times, began urging him, one by one, to resign. The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday. Menendez quickly responded: I am not going anywhere. He added Monday: Instead of waiting for all the facts to be presented, others have rushed to judgment because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them. Murphys office declined to respond to Menendezs latest remarks, referring to the governors previous comments. A few prominent national Democrats including U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York have also urged Menendez to leave. But many top Democrats in the U.S. Senate remained notably silent on Monday particularly the states junior senator, Cory Booker. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary for Democratic President Joe Bidens administration, said Monday the indictment is a serious matter but stopped short of saying Menendez should leave. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez speaks during a press conference while facing corruption charges at Hudson County Community College on Monday, September 25, 2023.John J. LaRosa | For NJ Advance Menendez did not specify Monday whether he would seek re-election next year. His spokeswoman referred political questions to his adviser, Michael Soliman. Soliman did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Primary challengers are already lining up. At least three candidates U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist., activist Lawrence Hamm, and real estate investor Kyle Jasey have so far said they would run for the Democratic nomination next year for the Senate seat Menendez has held since 2006. Its possible, if not likely, more candidates could follow suit. But on Monday, Menendez didnt back down, speaking in the county where he began his political career decades ago. Typically flanked by elected officials, many of whom have called for his resignation, Menendez was instead joined by about a dozen constituents. They are here because I have supported working people those who work 5 to 9 to support those working 9 to 5, he said of the unnamed individuals standing beside him. Though Menendez has won easily before, winning a primary this time will be an uphill climb. Hed likely have to do so without the so-called county line, a system in New Jersey in which county party officials endorse their preferred candidate and give them prime placement on the primary ballot. Most county Democratic Party leaders in New Jersey have called on Menendez to step aside and thus would likely favor another candidate next year and deprive Menendez of key party resources. In 2018, after his previous indictment was dismissed, Menendez won re-election but little-known community newspaper publisher Lisa McCormick won nearly 40% of the vote in the Democratic primary. The 2024 election comes as Democrats hold a razor-thin margin of control in the U.S. Senate and wont want to risk an otherwise safe seat. Republicans havent won a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey since 1972, though the indictment could give them momentum. A Monmouth University poll last month shows hes losing ground with Democrats. His approval numbers among Democrats slipped eight points to 58% while his disapproval number increased 7 points to 23%, according to the survey. Among all registered voters, his approval rating was 36%. Of course, the poll was taken prior to the indictment but amid word that an investigation was underway. More immediately, this is also unfolding less than two months before all 120 seats in the Democratic-controlled state Legislature are on the ballot, and Democrats are likely looking to avoid added controversy two years after Republicans surprisingly gained seven seats. Still, Menendezs chances in court could be boosted by the U.S. Supreme Court having done away with a series of high-profile bribery and corruption cases in recent years including limiting the kinds of official acts performed by lawmakers that can constitute bribery or corruption and as a result making it more difficult to prosecute such allegations. READ MORE: NJ Advance Media staff writers Steven Rodas and Ted Sherman contributed to this report. 18 1 / 18 U.S. Sen. Menendez press conference, Sept. 25, 2023 Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Press Release September 25, 2023 "Ilapit ang serbisyong medikal sa mga Pilipino" says Bong Go during ceremonial turnover of Super Health Center in Zamboanga City Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, commended the local government of Zamboanga City and the Department of Health (DOH) for the successful ceremonial turnover of a Super Health Center in Barangay Sangali on Thursday, September 21. In a video message, Go expressed his confidence that the said health facility would be able to provide accessible healthcare services to the residents. "Patuloy po akong tutulong sa pagpaparami ng Super Health Centers sa bansa sa abot po ng aking makakaya. Sa mga itinayo ng Super Health Centers, nakita namin kung gaano kalaki ang naitutulong nito sa komunidad lalo na sa malalayong lugar," said Go. "It is a significant step towards enhanced healthcare services in communities. Yun po ang layunin ng mga Super Health Centers, ang ilapit sa mamamayan ang serbisyong medikal ng gobyerno," he added. Through the collective efforts of Go, DOH, LGUs and fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds had been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed. The Super Health Center is an enhanced version of the rural health unit, offering a wide range of health services such as database management, outpatient care, birthing facilities, isolation areas, diagnostic services (including laboratory tests, X-rays, and ultrasounds), pharmacy services, and ambulatory surgical units. Additionally, these centers provide services such as eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) care, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine, which enables remote diagnosis and treatment of patients. Go emphasized the critical role that Super Health Centers play in decongesting hospitals, facilitating early disease detection, and providing essential healthcare services such as primary care and medical consultations directly to the community. "Ano po itong Super Health Center? It's a medium type of a polyclinic. Pwede po diyan 'yung panganganak, dental, laboratory, x-ray, pagpapabakuna. Alam n'yo naisipan ko po 'yang Super Health Center noong 2021. Sa kakaikot ko po ng buong Pilipinas, 'yung mga may sakit anlayo ng byahe, yung mga buntis nanganganak na lang sa tricycle o sa jeepney dahil malalayo ang hospital. Ngayon po magkakaroon na kayong sarili ninyong health center. Pwede na po diyan 'yung panganganak, pagkonsulta, at iba pa," shared Go. "Malaking tulong po ito na ma-decongest 'yung mga hospitals. Makakatulong rin sa early disease detection para maagapan ang sakit. Hindi na kailangang ilakbay pa natin ng napakalayo para makapunta sa hospital," he added. Go also extended his heartfelt appreciation to the officials for their unwavering commitment to public service. Among those present were Zamboanga City Mayor John Dalipe, Vice Mayor Pinpin Pareja, DOH Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama, and Regional Director Joshua Brillantes. The council was well-represented by Councilors Vino Guingona, Cary John Pioc, Jerome Santos, Jimmy Villaflores, and Gerky Velasco. Barangay Captain Ruben of Ullas was also acknowledged for his contributions. Go also encouraged individuals with health concerns to avail of the services available at the nearby Malasakit Center, situated at Zamboanga City Medical Center, Mindanao Central Sanitarium, and Labuan General Hospital. Functioning as a one-stop shop, the Malasakit Center facilitates access to medical assistance from various government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), DOH, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. 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. As of now, 159 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses. The most recent center was inaugurated at Bislig District Hospital in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, an event Go attended on September 15. DOH reported that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more than seven million Filipinos. As vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go remains committed to supporting various projects in the city, aligning with his vision to foster progress even in challenging times. These projects include the construction of a multipurpose building that will be turned into a sub-national laboratory capacity building for serology and molecular testing, construction of a children's park and a two-story building inside Camp Navarro General Hospital. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Army Corps of Engineers crews use dredges and pipes to move silt onto an underwater sill in the Mississippi River on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, about 20 miles downriver from New Orleans. The sill aims to block Gulf of Mexico salt water from advancing upriver. U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, discusses House passage of the Lower Energy Costs Act, H.R. 1, during a March 30, 2023 press conference in the U.S. Capitol. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is to Graves' right. Beside McCarthy is House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson and chief sponsor for H.R. 1, on which Graves contributed a section. Emergency relief charity ShelterBox is working hard to get supplies to those who have lost everything following the disasters in Morocco and Libya A North Devon charity is calling on people to donate to the urgent ShelterBox appeal following the devastating Libya flooding and Morocco earthquake that has claimed the lives of thousands and left many thousands more in terrible conditions. The Philip J Milton & Company Plc Charitable Foundation has authorised a fast track 5,000 donation to ShelterBox, which sends boxes of essential supplies and equipment to disaster zones around the world. Almost 3,000 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck Morocco on September 8, leaving thousands more injured or homeless without access to basic supplies. Two days later, flooding likened to a tsunami struck Libya as Storm Daniel caused dams to burst and overwhelm many areas, including the port city of Derna. The death toll is still uncertain but at least 4,000 people were killed. Cornish-based charity ShelterBox is already on the ground in Morocco and is working with partners to get urgently needed supplies into Libya too. Philip Milton, trustee of the PJM & Co Charitable Foundation, urged people in North Devon to donate if they could. He said: ShelterBox is an excellent charity and gets vital supplies and equipment to people in the direst need. The people in Morocco and Libya have literally lost everything they have no shelter, no clean water, no cooking pots, lights or even the most basic essentials. Our charitable foundation is there to help good causes at home and abroad, but when something like this comes along, we have no hesitation in donating quickly and helping as much as we can. ShelterBox members are already in Morocco, meeting people affected by the earthquake and assessing the damage to villages in the mountains to decide what aid is needed. The charity reports damage is severe, with rocks and rubble everywhere. Homes have collapsed on the side of the mountain, leaving people with very little in the way of shelter and belongings. It is looking to support thousands of people affected by the earthquake with tents, blankets, solar lights, and kitchen sets. More ShelterBox response team members are arriving in Marrakesh to work on getting aid into the country. Emergency response manager Dave Raybould said: Many people whose homes have been reduced to rubble, including children and the elderly, are living in communal tents facing uncomfortable heat in the day and the biting cold at night. Its more difficult for people living higher in the hills to access help, with steep inclines and roads still blocked in parts. It takes time, although the need is huge, so thats where well be focusing our efforts to make sure families have their own shelters that will protect them as winter approaches. ShelterBox is liaising closely with Rotary and the authorities in Morocco. In Libya, the situation is more challenging as access for foreign nationals is difficult, but ShelterBox is working in partnership with the international aid organisation ACTED and is deploying to neighbouring Tunisia.. Thousands of homes have been washed away and the focus is going to be on providing support to help people through the colder months, which might be shelters but also things such as blankets, gas stoves and kitchen sets. Work is ongoing to establish exactly what is needed. Anyone who would like to donation to the appeal to help people in both Morocco and Libya can do so online at https://shelterbox.org/donate-combined NTV News 24 is a service of Nippon Television, Japan's leading broadcasting network. This page provides a selection of today's stories in English. Strack & Van Til celebrated this month the grand opening of its new Winfield location, which underwent a major overhaul after the Highland-based supermarket chain bought the last remaining WiseWay last year, converting it into a Strack & Van Til. Strack & Van Til, the largest grocery store chain based in Northwest Indiana, invested $2 million to update the 47,000-square-foot store at 10839 Randolph St. "The Winfield store is similar to many other Strack & Van Til stores," Chief Operating Officer Dave Wilkinson said. "The store has the same variety and services that most Strack stores have. The community seems to have embraced and welcomed Strack & Van Til." It installed new store decor throughout, Wilkinson said. Strack & Van Til expanded the beer, the soft beverage department and the deli department. It added a sushi department and new meat, dairy, frozen and bakery cases. Strack & Van Til, which operates 23 stores under the Strack & Van Til and Town & Country banners across Northwest Indiana, remerchandised the entire store and stocked many new natural and organic items. It now carries around 36,000 items. "Strack retained virtually all the Wiseway associates. Strack operates similarly to Wiseway so the transition to Strack's was pretty easy for most people," Wilkinson said. "As business has grown weve continued to hire new associates from the Winfield community." The store offers full-service floral, produce, meat, seafood, deli, sushi and bakery departments and caters. It carries a full assortment of groceries, frozen items and general merchandise. The rebranded Strack & Van grocery store in Winfield carries many items from local suppliers like Pleasant View Dairy and Dutch Farms, Wilkinson said. "The customers have a newly remodeled store with all the products and services provided by other Strack stores," he said. WiseWay was long a prominent grocer in Northwest Indiana, operating for 82 years under three generations of family leadership. In 2012 it sold seven WiseWay and PayLow stores to Strack & Van Til, holding onto Winfield as its sole remaining location before selling that to Strack & Van Til too. The company has since shifted focus to the Wise Guys Discount Liquors chain and real estate development, including apartments in Merrillville and Valparaiso. U.S. Steel has refused to open its books to Cleveland-Cliffs, which is offering to buy it for $7.1 billion, according to a report. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker won't share its financial data with Ohio-based Cleveland-Cliffs unless the rival steelmaker agrees to a six-month standstill that would stop it from attempting a hostile takeover by challenging U.S. Steel's board of directors, Reuters reports. The international news service cited anonymous sources who said U.S. Steel was only opening the sales process up to bidders who agreed not to try to unseat its current board members in efforts to smooth the way for a deal by installing their own hand-picked board members. Cleveland-Cliffs refused those terms so it could keep its options open as it looks to buy U.S. Steel, according to Reuters. Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal and Canada-based Stelco also have reportedly expressed interest in buying all or some of U.S. Steel. The diversified industrial concern Esmark, which operates steel service centers and is run by a former U.S. Steel executive, expressed interest and then backed down after the United Steelworkers union said it would only back a Cleveland-Cliffs bid. U.S. Steel, which founded Gary as a company town and operates its largest mill there, rejected Cleveland-Cliffs' initial unsolicited bid of $35 a share in a proposed cash-and-trade acquisition and then opened itself up for bids to potentially maximize shareholder value in a development that shocked Region steelworkers. U.S. Steel has been accepting bids from potential buyers. Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Chairman and President Lourenco Goncalves has expressed confidence that he could get a merger done to consolidate the domestic steel industry into a single integrated steelmaking company. He has said it has obvious benefits that would result in a more efficient steelmaker with more leverage over prices. VALPARAISO A 55-year-old Valparaiso man, who was nabbed with more than 600 images and/or videos of pornography involving children from infant age on up, was sentenced to three years behind bars, records show. Charles Woods was sentenced by Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer after pleading guilty to a felony count of child exploitation, the court said. Prosecutors dropped two additional counts of possession of child pornography in return for the guilty plea, records show. An Indiana State Police trooper said she began investigating the case after being tipped off Feb. 20, 2020, by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children of a user of the Kik messenger service with files containing child pornography. Child molesting charges dating back 9 years dropped against Region man, records show A witness reported seeing changes in the girl's behavior during subsequent years, including placing dolls in positions of sex acts, according to police. The user in question was identified as Woods and a search warrant served to Kik was returned with hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material, police say. The material was allegedly being shared within a messaging group by Woods. Photos Woods had taken of himself alone were also found among the files, according to police. Local vigilantes shed light on need for professional response to online child predators Vigilante videos are now more popular than ever on social media and, at least locally, seem to be taken more seriously by law enforcement and prosecutors. When police were able to connect with Woods in January 2022, he denied recognizing a username associated with the Kik account and said others visiting his house would have had access to the internet. Woods is to spend a year on probation after leaving prison and take part in sex offender counseling, records show. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. MICHIGAN CITY Three counts of child molesting, including two that carried potential prison sentences of up to 40 years behind bars, were dismissed against a 47-year-old man, court records show. Clinton Sandlin, who is represented by defense attorney Jesse Harper, was accused of molesting a young girl back in 2014, according to charging information. Local vigilantes shed light on need for professional response to online child predators Vigilante videos are now more popular than ever on social media and, at least locally, seem to be taken more seriously by law enforcement and prosecutors. Michigan City police said they were notified in early 2022 that the girl had reported being molested when she was 5 and 6 years old. A witness reported seeing changes in the girl's behavior during subsequent years, including placing dolls in positions of sex acts, according to police. Sandlin was also accused of often contacting the child through her cell phone. "Witness 1 advised Victim 1 experiences night terrors and is reluctant to be alone around men," a court document says. "Witness 1 stated a recent nightmare is what triggered the disclosure." Report of Region gunfire results in arrests of 2 juveniles, police say "Chief Steven Forker wants to applaud the efforts of the officers working these incidents and for taking a proactive response to gun violence in our neighborhoods," the department said. The girl claimed she had been inappropriately touched three times by Sandlin. The child's mother reportedly told police she did not believe the allegations against Sandlin, with whom she was in a relationship. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, which means they could be refiled. Indiana Dunes Tourism will host an Indigenous Cultural Trail dedication and fundraiser at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center in Porter. This event will celebrate the progress on the Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail infrastructure and highlight previous donors, Indiana Dunes Tourism said in inviting the public to the event. The fundraising portion of the program is for signage and art installations the trail is not complete. Members of Indiana Dunes Tourism, the National Park Service, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma are hosting the dedication. Members of both tribes, accompanied by dancers, will raise the Miami, Potawatomi and American flags at the trailhead. The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is located at 1215 N. Indiana 49, Porter. RSVPs may be made to julie@indianadunes.com or 219-926-2255. The Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail is a collaboration among Indiana Dunes Tourism, the Porter County Community Foundation, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Tribe, the National Park Service and the Chicago Field Museum. HAMMOND The Grand Calumet has long been considered one of Americas most polluted rivers. However, as recent efforts to remediate the waterway progress, state agencies hope to change that narrative. Starting in the 1840s, cities and industrial facilities discharged contaminants directly into the waterway. While the 1972 Clean Water Act forced facilities to start filtering out contaminants, pollutants like lead, oil and ammonia have remained trapped in the rivers sediment. For over a decade, state and federal agencies have been working to address this legacy contamination, removing or safely containing approximately 4 million cubic yards of sediment to date. On Sept. 28, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management is hosting an informational open house that will detail restoration efforts along the Grand Calumet. The free open house-style event will take place at the Gibson Woods Nature Preserve in Hammond and will go from 3-7 p.m. Project experts will be posted at several stations detailing different remediation projects. There will also be educational activities for school-aged children and guided hikes of Gibson Woods at 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Because much of the remediation work has been in Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago and Gary, residents from those communities are encouraged to attend the open house. If you have somebody standing up and just kind of lecturing, its not a very inviting, engaging process, Michael Spinar, of IDEM, said. But if you can have a one-on-one conversation with an expert, it really provides an opportunity to do a deep-dive in a short amount of time. Restoration efforts along the Grand Calumet have been driven by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Great Lakes Areas of Concern program. In 1987, the Grand Calumet River became one of the EPAs 31 Great Lakes Areas of Concern, or AOCs. Characterized by environmental degradation, AOCs contain what the EPA calls Beneficial Use Impairments, or BUIs. The EPA has identified 14 BUIs, ranging from beach closings to habitat loss. At one point, the Grand Calumet River was the only Great Lakes AOC to have all 14 BUIs. Both the restrictions on drinking water and the added cost to agriculture or industry BUIs have been removed from the Grand Calumets list. However, to be completely de-listed as an AOC, all 14 BUIs must be restored. Once a location becomes an AOC, a Remedial Action Plan, or RAP, is created. Spinar, the Grand Calumets RAP program coordinator, said when a BUI is restored, that represents a significant milestone in the life of an AOC. I understand that when people are going about their day-to-day lives, something as potentially abstract as a BUI removal might not seem particularly important, Spinar said. But theres a sort of psychological benefit of not living in an area thats identified as an Area of Concern. When you have pride in your community, you dont want to think of it as being impaired or contaminated. Contaminated sediment has been dredged and capped throughout the Grand Calumet River, including in the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal and most recently, in the Lake George Canal. Spinar said habitat restoration is also an important element of remediation. Native wetland vegetation has been planted along the banks of the river and prescribed burns have been used to control invasive species. The Grand Calumet could move off the AOC list sooner rather than later. In February of 2022, President Joe Biden and the EPA announced that $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would go towards AOC remediation. The EPA projects, that with this additional funding, restoration at 22 of the 25 remaining AOCs will be completed by 2030. This projection includes the Grand Calumet River AOC. Theres a real sense of urgency in terms of getting this wrapped up so we can move towards life after delisting, Spinar said. Life after delisting could mean a Grand Calumet River corridor that includes kayakers, anglers and hikers. The goal, ultimately, is to have residents be able to see the Grand Calumet River as a community resource, Spinar explained. Within a generation or so, I hope that people dont really remember this as an Area of Concern, that theyre able to use it as you would any other waterway in the Great Lakes system. More information about the Sept. 28 open house is available at in.gov/idem/. PHOTOS: Lake George Canal ribbon-cutting Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lake George Canal remediation After a 26-year period of life behind prison walls, Dayton Evans has a new place he now gets to call home. On a cloudy Saturday in September, he sat at the kitchen table in the home off of 45th Avenue in Garys Glen Park neighborhood. To his right was a travel coffee mug that read, Sometimes you forget youre awesome, so this is your reminder. To his left sat Porter County Sheriffs Department Social Worker Samantha Burgett, who established the property as a transitional house for people coming out of incarceration through her organization, Community Change Center. Despite his lengthy sentence, Evans said hes one of the lucky ones. He left prison in June with employment and money in his bank account. He had plans to move into the transitional home through his relationship with Burgett, whom he met in 2019 when he joined a book club she ran for inmates at the Westville Correctional Facility. I cant even put an emotion on how I felt that day, he said about the day he was released from prison. I really wouldnt be here if it wasnt for Sam. Theres a lot of road blocks that stand in your way when youre getting out of prison. Evans is one of more than 10,000 people released from incarceration in Indiana in a given year. This equates to an incarceration of 765 people per 100,000, according to data from the Prison Policy Initiative. Indianas incarceration rate is higher than the United States average, which sits at 665 people per 100,000. Each of these individuals are expected to re-enter society as contributing members with employment, housing and other resources that those who havent experienced incarceration often take for granted. There is help, but its limited, Evans said. Sometimes its not the system thats broken, its the people in the system. Even though these systems are set up for people to use them, sometimes you run into individuals who dont feel like you deserve it. Setting them up for success Indiana has programs for incarcerated people who are approaching the end of their prison sentences. However, they arent built for every kind of offender. The programs arent all set up for everybodys needs, Burgett said. And if youre an incarcerated felon, there are limits on what you can do. Through the Indiana Risk Assessment System, the state completes an evaluation of each person who enters the criminal justice system. Evans was able to participate in the Lake County Community Corrections program, which is an alternative to incarceration. Some people are sentenced to complete the program by a judge and some apply for the program during their last 180 days of incarceration. Approximately 120 live in the community corrections facility in Crown Point. Case managers work with the men and women in the program daily to make sure they are on the right track to complete the program, which typically lasts anywhere from one to two years. Kellie Bittorf, executive director at Lake County Community Corrections, said they run other evidence-based programs such as therapeutic intervention programs for offenders with mental illness, veterans programs and drug courts for those who have substance abuse disorder. We are more focused on rehabilitation than punitive measures, Bittorf said. Its much easier to go sit in a jail cell. Really, theres no accountability there. Unless its a really high felony conviction, theyre coming back into the community at some point and hopefully theyll be a contributing citizen. Lake County Community Corrections Lake County Community Corrections facilitates evidence-based programs such as therapeutic intervention programs for offenders with mental illn The application process for the program is selective, and many are unable to qualify for the program. Bittorf said it is because they want to ensure that the people who receive spots in the program are going to to be set up for success. We provide programs and services that ultimately change their beliefs and attitudes with the goals of reducing their risk to reoffend, Bittorf said. We want to see people succeed. If an offender is not eligible for these programs, Evans said hes seen a lot of individuals struggle to find ways to obtain jobs and housing. It becomes especially difficult when they dont have identification, drivers licenses, access to reliable transportation or family support. If they are unfamiliar with technology, they might not know the best way to communicate with a potential employer or how to correctly fill out a mobile job application. Lack of assistance in these areas contributes to recidivism, defined by the Indiana Department of Corrections as a return to incarceration within three years of the offenders date of release from a state correctional institution. Indianas recidivism rate decreased from approximately 34% to 30% between 2021 and 2022, according to data from IDOC. In the weeks before he was released from prison in June, Evans remembers preparing to brace the reality of his lifes next steps: living life on his own. Hed have to handle all of his doctors appointments, learn to manage his email account and hold himself accountable for every action once he was back in society. Twenty six years the state provided for me, Evans said. Youre telling me theres no more provision, Ive got to do it all myself? Its a shock. Felonies dont define futures Roger Hayward is the founder of Its Garys Time, an organization that provides mentoring, life skills and job training in carpentry and construction to individuals who are re-entering society after a period of incarceration. They rehabilitate dilapidated homes in Gary with the goal of reselling the properties. Hayward purchased his first home in Gary in 2009. He established Its Garys Time soon after and reached out to Lake County Community Corrections to figured out how he might be able to help ex-offenders through his organization. As someone who is in recovery from substance use and spent time in jail, he knew there was a need for more resources for those who are re-entering society. Primarily, a need to address the root causes of why people end up incarcerated, such as experiencing trauma, poverty, mental illness and substance use disorders. Roger Hayward Roger Hayward, right, hammers a nail on the side of a home on 10th Street in Gary's Aetna neighborhood. Hayward is the founder of It's Gary's There are always underlying causes, Hayward said. I believe a crime is a symptom of something deeper. But lets not punish symptoms. Lets treat causes. He said he has four to six ex-offenders working with him at a time. Sometimes they are instantly successful through his program, and sometimes they relapse or end up back in jail. However, Hayward, motivated by his deep Christian faith, often offers grace in those situations if the ex-offender is willing to acknowledge their mistake and pledge to move forward. Giving compassion and investing in relationships, he believes, are at the root of helping ex-offenders be successful. The biggest barrier for people re-entering society is whether or not they have a desire to change, Hayward said. Connecting with someone through a relationship built on trust is the best way to change their thinking. Similarly, Evans said he thinks the biggest barrier to re-entering society after a period of incarceration is believing in oneself. Along with the logistical challenges of re-entering society, offenders might face societal stigma for having a criminal record, which not only makes it hard to obtain housing or a job, but makes it hard to build connections or repair relationships. Some of these guys dont have support, Evans said. And sometimes, people in the system treat you like youre deserving of whats happening in your life. He remembers a class he took while in prison that was facilitated by Burgett in which he and other incarcerated people honed their social, emotional and life skills. One of the questions he said they were asked to reflect on was whether or not they personally believe they deserve the things that have happened to them in their lives, or is it a result of external factors that may be out of their control. We were asked, do you think youre being punished for being in prison or for your crime? Evans said. Dont allow other people to punish you for something the courts already convicted you of and gave you a punishment for. Youre already doing your time. Other people shouldnt come in and treat you as if they are supposed to punish you for the crime. Soon, Michigan City's long low-slung skyline will start to get more vertical. The $280 million SoLa development will tower 14 stories over the Lake Michigan shoreline. Flaherty & Collins plans to build an $80 million 12-story transit-oriented development near the new South Shore Line Station. Though neither new development will be as tall as the 22-story Spa Blu Tower at the Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa by Trail Creek east of downtown, they will give the city's commercial district more height than the two- to three-story buildings that now line the main drag of Franklin Street. "This is monumental. We're a small town in the Midwest and we're really punching above our weight class," Economic Development Corporation Michigan City Executive Director Clarence Hulse said. Scott Goodman, who helped develop Fulton Market in the West Loop, McDonald's global headquarters and Google's Midwest headquarters in Chicago, is leading YAB Development Partners, which is building the 628,000-square-foot SoLa project at the You Are Beautiful site downtown. It will include two boutique hotels, a rooftop pool overlooking Lake Michigan, condos, townhomes, upscale restaurants, bars and 25,000 square feet of retail space. "This is a legacy project," Hulse said. "We don't get to see this kind of thing very often. This is going to have a positive effect for years to come." The project should help draw more people to the Lake Michigan shoreline, Hulse said. "It becomes a place where you want to hang out and watch the beach from a very different setting," he said. "You don't have to go to the waterfront to enjoy it." Visitors like to eat and shop, and the project will bring more amenities that should draw more visitors, Hulse said. It should benefit existing attractions like the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets, the Uptown Arts District and the Blue Chip Casino. It should, for instance. help Blue Chip lure more conventions and conferences. "People in banking, who are federal retirees or in churches don't like to stay in casino hotels but they will have conferences there," Hulse said. "So it helps them." SoLa, which stands for South of the Lake, will have housing that will mean more full-time and part-time residents to shop at local merchants and dine at local restaurants. He expects about half the condos will end up as Chicagoans' summer homes. "It's a big shot in the arm," he said. "People forget that in five years they're going to turn off the lights at NIPSCO's power plant. This will make up some of the tax base." Goodman said Michigan City was a good investment opportunity with the South Shore Line double-tracking project shortening commute times to Chicago. It should help get more Chicagoans to visit Michigan City for the weekend or to have a second home or townhouse in the development. "I've long been a fan of Michigan City," he said. "I've always thought there's no better community situation. It's on the lake. There's public infrastructure here. Now with the double-tracking and the Marquette Plan bike trail coming right through here, we think it's a great time to be investing here." Goodman has long owned a second home in Southwest Michigan's Harbor Country, just across the state line from Michigan City. He said he's seen potential. "Generally speaking, Northwest Indiana is on a tremendous growth spurt right now," he said. "Michigan City has a good profile already. There's a lot of good things happening in Michigan City right now. They announced the prison's closing. They announced the power plant is relocating. All those things are happening around us already that are improving the profile of the city. This is a very significant, very unprecedented development for Michigan City. It will help raise the profile but it won't be the sole reason." He believes the area has the potential to be even more like Harbor Country with more tourists and part-time residents summering there to be close to the Lake Michigan beach. "This will be the first of what we assume will be many projects that will bring that type of residents and visitors that truly will make Michigan City a significant destination and a great first-home, second-home, third-home community," he said. The United Steelworkers International union president, who had Region roots, died Monday, the union announced. Tom Conway, who previously worked at the Burns Harbor Works steel mill on Lake Michigan in Porter County, died at the age of 71. Conway was a New Jersey native who went to work for the former Bethlehem Steel mill in Burns Harbor, now owned and operated by Cleveland-Cliffs, after he got out of the U.S. Air Force and then graduated from trade school. While in Northwest Indiana, he became a union activist for Local 6787 in Burns Harbor, putting him on a trajectory that would culminate with his election as president of the international union in 2019. While working as a millwright in the coke plant at Burns Harbor Works, Conway helped save jobs while working as a union griever for maintenance workers in 1979, after Bethlehem announced its first plant-wide layoffs at the mill amid a surge in foreign imports. Conway was remembered "for his quick wit, formidable bargaining skills and unwavering devotion to workers and their families." From his earliest time making steel to his steady hand leading us through the darkest days of the pandemic, Tom followed two simple guiding principles: the dignity of work and the power of working people, said David McCall, the USWs international vice president of administration. Tom was never afraid of a fight, and thanks to his ingenuity and determination, generations of workers can enjoy better jobs and brighter futures. Conway led union negotiations in several industries, including steel, oil and aluminum. He also sought to organize more workers in a variety of professions, including higher education. Solidarity wasnt just a word to Tom; it was a way of life, said USW International Secretary-Treasurer John Shinn. He understood that by working together, we will balance the scales against greedy corporations and the billionaire class. Conway long advocated for fair trade and tariffs to protect American steel jobs, including those at the mills along the South Shore of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana. He helped pursue many trade cases against illegally subsidized and dumped foreign steel, which he argued cost America steelworker jobs. He joined the international union representing 850,000 workers in North America in 1987 and was elected as USW international vice president in 2005. We will all miss Toms passion, his integrity, his gift for strategy and not least of all, his sense of humor, said McCall. His time as USW president was too short, but its clear he will leave an indelible impact on our union and beyond. SUMMERVILLE, S.C. Former President Donald Trump stopped by a gun shop and toured a boat building facility in South Carolina Monday, ramping up his in-person campaign after a weekend online threatening the media, making multiple accusations of treason and urging congressional Republicans to go ahead and shut down the government. He also claimed he could design a better fighter jet than the military. The Republican presidential front-runner, who has spent far less time on the campaign trail than his leading rivals, began his trip to small-town Summerville with a meet-and-greet with volunteers at a local campaign office and a visit to a local gun store, where he admired a Glock handgun and posed for photos. I want to buy one, Trump said, according to video of the stop. Spokesman Steven Cheung posted that the former president, who is currently under federal indictment, had purchased the weapon during his visit to Palmetto State Armory, but later deleted the post on the social media site X, formerly Twitter, and clarified that Trump had only indicated he wanted to buy one. Federal law prohibits the sale of guns to people under felony indictment and bars them from receiving a gun which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. However, after a 2022 Supreme Court decision that created new standards for firearm restrictions, some judges have declared the measure unconstitutional. A federal appeals court is currently considering a challenge to the law. Trump later rallied supporters outside a boat manufacturing facility in the blazing sun, where he vowed to overturn a proposed Biden administration rule that would lower the speed limit for boats along the East Coast in an effort to prevent collisions with North Atlantic right whales. The area was surrounded by power boats. He also showed off new South Carolina endorsements, including from the state's attorney general, its secretary of state, its House majority leader and other members of the South Carolina House of Representatives. While his rivals have been busy holding town halls and visiting local diners, Trump has spent much of the last months responding to his mounting legal troubles. He has been indicted four times in four jurisdictions and faces 91 criminal charges, but that has yet to hurt his standing in the GOP primary. In a sign of his dominance, he's going to skip the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday, as he did the first, and will instead visit Michigan to voice his opposition to President Joe Biden's automotive policies amid an auto workers strike. Trump, who has vowed retribution if he wins a second term, spent the weekend lashing out at the media and others on his Truth Social platform. Among his targets: NBC News and MSNBC, which he claimed should be investigated for its Country Threatening Treason.'" He once again slammed the free press a cornerstone of U.S. democracy as its true threat, while warning The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country! Trump often casts unflattering coverage and stories he doesn't like as fake." Beyond his complaints with the press, Trump lashed out at Mark Milley, the retiring chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over phone calls he made to China in the final stormy months of Trumps presidency. Milley has defended those calls as routine" and perfectly within the duties and responsibilities of his job. But Trump on Friday claimed Milley had committed an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH! A war between China and the United States could have been the result of this treasonous act." He said Milley's retirement will be a time for all citizens of the USA to celebrate! Trump also laced into congressional leaders as he pressed Republicans to embrace a looming government shutdown UNLESS YOU GET EVERYTHING, SHUT IT DOWN! he urged and again called for the ouster of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the weakest, dumbest, and most conflicted Leader in U.S. Senate history." Trump was just as displeased with McConnell's Democratic counterparts. "EVERY DEMOCRAT SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE SENATE!" he said, in the wake of a sweeping bribery indictment against New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez. He also claimed, after the recent crash of an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft in South Carolina, that as president he had told the the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin numerous times that the F-35 Fighter Jet was in effect, DEFECTIVE, because it only has one engine" and that he also advised Boeing against developing the 737 MAX before a pair of crashes. He insulted his former U.N. Ambassador and current GOP rival Nikki Haley, a native of South Carolina, calling her Birdbrain." And he took the time to criticize shock jock Howard Stern, calling him a broken weirdo, unattractive both inside and out, trying like hell to be relevant! Trump last visited the state last month, when he spoke at the state GOPs largest annual fundraiser in Columbia. A police officer executing a warrant to search and seize "paperwork" associated with a potential crime is entitled to also take the suspect's computer because electronic versions of paperwork could be stored on the device, according to the Indiana Court of Appeals. In a case of first impression, the state appellate court said Monday in a 2-1 decision that seizing a laptop computer was lawful under a "paperwork" warrant because it was reasonable for police to believe, in this case, the computer may contain vehicle title records at the center of an alleged drug deal. At the same time, Appeals Judge Nancy Vaidik, a Porter County native, and Appeals Judge Paul Mathias limited the scope of their ruling by holding that a second warrant would be needed before police could actually search the seized computer for evidence of a crime. "Given that the Madison County Drug Task Force's investigation of (Robert) Plato involved paperwork, it was reasonable for the police to believe that paperwork (titles) may have been stored in Plato's computer. Hence, the police had reason to seize the computer but not to search the contents without a second, more specific warrant," Vaidik said. Appeals Judge Rudolph Pyle III dissented from the appellate ruling. He said the Fourth Amendment requires search warrants to "particularly" describe what's to be seized, and the "paperwork" warrant in this case cannot be stretched to include a computer. "It is insufficient to posit that, because computers might contain scanned copies of paperwork relating to vehicle titles, the term 'paperwork' adequately describes computers," Pyle said. In that vein, Pyle observed the two-warrant requirement suggested by the court's majority where it's acceptable to seize but not to search is confounding because "the officers either had the lawful authority to seize and search the computer or they did not." "I believe that the search warrant in this case gave law enforcement too much discretion. The term 'paperwork' neither described Platos laptop with reasonable certainty nor with as much particularity as possible under the circumstances. If the officers had probable cause to believe that a search for evidence of a robbery scheme involving vehicle titles would be found on Plato's laptop, all they had to do was request the judicial authority to include the term 'computers' on the search warrant," Pyle said. The underlying case, addressing Plato's claim of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel, still can be appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court, which sometimes relies on appellate dissents as a signal for cases worthy of additional review by the state's highest court. The Republican-controlled General Assembly also could act, beginning in January, to clarify Indiana law to explicitly include or exclude computers from the definition of "paperwork" for search warrant purposes. Gallery: Get to know these new Indiana laws that took effect July 1 AirTags Alcohol permits Animal facilities Annexation Book bans Bullying Charter schools Child molesting Childrens hospitals Domestic violence Drinking water Electric/hybrid vehicles Encroachment FAFSA Financial literacy Firefighting equipment Food and beverage tax Gender-affirming care Gary schools Gasoline tax Human trafficking Illiana Expressway Inmate gender Insurance fund Juror pay Juveniles Lake County convention center Lake County recorder Landlords Little Calumet River Lost farmland Machine guns Mail-in ballots Mental health Military bases Military pay Pension investments Public health School board elections Service animals Sex education SNAP assistance Speed cameras State comptroller Storage units Tax sales Taxpayer receipt Teachers unions Throwing stars Transit Development District 21st Century Scholars Valparaiso lawsuit Xylazine A Republican candidate for lieutenant governor is defending the behavior of Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita as the Indiana Supreme Court weighs potential professional sanctions against Rokita for allegedly violating state law. Micah Beckwith of Noblesville the only declared candidate for the GOP lieutenant governor nomination that will be awarded by delegates to the 2024 Republican State Convention proclaimed Saturday his unwavering support for Rokita, notwithstanding the professional misconduct charges filed Sept. 18 by the Supreme Court's Disciplinary Commission. "All Hoosiers should stand behind an attorney general who has done nothing wrong," Beckwith said in a letter to the editor of The Times of Noblesville. The commission claims Rokita violated state law by failing to hold "in strict confidence" complaints and information relating to misconduct allegations against a licensed medical professional until the attorney general's office filed notice it intended to prosecute the licensee before the Indiana Medical Licensing Board. Specifically, Rokita is accused by the commission of revealing confidential information July 13, 2022, on a nationally televised Fox News Channel program by disclosing the existence of an investigation into whether Dr. Caitlin Bernard failed to properly report the abortion she provided to a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim barred from accessing abortion care in her home state. Records show Bernard reported the abortion to the Indiana Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Child Services on July 2, 2022, as required by law. But Beckwith, echoing an earlier statement by Rokita, asserted the attorney general did nothing wrong by talking publicly about the case because Bernard also discussed in media interviews the abortion she performed on the 10-year-old for which the Medical Licensing Board in May fined Bernard $3,000 and issued a letter of reprimand for the alleged privacy violation. "The bad-acting doctor was rightfully both publicly fined and reprimanded for her confidentiality failure," Beckwith said. In contrast, Beckwith contends Rokita's alleged failure to maintain investigatory confidentiality as required by state statute is an "unfair prosecution" merely for "doing a television interview." "How dare he inform the public?" Beckwith exclaimed. "I appreciate that our Attorney General Todd Rokita is and has been honest with Hoosiers." Beckwith claims the disciplinary commission only is seeking to punish Rokita "to shut him up." Beckwith also alleges the five Republican-appointed justices of the Indiana Supreme Court have "gone over to the dark side with their heavy-handed tactics of keeping the information on this abortion provider hidden." "If this had nothing to do with abortion we all know no charges would have been filed," Beckwith said. "Conservatives are being silenced." Rokita publicly thanked Beckwith for his support in a statement posted Monday to the attorney general's official account on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Supreme Court will decide in coming months whether to impose professional sanctions against Rokita for his alleged misdeeds, which can range from no action to a law license suspension to a permanent ban on practicing law. Separately, Beckwith continues to campaign alongside former Attorney General Curtis Hill, a candidate for the 2024 GOP gubernatorial nomination, whose law license was suspended for 30 days by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2020 after it unanimously determined Hill committed misdemeanor battery by groping the backs or buttocks of four women in a "rude" or "insolent" manner at an Indianapolis bar. Gallery: Take a virtual tour of Indiana's state parks Brown County State Park Chain O' Lakes State Park Charlestown State Park Clifty Falls State Park Falls of the Ohio State Park Fort Harrison State Park Harmonie State Park Lincoln State Park McCormick's Creek State Park Mounds State Park O'Bannon Woods State Park Ouabache State Park Pokagon State Park Potato Creek State Park Prophetstown State Park Shades State Park Shakamak State Park Spring Mill State Park Summit Lake State Park Tippecanoe River State Park Turkey Run State Park Versailles State Park White River State Park Whitewater Memorial State Park This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions. Im Tom Friedman, and Im the Foreign Affairs columnist for The New York Times. I just returned from Kyiv, Ukraine, and I would start every day by walking around the grounds of Saint Michaels Golden Monastery, which is a beautiful Orthodox Church, but also with incredible grounds. There was something very new in the piazza, and it was an exhibition of captured Russian destroyed tanks and armored personnel carriers. Some were fairly intact. Others were just completely gutted and rusted. But as I would walk there, this contrast between this rusted military equipment in the middle of this beautiful piazza, and I eventually realized that it reminded me of a meteor, that it was like a meteor that came from outer space and landed on this country. Of course, it wasnt a meteor. It was an invasion by Putins army. And theyre still trying to figure out how to get this meteor out of the heart of their city, out of the heart of their country. Thats really the struggle thats going on there. My recent trip to Ukraine taught me the Wests focus has to be engineering some kind of end to this conflict. And it can only come to an end if Ukraine is in NATO and the European Union. Adding Ukraine to NATO and the European Union would be the biggest geopolitical shift in our lifetime. You put Ukraine in the EU, and that becomes our Russia policy. I think the best thing that happened in my life was the creation of the European Union. Now, most Americans will do anything for the EU, except read about it. OK? So the EU is this really boring thing that the Europeans do. And theres a parliament and a commission, and we cant figure out any of it. But in fact, the EU is one of the greatest miracles in global history, a continent, a giant space that, from time immemorial, basically, was famous for endless tribal, ethnic, nationalist, family conflicts. It became the biggest center, geographic center of free markets, free people, the rule of law and human rights. That is a miracle. Its an incredible, boring miracle. If we bring Ukraine into that European Union, that would be one of the most consequential geopolitical tipping points since East Germany was united with West Germany. Oh, oh, oh, East Germanys Germany. Who was the Russian spy in East Germany who was introduced to international relations by running the KGB there? It was Vladimir Putin. It was Vladimir Putin whose big introduction to geopolitics was watching the magnet of the West melt down East Germany and lead to the unification of these two countries. Well, that, for me, has always been my framework about Ukraine and Russia. NATO expansion was never the issue. The real threat for Putin was that Ukraine would become the new East Germany, that it would become an incredible model, magnet, and mentor for the rest of Russia, an example of a Slavic successful economy, start-up country and democracy, next to Putins Slavic kleptocracy and autocracy. Thats what this war has always been about in my view. I think weve done the right thing, which is rushing to Ukraines support and supporting Ukraine militarily as best we can for as long as Ukrainians want to fight. The big decision point going forward is, when do we say to the Ukrainians we may have to settle for a dirty deal? Because people are not going to sign up to support you indefinitely. And they know that. People have asked me, so whats a possible dirty deal? The natural dirty deal is that Russia gets to keep some or all of its ill gotten gains, where it is right now, roughly those lines, even though that will mean sanctioning of one state, taking territory of another by force, and in return, Ukraine gets to be in NATO and the European Union. Meanwhile, Putin I dont want to give him anything, but again, were talking about a dirty deal now will be able to go and say, I showed those Nazis in Ukraine. I punished them enough. Ive come back with more territory than I left with, and all hail the emperor. But Ukraine joining the EU would be an existential threat to him because hes the one who keeps telling us Ukraine and us, were the same. Were brothers. Because the whole proposition was, marry me or Ill kill you. Vladimir Putin is a guy who is always looking for dignity in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. And so rather than saying, I want to build my country up to be a real competitor for the EU, it was all about fulfilling some fantasy, Peter the Great dream of forcing Ukrainians to unify with Russia so he could groove on the map, basically. And look at the price hes paid. People forget Russia put the first satellite into orbit in 1957. Its called Sputnik. It led the world. It led the world in that science and technology. And today, Putins Russia, have you ever tried to buy a Russian watch? Have you ever thought of buying a Russian car? This is a country more famous now for poisoned underwear, poison tipped umbrellas, and locking people up in penal colonies in Siberia, and pumping oil and gas. Its a tragedy of what this guy, the country that gave us Dostoevsky and Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky and Sakharov and all these great writers, has given us rusted, burned out Russian tanks in the heart of Kyiv. [MUSIC PLAYING] The resolution of the writers strike will not restore Hollywood to normal, as the union representing more than 150,000 actors, SAG-AFTRA, is striking separately and has demands that exceed those of the Writers Guild. No talks between the actors union and the studios are currently scheduled. But the writers agreement could expedite negotiations, as some of SAG-AFTRAs concerns are similar to ones raised by the Writers Guild. Both, for instance, had concerns about the use of artificial intelligence, with actors worried it could be used to create digital replicas of their likenesses (or that performances could be digitally altered) without payment or approval. The actors have been striking since July 14. Among other things, the actors want 2 percent of the total revenue generated by streaming shows, something that studios have said is a nonstarter. As the actors strike continues on, most television shows and movies will not be able to resume without them. But late-night and daytime talk shows could return after the resolution of the writers strike, potentially bringing relief to one corner of the industry. There were no immediate announcements of shows returning to air. But the end of the writers strike could relieve pressure on talk show hosts, some of whom were hotly criticized in recent weeks after announcing plans to return before the strikes were resolved. The Drew Barrymore Show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, Real Time With Bill Maher and The Talk were among the shows to roll back previously announced plans to start broadcasting new episodes on Monday, responding to a fierce backlash online and pickets outside studios. Some shows, including The View, have continued to air new episodes filmed without its unionized writers. Though the same was possible at other shows, many network hosts have opted to stay off the air, reluctant to be seen as not supporting the strikes. Two polls of the 2024 presidential race released on Sunday showed former President Donald J. Trump cruising through the Republican primary and a general election between two unpopular candidates if, as seems likely, the nominees are Mr. Trump and President Biden. Each poll showed Mr. Biden with low approval ratings. One survey, from NBC News, showed the presidents disapproval rating at 56 percent, an all-time high for him in NBC polls. A second survey released on Sunday, by The Washington Post and ABC News, also showed 56 percent of voters surveyed as disapproving of his performance though it included a general-election result that was far outside the range that other high-quality polls have found recently, which raised questions about the Post/ABC polls accuracy. But when it came to personal favorability, Mr. Biden still fared better than Mr. Trump in the NBC poll: 39 percent said they had a very positive or somewhat positive opinion of him, compared with 35 percent who said the same of Mr. Trump. In the Republican presidential primary race, the NBC poll had Mr. Trump leading his nearest rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, by a gaping 43-point margin nationwide: 59 percent to 16 percent. Hundreds of students and faculty members were left stunned on Friday by the news that the Art Institutes, a system of for-profit colleges, would close its eight remaining campuses across the United States by the end of this month. The system had suffered from low enrollment since the coronavirus pandemic began. Previous challenges included a $95 million settlement after fraud allegations in 2015 and a loss of accreditation that led to the shuttering of nearly 20 other locations in 2018. When Hannah Grabhorn, 21, a sophomore studying games, art and design at the Art Institute of Atlanta, received an email on Friday that said her school was closing, she looked for more answers online. But every page on the schools website referred her back to the same notice. The email said that the Art Institutes do not anticipate any further communication. Grabhorn said she and her classmates were informed of the closure one day after final exams for the schools summer quarter. Kehinde Wiley at the opening Monday of his exhibition, A Maze of Power, featuring new portraits of African presidents, at Musee du Quai Branly. The artist stands before a portrait of Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria. Credit... Julien Mignot for The New York Times In June 1977, visitors to the Gallery of Modern Art in Bologna, Italy, were met with a shocking sight: Marina Abramovic, the Serbian performance artist, and her partner, Ulay, standing in the museums doorway, completely naked. The only way inside was to squeeze between the couple. Abramovic and Ulay remained in place for three hours, staring intently into each others eyes, as a stream of visitors pushed through and sometimes stepped on their toes. Then, the police arrived, and shut down the performance as obscene. This fall, Abramovic, now 76, is restaging that work, Imponderabilia, at the Royal Academy of Arts, in London, as part of a major retrospective of her work that runs through Jan. 1, 2024. Since Abramovic no longer performs the work herself, and Ulay died in 2020, she has recruited younger performers to take part and there is another major difference from the 1977 piece. If a visitor would rather not squeeze past a naked man and woman in a three-foot-wide doorway, they can walk through another entryway to the left, and skip the experience entirely. Before this spring, the last time Tangerine Dream performed live in the United States was on Sept. 30, 2013. The occasion was Live From Los Santos: The Music of Grand Theft Auto V, a showcase presented during the 51st New York Film Festival. Surrounded by fellow composers and a phalanx of session musicians, the pioneering electronic-music band was hard to pick out of the crowd. But you couldnt miss the groups leader, Edgar Froese, front and center in his signature black hat. It was the final New York performance by Froese, who died of a pulmonary embolism in 2015. He had founded Tangerine Dream in Berlin in 1967, and kept the trailblazing group alive through myriad lineups and stylistic shifts: from eerie soundscapes and hypnotic sequencers in the 1970s, through anthemic synth-pop suites and successful film scores in the 80s, and guitar-stoked E.D.M. during the 90s, to the splashy, stage-friendly sextet of his final years. Now, a new Tangerine Dream is touring the U.S. and Canada, arriving at the Knockdown Center in Queens on Saturday precisely a decade after its last New York appearance. Huddled together for a video call backstage in Tucson, Ariz., before a recent show, the current members the keyboardists Thorsten Quaeschning and Paul Frick, and the violinist Hoshiko Yamane delighted in the tours progress so far. David McCallum, the Scottish-born actor who became a surprise sensation as the enigmatic Russian spy Illya Kuryakin on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in the 1960s and found television stardom again almost 40 years later on the hit series N.C.I.S., died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 90. CBS, the network that broadcasts N.C.I.S., confirmed his death in a statement. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Mr. McCallum was an experienced character actor who could use an accent or an odd piece of clothing to give depth to a role. He played a wide range of parts across theater, film and television, from Shakespeares Julius Caesar in Central Park in 2000 to the voice of Professor Paradox on the animated television series Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, a decade later. He was hired in 1964 to play Illya Kuryakin, the Russian-accented sidekick of Robert Vaughns Napoleon Solo, on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a tongue-in-cheek series about secret agents working for the fictional United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. His part was meant to be small; he had just four lines in the first episode. He suggested that Illya be made more interesting by having him be closemouthed about his personal life (Nobody knows what Illya Kuryakin does when he goes home at night, he told one interviewer) and somewhat antagonistic to Solo. The writers began to build up his character, and he became a fixture of the series and a two-time Emmy Award nominee. Somewhat to his annoyance, he also became a sex symbol. If theres one constant across the true crime genre, its that women and girls do not fare well. For those of us who follow it, theres no avoiding or softening the horrific fates that often befall them. True crime, after all, is real life. And in the United States, men accounted for nearly 80 percent of arrests involving violent crimes in 2019, according to the F.B.I.; men also made up 88 percent of the arrests in instances of murder and non-negligent manslaughter that year. That said, there is a much smaller subset of true crime that is perhaps more gripping because its so rare: crimes perpetrated by women and even girls. Here are four picks you can watch or listen to: Television (Google Doodles) South African icon Todd Matshikiza is on todays colorful Google Doddle, honouring the legacy of his remarkable life. The cartoon was made by South African artist Keith Vlahakis to honour the maestro's masterwork, the orchestra's performance of the cantata "Uxolo" (meaning peace) at the Johannesburg Festival on September 25, 1956. But who exactly was Matshikiza? Who was Todd Matshikiza? Matshikiza was a South African pianist, composer, and journalist. Born on March 7, 1921, into a musical family in Queenstown, South Africa, his father, a talented organist, taught Matshikiza and his six siblings how to play the piano, while his mother was a vocalist. Matshikiza obtained a music and teaching diploma from St Peters College in Johannesburg. After graduation, he spent his free time writing choral works and songs like Hamba Kahle, while also working as a maths and English teacher. Finally, in 1947, the maestro was able to establish a private school, the Todd Matshikiza School Of Music. He mainly taught piano and jazz music. As this did not yield a steady income, he also moonlighted as a bookkeeper as well as a salesman. On top of all this, Matshikiza joined the initial group of authors for the Drum music magazine. He published two columns, one about the development of the jazz genre and the other about life in the township. Both columns enjoyed enormous popularity. Out of all achievements in his career, he is best known for his music including for the song Quick in Love which featured in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom as well as musicals Mkhumbane and King King. Brief life in England Matshikiza briefly migrated to England in 1960 to escape the ongoing Apartheid in South Africa, which he describes in his autobiography, Chocolates for My Wife. London sounded like the best opportunity at the time as his musical, King Kong, which chronicled the life of heavyweight boxer Ezekiel Dlamini, also known as the monicker King Kong, became very popular and played at the West End in 1961. His time in England, however, did not prove to be productive. He struggled to make an impression in the UK's local music scene. He later relocated to Zambia, where he was employed at the Zambian Information Service as a music archivist until his death in 1968. Striking Hollywood writers reach a deal The leadership of the Writers Guild of America is expected to vote today on a contract deal reached with major studios that could end one of Hollywoods longest labor disputes and move the industry closer to restarting. After 146 days on strike, the guild got most of what it wanted, including increases in compensation for streaming content, concessions from studios on minimum staffing for television shows and guarantees that artificial intelligence technology will not encroach on writers credits and compensation. If the contract deal reached Sunday night is approved by the guilds leadership, the 11,000 writers who are members of the guild will then vote to ratify it. Late-night and daytime talk shows could return. But much of Hollywood will remain at a standstill: Tens of thousands of actors remain on strike, and no talks were scheduled, though a deal with screenwriters could speed up those negotiations. In addition, more than 100,000 behind-the-scenes workers (directors, camera operators and many others) will continue to stand idle. The Air Force said on Monday that it had received its first electric passenger aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically, a milestone for the companies that hope to one day sell thousands of such vehicles to serve as air taxis. Joby Aviation, an air taxi start-up, delivered the aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, where the first supersonic flight took place. Air taxis are typically powered by batteries and designed to lift off and land like helicopters, but include wings to fly like airplanes. Joby, which is based in Santa Cruz, Calif., said that its electric aircraft is substantially quieter than helicopters or planes. Each can carry one pilot and four passengers and travel as fast as 200 miles per hour and as far as 100 miles, according to the company. The delivery is the first under an Air Force contract that Joby said was valued at up to $131 million and gives the government the option to receive up to nine aircraft. The Air Force and Joby will operate the vehicle, but Joby will still own the aircraft and receive both fixed and variable payments for hours flown. NASA, which has a facility at the base, will also conduct research on the vehicle. Plant breeders, by nature, are patient people. It can take them years or even decades to perfect a new variety of fruit or vegetable that tastes better, grows faster or stays fresh longer. But their work has taken on a new urgency in the face of an increasingly erratic climate. Recent floods left more than a third of Californias table grapes rotting on the vine. Too much sunlight is burning apple crops. Pests that farmers never used to worry about are marching through lettuce fields. Breeding new crops that can thrive under these assaults is a long game. Solutions are likely to come from an array of research fronts that stretch from molecular gene-editing technology to mining the vast global collections of seeds that have been conserved for centuries. And, of course, the new fruits and vegetables have to taste good. You can use these technical solves to find climate solutions, but they wont be useful if its not what people want to eat, said Michael Kantar, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa who studies wild relatives of existing crops. Dassai, the brand of sake made by Asahi Shuzo in Yamaguchi, in southern Japan, is not new to the United States. But this week its sake produced in the Hudson Valley is making its debut. On Oct. 12, the companys new sake brewery in Hyde Park, N.Y., a 55,000 square foot complex of rooms for washing and soaking rice, koji-making, drying, steaming, fermenting and bottling, will open its visitor center for tastings and tours by reservation, $50. The facility is producing a few sakes, the first of which, Dassai Blue 50, is now appearing on store shelves and in restaurants. Kazuhiro Sakurai, the companys president, said that Dassai has partnered with the nearby Culinary Institute of America, which approached them to open the brewery in part to work with its instructors, students and chefs to educate them about sake. Dassai is a supporter of the cooking school. In addition to the brewerys sprawl of antiseptic white rooms equipped to handle the various stages of sake-making, there is a separate building where the rice for sake is milled at enough of a distance to prevent dust from the process from tainting production. Rice is milled or polished to varying degrees the more extreme the finer the drink. Dassai Blue 50 refers to the rice grains that are polished to 50 percent of their original size, making the drink a daiginjo. (The company plans to introduce sakes at 35 percent and a 23 percent.) For now the rice is being imported from Japan, but Dassai has begun cultivating the proper variety in Arkansas. Dassai Blue 50 (about $35) is clear, with a fruity, honeydew aroma, and a smooth, slightly sweet flavor. Though most sakes, including Dassais imports, have 16 to 17 percent alcohol, Dassai Blue 50 is 14 percent. Mr. Sakurais father, Hiroshi Sakurai, the company chairman, said that one of their goals is to make sake more acceptable to accompany cuisines other than Japanese; a challenge, he said. The company recommends using stemware, not traditional sake glasses. Dassai Blue Sake Brewery, 5 St. Andrew Road (Route 9), Hyde Park, N.Y., 845-407-0721, dassai.com. Mehrans Steak House has a near-perfect Google rating, with 91 glowing reviews: Best steak I have ever had in NY, Words cannot explain how phenomenal the steak was and Chef Mehran is a genius-god among men. Yet few diners have been lucky enough to land a reservation. Mehrans website and voice mail state that the restaurant, on East 83rd Street in Manhattan, is fully booked for months, an irresistible challenge for New Yorkers who treat reservation-hunting like a professional sport. Most will never get a seat. Mehrans is an elaborate joke among friends that, somewhere along the way, became entirely serious. On Saturday, for one night only, Mehrans Steak House opened to the public. The restaurants address on Google Maps, a four-bedroom brownstone, was actually a hacker house occupied by 16 20-somethings working in the tech industry, who slept in closets and on bunk beds. Among them were Mehran Jalali, Riley Walz and Danielle Egan. Barbara Mullen, who vaulted from a job in a New York beauty parlor to the pinnacle of the genteel modeling world of the 1950s, despite a beanpole figure and a gaptoothed smile that defied the narrow beauty standards of the day, died on Sept. 12 at her home in Albuquerque. She was 96. Her death was confirmed by a friend, Lori Katz. Ms. Mullen was 5 feet 9 inches tall and had a 20-inch waist a figure that would have fit better with the waif look of the 1990s. Emerging in the postwar 1940s, she was a far cry from the ideal set by voluptuous Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth. In her later years, Ms. Mullen often said that she never thought of herself as beautiful. Early on, fashions string-pullers seemed to agree. Upon meeting her, Eileen Ford, the founder of the Ford modeling agency, which would represent Ms. Mullen for years, informed her that she had a terrible profile. Carmel Snow, the editor of Harpers Bazaar, deemed her a big, ugly Irish girl. When Ms. Mullen met the photographer Lillian Bassman in 1948, serving as a stand-in for a model who did not show up for a shoot, she called her the replacement girl, adding, This girl is a monster. A third person has been charged in the death of a 1-year-old boy who died after being exposed to fentanyl at a home-based Bronx day care, federal prosecutors said on Monday. The man, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, was charged in Federal District Court in Manhattan on Monday with conspiracy to distribute narcotics that resulted in the boys death, according to a news release from the Southern District of New York. The charges also relate to the poisoning of three other children exposed to fentanyl at the day care, which was run out of an apartment where Mr. Paredes was living, prosecutors said. He remains in custody pending his next court appearance. Grei Mendez, 36, who ran the day care, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, a 41-year-old man who lived in the apartment, also were charged with murder after the death of Nicholas Feliz Dominici this month. Fairstein led the sex crimes unit in the Manhattan district attorneys office in 1989, when five Black and Latino teenagers were charged with the rape of a white female jogger in Central Park. They were convicted in part because of false confessions obtained by the police. When the true assailant confessed in 2002, their rape convictions were overturned; and in 2014, they won a $41 million settlement from the city. One of the five, Yusef Salaam, ran for a City Council seat in Harlem and won a contested primary in July. When They See Us presented Fairstein, played by Felicity Huffman, as intent on seeing the five teenagers convicted, regardless of inconsistencies that pointed to their innocence. Judge Castel quoted DuVernay as saying that she decided to make When They See Us because the official version of events had portrayed the Five as an animalistic wolf pack of rapists, whereas she saw them as children who became honorable, decent men. DuVernay, the judge wrote, said she did not set out to target or cancel Fairstein. But he added that she came to have no doubt whatsoever that Fairstein was central to the investigation and prosecution, was morally and legally culpable for the cases outcome and that she crossed moral and ethical lines and breached the public trust. Fairstein, Judge Castel wrote, maintains that she lacked the authority to instruct N.Y.P.D. members on interrogation techniques or to direct them to round up suspects, and that she never did so. Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey returned Monday to the familiar territory of Hudson County, N.J., a Democratic bastion where he rose to political prominence, to publicly address the corruption charges that now threaten his career and his freedom. Standing alone at a lectern, accused of bribery for the second time in a decade, he indicated that he had no intention of bowing to the chorus of voices calling for his resignation. The allegations, he said, were framed by prosecutors to be as salacious as possible. I recognize that this will be the biggest fight yet, Mr. Menendez, a Democrat, said as heavy rain beat against the windows of a community college not far from where he grew up in Union City, the child of Cuban immigrants. But he said he expected that once the judicial process concluded, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator. Mr. Menendez, the indictment said, did not disclose the receipt of car payments or any cash or gold bars in the relevant calendar year. The 39-page indictment depicts a far-reaching web of political corruption involving aid and weapons sales to Egypt and efforts by Mr. Menendez to persuade state and federal prosecutors to go easy on his associates in criminal cases. The reporting lapses that federal prosecutors in Manhattan noted on his Senate financial disclosure forms might seem to pale in comparison. But they could suggest an effort to hide his newfound wealth to evade notice by the Senates Select Committee on Ethics. That could also be a crime. Knowingly and willfully filing a false personal financial disclosure report can result in a civil penalty of up to $50,000, said Brett Kappel, a Washington-based lawyer and expert in campaign finance, lobbying and government ethics. It may also be prosecuted as a violation of the False Statements Act a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. The first mention of gold in Mr. Menendezs financial disclosures came in March 2022, on a report amended to indicate that in 2020 his wife owned as much as $250,000 in bullion. The alteration made it appear that Ms. Menendez had possessed the gold since before or soon after the couple married in October 2020. Aerial view of Cabril dam reservoir in Pedrogao Grande (REUTERS) A British man has been stabbed to death in woodland in Portugal. A 26-year-old also described as British has handed himself in to police and reportedly confessed to the killing. The victim has been identified as a 35-year-old. Local reports say the knife attack happened during a row while a group of friends were playing the notorious Blue Whale suicide game, the online chalenge which has been linked to numerous deaths around the world. Police found the victims body in remote woodland between the localities of Poco Negro and Soalheira, near to the town of Pedrogao Grande, on Sunday. They had been alerted by friends of the dead man, around 6.30am on Sunday, who accompanied them to the scene. One of the friends is said to have confessed to killing him. The ongoing investigation is being led by Portugals Policia Judiciaria force. Detectives spent Sunday questioning at least three men and two women, including the Briton described as the chief suspect. It was not immediately clear on Monday how many of them will be ordered to appear before a judge in court and when the court appearance will take place. The group that raised the alarm are thought to have attended a private party on Saturday night near to the area where the dead mans body was found before heading to the remote woodland spot. The PJ has yet to make any official comment. A forest fire in June 2017 which broke out near the central Portuguese town of Pedrogao Grande killed 64 people and injured more than 250. The British man said to have confessed to the killing went to a GNR police station in the village of Figueiro dos Vinhos about a 15-minute drive from Pedrogao Grande, to tell officers what had happened. A National Republican Guard source told local press: He was accompanied by two other people who had witnessed the incident. The knife he allegedly used is said to have been recovered at the scene after they went with officers to the remote woodland spot where the British mans body was found. Story continues A post-mortem was expected to take place today in the university city of Coimbra. The PJ force in Coimbra is also in charge of the ongoing investigation. The people questioned by police, including the suspect, are thought to be part of a group of foreigners living in a commune near to the crime scene. They have been described locally mainly as British and Dutch nationals. Footage published by Portuguese daily Correio da Manha showed GNR officers lifting the dead mans body on a stretcher after it was covered with a sheet and putting it into the back of a nearby police van. A waiting Red Cross ambulance took it to Coimbra after police reached the nearest tarmacked road. After four years of investigating and litigating, Letitia James was finally due for her day in court against Donald J. Trump. But with that day fast approaching a trial in her civil fraud lawsuit against him is scheduled to start on Oct. 2 the former presidents lawyers threw a legal Hail Mary that could delay the case and seeks to gut it altogether. The last-ditch move that left the trial in limbo came in a familiar form for the famously litigious Mr. Trump: He filed a lawsuit. His targets were Ms. James, the New York attorney general, and the judge overseeing the trial, Arthur F. Engoron. Mr. Trumps lawsuit argues that they ignored a June appeals court ruling that excused Mr. Trumps daughter, Ivanka, from the case and also raised the notion that some of the accusations against the former president and his company might be too old to go to trial. There are currently two clown shows sorry, but lets be honest going on in the Republican Party. One is the intraparty fighting that seems extremely likely to cause a government shutdown a few days from now. The other is the fight over who will come a distant second to Donald Trump in the presidential primaries. There are many strange aspects to both shows. But heres the one that has long puzzled me: Everyone says that with the rise of MAGA, the G.O.P. has been taken over by populists. So why is the Republican Partys economic ideology so elitist and antipopulist? Listen to the rhetoric of the people making Kevin McCarthy look like a fool or of the presidential candidates, and its full of attacks on elites but also of promises to cut taxes for the rich and slash government spending that benefits the working class. For example, Nikki Haley who is making a credible bid to be Trumps also-ran, given Ron DeSantiss implosion is calling for big cuts to Social Security and Medicare. As I write this, McCarthy is reportedly trying to appease MAGA dissidents with a temporary funding bill that would cut nonmilitary discretionary spending outside of Veterans Affairs by 27 percent meaning savage cuts to things like the administration of Social Security (as opposed to the benefits themselves). President Bidens advanced age (80) gets rehashed endlessly, because the human condition makes it inescapable. A deft politician can wait out almost any other liability: Scandals and gaffes fade over time; the economy bounces back; governing errors can be corrected. But Mr. Biden will never be (or appear) younger than he is today. The problem of his age will never fade. In our fixation on Mr. Bidens age, we often gloss over the role the Democratic Party has played in promoting and lionizing its older leaders, then muddling through when illness or death undermines their ability to govern. The partys leaders seem to believe implicitly in the inalienable right of their aging icons to remain in positions of high power unquestioned, long after it becomes reasonable to ask whether theyre risking intolerable harm. The party has come to operate more like a machine, in which lengthy, loyal service must be rewarded with deference. It is why Mr. Biden has not drawn a credible primary challenger, when polling and reporting alike suggest that Democrats are deeply anxious about his ability to mount a vigorous campaign and serve another full term. And it is that deference, from those who seek to protect Democratic leaders from all but the mildest criticism, that ensures that we keep reliving the same bad dream, where each subsequent election comes with higher stakes than the last. It leaves grass-roots supporters to see all their hard work and democracy itself jeopardized by the same officials who tell them they must volunteer and organize and donate and vote as if their lives depend on it. And for millions of younger voters, it becomes increasingly hard to believe that any of it matters: If defeating Republicans is a matter of existential urgency for the country, why is the Democratic Party so blase about elevating leaders who are oblivious to the views of the young people who stand to inherit it? And, as an ancient New Jersey native, I tip my hat to the sage Ms. Govatos, who would prefer New Jerseys help rather than having to drive to another state, such as Vermont. She said something that I have never once heard uttered: It would be an incredible gift if I could go to New Jersey. Ted Gallagher New York To the Editor: This article assumes that physician-assisted suicide is acceptable health policy. However, there are two significant questions that states should address when considering its legalization: Should it be a medical treatment, and what are the harms of legalizing it? On the first, many in the medical profession oppose physician-assisted suicide, including the American Medical Association, which holds that it is fundamentally incompatible with the physicians role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks. On the second question, major disability rights organizations oppose physician-assisted suicide because it increases the risks that people with disabilities face in receiving medical care, as they are already too often subject to unequal treatment. Adding physician-assisted suicide as a medical treatment exposes people with disabilities to systemic pressures to end their lives in the context of life-threatening illnesses. Before adopting physician-assisted suicide, or any extension of it, we need to ask, answer and understand the implications of such a step. All this is good for the Democrats, who would have had to block any House budget that decimated critical services like health care. As things stand now, if we go into October without a national budget in place, all the ensuing crises will be blamed on the Republicans. Not saying I want that to happen, but if it does, glad the shame will go in the right direction. Bret: House Republicans have become a circular firing squad, and I really have to wonder whether McCarthy will last another month as speaker, let alone to the end of this Congress. Although whenever I think the Republicans are harming themselves, I turn to the Democrats. Granting almost 500,000 Venezuelans temporary protected status is the right thing to do, but the administrations failure to get control of the border means its only a matter of time before grants at this scale happen as a matter of course. I just dont understand how this is good policy or wise politics. Please explain it to me. Gail: Dont think anybody feels the current border policies are anything close to perfect, but its a question of what else to do. Eager to hear any suggestions that dont involve a stupid, embarrassing wall. Bret: Which I continue to favor along with wide and welcoming gates but OK. Theres also something called a smart fence that has excellent sensors to detect border crossings but is less ugly, less expensive and more environmentally sensitive than a wall. But it would have to be staffed continuously by armed patrols. We can also immediately return people arriving here illegally rather than let them stay in the United States while awaiting a court hearing, unless they are from countries where they are at mortal risk from their own governments. Barack Obama did that pretty robustly, and I dont remember any of my liberal friends claiming it was an assault on human rights. And we need to enormously expand consular facilities throughout Latin America so peoples immigration claims can be processed abroad, not after theyve crossed the border. Gail: Voting with you on greatly expanded consular services. Bret: It would be a start. And Im saying all this as someone who believes deeply in the overall benefits of immigration. But a de facto open border doesnt advance the cause of a liberal immigration policy. It undermines it. And it could take down a lot of the Democratic Party in the process. Its been about 250 million years since reptile-like animals evolved into mammals. Now a team of scientists is predicting that mammals may have only another 250 million years left. The researchers built a virtual simulation of our future world, similar to the models that have projected human-caused global warming over the next century. Using data on the movement of the continents across the planet, as well as fluctuations in the chemical makeup of atmosphere, the new study projected much further into the future. Alexander Farnsworth, a paleoclimate scientist at the University of Bristol who led the team, said that the planet might become too hot for any mammals ourselves included to survive on land. The researchers found that the climate will turn deadly thanks to three factors: a brighter sun, a change in the geography of the continents and increases in carbon dioxide. Its a triple whammy that becomes unsurvivable, Dr. Farnsworth said. He and his colleagues published their study on Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. The French fashion designer Pierre Cardin liked to brag about all he had accomplished since he started his brand in 1950. When he welcomed a reporter into his studio at 27 Avenue de Marigny in 1999, he showed off big black-and-white photographs of his factory in France in the 1970s and pictures of him standing in Red Square with models in 1986; Cardin logo items produced by hundreds of licenses; and a catalog of his most famous futurist looks. All the couturiers were influenced by me, he said. Everyone knows Pierre Cardin. What he didnt like to talk about was what would become of his company after he was gone. Indeed, three months before Mr. Cardin died in December 2020, at 98, after a bout of Covid-19, he told a Paris Match reporter: After my death? I dont think about it. I didnt organize anything. NOTHING. That lack of organization has led to an epic legal battle among 22 of Mr. Cardins grandnieces and grandnephews who claim to be his heirs, as he never married or had children. His longtime business and life partner, Andre Oliver, died in 1993. Our list of 15 New York City gallery exhibitions that changed the citys history and the cultures relationship with art begins 80 years ago. Before then, New Yorks art scene was widely seen as parochial compared to that of Paris. The center of gravity shifted in the 1940s with the rise of American painters like Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko, and with it a run of adventurous New York galleries that has continued to this day. Museums, with their healthy budgets and curatorial teams, as well as alternative spaces and other nonprofits unencumbered, at least, by the commercial pressures of running a business in New York City, have arguably played a larger role in shaping the publics conception of the canon. But the miracle of the best galleries is the way they manage to transcend such pressures and embrace the untested and unfamiliar. As a result, they are the places where many viewers discover new art and artists. That many of the galleries on this list no longer exist, or exist now in very different forms, underscores the precariousness of the gallery model. And yet galleries are still free to enter unlike most major museums, many of which have lately raised admission fees a fact that only adds to their importance. The technique, reinforcement learning from human feedback, is now driving the development of artificial intelligence across the industry. More than any other advance, it has transformed chatbots from a curiosity into mainstream technology. These chatbots are based on a new wave of A.I. systems that can learn skills by analyzing data. Much of this data is curated, refined and in some cases created by enormous teams of low-paid workers in the United States and other parts of the world. For years, companies like Google and OpenAI have relied on such workers to prepare data used to train A.I. technologies. Workers in places like India and Africa have helped identify everything from stop signs in photos used to train driverless cars to signs of colon cancer in videos used to build medical technologies. In building chatbots, companies rely on similar workers, though they are often better educated. Reinforcement learning from human feedback is far more sophisticated than the rote data-tagging work that fed A.I. development in the past. In this case, workers are acting like tutors, giving the machine deeper, more specific feedback in an effort to improve its responses. Last year, OpenAI and one of its competitors, Anthropic, used freelance workers in the United States through the website Upwork. Hugging Face, another prominent lab, is using U.S. workers hired through the data curation start-ups Scale AI and Surge. Heat domes, droughts, smoky skies, tropical deluges: After a record-breaking summer of extreme weather events, dare we dream of crisp nights, cozy sweaters and the colors of fall? This summer really was a chaotic mix of record wettest and record driest, and fall colors will reflect that, said Austin Rempel, director of forest restoration at American Forests, a nonprofit forestry organization. The Northeast and parts of the northern Rockies and Southern California had extremely wet summers, while the Southwest had one of its driest on record, he said. That stress can make trees lose their leaves earlier, but it can also make the leaf color really pop, said Tara L. Bal, a forestry professor at Michigan Tech. When leaves and trees are stressed, she explained, the bright reds and oranges and yellows actually are stronger. Just how vivid those leaves are depends on the right combination of cool and dry fall weather starting in mid-September, when colors start to change in the West and Northeast, and through late October, when they are at their prime in the Midwest and the Southeast. Sophia Loren has undergone emergency surgery after sustaining several fractures in a bad fall. The Italian film star, 89, fell in her bathroom and suffered multiple fractures to her hip, as well as a serious fracture to her femur, which required surgery. A source close to Loren told The Hollywood Reporter that there is cautious optimism about the outcome of the operation and Lorens recovery, which will reportedly include a brief period of convalescence and a long rehabilitation. Loren had been scheduled to open a restaurant in the Italian city of Bari on Tuesday (26 September). The restaurant the fourth such eatery to bear her name was the one to break the news of her fall, confirming that all her engagements for the foreseeable future have now been cancelled. In addition to the restaurant opening in Bari, the Arabesque (1966) star had been due to receive honorary citizenship from the southern Italian city. Loren recently made a public appearance at the Armani fashion show in Venice on 2 September, which was held during the 80th Venice Film Festival. Sources told the publication that the actors sons, Carlo, 54, and Edoardo, 50, are by her side at the hospital. The Independent has contacted a representative of Loren for comment. (AFP/Getty) In 2020, Edoardo, a filmmaker, directed his mother in her most recent movie, titled The Life Ahead. The film, which won Loren a David di Donatello Award for best actress, followed the story of an ageing Holocaust survivor who forges an unlikely bond with a bitter street kid from Senegal when she takes him in after he robs her. The Life Ahead was well received, earning an impressive 92 per cent rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. In an interview with The Independent at the time, Loren called her role beautiful. She was strong, she was fragile, she was funny, touching everything that a woman is and everything I have always wanted to bring on the screen. In my career, Ive always tried to play women with a strong character, she said. Story continues The year prior, Loren was the subject of a Netflix document What Would Sophia Loren Do? Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando in 1954 (Getty Images) Loren is best known for films including A Special Day (1977), Marriage, Italian Style (1964), and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963). Her role as Filumena in Marriage, Italian Style who tries to trick her philandering lover into marriage so that her three children, born out of wedlock, might have a family name earned her a second Oscar nomination. In 1961, she became the first performer to win an Oscar for a foreign-language role with Two Women, in which she starred as a mother who saves her daughter. You can read The Indepedents interview with Loren here. When you look up at the night sky, what do you see? For many of us, the answer is not much. Instead of glittering constellations, were often greeted by nothing more than a darkened haze overhead, as city lights obscure our nighttime views. Light pollution has become such a serious problem that 80 percent of people living in North America cant see the Milky Way, according to a 2016 study. But there are, of course, less lit places on the planet where the stars still gloriously sparkle. And one of Californias starry spots wants to make sure it stays that way. Point Reyes Station, Bolinas, Stinson Beach and a cluster of other small communities in western Marin County, north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, are hoping to be designated as Dark Sky Places. That would mean that they were officially recognized for good night sky quality by DarkSky International, a nonprofit group that advocates protecting night skies from light pollution. The Point Reyes National Seashore nearby is seeking a similar distinction. Light pollution can disrupt our circadian rhythms, dangerously confuse birds and insects, and disrupt the activities of nocturnal animals. And, perhaps most simply, it can deprive us of the wonder of gazing up at a mesmerizing night sky. Im really proud, he said. I just wish they had a better message. That disconnect, reflected in interviews with two dozen Indian American voters, donors and elected officials from across the political spectrum in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and across the country may complicate the G.O.P.s efforts to appeal to the small but influential Indian American electorate. Indian Americans now make up about 2.1 million, or roughly 16 percent, of the estimated 13.4 million Asian Americans who are eligible to vote, the third largest population of Asian origin behind Chinese and Filipino Americans, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the 2021 American Community Survey. Indian Americans also have tended to lean more Democratic than any other Asian American subgroups, according to Pew. Though a small slice of the overall electorate, the demographic has become one of the fastest-growing constituencies, and is large enough to make a difference at the margins in swing states and in purple suburbs, including in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada. Debate over the prominence of Ms. Haley and Mr. Ramaswamy is playing out in Indian American homes and places of worship in Des Moines and beyond. In interviews, many described their rise as a political triumph at a time when Indian Americans have become more visible in fields beyond medicine, tech and engineering. Venu Rao, a Democrat and retired engineer and program manager in Hollis, N.H., said Ms. Haley and Mr. Ramaswamy captured the ideological diversity among South Asian Americans, even if he doesnt agree with their positions. The Newsom and DeSantis teams have haggled behind the scenes about the logistics through memos and with Mr. Hannity. Mr. Newsom demanded, for instance, that there be no live audience in a debate proposal sent in late July. The DeSantis team responded in early August by looking for a chance to air a two-minute video at the start of the debate, as well as for the debate to be held before a live audience, which the Newsom team dismissed as a cheering section. The Fox News announcement did not say whether there would be an audience. A Newsom spokesman suggested the debate could still fall apart. Weve agreed to the debate provided there is no cheering section, no hype videos or any of the other crutches DeSantis requested, said the spokesman, Nathan Click. We want a real debate not a circus. Andrew Romeo, a spokesman for Mr. DeSantis, welcomed the event and raised the prospect that Mr. Newsom could wind up the Democratic nominee. Whether Newsom or Biden is the Democrat nominee in 24, they both offer the same failed and dangerous ideology for America that helped get us in this mess, Mr. Romeo said. We look forward to putting Ron DeSantis record of success up against it. Mr. DeSantis is increasing his visibility in facing off against others while Mr. Trump has significantly curtailed his own. The former president is skipping the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. He also skipped the first debate in August. Mr. Trump has told advisers he sees no urgency in taking part in any of the debates, according to a person familiar with his remarks. With the House in chaos over its spending plans, senators of both parties were deep in negotiations on Monday over efforts to head off a government shutdown this weekend through a stopgap measure and whether to include additional aid to Ukraine in the legislation. Senators and senior staff members engaged in intense discussions over the past few days on how to proceed given the House impasse, officials said, with the Senate taking steps toward an emergency spending bill that would keep dollars flowing to federal agencies after the current fiscal year ends at midnight Saturday. People familiar with the talks said a major sticking point was whether to add up to $25 billion in new assistance to Ukraine to what is formally known as a continuing resolution or to keep the legislation free of contentious provisions in what would be a clean measure that might enjoy broader support among Republicans in the House, which would also have to pass it to keep the government open. Despite broad bipartisan support in the Senate for money for Ukraine, officials said, some Republicans were arguing that it would present an added complication in trying to provide Speaker Kevin McCarthy with a way out of the spending logjam. A significant bloc of House Republicans opposes any more Ukraine funding and would most likely insist that it be stripped out of the bill and returned to the Senate, slowing any resolution when there is little time to spare. For decades, Republicans have outmaneuvered and outspent Democrats in state legislatures, gerrymandering them into the minority in both red states and political battlegrounds. G.O.P. state lawmakers have used that advantage to pass countless conservative policies with a lot of help along the way. In back rooms and behind the scenes, conservative think tanks and other policy groups like the Heritage Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council drafted model legislation for Republican lawmakers to cut taxes, expand gun rights and loosen environmental regulations. Now Democrats are trying to put themselves on even footing. An increasingly prominent player in this liberal push is a little-known group called the States Project, which was founded in 2017 and made a financial splash in state legislative elections last year, pouring $60 million into races in five competitive states: Arizona, Michigan, Maine, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Interviews with more than a dozen conservative voters and grass-roots organizers across early states suggest that they have bigger concerns than whom or whether Mr. Scott is dating. Nearly all, most of whom had only begun paying attention to Mr. Scott this year, said they did not mind that he was unmarried or childless. Several said they werent aware of his marital status. And many said they cared far more about his views on meaty issues like immigration and the economy and about what they saw as his lack of any personal scandal whatsoever. Is he? OK, Anne Hoeing, 78, a New Hampshire voter and retired teacher, said after being informed that Mr. Scott was single. Who cares? I mean, I dont care. I would say Id be very hesitant about a president who was married several times and there was all kinds of baggage you know what I mean? Id be more hesitant about that. After Axios reported this month that a small number of prospective Scott donors had expressed concerns about his marital status and his reluctance to discuss his personal life, Mr. Scott suggested that his opponents were behind it. What weve seen is that poll after poll after poll says that the voters dont care. But it seems like opponents do care, and so media covers what opponents plant, he said in New Hampshire. The good news is, I just keep fighting the good fight. Make sure that America is better off today than yesterday. In a more recent interview with The Washington Post, Mr. Scott offered a few additional details about his relationship: Mr. Scott and his girlfriend met through a friend from church, he said; they got to know each other by talking about God and doing Bible study together. They also played pickleball. A spokesman for former President Donald J. Trump posted a video on Monday showing him at a gun shop in South Carolina, declaring that he had just bought a Glock pistol. The post on X, formerly known as Twitter, included video of Mr. Trump, the front-runner for the Republican Partys nomination for president who is facing four criminal indictments. He looked over the dullish gold firearm, a special Trump edition Glock that depicts his likeness and says Trump 45th, as he visited the Palmetto State Armory outlet in Summerville, S.C. I want to buy one, he said twice in the video. President Trump buys a @GLOCKInc in South Carolina! his spokesman, Steven Cheung, wrote in his post. The video showed Mr. Trump among a small crowd of people and posing with a man holding the gun. A voice can be heard saying, Thats a big seller. Image The gun was decorated with Mr. Trumps name and likeness. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times The statement immediately set off an uproar and prompted questions about whether such a purchase would be legal. Mr. Trump is under indictment on dozens of felony counts in two different cases related to his efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 election and to his possession of reams of classified documents after he left office. The narrative threatens the citys recovery of lost convention and tourism traffic. And it has become enough of a problem that the city recently enlisted a public relations firm to try to convince the world that the city isnt doomed. The effort comes in the run-up to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in November, which is expected to draw President Biden, about 20 other heads of state and 1,200 corporate chief executives from around the world. The Tenderloin is a disaster. The Financial District has issues. But lets have perspective here, said Jason Mandell, a public relations executive who has lived in San Francisco for 26 years and was hired by the conference organizers to counter the persistently negative narrative. (Fox News, which broadcasts reports on the citys troubles almost daily, recently highlighted efforts to improve the citys image with the headline, San Francisco hellhole hopes for PR makeover.) Like any city, San Francisco is a complicated place with many story lines. It has a property-crime epidemic, but low rates of violent crime. It has a homelessness crisis and is pleading with a federal court for more leeway to clear tent encampments, but according to the most recent homeless count, there was a 15 percent drop in the homeless population living on its sidewalks between 2019 and 2022. Its downtown recovery has been glacial, but its unemployment rate is low at 3.6 percent. The city has a record-high 31 percent office vacancy rate, and some prominent retail departures have drawn attention. But optimists say they hope these trends will open up space in the city for artists, nonprofit groups and possibly colleges. A deadly outbreak of dengue fever in Bangladesh is the most severe in the countrys history, the authorities said, with fast-spreading infections from rural areas further straining the already overwhelmed hospital system in the capital, Dhaka. On Monday, the Bangladeshi authorities said they had recorded 909 dengue-related deaths this year through Sunday, compared with 281 in all of 2022. Hundreds of patients are also coming to Dhaka from outside, said Dr. Khalilur Rahman, a director at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and hospital. He said some hospitals in Dhaka were facing shortages of intravenous fluids used to rehydrate patients with dengue, and pharmacists were increasing their prices as demand for IV treatment rises, adding to the severity of the crisis. Faced with Chinas determination to exert control over a vast area of the South China Sea far from its mainland, the Philippine Coast Guard said Monday that it had taken matters into its own hands, taking down a Chinese barrier that had kept Filipino fishing boats at bay. The Coast Guard released video of a diver cutting through the ropes that kept the barriers in place at the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by both the Philippines and China. The maritime obstacles could then be seen being hoisted out of the water. The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law, the Philippines said in a statement. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk. With tensions already rising in the South China Sea, it was unclear how Beijing might respond. But China has made clear its intent to militarize the waters through which one-third of global ocean trade passes. Campus Activities Details The Mount is heading to Tanzania in East Africa this summer - and there is room for you! Fr. Jim Donohue and his religious community will welcome Mount students (and the wider community of staff, family, and alumni) this coming May 28 to June 10. More than 200 people were wounded on Monday in a fuel depot explosion in Azerbaijans breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, the human rights ombudsman for the region said. The cause of the explosion could not immediately be determined, and it was not clear if there were any fatalities, but Armenian separatist officials said, There are victims and wounded. A strong explosion occurred in the gasoline warehouse near the Stepanakert-Askera highway, the authorities said in a statement. At the moment, rescue and medical operative groups are working on the spot. Stepanakert is the capital of the breakaway region. The blast comes as thousands of ethnic Armenians have been fleeing the breakaway region since the weekend to cross the border into Armenia, days after a military offensive brought the enclave back under Azerbaijans control. The Ukrainian man sitting in the gallery of Canadas House of Commons was a hero, the speaker of the House said on Friday, drawing applause from lawmakers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who had just addressed the chamber during his first visit to Ottawa since Russia invaded his country. But several Jewish groups responded with outrage, saying that the man, Yaroslav Hunka, 98, had served in a Nazi unit known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, which fought alongside Germany during World War II and declared allegiance to Adolf Hitler. On Sunday, Anthony Rota, the speaker of Canadas House of Commons, issued a written apology, saying that he had subsequently become aware of more information and took full responsibility for my actions. In remarks after Mr. Zelensky addressed Canadas Parliament on Friday, Mr. Rota introduced Mr. Hunka as a resident of his district who had fought for Ukrainian independence from Russia and later immigrated to Canada. This handout satellite image released on Saturday by Planet Labs PBC shows an aerial view of Sevastopol in Crimea after a missile attack struck the headquarters of the Black Sea fleet a day earlier. Ukraines military asserted on Monday that it had killed the commander of Russias Black Sea Fleet in a missile attack last week, which, if confirmed, would make the strike among the most damaging for the Russian Navy since the sinking of the fleets flagship last year. There was no immediate comment from Moscows Defense Ministry on the status of its fleet commander, Adm. Viktor Sokolov, who is one of the most senior figures in the Russian Navy. Ukraines claim could not be independently verified. Ukraines special operations forces on Friday said they had struck a headquarters of the Russian fleet in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, a storied port that is now under regular bombardment from Ukraines long-range missiles and exploding drones. Fleet officers were holding a meeting there at the time, the Ukrainian military said. Video footage showed that at least one airborne weapon hit what appeared to be the headquarters, blowing out the windows and engulfing the building in billows of thick, black smoke, while another video showed damage to part of the roof and several floors. Satellite images taken after the attack also show that the building was heavily damaged and most of the roof had been completely blown off. The killing of a Russian admiral in his own headquarters would illustrate the recent overall pivot in the war, which began with Russias full-scale invasion 19 months ago. Ukraine has reclaimed about half of the territory Russia captured in its initial onslaught and is on the offensive at three sites in the countrys south, though its forces are moving at a crawl. Russia has peppered Ukrainian cities with thousands of missile attacks, many fired from ships on the Black Sea, but in recent months, Ukraine has stepped up strikes with missiles and exploding drones inside Russia and occupied Crimea. Military analysts say Ukraine is seeking to raise the cost for Russia militarily of occupying Crimea, a centerpiece of the enduring campaign of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who illegally annexed the peninsula in 2014. Ukraines strategy is to cut Crimea off from Russian feeding supply lines during the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the countrys south, including attacking the bridge linking the peninsula to Russia over the Kerch Strait, while striking the ports of Russias Black Sea fleet and other military sites from afar. On Friday, Ukrainian officials said that many Russian naval personnel died in the attack on the headquarters, but they did not initially claim to have killed the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Kyrylo Budanov, the director of Ukraines military intelligence agency, initially said, in an interview with Voice of America, that nine people had been killed and another 16 were wounded. Mr. Budanov said that among the wounded was a commanding general for the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine, one of the sites of Ukraines counteroffensive. On Monday, Ukraines special operations forces said in a statement, citing new information about the losses of the enemy as a result of the special operation, that Fridays strike had killed 34 officers, including Admiral Sokolov. Another 105 people had been wounded, it said. The statement did not say how Ukraine had confirmed the additional deaths. Russian state media did not immediately comment on Ukraines claim on Monday. The Russian Defense Ministry initially said that one person had been killed, but then shifted to say that one person was missing. It was unclear what hit the fleet headquarters in Crimea. After the strike, Ukraines air force commander, Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, thanked his pilots in a statement that local media interpreted as hinting at the use of air-launched Storm Shadow or Scalp cruise missiles provided by Britain or France. General Oleshchuk had also hinted at the firing of Western cruise missiles in strikes two weeks ago that hit two of the Black Sea Fleets vessels: a landing ship, the Minsk, and a Kilo class submarine, the Rostov-on-Don. The Ukrainian statement claiming the missile attack on the headquarters and the death of the commander also asserted that a separate attack this month on the Minsk landing ship had killed 62 sailors. The claim, which did not specify what attack it was referring to, could not be independently verified. Once seen as a paramount naval power in the Black Sea, the Russian naval presence has suffered multiple setbacks. In April, 2022, Ukraine sank the Moskva cruiser, the fleets flagship vessel. The Russian Navy is organized into four fleets, in the Black and Baltic Seas and the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the flotilla in the landlocked Caspian Sea. Arijeta Lajka and Neil MacFarquhar contributed reporting. Barely a year after Russias invasion of Ukraine, Finland cast aside decades of military nonalignment and self-reliance and joined the NATO alliance. That happened with breathtaking speed, as these matters go, but gaining membership may have been the easy part. Now comes the complicated process of integrating itself into the alliance and its requirement of collective defense with all of its financial, legal and strategic hurdles. Joining NATO is an expensive business, and supporting Ukraine is an expensive business, and theres no end to that in sight, said Janne Kuusela, director-general for defense policy at Finlands Ministry of Defense. Membership in NATO has long been considered a cheap benefit, given the American nuclear umbrella and the principle of collective defense. But NATO also has extensive requirements of its members not just spending goals for the military, but specific demands from each country for certain capabilities, armaments, troop strengths and infrastructure as defined by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. British soldiers were briefly put on standby over the weekend to support the counterterrorism police in London after some armed officers refused to carry their weapons in the wake of a fellow police officer being charged with murder. The Metropolitan Police Service said on Monday that a number of police officers took the decision to step back from armed duties while they consider their position over the weekend. Their move came after murder charges were filed against a police officer in the killing of Chris Kaba, a young Black man who was fatally shot by the police in south London last year. Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, and other senior police leaders held discussions with the officers over the weekend to understand their genuinely held concerns, the police said in a statement. Enough armed officers returned on Monday that assistance from Britains Ministry of Defence was no longer needed. As of lunchtime on Monday, the number of officers who had returned to armed duties was sufficient for us to no longer require external assistance to meet our counterterrorism responsibilities, the police said in the statement. Matteo Messina Denaro, a convicted killer and high-ranking mobster with the Sicilian Cosa Nostra who had eluded capture for three decades, died on Monday in a hospital in the central Italian city of LAquila, where he had been serving time in a maximum-security prison. He was 61. Alessandro Cerella, a lawyer for Mr. Messina Denaro, said the cause was colon cancer. Mr. Messina Denaro had been undergoing treatment for several years, and on Friday he fell into a coma that doctors said was irreversible. Mr. Messina Denaro was arrested in January while waiting to undergo chemotherapy at a private clinic in Palermo. He had been using a fake identity, and investigators discovered that he was being treated for cancer when they found a scrap of paper with his medical history rolled up in the leg of a chair in his mothers home in Castelvetrano, Sicily. Since he was not treated under his real name, they used national health service records to identify patients with similar conditions and narrow it down. After attending a ceremony in May commemorating her dead son and others killed in Romanias 1989 revolution, a despondent mother driven to despair by more than three decades of fruitless efforts to find out who murdered her 12-year-old boy made a final plea for justice. She left the park where the ceremony had been held and where her son was buried in Brasov, in Romanias Transylvania region, and drove into the mountains outside the city. In the shade of a beech tree, she doused her body with gasoline and set herself alight. The woman, Ileana Negru, died soon after an ambulance arrived. Today I end the humiliation, though it is costing me my life, a handwritten message found by her body said. The revolution was ours and in no way belongs to the Communists who stole it. Ukraines military claimed on Monday that it had killed the commander of Russias Black Sea Fleet in a strike on Crimea a blow that, if confirmed, would be among the most damaging suffered by the Russian Navy since the sinking of the fleets flagship last year. Citing new information about the losses of the enemy as a result of the special operation, Ukraines special operations forces said in a statement that the strike on Friday killed 34 officers, including the fleet commander, and wounded 105 others. It did not name the naval leader, but the commander of the Black Sea Fleet is Adm. Viktor Sokolov, one of the most senior officers in Russias Navy. The attack came during a meeting of Russian commanders, Ukraines military said, and badly damaged a headquarters of the Russian fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea. The chief of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, also told Voice of America on Saturday that the strike had badly wounded two senior Russian generals Col. Gen. Aleksandr Romanchuk and Lieut. Gen. Oleg Tsekov. There has been no further word from either side on their condition. There was no immediate comment from Russias Defense Ministry on the status of any of its commanders, and there was no independent verification of the claims. The Abrams will be among other tanks in Ukraines arsenal that it could use to push into, and possibly reclaim, Russian-held territory in Ukraines eastern and southern regions, where fighting has ground on for months without major breakthroughs. But Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines military intelligence, has warned that the Abrams would need to be deployed in a very tailored way, for very specific, well-crafted operations, or risk being destroyed. If they are simply sent to the front lines to try to punch through Russian defenses, General Budanov said last week in an interview with an American military news site, they will not live very long on the battlefield. They need to be used in those breakthrough operations, but very well prepared. Former senior American military officers say it could take some time before the Abrams are sent to the battlefield, as Ukrainian troops first ensure that they have the needed support elements and decide where and when the vehicles will be most effective. Until then, its likely that the tanks locations will be kept under wraps as Ukraines forces dont want to start losing them to precision strikes before they are actually in the fight, said Ben Hodges, a retired general who formerly commanded the U.S. Army in Europe. Both President Biden and the American defense secretary, Lloyd J. Austin III, had forecast last week that the tanks would be shipped within days. Their arrival represents part of an extraordinary effort by Western allies responding to relentless pushing from Ukraine to deliver a powerful weapon months ahead of schedule. Just one year ago, allies had resisted sending Western-made tanks to Ukraine, concerned that doing so would draw NATO more directly into the war and further escalate tensions with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Dallas TEXAS Austin Houston San Antonio Dallas TEXAS Austin Houston San Antonio TEXAS TEXAS Amarillo Lubbock Dallas El Paso TEXAS Austin Houston San Antonio Corpus Christi UNCHARTED WATERS Monster Fracks Are Getting Far Bigger. And Far Thirstier. Giant new oil and gas wells that require astonishing volumes of water to fracture bedrock are threatening Americas fragile aquifers. Increasingly complex oil wells are sweeping across Texas, birthplace of the fracking revolution, and the nation. Fracking sites A Times analysis found that these new wells can consume millions of gallons of water, often taken from dwindling aquifers. Texas aquifers To satisfy that thirst, energy giants are drilling not just for oil, but for the water they need. Water wells that supply fracking Nationwide, fracking has used up nearly 1.5 trillion gallons of water since 2011. Thats how much tap water the entire state of Texas uses in a year. Along a parched stretch of La Salle County, Texas, workers last year dug some 700 feet deep into the ground, seeking freshwater. Millions of gallons of it. The water wouldnt supply homes or irrigate farms. It was being used by the petroleum giant BP to frack for fossil fuels. The water would be mixed with sand and toxic chemicals and pumped right back underground forcing oil and gas from the bedrock. It was a reminder that to strike oil in America, you need water. Plenty of it. An oil site outside Cotulla, Texas. Sergio Flores for The New York Times Today, the insatiable search for oil and gas has become the latest threat to the countrys endangered aquifers, a critical national resource that is already being drained at alarming rates by industrial farming and cities in search of drinking water. The amount of water consumed by the oil industry, revealed in a New York Times investigation, has soared to record levels. Fracking wells have increased their water usage sevenfold since 2011 as operators have adopted new techniques to first drill downward and then horizontally for thousands of feet. The process extracts more fossil fuels but requires enormous amounts of water. Together, oil and gas operators reported using about 1.5 trillion gallons of water since 2011, much of it from aquifers, the Times found. Fracking a single oil or gas well can now use as much as 40 million gallons of water or more. These mega fracking projects, called monster fracks by researchers, have become the industry norm. They barely existed a decade ago. Now they account for almost two out of every three fracking wells in Texas, the Times analysis found. Monster fracks take off in Texas Proportion of fracks Source: FracFocus chemical disclosure database as of Aug. 1, 2023. Theyre the newcomers, a new sector that burst onto the scene and is heavily reliant on the aquifers, said Peter Knappett, an associate professor in hydrogeology at Texas A&M University, referring to fracking companies. And they could be pumping for several decades from aquifers that are already over-exploited and already experiencing long-term declines. Fracking, which is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing, has transformed the global energy landscape, turning America into the worlds largest oil and gas producer, surpassing Saudi Arabia. Supporters say it has strengthened Americas national security and created valuable jobs. But fracking has long been controversial. The process of cracking the bedrock by injecting chemical-laced water into the ground can lead to spills and leaks and can affect the local geology, sometimes contributing to earthquakes. Critics of fracking say it is an irony that so much water is being diverted to produce fossil fuels, given that the burning of fossil fuels is causing climate change, further straining freshwater resources. The Times documented the surging water usage by examining an industry database in which energy companies report the chemicals they pump into the ground while fracking. But the database also includes details on their water usage, revealing the dramatic growth. Source: FracFocus chemical disclosure database as of Aug. 1, 2023 Note: States adopted disclosure requirements at different times. These national figures reflect the monthly median of total water used per frack. The problem is particularly acute in Texas, where the states groundwater supply is expected to drop one-third by 2070. As the planet warms, scientists have predicted that Texas will face higher temperatures and more frequent and intense droughts, along with a decline in groundwater recharge. Some experts have warned that water issues could even constrain oil and gas production. In the western portion of the Eagle Ford, one of the states major oil-producing regions, aquifer levels have fallen by up to 58 feet a year, a 2020 study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found, and frackings water demands could result in further regional declines of up to 26 feet. Since 2011, BP has dug at least 137 groundwater wells in Texas for its oil and gas operations and reported using 9.1 billion gallons of water nationally during the past decade. EOG, one of the countrys largest frackers, consumed more than 73 billion gallons of water for fracking at the same time. Apache Corporation, Southwestern Energy, Chevron, Ovintiv and other major operators also have intensified water usage, the Times analysis found. Oil companies require no permits to drill their own groundwater wells and there is no consistent requirement that groundwater used for fracking be reported or monitored. As drought has gripped Texas and the surrounding region, many communities have instituted water restrictions for residents even as fracking has been allowed to continue unabated. Pockets of public resistance are emerging. In New Mexico, a coalition of tribes and environmental groups is suing the state, saying that fracking companies are using up precious water resources and that the state has failed to protect the interests of residents. In Colorado, residents are fighting a proposed fracking project they fear would not just use up local freshwater resources, but risk contaminating a reservoir their community depends on. Holly Hopkins, an executive at the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, said the industry was focused on meeting the growing demand for affordable, reliable energy while minimizing impacts on the environment. Its members, she said, were continuing to develop innovative methods to reuse and recycle water used for fracking. In a statement, Apache said 80 percent of the water it used for fracking was either non-fresh or recycled from previous fracks. BP said it was executing several pilot projects to recycle water that would minimize freshwater usage. Chevron said that water was vital to its operations and that it aimed to use water efficiently and responsibly, saying that it used brackish or recycled water for fracking. Southwestern and Ovintiv did not respond to requests for comment. Many aquifers are already strained by agricultural overuse. Sergio Flores for The New York Times You just have to hope, said Ronald T. Green, a hydrologist for La Salle County. Sergio Flores for The New York Times In La Salle County where workers were drilling the water well last year that would supply BP the local aquifers have already been strained by decades of pumping to feed crops and cattle. The local groundwater district, Wintergarden, estimates that frackings water needs could surpass those of irrigation by 2030 (though the oil industrys notorious boom-and-bust cycles could change that). Despite the new demand, Wintergarden has little say over the use of water for fracking. According to its rules, when moderate or severe droughts occur, people should stop washing their cars and restaurants should refrain from serving glasses of water unless a customer asks. But only during exceptional droughts do the rules extend to fracking, and even then they merely discourage it. Similarly in Laredo, a city on the Mexican border that recently imposed water restrictions, residents may water their lawns only three days a week, and only at night. Laredo, which in recent years has become fracking territory, is facing an impending water shortage: By 2040, its expected to exhaust the available supply of municipal water from the Rio Grande allocated to the city every year. Still, even during severe drought, fracking is excluded from city or state restrictions. This is Texas. If youre using water for oil and gas, its considered exempt, said Ronald T. Green, a hydrologist who advises Wintergarden. So when fracking plans collide with drought, Dr. Green said, you just have to hope that if theyre a good, community-oriented company, they might decide not to frack that well till next year. Its happening, of course, because there is money to be made in oil. And for those with access to water, it can be easy money. Bruce Frasier grows onions in Dimmit, one of the three counties that make up the Wintergarden water district. But he also sells groundwater to a local fracking company for 50 cents a barrel. Given the growing size of fracks, If youve got the water to sell, youre making a fortune, Mr. Frasier said. THE HORIZONTAL FRACK You could just dig, and the water would flow, said Bill Martin, a rancher. Sergio Flores for The New York Times Wintergarden. Evergreen. Big Springs. The place names that dot Texass parched plains hark back to a time more than a century ago when groundwater was plentiful. Back in those days, you could just dig, and the water would flow, said Bill Martin, a rancher and farmer who heads the Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District, as he walked his land during a recent heat wave, his boots kicking up dust under a scorching sun. But that water, sometimes called fossil water because scientists estimate that it pooled underground as long as 30,000 years ago, started to dry up as farms irrigated vast tracts of land. Farms that couldnt afford to drill ever deeper started to plant less or shut down. Today, much of Americas oil and gas comes from parched land like this. And now, fracking companies are the ones scrambling for water. A 2016 Ceres report found that nearly 60 percent of the 110,000 wells fracked between 2011 and 2016 were in regions with high or extremely high water stress, including basins in Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and California. This is partly because of the increasing complexity and size of fracked wells. For example one technique, horizontal drilling, involves wells that stretch thousands of feet sideways, not just downward. In the Permian Basin, average well length grew to more than 10,000 feet in the first nine months of 2022, compared with less than 4,000 feet in 2010, federal data shows. It is because water is so fundamental to fracking that the longer wells typically require far more water. Water comes up A single fracked oil or gas well can use millions of gallons of water. 50 ft. Water goes back down Water mixed with chemicals is forced underground at high pressure, fracturing the rock. Water comes up again Contaminated water (along with oil or gas) flows back to the surface. Groundwater well Fracking well GROUNDWATER AQUIFER Water comes up A single fracked oil or gas well can use millions of gallons of water. 50 ft. Water goes back down Water mixed with chemicals is forced underground at high pressure, fracturing the rock. Water comes up again Contaminated water (along with oil or gas) flows back to the surface. Groundwater well Fracking well GROUNDWATER AQUIFER Water comes up A single fracked oil or gas well can use millions of gallons of water, often from aquifers. 50 ft. Water goes back down Water mixed with chemicals is forced underground at high pressure, fracturing the rock. Water comes up again Contaminated water (along with oil or gas) flows back to the surface. Fracking well GROUNDWATER Water comes up A single fracked oil or gas well can use millions of gallons of water, often from aquifers. 50 ft. Water goes back down Water mixed with chemicals is forced underground at high pressure, fracturing the rock. Water comes up again Contaminated water (along with oil or gas) flows back to the surface. Fracking well GROUNDWATER Water comes up A single fracked oil or gas well can use millions of gallons of water, often from aquifers. 50 ft. Water goes back down Water mixed with chemicals is forced underground at high pressure, fracturing the rock. Water comes up again Contaminated water (along with oil or gas) flows back to the surface. Fracking well GROUNDWATER By Eleanor Lutz As the easier-to-extract areas are tapped to their full potential, you need to use more and more desperate measures, said A.J. Kondash, an environmental scientist at RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, who has studied frackings water use. The problem is actually two-fold. Fracking companies are pulling more water out of the ground, and then, after the fracking process, they must treat or dispose of millions of gallons of contaminated water, removing it from the natural water cycle. Some companies are making strides in reusing that fracking wastewater to drill for more oil and gas, but its a small percentage. In the sprawling Permian Basin in Texas, the largest oil field in the country, just 15 percent of water used for fracking is recycled water, according to state estimates. The Times based its water-use analysis on data from FracFocus, a registry of chemicals used in fracking that is operated by two national associations of state agencies, the Groundwater Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. In 27 states, companies report the data to FracFocus. That data revealed surging water use even though the numbers, which are self-reported by industry, are sometimes incomplete. Note: The Times analyzed water use by 20 of the companies that have the largest fracking well counts nationwide. Listed here are the Top 5 major companies by median volume of water used per frack. Source: FracFocus chemical disclosure database as of Aug. 1, 2023 Dan Yates, executive director of the Groundwater Protection Council, pointed out that the two agencies that run FracFocus have no regulatory authority. The onus is on individual states, he said, to make sure operators disclose timely and accurate data. Rystad Energy, an energy research company, estimated that about 6 to 9 percent of fracked wells dont get reported to FracFocus. Of course, water use by energy industries isnt limited to fracking. Water is important in oil refining and the cooling of power plants, and also plays a role in the mining of lithium and other minerals essential in the transition to cleaner energy. Oil companies say the industry uses substantial amounts of brackish water not suitable for drinking, though there is little systematic tracking of how much. They also say that drilling fewer, longer wells reduces environmental disruption at ground level. Fracking wastewater tanks near Big Wells, Texas. Sergio Flores for The New York Times A groundwater monitoring well in Carrizo Springs. Sergio Flores for The New York Times Industry groups also stress that oil and gas production uses a small fraction of the water required by other activities, like irrigated agriculture. But researchers at Colorado State University who compared water used for fracking in oil- and gas-producing states between 2011 and 2020 found that, under arid conditions, frackers could use more water than irrigation. In La Salle for instance, under arid conditions, fracking used more water than irrigation and local homes and businesses combined. Fracking activity, they found, responded to oil prices, and seemed largely unresponsive to droughts or water restrictions. Compounding the problem, about a quarter of Texas operates under rules that let landowners pump as much water on their property as they like, regardless of consequences to neighbors. In Texas, if you own the surface, you own everything to the center of the earth, said Mr. Martin of the Wintergarden water district. THE HUNT FOR WATER Mario Atencios home abuts a fracking site. Sharon Chischilly for The New York Times The letter from an oil company arrived for Mario Atencios family in 2013, promising riches in exchange for a lease to drill near their home in northwestern New Mexico. Then, Enduring Resources, the Denver-based oil and gas company that ultimately acquired the lease, started to drill. Workers dug a water well near the area where his family raises livestock, tapping into the groundwater that had long sustained the grazing land the Atencios use to raise goats and sheep. They came in and they put in water pipelines. Huge pools filled with water, Mr. Atencio said. We thought, Is this our water? How much water are they tapping? Mr. Atencio, a leader in the local Navajo Nation Chapter, is now part of the coalition of tribes and environmental organizations that in May sued New Mexico alleging that the state had failed to protect its residents from the harms of fracking. A substantial portion of their complaint focuses on the strain that oil and gas development places on freshwater in New Mexico, one of the nations most water-stressed states. Were facing some of the worst years of drought in the last 1,200 years, said Julia Bernal of the Pueblo Action Alliance, an Indigenous organization that is a party to the lawsuit. Yet energy companies were building water pipelines to serve fracking sites, she said. There are a lot of families that live in the region that dont have access to running water. New Mexico said it vigorously disagrees with the lawsuits allegations and was proud of its work regulating oil and gas. Enduring Resources didnt respond to requests for comment. Mr. Atencio: We thought, Is this our water? How much water are they tapping? Sharon Chischilly for The New York Times A gas well near the Atencio home. Sharon Chischilly for The New York Times Across the country, investments like these in water for oil and gas wells, pipelines and even water distribution companies are extensive and spreading. In Colorado, the energy exploration companies Anadarko and Noble Energy have invested tens of millions of dollars in freshwater pipelines and have created companies to sell and distribute water for fracking. In 2020, Chevron acquired Noble Energy, together with its water business, in a transaction worth more than $13 billion. When Kevin Chan moved to Colorado from California last year, to a neighborhood on the banks of the Aurora Reservoir, he said he was surprised to learn that more than 150 horizontal fracked wells were planned in the region around the reservoir. The wells would potentially require a total of 3.9 billion gallons of freshwater from a local water district and other sources, according to the energy company behind the project, Denver-based Civitas. Concerned about the water use and risk of oil spills, he formed a community group, Save the Aurora Reservoir, to oppose the plan. In moving to Colorado, I was drawn to the proximity to the mountains, being able to go snowboarding, Mr. Chan said. I didnt expect to go up against a multibillion dollar industry. Rich Coolidge, a spokesman for Civitas, said several thousand feet of rock separated the Aurora reservoir from oil and gas production. He said the company was working with local water providers that sell surplus supply, but declined to give details. Some local governments are starting to take action. In 2020, New Mexico halted sales of water supplies to oil and gas companies fracking on state land. This year, Colorado passed a bill requiring frackers to greatly increase their reuse of fracking wastewater. In May, Texas passed a bill designed to find more uses for fracking wastewater. But cleaning up that wastewater, which contains hazardous chemicals, is costly and energy-intensive. Even if frackers were able to re-use their treated wastewater for all their production, the industry estimates it would still generate hundreds of millions of gallons of excess every day. And the diversion of fracking wastewater to other uses, whether for agriculture or to mist roadways in order to keep down the dust, remains contentious because of safety concerns. So, in states like Texas, it remains cheaper to use groundwater. Mr. Martin, the rancher and farmer who heads the Wintergarden water district, doesnt fault energy companies for that. He himself irrigates his cantaloupe fields using groundwater. Still, as he contemplated a future of ever-dwindling aquifers, he struck a somber tone. If the water goes away, the whole community goes away, he said. Produced by Claire O'Neill, Matt McCann and Umi Syam. Edited by Jesse Pesta and Douglas Alteen. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) Recruitment 2023 https://career.webindia123.com/career/dates_and_events/entrance/bank-tests/tamilnad-mercantile-bank-tmb-recruitment.htm Details of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) Recruitment 2023 2023-9-25 2023-9-30 https://career.webindia123.com/career/images/exams.png India India Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) Recruitment 2023 Banking Recruitment in Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) Category : Banking Recruitment 2023 Published : On September 25, 2023 By Webindia123 Editor Important Dates to Remember Opening date for Registering Online E-application 22nd September 2021 Closing date for Registering Online E-application 3rd October 2021 Last Date for Submission of Hard copy of Online Application 3rd October 2021 Recruitment of Agricultural Officer Educational Qualification : Degree in Agriculture with 50% minimum marks Specialisations such as Horticulture/ Animal Husbandry/ Veterinary Science/ Dairy Science/Agriculture Engineering from recognized university will be additional preference. Experience: Atleast 3 years experience in relevant field. Age : Not exceeding 30 years as on 31.05.2021. Selection: The candidates will be called to appear for interview. The Venue, Date and Time for interview will be communicated to the eligible candidates individually. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Chartered Accountant Educational Qualification : Chartered Accountant Experience : 3 years & above working experience in a Banking/FIs/Foreign/reputed investment Bank preferably in processing corporate proposals, project appraisal/Risk Management/Treasury/ Foreign Exchange/ Merchant Banking etc. Age : Not more than 35 years as on 31.05.2021. Selection: The candidates will be called to appear for interview. The Venue, Date and Time for interview will be communicated to the eligible candidates individually. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Database Administrator Educational Qualification : B.E / B.Tech. in Computer Science / Electronics / Electrical or MCA or M.Sc (Maths / Physics) with Diploma in Computer Applications from a reputed University with 60 % marks. Experience : 3 years experience in Enterprise wide Data Base Management or areas related to Data Base Administration in a large organization. The candidate should also be proficient in Oracle DBA Functions and SQL and should have undergone formal advanced DBA training programme from a reputed institution. Preference will be given to candidates with certification in Oracle and familiar with IBM-AIX Age : Not more than 35 years as on 31.05.2021. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Data Center Administrator Educational Qualification : B.E / B.Tech. in Computer Science / IT / Electrical / Electronics MCA or M.Sc (Maths / Physics) with Diploma in Computer Applications from a reputed University with mimimum of 60 % marks. Experience :The candidates need to have minimum 3 years experience in IT related areas in a large commercial organisation. Preference will be given to candidates with certification in Oracle and familiar with IBM-AIX Age : Not more than 35 years as on 31.05.2021. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Hardware Maintenanace/ System Administrator Educational Qualification : B.E / B.Tech. in Computer Science / Electronics / Electrical or MCA or M.Sc (Maths / Physics) with Diploma in Computer Applications from a reputed University with 60 % marks. Experience :The candidates need to have minimum 3 years experience in IT related areas in a large commercial organisation. Preference will be given to candidates having Microsoft / IBM-AIX Certification. Age : Not more than 35 years as on 31.05.2021. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Law Officers Educational Qualification : A Graduate or Post Graduate in Law with atleast 50 % marks. Experience : Practicing as an Advocate for a period of not less than 4 years in civil/DRT cases. Persons having work experience in a Bank or financial Institution for atleast 2 years as an officer in legal department will be given preference. Age : Not more than 35 years as on 31.05.2021. Selection: The candidates will be called to appear for interview. The Venue, Date and Time for interview will be communicated to the eligible candidates individually. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Marketing Officers Educational Qualification : First Class Arts/Commerce graduates with First Class Post Graduation in Marketing/Finance in regular college course. Experience : In any private/public sector bank with at least 5 years experience, of which, 2 years in Scale I cadre. Experience in Marketing area will be an added advantage. Age : Not exceeding 40 years as on 31.05.2021. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Network Administrator Educational Qualification : B.E / B.Tech. in Computer Science / IT / Electrical / Electronics from a reputed University with minimum of 60% marks. Experience : CCNA/CCNP certification with minimum 2 years Networking experience or 3 years experience in CISCO Routers, Firewalls and Switches are preferred. Age : Not more than 35 years as on 31.05.2021. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Recruitment of Probationary Assistant Managers Educational Qualification : A Post Graduate degree holder with First Class from a recognised University in regular college course with knowledge in Computer Operations Age : Maximum: 26 years as on 31.05.2021. Selection: The candidates should appear for an ONLINE Objective Type Examination with centres at Tamilnadu and Mumbai. The date, Time and Venue of Online Examination will be communicated to the eligible candidates individually by post/email. After evaluation, on the basis of the Online Test, candidates will be short listed for a personal interview in the order of merit. Detail Advertisement Link : www.tmbnet.in Contact Details Address : The General Manager, Human Resources Development Department, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd., Head Office, # 57, V. E. Road, Thoothukudi 628 002. Website : www.tmbnet.in Find it Useful ? Help Others by Sharing Online Comments and Discussions Police in the Mexican state of Coahuila recently arrested a knife-wielding Chucky doll and its ventriloquist owner for terrorizing people in the streets for money. Chucky the red-haired murderous doll possessed by the spirit of a serial killer is one of the most terrifying movie characters in history. Hes an iconic character whose chilling smile has terrorized generations around the world, so it really doesnt come as a total surprise that someone used a Chucky doll to scare people into giving them money. It happened in Monclova, a town in the Mexican state of Coahuila, where a man identified only as Carlos N. started manipulating a large Chucky doll like a ventriloquist and terrorizing people on the street into giving him money. When police were alerted about a Chucky doll assaulting people, officers were dispatched to the scene, where they encountered a man carrying a big red-headed doll which happened to be carrying a real knife. Both were detained and handcuffed, as you can see in the photos that subsequently went viral on social media. Apparently, the ventriloquist tested positive for drugs as well. Because the female police officer posed for photos with the Chucky doll and placed handcuffs on it at the suggestion of journalists, she is currently being investigated for not having taken her job seriously enough. Carlos N. was released after spending a night in jail, as his was considered an administrative offense. No updates on Chucky, though 21-year-old Brooke Bruk-Jackson was crowned Miss Universe Zimbabwe, which means she will represent the African nation at the next Miss Universe pageant. Held for the first time in 22 years this past week, the Miss Universe Zimbabwe beauty contest sparked racial controversy in the African country, with many claiming that the winner is not an accurate representation of Zimbabwes general population. Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwes capital city, Brooke Bruk-Jackson is also white, which for many is apparently a problem. Her crowning as Miss Universe Zimbabwe ignited a fiery debate on social media, with vocal critics arguing that her title is tainted by racial bias, and that she only won because she is white. All those beautiful melanated women, and you telling me the European woman won a contest for Black people? one outraged Twitter wrote. Im not supporting this at all and Im not here to argue with [anybody]. Black people should learn to love and respect themselves stop sending a white girl to represent Zimbabwe, someone else wrote on Instagram. Miss Universe Zimbabwe is the national preliminary event through which the countrys representative to the Miss Universe pageant is selected. Contestants represent the 10 provinces of the nation of Zimbabwe and include Zimbabwean nationals living in the diaspora. Brooke is actually the second white woman to win a national African beauty pageant this year, after Miss South Africa, but her win is considered more controversial due to Zimbabwes deeply divided racial landscape, stemming from its history of land reform and the subsequent exodus of white inhabitants. Some people found it strange that, as the only white woman out of the 25 contestants, Brooke Bruk-Jackson was named the winner. Coyne PR is partnering with StarKist to drive awareness and trial of the companys portfolio of protein products, including tuna, salmon and chicken. Coyne will lead the brands public relations and influencer efforts, working collaboratively with the brands integrated agency partners in advertising, paid media, social media and e-commerce. The PR outreach will rely on a more prominent role for StarKist mascot Charlie the Tuna. "StarKists partnership with Coyne Public Relations represents our dedication to addressing our brand's evolving needs through innovative PR and influencer outreach, said StarKist head of corporate affairs and government relations Michelle Ford Faist. LDPR signs on to work with the family-owned Hotel Las Torres Patagonia in Chile, which has offered environmentally-conscious hospitality for more than 30 years. The agency will be overseeing all PR programming, including print and digital media relations, influencer and brand partnerships and media visit programs. Located in a natural and cultural reserve in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, the brand's environmental commitment led to the establishment of the AMA Torres del Paine NGO in 2004, dedicated to conservation, research and education. The park is open from January to April and October to December. Firecracker PR is selected as agency of record for strategic communications and media relations by Atlas Lithium Corp. The agency will work to raise the profile of the companys exploration project for lithium and other battery materials. Atlas is a U.S.-based mineral exploration company with the largest size and breadth of exploration projects for strategic minerals in Brazil, a premier mineral jurisdiction. CA Wants to Hike Awareness of OCal Cannabis Seal Wed., Nov. 1, 2023 The California Department of Food and Agriculture plans to hire a firm for an education and outreach campaign to create awareness of the OCal seal on commercial cannabis products. Offaly has been included in a new Met Eireann warning for Storm Agnes which is due to make landfall in Ireland on Wednesday. Storm Agnes has been named by the UK Met Office but will batter Ireland on Wednesday before making its way over the UK. It will bring strong winds and heavy rain to many areas. The first Status Yellow wind warning issued by Met Eireann covers Leinster and Munster and warns of conditions becoming "very windy on Wednesday with very strong and gusty southerly winds, veering westerly later on." The warning is valid from 7am on Wednesday until midnight the same day. Met Eireann warns potential impacts included coastal flooding, difficult travel conditions, power outages and some fallen trees. A separate Status Yellow rain warning has been issued for Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry and Waterford, also for Wednesday. This warning too is valid from 7am to midnight. Met Eireann warns heavy rain will lead to difficult travel conditions, localised flooding and poor visibility. Forecasters have also said further updates to warnings will follow and they may be upgraded. Press Release September 25, 2023 HONTIVEROS: USE RICE TARIFF COLLECTIONS AS CASH AID TO FILIPINO FAMILIES Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday voiced concerns against the proposed reduction in rice import tariffs. Contrary to the Department of Finance's stance that lower tariffs would guarantee affordable rice for Filipino households, she argued that such a move could prove detrimental to the agricultural sector and, ultimately, to consumers. "Don't lower the tariffs. Instead, let's work towards a solution that benefits both consumers and our hard working farmers. Local farmers depend on fair prices to sustain their livelihoods, especially in the face of recent challenges such as severe flooding and the looming El Nino," Hontiveros said. Drawing from the 2008-2009 rice price crisis, in which high rice prices led to increased production in many countries, Senator Hontiveros urged bolstering support for local farmers in terms of technology, seeds, and fertilizers, like many of the countries in 2008 did. "If rice tariffs remain at 35 percent, higher prices will encourage more local production. While a fever is usually not a positive sign, it is believed to stimulate the body's cells to work faster, including those that combat illness," she stated. To aid consumers, Hontiveros proposed to leverage the rice import tariffs that the DOF is willing to forego as a one-time cash transfer to benefit low-income families and the lower-middle class, while the prices are still high. This approach ensures that rice remains affordable for the less fortunate 50 percent of Filipinos. "We have an opportunity here to collect and employ these rice import tariffs to provide much-needed cash assistance to millions of Filipino households. With 12 billion pesos, for example, we could extend assistance to an additional six million families on top of the 4 million 4Ps families already receiving rice allowances," Senator Hontiveros said. She stressed that some of the revenues from rice import tariffs, plus other windfall revenues such as petroleum excise taxes, could serve as a valuable resource to reinforce financial assistance programs. "Each family could receive 2,000 pesos, equivalent to a 15-peso reduction for every two kilograms of rice they purchase daily. This assistance could be sustained for the next four months, offering considerable relief to struggling families," she added. Senator Hontiveros further pointed out that raising the ability of consumers to pay for costly rice would drive importers to increase supply to meet the demand that local production could not, thus mitigating any concerns about supply shortages. This strategy also eliminates the need to allocate the National Food Authority (NFA) budget for rice import deals with countries like Vietnam, allowing these funds to be used solely for local procurement to build up the required buffer. "Utilizing rice import tariffs offers a win-win solution for consumers and the agricultural sector. Matutulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan na bumili pa rin ng bigas kahit mahal ito, habang sinisigurado nating sakto lang ang imports, hindi malulugi at hindi titigil ang ating mga magsasaka sa pagtatanim. This will not only benefit Filipino families but also promote a sustainable, balanced rice market in the long term," she concluded. HONTIVEROS: TARIPA SA BIGAS, GAMITIN BILANG AYUDA Nagpahayag ng pangamba si Senador Risa Hontiveros laban sa panukalang pagbabawas sa mga taripa sa pag-import ng bigas. Taliwas sa paninindigan ng Department of Finance na magiging abot-kaya ang bigas kung ibababa ang taripa, sinabi ni Hontiveros na ang hakbang na ito ay maaaring makapinsala sa sektor ng agrikultura at sa mga mamimili. "Don't lower the tariffs. Instead, let's work towards a solution that benefits both consumers and our hard working farmers. Local farmers depend on fair prices to sustain their livelihoods, especially in the face of recent challenges such as severe flooding and the looming El Nino," ani Hontiveros. Hinimok ni Hontiveros na mas pag-ibayuhin ang suporta sa ating mga magsasaka pagdating sa teknolohiya, binhi, at abono gaya ng ginawa ng maraming mga bansa noong 2008-2009 rice crisis kung saan humantong ang mataas na presyo ng bigas sa pagtaas ng produksyon sa ibang mga bansa. "If rice tariffs remain at 35 percent, higher prices will encourage more local production. While a fever is usually not a positive sign, it is believed to stimulate the body's cells to work faster, including those that combat illness," ani Hontiveros. Upang tulungan naman ang mga mamimili, iminungkahi ni Hontiveros na gamitin ang mga taripa sa pag-import ng bigas bilang one-time cash transfer habang mataas pa rin ang presyo ng bigas upang makinabang ang mga pamilyang mababa ang kita at ang lower-middle class. Sa ganitong paraan, mananatiling abot-kaya ang bigas para sa mga mahihirap na mga Pilipino. "We have an opportunity here to collect and employ these rice import tariffs to provide much-needed cash assistance to millions of Filipino households. With 12 billion pesos, for example, we could extend assistance to an additional six million families on top of the 4 million 4Ps families already receiving rice allowances," ayon kay Hontiveros. Binigyang-diin niya na ang kita mula sa mga taripa sa pag-import ng bigas, kasama ang iba pang mga windfall revenues tulad ng excise taxes ng petrolyo, ay maaaring mapagkukunan ng pondo para sa ayuda. "Each family could receive 2,000 pesos, equivalent to a 15-peso reduction for every two kilograms of rice they purchase daily. This assistance could be sustained for the next four months, offering considerable relief to struggling families," dagdag niya. Ipinunto pa ni Hontiveros na ang pag-angat ng kakayahan ng mga mamimili na magbayad ng mahal na bigas ay magtutulak sa mga importer na dagdagan ang suplay upang matugunan ang pangangailangan na hindi kayang gawin ng lokal na produksyon, kaya't maibsan ang anumang alalahanin tungkol sa kakulangan ng suplay. Hindi na rin kailangang maglaan ng National Food Authority (NFA) ng badyet para sa pag-import ng bigas sa mga bansang tulad ng Vietnam, at gamitin na lang ang mga pondong ito para sa local procurement upang mapunan ang kinakailangang buffer. "Utilizing rice import tariffs offers a win-win solution for consumers and the agricultural sector. Matutulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan na bumili pa rin ng bigas kahit mahal ito, habang sinisigurado nating sakto lang ang imports, hindi malulugi at hindi titigil ang ating mga magsasaka sa pagtatanim. This will not only benefit Filipino families but also promote a sustainable, balanced rice market in the long term," pagtatapos ni Hontiveros. Bengaluru Bandh On Sep 26, Entire Karnataka Shut Down On Sep 29 Bengaluru oi-Prakash KL Karnataka is set for two bandhs in a span of a week in protest against the release of 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. While there will be a bandh Bengaluru on Tuesday, the entire Karnataka will come to a standstill on Friday (September 29) on the same issue. Bengaluru Bandh (September 26) The official call for shutdown in Bengaluru was given on Saturday by farmers and pro-Kannada outfits observing 'Mandya Bandh.' The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had on Monday directed Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days, after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) made such a recommendation last week. Bengaluru Bandh On Sep 26: Will Schools, IT Companies Be Shut Over Cauvery Issue? The Supreme Court had also refused to interfere with orders of the CWMA and CWRC directing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, following which protests erupted in different parts of the state. Support The private and public transport unions announced their support for a Bengaluru bandh. KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation has also urged the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) employees not to ply buses from dawn to dusk. The Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association, comprising 32 private transport organizations, announced its participation in the Bengaluru bandh. This move is expected to impact the transportation of school vans, cabs, autos, and airport taxis. However, the federation emphasized that its members have the autonomy to decide which trips to undertake, avoid, or cease operations altogether. Ola, Uber Drivers and Owners Association has announced support for Bengaluru bandh. "There will be no compromise when it comes to land, language, and water. Without any second thoughts, we support the bandh," Hindustan Times quoted President Tanveer Pasha, as saying. A leading private schools association has urged the Karnataka government to declare a holiday over the Bengaluru bandh, keeping the safety of the students in mind. It has expressed concern over the disruptions during the examination season and asked the state government to take a call on the issue. "Private schools' association supports the protests and will participate in our way in the movement. However, based on the situation, we are asking the government to use its discretionary powers to declare a holiday, where necessary," Times of India quoted Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Association of Management of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka, as saying. Who All Are Supporting Bengaluru Bandh On September 26? "Usually, a call to declare a holiday is taken by the respective district administration. We do not do it at the state level," said Cauvery B, commissioner, department of school education and literacy. Friday Bandh (September 29) The Karnataka bandh scheduled for Friday was initiated by pro-Kannada groups during a demonstration organized by the president of Kannada Chaluvali, Vatal Nagaraj, in Bengaluru on Sunday. Expressing solidarity with the Bengaluru bandh, Nagaraj mentioned that a gathering of all participating organizations is planned for Monday to determine the course of action for the statewide Karnataka bandh. Addressing the media on Monday, he said, "Everyone will support the bandh. We will protest in front of the Raj Bhavan. We will block national highways and airports. Buses, taxis, and autos will support the bandh," he said. However, he has withdrawn the support for the Bengaluru bandh on Tuesday. However, it is unclear whether the court will permit two bandhs in a week. What's Closed? Bus services on the both days are expected to be closed. Cab services will remain off roads between 6 am and 6 pm. Most schools will remain closed. Hotel, restaurants will remain closed. What's Open? Namma Metro service will remain open. Medical shops and hospitals. Goods carrying vehicles and other emergency services. Bengaluru Bandh On September 26: Will KSRTC And BMTC Be Available? Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru Bandh Today: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Staff and Workers Federation have expressed their support for the Bengaluru Bandh called by pro-Kannada groups, political organisations, and farmers' associations in protest of the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. This support is expected to disrupt KSRTC services on September 26. Meanwhile, the Ola Uber drivers and owners association has announced their withdrawal of support from the Bengaluru Bandh scheduled for Tuesday. Due to severe drought conditions in over 195 taluks in the state and inadequate water in reservoirs, it is not feasible to release 5,000 cusecs of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu daily, as per a statement from the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation. They have urged employees not to operate any buses in the city from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on September 26. The statement from the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation explained that the agitation in the Cauvery region has prompted the call for a Bengaluru Bandh on September 26. The federation fully supports this bandh and has called on all employees to make it successful by refraining from operating buses during the specified hours. Karnataka Bandh On September 29: Will Cabs Be Available? Will Theaters And Restaurants Be Open? What's Closed and What's Open in Bengaluru on September 26: Closed: KSRTC buses Shops, factories likely to be hit Schools and colleges announced holiday Movie theaters Open: Private cab services (Ola and Uber) Restaurants and hotels Namma Metro services without disruptions Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus services will not be affected. Emergency services, including ambulances, pharma vehicles, hospitals, and medical stores The call for the Bandh on September 26 was initiated by the Karnataka Water Conservation Committee president, Kurubur Shanthakumar, and has garnered support from various sectors, including driver unions and restaurant associations. It is a protest against the Karnataka government's decision to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Bengaluru Bandh On September 26: Are Liquor or Alcohol Shops Closed? Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru Bandh: In the midst of widespread protests throughout Karnataka opposing the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, two bandh calls have been scheduled for this week. The first is set to occur in Bengaluru tomorrow i.e September 26, while the second will result in a statewide shutdown on Friday. The announcement for the statewide Karnataka shutdown on September 29 was made by the 'Kannada Okkuta' group, spearheaded by prominent Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj. This decision follows the call for a shutdown in Bengaluru on Tuesday, initiated by the 'Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti. The Bengaluru bandh on September 26, 2023, is being called by pro-farmer and pro-Kannada organizations to protest the Karnataka government's decision to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The protest march will begin at 11 am at Town Hall and end at Freedom Park. However, there is uncertainty regarding which services will continue operating and which will be suspended on Tuesday in Bengaluru due to a split in support for the bandh. Are liquor shops open or closed during the Bengaluru bandh on September 26, 2023? Liquor shops are unlikely to be closed during the Bengaluru bandh on September 26, 2023. Closed: Schools and colleges. Most offices, with employees working from home (Walmart and Google issued notices to their employees to stay home). State buses will not ply in Bengaluru. Open: Hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru (Hotel Owners' Association withdrew their support). Namma Metro services will operate as usual. Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Association withdrew their support for Tuesday's bandh and will participate in Friday's statewide bandh. State-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will take a decision after assessing the law and order situation. Meanwhile, it is important that commuters be informed through reliable news sources for any updates regarding the bandh situation. The Cauvery river is a major source of water for both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and there has been a long-standing dispute between the two states over water sharing. Bengaluru Bandh: Police Deny Permission, Section 144 Imposed To Ensure Peace Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda on Monday said that the Bengaluru Bandh scheuled on Tuesday, i.e September 26 would not be permitted, and this decision had been conveyed to the organisers. Farmers union said that Bengaluru Bandh will be in place from 6 am to 6 pm on September 26. Speaking at a press conference, he announced that prohibitory orders would be enforced from midnight on Monday until midnight on Tuesday. Dayananda emphasized that, due to the implementation of CrPC Section 144, no more than five individuals would be allowed to assemble in public areas in Bengaluru. He added, "In accordance with various Supreme Court and High Court judgments, no shutdowns are allowed. We have put in place all the necessary security measures." The Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samithi, a collective of pro-farmer and other groups, had called for a city-wide shutdown in Bengaluru on Tuesday to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Bengaluru Bandh On September 26: Are Schools, Colleges Closed Tomorrow? Will Exams Be Held? The Commissioner stated that if any unfortunate incidents or damage to public property were to occur, the organisers would be held responsible. "This has been communicated to the organisers. The matter has also been brought before the High Court. We have already informed the organisers that the Bengaluru Bandh cannot proceed on Tuesday. Our officers have covered all sensitive areas." Meanwhile, several associations have withdrawn their support for the shutdown. Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, who had been advocating for a Karnataka Bandh, stated that he would not endorse the protest on Tuesday. He informed reporters, "On September 29, the national highways will be closed, and we will also attempt to shut down the airport. I want to reiterate that none of the pro-Kannada outfits present here will support the shutdown on Tuesday. However, there will be a statewide shutdown on September 29." Various associations that had initially expressed support for the shutdown called by the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti, Kuruburu Shanthakumar, stated that they would participate in the protest on September 29. Leaders of the Ola, Uber Drivers' and Owners' Association, the Adarsh Auto and Taxi Drivers' Union, and the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association confirmed their withdrawal of support for the Tuesday shutdown. Activist Nagaraj explained, "There is a distinction between the Bengaluru shutdown and the Karnataka shutdown. We requested them to hold the protest jointly on Friday, but they did not heed our requests. Consequently, we will not support the shutdown tomorrow." Meanwhile, the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) confirmed that the Bengaluru Bandh would proceed on Tuesday. "'Mukyamantri' Chandru, state unit president of AAP, stated, "On behalf of the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti and AAP, we have called for a shutdown on Tuesday." He added, "From Town Hall to Mysore Bank or to Freedom Park, we will hold a protest march and submit a plea to the government to halt the supply of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu." Bengaluru Bandh: What's Affected? Schools and colleges in the city will be closed. The Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) has expressed its support for the shutdown. However, students and parents are advised to contact their respective schools and teachers for updates on school closures. The Karnataka State Travel Operators Association and the Karnataka State Motorists Association (KSMA) have also backed the shutdown. According to the latest information, private cabs, taxis, bike taxis, and autorickshaws will not be operating during the Bangalore Shutdown on Tuesday, September 26. Bengaluru Bandh: What Remains Operational? The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has confirmed that Namma Metro will continue to operate seamlessly in the city to assist commuters. There will be no interruptions on any metro line. Furthermore, essential services such as hospitals, pharmacies, and vehicles associated with medical services, ambulances, transportation of pharmaceutical products, and essential goods will remain in operation. Karnataka Bandh On September 29: Will Cabs Be Available? Will Theaters And Restaurants Be Open? Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal Karnataka Bandh: Pro-Kannada organisations, under the leadership of the Kannada Chaluvali group, have declared Karnataka Bandh on Friday, September 29, in opposition to the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The former MLA Vatal Nagaraj, who also heads the Kannada Chaluvali, issued the call for the statewide shutdown. During a press conference, Vatal Nagaraj firmly stated their commitment to the shutdown on September 29, expressing confidence in widespread support. He announced plans to stage protests in front of the Raj Bhavan, block national highways and disrupt airport operations. Buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws are expected to join the shutdown. Nagaraj emphasized that this would be an all-encompassing statewide shutdown, affecting all districts. Vatal Nagaraj also withdrew support for the Bengaluru shutdown scheduled for September 26, although it remains uncertain whether the courts will permit a second shutdown within the same week. Meanwhile, the Ola Uber drivers and owners association has announced their withdrawal of support from the Bengaluru Bandh scheduled for Tuesday. They have also urged the government to disclose a list of individuals with criminal records (rowdy sheeters) if cab drivers face attacks from protesters on Tuesday. Bengaluru Bandh On Sep 26, Entire Karnataka Shut Down On Sep 29 Tanveer Pasha, President of the Ola Uber Drivers' and Owners' Association, explained, "Following a meeting, it was decided that a statewide shutdown will be organised. Therefore, we have opted to participate in the statewide shutdown and have withdrawn from the Bengaluru shutdown as it's impractical to partake in both events." Trade unions and various farmer groups have called for a shutdown in the state capital of Bengaluru on Tuesday, demanding that the state government refrain from releasing water to Tamil Nadu. This shutdown will lead to the closure of schools and colleges in Bengaluru, and it is expected that shops, factories, and transportation services will not operate on that day. The long-standing dispute over Cauvery water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has been a recurring issue for years. The recent protests were triggered by the directive of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT), which ordered the Karnataka government to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. However, the Congress-led Karnataka government maintains that there is no available water to release to Tamil Nadu and contends that a distress formula is absent. Will Namma Metro Services Be Available to the Public? Despite the bandh, Namma Metro services, operated by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), will continue to run as usual. Will Banks Stay Open? Currently, there is no information regarding the closure of banks within the city. Bengaluru Bandh On September 26 Over Cauvery Issue: What's Open And Closed? Are Hospitals Operating During the Bandh? Despite the restrictions, vital services such as hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, and government offices will remain open. However, both the government-operated Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have expressed their support for the bandh and will suspend their services. Can People Access Theatres and Restaurants? The Kannada film industry has shown its support for the bandh, which implies that movie theaters in the city are expected to remain closed. While restaurants have extended their moral support for the bandh, they are classified as essential services and will remain open on Tuesday. Big Cat On The Loose: Leopard Spotted Yet Again Near IT Park In Kudlu, Residents Panic What Did Siddaramaiah Say About The Karnataka And Bengaluru Bandh? Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal With protests escalating over the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and Bengaluru Bandh being declared on the issue, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated on Monday that his government would not suppress these demonstrations. He emphasized the need to maintain peace. The Chief Minister also pledged that the state government would present its case more vigorously before the Supreme Court when the matter next comes up for hearing. He affirmed the government's commitment to safeguard the state's interests. While some farmers' organisations have called for a 'Bengaluru bandh' on Tuesday in protest of the Cauvery issue, various Kannada groups, led by Kannada activists Vatal Nagaraj under the banner 'Kannada Okkuta,' have declared a statewide bandh on September 29. Karnataka Bandh On September 29: Will Cabs Be Available? Will Theaters And Restaurants Be Open? Siddaramaiah explained, "We had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Regulation Committee. The court rejected our petition, as it did Tamil Nadu's. They initially requested 24,000 cusecs, then reduced it to 7,200 cusecs, but we insisted we couldn't even provide 5,000 cusecs due to the lack of water." He further stated, "The Supreme Court did not accept our position, and the matter is scheduled for September 26. We will present our case more forcefully." When asked about protests and bandhs regarding the Cauvery issue, the CM clarified that in a democracy, the government does not restrict such activities but accused the BJP and JD(S) of politicizing the matter. Regarding calls from the BJP and JD(S) for the government's resignation, Siddaramaiah said they were engaged in politics and had not made such demands during the all-party meeting. The Supreme Court on September 21 declined to interfere with the order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority, which endorsed the directions of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee for Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from September 13. Karnataka has argued that it cannot release water due to its own requirements for drinking water and irrigation in the Cauvery basin, owing to a scarcity of water caused by deficient monsoon rains. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar stressed that the government's priority is to protect the state's land, water, and language, and it would not try to restrict protests. He underlined the importance of maintaining peace and not inconveniencing the public during protests. Shivakumar added that protests are a democratic right and should not be curtailed. He also cautioned that calls for bandhs should be made after considering court orders, as they may have legal consequences. Bengaluru Bandh On September 26 Over Cauvery Issue: What's Open And Closed? He mentioned that there have been slight improvements in inflow due to recent rains, but releasing more water in the future would be challenging. The government has explored the possibility of cloud seeding, but the situation remains difficult. Shivakumar noted that there might be a lack of consensus among organizations regarding the bandh calls, and the government would not interfere in these decisions. He emphasized the government's responsibility to protect the state's interests and the need for public cooperation for any bandh to have an impact. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 25, 2023, 16:39 [IST] Bengaluru Bandh Today: Section 144 Imposed, No Nod for Protest | 10 Points India oi-Madhuri Adnal A day before the first bandh in Karnataka this week over the Cauvery water sharing issue, the Bengaluru police have denied permission for any bandh, protest, or demonstration. They have also imposed Section 144 across the city, which prohibits gatherings of more than five people. The 12-hour bandh scheduled for September 26, from 6 am to 6 pm, has been called for by a farmers' organization, with support from opposition parties. Another statewide bandh related to the same issue is planned for September 29. Here are the updates on two bandhs in Karnataka: The Bengaluru bandh on September 26 is organised by 'Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti,' a coalition of farmers' associations and various organizations led by farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar. The statewide bandh on September 29 is called by 'Kannada Okkuta,' led by Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj. Kannada Okkuta is not endorsing the Bengaluru bandh on Tuesday. They proposed postponing the Bengaluru bandh to Friday and conducting it statewide, but the organizers of the Tuesday bandh proceeded, claiming they had sufficient support. Both bandhs protest the same issue - the Karnataka government's decision to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The confusion surrounding the Bengaluru bandh pertains to which services will be open or closed on Tuesday, given the division over who supports the bandh. Schools and colleges will remain closed, and most offices have instructed their employees to work from home. Walmart and Google have asked their employees not to come to the office on Tuesday. The Hotel Owners' Association has withdrawn support for the Bengaluru bandh, so hotels and restaurants will remain open. Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus services will not be affected. Metro services too will be available as usual. Auto and taxi unions in Bengaluru are fully supporting the bandh, which may inconvenience the public. State buses will not be operational in Bengaluru. However, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation services and metro services will continue unaffected. The BJP is endorsing the Bengaluru bandh on Tuesday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that while protests will not be curtailed, they should be peaceful. The Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Association, previously in support of the bandh on Tuesday, withdrew their support and will participate in the statewide bandh on Friday. Apart from IndiGo, airlines such as Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Vistara have also put out advisories in view of the bandh. Regarding the Cauvery water issue, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been embroiled in a long-standing water dispute. The recent conflict stems from the Supreme Court's rejection of Karnataka's plea against the Cauvery Water Management Authority's order, which directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days starting from September 13. Karnataka cited its own needs for drinking water and irrigation as the reason for being unable to comply with the order. Majority Support Determines Party Representation, Says Senior Leader of Ajit Pawar Group Amidst NCP Split The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) split on July 2 after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. A senior leader from the Ajit Pawar group stated that their faction has majority support with 43 MLAs in Maharashtra and six out of nine MLCs. India -Krishna Kripa In a recent development in the internal conflict within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), senior leader of the Ajit Pawar group has stated that key appointments made prior to June 30 were not according to NCP's constitution. He further argued that the Election Commission should decide which faction represents the party based on electoral majority. Split in NCP The split within NCP occurred on July 2 when Ajit Pawar along with eight other MLAs joined hands with Eknath Shinde government. Since then, both factions - one led by Ajit Pawar and another led by party founder Sharad Pawar have claimed representation for the party. Each side has appointed functionaries while deeming those appointed by their counterpart as illegal. They have also filed petitions seeking disqualification of elected representatives from each other's groups. Claiming Majority Praful Patel, working president of NCP as per the Ajit Pawar group, informed reporters about having support from 43 MLAs in Maharashtra and six out of nine MLCs. "While we believe in the principle of majority, it should be noted that the party can function only within its own constitutional parameters," Patel said. Unconstitutional Appointments Patel went on to claim that no internal elections were held according to NCP's constitution hence making all appointments before June 30 unconstitutional. This statement is significant because it challenges all key positions established before this date and potentially opens up a new front in their ongoing feud. Election Commissions Role The argument put forth by Patel implies that Election Commission must step into this matter and decide which faction truly represents NCP based on electoral majority rather than appointments or claims made by either side. This could lead to an official review of the party's internal structure and election processes. In conclusion, the ongoing power struggle within NCP has taken a new turn with Ajit Pawar group challenging the constitutionality of appointments made before June 30. The faction demands that Election Commission should decide on representation based on electoral majority. This development could potentially trigger a comprehensive examination of NCPs internal functioning and election procedures by Election Commission. As both sides continue to claim their legitimacy, it remains to be seen how this political drama unfolds in the coming days. Three Individuals Arrested for Allegedly Abducting Businessman, Extorting Ransom in New Delhi Three persons were arrested on Monday for allegedly kidnapping a West Bengal-based businessman Babloo Yadav, and extorting around Rs 3 lakh ransom from him. The incident occurred when Yadav arrived in Delhi to purchase apples from Azadpur Mandi. He was abducted by his friend Ajay, who along with others threatened him with dire consequences unless he paid them money. India -Krishna Kripa In a shocking incident in New Delhi, three individuals were apprehended on Monday for the alleged abduction and extortion of a 33-year-old businessman. The trio reportedly extorted around Rs 3 lakh as ransom from the victim, according to police reports released on Monday. Abduction and Extortion The episode unfolded on September 20 when Babloo Yadav, a West Bengal-based businessman arrived in Delhi from Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri. Yadav had travelled to the capital city with the intention of purchasing apples from Azadpur Mandi, a wholesale market. He was picked up at the airport by his friend Ajay using a taxi service. Yadav was then dropped off at Sector-21 in Dwarka by Ajay who subsequently lured him into an isolated flat where one of his accomplices was waiting. Following this, four more accomplices joined them at the flat and forcibly transported Yadav to an isolated dairy farm situated in Bahadurgarh via car. The Ransom Demand Once at the farm, they threatened Yadav with severe consequences if he did not comply with their demands for money. They forced him to call his relatives and ask them to send a total sum of Rs 2.7 lakh through five different UPI IDs (Unified Payments Interface). This method allowed for direct bank-to-bank payment transfers which facilitated speedy transactions without any physical exchange of cash. Release After Payment Upon receiving the ransom money, they dropped Yadav near Bahadurgarh City Metro Station but not before issuing him another warning against reporting this incident to law enforcement authorities or anyone else. This case serves as an alarming reminder that crimes such as abduction and extortion are still prevalent within our society despite advancements in technology and security measures. It also points to the need for individuals to remain vigilant in their interactions with others, even those who may be considered friends. Police Intervention The police have since arrested the three suspects involved in this case and are currently investigating further into the matter. The identities of the other accomplices mentioned by Yadav are yet to be revealed. This incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, prompting calls for increased safety measures and stricter enforcement of law and order. In conclusion, while it is fortunate that Babloo Yadav was released unharmed after his terrifying ordeal, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers that can occur even within seemingly safe environments. It underscores the importance of vigilance and caution when engaging with others, especially in unfamiliar settings or circumstances. Furthermore, it highlights the crucial role played by law enforcement authorities in ensuring public safety and maintaining social order. Farmers Discuss Compensation with CM Yogi for Noida Airport Land Acquisition The farmers of Ranhera village who owned the land required for completing the boundary wall of the Noida International Airport met UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The meeting led to clearing obstacles in completing the airport's boundary wall. The farmers expressed gratitude as they are now eligible for compensation due to a change in land use policy by UP government last month. India -Krishna Kripa In a recent development, a group of villagers from Ranhera who owned the land necessary for the completion of the boundary wall of Noida International Airport in Jewar had an opportunity to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The meeting occurred during the chief minister's visit to the MotoGP event held in Greater Noida. Yogi Adityanath's Interaction with Farmers The farmers' interaction with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took place after he attended the main MotoGP event on Sunday. This crucial meeting paved way for clearing obstacles that hindered completion of the boundary wall for the greenfield project at Jewar airport, according to officials. The subject land, known as 'shor ki zameen,' is public utility land owned by farmers from Ranhera village. They have been seeking compensation for this property which has been under litigation for three years. Due to these unresolved legal issues, a 407-meter stretch of boundary wall remained incomplete. Change in Land Use Policy and Farmer Compensation In a significant move last month, however, changes were made by Uttar Pradesh government regarding land use policy pertaining to 'shor ki zameen.' This change meant that these farmers are now eligible for compensation due to acquisition of their property. An official associated with this matter confirmed this development. Dhirendra Singh- BJP leader and MLA from Jewar played an instrumental role in facilitating this important meeting between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and affected farmers. Post-meeting, he shared that it was arranged mainly so that they could express their gratitude towards him. Singh quoted "Our generations will remain thankful to you (Chief Minister) for changing the land use of our shor ki zameen and making us eligible for compensation as farmers." This statement clearly echoes the relief and gratitude felt by these villagers who had been entangled in this legal issue over their land for years. Conclusion This development is a significant milestone in the ongoing construction of Noida International Airport. The resolution of the long-standing litigation involving 'shor ki zameen' not only paves way for completing the boundary wall but also sets a precedent in addressing similar land acquisition issues. It reflects how effective dialogue and intervention from political leadership can lead to amicable solutions that respect rights and interests of local communities while ensuring progress on infrastructure projects. With this hurdle crossed, it will be interesting to see how swiftly the remaining work at Jewar airport progresses. Over Rs 1500 Loan, Dalit Woman Stripped, Assaulted, Forced To Drink Urine In Bihar India oi-Prakash KL A Dalit was stripped, assaulted, and urinated over financial issues in Bihar. The incident occurred on Saturday in Moshimpur village on the outskirts of Patna, IANS reported. According to the victim, she had borrowed Rs 1500 from one Pramod Singh a few months ago and had repaid with interest. However, he kept demanding more money even after full repayment of the debt. As she refused to pay extra money, he threatened her to parade naked in the village over the phone. She then lodged a complaint with Khusrupur police station over the harassment on Saturday. "A police team visited the village on Saturday to inquire about the complaint, which apparently angered Pramod and his associates. They went to her house at around 10 pm on Saturday and forcibly took her to Pramod's house," a victim's relative told the news agency. The victim was stripped at his house and beaten up. Then he asked his son Anshu Singh to urinate in her mouth. Mob Kills Dalit Teen, Strips Mother Naked Over Sister's 2019 Sexual Assault Case However, she escaped from his house and her family members brought the incident to the police's notice. There, she was allegedly disrobed and beaten up with fists and sticks. "Pramod asked his son to urinate on my mouth. He did so. After that, I somehow managed to escape and returned home," the woman said in a statement to the police. The cops registered the FIR and took her to the primary health care. However, the key accused, Pramod Singh and his son Anshu Singh, are absconding. "We have registered an FIR against the accused and raids are on to nab them. The victim is admitted in the hospital and undergoing treatment," the IANS quoted Khusrupur police station SHO Siaram Yadav as saying. On brutality against a woman, SSP Rajiv Mishra says, "...Our team is trying to arrest the accused... According to local witnesses, the woman and her husband had borrowed some money from the accused. There was a dispute over it, and an incident of violence occurred. As per the local witnesses, the allegations of disrobing and other allegations have not been confirmed yet. The investigations are in their initial stages. We have submitted a proposal to the district welfare officer to give compensation to the woman. The woman is being given medical treatment. Whatever facts come up, we will do further investigation into them. The evidence of urination has not been confirmed yet. The local witnesses, too, have not confirmed this. They have confirmed the incident of a woman being beaten up. We will arrest the accused soon." 'Rusted Iron': PM Modi Attacks Congress In Poll-Bound Madhya Pradesh India oi-Prakash KL Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked Congress by equating the grand old party with "rusted iron" which he said would push MP back into the BIMARU category if given an opportunity again. Speaking at 'Karyakarta Mahakumb', the PM called the Opposition alliance INDIA as "Ghamandia" bloc and accused the opposition parties of supporting the Women's Reservation Bill out of compulsion and hesitation as they understood the power of "nari shakti". He stated that if given a chance, Congress would retract its support for the bill proposing a 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. The event is organised on the birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyaya, a co-founder of the Jana Sangh, to symbolize the official conclusion of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that extensively covered the state, PTI reported. PM Narendra Modi Lauds Medal-Winning Indian Athletes At Asian Games "Congress and allies backed the women's reservation bill out of compulsion. Its passage was possible as 'Modi hai to Mumkin hai'. Modi means the guarantee of fulfilling guarantees," he said and slammed Congress and its allies for not allowing the passage of this bill when they were in power. "Congress is a parivarwadi party with a history of crores of corruption and vote-bank appeasement. It's like rusted iron that will be finished if kept in the rain," the Prime Minister said. He attacked Rahul Gandhi without taking his name and said for Congress leaders born with a silver spoon, "the life of poor people is like an adventure tourism and picnic and the poor person's agri field is a place for video shooting and photo session". The first-time voters in MP are fortunate that they have seen only the BJP rule in the state, which is the key centre of India's development vision, he added. "During its erstwhile rule, Congress had pushed MP, which has rich resources, into a BIMARU (laggard) state". He said more than 13.5 crore people came out of poverty under the BJP rule in the last five years in the country. "The Congress had turned MP into BIMARU state during its long rule after Independence. It will make MP BIMARU again if it gets an opportunity," the Prime Minister added. PM Modi Flags Off Nine Vande Bharat Express Trains He criticized the Congress for condemning the BJP regarding the construction of the new Parliament building, high-quality roads, and contemporary stations. "Congress spreads negativity. They don't like the achievements of the nation. They want to take the country back to the 20th Century," the PM said, adding the Congress destroyed the states ruled by it with crores of corruption. This is the third visit of PM Modi To Madhya Pradesh in the past 45 days where the ruling party is locked in a close contest with Congress. 'Should Shock The Conscience Of The State': SC Slams UP Govt On Muzaffarnagar School Slap Case India oi-Prakash KL The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the incident where a Muslim boy was slapped by his fellow classmates on the insistence of a school teacher. "This is a very serious issue. Teacher telling students to hit a classmate because they belong to a particular community! Is this quality education? State must take responsibility of the education of the child. If the allegations are true, this should shock the conscience of the state", Live Law quoted Justice Oka as saying. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Justice Pankaj Mithal raised questions over the omission of the communal angle in the FIR. "We have serious objection to the manner in which FIR is registered", Justice Oka orally stated. "In the first complaint by the father, he has alleged that teacher is making objectionable comments against a particular religion. In so-called non-cognizable report, same allegations are there. In the FIR, these allegations are not there", the judge remarked. The judge questioned why the transcript of the video was missing in the FIR. The bench ordered that a senior police officer with an IPS ranking conduct the investigation in this case. Additionally, the Court noted a "prima facie failure on the part of the State" to adhere to the provisions of the Right to Education Act, which prohibits both physical and mental harassment of students and discrimination based on religion and caste. The Court further remarked in the order that "If the allegation is correct, this may be the worst kind of physical punishment imparted by a teacher, inasmuch as the teacher directed other students to assault the victim." "If the allegations are accurate, this could represent an egregious form of physical punishment administered by a teacher, as the teacher instructed other students to attack the victim." Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the State of Uttar Pradesh, said that the State was not shielding anyone. However, he emphasized that the communal aspect was being exaggerated. Nevertheless, the bench appeared to hold a differing view, citing the video transcript. "Transcript says so. This shouldn't be taken lightly. If this incident is correct - teacher telling students that he belongs to a particular community, beat him, what kind of education is being imparted?", Justice Oka said. "The transcript indicates otherwise. We shouldn't downplay this. If this incident is accurate - a teacher instructing students to target a student based on his community - what sort of education is being provided?" Justice Oka remarked. Taking into account the way the police have proceeded, particularly given that a cognizable offense has taken place and a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) has been filed, a senior IPS-ranked officer designated by the State Government will conduct the investigation within a week, the court stated. The nominated officer will scrutinize whether the proviso to Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) need to be applied. "There cannot be any quality education if a student is sought to be penalised only on the ground that he belongs to a particular community. There is a prima facie failure on the part of the State to comply with mandatory obligations of RTE Act and rules", the bench added. The court has directed the state government to ensure proper counselling to the victim by a professional counsellor and also to the students who were dictated to take part in the incident. "The state cannot expect the child to continue in the same school," the Supreme Court stated. The case will come up for hearing on October 30. Background In August, a Muslim student in Muzaffarnagar was slapped by his classmates at the behest of their teacher, Tripta Tyagi. A video clip of the incident had gone viral. In the clip, the victim stands before the class, while the teacher remains seated and urges fellow students to step up and slap their classmate. In succession, the students approach and strike the victim while the teacher supervises the situation. The school was also served a notice by the education department in connection with the matter. The teacher, Tripta Tyagi, was booked on the complaint of the boy's family under IPC sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) -- both non-cognisable offences. Such offences are bailable and do not lead to immediate arrest, and require a warrant. In her defence, Tyagi had earlier said the video had been tampered with in order to stoke tensions. She claimed that the video was shot by an uncle of the boy. Tyagi said though it was wrong on her part to get a student slapped by his classmates, she was forced to do it as she is handicapped and was not able to stand up and reach the student who had not done his assignment. Amit Shah appeals for votes in MP, says BJP ensured development in all sectors PM Modi Inaugurates Gujarat's First Heritage Train Amid Other Projects On His Two Day Visit What Is 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' Held In Bhopal By BJP Today? India oi-Prakash KL Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a mega congregation of BJP workers in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' is being organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state. This will be the third visit of the Prime Minister To Madhya Pradesh in the past 45 days where the ruling party is locked in a close contest with Congress. The BJP has set an ambitious target of gathering 10 lakh people for the Monday event being projected as a show of strength by the saffron party, sources told PTI. The BJP had rolled out five yatras to reach out to the masses early this month, with party president JP Nadda flagging off the first Yatra from Chitrakoot in Satna on September 3. These yatras have covered 223 out of the total 230 assembly segments in MP. "The formal culmination of these yatras would mark the mega workers' meet in Bhopal on September 25," party leaders said. Recommended Video Madhya Pradesh: PM Modi addresses gathering at 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' in Bhopal | Oneindia News PM Narendra Modi Lauds Medal-Winning Indian Athletes At Asian Games In the run-up to the MP assembly polls, the BJP has come up with the slogan "abki bar 150 par" (victory in more than 150 seats). Ahead of the mega meet of BJP workers on Monday, Bhopal is dotted with large cut-outs of Modi. Posters of senior BJP leaders have also been put up at various spots. As the battle to set up narratives for the upcoming elections is growing intense, the Congress has also launched 'Jan Akrosh Yatra' to target the "failures" of the BJP government. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted Congress in his speech, saying "Congress turned the state into 'Bimaru Rajya'... BJP has tried to take the state to a new level with new energy... Youths here have seen the development work and good governance of the BPJ government..." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 25, 2023, 13:23 [IST] Why The AIADMK-BJP Alliance Broke Up: Decoding The Factors India oi-Madhuri Adnal The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) announced on Monday that it was leaving the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and would form a separate front for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The AIADMK's decision to part ways with the BJP alliance, created political ripples in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. K.P. Munusamy, a former minister and senior leader, briefed reporters on the meeting and said that the party had unanimously resolved to part ways with the NDA and lead a coalition of like-minded parties in the next year's elections. A Brief History: The AIADMK and BJP initially formed an alliance in the 1998 general elections, securing 30 out of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. However, this alliance turned sour due to differences between leaders. By 1999, the alliance was strained, with then-Chief Minister Jayalalithaa becoming unhappy with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for not meeting her demands. Subsequently, the alliance collapsed, and Jayalalithaa even hosted a tea party with Sonia Gandhi, marking a significant political shift. In 1999, the AIADMK joined hands with the Congress to contest against the DMK-BJP alliance in the general elections, where the latter won 26 out of 39 seats. However, the DMK soon left the alliance, and the BJP never realigned with them. The AIADMK and BJP have formed an alliance on several occasions over the years, but with limited success. Their most recent partnership, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, resulted in a resounding defeat. In the 2021 assembly elections, the AIADMK lost to the DMK, ending its 10-year rule in the state. BJP-AIADMK marriage falls apart after months of discord The AIADMK and the NDA have been allies for over two decades. However, the alliance began to show signs of strain in recent years, and it finally collapsed in 2023. There are a number of factors that contributed to the breakdown of the alliance. The trigger point for the most-recent flare up between the two parties was sparked by the comments made by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai regarding the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C N Annadurai. Controversial remarks about former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravidian icon CN Annadurai: Annamalai made controversial remarks about CN Annadurai, a former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravidian icon. Annamalai alleged that Annadurai had insulted Hinduism at an event in Madurai in 1956. These remarks sparked outrage among Dravidian parties and supporters, including the AIADMK. The AIADMK demanded an apology from Annamalai and the BJP, but the BJP refused. This incident further strained relations between the two parties. One of the major problem in the alliance is around the BJP state president, Annamalai, who assumed the role in 2021. This former dynamic IPS officer, known for his outspoken nature, frequently clashes with the AIADMK. His direct statements, such as, "As long as I'm alive, no one can view the BJP in Tamil Nadu as a junior partner in an alliance," and "I'm not pursuing positions; I'm here to establish the BJP as the governing party in Tamil Nadu," often provoke the AIADMK. Disagreements over seat sharing in the Erode East Assembly bypoll: In 2023, the AIADMK and the BJP were at loggerheads over seat sharing in the Erode East Assembly bypoll. The AIADMK announced its candidate without consulting the BJP. This angered the BJP, which accused the AIADMK of arrogance and betrayal. Poaching wars between the two parties: In 2023, there were several poaching wars between the AIADMK and the BJP, with both parties trying to lure leaders and cadres from the other party. This created further bitterness and mistrust between the two allies. Failed meetings in Delhi: In an attempt to resolve the differences between the two parties, several meetings were held in Delhi between senior leaders of the AIADMK and the BJP. However, these meetings failed to produce any concrete results. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 25, 2023, 18:43 [IST] NASA's First Asteroid Samples Land On Earth International pti-PTI NASA's first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey. In a flyby of Earth, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft released the sample capsule from 63,000 miles (100,000 kilometers) out. The small capsule landed four hours later on a remote expanse of military land, as the mothership set off after another asteroid. Scientists estimate the capsule holds at least a cup of rubble from the carbon-rich asteroid known as Bennu, but won't know for sure until the container is opened. Some spilled and floated away when the spacecraft scooped up too much and rocks jammed the container's lid during collection three years ago. Historic Launch: American NASA Astronaut and Two Russians Head for International Space Station from Kazakhstan Japan, the only other country to bring back asteroid samples, gathered about a teaspoon in a pair of asteroid missions. The pebbles and dust delivered Sunday represent the biggest haul from beyond the moon. Preserved building blocks from the dawn of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago, the samples will help scientists better understand how Earth and life formed. Osiris-Rex, the mothership, rocketed away on the $1 billion mission in 2016. It reached Bennu two years later and, using a long stick vacuum, grabbed rubble from the small roundish space rock in 2020. By the time it returned, the spacecraft had logged 4 billion miles (6.2 billion kilometers). NASA's recovery effort in Utah included helicopters as well as a temporary clean room set up at the Defense Department's Utah Test and Training Range. The samples will be flown Monday morning to a new lab at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The building already houses the hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of moon rocks gathered by the Apollo astronauts more than a half-century ago. The mission's lead scientist, Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, will accompany the samples to Texas. The opening of the container in Houston in the next day or two will be the real moment of truth, given the uncertainty over the amount inside, he said ahead of the landing. Engineers estimate the canister holds 250 grams (8.82 ounces) of material from Bennu, plus or minus 100 grams (plus or minus 3.53 ounces). Even at the low end, it will easily surpass the minimum requirement of the mission, Lauretta said. It will take a few weeks to get a precise measurement, said NASA's lead curator Nicole Lunning. NASA plans a public show-and-tell in October. Currently orbiting the sun 50 million miles (81 million kilometers) from Earth, Bennu is about one-third of a mile (one-half of a kilometer) across, roughly the size of the Empire State Building but shaped like a spinning top. It's believed to be the broken fragment of a much larger asteroid. During a two-year survey, Osiris-Rex found Bennu to be a chunky rubble pile full of boulders and craters. The surface was so loose that the spacecraft's vacuum arm sank a foot or two (0.5 meters) into the asteroid, sucking up more material than anticipated and jamming the lid. These close-up observations may come in handy late in the next century. NASA Shares Dazzling Picture Of Mercury, Netizens React Bennu is expected to come dangerously close to Earth in 2182 possibly close enough to hit. The data gleaned by Osiris-Rex will help with any asteroid-deflection effort, according to Lauretta. Osiris-Rex is already chasing after the asteroid Apophis, and will reach it in 2029. This was NASA's third sample return from a deep-space robotic mission. The Genesis spacecraft dropped off bits of solar wind in 2004, but the samples were compromised when the parachute failed and the capsule slammed into the ground. The Stardust spacecraft successfully delivered comet dust in 2006. NASA's plans to return samples from Mars are on hold after an independent review board criticized the cost and complexity. The Martian rover Perseverance has spent the past two years collecting core samples for eventual transport to Earth. Who Is Tharman Shanmugaratnam? 5 Things You Need To Know About Singapore's New Indian-Origin President Singapore Chinese Cab Driver Abuses Woman, Daughter Assuming Them To Be Indian International oi-Stuti Tripathi In a purported video shared on an Instagram handle by 'Wake Up Singapore', a cab driver, probably Chinese, could be seen abusing a woman and her 9-year-old daughter during a ride presuming they were of Indian origin. "You are Indian, you are stupid," the driver allegedly told 46-year-old Janelle Hoeden and her daughter as he assumed that they were from India. However, the woman was allegedly of Eurasian origin. The reported incident took place on 23rd September when she booked a cab ride with TADA, a ride-hailing platform at about 2 pm. The driver got upset because he thought she had given a wrong address to him. While the woman was speaking to her daughter, the driver allegedly started shouting. Anurag Thakur Cancels His Visit To China After Arunachal Players Denied Visa For Asian Games Reportedly, Janelle said, "He started shouting at me, saying that I gave him the wrong address and wrong directions" As and when the interaction heated up, the woman started recording the entire incident on her phone and updated it on her Facebook page later. As per a media report, the video shows the driver, apparently a Chinese man, was seen accusing the 9-year-old daughter of being shorter in height (precisely, less than 1.35 meters). This is not all, even when the mother argued that her daughter was 1.37 meters; apparently, the cab driver kept on saying that she was under 1.35 meters and later on went on to say that her child was "very illegal". As per popular belief, a child's height is essential for the safety of passengers requiring children's seats. As per the Land Transport Authority (LTA), Singapore, all vehicles in Singapore must have booster seats or child restraints for passengers under 1.35 meters in height. Reportedly, the cab driver shouted at her while he was still driving, "You are Indian, I am Chinese... You are the very worst kind" Hoeden even tried correcting the driver and said, "I am Singapore Eurasian, not Indian" Indian-Origin Tharman Shanmugaratnam Elected As Singapore President The Singapore broadsheet quoted Hoeden saying, "As he was verbally abusive, I was afraid that he would start getting physical with me, so I told her to record... Whether I was tanned skin, or Indian, or otherwise, it's unacceptable what he said - it was totally uncalled for that he pulled out the race card" Hoeden said that her child was also shaken after the incident. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 25, 2023, 11:16 [IST] Trudeau Faces Backlash For Honouring Nazi Veteran In Canadian Parliament International oi-Madhuri Adnal Canadian lawmakers faced embarrassment when they mistakenly gave a standing ovation to a man introduced as a war hero after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's House of Commons address, only to later discover that he had served in a Nazi unit during World War II. The Speaker of Canada's House of Commons, Anthony Rota, issued an apology for recognising 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a 'Ukrainian hero' before the Canadian Parliament. Hunka's service in World War II was with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, according to a Jewish human rights group that demanded an apology. Rota took responsibility for the oversight, admitting it was "entirely my own initiative." He clarified that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of his intention or remarks before he delivered them, expressing his "deepest apologies" to Jewish communities. Khalistan Movement Will Stay In Canada: Ex-Canadian Minister As a show of just how FAR western civilization has fallen, Canada is now supporting ACTUAL Third Reich Nazis openly. YES, REALLY. The Canadian Parliament, along with Zelensky just gave a standing ovation to a 98 year old member of the 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division of pic.twitter.com/Qbmzol2KoF The Patriot Voice (@TPV_John) September 25, 2023 Following Zelenskiy's House of Commons address, Rota acknowledged Hunka, praising him for his role in fighting for Ukrainian independence against the Russians, leading to two standing ovations. However, this recognition drew criticism from the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, which demanded an explanation for how this individual entered the Canadian Parliament and received recognition. "In a time of rising antisemitism and Holocaust distortion, it is incredibly disturbing to see Canada's Parliament applaud an individual who was a member of a unit in the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military branch responsible for the murder of Jews and others," the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center stated. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 25, 2023, 16:33 [IST] The NSW police watchdog has called for an officer to be considered for prosecution after the 17-year-old was allegedly punched while handcuffed in a Sydney hospital. Ukraine's military said a major Russian attack targeted the southern port city, destroying granaries and injuring at least one person. Meanwhile, two Russian regions reported Ukrainian attacks. DW has the latest. Poland is accusing Germany of attempting to sway the result of an upcoming election. Germany's Olaf Scholz had said Warsaw should clarify opposition claims that its consulates sold visas to migrants. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote that she learned with "astonishment" of a German government plan to finance two migrant charity groups, one operating rescue boats in the Mediterranean. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling in the National Guard as more than 116,000 migrants have arrived in New York City. Madrid-based R. Franco Technologies has achieved a significant milestone by securing GLI Certification for its IRIS Platform, elevating its position in the gaming industry, and setting the stage for future global expansions. On 18th September 2023, R. Franco Technologies SLU announced its successful compliance certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) for its Platform Account Management system, known as IRIS. Based on the GLI-33 v1.1 Event Wagering Systems Standard, the certification involved a meticulous evaluation process that assessed various facets of the platform, including its management system, features, and operational framework. Implications for R. Franco The GLI certification is more than just a stamp of approval; it's an acknowledgment of R. Franco's dedication to maintaining the highest quality standards in the industry. By earning this prestigious recognition, the company has solidified its reputation and reinforced its standing as a reliable sportsbook, casino, and content provider. Strategy and Market Expansion Javier Sacristan, International Business Director for R. Franco Digital, expressed the company's enthusiasm: "We are glad to receive the GLI certification for our proprietary platform. It recognizes the hard work and expertise of our product and development teams, and it will help us to achieve our strategic objective to reach new markets shortly." The certification is expected to catalyze R. Franco's ambitious plans to penetrate new markets and broaden its international presence. Partner Feedback Karen Sierra-Hughes, the Vice President for Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain at GLI, praised R. Franco for their commitment: "We are grateful to R. Franco for trusting GLI for this important milestone in their plans for international expansion. We celebrate the company's commitment to integral compliance and their technical team's dedication to meet the GLI-33 standard diligently." About IRIS Platform The IRIS Platform is at the core of R. Franco Digital's operations. Designed as an omni-channel platform, it integrates various gaming solutions and innovative products. The GLI certification implies that IRIS meets and exceeds the standard criteria for Event Wagering Systems, further enhancing its market appeal. The Legacy of R. Franco Digital R. Franco Digital, part of the larger Grupo R. Franco, has a rich history dating back over 50 years. Founded in 2014 to bridge the gap between traditional gaming and digital platforms, the company has continuously adapted to technological advancements. The GLI certification marks another significant milestone in its evolution. The Road Ahead With the GLI certification in its portfolio, R. Franco Technologies is poised for substantial growth and expansion. The certification is a beacon, highlighting the company's unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and compliance. It also sets the groundwork for the company to enter new jurisdictions, swiftly reducing time to market. In summary, R. Franco Technologies' GLI certification for its IRIS platform is an achievement and a declaration of the company's high standards and readiness for global expansion. The certification could likely be the catalyst that propels R. Franco Technologies into a future replete with exciting opportunities and new markets. New Delhi: Alia Bhatt was in Milan, Italy, to see Sabato De Sarno's Gucci Ancora Spring Summer '24 presentation. She also shared a photo of her invitation with her fans. Alia Bhatt travelled to Milan, Italy, for the Gucci Ancora Spring Summer 2024 presentation, where the Italian luxury fashion house's new creative director Sabato De Sarno would debut his debut collection. In May of this year, Alia was chosen to represent the company globally. She became India's first international ambassador. Earlier, at the Cruise 2024 show in Seoul, South Korea, Alia made her official debut as the premium brand's ambassador. Alia Bhatt took to her Instagram story to share a picture of the Gucci Ancora show invite from Milan, Italy. The post shows her holding a red envelope with the words 'Gucci Ancora' written in a white shade. She captioned the post, "And here we are..." In the photos, Alia wore a neon green top and bell-bottom denims. She accessorised her outfit with golden earrings and a bracelet. Alia also carried a black bag with her and wore dark sunglasses. In the pictures, Alia gave different poses and expressions for the camera. She also posted a selfie as she sat in her car. Instead of a caption, Alia simply wrote, "#GucciAncora @gucci @sabatods." Taking to Instagram, Vogue India shared a video of Alia from the event. In a video, Alia introduced herself and said it was her first time in Milan. She also said, "I was naturally extremely excited. My to-dos are already done which were going to a home-style Italian restaurant and having some really nice authentic bread and some pasta. Really filled up on the carbs before coming for this fantastic show. New vibe that I'm currently loving is extremely easy, feeling like yourself which I'm 100 percent feeling." Tracking COVID-19 has become more difficult now that people have access to home testing kits, but county and state health organizations have found a workaround by monitoring wastewater for the presence of the virus. In western Wisconsin, wastewater monitoring suggests COVID cases are on the rise. Wastewater surveillance gives public health professionals important information about how COVID-19 and other diseases are spreading in communities, said Chippewa County Department of Public Health division manager Allie Isaacson. This is vital because many people now use at-home tests for COVID-19 or may not be testing at all. Thus, case counts do not accurately represent COVID-19 levels in our communities, Isaacson said. We monitor trends in wastewater surveillance, along with hospital data in our communities, to paint a clearer picture, which can guide recommendations about protective measures for the community. According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 can shed the virus in their feces even if they dont have symptoms. The virus in feces is flushed down the toilet and travels through the sewage system. Before wastewater is treated, wastewater technicians take samples to get information about the virus. Then, laboratories test for the virus and measure virus levels in the wastewater. That data is used by public health officials to better understand COVID-19 trends in communities and make decisions, such as where to have mobile testing and vaccination sites. Search for patterns Isaacson said COVID-19 is still a relatively new virus that continues to change and mutate and it has not settled into a predictable, seasonal pattern. Numerous entities monitor for new variants, of which a few are currently circulating, causing an upward trend in cases. Other fall respiratory viruses, such as RSV and influenza, are also beginning to circulate, she said. How these will impact our community may depend on how we utilize available tools such as vaccines, ventilation, medications and masks, Isaacson said. La Crosse County Health Department access to care manager Bridget Cardinali said wastewater is an important tool used by state health departments but there are other ways to monitor COVID-19. COVID has continued to circulate, and recently there's been an increase in transmission. Since symptoms can be mild, not everyone seeks testing, Cardinali said. "So the health department monitors that through confirmed cases, which come through when an individual is ill enough to seek out medical care or testing." Another way health departments assess a rise in COVID cases is through phone calls they receive. 'Higher number' We will get an increase in phone calls from schools, childcare facilities and the general public, and we have seen an increase in those calls as well for the last two weeks. So those three clues combined tell us that it is definitely circulating at a higher number, she said. For people who rely on home test kits, data is not made available to local health departments unless the person who tests positive calls the health department and reports it. Guidelines for those who test positive for COVID continue to be that the person should isolate for five days and follow that by five days of masking. Even if they're feeling OK, staying away from others for that first five days helps reduce the transmission, Cardinali said. Then they're able to get out and about more as long as they're masking for the following five days. So that's still a guideline. While COVID can be mild for some people, if an infected person experiences a high fever or difficulty breathing, there is treatment that can help reduce the severity of symptoms. There still can be some pretty severe illnesses related to COVID, especially if someone has chronic health conditions. So they would want to call their doctor if it starts to progress or get worse day after day, Cardinali said. Isaacson said a fall 2023 COVID-19 vaccine is available for everyone six months and older. The updated vaccine targets XBB, an omicron subvariant. A priority of the vaccine is to prevent severe disease, especially among high-risk people. Technically, it's not really a booster because they're not giving it following previous doses, Cardinali said. It is expected to be very effective against COVID. Choosing to get an COVID vaccine is a personal choice. It's based on their previous exposures to COVID, how they reacted to the vaccines in the past and what their level of risk they're willing to take is. COVID-19 vaccines are covered by insurance. For uninsured or underinsured patients, COVID-19 vaccines are available at no cost through the Bridge Access and Vaccines for Children programs, which will be offered at the Chippewa County Department of Public Health later this fall. We are no longer what we thought we were. The good/bad/ugly truth is: it didn't begin with Donald Trump. However, like a Booth decapitation, Don the Con played Koch-heads by bolstering, the South Shall Rise Again, reawakening faux patriotism whitewashing seething hate for our Justice for All, Field of Dreams. Increasingly, our age-group, categorical culture, or political comfort zone, is proliferating our weaknesses into a new all-inclusive enslavement: reverberating January 6, 2021. Whether Right, Left or fence wobblers, we've allowed ourselves to be brought by lazy repetitive corporate media, Wall Street warlord peddlers and Flag-waving Constitutionally illiterate Conservatives, into a collective self-deceiving trifecta - which, if American democracy is to survive, we've got some serious soul searching scaffolds to strengthen sooner, or lose any forward mobility away from the 21st century corporate board room occupants who've mangled our American Dream potential into their bowed Bill of Rights. Violently clinging to manipulated memories of the good ol' days of Southern poll taxes, Northern Molasses to Rum to Slaves, to national Book burning, MAGA Republicans have spawned a new nation offering up domestic gun violence invigorating the worst among our hypocrisy ridden politicians, and a heartland turning Evangelicalism, heartless. First, they elected Tricky Dick twice, and then an administration of war criminals spinning our massive 9/11 tragedies into absolution of their complicity in the death and maiming of thousands of American and foreign lives - while washing their hands in JD Rockefeller's black gold residue. Unscrupulously marketed, post-WWII Americans were brainwashed into believing we are superior to all life on earth: better than anyone, at anything, anywhere! We weren't, however, and still aren't - not even North of the Mason-Dixon line. Truly, it is okay not to be perfect, but it is perhaps the most sinful self-deception to think, and worse, proclaim, ourselves morally superior to all. Current, Too Big to Jail, Robber Barons are Americans contributing, for profit, to our polluted water, food inequity and nebulous air quality on an earth being devoured from the inside out. Whether negligently forgetting or simply anticipating a planetary relocation (for those who pay) - economic elitists are ignoring our human responsibility to be Stewards (not rapists) of the earth. What will MAGA Americans, shadowing Ohio's Pied Piper, Jim Jordan, profit if he gains the whole world by forfeiting American souls? Yet, for some, truth struggles to reveal itself: historically most of America's troubles have been caused when blindly following the lust for power of grumpy old Caucasian men. Nonetheless, not all old white men are anti-democracy and anti-humanity trumped. So, discarding a stuttering kid who became President of the United States for a big liar's Big Lie, is suicidal. The American Experiment isn't so much failing as it is being failed. Parents with little education in education demanding teachers, teach students what their parents were taught: memorized dates, times tables and half-truths until we too become dittos, for leaders of institutionalized religion, hateful Governors and stockpiles of Wall Street's C ountinghouses: Financial institutions sliming the American Dream. We have been programmed to look away from the true villains: oil company Boards and owners of private prisons, inciting homeland in-fighting over lies they tell us. In any attempt to disappear the power of a nation's electorate, the perpetrators' public faces disguise the devils who take from all deemed easily taken: numbers like figures on a block - becoming figures on a ledger! Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) September 24, 2023: This morning, I read Julia Angwin's op-ed commentary "The Internet Is About to Get Much Worse" (dated September 23, 2023) at the website of the New York Times: Click Here According to her, artificial intelligence (A.I.) systems are about to make the Internet much worse. For-profit A.I. systems are positioned to profit from applications distributed via the Internet. Angwin says, "Authors are suing A.I. outfits, alleging that their books are included in the sites' training data. OpenAI has argued, in a separate proceeding, that the use of copyrighted data for training A.I. systems is legal under the 'fair use' provision of copyright law." But this interpretation of the "fair use" provision of copyright law is surely something to watch in the near future as A.I. applications continue to develop. Before copyright laws emerged in our Western cultural history, a general sense of commonplaces prevailed in our Western cultural history. The American Jesuit Renaissance specialist and cultural historian and pioneering media ecology theorist Walter J. Ong (1912-2003; Ph.D. in English, Harvard University, 1955) discusses the commonplace tradition in Western cultural history in his seminal 1967 book The Presence of the Word: Some Prolegomena for Cultural and Religious History (Yale University Press; for specific page references to commonplaces, see the "Index" [p. 347; for Ong's comment on the historical development of copyright, see p. 54]), the expanded version of Ong's 1964 Terry Lectures at Yale University. More recently, the American journalist Jeff Jarvis (born in 1954) discusses the historical development of copyright in our Western cultural history, among other things, in his new 2023 book The Gutenberg Parenthesis: The Age of Print and Its Lessons for the Age of the Internet (Bloomsbury Academic; for specific page references to copyright, see the "Index" [p. 307]; Jarvis refers, in passing, to Ong, pp. 136-137 and 140). Wikipedia has an entry about Jeff Jarvis. However, it contains not a word about his new 2023 book. Click Here In any event, for Jarvis in his new 2023 book, "The Age of Print" = "The Gutenberg Parenthesis." For Jarvis, "The Age of the Internet" has now succeeded the supposedly ended "Age of Print." However, for me, modern printers are the direct descendants of the Gutenberg printing press that emerged in Europe in the mid-1450s - and that gave birth to the print culture in out Western cultural history that has not yet come to an end with our ubiquitous printers attached to our computers - from which we may print out materials from the Internet. In any event, in Jarvis' new 2023 book, he has constructed an elaborate array of tiny tidbits of information that he has gleaned from studies of book history and other sources. For a sense of the scope of his tidbits, see the "Index" in his new 2023 book (pp. 305-318). The most efficient way for me to provide you with an overview of Jarvis' new 2023 book is to provide you here with its "Contents" (pp. vii-viii): Part I: "The Gutenberg Parenthesis" Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Intro The grand inauguration of BankDhofar's 100th branch is a testament to its unwavering dedication to expand its presence and deliver top-notch financial services throughout the Sultanate of Oman Muscat: Today marked a historic day in the annals of BankDhofar, Oman's trailblazing financial institution. The Bank inaugurated its 100th branch in the heart of the city, carving a spectacular chapter in its illustrious history and reinforcing its pivotal role in Oman's The Biden administration announced a major initiative to protect Americans from medical debt, outlining plans to develop federal rules barring unpaid medical bills from affecting patients credit scores. The regulations, if enacted, would potentially help tens of millions of people who have medical debt on their credit reports, eliminating information that can depress consumers scores and make it harder for many to get a job, rent an apartment, or secure a car loan. New rules announced last week would also represent one of the most significant federal actions to tackle medical debt, a problem that burdens about 100 million people and forces legions to take on extra work, give up their homes, and ration food and other essentials, a KFF Health News-NPR investigation found. No one in this country should have to go into debt to get the quality health care they need, said Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced the new moves along with Rohit Chopra, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB. The agency will be charged with developing the new rules. These measures will improve the credit scores of millions of Americans so that they will better be able to invest in their future, Harris said. Enacting new regulations can be a lengthy process. Administration officials said Thursday that the new rules would be developed next year. Such an aggressive step to restrict credit reporting and debt collection by hospitals and other medical providers will also almost certainly stir industry opposition. At the same time, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was formed in response to the 2008 financial crisis, is under fire from Republicans, and its future may be jeopardized by a case before the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority has been chipping away at federal regulatory powers. But the move by the Biden administration drew strong praise from patients and consumer groups, many of whom have been pushing for years for the federal government to strengthen protections against medical debt. This is an important milestone in our collective efforts and will provide immediate relief to people that have unfairly had their credit impacted simply because they got sick, said Emily Stewart, executive director of Community Catalyst, a Boston nonprofit that has helped lead national medical debt efforts. Credit reporting, a threat designed to induce patients to pay their bills, is the most common collection tactic used by hospitals, a KFF Health News analysis has shown. Negative credit reporting is one of the biggest pain points for patients with medical debt, said Chi Chi Wu, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. When we hear from consumers about medical debt, they often talk about the devastating consequences that bad credit from medical debts has had on their financial lives. Although a single black mark on a credit score may not have a huge effect for some people, the impact can be devastating for those with large unpaid medical bills. There is growing evidence, for example, that credit scores depressed by medical debt can threaten peoples access to housing and fuel homelessness in many communities. At the same time, CFPB researchers have found that medical debt unlike other kinds of debt does not accurately predict a consumers creditworthiness, calling into question how useful it is on a credit report. The three largest credit agencies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion said they would stop including some medical debt on credit reports as of last year. The excluded debts included paid-off bills and those less than $500. But the agencies voluntary actions left out millions of patients with bigger medical bills on their credit reports. And many consumer and patient advocates called for more action. The National Consumer Law Center, Community Catalyst, and some 50 other groups in March sent letters to the CFPB and IRS urging stronger federal action to rein in hospital debt collection. State leaders also have taken steps to expand consumer protections. In June, Colorado enacted a trailblazing bill that prohibits medical debt from being included on residents credit reports or factored into their credit scores. Many groups have urged the federal government to bar tax-exempt hospitals from selling patient debt or denying medical care to people with past-due bills, practices that remain widespread across the U.S., KFF Health News found. Hospital leaders and representatives of the debt collection industry have warned that such restrictions on the ability of medical providers to get their bills paid may have unintended consequences, such as prompting more hospitals and physicians to require upfront payment before delivering care. Looser credit requirements could also make it easier for consumers who cant handle more debt to get loans they might not be able to pay off, others have warned. It is unfortunate that the CFPB and the White House are not considering the host of consequences that will result if medical providers are singled out in their billing, compared to other professions or industries, said Scott Purcell, chief executive of ACA International, the collection industrys leading trade association. On a typical rainy winter evening in Northwest Portland, most locals are content to stay inside. But for hundreds of froggy residents, its the perfect weather for an annual migration. Under cover of darkness, hordes of red-legged frogs hop downhill from Forest Park, bound for wetlands along the Willamette River. There, they will lay eggs to produce the next generation of frogs. But the journey does not come without hardship. To reach their destination, the frogs must descend a steep slope where Harborton Drive meets U.S. 30, then traverse four lanes of high-speed traffic and two railroad tracks. Some perish along the way, a few by natural predators like birds and snakes but many under passing cars. In an effort to save the dwindling frog population, local wildlife officials have proposed to build a highway underpass to grant the amphibians safe passage. The project calls for a concrete culvert beneath Northwest St. Helens Road and Marina Way to help the frogs reach their preferred breeding grounds. Tim Greseth, executive director of the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, said the underpass project has been long coming but remains in the early stages of planning. Were dealing with a lot of rock underneath Highway 30, he said. Well have to close a lane of traffic and do the work to install the culvert and then open that lane and close the next one to get it across. Greseth added that the projects design should meet the biological needs of the frogs, who travel under specific environmental conditions. For now, he said, the Wildlife Foundation has been working closely with city bureaus to determine next steps. If it moves forward, the culvert could replace an annual operation undertaken by volunteers who have helped the frogs find their way. The frog taxi As dusk falls each night in late November, a crew of about 12 to 14 don rain gear and trek out to Harborton Drive. Equipped with headlamps and flashlights, they unroll a fabric weed barrier below the guardrail and wait patiently for signs of movement. When the first frogs emerge from the forest and hop along the roadside, volunteers gently scoop up the animals, while others stand by with clipboards and data sheets to keep count. Then, they place the frogs in buckets and drive to the wetland, owned by Portland General Electric. A group of northern red-legged frogs sit in a bucket as volunteers prepare to transport them to the wetland habitat to breed.Rob Lee More than 100 volunteers, from youth to elders, participate in the Harborton Frog Shuttle, also known as the frog taxi. In the winter months, they work in weekly shifts, for hours at a time. When the frogs finish breeding in early March, volunteers come to the rescue once more to return them to Forest Park. Jane Hartline, the Frog Shuttles co-founder and Monday night team leader, said the shuttle effort began in 2013 when a local resident stepped outside one warm, rainy evening to find Harborton Drive covered in frogs. Many had been squished by passing cars. You couldnt even drive, there were so many, she recalled. The discovery led to meetings with several wildlife agencies, including the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Portlands Bureau of Environmental Services, Forest Park Conservancy and West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. The unfortunate frogs, it turned out, were northern red-legged frogs, an Oregon Conservation Strategy species that receive federal protection in the state. About three inches long, they sport black spots on their back and red on their underbellies. While their dark coloring helps them camouflage into the forest well, a light stripe along their jawline sets them apart. Biologists suggested that volunteers collect the frogs by hand to prevent further mortalities. Over 100 volunteers participate in the Harborton Frog Shuttle every winter to safely taxi the frogs to their breeding destination.Rob Lee Its a huge effort, and weve been doing it for a lot of years, Hartline said. People have to commit to making themselves available for the whole season. Its a big commitment to have a night a week where you cant plan anything. Hartline added that the frogs only move at night in temperatures 45 degrees or higher. A little Portland rain creates the ideal climate, but the changing weather, she said, makes it difficult to determine nights on the job. You have to be OK with a lot of uncertainty, she said. Some nights the temperature is 42, but it looks like it might warm up. Or its 46, but it looks like itll get colder. Save the trip, save the frog Wildlife groups have been studying how to improve the frogs quality of life in Forest Park, perhaps by creating a pond so the frogs can breed right where they live. We want it to be reasonably permeable so it will persist till the month of July, said Rob Lee, co-founder of the Frog Shuttle. Were hoping to have a pond in by next winter. The floodplain along the Willamette River and Multnomah Channel once contained a series of ponds, marshes and lakes where frogs and other amphibians roamed freely. Today, much of the wetland habitat has been paved over with roads and industrial sites, leaving few sites for the frogs to carry out their natural behavior. Harborton Drive, in Northwest Portland, borders Forest Park where the red-legged frogs live most of the year. Hundreds of frogs risk their lives to cross this roadway annually.Rob Lee Really, the Harborton and Palensky location up the road are the only two that are suitable and frankly, left, Greseth said. The wildlife is just trying to live their lives, and its us that has changed their lives drastically. Greseth said that while the underpass will help preserve the species, the plan needs more fine-tuning before builders can even start to break ground. The design and engineering stage alone will cost half a million, with construction costs still unclear, he said. Backers are only just beginning to explore what might be needed to obtain city and state permits. Were probably a fair number of years away at this point, Greseth said. But to me, the nice thing is that were in the process of trying to do something to address this persistent issue. Even after the underpass is complete, Hartline said she suspects that the Frog Shuttle will still play a role in protecting the frogs as they migrate. I think there will still be some monitoring involved, she said. If nothing else, just being out with a clipboard, and making sure they make it. -- Kayla Nguyen, knguyen@oregonian.com Note: This short review was part of our guide to the Portland areas best new food carts of 2023, which originally published on Friday. Have you tried snow cheese? Even if you havent, you might have tried something similar. Found as a topping at a handful of fried chicken chains in Seoul, the powdered cheese blend bears a passing resemblance to the white cheddar dust coating Smartfood popcorn. At Frybaby, bartender-turned-cart entrepreneur Sunny Hatchs ode to the fantastic fried chicken he first tried during a tipsy night hanging with new hostel friends on a trip to South Korea, tasty wings and massive drumsticks can come slicked in good variations on the usual gochujang and soy-garlic sauce. Decent sides including smashed cucumbers, garlic butter rice and kimchi mac and cheese help round out a meal, while the sour-and-sweet plum soda is practically a must-order. But its the snow cheese drumstick you want, wrapped in outrageous robes of crispy skin blasted end-to-end with a powdered white cheddar and Parm blend, a veritable blizzard compared to the light snow cheese dusting more often found in Seoul. Eaten with a little scallion and chased with some of pickled daikon, its the main reason Frybaby isnt just the breakout star of the Lil America pod, its our 2023 Food Cart of the Year. Order this: A three-piece order of snow cheese drumsticks, a plum soda and some extra wet wipes. Details: 11:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. (or sold out) Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday; 1015 S.E. Stark St.; 971-258-0566; instagram.com/frybaby.pdx. Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe A 19-year-old driver died in Beaverton early Sunday in what Washington County Sheriffs deputies called a high-speed crash. Jesse Wargnier of Beaverton died after his 2014 Ford Focus left the roadway at Southwest 175th Avenue and Cooper Mountain Lane, rolled over and landed in a ravine around 12:55 a.m. Deputies said Wargnier did not appear to have been wearing a seatbelt. Three passengers, ages 18, 19 and 20, survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies said the young people had left a house party in Sherwood, and they believe speed, alcohol and drugs contributed to the crash. Deputies ask that anyone with information about the party call the sheriffs office at 503-846-2700. Beth Slovic; bslovic@oregonian.com; 503-221-8551 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe I would like to clarify a couple of points raised in the article about the Housing Production Advisory Council, (Gov. Tina Koteks housing council wants to make it easier for cities to expand, Sept 13). To be clear: The City of Hillsboro agrees with the housing councils assessment that infill and redevelopment alone cannot solve the regions housing crisis or meet state housing needs. And we are not alone. Land supply continues to be a challenge for cities seeking to create complete communities with housing choice and affordability along with economic opportunity for all. The critical connection between land needed for housing and land needed for employment cannot be overstated. Having the capacity to grow economic opportunity and industrial tax base enables cities to serve residential populations sustainably and affordably. If Oregon is going to achieve the governors housing goals and meet the housing needs of current and future Oregonians, it will require fundamental changes to our land use planning system and thoughtful state funding support. Cities on the edge of urban growth boundaries have both the benefit and the opportunity to increase housing within existing urban areas. Cities also have the potential to add new housing options in areas immediately adjacent to their city boundaries and services. Hillsboro remains supportive of policies that encourage systematic and pragmatic housing planning, housing production and affordability. We look forward to assisting in state efforts to address the housing needs and crisis. Steve Callaway Callaway is the mayor of Hillsboro. To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion. A letter from an attorney representing embattled Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes said the county's investigation and effort to remove him from office relies on "inaccurate and even false information." The letter, addressed to the Chippewa County Board of Supervisors and released by Hakes, criticizes the boards investigation and claims its recent meeting to discuss the matter violated Wisconsin's open meeting law. The Chippewa County Board was in closed session for about four hours Sept. 19 to discuss Hakes' conduct after a county employee reported concerns about him and the workplace. The alleged conduct has not been made public by the county. In response to an open records request filed by the Chippewa Herald seeking information about the alleged conduct, county human resources director Toni Hohlfelder responded that a redacted version of the Hakes investigation report will be made available to the paper on or after Oct. 2. The day after the county board's secret meeting, Hakes said he received a letter from the board about the matter. The contents of the Sept. 20 letter from the county are unknown. When asked for the letter, Hakes provided the Herald with a copy of a three-page response his attorney, Richard Hodsdon, sent to the county dated Sept. 21. In it, Hodsdon wrote that based on his preliminary investigation and public reports, the board was fed inaccurate and even false information, while at the same time crucial information has been withheld from you either intentionally or in an act of gross negligence by one or more officials of county government. He called the investigation a "witch hunt" and said Hakes never received written notice of any alleged misconduct or an opportunity to review or respond to the accusations, "basic rights that every American is entitled to." Hodsdon wrote that he spoke with the attorney hired by the county to do the investigation and was advised that instead of simply investigating that one matter, she was assigned, apparently by the county administrator, to conduct an 'investigation' into multiple and far-ranging matters that had nothing at all to do with the original issue. He also questioned the closed session the board conducted Sept. 19 and said it appeared the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law had been violated since no formal action was voted on in public. "My evidence indicates that after the meeting was formally closed to the public it was never re-convened in a public setting to take formal action in the form of a vote to act against Sheriff Hakes, the letter states. Hodsdon stated he is looking into other possible open meeting law violations by the board in its handling of the Hakes investigation. He referred to the original complaint against Hakes as a personnel matter for which there never was nor has there still ever been, an actual misconduct complaint. In his response, Hodsdon references apparent issues related to mandating the sheriff 'check on' and 'check off' under the stated guise of preventing a 'safety incident' and later states that the boards letter "does not even attempt to explain how the sheriff checking in on the radio or not would relate to a security incident. Hodsdons letter also references two training mandates the board wanted from Hakes. Hodsdon responded by saying: You completely lack any authority to require Sheriff Hakes to participate in any training. As a certified peace officer Sheriff Hakes has certain mandated training and he advises me he continues to meet all those mandates and his job-related training agenda easily exceeds any legal requirements." Hodsdon concluded his response by encouraging members of the board to rescind their actions from Sept. 19. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The head of the Government of National Unity's Emergency and Rapid Response Team and Minister of Local Government, Badreddine al-Toumi, met with the Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission, John Cardenas, to coordinate efforts to respond to the aftermath of the flooding caused by Storm Daniel Photo: (Photo : Matt Popovich on Unsplash) In a heartbreaking incident late Saturday, a dispute over the sale of a dog escalated into violence at a Florida apartment complex, resulting in the tragic deaths of a 3-year-old child and two adults. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the incident and seeking witnesses to provide more information on the unfortunate confrontation. Investigation Underway According to Assistant Chief J.D. Stronko of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, five individuals, including the young child, had arranged to meet at a luxury apartment complex around 10 p.m. on Saturday to discuss the sale of a dog. Tensions flared, and an argument ensued, rapidly escalating to gunfire, which led to the tragic loss of three lives and left another adult wounded. Assistant Chief Stronko informed reporters that the two adults who were fatally shot and the third who sustained injuries were all in their 20s. The authorities have not released their names or the condition of the wounded individual, citing ongoing investigations and respect for the privacy of the victims' families. Eyewitness accounts have been crucial in piecing together the events of the tragic night. Witnesses at the scene recounted seeing two men fleeing in a car shortly after the gunfire erupted. The authorities are following leads and have appealed to the public for any additional information that might aid in identifying and apprehending the suspects. This tragic incident has left the community in shock, prompting reflections on the value of human life and the circumstances that can lead to such devastating outcomes over seemingly minor disputes. Residents of the luxury apartment complex and the larger Jacksonville community are grappling with the senselessness of the violence, and there is a palpable desire for justice for the victims and their grieving families. While the details surrounding the argument and the ensuing violence remain unclear, the incident underscores the urgent need for conflict resolution and de-escalation strategies. Authorities are reminding the public to exercise caution in interpersonal transactions and disputes and to seek help when tensions escalate, in order to prevent such tragic outcomes. Read Also: 6-Year-Old Responsible for Teacher's Shooting May Not Receive Jail Time Call for Conflict Resolution The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office continues its diligent work on the case, piecing together the sequence of events and pursuing all available leads to bring the perpetrators to justice. They are urging anyone with information related to the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation. As the community mourns the untimely deaths of the toddler and the two young adults, there is a collective call for reflection on the value of life and the importance of resolving disputes peacefully. The tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the impact of our actions on others. The incident has spurred discussions on safety, conflict resolution, and the responsibility of individuals to contribute to a peaceful society. The Jacksonville community, while shaken, remains hopeful that justice will be served and that such incidents can be prevented in the future through collective effort and awareness. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited as authorities delve deeper into the circumstances that led to this tragic confrontation. The community, united in grief, hopes for a swift resolution to the case and for measures to be put in place to prevent the recurrence of such senseless violence. Related Article: Suspect of Shooting Incident Involving 6-Year-Old Girl, Parents, Neighbor Now Under Police Custody: 'Turned Himself In' Photo: (Photo : Basit Abdul on Unsplash) In a highly unusual and unexpected incident that unfolded in Florida, a young brother and sister, aged 10 and 11, respectively, set off on a daring adventure, driving nearly 200 miles in their mother's car. This impromptu journey was triggered by their mother's decision to confiscate their electronic devices, leading to a chain of events that brought together law enforcement, community members, and the family in question. Discovery on Interstate 75: A Tale of Surprise Around 3:50 a.m. on Thursday, deputies stationed in Alachua, Florida, made a surprising discovery on Interstate 75, approximately 16 miles north of Gainesville. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office, in an official statement, disclosed that the vehicle, driven by the 10-year-old boy with his sister as a passenger, was intercepted and stopped. The astonishment of the authorities was palpable as they found themselves face-to-face with the young adventurers, far away from their home in North Port. The daring escape and the consequential journey of the siblings were set into motion when their mother, in an attempt to instill discipline, seized their electronic gadgets. The children, responding to this action, decided to leave their home and embark on a journey that lasted three hours, heading north and covering a significant distance in the family sedan. In a turn of events that can only be described as unexpected, deputies, who had prepared to confront potential criminals, were met with the sight of two young children stepping out of the vehicle. The authorities helped to facilitate the children's subsequent reunion with their mother. Despite the initial report of a stolen vehicle, the possibility of pressing charges was dismissed as the mother chose not to pursue the case, focusing instead on the wellbeing of her children. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office communicated with the mother, who was described as "doing her best to raise two young children." She expressed her willingness to receive assistance and was receptive to the recommendations provided by the detectives, showcasing a commitment to fostering a positive environment for her family. Read Also: Six-Year-Old Who Shot His Teacher Allegedly Used His Mother's Gun Community Engagement and Reflection on Parenting Challenges The extraordinary incident has ignited discussions within the community, highlighting the challenges associated with parenting and the unpredictable nature of children's behavior. Empathy has been extended towards the mother for her disciplinary efforts, and appreciation has been expressed for the swift and safe intervention by the authorities. The incident, while resolved without any harm, underscores the vital role of safeguarding children and addressing their behavioral responses to disciplinary measures. It has prompted a call for community solidarity, support for parents, and exploration of constructive child behavior management strategies. The adventurous episode involving the two young Florida siblings has left an indelible mark on the community and authorities, leading to reflections on family dynamics, child behavior, and the support systems available to parents. The incident, characterized by unexpected turns and a safe resolution, emphasizes the importance of community engagement, understanding the complexities of parenting, and recognizing the diverse ways children might react to disciplinary actions. This tale of an unexpected journey serves as a testament to the resilience of families, the importance of communal support, and the ever-present need for fostering understanding and constructive dialogue between parents and children. The story continues to circulate, serving as a reminder and a learning opportunity for families and communities alike. Related Article: Never Confiscate Children's Devices As Punishment, Expert Reveals Why This service is a courtesy for our print subscribers to give them access to our online edition at no additional cost. If you haven't registered on the new site, you must do it now before you do anything else. APT Price Prediction as APTOS Heads Back Toward September High Big Surge Imminent? Source: TradingView The Aptos price has jumped by 6.5% in the past 24 hours, with its surge to $5.48 coming as the market as a whole drops by 1% today. APT is now up by 4.5% in the past week, while remaining down by 4% in the last 30 days and by 72% since reaching an all-time high of $19.92 in January of this year. But with SushiSwap integrating with Aptos this month, and with the layer-one chain continuing to experience steady growth, its likely that APT will continue to recover over the coming weeks. APT Price Prediction as APTOS Heads Back Toward September High Big Surge Imminent? APTs rally today has been long overdue, given just how oversold the altcoin had been in recent weeks. Source: TradingView Its relative strength index (purple) had remained below 40 (if not lower) since the middle of August, yet this past weekend it has climbed beyond 50, in a sign of growing momentum that could persist for several more days yet. That APT has plenty of room to rise further (before becoming overbought) is also indicated by its 30-day moving average, which is still a long way below its 200-day average (blue), meaning that its still very much in oversold and undervalued territory. Yet its clear that the coin had definitely bottomed out prior to todays movement, with its support level now rising steadily. As such, now really looks like a good time to buy APT, which could potentially return to $5.75 or higher before its current rally slows down in the shorter term. Aptos is rising now largely because of two things, with the first simply being that it had been undervalued for a while. Yet its also worth acknowledging that Aptos has been expanding as a platform, with its most significant piece of recent news being SushiSwaps integration with its network.